Category: English

Suddenly, a death countdown appeared on the back of every human’s hand worldwide. My husband, Derek, had one year left. His ex-girlfriend, Valentina, had only one day. Derek knelt at my feet, tears streaming down his face. “Ayla! You have sixty years! What’s the big deal about sharing a little with her?!” I stayed silent. The next second, he and Valentina pounced on me like rabid animals, pinning me down! A cold device pierced my wrist—an illegal time transfer apparatus. I watched helplessly as the numbers representing my life plummeted wildly: Sixty years, fifty years, ten years, one year, until only one day remained. They were ecstatic, tears of joy streaming down their faces. But I just shook my head, a small, knowing smile playing on my lips. We elves have infinite lifespans. This death countdown? It meant nothing to me. Derek pulled me up from the ground, his face still wet with tears. “Ayla, I’m so sorry… but I can’t let Valentina die…” Valentina stood beside him. She lowered her head, gazing at the brand new numbers on the back of her hand: 60 years and seven hours. “Ayla,” Valentina said triumphantly, her voice dripping with malice. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your husband from now on.” Derek nodded vigorously, fresh tears welling up in his eyes. They had no idea. I was an elf; my life had no end. That glaring “60 years and seven hours” on Valentina’s hand was nothing but an illusion. Humans simply couldn’t steal an elf’s lifespan. Derek looked at me, his face clouded with guilt. “You only have a few hours left. Do you have any last wishes? Tell me, Valentina and I will do everything we can to fulfill them. Anything.” “A divorce,” I said calmly. Derek froze, staring at me in disbelief. “No!” He shook his head violently. “Ayla! I won’t divorce you! You’re the one I love most!” I sighed. “Fine. No divorce then. Let’s try another wish.” Valentina looked up, curiosity in her eyes. “Ayla, if it’s something I can do, I promise I will.” “Simple,” I said, looking her straight in the eye. “Transfer thirty years of life to Derek.” The room fell silent again. Valentina stiffened, stammering, “Wh… what?” “The time you just stole.” I pointed at the back of her hand. “Transfer thirty years of it to Derek.” Derek looked at Valentina, clearly anticipating her choice. Valentina avoided his gaze. “Ayla, I just finished the transfer. My body is still a bit weak. How about… tomorrow?” Derek let out an awkward laugh. “No rush, Valentina will transfer it to me, don’t you worry!” Valentina nodded, quickly changing the subject. “Ayla, weren’t you always wanting to visit your hometown in Alaska? How about we drive you home?”

The car sped onto the highway. Valentina said we’d be there in an hour or two. Derek put his arm around my shoulder. “I owe Valentina. Years ago, she jumped into that freezing river to save me, almost drowned, and it left her unable to have children. I owe her everything.” “Hmm,” I hummed in response. Seeing my cold expression, Derek said nothing more. A while later, Valentina’s phone rang. She answered it immediately. “Hello? Liam?” I felt Derek’s hand on my shoulder instantly stiffen. “I just wanted to come see you. I have a surprise for you.” Valentina’s voice was sickeningly sweet. “Wait for me, I’m on my way to Alaska right now. Don’t be scared, I’ll transfer thirty years to you as soon as I get there…” After she hung up, Derek immediately asked her, “Who’s Liam?” Valentina’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Oh, just a college friend of mine. He’s pretty pathetic, only two years left on his countdown.” Valentina answered casually. “He was always good to me, so I want to help him.” Derek’s temper flared instantly. “You’re using my wife’s life to help your friend?!” Valentina snapped impatiently. “Derek! Why are you so nosy?!” She shot Derek a venomous glare through the rearview mirror. “I jumped into that river to save you back then, and it left me unable to have kids! This sixty years of time, you and your wife owe me!” She pointed at the glaring numbers on the back of her hand. “It’s my time! I have the right to do what I want with it! I’ll give it to whoever I please! You have no right to tell me what to do!” Derek’s body jolted, as if struck by an invisible whip. The color drained from his face, his lips trembled, and he finally lowered his head. “Got it.” Valentina scoffed, ignoring him, and slammed on the gas. The car accelerated. The only sounds in the car were the oppressive silence and the roar of the engine. After more than two hours of driving, the car finally reached the foot of the Alaskan mountains. “Get out!” Valentina’s voice was harsh. We got out of the car. I stood still, my gaze fixed on an inconspicuous gentle slope. Derek noticed my pause. “What’s wrong? Not feeling well?” he asked me. I shook my head, looking at the slope. “Nothing. Just remembering my childhood.” Valentina pulled out her phone. “Liam! We’re here. Tell me the exact location, I’ll find you!” She strode forward first, and Derek hesitated for a moment before following her. A little while later, Derek said to me, “I still have a year left. I’ll transfer half a year to you! No! I’ll transfer ten months. I don’t want you to die.” I looked into his eyes, seeing fear and regret there. I gently removed his hand from mine. “No need. Keep it for yourself.”

The mountain road was winding and rough. Valentina led the way, occasionally glancing at her phone to confirm the direction, grumbling about how difficult the path was. Derek followed silently, his gaze vacant. “This used to be a stargazing platform,” I said, pointing to a distant peak. “My father often brought me here to watch the stars.” Valentina scoffed. “Ayla, are you dying and having hallucinations? A stargazing platform in the middle of nowhere?” I couldn’t be bothered to explain to her. After all, she was the one who was dying soon. Suddenly, a handsome young man and an old man blocked our path. The young man was indeed the “Liam” Valentina had spoken of. Valentina’s eyes instantly lit up, and she ran towards him. “Liam! I’m here!” Liam looked up, and when he saw Valentina, his face was etched with clear disgust. “Valentina? You actually came? Didn’t I tell you not to?” He chided Valentina while massaging the old man. “Mr. Thorne, please don’t be angry.” “Mr. Thorne?” Valentina’s smile froze, as if she’d been struck by lightning. “What’s the relationship between this Mr. Thorne and Ayla?!” Liam looked at her coldly. “He is, of course, Ms. Ayla’s father, and also my superior.” Derek walked over to Liam’s side and asked Valentina, “You’re going to give your life to this man?” Valentina’s expression changed. She violently shoved Derek away, yelling, “Derek! Get lost! You’re so annoying!” Derek stumbled back, almost falling, staring at her in disbelief. Valentina glared viciously at Derek. “I told you, I’ll give my life to whoever I want!” Derek’s face instantly turned ashen, his body swayed, his eyes wide with shock. Valentina ignored him, eagerly trying to impress Liam. “Liam! Look! I have sixty years! I’ll transfer thirty years to you! No! All of it! As long as you…” Liam impatiently cut her off, raising his smooth hand, his tone laced with a hint of pride. “Save it. Who needs your stolen time?” The numbers on his hand were clearly visible: 102 years. “Mr. Thorne just transferred a hundred years to me, and he said if I keep his palace clean, he’ll give me even more later.” A hundred years?! Valentina looked like she’d been punched in the gut, her eyes bulging as she stared at the incredible numbers on Liam’s hand. She shrieked, “How is that possible?! He’s just an old man! Where did he get that much time?!” My father, however, smiled at Valentina. “Do you want more time too? Give me money, and I’ll sell it to you!”

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My Ex-Fiancé Wants to Break Up: “I’m marrying Scarlett Sterling, the real heiress of the Sterling family! You? You’re just our charity case, fit only to be my mistress!” The so-called ‘true heiress,’ Scarlett Sterling, scoffed. “Oh, I’ve seen countless cheap gold-diggers like her, thinking a pretty face is all it takes to reel in the master of the house…” I just smiled. He had no idea. I was the true Sterling heiress. And what’s more, I was marrying his uncle, Foster Reed, the CEO of Reed Industries. When I brought up our engagement to Blake, he absolutely lost it, tearing the marriage contract to shreds like a maniac. I frowned. “That marriage contract isn’t for you…” Blake Reed cut me off, as if I’d said something hilarious. “Autumn Reed, know your place! ‘Adopted daughter’ is just a pretty word for the pet I kept around for fun!” “I was young and naive back then when I talked about proposing to you. But we’re not kids anymore. My status won’t allow me to marry a woman as low-class as you!” He reached out and tilted my chin up. “Scarlett, the Sterling family’s true heiress, will be here any minute. I don’t want to hear any intimate rumors about us, understand?” The moment he finished speaking, a spoiled voice echoed from the doorway. “Blake, who is she?” The aggressive Blake instantly changed his expression. “Just a disobedient servant from my house. Scarlett, why didn’t you wait for me to pick you up?” Scarlett tossed her bag into his arms and sneered, “Disobedient servants need to be disciplined! I’ve seen countless cheap whores like her, relying on a bit of pretty face to seduce their master…” She circled me once, then suddenly yanked hard on the necklace my mother had personally given me. “This necklace is only for a Sterling daughter! Where did you steal it from? Tell me!” Her pull hurt, so I yanked her hand away. “My parents gave it to me, Scarlett, I’m your— Ah!” Before I could even say ‘sister,’ someone brutally kicked the back of my knee, sending me crashing to the floor with a cry of pain. My knee slammed hard against the floor, and a searing pain shot through an old injury. The Reed family’s punishments were brutal. When Blake was a kid and acted up, I always took the fall for him. Over time, that spot on my knee had become a chronic injury. Blake pulled his foot back and ground it into the floor, as if wiping off something dirty. “Autumn Reed, I wondered where you’d vanished to this morning! Turns out you were busy playing thief!” “Who do you think you are? The Sterling family’s only daughter is right here!” Scarlett’s smile stiffened, then she haughtily tilted her head. “Blake, your servant here must be a thief. Her clothes are designer, too! Way beyond the means of someone from her background!” Blake seemed to remember something, and his face instantly turned ashen. “Tell me! Which man did you go meet? You haven’t changed your old habits at all, have you?!” “You slut! It’s not like we don’t give you money! Do you have to sell yourself out there?” I trembled with rage, the nightmare of my teenage years resurfacing. When I was a teenager, I was constantly harassed by boys because I was pretty. Rumors even spread at the elite private school that I’d sleep with anyone for money. Blake beat up the worst offenders back then, and they stayed quiet for a bit, but then the rumors started again. Even Blake hesitated that time, until Foster, the company’s CEO, stepped in and called the police on the rumormongers. “Blake! How could you say something like that?! Don’t you know I’m your—” Blake, with lightning speed, grabbed a napkin from the table and shoved it into my mouth. The Reed family’s security guards rushed in and immediately pinned me to the floor. “Blake, she said she was your what? You don’t have a mistress behind my back, do you?” Scarlett frowned, her expression hostile. “Of course not! How could I possibly fall for such a low-class woman? She’s just trying to climb up the ladder. Scarlett, please don’t be mad, I’ll throw her out right now…” Blake tried to appease her with a forced smile, about to order the guards, when Mrs. Reed suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs. “What’s all this noise? What’s going on?” “Where’s Autumn?”

Blake instinctively stepped in front of me. “It’s nothing, Mom, I’m just disciplining a servant.” Mrs. Reed frowned. “Hurry and take care of it. When Autumn arrives, escort her directly to my study. I still need to set a date with her for the wedding…” “Mom! I’m not marrying Autumn Reed!” Blake was furious. “Didn’t we already agree? Scarlett is the one I’m marrying!” Scarlett immediately tilted her chin up haughtily. “Exactly. I’m a Sterling, not some cheap nobody you can compare to me!” Mrs. Reed’s frown deepened. “Shut up! Blake, how dare you talk about Autumn like that!” “And you, Scarlett Sterling, even if the engagement has been changed, don’t get ahead of yourself!” Blake waved his hand dismissively. “Mom! I know you raised Autumn for eighteen years, and even a dog would develop feelings, but at the end of the day, she’s just a low-class adopted girl!” “Scarlett is the only daughter of the Sterling family! With the Sterlings backing me, once I’m the heir, we won’t have to grovel to Uncle Foster ever again!” The moment the words left his mouth, Mrs. Reed’s face paled dramatically. Before Blake could react, Mrs. Reed rushed downstairs and slapped him hard. “Shut up! Our whole family relies on him, have you forgotten? And your uncle is about to marry Pearl Sterling!” I seized the chance and struggled with all my might, finally pushing away one of the security guards. Mrs. Reed, who had been furious a moment ago, saw me with my hair disheveled and my face contorted in pain. Her expression instantly changed. “Autumn? What happened?! Let go of her!” Mrs. Reed panicked. She immediately ripped the cloth from my mouth and helped me up. Blake, still angry, said, “Who’s Pearl Sterling in the Sterling family, Mom? Have you lost your mind—” He had no idea that Pearl Sterling was the name my real parents had picked for me when I returned home. I forced a smile, about to tell him, but the old injury on my knee flared up, an excruciating pain that almost choked off my voice. “You idiot! Of course, there’s a Pearl Sterling in the family! She’s the future lady of the house!” Mrs. Reed no longer bothered with her stupid son. She quickly contacted the family doctor and had me moved to the treatment room. Mrs. Reed stood by my bedside, a forced smile plastered on her face, cautiously handing me a list and a ruby ring—Foster’s engagement token. “Autumn, Foster has set the wedding date for three days from now. That jerk Blake is being impossible, I’ll make sure he—” Her words were cut short by Blake bursting in. “Mom! How long are you going to keep favoring Autumn Reed?! Scarlett is going to be your daughter-in-law!” With a slam, he slapped a pregnancy test with two lines onto my bedside table. “Scarlett just took it. You’re going to be a grandma!” “Scarlett Sterling’s parents love children. Once Scarlett has the baby, they’ll definitely help me out!” I watched him coldly. My parents did love children, but they would only love their own children. If this had happened before I returned to my real family, maybe his plan would have worked. Seeing the pregnancy test, Mrs. Reed’s expression went from surprise to alarm, then she cautiously looked at me. “Autumn, what do you think about this child?” I’d taken pain medication, and my voice was hoarse. “Is getting pregnant out of wedlock something to brag about?” I’d meant for them to just get married already, but Blake completely misunderstood, pointing at me and shouting. “Autumn Reed! If you’d just been a good, obedient girl, I might have even allowed you to be a nanny for my son!” “But it’s too late now! I’m kicking you out today!” “Mom, you don’t have to worry about Scarlett leaving me. With a baby, she’ll definitely marry me. Soon, the Reed and Sterling families will all be mine!” I just glared at him, coldly. “You don’t deserve it!” I turned to Mrs. Reed, whose face was pale with fright from Blake’s outburst. “Don’t call me Autumn anymore. Call me by my real name.” Each word was a cold, hard stone. “Call me Pearl Sterling.”

