Category: English

At the entrepreneurial team competition, Rachel Foster, Howard Jackson’s childhood sweetheart, volunteered to be the team leader in hopes of securing a recommendation for graduate school. I prioritized the overall situation and firmly rejected her proposal. So she withdrew from the competition and, following her parents, returned to her distressed hometown to get married. The team I led won the championship, emerged as a rising star in the business world, and all members secured recommendations for graduate school. Later, I married Howard. When we were celebrating the company’s IPO on a yacht, he pushed me—six months pregnant—off the yacht while I was off my guard. Before I drowned, I struggled while asking him why he did this to me. Howard’s face turned cold as he replied, “If you hadn’t selfishly taken the position of team leader, Rachel wouldn’t have left the competition, gotten married, and ended up dying from domestic violence.” When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day when Rachel, a poor student, had volunteered to be the team leader. ***** “Lola, I’m just a few credits short of securing a recommendation for graduate school. The team leader in the entrepreneurship competition will get extra credits. Can you let me take the role of team leader?” When I heard those familiar words, I was shocked. I glanced at the clock on the wall and immediately realized I had been sent back to the day when Rachel first proposed to be the team leader of the entrepreneurship competition. In my previous life, Rachel didn’t major in finance, and my parents had promised to invest in my team and connect us with business elites for guidance. Given these factors, I could only reject her sternly on the grounds that she wasn’t suitable for the position. I also explained to her that if we excelled in the competition, all of us could potentially secure recommendations for graduate school, so she didn’t need to be the team leader. However, she felt that I was deliberately humiliating her and, as a result, dropped out of school, followed her parents back to her distressed hometown, and got married. Later, I leveraged my parents’ connections to attract resources for my team. In the end, we won the championship, all members secured recommendations for graduate school, and we emerged as rising stars in the business world. Three years later, I married Howard. While I was pregnant, he inherited my family’s company. The company founded by my team also went public successfully. Howard became a prominent figure and enjoyed immense success. In the name of celebration, Howard invited me onto a yacht. When I was off my guard, he kicked me, who was six months pregnant, into the sea. The water around me turned red with my baby’s blood. I pleaded with him to save our baby, but he threw a stone at me and sneered, “If you hadn’t been so selfish and driven Rachel away, she wouldn’t have gotten married and died of domestic violence while pregnant. You owe her.” It was at that moment that I realized Howard had harbored hatred toward me for so many years because of what had happened to Rachel. Seeing that I remained silent, Howard frowned and dragged me along with evident displeasure. “Lola, did you hear us? Rachel needs the position of team leader more than you do. You should let her take this role.” Hearing Howard’s impatient voice, I snapped back to reality. I looked at the pitiful Rachel beside me and sneered, “Didn’t you say that the team leader would be whoever could attract investment and make the greatest contribution? Now that I’ve delivered on that, you want me to step down?” When Rachel heard what I said, tears streamed down her face. “Lola, that’s not what I meant. I just want to pursue a master’s degree. I’m from a really tough background. If I can’t secure a recommendation for graduate school, I’ll have no choice but to go home and get married. Please, have mercy on me.” Having said that, Rachel immediately bowed to me. Her action instantly drew the attention of the entire class, and everyone gathered around. Rachel’s voice trembled with even more sorrow. “Lola, I really don’t want to go back to my hometown and marry some old bachelor. Please don’t make me drop out of school, okay?”

The crowd watching immediately grew indignant upon hearing this. “Lola, what are you doing? Who are you to make Rachel drop out of school? Why are you so vicious?” “Rachel comes from a poor family, but it doesn’t mean you can bully her like this.” “Lola, how could you use your family’s wealth to bully Rachel like this? That’s absolutely despicable.” Howard grabbed my arm and said earnestly, “Lola, I know you’ve always been spoiled and willful, but this time it’s about Rachel’s future. You can’t ruin her life over something as trivial as a team leader position. It’s really no big deal to let her have it.” I was infuriated by his words. They had once urged me to take on the responsibility of being the team leader. Why didn’t they suggest Rachel be the team leader when I had to stay up all night writing proposals? Where was Rachel when I went to countless companies to humbly seek investment for my team? Now, with the competition about to end, she wanted to replace me, and Howard described the team leader position as trivial. I said coldly, “I didn’t make her drop out of school. I’m the one who secured the investment for this competition. What qualifications does Rachel have to replace me?” Howard laughed dismissively. “Lola, stop bragging about your fundraising. You only managed to do that because our team is excellent. Even if we let Rachel seek investment, she could do it—and might even do a better job.” Rachel said shyly, “Lola, you can’t dismiss our team’s excellence just to highlight your own capabilities. Howard is a well-known financial genius. I guess it’s him who actually attracted the investment.” Howard was clearly pleased with Rachel’s compliment, and his expression grew even more arrogant. “Rachel is right. Lola, I might not have cared about this before, but if you’re going to be so selfish as to ruin Rachel’s future, I’ll never agree.” I raised my eyes and chuckled, “In that case, I’ll let her take the role.” Howard’s face lit up with satisfaction at my words. “Lola, that’s the spirit. I admire how sensibly you’re handling this. You’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future, but Rachel can’t afford to lose this one.” I nodded readily. “Then I wish you great success in the competition.” Rachel seemed a bit displeased, thinking that I was trying to shirk responsibility. “Lola, even though you’re no longer the team leader, you’re still a member of this team. You should still be responsible for the part you worked on before.” I sneered and said sarcastically, “Rachel, I was the team leader and handled 70% of the team’s workload. Now you want to replace me and still expect me to do most of the work? How shameless.” Rachel’s face turned pale. “That’s not what I meant. The competition is about to end, and it’s not a good idea to change the team leader now.” I nodded. “You knew the competition was about to end, so you chose to take the credit at this time.” As soon as I said this, the onlookers understood what was going on and began to accuse Rachel of being scheming and hypocritical—trying to take the credit without doing any work. Rachel hurriedly tried to explain, but no one believed her. After all, many classmates had seen me working tirelessly during this period—leaving school early and coming back late to run our business. Seeing that Rachel was on the verge of tears again, Howard stepped in front of her protectively and scolded me angrily. “Lola, Rachel is doing this for the good of our team. Don’t slander her. She is the team leader now and has the right to tell you what to do. You’d better be obedient. If you don’t follow her instructions, we can only kick you out of the team.”

I stared at Howard with wide eyes and clapped my hands excitedly. “Okay, I’m quitting right now.” Howard’s expression turned cold and stern, clearly taken aback by my sudden declaration. “Lola, don’t be impulsive. Rachel is a reasonable person and won’t make things difficult for you just because you targeted her before. If you quit now, you’ll definitely regret it.” I smiled dismissively, “Regret? Sorry, but I won’t. I’m quitting right now, and I won’t have anything to do with your team anymore.” With that, I turned around and walked away, not sparing a glance at Howard’s and Rachel’s sullen faces. Start a business? Forget about it. Wasn’t it better to inherit my family fortune worth billions of dollars? Howard was indeed exceptional. I invested in his development, propelling him to the top of the financial world where he became a leading figure and could attract investments. But at present, Howard hadn’t yet reached the level where his fame could attract vast investments. My uncles invested in our team simply to make me happy. That evening, I posted a message on social media, announcing my departure from the startup team. As soon as I posted it, my uncles all commented. [Dear Lola, you’re quitting the startup? Just go for it. Your father and uncles can provide you with substantial investment. Even if you fail, it’s okay.] [Lola, if you quit, I will withdraw my investment.] My cousins at school heard about how I was forced to quit and posted about it in the comment section. The comment section flooded with messages all at once. That very night, my uncles decided to withdraw their investment and announced they would blacklist the team in the industry. I didn’t stop them. The next day, I went to school as usual. After leaving the entrepreneurship competition, I had some free time and focused on studying and applying for graduate school. After class, I received a call from my dad asking me to draft a planning proposal for him. It was a small project, and my dad often gave me tasks like this to gain some experience. In the afternoon, I brought the proposal I had prepared to my dad’s company. He took the contract, glanced through it, and expressed his satisfaction. When I was walking out of the company, someone suddenly bumped into me. I glanced over and saw Howard. After spotting the documents on the ground, he suddenly laughed. “Lola, I knew you didn’t really want to leave our team. Did you know we were coming to Clarke Group, so you prepared a proposal and waited for us here?” Howard reached out to take the proposal from my arms, but I stepped aside to dodge him. “You’re overthinking it. I didn’t prepare it for you.” Howard frowned. “Lola, stop messing around. If you didn’t prepare it for us, are you planning to start your own business?” I was stunned, and suddenly it hit me—I had done most of the tasks in the team by myself. So why couldn’t I start my own business? Thinking of this, I suddenly smiled, “You’re right. I want to start my own business.” With that, I walked away, ignoring Howard’s cursing and shouting behind me. Three days later, I submitted my business plan and secured all the previous investments. When I was leaving school in the afternoon, Howard and Rachel suddenly stopped me. Howard said, “Lola, I didn’t expect you to go to such shameless lengths just to steal our investment. You’ve slept with so many men. You’re not worthy of being my girlfriend.” His slander instantly drew the attention of many curious onlookers. I said, “Howard, watch your language.” Rachel took Howard’s arm and said, “Lola, how could you cheat on Howard?” I frowned. “What nonsense are you talking about?” Howard pulled out a stack of distasteful photos and threw them in my face. “No wonder you were able to attract so much investment. The way you sought it is despicable.” Seeing everyone pointing fingers at me and gossiping loudly about me, I took out my cell phone and called the man in the photo. “Uncle Cam, please come to my school with our family photo.”

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My mom had never celebrated my birthday because it happened to be the same day my sister died. On my sister’s birthday, she made me wear her clothes and eat the seafood my sister liked. Once, I ended up in the hospital with a severe allergic reaction, but my mom just told the doctor, “She ate seafood because she craved it.” When I got accepted to a college, she flipped out and insisted I change my name to my sister’s, claiming, “Your sister never got to go to college, so why should you?” I ran out crying and bumped into Jonas, who was smoking outside. He offered me his hand and said, “Wanna go watch the sunset together?” I made the most rebellious choice ever and hopped on his motorcycle. After I disappeared, Mom called me, saying, “Hilary, come back. I’ll celebrate your birthday this time.”

My boyfriend, Bert Evans, had promised to propose to me on our fifth anniversary. However, on that day, he reserved the mall and threw a grand birthday party for his close female friend, Della Flynn. Looking at the diamond ring about the size of a pigeon’s egg on Della’s finger, I had naively thought it was meant for me. “Della, I want to give you a birthday party that you will never forget,” Bert said loudly as if announcing something important. Then, he took the tab from an empty soda can and handed it to me. “Those tacky things are not worthy of you. You deserve something more special.” He took my hand and put the soda can tab onto my finger, treating it as a proposal. He gave Della a grand birthday party but left me with nothing but heartbreak. Later, when he found out I was going to marry someone else, he came to me with a ring, got down on one knee, and begged me to marry him instead. ***** After the birthday party, Bert supported Della, who was dressed in an evening gown, out of the mall. The night wind was chilly. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. As they got into the car, Bert finally noticed me standing there, looking dazed and heartbroken. He rolled down the window and looked at me. “Are you lame? Hurry up. What are you upset about? It’s just a birthday party for Della, not a proposal.” My gaze fixed on Della sitting in the passenger seat, admiring the diamond ring on her finger. I snorted coldly, “Weren’t you supposed to propose to me today? You tricked me here just to watch you two be all lovey-dovey, huh?” Bert shrugged, resting his hand on the edge of the window, saying with a mocking smile, “Lucy Perry, haven’t I proposed to you? Are you getting in or not? If not, I’m leaving.” I glanced at the soda can tab in my hand. Its sharp edges had already cut a deep gash into my skin. “So, I’m worthless to you, huh?” With that, I threw the soda can tab onto the ground where Bert’s car was parked. Della frowned, looking in my direction. “Lucy, you… Are you angry? Bert only bought me a 50-thousand-dollar diamond ring. Is that really worth getting this upset over? Besides, it’s my birthday. Why do you have to compete for his attention today?” Bert turned to buckle Della’s seatbelt, then turned back to reassure her. “Don’t be upset, Della. That’s just how Lucy is. She has always been jealous. Forget it. She’s just wasting my time. Let’s go.” Della had a triumphant look as she rolled up the car window. I took a deep breath, standing frozen in place, watching Bert drive away. A huge disappointment overwhelmed me. I couldn’t snap out of it for a while. I had thought the elaborate scene Bert had carefully set up was for the proposal. Unexpectedly, the huge backdrop displayed Della’s name. He hadn’t taken anything I said to heart, but he perfectly remembered every detail about Della. I arrived at the mall, meticulously dressed, and I should have been the star of the grand scene. Instead, I wasn’t even a supporting character. The gown that had hung at home for half a month, and the ring kept in a box, were both on Della today. I had imagined myself in that gown, with Bert proposing to me with that ring. That feeling would certainly be extremely happy. But the reality struck hard and fast. He handed me a soda can tab from a drink he had finished and put it on my finger. In the end, our relationship over the years meant nothing to him.

