Category: English

During my post-abortion checkup, Adrian once again made an excuse to suddenly leave. This had become a familiar occurrence, so I was used to it. I had to admit that I was stung with a sense of abandonment at first, but slowly, I no longer cared. I took the medicine after the checkup and went back by myself. As I made my way home, I could not shake the feeling of loneliness that seemed to echo within me. I opened Twitter once I arrived, and saw someone named Lovely One tagged Adrian in a post. It read, [Just had a sore throat, but he insisted on dragging me to the hospital and has been accompanying me since. After all this time, you’re still the best!] I did not bother to ask Adrian why he kept lying to me, nor did I lose my temper like I used to. Looking back, I should have felt betrayed and confronted him, but it just felt like another exhausting chore, another hurdle in a race I no longer cared to win. Later, he took this Lovely One to the company’s team building event, and I received intimate photos of them. Was I angry? No. On a different occasion, I ran into him holding Lovely One’s child on the street, looking like a family of three. I had to admit that I was surprised to find myself smiling calmly and said, “The child needs a father figure. You should spend more time with them, Adrian.” Adrian, however, grabbed me in a panic and asked anxiously, “Madeline, why don’t you care at all?” ***** I had a miscarriage because someone accidentally collided with me on my way home from work. Today was the second month after my abortion surgery, so Adrian accompanied me for a checkup. I did not stop him as he left in a hurry after making an excuse. No longer did I cling to him, pleading for his company as I once did. Watching Adrian’s back as he slowly walked away, an unexpected wave of detachment washed over me. I suddenly realized that his presence or absence held little effect over my emotions. I did not seem to be that sad anymore when he was not around. A nurse called my name, and I quietly accepted the test results before gathering my things and heading home. Not long after, I received a message from Adrian, which read, [Madeline, you can go home on your own, can’t you? I still have things to do.] In the past, I would have refused desperately and replied with something like, [But I need you to come get me.] Now, it just felt pointless to do so. With a resigned acceptance, I simply typed, [Ok.] I put away my phone and hailed a cab. As I settled into the backseat, a familiar sight caught my eyes. It was Adrian’s car. Well, that was odd. Why would he return to the hospital? Did he not he say he could not pick me up? As soon as I got home, I saw Lovely One tagged Adrian in a post on Twitter, which read, [Just had a sore throat, but he insisted on dragging me to the hospital and has been accompanying me since. After all this time, you’re still the best!] Unsurprisingly, Sophie posted a photo in her WhatsApp status with the same exact words. A corner of Adrian’s shirt was visible in the picture. It was the one I had picked out for him on his birthday. Yes, the Lovely One was Sophie Davis, Adrian’s childhood sweetheart. A few years back, Sophie had moved with her wealthy husband out of town. However, fate had taken a harsh turn last year when her husband went bankrupt. Following their divorce, she returned with a four-year-old child. In Adrian’s eyes, I was nothing more than a replacement for Sophie after she left. However, I had been deeply in love with him at the time, foolishly choosing to marry him. At one time, I had even wanted to get pregnant and bear his child. The following miscarriage was probably a sign, having a child with Adrian would not be good for me or the baby. After taking the prescribed medication, I drifted off to sleep. The creak of the door woke me up in the middle of night. “What did the doctor say today?” Adrian came to my bedside and gently stroked my head I caught a foreign scent on him, a woman’s perfume. My head shook in a silent refusal as I avoided his hand. “Nothing important.” I forced a smile and continued, “Everything’s fine.” Adrian nodded and offered a hurried explanation, “Work just got hectic and I’ve been kept very busy lately.” Instead of calling him out on his lie, I rolled over and went back to sleep. “Well, maybe you should take a shower before going to bed.” He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but he said nothing. I then heard the bathroom’s door being opened and the trickles of the shower.   The next day was a pre-dawn shift, so I went to the hospital early. After the morning meeting ended, I received a call from Adrian. His voice was dripped with a subtle annoyance when he said, “Madeline, why didn’t you wake me up? You left early without telling me and I overslept.” I used to take care of him in every possible way and even more so after we got married. Clothes laid out, breakfast prepared with love and a gentle morning call, a routine I meticulously followed. His tone now suggested that he took those things for granted. It was as if my acts of love were mere obligations, a chore I was simply expected to perform. However, I was never his caretaker, I was his wife. I had the right to refuse. “Well, since you’re going to be late, you’d better get up soon.” He asked again, “What am I going to wear today?” “Just choose whatever you want to wear. It’s all in the closet,” I replied. “But I can’t find it….” Adrian tried to say. My colleague called me over for some help, so I hurriedly said, “I have something else to attend to, I need to go. Just find your clothes yourself.” Barely a moment later, Adrian’s message pinged on the screen. It read, [The shirts are wrinkled! You haven’t ironed them yet? I can’t show up in the office wearing them.] It did not stop there. Another one came, saying, [You haven’t prepared breakfast either?] Just then, the department head happened to call me over, so I did not have time to reply to Adrian. “Madeline, good news!” he boomed, “After assessing your performance, it looks like the hospital wants to discuss your further training. Oh, look, you’re fully recovered now, too.” I had initially planned to marry Adrian and have children, so I declined the hospital’s offer before I was pregnant. But now I figured it out. Marrying him, building a family, those naïve aspirations had lost their charms. Staying with Adrian felt not just pointless, but foolish. “I’ve thought about it, sir. I’ll go,” I replied with a newfound conviction. “Excellent choice!” The department head was practically beamed. He then asked me to prepare everything and said he would notify me when the date was set. His enthusiasm was infectious. I agreed that the time was indeed right. This was my ticket to a future I could finally design on my own terms.

Time seemed to melt away as I dove into work. Before I knew it, the world outside the window had turned to dark. However, just as I settled in with another stack of documents, Adrian called me. “Why aren’t you home yet? Where’s dinner?” I found the very thought of returning to Adrian was somehow revolting. That was why I stayed in the office preparing documents until late. “My colleague had something urgent coming up and had to switch shifts with me. Takeout’s probably your best bet tonight,” I said, casually found an excuse. “Takeout?” Adrian sounded surprised. Back then, eating out was not even an option for us. I practically catered to every meal, three times a day. “Is there anything wrong?” I asked him. “No.” Adrian hesitated before continuing, “Just take care of yourself and don’t get too tired.” “Thank you,” I replied flatly. Adrian was silent for a while, then asked again, “Madeline, are you angry?” The question, so slow to come, sparked a flicker of something akin to anger. But mostly, it was a disappointment. Was he truly this oblivious, or simply did not care about my feelings? However, it did not matter. I would not be angry anymore.   In an apologetic tone, Adrian took the initiative to explain, “Madeline, it’s not easy for Sophie to raise a child alone. She doesn’t know anyone else here. She only has me.” His words felt like a slap. He conveniently forgot sometimes that, I too, only had him. “Of course, I understand. She must’ve been through a lot,” I answered calmly. “Madeline, what’s that supposed to mean? What’s your attitude?” He lost his temper all of a sudden. “I said I understand,” I repeated, my voice losing its lightness, “Is that a problem?” “Do you have to talk to me like that?” he snapped. “Then what do you want me to say?” I countered, frustration creeping in. Silence fell between us, heavy and suffocating. Finally, he mumbled a defeated, “Do as you wish,” before hanging up. Wasn’t it ironic? He once said I was annoying when I questioned him visiting Sophie. And when I called him to ask when he would be back from Sophies’s, I was also the annoying one. Now, even trying to understand him earned me his frustration. With a sigh, I tossed my phone aside. Dwelling on it would not change anything. There was more important thing to do, like a stack of documents in front of me. The night shift ended and I deliberately lingered after cleaning up my desk. The thought of returning home, held no appeal. When I arrived, Adrian had already left for work. I took a shower and went off to sleep, but just as I began to drift off, had the tranquility was shattered by the insistent ringing of my phone. It was Adrian. “Madeline,” he sounded like he was holding back pain, “my… my stomach hurts.” I mumbled a response, but I was too tired and fell back asleep. In a dream, I seemed to hear Adrian calling my name, but the sound felt distant, so I pushed the dream away. After some time, I was completely awakened by the sound of the door opening. Adrian stood by the bed, his face a mask of hurt. “Madeline, why don’t you care anymore? You used to be worried when I was sick and you would even make porridge and give me medicine.” That was indeed the old me. I remembered it only too clearly. Once, Adrian had a stomachache, so I asked for leave to bring him medicine at his office. As luck had it, I got caught in the rain on my way there, leaving my hair soaked and me looking quite a mess. However, things just got better when his colleagues laughed at my appearance and Adrian did not even try to stop them. To top it off, he told me never to come to his office again because, in his words, I was an embarrassment. “Are you feeling better now?” I rubbed my eyes. “We might be out of medicine, though. Maybe you can grab some yourself.” Adrian was speechless, then frustration boiled over. He grabbed my arm and shouted, “Madeline, how long are you going to keep fighting with me about Sophie? I told you, there’s nothing between her and me!” “Oh, okay,” I said, my calm a stark contrast to his anger. In a fit of rage, Adrian slammed the door and left. The silence that followed was liberating.   Days bled into each other. After leaving, Adrian did not go home for several days and I did not bother to ask where he went. On the third day, my phone screen flickered with a message from him. He said that he was on a business trip and shared his location. [Okay, stay safe,] I typed. A sardonic chuckle escaped my lips. Just after sending the reply, a picture Sophie posted on Twitter taunted me from my feed. The caption read, [First holiday in what seems like forever. I never thought I’d miss cotton candy! Someone insisted on buying it for me.] The accompanying picture showed Adrian’s hand, with our wedding ring still on his finger. Moreover, the location on Sophie’s tweet matched the one Adrian had sent me. The ring on my own finger felt like a searing ember, so I took it off and threw it into the drawer. Since then, work became my refuge. I busied myself to push aside the churning emotion within. When Adrian would return became a question lost in the whirlwind of activity, a question I no longer cared to answer. Unexpectedly, he came to the hospital one day to pick me up after my shift. A wave of surprise washed over me as I saw a familiar car parked across the street. “Why are you here?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. That day was particularly exhausting. “Did you forget that today is our wedding anniversary?” he answered after opening the door for me. “Oh,” I mumbled, “sorry. I’ve been really busy and it slipped my mind.” “Madeline, you used to care about this the most, didn’t you? How could you forget?” Adrian was stunned for a moment before replying.

In the past, whether it was a wedding anniversary or his birthday, I never forgot. Dinners meticulously planned, decorations painstakingly chosen, all fueled by a need to celebrate and enjoy our time together, to show him how much he meant to me. But, those efforts, once met with smiles and anticipation, were later dismissed as “over the top” and “embarrassing.” I still remembered his words when I decided to throw a surprise party in a restaurant. He said, “Madeline, you’re making such a big deal out of this. Everyone’s looking at us. It’s very uncomfortable, you know?” I thought he would be happy, but instead, he dragged me away in front of colleagues and friends. So, now, there was really nothing to celebrate. The spark had died out. “Come on, let’s go have dinner and celebrate,” he said, ushering me into the car. As Adrian drove, the silence stretched between us. He stole glances at me, searching my face for a flicker of the old enthusiasm. “Madeline, what’s wrong? Are you upset?” he finally blurted out. “No.” I shook my head. “No?” he echoed, his voice rising in frustration. “Then why the attitude? Here I am, putting in the effort, picking you up for dinner. Can’t you at least pretend to appreciate it?” “I’m not angry, Adrian.” “Fine!” He let out a long sigh. “I promise, no more contact with Sophie again, Okay?” I stared at him. Did he really think a simple gesture could erase months of lies and betrayal? “Are you happy now?” he asked again. I did not answer and remain silent for the rest of trip. The car drove all the way to a fancy restaurant. Apparently, Adrian had gone all out, reserving a table and even arranging for flowers and a gift. The scene was a picture of romantic bliss, complete with envious glances from other diners. However, before I opened the gift, Adrian’s phone rang. “Fever? Do you have any medicine?” he asked, answering the call. “I can’t take you to the hospital today, I have something to do. What? That high? Okay, wait for me. I’ll be right over.” Hanging up, Adrian turned to me, his eyes filled with a mixture of awkwardness and something I could not quite decipher. “Madeline, it’s Sophie. Her child has a fever. I need to….” I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat. “It’s fine,” I managed, my voice a monotone that surprised even me. “You should go. The child’s important.” He stood up and hesitated for a moment before looking at me again. “Wait for me to come back and pick you up. I’ll be back soon.” With that, he hurriedly grabbed his coat and left. I was left alone, staring at the half-eaten cake. Rain lashed against the windowpanes, mimicking the tears I refused to shed. After a sigh, I finished the cake, then got up and left. A cab passed by and I hailed it to go home. However, I did not bring an umbrella, and there was still a bit of a walk from the entrance to our apartment building. The drizzle hit my face, making it very cold. After I got in and took a shower, I saw Sophie’s tweet with a picture. It was Adrian accompanying her and her child. The warm yellow light in their room was a stark contrast to the coldness of the rain outside.   Adrian did not come home until the next morning. As soon as he came back, he started explaining, “Jesse had a high fever all night. It wouldn’t go down.” Jesse was Sophie’s child. To my ears, the name felt like a foreign word. “Is everything okay now? Why didn’t you stay longer? It must be hard for Sophie to handle a sick child alone,” I asked after offering a curt nod. Adrian paused mid-motion when taking his coat off, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. “Are you being sarcastic again?” He sighed, the sound heavy with weariness, real or feigned, I could not tell. “Look, I didn’t sleep all night. I’m very tired.” “Then you should get some rest. I’m going to work.” I turned around and reached for my bag. “Madeline….” He pulled me and spoke. “What is it?” “We’ll make it up for the anniversary celebration next time, okay?” A ghost of a smile played on my lips, devoid of any feeling. “I’m not mad.” He looked at me inquiringly and hugged me, a gesture that felt as empty as his promises. “There’s a company team-building event this weekend,” he mumbled into my hair. “Let’s go together.” Adrian’s family background was much better than mine. He was a local, and I stayed here after graduation because I married him. His colleagues and friends did not think much of me. Despite their loathing to interact with me, however, they often asked Adrian to have me help them with simple sniffles or coughs because I worked at a hospital. In the past, I would frequently bring Adrian meals or medicine whenever he had stomachache at his office, but he never introduced me to his colleagues. I snapped back to reality and replied, “No, I might have to work overtime next weekend.” “Well, suit yourself.” Adrian gritted his teeth and hissed. I did not go, but I did not expect him to take Sophie instead. My phone buzzed incessantly when I was writing medical records in the office. I had to open it and found out that someone had added me to the group chat for Adrian’s company’s team building event. The pictures from different activities in the event streamed in, and a lot of them featured Sophie. She was having a great time with Adrian’s colleagues, blending right in. During one of the activities, Adrian carried Sophie in his arms like a princess, lifting her from one end of the lawn to the other. Meanwhile, Sophie held onto Adrian’s neck, pressing her cheek against his chest. If she lifted her head just a bit more, she could have kissed his chin. Everyone in the group chat was cheering them on, tagging the two and saying they were a perfect match. Given Adrian’s high position in the company, people were eager to flatter him. One after another, they lined up to comment on how well-matched they were. Since I had been added to the group, it would not look good if I pretended not to see it. So, I followed the crowd and typed two words in the chat, [Perfect match.] I also added a clapping emoji. With a click, I exited the digital charade and put my phone on silent mode. By the time I finished writing the medical records, it was already dark. I took out my phone and found that Adrian had called me dozens of times. One WhatsApp message after another popped up.

