Category: English

My neighbor, Maria Watson, and I went into labor at the same time. I was rushed to the hospital by my husband, Isaac Powell, only to give birth to a stillborn child. Isaac scolded me, “Is this what happens when you act so carelessly during pregnancy? No wonder you ended up with a freak of a child.” I lost my baby, my reputation was destroyed, and I was forced into a divorce, leaving me with nothing. One day, I overheard Isaac talking to Maria, “Lucky we swapped your stillborn with Laura’s healthy baby. If your husband’s parents found out, they’d know that dead baby was mine.” That’s when I found out—Isaac and Maria had been sleeping together the whole time. He had purposely pushed me into premature labor just so he could switch my healthy child with hers. I confronted him, but instead of an explanation, he and Maria shoved me into the bathtub and drowned me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I went into premature labor. This time, I was determined to make sure Maria bore the stillborn and expose the affair between her and Isaac to everyone. ***** As they pressed me underwater, fighting for breath, I begged Isaac to spare me—for the sake of the years we had spent together. Isaac looked down at me, disgust in his eyes. “Laura, I’ve had enough of you. You act like you’re the boss because of your job, but I’m a man, not your servant. Maria’s different. She loves me and treats me like a king. She gives me the dignity of being a man.” Maria stood smugly behind him, grinning at me with satisfaction. “Laura, thank you for giving me such a good man and such a healthy baby. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known what to do with my stillborn.” I tried to struggle, but they pressed me harder into the water. Just before I lost consciousness, I saw my biological daughter, Arya, the one who had been swapped, running toward me, shouting, trying to stop them—but she was slapped so hard, blood pouring from her mouth and nose. But then, I opened my eyes again. I was back to the day Isaac had pushed me into premature labor. Isaac was flipping through my medical records, discussing things eagerly. “Laura, my mom checked, and today’s the perfect day for the baby to be born. How about we get the baby out today?” I quickly tried to gather my thoughts. In my previous life, Isaac had gone out of his way to contact someone in the obstetrics department. He stayed with me the whole time, making sure to swap my child with Maria’s. If I could avoid his contact, maybe I could save my baby. Worried he might notice something was off, I pretended to go to the bathroom and slipped downstairs. To my surprise, I ran into Isaac in the emergency room, rushing around. I followed him quietly, seeing him talk to a nurse. “Nova, we are cousins. If I hadn’t given you 200 thousand dollars to help you get into the hospital, you wouldn’t have had a chance. Don’t forget that favor. “That woman, always acting like she’s in charge because she makes money. If she gives birth, her money and property will go to that little bastard. I’ll have to serve her for the rest of my life with nothing to show for it. “Her baby’s position is wrong. I’ll push her a bit to make her labor difficult. Nova, you need to make sure she doesn’t make it to the operating table.” Isaac’s cruel words made my heart ache as if it had been torn apart. Isaac had no education, and no family background—his parents were either gambling or alcoholics. I had fallen for him because of his looks and had given up everything. When he said he didn’t want a job that paid three thousand dollars a month, I worked hard to support him while he “managed the house”. But “managing the house” meant he did nothing all day but play games and watch movies. I worked all day and still had to come home and cook for him. Last year, when I found out I was pregnant, he asked for 200 thousand dollars to ensure the baby, and I gave it to him. I didn’t know he was using that money to get Nova into the hospital and set everything up a year in advance just so I would die on the operating table. I tried to suppress my anger and planned to leave, but Isaac caught me. “Laura, what are you doing here?” Isaac looked at me suspiciously. I knew that if I didn’t come up with a good explanation, he wouldn’t hesitate to deal with me right away.

