Category: English

My husband’s untouchable first love and I went into labor on the exact same day, but I was the one barred from the delivery room. Even after she had safely delivered her baby, the doors remained locked to me. Henry stared down at me, his face a mask of terrifying indifference. He looked at me not as a husband looks at his wife, but as a stranger evaluating a piece of property. “The spiritual advisor was very clear, Madeline,” he said, his voice maddeningly calm. “A child born exactly at the stroke of dawn possesses the grounded, stoic energy required to serve. You just need to wait three more hours. It will go by fast.” As he spoke, his fingers dug into my upper arms, pinning me against his chest like a vice. My water had already broken. The sterile hospital floor was slick with it. Yet, he didn’t even flinch. My eyes burned with unshed tears; my hands shook violently from the sheer agony radiating through my pelvis. “Henry! Have you lost your damn mind?!” I screamed, my voice tearing at the edges. “The baby is coming now! It can’t wait! We are going to die!” The pressure was unbearable. The doctor had already seen crowning—the top of my baby’s fragile head pressing against the threshold of the world. But Henry simply signaled his private security. They hoisted me onto a gurney. At his nod, the concierge physician he had on payroll took a pair of cold, heavy surgical forceps and brutally, unthinkingly, forced the progression to a halt. It was the act of a savage. “The advisor said Vanessa’s baby was born with a fragile constitution. He will need a lifelong companion, someone bound to him to carry his burdens,” Henry explained, his tone conversational, as if discussing private school tuitions. “Since we can’t trust outsiders, our child will just have to take on that role. But he won’t have the inherent loyalty unless he’s born exactly at dawn.” A chilling realization washed over the white-hot pain. From the very moment I told him I was pregnant, he had been calculating this. He had been calculating how to turn my child into a lifelong servant for the woman he never truly got over. As the first tear finally broke free and tracked through the sweat on my cheek, the remaining love I held for this man shattered into a million irreparable pieces. … 1 My spine was pressed flat against the freezing metallic surface of the hospital bed. My wrists were bound to the bedrails with thick, coarse restraints, digging deep into my skin. The room was stripped of all dignity, echoing only with my guttural, animalistic wails. “Henry! Please, God, I am begging you!” I thrashed wildly against the straps. “The baby didn’t do anything wrong! Please let it come!” The rough material of the restraints had already chewed through my skin, leaving raw, bloody rings around my wrists. Dr. Gallagher, the highly-paid private obstetrician standing by the monitor, finally cracked. He swallowed hard, his brow furrowed in ethical agony. “Mr. Scott… Henry,” the doctor stammered. “A child’s temperament is dictated by genetics and environment, not the hour of their birth. Mrs. Scott is hemorrhaging. If we delay this any longer, she is going to die…” A sharp, echoing crack cut him off. Henry had backhanded the doctor across the face. Henry smiled, but it was a dark, venomous thing. “Since when do I pay you to give me unsolicited opinions?” The silence that followed was deafening. The nurses, who moments before had been whispering in horrified sympathy, snapped their mouths shut. They lowered their eyes to the floor. They didn’t even dare to administer an epidural or a drop of morphine, terrified that a single misstep would cost them their careers—or worse. My cervix was dilating to its absolute limit. My hands curled into tight, trembling fists as the pain ripped through my core. The baby was fighting, pushing desperately against the artificial barrier, tearing my insides in its fight for life. “Henry… please,” I gasped, the world spinning in and out of focus. “Eight years. We’ve been together for eight years. For the love of God, spare me and the baby. Please.” He hadn’t always been this monster. When I first showed him the positive pregnancy test, he had wept. He spent entire nights wide awake, devouring medical journals and parenting books so he could anticipate my every need. He, a man who had never turned on a stove in his life, learned to cook exquisite, nutrient-dense meals from scratch. He memorized my dietary restrictions. Before the sun even rose, he would be in the kitchen, prepping my meals for the day. But then Vanessa got her divorce. She moved back from Paris, and everything changed. His eyes, which used to trace the contours of my face with absolute devotion, began to drift. He stopped sitting by my side, instead splitting his time, rushing across the city at all hours. “Vanessa is pregnant and alone. She’s delicate right now. I can’t just leave her,” he had reasoned, his voice laced with a manipulative gentleness. “You’re a mother-to-be too, Maddie. You of all people should understand.” And with that sickeningly perfect justification, he left me alone. I went to my ultrasounds alone. I lay on the bathroom floor, crippled by morning sickness, alone. When I called him, sobbing from the isolation, his response was a tired sigh. “Just push through it, Madeline. Every pregnant woman deals with this. You’re not the first.” As the memory faded, the sheer stupidity of my own hope choked me. I had genuinely believed that once our baby was born, things would magically reset. I thought he would look at our child, let go of the ghost of Vanessa, and finally come home to us. “Ahhh!” The cold metal instruments dug deeper into me, an unnatural violation that made my heart stutter and practically stop. “See? The advisor was right. The child is unruly, undisciplined. It keeps trying to push its way out early,” Henry murmured. He reached out, his cool fingers brushing the sweat-soaked hair from my forehead in a grotesque pantomime of affection. “Just one more hour, sweetheart. Be a good girl.” My vision blurred. I managed to tilt my chin down, looking at the soaking sheets between my legs. It was crimson. “Henry! I’m bleeding!” Panic, primal and consuming, overtook the pain. “If you don’t let me push, the baby is going to suffocate!” Adrenaline flooded my veins. Ignoring the agonizing burn, I wrenched my arms violently against the restraints. I pulled and twisted until the skin tore away, exposing the white gleam of bone beneath my mangled wrists. With a sickening pop, the strap gave way. I lunged, my bloody fingers latching onto the collar of his tailored shirt. “Please!” My voice was nothing but a broken sob. “This is our baby! How can you stand there and torture it like this?!” A flicker of something—doubt, perhaps, or a delayed spark of humanity—crossed Henry’s face. He frowned. Dr. Gallagher seized the momentary hesitation. “Henry, we can still save them. If we do an emergency C-section right this second, we can save both your wife and the child!” I stared into Henry’s eyes, my tears dripping onto his expensive cuffs. “Please…” He let out a heavy breath. He opened his mouth to speak. Then, the heavy oak door of the VIP suite swung open. It was Vanessa. The moment Henry saw her, he peeled my bloody fingers off his shirt and rushed to her side. “What are you doing out of bed?” he chided softly. “You just delivered. You need to be resting.” Vanessa’s gaze drifted over his shoulder, landing on my pathetic, bleeding form. The corner of her mouth twitched upward into a faint, unmistakably triumphant smile. “I heard Madeline was being difficult. I thought I’d come talk some sense into her,” she said, her voice dripping with practiced sweetness. She leaned against him. “It’s fine, Harry. My husband abandoned me. What does it matter if my child doesn’t have a perfectly matched companion?” Henry wrapped his arms protectively around her waist, his eyes fierce with misplaced devotion. “As long as I’m breathing, you and your baby will have everything you need.” He slowly turned his head. The softness vanished, replaced by the eyes of an executioner looking down at a corpse. “No one touches her,” he ordered the room. “No surgery without my explicit command.” 