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My roommate claimed to be the daughter of a famous CEO. Just as I was wondering which company it was, I heard the name of my mom’s firm. I rushed to the bathroom to make a phone call to my mom, asking excitedly: “Mom, do you have a secret daughter? Does Dad know?” She was even more excited than me: “Yes, your dad knows too.” My face immediately fell, only to see my mom send me a photo of my brother in drag. On the first day of college, I was the last one to arrive at the dorm. I had gotten dirty rescuing a stray dog on the way. When I entered, the previously lively chatter in the room suddenly went quiet for a moment. All five roommates turned to look at me, as if I was an intruder in their territory. Sensing their not-so-friendly gazes, I simply nodded and went in. They quickly resumed their discussion, but as I looked at the bed labeled with my name, I couldn’t help but frown. There were six beds in total in the dorm. My assigned bed was the upper left bunk in the middle, but that bed was already made up. “Did anyone get the bed assignments mixed up?” I asked in a neutral tone, interrupting their conversation. The room fell silent again. After a while, Chloe, wearing a white dress, smiled at me and said softly: “It was me. My bed is below yours, but I’m not used to having someone sleep above me. I wanted to switch with you, but you hadn’t arrived yet, so I went ahead and made the bed.” I nodded in understanding and said: “Then let’s switch back. I’m not used to it either.” Chloe paused for a moment, her smile faltering: “But I… I’m allergic to dust mites…” My eyes lit up and I smiled: “What a coincidence, I’m allergic to dust mites too.” Chloe’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. Her friend Zoe, who was standing next to her, couldn’t bear to watch and said with a sneer: “How can you compare yourself to Chloe? Do you know who she is? Look at how dirty you are, your mom must be a garbage collector or something.” Emily, who was nearby, rolled her eyes at me and said sarcastically: “Why are you making such a big deal out of this? It’s just switching beds. You came late anyway…” “Eager to defend her? Why don’t you switch with her then?” I looked at Emily as I said this. “You…” Emily was left speechless by my retort, her face turning red as she couldn’t find the words to respond. She could only glare at me angrily along with Chloe, who also looked aggrieved. In an instant, the three of them showed a united front against me, as if I was some kind of heinous villain. I had given up a prestigious private school to come to University A just to be with my online boyfriend. Who would have thought that on the first day of school, I’d run into a nest of mean girls and their lackeys? I decided to lean into the villain role they’d cast me in. I put on a stern face and tapped the bed frame: “Hurry up and move. Either find someone willing to switch with you or rent a place off-campus. Just get out of my bed.” In the end, Chloe moved to the lower bunk with a dejected look on her face. As I was unpacking, my roommates started getting ready for bed. Suddenly, Zoe called out: “Chloe, how can you use that expensive black face mask as hand cream?!” Emily also gasped: “As expected of the daughter of Legate Group’s CEO. Even though I’ve seen you use Hermès scarves as cleaning rags before, I still can’t help but feel bad seeing you do this.” Hearing Emily’s words, I paused what I was doing and glanced over. Legate Group? My mom’s company? Does my mom have a secret daughter?! Chloe graciously accepted their flattery and said generously: “It’s not a big deal. If you like them, I’ll give you some later. I have unopened ones in my suitcase.” The two roommates let out shrill screams of excitement. Zoe hugged her enthusiastically and said: “Chloe, I sleep in the upper bunk. Why don’t you switch beds with me? So you don’t have to deal with certain people’s attitude.” Emily chimed in: “Yeah, or just ask the counselor to have her moved out. I heard your mom is a major shareholder of the university and donates money every year. Switching beds should be no problem, right?” Emily’s words were true. My mom does donate money every year because she’s an alumna of University A and wants to give back. Even if you are my mom’s secret daughter, you can’t just do whatever you want, right? My mom donates, not bribes, okay? Chloe pursed her lips and said softly: “Actually, Mom bought me a villa near the university, but she said I should be low-key when I’m away from home. Plus, I want to live with you guys.” I nodded inwardly. A secret daughter should indeed keep a low profile. “See? Rich people just have better manners. Unlike some people,” Zoe said, shooting a pointed glance at me. Chloe followed suit, looking at me smugly. I rolled my eyes and hurried to the bathroom to call my mom and find out what was really going on. When I asked if she had a secret daughter, my mom scolded me and even docked half a month’s allowance. I pouted. Whatever, it’s not like I spend all of it every month anyway.

After Freshman Orientation Week, there was a welcome party where Chloe performed a dance of indeterminate style. During the free socializing time, she used her status as the Legate Group heiress to steal the spotlight. Many guys actively approached her, asking her to dance. I didn’t have time to bother with her. I was busy searching the crowd for my online boyfriend. I had been in an online relationship since high school. He had seen my face, but never showed me his. He was always asking to borrow money from me too. What he didn’t know was that I had long figured out who he was. His name was Lucas, and he had been quite popular with the girls in high school. When I finally spotted Lucas in the crowd, I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. He didn’t look as clean-cut and handsome as he had in high school, and his figure had gotten a bit out of shape. But I’m not shallow about looks. Even though he wasn’t as handsome as before, he had always treated me well. Plus, he had sworn that he would only love me from now on. To give him a surprise, I pretended to bump into him by chance. I went up to chat with him, asking if his username was “Beyond the Years”. Lucas looked at me for a moment, then said with an odd expression: “No, that’s my roommate’s username.” I was taken aback. I hadn’t changed that much, had I? We had been video chatting all summer, how could he not recognize me? “Sorry, I have something to do,” he said abruptly, hurrying away before I could respond. I saw him walk up to Chloe and extend his hand gentlemanly, inviting her to dance. That’s when I understood. He was dumping me, right? He must have set his sights on Chloe’s status as the Legate heiress. Noticing my gaze, Chloe raised an eyebrow at me triumphantly, then took Lucas’s hand. I spat in disgust. A liar and a gold digger – a match made in heaven! After the party ended, Lucas and Chloe had disappeared. When I got back to the dorm, Chloe and the other two roommates were there. Seeing me, Zoe deliberately raised her voice to ask: “Chloe, you must have gotten a lot of confessions today, right? Did anyone catch your eye?” Chloe smiled shyly, but her words were far from modest. “They’re all worth getting to know. That senior Lucas wasn’t bad. He helped me carry my luggage at the start of the semester. He asked me out to a trendy restaurant tomorrow.” The room fell awkwardly silent for a moment. Zoe was the first to cheer: “Senior Lucas is the campus heartthrob in his junior year, and he’s the student council president too! Some people shamelessly tried to chat him up earlier, not knowing their place.” As she said this, she shot me a sideways glance. I was pretty annoyed, but could only silently curse Lucas for being such a two-faced jerk. Originally he said he would come pick me up when school started, but that day I waited for him at the station for half an hour without seeing him. The last school bus came, so I had to leave. It wasn’t until I got to the school gates that I received a text from him. Just a brief message: “Too busy, no time to come. See you another day.” So that day he was busy picking up Chloe?

It would be too easy to just let that jerk off the hook. At the very least, I needed to get back the money he had borrowed from me. Hearing the restaurant location Chloe mentioned, I followed them there the next day. When I went in, the atmosphere in the restaurant was lively. In the crowd, I saw Lucas holding a bouquet of champagne roses in one hand and a necklace box in the other, gazing lovingly at Chloe sitting at the table. “The meaning of champagne roses is that falling in love with you is the greatest happiness of my life. Just like my feelings for you, Chloe…” “Will you be my girlfriend?” Hearing these all-too-familiar words, I felt a bit nauseous. The exact same confession, different flowers. The value of the flowers probably represented the different prices Lucas put on us in his heart. People around started cheering. Chloe’s face showed a mix of surprise and emotion as she opened her mouth, about to accept the confession. “Wait!” I pushed through the crowd and walked up to the two of them. Seeing me, both Lucas and Chloe were surprised, though Lucas’s expression held a hint of nervousness. I looked at him calmly and deliberately said: “Lucas, since you’ve found yourself a big corporate heiress, why don’t you pay back the money you owe me? It’s a total of $10,000.” Lucas tried to keep his composure but couldn’t meet my eyes. He spoke in a distant and disdainful tone: “Excuse me, miss, take a good look at yourself. How could I possibly know someone like you?” I didn’t bother arguing with him. I just dialed a number, and his phone immediately started ringing. Lucas’s face turned pale. I hung up the call and raised an eyebrow at him: “Still want to deny it?” Lucas lowered his head, his face a mix of anger and shame. Chloe seemed to realize something and glared at me before storming off. Lucas saw this and wanted to chase after her, but I grabbed him: “Either you admit you’re not a real man, or I’ll consider this measly amount as money wasted on feeding a dog.” He clenched his fist and shot me a gloomy look, then reluctantly spoke: “I don’t have that much money right now. Can I pay you back in installments?” “Fine, I’ll give you two weeks. If you don’t pay up by then, I’ll go to the police and you can forget about staying in school.”

When I got back to the dorm, I overheard Chloe talking to Zoe. I’m not sure what Chloe said, but Emily indignantly exclaimed: “I can’t believe Senior Lucas is that kind of person. He hasn’t even dealt with his loose ends outside and he’s already chasing our Chloe. Isn’t that disgusting?” Chloe sighed: “Lucas told me he doesn’t like Alice at all and never borrowed money from her. He only chatted with her a bit because she’s a junior. Alice just misunderstood.” “Huh? I knew it. How could Senior Lucas like that kind of poor girl? She doesn’t even wear branded clothes.” “Forget it. My boyfriend isn’t any worse than Lucas anyway. If Alice likes him, she can have him. It’s not up to me whether Lucas wants her or not.” Emily sighed: “Chloe, you’re too nice. Why are you even considering her feelings?” I couldn’t listen anymore. I pushed open the door and walked in, smiling at Chloe: “That’s right, don’t bother considering my feelings. You have a hobby of sorting trash, but I don’t have a habit of collecting garbage. After all, trash belongs in the trash can.” “What do you mean?” Chloe’s face flushed red with anger. Emily patted her and comforted her: “Don’t get upset over a poor girl. She’s just jealous of you.” I couldn’t help but laugh and asked her: “What am I jealous of? Her fake goods? Or her collecting trash?” “What nonsense are you spouting? Are you crazy? What fake goods?” Emily looked baffled. I glanced at the skincare products on her and Emily’s desks and kindly reminded them: “Whether I’m talking nonsense or not, you’ll find out when your faces break out and you end up in the hospital.” “How dare you curse me?!” Emily got emotional. Chloe held her back: “Forget it, don’t bother with her. She probably just hasn’t seen the real thing before.” “Right, sour grapes because she can’t have it.” Although angry, Emily still had some sense and didn’t use Chloe’s skincare products that night. When Chloe asked, she just said she had already used them. Two mornings later, a scream rang out from the bathroom. Everyone was woken up by the noise. I drowsily pulled back the curtain to take a look and almost fell out of bed in shock. Zoe’s face was covered in dense clusters of pimples, and her neck had a rash-like patch of bumps. “Help! Am I going to be disfigured? It’s so itchy…” She kept scratching until her whole face looked awful. “You should go to the hospital right away,” suggested one of the roommates. “I’ll go with you. Chloe, why don’t you come along?” Zoe glanced hopefully at Chloe’s bed. She was the only one who hadn’t pulled back her curtains and seemed to still be sleeping. Usually she would complain if I so much as rolled over in bed, but today she was sleeping so soundly? In the end, only Emily went with Zoe to see the doctor. When they came back, I had just used the bathroom and was about to go out. I overheard Zoe saying dejectedly: “Why did you stop me earlier? That quack doctor actually said I used substandard skincare products. Those were all from Chloe, how could they be substandard?” Emily was silent for a moment before saying hesitantly: “Maybe she didn’t know the stuff was fake. Anyway, you should stop using it for now. And don’t tell Chloe, so she doesn’t overthink it.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. These two lapdogs were practically Chloe’s brainwashed fans. To my surprise, Chloe actually took the initiative to tell the two of them that she had been scammed with fake goods. Zoe had stopped using Chloe’s products on Emily’s advice, and her skin gradually recovered. A few days later at a class meeting, our counselor suddenly announced some big news. “As you all know, Mrs. Johnson from Legate Group is an alumna of our school and has donated several buildings. Recently, she donated another dormitory in her daughter’s name. You should all know that her daughter is in our class…” At these words, everyone turned to look at Chloe.

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I had a task system bound to me. I had been by Adrian’s side for eight years when he accidentally overheard my conversation with the system. I lied to him, saying I was here to win his heart. From then on, he stopped coming home at night, completely abandoning his former image as the model boyfriend. He kept me trapped by his side, letting his friends humiliate me, forcing me to watch him being intimate with other women. But winning his heart was just my lie. My real mission was already complete, and it was time for me to leave. According to this world’s timeline, I had been with Adrian for eight years. Today was my birthday. It was already 8 PM, and Adrian still hadn’t come home. However, I saw traces of him on Instagram. He was surrounded by women, looking like he was having the time of his life. Even though I knew the truth, I still sent Adrian a message asking if he was coming back. Adrian replied quickly with a video call. In the video, Adrian adjusted the angle to show everyone in the private room. I saw several sleazy-looking men among the scantily clad beautiful women. Adrian then turned the camera back to himself and said teasingly, “Kiss me.” Immediately, two women leaned into the frame and planted a kiss on each of Adrian’s cheeks. One of the women even greeted me, “Hey sis, don’t worry about Adrian. We’re taking good care of him!” Adrian smiled contentedly. He went out of his way to send me this video just to upset me. Just half a year ago, Adrian was still praised by everyone as the model boyfriend. Now, when his friends saw me, their eyes were filled only with pity.

Adrian was the CEO protagonist of this world. My task was to help Adrian accumulate wealth before he met the female lead. But when I first met Adrian, he was still a poor college student living on scholarships. Adrian’s original family background not only left him in poverty but also affected his personality, making him insecure and stubborn. Back then, in that tiny 100-square-foot rental apartment, I already predicted that the future Adrian would definitely be a dark and obsessive CEO. Adrian’s feelings for me came suddenly. To maintain our relationship and ensure the smooth completion of my task, I became Adrian’s girlfriend. Last month, Adrian accidentally overheard my conversation with the system. Afraid of exposing my real mission, I lied to Adrian, saying my task was to win his heart. After that day, Adrian’s attitude towards me changed 180 degrees. He started bringing all sorts of women home and deliberately showing intimacy in front of me. It would be a lie to say it didn’t hurt. I had been with him for eight years; even if I were made of stone, I would have developed some feelings. I didn’t understand why eight years of feelings could change so suddenly. Even if Adrian felt that I had betrayed his feelings, considering how I had helped his career progress step by step, he should have at least parted ways with me amicably. But he insisted on bringing women to upset me, to humiliate me. I also deeply realized that developing feelings was a big taboo for the mission. Fortunately, I had the foresight not to tell him my real mission. Otherwise, I didn’t know if I could leave smoothly. After watching the video Adrian sent, I couldn’t accept it for a moment and hesitantly reminded him: “Today is my birthday.” Adrian’s response was, “So what if it’s your birthday?” I laughed self-mockingly. I can’t believe I still fantasized about him changing. I turned off my phone and looked at the dishes I had prepared on the table. I picked up my fork. I had barely eaten a few bites when Adrian messaged again: “I’ve been drinking and can’t drive. Come pick me up.” I didn’t want to face that room full of women, but knowing that none of his friends were reliable, I was worried something might happen. As far as I knew, Adrian had an important project recently. Once Adrian secured it, my task progress bar should be full. Just bear with it a little longer. Adrian probably looked forward to my departure too.

As soon as I opened the door to the private room, I saw a haze of smoke. At first glance, I thought everyone in the room was practicing some kind of mystical cultivation. As soon as they saw me, someone shouted, “The sister-in-law is here!” This was followed by meaningful laughter. These were all Adrian’s drinking buddies, who only gathered to flatter him. Previously, when they saw me, they would still compliment me a bit. Now, knowing Adrian’s cold attitude towards me, they just teased me when we met. “Sister-in-law is so generous, not even getting angry seeing so many women around Adrian.” How could I not be angry? But showing anger would only make Adrian laugh at me. In the dim light, I couldn’t see Adrian’s expression clearly, but I heard his cold laugh. Adrian had asked me to come pick him up, but the gathering showed no signs of ending. They were still as noisy as ever. With no place to sit, I could only stand to the side. Their gazes swept over me, either mocking or teasing. Did Adrian call me here just to embarrass me? I didn’t want to put up with this nonsense anger, so I reminded Adrian: “When are you leaving? I don’t want to wait too long.” Although the room was noisy, Adrian glanced at me. He should have heard me speak, but he turned his head to talk to others, ignoring me. With his attitude, I bet even if I whispered in his ear, he would pretend not to hear. I directly picked up the microphone used for singing, making sure the entire room could hear my voice: “If you’re not coming back now, I’m leaving!” Everyone was startled by my action. After a brief silence, someone finally spoke up: “Don’t be in such a hurry. It’s still early! Waiting a bit longer won’t kill you.” With this, everyone started criticizing me: “Sister-in-law, why are you so impatient now? No wonder Adrian doesn’t care for you!” “Don’t be so petty. We’ve barely started having fun!” Adrian let them stab at me one by one before slowly speaking: “You’re so boring. What’s the point of going back?” This sentence seemed to have a hidden meaning, causing another round of laughter. I gritted my teeth, not daring to meet their eyes, staring fixedly at the floor. The woman to Adrian’s left was charming and coquettish. She softly collapsed into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck: “I’m much more fun, right, Mr. Adrian?” Adrian allowed the beauty in his arms to touch him freely, but he stared fixedly at me. Adrian seemed to enjoy seeing my discomfort. I wanted to pretend not to care, but I couldn’t help looking at the person in Adrian’s arms. Why did I do so much, only to end up like this? I immediately comforted myself, saying that my task was almost complete, and I would soon forget Adrian after leaving this place. Amidst the sneers, someone suddenly spoke up: “Adrian, if you find your sister-in-law boring, can I borrow her for a couple of days?” The man was drunk and swaying as he approached me from not far away. His words plunged the whole room into a deathly silence. The others were probably wary of Adrian. In their hearts, I was trying to please Adrian, and I was his property. But I wasn’t Adrian’s possession, so how could I be casually given away? I stared at the man, ready to hit him with a bottle when he came closer. Suddenly, someone stood in front of me, blocking the swaying drunk man. He broke the silence: “We shouldn’t joke like this in the future.” I was about to tilt my head to see who this kind person was when I was suddenly pulled into an embrace. Adrian’s cold, suppressed voice exploded above my head: “You don’t need to protect what’s mine!” The next second was the sound of glass shattering, accompanied by Adrian’s fury: “You, get out!” I turned my head to see the drunk man with blood flowing from his forehead, looking dazed. He was completely sobered up now. After Adrian’s outburst, everyone was breathing carefully, not daring to make a sound. For a moment, I mistakenly thought our relationship had returned to the past, that Adrian was still that considerate and thorough man. Adrian had lost interest and led the dazed me out of there. Didn’t he hate me? Why did he defend me? “What are you staring at? Have I mesmerized you?” I was lost in thought, staring at Adrian, and he took the opportunity to tease me. His mood seemed to have stabilized a bit. “Adrian, since you’re already tired of me, I’ll leave tomorrow.” I thought Adrian defended me only because that drunk man had challenged his face. Hearing my words, Adrian furrowed his brows again, gripping my hand tighter. “Impossible!” Adrian only said these three words, not even giving me an explanation. But I felt my suggestion was beneficial for both of us. Why wouldn’t he agree? After walking a couple more steps, Adrian suddenly seemed to realize something. He turned around and came close to me: “Haven’t you been by my side all this time for your mission?” “Now you want to give up on the mission too. Are you hiding something from me?”

