Category: English

On April Fool’s Day, our family went out for a trip. As we walked, I suddenly realized our daughter had disappeared. I frantically called the police. The moment the officers arrived and I began explaining the situation, my mother-in-law Catherine contradicted me. “Didn’t you send Lily to your parents’ house? She didn’t come on this trip with us. Why are you calling the police?” The police looked stunned for a moment, then their expressions turned serious. “Ma’am, what’s really going on here? Filing a false police report is a crime!” Sweat poured down my face as I hurriedly explained. “Lily came with us. Catherine is just making an April Fool’s joke. Don’t listen to her!” The officer nodded and was about to start searching when Catherine interjected again. “Officer, you don’t know this, but Emma has mental issues. She’s filed false reports several times before.” I trembled with rage, wanting nothing more than to slap duct tape over her mouth. Catherine loved April Fool’s Day more than anything. Every year on this day, she’d throw the entire household into chaos. Before leaving home, I’d warned her repeatedly not to cause any trouble, but I never expected her old habits to resurface at a time like this. Thinking of Lily, whose whereabouts were still unknown, I desperately shoved Catherine. “What time do you think it is? You’re still obsessing over your April Fool’s Day! If anything happens to Lily, I’ll never forgive you!” Though I didn’t push hard, Catherine staggered backward repeatedly, as if about to fall. “Officers, you all saw that, right? Emma has mental problems.” “Before we left, I specifically asked her mother to look after Lily. Look, I have proof.” She pulled out her phone and showed them a screenshot of a chat conversation. It showed that this morning, she had specifically instructed my mother: Make Lily fried eggs for lunch today. I stared in disbelief at my mother’s reply. This was impossible! Lily was allergic to eggs. Catherine never cared about Lily, so her not knowing was normal. But my mother knew. She would never have agreed to this. I immediately tried calling my mother to verify. But unluckily, at that exact moment, my mother’s phone was turned off. I spun around anxiously, telling myself to stay calm. Suddenly, I thought of something and snatched Catherine’s phone. The screenshot timestamp showed last night at eight o’clock. But the actual chat record was from this morning. “Officer, look! This screenshot is fake. Catherine doctored it. Don’t believe her. Please help me find Lily!” My fingers shook as I pleaded desperately. “Lily has asthma. If she has an attack and can’t find her family, the consequences will be unthinkable!” The officer looked between us suspiciously. Seeing my panicked expression, he finally nodded in agreement. But just as they were about to begin the search, Catherine spoke up again. “Oh my, officer, I really can’t stand watching this anymore. I only faked that screenshot because I didn’t want you to be deceived by her.” “The truth is, this ‘daughter’ she’s talking about is a dog!” She even pulled up photos of our dog. The officer’s face darkened as he sternly rebuked her. “What exactly is going on here? Police reports are not a game. Please show us some respect!” By now, a crowd had gathered around us. After hearing Catherine’s words, they all turned to criticize me. “Making a police report over a lost dog? And lying about it being your daughter—aren’t you afraid of karma?” “Exactly. At her age, she should be a mother herself. She should know better than to act like this.” “Catherine is the reasonable one. Emma is absolutely outrageous!” After hearing Catherine’s words, my vision swam with rage. “What time do you think it is? You’re still lying! Even jokes have their time and place!” I turned to face the officer, struggling to control my emotions. “We do have a dog, that’s true, but I really do have a daughter. Look, I have proof!” I pulled out photos of Lily and me together. In the picture, Lily was hugging me, her face beaming with joy. Only then did the officer slowly nod, turning to Catherine with clear anger. “Ma’am, please stop lying. If something happens, you’ll face legal consequences!” Catherine laughed it off with obvious satisfaction. “I’m so sorry, everyone. I was just playing an April Fool’s joke with you all. I didn’t expect you to take it so seriously.” Just as my heart began to settle, after taking only two steps, Catherine spoke up again.

“But there’s something I absolutely must mention.” As she spoke, tears even began to well up in her eyes. “Emma is Lily’s stepmother. Lily has been abused by her since she was little. I’m just an old woman—I want to stop it but I’m powerless.” “With no other choice, I secretly sent the child to her birth mother.” Hearing her words, a deep sense of helplessness spread through my entire body. Catherine did this every time. On April Fool’s Day, no matter the occasion, she had to deceive people. I remembered the April Fool’s Day when Lily had just turned one. She lied and told me Lily was having an asthma attack and wasn’t going to make it. When I got that call, I felt like I’d lost my soul. I drove home desperately. But in my panic, I got into a car accident on the way. A long, hideous scar remained on my left arm. Looking at me in the hospital bed, Catherine just said dismissively: “April Fool’s Day is for playing jokes. Who knew you’d be stupid enough to believe it?” “Besides, the car accident was your own fault for not watching the road.” So every year, especially on April Fool’s Day, I kept Lily as far away from her as possible. But this morning when we were leaving, Catherine had clung desperately to the car door and climbed in. I told myself that as long as I kept a careful eye on her, nothing serious would happen. I never imagined that the moment we got out of the car, this would happen. After hearing everything, the police moved to take me away for questioning. “Child abuse is a serious crime. You need to come with us to the station!” The crowd’s spit practically flew in my face. “Disgusting! Not her own child, so she doesn’t know how to care for her. What a monster!” “Take her away right now! People like her need to spend a few days in jail to learn their lesson!” Just as I was about to be dragged away, my scalp felt like it would explode with panic. Thinking of Lily unable to find her family, feeling helpless and alone. Thinking of Lily having an asthma attack, only able to collapse on the ground struggling for breath. My heart felt like it was being stabbed. Tears streamed down my face as I looked at Catherine’s fake-serious expression. I wanted nothing more than to rip her lying mouth apart. I fought to control my emotions. “Officer, I can guarantee Lily is truly my biological daughter. No matter what, please help me find Lily first!” “I can provide all the necessary evidence afterward!” After hearing this, Catherine rushed between the police and me, grabbing my sleeve and yanking it up. “Officer, don’t let her fool you! She just wants to continue abusing Lily.” “Look at this scar on her arm. I got this years ago fighting with her to protect Lily.” When this horrifying scar was revealed, everyone gasped. The officer’s face hardened as he shouted sternly. “What is really going on here! If you two keep lying, we’ll take you both in for questioning!” I stared daggers at Catherine, my eyes practically shooting flames. “This scar is from the car accident I had because of your lies! You’re an old woman fighting with me—you come out fine while I get injured like this? Is that even possible?” “Officer, please believe me. If any problems arise afterward, I’ll take full responsibility.” Considering the child’s safety and the urgency of finding her, the officer nodded and prepared to take us to search in different directions. Catherine kept chattering, trying to continue her interference. “Your police work really isn’t that competent if you can’t even tell who’s telling the truth!” But no one paid attention. Our group got in the car, leaving her behind. The police took me to the surveillance room as quickly as possible. But when we watched the footage of the moment Lily disappeared, everyone’s eyes widened.

The surveillance showed that when I stopped the car to get something, Lily bounced down from the vehicle cheerfully. The next second, Catherine suddenly pulled her behind the car. After that, Lily never appeared again. My chest heaved violently, my ears buzzing. Just then, Catherine arrived and opened the door. I lunged forward and grabbed her collar. “Tell me! Where did you hide Lily? Why would you do this!” Her expression changed, then she forced herself to stay calm. “Oh, I just hid her in the trunk to scare you a little and test these officers’ competence.” “Today is April Fool’s Day. Don’t you people have any sense of humor?” I had no time for her nonsense. I threw her aside and sprinted outside. Lily already had asthma. Being trapped in the trunk for so long—the consequences were unthinkable! But when I reached the car, gasping for breath, and opened the trunk, there was nothing inside. My legs gave out and I collapsed to the ground. The others caught up immediately. Seeing the empty trunk, their faces changed color too. I rushed forward, ready to fight her with everything I had, but the police held me back. Seeing this, Catherine slapped her thigh and sat on the ground wailing. “You can’t blame me for this! I only hid her in the trunk as a joke for you all.” “How was I supposed to know she’d disappear? She has legs of her own. She probably just ran off wherever she wanted to go.” The officer tried to comfort me. “Ms. Harper, don’t worry. We’ll continue investigating and we will find your child.” “We’ve already stationed someone at the surveillance room.” Soon, they called from the surveillance room. Unfortunately, the rear of the car was in a blind spot. Whatever happened afterward, the surveillance cameras couldn’t capture it. To track Lily’s movements, they’d have to continuously pull footage from all the surrounding cameras. Everything spun around me. Lily’s whereabouts were unknown, and she had asthma on top of that. Every minute we delayed finding her meant another minute of danger! I turned to Catherine, softening my tone, trying to appeal to whatever conscience she might have. “Catherine, you’ve had your fun now, haven’t you? I’m begging you, please stop lying. Just tell me where Lily is!” “You locked her in the trunk—how could she possibly have gotten out on her own!” Catherine pursed her lips and turned her head away. “I put her in the trunk and left. Maybe I didn’t close it properly and she just ran off.” “I’ve been saying this girl is ungrateful, but you never believed me. She just abandoned you to find some richer family.” I glared at her fiercely, the red in my eyes making her flinch and finally shut her mouth. Just when everyone was running around like headless chickens with no idea where to start searching… I suddenly thought of something and looked toward the rear of the car.

I immediately opened my phone app and called the police over to check with me. In my panic earlier, I’d completely forgotten that we had a backup camera installed at the rear. The surveillance video from this camera could be stored for seven days. With trembling hands, I pulled up the surveillance footage, then froze in place. Several large words appeared on the screen. [Surveillance Signal Error] I frantically scrolled the timeline back. The last frame the surveillance showed was from this morning, right before we left—Catherine’s hand reaching toward it. After that, the video went completely black. It was her again! She destroyed the surveillance! The hope that had barely ignited was extinguished once more. My heart felt like it was being squeezed tight by a giant hand. I went completely mad, screaming uncontrollably. “What exactly do you want? Are you trying to kill Lily?” “If anything happens to Lily, I’ll make sure you don’t die in peace either!” After hearing this, Catherine actually started crying first, covering her mouth. “At my age, how would I know anything about cameras? I just accidentally broke it when I opened the trunk. Do you have to be like this?” “Besides, she’s not a three-year-old child. She’s in fourth grade. Doesn’t she know not to run around?” “And honestly, this child doesn’t even look like Ryan. For all we know, she’s run off somewhere to find her real father.” My teeth ground together audibly, the rage in my heart becoming harder and harder to suppress. Just as I raised my hand, ready to slap her across the face, my phone suddenly buzzed with a message. After reading it, I lowered my arm and looked at Catherine with a smile. “Catherine, I’m so sorry. I got carried away just now.” “You’re right. If the child ran off, she ran off. If we can’t find her, we’ll just have another one.” “Let’s go home first.” Catherine looked me up and down suspiciously. Only when she saw me actually get in the car did she climb in too. Seeing me calmly start the engine, she finally let her guard down. “That’s more like it. It’s normal to play jokes on April Fool’s Day. Why take it so seriously?” “That ungrateful little brat ran off on her own. It’s her own fault.” I said nothing, my grip on the steering wheel tightening, my foot pressing harder on the gas pedal. The car’s speed climbed higher and higher. After reaching our destination, I opened the door and let her out. Catherine climbed out, holding her dizzy head, then froze in shock. “Why did you bring me here? Are you insane?” I calmly pulled out my phone. “How long are you going to keep up this act?” When Catherine saw clearly what was on my phone screen… Her face turned deathly pale.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “378054”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The biggest regret of my life was falling in love with my sister’s husband. When I first met him at twenty, I was trapped in an alley by a group of girls who used to bully me. He threw his jacket over my head, chased them off, and saved what little dignity I had left. I fell for him right then. That flutter came to an abrupt halt the weekend my sister Vivian brought him home. I actively avoided every encounter with them and immediately applied to graduate schools over a thousand miles away after graduation. But disaster struck half a month before I was supposed to start school. Somehow, I ended up sleeping with him. That morning, when Vivian opened the bedroom door and saw us sleeping in each other’s arms, she screamed and ran out of the house. She jumped into the sea. My family didn’t blame me. Instead, they kept calmly comforting me. From that moment on, guilt toward Vivian hung over me like a shadow. My parents reassured me gently. My brother-in-law showered me with comfort and affection. Day after day, I started to believe I could let go of the guilt and live a better life. Until I found out I was pregnant. The man who usually doted on me sat in silence through the night. Early the next morning, he dragged me into the car, brought my parents along, and drove straight into the sea where Vivian had jumped. The moment we plunged off the cliff, I clearly saw the man who was usually so gentle. His eyes now churned with hatred. “Are you scared? Vivian was even more scared than you. She was pregnant too.” I could still feel the seatbelt strangling my neck, as if it were happening all over again. But I was reborn on the night right after the family dinner ended.

Chloe’s POV I looked at Ethan lying beside me, his hands restless, a strange flush on his cheeks, his eyes full of pain and struggle. In my past life, I slept with him in a daze and became the one who killed my sister. Yet day after day, I was seduced by his sweet words and fell in love with him. But those sweet words were laced with poison. The moment he strangled me to death with his own hands, I finally came to my senses. Fortunately, I was reborn. This time I would go to school in New York and leave them forever. I shook off his hand that had slipped inside my clothes, rolled out of bed, but felt dizzy and disoriented the instant my feet touched the floor. I didn’t dare think too much. I pulled open the bedroom door and ran to the hospital. After various tests, the results showed there were certain drugs in my body. When the doctor handed me the results, his expression was complicated. My hand holding the test sheet trembled. I pulled out my phone to call my parents, only to find it had died and shut off. Shock and fear left me dazed and distracted. I didn’t even notice a familiar person walking quickly toward me. An unexpected slap stunned me completely. I staggered backward, covering my face as I looked at my mother glaring furiously at me. “Mom, the doctor said…” Before I could finish, Vivian spoke with red eyes. “Chloe, I thought you were my most obedient and sensible sister. It’s normal for someone your age to have a crush. You can tell me if you like Ethan. For your sake, I could step aside. But how could you do something like this?” Her eyes were full of concern, every sentence supposedly for my benefit, yet her words made me uncomfortable. I opened my mouth, about to hand over the test results, when Ethan, who had just finished his blood test, coldly interrupted. “I’m not so depraved that I’d lay a hand on your sister.” One sentence completely condemned me. The whole family looked at me with disgust and contempt. Not a single person even bothered to ask why I had disappeared all night and shown up at the hospital. In their eyes, there was only Vivian. “How could I have given birth to such a shameless daughter?” Mom twisted my ear, hurling one harsh word after another. The words I once heard when I was bullied were now coming from my mother’s mouth. The man who once saved me watched coldly from the sidelines. I gave a bitter smile and was driven out of the hospital. I stood in the pouring rain, numbly walking home. The chaotic scenes from my past life kept replaying in my mind, strengthening my resolve that I must go to New York. This time, I must stay far away from them.

Chloe’s POV When I got home, the house was cold and empty. I returned to my room as fast as I could, only to see a mess everywhere. My diary was missing, along with the photos and clothes I had hidden away. I frantically searched all night without sleep. It wasn’t until the afternoon of the second day that I heard cheerful voices and laughter outside the door. “Mom, Dad, who went through my room?” Ethan was walking in front and ran right into me. He paused for a moment, then immediately stepped back in disgust. I also clearly saw the dark circles under his eyes and the kiss marks on his neck. “You should know that your sister and I are about to get married. I can understand what’s going through your mind at your age, but it shouldn’t be directed at me, and you definitely shouldn’t use those kinds of methods.” Ethan frowned, his tone full of dissatisfaction. Those pitch-black eyes held scrutiny and disdain. “You were the one who came into my room last night. If I really did it, why would I run away?” I met his gaze. Ethan looked at me and told me something. After my parents heard the commotion, they immediately went to my room. They turned up many things, including the diary in my bag filled with filthy thoughts, and even countless secretly taken photos. At that moment, Vivian interrupted us. “Chloe, I’m just glad you’re okay. I don’t blame you.” Looking at the sister I used to love most, I couldn’t say a single word now. Vivian smiled and stepped forward. “Given that you’re still young, we’ll let it go this time. But there can’t be a next time, or I’ll be angry.” Ethan frowned slightly at her words. “I told you it wasn’t me who did it. Why do you insist on pinning it on me?” I raised my voice and shot back. Mom had been listening to the whole thing from behind. She closed the distance in a few steps and twisted my ear hard. “You did something shameless yourself, and you still dare to lose your temper. Do you dare say the things in that diary weren’t written by you, that the photos hidden under your bed weren’t taken by you, and that you didn’t take that piece of clothing?” The things I had secretly hidden were dug up and made public. I knew I was in the wrong and held back my tears without making a sound. In the end, Dad locked me in my room. I cried and apologized and begged for mercy, but got no response. Not until my phone’s special notification tone rang. I received a text from Vivian. Several pictures of playing at the beach, with an attached voice message. “Being locked up doesn’t feel good, does it? But I was often locked up because of you when I was little. Mom and Dad love you. In their eyes, I never existed. Everything you have should have been mine. This is just the beginning.” This voice message amplified the unease in my heart. When they returned from their trip, I took the initiative to suggest moving out. “Why move out? Chloe, are you still blaming me?” Vivian looked full of guilt. Mom frowned. “What are you making a fuss about now? Can’t you behave for a few days? Vivian and Ethan are about to get engaged. Do you want people to laugh at us at a time like this?” After being warned, I temporarily held back. I tried to avoid every encounter with Ethan as much as possible, yet I could still see his unique tenderness and attentiveness toward Vivian during meals when we had to be together. Perhaps because I had spent a long time with him in my past life, I understood his every look and gesture very well. Those smiles weren’t like the stiff and perfunctory ones he gave me. They almost all came from his heart. I suppressed the bitterness in my heart and began actively reaching out to former classmates, hoping to have familiar faces when I got to New York. After leaving early and returning late for several days, Ethan stopped me. “Vivian says you’ve been hanging around with a bunch of strange people lately?” I retreated warily to a safe distance, instinctively shaking my head. “They’re all my friends. Don’t read too much into it.” I didn’t dare have any more contact with him. Repeating past mistakes would cost me a price I couldn’t bear.

