Category: English

Fiona was jealous of my beauty and caused me to fall from a building, but accidentally fell with me. Unexpectedly, we were both reborn. And this fool wanted to exchange her genius intelligence for my beauty. Fine, you can be the pretty face this life, and I’ll be the genius. My name is Astrid, and I’m the adopted daughter of the Montgomery family. When I was 17, the Montgomery’s biological daughter was finally found. Fiona and I were polar opposites. She had an ordinary appearance and a plump figure, but her intelligence was off the charts. As soon as she transferred to our school, she claimed the top spot in academics. On the other hand, I had delicate features and a slender figure, but I was dumb as a rock. No matter how hard I tried, knowledge just wouldn’t stick in my brain. Fiona was a shoo-in for an Ivy League school, while I’d be lucky to get into any college at all. Seeing this, my teachers suggested I pursue the arts, but I couldn’t master painting or dancing either. My brain seemed to be permanently frozen. So, I was incredibly envious of Fiona’s super-powered brain that could excel at anything she tried. But I never imagined that this genius, praised by teachers and classmates alike, would be jealous of my useless good looks. Perhaps it started when she refused to walk to and from school with me. Or maybe it began when she fell for the school bad boy, Zack. During a basketball game, Fiona fell head over heels for Zack at first sight and began pursuing him aggressively. She’d wake up two hours early to queue for Zack’s favorite breakfast and secretly slip it into his desk. She’d skip class to follow Zack to his favorite internet cafe. She’d skip meals to save money for his birthday gift, only for him to not even glance at it. As a top student, the teachers paid a lot of attention to Fiona. They called in Mom and Dad. This was the first time she’d been scolded since coming back. Mom tried to reason with her gently, “Fiona, dear, your focus right now should be on your studies. When you get to college, you’ll meet even more amazing people.” Dad strictly forbade her from seeking out Zack before the SATs, threatening to cut off her allowance if she did. Fiona got emotional, “Why are you so biased? Astrid’s grades are terrible, but you never scold her. I just skipped a few classes, and you’re making such a big deal out of it. Why did you even bother finding me?” After that, Fiona became even more reckless. Zack’s cronies often used him as an excuse to boss Fiona around, making her do this and that. Fiona would pack various meals and deliver them to Zack’s classroom. “Why are you so slow? Our man Zack is starving,” one of them complained. “There were a lot of people, so the line was long,” Fiona explained, her bangs damp with sweat and sticking to her forehead. Zack looked away in disgust. “Alright, you can go now. Remember to be earlier tomorrow.” Fiona nodded and left. I was standing outside the door, watching Fiona being treated like a servant. My blood boiled, and I stormed in, throwing the lunchbox in Zack’s face. “What, you don’t have legs?” I snapped. Fiona grabbed my arm, trying to pull me away. Zack wiped his face with a tissue, smirking at me, “How come you two sisters look so different? You’re so pretty, while your sister is… hmm?” He frowned. “What, did you eat shit? Your mouth stinks,” I retorted. “If it were you, I might consider it. But your sister? I couldn’t bring myself to do it,” Zack said, sitting on the desk with his feet on the chair, his expression contemptuous. Acting like he was doing us a favor. I wanted to kick him, but Fiona held me back. “I won’t let anyone hurt Zack,” she declared.

The next day, Zack inexplicably started pursuing me, and Fiona looked at me with hatred in her eyes. That night when we got home, she trashed everything in my room. Mom and Dad rushed over to stop her. “You’re just biased! I’m your real daughter, and Astrid stole my life. Now she’s even stealing Zack. How shameless can she be?” Fiona screamed. Dad was furious, “Fiona, stop this right now, or I won’t be so nice anymore.” “You don’t love me at all. Otherwise, why did you adopt her? Now that I’m back, why don’t you send her away? In this family, it’s either her or me.” Mom was heartbroken, “You and Astrid are both our daughters.” Fiona continued smashing things while cursing at me, “Astrid, you bitch! You seduced Zack behind my back. There are so many guys out there, why do you have to steal mine? Don’t think I don’t know you were just trying to get his attention yesterday. I won’t let you get away with this.” Seeing Fiona getting more and more out of hand, Dad couldn’t help but slap her. Fiona ran out crying. She ran to Zack’s place and stayed with a group of delinquents, skipping school for several days. No matter how Mom and Dad tried to contact her or persuade her, Fiona ignored them completely. Seeing my worried parents, I reluctantly contacted Fiona on my own, “If you come back, I’ll leave.” Fiona sent me an address, telling me to come alone. I could have ignored Fiona’s situation, but I couldn’t ignore my parents. They had loved me for ten years; I couldn’t be heartless. Following the address, I arrived at a high-end apartment building. I knocked on the door of the top floor and saw Fiona, whom I hadn’t seen for days. The room was littered with empty beer bottles and takeout boxes. As soon as I entered, the way Zack and his friends looked at me made me very uncomfortable. I really couldn’t understand why Fiona would like this good-for-nothing delinquent. With her brain, shouldn’t she see them as idiots? Fiona crouched next to Zack, “I’ve brought Astrid here as you asked. You said you’d consider making me your girlfriend.” Zack played with the cigarette in his hand, “Well, that depends on what you do next.” Fiona got up and sat next to me, handing me a bottle of alcohol, “Drink this.” I refused, “You said you’d come back home with me if I came here.” Fiona grabbed my hair and started pouring the alcohol into my mouth. Soon, I felt dizzy and disoriented. When I woke up, I was lying naked on the bed. The tearing pain in my lower body reminded me of what had just happened. I could faintly hear Fiona and Zack’s voices from outside. “Zack, I’ve done everything you asked.” “Did you get the video?” “Yes, I did. Zack, can you kiss me now?” “Hah, look closely. I like girls like Astrid. Come back when you’ve had plastic surgery to look like her.” I found my clothes and got dressed. By the time I went out, Zack and his gang had already left. Only Fiona was crouching on the carpet. As soon as she saw me, she pounced on me like a wild beast, tightly gripping my neck, “It’s all because of you, because of your face. I tried so hard, did everything, but he wouldn’t even look at me once. Why can you get it so easily?” I slowly backed towards the balcony, then hugged Fiona tightly and jumped out the window with her. Fiona, you ruined me, so you can die with me.

Ding~ Suddenly, a mechanical voice appeared in my mind: “Fiona requests to initiate the Life Exchange System with you.” Seeing that I didn’t understand, the mechanical voice sounded again, “Fiona wants to exchange her intelligence for your beauty.” Intelligence for beauty? Even a fool would know which to choose. In the face of absolute ability, beauty is worthless. I gladly agreed, and then returned to a few days ago. At breakfast that morning, Fiona peeled an egg for me, which was unprecedented. Mom and Dad were delighted to see our relationship improve. In class, I finally felt the joy of knowledge entering my brain. The feeling was truly addictive. After a full day of classes, I didn’t feel tired at all; on the contrary, I felt refreshed. The world of a top student is so wonderful. I wish there were no underachievers in the world. Back home, I burned the midnight oil. Because my foundation was weak, I had to start from scratch in many areas. For several days in a row, Fiona was polite to me whenever she saw me. Even when Zack pursued me at school, she didn’t show any displeasure. The teachers also thought she had returned to the right path and instead warned me not to think about dating just because I was pretty. Ridiculous. Now, studying makes me happy. Gradually, I understood why Fiona wasn’t doing anything. I, who had never had acne before, started getting pimples one by one. My weight also broke into triple digits and was still trending upward. Conversely, Fiona’s acne was disappearing, her skin becoming radiant and glowing. After losing some weight, her overall aura improved significantly. Zack came to see me less and less frequently. I still remained deaf to the outside world, studying in class and studying after class. Even in my dreams, I was filled with knowledge. In the first exam, I rose from over 900th place to around 600th. The teachers and my parents were all congratulating me. “You’ve made great progress recently. At this rate, getting into a good college shouldn’t be a problem. The pressure of exams can cause various adverse reactions in the body, but it will gradually recover after it’s over. Don’t worry, if you have any questions, feel free to ask the teachers anytime.” Recently, Fiona and I have changed a lot. The uglier I became, the prettier she got. Combined with her grades, she became the undisputed campus queen. I gradually became forgotten in the corner, and some people even felt ashamed for having praised my beauty before. Lately, Zack often came to our class again, but now he was looking for Fiona. The look of disgust he used to have for her was now directed at me. He even ordered that no one in school was allowed to mention that he had once pursued me. This kind of guy is really laughable, but some people still treat him like a treasure. “Astrid, I told you I wouldn’t let you get away with it,” Fiona said. “Look, Zack just brought me breakfast specially.” I glanced at the plastic bag she held high, “Drink more hot water.” After all, steamed buns can be quite dry. Fiona seemed to care a lot about Zack having once pursued me, and she often came to show off to me. “This is the couple’s ring Zack gave me. He said he wants to be with me forever.” I couldn’t understand what was so exciting about a cheap ring that probably cost less than $10 on Wish. If he’s not willing to spend money, how much love can there be?

The more something isn’t yours, the more you care about it. Fiona constantly checked her face, hiding mirrors in her books and stuffing her desk drawer full of skincare products and makeup. During this homeroom class, she was still fussing with her face under the desk. “Fiona, you dropped more than fifty places in the last exam. Aren’t you worried? If you keep this up, forget about Ivy League schools, you might not even get into college,” the teacher scolded. Fiona was nonchalant, “Teacher, beauty is a lifelong asset. If you learned how to dress up, maybe you wouldn’t have gotten divorced.” The teacher was so angry she trembled, and from then on, she never bothered with Fiona again. Fiona was busy flirting with Zack, while I was busy battling with math and physics. Mom and Dad couldn’t bear to see Fiona wasting her potential like this and tried to reason with her every day. “Fiona, honey, the SAT is a watershed moment in life. You should cherish it. Zack is just wasting his days away. Being with someone like that will only bring you misery.” Fiona couldn’t stand anyone speaking ill of Zack, “You haven’t cared about me for all these years. Now, and in the future, I don’t need you to care about me.” Mom burst into tears, “It’s not that we didn’t want to care for you, sweetie.” I gently rubbed Mom’s back. “Astrid, you’ve always been sensible and obedient. When you have time, try to talk some sense into Fiona. You’re the same age, maybe she’ll listen to you.” I nodded in agreement. Of course, I would try to persuade her. Only this time, the purpose of my persuasion would have to change. I wanted them to be inseparable, lest they end up on the market and harm others. I took a cup of hot milk upstairs to find Fiona. “Sis, don’t be angry. Mom and Dad just don’t understand Zack yet. They’ll agree eventually.” Fiona had thought I was coming to help our parents persuade her, but she didn’t expect me to take her side. “You don’t like Zack anymore?” she asked. “I never liked him. Besides, he’s the one you love. He’ll be my brother-in-law in the future.” Fiona finally smiled at me. After all, I was now the only one on her side. “I’ll help you keep it from Mom and Dad in the future.” “Sis, your love that defies the world is truly great. I’m so envious.”

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I overheard him telling his friend that he didn’t want to get married anymore. Coincidentally, I didn’t want to get married either. It was pouring rain outside as I left the hospital, feeling elated. The doctor had just told me I was pregnant. As if by telepathy, my phone rang. It was Tyler calling. I quickly answered, planning to share the good news, but before I could speak, he beat me to it. “Chloe, I’m drunk. Come pick me up,” he said, his voice languid. “Oh, okay. Where are you?” “I’ll send you my location.” He hung up after just a few words. I opened the umbrella and checked the location he shared. It was nearby. I was filled with joy, thinking I’d tell him the good news in person.

As soon as I entered the restaurant, I saw Tyler’s back. The person facing him spoke. “Tyler, it’s raining outside. You’re making your girlfriend come alone?” “She can’t make it today,” Tyler said definitively. I was curious why he thought I couldn’t come. His friend was also curious and asked the question I wanted to ask: “Why not?” “It’s her time of the month.” I suffer from severe menstrual cramps that can cause me to faint. Tyler knows this. Was he doing this on purpose? The smile froze on my face, all joy of sharing the news gone. I stood there stunned as their conversation continued. “If that’s the case, why did you ask her to come?” “You don’t understand. Ariana’s coming back tomorrow. She called and asked me to pick her up. I want to break up with Chloe.” “But aren’t you two about to get married?” Tyler was silent for a moment before responding firmly: “That’s why I don’t want to have any regrets.”

Ariana was Tyler’s dream girl. She had left him three years ago to pursue her career. That day, I left without meeting Tyler and took a cab home. He came back around midnight. Hearing the door open, I sat on the couch. As soon as Tyler entered, he immediately scolded me: “Didn’t I tell you to come pick me up? Why didn’t you come?” I sat motionless on the couch, wanting to see what else he would say. Tyler’s dark eyes swept over me, flashing with impatience. “If you didn’t want to come, you shouldn’t have agreed. Do you know how long I waited?” “I called you, but your phone was off,” I said. “My phone died,” Tyler replied without even checking his phone. I hadn’t actually called him, I was just guessing. I didn’t expect to guess correctly. I felt a wave of indifference, disappointed in him for the first time. The air suddenly became quiet. I moved my lips: “Is Ariana back?” He looked at me with some shock, unable to hide a flash of guilt across his face. He was probably surprised I would ask so directly. “Don’t be ridiculous, how would I know she’s back?” He was pretending so well. If I hadn’t overheard it myself, I might have believed him. “We’re supposed to take wedding photos tomorrow. You remember, right?” “I have something to do tomorrow. We can take wedding photos anytime, let’s do it in a few days.” For Tyler, he indeed had something very important tomorrow, more important than taking our wedding photos. No, I should say, he no longer wanted to marry me. That’s fine, I no longer wanted to marry him either. I stood up from the couch, looking composed. “Tyler, if you don’t go tomorrow, our wedding is off.” I looked at him firmly, brooking no argument. Tyler gazed at me intently. I guessed he was overjoyed inside but couldn’t show it. It must be very difficult to hold back, right? “Can you stop making a fuss? We’ve already met each other’s parents. If you want to cancel the wedding, you go tell them yourself,” he said, furrowing his brow as if reluctant. But I knew he wasn’t reluctant. Rather… He still had reservations. Otherwise, he would have brought this up directly. He remembered my period and knew I wouldn’t go out late at night during my period. He deliberately called to have me pick him up in the pouring rain, hoping I would feel he was unbearable and propose to break off the engagement myself, right? As he wished. I wanted to see if after breaking up with me, he could be with his beloved dream girl. “Tomorrow at 10 AM. I’ll wait for you,” I said calmly, turning to go to the bedroom.