I was startled. Had Adrian discovered something? Seeing that I didn’t speak, Adrian guessed on his own: “Or are you playing hard to get?” Hearing this, I felt relieved. Adrian wasn’t as smart as I thought. But I pretended to be seen through, turning my head away awkwardly. Adrian sneered, “I’ve seen all your tricks. Don’t bother.” Then he grabbed my wrist again and threw me into the car. “Cassandra, I won’t let you complete your mission easily. I’ll make you stay by my side and watch me fall in love with someone else.” I laughed coldly, “What deep grudge do you have against me that you’d rather disgust yourself just to hurt me?” Adrian slowly fastened my seatbelt, his voice low: “Everyone who has hurt me must pay the price. You should know this best.” This wasn’t untrue. All of Adrian’s apparent enemies and those who had backstabbed him hadn’t met good ends. I argued, “Even if my feelings for you were fake, all my help was real. You’re being ungrateful!” I don’t know which word struck a nerve with Adrian, but his expression grew colder: “All your clothing, food, housing, and transportation have been paid for by me. Isn’t that repayment enough?” “I don’t need it! I’d be eternally grateful if you just let me complete my mission and leave!” I wasn’t even from this world. All these things he mentioned were useless to me. I wanted to argue more, but seeing the moving scenery outside the window, I suddenly remembered that Adrian’s excuse for calling me over was that he had been drinking and couldn’t drive. But he clearly had a driver, right? Did he call me over just to let that group of unsavory people humiliate me? Adrian had such a vicious heart, completely disregarding our past relationship. Had I spent these eight years devoted to a dog? “I drove here. My car is still parked there!” All my anger was condensed into these two sentences. I swallowed all the curses I wanted to say. The personality of this character couldn’t be changed with just a few words. After all, I hadn’t changed anything in eight years. Adrian was taken aback by my sudden outburst about the car. He paused for a moment, then shouted: “What are you yelling about? That piece of junk won’t get stolen. Don’t worry about it!” There was nothing left to talk about with Adrian. He was dead set on not letting me go. Fortunately, the task was almost over. At worst, we’d just have to disgust each other for a while longer. I turned my head and pretended to doze off, occasionally hearing Adrian arrange tasks with his subordinates. “Thank you for the tip, Mr. Adrian. Remember to come find me next time you miss me, mwah~” Adrian seemed to have deliberately turned on the speakerphone. This affected voice startled me. I saw Adrian’s smiling face in the reflection of the car window. I heard Adrian clear his throat, his tone dropping an octave: “I’ll remember, baby.” So greasy, it made my scalp tingle. I stared at Adrian in the car window, unable to believe that this was the same person who used to hesitate even to hold hands. How could a person change so much in just one month? I felt a lump in my throat, as if a tree I had nurtured for years had been taken away and grown crooked. The woman on the other end spoke again: “Mr. Adrian, won’t you give me a kiss?” It felt like a bolt of lightning struck my head. I couldn’t describe my inner feelings with words. I sat there dumbfounded, waiting for Adrian’s reaction, but he suddenly turned his head and stared at me. I couldn’t see Adrian’s expression clearly in the car window reflection, nor could I understand his thoughts. Adrian stared for a long time, then suddenly spoke: “Come with me on a business trip next week. There’s an important contract.”

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My twin sister attempted suicide and was hospitalized. Her tormentors followed her to the hospital, mocking her for bringing it upon herself. Later, I went to school wearing an identical face to my sister’s. The bullies were excited, but I was even more so. Because I am a born monster, and the only one who could suppress my evil thoughts was my sister. This was my sister’s second suicide attempt. Our parents didn’t hesitate to call the police this time. But even when faced with law enforcement, the main bully remained smug and defiant. “How can you say I bullied her? I could say she bullied me!” she protested. “That’s right, my daughter is such a sweetheart. She wouldn’t even hurt an ant,” her mother chimed in. I watched this mother-daughter duo defend themselves from the other side of the security camera feed. Meanwhile, my sister – who had greeted me cheerfully just this morning – lay weak and pale in her hospital bed. Zoe, the ringleader of the bullies, raised an eyebrow and smirked. “If she acts like a b*tch, I’ll treat her like one. Simple as that. What are you going to do about it? Throw me in jail? I dare you!” She then made a mocking face at my sister, showing not a shred of remorse or fear. Zoe’s mother met my mom’s gaze, her eyes filled with contempt. She quickly looked away, clicking her tongue. “Tch, like mother like daughter. Cut from the same cloth, I see.” My mom let out a casual laugh. I knew that laugh – mom was angry. Mia, Zoe’s little sidekick, seemed to have found her courage. She glared at my sister with disgust. “Cutting your wrists? That’s nothing. If she really wanted to die, she should’ve jumped from the 18th floor. That would’ve turned her into mush for sure. Why bother with wrists? She didn’t even die. I bet she just wants to extort money from us. Right, Zoe?” “Hmph! Ugly people always make a fuss,” Zoe sneered. Due to lack of concrete evidence and the fact that they were all minors, the incident ended with Zoe giving a verbal apology. Back home, our little princess – the one we had cherished and protected – lay motionless in her bed. Bruises of various sizes covered her body. My parents and I finally noticed some things we had missed before. After a long silence, I said, “I’ll go to school in my sister’s place.” My parents understood what I meant. They knew what I was going to do. I turned and went into the bathroom. In the mirror, I saw a face identical to my sister’s staring back at me.

My sister and I are twins. Most people can’t tell us apart. Even our parents have almost mixed us up a few times. Lily loves pink. Her backpack, stationery, and even her bedding are all pink. I, on the other hand, prefer black. Mom often teases Lily, “If I hadn’t given birth to you myself, I’d think we picked you up somewhere!” Mom’s joke isn’t without reason. In our family, Lily is the special one. She’s different from us. She’s naturally pure and kind-hearted, carefully protected by me and our parents since childhood. I, on the other hand, was born with a “condition”. I’m a monster in the eyes of others. Since childhood, only Lily would play with me. To protect others, our parents had me study at home. I didn’t complain because with Lily around, I never felt lonely. Our parents said Lily was our family’s top priority for protection. So, from a young age, I’ve always protected her from the shadows. But we never imagined that after just one year of high school, Lily would end up like this. The doctor said we needed to be careful with Lily’s emotions. I stroked Lily’s forehead and whispered, “Lily, big sister will definitely avenge you.” Just then, a jarring phone ringtone broke the silence. Lily’s face turned ghostly pale. She covered her ears and started screaming. I picked up the phone and opened the message. It was a video. In it, Lily was being held down under a faucet in the bathroom, her wet hair plastered to her cheeks. Her face was red from choking on water. The perpetrators were laughing hysterically in the background. “If I catch you talking to him again, I’ll scratch up your face. See how you like seducing boys in our class then!” The video ended with this threat from the bully. Rage nearly burst through my chest. I closed my eyes for a moment and turned off the phone. Lily’s teeth were chattering. She stammered, “They… they took so many videos of me… without clothes.” I stroked Lily’s hair, looking at her tenderly. “Do you trust your big sister?” Lily nodded. I opened the door and walked into the backyard, where I dug another small patch of fallow ground with a hoe. Soon, there would be another addition here. Nearby, curses and pleas could be heard. “You’ll be struck by lightning! You’ll die a horrible death!”

I put on my sister’s backpack. From now on, I would be Lily, no longer Emma. As soon as I entered the classroom, a book flew towards my face. I dodged it easily. “Where’s Zoe’s breakfast? You want to die?” It was Mia, Zoe’s lapdog. She had been laughing the hardest in the video. It seemed bullying others gave her a sick pleasure. I ignored her and walked straight to my sister’s desk. The wooden desk was covered in insulting words carved into its surface – “btch”, “slt”… “Still admiring those words made specially for you? Can’t get enough? How about we carve them on your face instead?” Mia approached me, looking down with a sneer. Her narrow eyes narrowed further, a malicious smile spreading across her face. “I think that’s a great idea. Zoe would love it.” Something began to swell in my veins, gradually boiling and spreading throughout my body. It was uncontrollable, and I didn’t want to control it. Seeing Mia’s smile made me even more irritated. I stepped forward quickly and swung my right arm. A loud slap echoed through the classroom. Clear fingerprints appeared on her face. “You dare hit me? Just wait until Zoe gets back. You’re dead meat!” Her voice suddenly became shrill, as if her vocal cords had been struck by lightning. “Tsk tsk tsk…” The other classmates seemed surprised that I had hit her. Their smiles quickly froze on their faces. I narrowed my eyes. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you laughing anymore?” When she finally reacted and raised her hand to hit me back, the bell for class rang. She glared at me viciously before returning to her seat. I stuffed my backpack into the desk. It felt wet and sticky inside. It was full of oily residue from various snacks, emitting a nauseating smell. Soon, the homeroom teacher came in. She looked at me first, then said, “Lily, class has started. Why aren’t you sitting down?” “My desk is full of garbage that Zoe and her gang stuffed in there. The chair is also covered in glue.” I watched her expression gradually stiffen. She slowly raised her eyes and snorted coldly. “Are you saying Zoe is targeting you?” I didn’t speak, just stared at her silently. She sneered, “How is that possible? Zoe is the top student in our grade. Why would she target you? Even though Zoe is absent today, I won’t allow you to baselessly accuse her!” Mia looked at me smugly, nodding slightly with a small smirk. “Ms. Lee, I think she’s just jealous of Zoe’s good grades. All the teachers know Zoe is a good student in our class.” “Sit down. If you don’t want to listen to the lesson, that’s fine, but don’t disturb other students,” Ms. Lee glared at me. I pushed the desk over, spilling its contents onto the floor. The garbage was exposed, and oil stains spread across the floor, causing gasps from those around us. Mia glared at me fiercely. “Maybe you’re just a glutton and a slob. You ate snacks and didn’t throw away the trash. Now you’re trying to frame me!” Ms. Lee nodded thoughtfully. “I don’t think Zoe is that kind of person. If she really is targeting you, you should think about why. Why doesn’t she target anyone else? As they say, it takes two to tango…” I rushed forward in one swift motion. A crisp slap echoed through the classroom. I looked at the homeroom teacher contemptuously. “Ms. Lee, do you hear how loud one hand can clap?” No one had expected me to be so bold. Even the homeroom teacher was stunned. My action inevitably infuriated her. Her face turned red, her neck swelling as if about to explode. “Lily! How dare you… how dare you lay hands on a teacher! I see you don’t want to study anymore! I’m calling your parents right now. They can take you home. I don’t think you need to continue your education here!”

Soon, my mom arrived at the school. When she saw me, she gave a slight smile, as if to say “well done.” In the office, the homeroom teacher poured out a litany of complaints to my mom, emphasizing how unruly and disrespectful I was. “As a teacher, I just said one word to her, and she dared to hit me? I’ve been teaching for most of my life, and I’ve never encountered such a disrespectful student!” My mom tilted her head slightly, glancing at her with deep disgust in her eyes. “Ms. Lee, that’s where you’re wrong. Why did Lily only hit you and not other teachers? Have you considered that it might be your problem?” These words sounded familiar. I smiled. The homeroom teacher couldn’t utter a word in response to my mom’s smiling-yet-not-smiling face. In the end, she said, “Let’s go see the principal. We’ll see if they want to keep this worthless student or me, a teacher.” “Fine,” my mom agreed. As soon as we saw the principal, my mom rushed forward to shake his hand. “To think such a small matter would trouble the principal. Our Lily is really inconsiderate. How about this – my husband and I have discussed it. For any student from a poor family with good character, we can sponsor them all the way through graduation.” The principal’s eyes lit up at this. “Really?” My mom nodded. When she looked at the homeroom teacher, her eyes flashed with a challenging light. “We wouldn’t joke about such an important matter, of course.” “That’s good, that’s good. Actually, this isn’t a big deal. Children, you know, are at a mischievous age. She just accidentally hit Ms. Lee once. Ms. Lee has been teaching here for so long, she’s seen all kinds of students. Apart from being a bit naughty, Lily doesn’t have any other problems, right, Ms. Lee?” The homeroom teacher was shaking with anger, her face ashen. After a long while, she nodded. The words she had prepared to expel me stuck in her throat, neither able to come up nor go down. Her face turned an iron blue. I chuckled lightly. This was just the beginning. I believe my sister must have reached out to the homeroom teacher before, begging her to pull her out of the mire. But she chose to turn a blind eye and even aided the bullies. My foolish sister, don’t you see? The very methods you despise are often the most effective in manipulating people. Even when pushed to the brink of suicide, she never told me or our parents about what was happening at school. Whenever we asked, she always brushed it off, saying the teachers were good, the classmates were nice. Even now, she’s still protecting those demons. Because my sister knows that if those people fell into my or our parents’ hands, death would be a mercy for them.

Zoe came back. She seemed to have heard about my story from other classmates. For example, “Lily’s personality has changed dramatically. She even hit a teacher and caused a scene with the principal.” She kicked over my desk. “I was away for two days and you’ve become so tough? Which hand did you use to hit Mia? Let me see.” I smirked coldly, not even bothering to lift my eyelids. I slapped her across the face. “See? I used both hands.” Zoe’s fingers clenched into fists, her knuckles cracking. “You b*tch, how dare you hit me!” She charged at me, and we tumbled into a fight. Her little tricks were nothing new to me. It was just hair-pulling and arm-pinching. She quickly found herself at a disadvantage. I dragged her into the bathroom and shoved her head into the sink. This scene reminded me of my sister. She too had been held under water, unable to breathe. Mia seemed scared stiff. She stood at the bathroom door, hesitating to come in. It wasn’t until Zoe let out a yell that she finally entered, holding a mop. “Mia, what are you standing there for? Strip her clothes off. I’m going to post her video online today and make her famous!” Zoe’s eyes suddenly turned vicious as she was held down in the sink. Her features twisted into a grimace of extreme anger. “If you had the guts to fight me fair and square, I might have some respect for you. But you resort to these dirty tricks. It’s disgusting.” Mia took advantage of my distraction and hit me hard on the back with the mop. In that moment, Zoe broke free from my grip and pinned me down. “Btch, slt, how dare you hit me.” Her nails raked across my face. Only then did the anger on her face give way to pleasure. “You filthy sl*t, let’s see how you seduce men now!” The taste of blood spread in my mouth. Thinking about this, I suddenly laughed. “You target me so much just because I’m prettier than you? You’re jealous that all the boys in class revolve around me, right?” I guessed right. As soon as I said this, Zoe’s face changed. “Who told you to look like such a seductress? Are you so desperate for men? Huh?” My sister’s beauty was undeniable, everyone could see that. Our family had always put a lot of effort into maintaining our appearance. Because… we have our own methods. Looking at Zoe and Mia in front of me, I laughed so hard I could barely stand up straight. People like them should have an even better effect on our beauty regimen. “What are you laughing at, you b*tch!”