Chloe’s POV Ethan’s face darkened. “Regardless, I still need to remind you not to keep doing things you’ll regret again and again.” “I don’t want Vivian to be sad because of you anymore.” Every sentence he spoke couldn’t be separated from Vivian. His eyes were full of adoration for her. I pressed my lips together, feeling irritated. “Liking you was because I was immature before. I won’t have any feelings for you in the future, but you shouldn’t slander my friends like this either.” Being contradicted displeased Ethan, and his attitude turned cold. “Someone who could write such disgusting things I don’t think you were that innocent back then. But I’ll say it again. Give it up.” Having my most passionate feelings trampled on made me a bit angry too. I said, “Since it’s so disgusting, please return all my things to me.” The diary, the photos, and the things I had privately kept all needed to be dealt with. Keeping them would only give people something to use against me. Ethan looked at me twice, then turned and threw a paper box in front of me. Photos scattered, revealing the backs covered with a young girl’s innermost thoughts. Just as he was about to reach down to pick them up, he saw me light the diary on fire. “I wish you and Vivian happiness.” In the days that followed, I still left early and came home late, and avoided every opportunity to meet Ethan. Instead, I started going to various gatherings with my classmates. I just didn’t expect to run into Ethan and his friends at a restaurant. “That’s your fiancée’s sister, right? Those two sisters are both so beautiful. Look at how all the men at their table are staring at her. Who knows how many people will chase after her once she starts graduate school.” His friend’s teasing voice reached my ears. I turned around and saw him suddenly down a drink, looking rather troubled. I didn’t understand, and I didn’t want to think about it. I got home very late. Only after I confirmed all the lights were out did I breathe a sigh of relief. “Leaving early and coming home late just to hang around with a bunch of men. It doesn’t matter if you degrade yourself, but don’t make your sister worry and lose sleep every day.” Ethan’s icy voice came from a corner. It scared me so much I covered my mouth to barely stop myself from screaming. After calming my emotions, I spoke. “I’m an adult. I can take responsibility for any decision I make.” I didn’t want to disturb the family. I turned to head inside. Ethan seemed angered by my attitude and instinctively grabbed my wrist. Frightened, I reflexively slapped him across the face. The surroundings suddenly fell quiet. I quickly ran home, shut the door, and locked it in one smooth motion. The next day, when I planned to go out as usual, I saw Ethan’s familiar parents in the living room, along with countless gifts placed on the table. “This must be Chloe. Vivian has always talked about her obedient sister in front of us. Come sit by me.” Ethan’s mother beckoned to me. I stiffly walked over. The moment I sat down, another familiar voice rang in my ear. “Oh, it’s you. What a coincidence.” I looked up and met a pair of bright eyes. “Adrian?” My debate team nemesis. I paid no attention to the rest of the conversation between the two families. My restless mood was gradually soothed by Adrian’s series of cold jokes. Throughout the morning, the elders chatted about their own topics while my anxious mood was gradually calmed by Adrian. Vivian looked thoughtfully at us and casually remarked, “It’s rare to see Chloe get along so well with someone her own age.” Her words made everyone look over. Ethan’s eyes darkened, his voice indifferent. “Adrian rarely talks to girls.” “I heard Chloe also applied to graduate school in New York. Then these two kids can look after each other.” The topic suddenly shifted to us.

Chloe’s POV After the two families officially met, the engagement date was quickly set. As Vivian’s younger sister, I couldn’t escape this banquet. But watching them go through all the formalities step by step and kiss passionately, I couldn’t stop the jealousy welling up in my heart. In my past life, after Vivian died, we just went to register our marriage certificate. No one around us knew we were married. Compared to the meticulous ceremony now, everything I had felt more like it was stolen. Halfway through the ceremony, Vivian said she needed to touch up her makeup. “Chloe, come with me.” I was on guard and carefully followed her out of the private room. As she said, she quietly opened her bag and slowly touched up her makeup. Looking at her heavy makeup, I said with concern, “Don’t wear such heavy makeup when you’re pregnant. It’s not good for the baby or your health.” Vivian’s lipstick fell to the floor. Her expression instantly darkened. She grabbed my hand, her tone cold and harsh. “How did you know? What else do you know?” The questioning tone made me realize something was wrong. I struggled hard, trying to break free. “I don’t know anything. Let go.” Vivian stood at the door. She gripped my hand tightly. Leaning close to my ear, she said word by word, “That juice tasted good that night, didn’t it? Too bad you weren’t ambitious enough. Otherwise, today’s engagement banquet would have been yours.” Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, snapping something inside me. So all the torment in my past life and the misunderstandings now were all her doing. “Why are you doing this? We’re sisters.” I grabbed her hand, my eyes full of confusion. The argument in the restroom could be heard clearly in the hallway. Ethan quickened his pace and pounded on the door. “Vivian, open the door!” Vivian gripped my hand and reached out to unlock the door. The instant the door opened, she smiled provocatively. “Of course it’s because I want Ethan to hate you.” As she finished speaking, her whole body fell out the door like a kite with its string cut. Ethan looked at the person who fell at his feet, his whole body rigid. He knelt on the ground in panic, carefully picking her up. Before leaving, his pitch-black eyes flashed with hatred. “You’d better pray nothing happens to Vivian. Otherwise, I definitely won’t let you off.” The commotion here was significant. The people in the private room were also alarmed. The originally joyful banquet had everyone on edge. I stood frozen in place, my hands and feet ice-cold. As I walked out of the restroom, I saw that pool of inconspicuous bloodstains on the floor. The baby probably couldn’t be saved. This guess was confirmed three hours later. My mother viciously slapped me twice across the face. Just as she was about to deliver a third slap, Vivian woke up. “Mom, don’t blame Chloe. I just didn’t stand steady.” Her face was deathly pale, looking as fragile as if a gust of wind could blow her over. A roomful of people crowded around the hospital room, saying all sorts of things to show their concern for her. The clothes on my body were soaked with cold sweat. Perhaps my prayers were heard. When the attending physician and Ethan entered the room, the hospital room fell unusually quiet. Everyone nervously looked at the doctor. “Ethan, don’t blame Chloe. She’s innocent. The bathroom floor was too slippery and I didn’t stand steady. She’s still young…” Vivian forced out a smile, her voice gentle. But before she could finish this time, Ethan cut her off sternly. “She’s already twenty-two years old. Because of her jealousy, a small life was harmed. Isn’t our child the most innocent one?” With these words, the hospital room fell completely silent. My body trembled slightly. An unprecedented despair engulfed my entire being. It’s over. I’m finished. “What did you say?” Vivian stared in shock, her vacant eyes making her whole person seem like she had lost her soul.

Chloe’s POV Ethan quickly stepped forward and held her in his arms with heartache. “We’ll have another child.” Hearing this, Vivian couldn’t hold back anymore. She buried herself in his embrace, sobbing quietly with grievance and suppression. After something like this happened, both sets of parents were shocked. I stood at the door, trying to minimize my presence as much as possible. “Vivian is your sister. How could you do such a thing?” Ethan’s mother looked disappointed. What happened in the restroom, no one knew except Vivian and me. Even Ethan, who came later, only saw the scene she performed. I kept my head down, unable to explain. “Get out. You’re not welcome here.” Ethan stared at me coldly, no trace of his usual easygoing manner in his eyes. Dad wordlessly dragged me out the door. In the crowded hallway, he let out a long sigh and handed me a card. “Go to New York. Don’t come back again.” I knew that after causing such trouble repeatedly, he didn’t want any more complications. I looked at that card, tears of grievance falling. “Dad, I didn’t drug him, and I didn’t mean to harm Vivian’s baby.” What responded to me was the card pressed into my arms and Dad’s back as he walked away without looking back. I stayed silent for a long time, then carefully approached the glass by the door, just in time to meet Vivian’s provocative smile. She deliberately got rid of the child. This thought broke through my rationality. I stood at the door without any dignity and laid everything out. “She knew she was pregnant a long time ago. She was the one who drugged me last time. She just wanted to make you all hate me.” “I didn’t push her!” My mother’s face turned white with anger at my words. That third slap that hadn’t landed finally came down. I could taste blood in my mouth and feel the ringing in my ears. The mouths of the people in front of me kept opening and closing, but I couldn’t hear a single word. “It’s my fault the baby’s gone. It has nothing to do with Chloe. Everyone leave. I want to talk to Chloe alone.” Vivian raised her head, her tone calm. Ethan was full of vigilance. “I’ll stay right here.” “Ethan, listen to me. You should leave too. I want to have a good talk with Chloe. After all, we’re sisters.” She hooked his hand, softly soothing him. Eventually, everyone in the room left. Ethan thoughtfully closed the door. I looked at the group of people standing guard at the door without moving an inch, and laughed at myself bitterly. “You’ve achieved your goal. Ethan doesn’t just find me disgusting now. He probably wants me dead.” Faced with my words, Vivian smiled faintly. “Speaking of which, we were able to get engaged so quickly thanks to your help. I’ve been thinking about how to make this child disappear completely lately. I didn’t expect you to build me a ladder yourself. You’re truly my good sister.” She leaned against the pillow, her face showing not the slightest heartache over losing a child. Almost instantly, I understood. “That child wasn’t Ethan’s.” Vivian clapped her hands in satisfaction, revealing a smile from the heart. “You figured out the key point so quickly. It seems using you was the right choice. But this still isn’t enough.” She opened her phone and pulled up a blurry video. The location in the video was very clear. It was from that year when I was exploring outside and encountered a mudslide. “Why do you have this video? You clearly didn’t go at the time.” I frowned and quickly walked over, trying to snatch the phone away. I felt like I had forgotten something. Vivian shrugged. “Everyone says we look alike. Back then, you looked almost identical to me. In such a blurry clip, unless the person experienced it themselves, who could guess that the person passing the rescue rope in danger was you?” She indeed didn’t go exploring, but she spent a wonderful night with her little boyfriend nearby. After they were sent to the hospital, Ethan came to their door with gifts to express his gratitude. She learned the whole story and rightfully became his savior. The little boyfriend from back then had already changed girlfriends a dozen times, while she and Ethan fell deeply in love through their daily interactions. It was just that he never wanted to touch her. Until that night, I suddenly ran away. She got what she wanted. “Speaking of which, I have today thanks to you. But you, this savior, should disappear more thoroughly.” Vivian calmly pulled out a fruit knife from behind the pillow. Taking advantage of my moment of distraction, she pressed it into my hand. Then she screamed. “Chloe, calm down! Calm down!”

Chloe’s POV Before I could react, my mother slapped me to the ground. That fruit knife just happened to pierce my lower abdomen. The piercing pain, mixed with cursing, made me increasingly powerless. “How can you be so vicious!” Dad roared and grabbed me up from the floor. Everyone surrounded Vivian. No one spared me a glance, nor did they notice the large pool of blood on the floor. “Chloe is my sister. She’s young. I don’t blame her. I just can’t understand why she would attack me over such a small matter…” Vivian leaned against Ethan, flashing me a malicious smile. I was in too much pain to speak. He looked at me with eyes like he was looking at a dead person, coldly saying word by word, “Young, but when you make mistakes, you should pay the price. Lock her in the dark room to reflect. When Vivian is discharged from the hospital, that’s when she can come out.” One sentence completely sealed my fate. I struggled, wanting to beg for mercy, but was kicked away by my mother. “Ah!” I cried out in pain. But the next second, Vivian’s delicate voice interrupted everything. “Ethan, I feel so dizzy.” He couldn’t care about anything else and angrily shouted at the bodyguards at the door. “Are you all deaf? Lock her in the basement. Without my orders, no one is allowed to give her food or water.” I was dragged out like a dead dog. Bloodstains stretched from the hospital room all the way to the entire hallway, making passersby gasp in shock. “Oh my God, how is this person bleeding so much?” “Nothing bad will happen, right?” “Let’s go quickly.” Seeing that people who cared about me were shifting their attention, Vivian sighed lightly and explained magnanimously. “Chloe must be on her period. She just has a childish temper. Just make a show of it. Don’t really let her suffer, or I’ll feel bad.” But along the way, I was deliberately targeted by the bodyguards. I was already in so much pain I nearly passed out. The blood from my lower abdomen kept flowing out. By the time they drove to the villa, the back seat was soaked with my blood. The two looked at the large bloodstains, badly frightened. “Call Mr. Blake and tell him now. She’s still a person, you know. If something really happens and she dies in the car, we’ll be in big trouble.” The two spoke and immediately called Ethan. In my daze, I actually felt a bit of expectation. If he answered the phone and knew I was covered in blood, would he not lock me up? Would he not leave me alone in the dark room? But I was in too much pain. Before I passed out, I seemed to hear Ethan’s voice. When the pain woke me up again, I found I was still locked in the basement. It was pitch dark here. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. Everything around me filled me with fear. The only thing I could feel was the dull ache in my abdomen. I gently felt around and realized the wound here had been treated. There was also a bitter medicinal taste in my mouth. It seemed that while I was unconscious, Ethan had come. I harbored the hope that once I was let out, I would explain everything properly. I looked forward to getting out early. I waited and waited. Finally, Vivian was discharged. That was already half a month later. The day after her discharge was the day they were supposed to try on wedding dresses. After being forgotten for half a month, I, the “criminal,” was finally released. And only because Vivian casually mentioned something at the dinner table did they remember me, the forgotten person. After waiting for who knows how long, I was finally dragged up by the bodyguards. Before I even got close, an indescribable smell permeated the entire dining room. “Ugh, what’s that smell?” Vivian covered her nose, her expression ugly. Under everyone’s gaze, they instinctively looked around. At that moment, they saw me clearly for the first time in half a month. Ethan froze. Before he could speak, Vivian excitedly knocked over her bowl. Her eyes reddened as she looked at me. “Oh my God, Chloe, you… how did you become like this? It’s all my fault. If my health had been better, you wouldn’t have suffered like this.” She staggered over and hugged me tightly. But her hand hidden in the middle pressed hard on my wound. Fresh blood and pain spread together, making me instinctively reach out and push her away. “Ah!” Vivian fell to the ground in response, looking incredulous. “Chloe?”