“When I came out of the bathroom, I didn’t see you. I thought you must have gone to the car first. Who’s this? A friend of yours?” I smiled at Nova, hoping Isaac wouldn’t notice my unease. He didn’t, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Isaac shook his head. “Not really. I was just asking about some insurance details. Let’s go, honey. I’ve already arranged the ward, and we’re going for the C-section this afternoon. By the way, our neighbor Maria lives next door. You two might end up giving birth around the same time.” Back in the room, Isaac walked in carrying fruit. My palms were sweating from nervousness. Isaac said, “Honey, that’s too much fruit. Could you send some over to Maria? Since we’re neighbors, it’d be nice to share.” I remembered the same moment from my previous life—Isaac had asked me to deliver fruit to Maria, but I ended up running into Maria’s husband, Hugh Watson. Hugh was a sailor, often away for long stretches. Isaac had taken advantage of Hugh’s absence to sleep with Maria, and when Hugh came home two months later, Maria was already pregnant. To avoid raising suspicion, they delayed the birth until now, even though Maria’s due date had been last month. They both knew the truth: the baby in Maria’s womb had died from lack of oxygen. They needed to swap my healthy baby with hers, or Hugh would definitely get suspicious if she gave birth to a stillborn. When I went to deliver the fruit, Maria would intentionally fall and blame me. Hugh had a fiery temper, and when he saw the scene, he would kick me, causing me to bleed and go into premature labor. In the chaos, Isaac would take the opportunity to steal my child. If I just delivered the fruit, I would be heading straight for the same tragic fate as last time. “Okay.” I tried to stay calm, took the fruit, and headed out. But then I turned back, waiting for Isaac to pack my things. I quickly took a video and posted it to Instagram. Isaac, looking uncomfortable, tried to stop me. “Why post this? We’re old married folks. What’s the point?” I immediately acted annoyed. “I’m about to give birth, and you won’t even let me post a sweet selfie? You’re grounded for the day!” I quickly left, locking the hospital room door behind me, ignoring Isaac’s attempts to knock. I knocked on Maria’s door, supporting my pregnant belly. Maria struggled to open the door. During her entire pregnancy, she’d been eating the nutrition supplements Isaac had stolen from my cupboard, making her belly swell unnaturally large. “Laura, you’re here.” Maria glared at my belly with hatred, looking like she wanted to slice me open right then and there. I kept my distance, prepared for her tricks. But even so, Maria deliberately threw herself to the ground, raising her voice to scream, “Help! Someone, help! Hugh! Laura pushed me!”

But I was faster—sitting down first, I immediately called for the doctor and nurse. When Hugh came rushing out, I was already on the floor, clutching my belly in pain and shouting for help, “The fruit is from Isaac—he said you like cherries. Even if you don’t want them, you shouldn’t push me!” Hugh was extremely traditional and controlling. Although he was often away at sea, he had very high standards for Maria’s purity and didn’t allow her to interact with other men. When he heard me, he immediately asked, “How does Isaac know Maria likes cherries?” I feigned innocence. “When you’re not home, Maria always calls Isaac when something comes up. They’re good friends, often eating and hanging out together. Isn’t it normal for friends to know each other’s preferences?” Hugh looked suspicious, and Maria panicked, grabbing at me. “Laura, stop talking nonsense. Whenever something goes wrong at home, I always call you, not Isaac. We’ve never had any private contact. It’s you who likes cherries, so Isaac just shared some with me!” In my previous life, Maria had used this same excuse to deceive Hugh. Back then, I was naive, thinking she was just a woman trying to get by. I even helped cover for her and criticized Hugh for being too paranoid and not trusting her. But this time, I wasn’t going to be so stupid. “Laura, tell me—does Maria really hang out with your husband often?” Hugh was furious, his fists clenched, as though he was ready to punch Maria at any moment. I acted confused. “Maybe I’m mistaken. Isaac usually goes out in the evenings, and I’m already in bed early because of the pregnancy. I must’ve misheard or something.” My words did nothing to ease Hugh’s suspicions. Instead, they only made him more certain that something was going on between Maria and Isaac. “Maria, tell me the truth! Or I swear, I won’t let you off the hook!” Hugh’s threat drained the color from Maria’s face. She looked at me with pure venom. “Laura, you know how much Hugh cares about this, and yet you’re trying to throw mud at me. You have such a cruel heart.” I played the innocent card. “But I really don’t know what’s going on between you and Isaac.” Maria, seething with anger, stepped forward and tried to grab me. “You’re humiliating me on purpose. If you think Isaac and I have something going on, then let him come out and face me!” Isaac wouldn’t admit to anything, and he’d certainly find a way to cover for Maria while pushing me deeper into this mess. But I had already locked the door, so Isaac