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After years of helping the company prepare for its IPO, my girlfriend—finally ready to go public about our relationship—was about to make the announcement. But before she could, her ever-smug assistant, who’s never liked me, beat her to it. Stepping onto the stage, he wrapped his arm around her waist, a triumphant smirk on his face. “Didn’t you say we’d wait a few more years? Couldn’t hold out even for that long, huh?” he said, his tone thick with mockery. My girlfriend didn’t bother explaining. Instead, she handed him a document—the transfer of shares agreement—and announced to the room that he was the company’s newest shareholder. The crowd erupted in shock, with murmurs and whispers spreading like wildfire. The assistant, clearly basking in the attention, turned his smugness toward me, throwing out thinly veiled jabs. And my girlfriend? She didn’t stop him. In fact, her tone was cold as ice when she added: “You’ve done a lot for the company, but his talent is what we need to ensure a brighter future.” I didn’t flinch. I didn’t argue. Instead, I smiled, nodded, and graciously handed over my remaining shares to the assistant as well. “Let’s see,” I thought to myself, “how far they can take this company without its biggest investor.” And with that, I walked away. ***** When Emily announced on stage that Ryan had become the company’s newest shareholder, the room erupted in thunderous applause. I stood there frozen, my mind foggy from too many late nights of overtime. For a moment, I thought I had misheard her. “Look at Jake’s face—it’s priceless!””He’s been with the CEO for years and only got 2% of the shares. Ryan’s barely been here and snagged 20% just like that.””Jake’s always nitpicking Ryan’s work, but now? He looks like a total clown.” The crowd wasn’t even trying to be subtle with their laughter, making sure I could hear every word. They weren’t mocking me for fun—they were trying to curry favor with Ryan. And Emily? She didn’t even bother stopping them. Ryan shot me a smug grin, his voice dripping with fake innocence as he said, “Jake, no applause from you? Don’t tell me you’re upset about me getting shares.” He paused, a theatrical pout forming on his lips. “I mean, if we’re talking seniority, I guess you should’ve gotten them instead.” With that, he lazily extended the contract toward me, like he was handing me a consolation prize. But before I could react, Emily snatched the papers away and pushed them back into his hands with a playful yet firm gesture. “Ryan, you’re too kind,” she said with a soft laugh. “But the company values talent, not tenure.” Then, her gaze turned cold as it landed on me. “And you, Jake, don’t you dare make a scene. Let’s not forget the massive mistake you made last quarter, costing the company millions. The fact that I didn’t fire you outright was already generous. What right do you have to expect shares?” The two of them were perfectly in sync, like actors in a well-rehearsed play. I couldn’t help but find it amusing. That “mistake” she mentioned? It was Ryan’s fault. He panicked when things went south and pinned the blame on me. I’d tried to present evidence and explain the truth to Emily, but she didn’t believe me. She never did. I’d grown used to it by now. Over the years, Ryan had shown little talent but had poured all his energy into undermining me. Fresh out of college, he knew how to charm people with his words. He’d won over most of our colleagues, and even Emily thought he was harmless and honest. So, every time Ryan and I clashed, Emily always assumed I was at fault. And because of that, my coworkers had grown increasingly disrespectful toward me. Ryan’s voice interrupted my thoughts, still dripping with mock humility. “But I’m just worried Jake might feel bad.” As he spoke, he leaned closer to Emily, his head almost resting on her shoulder in an uncomfortably intimate gesture. Emily didn’t push him away. Instead, she shot me a sharp look. “Jake, wipe that sour look off your face!” she snapped. “I thought long and hard about this decision. Stop sulking and ruining everyone’s mood. If you can’t handle it, maybe you should just leave!” The room erupted in agreement, voices chiming in to back her up. I knew Emily was just venting her frustration, but I couldn’t help but laugh. The investors? I had brought them in after countless sleepless nights. The proposals? I had rewritten them over and over again. The IPO? It had only succeeded because of my efforts. And now, with the company finally going public, they wanted to cut me out entirely? They thought a few harsh words could erase all my hard work? I grabbed my bag and strode toward the stage. Ryan, clearly nervous, shrank behind Emily, his eyes wide with fear. Emily immediately stepped in front of him, shielding him like a mother bear protecting her cub. “Jake, what do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, her voice sharp with warning. I pulled a document from my bag and held it out to her. “I just think,” I said calmly, “that Ryan’s worked so hard, the shares you’ve given him aren’t enough.” I smiled faintly. “Take mine too. Let’s hope he can keep up the momentum.” Ryan’s eyes lit up as he stared at the document, practically salivating at the thought of owning more shares. Emily, however, looked at me with suspicion, her expression unreadable. The room fell silent as everyone tried to process what I had just done. They all knew how much I had sacrificed for the company. I’d been there since day one, building it from the ground up. I’d handled everything—from securing investments to juggling the smallest of tasks. Now that the IPO was a success, my shares were worth millions. Everyone had assumed I’d use this opportunity to negotiate for more. No one could have imagined I’d simply give them away. What they didn’t know was that Emily wasn’t just my boss—she was my fiancée. For years, she had insisted we keep our relationship a secret to avoid workplace gossip. But when Ryan showed up, I started to worry. I begged her to acknowledge our relationship, and after much pleading, she finally agreed to announce it on the day of the IPO. Last night, I was so excited I couldn’t even sleep. But when the moment came, Ryan stepped onto the stage first, wrapping his arm around her waist. And Emily… she didn’t stop him. She didn’t even seem uncomfortable. Everyone assumed they were a couple, and Emily didn’t bother correcting them. It wasn’t that she didn’t want our relationship to go public. She just didn’t want this relationship to go public. She remained silent, and I didn’t say another word. I turned and walked away. I had barely made it a few steps when I felt a warm hand grab my wrist. I turned, surprised to see that it was Emily. She had never stopped me before. She always let me leave, knowing I’d inevitably come back to apologize. But this time was different. She pressed her lips together and said, “Jake, you’re too impulsive. Ryan is calm and collected—everything you’re not.” “I didn’t want to cut you out, but after today, I don’t have a choice. These shares need to go to someone who can handle them responsibly.” I couldn’t help but laugh. This wasn’t about my “impulsiveness.” She was just trying to justify giving my shares to Ryan. In the past, I might’ve argued with her. But now, I just felt… nothing. “Okay,” I said simply. Emily blinked, clearly expecting me to put up more of a fight. Before she could say anything else, one of our coworkers called for a champagne toast. Emily shot me one last glance before turning away, the contract in her hand. I watched her walk toward Ryan, then turned and left the banquet hall. Outside, I pulled out my phone and made a call. “Dad,” I said, my voice steady. “You were right. I’m ready to come back and take over the family business.”

My dad owns over a hundred companies and regularly ranks in the top twenty on Forbes. I’m the textbook definition of a trust fund kid. But when I first met Emily, I vividly remember her telling me about how, as a child, her father had been killed in a hit-and-run by some spoiled rich kid. The driver, protected by his family’s wealth and influence, avoided any real punishment and was out of jail within days. Ever since then, Emily has harbored a deep hatred for the wealthy. So, to be with her, I hid my background. I turned down every opportunity my family offered me, moved to a small city with her, and poured my entire savings into helping her start her business. Until yesterday, I naively believed that Emily and I had finally made it, that all our sacrifices had been worth it. But now, I realize just how badly I’ve lost. After hanging up the phone, I returned to the small apartment Emily and I shared. The room was decorated beautifully—warm and romantic. Heart-shaped candles lined the floor, and in the center was a bouquet of vibrant blue roses. Nestled within the roses was an elegant diamond ring. Beside it, there was the deed to a luxury house—the one I’d planned to surprise Emily with. I had imagined her reaction so many times, picturing the joy and love in her eyes. But now, none of that mattered. Emily would never even see it. I grabbed everything—the ring, the flowers, the deed—and tossed it all into the trash. Then, I booked a flight for the next evening. I needed one day to wrap up my work and hand everything over. “Ding.” My phone buzzed with a notification. It was a video from Ryan. In the clip, Ryan was carrying Emily bridal-style, her face flushed as she clung tightly to his neck, burying her face in his chest. They looked every bit the perfect couple. Around them, coworkers cheered and clapped, shouting for them to kiss. The video disappeared seconds later, deleted. Then, a message popped up. “Oops, sorry, sent that by mistake.” Of course, I didn’t believe him. Ryan had always been deliberate with his moves. This was just another one of his games. Over the past few years, he’d pulled stunts like this countless times. Normally, I’d lose my temper, confront Emily, and end up being scolded by her. “Can you stop being so sensitive? Maybe focus more on work instead of this nonsense?” At first, I thought I was overthinking it. But one time, when Emily was sick and half-delirious, she called out Ryan’s name. That’s when I realized her heart was no longer with me. This time, I didn’t feel anything. I simply blocked Ryan without hesitation and deleted his contact. Not long after, my phone rang. It was Emily. “Jake, did you block Ryan?” she demanded the moment I picked up, her tone icy and accusatory. She didn’t care what Ryan had done—only that I had blocked him. “I did,” I replied flatly. “What’s wrong with you? He’s your coworker! How is he supposed to do his job now? He thinks he must have done something wrong and has been blaming himself, crying nonstop. Add him back and apologize!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you even know what he sent me?” There was silence on the other end, probably as she checked with Ryan. A few seconds later, she replied dismissively, “So what if he sent the wrong picture? It’s not a big deal.” Of course. When it came to Ryan, nothing was ever a big deal. I let out a cold laugh. “You’re right, it’s no big deal. Just like when he ‘accidentally’ sent the wrong pricing sheet to a client, and we lost millions because of it.” That incident had been catastrophic. Ryan had sent our bottom-line pricing to a partner, leading to multiple contract cancellations and negotiations. A week’s worth of hard work—and over a million dollars—went up in flames. Emily hadn’t cared then, either. The line went quiet for a moment. Clearly, she remembered the incident. Then I heard Ryan’s voice in the background, soft and hoarse. “Emily, Jake’s probably just upset about the shares you gave me today. I should apologize to him.” Emily’s tone immediately softened. “No need, Ryan. It wasn’t your fault. Let him cool off on his own.” And with that, she hung up. It was always like this. Whenever we argued, Emily would use the excuse that I needed to “calm down” to spend more time with Ryan instead. But this time, I didn’t feel angry. I calmly drafted my resignation letter and sent it to HR. 3The moment I hit send on the resignation email, I felt a wave of relief wash over me, as if a heavy weight had been lifted. Around 2 a.m., I was deep asleep when my phone buzzed with another call from Emily. “Pick me up. I’m still at the hotel from earlier,” she said. I could hear the lively background noise on her end—probably another one of her work events. Normally, I’d have jumped out of bed, thrown on some clothes, and rushed over to get her. But this time, I simply yawned, my voice calm and lazy. “Call a rideshare,” I said. “There are plenty around that area.” Emily paused, her tone shifting to suspicion. “Are you asleep?” “Yeah,” I replied, nonchalant. In the past, whenever Emily went out for work or networking, I’d stay up worrying about her safety, unable to sleep until she was home. But tonight, I slept like a baby. Even her call felt like an unwelcome disruption to my rest. She didn’t argue further. About half an hour later, she came home. I had just stepped out of the bathroom when we locked eyes in the hallway. “You’re up,” she said softly. “Make me some noodles. I’m starving.” Her tone was gentle, almost coaxing. I knew this was her way of extending an olive branch, trying to smooth things over. Whenever we fought, she’d lean into her vulnerability to reopen communication and bridge the gap. But that only worked because I loved her. Now that love was gone, ground down to nothing, and all I felt was irritation. “Cook for yourself,” I said flatly. “Or order something if you don’t know how.” I turned and headed toward the bedroom, but Emily stepped in front of me, blocking the door. That’s when I caught the faint scent of Ryan’s cologne lingering on her. “Jake, are you seriously still upset?” she asked, her tone a mix of exasperation and disbelief. “I’ve already explained this to you—everything I’m doing is for the company. Just because we’ve gone public doesn’t mean we can relax. If anything, now’s the time to focus even harder.” “Ryan may not be the most capable,” she continued, “but he’s got connections, he’s great at networking, and his family owns businesses we might collaborate with in the future. Giving him shares wasn’t about favoritism—it was about what’s best for the company.” I hadn’t expected her to justify herself like this. But it didn’t matter. Whether she believed her own excuses or not, I didn’t. “Mm-hmm,” I replied dismissively and walked into the bedroom, shutting the door behind me. Emily must’ve been stunned because she stood outside for a moment before angrily kicking the door. “Fine! Act like this all you want, Jake! But don’t come crying to me later when you regret it!”

  The next morning, I came out of the bedroom to find Emily sitting on the couch, meticulously ironing a brand-new suit. When she saw me, she immediately jumped up, holding the suit out toward me. “Here, try this on,” she said cheerfully, practically shoving it into my hands. I recognized it instantly—it was a limited-edition Chanel suit. Not only was it outrageously expensive, but it was also notoriously hard to get. Social media was full of posts about how it was the perfect gift for a boyfriend. I’d even hinted to Emily once that I thought it looked amazing. After changing into the suit, I stepped out of the bedroom, feeling an unexpected tightness in my throat. I was about to say something, but Emily spoke first, her tone light and teasing. “You and Ryan are about the same size. It fits you perfectly, so it should look just as good on him.” She smiled as she reached out to carefully take the jacket off me. “Be careful not to wrinkle it,” she added. “I spent so much time getting it just right.” Then, she folded the suit back into its gift box, looking pleased with herself, and headed out the door with it. I knew she was doing this on purpose, punishing me for yesterday. But instead of feeling angry, all I felt was a sense of detachment. It was childish, after all. Later that morning, I got a call and made my way to the office to finalize my resignation. The moment I stepped into the building, I spotted Ryan sitting on my desk, surrounded by coworkers fawning over him like he was the star of the show. One of them walked up to me with a smug grin. “Jake, go grab some coffee for everyone.” “Why?” I asked, checking my watch. I wasn’t late. The coworker grinned wider. “Emily said whoever gets to the office last has to buy everyone coffee. And guess what? You’re the last one here.” “Don’t worry about it,” Ryan cut in, standing up and adjusting the suit jacket he was wearing—the same one Emily had taken that morning. “I wouldn’t want Jake running errands for everyone,” he said, his voice loud enough for the whole room to hear. “I’ll go instead.” Of course, he made no move to leave. Right on cue, Emily walked out of her office. Her eyes flicked to Ryan’s suit, and for a split second, her expression faltered before she quickly recovered. She stepped forward, straightening his collar with a smile. “I knew it would look great on you,” she said warmly. The others erupted into cheers and laughter. Emily’s face flushed slightly as she glanced at me, clearly checking to see if I’d react with jealousy or anger. But I didn’t. My heart was like a still lake—calm, empty, and unaffected. Emily didn’t seem satisfied with my lack of response. Her tone turned cold as she said, “I already told everyone—whoever got here last needs to buy coffee. If you’re not going to cooperate, why are you even here?” A coworker pointed at me. “Jake was the last one in.” Emily smirked. “Go on, then. And if you don’t, I’ll fire you.” Apparently, she hadn’t seen my resignation email yet. I didn’t bother hiding it anymore. “I’m not here to work,” I said calmly. “I’m here to resign.”   The room fell silent. Some of my coworkers, the ones who still got along with me, couldn’t help but lean in and whisper. “Jake, are you sure about this? The boss just announced raises for everyone. Quitting now would be a terrible move.” “Yeah, didn’t you hear her tone? She was just joking earlier.” I stayed calm, my voice steady. “I’m not joking. I already submitted my resignation to HR yesterday.” Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flicker of excitement in Ryan’s expression. He opened his mouth, ready to say something, but when he saw Emily’s unreadable gaze, he swallowed his words and stayed quiet. Emily frowned, her eyes narrowing as she looked at me. “Do you even realize what you’re doing? Do you understand how much you’re giving up by walking away from this company right now?” Of course, I knew. I was giving up stress, manipulation, and the invisible chains that had kept me tied here for far too long. Ryan, ever the opportunist, put on his usual wounded act. “Jake, I get it. You’re still upset with me, right?” He sighed dramatically. “Maybe I should just leave instead. After all, you and Emily have worked together for so many years. It’d be a shame for you to go now.” As he spoke, he started heading for the door, glancing at Emily out of the corner of his eye, clearly waiting for her to stop him. I almost laughed out loud at how obvious he was. Sure enough, Emily fell for it—or pretended to. She grabbed his arm, her voice soft and affectionate. “This has nothing to do with you, Ryan. No one’s asking you to leave.” Ryan’s face lit up with smug satisfaction. Still, he wasn’t done with his performance. He sighed again, shaking his head as though he were making a huge sacrifice. “But Jake’s been with the company for so long. I’ll try to talk some sense into him.” He walked up to me, putting on a show for the audience. “Jake, come on,” he said, his voice dripping with fake sincerity. “Think it over. We’d all hate to see you go. Honestly, we’ve always thought of you as a good friend.” As he spoke, he patted my shoulder—harder than necessary. And then, when no one else was watching, he pinched me. Hard. The sharp pain shot through my shoulder. Without thinking, I kicked him square in the chest. Ryan fell to the ground, clutching his chest and gasping for air. Emily rushed over, kneeling beside him, her face full of concern and panic. I couldn’t help but think back to the time I’d worked so hard to close a deal that I drank myself into the hospital with stomach bleeding. She hadn’t cared half as much then. Emily shot to her feet, her face twisted with anger. She slapped me across the face. “Are you insane, Jake?” she yelled. “Ryan was just trying to help you, and you attacked him? What kind of person bullies their coworker like this?” At that moment, HR walked into the room, clearly on their way to discuss my resignation. Before they could even speak, Emily snapped, “Process his paperwork and get him out of here. Now.” She signed off on my resignation without hesitation, but she wasn’t done. As if to rub salt in the wound, she added, “This company is making hundreds of thousands in profits every day. Only an idiot would leave now.” Then she turned to Ryan, her tone softening again. “Don’t worry, Ryan. In a few months, you’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted—houses, cars, anything. I’ll make sure of it.” The other coworkers chimed in, their excitement palpable. “Emily’s the best!” “Next month, whoever hits the top sales goals, I’ll buy them a house,” Emily declared confidently. Ryan’s eyes sparkled with greed, and the others cheered louder. Emily’s arrogance grew as she basked in their praise. “And as for certain people,” she said, casting a cold glance my way, “who think they can bully their coworkers and refuse to follow orders—I’ll make sure no company ever hires them again.” The room erupted into laughter and insults aimed at me, their voices growing more frenzied by the second. For a moment, I hesitated. Should I say something? Should I tell them what I knew? That morning, my dad had called to let me know something interesting. Turns out, the biggest investor in Emily’s company for the past two years was… him. When he heard I was planning to quit and return home to take over the family business, he decided to run a full background check on her company. The results weren’t good. He’d already decided to pull the investment, citing breach of contract. Not only that, but he was planning to sue for triple damages. I knew exactly how much weight my dad’s company carried in her investment portfolio. Once he pulled out, forget about buying houses and cars—keeping the company afloat for another month would be a miracle. I opened my mouth to say something but stopped. Emily mistook my silence for regret. She rolled her eyes and sneered. “Well? If you apologize to Ryan now, there’s still time to fix this.” “Otherwise—” Before she could finish, someone burst into the room. It was the head of finance, their face pale and anxious. “Emily, we’ve got a problem,” they said quickly. “Our biggest investor just sent a notice. They found serious discrepancies in our financial records and suspect fraud. Not only are they pulling out, but they’re also suing us for triple damages!”

