Category: English

After Harry Murphy’s parents passed away, his sister Amanda Murphy moved into our home—mine and Harry’s—bringing a miniature pig with her. But I always felt this miniature pig had it out for me. Whenever Harry and I showed any affection toward each other, the pig would forcefully nudge me with its snout. There were even several times when it bit my arms while I was asleep. I couldn’t take it anymore and suggested giving the pig away, but Amanda threw a fit, crying and threatening suicide. “You want to get rid of the pig? You clearly just want to kick me out!” Harry also mocked me for being heartless, saying, “My sister only has me to rely on now. It’s just a miniature pig—it barely eats anything. Be more generous!” But that wasn’t the case at all! This miniature pig didn’t just eat regular food—it especially loved pork ribs dripping with fat! And recently, I noticed it was getting fatter and fatter, weighing up to 154 pounds, with a shadow that looked like a person when it stood up. Even more disturbing, this miniature pig kept trying to wear my clothes. When I refused, it would knock me to the ground and bite my scalp. After being bitten by the miniature pig yet again, I decided to call my relative Jack Thompson, who runs a slaughterhouse in the countryside, to come over with his butcher knife. But unexpectedly, I overheard a conversation between Harry and Amanda that made me completely lose control! Harry’s father died in a car accident, and his mother, Carol Roberts, subsequently committed suicide at home. Now he only has his high school freshman sister, Amanda. After discussing it with Harry, we decided to have Amanda come live with us in our city. A week later, Amanda arrived carrying a miniature pig. I was shocked and instinctively stepped back. “What… what is that?” Hearing my question, Amanda looked at me defensively, afraid I might take her miniature pig away. “This is the only thing my mom left me.” The atmosphere grew heavy with her words. Harry quickly tried to ease the tension by pulling me aside to explain, “You know Amanda witnessed my mom’s suicide firsthand, so psychologically she’s a bit… “She says this miniature pig is her emotional support now.” Harry sighed heavily, “Honey, if we separate her from that miniature pig now… “If something bad happens again, I wouldn’t want to live either!” Looking at Harry’s newly grown white hair, I couldn’t help but feel for him. I glanced back at Amanda and finally chose to agree. I thought, “Harry makes a good point. What if I insist on not accepting this pig and end up hurting Amanda again?” Besides, Harry had promised me that the pig wouldn’t grow too big or take up much space. When Amanda saw that I agreed, her attitude toward me softened considerably. The next day, I skipped work and took Amanda to complete her school enrollment. Everything went smoothly. After paying her tuition, I headed home. On my way back, the delivery station called to inform me that the twenty-two pounds of pig feed I’d ordered had arrived. I said, “Great, please deliver it to my home. I’m there now.” Although I initially couldn’t accept this miniature pig, now that I’d decided to keep it, I couldn’t neglect it. After the pig feed was delivered, I quickly poured it into a newly purchased bowl. But just as I put down the bag of feed, the miniature pig charged right at me. Caught off guard, I fell straight to the floor. My butt hurt. After knocking me down, the pig snorted a few times, gave me a disdainful look, then turned and left. It looked exactly like someone who had just won a battle! I was angry, but then I remembered hearing that pigs are among the smartest animals. I thought, “Maybe it’s acting this way because it knows I was reluctant to accept it yesterday?” Thinking this, I smiled and got up. I shouldn’t hold a grudge against a pig. After dealing with the remaining pig feed, I went to bed. There had been issues with a contract at work these past few days, and I was exhausted. All I wanted was to lie down and get some good sleep. Just as I was drifting off, I was awakened by a sharp pain. When I opened my eyes, I discovered the miniature pig chewing on my hair! I screamed and pushed the pig away, but it was useless! No matter how hard I pushed, it just stared at me arrogantly. My scalp was in serious pain. I quickly grabbed scissors and cut off that section of hair. Once the hair was cut, the pig lost its balance and rolled quite a distance away. Breathing heavily, I looked at my ruined hair with dismay as the miniature pig snorted a couple of times and spat out the remaining hair in its mouth. Finally, it bared its teeth at me challengingly before leaving the bedroom. I felt bewildered because once again I sensed this miniature pig’s malice toward me. Its expressions seemed almost human. Frightened by my own thoughts, I cautiously peeked out toward the pig’s bed. To my surprise, it was staring right back at me, smiling. The scene made me break out in a cold sweat. The next moment, the door opened, and I rushed toward Harry as he entered, seeking safety in his presence. Harry asked in confusion, “Babe, what happened to your hair?” I nervously told him the whole story about the miniature pig eating my hair, but to my surprise, Harry angrily pushed me away. He said, “Karen, I know you look down on the miniature pig Amanda brought. “But saying it ate your hair is ridiculous.” With that, Harry walked straight to the pig’s bed and incredulously pointed at the bowl of spaghetti-like pig feed. “This is what you’re feeding my sister’s miniature pig?”

I stopped abruptly behind Harry. “What’s wrong with feeding it this? Isn’t this pig feed? Isn’t this what pigs are supposed to eat?” I didn’t expect Harry to completely ignore me this time, picking up the mini pig and heading straight to the kitchen. Then I heard the sound of the gas stove igniting. I asked, “What are you doing?” “I’m cooking some pasta for it. It doesn’t eat pig feed at all, only human food. When Mrs. Wilson comes to clean tomorrow, remind her to prepare an extra portion of food from now on.” I stood there dumbfounded, finding it utterly ridiculous. I said, “Harry, have you lost your mind? This is a pig, an animal! It should eat specialized pig feed!” Harry suddenly snapped, “But this pig is different! Amanda’s pig just won’t eat the feed you bought! You’re a city girl, a pampered princess! When we country folks keep pets, we feed them the same food we eat. There, are you happy now?” With that, Harry pushed me out of the kitchen and slammed the door shut. In that split second before the door closed, I caught the smug look in the mini pig’s eyes, piercing my heart like a sharp blade. My heart raced, and my head began to throb. This was the first heated argument since Harry and I got married. I had imagined our first fight countless times, but never thought it would be over a pig! A few minutes later, Harry emerged from the kitchen with the mini pig in one arm and a plate in the other. He carefully placed the pig on a chair, then used a fork to cut the pasta into small pieces, feeding it spoonful by spoonful. He was treating it like a child. The mini pig made satisfied noises while eating. Then Harry gently apologized to me, “Baby, I’m sorry for losing my temper. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately and couldn’t control my emotions. I’m sorry.” Looking at his slightly hunched back, my heart softened again. Harry had lost both his parents, and on top of that, he’d been laid off from his job. I said, “I’m going to get a haircut. We’ll talk when I get back.” I grabbed my purse and went downstairs, only to run into Amanda who was heading home. “Karen…” Amanda greeted me while nervously hiding something behind her back. But I still caught a glimpse of three packaged honey-glazed ribs. Thinking she was afraid I’d scold her, I smiled and transferred her a thousand dollars. I said, “Buy whatever you want to eat, don’t be shy.” Amanda nodded and went upstairs. Watching her hurry away, I suddenly had an uneasy feeling, so I abandoned my haircut plans and followed her. Just as I reached the door, I heard Harry and Amanda talking. “Did you get it?” “Yes. Karen almost caught me.” “Quick, take it out…” After a moment’s hesitation, I pushed open the door to find Harry and Amanda both kneeling in front of the sofa, feeding those honey-glazed ribs to the mini pig with their hands!

I covered my mouth in shock and said, “What are you doing?” Harry looked panicked. Amanda quickly grabbed the mini pig and ran back to her room. I said, “Harry, it’s eating barbecue ribs? Isn’t that like its own kind?” Harry closed the door and began explaining, “Amanda said she wanted to give the pig something nice, so I… honey, if I had told you beforehand, you wouldn’t have been so shocked.” I thought the scene I just witnessed was extremely disturbing. But I remembered pigs are omnivores. It seemed reasonable that it would eat these things. Seeing that I wasn’t questioning further, Harry took the opportunity to kiss me. “Honey, weren’t you going to get a haircut? Let’s go, I’ll come with you.” After my haircut, Harry accompanied me to the mall. It was late when we got home. Thinking Amanda would be asleep, we both moved quietly. To my surprise, I tripped as soon as I entered the door. When I turned on the light, I saw it was the mini pig! At that moment, it was glaring at me fiercely, making low growling sounds. Harry quickly helped me up. But as soon as I steadied myself, the mini pig charged and bit my ankle. I jumped up in pain. Harry helplessly pulled me behind him. He said, “Honey, go rest in our room. I’ll handle this.” After being tormented by this pig so many times in one day, I was terrified. Without thinking twice, I ran back to the bedroom. About fifteen minutes later, Harry came to bed looking exhausted. I asked, “Is everything taken care of?” “Yes, it is.” Hearing this, I felt somewhat relieved. I thought I would sleep peacefully tonight, but I woke up again in excruciating pain. “Ah! It’s biting my finger! It hurts so much!” Harry turned on the light. The mini pig was clamped down hard on my index finger. No matter how much I hit it, it wouldn’t let go! And the more I struggled, the harder it bit down. Harry panicked too. Amanda rushed into the bedroom after hearing the commotion. Thankfully, the mini pig finally released my finger when Amanda told it to. A chunk of flesh had been bitten off my index finger, with blood dripping onto the bedsheets and floor. “We need to go to the hospital!” It was already four in the morning when we returned from the hospital, and I was wide awake. Amanda held the mini pig and apologized to me, “Karen, I’m so sorry. I’ll keep it under control from now on, I won’t let it hurt you again.” I could see my blood still on the corners of the mini pig’s mouth as it half-closed its eyes and shook its head. Seeing this, I was furious. I said, “Get rid of it! This pig must leave my house!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, “Harry, look at my hair, my finger! Haven’t I been good enough to this pig? I worried about it being hungry and bought the best feed! But how does it treat me? You’ve both seen its malice toward me with your own eyes!” After my outburst, Amanda unexpectedly burst into tears. “Karen, I get it now. You don’t hate the pig, you hate me! I have no parents, I’m just a burden. I’ll leave right now!” Harry grabbed Amanda with one hand and my arm with the other. He said, “Karen! What are you saying? Aren’t you usually the one who loves animals the most? How can you not even tolerate one pig?” Their accusations left me feeling helpless. I didn’t expect that in the next moment, Harry would pull Amanda toward me and apologize, “Honey, don’t be angry. If it ever hurts you again, I’ll send it away immediately without you having to say a word!” Amanda also kept begging me, “Karen, please don’t send it away.” Backed into a corner, I said, “Both of you, get up! I promise not to send it away, but it absolutely cannot hurt me again. And it’s not allowed in our bedroom!” With that, I turned and walked toward the bedroom. I didn’t dare look back because I could feel the pig staring at me with hateful eyes. In the days that followed, although the mini pig still gnawed on my arm, at least it didn’t cause any substantial damage. Occasionally, it would glare at me viciously. As time passed, it ate more and more. And I was shocked to discover its weight was constantly increasing. This wasn’t a mini pig that would stay small at all! Whenever I complained to Harry, he would dismissively say, “We’ve raised it for so long now, we can’t just abandon it. Besides, our house has plenty of space. There’s still an empty room—it can live there from now on.” I felt conflicted, but then Amanda chimed in flatteringly, “Karen, thank you. This pig has grown so big because of your tolerance. We can’t just throw it away now just because it’s gotten bigger.” While eating dinner, I glanced at the pig not far away. Its size now approached that of a grown man. Though its limbs were chunky, its face remained the same size as when it was a mini pig. I even joked about it: “If only it were human—all that fat on the body, none on the face.” At Harry and Amanda’s insistence, the pig was moved to the bedroom next to mine and Harry’s. That night, I had just fallen asleep when I felt my nose itching and a sense of suffocation. I snapped my eyes open to find the pig sitting with half its butt on my chest. Its tail was swishing back and forth, making me want to sneeze. By the moonlight, I watched as it carefully shifted its butt off the bed. It moved cautiously, making almost no sound. I thought to myself, “This pig is really smart.” But suddenly I sensed something was wrong. I wanted to call for Harry, but couldn’t make a sound. I also noticed the pig wasn’t heading toward the door, meaning it didn’t want to leave. Curious about what it was up to, I kept my eyes half-open to observe. It walked to the closet and nudged the door open with its snout. I was dumbfounded, but what it did next sent chills down my spine. It suddenly stood upright, used its front hooves to pull out one of my jackets, and draped it over itself. In the dim room, it excitedly wiggled its ears like a human. I was stunned. “What are you doing?” My voice was barely audible, but the pig heard me. Instead of fleeing, it glared at me ferociously, then charged. I screamed and tried to dodge, but it grabbed my hair. Harry quickly turned on the light and angrily scolded it, only then did the pig let go. I lost quite a bit of hair, my scalp throbbed with pain, and my forehead was bleeding from a cut from its tusks. Harry timidly cleaned up the scene and apologized to me. But this time I said nothing, just opened my phone and texted Jack: [Jack, come to my house tomorrow. Bring your butcher knife.] I thought to myself, “No matter what, this pig has to go!”

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After being reborn, the first thing my cousin Amanda Brown and I did was break up with our current fiancés. In our previous life, Amanda and I both got married. With her gentle and quiet personality, she married the cold and distant Navy Colonel Kevin Sinclair. Because Kevin missed their wedding anniversary to attend a friend’s birthday party, Amanda wanted an explanation, but he didn’t care. They ended up in a cold war for fifty Christmases. Meanwhile, I had a fiery temper yet married Tom Smith, an accountant at a car factory. Tom was refined and proper, but he complained that I talked too loudly and had no fashion sense. We argued constantly, and eventually, he preferred sleeping at his office rather than coming home. Our marriage didn’t even last one Christmas before we divorced. When I opened my eyes again, Amanda and I had returned to our wedding day… “Get down here now! Tom is such a good man, yet you insist on running off to that distant island. You’re so stubborn!” Seeing my mother’s disappointed face as she chased after the bus made me sad. But thinking about how Amanda and I each ended up in our previous lives, I told myself my decision wasn’t wrong. Hawaii might be far away, and Kevin might be difficult to get along with, but that didn’t matter. Even if I divorced him, I could live independently. But Amanda couldn’t. In her previous life, after marrying Kevin, they lived in a cold war due to misunderstandings. Such a gentle person as Amanda was ruined by Kevin. So in this rebirth, looking at the melancholic Amanda, I decisively started packing my bags. I said, “Amanda, I’ll go marry Kevin. Tom may not seem ambitious, but he has a good temperament. You two should get along well.” Amanda stood up excitedly, but then firmly said, “Kevin isn’t easy to get along with. I can’t let you bear my misfortune.” I replied, “Amanda, it’s okay. Christmas Grandpa didn’t specifically designate who had to be Kevin’s fiancée. Although Kevin is difficult, I’m confident. If life becomes unbearable in Hawaii, I’m not afraid!” I demonstrated a set of freestyle fighting moves right there. Amanda broke into laughter through her tears and reluctantly agreed. Unlike Amanda’s gentleness, I’ve practiced combat since childhood and am used to solving problems with force. That’s why Tom, who considered himself an intellectual, and I never saw eye to eye. I found him tedious; he thought I was violent. Our marriage was unhappy, and we parted ways before one Christmas had passed. So this time around, I decided to let Amanda marry him. Tom lived close to home. Having family nearby would be better than Amanda being lonely and depressed on Hawaii Island like in her previous life. I held Amanda’s hand and pleaded until she finally nodded helplessly. “Fine, I agree!” And so, I took my luggage and boarded the flight to Hawaii. I just didn’t expect my mother to catch up so quickly. I thought, “I left a letter explaining everything clearly, what else is she worried about?” “I’m going to Hawaii! If I can’t make it, I’ll come back on my own!” I shouted to my mother as she ran after the car. After a long journey, I finally arrived in Honolulu. I then boarded a military jeep heading to the base, hoping to get some sleep, but suffered from severe motion sickness. When I got off, my face was pale. I sat at the military post waiting for Kevin to pick me up. Thinking about how disheveled I looked, I felt relieved, believing that someone as delicate as Amanda would never have endured this hardship. “Kevin, why is there a strange smell in here? I feel so uncomfortable.” Just as I was lost in thought, a sugary voice rang out. I looked up.

A girl with her hair tied back, looking rather frail, was covering her nose and complaining to the man beside her. I glanced at the tall, straight-backed man next to her and felt somewhat helpless. “You’re Kevin, right? I’m your fiancée, Audrey Carter. Take a look at this marriage agreement, and if there’s no problem, hurry up and arrange a place for me to rest.” With that, I pushed my suitcase toward his feet, completely ignoring the girl’s hurt expression, then stood up and headed for the exit. “Kevin, does she hate me?” Lily Thompson asked, looking dejected. Already exhausted, I immediately lost my temper. “Are we that close? This is literally the first time I’ve met you.” “Kevin, can you hurry up?” After saying this, I ignored them completely and stormed off. I hadn’t gone far when I sensed someone following me—it was Kevin. He was carrying my luggage, his expression cold. And he had absolutely no intention of explaining himself. I thought to myself, “No wonder Amanda was so miserable in her past life. With Kevin being so cold and Amanda so proud, they were bound to be unhappy. But I don’t have such a good temper. If I’m not happy, I’ll make sure they aren’t either.” Since our engagement had been arranged long ago, Kevin had already received a call from my family and knew I was coming. He had already submitted our marriage application. So, within a couple of days, Kevin and I were married with the blessings of his military colleagues. Kevin’s parents had died early, and my family lived far away, so the wedding was attended by his fellow soldiers. The atmosphere was lively, with the military community in high spirits. “I’m so envious of Audrey for marrying Kevin. She’s so lucky, unlike me…” Lily lowered her head and began sobbing quietly. The previously joyful scene was suddenly filled with nothing but sniffles. The guests exchanged awkward glances, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere. Watching Lily’s slightly trembling back, I smiled and stood on my tiptoes to kiss Kevin. Then I turned to Lily with a smug look and said, “Yes, I am lucky! Kevin is successful, handsome, and has a great body… Only someone as fortunate as me could marry him.” After saying this, I wrapped my arms tightly around Kevin’s waist. Then, with a threatening smile, I said to him, “Isn’t that right, Kevin?” Kevin’s expression remained cold, but his ears suddenly turned red. Before Kevin could speak, Lily looked at him pitifully and said, “Kevin, Audrey, please don’t misunderstand. I truly came to congratulate you. If Audrey doesn’t like me, I’ll leave the wedding right now. But…” As she spoke, she started crying again. “Kevin, remember to pick me up tomorrow. We’ve spent Christmas together for so many years.” Kevin nodded and said, “I’ll be ready to pick you up tomorrow. Don’t worry.” Hearing his words, I—who had just been holding Kevin’s waist—suddenly threw him to the ground.

