Five years before Christmas, my fiancé Patrick Burton died in the line of duty, his body never recovered. But tonight, August 20th at 8:17 PM, his captain Zayden Perry personally called me to say: “We found Patrick.” Patrick wasn’t dead. He was alive and well, and about to get married.
I had been in a secret relationship with my brother’s best friend for seven years and we were planning to get married. I followed the location and found his gathering, but as I reached the door of the private room, I overheard their conversation. “Ethan Shaw, your Cinderella is back. What are you going to do about that stand-in little sister?” He didn’t reply. The atmosphere became tense and another friend laughed, “It’s impressive how bold Ethan is. He dared to pursue Adam’s sister. Now he’s used her up and yet, Amanda is back…” “She left so decisively back then, she deserves to have a stand-in to irritate her!” The next day, Ethan took me to Amanda’s welcome banquet, showering me with affectionate gestures. But when Amanda ran out crying, he pushed me aside and rushed after her in panic. I returned home covered in spilled soup and burns and opened the door to the study—one he never allowed me to enter. On the desk, their photo together was so conspicuous. My heart turned to ash and I called my brother overseas. “Brother, I’ve made up my mind about the arranged marriage. I agree!” ***** “Emma Snow, have you been wronged?” My brother paused on the other end of the line for a moment before his voice filled with deep concern. I forced a lighthearted smile, despite the bitterness rising in my throat. “No, I’ve just figured it out. I’m going to get married anyway, so does it matter to whom?” “Besides, I trust Mom and Dad’s judgment. Even if it’s an arranged marriage, I’m sure the candidate has been thoroughly vetted by you all.” Only then did my brother let out a relieved sigh. His tone softened, “I’m glad you’ve figured it out. When are you coming back? Do you want to meet him before making the final decision?” “No need, the sooner we agree, the sooner the company crisis can be resolved. You can start preparing for the wedding and let’s set the date for a month from now.” “Got it! By the way, do you still have contact with Ethan? I heard his goddess is finally back. You should reach out to him, maybe he’ll have time to come celebrate with you and bring some good luck.” I was surprised that my brother knew about Amanda. No wonder Ethan had always insisted I keep our relationship a secret from him. I lowered my gaze to hide the pang in my heart. “Brother, don’t bother him. I’m not close to him.” Just then, I heard the sound of the door unlocking. I said my goodbyes and hung up the phone. I looked up to meet Ethan’s smiling eyes. “Not close to whom?” “Not close to you!” I said honestly, but Ethan raised an eyebrow and mischievously pulled me into his embrace. “Really? Then tell me how you’re not close to me. Are we not close enough, or have we not shared enough nights together, hmm?” His breath was warm against my ear. Our once intimate behavior that made my heart race now only made me feel uncomfortable and repelled. As I struggled, I noticed the lipstick stain on his shirt collar. The burns on my body ached and I didn’t know where the pain came from, but it was so sharp it brought tears to my eyes. “Emma, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Ethan panicked as soon as he saw my tears. He rolled up his sleeve and saw the large red marks on my wrist, his voice trembling with concern. “How did this happen? When did you get burned? Why didn’t you tell me?” It seemed like he had completely forgotten what had happened at the banquet. I remained silent, unsure whether I should remind him and shatter his mask of feigned affection. “All right, stop crying now. I’ll put some medicine on it for you.” He gently patted my head to soothe me as he got up to grab the first aid kit, muttering along the way. “Look at you—such a big girl, but still afraid of pain and always crying. What would you do without me?” I stared blankly at the red burn mark on my wrist. “Yes, I’d been spoiled for a full seven years. What would I do without him?” “But, Ethan, I don’t want you anymore. I don’t want this fake love anymore.” I said to myself. That night, I couldn’t sleep well and woke up covered in sweat. Just as dawn was breaking, Ethan pulled me out of bed. I grumbled, trying to push him away, but he just chuckled and leaned in to kiss me. Instantly, all my sleepiness vanished. I almost slapped him, but barely managed to hold myself back. Luckily, it was just a quick kiss. “Awake yet, my Sleeping Beauty?” I turned away, wiping my mouth in disgust. “It’s the weekend. Why can’t you let people sleep in?” Ethan looked helpless. “Did you know you had a fever last night? Get up; I’m taking you to the hospital.” Although I felt mostly fine, I couldn’t argue with him, so I reluctantly got up. In the hospital corridor, we unexpectedly ran into Amanda. It looked like she had hurt her foot and was struggling to hop down the hallway on her own. Ethan, who had been gentle just moments before, instantly frowned. Forgetting I was beside him, he rushed over to Amanda and held her, asking in concern, “What happened?” Amanda smiled at him, looking past him toward me. “It’s just a sprained ankle. What a coincidence; you two are here for a checkup too?” Ethan’s expression froze. He glanced back at me, his eyes shifting. “Yeah, my ‘little sister’ here had a bit of a fever, so I brought her in for a check-up.” I had grown used to being called “sister” by now. From the moment Ethan decided not to go public with our relationship, he introduced me as his friend’s little sister, someone he was helping to look after. Only his closest friends knew of our true relationship. Amanda nodded. “She’s staying at your place, so of course, you have to look after her carefully. You two go on; I need to head over there.” She gestured toward the other clinic on the opposite side. Seeing her start hopping again, Ethan didn’t think twice before scooping her up in his arms. “Let me take you over. Emma, wait here for me.” For some reason, as soon as I saw Amanda, I suddenly felt weak, drained of all energy. I leaned against the wall, saying nothing. Ethan hadn’t actually asked for my permission. After those words, he was already carrying Amanda toward the other clinic. The fact, no matter how well he acted, when faced with Amanda, genuine feelings slip through, betraying the facade. And Ethan didn’t even realize it. I forced a bitter smile, turned and walked to my own clinic. Apparently, it wasn’t just in my head; after checking my temperature, I learned my fever was as high as 41.3°C. The burn had become infected, worsened by my recent emotional stress, leading to a viral infection that required IV treatment. Out of habit, I reached for my phone to call Ethan, but stopped myself before dialing. Habit was a terrifying thing. I gave a self-mocking smile, put my phone away, William to get my medication and headed to the IV room alone.
After finishing my IV, I felt even dizzier. I took a few steps and almost stumbled. Ethan still hadn’t returned—no calls, no messages. Reluctantly, I decided to call him first to avoid any misunderstandings. When he heard I was still at the hospital, he paused for a moment. “I’m sorry, Emma. I planned to come back for you right after taking Amanda home, but her stomach started acting up, so…” Before he could finish, I overheard a waitress in the background. “Sir, your dishes are all served. Please enjoy your meal!” Though Ethan quickly covered the receiver, I’d already heard it all. “It’s fine. I’m on my own—I can manage.” I said it to reassure myself and to reassure him. Just as I was about to hang up, he suddenly called out my name, “Emma, just head home. I’ll explain everything later.” Explain what, exactly? Just more lies to string me along. I ended the call without a word and arranged for a driver to take me home. But that night, Ethan didn’t come back. Kept awake by the fireworks outside, I pulled out my tablet and resumed sketching custom jewelry designs for a client. While working, I accidentally brushed the chat app in the lower right corner and a new post from an hour ago appeared. It was from Amanda: a beautiful shot of fireworks bursting against the night sky, captioned with poetic words: “After half a lifetime away, I return to you. And here, the fireworks bloom, a welcome in all its glory!” I stared at the post for a long time, only realizing when I tried to log out that the chat app was still logged into Ethan’s account on my tablet. Felt uninterested in prying into their flirtations, I simply logged out of the app. The next morning, feeling somewhat refreshed, I arrived at the office on time. The manager held my resignation letter and when she heard I was going back home to get married, she looked both happy and wistful. “With you leaving, I’m losing one of my best team members.” Unsure of what to say, I gave her a hug and thanked her for all the support over the years. After completing the formalities, my colleagues heard the news and insisted on a farewell meal to celebrate my upcoming wedding. I didn’t decline and booked a table at a restaurant Ethan and I frequented. It was one of the few restaurants I knew and the food was genuinely good. Halfway through the meal, I excused myself to go to the restroom, only to run into Amanda. She greeted me warmly, “Didn’t expect to see you here, too! You know, this was the restaurant Ethan first brought me to back in college. We’ve come here so many times.” I gave her a polite smile and was about to leave, not considering our relationship close enough for small talk. But she didn’t seem to feel the same. Just as I was about to go, she stopped me again. “I noticed last time that Ethan always rinses the shrimp in water before peeling it for you. Do you also not eat spicy food?” The word also made me pause for a moment. The truth is, I do enjoy spicy food. But every time Ethan peeled shrimp for me, he’d insist on rinsing it in water. He always said it wasn’t good for a girl to eat too much spice. I had always thought he was looking out for my health. But now, I realized it was simply a habit. The one who didn’t eat spicy food—the one he was thinking of—is Amanda.
Seeing that I was silent, she tilted her head slightly, carefully studying my face. “I’ve wanted to say this since the first time we met—don’t you think we look very much alike, little sister?” In that moment, I had never felt such humiliation and disgrace. Under her triumphant gaze, I could only flee in panic. Back in the private room, my colleagues’ warmth began to thaw my icy blood. Just as I was about to cast aside that unpleasant encounter, the door to the room swung open. Seeing the two full tables of people, Ethan froze for a moment, then locked eyes with me. I could see the restrained anger in his gaze, though I couldn’t understand why. He clenched his fists before finally calling my name, ordering me outside. Puzzled, I followed him out, only to be met with a hard slap in the corridor. It was the first time he had ever hit me. As I stared at him in disbelief, he showed no sign of guilt or hesitation—just pure fury. “Why did you push Amanda? You knew she had a twisted ankle! I told you I’d explain things when we got back, but you just had to handle it so harshly?” My cheek burned with pain. In the distance, Amanda hobbled toward us, her shirt rumpled, stained with water and dirt. Just as I opened my mouth to explain, she fell to the ground with a dramatic thud. Without a second thought, Ethan pushed past me and rushed over, cradling her in his arms. “I told you I’d bring her over to apologize to you. Why did you come out here?” he said. Though his words sounded reproachful, his voice was filled with tenderness. With tears in her eyes, Amanda shook her head at him. “It’s not a big deal; she didn’t do it on purpose. Don’t be so hard on her.” “If her brother finds out you hit his sister, it might hurt the bond between you two,” she added. At the mention of my brother, a strange expression crossed Ethan’s face, but his resolve returned as he looked back at Amanda. “Her brother entrusted her to me, so it’s my duty to correct her when she’s in the wrong,” he said firmly. I laughed bitterly and couldn’t resist asking, “What exactly did I do wrong? Even in court, you need solid evidence to convict someone. Haven’t you thought about how unfair it is to judge me and even lay hands on me without understanding the truth?” Ethan clenched his fists, glaring at me. “You knew there were no cameras in the restroom, so you thought you could act without consequence.” I felt both amused and stung by the injustice. “If there are no cameras, then how can you be sure it was me?” “Why would Amanda wrongfully accuse you? She must have a reason, right? Besides, I’ve known her for years—she’s not the kind of person who lies.” “And I am?” I asked, my voice barely hiding the bitterness. After seven years together, I thought he would trust my character, if nothing else. But I was wrong. In front of Amanda, even seven years meant nothing. One word from her was all it took to convict me, leaving me without a chance to defend myself. It was blatant favoritism, a glaring display of partiality. And I, in the end, was nothing more than a stand-in, a replacement with nothing to offer. Seeing no point in arguing further, I turned to leave, ignoring Ethan’s furious commands to stay. With the mark of his slap still on my face, I didn’t want to ruin my colleagues’ mood, so I chose not to return to the private room. Instead, I went to the front desk, paid the bill and sent them a message: “Something urgent came up, so I had to leave. Enjoy the meal and drinks—it’s on me!” Dragging my exhausted body back home, I took a long, detailed look at this place where I’d lived for the past seven years. Every corner held memories of Ethan and me—once so beautiful, now stabbing into my heart like a thousand sharp blades. I found a large cardboard box and, unable to sleep, spent the night erasing those remnants of happiness. There were slippers with our “cat and dog” love diary design, the matching couple mugs that fit together, the keychains that sensed each other within ten meters and a whole box of photos and portraits. These were once the only proof of our relationship, especially in those times when I felt insecure. Now, there was no need for any of it. Ethan didn’t come home for half a month. In that time, apart from finishing my design drafts, I nearly cleared out the entire house. I even disposed of the furniture I’d chosen myself, leaving the place as it was when I first moved in—black and white, so minimalist that you could see the entire room in a single glance. The night before I left, I thought I should at least say something to Ethan, so I called him. But every time I dialed, he kept rejecting my calls. After a while, he sent me a message. “If you haven’t realized your mistake and aren’t genuinely ready to apologize to Amanda, then I don’t think there’s any reason for us to speak.” I smiled bitterly. Well, if that’s the case, then we won’t speak. Early the next morning, I headed out with my suitcase for my flight. As I left what was once my warm and cherished home, I felt nothing but overwhelming relief. Just before boarding, my phone buzzed with countless birthday messages. Some wished me great success, some wished me peace and happiness and some wished me a blessed marriage with a wonderful partner. After replying to each one, I turned off my phone. As the plane took off, I thought to myself: I will be happy! With so many blessings, I knew I would be.