Chloe’s POV Ethan quickly stepped forward and held Vivian in his arms, checking her up and down with heartache. His eyes looking at me became even colder. “You still dare to attack Vivian. It seems these days of lessons weren’t enough to make you remember your place. Vivian has been speaking well of you even after you tried to kill her, and you? She was the first to show concern for you when you were released, and you?” I opened my mouth. The low fever from days of wound infection, combined with not eating for a long time, made me unable to control myself any longer. I passed out. Seeing me collapse to the ground, Ethan paused. But Vivian opened her mouth with tearful eyes. “It looks like Chloe still blames me.” Seeing me lying on the ground without moving for a long time, my parents’ barely contained tempers could no longer be restrained. “Stop playing dead. How long are you going to make a scene?” “Your sister and he are getting married. What more do you want? Do you have to turn this family upside down before you’re satisfied?” “Chloe, you shameless girl…” Mom walked to my side and kicked me hard several times. The scolding continued, but the person on the floor still showed no sign of movement. Finally, it was the maid who couldn’t stand it and muttered quietly. “Ma’am, Chloe seems to have passed out a long time ago.” After being unconscious for three days, I slowly woke up. Seeing that I had finally awakened, the nurse breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness you’re awake. When your parents and boyfriend brought you in, they were so anxious they almost tore down our hospital.” Hearing the nurse’s words, I froze. I couldn’t help pinching my palm, suspecting I was dreaming. They only had eyes for Vivian. How could they possibly care about whether I lived or died? “You’ve got the wrong person. It was probably a kind passerby.” I casually brushed it off. The nurse wanted to continue, but was interrupted by Ethan, who had just entered. The hospital room fell quiet. The atmosphere grew increasingly strange. I only glanced at him lightly when he entered, then completely ignored him. He casually tossed the fruit in his hand onto the table and spoke awkwardly. “You were hurt so badly. Why didn’t you say something?” These words finally got a reaction from me. I looked straight at him. I kept my head down and said nothing. Ethan seemed unable to stand the atmosphere. He actively stepped forward several steps, grabbed my wrist in one motion, his tone stiff yet unyielding. “Vivian is your sister. I’m going to marry her in the future. We’ll always be family. I hope you can be more sensible from now on.” Before he could continue, Vivian walked in arm-in-arm with my parents, interrupting. “Ethan, what’s going on here?”She looked at his hand, her expression somewhat rigid. Only then did we, who had been locked in a standoff, separate. Vivian walked to Ethan’s side and instinctively took his arm. Looking at me in the hospital bed, her tone was ambiguous. “Chloe, have you still not forgotten him?” These words made the atmosphere tense. I almost instinctively refuted. “I haven’t reached the point where I need to torture myself to death.” After staying a few more days, I was taken home. “Chloe, I’m going to try on wedding dresses today. Come with me.” After saying this, she ignored my objections and brought me into the car. Arriving at the bridal shop, looking at the meticulously custom-made wedding dress, my heart still uncontrollably tightened. In my past life, they didn’t have a wedding. They just hastily registered their marriage and that was it. Now I watched Vivian in that intricate handmade wedding dress, every jewel a testament to Ethan’s devotion. He loved her fiercely. Just not for me. I lowered my head and began calculating when I could leave. “Does it look good, Ethan?” The curtain was pulled open. Vivian wore a perfectly fitted wedding dress, shyness in her eyes. Ethan looked entranced. He couldn’t help but step forward and kiss her. Watching this scene before me, I hurriedly lowered my head. “Stop it, Chloe’s still here.” Vivian protested verbally, but her hand hooked around his arm without letting go. After it ended, she looked at me. “Since you’re already here, why don’t you try on the bridesmaid dress? Be my bridesmaid then and witness my happiness, okay?” After speaking, she beckoned. A server beside her brought over the dress. Just then, Ethan received a work call. They both entered the changing room at the same time. Before I could react, a hand suddenly covered my mouth. Everything went dark. I passed out. When I woke up again, I found we were on the rooftop of an abandoned factory building. Not far away was Vivian in simple clothes. And I was wearing that wedding dress. The kidnapper stood not far away making a phone call. Half an hour later, Ethan arrived with my parents. “Two women. One is your wife, one is your sister-in-law. I want you to choose one. Otherwise, wouldn’t my wife have died in vain? Choose.” The kidnapper wore a hood. He pushed us together roughly. One hand held two ropes. A dagger pressed firmly against us. The scenes from my past life were still fresh. I knew Ethan wouldn’t choose me, so I took advantage of the kidnapper talking to ram hard into him, then shoved Vivian toward everyone. Since they didn’t welcome me anyway, I might as well end all this early. I was tired too. “Chloe!” “Vivian!” Two voices rang out simultaneously. I widened my eyes and saw Vivian somehow lunging toward me. I saw the knife the kidnapper stabbed into her. The glaring blood mixed with the piercing police sirens made my whole body tremble. Someone ran over and slapped me across the face. Someone untied my ropes. Someone kept cursing at me. But I couldn’t seem to hear anything clearly anymore. When I woke up in the hospital room, to my surprise, everyone was there. My parents had red eyes. Ethan looked even more haggard. Seeing me wake, everyone looked at me in unison. “Why did you deliberately harm your sister? If you hadn’t moved, even if we saved her, the police would have taken you away.” “But why did you have to hurt your sister?” “Now because of you, her kidney is severely damaged. While you were unconscious, we did a compatibility test. Since you owe her, you’ll repay her with your own kidney. After the surgery is done, Vivian and Ethan will get married too.” “After the wedding ends, don’t come back.” My parents condemned me to death in just a few words. I stared wide-eyed in disbelief. My mind had a moment of clarity. I instinctively opened my mouth to explain. “What if I said that kidnapper was hired by her?” Why was the wedding dress on her? How did Vivian break free from her ropes? All of this was evidence. But when I finished speaking, I was slapped hard across the face. “Where is your conscience?” Ethan’s hand trembled. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at me. I froze on the bed. “It wasn’t me.” “Vivian knew you couldn’t let go. She specifically took off the wedding dress to let you try it on, hoping to help you move on. But when the criminals kidnapped us, you wanted to kill her for your own selfish desires. She doesn’t blame you for any of this.” “But you actually pushed everything onto her. Chloe, you’ve disappointed me so much.” “The kidney removal is already complete. Your kidney has been returned to Vivian. From tonight on, we’re even.” His words were like a dull knife, stabbing viciously into my heart. I felt the wound on my side. I felt the pain in my body. But my heart seemed to have died. Any words of defense disappeared. Until Vivian was discharged early. They canceled the engagement and held the wedding directly. I stayed alone in the hospital. From beginning to end, no one came to check on me. When the wound became infected and I had a high fever in the middle of the night, it was the patient in the next bed who called a doctor for me. When I finally crawled out of that nightmare, Ethan showed up. He didn’t bother hiding the disgust in his eyes. He was wearing the suit he would use tomorrow. “Tomorrow is the wedding. I hope you won’t make any more scenes. But after all, you’re Vivian’s sister. I hope you’ll attend our wedding banquet tomorrow. As for anything else, stop thinking about it.” He stood at the door. Cold and mechanical, he left without another word. I froze for a moment, then checked myself out of the hospital. With Adrian’s help, I gathered evidence of Vivian colluding with those men, from the night I was drugged to everything that followed. I organized everything and sent it all to Ethan. Then I threw my belongings into a huge fire basin, took the train ticket Adrian bought, and headed for New York. From now on, I was free. Ethan, goodbye.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “378047”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

On the third anniversary of our engagement, I caught my fiancé Damien Foster tearing off a young influencer’s clothes and taking her. After discovering me, he simply tossed over a pink diamond. “Mind your own business. You’ll still be Mrs. Foster.” Later, he forced me to raise his mistress’s child, threatening me with my brother’s future. I smiled and swallowed the humiliation. Until the night before the wedding, when my bridal car went off a cliff into the ocean and he received my final message: “May we never meet again, in this life or whatever comes after.” Damien didn’t know that the “body” sinking to the ocean floor wasn’t actually me. He knew even less that three months later, I would marry his sworn enemy. Selena’s POV I stood in the entrance hall of the Foster family estate, holding freshly packed hot pasta from an upscale Italian restaurant. Today marked the third anniversary of my engagement to Damien. It was also the seventh consecutive day Damien had been working late. Since it was late at night, the servants had all gone to bed. I tiptoed upstairs, wanting to surprise the man in his study. The study door was slightly ajar, casting an ambiguous strip of yellow light. Just as I was about to push the door open, a coquettish moan came from inside. “Damien, slow down… don’t tear it, this is the evening gown Selena just ordered.” My feet rooted to the spot. Through that crack, I saw Damien with his back to the door, standing beside a leather executive chair. This billionaire who prided himself on being aloof and untouchable was now gripping a woman’s waist, his head buried in her neck. That woman was Violet Shaw, a social media influencer Damien had recently promoted to fame. And the light blue haute couture silk evening gown she wore was the engagement dress I had personally designed half a month ago. “This dress looks perfect on you.” Damien’s voice was low and magnetic, carrying an urgency and desire I had never heard before. I felt my blood freeze. The takeout box in my hand crashed heavily onto the carpet with a dull thud. Tomato sauce spilled out, pooling like thick, sticky blood. The movements inside the study stopped abruptly. Damien pushed Violet away and turned his head. His eyes flashed with momentary panic before quickly regaining their composure, even showing a trace of displeasure at being interrupted. “Why didn’t you knock?” He walked out while straightening his slightly disheveled collar, his tone flat. Violet hid behind him, clutching the torn evening gown, looking like a frightened doe. I looked at him, my lips trembling. “Damien, today is our third anniversary.” Damien glanced at his watch, his brow furrowing slightly. “I forgot. Selena, this was just an accident. Violet is new to the industry, she doesn’t know anything. I’m just mentoring her.” “Mentoring her in bed?” My voice sharpened for an instant, then filled with bitter sorrow. Damien’s gaze turned cold. “Selena, don’t be so harsh. I’ve given you the title of fiancée. As for the rest, don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.” He walked past me, heading straight for the elevator with Violet. As they brushed by, Violet turned back and flashed me a victor’s smile. That night, I sat on the cold floor, staring at that pool of dried soup. I had always thought Damien was cold. Turns out, he was just cold toward me. The next morning, I woke up frozen on the couch. Damien hadn’t come home all night. My phone screen lit up with a message from Violet. A photo. In the photo, Damien was sleeping on white pillows, his profile sharp and handsome, his expression relaxed. It was a side of him I had never seen-the relaxed look of him sleeping. “Selena, Damien is exhausted and still hasn’t woken up. I’m afraid today’s wedding dress fitting will have to be postponed.” I turned off my phone and got up like a puppet on strings to wash up and put on makeup. I couldn’t fall apart. My family’s company was counting on Damien’s investment. At ten o’clock, I stood alone in the bridal boutique in front of a huge floor-to-ceiling mirror. The woman in the mirror wore a pure white wedding dress, breathtakingly beautiful, yet her eyes were lifeless. “Miss Selena, Mr. Foster has commissioned a thousand wedding dresses for you. This is just the first one. Are you satisfied?” the clerk asked carefully. A thousand dresses. The world said Damien loved me to the bone, commissioning enough wedding dresses to fill a mountain. But only I knew that of those thousand dresses, not one had Damien personally accompanied me to choose. “I won’t be trying any more,” I said flatly. “Send them all back.” “But…” Just then, the sound of an engine came from outside. Damien got out of the car and strode in. He had changed clothes and looked composed, carrying an exquisite jewelry box in his hand. “Sorry, I had a conference call with overseas partners this morning. It ran late.” He walked over and embraced me from behind, placing a massive pink diamond necklace around my neck. “This is ‘Heart of True Love,’ the only one in the world. Consider it compensation.” I looked at the man in the mirror whose expression seemed so tender. If not for that photo, I might have believed in his devotion again. “Damien, does Violet have one too?” Damien’s hands froze, his gaze deepening. “Selena, I told you not to mention her.” “She sent me a photo last night.” I turned around, looking directly at him. “Damien, you buy me diamonds while sleeping with another woman. Aren’t you tired?” Damien’s patience seemed to run out. He released his hands, saying coldly, “Selena, your family’s company had a $300 million shortfall last month. I covered it.” It was a threat. I was left speechless. He always knew exactly where to step on my pain points, leaving me unable to live or die. “Choose whichever wedding dress you like. The wedding proceeds as planned.” Damien took a phone call and left in a hurry. He didn’t even notice my nails digging deep into my palms, drawing tiny spots of blood. I looked at the pink diamond called “True Love” in the mirror. It was too heavy. So heavy I couldn’t breathe.

Selena’s POV Damien’s “cold violence” intertwined with “material affection” continued for half a month. During this time, Violet became the ghost haunting my life. Violet would send photos of Damien working in his study, of limited edition bags Damien casually gave her. She even sent photos of silk lingerie Damien bought for her. I pretended not to see any of it. Until my father’s birthday banquet. It was an occasion where New York’s elite gathered, and as Damien’s fiancée, I naturally had to attend. Damien’s parents were also present. Halfway through the banquet, Damien’s mother suddenly walked over with a wine glass, saying condescendingly, “Selena, you and Damien have been engaged for three years. Why aren’t there any children yet?” I smiled awkwardly. Before I could respond, Damien’s cool voice came from the side. “What’s the rush? Selena’s health isn’t good. She’s not ready yet.” Damien’s mother sighed. “But that Violet, I hear she’s already pregnant.” My mind went blank with a buzzing sound. I whipped my head around to look at Damien. Damien’s drinking motion froze, his eyes showing a moment of evasion. Damien’s mother continued, “To ensure Damien’s assets don’t fall into outside hands, once the child is born, we’ll publicly announce that you obtained this precious child through surrogacy. You’ll be responsible for raising this child as your own, as the first-in-line heir to the foundation.” I felt the world spinning. They wanted me to raise Damien and his mistress’s child? What did they take me for? A wife in name only, a nanny who doesn’t have to give birth but has to raise the child? “I won’t agree to this.” My voice was hoarse but exceptionally firm. Damien’s mother’s expression immediately darkened. “Selena, why are you being so unreasonable? As long as you hold the position of Damien’s wife, you shouldn’t care about these things.” I looked at my father standing to the side. My father avoided my gaze, saying softly, “Selena, think of the bigger picture.” Everyone in the world was telling me to think of the bigger picture. No one asked if I was in pain. I pushed back my chair and ran out of the banquet hall, ignoring everyone’s stares. Outside, the sky was overcast, with pouring rain. I walked aimlessly through the rain. A black Maybach slowly stopped beside me. Damien lowered the window, his expression extremely displeased. “Get in the car. Stop making a scene.” I stopped walking, rainwater streaming down my face into my neck. “Damien, is Violet really pregnant?” Damien was silent for a moment, irritably loosening his tie. “It was an accident. I wasn’t planning to let her keep it. But my mother wants that child. There’s nothing I can do.” “You have no choice?” I laughed, tears mixing with rainwater. “Damien, you’re the one in control of the company. If you don’t approve, who can force you?” Damien pushed open the car door and forcibly pulled me into the car. His grip was strong, squeezing my wrist painfully. “Selena, just behave. After the wedding, I’ll reduce my contact with her. You’ll still be my one and only wife. What exactly are you making a fuss about?” “What am I making a fuss about?” I looked at the rapidly retreating scenery outside the window. What I wanted was never the position of some wealthy wife. What I wanted was that fifteen-year-old Damien who promised me in the sunset that I would be his “one and only” for life. But that boy had long since died in power and desire.

Selena’s POV That night, Damien didn’t take me home. He took me directly to his private villa in the suburbs. That place used to be my favorite secret hideaway. But when I pushed open the door, there was a pair of bright high heels in the entrance hall. My heart sank. “Damien, you’re back? The baby kicked me today.” Violet, wearing a sheer silk nightgown, came running out. The moment she saw me, her smile froze, then turned somewhat awkward. “Selena… I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were coming too.” Damien frowned. “Why are you here?” Violet’s eyes reddened, her voice soft and sweet. “I was scared staying alone at the main estate. Mrs. Foster said I could stay here for a few days. There’s security.” Damien looked at me, his eyes showing a trace of helplessness and appeasement. “Go to your room and rest first. I’ll handle this.” I said nothing and walked straight into the living room. Delicate desserts were on the table, along with a “Expecting Mother’s Handbook.” These things pierced my eyes. I felt like an intruder disrupting this family of three’s happiness. “Damien, this is what you call ‘reducing contact’?” I turned around, my voice so cold it had no inflection. Violet spoke up first. “Selena, don’t blame Damien. I know my status is lowly, that I don’t deserve to give birth to this child. But I really can’t bear to part with it… If you’re willing, I can give you the child. I’ll disappear…” As she finished speaking, she actually collapsed onto the floor beside the couch, clutching my dress hem and crying pitifully. Damien immediately bent down to help her up. “Get up. You’re pregnant. What are you making a scene for?” His movements were so careful, as if afraid of hurting Violet’s belly. I looked down at them, finding the scene absurdly ridiculous. “Damien, let’s cancel the wedding.” I calmly spoke these words. The air froze instantly. Damien’s hand supporting Violet suddenly tightened. He looked up, his eyes filled with hostility. “Selena, dare to say that again.” “I said, I want to call off the engagement.” I spoke each word deliberately. “I’ll find a way to repay the debt my family owes you. Consider these three years as my debt to you. I’ll even give you my life if needed. But this marriage-I can’t stay in it for another second.” Damien laughed coldly. He stood up and strode over to me. He reached out and gripped my chin tightly. “Call off the engagement? Selena, have you forgotten that your brother is still in a lab in New York? With just one word from me, his future-even his life-won’t be safe.” My whole body trembled. I looked at Damien, my eyes filled with terror. This man would use my only family member as leverage just to keep a fiancée he didn’t even respect. “Damien, you’re insane.” “You drove me insane.” Damien lowered his head and kissed my lips roughly. It wasn’t a kiss. It was devouring, a declaration of ownership. It tasted of punishment. Violet sat on the floor to the side. From the corner of my eye, I saw her staring at us intently, a flash of intense malice in her eyes.

Selena’s POV For the next half month, Damien kept me under house arrest. My phone was confiscated, the villa’s internet disconnected. Every day, only servants delivered meals at set times, along with Damien’s late-night returns to take what he wanted. He seemed to want to use this method to smooth out all my rough edges. I became increasingly silent. I no longer resisted, no longer mentioned calling off the engagement, didn’t even bring up Violet’s name anymore. I became like an exquisite porcelain doll, letting Damien manipulate me however he pleased. Damien thought I had compromised. Late one night, emboldened by alcohol, Damien embraced me from behind. “Selena, the wedding is set for the eighth of next month. Stop making trouble, okay?” He nuzzled my neck, his voice carrying a rare trace of exhaustion. I looked out at the pitch-black window and answered softly, “Okay.” Damien seemed pleasantly surprised. He turned my face to look at my expression. I cooperatively showed him an obedient smile. “Damien, I want to pick out a necklace for the wedding. I accidentally lost that ‘Heart of True Love’ from last time.” Damien paused slightly, then showed some distress. “If it’s lost, it’s lost. I’ll buy you something even better. Tomorrow I’ll have my assistant Adam take you. I still have a contract to sign.” “Okay.” The next day, accompanied by Adam, I went to New York’s largest jewelry store. Violet somehow got wind of it and showed up with her bodyguards too. “Selena, what a coincidence.” Violet, her belly not yet obviously showing, paraded through the lobby. She walked up to me and pointed ostentatiously at the necklace around her neck. It was another pink diamond. Though smaller than the one I had lost, the design was identical. “Damien said he was worried I’d be bored alone at the villa, so he specially gave me this.” I glanced at the diamond, my expression indifferent. “It suits you.” Violet’s triumphant expression froze, as if she hadn’t expected my reaction. But I simply walked calmly toward the VIP room. As I passed Violet, I suddenly stopped and said in a low voice: “Violet, everything you want, I’ll give it to you very soon.” Violet frowned. “What do you mean?” I didn’t answer. I went to the counter and selected several heavy pieces of jewelry, then excused myself to go to the restroom. In a bathroom stall, I quickly pulled out a new phone hidden in my clothes. I had secretly bribed a maid to buy it for me. I dialed a number. “Prepare a car for me. Tomorrow afternoon, pick me up at the back mountain dock.” A low male voice answered on the other end. “Selena, are you sure you want to do this? If Damien discovers you’re not dead, the consequences will be unthinkable.” I looked at my pale reflection in the mirror and gave a self-mocking smile. “He’ll see my ‘body.’” “As long as he believes I’m dead, he won’t pursue it anymore.” After hanging up, I dismantled the SIM card and flushed it down the toilet. I walked out of the restroom to find Adam waiting at the door. “Let’s go. Back to the villa.” I still had one final act to perform. An act about death. Only a dead Selena could truly gain freedom. And Violet, pregnant with Damien’s child, would be the best supporting player in my plan. Since Damien so desperately wanted a child and a docile wife. Then I would grant his wish. I would vacate this position completely.