Everyone looked at me in disbelief. Making plans before the wedding was even over was too much. In their past life, those two had sweetly celebrated their anniversary together, returning without giving Amanda any explanation. But I’m not Amanda—she could tolerate it, I can’t. I thought, “If Kevin dares to go tomorrow, I’ll fight him and then leave this island. If my elders weren’t so insistent on keeping that promise, my life in Texas would be incredibly carefree.” Lily said, “Kevin, are you hurt? Audrey, how could you treat Kevin like this?” Lily’s face turned red with anger, her gaze toward Kevin full of concern. Kevin quickly straightened up, gave me a meaningful look, and awkwardly replied, “I’m fine.” Then he came over to hold my hand and said, “You’ll come with me tomorrow.” I looked at Kevin in surprise. Lily was even more incredulous, saying, “Kevin, how could you? I’m never speaking to you again.” With that, she covered her face and ran out crying. At that moment, Kevin whispered in my ear, “Let’s finish the wedding first, and I’ll explain everything to you later.” The guests didn’t dare cause any more trouble. The rest of the wedding proceeded smoothly. Soon after, I sat in our room, pounding the bed in frustration. I thought, “What did Kevin mean? Was he trying to trick me just now? That won’t work on me!” When Kevin pushed open the door and entered, I let out a cold snort. I said, “I hate men who can’t set clear boundaries. If you want to cheat, we might as well get divorced now.” Hearing my words, Kevin frowned and said, “We were already engaged. Now that I’ve married you, I’ll take responsibility for you.” I sighed helplessly, “Kevin, what era are we living in? When we got engaged, I never agreed to stay by your side forever.” Kevin seemed irritated by my words, pacing back and forth across the room. Eventually, he sighed, sat down on the edge of the bed, and tried to take my hand. “Audrey, there’s nothing inappropriate between Lily and me. I genuinely want to be with you.” Despite my resistance, he held my hand firmly and said, “I’m not good with words. If there’s anything you’re unhappy about, just tell me, and I’ll definitely change.” Kevin’s expression was serious. Seeing him like this, I felt a bit shy. I nodded and pretended to be nonchalant, saying, “Fine, I have a bad temper, so as long as you can handle it.” After I spoke, seeing Kevin’s smile, I became flustered with embarrassment. I leaned forward and kissed him. Our breathing grew increasingly rapid. Kevin truly lived up to his reputation as a Navy elite. Before long, he placed his hand on the buttons of my clothes, his gaze intense as he asked, “May I?” Embarrassed, I gave him a light slap. Seeing my shy expression, Kevin smiled and buried his face in my neck. “I’m sorry…” I slowly closed my eyes. “Kevin, Lily left a letter and has disappeared!” A knock at the door. Kevin quickly stood up straight. He said, “Audrey, you go to sleep first. I need to go out for a bit.” I glared at Kevin angrily and said, “With so many people on the base, why does it have to be you who goes looking for her? We just got married today!” Kevin got dressed and walked over to me, picking up my coat to help me put it on. “We’ll go together.” “The Thompson family saved my life. I can’t ignore Lily’s situation. So will you come with me? When we return, you can punish me.” I paused for a moment, pushed him away, and put on my coat myself. “Let’s go.” I walked out the door without looking at Kevin, clearly displeased. Soon, I felt him grip my hand tightly. I couldn’t shake his hand off and glared at him angrily. “Walk slowly, visibility isn’t good at night.” Kevin completely ignored my anger, holding my hand firmly. We arrived at Lily’s house shortly after. Since Lily’s parents had passed away early, the naval base had always taken care of her, arranging a small detached cottage for her. Now, people were gathered all around the cottage. The neighbor who first discovered Lily was missing anxiously pushed to the front with a note. [Kevin, I don’t want to burden everyone anymore. I’m going to join my mom and dad.] Looking at this brief message, Kevin frowned and immediately arranged for everyone to spread out to search for Lily. Soon, the entire island where the naval base was located echoed with voices calling for Lily, especially along the coastline where most of the searchers were concentrated. Worried that she might actually harm herself, I also joined the search across this unfamiliar island. However, seeing how many people were already searching the shoreline, I began looking in more secluded areas. I didn’t expect to make an unexpected discovery. “Why are you here? Where’s Kevin?” Hearing my footsteps, Lily turned around excitedly from her position on the rocks, but her face immediately fell when she saw it was me. Seeing her standing resentfully on the rocks, I smiled mockingly. “Is a man who doesn’t even care about you worth risking your life for?” I said. Lily stubbornly replied, “Kevin and I grew up together, and my parents saved his life. If it weren’t for you, I would be his wife!” I scoffed, “If he truly loved you, he wouldn’t have married me. My marriage to Kevin was arranged by our families long ago. You never had a chance! And you never will. Kevin will only be my husband. But if he dares to cheat, I’ll make him taste what it’s like to face a military tribunal. I doubt either of you could handle that!” With that, I turned to leave. Lily clearly had no intention of killing herself—she was just throwing a tantrum. I couldn’t be bothered to engage with her any further. I didn’t expect Lily to suddenly grab me and whisper in my ear, “If we both fell into the sea, would Kevin save you or me?” Before I could react, she violently pulled me into the ocean. Completely unprepared, I swallowed several mouthfuls of salty, bitter seawater. “Help! Kevin! Save me!”

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During the five years my grandfather Patrick Landon and I spent abroad on archaeological expeditions, Sarah Edwards—a scholarship student funded by my father—somehow transformed herself into Serena Landon, the wealthy heiress of the Landon family. Even more ridiculous, she had the audacity to assume my identity and host a grand engagement party with Charlie Anderson, the wealthy heir to the Anderson family. At the party, she glided through the guests with ease, dressed in haute couture and adorned with priceless jewelry. When she spotted me, she mocked, “The Landon family never mistreated you, so why do you look so miserable? Are you trying to play the victim again to get my father to fund you?” With that, she had me thrown out. “Why are you letting just anyone in? Even the cheapest tile on this floor is worth more than her entire outfit!” In my previous life, I might have foolishly argued with her about who was real and who was fake, only to be ridiculed by all the guests. But this time, I walked right up to her and slapped her across the face. “Stop dreaming! Let’s see who gets kicked out of this house tonight!” ***** All the guests gasped in shock. Serena clutched her cheek, staring at me in disbelief, and screamed, “How dare you slap me?” In an instant, several black-suited security guards surrounded me, awaiting Serena’s orders. I couldn’t believe that after only five years away, I had become a stranger in my own home. Charlie positioned himself protectively in front of Serena, his brows furrowed and eyes blazing with anger. “Who is this country bumpkin? Do you realize this is my engagement party with Serena? Do you understand the consequences of causing a scene here?” Serena nestled into Charlie’s arms, feigning distress. “She’s that scholarship student I told you about. She claimed she wanted to study archaeology and tricked my father into funding her. “I never imagined she’d show up in rags to ruin our engagement party! I should have convinced my father not to be so generous!” In my previous life, she used the same excuse, pretending I had come to congratulate her while criticizing my shabby appearance. Back then, I earnestly reflected on my actions, thinking I should have first inquired about the family situation. However, my polite explanations only led to her slandering me, ultimately causing me to die unjustly at the bottom of a freezing lake. Now, I looked at her coldly and sneered, “You think changing your name gets you into high society? Sarah!” The surrounding guests immediately began whispering, casting contemptuous glances my way. “Who’s Sarah? For the past five years, Mr. Ethan Landon has been bringing Miss Serena Landon to all major social events. How could she be fake?” “Perhaps she went mad during her archaeological work and actually believes she’s the heiress. How ungrateful!” Serena pretended to be magnanimous, sighing, “I was too angry earlier. On such an important day, you showed up dressed like this, and I lost my temper. “But with your current attitude, I’ll have to ask my father to stop funding you and expel you from the Landon family!” I laughed coldly, pointing at myself. “You’re saying he should kick me out of the Landon family?” Charlie looked at me as if I were insane and mocked, “What else? Should he kick Serena out instead? How can you be so shameless? “Mr. Landon is very busy today, so he’ll be arriving a bit late. I suggest you leave now before you lose any chance of future funding!” I raised an eyebrow, found a chair, and sat down casually, even leisurely tasting a cherry. “Fine. I’ll wait right here. I want to see who exactly will be kicked out.” Serena trembled with rage and lunged forward to slap me. During these years, I had lived a rugged life with Patrick, frequently moving equipment and tools—completely unlike this girl who spent her days at balls. I caught her wrist and twisted it slightly, causing her to burst into tears from the pain. “You hurt my hand! Jasmine! Do you have a death wish?” Having died once already, her threats had absolutely no effect on me. Instead, my smile grew even brighter. “So you do remember who I am. Did you enjoy impersonating me?” Charlie rushed forward to shield Serena in his arms, glaring at me. “You crazy woman! Should I have you committed to a mental institution right now?”

When our family initially arranged the marriage alliance with the Anderson family, my father did mention it to me, but I was busy exploring newly discovered ruins with Patrick, so I refused without giving it much thought. Seeing my firm stance, he thought it would be better to give this opportunity to Sarah instead. It was then that my father suggested changing Sarah’s name and officially adopting her as his daughter. He said she came from a poor background and that we should help her more. Yet here was Charlie, truly believing he was with a rich girl, playing out some hero-saves-damsel scenario. I glanced at him like he was an idiot and asked, “Are you blind? Haven’t you noticed how similar Mr. Landon and I look?” Charlie sneered, “I’m not blind. Serena resembles him more than you do. Who knows if you got plastic surgery to look like her?” Serena sighed, feigning pity as she said, “Jasmine, weren’t you always jealous of my beauty, wanting to share the same face as me? Did you use the money my father gave you for plastic surgery, trying to replace me?” Seeing Serena’s shamelessness, I was about to slap her other cheek, but before I could move, the crowd suddenly stirred. “Mr. Landon is here!” I thought, “Finally, the truth will come out.” But as I turned around, before I could see who had arrived, I unexpectedly received a slap across my face. “Did you bully my daughter Serena? How dare you?” I frowned at the man before me—it was my father, Ethan Landon, but he seemed not to recognize me at all. Ethan stood protectively in front of Serena, glaring at me impatiently: “Why are you back again? Have you already spent all the money I gave you?” With just two simple sentences, he had cast me as the greedy scholarship student. “I’m late because work was hectic today, but I never expected to arrive and find my daughter being mistreated. I apologize for the scene everyone has witnessed!” At that moment, a man stepped forward from the crowd. “Mr. Landon, I spoke with the elder Mr. Landon just a few days ago. He mentioned that his granddaughter—the true heiress of the Landon family—is currently exploring ruins in the great desert with him.” This man must be Henry Clinton, the antique dealer Patrick had mentioned before, who had been closely following the excavation work. “Miss Jasmine Landon looks exhausted, more like someone who has just returned from an archaeological site. What exactly is going on here?” Ethan had changed his surname after marrying into the Landon family. After my mother passed away, although he managed company affairs, Patrick was the one who actually held power. However, Patrick had temporarily gone to oversee the archaeological team at his friend’s request. Cold sweat formed on Ethan’s forehead, but he still pretended to be calm as he defended himself: “Elder Mr. Landon is very kind. Since this girl was willing to follow him on archaeological expeditions, it’s not surprising that he casually referred to her as his granddaughter, is it? “Perhaps she’s just putting on an act to gain sympathy. Not only is she ungrateful, but now she’s also bullying my daughter while I’m away!” My gaze shifted between Ethan and Serena, and I suddenly understood why he was so protective of her. In my previous life, I hadn’t waited for him to arrive before Serena incited everyone to verbally abuse and bully me, ultimately driving me to drown myself in the lake. Now, however, I was prepared and had specifically waited for him to appear, but I never expected he harbored such intentions. Actually, I should have seen it coming long ago.

Ethan adopted Serena specifically to arrange her marriage with the Anderson family. Once Patrick dies, even if his will puts me in charge, Ethan could team up with the Anderson family to remove me. He’s truly cunning and devious. No wonder I always felt Ethan’s smile was extremely fake when I was young—he’d been planning to replace me all along. His words pinned me to a pillar of shame like a sharp knife. Some guests even started hurling insults directly at me: “How can there be such a shameless woman in this world! They kindly supported her, but she repaid their kindness with betrayal, delusional enough to think she could replace Miss Landon!” “Miss Landon is just too kind-hearted. If I were her, I wouldn’t waste charity on this tramp!” A flash of satisfaction crossed Serena’s eyes, but she feigned pity and said, “I felt sorry for her when she first came begging at our house in rags, but I never imagined she would be delusional enough to try replacing me!” Ethan waved his hand, and several security guards immediately stepped forward to grab me, ready to throw me out. I remained completely calm, looking coldly at the man so eager to get rid of me. “Why such a hurry? Do you think after kicking me out, Sarah can legitimately become the Landon family heiress?” Cold sweat broke out on Ethan’s forehead, but he still pretended to be composed, harshly ordering the guards: “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and throw out this ungrateful liar of a charity case!” “Something’s not right!” Henry, who had spoken up for me earlier, frowned and eyed Ethan suspiciously. “With Mr. Landon’s discerning character, how could he casually adopt a girl as his granddaughter? “Besides, when I wanted my son to meet Miss Landon before, Mr. Landon said he would personally oversee his granddaughter’s marriage. Why is he absent from the engagement party today?” Henry’s words made Ethan even more flustered. Ethan glared at Henry. “Mr. Clinton, what are you implying? Are you suggesting I can’t recognize my own daughter? Or do you have some secret arrangement with this girl?” Charlie immediately chimed in: “How dare you question a father’s ability to recognize his own daughter? I think you must be conspiring to ruin my engagement party with Serena!” Now even Henry, who had spoken up for justice, was being baselessly accused by everyone. Seeing everyone taking his side, Ethan visibly relaxed, looking at me with disgust. In truth, I’d always known he disliked me since childhood, but I never depended on him. Now I see he probably never loved my mother, though he pretended to love her deeply, swearing never to marry another woman. “Will you leave on your own, or should I have someone throw you out? I was too kind-hearted before, but today I finally see your true intentions!” I laughed coldly and retorted, “I also see your true intentions! “Who are you to tell me to leave? You’re the one who should get out!” Ethan trembled with rage, stepped forward and slapped me again. “You’re telling ME to leave? I supported you to achieve your dreams, and you dare speak to me like this?” He hit me so hard my ears rang and blood seeped from the corner of my mouth. I spat out the blood and stared at this man I’d called “Dad” for over twenty years, saying, “Shouldn’t a man with no blood relation to my family get out?” My words seemed to infuriate them. Serena leaned against Charlie, pouting, “Charlie, is it because you’re so amazing that she fell in love with you and wants to steal you from me?” Ethan rubbed his furrowed brow and said, “Sir Landon took you in out of pity, yet you dare to act so presumptuously!” “Security! Drag her out of here!” If I were truly taken away by his men, I might have died here today. He was determined to have Serena replace my identity. Once I was dead, he could legitimately propose to Patrick that Serena become the Landon family heir. I thought, “Hmph, he’s dreaming!” So I shouted, “Who dares to touch me? Don’t all of you know who truly holds power in the Landon family now?” The security guards froze in place, and the surrounding guests began whispering among themselves. “She seems so confident. Could she really be the Landon family’s daughter?” “Mr. Landon appears to be in charge on the surface, but everyone knows Sir Landon is the one who truly makes decisions behind the scenes. Both Mr. Clinton and Mr. Landon have mentioned keeping her by his side, so perhaps what she’s saying is the truth.” A flash of panic crossed Serena’s face. She tugged at Ethan’s sleeve, feigning distress: “Dad, look at her! She’s threatening me with my grandfather again! Everyone knows my grandfather is obsessed with his academic pursuits and has no time for these trivial matters!” Ethan immediately caught on and sneered, “Indeed, she’s full of lies! Now she even dares to use Patrick as her backing!” “If Patrick knew you were bullying his own granddaughter here, do you think he would still favor you?” I calmly watched them twist the truth as I slowly raised my phone and scoffed, “Why do you think I’m so certain my grandfather will return?” Ethan pretended to remain composed, but his hands trembled slightly beyond his control. Patrick had always been dissatisfied with Ethan, and Ethan both respected and feared him. Ethan immediately ordered his men to grab my phone. “Today is my daughter’s engagement party. How can I let an outsider cause trouble here?” “If anyone grabs her and throws her out, I’ll triple their salary!” Charlie also nodded to his security guards. “Help the Landon family remove this troublemaker! No one can ruin the union of our two families today!” As soon as he finished speaking, more than twenty black-suited security guards surrounded me. Several of them roughly seized my phone and smashed it violently on the floor. Then, a few more restrained my arms with such force that I could barely breathe. Finally, they even pulled out a black bag, preparing to stuff me inside and throw me out of the banquet hall. “How dare you impersonate Miss Landon? We won’t let you off easily today!” I heard Ethan snort coldly, “How could someone like her possibly be my daughter? Charlie, don’t you know what Serena is really like?” Charlie immediately agreed, “Exactly! Serena is gentle and considerate, unlike her in those ragged clothes, nothing like a wealthy young lady.” Henry was still trying to speak up for me. “Of course she looks like this after returning from an archaeological expedition. Even if she’s lying, you shouldn’t treat a girl this way.” Serena mockingly said, “Mr. Clinton, I am Sir Landon’s granddaughter. Why are you so stubborn about this? If my grandfather knew someone was bullying me, he wouldn’t just throw her out!” “Is that so?” “Then I want to see who’s bullying my granddaughter!” Just as I was about to suffocate, I finally heard Patrick’s authoritative voice.

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In this second chance at life, I vowed to stay far away from Noah Everett. When he suddenly started working at my company, I handed in my resignation that very day. When he bought an apartment in my complex, I quickly moved out. When he decided to take over his family business and stay in the country, I immediately applied for a transfer to an overseas branch. In my previous life, I had forced him to marry me by using my pregnancy as leverage. But on our wedding day, his first love, Coco Ellis, returned. Seeing him and me in the middle of our wedding ceremony, she turned and jumped off the rooftop. Noah pretended nothing happened and carried on with our wedding as if everything was normal. On our wedding anniversary, he suggested taking me and our daughter bungee jumping to celebrate. However, he cut our safety ropes with his own hands, causing our immediate deaths. After we died, I heard him sneer at my corpse. “If it weren’t for you, would Coco have committed suicide?” “Now, you should go to hell and apologize to her!” When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the night I forced him to marry me with my pregnancy. “I’m sorry, Ms. Johnson, but without an invitation, you cannot enter,” the security guard blocked me, his eyes filled with coldness. This launch event had been meticulously arranged for Noah by my parents, who had exhausted their connections and finances, yet I wasn’t invited. But at this moment, a wave of wild joy surged through me, because just seconds ago, I had been reborn, returning to this night that changed my destiny. In terms of both status and wealth, the Johnson family far surpassed the Everett family. In my previous life, I was like someone under a spell—even knowing his heart belonged only to Coco, I never gave up. Noah’s parents naturally welcomed our relationship. As soon as Coco went abroad, they eagerly arranged our engagement. But Noah was always ice-cold toward me. The security guard, long accustomed to seeing me rejected, showed no respect and sarcastically remarked, “Ms. Johnson, why subject yourself to this humiliation?” Guests with invitations, dressed in their finest, entered the venue one by one. They recognized me and whispered among themselves. In my previous life, I was also blocked at the door like this. Wearing a haute couture dress, I shivered in the cold wind, enduring contemptuous looks and mockery. Finally, I fainted from exhaustion and was taken to the hospital, where they discovered I was pregnant. Noah appeared furious on the spot. In contrast, his mother, Patricia Everett, was overjoyed and immediately announced our wedding would take place in a month. Unexpectedly, on our wedding day, Coco suddenly returned to the country. Witnessing Noah marrying me, she jumped from the rooftop in tears. But Noah carried on with our wedding as if nothing had happened. After we married, our child was born, and we seemed like a happy family. I naively thought everything was behind us and that we would be the happiest family until our wedding anniversary, when he excitedly took us bungee jumping to celebrate. At that time, I was overjoyed and completely off guard. However, the moment my daughter and I jumped, Noah cut our safety ropes from behind. As I was dying, I heard him say through gritted teeth, “If it weren’t for you forcing me to marry you with your pregnancy, would Coco have died?” “Do you deserve to bear my child? Every Christmas these past years, seeing you two made me sick!” “Go to hell and apologize to Coco!” Only then did I understand that everything that happened during those Christmases was fake, and Noah had always blamed me and our daughter for Coco’s death. Even after my death, he didn’t spare my parents. After using up their resources, Noah betrayed them, causing my family’s downfall. In this life, I only want to stay away from Noah and protect myself and my family.