2 In that singular moment, the blood in my veins turned to ice. I wanted to launch myself across the room. I wanted to grab him by the throat and scream until my lungs gave out. But my body had nothing left. I tried to stand, but the catastrophic blood loss caught up to me. My legs buckled, and I crashed to the floor, taking a heavy glass vase down with me. It shattered beneath my weight. Thick shards of glass sliced deeply into my arms and legs, painting the pristine floor with fresh, terrifying streaks of red. For a fraction of a second, Henry panicked. Instinct drove him forward; he reached out to catch me. “Madeline, what the hell are you doing?!” he yelled, turning his face away from the gruesome sight of my bleeding limbs. I didn’t care about the glass. I didn’t care about the pain. I crawled toward him, leaving a smear of blood in my wake. “I won’t cause trouble!” I begged, my dignity entirely discarded, traded for the microscopic hope of my baby’s survival. “Just let me have the baby! I’ll do whatever you want! I’ll be Vanessa’s nanny! I’ll be her maid! Just let my baby live!” In my peripheral vision, I saw Vanessa’s smile widen. She had won. She was the absolute victor, looking down from her pedestal. She took a slow, deliberate step toward me, playing the role of the benevolent queen. “Harry, look at her. She’s so pathetic. Maybe we should just let it go. I mean, she was already so jealous when you took care of me during my pregnancy. I don’t have the right to ask this of you.” As she spoke, she knelt down and placed her perfectly manicured hand over mine. And then, hidden from Henry’s view, she dug her nails directly into my open, glass-filled wound. “Get off me!” I gasped, yanking my hand away. I was so weak I could barely lift my own arm. But Vanessa threw her upper body backward with theatrical force, letting the back of her head knock against the edge of the mahogany side table. “Vanessa!” A thin line of blood trickled down her forehead. Her lips trembled perfectly. Henry whipped his head toward me, the rage in his eyes so intense it felt like a physical blow. “Madeline! Are you insane?!” he roared. “Security! Get in here! Bind her hands again!” His chest heaved. “And if she breaks out again, drag her outside and leave her for the coyotes!” Before the echo of his voice faded, his private security detail swarmed the room. They pinned me down, their heavy boots and knees carelessly grinding into my lacerated flesh. This time, they didn’t use nylon restraints. They used heavy, metallic zip-ties. And just to ensure I couldn’t move an inch, they secured a thick strap across my collarbone, pinning my throat to the mattress. If I struggled, I would suffocate myself. One of the younger nurses covered her mouth, tears spilling over her cheeks. “Is this really necessary? She’s pregnant…” Dr. Gallagher clamped a hand over her mouth, his eyes wide with warning. “Shut up!” he hissed under his breath. “Do you not see Vanessa standing right there? Madeline might wear his ring, but Vanessa is the one who holds the power.” The nurse shook her head, her eyes fixed on me with a devastating, helpless pity. She was right. It took me eight years of unwavering loyalty to get a ring on my finger. But Vanessa had been back for barely eight months, and she had effortlessly claimed the throne. She didn’t have to beg. She didn’t have to compromise. Everything she wanted, Henry laid at her feet like an offering. I stopped fighting. The fight had drained out of me, pooling with my blood on the floor. I stared blankly at the sterile acoustic tiles on the ceiling. My hospital gown was soaked through, the blood beginning to oxidize into a stiff, rusty brown. From across the room, the hushed, intimate sounds of Henry and Vanessa murmuring to each other floated over to me. They were discussing baby names. They were discussing the future. I lay there, an empty, bleeding husk. My eyelids grew incredibly heavy. A quiet, dark gravity pulled at them until they fluttered shut, locking away the horrors of the room. “Doctor!” a voice suddenly shrieked. “She’s losing consciousness!” Dr. Gallagher sprinted to the bedside, prying my eyelids open with his thumbs. “Get the crash cart! Intubate her! She’s going into hypovolemic shock!” The three hours were finally up. My body had simply surrendered. I slipped into the dark. … When I opened my eyes again, the room was blindingly white and utterly silent. I was alone. Ignoring the searing, tearing agony in my lower abdomen, I ripped the IV from my hand and stumbled blindly out into the corridor. “Where is it?!” I grabbed the first set of scrubs I saw. “Where is my baby?!” A seasoned floor nurse looked at me, her eyes immediately welling up. She gently pried my hands off her shoulders. “Oh, honey. You need to go back to bed.” My eyes were bloodshot, feral. “What do you mean? Tell me where my baby is!” She looked around the empty hallway, her voice dropping to a devastated whisper. “To harvest the stem cells from the placenta without contamination… the procedure they forced… the baby, sweetheart… the baby didn’t make it.” 3 A crushing, monolithic despair slammed into my chest. It was as if someone had severed my spine. My knees gave out, and I collapsed onto the linoleum. The freshly placed sutures between my legs tore open instantly, a hot, wet rush of blood soaking through my clean gown. “No… No, that’s impossible.” “Where is he?! Where is Henry?!” I screamed, my voice cracking into a hoarse, guttural sound. I slammed my fists into the floor, not feeling the bruised bones, feeling nothing but a void where my soul used to be. “Enough!” Henry’s sharp voice cut through the corridor. He strode toward me, his face tight with annoyance, and hauled me up off the ground by my arm. I grabbed the lapels of his jacket, shaking him with whatever phantom strength I had left. “Where is my baby?! What did you do?!” For a fraction of a second, he looked away. A heavy silence hung between us. “Madeline, calm down,” a sickeningly sweet voice chimed in. Vanessa stepped out from behind him, holding a steaming porcelain thermos. “You just went through a traumatic labor. Have some of this broth. It will help with the recovery.” I stared at her, the smug satisfaction radiating from her pores. The white-hot fury that had been suppressed for months finally detonated. I swiped my arm out, violently knocking the thermos from her hands. It shattered, splattering the dark, rich broth across the floor. “Drop the act, Vanessa!” I shrieked. “If it weren’t for you, my child wouldn’t have been tortured to death!” Vanessa didn’t flinch. She simply looked down at the spilled liquid, a cruel, lazy smile stretching across her lips. “What a shame,” she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. “That broth was made from the stem cells extracted from your baby’s placenta. I guess the little thing died for absolutely nothing.” I froze. The world stopped spinning. The ambient hum of the hospital machinery faded into a high-pitched ringing in my ears. Down the hall, two residents walked by, speaking in hushed, disgusted tones. “It’s horrific. If the husband hadn’t demanded the immediate extraction of the placenta while the child was stuck in the birth canal, the baby would have survived.” “Money talks. He’d burn this hospital down if it gave Vanessa an extra year of youth.” He killed our baby. My husband murdered our child. The tears fell freely now, hitting the floor in heavy drops. Something inside my brain snapped. The tether to reality, to sanity, completely broke. I lunged forward, tackling Vanessa to the wall, raising my hand to claw her perfectly symmetrical face. “You bitch!” I screamed, entirely unhinged. “Give me back my child!” Before my nails could make contact, Henry’s hand locked around my wrist like a steel trap. Before I could even