Category: English

After six years of marriage, my husband’s childhood friend, Sarah Jensen, posted photos of them cuddling each other on Instagram with a sweet sentence: [It’s a well-known secret that I like you.] I gave her a like, and my husband, Reginald Sinclair, called me immediately. “We are friends. What’s wrong with a hug? Why are you so weird, Grace? Your pretentious behavior really makes me sick!” Three minutes later, Sarah posted another photo of the two hugging and kissing. If it were in the past, I would have cried in front of Reginald and made a scene. But this time, I didn’t care about it anymore. … It was my sixth wedding anniversary with Reginald, and he said he’d be late. I thought he was preparing a surprise for me, so I happily prepared a table full of his favorite dishes. But until nightfall, I didn’t see Reginald. It was not until I saw Sarah’s post on Instagram that I realized that he only remembered Sarah’s birthday and not our wedding anniversary. When Reginald came home, I had already begun to eat. He frowned as he looked at my leisurely appearance. “Why don’t you wait for me to come back for dinner?” I ignored him. Reginald touched his nose awkwardly, sat down next to me, and tasted the dish. “Why is it so salty? Your cooking skills are getting worse and worse. You’ve done nothing at home every day.” Reginald suddenly threw his fork down and stared at me with dissatisfaction. If it were in the past, I would apologize to him humbly and cook it again for him. But now, I didn’t want to pay any attention to him at all. Seeing that I didn’t say anything, Reginald took out a bottle of perfume and put it on the table. “You are not still angry with me, are you? I bought it specially for you. Don’t be so pretentious.” “Well.” I took the perfume and took a look at it. The word “gift” in the lower right corner caught my eye. Reginald seemed to be paying less and less attention to me, and even his perfunctory attitude was not good enough. He could forget our anniversary, but he couldn’t forget Sarah’s birthday. But the perfume looked more and more familiar. I suddenly remembered that it was in the photos Sarah had posted today. I raised my hand and smashed the perfume, and Reginald’s face became gloomy. “I never wear this perfume. Don’t you realize it is a gift?” Reginald suddenly pulled me up and stared at me. “Grace, what are you doing? I’ve already bowed my head. What do you want? I’ve told you so many times. Sarah is just my childhood friend!” “Don’t touch me. Get off me!” My hand was pulled so hard that it hurt. I struggled but fell to the ground, and the perfume fragments pierced my skin. There was a cut on my leg, and blood was flowing out. I frowned in pain and glared at Reginald in dissatisfaction. There was a flash of panic in his eyes, and his expression was a bit stiff. “Why… Why didn’t you dodge? Damn. You’re so troublesome. I’ll take you to the hospital.” I wanted to refuse him. But the pain from the wound made it impossible for me to be stubborn, so I could only nod. Just as I sat in the passenger seat, I noticed the lipstick left on the seat. Neither the brand nor the color was the one I had ever bought. Sarah was demonstrating to me. Reginald also saw the lipstick, and his expression changed slightly. “I think Sarah dropped it off when I dropped her off this morning. Don’t think too much about it.” I looked away, ignoring him, just hoping that Reginald could drive faster. Seeing this, Reginald snorted and started the car. The atmosphere was awkward, and the silence was broken by the unique ringtone Reginald set for Sarah. He pulled over and answered Sarah’s call at once with a smile. “Reginald, I suddenly have a stomachache. Can you take me to the hospital?” Hearing Sarah’s crying voice, he immediately frowned. “I just happen to be going to the hospital. Stay home, and I’ll pick you up right away.” Reginald pressed his lips with a nervous expression and changed direction directly to Sarah’s home. I looked down at my bloody calf and frowned. When we arrived downstairs at Sarah’s house, Reginald asked me to wait for him and ran upstairs nervously. Then, I waited for half an hour.

I was getting impatient and was about to push the car door open to go out when Reginald came back. He held Sarah in his arms and placed her in the back seat carefully. I frowned unconsciously. I had just limped into the car by myself. And Sarah was carried to the car in his arms. I hadn’t seen such a gentle and considerate look from Reginald for many years. Sarah’s eyes instantly turned red the moment she saw me, and she looked at me innocently. “Grace, I’m sorry. I had a severe stomachache so I asked Reginald to pick me up. I hope you won’t be angry.” “Why should she be angry? Sarah, you don’t need to apologize to her. She’s almost thirty years old and still petty,” said Reginald. Before I could say anything, he glared at me with disgust. He used to dislike me like this, and I would cry out of grievance back then. But I didn’t care about Sarah’s provocation or Reginald’s disgust now. Maybe I was immune to them. After arriving at the hospital, Reginald stopped the car and picked up Sarah, making Sarah blush. “I’ll take Sarah to the internal medicine department first. Wait here for a while.” Then, Reginald turned and left with the slightly dissatisfied Sarah. Even if my leg were broken, he probably wouldn’t come. I limped towards the emergency department. The wound on my leg was getting more painful due to the tearing. Before I reached the emergency department, my legs went weak, and I fell heavily to the ground. “Grace, what are you doing? Didn’t I ask you to wait for me in the car?” Reginald’s angry voice sounded. He rushed to me and pulled me up. I shook off his hand and looked at him mockingly. “One hour or two hours?” “Enough! Grace, is it so difficult for you to bow your head to me?” Reginald suddenly got angry at me. He picked me up despite my resistance and walked towards the emergency department. The doctor frowned as he bandaged my wound. When everything was done, he glanced at Reginald. He said with a reproachful tone, “What did you do? The wound is torn like this. Did you let her walk here on her own?” Reginald didn’t listen to the doctor but kept frowning and looking at his phone. Not long after, he cleared his throat, and his eyes wandered. “I’ll go see Sarah first.” I nodded indifferently. It seemed that Sarah acted coquettishly towards him again. The doctor looked at Reginald’s back and reasoned with me earnestly. “Your boyfriend doesn’t care about you enough. You need to talk to him.” I lowered my eyes and smiled, not answering the doctor. What a pity! Reginald and I had been married for six years. However, it would stop in the sixth year. After completing a series of examinations, I washed my face in the bathroom to calm my bad mood. Sarah patted my shoulder from behind, and her sweet voice was sickening. “Grace? Why are you so embarrassed when Reginald is not around?” Sarah looked at me with a sneer and wiped the hand that had patted me with a handkerchief. She had always looked down on me, but it was normal. In everyone’s eyes, I was just a plaything of Reginald.

“I don’t know why Reginald fell in love with you. If I were you, I would have stopped bothering him a long time ago.” Sarah stood opposite me with her arms folded. The disgust in her eyes was apparent. Initially, I had thought that being arrogant and overbearing was her usual style. But later, I found out that it was because Reginald was willing to spoil her. I imitated her, raised my eyebrows, and retorted to her in a sarcastic tone. “I’m no match for you, Ms. Jensen. You’re just a mistress.” “How dare you scold me? You bitch! You’re courting death!” Sarah rushed over and grabbed my collar. I could only look up at her. “If I hadn’t quarreled with Reginald, would it have been your turn?” She then grabbed my hair and shook me hard, swearing dirty and harsh. When Reginald and I got married, he and Sarah had been quarreling. And I only knew about her after we had gotten married. Sarah believed that she was Reginald’s true love, and Reginald never denied it. We had just gotten married when Sarah returned to him. The first time I saw Reginald and Sarah holding hands, he told me it was because he lost the Truth or Dare game. Later, Sarah began to share photos of her and Reginald on social platforms. Reginald said that they were just taking photos as friends. And now the so-called good friends developed into good friends who could kiss each other. No matter if I tried to please him or cried and made a scene, Reginald would scold me for being unreasonable. But luckily, I was ready to let it go. Not long after, Sarah suddenly let go of my hand. I subconsciously stepped back. But she fell to the ground. “Grace! What did you do to Sarah?” Reginald’s angry voice came from behind. He picked up Sarah, who was lying on the ground with tears in her eyes and looked at me with disgust in his eyes. But when Sarah pulled me just now, she had pulled my wound. I didn’t want to bother with them any longer and just wanted to leave. “Who allowed you to leave, Grace? You are becoming more unbridled. Am I too lenient towards you?” Reginald grabbed me with such force that I staggered. In the past, Reginald would worry about me because of minor injuries. But now, the object of his concern became Sarah. The more I looked at Reginald, the more unfamiliar he seemed to me. His eyes were full of anger, and he completely ignored my furrowed brow and gaping wound. “Reginald, Grace was spoiled by you. I am not angry with her. I just want to go home.” Sarah glanced at my bleeding wound. She frowned, pulled Reginald’s arm, and shook it like a spoiled child. Reginald’s frown relaxed because of her words. But when he looked back at me, there was still disgust in his eyes. “I warn you. You’d better behave yourself and stop making me angry.” “I think you should teach your sweetheart how to behave.” Sarah’s acting skills were pretty good. She was the perpetrator, but she could pretend to be a victim. I looked at Sarah with mockery, and Reginald’s face instantly became gloomy. Just when I thought Reginald was going to speak up for Sarah once again, he remained silent. I followed his gaze and saw my bleeding wound. “You… Forget it. Be good these days.” This time, Reginald didn’t scold me as usual. He just hugged Sarah and walked out. Sarah hid in his arms, smiled at me provocatively, and moved her mouth. “Reginald is mine for the rest of his life.” I just felt childish and funny looking at her in this puppyish, food-guarding way. Since she liked Reginald so much, she could just take him away. After all, I hadn’t liked him for a long time.   Reginald returned home at noon the next day with kiss marks on his neck. I was sitting on the sofa applying medicine and didn’t look at him. Reginald sat next to me, his tone rarely gentle. “You are injured. It is inconvenient for you. Let me help you.” Almost every time he went to see Sarah, he would pretend to be affectionate to me the next day. I turned sideways to avoid Reginald, who was trying to take the medicine bottle from me. “Don’t. I’ve been applying the medicine by myself for so many years. It doesn’t matter.” I lost count of the number of times I had gotten hurt because of Reginald. Whenever Sarah cried, he would take his temper out on me. I was about to become a VIP client of the hospital. Reginald’s face looked a bit guilty. He then withdrew his hand with impatience. “You are not still angry with me, are you? I will take you out to play tonight, okay?” Without waiting for me to refuse, Reginald left. Before leaving, I heard him make a phone call and coax the woman on the other end in a gentle voice. “Sarah, where are you? Don’t be angry. I’ll come to find you, okay?” Once Sarah frowned, Reginald would come up to her happily. But I had spent six years without getting a single bit of his true love. When Reginald came to pick me up, we didn’t speak the whole way. After arriving at the destination, I saw his good friends and Sarah. Then, I understood why he took me out to dinner. When Sarah was unhappy with me, she usually set up a party, like now. “Reginald, we have been waiting for you for a long time. Why did you come so late?” Sarah inserted herself between Reginald and me, hugged him tightly, and looked at me with a smug look. I didn’t want to argue with her. She was still so childish at her age. Only Reginald would fall for this. During the meal, I sat in the corner and quietly watched Reginald and the others playing. Sarah glanced at me and walked towards me, holding a glass of wine with ill intentions. “Grace, because of you, Reginald is late today. How about you drink three glasses as punishment?” I frowned and shook my head to refuse her. But Sarah didn’t give up. She raised the glass and urged me to drink it. Between shoves, Sarah spilled the red wine on her and screamed in tears. “Ouch! Even if you don’t want to drink, you can’t spill it on me!” Reginald came over upon hearing this, protecting Sarah behind him, and glared at me. “Why are you always targeting Sarah? She just asked you to have a drink. Can you stop being so crazy every day?” “That’s right. Even if you don’t like Sarah, you shouldn’t be like this.” His friends echoed, looking at me with contempt in their eyes. Sarah and they had grown up together, and she was always spoiled among them. I smiled, picked up a glass of red wine, and walked towards Sarah under her smug gaze. “Okay. I’m sorry, Sarah.” I raised my hand and poured the red wine on her head. Sarah’s smile disappeared in an instant. Reginald held the tearful Sarah in his arms and pointed at me angrily. “Grace, what are you doing?” “You asked me to apologize. This is how I apologize.” Reginald was so angry that he was shaking. He grabbed me and slapped me in the face. “If you are not happy with being my wife, let’s get a divorce!” Reginald always liked to use divorce to force me to compromise. But now, I didn’t care about it. I looked up at his angry eyes and smiled. “Okay. Let’s get a divorce.”

Reginald hadn’t expected that I would agree. He opened his mouth slightly and was stunned for a long time. “What did you say? Say it again.” “Let’s get a divorce.” He suddenly flew into a rage and overturned the table. The sound of the wine glass smashing to the ground scared Sarah, and she screamed. For the first time, Reginald ignored Sarah and looked at me with red eyes. “You just want me to look at you more in the name of divorce. Don’t even think about it.” I sighed and looked at him deeply. “I’m not lying. I don’t care who your heart belongs to anymore.” The hall was hushed. Reginald’s friends were about to persuade me but were stopped by him. Reginald put away his pitiful expression and looked at me coldly. “This time, even if you beg me, I will not come back.” He suddenly pulled Sarah into his arms, looked at me provocatively, and kissed her. “I will make you regret what you have said today.” I scoffed and rolled my eyes at them. Even if Reginald proposed to Sarah in front of me, I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. “Never mind.” I said it and picked up my skirt to leave. I didn’t see either of them for the next month. I had called Reginald several times. Just as my patience was almost exhausted, he answered the phone. “I knew you were playing scheme. Do you miss me now?” Reginald’s tone was frivolous, and it sounded like he was acting coquettishly. For the past five years, I had been trying to please him humbly just to make him smile for me. But the more I listened to his voice now, the more disgusted I felt. “Stop talking nonsense. Where are you?” “My company.” After getting the reply, I hung up the phone without hesitation. I didn’t want to be dragged by him, so I took the draft agreement and took a taxi to Reginald’s company. Everyone in Reginald’s company knew me, the president’s wife who was in name only. I had no problems entering the company. It was just that the looks in those people’s eyes today were a little strange, more compassionate than usual. The girl who brought me in looked at me hesitantly but finally spoke. “Grace, why don’t you not go in? Sarah is inside.” “It’s okay. I’m here to get a divorce. I don’t care what she wants.” I smiled and comforted her. The girl’s face was full of surprise, and her eyes were full of complicated emotions. I was not surprised that she would have this look. After all, every time I came here to find Reginald, I had to be humble and try to please him. I smiled at her and opened the door of Reginald’s office. A sweet laugh came from inside. I saw Sarah sitting disheveled on Reginald’s lap. “If you don’t put your clothes on properly, the whole company will see you.” I looked at her, saying sarcastically, and closed the door. Sarah was worried that I came to find Reginald in order to get him to go home. But she was wrong. I came here to get a divorce.

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“Ms. Flair, are you sure you want to pawn your love?” Juliet Flair stared at the agreement in her hand and signed her name firmly. With a beep, the robot’s voice sounded. “Congratulations on participating in the Love-Pawning Shop’s experimental activity.” Juliet lay in the cold operating room with the chip pressed against her head, preparing to erase the sweet memories with her husband, Elijah Richter. The current tingled through Juliet’s scalp, prompting tears to stream down. She wanted to forget it gradually and leave burdenlessly in the end. After the experiment, her mind felt numb, and the doctor told her, “You need to participate in this experiment three times before you can completely forget it.” Juliet nodded, picked up her bag, and walked towards home. Walking alone on the bustling street, she heard the coffee shop playing the love song that Elijah had composed for her. The lyrics end with “I’ll wait until the day you say yes”. The girls passing by stopped and listened quietly, then sighed, “Elijah’s love for Juliet is so touching. All the songs he wrote are dedicated to his wife.” The manager of the coffee shop smiled, “Their love can be considered epic. They have been together for seven years, from high school to college, and finally got married. So many people envy their unwavering love!” A young man on a bicycle shouted, “Indeed! When Juliet had stomach cancer, it was Elijah who cut out a part of his stomach to save her life. Elijah also said that he didn’t want his wife to have children because seeing his lover in pain was worse than taking his life.” Well, everyone knew that Elijah loved Juliet wholeheartedly. Everyone knew that Elijah had lost part of his stomach for Juliet. Everyone knew that Elijah would prepare grand fireworks for Juliet every year. And everyone knew that Elijah’s albums were filled with his sweet love for Juliet. But such a person cheated. Juliet laughed sarcastically. She was utterly disappointed as she caught him repeatedly cozying up to the internet celebrity in his company and pulling all-nighters to boost her fame. As Juliet curled up in bed, crying, biting her lip, and looking through their unbearable photos, she vaguely remembered the young man who swore to her parents, “I will only love Juliet all my life.” She recalled that he held her face on their wedding night and said, “Although you look ordinary, I love your soul, and I love the charming characters you create.” Juliet was not a beauty, with sparse and dry hair like a bunch of dead grass and eyes as small as green beans. From childhood to adulthood, no boy had ever noticed her except Elijah, who, after reading a book she wrote, started chasing after her like a puppy. He even defended Juliet against bullies, ending up with three broken ribs. And he often penned songs to praise Juliet, declaring her the most unique and captivating person. Although Juliet gained a large number of fans for writing the novel Dawn, in reality, she was very inferior and had a strong sense of unworthiness. But Elijah would always hold her hand and say, “It doesn’t matter. I love everything about you.” Juliet believed it. She gave her heart to Elijah, only to be betrayed and trampled. Juliet raised her head stubbornly at the street corner and wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye. She thought, “When my love is gone, will you regret it?” Then, Juliet was about to take a taxi when an Audi stopped in front of her. Elijah got out of the car anxiously, holding a scarf and a thermos cup. “Why aren’t you at home? Why are you out for a walk on such a cold day? “I came to you right after I finished my work, but you didn’t answer my calls or reply to my messages. “You’re driving me crazy.” Juliet stared at the man. His concern and anxiety didn’t seem fake, but his infidelity was actual. Perhaps it was because people’s minds were complicated. She felt a bit exhausted and then replied indifferently, “I don’t want to disturb you.” Elijah’s eyes were filled with guilt. He patted his head and said, “I’m sorry. I was too busy with work and neglected you. “When I make enough money and write 1999 love songs, I will stay with you forever and never go anywhere.” Juliet forced a smile but thought, “We have no future because my love for you is fading.” Elijah helped Juliet get into the car. “I was afraid that you didn’t have any food, so I made some oatmeal and put it in a thermos cup. You can eat some first, and I’ll cook for you after going home.” Juliet opened the lid of the cup. The oatmeal, which was usually appetizing, now tasted mediocre. A text message came to her phone. [You can’t be moved. You have to remember that he has cheated on you more than once.] Juliet glanced at it, turned off the phone, and closed her eyes. She couldn’t be soft-hearted because Elijah was a complete liar. He betrayed her love and trust, destroying all her fantasies about love. As soon as they got home, Elijah’s phone rang. Juliet stared at his back as he hid on the balcony to answer the phone. “Elijah, I’m wearing black stockings and high heels today. Are you coming?” Elijah’s chest heaved, and his eyes narrowed. He would go. Juliet smiled bitterly. Elijah turned around and saw Juliet behind him. He was startled and showed uneasiness on his face. “Something happened at the company. My agent asked me to go over. Why are you standing here?” Juliet suppressed the emotions surging in her heart and tried to answer as usual, “Nothing. Go ahead.” Her soft tone soothed Elijah, who then rushed out, skipping the promised dinner. Juliet was sitting on the sofa when her phone rang again. It was a message from Andrea Lopez, the boss of Love-Pawning Shop. In the picture, Elijah had another woman sitting on his lap, and his hands were on her chest. The caption read: [Your lover is now having sex with another woman. Please take good care of yourself and participate in the experimental removal plan the second time the day after tomorrow.] Juliet’s hands trembled as she repeatedly read the caption, her voice growing hoarse. “Yes, I will take good care of myself and gradually stop loving him. I will even take revenge on him…” Another option popped up on the phone. [Do you choose to give your lover a surprise, a dead body, when you finally leave?] Juliet nodded in agreement. Why not? He had lied to her more than once…