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My sister and I are daughters of the Lin family, identical twins with faces so alike even our parents struggle to tell us apart. Yet, despite our matching appearances, our parents’ love has never been equally shared between us. From childhood, they’ve always favored my sister. One day, the Emperor came to inspect our region, disguised as a commoner. He stayed at our home, and after indulging in too much wine, he took a liking to my elder sister and spent the night with her. We thought the next day would bring news of a new imperial concubine in the palace. However, to our shock, the Emperor denied everything. Even worse, he “rewarded” my elder sister to Wang Xiang, a notorious eunuch known for his cruel treatment of women. eunuchs were men who had been castrated, often to serve in the imperial court. After the Emperor left, my sister threw herself at our parents’ feet, wailing, “Mother, I won’t marry him! Let my younger sister take my place! If not, I’ll kill myself right now!” “Sister, you want me to marry Wang Xiang in your place?” I was stunned. Mother stroked my sister’s hair tenderly, then looked at me. “Zhisi, you’ve always been strong-minded and never cared about others’ opinions. Even if you marry Wang Xiang, you won’t spend your days worrying and grieving.” My sister cried, her face a mess of tears. “That’s right! I’m a delicate woman, nothing like my sister. If I don’t die today, I’ll surely kill myself from shame when people gossip about me ‘marrying a man without his root’!” I stood there, frozen. The Wang Xiang that the Emperor had chosen for my sister was a well-known… deviant! Rumors said he was ruthless and cold-blooded, willing to do anything to achieve his goals. He followed the Emperor’s every command, earning him the nickname “lapdog” among other officials. Moreover, due to his physical limitations, he never approached women, and no one knew how he would treat a wife. “Say something, Zhisi! If you don’t agree, I’ll end my life right now—” Suddenly, my sister broke free from Mother’s embrace and rushed towards a pillar, ready to smash her head against it! Father grabbed her sleeve just in time, pulling her back forcefully. “Zhiqiao, have you lost your mind?” Mother started crying too. “Zhisi, if anything happens to your sister, I won’t be able to go on living!” Looking at Mother’s tear-stained face, my heart softened, and I nodded. The fortune teller had said the eighth day of next month would be auspicious for marriage. On that day, dressed in a red wedding gown, I sat in the swaying bridal sedan chair as it entered the main gate of Wang Xiang’s mansion. On our wedding night, Wang Xiang entered our chamber, reeking of alcohol. Through the hazy red veil covering my face, I saw a tall figure approaching. “How did it feel to be with the Emperor… my dear wife?” His voice was cold and androgynous, like a half-asleep snake. This question was meant for my sister. I had no answer. I remained silent, only shaking my head. “I heard you’re usually lively and quick to smile. Why so quiet today?” The bed sank as he sat beside me. He reached out to lift my red veil. As I looked at this infamous husband of mine, my eyes widened in surprise. How could he be so beautiful? His eyebrows were like distant mountains, his eyes held the gentleness of spring water, and there was a small red birthmark on his forehead. This face, beautiful to the point of being otherworldly, was shrouded in a faint sadness. When he lowered his gaze, he looked like a merciful Buddha. It was hard to believe that such a person could commit such horrifying acts. Years ago, when the Sixth Prince was found guilty of treason, the Emperor ordered Wang Xiang to execute him. But Wang Xiang went beyond the order—he led his men to infiltrate the Sixth Prince’s mansion at night and skinned everyone inside alive. The next morning, the entrance of the Sixth Prince’s mansion was lined with human skin stuffed with straw! He didn’t even spare the three-month-old baby. After that bloody “chicken killing to scare the monkeys” (a Chinese idiom meaning to punish one to warn others), no other prince ever dared to think about rebellion again. Looking at this beautiful eunuch whose actions contradicted his appearance so strongly, my heart fluttered strangely. Although he might be as wicked as a demon, wouldn’t it be pleasant to spend my days with such a beautiful person? I gazed at him intently. “Husband, you’re so beautiful.” Wang Xiang looked surprised. “You’re not afraid of me?” I shook my head. “Although today is our wedding day, you must be tired after such a long day. Let me help you rest.” He picked up a pillow from the bed. “I don’t like forcing others. I’ll sleep in the study.”

Seeing him about to leave, I panicked and impulsively threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Please stay, husband! I have a habit since childhood—I can’t sleep unless I’m holding someone!” Through his clothes, I could feel his lean, strong muscles. If he were a complete man, I couldn’t imagine how many young women he would captivate. Wang Xiang turned his head to look at me. “Are you serious?” I nodded vigorously. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask my maid Ranqiu! Before I got married, she was my human pillow every night. I’ve been hugging her to sleep since I was little!” A flash of helplessness passed through his eyes. “I’ll stay with you then.” In the candlelight, I fell into a deep sleep in Wang Xiang’s arms. He had a faint floral scent, very pleasant. The next day, as soon as I opened my eyes, a dazzling light caught my attention. I focused my gaze and saw six maids standing by the bed, each holding a treasure box filled with pearls, agates, and jades. My maid Ranqiu walked in. “Madam, you’re awake? These jewels are all gifts from the master. He specifically instructed us to let you feast your eyes on their luster when you wake up.” How extravagant. I picked up a pearl to examine it and found it was even larger than the one on my sister’s most expensive hairpin. I was increasingly feeling that this marriage swap was a good deal. In Wang Xiang’s household, there was only Wang Xiang himself. This meant that as his wife, I didn’t have to serve parents-in-law or take care of children. Moreover, he treated me exceptionally well, always speaking to me in a gentle voice. My daily meals and clothing were all of the highest quality for a noble lady. He even sent me dozens of bolts of the same fabric used for palace concubines’ clothes and invited the best tailor in the capital to make clothes for me. Sometimes I felt that he was using material abundance to make up for the lack in our marital life. “I heard you like bamboo, so I had the east wing torn down and replaced with a bamboo grove. In a while, you’ll be able to play the zither and drink wine there.” On a rest day, Wang Xiang leisurely combed my long hair with a jade comb. “Husband, you’re so considerate. But isn’t this too extravagant?” “It’s fine. As long as Zhiqiao is happy, I’m happy. Creating a bamboo grove is nothing. I paid the craftsmen twice the market rate.” Wang Xiang’s voice was very gentle, soothing to hear. I felt a bit disappointed. Zhiqiao was my sister’s name, and I was the younger sister who had taken her place in this marriage. If I wanted to keep everything I now had, I had to forget my original name. “In a few days, I’m hosting a banquet at our mansion. The main guests will be the Left Minister, Right Minister, Grand General, Fifth Princess, and her consort. Come, let me show you their portraits in my study. Remember their faces so you don’t address them incorrectly.” Wang Xiang chuckled softly as he led me up. My father had once mentioned some palace secrets to me and my sister. The Crown Prince had not yet been established, and all the princes were vying for this position. The two most intense competing forces came from the Seventh Prince, born to Noble Consort Rong, and the Third Prince, born to the Empress. As I pondered over the official titles Wang Xiang mentioned, I suddenly realized that Wang Xiang was part of the Seventh Prince’s faction!

“What good fortune the Ninth Master has, to have such a beautiful wife,” the Left Minister glanced at me, giving Wang Xiang a meaningful smile. “Every time I visit Wang Xiang’s mansion, it feels empty. Now there’s finally a mistress to manage the household,” the Fifth Princess giggled behind her sleeve. Wang Xiang’s smile was dazzling, but the joy didn’t reach his eyes. “A wife bestowed by the Emperor is naturally the best.” The mansion’s famous chefs had prepared a table full of delicacies. The noble guests exchanged glances as they raised their cups to drink. The Lin family’s daughter being bestowed in marriage to someone from the Seventh Prince’s faction meant that the Lin family, which had been trying to remain neutral, was now forcibly drawn into the struggle for the position of Crown Prince. After drinking for a while, the Princess Consort suddenly laughed loudly. “The other day when I went to the Emperor’s palace for a meeting, I happened to hear the Third Prince being scolded by the Emperor!” The Northern General spoke up. “Oh? Why was the Third Prince being scolded?” The Princess Consort’s expression was playful. “The Third Prince has been frequenting brothels.” “And he even found a male prostitute! He nearly played the poor man to death. This incident spread quite unpleasantly among the common people. When an official informed the Emperor about this, he was furious.” The men shared knowing smiles, while the Fifth Princess and I wore confused expressions. Wang Xiang leaned close to my ear and whispered, “If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask me after everyone leaves. I promise to tell you everything.” I felt a warmth in my heart and nodded at him. Late that night, in the quiet of our chamber, I asked one curious question after another about what I had heard at the banquet. Wang Xiang’s answers were increasingly shocking. They were all scandalous stories, and I felt myself blushing. By the end, even his jade-like face was tinged with a faint red as he lay on the soft pillow, looking at me. “Zhiqiao, do you regret marrying me?” I shook my head. He suddenly sat up. “Really? Not even a little bit?” I looked at his beautiful face. “At first, maybe I regretted it a little, but now, I don’t regret it at all.” I had heard that women all endure the pain of childbirth. My wet nurse once said, “When a woman gives birth, she’s walking through the gates of hell. Whether you’re the wife of a commoner or an imperial concubine, in the face of death, you’re all the same!” Wang Xiang was a eunuch, and I was a eunuch’s wife. I would never be able to have children in this lifetime. I would never face the threat of death due to childbirth. He stared at me for a moment, then suddenly reached out to take a silver box from a nearby low cabinet, turning his back to me as he opened it. Curious, I leaned over to look, and my pupils dilated in shock—the silver box contained over a dozen sex toys made of jade in various sizes! His cheeks flushed crimson, his long fingers resting on the silver box. “I won’t force you. If you don’t want to…” “I want to.” As Wang Xiang looked at me in astonishment, I untied my own clothes.

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My Brother-in-Law’s Divorce Was My Doing I didn’t do much, just sent him screenshots of his wife Emily’s intimate SnapChat conversations with my husband. After all, he had been faithful to Emily for years, not touching me once in three years. I had to help them be together. I didn’t want to continue being the victim of a sham marriage. I was there the day all hell broke loose at their house, with the four of us gathered together. My brother-in-law Charles was adamant about getting a divorce. Emily was crying her eyes out, looking so pitiful that if I were a man, I’d want to comfort her. So my husband Jason, being a real man’s man, was heartbroken for her. He was practically kneeling at Emily’s feet, ready to slap himself silly just to make her smile. Tsk tsk, true love conquers all. My brother-in-law Charles was being so heartless, Jason couldn’t stand it. He shouted at Charles: “Emily is such a wonderful woman, look how much you’ve made her cry. How can you be so cruel and still blame her?” Charles, being a man of sound mind, was understandably angry. He said, “Jason, you still remember she’s your sister-in-law!” Confronted by her own husband, this dog who had slept with his sister-in-law was surprisingly brazen, not backing down at all as he argued: “She’s your wife. Have you fulfilled your duties as a husband? Look at how long you’ve been away from home. You’re gone for two or three months at a time on business trips, never around. When Emily was alone at home, tired and crying, where were you as her husband?” He spoke so well that if you ignored their relationship, you’d think he had a point. I went up and slapped him. If I didn’t speak up now, he’d truly forget I existed. I stood up and said, “So you took care of her all the way into my brother-in-law’s bed!? How come I don’t see Charles taking care of me when I’ve been celibate for so long in my marriage?” That scumbag immediately exploded, turning his anger towards me. He said I was clearly not a decent woman, that he had married me before because I seemed sensible. Who knew I would cause such drama now. He even said: “I truly regret marrying you. I’m completely disappointed in you.” What a hypocrite. He could care for another woman to the point of being caught in bed with her and consider it normal. But when I simply exposed the truth, he accused me of causing drama. The scumbag continued earnestly: “Samantha, be sensible. I only made a mistake that any sympathetic man would make. How is that unforgivable?! You’re a woman too, Emily is so pitiful, can’t you put yourself in her shoes?” Honestly, when I first caught them in bed together, I admit that besides anger and hatred, I also felt a sense of relief. For three years of marriage, this trash had used the excuse of impotence to avoid sleeping with me. I tried to be an “understanding” wife. Seeing this dog cheat made me angry, but I also felt I no longer had to be understanding, no longer had to feel guilty for wanting a real man while my husband was “impotent”. “To hell with your ‘be sensible’. If you pity Emily so much, why didn’t you do something earlier? Why did you marry me instead of asking your brother to let you two be together? Did I force you to marry me? Weren’t you the one who pursued me relentlessly saying you’d marry no one but me?” I wasn’t done cursing: “If you wanted to sleep with Emily, why the fuck did you get married?” He did want to marry Emily. But Emily thought Charles was better and refused to divorce him. Jason only married me because he was pressured to get married at that age. After marriage, to show he only loved Emily, he told me he was impotent and even stayed chaste. There was no man in the world more despicable than him. Now enraged by my words, the scumbag raised his hand to slap me, his eyes red with anger. There was a loud “smack”, and I froze in shock. The slap didn’t land on my face. Charles had stepped in front of me, taking the hit. Charles sternly scolded him: “Jason, you should be thankful you’re my brother. If anyone else dared to cuckold me, I’d take their life!” Jason was stunned for a moment, instinctively calling out “Brother.” Taking advantage of his daze, I slapped him hard across the face: “You’re worse than an animal, you disgusting dog. Every second with you makes me sick.” “Rest assured, not only will Charles and Emily divorce. I’m divorcing you too. I promise to let you scumbags be together forever, fulfilling your earth-shattering love.” With that, I immediately went home and locked the door. Whatever happened next with Charles and Emily’s divorce negotiations or Jason’s attempts to persuade me was none of my business. That night Jason knocked on the door, but I didn’t open it. He kept knocking for over ten minutes until the neighbors came out to yell at him before he left. But I never expected Emily’s mother to come make a scene at my company the next day.

As soon as she entered my office, she started shouting: “Samantha, come out here. You home-wrecker, you’re truly despicable. You evil creature, you’ll come to no good end!” Her voice was extremely piercing, ensuring the whole company could hear. I took out my phone, called Charles, and put it on speaker in my pocket. This matter had to be handled by her own son-in-law. With such despicable tactics, no wonder her daughter was so unruly. Emily’s mother was quite the performer. As soon as she saw me, she started her act. “Well well, Samantha. You’re just jealous that our Emily is prettier than you, more beautiful than you, and found a better husband than you. You just can’t stand seeing others better off than you, so you destroy their marriage. Where’s your boss? Call your boss out here, a slut like you should be fired.” Her mouth kept saying I was jealous her daughter’s husband was better than mine, but the reality was her daughter had slept in my husband’s bed. She was even dramatically slapping her thighs and making a scene. I was truly disgusted. To think this was Emily’s mother, I’d certainly learned something new today. I glanced at my phone, Charles had already hung up. I turned on the camera function, then called out to my colleagues. “I’m so sorry everyone, I’ve encountered a scammer here. Please help me out and be my witnesses. In case this lady suddenly feels unwell later, I didn’t touch her.” Emily’s mother was stunned to see me not following her script at all. But years of practice hadn’t been for nothing. “Yes, everyone come and see. This is the person right here. Oh heavens, she’s ruining my daughter’s perfectly good marriage for no reason!” Very good, auntie. You’ve successfully provoked me. “Auntie, you speak so well. Why don’t you also tell everyone how I ruined your son-in-law’s desire for your daughter? Is it because I told your son-in-law about your daughter’s affair?” Emily’s mother let out a shrill scream: “No, that’s not true. You’re just making false accusations. Destroying other people’s families, you should just die!” She tried to hit me. I secretly rolled up my sleeves, ready to teach her a lesson for the public good. But a tall figure stepped in front of me, shielding me. Charles had arrived so quickly. He nodded at me, then turned to face Emily’s mother angrily: “Have you had enough?” Emily’s mother slapped her thighs and wailed: “I can’t go on living, there’s no justice in this world, you’re driving me to my death! Where’s the boss? Come out and do something!” I peeked out from behind Charles. Emily’s mother immediately tried to grab me. Charles restrained the old lady with both hands, holding her in place as he said sternly: “If you keep making a scene, I’ll make sure your daughter leaves with nothing in the divorce, and I’ll fire your son from my company.” Well well, Charles was really impressing me. These words made the old lady calm down a bit. But Emily’s mother clearly hadn’t achieved her goal and didn’t want to give up so easily. After freezing for a few seconds, she started struggling violently again, flailing about. Watching this scene, I truly felt a bit sorry for Charles. No wonder he could endure such a mother-in-law for five or six years. “Alright alright, don’t let auntie leave. I have some bedroom photos of Emily and my husband on my phone, they look great. Auntie can take a look before she goes. My colleagues are all here too, auntie can show everyone if she wants.” With that, I simply stepped out from behind Charles. Emily’s mother, hearing what I said, ran away faster than a rabbit. Looks like her daughter only told her about the divorce, not about being caught in bed. Charles watched his dear mother-in-law disappear, apologized to me, and said he would keep his family in check. However, his family clearly didn’t want to settle down.