“Pearl Sterling?” Blake’s eyes darted around, then he suddenly bowed to me. “I-I’m so sorry, so sorry, I had no idea…” Mrs. Reed let out a sigh of relief. Just then, her phone rang. “Pearl, I still have to prepare for the wedding. If you need anything, just ask Blake.” Mrs. Reed probably figured we’d known each other for eighteen years, and now that Blake knew my real identity, he wouldn’t dare pull anything stupid. With that, she left, apparently reassured. The moment Mrs. Reed was out the door, Blake’s entire demeanor changed. He pressed down hard on my injured knee, making me shriek. “Having fun, Autumn Reed? I don’t know how you managed to sweet-talk my mom into treating you like royalty…” “And you dare impersonate the Sterling family’s true heiress? If my family hadn’t adopted you, you’d still be begging on the streets!” Scarlett walked in, cradling her belly and pouting. “Blake! Why is a servant living in such a nice room? And she stole my family’s necklace!” “Are you going to let her walk all over me? You should call the police and have her thrown in jail for a few years! Even your mom won’t be able to save her then!” Blake quickly rushed to comfort her. “Of course not, darling! You’re a Sterling. I’ll do whatever you say. I’ve already called the police!” “Let me tell you something hilarious. She just said her name was Pearl Sterling! How ridiculous. The Sterling family is way out of her league. She’s just a servant my mom brought back to serve me…” He laughed at his own joke, failing to notice that Scarlett, who had been so arrogant moments before, had gone completely pale. “Blake, she really is just your family’s servant, right?” I was about to say something when Blake, with lightning speed, brutally brought his fist down on my kneecap. I even heard a sickening crack, and my body instantly went limp. “Of course she is, Scarlett. We’re getting married. Why would I lie to you? My mom is already making all the arrangements!” While Scarlett bashfully looked down, Blake leaned close to my ear, his teeth gritted. “I warned you not to mention our relationship in front of Scarlett.” “Enjoy your few years in prison. I know you didn’t steal it; the necklace is a fake, isn’t it? But why would you fake hers? You shouldn’t have…” “She’s the Sterling heiress. Even if you copy her necklace, you’re still just a cheap, low-class fake!” As he spoke, he noticed the gift list in my hand. “Scarlett! Come here, look! This is the gift list my mom drafted. The wedding is in three days… In three days, you’ll be my wife!” Scarlett’s eyes widened. “Ten mansions, half the shares of all Reed Industries’ properties… That’s so much!” It wasn’t just Scarlett who was shocked; I was stunned too. I hadn’t looked closely when Mrs. Reed gave me the list, but Foster had incredible nerve—he was practically giving me half of the entire Reed family fortune. The funniest part was Blake thought it was all for him. “Of course, marrying you means a powerful alliance between our two families! Soon, Reed and Sterling will all belong to our son!” Blake boasted, completely oblivious. “You’re so good to me, darling. Why aren’t the police here yet? I don’t want to see this cheap woman!” I’d barely recovered some strength when I saw them flaunting their affection. I suddenly gagged. Let them call the police. When my real parents came to the station to pick me up, everything would be revealed. Just then, the police burst through the door. “Who called this in?” Blake dragged me from the bed. “It was her! This is our servant. She stole a huge amount of valuables from my fiancée!” The ruby ring on my hand slipped, revealing Foster’s name engraved on it. Blake’s pupils constricted, his expression wavering in disbelief. “Isn’t that Uncle Foster’s token? He said it was only for his future wife…”

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After I got my year-end bonus, I splurged $10,000 on a wallet for my boyfriend. I never expected that the very next day, he’d list it online for sale. I immediately bought the wallet myself, then dialed his number: “Sweetheart, are you happy with the New Year’s gift I got you?” Nealon’s voice was cold. “That wallet? Yeah, I already got it.” I smiled. “That wallet? Oh, that was just the wrapping. The real gift was the watch I hid inside, worth $100,000. Didn’t you see it?” I was browsing Amazon’s second-hand marketplace one weekend when a listing from a local seller popped up. [Handmade Italian leather wallet, only $2000!] My eyes zeroed in on the text, and I froze for a full two seconds. The wallet had my boyfriend’s initials embroidered on it. There was no way anyone else would have an identical wallet, especially with that embroidery. I clicked into the seller’s profile. The IP address showed the seller was in the same state as me. I sat there in stunned silence for a moment, then clicked open the private chat. “Hi, is the wallet still available? Is it authentic? Why is it so cheap?” The reply was instant: “Don’t worry, it’s absolutely authentic. A friend gave it to me, but honestly, the color just isn’t my style, so I’m letting it go cheap.” Right after that, he sent over a photo of a custom order receipt from an Italian designer. It was Nealon, alright. I was the one who’d sent him that very receipt. My fingers went stiff. I took a deep, shaky breath and clicked into his Amazon seller profile, scrolling down. In the six months we’d been together, almost everything I’d ever given him was listed there. The headphones I bought him a month into our relationship, priced at $400. The game console for our 100-day anniversary, priced at $500. The latest model tablet I got him recently because he said he needed it for a project, priced at $800. Every single one of them was marked ‘Sold’. And a scarf. I’d knitted it for him myself last winter, pricking my fingers countless times. He’d hugged me then, promising to wear it forever. Now, it was listed for $50 with free shipping. The description even said: ‘Gift from a friend, not my style, never used.’ Staring at that line, a wave of nausea suddenly hit me. After we got together, Nealon’s requests for gifts were ridiculously frequent. Every time, he had a reason. Our one-month anniversary, our 100-day anniversary, his birthday, his thesis proposal approval… And every time, I bought him something. I’d been working for two years, while he was still in grad school. I figured he had no income, so I tried my best to keep him from spending money. So, even if his return gifts were just snack gift boxes worth a few tens of dollars or cheap little trinkets, I never said a word. I thought I was being understanding. Now, I saw that in his eyes, I was nothing more than a human ATM. Just then, another message popped up in the chat. “Hello? Still interested? If you’re serious, I can knock a bit more off the price. I can ship it today.”

I stared at the message, a storm of emotions churning inside me. Should I just expose him now, break up, and kick him to the curb? That would be letting him off too easy. After a moment of thought, I exited the chat and changed the shipping address to my best friend Chloe’s apartment complex. Once confirmed, I hit ‘Buy Now’. The moment the payment went through, a new message instantly popped up in the backend. “Wow, you’re quick! I see you’re local, so I’ll send it via courier right now! Please confirm receipt as soon as possible after you get it, I really need the money!” I stared at the text and replied: “Okay, send it.” An hour later, I picked up the package at Chloe’s place. The wallet was brand new, the seal perfectly intact. The special greeting card I’d specifically asked the official website to add was still tucked into the side seam. He hadn’t even bothered to open it. “Isn’t that the wallet you gave Nealon?” Chloe peered over my shoulder, frowning. “What’s going on?” I handed her my phone, letting her scroll through the Amazon records herself. Chloe flipped through a couple of pages, her face growing colder and colder. “That jerk!” She gritted her teeth. “What are you going to do now? Go straight to his school and slap him?” I shook my head. “That’s too boring.” If he dared to cash in on my gifts, I’d make him pay dearly! No sooner had the words left my mouth than another message popped up on the Amazon backend. “Hey, the courier says it’s signed for. Can you confirm receipt? I really need the money over here, waiting to buy a birthday present for my girlfriend.” My movements paused. Girlfriend? My birthday was in October, and it was only March. Which girlfriend was he buying a gift for? Chloe saw it too and let out a cold laugh. “Looks like this scumbag isn’t just using you as an ATM, he’s cheating too! What a pig!” I didn’t say anything, just clicked ‘Confirm Receipt’. The instant the money went through, I picked up a small knife from Chloe’s fruit bowl and gently made a cut on the wallet. Then I took a photo and sent it to Nealon’s Amazon account: “Hi, I just opened the outer packaging and found some damage here.” Nealon immediately blew up: “No way, listen, lady, it was perfectly fine when I handed it to the courier! The packaging wasn’t torn at all! You must have damaged it yourself, right?” “You didn’t inspect it on the spot and only mentioned a problem after signing for it. Who knows if you scratched it yourself? Trying to pull a fast one? No chance!” “You’ve already confirmed receipt! Now whether the item is good or bad has nothing to do with me! Don’t even think about scamming me!” With that, he blocked me before I could reply. I suddenly smiled. That’s exactly the guarantee I was waiting for. Whether the item was good or bad, it had nothing to do with him. I switched back to SnapChat and immediately called Nealon. He answered, his voice laced with a smile. “Honey, why the sudden call? Missing me already?” I replied: “Yeah, I wanted to ask you, did you get the wallet?” The other end of the line went quiet for a moment. “I did,” his tone was a little unnatural. “But babe, this wallet, actually, I don’t really like it. The color is a bit outdated.” “Oh? Why?” “Nowadays, young people don’t really use wallets that much.” He paused, then his tone softened deliberately. “I know you meant well, but this wallet really isn’t quite my style.” I curved my lips into a small smile. “Is that so? Well, I guess I’ll just give it to a colleague then. I actually forgot to buy a New Year’s gift for one of them.”

“Don’t!” he cut me off urgently. “Let’s not do that.” “But you don’t like it, right?” I feigned surprise. “I like all the gifts you give me.” His words rushed out. “Besides, how can you give a gift you gave me to someone else?” “You make a good point.” “Exactly,” his tone returned to calm, even taking on a slightly lecturing quality. “Aurora, don’t get me things like that anymore. I’m about to start working. If you really want to get me something, why not buy something practical?” “Like what?” “Like a watch, for example. Or a car would be nice too. Those are more fitting for my status, and they’d make a good impression when meeting clients.” I almost crushed my phone. He was still a student, barely out of college, and he was talking to me about ‘status’ and ‘making a good impression’? No wonder he thought the wallet I gave him wasn’t good enough. Turns out, he wanted something much more expensive. I suddenly remembered that three days ago, when I sent him the order screenshot, he’d only replied with “Oh.” At the time, I figured he was just busy, which was why he hadn’t seemed excited. Now I realized he was probably just too disappointed to even bother faking it. “You’re right,” I slowly said. “I also think that since you’re about to start working, you need some items that suit a mature man.” Nealon immediately brightened. “Right? You think so too? I actually saw a Longines watch I really like, it’s about $3,000. If you…” I cut him off. “So, I actually tucked a watch inside that wallet. A classic Patek Philippe. Didn’t you see it?” The other end of the line instantly fell silent. All I could hear was his increasingly rapid breathing. A few seconds later, Nealon’s voice changed completely. “What?” “A Patek Philippe,” I said innocently. “It was just in the wallet’s inner compartment, wrapped in velvet cloth. Didn’t you open it? There was even a handwritten letter from me inside.” “I…” he stammered. “You put a watch inside the wallet?” “Yeah,” I sighed. “I was just worried the wallet wasn’t expensive enough to express my love for you. So I bought an expensive watch.” From his end of the line, I heard a dull thud, like a fist slamming against a table. Immediately followed by a girl’s muffled, petulant voice: “What are you doing? Why are you so angry…” Nealon’s voice was also lowered, urgent and irritable. “It’s all because you wanted a necklace! Otherwise, why would I have been in such a rush to sell the wallet! Now look! I lost a fortune!” The girl huffed. “I told you, that wallet was handmade, it could even appreciate in value if you waited. You’re the one who insisted on selling it…” “If I don’t sell it now, how will I get it for your birthday!” I pretended not to hear their whispers and asked with concern: “Nealon? What’s wrong?” “Nothing,” his voice was dry. “Aurora, how much did you say that watch was?” “About $100,000,” I said lightly. “I was originally planning to get a new car, but then I thought, you’d need a good watch more for your internship and job interviews to make an impression, so I bought it.” “$100,000?” His voice started to tremble. “Where did you get that much money?” “My year-end bonus,” I said, pretending to be wronged. “I did really well on my projects this year, and my bonus was $90,000, so I bought you a watch.” “You…” He took a sharp breath. “Why didn’t you say so earlier!” “I wanted to surprise you,” I paused, suddenly sounding nervous. “Why do you ask? Is the watch missing?” “I… I might not have noticed…” he stammered incoherently. “I haven’t looked closely at the wallet yet…” “Go look for it!” I urged. “I bought a handmade custom one, even second-hand it’s worth $80,000! If it’s lost, I’ll be absolutely devastated!” Saying that, I sent Nealon the actual watch photo and the store receipt. “See? This style really suits you. It might look a bit mature, but you can wear it for years.”

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I was in anaphylactic shock from a severe peanut allergy. But my wife snatched my EpiPen, claiming our neighbor’s dog had a mosquito bite and needed to reduce swelling. “Hannah, the EpiPen…” I gasped, my voice a strangled plea for help, every fiber of my being fighting for air. Hannah grabbed it, yelling towards the door. “Mason! Snowball’s paw is swollen from a bite. This import works fast. Here, take it!” She handed it to our neighbor, Mason, like offering a prize. Mason, cradling his poodle, glanced at me sprawled on the floor, a smirk on his lips. “Awkward. Mr. Owen doesn’t look too well, does he?” “Ignore him, he’s faking.” Hannah stepped over me with utter disgust. “He just doesn’t want me to give you the medicine. He’s throwing a fit. Pathetic.” My vision blurred. I watched Mason inject the medicine-the one meant to save my life-into his dog. My life, to her, was worth less than a neighbor’s dog. She had no idea her entire lavish lifestyle was funded by me. Even the designer watch she’d just given away was mine. Now that I saw the truth clearly, this so-called “sugar baby” was done pretending.

Daniel POV The cleaning lady next door secretly called 911 and saved me. I spent three days in the ICU. Hannah never called. On my discharge day, Hannah threw a “gratitude party” to celebrate my near-death experience. But the guest of honor was Mason. I walked into the ballroom, my face still swollen. Everyone was raising their glasses, celebrating. No one spared a glance for the man who had just returned from hell. I walked to the main table, looking at Mason’s perfectly maintained face, and with a flick of my wrist, I poured the dark red wine onto the carpet, where it spread into an ugly stain. “I want a divorce,” I said calmly, setting down the empty glass. The ballroom went silent for a second, then erupted in laughter. A few neighbors in custom suits pointed and whispered. “Did the anaphylaxis mess with his brain?” “No sense of occasion,” another murmured. “Absolutely none.” Hannah’s face flooded with crimson rage. She snatched an ornate cupcake from the table and hurled it at my feet. “Daniel, what is wrong with you?!” Hannah looked absolutely furious. “It was one stupid shot! Are you really that petty? Do you have any idea who’s here tonight? Mason is the HOA President! Are you trying to make me a laughingstock?” I ignored the mess on the floor, my gaze fixed on Mason’s left hand. He was wearing a Patek Philippe. But that was my watch! I bought it at Sotheby’s three years ago. Hannah told me it was sent for servicing. Yet here it was, on that damn neighbor’s wrist.