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I had been dating Sebastian for ten years. He proposed seven times. The first time, my dad was in the ICU. I refused. The second time, my mom was entangled in a lawsuit. I refused again. Later, after both my parents passed away one after another, I was depressed for a long time and had no desire to get married. After the seventh time, he never brought it up again. So this year, I decided I would be the one to propose, but he didn’t show up. He said, “Work is busy. Let’s talk about it tomorrow when we meet.” I walked down the street alone, feeling dejected, when I saw him with his arm around a girl. The next second, the two of them kissed passionately. Their friends remarked, “Sebastian, you two are so in love. You’ve been together for ten years now, right?” Hearing this, Sebastian smiled and nodded. But I felt like I’d been frozen in place. They’d been together for ten years? Then what had these ten years between Sebastian and me been? I didn’t cry or make a scene. I just silently sent Sebastian a message: [So ten years ago when you first proposed to me, you were already with her?] From the first time I rejected Sebastian’s proposal, I’d always felt guilty. But I never imagined he’d betrayed me long ago. Sebastian happened to look down at his phone just then. We weren’t far apart. I could see him frown. After that, Sebastian looked up. He spotted me. But he showed no panic. He just glared at me with displeasure and mouthed, “Stop being ridiculous.” I couldn’t help but laugh. My boyfriend was kissing another woman in his arms, and he thought I was being ridiculous? I looked down, sent a message, then turned and left. Actually, I’d known three years ago that he didn’t love me anymore. On my birthday last month, I’d hinted to Sebastian that I wanted to get married. He just gave a perfunctory “mm-hmm,” no proposal, no follow-up. In that moment, my heart ached. That was the first time I’d thought about breaking up. But I couldn’t bear to. I really couldn’t bear to. Just then, I received Sebastian’s reply: [Sophie lost a game. Do you really have to make such a big deal out of it?] Sophie? How intimate he sounded calling her that. I still remembered the first time he met her, he told me, “You don’t know how annoying my boss’s daughter is at the company. She doesn’t know anything but keeps pestering me with questions all day.” It had only been a few years, and now she was “Sophie.” Perhaps because I didn’t reply, Sebastian sent a few more messages. [Are you upset I didn’t celebrate with you? I told you work was busy.] [Can’t you tell this is a company dinner?] From Sebastian’s tone, it sounded like I was the one being unreasonable. So I replied: [Yeah, I can tell. So someone like me who’s unreasonable doesn’t deserve you. Let’s break up.]

After sending that message, I turned off my phone. I didn’t want to say another word to Sebastian. Actually, when it comes to love, the one being loved has the most say. I knew Sebastian was just as reluctant as I was to let go. After all, we used to consider each other people we couldn’t lose for the rest of our lives. When my parents got into trouble one after another, we needed a lot of money. Sebastian worked desperately back then, making every dollar count for two. All the money he saved went to me. Even his parents said, “You’re lovesick, aren’t you?” Sebastian didn’t deny it. He just smiled and said, “She’s worth it.” How could she not be worth it! Thinking about this, my tears fell uncontrollably. Looking at this home I’d decorated myself, I cried even harder. I cried like this for a long time. Before I knew it, I’d finished packing my things. Although I’d decorated this home, Sebastian bought it. Now that we were breaking up, naturally I had to leave. But I didn’t expect that everything truly belonging to me fit in just one suitcase. I was staring at the suitcase in a daze when the door was pushed open. Sebastian and Sophie burst in. Seeing me and the suitcase, he said, “Still making a scene?” “Don’t tell me you’re breaking up with him because you saw us hugging?” Sophie looked at me with a mocking smile. “Rachel, you’re really funny. A man as great as Mr. Collins—if you break up with him, I’ll make my move, you know.” “Stop it.” Sebastian looked at Sophie affectionately, then gently pulled her to sit on the sofa. “Rest for a bit. I’ll make you some sobering tea.” Sebastian seemed to have forgotten my existence as he attended to Sophie without a care. I thought our thirty years of friendship would bind me for life. I didn’t expect this one incident to kill my heart. Thinking this, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. “What are you laughing at?” Sophie had somehow appeared in front of me. Meeting her disdainful gaze, I spread my hands. “None of your business.” Leaving Sophie behind, I grabbed my suitcase to leave. But the moment I turned around, a scream rang out. The next instant, I saw Sophie sitting on the floor. In the blink of an eye, Sebastian was at Sophie’s side. “What happened?” Sophie’s eyes immediately reddened as she pointed at me. “Rachel, do you hate me this much? I already told you it was just a business dinner with Mr. Collins. Did you really have to hurt me like this?” “I was just joking with you. Did you take it seriously?” As Sophie spoke, she raised her hand. Seeing blood flowing from it, I silently applauded her performance. She was already the boss’s daughter. She could just crook her finger and have him by her side, couldn’t she? Using this kind of method instead—how ridiculous. I didn’t want to be disgusted, so I said nothing and quickly left. I drove aimlessly through the streets. My phone seemed to have a button pressed, ringing constantly. I knew it was Sebastian, so I didn’t even look. Finally, the car stopped downstairs from my parents’ old house. When my phone rang again, I answered it, and Sebastian’s accusatory voice came through. “Rachel, you’ve gone too far. Come to the hospital right now and apologize to Sophie, or don’t blame me for breaking up with you.” “Sebastian, just be tough for once and actually break up with me, okay? Why else would you be calling if you don’t want to break up?” I shot back sarcastically. Sebastian had no response. After about twenty seconds, he finally spoke. “Rachel, you shouldn’t have hurt Sophie. You know very well I love you and want to be with you. Why are you so intolerant?” I’m intolerant? Three years ago, when Sebastian didn’t propose to me for the first time, I panicked a bit. When I found Sebastian, I saw him shopping with Sophie.

Facing my questioning, the exhaustion in Sebastian’s eyes was clearly visible. “Rachel, I’m not like you. I’m at Collins Corporation. To do this job well, I have to follow the boss’s wishes.” “When did you become so inconsiderate?” “So accompanying your boss’s daughter shopping is part of your job?” “Yes.” The Sebastian I knew wasn’t someone who would sell himself like this. So we had a huge fight. Sebastian said my thinking was vile. “I’m just shopping with Sophie, and you think I’m cheating? Rachel, when did you become like this?” These words feel so ironic now. Perhaps at that time Sebastian really hadn’t thought about being with Sophie, but his internal scales had already tipped then—he just hadn’t realized it himself. “Sebastian, you have surveillance cameras at home. Check the footage and you’ll know everything.” “No matter what the truth is, we’ve already broken up. Don’t contact me anymore.” Without waiting for Sebastian to respond, I hung up directly. Looking at this familiar house, I felt a wave of emotion. Mom and Dad were right—never count on a man. After tidying up a bit, I went to sleep. I slept very soundly that night. The next day I contacted my boss and accepted the offer to work in another city. My boss was puzzled. “Can you bear to leave your boyfriend?” Everyone at the company knew I had a boyfriend I’d been dating for ten years. Sometimes they’d tease me. “Your boyfriend probably doesn’t love you. Ten years and he still hasn’t married you?” I knew they were joking, but I felt guilty. I remember once when I’d been drinking, I pretended to be drunk and proposed to Sebastian. But he dodged. His expression at that moment couldn’t lie. Some obsessions, like anything else, must be abandoned when it’s time. “Yeah, we broke up.” Hearing me say this, my boss was at a loss for words. Finally he forced a smile. “Alright, I’ll arrange it. And I’ve arranged a handsome guy over there for you.” My boss made me laugh. Handling the work transition took three days. During those three days, Sebastian didn’t contact me once. Instead, Sophie added me on SnapChat. I hadn’t planned to accept, but Sophie somehow found my phone number. Not knowing the unknown number was her, the moment I answered, Sophie’s mocking voice came through. “What, scared? Afraid to accept? Don’t want to admit you couldn’t keep a man for ten years?” “Sophie, if I’m not mistaken, you’ve known Sebastian for ten years too, right? If he loved you so much, would he still not have broken up with me?” “Don’t you know I already proposed breaking up?” “But Sebastian still thinks I’m just making a scene. Miss Collins, seems your skills are pretty average too.” My mouth has never been forgiving. Sophie had only seen my silent side and thought I was easy to bully. Now my words made her cry. “Rachel, just you wait.” “Fine, I’m waiting.” Right after hanging up, my boss sent a message. The plane ticket was ready, for two days later. The contact person at the branch office had also added me. This time I was really leaving. Before leaving, I went to many places. Only after making this round did I realize all these places were ones Sebastian and I had visited together. So you really can’t put all your eggs in one basket, otherwise when you look back, no matter what you think of, it feels like thinking of that bastard. But I didn’t expect Sophie’s “just you wait” meant she’d expose me online.

I received a call from an old classmate just as I was returning from the cemetery. “Rachel, when did you and Sebastian break up? Why are they saying you’re Sebastian’s mistress and that you’ve been harassing him? You came to the class reunion last year, didn’t you?” Hearing this, I froze. As my roommate for four years of college, she understood immediately. “Shit, Sebastian cheated?” “Yeah.” “Check online quickly. I’m so fucking…” My roommate was so angry she started cursing. I didn’t waste time either and quickly checked my phone. That’s when I saw Sophie had started a livestream. She already ran an account documenting her daily life as a rich kid. Over the past few years, riding the trend, she’d accumulated quite a few followers. Her livestream had been running for half an hour, and I was already trending. Someone had dug up everything about me and posted it. When netizens learned both my parents had died, they said people like me deserved dead parents. Seeing my mom had been involved in an infidelity case, they said, “Like mother, like daughter. This is a habitual offender.” Sophie was leading the narrative, and everyone was cursing me. Seeing my photo turned into a memorial portrait, I felt nothing. But seeing my parents dragged out and insulted, I couldn’t take it. With trembling hands, I called Sebastian. “Did you see it?” “I saw it.” “So you have nothing to say?” Facing my questioning, Sebastian sighed. “Why did you make Sophie angry? And you…” “And what? Didn’t you watch the surveillance footage?” I never imagined Sebastian could be like this. My questioning made Sebastian somewhat defensive and angry. “Yes, I watched it. I know Sophie deliberately framed you, but so what? Are you blameless? If you hadn’t targeted Sophie, would she have framed you? Would she have exposed you like this?” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh. In the end, it was all my fault. I laughed at myself. “Sebastian, when did we break up?” “Stop making a scene. We won’t break up. You and I have been together ten years. We…” Sebastian stopped here, paused for a while, then sighed. “We’ll get married.” How ridiculous. Watching his ambiguous partner slander me while he did nothing, yet still saying he’d marry me. At this moment, I felt like I didn’t know Sebastian anymore. “My parents were very good to you. They’re already dead. Now that people are insulting them like this, you’re just going to watch?” “Rachel, this kind of heat dies down quickly. As long as Sophie calms down, she won’t target you anymore…” Sebastian kept talking, every word standing on Sophie’s side. I suddenly remembered something my boss said: “People don’t become rotten overnight.” It seems I never saw clearly. I didn’t listen to Sebastian continue and hung up directly. That day my boss said he’d help me fight back, and even my classmates said they’d testify for me. I was deeply moved that they stood by me, so I asked them to record videos. Then I also found evidence of my relationship with Sebastian over the years. Looking at those traces of our time together, my tears still fell uncontrollably. When I was tired of crying, I laughed at myself. “Sebastian, I don’t love you anymore.” I was hung out online for two days without fighting back. On the day I left, I posted a video online. Caption: [Turns out a person can really go from deeply loving you to not loving you at all, and even make cheating sound so refreshingly innocent.] After doing all this, I boarded the plane to leave.

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Right after we finished getting our marriage certificate, Dylan suddenly spoke up: “I cheated on you.” He pointed at the passenger seat, his smile cruel: “Yesterday she sat right here and kissed me. She wore something really sexy, and I couldn’t resist, so we slept together.” I froze, the pain so intense I couldn’t make a sound. Dylan seemed to savor the memory: “I can understand your ex-husband Ethan now. Fiona really has more feminine charm than you.” Yes, this was the second time I’d been betrayed. My ex-husband Ethan and my current husband Dylan had both cheated on me with my best friend Fiona. Five years ago, I walked in on Ethan and Fiona having sex in my own bed. When I was devastated and hopeless, Dylan saved me. But now, he too had betrayed me for Fiona. After what felt like an eternity, I finally found my voice again. Trembling, I asked: “Why?” Why cheat and still marry me? Why tell me the truth so cruelly at the happiest moment of my life? Dylan paused for a moment. Then suddenly burst into loud laughter: “You win.” I looked at him in confusion. The next second, a familiar voice came through the car speakers: “Then tonight you have to use my favorite strawberry flavor~” My eyes widened in shock. I felt like all the blood in my body had frozen. “I made a bet with Fiona about how you’d react when you found out I cheated. I said you’d slap me. She said you’d ask me why.” “If I won, she’d wear stockings. If she won…” Dylan raised his eyebrows: “You already heard.” As his words fell, Fiona’s voice came through the speakers: “Lynn, it’s been five years. You’re still as pathetic as I expected. But your taste in men is consistently good—I really like this one too.” Her mocking laughter made my limbs go numb. In a daze, I seemed to return to five years ago. I came home early from a business trip, wanting to celebrate my ex-husband Ethan’s birthday. Walking in, I found Ethan and Fiona having sex in my bed. When he saw me, Ethan was terrified and at a loss. But Fiona casually lit a cigarette: “Lynn, sorry about this. I’ve been too lonely lately, so I borrowed your husband.” Back then, I was just like this. Crying, asking Fiona and Ethan: “Why?” But when they opened their mouths to answer, my ears felt stuffed with cotton—I couldn’t hear a single word. Not until Fiona and Ethan’s faces went pale as they shouted at me. My lower abdomen hurt so badly I couldn’t straighten up. Only then did I snap back to reality. Looking down, I saw blood pooling beneath me. That day, I lost the three most important people in my life all at once. A best friend of ten years, a husband of one year, and my three-month-old baby. “Alright, I know you like me. See you tonight. I’ll take Lynn home first.” Dylan’s voice pulled me back from those painful memories. He hung up the call. The car was instantly filled with just our breathing. After a moment, Dylan spoke first: “You must be hungry. Let’s go get your favorite cake first, then I’ll take you home.” His tone was gentle. As if nothing had just happened. Which only made my bloodshot eyes and trembling body seem more pathetic by comparison. “Dylan, why are you doing this?” “You promised you’d cherish me for the rest of your life.” My voice was hoarse, tears falling against my will. But this time, Dylan didn’t wipe away my tears like he used to. He leaned back in his seat with a half-smile: “Lynn, if you’d chosen me the first time, I probably would have cherished you for life. But now, you’re just second-hand goods. Why should I stay faithful to you?” With that, he handed me a tissue like he was giving charity. I recoiled sharply, looking at him like he was a monster. We were all college classmates. Years ago, he and Ethan had both confessed their feelings to me at the same time. Back then, I chose Ethan. Dylan gave his polite blessing, and after marriage I kept my distance from him. Until Ethan cheated. Unable to handle the blow, I tried to commit suicide by cutting my wrists. Dylan appeared in my world like a god descending from heaven. He healed me, pulled me back from hell to the human world. Thinking of all the good things he’d done for me, I asked desperately: “If you cared so much, why did you still pursue me and get together with me?” As our eyes met, Dylan sighed: “I thought I didn’t care. But when we were planning the wedding.” He looked at me with a bitter smile: “You were too experienced. When we took wedding photos, you knew how to negotiate with the photographer. When buying rings, you knew to get a fake one for the ceremony to prevent it from being stolen. Even today getting the certificate, you knew what to wear without even checking…” Dylan’s expression grew darker as he spoke. “Everything you did screamed at me that Dylan was marrying second-hand goods. Lynn, I’m not okay with that.” Tears blurred my vision. Couldn’t see clearly, but could hear even more clearly. “But I love you.” “So you were married to Ethan for one year, and I’ll indulge myself for one year before settling down. Fair, isn’t it?” I felt warmth on my face. I blinked hard, tears splashing onto Dylan’s hand. He jerked back as if burned. “That’s not fair!” “If it bothered you, you could have told me, instead of saving me only to betray me!” “Dylan, I want a divorce!” I roared, feeling my soul tear apart with pain. He just watched me coldly. Only after I finished venting did he speak with mock mercy: “We’re already married. Fair or not isn’t up to you.” “Divorce? Don’t even think about it. Either accept it or endure it.” With that. Dylan suddenly opened my car door and gave me a light push: “You’re really annoying me right now. Go reflect on yourself.”

It had just rained heavily outside. I happened to fall into a puddle of mud. The ground was slippery—the more I struggled to get up, the less I could stand. Dylan just sat quietly in the car, expressionless: “Lynn, see that?” Seeing me look at him, he sneered: “Without my help, you can’t even stand up. If you really divorce me, where will you go?” Without waiting for my answer. The car door slammed shut, and the vehicle shot past me like an arrow, splashing mud all over my face. As my vision went dark, memories with Dylan flashed through my mind like a slideshow. Right after divorcing Ethan, unable to accept the betrayal, I developed severe depression. I would self-harm uncontrollably. Every time I cut myself once, Dylan would discover it and cut himself twice. When I couldn’t sleep all night, Dylan had the roof of the villa removed. Replaced it with a skylight and held me while counting stars all night. When I couldn’t eat, he’d go on hunger strikes with me. After a year of this, I finally improved and began to trust him. The day he confessed, he knelt on one knee and promised he would never betray me in this lifetime. I believed him. Now, just one year later. Dylan’s promise had already expired. Coming back to my senses, I wiped the mud from my eyes and pushed myself up from the ground. My clumsy movements made passersby laugh. Ashamed and afraid, I frantically waved for a taxi. Finally, one car didn’t mind how dirty I was and agreed to take me—on the condition that I pay upfront, plus an extra two hundred dollars. I quickly agreed. But when I tried to pay, I was told my card had just been frozen. I couldn’t use a single cent. The moment I was kicked out of the car, heavy rain poured down again. It hit my body, painful and numbing. I don’t know how long I walked before I finally made it home with Dylan. Pushing open the door, my mind went blank. High heels and dress shoes lay intertwined on the floor, lace lingerie mixed with a black suit. By the window, Dylan held Fiona in a passionate kiss. In a trance, the scene from five years ago overlapped with the present. I let out an incoherent howl, my hands and feet shaking uncontrollably. The sound interrupted the intimate couple. Dylan frowned irritably: “Why are you making such a fuss? It’s not like you haven’t experienced this before.” Fiona laughed mockingly: “Long time no see, Lynn. I was wrong on the phone—Dylan is so much better than your ex-husband.” Her words pleased Dylan. “You have good taste.” Dylan smiled and stood up, walking toward me. But the closer he got, the more I trembled. Finally, as he tried to reach out his hand, I bent over sharply and couldn’t stop vomiting. Vaguely, Dylan’s figure stiffened for a moment. After a pause, I heard an eerie voice by my ear: “Lynn, do you find me disgusting?”