As I turned to leave, the security guard’s face was filled with disbelief. He muttered under his breath behind me, “This woman is just leaving like that?” I sat in my car with a helpless smile. Everyone in Atlanta’s high society knew about my obsession with Noah. I stayed up late helping him develop his products. For promotion and marketing, I even found all the models for him. All Noah had to do was reap the benefits. He had told me more than once that his family’s roots in Atlanta were still shallow and needed more support. So I used all my family’s resources to help Noah, but at the celebration party, he didn’t even mention my name. Instead, he thanked some unknown internet celebrity, Coco Ellis, with tears in his eyes. He even replaced all his product spokespersons with her without consulting me. When I asked Noah about it, he just smiled carelessly and said, “Coco is hardworking and ambitious. Why can’t we give her a chance?” I found it ridiculous and thought, “Could she really rise to prominence just through hard work and ambition?” It wasn’t until their interactions became more frequent that I had someone investigate. It turned out Coco was the girl Noah had loved but couldn’t have during Christmas in his youth. When Coco suffered from cyberbullying, Noah didn’t hesitate to use all company resources to back her up. I raised questions, but he slapped me hard across the face in front of everyone at the spaghetti dinner. “Coco is an employee of our company. Who are you to tell me what to do? “She’s so pure and kind. Would you heartlessly watch her being bullied?” In reality, however, Coco had privately met with men who spent money on her, but one man’s wife discovered it and took revenge on her. I really didn’t want to go through another life wrapped in lies. I had just arrived at the hospital to schedule surgery when I looked up to see Noah carefully helping Coco walk in. They exchanged smiles, clearly a perfect couple. The moment my eyes met Noah’s, I couldn’t help but tremble. The excruciating pain of my fatal fall in my previous life came rushing back like a tidal wave. Seeing me, the smile in Noah’s eyes instantly vanished, replaced by malice. Coco timidly said, with a flash of cunning in her eyes, “Vivian, don’t misunderstand. The stage suddenly collapsed today, and I accidentally fell, so Mr. Everett brought me to the hospital.” She deliberately lifted her skirt, revealing a moderate bruise on her ankle. Then, she tugged at Noah’s sleeve pitifully, adding, “Please don’t blame Vivian. I’m sure she didn’t mean it.” Sure enough, Noah instantly flew into a rage, rushing over to grab my throat. “If it weren’t for you, how would Coco have gotten hurt?” He hadn’t invited me to the launch event, but I had personally arranged all the decorations. Now that there was an accident, even though I wasn’t present, he wanted to hold me responsible. Seeing my face turn red, Noah smiled smugly. When he caught sight of the obstetrics and gynecology sign, he sneered, “Vivian, are you trying to use pregnancy as a despicable means to force me to marry you?” He immediately let go, and I fell heavily to the ground. “If you really are pregnant, just give it up. Don’t force me to do something.” “Are you even worthy of bearing my child?” With that, he left, tightly holding Coco’s hand. I trembled all over, suddenly feeling a warm flow of blood between my legs. A passing nurse caught sight of me and shouted in panic, “Someone help! Come help me!”

When I woke up, I saw my mother’s face filled with anxiety. Touching my abdomen, I found it flat as before, as if Christian’s little baby had never existed. Memories came flooding back like a tide. In my previous life, my daughter was born weak and sickly, spending a full three months in an incubator. During the most critical time, doctors even issued a critical condition notice. I spared no expense bringing in top specialists from abroad and kept vigil outside the hospital room day and night. In contrast, the only time Noah came to the hospital, he just frowned and said, “Why don’t we give up? Both we and the baby are suffering.” Ironically, I was naive enough to believe he was thinking of me. But if he didn’t love me, why should I bring my child into this world to suffer? “Vivian, the doctor just said…” my mother hesitated, afraid of upsetting me in my weakened state. “Mom, I’m fine,” I gently squeezed her hand. “I want to break off my engagement with Noah.” During my days in the hospital, Noah hadn’t visited me once, so my mother naturally understood everything. She said through gritted teeth, “Does the Everett family no longer want to develop in Atlanta? How dare they treat you like this?” With that, my mother pulled out her phone. “Remember all those projects we gave to the Everett family? Put them all up for rebidding!” After hanging up, my mother stroked my face tenderly. “Sweetheart, I’ll never arrange such an unreliable marriage for you again. From now on, you can do whatever you want!” On the day of my discharge, Noah suddenly appeared at the hospital entrance. He leaned against his car, his face dark with anger. “Vivian, you’re really something. You made a mistake, but you shamelessly had your family rebid all our projects. “Do you think I can’t survive without the Johnson family or you?” Just then, an elegantly made-up middle-aged woman stepped out of the car. Seeing the situation, she angrily tapped Noah’s shoulder. “Vivian, don’t listen to his nonsense! He’s still angry with you. I apologize on his behalf.” She gracefully walked to my side and warmly took my hand. “We’re about to become family. You don’t need to be so distant. “In the future, both the Johnson and Everett families will belong to you and Noah!” However, my mother stepped in front of me and said, “Mrs. Patricia Everett, I don’t think that’s necessary. Vivian isn’t good enough for your son. “When Vivian was hospitalized, I never saw him visit. Now that I’ve withdrawn all your projects, you’re rushing over in a panic. “My daughter even…” “Mom, there’s no need to waste words on them,” I quickly interrupted before she could mention my pregnancy. Noah looked even more furious and had the audacity to mock me in front of my mother, “Fine. Vivian, since you’re so heartless, don’t come begging me later!” Patricia was so anxious she stamped her foot, but Noah forcibly pulled her back into the car. My mother was shaking with anger. “I must have been blind to think he was a good man!” I quickly moved to comfort her. Noah had always thought highly of himself, believing my family invested in him and gave him projects because of his abilities. Now, we would let this pampered young man, who had never truly experienced business competition, feel the harsh reality. I had just turned on the TV when Noah’s familiar face appeared on screen, flashing under the bright lights. “Mr. Everett, is Ms. Ellis your newly signed spokesperson? I’ve heard she’s just an unknown internet celebrity, yet she’s receiving strong support from the Everett Group. Is there any special reason for this?” Since our unpleasant parting at the hospital, Noah had been making high-profile appearances with Coco everywhere. He gave the camera a meaningful smile. “Although Coco is relatively inexperienced, I hope everyone will pay attention to her efforts and potential. She’s worked hard on her own, unlike certain girls who were born into nobility.” As he finished, a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes. I clearly understood the hidden meaning in his words. As soon as their program ended, Noah’s friend eagerly updated his Instagram: [Noah and Coco are such a perfect match! He finally dumped that woman!] Since our families’ arranged marriage, my parents had poured resources into supporting Noah. Now that the Everett family was gradually growing, his friends immediately began exaggeratedly sucking up to him. My phone suddenly rang—it was security calling. “Ms. Johnson, there’s a woman claiming to be an internet celebrity who wants to use your apartment for a photoshoot, and she has a key card.” The downtown penthouse was the wedding home my parents had prepared for us, so I had given Noah a key card. “Kick her out.” Just as I finished speaking, a shrill scream came from the other end of the line. “This is my boyfriend’s apartment. What right do you have to stop me? You’ll regret this!” Not long after, Noah called me. He angrily said, “Coco just wanted to borrow our apartment for an ad shoot. Why did you have security block her? Tell them to back off before I lose my temper!” I coldly laughed, “This is my apartment. What does it have to do with you? It’s perfectly normal for security to keep strangers out. If she doesn’t leave, I’ll call the police!” Without waiting for his response, I hung up. Then, I immediately handed my apartment over to a real estate agent. Units in that building were scarce, and within days I sold it at a premium. Later, the agent quietly told me someone had bought an apartment in the building next to mine. Without prying further, he simply said, “I heard the buyer’s last name is Everett…” I knew very well that apartment was stigmatized property, with an incident occurring right after I sold mine. It sold for only a third of what my apartment went for. Even so, Noah had to sell several smaller properties to barely scrape together enough money. Coco couldn’t wait to show off during her livestream, displaying the river view from every angle. “This is the luxury riverside apartment my boyfriend bought. Everyone’s welcome to visit!” Comments flooded the screen. [Isn’t this the apartment where that incident happened a few days ago?] [That’s right! I saw on the news that a man stabbed his wife to death there! So scary!] Coco’s face instantly turned pale as she frantically shut down the livestream. The day I went to the company to process my resignation, Noah cornered me in the break room. Back then, to be closer to him, I had concealed my identity and joined his company, starting from the most basic position. He never appreciated me, only assigning me the most tedious tasks. “I heard from HR that you’re resigning.” I put down my files and responded without looking up, “I want a change of jobs.” He clearly hadn’t expected this attitude from me, and there was underlying anger in his voice. “Vivian, when will you stop? When I went to our wedding apartment, a stranger opened the door! You sold the penthouse without telling me?” I looked up and calmly said, “Didn’t you say you were sick of me? Shouldn’t you be happy that I’m staying away from you now?” He sneered, “I didn’t make an issue when you unilaterally pulled all our collaborative projects. Now you’re quietly resigning? Have you forgotten how you used to follow me around like a dog? What trick are you trying to pull now? Listen, Vivian, playing hard to get won’t work on me!” Ignoring him, I picked up my box and walked straight out. Then, a paper suddenly slipped from the box. Noah bent down to pick it up. Suddenly, his face turned pale, and his voice began to shake. “Vivian, are you pregnant?”

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On my thirtieth birthday, Nathan Brewer asked me to meet him at City Hall. He specifically instructed me to wear a wedding dress and bring my ID, saying he wanted to give me a special birthday gift. However, when I stood at the entrance of City Hall, he turned to his friends behind him and laughed, “See? She really came in a wedding dress with her ID! You all lost. One hundred dollars from each of you!” Then, he turned to me, raising his eyebrows with a flippant tone, “Winnie, this was just a joke. You didn’t actually take it seriously, did you?” Seeing my silence, he added with a smirk, “If you’re that desperate to get married, why don’t you go inside and find some random guy to get a marriage certificate with?” Everyone around burst into laughter. They mocked me for being Nathan’s most loyal backup, saying no one would ever want to marry me. But when my new husband and I walked arm in arm out of City Hall with our fresh marriage certificate, Nathan stood frozen, his face instantly turning pale. ***** When I witnessed Nathan collecting money from each of his friends, I realized that today was just another spectacle where my humiliation was the betting stake. Those who lost the bet, after mocking me, continued with nasty remarks and eye-rolling. “Winnie, do you know how much money I lost? Please, use your brain for once!” “I’ve warned you so many times that Nathan is out of your league. You didn’t actually think he’d marry you, did you?” “He’s played you at least ten times already! The fact that you still fall for it shows how incredibly stupid you are!” I bit my lower lip hard, my nails nearly digging into my palms. Nathan, after collecting his money, walked over to me and asked in a fake concerned tone, “What’s wrong, Winnie? Aren’t you happy?” He turned back to his friends and said, “Hey, you jerks, it’s Winnie’s birthday today. How could you bully her like that?” Just when I thought he had found his conscience, Nathan pulled a bill from his pocket and handed it to me with a grin. “Thanks for helping me earn two thousand dollars. Here’s ten bucks—go buy yourself a small cake. Consider it my birthday gift to you.” As soon as he finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter again. “Nathan, you’re too kind! Be careful, Winnie might fall even more desperately in love with you!” “Didn’t you see she came in a wedding dress? She’s dying to marry you!” In the past, I might have broken down crying, begging Nathan to stop hurting me. But this time, I calmly took the ten dollars from his hand and said quietly, “Thanks. This will cover the marriage license fee. I didn’t bring cash, so I’ll consider this your wedding gift to me.” Nathan paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Winnie, have you lost your mind? Are you still thinking about marrying me? “Can’t you see I’m messing with you? “I’ve never met anyone as pathetic as you.” He frowned, his face full of disgust. Even though I was prepared, each of his words pierced my heart like arrows, leaving it riddled with wounds. Actually, I had known about Nathan using me for a bet since yesterday. Last night, I received his call. On the other end, he was uncharacteristically gentle. “Winnie, meet me at City Hall tomorrow at nine. I want to give you a special birthday gift. “Oh, and make sure you look nice. Wear that new wedding dress you bought and bring your ID. See you tomorrow on time!” After hanging up, my heart was racing. Indeed, I had just posted a photo of myself trying on and buying a wedding dress on Instagram. I thought, “Could he be deciding to marry me because of that post?” However, not long after, someone sent me a video. In the video, Nathan was showing my Instagram to others. “What does Winnie mean by this?” he asked. Someone immediately responded, “She wants to get married! Women approaching thirty get desperate and can only express themselves this way. “I think Winnie is jealous that Nathan has a new girlfriend and is deliberately posting this kind of content for attention.” Nathan’s new girlfriend was Emilia Wells, a girl from an intellectual family, whom he cherished deeply. Nathan shook his head. “It’s such a hassle being pursued by this kind of woman.” Then he said, “How about this—I’ll make a bet with you all. With just one phone call, she’ll obediently show up at City Hall tomorrow wearing a wedding dress. Want to see this clown perform?” Someone laughed, “Nathan, what if you lose? Have Emilia dance for us!” Before the person could finish laughing, Nathan had already punched him in the face. His expression turned terrifyingly dark. “If you want to die, just say so. Who are you to even speak Emilia’s name?” Emilia was his life—not even a joke about her was tolerated. While I was just a clown he used for betting, someone who could be mistreated without consequence. After watching the video, my heart ached in waves. My tears fell uncontrollably, dropping onto my phone screen, blurring his smug smile in the video. I wiped away my tears, cleaned the screen, and stared hard at Nathan’s face. This was the man I had loved for eight years. He knew better than anyone how much I liked him, so he also knew exactly how to hurt me the deepest. He had forgotten the promises he made years ago. “Winnie, if you’re still not married by thirty, let’s be together.” Today, I turned thirty. And I was getting married. But I hadn’t told Nathan that the person I was marrying wasn’t him.

The wedding dress I chose reaches my ankles. My fiancé and I picked it out together. I lifted the hem of my dress, walked around Nathan, and headed toward City Hall. He suddenly grabbed my wrist and said, “Stop pretending, Winnie. Who are you putting on this show for? “If you’re so desperate to get married, why don’t you go in and find someone random to get a marriage license with? Do me a favor and stop bothering me after that.” I looked up at his face, unable to summon the energy to explain or even feel angry. I just felt disappointed and sad. The Nathan who once defended me, who would chase down people who spoke ill of me and force them to apologize, was long gone. I shook my head and tried to pull my hand away. But just then, Emilia appeared, shouting, “Nathan!” Nathan instinctively let go of me. To demonstrate his loyalty, he even pulled an alcohol wipe from his bag and meticulously cleaned the hand that had just grabbed me, as if I were something utterly filthy. Emilia asked curiously, “Nathan, what are you doing here? “Winnie, are you getting married today? You’re even wearing a wedding dress.” Nathan looked around nervously, not daring to admit he had organized a betting pool because of me. In his panic, he randomly pulled one of his friends next to me and laughed loudly, “Emilia, you’re so smart! You figured it out! Today is Winnie and Harold’s wedding day. “We’re all here to congratulate them.” His friends immediately chimed in. “That’s right, Emilia. Today is Winnie and Harold’s wedding day. We’re celebrating with them!” I glanced at the short Harold beside me, whose idiotic grin made me feel sick. Seeing that Emilia still seemed doubtful, Nathan hurriedly pushed Harold and me forward. “Hurry up, go get your license! Emilia is still watching!” I stumbled a few steps from his push, while Harold boldly took the opportunity to grab my hand. He whispered to me, “Winnie, Nathan will never marry you. I think you look pretty good, nice figure too. We could work out.” I couldn’t take it anymore. I violently yanked my hand away from his greasy grip and leaned against the wall, starting to retch. Nathan immediately said, “Oh my, Winnie, could you be pregnant? “Harold, congratulations!” Emilia’s face lit up with joy as she congratulated me, “Winnie, I used to worry about your love life, but I never expected you’d have a husband and baby so quickly! Congratulations!” I coldly stared at Nathan, who was still laughing exaggeratedly, and said in a detached tone, “Yes, I am getting married, but not to him. My fiancé is waiting for me inside. Save your congratulations for later.” The smile on Nathan’s face instantly froze.

