Category: English

My boyfriend of five years, Dominic Ortiz, wanted to break up with me because he had fallen in love with my best friend, Riley Graham. At work, Dominic slapped me and forced me to publicly apologize to Riley. He sneered, “Riley is the only daughter of Elite Group’s president. How can someone like you compare to her?” But I was very confused. Riley’s father was the president of Elite Group, so what about my father, Matteo Morales? After work, I hastily left the office. Having worked tirelessly day and night, I closed the biggest deal I had ever received. My efforts finally paid off. I headed straight to the supermarket and bought a variety of lively seafood, including Dominic’s favorite lobsters, with the intention of cooking a special seafood dinner for him tonight. Upon entering our apartment, I couldn’t wait to share my hard-earned achievements with Dominic. I exclaimed, “Dominic, I closed a major deal today, and the bonus is 20 thousand dollars!” However, when I opened the door, what greeted me was my boyfriend and best friend making out on the couch. I was frozen to the spot. My sudden appearance obviously frightened the two of them. Dominic hastily disengaged from Riley and stammered, “Nevaeh, I can explain. We truly love each other.” When Riley saw me, her eyes flickered with a hint of guilt before she proceeded to dress herself slowly. Then, her face took on a smug expression mixed with contempt. Her voice dripped with provocation as she uttered, “What’s there to explain? Nevaeh, it’s exactly what you see. “You’ve only just realized it now, but Dominic and I have been together secretly for two years. “Nevaeh, since you’ve never tried any man, I tried him for you. “You’re welcome.” I stood there, holding two heavy bags filled with groceries, sweat dripping down my forehead and hair, making me look disheveled. In contrast, Riley appeared radiant. After hearing Riley’s hurtful words, I took a deep breath, suppressing my emotions. Opening the grocery bag in my hand, I noticed all the seafood I had bought still wriggling around inside. I picked up one of the octopuses, took aim at Dominic’s face, and struck him forcefully. Caught off guard, he received a direct hit. His expression changed, and he glared at me as he prepared to speak, but before he could utter a word, I launched more octopuses at their faces and bodies. Riley screamed, “Nevaeh, you mania! Stop it!” One of the octopuses ended up clinging to Riley’s head, its tentacles tightly adhering to her face. She desperately tried to remove it, but the tentacles clung tighter with each tug. The agitated octopus began squirting ink, which trickled down Riley’s head. I continued hurling various seafood at them, from octopuses to crayfish. The crayfish might not have had long spines, but their sharpness and hardness caused pain upon impact. Dominic and Riley were left with no choice but to frantically dodge and leap around the living room. I persistently threw the seafood. Finally, after some consideration, I hesitated and placed the expensive lobsters I had spent 800 dollars on back into the bag. Glancing at the two once more, I observed Riley’s face turning black as she struggled to remove the octopus tentacles from her face. One of them had also attached itself to Dominic’s leg, causing him to grimace and howl in pain. With a blank expression, I swiftly gathered my belongings, grabbed the bag containing the lobsters, and left.

It had been a while since I last returned to my own home. With a dejected expression, I opened the door to the villa I hadn’t visited in a long time, coincidentally encountering my mother. Excitedly, she called out to my father, “Matteo, come downstairs! Nevaeh is back!” Upon hearing the voice, my father rushed down barefoot, not even bothering to put on his slippers. “Nevaeh, you’re back. Why didn’t you let us know in advance so we could clean up your room?” he said. My mother chimed in, “Are you hungry? I’ll prepare your favorite food for you right away.” Dad added, “You even bought my favorite lobsters. I knew you loved me the most.” As I gazed at my concerned parents, emotions that had been suppressed suddenly overwhelmed me. I embraced them tightly, tears streaming down my face. My parents were momentarily at a loss but quickly attempted to console me. Once calmed down, my mother had already placed a plate of spaghetti in front of me. “Come on, Nevaeh. Eat up and then rest,” she urged. I began devouring the spaghetti, while my parents watched me silently without mentioning my embarrassment just now. After finishing the meal, I retreated to my long-missed room, which had already been tidied up. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed. Images of the sweet and wonderful moments Dominic and I once shared passed before my eyes. Everything had changed so rapidly that I struggled to fully accept it. Suddenly, the ringing of my phone interrupted my thoughts. It was Dominic calling. I answered, but before I could speak, an aggressive voice came from the other end. Dominic bellowed, “Nevaeh, Riley is still in the hospital because of you. “The octopus tentacles caused many wounds on her face, and she’s allergic to seafood, so her face remains red and swollen.” My face darkened. He betrayed me, yet now he played the role of the accuser? I retorted, “She deserved it! “When she fooled around with you, did she ever consider the consequences?” However, Dominic’s response grew harsher. “Riley saw you as her best friend. Is this how you treat your best friend? “Nevaeh, how could you be so vicious? I was a fool for being with you in the first place.” I laughed out of anger and said, “Have you ever seen a true friend sleeping with her friend’s boyfriend? “Dominic, it was you who publicly confessed your love for me. “I was the one foolish enough to be with you!” Dominic fell silent for a moment, then spoke venomously, “You might not know this, but Riley’s father is the president of Elite Group. You’ve harmed Riley, and from now on, you’ll suffer in Goldford!” Of course, I knew. Riley had come to me in tears, explaining that her mother was sick and in need of costly medical care. That was why I had requested my father to promote Riley’s father from an ordinary employee to the position of director. But why was Dominic claiming that her father was the president? Quickly, I asked, “What did you say? Riley’s father is the president of Elite Group?” Dominic’s tone oozed with pride as he said, “Nevaeh, it’s not too late to apologize to Riley. She will forgive you. “Anyway, you hurt her today, and we’re still at the hospital. The medical bill is three thousand eight hundred dollars. You’ll have to pay for it!” How could he be so shameless? I scoffed, “Dominic, if it had been a cat or a dog needing that money for treatment, I would pay without hesitation. “But those bastards are not worth me wasting even a penny on them.” “You…” Dominic seethed with anger, preparing to retort. But I quickly interjected, “Dominic, if you don’t have money, you can go to the veterinarian. “It’s cheaper, which suits the two of you perfectly.” With that, I hung up the phone. Love had blinded me before, preventing me from seeing Dominic’s true colors as a hypocritical person who couldn’t distinguish right from wrong.

The following morning, while having breakfast, I casually asked my dad, “Dad, do you remember Jett Graham, the person you promoted to director?” Upon hearing Jett’s name, my father frowned and replied, “Nevaeh, you said this person was practical and capable, deserving of the director position.” After a momentary pause, he continued with a hint of embarrassment, “But ever since his promotion, he has been slacking off. There have been issues with several important documents and proposals that passed through him. “I’ve been considering if there is an appropriate chance to transfer him to a more suitable position.” My father looked at me cautiously, seeking my reaction. Seeing my father’s distress caused by my actions, I couldn’t help but regret my impulsive behavior. Riley had once confided in me about her parents’ hardships, her mother’s illness and hospitalization, and how her father had dedicated years of hard work to the company without receiving due recognition. Out of sympathy for Riley’s situation, I shamelessly threw a tantrum upon returning home, pressuring my father into promoting Jett to the director position. My father had always taught me to maintain a low-key approach in life and work, so I secretly helped Riley in many ways, unbeknownst to her. She never knew my true identity and naively believed any benefits she received were solely due to her own fate. Reflecting on the years we spent together, I had done everything in my power for Riley. Yet, in the end, I found myself betrayed. After breakfast, my father insisted on driving me to work, leaving me with no choice but to accept. As usual, upon arriving at the office, I went to my desk and began working. However, mocking whispers started circulating around me. “She couldn’t steal one man, so she found another target.” “She rode in a Range Rover. Must have hooked up with a rich guy.” “She’s shameless, trying to get on top using dirty tricks.” I glanced up and saw everyone in the office casting ambiguous looks my way—filled with inquiry, contempt, and even disdain. At that moment, Riley appeared and coldly admonished them, “Shouldn’t you all be busy with your work? “Seems like everyone has already hit their sales targets for this month, right?” Upon hearing Riley’s scolding, those people dispersed. I looked at Riley, noticing a bandage on her forehead and a mask covering her face. She expressed concern, saying, “Nevaeh, don’t pay attention to what they say. I’ve forgiven you.” I just felt absurd. She had an affair with my boyfriend, yet now she was the one offering forgiveness? I sneered, “Drop the act. Do you not feel any guilt for what you’ve done? “Riley, are you aware how shameless you are?” Riley remained silent, but suddenly, a wicked grin crept across her face as she fell backward. She crashed onto the floor, wearing an aggrieved expression as she looked up at me. She said, “Nevaeh, I know you hate me, but Dominic and I truly love each other. I wanted to give him to you, but love is something you can’t possess even if it is offered. “Nevaeh, I don’t blame you; I only blame myself.” With her head lowered, she began sobbing softly. I was utterly confused, unable to grasp her intentions. Suddenly, a hand emerged and delivered a powerful slap across my face. Staggering from the impact, I stood there, stars dancing in my vision until I gradually regained focus. I lifted my head to see Dominic glare at me with rage. He shouted, “Nevaeh, you’ve gone too far. You’re still not satisfied with hurting Riley’s face?” Riley wept bitterly but still grabbed Dominic’s hand, trying to dissuade him. “Nevaeh, don’t blame her. It’s all my fault.” Onlookers condemned me, and I became the target of public criticism. No one would believe anything I said at this moment, and people only trusted what they saw. I glanced up at the company’s surveillance cameras and then collapsed to the floor. “Help… Help! I feel dizzy,” I cried out, rolling my eyes and convulsing. Dominic clearly doubted my condition. He snapped, “Stop pretending. Don’t think that you can get away with it by feigning illness. Apologize immediately!” Still lying on the floor, I persisted with my act. At this time, whispers sounded. “I don’t think she’s faking it. Could it be that her brain is damaged?” “Yes, Mr. Ortiz’s slap just now was quite forceful. It must hurt.” “We should call an ambulance. If something happens, we can’t bear the responsibility.” Panic spread, and soon, someone called an ambulance while someone even called the police. The incident quickly grabbed the attention of our boss, Greyson Snyder. When Greyson arrived, he saw me lying on the floor, foaming at the mouth, arms and legs flailing as if seized by uncontrollable spasms. Even though I was panicking, I still continued with my performance. Greyson approached, quickly crouching down to examine me. He pressed an ear against my chest, listening to my heartbeat. As I wondered about his intentions, Greyson’s face suddenly drew near. He whispered into my ear in a voice only we could hear, “Stop pretending. I was a med student.”