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The college student tutor I hired, Amelia, claims she’s the female protagonist of a redemption novel. She’s forcing my husband Lucas to divorce me and marry her instead. She says only by marrying her can Lucas achieve great success and become like the male lead, inheriting billions in assets. After I discovered their affair, I threatened to expose Lucas’s reputation to make them break up. I thought I had saved my marriage, but that was just the beginning of my nightmare. I had stood by him through thick and thin, from having nothing to reaching the peak of his career. Together, we built our own business empire. I thought our hardships were finally over, but in the end, they conspired to lure me abroad where I died without even a complete corpse. Before I died, Lucas gritted his teeth and hissed viciously in my ear: “If you hadn’t stopped me from marrying Amelia, making me waste twenty years, I would’ve become a business tycoon long ago. You cost me so many years, and you still want to enjoy the good life with me? Go to hell!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day Amelia first told Lucas about “defying fate.” This time, Lucas chose to divorce me without hesitation, and even wanted my son Raymond, whom I raised single-handedly, to accept Amelia as his mother. I don’t want either my husband or my son anymore. They don’t know that I’m actually the real “redemption heroine.” Only those chosen by me can be the true male protagonist. Without me, Lucas is nothing. “Trust me, only I can help you change your fate. I’m the heroine of this redemption story! Marrying me now will save you twenty years of detours.” Amelia looked at Lucas with complete seriousness, gripping his sleeve tightly and refusing to let go. Seeing this familiar scene before me, I realized I had been reborn. Lucas quickly glanced at me, his face showing hesitation. “Dad, I want Amelia to be my mom. She says only by becoming her son can I reach the pinnacle like the male lead in novels. I don’t want to be this ordinary woman’s son and live a mediocre life.” Raymond looked at me with pure hatred, as if I were his greatest enemy. Raymond’s words seemed to convince Lucas, and he stopped pushing Amelia’s hand away. “Lucas, you better think this through. Miss this chance, and you won’t have me anymore.” Amelia winked at him, flashing a triumphant smile. Hearing this, Lucas immediately gripped her hand tightly, then turned to me and said: “Anne, let’s get divorced. A man should prioritize his career. I believe you’ll understand.” I watched the three of them huddled together like a picture-perfect family. I let out a cold laugh: “Fine, we can divorce. But this house and the car you’re driving now are mine. Pack your things and move out tonight, then I’ll sign the papers.” “You’ve got some nerve!” Lucas frowned and shouted at me: “You’re just a woman – you can live anywhere! If you take the house, where will my son and I live?” Afraid he might change his mind, Amelia quickly coaxed him in a low voice. “Lucas, what’s a house and car compared to what’s coming? With me by your side, are you worried about not making money? Don’t let small gains ruin the big picture.” After a moment of silence, Lucas snatched the agreement from Amelia’s hands and threw it in front of me. “Sign it now. We’ll get the divorce certificate tomorrow.” I signed the papers efficiently. Suddenly, Raymond rushed over and grabbed the agreement, flipping through it several times before looking at me with complete disbelief. “You’re not fighting for custody of me?” I was puzzled: “Didn’t you insist on having Amelia as your mom? Why would I fight for you?” “No! That’s not right!” Raymond suddenly screamed like he’d gone mad: “I absolutely refuse to live with an ordinary woman like you, but you can’t just abandon me!” What kind of logic is that? He can insult and humiliate me, but I can’t reject him? When you’re truly speechless, you really do laugh out loud. I burst into laughter, and my son looked terrified, asking frantically: “What… what are you laughing at?” “I’m laughing at how stupid and awful you are, with a brain like a donkey that’s been kicked by other donkeys.”
Lucas and I were both swamped with work and couldn’t keep up with Raymond’s studies, so I hired a tutor named Amelia to help out. Everything seemed normal at first, but one day Amelia mysteriously approached Lucas, claiming she had awakened her memories and insisting she was the female protagonist of a redemption novel who had come to save us. Initially, neither Lucas nor Raymond believed her. After all, Lucas was a straight-laced engineer who knew nothing about romance novels or redemption literature. But Amelia confidently told him that the next day he would get into a car accident due to drunk driving, miss delivering documents to his boss, and end up getting targeted at work. Lucas actually laughed out loud: “Drunk driving? That’s pretty far-fetched. I’m allergic to alcohol and haven’t touched a drop in over ten years. Besides, I’m an excellent driver—never had an accident.” Amelia wasn’t fazed and smiled, saying, “The plot has already been written. None of you can escape fate.” That very night, the hospital called me, saying Lucas had been in a car accident and needed surgery, asking me to rush over and sign the consent forms. It turned out that day, a cafeteria worker at his company had accidentally used brandy instead of cooking wine in the food. Lucas was in a hurry to leave and wolfed down a couple bites without noticing the taste. The alcohol hit him while driving, and he crashed straight into a roadside barrier. After the surgery, Lucas’s attitude toward Amelia completely changed. He stopped arguing against her “script theory” and became utterly devoted to believing every word she said. At first, Raymond would still defend me and make a fuss about kicking Amelia out. But Amelia wasn’t worried—she just used her old tricks again. Within days, Raymond had become her devoted follower, believing in her even more than his father did. Once Amelia had climbed into Lucas’s bed, she started demanding a divorce, declaring that she absolutely had to be the “female protagonist.” The double betrayal by Lucas and Raymond left me completely heartbroken. But I had invested too much in this family to give up easily, so I threatened Lucas with his reputation to make him break up with Amelia. I thought I could save my marriage, but that was just the beginning of the nightmare. I had stood by Lucas through his rise from obscurity to the peak of his career. We built our business empire together, and I thought we could finally enjoy the fruits of our labor. Who knew they would conspire to trick me into going abroad, drain my body of everything valuable, and leave me to die in a mass grave in a foreign land? That’s how my life ended so pathetically. Maybe heaven took pity on me and felt I didn’t deserve to die, giving me a chance to start over. Since Amelia was determined to save this family, I’d let her have her wish. Besides, I wanted to see for myself whether this father and son would completely fall apart once they learned the truth. The divorce went through quickly—I got the divorce certificate the next day. Amelia was overjoyed, turning the little green booklet over and over in her hands, unable to hide the smile on her face. Lucas looked at her with complete adoration, gently stroking her head as he said tenderly, “Are you really that happy? Does having me all to yourself make you this giddy?” Before Lucas could pull his hand back, I heard a sharp crack. Immediately, the smile froze on Lucas’s face as he clutched his arm, grimacing in pain. “Dad, what’s wrong with your hand?” Raymond was terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat as he ran over, only to trip and fall flat on his face. I watched coldly as he lay there with his bruised and swollen face, silently taking a step back. Raymond burst into tears, reaching out his hand toward me, but I turned my head away, pretending not to see anything.
“Lucas, what happened to you? How did you dislocate your arm out of nowhere?” Amelia looked at Lucas with concern as he broke out in a cold sweat from the pain. The moment she reached out to touch his arm, he let out another agonizing scream. “CRACK!” The loud sound of bones shifting echoed through the lobby. Lucas’s face turned deathly pale, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot. Terrified, Amelia quickly called for an ambulance. Only then did she remember Raymond, who was still sprawled on the floor. She lifted her dress and rushed over, pulling Raymond to his feet. Just as Raymond stood up, a man nearby who had been watching the commotion accidentally spilled his coffee on the floor. Raymond slipped and fell headfirst onto the tile, leaving a pool of blood behind. In the end, the ambulance took both father and son away together. I walked out of the civil affairs office with a smile. The real show was just beginning. During Lucas’s hospital stay, he was constantly getting hurt—cut by a fruit knife, scalded by hot water, and occasionally bonked on the head by mischievous kids who wandered into his room. What should have been a one-week recovery after surgery turned into a month-long hospital stay due to all these random accidents. One time, when Amelia accidentally bumped his wound again and blood seeped through the bandages, Lucas finally lost his patience and kicked her out. Then he called me. “I’ve sent Amelia away. When you come, remember to bring some fruits—buy plenty of fruit. Don’t forget to get a urinal; my injured hand makes it hard to use the bathroom… Also, bring me some clean clothes. The doctor says I need to stay at least another week.” His casual, demanding tone on the other end made me roll my eyes. “We’ve been divorced for a month now.” “I knew you still cared about titles and status.” Lucas let out a cold laugh. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You definitely can’t bear to get divorced—this is all just your delaying tactic. You’re waiting for me to regret it and come back to you.” He even lowered his voice, pretending to be affectionate. “Now you’re getting what you wanted. Take good care of me, and I’ll naturally give you the ‘status’ you’re after.” I understood all too well—I’d spent the first half of my life doing all kinds of menial work under this so-called “wife status.” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and simply replied seriously, “It’s not impossible for me to come over, but this counts as an urgent job, so you’ll need to pay me double the market rate. Transfer the money first.” “What wages?” Lucas was stunned for a moment, then seemed to catch on after a few seconds. “Oh, I get it—you’re testing me again. Women are all like this.” I hung up without wasting any more words on him. Soon enough, I received Lucas’s money transfer. I immediately called a housekeeping company. I specifically requested someone with great strength, a tough attitude, and the most customer complaints—preferably an older woman. The agency was incredibly efficient. Two hours later, they sent me a photo: Vicky, the elderly woman, was already in Lucas’s hospital room. I could see the five-foot-six woman roughly tearing at Lucas’s hospital gown, stripping him completely bare with her hands while scrubbing him harshly with a washcloth. She then grabbed Lucas’s head and forced him to eat durian, his least favorite fruit, scolding him while feeding him: “Didn’t you say to bring plenty of fruit? It’s right at your mouth and you’re still being picky? Acting like a three-year-old! At your age, you should be ashamed of yourself.” Lucas was tormented until his face turned bright red, hunched over the bedside vomiting violently, his breathing accompanied by whimpering sounds. “Hurry up and finish eating, then go to the bathroom. Don’t expect me to serve you if you wake me up in the middle of the night.” Vicky dragged out the bedpan I had asked her to buy from under the bed and yanked down Lucas’s pants. With Lucas naked and surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, he quickly covered his private parts, furious enough to curse. “It’s so small, what’s there to cover? I don’t even want to look. My grandson’s is bigger than yours!” Lucas’s face turned purple with rage as he hastily pulled his pants back up and screamed, “I’m not going! I’d rather die holding it in. Get away from me!” “Can’t pee? Got an infection?” Vicky put on an “I get it” expression and handed him a bottle of medicine. “Drink this medicine. It’s a diuretic, won’t hurt you.” Lucas touched his cracked lips and, not caring about anything else, gulped it down. Before he could take more than two sips, he immediately vomited it all out. “You… what does this medicine taste like? Why does it have a bloody smell?” “That can’t be right.” Vicky took back the medicine and said matter-of-factly, “I specially caught fresh toads and made this with their blood. Patients recover faster drinking this!” Lucas immediately started frantically sticking his fingers down his throat to induce vomiting. “You… ugh… what did you just say? Ugh…” Vicky looked completely indifferent: “Isn’t it just like the bullfrogs you city folks love to eat? What’s there to be disgusted about? Afraid you’ll scam me?” Lucas couldn’t maintain his tough act anymore. He foamed at the mouth and passed out directly, getting wheeled into the gastric lavage room by nurses. After all this commotion, Lucas was like a kite with a broken string, completely sent to the ICU. Vicky performed exceptionally well this time. Besides her salary, I gave her a bonus. Looking at the commission that hit my account, I suddenly felt that being a middleman was incredibly easy money. I was lying in a spa enjoying a massage when the system’s voice, which had been missing for most of Christmas, suddenly rang in my head. “Boss, how can you still be in the mood for this? I woke up and the sky is falling! ” The system shouted in my mind: “This world has collapsed into such a mess, and you can still get massages?” “Oh.” I lazily responded, “What else then? You weren’t there when I was tortured and left to die in the wilderness, but now you show up?” The system, knowing it was in the wrong, softened its voice a bit. “You can’t blame me entirely, right? Last time after you finished your mission, you insisted on staying and wouldn’t leave. I finally got a vacation, who knew a fake would pop up halfway through?” Hearing its slightly aggrieved voice, I almost wanted to laugh. I closed my eyes and recalled everything from my past life. Actually, I was the true female protagonist of this redemption novel. In the original story, I accompanied Lucas from a poor boy to a top-tier CEO, and upon completing the mission, I could claim rewards and return to the system world. But I happened to fall in love with Lucas, becoming one of those most worthless love-brained women. To stay in this world, I gave up all my points and rewards. In the end, my sincere feelings were misplaced, and it took losing my life to see him clearly. As for Amelia, she was just a passerby with bad luck attributes who accidentally awakened to the plot, and even then it was an incomplete “half-finished product” with missing pages. She thought that by kicking me out, she could leech off the protagonist’s luck and become the legitimate female lead. She would never imagine that I was actually the true master of this world. Whoever I choose becomes the male protagonist. Without me, Lucas is destined to have nothing.