wouldn’t be able to get out. Just then, Hugh, fuming, pounded on the door. “Isaac, come out here! Laura is spreading lies and slandering my wife! You better give me an explanation!” I didn’t expect the door to be so flimsy—Hugh smashed it open with just a few punches. As soon as Isaac came out, he grabbed me from the floor, his grip tight on my arm as if he were afraid I might run away. “Honey, what are you doing? We’re supposed to go for the C-section.” A chill ran through me, but it wasn’t time to give up yet. With so many people around, I didn’t believe they would dare push me into a complicated delivery. Especially with Hugh now doubting Maria and Isaac’s relationship, there was no way he’d target me the same way he did in my past life. To my surprise, Maria immediately started crying out to the people around us. “My husband’s never home, and when the lightbulb broke or the washing machine needed fixing, I had to ask Isaac for help. But Laura thinks I’m trying to seduce him, and she even came to my house a few times to threaten and destroy things. “Laura is just a jealous woman. Oh, by the way, she once said her brother was getting married and buying a house. She even asked me to sell her my house at a low price. When I refused, she held a grudge.” Maria’s story sounded convincing, but I knew her real goal. Maria kept crying. “She’s jealous of me. She pushed me just now! Hugh, are you really going to just stand by while I get bullied?” Hugh was clearly angry now, storming towards me, his hand outstretched to push me. I tried to dodge, but Isaac grabbed me and pulled me in front of him. “Honey, you really shouldn’t be talking badly about Maria. Apologize right now!” He yanked me straight into Hugh’s path. Without a word, Hugh kicked me in the stomach. The pain was so intense I couldn’t speak. As I bent over, I heard Isaac’s low chuckle. “She is about to give birth. Nurse, hurry up and get her into the operating room!”   As Isaac and Nova dragged me toward the operating room, I kept my eyes on Maria. The moment she saw me being restrained, she clutched her stomach and put on an exaggerated display of pain. “Hugh, I’m in labor. The baby’s too big—I can’t deliver naturally. I need a C-section too.” Hearing this, I immediately turned to the doctor beside me. “Isn’t the operating room only for one patient at a time? She’s not allowed in!” Maria was getting desperate. In a dramatic move, she suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me. “Laura, please don’t make this harder for me. Carrying this baby hasn’t been easy! I’m begging you!” she sobbed as if she were truly suffering, even knocking her head against the floor twice for effect. Some of the onlookers hesitated, their gazes turning suspiciously toward me. “She’s already kneeling and begging you. How can you be so heartless, you jealous woman?” From an angle only I could see, Maria shot me a smug smile. She thought this little stunt would be enough to get her into the same operating room as me. I struggled violently, shouting at everyone around me, “Maria’s baby is already dead! She’s trying to swap her stillborn for mine!” Isaac and Maria’s faces changed instantly. But Maria quickly pulled out her phone. “Laura, accusing me like this is slander. I’ll have you arrested!” She dialed the police, and as she did, she mouthed at me with a vicious smirk. “Go to hell, bitch.” I laughed. She could call the cops, and I could get backup too. Before long, the sound of sirens blared from downstairs. The bystanders started pressuring me to apologize. “You cursed someone’s baby, calling it a stillborn—how cruel can you be? Apologize now. Or would you rather be taken away by the police? Who’s going to take care of your kid then?” The crowd just wanted to smooth things over and move on. But Maria wasn’t about to let it slide so easily. She pointed at me and shrieked, “An apology isn’t enough. A woman’s reputation is everything—I want her to come to my house every day for a month and do all my chores. That’s a real apology!” Unbelievably, the onlookers actually sided with her. “Come on, isn’t that better than going to jail? You’re not carrying a royal heir or anything. Stop acting so delicate. Just agree to it.” I let out a cold laugh. “Agree my ass.” The crowd immediately bristled. “How could you talk like that?” Talk like what? I wasn’t insulting anyone. I had, in fact, agreed—to Hugh’s mother, Luna Watson. Luna was a sharp old woman, always keeping an eye on Maria’s every move. After I moved in with Isaac, she asked me to watch Maria for her and report if she had any dealings with other men. I used to believe Maria was a good wife who stayed home and behaved herself. Turned out, she had been messing around—right in Isaac’s bed. Before knocking on Maria’s door earlier, I had already texted Luna, telling her Maria was carrying a dead baby—one that had suffocated in the womb because she let the pregnancy drag on too long. Judging by the time, she should be here any moment now. Just then, the police arrived, and Maria immediately started shrieking, “It’s her! This bitch accused me of cheating—” Before she could finish, a small but fierce old woman burst out from behind the officers. With one swift motion, she yanked up Maria’s shirt, exposing her swollen belly, veins bulging under the skin.