Juliet was about to go to sleep after dinner. But she received a call from an unfamiliar number. She clicked it with confusion but heard intimate sounds of kissing on the other end of the line. “Baby, you look so beautiful today. I love you so much.” It was Elijah’s voice. Juliet clenched her fists tightly, numb to the pain. “Elijah, am I better than her in bed?” Elijah paused and then replied, “Focus on it, and don’t talk about other things.” Then came the moans of the girl. Juliet couldn’t bear to listen to it anymore. She thought she would get used to it and become numb to it. But hearing it still filled her heart with endless sadness and loss. Juliet’s phone vibrated again. It was a text message from Shirley Capra, Elijah’s mistress. [You don’t know how handsome he is when he’s in my body and how cool he is when he hugs me and trembles. You may have never experienced it!” The picture showed torn black stockings and a tie Juliet gave Elijah. Somehow, Juliet felt nauseous. She rushed into the bathroom and wanted to vomit, her face turning pale. Coming out, she accidentally saw an exquisite gift box on the table. Juliet opened it and saw that it was a heart made of 199 condoms with a card underneath. She felt empty inside, picked up the card, and began to read it, which was like a sharp blade that suddenly pierced her soul. [Shirley, I like your red lips, which are full and attractive. I like your hair, which is soft and thick. I like your voice, which is sweet and pleasant. And I like your figure. None of these are like my wife, who is like an ugly duckling.] Juliet’s looks had always been a source of her inferiority. She breathed heavily, and her heart ached. However, Elijah came back at this moment, holding a small cake. “Juliet, I brought you your favorite small cake.” Juliet turned around stiffly, hid the things in her clothes, and then stood there blankly. Suddenly, the chandelier above her head shook and then fell. Elijah rushed over and protected Juliet. The chandelier hit his back, blood flowing out. Juliet lay in Elijah’s arms with a puzzled look in her eyes. Why would he save her since he didn’t love her anymore? Elijah thought Juliet was frightened, so he coaxed her caringly, “Don’t be afraid. I’m fine.” Then he endured the pain, helped Juliet up, and called an ambulance. Juliet saw that the broken glass on his back had sunk into his flesh, causing deep wounds, but she did not feel the slightest bit of distress in her heart. By the time the medical staff arrived, Elijah was almost fainting. Juliet accompanied him to the hospital as Elijah muttered incoherently. Juliet moved closer and heard him calling, “Shirley… Shirley…” She stared at Elijah intently with no love but coldness. Seeing Elijah come out of the emergency room, Juliet just asked indifferently, “Are you okay?” Elijah held her hand. “It’s okay. I’m fine!” Juliet had been staying to take care of him these days. They got along quietly, reminiscent of their early marriage days, stirring Juliet’s nostalgia. Juliet went back to get Elijah’s clothes and made oatmeal. But as she returned to the ward, Elijah was gone. There was a sticky note on the bed with his handwriting on it. [My new song is going to be released soon, so I’m going to the studio first.] Juliet sighed and went to the cat cafe where they used to pet cats, but stopped outside the glass door of the cat cafe. Inside it, Elijah looked at Shirley tenderly and tidied her hair. “Are you happy?” Shirley pouted and said, “If you could give me a kiss, I would be even happier!” Elijah turned and pecked her lips gently. “You are so beautiful!” But Shirley seemed a little unhappy. “Then you only like my face.” Her tone was a little depressed. Elijah held her waist and coaxed her, “You are full of energy. I like more than just your appearance.” Shirley responded to him enthusiastically, “Baby, you’re so sweet. I want to drink coffee. Remember…” Elijah said before she could finish her words, “Remember to add more sugar. Don’t make it too bitter!” Then, the two of them smiled at each other, which looked very sweet. Just then, someone patted Juliet’s shoulder. “Andrea?” Andrea was a bit fat, with wrinkles all over her face. “How about we have coffee and talk?” Juliet nodded. Then, Andrea passed her a pile of photos at the cafe table. Andrea coughed and said, “These photos were taken when different women were trapped in their marriages. Some of them are now living on the streets, but the mistresses and their husbands are living happily together. Some of them are even addicted to drugs, and some have serious mental illnesses due to failed marriages and are engaging in self-abuse.” A fire ignited in Juliet’s heart. “What can I do?” Andrea held her hand and said firmly, “You can save yourself first and then write a book about their stories to alert more women.” Juliet agreed and took a taxi back to the studio alone. The door of the studio was wide open, and Juliet walked in. Elijah was tidying up the bookshelf inside. Seeing Juliet coming back, he took out the gift and said, “It’s windy. I’ll give you a scarf.” Juliet didn’t take it but just stared at the books he packed and asked, “Why are you taking my books?” Elijah was stunned. “I have a junior who is learning dancing and wants to read more books, so…” Juliet glanced at him. “So you just took the books I carefully collected and gave them to her?” Elijah didn’t answer but frowned. “She just wants to read them. It’s nothing.” Juliet remained silent and then realized something. A relieved smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. “Then, take it! But I never share my books with others because I hate things that others have touched.” Elijah picked up the books silently. “Why are you so fussy about it? Just some books, okay?” Then he stuffed the scarf into Juliet’s hand and left. Juliet opened the scarf and saw the label on it was “SC”, which stood for the abbreviation of his lover Shirley Capra.

Juliet took a taxi as she was going to participate in the experiment the second time. The doctor asked for some details, “Do you still remember the sweet memories of the past?” Juliet thought for a moment and said, “I remember it, but I don’t feel it sweet anymore.” The doctor smiled, “It’s effective. The first electric current introduction is to numb your emotions, and your experience of love and happiness will drop rapidly. “The second time, you will truly forget it because when you feel that these things are not important, your memory will delete them. I will stimulate your memory to delete them.” Juliet asked, “Will I really forget the past?” The doctor patiently explained, “It is just to forget all the affection you once had for him, but its side effects will worsen your sadness and pain. It is best not to be stimulated by the outside world during this period.” Juliet wanted to end this memory quickly, so she lay down. The current was stronger this time, and Juliet’s grip left marks on her flesh. Her hair tingled, transitioning from severe pain to numbness. Her mind was blank, with only a faint recollection of Elijah. Juliet returned to the studio in a daze, sat at the desk, and thought about the plot for a long time. Her eyes felt a little sore. Elijah came back at three in the morning. “Why are you still in the studio?” Juliet glanced at the surveillance camera and found Shirley at the door of the studio. “What’s wrong?” Elijah didn’t answer but went to pour a glass of water and said, “Drink some! Take care of yourself.” Juliet smelled a strong smell of alcohol. “You… drank?” Elijah’s cheeks flushed. “I’m happy today, so I drank some. I want to ask you for a favor. Can you help me revise the script?” Juliet’s heart skipped a beat. “What script?” Elijah handed her a script of The Saintess. Juliet had not yet flipped through, but she noticed a label stuck in the middle that read “To my love Shirley”. Juliet realized that he wanted to make Shirley famous in the entertainment industry. She thought, “When a man falls in love with a woman, he will consider her future.” It turned out that Elijah had transferred his affections to someone else. But Juliet didn’t feel sad. She put the script aside and said, “I’ll take a look later.” Elijah looked sincere and pleaded again and again, “This script is essential. I invested a lot of money in it. You must help me revise it. When I make money, I will take you on a cruise.” He turned sideways, and the dim light illuminated the date on the calendar. “Do you… remember what day it is today?” Juliet thought for a long time and finally asked hesitantly, “What day?” Elijah lowered his eyes. “Nothing.” Juliet sneered, “I have work. Help yourself!” Elijah stared at Juliet’s cold face and felt his heart was torn. But he still turned and left. On the surveillance camera, Elijah was kissing Shirley passionately at the door of the studio. Elijah likely forgot he installed the camera, as he had once constantly hovered around Juliet, who was always writing. He said, “Then I can install surveillance cameras in your studio so that I can see what you are doing whether I am on a business trip or at home!” But now, his cheating performance was being played out on surveillance video, and Juliet became the spectator. The wind blew down the script on the table, and many small pieces of paper flew out. Juliet squatted down and noticed each small piece of paper was covered with words which Elijah wrote. [Shirley, your acting of the character is not yet in place. It would be best if you incorporated your own understanding.] [Your performance is a little stiff. If you can practice it, it will be more natural.] Juliet recalled that when she was writing articles, Elijah would always accompany her to look up information, carefully warm milk for her, and even make a pair of heating gloves in person for fear that her hands would be cold. Now, he had given all his love to someone else. Juliet tore the small notes into pieces bit by bit. She found it boring and meaningless. Juliet sat at the table, drawing an outline and typing out a first draft word by word. She read it again and again but always felt that there was something wrong. Juliet then went out to collect some materials, and before leaving, she did not turn off the computer. A figure came in stealthily. It was Shirley. She reached across the computer and hit the delete key, covering her mouth and laughing, “What are you writing about? Bullshit! Rubbish! “Only your claws are useful. I wish they were stomped off.” When Juliet came back, it was almost dawn. She was very sleepy and wanted to revise the draft again. But she looked for it for a long time and didn’t see it. She rubbed her eyes and thought she hadn’t sobered up. After drinking some ice water, she still didn’t see the manuscript she had written. Juliet murmured to herself, “It can be repaired. I can check the recycling bin!” She even wanted to go into the computer to look for it, but the manuscript just disappeared out of thin air. Juliet suddenly noticed that the computer had been tampered with, so she quickly turned on the surveillance camera. Witnessing that her manuscript had been deleted, she was utterly devastated. Juliet screamed, “You can steal my man, but you can’t delete my manuscript!” She fell to the ground, too exhausted to get up. Finally, Juliet fainted.

The next day, Juliet returned home with a chaotic mind but found a strange woman in the house. Elijah explained anxiously, “I… She is the heroine of the script I invested in. I was just talking to her about the script.” Juliet forced a sneer on her cold face. “Really?” Her eyes cut through the two of them like a sword. “Then I shouldn’t have come back?” Elijah’s eyes wandered, and he kept shaking his head. “How could that be! I just wanted to call you!” Juliet stared at Elijah. His face turned red, and he began to stammer. “What would you like to drink? I’ll get it for you.” Juliet asked sarcastically, “You are my husband. Don’t you know what I like to drink most?” Elijah nodded repeatedly, walked hurriedly to the kitchen, and brought a cup of coffee. Juliet was utterly stunned. But Shirley leaned on the sofa and laughed, “Elijah, you are wrong. I like coffee the most!” Elijah’s hand trembled, and the coffee spilled out. “I was wrong. I was wrong. It should be juice. You think coffee is unhealthy.” Juliet didn’t want to watch their ridiculous performance, so she turned around and went back to her room. Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Shirley raised her eyebrows at the door, holding her waist, and said, “Well, you don’t know that he was like a bull last night. His brute force almost broke me apart.” Juliet looked her up and down. “What do you want? Did you delete my manuscript yesterday?” Shirley flicked her fingernails. “What manuscript? I don’t know!” Then she raised her voice and continued, “I just want to tell you the story between him and me.” Juliet grabbed her hand and roared, “I only care about my manuscript.” Shirley rolled her eyes. “When he met me, he couldn’t hide the amazement in his eyes. “He said he had never seen a girl as pretty as me, that his wife was as ugly as a toad, and that I was his angel.” Shirley then pulled out the photos and displayed them to Juliet. “This is the first time he kissed me. This is him and I having sex. This is him celebrating my birthday…” Juliet watched Shirley’s performance expressionlessly. After she finished speaking, Juliet frowned and said, “You can go now. I will sue you. “Because you deleted my manuscript.” Shirley took out a pregnancy test form from her pocket and threw it in Juliet’s face. “I’m pregnant. He said he would divorce you and marry me. I’ll save some dignity for you, and you can go now.” Seeing the pregnancy test report, Juliet was stunned for a moment. She didn’t expect that… they were going to have a baby… Shirley flipped through her phone. Then, Elijah’s coquettish voice played. “Shirley, I want you to take care of me. I want to stay with you.” Shirley walked away with her head held high. Reaching the door, she glanced at Juliet and said, “You are really an eyesore.” Juliet shut the bedroom door, feeling her brain’s blood vessels ready to burst. Her body trembled with icy hands and feet. Feeling nauseous, she hurried to the bathroom, retching persistently. Finally, she glanced at her reflection, ugly in the mirror, and shattered it with a punch. The glass shards sliced her hand, likely overshadowed by her heartache, as she felt no pain. The phone beeped again. [Do you want to perform the final memory clear?] Juliet laughed with tears, “With one last time, I can forget these disgusting things forever.” When Elijah came back, Juliet had already fallen asleep. He carefully tucked in the quilt for Juliet and then kissed her. Elijah took off his clothes and got into bed but accidentally touched Juliet’s injured hand. “It hurts…” Elijah asked nervously, “Did I hurt you?” Juliet moved back and said stiffly, “Why are you back?” Elijah felt a little aggrieved and then angrily scolded, “Can you take care of yourself? What’s wrong with your hand? Show me.” He forcefully grabbed Juliet’s hand and checked it. “You got hurt when I was away for a while. What happened?” Juliet looked a little dazed and blurted out, “Who are you?” Elijah’s eyes were full of worry. “I am your husband, Elijah!” But she pulled her hand back. “She’s gone.” Elijah’s heart beat faster. “I know! What’s wrong?” Juliet checked her phone and said, “It’s two o’clock in the afternoon now. You went to buy fruit at nine in the morning. It’s been five hours.” He lowered his head and said, “I saw that you were not happy this morning, so I told them not to come.” There was no trace of emotion on Juliet’s cold face. Elijah said tentatively, “I admit that I have neglected you recently. There is a class reunion tomorrow with all our old friends. How about we go together?” Juliet’s pallid expression lent her a frozen, lifeless appearance. She turned around. “Alright! Whatever!”

The next day, Elijah took Juliet to a class reunion. There were several familiar high school classmates in there. They smiled and said, “We’ve been watching you since high school. You’re still in love after all these years.” Their classmate Dylan Higgins patted Elijah on the shoulder and said, “A good man should be like you.” Elijah put his arm around Juliet’s shoulders and said, “Juliet is the love of my life.” But Juliet struggled unnaturally. “Take a seat first!” Elijah didn’t feel anything wrong. Having dinner, they started playing games. But when it was Juliet’s turn, she lost. “Truth or dare?” Juliet chose the truth, and everyone asked, “Where was the first time you kissed Elijah?” Juliet thought for a long time and answered, “I can’t remember. It’s been too long.” Elijah seemed unable to believe it, standing up abruptly. “I remember everything. How could you not remember?” Juliet remained silent. Elijah angrily slammed the table and yelled, “Don’t you love me anymore?” Dylan tried to smooth things over. “Come on. The next round.” Juliet lost this round again, and she chose the dare. Elijah suggested that she hide for an hour. And no one could discover her, or she lost. Juliet went out and hid in the women’s restroom. Half an hour later, she heard Elijah’s voice coming from the men’s restroom opposite. “You just can’t control yourself, huh? You’re pregnant.” “Come on!” It was Shirley’s seductive cry. Juliet moved closer step by step, and the voice became more evident. “Baby, I miss you so much. I really want to be with you every day.” The restroom door suddenly opened a little, and Juliet saw Elijah holding Shirley’s body with his head on her neck. Shirley pouted and asked, “Do you think Juliet is ugly?” Elijah paused and replied in a hoarse voice, “Yes! Yes! Yes! Are you happy now?” Juliet sent a message to Elijah saying that she was scared to be alone. But Elijah replied: [You forgot our past. This is your punishment.] Juliet stood there numbly and motionlessly. She clutched the wall with a sudden stomachache and left. Walking on the empty road, she couldn’t help but tremble. It started to rain, causing Juliet’s dizziness. She stumbled to the hospital and then fainted. Waking up, she heard the doctor say at the bedside, “You are six months pregnant.” The news left her feeling dazed and her head buzzing. She stroked her belly and thought absentmindedly, “This baby came at a terrible time.” The doctor left her alone, and Juliet curled up and sat motionless until dawn. As Elijah woke up in the morning, the first thing he did was put on his pants and look for Juliet. But Dylan stopped him with a smile. “Why are you in such a hurry? Your wife won’t be lost.” Elijah’s face darkened. “Get out of the way.” Returning home, he found Juliet was trimming the branches of flowers. Elijah’s heartbeat accelerated involuntarily. “They gave me too much to drink last night…” Juliet interrupted him, “I understand. Go and have a rest.” Elijah’s discomfort subsided, and he went into the bedroom. After he fell asleep, Juliet sat at the head of the bed and looked coldly at the dark circles under his eyes. He seemed so tired. He must have had a passionate night. Juliet’s gaze shifted away from Elijah’s face, and she took down the sunny doll hanging by the window. It was given by her brother, Antonio Flair. Antonio loved Juliet very much and was the person she trusted the most. Today was his memorial day. The sunny doll was a little strange. Juliet observed it for a long time and found that a ball of paper was stuffed inside. She took it out and unfolded the paper. There was a sentence written on it: [Do you want to know the truth? Come to your brother’s tombstone tonight.] Juliet’s heart clouded over. Noting Elijah’s deep sleep, she set out for Antonio’s tomb. Arriving at the door, she found an express package, inside which was a recorder. Juliet opened it and heard Elijah’s voice. “I hate Juliet’s brother the most. I can’t stand his arrogant attitude.” There were a few small notes inside. [Juliet, do you want to know why Elijah didn’t go back on the day your brother died?] Juliet was stunned, her mind in a mess, and she couldn’t concentrate. She checked another small note. [Come to your brother’s tombstone. That’s where the truth is.] Juliet hurriedly got a cab. Antonio loved her the most. He even got crippled to save her. He had protected her since she was a child and gave her everything good. When Elijah had nothing, it was Antonio who gave him the start-up capital. At that time, Elijah promised to treat her well for the rest of his life. Juliet rushed to Antonio’s tombstone, only to find a familiar woman pouring ink on it. She stared at it for a long time and found out it was Shirley.