I shut Tyler out of the bedroom. He wouldn’t be coming in tonight. I started packing my things. I didn’t have much actually, as most of it had already been moved to our new house. It was just one small suitcase. After packing, I opened the door and went out. Tyler had just come out of the bathroom, his body exuding moisture, wearing thin pajamas that showed off his tall figure. His eyes fell on the suitcase in my hand. “Where are you going? It’s still raining outside, you…” I seemed to detect a hint of concern in his words. This must be an illusion. How could someone who knew how severe my period was, yet still asked me to pick him up in the pouring rain, possibly love me? “Hmm, I called a car. I’m going to the new house tonight. Think carefully about what I said tonight. See you tomorrow.” I closed the door and left. The car had just about arrived. Our current place was only about 15 minutes from the new house. On the way, I recalled everything between Tyler and me from the beginning until now. We went to the same school, including Ariana. Tyler and I were in the same club. I often heard Ariana’s name from others’ mouths. She was the most graceful dancer, a perfect match for the school heartthrob Tyler. They were the golden couple at school. I carefully hid my feelings for Tyler in my heart, never overstepping. I always thought my secret crush would fade away quietly. But unexpectedly, when we were about to graduate, Ariana decided to go abroad. Tyler begged her to stay, but couldn’t change Ariana’s mind about leaving. They broke up. During that time, Tyler was devastated and became increasingly dejected, as if he had lost the whole world. He drank heavily every day, finally making himself so sick he was hospitalized with a stomach bleed. I liked him and couldn’t bear to see him like that, so I made porridge and went to visit him in the hospital. Tyler actually drank the porridge I brought him. He allowed me to visit him often and make porridge for him. We gradually became closer. When he was discharged, he held my hand and asked if I liked him. I admitted it frankly, since Tyler was single at that time. We naturally got together. We were together for three years. Tyler was a gentle and caring person who treated me well. He remembered my period and would make brown sugar water for me. He would hold me in his arms and gently rub my stomach. On my birthday, he would prepare surprises. When he proposed, there were fireworks in the sky. But in the end, I couldn’t compare to his dream girl. As beautiful as everything was before, looking back now it just seems laughable. Now I can’t even remember why I liked him in the first place. “Miss, why are you crying?” The car stopped and the driver called out to me. I came back to my senses, wiped the tears from my face, then took my luggage and got out of the car.

The next day, I was at the wedding dress shop, wearing the dress I had picked out before, quietly waiting. My palm rested on my lower abdomen, where a little life was unknowingly growing. Last night, I had planned to tell Tyler this good news. But he gave me such a big “surprise” instead. I waited until now, not for Tyler, but to give my child’s father a chance. If he came today… If he chose me over Ariana, then perhaps I could give him a chance. When the clock struck 10, that tiny bit of hope in my heart completely disappeared. A post appeared on social media, from Ariana. She looked even more beautiful and radiant than in school, her skin as white as a swan’s. Her caption read: “After all these years of twists and turns, you’re still by my side.” Soon, a group of people replied to her. “Congratulations, congratulations!” “The lovers are finally together.” “The ship I’ve been sailing for years has finally come true.” I didn’t have the courage to keep reading, but I still liked her post. The wedding shop staff finally came over, looking a bit troubled: “Miss, our photographer is ready. What should we…” I stood up, feeling a bit guilty: “I’m sorry, my fiance may have been in a car accident and is dying in the hospital, so we probably can’t take wedding photos today. But don’t worry, I’ll pay the full amount.” I said this calmly and went to change out of the wedding dress. The sales girl initially looked sympathetic when hearing about my fiance’s accident, but seeing how calm I was about changing, she muttered under her breath. I didn’t look like someone whose fiance was dying at all. But Tyler was already dead to me in my heart.

I went to the hospital. The child was mine alone, I didn’t need Tyler’s consent to arrange an abortion. I had once looked forward to this child’s arrival, but now I was clear-headed. I couldn’t take care of a child, nor could I give them a complete family. So I chose to remove it. Before the surgery, I called my best friend Julia. She arrived just as the surgery was finishing. Although I had the best and most advanced surgery, and the fetus was small, minimizing the harm to me, I still felt a pain in my heart. When I saw Julia, I couldn’t help but hug her and cry silently. She patted my back: “Chloe, I know everything! We don’t need that scumbag anymore. Come stay with me for now.” Julia said I needed to rest after the abortion, I must recuperate properly. I only had her as a friend in this city, so she wanted me to move in with her. I agreed. First, Julia and I were very close, we always helped each other and were inseparable. Second, I didn’t plan to tell my parents about this yet, afraid they would worry. I wanted to wait until I was better before telling them about this properly. At Julia’s place, she volunteered to buy me a bunch of supplements. After resting for a full week, I finally received a call from Tyler again. On the phone, his voice was still full of impatience: “Chloe, where did you go?” “Do you need something?” “Didn’t you say you moved to the new house? Why aren’t you back so late?” I looked at the time. Oh, it was already 11 PM. I’m a very disciplined person. I never go to bars or clubs. It’s already a miracle for me to not be home by 10 PM. “I’m planning to sell the new house. Tomorrow there will be an agent bringing people to view it. Don’t move in.”

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When Mrs. Campbell handed me a $5 million check to leave Ryan, I didn’t hesitate for a second. I had spent five years by Ryan’s side, giving him the best years of my youth without any official status. This $5 million didn’t seem like much in comparison. The news spread quickly to Ryan’s ears. I later heard that he had even skipped his most important meeting to rush over that day. When Ryan arrived at the apartment he had bought for me, I was in the middle of packing my things. “What do you think you’re doing?” Ryan’s face was as dark as a thundercloud. After being with him for so many years, I knew this look. He was furious. “Mr. Campbell, is it really that hard to understand? $5 million to break up with you – seems pretty straightforward to me,” I said, trying to smile and maintain my composure. My words only served to infuriate Ryan further. He practically growled, “You’ll regret this once you’re gone!” With that, Ryan stormed out, slamming the door behind him. To be fair, Ryan had treated me well over the years, at least materially. He had kept me like a pampered bird in a gilded cage, never skimping on designer bags, luxury clothes, or expensive watches. If I had stayed with him, I would have certainly received more than this $5 million. But I was tired of it all. If I hadn’t recently heard that Olivia Parker was returning from abroad, I might have almost forgotten my true status in Ryan’s life. Olivia was Ryan’s fiancée, the one Mrs. Campbell had always approved of as a suitable daughter-in-law from an equally prestigious family. I managed to pack up my belongings in less than half an hour, feeling rather proud of my efficiency. After leaving the apartment, I had nowhere to go, so I ended up at my best friend Lucy’s place. Unfortunately, I arrived to find Lucy’s boyfriend was also there. Watching the loving couple together made me feel like a third wheel. Lucy gave me an apologetic look, and since I hadn’t given her any advance notice, I decided to go to a hotel instead. Coincidentally, it was a hotel Ryan and I used to frequent. Sometimes when he’d had too much to drink, we’d check in here to rest. Ryan rarely lost his composure in front of others, even when drunk. But on the rare occasions when he did overindulge, no one could handle him except me. His secretary would always call me whenever Ryan had too much to drink. As I was checking in at the front desk, the receptionist recognized me. She smiled and asked, “Is Mr. Campbell not with you today?” I shook my head and replied matter-of-factly, “Mr. Campbell and I are no longer together.” The receptionist seemed taken aback by my candid response and looked a bit embarrassed. After all, my relationship with Ryan had been well-known in certain social circles. Ryan was a famous bachelor in the business world, and I was… well, his mistress. Once I had checked in, I decided to treat myself to a relaxing bubble bath. Rose petals floated on the water’s surface, their gentle fragrance filling the air – it was my favorite. Ryan had always been allergic to flower pollen, so I had never been able to enjoy a flower petal bath before. As I lay in the bathtub, watching the steam rise, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. I stayed at the hotel for three whole days until Lucy came to find me. Lucy knew about my breakup with Ryan and suggested we go on a trip together to help me clear my head. However, the day before we were supposed to leave, Lucy’s company had an emergency that required her attention. Just like that, our girls’ trip turned into a solo adventure. In the end, I decided to go to Chiang Mai, Thailand, by myself. As soon as I boarded the plane, I received a call from Ryan. The phone rang for a long time, until a flight attendant came over to remind me that the plane was about to take off and I needed to switch my phone to airplane mode. Just before I turned off my phone, a message from Ryan came through: I’ll only say this once. Come back when you’re done with this nonsense. Reading that short line of text suddenly reminded me of something that had happened four years ago. Four years ago, after I had been with Ryan for a year, I suddenly learned about Olivia’s existence. That night, I drank a lot and threw a tantrum for the first time. Ryan was working in his study at the time, and I came home drunk. Ryan never allowed anyone to disturb him while he was working, and I had always been obedient. But that night, emboldened by alcohol, I deliberately went to bother him. Wearing a spaghetti strap nightgown, I asked him what was more important – his work or me. That night, he was truly angry. He took off his gold-rimmed glasses and looked at me coldly. “Natalie, I’ll say this one more time. I’m working. Get out.” I didn’t listen, and he threw me out of the study, coat and all. After storming out of the mansion in a huff, I quickly regretted my actions. The neighborhood was in a secluded area, and at night it was completely deserted. To make matters worse, I hadn’t brought my purse with me, which only added to my misery. As I huddled by the roadside, shivering and clutching my coat around me, Ryan came looking for me. His face was ashen as he towered over me and said, “Are you done with your tantrum?” I bit my trembling, purple lips, about to stubbornly retort when a sneeze escaped instead. Perhaps it was because I looked so pitiful at that moment, but Ryan’s eyes softened slightly. For the first time, he bent down to help me up, but my pride got the better of me and I pushed him away. His hand hovered in the air, and I could tell he was truly angry now. “I’ll only say this once. Come back when you’re done with this nonsense.” True to his word, after saying this, Ryan turned and walked away. I called out to him, “Give me my purse.” “Natalie, I bought that purse for you. If you’re not planning on coming back, you can forget about taking it with you.” At that moment, I suddenly understood the nature of my relationship with Ryan. The Louis Vuitton and Hermès bags I carried, the designer clothes I wore – they were all bought by Ryan. Seeing that I remained silent, Ryan bent down once more and picked me up in his arms. From that day on, I became extremely obedient, staying by Ryan’s side without complaint. And so, five years passed… I turned off my phone, casually deleting Ryan’s message. After a two-hour flight, I arrived at Chiang Mai International Airport. Unfortunately, shortly after disembarking, my bag was stolen. At the police station, the Thai officer eyed my expensive designer outfit. His expression seemed to say, “If they didn’t steal from you, who would they steal from?” Unable to communicate due to the language barrier, with no money and no valid identification, I couldn’t prove my identity. The police pushed a phone towards me, gesturing for me to call someone for help. My parents had passed away when I was very young, and I had been raised by my grandmother. But my grandmother had passed away before she could enjoy her golden years, the same year I met Ryan. He had been like a ray of light shining into my dark life. With no other choice, I tried calling Ryan. I dialed his international number again and again, but the constant ringing only served as a reminder that the light that had once illuminated my life had truly disappeared. I couldn’t remember Lucy’s number, and the police officer across from me was quickly losing patience. It wasn’t until late afternoon that a young American man came to my rescue. His name was Sean Thompson, and he happened to be at the police station that day on business. Seeing me sitting alone in the corner, looking lost, he approached me out of a sense of camaraderie for a fellow foreigner. He used his fluent Thai to help me communicate with the police. After leaving the police station, I got a new phone number, effectively cutting off all contact with Ryan. But occasionally, I would still come across news about him online. I saw photos of him shopping with Olivia, looking at her adoringly. There were articles about the two of them attending ribbon-cutting ceremonies for newly opened hotels, looking like the perfect power couple. And then came the announcements of their upcoming wedding of the century… I decided to stay in Chiang Mai and became good friends with Sean. With Sean’s help, I successfully landed a job at a Thai-American joint venture company. The five years I had spent as Ryan’s kept woman had left me feeling ill-equipped to fend for myself in the real world. Between the language barrier and the demands of my new job, I was grateful to have Sean’s support. Sean and I, two lonely souls adrift in a foreign land, found comfort in each other’s company. But no one had told us that when two lonely people huddle together, it doesn’t necessarily make them feel any warmer. Standing on a balcony with a panoramic view, I smiled and asked Sean, “Why did you choose to stay here?” He looked up at me, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. It was the time of year for the Yi Peng Lantern Festival again. The sky was filled with floating lanterns, their warm yellow light casting a glow on Sean’s chiseled features. I learned his story then. Coming to Chiang Mai for the Lantern Festival had been his late girlfriend’s wish. He said, “They say if you make a wish on a sky lantern, it will come true.” I knew that as he said this, he must have been thinking of his girlfriend. But his girlfriend never made it here, having passed away in his arms. I clasped my hands together and made a sincere wish to the countless lanterns floating in the sky: I wished to forget Ryan. As days passed, work kept me busy. Sometimes I even had to deal with harassment from my lecherous boss. The sleazy man would use work as an excuse to touch me inappropriately and make crude jokes. To help me out, Sean pretended to be my boyfriend when he came to pick me up from work one day. After that, my boss stopped harassing me, and no other colleagues tried to pursue me romantically. I was grateful for the peace and quiet. After living in Chiang Mai for nearly two years, I suddenly received an assignment from my company to go to the United States for a project. Within a couple of days, I had packed my things and returned to the States with a few Thai colleagues. As soon as our plane landed, representatives from the client company were already at the airport to escort us to our hotel. The hotel was one Ryan used to frequent, and I felt a moment of disorientation as I stood at the entrance. Memories I thought I had forgotten came rushing back like a tidal wave. It wasn’t until I saw that the receptionist had changed that I finally relaxed my tight grip on my suitcase handle. “Welcome, Mr. Campbell, Ms. Parker…”

