Category: English

After marrying Ethan Pierce, I got pregnant nine times. But I miscarried all nine times. I thought there was something wrong with my body, until I heard him talking in his study. “She betrayed me. Her dirty womb doesn’t deserve to carry my child.” “Only the pure and innocent Lily deserves to bear my child.” It turned out every miscarriage was his doing. He pampered his pregnant mistress, caused my grandmother’s death, and pushed me to the edge. But when I left him to study abroad and became a renowned doctor, he showed up in a wheelchair, begging for my forgiveness. I just smiled faintly and introduced the man beside me. “This is my husband. What are you to me?” Sophia’s POV After my ninth miscarriage, I dragged myself home exhausted, clutching the medical certificate. The moment I walked in, I heard voices from the study on the second floor. My footsteps froze. A bad feeling stirred in my gut. The next second, I heard that familiar voice, cold and detached. “Clean up the mess. Don’t let Sophia find out.” “The oil stain on the floor has been wiped clean.” Through the speakerphone, I heard his secretary Robert’s hesitant voice. “Mrs. Pierce has been hoping to have a child with you. This is her ninth miscarriage. Shouldn’t we tell her the truth?” I forced my stiff legs to carry me up the stairs. Through the crack in the study door, I saw Ethan lean back in his chair and let out a cold laugh. “She should have known the future heir of the corporation could never come from someone like her.” “This is just a taste of what she deserves.” My face went pale. My weak body trembled violently. I clutched the miscarriage notice in my hand, but tears still fell beyond my control. The man who had dined with me so gently just yesterday, who promised to go with me to my checkup, now seemed terrifyingly unfamiliar. Thinking back to every pregnancy after our marriage: being bumped into while walking, mysteriously falling down stairs, midnight fevers, food poisoning… I thought it was my body’s tendency to miscarry. I never suspected anything. Every time, I blamed myself for not being more careful. Now, looking back, every seemingly coincidental incident had something sinister behind it. But Ethan loved me so much! I forced my eyes wide open. Even though breathing was difficult, I struggled to see the person clearly. After each miscarriage, Ethan would pray in the church for a month for our unborn child. To fulfill the child’s wish, he endured rumors throughout our social circle that he was impotent, and took medication for a whole year without batting an eye. To let me rest at home and prepare for pregnancy, he hired ten nannies to take care of my every need, arranging everything down to the smallest detail. Everyone in our circle praised how madly Ethan loved me. But now the truth hit me like a slap in the face. Love and not love, which was real? I trembled as I touched my abdomen, fresh from surgery. Dull pain radiated from below, making it almost impossible to stand. “If Mrs. Pierce ever finds out, will she leave?” Robert sounded worried. Ethan looked at the photo on his desk of the two of us smiling brightly in college, his tone firm. “We swore to be together forever. Even if she betrayed me, I won’t let go. This is just a small lesson.” “It’s only a child. It won’t affect our relationship.” He paused, then continued. “That college girl Lily got pregnant with my child after that accident at the gala. Let her have it. But I promised Sophia that the position of Mrs. Pierce will always be hers.” Every word cut into me like a blade. I stood frozen, my blood running cold. I covered my mouth tightly, trying to suppress the sob rising in my throat. I suddenly didn’t know whether I should confront him about cheating with a college student, or continue explaining that the child was a misunderstanding. The first time I got pregnant, Ethan and I had been broken up for three months. Because of my special constitution, I was hit by someone on an electric bike. It wasn’t until sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen that I realized I was three months pregnant. My parents died when I was young, my grandmother was in poor health, I called him twenty times, but Ethan eventually blocked me. With no choice, I contacted a classmate who worked at the hospital. After the surgery, when my classmate helped my weak body out of the hospital, we ran into Ethan, who had just finished a meeting and rushed over. His eyes fell on my classmate’s hand supporting my arm. His face darkened like a storm. “Sophia, are you that desperate for a man? We broke up less than three months ago and you’re already pregnant with someone else’s child?” Without waiting for my pale face to respond, he turned and strode away. I wanted to explain, but he simply didn’t believe it was his child. Not until my classmate went abroad did Ethan come to marry me. “If you want me to forgive you, marry me.” I agreed. I thought I could spend the rest of my life explaining. I thought Ethan had let go of this matter. Out of carelessness for losing our first child, I gave up my career to stay home and prepare for pregnancy, just wanting to make up for that regret. Even at the cost of my own body, I never regretted it. But Ethan never believed me! My vision blurred the scene before me. I opened my mouth but couldn’t make a sound. The doorbell suddenly rang downstairs. The sharp sound made the person in the room look up toward the door. My emotions were complicated. I didn’t know how to face him. Instinctively, I turned and ran downstairs in a panic.

Sophia’s POV I opened the door to a delicate, innocent face. Her features were refined and pretty, her skin smooth and fair. Youth practically radiated from her. I looked at the woman before me in disbelief. Tears filled my eyes. I even forgot to run away. Footsteps approached from behind. A pair of large hands gripped my shoulders. Ethan’s voice came from above my head. “Why are you crying?” He frowned slightly, looking down at me in his arms, his fingers tightening. “Did someone bully you?” I didn’t answer. The paper in my hand was crumpled. I stared hard at the woman in front of me. Ethan followed my gaze. As if only now noticing the person at the door, displeasure flashed in his eyes. “Why are you here?” Lily nervously twisted the corner of her clothes, then pulled out a certificate from her bag. “The doctor said the fetus is unstable and I should drop out to rest. I’ve already processed my leave of absence.” She glanced at the man’s dark expression, then at me, stammering. “You… you said… if I ever had any trouble, I could come to you…” “You’re the baby’s father. You can’t abandon your responsibility.” Lily seemed to gather courage, looking at the man before her. Ethan irritably rubbed his temples and let go of me. “Come in first. I’ll go upstairs and call someone to take care of you.” Then he squeezed my hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry. She’ll leave soon.” Ethan didn’t explain Lily’s identity or the pregnancy. He turned and went upstairs to the study to get his phone. After he left, Lily’s previously timid expression vanished. She walked straight to the sofa and sat down, looking at me from across the room as if she were the mistress of this house. “So you’re that promiscuous wife Mr. Pierce talks about?” Promiscuous wife? Is that how Ethan referred to me behind my back? I struggled to breathe. Having just had surgery and lost a lot of blood, combined with my emotional turmoil, I staggered, bracing my hands against the doorframe, nearly collapsing to the ground. Seeing me like this, contempt flashed in Lily’s eyes. She crossed her arms and walked up to me step by step, warning in a low voice. “You’re a slut who slept with other men. How are you worthy of bearing Mr. Pierce’s child?” She proudly touched her still-flat belly. “Mr. Pierce said I’m the purest one. Only I’m qualified to bear his child.” “Everyone says Mr. Pierce loves you, but…” Lily looked at my dazed expression. “If it came down to the child or you, who do you think he’d choose?” What does that mean? A bad feeling suddenly hit me. I jerked my head up to look at her. The sound of a door closing came from upstairs. Before I could react, Lily suddenly grabbed my hand and violently pushed herself to the ground. Tears instantly streamed down her face. Lying on the floor, Lily clutched her belly, breaking out in cold sweat from the pain. “The baby, my baby…” Hearing the commotion, Ethan rushed downstairs and scooped Lily into his arms. “How did you fall? I’ll take you to the hospital right now.” But Lily grabbed his arm tightly, her eyes on me, her voice weak. “Mrs. Pierce, I never wanted to compete with you, but why can’t you tolerate even a child? Why did you push me?” “I didn’t!” Meeting Ethan’s gaze, I shook my head in denial. “I didn’t push her! You know I just had a miscarriage. How could I harm someone else’s child?” I kept shaking my head. I’d had nine miscarriages. No one knew better than me the pain of losing a child. How could I possibly want to harm anyone? Ethan clearly didn’t believe me. His eyes were frighteningly cold as he spoke word by word. “I saw it with my own eyes! Sophia, are you trying to deceive me again like last time?” “She fell on her own! She’s trying to frame me!” I didn’t understand why Ethan would never truly believe me. “There’s a camera at the door. Why won’t you just check it?!” I explained desperately, a sense of helplessness welling up inside. Ethan’s expression shifted, but Lily in his arms went stiff, then clutched her stomach in painful cries. “Mr. Pierce, my stomach hurts so much. Did we lose our baby?” Ethan’s thoughts were interrupted. He immediately lifted Lily in his arms. “Lily has always been pure and kind. This is your first time meeting today. She has no reason to frame you. I saw you push her with my own eyes. There’s no need to check the footage.” “Sophia, you’ve disappointed me again.” Ethan held the pale-faced Lily tightly in his arms, pushed past me standing in the doorway, and hurried out. Unprepared, my already unsteady body was knocked aside. I fell heavily to the ground with a thud and cried out in pain. Ethan’s steps paused. He didn’t look back. I finally understood. Ethan had never believed me. Those lost children were his punishment for me.

Sophia’s POV I sat slumped on the floor, looking at the miscarriage notice soaked with tears. They were both Ethan’s children. Why could he be so cruel as to personally send away nine of my babies? Before I could figure it out, my phone rang urgently. “Sophia, your grandmother’s condition has suddenly deteriorated. She urgently needs surgery…” My head exploded with a roar. I couldn’t hear the rest. By the time I reached the hospital, Grandma had lost consciousness. Seeing her lying on the bed with a breathing tube, my heart ached terribly. “The patient is very weak. The surgery can’t be delayed. We’re still short ten thousand dollars.” The doctor dutifully informed me. “We can’t reach Mr. Pierce. Your grandmother’s condition is critical. We recommend immediate surgery.” I desperately gripped the doctor’s hand, begging. “Please do the surgery first. I’ll pay the fee right now.” “I’m sorry, Sophia. The hospital has procedures.” I frantically dialed Ethan’s number. Once, twice, three times… Time passed. On the tenth call, the phone finally connected. A cold male voice came through. “What is it?” “Ethan, grandma -” I started to speak, but before I could get the words out, a young female voice cut in. “Mr. Pierce, I feel so terrible. My stomach hurts so much.” Ethan’s voice carried a hint of helplessness. “Don’t move around. The doctor will come check on you soon.” Then he hastily threw out a sentence and hung up directly. “Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it when I get back.” All the blood in my body rushed backward. My fingertips trembled slightly. When I called again, his phone was off. I had no choice but to steel myself and call Robert. “I’m sorry, I can’t give you that money. Mr. Pierce has instructed that because you did something wrong, you need to be punished.” I trembled with rage. Under my insistent questioning, Robert told me Mr. Pierce was with Lily in the VIP ward on the top floor of this very hospital. The elevator to the top floor was private access. I didn’t have a card, so I could only climb eighteen flights of stairs step by step. Along the way, my legs went weak and I fell to the ground. My knee hit the sharp edge of a step, and blood instantly flowed from the wound. Thinking of grandma hanging on by a thread, I had no other choice. I gritted my teeth and limped upward. By the time I stood at the VIP ward door, my body was soaked with sweat. My legs were sore and trembling. Blood had stained my white dress red. I raised my hand. Through the glass window, I saw Lily nestled in Ethan’s arms, acting cute. “Our baby was frightened today. The doctor said parents should spend more time with him. I heard babies can sense their mom and dad. Can you feel him?” Amused by her innocent words, Ethan rarely smiled. “It’s only been two months. It’s still just an embryo.” “But he wants his daddy to feel him.” Lily hugged Ethan’s arm coquettishly, completely different from her timid daytime performance. Ethan ultimately couldn’t resist. He obediently placed his large hand on Lily’s belly, his movements gentle. My nose stung. This was a scene I had imagined too. Once upon a time, I also dreamed of having a cute, well-behaved child with Ethan. But Ethan personally strangled my last hope. Thinking of Grandma in the hospital bed urgently needing medical fees, I finally raised my hand and pushed open the door. Hearing the sound, Ethan turned around. Seeing me, he froze, his gaze fixed on the wound on my leg. He frowned slightly and immediately wanted to get up to check on me. Lily timely gripped his hand, gently reminding him. “Mr. Pierce.” His advancing steps stopped. He suppressed his emotions. “Sophia, Lily has already forgiven you. As long as you come apologize, we can let this matter go.”

Sophia’s POV I clenched my fists, my heart filled only with bitterness. Their intertwined hands stung my eyes. I looked away, my gaze falling on Ethan’s face. “Ethan, Grandma is critically ill and needs surgery. We’re still short ten thousand dollars…” Before I could finish, Lily frowned in displeasure. “Sophia, even if you don’t want to apologize, you don’t need to use such an excuse, do you?” “I’m not.” I cut her off sharply. Lily’s eyes immediately reddened. She hugged Ethan’s arm, trembling. “Mr. Pierce, did I say something wrong? I’m so scared. Will Sophia try to harm our child again?” At this, Ethan’s expression darkened. “Sophia, it’s just an apology. If you did something wrong, you should be punished. No excuse will work.” Punishment? I tugged at my stiff lips. He’d already punished me with nine miscarriages. What more did he want? I suddenly remembered that before, when I fell and scraped my skin, Ethan’s eyes were full of heartache. He would cancel all his meetings and carefully stay by my side, summoning his private doctor to gently apply medicine to my wounds himself. But now I was a complete mess, soaked in sweat, blood still flowing from my wounds, yet he could still turn a blind eye. It was Ethan who comforted me after my miscarriages, who accompanied me through those days of lost hope. But he was also the father of those children, and their executioner. I was exhausted in body and spirit. My head felt dizzy. I dug my nails into my palms. The pain was the only thing keeping me conscious. Grandma was still waiting for the medical fees. I couldn’t be willful at a time like this. “Sophia.” Ethan’s cold tone carried veiled coercion and threat. I gave in. I bent down. “I’m sorry.” Ethan turned his head away, no longer paying attention. “Fine. This matter ends here.” He carefully helped Lily down from the bed and walked out. “Lily still needs to be examined. You should go back and treat your wound.” “Grandma needs surgery immediately!” I tried to reach out and stop Ethan. “We’re still short ten thousand.” Lily displeasedly blocked my arm. “Sophia, I heard from Mr. Pierce that your grandmother raised you since childhood. Even if you really don’t want this child, you don’t need to curse your grandmother who has cancer to death, do you?” “I didn’t!” Seeing the dissatisfaction in Ethan’s eyes, I desperately tried to explain. “Grandma’s condition has really deteriorated. She needs surgery now!” “Enough!” Ethan roughly shook off my hand. “I’ve already instructed the attending physician. If there’s any problem, they’ll contact me directly! Sophia, the position of Mrs. Pierce will always be yours. You don’t need to lie about this kind of thing.” The disappointment in his eyes was like a tangible force, transforming into countless swords that stabbed deep into my heart. In his eyes, was I really the kind of person who would use such things to compete for favor? I stood there, watching the two of them leave intimately, my vision blurring. Nurses nearby were gossiping. “Look at her. Can’t even have kids. How does someone like that get to be Mrs. Pierce?” “I heard she was jealous of that young girl’s pregnancy and tried to hurt the baby herself!” “Can you believe it?! She graduated from a top university, used to do pharmaceutical research. Who would’ve thought she could be so cruel? And she even lied about her grandmother being sick.” A sense of helplessness rose from the depths of my heart. I took out my phone and begged the doctor to operate immediately. I promised I would raise the money. “I’m sorry, Sophia.” The doctor’s words cruelly revealed the truth. “Your grandmother just passed away.” I hadn’t even seen her one last time. I turned and ran downstairs. When I gasped my way to the ward, I just saw Grandma being wheeled toward the morgue. That tightly wound string in my head finally snapped. I forgot even how to cry and collapsed straight down.

Sophia’s POV When I woke up, I stared at the white ceiling of the hospital room, feeling somewhat dazed. As if I’d had a dream. I forced myself up. Pain from my lower abdomen and wounds all over my body cruelly reminded me. The person closest to me in this world was also gone. My eyes were dry. I’d cried all my tears. “You’re awake. Drink some water first.” Ethan pushed open the door holding a glass of water. There were faint dark circles under his eyes. “You’ve been asleep for three days. Drink some water first.” I ignored his outstretched hand. “Where’s grandma?” Ethan frowned and set the glass aside. “It’s too hot. Grandma has already been cremated. Her ashes are at home, waiting for you to go back and bury them.” My nose stung. I remembered before I got married, Grandma held my hand. “You must be happy for a lifetime.” When I was born, my parents despised me and abandoned me on the street. It was grandma passing by who couldn’t bear it. She brought me home, raised me personally, and found every way possible to let me attend school. Some people didn’t understand. They mocked her, saying what good was it for a girl to study well? Better to marry someone rich. But Grandma always told me from childhood. “People can’t rely on others for a lifetime. Knowledge belongs to you. No one can take it away.” I failed Grandma’s expectations. I lost myself in this relationship. I didn’t even see the old woman one last time. Ethan stepped forward and pulled me into his arms. “Sophia, you still have me. I told you, I’ll give you a family.” Give me a family? It was my poor judgment that made me trust the wrong person, letting Ethan destroy my family! Ethan moved his lips to say something, but was interrupted by his phone ringing in his pocket. “Get someone over… yes, it’s been too long… not good for the baby…” The voice came in fragments, but I could still tell it was Lily acting cute with him. Before, I would have been mad with jealousy, would have questioned him, gotten angry. But now my heart felt no ripple. Ethan glanced at me beside him, then finally nodded in agreement. “I know. Do it your way for now. I’ll come back now.” After hanging up, Ethan stood, gently adjusting the blanket corner. “Rest well. I’ll come check on you later.” I closed my eyes, ignoring him. Ethan stood in silence for a while, then finally turned and left. My fingers curled. My hand gripping the clothes trembled slightly. Ethan, I have nothing left. I gritted my teeth and forced my body up. I took a cab home. I had to let grandma rest in peace. Then I would find Ethan and divorce him. When I reached the villa entrance, strange sounds came from inside. The air was filled with an odd smell. My heart sank. A bad feeling washed over me. When I opened the door, the scene before my eyes broke my heart! The living room had been temporarily converted into a cold white memorial space. White lilies surrounded the space. In the center stood a dark urn, with an enlarged photo beside it It was grandma. Then, a strange man grabbed the photo and tossed it into a metal tray. Flames shot up, swallowing the familiar face in an instant. “No!” I screamed and ran over, trying to reach into the fire to grab the photo. “Stop Mrs. Pierce.” Ethan’s calm voice came from nearby. Bodyguards immediately stepped forward, holding me firmly outside, not letting me near the fire. “Ethan!” I lost it. “Grandma is already dead! What more do you want?!” Lily shrank back and clung to Ethan’s arm. Her lips, painted with bright gloss, pouted slightly. “Sophia, I just got pregnant with Mr. Pierce’s child and now this happens. People say your grandmother’s ghost will haunt me. We need to get rid of the bad energy.” “Absurd!” I was so angry my lips trembled. I looked at Ethan. In my memory, Ethan hated this kind of thing most. The only exception was praying for their child. I still remembered that day. Ethan was soaked through with rain, but the cross he took out from his coat was perfectly clean and dry. “Sophia, the only exception is you.” But now, looking at Ethan less than five meters away, I blinked my dry eyes. I was no longer that only exception. Ethan stared at me steadily, his tone calm and cruel. “Lily has been having nightmares and can’t sleep. She just needs a ceremony.” He paused, then continued. “Don’t worry. Grandma’s ashes have already been burned once. They won’t burn away completely.” What does “won’t burn away completely” mean? I suddenly felt the man before me was terrifyingly unfamiliar. That was my only relative, and the grandmother he promised to take care of for a lifetime. “Mr. Pierce, time is almost up.” A man in ritual robes stepped forward from behind. “The lingering anger won’t go away. An evil spirit is clinging to her. Miss Lily is pregnant and weak. She’s already been possessed.” Hearing this, Ethan withdrew his gaze and turned to look at them. “Continue.” The man was heavily equipped. He took out a bag of white phosphorus from his pack and threw it expressionlessly into the urn. “No! No! Grandma!” My eyes turned completely red. I pushed through the crowd blocking me and rushed forward. “Watch out!” Before I could get close, the white phosphorus contacted the high temperature and suddenly ignited in the air. The urn exploded. A small piece of porcelain flew past my cheek. White ashes were blown everywhere by the intense heat. Through the hazy white dust, I saw Ethan holding Lily tightly in his arms. He used his back to shield her. I suddenly remembered when the lab had a chemical explosion before, he also held me in his arms like this. Even if his back was burned, his first concern would be whether I was hurt. Blood rushed to my head. Something sweet and metallic surged in my throat. I spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. Ethan, the price of loving you is too high. I don’t want to love you anymore. I’ll give you a gift you’ll never forget.