Juliet rushed over and asked her angrily, “What are you doing?” Shirley cursed arbitrarily, “You ugly bastard! I want to vomit whenever I see your face.” Juliet could no longer bear it and yelled at her, “I’m not someone you can easily mess with. If you dare to insult my brother, I will kill you.” Yet Shirley smiled grimly, “Back then, I had a stomachache during my period, and Elijah drove to take care of me, so he wasn’t with you when your brother died. “On the night your brother was buried, Elijah held me and made out with me in front of your brother’s tombstone for five hours. You may not know this, right?” Shirley sneered, “Do you think Elijah really loves you? He said he was tired of you a long time ago. If it weren’t for his reputation, he would have already dumped you. “And Elijah said that your brother was an uneducated upstart who made a fortune by relying on some small tricks. He deserved to die early.” Shirley’s words were the last blow, shattering Juliet’s remaining rationality. She widened her eyes in disbelief, then lunged at Shirley with a snarl. “I’m going to kill you… “You two scumbags…” Shirley’s neck was tightly pinched, and she soon turned blue. Juliet’s tears flowed, and she just wanted to kill the person in front of her. That was her brother! Shirley found the right moment and kicked Juliet hard in the stomach with her high heels. Juliet curled up in pain. Shirley seized the moment, taking off her high heels to strike Juliet. “You ugly bastard! You look like a toad. Go to hell! Go to hell!” Juliet covered her head, a lot of blood flowing from her lower body. Shirley stood up shakily and spat, “What bad luck.” And then she left. Juliet screamed at the top of her lungs, her wet hair sticking to her forehead. “Why! Why do you treat me like this…” Her eyebrows were twisted, eyes popped, nostrils flared, and veins bulged as she breathed heavily with a hoarse voice. Juliet abruptly recalled something and took out a small gift box from her pocket. After opening it, her phone made a beep, and there was a link. Juliet clicked on it and found that it was a video. The woman in the video had scars, and her right arm was peppered with pinholes. She stared at the camera and said quietly, “Whoever sees this video, you have pawned my help. I met my boyfriend in college, but he tricked me to an isolated island. I became a toy for the rich, and finally, I contracted a sexually transmitted disease and was thrown on the street.” The video ended with, “Please stay strong and live on. Please stay strong no matter what.” As Juliet was about to lose consciousness, a plump woman approached the gravestone and embraced her tenderly. “I have been betrayed before, so I opened this shop to help more women escape the whirlpool of marriage.” Juliet held her hand tightly and saw her face clearly. “Andrea, I… I want to live…” When Juliet woke up, she felt cramps in her lower abdomen. “My baby…” Andrea’s eyes revealed pity. “Your baby is gone…” Elijah called at this moment. “I need to go to Austal for a concert. It will take about a week.” Juliet said “Okay” coldly and hung up the phone. Then, she was drowned in her thoughts. Andrea suggested that she check social media. Juliet checked it and saw that the video of herself and Shirley was edited into her beating Shirley, with the title “The famous writer beat up an internet celebrity in the cemetery and even looked down on her.” The popularity of the post soared, and many netizens cursed. [I never thought she was such a person. I used to read her books…] [She is not only ugly in appearance, but also ugly in heart…] Juliet felt dizzy as if the world was spinning and she had lost her sense of direction. Andrea supported her. “Don’t worry. I got this. We are here for you! But your top priority now is to take care of yourself first!” Juliet hugged Andrea, her eyes empty, and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. She tried to hide her collapse with a smile, but her smile was more miserable than crying, and tears were welling up in her eyes. “I want to perform one last memory wipe.” Andrea nodded. Juliet stripped and underwent the final memory wipe, involving a non-invasive brain surgery. The doctor said hesitantly, “You can’t use anesthesia. Are you okay with that?” Juliet didn’t waver at all but nodded firmly. Countless tubes were inserted into her body, including one down her throat. She couldn’t stop vomiting, and sweat was pouring down her forehead. Juliet’s scalp was nicked by a small knife, causing her to arch her back and break her nails gripping the table. Andrea looked at her with concern. In the meantime, Shirley posted on her social media account. [My boyfriend accompanied me to Austal for a trip. Look at the ring, flowers, and gifts he gave me. He said he would propose to me in Austal.] With Juliet’s scream, she finally cleared all her memories about Elijah. However, someone broke into the experimental base. Elijah pushed open the door, looking at Juliet in astonishment and asking blankly, “What are you doing?”

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On the day of their marriage registration, Jackson Spencer stood her up again. “You’ve waited for me for so many years, anyway. What’s a few more days?” However, Naomi Moore was stalked by a pervert on her way home. When she made her final call to Jackson for help, she received a video on her phone. The video showed him and her sister in an affectionate position on the bed. What Jackson didn’t expect was that when he finally decided to change his mind and marry Naomi, the news he received was that she had disappeared. He searched frantically, but what crushed him even more was the shocking truth behind it. “Jackson, save me!” Naomi gritted her teeth through the pain in her body, her voice filled with terror. The pervert held a bloodied, sharp knife and was counting down. “Sixty, fifty-nine…” The man’s voice on the other end of the phone was cold. “Naomi, have you had enough of this? Yelena sprained her ankle, and I just went to take care of her for a bit. Why are you so petty? “It’s just a marriage certificate. What’s the difference if we do it today or another day? You stick to me like a dog just for the benefit of the Moore family! “You’ve waited for me for so many years, anyway. What’s a few more days?” The phone was slammed down, and Naomi’s heart sank into deep despair. Her arm dropped limply, and tears fell, one after another. It was the third time they had set a date to register for their marriage, and each time, Yelena had come up with some excuse to send Jackson away. But this time, Naomi never imagined that not only would Jackson not show up, but she would also end up in the hands of a madman. A chilling grin spread across the pervert man’s face. “I gave you a chance. It’s just your bad luck to run into the wrong person. If you want to blame someone, blame that jerk.” Just after being released from prison, someone came to his door, handed him a large sum of money, and gave specific instructions to scar a woman’s face. His criminal desire had never died. After spending so much time in prison without a victim, he was desperate to hunt again. With a business offer on the table and the chance to make easy money, he immediately took on the dirty job. The pervert kicked Naomi, who was lying on the ground, and dragged her by one leg into the dark basement, his face emotionless as he shut the iron door behind him. In the basement, a dim light swayed, casting shadows on the walls, which were splattered with blood. Just as the perverted man was about to make his move, Naomi’s phone rang. He paused, picked up the phone from the ground, and showed it to the nearly unconscious girl. Someone had sent a video, and when he opened it, the sound of a woman’s coquettish voice filled the air. “Jackson, my foot hurts so much. Could you massage it for me? “Yes, right there. Harder, please.” Yelena’s face turned red, her body going limp as she collapsed into Jackson’s chest. The soft moans escaping her made his blood boil. “Yelena, don’t be like this. Naomi and I are getting engaged.” “Jackson, just this once, okay? I’m really heartbroken that you’re marrying Naomi.” Jackson crossed his legs, speaking in a lazy tone. “If it weren’t for her stubbornly clinging to me and Grandpa arranging the match, I wouldn’t have married her. “When I was sick, she didn’t come to the hospital to care for me, but you stayed by my side day and night. Yelena, I owe you so much.” Yelena’s eyes filled with tears as she moved close to Jackson’s ear. “Jackson, the person I love is you. I want to give myself to you. Don’t worry, I will leave this house after you marry Naomi.” Jackson grew anxious, his hands reaching to embrace her. “Where do you think you’re going? I won’t let you leave.” He kissed away the tears on her face, and the two of them were entangled in a passionate embrace. The perverted man watched the entire video with great interest, then ran his tongue across the screen, making an excited sound. Naomi gripped the phone tightly, her heart burning with hatred. The moment the pervert slashed her face, the hatred in her heart overwhelmed her, and she didn’t even feel the pain in her body as strongly. She hated being betrayed by her fiancé and sister and regrets it even more. She silently screamed in pain in her heart, “Jackson, from this moment on, I no longer love you!” At that very moment, Jackson inexplicably felt a sharp pain in his heart. He suddenly snapped back to his senses and stopped his actions. “Yelena, this isn’t right.” Yelena’s eyes gleamed with a misty, dazed look. She lowered her head, her face flushed, and softly said, “I… I just lost control for a moment.” Jackson’s expression was complicated. He told her to rest while he sat on the sofa, smoking one cigarette after another. In the dark of the night, the glowing cigarette tips flickered, and it wasn’t until dawn that he managed to doze off for a brief moment. At daybreak, an unknown number called. He instinctively thought it was Naomi. A trace of smugness appeared at the corner of his eyes as he slowly tapped his fingers on the table, pressing the answer button. “Naomi, I knew you’d come back. You have half an hour to return home and apologize in front of me, then I’ll forgive you.” There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. “Mr. Spencer, this is the police station. Someone found a bloodstained shirt and a bracelet in the suburbs. After investigation, they belong to your fiancée, Naomi.” Jackson froze for a moment, and then his tone grew harsh as he said, “Did Naomi pay you to call me? Put her on the phone right now!”

The police officer had encountered similar situations before. After explaining, he gave Jackson the address of the station, asking him to come in person. Impatient, Jackson interrupted the officer, “How much did Naomi pay you to make this seem so real? She wouldn’t leave me, and she’s definitely not the type of person who would die so easily. I suggest you stop playing along with her childish games.” After hanging up, he immediately called Naomi in anger. The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered. His brow furrowed, and he felt as if something were wriggling inside his chest. Normally, Naomi would answer in less than ten seconds, no matter what she was doing, but this time was different. Jackson slammed the phone down and then turned to Yelena with a soft expression. “I need to step out for a bit. You rest well.” Yelena quickly jumped out of bed and tightly embraced him from behind like a serpent. “Jackson, don’t go. Stay and keep me company, okay? My body hurts a bit. Don’t worry. Naomi has probably already gone home. We’ll go home together later.” At this moment, Naomi, floating in a soul-like state in the air, saw the scene and angrily rushed forward to try and pull them apart. To her shock, she found that her body passed right through them. She thought, “Have I died? But isn’t a dead person supposed to see their own body? Why can’t I find it? I’m only able to follow behind Jackson and Yelena.” Her soul ached intensely, and a great force seemed to pull at her body, trying to drag her away from this world, but she refused. She wanted to see how Jackson and her family would react when they learned of her disappearance. She watched the two of them, fingers entwined, return to the Moore villa. Only when they entered the door did they reluctantly separate. Yelena saw Antony Moore and Madison Moore sitting on the sofa with gloomy expressions. She sweetly greeted, “Dad, Mom.” Antony’s gaze landed on the obedient Yelena, and with a loving tone, he said, “Sweetheart, have you seen your sister? I just got a call from the police. Your sister is such a headache. She used to run away from home, and now she’s gone missing. She can’t even compare to you. It’s all because of her mother, who died early!” Naomi shouted in distress, “I’ve never run away from home, not once! It was Yelena who locked me in the dog cage and wouldn’t let me out, and she even threatened me! Dad, I’m your own flesh and blood. Why don’t you believe me?” However, Antony couldn’t hear her. Even if he did, he would just consider it as her making excuses. Madison gently took his hand, her face filled with guilt. “Antony, please don’t say that. If it weren’t for Yelena spraining her ankle and Jackson taking her to the hospital, Naomi wouldn’t have gotten upset. It’s all Yelena’s fault.” She lowered her head and wiped away the non-existent tears. Antony was very fond of his second wife. When she cried, his heart was stirred. “Jackson did it right. They can get the marriage certificate anytime. Yelena is a dancer, and her feet are more important.” Naomi felt utterly hopeless. She thought of her mother’s last words to her father—to take good care of her. Her father had promised so sincerely at her mother’s bedside, but just a week later, he had brought Madison and her daughter home. Her father even went so far as to change Madison’s daughter’s name, calling her Yelena Moore. To please Madison, her father kicked her out of the largest bedroom in the house. Yelena, wearing a dress, provocatively taunted her, “Everything in the Moore family belongs to my mom and me. If you don’t obey me, I’ll kill you.” Naomi was so scared that she ran to find her grandfather. He lovingly patted her head, his face full of tenderness, “Don’t be afraid, Naomi. I’m here with you.” But later, her grandfather passed away, and Yelena began to bully her. Madison put on a facade of kindness, but behind the scenes, she was completely different. Yet, Antony would only ever trust this malicious mother-daughter duo. At the thought of that, Naomi’s body couldn’t stop trembling, and silent tears slid down her face. “So, even a soul can cry,” she mocked. Jackson took out his phone, feeling inexplicably irritated. Why did Naomi always bring trouble to everyone? He had just typed out a scolding message when his phone vibrated. He received a text. It was from Naomi’s number. [Give me one million dollars right now, or I’ll ruin this woman’s face!]

Jackson looked at the address sent by the kidnapper, his eyes flashing with an angry, cold light. Naomi’s soul drifted over. After seeing the content of the text, she fell silent. Now, she wanted to see if he would actually pay the money to save her. He walked into the yard, opened her chatbox, and immediately unleashed a barrage of furious messages. [Naomi, if you’re going to cause trouble, there should be a limit.] [You tried to trick me with your disappearance, and now you’re extorting one million dollars from me. Why don’t you just die? Even if you die, it has nothing to do with me.] Naomi broke down in tears, rushing forward to explain, “Jackson, I didn’t lie to you! I was really kidnapped. Why won’t you believe me?” The Jackson in her memories wasn’t like this. Her grandfather, Damian Moore, and Sir Spencer were friends, and the two had grown up together. Since childhood, Jackson had always protected her, never letting her suffer any injustice. He even went to Damian and said that when he grew up, he wanted to marry her. The two elders laughed heartily and immediately arranged a marriage agreement between them. When Naomi was ten years old, she was in a car accident and urgently needed Rh-negative blood. His blood type happened to match hers. Without hesitation, he asked the nurse to draw his blood. Jackson was afraid of needles and almost passed out from the fear at the time, but he was happy in his heart because he had saved her. However, everything changed after Yelena got involved. She would always, either intentionally or unintentionally, speak ill of Naomi in front of Jackson, but Naomi thought that he wouldn’t believe it. Until one day, Yelena had him listen to a recording, and their relationship was completely shattered. In the recording, Antony instructed Naomi to do whatever it took to capture Jackson’s heart because the Moore Group was rapidly declining. Without the support of the Spencer family, it would soon go bankrupt. Jackson’s eyes turned red with rage. He questioned Naomi, asking if all the good she had done for him was just manipulation, and even accused her grandfather of being an accomplice. Everything was part of the Moore family’s scheme. Damian was Naomi’s untouchable taboo, and she wouldn’t allow Jackson to slander him like that. She slapped him hard, wanting to tell her grandfather about breaking off the engagement. Unexpectedly, Damian was gravely ill. On his deathbed, he said that his greatest regret was not being able to see her and Jackson get married. Naomi reluctantly told Damian that after they got their marriage certificate, she would definitely show it to him, assuring him that he could rest in peace. Thus, because of her grandfather’s dying wish and her gratitude towards Jackson for saving her when they were young, Naomi no longer brought up the idea of breaking off the engagement. However, Jackson became more convinced that Naomi was only after the Spencer family’s power, and he often mocked and ridiculed her. As he turned to leave, he suddenly paused. He made a phone call to his subordinates, instructing them to withdraw one million dollars from his personal account and investigate whether there was any sign of her at the address sent by the kidnapper. Naomi stopped sobbing, and her bright eyes were filled with hope. It seemed that she still held a place in his heart. Half an hour later, Jackson’s subordinates called. “Mr. Spencer, we’ve thoroughly checked the place you mentioned, including the basement, but we didn’t find Ms. Moore anywhere.” Jackson coldly responded, “I understand.” A layer of coldness quickly enveloped his body, and even in her soul form, Naomi could feel the resentment emanating from him, from the inside out. “Naomi, you’re lying to me again!” Naomi was confused. Her body was indeed in that location, so why hadn’t they found her? At this moment, Yelena came over to ask about the situation. After Jackson explained, she let out a sneer. “Jackson, Naomi must have sent that message just to annoy you. She’s definitely doing it on purpose. When we were twelve, we went hiking with Mom and Dad. She tricked me all the way to the highest peak and almost caused me to fall. Afterward, she cried and claimed it wasn’t her fault. “She’s always using tricks like that. She’ll probably be back tonight. But right now, we don’t have time to play her games. Sir Spencer will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. Shouldn’t we start preparing?”

Naomi desperately tried to explain to Jackson that it wasn’t her fault. It was Yelena who insisted on going to the top of the mountain to take pictures. At the time, she even warned Yelena that it was too dangerous, but she was determined to go up. But she forgot that Jackson couldn’t hear her. Everything was in vain. After hearing Yelena’s words, Jackson’s expression softened. His grandfather, Oscar Spencer, had been in the hospital for over half a year, and he was always most concerned about him and Naomi. He didn’t believe Naomi would be absent from the welcoming banquet for his grandfather tomorrow. With this thought, he no longer cared about Naomi and followed Yelena away. Before long, Yelena rushed back to this secluded corner by herself, looking around nervously. After confirming that no one was around, she dialed a mysterious number. When the call connected, she spoke in a low voice. “Is everything taken care of? Don’t worry, Jackson won’t find out. “You did well. The fifty thousand dollars will be transferred to your account soon.” Naomi floated next to her, and her gaze locked onto Yelena’s eyes. It was then that she finally understood why Jackson’s subordinates hadn’t found any clues. Yelena had bribed one of his subordinates and made him say it on purpose. Her accident was actually related to Yelena. It was all her plan. Jackson drove Yelena out to shopping, and Naomi floated into the car, sitting in the back. She watched the man through the rearview mirror. She whispered inwardly, “Jackson, why won’t you go to the scene yourself?” The man she had loved for twelve years, and yet he didn’t trust her. Maybe it was her chance to survive, and he had just missed it. At the Spencer Manor, Oscar was discharged from the hospital, and the Spencer family hosted a family banquet, especially inviting Antony and his family. Naomi had nowhere else to go, so she just followed behind the group. In fact, she hadn’t seen Oscar for a long time and missed him dearly. She glanced at the young man standing behind Oscar, tall and muscular, dressed in black, exuding an air of aloofness and indifference. Naomi knew his name was Thomas Spencer, an adopted son of the Spencer family. He wasn’t well-liked by Jackson’s parents, but Oscar had always shown him a great deal of favor. She didn’t have much interaction with Thomas, but for some reason, it felt as though she had just seen him before. Oscar was naturally happy to see his family, while Madison subtly tugged at Yelena’s sleeve, signaling her with a glance. She understood immediately and walked up obediently to speak with Oscar. Oscar narrowed his eyes, looked her up and down, and then simply replied with a faint “Okay” before turning his attention away from her. Yelena froze, forcing a smile at the corners of her mouth that looked somewhat unnatural. Jackson scanned the crowd and noticed that there was no sign of Naomi. His palm tightened a little. He opened his phone, but she hadn’t sent him any new messages. His heart suddenly felt a little anxious. Oscar spoke slowly. “Jackson, why didn’t Naomi come today?” Upon hearing his grandfather’s question, Jackson’s throat tightened, and he swallowed a couple of times. “Grandpa, Naomi…” Antony, with a smile plastered on his face, stepped forward to explain, “This stubborn girl had a small misunderstanding with Yelena and ran off. Don’t worry, Sir Spencer. Once she comes back, I’ll make sure she apologizes to you.” Jackson’s eyes suddenly widened. Naomi hadn’t returned all night. After spending so many years together, he knew that she never stayed out overnight. At the thought of the extortion message from yesterday, his heart began to race. Helena Spencer, sensing the tense atmosphere, quickly chimed in, “This girl’s temper has been getting worse lately, always running away from home. If she marries Jackson, she’ll probably cause nothing but chaos. I think Yelena is much more sensible than her sister…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but the people present all understood the implication. Oscar didn’t respond but instead shifted his gaze to Jackson. “The police called me earlier and said they found her bracelet and bloodstained clothes in the suburbs. I… I didn’t know she didn’t come home last night.” His words carried a hint of unease, and his voice trembling slightly. Naomi sneered in her spirit form. “Jackson, now you finally realize I’m missing?” “Grandpa, I’m going to the police station.” “Thomas, I’m going with him!”