As night fell, there was a light snow. I pulled my coat tighter around me and took out my phone to call my mom, Ebony Perry. “Mom, I’ll listen to you about my marriage.” Ebony paused for a moment before responding, “Alright, I’ll send you Henry’s contact information. Baby, I’m glad you’ve come to your senses.” She didn’t say too much, just a few words of advice before hanging up. I seemed to have lost all interest in my future life because of Bert. My parents had always mentioned Henry Ross, a potential match for me, but I had resisted and refused them. Now, I thought even if Henry wasn’t perfect, he couldn’t be worse than Bert. It was a short distance from the mall to my house, but it took me two hours. When I finally arrived, Bert hadn’t returned yet. The house was messy, with his clothes scattered on the floor. If it were before, I would have immediately cleaned them, but now, I didn’t want to do it at all. I threw all the clothes on the floor into the trash can. The carefully prepared candlelit dinner on the table was tossed into the garbage. I had imagined that after the proposal, we would return home to a blissful night. But now, it was just my wishful thinking. Before going to bed, I picked up my phone and scrolled through my social media feed. Della had posted several updates: [Mr. Evans, thank you for giving me a memorable birthday.] [The gown was beautiful, and I loved it. I hope next year’s birthday will be just as special, with you by my side and full of surprises.] I scrolled past these posts and saw Bert’s comment below. Bert, who had always been aloof, would publicly post about Della. Despite my requests, he had never made our relationship public. [Della, you’re the beautiful princess tonight.] Those few words stabbed at my heart. What I had desperately sought, Della had obtained easily. I pondered, but I couldn’t figure out what I lacked compared to Della. Shedding tears over Bert wasn’t worth it, but recalling our five-year relationship, I couldn’t hold back any longer. Tears soaked my pillow. Nearly at dawn, Bert finally came home. Perhaps because of the snow, he exuded a strong chill. Instinctively, I moved to the side. He pulled me back into his embrace, whispering into my ear, his warm breath caressing every inch of my skin, “Lucy, are you still upset about tonight?” Seeing that I didn’t respond, he teasingly nibbled my earlobe. “Why aren’t you talking?” Disgusted, I pushed Bert’s hand away and wriggled out of his grasp. The unique scent of Della’s perfume permeated his body. It almost made me vomit. “Bert, let’s break up.” I lay flat, blankly staring at the ceiling, my eyes showing an unprecedented calmness. Bert abruptly sat up, turning on the light and staring at me. “Are you crazy, Lucy? You want to break up over something so trivial? You’re overly petty. I can propose again on another day.” His gaze turned fierce, and the earlier tenderness had gone. He still didn’t realize that his feelings for Della had long surpassed those of ordinary friends, and he refused to admit it, always insisting that Della was just his friend. I didn’t bother arguing with him. “Yes, I’m too petty, so you’d better find someone as considerate as Della.”

Bert sighed, pulled out a cigarette from the cigarette box on the nightstand, and started smoking, seemingly lost in thought. I wanted to stop him but held back. I had told him to put dirty clothes in the washing machine, take out the trash when he went out, and not to smoke in the bedroom countless times, but he never remembered any of them. Maybe because I had always indulged him, he never took my words seriously. I was tired. Since I couldn’t change him, maybe it was time to part ways. Bert said with a straight face, flicking ash onto the floor, “Work on your temper, Lucy. Besides me, no one else could tolerate you. Can you stop being so hostile towards Della? She’s my friend, and you’re my girlfriend. You’re both important to me. I won’t break up with you.” He thought I was just throwing a jealous tantrum, unaware that I was serious this time. ***** The next morning, Bert had already left when I woke up. I picked up my phone and saw a new friend request on WhatsApp. Last night, I had forgotten to contact Henry, so early in the morning, he had taken the initiative to send a friend request. I accepted the request, and Henry immediately messaged me: [The wedding is in ten days. If it’s too soon, we can postpone it.] Because of what happened with Bert, I dared not have expectations for any man and show my whole feelings, fearing it would end up hurting me once more. I replied: [Alright, let’s do it your way.] After that, I went to the office to finish up my resignation procedure before heading home. Since Bert and I had lived together, I had been paying the rent of the apartment. I posted the sublet information on a website after sorting out the company affairs. Just as I stepped out of the company building, I received a call from Bert. “Lucy, come to Stary Bar. I have something urgent to tell you. Hurry up.” He sounded anxious, and through the phone, I could hear Della and his friends’ voices. Because of these friends, Bert hadn’t been to the office in a long time. It wouldn’t be surprising if the company soon went bust. “Okay, I have something to tell you too.” I got into a ride-hailing car and headed straight to Stary Bar. Pushing open the private room door, I entered, and a cacophony of noise greeted me. Bert, who had been holding Della around the waist, reluctantly moved his arm when he saw me. Bert’s friends laughed, “She really came at the drop of a hat. Bert does have a loyal pet.” “You know, the proposal ring Bert gave her was just a soda can tab!” Those people around Bert recounted the embarrassing moment I had been in that day. I glanced at them indifferently and walked over to Bert’s side. The alcohol had tinted his usually pale face with a rosy hue. He pointed to a glass of alcohol on the table. “Lucy, you love me the most, right?” I snorted coldly, “Cut the crap. Just say what you want.” Bert’s soft gaze turned colder as he pushed the glass of alcohol toward me. “Della lost a round of Truth or Dare. You know she’s allergic to alcohol, so drink this for her. Anyway, you’ve covered for me plenty of times.” Bert still remembered those times I had drunk for him. In the early days of the company, there were many business dinners, and every time, I would go along, worried about his health. Seeing him vomit blood from drinking too much, I felt heartbroken. From then on, I drank every glass of alcohol for him. All his projects were achieved by my cups of alcohol. But now, he was asking me to drink for Della.   “I came to tell you something, not to drink for you,” I sneered. Della gave a half-smile and stood up straight, staring at me. “Do you want to know what Bert said after he lost a round of Truth or Dare? He said you’re not fit to lick my boots. That’s why he gave you that proposal ring. Isn’t that funny?” She leaned closer to me, the strong, cheap perfume on her body hitting my nose. I instinctively stepped back, putting some distance between us. “I’m talking to Bert. You don’t have to show off. I’m not interested in what he said.” Della’s smile faded as she huffed and sat down on the sofa. Bert, annoyed by my attitude, rubbed his temples and looked up at me. “What do you want to say? You want a breakup? Or are you still upset about what happened last night? Be mature, okay? You’re not a kid.” “I’m serious, Bert. Let’s break up.” My words were resolute. Bert seemed unconvinced. He sneered, picked up the glass of alcohol in front of him, and poured it over my head. “You know what you are saying? Get a grip, Lucy. Is that enough? If not, I have more.” He refilled the glass and continued to pour alcohol over me. Tears mixed with the alcohol, wetting my face. Once again, he humiliated me in public, just like yesterday. Della crossed her arms, watching this scene with amusement, while the others on the couches egged Bert on. “See? I knew it! Even if Bert treats Lucy like this, she won’t leave him. She’s really devoted.” “Yeah, but only Della deserves to be with Bert.” “I bet Lucy will get angry but won’t leave, just like yesterday. Anyone want to bet?” The others nodded in agreement, while Bert stood there, remaining indifferent to their mocking words towards me. I coldly scanned the room, finally fixing my gaze on Bert. My lips trembled, but no words came out. Turning away, I ran out of the private room. This time, I wouldn’t give him the chance to hurt me anymore. As I walked out of the bar, I realized Bert had followed me. He stood at the door, calling out to me. I thought he had changed his mind, but it was only to scold me for Della’s sake. Bert warned me, looking fierce, “You didn’t drink for Della, and she ended up drinking herself and now has an allergic reaction. Lucy, if anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive you.” Before I could respond, he rushed back inside. Soon, he came out with the feeble Della in his arms. Those people hurriedly took Della to the hospital, while I, drenched and shivering from the cold wind outside, stumbled a few steps before being knocked down by a passing motorbike. I fell hard onto the ground. The rider didn’t show any remorse, scowling and scolding, “Watch where you’re going, idiot!” He then sped off. I stared at the bloody wounds on my palms and knees, the sharp pain making it difficult for me to stand up. After a while, I managed to get up, leaning heavily on my legs. By the time I got home, it was dark outside. Shaking, I went to take a shower and finally had time to treat my injuries. I knew Bert had called me there to appease Della, but I had gone anyway to tell him face-to-face that we were done. I had said that, but I had endured humiliation from Bert and his friends. After today, I never wanted to have anything to do with them again. It wasn’t completely dark yet. I packed my clothes into a suitcase. Everything else from living with Bert, I threw them into a box and intended to throw it out downstairs. After finishing all this, I picked up my phone and saw Bert’s message: [I’ll be home in half an hour. Make dinner to apologize to Della.] It was sent an hour ago. Seeing the cold, commanding words, I replied: [I’m getting married on the 28th. If you are free, bring Della to the wedding feast.] Just as I sent the message, there was a knock on the door.

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My husband, Roy Morrison, made me his and Karen Marshall’s son’s surrogate mother, and I pretended to have no clue about that. Instead, their son, Frank Morrison, was carefully raised by me for twenty-five years. When Frank finally got the shares of my company and took over the Hawkins Group, Roy showed up with Karen, who was in a wheelchair. “Gloria Hawkins, Frank is our son. You have dominated him for twenty-five years; now it’s time to release him and let him be with his own mother, Karen,” said Roy to me. Grinning meaningfully, I replied, “Sure, but I’m afraid Frank will say no.” “Gloria, how can you treat Frank like that? He’s still a little boy, and you plan to drown him with these piles of homework?” Karen used to be Roy’s younger brother’s wife. She pulled the weeping Frank into her arms with a coax. “Frank, don’t cry. Mom is so bad, right? What are these math quizzes for? You’re still a child!” Then, she dropped the pen and took Frank’s hand while saying to him tenderly, “How about we go to the yard and do some research about insects?” Playing with insects was one of Frank’s favorites, and his cloudy little face immediately turned sunny as he threw himself into Karen’s arms. Suddenly, he timidly turned his head to me as if asking for my permission. Karen’s husband passed away in a car accident, and she also lost her legs just to save my husband. Fate deprived her of her chance to be a mother from that nightmare. Therefore, Karen poured all her maternal love into Frank. People praised this young woman for being so benevolent since she cared for her deceased husband’s parents even after his death while looking after her nephew like he was her son. Despite her reliance on the wheelchair, she still persisted in walking Frank to and back from school every day, not even daunted by snow. Once there was a blizzard, and Karen fell down from the wheelchair with her forehead bumped, bleeding. However, she still showed up at the gate of Frank’s school in the afternoon with her wound roughly bandaged. She was in charge of everything that Frank put into his mouth, chose all the outfits for this little boy, and always stood by him when he went to drink water or to play. All of this selfless and meticulous care for Frank was, as claimed by Karen because she wanted someone to be there for her, a wretched and infertile woman, when she aged. The very fact was, that Frank was Karen’s biological son with my husband. Reluctant to expose the truth, I just indulged her excessive maternal love for Frank. To be honest, the company wore me out, and piles of contracts and documents needed my signature. Besides, Frank needed company during his childhood. But letting Karen be with Frank didn’t mean giving in to my way of education. I still brought Frank to various activities to teach him what the big picture was and the correct outlook on life. After all, Frank’s having a life view like a homewrecker was the last thing I wanted in my whole life. Back to what was happening now, Karen was about to take Frank to the yard when I strode over to pull my son back. “Karen, don’t spoil him. You don’t want him to become a lazy, cocky man, right?” I said. She replied impatiently, “It’s just a break. Why so fussy?” As she said that, she stroked Frank’s face and continued, “Frank’s gonna be the CEO of both the Hawkins and the Morrison Group. He’s not like those sad sacks. Even if he can do nothing, people will swarm to work for him.” Then, she turned her wheelchair and took Frank’s hand. I couldn’t help but sneer at this shortsighted woman. Sparing myself the trouble of debating with her, I pulled Frank back. He was my nominal son, and I would definitely not give in even an inch in terms of his education. Unexpectedly, the pull was so hard that Karen fell onto the floor with a painful moan. Then, she covered her head and curled up on the floor. A trace of jealousy and hatred flashed in her gaze at me. All of a sudden, someone rushed to us while inquiring anxiously, “What happened? Why did you fall, Karen?” Then, a robust man strode to Karen and carried her in his arms. The terrifying expression on her face immediately switched to a delicate frown, tears rolling down her cheek. She muttered, “Roy, I just wanted to play with Frank and let him feel relaxed a little bit. He has been working on those math problems for more than an hour. But Gloria blamed me for spoiling Frank, and she just…” Meanwhile, Karen hugged Roy’s arm and sobbed. Roy’s face obviously dropped after learning the whole story and reprimanded me, “I know you’re a workaholic, but can you please spare my son? He’s only eight years old! Don’t brainwash my son with your creed of life and make him a robot!”