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My husband, Jeremy Miller, was a renowned pediatrician. Yet, during a raging typhoon, he insisted that our eight-year-old daughter, Mia, deliver fever medication to the daughter of his beloved Fiona Fox. Now, Mia was missing. When I begged him to help find her, he slapped me hard and shouted, “You raised a real piece of work! Just like you—cold-hearted and ruthless! “She didn’t want to take the medicine and just went missing! Do you even realize Megan is suffering from pneumonia because she didn’t get her medication? It’s like you two are conspiring to kill them both! “Mia’s only eight! To think she could come up with such a vicious scheme to win a favor? I’d rather not have a daughter like that!” A mother’s intuition told me that something terrible had happened to my little girl. But Jeremy ignored my desperate pleas, too busy tending to the daughter of his lover. He had no idea that while he was cradling that little girl, administering her medication, and setting up nebulizers, our flesh and blood were trapped in a small suitcase, struggling for breath. *** The city lay in ruins after the typhoon passed through. Exhausted from my shift in the emergency room, I felt my legs were like jelly. I hadn’t even sipped water, but finally, I managed to check my phone for a moment. There it was—a missed call from my daughter. Glancing at the darkened sky, I could only imagine Mia was home alone, scared out of her mind. I tried to call her back, but the line wouldn’t connect. Just then, a WhatsApp message from her popped up: [Mom, Ms. Fox and Megan are both running fevers. They don’t have any anti-inflammatory or fever-reducing medicine at home, and Dad wants me to bring them some.] Fiona. The mere mention of her name made my stomach churn. She was the love of my husband Jeremy’s life. A year ago, she divorced, leaving her without support. In a moment of misplaced compassion, Jeremy helped her rent an apartment in the neighborhood right next to ours. Ever since then, it felt like Jeremy had two homes. As a pediatrician, he was already pressed for time, leaving little for me and Mia. With Fiona and her daughter around, we barely saw him at all. I checked the timestamp on Mia’s message—it was sent two hours ago, right when the typhoon was making landfall. I thought, “In this kind of weather, Jeremy expected Mia to go out on her own? To deliver fever medicine to Fiona?” I was shaking with rage. Just as I was about to call Mia again, a loud crash echoed outside. A massive tree was uprooted by the wind, and the torrential rain shattered the hospital’s windows. The muddy downpour swept inside, soaking everything in its path. People around me screamed and scattered, and I stumbled, getting knocked into a corner by the force of the rain. My chest felt tight and painful, but I couldn’t afford to dwell on it. I scrambled to my feet. I couldn’t even bear to think about how Mia would cope if she were caught in such chaos. With trembling hands, I dialed her number twice more. Each time, the cold, mechanical voice reminded me that the user was unavailable. Seeing the apocalyptic scene outside, I quickly called Jeremy. But the phone rang and rang—over ten times—without an answer. Frustrated, I took a brief leave from the emergency department and sprinted toward the pediatrics ward. The rain was relentless, and the hospital corridors were slick with water. I slipped and fell three or four times before finally spotting Jeremy’s busy figure in his office. Ignoring my disheveled appearance, I grabbed his arm. Worry for Mia turned my voice into a shaky plea. “Jeremy, in this weather, you sent our daughter to deliver medicine to Fiona?” He turned around, giving me a cold stare. “When I let Mia go, the rain wasn’t this heavy.” “But she’s only eight! Even if the rain wasn’t bad then, the wind was fierce! She only weighs forty pounds! How could you let her go out like that? “I can’t reach Mia now; what do you suggest we do?” Given our unpredictable work hours, Mia often went without meals, which was why, at nearly nine years old, she barely weighed forty pounds. Jeremy shook off my hand in irritation. “Ada, what are you doing? Mia agreed to deliver the medicine, but she didn’t even leave the house! You’ve taught her to lie better than anything else! “Mia has always been closest to you. She probably told you about my call asking her to deliver the medicine, and you encouraged her to pretend to go while she hid, right?” I was at a loss. “What are you talking about? I’ve been busy and have only just seen her WhatsApp message. By the time I tried to call, it was already disconnected. “Jeremy, we need to find our daughter! Something must have happened to Mia!” Thinking about our daughter, lost somewhere, her little body soaking in the cold rain, I froze from head to toe. My legs gave out, and I crumpled to the ground, begging Jeremy to help me find our daughter. But Jeremy slapped me hard across the face, his voice a bitter tirade. “Ada, what are you trying to prove by making a spectacle of yourself? Trying to guilt-trip me, are you? “You raised a real piece of work! Just like you—cold-hearted and ruthless! She didn’t want to take the medicine and just went missing! Do you even realize Megan is suffering from pneumonia because she didn’t get her medication? It’s like you two are conspiring to kill them both! “Mia’s only eight! To think she could come up with such a vicious scheme to win a favor? I’d rather not have a daughter like that!” He went on, passionately accusing our daughter of immorality. That was when I noticed Fiona sitting behind him, gently cradling Megan in her arms.

Fiona sat there in a beige, lightweight jacket and white wide-leg pants. Her hair was loosely tied up and a bit messy, and her face bore the unmistakable worry of a mother. Yet, she didn’t look the least bit frazzled. Then I glanced at myself. My lab coat was caked with mud and stained with the blood of patients I had treated. A branch had scratched my neck, and my hands were swollen from the falls. I looked down and realized I was even missing a shoe. Fiona pressed her lips, her gaze flickering with a hint of mockery. She spoke slowly, “Ada, don’t worry. Mia didn’t come to deliver the medicine. By the timeline, she should have arrived within fifteen minutes, but we waited half an hour without seeing her. “When we tried to call her again, the line was dead. “We had no choice but to take the risk and come to the hospital. “Luckily, we ran into a kind stranger who was on his way to the hospital with his mom, and he offered us a ride. “Otherwise, with Megan’s fever hitting 103 degrees, I can’t even imagine what would have happened if Jeremy hadn’t saved her.” As she spoke, tears streamed down her cheeks. Her five-year-old daughter, Megan Fox, reached out her tiny hand to wipe her mother’s tears, only to start crying herself. To anyone watching, it was a heartbreaking scene. And for Jeremy, who only had eyes for Fiona, it was even harder to bear. He quickly grabbed some tissues and leaned in to wipe the tears from both mother and daughter’s faces. Then he turned to me, urgency in his voice. “Ada, the emergency room needs all hands on deck right now. What are you doing just standing there? Get back to work!” I stood frozen, unable to move, taking in the warmth of the moment before me. I couldn’t remember the last time Jeremy interacted with Mia and me like that. Just this morning, when we received the call about mandatory overtime due to the typhoon, Jeremy hadn’t shown an ounce of concern for Mia. I could see the fear in Mia’s eyes, but being the sweet girl she was, she leaned in and kissed me. “Mom, you and Dad go save the patients. I’ll be good.” My heart ached, and tears began to fall. I asked, “How about you come with me to the hospital?” Jeremy shot me down immediately. “The hospital is a mess right now with the storm. Why would you bring her there? She’s been fine at home before; stop worrying!” Both of us were medical professionals, and Mia had often stayed home alone since she was six. Mia, sensing the tension, waved her hands at me. “Mom, it’s okay! I can stay home by myself. I have my teddy bear to keep me company. I’m not scared!” Her bravery made my heart twist with guilt, and I hugged her tightly. “Sweetheart, once the storm passes, your dad and I will take you to the amusement park, okay?” “Yay!” Mia clapped her hands, her voice brightening up the room. Summer was almost over, and she hadn’t gotten a single outing with either of us. She looked up at her dad, her eyes sparkling with hope. But Jeremy scoffed, saying, “What amusement park? What’s so fun about that?” He then urged me to hurry downstairs. I fought to suppress my anger, reminding Mia to secure the doors and windows and unplug everything, telling her not to go outside. Jeremy’s dismissive comment had left disappointment and hurt etched on her face. Yet, just two seconds later, Mia was all smiles, playfully pushing me toward the door and calling me naggy. Such a considerate child only made my heart ache more. Once we got downstairs, I couldn’t help but confront Jeremy. “Since the amusement park isn’t all that fun, why did you still choose to take Fiona and Megan?” Last weekend, after finally managing to schedule a day off, he had promised to take Mia fishing. But one phone call from Fiona had swept him away instead. That day, I scrolled through Fiona’s social media and saw the pictures. Jeremy had taken the two of them to the amusement park and even bought Fiona a birthday cake. Fiona’s caption read: [As a kid, my dream was to celebrate my birthday at an amusement park, and today it finally came true! Being surrounded by my favorite people is the best birthday gift!] I felt my fingers go cold as I exited WhatsApp, not wanting Mia to see those pictures. But Jeremy turned the tables on me. “Why do you always feel the need to compete with Fiona? She went through a divorce, and celebrating her birthday alone must be tough. What’s wrong with showing her some kindness? “You’re both mothers, so how can you show her no compassion?” My heart sank like the weather after a storm. The argument ended on a sour note between us. Now, Fiona, the catalyst of our fight, was watching me as I sat there, frozen in despair. She tilted her head and smiled sweetly at me, “Ada, Jeremy needs to focus on helping Megan with her nebulizer. Please try not to disturb him. “Maybe Mia’s phone just died. Can you stop making a big deal out of this?”

Fury ignited within me, and I felt like a lion ready to pounce on Fiona. “Fiona, are you seriously calling me an overreactor? What kind of nonsense is that? My daughter is missing because she went to deliver fever medicine to you, and you don’t feel an ounce of guilt? You have the nerve to say I’m overreacting? “Right now, you’re snuggled up with your daughter, feeding her milk, feeling all cozy. But have you even thought about where my Mia is? Is she wrapped in warmth? Does she have milk to drink?” Fiona gasped, her eyes wide with shock, but I couldn’t even lay a finger on her because Jeremy had a firm grip on my arm. My anger was spiraling out of control. I clutched Jeremy’s arm, wishing I could bite him. “Jeremy, let’s go find our daughter. Now!” He stepped back, grabbing my hand and shoving me away. “Ada, can you stop acting like a crazy person? I’ve told you. Mia is just hiding. Can’t you understand plain language?” At this point, Fiona’s tears began to flow. She trembled, hiding behind Jeremy, peeking out. “Ada, I was just trying to comfort you. I know you’re upset with Jeremy for taking care of us, but you can’t use Mia as an excuse to lash out at him!” As she spoke, she held her child close, trying to maintain her composure. “Jeremy, since Ada has misunderstood, we’ll just head to the IV room and won’t bother you any longer.” Jeremy, clearly irritated, turned around and pushed her back into her seat. The commotion made Megan start crying again. Jeremy roared, “Ada, are you made of stone? This little girl has pneumonia and a high fever, and you’re here screaming like a banshee. What do you want, to scare the poor kid into a fit?” My heart sank. This man, my husband, the father of my daughter, was more concerned about someone else’s child than his own. I realized begging him was futile. I was shaking, torn between worrying about Mia and the rage building inside me at this ridiculous couple. I pulled out my phone, ready to call the police. “Fine, Jeremy, if you don’t care, I’ll call the cops to handle this.” But just as I dialed the second number, Fiona rushed over, shoving Megan into Jeremy’s arms. She gripped my hand tightly. “Ada, just calm down for a second. “The storm outside is fierce, and the police are swamped. Let’s not waste public resources on something so minor.” Jeremy held Megan tightly and laughed mockingly. “Ada, who do you think you are? The whole city is dealing with missing persons, and Mia’s been gone for only two hours. You really think the police will jump to help you? “She’s probably just at home! What are you making a fuss about? Go ahead and call the cops! If they find Mia at home, I can’t wait to see how you’ll explain that!” I was furious. But their comments made me reconsider. Maybe contacting the property management would be faster than calling the police. I shoved past Fiona and dialed the property office, but no one picked up. Thinking quickly, I scrolled through my contacts and found the number for my upstairs neighbors. Usually, Jeremy and I were too busy to interact much with them, so the only ones I could reach out to were a middle-aged couple living above us. Once, the husband had an accident at home, and when his wife called for help in our building group, I happened to be home. I rushed up to help with some basic first aid and even called for an ambulance. Later, they brought us fruit twice to thank us. Our neighbor’s phone rang almost immediately. When she learned that we had left our daughter home alone, her anger bubbled over. “Your daughter is so young! You two really have a lot of nerve!” I didn’t dare to argue. Instead, I pleaded with her to come downstairs and knock on our door. She knocked for two minutes straight, but there was no response from inside. My heart raced, and feeling utterly helpless, I shared the door code with her, asking her to go inside and check if everything was okay. The neighbor lady quickly initiated a video call. On the screen, I watched as she and her husband scoured every corner of our home, even rifling through the closet and peeking behind the curtains. Still, there was no sign of Mia. Then, I caught a glimpse of the table. Next to an open homework notebook lay the medicine box, with scattered pills strewn about. It was clear. Mia had taken the medication and left. But she hadn’t come back.