blink, his other hand swung through the air, striking my cheek with enough force to snap my head back. “Are you asking for a death wish?!” he snarled, looking at me as if I were a rabid animal that needed to be put down. As if I was the one who had committed the atrocity. All I wanted was to protect the tiny life inside me. Was that a crime? This was the same man who had dragged me to high-end boutiques, agonizing over the softness of organic cotton onesies. The man who spent his Sunday afternoons painting the nursery a soft, calming sage green. The man who used to press his mouth against my swollen belly every night. “Your mom is working so hard to grow you,” he used to whisper to my skin. “You have to love her the most when you come out. You don’t have to love me as much, because Mommy already loves me enough for both of us.” The memory of that beauty made the present reality so unimaginably grotesque. Henry pulled Vanessa into his chest, carefully inspecting her face to make sure I hadn’t scratched her. Meanwhile, I stood there, blood pooling around my feet from my torn sutures, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth from where his ring had cut my lip. He didn’t notice my blood. He only saw her. “Apologize to Vanessa, Madeline.” His voice was lethal. “You tried to strike her. Now, you’re going to hit yourself for every time you tried to hit her.” A dry, hollow sound scraped its way out of my throat. I was laughing. This was the man who once panicked if I got a papercut. Now, he was commanding me to mutilate myself. “Henry!” I spat blood onto the floor. “You two murdered my baby! You are the ones who are going to burn in hell!” He didn’t even blink. He adjusted his cuffs, perfectly composed. “The infant’s remains are in the sub-level morgue,” he said casually. “Keep pushing me, Madeline, and I will personally walk down there and throw it in the incinerator while you watch.” 4 I stared at him, my mind unable to process the sheer depravity of the man standing before me. The man who once swore on his life to protect me was now holding our dead baby hostage. “Maddie, don’t make this difficult.” Henry took a step forward, his hand reaching out to stroke my cheek. I shuddered at his touch. “I don’t want to be cruel. We can always have another baby. There’s no need to make a scene.” “If you just apologize, properly, I’ll give you whatever you want.” The absolute clarity of my worthlessness to him was blinding. I would never eclipse Vanessa. In every single choice he made, I was the acceptable casualty. “If I hit myself, you’ll give my baby’s body back to me?” I whispered, pulling away from his touch. The love in my eyes had burned out completely, leaving only ash and venom. “Yes.” He paused, his eyes shifting slightly. “And…” “And what?” My voice was entirely dead. “The advisor mentioned that since the child passed away, the remaining cord tissue is highly potent for Vanessa’s baby. But…” He cleared his throat. “The infant died in distress. It was clutching the umbilical cord. Rigor mortis has set in. They’ll have to amputate its fingers to retrieve the cord intact.” A primal scream tore from my lungs. I threw myself at him, my fists hammering violently against his chest. “Are you even human?!” I shrieked. “That is your flesh and blood! It’s dead, and you want to butcher it?!” I had read the books. When a fetus senses the mother is in extreme peril, it instinctively grips its umbilical cord. It was terrified. My baby died terrified in the dark. And it died without ever knowing that the monster terrorizing its mother was its own father. Henry grabbed my wrists, shoving me back. “I was going to give it back to you in one piece. But since you want to act like a lunatic, I’ll go have it incinerated right now.” He turned on his heel. Panic overrode everything. I collapsed to my knees, wrapping my arms desperately around his legs. “I’ll do it! I’ll do it!” Tears streamed down my face as I raised my trembling hands and began slapping my own face. Hard. I didn’t hold back. I struck myself over and over, the sharp smacks echoing through the hallway. My cheeks swelled instantly, blooming with dark purple bruises. Vanessa watched, leaning against the wall, shaking her head. “Look at her,” she sighed. “She’s so thick-skinned she can’t even force out the words ‘I’m sorry.’ Slapping isn’t going to get through that thick skin.” She snapped her fingers at a bodyguard. Minutes later, he returned from a hospital supply closet with a high-grade medical adhesive sheet—the kind used for intense surgical bindings, smeared with industrial-strength epoxy. “Since your skin is so thick, let me help you peel a layer off,” Vanessa cooed. She looked at Henry. “Hold her head still.” “No… Please, no!” I clawed at Henry’s suit jacket, searching his eyes for even a shred of the man I married. But Vanessa knew exactly which string to pull. “If she hadn’t been so hysterical, the baby wouldn’t have died, and my little Leo would have had his companion.” That twisted, psychopathic logic. They genuinely believed my child was born owing them a debt. “It’ll be over in a second, sweetie,” Henry murmured, his voice gentle, as if he were comforting a child before a vaccine. “Then you can see the baby.” He clamped his large hands onto the sides of my head, locking my skull in place. I couldn’t move. Vanessa stepped forward. She slammed the adhesive sheet directly onto my face, pressing it hard into my bruised flesh. And without a second’s hesitation, she ripped it backward. “Oh! How does that feel?” she chirped. The agony was indescribable. It felt as though my face had been dipped in acid. The air hit the exposed nerves. The violence of the rip had taken the top layers of my skin, leaving raw, bleeding meat in its wake. Even Henry flinched, his hands dropping from my head. I forced my eyes open, though my eyelashes had been torn away. Blood dripped down my chin. “Where is it?!” I gasped, my voice unrecognizable. Trembling, Henry pointed down the hall toward the elevator bank. As I stumbled past the reflective glass of the nurses’ station, I caught a glimpse of myself. I looked like a flayed corpse. My face was a horrific canvas of mangled tissue. But there was no time to mourn my face. I dragged myself down to the morgue. The attendant was away. I found the tiny, stainless-steel drawer. I pulled it open and gathered that freezing, impossibly small body into my arms. As I turned to the exit, Vanessa blocked the doorway. She held a surgical scalpel in her hand, her eyes gleaming with dark intent. “Did you forget something?” she sneered. “I still need to cut its little fingers off to get my cord tissue.” A low, guttural growl vibrated in my chest. When I bared my teeth to scream, the torn muscles in my face ripped further, fresh blood pouring down my neck. “Get out!” I roared. “This is my baby! If you want to touch it, you’ll have to kill me first!” I curled my body entirely around the tiny corpse, ready to die right there on the frozen tiles. Henry rushed into the room behind her. He stared at me, genuinely bewildered by my reaction. “Maddie, for god’s sake, it’s a dead fetus! Why are you acting like this?!” he yelled. “If you want a baby that badly, I’ll get you pregnant again! We can have three more!” A dead fetus. This was the child I had carried for nine months. The child whose kicks I had mapped. Henry reached for the scalpel in Vanessa’s hand, stepping toward me. “Be reasonable, Maddie. I don’t want to accidentally cut you.” I backed away until my spine hit the large, frosted glass window at the end of the morgue corridor. I looked out at the city skyline. Eight years. Eight years of my life, sacrificed at the altar of this man’s ego. “Henry,” I said, my voice eerily calm through the bleeding tissue of my mouth. “I wish to God I had never met you.” Without another word, I turned, tucked my baby tightly against my chest, and threw myself backward through the glass. As I fell into the open air, Henry’s agonizing scream tore through the night. “Madeline—!”