Just then, my phone rang. After answering, I responded briefly. “Second floor, right? Should I go in and wait in line? Okay, that works.” I turned to look at Nathan, who was standing frozen in place, and said, “I’m wearing a wedding dress because my fiancé hired a photographer to document the day we get our marriage license. “This gown is the lightest of my seven wedding outfits, making it suitable for going out. “Since you’re all here, I might as well give you the wedding invitations directly. My wedding is on the tenth of next month, and you’re all welcome to attend.” I took out the invitations from my purse and handed them out one by one. When it was Nathan’s turn, he didn’t reach out to take it. Those who received invitations began whispering, “Marriott Hotel! That’s the best hotel in the city. Did Winnie snag a rich guy?” Nathan let out a cold laugh, his eyes full of disdain. “Winnie, you really love putting on a show, don’t you? “You even prepared wedding invitations and booked the Marriott Hotel? Your tactics just seem ridiculous to me.” As he spoke, he pinched the invitation between two fingers and carelessly tossed it aside. Emilia glanced at the invitation and sighed, “Sorry Winnie, but I’m with Nathan on this one. This invitation doesn’t even have photos of the bride and groom. It doesn’t look genuine.” I explained quietly, “Because we haven’t had time to take photos yet…” But Emilia continued, holding my hand and advising, “Actually, I’ve always known about your feelings for Nathan…” Nathan immediately tensed up. “Emilia, let me explain…” Emilia shook her head. “Nathan, you don’t need to explain anything. I know you two grew up together, so naturally your relationship is special.” She turned to me. “Winnie, as a woman, I completely understand how you feel. But you can’t force someone to love you. Nathan has said before that he only sees you as a sister. “And now, as something of a sister to you myself, let me give you some advice: stop doing these foolish things. The more you do, the more people will laugh at you.” People around us chimed in. “Emilia is so kind and gracious!” “Emilia truly lives up to her prestigious background—kind-hearted and good-natured. The way she’s advising Winnie shows what an exceptional woman she is!” Emilia looked at me with pitying eyes. “Come on, Winnie, let me help you change out of this wedding dress.” It was always like this. Whenever Nathan teased or humiliated me, Emilia would step forward to “comfort” me. Over time, Nathan became more convinced that his girlfriend was both beautiful and kind, while my “pettiness” only highlighted her goodness. Just as I was about to refuse, Emilia suddenly noticed the tag on the back of my dress. She grabbed the tag and read it aloud, “How are you wearing this brand of wedding dress, and it’s this season’s new design? “Winnie, I really feel sorry for you. Did you rent this dress? The tag isn’t even removed. You really don’t need to go to such lengths…” Hearing this, Nathan’s expression grew even more mocking. He pulled Emilia into his arms, kissed her hair, and said in an indulgent tone, “Emilia, you’re just too kind-hearted. Why bother talking to someone as shameless and pathetic as Winnie?” Emilia continued her act. She clutched Nathan’s clothes and said earnestly, “Nathan, I believe Winnie doesn’t mean any harm. It’s just a young girl’s vanity, which can be corrected.” My face flushed with anger as I clenched my fists and explained, “My fiancé bought the dress for me yesterday. I just forgot to remove the tag, that’s why—” “Enough. Tell a lie often enough and it starts to sound like the truth,” Nathan said dismissively, tilting his chin at me. “Winnie, if you really have a fiancé, then call him out here so we can see him.” The people behind him immediately joined in, “Yeah, call him out so we can see!” “Let us meet this rich guy who can afford designer clothes and book the Marriott Hotel!” “Aren’t you getting married today? Where’s the groom?” I stood at the entrance of city hall, with many passersby stopping to stare at us. Harold, whom I had pushed away earlier, immediately pointed at me and shouted, “Everyone, look at this woman! She wanted to be someone’s mistress, and when she was exposed, she claimed she’s here to get married. “Let’s all see who her groom really is!” The crowd of onlookers grew larger, with some pointing and whispering about me, while others took out their phones to take photos and videos. The early autumn wind carried a hint of chill, and I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around myself for warmth. Emilia also rubbed her arms, and Nathan immediately took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. He shouted angrily, “Winnie, hurry up and call your husband! If Emilia catches a cold, you’ll pay for it!” I lowered my head, feeling cold from the inside out. The truth was, I wasn’t sure when my fiancé would arrive. After all, we had only met once for dinner. As time passed, still no one appeared, while more and more people gathered around me. Their cameras were almost pressed against my face. I could only keep backing away, avoiding those lenses, until I bumped into someone and stopped. I quickly said, “I’m sorry, I—” Before I could finish, a pair of strong hands rested on my shoulders. He said, “I’m the one who should apologize. “Sorry, wife. I got stuck in traffic and arrived late.”

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I called Diana Jones, who works as a medical examiner, after her parents and sister were in a car accident. It took eighty calls before she finally answered. “What’s wrong with me celebrating Asher’s birthday? Can’t you stop being so petty?” I told her about her family’s accident, hoping she would come immediately to handle the aftermath. She just laughed coldly, “What does your family’s death have to do with me?” Not only did she refuse to come, but as a medical examiner, she even provided false testimony in court for her first love who had killed her entire family. When I finally filed for divorce, she became furious. “Eric, it’s just a few people who died. Asher didn’t do it on purpose. Besides, it was your parents and sister who weren’t paying attention to the road. You’re being so aggressive, threatening divorce over this—I’m really disappointed in you.” Looking at her angry expression, I finally understood. She never realized that it was actually her family who had died. ***** Diana’s parents and sister were violently thrown from the impact. The next second, flames shot into the sky as the car exploded with a deafening blast that nearly pierced my eardrums. I stood frozen in place, a chill instantly spreading throughout my body. It took me a long while to regain my senses. My fingers trembled uncontrollably as I called emergency services. After calming down slightly, I immediately dialed Diana’s number, but she wouldn’t pick up. It wasn’t until my eightieth call that she finally answered. Before I could speak, Diana’s impatient tone came through. “Didn’t I tell you not to disturb me today? This is Asher’s first birthday since he returned to the country, and I want to spend it with him properly. Can’t you avoid causing problems at a time like this?” Hearing the name “Asher,” my fingers instinctively tightened their grip. Looking back at Diana’s family lying in pools of blood behind me, I swallowed the accusations I wanted to make. My voice shook with urgency. “Your parents and sister have been in a car accident. They’re seriously injured and being rushed to the hospital. You need to come quickly. I’ll send you the address.” Before I could finish, Diana let out a light laugh, her tone dismissive. “What does your family’s accident have to do with me? I’m not their daughter. Their lives aren’t my concern. Don’t bother me with this.” The call ended abruptly, leaving me breathless at the harsh dial tone, making Diana seem like a stranger for the first time. The police who arrived saw my dazed expression and gently patted my shoulder, suggesting I follow the ambulance to the hospital. Watching Diana’s family being loaded onto stretchers, my hands continued to shake, my heart filled with dread. Just minutes before the accident, Diana’s father had mentioned being thirsty, so I’d gone to a nearby convenience store for water. I never imagined that upon my return, I would witness them being hit, their faces completely unrecognizable from the impact. I didn’t know whether to feel relieved about my narrow escape or devastated by their tragic fate. As I recalled the accident, my phone received a notification for a thirty-thousand-dollar purchase. It was from a store where I often bought ties. Diana shopping there certainly wasn’t to buy something for me. She rarely showed any concern for me on normal days. This morning, to celebrate Asher Owens’ return to the country, she had carefully applied elaborate makeup and worn a dress she’d previously been too precious about to wear. Even during our dating days, she had never put in such effort with her appearance. Instead, she often mocked me, saying, “We’ve been married for so many years. Seeing your face every day is annoying enough—putting on makeup would be a complete waste of time.” Another purchase notification popped up, this time from an upscale restaurant we occasionally visited. I tried calling her again, only to find her phone was now turned off. I opened her Instagram and saw she had just posted an update: “Birthday celebrations with someone you love make even the cake taste sweeter.” Seeing the intimate photo of Diana feeding Asher cake, anger surged through my entire body. Just then, the operating room light went out. The doctor emerged, shaking his head and simply saying, “My condolences.” My heart sank into an abyss. Although I had mentally prepared myself, they had been family to me for many years, and I felt profound grief. I looked at my phone again, thinking of their daughter who was still out enjoying herself. With a cold laugh, I immediately contacted the bank to freeze Diana’s credit cards.

After completing the statement, the police informed me that they had found surveillance footage of the accident scene. I followed the police car to the station. When I saw the footage, I couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed. I frantically rewound the video a few seconds, pausing on the vehicle responsible for the accident. Despite the blurry footage, I could recognize that it was Asher, who had just returned to the country. At that moment, all my suppressed emotions exploded. From beginning to end, I felt like a complete joke. It turned out that the person who killed Diana’s family was her first love. I let out a cold laugh, thinking, “If Diana knew about this, would she still happily celebrate her first love’s birthday?” The police thought I was having an emotional breakdown due to the shock and patted my shoulder to comfort me. I wiped my face and calmly said, “I know this person.” “Officer, I request an autopsy.” I spoke rapidly, appearing to others as someone unable to accept the death of family members. The officers exchanged glances but didn’t refuse my request. As a family member, I did have the right to request an autopsy. The officer said, “Mr. Greene, we understand how you feel. However, the surveillance footage is incomplete and doesn’t prove that Asher deliberately killed anyone. This case requires further investigation. You can initiate the autopsy process now.” I nodded, indicating my willingness to cooperate with the police investigation. After leaving the police station, I opened my phone and immediately received a call from Diana. As soon as I answered, her cold voice came through. “You froze my card? Eric, how dare you! What right do you have to freeze my card?” I calmly replied, “The right that it’s my salary card. Diana, do I need to remind you? Every penny you’re spending now is my money.” Diana fell silent, and when she spoke again, her tone was somewhat softer. “We’re husband and wife, why distinguish between yours and mine? Today is Asher’s birthday, and I finally see him after so long. If he ends up paying for his own birthday celebration, do you know how embarrassing that would be for me?” She continued complaining, making me increasingly irritated. Unable to bear it any longer, I shouted, “Are you done yet?” Clearly not expecting me to raise my voice, Diana paused, then said, “Eric, you’re actually yelling at me?” Her voice carried a hint of grievance, and she soon began to cry. Diana had always been like this—pampered since childhood, crying and making a scene whenever anyone said anything against her. In the past, whenever she put on this act, I would immediately comfort her and spare no expense buying her designer bags. But now, whenever I thought about her celebrating the birthday of the person who killed her family, I felt that all my sincere feelings had been trampled into worthlessness. “Your parents are dead. Remember to come back for the funeral,” I told her coldly. However, she responded with something that shocked me. “Everyone dies eventually. The three of them dying together is a kind of reunion. You can handle the funeral. I have many bodies to dissect these days.” With that, she hung up. I was stunned, realizing that she apparently didn’t know the deceased were her parents. Pressing my lips together, I asked the police again, “Can I request a specific medical examiner for the autopsy? Consider it my final request.”

After leaving the police station and returning home, I had my lawyer draft a lawsuit. Just as I sent out the lawsuit, Diana unexpectedly returned home early, despite supposedly being busy with autopsies. She burst through the door furiously and immediately grabbed a water glass from the table, hurling it at me. Glass shards exploded against the wall, scattering everywhere. Her chest heaved violently as she pointed at my nose and shouted, “Eric, have you no shame? “Asher didn’t intentionally kill your family! How could you take out your anger on an innocent person?” “Asher told you?” I coldly asked. Diana let out a bitter laugh. “I had just finished celebrating his birthday when he was summoned by the police. He told me everything on the way. It wasn’t intentional—he was just in a hurry to see me. “Besides, if your elderly parents had paid attention to the road, would this have happened? And your sister got caught up in it too!” Noticing something off about my expression, her tone softened slightly. “Eric, don’t be so upset. What’s done is done, so let it go. Don’t make this more embarrassing than it needs to be. Asher and I have agreed to compensate you with $300,000 to settle this privately.” I couldn’t help but laugh, staring directly at Diana. “So their three lives are worth just $100,000 each?” Hearing this, Diana’s face darkened again. She shoved me, her voice low and warning. “You’d better be reasonable! $100,000 is already a lot! Your parents were old anyway—even if they hadn’t died, you’d have had to take care of them regularly. Now that they’re gone, you’ve been spared that burden. You’re essentially getting $300,000 for nothing!” Diana’s attitude made it clear that no matter what, she would stand by Asher and believe everything he said. My heart stung slightly, but I smiled at Diana. “I trust the law will prove everything.” Seeing my determination, Diana bit her lip and snorted coldly: “I’m trying to help you, but you won’t listen! Don’t blame others when you lose this case!” With a loud bang, she slammed the door on her way out. Her words carried an air of absolute certainty, as if she was convinced I would lose this lawsuit. It wasn’t until the day of the trial that I finally understood why she was so confident. ***** On the day of the hearing, the solemn courtroom was packed with people. Without hesitation, I presented the surveillance footage of Asher running over the victims. When questioned by the judge, Asher stammered, unable to form a coherent response. “I… I…” Seeing Asher at a loss for words, Diana immediately stood up to testify. “As a forensic pathologist, I can provide evidence proving these three people died from their own medical conditions, not from injuries sustained in the accident. “What can a single surveillance video prove? Either provide compelling evidence, or this is just slander!” Diana appeared extremely confident. She then produced an autopsy report. To help Asher escape punishment, she had clearly gone to great lengths. Seeing my silence, Diana’s eyes flashed with challenge and triumph. “I told you we should have settled this privately. With the little evidence you have, what did you expect to accomplish? Now you have no proof and you’re making a fool of yourself.” Asher, standing beside her, quickly tried to mediate: “Don’t be so angry, Diana. Don’t let me ruin your marriage. “Eric, I also want to apologize to you. About your parents—it wasn’t intentional. Diana said $300,000 would resolve this, but personally, I don’t think $300,000 is enough.” Asher was openly apologizing to me in court, seeking reconciliation. I responded with indifference: “It’s fine, I’ve thought it through. I’ve sent you my account number. Just transfer the money there. I’m not asking for much—$600,000 will do. My parents’ and sister’s lives should be worth $200,000 each, not so cheap.” Both Diana and Asher were surprised by my sudden change, and when Asher heard I wanted $600,000, his expression soured, but he eventually agreed reluctantly. Seeing the $600,000 transferred to my account, I smiled with satisfaction, then said to Diana: “I’ve prepared divorce papers. While the court is still open, let’s get divorced.” Diana froze for a moment, then snatched the divorce agreement and laughed coldly. “You want to divorce me over something this trivial? You’re not much of a man!” She threw the documents on the ground, stomped on them several times, and then left with Asher without even looking at me. Before leaving, she couldn’t resist one last taunt: “Be grateful you got any money at all. That’s all your parents’ and sister’s lives were worth.” I raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. She still thought it was my parents who had died. I said, “Still, after all our years of marriage, as my wife, shouldn’t you at least see my parents and sister one last time? Just to pay your respects.” “You’re insane!” Diana cursed, but still followed me to the morgue. She had already autopsied these three unrecognizable bodies countless times, so there was nothing new to see. Upon entering the morgue, her face showed complete impatience. However, at that moment, I took out three death certificates and said sadly, “Mom, Dad, Sis, Diana has come to see you.” Seeing the death certificates in my hand, Diana froze instantly, her eyes bulging wide, bloodshot with shock!

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Ethan Reynolds’ childhood friend Chloe Bennett was in a car accident. He protected her with his hands worth two billion dollars, leaving them covered in blood. Everyone was shocked by this. Because I am the girlfriend who has always supported him to where he is today. In the past, even if his hands got a splinter, I would be extremely anxious. But now, seeing his hands covered in blood, I remain completely indifferent. Ethan explained to me, “The situation was critical, I couldn’t just watch her get hurt.” He added, “Chloe and I grew up together. If something happened to her, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.” He continued, “I know what you’re thinking, but my relationship with Chloe isn’t as inappropriate as you imagine. I was just acting on instinct, protecting a kind and vulnerable girl in a moment of crisis.” As a violinist, he certainly knew how precious his hands were. This man who didn’t even care about himself for a childhood friend—I no longer want him. ***** My boyfriend Ethan hadn’t come home for five consecutive days, staying by Chloe’s hospital bed without leaving her side. I sat alone in our empty house, quietly watching the sunset. When the phone rang, I was still picturing how anxiously he had protected Chloe during the accident. Ethan said on the phone, “Emily, Chloe has a slight fever, so I won’t be coming home tonight. Get some sleep early.” After telling me this, he hung up immediately without waiting for my response. Just then, Chloe sent me a voice message. Her soft, sweet voice said, “Bestie, are you coming to the Golden Abyss Club? Ethan is here too.” A second later, she quickly recalled the voice message and texted, “Emily, I’m sorry, I sent that to the wrong person.” She included a playful emoji. I laughed coldly, thinking, “She has a fever but can go to a club?” I looked up at our photo in the living room, unconsciously biting my lip, still unwilling to believe that my boyfriend of many years would betray me. However, an uneasy feeling was gradually rising within me. Without another word, I grabbed my car keys, went downstairs, and drove straight to the Golden Abyss Club. I searched each private room for Ethan. In the deepest room, I pushed the door open slightly and saw the man I had been waiting for five days. Ethan was sitting on the couch, with Chloe practically glued to his side. Under the dim lights, men and women filled the room in an intimate atmosphere. Suddenly, someone stopped the music, took the microphone and shouted, “Ethan is a famous violinist whose hands are reportedly worth two billion dollars! Would Ethan be willing to peel a pineapple with his bare hands for Chloe?” Ethan responded loudly, “I’m willing!” The entire place erupted in excitement. I thought to myself, Ethan seems to have forgotten that to protect his hands from the slightest injury, I had taken care of all the housework. Even if he got a tiny cut on his finger, I would be terrified. But now, he first let his hands bleed to protect Chloe, and now he’s willing to peel a pineapple with his bare hands for her. I gently closed the door of the private room at the Golden Abyss Club, shutting out the noisy sounds from inside. Walking out of the club, I called my mother, Margaret Carson, back. “Mom, I agree to be with Julian Wells, the man you arranged for me when I was young.” On the other end of the phone, Margaret wept with joy, “That’s wonderful! Emily, we’ll come pick you up right away.” I immediately interrupted her, “Mom, give me some time. I want to say proper goodbyes to my friends here.” Margaret readily agreed. Ethan isn’t the only one with childhood friends; I have mine too. That man I loved for five years—I’ve decided I don’t want him anymore.

I returned home and took down all the photos from the wall, forcefully tearing the picture of Ethan and me in half. At that moment, my heart felt like it had been struck hard, even the slightest breath causing me unbearable pain. Looking up, I noticed that the calendar marked today as the fifth Christmas anniversary of Ethan’s and my relationship. However, he had completely forgotten about it. I gently tore off that page of the calendar, threw it in the trash, and patted my face, comforting myself: “It’s okay, I’m about to leave anyway, none of this matters anymore.” Then, I saw the next page of the calendar, marking tomorrow as the finals of the city violin competition. My heart sank. Right now, Ethan was drunk at the bar, clearly having forgotten that tomorrow was the most important day of his life. In the past, I would always remind him the day before important events about what was coming up and what he should do. But now, looking back, I only felt emptiness. So I turned off my phone and went back to my room. The next day, I was awakened by a splash of water and opened my eyes to see a furious Ethan. He yanked me out of bed and demanded, “Emily Carson, why didn’t you tell me earlier about such an important day?” It was the first time I’d seen him so angry. The man standing in front of me seemed somewhat unfamiliar. Fighting back the sadness in my heart, I replied calmly, “I called you.” Ethan checked his call history and fell silent when he saw I had called him over twenty times. He covered his face with both hands, showing an expression of deep regret. Suddenly, with reddened eyes, he said to me in an innocent tone, “Emily, what should I do? I can’t participate in the competition now, and I can’t win the championship to propose to you.” Hearing this, I froze. I remembered Ethan’s promise: “Emily, once I win the championship, I’ll definitely marry you.” That was because I had once said I would only marry a champion. But at this moment, I suddenly realized that perhaps he didn’t truly want to marry me—he just wanted to win the championship. Just then, the doorbell rang. Ethan went to answer it, and when I walked out, I saw Chloe nestled in his arms. This sight made me feel like I didn’t matter to him at all. When Ethan saw me come out of the room, he immediately pushed Chloe away, his face showing some guilt, but more excitement. He rushed over, grabbed my shoulders, and exclaimed, “Emily, Chloe says she has a solution! The organizer is her relative, and I can compete now!” Chloe, standing behind Ethan, gave me a challenging look, as if declaring war. She raised an eyebrow and said, “But Ethan, I really like your villa. Can I move in?” At these words, Ethan’s excited face instantly turned pale, and he looked at me tentatively. His eyes were full of hesitation. I smiled with resignation and said calmly, “It’s fine, I don’t mind.” Ethan’s face lit up with joy again. He pinched my cheek affectionately and said, “I knew my Emily is the softest-hearted and would always think of my career.” Seeing this, Chloe immediately interrupted Ethan’s gesture and whined, “Ethan, my luggage is so heavy.” As they turned to leave, I vigorously wiped the cheek he had pinched, a wave of bitterness rising in my heart. For his career, I had given up my own. I was tired and didn’t want to give anymore.