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Tessa Lewis, my manipulative roommate, got rejected after confessing her love to a married man. To save face, she dragged us to the underground parking lot and hugged a million-dollar sports car, claiming it was a gift from her boyfriend. Unexpectedly, a tall, handsome guy actually got out of the car and walked away with Tessa in his arms. I’m part of a very dark chat group on SnapChat. Every day, people post strange messages that seem like coded language. I only got into this group because of my brother. About a year ago, when my brother passed away, I was responsible for sorting through his belongings. He had worked at a private high school, and due to his background in psychology, he was promoted from a regular teacher to the assistant of the school’s psychology research department. He was preparing to take over from the retiring psychology professor. I don’t know much about his death, and my parents are reluctant to talk about it. All I know is that he died in a car accident. A drunk driver crashed into the school gates, and my brother pushed away a student who was about to be hit, but he never came back himself. My parents were too grief-stricken to go to the school and sort through my brother’s belongings, so I had to go and bring them back. In my brother’s notebook, I found this group number. My brother was a meticulous person with an amazing memory. He rarely wrote things down if he could remember them, so out of curiosity, I used my own account to join the group. It’s a chat group called “Cats,” but they rarely talk about cats. Many people use obscure language, as if they’re speaking in code. Until one day, the group finally posted a message I could understand. It was a photo of a girl with an amazing figure, wearing a sexy black lace outfit. There was a crimson birthmark on her chest, barely visible but incredibly alluring. The background was blurred, but you could make out that it was a bathroom because of the obvious yellow-gray drainage pipe behind her. “Group admin recalled a message” This message suddenly flashed, and the picture disappeared. As I stared at the now-empty chat box, a voice like thunder from a clear sky came from behind me: “Amber Gordon, what are you doing here?” I turned off my screen and looked back. It was my roommate, Tessa Lewis. “Tessa, you scared me to death. Can’t you make some noise when you walk?” Tessa casually switched her handbag to her other hand. It was a popular LV counter item. She used her free hand to adjust her freshly curled waves. “Who knows what guilty thing you’re doing here? My heels are so loud, how did you not hear them?” Her words guided my eyes downward. She was wearing a pair of YSL super killer heels. Black heel with a striking logo. Expensive, but not comfortable, yet very eye-catching. I put my phone in my pocket and crossed my arms, looking her up and down. She was obviously uncomfortable with my scrutiny and glared at me. “What are you looking at? Never seen designer brands before?” “Tessa, you know they’re designer brands? When you were fighting for Melody Parker’s scholarship, didn’t you cry to our homeroom teacher saying your family couldn’t even afford a TV?” The motion-sensor lights in the hallway were triggered by my voice, lighting up a whole row. I caught a glimpse of our dorm door opening, with half a head peeking out, but I couldn’t see whose it was. Her demeanor weakened a bit, but she still maintained an inexplicable air of arrogance. “It’s not my fault if she couldn’t get it. What’s that got to do with me?” “Right, it’s not your fault. Who could be as capable as you, crying to the homeroom teacher, saying your mom has heart disease and your dad is disabled, and that you couldn’t even provide proof?”

After starting college, I picked an easy job. Since our school had a student who committed suicide due to mental health issues, the school paid extra attention to mental health. I managed to snag this easy job and became a student counselor. When it was time to evaluate scholarships, I was in the homeroom teacher’s office filling out forms for the psychology department. Perhaps because I was hiding behind another teacher’s desk writing at the time, Tessa didn’t notice me when she came in that day. She’s very beautiful, with a hot body, and has many pursuers behind her, but she always maintains an ambiguous relationship with them. When Tessa ran into the homeroom teacher’s office wearing a little camisole, the teacher was about to publicize the list of financially disadvantaged students. Tessa didn’t sit in the guest chair opposite the teacher’s desk, but went directly behind the desk and started massaging the teacher’s shoulders. “Mr. Quinn, are you going to publish the list?” The teacher, tired from a long day, didn’t refuse her advances and seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. “What’s up? Do you have any suggestions?” “I don’t have any suggestions. It’s just that I forgot to submit my application form. Is it too late now?” For the financially disadvantaged student scholarship, you need to first be certified as financially disadvantaged. I remember when Melody Parker was writing her application for financial aid, Tessa was mocking her on the side, saying you could find plenty of these things online, why bother writing it yourself? After Melody finished writing her application, she went to take a shower. Tessa took the application and read it for quite a while. Seeing that no one in the dorm was paying attention to her, she took a photo of it and sent it somewhere. I listened carefully and was surprised to hear the teacher agree. Tessa pushed further, saying, “Mr. Quinn, there’s not enough time. Why don’t you publish the list first, and I’ll tell you about my special circumstances tonight~” The seductive tone at the end was captivating. Then, Tessa made up a bunch of “reasons for poverty,” even bringing up nonsense like her parents being sick. Just like that, Melody Parker’s spot was replaced by Tessa. No one knew about this except me.

Melody Parker came out of the dorm room. She pulled my hand and whispered, “Amber, stop arguing with her. Let’s go back to our room.” Tessa grabbed my arm, “Don’t go. Tell me what you mean. Don’t try to frame me!” “Whether it’s framing or not, you know it yourself.” With that, I followed Melody back to our dorm. The atmosphere in the dorm was tense for a long time. No one spoke, and no one paid attention to Tessa frantically changing clothes in front of the mirror. Her phone rang. Because she had so many pursuers, almost all of her ringtones were specific. This ringtone was unfamiliar. I also have a keen sense like my brother, at least able to memorize many unique things in a short time, like Tessa’s annoying ringtones. This ringtone, I definitely hadn’t heard before. She answered the phone, calling out in a coquettish voice: “Brother Donnie~ Are you thinking about me so late at night~” After that, it was all sickly sweet talk, but you could feel more that Tessa was humbly pleasing this “Brother Donnie.” “Okay, then I’ll sneak out to see you tonight.” This was Tessa’s closing line. After saying that, she left. Seeing that Tessa had gone far, Melody took an apple, put it on my desk, and started asking about Tessa stealing the scholarship. In our dorm, when we discuss Tessa, there’s always endless topics, from her personality, way of doing things, speech and manner, dressing style, and all kinds of eye-opening trashy behaviors. Before we knew it, it was half past one in the morning. My phone ringtone interrupted our late-night chat session. It was our homeroom teacher. “Is Tessa from your dorm not back yet?” I pretended to be completely unaware, my voice full of drowsiness, completely acting as if I had just been woken up: “Teacher, she was still here before I went to sleep. What’s wrong? Do you want me to call her?” The teacher impatiently said, “No need.” Melody worriedly asked, “Amber, should we ask Tessa? I hope nothing happened…” Melody reminded me that I’m the student counselor. It was originally a cushy job that could add points to my record. Thanks to Tessa for adding so much challenge to my work. As her roommate, if something happened, my cushy job as a student counselor would fly away like a cooked duck. I called Tessa, but she didn’t answer. I called again, still no answer. After repeating this three or four times with no one answering, I had to give up. At five in the morning, I was woken up by the phone ringing. It was Tessa. “Sis, did you not come back to the dorm all night just to wake me up at this hour?” On the other end of the phone, Tessa mumbled drunkenly, “You’re the class representative, come pick me up.” “Where am I supposed to pick you up from? I don’t even have a leave slip. I don’t want to risk getting disciplined.” “I don’t care, you’re the class rep, you have to come pick me up.” I hung up the phone and prepared to go back to sleep, but Melody woke me up again: “Amber, let’s go check on her. I hope nothing happened.” I turned over to continue sleeping: “She’s a grown-up, she should learn to take responsibility for herself.” Our other roommate seemed to have been persuaded by Melody too: “Amber, after all, she’s still our roommate. Let’s go check on her. If something happens, we still have to live here, and it would be scary if something happened to her.” As a firm materialist, I’m not afraid of ghosts or spirits, but I’m afraid of these two idiots nagging in my ear.

According to Tessa’s location, we arrived at the third floor of “Desire KTV.” Tessa was slumped in the corner of the private room. It seemed everyone else had left, with only Tessa lying listlessly on the sofa. Melody shook her for a long time but couldn’t wake her up. I went to get a cup of water from the bathroom and splashed it on her. She woke up groggily, mumbling, “So what if you have a wife? You still come to me every day anyway.” The three of us looked at each other, pretty much guessing what had happened. It seemed that this “Brother Donnie” was a married man who had an affair with Tessa. Tessa really thought he considered her his sweetheart, constantly trying to please him, but ended up being dumped after he was done with her. She rambled on for a while, not saying anything good. I got impatient and retorted, “Who told you to be the other woman? Who are you blaming?” She weakly pushed me, “Who asked you to nag? I have plenty of men.” She pulled our arms, making us follow her to a bright but oppressive underground parking garage. The brightness here was uncomfortable. There was a ceiling light every few meters, extremely bright under the lights, but quite dark between two light points at the extreme. Tessa suddenly pounced on a flashy purple supercar, rubbing her body against the car’s hood. Because she was wearing a super short skirt, if she moved forward a bit more, she would be exposing herself. I pulled her arm, “Come on, let’s go back to school. Stop being crazy.” “I’m not crazy,” she shook off my hand and continued to embrace the supercar, “This is a Bugatti my boyfriend gave me!” “Okay, okay, your boyfriend gave it to you. Can we go back to school now, sis?!” I was already exhausted and had to deal with a drunk person here. “Yes, my boyfriend is so handsome. You’re just jealous.” “Alright, alright. Your boyfriend is a 6’3″ muscle man who’ll give you a billion dollars in cash tomorrow. Happy?” Before I could pull her away, the supercar door opened. Long legs touched the ground first, then a man about 6’3″ tall, wearing a dark suit, stepped out. He was wearing a white mask, revealing fair skin and handsome features, full of mystery. He lowered his head slightly and said to me, “This is my girlfriend. Why don’t I take her home?” I cautiously extended my arm, separating the man from us, but the drunk Tessa, like a mare in heat seeing a stallion, and a racehorse at that, became unstoppable. She pushed away my arm and hugged the handsome stranger in front of her, slurring seductively, “Handsome, you’re my boyfriend. Take me home quickly.” I tugged at Tessa’s arm, but it didn’t budge. The handsome guy picked Tessa up in his arms and said to us, “I’ll take my girlfriend home first, and send her to your school tomorrow.” My phone in my pocket vibrated a few times. Through my smartwatch, I saw the content of the message. It was a message from the “Cats” group. Someone who usually had a good private relationship with the group admin posted a message, [If the Cat Boss doesn’t find the little fish today, what fun will we have?]. By the time I came to my senses, the man had already put Tessa into the supercar. “Hey, do you know her name?!” I shouted as I ran to the car window. He smiled, “I really don’t know…” The supercar accelerated quickly. By the time he flew out of the parking lot with the car, I realized that Tessa had fallen into a tiger’s den.

In the “Cats” chat group. The group admin posted a message. [Got the fish.] This message was too coincidental, so coincidental that I couldn’t help but connect these two events. While I asked my roommate to call the police, I kept calling Tessa’s phone. Tessa’s number was a campus card, with a dynamic video of a famous scenic spot in our province as the ringtone. The video kept looping, but the call never connected. The situation had escalated. The three of us sat numbly in the police station’s reception room, with our homeroom teacher sitting opposite us, his face gloomy. Mr. Quinn suddenly looked up, his eagle-like eyes staring straight at us. He warned, “Amber Gordon, listen to me. If anything happens to Tessa, see if I don’t give you a disciplinary record!” The policewoman hit him on the shoulder with a folder, “This is a police station, mind your manners.” The policewoman smiled professionally at me, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll bring this girl back as soon as possible. We’re just asking you for routine inquiries, don’t be nervous. Amber, right? You come first.” Since we were the ones reporting the case, we didn’t go into the small dark room I had imagined, but into a clean and bright office. A middle-aged police officer was standing in front of the desk, holding a cup of tea. When he saw me come in, he was very welcoming. “Little sister, sit on the sofa. Don’t be nervous. My name is Henry Johnson. You can call me Uncle Henry.” I had heard from my brother that in psychology, to get closer to someone’s heart more quickly, you usually try to close the relationship between you, reduce the sense of distance, to achieve the purpose of relaxation. I sat on the sofa and nodded to him, “Okay, Uncle Henry.” Detective Johnson kept asking about things between me and Tessa. After all, I was the class student counselor. Even if I didn’t get along with Tessa, I wouldn’t completely fall out with her. Tessa had a difficult personality, but I was the only one in the class who could talk to her for more than a few sentences. That being said, I didn’t know her very well either. After I mentioned that Tessa had unclear relationships with her friends, Detective Johnson became interested. “You say Tessa has many social friends?” I nodded, “She has many male friends, and the relationships are all unclear and messy.” Detective Johnson asked, “Do you know which male friend she was closest to?” I shook my head, “She rarely tells us these things. Only when she’s bragging about who gave her what gift does she mention a few names.” After asking what needed to be asked, Detective Johnson propped both hands on the wooden desk, pondered for a moment, then told me, “That’s all. You can go now.” I suddenly remembered that group full of coincidences. Maybe it could help uncover the truth about my brother’s death. I put my phone on the desk. I had already turned off the internet and even turned on airplane mode. Detective Johnson looked at the group chat messages on the screen, slowly frowning, looking at me with confusion and shock. I pointed to the last message [Got the fish]. “This message came shortly after Tessa got in the car. It’s too coincidental… I… I decided to show you.” Detective Johnson leaned close to his shoulder radio, contacting his other colleagues: “Little Xu, ask the tech department to come over.” They copied all the information from my phone. To avoid alerting anyone, they needed me to cooperate with the investigation and continue to lurk in the group.