Everyone in the room saw Oscar leaving, and the rest of them followed to the police station. The officer in charge of the case was Gavin Booker. He glanced at Jackson with a slight frown and thought, “Logically, upon hearing that his fiancée was missing, he should have gone to the police station that very day to confirm the situation. Why did he only come today?” “Mr. Spencer, you came at just the right time,” Gavin said. “We’ve discovered a new lead. We found some skin tissue of your fiancée, and we are currently comparing it with the blood stains’ DNA.” “What?” Jackson’s body stiffened, and for a moment, his legs went weak. A stack of documents on the desk was knocked over. His face grew pale, and his head buzzed as if the air had been frozen and he couldn’t breathe. Gavin sighed. “Our preliminary suspicion is that Ms. Naomi Moore may have met with an unfortunate incident…” “No!” Yelena stepped forward to interrupt, her voice sharp. “Officer Booker, these pieces of evidence don’t prove anything. My sister likes to play these tricks. We’re all used to it. Don’t make a big deal out of this. Just close the case.” Antony’s expression darkened as he said, “Yes, yes, this is just a family matter. There’s no need to trouble you any further. My daughter is the most troublesome one. She likes to create all kinds of strange situations to grab our attention.” Looking around at the crowd of people in the room, Gavin couldn’t help but feel a sense of confusion. “Who exactly are all of you in relation to Ms. Moore?” Gavin couldn’t help but feel pity for Naomi. He looked at this family, and a sense of disbelief washed over him. All of them here were her biological father, her fiancé, and her in-laws. But none seemed to show any real concern or urgency. “Officer, we are all quite busy,” Antony added, his voice dismissive. “If there’s nothing else, we’d like to leave now.” Gavin slammed the file onto the table, and his gaze sharp. “This is your family member. Don’t you care at all?” Antony found it absurd and laughed sarcastically. “Oh, look at what you’re saying. How much do you earn in a month? My daughter spends more than that just on pocket money. She has a car, money, and a fiancé. What reason does she have to do something drastic? You police are just making a fuss and scaring people with all this nonsense. “She’s always competing with Yelena for attention, trying to be number one in everything. Now she’s causing all this trouble. It’s such a disgrace to the Moore family.” “Don’t you really worry that Ms. Moore might be in danger?” Gavin asked, still unwilling to let it go. Yelena responded coldly, “What if this is just a prank by Naomi? She probably just threw away some pigskin or dog skin to waste the police’s time. Even if it’s really her skin tissue, it’s something she did on purpose.” At this moment, Helena chimed in, “Yelena, I know you’ve been wronged. Come on, let’s go buy some jewelry to get rid of the bad luck.” Naomi’s spirit floated past each person, carefully observing their expressions, hoping to see a hint of concern on their faces. But there was none. Jackson stood there without moving, and Gavin glanced at him mockingly. “So, what about you, Mr. Spencer? Do you also think your fiancée is just playing a joke on you?” He looked up. His gaze was as deep and cold as a winter’s abyss. “If she’s alive, show me the person, but if she’s dead, show me the body!” He uttered these words and walked off without looking back. Gavin kicked over the table in front of him, swearing under his breath. The other officers in the room exchanged puzzled glances. After years of handling cases, they had never encountered a missing rich young woman being so blatantly ignored by her own family. Naomi couldn’t stop crying. She didn’t understand what she had done wrong to deserve such humiliation. “Dad, when I was little, you told me that no matter what happens, you would always be my support. “Mrs. Spencer, the last time we met, you even said you were looking forward to me becoming part of the family soon. “Jackson, am I really so insignificant to you? I am your fiancée. Don’t the vows we made once mean anything to you?”

Naomi remembered her 18th birthday vividly. She had wanted to visit the amusement park, but the crowds were overwhelming, and in the chaos, she lost her phone. Unable to reach her, Jackson had no choice but to book the entire park. Only when the crowds had dispersed did he find her fast asleep on the Ferris wheel. She still remembered the moment she woke up. The young man in front of her had well-defined facial features. His chin was slightly raised, and a hint of reproach in his bright eyes. He exuded a wildness and unruliness, and the warm sunlight filtering through the glass windows illuminated him, making him appear like the hero from a comic book. But now, he no longer cared whether she lived or died. Naomi wondered if there ever came a day when he truly listened to her side of the story and realized all the misunderstandings. Would he regret everything he had done on the day? Sitting quietly in the corner, Oscar gestured for Thomas to push him out. He had already sent people to investigate the matter, and now he only felt guilty for failing his late friend’s request. As Thomas pushed him out, he glanced in the direction where Naomi was standing. He softly said, “Come with me.” Her soul froze for a moment. She thought, “Could he see me?” Somehow, she found herself following his words, and by some strange instinct, she followed them back to the Spencer Manor. Jackson felt a wave of inexplicable frustration rising within him. He sent a message to Naomi: [I’ve already given you a way out. What else do you want? If you come back today, I’ll forgive everything you’ve done.] Her soul stared at the message, falling into silence. Suddenly, she couldn’t stop trembling as the immense pull came again. In a daze, she found herself in a hospital room where Thomas was standing. The doctor furrowed his brows and said, “The patient has suffered severe physical and emotional trauma. Her will to survive is very weak, and she refuses to wake up.” Naomi’s soul floated closer and looked at the body on the bed. It was her own. It turned out that Thomas had secretly saved her. At the thought of the terrifying torment at the hands of that perverted man, she trembled. After she passed out from the pain, she woke up to find herself in a soul state, always following Jackson. Her memory stopped at the abandoned factory in the suburbs, where she had been attacked. As for what happened afterward, she couldn’t remember. Or, more accurately, she didn’t want to think about it, and she certainly didn’t want her soul to return to that battered body full of scars. Her soul drifted back to Jackson’s side again. At this moment, the man was endlessly scrolling through his phone, waiting for a response to the messages he had sent to Naomi, but there was no reply. Jackson felt as though something was slowly being hollowed out from his heart. He lit a cigarette and dialed a number to his assistant, Ryan. “Search for Naomi’s whereabouts thoroughly,” he said. After a brief pause, he added, “I’ll head over, and we’ll look together.” Naomi sneered, filled with sarcasm, and thought, “Only now are you panicking? Why weren’t you concerned earlier? At the police station, you showed no sign of worry. Now, this sudden display of concern. Who are you trying to fool?” Jackson picked up his coat and was about to go out when Yelena entered the bedroom. His face darkened. ” Yelena, I’ve already made myself clear that day. From now on, we need to maintain a normal relationship.” Yelena bit her lips, and her eyes turned red. “Jackson, Naomi posted a picture of herself visiting Oakwood City on her social media. I knew it. She must be playing some kind of joke on us.” “Oakwood City?” Jackson’s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly remembered that Naomi had once said they would visit Oakwood City together after their wedding, taking photos at the ends of the earth to create memories. But now, she had gone there alone. Yelena secretly observed Jackson’s changing expression, and with a sly smile, she continued, “But I found someone who liked her post has posted the same content. Jackson, do you think she went out to meet another man? Maybe she’s afraid we’ll find out, so she created this whole mess.” Her words fell into his ears, causing his breath to catch in his throat. Jackson snatched Yelena’s phone away. His eyes locked onto the photo of a back view at the seaside. Anger surged in him. He quickly tapped on the profile of the person who had liked the post, only to find the same photo posted on their social media as well. “No one has ever done this to me! Naomi, you really think I have to marry you, don’t you? You really think you’re the only one who can find a man!” he shouted. In a fit of madness, he grabbed his phone with one hand and kissed Yelena passionately. At the same time, he snapped a photo of their kiss and posted it to his social media, tagging Naomi specifically. “Naomi, I don’t believe you won’t call me.”

Jackson sat on the sofa, constantly checking his watch. He had been waiting for a long time, but still, no call came from Naomi. Irritated, he stood up abruptly and angrily sent her several voice messages. “Is it just because I stood you up and we didn’t get the certificate today? You’ve never been like this. Fine, just set another time, and I’ll definitely go then.” After sending the messages, he still received no reply. Naomi’s soul coldly stared at his sharply defined face. She couldn’t understand why Jackson, who had already been physically intimate with Yelena, still acted so affectionate. Was it really her fault for being entangled all the time? Fuming, Jackson dragged Yelena to the prepared wedding house. It was a detached villa, usually managed by the butler. When the butler saw him bring another woman, he quickly left. The other servants couldn’t help but gossip quietly among themselves. “Mr. Spencer and Ms. Yelena Moore are getting bolder every day.” “Playing around in the wedding house like this. Doesn’t he worry his fiancée will find out and get hurt?” “What’s there to worry about? That simple girl can be easily coaxed with a few nice words. Besides, with Mr. Spencer’s wealth, sticking to just one woman would be so boring.” Naomi suddenly felt uncomfortable. She took a deep breath as if she could smell a peculiar metallic odor in the air, and the sensation of nausea swept over her once again. It turned out that everyone, except for her, knew about the relationship between Jackson and Yelena. For a moment, she wanted to grab a knife and press it against his neck, demanding to know why he had done so. However, her last shred of rationality reminded her that a person shouldn’t pour all their energy into a single man. She had once had her own career, but for Jackson, she had willingly become a trophy bird. She had to survive, and her past sincerity could be considered entirely wasted. From now on, she would never again owe anything to herself for the rest of her life. She never wanted to see these people again. Yelena thought Jackson was going to do something to her, but to her surprise, he opened two bottles of red wine and drank them all in one go. As the alcohol took effect, he staggered and fell back on the bed, murmuring incoherently. She leaned in, holding her breath to listen, and instantly, her face turned pale with shock. Jackson was repeatedly calling out Naomi. Fuming with anger, Yelena stomped her foot, gritting her teeth in frustration. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she looked at the exquisite nightgown in the wardrobe. She took it in her hands, running her fingers over the fabric, before quickly changing into it. Her graceful figure moved closer to Jackson. Her arm wrapped around the drunken man in front of her. He responded by pulling her waist toward him, and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. But the next second, she was suddenly kicked away. “You’re not Naomi. You don’t smell like her,” he muttered before falling into a deep, drunken sleep. No matter how much Yelena tried to tease him, he didn’t stir. Finally, she lost her temper. She stood up and went to the living room and poured a whole bottle of red wine on the wedding photo of Naomi and Jackson. “Why, even after you’ve gone, Jackson still can’t forget you? He even remembers your scent so clearly. “Naomi, I told you, anything I want, I will find a way to take it! “By the way, when Jackson was sick and hospitalized, it was me who had someone steal your phone and documents. You deserve to be misunderstood by him all the time. “Dad doesn’t love you, and Jackson hates you. You are so pitiful, Naomi. It’s better for you to just die. Well, even if you don’t die, I still have ways to deal with you.” Yelena’s eyes were filled with hatred. She picked up a fruit knife and slashed Naomi’s face in the photo. Naomi’s soul felt a moment of dizziness, but it was no longer as overwhelming as before. The next morning, the servants slammed Jackson’s bedroom door open. He opened his bleary eyes, angrily cursing, but the next second, a long vine was whipped across his back. The intense pain immediately sobered him up. When he saw that it was Oscar, he let out a slight sigh of relief. However, when he saw the terrified Yelena, who had just woken up, his heart tightened once again. He rubbed his head with both hands, trying to remember what had happened the night before, but it was all a blur. He regretted bringing Yelena back home. Now, he couldn’t explain himself. “Grandpa,” Jackson called out timidly. “I don’t have a grandson like you! Naomi is missing, and you’re here with another woman. I’ve failed my deceased old friend.” Oscar was furious, pounding his chest. His elderly voice was filled with suppressed anger as he turned and walked away. After Jackson went downstairs, he saw that the wedding photo had been destroyed. A look of disbelief appeared on his face. Yelena was standing in front of the mirror, admiring herself in an extravagant sky-blue nightgown. Upon seeing this, Jackson’s anger flared up. “Who told you to take clothes from the wardrobe? This was a gift I gave to Naomi, and it’s meant to be worn on our wedding night!” Yelena didn’t catch the anger in Jackson’s words, as she was feeling quite pleased with herself. Anyway, Oscar had already caught her and Jackson together. She was certain she would become the lady of the Moore family. She had already slept in Naomi’s wedding bed. What did a mere piece of clothing matter? Jackson, in a state of despair, grabbed at his hair. Just then, the phone rang sharply. He grabbed it without looking at the number, arrogantly saying, “Naomi, you finally couldn’t hold back any longer.” “Mr. Spencer, this is Gavin Booker. I’m calling to inform you that we’ve caught the person who harmed your fiancée. It’s now certain that this person is connected to your fiancée’s disappearance. Please come to the police station immediately.”

Jackson’s grip tightened unconsciously around his phone. He could barely remember how he’d made it out the door, having stubbornly convinced himself that Naomi was just being difficult. He never imagined something had actually happened to her. They’d known each other since childhood and understood each other completely. Naomi would never turn off her phone for days without reason. Even when she was upset, she’d never leave him worried like this. He’d lost all rational thought, buried under accumulated resentment. “Gosh, I’m such an idiot,” he muttered, slamming his fist against the steering wheel repeatedly. Jackson stumbled out into the night, running red lights in his desperation. At one corner, he nearly hit a pedestrian. Frightened bystanders shouted curses, and police sirens wailed behind him, but Jackson never slowed down. By the time he reached the police station, he was barely holding it together. Gavin’s brow furrowed at his first glimpse of him. The last time they’d met, Jackson had been well-dressed and composed, acting like none of this concerned him. But now, the man before him had lost a shoe somewhere along the way and looked completely hollow, as if his very soul had been drained. Ryan had rushed over to handle the traffic violation, while Jackson swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he asked, “Naomi… is she still alive?” In his heart, he was certain Naomi was dead. Regret consumed him. Why hadn’t he taken her desperate call seriously? Why had he withheld information from the police? “This is all my fault. I’m the one who destroyed Naomi. If I had just shown up on time that day to get our marriage license, none of this would have happened.” Jackson’s face was streaked with tears as his body swayed unsteadily, threatening to collapse several times. Despite his distaste for this wealthy heir, Gavin still reached out to help him up. “We’ve caught the murderer, but we haven’t been able to determine Ms. Moore’s location from his interrogation. We asked you here to verify if you’ve ever met this guy before, or if there’s any history between you.” Jackson wiped away his tears, his lips trembling with emotion. “Take me to him now. I need to ask him myself where he’s hidden Naomi.” “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Mr. Spencer.” Gavin spread his hands helplessly. “During the arrest, there was an incident. He used a blade to slash his own throat. He can’t speak anymore.” Jackson broke free, grabbing Gavin’s collar with both hands and letting out a feral growl. “What were you doing? Are you keeping me from finding her? I’ll file a complaint against all of you!” The other officers in the room rushed to pull him away while Gavin straightened his wrinkled uniform, his face darkened with anger. Usually, his temperament would have demanded teaching such a person a harsh lesson, but right now, he had no interest in escalating things with this madman. When Jackson returned from the interrogation room, he was pale, and his demeanor had completely changed. “I’ll pay whatever it takes to find my fiancée,” he pleaded. Gavin gave him a sardonic look. “Dead or alive?” Jackson’s face fell as he remembered using those exact words during his last visit to the police station. Gavin picked up an evidence bag from the table and spoke with unflinching directness, “We recovered Ms. Moore’s phone from the scene. Though it’s severely damaged and some videos are still unrecoverable, the evidence shows she made a distress call to you first. Then the murderer used her phone to demand a million dollars from you. Why didn’t you mention this?” Each word hit Jackson like a physical blow, filling him with crushing shame. Suddenly, as if struck by a memory, he began stammering his response. “My associate withdrew a million dollars from the account. They went to the specified location but found no trace of anything.” Gavin exchanged a meaningful look with a nearby officer, who immediately understood the silent command. Shortly after, the results came back. “The million dollars was indeed withdrawn from the account, but it never reached the kidnapper. Instead, it was transferred to an offshore account belonging to an underground casino.” “What?” Jackson stared in disbelief. He distinctly remembered assigning one of his men to handle that situation. Ryan, who had just finished dealing with the traffic accident, arrived and whispered something to Jackson after overhearing their conversation. Jackson’s face visibly tensed with growing anxiety.

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My name was Cynthia Mitchell. Six months ago, my daughter Evelyn Powell was diagnosed with uremia, and she needed a kidney transplant from me. However, on the eve of the surgery, I unexpectedly discovered that Evelyn was not sick at all. The real patient in need of my kidney was my husband, Daniel Powell, and his first love, Edith White’s son. It turned out that this was a scheme set up by Daniel to deceive me into donating a kidney. Evelyn was also a participant in this deception. I was the only one kept in the dark. At that moment, my ten-year marriage and familial bonds collapsed, leaving only coldness and despair. I threw a divorce agreement at Daniel, and I also gave up custody of Evelyn. “I was wrong to deceive you, but do you really have to ask for a divorce?” Daniel frowned, “I just wanted you to donate a kidney. You won’t die from losing one, but if Andy doesn’t get a good kidney, he won’t live much longer.” I closed my eyes and pushed the divorce agreement back to Daniel. “Sign it.”

“Cynthia, you have been a housewife for ten years and can’t stand on your own anymore. I have supported you all these years. You wouldn’t survive without me.” Daniel shook his head helplessly. “Stop being unreasonable. Go with me to the hospital tomorrow for the kidney donation surgery. Don’t worry. I won’t look down on you for being somewhat disabled. I will still send you money every month and take care of you.” “On what grounds do you ask for a divorce? You are just a nanny living off my dad’s support in my house,” Evelyn shouted angrily at me. “You only lose a kidney, but Andy could lose his life.” I stared at her blankly, unable to believe that the obedient Evelyn would say such things. “Women like you, with a changed figure, average looks, and no abilities, which man would want you after you leave Dad? Even a homeless man on the street wouldn’t look at you.” Evelyn looked at me with disdain, holding a mirror up to my face. “Look at yourself. You look like a pig—fat and ugly. Donating a kidney to Edith’s son is an honor for you. Don’t be ungrateful.” In the mirror, I saw a haggard and aged face, completely different from the person I had been ten years ago.

“Are you going to say it again? Was it because you gave birth to me and were exhausted while taking care of me, which caused you to take medicine for years and end up with a plump figure?” Evelyn rolled her eyes. “Please, stop blaming me for your laziness and lack of self-discipline. Edith also had a child. Why is she so slim?” I recalled how every time there was a parent-teacher meeting in Evelyn’s class, she wouldn’t allow me to attend. I thought it was because she cared about my weak health and that I couldn’t handle the noise. It turned out I was overly sentimental. She actually despised me for the shame I would bring her. The family I thought was happy and complete had already crumbled. “Sign it, or we will meet in court,” I sighed wearily. “Trying to use a divorce to threaten Dad? You really have no self-awareness.” Evelyn shrugged, looking disdainful. Daniel said helplessly, “Do you really want to keep making a scene? Fine, do as you wish. But remember to go to the hospital for the surgery tomorrow. Otherwise, you won’t have living expenses next month. Also, since Edith can’t stand hospital food, you will prepare healthy meals for her. After all, you do nothing but cook and do laundry every day. Making one more person’s meal should be no problem for you.” “We had agreed to have a celebration dinner with Edith today. Meeting you is just bad luck.” Evelyn glanced at me before turning her face away in disgust. “Let’s go out to eat later. Acting like a good daughter for this old woman has been so disgusting.” Listening to Evelyn, it seemed that she and Edith were the real family, while I was merely an unforgivable nanny. That night, I packed my bags and left the villa.   On the night I left home, I joined a recruiting group and quickly found a tutoring job paid by the hour. The next day at eight, I had a trial lesson, and both the parent and child were satisfied with me, so we signed a six-month contract. After leaving my employer’s house, I turned on my phone, which had been on silent, and saw more than 99 missed calls from Daniel. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation. I thought that after being married to him for ten years, he would be worried about me not coming home for one night. I called him back, but before I could say anything, Daniel started yelling at me, “So you’re playing the runaway game now, huh? Today is Andy’s kidney transplant day. You need to hurry to the hospital, or I will freeze all your cards immediately. Then you can go live on the streets.” Evelyn’s angry voice also came through the phone. “You better come back and serve me and Dad. Know your place.” My anticipation plummeted. “I understand.” “Then hurry back.” Daniel’s tone softened a bit. I sneered, “I only just understood that neither of you ever considered me family. Daniel, I am not obligated to donate organs for your first love’s son. When we got married, I meant to be your wife, not your slave. You need to sign the divorce agreement, and the custody of Evelyn will go to you. Otherwise, I will file for divorce.” I hung up the phone and blocked Daniel’s number.   Just half an hour later, Daniel froze all my bank cards and sent me a message from a new number: [Do you know how difficult it is to be out of money? If you come back now, I will forgive you. The house is a mess. No one has cleaned it.] I would absolutely never go back to that home. I got a new phone number and used the little money I had left to share rent on a small apartment far from the city center. I commuted four hours every day, started my tutoring job, and began to work hard to regain the professional knowledge I had previously abandoned. Two days later, just as I arrived at my employer’s community, I was blocked at the door by Evelyn and Daniel. “I heard you were tutoring here,” Daniel frowned. “If this gets out, I’ll lose face. You better hurry up and quit this job and come back to take care of me and Evelyn. that is the meaning of your life.” I didn’t want to listen to his nonsense and simply asked coldly, “Have you signed the divorce agreement?” “Don’t dream about it. Aren’t you done causing enough trouble?” Daniel was very impatient. “You neglect your own child and go tutor another kid. Evelyn hasn’t had anyone to help her with her studies for a whole week. She has fallen behind.” “The kid who got first place in the weekly test is a guy named Matthew. I only ranked thirty-sixth. I have never placed out of the top three, and now my classmates are laughing at me.” Evelyn glared at me, full of resentment. “It’s all your fault. I will never forgive you.” I chuckled silently. What did I need her forgiveness for? Could it be used as money? Besides, this was not my fault in the first place. However, Matthew Luis was indeed the child I was tutoring. I knew my work was effective, and in that moment, a sense of pride and satisfaction welled up within me.   Seeing that I remained unmoved, Daniel suddenly softened his voice. He took out two designer bags and a set of jewelry from the car. “Look, do you like them? Be good. Don’t be angry with me, and come back with me.” I didn’t say anything. Daniel fell silent for a few seconds. “Andy’s situation worsened these days, and Edith cried every day. It really hurt me to see it. Cee, you are also a mother. How can you bear to see Edith lose her child? Please help her. It’s just donating a kidney.” I finally understood why Daniel was speaking so nicely all of a sudden—it was for his first love. Edith had left him because she found him poor. I had put all my savings into supporting him, spending ten years of my youth working hard alongside him. I thought Daniel loved me as deeply as I loved him, but he only had Edith in his heart. So when Edith turned back to him, he simply let the past go. Meanwhile, I lost without even fighting. At that moment, looking at Daniel, I felt a wave of nausea rise in my heart. I didn’t look at those two again and turned to leave quickly.   Two days later, Matthew’s parents got sick, and they asked me to pick up Matthew after school and take him to the hospital. At the school gate, I ran into Evelyn, who was getting out of school, along with Edith, who came to pick her up. Evelyn’s classmates saw me and said, “Evelyn, your nanny is here to pick you up again.” It turned out that she introduced me like this to others. The children looked at Edith and enviously said, “Wow, your mom is so beautiful.” Evelyn proudly lifted her head and disdainfully glanced at me. “My mom is obviously the best.” Edith also took a proud glance at me and mouthed, “You are such a failure. Even Evelyn looks down on you and doesn’t recognize you.”   At that moment, Matthew came out of the school. He smiled and rushed into my arms, saying, “Cee, thank you for picking me up.” He opened his backpack to show me the empty container inside. “The cookies you made were so delicious. My classmates praised them and ate them all. You are great at teaching and cooking delicious food, and you are gentle. Now they all envy me for having a tutor like you.” I smiled and patted his head. Just as I was about to leave, a sudden scream of terror erupted from the crowd around us. I focused my eyes and found someone with a knife attacking people indiscriminately at the school gate. “Help! There’s a murderer!” I quickly picked up Matthew and ran toward a safe place. Behind me, Evelyn was crying out, “Edith, help me!” When I turned to look, I saw she had fallen to the ground, and the attacker was closing in on her. But Edith completely ignored her and had already run away to save herself. Evelyn shouted at me again, “Fat woman. Come back and save me. If you save me, I will forgive you.” I ignored her and continued running toward a safe place with Matthew in my arms.