I hung up the video call and turned to Jeremy. “Jeremy, are you really not going to help me look for Mia?” He had watched the video, too, clearly taken aback by what he saw. His silence spoke volumes. At that moment, Fiona leaned down to check Megan’s forehead, and her face suddenly filled with panic. “Jeremy, what do we do? Megan’s fever seems to be getting worse!” Without a second thought, Jeremy rushed over, grabbing the ear thermometer and aiming it at Megan’s ear. He murmured, “One hundred and five degrees… If it gets any worse, we might have to admit her.” Fiona’s lips quivered, and she leaned against Jeremy, her voice trembling. “Jeremy, what if something happens to Megan? I’m scared.” He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, speaking gently, “Don’t worry, I’m here. Megan will be fine.” Fiona nodded, biting her lip. “Jeremy, don’t leave us…” I felt a wave of nausea wash over me at her words. Jeremy shot me a disdainful look. “Look, Ada, Mia took the medicine and left, but she didn’t go to deliver it. She knows she messed up, so she’s probably hiding. “Did you see that? Megan’s burning up! If Mia had delivered the medicine sooner, she wouldn’t be this sick. Thank goodness she ran into someone who brought them here; otherwise, if they were still out on the street, who knows what could’ve happened?” My lips felt numb, and my words began to slur. “Jeremy, have you even considered that Mia might be out there, trying to come home but can’t?” He scoffed, saying, “She’s eight years old, Ada. You think she’s that naive? She’s definitely hiding somewhere safe. “She’s probably just trying to avoid punishment, maybe playing games on her phone right now.” I was frantic. “But her phone is unreachable!” “Maybe she switched it to airplane mode. She can’t receive calls, but that doesn’t stop her from playing offline games.” I forced a wry smile. “So, all those times I tried calling you and couldn’t get through, you were just playing games with Fiona on airplane mode, huh?” His face fell at my accusation, but he put on a brave front, trying to sound authoritative. “Ada, I’m a doctor. My patients are unstable, and I can’t just abandon them to go look for a daughter who’s hiding on purpose!” Disappointment washed over me, nearly making me faint. Just then, Megan, who had been sleeping, suddenly convulsed and started calling out, “Mia! Mia! Don’t die!” I felt a jolt of realization. I rushed over, cupping Megan’s small face in my hands. “Megan, sweetie, tell me, you saw Mia today, didn’t you?” Her feverish face was flushed, her eyes glazed over. She nodded weakly. My heart raced with hope. “Megan, please tell me where you saw Mia!” But before I could finish my sentence, Fiona swept in, clutching her child and backing away in a panic. “Ada, what are you doing? Can’t you see Megan is delirious? Why would you scare her like that?” I pointed at her daughter. “Megan just said she saw Mia today! Fiona, tell me the truth—did Mia deliver the medicine? Where did she go afterward?” Fiona backed into a corner, her expression frantic. She didn’t even notice that Megan’s IV had come loose. “Ada, I told you. Megan is just talking nonsense because of her fever! Mia never came looking for us. Why won’t you believe me?” Megan’s blood began to drip from her small hand onto the floor, and Jeremy rushed forward, panic etched on his face, pressing down to stop the bleeding. He, usually so composed, shouted for a nurse to come and help. Then he turned to me, his voice sharp. “Can you please stop making this worse? Get back to your post! There are patients waiting for you!” I told Jeremy, word by word, under his disdainful gaze, “Jeremy, I’m a mother first, then a doctor. If I can’t protect my own daughter, who in their right mind would trust me with their loved ones?” His face flashed between red and pale. Around us, chaos erupted as the nurse tended to Megan, stopping the bleeding and redoing her IV. Then she gently tugged at my sleeve, handing me a pair of flat shoes. Her eyes spoke volumes of sympathy. “Dr. Johnson, you’ve only got one shoe left, and your foot is bleeding. Please take care of your wound and put on some proper shoes.” I thanked her softly, ignoring the little injuries on my foot, and slipped on the shoes. At that moment, I vowed that once I found Mia, I would shed Jeremy like those discarded shoes. Suppressing the simmering anger inside, I dialed David Federer, the head of the emergency department. As soon as he picked up, he shouted, “Ada, you need to hurry back! We’ve got too many patients here!” Overwhelmed, I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. David paused, clearly taken aback. “What’s wrong?” I glanced back at Jeremy, who was cradling Megan in his arms, soothing her through the nebulizer. I sobbed into the phone. “Dr. Federer, Mia’s gone.” I briefed him on the whole situation. Without hesitation, David decided I should go find Mia. After a moment, he added, “Ada, it’s too dangerous out there. Come back first and take my SUV!” Once I had the keys in hand, I made the call to the police. But the operator informed me that due to the typhoon, they were overwhelmed with calls, and there was no telling when they’d get to mine. All they could do was take down my information and advise me to report back immediately if I found Mia. Just then, my neighbor upstairs called.

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After I got pregnant, my boyfriend took me to a place in the mountains to rest. He promised that he would marry me in four months. But when my belly started to show, he went ahead and married someone else. I confronted him through my tears, demanding to know why. With a slight furrow in his brow, he replied, “Lillian, you should understand. The wife of the White Group heir has to be a high-society socialite “Be reasonable. My heart is with you. What more do you want?” I trembled uncontrollably. He made me a mistress, turned our baby into an illegitimate child, and then blamed me for being ungrateful.

The day before the wedding, I uncovered my girlfriend, Eleanor Sutton’s long-buried secret. She was the internet’s most famous author of heart-wrenching stories, having published a book about her tragic first love that moved countless readers to tears. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I wasn’t the one she truly loved. The man who held her heart was my late best friend, Charles Kingsley. On our wedding day, I skipped town, done being her lapdog. But Eleanor chased me down, begging through tears for another chance. … Tomorrow was my wedding day with Eleanor. She was my childhood sweetheart, the girl I had loved for over a decade, and my first love. Back in high school, Eleanor saved my life during a fire that broke out at our school. At that moment, I vowed never to marry anyone but her, and she confessed she liked me too. My friends threw a party, getting me nearly three sheets to the wind, all while constantly offering their congratulations. “You’re the one tying the knot so soon, huh?” “Yeah, we’re still single, but you and Eleanor have been together for a decade. Marriage was just a matter of time…” “If only Charles were still around, he’d be thrilled… Let’s not bring up sad stuff on your big day.” Hearing their heartfelt wishes, I forced a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. To the outside world, Eleanor and I seemed like the perfect match. But love was a funny thing. Only the person wearing the shoe knew where it pinched. In all our years together, Eleanor and I never got more physical than hugging. She always said she wasn’t ready to take things further. I gave her all the time in the world, but Eleanor never let her guard down with me. Even last night, in the depths of silence, I heard Eleanor’s sobs. She was crying quietly next to me. Eleanor was actually such an optimistic person. I couldn’t imagine what could make her cry right before our wedding. I wanted to comfort her, but then I heard her whisper a name we never speak. My back stiffened. I must have heard wrong. Neither of us slept for the rest of the night. She went to cry on the balcony while I tossed and turned in bed. We were together but worlds apart. Eleanor left the house early today, simply saying she had something to take care of. I called her this evening, but she didn’t pick up. The ringing on the other end was deafening. For a brief moment, I felt like I didn’t understand our relationship anymore. But I didn’t let my friends see how upset I was. At some point, I had grown from a bright, hopeful kid into a scarred and weary adult. There were some things I would never talk about again. As my buddies dropped me off, I rolled down the window, letting the night breeze clear my head. The city felt vast and empty as if I had lost my place in the world while wandering in a daze. My friends were about to call Eleanor to pick me up, but I knew she wouldn’t come. After all these years, Eleanor still refused to meet my friends. Sure enough, when I got home, the place was cold and lifeless, not a trace of warmth. Her shoes weren’t at the door either. It looked like she hadn’t been back all day. I let out a heavy sigh, thinking I’d whip up some hangover soup in the kitchen. That’s when I heard a commotion at the front door. I’d barely made it there when the stench of booze hit me like a truck. Eleanor was plastered. Forcing a smile, I took her from her friends, who were practically holding her up. The moment the door clicked shut, Eleanor yanked her arm away from me. She stumbled off to the bathroom alone. Before long, muffled sobs echoed from behind the door. I pressed my lips together, about to knock on the bathroom door, when I noticed Eleanor’s phone light up. A message? I had barely picked up Eleanor’s phone when my eyes were drawn to the flood of notifications on her Twitter. It had more than a hundred notifications. What was going on? With trembling hands, I opened Twitter. I didn’t think deeply about it at the time. But I knew that the moment I unlocked her phone, my relationship with Eleanor was irreparably shattered. There was no going back. Eleanor had never told me she was Charnor, a famous angst writer on Twitter. For ten years, she’d been constantly memorializing her deceased first love, Charles, through her words. That name was taboo between Eleanor and me. Yet in corners I couldn’t see, Eleanor had never let him go. The day we started dating, she wrote on Twitter that no one could replace Charles, and even if she were trying to move forward, she’d never forget him. On our fifth anniversary, Eleanor posted that she still couldn’t move on. … I slowly scrolled through Eleanor’s Twitter, uncovering hints that she didn’t love me. On our eighth anniversary, Eleanor came to meet my parents at my house. That day was probably the happiest of my life. Bringing the girl you love most to meet your parents was a joyous moment for anyone. But during dinner, Eleanor didn’t even take a bite. She left abruptly, leaving me to finish the meal with my parents alone. Eleanor told me there was an emergency at work. Her Twitter, however, told a different story. She’d gone to Charles’ grave and broken down in tears. [Charles, I know there’s no going back. I have to move forward. I’ve met his parents. But I can’t forget you. Please, take me with you. My depression is getting worse again.]

Each word was like a drop of blood from her heart. If I were an outsider, I would probably be moved to tears by their love story. But I happen to be the protagonist of this story. Just today, Eleanor posted another tweet showing off her engagement ring. She said she planned to live a good life. She also said that although her life had no meaning without marrying Charles, she would keep looking forward as he had told her to. The comments below were all lamenting her lost love. I silently watched Twitter, my emotions growing more and more complicated. Soft crying still came from the bathroom. I thought Eleanor must be deeply in love with Charles. Then… what about me? What about me, the one who was about to marry her? I wanted to rush into the bathroom and ask Eleanor what she thought of our relationship, but I didn’t have the strength. Ten years with Eleanor… it was not a short time, but it was not particularly long either. I always thought I knew her. But now, it seems I never truly understood her. I closed my eyes, feeling a wave of exhaustion as I delved into my memories. Actually, Eleanor and I did share some warm memories. We grew up as childhood friends, always side by side, and she would proudly tell others that I was her big brother from next door. Every time she said that her eyes would open wide in excitement. She was genuinely happy to have me as her neighbor and friend. When we first started dating, my buddies called Eleanor the perfect girlfriend. That winter was brutal, and Eleanor, who’d never been good with needlework, knitted me a scarf herself. She caught the crack-of-dawn train to my city just to wrap that scarf around my neck on New Year’s Day. I tapped her nose, teasing her for being silly. “It’s not silly,” she mumbled, her eyes crinkling with laughter. My fingertips were red from the cold, but that winter felt like the warmest I’d ever known. Looking back, I was so naive then. Even after college, I still clung to that old-fashioned fairytale about childhood sweethearts destined for love, deliberately ignoring the little warning signs. Over the years, had Eleanor ever loved me, even for a second? Was I always just a stand-in for someone else in her eyes? I was best friends with Charles in her story. But he died in a fire. I had no idea Eleanor and Charles were first loves. I thought they barely knew each other, never imagining I was just a background character in their unforgettable story. I opened my eyes, recalling the flood of comments from her Twitter followers. Everyone was cursing me out. They called me the most vicious man, stealing my best friend’s girl. Eleanor never once defended me, the innocent party, in all this. She just kept memorializing Charles in her way long after he was gone. My eyes suddenly felt hot. At that moment, I envied Charles more than ever. Even though he was long gone, someone still held his name dear in their heart. But what about me? My mental health issues had only multiplied over the years, clinging to life with the help of antidepressants. Only two reasons stop me from ending it all… My parents and Eleanor. I had daydreamed countless times about married life with Eleanor. Her Twitter post was the knife that shattered those dreams. At that moment, I suddenly didn’t want to get married anymore. I refused to be someone’s replacement. Just like that, I sat there wide awake until dawn, unable to figure out what the ten years with Eleanor meant. Was it just me, hopelessly romantic and living out a one-sided fantasy? After her tears, Eleanor had already gone to the bedroom to rest. I sat by the bedroom door, able to hear Eleanor’s faint breathing. She wasn’t sleeping well. At times, I could even catch bits of her sleep-talking. She was calling for Charles as if she was about to marry her first love the next day. Silently, I shifted my legs and changed my position. As the first rays of morning light crept in, Eleanor’s alarm went off. She still remembered it was our wedding day, and she even set an alarm for it. So, she did know we were getting married. But suddenly, I didn’t want to go through with it. I didn’t want to keep being the replacement. Eleanor had just gotten out of bed when she noticed me sitting by the door. She rubbed her eyes, completely unaware of how drunk she was last night. “Ryan? Why are you sitting at the door?” I looked at the confused Eleanor, and a sharp pain stabbed at my chest. I realized she was actually quite cold-hearted, even if she didn’t see it herself. She could marry me without a second thought while mourning someone else, walking down the aisle with me. It wasn’t fair. Not to me, and not to Charles either. I took a deep breath and spoke softly. “Eleanor, I saw your Twitter.” With just one sentence, Eleanor’s expression changed completely. The facade of calm she’d been maintaining seemed to crumble in an instant.