I calmly looked at Roy, the man I entrusted myself to. Although he was not a very ambitious or competitive man, he was born into a family as wealthy as mine with good looks. For people from powerful families like us, marriage was less about one’s true feelings but was more about the pursuit of maximum benefits. I had to confess that I didn’t love Roy very much, let alone treat him with tenderness and admiration. As the second son of the Morrison family, Roy had no advantage in the competition for the inheritance, considering his elder brother, Hank Morrison, occupied a rather important position in the Morrison Group, while his illegitimate younger brother, Alan Morrison, won the favor of the elders. So, pursuing me was his best choice. The Morrison family and the Hawkins family were respectively recognized as the most affluent families in the northern and southern regions of the country. As the only heiress to the Hawkins family, I had the undoubted right to dispose of my family business. At that time, our families were negotiating about a five-year cooperation in new energy resources, and Roy treated me so tenderly and never defied me during that period of time. Meanwhile, due to a disagreement with somebody, I married Roy in a fit of pique. Then, I stared at Roy coldly. “Frank will take over the Morrison and the Hawkins Group someday. You really think it’s good for him to grow up without any guidance or restraints?” “A spoiled heir will be very likely to ruin your family business that you take over from your forefathers,” I added. Roy wavered after hearing that. Just as he looked at Frank, who was still weeping, Karen cut in timidly, “Gloria, don’t be an alarmist. Taking a short break doesn’t mean Frank will be ruined. He is only eight years old. You can’t rob him of his childhood for money.” Then, she looked at Roy with pitiful eyes. “Roy, what do you think?” Roy lowered his head to show her a smile and put her back into the wheelchair. Then, he carried Frank with one hand and railed at me, “You really should learn how to be a tame woman like Karen. Be a good mother, and stop just talking about money all the time. You look impersonal.” Sneering, I glared at the loving family in front of me and retorted, “May I remind you that Frank is my son. An outsider like her shouldn’t have any right to intervene in his education, right?” After saying that, I provoked Karen with my eyes. Roy was terrified as he looked at Karen and shouted at me, “Watch your mouth, Gloria! Karen saved my life, and my son will be hers. It’s a warning—never call Karen an outsider ever again as long as I’m still in this family. You dare to say that again, and I will definitely make you regret it.” After that, he wheeled Karen out in her wheelchair with Frank. The joyful laughter leaped into the house just after a while. Standing on the balcony on the second floor, I saw Frank riding on Roy’s shoulders and Karen smiling with satisfaction, and sighed at the younger vision of me. If I hadn’t been so strong-headed, maybe Roy could have lived a happy life with Karen without me as their barricade. As Roy backed her, Karen became even more cocky. She stopped asking about my opinion and directly managed the family affair on her own. Watching Karen and Roy flirting, I even felt pity for them since they couldn’t just fuck in this very house. Karen ruined her life just for a hypocritical man like Roy. I wondered whether she was gonna regret this decision someday. As for Frank’s education, I could tolerate them looking after and playing with him, but I would always be at the helm of Frank’s cultivation. I told the vice president of the Hawkins Group to take care of all the unnecessary cocktail parties while spending my nights reading with Frank and telling him stories. Every summer and winter vacation, I would take Frank to top universities around the world and lead him to the world of academics. Meanwhile, I sent him to learn business administration regardless of the sky-high tuition fees. I could tell that Frank didn’t like my seriousness, but as he grew up and had a wider horizon, he started enjoying talking about life with me and sharing his unusual but wonderful thoughts. Every time I brought Frank out for more than half a month, Karen would bombard me with numerous calls, asking me to put more clothes on him or not to put strange foods in his mouth. Seeing Frank frowning at those calls, I asked him with a smile, “Frank, do you think that I have been too strict with you since your childhood and am not as gentle and caring as Karen?”

After pondering for a while, Frank said, “Mom, trees need help to grow upright, right? I am a man. I should work hard to learn so that I can contribute to the country and society like some of my predecessors. That is a meaningful life.” I patted him on the shoulder. He was surely the son of a great expert. Genetics was amazing. With the cultivation of me, Karen, and Roy, Frank grew up a hard-working and outgoing young man who outshone his peers among other wealthy families. At the age of eighteen, he successfully matriculated in the best engineering college in this country. Roy’s father, Teddy Morrison, held high expectations for Frank and gifted him twenty percent of the Morrison Group’s shares as encouragement. The funny thing was that neither Hank’s daughter nor son gained even one percent, not to mention he himself only held twenty percent of the shares. During the last eighteen years, Roy had established his status due to the investment from the cooperation of the Hawkins Group, enabling him to surpass his elder brother. Teddy nodded at every decision Roy made without blinking his eyes because he knew Roy got me behind his back. Even if there were something wrong, I would clean his ass with my own money. Those shrewd senior managers in the Morrison Group had already stood on Roy’s side and made Hank a figurehead of this company. Three years later, Frank graduated and returned home. On that very day, I showed him a four-hour video of the shit between his real father and real mother. Frank, staying mute for like a century, finally managed to utter, “Mom, what do you want to do?” I asked him really calmly, “Are you sure you can put aside their love and devotion to you for twenty years and turn to my side?” Thinking for a while, Frank said, “Mom, I know what I am doing. If he still has the slightest bit of conscience, I will do it softer.” I patted my son on the shoulder and smiled with relief. My little boy had grown up and become more sophisticated than me in some aspects. I knew he wouldn’t let me down. According to my suggestion, Frank soon interned at the Morrison Group. With the support and guidance of his father and grandfather, Frank tripled the corporate stock price. Facing such a big achievement, Teddy began to think about handing the Morrison Group directly to Frank. A couple of days before Frank’s twenty-fifth birthday, we had a family meeting. I proposed that I wanted to transfer all my shares to Frank and let him take over the Hawkins Group to enjoy my retirement. “I’m just a woman, after all, and I’m tired after working so strenuously for twenty years,” I said. Roy’s face was brimming with joy after hearing my decision. Then, I glanced at Karen, who sat in a corner. Her eyebrows raised as she was probably trying her best to suppress the grin on the corner of her mouth. Nevertheless, the excitement in her eyes betrayed her. Meanwhile, Teddy tapped his cane in deep thought. If Frank controlled the Hawkins Group, he would absolutely not be able to serve the Morrison Group anymore. After all, the Hawkins Group and the Morrison Group hadn’t been merged together. Teddy was very reluctant to see his grandson make another corporation thrive. Suddenly, he took my hint that I meant to merge the Hawkins and the Morrison Group into one and form a company mainly led by the old Morrison Group named the ZenithPlex Group. With Frank as its CEO, the ZenithPlex Group would rank first among all the companies in Zephyria. Teddy was thrilled at this conception. The Morrison Group would still be itself as Frank, his grandfather, took it over, while the Hawkins Group was totally wiped off in the business field. The Morrison Group would still thrive in Zephyria after merging with the Hawkins Group. Hank, however, opposed this idea, and I just acquired all his shares at a higher price to erase this trouble of my plan. Facing Teddy’s pressure, Hank finally surrendered and left in a rage with the money. Karen represented her deceased husband and approved my plan without hesitation. She said generously, “Alan passed away, and I don’t have any children. I always treat Frank as my own flesh and blood. I will count on him when I am old, so let this young chap have everything.”   After discussion, we planned to hold a press conference on Frank’s twenty-fifth birthday to announce the merger of the Morrison and the Hawkins Group with Frank taking over this new company. People flooded into the press conference, and all the upper circle of Zephyria attended it, too. The whole place was brimmed with jealous exclaims and congratulations. From now on, the ZenithPlex Group would earn their admiration and be the most optional choice of their business partner. In the presence of lawyers, Frank walked onto the stage with all the shareholders’ trust and signed the contract of share transfer. Then, he gave an inaugural address. The moment he finished his speech, applause broke out in the crowd. Right after his speech, Roy wheeled Karen, who was rugged out at her best, to the stage. With Roy’s help, she managed to stand up with her feeble legs trembling and hugged Frank. She said excitedly, “My son, you finally grow up. May days of being forced to separate my child finally come to an end!” Then, she pulled out a DNA test she conducted twenty years ago and handed it to me in front of the cameras. “Gloria, you hated me because Roy cared about me, so you cooked up a car accident to kill Alan and disable me. You even took my son away!” Glaring at Karen, who was engrossed in a revenge drama, I was kind of surprised to know that she could still reduce her moral bottom line when it was already so low. Maybe that was why she was not religious because she wasn’t afraid to be punished by God when making those things up. Everyone was attracted to Karen’s story with sobs and couldn’t help looking back and forth at Roy, Frank, and me. Then, whispers quietly broke out. “What’s this all about?” said a person. Another murmured, “Frank is not Ms. Hawkins’ son?” “She robbed motherhood of the widow of Mr. Morrison’s younger brother?” someone chimed in. “But that young man is an adult now. If Karen reclaims her motherhood right now, Ms. Hawkins’ years of raising Frank will be in vain!” “Hold on. If Ms. Hawkins transfers her company to Frank now, she will have nothing left if Karen’s claim is true.” Meanwhile, Roy just said to me in disappointment, “Gloria, I know it was the shock of giving birth to a dead infant that drove you mad, making you regard Frank as your own flesh and blood. For two decades, Karen didn’t reclaim her son for you. Now, Frank has grown up, and he deserves to know who his mother really is.” I just stared at Roy, who seemed to be moved by his own lie. He and Karen must be the best work of Cupid as they were all gifted liars. Then, I glanced at Teddy, who awkwardly cleaned his throat and averted my gaze with his face turning to another side. Now, everything was crystal clear. The whole family tacitly approved Roy’s plan to borrow my uterus and even helped with it. No wonder none of them doubted why the widow of an illegitimate son of Teddy could still stay in the family. They used me to cultivate a qualified heir and boost their family business. What a nice plan. Unfortunately, it would have been even nicer if I hadn’t keenly discerned it years ago. I could have had every drop of blood drained by those vampires and been kicked out of the Morrison family, suffering bullying and insults every day. Showering in people’s astonished eyes, I smiled at Frank and asked, “Frank, what about your opinion? Recognize Karen as your real mother and kick me out of this family, or treat me as your mother, considering my effort for your achievement. Which one will you choose?”

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On my birthday, Logan Mitchell, my husband, told me he was too busy with work to celebrate with me. Instead, he had someone deliver a cake. He even called to reassure me, as if that would make up for it. “Babe, I can’t be with you today. You’re not mad at me, right? But I got a surprise for you in the cake!” I stared at the property deed I had just pulled out of the cake. The name on it wasn’t mine. It belonged to a girl I’d never heard of. I took a deep breath and said calmly, “No, I’m not mad.” I wasn’t angry. But I knew, at that moment, that our seven-year marriage was over. ***** I threw the cake in the trash and mailed the property deed to the address on the packaging. Then, I sat at the edge of my bed, feeling completely hollow, like my soul had been drained out of me. I never thought the boy who once swore he’d have no reason to live if I didn’t choose him would turn out to be so… ordinary, so filthy. What disgusted me even more was that the apartment he bought for her was in our neighborhood and the same building. His favorite saying came to mind. “The safest place is often the most dangerous.” Thinking back, I should’ve seen this coming. His affair had probably been going on for six months now. For half a year, he’d been getting work calls in the middle of the night and leaving, saying he had to put in extra hours. It wasn’t even an hour after I tossed the cake that Logan called. “Babe, don’t be mad, okay? Just wait for me to get home so I can explain.” I hung up, bitterness welling up inside me. Explain what, exactly? That he just made the one mistake all men make? As I sat there in a daze, a friend request popped up in my contacts. I tapped on it. The profile picture looked familiar. I’d seen it before on Logan’s phone. The contact name he’d saved was Max Emerson. Max was his male assistant. But this profile picture was a woman. And he was the one who kept calling in the middle of the night about work emergencies. I had met Max before. But Logan never let me hear his calls with him. So this had been right in front of me the whole time. I accepted the request. The girl messaged me first. [Hi, Vanessa! I’m Madison Brooks.] I let out a dry laugh. The same name that had been on the property deed. Then, another message came through. [Vanessa, don’t get the wrong idea about Logan. There’s nothing between us. He just treats me like a sister.] [If it bothers you, I can give up the apartment.] Then, she sent a sticker of a teary-eyed, pitiful-looking cartoon. I knew exactly why she was reaching out now. She’d been hidden away for six months. And now? She finally had a chance to step into the light. I ignored her and checked her Instagram instead. Her posts from the last six months were all about Logan. I scrolled all the way down to the beginning of their first meeting. The photo was taken in a hospital. She was lying in a bed, and Logan was peeling an apple, carving it into the shape of a rabbit. The caption read: [Oh my God, I think I’m in love. This accident must’ve been fate bringing us together!] Carving apples into rabbits. Logan’s signature trick. Back when we were young, he’d always do that just to make me laugh. I checked the date. And suddenly, I remembered something. That was the day I had a miscarriage. On his way to the hospital, Logan hit a young girl with his car. He ended up staying at the hospital, taking care of her for two whole weeks. When I finally recovered enough, I offered to go visit her with him. He told me no and said I had just gotten better and shouldn’t worry too much. And I, like a fool, actually believed it. I thought I had married the right person. I thought he was still the same boy who had promised to love me forever. But love was just an act. And he missed his calling. He would’ve made one hell of an actor.