Daniel POV Hannah followed my gaze, her face changing. She instinctively turned sideways, shielding Mason’s wrist. “How much longer are you going to humiliate me like this?” she hissed, her voice low and filled with disappointment. “That watch was covering this year’s HOA premium! For the VIP parking spot! Do you have any idea how many dinners I had to sit through with the board president just to get our family into the inner circle here? What do you know about building real connections?” She turned, putting on a wronged expression, and started explaining to the surrounding neighbors: “What’s wrong with me lending Mason, the President, my watch for a few days? He’s helping us appraise it! Besides, if it weren’t for him, would we have gotten an 80% discount on our property fees? Would we have priority in choosing a parking spot?” “Do you even understand networking? You fool!” She made it sound so reasonable. Embezzling her husband’s millions to lavish on her lover, all packaged as a strategic investment in networking for the family’s social climbing. She was enduring humiliation for this family, and I, apparently, was ungrateful. The surrounding neighbors chimed in, accusing me of being ignorant and unworthy of Hannah’s painstaking efforts. Mason chuckled at an opportune moment, flicking some imaginary ash from a cigar. “Hannah, it’s fine. If Mr. Owen is so possessive, I’ll simply return the watch. To an artist like me, such things are merely decorative.” He made a show of taking it off, but his movements were slow, his eyes full of provocation, as if to say: I wore it. What will you do? I found it utterly laughable. Before, to protect Hannah’s ego, I played the role of the mediocre husband in this house, letting her use my money to keep up appearances. She thought I was a moocher who couldn’t survive without her. I pulled the divorce papers from my briefcase and handed them to her. “Sign it. The house is already listed. The agent will bring potential buyers tomorrow.” Hannah froze. The crowd of onlookers froze too. “Selling the house?” someone whispered. “It seems the Owens are really broke if they’re liquidating their home.” “Daniel, have you lost your mind?” Hannah hadn’t even had a chance to react when the ballroom doors burst open. My parents stormed in, clearly Hannah’s backup. Eleanor, my mother, snatched the papers from the floor without reading a word and flung them against my chest. “Daniel! Have you forgotten everything this family stands for?” She pointed a trembling finger at my nose. “Do you know how much Hannah has had to swallow just to make you look good in front of these people? And you repay her by humiliating her the moment you’re back on your feet? Selling the house? Have you thought for one second about what her parents will say about us?” I remembered her carrying me for miles to the hospital when I had a fever as a child. Back then, she loved me. Now, she stood by the woman who nearly killed me. Hannah had completely brainwashed my parents. She was the model wife, sacrificing herself for the family, and I was just an oblivious simpleton, ignorant of social graces. A sudden dog bark interrupted my thoughts. Snowball, Mason’s poodle, barked wildly at me. Kyle, Mason’s assistant, immediately cried out. “Oh, Mr. Owen, please don’t scare Snowball! She’s descended from champion dogs, very timid!” My mother instinctively reached out to comfort the dog. “Oh, Snowball, don’t be scared, Grandma’s here. Don’t let this unfilial son frighten you.” In that moment, my heart turned cold. Even a dog was more important than me. Kyle, seeing the situation, spoke with a sarcastic tone. “Mr. Owen, you need to look at the big picture.” Kyle held up his wine glass. “President Mason is an artist, and his son is a future genius. If a genius’s skin even gets a little red, it’s a loss to the art world. Compared to that, what’s a little allergic reaction of yours? Wouldn’t everyone agree?” A chorus of agreement rose around us. “Exactly, Hannah is so understanding.” “Disrupting community unity over such a small matter is just selfish.” Seeing the public opinion turn overwhelmingly against me, Hannah seized the opportunity. She reached out, trying to grab the briefcase from my hand. Her movements were practiced and natural, just like the countless times she’d taken my credit cards. “Honey, stop causing a scene. Give me the papers, we’ll talk about it at home.” I dodged her, tapping the documents again. “I don’t explain the law to those who don’t understand it. Sign it, or I’ll see you in court.” Richard, my dad, slammed his cane heavily on the ground, producing a dull thud. In his eyes, discussing court in front of such a crowd was airing our family’s dirty laundry.

Daniel POV SMACK! A loud, stinging slap landed hard on my face. Richard stood before me, his chest heaving, his palm still trembling slightly. “You bastard!” Richard roared, his voice echoing through the ballroom. “Making a scene in such high society? You have no shame, but I do! Hannah quit her job to take care of you, dedicating herself entirely to this family. Have you no conscience?” I probed my loose tooth with my tongue, swallowing the metallic taste of blood. I remembered waking up in the ICU three days ago, alone, with only a nurse coldly urging me to pay the fees. I nearly died, and no one cared. Now, simply for speaking the truth to maintain some semblance of dignity, I received a slap from my own father. Turns out, in their minds, their son’s life was less valuable than a “good person” reputation in this hypocritical community. Eleanor looked at the blood on my lip with a pang of concern, but she still clung to my arm, warning me in a low voice. “Look at who’s around! President Mason is a prominent figure. Don’t mess up our family’s affairs because of some women outside!” You see. These were my parents. In their minds, my desperate desire for a divorce could only mean I had someone else outside, that I was ungrateful. I pushed my tongue against my loosened tooth, looking at these parents who would sacrifice their son’s dignity for the sake of appearances. Fine. That slap, it snapped the last thread of hope. I looked at my father’s trembling hand, at my mother’s evasive yet accusatory gaze. When I was little, he taught me to have backbone. Now, for the sake of so-called appearances, he forced me to bow down to the person who almost killed me. Well struck. That slap, it settled the score: twenty years of raising me, and whatever father-son bond we had, were now over. I slowly raised my head, looking at Eleanor with the eyes of a stranger. “Mom, do you remember when I was wrongly accused of stealing as a child, and you took me to school to demand justice? The person you are now, it’s just… strange.” Eleanor’s eyes flickered, then were quickly masked by shame that morphed into anger. Mason stood tall, swirling his red wine, wearing a look of amusement as he watched the show.

Daniel POV Several phone cameras, originally aimed at the stage, quietly turned to me. The community’s lifestyle vloggers were getting to work. Hannah pulled out an ice pack and rushed over, pressing it against my face. That ice pack was originally for Mason’s son. Her voice choked. “Honey, I know your company’s cash flow is tight lately, and you want to transfer assets by divorcing… I don’t blame you. For richer or poorer, I’ll never leave you.” Richard, my father, furious, raised his cane to strike again, cursing me as incompetent and immoral. Everyone was advising me to be a good man, saying I’d never find a wife as good as Hannah, even crying and begging me not to drive her away. The moment the ice pack touched my skin, I caught a pungent medicinal scent. It was the smell of dog mosquito repellent. I pushed her away, disgusted, and brushed off my shoulder where she’d touched me. “Stop acting. It makes me sick.” The push wasn’t particularly hard, but Hannah stumbled back four or five steps, deliberately colliding with the corner of a table. “Ah!” She let out an exaggerated scream, instinctively clutching her stomach. Kyle, Mason’s assistant, immediately rushed over to help her up, pointing a finger at my nose and roaring. “Daniel, are you even human?! Hannah has had so many ovulation shots to give you an heir! She’s two months pregnant!” Eleanor’s purse dropped to the floor. She rushed to Hannah, forgetting all about her dignity. “My grandchild! Hannah, are you okay?” Richard, who moments ago was ready to hit me, now looked utterly panicked and remorseful. He turned to me and yelled. “What are you staring at?! Call 911 immediately! If you hurt the Owen family’s lineage, I’ll break your legs!” Hannah leaned into Eleanor’s embrace, giving me a weak glance, a flicker of triumph in her eyes. The surrounding neighbors suddenly understood. Their scornful looks morphed into mockery. “So he’s broke and trying to ditch his pregnant wife, huh?” “Be a decent human being, your wife’s pregnant!” “What a scumbag.” My gaze swept over the plump woman leading the charge. Just last week, she’d been begging Hannah for a recommendation to get her son into a private school. And the bald man, holding a bottle of wine bought with Mason’s bulk-order kickbacks. My parents clung to me, hissing at me to apologize now. I watched the whole pathetic performance and let out a cold laugh. “Two months pregnant?” Two months ago, I was in Europe for a three-week M&A negotiation, I was over 5,000 miles from here. And before that, three years ago, to prevent Hannah from using “body changes” as an excuse to avoid intimacy, I suggested we be DINKs. After that, our sexless marriage was a sham. No rush. let the bullets fly. We’ll play it slow.

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My germaphobe wife wouldn’t let me share a bathroom with her, wouldn’t kiss me, and demanded I wear three condoms whenever we were intimate. Until I walked in on her passionately kissing her young assistant in the company’s office bathroom: “Darling, no condoms this time. Let’s have a baby.” I was furious. I stormed in right then, grabbed her arm, and yelled, “You said you had germaphobia! Why can he use your bathroom when I can’t? You don’t even let me kiss you!” Seeing the rage on my face, the assistant just sneered, “Because she loves me more than she loves you!” Seraphina violently yanked her hand away from mine, quickly wiping the spot I’d touched with a tissue. No explanation, just a stony silence and cold indifference. She even went back to chatting and laughing with the half-drenched assistant right in front of me. I slipped my wedding ring off and tossed it into the trash. “We’re done! I don’t need a wife who only has germaphobia when it comes to me.” Seraphina’s laughter instantly died. The air hung heavy for a moment. As I turned to leave, a few salespeople walked in, loaded with shopping bags. “Mr. Hayes, hello!” “These are the shoes and clothes Mrs. Hayes custom-ordered for you. Mr. Hayes, you’re such a lucky man; Mrs. Hayes loves you so much.” “You wouldn’t believe it, Mrs. Hayes wouldn’t even let us touch the custom-made items with our bare hands. She said her husband doesn’t like other people touching his things.” The salespeople greeted me politely, busy carefully placing the expensive luxury goods. My heart went utterly cold. Seraphina and I had been married for seven years, and she’d never given me a single gift. Besides, that brand wasn’t even one I liked. I guessed, with 100% certainty, that these luxury items were for her boy toy, Derek. What enraged me even more was that my wife wouldn’t let me kiss her and insisted on three condoms for intimacy, yet she just told another man she wanted to have his baby without any protection?! Just then, Seraphina and Derek emerged from the bathroom. Derek’s thin shirt was soaked, clinging to his body, clearly outlining his chiseled abs. Seraphina stared, mesmerized, her face flushed. Derek, with a look of feigned innocence, walked straight past me and snatched a bag that a salesperson was about to hand to me. “These are from Seraphina! They’re not for some other guy. You blind idiots, stop praising the wrong person!” The scene instantly plunged into awkward silence. The salespeople exchanged surprised glances between me and Seraphina. When they saw her, usually so aloof, gazing at Derek with doting affection, they quickly clammed up. She truly had no regard for my dignity, always trampling my pride into the dirt. “Are you happy with all these, babe?” “Yeah, but I don’t have much space. I can’t fit these…” “Then just leave them here. I don’t mind if you use my lounge and bathroom. Everything I have, you can use.” Seraphina smiled suggestively, “Including me, darling.” Derek grinned from ear to ear, shooting a triumphant, challenging look my way. Then he leaned down and kissed Seraphina’s lips. He probably thought I’d get jealous and fly into a rage like I used to, but no. I was done with Seraphina. The salespeople held their breath, not daring to speak. They hadn’t expected these expensive gifts weren’t for me, but for some other guy Seraphina was seeing. “Look at you, your shirt’s all wet. Why don’t I help you change?” As she spoke, she lifted her delicate, porcelain-like hands and began unbuttoning Derek’s shirt. They stood so close, as if they wanted to merge into one. The salespeople quickly said their goodbyes and practically ran out, not daring to linger for another second. But I knew, from this moment on, the news of my wife cheating on me would spread throughout the city. “Why don’t you just strip down and embrace each other? Wouldn’t that be more satisfying?” At my icy sarcasm, Seraphina pulled away from Derek, then spun around, glaring at me. “Liam, that’s enough! I’ve tolerated you for far too long.” “You have nothing better to do all day than pick fights with me, do you?” I tugged hard at my tie. I worked so much I barely had time to eat; when would I have time to pick fights with her? “You’re wrong. I’ve tolerated you for too long—to the point where I can’t anymore. So, I’m granting your germaphobia, and I’m granting you and your boy toy your little show of affection right in front of me.” “Divorce? All I want is a divorce.”