After a long pause, Eleanor spoke softly. “You… you know everything?” At this point, I had nothing left to say. I did know everything. I knew how deeply she loved Charles, and I knew she’d even published their story as a novel, making countless readers weep. And I, her fiance, was just a plain, unremarkable backdrop, serving no purpose in their story. If I served any purpose at all, it was probably as a cautionary tale. Eleanor’s face went pale. Her lips trembled, but in the end, she said nothing, only asking, “So… what now? What do you want to do?” Even Eleanor didn’t realize how cold her tone was at that moment. It was as if she’d drained every ounce of emotion from her voice. I wanted to ask Eleanor what she really thought of me or if she’d ever loved me at all. But those questions seemed meaningless now. In the end, I just sighed, “Eleanor… was Charles your first love?” I had never heard about this before. At the mention of Charles’ name, a flicker of visible pain crossed Eleanor’s eyes. We never spoke of Charles, acting as if he didn’t exist. But some things didn’t cease to exist just because we didn’t talk about them. We just hadn’t faced them before. Eleanor clearly had no desire to answer the question, merely glancing at the time on her phone and urging me to hurry and get dressed, as the makeup team would be here soon. Soon, our friends and family would arrive to offer their heartfelt congratulations, wishing us a long and happy marriage. But now, those well-wishes only felt like nails on a chalkboard to me. The Eleanor I loved deeply didn’t love me back. Countless nights, she had cried over another man. The thought of it made my heart sink. Looking at Eleanor, I felt all the energy drain from my body. I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed answers now. As I was about to let Eleanor leave for the bathroom, I stopped her and asked, carefully enunciating each word, “I need to hear it from you. Did you ever love me? Or… how do you really feel about me now?” A heavy silence fell over the room. It shouldn’t have been a difficult question to answer. But Eleanor didn’t say a word. The look in her eyes as she gazed at me was tinged with weariness as if she were watching a fool. A fool, huh? I guessed I had played that role pretty well over the years. All this time, I’d foolishly believed Eleanor and I were soulmates. One night, when she was drunk, she did tell her friends that she’d definitely get married when the time was right. I hadn’t thought much of it then, but now I see the truth. Eleanor’s willingness to marry me was nothing more than appeasing her parents. I was the only one who stubbornly believed we were deeply in love. Maybe it was fate playing tricks, but I discovered her long-buried secret the night before our wedding. She’d never told anyone she was Charnor. It was because I loved her that learning the truth felt like a punch to the gut. “Stop making a scene. We won’t be able to face our parents if you keep this up. Ryan Hawkins, we’re not kids anymore. How I feel about you doesn’t matter now. Just go through with the wedding and give everyone closure. Aren’t you embarrassed, throwing a fit like this?” Eleanor’s voice was ice-cold, seemingly unaffected by my breakdown. It took me just a second to figure it all out. I couldn’t marry Eleanor. Even though I’ve loved her for ten years, even though I genuinely care for her, even though… No matter what, I wouldn’t accept misplaced affection. Eleanor’s heart belonged to someone else. After scrolling through her Twitter posts from the past decade, I couldn’t bring myself to love her anymore. Even if I was not quite ready to let go of these feelings, I needed to walk away. I couldn’t keep playing the fool. I grabbed Eleanor’s wrist. “Eleanor. We haven’t get the marriage license yet. Let’s call off today’s wedding.” Eleanor’s eyes widened in shock. She probably never thought I’d be able to leave so decisively. Eleanor, usually so even-tempered, actually got angry. She loudly demanded if I was done with my little game. But my mind was a jumbled mess. I needed to reconsider my relationship with Eleanor seriously. After all these years together, I felt like Eleanor had changed. To be precise, she’d changed long ago. The tides of life had swept us forward. She already changed, but I was the one standing still, still believing in true love, still thinking we could have a great future together. Before the makeup team arrived, a wild idea took root in my mind. I knew it was terribly ill-timed. But the truth was, I no longer wanted to marry Eleanor. Staying together in this muddy, undefined state held no meaning anymore. So, despite being a full-grown adult, I did something utterly childish. I became a runaway groom. I booked a flight out of town, rushing to the airport before any guests arrived. I was done being a doormat. Before boarding, the hospital also sent over my psychological report. Severe depression… See, Eleanor? You were not the only one who had a hard time all these years After Charles passed away, I completely bombed my SATs. I couldn’t wrap my head around why, right before the test, my best friend had to die in a fire. The school was grateful that only one person died in the fire, and Charles became the cold “death toll of 1” in the news. But only when I was there did I truly understand what it felt like. As the plane took off, I gazed out at the blazing sun, and tears began to fall. But after a moment, I chuckled and wiped them away. They said real men didn’t cry easily, so I couldn’t keep tearing up, right? Maybe it was just the sun shining too bright. I leaned back in my seat, exhausted, and thought, I won’t cry anymore.

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My nanny’s daughter, Janet Mitchell, sold my cruise ship worth eight hundred million dollars. She made up a rumor that I had abortions frequently, so she donated the money to the church and blessed me. My brother, Ethan Edward, testified on Janet’s behalf and falsely accused me in public. My classmates made fun of it, and my fiancé, Benjamin Wellington, found out about it and thought I was being overly slutty, so he was going to break off the engagement with me. I called the police straight away, but they joined forces and said I was mentally ill, so they sent me to a mental hospital. I was tortured with the consent of my family, so I died early. As I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day the cruise ship disappeared. My eyes widened in shock as I saw Janet stopping in front of me with her arms stubbornly extended. Seeing the uncontrollable hatred on my face, Janet shuddered and said miserably, “Why are you showing off your cruise ship? Why don’t you take our classmates out to dinner at a fancy hotel? “Ethan, look at her. She is so extravagant just after she graduated, so she will definitely spend all our family’s money in the future.” When Ethan, who was beside me, saw the look on my face, he directly protected Janet behind him. “That’s enough. Your cruise ship has already been sold by Janet already, so you should take your classmates back.” With that, he bent down and helped Janet fix the hair around her ears. The two looked at each other and smiled as if it was nothing at all for Janet to sell my cruise ship worth eight hundred million dollars. It made me upset to see them take it for granted. “My grandma gave me that cruise ship, but who are you to sell my stuff?” Ethan looked at me in shock, as if he couldn’t believe I would go against his word. “Stella, don’t you know who the future owner of the Edwards family is?” I didn’t know it before, but I did after I died. I was originally the true heir of the Edwards family. Thinking about the fate of my previous life made me feel disgusted inside, and my tone turned indifferent. “Well, the nanny’s daughter secretly sold her employer’s cruise ship, but my brother was defending the thief. It seemed that if I didn’t call the police, you guys wouldn’t have confessed.” Upon saying that, Janet cried out loud and shouted to the students behind me who were looking forward to the cruise ship, “I’m doing this for your own good, Stella. you’re usually extravagant, and you have a messy personal life and frequent abortions, so you have to pray to atone for your sins. “So I sold your cruise ship. I did it to get the money for the cost of the prayers to bless you that your aborted fetus could be reincarnated.” The students behind me were shocked to hear her words. In my previous life, I was so furious at Janet’s nonsense that I slapped her across the face. Unexpectedly, I annoyed Ethan, who took Janet’s side and joined her in accusing me of sleeping around. It was treated as a joke by my classmates until Benjamin found out about it. Since then, the Wellington family had broken off the engagement, and I had lost all value in the eyes of my father, Paul Edwards. Soon after, Janet seduced Benjamin. In order to get rid of me completely, she and Ethan worked together to fabricate evidence that I was mentally unbalanced, so my family forcibly sent me to a mental hospital. It didn’t take long for me to be abused and die under their deliberate guidance. One of the two adulterous cheaters had inherited the family business in my place, and one had married my fiancé. Thinking about this, I was so angry that I trembled and directly took out my cell phone. “You’re just a nanny’s daughter, but how dare you slander your employer? Janet, you’d better still be as decisive as you were just now when you talk to the police. “Let’s get the police to find out who had abortions regularly. Also, where the hell is my cruise ship?” Just as I finished speaking, Janet suddenly turned pale and looked at Ethan as if she was asking for help. Ethan immediately defended Janet and slapped my cell phone to the ground. “Stella, don’t think you’ll change the nasty things you’ve done by threatening Janet like that. “I’m going to teach you a lesson in front of all your classmates today!” In my previous life, I was indeed frightened by his suddenly serious expression, but I would never be bullied by them this time. I turned straight back to my classmates and yelled, “My nanny’s daughter stole my cruise ship, but my brother is defending the thief. Please help me call the police!”

Hearing my words, my classmates surprisingly avoided my gaze. “Stella, Janet is so kind. How could she steal your cruise ship?” “Janet looks pretty and generous, and she will never do anything to steal.” “Janet has told you she’ll pray for you, but instead of appreciating her, you’re slandering her.” “Maybe she had frequent abortions, so her mental health was affected…” They whispered while letting out a meaningful laugh. I was so furious that my face flushed. “Janet is rich and generous, and she’s spending my family’s money! You guys…” At that moment, Ethan grabbed my wrist and told me threateningly, “That’s enough. You can’t keep making mistakes. “Janet grew up in our family, so she’s your sister. You’re insulting me by punching Janet in the face!” Looking at Ethan’s veins bulging with rage, I slapped him harshly across the face. “See what I mean? Now that’s what I call insulting you.” Saying that, I picked up the dropped cell phone and desperately dialed my mother, Sarah’s number. However, the only thing that responded to my call was a shutdown indication. I ignored Ethan, who was furious. After repeated attempts to dial Sarah’s number, I finally felt desperate. Everything in my previous life happened so fast that I didn’t have time to react at all. Just now, I suddenly realized that something so terrible had happened to me, but Sarah hadn’t shown up. There was definitely something suspicious about this. I ignored my classmates, who were mocking at me and my cruise ship, which was worth eight hundred million dollars, behind me. I dialed my grandma, Patricia Turner, as I stepped back. Patricia’s voice was bright, her tone was filled with kindness. “Good girl, when are you coming to my house for a couple days?” I got right to the point and whispered, “Grandma, my mom is missing, and I suspect my dad, Ethan, and Megan did it. “Ethan and Janet secretly sold the cruise ship you gave me, but that’s not the most important thing. You must get my mom back first!” Saying that, a person suddenly hugged me forcefully from my back. I turned around in surprise to see my fiancé, Benjamin. At this moment, Ethan had already brought Janet to catch up. Looking at Benjamin’s sudden appearance, Janet pretended to be tender and said, with tears in her eyes, “Benjamin, Stella is sleeping around, and I donated hundreds of millions of dollars to the church so that you can live happily after your wedding, but Stella blamed me for spending her money recklessly. “Also, she slapped Ethan in the face. Benjamin, help me convince Stella.” Janet looked lovely. At this moment, the way she was crying immediately aroused Benjamin’s feelings of protecting her. He glared at me and dragged me to Janet arbitrarily. “Stella, you’re going too far. Why are you bullying such a tender girl? Apologize to her immediately! “I will break off the engagement with you on behalf of the Wellington family!” I gritted my teeth hard as I watched those who had teamed up to send me to hell in my previous life stand in a line in front of me. “Do you deserve my apology?” Upon hearing this, Janet cried even louder as both Ethan and Benjamin immediately comforted her all. I took the opportunity to slip away and quietly went to the police station. Hearing that a private luxury cruise ship worth eight hundred million dollars had been stolen and sold, the police widened their eyes incredulously. After they repeatedly confirmed that I was not mentally ill, they finally decided to file a case for investigation. I had just walked out the door of the police station, and before I could say goodbye to the police, I got a call from Janet. “Where are you hiding and crying in secret? My dear sister. “You’ve always been dominant over me, so it’s not a good feeling to suddenly be targeted by me, is it?” I snorted as I listened to her sarcastic tone, “Janet, what exactly are you trying to say?” Janet’s voice was filled with smugness. “I want to say that your fiancé is mine, your brother is mine, and everything you have is mine. “I’m trying to say that your fiancé has belonged to me, and so has your brother. Everything you have belongs to me now.” I blinked, hung up, and looked over at the police officer following me. “Did you hear everything?”