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My daughter was critically ill and in urgent need of a large sum of medical expenses. However, my husband, Noah Wilson, at that time directly gave up our daughter’s treatment and went on a date with his mistress, Ashley Morgan. In my moment of despair, my first love, Victor Hastings, gave me five million dollars and took good care of my daughter with me. But in the end, my daughter still passed away. Six years later, Victor and I had our own child. When I went for a prenatal check-up at the hospital alone, I accidentally overheard the conversation between Victor and the doctor. The doctor said, “Mr. Hastings, you and Ms. Moore will have your own child now. What if she finds out about what had happened that year?” Victor said, “Ashley was critically ill back then. It was a last resort for me to use some means to transplant the girl’s heart to Ashley. What’s more, now that Zoey is pregnant again, she should let go of it.” I realized that my daughter had been deliberately misdiagnosed. Her heart had been secretly transplanted to Ashley by Victor. I wept silently. It turned out that the baby in my belly now was just a way for Victor to make amends to me. During these six years of our marriage, Victor had been lying to me, all for the one and only love in his heart, Ashley. I stroked my slightly protruding belly and gave a bitter smile. Six years ago, I couldn’t save my daughter, and now I didn’t want to continue the marriage. In the hospital office, the doctor let out a slight sigh and said regretfully, “All right, Mr. Hastings. But it was not worth it. Ashley is already married, and you should move on. After all, Ms. Moore loves you so much. She is a good woman.” Victor paused and then replied firmly, “It was worth it. I don’t care about the title. I just want to protect Ashley. It doesn’t matter who she loves. I want her to be healthy and happy. “Zoey is indeed a good wife and will also be a good mother. It’s a pity that I don’t love her. Love can’t be forced.” Hearing Victor’s words, the doctor shook his head and didn’t ask any more questions. The doctor said, “Ms. Moore’s fetal condition is unstable. She has already lost one child. Please pay more attention to her.” After a long silence, Victor softly responded. I bit my lip hard and didn’t make a sound. I didn’t dare to cry out loud until Victor and the doctor left. It turned out that my daughter, who had just been born for a few days, didn’t die of illness, but was deliberately misdiagnosed by the doctor whom Victor had bribed, all to replace Ashley with a fresh heart. Back then, my daughter was diagnosed with a serious illness and was admitted to the intensive care unit. Noah didn’t want to bear the burden, left the hospital, and got together with Ashley. The appearance of Victor was our hope. Now I finally knew that Victor’s offer of help was to keep an eye on this heart that belonged to Ashley. After getting divorced from Noah, Victor married me, probably just out of guilt. I left the hospital. It started to rain heavily outside. I didn’t take a taxi, stumbled along the road, and kept crying. When I got home, the maid saw my disheveled appearance and quickly came up to ask, “Mrs. Hastings, it’s raining. Why didn’t you ask the driver to pick you up? You’re still pregnant and can’t catch a cold.” Victor, who heard the voice, came out of the study. Seeing my red eyes and messy hair, he showed a sympathetic expression, put down the coffee cup in his hand, and picked me up. Victor chided, “You’re almost going to be a mother. Why are you still being as willful as a child? “What if you hurt the baby in your belly by getting caught in the rain?” I glanced at him and murmured, “Victor, I’ve been a mother before. I don’t need you to teach me. “Even if the baby dies, it’s okay. I’ve already lost a child anyway.” Victor’s steps paused. He frowned and finally said nothing. The bathtub was already filled with warm water. Victor wanted to help me take off my clothes, but I refused. He looked at me in confusion, as if wondering about my unusual behavior. After a long while, he left the bathroom. I repeatedly washed myself, trying to wash away all the marks that Victor had left on me over the years.

When I returned to the bedroom, Victor was already sound asleep. Looking at the profile of Victor, who had been with me day in and day out, I felt a sense of strangeness. In my dream, Victor took hold of my hand. He said, “Don’t leave. Stay with me forever, Ashley.” Victor wore an expression of doting and dependence, an expression that he had never shown when facing me. Then, Victor’s phone lit up. It was a message from the contact labeled “Dear Ashley”. I tried the password several times but couldn’t unlock his phone. My birthday, Victor’s birthday, and even Ashley’s birthday were not the correct passwords. For the last chance, I tried the date when my daughter passed away. Unexpectedly, I succeeded this time. On the day my daughter died, Ashley got a new lease on life with my girl’s heart. It turned out that Victor had been loving Ashley silently and attentively in such a way. Ashley sent Victor several photos. In the photos, Ashley’s smile was dazzling. She leaned against Victor. He accompanied her in making intimate posing gestures, though his movements seemed a bit stiff. Ashley: [Victor, I’d be happier going to the amusement park with you. Noah is much more boring than you. You promised to accompany me to take portrait photos tomorrow. See you then. Love you.] Victor and Ashley were like lovers in the honeymoon phase, making me feel like a clown. But tomorrow was the day that Victor had promised to accompany me to the prenatal check-up. I didn’t know which was more important to him, his baby or the woman he loved. That night, I didn’t sleep a wink. I hoped that Victor would choose to accompany me to the prenatal check-up. If Victor chose to accompany me tomorrow, then for the sake of the baby, I would give him another chance. The next morning, Victor got washed, dressed early, and was ready to leave. He looked full of energy. Just as he was about to go out, I grabbed the hem of his clothes. I said, “Victor, where are you going? You promised to accompany me to the prenatal check-up.” He stopped smiling. After thinking for a long time, he gently patted my hand. He said, “Zoey, I’m sorry. I have a very important meeting today and can’t accompany you to the hospital. “You’re so understanding. You will support my work, right? “You said yesterday that you have experience in giving birth and can manage everything smoothly without me.” Seeing that I kept my head down and didn’t speak, Victor smiled and kissed my forehead. He said, “Honey, I’ll bring you a gift when I’m back.” Then, Victor left without looking back. Looking at Victor’s back as he quickly walked away, I gave up hope. I checked the nearest flight tickets to Harrowfell and called my good friend, Maria Davis. I booked a flight for the night after tomorrow. Once I arrived in Harrowfell, I would officially start a new life.