When Logan came home and saw me sitting there calmly, waiting for him, he hesitated before walking over and sitting beside me. Then, in an attempt to please me, he pulled out a necklace. “Babe, this is the surprise I wanted to give you tonight.” The necklace in his hand was one I had admired for a long time but never bought for myself. That was just the kind of person Logan was, full of surprises, always remembering the things I liked. And yet, even now, I still couldn’t believe someone like him would cheat. He avoided talking about the affair, hoping that a gift would smooth things over. But looking at this necklace only made me feel sick. Because today was also Madison’s birthday, an hour ago, she had posted a picture of herself wearing this exact necklace on Instagram, along with a photo of a property deed. It was clear how much Logan adored her. Even after knowing I had caught him cheating, he still chose to indulge her longer. Once, all of his love belonged to me. But now, he had given it to someone else. “Let’s get a divorce, Logan.” My sudden words shattered the illusion of peace between us. The smile on Logan’s face froze. He didn’t yell or argue, almost as if he had expected this. Instead, he leaned back on the couch, looking utterly defeated. “The divorce procedure will take three months. Think it over. Without me, you have nothing. I just made a mistake, that’s all. You don’t have to do this so quickly. “Madison is just a young girl who recently graduated. Don’t go after her. She’s only at the beginning of her life. This is all on me. Whatever you want to do, do it to me.” A sharp pain twisted inside me. Logan hadn’t just divided his love. His heart had already chosen a side. And he was right. I had nothing. I had been raised by my grandmother, and when she passed, she entrusted me to him. Now, I had no one. But that didn’t mean I lacked the courage to start over. I stood up, ready to speak, but a sudden pain flared in my stomach, making me break out in a cold sweat. This was a problem I had developed years ago when I had scrimped and saved to help Logan pay off his debts after his failed startup. Back then, Logan had been beside himself with worry. He had searched everywhere for remedies, cooked nutritious meals for me no matter how exhausted he was, and made sure I took my medicine every day. Because of his care, I hadn’t had an episode in a long time. Logan rushed me to the hospital in a panic. The pain was bad this time. I needed to stay on an IV drip for a few days. It was already past midnight. I told Logan to go home and rest, but he refused, insisting on staying with me. The scene felt so familiar. There was a time when I had spent an entire night in pain, unable to sleep, and Logan had stayed up with me, on edge, not daring to rest. That night, he had been so distressed he even cried with me. But things were different now. Thinking I was asleep, Logan took out his phone and called Madison. “Baby, go to sleep, okay? I can’t be with you tonight.” “But I don’t want to! She’s already asleep anyway. Just sneak over for a bit, please? I have a surprise for you. You’ll regret it if you don’t come.” Logan didn’t answer right away. He hesitated. Then, after making sure I was really asleep, he left. Only after hearing the door close did I finally let out a quiet, pained gasp. But no matter how much my body hurt, it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

I didn’t know when I fell asleep, but when I woke up, the sun was already up. Logan was sitting by the hospital bed, resting his chin on his hand, dozing off. It was as if he had never left. The IV drip had already been changed to a new bottle. He must have come back about an hour ago. My stomach was empty, and the hunger was making me uncomfortable. I reached for my phone on the bedside table, planning to order some food. But my small movement startled Logan. He looked delighted for a second when he saw me awake, then quickly noticed what I was doing. He smiled and said, “Are you hungry? I made some soup to warm your stomach. Wait here while I go heat it up.” That was when I noticed the pink food container sitting on the side table. I frowned, wanting to refuse, but before I could say anything, Logan had already grabbed the container and was heading out. Before leaving, he ruffled my hair just like he used to and told me to wait for him. Watching his back as he left, a bitter, nauseating feeling twisted inside me. Even now, he was using Madison’s food container. On my way home, Logan called. “Vanessa, why did you leave? Where are you now?” “I went home.” “Why didn’t you tell me? Do you know I stayed with you all night? I’m exhausted. Can you stop throwing tantrums?” Hearing him take credit for staying overnight, I almost laughed. “Then just think of it as me throwing a tantrum.” I hung up and told the driver to take me to the law firm instead. I printed several copies of the divorce agreement. While waiting in the car, I played on my phone for a bit and stumbled upon a viral video. Someone was being beaten up for being a homewrecker. And the homewrecker? None other than Madison. Even better, the ones beating her up were familiar faces, Logan’s sister, Sophia Grayson, and his mother, Evelyn Mitchell. Madison was pinned to the ground, getting punched and kicked. Her clothes were torn, exposing more than they should. She lay there, barely moving, her body and the ground stained with bright red blood. Someone must have called the police because soon enough, sirens blared, and both the police and an ambulance arrived. All three of them were taken away. When I got home, I was still wondering why his mother and sister had attacked Madison. Then Logan stormed in, his face twisted in fury. Before I could say a word, a stinging slap landed across my cheek. I stared at him in shock. Anger and disbelief surged through me. This was the first time he had ever hit me. “I told you to leave Madison alone! She’s just a young girl who just started working. Why are you so cruel?” Logan spat through clenched teeth. I held my face, my gaze turning ice cold. “What did I do to her? You’re talking about how your mom and sister beat her up because she was the other woman? “I didn’t tell them, Logan. And I wouldn’t waste my breath doing so.” “Don’t lie, Vanessa! If not for you, why would my mom and sister go after her? Do you have any idea that she…” Logan suddenly stopped, looking away evasively. “She’s not in good health. This is my final warning to you.” I felt a crushing pain gripping my chest, making it hard to breathe. What he stopped himself from saying… Madison was pregnant with his child. And me? After my miscarriage six months ago, the doctor said I might never be able to conceive again. So, he had wasted no time finding someone else to have his baby. Right now, I was his wife, yet he was standing here, defending his mistress to my face. He had never felt more like a stranger to me than he did at this moment. The air between us froze. Then, a sudden knock at the door broke the silence. “Mom? Sophia? What are you two doing here?” Logan had just opened the door when he saw Evelyn and Sophia standing outside, both fuming with rage. “What’s your relationship with Madison? “Why did you bail her out, too?” Sophia jabbed a finger at Logan and shoved him hard, her eyes blazing with anger. Her emotions were completely out of control. Evelyn quickly pulled her daughter back and then glared at Logan. “Logan, you better explain yourself! Why are you protecting that homewrecker? Don’t forget who your real family is!” Logan sighed helplessly and looked at both of them. “Mom, Sophia, don’t listen to Vanessa’s nonsense. Madison is just a kid who’s new to society. You didn’t even get the facts straight before attacking her. “You even ruined her reputation! If it weren’t for me, you two wouldn’t be standing here right now.” Their heated argument completely ignored my presence. I didn’t care to get involved either. I was about to head back to my room when Logan called out to me. “Vanessa, come explain everything so there’s no misunderstanding.” He winked at me, clearly signaling me to cover up the fact that Madison was, indeed, the other woman. I had no idea how his mom and Sophia found out, but one thing was for sure. I wasn’t about to lie to him. “Explain what? Explain how you got her pregnant?” Evelyn and Sophia gasped in shock at the same time. “What?! What’s going on? What’s your relationship with her?” “Vanessa, stop making things up!” Logan was clearly flustered, his confidence shaken now that I had exposed his lie. “Logan, you better tell me the truth! Why the hell do you have a child with that bitch?” Sophia was like a raging beast, throwing her purse at Logan’s head over and over. Evelyn didn’t stop her. In fact, she slapped Logan across the face and yelled. “Why did you get involved with that whore? Do you have any idea that she’s Ryan’s mistress?”

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Eighteen years ago, my husband, Anthony Parker, and his lover, Amber Owens, died in a car accident, leaving me to raise our twin boys. Eighteen years had passed in a flash. I worked hard to raise them, and they were accepted into Ivy League colleges. On the day they received their acceptance letters, Anthony and Amber miraculously came back to me. Amber hugged Anthony, smiling, “Thanks to your efforts, my sons made it to the Ivy League colleges. “Without you, we couldn’t have enjoyed ourselves for so long…” Anthony suggested divorcing me to reunite with Amber. Instead of crying, I smiled faintly, “Okay!” ***** “Mom! We are admitted into the Ivy League colleges!” I heard my sons, Micah and Maxwell, excitedly shouting in the study while I prepared dinner. “Mom! Micah and I are admitted into the Ivy League colleges!” They rushed out and hugged me tightly. I looked at them, who were a head taller than me, with satisfaction. I said, “You both are amazing. I’m so proud of you.” Since Anthony’s death, I had raised two children alone for eighteen years. Now, as they get admitted to top universities, my heart swells with joy. Back then, Anthony and Amber both died, leaving me with a pair of twins. Despite everyone’s opposition, I insisted on keeping and raising the twins. Eighteen years passed in a flash, and the twins grew up. Through my unwavering efforts, they were admitted into the Ivy League colleges. Seeing them to be successful, I was particularly delighted. “Thank you, Mom, for your years of hard work in raising us.” “We wouldn’t be who we are today without you.” Micah and Maxwell were always filial. They understood my years of effort in raising them and promised that after graduation and securing good jobs, they would support me to enjoy my life. With their birthday just two days away, I considered how to celebrate. In the past, I always booked hotel rooms for their birthdays. But this year, I decided to combine it with their graduation party for a bigger celebration. I booked a ballroom at one of the city’s best hotels. At the same time, I shared the news that my two sons were admitted to Ivy League colleges in the family group chat. The group soon buzzed with excitement. [Micah and Maxwell are so awesome!] [If Anthony knew how successful his sons were, he’d be at peace.] I briefly skimmed the messages and posted the party location to the group. After that, I turned off my phone notifications and quietly awaited the celebration.

The birthday party was set for two days later at 10:00 am. I arrived early at the hotel that morning to review the menu and ensure every detail of the party was perfect. Most attendees were relatives of the Parker family, but my parents were absent. Back then, I ignored their objections and insisted on adopting Anthony and Amber’s children. When my parents found out, they were so angry that they almost had a heart attack. Even after so many years, they never understood why I chose to raise someone else’s kids instead of leading a more secure life. Anthony’s parents, Richard and Sofia, entered the hall, assisted by the crowd. They walked straight to the main table and sat down, where Anthony’s brother and sister sat with their families. There were eight people seated at the main table. They surrounded my sons, and the seat was so full that there was no seat for me. “Hannah, what are you waiting for? Hurry and get Mom and Dad some water,” Lydia called out, grabbing some snacks from the table. Lydia was Anthony’s sister. She had endured an unhappy marriage and domestic abuse, and she was criticized for not being able to give birth to a son. Now, at forty years old, she had given birth to a boy, which made her walk with a newfound confidence. Micah and Maxwell attempted to get up to help but were restrained by Richard and Sofia. “Micah and Maxwell, come talk to me,” Sofia urged. “Look at how handsome the boys are, just like my brother,” Lydia said. “They look more like Amber to me,” Anthony’s brother remarked. Richard and Sofia glared at him fiercely, and he quickly shrank back into his seat, not daring to say a word. I moved between the tables, serving food and pouring wine. Micah and Maxwell couldn’t bear it any longer and added a chair between them. They pushed me into my seat and said, “Mom, our birthday is your day of suffering. Sit down and take a rest.” This prompted a shift in the room’s atmosphere. Lydia smirked, “Hannah, my brother would be thrilled to see his son raised so well by you.” Richard coughed lightly, effectively silencing her. “Hannah, today is such a nice day. I have something to discuss with you,” Sofia said, her eyes sparkling. “Go ahead,” I replied. Sofia continued, “Micah and Maxwell are going off to college soon. It’ll be empty for you in that three-bedroom apartment. “When they start school, Richard and I will move in, and I’ll cook for you while you work.” So that was her plan. My parents had initially put a down payment on the house I lived in, intending to add Anthony’s name. Six months into our marriage, he took a drive with Amber and had a fatal car accident. And both of them died. When I saw him again, he was just a handful of ashes. My parents had helped me pay the mortgage, so the property was solely in my name. Now, as my children grew up, Richard and Sofia were eyeing my house. I explained, “Mom, it’s not that I won’t let you live there. Micah and Maxwell will be studying abroad. “That’s why I’ve sold the house and will downsize to a one-bedroom apartment, using the rest for their education.” Richard’s face turned pale. He slammed the table. “As a part of the Parker family, why don’t you discuss such matters with us?” “I’m doing this for Anthony’s children,” I replied, feigning surprise. Richard continued, “What about the money from the house sale? You can give it to Sofia. She will save it for you. I’m worried about your extravagant spending.” In the past, as long as I claimed it was for the children’s benefit, they usually remained quiet. But today, Richard and Sofia’s demeanor suggested I was now expendable with my sons heading to college. Thinking of this, I said calmly, “I’ve instructed my lawyer to deposit the money into a growth fund. “Micah and Maxwell will receive ten thousand dollars monthly until they turn forty.” Richard’s furrowed brow finally relaxed at that. He said, “Good to see you’re thinking ahead and leaving money for my grandchildren. “You don’t need to buy a house. Just rent one, and don’t waste the money.”