“Bang!” Seraphina was so enraged by my words that she grabbed the ashtray from the desk and threw it at me. I didn’t have time to dodge and took the hit. Blood trickled down my forehead, drop by drop. Neither of us spoke, just glared at each other in the frigid air. I remembered seven years ago. Seraphina’s family company, Hayes Corp, faced a financial crisis. Her father brought her to my doorstep to propose a marriage alliance. Seraphina was at her peak then, as beautiful as an angel. I was very much in love with her. Plus, she was my college crush, my ‘one who got away,’ so I agreed to her father’s proposal. But Seraphina rarely smiled. She never refused to share a room with me, but her only conditions were that I couldn’t kiss her lips and had to wear three condoms. I thought it was just her extreme germaphobia, until one day, while shopping, I saw her and Derek walking hand-in-hand in the mall, even kissing occasionally. It was then that I understood. Derek was her unrequited love, her ‘white moonlight,’ and her so-called germaphobia was only for me. I untied my tie and wiped the blood from my forehead. Seraphina was momentarily stunned; perhaps she hadn’t expected her actions to have such consequences. But it didn’t matter anymore. Derek suddenly reached out and grabbed Seraphina’s hand, his face full of feigned hurt. “Seraphina, please don’t fight. Is my presence causing trouble between you two? Maybe I should just leave the company!” “I’m so sorry, Liam. It’s all my fault, please don’t blame…” “Can you just shut up?” I snarled, staring coldly at Derek. His voice was utterly grating and irritating. He wasn’t genuinely apologizing; he was probably celebrating inside. Seraphina, however, was incredibly sympathetic, comforting him. “It’s not your fault. Why apologize to him?” “Liam, apologize to Derek right now!” Her voice held an undeniable authority, but I was just as unwilling to yield to her. Just then, several voices echoed from outside the door. “Seraphina, why should you grovel for an apology from him? Why not just fire him and kick him out?” “Exactly! He thinks he can hog everything just because he married you. If Hayes Corp hadn’t been in trouble back then, you never would’ve married him. He’s the one who broke you two up.” Hah. There they were, those vultures, squawking again. They’d always used their friendship with Seraphina to sneer and mock me. If it weren’t for Seraphina, I would have put those dogs in their place long ago. “What do you mean ‘broke us up’? Hayes Corp was on the verge of bankruptcy and came begging me for a marriage alliance to save it. Where were all of you then? Why didn’t you jump out and say it would break up Seraphina and Derek?” “Where were you then? Let me think… Ah, right. You were all hiding from her, afraid she’d ask you for money, so you didn’t just hide; you blocked her, didn’t you?” I watched those hypocrites with a cold, humorless smile. They were so furious they couldn’t utter a word in rebuttal, just stared, wide-eyed, for what felt like an eternity. “That’s enough, Liam! If you have a problem, take it out on me, not my friends…” “The divorce papers will be sent by my lawyer later today.” “Liam!!!” I was already out of the office when she screamed my name. As I walked through the building, I noticed all the employees giving me strange looks. “Mr. Hayes finally stood up for himself! You wouldn’t believe it, Seraphina and Derek often nap together on the same couch.” “Yeah, sometimes when you pass the office, you can even hear… suggestive noises…”

Just then, I got a call from my housekeeper at home. “Mr. Hayes, you need to come home right away.” “A woman claiming to be Derek’s mother just let herself in with a key. She brought a lot of relatives and said this is her home now, and she’s staying permanently.” “They even kicked me out! Even your mother came to visit you, but that woman drove her away with her behavior.” No sooner had the housekeeper finished than I received another call. My mother, Eleanor’s, voice on the phone was seething: “Liam! Look at the woman you married! Her blatant affair with that boy toy is now public knowledge.” “Even your own home has become his family’s home! You need to divorce Seraphina immediately. It’s better to have no wife than a woman like her.” My rage flared. I stomped to the parking garage to get my car, only to find it gone. I asked security to pull up the surveillance footage to see who took it. When I saw Derek’s smug, arrogant face, I smiled a truly chilling smile. “Call the police for me. Taking my car without my permission is theft.” “But Ms. Hayes gave him…” I clapped the security guard on the shoulder. “Either call the police, or pack your things and go home. Your choice.” Without another word, the security guard quickly pulled out his phone and dialed. Only then did I turn and leave, asking my assistant to bring another car to drive me home. I opened the security camera app on my phone and watched Derek’s mother, Brenda, wearing my mother’s expensive silk pajamas, imperiously bossing my housekeepers around like a queen. If they didn’t do things to her liking, she’d kick them, treating them like dogs. “Hmph, what are you looking at? I’ll fire you penniless losers.” “Remember, from now on, you’ll treat me as the lady of the house, got it?” Watching her arrogant behavior on the monitor, she was just like her son. Well done. Even my home dared to be occupied. I immediately called the police myself. What’s that saying? We should be good citizens and ask the police for help when needed. I was about to call my friends to handle it, but then I thought, calling the police is better. After all, her son was already squatting in jail, so I might as well go all the way and send his mother in too. The whole family should be together, right? “Go and make sure that woman pays for the pajamas she wore and all the expensive supplements she ate. Every penny.” “Yes, sir!” I didn’t go back to the desecrated house; instead, I went to another of my properties. Before I even stepped inside, my phone started ringing off the hook. It was Seraphina. I ignored every single call. I unlocked the door, walked in, tossed my jacket onto the sofa, then went to the liquor cabinet, poured a drink, and took a sip. I’d barely had two sips when the door was violently kicked open from the outside. Seraphina burst in, seething with anger. The moment she saw me, her eyes were like those of a mortal enemy. She grabbed whatever she could to throw at me. I easily dodged them with my drink in hand. “Liam, what the hell is wrong with you?” “Why did you call the police and have Derek and his mother arrested? They didn’t steal anything from you. Why would you treat them like thieves and give them criminal records?” Faced with Seraphina’s outburst, I remained completely calm. I gently swirled the wine in my glass, my gaze not even landing on Seraphina. “The car and the house are mine. They—mother and son—took my car and moved into my house without asking me. If that’s not stealing, what is?” “Oh, and the divorce papers have been sent. Remember to sign them.” Seraphina’s face flushed crimson with fury. She lunged at me, raising her hand to strike my face. I caught her wrist. “When I loved you, I could tolerate everything about you. But now that my love is gone, I won’t allow you to act crazy in front of me anymore.” “Hmph, Liam, I’ll tell you something too.” “I don’t need your help anymore. Hayes Corp is mine. I can kick you out and keep you down forever.” “I’ll give you one more chance. Go to the police station now, grovel for an apology, and tell them it was all a misunderstanding so they’ll clear their records.” As soon as she finished speaking, she violently yanked her hand away from mine. I pulled out my phone and called my assistant: “No compromises. I want them to stay locked up, no matter what.”

That same night, Seraphina went back and messaged all the company shareholders. She intended to strip me of all my positions. The next day, when I returned to the company and walked into the conference room with my assistant, I saw Derek sitting next to Seraphina. He glared at me with an unfathomable hatred, mixed with a hint of smug triumph. It seemed Seraphina had pulled a lot of strings and used a lot of connections to bail him out. “You don’t need to sit down, because that seat no longer belongs to you.” “So, you’re trying to kick me to the curb now that I’ve served my purpose?” “Glad you understand.” As soon as Seraphina finished, she turned to face the other shareholders. “From now on, the position of company VP will be held by Derek. And Liam, effective immediately, is nothing.” At her words, all the shareholders exchanged glances, casting surprised looks my way. But I calmly walked over, ignoring Seraphina’s warning, and sat down. Derek slammed his hand on the table. “Liam, are you deaf or blind? Didn’t you hear Seraphina?” “This company belongs to the Hayes family, not the Seraphina family! You’re just working for her. What right do you have to be so arrogant?” I fiddled with my lighter, a meaningful smile playing on my lips as I watched the enraged Derek. “What the hell are you laughing at? You’re nothing now, still trying to act tough?” “Get up and get out of the company right now, or I’ll call security to throw you out. You don’t want to leave in such a humiliating way, do you?!” I didn’t bother with that rabid dog. Instead, I simply asked Seraphina one question. “Are you really going to kick me out of the company for Derek?” Seraphina nodded without hesitation. “Yes!” “Since our marriage was an alliance, and now I’ve overcome my crisis and grown my own wings, I won’t humble myself anymore.” Humble herself? She thought being married to me all these years, leveraging my power to climb the ladder, was her humbling herself. Ha ha. What a load of bullshit. “Slam!” Seraphina slapped the divorce papers onto the table. “Didn’t you say you wanted a divorce? I’ve already signed them. The company is mine, and you were just working for me.” “So, regarding assets, I’ll only give you ten million. I don’t want any of your things. That’s it.” I picked up the divorce papers and skimmed them. When I saw the contents, I couldn’t help but laugh in anger. “Seraphina, since you want to be so heartless with me, I won’t hold back either.” “Hmph, who needs you to hold back for me? Just like back then, you were the one who grandiosely accepted the marriage alliance, and painstakingly helped me. I never asked you for anything.” Derek chimed in, “Did you hear that? Can you finally get lost?” But instead of standing up, I calmly pulled out a cigarette, placed it between my lips, and slowly lit it, taking a drag. Seeing that I was unmoved, Seraphina’s face instantly darkened. “Derek, call security and have them remove him.” “Yes!” Soon after, the security guards rushed in. “Grab Liam and throw him out like a dog! Remember, if he resists, beat him hard. Did you hear that?!” “Go!” Derek ordered the security guards, arms crossed. And they moved. But the targets they surrounded weren’t me; they were Derek. One by one, they kicked Derek, sending him flying and crashing to the floor. “Bang!” Seraphina shot up from her seat. “What are you doing?! I told you to kick Liam out!” I clapped my hands, a joyful smile on my face. “They didn’t hit the wrong person! They hit the dog.” “The company used to be Hayes Corp, but after my investment, it’s long since been my corporation, not yours anymore.”

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The moment I pushed open the door, I saw my husband, Julian’s, secretary hiding right under his desk. She was clearly performing an intimate act for him, and he was struggling to suppress his excitement. I placed the document in front of him. “The company’s new project. Just sign it!” As expected, he didn’t even glance at the document, signing it directly. Before leaving, I glanced under the desk. “She can come out now.” Julian instantly panicked, fumbling to zip up his pants. He probably thought I’d make a huge scene, just like I used to. But I just sneered, “Don’t make your little plaything kneel too long. Her knees will hurt!” With that, I slammed the door shut. He had no idea that what he’d just signed was our divorce agreement. Chloe’s soft, whiny voice drifted from the office. “Mr. Hayes, you scared me to death just now.” Julian chuckled softly. His voice was husky with a hint of intimacy. “What’s there to be scared of? She wouldn’t eat you.” “But she’s your wife…” “She’s very understanding! See? She just left on her own, didn’t she?” I stood outside the door, the hallway light slanting across my feet. Chloe’s voice grew even softer. “So, tonight… are you still coming home?” “Fun is fun,” Julian said nonchalantly, “but home is still home.” Chloe giggled. “Mr. Hayes, anything she can do, I can do too! Was I not pleasing you just now?” “You’re different from her,” he replied lazily. “She’s stubborn as a mule, but she can’t leave me!” “You know how much trouble she caused with her family back then just to marry me. If I don’t go home, would any of you ‘little darlings’ out here even have a life?” He spoke of heavy past events as if whispering sweet nothings. Chloe’s voice turned syrupy. “So, do you… like her that way? Seemingly arrogant, but actually pathetic!” The air went quiet for two seconds. Then I heard Julian let out a faint laugh, retorting, “What do you think?” “I think—” Chloe didn’t finish her sentence. Because I pushed the door open. Both people in the office froze simultaneously. Chloe was half-sitting on Julian’s desk. Julian was leaning back in his chair, his shirt collar open. He paused, startled to see me, then raised an eyebrow. “Forget something?” I didn’t speak, walking straight to the coffee table. My car keys were indeed left there. I picked up the keys, turning to leave. “Elara.” Julian stood up, walking around the desk towards me. His arms were already wrapped around my waist. At the company, he was always like this. He never stinted on his favored physical gestures. I gently pulled away. After being entangled with his mistress, he reeked of a woman’s perfume. The exact same scent as the bottle on my vanity. He’d given it to me last month, claiming it was “one of a kind” and perfect for me. Now, thinking about it, he’d probably bought them in bulk. “I’ll be home for dinner tonight.” His voice carried that familiar gentleness. “What do you want to eat? I’ll cook myself, hmm?” Chloe made a small “hmph” sound beside him. “No need,” I said. “I have plans tonight.” His smile faded slightly, but the corners of his lips were still upturned. “What’s wrong? Are you mad?” He leaned closer. “Because of Chloe? I told you, she’s just a—” “I know,” I gently interrupted. “She’s an intern secretary, and she needs your hands-on guidance.” As for what kind of “guidance,” that depended on his needs. He paused, momentarily stunned. He probably hadn’t expected me to neither make a fuss nor even bother with sarcasm this time. He raised a hand to touch my face, but I had already taken a step forward. “Alright,” he shrugged, changing his grip to my arm. “Whatever it is, be home before nine.” Chloe let out a small snicker beside us. I glanced at her, and she met my gaze. Compared to the women I’d dealt with before, she was too well-protected. Her eyes held unconcealed triumph and provocation. Youth truly is wonderful. Looking at that vibrant face, I almost felt like I was back to my 20s, that summer I ran from the facility, protected in Julian’s arms.

It was the third day my dad sent me for “treatment.” Treatment for my “love-struck brain,” treatment for my “illness” of insisting on being with a poor boy. Julian waited all night, lying in the ventilation duct. At dawn, when the orderlies changed shifts, he pried open my room window. “Jump!” he called, arms outstretched below. I closed my eyes and jumped. He caught me, falling to the ground himself. His elbow cracked, but he never let go. Once we reached safety, he leaned against a wall, his shirt soaked with sweat. He grabbed my hand, pressing it against his chest. His heart was pounding fast and hard. “Elara,” his eyes were terrifyingly red. “Listen, if I can get you out of here today, then nothing will ever separate us again.” He pulled something from his pocket. A thin silver ring, bought from a cheap stall at the market. He’d crudely engraved an “E” on the inside. His fingers trembled as he put it on my finger. “When I have money someday, I’ll definitely replace this with the biggest diamond ring for you.” His voice choked, as if he felt I was suffering immense hardship. The sun that day was just like this, shining brightly on his young face, illuminating the light in his eyes. I thought that was forever. …… Not long after returning to my office, Mia, my assistant, knocked and came in. “Ms. Hayes, here’s the summary of the expenses you authorized during your week-long business trip.” She placed the tablet in front of me. “Among them… Ms. Chloe’s spending records require your review.” I scrolled the screen. Private Italian lingerie custom order, Royal Luxury SPA, Ritz-Carlton suite… Scrolling further, my finger stopped at the last entry: Private Maternity Hospital Medical Consultation… Mia cautiously added, “The finance department said… these expenses were all processed under ’employee benefits,’ with Mr. Hayes’ special authorization.” I put down my coffee cup and asked her, “How long has Chloe been employed?” “Three months.” I nodded, asking nothing further. “Since Mr. Hayes approved it, follow the procedure.” Mia remained standing, twisting the hem of her shirt. “Ms. Hayes… there are some things I don’t know if I should say.” “Go ahead.” “On your first day of business trip, she… she dragged Mr. Hayes to your seat and…” Mia sniffled, looking distressed. “I overheard them as I passed by. She laughed and said she wanted to take the thrill all the way.” I instinctively looked at my office chair. That chair was special; Julian had specially ordered it from Milan when we first started the company. He said, “You always have back pain, this chair is good for your spine.” Actually, I already knew about what Mia mentioned. Chloe was in her early twenties. Unlike the previous women, she wasn’t afraid to provoke Julian or lose her job. She was arrogant, audacious, practically wanting to photograph every hickey in a close-up. How could she not send such stimulating “trophies” to me immediately to show off? Last Wednesday at 2 AM. I was pulling an all-nighter, working on a proposal in my hotel room during the business trip, when my phone screen suddenly lit up. An unknown number sent a photo. The moment I opened it, I didn’t even immediately recognize what it was. Until I clearly saw – it was my office. The girl, whose face was obscured, was sitting in my chair, and Julian was leaning over, kissing her. The sender even added a caption: [It’s definitely extra comfortable in this chair…!] I didn’t see her face, but I already guessed who it was. I didn’t reply. But at that moment, a wall in my chest suddenly collapsed. So, I decided to return and deal with this urgent matter of ‘divorce’— And he still hadn’t noticed the divorce agreement hidden beneath the “West Side Project Funding Request.”