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Brandon, our office intern, was the resident “Golden Boy.” Everyone in the firm was convinced he was some billionaire’s heir playing at a career. This past April Fool’s Day, he went all out, buying gifts for the entire department out of his own pocket. The team practically worshipped him for it. I didn’t realize the truth until my front door was doused in thick, crimson spray paint and “SCAMMER” was keyed into my car. Brandon hadn’t spent a dime. He had used my phone number to create accounts, exploited a “refund-only” loophole to keep the goods while getting the cash back, and effectively framed me for a massive retail fraud scheme. Overnight, I became the internet’s favorite villain—a “professional fraudster.” When I confronted him, he just tucked himself behind my fiancée, looking like a kicked puppy. “Jordan, I know you’re jealous that everyone likes me more, but you can’t just invent lies to ruin me.” My fiancée, Rachel, didn’t even hesitate. She shielded Brandon and slapped me across the face so hard my ears rang. “Jordan, your greed finally caught up to you. Don’t you dare try to pin your filth on Brandon. You’re pathetic.” My colleagues joined the chorus, filming me with their phones, calling me a moral stain. In the ensuing scuffle, as I tried to grab the evidence, Brandon shoved me. I tumbled backward, shattering the glass of the thirteenth-floor window. As I fell, the last thing I saw was the entire office standing at the ledge, watching. Later, I’d learn they all gave false statements, claiming I jumped because my “guilt” was too much to bear. They used the payout from my corporate life insurance to throw a celebratory dinner. Between bites of steak, they laughed about me. “A cheapskate like Jordan? Honestly, the world is better off without him.” Then, I blinked. The smell of expensive cologne and office coffee hit me. I was back at my desk. It was the morning Brandon announced his grand gesture. … “Since April Fool’s is just around the corner, I wanted to do something special,” Brandon announced, his voice booming with that practiced, easy charisma. “To thank you all for taking care of the ‘new guy,’ I’m footing the bill for a round of holiday gifts for everyone!” The office erupted. People literally stood up to cheer. “Oh my god, Brandon! You’re way too generous!” “A real-life Prince Charming! We’re so lucky to have you.” A moment later, Brandon was at my elbow, looking slightly bashful. “Hey, Jordan? Could you do me a quick favor? Can I send a verification code to your phone?” My heart did a slow, painful roll in my chest. I looked up at him. He was smiling—that shy, dimpled look that hid the predatory gleam in his eyes. “My friend just opened a boutique shop,” he continued, the words identical to my previous life. “She needs to hit a member-referral quota for her investors. If I sign you up, she’ll give me a forty-percent discount on the gifts for the team. Help a guy out?” I sat there, frozen. I remembered what came next. He would bind my number to his shopping accounts, go on a “refund-only” spree, and leave me with the debt and the criminal record. My number would be blacklisted by every major retailer; my personal info would be leaked by angry vendors. I thought of the red paint on my door. I thought of Rachel’s hand against my cheek. “Jordan, come on,” Brandon prodded. “It’s just a text.” I gritted my teeth, the phantom pain of the fall still echoing in my bones. I spoke coldly. “My phone is for personal use only. I don’t participate in ‘referral’ schemes.” Brandon’s face fell instantly. He looked like I’d slapped him. “Jordan… I already promised her. If I get thirty people to register, she’s sending over thirty premium ergonomic massage pillows for the whole department. Everyone gets one. You’re the last person I need. Just one code, please?” The colleagues nearby caught wind of this. Their eyes lit up at the mention of the $300 pillows. “Seriously, Jordan? It’s a text message, not a kidney,” one of the senior analysts snapped. “Brandon is paying for everything. Don’t be a buzzkill.” “Yeah, don’t be that guy,” another chimed in. “We’ve all been working overtime. We need those pillows.” I felt a cold smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. It’s easy to be “generous” with someone else’s life. “I’m sorry. I’m not comfortable with it.” Rachel marched over then, her brow furrowed in that specific way that meant she was embarrassed by me. “Jordan, what is wrong with you? Brandon is trying to do something nice for the whole team. Just cooperate. It’s not going to kill you.” Actually, it did, I thought. Brandon sighed, looking down at his expensive loafers. “Jordan, look… if you think the pillows are too cheap, I’ll add in a little something extra for you. How about a solid gold commemorative coin? From Tiffany’s? Just as a thank you for the ‘trouble’ of receiving a text.” Rachel’s eyes softened as she looked at Brandon. “You are way too good to him, Brandon. He’s being difficult, and you’re offering him gold?” She turned to me, her voice sharp with disdain. “Did you hear that? He’s offering you a luxury gift just to be a team player. I wish you had half of Brandon’s class. Give him the code. Now.” I actually laughed. “No thanks. I’m not that desperate for a handout. Give your gold to someone else.” Brandon bit his lip, his voice trembling slightly—a masterclass in manipulation. “Is the gold not enough? How much do you want, Jordan? My allowance for the month is mostly gone after buying these gifts, but I can get you the new Armani watch next month? Just… please don’t let the team down.” Rachel looked at me like I was something she’d stepped in on the sidewalk. “Unbelievable. You’re holding out to extort a kid? A watch and a gold coin… that’s thousands of dollars. More than your phone is even worth. Just give him the damn code and stop being a parasite.” “Exactly,” a coworker hissed. “Brandon is a literal heir, and he’s being so humble. You’re just jealous he’s more popular than you.” “Typical Jordan. Cheap and petty. If he can’t be the big shot, he tries to ruin it for everyone else.” Cheap? For five years, I was the one who brought back luxury hampers from my travels for everyone. I spent thousands every Christmas making sure the support staff felt seen. They’d swallowed my gifts for years and, the second a shiny new intern arrived, they called me a “cheapskate.” They weren’t colleagues. They were a pack of wolves. Brandon stepped closer, his hand reaching for my shoulder. “Jordan, man, stop the act. Give me the code, and I’ll personally bring your gift to your desk tomorrow.” Rachel’s voice was a low warning. “Jordan. My patience is at an end. Do the right thing.” I didn’t feel like arguing with idiots anymore. I stood up to walk away to the breakroom. “Stop right there!” Rachel barked. She lunged, her manicured nails digging into my hand as she tried to snatch my phone off the desk. “You won’t give it? Fine. I’ll get it myself!” I was faster. I lunged for the device, but in the scramble, the phone was swiped off the edge of the desk. It hit the hardwood floor with a sickening crack. The screen shattered into a web of dark glass. The office went silent. Rachel froze. Brandon moved like a lightning bolt, dropping to his knees to “rescue” the phone. “Oh no! Jordan, I am so sorry! This is all my fault,” Brandon cried, his hands fluttering over the broken screen. “I shouldn’t have pressured you. I just wanted everyone to have a nice holiday. If you’re this upset, we’ll just forget it.” The whispers started immediately. “Great. There go the pillows.” “What a psycho. He’d rather break his own phone than let us have a gift.” “I bet he did it on purpose. If he can’t have the spotlight, he breaks the stage.” “I don’t know how Rachel stands him. She deserves so much better.” Rachel’s face was flushed with fury. “You’re insane, Jordan. I didn’t realize you were this malicious. You broke your phone just to spite us?” I didn’t answer her. I was watching Brandon. He was still on the floor, his fingers moving suspiciously fast over the shattered, but still glowing, screen. He wasn’t checking the damage. He was trying to see if he could bypass the lock. I stepped forward and ripped the phone out of his hand. A shard of glass sliced my palm, but I didn’t care. “Stay away from my things.” “Jordan!” Rachel screamed. “He was trying to help! Apologize to him right now!” “Apologize?” I looked at her, truly seeing her for the first time. “You tried to rob me, you broke my property for an intern you barely know, and you want me to apologize? Rachel, get your head checked.” “I am your fiancée! I have every right to see your phone!” “Not anymore,” I said, my voice eerily calm. “We’re done, Rachel. The engagement is off. Consider the ring my ‘parting gift’ to your delusions.” I walked out of the office, ignoring her shriek of, “Jordan! If you walk out that door, don’t you dare come back!” The cold air outside cleared my head. I looked at the broken screen. When Brandon had handed it back, it hadn’t been on the lock screen. He’d managed to trigger a notification that kept the display active. A chill crawled up my spine. He was already trying to get in. I hailed a cab and went straight to the flagship mobile store. “Hi, how can I help you today?” the clerk asked. “I need to deactivate this SIM and cancel the number entirely. Right now.” The clerk checked the records. “Sir, you’ve had this number for ten years. You’re on a legacy premier plan. If you cancel, you lose all those grandfathered benefits.” “I know,” I said, my voice steady. “But this number is a ticking time bomb. Kill it.” I watched him snip the SIM card. I threw the pieces into the trash outside. Three days later, the delivery trucks arrived at the office. Stacks of boxes were wheeled in, clogging the hallways. The atmosphere was electric. “Look at all of this!” “Brandon, you’re a legend!” “See? Brandon keeps his word. Unlike some people who act like a text message is a life-or-death situation.” Brandon was the man of the hour, directing the distribution like a young CEO. He picked up the largest, heaviest box and brought it over to my desk. “Jordan, I got this one specifically for you. No hard feelings about the other day, okay? Happy April Fool’s.” I didn’t touch it. I pushed it back. “No thanks. I don’t want it.” Brandon’s “good guy” mask flickered. “Jordan, come on. Don’t be like that. I really went out of my way for this.” Rachel appeared behind him, looking triumphant. “Take the gift, Jordan. Stop acting like a martyr. Brandon is being the bigger person.” The office watched, waiting for me to cave. I looked at the massage pillows, the “luxury” gadgets, the jewelry boxes. I knew exactly where they came from. “I’m going to give you all one piece of advice,” I said, loud enough for the room to hear. “I wouldn’t keep those if I were you. Those gifts are… tainted. They aren’t as ‘free’ as you think.” The room exploded. “God, you’re bitter! Just because you didn’t get to play the hero!” “He’s actually trying to curse our gifts now? How pathetic can you get?” “He’s just jealous of Brandon’s wealth. It must hurt to be so middle-class and petty.” Rachel looked disgusted. “You have no soul, Jordan. Brandon’s kindness is wasted on you.” I sat back, folded my arms, and waited. I had done my part. I had warned them. Brandon wiped a fake tear from his eye. “Jordan… I bought these with my own money. Why would you say that? Why do you want everyone to hate me?” Rachel grabbed his arm comfortingly. “Ignore him, Brandon. He’s just a dark, lonely person. He can’t stand seeing others happy.” She turned to me, her eyes spitting fire. “Apologize to him. Now.” “For what? For telling the truth?” A guy from sales threw a plastic water bottle at my head. “Shut up, Jordan! Nobody wants to hear your crap!” Others followed suit—pens, crumpled paper, small office supplies began flying toward my desk. I ducked, feeling a bruise forming on my temple. Suddenly, Dave from the tech department let out a sharp, strangled gasp. “Holy shit. Guys… you need to see this.” “What now, Dave?” someone groaned. Dave held up his phone, his face pale. “This thread… it’s the number one trending topic on Twitter and Reddit right now.” The headline, splashed in bold, angry red, read: [EXPOSED: The ‘Friendly Fraud’ Serial Scammer Ripping Off Hundreds of Small Businesses. Personal Info Attached.] Brandon’s face went white as a sheet. He shot a frantic look at me, then back at the screen.