As the chatter continued, the hotel manager approached and handed me the microphone. He said, “Today is your sons’ birthday and graduation party. “As their mother, I’d like to ask you to share a few words and some insights.” Taking the microphone, I began, “Thank you all for attending Maxwell and Micah’s graduation party. Today…” “Today, my sons have been accepted into Ivy League colleges. It’ll be a pity if their biological parents are not present on such a significant day.” Before I could finish, a commotion interrupted me. A man and a woman entered arm in arm. I looked up and, despite the eighteen years that had passed, instantly recognized them, my late husband Anthony and his beloved Amber. The hall buzzed with murmurs. Richard and Sofia, seated at the main table, showed no excitement at seeing their son returned from the dead. Instead, they calmly invited Amber to sit beside them. Anthony, who had been “dead” for eighteen years, approached me. He said, “Hannah, you may not be a good wife, but you’ve been a good mother.” My sons, finally breaking free from their shock, looked confused. “What’s going on?” Anthony pointed at Amber and said, “Amber is your biological mother. Hannah couldn’t have children. “If she hadn’t refused to divorce me and threatened me to commit suicide back then, our family wouldn’t have been torn apart for eighteen years.” Before I could defend myself, the Parker family members turned to my sons. “He’s right. It was Hannah’s refusal to divorce that kept you from your birth parents for eighteen years.” “Don’t think Hannah treated you well. She didn’t have the best intentions.” “Well, now that you’re grown and have been admitted to Ivy League colleges, the family can finally reunite.” Micah and Maxwell stood frozen, unsure of how to react. Amber wailed, taking their hands and showing them her phone, “I’m your biological mother. I send you gifts every year. “I even sneak in to see you after school.” As she spoke, she turned to me and added, “Hannah, thank you for raising my two sons so well.” Anthony wrapped his arm around her shoulders and looked at me with a hint of sarcasm. He demanded, “You and I are getting a divorce. After eighteen years, I’m marrying Amber.” Everyone thought I would disagree, or even make a scene. But facing the discussions and inquiring eyes of dozens of people from the Parker family, I laughed, “Okay! I agree. I’ll file for divorce tomorrow and reunite your family.” My words stunned the audience. They couldn’t believe I would give away the sons I had raised for eighteen years. Even Anthony and Amber stared at me in disbelief. They thought I would throw a tantrum and cry but didn’t expect me to agree so readily. Anthony looked at me in disbelief and asked puzzledly, “Are you out of your mind?” I replied directly, “What? Not happy about it?” Amber quickly pulled on Anthony’s arm, and he, fearing I might change my mind, retrieved a divorce agreement from his bag. He said, “Then sign the divorce agreement. From now on, Micah and Maxwell have nothing to do with you, and you can’t see them again.” Without reading it, I signed. “Mom? You don’t want us anymore?” Micah and Maxwell looked at me, hurt and confused by my quick compliance. Amber tucked the agreement away and said complacently, “Hannah, thank you for making us whole. “If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be so carefree out there.” Looking at her two tall sons, Amber grinned with a proud smile. “Okay, there’s nothing more for you to do here. Just go.” Richard waved me off impatiently. I said, “Now that the agreement is signed, it’s time to tell you the truth.” “What do you mean?” Amber asked, confused. I sighed with relief. After eighteen years, it was finally over. I clapped my hands and called to the door, “Come in.” Moments later, two figures entered the hall.

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I signed up for a membership at a nail salon during the holiday season. Little did I expect that the manicurist would develop feelings for my boyfriend. Not only did she spread malicious rumors about me, but she also deliberately cut my fingers while removing my nail polish, intending to infect me with HIV. In my previous life, the nail salon in my neighborhood had a year-end promotion. For every 500-dollar recharge, customers would receive an additional 1,000-dollar worth of credit. When I went for a manicure, the manicurist couldn’t take her eyes off my boyfriend. “Ms. Lewis, why is there such a stark contrast between the color of your face and your hands? Did you apply too much foundation? “You’re squandering your boyfriend’s money. You should be more frugal.” After saying that, she reached out and rubbed my face. I forcefully pushed her hand away and, with a cold expression, demanded a refund of the balance on my membership card. My fiancé, who accompanied me for the manicure, frowned and chastised me, ordering me to apologize. “She’s right. The cosmetics you bought were expensive. Why are you insisting on a refund now? You’re just being petty.” Grimacing with frustration, I gritted my teeth and compromised. However, the manicurist deliberately cut my fingers while removing the nail polish, which ultimately resulted in my being infected. I took the hospital’s examination report to seek an explanation from her. She made a video and spread the false claim that I had contracted that dreadful disease due to my dissolute private life. In the end, overwhelmed by cyberbullying, I committed suicide out of sheer hatred and despair. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the very day I went to the nail salon to apply for the membership card. “Ms. Lewis. You’ve got such a generous and considerate boyfriend. “He not only paid for your membership card but also accompanied you here for the manicure. I wish my boyfriend could be like that.” The manicurist, Rachel Wilmer, said these words while pinching my fingers jealously. Suddenly, the sharp pain jolted me awake, and I realized that I had been reborn. I was reborn back to the day when I first went to the nail salon to apply for that fateful membership card. In my previous life, taking advantage of the holiday, I visited the nail salon in my neighborhood. As soon as I sat down, Rachel kept chatting with me, and she brought up my boyfriend, Harry Zander, almost in every other sentence. She stared at my face and said, “Ms. Lewis, why is there such a stark contrast between the color of your face and your hands? Did you apply too much foundation? “Your skin is rather rough. You must wear makeup too frequently. I think you should be like me and go for a natural look without makeup. “Not only would it save your boyfriend money on buying you cosmetics, but it would also make you look clean and decent, just like a girl from a well-bred family.” Before I could react, she suddenly reached out and started rubbing the makeup off my face. My face hurt from the rough rubbing. I slapped her hand away and frowned. “What’s your problem? What business is it of yours whether I wear makeup or not? And who said my cosmetics were bought by my boyfriend?” Because of her actions, my impression of this nail salon plummeted to rock bottom. I no longer even wanted to have my nails done and coldly asked her to return the balance on my membership card. Unexpectedly, Rachel’s eyes welled up with tears, and she kept apologizing to me with a tear-stained face. She even knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, saying that she was just an employee and pleading with me not to hold it against her. The other customers and staff in the salon accused me of making a mountain out of a molehill. “It was just a joke. Why are you taking it so seriously?” Even Harry shoved me away roughly. Then, he gently helped Rachel up and blamed me with a disgruntled look. “She’s right. The cosmetics you bought were expensive. Why are you insisting on a refund now? You’re just being petty.” For a moment, I became the villainous woman who was exploiting the situation to bully others, and I was severely rebuked by Harry. Thinking that it was better to avoid trouble, I swallowed my anger, bowed my head in submission, and apologized to Rachel. Rachel smiled and said it was okay, but she deliberately cut my fingers while doing my manicure. At that time, I thought she was just being careless. However, a few days later, adverse reactions appeared at the wound site. I rushed to the hospital for a check-up and was horrified to discover that I had been infected with AIDS. I took the examination report to the nail salon and demanded an explanation from Rachel. She just rolled her eyes and pointed the camera at me. “It’s obvious that you contracted this loathsome disease because of your promiscuous private life, and you still have the nerve to shift the blame onto me? “If I were you, I would have found a place to commit suicide a long time ago. It’s so disgusting!”

The video taken by Rachel quickly went viral on the internet. Countless people flooded the comment section with harsh words, scolding me for lacking self-respect. My personal information and address were also exposed. As a result, all my relatives and friends learned about my illness and began to look at me with strange and judgmental eyes. Even my parents were criticized and slandered behind their backs. Eventually, they suffered a heart attack and passed away. Unable to endure the brutal cyber violence any longer, I finally made the tragic decision to end my life by jumping off a building. And Harry, who didn’t waste any time breaking up with me, frowned and showed his disgust, thinking I was too “dirty.” However, shortly after my death, he got together with Rachel. They callously trampled over the “corpses” of my entire family and joyfully walked into the marriage hall. Just the thought of all this made me clench my hands tightly, my nails digging into my palms. Just like in my previous life, as soon as Rachel opened her mouth, she started commenting on my cosmetics and then tried to touch my face. Without hesitation, I slapped her hand in mid-air away forcefully, coldly observing as the back of her hand quickly turned red. The sharp sound of the slap immediately caught the attention of everyone else in the salon. Even Harry, who had been engrossed in his phone, walked over with a frown. Seeing Rachel’s red hand and her aggrieved expression, he didn’t even bother to ask what had happened before he started blaming me. “Jenna Lewis, why are you throwing another tantrum? And hitting someone? Apologize right now!” Looking at the man who was so fervently protecting Rachel, I couldn’t help but let out a scornful laugh. “Apologize? For what exactly?” “Because you hit someone first, and that’s clearly wrong!” Hearing his irritated and self-righteous tone only made me laugh even more. What was even more infuriating to me was that as he was scolding me loudly, he turned his head to gently comfort Rachel. “Don’t be scared. I won’t let anyone bully you. She must admit her mistake and apologize to you today.” Rachel looked even more pitiful, but the way she looked at Harry revealed a blatant sense of dependence. I was almost amused by the overly affectionate look they exchanged. “I bullied her? How dare you say that? Are you out of your mind?” Before Harry could open his mouth to retort, I took out my cellphone. Ever since I confirmed that I had been reborn, I immediately activated the recording software. After a moment of commotion in the nail salon, Rachel’s sarcastic words, recorded by my cellphone, reached everyone’s ears. Her expression changed instantly, and she looked rather embarrassed. “It was just a joke. I thought you wouldn’t mind a bit of joking, Ms. Lewis.” I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes in disdain. “Are we friends? Why are you making jokes at my expense? Or do you think that verbal abuse doesn’t count as bullying?” As more and more people gathered around, even the other manicurists who had been busy with their work couldn’t resist looking over. Rachel bit her lips, and her eyes welled up with tears. To my surprise, she actually bent her knees and was about to kneel. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Lewis. Please don’t hold it against me. “I’m just an employee. If you’re unhappy about something, feel free to take it out on me. Just don’t call our boss. I’ll even kneel for you, okay?”