Emily’s mother had just caused a scene when Jason called my mom saying he wanted to bring me back to my parents’ home. My mom quickly came to ask me when I was going back, sounding very excited. I knew Jason was threatening me. I thought about it and decided to ask Charles for help. He said he’d keep his family in line, and Jason counted as family. I arranged to meet Charles at a bubble tea shop. Charles expressed how sorry he was, promising to keep his mother-in-law’s family in check and never let them cause trouble again. He also said he would warn Jason. Hmph, with Emily’s little videos in my hand, how dare she come make trouble? I’m the victim here. Me not going to make a scene at her apartment complex is already the height of mercy. This shameless family, doing wrong yet daring to turn around and bite back. “Your brother tricked me into a sexless marriage. Your wife seduced my husband and had an affair. Your mother-in-law came to make a scene at my company. You and your whole family have wronged me.” I knew he was also a victim in this, but since he offered himself up, I couldn’t help but vent. Charles remained as calm as ever, just sitting there silently listening as I pointed at his nose and cursed for half the day. He even casually ordered my favorite milk tea and handed it to me, saying: “Have some water.” I took a sip. Hmm, it was even half sugar. Even Jason, who I’d been married to for three years, had never noticed my preferences. I looked at the tall man in front of me and suddenly had a thought. “If you admit you’ve wronged me, then make it up to me.” Charles’ expression didn’t change: “Alright.” “I want Jason to leave with nothing in the divorce.” I blurted out almost immediately. Then I quickly added: “And you have to be with me.” Honestly, I couldn’t understand why Emily would cheat. Faced with Emily’s endless extravagant desires, Charles never complained. He even fulfilled all the increasingly outrageous demands of his leech of a mother-in-law without a word. Buying them bags, sending them on international trips. Meanwhile Charles himself was always either on his way to overtime work or coming back from it. Once when he had a high fever and collapsed at home, it was me bringing dumplings who saved him from becoming delirious. When I helped wipe him down with alcohol to reduce the fever, I saw the holes in his socks. He just smiled and said he wore out socks quickly from walking so much, Emily didn’t know. At that time, my heart let out an envious squeal. If Jason had even half of his brother’s goodness, I would have gladly remained celibate for life. How could Jason compare to such a dream husband who doted on his wife endlessly? I want this kind of dream marriage too! Charles’ lips moved slightly, his usually unshakeable expression starting to crack. He was still staring at me, but the guilt and concern in his eyes had turned to contemplation and scrutiny. He said: “You want to use me to get revenge on them?” I didn’t hesitate at all before saying “Yes.” After a pause, I added: “But that’s not all. Jason’s behavior has left me somewhat traumatized. There’s a perfect man right in front of me, Emily doesn’t know how to cherish him but I want him. And agreeing to this isn’t a loss for you either. You’ve seen how good of a wife I’ve been these past three years! And you’ve seen how much my parents dote on their son-in-law.” Charles nodded and said: “Alright, after the divorce, if needed, I can take responsibility.” He agreed just like that? Aren’t you going to struggle a bit more? Charles saw my confusion and said very seriously: “I do have a good temper, but that doesn’t mean I never get angry. And you’re right, if they don’t know how to cherish what they have, why shouldn’t we choose someone who does?”

To avoid a repeat of the scumbag knocking on my door at night, I packed up all my things and left as soon as I got home. I locked the door, taking the car keys with me so the dead scumbag couldn’t use my car. I went straight to a hotel, booked a room and contacted Charles. Since we were now partners in crime, I decided to keep him informed of my movements. I sent him a WeChat message saying: “I’ve already moved out of the house.” Charles replied almost immediately: “Where did you move to?” I told him I’d moved to a hotel near my company. Charles’ reply was brief, first saying: “Be careful.” I was about to make a sarcastic comment when he added: “I’m coming over now.” Actually I just wanted to let him know, his concern left me feeling a bit at a loss. But alright, we might as well discuss what to do next in detail. While waiting for Charles, I called my lawyer friend to ask how I could make the scumbag and that bitch leave with nothing in the divorce, given my husband’s affair. Our situation was that we jointly bought the house, both our names were on the property deed. The car was in my name alone, though I didn’t drive it. Just thinking about that dead scumbag using my car to go hook up with Emily made me want to sell the car immediately. My friend advised me to quickly apply to the court for asset preservation, then investigate Jason’s assets. He would have to fully repay me for all the money in his bank accounts and everything he spent on Emily. Emily’s mom kept saying I was jealous of Emily, but in reality they preferred Charles as a husband. He was good-looking, earned more, and his gym-toned body was unbeatable. I guessed Emily never intended to divorce, she just wanted both men. Maybe stealing my husband and keeping him from touching me gave her a sense of accomplishment. So Charles belonging to me now was the first step in my revenge. After messaging Charles, I washed up and made myself smell nice, waiting for him on the bed wearing only a bathrobe. But this old-fashioned guy was truly exasperating. He seriously handed me his jacket, saying: “It’s a bit chilly, don’t catch a cold.” I dodged his jacket and simply leaned against him, my hand going straight to his chest. Ooh, not bad. But he looked very serious, directly pushing me away. I suddenly felt a bit hurt, loudly mocking: “What do you mean, brother? Don’t tell me you’re going to stay faithful to Emily like your brother did?!” Charles sighed, patting my head like a child as he asked: “Isn’t cheating wrong?” I said: “Yes.” He asked again: “Aren’t we not divorced yet?” I said: “Yes. But I’m trying to get revenge, why can others do bad things but I can’t?” Charles sighed, pulling the blanket from the side to wrap around me, his tone coaxing: “So they’re the bad guys, and you’re the good person. Samantha is the most lovable and deserving girl in the world, so if we’re going to be together, it has to be proper and above board.” With that he directly wrapped me up like a cocoon. I secretly smiled. Fine, I wasn’t swayed by your sweet talk at all.

The old-fashioned guy booked a room next door and stayed there. Over the next few days, Charles was busy dealing with the divorce drama with Emily. Emily ran back to her parents’ house and wouldn’t see anyone or answer calls. Charles went to his in-laws’ house once. He gave Emily the divorce agreement, which didn’t give her any assets. Emily’s mother saw it and cursed angrily. She said he was heartless, that her daughter had been with him for so many years, used and then tossed aside without a penny. Of course she absolutely refused to divorce, and directly kicked him out. But it was useless, Charles went straight to court to file for divorce, leaving the rest to the lawyers. Honestly I really couldn’t understand Emily, why she would give up such a good man. At first I was just thinking of getting back at Jason by hooking up with Charles, but as we spent time together, I truly felt marrying a man like this would be the right way to live. Tall, handsome, steady and responsible. He wasn’t as boring and rigid as I had imagined, truly a budget version of a romance novel CEO. But there’s always some rat shit that has to jump out and disgust people. Emily even sent me taunting WeChat messages. She wrote: “What kind of woman are you? Can’t even keep your husband.” “Let me tell you, he was with me before he married you. You’re the mistress. He finds it disgusting to even touch you, you’ll never measure up to me in this lifetime.” “Jason said I’m the only woman for him forever, you deserve to be tricked into being a celibate widow for life.” “Why don’t you just die! You want to split the assets? You’re not worthy!” “No one will ever love you, you’ll never beat me.” She actually still saw me as a rival. My god, how ridiculous. Just because she likes eating shit, does she think others have to treat a pile of shit like treasure? Truly a toad stepping on your foot, not biting but still disgusting. I immediately gave her a thumbs up, thanking my sister-in-law for once again providing evidence of Jason’s affair. Emily’s WeChat kept coming: “Jason is so vigorous and passionate, he’s especially fierce in bed. You’ll never get to experience that in this lifetime.” Seeing this sentence, I raised an eyebrow and nudged Charles beside me: “Looks like you’re not very good, your wife says your brother is more vigorous.” Charles, who was peeling an apple for me, handed me the apple and stared at me silently for a few seconds: “Ex-wife.” His gaze was deep and intense, quite intimidating when he didn’t speak. I nodded, ex-wife is ex-wife, why so angry? I was about to reply to my former sister-in-law when the man snatched away my phone and said very seriously: “If you want to try, we have to get married first.” I quickly chomped down the apple in my mouth. My god, such a domineering old-fashioned guy, I kind of like it. Looks like I need to speed up the divorce process. The private investigator quickly got results. Apparently my husband, no, I mean soon-to-be ex-husband. The ex-husband not only bought many luxury goods for Emily, but the LV bag Emily’s mother was carrying was also bought by my ex-husband. Emily’s mother even got a new car with the down payment from my ex, while I couldn’t even get an electric scooter without paying for it myself, he wouldn’t spend a penny

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After giving birth, my mother-in-law posted a picture of the condoms my husband and I use on TikTok. She captioned it: “Young people these days have no self-control. They’re already at it right after having a baby.” I responded by posting a photo of her cheating on my father-in-law with his brother. My caption read: “Older folks sure know how to play the field.” I had just put the baby to sleep and opened TikTok to relax for a bit. I habitually checked my notifications, replying to friends and family who had shared videos with me. As I scrolled down, I was surprised to see a TikTok shared by a stranger asking, “Is this you?” I recognized the profile picture as a former male colleague from my old company. Curious, I opened the shared video and immediately felt my face burn with embarrassment when I saw the caption. The video was secretly recorded by Martha, my mother-in-law, when she came to wake me up to make breakfast for Derek. In the video, I was sound asleep, my head resting on Derek’s arm. The camera panned to the right, showing a blurry condom wrapper, then zoomed in to focus on it deliberately. The caption read: “Young people these days have no self-control. They’re already at it right after having a baby.” My blood boiled, and my heart raced. Last night, it was her son who had begged me, and I reluctantly agreed out of pity. Now his mother was spreading rumors online. I now realize that feeling sorry for a man only leads to trouble.

Trembling, I shared the video with Derek, telling him to ask his mom to delete it immediately. TikTok’s friend recommendation feature is powerful, and even my former colleagues had come across the video. I didn’t dare imagine what my parents, neighbors, and relatives would think if they saw it! After a while, Derek messaged back, “Isn’t my mom right? You were pretty enthusiastic last night!” followed by two suggestive emojis. “Just kidding, honey. You’re not mad, are you?” he added. “Besides, you can barely tell it’s us. I had to look closely to figure it out.” I sent him a screenshot of my former colleague sharing the video with me. “Look for yourself. This is from my ex-coworker.” To my surprise, he replied, “Your ex-coworker must be paying close attention to you if they recognized you after you’ve gained so much weight.” He added a jealous emoji. Reading Derek’s messages, my heart ached, and I felt my blood run cold. I took a deep breath, looked at our baby beside me, and forced myself to calm down.

I went straight to Martha’s room and got right to the point, “Mom, please delete the TikTok video you posted this morning.” Martha played dumb, “What TikTok video? You follow my account, and I didn’t post anything today!” Noticing her phone screen was still on, I snatched it from her hand and opened TikTok. I tapped on “My Posts” and saw the video pinned at the top. She had even pinned it! I was about to delete it when Martha headbutted me in the stomach, causing me to drop the phone. Ignoring the pain in my stomach, I got up to retrieve the phone, but the screen was already shattered and unusable. Martha stood by, gloating, “The phone’s broken. Perfect excuse for my son to buy me a new one.” “That was my most liked TikTok video ever. There’s no way I’m deleting it.” Shaking with anger, I smashed the phone on the ground, completely destroying it. “If this video isn’t deleted by the time Derek gets home tonight, I’ll report you for invasion of privacy.” “And remember, I control the bank card. Whether you get a new phone depends on me!”

Back in my room, I watched the video over and over. It now had 1,000 likes and over 2,000 comments. The comment section was filled with insults towards the daughter-in-law, some saying she looked attractive and making lewd suggestions. As I was about to screenshot these comments to send to Derek, the baby woke up, and I had to put down my phone to tend to her. When Derek came home from work that evening, he first complained about me breaking his mother’s phone and having to buy a new one. I snapped back, “She deserved it!” “And please read the comments under the video before you speak to me!” Derek said, “It’s just a bunch of nonsense. What’s there to see?” He was clearly avoiding the issue. He didn’t say a word about all the insulting comments. I opened TikTok and started reading the comments aloud to Derek: “The daughter-in-law is hot, let’s take her out to play!” “Your daughter-in-law has a great figure, your son is lucky.” “It’s better when the daughter-in-law is a bit naughty!” “Is this what you call criticizing the daughter-in-law?” As I was about to continue, the door suddenly burst open, and Martha stormed in: “Living off my son’s money and still daring to scold him.” “When people say you have big breasts, they’re complimenting your figure. It’s your dirty mind that’s the problem, not their comments.” Not wanting to argue with her, I played the voice message I had received from the lawyer I consulted earlier that afternoon. After hearing it, Derek quickly pulled Martha out of the room. Twenty minutes later, Derek returned with a bouquet of jasmine flowers, smiling apologetically, “Honey, don’t be angry. Mom has deleted the video and apologized. Look, she even asked me to buy you these jasmine flowers, your favorite.” I opened my phone and checked Martha’s profile. The video had indeed been deleted. “Don’t be mad, honey. I know I was wrong, and Mom knows she was wrong too. It won’t happen again.” I looked at Derek, feeling exhausted. Seeing my silence, Derek gave up trying to placate me. He tossed the flowers aside and said he was going to sleep in the study. 6 Lying awake for half the night, I still couldn’t fall asleep. My family is from a city in the neighboring state. I’m an only child, and although my parents are divorced and have new families, they still care for me deeply. When I told my family I was dating Derek, they disapproved. My mother would often call to tell me stories about girls who married far from home and suffered, or about parents who never saw their daughters again after they moved away. At the time, I found it annoying. When my father tried to introduce me to a young colleague at his company, I even said, “Didn’t you and Mom divorce because you didn’t know each other well enough before marriage?” Seeing that they couldn’t persuade me, my parents finally agreed to our engagement and marriage. Suddenly, I heard muffled voices coming from the study. I got up and pressed my ear against the wall, but I could only make out vague sounds. I remembered the stethoscope we had bought for the baby to check for illness and retrieved it. Placing it against the wall, I could hear every word clearly. “Your wife is so dramatic! It was just a bit of arm and chest showing, and she insisted on deleting it!” Martha complained to Derek. “Mom, you should have let me post it for you. I could have blocked her, and none of this would have happened!” Derek replied. “I just forgot! Don’t worry, I posted it on my secondary account too.” “You’re so clever, Mom. Have you gained more followers recently?” My heart raced, and I felt my blood boil. Derek clearly knew about this and was likely the mastermind! The thought of him making his mother post such risqué videos for money made me sick to my stomach. I want a divorce! Divorce! I suddenly remembered when I was four months pregnant, Derek would come home every day hinting that the economy was bad, his year-end bonus was cut in half, and his monthly salary wasn’t enough. He’d talk about how someone’s wife became an internet celebrity and earned $10,000 a month. Now I realize he was trying to get me to make suggestive videos too. Martha continued excitedly, “My secondary account is about to reach 10,000 followers. If your dad hadn’t stopped me from using TikTok two years ago, I’d be a top influencer by now.” “Your wife wouldn’t stand a chance!” Derek added, “Mom, I feel bad for making you film these videos.” “Son, I feel bad that you had to marry such a woman!” “If she wasn’t an only child with a house worth millions, I would have divorced her and found you a better daughter-in-law long ago!” “Son!” “Mom!” After hearing their conversation, I had only one thought: Find Martha’s secondary account and expose this mother-son duo! 7 On one hand, I contacted a friend in another state and asked her to pose as a brand representative interested in collaborating with Martha’s main account. She deliberately mentioned that the more followers, the more money could be earned. Martha immediately sent my friend her secondary account and asked how much she could make with it. On the other hand, I hired a private investigator to keep an eye on Derek. After all, if I wanted him to pay divorce compensation, I needed to find some dirt on him! After getting Martha’s secondary account, I thoroughly examined it. Martha was an uneducated woman from the countryside who married Robert, a high school teacher, because of her good looks and figure when she was young. In Martha’s eyes, being a teacher was a good, respectable job with a high salary. However, in this day and age, teachers’ salaries haven’t increased much, while the cost of living has skyrocketed. When Martha saw her old friends from the village become famous on TikTok by posting suggestive videos, earning enough to buy cars, houses, and travel the world, she always wanted to do the same. She had actually tried it once before, but I caught her and told Robert. He got angry and scolded her, forcing her to delete the video. Martha’s secondary account had posted over 90 videos, with a total of over 100,000 likes and exactly 10,000 followers. The video of me now had over 10,000 likes and more than 20,000 comments. More than 80 of her videos featured her wearing tight clothes, heavy makeup, and lip-syncing to cheesy songs. The comments were full of crude remarks like “You’re so beautiful” and “Your chest is so big.” I saved all these videos to a USB drive and sent it to my friend. I also carefully examined the comments and found one asking Martha if she had a partner. She had immediately replied “No.” In these 80-plus videos, there was one account that consistently appeared in the comments. I clicked on their profile and was surprised to see a hand wearing a pearl bracelet. That pearl bracelet was from a luxury brand. Martha had said it was a fake she wore for fun, but now it seemed there was more to the story. 8 During this time, Derek had been on his best behavior, and I couldn’t catch him doing anything wrong. Martha, on the other hand, was often going out. I installed cameras in various rooms of the house and, without consulting Derek, hired a nanny using his money. When they saw the nanny, they naturally wanted to let her go. I told them the contract had been signed and the salary paid. We could dismiss the nanny, but the money wouldn’t be refunded. During the day, I pretended to be job hunting, leaving the house early with my resume. In reality, I was sitting in a dessert shop near our apartment complex, waiting for Martha to leave. Martha loved sweets but was afraid of gaining weight, so she would usually walk quickly past dessert shops, pretending not to see them. With a bit of disguise, I managed to avoid being discovered for a whole week. However, Martha only went shopping for clothes and jewelry that week before returning home. Finally, on a Wednesday, I caught Martha heading to a dessert shop in a mall. Inside the shop, Martha went straight to a well-dressed man in his 50s, wearing a large gold necklace and a designer watch. I assumed this was the sponsor behind Martha’s TikTok videos. As soon as they met, they shared a deep kiss in public. I recorded the whole thing, but Martha was so well-covered that it was impossible to tell it was her. The shop was crowded and noisy, so I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I did, however, get a clear view of the man. The more I looked, the more uneasy I felt. Derek’s sister, Zoe, looked incredibly similar to this man! They say sons take after their mothers and daughters after their fathers. I had asked Derek before why his sister didn’t look like Robert or Martha at all, and he had dismissed it as a genetic quirk. Now, seeing this man, a ridiculous thought crossed my mind. When I got home, I took Robert, Martha, and Derek’s toothbrushes for a paternity test.