Tessa had been out of contact for exactly three hours. All kinds of thoughts kept surging in my mind. Three hours is enough time to do anything. Even a bull could be dissected by now. My two roommates had already fallen asleep leaning on each other, leaving only me still staring at my phone in the police station. Mr. Quinn seemed to casually get up and pace over to sit beside me. He looked around, making sure the police were far from us, before asking, “Why haven’t you mentioned this group before?” Actually, Detective Johnson had told us all to go home and wait for news. But Mr. Quinn didn’t want to leave. As the primary person responsible, if anything happened to Tessa, he couldn’t escape responsibility. As students under our homeroom teacher, we didn’t know whether we should leave or not, so we just stayed here with him. He must have only heard about the group from the discussions of other police officers. I was about to turn off my phone screen, but he quickly slapped my phone away. Because of the low battery, the screen had automatically dimmed, but you could still see a message that popped up. It was a picture. My phone data had already been synchronized by the police, and Detective Johnson asked us to come over to identify it as soon as he saw the photo. In the photo was a woman wearing revealing clothes. Her chestnut-colored waves covered her face, but Mr. Quinn recognized her at a glance. “It’s Tessa!” At this moment, he no longer had any intention of hiding his shame. He just wanted to find Tessa. Facing the sidelong glances of several police officers, the homeroom teacher didn’t hesitate. Pointing at the chest area of the image on the big screen, where there was a crimson birthmark, he said, “Tessa has a birthmark here. It must be her!” The tech department had already contacted SnapChat officials and retrieved all the information from the group. Detective Johnson asked me as usual, “Miss Gordon, see if there’s anything missing?” I was about to shake my head when I suddenly remembered the photo that had been recalled. I pointed between two messages, “Here, there was a photo that was recalled.” I recalled that unique crimson birthmark on her chest, and I was absolutely certain: “Uncle Henry, it must be Tessa. Both photos are nude pictures of Tessa.” Mr. Quinn was obviously stunned, and even Detective Johnson couldn’t help but frown. Detective Johnson put down the printed chat records in his hand: “How can you be so sure?” I tried my best to recall that photo, the black lace dress in the image floating in my mind, as well as the blurry water pipes in the background: “It’s in the bathroom of Teaching Building B. The fixtures there are old, and only that place has that kind of pipes.” I called my boyfriend, Finn. At this time, he should be in Economics class on the third floor of Teaching Building B. “Finn, go to the bathroom quickly.” I briefly told him about the photo I wanted, and although he was confused, he didn’t refuse. After about two minutes, Finn sent the photo, the last stall in the men’s bathroom. The gray-yellow drainage pipes, the dim light, and that smell you could almost sense through the screen. I handed the photo to Detective Johnson: “The background of the photo was like this, with a girl in front wearing a black lace camisole dress.” Mr. Quinn squeezed between us, even snatching my phone from my hand to look carefully. After a while, he threw the phone back to me: “Impossible, impossible!” A female police officer pulled the somewhat out-of-control homeroom teacher to the side: “Mr. Quinn, please calm down.” Mr. Quinn, a young man, strong and vigorous, now looked like an aged old man, breathing rapidly, desperately hoping to fill his nostrils with air. “This is impossible, this is impossible!” Mr. Quinn stared straight at me: “You’re talking nonsense. Lin Lin’s photos couldn’t possibly appear in these places!” Detective Johnson seemed to know something and tilted his head to ask, “Mr. Quinn, how can you be so sure?” “Because… because…” Mr. Quinn hesitated for a long time, still unable to spit out a complete sentence. Detective Johnson reminded him in a stern tone: “Mr. Quinn, now Tessa is missing and her life is in danger. If you don’t speak up, it might slow down the investigation progress.” “Henry, the traffic police department has sent over the surveillance footage, but that car had fake plates. We can’t trace the owner through the license plate.” Seemingly aware that the surveillance video was now in the hands of the police, Mr. Quinn’s dark pupils lowered, pondering whether to spill everything. Detective Johnson also read Mr. Quinn’s eye expression and continued to warn: “You are Tessa’s teacher. You should be more aware than us of how big an impact this incident has on the students, parents, school, and society.” Detective Johnson went with others to check the surveillance footage, leaving a female police officer to guide Mr. Quinn to tell the truth. Standing on the side, looking at the hesitant homeroom teacher, I decided to give him one last push. “Teacher, you must have guessed it too, right? Tessa didn’t just send you this photo, so why are you still covering for her?” Mr. Quinn and Tessa had confirmed their relationship at the beginning of the school year. During the freshman orientation week, Tessa pretended to be sick multiple times, making the counselor come to take care of her. Tessa was beautiful and excellent at pleasing people. As they interacted more, Mr. Quinn fell for her too. Due to their special status, they didn’t make their relationship public, always maintaining a teacher-student relationship. However, they were very intimate when chatting online. So intimate that… they exchanged private photos.

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I never imagined that one day I would become a suspicious “wife” catching wind of every little thing. If I had stuck to my original plan of staying single, I wouldn’t be tasting the bitterness of betrayal now. On my birthday, my husband and I went out for Japanese cuisine. He posted a lovey-dovey picture on Instagram with the caption: “Birthday dinner with the missus. Do not disturb.” This strange term of endearment piqued my curiosity. I’m not usually domineering, and he never calls me “missus.” There’s no need for him to portray himself as henpecked in front of family and friends. Unless… he subconsciously wanted someone specific to see it. Half an hour earlier, while tidying up our room, I found a brand new box of strawberry-flavored condoms. When we first started dating, I liked strawberry flavor. But now, after three years of marriage, I’ve long since outgrown such frivolous things. I frowned and went to confront Luke, “Honey, why did you buy these?” He was doing pull-ups on the balcony at the time. He turned his head, looking slightly surprised, but calmly said: “Oh, your birthday is coming up in a few days. I wanted to give you a surprise, you know, reminisce about our younger dating days. Didn’t expect you to find them so soon.” I was taken aback by his smooth-talking skills. Geez, how many years has it been since he last said something so cheesy? Luke and I were middle school classmates who reconnected at a reunion and started dating. We had a shotgun wedding when I got pregnant. I quickly returned to work after giving birth, and our relationship gradually became more like respectful relatives than passionate lovers. He’s a fitness trainer, and due to his hormones, he has particularly strong needs in that department. That night, after Luke turned off the lights, he reached for me as usual, his teeth gently grazing my shoulder strap as he whispered mischievously: “Why don’t we give Max a little brother?” However, I was already exhausted from a long day at work and wasn’t in the mood to indulge his playfulness. But he seemed to have learned some new tricks from somewhere, catching me off guard and making me gasp. “Where did you learn all this?” I asked, my back slightly damp with sweat as I melted into his embrace, allowing him to kiss me. “From educational materials, of course. I’ve done a lot of research to better serve you,” Luke teased, placing my hand on his six-pack abs and slowly guiding it lower. I still half-heartedly gave in and fell back onto the bed. But he didn’t succeed that night. In the end, he had to give up, lying next to me covered in sweat and cursing under his breath. My mood instantly sank. Because he hadn’t turned off the bedside lamp this time, I could see the stretch marks on my stomach. He sat on the edge of the bed smoking a cigarette, sighing quietly. “Chloe, don’t you know that if a woman doesn’t take care of herself after marriage, her husband can easily lose interest?” My heart grew even colder. Passion… if you’re only pursuing passion for a lifetime, what’s the point of marriage? Before meeting him, I had already decided to stay single. It was only after his persistent pursuit when we reconnected that I chose to enter into marriage and even have a child for him. Now he’s disgusted by the marks left on my body from bearing his child. I retorted, “What, are you going to cheat on me or something?” He rolled his eyes and said even if he wanted to, no one would be interested in him. True enough. Despite all the stories of affairs floating around online, in reality, no one would get involved with a married man who can’t even pay off his mortgage. Even being a mistress has professional standards; only rich men are worthy of having affairs. That night, neither of us could sleep, so we lay back to back on the bed, scrolling through our phones. When Luke came across a news article about “Man scammed after believing high-paying sperm donation ad,” he immediately forwarded it to me. I couldn’t be bothered to open it, just another trashy social news story, and continued reading my novel silently. My husband kept complaining, “She’s super pretty, gets paid for free sex, how can there be such a good deal in this world? So many men lining up to be studs, who else would they scam if not them?” I ignored him. As I reached over to turn off the bedside lamp, I caught sight of that box of strawberry-flavored condoms again and suddenly had a realization. He hadn’t used them just now, and even talked about having a second child with me. So who were these condoms bought for? 2 Once the seed of doubt is planted, it inevitably takes root and grows. On the surface, I remained calm, but I began to carefully observe his behavior. A few days later, on my 30th birthday, because I like wagyu beef, my husband suggested taking me to that newly opened Japanese restaurant on the busy street. He had specifically booked a private room, which was pre-decorated with roses and candles, with a cake already set on the table. “Happy birthday, Chloe! Thirty is just the beginning. You’ll continue to thrive in both family and career. You’ll always be the strong woman in my heart.” My birthday is also our wedding anniversary. In previous years, he almost always needed me to remind him, and he had never said such grandiose words. Since when did he become so good at sweet-talking women? After the Japanese meal, he presented me with a birthday surprise – a Cartier ladies’ watch worth over $4,000. It was rare to see him willing to spend money; in the past, he would even flinch at me buying a trench coat. I asked, “Where did you get the money for this?” Luke grinned and said, “I secretly saved up some pocket money. Oh, and I also paid Max’s tuition for the private preschool. I kept the remaining $300 for myself to spend, okay?” That day he also took a photo with me and posted a lovey-dovey message on Instagram: “Birthday dinner with the missus today (rose)(rose) Do not disturb (grinning face).” When I saw this Instagram post that night after returning home, suspicion arose in my mind. How many years had it been since he last called me by an affectionate nickname? He always just called me by my name. Even after I gave birth to our child, he couldn’t be bothered to call me “honey” or “babe.” Why suddenly use the strange term “missus”? I’m not usually domineering; we always make decisions together. There’s no need for him to portray himself as henpecked in front of family and friends. Unless he deliberately posted it for someone else to see. I vented all the recent oddities to my best friend, asking, “Am I being too paranoid?” My best friend, who studied psychology, immediately reminded me: “Have you seen spy movies? How do they cleverly convey messages, making two types of people hear different meanings…” I suddenly realized that if he had a woman on the side, this kind of Instagram post might be intentional, conveying a message to the other person: — I’m having dinner out with my wife, don’t call or text me, my wife is watching. With this thought in mind, I was distracted all day at work, even making a mistake on a report and getting scolded by my boss. In reality, I was secretly checking my phone, searching for methods on “how to catch a cheating husband.” I never thought there would come a day when I’d become such a suspicious “wife” catching wind of every little thing. But this is all my own doing. If I had stuck to my original plan of staying single, I wouldn’t be tasting the bitterness of betrayal now. I saw that many wealthy wives online hire private investigators to look into their husbands. I don’t have that kind of money to spare, so I can only rely on myself. That evening when I got home from work, I took advantage of Luke being in the shower to secretly search through his phone. After we got married, he always had my fingerprint registered on his phone. I had never checked it before. Luke is a legitimate fitness trainer, and because he’s married, he avoids suspicion by only dealing with men at the gym. He hasn’t added any female clients as contacts. Following the methods mentioned online, I investigated his bank statements and found that he indeed had no records of hotel stays or gift purchases. His chat history was also squeaky clean. Could it be that I’m overthinking things? Is it really possible that in reality, there would be a mistress who doesn’t want money, doesn’t seek status, and is only willing to be my husband’s secret lover? 3 However, this search wasn’t entirely fruitless. I discovered that his recent bonuses had increased, but he didn’t tell me about it. He kept it as his personal stash, which he used to buy me the watch and pay for our son’s preschool tuition. When Luke came out of the shower, I had already backed up his WeChat contact list and was just lying in bed, silently staring at my own phone. As his heavy breathing approached, I turned off my screen, which became a black mirror, and said to him: “I have a female friend whose husband cheated on her, but the other woman insists that she only values the man himself and doesn’t want to destroy his family. But do you think there are really women who don’t want money or status and are willingly to be someone’s mistress?” Luke was visibly startled but quickly regained his composure and shook his head. “I think women are very practical creatures. This kind of situation simply doesn’t exist. Relationships are always a give-and-take transaction. If it really happens, it might just be to deceive young girls who have just entered society.” That night he was full of vigor, having taken some supplements to boost his kidneys, and said he wanted to make up for last time’s shortcoming. I stared at him coldly the whole time, staring until he felt uneasy and still ended up panting in defeat. A man’s body is his most honest expression. A man whose heart has strayed will only be enthusiastic for the woman who can bring him fresh excitement. “Chloe, are you just going to lie there like a dead fish and stare at me? Don’t you have tonsils and vocal cords?” he said angrily. “I’m tired. Maybe another day,” I said. Seeing me turn away coldly to sleep, he got angry too. Luke started giving me the cold shoulder, not coming home for several days, often sleeping at the company. This played right into my hands, making it convenient for me to conduct my investigation. Since that Instagram post was a key clue, I decided to start by looking into each suspicious female in his WeChat contacts one by one. Recently, a new female student joined his gym, saved in his contacts as “Qin Qin.” She practices pole dancing and plans to apply for a job as a pole dance instructor. So she’s training under my husband first to build up strength and work on her physique. When I staked out the gym company building and spotted her, Melody was crouching outside the lobby with red-rimmed eyes, blowing her nose. I pretended to be bringing lunch for my husband and happened to run into her. “Are you Coach Luke’s new student? Why are you crying out here?” Melody wasn’t shy with strangers. After hearing that I was Luke’s wife, she threw herself into my arms and sobbed. “Mrs. Chen, I just broke up with my boyfriend. I thought I had gotten over it after two months, but he suddenly messaged me at dawn asking if I ‘still love him.’ He said he couldn’t eat or sleep for these two months and asked if I would be willing to get back together with him.” I gently asked, “So what was the reason for your breakup in the first place? Has it been resolved now?” Melody looked up with eyes as red as a rabbit’s and said it was because of domestic violence. Turns out she’s just a love-blind fool digging for wild vegetables. I silently lowered my eyes. This kind of love-blind girl often needs a man to rely on and solve her problems when she’s at her most vulnerable. And only love-blind fools would ignore status, wealth, and moral constraints to love a man so recklessly. I was surprised by this sudden thought. Could my husband’s affair partner really be Melody? But she still seems so heartbroken over her ex-boyfriend, not at all like someone who could betray him. Unfortunately, only women who have been loved can be so naively trusting. Women who haven’t been loved are all Sherlock Holmes. Last night, I made another unexpected discovery on my husband’s phone. Luke is usually busy with work and often saves movies on his cloud drive to watch during downtime. He’s not very smart and uses the same password for various accounts. I tried it and easily opened the hidden space on his cloud drive. In the hidden space, I found a chaotic video that was obviously secretly recorded. Looking closely, it turned out to be an intimate video of their gym’s female manager and the CEO in the break room. When I accompanied my husband to a company team-building party, I had seen this woman before. Evelyn is his female superior, 40 years old this year. She’s a capable and beautiful woman, always with her nose in the air, dating an executive from a listed company. I never expected she would engage in this kind of quid pro quo behavior to secure her position. Last night, in a moment of urgency, I confronted Luke with this video. He snatched back the phone in embarrassment, still protesting: “Yes, okay, I secretly recorded it. Wasn’t it just to have some leverage over Evelyn? You know I’m already 30, and it’s not easy in this industry. If she ever tries to make trouble for me with the higher-ups, I’ll have something to control her with.” I sneered, “Luke, don’t tell me you’re just keeping it for your own enjoyment?” He quickly retorted, “Haha, men all like young girls. Who would be into older women?” I believe this is the truth. Even I, who just turned 30, am despised by him for the stretch marks on my stomach. From a physiological preference standpoint, he couldn’t possibly like Evelyn. However, I still haven’t ruled out either Melody or Evelyn as suspects. Both women are key suspects, but their motivations puzzle me. Not after money, not after status, not after love… besides these, only passion remains. He’s been more enthusiastic about work lately, making me even more certain that this person must be at his company. At 3 PM, when I followed him to the gym, I saw him helping a woman do backbends, sweating profusely. The woman had a slender figure, her back to the window so I couldn’t see her face clearly. She was panting from bending over. “Your core strength is too weak. You need a good workout,” Luke said with narrowed eyes and a somewhat lewd smile. The woman’s coquettish voice also reached my ears, “Ugh! Be gentler…” My gaze instantly sharpened as I clearly saw my husband’s hand slowly exploring towards the front of the woman’s body.