“Last Friday, the day you left, she wore your heels to work. I asked her why she was wearing your shoes, and she said…” Mia choked up. “She said Mr. Hayes told her those shoes suited her, and that Ms. Hayes wouldn’t mind.” She looked up, her eyes red. “Ms. Hayes, do you really… not mind?” I looked at the girl who was feeling wronged on my behalf. I smiled, devoid of any real emotion. “Those shoes didn’t fit me anyway. If she likes them, she can have them.” Before my business trip, I had no idea these two had already gotten together. At that time, the company was preparing to expand into new markets, and I didn’t have the mental capacity to keep an eye on Julian. Not to mention, Julian still had a steady mistress living near the company back then. Looking at Chloe’s aggressive stance, that one was probably already phased out. “Wipe your tears,” I pulled a tissue and handed it to her. “I’ll be away next week. Please keep a close eye on company matters, big and small.” She paused. “Where are you going?” I didn’t answer, just looked out the window. The sunlight was beautiful, just like that afternoon seven years ago when we got our marriage certificate. Julian went back to the old mansion alone, kneeling on the hard ground in the study for three hours, begging for my father’s approval. “Sir, I know you don’t think highly of me. But Elara believes in me, and I won’t let her lose.” Although he was eventually thrown out. But that day, my father stood by the window for a long time. Finally, he revised Julian’s flawed business plan in the study and secretly sent it to me. These old stories, bringing them up felt like cashing in on favors, tainting true feelings with calculation. But if I didn’t… If I didn’t, he would truly believe he was a sudden genius. He would think that all those data, connections, and funds were earned by his own merit. Shortly after Mia left, Julian called me from his car. “The little girl was scared by your surprise visit today,” his voice was low and laced with a smile. “It’ll take some time to soothe her. I’ll be back late tonight. Remember to leave the door unlocked for me.” I was silent for three seconds before speaking. “Didn’t we agree there’d be no kids from your games?” A moment of silence on the other end. “What kids?” His voice remained steady. “Chloe going to a maternity clinic can’t be for no reason, can it?” Two seconds later, he suddenly laughed. “You’re investigating her?” “It’s on the company’s ledger,” I replied calmly. “A half-million dollar pregnancy check-up package, processed as employee benefits. Mr. Hayes was quite generous with his approval.” He seemed genuinely unaware. Perhaps he hadn’t scrutinized the details when approving the payment. He softened his tone, his voice coaxing. “Elara, that was an accident! She’s young and foolish, she thought getting pregnant would change something.” “So?” “I’ll handle it,” he said decisively. “Don’t worry, no one will threaten your position.” “Julian,” I called his name. “Hmm?” “Do you remember,” I said slowly, “how we lost our first child?” His breathing hitched on the other end of the line. “Alright, Elara… that’s all in the past. There’s no point in bringing it up repeatedly.” “Yes,” I smiled, a touch of melancholy in my voice. “It’s all in the past.” Including the child who never got to be born. Including the vows he made on his knees. Including that matter he held a grudge about all those years ago… “Get some rest,” he said. “I’ll be home after I calm her down.” He hung up. I also raised my hand, and for the first time, and the last, I added him to my block list. Then, I replied to the message that had been waiting for me for a week: [All taken care of. I’ll be there for the wedding on time!]

By the time I left work, all my personal belongings had been handled. The elevator descended, a gentle sense of weightlessness enveloping my body. Once upon a time, in this very elevator, he had pressed me against the mirrored wall, kissing me passionately, saying, “Elara, what incredible fortune in this life and the last did I cultivate to marry you.” His eyes were so bright back then. Bright enough to seem like he truly believed his own lies. I had arranged to say goodbye to a local friend. The restaurant was by the river. Not long after I sat down, I saw Julian walk in, his arm around Chloe’s waist. He was leaning in to listen to her, a lazy smile playing on his lips. Julian saw me first. He paused for a moment, then his smile deepened. Instead of avoiding me, he walked straight over. “Your ‘plans’ were just dining alone?” He pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down. “The steak here is good,” Julian picked up the wine bottle from my table and examined it. “But the bottle you ordered is too light. I’ll have the server open a better one.” The server brought the wine he ordered. Julian personally poured two glasses, pushing one towards me and handing one to Chloe. Chloe, being pregnant, naturally didn’t drink. He asked me, “How’s the taste?” “It’s alright.” “Just ‘alright’?” His smile deepened. “I remember you used to love this wine, said it had… a bitter almond aroma.” “People’s tastes change,” I put down my glass. “What seemed good before, now, it’s just ‘whatever’.” Julian’s gaze deepened. But he quickly smiled again, turning to put an arm around Chloe’s shoulders. “Hear that?” He leaned in and smiled at her, his tone doting. “Your sister is teaching you a lesson: don’t take men too seriously.” Chloe playfully slapped his chest. “What about you? Can I take you seriously?” “Me?” Julian looked up, his gaze landing on my face, but his words were for her. “Someone like me, you should just have fun with, never take it seriously.” He said it flippantly, as if expecting me to coldly stand up and leave, as I had in the past. To leave them to their private space. But I was not so obliging. I simply picked up my wine glass and took another sip. It wasn’t until I received a message that my friend couldn’t make it that I finally stood up. “My friend was delayed,” I said, rising. “Please excuse me.” As I turned to leave. Chloe suddenly spoke. “Elara, it’s Mr. Hayes’s birthday next week. We’re having a yacht party. You should come too?” I paused. “You must come,” Chloe’s voice turned syrupy. “Mr. Hayes said the birthday gift he most wants to receive is…” She deliberately paused, looking at Julian. He reached out, pinching her cheek, scolding her playfully, “You talk too much.” I nodded. “If you’re not afraid of me crashing the party, then I can go.” I didn’t look at them as I walked out of the restaurant. Their laughter was muffled by the glass windows, gradually fading away. When I returned to the villa at seven, Mrs. Davis was in the kitchen, stewing soup. “Ms. Hayes, you’re back?” “Mr. Hayes just called to say he’ll be late. Should I save him some soup?” “No need,” I put down my bag. “He won’t be coming back.” Mrs. Davis hesitated. “Then… are you sleeping here tonight?” My hand, unbuttoning my coat, paused. “What do you mean?” “During your business trip these past few days,” Mrs. Davis’s voice grew softer, “Ms. Chloe… moved in.” The air was silent for two seconds. I continued unbuttoning my coat, one button, then another. “Which room is she sleeping in?” “The master bedroom… for four consecutive nights. Mr. Hayes… was there too.” I nodded. “Ms. Hayes,” Mrs. Davis hesitated, “It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you, but Mr. Hayes said you’d be upset if you knew, and he told me to…” “It’s alright, I don’t blame you.” I looked up, surveying the living room. Every piece of furniture here I picked, every painting I hung. He was very satisfied. He always said, “Elara, this house only feels like a home with you in it.” Now, this house was no different from a hotel. Anyone could come and spend a few nights. With that, I went upstairs. Pushing open the master bedroom door, a strange, sweet scent wafted over me. The bedsheets had been changed, and my skincare products on the vanity were pushed into a corner. For these four years, I had checked his SnapChat message logs, tracked which apartment his assistant sent flowers to… Now, as I tossed my wedding ring, I suddenly felt a wave of lightness. My phone received a flight alert: “Ms. Hayes, your urgent flight coordination is confirmed and will depart at midnight.”

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The year I turned eighteen, I found out I was the real heiress to a powerful family. But even after my mother, Vivian, took me from the foster care system, she still loved the fake heiress, Amber, more. After I graduated college, I cut off contact with Vivian. That is, until she called me right before my wedding. “You always stole Amber’s things, but stealing her fiancé? That’s a new low!” I immediately pulled out my phone and saw a wedding photo Amber had posted. What a coincidence. The groom in the picture looked exactly like my fiancé. I stood outside Vivian’s house, knocking loudly. “I’m right outside. Open the door!” She flung the door open and immediately spat, “I advise you to just give up. I know you love competing with Amber, but the Shen family is far beyond the reach of a mere influencer like you.” I flashed the massive diamond ring on my finger. “Well, sorry to disappoint you. My husband is far more influential than any Shen heir. Frankly, I wouldn’t even look at him. My husband, Kamran, is a man of honor and values decorum. He sent me to personally invite you all to our wedding reception.” I turned to leave. But Amber suddenly rushed out, grabbing my hand. Comparing our hands side-by-side, our diamond rings were identical. She immediately burst into tears, throwing herself into Vivian’s arms. “She even copied my ring! You really went all out just to spite me! Even the wedding invitations are identical! How long are you going to keep tormenting me?” Seeing Amber’s tearful breakdown, Vivian lost all control. SMACK! A stinging slap landed across my face, leaving five fiery red finger marks. “I knew you were a shameless lunatic! I should have never acknowledged you!” I clutched my burning cheek, struggling to breathe, desperate not to let the tears fall. I started out as a streamer. People always said I looked identical to Vivian when she was young, an actress. My followers kept pushing me to connect with her, jokingly. It was just for content, initially. But then, someone actually dug into it. Turns out, I was Vivian’s biological daughter. We’d been switched at birth in the hospital. Riding this wave of massive public interest, Vivian reappeared on the big screen. Amber also capitalized on our “sisterly bond,” reaping all the benefits. She slowly started her own accounts, siphoning off my followers and brand deals. I thought I’d finally found a real family, so I didn’t pay it much mind. But the moment I got into grad school at a prestigious university, encouraged by Amber… everything changed. I was branded a manipulative copycat, only capable of imitation. No matter what I did, the internet would flood with accusations that I was just copying her. I stayed out of the public eye for a long time after that, almost giving up entirely. Vivian pointed a furious finger at me, her voice dripping with venom. “If you still want me as your mother, delete your Ins accounts now, apologize to Amber, and I’ll pretend none of this happened.” I stubbornly lifted my chin. “I’m your daughter too. Was there ever a single moment you wanted to believe me?” Perhaps my voice was too raw, too desperate. For a split second, Vivian’s resolve wavered, and her eyes softened. Amber cried even harder. “Stop faking it! How could two people look exactly alike?” Right. If I hadn’t grown up with Kamran, I might even suspect that Connor from the Shen family was deliberately teaming up with Amber to play a trick on me. Kamran always valued decorum. He’d been pestering me to meet my parents. I’d always refused. Now, it was time. “Believe it or not. In three days, Kamran will personally pay a visit.” For the first time since I walked in, I stared directly into Vivian’s eyes. “Will you give me an apology then?”

But three days later, I was locked out. It’s almost funny, isn’t it? My own parents’ house, and I didn’t even have a key. After an hour of waiting, Vivian finally appeared. She looked genuinely surprised to see me. “Oh, Skylar, how long have you been waiting here?” Behind her, Amber was giggling, arm-in-arm with an elegant middle-aged woman. The woman scanned me from head to toe. “So you’re Skylar. I heard your fiancé looks exactly like my Connor. I specially came to see. Where is he?” Amber covered her mouth and chuckled, a hint of disdain in her voice. “Aunt Victoria, only your kind heart would believe such nonsense. Three days? Even if she found someone to get plastic surgery to look like Connor, it wouldn’t be ready in time!” I calmly took a sip of tea. “Kamran had an urgent flight to New York for a meeting yesterday. He’ll rush over as soon as he lands.” Vivian’s eyes lit up instantly. “Sounds busy. What does he do?” Kamran was always low-key. Besides the few companies he owned, I actually wasn’t entirely sure what he did. “Oh, he just works at his family’s company.” At my words, the others exchanged knowing glances and a suppressed laugh. “The Mu family… never heard of them. Did she not even have time to make up a background story?” Just then, the doorbell rang. For a split second, I was ready to rush into his arms. But when I saw the roses in his hand, and the missing mole beneath his eye, I knew immediately this wasn’t Kamran. I’m allergic to roses; he would never forget that. “I’m not late, am I?” “No, you’re just in time.” Amber took the flowers, then playfully kissed him on the cheek. Connor rubbed his earlobe, a blush creeping up his neck. The gesture was exactly like Kamran’s. I noticed Connor’s gaze lingering on me, so Amber quickly stepped in front of me. “My man’s here. Where’s yours?” “Could it be that after seeing Connor in person, your ‘actor’ didn’t dare show up?” No new messages on SnapChat. His phone was still off. My heart began to waver. Were they really… not the same person? Suddenly. The doorbell rang a second time. I rushed to open the door, filled with hope. But I only saw over a dozen delivery people, carrying gift after gift inside. Soon, the entire living room was overflowing. “I’m sorry, Mr. Kamran had an emergency. He truly couldn’t make it today. These gifts are a small token of his apology.” Amber burst out laughing. “You think we’ll believe you if you just spend a little money? Skylar, you’re such a joke.” Victoria grabbed her purse. “Alright, I’ve seen enough of this charade.” She looked at Vivian, her eyes filled with thinly veiled threats. “If she has mental issues, she should see a doctor. If she’s desperate to get married, she should find an old man. If she continues this ridiculous behavior, it’ll be the Shen family’s reputation on the line.” In the end, Vivian bowed ninety degrees, smiling apologetically as she escorted Victoria out. As I was leaving, she uttered one last sentence. “Skylar, you should have just died out there.”