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When I was 5 years old that Christmas, I, Sarah Morris, and my sister Alivia Morris got lost together and ended up depending on each other in an orphanage. Later, to pay for Alivia’s education, I dropped out of school and worked as a waitress at a bar to earn money. But thirteen years later, when I brought Alivia home with me, she turned around and stabbed me in the back, claiming I was vain and unwilling to study, willingly degrading myself into a bar hostess, while she was the hardworking, studious good girl who worked her way through school. I couldn’t defend myself and was ultimately abandoned by my family, dying in some unknown corner. And she became the beloved daughter of the Morris family. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn, back to the day before I dropped out for Alivia’s sake. ***** Alivia said, “Sarah, maybe you shouldn’t drop out of school. If I just tighten my belt and we both take on more part-time jobs, we can grit our teeth and get through this together.” Hearing that familiar voice, I realized I had been reborn to the day before I dropped out for Alivia. At this moment, Alivia was pretending to comfort me while wiping away tears. In my past life, I fell for this act completely, unable to see through her disguise. Hearing her say this only strengthened my resolve to drop out and work. I delivered food during the day and worked as a waitress at a bar at night, exhausting myself to the point of illness. But after she found our parents, she claimed I was vain and unwilling to study, willingly degrading myself into a bar hostess, while she was the hardworking college student who wasn’t afraid of suffering. Under her manipulation, the whole family grew to despise me. My mother Arya Morris, who once loved me dearly, now looked at me with disgust, as if I were something filthy. My father Derek Morris, who once treasured me, repeatedly ordered security to throw me out. My brother Luke Morris, who promised to protect me, wouldn’t even look at me because he heard I might have some disease. But when it came to Alivia, they gathered around her with concern, carefully holding her hands, their eyes red with tears as they felt sorry for her suffering, wanting to give her everything to make up for it. Just like that, Alivia, who had grown up with me, became the Morris family’s only daughter, receiving love I had never imagined possible. And I was ruthlessly abandoned. Alivia wore beautiful dresses, looking down at me like a little princess from her high perch, her eyes hiding a barely detectable smugness as she clung to Arya and whined, “Mom, it’s my fault for not stopping Sarah from going astray. Please don’t make her leave, okay? How about letting her stay in the maid’s quarters?” And my mother, whom I had missed for so many years, said coldly, “Giving her a place to stay is already more than generous. The Morris family doesn’t have such a lowly daughter.” I cried and shook my head, explaining desperately, “Dad, Mom, I really didn’t! I was just working to pay for Alivia’s education!” But Alivia produced so-called “hostess” photos that left me speechless. Later, to get closer to Derek and Arya, I foolishly believed Alivia’s suggestion and willingly moved into the dark, sunless maid’s quarters. When Alivia wore designer dresses and enjoyed premium coffee with her friends at upscale restaurants, I wore tattered servant clothes, buried in endless dirty work. When Alivia dined at Michelin-starred restaurants, I dragged my exhausted body to crouch in corners, eating their leftover food from the day before. When Alivia slept in the princess room our parents had carefully decorated, I squeezed into the cold, damp basement maid’s quarters with other servants, never getting a peaceful night’s sleep. Even so, I still hoped every day that my parents would have a change of heart and love me the way they loved Alivia. Until the day I had a high fever, when the four of them were laughing and chatting happily in the villa’s living room while I lay in the cold, cramped room, burning with fever and trembling. “Dad, Mom, Luke, I feel terrible!” I squeezed out a cry for help with my last bit of strength, but they acted as if they couldn’t hear me. Only Alivia heard, glanced at me from the doorway, muttered “how unlucky,” and walked away. In the end, I died silently in the corner of the maid’s quarters. After death, I became a wandering spirit. I watched my parents coldly arrange for servants to take my body away without even a final glance. I also saw Alivia marry Dylan Walsh, who was supposed to be engaged to me. The two of them were blissfully happy, my parents cried tears of joy, and their grand wedding was like a fairy tale. Only then did I understand that when Alivia was first brought back home, she had already seduced Dylan, the youngest son of the wealthy Walsh family. Dylan had been arranged by his grandfather Robert Walsh to be engaged to me early on, and I became their biggest obstacle. So Dylan and Alivia worked together, using photos of me working at the bar to have people spread rumors about me everywhere. After I struggled to return home, everyone labeled me a “bar hostess”! Fortunately, I was reborn. Alivia, this time, you need to pay back what you owe me. You should taste despair too. I looked at the hypocritical Alivia and gave her a relieved smile. “Alivia, you’ve really grown up and learned to share my burdens. It’s settled then—we’ll work together, and I’m sure we can earn enough for living expenses.” As soon as I finished speaking, Alivia’s expression changed, and she quickly added, “Sarah, but this… I’ll be so exhausted having to go to school and work at the same time, and this little money won’t be nearly enough!” I sneered inwardly but maintained a gentle expression on my face, saying softly, “It’s okay. If I study hard now, I’ll be able to earn more money to support you in the future.” I added jokingly, “You wouldn’t really want me to drop out of school and work to support you, would you? I’m sure you couldn’t bear that.” Sure enough, Alivia’s face turned bright red, and she was momentarily speechless, unable to find a rebuttal. She could only reluctantly agree. And so, I threw myself back into my sophomore studies, working hard and preparing for the SAT. In this life, without my constant financial support, let’s see how long she can last. As expected, three days later, Alivia came looking for me. “Sarah, I’m really too tired. I didn’t go to work today. You’ve been working at that beverage shop and must have earned quite a bit, right? Could you give me some living expenses?” Alivia said with a pitiful expression. This scenario was completely within my expectations. After all, how could my pampered little sister possibly endure such hardship? You have to understand that in my previous life, even without any financial pressure, I had to coax and plead with her every day just to get her to go to school, and she barely managed to get into college. “Alivia, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, it’s just that the money I earn from my part-time job is only enough for my three meals a day. It’s all my fault for being so useless.” I also teared up, mimicking her behavior and started crying. Alivia bit her lip as she looked at me, believing every word. In her eyes, how could her foolish sister, who had always given her everything, possibly lie to her? Later, she tried asking me for money several more times, but I cleverly deflected each attempt. What I didn’t expect was that she actually went to work cleaning the cafeteria. Had she really changed? I was skeptical. For several consecutive days, she behaved herself, which actually made me suspicious. Until one day after school, I saw her crouching in a corner of the cafeteria crying, with one of our school’s wealthy students—Daniel Stewart—patiently comforting her. Only then did it dawn on me that she had ulterior motives. Putting on an act of working to pay for school and looking pitiful to gain others’ sympathy and affection—this was exactly Alivia’s specialty.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Alivia successfully became Daniel’s girlfriend. The pocket money Daniel casually gave her was enough to keep Alivia living comfortably without any worries. I watched as her clothing, food, and lifestyle became increasingly luxurious, yet I continued to act as if I knew nothing about it. Naturally, this couple had no interest in studying and spent their days living it up. They frequented various clubs and nightspots every evening. Alivia gradually started staying out all night, always appearing drowsy during daytime classes. I observed coldly from the sidelines, too lazy to care, focusing solely on studying with desperate intensity. While they squandered their youth in the glittering nightlife, I buried myself in books day and night on a shoestring budget, sleeping less than five hours each day. Every day I wore my faded school uniform, either working part-time jobs to earn money or studying with my head buried in books. Finally, through my relentless efforts, I achieved second place citywide on the exams. At this point, Alivia began deliberately showing off her boyfriend to me. She said, “Sarah, the money you earn from your part-time jobs definitely isn’t enough, right? Want me to have Daniel lend you some money? I think all this studying you do every day is pretty useless anyway—college graduates are everywhere these days!” I sneered inwardly: “She’s truly foolish, only knowing how to depend on men. What good ending could she possibly expect?” Probably emboldened by having Daniel’s backing, Alivia gradually revealed her true nature. She became a complete campus bully. Her followers locked several classmates who had gossiped about her in the bathroom for an entire night, forbidding anyone from letting them out. They even stripped a girl who had merely spoken a few words to Daniel, tied her up on the playground for everyone to gawk at, and labeled her a “homewrecker.” Meanwhile, Alivia herself stood at a distance, laughing as she said, “Why are you guys playing pranks on classmates again?” Finally, after several such vicious incidents occurred in succession, with my covert encouragement, several victim classmates anonymously reported to the school and contacted the media. Ultimately, the school expelled the now-notorious Alivia. From then on, she completely let herself go, indulging in a life of debauchery and luxury. And there were less than ten days left until the date when Alivia and I would be reunited with the Morris family in my previous life.
The SAT exam was over. Walking out of the testing center, the post-rain sunlight bathed my face, and I felt an unprecedented sense of security and satisfaction from deep within. Just like in my previous life, within a few days, we received the paternity test results delivered by the Morris family’s representatives and were brought back to the Morris estate. The moment I saw my parents, I perfectly feigned an expression of surprise and excitement. “Dad, Mom! I…” I choked up, unable to speak, tears streaming down uncontrollably as I threw myself into their embrace. However, when they learned that Alivia had become a rebellious dropout who spent her days hanging around nightclubs and living aimlessly, the smiles gradually faded from their faces. “Mom, Dad, Alivia has a bad reputation at school. She used to bully others and even made the news. If you reveal her identity now, wouldn’t that just subject her to more criticism?” I whispered softly in their ears. “Why don’t we wait until this whole thing blows over and let Alivia reflect on her mistakes and reform herself before bringing her back home?” I added gently. My parents and Luke fell into a brief silence. After a moment, they exchanged glances and said, “Alivia, you should stay outside for now. We don’t think you’re ready to come home yet.” Alivia, who had been basking in the joy of being acknowledged by her family, was instantly stunned by these words. She looked exactly like me in my previous life, desperately pleading with them to take her home too, only to be met with their impatient rejection and mockery. “Alivia, the way you are now, what could you possibly do at home? Make the Morris family the laughingstock of our social circle?” Luke said coldly, his eyes filled with disgust. Alivia stood to the side, clenching her fists tightly, tears falling continuously. And where they couldn’t see, I revealed a meaningful smile. I thought to myself: “Alivia, in this lifetime, let’s switch roles. This time, you’re the one not accepted by the family. How does it feel?”
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I’m Clara Lewis, and I’ve been happily married to my husband Easton Wallace for ten years. The only regret is that Easton suffers from azoospermia, so we’ve never been able to have children. However, on our tenth wedding anniversary, our housekeeper Dianne Ward suddenly claimed she was pregnant with Easton’s child. At first, I thought she was joking. But two days later, Dianne presented us with paternity test results. The report showed that the fetus in her womb was indeed Easton’s biological child. Subsequently, Dianne took us to court. On the day of the trial, she faced the media outside the courthouse, tearfully recounting how Easton had sexually assaulted her, and accused us of being a perverted couple who had kept her confined at home as a breeding tool. Easton and I were left speechless, instantly labeled as “demon employers” by netizens. The school fired Easton under pressure, and students were ashamed of him. I was also fired from my company that same day. Eventually, unable to bear the pressure, Easton committed suicide in prison. I became a despised existence, stalked, insulted, and even attacked by online users. On the verge of a mental breakdown, I wandered into traffic and died on the street. Even in death, I couldn’t understand why Dianne would be pregnant with the child of Easton, who suffered from azoospermia. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself reborn to the day before Dianne claimed to be pregnant. ***** “Mrs. Wallace, tomorrow is your tenth wedding anniversary with Mr. Wallace. Are you planning to celebrate at home or go out?” A familiar voice rang in my ears, and I suddenly opened my eyes! Before me was a plain face I knew all too well. Dianne was bending over, looking at me with a smile. My heart raced violently, as if someone was pounding my chest with drumsticks. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my excitement, and forced the corners of my mouth into a strained smile. “Let’s go out for dinner tomorrow. You won’t need to worry about anything.” Dianne seemed quite satisfied with this response. “Mrs. Wallace, then I’ll go organize the walk-in closet.” I nodded, watching her figure leave, lost in thought. Only now did I truly confirm that I had been reborn! Recalling Dianne’s words and checking the date on my phone – May 17th. This was the last peaceful day of my previous life. I immediately logged into my social media account. I only had a few dozen followers and barely any comments. It looked like just an ordinary account. But I knew that if things followed the same trajectory as my previous life, by this time tomorrow, my social media account would become a battlefield of cyberbullying. [Demon employer! How can such a person be a professor? She should be dragged out and shot!] [The man’s a rapist, and the woman’s no good either – trash! Go die!] [You damn thing, disgrace to women, if I were you I’d commit suicide right now to atone!] [Are you really that despicable? You can’t have children yourself, so you harm other women – are you even human?] These words cut through me like sharp knives, leaving me wounded all over. Thinking of this, I immediately deleted all content from my account and deactivated it. But then I thought again – what could this change? What was meant to come would still come. Even though I’d been reborn, tomorrow Dianne would still publicly accuse Easton of rape online. And the child in her belly – whose was it really?
No matter what, since fate has given me a chance to live again, I absolutely cannot let the tragedy of my previous life repeat itself. I returned to the bedroom and began ordering home micro-surveillance equipment online. In my past life, when Dianne came to our house as a tutor, I had suggested installing cameras, but Easton always felt that would be disrespectful. Looking back now, it was precisely because of our kindness and trust that we fell step by step into Dianne’s carefully designed trap. After I had arranged everything that needed to be prepared, that question which had puzzled me until my death in my previous life surfaced in my mind again: How could the child in Dianne’s womb possibly be Easton’s? After Easton and I got married, we had been actively trying to conceive, but never succeeded. Only after going to the hospital for tests did we learn that Easton suffered from azoospermia. The doctor was very clear – Easton simply could not conceive naturally, and even the success rate of IVF was extremely slim. Easton felt deeply guilty about this and even proposed divorcing me. But our relationship over the years had always been stable – we had never even had a fight – so I refused his proposal for divorce. After all, life is long, and it’s our spouse who accompanies us, not children. So when Dianne initially made her accusations online, I didn’t take it to heart. Easton felt the same way – he considered himself upright and even comforted me not to be angry. We both thought Dianne was just trying to extort money. Who knew she would swear that the child in her belly was Easton’s, and even had a paternity test done. When the results came out, we were stunned. The report showed that the child’s biological father was indeed Easton! With such concrete evidence before us, the police came directly to our door and took Easton away in full view of everyone. Subsequently, Dianne took Easton to court. On the day of the trial, Dianne brought dozens of media reporters and influencer bloggers to the scene. The judge ultimately ruled that Easton was guilty of rape and sentenced him to seven years in prison. After the verdict, Dianne stood at the courthouse entrance and wept bitterly in front of the cameras: “I’ve always believed that bad people can’t escape the law’s punishment. Thank you all for your support – I will definitely live on strong!” Not only that, she also played the victim extensively in front of the media, tearfully telling reporters that we were a perverted couple who not only used her as a breeding tool but also beat her and kept her confined at home. Easton was speechless and sentenced to prison. And I, as his supposed “accomplice,” couldn’t escape the online harassment either. I received death threats every day. Easton was expelled from the school and overnight became a scumbag despised by everyone. Students were even ashamed to have been his students. And I was fired by my company on the day of the court verdict, and the house we had lived in for ten years was also forced to be compensated to Dianne. In the end, I met my tragic end – dying on the street with no one to save me. Now, recalling the pain and despair of my final moments in my previous life, I still tremble all over, as if falling into an ice cellar. Sometimes I even wondered if Dianne had stolen condoms that Easton had used to do IVF? But that couldn’t possibly succeed either! Because even the doctor said that Easton had azoospermia, and even attempting IVF was almost impossible. Moreover, over these years, it wasn’t like we hadn’t tried, but we failed every time. At dinner, Dianne was busy in the kitchen. I carefully observed this middle-aged woman who had gained weight. Even if she was pregnant, there were no visible signs. Today Easton was away on a business trip attending an academic conference and didn’t come home. Taking advantage of no one being home, I contacted a highly reputable private investigator online and commissioned him to thoroughly investigate Dianne’s background. For the upcoming battle, I need to gather all evidence that would be favorable to me.