During the police investigation, I went straight to Patricia’s house in the suburbs for safety reasons. As soon as Patricia saw me, she worriedly took me into her arms and said with tears in her eyes, “Good girl, what happened to you?” I sniffled and leaned into Patricia’s arms. “I’m fine. Grandma, did you find my mom?” Patricia rubbed my hair tenderly and was just about to speak when the door to the villa was kicked open. The visitors were unexpectedly Paul and Ethan. Seeing that I was here, Paul said furiously, “Stella, after all the shameless and nasty things you’ve done, why are you so ashamed to hide here? “Come back with me and apologize to Janet. Also, Janet will marry Benjamin.” I stood up straight and looked at Paul in the eye without being be neither humble nor pushy. “You think I’m shameless and nasty just by listening to the nonsense of a nanny’s daughter? “If it’s so easy to slander someone, I will think Janet’s family are all dirty. “Also, that’s the cruise ship my grandma gave me. Give me back my cruise ship!” Paul was trembling with anger at my attitude, and he was trying to grab me. “Don’t I know what kind of girl Janet is? She did all that for your own good!” “You wicked girl, go back, and you’re grounded!” At this moment, Patricia, who hadn’t said anything, stopped in front of me on her crutches. “Paul, you’ve become so rude now that you didn’t even say hello when you saw me.” Seeing Patricia, Paul finally came back to his senses from his outburst. He looked so ashamed. Then, he smiled, “Mom, I was just helping you teach her a lesson. You just stay out of it.” Patricia sneered, looking intimidating without even getting angry. “Paul, Stella is your child, and you’d better think before you speak.” Paul looked grim as he pulled out his cell phone and sent a certain notification. After a while, the entrance to Patricia’s villa was filled with people. Some of them had cameras, some had microphones, and they surrounded a white car with Janet in the center. I moved over quickly and heard Janet crying in sadness. “I did it all for her, but she constantly insulted me. I’m going to let you all witness directly today whether Stella is a slut or not!” As I stared in shock, Ethan stepped forward and gently wiped Janet’s tears away. “Janet, it’s all right.” The two looked at each other for a short while. Then, Janet stood in front of everyone and shouted at me, “Stella, you said you’ve never slept around, and now the press and the doctor are here. Dare you let the doctor examine you?” I was so angry that I got a headache, and Patricia, who was beside me, was trembling. “Bastard. stella is my own granddaughter, so how dare you do this to her?” At that moment, Paul smiled and walked into the crowd. “I’m sorry, Mom. It’s so important that the Edwards family and the Wellington family join forces, and we can’t have a woman who has aborted a fetus marrying Benjamin, which wouldn’t be conducive to our future partnership.” Hearing Paul’s words, the onlookers became even more agitated. “Look at Mr. Edwards. He’s so righteous, he’ll never allow his children to go astray!” “Stella looks pale. Did she really sleep around?” “I think it’s highly probable. Her sister looks calm.” I stood upstairs and watched the crowd gather around me. I tightened my grip on Patricia’s hand and suddenly said, “Fine. Don’t just check up on me since Dad is so concerned about the marriage union. “Why don’t you let my sister be examined along with me?”

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My boyfriend got betrayed. On my 25th birthday, he betrayed himself. He gave me a robot. In other words, he made a clone of himself. A robot that looked exactly like him. And just like him, this robot was getting wilder.

My sister, Charlotte Marlowe, was dead. They threw her into a den of beggars, where she was violated until she died. The mastermind behind this cruel act was Lyla Finch. She did it all because Charlotte overheard one of her secrets — She had an illegitimate child before marrying Rylan Murphy. Charlotte begged Lyla for mercy, explaining that our parents were gone and she was the only one supporting me while I was still in school. She promised to keep silent, even offering to have her tongue cut out. But Lyla was ruthless and had her dragged away. We grew up poor. Our parents passed away when we were still little. Charlotte worked as a sex worker at Heaven Club to support me, using her earnings to pay for my education and our living expenses. She would always hold me in her arms and assure me, “Hey, don’t worry. I’ll always be here to protect you.” Now, she was gone, and my world had shattered. I hated Lyla’s guts. I vowed to get revenge. Lyla took away the person I loved most, so I would make her lose the one she cared about most. And that person was her husband, Rylan. Losing him would drive her insane. The mere thought filled me with excitement. I picked up a photo of Rylan. In Oceana, the Murphy family reigned supreme, and Rylan, with his youth and good looks, was made even more alluring by his power and status. He was known to be a devoted husband. During the three years of marriage to Lyla, he had never caught up in a scandal with another woman. I laughed out loud. Could that really be true? I caressed Rylan’s handsome face in the photo, thinking, “Lyla, do you think your darling will fall for me if I try to seduce him?” ***** I infiltrated the Murphy Manor as a maid. At night, I entered Rylan and Lyla’s bedroom to tidy up. Suddenly, two bright headlights beamed through the pristine floor-to-ceiling windows. Rylan was home. I switched off the wall lamp, and as darkness enveloped the room, the door creaked open. Rylan walked in and wrapped his arms around me from behind. He smelled of alcohol. Then he whispered in my ear in a deep, magnetic voice, “Honey.” I almost laughed. He was such a devoted husband. But what about Charlotte? What was her death to them? I squirmed a little, my slender body writhing like a snake in his embrace. Rylan squeezed my waist, puzzled. “Why is your waist so thin tonight? So slender and soft.” His breathing grew heavier, and soon, his hand slipped under my shirt, squeezing my breast firmly. He murmured, “So big.” I smirked inwardly. “Do you enjoy it, Rylan?” Years ago, Charlotte and I went to Heaven Club. Sienna Wills spotted me immediately, declaring I was born to please men with my delicate frame, slender waist, and ample bosom. She said I could be the top hostess if I wanted. But Charlotte turned her down, insisting I was meant for greater things, to live a life of dignity and honor. I knew my allure well. During university, rich kids and campus heartthrobs would flock to me with just a crook of my finger. But Charlotte, I no longer wished to live with dignity. I wanted to drag them all to hell with me! As I snapped out of it, I noticed that Rylan’s body pressed tightly against mine. Also, I was nearly scalded by his heat. When I sensed the iron hard bulge in his pants, I knew he got turned on. It was time for my performance. I turned around, pressing my hands against his chest, and whimpered, “Sir, please, don’t!” Hearing my voice, he froze. “Who are you?” I switched on the wall lamp, my wide, doe-like eyes gazing at him as if frightened. “Sir, you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not Mrs. Murphy. I’m the maid here, Hailey Marlowe.” Rylan stared at my face, stunned. Just then, the sound of Lyla’s high heels echoed from outside.

Lyla was coming! My heart raced with excitement, though I kept my eyes wide with panic. I pushed at Rylan’s arms with my hands. “Mrs. Murphy is here! Mr. Murphy, please, take your hands out…” Rylan finally realized his hand was still inside my shirt, cupping my breast. He quickly pulled back. “I’m sorry. I thought you were my wife.” He turned to leave, but I grabbed his arm, still feigning panic. “Mrs. Murphy doesn’t allow maids like me to be near you. If she sees us together, she’ll be furious. What should we do?” Just then, the door opened, and Lyla walked in. With her crimson lips and luscious waves, Lyla was a striking beauty. She glanced up, saw Rylan sitting at the desk, and flashed a sweet, seductive smile. “Honey, you’re back?” She uttered. From her angle, Lyla couldn’t see me. Just moments earlier, I had pulled Rylan to the chair and hid under the desk. The space beneath was cramped. Dressed in black trousers, he had his legs spread apart, and I crouched between them. He looked down at me; his gaze was intense, while I tilted my delicate face up to meet his eyes. With an pure and innocent look, I shook my head slightly, silently pleading for him not to expose me. I knew how alluring I looked. Right now, I looked both innocent and sexy. No man could resist such temptation. Sure enough, he played along. “Yes, darling, I just got back,” Rylan said, nodding to Lyla. Lyla didn’t approach but instead opened a package containing a piece of sexy lingerie. She held it up against herself, teasing, “Do you like it?” Rylan glanced up at her with an unreadable expression. I knew Lyla was a master at this game. Before marrying Rylan, she had countless boyfriends, each skilled in bed. She even had a son with one of them. But once she and Rylan got married, those boyfriends and her illegitimate child were swiftly gotten rid of. In brief, her marriage was paved with blood. I smirked, my lips curling with confidence. Lyla might have her tricks, but I had my own. Rylan’s bulge was right in front of me, impressively prominent and undeniably large. To be honest, he looked even more handsome up close, and that impressive size made Lyla’s previous lovers seem like nothing. It was no wonder she was so obsessed with him. I deliberately moved my face closer, brushing it lightly against the impressive bulge of his. The faint contact through the thin fabric was electrifying. No man could resist that kind of teasing. Rylan stiffened, and I saw his bulge grow even larger. Moments later, I heard him mumble to Lyla, “I like it.” His words were half-hearted, barely more than a murmur. As soon as he spoke, his eyes drifted over to me. I knew I had succeeded in pulling his focus away from Lyla. I played innocent, my wide eyes darting around in faux fear. And quickly, I pulled my face back. But as I did, my lips accidentally brushed against him. Rylan’s legs quivered. Inside, I was thrilled. “Rylan, how does it feel to be sneaking around with me?” Meanwhile, Lyla remained blissfully unaware. “Babe, I’m going to shower and put it on for you,” she said cheerfully. Rylan’s response was a husky. “Alright.” As Lyla headed toward the bathroom, I felt a pang of urgency. I didn’t want her to leave so soon. It would be far more thrilling for her to discover just how excited her husband was over another woman. With that in mind, I intentionally knocked into the desk, creating a noticeable sound. Immediately, Lyla’s footsteps halted outside the bathroom door. Her piercing gaze shot towards me with a new level of suspicion.

Lyla spun around immediately, asking, “What was that noise?” I crouched under the desk. My eyes sparkled with excitement as I saw her bejeweled stiletto heels approach, step by step. My pulse quickened. Then Rylan knocked a stack of papers to the floor on purpose and bent down to retrieve them. “It’s nothing, just some papers that fell.” Lyla drifted over, her red gown flowing with her movements. She nestled against him, her eyes falling on the bulge in his pants. With a mischievous smile, she reached out and gave it a slow, teasing stroke. “Honey, why are you so… excited?” I was curious about Rylan’s response. He gazed at Lyla with an intense look. “Sweetheart, it’s that new nightgown you wore earlier. It’s driving me wild. I can’t help but be captivated.” I stifled a laugh. What a liar! Lyla, however, was thoroughly amused. She laughed heartily and rewarded Rylan with a quick kiss on his lips. “Wait for me, darling!” As Lyla headed into the bathroom, I stayed silent, making sure not to make a sound. The earlier noise was just a playful distraction. This was only the beginning. I had much more planned for her. Rylan stood up and moved away from me, clearly irritated. He turned his back, his voice sharp. “Get out! And don’t ever come into this room again…” He didn’t finish his sentence before I darted out of the room. Rylan watched me flee like a startled rabbit with a mixture of amusement and exasperation on his face. ***** At night, Rylan, freshly showered, lounged in a sleek black silk robe against the headboard. Lyla, draped in a sultry, sheer nightgown, was perched on his muscular waist. She shifted her hips seductively, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Honey, do I look good?” Rylan’s desire was unmistakable. His hands gripped her waist with a primal intensity. He smirked, his voice laced with a teasing edge. “Darling, have you gained a bit of weight recently?” Lyla pouted, her tone innocent yet sultry. “Really?” Rylan’s hands wandered under her gown. Although Lyla was well-endowed, tonight he felt something even more thrilling. His gaze darkened as he applied a firmer touch. Lyla, sensing his heightened passion, melted against him. She then mumbled softly, “Ah, it hurts. Honey, be gentle.” Rylan’s eyes, full of smoldering desire, locked onto her. “Will being gentle be enough to satisfy you?” Without a word, Lyla sealed her lips to his, her movements a dance of yearning and surrender. Rylan’s hand slid to her shoulder, guiding her down, an unspoken command for her to pleasure him. Lyla shot him a playful, feigned pout before burying herself in his crotch. Outside, hidden in the shadows, I watched through the crack in the door. I saw Rylan’s hands, which had touched me earlier, now exploring Lyla’s body. I couldn’t help but wonder, “Rylan, are you comparing me to Lyla in your mind? Do you find me more desirable? Are you imagining her as me? As you reveled in each other, did you hear Charlotte’s desperate cries from that night?” I saw her in her last moments, her body a canvas of cruelty, scarred by cigarette burns and shattered beyond repair. Sienna told me to accept my fate, saying that to the wealthy, our lives were worth no more than dirt. But I refused to accept that. If fate was unjust, then I would become the vengeful spirit from hell. Evil would meet its match. The game was on! ***** The next morning, I was busy working in the living room when Lyla stormed in, her face a thunderstorm of anger. “Grab Hailey!” Two maids seized me, one on each side. I was taken aback, my heart pounding as I looked at Lyla in panic. “Mrs. Murphy, what did I do wrong?” Lyla glared down at me with a cold, mocking smile. “Hailey, I’ve dealt with plenty of women trying to seduce my husband. Do you really think you can play your games right under my nose?” My heart sank. Had I blown my cover before the game even started?