The relationship between the three of us was naturally very tense. I quietly packed my belongings, planning to move out in several trips. That day, Ethan came home looking confused. He snatched the clothes from my hands and demanded, “What are you packing for?” I had already prepared my excuse and replied calmly, “I’m making room for Chloe’s things. She seems to have quite a lot of luggage.” I continued, “Besides, she’s your benefactor now. She can help your career reach new heights. We can’t mistreat her.” Ethan, who had been half-suspicious, immediately changed his expression upon hearing the second part. He personally threw the remaining clothes from the closet into my suitcase. With an undisguised smile on his face, he said, “Right, these useless clothes of yours are just in the way.” As soon as he said this, my hands noticeably paused mid-fold. I still remembered when Ethan and I first got together, he had specially built me a spacious closet, declaring, “Fill it up! I love seeing you in new clothes.” But now, those same clothes he once praised as beautiful had become “useless things” in his words. At that moment, tears welled up in my eyes, nearly spilling over. After Chloe moved in, she often ordered me around like the lady of the house, commanding me to bring her coffee and water. Not wanting to waste energy arguing with her before I left, I complied with everything. But I forgot that someone looking for faults would never be satisfied no matter what I did. The coffee I brought her was either too cold or too hot in her hands. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and poured the lukewarm coffee—that she had been complaining about—all over her. Chloe screamed, “Ahhhhh!” In that instant, I felt like my eardrums would burst. Ethan, who had just returned home, rushed in after hearing the noise. Seeing Chloe with her hair soaked and screaming, he immediately understood what had happened. Without a word, he violently pushed me to the ground. As I fell, my waist hit the sharp corner of the coffee table, making me grimace in pain. Intense pain instantly swept through my body. My face turned pale, and cold sweat broke out on my forehead. However, Ethan patiently comforted Chloe, completely ignoring me lying on the floor. At that moment, my determination to leave grew even stronger. Ethan helped Chloe dry her wet hair with a towel, repeatedly saying, “You’ve suffered here.” He had no idea that I was the one being tormented. Chloe, speaking in a high-pitched voice and with a tearful tone, hid in his arms and complained, “Ethan, I know Emily doesn’t like me and wants me gone, but she shouldn’t pour water on me!” She continued, “Thank goodness you came back, or I would have been done for today!” Ethan, already angry, completely lost it after hearing this. He shouted, “Done for? How would you be done for? I’d like to see who dares to make you leave!” His gaze intentionally flickered toward me, and I knew exactly what he meant. Seeing me still on the floor, Ethan threw the towel at me and scolded, “Emily, I never thought you could be so inconsiderate. She’s an honored guest in our home. How could you do this?” Each of his rebukes and insults stabbed at my heart. I looked at them coldly, forcing myself to stand despite the severe pain in my waist. Before leaving, I said one last thing: “Ethan, I never thought you’d be this kind of man.” After the car accident, I never shared a bed with Ethan again. In the guest room, I lifted my shirt in front of the mirror to check the bruise on my waist, which had swollen significantly. Just then, the door opened and Ethan walked in, wrapping his arm around my waist. His distinctive scent washed over me, making my stomach churn. He whispered in my ear, “Emily, I didn’t mean to push you. It’s just that Chloe is very important to me right now.” I didn’t want to hear any more. I pushed him away and said dismissively, “I know. I understand.” After showing him out, I immediately contacted a moving company and bought a plane ticket to Portland. Early the next morning, I dug out a box I had kept hidden away. Inside was my prize-winning design from college—a crystal silk dress. I had spent a week designing it from scratch, from the fabric to the style. It was my most precious possession. The next second, the door swung open. Chloe leaned against the doorframe, eyeing the dress with narrowed eyes. “Well, that’s a nice dress. Give it to me,” she said softly. She reached out to grab it, but I quickly moved away. I warned her coldly, “Don’t push your luck.” Chloe remained unfazed, moving closer to taunt me. “Ethan is mine. Don’t get too comfortable.” Her words made me laugh. With an eerily calm voice, I said, “Don’t worry, I’m leaving him.” I thought she would leave it at that, but my laughter seemed to infuriate her. She snatched the dress from my hands and ran out the door. I chased after her. She stopped by the swimming pool, and as she turned around, she used her momentum to slap me hard across the face. Caught off guard, I stumbled backward toward the pool. I quickly tried to stop myself—I couldn’t swim. Chloe said coldly, “When are you leaving? I’m getting impatient.” Then she asked, “Tell me, if we both fell in the water, who would he save?” The next moment, she grabbed my throat, giving me no chance to react. Terrified, I grabbed her hands, but it was useless. Her blood-red eyes were filled with murderous intent. I finally understood—she truly wanted to kill me. I couldn’t breathe. My face turned red, veins bulging in my neck and forehead. My lungs felt like they were about to burst. My oxygen-deprived brain was in chaos, but I had only one thought: I can’t die! My survival instinct kicked in, and I struggled violently. With one strong pull, we both fell into the pool behind me. As we fell, I thought I heard Ethan’s voice. I hit the bottom of the pool hard, water rushing painfully into my nose. I desperately thrashed around trying to surface, finally gasping for fresh air, only to sink again a second later. This happened repeatedly until my strength began to fade. Later, I saw Ethan jump into the water, immediately swimming toward Chloe. He rescued the unconscious Chloe, carried her without hesitation, and rushed her to the hospital in his car. In that moment, I realized I was no longer Ethan’s priority. I was drowning, and no one came to save me. Finally, my strength completely gave out. I stopped struggling and let myself sink to the bottom. Just as I was about to close my eyes, a rope with a rock tied to it dropped into the water. Instinctively, I grabbed it. My neighbor, sweating profusely, pulled me out of the pool and asked worriedly, “Emily, do you need to go to the hospital?” I had no strength to speak. I glanced at the parking space nearby—it was empty. I waved my hand and forced a smile, saying, “I’ll be fine after some rest.” I fished my ruined dress out of the pool. For the first time, I felt utterly helpless. I knelt on the ground clutching the dress and broke down in tears. By evening, I had changed into clean clothes. Before leaving, I blocked and deleted all contact information for Ethan and Chloe, snapped my SIM card in half, threw it in the trash, and replaced it with a new one. Finally, carrying my suitcase, I walked out of the villa that had held five years of happy memories and headed to the airport without looking back.

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My wife Hannah Castro ran someone over with her car, then called me to take the blame for her. I gladly agreed. My lawyer friend warned me not to go. “It wasn’t your wife driving. She was getting intimate with your assistant in the car. Please don’t go. She blocked you from her livestream, but not us—we all saw what happened.” I didn’t listen. I deeply love my wife and would do anything she asks. My parents begged me with their lives not to go, but I still let the police take me away in handcuffs. The next day, Hannah came to me with two divorce agreements, demanding I sign over all my assets to her. My son Joel Grant, with red-rimmed eyes, said, “I don’t have a murderer for a father. Evan is my real dad.” Seeing their smug expressions, I signed my name on the divorce papers. I laughed coldly inside. This was just the beginning. ***** After agreeing to take the blame for Hannah, I rushed to the scene. Seeing my stubbornness, my lawyer friend sent me her livestream video directly. Hannah and my assistant Evan Ford were sitting on top of each other in the driver’s seat, having sex. Evan’s hands moved dominantly across Hannah’s back. Hannah moaned continuously, clearly very into it. Her body shuddered intensely, and Evan reached toward the passenger seat, seemingly trying to grab something. But before he could get it, the engine suddenly started. The camera angle switched to outside the car. The vehicle spun out of control and quickly struck a pedestrian. Acting as if I hadn’t seen the video, I stubbornly insisted on taking the blame for Hannah. When I arrived at the scene, I found the little boy’s parents holding his body, weeping. Just as I was about to comfort them, Hannah, who had been hiding nearby, suddenly pushed me in front of the boy’s parents and said, “He was driving the car. He ran a red light at high speed and killed your son.” The child’s father punched me in rage. “I want you to pay with your life for my child!” My head was knocked sideways, but Hannah and Evan just watched coldly. Onlookers cursed at me: “You were so careless behind the wheel! People like you deserve to die! Beat him!” But I just smiled. As I got up to confess my fault to the child’s father, suddenly my parents rushed forward to stop me. “That bitch was driving the car! She was cheating on you! Don’t be fooled by her! We have a phone recording! Listen!” Seeing my father about to play the recording in front of everyone, Hannah and Evan’s faces turned deathly pale. They tried to grab the phone but were blocked by the crowd. “Are you two feeling guilty about something?” They stopped trying, but I stepped forward to stop my father. He insisted on clearing my name, but the moment he played the recording, he froze. “Honey, I’m almost home. Okay, I’ll drive faster!” Somehow, it was my voice on the recording. Hannah and Evan instantly broke into smug smiles. I shot my parents an apologetic look, then bowed to the child’s parents. “I was driving the car. I will take full responsibility. I’m sorry.”

My father confronted me, “What are you trying to do? Before your mother and I arrived, the sound in this recording wasn’t like this at all. Why are you taking the blame for that home-wrecker?” My mother tearfully pleaded, “Leon, is there something you can’t tell us? Tell us, and we’ll definitely help you!” I said, “Dad, Mom, there’s nothing I can’t say. I’m the one who hit and killed him.” My mom hit me in disappointment. “What’s so good about Hannah that makes you do this? This is your entire life at stake!” Hannah immediately snapped at my parents, “Can’t you ever wish me well? Who else would give you grandchildren if not for me? Your son killed someone, and instead of thinking about compensating the victim’s family, you’re just trying to make me take the blame?” My dad was so angry he had a cerebral hemorrhage. As he swayed, my mother quickly caught him. She almost fell herself. After managing to help my dad lie down on the ground, she begged me, “Leon, please don’t do anything foolish. We know you didn’t hit anyone.” I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms, but I remained silent. My silence completely broke her. She picked up a stone from the ground and was about to smash it against her own head. “If you really insist on doing this today, don’t blame me for dying right in front of you!” I was terrified and reached out to stop her. At that moment, police sirens wailed as officers got out of their cars. “Who called to turn themselves in?” an officer asked. I raised my hand and said, “I did.” I still didn’t listen to my parents, even when they threatened suicide. Handcuffs locked around my wrists. My mother couldn’t bear the shock and fainted. I was taken to the police station, where I immediately confessed. All the evidence pointed to me. The next day, a guard told me someone wanted to see me. Soon, Hannah and Evan walked in hand in hand with Joel, looking like a perfect family of three. “Leon, now that you’re in jail, you wouldn’t want Joel and me to be gossiped about, would you?” Hannah looked down at me condescendingly as she handed me divorce papers, her tone threatening. I didn’t open the agreement. I just sat quietly, looking up at the woman making unreasonable demands of me. I had loved her for ten years. To give her a better life, I practically lived at the company. But despite how busy I was, I made sure to come home every day to have dinner with her and celebrate every anniversary. Whenever she needed me, I would drop billion-dollar projects to be with her. I gave her everything. And what did she give me in return?

Seeing my silence, she impatiently said, “You love me so much, yet you won’t even fulfill this small request?” “Let Evan handle the company affairs. He’s worked for you for so long and has learned everything he needs to know. I’m confident he can take over.” Evan said, “Mr. Grant, don’t worry. After you go to prison, I’ll take good care of Hannah and Joel for you.” Hearing their shameless words, I gave a cold laugh and turned to pat Joel’s head. But unexpectedly, Joel pushed my hand away and angrily said, “Get away from me! I don’t want you to touch me. I don’t have a murderer for a father. Evan is my real dad!” I froze in place, clenching my fists. Evan smiled provocatively, “Mr. Grant, thank you for raising my wife and child all these Christmases. I’ll make sure to send you money every month so you can live comfortably in prison.” I raised an eyebrow and signed the divorce papers without hesitation. They laughed happily and started planning what to do with my money right in front of me. I just smiled faintly. Due to the serious nature of the case, the investigation was expedited, and I was sentenced to seven Christmases. During my second week in prison, my parents came to visit. They cried looking at me, not knowing what to say. “We’ll be waiting for you at home.” “I never thought you’d be so devoted,” my father sighed. Seeing my parents’ visibly thinner faces, I felt heartbroken. I said, “Dad, Mom, I have a plan. They will turn themselves in at the police station and confess that they killed that person, and that I had nothing to do with it.” They were stunned. “Leon, don’t talk nonsense to scare us. Your case is closed, you’re already in prison, and those two ungrateful people are running wild at the Grant Group. How could they possibly turn themselves in?” I smiled gently, “I’m not lying to you. You’ll see in a few days.” A week later, my parents visited me in prison again, their faces full of joy. “Leon, you were right! We just got a call saying they both went to the police station to confess. The police asked us to come in to give a statement. How did you know?” Looking at their confused faces, I calmly said, “Dad, Mom, let me tell you why this happened.”