The cameras were installed overnight, providing complete coverage of the entire house except for the bathroom and my bedroom. The private investigator was highly efficient, promising to uncover Dianne’s background within a week. And so, I lay in bed restlessly, anxiously awaiting the arrival of May 18th—the day that had brought me to complete ruin in my previous life. I didn’t sleep a wink. When I got up in the morning, my reflection showed deep dark circles under my eyes. Dianne wasn’t a live-in housekeeper; she usually arrived at the house around nine in the morning. In my previous life, I had left early that morning to pick up Easton from the airport. This time, I still followed the same trajectory, but made sure to call Dianne before leaving. I said, “Dianne, we won’t be home all day today. You don’t need to prepare lunch or dinner—just clean the house.” Her voice on the other end was gentle and polite, completely different from the cold woman I’d seen outside the courthouse. I had Easton go straight to school after getting off the plane instead of coming home. I didn’t go to the airport to pick him up either, but walked straight into a coffee shop instead. After settling into a corner seat, I pulled out my tablet and connected to the home surveillance system. Today was my only chance to catch Dianne in the act, and I couldn’t afford to let my guard down for even a second. Dianne arrived home punctually at nine o’clock and began cleaning as usual. Everything seemed normal until noon. Just as I was beginning to feel disappointed, Dianne in the surveillance footage suddenly strutted boldly into my bedroom. When she emerged again, she was wearing my silk nightgown, with my jewelry adorning her neck and hands. She sat on the sofa, elegantly lifting a wine glass, looking every bit like the lady of the house. Then the doorbell rang! Dianne calmly got up and went to answer the door. A young girl walked in. When I saw her face clearly, I nearly dropped my coffee cup. It was Emily Adams—the student Easton was most proud of. At this moment, Emily, whom Easton described as hardworking and reliable, was intimately embracing Dianne. She said, “Mom, dressed like this, you really do look like a wealthy lady.” Dianne pulled Emily down to sit on the sofa with her. Emily noticed the wine and frowned. “Mom, why are you still drinking wine? If someone finds out, they’ll question your pregnancy.” “What are you worried about? The baby won’t be born anyway. Once we do the paternity test, our mission will be complete.” With that, Dianne took another sip of wine and poured a glass for Emily as well. She said, “Emily, after today, we’ll have nothing but good days ahead. This house will be ours sooner or later.” Emily looked around, a flash of greed in her eyes. “Hmph, we’ve been planning this for so long, weren’t we just waiting for this day? Mom, post online this afternoon as planned. I’ve already bought the accounts—I guarantee that by tomorrow, they’ll both be completely ruined!” Dianne smiled even more happily, gently stroking her belly. “You’re really something, coming up with such a brilliant plan. Now, no matter how Mr. Wallace tries to explain, no one will believe him.” “Mom, you still need to be careful. Remember, after the paternity test, you must immediately go and get rid of this… otherwise, we’ll both…” Emily leaned close to Dianne’s ear, lowering her voice. Could this be the truth behind Dianne’s pregnancy? I quickly turned up the volume on my earphones, trying to catch more details. Dianne patted Emily’s shoulder, looking confident. “Don’t worry, I’m being very careful and won’t leave any traces. As soon as the test results come out, I’ll go and get rid of what I planted…”
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After my first love passed away, I developed severe depression and attempted suicide, only to be saved by New York’s most rebellious rich heir. He reined in all his bad temper for me, stayed by my side through five Christmases, and helped me emerge from the darkness. However, just before our one-year anniversary, I discovered his terminal cancer diagnosis. When I went to find him, I overheard him telling a friend: “Adeline has always kept me at arm’s length. I feel like I’m just a stand-in. If she would kill herself for me, then I’d believe she’s truly moved on from the past. So I’m planning to fake my death to test her—that’s not crossing the line, is it?” So I beat him to it and staged my own death, “dying” right in front of him. Later, I heard that the Maxwell family heir had completely lost his mind. He jumped into the ocean and nearly drowned, but never found the girlfriend who had died for him.
Before our engagement, I, Natalia Garrett, received a gift from my boyfriend’s first love, Bella Oliver. It was a video recording. In the footage, Dylan Scott, who was always gentle and refined, seemed like a completely different person—his expression cold yet excited, his behavior deliberately flamboyant. She looked at me smugly: “Do you really think he loves you? He told me long ago that you’re utterly boring. Throughout all these years you’ve been together, he comes to see me every week.”
After my rebirth, the first thing I did was grab a baseball bat and swing it at my fake paralyzed adoptive parents, Julian and Mary Thornton. In my previous life, after Julian and Mary suddenly became “paralyzed,” the responsibility of caring for my younger brother Jacob Thornton fell entirely on my shoulders. To support them, I was forced to drop out of school. Later, I worked three jobs simultaneously, desperately raising my brother until he got into MIT. Later, I worked three jobs simultaneously, desperately raising my brother until he got into MIT. I returned to my hometown to share this good news with Julian and Mary. But the moment I walked through the door, I saw the “paralyzed” Julian and Mary standing perfectly fine, embracing a girl who looked exactly like me, calling her “my daughter” with faces full of affection. I couldn’t believe it. I approached them to demand an explanation, only to be pushed to the ground with disgust written all over their faces. They mocked me without any attempt to hide their contempt, and that’s when I finally understood—I was the switched daughter of a wealthy family, having had my identity swapped with their biological daughter since childhood. “If we hadn’t needed you to support Jacob, we would’ve thrown you out on the streets long ago. Now that Jacob’s gotten into college, you’re worthless. Get lost.” At Mary’s command, bodyguards swarmed me, pinning me to the ground. And my brother, whom I had protected since childhood, just stood there coldly, watching me get beaten to death without a trace of pity in his eyes. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Julian and Mary announced their paralysis. ***** “Oh, Julian, you two are so unfortunate. Your youngest son is still so small, and now you’ve both collapsed. Trudy, you need to be more sensible from now on. Your family’s Jacob still needs your care. This household depends entirely on you now.” The neighbors offered their concerns—some genuine, others just watching the drama unfold—giving me these instructions. I looked at Julian and Mary in their wheelchairs again, my heart filled with indescribable complexity. For a moment, I felt dazed—I really had been given a second chance at life. In my previous life, when I came home from school, the house was already packed with people. The mayor stood among the crowd, his face grave as he told me that Julian and Mary had been in an accident at the construction site, struck by falling steel beams and both completely paralyzed. I fainted on the spot from crying. When I woke up, Julian and Mary had already been wheeled into the house, sitting in wheelchairs. Jacob was still young and too frightened to say a word. I tried to balance school with caring for three people, but it was impossible to keep up, so I eventually had to drop out. Later, when Jacob grew older, he needed to attend high school in the city center. I worked during the day and stayed with Jacob in a small apartment in the city at night, cooking and doing laundry for him daily, while also hiring caregivers for Julian and Mary. My efforts weren’t in vain—Jacob eventually got into MIT. That Christmas, as soon as I received the notification, I immediately bought a ticket home, wanting to tell Julian and Mary the news in person. But the moment I walked through the front door, I saw Julian and Mary, who had been paralyzed for over a decade, standing there full of life, holding a girl who looked exactly like me. Where was even a trace of illness on their faces? Meanwhile, I looked like an old woman, haggard from years of malnutrition. I couldn’t help but tremble as I approached them for an explanation, but they coldly pushed me to the ground. “You were born a pitiful wretch. Lucky for you that you somewhat resemble Emma. Might as well tell you now—your real father is the New York tycoon Cassian Winslow, but now he’s Emma’s father. If we hadn’t needed you to put Jacob through school, we would’ve left you on the streets long ago. Now that you’re useless, it’s time for you to leave so Emma can enjoy life.” That’s when I finally understood—I wasn’t their child. They had faked their paralysis because they didn’t want to raise me, this burden, while still having me raise Jacob. And Jacob just stood there expressionlessly, watching me get beaten to death. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Julian and Mary announced their paralysis. Watching Julian and Mary still pretending to be unconscious in their wheelchairs, I suppressed my rage until all the neighbors had left, then grabbed the baseball bat from the corner and walked toward them. They wanted to fake paralysis? Well, let’s see if they could keep up the act! The hatred in my heart blazed like wildfire. Why should they get to live comfortably while I had to fight tooth and nail to support this family? I gritted my teeth, rolled up their pant legs, and brought the bat down hard.
Seeing the solid muscles on their calves, I suddenly burst out laughing. My laughter drew back the villagers who hadn’t gone far yet. Everyone crowded closer, and when they saw Julian and Mary’s legs, several uncles were also stunned. The caregiver had been watching the commotion outside, but now came in and saw this mess, her face twisted with anger. My head was buzzing, my heart filled with shock. It seemed Julian and Mary had really gone all out to fake their paralysis. When I struck them with that stick, they didn’t make a sound, but their leg muscles couldn’t stop trembling. I sneered coldly – they must have nearly bitten through their teeth. The caregiver came up and shoved me. “Trudy, you actually hit your own parents? You’re so ungrateful! If it weren’t for them trying to get more compensation to make your lives better, would they suffer like this? And you hit them so hard!” Once the caregiver said this, the villagers’ gazes shifted from Julian and Mary’s legs to me, studying me meaningfully. But I just sat down on the ground and cried my heart out. “Ma’am, I just couldn’t accept it for a moment, so I wanted to test if they still had any feeling. I couldn’t believe they were really paralyzed, and Jacob is still so young. Also, I heard Mom and Dad got hurt at a construction site, but when I just looked at their legs, how come there’s not a single injury?” “That’s right, Julian’s legs look healthier than mine, and that muscle was still twitching just now,” a relative said. The caregiver was left speechless by my questions, and after a long while, she finally managed to squeeze out a sentence. “Would your parents lie to you about being paralyzed? You hit them so hard, and they didn’t even react. Their legs just look fine on the surface, but they actually can’t stand up anymore.” “Really?” I stared at the caregiver with a face full of doubt. She thought she had fooled me and quickly urged me to go take care of Jacob. But I stood in front of her without moving, deliberately acting naive. “Since Mom and Dad got hurt at the construction site, shouldn’t the site pay compensation?” The caregiver froze – Julian and Mary hadn’t taught her how to cover this lie. Actually, I knew perfectly well they were all faking it. I just couldn’t swallow this injustice. Did they think they could live comfortably for the rest of their lives by faking paralysis, dumping all the trouble on me? Just take a few beatings and enjoy the final victory? I stared coldly at this caregiver who knew the truth. “It’s not that the construction site doesn’t want to pay, is it? Tell me where the site is, I’ll go find them tomorrow. If they try to dodge payment, I’ll livestream and expose them online.” The caregiver broke out in a sweat. She probably never expected that the “good girl” Julian and Mary described could stay so calm in the face of crisis and keep pressing about money. She had no choice but to push me back to my room to sleep while repeatedly promising to take me to the construction site the next day. Once the door closed, I could still hear Julian and Mary cursing in low voices. I couldn’t help but sneer, thinking: “Think you can dump everything on me without paying up? No way! No money, no deal – don’t expect me to clean up this mess.” The next day, before dawn, the caregiver knocked on my door. She handed me a stack of cash – the so-called compensation. “Ten thousand dollars. The site supervisor already ran off, this is what I fought tooth and nail to get.” I “gratefully” accepted the money. I could tell they were eager to get rid of Jacob and me – they even gave the money readily. After all, they’d soon reunite with Emma Winslow and enjoy their real daughter’s good fortune. Emma was now the daughter of a top billionaire. Just her casual handouts would be enough for them to live comfortably for life. To work in the city, I had opened my own independent bank account. The caregiver didn’t suspect a thing. With my own account, I started packing up everything valuable in the house. In my previous life, when I went to the city for Jacob’s education, I couldn’t bear to let that vegetable plot go to waste, always feeling it was Julian and Mary’s hard work. This time I rented it out directly, and all the rental income went into my pocket. Mary’s jewelry – I sold it all for cash. After all, she was stuck in a wheelchair now, no matter how much jewelry she had, she couldn’t wear it. The house got emptier as I cleaned it out, while my wallet got fatter and fatter. When I’d pretty much cleared out everything valuable, I took Jacob, still in swaddling clothes, into the city. Looking at Jacob in my arms, who knew nothing, I laughed coldly. Julian and Mary had schemed for so many years, dumping Jacob on me to raise. How could I disappoint them? I would definitely send them a big gift.