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On the day of my mother’s heart transplant surgery, my husband Ethan snatched away the heart meant to save her. He gave it to his childhood sweetheart, Autumn. She wasn’t even sick. My mother died on the operating table, while he held Autumn in his arms, watching the sunset by the sea. Autumn framed me for hurting her child, so Ethan threw me to the wolves. I was torn apart, and I lost the baby because of it. Later I learned he’d been hypnotized, with all his memories of loving me sealed away. But so what? Who will pay for my child’s life? For my mother’s life? Until he knelt before me, begging pathetically for mercy. I only smiled faintly. “Ethan, I’m already married to someone else.” Maya’s POV I waited anxiously outside the operating room. My mother was inside receiving a heart transplant. An hour ago, the doctor had already sent someone to retrieve the transplant organ. But that precious heart still hadn’t arrived. Suddenly, Ethan walked toward me, his presence ice cold. “That heart was a successful match for Autumn. Her body is weak and can’t wait any longer. Your mother’s surgery will have to be postponed.” I froze instantly. My mother’s chest cavity was already open, all the medical staff were waiting for the heart to arrive. How could Ethan suddenly change his mind and give the only heart to his childhood sweetheart?! My face turned deathly pale as I gripped Ethan’s sleeve tightly. “My mom is lying on the operating table right now. If you take that heart away, you’re condemning her to death! Ethan, that’s my mother. You can’t do this!” Ethan’s face showed no emotion, his tone indifferent. “Autumn is from a wealthy family, a rising star in academia. She’s made many contributions to society. The heart will create more value in her body.” I stood there stunned, as if I hadn’t understood, then let out bitter laughter as tears streamed down my face. “You think Autumn’s life is worth more than my mother’s? Does that mean my mother deserves to die? You promised that as long as I didn’t press charges against Autumn, you’d help me find a heart donor. How can you go back on your word!” Half a month ago, Autumn had injured me. I wanted to report it to the police, but Ethan stopped me. I knew he was biased toward Autumn, but to save my mother, I had no choice but to agree to Ethan’s conditions. Now, with my mother on the brink of life and death inside the operating room, Ethan was going back on his word. My whole body trembled with anxiety. I dropped to my knees at Ethan’s feet. “Ethan, I’m begging you. My dad died early, and my mom worked four jobs to raise me alone. I haven’t even given her a good life yet. She can’t die… Please…” Ethan looked down at me kneeling and begging, frowning slightly. “I did promise you, but now Autumn needs that heart too. I had to make a choice.” “Autumn and I have known each other for over twenty years. She’s more important to me. I hope you’ll be reasonable about this.” Those two short sentences left me both confused and heartbroken. The Ethan of the past loved me more than anything, wanting to give me the whole world. We first met by the roadside when some thugs were harassing me and Ethan came to my rescue. After that, Ethan would occasionally appear at my food cart, patronizing my business. Later, Ethan confessed his feelings for me, saying he didn’t mind my poor background and would take care of me forever. But all of that changed after Ethan returned from his business trip abroad. He seemed like a completely different person, extremely cold toward me. I glared at Ethan with grief and anger. “When we got married, you clearly said you would cherish me and love me. Now you want to sacrifice my mother for someone else. Have you lost your memory and forgotten what you said?!” Ethan frowned. “That’s nonsense. How could I have lost my memory?” With that, he stopped looking at me, turned coldly, and walked toward the exit. I froze for a moment, then chased after him. Outside the hospital, medical personnel were placing the cooler containing the heart into a vehicle. “Mr. Foster, the heart has been arranged. We’ll head to Sacred Heart Hospital immediately,” the driver said respectfully. Ethan nodded slightly. Seeing this, I frantically rushed over to try to grab it. I no longer cared about any dignity. I only knew that without this heart, my mother would die! But how could I possibly overcome the group of medical staff and drivers around? Before I could even touch the cooler, I was forcefully pushed to the ground, my arms and thighs badly scraped and bleeding. Ethan glanced at me and stepped into the vehicle. The car started and slowly drove onto the road. My eyes turned bloodshot as I struggled up from the ground and chased the car. I grabbed onto the rear of the vehicle with both arms and was dragged for a distance before falling hard to the ground. On the asphalt, a gruesome trail of blood was left behind. But the pain in my body couldn’t compare to even half the despair in my heart. I cried out helplessly, painful tears soaking my collar. My mother was still on the operating table, and I had no idea what to do. Just then, a nurse came running over anxiously. “Ms. Carter, we sutured your mother’s chest cavity as Mr. Foster requested, but something went wrong… You should go see her one last time.” I felt my entire world come crashing down.

Maya’s POV My background was rough. My father died in an accident when I was one year old. For the next dozen years, my mother worked four jobs day and night to support me. I matured early and always felt sorry for my mother’s exhaustion, saying that when I grew up I would definitely give her a good life. But my mother just smiled and hugged me, saying that as long as I was healthy and safe, that was enough. And now, standing in the morgue, the pale lights made me sway unsteadily. My mother, who just yesterday was talking about going on a trip together after the surgery, now lay silently on the mortuary bed, covered with a white sheet. I could no longer hold myself up and fell to my knees beside the bed. “Mom… please open your eyes and look at me…” I pressed myself tightly against the cold body, tears bursting forth. “You promised we’d go on a trip together. How can you leave me…” I cried my heart out, as if trying to expel my entire heart. Suddenly, my phone vibrated. It was a text from Ethan. “Autumn’s surgery was very successful. I’ll find another suitable heart for your mother. Just stay out of trouble.” As I read it, my vision suddenly blurred. I knew Ethan was afraid I would hold a grudge and cause trouble for Autumn, so he was trying to placate me. But Ethan didn’t know yet that my mother was no longer in this world… I looked at my mother’s body, then at the message on my phone. The grief and fury in my chest suddenly blazed up. If it weren’t for Ethan and Autumn, my mother would never have died on that operating table! I had to get an explanation! I shakily stood up and, in complete disarray, took a cab to Sacred Heart Hospital. I didn’t even need to ask to know which private room Autumn was in. Whatever Ethan had prepared for her would certainly be the best room on the top floor. When I rushed to the top floor, Autumn had just finished surgery and was still unconscious in the ICU. Ethan stood outside the ward, his gaze toward the room focused and affectionate. That kind of look once belonged only to me, but now it completely belonged to another woman. I felt a sharp pain in my chest. My mother’s death and my husband’s betrayal made me feel torn in half. Ethan heard footsteps and looked at me. Seeing me like a madwoman with disheveled hair and messy clothes, disgust flashed in his eyes. He said coldly, “Why aren’t you at the hospital with your mother? What are you doing here?” I didn’t answer. I tried to rush forward and force my way into the ward, but Ethan violently pushed me to the ground. His strength was too great. I had no chance to react before I crashed heavily to the floor, the intense pain making my vision go black. But no physical pain could compare to my torn and shredded heart at this moment. Ethan looked down at me from above, without a trace of pity in his eyes. “I warned you, as long as you behave, I’ll help you find another heart. If you insist on making trouble, don’t blame me for being heartless.” That cold look in his eyes was like looking at trash. I suddenly laughed, tears seeping from the corners of my eyes. “Ethan, you’re treating me like this for a woman who’s a homewrecker… You’re breaking your word. You’ll definitely get what’s coming to you!” Ethan’s expression darkened. He said coldly, “The worst thing that ever happened to me was marrying you.” That single sentence made my already agonizing heart spasm with pain again. After speaking, he called security to drag me to the stairwell like garbage, then stationed people outside the ward as if afraid I’d come back to cause trouble. In the dim stairwell, my suppressed sobs echoed. Suddenly, someone came down the stairs. It was Autumn’s female assistant, just as unreasonable and arrogant as Autumn herself. The assistant twirled her hair and mocked coldly, “You’re really shameless, actually following them here. Ethan doesn’t even care if you live or die to save Autumn. Can’t you see who he really loves?” I clenched my teeth and snapped back, “Autumn wrecked someone else’s marriage, and you as her assistant not only enable her, you help her cover it up. If I post what she’s done online, let’s see how you survive in academia.” The assistant’s expression changed, but she quickly shifted the topic. She pulled out her phone and shoved a photo in my face. Under romantic, dim lighting, the floor was covered with rose petals. Ethan knelt on one knee before Autumn, reverently holding her hand. “A month ago when Ethan went abroad on business, he actually took Autumn with him. He even proposed to her there.” “He said he’d get rid of you soon and be with Autumn.” “Autumn has better education and background than you. A woman like you who wants to climb the social ladder through marriage should stop dreaming.” I laughed. So Ethan had already planned to divorce me. No wonder he was so heartless. I had foolishly thought Ethan would help me, but in the end I’d sacrificed my mother’s life. I finally understood everything. I knew I wouldn’t get any justice, and no one would care about my deceased mother. I’d seen enough of the world’s cruelty since childhood. I should have known that’s just how things are. But I wasn’t willing to let my mother die in vain. I decided to do two things. The first was divorce.

Maya’s POV I hired a lawyer to handle the divorce proceedings. Then I went home and started packing. My bedroom was full of gifts Ethan had given me, each one expensive and rare. Once I jokingly asked Ethan to give me the stars from the sky. The next day, Ethan bought me a diamond necklace worth tens of millions of dollars. He said that although he couldn’t pluck stars from the sky, he could give me the world’s most expensive jewelry. Now looking at that diamond necklace, my eyes stung. I opened my phone and pulled up a photo. It was a picture I’d taken with Ethan at our front door when he left for his trip abroad a month ago. In that photo, Ethan still looked at me with tender eyes. I couldn’t understand why going abroad once had turned him into a completely different person. But at this point, I didn’t care anymore. The harm Ethan had caused me was real. No reason could whitewash it. I stayed home alone for three days. During those three days, Ethan never came home once. I knew he’d been at the hospital watching over Autumn the whole time. After Autumn woke up, she’d been active on social media. From her account, I could clearly see how carefully Ethan had been caring for Autumn these past days. Every day he personally made nutritious meals for Autumn, told her bedtime stories, even childishly wrote prayer cards for her. I saw all of this, but my riddled heart no longer felt pain. Besides divorce, I had a second thing to do: revenge. I saved all the photos Autumn had posted as evidence for future retaliation. On the day of my mother’s burial, I wore all black. I had no family or friends left, so I handled her funeral arrangements alone. After returning from the cemetery, I found the handmade doll my mother had sewn for me. When I was little, our family was poor. I always envied other children who had toys. My mother felt bad for me but couldn’t spare the money, so she made me a little doll herself. Over a dozen years had passed, and this doll had always been with me. “Mom, treat this as me, keeping you company down there.” With tears streaming down, I walked to the fireplace, lit the flames, and gently placed the handmade doll into the roaring fire. But I didn’t expect Ethan to suddenly come home. As soon as Ethan entered, he saw me dressed in black with the doll burning in the fireplace. Ethan’s expression changed immediately. “What the hell are you doing? Autumn’s health suddenly worsened. Are you making evil dolls to curse her?!” I hadn’t expected Ethan to think this way. Before I could explain, Ethan had already strode over and knocked the doll out of the fire, stomping hard on it. “No!” Seeing my mother’s keepsake being trampled, I frantically threw myself forward, using my hands to shield it. But my desperation only seemed to confirm Ethan’s suspicion in his eyes. Ethan’s face darkened, apparently convinced I was doing something malicious. He pressed his shoe down on my fingers and ground them hard. I cried out in pain but didn’t dare move my hand, afraid my mother’s memento would be destroyed. Seeing me trembling all over from pain, Ethan finally slowly withdrew his foot. He went upstairs, grabbed a few changes of clothes, and was about to leave again. But just as he reached the door, I called out to him. “Ethan, I’m not like you people. I never do such despicable things. Don’t throw dirty water on me.” My eyes were empty but revealed a stubborn strength. Ethan stared at me for a few seconds without speaking, then turned and left. I laughed self-deprecatingly. No matter how much I explained, it was useless because Ethan simply didn’t believe me. I clutched the burned and trampled doll tightly to my chest, tears slowly falling. Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit me. I covered my mouth tightly, forcing down the urge to retch. I suddenly remembered that my period hadn’t come this month.

Maya’s POV I stood outside the gynecology office with the test results, completely stunned. I was pregnant. One month along. Counting back, it must have been the night before Ethan left for abroad. Ethan used to be very clingy with me, especially when it came to sex. That night he said he’d be away on business for at least half a month, so he kept taking me again and again. Several condoms broke and I didn’t even notice. I leaned against the wall to steady myself. I didn’t know why fate kept playing such cruel jokes on me. I had already decided to divorce Ethan. What was I supposed to do about this child? I walked out of the hospital in a daze. Later I learned that Autumn’s assistant had come to visit Autumn and happened to overhear the doctor talking to me. That assistant rushed to tip off Autumn. The next day, Ethan brought Autumn home to move in. Ethan supported Autumn with one hand and carried her luggage with the other. As soon as they entered, he spoke coldly to me. “The master bedroom is bigger. Move out and give it to Autumn.” I felt nothing inside hearing this. I didn’t respond, just went upstairs, simply packed my things, and moved into the guest room. I’d already given up on Ethan. I wanted to stay as far from him as possible, so moving to the guest room suited me fine. Seeing me so cooperative, not making a fuss, he seemed to expect me to cry and argue like before. Watching my silence, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. I didn’t come down for dinner that night either. Being pregnant had actually made my appetite smaller, so I only came down late at night planning to grab something light. But as soon as I reached the stairs, I ran into Autumn who was just heading up. Autumn glanced at my stomach, jealousy and hatred flashing in her eyes. She slowly approached me, saying in a low voice, “Ethan letting you stay in the house is his mercy, but you’d better know your place and get lost. Otherwise I’ll make sure Ethan doesn’t help you find a heart, and let her die in the hospital!” The mention of my mother made me grit my teeth, nausea rising in my stomach. Looking at that arrogant face before me reminded me of my mother lying helpless on the operating table. I couldn’t take it anymore and slapped Autumn across the face. The crisp slap stunned Autumn. “You dare hit me!” “I hit you alright. If you dare disrespect my mother again, next time it won’t just be a slap.” I threw out those words and stepped down the stairs. Autumn couldn’t take it and suddenly rushed forward to push me. Fortunately I grabbed the railing and didn’t fall. Autumn tried to attack again but lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs herself. Her wails echoed through the living room. I frowned. Just then Ethan came out of his room and immediately changed expression at the scene. He rushed downstairs to help Autumn up. Her ankle was twisted, and she curled up against him crying pitifully. ” Maya pushed me… It hurts so much!” Ethan’s face darkened. He strode upstairs and gripped my arm tightly, demanding, “How can you be so vicious? First you curse Autumn with a doll, now you dare push her!” “I’ve lived my life with integrity. I don’t do such things. But what goes around comes around.” The hatred in my words flowed out without reservation. Ethan narrowed his eyes and looked at me coldly, seeming very displeased with my hateful attitude. Ethan gripped my arm forcefully and said coldly, “Autumn has no quarrel with you. She wouldn’t falsely accuse you. Since you hurt her, you should experience the same.” With that, Ethan pushed me down the stairs. The world spun as excruciating pain crushed every inch of my body. Finally my head slammed hard into the floor, blood streaming down my face. Ethan looked down at me collapsed like garbage on the ground, without a trace of pity in his eyes. He went downstairs, picked up Autumn, and returned to the room, completely ignoring me. After a while, I managed to drag myself up through sheer willpower. But as soon as I stood up, I discovered with horror that blood was flowing down the inside of my leg.

Maya’s POV I froze, panic rising inside me. I had just lost my mother. I couldn’t bear to lose my child too. I staggered toward the door, wanting to hail a cab to the hospital, but it had started raining outside without me noticing. Torrential rain. Taxis were few and far between. I endured the severe pain in my lower abdomen and walked forward in the rain, hoping to find a taxi on the road. The rain was heavy, the wind was cold. I could feel blood continuously flowing between my legs, but I didn’t dare stop. I don’t know how long I walked before my vision kept going black and I collapsed on the ground, losing consciousness. … I dreamed of my wedding day with Ethan. Ethan wore a suit and tie, carefully placing the wedding ring on my finger. At that moment his eyes held tears as he said deeply that I was the love of his life. The next second, the scene changed to Ethan returning from his business trip abroad. That was the first time I’d seen Ethan so cold, looking at me as if I were a complete stranger. I jolted awake to find myself in a hospital room. “You’re awake? I’ll go get the doctor for you.” The nurse was about to leave when I quickly stopped her. “Why am I in the hospital? My… my child…” I instinctively touched my abdomen. The nurse sighed and said, “You collapsed on the roadside last night. Someone brought you to the hospital. The doctor performed emergency treatment, but the child couldn’t be saved.” A part of my heart collapsed completely. I sat there dazed, unable to react. Only after several seconds did I break down into hysterical crying. Why did all my loved ones leave me one by one? Why was fate treating me this way?! My heart-wrenching wails filled the hospital room. Even passersby who didn’t know what was happening inside couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. I stayed in the hospital for three days. During those three days, no one came looking for me. Following Autumn’s social media account, I discovered Ethan had taken Autumn to a private island resort. I looked at the photos Autumn posted, each one showing their extravagant, loving state. Ethan feeding Autumn fruit, kneeling by the bed to apply body lotion for her, climbing trees to pick flowers for her… Every single image declared how much Ethan cherished Autumn. My eyes burned red with hatred. Thinking that my mother and child had both died because of these two, yet they were living so happily, the fury in my heart blazed even hotter. I had originally planned to carefully plot my revenge, but now, I really couldn’t hold back anymore. All the anger I’d been holding in finally exploded. I was discharged from the hospital and went home, standing before the mansion. Cold wind blew across my face, stinging sharply, but my expression remained blank. My eyes were ice cold. “Ethan, this is what you owe me.” I took out the gasoline I’d prepared and poured bucket after bucket into the house. Then I struck a lighter and threw it in without a moment’s hesitation. BOOM. Roaring flames instantly surged up, consuming the mansion. Expressionless, I dragged my luggage and turned to leave.