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“Serena, are you really going to marry Xavier?” The familiar voice suddenly pulled Serena Edwards back to reality from the painful memories of her previous life. Only then did Serena realize she had been reborn, and at the crucial moment when she needed to make a life-changing decision. Her parents’ words echoed in her ears. Without hesitation, she firmly said, “Mom, Dad, I’ve made up my mind. I won’t marry Xavier. I want to marry his uncle Timothy instead.” Serena’s mother Rita widened her eyes upon hearing this, even the wrinkles around her eyes smoothed out from shock. “Serena, weren’t you looking forward to marrying Xavier every day? Why do you suddenly want to marry his uncle Timothy?” Concerned about Serena’s sudden decision, Rita repeatedly asked for confirmation. However, Serena just nodded firmly and said, “Mom, I’m serious this time. I don’t want to marry Xavier anymore. I want to marry Timothy.” Surprisingly, seeing her sudden change of heart, her parents showed relieved smiles. The Edwards and Davis families had been friends for generations, and Serena and Xavier grew up together. They had originally agreed to get married after graduation, and their parents had always hoped for this union. However, during Christmas of their graduation year, Xavier suddenly proposed to break off the engagement because his first love, Irene Burton, had returned from abroad. He bluntly stated that Irene was the one he truly wanted to marry. By then, Serena had already fallen deeply in love with him, so she was insanely jealous of Irene. She used every trick in the book, even threatening suicide, ultimately forcing Xavier to marry her. Nevertheless, even after they got married, Xavier often didn’t come home at night. Later, to get pregnant, Serena drugged him. When he learned about her pregnancy, Xavier flew into a rage and moved in with Irene. Most heartbreaking of all, during Serena’s late pregnancy one night, she suddenly experienced excruciating abdominal pain and called Xavier dozens of times to take her to the hospital. But Xavier coldly told her he had no time because he was busy planning his trip with Irene for the next day. In the end, Serena lost her baby due to delayed treatment, and then lost her own life from massive bleeding during her hysterectomy. Serena’s parents lost both their beloved daughter and unborn grandchild on the same day. Overwhelmed with grief, they died in a car accident on their way to the hospital. In contrast, Xavier didn’t shed a single tear. After returning from his trip with Irene, he not only inherited all of the Edwards family’s assets without question but also held a grand wedding. Even more tragic was that shortly after Serena’s death, Xavier’s uncle Timothy mysteriously disappeared. His family found thousands of photos of Serena at his residence, documenting every significant moment of her life from her eighteenth birthday until just before her death. In the photos, she was sometimes laughing joyfully, sometimes crying bitterly, each picture carefully preserved. Only then did Serena realize that someone had been silently loving her all along. Now, with a second chance at life, Serena vowed she would never make the same mistakes again. Serena’s parents went to see Timothy Sherwood that same day, but they returned shortly after. Serena looked at them in surprise, a flash of disappointment in her eyes. “You finished talking so quickly? Did he refuse?” Rita shook her head gently. “He didn’t.” Rita studied Serena thoughtfully, asking with curiosity, “Serena, were you two close before? I felt like he wasn’t surprised at all when he heard about the marriage arrangement with our family. “Honestly, he clearly knew about your history with Xavier, so he should have been quite shocked. But not only was he not surprised, he agreed to your marriage rather quickly. “Serena, don’t you find that strange?” Serena looked somewhat embarrassed. She quickly changed the subject, “Timothy has always been a composed person. No matter what shocking news he hears, he always appears indifferent. There’s nothing strange about that. Besides, he’s already thirty, and a family marriage arrangement was inevitable for him sooner or later. Isn’t it better to choose a girl he already knows?” Rita nodded in agreement. Although the Edwards and Davis families had been friends for generations and maintained good relations, whenever they met Timothy, they always found him polite yet distant. Later, after discovering that Timothy was the same way with his own family, Rita grew accustomed to it. Then, Rita snapped back to the present and looked at Serena seriously. “Serena, are you sure you want to marry Timothy? Even if you get married, we won’t force you. After all…” “Mom, I’ve thought it through clearly. I want to marry him,” Serena interrupted Rita directly. Seeing the determination in Serena’s eyes, Rita didn’t ask further. Although she didn’t understand what exactly had happened between Serena and Xavier, she ultimately respected Serena’s choice. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Rita added, “Your wedding with Timothy is set for the tenth of this month. “Do you have a favorite hotel? You only get married once in your lifetime, so I’ll definitely prepare everything meticulously for you.” After that, Rita took Serena to choose a hotel, searching from afternoon until evening, but they were never completely satisfied with any option. Feeling exhausted, they sat down at a random restaurant. While Rita was in the restroom, a familiar voice came from behind Serena. “Serena, did you send your parents to pressure my family again? Are you that desperate to get married? Why do you keep clinging to me? “You knew I was bringing Irene here today, so you deliberately followed us, didn’t you? Serena, why are you so pathetic? Can’t you live without me?” Serena turned her head and locked eyes with Xavier. In her previous life, Xavier was the person she most desperately wanted to see when she went into labor. However, when she called him dozens of times, begging him to be with her during childbirth, he coldly said he had no time. In the end, she had to enter the delivery room alone, receiving taunting messages from Irene during her most vulnerable moment. Irene sent her countless bedroom photos with Xavier, interspersed with private audio recordings of the two. In the recording, Irene pretended to ask with concern, “Serena is in labor. How can you bear to abandon her?” Xavier, breathing heavily, replied, “I only care about you. What does her giving birth have to do with me? You know I only want you to bear my children. No one but you deserves to carry my child.” Hearing Xavier’s heartless words, Serena’s water broke from emotional distress. After enduring a day and night of agony, her baby ultimately died from oxygen deprivation. When Serena was wheeled into the operating room, both she and her child passed away. As soon as she came back to her senses, she saw Xavier walking toward her with Irene on his arm. Seeing Serena’s suspicious gaze, Xavier immediately flew into a rage, harshly rebuking her, “You’re truly shameless, constantly clinging to me. When I refused to marry you, you manipulated my family into pressuring me. “Today I’m just bringing Irene out for a meal, yet you’re still following us. “Why are you so disgusting? You’re like a dog trailing after us.” Even though Serena had been reborn, Xavier’s vicious words still broke her heart. In her previous life, she had loved Xavier with all her heart, but he had treated her like a begging dog. Serena hated herself for being so blind before, but this second chance wasn’t too late for her. Now, Serena gave Xavier a cool glance, her eyes calm. “Xavier, who told you I want to marry you? “We were just close as children. Did you think I would fall in love with you and marry you because of that? “I am getting married, but definitely not to you. I’m not here to stalk you today; I was just checking out wedding venues and stopped here for a break.” Serena thought she had made herself clear, but she didn’t expect Xavier to suddenly sneer, “Serena, your parents were at my house this morning discussing our marriage. What are you pretending for? “Your constant pursuit makes me sick. “Don’t think you can force me to marry you by convincing my family! I’ve told you, no matter what you do, I won’t marry you. I would sacrifice everything to marry Irene!” Serena knew Xavier was stubborn, and her explanations meant nothing to him. So she said, “Think what you want. Anyway, I won’t marry you.” Hearing Serena’s retort, Xavier wanted to say more, but Irene timely pulled his sleeve. “Don’t get angry over someone like her. She’s not worth it.” With that, Irene gave Serena a smug look and mocked, “Serena, I know you can’t let go of Xavier. After all, he’s so exceptional, and you’ve loved him for so many Christmases. “But I think you should give up early. Xavier will only marry me, and you two will never be together.” She then left, holding Xavier’s hand. Watching the two of them walk away, Serena found it laughable. In her previous life, she had misjudged people, ultimately meeting a tragic end. This time, however, she was determined to satisfy Xavier and Irene, letting them love each other forever and grow old together. She would never again involve herself in their relationship or become a supporting character in their love game. After Rita returned from the restroom, they quickly finished their meal and hurried home. The next day, Timothy sent someone to deliver a black card with unlimited credit to Serena. This credit card had no spending limit, allowing Serena to splurge as she pleased. Thinking about how Xavier had criticized her for every penny she spent in her previous life, she couldn’t help but feel resentful about everything she had endured. Taking the black card, Serena sent Timothy a message: [Thank you.] Timothy didn’t reply immediately. Half an hour later, he sent an address, explaining he was abroad and couldn’t respond to messages easily. Serena knew Timothy was busy. As the head of the Sherwood family, he was a true businessman who could be in a meeting domestically one minute and flying overseas for negotiations the next. Yet this brilliant man had taken his own life after her death in her previous life. In her past life, after marriage, Serena had been psychologically controlled and belittled by Xavier until she felt worthless, believing she didn’t deserve to be loved. Only after death did she realize it wasn’t that she was unworthy of love, but that she had only had eyes for Xavier, ignoring those who truly cared for and cherished her. At noon, Serena went shopping with the black card Timothy had given her. However, as soon as she entered the mall, she unfortunately ran into Irene. This time Xavier wasn’t by Irene’s side. Upon seeing Serena, Irene immediately adopted a defensive posture and said acidly, “You again? Serena, Xavier was right—you’re like a dog following us around.” “What’s wrong? Yesterday you saw me with Xavier at the restaurant and got upset, so today you want to warn me again to stay away from him?” “Wasn’t I clear enough yesterday? Xavier will never marry you. He only loves me, and I’m the only woman he wants to marry! You’d better give up while you can!” Irene was smug, like a proud peacock. If there hadn’t been so many people in the mall, Serena would have slapped her and asked why she was so shameless. Fortunately, she controlled her impulse. Raising an eyebrow, she coldly examined Irene and said, “You want to marry Xavier? I don’t want him anymore, but why do you keep emphasizing that he only wants to marry you?” With that, she gave Irene a contemptuous glance and turned to leave. She had no time to waste words with Irene; shopping was her priority. However, she had barely taken a step when Irene grabbed her from behind. Seeing Serena’s icy stare, Irene sneered, “Do you really not want him anymore? Who knows if you’re just playing hard to get?” “If you really want to leave Xavier, have your parents cancel your engagement right now!” After hearing this, Serena blurted out, “You’re insane!” Serena couldn’t comprehend why Irene would shamelessly make such a demand. She tried to shake off Irene’s grip, but Irene held on tightly. Serena’s patience was exhausted. Using all her strength, she flung Irene away. Irene hadn’t expected Serena to be so strong. Her entire body stumbled backward. With a thud, the back of her head hit the ground hard. The pain made Irene’s face turn pale. She struggled to prop herself up, glaring venomously at Serena. “Serena, I never thought you could be so vicious! To steal Xavier from me, you’ve become completely shameless!” “I’m definitely telling Xavier about this. Just you wait!” Serena thought to herself, “Why does she think I’m trying to steal Xavier? I clearly want to leave, but she keeps harassing me. Isn’t it normal that I pushed her away?” Nevertheless, Serena couldn’t be bothered to waste more words on Irene. If she wanted to tattle, Serena wouldn’t stop her. Serena coldly smiled and said, “Do whatever you want.”

After returning from the mall, Serena had just parked her car in front of the Edwards mansion and stepped out when a man suddenly jumped out from behind a nearby tree—it was Xavier. “Serena, why are you targeting Irene? You made her cry again!” Xavier shouted. Serena was bewildered, but thinking back to what happened at the mall, she instantly understood. “You’re so powerful now!” Xavier sneered. “Even though you say you don’t want to marry me, you’re bullying Irene behind my back. You’re just jealous of her, aren’t you? Why aren’t you saying anything? Feeling guilty? If Irene hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t even know you pushed her. Serena, I never thought you could be so devious. On the surface, you claim you don’t want to marry me, but you’re constantly targeting Irene. You’re just trying to force her to leave me. Serena, you’ve been obsessing over me for so long. Aren’t you tired? Do you absolutely have to be with me? Why do you even like me?” Serena remained silent for a moment, gave him a long look, then suddenly laughed coldly. “Xavier, Irene was blocking my way at the mall today, which is why I pushed her. Besides, I’ve told you many times, I no longer want to marry you.” Xavier immediately interrupted her, “Serena, just admit it! You’re playing games. You do want to marry me, but you’re pretending not to care. Unfortunately, I’ve disappointed you again! No matter how much you pretend not to care, target Irene, or play tricks, I won’t give you a second glance. I will only marry Irene in this lifetime. Even if I have to fight my entire family, I’ll marry no one but her! Just wait and see! I will definitely marry Irene!” Serena found it laughable inside, not understanding why Xavier felt the need to act this way in front of her. Since Xavier didn’t love her, she no longer loved him either. Leaving each other alone would be the best choice for both of them. With this thought, she politely smiled and spoke calmly. “Well, congratulations to you both in advance.” Xavier snorted, “Thanks for your blessing! But before that, we need to settle old scores!” With that, Xavier picked up a cardboard box at his feet and opened it in front of Serena. Inside were all the small gifts she had once made for him by hand. Xavier held the box with both hands, sneering as he tilted it, spilling the contents onto the ground. But he didn’t think that was enough. Then, he raised his foot and viciously stomped on those carefully crafted gifts until every single one was crushed before finally stopping. “Serena, do you see clearly? All the gifts you gave me are worthless in my eyes, and they even annoy me! Before I met Irene, and because our families had arranged our engagement, I reluctantly accepted your gifts and even mistakenly thought I loved you too. But if I had met Irene earlier, you wouldn’t have had any chance to get close to me.” His face lit up with a bright smile, as if he had finally gotten rid of a huge problem. “Well. Please throw these useless pieces of trash in the garbage bin! Irene is waiting for me!” After saying this, he glanced at Serena. Seeing her looking so calm, he frowned. According to his expectations, Serena should have been furious. After all, those gifts were handmade with love for every special occasion. Now that he had destroyed everything with his own hands, how could she remain unmoved? However, Serena simply crouched down silently, picked up the broken pieces one by one, put them back in the box, and then threw it directly into the trash can. Xavier immediately became angry and embarrassed, thinking, “Doesn’t she love me deeply? Why is she reacting this way?” But he quickly figured it out—she was pretending again. He said through gritted teeth, “Serena, what game are you playing? Let me warn you! You can target me, but if you dare to bother Irene again, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Serena had been in a good mood originally because she had a successful shopping trip at the mall. But now, having her mood ruined by this self-important guy for no reason, she felt irritated. She said impatiently, “Xavier, don’t you understand what I’m saying? I’ve already told you I won’t chase after you anymore, but you keep coming to find me. Does Irene know you’re harassing me?” “You!” Xavier pointed at her furiously and asked, “Why are you bringing up Irene? What are you planning to do to her now?” Serena gave a cold, speechless laugh, walked right past him, and entered the mansion without looking back. Serena had just sat down on the couch and picked up her phone when she saw that Irene had updated her Instagram: “To that slut: Stop foolishly coveting what doesn’t belong to you. As a woman, you should have some self-respect. Otherwise, no matter how much you love a man, he’ll only think you’re shameless.” The accompanying photo showed Xavier impatiently scolding a woman, his head tilted to one side. Although only her back was visible, Serena immediately recognized herself. The background was clearly outside her apartment building—obviously captured during their argument moments ago. Serena hadn’t realized Irene had followed them. She must have been hiding in a nearby car, secretly watching everything. Serena let out a scornful laugh. In this life, she only wanted to cherish those who truly loved her; she had no interest in entangling herself with Xavier again. Yet Xavier and Irene kept causing her trouble, making her life miserable. Serena angrily muttered under her breath, “You two are the worst!” Still unsatisfied, she clicked on the comment box in the bottom right corner of the photo and typed: “Congratulations to the jerk and the bitch!” After posting the comment, Serena finally felt relieved. Humming a tune, she turned and headed to the bathroom. When she emerged wrapped in a towel, she noticed her phone on the coffee table flashing repeatedly. Someone was calling her. Serena usually kept her phone on silent when at home, only occasionally answering calls. The screen continued to flash. Serena hurried over, feeling inexplicably excited, thinking, “Could it be Timothy calling me?” However, by the time she picked up the phone, the call had already ended. That’s when she noticed that in just half an hour, she had dozens of missed calls, all from Xavier. Feeling extremely annoyed, she immediately blacklisted his number. Xavier clearly wasn’t giving up, though. He kept trying to video call her through WhatsApp. Furious, Serena answered the call and shouted, “Xavier, are you insane? I’ve stopped pursuing you, but you won’t stop harassing me!” On the screen, Xavier’s face was dark with anger, his eyes filled with rage. He immediately scolded her, “Serena! What do you mean? I just warned you to stop bothering Irene. Have you forgotten already?” Serena gave a cold laugh, immediately understanding he was referring to her comment. She thought, “Why don’t you first look at what your precious darling posted?” Meanwhile, Serena could hear Irene’s fake, pitiful sobbing in the background, which instantly depleted any patience she had left for Xavier. “Xavier, even if love has blinded you, are you completely unable to tell right from wrong?” Xavier was visibly stunned on the other end of the call, while Irene’s crying conveniently grew louder. After a pause, he spoke even more loudly, “Serena, you’re being completely unreasonable! Irene was just expressing herself online, and she never said it was about you, but you assumed she was insulting you. Yet you’re clearly insulting her! I don’t even want to blame Irene, but what gives you the right to be so vicious? “Regardless, you’ve made her cry, so apologize to her right now! Otherwise, I’ll post all your dirty secrets online and make sure your parents and your company won’t have any peace!” Serena could hardly believe Xavier would stoop so low as to threaten her like this. Just as Xavier was about to continue, a woman suddenly covered his mouth with her hand. At this moment, Irene peeked out from behind Xavier, her eyes brimming with tears, still pouting and sniffling softly, looking utterly wronged. She said in a low voice, “Xavier, stop scolding Serena. This isn’t entirely her fault. I stole the happiness that should have been hers, so it’s normal for her to hate me. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have fallen in love with you…” As she spoke, she began crying again. Seeing this, Xavier quickly comforted her tenderly, “She made you cry, yet you’re still defending her. What do you mean by ‘should have been hers’? She and I were just childhood playmates. We never loved each other. All these Christmases, she’s been the one constantly pursuing me! “Irene, being loved by you is the greatest honor of my life. Don’t ever feel guilty for loving me again. Seeing you like this breaks my heart.” Hearing these words, Irene lowered her head as tears continued to stream down her face. Then, she suddenly reached out to grab the phone from Xavier’s hand, intending to apologize to Serena. Xavier said angrily, “Why are you apologizing to her? It’s clearly her fault!” However, Irene stubbornly snatched the phone and choked out to the screen, “Serena, I’m sorry. You should be mad at me because I took away the man you love most. “But I love Xavier too much to bear the thought of him being with another woman. Please give us your blessing, okay? “If we don’t have your blessing, even if we get married in the future, I’ll always feel guilty. “He was wrong earlier, but he was trying to protect me, so please understand him and don’t blame him, okay?” As she spoke, she suddenly grabbed Xavier’s collar and pulled him in front of the camera. “Xavier, apologize to Serena right now! Promise you won’t yell at her again or threaten her! Otherwise, I won’t let you kiss me there anymore!” Finally, Irene’s face turned bright red with embarrassment as she lightly punched him with her fist. Xavier pressed his lips together, his hand mischievously reaching for her waist. “Hey! Stop it!” Irene dodged playfully. “Serena is waiting for your apology! If you keep being so shameless, I’m going to get angry!” Watching this scene, Serena suddenly felt very sad. She remembered how in her previous life, after they got married, Irene would often flirt and banter with him in front of her. Irene always pretended to feel guilty, deliberately flirting with Xavier like this in front of her to provoke her. Serena took a deep breath, suppressing the sadness in her heart. Fortunately, in this life, she no longer had to endure any of this. Xavier finally withdrew his hand and looked coldly at the screen. “Listen, you don’t need to apologize to Irene, and I won’t hold this against you anymore. Let’s call it even this time. “Serena, neither of us is wrong. Just as you’re obsessed with me, I’m deeply in love with Irene. But I don’t love you; I love Irene. Even if you forced me to marry you, I would only ever care about Irene. Rather than having an affair after marriage, it’s better to let me go now. We’ll both have our own new lives.” Serena couldn’t help but frown. In her previous life, Xavier not only had affairs behind her back after they married, but he also openly flirted with Irene. However, in this life, she had already let him go. She no longer loved him or followed him around. So now, it was clearly them who wouldn’t leave her alone. Seeing Serena lost in thought, Xavier felt very dissatisfied. He impatiently said, “Serena, what trick are you playing now? Did you hear what I just said? I will never marry you, so hurry up and tell your parents. Stop bothering my family about this arranged marriage.” Serena smirked and replied directly, “No problem. No one will bother you about this again.” With that, she immediately hung up the phone.