I had no energy to answer. I just felt exhausted to the extreme. But Dylan was hurt by my reaction. He grabbed me by the collar with both hands, laughing in rage: “Lynn, you forced me to do this.” “I was planning to let it go after tonight, but now I’m going to make you suffer all the pain I’ve suffered.” He suddenly let go of me and beckoned to Fiona. “You’ll be the bride at my wedding with Lynn.” Fiona threw herself into his arms joyfully. “Really? Then I want Lynn to be my bridesmaid. Five years ago, I was her bridesmaid once. Now she needs to be mine once to make it fair.” “Sure, let her be your bridesmaid and bring us the rings.” Dylan stared at me, enunciating each word like a knife slicing through my heart. I looked up in disbelief. I wanted to refuse, but my throat hurt so much I couldn’t make a sound. I could only shake my head desperately. Seeing this, Dylan grinned maliciously: “It hurts, doesn’t it? You’re suffering, right?” “Good, that’s right. Five years ago when you married someone else, I suffered just like this.” I looked at Dylan’s face, twisted with hatred. I paused, as if suddenly understanding. He didn’t want fairness. He just wanted me to suffer the same pain he once did. The more I hurt, the more satisfied he was. So I touched my numb, aching heart and forced a smile: “No.” “Dylan, I’m not in pain. I’m just disgusted.” That one sentence completely ignited Dylan’s rage. He let go of Fiona and started dragging me upstairs. I struggled desperately but couldn’t overcome his strength. Passing by the master bedroom, his steps paused slightly. Then he kicked open the door next to it and shoved me inside. Watching the door close, I reached out to stop it: “Let me out…” But I was still a step too late. Outside the door, Dylan said coldly: “Disgusted, huh? Tonight there’s something even more disgusting waiting for you.” “Fiona, come upstairs.” Hearing this, I froze in place, cold from head to toe. A moment later, intimate kissing sounds came from the other side of the wall. Fiona’s sultry moans also rang in my ears: “You’re so bad, making Lynn listen to us through the wall.” “There’s something even worse. Want to try it…” I covered my ears. But the sounds still leaked through my fingers. The cold seeped into my heart thread by thread, hurting so much I curled up on the floor. My mind was at war with itself. One moment it was Dylan’s kindness to me, his promises, his smile. The next moment I couldn’t help but imagine him and Fiona’s entangled bodies along with the sounds. My head hurt terribly. I frantically pulled out my antidepressants from my clothes, stuffing them into my mouth one by one. I don’t know how much time passed before Dylan, wrapped in a bathrobe, opened the door and looked down at me condescendingly: “Can’t take it already? How are you going to get through this whole year?” Behind him, Fiona, covered in intimate marks, laughed: “Dylan, you’re not feeling sorry for her, are you?” Dylan’s eyes flickered, but he still sneered: “How could I?” “I married her to make her feel the same pain I felt. Why would I feel sorry for her?” I looked up in shock. Despair spread from my heart. It was all fake—no love, just a long-planned revenge against me. Breaking down to the extreme paradoxically gave me a burst of strength. I suddenly stood up and slapped Dylan across the face. The crisp sound made all three of us freeze simultaneously. After a few seconds, Dylan roared: “You dare hit me? Lynn, you really have a death wish!” The heartache reached its peak. I laughed bitterly: “Didn’t you bet that when I found out you cheated I’d slap you? Now I did. Why are you upset?” I laughed even louder: “But if it were Ethan, I really wouldn’t have hit him. Because I couldn’t bear to hit him.” As my words fell, Dylan’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He stared at me for a long moment, then smiled: “On purpose?” “Then as you wish.” Dylan stepped back, the door closing bit by bit before my eyes. This time, I didn’t try to stop it. Instead, I stepped backward to the bed. When the sounds from next door started again, I piled up the blankets. Standing on them, I opened the skylight Dylan had custom-made for me and climbed onto the roof little by little. With each step, a voice in my ear urged me: “Just die. Dylan doesn’t love you anymore. Being with you is just for revenge. Only by truly dying can you find release.” The moment the voice faded, I smiled and leaped from the roof. This time, it was my body passing by Dylan’s window. “Lynn, no!” Inside the room, Dylan’s eyes nearly split with rage as he rushed toward the window.

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I had just given birth when my husband Matthias tossed me a bundle of cash. I stared at him in confusion: “Why are you giving me money? Where’s the baby?” He avoided my gaze, but his stepmother Rachel smiled: “Matthias already gave the baby to me. I really like him. Thank you for bearing a child for me.” I threw the money in his face. For the next four years, we fought over the child constantly. The day the baby ran a fever, I rushed him to the hospital and set fire to the mansion. But when the child woke up, he pushed me away and cried: “Why did you take me! I want Rachel to be my mom! Get out! Get out!” I froze. After a long silence, I said to him: “Call me ‘Mom’ one last time, and I’ll never come back.” My son Steve blinked his little eyes: “If I call you ‘Mom’ just once, you won’t fight with Rachel over me anymore?” I nodded. “Mom.” My hands, burned from carrying him to the hospital, still hadn’t been treated. The blisters were badly swollen. I raised my hand to cover them: “Yes.” “I called you that. So you really won’t… fight over me anymore?” I looked at his innocent little face and smiled, shaking my head: “No. I won’t.” Never again. Steve was desperate to leave the hospital. I quickly bandaged my hand. I carried him back to the place Matthias and I shared. By the time we arrived, Matthias had already sent people searching everywhere. When he saw me return carrying the child, he paused. Steve struggled violently in my arms. I quickly set him down. He ran toward Rachel, who stood beside Matthias. His clear voice reached everyone’s ears: “Mommy!” Matthias frowned and scolded me: “Christiana! Why did you take the child again!” Rachel held Steve in her arms, checking him over with no gentleness in her movements. Her manicured nails could scratch the child’s skin at any moment. I instinctively reached out, then remembered my promise and pulled back. After confirming nothing was wrong, Rachel glared at me: “This is my and Matthias’s child. What right do you have to take him!” The other friends and family who had been helping search all frowned: “Rachel is your elder! And she treats your child like her own! “You’ve never fed him or taught him anything. How dare you call yourself his mother!” “What right do you have to take the child!” Someone grabbed my collar in their agitation. Matthias called out coldly: “She’s mine. I’ll discipline her myself.” Everyone fell silent. Rachel’s face darkened. Matthias escorted me back to my room. He spoke coldly: “Why would you do something so extreme? Do you realize you almost hurt Rachel?” I sat on the sofa, staring blankly ahead: “Steve had a fever.” “Fever or not, that’s his mother’s concern. What are you trying to prove by interfering?” I looked at him. He seemed to realize what he’d said and corrected himself: “I mean, everyone knows that Rachel is Steve’s mother in name. You shouldn’t have disrespected her like that.” I stared at the man before me for a long time. The longer I looked, the more he felt like a stranger. “Matthias, let’s get divorced.” His hand holding the cigarette paused. We sat facing each other, locked in silent eye contact. The cigarette ash burned down to his fingers, but he didn’t notice. I thought he wouldn’t agree. He laughed—a single mocking laugh. He stood up, stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray on my side, and leaned down to look at me: “They were right. You really did use this trick to manipulate me.” I froze. He pulled out his phone and transferred five million to someone. He sent a voice message: “I lost the bet. Transferred you the five million.” “Matthias…” I looked at him in disbelief: “What are you talking about?” “Rachel said you’d definitely threaten me with divorce. She was right. Women understand women best.” He tapped my nose: “You just cost me five million.” I slapped his hand away: “I’m not joking!” He looked at his slightly reddened hand. He pulled it back indifferently, sighing with a hint of impatience in his expression: “Stop making a scene, will you? After all this drama, you still can’t come up with anything substantial? “Christiana, if you actually went out and slept with another man, that would be more threatening than your tantrums.” Slap! A hard blow landed on his face. His head tilted slightly to one side. I used all my strength: “Where did the Matthias who killed his own mother for me go!”

The shout echoed in the bedroom. Matthias froze for a few seconds, then sneered and turned his head away. I knew he was remembering the time he went to prison for me. That year, he was fourteen. His mother had taken me in after my parents died. But the condition was that every evening after school, I had to wear revealing clothes and stand at the door. That day, my school uniform was torn, my face covered in handprints, as his mother dragged me out by my hair. Matthias knelt at his mother’s feet, his forehead bleeding from hitting the ground. But his mother just laughed: “Do you know why your father abandoned us? “That woman looked exactly like her!” She cut toward my underwear: “If you like seducing men so much, there are plenty of them outside!” “Mom!!” A desperate roar. A baseball bat left a dent in her skull. When the surgery room lights went out, the doctor said they’d done all they could. Matthias collapsed to his knees. As they took him away, he looked back at me. No blame, no resentment. He went to juvenile detention. I, previously ranked second in my grade, became first. When he got out, he’d already missed his best years. He was taller, thinner. He smiled at me and said: “Seeing you succeed academically puts my mind at ease.” Back then, I swore I’d love only him for the rest of my life. Ten years later, I hate that he’s still the only one in my heart. Matthias exhaled: “What’s the point of bringing up the past over and over?” My fists trembled as I looked at him. “Christiana, do you know why I was willing to go so far back then?” My voice shook: “Why…” “Because I was young and naive.” “What are you saying…” He leaned closer: “At fourteen, how many people had we even met? “We’d meet someone who made our hearts race and couldn’t help but imagine an entire lifetime together. But how many fourteen-year-olds fit into one lifetime?” I couldn’t speak. He smiled: “Are you still living at fourteen? After all these years, Christiana, can’t you grow up?” My eyes stung despite myself. He laughed, picked up his jacket, and turned: “The past is past. Let it go.” “Let it go?” My voice was hoarse: “What about you fighting for me, leaving the gang for me? “How am I supposed to forget that?” His footsteps stopped.

I took a deep breath: “After you got out of prison, you found me being forced by gang members to be their girlfriend. “You worked your way up to become their boss and warned them not to disturb my studies. “Back then you waited for me at the school gate every day. Have you forgotten?” Matthias looked down. “Later, the teacher told you to stop bothering me. You were upset and almost took it to the administration. “But he said… “Don’t you know how much you’d ruin my future—an ex-con gang member marrying me?” I smiled bitterly: “You didn’t sleep that night. The next day you became an apprentice at a hardware store near the school. “You built it up bit by bit into what it is today. “You were eighteen that year. You said you’d make your love a force that lifts me up. How am I supposed to forget that?” The room held only my questions and his silence. After a long while, he turned back: “That’s your problem.” The door closed. Those memories—I was the only one still treasuring them. Beautiful memories can kill too, apparently. I don’t know how long I stood there. When I came to, I had already drafted a divorce agreement. Unsurprisingly, Matthias was at Rachel’s place. I came to the door. Rachel’s laughter drifted out: “What did you mean by publicly announcing you’re giving me the seal that was meant for Christiana? Don’t forget, I’m your father’s woman now.” Through the crack in the door, I saw Matthias pull Rachel onto his lap. He looked at her with the same tenderness he once showed me: “I want everyone to know that my love for you, Matthias’s love, is a force that lifts you up.” The divorce papers fell to the floor. At eighteen, starting as an apprentice, he said he’d make his love lift me up. At twenty-eight, holding the woman his mother said looked so much like me, his words were identical. Christiana, you really haven’t grown up. The man who once stained his hands with blood to keep you from being defiled. Now he can mock you for not going out and sleeping with someone. Only you still cling to his former purity, unable to accept his change. “What are you doing here?” Steve’s childish voice came from behind me. I snapped back to reality and quickly left.

I had planned to wait for Matthias to come home before giving him the divorce papers. But the next day, before I even woke up, a slap landed hard on me. Rachel’s eyes were red from crying: “Where’s my necklace! The keepsake from my mother—where did you steal it!” That’s when I learned Rachel’s necklace was missing. Hearing I’d been there yesterday, she immediately came with Matthias. I grabbed her wrist as she tried to hit me again and pushed her back hard: “I did go yesterday, but it was to deliver the divorce papers.” Matthias’s brow furrowed. I lifted my chin: “If you don’t believe me, check the security footage.” Rachel’s face went pale. She was used to framing me. It’s just that before, my mind was always on Steve, so I never bothered arguing with her. But if I actually investigated, she wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. I didn’t need to think—I knew the necklace was still in her room. I stared at her: “Should we check the footage now? If it shows I really did steal it, I’ll turn myself in immediately. “But… if Rachel hid it herself…” I narrowed my eyes: “I’ll press charges for defamation. You can go to prison.” Rachel’s breath caught. She nearly lost her footing. “Mom stole the necklace!” A childish voice froze my body. Steve stood in the doorway, pointing at me: “I saw her take Mommy’s necklace last night!” I looked at him in disbelief. Even though we’d already severed our mother-son relationship, hearing those words still made my heart ache. “I told you, I only went to deliver… Ah!” I was shoved hard onto the bed. Matthias looked down at me: “He’s just a child, and he’s your child. Why would he frame you?” “Matth—” “Baby!” Rachel held Steve in her arms, checking him over. Her grip showed no restraint. Her manicured nails could break the child’s skin at any moment. I instinctively reached out, then remembered what I’d promised and pulled back. After confirming nothing was wrong, Rachel glared at me viciously: “This is my and Matthias’s child. What right do you have to take him!” In that instant, Steve’s little face turned bright red. “Christiana, even your own child doesn’t side with you. I think it’s clear whether you did it or not. “Of course, you can refuse to admit it.” Matthias smiled gently: “My legal team hasn’t had a case in a while. They’re worried they can’t find anyone stubborn enough to take to court.” My heart felt like someone was squeezing it: “What do you want?” Rachel held Steve in her arms, her red lips curling: “Don’t be so tense. As your elder, how could I really send you to prison? “Here’s what we’ll do. Since the necklace was my mother’s keepsake, just compensate me for its value.” “How much?” “Ten million.” I froze. Rachel’s necklace was plastic and had never been appraised. But ten million—that was exactly the total amount of “compensation money” Matthias had given me during our marriage. Matthias frowned. I swallowed: “I burned it all.” “Christiana,” Rachel held Steve: “If you don’t want to pay, just say so. Why use such a pathetic excuse?” Her eyes reddened: “Forget it. It was just something worthless my mother left behind. Only I treasure it as a keepsake. “Matthias, I’ll head back now.” She turned to leave, but Matthias pulled her back. “Debts must be repaid. That’s only natural.” Matthias smiled casually: “If you can’t pay, you can always go to prison, right?” “Matthias!” I looked at him in shock: “I really don’t have the money! I’m not joking!” “I know.” He leaned down: “But you still have me—your husband, don’t you?” He grabbed my wrist and pulled me off the bed, forcing me to kneel at the door. Matthias had his people take Steve away and pulled Rachel close: “In a moment, do whatever I tell you to do.” The door closed in front of me. Soon after, a startled cry came from inside. I clenched my fists. Ten whole hours. I delivered water six times, protection twice, clean sheets twice. Servants passed by, laughing quietly: “Getting called in once is worth a million. The money comes fast, but I’d rather die than earn it that way.” “A woman reduced to this might as well be dead. What dignity is there left in living?” “That’s just Christiana being shameless.” “This is called enduring humiliation!” “Right, right, exactly!” Only the butler who personally attended to me came over and tugged at me: “Christiana…” “I’m fine.” The wounds in my palms where my nails had broken the skin had long since scabbed over. Years ago, when Matthias begged his mother not to make me service men, he knelt just like this. Fourteen-year-old Christiana never imagined that one day, Matthias would make her kneel outside the door while he was with another woman. But Christiana, fourteen was fourteen years ago. I closed my eyes: “It’s time to grow up.” After delivering supplies the fifteenth time, I stood up. After the ten million, I still had five million left over. Amid the intimate sounds echoing from the room. I arranged the divorce papers, page by page, neatly on the table. I picked up my bank card and turned to leave. Steve’s little head poked out. He looked nervous: “Mom… I…” I said nothing, walked past him, and never looked back.

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I scrolled through a parenting blogger’s video: “Usually, when I want to check her diary or look through her chat history, she acts like I’m asking for her life!” “But ever since I became her online boyfriend, she’s been telling me all her little secrets!” The comments section was full of people pitying the daughter and criticizing the blogger for being too controlling. I was still feeling fortunate that while my mom was controlling, she hadn’t become this twisted. Suddenly, the special effects mask on the blogger’s face fell off. That blogger was my mom! She was proudly sharing: “When my daughter goes to college, I’ll become her dorm supervisor. When she gets married, I’ll buy a house right across from hers…” My world came crashing down. Since I couldn’t escape my mom’s control while alive, I might as well not live at all. After sending her one final message: “Today, I’m going to give you my most important thing.” I slowly walked into the bathtub and slit my wrists with a knife.