That night, Kamran knelt by my bedside for three hours straight before I finally cooled down. Even with lingering doubts, we silently agreed not to bring up meeting my parents again. We focused on planning our wedding. Unexpectedly, while trying on wedding dresses, I ran into Amber again. “So what if someone else ordered it? Whatever she’s paying, I’ll pay double!” Brenda, the store manager, politely tried to explain, “It’s not about the money…” “Do you know who I’m marrying?” “The Shens.” “Who in all of New York dares to go against the Shen family?!” When Brenda saw me, she looked like she’d found a savior, finally letting out a sigh of relief. “This gown was custom-designed for Ms. Skylar. It’s to commemorate their collaborative brand’s first appearance at Paris Fashion Week.” Amber’s eyes turned even redder with envy. “Honestly, the dress isn’t that great.” She leaned close to my ear, her voice a poisonous whisper. “But if it’s yours, I will take it.” The next second, she switched to a pitiful sob, tilting her head and burrowing into Connor’s arms. “They all say I’m just a fake heiress, that I don’t deserve anything…” Connor lovingly stroked her head, his voice soft with reassurance. “No one bullies my wife. If you like it, we’ll get it.” Brenda hesitated, looking at me with a troubled expression. I nodded, silently agreeing. After all, with Amber’s waistline, which she’d been “fortifying” to ensure a boy, there was no way she’d fit into it. Sure enough. Riiip! A girl’s shriek echoed from the fitting room. When Amber emerged, still furious, she deliberately stomped on the gown twice. That was it. The remaining crystals on the dress rained down like scattered beads. Brenda quickly came over with the bill. A crowd of onlookers watched, enjoying the drama. Amber looked even more flustered and indignant. “Why are you rushing? I dared to try it, so of course I’ll pay for it.” But the next second, when she saw the number on the bill: “What?! Ten million?!” Amber nervously glanced at Connor’s face. She knew Victoria had only given him a budget of one million. No matter how much she pouted and begged, she couldn’t justify multiplying that by ten. “It’s this stupid dress! It scratched my waist, and I got so upset…” “It’s fine,” Connor said, signing the bill with a flourish. “But you’ll have to explain it to my mom yourself, okay?” Amber’s face froze. His tone seemed as doting as ever, but Connor’s eyes remained fixed on me. Even Amber, who had been so smug just moments ago, sensed something was off. Suddenly intrigued, I leaned close to her ear, mimicking her soft tone. “Tell me, do you think it’s possible that Connor is actually playing you?”

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During a crucial meeting with a major client, I stepped out for a quick bathroom break. But Veronica, my fiancé Ryan’s secretary, saw it as an excuse to fire me. “This client is incredibly important! And you were in the bathroom for eight whole minutes! That’s disrespectful to our client! The company has to let you go!” I almost laughed. Didn’t she know today’s big client was my good friend? “I’m on my period today. I’ll explain it to the client. You don’t need to meddle.” I shook off her hand, intending to head back to the office. To my surprise, she was wearing ten-centimeter heels, lost her balance, and tumbled to the floor. She glared up at me. “How dare you push me? My dad is the CEO of Miller Corp, and I’ll have him fire you right now!” I froze. My useless dad… when did he suddenly get another daughter? I couldn’t believe Veronica was audacious enough to threaten to fire me, all because I spent eight minutes in the bathroom. What truly shocked me, though, was her brazen claim to be my father’s daughter, right in front of me! She was just a mere secretary; who gave her the guts to lie so openly? Yet, many employees who overheard Veronica exchanged uneasy glances and whispered among themselves. “No wonder Veronica became President Ryan’s secretary the moment she joined the company! She has connections!” “Miller Corp just became our biggest client. If we upset them, our company would go bankrupt in minutes. It’s perfectly normal for the Miller heiress to come to our small company for a ‘life experience’.” “VP Stella is in deep trouble this time!” “The Sales Manager merely argued with Veronica the other day, and President Ryan fired him instantly. That just shows how important Veronica is to President Ryan.” As everyone murmured, Veronica slowly got to her feet. She shot me a furious glare, her voice laced with menace. “Stella, I’m giving you one chance.” “If you get down on your knees and apologize to me, I’ll pretend this never happened…” Before she could finish, I cut her off impatiently. “If you’re not well, go get checked out. Don’t waste my time here. Move!” I was tired of dealing with her. My impression of Veronica was already terrible. Days ago, when I was away on a business trip, she’d just joined the company, and Ryan promoted her to his secretary that very day. I voiced my concerns, but Ryan just shrugged helplessly. “You’ll be away for about a week. I’m the only one left in charge here, and things are too much to handle. I temporarily made Veronica my secretary to help lighten the load.” “When you get back, if her work isn’t up to par, we can just find a new secretary, right?” Veronica’s behavior today practically screamed “arrogant and overbearing.” Someone like her absolutely couldn’t stay in the company. Good thing the executives were having a meeting today. I’d just announce her dismissal later. Lost in these thoughts, I reached out to push past Veronica, who was blocking the conference room door. But that’s when it happened. My hand hadn’t even touched her, when she let out a piercing shriek. At the same time, she wildly flailed her hand, and a sharp slap landed squarely on my face. Then, she dramatically stumbled against the conference room door, crashing to the floor inside. The entire performance made it look like I had violently shoved her into the room. I had to admit, Veronica was quite the actress. Playing the victim while simultaneously slapping me — it only strengthened my resolve to kick her out of the company. However, what unfolded next completely caught me off guard. The executives, who were mid-meeting, gasped, staring at me and Veronica on the floor with bewildered expressions. Ryan’s face contorted in a furious grimace. He lunged forward, and in a flash, slapped me across the face. I was stunned! Ryan and I had been together for years. This was the first time he’d ever laid a hand on me, and it was all because of another woman. His face etched with concern, Ryan tenderly helped the feigning, delicate Veronica to her feet, then turned to me, roaring: “Stella, what the hell is wrong with you?” “How dare you touch Veronica? Are you out of your mind?” “What are you waiting for? Get over here and grovel for an apology!” I stared at Ryan, incredulous. “Apologize for what?” I shot back. “Do you even know what just happened?” “Ryan, you just blindly hit me for her sake, you—” Before I could finish, Veronica, still feigning vulnerability, spoke to Ryan. “President Ryan, VP Stella was in the bathroom for eight minutes. I just told her about the company’s new policy, as you instructed, but she attacked me before I even finished.” “I know VP Stella doesn’t like me, but she can’t just violently assault me like this!” “My dad never even laid a hand on me growing up. If he finds out I was hit here, he’ll be furious!” Veronica’s last statement instantly made Ryan and the executives tense up. Ryan whirled on me, yelling: “Stella, I’m ordering you right now: apologize to Veronica immediately, or you can expect to be fired!”

The other executives quickly chimed in. “Stella, this is clearly your fault. Just swallow your pride and apologize. It’ll prevent unnecessary trouble.” “Veronica is the heiress to Miller Corp. She’s here for a ‘life experience.’ She’s a valuable asset to our company, we absolutely cannot afford to offend her.” “Stella, you’ve been away on a business trip for the past few days, so it’s understandable you don’t know Veronica’s identity. But you shouldn’t have gotten into a conflict with her the moment you returned! Apologize now before things escalate!” “If Mr. Miller finds out Veronica was bullied in our company, we’ll be in serious trouble!” I ignored the executives, who were worried about their own interests and pushing me to apologize. My gaze was fixed on Ryan. My voice filled with sorrow and indignation, I spoke. “You’re going to fire me?” Ryan and I had been together for five years. This company? I poured all my savings into starting it with him. My love life and my career—these past few years, everything had revolved around Ryan. I thought we’d walk down the aisle together, that we’d spend the rest of our lives in happiness. But now, I realized it was all just my wishful thinking! He slapped me for Veronica, and now he wants to fire me from the company? What does that say? It says I mean nothing to him! Five years of my youth, completely wasted. In this moment, I truly felt worthless. Seeing my eyes welling up, Veronica shot me a smug, taunting smile, then feigned sincerity. “It’s fine, Stella doesn’t need to get on her knees and apologize to me.” “I’m not the type to be overbearing. Just pour me a cup of tea and sincerely apologize in front of everyone, and that’ll be enough.” “I won’t tell my dad about this.” At her words, Ryan and the executives visibly relaxed. Then, Ryan glared at me. “What are you waiting for? Go and pour Veronica some tea and apologize!” I responded coldly. “What if I don’t apologize?” “Are you really going to fire me?” Seeing my refusal to back down, Ryan’s anger flared. He slammed his hand on the conference table, yelling at me: “Stella, do you really think I wouldn’t dare to fire you?” “Perfect. All our company executives are here today. Let’s take a vote.” “Raise your hand if you agree to fire Stella!” With that, Ryan was the first to raise his hand, without a hint of hesitation. The other executives exchanged glances, avoiding my gaze, and one by one, raised their hands. I smiled, a bitter, twisted smile. These executives… some I’d poached from other companies, some I’d personally promoted. And now, to protect their own interests, they didn’t hesitate to stab me in the back. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart, yet at the same time, I felt a strange sense of relief, of liberation. Actually, I had returned to the company today planning to take Ryan back to my family’s estate. A few days ago, while I was away, my dad had already rejoined the Miller family. I hadn’t been able to make it back in time. So, when I finally returned today, my first thought was to take Ryan to meet my family and formally introduce him to them. Now, it seemed, there was no longer any need! I took a deep breath, unpinned my company badge, tossed it on the floor, and turned to leave. This place, once a testament to so much of my hard work and devotion. Now? There was nothing left to cherish here. But Veronica wasn’t willing to let me leave so easily. She sneered. “VP Stella, did you forget something?” “Since you’ve been fired, shouldn’t your shares be returned to the company?” Before I could respond, Ryan nodded. “That’s right, I almost forgot about that!” “Stella, you can’t leave without handing over your company shares!” “I won’t let you leave empty-handed. I’ll give you a million dollars for your shares…” Ryan and Veronica’s words made me sick to my stomach. A million dollars for my shares? Ryan’s playing a smart game, isn’t he? Why had I never noticed what a despicable scumbag he was before?

I stared at Ryan with cold eyes, my face devoid of emotion. “When this company was founded, you didn’t put in a single cent. It was my family’s savings, over a million, that built the company’s framework.” “To cut costs, I personally paid out of pocket to take clients out, buy them gifts, and treat them to meals.” “To help us get through the toughest times, my parents worked three jobs a day, and every penny they earned went to support the company.” “The company’s market value has grown dozens of times since we started. I can’t claim all the credit, but at least half of the company’s success today is thanks to my family’s sacrifices.” “Now you’re not only firing me, but you want to buy my shares for a measly million dollars?” “Ryan, you can’t be this heartless!” My words made Ryan’s face flush. Perhaps feeling I had publicly shamed him, he glared at me in a fit of rage. “The company’s success today is entirely due to my brilliant foresight!” “Your family’s support back then was negligible.” “Fine, I’m done arguing with you. Two million for your shares, how about that?” With that, Ryan pulled out a share transfer agreement and tried to get me to sign it. Well, well, well. He’d even prepared the share transfer agreement in advance? Clearly, Ryan had been eyeing my shares for a while! Why would he do this? Soon, I understood. The beneficiary on the share transfer agreement wasn’t Ryan—it was Veronica! In that moment, everything clicked! No wonder Ryan’s attitude toward me had changed so drastically. He wanted to cozy up to Veronica, the fake heiress! I sneered at Ryan. “You’re quite generous, aren’t you?” “Transferring my shares to Veronica? Are you trying to butter up Miller Corp?” “Ryan, you’re usually so sharp, what’s gotten into you this time?” Ryan’s brows furrowed. He spoke in a low, stern voice. “What do you mean?” I took a deep breath, looking around the conference room at the executives with a mocking gaze, my tone full of disdain. “Veronica says she’s the Miller Corp heiress, and you all just believed her?” “Did any of you bother to verify that with Miller Corp?” “A bunch of fools, you’ve been scammed and you don’t even know it!” My words left the executives present utterly stunned. Ryan, however, snapped at me. “Stella, stop spouting nonsense!” “The day after Veronica started, Miller Corp signed a huge order with us, becoming our biggest client.” “If Veronica wasn’t the Miller Corp heiress, why would Miller Corp actively seek us out to sign orders?” “Watch your words. Slandering the Miller Corp heiress could land you in jail faster than you can blink. Miller Corp’s legal team is no joke.” Ryan’s words left me speechless. After my dad rejoined the Miller family, he specifically arranged for Miller Corp to sign cooperation orders with *this* company. What did that have to do with Veronica? If I hadn’t been working here, Miller Corp wouldn’t have given a second glance to this tiny company. Perhaps sensing the executives’ uneasy expressions, Veronica, desperate to prove herself, snorted at me. “Stella, someone of my status shouldn’t have to prove anything to you.” “However, to truly convince you, I’ll have my family come here right now, so you can see with your own eyes if I’m the real Miller heiress!” Her words made me pause. What gave her such confidence? Could it be… could she really be my dad’s secret daughter?

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After I was reborn, I poured my ‘best friend’ Veronica’s ashes down the drain. In my previous life, Veronica’s boyfriend cheated on her. He not only stole all her savings and fled but also left her with mountains of debt. Veronica was beaten to death by relentless debt collectors. In her final moments, she entrusted her daughter, Chloe, to me. To care for Chloe, my boyfriend, Brandon, broke up with me. My own parents cut me off. After I’d finally raised Chloe to adulthood, Veronica, who was supposed to be long dead, reappeared, arm-in-arm with Brandon. Brandon sneered, full of himself. “Veronica is a billionaire heiress. Who’s to say you weren’t only after her money by pretending to be her friend?” He paused, his gaze dismissive. “But now, seeing you’ve raised our daughter so well, it seems you’ve passed our little test.” I lunged forward, ready to tear into them, but my adoptive daughter Chloe actually slapped me across the face. “How dare you lay a hand on my parents?!” The shock sent a wave of nausea, and I coughed up a mouthful of blood before collapsing, unconscious, on the spot. When I woke again, I found myself reborn to the very day Veronica was beaten by the thugs.