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There were still seven days left until my due date when Tom Grimes got up in the middle of the night to catch a flight. The reason? His childhood friend, who was studying abroad, was feeling down during her period and wanted to eat the pasta he made. I clutched my sore back and asked him if he really had to go. I was scared to be alone. “I’ll be back in no more than three days. It’ll be fine. Don’t overthink things,” he reassured me. An hour later, my water suddenly broke. “Stop messing around, Sara. I’m about to go through security. Get some sleep.” He hung up without waiting for my response. From that moment on, my baby didn’t have a father. ***** I took deep breaths, trying to stay calm. I lay flat on my back and called an ambulance. Then I phoned my brother, Harry Bains, who should have been asleep, and nearly hung up before he answered. “What’s wrong, Sara? Are you in labor?” he asked with concern. I burst into tears, unable to speak for a while. When my mom gave birth to me, she passed away due to complications. My dad was busy with his business and later remarried. I was raised by Harry, but I had said many hurtful things to him to be with Tom. He had been frustrated with me, telling me he wouldn’t care for me anymore. In the ambulance, I gripped his hand and apologized. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here,” he said softly. My labor progressed very slowly. Even oxytocin didn’t help much, and my amniotic fluid continued to decrease. After five hours of pain, I ended up needing a cesarean section. My daughter was born. The doctor placed her on my chest, congratulating me. She said it had been a long time since they’d seen a baby with such thick hair. I laughed and cried at the same time. The baby’s health was all that mattered. Tom and I had named her Elizabeth Grimes, with the nickname Bella. Now, her name was Elizabeth Bains. She was my daughter, raised by me alone. I slept until the afternoon, then checked my phone to see that Tom had updated me. He’d landed and was at Isabel Olsen’s house. There were two phone calls in between. Then he asked if I had woken up yet, whether I’d eaten, and if I was still angry. Isabel had posted a picture online: pasta with fried eggs and sauce on top. The caption read: [I’m so happy. Who understands? My bad stomach can’t handle such deliciousness.] Tom commented: [You’re exaggerating.] Isabel replied: [Love you!] Harry asked me what I wanted to eat. I showed him the picture, saying I wanted the same. Tom called again. I took a deep breath before answering. “Sara? You finally picked up. You’ve been ignoring me. I was so scared,” he said. I didn’t say anything. “Are you still angry?” he asked. Isabel’s voice then came over. “Sara, don’t be mad at Tom. It’s all my fault. I didn’t expect him to come over. I thought I was so hungry I started hallucinating. “By the way, I bought a gift for Bella, plus some small clothes. Perfect for Tom to bring back.” Tom laughed, looking a little helpless as he told her to move away so she wouldn’t get flour all over his clothes. He said, “We’re making sandwiches. She just ate some pasta and is already thinking about the next meal.” Isabel chimed in, “My sandwiches look better than yours.” Tom replied, “Let’s see who’s better.” They bantered with each other. Tom laughed happily, sounding much livelier and more childish than when he was with me. “Honey?” he called out. I responded, “Hmm, I’m listening.” “How’s the baby? She didn’t give you any trouble today, right?” I sneered, “No, she’s very well-behaved.” He sighed with relief, “That’s good. Don’t make jokes like that again. I know it’s the hormones affecting your mood.” “Yeah, you guys go ahead. I’m going to eat too,” I replied.

I called Harry and told him I wasn’t going to have pasta anymore. I wanted sandwiches made by him. He chuckled, “Sure, little princess.” The nurse handed me my daughter, and I gently touched her nose. My heart melted as I said, “You’re also the little princess. From now on, you’re stuck with your uncle for life, okay?” The next day, Harry helped me get out of bed and walk around. The pain from my wound made me tear up. I noticed his sadness and joked, “When you get married and have kids, you’re probably going to cry your eyes out, huh?” He tapped my head. “No way.” Back in the hospital room, I saw a message from Tom. It said that it was snowing in his city. The flights were grounded, and he couldn’t make it back. Tom: [Sorry, darling. I didn’t check the weather forecast, and I don’t know how it ended up snowing so heavily overnight.] I looked out the window at the bright sunshine and lush green. It felt like we were living in two parallel worlds. Without me around, he might have had a happier life with Isabel. Tom and I were both graduate students in the same department. He was a year ahead of me and was my senior. I fell for him at first sight and made the first move. He was cold and distant, so I kept chasing him relentlessly. Six months later, we were together, keeping our relationship secret until he graduated. Harry once said that Tom only agreed to be with me after learning about my family’s financial situation. I didn’t want to listen to that. Tom said he loved me, and I believed him wholeheartedly. I secretly asked Harry to help invest in Tom’s startup. After the celebration dinner, Tom was drunk and started babbling nonsense, “I made money now. You can study abroad wherever you want. I’ll support you. I’ll never let you suffer again.” Harry sarcastically asked when I had decided to study abroad. I couldn’t answer him, because it was Isabel who planned to go abroad. It was just drunken talk anyway. They’d grown up together, and their bond was strong. I told myself that it was normal. I loved him and wanted to be with him. The next day, when he was sober, I asked him if he wanted to marry me. He looked surprised and asked if I had let something slip the night before. He had already bought a ring and was planning to propose. Harry and I got into a huge argument. In the end, he sighed, “Fine, do whatever you want. Don’t come crying to me afterward.” I replied to Tom’s message: [It’s fine. You should spend more time with Isabel over there anyway. You two haven’t seen each other in a while.] Tom: [Thanks, darling. I was just thinking that after you give birth, you’ll need people around, so I rushed over to see Isabel.] It was true I needed people—doctors, nurses, the confinement nanny, and Harry. But I didn’t think he quite counted as people. He asked a few more questions about the baby, and I assured him she was doing well and there was no need to worry. Bella clutched my finger, babbling baby talk. I didn’t realize I was crying until my tears fell onto her clothes. “You’re not crying, but I am,” I said with a smile. “Sweetheart, I’m not as strong as you are.” The nanny grabbed a towel to apply a warm compress to my eyes. “You shouldn’t cry like this during your confinement. If your eyes get ruined, that’s a lifetime problem.”

Three days after giving birth, I still had no milk. Harry said the formula was better and that it would make things easier for me. I cried again. Tom wanted to video call me to show me the snow scene and the snowman they built. I told him I was eating with Harry, so he gave up. Tom: [With Harry there, I feel a lot more at ease. You’re about to give birth, and I’ve been so worried.] I scoffed. He hadn’t been worried about me when he had left. I’d already seen the snowman on Isabel’s post. The two of them had rolled around in the snow, their faces and noses flushed red. Their smile was bright. Last winter, when it snowed, I bought some molds online and happily placed a row of ducks in front of his car. He casually smashed one of them, saying, “You’re 27. Isn’t this childish?” That night, I couldn’t sleep. While I deleted the photos, Isabel sent me a video. It didn’t have any visuals, just their voices, sounding like they’d been drinking. Isabel asked, “If I had been braver back then, would we be different now?” Tom said, “Isabel, there’s no ‘if’.” Isabel replied, “Didn’t you say you’d celebrate my birthday early? My wish for this year is for you to answer this question.” Tom said, “Maybe. But Isabel, no matter what our relationship is, I’ll take care of you for the rest of my life, as long as you need me.” Isabel choked up, “I do need you.” There was the sound of fabric rustling, and the progress bar reached the end. The next second, she withdrew the video. The need from a childhood friend weighed heavier than a wife in labor. Late into the night, Tom suddenly sent me a message: [Honey, I love you, I miss you and Bella.] I laughed at his hypocrisy. Four days after giving birth, I was discharged from the hospital and moved into a confinement center. It wasn’t the one Tom and I had booked, but the one Harry found for me, which was even better. Tom wanted another video call to see the baby, but I told him the phone’s camera was broken. “Okay. When I get back, I’ll buy you a new one,” Tom said. “What did you do today?” “Sleep,” I replied. He asked why I seemed down and why my voice sounded so lifeless. I couldn’t help but sneer. Of course, I wasn’t as happy as them, reunited after a long separation. Now, just hearing his voice made me feel disgusted. But I savored this feeling, almost masochistically. The more miserable I felt, the less shaken I would be. “I just didn’t sleep well,” I replied. “Did Bella keep you up again?” His tone was full of concern. “I have a flight tomorrow morning, but I’ll be there by tonight, hopefully without any delays.” “Tom, are you ready?” Isabel called out. Tom hummed to her and told me, “Isabel and I are going to go out for a while. Is there anything you want? If it’s a bag or cosmetics, I don’t know much about those, but you can tell Isabel.” Before I could answer, Isabel snatched the phone away. “Hey, Sara, what do you want? Send me a list, and we’ll make him spend big.” “No, I don’t want anything,” I replied. “Tom, just come back early.” Tom laughed and asked, “Miss me?”   Tom’s flight was delayed by another day, and he managed to get back just a day before my due date. The timing was perfect, and he was proud of it. “Has the baby moved yet?” “No, it’s still sound asleep.” “I’ve called a cab. I’ll be home soon.” I took my time washing my hair and having some afternoon coffee before slowly answering Tom’s call. “Sara, where are you? What’s going on at home? Did a thief break in?” he asked in a panic. Harry had taken all my and the baby’s things, and he had broken everything that could be smashed. “I don’t know what happened,” I replied. He seemed to realize something. “Sara, didn’t you say you were no longer angry? “Where are you now? At Harry’s place? I’ll come over right now to apologize in person. How about that?” “No, it’s not okay,” I refused. “Honey, I’m sorry. You’re about to give birth. Don’t be stubborn. It’s not good for you or the baby,” he urged. “You still remember I’m about to give birth?” He grunted in pain, as if having bumped into something. “Sara…” He sounded helpless. “Please, tell me where you are. You can hit me or yell at me. Just let me see you. I’m really worried.” “Aren’t I talking to you just fine? What’s there to be worried about?” I sipped my soup. “I’m not even angry with you.” “Sara Bains, can you stop talking like that? I’m trying to communicate and solve the problem with you,” he sulked. I chuckled, “Right, solve the problem. Tomorrow, Harry’s lawyer will contact you. I’m going to divorce you, Tom.” “What? Divorce?” He still thought I was just being emotional. “Honey, please, stop joking. You’re pregnant and about to give birth. Let’s talk about other things once the baby is safely born.” I hung up the phone. Harry came over after work and said that Tom had gone to his company to find him. Tom had first gone to our neighborhood but was stopped by the security guards at the gate. I smiled and said, “Then you’d better be careful. Don’t let him follow you here.” “Don’t worry. Even if he finds it, he won’t be able to get in,” he replied. Tom refused to sign the divorce agreement and nearly punched the lawyer. After his outburst, he begged Harry to let him see me. He insisted that I could go into labor at any moment and that he needed to be with me. Harry gave him a solid punch, and I could even hear flesh hitting flesh through the phone. I asked Harry to hand the phone to Tom. “Bella, are you full?” Bella babbled a response. “Sara…” Tom was shocked. “She…” “I told you. My water broke,” I replied.

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For thirty years, I lived as James Crawford’s wife. Yet, in all that time, we never made it official. Every time I brought up getting a marriage license, he’d brush it off with a frown, saying, “We’ve been together forever. Why worry about paperwork now?” Nothing I did seemed good enough. James complained that all I knew was cooking and cleaning, while our son looked down on me for not being as “cultured” as his friends’ moms. I thought he just didn’t want to deal with the hassle of getting married again at his age. That illusion shattered when I found their marriage certificate in the study’s safe—his and his first love’s. They’d been married for thirty years. My whole marriage to him was just because his dancer wife couldn’t have kids due to her dedication to her art. But James wanted the perfect family package, and I was the solution. His parents, even my own son I’d carried for nine months—they were all in on it. Everyone knew except me for thirty whole years. I sat there all afternoon, my mind replaying my entire life. I’d given up my promising research career. Poured my heart into being the perfect wife, raised our son, and wrecked my body with pregnancy complications and postpartum issues. In the end, I couldn’t even call myself his legal wife. But before I became just another housewife, I was a researcher for classified government projects. So, I did what any trained professional would do. I signed the research institute’s Level A confidentiality agreement, left behind a fake death certificate, and walked away from that sham of a family. The rest of my life belonged to my country now. ***** “I’ll sign your agreement,” I told them, my voice steady. “If you are willing to hire me, I want to serve our country again despite my age. Let me make a real difference.” The researcher on the other end of the line couldn’t contain their excitement. “Mind? Are you kidding? Having you on board would be incredible!” After submitting my application online, I finally hung up. Then, I just sat there, staring at the marriage certificate in my hands. My fingers trembled as I held it, the pain in my chest so sharp I could barely breathe. This was the marriage certificate of my husband, James, and his first love, Lily William. Several vacation photos fell out. The pictures told their whole love story, from their youth to their silver-haired days, capturing moments of love across countless destinations. At the bottom was a yellowed photo with a note scrawled on the back: [Trip to the mountain peak with my wife, Lily. James & Lily, July 1987.] My throat tightened as tears threatened to fall. My heart felt like it was being crushed in a vice grip. That was the same year James and I had decided to build a life together. I met James during our time working in the countryside. Back then, I knew about his first love, but he promised me over and over that he’d treat me right. “That’s all in the past,” he told me. “Emma Chase, you’re the one I want to grow old with.” He was so refined, a medical professor at Altheria University. In those days, life moved at a different pace. When people loved someone, it was usually for keeps. I never complained when he didn’t throw us a wedding reception or when he’d suddenly announced business trips right when we were supposed to get our marriage certificate. But I never imagined he’d already gotten married to Lily. That was why he couldn’t marry me legally. While I was stuck in the kitchen day after day, they were traveling across the country together, seeing all its wonders. From twenty to fifty, he kept this secret from me for thirty years. Suddenly, the door creaked open. It was Ryan Crawford, my son with James, coming home with his wife, Maya Crawford. As I looked at the child I carried for nine months and raised with all my heart, my eyes instantly welled up with tears. “Ryan,” I called out. Ryan froze when he saw me standing there, his eyes landing on the marriage certificate in my hands. “Mom, why do you have Dad and Lily’s marriage certificate?” Now, it was my turn to freeze. “What did you say?” Ryan’s tone stayed casual like it was nothing. “Dad locked it away because he was worried you’d make a scene. How’d you get it open? Come on, don’t mess it up, or Dad’s gonna be mad.” Listening to his impatient warning, I suddenly realized how much of a stranger my own son had become—this child I’d carried for ten months. Even Maya seemed completely unfazed like none of this was news to her. So, everyone except me knew James had already married Lily?

Ryan kept pushing, “Dad’s working the night shift today. You should hurry and bring him dinner. You know how serious he is about his health. Don’t want him getting stomach problems.” My back ached with every movement. No one knew I’d hit menopause just as I turned fifty. I got up slowly and carefully, grabbing the lunch box as I headed for the door. Thirty years of habit didn’t break easily. Just before the door closed, I heard my son and Maya complaining again. “Can’t do anything right. If I was Lily and Dad’s real kid, I’d be doing way better in life.” The words cut through my numbness from years of domestic drudgery, piercing my heart. But it was fine. Soon enough, I wouldn’t be around to bother him anymore. I headed to James’ office. The usual ten-minute walk took me thirty minutes this time. The moment I walked in, James started complaining, “What took you so long? Getting slow in your old age?” I looked up at him. He stood there, tall and well-built, with his gold-rimmed glasses. The years had only made him look more distinguished and refined. Meanwhile, I’d never gotten my figure back after having the baby. My clothes always carried that lingering smell of cooking oil that just wouldn’t go away. This time, I didn’t apologize like I usually would. Instead, I pulled out that yellowed marriage certificate and placed it in front of him. “Got anything to say about this?” James paused, putting down his newspaper. “A marriage certificate? What about it?” His casual tone left me speechless. For a moment, I realized just how pointless these years had been. “James, after lying to me all these years, don’t you feel even a little guilty? Don’t you think I deserve an explanation?” I couldn’t keep my voice from breaking. James’ expression softened as he took off his glasses and rubbed his temples. “We’ve spent most of our lives together anyway. A marriage certificate doesn’t really matter at this point. Once things slow down at work, I’ll take you somewhere nice, just the two of us.” I lowered my head to hide the pain in my eyes. Every year, I’d brought up the idea of taking a road trip together, but James always had an excuse—work was too busy, or something came up with the kids. Now, he was finally suggesting it himself, but it was too late. I would be gone soon. “Make sure you eat properly,” I said, dodging his suggestion. James froze, frowning at me suspiciously. I busied myself collecting his half-eaten lunch containers, slowly making my way out of his office. When I got home, Ryan and Maya were out for dinner, giving me some quiet time to myself. After washing the containers, I started packing my suitcase. But then it hit me—after thirty-five years, everything I owned couldn’t even fill one small suitcase. A wave of emptiness washed over me, and my nose started stinging with tears. I roughly wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and hauled the locked suitcase into the bedroom, my back aching with the effort. The next morning at five, I found myself preparing breakfast for everyone, like always. Sometimes, I wondered if being tired my whole life had just become a habit. Besides that, I made sure to clean up the kitchen and organize everything that needed storing. I even washed and ironed all the winter clothes. I hoped they’d find some use for all of this after I was gone. The sun was high in the sky when I heard the front door open. James was back, with Lily looking stunning by his side. When he saw the breakfast I’d laid out, he casually announced, like it was the most natural thing in the world, “Lily’s going to live with us from now on. This way, someone can look after her, and I won’t have to worry all the time.”