I applied light makeup to make myself look less haggard. I went to the best law firm in the city and consulted about the relevant procedures for divorce and the matter of my daughter’s death due to misdiagnosis. The lawyer quickly drew up the divorce papers for me. However, to hold Victor and Ashley accountable for the death of my daughter, more evidence was needed. That night, I cooked dinner and opened two bottles of the fine red wine that Victor had collected. When Victor got home and saw me sitting at the dining table, he was taken aback and then gave a knowing smile. He said, “Zoey, you can just leave these things to the servants. You don’t have to do that; just enjoy your life.” He smiled and pulled me into his arms. We were so close that I could even smell the rose perfume on him. I asked Victor when he had changed to this strong perfume. Victor sniffed his collar guiltily and quickly explained, “I met a female CEO at the meeting today, and I accidentally got her perfume smell on me. “Zoey, how could you doubt me? Are you still mad at me for not accompanying you to the prenatal check-up? I’ve already explained it. I thought you would understand me.” People with a guilty conscience were always aggressive. I just asked casually, but Victor kept blaming me. Seeing that I was silent, Victor changed the subject and took out an exquisite diamond necklace from his pocket and put it around my neck. He said, “Zoey, don’t be angry. This is a gift I specially brought for you. There’s only one in the whole world, and it’s unique. Do you like it?” The diamond necklace glistened under the light of the candle, and it was beautiful. I gently touched the necklace. We had been married for six years, and every time we had a quarrel, Victor would give me jewelry. But no amount of jewelry could change the fact that he had cheated, nor could it change the fact that my daughter had been killed. When he finally saw me smile, Victor began to eat the food I had cooked. He praised my cooking skills, but in the end, he only ate a little. He had already eaten outside and could not enjoy the delicious food at home. I made Victor drink several glasses of wine. He soon got drunk and fell onto the bed. While he was drunk, I secretly slipped into his study, trying to find some evidence that my daughter had been killed. In the end, I only found a document about organ transplantation from six years ago. In the document, Victor, as my spouse, signed the organ transplantation contract on my behalf. No wonder Victor was in such a hurry to marry me back then. It turned out that he just wanted Ashley to recover as soon as possible. After taking a photo of the document, I put it back in its original place. I packed the divorce agreement with the photo put them in the email, and set them to be sent at a scheduled time. When my plane took off, these documents would all be sent to Victor’s email.