Serena had made it clear to her parents and the Davis family that they should never again mention her marrying Xavier. She also specifically instructed her parents not to reveal her engagement to Timothy for now. After all, Timothy was Xavier’s uncle, and she didn’t want to create any complications before the wedding. Timothy truly didn’t mind going public, but since Serena was thoughtfully considering his interests, he graciously accepted her kind gesture. Over the past few days, Serena had been extremely busy, focusing all her attention on customizing her wedding dress and rings. She had been spending freely with the unlimited black card Timothy had given her. Naturally, she had no reason to refuse her fiancé’s generosity. Besides, with Timothy’s wealth, these expenses were practically nothing. Serena had selected the latest creations from internationally renowned designers—breathtakingly beautiful pieces whose only drawback was their outrageous price tags. However, money was the last thing she lacked now. This was the confidence that came with being adored. Three days later, Serena’s wedding dress was air-shipped to the bridal shop. She rushed over early in the morning, applied exquisite makeup, and waited eagerly to try on her dress. While waiting in the lounge for the staff to prepare the exclusive custom gown that had just arrived, she idly scrolled through her phone to pass the time. It wasn’t until she came across Irene’s Instagram that she discovered Xavier and Irene were also preparing for their wedding. Irene had even specifically mentioned Serena in her latest post, but since Serena had muted notifications, she saw this provocative content too late. In that Instagram post, Irene wrote: [Our wedding is approaching, and we’re short one bridesmaid. I hope you can come!] Serena could never understand why Irene harbored such intense hostility toward her, both in her previous life and now. Was it simply because Xavier had once loved her deeply? In truth, Xavier had once treated Serena exceptionally well. Whenever men pursued her, he would immediately appear and chase away those with ill intentions. He would possessively wrap his arm around her shoulders and tell them, “Don’t even think about going after my future wife!” Serena had been sickly since childhood. Xavier learned to take meticulous care of her when she was ill, even buying delicious cakes for her in the middle of stormy nights. Serena remembered once when she had a sudden appendicitis attack in her school dormitory, curled up in bed and breaking into a cold sweat from the pain. Upon hearing the news, Xavier rushed straight into the girls’ dormitory and carried her on his back all the way to the hospital. On that bitterly cold winter night, he wrapped her up warmly while wearing only thin pajamas and flip-flops himself. After they reached the hospital, before Serena had even recovered, Xavier came down with a high fever from the cold. Despite this, he insisted on staying by her bedside to care for her until she was discharged. He had become alarmingly thin. Back then, they both naively believed they would naturally marry after graduation according to their families’ arrangements—until Irene appeared. Initially, Irene kept finding excuses to be around them, casually provoking Xavier. Gradually, in his eyes, all of Serena’s once-adorable habits transformed into intolerable flaws. Later, they began to argue frequently about Irene, and he even directly proposed breaking off their engagement, claiming Irene was his true love and he would marry no one else. Yet Irene seemed to forever lack security, constantly trying to prove to Serena that Xavier loved only her. Even though Xavier was going to marry her in this life, she still persisted in doing so. Now, she was even entertaining the absurd idea of having Serena as her bridesmaid. Serena shook her head with a cold smile. Just as she was about to put away her phone, a commotion erupted outside. “Wow! This wedding dress is gorgeous! Xavier, I want this one!” Hearing the familiar voice, Serena froze. She thought, “Are Irene and Xavier also here to choose a wedding dress?” She walked to the lounge doorway, where she could see everything happening outside. Irene was standing in front of her custom wedding dress, showering it with praise. Even Xavier cast an admiring glance at it. “It really is beautiful! Irene, you’ll look absolutely stunning in it.” Irene’s face lit up with joy as she reached out to touch the dress, but the shop assistant stopped her just in time. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but this wedding dress was custom-made for another client, so please look at other styles.” Being publicly rejected, Irene immediately became embarrassed and angry. She reluctantly shook Xavier’s arm, pouting, “Xavier, I want this one. I really love it! It seems like it was made specifically for me—it matches my style perfectly!” Xavier initially wanted to persuade her to look at others. After all, in his eyes, all wedding dresses looked more or less the same. But after hearing Irene’s words, he immediately decided to buy this dress for her. He pulled out his bank card, pointed at the wedding dress, and said, “We want to buy this one at a premium. Please negotiate with that customer so she can order another one.” The shop assistant didn’t take his bank card and politely refused again, “I’m truly sorry, sir. This dress was created by a top international designer and is the only one in the world—it cannot be replicated.” After being repeatedly refused, Xavier was visibly annoyed. “Go tell that customer we want this wedding dress now. I’m willing to pay double the price. Will that work?” The shop assistant looked at him awkwardly and said, “But this wedding dress is worth millions of dollars. Are you sure you want to pay double?” Xavier’s hand holding the bank card froze in mid-air. “What? Millions of dollars for a wedding dress? Is it encrusted with diamonds or something?” Serena couldn’t help but laugh out loud, instantly drawing their attention. “Serena? What are you doing here? Why are you here?” Xavier’s face darkened terribly, his eyes filled with anger as he glared at Serena. Behind him, Irene was even more irritated, her eyes full of wariness. Serena calmly walked toward the wedding dress and said, “I’m here to choose a wedding dress, of course.” “Choose a wedding dress?” Xavier almost snarled through gritted teeth. Then, he roared in fury, “Serena, you shameless woman! You clearly said you wouldn’t pursue me anymore, but now you’re secretly shopping for a wedding dress? Are you really so desperate to marry me?” Serena swatted away his finger that was nearly poking her nose and looked at him calmly. “I’ve already told you that I’m not marrying you. There’s no need to get so worked up and make a fool of yourself in front of others.” With that, Serena signaled to the shop assistant to help her try on the wedding dress. Then, she ignored Xavier and silently walked past him. However, Xavier grabbed her wrist from behind, veins bulging at his temple, rage burning in his eyes. Serena winced in pain and struggled a few times but couldn’t break free. She could only say helplessly, “Xavier, what exactly do you want? I told you I won’t marry you and won’t pursue you anymore. What are you still worried about?” Xavier let out a cold laugh and said mockingly, “You deliberately chose the same store as us today. How dare you say you’re not trying to marry me?” He pulled Irene close and announced loudly, “Irene and I have already set our wedding date. We’re going to City Hall next Wednesday to get our marriage license! “So, Serena, give up already! I will never marry you!” Serena was stunned for a moment, suddenly remembering that she and Timothy were also getting their marriage license next Wednesday. It was indeed an auspicious day, and she and Timothy had originally planned for that day too. If Timothy hadn’t booked the VIP lane in advance, they might have had to wait until the afternoon. Thinking of this, she smirked and said, “Yes, I have given up. The person I’m marrying isn’t you. Can you stop wasting my time trying on wedding dresses? I’m meeting my fiancé later to look at our new home.” Under the shocked gazes of Xavier and Irene, the shop assistant took down the wedding dress and respectfully followed behind her. Irene was the first to recover, saying mockingly, “Serena, someone has already reserved this dress, worth millions of dollars. Although your family is wealthy, you probably can’t afford it.” Serena turned back and blinked. “I can’t afford it, but my fiancé can.” With that, she lifted her chin and walked gracefully into the fitting room. Irene snorted coldly and whined to Xavier, “I want this wedding dress too! If Serena’s fiancé is buying it for her, you should buy it for me too!” Xavier pushed her hand away and shouted angrily at Serena’s back, “Serena, stop right there! Are you just saying this to upset me? Tell me clearly! Who are you marrying? I won’t let you sell yourself for money.” Serena stopped again and responded coldly, “What right do you have to control me now? Since you’re so bored, why don’t you comfort your fiancée?” She thought to herself, “How ridiculous! He’s about to marry another woman, yet he still wants to interfere in my business.” Xavier’s shouts were left behind as Serena walked away. Soon after, Irene’s tearful sobs could be heard. When Serena emerged wearing the wedding dress, the two were still arguing. She sighed inwardly, surprised to witness him arguing with Irene in this lifetime. In her previous life, Xavier had treasured Irene like a precious gem, not allowing anyone near her. As Serena stood in front of the mirror, the shop assistants gathered around, full of admiration. Even Xavier stopped arguing and stared at her in a daze. He hadn’t expected her to look so stunning in a wedding dress. He had imagined her in a wedding dress countless times, but nothing compared to the impact of seeing her with his own eyes. Irene called his name several times before bringing him back to reality. He felt deeply guilty about his momentary trance. Then, he convinced himself it was just another of Serena’s tricks. He angrily grabbed Serena’s wrist and demanded, “You still say you’re not trying to marry me? Then why are you deliberately showing off this dress to me?” Serena’s wrist ached from his grip, and she was both angry and anxious. “I told you I won’t marry you!” With that, Serena pushed Xavier away with all her strength. Xavier stumbled backward, roaring in anger, “Serena, it’s come to this point. You’re still lying about not marrying me?” He was furious, glaring at Serena with murderous eyes. Seeing Xavier’s enraged look, Serena couldn’t be bothered to explain further and coldly said, “You’ll know everything on the wedding day!” “Fine! You’d better be telling the truth, because if you dare to cause trouble at my wedding, I will kill you!” Hearing his threats, Serena turned and left immediately, not wanting to stay a second longer. She felt suffocated just being in the same room with Xavier. After leaving the bridal shop, Serena went straight back to the villa. She decided not to leave the villa until the wedding day to avoid running into Xavier and Irene again. For the next few days, she stayed behind closed doors to avoid Xavier and Irene’s harassment. Soon Wednesday arrived, the day she and Timothy had agreed to get their marriage license. In the morning, Serena put on her wedding dress and left early for City Hall. However, as soon as she got out of the car, she saw the people she’d been hoping to avoid. Xavier and Irene were standing at the entrance of City Hall, him in a sharp suit and her in a wedding dress. Their friends surrounded them, taking photos with their phones. Irene spotted Serena first and immediately tugged at Xavier’s sleeve, whining, “Xavier, Serena’s here again!” Following her gaze, Xavier became instantly furious. He strode forward and shouted accusingly, “Serena, you really still want to marry me! Today is when Irene and I are getting our marriage license, yet you dare to come cause trouble!” Serena smirked, “Who told you I came to City Hall for you? Do you own this place?” “Still making excuses!” Xavier said through gritted teeth. “I warned you, if you dare to cause trouble, I won’t let you off easy!” At this point, Xavier and Irene’s friends started gossiping. “This woman has no shame!” “If she’s so desperate to get married, why doesn’t she just find any man?” Hearing the comments from Xavier and Irene’s friends, Serena pressed her lips together, saying nothing. She checked the time, realizing Timothy should arrive soon. Seeing her silence, Xavier and Irene thought she was feeling guilty. Xavier arrogantly shouted, “Why aren’t you leaving? Before I lose my temper, get as far away as possible. Don’t let me see you again!” “A woman like you, even if you begged me, I wouldn’t marry you!” Irene added fuel to the fire, “Can’t you see how much Xavier despises you? Bitch, get lost!” Their friends joined in, “Get out! You’re not welcome here!” “She’s truly shameless!” Seeing Serena standing still, Xavier impatiently signaled to his friends. Several men immediately rushed forward, roughly grabbing her arms, intending to drag her away. Serena struggled fiercely, but she was no match for their strength. “Xavier, how many times do I have to tell you I won’t marry you?” “Don’t you understand?” Xavier glared at her angrily and said, “Serena, how many times do I have to tell you I won’t marry you? I only love Irene!” Then, he signaled his friends to hurry up and not waste his and Irene’s time. Those men forcefully dragged Serena, making it impossible for her to break free. As she was about to be dragged away from City Hall, a cold voice suddenly rang out. “Let her go!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397868”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G #Rebirth #Marriage #Crazy #TrueLove

“Ms. Martin, your wedding with Mr. Cooper is only two weeks away. Are you certain you want to proceed with our ‘Runaway Bride Package’?” the bridal shop assistant asked. After a brief silence, Jasmin Martin nodded gently. “Yes, I’m certain.” Though visibly surprised, the assistant quickly regained her professional composure. “Very well. Your escape plan is scheduled for the wedding day itself, using our ‘Bride Substitution’ method. We’ll arrange for your complete disappearance and maintain secrecy until the wedding day, giving the groom and all guests quite the unexpected surprise.” After signing the contract, Jasmin walked out of the bridal shop, her attention drawn to the crowd on the street. Not far away, a long line had formed outside Mellow Jasmin, a well-known chain beverage store. People were eagerly waiting to purchase the seasonal limited-edition drink that Declan Cooper had personally developed, testing thousands of recipes over half a Christmas season. This was his exclusive gift dedicated to his beloved Jasmin. Declan had deliberately chosen Jasmin’s birthday for the global product launch, allowing the whole world to witness his endless, undying devotion to her. On a nearby advertising screen, a reporter was interviewing Declan Cooper, the CEO of Cooper Group. “As a president who routinely manages billions of dollars in assets, why would you spend so much time and energy on something as trivial as developing a beverage recipe?” Dressed in a suit and exuding noble elegance, Declan smiled slightly, his tone casual yet filled with deep affection. “Because Ms. Martin likes it.” Declan’s attentive and loving expression on the screen caused several young women near Jasmin to squeal excitedly. “Oh my God, they’re so sweet! Mr. Cooper is the ultimate doting husband!” “Absolutely! I heard Mr. Cooper fell in love with Ms. Martin at first sight when he was fifteen. He not only rescued her from her stepmother’s abuse but also helped her win a lawsuit to reclaim her family fortune.” “Ms. Martin loves the sight of blooming flowers, so he spent billions of dollars creating Cooper Manor, ensuring she wakes up to a view of gorgeous blossoms every day.” “When her favorite snack was discontinued, he contacted the manufacturer to restart production. When they said they lacked raw materials, he simply bought an entire mountain to grow the necessary ingredients, just to ensure she could enjoy her favorite snack anytime.” “As for jewelry and luxury cars? Those are just the basics. New items from luxury brands are delivered to Ms. Martin for her selection before they even hit the market. Some limited editions aren’t even available for others to see.” “Most importantly, other women can’t even get close to Mr. Cooper. He deals with any woman who approaches him before Ms. Martin needs to intervene.” “What do you think Ms. Martin did in her past life to deserve such a wealthy, powerful, handsome, and loyal perfect man like Mr. Cooper?” Hearing this, Jasmin couldn’t listen anymore. She suppressed the bitterness in her heart, feeling only mockery rising within her. She thought, “What good could I have possibly done in my past life? In the end, I still met a tragic death.” In her previous life, it wasn’t until she was dying that she finally learned the cruel truth. Declan, who everyone believed treasured her above all else and promised to love only her for life, had already betrayed their love long ago. Jasmin shuddered as she recalled her previous life. When she was young, her father’s affair had driven her mother to death. Shortly after her mother’s passing, her stepmother moved in with her half-sister. From then on, her life plunged into endless pain and torment. After her father’s death, her stepmother completely dropped the facade, seized all the Martin family assets, treated Jasmin like she was invisible—feeding her scraps when in a good mood and beating her viciously when not. Even the household servants felt entitled to abuse her at will. It wasn’t until Declan appeared that a glimmer of light entered her dark world. He was like a beam of masculine energy cutting through the haze of feminine despair, giving her hope when she was drowning in desperation. Declan stood up for her, driving out the venomous stepmother and her immature half-sister. Afterward, he pulled out all the stops to pursue her. He understood that because of her parents’ history, Jasmin couldn’t trust love. Even when she rejected his confession, Declan remained undeterred, proving his sincerity through his actions time and time again. Though neither was a celebrity, they became famous due to Declan’s persistent, high-profile displays of affection. They amassed a large following online, with fans even creating a dedicated hashtag: “Mr. Cooper and Ms. Martin.” Once, a fan edited a video chronicling Declan’s ten-year pursuit, showcasing his wholehearted devotion, his resilience through repeated rejections, and finally his success in winning Jasmin’s heart. When Declan saw it, he gifted that fan a villa as thanks. From then on, their fanbase grew exponentially, and their story was hailed as a modern-day Cinderella tale. On Declan’s 1,314th proposal, Jasmin finally gave in. She clearly remembered how Declan looked when he heard her say “I do.” He held her tightly, tears soaking her collar, too overwhelmed to speak—as innocent and happy as a child. At their wedding, Jasmin made a solemn promise to Declan, along with a warning: “From now on, I belong to you completely, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, I will never leave you. But there’s one condition—you must never lie to me. If you ever deceive me, I will vanish from your world completely.” Without hesitation, Declan swore, “I pledge my life that I will never deceive or betray you. If I break this vow, I’ll livestream myself eating mangoes until I die.” Everyone who knew him was aware that Declan had a severe mango allergy. This convinced Jasmin to believe him and accept that this man was her destiny. After marriage, his adoration for her only increased, almost to an extreme. However, if she hadn’t discovered Declan’s affair with her half-sister Lilah Perry, she would have truly believed she was the happiest woman in the world. Unfortunately, there are no “what ifs” in life. Eight months into her pregnancy, Jasmin suddenly received intimate photos of Declan and Lilah in bed together. In that moment, she realized she had been deceived by Declan all along. The man who treasured her and promised never to change his heart had been keeping Lilah as his mistress for over a year. Those intimate photos left her devastated, unable to bear the shock. In the end, she suffered complications during labor, hemorrhaged on the operating table, and died with hatred in her heart. Fortunately, fate had given her a chance to be reborn. There was still time. This time, she decided to fulfill her promise and disappear completely from his world. Two hours later, Declan rushed back to Cooper Manor, his face full of guilt as he apologized, “I’m sorry, Jasmin. I was busy with the press conference last night and couldn’t make it back for your birthday.”