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NataliaI gripped the page with my test results on it, the logo for the hospital where I was an intern printed across the top. Would I live long enough to finish out my internship and become a fully qualified surgeon? Heart failure has progressed. Patient placed on transplant list. I stared at the words, numb. After I’d experienced some weird health problems at nineteen, I found out that I’d inherited a deadly congenital heart disease. I was in stage two of heart failure. The doctors had told me I could spend decades in stage two if I looked after myself. And I had. I’d made lifestyle changes and taken all of my medications religiously. Now, I needed a heart transplant. A transplant neither my mom nor I could afford. It was laughable. I worked at a hospital, and it turned out my insurance wouldn’t cover my heart failure because it was a pre-existing condition. Which led me to where I was—standing in the one place I had vowed to never set foot. About to see the one person I had sworn on my life I would never see again. I crammed the incriminating paper into my oversized handbag and then walked the remaining distance along the Manhattan street, to the building where apartments never sold for less than thirty million dollars. The Zanetti family owned most of the building, a powerhouse mafia who ran their corner of New York with an iron fist and cut-throat politics. We’d never asked the Zanetti family for a dime. But today, that was all about to change. The doorman eyed me as he let me into the luxury building. Probably because I looked like trash. I’d worked a double at the hospital, so I was still in my scrubs and my braid had mostly fallen out ten hours ago, but I hadn’t found time to fix it. Plus, the whole heart-failure thing wasn’t exactly good for the complexion. I rode the elevator up, my heart pounding out of control with anxiety. I reached into my bag and popped a couple of pills to calm my system down. I was supposed to be avoiding stress. Ha! Between my internship and heart condition, stress was my BFF. It felt like the elevator took forever to reach the upper floor. As I stepped out, I could hear yelling coming from the apartment. The voice was shrill, female. A second later, the yelling was accompanied by the sound of something shattering. I winced, my steps slowing as I walked toward the door. Obviously, this was a bad time. But I knew if I didn’t knock on the door and ask right now, I would lose my nerve and never be able to bring myself back here. Unsurprisingly, the commotion stopped after I rang the doorbell. A moment later, a harried looking maid opened the door. “Can I help you?” she asked, gaze raking over my disheveled appearance. “I’m here to see Frank Costa-Zanetti,” I replied, glad when my voice came out even, no hint of the tremor I felt inside. “Who should I say is calling?” asked the maid snootily. “Natalia,” I answered, tipping my chin a little higher. The maid’s eyes widened, but she stepped back. “Oh, I’m sorry, miss,” the maid said in a rush, practically groveling. “I didn’t recognize you. Please, come in. I’ll fetch him directly.” I stepped into the luxurious apartment, and now I could hear the murmur of low, intense voices. The argument hadn’t ended, it had just gotten quieter. I glanced around as the maid hurried off. What would it have been like to grow up here? A moment later, the maid returned and beckoned for me to follow her. She took me to a formal sitting room where Frank Costa-Zanetti stood, looking out at a small sliver of Central Park you could just make out through the tall windows. Inwardly, I winced when I saw he wasn’t alone. Lauren was also there. Along with her odious daughter, Felicity. “Natalia,” Frank said. “This is a surprise.” Lauren glared at me. “You couldn’t call ahead like a civilized person?” “I’m just trying to maintain the trash image of me you have,” I replied in a cutting voice, anxiety about my current situation making me speak out when usually I would have remained quiet. Lauren opened her mouth to reply, but Frank held up his hand to cut her off. “What’s this about, Natalia?” He sounded impatient. “It’s simple,” I told him, pausing to take a calming breath. “I’m dying, Dad.”

Felicity gave a cutting snort of disbelief.“Wow, dramatic much?” My half-sister rolled her eyes. “Clearly you’re not dying, or you wouldn’t be standing here.” “I’m in heart failure,” I told my father, ignoring Felicity for the time being. “I was born with a congenital heart condition that wasn’t found until a few years ago. It’s progressing. As of today, I’ve been put on a waiting list for a heart transplant. But my insurance won’t cover it, so—” Lauren gave an incredulous laugh. “So you came here begging for money? How pathetic. Does your father look like an ATM?” “Lauren,” my father said sharply. The woman shut up then, but it didn’t stop her from looking mutinous. “So you come to me, after all these years, and just expect me to hand over money?” my father asked, adjusting the heavy gold watch he wore. It was a flashy, ugly piece that matched the cliché gold chains he wore at his neck. I clenched my jaw over the urge to remind him that he was the one who’d kicked out me and my mom so he could move his mistress and his illegitimate daughter in. He was the one who hadn’t bothered with us for over two decades. He’d only married my mother to become don of the Zanetti mafia. “I didn’t know what else to do,” I replied, feeling a lump swell in my throat. And wasn’t that the god’s honest truth? Part of me actually thought for a second that maybe I would have been better off letting myself die than having to prostrate myself at the altar of my father’s ego for the cost of the transplant, which would probably be a pittance compared to the wealth being the don of the Zanetti family had netted him. My father considered me, and there wasn’t a speck of emotion in his gaze. At this moment, I had no doubt he was weighing up the pros and cons of saving my life. What he could get out of it versus what it would cost him. If I’d been a son, my father would have moved heaven and earth to save me. If I’d been a boy, he probably wouldn’t have kicked my mom and I out in the first place. Only sons could ascend to Don in the mafia. Hence why my only child mother had been married off to someone my grandfather approved of to take over. However, my father hadn’t produced any sons. Lauren had experienced complications in birthing Felicity and hadn’t been able to give him any more children. Honestly, I was surprised my father had kept her around after that. Maybe he really did love her, I thought bitterly. Even though I wasn’t part of my family anymore, I still heard things. Everyone did. There were rumblings amongst the other mafia families who ran Manhattan. What would happen to the Zanetti family—one of the oldest mafia families in New York—after my father passed away? Who would inherit? I didn’t know, and I didn’t care what happened to any of them. “You’ll owe me,” my father eventually said, a knowing glint in his eye. “I expected as much,” I said, glad my voice remained cool and detached. Because my pulse was skipping wildly, and it was all I could do not to tremble. “Anything I ask,” my father added, as if he needed to make sure I understood. “Anything,” I repeated with a nod. “Anything?” Felicity suddenly spoke up, her gaze calculating. Whatever she had in mind, I knew it was going to be bad news for me. A vicious smile curved over Lauren’s face. “She did say anything,” Lauren said, her voice a dangerous purr. My father looked at the pair, his expression unreadable. I didn’t know what was going on here, and I was too afraid to ask. “Come now, Frank,” Lauren said when my father remained silent. “The sacrifice must be made.” Sacrifice? Just what the hell was Lauren talking about? I had known coming here that whatever my father asked of me in return for funding my heart transplant would be steep, but now that I was standing here, I was beginning to consider the fact that he might ask me something I was unwilling to pay. My father looked back at me, and I could tell he was thinking hard about whatever it was Lauren and Felicity were suggesting. “In fact, this will work even better in your favor,” Lauren continued, clearly warming up to the subject. “Natalia is the one who is of the Zanetti bloodline, after all. I think Robert will greatly appreciate your gesture.” That seemed to cinch it for my father. I could see the moment he decided. “Then that will be my price,” he said with a nod of finality. “Which is?” This time I couldn’t stop my words from sounding faint. “If you want me to pay for your heart transplant, then you will marry Sebastian Creed.”

I didn’t know which part of that statement terrified me more. The marriage part—or the part where my father had said that my groom would be Sebastian Creed. I might not be in the mob life anymore, but everyone knew who he was. The Creed family was even older and wealthier than the Zanetti family. They owned so much of Manhattan, some people called it Creed Kingdom. And the king was Sebastian. According to the media, Sebastian had just been released from a short stint in jail, his time cut short when the case the DA had been building against him fell apart. No one could get anything to stick to Sebastian or the Creed family, and anyone who tried disappeared under mysterious circumstances. They were probably chained to concrete at the bottom of the Hudson River. “I—I don’t understand,” I stuttered. My father crossed his arms. “Robert Creed has me by the balls,” my father said, anger flashing through his expression. “Some of our lower-level guys got into it, and now Robert is calling in loans and blocking my new developments. He gave me one option—marry Felicity to his grandson, and he’ll write off every cent I owe him, and then some.” Of course, the long game was that since my father didn’t have a son, that meant the Zanetti family would fold into the Creed family. “This is completely out of proportion to what I’m asking. I need a few hundred thousand, and you want me to trade my entire life for it?” My father shrugged. “Seems to me if you don’t do this, you won’t have any sort of life at all,” he said calmly, as if he wasn’t discussing the death of his daughter. How was I related to this rat of a man? “We need a decision,” Lauren said, snapping her fingers impatiently. “Robert has a car waiting downstairs.” “What?” I said in confusion. Lauren’s words were slow and loud, as if she were talking to an imbecile. “For the wedding.” *** I climbed into a silver Lincoln Continental waiting for us in the underground parking garage of the building. As it rolled out into the street, two hulking black Cadillac Escalades fell in to escort us—one in the front, and one in the back—blocking us in from the rest of the traffic. Even I knew that an escort like this wasn’t normal. “What’s going on?” I asked my father uneasily, glancing back to find the tint on the Escalade’s windows was so dark, I couldn’t see who was inside. “Can’t be too careful,” my father said with a shrug. “Some rival families don’t want this marriage to happen.” That didn’t make me feel any better. I didn’t need the marriage I was being forced into to start some kind of war between the biggest Manhattan crime families. I sat there pulling at the hem of my scrubs nervously. My father cast a critical look over me. “You’ll need to make sure you freshen up when we reach the church,” he said, his lip curling. We stopped at a red light, and I stewed, trying to think of a retort. I was about to open my mouth when I heard a weird popping sound. “Shit!” my father yelled, ducking down. It wasn’t until the window right next to my head shattered and I was rained in glass that I figured out what it was. Someone was shooting at us!