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Savannah and I had been married for three years, a time of harmony and love. Three years in, I was diagnosed with a terminal illness—and she found someone else. I tried to hold on, but she mocked me to her friends: “Luke? That boring guy? It’s about time I got rid of him.” Heartbroken, I decided to give up on treatment. In my final days, though, she was there, crying at my bedside like a lost child. I never thought coming home could feel so heavy. When I unlocked the door, any anticipation I had crumbled into dust. “Oh, you’re back already?” Savannah’s voice held no trace of joy, just irritation and shock. She quickly stepped away from him, straightening her disheveled clothes. There was no shame in her eyes, only anger. That man—Justin Thompson—was her new conquest. To her, Justin was everything I wasn’t: younger, wealthier, able to bring her that thrill she craved. Justin had the audacity to adjust his collar with a cocky smirk, strolling past me with the kind of arrogance I’d never had. He was muscular, with a physique that was way more Savannah’s “type.” “I came back early to check in on you,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. Anger made it tremble despite myself. Savannah laughed, a bitter edge in her tone. “Check on me? Why don’t you spend that energy making more money instead? Look at Justin—he’s got it all, and he’s just getting started. And you? You trudge along on that pathetic paycheck of yours. Got the nerve to lecture me, huh?” In that moment, my heart went ice-cold. I looked at her, and for the first time, I really saw her. All the warmth, the promises, they’d evaporated. What was left? Contempt. Betrayal. “So, this is how you really see me.” My voice was low, and I turned to head upstairs. Everything felt like it was plummeting into some frozen, empty abyss. At that moment, my phone chimed. It was a text from the doctor, reminding me of my follow-up appointment tomorrow. The word “terminal” jumped out from the screen. I let out a bitter laugh. Here I was, dying from this illness, and now I’d lost her too. Suddenly, life seemed utterly void of color.

Savannah and I had met on a spring afternoon. Sunlight streamed through fresh green leaves, casting patches of light along a winding path in Willow Brook Park. She was there at the park entrance, wearing a simple white sundress, with a touch of nervousness in her eyes. When I walked up, I saw she was searching for something. “Looking for something? Maybe I can help,” I offered. She turned to me, and in that moment, it felt like all the warmth of spring gathered in her smile. She told me she’d lost a necklace. So, I joined her, searching through flowerbeds and grassy patches until we found it tucked away in a quiet corner. That small encounter sparked something between us, a connection that grew with each conversation. I was captivated by her beauty, and my relentless pursuit won her over. Our meeting felt natural and beautiful, like flowers blossoming in spring. One evening, over a candlelit dinner, Savannah’s face glowed in the warm light. I took her hand, my voice trembling slightly but firm. “Savvy, I want to spend my life with you.” Savannah held my hand tightly and replied, “I want that too, Luke. You mean everything to me.” After we married, our life was sweet and harmonious. Every evening, we’d take walks together, and every weekend, we’d shop for groceries side-by-side. Those days, Savannah seemed so happy in the kitchen, bustling around, finding joy in the everyday. And I loved watching her sleep, calm and peaceful in the morning light. Life went on like that for a few good years, until the weight of reality and temptation slowly began to wear Savannah down.

The morning sun brought no hope, only a cold, unforgiving clarity. Savannah had been out last night, and she hadn’t come back yet. Alone in the kitchen, I shakily peeled a hard-boiled egg, every movement a reminder that my life wasn’t what it used to be. Today’s schedule was blank: no meetings, no lunch dates, just my afternoon check-up at North Ridge Medical Center. What would the doctor say this time? That the illness had worsened? Or that my days were truly numbered? Suddenly, the lock clicked, and Savannah walked in. Her makeup was smudged, but she wore a look of satisfaction. She didn’t even look my way, just headed straight for the bedroom as if I were a piece of furniture. “Morning.” I tried to break the silence, but my voice came out barely a whisper. “Oh.” Her response was cold, indifferent, as she slammed the bedroom door shut. I felt a wave of dizziness, my hand instinctively gripping the table’s edge. This was happening, and it was all too real. That afternoon, I made my way to the hospital alone. The stark white corridors and antiseptic smell weighed on me with each step. The doctor’s face was solemn, his voice full of sympathy and resignation—the disease had indeed progressed. “Mr. Hartman, it’s time to tell your family. Take care of yourself.” His voice was gentle, but his eyes pierced right through me. Family? Savannah? She probably wouldn’t even care. On the way home, I kept thinking of how to tell Savannah, hoping that maybe she’d show a bit of emotion, maybe even return to me. But when I arrived, she was packing her bags. Her eyes held no tears, only resolution. “What are you doing?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I need to live somewhere else for a while.” Her tone was calm, as if she were just going on a trip. “Is it because of him? Because of Justin?” My heart felt like it was being torn apart. She paused, looked at me with irritation, not a shred of guilt in her gaze. “Yes. I need space to think.” And in that moment, I knew I’d lost more than my health—I’d lost the woman I loved. Her words shattered my world. I watched silently as she finished packing, closed the door, and left, leaving the house in a deathly silence. 3 After Savannah left, the emptiness of the house felt unbearable. Every sound echoed off the walls, each one a cruel reminder that I’d been completely abandoned. I was desperate. I didn’t want to let Savannah go. I made excuses for her, thinking maybe she’d made a mistake, maybe I hadn’t done enough to keep her. To save our marriage, I tried everything. I sent her countless messages, saying that if she came back, I’d forgive her. Each one went unanswered. I even reached out to mutual friends, asking them to pass along my apologies. I went to therapy, hoping it would help ease the torment. I was barely holding myself together. Finally, one day, I followed her. I thought I’d casually “run into” her, but I ended up at The Blue Ivy Lounge, where Justin was too. Inside a private room, a group of people drank and laughed, with Savannah the only woman there. She was dressed provocatively, drawing stares from all the men around her. Justin was by her side, and they were downing drinks together, egged on by their audience. I froze at the door, feeling humiliation crawl up my spine. I was too scared to open it. Savannah cuddled close to Justin, taking a sip from her glass, smiling shyly in a way I’d once thought was only for me. Pain gripped my chest, making it hard to breathe. Then, I saw one man pull out a tiny vial, pouring something into her glass. My heart raced. Clenching my fists, I pushed open the door. Savannah looked at me, shock briefly crossing her face before it turned cold and scornful. She whispered something to Justin, and they both walked over to me. I stood there, feeling like I was the intruder. Justin stepped up, his smirk dripping with disdain. “Luke, fancy seeing you here. Came looking for Savannah?” I forced a smile, trying to stay calm. “Yeah, what a coincidence.” Savannah’s voice was as cold as ice. “Well, since you’re here, let’s lay it all out.” I tried to keep my voice steady. “Savannah, just come home. We can pretend none of this happened.” Justin’s eyes flashed with disdain. He grabbed my collar, shoving me against the wall. “You think you matter? Stalking us now, are you?” I struggled to break free, but his strength overpowered mine. He punched me, and I felt my lip split open. Onlookers sneered, their eyes gleaming with amusement. “Enough.” Savannah walked up, affectionately pulling Justin back. “Don’t dirty your hands.” Justin let go, sneering as he looked down at me. “Remember, Savannah’s mine now. Get lost.” They turned, and the door slammed in my face. I sat alone on the floor, surrounded by whispers and mocking stares, my dignity torn to shreds. After a while, I dragged myself up, opened the door, and shouted after her, “Savannah, don’t drink that. They’re trying to hurt you.” That angered them even more, and I was thrown out of the bar. When I got home, I sat alone in the dark, letting the shadows close in around me. The pain burned deep—part of it for her, but part for me, knowing she was heading down a path of no return. Then the phone rang, breaking the silence. It was Savannah. I picked up immediately. Our voices overlapped. “S-Savannah, you didn’t drink that, did you?” “Luke, today better be the last time you show up in my life.” Relief washed over me. She hadn’t drunk it. Her voice was sharp and cold. “I don’t want you in my life. Whether I drink or not, that’s none of your concern.” The resentment in my heart ignited. “How can you treat me like this, Savannah?” “I just don’t want you hovering around,” she said coldly. “We live in the same town. We’ll run into each other now and then.” I tried to keep my voice calm, but it trembled. “Then you could at least avoid places you know I’ll be.” Her tone was full of irritation. “Savannah, after all these years, can you really just walk away?” My voice rose, hurt and anger spilling over. She was silent for a moment. “Walk away? Luke, I don’t feel a thing for you anymore. Look after yourself.” “And that drink? It’s between me and Justin. I’m fine with it.” Her words played over in my head, mocking me, leaving me numb.

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Everyone in Maple Hollow knew my mother, Miriam Gardner, as the woman who sold an unbelievably pricey yet magical beauty remedy. This remedy, costing $10,000 a bowl, was shockingly expensive. Yet people still came in droves, including women from neighboring cities who had heard about its miraculous effects. They all swore that eating my mother’s remedy left them with fair skin, rosy lips, and an enchanting allure. My sister Del, seeing the attention the remedy garnered, was practically drooling with envy. But no matter how much she begged, Mom refused to let her taste even a spoonful. Unable to resist, Del snuck into the back cellar one night. That was when I heard strange noises drifting from the cellar at midnight. My mom had a little shop in Maple Hollow, open only a few days a week, exclusively selling the beauty remedy. But the remedy wasn’t always available—customers had to book it in advance. “Mrs. Gardner, is my remedy ready today?” A plump, middle-aged woman wearing a gold bracelet and bursting with excitement walked in, her face beaming. I paused in my sweeping, glancing at her in curiosity. People from all walks of life came to Mom’s shop: tall, short, round, thin, even women well into their sixties. This woman looked to be around forty, a bit on the heavier side, but definitely radiating excitement. My mom nudged me, signaling I should continue cleaning, and then she turned back to the woman, smiling warmly. “Yes, yes! Mrs. Hale, I’ve prepared it especially for you!” Mrs. Hale’s smile widened, and she eagerly pulled a thick wad of cash from her purse. “Hurry, bring it over!” she insisted, practically bouncing with anticipation. Mom’s eyes widened at the sight of the thick stack of bills. “Mrs. Hale, there’s way more than $10,000 here!” she exclaimed. “Oh, keep the extra,” Mrs. Hale said, waving a hand dismissively. “That’s $100,000—I want to order more for the next few months. A treat like this once just won’t cut it!” Mom put on a look of hesitation. “Well, Mrs. Hale, you know how hard it is to make this remedy. I can’t make it every day, and I’ve got to think of all the other ladies on the list…” Mrs. Hale looked at her, took Mom’s hand in hers, and gave it a reassuring pat. “Don’t worry. I’d never ask you to make things difficult for yourself. I’ll only come in once every two weeks, let’s say, but could you prepare three or four bowls each time? It’ll save me from having to book every single visit.” “Oh, of course! Come, come, it’s all ready for you in the cellar,” Mom finally said, pocketing the money as she led Mrs. Hale to the back. “This remedy will make you more than satisfied.” As the cellar door closed softly behind them, I returned to cleaning. Mom never let Del or me go into the cellar. She said that only when one of us was married could we inherit the remedy shop and everything that came with it. Thinking of my boyfriend, Ryan Blackwood, made my cheeks flush. He’d been my childhood friend, but I didn’t know when he’d finally propose. If I inherited the shop, I wanted to show him the transformation the remedy could bring. Time slipped by as I worked. Soon, Mom returned, helping Mrs. Hale out. She was trembling, sighing with delight. “That remedy is simply incredible!” Mrs. Hale exclaimed. “If you hadn’t told me I could only have one serving, I’d be begging for another!” When I saw her under the bright lights, her skin glowed with a delicate softness, her face transformed. Her friends waiting outside gasped. “Oh my goodness! Look at her! She’s glowing!” one whispered. “That’s not even the same person! She looks so… full of life!” another added. Mom laughed, bidding Mrs. Hale goodbye as she moved to greet the next customer.

Del grabbed a chair and plopped down beside me, complaining, “Mom’s a real piece of work, isn’t she? Won’t even share a drop of that good stuff with her own daughter, all so she can make a quick buck! All these ugly women are getting prettier by the day, and look at me! I can’t cover my face no matter how much powder I use—ugh, it’s all caked up!” I took a closer look at her. Del was all dressed up, likely about to meet another one of her many boyfriends. After a final check in the mirror, she fluffed her hair and left, threatening, “Keep your mouth shut about this, or I’ll make you regret it!” I kept cleaning, not saying a word. But I knew Del was anxious. Mom’s rule was that whoever married first would inherit the remedy shop, and while I had a steady boyfriend, Del seemed to switch from one to the next. That evening, Del came home in tears, her makeup smeared and looking pitifully disheveled. “Mom!” she shrieked, storming into the living room. “He dumped me! That jerk said I’m ugly! Mom, I want that remedy! I need to look like all those other women who come out of here looking gorgeous! I’ll make him regret leaving me!” As Del’s tantrum grew louder, Mom’s expression hardened. “Go find yourself a husband, then,” she said coldly. “I’ll hand over the shop, and you can do as you like.” With that, Mom turned and walked away. In a fit of rage, Del kicked the chair across the room. “If I could find someone to marry me, I wouldn’t be so desperate!” she shouted. “I’ve been through three or four boyfriends already, and not one of them wants to settle down! Mom’s doing this to torture me! Fine! If she won’t share, I’ll find my own way!”