I looked over at Lily. She was wearing an expensive-looking dress with a fur coat that made my simple clothes look downright shabby in comparison. Ryan took a bite of his sandwich, his face lighting up. “Dad, that’s a great idea. I’ve been thinking Lily should move in with us for ages.” Everyone instantly agreed without bothering to ask what I thought about it. My fingers twisted into my apron. “James, we should break…” The word “break up” just wouldn’t come out of my mouth. It felt too embarrassing to say outright. So I pressed my lips together and tried again. “I should leave.” The whole living room went dead silent. Ryan jumped straight to accusations, his voice dripping with irritation. “Mom, what’s your problem now? Aren’t you way too old for this divorce drama?” Maya stood up and tried to guide me to a seat. “Emma, you must be tired. Come on. Sit down and eat something. We can talk this out, right?” But James just sat there on the couch, lit up a cigarette, and looked at me with cold eyes. “Emma, I’ve been too nice to you. What, you think you’ll still live like a rich housewife after leaving me?” Each comment felt like a knife to my heart. Rich housewife? Really? All these years, I’d had it worse than a housekeeper. At least they got paid for their work. What did I get? There was no respect from my family, not even a shred of honesty. Lily wrinkled her brow and pretended to wipe away the tears that didn’t exist. “I guess I shouldn’t have come. Looks like I’m just causing you all to fight.” She made a show of getting ready to leave. James put out his cigarette and stood up, grabbing her hand. “Going where? When I say you can stay, you stay, no questions asked.” Ryan chimed in with a reassuring smile, “Yeah, Lily, make yourself at home. Let’s go out and grab something nice to eat today.” They looked so cozy together, chatting and laughing like a perfect little family. Meanwhile, there I was, separated from them by an invisible wall that might as well have been a mile wide. They left in high spirits, their laughter trailing behind them. Just then, my phone pinged with a notification—my application to return to the research institute had been approved. A smile spread across my face. Just like that, all my worries seemed to melt away. Right on cue, someone from the institute called. After the usual congratulations, they got serious. “Ms. Chase, once you start researching here, you might not be able to go home much. Have you discussed this with your family?” I pressed my lips together, hesitating. They were still my family after all—thirty years of shared history, even if they barely cared about me. “I’ll get back to you tonight,” I said finally. After hanging up, I tried to stand, but a sudden spasm shot through my back, leaving me doubled over in pain. Years of running myself ragged without rest had caught up with me in the form of a herniated disc. I dragged myself out of the house after a long while, moving slowly. After picking up some medicated patches at the pharmacy, I was heading back to my apartment when I heard someone call out. “Hey, Emma!” I turned to see the head of OB-GYN from James’ hospital. “How are you feeling? Any better?” Back when I had Ryan, I hadn’t gotten proper postpartum care, which left me with all sorts of health issues. By the time I hit my late forties, I ended up with uterine prolapse and had to get a hysterectomy. During my hospital stay, James never once visited. The only calls I got from him were asking when I’d be discharged because no one was around to cook his meals or do his laundry. The memory still stung, but I managed a nod. “Much better. Thanks for asking.” I hurried home after our brief chat, my body aching with each step. After slapping on the patches, I crashed into bed. When I woke up, it was already dusk, and there was a commotion outside my room. As the door opened, I caught snippets about “wedding photos” and “honeymoon”. I froze. “Dad, you and Lily have been married for years,” Ryan was saying, sounding excited. “It’s about time you guys finally got those wedding photos done. Now you won’t have any regrets!” A massive wedding portrait dominated the living room. There was James in a black suit and Lily in a wedding dress, both beaming with joy. I stared at it, feeling the tears well up in my eyes as my heart shattered all over again. “Mom, perfect timing. Help us get these photos up to the bedroom,” Ryan called out to me. I stood frozen in place. For years, I’d dreamed of taking wedding photos with James, trying to make up for what we missed when we were young. But every time I brought it up, he’d brush it off like I was being ridiculous. It turned out I was just living in a fantasy world. James stubbed out his cigarette and jerked his chin toward the table. “There’s takeout and health supplements for you there. Don’t say nobody in this family cares about you.” He poked at the medicine bags on the coffee table with obvious disgust. “All you do is waste money. If you can’t earn any, at least learn to save some. How are you gonna help with the grandkids at this rate?” I felt pathetic. The bank notifications were still sitting in my phone, undeleted. All their expenses today—the wedding photos, meals, and entertainment—came from my retirement benefits. No one had ever bothered to ask where I got the money from. They just assumed I’d pocketed the living expenses James provided. The wedding photo hung above their bed in the master bedroom, both of them beaming with joy. Their happiness felt like a mockery of my misery, a cruel reminder that I was destined to be their servant forever. In the living room, they were still chatting about vacation plans, deliberately leaving me out of the conversation. I was done holding onto false hopes. So I opened the text from the research institute and replied: [No need to tell them. I’ll report in soon.]   I quietly went to my room and started packing my belongings into a woven bag. The noise caught their attention. Ryan’s lips curled in annoyance as he looked at me. “Mom, aren’t you tired of acting like the victim all the time? You’re making it seem like we’re abusing you or something.” I ignored him and kept packing. Suddenly, Ryan snatched the bag and hurled it against the wall, scattering clothes all over the floor. “Can’t you read the room?” he shouted. “Why are you trying to butt in on our vacation? Haven’t you caused enough drama already?” The living room went dead silent. I stared at Ryan through a haze, tears blurring my vision. I’d raised him and devoted decades of my life to him without a moment’s rest. And this was what I got in return—a son I’d have been better off never having. James cleared his throat and pulled out his phone. “Whatever. I’ll get you a ticket. You can head out early and meet us at the airport.” He made a show of booking me a train ticket to Emerald Island. My whole body went rigid. There was no way James didn’t know what a nightmare that journey would be—the train ride, then having to take a ferry across the water. They’d be flying first class while sticking me with a thirty-six-hour train ride. His message was crystal clear—he wanted me to be their free vacation nanny. A wave of bitterness and hurt washed over me. I snatched the phone and smashed it against the floor. “James, how much longer are you going to play me for a fool? We were never really married. I don’t owe you or your family anything.” I spun around and pointed at Ryan, fury burning in my chest. “And you. Did I carry you for nine months just to hear you call someone else Mom? You keep saying I’m obsessed with that marriage certificate, but you don’t get it. Without it, you’re nothing but an illegitimate child.” Ryan’s face dropped as the words hit him, his mind struggling to process what he’d just heard. All the emotions I’d been bottling up finally exploded. At that moment, I just needed to get everything off my chest. But before I could say another word, a hand cracked across my face. The force sent me sprawling to the ground. I slowly turned my head to look up. James loomed over me, breathing hard, his face dark with rage. “If you want to lose it, get the hell out of here. You know you’re nothing but an outsider without that marriage certificate, so just go. You’ve got no right to judge my wife and son.” I stared at him, unblinking. Our eyes locked, and there was nothing left but pure hatred between us. “Oh dear,” Lily chirped, rushing forward to guide James back to his seat. “James, calm down. Emma’s just upset. It’s normal for her to be a little emotional.” She turned to me with a condescending look on her face. “Emma, I hate to say this, but why are you making such a huge deal over a marriage certificate? It’s just a piece of paper. “You don’t need to worry about me stealing James away. We’ve lived most of our lives already—we can still have a good life without all this drama.” She patted my shoulder as she spoke. That was when I noticed the diamond bracelet on her wrist. My heart stopped. It was the expensive piece of jewelry I’d bought for Maya when Ryan got married. I’d spent every penny of my savings on it. Maya had always been stingy, never giving away her things easily. Yet here it was, wrapped around Lily’s wrist. If that wasn’t proof that Maya and Ryan had accepted Lily, I didn’t know what was. I looked up at Maya, but she quickly averted her eyes when our gazes met. I let out a bitter laugh and struggled to get up. Everyone just stood there, watching me coldly. God, I felt pathetic. It took until the end of my life to realize that everything I’d done for them—all those years of sacrifice—had gotten me absolutely nothing in return. I guess this was karma. And honestly, I probably deserved it. It was time I lived for myself. I turned around and walked straight out the door, not even bothering to grab my luggage. Behind me, James’ irritated voice rang out. “Hurry up and pack. Change the tickets to tonight. I’m sick of dealing with all this drama at home.” I didn’t break my stride. Once I got outside the complex, I immediately dialed the research institute. “Hello, I’ll be coming to the institute tonight.” Thirty minutes later, I was in a military vehicle, passing right by James’ car and going the other way.

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The night before my wedding to Kayden Crawford, I committed suicide. When news of my death broke, it sent shockwaves through everyone who knew me because I had been the adopted daughter of the Crawford family. My adoptive parents adored me, and my adoptive brother Kayden loved me even more. We got engaged when I turned 18, and soon after, my adoptive parents transferred all their shares to me. Everyone envied my good fortune. Without lifting a finger, I was already worth hundreds of billions and basked in admiration. But when my suicide note was made public, everyone went crazy. ***** On the third day after my death, Kayden finally showed up at the mental hospital to see me. He stood at the doorway of the basement, yelling, “Lainey, you’ve been trying so hard to get me to marry you, haven’t you? “Now that I’m here to pick you up for the wedding, you’re hiding away from everyone. What do you think I am?” Silence was the only answer he received. Kayden had no idea that I was standing right in front of him in the form of a soul. I had died the night before my wedding to my adoptive brother. He claimed that my love for him was a twisted obsession, a mental illness, and instructed his secretary, Sophie Porter, to have me committed to this mental hospital. The dead only added fuel to the fire, saying, “Mr. Crawford, Ms. Simpson has been refusing treatment and bullying other patients, so we have no choice but to keep her locked up.” His assistant, Jacob, couldn’t help but retort, “Mr. Crawford, you watched Ms. Simpson grow up; she has never been unreasonable…” Kayden cut him off with a sneer, “She dared to climb into my bed and force me to marry her. Isn’t that unreasonable?” Jacob fell silent, lost for words. I floated beside him, wanting to shout that he had it all wrong. I hadn’t drugged him that night. I had simply gone to pick him up as usual, and he had pushed me into the backseat of the car and taken advantage of me. But now, he couldn’t hear any of my explanations. Kayden’s expression darkened, and he barked, “Open the door!” With a loud creak, the rusty iron door swung open. The next moment, everyone froze at the sight before them. On the white wall, in blood, were scrawled words like “Save me” and “I’m not a bitch.” It was a horrifying sight. Kayden’s cold demeanor faltered for just an instant as he turned to the dean, asking, “What is this?” Panic-stricken, the dean explained, “Mr. Crawford, this is Ms. Simpson’s usual tactic. She often resorts to suicide to force us to open the door, claiming she just loves you and wants to come out and find you.” Kayden’s eyes darkened further with fury. “Lainey Simpson…” With that, he strode deeper into the basement, but the further he went, the more bloodstains appeared on the walls, and the messages grew increasingly frantic. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the entire wall was covered with the words, “I want to die.” Kayden became even more convinced that I was merely putting on an act. He scoffed, “She wants to die just over such a trivial matter? She always plays the victim!” I hovered beside him, feeling my soul tremble. Kayden, I was really dead. When I was sent to this mental hospital, he severed all my ties to the outside world, insisting I reflect on my actions. But the very next day, the hospital staff informed me that Kayden had ordered them to “correct my distorted thoughts.” So, I went from being a devoted sister to a prisoner in a facility. I was confined to the basement, shackled for 24 hours a day. I was forced to eat the leftovers discarded by the hospital staff. And my so-called attending physician was truly a monster. He would sneak into the basement every night, forcing me to kneel and crawl on the floor like a dog. He would prick me with needles, forbidding me from making a sound, or else I’d be subjected to electric therapy the next day. At first, I thought about reaching out to Kayden for help. But when I sneaked into the dean’s office to call him, he dismissed my pleas. He said, “Lainey, you need to know when to stop lying. Which doctor would dare touch the daughter of the Simpson family? Since you refuse to admit your mistakes, you should remain here.” As the busy signal echoed in my ears, despair washed over me. The doctor and the dean looking for me quickly arrived. I was electrocuted for a day and a night, and then they restrained me and tossed me into a car. Only then did I realize they intended to sell me for my kidneys. Before entering that second hell, I chose to jump from the car on the highway. As I hit the ground, a truck barreled toward me… As I resurfaced from my memories, Jacob had violently broken the lock of the basement door, and Kayden kicked it open. “Enough of the tricks, Lainey!” he shouted angrily. But then his voice trailed off, and everyone else gasped at the sight inside. The cramped space was a makeshift bathroom filled with a foul stench, and I was nowhere to be found. The floor was covered in blood, and the bathtub was filled with thick, blackened blood.

I trailed behind Kayden, following his gaze. Everything was bloody. He was usually a total neat freak, but right now, surprise was the only expression on his face. The scene before us was indeed chilling. Kayden’s pricey leather shoes crunched over blood, and the nauseating stench didn’t seem to bother him at all. He frowned at the dean, his voice icy. “She lives here? Where is she?” Sweat dripped from the dean’s forehead. “Mr. Crawford, Ms. Simpson has threatened us with this kind of stunt before, saying that if we don’t let her see you, she’ll end her life here. “But there was a power outage at the hospital last night, and Ms. Simpson might have seized that chance to escape.” My anger surged, shaking me to my very core. I drifted in front of the dean and the group of doctors, my eyes burning with rage. “Kayden, they’re lying! They’re all lying to you!” my soul screamed. It was clear they were just trying to cover up the truth about my accident. They had transported my freshly deceased body back to the hospital and harvested my organs before they could decompose. Those nightmares replayed in my mind. Even as a spirit, I still felt fear and cold. Jacob, unable to watch any longer, tentatively asked, “Mr. Crawford, has something really happened to Ms. Simpson? Should I call the police…” But Kayden believed the dean’s words and snorted coldly, “How could something happen to her? She’s such a drama queen. She cried at the slightest bump or bruise, and now, she’s pulling this stunt just for attention.” He narrowed his eyes, scanning the area with a mocking smile on his lips. “She’s really playing her cards now, thinking she can fool everyone. Too bad no one knows her better than I do.” Kayden stormed out of the basement, instructing Jacob to gather a search party. “Search thoroughly. You must bring her to me today, even if you have to turn Kingburgh upside down. “Sophie is right. Lainey didn’t show up at the wedding because she’s determined to make the Crawford family a laughingstock in Kingburgh.” His harsh words shattered my heart. He had locked me away in this hell and ignored my existence, only to look for me now out of fear that I would bring shame to his family? I had thought that no matter how cruelly he treated me, there would still be some lingering feelings for me deep down. From the time I was five until I turned 18, he had dominated my world. That was why I had fallen for him uncontrollably. I had kept my feelings hidden away, but that night, Kayden hugged me and repeated, “Lainey” and “I love you” over and over again. I finally mustered the courage to confess my love the next day. However, Kayden had scolded me, wearing a sinister expression, claiming I had a twisted mind for daring to seduce my adoptive brother. Later, Sophie had told me, “Ms. Simpson, you’re Kayden’s adoptive sister. You shouldn’t have those kinds of feelings.” What had happened that night was exposed and his parents had decided to let us get engaged. During our two years of engagement, Kayden had remained distant and repulsed by me, while growing closer to Sophie. I didn’t know what Sophie had told him, but two months before the wedding, I’d been forcibly sent to this mental hospital. Was it really so wrong to fall in love with him? Kayden waited in the dean’s office for an hour. Jacob rushed back in, reporting, “Mr. Crawford, the surveillance cameras on the nearby streets were destroyed three days ago, but someone saw a van leaving the mental hospital late at night. “Ms. Simpson may have been taken away. If we call the police and trace the vehicle, we’ll surely find her.” Kayden sneered, “It seems my lesson for Lainey wasn’t enough. She staged her own kidnapping and fooled all of you! “Freeze her assets and lock down Kingburgh. Let’s see where she thinks she can hide!” With that, he kicked a chair over in frustration and stormed out. My heart sank. I wanted to cry, but as a soul, I had no tears. Kayden, if you knew I was dead, would you still think this way?

Kayden left the mental hospital, and my soul followed beside him. As soon as we got into the car, his mother, Natalie Crawford, called. “Kayden, the wedding is about to start. Why haven’t you brought Lainey back yet?” Kayden hesitated momentarily before replying, “Something came up. We’ll be there soon.” I sat on the other side of the seat, watching as Kayden picked up his phone multiple times, only to put it down in annoyance. When we returned to the wedding venue, as soon as he stepped out of the car, a woman with long curly hair in a professional suit rushed over. “Kayden, you’re back!” Kayden’s expression softened, and he gently took her arm, saying, “Slow down. Don’t be so hasty.” Sophie pouted playfully, letting out a small snort. Seeing how intimate they were, I quickly looked away. Kayden’s tenderness had once been mine, but since Sophie had entered the picture, she had gradually taken everything from me. “Kayden, did Ms. Simpson still refuse to come back? Is she still upset that we sent her for treatment?” Sophie’s eyes glistened as she feigned guilt and annoyance. Kayden reassured her, “It’s not your fault. Lainey is simply ungrateful. When she returns, I’ll make sure she apologizes to you. I’ve sent someone to look for her, so don’t worry.” With that, he took Sophie into the venue. In front of the dressing room, Kayden casually asked, “Sophie, did Lainey ever talk about her time in the mental hospital with you over the past few months?” Sophie avoided his gaze, looking guilty. “No, I chose that hospital because I heard the staff were very responsible. Kayden, what’s going on?” Kayden replied, “Lainey was playing the victim in the basement, leaving blood everywhere. But there’s nothing a manipulative person like her wouldn’t do.” Sophie forced a smile. I clenched my fists, whispering urgently in Kayden’s ear, “She’s lying to you! She’s the one who sent me there! You can’t trust her!” But no one could hear my voice. Even if Kayden had, it was useless because he no longer believed me. When Kayden entered the reception room dressed in a suit and tie, he noticed the guests who had just expressed their congratulations now wore uneasy expressions, as if they were hesitant to speak. I sat in the front row, watching the wedding I had always dreamed of and the man I loved most. But Kayden kept checking his phone, a frown etched on his face. Suddenly, his phone rang, and I saw Jacob’s name on the screen. As soon as he answered, Jacob’s panicked voice came through. “Mr. Crawford, I found Ms. Simpson, but…” Kayden scoffed derisively, “I’ve already agreed to marry her. How long is she going to keep this charade up? “Put Lainey on the phone.” Jacob fell silent for a long moment before stammering, “Three days ago, Ms. Simpson was dismembered and dumped in the sewer.” Kayden’s expression froze. Jacob continued, “Her body was recovered yesterday, and the DNA results are in. It’s all over the news in the city. “Mr. Crawford, Ms. Simpson is dead.”