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Five years after I was brought home, I died in a car accident. As my soul left my mangled body, I wondered how my parents—who had always despised me, regretting the day they brought me home—would react. Would they be heartbroken? Or would they feel relieved? The answer was neither. My dad used a business trip as an excuse to skip my funeral altogether. My mom shed a few crocodile tears but later confided in her friends that she felt a weight had been lifted. My brother thought my death was a blessing. No one would be trying to take what he thought was rightfully his sister’s anymore. They even went on a family vacation abroad to comfort their adopted daughter, who had shed a few insincere tears. Seeing all this, I gave a bitter laugh. I had overestimated my importance in their lives. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day my parents came to the orphanage to take me home. Looking at my parents sitting across from me, their eyes red and voices trembling with emotion, I knew I had been reborn. It was the same scene and the same words that had moved me to tears in my previous life. As a child who grew up in an orphanage, I had been overjoyed to finally have a family and the love I had always longed for. But the excruciating pain of being crushed by a car in my last moments still sent shivers down my spine. I clenched my fists to suppress the disappointment of being ignored and dismissed by my so-called family after my death. Seeing my silence, my parents thought I was just unfamiliar with them. My mom took my hand and led me upstairs. “Zoe, the rooms on the second floor are for us to rest. You can pick one you like.” I scanned the area and settled on the sunniest room, filled with pink and exquisitely decorated like a princess’ bedroom straight out of a fairy tale. In my previous life, I had thought my parents had prepared this room for me, and I had chosen it with delight. However, my choice had made my parents’ expressions freeze awkwardly. Then, my mom forced a smile and said, “Zoe, this room is Bella’s. She’s your sister. If you like the decoration, we can do the same for your room.” I was puzzled and asked, “Sister? Mom, I thought I was your only daughter.” My mom choked on my words and her face changed slightly. “Bella was adopted after you got lost. She’s your sister now.” I felt a pang of disappointment. They had adopted another daughter to replace me after I was lost. Feeling a mix of bitterness and jealousy, I wanted to prove that I was more important to them than their adopted daughter. “Mom, I’m your biological daughter. This room is rightfully mine, isn’t it?” My parents were left speechless. Just as they were caught in a dilemma, Bella Brooks, who had returned without my notice, stepped in to ease their embarrassment. “I’m already happy to be your child. I don’t mind giving up the room,” she said with a forced smile, though the hurt in her eyes was evident to my parents. Bella was the same age as me but far more mature. Compared to her, I seemed rude and petty. After a long silence, my dad spoke up, “Zoe, wouldn’t you prefer a brand-new room? We can decorate it exactly the same way.” He was trying to persuade me for Bella’s sake. They clearly favored her over me. What did that make me to them? I fell silent, and the atmosphere grew awkward. Bella broke the silence. “If Zoe likes it, she should have it. It’s just a room.” She began packing her clothes. My mom watched, her eyes filled with sympathy for Bella, but Bella shook her head gently. In my previous life, I had ignored all this and gleefully thought I had won my place in their hearts.

I moved into Bella’s room, and she was relocated to an even more lavishly decorated space that my parents had prepared to make up for it. When my brother, Alex Brooks, returned, Bella was tearfully packing her new room. Alex’s anger flared. He dragged Bella to confront me. “You, from the orphanage, have no manners. You just got here and you took my sister’s room. Get out of my house!” I was exploring the room, admiring a delicate cup, when Alex’s furious face made me drop it. The shattering glass echoed through the house, bringing my parents upstairs. Alex turned to our parents. “Bella has been with you for years, and yet you let an outsider take her room. Does blood really mean that much?” I was stunned. They were my parents, my brother, my family. Why was I the outsider? Our parents remained silent, implicitly agreeing with Alex’s words. It turned out they didn’t think of me as family. In the days that followed, the more I lacked something, the more I tried to prove myself. Under Bella’s influence and my own foolishness, I competed with her in everything, yet I always fell short. Later, Bella won the international piano competition. At her celebration party, I was ridiculed by her friends. Humiliated, I ran out of the hotel and was hit by a speeding car right outside the entrance. Inside the hotel, there was joy and celebration; outside, I was alone, bidding farewell to the world. In my last moments, memories flashed before my eyes, fleeting and gone. In this life, I wouldn’t be a fool again. Reborn, I would recognize what I truly wanted and stop chasing after a love that wasn’t worth it. “Any small room will do.” My parents were taken aback by my modest request. “Are you sure? Do you need us to decorate it?” they asked, pretending to care. “No need. A simple room is fine. Actually, a smaller room makes me feel safer.” Their relief was evident. They were more than happy to let me stay in a shabby, cramped room. When Bella came back and saw me moving my luggage into the small room, she put on a show. She approached me with a carefully wrapped gift. “Zoe, I got you a necklace as a welcome-home gift.”