Late that night, I rolled over in bed, only to find Del wasn’t beside me. Remembering her earlier outburst, my heart sank. Could she have snuck into the cellar? Despite Mom’s strict warning not to, I got up, both anxious and curious, and headed to the cellar door. “Del?” I whispered as I opened the door, trying not to make any noise. “What are you doing here?” Del’s voice was strangely soft, almost too alluring, a tone I’d never heard from her before. She was in the cellar, up to something that didn’t sound right. “Del… what are you even doing in here? Mom will kill you if she finds out!” I hissed. “Just go back to bed… I’ll be out in a minute.” After a long moment, she finally emerged, her eyes glassy, yet she threw a lingering glance back toward the cellar as if she couldn’t tear herself away. Back in our room, she warned, “You better keep your mouth shut, or I’ll tell Mom you came in, too. If I go down, you’re coming with me.” Angry and betrayed, I clenched my jaw and nodded. What had she been doing in there alone? And why was she acting like this? Soon enough, Del’s nightly trips to the cellar became routine, her self-control waning with each visit. She started asking me to stand guard, and her beauty blossomed unnaturally. Her once dark complexion became fair, her features more delicate and shapely. Despite my curiosity, I never peeked inside, trusting Mom’s words.

One day, Del brought Ryan home and announced they were getting married. The moment I saw his hands all over her, I felt a chill wash over me. This wasn’t the same sweet Ryan I’d known for years. Rage boiled up inside me, and I threw myself at them. “You cheating jerk! Delilah, you knew he was my boyfriend, and you went behind my back?” But two fists were no match for four hands, and I quickly found myself shoved aside. Leaning against Ryan, Del looked at me with mocking pity. “Sorry, little sis, but I’m looking better than ever. Anyone can see who’s the better choice here.” Ryan scratched his nose, looking guilty but shrugging. “Lily, don’t be mad. Just look at you two! You’re as plain as a twig. I can’t help it if Del’s curves are more… enticing.” They had the nerve to defend their betrayal! Just as I opened my mouth to fight back, Mom’s voice cut in sharply, “Enough!” Mom stared at Ryan and Del with a look that could pierce steel, then turned to help me to my feet. “So, Ryan, you were Lily’s boyfriend, but now you’re marrying Del? You wouldn’t mind if I tested you a little first, would you?” His eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly. “Not at all! Whatever you think is fair!” Mom’s face softened as she gestured toward the door. “It’s late. Stay the night, and I’ll consider your proposal tomorrow.” With a smug smile, Del took him into the room next to mine, and soon I heard creaking noises echoing through the wall. But the noise quickly died down after ten minutes, and I laughed quietly to myself. So much for Mr. “Enticing.” When I couldn’t sleep, I peered through the hallway and saw Del sneaking out—back to the cellar. Well, if she could play dirty, so could I. I went straight to Mom’s room and told her what Del had been up to. Mom nodded, unbothered. “I knew she was sneaking in. I gave her chance after chance, but she can’t resist temptation. If something goes wrong, she’ll have no one else to blame.” Then she looked at me, her gaze thoughtful. “Lily, your sister is reckless, but you’ve followed my rules. Would you like to take over the remedy shop?” I blinked, stunned. Weren’t we supposed to be married first? Was this all just a test? Quickly, I nodded. If I inherited the shop, I’d not only secure my future—I’d finally make Del pay for everything she’d done. Smiling with satisfaction, Mom took my hand. “Follow me.” When she opened the cellar door, I was shocked. It was larger than I’d ever imagined, divided into smaller rooms and chambers. She shot Del a cold look as we passed her chamber. Through the half-open door, I glimpsed Del lying on her back, her body flushed and moving rhythmically, lost in a haze of her own making. Finally, we reached the end of the cellar, where a large, heavy trapdoor lay. I followed Mom down the narrow staircase to a stone door. When she twisted the lock, the sight on the other side was one I’d never forget. Mom gave me a satisfied smile, nodding approvingly. “Come with me,” she said. As she opened the door, I felt my eyes widen with shock. The back room was far bigger than I’d imagined, divided into several small chambers, each secluded from the others. Mom cast a cold, almost disgusted look at Del’s chamber as we passed. Inside, I caught a glimpse of her, completely exposed, her skin flushed red, her body moving in a rhythmic, trance-like state, and soft, breathy sounds escaping her lips. We walked on, further into the back room until we reached a small doorway. In the center was a heavy trapdoor. Following her lead, I descended the narrow stairs to a stone door at the end of the corridor. Mom reached up, twisted the knob with careful precision, and opened it. What lay inside was a scene I would never forget for the rest of my life.

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I’ve been secretly in love with Liam Hawthorne for years. In college, I was his fangirl. After graduation, I became his assistant. I handled all his business and personal affairs. Everyone said I would be the future Mrs. Hawthorne. But during a board meeting, he openly asked the shareholders: “I’m not getting any younger, it’s time for me to get married. My family has given me a few options, who do you think is suitable?” Several photos of beautiful women flashed on the screen. There were heiresses, business prodigies, and popular actresses… Any one of them would make me feel inadequate. I lowered my head, preparing to escape the meeting room and find a quiet place to nurse my wounded heart. To my surprise, he called out to me, asking seriously: “Miss Blackwood, you’re the closest person to me and know my temperament and preferences best. What’s your opinion?” From the moment Liam Hawthorne stepped into our university, he became the campus celebrity. His handsome face made a group of young girls swoon. Many tried various ways to approach him, and I was no exception. However, my method was quite old-fashioned. I planned to “accidentally” bump into him at the library. Who knew that a group of crazy fans would call me a schemer, not only kicking me out of the fan club but also treating me as an enemy. Because when I “accidentally” encountered him at the library, I was so nervous that I stepped on my own long dress and fell flat on my face in front of everyone. You think that’s the end of it? No! Liam, being a normal person, reflexively reached out to help when he saw a young woman about to fall in front of him. But the angle was off. I hurt my chin, and his watch was damaged too. After I recovered, I had to compensate him for the watch repair costs. He said, “It’s okay, she didn’t do it on purpose.” Our professor said, “No, she should at least make up for it somehow.” So, I was assigned to clean Liam’s dorm room. That’s when I found out he was living in a luxurious single room. I heard he was an exchange student. He had studied in France since he was young, then came back to our country for some reason, so he entered our school as an exchange student. The first time I went to clean, Liam was quite embarrassed, “Um, it’s just a watch, really no big deal. You don’t have to listen to the professor. I have a cleaning service here.” I initially thought about letting it go. After all, being too close to Liam only resulted in getting scolded, with no real benefits. But when I saw the schedule pinned to his desk, an idea struck me. I insisted on compensating him. So, I ended up cleaning his dorm for two years, until we left school and entered society. During those two years, I achieved financial freedom by selling information about his whereabouts and interests.

I was conflicted about liking Liam. On one hand, I genuinely liked him. After all, who wouldn’t like a man with money, looks, and knowledge? On the other hand, I felt insecure. I clearly knew the gap between us. After all, I was aiming for marriage, not a relationship that would end right after graduation. In the end, my feelings for him overcame my insecurity. After graduation, I worked hard to get into a big company. The goal was to increase my own value, then give myself the capital and courage to confess to Liam. I kept thinking to myself: “You have a superior family background and unparalleled good looks, but I also have enviable beauty and talent, with a bright future ahead. I’m worthy of you.” Unfortunately, just as I was about to make great strides in my career, he walked into the office I had carefully prepared for my future boss and sat very naturally in that chair that symbolized status. He smiled at me and said, “Fiona Blackwood, we really are destined to meet. In college, you cleaned my dorm, and now in the workplace, you’re cleaning my office?” I very seriously replied, “I’m sorry, Mr. Hawthorne, I’m your assistant. I’m responsible for many tasks you assign, but that doesn’t include cleaning.” He looked at me with interest for a while, then said, “Alright! But don’t sell my whereabouts anymore. That’s harmless on campus, but it’s quite serious in the real world.” And so, I “infiltrated” by his side for another five years. Always waiting for the right moment to make a move. Finally, I waited for the “good” news of his marriage.

As soon as I left the conference room, I was dragged into the break room by several young girls from the office. They eagerly asked me, “Sister Fiona, we heard Mr. Hawthorne proposed to you. Tell us the details!” Youth is wonderful! Even their gossip is so cute. They’re like flower buds just starting to bloom, so full of vitality. I really envy them. I beckoned, and someone immediately brought me a coffee. I took the coffee and sat down, putting on a face as if I was about to share the details, “Mr. Hawthorne is getting married, but he hasn’t proposed yet. And the person he’s proposing to isn’t me. The target was just decided.” My tone was calm, but it shocked the group of young girls into silence. They all stared at me with wide eyes. “The cleaning lady just came out saying Mr. Hawthorne is getting married, and he was asking for your opinion…” “It’s not you?” “Then who is it?” “Yeah, you and Mr. Hawthorne…” They chattered away, and I interrupted them to emphasize, “Mr. Hawthorne and I have a purely professional relationship as superior and subordinate.” “How is that possible?” “How is it not possible?” They still insisted, “How is that possible?” Then they started counting on their fingers, listing all my special privileges with Liam. I was the only woman who could get close to Liam. I was the only one who could freely move between his office and home. I was the special employee who had the CEO personally backing me up when I made mistakes. I was Liam’s exclusive companion at various important banquets and balls. “Enough, enough,” I said with an attitude of indifference, “These aren’t my special privileges, they’re the privileges of being the CEO’s assistant. If you became the CEO’s assistant, you could enjoy these privileges too.” They exclaimed in surprise, and one said, “Then why didn’t you ever explain when we joked about this before?” “Why should I explain,” I said cheerfully, “I have a puffed-up sense of vanity too!” “But Mr. Hawthorne never explains either?” I said, “He can’t hear your gossip.” The break room fell silent again. A young girl born in ’98 pouted and said, “Then all the flattery we gave you was for nothing?” “That’s right.” They looked like they wanted to settle accounts with me, and I said, “How could it be for nothing? Even after Mr. Hawthorne gets married, my privileges will remain. Except for not having to accompany him to various banquets and balls, and not having to arrange his life at home, everything else stays the same.” I happily and secretly told them, “And just now, Mr. Hawthorne promised to give me company shares. Who knows, maybe the future Mrs. Hawthorne will have to come to me to find out about Mr. Hawthorne’s affairs!” I took a sip of coffee, put down the cup, and walked away nonchalantly. Cursing in my heart, which little rascal made this coffee and forgot to add sugar? My heart was already as bitter as eating Gentian, and now it’s even more bitter on top of that.

I couldn’t help but go to the bathroom to throw up. Then, I washed my face with cold water. Looking at myself in the mirror, forcing a smile, I finally couldn’t hold up anymore. My face immediately crumpled, all the spirit instantly drained from my body, dejected like a defeated rooster. Just now in the conference room, Liam asked for my opinion. Holding back my inner sorrow, I turned back with a smile and said, “Mr. Hawthorne, I’m not a company shareholder. My opinion doesn’t matter, does it?” Liam coldly said, “Are you reminding me that I should give you company shares?” I swear, I didn’t mean that. Although, I am a bit of a money lover. “Fine! After all, you’ve been by my side all these years, working diligently. Giving you shares is appropriate. I also want to use this to motivate the company’s employees, showing that Hawthorne Corp will never mistreat those who have contributed.” Then, he very skillfully changed the subject, saying to the major shareholders, “Business marriages are a common tactic used by financial groups, so when you choose, please be sure to follow the principle of ‘maximizing group interests’.” I really couldn’t take this torture anymore, so I pointed at the photo in the upper right corner of the screen and said, “I think Miss Sinclair is more suitable… after all, I’m not very familiar with the others.” One shareholder chimed in, “Although Miss Sinclair’s Sinclair Group isn’t as financially powerful as our Hawthorne Corp, and she’s not the heir, her achievements in the entertainment industry can bring us tremendous public opinion value.” Then, many shareholders agreed it was a good choice. Finally, Liam made the decision, “Since everyone’s opinion is unanimous, let’s go with Miss Sinclair.” Most annoyingly, he even looked at me meaningfully and said, “The person Miss Blackwood approves of won’t disappoint me.” Damn it! At that moment, I wanted to slap myself silly. Weren’t wealthy families supposed to look down on people from the entertainment industry? Who would have thought that the one I picked with the least advantage would be approved by Liam? I really “shot myself in the foot” this time.

By the time I had organized the files and went back to Liam’s office to find him, he was already completely in work mode, as if the matter of marriage was an insignificant trifle to him. Seeing me come in, he looked up at me and asked, “Something wrong?” I handed him a document with both hands, very respectfully saying, “Mr. Hawthorne, please take a look.” He looked at me suspiciously, took the document, opened it to look, and let out a big sigh of relief, “You scared me, I thought this was your resignation letter.” I pretended to be puzzled and asked, “Why would I resign?” While signing the document, he said, “I’m getting married, some things might become inconvenient for you to do.” “As long as Mr. Hawthorne pays well, nothing is inconvenient for me to do.” Liam chuckled hearing this and handed the document back to me, “I like this money-loving side of you. It makes me feel that as long as I pay you, you’ll never betray me. It’s most reassuring for a boss to have such a secretary.” I clicked my tongue, took the document, unfolded it to look, and my eyes were dazzled, “Mr. Hawthorne, this… you won’t regret it, right?” Good heavens, he actually gave me 1% of the company shares directly? I thought he would write how many shares? Converted to a percentage, at most it would be zero point zero zero something percent. I didn’t expect him to be so generous? “This is what you deserve.” I held up the document, confirming again, “This is an annual income of tens of millions or even hundreds of millions, and it’s a share that has the right to participate in shareholders’ meetings.” “If you think it’s too much, I can give you less.” Is there anyone who thinks money is too much? I might wish my life was shorter, but I’d never think money was too much. I hugged the document to my chest, “If you regret it, you’re a dog.” The corners of his beautifully curved lips lifted slightly, “Look carefully at the attached conditions. Leaving the job is equivalent to automatically giving up the shares.” “Don’t worry, I’ll try hard to enjoy the company’s funeral benefit.” He couldn’t continue the conversation and waved his hand, “Go do your work. Remember to send my dry-cleaned clothes back when you get off work. Oh, and clean out the fridge, change the bed sheets, and also, find out about Miss Sinclair’s interests, pick a suitable gift, and help me arrange a meeting.”