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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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I’ve been dating Derek, the Alpha heir of Frosthowl pack, for three years. He’s never marked me, never mentioned marriage. I know he still can’t forget his deceased former mate Vivian, which is why he takes such good care of Vivian’s sister Moira. But I always believed that with time and companionship, he would eventually fall completely in love with me. Until one day, on my way home, I was attacked by a group of Rogues. I barely escaped, beaten and severely injured. I called Derek for help, but he accused me of lying and yelled at me: “You’re my girlfriend. How could any Rogue dare attack you? Are you making up lies just to get my attention?” “I told you, I won’t mark you until Moira finds her mate!” Then I heard Moira’s voice on the other end of the line: “Derek, I’m done with my shower. Your turn.” Derek snapped “Stop putting on a show, I need to take care of Moira” and hung up. The pain nearly made me pass out. I used every ounce of strength I had left to dial emergency services. Later, the doctor said I needed to be hospitalized for serious injuries. I called him over a dozen times, but no one answered. Then I saw Moira post something on social media. [These condoms are pretty good quality.] The picture showed several used condoms. After I recovered and was discharged, since I still hadn’t met my destined mate, I agreed to the arranged marriage my parents had set up. “Yes, the sooner the wedding date, the better.”

Mom was shocked and delighted to hear my words. She’d never approved of Derek, but she knew how deeply I loved him. If I wasn’t completely broken, I would never give up so easily. Dad was the Alpha of Shadowclaw pack and had never been optimistic about our relationship either. He spoke up. “Since you’ve decided to break up, make it clear to Derek.” “Part ways on good terms.” I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and shook my head. Just last week, while I was hospitalized. Moira posted on social media. [A spontaneous trip. This entire journey sponsored by Derek.] In the photos. Two suitcases, one black and one pink, side by side. I recognized it immediately. That black suitcase was the limited edition celebrity model I’d given Derek for his birthday this year. I called to confront him. Derek was dismissive. “Moira’s been feeling down lately. I’m just taking her out to clear her head.” “She’s Vivian’s sister. I have an obligation to take care of her.” From the other end of the phone. Moira’s voice came through at just the right moment. “Derek, can you grab me a towel?” Derek responded smoothly. Finally, as if to comfort me or justify his actions: “Clara, if it weren’t for you, Vivian wouldn’t have died. What I’m doing now is just helping you atone for your sins.” My heart felt like it had been stabbed, the pain suffocating. Even now, he still stubbornly insists that I was responsible for Vivian’s death. Then why did he even agree to date me? He’s been torturing me for three years! But all my questions died in my throat before I could voice them. I stared at the red notification on the screen. My vision blurred. Derek was afraid I’d disturb their trip, so he blocked me! His beta warrior relayed his message to me. “Tell Clara to stop making a scene. This trip is important for Moira’s mental health. She’s been emotionally unstable.” “When I get back, I’ll propose to her as promised.” But he was wrong. No one waits in the same place forever.

I thought the family I was arranged to marry into would be suspicious and doubtful about my request. I never expected. They seemed more worried I’d back out. They said if possible, next week would be best. My parents anxiously asked for my opinion. Without hesitation, I agreed. It was just short notice, and there were many things to handle. After dinner with my parents, I returned to the house where Derek and I had lived for three years. As soon as I turned the key. A figure jumped out in front of me. Blocking me at the door. “Master, if you have any requests, just tell me, I’ll definitely…” Before she could finish. Moira, dressed in a bunny girl maid outfit, recognized me. Or rather. She realized I wasn’t the person she was waiting for. I looked at the black stockings on her legs, her ultra-short skirt barely covering her private areas. She was only three years younger than me. Yet her whole body radiated a youthful vitality that seemed to endlessly mock my dullness and boring nature. “I’m sorry… Derek insisted I come over.” “If you don’t like it, I’ll leave right now.” Moira looked innocently guilty as she backed away. Turning around, she tripped over a suitcase. Almost simultaneously, a figure rushed out from behind me. Catching her protectively beneath him. After confirming Moira wasn’t hurt. Derek immediately turned on me with harsh accusations. “Clara! Can’t you be more tolerant?!” “Moira is still just a child. How could you lay a hand on her?” I watched this performance with cold eyes. “A child? A twenty-year-old child?” “Derek, what kind of child wears an outfit like that in someone else’s home?” “She clearly lacks discipline! No manners!” “Slap!” Derek raised his hand and struck me across the face. “Have you made enough of a scene? Clara, not everyone is like you, born into wealth with no worries about food or shelter!” Moira seized the opportunity to start crying. “Yes… I’m sorry, I really have no manners…” “But when I was born, my parents were already dead… no one taught me these things…” “The only person who was willing to teach me, my sister… she’s dead now too…” She buried herself in Derek’s arms, her whole body trembling with sobs. The look she gave me carried barely concealed hatred. “Moira, none of this is your fault. This has nothing to do with you…” Derek looked down at her with pity, instinctively reaching to wipe her tears. His hand froze in mid-air. As if he’d just noticed what Moira was wearing. “Why are you dressed like this…” Before he could finish, Derek’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The desire in his eyes was completely unconcealed. Moira was clearly pleased with his reaction. She lowered her head shyly. “I have to attend a party tomorrow night. This is just a performance costume.” “If you don’t like it, I’ll take it off right now!” As she spoke, Moira actually started to undress. Derek quickly stopped her. Their hands clasped together, palm to palm. I had clearly become an outsider. “Since it’s for a performance, there’s nothing wrong with it.” Derek shot me a pointed look. “Only people with dirty minds see everything as dirty!” I laughed mockingly. Watching Moira’s little schemes. I only felt that my three years of effort had been worthless. Since Vivian died, although I became his official girlfriend, for these three years, he never marked me. I thought time would fade everything. That one day, I would find my way into his heart. But reality kept slapping me in the face. One Vivian left. Another Moira arrived. Yet in his world, I was still just an accessory girlfriend. I tried to take our relationship further. I even bought the clothes my best friend recommended to please him. But he pushed me away every time. Looking at me with growing disgust. I thought I wasn’t charming enough. So I specifically took ballet lessons. But in the end, even this flexibility didn’t win Derek’s special attention. On the contrary, all these attempts to please him became “scheming” and “cheap tricks” in my boyfriend’s vocabulary. Now. Moira only needed to have a face fifty percent similar to her sister’s to easily move this supposedly ascetic man. All my efforts seemed like a joke in this moment. It turned out it wasn’t that I wasn’t good enough. I just wasn’t the person he held dear in his heart.

“I think I should go back to my rental apartment.” Moira pushed Derek away. She turned and started packing her suitcase. Several photos slipped out at just the right moment. Beach photos. From the background, they appeared to be taken on a Hawaiian beach. The poses were intimate, the gazes affectionate. And in Derek’s locked cabinet in his study, there was an identical photo album. Same location, same outfits, similar person. Derek used this method to repeatedly relive his past with Vivian. But I’d begged Derek for so long. Wanting him to take me to the beach just fifty kilometers away each summer, but he always made excuses. Derek snatched up the photos, treasuring them as he put them away. “It’s so late, you can’t get into your apartment anyway. Just sleep here tonight!” Moira looked at me anxiously. “Why are you looking at her! This is my home. I can let whoever I want stay here!” I looked at Derek calmly. “Yes. This is your home.” I should be the one to leave. Besides, I never planned to come back anyway. Walking past them both, I went straight to the bedroom to get my things. Derek grabbed me. “You sleep in the guest room. Moira likes watching the sunrise in the morning.” Just for some sunlight. “Fine.” Derek seemed surprised I’d be so generous. His cold expression finally softened slightly. His tone carried a rare hint of regret. “I shouldn’t have hit you.” I ignored him, pulled out my suitcase and simply packed a few clothes and important items. Moved directly to the guest room. As for everything else, I could replace it all. Out with the old, in with the new. Derek tried to follow me into the room. Only to find I’d locked the door. After knocking a few times. His voice carried some hesitation, a probing quality. “Clara, you’re not really angry, are you?” In the past, every time anything involved Moira, we’d fall into cold wars and arguments. Now seeing me so calm, not crying or making a scene, he seemed uncomfortable. My tone was mocking. “No. How could I be? She’s just Vivian’s sister, not your lover.” The air went silent for two seconds. Derek sighed with relief. “Clara, just get through this period. I promise, I will marry you.” Marriage? I couldn’t help but laugh. Derek, too bad I don’t need it anymore. “Derek!” Moira’s voice suddenly came from the bathroom. Derek rushed over anxiously. “What’s wrong? Moira? What happened?” “Moira?” No matter how Derek called, no more sounds came from inside. I looked at the semi-transparent bathroom door. Derek’s concern clouded his judgment. He hadn’t noticed the additional shadow by the door at all. After calling several times with no response. He hesitated for two seconds. Then reached out and opened the unlocked door. Almost the instant the door opened. That pale white figure threw herself directly onto Derek. Moira let out a muffled moan, her voice coquettish. “Derek, that time we had sex, didn’t you enjoy it too? Let’s do it again. Just pretend I’m Vivian.” “Stop it, you know last time I was drunk…” Derek tried to push her away, but his hand touched something soft. His whole body went rigid, at her mercy. Moira became even more brazen. Pressing herself entirely against him. “Why? Am I not as good as Vivian? Not even as good as Clara?” Derek sighed helplessly, softly comforting her. “Be good, we’ll talk about this tomorrow, okay?” I looked at the two intertwined shadows on the wall, gave a self-mocking smile, and closed the door again.