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On the third day after my C-section, the baby and I checked into the premium postpartum care center I’d reserved in advance. Worried about the cost, I gently suggested to my husband Santiago that we could just hire a nanny to take care of the baby at home instead. Santiago laughed and said: “Don’t bother.” “I withdrew this cash without going through the finance department. If Everett finds out, I won’t be able to deal with her stubborn temper.” I froze. My heart felt like it had been pierced by a thorn—I couldn’t pull it out, couldn’t swallow it down. It just throbbed with a dull ache. Every time Santiago spent money on me, he had to get approval from Everett, the new CFO at his company. He called her his Minister of Finance. But I never imagined that on the very night I checked into the postpartum center, Santiago’s reservation would be hit with a full refund request. Clinton, the center’s manager, threatened and cornered, threw the refund receipt in my face and kicked the baby and me out into the rainy night. That night, my incision became infected. I developed sepsis and a fever that wouldn’t break. I called Santiago crying for help, only to discover I’d been blocked. As I lay in the emergency room with no one caring whether I lived or died, Everett posted a photo on Twitter from an auction. In the picture, she nestled in Santiago’s arms, smiling coyly: “Without my approval, what does it matter that Mr. Santiago is worth hundreds of millions? He still doesn’t dare spend half a cent without my say-so.” “I’d advise certain people not to be so possessive of other people’s money. You just had a baby—where do you get the nerve to stay at a luxury postpartum center?” Only then did I see clearly that Santiago hadn’t just handed financial control to Everett—he’d also given her the power to hurt me.

When Everett arrived at the postpartum center with the legal team, it was already late at night. Learning that the baby and I were staying in the most expensive top-floor suite, jealousy flashed in her eyes and her delicate features twisted for a moment. Seeing me, she let out a contemptuous laugh and said coldly: “How does a useless freeloader have the nerve to enjoy such luxury with a clear conscience?” “Russell, surely you’re aware that I never approved the expense for this postpartum center stay?” The incision from my C-section hadn’t fully healed yet. The fine, persistent pain left my face pale and my forehead covered in cold sweat. Our eyes met. Everett stared at me arrogantly, her gaze full of smug confidence. I took a deep breath, forcing myself through the pain to respond hoarsely: “I’m spending Santiago’s money—my husband’s money. I don’t need approval from some company CFO.” “Now, you’re disturbing my rest. Please leave!” Everett’s face darkened. She snatched the contract from the lawyer’s hand and threw it heavily at me: “Is that so? Too bad the money Santiago spends on you goes through the company accounts. And guess what? I have the authority to recover that money.” I jerked my head up to look at the lawyer standing nearby. Meeting my questioning gaze, the lawyer pressed his lips together and said with some reluctance: “Russell, Mr. Santiago did give Ms. Everett this authority.” “I’m sorry. I can only follow company regulations.” I froze, suddenly gripped by a terrible premonition. My heart pounded so hard it hurt. Sure enough, the next second, Everett turned and presented a stack of legal contracts signed by Santiago to Clinton, the postpartum center’s owner.

A shallow smile played on her face, but her words carried heavy threat: “Refund this order in full, and I won’t make things difficult for anyone. But if I don’t get this money back, Clinton, you should know how easy it would be for Santiago’s company to destroy a small postpartum center, right?” “Government departments could shut you down for inspection with any random reason I give them.” “Or would you prefer to be charged with conspiring with Russell to launder money?” Clinton didn’t dare confront the aggressive Everett. He clutched the stack of legal documents tightly and shot me a sinister glance. Through gritted teeth, he said: “Ms. Everett, Russell is still Mr. Santiago’s wife. Aren’t you afraid Mr. Santiago will be angry if you do this?” “Why don’t I call Mr. Santiago right now and get his opinion?” This fifty-thousand-dollar contract was too tempting. Clinton couldn’t bear to give it up, so he tried invoking Santiago’s name, hoping to make Everett back down. But the moment Clinton finished speaking, Everett burst into laughter as if she’d heard the funniest joke. In the vast room, only her clear laughter could be heard for a moment. Piercing, sharp, dripping with mockery. She said: “Sure, let’s get Santiago’s opinion. I’ll make the call myself!” As she spoke, Everett pulled out her phone and directly dialed Santiago’s number. The moment the call connected, his lazy, infinitely indulgent voice came through: “Everett, who’s bothering you in the middle of the night?” “What, we’ve only been apart for a little while and you already miss me?” My face went deathly pale. Hearing Santiago’s achingly familiar voice, I felt like my breath caught in my throat. The discomfort made my heart race with panic. Everett glanced at me dismissively, then let out a coquettish hum and said in a wronged tone: “Santiago, there was a fifty-thousand-dollar order a while back that you paid without my approval again, wasn’t there?” “I’m really going to get angry. You don’t take me seriously as your CFO at all.”

Santiago let out a muffled laugh and said helplessly: “My mistake, my mistake. Just go recover the money, okay?” “I give you full authorization. Take the legal team with you. Don’t be angry anymore, alright?” My mind went completely blank, replaying Santiago’s words over and over in an endless loop. Every word, every sentence was like a blade glinting with cold light, stabbing into my heart again and again. Only then did Everett break into a smile. After hanging up with a proud flourish, she looked at me with a mocking expression. “Surely no one actually thinks they can throw their weight around just because they’re the CEO’s wife?” All the blood in my body instantly turned cold. I bit my lip hard, unable to make a sound. Malice flashed in Everett’s eyes. She leaned close and whispered: “You dare pull rank on me as the CEO’s wife?” “Russell, just wait and see how I destroy you!” As soon as she got close, the heavy scent of her perfume hit me in waves, making my temples throb painfully. I suddenly snapped back to reality and frantically reached for my phone on the nightstand, my voice shaking: “That can’t be right. Santiago wouldn’t treat the baby and me that way.” “I don’t believe you, Everett. I need to make this call myself!”

But the moment I grabbed my phone, Everett slapped it out of my hand. She looked down at me from above. Her high heel came down hard. The lit screen quickly went dark, and Santiago’s name on the display went black along with it. Everett smiled: “One excuse after another, Russell. You’re not deliberately stalling for time, are you?” “I’m very busy. I don’t have time to play games with you.” She stood up and walked leisurely toward the door: “This postpartum center has no reason to stay in business anyway…” Clinton shot me a venomous glare, then hurried after her: “Ms. Everett, I’ll process the refund right now. I’ll return the money immediately.” “Please, you and Mr. Santiago, show some mercy. Don’t make things hard for my small business.” Soon, the fifty thousand was refunded to Everett’s account. She lifted her chin and flashed me a triumphant smile: “Oh no, Russell, this is Santiago’s money after all. He trusts me, and I can’t let him down, right?” “Please don’t blame me. If just anyone could spend Santiago’s money, how exhausted would he be?” The last thread of rationality in my mind snapped. Ignoring the pain, I lunged desperately at Everett. My voice came out hoarse: “Everett, you did this on purpose, didn’t you!” “I don’t believe it…” In the scuffle, I pushed hard. Everett stumbled backward. Just then, a familiar voice rang out urgently: “Everett!” That shout made me freeze. Everett froze too. But she quickly recovered, deliberately falling heavily to the ground, saying with tears in her voice: “Russell, I only came out of kindness to check on you and the baby. Why did you push me?” Santiago suddenly appeared, taking the fallen Everett into his arms. The look he gave me was ice-cold: “Russell, apologize to Everett!”

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I was filling up at a gas station when I scrolled past a trending local post: “I want my mistress to come over for an affair, but my wife’s schedule is unpredictable. How can I avoid getting caught?” Someone replied: “I’ve got experience with this. I have two parking spots at home. Whenever I’m having an affair, I park my car horizontally across both spots. When my wife comes home and can’t park, she calls me to move the car. While I’m going down to move it, my mistress slips away. I’ve been doing this for six months without getting caught.” The comments praised his clever scheme, and the original poster even liked the reply. I rarely post online, but I couldn’t help responding: “A bunch of scumbags!” But when I drove home, I found my parking spot blocked by my husband’s car parked horizontally across both spaces. Seeing my husband, who always parked carefully and never crossed the lines, suddenly park horizontally across two spots, I slammed on the brakes. The post I’d just read flashed through my mind. It had to be a coincidence, right? Alexander was famous for being devoted to his wife. We’d been dating for five years and married for two—seven years total. He was attentive and considerate, treating me like a treasure. He never let me enter the kitchen or do any housework. Knowing I loved to drive, he’d even given me a Porsche as a birthday gift and bought the parking spot right next to his. Every time we parked, he’d always position his car closer to his side, leaving an extra eight inches of space for me to park more comfortably. How could a man who loved and protected me so wholeheartedly possibly betray me? But that post kept replaying in my mind. I stared at Alexander’s car for a long time before making a decision. I didn’t call him to move his car. Instead, I drove to a temporary parking spot nearby, turned off the engine, got out, and went home. I wanted to see if there really was an unfaithful husband inside, waiting for me to call about moving the car. When I reached the front door, I quietly pulled out my key and opened it as silently as possible. Once inside, I headed straight for the bedroom. The door was half-open. Through the gap, I saw the room was empty. I turned to the guest room. Pushed open the door—still empty. The study, bathroom, balcony, even the storage room—I checked every single one. Every room was quiet and empty. No one was there. Where was Alexander? Just as I was puzzling over this, the kitchen door opened. Alexander came out wearing an apron, carrying a dish. Seeing me, he froze for a moment, surprised: “Why are you home so early today?” He quickly set the dish on the dining table and gave me a simple smile: “I was planning to make a few more dishes before you got off work. You came home early—I haven’t finished cooking yet.” I glanced at the kitchen. Cut vegetables were arranged on the cutting board, and in the pot, my favorite soup was simmering. Clearly, he’d been busy in the kitchen for quite a while. I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled slightly: “There wasn’t much going on at the office today, so I came home early.” Alexander nodded. “Then rest for a bit. I’ll finish the last two dishes and you can eat.” He went back into the kitchen to continue cooking. Watching his busy figure, I couldn’t help asking: “Why did you suddenly park horizontally across my spot today?” Alexander looked back at me, somewhat embarrassed: “I was worried you’d be hungry when you got home, so I rushed upstairs to cook. I didn’t pay attention to parking properly—just left it there and ran up.”

Alexander’s behavior seemed completely natural, and his explanation was flawless. After all, every day when I came home from work, there was always hot food waiting for me. Alexander was a surgical doctor with an incredibly demanding workload, yet he always managed to find time to come home and cook for me. Sometimes I’d tell him to rest and not work so hard, but he’d always say: “You have a weak constitution. When you’re hungry, you get heart palpitations and trembling hands. We can’t be careless about that.” “I need to make sure you have hot, fresh food the moment you get home. Nothing can interfere with that.” After speaking, Alexander continued bustling about. Soon, the food was ready—all my favorites. After serving me rice, Alexander was about to sit down and eat with me when suddenly his phone rang. He answered, immediately frowning with concern: “Alright, I’ll be right there.” He quickly took off his apron and said to me urgently: “There’s an emergency patient at the hospital that only I can operate on. I need to go.” He grabbed his car keys, planted a gentle kiss on my forehead, then hurried out the door. The moment the door closed, the house fell silent. I sat at the dining table, looking at the spread of dishes, but had no appetite. That post stuck in my mind like a thorn I couldn’t pull out. Alexander’s behavior and explanation had no flaws, yet I still felt something was off. I set down my chopsticks, stood up, and found myself walking into the bedroom as if possessed. The bedroom was tidy. Alexander had made the bed with military precision. At first glance, nothing seemed wrong. But the neater everything looked, the more uneasy I felt. I began searching the bedroom thoroughly. The bed had no strange odors or out-of-place items. Even the trash can was spotlessly clean. Everything was exactly as it should be. Was I really overthinking this? I shook my head and was about to leave when, as I turned to close the door, I spotted something under the bed. My heart skipped a beat. I immediately walked over, crouched down, and pulled it out. It was an earring. And I didn’t have pierced ears. It belonged to another woman. Realizing this, my head started buzzing. I stood there, staring at the earring in my hand, frozen for a long time. Then I pulled out my phone and found the post I’d read earlier. Sure enough, the original poster had replied to the comment he’d liked just one minute ago: “I parked across my wife’s spot like you said, but she didn’t call me to move the car and came straight inside.” “If I hadn’t heard her opening the door and hidden my mistress in time, I would’ve been caught.” The commenter replied instantly: “Looks like your wife’s pretty sharp.” The poster responded: “Yeah. I made up an excuse and slipped out. I’m driving my mistress home right now.”

Alexander really had cheated on me, and he’d brought his mistress into our home. My hands trembled as I put away my phone and walked out of the bedroom. Looking at the food spread before me, my heart ached. Alexander remembered all my preferences. He remembered that I got heart palpitations and trembling hands when hungry. He remembered I loved his goodbye kisses. But he forgot that I despised betrayal above all else. How ironic. A person could express such deep love for me while bringing another woman into our home. At that moment, I found myself curious. How much of the love I’d once been so proud of was real, and how much was fake? And when did things start between him and that woman? I sat at the dining table, trying to compose myself for a long time. Then suddenly remembered something. The thought made me immediately call my parents and ask them to come over. Sensing my urgency, my parents arrived as quickly as possible. “What’s wrong, Grace? What’s so urgent that you called us over?” I didn’t hide anything. I told them everything about Alexander’s affair in one breath. After hearing it, my dad couldn’t believe it: “Grace, could there be some misunderstanding? Everyone can see how good Alexander is to you.” “Plus, you know his job—he’s a surgeon, on call 24/7. Maybe he really does have an emergency surgery?” “That post—could it just be a coincidence?” But my mom slammed her hand on the table: “Impossible! There’s no such thing as this big a coincidence!” “The post says park horizontally, and he parks horizontally.” “Grace doesn’t call and walks straight in, and the post describes the exact same situation.” “The post says he slipped out to take his mistress home, and Alexander made up an excuse to leave.” “Plus there’s a strange earring in the house. How could this possibly be a coincidence?” My dad frowned. “But Alexander has always valued Grace more than his own life all these years!” My mom scoffed. “So what?” “Just because he’s been good to Grace means he couldn’t be cheating now?” “Every man who keeps a mistress acts perfectly fine at home.” “The better they act, the more convincing their performance.” My dad had no response. My mom grew angrier: “That Alexander!” “When he was pursuing Grace, he knelt at our door for three days and nights, swearing he’d treat her well. That’s when I agreed to let Grace marry him.” “And what happened?” “It’s only been two years of marriage and he’s already bringing his mistress home? This is outrageous!” My mom was furious. But I felt more confused than anything. As my dad said, Alexander had been very good to me all these years. He was young, accomplished, handsome—never short of young women throwing themselves at him. Even the hospital director’s daughter had openly pursued him. She’d even publicly stated that if Alexander would be with her, she could give him the entire hospital. But Alexander remained unmoved. He even offended her over it and nearly got blacklisted from the medical field. Despite all that, he stayed firmly devoted, telling me: “I can lose the whole world, but I can’t be without you.” Precisely because I’d genuinely felt how good he was to me, I couldn’t understand. What kind of woman could make someone like Alexander, who treated loyalty as his faith, change his heart?

“Grace, what do you want to do?” My dad looked at me, his expression serious. I paused, then said firmly: “I want to catch them in the act.” My mom immediately perked up: “How?” I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I looked down at my phone and opened an app I’d never used before. It was a location tracking app. Alexander had insisted on installing a tracker on his phone to put my mind at ease, saying it would let me check his location anytime. I’d refused at first—I trusted him, and I believed couples didn’t need such things. But he’d insisted, saying it was just insurance. If something ever happened to him, I could find him immediately. All these years, I’d been proud that I’d never once opened this app. I never thought I’d be using it to catch him cheating. I took a deep breath and opened the app. The screen loaded for a few seconds, then a map appeared. A green dot was slowly moving across it. My dad looked at the map, somewhat surprised: “That’s Alexander’s real-time location?” I nodded without speaking. My mom said impatiently: “Let’s go. We’re going there now.” “I want to see what kind of woman could bewitch someone like Alexander.” My dad said nothing, just grabbed his car keys and headed for the door. My mom and I followed close behind and got into my dad’s car. In the car, my mom kept muttering: “I thought Alexander truly loved you. I never imagined he could cook for you while bringing women home.” “In all my fifty-plus years, I’ve never seen anything so disgusting!” “If he really didn’t love you anymore, if he’d asked for a divorce, I’d be angry but I’d respect it.” “But instead, he treats you like a fool! Plays you for a monkey!” “If I catch him keeping a woman today, I’m going to tear them both apart!” My mom’s eyes were red with anger. When Alexander was pursuing me, she’d been against it. She felt Alexander’s family background was ordinary and he wasn’t good enough for me. It was only after Alexander knelt at our door for three days and nights that my mom relented. My dad drove in silence, not joining the conversation. I saw his furrowed brow in the rearview mirror. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. After about twenty minutes, I suddenly saw Alexander’s location stop moving. I immediately told my dad to speed up. We stopped near Alexander’s position. When we arrived, I spotted Alexander’s car parked in front of a villa. I quickly got out of the car and headed straight for the villa. But I didn’t notice that in the car, my parents’ faces both changed dramatically when they saw the villa. Seeing me walking toward it, my dad immediately got out and blocked my path: “Grace, are you sure Alexander brought that woman here?” Seeing my dad’s strange expression, I sensed something was wrong: “What’s going on, Dad? Do you know this place?” My dad opened his mouth but made no sound. Then my mom caught up. She glanced at the villa, swallowed nervously with a panicked expression, then said gravely: “Grace, let’s go back. Stop investigating.” I looked at my mom in disbelief: “Why?” “Mom, you were the one who wanted to come investigate. You were the most insistent about catching them red-handed.” “Now they’re right inside that villa, so why are you telling me to stop?” My mom didn’t answer. Instead, she grabbed my arm, her voice breaking: “Grace, I’m begging you. Let’s go back.” “Let this end here, okay?” My dad also stepped forward, his face serious: “Grace, listen to your mother. Let’s go back first.” “We’re doing this for your own good.” I was completely baffled. I couldn’t understand why my parents, who’d been so eager to defend me just moments ago, suddenly changed after seeing this villa. Was there something wrong with the villa? Or was it the person inside? Consumed by intense curiosity, I ignored my parents’ objections, rushed to the villa entrance, and knocked on the door. The door opened quickly. The moment it did, I saw Alexander standing inside, and the woman behind him. The instant I saw that woman’s face, my eyes widened and I suddenly understood everything…

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In the third year of our long-distance relationship, I secretly transferred to a hospital in Silva’s city without telling him. But on my first day at work, he became the first patient’s family member I received. “Doctor, my wife has been having severe morning sickness lately. Can you take a look at what’s wrong?” Silva’s hand rested on the slightly protruding belly of the pregnant woman beside him, his eyes full of heartache. Noticing my hesitation, he looked up at me with some confusion. I lowered my head and pulled my mask up as high as it would go, biting my lip hard as I suppressed my voice to ask. “How far along is the fetus?” “Three months.” Three months. But just one month ago, Silva had been beaming with joy as we registered our marriage at city hall. I let out a cold laugh and turned away from him to make a phone call. “Dad, take the marriage certificate I left in the safe and have it checked for authenticity.” “If it’s fake, freeze Silva’s bank cards, fire him from his job, and take back the penthouse we gave him.” “And if that marriage certificate is real, do the same thing anyway!”