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Ten years ago, I saved a drowning boy. I conducted a rapid rescue on him. After waking up, he told me, “I have decided to marry you when I grow up!” Thinking that he was joking, I didn’t take his words seriously. Ten years later, the boy grew up, becoming a crazy and domineering CEO, whose name was Brian Hawk. At my wedding with my fiancé, he led a group of people and beat up my fiancé, forcibly taking me away. “I told you I would marry you. Your husband can only be me.” He threatened me with my whole family’s lives and forced me to marry him. He imprisoned me in a private villa, allowing no man to be in touch with me. To win me over, he tried every means, but I remained unmoved. He became furious and found someone who was 90% like me to replace me. Relying on his affection and favoritism, the substitute, Ariel Berg, did whatever she wanted and broke into the villa where I lived. “Where did this cheap woman come from? How dare she pretend to be me and seduce my man? I will tear you apart today!” She stripped me naked, cut off my tongue, and ordered the bodyguards to ravage and humiliate me. Only after I was tortured to death did Brian arrive late. Ariel dragged my body to the front of Brian, who was overbearing. She proudly said, “Darling, this woman, who had done plastic surgery, wanted to hide here and seduce you. I killed her for you!” Brian Hawk was infatuated and crazy. According to him, right from the moment I saved him, he decided to marry no one else but me! To win me over, he imprisoned me for three years and tried every means to please me every day. But I, who didn’t love him at all, couldn’t accept him! Recently, he got a substitute who looked like me. The two of them had been getting along affectionately for several months. To provoke me, Brian often forwarded me videos showing how ambiguous they were on WhatsApp. As I was sitting in the courtyard and enjoying their videos, there was a sudden burst of noise outside. “Brian comes here every few days. Today, I want to see what kind of treasures are hidden in this villa!” “But didn’t Mr. Hawk say that this villa was his private restricted area, and no one was allowed to come here?” “Yes, Ariel, I heard that someone took a glance inside the villa before. Mr. Hawk broke his hands and dug out his eyes. Isn’t it inappropriate for us to sneak in without his permission?” “What are you afraid of? Brian dotes on me to the bone. He won’t blame me.” Listening to the noisy sound outside the courtyard, I frowned slightly and felt uneasy. I knew better than anyone about how crazy Brian was. He had strong possessiveness, treating me as his private possession and imprisoning me in this villa. Someone once had sneaked into my villa out of curiosity and taken a glance at me. Brian disabled his hands and feet, digging out his eyes. The next day, the man vanished into the void. At first, he was only jealous of other men. Later, he realized that I, who had never been gentle to him, treated the housemaid gently. He dismissed all the housemaids in a fit of anger. He would rather personally deliver daily meals to me than let anyone else do it. Except him, no one else could look at me in my eyes for a moment. “If those people outside the courtyard come in, they may be in big trouble.” I quickly got up and intended to remind them to leave here as soon as possible. As soon as the door opened, someone who looked almost the same as me came into my view. Before I could say something, she slapped me hard across my face. “Where did this cheap woman come from? How dare she disguise herself as me and hide in Brian’s villa. Do you want to compete with me for a man?”   She hit me with a sudden slap, making my face burn with pain. “You cheap woman who did plastic surgery. Do you know where you are? How dare you barge in here without the owner’s permission?” “You deliberately made yourself look like Ariel to seduce Mr. Hawk. You let go of your dignity to climb up the ladder, right?” At this moment, I finally realized that the person who had suddenly come in and attacked me was Ariel Berg, the substitute who Brian had found. Because of Brian’s pathological desire for control, I had always been indifferent towards him. Even though I was forced to marry him, I treated him indifferently. I never let him touch me. Perhaps out of resentment, or to make up for his regrets, he searched everywhere for someone who resembled me. Ariel Berg was the substitute he had found, who resembled me the most. At this moment, Ariel, looking furious, looked at me with overwhelming resentment. “You slut. You know that Brian is hopelessly in love with me, so you try every means to make yourself look like me. You want to replace me as my double, don’t you?” Ariel was arrogant and flamboyant. “Since she doesn’t know the truth, I don’t intend to argue with her about why she slapped me.” Instead, I kindly advised her. “You shouldn’t be here. Before Brian arrives, leave here quickly. Otherwise, no one can help you.” However, Ariel didn’t appreciate my kindness at all. Instead, she grabbed my hair angrily and said, “Brian is my man. I can wander around everywhere in his territory. You’re planning to drive me away. After all, You’re afraid that I, the rightful owner, will ruin your scheme and leave you with no chance to be a mistress, right?” “Today, I will make you know the consequences of stealing my man!” After saying that, Ariel kicked me to the ground. I stumbled onto the rocks. My forehead instantly cracked open. I touched the blood on my forehead and looked at the imposing Ariel. I said indifferently, “Aren’t you afraid that Brian will find out about your reckless behavior?” Ariel sneered disdainfully. “I am the destined love that Brian has been searching for for a long time. Even if I have a little scratch on my face, he will be so worried about me and make himself restless for a few days. Even if he knows about what I did, so what? Will he blame me because of you, an insignificant person?” Several of Ariel’s friends sneered and echoed. “Exactly. Everyone knows that Mr. Hawk fell in love with Ariel at first sight. How can you, her imitator, who did plastic surgery, compare to her?” “Ariel, with Mr. Hawk’s distinguished identity, there must be many seductive women like this bitch trying to seduce him. Today, we happen to make her an example and scare them off. Then we can cut off the crooked thoughts of those seductive bitches!” “Yes, we will let those despicable women, who want to climb the social ladder, know who the real Mrs. Hawk is!” All of them each spoke sharp words and looked fierce. They were eager to tear me apart.

I looked serious and indifferently said, “You’d better ask Brian to find out who I am.” Ariel raised her chin and looked disdainful. “Do you, a plastic surgery woman, who sneaked into the villa, deserve me to inquire about your identity?” “I am Brian’s favorite. The Berg family is the biggest partner of the Hawk family. Who the hell are you? Are you qualified to show off your status against mine?” As she said, she looked fierce and ordered several of her best friends behind her. “Strip this bitch naked. I want to see if she can make her body look exactly like mine.” Hearing this, her best friends immediately rushed over and violently tore off my clothes. While I was desperately preventing them from stripping my clothes, I shouted, “Stop it. I am Brian’s wife!” …   Hearing what I said, they immediately stopped what they were doing. Ariel stood aside, squinting at me. “You said you were Brian’s wife?” I said seriously, “Yes, you are a substitute he found. If he knows that you hurt me like this, he will not let you go.” I thought that Ariel would thus retreat after I revealed the truth. Unexpectedly, they burst into laughter almost at the same time. “This bitch! Is she that eager to take my place?” “Relying on the fact that she looks somewhat similar to Ariel, she dares to say that Ariel is her substitute?” “Everyone knows that Mr. Hawk always takes Ariel with him wherever he goes. You, a sneaky plastic surgery woman, dare to call yourself Mr. Hawk’s wife?” On the other hand, Ariel smiled viciously. “I thought you would be something. After all, you disguise yourself as me to seduce Brian. I didn’t expect you to be a brainless idiot.” “I’ve been with Brian for so long. I didn’t even know he had a wife. Are you that bold? How dare you tell such an outrageous lie?” “If you were the real Mrs. Hawk, how could you live alone in this desolate villa without anyone knowing it?” After saying that, Ariel snorted and ordered her several girlfriends. “Continue to strip her clothes. Leave nothing behind!” Upon hearing this, her best friends did not hesitate as they violently tore off my clothes. None of them knew the reason why no one was around this villa. “Brian bought all this large piece of land. No one can come here without his permission.” “Originally, bodyguards and maids were living here. Because of Brian’s jealousy, he dismissed everyone.” “He doesn’t announce my identity to the public so that others won’t take an extra glance at me.” “Even if they are discussing things related to me, he will feel it’s blasphemy against me.” I never expected that all Brian had done to me would become the reason why they had doubts about my identity. Seeing my clothes being torn to pieces, I panicked and shouted. “I am Brian’s wife. If you don’t believe me, call him!” After hearing what I said, they became even more fierce. They didn’t stop what they were doing. While tearing off my clothes frantically, they slapped me in the face. “You damn bitch. Do you dare to lie? Let’s see how we will wake you up today!” Soon, my face turned red and swollen. I was disheveled. With my clothes barely covering me, a lot of skin on my body was exposed. Seeing this, Ariel narrowed her eyes and said gently, “This bitch’s hair is too annoying. It’s hindering her from showing off her body.” … As she said that, she revealed an evil smile and took out a lighter. She set my hair on fire. The fire quickly spread on my head. An intense burning sensation engulfed me. For a moment, my cheeks, ears, and entire scalp felt a burst of strong burning pain. The pain was unbearable. I instinctively tried to pat out the fire with my hands, but they firmly held me down. In the blink of an eye, my hair was all burned. My scalp was covered in burn marks. At my look, Ariel laughed with satisfaction. “It’s funny. With your bald and ugly face, how are you going to seduce men in the future?” Her several close friends laughed and applauded. I stared at them, trembling all over. Then I shouted, “You will regret this!” Brian threatened me with the lives of my entire family. I had been imprisoned for many years. I stayed at the empty villa in a daze day after day. It made me even more frustrated. Now, I had to endure Ariel’s torment. The anger in my heart instantly turned into intense hatred. Ariel walked up to me and stepped heavily on my face with her foot. “How dare you challenge me? Since what you say will always displease me, you shouldn’t speak anymore.” “Cut off this bitch’s tongue!”

With her command, one of Ariel’s bodyguards behind her walked towards me with a dagger in his hands. Seeing this, one of Ariel’s best friends, who was timid, said fumblingly, “Ariel, this is Mr. Hawk’s territory after all. Is it appropriate for us to make such a big scene?” … Ariel said without hesitation, “What’s wrong? Brian is my man. His house is my house. I’m just educating a shameless bitch in my home. Who dares to say anything to me?” … “Besides, Brian loves me so much. Even if I kill this bitch, he won’t frown at me.” Her other girlfriends echoed. “That’s right. Ariel is Mr. Hawk’s most beloved woman. There’s nothing she can’t do.” “When the time comes, Mr. Hawk will only feel sorry for Ariel for exhausting herself from dealing with the bitch.” Hearing their words, the timid girl no longer had any concerns. She watched the show with peace of mind. I lay on the ground, watching the dagger in the bodyguard’s hands. He was getting closer and closer to me. I was extremely frightened, shouting in panic, “I am indeed Brian’s wife! If you do this, Brian will never let you go!” … However, my threats had no effect. The bodyguard came to me and extended a dagger towards me. I wanted to escape, but several of Ariel’s best friends firmly held me down. I wanted to hide, but the dagger, shining with cold light, had deeply cut into my mouth. The bodyguard lifted his hand and stabbed at me with the dagger. In a daze, I saw a large amount of blood and my severed tongue falling from my mouth. … The pain was extreme. I felt like all the nerves in my body were severed. I was about to faint. I was like a pile of mud, lying in a pool of blood. I couldn’t move, and my breath was weak. Ariel stood with her arms crossed, looking down at me. She said, “Even though you had plastic surgery to make yourself look like me, with your appearance, Brian would never take you seriously. He loves me as a person. Got it?” “Not everyone can live such a good life as me. Brian won’t fall in love with any woman.” “Since you, a bitch, are so desperate for a man, I’ll reward you with a few men.” After saying that, she looked at the several bodyguards behind her. She said indifferently, “I’ll give this bitch to you to play with. Whoever works the hardest on her, I’ll reward them with 2 million dollars!” At Ariel’s words, the bodyguards’ eyes instantly lit up. They rubbed their hands eagerly and fiercely, planning to pounce on me. I collapsed on the ground without any strength to resist. I wanted to shout, but I had no tongue. My mouth was full of blood. I couldn’t make a sound. I could only let them ravage me. Brian imprisoned me here obsessively. But he had never hurt me or touched me. Even if I didn’t want to get close to him, he never forced himself on me. He said he would wait for the day when I was willing to give myself to him. He said I was destined to be his in this lifetime. But now, I was overwhelmed by a group of bodyguards. I was helpless. Helplessness and despair engulfed me. I couldn’t speak, crying uncontrollably. “Brian, is this the result you want?” A few of Ariel’s best friends watched the show and praised Ariel. They said, “Ariel is destined to be Mrs. Hawk. She is good at teaching others a lesson.” “Yes. See? This despicable woman was stubborn at first, but now she is made to cry. It’s funny. She probably won’t dare to seduce men anymore in the future.” “Congratulations to Ariel for successfully getting rid of a despicable bitch. Let’s see who dares to compete with you for the position of Mrs. Hawk in the future!” Ariel smiled victoriously and proudly as they praised her. The excited bodyguards suddenly looked strange. The next moment, a bodyguard stood up and pointed at me. He reported, saying, “Miss Berg, this woman is dead!” Hearing this, Ariel frowned and looked disgusted. “How unlucky! Bury her somewhere quickly in case she will stink Brian’s eyes!” As soon as she finished speaking, Brian walked into the courtyard. “What are you doing?”

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The year my sister started college, she died on a hotel bed. They said Grace was promiscuous and played herself to death. But I knew that wasn’t true. Carter’s sweetheart had a fight with him, so he deliberately pursued my sister. Jealous Vanessa egged others on to bully her. “Carter said she has a nice body. As his friends, why don’t you check it out for him?” Eight years later, I became Carter’s most cherished pet. Quiet and obedient, never causing trouble. Vanessa poured a cup of hot tea over my head, sneering: “You’re just a cheap knockoff. Carter’s only playing with you.” “I’m the one he truly loves. Know your place, understand?” But I never wanted his love. All I wanted were your lives. The day Vanessa returned from abroad, Carter released pink balloons all over the city to celebrate. His friends once again mocked and ridiculed our relationship. “The leading lady is back. Isn’t it time for that fake Aria to get lost?” “Tsk, that’s the fate of a disposable side character.” “Serves her right for being so cheap and throwing herself at him.” I sat on the sofa, quickly scrolling through the group chat messages before turning off my phone. “Angry?” Carter asked casually as he sat beside me, absent-mindedly playing with my palm. I shook my head and leaned gently against his chest, saying softly: “They’re right. I know my place. I can’t help feeling a little sad, but knowing you came to see me before meeting Vanessa makes everything okay.” He ran his hand along my cheek down to my chin, pinching the soft flesh there as if petting a cat. “Such a good girl.” “I won’t be coming over tonight. I’ll have that watch you liked delivered to you.” He stood up, ready to leave. Just as he opened the door, I suddenly ran up and hugged him from behind. Tears welling in my eyes. “I know you and Vanessa grew up together. I could never compare.” “But Carter, please let me stay by your side.” “Don’t leave me.” Hot tears fell onto his shirt, quickly spreading into a large wet patch against his shoulder blade. He paused, loosening his grip on the doorknob and turning around. His broad palm gently stroked my thin back. “Don’t overthink things.” He lowered his head slightly, tilting my chin up. I gazed back at him with trembling wet lashes. I knew I was beautiful, most alluring with reddened eyes looking pitiful. Sure enough, desire darkened his eyes. Before I knew it, Carter had me pinned to the sofa, gripping my waist. His breathing quickened with arousal, movements showing no tenderness. When I cried out in pain, he only bit and gnawed at my lips. “Aria, as long as you behave, I’ll come see you tomorrow.” I buried my face in his shoulder, my voice muffled and hoarse. “Okay. Don’t lie to me.” I carefully helped him get dressed and saw him downstairs. A purple Rolls-Royce waited at the villa entrance, the driver respectfully opening the door for him. With a roar of the engine, the car quickly disappeared into the night. It was getting late. Any later and he’d miss Vanessa’s welcome home dinner. She was the Jiang family’s princess, pampered since childhood. If Carter was late, she’d definitely be upset. As I thought about this, I walked back into the villa, tears streaming down my face. In front of Maggie, the housekeeper, I swallowed the pill she handed me. Then, with swollen eyes, I went upstairs, entered my room, and locked the door. I rushed into the bathroom, bent over the toilet, and vomited violently. Disgusting, utterly disgusting. Every second with Carter, every touch from him, was like a needle piercing my fragile dignity, reeking of decadent luxury and decay. The slightest recollection would make me retch uncontrollably. Yet I had to vie for his affection, kiss him, and submit to his desires. To make him confidently believe that I was a parasitic vine that could only cling to him, loving him wholeheartedly, and would wither away if I ever left him. Then, when he was enjoying his self-created realm of power, relaxed and carefree, I would deliver the fatal blow. Carter, I want to see you fall from your high position, left with nothing. Struggling in the mud, tormented by hatred. At the end, only stomach acid remained, burning my throat. I collapsed onto the cold tile floor, leaning against the wall behind me. The bright light above my head pierced my eyes, blurring my vision with a mix of whiteness and tears. My head knocked against the wall repeatedly as I choked out: “But, Grace, I’ve tried. I have no other way.” “…I’m so hungry. I miss your clear noodle soup, sister.”