The next morning. When I got up, the house was already empty. On the dining table, Derek had specifically left macarons. Next to them was a note he’d left. [I’m taking Moira back to her apartment first.] [Wait for me to come back.] I picked up my suitcase. Threw the macarons directly into the trash. Along with the bracelet I’d worn for two years. This was the only gift Derek had ever given me. Even though it was just something someone else had casually given to Derek. I once treasured it like a precious gem. But now, these things. Had no value worth cherishing for me. When I got home, Mom joyfully took the suitcase from my hands. “We were just discussing booking the wedding venue with Leo.” I looked at the familiar home. My nose felt sour. “Is it booked?” “All set. This afternoon I’ll go with you to order your wedding dress. It’s so wonderful, you’re finally getting married.” As she spoke, Mom’s eyes reddened too. I was the only child in the family. I’d been showered with love and affection since childhood. Before meeting Derek, my entire life hadn’t encountered a single setback. Now, for a man like this, I’d let myself become wounded all over. My parents must hurt even more than I did. I raised my hand to wipe away her tears. “Why are you crying? I’m not getting married today.” The bridal shop wasn’t far from our house. Just a ten-minute walk. As we approached, Mom remembered we hadn’t bought invitations yet. I told her to go buy them first and meet me at the bridal shop. But before I even entered, I saw a familiar figure. Moira, wearing a pure white wedding dress, was blissfully leaning against Derek. The shop assistants were gushing about what a perfect match they made. Through the mirror, Derek immediately spotted me standing at the entrance. “Clara, why did you follow us here?” “Don’t misunderstand. I’m taking wedding photos with Moira just to make up for a regret.” I felt nothing inside. I walked straight into the shop. Moira saw me and looked livid. “That’s right, Derek just wants to make up for his regret with Vivian.” “It’s just wedding photos. I don’t even mind being a substitute. Surely you don’t mind either?” Several shop assistants gathered around, clearly enjoying the drama. I said expressionlessly. “Of course. Please continue.” I didn’t look at them anymore, seriously selecting styles I liked. But Derek froze. Looking at my back, he suddenly felt panicked. “Clara, why would you suddenly come here?”

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After breaking up with my werewolf boyfriend, my period was a whole month late. My best friend was convinced I was either accidentally pregnant or had completely wrecked my body from pulling all-nighters. She practically dragged me to the campus medical clinic—the one with the impossible-to-get appointments. The doctor sitting behind the desk turned out to be my ex-boyfriend, the one I’d broken up with just a month ago with some pretty harsh words. His silver-framed glasses couldn’t hide the crimson gleam in his eyes. “Lie down on the examination bed. Pull your pants down and expose your lower abdomen.” When I froze and refused to move, he got up and walked over, trying to forcibly pull down my pants. “We didn’t even finish that last night before we broke up. Whose kid are you carrying?” I never dreamed the harsh words I’d thrown at him would come back to bite me this fast, in such a humiliating way. When my best friend Lynn half-dragged me into the campus medical clinic, I was still putting up a dying struggle. My mind kept replaying that final sentence I’d shouted at Kane a month ago as I stormed out the door: “Even if an ambulance carries me into the campus hospital, I will never come looking for you, and I won’t let you see me ever again!” Well, now look at me. Not only had I ended up at the clinic, but I’d specifically made an appointment and delivered myself right to his doorstep. Lynn wouldn’t shut up in my ear: “You should be grateful! I stalked the campus message board for a whole week and traded a concert ticket for this appointment! Dr. Cullen is the youngest associate professor in the medical school—cold, reserved, and ridiculously handsome. He’s been seeing patients for two weeks, and every girl on campus has been crashing the booking system just to get a glimpse of him!” My head was completely occupied with my missing period. I didn’t take her words seriously—I just figured he was some skilled, good-looking doctor. Until I stood in front of the appointment screen and saw my assigned physician’s name printed clearly: “Kane.” My brain crashed. My blood ran cold. No. It couldn’t be this coincidental. I frantically tried to reassure myself: There are tons of guys named Kane. It’s probably just someone with the same name. It can’t actually be him. But when I pushed open the examination room door and our eyes met, my last shred of hope shattered into dust. Neat dark brown hair, a crisp white coat that emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist. If this wasn’t Kane, my ex-boyfriend of one month, who else could it be? He glanced up at me, his tone completely professional, devoid of any emotion. “Willow? What seems to be the problem?” Fine. Real fine. One month after our breakup, he could already pretend we were strangers. This level of composure was wasted on anything but acting. Even though I was the one who’d said those brutal words—words that cut to the bone— seeing him like this now still made my heart ache and feel blocked up. After all, what I’d originally said was that unless he was lying in the ER on the brink of death begging for me, he shouldn’t expect to see me again in this lifetime. Now the tables had turned. He sat steady and composed in his examination room, while I, the one who’d thrown out those harsh words, had obediently delivered myself as his patient. I’d practically slapped my own face swollen. Lynn, completely oblivious to the frozen atmosphere between Kane and me, grabbed my hand and started talking a mile a minute: “Dr. Cullen, please help her! She’s been so wrong this past month—iced coffee and iced lattes every single day, her emotions exploding at the drop of a hat, breaking out like crazy, and most importantly, her period hasn’t come for a whole month!” She leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a volume that could still be heard throughout the entire room: “We’re all worried she might be accidentally pregnant! This girl’s too stubborn—she absolutely refuses to buy a pregnancy test herself, so I had to drag her here to see you!” I watched Kane’s eyes turn ice-cold, dying of embarrassment on the spot, my toes curling inside my shoes. I wanted to vanish into thin air. Kane nodded at Lynn. He lowered his head, gripping his pen as he wrote in the medical chart. The pen tip pressed so hard it tore through a layer of paper. Beyond the routine symptom notes, he wrote an extra line: “Broke up one month ago, delayed period, suspected early pregnancy—moved on without missing a beat?” My eyes went wide. This is a medical chart, not your personal complaint journal! “Do you have a regular partner? Any intimate activity?” This was standard procedure for diagnosing menstrual irregularities. I was about to say “No, I’ve been single for a month,” but before I could even open my mouth, Lynn jumped in, patting her chest confidently: “Yes, yes! They have a great relationship! They’ve just had a little spat these past couple months, but that’s normal for couples—it definitely won’t affect anything!”

“Have you taken a pregnancy test yourself?” “No, no! We came straight to you first! Your appointments are so hard to get—we absolutely trust your medical skills!” Lynn beamed, selling me out completely. “I see.” Kane responded coolly. His face looked calm, but I could see it clear as day— his knuckles gripping the pen had gone white from the pressure. Alarm bells rang in my head. I knew this look too well. This was his tell when jealousy was taking over and he was about to lose control. “Doctor, doctor, based on her condition, is there a high probability she’s pregnant?” Lynn pressed on with eager, gossipy anticipation. That sentence scared the soul out of me. I shot up from my chair: “I’m fine! I suddenly feel perfectly healthy! My period will come tomorrow! I’m leaving!” If I stayed any longer, who knew what Kane would do. But the moment I took a step, Lynn yanked me back and pressed me firmly into the chair. “Are you crazy? Do you know how hard I worked to get this appointment? Sit down and stay put!” I sat there feeling miserable, every cell in my body screaming at me to run. Just then, Kane finally looked up, his gaze landing on me before he addressed Lynn: “Your friend might feel a bit embarrassed with you here. Could you wait in the waiting area outside?” Lynn had an epiphany. As she headed for the door, she kept muttering: “Geez, what’s there to be embarrassed about? We’re all girls—what haven’t I seen?” Before leaving, she even gave me an encouraging thumbs-up. I watched her close the door, one thought in my mind: Lynn, my dear best friend, you have no idea that this upstanding doctor in his white coat has a possessiveness that runs terrifyingly deep in private. He once spent an entire day jealous just because I’d partnered with a male classmate for a class presentation. Let alone now, when he thought I was pregnant with another man’s child. The moment the examination room door fully closed, I felt like I couldn’t even breathe. Lynn was gone. Kane finally dropped the act. He casually tossed the pen that had run out of ink onto the desk and removed his silver-framed glasses. Those eyes that used to look at me with warmth were now cold as ice. He leaned back in his chair, pulling his lips into a cold smirk, his voice dripping with frost: “Well, well, Willow. Only one month since the breakup, and you’ve really leveled up.” “Who’s the father?” That one sentence left me stunned. I stood there frozen, taking forever to react. “What are you talking about? What child?” “Still playing dumb?” He leaned forward slightly, his gaze cutting into me like a knife. “Your period’s a month late. Your best friend says you and your boyfriend have a wonderful relationship. What’s wrong—you can do it but can’t own up to it?” “The forum posts weren’t lying after all. Just days after our breakup, you’re already out and about with other guys. Now you’ve even gotten yourself pregnant. Are you that desperate for company?” His voice grew colder with each word, until by the end, it was filled with barely suppressed hostility. I was completely baffled. What posts? What other guys? Heaven as my witness, this past month since the breakup, aside from going shopping once with Lynn, I’d spent all my time either cramming papers in the library or lying in my dorm. I hadn’t so much as touched another guy’s hand, let alone found a new boyfriend or gotten pregnant! My feelings for Kane had never changed since the day we got together. Even though I was the one who initiated the breakup, the one who said those harsh words, I’d never truly let him go. Looking at Kane’s expression, I suddenly remembered how Kane and I first met.