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For our tenth wedding anniversary, my husband, Edward Collins, lit up the entire city with fireworks just for me. The neon lights of skyscrapers sparkled with his grand proclamation of love: [Emma, I will love you forever.] Our love was the envy of everyone—a romance so dazzling that the whole city knew our names. Every year, on my birthday, he’d charter a private yacht. On ordinary days, it was endless flowers and thoughtful gifts. To the world, I was the luckiest woman alive. But only I knew the truth. It was all for show—for her, the one who got away. Just hours ago, I found something in the inner pocket of Edward’s suit jacket—a carefully laminated photograph of him and his first love, taken ten years ago. On the back, in his unmistakable handwriting, were the words: [My one true love.] Ten years of what I thought was true love turned out to be nothing more than a cruel joke. Without a word, I left divorce papers on his desk, packed our child’s things, and walked out of the Collins villa. But after I was gone, Edward lost his mind. ***** I slid the photo back into his pocket, my fingers trembling. It was old, worn at the edges, but carefully laminated as if the owner had cherished it all these years. My chest tightened as I stared at my phone, typing the name “Amelia Moore” into the search bar. She was a travel blogger with a decent following, living abroad for years. She was also Edward’s first love. He had loved her deeply, and after she left the country, they hadn’t been in touch—or so I thought. The suit jacket where I’d found the photo? It was a custom anniversary gift we’d just ordered last week. The photo couldn’t have been placed there long ago. Scrolling through Amelia’s latest post, I saw her caption: [It’s been ten years. Don’t I deserve to chase my happiness too?] Beneath her words was a picture of a plane ticket back to the country. The date? Today. My vision blurred. My knees nearly buckled. I had married Edward, thinking that he’d let go of his past. For ten years, we lived what I thought was a perfect love—attentive, harmonious, like newlyweds. Now I realized he’d never truly moved on. Why? “Emma? What’s on your mind?” Edward’s familiar voice pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see him holding a bag of desserts, tilting his head as he smiled at me, “Are you feeling lightheaded again? I stopped by the bakery and got your favorite.” He walked over and took my hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His eyes flickered to the suit in my hands. “Why are you doing this yourself? You could’ve asked one of the servants.” With a practiced nonchalance, he took the suit from me and hung it neatly on the rack. In that split second, I caught him glancing at the inner pocket. The relief on his face when he saw the photo still there was subtle but unmistakable. My heart sank deeper. Edward led me to the couch, frowning slightly. “Why are your hands so cold? Did you catch a chill last night?” I shook my head wordlessly, my mind in turmoil. Last night, Edward had orchestrated a city-wide spectacle of fireworks, declaring his love for me to the entire world. For a brief, shining moment, I’d believed I was the happiest woman alive. Now I knew the truth. Even as he proclaimed his eternal love for me, he kept a picture of his first love—right next to his heart. Overnight, I went from being on top to hitting rock bottom. Edward opened the dessert box and handed me a fork, his usual gentleness on full display. Before I could take a bite, his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at the screen and declined the call in one swift motion. The flicker of hesitation in his eyes didn’t escape me. “Who was that?” I asked softly. His response came smoothly as if he’d rehearsed it a hundred times. “Just the new manager at work—doesn’t know better than to call at this hour.” Edward smiled at me, his gaze filled with the same affection that used to make my heart flutter, “Off the clock, my priority is spending time with my wife.” Once, that smile had been my world. Now, it only made me sick. When his phone screen lit up earlier, I’d glimpsed the contact’s name—”My Love”. Edward was a man of precision—his phonebook was filled with full names, formal and exact. I’d teased him countless times to change my name to something more endearing, but he’d always refused, saying it would confuse his contacts. It wasn’t that he couldn’t. I just wasn’t special enough. How many of these sweet temptations have I fallen for? The phone rang again. Edward flinched, his fingers tightening as he ended the call. His restless gaze drifted to the window, where snow had begun to fall. He was growing impatient. Amelia was waiting for him at the airport. When the phone buzzed a third time, I finally spoke. “Eddie, if it’s urgent, you should go. Don’t keep them waiting.” He froze, studying my expression carefully. When I didn’t push further, his shoulders relaxed. Grabbing a tissue, he leaned down to gently wipe the corner of my mouth. “I’ll just pop into the office. I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget to have the nanny prepare a nutritious dinner for Harper.” Such a considerate husband. Even when leaving, he remembered to care for our child. I clenched my fists, the pain grounding me. It was this meticulous care that had blinded me for ten long years, hiding the truth that was now so clear. I watched Edward leave. His hurried steps were rare. Few things ever rattled his composure. Scooping a forkful of cake into my mouth, I let the sweetness melt on my tongue. But instead of comfort, it turned bitter. It used to be my favorite bakery, but somehow, the cake tasted bitter today. Maybe it was just me—my mood must’ve changed. I sat on the couch until it got dark, the dishes on the table left untouched and cold. My phone stayed silent the whole time. I guessed Edward really was “busy”. I walked into Harper’s room and knelt by her bed, tears falling as I gazed at her peaceful face. Upstairs, I opened the drawer where I kept our documents. The marriage certificate stared back at me, the embossed date mocking me. With trembling fingers, I picked up the phone and dialed. “Hello, I’d like to file for divorce.”

That night, I slept in Harper’s room. I didn’t know what time Edward came home. All I remembered was someone tucking the blanket over me and pressing a kiss on my forehead. The heavy scent of perfume on him was suffocating, enough to make me cough in my sleep. By morning, the snow had piled high outside. Once woken, I couldn’t fall back asleep, so I sat in the living room until dawn. My head was heavy, and though Edward sliced the breakfast toast neatly, I couldn’t bring myself to eat. Looking up, I noticed a rare smile tugging at his lips. He seemed to be in an unusually good mood. Meeting my gaze, Edward spoke, “Emma, I booked the top floor of the downtown hotel for tonight.” I frowned. Hadn’t we just held an event there two days ago? Seeing my confusion, Edward explained effortlessly, “Harper’s seventh birthday is coming up. I thought we could celebrate early.” I said nothing. I had originally planned to send Harper back to my hometown today. But hearing Edward’s words, she was so thrilled I couldn’t bear to disappoint her. So, I nodded. The downtown top-floor venue required reservations far in advance. For Edward to secure it on a whim, he must have shelled out a hefty sum. But for what purpose? When we arrived at the venue, I finally understood. The massive screens displayed photo after photo of our little family, brimming with sweetness. Every guest marveled at our perfect love story, praising us as a model couple. Listening to the familiar compliments, I looked at the corner. It was Amelia. Dressed in a simple white gown, she sat quietly in the shadows. Her eyes were swollen red as if she had spent the entire night crying. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. I finally understood Edward’s intent. Two grand celebrations in quick succession, flaunting his devotion to his wife and child—It was all to provoke Amelia. Her doe-like eyes were fixed on Edward, brimming with heartbreak, making her look utterly pitiable. And yet, Edward held Harper in his arms, not sparing Amelia a single glance. Amelia’s trembling hands clutched the hem of her dress, her grief barely contained. Clearly, Edward’s plan was working. I clung to Edward’s arm, my dizziness growing. It seemed I had caught a cold after all. Tugging at his sleeve gently, I gestured to let him know I wanted to rest. Edward turned, his gaze accidentally brushing past Amelia in the corner. His broad shoulders stiffened for a fleeting moment, his calm mask slipping. But he quickly steadied himself. He gripped my hand and led me to the lounge. Seated with Harper on his lap, his eyes kept straying toward Amelia’s direction. It was only a matter of time before he lost control. I closed my eyes to rest, but it wasn’t long before the host’s voice echoed through the hall, calling for the birthday girl to cut the cake. Instinctively reaching out, I realized Edward was no longer by my side. Harper tugged at my dress, her small voice filled with curiosity. “Where’s Daddy?” I patted her head, taking her hand as we walked onto the stage. When the host asked about Edward, I simply smiled, “No need to wait. He won’t be joining us.” After cutting the cake and watching Harper run off with the other children, I felt lightheaded. The room was too stifling. Stepping out the back door into the garden, I took a deep breath, letting the cold air soothe me. But then I heard Edward’s voice. “You left me. Now you’re playing the victim—what’s the point?” A woman’s voice answered sharply, “Edward, you bastard. You promised you’d wait for me forever.” Edward laughed softly, his tone cold, “I have wealth and status, Amelia. The last thing I need is another woman. You saw tonight—I’m doing just fine without you.” There was a stunned silence, followed by a bitter laugh from Amelia. “You mean her? Emma and her daughter? Edward, be honest with yourself—do you even love them?” Silence stretched between them, heavy and unbroken. Then, without warning, Amelia stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. In the falling snow, Edward didn’t pull away. Instead, he gently wrapped his arm around her waist. They embraced like lovers, reuniting after years apart. It wasn’t until snowflakes dotted my hair that I realized I had been standing there, frozen. My hands felt so cold that they were nearly numb. Slowly, I pulled out my phone and dialed Edward’s number. The ringtone echoed for a long time before he finally picked up. “Where are you?” I asked softly. Still holding Amelia, Edward’s ears were flushed red, but his tone was flawless. “I spilled some wine on my suit and went to clean up in the changing room. Emma, stay put—I’ll come find you in a bit.” My breath misted in the cold air as I stared at their entwined silhouettes. My heart felt like it was freezing solid. “Edward,” I whispered, “turn around.”

The two of them, tightly entwined, froze in place. When Edward turned and saw me, he instinctively shoved Amelia away with force. Amelia stumbled, falling to the ground, staring up at him in disbelief. Edward staggered toward me, panic etched on his face. I ended the call and turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist. “Emma, it’s not what it looks like,” he stammered, his voice trembling. “I wasn’t… She and I aren’t—” I lowered my gaze and cut him off softly. “No need to explain, Edward. I’m tired.” His desperate attempts to hold me back only deepened my exhaustion. I should’ve let go the moment I saw the photos. But I’d stubbornly dragged myself to this humiliating moment instead. “Behind us, Amelia sat on the ground, her voice trembling as she called out to him, “”Eddie…””” Hearing her utter that nickname awakened a long-buried memory in me. When we were newlyweds, Edward used to hold me close, nuzzling into my neck as he pleaded over and over, “Emma, call me Eddie from now on, won’t you?” I’d been too shy back then, refusing no matter how much he begged. I never understood why he adored such a childish name. At the time, I’d thought it was his special way of cherishing me. Now, I realized—it was Amelia who liked it. Edward turned to look at Amelia, still on the ground. Surprise flickered across his face before being replaced by an unmistakable tenderness. But his hand remained firmly on mine, torn between the two of us. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and faced me. “Emma, just listen to me—I can explain. It’s not what you think.” I stared at him silently. The more I stayed quiet, the more flustered he became. “Emma, don’t do this, okay? I… I can’t lose you.” The moment he said that, Amelia’s face turned ashen. I lifted my eyes to meet Edward’s evasive gaze. “Edward,” I said, my voice calm yet deliberate. “A lie repeated a thousand times—aren’t you afraid you’ll start believing it yourself?” Edward froze, the meaning of my words clearly sinking in. For a brief moment, his face was blank with confusion. I gently pushed his hand away and walked over to Amelia, helping her to her feet. She looked at me, her eyes filled with bewilderment. She was stunning in a way that was completely different from me. It wasn’t hard to see why Edward had held onto her in his heart for so many years. I took her hand and placed it in Edward’s. Looking up at him, I forced a faint smile. “Don’t make the wrong choice this time.” My chest ached, but I turned and staggered back through the rear door, leaving them behind. As soon as I stepped inside, my legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. That night, I burned with a high fever. Edward stayed by my bedside, silent and pensive. It seemed my words earlier had struck a nerve. He clasped my hand against his forehead, his voice trembling as he pleaded, “Emma, give me another chance, please. I can’t lose you.” I opened my eyes weakly, looking at him. It was like seeing the young man from ten years ago, kneeling on one knee, proposing to me. Back then, I’d thought life was long, and I had all the time in the world to make him love me. Looking back now, I realized I’d lost from the very start. When he noticed I was awake, Edward’s eyes widened in relief. “Emma, you’re awake! How are you feeling?” Even now, he was still keeping up his act of care and concern. He was so absorbed in his performance that he’d likely convinced even himself. I couldn’t summon the strength to lift my eyelids fully. My voice was hoarse as I replied, “Edward, I forgive you. I’m not leaving.” If he wanted to act, I’d play along until the very end. A flicker of joy flashed in his eyes, but before he could speak, his phone rang. The name on the screen was glaringly familiar. Edward glanced at me awkwardly before picking up the call. “Eddie, I hurt my foot and didn’t bring my ID. Can you come to the hospital?” Amelia’s voice was calm and unhurried, clearly unbothered by the supposed “emergency”. She had no doubt about her place in Edward’s heart. She must’ve known I was sick and needed care, yet she’d chosen to call now. It was deliberate. I didn’t even need to guess how Edward would respond. Sure enough, he shot up from his chair, his voice filled with urgency. “Emma, she just got back to the country. It’s hard for her to handle things alone. And she’s only hurt because of me. I’ll just go check on her quickly.” The excuse was flawless as if he’d completely forgotten I was lying there with a raging fever. I let out a soft “Mm,” too drained to argue. “Go ahead.” “After he left, I grabbed my phone and booked a flight for 2 p.m. the next day. Then, I asked the housekeeper to bring me the divorce papers that had arrived yesterday. Without hesitation, I signed my name in the bottom-right corner.”

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“Ms. Hayes, are you absolutely sure you want to sign up for the first wave of cryogenic preservation? Your personal records will be completely wiped; legally, you’ll cease to exist,” the technician explained. I nodded without hesitation. “I’m sure.” “Alright then. The cryo-pod is scheduled to launch into space in seven days. You’ll be brought back and thawed only when medical technology advances enough to cure your terminal illness. We’re looking at about fifty years.” The technician was jotting down my name when he suddenly froze. “Wait… Your name is Angel Hayes?” Everyone knew about Angel, the beloved wife of Lucas Shaw, Harborcrest’s wealthiest man. Ignoring his shocked expression, I gave another cool nod. “Yes. Let’s get to the signing.” After ten years of marriage to Lucas Shaw, I thought I had it all. He treated me like a queen and showered me with affection every night, but we never had children. The day I was diagnosed with a terminal illness, my perfect world shattered. I discovered he had another “family” with my sister—complete with a six-year-old son. That was when the truth came out. He’d been secretly slipping birth control into my soup every single day. All that love was just smoke and mirrors. It was time to wake up from this fairy tale. After signing those papers, there was no way he would ever find me again in this vast city. ***** I walked down the street clutching my terminal diagnosis papers while the Shaw Group’s jewelry ad glowed on the billboard overhead. “Mr. Shaw, we heard this diamond was your personal design, created to commemorate your love story with your wife. Is it true there’s only one in existence?” asked the interviewer. On screen, Lucas’ face softened with tenderness. “That’s right. I named it ‘Angel’s Heart’. It represents my wife’s name and symbolizes her unique place in my heart.” The video went viral, with everyone gushing about Lucas’ undying devotion to love. But I was the only one who knew he was lying through his teeth. I opened Twitter to see Esther Blake’s latest post. Esther: [Leon got to spend another day with Daddy at the amusement park today! The one he built just for me—I’m so blessed!] She’d posted photos of herself and her son at Moonriver, the biggest amusement park in town. There she was, beaming at the camera, wearing an Angel’s Heart ring on her finger—identical to the one on my hand. The comments were brutal. [This chick is so desperate to be Mrs. Shaw, she’s even copying the ring? Everyone knows Mr. Shaw built Moonriver for his wife, Angel. Know your place!] Esther fired back: [Angel? Please. That ring of hers is made from my leftover materials. She’s nothing.] My legs went weak. It felt like someone had their hand around my heart, squeezing until I couldn’t breathe. Esther and I were half-sisters. She kept her mom’s last name, Blake. She’d only returned to the Hayes family five years ago, bringing along her eighteen-month-old son. If I hadn’t stumbled across her account a week ago, I never would have figured it out. That mysterious father of her son was actually my husband. The winter wind cut through me like a knife, but it was nothing compared to the ice in my heart. Lucas… who was the real woman in your heart—me, or my sister Esther? When I got home, there was a small strawberry cake sitting on the table. Lucas was in the kitchen wearing an apron and cooking dinner. He smiled when he saw me come in. “Heard the girls at the office talking about this place, so I grabbed you a slice too.” After ten years of marriage, he still tried to keep the romance alive, just like when we first started dating. I stared at the slightly stale piece of cake, fighting back the bitter feeling rising in my chest. In Esther’s lovey-dovey post yesterday, there was a whole gorgeous cake. Her caption read: [Our kid is already six, but hubby still knows how to make things special. Though this cake is way too big, I can’t possibly finish it!] Even with the heat cranked up all the way, I couldn’t shake the chill that had settled into my bones. Lucas came out with the soup, looking worried, when he noticed I hadn’t touched the cake. “Angel, you feeling okay?” He carefully blew on a spoonful of soup before holding it up to my lips. “You must’ve gotten so cold on your way back. I really should’ve picked you up, but work was crazy today.” There was a cutesy pin on his collar—obviously a freebie from the amusement park. My heart clenched painfully at the sight. Looking at the bowl of soup laced with birth control, I lowered my eyes, my voice trembling. “Lucas, do I really have to drink this?” Lucas’ expression flickered with surprise, but he shut me down without missing a beat. “Of course you do. You’re not exactly in top shape. This will help get your body back on track.” He placed his hand on my flat stomach, his voice going soft. “Come on, baby. Don’t we both want a little one of our own?” I bit my lip hard. Anyone hearing this would think Lucas was the perfect, doting husband. I used to believe it, too. I thought all his running around getting me medicine was actually about improving my health. I clutched the medical report tighter in my hand as I swallowed the soup. Lucas finally looked satisfied. When his phone rang, he caught the caller ID and shot me a quick, shifty glance. “Work call. Gotta take this. Make sure you finish your medicine, okay?” He rushed to the balcony, but the glass door didn’t quite shut. His voice drifted back through the gap. “How many times do I have to tell you not to call when Angel’s home!” He paused for a beat before continuing, “Stop being so needy. I spent the last two nights at your place. Wasn’t that enough? “Fine, fine. I’ll definitely make it to Leon’s parent-child activity tomorrow.” I looked down at the poorly crafted ring on my finger and slowly pulled it off. Then, I dumped every last drop of that soup in the trash… along with any love I had left for him.