Sixteen years had passed since that Christmas, gone in what felt like the blink of an eye. Throughout those sixteen years, I’d poured everything I had into raising my brother. Since I never hesitated to spend money on him, he consistently ranked first in his grade at school. When the college admission results came out, just as I’d expected, his performance was even better than in his previous life—he claimed the top spot in the entire city. The day the results were announced, reporters swarmed our front door. Watching my brother’s confident demeanor on the news filled my face with smiles and pride. All my sacrifices had been for this moment—to make those deadbeat parents Julian and Mary so restless they’d have to come crawling back themselves. I was certain that people like them, who only wanted to freeload, would never pass up an opportunity to bask in the spotlight. Sure enough, at my brother’s graduation celebration, while everyone was showering me with praise, the hotel doors suddenly burst open. I stood up at the commotion, only to see Julian and Mary—who should have been completely paralyzed—strutting in bold as brass. “How could we, as parents, miss such an important moment in our Jacob’s life?” I suppressed my laughter and frowned at the caregiver who’d been looking after them. The caregiver withered under my stare, keeping her head down in silence. Seeing the two of them stride in with such vigor, many villagers were stunned. After all, for the past sixteen years, they’d been pretending to be paralyzed in wheelchairs. Ignoring everyone’s stares, they walked up to me, shoved me aside, and pulled my brother into their arms. Julian looked deeply moved, his eyes welling up as he patted my brother’s head. “Jacob, I’m your father!” My brother frowned in disgust, quickly dodging away and grabbing my arm instead. His eyes were full of revulsion. “Trudy, who is this guy? How can he just walk up and claim to be my dad? I don’t know him!” Watching Julian and Mary’s embarrassed expressions, I couldn’t help but serve my brother some food. Seeing my brother’s cold reception, Julian couldn’t save face. He angrily shouted at me, “Trudy! Did you teach him this? You’re the one who taught Jacob not to recognize his parents! He was so well-behaved as a child—how did he turn out like this?” Mary also looked ready to cry, starting to beat her own chest. “You little vixen! You’ve been jealous that your brother’s a boy since childhood, and now you’re turning Jacob against us!” Their shamelessness made me laugh with anger. After all these years of never raising my brother for even a single day, what right did they have to expect his recognition? I said nothing, but Julian felt challenged and charged at me, ready to kick. He’d barely taken a step when a man much taller than him blocked his path. Julian looked up dismissively, but his expression changed the moment he saw who it was. “Mr. Winslow, what brings you here?” Cassian Winslow spoke calmly, “I don’t recall inviting you.” His voice carried an intimidating weight. Julian immediately deflated. The reporters who’d been interviewing my brother instantly swarmed toward Cassian. “Mr. Winslow, you’ve topped the wealth rankings again this month. Could we get an interview?” Cassian coldly toyed with the ring on his finger, ignoring everyone until the crowd gradually quieted down. Only then did he turn to look at us, his tone becoming much gentler. Having lost face in public, Julian forgot about his job and directly confronted Cassian. “Mr. Winslow, even if I’m your driver now, surely my son’s graduation celebration isn’t your business to manage?” Julian smiled smugly. “Mr. Winslow, my Jacob ranked first in the entire city!” Cassian chuckled at this, his tone unreadable. “Your Jacob?” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Julian still naively believed that my brother standing beside me was his son. In my previous life, he’d refused to acknowledge me even unto death—how could I possibly continue being his cash cow? They’d always assumed I’d work like a pack mule for Jacob’s sake. How naive! I’d waited sixteen years just to watch them make fools of themselves today! Looking at Julian’s chubby, smiling face, I seized the moment to explain, “Actually… he’s not your Jacob. He’s just my brother.” Julian snorted coldly, “Jacob is my only son—what’s wrong with that? You’re not even his real sister.”
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After missing her period for three consecutive months, Celeste Waverly harbored secret hopes and went to the hospital for an ultrasound. The doctor stared at the test results for a long time before looking up with shock written all over his face. “Ms. Waverly, you don’t have a uterus at all!” Celeste’s first reaction was denial: “How is that possible? My periods were always regular before—it’s just that they suddenly stopped these past three months.” The doctor checked her medical records on the computer again, then told her: “Three months ago, you underwent a hysterectomy.” Celeste shook her head on the spot, her face full of confusion: “That’s not right. Three months ago I only had an appendectomy!” “The surgical records are very clear—it was a hysterectomy, and your husband’s name is signed on the consent form.” Unwilling to accept this, Celeste asked the doctor to retrieve that consent form. [Patient: Celeste Waverly, Surgery Type: Hysterectomy] [Patient: Celeste Waverly, Surgery Type: Hysterectomy] In the family member signature section, Dominic’s messy signature was instantly recognizable. This was definitely his handwriting. While Celeste was still reeling from the shock, the doctor suddenly discovered something else on the computer. “Your husband is Dominic Finch, right?” “Yes.” “He was just here earlier accompanying another young woman for a prenatal checkup. The pregnant woman is named Lilian Galloway—do you know her?” “He was just here earlier accompanying another young woman for a prenatal checkup. The pregnant woman is named Lilian Galloway—do you know her?” Of course she knew her. A year before Christmas, Dominic had been in a car accident, and Lilian had saved him. ***** Celeste couldn’t say how she managed to leave the hospital. While crossing the street, she nearly got hit by a car, startling the driver into slamming on the brakes. She was stunned for a moment too. But her mind was in complete chaos—she couldn’t make sense of anything. She and Dominic had been together since high school, from their student days to the wedding altar—fifteen whole years by each other’s side. Everyone around them knew that Dominic spoiled Celeste beyond measure. Even the second before that car accident happened, he had instinctively pushed Celeste away, while he himself tumbled down the mountainside with his car. And Lilian was the person who had saved him at the bottom of the mountain. After the accident, Dominic lost his memory, and Lilian took him in and cared for him for six whole months. After six months, his memory returned, and he rushed back to Celeste’s side immediately. He still loved her just like before. The first time he saw her again, he couldn’t wait to pull her into his arms, his eyes reddening: “Celeste, I thought I’d never see you again in this lifetime.” Celeste had always been grateful and nearly knelt down to thank Lilian for taking care of him during that time. She decided to have Dominic give Lilian five million dollars as repayment, and she even bought several apartments in downtown New York for Lilian’s family. She had once asked Dominic: “During the time you lost your memory, were you with Lilian?” Dominic had only held her gently, kissing her softly: “That’s all in the past. Now you’re the only one in my heart.” Celeste had been skeptical at first. Until one day, Dominic sent Lilian’s entire family abroad. After that, he even went to a tattoo parlor and had “Celeste’s Only” tattooed over his heart. He was severely allergic to tattoo ink and ran a high fever that wouldn’t break that night. Even while unconscious, he held Celeste’s hand tightly, comforting her in a hoarse whisper: “I’m fine. I just wanted to give you a sense of security. If I ever lose my memory again, I’ll know I have a wife just by seeing this tattoo. My wife’s name is Celeste, and I truly love her.” Celeste cried uncontrollably and finally chose to believe him. At every gathering or business dinner, Dominic would bring Celeste along. His buddies always teased him: “Dominic, you’re way too clingy with your wife. You can’t even go a day without seeing her—you have to bring her everywhere.” Dominic would always look proud: “That’s because you’re all jealous that I married such a wonderful wife.” Three months ago, they started trying for a baby. One night, Celeste suddenly had stomach pain, and Dominic rushed her to the hospital in a panic, saying she had acute appendicitis and needed an appendectomy. Celeste didn’t suspect anything. After watching Dominic sign the surgical consent form, she was wheeled into the operating room. Who would have known that what they removed wasn’t her appendix, but her uterus… By the time she got home, it was already dark. As soon as she pushed the door open, she heard Dominic on the phone. “Alright, I’ll come stay with you and the baby tonight. Don’t worry, Celeste’s uterus has been removed—she can never get pregnant again. No one can threaten our child’s position. I’ve already given her my love and the status of Mrs. Finch, so you’ll just have to be patient for now. Once the baby is born, I’ll handle the adoption paperwork and bring the child home. Don’t worry, Celeste is kind-hearted—she’ll definitely take good care of the child. She’ll never know the truth.” Celeste stood frozen at the doorway, feeling like she’d fallen into an ice cellar. So he had never forgotten Lilian at all. He wanted to make it up to Lilian, so he got her pregnant; and to put his own mind at ease, he actually schemed to make Celeste lose her uterus. Celeste still fantasized that maybe the doctor had made a mistake, or perhaps there were just people in the world who happened to share the same names—Dominic Finch and Lilian Galloway. But all fantasies ultimately crumble under reality’s hammer. Since their past love had been completely exhausted, she didn’t want to continue this charade with Dominic anymore. Celeste turned around and hailed a cab to leave home… The staff member at the police station’s records department carefully verified her documents. The clerk asked seriously, “Ms. Celeste Waverly, are you certain you want to change your name to Hazel Sherwood?” Celeste nodded in confirmation: “Yes.” The staff member asked again, “What’s your reason for changing your name?” Celeste replied nonchalantly, “I just don’t like how my original name sounds. I want to change it, that’s all.” In America, adults don’t need family consent to change their names. The staff member worked quickly, and within moments had completed the paperwork, telling her: “Your new name will officially take effect in seven business days.” Celeste thanked him politely: “Thank you.” As soon as Celeste stepped out of the records department, she ran straight into Dominic, who was rushing toward her. Dominic grabbed her in his arms, his face full of panic as he demanded: “Celeste, where did you go? I couldn’t reach you on your phone! I was going crazy!” Several police officers followed behind him. One of the officers laughed and teased Dominic: “Alright, you finally found your wife. Now you can relax, right?” Another officer said directly to Celeste: “Your husband was really worried about you. The moment you disappeared, he went crazy. Our entire police force was out looking for you. Thank goodness the surveillance cameras caught you going to the records office.” Dominic asked her nervously: “Celeste, what were you doing at the records office?” Celeste replied calmly: “Nothing much, just updating some of my information.” The officer added: “When we were checking the surveillance footage, we also saw you went to the hospital. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?” Celeste looked up at this man who always treated her like his lifeline. Why could Dominic be so worried about her, yet still have an affair with Lilian behind her back? Was it because of that life-saving grace, so he had to repay it with his body? Or perhaps, during that time, Dominic truly fell in love with Lilian, and even though his memory had returned, those feelings still remained? Seeing her silence, Dominic asked anxiously: “Celeste, why aren’t you saying anything?” Celeste gently pushed him away, her tone calm and distant: “I’m not unwell. I just went to check my blood type.” Dominic asked in confusion: “Why did you check your blood type?” Celeste explained flatly: “To make blood donation easier. If someone needs my blood, I can donate anytime.” Dominic finally breathed a sigh of relief, showing some smile: “You came to the records office to update your blood type information too, right?” Celeste nodded: “Mm-hmm.” The weight finally lifted from Dominic’s heart as he praised her with a smile: “Our Celeste is so kind, always thinking of helping others.” After returning home, Dominic’s dependence on her intensified. While driving, he gripped the steering wheel with his left hand but insisted on holding her hand with his right. Even during meals, he’d rather awkwardly use his knife and fork with his left hand than let go of her hand. Celeste reminded him helplessly: “Let go, it’s very inconvenient to eat like this.” But Dominic gripped even tighter: “I won’t let go. I’m afraid if I do, you’ll disappear again.” Celeste sighed. He was just trying to comfort her, and probably even Dominic himself didn’t realize this statement would soon become reality. In seven more days, Celeste would completely shed her old identity and officially start a new life with her new name. And she would be completely separated from him. After dinner, Dominic sat with her on the sofa watching variety shows. He peeled all the grapes and placed them on a crystal plate, feeding them to her one by one. Suddenly, Dominic’s phone rang. He pulled out several tissues to wipe his hands clean, then casually walked to the balcony to take the call. When he returned, he gently kissed her cheek and said: “Honey, something urgent came up at the company. I need to go out for a bit.” Celeste knew in her heart that Lilian had called. He was going to spend time with her and the child again. Although she was mentally prepared, when Dominic lied to her face, Celeste’s heart still felt like it was being pricked by a needle. She nodded indifferently: “Go ahead.” Dominic hugged her and whispered: “Stay home tonight like a good girl. I’ll be back tomorrow morning.” “Okay.” Dominic grabbed his jacket and practically ran out the door, driving away from home. On impulse, Celeste opened the tablet at home and launched an app. This app could sync in real-time with Dominic’s car dashcam, allowing her to hear sounds from inside the car. As soon as Dominic’s car left the house, the conversation from inside came through clearly. “I’m already on my way, just wait a little longer.” Lilian’s voice asked coquettishly: “Celeste didn’t find out, did she?” Dominic reassured her: “Don’t worry, she’ll never know.” Lilian’s voice carried a seductive tone: “Then tonight… shall we try something new?” Dominic’s breathing became rapid, his voice revealing desire: “You’re still pregnant.” Lilian said playfully: “Didn’t the doctor say during today’s checkup that the baby is perfectly healthy? And it’s been three months now, the baby is stable. Honey, we haven’t been intimate for so long since I got pregnant. I really miss you…” Dominic said in a low voice: “You little temptress, just wait. Tonight I’m definitely going to take care of you properly!” Dominic’s car drove all the way to his company building. It turned out that his previous claim about sending Lilian abroad was nothing but a lie. Lilian had actually been placed by Dominic in his company all along, where he could see her every day at work. Watching all this, Celeste suddenly couldn’t help but laugh. When someone reaches complete disappointment beyond words, they really do laugh. Dominic had woven a perfect yet false dream for Celeste, trapping her in this bubble and making her believe she was the happiest woman in the world. But outside this bubble, Dominic had long had another home, and would soon have a child too. Celeste felt that none of this mattered anymore—it was utterly meaningless. After Dominic’s car engine turned off, the dashcam should have shut down as well. But within minutes, Celeste’s phone buzzed with another notification—the dashcam had started recording again. Celeste opened the app and saw a scene that made her eyes burn. Dominic and Lilian were embracing directly in the car, completely forgetting the outside world in their passion. Lilian’s belly was already slightly rounded, and Dominic had one hand protectively over her stomach while the other pulled her forcefully into his arms. Seeing Lilian’s intoxicated expression and Dominic’s face twisted with desire, Celeste immediately turned her head and dry-heaved. She felt utterly disgusted. They went at it in the car for several rounds—Celeste didn’t want to count. By dawn the next day, she had copied all the footage from last night’s dashcam recording onto a USB drive. Five full hours of video with explosive content. Perfect as a breakup gift to put a sarcastic end to her decade-plus relationship with Dominic. At nine in the morning, Dominic returned home. He was carrying breakfast in his hands. Seeing Celeste standing on the balcony, Dominic asked gently, “Celeste, why are you up so early? Why didn’t you sleep in a bit more?” Celeste was watering the flowers on the balcony at that moment. These flowers were ones she had carefully nurtured over seven years—rare night-blooming cereus that had bloomed for the first time just this year. But she picked up scissors and cut off the flower that had just bloomed, then casually tossed it into the trash. Seeing this, Dominic looked surprised. “That plant was so hard to grow—how could you bear to cut it?” Celeste said flatly, “Night-blooming cereus only blooms for an instant. It bloomed last night, so there’s no point keeping it now.” Dominic laughed