Meanwhile, Declan woke up, suddenly realizing that today was his wedding day. He sluggishly became aware that Jasmin hadn’t called him once in the past few days, and a wave of inexplicable panic immediately surged through him. He ordered the yacht to return to shore at once and rushed toward the wedding venue. However, no matter how many times he called or texted Jasmin, or dialed the landline at Cooper Manor, no one answered. Even his secretary and assistant were completely unreachable. It was as if everyone had suddenly vanished, like they had all planned it with Christian beforehand. Declan tried to reassure himself, “This must be a surprise Jasmin is preparing for me.” He drove anxiously to the hotel, and when he spotted the elaborately decorated entrance from a distance with guests gathering, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a hint of sweetness in his heart. But as he got closer and could clearly see the bride and groom’s posters, Declan completely fell apart. Not just the posters, but the flower arrangements, standing signs, and invitations—all information about the bride had been changed from Jasmin to his mistress, Lilah. “What the hell is going on?” he demanded. “Where is my Jasmin?” The butler and assistant hurriedly approached to explain, “Mr. Cooper, Ms. Martin has disappeared. We’re searching everywhere for her.” Declan was furious. “What nonsense are you talking about? I don’t believe it. You’re all in on this game together, aren’t you?” The butler and assistant were at a loss for words. Not getting a satisfactory response, Declan irritably pushed past everyone and stormed into the wedding venue, frantically searching for his bride, Jasmin. “Jasmin, Jasmin…” he called her name over and over again. But apart from the officiant on stage and guests whispering among themselves, there was no sign of Jasmin anywhere. Declan instinctively shook his head as the thought he had deliberately ignored yet deeply feared surfaced again. “Could Jasmin have discovered my affair?” No, impossible! He refused to believe it. He had always hidden it so well; Jasmin had never suspected him. She couldn’t have suddenly discovered it. Someone must have malicious intentions, trying to sabotage his relationship with Jasmin! Looking around at all the banners congratulating him and Lilah on their happy marriage, his anger exploded. Declan strode forward, grabbed a staff member by the collar, and roared, “Who told you to put up all this garbage? Take it down immediately!” With that, he shoved the person aside and began tearing down the posters himself. He didn’t want to waste time; he needed to clean up this mess quickly and bring his Jasmin back. He believed that if he just explained everything properly, told her it was all a prank, she would surely forgive him. The thought of Jasmin, who loved him deeply and might be hiding in some corner crying right now, made his heart ache unbearably. A flash of determination appeared in Declan’s eyes. He would find whoever was sabotaging his marriage, drag them before Jasmin to apologize, and then host an even grander wedding for her. Just then, the staff finally pressed the video play button. Accompanied by gasps from the crowd, the photos Lilah had sent to Jasmin appeared one by one on the big screen. The images showed the two of them in cars, offices, and bathrooms; role-playing as doctors and nurses, flight attendants and pilots; and even scenes from their recent group bachelor party. Declan stood frozen, his eyes wide, his head buzzing. Each photo on the screen mercilessly exposed the dirty secrets he had kept buried deep in his heart. The venue erupted in commotion, with bolder guests even taking out their phones to secretly record. Declan stared at the screen, with only one thought in his mind: “It’s over. Everything is over.” Despair spread from the depths of his heart throughout his entire body like a tidal wave. He suddenly remembered what Jasmin had told him when he proposed. “From now on, I belong to you completely, through poverty and wealth, sickness and health, I will never leave you. But there’s one condition—you must never lie to me. If you ever deceive me, I will disappear from your life forever.” Her voice echoed in his ears, each word clear, each sentence piercing his heart. Declan panicked, his legs weakening to the point where he could barely stand. In the next second, his eyes lit up, and he stumbled toward the video control panel, shouting repeatedly, “Turn it off! Turn it off now!” Jasmin wasn’t here—maybe she hadn’t seen it yet. He still had a chance to explain, a chance to make things right! However, no matter what he tried, the footage continued to roll, displaying the shameful content before everyone’s eyes. He fell into complete breakdown, his voice carrying a sob he didn’t even notice: “Why won’t it turn off? Jasmin absolutely cannot see this. I can’t let this filth reach her eyes.” With a sharp “smack,” a slap suddenly struck Declan’s face. Elliot Cooper furiously scolded him, “You’re falling apart over a woman? You’ve completely disgraced the Cooper family!” “What do you know?” Declan shouted at Elliot, tears welling in his eyes. “Jasmin will leave me! She’s going to leave me!” As Elliot tried to continue lecturing Declan, Lilah rushed forward to shield him. “If she doesn’t want you, I do, Declan! Jasmin is already gone. Forget about her and be with me, won’t you?” “Get away from me!” Declan shoved Lilah forcefully. “If you hadn’t seduced me, I would never have cheated! And the rest of you, my so-called ‘good friends,’ smiling to my face while secretly hoping to see me humiliated. I order all of you to find Jasmin—if you don’t, I’ll have your lives!” Watching his near-manic state, a staff member’s eyes flashed with a hint of satisfaction. He stepped forward at the right moment and said to Declan, “Mr. Cooper, Ms. Martin asked us to relay a message to you.” Hearing this, a spark of hope instantly ignited in Declan’s eyes. He grabbed the staff member’s hand excitedly and asked urgently, “What did she say?” The staff member replied, “She said, ‘I wish you both happiness.’” Those few simple words pierced Declan’s heart like a sharp sword. His vision darkened as every cell in his body seemed to experience excruciating pain. “Ahhh—” He could no longer control himself. He let out a hoarse roar, then collapsed to the floor as if all strength had been drained from him, covering his face as he broke down sobbing. His Jasmin was truly leaving him. What should have been a grand wedding that shocked the entire city ultimately became a joke. To minimize the negative impact, the Cooper family mobilized all their resources to contain the news. Declan returned to the Cooper estate in a daze. Even now, he still couldn’t believe that Jasmin would leave him at the altar. He thought, “How did my life go from perfect happiness to complete ruin in just a few days? How could ten years of love vanish so easily? Even if I made mistakes, why wouldn’t Jasmin give me even one chance to explain?” She was the woman he loved most, the only woman he had ever committed to. His feelings for her had never wavered. Pushing open the front door, Declan turned on the living room lights. The massive villa was empty, and he suddenly felt a wave of loneliness. He realized with a shock that everything related to Jasmin had disappeared from the house. Only his half remained in their wedding photos on the wall. Jasmin had been a beautiful, vibrant girl since childhood. He had specially built an enormous walk-in closet for her, filled with all kinds of clothes for her to dress up in. Now, all those items were gone. The closet contained only his black and white clothes, so empty it was as if she had never set foot there. At some point, tears blurred his vision. In his daze, Declan thought he saw Jasmin’s figure. “Jasmin! My Jasmin…” he murmured, “Where are you? Why did you so cruelly leave me alone?” The girl who always waited for him at home was truly gone. After a sleepless night, when the first ray of morning light fell on Declan’s face, his eyes suddenly brightened. He remembered that Jasmin had left him a wedding gift, which he was supposed to open on their wedding day. He staggered to his feet and stumbled to the study. He stood before the gift box for a long time, afraid to touch it. He feared it contained something that would make him even more desperate, yet he secretly hoped it might be the last thread of hope Jasmin had left him. After a long struggle, he finally gathered the courage to open the box. Inside was the diamond ring he had used to propose to Jasmin. This ring had cost him four full years of effort. He had traveled the world searching for white diamond rough stones, then spent a year learning jewelry setting techniques to personally design and craft it. Each diamond was engraved with “D&J,” symbolizing his commitment to loving only Jasmin. Declan clearly remembered how much Jasmin loved this ring. She said it represented his pure, sacred, and unique love for her, and she would wear it for the rest of her life. Yet now, the ring was placed on top of a photo of him and Lilah. So Jasmin had known about his affair all along. Declan laughed bitterly at himself. His actions over the past few days must have seemed ridiculous in her eyes. He thought he had hidden it well, not realizing that every time he made excuses to go out, Jasmin knew he was going to see Lilah. Declan felt utterly filthy. He tore the photo to shreds like a madman, then rushed to the bathroom to wash himself frantically. Over and over, until his skin turned red and began to bleed, only then did he stop and break down in tears. Only physical pain could temporarily mask the agony in his heart. He thought if he could just get clean enough, maybe Jasmin would come back. After his shower, Declan gradually calmed down. He found Jasmin’s phone that she hadn’t taken with her on the nightstand, filled with taunting messages from Lilah. [Jasmin, so Mr. Cooper likes to play with ties, huh?] [Jasmin, this time Declan is mine. If you’re smart, you’ll leave now. Otherwise, your fate will be miserable.] [So what if he went home? Whenever I want, I can take him away from you.] ***** The more he read, the more Declan felt rage and shame. He finally understood how Jasmin had discovered the truth about his affair. It turned out Lilah was behind everything! With determination in his heart, Declan picked up his phone and ordered his men to search for Jasmin with all their resources. He admitted his mistakes and would apologize to Jasmin, but he absolutely would not allow her to leave! She was the woman he had loved with all his heart for ten years, and he would never let her go! But before finding her, he would punish Lilah with his own hands. He said furiously, “Wait for me, Jasmin. I’ll make Lilah pay dearly and make amends to you!” When Lilah received Declan’s call, her heart filled with joy, thinking he had finally come to his senses, and she immediately headed to Cooper Manor. As soon as she stepped through the door, Declan violently grabbed her by the throat, his distorted face and bloodshot eyes looking as if he wanted to tear her apart. The suffocation terrified Lilah as she struggled desperately, pounding on Declan’s arms with all her strength. However, Declan showed no reaction, grinding out through clenched teeth: “Lilah, you’re asking for death!” Only when Lilah was gradually losing strength did Declan release his grip, throwing her violently to the floor before delivering a brutal kick to her stomach. “Ugh…” Lilah felt a sudden, intense pain and instinctively protected her abdomen, curling up on the floor in agony, unable to utter a word. Declan demanded: “From the beginning, I told you that while I couldn’t give you marriage, I could spoil you, love you, and satisfy all your material needs. Why are you still not content? I warned you not to provoke her, and especially not to let her know about us. You dared to send her that filthy content! You’ve clearly gotten too comfortable with the good life and are now seeking death!” With that, Declan violently hurled the phone Jasmin had left at Lilah. Lilah, face pale, picked up the phone through her pain to check it. Instantly, terror enveloped her, followed by intense hatred for Jasmin. She thought, “That bitch! She left a phone behind to frame me even after she left.” Lilah knew that Declan might actually kill her. In the next moment, she crawled to Declan, grabbing his pant leg and tearfully explaining: “Declan, everything I did was for you. In my past life, after Jasmin married you, she changed. She not only cheated with other men but wanted her lover’s child to inherit the Cooper family fortune. After you discovered this, they drugged your drink, planning to disguise it as a car accident. I was stabbed to death trying to save you, and when I opened my eyes again, I was reborn. After my rebirth, I wanted to prevent the tragedy, so I sent those photos to her to force her to leave you. Declan, Jasmin doesn’t love you at all—she only wants your money. Only I truly love you!” By the end, Lilah couldn’t help but sob with grievance, desperately hoping Declan would believe her. However, she had miscalculated once again. Declan, being an atheist, didn’t believe a word of Lilah’s absurd tale. Moreover, he was certain Jasmin would never betray him or have an affair. He looked down coldly at Lilah, all the former affection and admiration in his eyes completely gone, replaced only by hatred and disgust. “She loves me. I’m the one she loves most. Once I get rid of you, Jasmin will forgive me,” Declan said each word deliberately to Lilah, also trying to convince himself. He picked up a golf club from beside the cabinet and approached Lilah step by step. Watching Declan closing in, Lilah was terrified, her entire body trembling uncontrollably as she backed away, trying to create distance between them. She thought, “What is he going to do to me? Is he going to kill me? No, murder is against the law!” Lilah shook her head desperately, afraid to think further. She knew Declan had a hundred ways to make her life worse than death, so she begged him repeatedly to believe her, to spare her. Yet Declan wouldn’t relent. Finally, she played her last card: “Declan, I’m pregnant. You can’t hurt me.” Lilah had thought this statement would soften Declan’s heart and make him spare her, but it only earned a cold laugh and mockery: “So what if you’re pregnant? It’s just a child. I can have as many as I want.” Lilah was completely panicked now, staggering back a few steps, looking at Declan in despair. She couldn’t believe that this man—who had repeatedly abandoned his fiancée to be with her day and night, who had spoiled and cherished her—could be so heartless. Just then, the front door was violently flung open.

Amelia Cooper burst into the room with a group of bodyguards, hurriedly helping Lilah up from the floor, then angrily pointed at Declan. “What the hell is wrong with you? Lilah is pregnant with your child, don’t you understand that?” Declan stared silently at Amelia for a long moment before speaking: “She’s not worthy. I only allow Jasmin to bear my children.” Amelia’s chest heaved with anger. “Wake up! Jasmin is gone! I never approved of your relationship from the beginning. How could a girl with no power or influence possibly help you? Besides, she’s being too dramatic. You just cheated, was it worth causing all this? What man doesn’t cheat?” She took a deep breath and continued, “Let me be frank with you, give up looking for her. After what Jasmin has done, she’ll never set foot in our house again! Carter is still waiting for a grandchild. In my opinion, you might as well make the best of a bad situation and marry Lilah…” Declan interrupted Amelia: “Mom! If you want grandchildren, wait until I bring Jasmin back, and we’ll have as many as you want. As for Lilah, she must pay the price!” He waved his hand, and servants immediately stepped forward to drag Lilah away. Just as Amelia was about to intervene, the doors of Cooper Manor swung open again. Elliot stormed in with a grim expression, marched up to Declan, and slapped him hard across the face. Declan’s head jerked to the side, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. After a moment, he turned to look at Elliot. Elliot, furious, pointed at his nose and shouted, “You worthless fool! Look what you’ve done!” It turned out that videos from the wedding day and photos of the couple had somehow been leaked online. Worse still, someone had exposed a video of Lilah and Declan having an affair in the makeup room during the filming of a short drama. Topics about Declan’s infidelity and Jasmin’s escape from the wedding quickly dominated social media, shocking the entire city. Eight out of the top ten trending topics were about them. The remaining two were about Lilah’s past scandals uncovered by internet users. Soon after, someone released clips of Lilah having sex with a man during a livestream. Although the man’s face wasn’t visible, internet users keenly compared his voice with Declan’s, finding a 98% match. What angered netizens even more was that on the very day Jasmin accepted Declan’s proposal, his mistress Lilah was already pregnant with his child, and Amelia had personally accompanied her to the hospital for prenatal care. Countless fans who had supported Declan and Jasmin were devastated, publicly condemning Declan, with some even flooding the Cooper Group’s official accounts with angry comments. Overnight, the Cooper family’s reputation was destroyed, and their stock prices plummeted. Carter Cooper suffered a heart attack relapse and was rushed to the hospital. Carter’s first words upon waking were: “Get rid of that bastard child.” That’s when Elliot hurried over. Seeing that Amelia could no longer protect her, Lilah cried out desperately: “No!” She turned to escape but was blocked by bodyguards. Declan coldly ordered: “Tie her up and take her to the clinic to terminate the pregnancy.” Lilah struggled desperately. She couldn’t lose this child; even illegitimate children had inheritance rights. She firmly believed that if she could give birth to the Cooper family’s first grandson, she would secure her life and wealth. So she knelt on the ground, begging Declan to spare her life for the sake of their past relationship. But all she received was Declan’s cold, resolute answer: “Don’t worry, your punishment is just beginning.” After Lilah’s pregnancy was forcibly terminated, the Cooper family’s bodyguards threw her onto the street like garbage. Soon, a crowd gathered around her. Some threw trash at her, others spat on her, and many hurled insults. Some extremely angry fans even kicked and punched her to vent their fury. Photos of her in this wretched state were uploaded online, but no one showed any sympathy. Due to the severe negative impact, the film company not only terminated Lilah’s contract but also sued her for damages. The short drama she starred in was removed from all platforms, and the once-popular actress was now universally reviled as a slut. Her phone was flooded with abusive and threatening messages, as well as harassment calls. Some even mockingly asked how much she charged for her services. Lilah now spent her days hiding in a rented apartment, afraid to go outside. Late at night, Declan sat alone drinking at the bar. “Jasmin, where are you?” he mumbled. One shot of liquor after another burned down his throat, making tears stream down his face. For days, he had tried everything to find Jasmin, but came up empty-handed, as if she had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind. Forget about winning her back—even seeing her once had become an impossible dream. At this thought, Declan painfully slapped himself twice across the face. He recalled the first time he met Jasmin, when her parents were still alive. Fifteen-year-old Jasmin wore a crisp white school uniform, standing under a cherry blossom tree, her smile radiant and captivating. He had never seen such a pure and dazzling smile before. In that moment, his heart raced involuntarily, and he knew he had fallen in love with her. It was the first time he felt such an intense desire to possess a woman, unwilling to share her with anyone, including her parents. So Declan began secretly observing Jasmin’s life. Later, when he learned about her father’s affair, he realized his opportunity had come. To claim Jasmin completely for himself, he meticulously planned a dark and extremely selfish scheme. First, he had someone deliver evidence of her father’s affair to her pregnant mother, causing Jasmin to lose the mother who adored her and develop resentment toward her father. After her father’s death, he paid her stepmother handsomely to mistreat Jasmin. This way, Jasmin—once happy, loved, and cherished—was forced to become a vulnerable young woman, lonely and tormented. When Jasmin had nowhere to turn and was completely desperate, he appeared to rescue her, gradually winning her heart. After winning Jasmin over, he became even more attentive than before. His friends often teased him, saying, “You’re already with her, why keep up the act? I can only pretend until I get her into bed—once my pants are back on, the act is over.” They were all wealthy heirs with countless women around them, but Declan was different. He only had Jasmin. So, unsatisfied—whether out of envy or jealousy—they started making bets and blatantly sending women to Declan, trying to shake his resolve. At first, Declan firmly refused. However, gradually, at some point, he began to think it wouldn’t hurt to try, just as a way to relieve stress. He still believed his heart belonged to Jasmin. He set boundaries for himself: playing around was fine, but Jasmin must never find out. So he chose his favorite woman, Lilah. The reason was simple—she somewhat resembled Jasmin. The first time he slept with Lilah, an unprecedented thrill hit all his senses. Unlike Jasmin, Lilah was more open and passionate, offering an experience he had never had before. From initial novelty to growing addiction to complete obsession, Declan sank deeper into the quagmire of desire. He fell deeper and deeper, unable to turn back. Now, he slapped himself hard several times, tears of regret flowing from his eyes. “I’m such a bastard! A complete bastard…” he confessed. “If I had resisted Lilah’s temptation, if I hadn’t fooled around with those friends, would my Jasmin still be with me? “How could I fail to cherish what I had and lose her?” Through tear-filled eyes, Declan saw the private room door open as a man walked in. “Oliver, what are you—” he began. Before he could finish, the newcomer knocked him down with a powerful punch. This man was Oliver Meyer, Declan’s childhood friend. “You have the nerve to ask me what’s going on?” Oliver sneered. Declan rose, holding his bruised cheek, somewhat sobered, about to explain. Unfortunately, Oliver gave him no chance, delivering a hook that knocked him to the floor again. Declan couldn’t beat Oliver even on a good day, and now, drunk as he was, he could only take the beating. There were plenty of onlookers, but no one dared intervene. “From now on, stay away from Jasmin, or I won’t let you off so easily next time,” Oliver threatened before walking away. Declan lay on the floor for a full ten minutes before realizing that someone seemed to be preventing him from finding Jasmin. “Could it be Oliver?” he wondered. “Does he have feelings for my Jasmin? How dare he covet my woman?” Across the ocean, Jasmin began her new life as an immigrant. When she first arrived in France, she kept an extremely low profile, fearing Declan might find her. Based on what she knew about Declan, he would never easily let her go. After two weeks of worry, it proved that the wedding company’s runaway bride service was indeed trustworthy. Grateful for their help, Jasmin transferred another sum of money as a thank-you, earnestly requesting they keep her whereabouts hidden. Life in France was peaceful and serene. Jasmin could sleep in every day, unlike at Cooper Manor where she had to follow Amelia’s strict schedule. Outsiders assumed she was cherished and pampered by Declan, not knowing that Amelia had always looked down on her, believing she wasn’t good enough for Declan, and frequently imposing rules on her. Jasmin had silently endured it all, never mentioning it to Declan. Looking back now, she thought herself foolish for compromising so much for such a man. After resting for a while, Jasmin decided to find something to do. Initially, she wasn’t sure what to pursue until one day when she found a stray cat on the street. The kitten looked only about two months old, shivering under a bridge. It was pitiful, reminding her of herself after losing both parents with no one to turn to. In fact, Jasmin had always loved cats, but because Declan was allergic to cat hair, she could never have one. Now, with no interfering factors, Jasmin immediately decided to adopt it and named it Mac. Through adopting this cat, she met local pet lovers and, by coincidence, joined a wildlife rescue charity. The charity had just opened a new branch, and Jasmin’s days became busy and fulfilling. That day after work, Elise video-chatted with her as usual and forwarded three videos. The first was security footage from outside Elise’s company. Declan had gone there asking about Jasmin’s whereabouts. After not seeing him for some time, Jasmin could barely recognize Declan in the video. The man stood at the entrance, unkempt and unshaven, pleading: “Please tell me where Jasmin is. You’re her best friend, you must know.” Elise became angry at the sight of him and immediately tried to drive him away. “Get lost!” Declan waved his hand, and the bodyguards behind him opened two black leather cases filled with cash, probably around two million dollars. He said, “All this money is yours if you tell me. If it’s not enough, I can add more.” Seeing this, Jasmin scoffed inwardly: “Does he think everyone and everything in this world can be bought with money? Just as easily as he once paid my stepmother to mistreat me?” Elise became furious, went back into her office, and returned with a broom, hitting Declan directly. He neither dodged nor moved, standing still as Elise struck him. When Elise tired, he said with reddened eyes, “Tell me where Jasmin is, and I won’t bother you again.” Elise mocked him: “When she was by your side, you were out with other women. Now that she’s gone, you’re here pretending to be heartbroken? Who are you trying to fool? Declan, let me tell you, Jasmin doesn’t want you anymore, so just leave! Even if I knew where she was, I wouldn’t tell you! Take your money and go, or I’ll call the police!” After her tirade, Elise turned and closed the door. Declan stood there, his face pale and rigid, motionless for a long time. Watching the desperate, soul-lost Declan in the video, Jasmin felt nothing. The second video was in a bar. A man was repeatedly punching Declan, who lay on the ground, defenseless. Jasmin recognized the man and exclaimed, “Is that Oliver?” Oliver was Declan’s best friend. Oliver’s fists landed swift, vicious blows on Declan. Even through the screen, Jasmin could feel the pain. She was confused: “They’re such good friends. Why would Oliver attack Declan over me?” She had met Oliver at the gathering where Declan first formally introduced her to everyone. In her memory, they hadn’t interacted much, but Oliver had left a good impression. The breeding and humility he revealed in conversation, his perfectly measured politeness and care, gave her an indescribable sense of comfort and respect. Elise joked, “Maybe he has a secret crush on you and is getting revenge for you.” “That’s impossible,” Jasmin instinctively denied. She didn’t think too deeply about it, assuming he was just the kind of person who stood up for what was right—someone with good values.

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