I gasped hard enough that my breath caught in my chest as I threw myself down against the seat. More windows exploded, and then there was the deafening bam bam bam of our driver shooting back as he cursed and cut the wheel one-handed. The car mounted the curb onto the footpath to get around the traffic in front of us, and then sped through the intersection, leaving a chorus of honking in our wake. One of the Escalades had come with us, driving tight to our bumper, while the other had stayed behind. My father got on his phone then, and started shouting at whoever was on the other end of the line. “Jerry, find who fucking shot at me and take them to the clubhouse. I don’t care how many guys it takes or whose turf you have to step on, just do it!” My father practically had steam coming out of his ears when he finished the call, muttering about the nerve of some low-level gangbangers daring to shoot at Frank Costa-Zanetti. I was pretty sure I didn’t factor into the equation at all. I could have been killed just now, and he probably would have simply turned the car around and gone to fetch Felicity so the damn wedding could still go ahead. I’d never been exposed to this life the same way my mother had. I was only eight when Mom and I moved out. But even by then I knew the sound of gunfire, knew the sound of a man screaming in pain, knew the metallic scent of blood. I’d had nightmares for years after we left. Mom had spent a fortune on therapy, trying to get me as close to normal as a kid born into the mafia could ever get. After today, all those nightmares were going to come roaring back—plus a whole new host of nightmares and trauma to work through. I clenched my hands into fists, my nails digging painfully into my palms. If the car had stopped then, I would have gotten out and run as fast and as far away as I could, transplant money or not. But the Continental didn’t stop again, blowing through several red lights until we pulled up in front of a church that was probably closer to a cathedral. The sun was setting, throwing menacing shadows across the footpath in front of the old, ornate building. My father waited until his guys were out of the Escalade and had taken up defensive positions before climbing out of the car and walking around to open the door for me. I sat there, frozen, terrified over what I was about to do and who I was going to face when I walked into that church. My father reached down and wrapped a meaty hand around my arm, none-too-gently hauling me to my feet. “You better not be having second thoughts, or we’re going to have a problem. I won’t stand to be embarrassed in front of the Creed family. So, do we have a problem, Natalia?” “N-no,” I stuttered out. “Good girl. Now get inside; we’re too exposed out here.” My father steered me to a room with a bathroom attached and told me to get ready, before slamming the door shut. There was a wedding dress hanging on a rack. The price tag was still attached, and it was worth more than my entire annual salary. It was also in Felicity’s petite size and would never fit me. The enormity of what I was doing hit me in a wave of panic. Before I could sit down, everything went black. *** Twenty Years Ago “What are we doing here, Nonno?” I asked my grandfather as he helped me out of the car. I pulled at the black dress with white trim that my mother had made me put on earlier. “Paying our respects,” Nonno answered. “It’s important to respect our family, and the other families we’re aligned with.” My grandfather reached out and adjusted the delicate gold chain I wore around my neck, with the small dove pendant on the end. Mama said he’d given it to me the day I was born, and I’d never taken it off since. “Pretty as a picture, bambola mia,” Nonno said, smiling at me. A man approached then, and my grandfather stood to face him. “Go play on the lawn, Talia, but be sure not to get dirty,” Grandfather said, waving me away. I took off then, even though the shiny black shoes were pinching my feet. It was a relief to get away from the adults and their frowning faces. I reached a row of hedges and slowed, changing my run to a skip. There were pretty flowers along the edge of the lawn, and I followed the flowers as they changed color and shape, noticing butterflies flitting here and there. After a moment, I realized I’d gone too far and I wasn’t sure how to get back. Nonno would be cross that I hadn’t stayed on the lawn. I was about to try finding my way back when I heard a voice yelling, “Let me go!” My heart skipped and I followed the sound around another tall hedge of bushes and came to a stop when I saw a woman hauling along a boy who was maybe a year or two older than me. “You ungrateful little wretch!” the woman was yelling, her face red with anger. “You think just because your parents are dead, you can disrespect me like this? I am your guardian now, and you will obey me!” “You can’t threaten me! I’m Nonno’s heir.” “But you’re not his only heir. My Manny could easily take your place should any accidents befall you.” The boy’s expression screwed up in anger. “I’m gonna tell Nonno on you.” The woman came to a sudden stop next to a pond that was more like a small lake. “You will not breathe a word of this to my father,” the woman said in a cold, scary voice. “Or you’ll end up just like your parents. Do you understand me?” Before the boy could say anything else, her hands shot out, and she shoved him, sending him tumbling backwards into the water with a huge splash. I gasped, and then slapped a hand over my mouth when the woman looked around with narrowed eyes. Meanwhile, the boy was spluttering and gasping in the water. “Help me!” he called. The woman simply smirked. “You’re the almighty heir. Help yourself.” She turned and walked away. I waited until she was out of sight, then darted out from behind the bushes. When I reached the edge of the pond, the boy had gone under the water. The only hint of where he might be was a stream of bubbles coming to the surface. I didn’t think, just jumped into the freezing cold water. My mama had spent lots of time teaching me to swim in our pool. She had said it was an important life skill, and now I could see why. Even though we were at the edge of the pond, the water was deeper than I expected. I couldn’t touch the bottom. I ducked under and blindly reached around, waving my arms to feel for the boy. My hand knocked into something—the boy’s hand, I realized. I grabbed hold of it. I desperately pulled at it, but he was heavy. I kicked upward, my legs aching, but I could only just get my head above the water to gasp in some air. “Talia!” My grandfather was suddenly there, reaching for me. “Help him, Nonno,” I said, struggling not to let go of the dead weight. My grandfather’s eyes widened when he saw the dark head bob to the surface next to me. Somehow, my grandfather managed to pull both of us out, and his shouts had drawn other adults. I was shaking hard when Nonno set me on the grass, but he quickly turned his attention to the boy. His lips were blue, and as I watched, Nonno and another adult began pumping on his chest and breathing into his mouth. After a few moments, the boy started coughing and bringing up water. As my grandfather whisked me up in his arms, the boy opened his eyes and looked straight at me. I blinked because I’d never seen eyes that blue in my entire life. They were a pure, pale blue, like the sky after it rained. “Talia, we need to get you warm and dry,” Nonno said, taking me away. I didn’t see the boy again, but Nonno told me later that he would be fine, thanks to my quick actions. It wasn’t until I climbed into bed that night that I reached for my necklace and promptly burst into tears. I had lost my golden dove. It was probably at the bottom of the pond, and I would never see it again.

“Miss Zanetti, please, you have to wake up!” I blinked my eyes open to see an unfamiliar ceiling. An older woman leaning over me, her face concerned. “Are you okay? Do we need to call an ambulance?” she asked as I slowly sat up, making my head spin. I reached into my purse to pop another pill. All this stress was bad for my heart. At the rate I was going, I’d end up in ICU with critical stage four heart failure before I even got the money for a transplant. “I don’t need an ambulance. I worked a long shift at the hospital and didn’t have time to eat, that’s all,” I replied as I slowly got to my feet. The woman went to a sideboard and fetched me a bottle of water, which I took gratefully. “I’m sorry, who are you?” I asked once I had sucked down several mouthfuls and felt better. “My name is Renata. I will be your personal attendant,” the woman replied. “Oh, I don’t need any of that,” I replied with a wave of my hand. “You can go.” The woman looked slightly confused as she shook her head. “I’m sorry Miss Zanetti, but you don’t understand. I have been employed by Robert Creed to attend you. Now that you are to be married to Sebastian, it is only fitting that you have an attendant for your protection and who will see to your every need.” What was this? I needed some kind of babysitter now that I was marrying into the Creed family? But as I thought about it, I realized that Renata would undoubtedly be more like a prison warden. “I’m going to freshen up,” I told her, turning away toward the bathroom. I shut myself in and stared in the mirror. I looked horrible. Pale and drawn, and my eyes looked haunted. I shook my head and ran some water to splash my face, hoping it would wake me up a little. My mind wandered back to the memory I’d recalled when I’d fainted. Why had it popped up after all these years? I never did get my necklace back. To this day, I was still sad about it. And I never did find out who that boy was, or what had happened to him. My grandfather had died a few weeks later, and my life had been thrown into turmoil the minute my father took over as Don. All I seemed to do was stumble from one tragedy or hardship in my life to another. Had I somehow been cursed, or born under a bad star? It sure felt that way. The only luck I ever had going for me was bad luck. Just like my timing today, when I’d turned up to beg for my father’s help, and in return, he was forcing me to marry the devil himself. The only good things in my life were my career, my best friend Luca, and my mother’s unwavering love and support. I’d worked hard to become a doctor, and I’d been so successful during my intern years, that now I was about to become chief intern. It wasn’t a job for the faint of heart—which was kind of funny considering my predicament—but the director of the hospital had assured me that they were willing to work around my health issues and give me adequate time off when the time came for my transplant. I had to make sure this marriage remained a secret. Everyone in Manhattan knew who Sebastian Creed was. In fact, probably everyone on the East Coast. The Creed Empire ran enough legitimate businesses and real estate to cover up their criminal enterprises that Sebastian was seen as somewhat of a famous socialite. He regularly attended red carpet events, mingling with everyone from sports stars to pop stars and movie stars. The women he used as arm candy were always ridiculously beautiful, whether they were starlets or models. I had to believe Sebastian would be equally invested in keeping this arranged marriage hidden and getting out of it as soon as possible. Otherwise, it would impact his reputation as well. Even though I was terrified at the thought of going anywhere near Sebastian Creed, I took comfort in the fact that he would probably want very little to do with me. With that in mind, I patted my face dry, told myself that I’d opened people’s chests and held their lives in my hands, so I could get through a little wedding ceremony. I left the bathroom to where Renata was waiting for me. “Can I help you dress?” Renata asked, indicating toward the wedding gown. “It’s too small. I’ll stay as I am.” I reached up and pulled the elastic out of my hair, finger combed it as best I could, and then secured it into another braid. Meanwhile, Renata was staring at me agog. “You’re going to get married looking like that?” she asked, not bothering to hide her horror. “Let’s get one thing straight, Renata,” I said impatiently. “I don’t want to be here, and I certainly don’t want to be marrying Sebastian Creed. I can only imagine he feels much the same way. This is a marriage of convenience, and I can guarantee I will be getting a divorce as soon as I can.”

SebastianI paced as I slowly rolled up my shirt sleeves, taking my time about it, making sure they were perfectly straight. Versace deserved no less. The guy tied to the chair in front of me watched on, warily, eyes flicking. I could see him debating just how much shit he was in here. The answer to that was a whole fuck load. But he wasn’t smart enough to figure that out yet. “Let’s try this again,” I said, stopping to stand square in front of him. I tugged the knot in my tie free, the fabric making a slithering noise as it pulled free from my starched collar. I then undid the top two buttons as I tossed the tie aside. We’d been at this for an hour now, and so far, the guy was just a bit roughed up. Nowhere near as scared as he needed to be, as far as I was concerned. But the small-time Baldini family was known for hiring muscle who were dumb as a box of rocks. “You’re a Baldini,” I stated. “And don’t bullshit me any longer. I saw the edge of your tattoo at the neck of your shirt when Nico searched you.” The man clenched his jaw but didn’t deny it again. “So now you need to tell me why you were following me,” I said, setting both hands on the armrests of the chair and leaning over him. “Stop wasting my fucking time, or I’ll waste you.” “I got orders, just like anyone,” the man muttered defensively. “So, this came down the line, from the top? Why did Mario Baldini sic his guys on me?” I asked, pushing back again. However, this time, the guy kept his mouth stubbornly shut. I reached for the concealed sheath at the waistband of my pants and pulled out the knife I kept there. Slowly, I lowered the knife, so the tip was balanced on the top of the guy’s thigh. He finally started looking worried, shifting as sweat beaded on his brow. I flicked the knife so it opened up a slit in the material of his pants. The sharp point pressed against bare skin. “I don’t know nothin’, man,” the thug spat out. “I take orders. I don’t ask questions.” “Wrong answer,” I bit out, before viciously shoving down on the knife. The guy started howling as the door behind me scraped open. I turned to see Nico step in, closely followed by Raffa. The twins, Nicholas and Raphael, were my second cousins and best friends. Both acted as my next-in-command and right-hand men. “Robert called again,” Nico said, holding up his phone. “You were supposed to be at the church fifteen minutes ago.” I sighed in frustration and whipped out my own phone, texting my grandfather the same thing I’d told him all month long since he’d forced me into this position. I would go along with this arranged marriage to secure the Zanetti fortune and turf, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to attend the wedding.