Last fall, I was helping a friend from NYU film her short movie project. One scene required borrowing the school’s medical clinic. For better filming quality, we specifically picked the quietest time slot—a Wednesday afternoon. In the empty examination room, I lay on the exam bed, frowning as I delivered my lines. Getting into character, I even reached my hand up into the air, trying to convey a sense of weak helplessness. Then my hand was suddenly caught by a warm, dry palm. Thinking my roommate was improvising, I kept my eyes closed and leaned toward that hand, continuing my performance: “Doctor, am I… am I dying…” Then I heard a low laugh above me, magnetic and tinged with helplessness: “Miss, you seem perfectly healthy right now, but if you keep this up, I might need to refer you to psychiatry.” My eyes flew open. I was completely dumbfounded. Standing before me was a man in a white coat—broad shoulders, narrow waist, refined features, eyes full of barely concealed amusement. He was still holding my hand firmly, and I was practically pressed against him. My roommate behind me had nearly dropped the camera in fright, shrinking into the corner, not daring to move. My mind went blank. My first thought was: I’m screwed. We got caught using the exam room without permission, and by a ridiculously handsome doctor no less. I scrambled off the exam bed in a panic, my face hot enough to fry eggs, stammering out apologies. I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. Later I learned his name was Kane Cullen, NYU’s youngest medical professor. To make amends, I brought him food every day, making constant trips to the medical clinic. Though I claimed it was to apologize, my eyes couldn’t help but wander all over him. Kane was gentle and handsome. The more I looked, the more my heart raced. The more I visited, the more frequent my trips became. That Friday, I was taking my usual route with coffee and pastries, cutting through the quiet alley behind the medical school. The setting sun painted the brick walls on either side a warm orange. I hummed a tune, my mind full of the way Kane’s lips curved when he accepted my coffee. Then three men turned the corner and blocked my path. The one in front had a cigarette dangling from his lips. He looked me up and down with a gaze so slimy it made me sick: “All alone? Why don’t you have a drink with us?” I instinctively took a step back, my mind racing. “Don’t be scared. We won’t eat you.” Another one grinned and stepped forward, reaching for my wrist. I turned to run, but the third one blocked my escape route. Just as that dirty hand was about to touch me— The three men went flying. Their bodies slammed into the brick walls on either side with dull thuds and screams. And Kane stood right in front of me. He turned around, those amber eyes looking straight at me. “Are you hurt?” His voice was lower than usual, like he was struggling to suppress something. I shook my head blankly, staring at the three men’s pitiful state, my brain completely blank. He’d sent three grown men flying with his bare hands? “You… how did you…” My voice trembled. Kane took a deep breath. “Willow,” he said, his voice soft. “There’s something I was planning to wait a bit longer to tell you.” He took a step closer to me. “But now, I don’t want to hide it anymore.” The next second, a massive black wolf tail emerged from beneath his white coat. His eyes turned completely golden.

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My husband is the top gynecologist in the city, but he vanished for three days and three nights to care for his secretary who claimed to have depression while I was hemorrhaging during childbirth. Later, intimate photos of the two of them spread throughout the entire city. Liam knelt by my hospital bed, his face swollen red from slapping himself. “Jenna, I was drunk that night and mistook her for you. I deserve to die.” To prove his innocence, he grabbed a scalpel and stabbed it into his own chest. Blood gushed out. I watched him confess with this insane performance and gave him one last chance. Until Sophie, his secretary, and I were both held hostage in a remote warehouse. “Jenna, you grew up in elite European schools. You’re strong—just hold on a little longer! Sophie can’t take it. She’ll lose her mind!” Liam roared as he begged the kidnappers on his knees. The high-altitude wind chilled me to the bone. But Liam didn’t know that these five years were just a gamble I made with my family. If I won, I’d spend my life with him. If I lost, I’d return to the Rivers family and inherit the fortune.

After escaping from the kidnappers, I dragged my battered body to make a call. “Dad, I lost the bet. I need to leave the country. Can you help me make arrangements?” My father paused but didn’t ask questions. “Alright. Get ready. I’ll send someone to pick you up in seven days.” After hanging up, I found a clinic by the roadside. After having my wounds simply bandaged, I returned to the villa under the servants’ mocking gazes. I never expected Liam to be waiting at home. When he saw me, he acted as if nothing had happened, pulling me into his arms. His mouth opened and closed, but all that came out was a pale: “I’m sorry.” “Sophie has depression and can’t handle stress. You know that, Jenna.” I stood still, my heart already frozen solid. Yes, between Sophie and me, he would always choose that homewrecker without hesitation. When Sophie was in a bad mood, he could stay out all night on our wedding anniversary. When Sophie had menstrual cramps and needed care, he could abandon me when I was burning with fever late at night. When Sophie’s parents got food poisoning, he could still skip my mother’s funeral to see her. But I remembered that in the beginning, when I was trapped abroad fighting against my family, he fought his way through the medical world to become a top figure in the field. He gave everything he had just to be with me. But now, that man who would firmly choose me had disappeared. I wiped the tears from my face. “Liam, but do I deserve to wait for death on the ninety-ninth floor?” Our eyes met. Liam seemed to notice my weakness. A flash of emotion crossed his face. The next second, Sophie suddenly screamed: “Liam, don’t leave me! I’m so scared!” Liam quickly pulled her into his arms, his eyes gentle. “Don’t be afraid, Sophie. I’m right here.” This scene was so familiar. Years ago, when I was injured after being kidnapped by my father’s enemies, he held me in his arms the same way, his eyes full of tenderness. “Don’t be afraid, Jenna. I’m right here.” The same person, the same words. Only the person in his arms had changed from me to Sophie. I looked at the intimate pair, my heart filled with desolation. When Liam looked up again, his face was full of irritation. “Jenna, is it really necessary to be so aggressive just because I chose to save Sophie?” “Besides, you didn’t die, did you?” He strode quickly to the third-floor balcony. “If you want an explanation, I’ll give you one!” But just as Liam took a step, Sophie threw her arms around the man’s waist. “No!” She cried with tears streaming down her face. “Miss Rivers, this is all my fault. I won’t bother you two anymore!” “Please don’t let Liam hurt himself, okay?” I somehow laughed out loud. “Fine. As long as you get out of this city, I’ll give Liam one more chance.” But after Sophie left, Liam, who usually never showed his emotions, began roaring and crying hysterically in the villa. “Jenna Rivers, you always satisfy your own needs without caring about anyone else’s wishes!” “You’re so selfish!” His eyes held a trace of coldness as he turned and left the villa. I clutched my aching abdomen and picked up my phone to schedule surgery and draft divorce papers.