After hanging up, I returned to the examination room. I adjusted my mask again, making sure Silva wouldn’t recognize me. I glanced at the name on the registration form again: Antonella. Very unfamiliar. I’d never heard Silva mention her to me before. I suppressed the shock in my heart and asked routine questions again under their puzzled gazes. “Have you been keeping up with your prenatal checkups?” Antonella nodded and turned to glance at Silva. “Yes, we’ve been on time with all of them.” “For the first prenatal checkup, my husband even left work and flew back overnight to be with me.” My chest swelled with an odd, bloating sensation, and my nose suddenly stung. Based on her pregnancy timeline, the first prenatal checkup would have been exactly the day after my wedding. No wonder Silva had changed his clothes before the wedding even ended that day, hastily packing his luggage. “Alice, something urgent came up at work. I need to catch the last flight back.” He’d held my hand apologetically, his eyes reddening for the first time in front of me. “Once I’ve handled everything, I’ll definitely take time off for a proper honeymoon with you.” I’d grabbed my wedding dress, wanting to call him back, but even after running until I lost a shoe, I still couldn’t catch up to his hurried figure. With the groom leaving mid-ceremony, the guests didn’t say anything outright, but the mockery in their eyes was impossible to hide. That absurd scene from that night—I never wanted to experience it again in my lifetime. I smiled stiffly, my tone sarcastic. “Your husband is so good to you.” I looked through the previous examination report again. “Last time you were slightly anemic. To be safe, we should draw blood for another test.” Hearing this, Antonella’s expression became nervous, her voice tinged with unease. “Is it necessary? My husband has been personally cooking for me every day recently. I’ve gained quite a bit of weight, so I shouldn’t be anemic anymore, right?” As she spoke, she shrank into Silva’s embrace, her eyes reddening, looking rather pitiful. Silva immediately gripped her hand gently to comfort her, then looked up to explain to me. “Sorry, Antonella is a bit afraid of needles, so she gets scared every time we need to draw blood.” Then he gently patted Antonella’s back to persuade her. “But for your health, let’s still listen to the doctor and get checked. It’s safer that way.” “After the checkup, I’ll go home and make soup for you myself.” I gripped my fingers, my eyes fixed on the computer screen in front of me. Silva was a male chauvinist at his core. Since we’d known each other, he’d always believed housework was women’s work.

The kitchen had always been his forbidden zone. Once when I had a high fever and was too weak to move, I asked him to make me a cup of fever-reducing medicine, but he coldly refused. “I’m a grown man. How can I step into a kitchen?” That night my temperature spiked to 104°F, and I remained in a daze until the cleaning lady found me the next day. Turns out he could set aside his prejudices and go to such lengths for the woman he loved. As they were talking, Antonella’s face suddenly turned pale, and she abruptly covered her mouth and stood up. It looked like she was experiencing morning sickness again. The next second, Silva helped her stand, skillfully pulling a bag from his pocket. Clearly he’d become very practiced at handling this situation. He steadied Antonella’s shoulders, letting her weight rest almost entirely on him. “Sorry, we need to use the restroom.” After the two left, I finally let out a sharp breath and opened Silva’s chat window. Our last conversation was from two days ago when I told him I had a surprise for him. As things stood now, this surprise would probably turn into a shock. Just as I was about to exit, a new message popped up in the pinned conversation. [The certificate is real, but I found out he purchased a fake marriage certificate online a few months ago.] I closed my eyes. I already knew the answer in my heart. Right after I replied to the message, someone knocked on the door from outside. “Doctor, we’re back.” The two sat down in front of me again, leaning on each other. Silva helped Antonella tuck the strands of hair by her face behind her ear, then adjusted her clothes. As he moved her collar, it revealed a bright red hickey on her neck. I frowned, trying to keep my voice calm. “Didn’t anyone tell you? The fetus isn’t stable during the first three months. You can’t have sex.” Antonella’s cheeks flushed red. She lightly punched Silva twice, her tone coquettish with reproach. “It’s all your fault.” “As soon as three months passed, you couldn’t wait. Now you’ve embarrassed me in front of the doctor.” My stomach suddenly churned, intense nausea rising to my throat. Silva smiled and good-naturedly accepted all her complaints. He asked me a few questions about pregnancy precautions, then pulled out his phone and recorded everything in his notes. I caught a glimpse of his note title: Darling’s Pregnancy Precautions. When the interface exited, I could see other notes inside: Antonella Baby’s Food Restrictions, Antonella Baby’s Health Cycle Records… I looked away, my heart cold. Such detailed life records—we’d known each other for four years, and he’d never done this for me. Last month, to fly over to see him, I’d swapped shifts with several colleagues. After working 36 hours straight, I rushed to catch the flight to see him. But when I got off the plane, I couldn’t even get through to him on the phone. After calling for a long time, the line finally stopped being coldly unanswered. But when I said I was already on my way from the airport to find him, Silva immediately raised his voice. “Don’t come over right now!” I sat in the taxi, somewhat bewildered. I’d told him my plans a week earlier, and we’d agreed on today. He’d readily agreed and promised to pick me up at the airport himself. But the Silva on the phone hemmed and hawed. “I… I forgot about this…” “I’m on a business trip out of town right now. Sorry, Alice, I didn’t get a chance to tell you.” “Just go back home today.”

My brain was foggy from staying up all night, and I hadn’t caught the panic and confusion in his tone. He must have had a beauty in his arms at that moment, having completely forgotten about our plans. After arranging their examination items, Silva took the forms to pay. Once Silva’s figure completely disappeared down the hallway, Antonella reluctantly withdrew her gaze. She touched her belly. “After talking so much, I still don’t know the doctor’s name?” I raised my eyes to look at her. “You can just call me Dr. Alice.” A flicker of emotion crossed her eyes, and she smiled as she spoke. “What a coincidence.” My heart stirred, and I pretended to ask calmly. “Do you also know someone named Alice?” Antonella smiled slightly and nodded, then her expression changed, disgust appearing in her eyes. “My husband’s ex-girlfriend is also named Alice, but that’s all in the past now.” “I heard his ex was really ugly, had a terrible temper, treated Silva badly, and was extremely controlling.” “Thank goodness he was brave enough to break up with her. Now he’s met me instead.” I gripped the pen in my hand tighter, laughing coldly inside. “Did your husband tell you all this himself?” “Of course.” She clenched her fist, her expression indignant, as if feeling wronged on Silva’s behalf. “She even threatened Silva with his future career, forcing him to marry her.” “Of course Silva refused and even gave her a good humiliation.” Hearing this, I raised an eyebrow, having already sentenced Silva to death countless times in my mind. When I met Silva, he was still a young man with nothing but his studies, penniless and naive. He said after graduation he wanted to work in Texas—it was the place he’d dreamed of since childhood. So I convinced my father to pull strings and build a highway for him to the top companies in Texas. I even bought him a house there. I held his hand and told him, “Do what you want to do. People in love won’t let distance change their feelings.” When he proposed, he admitted in front of all our friends that without me, there would be no him today. He knelt on one knee and solemnly placed the ring on my finger, saying he would be with me for the rest of his life. But in the blink of an eye, he’d betrayed me so completely. I looked at the girl in front of me, exhaled gently, and suddenly felt utterly tired of it all. Twisting the wedding ring on my finger, I suddenly changed the subject. “I really envy you for having a husband who loves you so much. I’m different.” Antonella quickly looked up at me, her eyes shining with gossip. I continued. “Actually, I’m already married. In the first month after marriage, I discovered my husband was cheating.” “He was hiding another family from me.” “Bang!” As soon as I finished speaking, Antonella slammed the table hard. “He’s such scum! Dr. Alice is so wonderful, and he doesn’t know how to cherish you at all.” I smiled helplessly and continued slowly. “And recently, I found out he got someone else pregnant behind my back.” This time Antonella stood up directly in anger, her chest heaving violently. “Scumbag!” “That kind of person deserves to be struck by lightning and die a terrible death!” Just then, Silva pushed the door open and asked with a smile. “What are you talking about? Who deserves to die a terrible death?” Antonella looked at Silva angrily. “We’re talking about Dr. Alice’s scumbag husband. You don’t know what vile things he’s done.”

Then she turned to look at me. “Are you two still together?” I smiled in acknowledgment, my gaze falling on Silva as he organized things. Hearing this, Antonella frowned, her tone somewhat earnest. “You should divorce him decisively. That kind of man is nothing but trouble.” “If Silva ever messed around behind my back, I’d definitely kick him to the curb the next second.” Behind her, Silva’s movements stiffened. He put away his smile, his expression turning somewhat unpleasant. Unfortunately, Antonella was facing me and didn’t notice at all. I nodded thoughtfully, then pulled out my phone and dialed a number in front of them both. “You’re right. I’ll bring up divorce with him right now.” The examination room fell quiet. Even Silva put down what he was holding and looked at me. Almost the instant the call went through, Silva’s phone rang from his pocket. Silva jerked his head up to look at me, then avoided my gaze and fumbled to pull his phone from his pocket with shaking hands. Then he decisively pressed the disconnect button. Antonella looked confused. “Who’s calling you right now?” A flash of guilt crossed Silva’s face. He lowered his eyes and quickly darkened the screen. “Unknown number. Probably a spam call.” I held up my phone and waited a while longer before an automated voice reported that no one had answered. I smiled bitterly and shook my head. “No answer. Probably busy with things I don’t know about.” Seeing my low spirits, Antonella grabbed my hand and tried to comfort me. “A week from now, Silva and I are having our wedding.” She pulled out an invitation from her bag and handed it over. “I happen to have an invitation in my bag. Come to the ceremony and soak up some good fortune.” “May Dr. Alice only meet good people from now on.” Hearing this, I was somewhat surprised and instinctively glanced at Silva. But I still nodded and readily accepted her invitation. After the two left with all their materials, I finally removed my mask. After rubbing my aching eye sockets, I looked at the recent call record on my phone. When I dialed, I’d deliberately deleted the last digit of the number, so it hadn’t actually gone through to Silva’s phone at all. Opening the invitation, I saw simple cartoon drawings of Silva and Antonella—clearly a thoughtfully designed piece. I noted the wedding venue address. My newlywed husband’s wedding—I definitely needed to carefully prepare a big gift. On the wedding day, I stood outside the hotel and saw Silva and Antonella greeting guests at the entrance. Seeing me, Antonella stood on tiptoe and waved at me. “Dr. Alice, over here.” I pointed to the mask on my face, my tone somewhat apologetic. “I’ve caught a cold recently. To prevent spreading it to others, you don’t mind if I wear a mask, do you?” “Of course not.” She arranged my seat at the front of the banquet hall, right next to the emcee’s stage. The ceremony began quickly, with all the steps proceeding smoothly according to plan. Until the final speech segment, when Antonella suddenly invited me up on stage. Her hand gripped my arm tightly, as if afraid I would escape the next second. I frowned, an odd feeling crossing my mind. The next second, Antonella suddenly turned and yanked off my mask in front of everyone. A beam of flashlight shone directly on my face. The intense light made my eyes sting painfully, and I couldn’t help but tear up.

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I was reborn on the day Alpha Ethan lost control to an aphrodisiac. In this life, I didn’t sleep with him. Instead, I called his destined mate. In my previous life, I fell in love with Ethan, my guardian who shared no blood relation with me. When I learned he’d been drugged and was losing control, I ignored his request to call Chloe and slept with him instead. Out of responsibility, Ethan was forced to marry me. However, on our wedding day, Chloe was kidnapped and killed by a group of Rogues. Before she died, she called Ethan ninety-nine times for help. But Ethan was too busy with the wedding ceremony to answer a single call. Afterward, Ethan stared at those ninety-nine missed calls without saying a word. Then, a month later, when he learned I was pregnant, he abandoned me in the forest and left me to be torn apart by his enemies. Before I died, I heard him say: “If you hadn’t deliberately climbed into my bed, I wouldn’t have been forced to marry you, and I wouldn’t have missed Chloe’s calls for help. You deserve to die…” When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Ethan lost control.

“Lydia, don’t touch me! Call Chloe now!” Hearing those familiar words again, I jolted awake. I had been reborn. At that moment, I was clinging to Ethan’s waist. I’d already torn off his shirt, and his burning chest pressed against my face. Without a moment’s hesitation, I quickly pulled away from Ethan, ending this mistake. I grabbed my phone and dialed Chloe’s number. Ethan’s face was flushed red, his gaze burning and unfocused as he looked at me. Unable to control his impulses, he moved toward me when I pulled away. He tried to kiss my lips. In my previous life, I’d mistaken his aggressive behavior for love, thinking he felt the same way about me. So I made a terrible decision that led to my tragic death. This time, I backed away toward the door, avoiding his gaze as I said: “Ethan, just hold on a little longer. Chloe will be here in ten minutes!” Then, ignoring his reaction, I opened the door and escaped. The moment I closed the door, I heard Ethan force out a few words through gritted teeth, seemingly calling my name. But I pretended not to hear, firmly closing the door behind me and standing guard outside. Ten minutes later, Chloe arrived in a hurry. She looked at me with a complex expression, then relaxed when she saw my clothes were still intact. Before pushing open the door, she glanced at me: “You can leave now. You’re not needed here.” I turned and went straight upstairs to my room. It wasn’t until late that night that the room downstairs finally fell silent. I let out a long breath. In my previous life, I loved Ethan so much that I willingly became his lover. Later, he married me under pressure, but on our wedding day, Chloe died unexpectedly, and he lost the one he truly loved. Then he said nothing, waiting in silence until the day I discovered I was pregnant. He said he wanted to take me out to relax, but instead left me alone in the forest. I was surrounded by a group of rogues. I tried to intimidate them by dropping Ethan’s name, but they just laughed. That’s when I realized—those men had all been punished by Ethan and harbored deep hatred toward him. When I was barely alive from their torture, Ethan finally arrived and dealt with the rogues. Then he looked at me coldly: “If it weren’t for you, Chloe wouldn’t have been killed by them. Now you and your child have served as bait to lure them out. Consider it your atonement.” Ethan had known all along. He’d deliberately brought me there, wanting to watch me die. In this life, I followed his request and called Chloe. And soon I would leave this place, getting away from him completely. The next morning, when I came downstairs, I found Chloe already sitting in the dining room having breakfast. When she saw me, she immediately put on a flawless smile. “Lydia, good morning. Did you sleep well?” She deliberately lifted her head so I could clearly see the bite marks on her neck. “I hope I didn’t disturb your rest. Ethan has such stamina…” Growing up in the pack, I knew this meant Ethan had already Marked Chloe. They’d formed a mate bond and become true mates. I paused briefly but kept my expression neutral: “Morning. I slept very well.” Chloe cut a small piece of bacon and spoke as if casually: “Speaking of which, I really need to thank you for contacting me last night.” I looked up at her: “Don’t mention it. It’s what I should have done.” Chloe’s smile deepened. “I’m so glad you think that way. I was worried you might feel uncomfortable about it, especially since…” She raised an eyebrow. “The way you looked at him last night didn’t seem like you were looking at your guardian. But obviously, even though you were in his room last night, he wanted me, not you.” Blood seemed to rush to my head with a roar, but I forced it back down. I took a deep breath, about to speak— “Ah!” Chloe suddenly cried out softly, knocking over the glass beside her. At the same time, Ethan’s deep voice sounded from the dining room doorway: “What’s going on?” Chloe had already quickly switched to a panicked and aggrieved expression. “No—nothing… Ethan, I was just clumsy…” As she spoke, she glanced at me timidly. “Lydia?” Ethan walked to Chloe’s side, checked on her, then looked at me with displeasure. “What did you do now?” “I didn’t do anything.” “Ethan, it’s really not Lydia’s fault.” Chloe grabbed Ethan’s arm, her voice breaking. “I said something wrong… I shouldn’t have mentioned last night. I might have upset Lydia. Please don’t blame her.” Ethan’s eyes instantly became sharp. “Lydia, Chloe is my future partner and your mother. You need to learn to respect her.” “I told you, I didn’t do anything.” I repeated. “Are you saying Chloe is framing you?” Ethan’s anger seemed ignited. “Lydia, you make a mistake and won’t admit it, and now you’re turning it around on her? Is this what I taught you?” “I haven’t done anything wrong, and I don’t need to admit to anything.” I turned to leave. “Stop!” Ethan barked. “Did I say you could leave? Apologize to Chloe!” “Sorry for interrupting your breakfast.” I nodded slightly, then without looking at his instantly livid face, I turned and left the dining room. Behind me, I could hear Chloe’s fake attempts to mediate and Ethan’s suppressed angry murmurs. I shut them all out behind my bedroom door. Half an hour later, someone knocked on my door. I opened it, completely unsurprised to meet Ethan’s eyes.