I’d be damned if I was going to stand in that church and recite marriage vows to Felicity. That was what my attorneys were for. They’d assured me that a marriage by proxy was just as binding whether I was there or not. My grandfather messaged back that if I wasn’t going to attend my own wedding, then I could go to the late board of directors meeting at Mercy Saint hospital. Aunt Alberta wasn’t feeling well tonight, so someone needed to go in her place. Mercy Saint hospital was the most prestigious hospital in Manhattan. The Creed family had served on the board of directors since it had opened almost one hundred years ago. As one of the wealthiest, oldest families in New York, the Creeds had seats or stakes in almost every prominent business or organization in the city. There wasn’t any level of law enforcement or government where we didn’t have someone on our payroll. Which was why it’d been so laughable that the District Attorney had actually thought he’d nailed me this time. I’d gone to jail because I wanted to be there. It had suited my purposes. Several crime bosses had been caught up lately. The DA was newish; he was trying to prove a point and make his mark, cracking down on organized crime. What the idiot didn’t realize was that so-called organized crime was the foundation of New York City and always had been. One guy in a cheap suit with a law degree from Harvard that his mommy and daddy had probably paid for wasn’t going to unravel generations worth of systematic wealth and power in Manhattan. So I’d let myself get jammed up on some relatively minor charges that were never going to stick, no matter what the DA thought. I’d spent exactly two weeks in jail, making contact with those crime bosses, consulting with the ones we thought we could get out on appeals or technicalities, and negotiating with the ones who were stuck there, conveying how the Creed family could help run their turf while they were absent. All in all, it’d been a lucrative few weeks. Meanwhile, I sighed at the prospect of attending the hospital board meeting. Alberta, that old witch, never did anything that didn’t serve her own interests. Or that of her spoiled son, Amando. Although Alberta hadn’t made any obvious moves against me, I’d always gotten the feeling that she wanted to find some way to make Amando the Creed heir. My childhood had been beset by dangerous accidents that I’d always been lucky to survive. Once, when I was a teenager and the brakes had failed in the car I’d been driving, I’d said to my grandfather that it almost seemed like someone was trying to kill me. I hadn’t voiced my true concern that it was Aunt Alberta who was somehow orchestrating these accidents. However, my nonno had laughed it off, told me I had an overactive imagination and a penchant for bad luck. Or good luck, maybe, since none of those accidents had actually killed me. Still, something about Alberta had always made me uneasy. I knew she hated me, even though whenever my grandfather was around, she acted like a loving, doting aunt with a favored nephew. Once my grandfather passed on, I could banish her to some house in Jersey and never see her sneering face ever again. For now, however, I had to put up with the snake of a woman for my nonno’s sake. He couldn’t see the type of person his oldest daughter really was. Even though my grandfather had stepped aside some years ago and handed the reins of the family to me, he still ran things from the background, and I was forever standing in his shadow. I would be sad when my grandfather eventually did pass. But at the same time, the kingdom of the Creed family would finally be all mine. I would rule Manhattan. No enemy would stand a chance against me. I would destroy them. Even if they were family.

NataliaI walked into the church proper and saw nothing but lawyers and my father. I made my way up to the pew, where my father was talking to the priest. “Why aren’t you dressed?” my father asked in annoyance. “The dress didn’t fit,” I replied, crossing my arms. “It doesn’t matter. Can we just get this over with?” The priest winced, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else right now. “We’re still waiting for the Creed boy to show up,” my father said angrily, as if he didn’t appreciate being made to wait on the whims of Sebastian Creed. Before I could say anything, my father’s cell phone rang. I glimpsed the name Robert Creed on the screen before my father answered. The conversation was short and mostly consisted of my father agreeing with whatever Robert was saying. After a moment, he hung up again. “Sebastian isn’t coming,” my father announced, sending a cool spiral of relief through me. “Thank god,” I breathed out. My father’s eyes narrowed. “The wedding is still going ahead,” my father said. “It will be a wedding by proxy.” My hope of escaping this insane situation died a quick death, turning to ash. “Is that even legally binding?” I asked, confused. My father shrugged as if he didn’t much care. “The lawyers will take care of it.” He grabbed my elbow. “Come on. There are papers you need to sign.” My father steered me to a nearby table covered with contracts. “What is all this?” I asked in confusion. “The usual when you marry into the Creed family,” one of the lawyers answered dispassionately. The top one was a pre-nup, and the second was a non-disclosure contract. But after that, it took a dark turn. There were all sorts of things in there about any assets or possessions I acquired while married into the Creed family, stuff about the custody of any future kids—as in, I would give up custody and they would remain with the Creed family if we divorced—even a contract stating that I could not use any lawyers outside of the Creed family legal team. The last legal document, however, was what made my blood run cold. “What is this?” I asked, holding it up to the lawyer, who just stared blankly back at me as if he didn’t have a soul. Being one of the Creed’s top attorneys, he probably didn’t. “Exactly what it looks like,” he replied. I returned my attention to the document. It outlined how I was to comport myself as the wife of Sebastian Creed. I had to eat whatever the chef prepared for me. I had to regularly work with a personal trainer, maintain a high standard of appearance by regularly attending a spa, beauty salon, and hair-dressing establishment. I had to attend whatever events were deemed appropriate by Sebastian, but otherwise not be seen at other events alone. I wasn’t allowed to drive myself anywhere. I wasn’t allowed to see friends and family unless they were arranged prior with Sebastian and his security team—and those people needed to be vetted first. I was to live at Sebastian’s Central Park penthouse, but I was only to go into certain rooms; the rest were off limits. The list went on and on, covering every aspect of my life, even things I’d never thought of before. I was being stuffed into a gilded cage. How was I meant to build my career as a general surgeon if I was required to do all of this for Sebastian Creed? Once again, I vowed to get myself out of this marriage as soon as I could. Oh, and the final insult? Every single document had Felicity’s name peppered throughout. “I can’t sign these. They all have Felicity’s name on them.” The lawyer arched an eyebrow and looked at my father for clarification, as if I wasn’t even capable of speaking for myself. “This is my other daughter,” Frank explained. “Natalia Zanetti. There was a slight change of plans at the last minute.” “The legitimate one?” the lawyer confirmed, looking positively gleeful. “That’s right,” my father said with a nod like he was proud or something. “We can make amends after the fact,” the lawyer said, reaching down to shove the papers toward me. “Sign them, so we can get this show on the road.” When I didn’t move, my father nudged me, not gentle about it at all. I reached down to pick up the pen, my hand shaking. I looked at my father one last time. “We have a deal, right?” I asked my father, hating how my voice wavered with uncertainty. “You’ll get what you need,” my father said evasively. I didn’t trust him, but I also didn’t have a choice. I needed a million dollars for a heart transplant, and right now, my father was holding my life in his hands. With an uneven breath, I bent down. And signed my life away.

Sebastian“I have to go,” I told Nico in annoyance. “Robert is sending a car for me. Alberta can’t make the quarterly hospital board meeting, so I’ve been voluntold to go in her place.” Raffa snorted. “You should have gone to the wedding after all.” “No thanks,” I replied darkly. “I don’t plan on even laying eyes on that gold-digging Felicity Costa-Zanetti until I find some loophole to divorce her.” “Robert won’t make it easy to wiggle out of,” Nico warned, even though I already knew it. “I trust my attorneys to figure something out,” I replied. “Besides, if they don’t, they all know what’s in store for them.” “Nothing like a little mortal fear to motivate your employees,” Raffa said with a laugh. “You guys finish up with this moron. Find out what he knows and then get rid of him,” I said. “What?” the guy gasped, tugging against the restraints on the chair. “Come on, man, I’ll tell you what I know, but you don’t gotta kill me!” “No, I don’t,” I replied reasonably. “But you picked the wrong day to follow me. I’m not in the mood for mercy.” I reached down and yanked the knife out of his leg, blood spurting out like a geyser. I clicked my tongue at him. “Looks like I hit an artery. You’ve got about three minutes left to live. Better hurry up and tell my guys what I want to know.” I wiped the knife on his wrinkled shirt to clean it, then turned away from him. My silver Maserati MC20 had been brought up by the parking valet, but Gino and Joey were nowhere to be seen. Instead, I saw a couple of our other guys standing next to a sleek and sturdy black Range Rover SV. If I wasn’t mistaken, these guys were usually assigned to Alberta’s detail. But since I was going to the hospital board meeting on her behalf, I guess it made sense that Robert had re-directed them to fetch me. “Mr. Creed,” one of them greeted with a nod. “We were instructed to drive you after this morning’s minor incident.” I clenched my teeth and got into the Range Rover. That Baldini moron had screwed up my entire day with his little misadventure. Somehow, word had gotten back to my grandfather. It was only a few blocks to the hospital, though New York traffic meant it’d probably be faster to walk. A few minutes later, there was a weird clunking noise, and the guy driving pulled to the side of the busy street. “Is there a problem?” I asked in a clipped voice, making both of them glance at me nervously. “Engine trouble,” the driver said, pushing open the door. “Don’t we pay a full-time mechanic to make sure shit like this doesn’t happen?” I muttered as both guys got out of the car and popped the hood. After a few moments, it was clear neither of them knew anything about car engines, and one of them was calling someone. I glanced down at my watch. The board meeting was about to start. We were only a block and a half away from the hospital. I’d just walk the rest. I opened the car door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. “Mr. Creed,” one of them called out. “Where are you going?” “To my meeting,” I replied impatiently. The guy who wasn’t on the phone scrambled to get an umbrella out of the back and then catch up with me. “We were told not to leave your side, Mr. Creed.” A hint of apology tinged his voice, as if he knew exactly how much he was getting on my nerves. “Fine, but keep up.” I increased my long stride, annoyed. Just as I reached the end of the block, the guy walking with me stumbled into my side and slumped over. “What the hell—” I pushed him away, and he crumpled to the sidewalk. When I pulled my hand back, it was covered in dark, red blood. The window of the bus shelter I was standing next to shattered. I swore as I pulled my gun out from the holster hidden beneath my jacket, leaping for cover behind a nearby bench. It wasn’t the best shield, but it was all I had. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, heightening my senses as I looked around, trying to spot the shooter. The world stopped as a sharp, hot pain slammed into my chest.

Natalia Why did traffic always get so bad in New York whenever it rained? I’d given up on my taxi about two blocks back. If I kept sitting in it, I’d be late for the shift I’d agreed to cover for Lydia. I was also carrying Lydia’s drycleaning, since we used the same place, and she’d asked me to grab it for her while I was there. Lydia and I had a weird friendship. I didn’t even exactly consider her a friend. She was the only other female doctor who’d been assigned to the prestigious and competitive Mercy Saint, so she’d stuck to my side ever since my first day. Lydia was the kind of person who always managed to convince other people to do the bulk of her work for her, without the other person ever really realizing what they were getting themselves into until it was too late. Weirdly enough, we also looked kind of similar. We had the same honey-blonde hair, similar build, and hazel eyes. Once or twice, people had asked us if we were related. However, I was pretty sure Lydia’s blonde hair came out of a bottle, whereas mine was natural. So, even though tonight was technically my wedding night, I’d agreed to take Lydia’s shift when she called me. Anything to avoid going to Sebastian Creed’s penthouse, where I would be living in a gilded cage for the foreseeable future. But the whole wedding night thing… Ever since I’d left the church, it’d been spinning around my mind. I didn’t expect that Sebastian would want to actually consummate the marriage. But I also wasn’t sure. And that…left me feeling unsettled. I wasn’t exactly a virgin. I’d tried sex once at a frat party. Both of us had been drinking, and it’d seemed like a good idea to just get my virginity over with. Except the guy I’d been fumbling around with had barely penetrated me before he’d prematurely ejaculated, then rushed out, leaving me lying by myself on the couch. The memory still made me cringe. After that, I’d told myself I was too busy with getting myself through med school to bother with boyfriends or sex. As I reached the dark maw of the alley that ran alongside the hospital building, a tall form appeared out of nowhere, running into me. The only reason I didn’t fall was because the man caught me and pulled me against him. He slammed a palm over my mouth and dragged me back into the alley, my back pinned tightly to his chest. I dropped everything I was holding and fought as hard as I could, flailing and kicking, trying to bite his hand. But the man simply banded his arms tighter around my midsection, backing up until we were behind a dumpster. I couldn’t break free of his hold no matter how hard I fought him. He was a whole head taller than me, and his body felt like a wall of solid muscle at my back. I whimpered, panic shooting through me as I realized what was about to happen to me.

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

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

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

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My stepfather treated my mother terribly, and she would cry to me every day. I urged her to divorce him, but she immediately turned around and told my stepfather, “Even my daughter advises me to leave you, but I still treat you so well.” Furious, my stepfather struck me in a fit of rage, accidentally killing me. After shedding tears, my mother, as the family member, wrote a letter of forgiveness, doing her utmost to reduce his sentence. “The child is gone, but those of us still living must carry on.” In my second chance at life, I returned to the day my mother married my stepfather. She asked, “What do you think of your new dad?” I sneered, “The two of you are meant to be together forever.”