Before I could react, Bella pulled out the necklace and reached for my neck, pretending to trip backward as if I were pushing her. But I was ready for this. As she leaned back, I grabbed her arm, and instead, I lost my balance and fell to the ground. Bella was taken aback by my move, while I calmly stood up, dusting myself off. “Thanks for the gift, but you should be more careful. You almost hurt yourself. Good thing I caught you. Otherwise, you’d be the one on the floor,” I said, my voice steady. Bella was speechless, her plan foiled. I wasn’t naive. I knew exactly what she was up to. In the previous life, it was the room, and in this life, it was the necklace. Bella had always been a master of backup plans, scheming to make me her shadow. But I wasn’t falling for it. I had changed my path this time, and her schemes seemed almost comical to me. I had learned to love myself in this life, and I wasn’t interested in anything she cared about. When I was reborn, all I wanted was to leave this family, be independent, and find my own worth. “I’m really too clumsy. I just wanted to give you the necklace and get along with you, but I ended up causing trouble,” Bella said, still quick on her feet. Her words, of course, were not for me but for our parents. “I’m just a burden. Everything I do seems to cause trouble,” she continued. Sure enough, my mom couldn’t bear to hear that. She pulled Bella into her arms and comforted her, “Of course, you’re not a burden. No one in this family is a burden. You’re all my treasures.” My dad chimed in, “Parents never think their kids are a hassle.” When similar things happened to me, I was just a troublemaker. But with Bella, they assured her that no parent would ever think their child was a burden. In my past life, when I stumbled, they called me clumsy and told me not to embarrass them. I didn’t want to watch their act anymore, so I walked straight into my room and shut the door. Through the thin walls, I could faintly hear Bella’s voice. “Does Zoe not like me?” “Zoe’s just tired,” my mom quickly replied. My dad added, “She left without saying a word. Kids from the orphanage really need to be taught some manners.” I pulled the blanket over my head with a cold laugh, blocking out their voices. What was there left to expect from a family like this?   When I came downstairs, the only people around were the maids cleaning up. As expected, my parents were probably comforting Bella after her little performance and taking her out to cool off. I grabbed my book and headed for the door. It was time to start planning my future. I was still a student. Getting into a good university was my only way to a better life. Just as I was about to leave, Alex was walking back in. We locked eyes, and he looked at me warily, like I was some thief. “Where do you think you’re going, Zoe?” he asked. “To the library to study,” I replied honestly. Alex let out a mocking laugh. “Don’t be pretending. Are you really going to study or just trying to act like the perfect child and steal Mom and Dad’s attention from Bella?” I ignored him, but he wasn’t done. “I’m warning you. No tricks. No matter how hard you try, you’ll never replace Bella in their hearts.” In both lives, Alex had always seen me as someone out to steal the love meant for Bella, as if I were the villain trying to break up their perfect family. But who cared what he thought? I walked past him without another word, heading for the library. Alex wasn’t giving up. “Watch it, Zoe. Keep your fox tail hidden. I’m onto you!” Dinner was a family affair—Mom, Dad, Bella, and Alex were all there. They had planned a big dinner to announce me as their child. In my past life, I had eagerly anticipated this dinner, competing with Bella every step of the way. But it never happened. I kept asking, and they kept making excuses. In the end, they blamed me for being selfish and vain. “You only think about yourself. You never considered how Bella would feel, and how she might be judged at this dinner. You’re so selfish and conceited! “You’re nothing like a Brooks. You only think about yourself and don’t care about others. How could I have a daughter like you?” Back then, I didn’t understand. It was their idea and their promise, so why did they turn it around and call me selfish? So, in this life, I refused when they brought it up. “There’s no need to waste time and money on a fancy dinner. It’s enough that we know the truth among ourselves,” I said. My parents were shocked. After all, I had grown up in an orphanage, and they hadn’t expected me to turn down such a grand event. Bella couldn’t hide her relief, but she still pretended to persuade me. “A dinner would help more people get to know you.” “No, thanks. I don’t like noisy dinners. It doesn’t matter if people know me or not,” I insisted. My firmness pleased my dad, who was worried about the cost and didn’t think I was presentable enough for such an event. He was afraid I’d embarrass him. My refusal made them happy, but they were too concerned with appearances to let it go. “This dinner could help you expand your social circle. It’s a good idea,” they insisted. Their act was so transparent. It was almost funny. Thinking of what I was about to do next, I said, “Since you’re so concerned about me, I guess I can’t say no.” Their smiles froze as soon as the words left my lips.