with some regret. “Looks like I missed its most beautiful moment. It’s my fault—I shouldn’t have gone to the company last night. I should have stayed by your side.” Celeste just smiled lightly. “It doesn’t matter anymore.” Dominic wrapped his arms around her from behind, his voice low and suggestive as he whispered in her ear, “Since you’re already awake, how about we… continue trying for a baby?” His hint was completely undisguised. Celeste really wanted to ask him coldly how he still had the energy to keep acting after battling with Lilian for hours last night. But when the words reached her lips, she found them pointless. Since she had already decided to leave, there was no need to fight. Celeste said calmly, “No need. I got my period.” Dominic’s expression instantly froze. “How is that possible? How could you get your period…” He quickly realized there was something wrong with his words and hurriedly corrected himself. “No, I mean, it shouldn’t be time yet, right?” Celeste looked at him and replied softly, “Maybe it came early.” Dominic said nothing more, but his face turned frighteningly pale. “Celeste, I need to make a phone call.” Dominic turned and went back to the bedroom. He picked up his phone and immediately dialed a doctor friend. “Doctor, wasn’t Celeste’s uterus already removed? How can she still have periods? Did you guys not do the surgery properly?” The doctor on the other end sounded very certain. “The surgery was absolutely fine. I can guarantee that.” Dominic lowered his voice. “Then why is she still bleeding?” The doctor explained patiently, “It could be inflammation, or it might be that your marital activities were too intense, causing mucosal tears.” Hearing this, Dominic’s tone immediately relaxed, even carrying some lighthearted laughter. “If that’s the case, then it makes sense. Last time Celeste and I… *cough cough*, I was indeed a bit rough.” The doctor laughed and advised him, “Calculate her cycle, and when it’s close to her period time, be more cooperative with the intensity. If there’s a small amount of bleeding each time, she’ll never discover the truth.” Dominic let out a cold laugh. “Good, I’ll do as you say.” After hanging up, when Dominic returned to the balcony, Celeste was still tending to her flowers. Only this time, instead of carefully pruning and caring for them, she was cutting down all the flowers one by one, pulling them up by the roots, and carelessly piling them together. Dominic watched her, somewhat puzzled. “Celeste, you usually treasure these flowers so much. Why are you pulling them all up now?” Celeste didn’t look up, her tone indifferent. “I don’t like them anymore.” Dominic stepped closer, probing, “I feel like you’ve been in a strange mood these past couple of days?” Celeste replied flatly, “I’m on my period. Emotional instability is normal.” Just then, the household maid passed by the balcony, and Celeste waved her over. “Maria, please dispose of all these flowers.” Maria approached and asked, “Mrs. Finch, should I throw away all these uprooted plants?” Celeste nodded. “Yes, throw away the flower pots too. Don’t keep any of it.”
The next morning, Dominic looked at Celeste’s condition and said, “Celeste, you haven’t been in a good mood these past few days. I’ve signed you up for a tour group so you can get out and lift your spirits.” Celeste calculated the time—there were still five days before her new name would officially take effect. “How many days?” Celeste asked him. “Three days, just to a nearby city, very close to New York. I don’t feel comfortable with you going too far alone,” Dominic replied. Celeste nodded. “Alright.” That afternoon, Dominic sent a driver to pick up Celeste. The driver said, “Mrs. Finch, I’ll take you to the airport.” Celeste said nothing and got into the car. At the airport, the driver personally watched her go through security, confirming she had entered the departure lounge before calling Dominic: “Mr. Finch, she’s boarded the plane.” Dominic gave a casual “Mm,” then instructed, “Stay there. Mr. Oscar Galloway and Mrs. Clara Galloway’s flight is about to land. Go pick them up and bring them home, and be polite.” “Yes, sir,” the driver responded. After the driver left, Celeste found an excuse to slip back out from the boarding gate. Celeste stood in an inconspicuous corner and watched with her own eyes as Lilian’s parents emerged from the exit. She watched the driver walk over to help with their luggage, respectfully inviting Oscar and Clara into the car, then busily loading their bags into the trunk. Celeste turned and hailed a taxi, telling the driver, “Follow that car up ahead.” After Dominic sent Celeste off on the plane, he personally brought Lilian back home. When the driver brought Oscar and Clara back, Lilian immediately ran excitedly toward them upon seeing her parents, throwing herself into Clara’s arms: “Mom, Dad, I finally get to see you!” Dominic immediately opened the doors very respectfully for Oscar Galloway and Clara Galloway, personally pouring them water, his attitude completely that of a future son-in-law. Dominic smiled as he apologized to them: “Mr. Galloway, Mrs. Galloway, I’m sorry that because of Celeste’s situation, you had to stay abroad for a while. Thank you for your patience.” Oscar waved his hand dismissively, chuckling, “No problem at all. You arranged for people to take us sightseeing everywhere—we both had a great time.” Dominic smiled too. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourselves.” Clara looked at Lilian’s belly and sighed, “Lilian’s already pregnant, and you’re still addressing us so formally?” Dominic immediately corrected himself, his tone perfectly natural: “Oscar, Clara.” “Now that’s more like it!” Clara beamed with joy. The living room was suddenly filled with a warm, harmonious atmosphere. Throughout it all, Lilian kept her arm tightly linked with Dominic’s, playing the perfect wife. She turned to instruct Maria: “Maria, prepare the guest rooms. Mom and Dad are staying here tonight.” Maria nodded in agreement: “Yes, Mrs. Finch.” Celeste stood quietly in the shadows, seeing everything clearly. She had long known about Dominic’s betrayal. But Maria’s attitude was the final straw that broke Celeste. It turned out even the household staff knew all about Dominic and Lilian’s affair, even addressing Lilian as “Mrs. Finch.” What was even more ridiculous was that Maria wasn’t the least bit unfamiliar with Oscar and Clara, showing no surprise at all—clearly she had known they would be coming back. Celeste suddenly remembered that it was she herself who had invited Maria to work as their housekeeper at Christmas. At Christmas, Maria had a disabled son at home. Celeste, feeling sympathetic, had given her triple the salary and treated Maria like family. During meals and trips, she always included Maria, never treating her poorly. Now even Maria was keeping her in the dark, deceiving her behind her back. Celeste felt as if her chest was being stabbed repeatedly with a knife, the pain making her double over, unable to even stand steady. Nausea suddenly surged up. She covered her mouth, breathing rapidly, tears streaming down like a broken dam, blurring her vision. Accidentally, her hand knocked against the wind chime decoration hanging by the door. The wind chime rang out. Dominic immediately heard the sound, his expression changing instantly as he shouted loudly, “Who’s out there?!” Dominic yanked the door open and rushed out, but the hallway was completely empty—not a soul in sight. Lilian walked to the doorway, tilting her head curiously. “What’s wrong, Dominic?” Dominic frowned as he explained, “I just heard the wind chimes ring, like someone was eavesdropping at the door.” Lilian glanced around and chuckled softly. “You’re being too paranoid. Those wind chimes ring whenever there’s a breeze—it’s not that dramatic.” Dominic furrowed his brow. “Maybe I’m overthinking it.” The driver quickly chimed in, “Don’t worry, Mr. Finch. I personally watched Celeste go through the boarding gate. She’s definitely on the plane by now.” Dominic still felt uneasy and pulled out his phone to call Celeste. A cold, mechanical voice answered: “Hello, the number you have dialed is currently turned off.” Hearing this, Dominic finally relaxed. He chuckled to himself, “Guess I really am being too paranoid.” Dominic turned around, pulled Lilian close, and led her back to the sofa as the door automatically closed behind them. Just behind that tightly shut door, Celeste pressed herself against the wall, her phone trembling slightly in her hand. She covered her mouth tightly, suppressing her sobs, and slowly backed away from the door. Celeste walked to the street and hailed a taxi, giving the driver a hotel address. The driver glanced at her red-rimmed eyes through the rearview mirror and asked curiously, “Miss, why are you crying like that? Did you have a fight with your husband?” Celeste wiped away her tears and said softly, “We didn’t fight.” There really was no need to fight anymore. Lilian was already pregnant, Dominic had brought over her parents, and Maria had accepted Lilian as the lady of the house. They were already a family. Celeste was just a pitiful joke in their eyes. At the hotel, Celeste collapsed on the bed and slept. She waited until she estimated the plane would be landing before turning her phone back on. Within minutes, Dominic’s call came through: “Baby, did the plane land safely?” Celeste replied calmly, “Yes, I’m already at the hotel.” Dominic laughed on the other end, “Have fun. When you come back, I’ll pick you up at the airport.” Celeste took a deep breath. “Okay.” After hanging up, Celeste went to the nearest bank. She withdrew all the cash from every account she had, then went to the nearest department store to buy a new suitcase and several changes of clothes. Celeste brought these back to the hotel and hid them as backup, ready to grab and go at any moment. After organizing everything, she suddenly remembered the kitten that had been sent to the veterinary hospital for ringworm. That little kitten was a witness to her meeting with Dominic. When they first got together, they had discovered this kitten lying dying in a street corner. They took the kitten to the vet for treatment and cared for it for three whole months before nursing it back to health. The day they brought it home, Dominic wrapped his arm around Celeste’s shoulder and said, “Celeste, from now on we’ll be its mom and dad. Why don’t you give it a name?” Celeste was only 18 then, and somehow became this kitten’s “mom” in a daze. Later, Celeste learned that Dominic had deliberately placed that kitten on her daily route to school, just so she would find it. When Celeste exposed him, Dominic just smiled helplessly and said, “I kept trying to run into you every day, but you treated me like I was invisible. I was out of options, so I had to pull this trick. Who told me to love you so much that I can’t live without you?” But could he really not live without her? No, he couldn’t. Besides her, there was also Lilian. He loved both Celeste and Lilian at the same time. Dominic gave Celeste his affection and attention, but gave Lilian his child—in his mind, this seemed perfectly fair. But Celeste wasn’t a fool. She wanted pure, clean love, not this kind of arrangement where he played both sides. He wouldn’t have to keep up his paranoid act anymore. Celeste just wanted to leave with her dignity intact. Celeste went to the veterinary hospital to see the kitten. The vet smiled and asked, “Didn’t the kitten’s dad come with you today? Usually you both come together.” Celeste replied flatly, “He’s busy.” The doctor nodded. “The kitten’s ringworm has completely healed. You can take it home today.” Celeste shook her head and said softly, “No need to take it. Please help find a reliable person to adopt it.” The veterinarian looked at Celeste Waverly with confusion, tentatively asking, “Are you two planning to have children?” Celeste didn’t respond directly, instead asking back, “Why do you ask?” The veterinarian sighed, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness: “Because we see a lot of cats and dogs in similar situations here. Their owners are preparing to have children and don’t plan to keep them anymore, so they leave them with us to find new homes.” Indeed, someone was about to have a child. But that person wasn’t her. Celeste actually felt reluctant to give up this little cat. After all, she’d raised it for so many years and had long considered it family. But she was planning to leave, and taking the cat with her would be too difficult—the long flight would be stressful, and she was afraid something might happen to the little one. Celeste actually felt reluctant to give up this little cat. After all, she’d raised it for so many years and had long considered it family. But she was planning to leave, and taking the cat with her would be too difficult—the long flight would be stressful, and she was afraid something might happen to the little one. Celeste actually felt reluctant to give up this little cat. After all, she’d raised it for so many years and had long considered it family. But she was planning to leave, and taking the cat with her would be too difficult—the long flight would be stressful, and she was afraid something might happen to the little one. Celeste took a deep breath and said earnestly to the doctor, “Please help me find a reliable person to adopt it as soon as possible.” The veterinarian nodded: “Actually, a young lady came to see this cat today. She played with it for a long time and seemed to really like it. Let me contact her and ask.” Before long, the veterinarian returned and told Celeste: “That lady has agreed. She said she’ll come pick up the cat right now.” Celeste waited at the veterinary clinic for a while and met the girl who would adopt the cat. She looked innocent and sweet, and when she held the cat in her arms, her eyes were full of affection. Celeste waited at the veterinary clinic for a while and met the girl who would adopt the cat. She looked innocent and sweet, and when she held the cat in her arms, her eyes were full of affection. Celeste nodded, agreeing to give the cat to her, and also slipped the girl a stack of cash. The girl was startled and quickly shook her head: “This isn’t right. I’m here to adopt, how can I take your money? Please take it back.” But Celeste insisted on giving her the money: “This cat is getting older and has a genetic condition, so it’ll inevitably need frequent vet visits. Consider this medical expenses I’m leaving for it, so you’ll feel more at ease taking care of it.” The girl’s eyes welled up with tears. She finally accepted the money, thanked Celeste profusely, and left with the cat. Just after Celeste saw the girl off, her phone buzzed with a message from Dominic. Dominic: [Baby, did you have fun today? I miss you so much.] Celeste stared at the screen and let out a cold laugh. Without hesitation, she replied: [Then I’ll catch a flight back to you right now. Pick me up at the airport in three hours.] Dominic replied quickly: [No, don’t cut your trip short because of me. Enjoy yourself, I can wait.] Celeste almost laughed out loud. Men’s devotion was more fragile than plastic. He couldn’t even handle this little test, yet still pretended to be lovesick. Dominic: [Did you take any beautiful photos? Send me a few, I want to see how gorgeous my wife is.] Celeste randomly searched for some tourist attraction photos online, removed the watermarks, and sent them over. Dominic still wouldn’t give up: [Why only scenery? Where’s my baby?] Celeste just threw back one line: [I’m tired, going to sleep.] Dominic: [Okay, get some rest early. Love you.] Celeste slept peacefully in the hotel for three days, fully resting and even making travel plans. She decided that after leaving here, she’d first go to the four Nordic countries to see the northern lights, then fly to Africa to see the grasslands and wildlife. Finally, she rented a deserted island in a small country. Since the island couldn’t be purchased, she signed a hundred-year lease in one go. That was the new home she chose for herself. In the future, she would face the ocean alone, welcoming spring blossoms, with no one to disturb her. On the morning of the fifth day, Celeste didn’t check out but extended her stay for two more days, leaving her luggage in the room so she could take it anytime. She composed herself and called a car to the airport. Soon, the driver arrived. The driver said cheerfully, “Mrs. Finch, you’re finally back! Mr. Finch has been talking about you non-stop these past two days—he’s practically worn our ears out.” Celeste ignored him and directly opened the car door to get in. She’d heard enough of these fake sweet words and was too lazy to keep up the act. When the car reached home, everything looked the same as when she’d left. Dominic opened his arms and hugged her: “Celeste, welcome home.” Maria also smiled and poked her head out from the kitchen: “Mrs. Finch, he told me early this morning to buy all your favorite dishes. I’ve prepared them all for tonight.” Dominic whispered in her ear: “They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Now that you’re back from your trip, your period should be over too, right? Tonight… shall we rest early?” Celeste pushed him away expressionlessly: “I’m tired.” Dominic tried to move closer: “You sleep, I’ll do my thing…” Before he could finish, the front door was suddenly pushed open. Lilian stood in the doorway, looking somewhat awkward: “Oh, Celeste, you’re back?” Celeste noticed Dominic’s arm around her waist suddenly stiffen. Celeste turned her head, her lips curved in a smile, but her tone was bone-chillingly cold: “Lilian, long time no see. Why did you suddenly come back? Couldn’t get used to living abroad?” Lilian held her waist, her smile looking a bit forced: “I… just left my purse at home. I’ll grab it and leave.” Just as she finished speaking, there was a sudden thunderous crash from overhead: “BOOM!” The massive crystal chandelier in the villa’s living room suddenly came loose, crashing down with countless crystal fragments and metal pieces. In that critical moment, Dominic suddenly pushed Celeste away, turned and rushed toward Lilian, throwing himself over her: “Watch out!”