When I got home, I hugged that contract and cried my eyes out, almost to death. My roommate came back, saw me lying lifelessly on the carpet, thought I was drunk, and almost kicked me to death. I told her the whole story with tears all over my face, and she screamed, “So you’re saying you’ve suddenly become a rich woman? This is the ultimate dream of many women, isn’t it?” I cried so hard I could barely breathe, “Marrying Liam and inheriting his estate in the future might get me tens of billions. Do you think I should cry myself to death?” Ruby is a very carefree person. Hearing this, she shook her head at me, “You… there are so many rich people, why are you so obsessed with Liam’s money bag? After all, you’re still underestimating your own beauty. Come on, sister will take you to witness a miracle.” In the noisy bar with flashing lights, I sat in the middle of the curved booth, wearing big headphones, focused on playing with my phone. Ruby brought wave after wave of men to chat me up, but I barely looked at them. “Miss.” “Miss Blackwood.” “Sister.” “Beautiful.” I waved all these people away directly. Ruby said, “Don’t be so arrogant just because you have some looks. They’re all quite good, all from wealthy families. You don’t even look at them, it’s really not giving them face, is it?” “When the right person comes, I’ll naturally give them face.” I kept my head down, my fingers actively swiping the screen, my eyes keenly searching for useful information. Even Ruby didn’t want to bother with me anymore. “Hey! Then I’ll just play by myself. With that ‘do not disturb’ look of yours, I suppose you don’t need company either.” With that, she happily ran off. Just as I was surfing the internet, suddenly a man’s gentle voice came from behind me, “Little sister, you come here just to play with your phone? You’ve chosen the wrong place, haven’t you?” I naturally put away my phone and looked up. By now, a dignified man in a suit was sitting across from me, catching my eye. “Who are you calling little sister? What year were you born?” I sized him up as he sized me up. I was thinking, this place really is a treasure trove, there’s actually this kind of eye-catching… refined man with gold-rimmed glasses? What he was thinking, I wasn’t quite sure. “1994,” he said. “I’m older than you, call me big sister.” I immediately put on a big sister air.

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My brother’s girlfriend got pregnant before they were married, and his house was still under renovation. So, they quickly had a wedding and moved into my house. Just because I brought a friend to stay over for one night, my sister-in-law threw a fit: “Aren’t you getting a little too old to be living off your family? Always mooching, and now you’re bringing friends home? Are you planning to live here forever?” I immediately threw her luggage out the door and shot back: “Who do you think you’re talking to? My name is the one on the deed. If you don’t like it, you can get out!” My parents had bought both me and my brother a house early on. My brother’s house was being remodeled to fit Verity’s tastes, but before it was finished, Verity suddenly found out she was pregnant. For the sake of the baby’s health, they moved into my house instead. Dax treated her like royalty, taking care of every little thing—doing laundry, cooking, giving her back rubs after work. Verity’s guest suite didn’t have a private bathroom, so she asked if we could switch rooms. Since she was pregnant, I agreed. Then, a bit embarrassed, Dax came to me and asked, “Can we replace the plants in your botanical collection with roses?” Because she was pregnant, Dax did anything to make her happy. I didn’t want to make things difficult for him, so I agreed and replaced the plants I had cared for over three years with roses for Verity. But today, my college friend Ariadne was in Summersville for business, and we made plans for dinner. We reminisced over a seafood boil and had a bit too much to drink. I figured it would be safer for her to stay at my place instead of going back to her hotel alone. We got home around midnight, doing our best to be quiet so as not to disturb Dax and Verity. After a quick wash, we went straight to bed. The next morning, as soon as I stepped out of my bedroom, there was Verity, storming up to me, practically seething: “Isla, are you out of your mind? Aren’t you too old to still be single? Living here for free, and now bringing friends back? Are you planning to stay here forever?” Ariadne, looking guilty and uncomfortable, quickly apologized, “Isla, did I cause any trouble for you? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. I’ll leave right now.” I held her back and gently patted her shoulder, “You have nothing to apologize for. Your flight’s in the afternoon, right? Let’s have lunch first, and I’ll take you to the airport.” Verity’s face twisted in anger, and she snapped, “What do you mean by that, Isla? You will apologize to me today, or get out of my house!” I actually laughed. My house? The deed still has my name on it. When did this become her house? And she wanted me to apologize? Either her ego was bigger than anyone else’s, or she was completely out of her mind. There was no way I was letting this slide. I turned, walked into her bedroom, grabbed her suitcase, and stuffed it full of her clothes. Then I threw it right out the door. “Don’t think just because you’re pregnant you can act out like this. I’ve been putting up with you long enough.” I pointed to the door and said coldly, “And by the way, this is my house. If you want to stay here, show some respect. Otherwise, you can leave.” Verity was stunned. She just stared at me, then laughed mockingly. “You’re throwing me out? I’m carrying the Montgomery family’s future grandchild. Everything your family owns will be Dax’s one day. You’re just an outsider. All I have to do is say the word, and you’ll be kicked to the curb.” I couldn’t believe she had the nerve to say something so outdated in this day and age. Was I hearing this right? I smiled and said, “Go ahead and try. Let’s see who really runs this household.” Verity was furious, slamming the door behind her with a loud bang. Soon after, I heard her crying on the phone to Dax. “Your sister is being horrible to me. I don’t even know what I did wrong, but she told me to leave!” “She insulted me, said I was shameless for getting pregnant before the wedding. I can’t take it anymore.”

Hearing her sobbing and twisting the story to Dax only made me angrier. I opened the family group text and explained everything that had just happened. The group was just the four of us—Dax, me, and our parents. Dax had originally added Verity, but she had left the chat for some reason. As soon as I sent the message, my mom responded. She wasn’t taking Verity’s side just because she was pregnant. [Verity was wrong in this situation. I’ll talk to Dax and tell her to tone down her attitude.] My dad chimed in: [If Isla doesn’t want to get married, no one can force her. We can support her for life if need be. It’s no one else’s business.] [Dax, take control of your wife. Just because she’s pregnant doesn’t mean she can cause problems.] It was mostly my parents talking in the chat. Dax didn’t respond. That afternoon, Dax came home from work, silent and looking exhausted. I could tell he had seen the group messages and wasn’t taking it well. We had always been close growing up, barely ever fighting. This was the first real tension between us. He quietly poured a bowl of soup and took it to Verity in the bedroom. I’ll admit, maybe I was a bit too harsh this morning. Feeling bad for Dax, I poured him a cup of tea, thinking maybe I should apologize to Verity. Not because I was backing down, but because I didn’t want to make things harder for Dax. After a long silence, Dax finally looked up at me, his eyes full of frustration. “Sis, do you hate Verity?” I froze, completely taken aback. He continued, “I know this is your house. If you don’t want us here, just say so. You didn’t need to treat Verity like that. She’s pregnant. Wasn’t kicking her out a bit much?” I couldn’t believe it. Dax didn’t even ask why I kicked her out. He just took her word for it and blamed me. I let out a bitter laugh. “Do you even know the things she says about me behind your back? And you’re taking her side without knowing the full story?” Dax’s voice grew louder, more upset. “She’s pregnant, Isla! Why can’t you just be the bigger person? If something goes wrong because of her stress, can you take responsibility? Her family’s not as well off as ours, but that doesn’t give you the right to look down on her. She’s someone’s daughter too, and she shouldn’t have to put up with this.” He sighed, trying to calm down, then added, “Maybe you should move back in with Mom and Dad for a while. After Verity has the baby, we’ll leave.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This was my brother—polite, mature, and understanding since we were kids—and now he was saying these things? When had I ever looked down on Verity or judged her for her family? Verity was the one calling me an old maid, trying to claim the house my parents bought for me, and accusing me of mooching. I wasn’t going to let her trample all over my boundaries just because she was pregnant. She was the one at fault here. As I looked at the table full of food I had prepared, I felt an unexpected wave of sadness.

The next day, I received news that my company was sending me abroad for six months. As I was packing my suitcase, Dax stood awkwardly in the doorway, avoiding eye contact. “Isla, I’m sorry for what I said yesterday. I didn’t mean to take things that far. I was just worried about the tension between you and Verity. We’re not trying to take over your house. It’s yours. We should be the ones to leave.” I calmly zipped up my suitcase, put on my sunglasses, and replied, “I’m going on a work trip. I’ll be gone for six months.” Dax was stunned for a moment, then a wave of relief washed over his face. “Thanks, Isla!” As soon as I left, Verity posted an Instagram update with a picture of the latest Prada bag that Dax had bought her. [Some women really thought they could stick around like they’re royalty, but they got kicked out anyway. Don’t know their place. I’m carrying the Montgomery heir. One day, everything in this family will be mine. No wonder no man wants her. But not me—I’m treated like a princess. My husband just had to drop thousands on this bag for me, even though I told him not to.] A few of Verity’s friends chimed in with comments below: [Once the baby’s born, Verity, you’ll be the queen of the Montgomery family. No one will dare cross you then.] [That bitter old maid is probably hitting menopause.] [No wonder she doesn’t have a man. Karma’s a bitch, huh?] It was ridiculous. How could anyone still think like this? It felt like something straight out of the 1800s. I didn’t care about Verity’s Instagram post, but my parents saw it and were absolutely furious. They marched straight to Verity and demanded she delete the post and apologize to me. The moment she saw my parents, Verity quickly dropped her attitude. After all, they were the ones who paid for the house and car, and the money Dax used to buy her fancy things came from my dad’s card. Verity deleted the post and, trembling, called me. Her voice shook as she said, “Isla, I wasn’t talking about you in that post. Mom and Dad just misunderstood me, but I deleted it already. I’m sure you won’t hold it against me, right?” I let out a laugh, pausing for a moment before replying slowly, “I don’t care who you’re talking about, but could you at least try to maintain some dignity? The Montgomery family has a name in Summersville, and you’re dragging it through the dirt.” With that, I hung up. I couldn’t for the life of me understand how Dax had fallen for a woman like her. Everyone in Summersville knew Dax had married a vapid, trophy wife who spent her days flaunting her lifestyle on social media. But going so far as to publicly insult her own sister-in-law? That was a new low. What really shocked me was that after apologizing in front of my parents, Verity had the audacity to call me privately just to insult me all over again. She raged like a madwoman. “Don’t get cocky, Isla. I’m the future lady of the Montgomery family. You’re just a daughter, and Dax is the family’s only son. Everything will belong to him, and you’ll have nothing.” “I suggest you find yourself a husband, because when the time comes, I’m not letting Dax give you a single cent. You’ll end up with nothing and no one.” She wasn’t completely brainless; she knew not to leave evidence that could be used against her. She didn’t send texts or make calls that could be recorded—she used a voice message through Instagram. Listening to her growing fury, I couldn’t help but smirk. “Verity, do you really think I can’t deal with you?” She let out a triumphant laugh. “Dax loves me unconditionally. No matter what I do or say, he’ll always believe me. Your problem is that you just couldn’t find a man like him.” A woman like Verity would have plenty of skeletons in her closet if you bothered to look. But telling Dax wouldn’t do any good. He wouldn’t believe me. I had to make him see the truth for himself. Let’s see if Dax would still stand by her then.

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Logan had been active on Twitter for years and was familiar with the rules of fan circles. He knew that fan groups had zero tolerance for anyone insulting their idols. However, after only a moment’s hesitation, he pressed the post button. “Did you insult someone today: @ZacharyYe What redeeming qualities do you have besides your face? Arrogant, ignorant, and stupid. How could anyone like such a piece of trash?” Indeed, he had insulted Zachary, the current hot commodity in the entertainment industry. Not only did he use his full name instead of initials, but he also directly tagged him, truly testing the limits. However, Logan was fearless. It was just a small account with only 23 followers. Fans shouldn’t be able to find him, and even if they did, what could they do? He was already being generous by not using his main account to insult him. But he ultimately underestimated the abilities of fans and netizens. The next morning, as Logan was preparing to write and save drafts for his new work, his editor’s eighteen urgent calls disrupted his train of thought. He irritably answered the phone: “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.” “Wait, wait! Little Wood, was that you who insulted Zachary on Twitter?” Logan snorted when he heard Zachary’s name, “So what if I insulted him?” “It’s not ‘so what,’ it’s trending! ‘Original author of ‘The Path’ uses small account to insult male lead online, it’s not just boiling, it’s exploding!’ The editor’s exasperated voice came through the speaker, causing Logan’s ears to hurt, and he had to move the phone away a bit. He realized what was going on but remained calm, reassuring, “Well, that just saved the crew some publicity costs. They should thank me.” “I’m going to check it out and see if I can make two explosions in three days. We’ll talk later if anything comes up.” After hanging up, Logan opened Twitter but wisely didn’t log into his small account. Instead, he first logged into his main account to observe the situation. To his surprise, even this author account with a million followers had been overwhelmed. He ignored the 99+ comments and messages and opened the trending list. #Please apologize to Zachary, author of ‘The Path’# #Did you insult someone today Logan# #Protect the best Zachary in the world# #Zachary has someone he likes# “Tsk, my first time trending and it’s asking me to apologize to that thing?” Logan didn’t care much about those unpleasant comments, just briefly looked at the cause and effect. It turned out that his small account and main account Logan were mutually following each other, and there was a photo of his left hand in the album that netizens dug up and found to be identical to one Logan had posted before. He didn’t care at all about how fans were cursing him and had no intention of replying. After sending a message to his editor, he simply turned off his phone and decided to focus on writing. What nonsense trending topics, is it a big deal to have someone you like? Eyesore! By evening, things had fermented more and more seriously. Many fans even began to jointly “petition,” demanding that Zachary give up the male lead role in “The Path,” but neither side had made any public response. Gossip marketing accounts began to comb through the love-hate relationship between Logan and Zachary over and over again, but no matter how much they combed, they couldn’t find any intersection between the two. In the end, they concluded that Logan was probably very dissatisfied with Zachary playing his male lead. In fact, although Zachary was undoubtedly the top traffic in the entertainment industry, his acting skills were really average. More than half of those millions of fans were there for his face. Whether or not there was data to prove it, anyway, Logan firmly believed this. Logan, who had spent three hours writing five hundred words, decided not to struggle anymore. He decisively closed his computer and prepared to go to sleep. But when he really lay down, he couldn’t help but take out his phone and watch the video that had angered him to curse again. It was a video of a movie roadshow scene. In the video, a reporter asked Zachary if he would like someone with the female lead’s personality in real life. Zachary, in a black suit, shook his head gracefully, indicating he wouldn’t. The reporter was about to follow up when they heard him slowly say: I have someone I like. Logan sneered at his phone, wishing he could poke out his dog eyes with his fingers. He gestured a few times, but unexpectedly, he didn’t hold back and poked the like button. He hurriedly unliked it, thinking to himself, damn it, will this trend again?! Out of sight, out of mind. Logan finally decided to turn off his phone and go to sleep, but a SnapChat message suddenly popped up on the screen. Seeing that familiar name, Logan’s eyelids twitched. He wanted to ignore it, but he was still curious about what the other person would say. Zachary: Are you there? Logan: If you’re here to ask if I’m the one who insulted you on the trending topic, then there’s no need to ask, it was me. If you’re here to ask why I insulted you, there’s also no need to ask, do I need a reason to insult you? Zachary had just finished work and returned to the hotel. Seeing that the other person had been typing for half a minute and sent such a message, he couldn’t help but laugh. But then he thought of something, his expression darkened, and his smile faded. He slowly typed “No” and sent it without waiting for Logan’s reply, then sent another message. Zachary: I just wanted to ask if you want to get back together? Logan looked at the message on the screen, speechless for a moment, then exploded: Go get back together with the person you like! After sending it, he felt that he had revealed his emotions too obviously. Being so angry made it seem like he still liked him. After hesitating for a moment, Logan decisively chose to recall the message, then haughtily replied with one word. Logan: Fuck off. Later, until midnight, Logan didn’t receive a reply. Logan and Zachary had a history, even a long one. In college, when he first started writing on the website, he didn’t have much popularity, so he remembered very clearly the early readers who often commented on his work. Zachary was one of the few readers he could remember. The reason was simple: while others either praised Logan for writing well or encouraged him to keep going, only Zachary, under a username, seriously said that if he ever became famous, he would definitely play this male lead. This book was “The Path.” At first, Logan thought Zachary was just showing off, but later, after each update, he could see Zachary commenting and analyzing the plot. Over time, the two got to know each other. Later, they discovered that they were actually schoolmates, and their relationship became even closer. Logan fell in love first, boldly and passionately pursuing Zachary for a month before succeeding. Five years passed like this. Zachary became a hot star, while Logan also became a god-tier author who could easily sell the copyright for tens of millions. But six months ago, Logan unilaterally proposed a breakup, ending their cohabitation. At that time, Zachary had asked many times why, but Logan never answered.