However, her attempt to kneel was halted by Harry. He fixed me with a menacing glare. “What Rachel said isn’t wrong. Your cosmetics are expensive, costing over a thousand dollars each. “Even for a simple manicure, you chose to apply for a membership card worth thousands of dollars. Isn’t that just a waste of money?” His indignant demeanor might make anyone who didn’t know the truth think that all the money I spent was his. But in reality, those were my own hard-earned wages! The people gathered around to watch the commotion were misled by his words. They began to murmur among themselves in hushed tones. “How shameless of her to spend a man’s money so brazenly.” “I wonder how her parents raised her. Not only does she waste her boyfriend’s money, but she also forces others to kneel and apologize. If I were her parents, I would have slapped her long ago.” Their words kept coming, portraying Rachel as the real victim in their eyes. A palpable sense of pride and mockery appeared in Rachel’s eyes. She even pretended to mediate while still throwing veiled accusations. “Ms. Lewis surely didn’t mean it. She just took it the wrong way. Please don’t be too hard on her.” Hearing Rachel’s arrogant tone, I felt my forehead twitching with anger. Unable to hold back any longer, I raised my hand and delivered a stinging slap across her face. But in an instant, amidst Rachel’s shrill scream, I was violently pushed to the ground. My shoulder crashed onto the floor, scraping against the floor, and my wrist was soon smeared with blood. Grimacing in pain, I raised my head and was shocked to find that the person standing before me was none other than Harry. “Why can’t you just talk things over? How can you bully the employees like this?” With his face flushed with anger, he quickly turned around to examine the red and swollen slap mark on Rachel’s face. The gossiping onlookers, who were only there to stir up trouble, immediately joined in to blame me. “Everyone saw it. You were the one who started the fight.” “Luckily, this man is reasonable. Otherwise, the manicurist would have been seriously bullied.” They had all heard the recording of Rachel provoking me, yet they chose to act as if they were deaf, laying all the blame squarely on my shoulders. Rachel could no longer maintain her pretense of being a pitiful, innocent victim. Her eyes blazed with fury as she picked up the coat and bag that I had taken off when I entered the store and hurled them at me. “People who bully our employees are not welcome here. We don’t want your business!” My chest heaved with rage as I struggled for breath. With great difficulty, I managed to get up and pick up my belongings from the floor. “Fine by me. I didn’t want to spend any more money in this salon anyway. “I still have a significant amount of money left on the membership card I bought before. Give me a refund now!” This nail salon was located in my neighborhood and offered attractive discounts when it first opened. At that time, thinking it was convenient since it was close to my home, I recharged a few thousand dollars on the card. I had visited the salon several times since then, and even though the nail designs I chose were quite elaborate, there should still be some balance left on the card. A look of disdain crossed Rachel’s face. “How absurd. How can you be so unreasonable when you’re spending a man’s money?” She mumbled under her breath, then turned on the computer, and pressed a few keys. I waited hopefully for her to process the refund. Unexpectedly, Rachel glanced at me, and her eyes were immediately filled with disdain. “After I’ve checked, there’s no money left on the card. I can’t give you a refund.” I was stunned, and instinctively, I retorted, “That’s impossible!”   “I’ve only been to your salon two or three times. There were several thousand dollars on this card. How could it possibly be all spent?” I took a few quick steps forward. Just as I was about to peer at the computer screen, Rachel shoved me away with great force. “Our computer contains all commercial secrets. What are you looking at?” I was bewildered. I couldn’t fathom what kind of top-secret commercial information a small nail salon like this could possibly possess. But I was too fed up to engage in a prolonged argument with Rachel. “Fine, I won’t look. Print out the bill and let me see where all my money has gone.” Rachel feigned innocence and flatly refused. “Well, our store’s system crashed before, and all the bills were lost. “But I have an excellent memory. I clearly remember that there is no money left on your card.” As she spoke, Rachel’s eyes landed on my left hand. Before our argument broke out, I had been sitting, getting my nail polish removed. After the quarrel, only the nails on my left hand had been attended to, while those on my right hand remained untouched. Rachel sneered and said to me, “Not only do you have no money left, but you also have to pay extra for the nail polish removal today. “Considering the price hikes during the holiday season, along with rent, utilities, and labor costs, you need to pay me 500 dollars.” I had never encountered such a brazen store and such shameless people before. I was so infuriated that I almost laughed out of sheer disbelief. “You have no right to unilaterally decide the fees. Just wait for the Commerce Department to come knocking at your door!” I quickly put on my coat and turned to leave. However, someone blocked the door, barring my way. “You can’t leave!” Harry furrowed his brows tightly and scolded me in a condescending, almost paternal tone. “It’s only right to pay for what you owe. You can’t just walk away without paying, can you?” He was tall and burly, effectively blocking every possible exit. Rachel, standing beside him, also let out a sarcastic chuckle. She deliberately flaunted the red marks on the back of her hand and her cheek. “You also hit me, so you have to cover my medical expenses. Five thousand dollars, not a penny more, not a penny less.” I frowned and looked at Harry coldly. Although I had long known that he was not a decent person, his actions still made me feel a wave of nausea. Many of the shop assistants and customers who were watching the spectacle held up their cell phones, aiming the cameras straight at me. “She’s not going to flee without paying, is she? That’s just shameless of her.” “Why would they risk ruining their reputation and lie about something like that?” I remained unmoved, my expression icy cold. I certainly had no intention of taking out my phone to pay. Harry, with an impatient look on his face, snatched the phone from my bag. “Fine, if you’re not going to pay, I’ll do it for you.” Ignoring my attempts to stop him and my struggles, he forcefully held my phone’s camera in front of my face, trying to use facial recognition to unlock it. I made a series of bizarre and contorted expressions to foil his attempt. I watched as the warning popped up several times, indicating that the unlocking had failed, and it even prompted that we would have to wait five minutes before attempting facial recognition again. Harry finally lost his patience and wore a disgusted expression. Like a deranged, overly aggressive man, he smashed my phone against the ground, shattering it into pieces. “Jenna, just stop this nonsense and pay the bill! You’re embarrassing me here!” Rachel also took out her cell phone and made a show of threatening me. “If you refuse to pay, Ms. Lewis, then I have no choice but to call the police and let them handle it.” To everyone’s surprise, as soon as her voice trailed off, a sharp police siren sounded from downstairs. Rachel was stunned. “Why are the police here? I haven’t even called them yet.” I raised my head and gave her a mocking, disdainful sneer. “Of course, you didn’t call the police, because I’m the one who did!”

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At the year-end review, Andrew Bennett’s childhood sweetheart, Kate Ross, requested to take over as the project leader, hoping it would help her secure a promotion to vice president. I had to put the company’s interests first and turned her down. In a fit of anger, she quit and went home to get married. Under my leadership, the project generated billions of dollars, and the company went public. Later, I married Andrew, but during our honeymoon, I was kidnapped and taken to an underground facility in Brackenfield. Just as I was about to call for help, I heard Andrew coldly say, “Do whatever you want with this heartless woman.” I couldn’t understand. “Why?” I cried out. Without answering, Andrew kicked me in the stomach. “If you hadn’t taken the project leader position for yourself, Kate wouldn’t have been forced into an abusive marriage and died. This is all on you.” When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day Kate had asked to be the project leader. ***** Kate said, “Olivia, is it possible for me to lead the project with the Knight Group? I just need this achievement to get promoted to vice president.” I froze. Hearing those words again, I looked at the clock on the wall and realized—I had been given a second chance. Andrew, standing nearby, tugged at my sleeve. “Did you hear what Kate said? Let her have the project leader position. She needs this more than you do.” In my previous life, when I heard Kate and Andrew’s request, I immediately refused. This project was huge—worth billions of dollars in investment—and securing it would likely lead to the company’s IPO. Kate wasn’t qualified, and to be safe, I didn’t want her in charge. I told her that once the project was completed, everyone would get a chance at promotion and bonuses. Kate, however, felt insulted, quit, and married without any further contact. The project was completed successfully, the company went public, and I married Andrew. But during our honeymoon, I was kidnapped. When I woke up, Andrew was standing next to my kidnappers, saying coldly, “Do whatever you want with this heartless woman.” Amid all the humiliation, I couldn’t understand why Andrew was treating me this way. He kicked me in the stomach again. “If you hadn’t taken the project leader position for yourself, Kate wouldn’t have been forced into an abusive marriage and died. This is all on you.” The memory of that suffering made me seethe with anger, my fingers trembling as I clenched my fists. Andrew yanked me roughly. “Are you even listening? Give Kate the project leader role.” I looked at his annoyed face and sneered, “I worked day and night on this project and lost my hair from stress. When I asked Kate to help, you both said I should do more because I was the leader. I drank so much to keep the partners happy that I nearly bled internally. And now you say it’s my responsibility?” I turned to Kate, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Why didn’t you step up to lead back then? Now that the proposal’s finished, the deal’s locked in, and all that’s left is to sign the contract, you show up asking to take the lead? How can you even ask?” Kate’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s just that my family is struggling. I wanted the promotion to help them. My mom said if I couldn’t make enough money, she’d sell me to an old man in the mountains as a bride for my brother’s wedding gifts.” With that, she dropped to her knees and bowed her head.

Kate said, “Olivia, please. I don’t want to go home and marry that man. He’s killed two wives already, and if I marry him, it’s a death sentence. Please, don’t make me go back.” Andrew shoved me roughly, his eyes filled with anger. “Olivia, how cruel can you be? Is it not enough for you to destroy Kate? Do you want to push her to death?” The people in the office looked on, gossiping. “Olivia, what are you doing? You’ve pushed her to the point of kneeling.” “Olivia, even if your family is wealthier than ours, that doesn’t give you the right to make Kate kneel to you. It’s too heartless.” As Andrew pushed me, I hit the corner of the desk. The pain made me gasp, but I kept my composure, rubbing my sore back. I walked up to Andrew and slapped him across the face. “Andrew, what gives you the right to lay a hand on me?” Without hesitation, I kicked Kate to the ground. “If you want to kneel, go to your mother’s grave. Don’t kneel in front of me. I don’t need that bad luck.” The crowd was stunned by my actions and became even more vocal in their criticism. “Olivia, you’re actually hitting people. This is too much!” I gave a cold laugh. “Too much? How about all those sleepless nights I spent working for the company, running around for contracts, and ending up in the hospital after drinking so much just to please the partners? How about that? “When you’re all cashing in the bonuses from the projects I sealed, why didn’t you call that too much? You’re no better than the ones who turn on people once they’ve gotten what they wanted.” Seeing the silence from the crowd, I scoffed, my words sharp, “If anyone here is really pitiful, it’s me. If you think I should just give away what I’ve earned, then why not donate your corneas to someone in need? After all, what’s the point of keeping them if you’re blind to right and wrong?” The crowd began to realize their mistake and started apologizing. Then, they turned their attention to Kate. “Kate, do you know how much effort Olivia has put into this project? She’s a qualified project leader.” “Yeah, Kate, even if you’re in a tough spot, that doesn’t give you the right to morally blackmail Olivia. She doesn’t owe you anything.” Seeing that the crowd was no longer on her side, Kate panicked and cried even harder, “Olivia, I didn’t mean it like that. If you’re going to force me to die, then fine, I’ll just end it all.” My heart ached with frustration. I was simply stating the facts, but now I was somehow the one responsible for driving her to death. I was at a loss. Anyone with eyes could see what was going on. But of course, Andrew couldn’t see it. He pulled Kate into his arms, full of pity, and then turned to me with an order. “Olivia, from now on, Kate is the project leader. You’ll be a team member. Just do your job.” I gritted my teeth in fury. “Why should I let her take the lead? I worked hard for this project. I won’t allow it.” Andrew shot back coldly, “What do you mean ‘you worked on it’? The Knight Group is working with us because our company has the strength, not because of you. Don’t take all the credit for yourself. Even without you, Kate could have closed the deal, and probably better than you.” Kate eagerly chimed in, agreeing with him, “The Knight Group trusts our company because of Andrew’s reputation, not just because of this little project.” I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. I looked at Andrew’s smug expression and spoke, “Fine. If you think Kate can do it, then I’ll step down.” Andrew, thinking I was backing down, smiled in satisfaction, “Olivia, you still have plenty of opportunities ahead. There’s no need to fight Kate for this one.” Kate walked up with a smug expression, clearly baiting me. “Olivia, you can keep handling the parts of the project you’re responsible for. Once the final plan is in place, I’ll go sign the contract with the Knight Group.” I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. I was the project leader before, so I had four times the work to handle. Now they expected me to do all the grunt work? I sneered, “Sorry, but I’m not doing it.” Kate furrowed her brows in frustration. “Olivia, this project is crucial to the company. Stop being difficult.” Andrew, thinking I was just throwing a tantrum, added, “Olivia, if you keep acting out, I’ll have no choice but to ask you to leave the company.”

I grabbed my bag and stood up after hearing that. “Alright, I’m leaving now. By the way, since you’re the one who fired me, don’t forget to send my compensation to my account.” With that, I walked out of the office without looking back. Once outside, I called my brother, Martin Knight, “The deal’s off. Andrew fired me.” Martin sounded shocked. “Andrew? Your boyfriend? You’ve been with him since college, and now he’s firing you?” I told him everything that had happened, and Martin slammed his hand on the table in frustration. “End things with him now. That guy’s a jerk. I’ll find you a new guy—tall, built, loyal, and perfect for you. “I’ll cancel the deal, too. Without you, his company wouldn’t even be in the running for this.” That night, I got home feeling a bit bitter. All the effort I put in, and it ended like this. Martin noticed my mood and immediately understood. “Olivia, come work with us. You know the company, you have shares in it. You can choose anyone you want to collaborate with.” I thought it over for a moment and immediately agreed. ***** The day of the Knight Group collaboration bidding came quickly. As soon as I walked in, I saw Andrew with his arm around Kate’s waist. When he saw me, he looked visibly annoyed. “Olivia, you’re not the project lead anymore. What are you doing here?” Kate mocked me further, “Olivia, didn’t you say you were leaving the company? What are you still doing here?” I gave them a cold stare. “This isn’t your company. Why shouldn’t I be here?” Andrew sneered, “Olivia, if it weren’t for our company’s name, you wouldn’t even have made it into the Knight Group’s door. You’d better leave now, or I’ll have the security throw you out.” I rolled my eyes and started to walk away, but Andrew grabbed me and threw me to the ground. “Where’s the security? How can anyone just walk in like this?” He called for security, “This woman is pretending to be part of our company and causing trouble. Throw her out.” I quickly explained, “You’re mistaken. I’m in charge of the Knight Group collaboration.” Andrew laughed, “Are you still lying? You just left our company, and now you’re claiming to be in charge of the Knight Group project? Do you really think they’d work with you?” I was surrounded by people, their whispers and stares following me as I was pushed out of the building. With a smirk, I sat down outside, right by the entrance. I wasn’t going anywhere—I was curious to see how this meeting would play out. Inside the Knight Group’s meeting room, ten minutes passed. Andrew was growing impatient, asking the senior executive, Freddy Mills, when the meeting would begin. Freddy exchanged looks with others, clearly confused. “Our project leader still hasn’t arrived.” Another half hour went by, and Freddy finally spoke up. “Didn’t Ms. Russell say she was already here? Why hasn’t she come in?” Someone suggested calling to check. I picked up my phone, taking a sip of my coffee at the café downstairs. When I heard Freddy’s question, I answered with a calm voice, “Oh, I was kicked out. I’m at the café downstairs.” Just a few minutes later, Andrew and others rushed over, drenched in sweat.