I instinctively tried to close the door, not wanting to get entangled with him. Ethan blocked the door first, frowning as he looked at me: “You’re avoiding me? Why?” He leaned in closer, scrutinizing me: “Are you angry? Because of Chloe?” I quickly shook my head and explained: “I’m not angry. I’m happy for you, Dad.” His eyes held an unreadable emotion, as if he was dissatisfied with my answer. “Is that the truth? Are you sure you’re not just saying that out of spite?” Then he sneered: “Lydia, you haven’t gotten over me, have you? On your eighteenth birthday, you snuck a kiss while I was sleeping. You think I didn’t know? “I’ve read all those private diaries you’ve been secretly keeping over the years. You think you hide it well, but the love in your eyes is so obvious. Who in Shadowfang pack can’t see that you’re in love with me? “Not confessing your feelings to me was the smartest decision of your life, because I would have laughed at you! Laughed at you—a human—for being so delusional.” He laughed to himself, then walked around me to my desk and yanked open the bottom drawer. Ethan grabbed a box from inside. It was full of photos I’d secretly taken of him. Ethan scattered the contents all over the floor, then stepped on them: “Lydia, I’ve raised you since you were eight years old. I’ve taken care of you all this time, but you, at such a young age, developed inappropriate feelings for your guardian! You even secretly collected these things. Do you know how disgusting that makes me feel?” Then he leaned close to my ear and said softly: “I came here to tell you—I know you wanted to use yourself to calm me yesterday! But fortunately you didn’t go through with it, or I would have been disgusted for the rest of my life!” My heart suddenly clenched, aching sharply. Even though I’d decided not to love him anymore in this life, hearing these hurtful words still caused pain. After speaking, Ethan warned me several more times to keep my distance so Chloe wouldn’t misunderstand, then stormed out, slamming the door. I didn’t want to be an eyesore around them, and I needed to handle my paperwork for going abroad anyway, so I packed up and left the house. That evening, I deliberately waited until almost ten o’clock before returning. As soon as I entered my room, I noticed something was wrong—someone had gone through my closet. Then I saw Chloe had posted on her social media, showing off a full-length photo of herself in a luxurious gown. The caption read: “I only mentioned needing a dress, and he immediately gave me this one.” She’d taken the custom dress Ethan had made for me. That dress had been specially designed by a master for my coming-of-age ceremony. It was worth seventy million dollars. He’d told me the dress was one of a kind in the world. Just like I was one of a kind to him. He knew exactly what treating a young woman he’d raised himself that way would mean. He’d encouraged my feelings, letting me fall in love with him. Yet he stood on moral high ground, saying I shouldn’t have violated ethics by falling in love with my guardian. Now, with just one casual comment from Chloe, Ethan had the dress sent to her without even telling me first. Ethan heard me return and stood at my door, saying lightly: “Chloe needs a nice dress for the upcoming gala, so I gave her yours. You don’t have any occasions that require it lately anyway.” I didn’t even look up, just hummed in acknowledgment. Ethan frowned, staring at me intently: “Lydia, you’re suddenly so agreeable that I’m not used to it. What’s gotten into you these past two days? You’re not planning something, are you? I’m warning you, if you dare provoke Chloe, I won’t indulge you like I used to!” Only then did I look up and reply softly: “I don’t want to provoke anyone. In fact, I hope no one provokes me either. Besides, Dad, haven’t you always wanted me to be more sensible? You should be happy with how I am now.” Ethan pressed his lips together and said almost petulantly: “Fine, fine, fine! Lydia, you’re doing great!” He slammed the door and went downstairs. Whenever he said that, it meant he was angry. And I would always try every means to placate him. I’d prepare all his favorite foods or carefully make handmade gifts for him. But I didn’t want to placate him anymore. For me, I’d decided to stop loving him. Whether he was angry or not no longer mattered. Besides, I would be leaving soon.

The following days passed simply. Chloe made a point of flaunting her affection with Ethan in front of me every day. She even deliberately showed me the marks on her body, saying on purpose: “Lydia, that’s just how Alpha Ethan is. He always wants everyone to know I’m his.” But I didn’t care. Even when I saw them, I acted as if I hadn’t. Ethan was still holding a grudge against me, and this time I was determined not to placate him. A month later, Chloe announced she was pregnant. Ethan was so excited he wanted to announce the news to the entire world. He moved up his wedding with Chloe, and the entire Shadowfang pack was busy preparing for their ceremony. In this life, it was Chloe—the woman he deeply loved—who was pregnant. I decided to help them have their happy ending. As soon as my paperwork for going abroad was ready, I immediately booked a flight to Switzerland for the day of their wedding. Ethan finally couldn’t hold back and came to find me. He waited until Chloe wasn’t home, then came upstairs and pushed open my door. He pulled out his phone, opened an email, and held it in front of me: “You bought a plane ticket abroad? Why? Are you so devastated by my marriage that you need to go abroad to recover?” My heart skipped a beat. I’d forgotten that any purchases on that card would send notifications to Ethan. But his follow-up comment eased my tension somewhat. Seeing me looking down without speaking, Ethan’s tone grew cold: “Lydia, haven’t you thrown enough tantrums? You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder for an entire month. If I hadn’t come to you, were you planning to ignore me for the rest of your life?” “Ever since Chloe moved into this house, you’ve been cold to me. But she’s the woman I love. If you love me, you should love everything about me, not avoid me and Chloe all day long.” “Are you going to avoid me forever? Even after Chloe and I are married, you plan to keep this up?” I shook my head in denial: “Ethan, I think you’ve misunderstood. I only see you as the elder who raised me. I only feel gratitude toward you.” He laughed as if he’d heard the funniest joke, unable to stop. “Lydia, the whole world knows you love me beyond reason. You only feel gratitude toward me? Would you have wanted to sleep with me if that were true? Ask yourself—do you believe that?” Then he glanced at the display cabinet in my room and smirked: “All these gifts I’ve given you over the years—you’ve kept them in such perfect condition. And you’re saying you don’t love me?” He walked over, picked up the gifts from the cabinet one by one to admire them, then said seriously: “But you should probably put these things away. I’m about to marry Chloe, so you shouldn’t keep harboring inappropriate fantasies about me. You’re grown now. You should interact more with humans instead of revolving around me. After Chloe and I are married, I’ll have her make arrangements for you.” I hummed in agreement, not telling him I’d already decided to leave. I casually packed the items from the cabinet into a storage box. I was planning to get rid of these things before going abroad anyway, so I might as well pack them up now. Seeing my calm reaction, Ethan frowned deeply and stopped me: “Lydia, can’t you be more careful? Look, you’ve scratched the band of this watch!” I glanced at the luxury watch in his hand. After my parents died in an accident, Ethan, as their close friend, decided to adopt me. And this watch was the first gift he’d given me. The watch face was inlaid with priceless gemstones, and my name and adoption date were engraved on the back. Over the years, I’d treasured it, carefully maintaining and polishing it every day. I wouldn’t let anyone else even touch it. But now, I’d just casually tossed it into the storage box. I didn’t answer. Looking at my calm expression, Ethan actually couldn’t take it anymore. “Lydia, stop pretending! You’re obviously so upset about my marriage to Chloe that you need to go abroad to recover, but now you’re acting like you don’t love me anymore! This behavior is really laughable. But it’s good for you to go abroad and clear your head. Maybe you’ll actually get over me!” After speaking, Ethan handed me a supplementary card. “Use this. Visit several countries. Stay for a month before coming back. By then, Chloe’s baby will be stable too.” He looked at me meaningfully and handed me a key: “I’ll be a married man from now on. Living together would make Chloe unhappy, so when you come back, go live in this apartment.” I took the key, neither accepting nor refusing. Ethan gave me a few more instructions about precautions. But he didn’t know that this time, I was truly leaving for good. On Ethan’s wedding day, everyone in Shadowfang pack got up early to help with preparations. I left the key and card on the table, and while everyone was busy, I quietly slipped out the back door with my suitcase and headed straight to the airport.

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My husband had weak sperm. After our eighteenth round of IVF, I finally got pregnant. I came home with my eight-week ultrasound report, overjoyed, only to find Margaret with a dark expression. “This baby can’t stay. Your sister-in-law Madison is fighting her husband for custody of their son in the divorce. If she gets custody, it’ll be hard for her to find someone new with a kid in tow. We’ll raise little Tyler here instead.” I couldn’t believe my ears. “Margaret, what did you say? You want me to abort my baby? Are you out of your mind?” “If she can’t raise him, then let his father have custody. I’m not raising him, and I’m definitely not getting rid of my baby!” Madison’s expression immediately turned sour. “Jason already agreed. Who the hell do you think you are? This family isn’t yours to run!” I looked at my husband in disbelief. “Jason, you agreed to this?” Jason grabbed my arm, trying to persuade me. “Madison’s looking out for you. You’ve never raised a child before. Having Tyler here would give you practice for being a mom. Just listen to her.”

I was shaking with rage. “Jason, three years! I’ve done countless IVF cycles. My stomach is covered in needle marks. Now that I’ve finally succeeded, you want me to abort?” Margaret chimed in with her snide remarks. “Who’s fault is it that you’re useless? Jason’s been kind enough to keep going through this with you. Anyone else would’ve divorced you ages ago!” “I’m making the decision. Abort the baby. When Tyler’s older, you two can try again.” I looked at my husband, my face pale. “Is this what you think too?” He pulled me aside and lowered his voice. “It’s just weak sperm. If it worked once, it can work again. Just listen to Madison.” I stared at him in despair. He still didn’t know that he now had azoospermia—no sperm at all. “Jason, do you have any humanity left? That’s your own flesh and blood in my belly, and you want me to abort it to raise your sister’s kid?” Jason grabbed my hands, looking aggrieved. “Emma, please understand. Tyler is Madison’s son, born after ten months of pregnancy. I can’t bear to see them separated.” “But you can bear to let our baby die before it’s even born?” My eyes were red. “Jason, we’ve been waiting for this baby for three years. I’ve done eighteen IVF cycles. How can you not want our baby?” For this child, I’d taken ovulation shots for three years. My stomach was covered with tiny needle marks. The egg retrieval was so painful I wanted to die. Back then, Jason had held my stomach and cried tears of heartbreak. “Emma, you’ve suffered so much. From now on, you and the baby are my life. I swear, as long as I’m here, no one will hurt you.” But now, the man who’d sworn to protect us with his life wanted to be the executioner who killed his own child first. Jason looked torn as he glanced at Madison. “Madison, maybe we should think of another solution…” “Another solution, my ass! Who else could we trust to raise Tyler? We’re going today. From now on, Emma will be Tyler’s mom!” Margaret shoved Jason aside and dragged me toward the door. I clutched the table desperately, screaming at the top of my lungs. “Mom, this baby is your grandchild too!” Margaret sneered. “My daughter is my blood. Her child is the true heir of the Smith family. You’re an outsider. How can your child compare to my daughter’s?” “Besides, I’m not saying you can never have kids. Once you’ve put Tyler through college, you can have as many as you want. But this one has to go!” I was trembling with rage. “Margaret, I’m twenty-eight years old. Tyler is four. He won’t graduate college for another twenty years. I’ll be almost fifty by then. How am I supposed to have children?”

Before Margaret could respond, Madison added her mocking commentary. “If you can’t have them, someone else can. Jason can have children with another woman. You’re a barren woman anyway. IVF babies aren’t even healthy. Let Jason have kids, and you can just pay to raise them.” “You just focus on raising my Tyler. If I’m satisfied, I might consider letting Tyler take care of you when you’re old.” I was about to explode with fury. She wanted me to raise her son, while Jason had children with other women, and I’d have to pay for them? What did that make me? A complete fool? The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I was about to reveal the secret I’d kept buried for three years. “The one who can’t have children isn’t me, it’s…” “Emma!” Jason dropped to his knees in front of me, frantically giving me meaningful looks. “Emma, I know you’re suffering. But Madison saved my life when we were kids. I owe her this. I have to repay her. I’m begging you, please just agree.” I was furious. “You owe your sister, so you repay her yourself. Why should my baby’s life be the price? I’m telling you, absolutely not!” Madison pulled him up, glaring at me coldly. “Why are you negotiating with her? You’re the father. You have the right to terminate the pregnancy!” Madison dragged me toward the door without another word. I screamed in panic. “This is illegal! I’m calling the police!” I grabbed my phone to call for help, but Margaret snatched it away. Then Madison slapped me hard across the face. “You dare call the police? This is a family matter. I’ll tell the cops you’re pregnant with another man’s baby and we were just trying to stop you from leaving. Who’s going to interfere?” My face burned with pain. I was shaking all over. I stared at Jason. “Jason, you’re just going to watch your sister hit me?” Jason cowered like a turtle, glancing timidly at his sister before pleading softly with me. “Emma, that’s just how Madison is. Please bear with it.” “Bear with it? How am I supposed to bear with this? Jason, your mother and sister want to kill our baby. Do you have a heart or not?” Before I could finish, Madison kicked me in the chest. “So what if I hit you? Let me tell you something, Emma. If you come with us quietly to get the abortion, it’ll be easier on you. Otherwise, I’ll kick that baby out of you myself. You’ll hemorrhage so badly you won’t even be able to save your uterus. Believe me?” I stumbled backward and fell to the ground, gasping for air. Jason took a half-step forward as if to help me, but didn’t dare. He looked at me pathetically. “Emma, just agree. I promise we’ll get you painless anesthesia at the hospital…” “What painless anesthesia?” Margaret shot him a displeased look. “She can’t have children. Spending money on her is wasteful. Save it all for Tyler!” She turned to look at me with a smile that held poison-tipped needles. “Emma, don’t blame me for being cruel. You can only blame your timing for being wrong. If you’d gotten pregnant three years ago when you got married, the baby would be running around by now. This is your fate. Just accept it.” I looked up sharply at Jason. “Jason, say something! Tell your mother the truth—I’m not the one who can’t have children. This baby can’t be aborted. You have azoosper—” “Emma!” Jason pulled me up from the floor and said earnestly. “Margaret’s just blunt. But I never looked down on you for not being able to conceive, did I?” “Tyler and Madison are my mom’s whole life. She can’t stand to see them suffer even a little. She’s just upset.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t make you wait twenty years to have another baby. Just terminate this pregnancy first. I’ll talk to Margaret and my sister later about letting you have one sooner.” He leaned close to my ear, his voice very low. “Come on, Emma. I have weak sperm, not no sperm. You’ll just have to work hard for a few more years. I’m sure you’ll get pregnant again.” My heart turned to ice. Three years ago, our premarital checkup revealed his weak sperm. He’d cried so helplessly, so pitifully. I knew he was afraid I’d leave him. I chose to marry him anyway because I couldn’t bear to give up our three-year relationship. For the sake of his pride, I’d accepted the narrative that I was the infertile one. Three years. Eighteen IVF cycles. Each one stripped away a layer of my being. And all I got in return was his “I never looked down on you” and “you’ll just have to work hard for a few more years.” I suddenly laughed, tears streaming down my face. “Tyler and your sister are your mom’s life. Isn’t my baby my life too?” I tried to grab his collar, but my fingers were shaking too hard to muster any strength. “Jason, do you realize this might be your only child? Are you really this heartless?” Reluctance flashed in Jason’s eyes. He turned to look at Margaret. “Margaret, maybe we should keep this baby. Emma’s pregnancy wasn’t easy. We can still raise Tyler. Whatever Madison wants, we’ll agree to it.” Margaret and Madison exchanged glances. Margaret’s tone softened. “I can’t bear to lose my grandchild either. Your sister’s just worried that once Emma has her own child, she’ll treat Tyler badly. How about this—to put your sister’s mind at ease, have Emma sign a property transfer agreement. Everything goes to Tyler. Then we can keep the baby.” Madison immediately pulled out an agreement and shoved it in my face. “Sign it!” “Emma, take a look. Make sure there’s nothing I don’t know about. Hand over everything so Margaret and my sister can feel secure.” I stared blankly at the agreement, which listed every single asset I owned in detail. A 2,000-square-foot apartment in a premium school district, worth $300,000. Two 1,000-square-foot commercial properties in the downtown business district, worth $2 million. A beauty salon business, worth $500,000. $400,000 in fixed deposits across three major banks. A Mercedes, 200 grams of gold, household appliances… From major assets like properties and savings down to every needle and thread, everything was documented clearly. I hadn’t even realized I owned this much. The last item on the agreement was particularly striking. [Assets to be managed by legal guardian. Manager: Madison Smith] A voice in my head suddenly made everything clear. I finally understood the real reason behind all this. Aborting the baby was just an excuse. Seizing my assets was the real goal. I looked up at Jason and asked through gritted teeth. “Jason, you’d kill our baby for this?” His eyes darted away. “Emma, you said the baby was your life, right? Trading all your assets for the baby’s life is worth it.” My face turned iron gray with rage. I threw the agreement on the floor. “I won’t sign! These are my premarital assets. They have nothing to do with you. This is extortion and blackmail. I’m going to report you!” Madison immediately flew into a rage. She grabbed my hair and slapped me repeatedly until my head was ringing. “Bullshit! You little bitch! You belong to the Smith family, so your money belongs to the Smith family!” She grabbed my hand and pressed it hard onto red ink pad. “We were being nice by discussing it with you. Just stamp your fingerprint and sign. Don’t make me get nasty!” Her strength was terrifying. My wrist bone felt like it was about to shatter.

I screamed in pain. “Jason, are you dead?” Jason stood there unmoved. Not only did he not intervene, but he spread his hands with a helpless expression. “Emma, giving the assets to Tyler is just giving him security. We’re all family. Why make such a fuss?” “Just sign it and you’ll suffer less.” My heart felt like it had a gaping hole in it, cold through and through. Margaret picked up a stick and struck my waist hard, saying viciously, “Are you going to sign or not? If not, the next hit is your stomach!” I screamed in pain. My waist throbbed, and my stomach felt an ominous heavy ache. My heart lurched with fear. I closed my eyes in despair. “I’ll sign…” My hands trembled as I pressed my fingerprint, tears falling. Seeing my clear fingerprint on the property transfer agreement, all three of them breathed a sigh of relief at once. “Should’ve cooperated earlier. Would’ve saved me the trouble!” Madison blew on the still-wet marks, then collected the agreement with satisfaction. Jason finally came over and reached out to help me up. “Emma, good girl. What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you.” My stomach cramped in waves. My face contorted. “My stomach hurts. Take me to the hospital.” Jason looked at me nervously. “It’s okay, Emma. I’ll take you to the hospital right now. We’ll definitely save our baby.” He’d just gotten me to the door when Margaret stopped him. “Wait. You gave all your money to Tyler. Where’s the money for the hospital?” “Did you hide money from us? Unlock your phone. Let’s check how much she still has.” Margaret clutched my phone and walked over to slap me hard across the face. “What’s your phone password?” My already swollen cheek took another brutal hit. Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth. “That’s all the money I have left. I need it for childbirth…” “Childbirth? You’re Tyler’s mother now. Everything has to be about Tyler first. You’re already thinking about your own baby before it’s even born? That money belongs to Tyler. You have to hand it all over.” I looked pleadingly at Jason. Jason said helplessly, “Emma, just give it to them. Don’t make Margaret angry.” I shook my head stubbornly. “No. That’s my and my baby’s emergency money. You can’t have it…” “Thud!” A kick to my stomach. My back slammed against the door with a dull sound. Searing pain shot through my lower abdomen. A hot stream gushed between my legs. “Won’t talk?” Margaret grabbed my hair and bashed my head against the door. “Then you can forget about keeping this baby!” I screamed in agony as my vision went black. “Jason…” Jason grabbed Margaret’s hand. “Margaret, that’s enough. Emma’s pregnant with my child.” I slumped weakly against the door, blood streaming down my forehead and covering my face. Jason grabbed my chin. I thought he was checking my injuries. But instead, he held my phone up to my face for facial recognition. I struggled frantically, but couldn’t break free. The phone unlocked effortlessly. He opened my mobile banking app. His eyes grew wider and wider. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…” Margaret and Madison crowded over. Seeing the string of zeros in the balance, their voices trembled. “Two hundred thousand dollars!” Margaret grabbed my hair. “You little bitch! You hid this much money from Jason. Tell me, how much more do you have that we don’t know about?”