The like that Logan accidentally tapped did indeed trend again. However, unlike what he had expected, this time, some gossip netizens let their imaginations run wild, concocting a drama of a god-tier author secretly loving the current top traffic star but unable to have him, thus hating him out of love. Isn’t there a saying, the deeper the love, the harsher the criticism? Logan pretended not to know about this, but Zachary shared a love song expressing secret love on Twitter, seemingly in response, which sparked another round of heated discussion. “Is our Zachary saying he has a secret crush on someone?!” “Taking Zachary away, going to listen to the song, not interested in anyone else.” “As an outsider, I feel a bit sorry for Zachary hahaha. He played the lead role but got harshly criticized by the author, really unfortunate.” “I think that Logan guy’s criticism was quite right. What does Zachary have going for him besides his face? Fans, don’t talk about acting skills. If that’s called acting, I could win an Oscar.” “This song sounds so heartbreaking, so who hurt who hahaha…” Of course, Logan also saw Zachary’s Twitter post but didn’t think much of it, assuming it had nothing to do with him. Who knew that later, Zachary would even share this song with him on SnapChat. Logan: ??? Zachary: Do you like it? Logan: Are you crazy? Zachary: Come to the opening ceremony of “The Path” the day after tomorrow. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Although Logan had previously agreed to attend, why did seeing Zachary say this make him so uncomfortable? Logan didn’t reply for a long time, and Zachary sent another question mark. Logan: Want me to perform a live diss of Zachary for the reporters? Zachary: … Zachary: Whatever makes you happy Zachary: It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you Logan was taken aback. Indeed, since their breakup, they hadn’t seen each other once in these six months. Thinking of this, Logan’s not-so-young heart began to flutter again. He knew he was being a bit pathetic. They had already broken up, and it should have been a clean break, but he still couldn’t help wanting to see him. After all, it had been half a year, 6 months, 180 days. Zachary: If I don’t see you that day Zachary: You better be prepared to get screwed. ????????WTF??? The opening ceremony for “The Path” was held at a high-end hotel near the film base in Hillsdale. The venue was packed, mostly with reporters from various media outlets. Logan sat on the stage with the director and main creative team, but he secretly grumbled, seeing the reporters’ fiery gazes, knowing they wanted to see him and Zachary battle it out live. Tsk, shouldn’t have come. Before going on stage, the event organizer’s person in charge smiled apologetically at Logan while “advising” him to be considerate and not start a verbal battle on stage. It would be best to clarify that he and Zachary had a good relationship, which was why he had vented on Twitter. Logan agreed with “okay, okay, okay” while inwardly mocking, do you think netizens are all idiots? They’ll believe whatever you say? Whether intentional or not, he was arranged to sit on the far left, with four or five people between him and Zachary. This way, even if they wanted to have a duel with their gazes, it would be difficult to achieve. Zachary arrived relatively late, so Logan hadn’t run into him yet. Even if they were face to face, he wouldn’t know what to say. Finally, it came to the media Q&A session at the end of the press conference. By this time, the reporters were all excited and eager to ask questions. Logan saw this and just wanted to roll his eyes. “Zachary, may I ask how you view Logan’s comments about you on Twitter?” Zachary picked up the microphone and smiled, “I appreciate Logan’s supervision.” “Zachary, do you have any thoughts on playing the male lead Crispian in ‘The Path’?” Hearing this question, Logan slightly turned his body to look at Zachary. “I’m very honored,” Zachary pondered for a moment, then continued, “I really like the book ‘The Path,’ and playing Crispian has been a dream of mine for a long time.” The reporters below nodded understandingly, just pleasantries after all, everyone would say that. However, the fact that Zachary could maintain this attitude towards someone who had publicly insulted him showed that his demeanor was indeed quite good. This statement actually gained Zachary quite a bit of goodwill. Logan appeared very calm on the surface, but no one knew what emotions were hidden beneath that rather handsome face. The next reporter then threw a question at Logan, “Logan, what’s your opinion on Zachary playing Crispian?” Logan: “Well, he needs to work hard.” The audience burst into laughter, looking at him with meaningful gazes. Zachary suddenly chimed in, “In the future, I hope Teacher Logan will give me more guidance.” He said the last four words very slowly. For some reason, Logan suddenly had a bad feeling. The reporters specially invited to the press conference all had a sense of propriety and wouldn’t throw out questions that were too sharp or embarrassing. So this press conference ended smoothly without any incidents. There was also a small banquet in the evening. Logan didn’t plan to stay long, but Zachary had specifically called him on SnapChat to come, yet didn’t even give him a glance or specially seek him out. What did that mean? Logan said goodbye to the organizers and was about to leave when he was stopped by the staff member he had greeted earlier just as he was leaving the hotel. “Excuse me, are you Mr. Logan?” “I am, is there something?” The staff member pointed to a young man holding a bouquet of flowers nearby, “This gentleman said there’s a flower order, the address is here, and the recipient is you.” The young man also came over and handed the bouquet to Logan, “Sir, here are your flowers.” Logan was confused but accepted the bouquet. He found it contained a type of flower he had never seen before, with a card inserted in the middle that only had two lines of text, and next to it was a room key card. Logan’s face darkened when he saw it clearly. “Trash flowers for a piece of trash, perfect match.” “9 PM, Royal Hotel Room 1106, wait for me.” Zachary, you bastard! Logan naturally refused to obediently go to the hotel and wait for him. Holding a bouquet of trash flowers, he decisively left.

After the banquet ended, Zachary went to the Royal Hotel, but there was no one in Room 1106. He wasn’t too surprised; if Logan had really listened to him like this, he wouldn’t have insisted on breaking up with him. Mentioning this, Zachary was extremely depressed. Zachary could swear he hadn’t cheated, hadn’t neglected him, hadn’t lied to him, hadn’t done anything to wrong him. Why was Logan so determined to break up? Was all their years of affection fake? He had asked Logan many times, but the answers were all similar. Logan said there were no feelings left, so they should separate. But this didn’t make sense. To say Logan didn’t like Zachary? Even a dog wouldn’t believe that. When Logan was pursuing Zachary back then, he had really put in a lot of effort. Zachary thought that since Logan wanted to be apart for a while, he’d let him be. Anyway, he would eventually come back to him. Who knew that after six months apart, Logan still showed no intention of coming back. Zachary vaguely felt something was wrong. He looked at the hung-up phone call, hesitated for a moment, then turned and left. Six months was long enough. His Logan should come back now. “Logan, why are you back so late?” The security guard, familiar with Logan, casually asked. “Went out for some air, to clear my head. Otherwise, I kept feeling like I was a big idiot.” “Ah? Haha, Logan, you’re really funny.” As Logan walked towards his home, he was cursing himself in his mind. Logan, you’re a complete and utter idiot. Wandering around the hotel area for 5 hours just because of a bouquet of trash flowers? He was just saying it, why did you take it seriously? What’s the use of waiting until 9 o’clock or even 11 o’clock? Didn’t you still not see a single shadow? He could hardly believe that such a stupid thing was actually done by himself! The key is that he didn’t even wait for him! That trash Zachary didn’t come at all! The more he thought about it, the more he wished he could travel back in time and slap himself. Unfortunately, time travel couldn’t be realized, so Logan could only go to sleep quickly, attempting to forget everything after a good night’s rest. However, wanting to forget everything? That was certainly impossible. Logan was woken up by knocking on the door. He rubbed his eyes and irritably scratched his head. “Who is it? So early in the morning.” Logan opened the door and saw Zachary’s rather good-looking face. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming. “It’s already 11 o’clock, and you say it’s early?” Zachary didn’t wait for an invitation and slipped past Logan into the house. Logan quickly closed the door and chased after him, “Who are you?! Did I let you in?” Zachary made himself at home, “I’ve been driving for several hours. Let me rest for a bit.” “Who knows where you were messing around last night!” Zachary paused in his movements, pointed his index finger at Logan, and said, “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me in 1106?” Mentioning this, Logan became furious: “Bullshit, you didn’t even go. You told me to wait for you?!” “You went to the Royal Hotel last night? I arrived at the hotel at nine o’clock. How come I didn’t see you?” Logan was speechless. He had waited so long at the entrance, yet didn’t see him? Logan suddenly realized that a big star like Zachary might have entered through the side door… Zachary: “Speak.” “No! Am I crazy to go look for you?” Zachary looked at him for a few moments, not asking further, then sat down on the sofa. “…” How can this person be so brazen? “Zachary! Get up, this is my home!” Logan said, then reached out to pull him, but unexpectedly was pulled into Zachary’s arms. The two fell onto the sofa. Zachary half-embraced Logan, his warm breath blowing on his face, making him feel a bit itchy. Logan struggled, “Get off! Don’t crush me!” “Don’t move!” Zachary stared quietly at Logan, “It’s been half a year since we last met. I really missed you.” After saying this, he lowered his head and tightly hugged Logan. Logan’s breath caught, and his heart began to soften, losing its sharp edges. Zachary raised his head to see Logan not reacting, lifted the corner of his mouth slightly, then gently kissed his lips. Unlike their first kiss, which was careful and tentative, this one was gentle enough. “Enough! Zachary!” Logan suddenly pushed him away hard, his face expressionless as he pursed his lips. “What’s wrong?” Zachary acted as if nothing had happened, adjusted his posture a bit, and made some space for Logan. Logan: “What do you mean what’s wrong? Zachary, we’ve already broken up.” Zachary looked up at him and said calmly: “So?” “So we should keep our distance. Zachary, please leave immediately.” Although Logan was usually easy to explode and carefree, when he really put on a serious face, it was quite intimidating. But Zachary was unmoved, even laughing, and ruffled Logan’s hair like before they broke up, “Stop messing around, Logan. Move back in.” Logan was speechless. The original mix of emotions – happiness, difficulty, hesitation, heartache – suddenly deflated like a balloon, all gone at once. Zachary had never taken the breakup seriously. From beginning to end, he didn’t know why Logan wanted to break up, and he… didn’t care. Logan smiled for the first time, but it was shallow and fleeting. “Zachary, listen carefully, I’ll say it one last time,” Logan paused, seeing Zachary’s expression sink, no longer as relaxed as before, then continued, “We, I Logan and you, Zachary, have broken up, with no connection anymore. I won’t appear in front of you again in the future, and please, don’t come to bother me anymore.” Hearing this, Zachary felt a faint uneasiness in his heart. He wanted to appear more at ease, but his words came out tense, “Logan, I haven’t agreed to break up yet.” Logan: “That’s not important. What’s important is… I have no feelings for you anymore.” “You’re lying to me,” Zachary said, “I don’t believe you don’t like me anymore.” Hearing these words, Logan couldn’t help but laugh. Yes, I don’t believe it either, that I wouldn’t like you anymore, but do you really like me? “What don’t you believe? You will eventually be with the person you like, and I will meet someone else, confess, fall in love, and spend a lifetime together. In a person’s life, they will meet many people and forget many people. You and I are just a part of each other’s life journeys.” “Even if we walked hand in hand for many years, were happy, and… loved,” Logan hesitated, then said softly, “But now we’ve separated.” “Zachary, let’s part on good terms—” “To hell with parting on good terms!” Zachary kicked the coffee table hard, a harsh and loud scraping sound making his anger seem so real. To be fair, Zachary was actually a person with quite a good temper. In all the years Logan had been with him, he had rarely seen him lose his temper. Zachary took several deep breaths, seemingly trying to calm himself down, “Logan, even if we break up, shouldn’t you give me a reason? Have I, Zachary, wronged you in any way? You say nothing and unilaterally break up. I don’t agree, and you move out while I’m not home. When I go to find you, you shut me out. Even if I did something wrong, shouldn’t you give me a chance to explain?” “But you didn’t. You just stubbornly insisted on your own thoughts. That’s fine too. I thought maybe you wanted to be apart for a while, change your mood, and you would come back one day. In these six months, how many times have I asked you to get back together? And how did you answer me?” “If it wasn’t ‘fuck off,’ it was ‘impossible.’ Logan, I really want to know, what exactly did I do that made you detest me so much?” Logan listened quietly, showing no reaction. When he heard Zachary ask, he coldly said, “You did nothing wrong.” Zachary was amused by his anger, “I did nothing wrong, so why did you break up?” Logan no longer looked at him, but stared at the oranges that had fallen to the ground, slowly saying, “I just… don’t love you anymore, Zachary.” The large living room suddenly fell silent. Logan could even hear his own heartbeat in his chest. After who knows how long, maybe a second, maybe ten minutes, Zachary suddenly laughed, breaking the room’s silence. “If that’s the case, I really didn’t do anything wrong.” Zachary ignored Logan and walked straight to the door. Logan stood in place, only daring to look up at him when Zachary reached the door. Logan silently opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to call out to him, but ultimately didn’t make a sound. “Logan,” Zachary had already opened the door but stopped and turned around to call out. Logan met his gaze, not speaking, just waiting for his next words. Zachary shook his head, ultimately not continuing.

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