The next morning, I got a call from the hospital. “Ms. Hayes, you need to start chemotherapy as soon as possible. We can’t delay treatment any longer. Should we notify Mr. Shaw?” “No need,” I replied flatly. “I’m choosing to stop treatment. Don’t tell Lucas anything.” After hanging up, I checked my phone and saw Lucas’ message from a few hours ago: [Headed to work. Don’t forget breakfast. I’m getting off early tonight to celebrate your birthday with you.] My eyes darkened. Lucas could say whatever he wanted, but Esther’s Twitter was already flooded with photos of him at some parent-child event. Dinner time had come and gone. The food on the table was stone cold by the time Lucas finally showed up. And, of course, Esther was right behind him, carrying Leon. “Esther said it was your birthday and wanted to celebrate with you. Since we’re all family, I figured I’d bring her along.” I just stared at him silently. Back then, he used to hate having anyone else around on my birthday. He’d always wanted it to be just the two of us. But I guess after spending so much time in someone else’s arms, he couldn’t even be bothered to pretend anymore. Noticing my mood, Lucas began, “Angel…” Before he could finish, Leon squirmed out of Esther’s arms and kicked over the potted plant beside him. The potted plant shattered across the floor, dirt and broken pieces scattering everywhere. He stuck his tongue out at me with a nasty smirk. “You old hag! That’s what you get for trying to steal my daddy!” “What are you talking about?” I snapped, my voice cold. Leon’s face crumpled as he burst into loud, dramatic sobs. Esther quickly scooped him up, giving me a wounded look. “Angel, he’s just a little kid. He doesn’t know any better. Please don’t be mad. I’ll apologize to him!” She started to drop to her knees, but Lucas grabbed her arm to stop her, his brows furrowed. “Angel, come on. It’s just a plant. I’ll buy you a new one, okay? Don’t be so hard on a kid.” Was it just a plant? I stared at him in disbelief. He knew exactly what that plant meant to me. My mom had entrusted it to me on her deathbed. For ten years, I’d carefully tended to it, keeping a piece of her alive with me. “Whatever,” I said, my voice going flat. As I turned to head back to my room, I caught a flicker of panic across Lucas’ face. But he didn’t follow me. I let out a bitter laugh. What else was there to understand? Esther slipped in front of me, deliberately tugging her collar aside to reveal the trail of hickeys across her skin. “You know why Lucas missed your birthday today? He was at my son’s parent-child event instead. Still think you’re the one he loves most?” Looking at her smug face made my blood boil. “Esther, I’m not interested in your nonsense,” I said. I tried to move past her into the house, but she grabbed my wrist. “Leon is mine and Lucas’ child. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get out of this place right now.” My wrist hurt from her grip, but I kept my face blank. “You should tell that to Lucas. The moment he asks for a divorce, I’ll be happy to let you two be together.” Esther’s face darkened. “You’re such a pathetic woman, desperately clinging to a man who doesn’t even love you,” she hissed. “So what if you’re his wife? Leon will be his only child forever. Any baby you try to have will die if I don’t want it to exist.” She leaned in close to my ear, her voice chilling. “You want to know what really happened to your baby? Lucas gave you those pills because I told him to.” Her words hit me like a thunderbolt, making my head spin. I’d suspected she was behind the birth control pills, but I never imagined Lucas would actually kill our baby for her. Five years ago, I lost my four-month-old pregnancy without warning. I cried for days, blaming myself for not taking better care of the baby. Lucas seemed so heartbroken then. He stayed by my side constantly, taking me on trips to help me heal. But now I knew the truth—it was all just guilt. My chest felt unbearably tight like someone was squeezing my heart in a death grip. Before I could even process what was happening, Esther grabbed my hand and used it to slap herself hard across the face. Then, she burst into dramatic sobs. “Angel, please don’t hit me! I’m sorry, I was wrong!” Lucas came running into the room. When he saw the red mark on Esther’s face, he shot me an icy glare. “Angel Hayes, when did you become so petty? She’s your own sister!” He didn’t even give me a chance to explain. He just wrapped his arm around Esther and walked out without looking back. As they left, Esther turned her head to give me one last look—a mix of triumph and mockery in her eyes. I tasted iron in my throat and then violently coughed up blood before everything went black.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying in the research facility. “Ms. Hayes, we were trying to reach you for your pre-freezing checkup. When our staff couldn’t contact you and found you unconscious at home, we took the liberty of bringing you back here.” It was ironic. On my birthday, my husband of ten years left me for dead. Yet here I was, saved by a research facility I was only connected to through a piece of paper. “Ms. Hayes, your condition is critical. We’ll need to start the cryogenic process sooner than planned.” I realized I had breathing tubes in my nose and bandages wrapped around my hands. Closing my eyes briefly, I asked in a raspy voice, “How long do I have?” “One day left.” “I have unfinished business.” I pulled off the breathing mask and got out of bed, ignoring the searing pain in my organs. “I’ll be back tomorrow night, on time.” The staff exchanged glances before nodding sympathetically. “Going to say goodbye to Mr. Shaw? You must still care about him.” “No.” My voice turned ice cold. “I’m going to divorce him.” Even if I was about to leave, I didn’t want my future life to have any connection to Lucas. I hailed a cab, and when my phone screen lit up, I realized I’d been out cold for two whole days. The real kicker was that Lucas hadn’t sent me a single message. Meanwhile, Esther was living it up on social media. One day, it was a fancy restaurant. The next it was some luxury hotel. I ignored all the notifications and headed to the law office, where they told me the divorce papers wouldn’t be ready until tomorrow. When I got home, Lucas was waiting to tear into me, just like I knew he would. “Where have you been for the past two days? You couldn’t even reply to messages? Was it really that hard to just apologize to Esther?” I just stared at him, saying nothing. I’d been MIA for two days, and instead of worrying about my safety, his first words were about Esther. After ten years of marriage, I’d never felt like I was looking at a stranger until now. He glanced down, finally noticing my pale face and the bandages wrapped around my hand. Lucas’ expression flickered. “What happened to you?” I made up some excuse. “Got dizzy from low blood sugar that night, took a fall.” Guilt flashed across his face, and his tone finally softened. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Not necessary,” I said flatly. Lucas’ shoulders tensed up, but I just walked past him into the house. While searching through my room for the documents needed for tomorrow night’s cryogenic process, my eyes landed on a small box sitting on the nightstand. Inside was a necklace—Lucas’ wedding gift to me. He’d bought the naming rights to a star and had a gemstone custom-made to match its shape, meant to be our symbol of love. The memory made me space out for a moment. When they sent me up into space, I guessed that star would be my only companion. But as I picked up the box, something felt off. The weight was wrong. Opening it confirmed my suspicions—the necklace was gone. My heart went cold. It was here just days ago. There was no way it just disappeared while I was away. This wasn’t some random coincidence. Right then, Lucas knocked on the door. “Made you some soup. Come have it while it’s hot.” His expression softened when he saw me holding the box, and he moved to wrap his arms around me. I pressed my lips together and tossed the empty box onto the bed. The hollow sound made Lucas freeze. “It’s okay, Angel,” he said weakly. “I’ll get you another necklace in a few days.” I felt nothing but disgust. Pushing him away, I walked straight to the living room. Ignoring the steaming soup on the table, I grabbed some random pastries from the fridge to fill my stomach. Lucas lingered behind me, obviously wanting to say something but holding back. Then came a knock at the door. He changed course to answer it, but the moment he opened the door, he slammed it shut just as quickly, like he was trying to hide something. I pulled up my phone and checked the video doorbell feed. Sure enough, there was Esther’s face on the screen, wearing that necklace around her neck. My eyes narrowed. “I told you to stop messing with Angel’s stuff. Give that necklace back right now!” Lucas hissed. “We’ve already hooked up in her bed. Why are you getting worked up over some cheap necklace?” “Keep your voice down! What if Angel hears you?” “Wouldn’t that make it even more exciting? Hey Lucas, wanna see what I’m wearing underneath?” She let her strap fall, revealing lingerie underneath as she leaned in close to Lucas’ ear, her breath hot against his skin. Lucas’ serious expression melted away instantly. He grabbed her waist hard and kissed her. The room started spinning around me, my insides twisting with pain. But nothing could compare to the ache in my heart. I stumbled to my study and locked the door behind me, covering my ears to block out everything happening outside.   When I woke up, it was already past noon. My head felt foggy, and I could barely breathe—my condition was getting worse. The research facility wasn’t lying—my time really is running out. Lucas made me breakfast himself, probably feeling guilty after finding my room empty last night and the study door locked. He made me some oatmeal and asked, “Haven’t you been sleeping well lately? It’s not like you to sleep in this late.” My throat felt like rusty metal as I croaked out. “It’s nothing, just having some trouble sleeping.” Lucas nodded. “I’ll get you some medicine tonight.” I stayed quiet, but he kept going, his voice careful and testing the waters. “Something urgent came up at work yesterday. That’s why I got back so late.” When I didn’t react, Lucas let out a tiny breath of relief. My stomach was still in knots, so I only managed a couple of sips before trying to get up. That was when he spoke again. “Angel, I cleared my schedule today. Want to go for a drive around town?” I looked up at him, memories flooding back. Harborcrest’s weather was perfect year-round, and back when we were dating, Lucas and I loved nothing more than cruising around the city together. I was about to shake my head, but he’d already grabbed his jacket and was pulling me toward the underground parking garage, not taking no for an answer. Whatever, I might as well take one last look at the city before I go. Lucas held my hand tight as he helped me into the passenger seat, leaning down to carefully buckle my seatbelt. To anyone watching, he’d look like the perfect, attentive husband. But then I glanced down and spotted a bright red lipstick on the seat cushion. Lucas’ face went pale for a second as he quickly snatched it up and tossed it aside. “Must be Esther’s from when I drove her to the hospital the other day. I’ll have her pick it up later.” I didn’t bother arguing. I just rolled down the window to let the breeze hit my face, which actually made me feel a bit better. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Lucas pushed two gift boxes toward me. “I found the necklace, and the other box is to make up for your birthday gift.” When I didn’t move, he tilted his chin. “Want to open them?” I let out a sigh, ignoring the box with the necklace and casually opening Lucas’ gift instead. Inside lay an exquisite emerald pendant, small and delicate. It was beautiful. I might have actually loved it if I hadn’t seen the exact same one hanging around Leon’s neck before. The fact he’d give such an inappropriate gift made it obvious who put him up to this. I picked up the emerald pendant, feeling its substantial weight in my hand. This definitely wasn’t cheap. His brow relaxed at this sight. “I’m glad you like it, Angel. We’ll definitely have an adorable baby together someday.” Before he could finish speaking, I raised my hand and hurled the pendant out the window. A truck roared past, crushing it to dust. Lucas’ face turned ashen. “What are you doing?” “I don’t like secondhand things,” I said coldly. And I wasn’t just talking about the pendant. Lucas caught my meaning, instantly becoming flustered. “Angel, there must be some misunderstanding.” “What misunderstanding?” I scoffed. “Lucas, you know exactly how disgusting your actions are.” Lucas pressed his lips together. “Angel, let me explain.” His phone suddenly rang, cutting him off. It was Esther. “Lucas, Leon got food poisoning. He’s throwing up everywhere. You need to take him to the hospital right now!” The woman’s voice on the other end was frantic, almost crying. Lucas’ expression changed instantly as he pulled over to the side of the road. “Angel, take a cab home. I’ll explain everything when I get back tonight.” He rushed out those words before speeding away. Night had completely fallen. I looked up at the sky and let out a bitter laugh. If he’d just driven a little further, he would’ve seen I was heading to the law firm. I picked up the divorce papers alone, signed them, and left them on the table. After forwarding Esther’s Twitter profile to Lucas, I hopped on the cab to the research facility.

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To cure the fake heiress’ depression, my childhood sweetheart and fiancé, Ethan Graham, secretly married her despite his vows that he’d marry no one but me. So, I agreed to a family-arranged marriage with Asher Whitman, the heir to a powerful family in the capital, who had secretly loved me for years. For seven years after our wedding, Asher treated me like I was his whole world. His affection was overwhelming, almost suffocating, as if he couldn’t go a moment without touching me. If I wanted the stars in the sky, he’d find a way to bring them down for me. I thought I had finally found happiness. But then, one night after we were together, I overheard him talking to his close friend. “Serena’s now an international superstar. When are you going to break things off with Lila?” “It doesn’t matter who I’m with when she is not the one I love. Besides, I have to keep an eye on Lila to make sure she doesn’t ruin Serena’s hard-earned happiness.” I opened his study computer and found a hidden folder. It was packed with over a hundred thousand photos of Serena and a hundred unsent love letters. I’d be a fool if I still couldn’t see the truth. I bought a synthetic body and began planning a fire to fake my death. From this moment forward, I vowed never to see Asher again. ***** I turned off the screen after I placed the order for everything I needed. All I had to do was wait three days to vanish from Asher’s life forever. When I turned around, Asher was smiling at me. He had gotten rid of the scent of nicotine outside and warmed his body before daring to hug me from behind. He asked, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?” The warmth of his embrace should’ve been my haven, the safest place in the world. But now, it only left a bitter ache in my heart. Seven years of marriage, and he had spoiled me like no other. In the capital, everyone knew that Asher doted on his wife, keeping me hidden like precious. He told me he had fallen for me at first sight when we were kids, secretly loving me for 14 years. At our wedding, with tears in his eyes, he swore that marrying me felt like a dream. He knew all about my past, and when my childhood sweetheart turned his back on me, Asher used his family’s power to create a rift between them. He went so far as to sabotage Serena’s career to get back at those who had wronged me. He harbored hatred for anyone who betrayed me. His performance was so convincing that even I, an actress, couldn’t spot a flaw. I bitterly remembered how he would call my name in moments of passion, but the way he said it always sounded a little off. I thought it was just a quirk of his, but now I realized he had probably been calling me “Rina” the whole time. I lowered my head and wiped my tears, but he didn’t notice. Instead, he said, “Serena won the Best Actress award. There’s an industry gathering tomorrow, so stay home with me. I don’t want you to be upset when you see her.” I silently counted in my mind. This was at least the hundredth time Asher’d used such excuses to keep me from showing up in public. At first, I thought it was just his possessiveness, which I reluctantly tolerated, choosing to retreat while I was at my peak. Now, I realized it was all just to make way for Serena. I said, “I’m meeting with Anthony Pearce tomorrow. He wants me to star as the lead in his next film. I can’t skip it.” Asher said, “It’s fine. We don’t have to go. I’ll support you. Even if you never work again, I can take care of everything.” But fame and fortune never mattered to me. I had told him once that starring in an Anthony’s film was my dream, which I wanted to achieve with my talent. Back then, he had promised to support me in that. He hadn’t forgotten. But Serena also wanted the lead role, so my dream was doomed to be trampled for her benefit. Seeing I was silent, he gently coaxed me, “Lila, don’t be upset, okay? We can go to the party anytime, but our time together is more precious, right? The day after tomorrow marks our first seven-year itch. I promise I’ll give you an unforgettable surprise. Deal?” I forced a smile and said, “Okay, and I’ll give you my biggest gift in return.” What I didn’t say was, “Asher, we couldn’t overcome the seven-year itch. From now on, you’ll be alone. Only you. I’m letting you go.”

In the middle of the night, after Asher fell asleep holding me, I still couldn’t resist getting up and heading to the study. His words, telling me he didn’t love me, and the photo albums and love letters I found on his computer were enough to crush any hope I had left. But seven years with him weren’t an illusion. We had shared so many sweet moments, memories that refused to let me go. I walked over to the small safe on the desk. It felt like Pandora’s box, mysterious and dangerous. Back when we used to have sex in the study, I had asked Asher a few times what he kept inside that safe, something he treasured so much. He always dodged the question, refused to give me the code, and just teased me to guess. I tried everything. My birthday, his birthday, our wedding anniversary, but none of them worked. With trembling hands, I entered Serena’s birthday, and for the first time, I hoped I was wrong. The safe opened, and my heart plummeted. Inside was a pair of rings engraved with A&S. It stood for Asher and Serena. The design was old-fashioned, yet the rings were pristine and clearly cared for with great attention. All the strength drained from my body at that moment, leaving me hollow. It felt as though someone had carved the pain directly into my heart. No matter how naive I had been, I couldn’t deny the truth anymore. Asher had never loved me. The next day, I went against Asher’s wishes for the first time and decided to attend the party. Asher frowned slightly but didn’t stop me. Instead, he reminded me, “You can go, but Lila, you’re so beautiful. You must stay by my side. If Serena tries to bully you, I’ll be there to protect you.” Asher acted like a loyal little dog, eager to please. But I knew he wasn’t protecting me. He was afraid I’d escape his control or outshine Serena. I had no such intentions. With my staged death approaching, all I wanted was to say goodbye to the directors and screenwriters who had helped me along the way. The moment I entered, all eyes were drawn to Serena and me. Someone said, “The lead actress for Anthony’s next movie will surely be Lila. She’s got Asher backing her and undeniable talent.” Serena overheard this and stormed over. She snapped, “What makes you think that? That role is mine!” The crowd exchanged dismissive glances. “Compared to Lila, don’t you think you’re out of your league? You shouldn’t get too full of yourself.” “Exactly. Although you’re Mrs. Graham now, Lila is married into the Whitman family. It’s pretty obvious who has the upper hand here.” “Right. You’ve only won a minor film award. A little humility wouldn’t hurt.” Serena stomped her feet. “Just you wait! I’ll make you all eat your words!” She shot me a venomous glare. “And you, enjoy your moment while it lasts. Let’s see who ends up humiliated later! Ugh!” With that, Serena strode up and shoved me hard. I lost my balance and stumbled. My knee slammed into the corner of a table. The sharp pain brought tears to my eyes. But Asher, who had sworn to protect me tonight, stood by as if nothing had happened, allowing Serena to do as she pleased. I lowered my gaze, trying to suppress the bitter ache in my chest. Just then, the lights in the hall dimmed, leaving the room in darkness. It was time to reveal the lead actress of the highly anticipated film. “Let’s all congratulate… Serena Hayes! Special thanks to Sam Wheeler, the screenwriter whose work has grossed over ten billion dollars at the box office. This time, he not only waived his fee but also invested 300 million dollars to ensure Serena would star in his new movie. She’s his one and only muse, his true inspiration!” Serena ascended the stage, grabbing the microphone with a triumphant smirk. “Lila, after all these years, you still can’t beat me at anything. Loser!” She stood under the spotlight, surrounded by praise and admiration. I turned to look at Asher beside me. He held my hand, but his eyes glowed joyfully for Serena’s victory. My heart sank. I smiled bitterly. I accidentally came across Sam’s manuscript in the Whitman Villa’s study yesterday. The cover page read: [Dedicated to my one and only muse, Serena. From Sam Wheeler.] It was Asher’s love, hidden in plain sight yet never spoken aloud. I had expected this. But seeing it unfold before my eyes still sent a wave of pain through my chest. Anthony approached me, offering a soft reassurance. “It’s okay. You’ll always have a place as my leading lady.” I forced a weak smile and shook my head. “Thank you for your kindness, but perhaps there won’t be a next time.”

Feigning ignorance, Asher pulled me into his arms, offering comfort. “I’ll invest in a few movies for you to have fun with. How about that? I also planned a surprise for you tonight at Harborfront. My love for you is far more important than some movie role.” I forced a smile. Words that once felt sweet as honey now tasted like stale, cloying frosting. Still, to avoid arousing his suspicion, I swallowed my bitterness and replied, “Alright.” After expressing my gratitude to Anthony and other industry veterans, I excused myself, intending to leave early. Asher dismissed the driver, saying he wanted to take me for a drive instead. But just before the car started, his phone buzzed with a message. I glanced at the screen from the corner of my eye. The number was familiar. It was Serena’s. His expression shifted instantly. A flicker of hesitation crossed his face as he turned to me. “Lila, something urgent just came up at work. Can you head to Harborfront on your own?” I froze, then smiled lightly, “It’s fine. Go handle your business.” Asher kissed my forehead before retreating back to the party. I started the car, not toward Harborfront but back to the Whitman Villa. The rest of the night would be devoted to preparing for my staged death tomorrow. I collected every trace of my past with Asher. Online, I wiped every file and even deleted backups from the cloud. Offline, I gathered everything and planned to burn it all. Just as I was finishing, a notification popped up on my phone. It was an anonymous text. The message began with a photo of Asher, drunk, resting beside Serena. The accompanying words cut like a blade. [He has a stomach condition, yet he drank like his life depended on it to shield me. Lila, you won’t blame me for that, will you?] [Actually, although he openly opposes the Graham family to take my projects, he compensates me a hundredfold behind the scenes. Do you know why?] [Did you know that Asher has been my little shadow since we were kids? He’s only ever loved me. Marrying you was just a precaution to keep you in check.] [Surely you didn’t actually believe someone would fall in love with you out of the blue, did you?] [He told me that every night, he could only touch you by imagining you were me. He also said you’re just Ethan’s discarded secondhand woman because you didn’t give him your first time, and you are disgusting.] The texts kept pouring in like relentless snowflakes, but I remained unfazed. Instead, I focused on finishing what needed to be done. Once I had moved the mannequin into the bedroom and ensured the setup would burn thoroughly, I drenched the entire house in gasoline. Before leaving, I forwarded every message Serena had sent me to the most notorious tabloid team in the entertainment industry. Then, I snapped my SIM card in half and tossed it into the nearby bushes. With a press of the ignition button, the flames roared to life behind me as I walked away, my silhouette fading into the distance. The road ahead was pitch black, but it didn’t matter. I knew I would find daylight eventually. Meanwhile, Asher remained oblivious. He glanced down at Serena, his voice conveying unintentional reproach. “Serena, why are you here? Tomorrow is my wedding anniversary with Lila. If she finds out, she’ll get suspicious.” Serena’s eyes reddened as tears welled up. “Are you blaming me?” Asher was panicked, and he quickly backtracked. “No, no, I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry, Serena.” Serena crossed her arms and huffed softly, barely satisfied by his apology. Meanwhile, calls from the Whitman Villa’s butler kept interrupting, Asher repeatedly silencing them with an irritated frown. After the tenth or so attempt, unease crept in. “What is it?” Asher snapped, finally picking up. The butler said frantically, “Mr. Whitman… Mrs. Whitman set fire to the house and took her own life! We tried our best to put out the flames, but it was too late. There’s nothing left to save.”

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