Warm, sticky blood dripped down my arm into the bathtub. A heavy metallic smell filled the air. After the burning, sharp pain came coldness and numbness spreading through my entire body. My vision began to blur. I used my last bit of strength to turn on the faucet, hoping to leave with some dignity. In the last moment before I closed my eyes completely, I heard angry shouting from outside the door. “A woman’s most important thing is her virginity, isn’t it?” “She even messaged me saying Mom isn’t home, then gave me the door code.” “Friends, how else am I supposed to interpret that?” My soul floated up into the air, and I saw the phone on the bathroom counter, still livestreaming. The netizens in the livestream were frantically trying to stop my mother: [If you want her dead, just kick open that door right now, point the camera at your daughter’s face, tell her the whole world knows she’s dating someone and about to give her first time to an online boyfriend. When she sees your face, let’s hope she doesn’t jump from the 34th floor.] Others chimed in agreement. [Your daughter only agreed to date you after she turned 18 on the SAT, and only because you deliberately manipulated her to find out her secrets. Is it possible that what she meant by “most important thing” isn’t what you think it is?] [Have you considered that you control her too much, which is why she doesn’t dare tell you her secrets and has to trust strangers online instead?] When I was in elementary school, my mom secretly installed cameras in my room. If I so much as stretched, she’d immediately rush in with a feather duster. “Your dad and I live apart so he can make money. I gave up my career for you. How can you treat us like this?” By middle school, my mom didn’t just control my words and actions—she wanted to control my thoughts, preferences, even my taste buds. She forced me to eat durian, which I found disgusting. “This smells so good! Where’s the stink?” But when I said a grape tasted sweet, she flew into a rage. “Do you have no taste buds? This thing is so sour—where did you taste any sweetness?” In recent years, my mom became obsessed with preventing me from dating. She’d often sneak looks at my phone while I slept, checking my photos and Twitter. I’d frequently thought about ending it all. Until I connected with that boy online whose username was “Light.” I could share all my frustrations with him without burden. He became my reason to keep living. Only now did I understand. Why every little secret I told “Light”… My mom would somehow “accidentally” discover shortly after. I should have guessed! Faced with the netizens’ accusations, my mom broke down in tears on camera. “Why is everyone blaming me! What did I do wrong? If I really did something wrong, could I have raised a daughter who got into Harvard?” “You should be grateful it was me! If it had really been some gang member, he would have scammed her immediately!” My mom forcefully opened the door and pointed her phone at the living room. Empty. After a moment of confusion, she heard water running in the bathroom and roared furiously. “So you really are fooling around with a man! You even know to shower before sex?!”

Deadly silence. Even as a spirit, my face burned with shame. My mom laughed coldly. “What? Disappointed to hear my voice? Too scared to make a sound now?” “Are you hiding in there texting your boyfriend to tell him not to come?” “No need to text—because I AM your boyfriend!” “I’m giving you ten minutes to get dressed and come out here and explain to me what you meant by ‘most important thing.’” “Otherwise don’t blame me for opening this door and letting all the netizens see what kind of person you really are!” “Once everyone sees you naked, you’ll never find a man for the rest of your life.” I felt as if someone had slapped me hard across the face, filled with shame and frustration. My mom seemed even angrier than me, breathing heavily as she paced back and forth. The clock ticked on, second by second. The netizens, who’d been too shocked to comment, became active again. [If my mom talked to me like that, I’d tear the house down. This girl has way too much patience.] [Something’s not right! After hearing such shocking news, there’s no way the girl would be completely silent, right?] [Yeah, did something happen?] My mom snapped irritably. “Happen? What could happen to her!” “If anyone’s going to have a problem, it’ll be me—I’m the one being driven to death here!” As soon as she said this, my mom suddenly seemed to think of something and strode into my bedroom. She violently tore off my blanket and pulled out a sundress, shouting loudly. “If you don’t come out, I’ll tear up this dress you’ve been hiding!” I cried out “No!” but of course my mom couldn’t hear me. I could only watch helplessly as she smiled viciously and cut my dress to pieces. Looking at the scraps on the floor, I couldn’t describe what I felt. My mom didn’t allow me to wear dresses. She told me that school was for studying, not for attracting attention. So for eighteen years, even on the hottest summer days, I could only wear long sleeves and pants. Every summer, I could only watch enviously as other girls dressed up beautifully. So I secretly saved up a year’s worth of allowance to buy myself a dress as a coming-of-age gift. I didn’t dare tell my mom. I only shared my joy with “Light.” But now it was all gone. After destroying my dress, my mom still wasn’t satisfied. She threatened me again. “If you don’t come out, I’ll tell the netizens all the secrets you told ‘Light’!” I couldn’t stop her, and there was nothing I could do. Whatever, it didn’t matter anymore. And so my bedroom was turned upside down. My mom continued mocking me to the livestream. “She’s really gotten bold today, daring not to come out even after all this.” “Do you know what lie she told me so I wouldn’t burst in to check her body while she was showering?” “She told me her uncle once rushed into the bathroom while she was showering and touched her inappropriately, so now she gets triggered when someone comes in while she’s bathing!” The livestream viewers were once again shocked. [I don’t believe such an excellent girl would joke about something like that.] [My God, it took so much courage for her to tell you that, and you mock her and broadcast it so casually. Are you even her mother?] [Shut up already! If her classmates or teachers hear about this, how can she face anyone?] [Whether this is true or not, you burst in to check her body while she’s showering? Is that even human?] My mom scoffed at these comments. Her patience completely exhausted, she strode to the bathroom door. She put her hand on the doorknob and twisted hard.

I’d habitually locked the door, so my mom couldn’t open it. Unable to find the key, she angrily turned to get a hammer. Suddenly, someone came home. It was my dad! He rushed in excitedly, both hands full of gifts. “To celebrate my daughter getting into Harvard, I specially took time off to come home!” “Are you happy?” I circled around my dad, clapping excitedly. “Happy! So happy! I’m always happiest when Dad comes home!” Dad’s work kept him very busy—he could only spend a few days at home each year. Sometimes he wouldn’t come home even once a year. But every time Dad came home, he’d bring me wonderful things. And Mom would restrain herself, giving me a few rare days of peace. When Dad showed no reaction, I instantly deflated. I’d almost forgotten he couldn’t see me. After the initial excitement, I remembered my situation and suddenly panicked. I didn’t want Dad to see my gruesome death. Not seeing me, Dad asked Mom in confusion. “Where’s Alice? And why are you holding a hammer?” Mom rolled her eyes irritably. “We had a few words, and she locked herself in the bathroom.” “I can’t even use the toilet. I must have owed you two in my past life.” Dad immediately became serious. “You didn’t force Alice to do something she didn’t want to do again, did you?” Mom looked slightly guilty. I’d told on her once before, and after Dad left that year, Mom punished me severely. So I never dared complain again, and Dad assumed Mom had changed. Mom blustered. “That was so long ago, and you keep bringing it up. What’s the point?” “She threw a tantrum for no reason, and somehow that’s my fault!” Dad couldn’t say much more. He walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door. “Alice, I’m home. I brought you chocolate and a pretty dress.” “Come out, okay?” After speaking, Dad sat on the sofa with his gifts. He sat up straight with a smile on his face, occasionally glancing back toward the bathroom. Ready to give me my presents at the first opportunity. I knelt helplessly before Dad, bowing repeatedly. “Dad, I was wrong. I was really wrong.” “Please, just leave, okay?” “I really don’t want you to see me at my ugliest.” “I don’t want to scare you!” But Dad couldn’t see me. His attention shifted to the phone on the coffee table. A message popped up in the building’s group chat. [Who in Building 4, Unit 3 is murdering someone in their bathroom? There’s such a strong smell of blood leaking through my floor!]

We lived in Building 4, Unit 3. So Dad picked up his phone and cheerfully shared the gossip with Mom. “Someone in the group says there’s been a murder in our building.” “Before I came home, were the neighbors on the seventh floor beating their kid? Everyone’s saying there was noise but then it went silent, and they suspect the kid was killed.” “These people really have wild imaginations.” Mom casually set down the phone that was still livestreaming in a corner. Then she picked up Dad’s phone and started sending voice messages. “Kids have self-respect when they grow up. You can’t just hit them all the time. Educating children requires proper methods. We should become friends with our children, connect with them emotionally, and guide them in positive directions.” People who didn’t really know my mom only vaguely knew she used to be a teacher, so they eagerly agreed. [Teachers really are more educated. That’s very well said.] [Auntie is so reasonable. I wish you were my mom.] My mom glanced toward the bathroom and sighed meaningfully. “See, you saw the messages in the group.” “Everyone envies you for having a mom like me—only you don’t appreciate it!” Watching my mom’s performance made me sick. The neighbors continued their heated discussion. The woman from the seventh floor suddenly spoke up. [Nonsense! My kid just spilled the soup I made. If you don’t believe me, I’ll beat him again so you can hear.] [That’s strange then.] [I’m on the second floor and there’s backflow—it’s red, RED!] [I’m calling the police!] Everyone was suddenly alarmed. After waiting a few more minutes, Dad began to worry. “What if something happened to Alice?” “It’s not appropriate for me to go in. Why don’t you check on her?” My mom crossed her arms. “I’m not going!” Watching the joy on Dad’s face turn to worry, my heart ached. Dad walked anxiously to the bathroom door. “Alice, even if you don’t want to talk to Mom and Dad, can you at least tap on the bathtub?” Suddenly, the constantly vibrating phone fell from the counter with a loud crash. Mom roared furiously. “See! This is what you’ve spoiled her into! Not coming out is one thing, but now she’s throwing tantrums at us!” Dad sighed, turned back to calm Mom down, and occasionally rubbed his chest. “But my heart… I just can’t shake this bad feeling!” As they argued, the doorbell rang. Two police officers stood outside. They routinely checked every household’s bathroom. After getting no response from me, the police forcibly broke down the door. When they saw what was inside, everyone present was shocked. Mom sat down hard on the floor, her face full of panic and disbelief. Dad’s legs gave out and he collapsed to his knees in front of the bathroom, letting out a piercing scream.

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My boyfriend was paralyzed for three years, and I served him with all my heart. Until I found a lipstick print on the collar of his white shirt. He coldly proposed to break up: “Looking at the same face for twenty years, any man would get tired.” Next to him, a female classmate blushed, tidying her clothes, her eyes full of provocation. I clutched the prenatal check-up report and turned to leave, but suddenly, a furious voice came from my belly: “Mom, don’t go! That lipstick mark was drawn by that woman with a pen while Dad was napping! He’s just acting because he thinks he’s useless and doesn’t deserve you!” Summer Linwood’s POV My boyfriend had been paralyzed for three years, and I had painstakingly cared for him for three years. Until I saw a bright red lipstick print on the collar of his white shirt. Before I could even question him, Ethan Stone looked at me with a cold face, his gaze not even lingering on me for a second. “Summer Linwood, let’s break up.” Standing next to him, his classmate, Vanessa Hayes, was blushing and tidying her slightly messy shirt collar, her eyes fixed on me with blatant provocation. I clutched the scan results in my hand, my heart sinking. “Twenty years of feelings, can’t compare to her accompanying you for a few months?” Ethan scoffed, his voice laced with disgust. “Looking at the same face for twenty years, any man would get tired. I’m sick of seeing you now. Grab your things and leave.” “If you want to end this with dignity, fine.” I wasn’t the type to cling on. Even though my heart ached as if it were torn, I gritted my teeth and turned to leave. But just as my hand touched the doorknob, A furious voice suddenly came from my belly. “Mom! Don’t go! Are you stupid? This old man is acting to deceive you!” “That lipstick mark was drawn by that woman with a pen while my actual dad was napping!” “Last night he was still calling your name in his dream. He woke up to find he was incontinent, felt like a useless person unworthy of you, so he wanted to act to drive you away!” My footsteps stopped abruptly. Who was talking? There was no one around. Was it… a hallucination? The voice grew more urgent, spewing information like a machine gun: “Mom, you’re the future billionaire’s wife, and you’re carrying me, the genius heir, in your belly!” “This woman is a transmigrator! She knows Dad’s legs will be cured and he’ll become a billionaire, that’s why she’s here to cause trouble!” “Mom, look back! Dad’s hands are almost crushing the wheelchair armrests, he’s crying!” Transmigrator? Billionaire? Legs cured? And… he’s crying? The flood of information instantly overwhelmed my sadness. I stood frozen at the door, not pushing it open. Behind me, Ethan’s voice, strained to the breaking point, came through: “Why aren’t you leaving yet? Waiting for me to call security?” Normally, I would have left long ago. But now, the “bullet comments” in my head were still appearing wildly. “He doesn’t mean what he says!” “Mom, don’t back down! Turn around and tell him off! That woman wants you to make room for her, in her dreams!” I took a deep breath, released the doorknob, and spun around abruptly. Sure enough. Ethan’s eyes, which had just been ice-cold, were now red at the corners. The veins on his hands, resting on the wheelchair, bulged, his knuckles pale from overexertion. Seeing me turn back, a flicker of obvious panic flashed in his eyes, but he quickly forced himself to look away, feigning composure. I stared at the incriminating mark on his collar, sneered, and walked back to him in my heels. “A breakup is fine.” I tossed my bag onto the sofa and sat directly opposite him. “But this lipstick mark is too fake, Ethan. Your acting is really bad.”

Summer Linwood’s POV Ethan’s body visibly stiffened. Vanessa Hayes, next to him, grew anxious and coyly leaned closer to Ethan’s wheelchair. “Summer, don’t talk nonsense. This… this was clearly him being overcome with passion just now…” As she spoke, she reached out to link her arm with Ethan’s. “This woman’s acting isn’t even as good as Dad’s! Was that passion? She just practically threw herself on him!” “Mom! Don’t believe her! She’s hiding a fake prenatal check-up report in her bag, planning to take it out later to deceive Dad!” “Dad’s totally freaking out right now. He’s thinking: Oh no, how did Summer figure it out? Has my acting gotten worse?” I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter. Looking at Ethan’s tense, handsome face, I completely ignored Vanessa, leaned forward, and stared directly into his eyes. “Ethan, since you said you’re tired of me, then tell me, what shade is this lipstick? What brand? What does it smell like?” Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his gaze darting away: “…Red.” “Red! This is pink, okay?!!” “Look, look! He’s pinching his thigh! He’s using pain to force himself to stay cold! Idiot Dad!” The last bit of anger in my heart completely vanished, replaced by a wave of heartache and helplessness. He’d rather pinch himself black and blue than let me stay. I didn’t acknowledge Ethan’s silence and turned to look at the embarrassed Vanessa. “Since you said you kissed him just now, what about that prenatal check-up report in your bag? Could Ethan make you pregnant instantly?” Vanessa’s face instantly turned ashen, and she subconsciously clutched her handbag: “You… what are you talking about…” Ethan also looked up sharply, staring at Vanessa in shock: “What prenatal check-up report?” I sneered: “Take it out. Let me see this medical miracle.” “Wow! Mom is amazing! Mom got smart!” “This woman got wasted at the bar last night, and that report is a fake certificate she bought online for a few bucks!” Under Ethan’s sharp gaze, cold sweat broke out on Vanessa’s brow. She gritted her teeth and glared at me, then suddenly clutched her stomach, pretending to faint: “My stomach hurts so much… Maybe my baby is in distress…” “Enough!” Before I could speak, Ethan suddenly roared. “Vanessa, get out.” Ethan’s voice was icy. Vanessa was incredulous: “You’re yelling at me? But we just…” “I said get out!” Ethan angrily slammed the water glass on the ground, glass shards flying everywhere. Vanessa shrieked in fright, grabbed her bag, and fled clumsily. The living room instantly fell silent. Only Ethan and I remained, surrounded by the mess on the floor. Ethan was gasping for breath, his chest heaving violently. After a few seconds, he looked at me again, the panic in his eyes undeniable, but he was still trying to keep up appearances. “You leave too. Don’t think that chasing her away will make me change my mind.” He looked away, not daring to meet my gaze: “I told you, I don’t need you anymore.” I looked at his bright red ears and sighed inwardly. It seemed he wouldn’t listen unless I got serious. I pulled the scan results, which I had been clutching, from my bag and gently placed it on the coffee table in front of him. “Ethan, look carefully.” “You want to break up? Ask your son if he agrees.” Ethan instinctively looked down. On the ultrasound report, that tiny gestational sac was clearly visible.

Summer Linwood’s POV Ethan stared at the ultrasound report, and time seemed to stand still. His slender fingers hovered in mid-air, wanting to touch the paper, but then he pulled them back abruptly as if burned. “See! I told you the old man was acting! His heart is pounding like crazy!” “Right now, his brain is going wild: I have a child? My child with Summer? I’m going to be a dad?” “Those uncooperative tears are about to fall! Hold them back! Men don’t cry!” Sure enough, Ethan bit his lower lip hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing with difficulty. After a full minute, he squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth: “…When did this happen?” I crossed my arms and looked at him: “Two months ago, on your birthday.” He had had a few drinks that day, holding me tightly and calling me ‘wife’ over and over again. Now he’s pretending to have amnesia. Ethan’s face instantly paled a few shades. He closed his eyes abruptly, his hands clutching the wheelchair armrests tightly. “Abort this child.” The words were cold, cutting through the air. I froze for a moment. Even though I knew he was acting, those words were too hurtful. Before I could even get angry, the “bullet comments” in my belly exploded: “What the hell! Old man, are you crazy?!” “Mom! Don’t believe him! His legs are shaking under the table! He’s thinking he’s useless, and the child would suffer if born, would be ridiculed for having a disabled dad…” “Idiot Dad! Who dares to mock a billionaire? Who dares to mock a genius baby? He’s truly insecure to the core!” Hearing my son’s thoughts, the anger that had just flared up instantly turned into a bitter ache. He felt utterly rotten and didn’t want to dump his mess on the next generation. I took a deep breath. Instead of getting angry, I stood up and sat directly on his lap. Ethan flinched, instinctively reaching out to push me, but fearing he might hurt my belly, his hands froze in mid-air, nowhere to rest. “Summer Linwood! What are you doing! Get off!” He bluffed a roar. “I’m not getting off.” I put my arms around his neck, feeling his stiff, tense body, and whispered in his ear: “Ethan, do you think you’re useless, so you want to drive me and the baby away?” Ethan’s pupils constricted, his body instantly stiff as stone. His raw nerve was hit, and he turned his head away in shame, his eyes terrifyingly red: “So what if I do? I can’t even take care of myself, how can I support you? Do you want the child to push a wheelchair to parent-teacher conferences in the future?!” He finally spoke the truth. I looked at his reddened eyes, my heart completely melted. “Then let him push it.” I said, “Anyway, you’ll be very rich someday. You can have ten bodyguards carry you if you want.” Ethan was stunned, looking at me as if I were an idiot: “What nonsense are you talking about?” “Mom, you spoiled it! But Dad’s expression right now is so adorable in its silliness!” “Quick! Now’s the time! Declare your claim! Kick that woman out for good!” I cleared my throat and pulled a card from my bag, placing it on his chest. “If we can’t agree on a breakup fee, I won’t abort this child, and I’m not leaving you, even though we’re not married yet.” “From today on, I’m staying here. If you dare to kick me out, I’ll go to your company and tell everyone Mr. Stone abandoned his family and disowned his own child.” Ethan’s chest heaved with anger, and he stared at me for a long time, unable to speak. Finally, he looked like a deflated balloon, burying his head in the crook of my neck, his voice muffled, with an almost imperceptible sob: “Summer Linwood… why are you so foolish?” “Yay! Mission accomplished! The old man surrendered!” “But Mom, you need to be careful. That Vanessa Hayes hasn’t given up yet, she was eavesdropping outside just now! She’s definitely going to cause more trouble!” My gaze turned cold. Eavesdropping? It seemed this woman would be hard to deal with.