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For three years, I was Silas Vance’s best-kept secret. His gorgeous, compliant little songbird in a gilded cage. The day I found out I was pregnant, I went to surprise him at his private club. But before I could open the door, I overheard a conversation between him and his identical twin brother, Elias. “Sias, I’ve been posing as you, playing house with your little bird for a while now,” Elias said, his tone casual but dangerous. “If she finds out, she’s going to bolt.” Silas sounded utterly indifferent. “Let her. She knows where her bread is buttered; she won’t leave. Besides, it’s not like this is the first time we’ve swapped.” He paused, his voice turning cold. “Just tell me you didn’t get her pregnant. That would be disgusting.” Right then, a strange text message appeared floating in front of my eyes, like a chat frame from a livestream: 【Lmao, this dumb side-character thinks being pregnant is a good thing. She has no idea Silas hasn’t touched her in a year. Elias is the one who got her knocked up.】 【Silas only has eyes for the main female lead. Even if the side-character is pregnant with his twin’s baby, Silas will make sure she and the kid both vanish.】 I didn’t scream. I didn’t cause a scene. I went back to the penthouse and kept playing the part of Elias’s perfect, oblivious little bird. But behind their backs, I quietly scheduled an abortion. I bought a one-way international plane ticket. The day they caught me at the clinic, ready to end the pregnancy, Elias went absolutely primal. He grabbed Silas by the throat, pinning him against the wall. “Who gave you permission to touch her?” he roared, his eyes insane with rage. 01 The day I found out, it was pouring rain in the city. Ignoring the weather, I rushed to the exclusive downtown lounge where Silas usually hung out. By the time I arrived, my hair was damp, and water was dripping from my coat. Just as I reached for the handle of his private VIP suite, I heard Silas’s voice through the door. It was cold, detached. “You done playing? When are we swapping back?” His twin brother, Elias, laughed. “Not yet. I’m having too much fun.” Silas frowned. “You didn’t actually touch her, did you? You know the rules.” Elias hesitated for a fraction of a second. Then, a slow, dark smirk spread across his face. “Relax. I didn’t. Probably.” He picked up his glass of whiskey. “But honestly, even if I did, why would you care?” Silas paused, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “Obviously I care. It’s filthy.” The private room erupted in whistles and catcalls from their trust-fund friends. “Elias, you crazy bastard. You’re actually willing to sloppy-second your brother’s trash?” “Can you blame him? Look at Ava’s face. Hell, with a body like that, who wouldn’t want a turn?” “Seriously, that ass is intoxicating. She’s practically begging for it.” “It’s just funny that Silas is the one acting like a saint, refusing to touch her.” Sitting next to Silas was Chloe Sterling, the ice queen of the Hamptons and Silas’s childhood sweetheart. He’d worshipped her since they were kids. Chloe let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Honestly, Ava is like a public restroom. Everyone gets a turn.” The room rolled with laughter. I recognized some of the other faces in there. One of them asked, “Whose idea was this switch, anyway? It’s wild.” Chloe lifted an eyebrow, looking smug. “They’re too boring to come up with something this good. It was me.” She looked directly at Silas. “Ava probably dreams about Silas having a secret twin. You should thank me. Without me, none of you would get to experience something this thrilling.” Silas smiled at her, an expression of pure adoration. “You’re right, honey. You’re always the smartest person in the room.” Someone else chimed in. “I heard Silas is actually going through with a wedding to Ava next week. Is that legit?” Silas chuckled, a cruel sound. “Of course not. The little lower-class girl wants a ring. I’m just humoring her for now.” Chloe sat up straighter, a gleam of malice in her eyes. “Imagine this: next week, at the ‘wedding,’ right when she thinks she’s officially made it, you guys tell her the truth. Tell her that for a whole year, you’ve been passing her back and forth.” Chloe smirked, anticipating the moment. “Imagine the look on her face when you push her into the abyss right as she’s hugging happiness. Wouldn’t that be a blast?” Silas gave a helpless laugh, stroking Chloe’s hair. “You’re vicious. So childish.” Chloe pouted. “Vicious or not, you’ve always given me whatever I wanted since we were kids.” Then she paused, glancing at Elias. “Just make sure you’re careful. Don’t go getting her pregnant by accident.” Her voice turned elitist. “Girls from the gutter get real clingy once they have a kid.” Silas’s brow furrowed slightly. “Don’t even joke about that. Like I said, we’ve never touched her.” Chloe tilted her head, pressing the issue. “But what if she is pregnant? Hypothetically?” Silas smiled, looking completely unbothered. “Then we kick her to the curb. Right, Eli?” Elias seemed to be in a daze, staring into his drink. He heard Silas call his name and snapped back to reality. “Yeah. Right.” Floating Text: 【Lmao, Elias is actually lying. He didn’t touch her? He’s been sleeping with her behind his brother’s back for months. He’s totally wrecked her.】 【This side-character thinks she’s pregnant with Silas’s baby, but Silas has never touched her. It’s Elias’s kid.】 【In the end, Silas only wants the main lead. Once they find out about the pregnancy, they’re going to make sure she and the baby disappear completely.】 【Omg, I love this dynamic. Silas is saving himself for the main female lead, and Elias is just using the side-character for practice. This is the quality content I sign up for!】 I looked down at the pregnancy test in my hand. Two bold, red lines. I had run through the rain to get here, desperate to tell Silas the news. I really was pregnant. Looking at it now, there was no point in telling him. None at all. 02 That same afternoon, I booked an appointment at an out-of-state abortion clinic. I also bought a one-way plane ticket for next week. Coincidentally, it was the same day as the “wedding.” I figured I could extract a little more cash from my “sugar daddy” over the next few days for my relocation fund. Since they wanted to humiliate me at the altar and show the world what a fool I was… Then why shouldn’t I pre-empt them? I’d stand them up, run away, and turn their little scripted drama into a complete farce. Besides, over the years I’d spent as a professional gilded bird, I had saved up a decent chunk of change. The rate of my savings had actually doubled recently. I used to wonder why “Silas” always seemed to forget he had already sent me money, depositing cash into my account over and over again. Mystery solved. It wasn’t Silas forgetting. One deposit was from Silas, and the other was from his twin, Elias. I gently patted my little nest egg. Money was my only true comfort. I had first crossed paths with Silas Vance back in college. Chloe Sterling had been my roommate. She loved cruel pranks, specifically ones designed to destroy people’s futures. During our freshman year, she had encouraged one of her rich friends to pursue a quiet, hardworking girl from a poor background. The guy showered her with roses, luxury goods, and expensive bags. The poor girl had never seen that kind of courtship. Within weeks, she was head over heels in love. Right before final exams, Chloe had her friend dump the girl brutally. The shock was too much, and the girl, who usually had great grades, completely failed her finals. As soon as exams were over, she jumped off a building. She’s still in a vegetative state. Chloe, meanwhile, just continued with college, acting like nothing had happened. She was my roommate, and she set her sights on me. I worked three jobs back then just to survive. Between my gambling-addicted father, my mother who died young, and my sick grandmother, I was the classic “beautiful, broken scholarship student.” This time, I was the new main character in her twisted game. Silas Vance was her hand-picked male lead. He was the campus god—a brilliant, stony-faced legacy student whose candid photos went viral on social media, racking up millions of views. He was also the heir apparent to the Vance Group conglomerate. His future was blindingly bright. She tasked Silas with “seducing” me, making me his girlfriend. According to Chloe’s script, Silas would ruin me with luxury. He’d make me dependent on him. And once I was completely accustomed to that high life, he’d dump me, leaving me to utterly collapse under the weight of the massive loss. Silas was indeed good to me. He bought me countless gifts. He pretended to have deep empathy for my tragic backstory. He forbid me from working my three jobs, and he came up with a new surprise for me every day. But I’m a hoarder. A survivor. Whatever money Silas gave me, I hoarded. The jewelry he bought me? I never wore it. I sold it online for a premium to other legacy students. I was terrified of being poor again. I didn’t think I deserved nice things. Money was the only thing that felt real. Hoarding it was the only thing that gave me a sense of security. And I wasn’t stupid. I could feel it. Silas seemed to be acting. Whenever he held my hand, I couldn’t miss the flicker of mockery deep in his eyes. I didn’t know why he hated me but was still pretending to love me. But he was definitely rich, and he was definitely a fool with his money. I needed to hoard as much as possible while the opportunity was there. We acted like a normal couple. Dating, hugging, kissing. During the winter, I even hand-knit him a scarf as a gift. The day my grandmother fell critically ill, I finally broke down. I asked Silas for a “birthday gift”—a massive sum to cover her medical bills. I remember Silas froze for a second. Then he smiled. I hadn’t forgotten the spark of sadistic triumph in his eyes. Like a venomous snake finally baring its fangs. He assumed I had finally been broken, corrupted, and was now just as greedy as everyone else. Everything was going according to plan. Silas broke up with me the very next day. Chloe Sterling waited to watch me crumble. She expected the “poor girl” to fall apart, lose my mind, scream, cry, and make a pathetic scene begging Silas to take me back. But she found me exactly the same as before. I went back to working my jobs, back to classes, back to my mundane routine. Actually, I was a little better off. I dropped from three jobs down to two. Instead of eating plain ramen, I could afford to add a small sausage and an egg. And maybe a nice iced coffee after dinner. I even gained three pounds. I didn’t waste time begging to get back together. I didn’t cry for him. In fact, the day we broke up, I deleted his number and blocked him on everything. None of it went according to her script. Chloe exploded with rage. She thought the game was boring because I wouldn’t break. After that, she made my life in the dorm a living hell. Stomping on my shoes. Putting thumbtacks in them. Pouring cold water on my bed in the middle of winter. Later, my dad got deep into debt with some high-stakes gamblers—debts that the Vance family ended up controlling. To pay off his debts, he effectively sold me to Silas. That’s how I accidentally became Silas’s gilded bird. Actually, I had been starting to think about building a real future with him recently. Silas had always been cold and distant. He had never once touched me over the years. But starting this past January, he suddenly started wanting to kiss me. One night, he came home drunk. I was helping him onto the sofa, bringing him some tea to help him sober up. He suddenly grabbed my waist, pulled me onto his lap, and gently kissed me. I rarely kissed anyone; I almost passed out from shock. He gave a low laugh against my lips. “So this is what it tastes like. Sweet.” “Next time we kiss, remember to breathe.” That night, he initiated me into intimacy. After that, he got creative. He loved trying new, aggressive, thrilling things. He hated using protection. He loved dragging things out, even when the house staff was around. I could only bite my lip and try to endure. The more I struggled, the more he seemed to enjoy it. He developed a strange obsession: when we were intimate at night, he’d insist on me saying his name over and over again. “What’s my name?” “Silas. You’re Silas.” “Wrong. Say it again.” “What’s wrong with you, Silas, wait…” I could see the wildness in his eyes. The more I screamed his name, the more savage he became. He was strange during intimacy, like a psychotic dog that needed its fur stroked the right way to keep from snapping. But he was also sweet. He’d kiss me, bring me breakfast in bed, and make me soup when my stomach hurt. On my birthday, he set off an incredible firework display over the river. As the massive fireworks exploded in the sky, he stroked my hair and whispered, “Babe, let’s make a real life together.” And when I had nightmares, he’d wake me up, carefully pulling me into his arms and saying, “Don’t be scared, my sweet girl. I’m here.” Slowly, I began to think I might actually be falling for him. A few months ago, he pinned me to the bed again, refusing to use protection. I asked him, “What if I get pregnant?” He kissed me. “Then we have the baby. I’ll support you both.” The marriage proposal was his idea. That night, after everything was finished, he lay over me and whispered: “Babe, let’s stop being just lovers. Let’s be husband and wife.” Looking back now, I realized that from the very first time we slept together, that man wasn’t Silas. It was Elias. And the proposal was just a new, twisted game. This baby… I really had wanted to have it. But now? There was no point. None at all. 03 I had five days left before my flight. I had gotten very good at telling the two Vance brothers apart. Silas was cold, dark, and never smiled. A total workaholic. Elias was affectionate, clingy, and had a mole right on his V-line. I saw it every time we were intimate. I didn’t know if Silas had a mole in the same spot, as he had never touched me. This morning, I walked downstairs and saw Silas sitting in the dining room, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and reading a newspaper. “Ava,” he said, his tone icy and indifferent. “Dress nicely today. We have a guest coming.” Ah, first thing in the morning, reading the paper, wearing the glasses, and the cold attitude. This was the real Silas. The livestream chat frame exploded with excitement: 【Omg yes, today is the official meeting with Elias! I’m so excited.】 【This side-character is practically Elias’s personal toy. He knows every sensitive spot on her body, and she has to pretend she doesn’t even know him. That must be so humiliating.】 【People from the gutter are all the same. They’ll endure anything for money. Our main girl is so much better. A true heroine who never needs a man.】 【This meeting is just setting the stage for the public humiliation at the birthday party. I can’t wait!】 【Our main girl is so smart and sharp. I love her so much.】 I went back upstairs to change. By midday, Elias arrived, and he had Chloe Sterling on his arm. Seeing Elias, who looked exactly like Silas, I pretended to freeze in well-acted shock. Silas introduced him. “This is my twin brother, Elias. He’s been handling our international operations and just got back.” Elias smiled at me, extending a hand. “Nice to meet you.” I took his hand. “Nice to meet you, too.” I gave a shallow smile. “I had no idea you two looked so identical.” Elias’s expression didn’t change at all. He looked warm and harmless. “There’s a lot you don’t know.” Honestly, I had to give it to him. He was a great actor. We had slept together countless times, and here he was, pretending we were strangers. Chloe Sterling laughed. “Well, I don’t need an introduction. Ava and I were college roommates.” She reached out and grabbed my arm. “I heard you’re getting married. Silas and I already talked about it; I’m going to be your maid of honor.” Before I could respond, the chef came in to announce that lunch was served. At the table, Chloe sat between Silas and Elias. She rested her chin on her hand, looking at me with a sweet smile. “Ava, have you noticed if Silas has been acting any differently recently?” I knew why she was asking. She wanted to see me act confused, to laugh at me behind my back. So I gave her exactly what she wanted. I put down my fork and nodded. “Yeah. He’s actually changed a lot over the past year.” For a second, the entire world seemed to hit pause. Both of the Vance brothers froze. I suddenly let out a small laugh, my cheeks turning slightly pink. “He’s been so much sweeter to me. I think I’m falling in love with him all over again.” Silas shot a glare at Elias. Elias looked distinctly uncomfortable. During the meal, Elias automatically took the shell off a garlic butter shrimp and placed it in my bowl. “Babe, garlic shrimp, shelled. Your favorite.” The next second, the table went dead silent. He realized his mistake instantly, but he didn’t miss a beat. “My brother always calls you that. It slipped out. Sorry.” I nodded. “You’re actually a nice guy.” Silas shot a warning glare at Elias. I ignored them both, picked up the shrimp, and chewed. I felt a wave of nausea. Gross. Fishy. I needed to puke. I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom. When I came back out, Chloe Sterling was giving me a very meaningful look. “You’re not having morning sickness, are you?” Silas and Elias both stared at me. I forced a laugh. “No. I just ate something that didn’t agree with me. Puking is fine. It helps me lose weight.” Silas put down his fork, his smile not reaching his eyes. “Any thinner and you’ll just be a bag of bones. It would硌手 (hurt my hands).” 04 After lunch, Silas and Elias both drove Chloe Sterling home. They didn’t come back until very late. As soon as “he” walked in, he went straight to the shower. At this point, I wasn’t entirely sure if it was Silas or Elias. I saw “his” phone sitting on the nightstand. I decided to check it. The chat frame started trashing me: 【What does this side-character think she’s doing? She thinks she can check her billionaire boyfriend’s phone? She has zero self-awareness.】 【Don’t worry, she can’t guess the passcode.】 【The passcode is Chloe’s birthday. This dumbass is gonna be guessing until the sun comes down.】 Ah, thank you. Since Chloe and I were roommates, she made sure everyone knew when her birthday was. It was impossible to forget. I typed in Chloe’s birthday. The phone unlocked instantly. I opened iMessage and found the chat between the twins. Silas: 【We’re swapping back in two days.】 Elias: 【No. I’m having too much fun.】 Silas: 【She mentioned today that ‘Silas’ has been very sweet to her recently. You aren’t actually catching feelings for her, are you?】 Elias took a long time to reply. 【No. Of course not.】 【Didn’t you say the sweeter you are to her, the harder she’ll fall, and the more devastating the heartbreak will be when the dream shatters?】 【I’ve spent almost the entire last year with her. I need to make sure she doesn’t suspect anything in these final days.】 Silas: 【Understood.】 【You sure you didn’t touch her?】 Elias: 【No. What, are you jealous?】 Silas: 【No. I just don’t want someone else’s toys messing up my property.】 【I’m warning you, have your fun, but don’t cross the line. That’s the rule.】 So the one in the shower was Elias. Ten minutes later, Elias walked out of the bathroom. I was on my own phone, playing a game, acting like I hadn’t seen him. Elias gently took my wrist. “Babe, I told you about getting those long acrylics. Look what they did to my back.” I said, “Then call the cops.” Elias froze, then low-laughed. “Babe, you’re too cute.” He cupped my face and leaned down to kiss me. His hand started moving down, trying to reach under my top. I pushed him away. “My stomach hurts today.” Hearing that, Elias’s brow furrowed. “Stomach hurts? Your gastritis again?” I shook my head. “No.” He put his hand on my lower stomach. “Let me rub it.” I swatted his hand away. “Don’t.” Elias’s hand froze. After a long pause, he gave a cold laugh. “Fine. Suffer then. See if I care.” We didn’t speak for a long time. That night, my lower stomach kept hurting. I was tossing and turning, unable to sleep, curled into a ball. I don’t know what time it was, but I felt Elias sigh. He pulled me into his arms, gently rubbing my back, his voice thick with sleep. “Don’t hurt, my sweet girl. Don’t hurt…” When I was very young, my mom used to rub my back the same way. That memory felt so distant, like a dream. Now, Elias was doing the same thing. I felt an intense wave of disgust and mockery. 05 In the morning, when I woke up, Elias was already up. He was standing by the bed, scrolling through my phone, and he looked furious. Seeing me wake up, he glared at me, smiling like a psychotic demon. “Babe… tell me the truth. Are you hiding something from me?” I yawned. “What could I possibly hide from you?” His face went dark. He gave a cold laugh. “You’re not gonna tell me?” “Fine. Then tell me this…” He shoved my phone into my face, practically tapping my nose with it. “Why is a reproductive health clinic sending you a text about pre-op instructions for an abortion?” His voice grew colder and colder. “Babe, I don’t recall you telling me you were pregnant.” In that moment, I froze. My heart hammered against my ribs. But I forced myself to calm down. “Oh, relax. You’re making a scene out of nothing.” “I probably clicked some ad on a sketchy website and it signed me up for a spam list.” “If I were really pregnant, I’d tell you immediately. I’d use it to trap you forever.” Elias lifted an eyebrow. “You browse sketchy websites?” I nodded. “It’s good to expand one’s knowledge.” He lifted my chin. “The positions I teach you every night aren’t enough? You need external research? I’m getting jealous.” He pulled me into his arms. “Tell me… what positions did you learn?” I said, “I don’t know. I didn’t memorize them.” He gave a genuine laugh at that. “Stupid. I guess I’ll have to keep teaching you personally.” He looked at me. “Ava, four more days, and we’ll be married. “On our wedding day, I’m going to make you the happiest bride in the entire world. Okay?” I didn’t answer. Because we weren’t getting married. And we had no future. 06 Silas and Elias were both busy with the “wedding” preparations. I was busy with my own preparations: packing my relocation bags and transferring every asset I had extracted from the Vance family out of my name. I had a good friend living abroad, Maya, who had already booked an appointment for me at a clinic there. She’d also found me an apartment with a great balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows. My funds had arrived. Again, in two separate deposits. That afternoon, Elias took me to try on wedding dresses. He poked my stomach. “Your stomach is a little bloated. Eating too much good stuff lately?” I covered my stomach. “Mind your own business.” He laughed. “You’re getting a real attitude now that the wedding is close.” He picked up my hand and套 (套 =套 – to put a ring on) a ring on my finger. It was a diamond as big as a bird’s egg. He hugged me. “Finally. You’re going to belong only to me.” I let him hold me and gave a shallow “嗯” (Mhm). The livestream chat was not happy: 【I hate this b**ch. She actually thinks he’s going to marry her. You have no self-respect.】 【If she had any dignity, she’d have run as soon as she heard the truth. She really is a gold-digger.】 【You’re right. The novel says she’s a gold-digger. Both guys are rich and hot, so of course she won’t run.】 【If she was smart, she’d take the money and run now. Otherwise, Chloe is going to utterly destroy her at the wedding.】 I didn’t have the energy to argue with the chat. I was just silently calculating how much money this ring would sell for. 07 Two days left before my flight. I decided to splurge on myself. I went to a club and hired a few male dancers to perform for me. I wanted to know what it felt like to casually pick and choose men for entertainment. One sip of a cocktail and I was coughing. Right then, I heard a familiar voice nearby. Chloe Sterling was at the bar, completely wasted, slurping her words. “Once the wedding is over and we’re done with her, just kick her out. I’m tired of seeing her sandwich herself between you two every day. It’s annoying.” Silas didn’t give in immediately, which was unusual. He remained silent for a long time before slowly opening his mouth: “We can talk about that later.” Chloe froze. She looked at Elias. “Elias, what about you?” Elias avoided her eyes. “She’s so clingy… I mean, she clings to Silas. I’m worried she won’t be able to handle being kicked out.” Chloe looked pissed. “You guys aren’t catching feelings for her, are you?” “Back in college, when you agreed to this whole prank, it was your idea too, wasn’t it?” “When the original prank failed because she didn’t collapse after the breakup, you two were the ones who were pissed and wanted to find another way to mess with her.” “Now we have this perfect opportunity, and you’re going soft. You need to crush her into the gutter.” One of their trust-fund friends who was drinking with them tried to smooth things over. “Chloe is right. Maya means everything to you guys. Ava is just a toy. You play with it until it breaks, then you toss it.” “You’re really going to let Chloe be unhappy for the sake of that trash?” “Don’t forget, when you were kids and played family, Silas, you were always fighting over who got to be Chloe’s husband.” “You two would give her the moon if she asked for it. This is a small thing.” “If she gets really clingy, Silas, just give her a ‘breakup screw.’ You haven’t touched her for years, just fulfill her one wish and be done with it.” The chat erupted: 【What is going on with the Vance brothers? They used to worship Chloe Sterling.】 【Guys… do you think… they might actually have feelings for the side-character?】 【Especially Elias. He’s slept with her so many times. You can’t tell me there are no feelings.】 【You guys are delusional. The novel says they find out she’s pregnant and they throw her in a basement and torture her to death.】 I didn’t look at the chat. I was holding my breath, waiting for their answer. Finally, Silas spoke in a quiet voice. “Yeah. I understand.” In that moment, my heart seemed to miss a beat. Yeah. Of course.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “404838”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