“Cough, cough… Cassidy, you finally made it…” Veronica lay on the ground, covered in dirt, her body a canvas of green and purple bruises. Several deep gashes bled on her arms and legs. “Cassidy, what are you waiting for…? Cough, cough, get me to a hospital…” Veronica whispered, her voice barely a thread as she lay feebly on the ground. In my previous life, I’d rushed to find her after receiving her frantic call. Seeing her covered in blood, I panicked, desperate to call 911 for an ambulance. But Veronica insisted the location was too remote; she’d be dead by the time emergency services arrived. So, I personally carried her on my back, walking for over two hours back to the city to get her to a hospital. But now, remembering it was all her twisted scheme, a wave of profound disgust washed over me. “No need to call 911, it’s too remote here… Just carry me…” Veronica coughed a few times, her eyes, wide and pleading, fixed on mine. I feigned a grimace of discomfort, bending to massage my ankle. “I’m sorry, Veronica. I really want to carry you, but I just twisted my ankle. I simply can’t.” Fearing she wouldn’t believe me, I even pulled up my pant leg to show her. My ankle was already visibly swollen and red. In my previous life, I had endured excruciating pain to carry her. By the time we reached the hospital, my ankle was practically mangled, and it took a fortune to fix. This time, I wouldn’t be so foolish. Veronica’s face drained of color, making her look genuinely on the brink of collapse. Just then, an SUV pulled up beside us. The driver, a kind-faced man, asked if we needed help. To keep up appearances, I quickly smiled and accepted. At the hospital, she was immediately rushed into the emergency room. Soon, a harried female doctor burst out, declaring Veronica had lost too much blood and needed a transfusion. “The hospital’s blood supply is critically low, and coordinating a transfer from another facility would take too long, jeopardizing her life,” Dr. Evelyn Reed explained urgently. “Ms. Veronica mentioned you’re a match. Come with me, we need your blood now.” A cold smile touched my lips at her words. The exact same line as before. This doctor, Dr. Reed, had used it as an excuse to strong-arm me into giving an unsafe amount of blood in my previous life. I’d been too overwhelmed to object then. Afterward, I was so weak and dizzy, the world spun. Veronica had seized the moment to beg me to care for her daughter, and in my dazed state, I’d simply nodded. So, I turned to Dr. Reed and said, “I’m sorry, but I’m on my period right now and already feeling weak. I can’t donate blood. You’ll have to find another way.” Dr. Reed, clearly taken aback, stomped her foot in frustration before rushing back into the ER. Another twenty minutes passed. Dr. Reed emerged again, her face etched with a performative sorrow. “My apologies, we did our best, but Ms. Veronica’s condition was too critical. There was nothing more we could do.” Her voice softened, dripping with false sympathy. “She’s still conscious. You can go in and say your final goodbyes.” I nodded, my expression completely serene, and walked inside. Sure enough, Veronica lay on the hospital bed, as pale and weak as she had been in my previous life, her voice a mere whisper as she barely breathed my name. I walked to her bedside. “What do you want to tell me?” Veronica’s eyes welled with feigned tears. “Cassidy, you’re my best friend. Why didn’t you give me blood? If you had, maybe I would have…” Dr. Reed chimed in, her voice dripping with righteous indignation. “Yes, Ms. Veronica truly thought of you as her best friend, yet you refused! Poor Ms. Veronica, so young, giving up too soon. You truly are heartless.” I replied, my voice flat, “Blame your hospital for not having basic supplies. How can you not have the blood a patient needs? If something happened to me because of an unsafe blood donation, would your hospital take responsibility?”

My words left Dr. Reed speechless. Veronica’s face twisted into an ugly mask, but she quickly composed herself, her eyes now brimming with fake tears. “It’s fine, don’t blame Cassidy. It’s just my bad luck…” She continued, her voice weak but laced with manipulative urgency. “I’m dying, but I have a daughter, barely a year old. She’s so helpless. Cassidy, you’re my best friend. Please, I beg you, raise her for me.” Dr. Reed, ever the bleeding heart, let two clear streams of tears fall. “See? Ms. Veronica is practically begging you. Just say yes! You’re her best friend! Could you really be so cruel as to refuse?” All I felt was a profound sense of annoyance. In my previous life, I’d given so much blood, leaving me dazed and weak, and Veronica had even colluded with Dr. Reed to set this whole trap. I’d been too soft-hearted, which was why I had agreed to care for her daughter. But my kindness hadn’t been repaid. Brandon harbored an immediate hostility towards the adopted girl, convinced she was my illegitimate child with some other man. He refused to listen to a single explanation, packed his bags, and walked out on me, simultaneously alienating himself from his own family. I was still in college then. Unable to juggle my studies and a baby, I had no choice but to drop out. Without a degree, I was condemned to grueling manual labor. To provide for the child, I worked three jobs a day, often surviving on only three or four hours of sleep. The child’s health was fragile from birth. She was in and out of hospitals, undergoing several major surgeries, draining money like a sieve. I gritted my teeth and took out a predatory loan. But with interest compounding, it became impossible to repay. The debt collectors were brutal, harassing everyone around me. My landlord refused to renew my lease, throwing me and the child out onto the street. To escape the collectors, I moved countless times, always into the most rundown, grimy places I could find. After slogging through the toughest ten years, I finally encountered a kind-hearted male boss. He was a single dad, and he sympathized with my struggles, taking me in to work at his barbecue joint. Once I had stable work, I thought about finding a partner. But with no home, no car, dirt poor, and a kid in her early teens—finding a partner was a pipe dream. I finally met a simple, honest man who claimed not to mind my circumstances, and I thought I could finally settle down. But after barely two months, he fled, leaving only a note apologizing and saying he still couldn’t let go of his ex-wife and kids. I gave up on ever finding love again. Eighteen years passed. The child I’d poured my life into was now an adult. But then, at her celebration party, the impossible happened: Veronica, who was supposed to be dead, appeared. And claimed it was all just a test. Did I really need her as a friend? I’d wasted the most precious eighteen years of my life! Without that child, I would have graduated, landed a great job, built a respectable career, and had a loving, happy family. My life should have flourished, but she destroyed it! Even the child I’d poured my entire heart and soul into, at the first sign of conflict, chose her biological parents and turned against me. The hatred surging within me threatened to drown me whole. I clenched my fists, each word a venomous whisper. “No, I refuse.” “I’ll take her to an orphanage, but I will absolutely not raise your child for you.”

Veronica dropped her dying act entirely, shooting upright and unleashing a torrent of furious curses at me. “Are you even human, Cassidy? You claim to be my sister, but you’re nothing but an ungrateful, cold-blooded monster! You wouldn’t even give blood to save me, and now you refuse to raise my only daughter? What kind of sister does that make you?” I met her fury with a cool, mocking smile. “Well, well, Veronica. You look awfully spry for someone on their deathbed. Did this incompetent doctor here misdiagnose you?” I cast a pointed glance at Dr. Reed, who instantly averted her eyes. Realizing her act had slipped, Veronica instantly clutched her chest, collapsing onto the bed, gasping dramatically for air, her body trembling. Her acting was surprisingly convincing. Dr. Reed immediately sprang into action, pushing me out and declaring Ms. Veronica needed emergency care. Curious to see what other tricks Veronica had up her sleeve, I simply waited outside the ER. Ten minutes later, Dr. Reed emerged, holding a cooing, babbling infant. “My apologies, Ms. Veronica is gone,” she announced, her voice filled with a practiced solemnity. “This child is her daughter. Her dying wish was for you to raise her. As for the adoption procedures, you can rest assured. Ms. Veronica had made all the necessary arrangements before she passed. The paperwork, she ensured, would be finalized within two days. You simply need to raise the child well. Abandoning the child would be illegal, and if I found out, I’d personally ensure you faced legal consequences!” With that, she tried to thrust the infant into my arms. I immediately stepped back two paces. Are you kidding me? Forcing a child on someone like this is the real illegal act! Last time, blinded by that so-called sisterly bond, I hadn’t questioned a single detail of this ridiculous story. Looking back, it’s absurd. Even legitimate adoptions take weeks, if not months. “You said Veronica is dead, right? Fine. I want to see her body.” I brushed past Dr. Reed and strode into the emergency room. It was completely empty. “What are you doing?!” Dr. Reed’s frantic voice echoed behind me. “You can’t just barge in here!” I pointed to the empty room. “You said she’s dead, didn’t you? Where’s the body? Where did you take her?” Dr. Reed replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “The body was, of course, immediately sent to the funeral home for cremation.” “Sent to the funeral home already? Fine. I’m going to the funeral home right now to pay my respects.” Ignoring Dr. Reed’s frantic protests, I strode purposefully out of the hospital. At the City Funeral Home, I immediately inquired about Veronica’s remains. To my surprise, they did have a record. Moments later, a staff member brought out an urn, supposedly containing Veronica’s ashes. Last time, consumed by grief, I had simply taken her daughter home. I didn’t even attend Veronica’s funeral until a week later, after I finally received a notice. “These are Veronica’s ashes?” I asked. “Yes,” the staff member replied tersely before hurrying away. But something still felt off. Normal cremations don’t happen that fast. Even the quickest turnaround takes at least a full day. Yet here I was, less than three hours after Dr. Reed declared Veronica dead, holding her alleged ashes. It was a blatant insult to my intelligence. Without a second thought, I yanked open the urn and unhesitatingly poured its contents onto the pristine floor.

Greyish-white powder cascaded onto the floor. The staff member beside me shrieked. “Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Families there to make arrangements for their loved ones scattered. Whispers erupted, accusing glares shot my way. I stared at them, completely devoid of emotion, and then deliberately kicked the pile of ash on the floor. “Look closely. Does this even look like real ashes?” “It does seem a little odd. Where are the bone fragments? The smaller pieces?” a woman murmured. “Now that you mention it, you’re right. Cremation can’t pulverize every single bone into fine dust,” another added. I curled my lips into a cynical smile, then addressed the frantic staff member, my voice cutting through the murmurs. “Don’t you think you owe me an explanation? The funeral home handed me fake ashes. Do you have any professional integrity at all? There are so many grieving families here. Are their loved ones’ ashes fake too?” The staff member, his face pale with panic, stammered, “Don’t you dare accuse us of such things! We follow all procedures!” I refused to back down. “Really? Veronica was declared dead at the hospital barely two hours ago. How is it humanly possible that her body has already been cremated? When did your facility become this efficient?” The crowd erupted. “Are they insane? I thought we managed our arrangements quickly, but even that took a full day. How on earth was this cremated in two hours?” Under the barrage of questions, the staff member stammered, completely flustered and at a loss for words. He’d clearly never imagined I’d publicly scatter the ‘ashes,’ much less scrutinize the cremation timeline. He managed to mumble a few calming words to the agitated crowd before scurrying back inside. A little while later, he returned, a forced, placating smile plastered across his face. “My apologies, we made a mistake. The ashes we gave you were someone else’s. Your friend’s remains are still in the process of cremation. Please bear with us a little longer.” Several hours later, the same staff member returned with another urn. And then, Dr. Evelyn Reed from the hospital suddenly appeared at the funeral home. “Before she passed, Veronica explicitly instructed me to ensure her child was placed in your care. This was her final wish. Also, here are her life savings—fifty thousand dollars. She truly hoped you would raise her child with love and care.” Her words were delivered with such righteous conviction. Then she pressed the infant and a bank card into my arms. The surrounding onlookers, unaware of the full truth, were clearly moved, and many began to applaud me. I glanced down at the infant in my arms and let out a soft, knowing chuckle. So, Veronica really wants me to raise her child, huh? Then I’ll give her exactly what she asked for.

Eighteen years passed quickly. After earning my first significant sum, I started building my social media presence. I stayed behind the camera, but my adorable adopted daughter, Chloe, was a natural in front of it. She was naturally photogenic, every gesture full of charm and life, immediately captivating audiences. Within a year of launching the account, she had amassed millions of followers. She became a child model, endorsing several national clothing brands even at a tender age. As she grew, she transitioned into professional modeling, excelling in everything from print ad campaigns to high-profile runway shows. Her current fame far surpassed what she’d achieved in my previous life. To celebrate her successful completion of a major brand show, I arranged a small, intimate celebration at a five-star hotel. My colleagues and friends were there, along with many of her industry contacts. Dressed in an elegant champagne-colored gown, I stood amidst the mingling guests, smiling as I watched Chloe, surrounded by admirers. My heart swelled with pride. Just then, the grand doors of the ballroom swung open. Veronica walked in, arm-in-arm with Brandon. Both were dressed in expensive evening wear. Veronica had maintained herself remarkably well over the years; at forty-something, she looked barely thirty. But the calculating glint in her eyes was unmistakable, allowing me to recognize her instantly. Brandon, beside her, still retained his handsome looks, though fine lines now creased the corners of his eyes. His gaze, fixed on me, was filled with undisguised arrogance. “My daughter, I’ve finally found you,” Veronica declared, her voice thick with exaggerated emotion. She advanced towards Chloe, her face radiating feigned tenderness, her hand outstretched. Everyone froze, utterly bewildered by the sudden intrusion. Chloe instantly recoiled, pulling her hand away and stepping back warily, retreating behind me. “My mother is right here. Who are you?” Chloe’s words made Veronica’s face stiffen, but she quickly reverted to her practiced, tearful expression. “My sweet child, I’m your biological mother. I was gravely injured back then, and after being pronounced dead at the hospital, I entrusted you to Cassidy’s care in my final moments. But miraculously, I regained consciousness on the way to the funeral home, snatching myself back from the brink of death. I tried to find you afterward, but you were already gone. I’ve searched for you for eighteen long years, always loving you. I am your real mother!” Veronica shed tears, putting on a show of joyful reunion. I watched her performance, a faint smile playing on my lips. She genuinely believed everything was playing out just as it had in my previous life, that this renowned young model I’d raised was her daughter. But I’d been reborn. How could I possibly fall for her tricks again? I met her gaze, my smile unwavering. “But Chloe isn’t your daughter.”