Summer Linwood’s POV Even though Ethan hadn’t explicitly agreed to get back together, his body was very honest. That evening, he had the guest room prepared and covered all sharp corners in the house with protective strips. Watching him, clumsy in his wheelchair, instructing the housekeeper to change to a non-slip rug, any anger I had quickly faded. “Just now he told Mom to get out, and now he’s even changing the rug to wool.” “Mom, you need to be careful about that housekeeper! She’s Vanessa Hayes’s spy! Just now, while you were showering, she was SnapChatting Vanessa to report the situation!” My gaze hardened. That housekeeper, who usually seemed honest and simple-minded, turned out to be a spy. Just then, the doorbell rang. The housekeeper eagerly went to open the door: “I’ll get it, I’ll get it! It must be the milk delivery!” But when she opened the door, it wasn’t the milk delivery. It was a woman carrying a suitcase, wearing sunglasses, and fiery red lipstick. It was my cousin, Chloe Taylor. “So this is the mansion that made Summer cry her eyes out?” Chloe took off her sunglasses, her eyes scanning the room, finally resting on Ethan. “Well, well, if it isn’t you. I heard you were about to kick your own wife out.” Ethan’s face darkened, but he didn’t refute. He knew Chloe had a silver tongue. The housekeeper, seeing this display, immediately tried to intimidate her: “This is Mr. Stone’s house, you didn’t even say hello when you…” “Who are you?” Chloe cut her off directly, her eyes dismissive, “Since when does the housekeeper get to speak in this house? I’m here to take care of my cousin, got a problem with that? If you do, keep it to yourself.” The housekeeper’s face turned green with anger, choked into silence, and she could only look awkwardly at Ethan. Ethan said calmly: “Let her stay.” The housekeeper bit her lip, then sheepishly went to pour water. “Alarm! Alarm! The housekeeper put something in the water! This old woman wants to harm me!” “Mom! Don’t drink it! This is highly poisonous!” My heart pounded, and my palms instantly broke into a sweat. Vanessa Hayes couldn’t sit still this quickly? She actually dared to poison me? The housekeeper walked over with two cups of tea, smiling, her face full of wrinkles: “Miss Linwood, have a drink to soothe your throat.” She deliberately handed me the cup in her left hand. I stared at the water but didn’t take it. “What’s wrong, Miss Linwood?” The housekeeper’s eyes darted. I smiled and took the cup. Then, under the housekeeper’s expectant gaze, my wrist trembled! The scalding water splashed directly onto the housekeeper’s instep. “Ouch! You scalded me!” The housekeeper shrieked and jumped up, the cup shattering into pieces. Ethan frowned and looked over: “What happened?” I shook my hand: “Oops, sorry, clumsy due to pregnancy. Why are you so nervous? Is there… something illicit in this water?” The housekeeper’s face instantly turned ashen white. Forgetting her foot pain, she stammered in defense: “N-no! Miss Linwood, how can you say that!” Chloe, though unaware of the details, reacted quickly. She immediately squatted down, dipped her finger in a bit of the spilled water, sniffed it, then sneered: “Why does this smell like a pharmacy? Where did you buy this water? Does it come with an abortion package?” Ethan’s face completely changed. Even though he was paralyzed, his mind wasn’t broken. He slid over in his wheelchair, his eyes terrifyingly sinister: “Send the remaining water for lab tests. If I find anything…” The housekeeper’s legs went weak, and she knelt directly on the ground: “Mr. Stone! I was wrong! I… I was led astray…” “Get out.” Ethan roared. The housekeeper ran, not even daring to ask for her wages. “Well done!” “Vanessa Hayes must be furious! She must have smashed her phone outside, hahahaha!” I looked at Ethan’s gloomy profile, but I didn’t feel much relief. This was just the beginning. Since Vanessa Hayes dared to poison me, it meant she was desperate. And a desperate transmigrator would definitely have other tricks up her sleeve.

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I was the secret girlfriend of America’s biggest pop star for seven years. On my birthday, he brought a group of friends along, but he called me by the wrong name. “Happy Birthday, Hannah!” Hannah was not me. She was his high school sweetheart, his first love. One of his friends asked: “Now that Hannah is back, aren’t you bored of using a disabled girl as a placeholder? Isn’t that getting old?” Leo pinched my ear, his voice lazy and careless. “The little deaf girl is fun. I’ll keep her around for now. I’ll string her along until I’m ready to propose to Hannah.” He had no idea. My hearing had just been restored. 01 The smile on my face froze as I listened to Leo continue. “Today is my birthday, but consider it a makeup gift I owe Hannah.” His friends started cheering, calling him a “hopeless romantic.” Finally, one of them stared directly at me and asked: “Aren’t you afraid she’ll find out?” Leo tilted his head arrogantly. “Afraid of what? That she won’t let go?” A wave of laughter erupted around us. “Honestly, a deaf girl hanging onto Leo for seven years—she’s already hit the jackpot.” “If she didn’t look thirty percent like Hannah, she’d never have stood a chance.” Amidst the mocking, Leo looked down and placed a party hat on my head. His face was inches from mine—the same high-fashion, aloof face that the world adored. Someone asked: “But she has been with you for seven years, and she is beautiful. If she actually leaves… could you really let her go?” Leo’s hand jerked, and the hat tilted. A moment later, he let out a cold, cynical laugh. “Run? Who said she was allowed to run?” The room went dead silent. No one took it as a joke. Considering the power of the Sterling family, and how wild and reckless Leo was, he was entirely capable of forcing me to stay. But why bother? Leo patiently adjusted my hat, his expression gentle, but his words were like icy blades. “I waited seven years for Hannah to come back to me. “I can’t wait to cherish her every single day. I could never bring myself to say a harsh word to her. “But with a substitute around, I have a place to vent my frustrations when I’m feeling frustrated, don’t I?” Everyone laughed. They laughed at how protective he was of Hannah, and they laughed at how pitiable and ridiculous I was. My nails dug into my palms. I was trembling all over from the pain. Leo pulled me into his arms and held his phone in front of me. He had typed: Be a good girl. It’s time to make a wish. Everyone is wishing you a Happy Birthday 😀 I covered my ears to block out their voices and blew out the candles. Everyone shouted in unison again: “Happy Birthday, Hannah!” Someone, I don’t know who, added: “And good luck on the proposal, Leo!” Leo sneered, “Didn’t you guys eat? Why are you so quiet?” The next second, my phone vibrated with a text from him: You little dummy, what did you wish for? Don’t wish for my album to sell well again. I’m already so famous I can’t handle it. I went rigid, forcing myself to hold back the tears. 02 Later, I opened old videos I had recorded. The brutal truth was revealed. Our entire seven-year relationship was nothing but a complete joke. There had never been a single birthday that Leo celebrated for me. I even remembered his first big performance. I had worked tirelessly day and night promoting him, eventually fainting from exhaustion. What I got in return was him saying to me: “Hannah, thank you for your hard work.” Even in bed, during our most intimate moments, when I was breathless with passion, the name he whispered with obsession was still “Hannah.” He never knew when to stop, and when he hurt me, I would desperately use sign language to tell him. It never worked. Afterwards, he would always say with a look of innocence: Honey, your hands are shaking so much. I can’t understand you. But lately, he had started asking me in sign language if it hurt. I had never seen him so gentle. Now I understood why. I once overheard him telling a friend: “I’m just practicing with the deaf girl. Hannah is delicate; I can’t afford to hurt her when the time comes.” A sour sense of betrayal flooded my heart, and tears began to stream down my face. How could anyone be so heartless? When he broke ties with the Sterling family and was penniless, chasing his music dream… The woman who abandoned him and went abroad was Hannah. The woman who stayed by his side, going from nothing to winning countless awards… was me. My phone lit up. It was a text from my doctor. Ms. Davis, are you certain you want to cancel your final round of treatment abroad? You’ve already made it through the painful cochlear implant surgery. Giving up treatment now would be a terrible shame. I wiped away my tears and replied: I’m going. I didn’t want Leo anymore. My flight was scheduled for a week from now. Coincidentally, that was also the night of Leo’s massive concert, where he planned to propose. That night, Leo didn’t come home. I received a text from Hannah: [Sister, don’t bother waiting up. Leo is playing the piano to lul me to sleep. I told him my insomnia is cured, but he just couldn’t relax. He insisted on seeing me fall asleep before leaving.] [You tell me, it’s been seven years. How does he still remember everything so perfectly?] Attached to the text was a photo. Taken over Hannah’s bare shoulder in a tank top. A man was playing the piano. He was wearing a black t-shirt and a vintage silver necklace. That high-fashion, aloof face was impossibly gentle under the warm light of the floor lamp. His long fingers danced across the black and white keys, as if he were caressing a lover’s body. Hannah continued to gloat: [I have to go. He caught me on my phone and he’s getting upset.] After all these years, she still couldn’t stand to see me happy. But I didn’t want to fight her for him. Leo was tainted. I didn’t want him. 03 The next day. On a reality TV show, Hannah lost a game and had to take a penalty. She was wearing a white, off-the-shoulder dress, lying on the ground, her eyes red. An overweight male celebrity was on top of her, doing push-ups as part of the penalty. To the side, Leo leaned casually against a railing, twirling his bone ring on his index finger. When the male celebrity stumbled, Leo finally lost his patience. He muttered a curse, walked over, and kicked the man away. With a dark face, Leo took his place to complete the penalty, having Hannah sit on his back instead, causing the fans to erupt in screams. Hannah, appearing frightened, wrapped both arms tightly around Leo’s veiny neck. The person sitting next to me was baffled. “This is weird. Leo is an A-lister; why would he even agree to be on this show?” “Even weirder, that guy is usually so cold and doesn’t tolerate anyone, but he’s willingly letting her sit on him…” I curled my lips into a bitter smile. Because she was Hannah, his high school sweetheart. The next game involved randomly selecting audience members to guess song titles. The moment he saw me, Leo froze while adjusting his earpiece, a frown crossing his face. But he quickly looked down and continued helping Hannah adjust hers. The music started. Leo’s vocals were incredible, and his stage presence was effortlessly cool. The spotlight hit his perfect face, eliciting screams from the crowd. When the host asked for the answer, I replied plainly: “I’m sorry, I don’t recognize it.” The entire stadium went into an uproar. This was Leo Sterling’s recent global hit, a song that had won countless awards. The fans were furious: “Is something wrong with her ears?! How could she not know this song?!” “Replace her! Get her off the stage! Get out! Get out!” Only Leo remained utterly cold. He kept one hand in his pocket, lifting his eyelids to glare at me with those almond-shaped eyes. He was angry because I had forgotten that I was his “secret” girlfriend, meant to be kept in the dark. He was even angrier that a substitute was flaunting herself in front of the real thing. Suddenly, glow sticks were thrown at me. A sharp plastic one hit me near the corner of my eye, drawing blood. For an instant, Leo’s brows knitted together, and he started walking toward me. But Hannah grabbed the edge of his jacket. She didn’t say anything, just bit her lower lip, and that was enough to make him stop in his tracks. He forgot about the girl huddled in a ball amidst the falling glow sticks, clutching herself in pain. He softly comforted Hannah: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.” After the fiasco, Hannah took the stage and won the game. I had to take the penalty—being pushed into the pool. By the poolside. Hannah, with her back to the camera, smiled triumphantly: “Seven years wasn’t enough, was it? His heart still belongs to me. I heard Leo has been calling you Hannah for seven years?” I looked at her calmly, pulled out my phone, and typed: I’ve done what you wanted. Give me my necklace back. The song you just sang is one I wrote in high school. I have no problem exposing you. Hannah’s face went pale. She let out a cold, resentful laugh through gritted teeth. Suddenly, she grabbed my hand and pushed me into the pool, falling in with me. The icy water submerged my nose and mouth. I panicked, thrashing wildly. Soon, I heard Leo’s desperate voice: “Get the hell out of the way! Dammit, why is the pool so deep?” Hannah cried out: “Leo, save Chloe first!” A strong hand violently yanked my hand away from where I was clutching Hannah. Leo roared: “Chloe Vance! Let go! Are you trying to drown Hannah?!” The icy water pierced my bones, and my heart slowly went numb. This time, he didn’t get my name wrong. I suddenly remembered Leo’s very first performance. I was carrying应援 (supporting) materials and got tired. I sat down in a dark corner where the light couldn’t reach, just to catch my breath. On stage, Leo was in the spotlight, the center of attention. Below the stage, fans waved glow sticks, screaming their applause. I could neither hear the singing nor the cheering. In my silent world, only Leo’s silhouette existed. He was a light that had illuminated my dark and lonely youth, and now he was still shining brightly. Suddenly, the crowd surged. I was pushed down and couldn’t get back up. The man on stage dropped his microphone, jumped off the stage, and stumbled through the crowd. He knelt down and wrapped his arms tightly around me. The blood from his forehead dripped onto my lips. Leo… Is it because you were afraid of damaging her substitute? Then why did you stroke my head over and over, telling me not to be afraid? Then why, when we were seventeen… 04 When I was seventeen, I lived in Hannah’s shadow. After my mother married her father. My stepfather praised a new song I had written. The next minute, Hannah tore up the sheet music. “You deaf freak, if you ever dare to write music again, I’ll punch your mouth in!” She hated me. Along with her friends, she would stomp on my hearing aids, mock the way I spoke, and even spread nasty rumors about me. Yet she was still the perfect, sweet student in the teachers’ eyes. So, when I was framed for stealing a bracelet. She cried as she told the teacher, her mouth moving rapidly. And I, due to long-term hearing loss, spoke slowly and strangely. Under the teacher’s disgusted gaze, I slowly closed my mouth. The injustice was suffocating, swelling from my chest all the way to my eyes. A boy who had been reading in the corner suddenly let out a sarcastic laugh. He expertly used sign language to tell me: Dummy, no one understands what you’re saying. Don’t you know how to write it down? He slapped paper and a pen down in front of me, looked at the teacher, and said slowly: “Teacher, I believe Chloe. Let her write down what she wants to say.” Behind the boy, the sunlight streamed through the ivy covering the window, reflecting in the black pupils beneath his fragmented bangs. After I was proven innocent, he pulled me away. Under Hannah’s practically incendiary gaze. Leo personally removed the earring from his left ear and put it on mine. His voice was right by my ear, loud enough for Hannah to hear. He said: “My grandmother was deaf, too. Don’t be afraid. If she bullys you again, press the button on the earring, and the other earring will sense it, and I’ll appear.” That moment of heartbeat actually stretched over ten years. 05 When I woke up, the window of the hospital was framed with swaying ivy. As if that summer again, vibrant green, until a heated argument cut short the silence. The manager was roaring: “You’re crazy! Hannah was nearly trampled, and you’re still protecting that other woman?! Did you forget she accompanied you through all the competitions, promoted you, begged people to give you data?!” The twenty-seven-year-old Leo coldly spoke up: “Did I ask her to?” The manager asked again: “Then let her go, okay? Stop torturing her.” “…Why should I? She was the one who threw herself at me. No.” “I have to remind you, you’re about to propose to Hannah, man!” “I know! I only love Hannah. Hannah is back. Whether her name is Chloe Vance, Sarah Smith, or Emily Johnson, it’s all the same to me. I just… need some time. When I’m tired of it, I’ll naturally let her go.” Leo suddenly grabbed his forehead, clearly impatient as he continued: “Also, don’t tell her about the proposal. I’m afraid she’ll make a scene. “She actually tried to kill Hannah today. She’s completely insane. Who does she think she is?! “She really thinks I’m some kind of music-obsessed idiot who would actually marry a deaf woman?” He got up and strode away. Behind him, the manager raised his voice, asking question after question: “Who does she think she is?! She’s the thirteen-year-old vocal award-winning genius. The girlfriend who sacrificed everything to be with you for ten years.” “Did you forget? Your biggest wish used to be for her to hear you sing. “Medical technology is advancing so fast these days, if Chloe actually hears one day, don’t regret it!”