When Celeste woke up in the hospital, her entire body was wrapped in white gauze, and the slightest movement sent excruciating pain through her. When Celeste woke up in the hospital, her entire body was wrapped in white gauze, and the slightest movement sent excruciating pain through her. A nurse stood beside her bed, speaking cautiously: “You have three fractures and seventeen hairline cracks. The crystal shards and metal pieces from the chandelier also left numerous small cuts. You’ll need to rest and recover properly.” Celeste asked weakly, “What’s today’s date?” The nurse glanced down at the calendar: “The 13th.” Celeste felt a wave of relief. Good—tomorrow would be the day her new identity took effect. She still had one last day and night. The sound of delicate high heels echoed from the doorway. Lilian walked in, her pregnant belly prominent as she pushed open the door. Celeste let out a cold laugh and spoke first: “What, here to see if I’m dead yet?” Lilian made no attempt to hide her smugness, deliberately placing her hand on her belly and arching her back: “Celeste, you’re tougher than I thought. I had Dad loosen all the chandelier screws, but even that thing crashing down couldn’t kill you.” Celeste asked coldly, “You’re that confident Dominic would save you?” Lilian lifted her chin with complete confidence: “Of course, because I’m carrying his child. If I died, he’d be left without an heir.” Celeste sneered, staring at her belly: “So you know all about my hysterectomy too?” Lilian suddenly burst into laughter, her voice venomous as a blade: “Ha! That was my idea! How else could I make Dominic willingly keep me around? He listens to everything I say now, obedient as a dog. Thanks for training him so well, Celeste. I really should enjoy the fruits of your labor.” Listening to her made Celeste feel sick. She raised her hand and pointed toward the hospital room door: “Get out.” But Lilian didn’t leave, her voice deliberately saccharine: “Don’t rush me away, Celeste. This show isn’t over yet.” Celeste became alert: “What show?” “Since you didn’t die from the chandelier, I can’t become Mrs. Finch. This scene is a special encore performance just for you.” As soon as she finished speaking, Lilian lunged forward, grabbed Celeste’s hand, and pressed it hard against her own belly. “Ah! Help me!” Lilian screamed while deliberately falling to the floor, crying pitifully: “Celeste, I know I was wrong. You can punish me however you want, but please don’t hurt my child…” The hospital room door burst open. Dominic rushed in, his face instantly turning pale when he saw Lilian on the floor: “Lilian! Are you okay?” Lilian trembled as she cried: “Dominic, it hurts so much…” Dominic turned and shouted: “Doctor! Nurse!” Medical staff rushed over quickly. Dominic lifted Lilian onto the bed, comforting her as he escorted her out, never once glancing at Celeste. Two hours later, Dominic finally returned. His expression was frighteningly dark, his voice low and controlled: “Celeste, why did you push her?” Celeste looked up at him and countered: “Shouldn’t you first tell me what’s going on with the child she’s carrying?” Dominic frowned, his voice even lower: “Yes, I got her pregnant, but that’s no reason for you to try to kill her! She’s carrying a child—if something happened, that would be two lives!” Celeste closed her eyes, her voice cold as ice: “She told you I pushed her?” Dominic said through gritted teeth: “Could she have fallen on her own? She’s pregnant—she wouldn’t be that reckless.” Celeste sneered: “The baby didn’t miscarry, did it?” Dominic’s tone wavered slightly: “No, it didn’t. But she was terrified. She looked so pitiful.” Celeste turned her head away: “Go take care of Lilian and her child. Don’t stay here bothering me.” Dominic sighed quietly: “Celeste, I know this is hard for you. But I promise you, you’ll always be Mrs. Finch. Even if Lilian has my child, she can never replace your place in my heart.” Celeste asked coldly: “Then what is she to you?” Dominic pressed his lips together: “I admit, when I had amnesia, I fell in love with her. After my memory returned, of course I love you more, but Lilian… I can’t let her go either.” Yet he still chose to believe Lilian’s suggestion and had Celeste’s uterus removed. This was his idea of fairness. “Celeste, she won’t compete with you. You’ll always be the one I love most, always Mrs. Finch.” Outside, a nurse poked her head in: “Is Lilian Galloway’s husband here?” Dominic immediately responded nervously: “I’m Lilian’s husband. What’s wrong with her?” The nurse smiled: “Don’t worry, she just woke up and didn’t see you. She wanted us to help find you.” Dominic nodded and said to Celeste with guilt in his voice: “Celeste, I need to go check on her first.” “Go ahead.” “Get some rest. Lilian needs someone with her, so I’ll stay with her tonight and come see you tomorrow during the day.” Celeste closed her eyes, her voice barely audible: “Okay.” Dominic hurried out of the room. Celeste looked at the empty space and smiled bitterly. She thought to herself: “Dominic Finch, in this lifetime, we’ll never see each other again.” After Dominic left, Celeste called her most trusted friend, Regina Harrison. When Regina arrived at the hospital and saw Celeste wrapped in bandages, her eyes immediately welled up with tears. “How did that crystal chandelier in your house suddenly fall? That worker was so irresponsible!” Celeste reached up to wipe away Regina’s tears, her voice calm. “Regina, I need you to do me a favor.” Regina nodded immediately. “Whatever you need, just tell me.” Celeste looked at her and said each word deliberately: “Tomorrow morning, take me away from here.” Celeste told Regina everything that had happened during this time. After hearing it all, Regina was so angry she jumped right out of her chair. “Just wait, I’m going to call Dominic over right now. He owes you an explanation!” Celeste held her back, her voice cold as ice. “A man whose heart has already changed is just a pile of trash. I don’t want him anymore.” Celeste arranged everything. “Tomorrow morning at seven, that’s when the nurses change shifts and hospital security is at its loosest. Come get me then.” That night, Regina stayed at the hospital with Celeste, keeping watch over her until dawn. At seven in the morning, Celeste changed into the clothes Regina had brought, got into a wheelchair, and Regina wheeled her out of the hospital. The moment she got in the car, Celeste felt completely relieved, like a huge weight had been lifted from her chest. She had Regina drive to the hotel first to retrieve the luggage she had prepared long ago. In the car, Celeste used her new identity as Hazel Sherwood to book all the flights for her upcoming trips to Northern Europe, Africa, and that island. At nine in the morning when the registry office opened, Celeste immediately went to pick up her new ID and passport. Then, without hesitation, she headed straight to the airport. Since Celeste had limited mobility, Regina found airport ground staff to escort her all the way to the plane. Regina looked at her curiously. “Why did you change your name?” Celeste smiled calmly. “I don’t want Dominic to find me. Whatever feelings I had left for him died long ago.” At the boarding gate, Regina gripped her hand tightly. “Don’t worry, don’t be afraid. I won’t say a word to anyone. Hazel, go find the new life that belongs to you.” Just as she was about to board, Celeste’s phone rang. It was Dominic calling. Dominic’s voice was still anxious. “Celeste, where did you go? You’re still injured, how could you just run off? I’m going crazy with worry!” Celeste spoke calmly into the phone: “The morning air is nice, so I had a nurse wheel me downstairs to get some fresh air.” Dominic sighed on the other end: “Celeste, last night when the chandelier fell, it really was an accident. I rushed to save Lilian only because she’s pregnant. My first instinct was to protect the child, I really…” Celeste cut him off: “Stop talking. I don’t want to hear it.” Dominic lowered his voice. “What would you like for breakfast? I’ll go buy it and bring it to you.” Celeste looked at the boarding pass in her hand and smiled gently. “Help me get something from home.” Dominic didn’t suspect anything. “Sure, what do you need? Tell me.” Celeste’s voice carried a hint of casual amusement. “In the living room drawer, there’s an envelope with a USB drive inside. That’s a gift I left for you.” Dominic immediately brightened: “You prepared a gift for me? Is it a souvenir from your travels? Celeste, you really make me so happy.” Celeste closed her eyes gently. “You’ll know when you go look.” Dominic’s voice carried a touch of eagerness. “Alright, I’ll go look right now. Celeste, I promise I’ll treat you better from now on. The fact that you prepared a gift for me really touches me…” Celeste’s tone was light and distant. “Dominic Finch.” “Yes? I’m listening.” Celeste’s voice seemed to float from far away. “Goodbye forever.” Dominic didn’t hear clearly and was stunned. “Celeste? What did you say? Hello?” All that remained on the phone was the roar of airplane engines and a gentle flight attendant’s voice: “Ma’am, please turn off your phone. The plane is about to take off. Thank you for your cooperation.” The call was disconnected. Celeste turned off her phone, removed the SIM card, snapped it in half, then handed the phone to the flight attendant. “Please throw this away for me, thank you.” The flight attendant nodded and smiled: “Of course, ma’am.” Meanwhile, Dominic stood frozen in place, as if struck by lightning. He hadn’t misheard—that was a flight attendant’s voice just now, wasn’t it? Celeste was on a plane? How was that possible? She had prepared a gift for him, so how could she suddenly fly away? Panic rising in his chest, Dominic immediately turned and rushed home, following Celeste’s directions to find that USB drive…
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398091”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G #Cheating #Hurt #regret #TrueLove
My daughter Zoey Meyer made a wish in German over her birthday candles: “I hope Lucia can be my mom this Christmas.” My husband Liam Meyer laughed and ruffled her hair: “You’ll get your wish soon enough.” I, Eloise Griffin, stood frozen in place as the cake slipped from my hands and crashed to the floor. Liam looked concerned: “What’s wrong?” I shook my head repeatedly, forcing a smile: “I just lost my grip.” Only I knew that I’d panicked because I understood the German, and that’s why I dropped the cake. ***** Liam seemed to have forgotten that I grew up in Germany and only returned to the States for college. Back then, when he learned about my German upbringing, he studied German just to get closer to me. Even Zoey’s German was something I taught her bit by bit. Now, Liam was wiping up the mess on the floor with a towel. Then he cut another slice of cake and held it up to feed me. He said: “It’s okay, I’ll feed you.” This time, I didn’t take it. Instead, I stepped back. I said: “I don’t want any now.” Zoey stuffed a big bite of cake in her mouth and pouted: “I’m still here, you know! You two are being so sweet it’s making me sick!” Zoey just turned seven this Christmas, still had baby fat on her cheeks, and looked just like Liam with the same delicate, beautiful features. Right in front of Zoey, Liam pulled me into his arms and raised an eyebrow: “Being good to my wife is just what I do. Sweet daughter, you’d better get used to it.” Zoey put her cake down on the table and ran over to snuggle into my arms. She said: “No way, it’s my birthday today, so Mommy belongs to me.” Zoey hugged me tight, but I didn’t smile and pat her head like I usually would. Sensing something was off, Zoey looked up with a pitiful expression: “Mommy, why aren’t you hugging me back? Are you going to team up with Daddy to pick on me now?” Liam chuckled. I looked at Zoey and said flatly: “I’m wondering if my daughter and husband, who seem to love me so much, have found someone else they like better on the outside.” Zoey froze instantly: “Mommy, what are you talking about?” Liam’s smile disappeared immediately. When he looked up, his eyes were full of tender affection as he took my hand and caressed it. He said: “Of course, Zoey and I both love you most. Why would you think otherwise?” I quietly pulled my hand away. Even now, they still wanted to lie to me. They’d clearly forgotten that what I hated most was deception. When I married Liam, I told him that if I ever discovered he was hiding anything from me, I would leave him forever. And he had sworn in front of everyone that he would be faithful to me for life. If he really had betrayed me, I would choose to return to Germany and never see him again. But now I didn’t know how long he’d been cheating, and even my beloved daughter was taking the side of his other woman! Five years of guidance and devotion had turned to nothing in an instant. I thought I would break down crying, that I’d fight and scream at them. Surprisingly, I felt calm—so calm that I could think about what to do next. I roughly pushed Zoey away from me: “I’m tired. You two eat without me.”