During the earthquake, both my brother and my childhood sweetheart gave up on me. They chose to save the “biological” daughter first. Because of that choice, my right leg was crushed under the weight of the debris. As they carried me out of the ruins, I heard my fiancé give my brother a calm, cold command: “I’m planning to break off the engagement. I need to keep my distance. She’s your sister—you take care of her.” “Like hell she is,” my brother muttered, his voice dripping with reluctance. “My real sister is back now. Why is this outsider still hanging around our house, anyway?” They turned around then, quite by accident. When their eyes met mine, the air grew thick with an awkwardness they couldn’t name. 01 The paramedic carrying my stretcher froze. He looked down at me, his brow furrowed. “I thought you said these were your family and friends?” “Why is he calling you an outsider?” “Who am I supposed to hand you over to?” The two men, who had been tossing me back and forth like a burden seconds ago, went silent. They turned in unison, their eyes locking onto mine. I saw a flicker of unease in their depths. They clearly hadn’t expected me to be right behind them, hearing every word. I tried to speak, but the pain surged, and I blacked out before I could make a sound. 02 I was woken up by the muffled sound of voices outside my hospital room. “That poor girl. Her leg is shattered, and she’s been here since the surgery without a single visitor.” “Well, honestly, it’s her own fault. I heard she was switched at birth. The real daughter is back now, yet she hasn’t made any move to leave. She’s practically asking to be treated like an outcast.” “I guess you’re right…” I stared blankly at the heavy cast on my right leg. Strangely, it didn’t hurt as much as it had that day. When I was trapped under the rubble and heard my brother Leo’s voice, I really thought I was going to be saved. “Don’t waste time,” he had told the rescuers. “Save my sister first.” “She has severe claustrophobia. If she’s in there any longer, something will happen to her. I’m holding you responsible.” The sister with claustrophobia was Maya—the biological daughter. The rescuer’s voice had been heavy with warning. “The family needs to be prepared. The woman trapped on the other side… there’s a high probability the collapsing wall will crush her legs if we wait.” Leo paused. His voice dropped. “I… I understand.” “But if I can only save one, what choice do I have?” A sliver of light had filtered through the cracks, hitting my leg where it was pinned between the jagged stones. In that moment, when the pain took my voice, my resentment toward Leo reached its peak. But now? I couldn’t even summon the energy to be angry. Looking at it objectively, Leo wasn’t “wrong.” It was only natural to choose his blood relative. Leo was right. I should leave. Nothing is more pathetic than staying where you aren’t wanted. 03 When Leo and the others finally came to see me, I was struggling to reach a heated pack on my nightstand. The IV fluids had left my hands ice-cold. Maya was at the front of the group. She skipped over to my bedside, looking bright and energetic. “Claire, is your leg really broken?” She stared at the cast with wide eyes, then let out a breath of relief, as if she had been the one to dodge a bullet. “I can’t even imagine if that were me. I’d be crying every single day.” “I’m so lucky… so lucky…” A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me. I didn’t care enough to figure out how much of her “relief” was actually malice. Leo stood the furthest away, his eyes constantly avoiding mine. He was clearly still reeling from the embarrassment of the other day. He wasn’t like Asher, my fiancé. Asher’s expression was as cold as ever. He glanced at my injured leg, his brow twitching almost imperceptibly. He didn’t speak for a long time. “Once you’re recovered,” he finally said, “we need to talk.” I blinked. I remembered what he said at the ruins. He wanted to break off the engagement. Those were the words he was hesitating to say out loud. Maya turned to look at him, her eyes trembling. “Are you having second thoughts?” Asher pressed his lips together. “Do you think I should hurt her a second time while she’s in this condition?” Maya looked down. A few seconds later, she whispered: “That’s not what I meant.” “I’m a little tired. I’m going home. You two should stay and look after Claire.” “It’s hard for her to do anything on her own.” She finished her sentence in a small voice and ran out of the room. The faint sound of a sob lingered in the air. Leo glared at Asher like a protective wolf pup. “Asher.” “How dare you make my sister cry?” Asher’s gaze followed Maya out the door, ignoring the warning. He simply dropped a heavy “Stay here and take care of her” before chasing after Maya. “Wait, what?” Leo stammered. He looked back at me, his body stiff, then scrambled after them. “Wait!” “I don’t know how to take care of anyone!” “Don’t leave me here alone with her!” His footsteps were so fast it was as if he were outrunning a plague. The hospital door remained half-open, swinging back and forth in the wind from the window. In an instant, the room was empty again. From beginning to end, no one had given me a chance to speak. I wanted to tell them I agreed to the breakup. I wanted to tell them I didn’t need anyone to “stay” and look after me. In the week I’d been hospitalized, I had already learned how to take care of myself perfectly well. 04 No one came to see me again until the day I was discharged. The only contact I had was a phone call from my adoptive mother, Mrs. Sterling, right after my cast was removed. She sighed, her voice soft and persuasive. “Claire, don’t blame Leo for choosing Maya. She’s his biological sister, after all, right? I hope this doesn’t create a rift between you two.” “I don’t blame him, Mom. He didn’t do anything wrong.” “I knew you were the sensible one. Your father and I will pick you up when you’re discharged. We’re on a business trip right now, so we don’t have time to visit, but please take care of yourself.” As soon as she finished, Leo’s voice rang out in the background. “Mom! Who are you talking to? Hurry up!” “Let’s take a family photo before that person gets back.” The silence on the line was so heavy I could hear the static of the connection. I spoke as if I hadn’t heard a thing. “I understand, Mom. I’ll take care of myself.” I heard a distinct sigh of relief from the other end. “Oh, good…” “I have to go. I have a meeting starting.” The phone was hung up in a rush. It was late at night. I put my phone away and gripped the handrail, beginning another round of physical therapy. In the silent hospital corridor, I was the only one dragging a withered leg, moving forward one tiny, agonizing step at a time. Half an hour later, drenched in sweat, I let out a small smile. I walked two meters further than yesterday. 05 No one came to pick me up the day I left the hospital. Luckily, I wasn’t waiting for anyone anymore. As soon as I walked through the front door with my suitcase, I realized my timing was terrible. The four Sterlings and Asher were having a celebratory steak dinner. My appearance shattered the warm, happy atmosphere. Every face held a different expression, but none of them were positive. The only sound in the room was the sizzle of the grill. Mrs. Sterling recovered first, forcing a smile. “Claire… you’re back. You should have called…” “You haven’t eaten, have you? Come, sit down and join us.” The air was thick with the smell of heavy seasoning. My wound seemed to throb in sympathy. I didn’t feel the need to act out my grievances like I used to. I didn’t point out that no one actually cared, or that no one remembered I was supposed to avoid heavy spices while healing. I didn’t want to be the one to ruin their night. I just said: “No thanks, Mom. I ate before I came.” “I’m going to my room to pack.” … Later that evening, in my adoptive father’s study. He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the mahogany desk. “You’re leaving?” I nodded. “I have a flight booked for next week.” “Please don’t tell Mom and the others yet.” I chose to tell Mr. Sterling because he was the most distant person in the house. He wouldn’t be swayed by sentimentality, and he wouldn’t offer any hollow words of “staying” to make things difficult. He didn’t try to stop me. “It’s for the best.” “You can see for yourself. This family has become unrecognizable because of your presence.” “Once you leave, don’t contact your mother or the others. Let’s have a clean break.” I promised him I would never appear before them again. He looked at me with surprise for a few seconds, but said nothing. 06 The suffocating weight in my chest suddenly vanished. I felt an incredible sense of lightness. I walked out of the villa, just wanting to breathe in the night air. A familiar roar sounded not far away. “Asher, you motherf***er, you ditched me again!” “You take Maya out on a date and leave me alone to face her? Are you even human?” “I’m so done… why did she even come back? Doesn’t she know how awkward she makes everyone feel?” Leo hung up the phone with a violent gesture. He turned around and ran straight into my gaze. His furious expression shifted instantly into something unreadable. As we stood there in a deadlock, a car began speeding toward the curb. Leo was standing right on the edge of the road, oblivious. Years of habit kicked in. I stepped forward instinctively and yanked him back. The car honked twice and sped past. I exhaled, feeling no desire to speak to him. I let go of his arm and turned to walk away. Leo hesitated for two seconds, then followed me. “Uh, Claire… thanks…” I nodded slightly but didn’t say a word. Leo stammered for a while, then suddenly grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry…” he blurted out, sounding defeated. “I shouldn’t have said those things about wanting you gone. You know how I am. I say things I don’t mean. I never actually wanted you to leave…” I tilted my head, looking at the boy whose face still held a trace of childhood innocence. “I know.” “So… are we good?” Leo was still being awkward, his ears turning red. I pulled my wrist away. I didn’t answer his question. Instead, I said: “Can you let go? Holding my hand like this makes me uncomfortable.” Leo froze and let go. His shocked expression was tinged with a hint of hurt. Ever since we were kids, that was how he had always held my hand. I didn’t know when it happened, but I was no longer comfortable with his proximity. 07 Just as I was about to leave, a convertible Aston Martin pulled up in front of us. Maya was in the passenger seat, her eyes darting between me and Leo. She spoke to Leo. “Leo, how old are you? Still following us around?” “Get in.” “This is the last time, though.” “Next time, we’re really leaving you behind.” Leo didn’t move. He frowned. “Maya, wipe your mouth first.” Following his gaze, I noticed the smudged lipstick on Maya’s lips. Asher, sitting beside her, had a faint trace on the corner of his mouth as well. Maya’s ears turned red. She looked into the rearview mirror, reapplying her lipstick while complaining: “I told you not to kiss me so hard.” “How embarrassing.” I looked at Asher and unexpectedly caught his eye. The next second, he looked away. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, asking Leo impatiently: “Are you coming or not?” Leo didn’t snap back like he usually did. He grabbed my hand again and said in a low voice: “You guys go ahead.” “I don’t want to intrude. I’m going home with Claire.” Before I could react, he was already leading me away. Maya suddenly called out to me. “Wait, Claire. Asher has something to tell you.” She poked Asher’s shoulder affectionately, a bright smile on her face. “Now that she’s out of the hospital.” “You can say it.” I looked at Asher quietly, waiting for him to bring up the breakup. The man kept his eyes lowered. It was a long time before he spoke. “How is your physical therapy going?” Maya’s smile froze on her lips. I paused. “It’s going well.” Asher gave a short nod, shifted into gear, and drove away. He still hadn’t mentioned it. Inappropriately, I remembered a nurse telling me during my hospital stay that a very tall, handsome man had come to watch me sleep twice. Belatedly, I realized it must have been Asher. 08 Asher kept delaying it. But at dinner the next night, Mrs. Sterling brought it up. Asher was sitting next to Maya. He looked up sharply, clearly caught off guard. Mrs. Sterling looked at me persuasively. “This marriage was always meant for Maya.” “Be a good girl and give it back to her. I’ll find someone else for you.” I picked up a piece of greens and put it in my bowl. “Okay, Mom. Whatever you want.” My indifference caught everyone at the table by surprise. It was as if they hadn’t expected me to agree so easily. Mrs. Sterling’s expression softened. She smiled. “You’ve become so much more sensible since you got back.” I lowered my head and ate, saying nothing more. I had simply realized my place. I no longer viewed them as family. I saw myself as an outsider who owed them for my upbringing, and I had placed myself accordingly. I had no reason to be resentful. After dinner, I passed Maya’s room with a glass of water. The door was ajar. She was hugging Mrs. Sterling’s waist, acting spoiled. “Mom, you can’t find a good match for Claire.” “She’s lived a charmed life for twenty-one years on my behalf. She needs to suffer a little.” “She owes me this.” Mrs. Sterling’s hand, stroking the back of Maya’s head, faltered. “Claire is an orphan. She was abandoned at the hospital. It was the nurse’s mistake that you were switched.” “She’s innocent, too…” Maya looked up from her lap. “So I deserve to have suffered all those years?” “I’m not asking her to pay back every cent this family spent on her for twenty years. I’m not even kicking her out.” “I just want her to face a little hardship, to balance the scales. Are you really going to protect her over me?” Her voice broke into a sob at the end. Maya pushed her away and buried her face in the bed, crying harder. Mrs. Sterling rushed to comfort her. “Okay, okay. I promise.” “Mr. Vance’s son is the biggest playboy in the city. I’ll set him up with Claire, okay?” “Don’t cry, sweetheart.” I looked away and didn’t listen to the rest. I went downstairs and put my glass on the counter. The ice had mostly melted. I looked at my hand. My palm was pale and numb from holding the cold glass for too long. I only just noticed.