The third time my childhood friend brought up that poor girl, I laughed and teased him. “You really did have a thing for her back then, didn’t you?” I said. His expression turned serious. He wanted to correct me. “Cleo, don’t make jokes like that,” he said earnestly. “She was different from us. She was self-respecting and never looked down on anyone who worked hard.” I pouted, feeling slighted. Eventually, they both ended up at Julliard, the top music school in the country. I smashed my violin, moved across the ocean, and changed my major to finance. The bitter rivalry between the popular girl and the charity case was a thing of the distant past. The day I returned, he took me out for dinner. He placed a piece of fish on my plate. Without thinking, I pushed it to the side. He froze, and a long silence fell between us. 1 I kept my return simple, only telling my parents. But the Sterling and Vance families have always been close. So, when I saw Elias Sterling waiting at the airport curb, I wasn’t surprised. Years hadn’t touched his looks. He was still striking. Aristocratic, wearing a dark trench coat, approaching me with that unhurried stride. Perhaps it was the artistic aura of a classical musician, but I noticed several girls nearby stealing glances at him. He smiled as he came over, naturally taking my suitcase from me. “Cleo, was the flight exhausting?” “The heat is on in the car, go get in.” He saw I wasn’t moving. His eyes crinkled. “Your dad asked me to pick you up.” I hesitated for a moment, then got into the back seat. I asked casually, “Aren’t you busy? It’s Monday.” “The princess is back. No matter how busy I am, I have time for this, right?” There was something deep in his eyes, something hard to read. I looked away, offering a casual smile. “Stop teasing me. That’s such a childish nickname. It sounds weird now.” He paused. But he quickly recovered. “We haven’t seen each other in so long. Let’s grab dinner.” It was getting late. I hesitated again. “Okay.” In the rearview mirror, Elias’s gaze drifted toward me, on and off. I pretended not to notice, keeping my head down to reply to a text. [Yeah, just landed.] The reply came instantly. [Spend some time in the city first. I’m wrapping things up here; I’ll be there next week.] I was about to type back. He added, [It’s been exhausting lately. I really miss you.] The market in London had taken a tumble recently; he was probably drowning in meetings. My heart softened. Elias saw me staring at my phone and said softly. “Don’t stare at your phone in the car, Cleo. You’ll get motion sickness.” I froze. That familiar, protective tone. Caring, yet bordering on indulgent. I couldn’t help but look up at him. Years had passed since our last blow-up. We hadn’t spoken in ages. Yet Elias acted as if nothing had happened. His smile still showed those shallow dimples. I put my phone down. “How are my parents doing?” My main reason for coming back was to see family. Seven years had passed; I was rarely as stubborn or vindictive as I used to be. “Your mom was discharged a few days ago. The surgery went perfectly.” His tone was light. “Don’t worry. I’m here, aren’t I?” I was silent. His uncle is a renowned specialist, and the Sterling family had clearly taken good care of things. I offered a polite smile. “Thank you.” The two words had barely left my mouth when Elias flinched. In the past, I was shameless. I’d make him buy me coffee, make him massage my hand when it got tired from practice. I’d even pull a face and make him kneel down to tie my shoelaces. And I’d laugh, wrapping my arms around his neck, never saying thank you. He used to just flick my forehead helplessly. “You really don’t know the meaning of polite, do you? You need to grow up.” The light turned red. Elias rested his arm on the open window. He asked, almost too casually. “What about you? All these years… have you been okay?” 2 After dropping my stuff off, he took me to a nearby restaurant. It was my favorite French place. The waiter brought out the steaks. I answered offhandedly, “I’m good. London is actually great.” Elias offered a gentle smile. “I’ll have to visit sometime.” Mid-sentence, I watched as Elias switched my glass of wine for a soft drink. I said, helpless. “Honestly, Elias, I’m a grown woman now. You don’t have to do this.” He was stubborn about it. “Girls shouldn’t drink too much.” There was a live music stage in the main dining area. A few college girls, eyes sparkling, ran over to ask Elias for an autograph. After signing, he whispered something to them. The girls covered their mouths, peeked at me, and then ran back, giggling and excited. Moments later, a familiar melody began to play. My hand faltered. It was the violin—Greig’s Norwegian Dance. A complex piece, carrying the crisp scent of summer. I still remember the summer I was seventeen. Elias sat beside me, patiently accompanying me, over and over. In the candlelight, his smile was so tender. “By the way, Cleo, when are you coming over to visit? My parents are always asking about you.” “And your favorite pastries, the ones from that bakery down the street… oh, and the calico cat had a litter of kittens last year…” As he spoke, he naturally placed a piece of salmon on my plate. I looked down and pushed it to the side. Elias stopped talking. He was silent for a long time, rubbing his temple. Suddenly, he looked at me, appearing terribly weary. “Cleo, it’s been so long. Do you still hate me?” I stopped eating. Elias looked like he genuinely didn’t understand. “We grew up together. Was it really just because I held her hand during the bow?” In the dining room, the violin music continued, flowing beautifully. It reached a specific turning point. The melody changed, bringing forth older memories. Memories that made me angry, made me sick. Elias’s voice was getting louder. His fingertip lightly tapped against his water glass. “Just like that, you gave up your dream? Never touched a violin again? Threw everything away and ran across the ocean alone?” He frowned. “And all I did was not pull my hand away when she reached out…” “We were on stage. Why did you have to be so throwing a tantrum at that moment?” Quite a few people were staring at us. I froze. Years later, he was bringing up old history again. The complex tangle of emotions in my chest made me uncomfortable. I set my knife and fork down, letting them clatter against the plate. I tilted my head, eyes crinkling in a smile. “Mr. Sterling, I’m sorry. I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Young and foolish, a bit of puppy love… that’s just a classic high school story.” I looked confused. “Why would I be angry about that?” Elias stared at me intently. I grabbed my purse, speaking calmly. “You guys had your dreams, and I have the right to choose the path I want to walk.” “There’s no need to bring up the past.” I glanced at the musicians, speaking honestly. “Besides, I actually think that piece sounds pretty awful.” The violin music stopped abruptly. As I turned to leave, Elias stubbornly grabbed my hand. I couldn’t read the emotion in his eyes. “So, you went into finance, something you aren’t even good at, just to accept an arranged marriage?” “To marry some guy you don’t even know, just to get back at me?” He shook his head slightly. “Cleo Vance, you must have lost your mind.” I calmly pulled my hand away, speaking softly. “What business is it of yours?” “Elias, what exactly is your standing to be talking to me like this right now?” His eyes were dark as ink. He opened his mouth. But no words came out. I smiled. As I reached the door, I remembered something. “Oh, right. I heard Maya is the concertmaster this year. Congratulations.” 3 My head was pounding. I went to a nearby coffee shop and ordered a black Americano. While waiting, a short-haired woman in business attire sat across from me. Our eyes met accidentally. Excitement flashed across her face. “Cleo! What a coincidence.” She put her phone down, happily reaching out a hand. “I haven’t seen you in forever! I was in your class junior year!” I was a bit stunned. I had deliberately erased those memories, and they had become blurry. “Back then, you and Elias actually helped me with my tuition. I always wanted to find a chance to thank you guys…” Seeing I still didn’t have much of a reaction. She waved it off with a laugh. “It’s normal that you don’t remember.” “After all, you guys were so dazzling. You helped so many classmates.” “You guys really are a perfect match. Years later, and you’re still stunningly beautiful!” I remained silent, casting my eyes down. She was like an opened faucet, excited to gossip. “Speaking of which, you guys are too low-key. It’s been so long and there’s still no news about a wedding.” “There was that crazy betting pool on the school forum back in the day.” “The ‘popular girl vs. charity case’ rivalry. Both sides were going back and forth like crazy.” She took a sip of her coffee, sounding righteous. “It was so annoying. How could Maya even compete with you? She couldn’t beat a childhood sweetheart dynamic…” “Miss, your Americano is ready.” I stood up, suddenly finding it a bit funny. I remembered that betting pool. Seven years ago, high-spirited and arrogant, I had actually cast a vote for myself on that forum. I never imagined that in the end, I would be the one fleeing in humiliation. I turned and apologized. “I actually have an emergency I need to take care of. Please excuse me.” She wasn’t upset at all. She crinkled her eyes and waved at me. “Cleo, when are you going to invite me to one of your concerts? I’ll buy out the front row!” My steps faltered. I pushed open the coffee shop door in a rush. Looking at her expectant, certain gaze, I honestly didn’t have the courage to tell her. I had abandoned that dream long ago. I hadn’t touched a violin in seven years… The nights here were always dry and cold, unlike the endless drizzle of London. Some memories just couldn’t be forgotten. They could effortlessly disrupt my entire life. My thoughts drifted back. Back then, everyone knew I had two great loves. One was the violin, and the other was Elias Sterling. It was simple: I had known Elias since we were toddlers. We both started playing the violin at the same time. We lived in the same neighborhood; our parents were best friends. We shared a natural, innate talent for music. We practiced in the same music room, learned music theory together, entered competitions together. We knew everything about each other. Our interests aligned, our personalities complemented each other. I was the arrogant, demanding one; he was gentle and attentive. Growing up, we did everything together. Skiing in Aspen, ordering too much food at restaurants, walking home together after school. He carried my backpack, handed me my drinks, tied my shoelaces. Family background, looks, talent—everything matched perfectly. Back then, everyone believed I would become a world-renowned soloist. And then, I would marry Elias Sterling. But the summer of our sophomore year, someone completely different appeared. Her name was Maya, and she was just a very ordinary girl. 4 Elias first noticed her when he casually handed her a coffee. The barista had gotten the order wrong, and I was always picky. He shrugged, about to toss the coffee into the trash can behind us. “Um, could… could I have that?” A weak voice sounded. Maya looked up at him, speaking very softly. Walking home later, Elias brought it up. “She looked like she was about to pass out from low blood sugar. And I guess her family is struggling financially.” That was the first time he had ever shown interest in someone else. Arrogant as I was back then, I just thought he was being soft-hearted. In our AP music class, Maya was considered nothing more than a hard worker. Her performance grades were always at the bottom of the class. She always wore the same worn-out school hoodie. She was timid, prone to panicking and missing beats when she played the piano, and then bursting into tears. She was just an unremarkable, ordinary girl. But later, Elias started bringing her up more and more often. He’d talk about how she was actually doing so well, how much he admired her tenacity. Every time, I’d be defensive. “But I clearly do everything a hundred times better than her.” He would stop what he was doing and say seriously. “Cleo, she’s different from us. She was self-respecting and never looked down on anyone who was ordinary yet worked hard.” During an AP class, laughter erupted from the back of the classroom. The students all turned around to see Elias, flushing, trying to cover Maya’s mouth. She was blinking innocently, locking eyes with me at that exact moment. When Elias used to bring me things, he started bringing a second copy for her. He’d let her into our private music room to practice. He never said no to her. People started joking around. They called Maya the pure “White Moonlight” and me the arrogant “Popular Girl.” One was sweet and simple, the other proud and brilliant. The rivalry lasted for three years. That comparison followed me everywhere, haunting me like a ghost. Wherever Elias and I were. No matter the time, we would be compared. “But with that princess attitude of hers, Maya is just so much better.” “Boys favor the gentle type. It’s completely understandable. Maya is actually really pitiable.” “Cleo is just too competitive. But I guess she is prettier than Maya.” Maya, Maya… I started becoming frantic. I would scream, I would cry. I found it hard to believe. “Do you really like her?” Every time, he used to helplessness flick my forehead. “Don’t talk nonsense. It’s bad for her reputation.” At the school gala, Elias had promised to accompany her on piano. Their performance was seamless, earning round after round of applause. At the bow, Maya was nervous and tightly gripped the hand of the boy beside her. In the celebratory flush of performance, even ordinary Maya looked a bit beautiful. And Elias hesitated for a second, but he didn’t pull his hand away. Someone posted the photo online. The boy in white and the girl in white—it got millions of hits. With red eyes, I threw away all of his white shirts. We were in a cold war for a long time after that. From then on, the moment I saw white clothing, I felt sick. 5 From somewhere, the beautiful sound of a violin drifted over again. Yes, the tempo needed to slow down, the melody rising and falling. I was sitting in the audition room. Left hand pressing the strings, right hand lightly lifting the bow. It was a pre-screened audition; I knew the judges. But the piece drawn was the Norwegian Dance. Outside the window, Elias secretly let out a sigh of relief. This piece was considered our “song.” It had echoed through that summer when we were seventeen. It was a melody I knew by heart. My face was pale, my lips white. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and began to play. The sound was brilliant, but that disgusting scene gradually became clear before my eyes. The spot where I was pressing the strings… their hands had been tangled together there. This specific measure… he had patiently helped her with the rhythm. My strings… Maya’s hair had brushed against them… How could he? How could he? Why did it have to be this piece! Cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I played faster and faster, faster and faster. A string snapped, cutting my finger. I opened my eyes and calmly stood up. Facing the stunned judges, I bowed, and then walked out of the audition room. …… “Miss! Could you spare some change?” Memories were pulled back. A little boy on the street was holding a battered old violin. He asked me weakly. I crouched down. “Did you just play that song?” “Yeah! It’s the only song I know…” He looked a bit depressed. “My mom smashed my violin, and I want to save up to fix it.” “I saw you standing there listening for a long time, so you must like the violin too. Miss, could you spare just a little change?” Having just returned from abroad, I didn’t have any cash on me. A well-manicured hand reached past me, handing over a few hundred dollars. “Here, kid. Get the violin fixed and practice hard.” A cool, crisp voice. It was Elias again. He patted the boy’s head, his gaze sweeping over to me. He teased. “At least he has ambition. Better than some people.” I casually stood up and walked away. Elias followed silently at my side. The moonlight was shifting. After a long time, he said calmly, “Giving up because of one failure… that’s not the Cleo Vance I know.” “How is that any better than the Maya you always looked down on?” My eyes were icy. I stopped walking. “So? What exactly are you trying to say?” “You guys got what you wanted. Why are you still here bothering me?” Elias gave me a deep look and handed over a ticket. “There’s a very famous investor coming to the city next week. The city arranged a performance for me.” “The tickets are sold out, but I want you to be there…” I squinted at him. A spark of something flickered in his eyes, but it quickly faded into calmness. The ticket had a platinum border, showing how high-profile this performance was. I calmly looked away. “I’m sorry. I won’t be attending.” “It’s not far. I’ll send someone to pick you up.” I tightened my collar and didn’t answer. Elias caught up, naturally taking off his coat. “Is there a scheduling conflict? I can see if it’s possible to adjust the time…” I coldly knocked his hand away. “What exactly do you want?” He looked down. “Seven years ago, I always regretted…” I frowned, interrupting him. “I told you, I’m married.” “I’m happy right now, and I hope you guys stop bothering me.” He froze for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh. A hint of iciness appeared. “Happy? Are you sure?” “A loveless business marriage… how long do you think that’s going to last?” Seeing I was about to speak, he made a shushing motion. “Before you argue with me, let me ask: where is this husband of yours? Why isn’t he with you?” “Hmm. Is he balding, or is he gay? Oh, or maybe he’s just really rich?” The words had barely left his mouth when I slapped him across the face. “Shut up!” I said coldly, “Keep your disgusting thoughts to yourself.” His face was turned to the side, but he was chuckling softly. “Angry?” He said softly. “Cleo, all these years without you, I’ve been very lonely too.” 5 I was completely unmoved. His eyes were as dark as ink. He stared at me intently. A gentle breeze blew in from the ocean. I only then seemed to remember that I had said that same thing to him once. The person who couldn’t bear to be apart from him the most was me. The person most afraid of being lonely was me. But in the end, the person who was abandoned… was also me. “No matter what, I’m glad you’re back.” “I won’t let the regrets from seven years ago happen again.” Having said that, he turned and left, not looking back. I was only a few steps away from the hospital, on a dark, deserted little path with no streetlights. He had followed me for a long time. I paused, then walked on expressionlessly. While waiting for the elevator on the first floor. I run into Maya. She was still dressed in that pure, elegant style, though with an added touch of gentleness and sophistication. Now, she was a famous pianist. Quite a few people recognized her and gathered around, whispering. She was helping an elderly woman out. The elderly woman was beaming with pride, introducing her to everyone around. “This is my granddaughter! She just got back from performing with Elias Sterling in Los Angeles…” Someone in the crowd said excitedly, “Are the rumors about Maya and Elias true? That they’ve loved each other since high school? That they’ve supported and accompanied each other for years?” Maya pursed her lips in a smile, about to speak. Then she saw me. When our eyes met, she visibly became panicked. She became incredibly uncomfortable, her eyes darting around. Someone followed her gaze and noticed me. “Wow! Who is that? She’s gorgeous. Is she some celebrity?” “Probably not. Look at that simple beanie she’s wearing; it’s the latest Chanel one from this year!” I ignored them completely. Maya was biting her lower lip hard. It was as if we had been thrown back seven years, with her bowing her head submissively as I walked past Elias and her. “I’m sorry, we have to go.” The crowd dispersed, uninterested. A flash of resentment and unwillingness appeared in Maya’s eyes as she glanced back at me. Unwillingness? I shook my head. Honestly, she had no reason to be envious. After all, seven years ago, the one who was defeated, humiliated, and lost everyone… was me. When I reached the hospital room, my mom happily grabbed my hand, and we talked for a long time. “By the way, did you see Elias? Where is he?” I nodded, being vague. “He had something to do and left.” She sighed, hesitating. “The Sterling and Vance families have always been close. Elias visits often. Every time, he goes into your old room and just stays there for the whole afternoon.” “That violin you smashed… he went to America to find someone to fix it.” Mom began to ramble. “I still remember when you had that high fever and said you wanted plum-flavored ice cream. He ran around several cities to find it…” I looked up and smiled, interrupting her. “Mom, that was so many years ago. I’m married now!” “Oh, right. You guys didn’t end up together…” She tapped her head, talking herself to sleep. My dad, sitting on the other side of the room, made a shushing motion. We went out into the hallway. “She just wants to comfort you. She’s afraid you still haven’t moved on.” I suddenly felt a surge of self-mockery. Right, everyone said that. Everyone thought: how could I possibly be willing to give up the violin? How could I possibly cut off all contact with him for seven years? Dreams shattered, loves lost. The summer after high school graduation, everyone was worried about me. They were afraid I would do something drastic. They were afraid I would slit my wrists. In the end, even Maya came to my door to apologize. She was stammering, looking like she was about to cry. I coldly slammed the door. “Get out.”

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