When I pulled Zoey away, her eyes were filled with disbelief. I had no intention of comforting her and simply listened quietly as she began crying behind me. Liam gently consoled Zoey: “Don’t cry, Mommy might not be feeling well. I’ll go check on her. Zoey, you need to be good, okay?” Liam gently consoled Zoey: “Don’t cry, Mommy might not be feeling well. I’ll go check on her. Zoey, you need to be good, okay?” Zoey sniffled and softly responded. Just as I was about to close the bedroom door, Liam forced his way in. I saw a message suddenly pop up on his phone: [Do you want to come over to my place tonight?] Liam didn’t notice anything, frowning with concern as he approached me: “Eloise, what’s wrong?” I lowered my eyes, avoiding his gaze, and spoke flatly: “I saw the message that popped up on your phone.” With that, I snatched his phone, unlocked it, and placed it in front of him: “Go ahead and reply. Don’t keep her waiting – you still need to go comfort her.” A flash of panic crossed Liam’s face, but he immediately tossed the phone aside and assured me: “Right now, the most important thing to me is making you happy. Other people? I don’t know them.” As he spoke, his lips slowly moved closer to mine, desire flickering in his eyes: “Eloise…” I was trapped in his embrace, unable to move. He smiled slightly, leaning close to my ear and whispering: “I knew it – you can’t bear to push me away.” He buried his head in my neck, and just then, there was sudden banging on the door. Zoey called out: “Daddy, Mommy, I don’t feel well.” Liam immediately snapped back to reality, hurriedly opening the door with urgency in his voice: “Zoey, what’s wrong?” Zoey clutched her stomach, curled up and crouching on the ground, speaking in German: “Daddy, I’m pretending to have a stomachache on purpose because I want us to leave early. You promised to take me to see Ms. Rose today.” She didn’t lower her voice, and tears were about to spill from her eyes. This was the first time I’d seen Zoey display such remarkable acting skills. If I couldn’t understand German, I probably would have panicked. Liam immediately caught on, saying anxiously: “Don’t be scared, I’ll take you to the hospital.” He picked up Zoey and turned to me: “You stay home and wait for us to come back.” Zoey nestled in Liam’s arms, crying as she looked at me: “Mommy.” I walked over to her, gently stroking her cheek with a tender voice: “Don’t be afraid, I’ll be home waiting for you.” Zoey’s eyes instantly brightened, and she softly hummed in response before being carried out by Liam. After a while, I looked through the window and saw a lively Zoey being led by an equally spirited Liam, walking down the street hand in hand. Zoey didn’t look sick at all. I withdrew my gaze, biting my lip hard to keep the tears from falling. Deep down, I knew they wouldn’t be coming back tonight. Forcing myself to stay rational, I contacted the visa department and began processing the paperwork for traveling to Germany. Since I’d made multiple trips before, the visa office responded quickly. As long as I brought all the required documents for processing, I could leave this place in about two weeks. After confirming everything, I closed my laptop and looked up at myself in the mirror. I consoled myself: “Just two more weeks until I can go home. I should be happy.” I consoled myself: “Just two more weeks until I can go home. I should be happy.”
By the next morning, I still hadn’t seen them come home. The only message on my phone was from Liam: [Eloise, Zoey’s stomach is still hurting badly. The doctor recommended she stay for observation. We’ll come home tomorrow.] He also sent me a photo of him and Zoey sitting on hospital chairs. In the photo, there were still traces of cream around Zoey’s mouth. I distinctly remembered her mouth being clean when they left. She wasn’t even trying to make her act convincing. I didn’t reply and left to handle the visa procedures. As I was leaving, the bracelet on my wrist caught my attention. This was from my latest favorite brand. When this bracelet was released in Germany, it was only available in limited quantities at physical stores, and you had to wait in line to buy it. When Liam found out, he specifically flew to Germany and waited in line for eight hours to get it for me. Back then, I truly felt like I was the happiest woman in the world. Now… I shook my head, took off the bracelet, and threw it in the trash. When I finished at the visa office, I happened to run into Zoey and Liam passing by. The three of us locked eyes instantly, and Liam and Zoey froze in place. Liam asked, “Eloise, what are you doing here?” I tucked away the documents in my hand and replied calmly, “I came to handle some paperwork. I’m going to Germany on a business trip.” A flash of panic crossed Liam’s eyes, but he still tried to stay composed as he asked, “But isn’t your German not that good?” I raised my eyebrows and smiled as I lied, “That’s exactly why I need you to teach me.” He visibly relaxed and quickly jogged over to take my hand, “Perfect, let’s go home together then.” Zoey, carrying a bag, took my other hand with a bright smile, “That’s wonderful! I know a little German too, I want to teach Mommy as well!” They smiled happily, holding my hands on either side. But I couldn’t smile. The chill in my heart kept spreading. This place was far from our home, and even farther from the hospital near our house. The only possibility was that this Lucia they mentioned lived nearby. The perfume scent on both of them was overwhelming. I couldn’t stand it and couldn’t help coughing a few times. Liam immediately asked nervously what was wrong. I took out a mask from my bag and put it on, saying calmly, “The perfume smell on you two is irritating my nose.” I have rhinitis, and they never use perfume at home to avoid triggering it. Instantly, both their faces turned panicked. Liam hurriedly explained, “It might be the scent from the family of the patient in the bed next to Zoey’s room.” Zoey immediately let go of my hand and ran to Liam’s side, “Since I’m making Mommy uncomfortable, I’ll stay away from her.” She was still young after all, and couldn’t quite hide the smile on her face. I didn’t understand why she disliked me so much, always seeming so happy whenever she had a chance to get away from me. I didn’t coax her like I usually would, just gave a soft acknowledgment. Zoey froze for a moment. In my peripheral vision, Liam and Zoey exchanged a glance, their eyes full of confusion. After we got home, Zoey pulled out a Hermès bag from behind her and held it in front of me, her eyes sparkling, “Mommy, look! Daddy and I spent so long picking out this style!” It used to be like this before too. Whenever Liam sensed I was unhappy, he’d always find ways to cheer me up. This time, his method was giving me a bag I’d been wanting for a long time. They both looked at me with the same nervous anticipation. I sighed softly, took the bag, and smiled, “I really like it.” Maybe I was just overthinking everything. Liam’s eyes immediately lit up, “I’m glad you like it. So what do you want for lunch?” Zoey chimed in from the side, “I want steak today!” Liam scooped up Zoey and came over to me, “Well, we need to ask if Mommy wants that too. Eloise, do you want steak?” I hugged the bag and nodded with a smile, “Whatever Zoey likes, I’ll eat.” “That’s awesome, thank you Mommy!” Zoey grabbed Liam’s hand and ran toward the kitchen, “Daddy, hurry up and cook!” Watching their retreating figures, the gloom in my heart lifted slightly. I sat back down on the sofa and opened my laptop to handle some work. Soon, a friend request popped up on my phone. The profile picture was a cute little animal, and I accepted it almost without hesitation. The person immediately sent a message: [So, how do you like the bag I picked out?] I immediately understood that this was Lucia—the woman they’d been talking about—deliberately adding me to provoke me. In that moment, I wanted to slap myself. I had actually softened toward them just now, even entertaining the thought of staying and continuing to live with them. They had deceived me after all, just with an extra layer of disguise. I didn’t respond, but Lucia didn’t seem to mind and sent another photo. It was a real-time photo of her and Liam drinking from the same glass. Through the reflection in the glass, I recognized that Zoey had taken this photo. Zoey said, “Lucia, you and my daddy are perfect together!” Lucia sent a message asking: [How do you like it? Don’t we look great as a couple?] [Of course, this isn’t all—there are plenty more photos like this.] I slammed my phone face-down on the table and began dry heaving uncontrollably. I felt utterly disgusted. I gripped the table and retched into the trash can repeatedly. Soon, hurried footsteps approached, and Liam anxiously came up behind me, gently patting my back. He asked, “Eloise, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me.” After dry heaving for a while without bringing anything up, I stood up shakily. I said, “Maybe it was something too greasy I ate this morning.” Zoey brought me a glass of water: “Mommy, drink some water.” I glanced up at the glass, but the image from that photo flashed through my mind again. I violently pushed the glass away and rushed to the trash can, vomiting violently once more. Zoey’s dress got splashed and soaked. She pouted pitifully and cried out loudly, “Mommy, I hate you. You always make me comfort you, not like Lucia who spoils me. You’re not even half as good as her!” She cried louder and louder. She was just a child after all, completely unaware of what she shouldn’t say when her emotions spiraled out of control. Liam’s expression changed instantly: “Zoey!” “What did you say? Who’s Lucia?” I grabbed Zoey’s hand and asked softly. She sobbed, and I crouched down, quietly looking at her. Looking at this Zoey—the child I had carried for ten months and fought to bring into this world—I suddenly felt she was so foreign to me. When she was ten months old, I discovered she loved drawing and spent half my Christmas bonus creating a dedicated art studio for her at home. She loved bedtime stories, and no matter how exhausted I was during the day, I would find new stories to tell her every night—a tradition I’d never broken. She had stomach problems since childhood, so I spent countless hours researching recipes to create customized meals for her. I had always thought my parenting was successful, which was why Zoey knew to comfort me when I was upset. I asked, “So in your heart, have I been forcing you all along?” Liam quickly interrupted: “No, Zoey’s just talking nonsense. Lucia is just a character she encountered during a kindergarten performance. Zoey, explain to Mommy properly.” But Zoey had completely broken down emotionally and couldn’t hear anything. She shook off my hand and shouted, “Everything I said is true—I do hate Mommy. Daddy, didn’t you promise me you’d get me a new mommy after my birthday? I don’t want to wait anymore.” Liam immediately covered her mouth: “Don’t talk nonsense.” He scooped up Zoey and hurried toward the bedroom. He said, “Zoey’s probably just tired.” I slowly stood up and grabbed the corner of Liam’s shirt: “Since Zoey wants a new mommy, let’s make it happen.” Liam froze, clearly panicked: “Eloise, don’t say that. I really can’t bear the pain of losing you. Let me take her to her room first—wait for me.” With that, Liam rushed into the room with Zoey, keeping his hand over her mouth the entire way to prevent her from saying anything more. I collapsed onto the floor beside the couch, completely drained. My earlier determination to fight with him to the bitter end quietly faded away. I even thought that maybe I should use this opportunity to divorce Liam and return to Germany. But I worried that Liam would never let me leave. Lost in my chaotic thoughts, I didn’t notice when Liam had sat down beside me. He gently took my hand: “Eloise, don’t be angry anymore. You know Zoey’s only five—she’s probably heard some things she shouldn’t have lately, which is why she said such hurtful things. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely educate her properly after she wakes up.” “So…” Liam suddenly gripped my hand tightly: “You were just speaking out of anger just now, right?” His eyes revealed an almost obsessive possessiveness. I got goosebumps immediately. I knew clearly that if I truly insisted on leaving, he would never let me go. Even though deep down, both he and Zoey preferred Lucia. I took a deep breath, nodded slightly, and forced a smile: “Yes, I was just too angry.” Liam visibly relaxed. Over the next few days, Liam became extremely sensitive, staying by my side almost constantly. Zoey seemed sullen, but whatever Liam had said to her, she would force a smile whenever she was around me. I maintained my composure, pretending not to notice her insincerity. Before, they used to go out frequently. Now, even when working, Liam tried to stay by my side as much as possible. I often heard his phone ring, and Zoey’s eyes would light up accordingly. That must have been Lucia’s special ringtone. But each time, Liam would just glance at it and hang up directly, making sure to explain to me: “It’s harassment calls from a competitor company, not anyone else.” But with him acting this way, I could never find an opportunity to pack my bags and leave. There was only one week left until my planned departure date.
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