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During the year of our purest hatred, our families had a joint dinner. My childhood frenemy sneaked into the kitchen behind everyone’s back and cooked a pot of wild mushroom soup, purely to poison me so I’d lose my voice. But my mom enthusiastically served him a bowl too, and we both ended up in the ICU. The exact second we regained our strength, we went into combat mode. The hospital room door pushed open, and a cute little cupcake of a girl wearing a princess dress walked in. “Daddy, why are you calling Mommy a pig?” “Mommy, why did you tell Daddy to go die?” “What does ‘may your future son be born without an asshole’ mean? I’m a girl.” 1 The very first second I opened my eyes, I turned my head to look at Mason, who was waking up at the exact same time. “Idiot. How did that not kill you?” Mason hadn’t even fully opened his eyes before he instinctively snapped back. “If you’re so smart, how come you drank as much as a pig and can still talk?” My chest heaved violently with anger. I stared at the IV drip ticking away beside me. “This is attempted murder! Mason, you son of a bitch, you intentionally tried to kill me! I curse your future son to be born without an asshole!” Mason’s face went pale. He let out a weak cough. “Tyler gave me those mushrooms. He said they’d just mess up your vocal cords for a while. You’re so loud every day, you give me a migraine.” “It’s not like it wouldn’t heal. Damn Tyler, this mushroom soup is completely useless. How can you still yell at me?” “You drank it yourself! What are you barking at?” Seeing his genuinely regretful expression, I forced my arm out to grab the vase next to me, fully intending to smash this moron to death. The moment the vase shattered, the door opened. We both looked toward the door simultaneously. A little girl with her hair in space buns timidly poked her head into the room. “Mommy…” The second our eyes met, the little girl’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears. I sat up, feeling weak, and gave a dry chuckle. “Hey kiddo, you got the wrong room.” Mason gloated. “Riley, you had a kid this big at 18?” I glared at him. What kind of garbage is he spewing in front of a kid? But the little girl didn’t leave. Instead, she walked all the way in. She was wearing a fluffy pink and white tutu, her eyes blurry with tears. “Daddy, why are you calling Mommy a pig?” “Mommy, why did you tell Daddy to go die?” “What does ‘may your future son be born without an asshole’ mean? I’m a girl.” I calmly turned my head to look at Mason. “Where did you hire this child actor? This prank is actually kind of creative.” Mason’s pranks usually consisted of putting disgusting things in my bed, my shoes, or my clothes. Plus, this idiot always couldn’t help but stare when he pulled a prank, so it was always obvious it was him. I really didn’t expect a prank this advanced could come out of his pig-brain. Mason looked completely bewildered. “Little brat, what are you babbling about? Who’s your daddy? I’m only 18, I’m still a pure, innocent virgin boy…” Before he could finish, the little girl burst into loud sobs, opening her arms and throwing herself into my embrace. “Daddy is so mean…” I was completely numb. I instinctively raised my arms to hold her. Her crying was so loud that someone rushed into the room in a panic. “Mom…” I called out dryly, awkwardly trying to push the crying child in my arms away. “Whose kid is this running around?” My mom had clearly marched in ready to breathe fire, but hearing my words, she froze completely. “That’s your kid!” Before I could even open my mouth, Mason let out a screech that sounded like a dying donkey. “Mrs. Miller, you must be mistaken! This kid looks at least three or four. What kind of monster would do something like that to Riley at our age?!” 2 The air went dead silent. My mom slowly turned her head. “What did you just call me?” Mason swallowed hard. “M-Mrs. Miller… you’re scaring me a little right now.” My mom looked at me in horror, then looked at Mason. Her resulting scream nearly blew the roof off the hospital. After a chaotic flurry of doctors and nurses, the attending physician pushed his glasses up his nose. “It’s possible that the toxins in the mushrooms did affect some neural pathways. These two… currently believe they are still 18.” After hearing the whole explanation, my face was full of disbelief. “So you’re saying, not only have I already graduated from college, but I’m married and have a kid this big?” Mason shook his head like a rattle drum. “Don’t believe it.” My mom stayed silent for two seconds. She pulled up the security camera footage on her phone and shoved it into my hands. Mason ripped out his IV tube and crawled onto my hospital bed to watch the footage with me. In the video, I was in the kitchen wearing a pink apron, cooking something. Mason had the little girl in one arm and wrapped his other arm around my waist. “Babe, it’s our five-year anniversary, we should just go out to eat. Why do you insist on cooking yourself?” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him on the lips. “I just wanted to be a good, traditional wife for once.” He affectionately patted my butt. I leaned into his chest all lovey-dovey, and the little girl hugged my head, giggling. I picked up a spoon and brought it to Mason’s mouth. “Hubby, try this. Is it too salty?” Mason very obligingly took a big gulp, then leaned in to kiss me. “Wifey, this is your first time making wild mushroom stew and it’s this good. I’m so lucky…” Then, his arm went slack, and the little girl thudded onto the floor. As Mason and I were kissing, we both tipped backward and fell straight down like chopped trees. Our little cupcake landed on her butt. She was just about to cry when she realized her dad’s massive body was falling toward her, so she quickly scrambled out of the way, sticking her butt in the air. Mason’s head smacked solidly against the floor. The toddler cried and called for Mommy and Daddy, but got no response. She stood up, trotted to the living room, and pulled out her little Gizmo Watch. “Grandma, waaaah, Mommy and Daddy kissed each other to death, waaaah…” The security footage abruptly ended. The entire hospital room plunged into a deathly silence. I looked at Mason, whose arm was still half-wrapped around my waist on the bed. I screamed and kicked him off the bed. Mason’s head had already taken a hard hit in the video, and now he hit the floor again. He lay there for a long time without getting up. I looked like I’d seen a ghost, pointing a trembling finger at the security footage. “Mom, you’re messing with me, right? That’s an AI deepfake!” Our little cupcake was terrified by my screaming. She hugged my arm and cried non-stop. “Mommy, you can’t hit Daddy, waaaah.” My mom gritted her teeth and glared at me. “Stop scaring the child!” Honestly, that was the most terrifying horror movie I’d seen all year. How could I possibly be married to Mason?! Mason and I grew up together, but you couldn’t call us childhood sweethearts. Everyone called us the Twin Terrors of the neighborhood. We fought from the time we were toddlers. I replaced the lemonade his mom made him with hot sauce water; he cut off my hair to make a hacky sack. At 18, the year of our purest hatred, I stuffed a dead mouse in Mason’s bed, and he put cockroaches in my shoes. During a joint family dinner, he secretly sneaked into the kitchen and made poisonous mushroom soup just to ruin my vocal cords. I only found out the damn soup was made by Mason after I collapsed on the floor. But he didn’t expect my mom to drink the soup too. So Mason snatched my mom’s bowl and downed it in one gulp. That’s how we both ended up in the ICU. But when we open our eyes, we’re actually married? And we have a four-year-old daughter! Mason clearly didn’t believe it either. He scrambled up from the floor. “How could I ever marry Riley? I’d rather eat dirt!” I slapped him across the face. “You were just kissing me in that video! If you ate dirt, wouldn’t there be dirt in my mouth too?!” My mom looked like her head was about to explode. My daughter’s soft, timid voice was thick with tears. “Daddy, Mommy, what’s wrong? Are you going to get a divorce?” Mason and I froze simultaneously. Even though I had no memory of this child’s existence, seeing her nose red from crying made my heart ache. Mason’s heart ached even more than mine. His head was wrapped in bandages, but he stepped forward and scooped the child into his arms, gently patting her back. “Don’t cry, sweetie. Daddy and Mommy are just playing around.” Me: … He got into character really fast. 3 Lily was terrified all day, and finally cried herself to sleep in Mason’s arms. Once the hospital room quieted down, my mom frowned and asked me. “What are you two going to do?” I sighed. I felt like I was going crazy. “Divorce.” There was no way I could live in the same house as Mason. We’d tear the place apart! Before my mom could even speak, Mason panicked. He immediately rejected the idea. “No way!” His voice spiked sharply. Lily let out a sleepy hiccup in his arms, and he quickly lowered his voice. “Riley, you have to take responsibility for your actions! You have to take responsibility for me and our daughter!” My eyes widened. This bastard! Did he even hear what he was saying?! My mom didn’t agree either. “Riley, you and Mason were definitely a handful when you were younger, but you were very much in love after you got married. The doctor also said that once your bodies metabolize the mushroom toxins, you might get your memories back.” Mason, holding the child like a wronged little wife, nodded emphatically. “Exactly. What if we get our memories back? Wouldn’t we just have to get remarried?” I gritted my teeth and glared at him. “You just want to sleep with me, don’t you, you bastard?!” Mason’s face instantly turned beet red, and my mom smacked me on the back of the head. “You brat, your mother is standing right here!” I rubbed my head, puffing my cheeks out as I glared at Mason. He looked down at Lily in his arms. “The child is innocent. Even if it’s just for her sake, let’s just pretend for a while, Riley.” My knuckles cracked as I clenched my fists. Don’t think I didn’t see the smirk this deadbeat couldn’t hide. He didn’t want a divorce; he was definitely plotting something! But my mom said she had already hidden our marriage certificate and our IDs. “You two have been so nauseatingly in love for five years, it makes people sick. I’m afraid you’ll regret it if you divorce now.” She turned to Mason. “You two just need to adapt for a bit and see if you can get your memories back soon. If you really can’t live together anymore, at least don’t fight in front of the kid.” I took a deep breath. My mom turned and vanished before I could argue. When Mason and I were discharged and went home, I opened my phone. Seeing that Mason and I had matching couples’ profile pictures made me physically nauseous. Our entire chat history was voice messages. I clicked on a random one. From the screen, Mason’s voice let out a disgusting, cutesy pig snort. “Wifey, wifey, I’m getting off work soon! Do you want me to bring my little baby something to eat~” I almost threw my phone across the room. Mason’s face was red all the way to the tips of his ears. “Why are you only clicking on my messages? Yours are probably way more disgusting!” I stiffened my neck. “Impossible! I’m an iron-willed woman…” He reached out and tapped on my reply. “Hubby, mwah! Little baby says she wants to eat durian, but I want to eat my hubby…” Mason covered Lily’s ears, looking at me in absolute horror. I shoved my phone into my purse, practically grinding my teeth to dust. I’m throwing this phone in the washing machine the second I get home! I’ll wash it eight hundred times!!!!! It’s contaminated! 4 I followed the address my mom gave me and arrived at Mason and my house. Our daughter held my hand on the left and Mason’s hand on the right. It was a beautiful suburban house. From the flowers on the fence and the green lawn in the yard, you could tell it was a very happy home. When I opened the door, I was almost blinded. Who can tell me! Why is there a massive! MASSIVE! MASSIVE wedding photo hanging right facing the front door?! Personally, I thought it completely clashed with the entire aesthetic of the house. Mason frowned too. “Who came up with such a garbage design?” I shot him a look of disgust. “Definitely you.” Lily gently swung our hands. “It was Mommy’s idea, and Daddy hung it up the very next day! Daddy even said Mommy is the smartest baby…” Mason and I both fell silent. If the other person had done something this tacky, we would have ruthlessly mocked them. But it was a joint effort. It was truly an unprecedented masterpiece of bad taste! Lily skipped off to get the photo albums. She had already called Grandma, and Grandma said looking at photos together might help Mommy and Daddy get their memories back. I watched the little girl run off. “I’m making this clear right now. Don’t come into my room tonight.” Mason clicked his tongue. “That’s my room too!” “Besides, if we sleep in separate rooms, the kid is definitely gonna think we’re getting a divorce. We can’t.” My eyes went wide. “You really do want to sleep with me!” Mason’s face flushed red again, and he gritted his teeth. “Riley! Can you watch what you say? What if the kid hears you?” “We can sleep in the same room, but separate beds. You sleep on the floor.” I raised my foot to kick him. “Are you even a man? Why aren’t you volunteering to sleep on the floor?” Mason didn’t back down an inch. “You were just talking about gender equality the day before yesterday! And look at my neck, look what you did to it! Are you even a woman?” I gritted my teeth. “Then let’s fight! Winner gets the bed!” Mason looked utterly dismissive. “If our daughter wasn’t here today, I would’ve pinned you to the ground a long time ago! You actually think you can take me in a fight?” Actions speak louder than words! The two of us immediately started brawling like two aggressive roosters. I threw a left hook, Mason countered with a judo throw, and we both tumbled onto the couch. I brought my knee up hard, and Mason sucked in a sharp breath of cold air. He curled up on the couch, shivering in pain, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, his teeth chattering. I jumped in fright. I had been straddling him, fully intending to slap his face silly, but now I was completely paralyzed. “Mason, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!” He forced a sentence out between his teeth. “Riley, you’re trying to murder your own husband… We’re really only ever gonna have Lily as our only child…” I instantly realized what I had just kneed, drawing in a sharp breath. “No way, really? Is it really that fragile?” Mason ignored me, which made me panic even more. I reached out my hand toward his crotch. “Mason, stop scaring me, let’s go to the hospital!” Mason’s voice was hoarse. He swatted my hand away. “And say what? Say we got into a fight and you kicked my balls into pieces?” My face instantly exploded into a fiery red. “Can you watch what you say? That sounds horrible!” “Is what you did any less horrible?” His forehead was covered in cold sweat. After a long silence, I sniffled. “So what do we do?” He struggled to grab his phone from nearby. “Take a look for me. Is it bleeding? Is it broken?” I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. “Are you insane?! You want me to look there?” Mason looked utterly defeated by life. “Then just let me die. Let me die of the pain.” I gritted my teeth. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” Mason didn’t even have the strength to sit up. He tossed the phone to the side. “You vicious woman. You will be the sinner of our family line.” I really couldn’t stand his whining, so I got up, grabbed the phone, and turned on the flashlight. Fine, whatever. Even though I currently only had the memories of an 18-year-old, Mason and I had genuinely created a child together. I’ve probably seen everything there is to see anyway. I took the phone and slowly knelt down. I knelt between his legs. Gently pulling down his underwear… The door was suddenly pushed open. My mom’s voice carried a hint of panic. “You guys stopped fighting, did one of you kill the other?” The air went completely dead. I stiffly turned my head. Mason and my position was, frankly, far from elegant. He lay weakly on the bed with his legs spread, and I was kneeling between them with a flashlight, my entire head hovering over his… I let out a shriek and frantically grabbed the nearby blanket to cover Mason’s body. My mom really was a woman who had seen the world. She was silent for three seconds, then silently turned and left. As she left, I distinctly heard her muttering, “Youth is so uninhibited. I thought you two wanted to kill each other, but it turns out…” Mason’s voice carried a hint of a laugh. Between grimacing in pain and laughing, he was practically convulsing. “Our image in your mom’s eyes is completely destroyed.” “Shut up!” I kicked his shin hard. In the end, seeing that I was genuinely furious, Mason went to make a bed on the floor. 5 Early the next morning, my mom knocked on our bedroom door. “You guys promised Lily you’d take her to the amusement park this Tuesday. The kid has been looking forward to it since last night. As parents, you can’t break a promise.” I sighed. “Being a mom is so hard. Can I just stuff her back in?” Mason, who was getting dressed, glared at me fiercely. “Don’t say things like that in front of the kid!” He really was a good dad. I couldn’t understand Mason’s enthusiasm at all. In the past, Mason’s morning crankiness was terrifying. You could even say that aside from me, no one dared to wake him up. And it wasn’t that he wouldn’t get mad if I woke him up; it was just that I was the only one who could fight him to a draw. Mason frowned at my outfit. “We’re going to an amusement park today, not walking the red carpet. Why are you wearing heels?” I glared at him. “Mind your own business!” The truth was, the 18-year-old Riley never had the chance to wear high heels. Seeing a whole closet full of them, I was itching to try, so I picked the prettiest pair. Our daughter held my hand in one hand and Mason’s in the other. “Did Daddy and Mommy sleep well last night?” Thinking of the chaotic events of last night, I turned to look at Mason. “Are your balls okay?” Mason raised a hand to cover my mouth. “Can you please watch what you say in front of our daughter?!” But he was overthinking it, because our daughter didn’t understand at all. “Daddy, what balls?” Mason took a deep breath. “Kinder Joy surprise eggs! Daddy will buy you one later!” I couldn’t hold it in anymore and stood to the side, laughing until tears came to my eyes. I hadn’t been to an amusement park since elementary school. Our daughter pointed at the rollercoaster, screaming in excitement. “Daddy, Mommy, I want to ride that!” I snapped my head around to look at Mason, and sure enough, the man’s face had gone ghostly pale. If there was one thing I knew Mason was terrified of in his first eighteen years, it was heights. When we were kids, Mason’s mom was away for a while, so he came to play at my grandparents’ house with me. My older cousin suggested we play hide-and-seek. I was the seeker, and he took Mason to hide. But I searched until noon and couldn’t find them. My mom called me in for lunch, and my cousin skipped in happily. It wasn’t until it was almost dark that I suddenly remembered Mason was missing. My cousin’s eyes widened in horror. “I put him up in the branches of a tree!” My cousin, the genius, in order to win the game, had hung Mason up in a tree while he sat in another one. And then he just forgot about him. By the time we got Mason down, his legs were shaking for over an hour. With a hint of sadistic glee, I kept my mouth shut. Lily didn’t notice her dad was about to pass out from fear. “Mommy, let’s go ride that, okay?” I smiled brightly. “Okay!” “Daddy, can we?” She turned to look at Mason. I thought Mason wouldn’t agree, that he’d make an excuse about not feeling well, or just tell our daughter straight up that he was scared of heights. But to my surprise, after a long pause, I heard Mason’s voice sounding like a martyr heading to the execution grounds: “Okay!” My heart gave a sharp jolt, and I looked at him in surprise. I had never seen this self-sacrificing side of Mason before. We paid the entrance fee and slowly moved forward with the crowd. The closer we got, the more violently Mason’s legs shook. I was holding back my laughter so hard I thought I might rupture an organ. Finally, right before it was our turn, I suddenly clutched my stomach. “Baby, Mommy’s tummy hurts a little. Can we ride this another day? Let’s go ride the Ferris wheel.” I pointed to the Ferris wheel not too far away. Our daughter had glanced at it several times while we were in line. Sure enough, little kids don’t overthink things. She nodded excitedly immediately. “Okay! Mommy, go to the bathroom first.” Mason turned his head, looked at me deeply, and mouthed two words silently. “My hero!” The corner of my mouth twitched. This idiot deserved to be single, calling his own wife “my hero.” I should have just made him get on the ride. 6 Little kids just have too much energy. Our old, twenty-something bodies simply couldn’t handle the wear and tear. Especially since I was wearing 4-inch stilettos. To avoid being a buzzkill mom, I gritted my teeth and pushed through. When I came out of the restroom, I saw Mason holding our daughter, sitting quietly on a bench waiting. Lily was holding a giant Kinder Joy egg. I found it a bit funny. He actually kept his promise. The next second, he stood up, walked toward me, and shoved a giant… pair of plush slippers into my hands? I threw them away. “Are you crazy?! Giving me plush slippers in this heat?” Mason gave me a sideways glance. “What plush slippers? They’re cartoon slippers. Donald Duck. What kind of amusement park sells regular slippers? It’s merchandise!” “I am not wearing those!” He forcefully pushed me down onto the bench. “Stubborn! Fine, suffer the pain! You’re an idiot!” He helped me put the slipper on my left foot, and I kicked it off with my right. He put it on my right foot, and I kicked it off with my left. “Who wears such stupid slippers to an amusement park?!” A soft touch came from my other foot, and I looked down. I saw our daughter mimicking her dad, kneeling on one knee, helping me put on the other slipper. Father and daughter, each holding one of my feet. Lily tilted her head, her eyes sparkling. “Mommy, Daddy and I are helping you put them on together, so it’s not stupid!” Mason froze. Our daughter stood up. “I want to wear slippers like Mommy’s too! If our whole family wears them, it won’t be stupid! It’ll be so cute!” A warm feeling flowed through my heart, and I resignedly slipped my feet in. “You don’t need to…” But before I could finish my sentence, I saw Mason had already taken Lily’s hand and was walking back toward the gift shop. “Mason, don’t we look really stupid doing this?” The three of us walked along in giant plush slippers, receiving stares from a crowd of people. My cheeks felt hot, but I didn’t feel ashamed. Mason shrugged casually. “So what? They’re probably jealous.” “Jealous of what?” I looked at him sideways. “You have such a handsome husband and such a cute daughter. Who wouldn’t be jealous?” The corner of my mouth twitched. Narcissist.

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