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At the wedding of Lucas Blunt and me, Natalie Hanks, he was suddenly dressed like a best man, holding his first love, Jessica Hawkins, and heading to the altar after showing up fashionably late. Meanwhile, his sharp groom’s tux was casually tossed onto the sofa. “Lucas, isn’t today our big day…” I quizzed him. “Natalie!” Lucas cut me off sharply, his eyes flashing a warning. “Watch your mouth now. Don’t be so narrow-minded. I don’t want to end up hating you.” After hearing that, I let out a self-mocking chuckle. Just because Lucas’ first love lost her memory, everyone had to put on a show to help jog her memory. So we all had to coax her, making sure she would not be stressed out. To comfort me, Lucas stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me. He whispered in my ear, “Natalie, I know you understand how important this is, right?” I nodded to show my understanding, then turned around. However, I took the hand of one of the real best men and walked to the altar with him. Later, while I was shopping in the mall with my baby in my arms, he approached me, tears streaming down his face, and said, “Natalie, weren’t we just putting on a show? How did you end up pregnant with someone else’s child?” ***** On my wedding day to Lucas, he didn’t even show up in the wedding hall. When I thought he might be in trouble, there he was, dressed in a best man’s suit with a blue boutonniere, holding Jessica’s hand as she walked slowly into the hall in a white puff-sleeved dress. It looked like they were the real bride and groom. Lucas’ best men quickly stepped in and whisked him away. “Are you out of your mind? Not only are you late for your own wedding, but you bring her here?” his friends exclaimed. Lucas furrowed his brow and said helplessly, “Jessica’s memory has gone back to the day we kissed in high school. She thinks we’ve been together since graduation. I can’t just abandon her, can I?” Jessica stood off to the side, looking innocent and awkward, twisting her fingers nervously. She acted like a lost high school student. My face went pale as I realized she was clutching my wedding ring in her hand. Then, Lucas approached me, dragging Jessica along, and wrapped his arm around her while congratulating me, “Natalie, congratulations on your wedding.” It was dead silent all around. I stared at him, my voice tinged with uncontrollable resentment. I said, “What on earth are you talking about? Today’s our day…” “Natalie!” Lucas quickly cut me off, his eyes betraying a hint of panic. He glanced nervously at the person by his side. Seeing that Jessica hadn’t caught on to what I hadn’t finished saying yet, he turned back to me with a look of displeasure, his eyes filled with malice. I was taken aback as he had never been so harsh with me before. In the past, when I was terrified by news of domestic violence and a husband murdering his wife, and couldn’t sleep, Lucas held me in his arms and reassured me that he would never hurt me, not even with a word, and if he did, he would go to hell. The old love words he once whispered still echoed in my ears, but now he loathed me for not being broad-minded enough. “Show some understanding to me, okay?” he asked. After coming back from the past memories to reality, I heard his words again. Looking at him, I stared for a long time before finally nodding my head. A look of relief spread across his face. But I brushed him aside and walked over to Jessica, extending my hand to her and saying, “Ms. Hawkins, I’m sorry. The ring on your hand is my wedding ring. Please give it back to me.” Jessica froze, then burst into tears. With tears streaming down her face, she looked at Lucas. “Lucas, isn’t this the gift you gave me to commemorate our time together? How could it be hers? Did you lie to me?” Lucas quickly wiped away her tears and said, “Don’t cry, Jessica. You’re breaking my heart.” I stood there, watching my fiancé comfort another woman wholeheartedly. Even the people around me were grumbling that I had made their good friend cry. One of Lucas’ dudes stepped forward to mediate. “It’s my fault. I made a mistake with the ring. Today it’s my responsibility to keep the wedding ring, and I accidentally mixed up the wedding ring with the gift Lucas was going to give you, Jessica.” Jessica had been pampered like a little princess since childhood. So, she pouted and tossed the ring onto the ground. “I don’t want to wear someone else’s wedding ring!” The ring rolled to someone else’s feet. I bent down and reached out to pick it up. Just as my fingers brushed against the ring, the heel of a high-heeled shoe crushed down on my hand.

I raised my head and gazed at Jessica’s arrogant face. Meanwhile, a sharp pain pierced through the back of my hand as her foot continued to apply pressure. Gasps echoed around us. “No one can take something even I abandoned,” Jessica declared. I tightened my fist, ready to speak, but someone cut in firmly, saying, “Alright.” Surprised, I turned to see who had spoken. Lucas was standing beside her, his head bowed, a hint of guilt flickering in his eyes. Without a second thought, he kicked the ring towards the nearby artificial lake. Like a meteor, the ring streaked across the sky and disappeared in the blink of an eye. I stared at the spot where the ring vanished, stunned for an eternity. In the past, Lucas treasured that ring so much, never letting anyone lay a finger on it. He secretly carried it with him, traversing seven countries, only to propose to me under the aurora. Now, he discarded it like it was nothing. His action pleased Jessica. She hugged Lucas’ neck and said joyfully, “Lucas, don’t blame me. You know me. I hate it when my things have other people’s scent on them.” Lucas nodded indulgently. Jessica turned around and seemed to notice that I was still on the ground. She exclaimed in surprise, “Ms. Hanks! Why are you still sitting there? You’re the bride today. I’m sorry about your ring. How about…” She turned and spotted something amusing, picking up a nearby can. “You can use this pull ring as a ring! Wow, this is like a TV drama. It’s so romantic!” I stood up, took the drink from her hand with a pale face, popped it open, and stared at her nonchalant smile. My anger surged. Just as I was about to throw the can at her, Lucas stepped in front of Jessica. My arm was forcibly restrained by the best men. Lucas’ roar mingled with others’ voices trying to calm me down. “Natalie! You’re losing it!” Lucas shouted. “Natalie, don’t argue with the girl. She’s special. She doesn’t mean any harm. She’s just a bit sensitive right now,” someone said. “Yeah, yeah. You’re the star of the day. Don’t let this ruin your special moment,” another added. My struggle ceased instantly, and a deep sadness enveloped my heart. Lucas hollered at me and rushed over, yanking the can from my grasp and tossing it aside. “Can’t you just simmer down? If you’re not into this wedding, then quit! Is it your pride to bully someone with amnesia? I had no idea you were this harsh. How could you be so heartless? Apologize to Jessica right now!” I clutched my wrist, standing there helpless, the ache in my hand paling in comparison to the pain in my heart. A quick glance at everyone doting on Jessica was all it took before I couldn’t take it anymore and bolted. Once I calmed down and headed back to the dressing room, I found Lucas holding Jessica on the sofa. The hickey on Lucas’ lips told tales of their recent antics. I overheard Jessica asking curiously, “Lucas, why didn’t I see Ms. Hanks’ groom? Was she dumped?” My steps halted, my grip on the door handle tightening, my eyes locked on him. This is your last shot, Lucas. Don’t let me down. Just admit you’re the groom of this wedding, and I’ll forgive you while still loving you with all my heart. Lucas noticed my intense stare and abruptly looked up. When Jessica, impatient at his silence, nibbled on his lip, demanding, “Answer me, Lucas.” I shook my head vigorously, pleading silently. Don’t say anything. Just don’t… Lucas’ lips quivered a bit before he finally averted his gaze from mine, gazing at the girl in his arms with affection, saying, “Jessica, you know who the groom is.” “Someone I know? Who?” she queried. “Benjamin Russell,” Lucas replied.

As Lucas wrapped up his speech, I dropped my head and chuckled, shaking my own head in self-deprecation. Benjamin had once called me out in front of everyone, accusing me of being two-faced and gold-digging. Seemingly, even though Lucas lied, he didn’t want to make up something that could at least save my face today. When Jessica heard the name, she was momentarily taken aback before diving into her phone. She had already dialed the number before Lucas could even blink. “Benjamin, it’s your wedding day. Where are you? We’re all gathered at Elysian Garden,” she announced. Jessica got caught up in the excitement and started rounding up the guests to head to the auditorium. Meanwhile, my hands and feet went ice-cold, and my heart felt like it was about to skip a beat. The phone rang endlessly before I finally, numbly, picked up. “Natalie?” The voice on the other end was like a devil’s whisper, making me instinctively want to chuck the phone aside. “Don’t you dare hang up on me,” Benjamin said. I responded in a hushed, defeated tone, “Can you please just ignore it?” The person on the other end chuckled mockingly, “I thought by declining to be Lucas’ best man, I’d avoid seeing you. But I heard that I became your groom. How could you forget to invite me to your big day?” I fingered the stains on my wedding dress and replied with difficulty, “Please, just let it go.” There was a long, uneasy silence on the other end. After what felt like an eternity, his cold laughter cut through like a chilling wind. After a lengthy stay in the restroom, I stood up, my legs stiff, using my hands for support. I felt my frozen body slowly start to thaw. As I opened the door, a shadow loomed before me—it was my groom. Lucas had a thunderous look on his face, staring me down. “Who were you talking to just now?” I brushed past him without acknowledging his question. Suddenly, his hand grasped mine, accidentally pressing down on my injury, sending a sharp pain shooting through my wound. “Answer me!” he roared, his voice echoing. I looked up, defiant. “My groom is Mr. Russell. Remember what you said yourself? Don’t tell me you’ve developed a case of ‘short-term memory loss’ in such a blink of an eye.” His face sulked. In our eye contact, his gaze slowly shifted away. “Natalie, that was just something I said in the heat of the moment,” he muttered. There was a hint of compromise in his smooth voice. “Will Benjamin really come here?” I inquired, my voice tinged with depression. The bitterness that had settled in my chest continued to rise, choking me. I locked eyes with him, tears pooling in my sockets. My voice, raw and strained, escaped my lips. “Lucas, you were just dying to hear how Mr. Russell put me through the wringer, weren’t you? “You told Jessica about Mr. Russell being my new groom-to-be because you knew he would never show up! After all, I betrayed him for you. He’s made it clear that I’m a lowlife, someone he despises with every fiber of his being! “You didn’t want to hurt Jessica, so you chose to hurt me! All I wanted was for this wedding to end without a groom, but you wouldn’t budge. You’d prefer to see me being laughed at in front of everyone! “Well? Are you content now?” I spat out, my frustration boiling over. Upon hearing this, Lucas’ face lit up like a Christmas tree. Ignoring my hysterical rant, he enveloped me in a hug, gently dabbing at my reddened eyelids with his hand, displaying a level of tenderness that was almost unnerving. “Did Benjamin say something harsh to you? Only I can put up with your wild antics.” He then attempted to stroke my forehead, but I subtly turned my head to dodge his touch. “It’s all on me. I’ll make it up to you in the future. Natalie, be a good girl. After today, I’ll come home to you. This whole mess will be over soon. Trust me, alright?” Lucas persisted. I blinked rapidly, swallowing back my tears, recalling the pathetic way I had begged him before. I summoned all my composure and said, “Lucas, there’s no future for us. We are done.” He furrowed his brow, his eyes flashing with dissatisfaction and disdain as if I were the one being unreasonable. “Come on, Natalie. What can you do after we break up? Have you forgotten the days when you vowed to have two kids with me and be the perfect wife and mother? If we break up, your life will be in a mess.” His words left me momentarily speechless. For him, I had left the Russell Group at a crucial juncture, sacrificing everything, all because he said the Blunt family only needed a competent homemaker as their wife. And this was his rationale for manipulating me. Before Lucas could take his leave, I clutched his sleeve tightly and stressed, “Lucas, I’m being serious.” Lucas’ face darkened, his patience worn thin. He methodically pried my fingers off one by one. “Natalie, you’re too naughty. Jessica needs another year to regain her memory. After today, I won’t see you for a year. Otherwise, she can’t handle the shock. In a year’s time, I’ll reassess whether you make a suitable wife. Don’t let me down.” Over at the auditorium, Jessica, with her encouraging words, rallied everyone together. Catching sight of me approaching, her eyes gleamed with malice. “Ms. Hanks, you finally decided to show up! Where’s your groom? Why hasn’t he arrived yet? Oh no! Did he dump you?” The murmurs among the guests intensified after they heard her words. “Isn’t Ms. Hanks’ groom Mr. Blunt? Isn’t the one on stage supposed to be the groom?” said a guest. Another guest chimed in, “Could her groom be one of Sir Blunt’s illegitimate siblings?” “The groom’s been late for so long. Did he really call off the wedding?” said someone else. Jessica clung to Lucas’ arm, gazing at me with a triumphant smile. I was on the verge of announcing the cancellation of the wedding when, suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around my shoulders. An exclamation erupted from the crowd.