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My wife, Cassandra, knew I could resurrect every time I died. So after that accident, she didn’t hesitate. She ripped out my heart to save Julian, her true love. When the doctors presented my empty shell of a body to her… She simply said, “Just get some sleep. You’ll be fine.” But she had no idea. That was my very last chance to resurrect. Cassandra carried my body into the basement of the Emergency Response Team headquarters. My organs had already been removed, leaving nothing but an empty shell. My face looked peaceful, almost rosy, as if I were just sleeping. She casually opened the cryogenic chamber, her movements precise and practiced. As she placed me inside, her hands were steady, not a flicker of hesitation. “Just sleep for now,” her voice was eerily calm. “Didn’t you always say it didn’t matter if you died?” Yesterday was our wedding anniversary. I’d cooked a feast at home, even bought her favorite Cabernet Sauvignon. Seeing her home on time, a rare treat, made me grin like an idiot. Her phone rang just as she raised her wine glass. It was her second-in-command: “Captain, Julian got caught in a landslide during a patrol in the mountains. He’s trapped…” Her hand twitched, and the wine glass slipped, shattering on the floor. “How badly is he hurt?” Her voice was already hoarse. “Very badly. His internal organs…” She didn’t wait for him to finish, grabbed her jacket, and bolted. I reached out, grabbing her arm. “I’ll come too. I can help.” Her gaze flickered back to me, complex. Not sympathy, not concern, but pure calculation. By the time we arrived, he’d been pulled out, but his heart was severely damaged, and he needed a transplant, fast. She stared at Julian, unconscious on the stretcher, her fingers trembling. Those hands, usually as steady as a rock, were shaking violently now. It was a panic I’d never seen from her before. Then she looked at me. Her eyes were bloodshot. “I’m sorry,” she said. Before I could even process what she meant, a sharp pain exploded at the back of my neck. Before darkness consumed me, I saw her nod to the doctor. They’d planned this all along. As I was wheeled into the operating room, eerily, my soul seemed to detach, floating free from my body. I hovered, watching everything unfold. I saw her standing right beside the operating table, her face devoid of emotion as the surgeon’s scalpel sliced into me. Her eyes were blank, as if my body was just a tool to be discarded. “His organs are perfectly healthy, and the match is exact,” the doctor’s voice seemed to drift from a great distance. “More than enough to save Julian.” I watched my own heart being removed, placed in a cooling box, and whisked into the adjacent operating room. She followed the box out, not even sparing me a final glance. After she placed me in the cryogenic chamber, she sat nearby, working on some files, occasionally glancing up at me. I floated before her, desperate to see a flicker of guilt in her eyes. But her gaze passed right through me, settling on her phone. A message from the doctor: Surgery successful. He’s recovering well. A relieved smile touched her lips. She casually tossed my medical file aside and left the basement. The file lay open, starkly displaying: Organ Donor – Voluntary Donation. She couldn’t even bother to invent a believable lie. She simply assumed I’d be waking up soon anyway. But what she didn’t know was, this time, I wouldn’t be waking up ever again. Because that ability to resurrect? I’d used my last charge saving her friend the previous time.

My resurrection ability was real, no doubt about it. Three years ago, after that plane crash, I was the sole survivor. Just before they pulled me out of the wreckage, a voice whispered to me: You have three chances to resurrect. I used the first on myself, of course, to simply survive the crash. Cassandra was the Captain, leading the rescue efforts. Standing before the plane’s wreckage, a cold aura clung to her, a true warrior in every sense. I was curled up on a stretcher, shivering uncontrollably. She turned her face toward me, her dark eyes swept over me, as if they could see straight into my soul. “Don’t be afraid,” she said. “You’re safe now.” Her voice was deep and soothing, like a warm current washing over my heart. In that instant, I was utterly captivated. The voice had told me: Maintain a marriage with your fated one for three years, and you can stay in this world forever. Looking at the stern, beautiful woman before me, I decided to take a chance. At twenty-eight, it was the first time I’d ever wanted something so fiercely. Cassandra looked to be in her early thirties, tall, with a lean, strong physique honed by years of training. She was slender, yet every muscle was defined and powerful. She moved with a distinctive rhythm, a subtle grace born from rigorous training. Every time I passed the Emergency Response team headquarters, I could pick her out from her silhouette. I began approaching her, just as an ordinary guy. Every day, I’d bring coffee for the rescue team, and late-night snacks for those working overtime. I knew I was acting like a humble admirer, but I didn’t care. They said Cassandra never accepted favors from men easily. But my coffee, she took. She was always polite and kind, but she kept me at arm’s length. The team members felt sorry for me, saying I was blind to reality. “Cassandra never gives any man hope. Don’t waste your time,” they’d warn me. But what I didn’t tell them was, every time I’d “accidentally” stumble, she was always the first to steady me. She’d say “Be careful,” but her hand would linger on mine for just a moment too long. Until one day, I overheard her on the phone, her voice laced with an affection she called a man’s name. It was Julian, her former partner. They’d known each other for ages, so I heard. Julian was incredibly handsome. Everyone said they were a match made in heaven. I should have given up right then. But back then, I still had two chances left, and I was young and headstrong. I truly believed I could make it through those three years. If I’d known then that my second chance would be used to save her friend, and my third would be ended by her own hands, I would’ve stayed far, far away from her from the very beginning. But love, you know, makes you blind.

Julian was Cassandra’s partner from their early days as soldiers. Everyone in the rescue team knew they were once the most formidable duo. In missions demanding perfect synergy, an observer and an operative had to be so in sync, almost telepathic, to succeed. So after their discharge, Cassandra and Julian joined the emergency response team together, their coordination as seamless as if they were one person. I once secretly looked through Cassandra’s old photo albums. In the photos, Julian, in his uniform, was dashing and self-assured, with a confident spark in his eyes—a kind of sharp handsomeness I, an ordinary man, could never hope to achieve. And Cassandra, standing beside him, looked up at him with such tender adoration. Later, the team members told me Cassandra had been in love with Julian for years. From training camp to active duty, from mock drills to real missions, everyone assumed they’d end up together. But Julian, in the end, rejected her. “We’re not right for each other. You deserve better,” he’d said. He’d said this just as he was about to deploy, and Cassandra was still checking his gear for him. They remained the best partners, acting as if nothing had happened. But only in the dead of night would Cassandra push herself with extra training, until she was utterly exhausted. Later, Julian voluntarily transferred to a remote regional rescue division. On the day he left, Cassandra stood outside the airport, watching his silhouette disappear beyond security. Her fingers unconsciously stroked the ring she’d never gotten to give him. The team said it was the most utterly heartbroken they’d ever seen Cassandra. I met Cassandra about six months after Julian left. She was like a still, dark pool then, her very smiles felt cold. But I didn’t care. Young and headstrong, I believed time would wash away all past hurts. “She never had eyes for anyone else. You think she’s gentle? That’s just her professional demeanor. Forget you, even male models, handsome guys who brought her flowers, she’d smile and accept them, then turn around and just toss them.” That’s what the veteran members of the team used to tell me. They hated seeing me constantly showing up at the rescue headquarters, trying to be kind by warning me not to humiliate myself. But I didn’t believe them. I told myself to let the past be the past. Even if I was just stepping into someone else’s story, I was okay with that. Even the on-duty rescue nurse couldn’t take it anymore. “Leo,” she’d said, “how can you still not get it? Cassandra visits Julian every year, right on schedule. They might be miles apart, but their bond is deeper than anything you’ve built with her, every single day you’re by her side.” I truly didn’t understand. Didn’t understand why Cassandra accepted my pursuit. Didn’t understand why she married me. Looking back now, maybe from the day I used my second chance to save her friend, she’d already started planning.

That rescue, the one that changed everything, happened in my second year of knowing Cassandra. Torrential rain caused a massive landslide, burying an entire village. Cassandra led the charge, with her closest friend and comrade, Sarah, covering her from behind. No one noticed the massive boulder teetering precariously overhead. “Cassandra!” Sarah’s voice ripped through the downpour. The moment Sarah shoved Cassandra clear, the boulder crashed down. “No!” Cassandra lunged for the wreckage like a madwoman, only to be held back by three teammates. The rain plastered her long hair to her pale, distraught face. Back at the rescue headquarters, she knelt in the rain, trembling uncontrollably, like a wounded animal. It was the first time I’d ever seen her lose control. The usually composed and calm Cassandra could be reduced to such utter despair. Sarah was Cassandra’s childhood friend, more like a sister. They’d trained together, joined the force together, and later retired to join the rescue team together. Their bond was thicker than blood. When Sarah was pulled out, her heart had already stopped. The doctors said even if they revived her, she’d need a heart transplant, and the medical costs would be astronomical. “Please, I’m begging you, you have to save her!” Cassandra gripped the doctor’s hand, her voice raw. “Whatever it costs, I’ll find a way.” But she’d only recently retired, most of her income tied up in living expenses. Her friends did their best to chip in, but it was only a fraction of what was needed. I watched her pacing the hospital corridor, her eyes bloodshot, as if she hadn’t slept in days. “It should have been me who died,” she kept repeating. “Why did she save me?” In that moment, my heart ached so much I could barely breathe. I couldn’t stand it anymore. “I can donate my heart,” I said, pushing the door open and stepping inside. “My blood type and Sarah’s are a perfect match.” Cassandra’s head snapped up. “Are you insane?” Her voice was hoarse. “You’ll die!” I smiled at her, leaning in to whisper, “Trust me, I have a special ability. I won’t die.” She still didn’t agree, but I went ahead with the surgery behind her back. Not only did I donate my heart, but I also helped the son of a wealthy businessman who needed an organ transplant. In return, his family provided enormous funds for Sarah’s treatment. Days later, I woke up. When I opened my eyes, Cassandra was sitting by my bedside. She hadn’t slept in days; dark circles bruised the skin beneath her eyes, yet she stubbornly refused to leave. “You’re awake,” her voice was raspy as she carefully took my hand. “Does it hurt?” It was the first time I’d seen her look so genuinely gentle. Sarah recovered quickly, and Cassandra started visiting me at the hospital often. She’d peel apples for me, feed me water, her gaze so focused it made my heart flutter. Sometimes, when I fell asleep, I’d feel a soft kiss on my forehead. She began sharing her stories with me—funny anecdotes from training with Sarah when they were kids, the rigorous evaluations in the force, and how terrified she was of losing someone important to her. Her eyes were soft as she spoke, yet there was something else hidden within them, something I couldn’t quite decipher. Later, she proposed to me. I nodded, tears streaming down my face. She kissed them away, holding me tight. And after that, I applied to join the rescue team as an auxiliary medic, just to be by her side. It was then that Julian was transferred back to headquarters.

The day Julian returned, the entire rescue team was buzzing with excitement. He stood before the headquarters building, his posture still commanding, his handsome features now graced with a new, mature charm. Cassandra stood by the third-floor window, watching him for a full ten minutes. I stood behind her, noticing the slight tremble in her hands. “Julian’s as dashing as ever,” the team members whispered. “He’s done incredible work on the border these past few years, helped so many people, I hear.” At the welcome reception that evening, Julian raised his glass to Cassandra. “Cassandra, thank you,” he said. Cassandra, rarely one to drink much, was visibly tipsy. Her eyes were red as she replied, “Welcome back.” Those four simple words silenced the entire room. Everyone knew how long she’d held them inside. I sat quietly, watching them exchange a knowing smile. A sudden, chilling premonition washed over me. From that day on, Cassandra rarely came home. She claimed to be preparing for some critical rescue mission, but I knew she was with Julian, helping him refamiliarize himself with all the equipment and protocols. I’d cook dinner and wait, but she’d say she was in meetings. Yet, colleagues told me they’d seen Cassandra and Julian having dinner, chatting for hours. If I asked where she’d been, she’d lean in and kiss my forehead. “Just handing over work to Julian. Don’t overthink it.” But I clearly saw her phone light up on the coffee table. It was a text from Julian. She instinctively pressed the screen off, then hugged me a little tighter. She became increasingly tender, so tender it made my heart pound with a terrible unease. Every day, she’d come home with my favorite desserts. When I had insomnia, she’d sing me to sleep. For my birthday, she even took the day off just to be with me. As if worried I’d overthink things, she started acting overtly affectionate towards me in front of others. Sometimes, even in front of Julian, she’d deliberately stand on tiptoe to kiss me. But Julian’s smile was strange, as if he were watching a performance. Was she trying to reassure me, or make him jealous?

Months later, Sarah, the woman I’d saved, finally passed away. Complications arose so suddenly; by the time they were discovered, it was too late for treatment. I remember that day vividly. Cassandra knelt by Sarah’s hospital bed, gripping her hand. “I’m so sorry, Sarah,” she whispered, “I failed to protect you.” After that, she started having sleepless nights. Sometimes she’d wake up in a cold sweat, clinging to me tightly. “If only we’d caught the complications sooner,” she’d say, her eyes cold. “If only I could’ve saved her faster.” I thought she was consumed by self-blame, but I missed the simmering resentment in her eyes when she looked at me. In her mind, if my resurrection ability could have been deployed more ‘efficiently,’ Sarah might still be alive. Days turned into weeks. I began having frequent nightmares, dreaming of Sarah standing by her hospital bed, accusing me: “Why didn’t you save me sooner?” Cassandra would hold me when I woke up with a gasp, whispering reassurances. But her kisses felt hollow, missing the warmth they once held. Then came our wedding anniversary. I’d just finished setting the dinner table when the emergency call came in. A massive landslide in the mountains. Julian, leading the advance team, was trapped. We rushed to the hospital. The doctor’s words were grim: “Extensive internal organ damage. An immediate organ transplant is essential.” I watched Cassandra’s hands tremble, yet her eyes were eerily calm. She turned to me, her gaze something I’d never seen before. In that moment, I finally understood the reason for her recent strange behavior. But it was too late. “I’m sorry,” she said. As the anesthetic needle pierced my neck, I saw a flicker of tears in her eyes. “You said you couldn’t die,” her voice was barely a whisper. “Julian’s different. He can’t survive a second time.” As I was wheeled into the operating room, I heard her instructing the doctors: “Take his heart first.” The instant the scalpel cut into my flesh, I remembered something Sarah once told me: “Cassandra is fiercely loyal, but once she’s set her mind on something, she becomes absolutely unwavering.” The truth was, ever since Sarah’s death, Cassandra had been figuring out how to exploit my resurrection ability. She’d been waiting for an opportunity, waiting for a reason that could justify it to herself. And Julian, he was the perfect reason. The surgery was a success. My soul floated in the hospital corridor, watching two figures being wheeled out of the operating rooms. One was Julian, his heartbeat steady. The other was me, my body hollowed out. “Julian’s going to be okay,” a nurse whispered. “The transplanted organ is in perfect condition.” Cassandra let out a shaky breath, her eyes red-rimmed. She held Julian’s hand, staying by his side all night. I floated beside her, watching her tuck him in. Her hands were gentle, as if she was afraid to hurt him. Afterward, she stood facing the window for a long time. “You’ve suffered so much,” she murmured, her voice a raw whisper. Who was she talking to? After I’d died once to save Sarah, she’d also watched over me like this, saying those very same words. But now, the body they wheeled into the temporary holding room had no heart left at all. “Cassandra,” the on-duty nurse called out, “What about Leo’s remains?”

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