The divorce procedures were complicated. As I browsed divorce information on the computer in the study, I accidentally discovered a private folder. I tried Sophie’s birthday as the password. Photos flooded out of the folder like a deluge. I knew the answer in my heart, but when I saw the proof with my own eyes, my heart ached so much I could barely breathe. Every record in the folder featured Sophie. When I was doubled over with menstrual cramps, they were chasing the sunset by the sea. When I couldn’t get a cab in the pouring rain, they were kissing under the stars. When I was being bullied by a doctor at my first prenatal checkup, they were entangled intimately in a romantic hotel. Liam expressed his love, saying he regretted not meeting her sooner. I let out a bitter laugh, my heart aching all over. The screensaver on the computer related to me seemed so pathetic compared to these thousands of photos featuring Sophie. It turned out the happiness I thought I had was built on ruins of lies. The sounds of a man and woman making love in the living room jolted me from my thoughts. Their movements continued until midnight. Torn clothes, lingerie, and mysterious stains on the carpet. Liam and Sophie lay naked on our marriage bed, their bodies tightly joined. I trembled with rage and disbelief. In five years of marriage, Liam had used his supposed germophobia as an excuse. We’d been intimate only a handful of times. Even when going through the motions of sex, he always frowned with disgust, and afterward would scrub himself raw in the bathroom, as if trying to remove a layer of skin. I never imagined he would be so shameless with another woman. I hugged the toilet and vomited until only acid remained in my stomach. After some time passed, Sophie appeared wearing my silk nightgown, deliberately showing off the red marks on her chest. “Sorry, Jenna, we made a mess of your room.” “But you can see it too, right? Liam can’t bear to let me go. I’m the one he loves.” Seeing my silence, Sophie even provocatively held up the sachet in her hand. “Your sachet is really useful. Liam got even more intense in bed when he smelled it!” I recognized the familiar scent and trembled with rage. The scars on my knees from kneeling to pray for blessings still remained, throbbing on rainy days. Back then, I had reverently hung the sachet I obtained on Liam’s body. But it became a toy for him and Sophie’s flirtation. When I knelt in the scorching sun until darkness fell, my knees rubbed raw, my entire body peeling from sunburn, what was he doing? Rolling around in bed with his little secretary, enjoying paradise. But the next second, Sophie dropped to her knees in front of me with a thud and slapped herself hard.

“I know I’ve wronged you, but Liam and I truly love each other!” “I don’t want status or to compete with you for anything. I just want to stay by Liam’s side.” Her cheeks were red and swollen, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. Liam seemed to hear the commotion and rushed out from the bedroom. His expression changed several times before he ultimately chose to believe Sophie. “Jenna, I never thought you’d stoop to physical violence out of jealousy!” I found it absurd and grabbed Sophie’s collar. “Sophie, when did I touch you? Stop acting!” She secretly dug her nails into my arm. I instinctively dodged, and Sophie took the opportunity to fall to the ground. Her knee was bleeding, and she cried heartbreakingly. “It hurts so much, Liam. I’m bleeding. Will I be okay…?” In his panic, Liam knocked me to the ground. Sharp pain shot through my abdomen. Blood flowed down my legs, but I barely registered it. Liam quickly opened the car door to take Sophie to the hospital. “Sophie has poor blood clotting. If anything happens to her, I won’t forgive you!” As we got in the car, Liam suddenly grabbed my arm. “I remember you and Sophie have the same blood type. Come to the hospital with us!” Without waiting for my answer, Liam roughly shoved me into the car. Halfway through the drive, there was a loud crash. We’d had an accident. My forehead slammed hard into the front seat. Excruciating pain swept through my lower abdomen. I tried to lift my head to call for help and saw Liam protecting Sophie firmly beneath him. He carried Sophie away and calmly made calls to have people handle the situation. Not until I struggled to crawl out from the back seat did he remember my existence and look at me with some surprise. “My stomach hurts so much…” Hearing this, Sophie asked weakly: “Liam, my knee is bleeding so much. Will I die?” Before, even if I just scraped my skin a little, Liam would be extremely anxious. He’d apply medicine, feed me candy, and cheer me up. This time, he looked at me with disgust as I broke out in cold sweat. “Jenna Rivers, how long are you going to keep up this act?” “I’m not…” My voice grew weaker and weaker. Until the ambulance arrived, Liam never looked at me again. My forehead was badly swollen, my arms torn and bloody from glass. Finally, I was sent to the hospital in a daze. When I woke up, my hospital room was already surrounded by Liam’s bodyguards. Seeing me open my eyes, Liam dragged me all the way to the blood draw room and threw me on the floor in front of the nurse. “Draw as much blood from her as you can. I just need Sophie to be safe!” Blood drained from my body at an alarming rate. By the time there was no more blood to draw and my vision went black, the nurse gasped in shock. “Miss Rivers has been taking special medication recently. This blood can’t be used!” Liam’s fury exploded instantly, his eyes dark. “Let’s see you try to weasel out of this!” “Sophie was right—you’re trying to kill her!” Before he finished speaking, he ordered his men to force me to kneel on broken glass without hesitation. I cried out in pain, my whole body nearly collapsing to the ground. Liam covered Sophie’s eyes with his hand, not wanting her to see this bloody scene. He looked down at me from above. “Jenna Rivers, you think too highly of yourself. Did you really think I’d soften and let you off?”

Intense pain swept through my entire body. I gasped for air. Sweat slid into my eyes. The last trace of warmth I felt for Liam in my heart vanished completely. The bodyguards dragged me and threw me outside the hospital. It was more than ten degrees below zero outside, with heavy snow falling. I wore only thin clothes but was pressed into the snow. The bone-chilling cold made me gasp. The freezing wind blew right through me. Sophie stood under the eaves wrapped in a fluffy blanket, watching my suffering. Liam raised his hand to tighten the blanket around Sophie. “Sophie, be careful not to catch cold.” Half my body was buried in the snow. I was shivering so hard my teeth chattered. My heart felt suffocated. I slowly bent over, covering my face to swallow my grief. I went from wailing at first to finally losing all strength, left with only faint breathing. Until the kidnappers sent a message. In the video, Sophie’s kitten was tied up in a cage. Covered in blood, it seemed to have lost all signs of life. Seeing this scene, Sophie nearly fainted. Her face turned deathly pale as she shouted at the kidnappers through gritted teeth. “However much money you want, we can give it. Don’t hurt my cat—” The kidnapper on the other end laughed. “Want to save your cat? Of course. A life for a life.” “Break Miss Rivers’s legs and send her to us as a hostage.” Liam froze in place, his chest heaving violently. But I could no longer speak, only begging brokenly. “Liam, don’t…” A flash of hesitation crossed Liam’s eyes. But the next second came Sophie’s crying plea for help. “Please, I’m begging you. The kitten has been with me since I was little. It’s my life.” “If the kitten doesn’t survive, I won’t live either!” The man who had been hesitating grew determined after hearing Sophie’s cries. Liam picked up a nearby stick and approached me step by step. My heart sank to the bottom. I begged. “Liam, you can’t do this to me.” He gritted his teeth and used all his strength to smash the stick into my knees. My legs were broken alive. Heart-piercing pain drilled through my flesh and into my heart. Liam held me tightly, his voice trembling. “Jenna, forgive me.” “I can’t live without Sophie. When you come back safely, I’ll atone to you.” Sophie smiled smugly at me and turned to the kidnapper in the video. “We’ll send you the hostage right away. You must keep my kitten safe!” I was dragged and hauled by Liam to the kidnappers’ location. Liam’s eyes were filled with crimson. “Don’t blame us, Jenna. I can’t let any danger come to Sophie’s cat.” “You were born with everything, but Sophie is all alone with only her cat to keep her company.” I was covered in injuries, without even the strength to resist. “Now that we’ve brought the person, release Sophie’s cat!” Liam pushed me into the kidnappers’ hands. The kidnapper looked at me mockingly. “Miss Rivers is truly pitiful—worth less than a mistress.” The atmosphere grew cold. Half-opening my eyes, I watched them hurriedly leave with Sophie. Only the kidnappers and I remained. They immediately grabbed my hair and violently smashed my head against the ground. Once, twice, more than ten times. Dark red blood flowed continuously from the torn flesh, tasting fishy and bitter when it reached my mouth. The kidnapper laughed sarcastically. Seeing that I didn’t struggle or beg for mercy, he immediately lost interest. “Miss Sophie said to leave no survivors. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for provoking the wrong person.” When the cold barrel pressed against my temple, I closed my eyes, my tone extremely calm. “You really think you can kill me?” The moment the trigger was pulled, there was no expected gunshot—only the dull thud of heavy objects hitting the ground. Both kidnappers had been subdued by the men in black my father sent. Walter, the leader, rushed forward and knelt on one knee. “Mr. Rivers sent us to bring you home!” Three minutes later, more than a dozen helicopters circled on the rooftop. I picked up my phone and sent a text to my lawyer. “Withdraw all of Liam’s medical symposium funding and take back the mansion he’s currently living in.”

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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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