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My mother, Grace Moore, was gravely ill, and her last wish was to meet my boyfriend, Joshua Davies—the man I’d been with for seven years. I begged him for a long time before he finally agreed. But on Christmas night, his childhood sweetheart, Lily Hall, called him, sobbing hysterically, saying she had been assaulted. Without a second thought, he left me on the highway and sped off to be with her. By the time I finished handling my mother’s funeral and returned home, I walked in to find the two of them standing close together, making bread. Lily’s tone was playful, yet a bit sharp. “I had to sacrifice my reputation to bring you back. Do you really think that if you’d gone to her house, her mother wouldn’t have used her illness to force you into marriage?” With a smirk, she added, “Now you owe me.” And Joshua? He affectionately tapped her nose, smiling, “Alright, my little troublemaker. Thank you for saving me.” That was the moment I realized just how ridiculous the past seven years had been. So, I turned around and walked away with the childhood friend who had been by my side, tirelessly helping with my mother’s funeral. Joshua went crazy, begging me to reconsider, to take him back. ***** I sighed, “She lives just a block away, and the police station’s nearby. Besides, it was an attempted assault, you know? She probably doesn’t want you, as a man, involved in this.” Christmas night, I made the mistake of saying one wrong thing. Joshua snapped at me, yelling that I lacked empathy and didn’t deserve to be a woman. He stared at me with anger in his eyes. “If it were you being assaulted, would you not need your friends around to comfort you? Aimee, where’s your compassion?” I stayed silent. I probably wouldn’t ever face that situation. After all, Lily had always kept a string attached to her ex. Things like assault, domestic abuse, or mistreatment weren’t unusual in her stories. She had mentioned them more than thirty times. I suggested she hold the man accountable, but she’d roll her eyes and accuse me of meddling. Lily didn’t seem to mind these things. She enjoyed the drama of it all. But Joshua? He was always overly concerned about her, more so than even about my own problems. Then, out of nowhere, Joshua swerved the car and turned around. “We need to take care of Lily. We’ll visit your mom some other time.” “No way! My house is only an hour and a half away. Come with me to meet my mom first. You only need to stay for an hour, just an hour—remember you promised me,” I pleaded, but Joshua remained unmoved. His coldness pierced my heart, and I felt the pain of it deep within. I shakily undid my seatbelt, desperately asking him to stop. “Joshua, please! My mom is about to give up. You promised me.” My pleading didn’t soften him even a little. And then, Lily, who had never hung up the phone, started crying even louder. “Joshua, come back! I’m alone here. I’m so scared!” Joshua was immediately drawn to her panic, his tone full of worry. “Stay at home. Don’t let anyone in. I’m coming back now.” Then, he gave me a cold, indifferent look. “You have two choices—walk back alone, or come with me to take care of Lily. In a few days, I’ll take you to see Grace.” “But you promised me…” I stammered. Joshua’s expression shifted to impatience. “Aimee, can’t you see the priorities here? Lily was almost assaulted, while Grace’s been sick for months. You can wait a few more days, can’t you?” I stared at him, stunned, my eyes wide. I grabbed his hand, unwilling to let go. Joshua, annoyed, pulled the car over, opened the door, and shoved me out. The cold winter rain hit my face. Joshua looked down at me from the car, indifferent. “Go walk back by yourself.” I couldn’t tell if it was rain or tears streaming down my face, but I acted quickly, grabbing onto the car door, pleading, “Joshua, you promised me you’d come back with me! You can’t just break your word.” Without hesitation, he slammed the door shut. My fingers were caught in the door, and I screamed in pain. Joshua’s face shifted with a flicker of concern, but before I could hope for him to make things right, I was suddenly kicked away from the car. “Want to die? Find somewhere else to do it!” he snapped coldly. The car sped away, leaving me alone, lying in the rain on the road. The cold, sharp rain made my pain unbearable. Suddenly, my phone rang with an urgent tone. My father, David Moore’s voice was furious, almost deafening. “Your mom’s gone! Why aren’t you back yet?”

By the time I got home, it was already late at night. My father dragged me to my mother’s bedside. “She waited up for you, holding on and refusing to close her eyes. Look what you’ve done.” I knelt on the floor, my tears long gone. After graduation, I joined Joshua’s company. I spent seven years as his secret girlfriend. Every time I begged him to come meet my parents, he always had an excuse to refuse. But this time, my mother was gravely ill, and her only wish was to see Joshua. I begged him over and over, and he finally agreed. Yet, in the end, he stood me up. I regretted it. I couldn’t believe I’d wasted seven years on someone like him. ***** Three days after my mother passed away, Joshua called, his tone casual, “Aimee, where did you put the hairdryer?” My voice was hoarse. “I don’t know.” Joshua’s voice rose sharply, clearly annoyed. “You don’t know?” I heard him rummaging through drawers. He snapped, “Aren’t you the one who takes care of everything around here? You’re telling me you don’t know? Aimee, what’s with the attitude? Didn’t I tell you I’d come see you in a few days? If you keep acting like this, we’re done.” I stared at the candle in front of me and blinked away the dryness in my eyes. “Whatever.” There was suddenly silence on the other end, and then he hung up. I knew he was angry again. In situations like this, I was always the one who backed down first. Because Joshua had once told me that he wouldn’t be the one to give in. If I wanted to be with him, I had to get used to being the one who always took a step down. But this time, I didn’t care. Let him be angry. I was tired. ***** Seven days later, I brought my mother’s ashes to Virelia. I’d always promised myself that when she got better, we would travel around the country together. But I never kept that promise, not even once. I arrived home in the evening. The door was ajar, and the smell of food wafted out. Joshua and Lily were busy making bread together. Lily lifted her chin, her voice teasing. “Joshua, I didn’t even care about my reputation to help you out this time. Do you believe me? If you go back with Aimee now, her mom will definitely use her illness as an excuse to force you into marriage. “People like them, once they get an opportunity to climb up, they won’t let go. I’ve seen it a million times. You’d better make it up to me later.” Joshua reached out and affectionately tapped Lily on the nose. “Don’t worry. The gift is already prepared. No one’s getting left out, especially you.” I stood at the door with my suitcase, gripping the handle tightly. So, this was the ridiculous reason Joshua had left in the first place. So, my mother hadn’t been able to leave in peace because of Lily’s jealousy. How absurd. In my agitation, the suitcase bumped against the doorframe. Joshua and Lily, standing by the island, suddenly turned around. Lily gasped, then grabbed Joshua’s arm with both hands, covered in flour. “Aimee, why are you back?” I sneered, “This is my place too. If you can come, why can’t I come back?” Lily’s eyes immediately welled up, and Joshua frowned, stepping in front of her protectively. “Lily’s been through a lot. I couldn’t let her stay home alone, so I had her stay here for a while. Be polite and don’t cause her any more harm. Don’t blame me for her issues. I’m not her ex.” I pushed the suitcase into the master bedroom. My eyes landed on a sexy silk nightgown on the bed. I never wore that kind. It was obvious whose it was. Joshua followed me, looking uncomfortable. “Lily’s a guest, and the guest room wasn’t cleaned, so I let her stay in the master bedroom.” I didn’t respond; I just started unpacking. Joshua grabbed my hand with a frown. “What are you doing?!” I raised an eyebrow at him. “She’s staying in the master bedroom, so I’ll move to the side bedroom. What’s wrong with that?” Joshua’s face darkened, and then he sneered, “Aimee, why are you being so sarcastic? I told you I’d come to see Grace after I settled Lily. Now it seems that’s not necessary. This is your punishment for not listening.”

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest as I yanked my hand away from Joshua. “You have no right to bring up my mother!” Joshua froze, about to say something, when Lily suddenly pulled off her apron, tears streaming down her face. “Aimee, please, stop fighting! I’ll just leave!” Joshua stopped her before she could go. “Lily, you’re not the one who needs to leave. This is my house—someone else should be packing their bags.” I looked at him, then at Lily, who was now standing behind him, under his protection. We had been together for six months when Joshua suggested we move in together. I insisted on paying rent. The first time I pulled out my wallet, his face darkened. “Aimee, are you insane? You think I need your money? Put that away—if anyone finds out, they’ll laugh their heads off.” Now I knew better. A man’s words were worth less than hot air—just as foul, and just as meaningless. I didn’t say another word. I packed my things, called a delivery service, and had my luggage sent to a hotel. When I picked up the last suitcase, Joshua’s expression was as dark as a storm. “Aimee, if you walk out that door, don’t bother coming back.” I didn’t even glance at him. I kept walking. The next morning, I handed in my resignation. Half a year ago, Lily had swooped in from overseas and taken my director position. Now, I was just another employee, free to leave as soon as my resignation was approved. But after waiting half the day, all I got was a message from the department manager: [Mr. Davies rejected your resignation. He wants to see you in his office.] When I walked in, Lily was sitting in Joshua’s chair, eating takeout pizza. A flood of memories hit me all at once. We have been seven years together. No one at the company ever knew. Back when we were madly in love, I once made the mistake of sitting in his chair. He ignored me for three days. But now, I finally understood. Someone else could sit in that chair. That someone just wasn’t me. Joshua pushed an unopened box of pizza toward me, his voice neutral. “Lily was kind enough to order this for you. No hard feelings.” I didn’t take it. I simply said, “Let’s not drag this out. Just approve my resignation.” His brows furrowed slightly. “You’re really quitting over this? Just because I let Lily stay at the house, you’re throwing a tantrum and resigning to prove a point? You even faked your mother’s death as an excuse?” Lily chimed in with a pitiful voice, “Yeah, Aimee, how could you say something like that? Are you seriously still mad that Joshua didn’t go with you to visit her? If it’s my fault, I’ll go with you—we can apologize to her together.” I stared at her for a moment, then suddenly laughed, “Sure. My mom’s waiting for you down there. Let’s see who dares to back out.” The color drained from both their faces. Joshua’s voice rose in anger. “Aimee, have you lost your mind?” I couldn’t be bothered to argue. “Yeah, I’m crazy. So hurry up and approve my resignation before I really make you regret it. If I tell the entire company about us, what do you think they’ll say about their oh-so-respectable general manager?” Joshua hadn’t even spoken yet when Lily shrieked in panic, “No!” “Why not?” I smirked at her and, without hesitation, shoved the office door wide open.   The commotion in the office had drawn everyone’s attention. Curious gazes landed on me from all directions. I clapped my hands together, making sure I had their full attention. “If you’re here for the drama, check the group chat! “I’ve been with Joshua for seven years. Maybe not a founding member of this company, but definitely a veteran employee. Then his childhood sweetheart waltzed in from overseas and took my position, demoting me from director to a mere employee—without so much as an explanation. “And now? I want to leave, and he won’t let me. If any of you are hoping for a stable, long-term career here, you might want to take a good look at how our boss handles things. Otherwise, you could end up just like me.” As soon as I finished speaking, the office erupted into murmurs. “Wait, wasn’t Lily supposed to be with Mr. Davies?” “She’s been hinting at it nonstop, showing off every chance she gets. It was getting unbearable.” “Aimee just dropped a kissing photo in the group chat—pretty solid proof. So Lily really was the other woman?” Joshua and Lily arrived just in time to see the aftermath, their faces instantly darkening. I suddenly understood. “Lily, so you’ve been running around telling people you’re Joshua’s girlfriend? How desperate for validation are you?” Lily’s face went completely pale. “Aimee, have you lost your mind? Joshua and I grew up together. Who the hell do you think you are? “You think you can just Photoshop a few pictures and fool everyone? Joshua, are you really going to let her slander me like this?” Joshua looked at me for a long moment—then chose Lily’s side. “Aimee, that’s enough.” And just like that, the whispers shifted again. “So it was fake?” “Knew it. No way Mr. Davies would have such bad taste.” The last shred of hope I had burned to ashes. I sneered, “Joshua, do you really think I spent seven years with you without preparing for this moment? You claim the photos are fake? Fine. But videos don’t lie. Neither do recordings. And chat logs? Those can be notarized. Let’s see who’s bluffing. “If you want to protect her, go ahead. I just want my severance and to walk away quietly. Otherwise, we can see this through the hard way.” With that, I turned and picked up my suitcase—the one holding my mother’s ashes. I had a flight this afternoon, and I wasn’t going to miss it. But before I even reached the door, Lily snapped. She lunged at me, clawing at my arm. “Aimee, you bitch!” I shielded the urn with everything I had. Then I saw it—that malicious glint in her eyes. Before I could react, she wrenched it from my grasp with all her strength. “You’re holding onto this like it’s some priceless treasure. What, did you steal it?” I yelled, “Lily, give it back!” Seizing the opportunity, she drove her foot hard into my stomach. I collapsed onto the floor, helplessly watching as she raised the urn high—then smashed it down without hesitation. The shattering sound echoed through the office. Lily’s smug expression hadn’t even faded yet. I snapped. I lunged at her, grabbing a fistful of her hair and slapping her across the face. “I’ll kill you! How dare you?” Lily’s screams and my fury left the entire office frozen in shock. Joshua rushed forward to pull me off her. Even as he pried me away, I yanked out a chunk of her hair with sheer force. Lily burst into tears, throwing herself into Joshua’s arms. “Joshua, did you see that? She’s trying to kill me!” Joshua’s grip tightened painfully around my wrist, his eyes cold as ice. “Aimee, have you lost it? You beat Lily up over a broken jar? A pile of worthless ashes?” I looked up at him, my vision red with rage. “She deserved it.” Somewhere in the crowd, a quiet voice murmured, “Wait… is that an urn?” Joshua’s hand trembled. His expression shifted from anger to confusion, then to something almost fearful. “What? What urn?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397680”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G