My childhood wasn’t exactly pleasant. From my earliest memories, my father was a gambling, alcoholic, abusive scumbag. When I was ten, he lost a lot of money. That night, he opened the door, reeking of alcohol. My mother trembled as she held me in her arms. The next moment, he violently grabbed my mother’s hair and threw her onto the concrete floor. He punched her face over and over, and when he got tired, he kicked her. He took the last of our savings and squandered it at the casino. My mother got into a red car. She never came back. After that, my father would bring different women home. Locking me out. That day, I squatted outside the door all night. Until the next morning when I went to school, no one had opened the door for me. I had no money and no friends. I could only run to the sink to drink water to stave off hunger. By the time school let out, I was so hungry I could barely see straight. A girl running towards me barely brushed my shoulder, and I nearly fainted. She caught me in time, asking if I was okay. I was too hungry, so I just said so. She gave me a gentle smile, took my hand, and led me to her home. I ate five bowls of clear noodle soup. Somehow, I started crying while eating. First silently, then wailing loudly. She frantically wiped my tears, thinking her cooking was terrible. I shook my head vigorously in her arms. “No one has ever been so kind to me before.” Her warm hand patted my head. Not only did she not mind my dry, messy hair, but she also said: “From now on, think of me as your big sister. I’ll look out for you.” She really was a wonderful person. That was the first time I met my sister, Grace. She had a name as pure and beautiful as her personality. Unlike my name, which my father casually picked after winning a mahjong game. My mother thought it meant the “green” of grass. But Grace told me it meant “Aria of the green hills, my heart wanders far.” Only then did I realize that even a carelessly chosen character could be interpreted with poetic beauty by someone who cared.

That night, I dreamed of my sister again. I dreamed of how she celebrated my birthday. On a scorching summer day, when the asphalt was so hot you could see the heat shimmering off it, smelling of tar. She wore a heavy mascot costume, handing out flyers to passersby. She broke out in a rash from the heat but lied to me, saying it was just dust allergy. Seventy dollars a day, she did it for two months. Then, on my 14th birthday, she gave me fourteen gifts. A newspaper from my 1st year, watercolor pens from my 2nd, hair clips from my 3rd… a Barbie doll from my 7th… a bicycle from my 10th, an electronic keyboard from my 11th… and a keychain with keys for my 14th. I had never celebrated a birthday before, but that day, I celebrated fourteen birthdays at once. Maggie, Grace’s mom, had prepared a table full of dishes, with a two-tiered cake in the center. Surrounded by such warmth and love, I couldn’t help but cry again. “Thank you, sis. Thank you, Aunt Maggie.” Maggie’s smiling face suddenly fell. “You call her ‘sis,’ why am I still ‘Aunt Maggie’?” “Mom.” “Good girl, make a wish and blow out the candles.” I closed my eyes, savoring the happiest moment of my life. And made a sincere wish. I was no longer a child that no one cared about. I had a family. The laughter and joy quickly folded and distorted. The dream changed drastically. My sister was brought back, lying motionless on a stretcher. Her body was cold, covered in wounds, long past breathing. They said: “Grace led a promiscuous life, engaged in dangerous activities with multiple men. She died during one of these encounters. Her partners have already confessed and turned themselves in.” Lies, all lies. They also said, out of humanitarian concern, they could offer me reasonable compensation. I couldn’t hear anything anymore. There was a buzzing in my ears like a million mosquitoes, as I stared at my sister’s lifeless body before me. The mottled bloodstains mixed with sunlight into a chaotic mess. “Sis…” My sister didn’t die from some wild encounters. She was in college, busy with work-study programs. How could she possibly be involved with men, let alone multiple men, in such activities? It was my sister’s cheerleading squad captain. Her childhood sweetheart had a fight with her and deliberately praised my sister in front of her. He said my sister had a great body and he wanted to try her out. She angrily told him to go pursue my sister. He did, sending flowers, gifts, and breakfasts, sweet-talking her in every way. My sister had never experienced anything like this before. She believed it was true love. That arrogant captain couldn’t stand it. After reconciling with her sweetheart, she had people bully my sister. “Since Carter praised her body, why don’t you guys, as his friends, go check it out for him?” From beginning to end, it was a lawyer who handled the whole affair. Wearing old-fashioned scholarly glasses, behind which were sharp, shrewd eyes. He spoke precisely and acted ruthlessly. Under the machinations of power, we were defeated at every turn. Those two instigators never even showed their faces. After reconciling, they went to the Arctic to chase the Northern Lights. How romantic, how absurd. Months later, I finally learned their names. Two rich kids — Vanessa and Carter. Then I dreamed of my mother’s hair turning white overnight. Empty pill bottles scattered in the corner of the bed, my mother lying quietly, as if asleep. She had gone to find my sister. My birthday wish hadn’t come true. I never celebrated birthdays again.

I originally thought I wouldn’t encounter Vanessa so soon. But with her spoiled nature, how could she accept it? She had only been abroad for three years, and Carter already had me by his side when she returned. So the next day, Vanessa arranged a fitting at a luxury boutique. Carter deliberately brought me along. A spacious fitting room with excellent privacy. Dazzling lights, an atmosphere of extravagance. Vanessa sat in the center of the sofa in a black Chanel suit, the center of attention. She took a sip of her red tea, lifting her eyelids slightly. The disdain in her gaze fell on me without disguise as she suddenly smiled. “Carter, is this the little pet you’ve been keeping?” “She does look a bit like me, doesn’t she?” At this point, someone chimed in. “No matter how much she tries to imitate you, she can’t compare to even your little finger.” My fingers, hanging at my side, suddenly clenched. I lowered my head, suddenly realizing. He brought me here to let Vanessa vent her anger. Because of his attitude, everyone looked down on me, cooperating with Vanessa to humiliate me. “Since you’re here, why don’t you try on some clothes for me?” Carter sat down next to Vanessa and said indifferently, “Go try them on. Try until Vanessa is satisfied.” The entire afternoon, I walked back and forth in high heels, trying on clothes repeatedly. “Just standing there like that, how are we supposed to know if the clothes look good or not?” “That’s right, walk around the room a few times, strike a few poses. How can you be so stupid?” They sat on the sofa, enjoying their afternoon tea, instructing me on how to be a proper fitting model. The high heels on my feet rubbed my heels raw, blood seeping into the inside of the shoes. I was in so much pain that fine beads of sweat appeared on my forehead, my legs feeling as if they were no longer my own. Vanessa finally vented some of her anger. “Such beautiful clothes are wasted on someone like you.” “I don’t want any of the styles she’s worn. Pack up the rest.” She nestled in Carter’s arms, poking his chest in a coquettish manner. The usually cold man now curved his lips, allowing the person in his arms to act spoiled. “Go clean yourself up downstairs, and remember your place.” I held the slipping neckline of my dress, bowed, and hurriedly left. As I was leaving, I fell to the ground. I looked up at Carter, tears instinctively falling. Pitiful to the extreme. Carter’s gaze unconsciously fell on me, his Adam’s apple bobbing. I saw it, and so did Vanessa. She walked towards me with a smile. “A few pieces of clothing and you’re already feeling wronged? I didn’t realize you were so good at acting.” The next moment, a searing pain shot through my scalp. Vanessa poured an entire cup of hot tea over my head, then set down the cup and cooed to Carter. “Carter, you know I hate green tea the most.” “I couldn’t help but teach her a lesson. You won’t blame me, will you?” Carter stood up and wrapped his arm around her waist, his eyes full of indulgence. “As long as you’re happy.” The group left amid laughter, not waiting for me. Leaving me alone where I was.

That night, Carter surprisingly didn’t accompany Vanessa. Instead, he came to see me. Hearing movement in the yard, I pretended to be asleep on the couch. Carter came in and picked me up. I woke up in his arms at the right moment, my voice hoarse from crying. “I’m sorry, I’m so useless. I know you love Vanessa the most, but I couldn’t even do something as simple as trying on clothes for her.” “If Vanessa is still angry, I can move out…” Before I could finish, the scene before my eyes spun. He threw me onto the bed, grabbing my wrist and pressing down on me. “You want to leave?” I lowered my eyelashes, biting my lip, my eyes unconsciously turning red. After a long while, I squeezed out a small “yes.” “Aria, you’ve gotten quite bold, haven’t you?” Carter suddenly laughed angrily, raising his hand to grasp my chin. “Remember this: no one in this world can dictate what I, Carter, do.” “You remember, until I tell you to leave, don’t even think about leaving my side.” In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through my mind. Tears burst forth. He carefully brushed aside the hair on my head, gently blowing on the swollen scalp. He had always maintained a lofty and indifferent attitude towards me. This was the first time I had seen him so gentle.

The burn kept throbbing, making it hard for me to sleep soundly. In my dreams, I seemed to return to a time long ago. It was when I was thirteen, my father suddenly became very nice to me. For the first time ever, he let me eat at the table and even put some meat in my bowl. “Aria, how about letting your Aunt Maggie be your mom?” I nearly choked on my food. So that’s why. He had his eye on Maggie. Knowing that Maggie’s family was kind to me, he wanted me to help him win her over. When I refused, he chased me away from the table. The meat he had put in my bowl ended up in his own mouth. I thought he was just talking. I didn’t expect him to go to Maggie’s tofu stand the next day to openly court her. Maggie kept refusing, which angered my father. He started spreading rumors. He said Maggie was bad luck, that her husband had died because of her. The rumors spread from the market throughout the neighborhood. “Why did you say those things about Maggie? Now she doesn’t dare to open her stand.” My father, looking smug, slurred, “Who told her to refuse me? I didn’t even mind that she’s a widow.” I couldn’t control myself and shouted at him. “You’re despicable!” He stood up abruptly and beat me. Afterwards, he kicked me and said he was hungry. I got up and made him a bowl of noodles. I put in five spoons of salt. He ate with relish, even praising my improved cooking skills. I guess he had drunk so much fake alcohol that his taste buds were ruined. Later, Grace came to find me several times. I didn’t dare to see her. But she still caught me on my way home from school. “Are you trying to end our friendship?” She was stunned for a moment. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she reached out and pinched my cheek. “Aria, you’re my sister. Why would I end our friendship?” Because I had been freeloading at their house, I had gained some weight during this time. My face had filled out, and she kept pinching it. “You are you. You don’t need to carry the burden of others’ mistakes.” I hugged my sister tightly, and only after I had cried enough did I notice the wound on her hand. She said she had accidentally hit it while making tofu, and it didn’t hurt anymore. I held her hand, feeling heartbroken. She then took me back to her home. Maggie was busy in the kitchen, and when she saw me, she smiled brightly. “Dinner’s almost ready. You two little ones go wash your hands first.” That evening, the setting sun painted half the sky red, casting an especially warm glow on the dinner table. Not long after, my father fell into the river while drunk. I was left alone at home. My father was known as a scoundrel, and relatives had long since cut ties with us. Maggie found someone to help me arrange the funeral. After that person was buried, Grace and Maggie each held one of my hands. They gave me a warm and complete home. I had my own room, clean bedsheets, and a brand new desk. I thought this would be forever.

Vanessa began to take over her family’s company. She used the excuse that she had just returned and wasn’t familiar with the domestic market. So she had Carter assign me as her assistant. Then she started setting up obstacles for me at every turn, leading the way in isolating and ostracizing me. She used the lowest, most childish methods. When I needed to use the printer, it was always out of paper or ink. In the break room, someone would always “accidentally” spill coffee on me. My computer would mysteriously get viruses, and I’d have to redo completed presentations. Carter would only tell me to try harder. I said okay, hung up the phone, not wanting to disturb his date with Vanessa. Until the last time, when Vanessa went too far— A client from Hong Kong was visiting. Vanessa told me and another colleague to handle it. During the dinner, my colleague was called away by a phone call from Vanessa. I was left alone and forced to drink until I was dizzy. The client’s hand gradually moved to my thigh. I resisted with all my might and was beaten half to death. Hearing the commotion, a waiter came and called the police. In the hospital room, the sharp smell of disinfectant lingered. I slept for two days. During this time, someone posted a video online of me being carried into an ambulance. The person who exposed it also pointed out that I was deliberately left behind by Vanessa. It quickly became a trending topic. Vanessa’s family company was competing with a rival for a project. Once this incident broke out, the Jiang family company’s image was damaged. When I woke up, I heard Carter and Vanessa arguing in the hallway outside the hospital room. “Vanessa, you’ve gone too far this time.” Carter’s tone was cold. “From childhood until now, I’ve let you do whatever you wanted, but this time you could have killed someone.” Vanessa’s voice was tearful: “Are you heartbroken for her?” “She’s nothing but a fake. It wouldn’t matter if she disappeared. It’s not like people haven’t died before.” Carter said flatly: “You can’t always do whatever you want. You need to control that temper of yours.” Vanessa seemed to be triggered by this statement. “Carter, are you complaining about my temper now? What did I do wrong? Before I went abroad, you said you’d wait for me.” As she spoke, tears started to fall. “I was only gone for three years, and you found this nobody. I just can’t stand her.” “These past two days, you must have seen how people online are cursing me.” “Do you want me to end up like her before you’re satisfied?” Her usually proud and beautiful face was now tear-streaked, revealing vulnerability and sadness in her eyes. This had a strong effect on Carter, who had grown up with her since childhood. After a moment, he sighed and pulled her into his arms. “All these years, I’ve only loved you.”

I watched through the crack in the door as the two kissed. My face expressionless, I turned my head away. I had long known that Vanessa wouldn’t be easy to deal with. Her twenty-some years of childhood friendship with Carter had, to this day, developed a kind of symbiotic meaning. But it wasn’t unbreakable. Now, I had used my injuries to plant a bomb in each of their hearts. Someday in the future, it would explode when it was meant to. Making the situation irreversible. When I woke up, the direction of public opinion had suddenly changed. New videos had surfaced. They were confessions from my colleague and the waiter. The gist was— I had lured my colleague away at the dinner table, actively seduced the client, and was beaten because I became abusive after being rejected by the client. The comment section exploded. Everyone was cursing at me. When Carter came to see me, he didn’t say anything. I also ignored it, still chatting casually with him like usual. Occasionally, I would grab his sleeve and make some harmless small requests. Trying my best to act as if everything was normal. Until the next day, when the client’s wife stormed into the hospital room with a group of people. They beat and cursed at me. When Carter arrived, he saw me curled up in a small ball in the corner of the bed. Biting my arm hard, my face streaked with tears. “Aria…” I looked up, saw it was him, and hurriedly wiped away the tears on my face. I rubbed my eyes hard before looking at him, forcing a smile, “Carter, why are you here?” He stood there, looking straight at me. I finally broke down. “I’m sorry, I just felt a little wronged. I know it’s not Vanessa’s fault. I just couldn’t get over it in my heart.” “It’s nothing, it must be because the wounds hurt too much that I started thinking nonsense. I’ll be fine in a few days.” “Carter, am I being too sensitive…” Guilt gradually appeared in his eyes. Then he sat down and held my hand tightly. He gently rolled up the sleeve of my hospital gown, looking at the bloody tooth marks and surrounding bruises, and suddenly said softly to me: “You’re not being sensitive. You’re the bravest. It’s my fault for spoiling her too much.” “Aria, want to go out and clear your mind? Let’s forget about all this.” “Let’s go to Iceland. Didn’t you always want to see the Northern Lights?”

e rarely called me so affectionately. I knew in my heart that even if Carter felt a twinge of guilt now, he wouldn’t do anything to Vanessa for my sake. In his mind, being able to take me out to clear my head was already a great favor to me. But it didn’t matter. What I wanted was just his temporary departure. Carter really did take me to Iceland. Just like when he took Vanessa to Iceland years ago, chasing the Northern Lights, watching volcanoes erupt. Such magnificent scenery, I had never seen before. The sunset spread over the snowy mountains, like the meeting of ice and fire, like the end of the world. Carter asked me, “Aria, are you feeling better?” I lowered my eyelids, hesitated for a few seconds, then looked up and nodded with a smile. He saw those few seconds of hesitation. His phone rang again, but Carter still silenced it. He put his arm around my shoulders and took me to soak in the hot springs. That night, after I went to bed in the room, Carter went out to the balcony to take Vanessa’s call. “Carter, where are you? Are you with that bitch Aria?” Her voice was shaking with anger on the other end of the line. “The day after tomorrow is my birthday. You promised to throw me a grand birthday party.” “This is my first birthday since coming back home.” Carter’s voice was tinged with impatience. “Aria is in this state because of you. I have to take her out for a while.” “It’s just a birthday. It’s not like you’re going to die next year.” He hung up the phone, pulled out a cigarette pack, and looked up to see me standing in the doorway, rubbing my eyes. He put the cigarette pack away and his gaze fell on my bare feet. He frowned slightly. “It’s so cold, why did you come out without shoes?” He came over and picked me up. “Carter, are you going back to be with Vanessa?” His arms holding me stiffened for a moment.

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