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My mother, Gabriela Hayes, was infamous throughout our town. She had been married 18 times, and each husband had met his demise. The fortune teller claimed she was cursed with bad luck in marriage—that any man who wed her was doomed to die. When she fell gravely ill, she had a double coffin constructed before her death. At her funeral, every man in the village competed for the empty space beside her, each desperate to be buried alongside my mother. ***** Funeral music echoed through the mourning hall when someone broke the silence. “Gabriela prepared a double coffin before she died. She must have feared being alone and wanted a companion in death.” I had been grieving in a daze, but these words snapped me to attention. Looking up in disbelief, I saw the massive ebony coffin where my mother lay, with half the space conspicuously empty. When my mother had commissioned this coffin, I hadn’t thought much of it—I’d assumed she was longing for one of her former husbands. But now someone was suggesting she wanted a living sacrifice to accompany her. I shuddered and was about to protest when another voice called out, “Poor Gabriela died so tragically. How could I bear to let her rest alone? Let me be buried with her!” I recognized the speaker as Ryan Murray from our village. He was 35, two years younger than my mother, and they had barely interacted during her life. Why on earth will he volunteer for burial with Mom? His declaration was like striking a match in a room full of gunpowder. Arguments erupted instantly. “If anyone deserves to be buried with her, it’s me! You’re far too old—do you honestly think Gabriela would want you?” “You all losers! I’m the only one qualified to accompany Gabriela!” “Nonsense! Gabriela always favored handsome men—my son is clearly the best choice!” I watched this unfold with mounting horror, my jaw hanging open. My mother, Gabriela, had earned her reputation as the town widow. She had married 18 times, and each husband had perished. I was her daughter from her first marriage. For as long as I could remember, I had cycled through calling different men “Dad.” Yet over 18 years, each of my 17 stepfathers had died unexpectedly within six months of the wedding. Healthy men succumbed to sudden illness. A woodcutter slipped from a cliff while working. A lifelong snake handler died from a venomous bite. One even inexplicably jumped into a well in the middle of the night—a well that remained sealed to this day. They died one after another. When I was 15, a traveling fortune teller passed through our village and declared that Gabriela was born under a curse—that any man who married her was destined to die. The villagers beat him mercilessly, calling him a fraud. Yet after that, no one dared ask for Gabriela’s hand. Now at her funeral, these same villagers arrived in apparent grief. They had eagerly helped me prepare her body and arrange the memorial. Then, to my shock, they began fighting over who would be buried alive beside her. The quarrel intensified, voices rising until punches began to fly. The verbal dispute transformed into an all-out brawl—men punching faces and kicking groins in their desperation. I backed away, terrified of being caught in the violence. Yet oddly, despite their ferocity, no one fought near the coffin. They seemed to share an unspoken agreement to avoid disturbing Gabriela’s remains. I stood beside her coffin, gazing at her pallid face, speechless. Gabriela had never been particularly beautiful, nor was she a good wife. I had learned to cook by the age of five, fearing we might otherwise starve to death. Moreover, her reputation as a harbinger of death had only grown stronger with each husband’s demise. Eighteen men had died because of her. What madness has seized these men, making them so eager to join her in burial?

The brawl in the mourning hall was short-lived. Mason Boyd, the village head and funeral officiant, quickly intervened. He had been the first to arrive at our home after Gabriela’s death. “Enough!” Mason commanded. “There is only one space beside Gabriela. Whoever earns the privilege of joining her must be decided carefully.” I kept my head down and remained silent, my thoughts in disarray. Even Mason wasn’t opposing the idea of filling the coffin with the living. Why? I spent the entire day in a daze, and finally, the mourners gradually dispersed. I thought I might finally find some peace, but late that night, a shadowy figure slipped into the mourning hall. Startled, I nearly screamed before recognizing Ryan’s face in the dim light. He thrust a bundle into my arms, then rubbed his hands together nervously, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling desire. “Esme,” he said, “your mother died too young and spent her final days alone. It breaks my heart.” He leaned closer. “To be honest, I’ve admired your mother for years. My only wish now is to be buried alongside her.” He clasped my hands. “You’re her daughter—surely you’ll help fulfill my request? Don’t you want her to have a companion on her journey to the afterlife?” Goosebumps spread across my skin, and I couldn’t bring myself to agree. “Mr. Murray, you’re still young. Why sacrifice yourself for my mother?” His expression darkened. “How could you say such a thing? Being buried with your mother would be my greatest honor—a blessing beyond anything I could hope for.” I was speechless. If he hadn’t been speaking so lucidly, I would have suspected he’d been brainwashed. After nearly an hour of his persistent pleading, I gave a vague, noncommittal response just to end the conversation. Little did I know, Ryan wasn’t the only one with this macabre intention. Throughout the night, my house became almost as busy as it had been during the day. Nearly every man in the village returned secretly, each begging me to support their bid to occupy the empty half of Gabriela’s coffin. One woman even brought her sixteen-year-old son. “Esme,” she insisted, “though my boy is young, he fell in love with your mother at first sight. He was too shy to express his feelings because of his age, but he’s the perfect candidate to join her in death!” I was terrified. After sending them away, I locked the gate and hid in the backyard. The following day, while sorting through Gabriela’s belongings, I discovered her suicide note tucked away in a drawer. Gabriela had said little before passing, and I’d assumed she died without concerns. Yet here was evidence she’d left me one final message. The last two sentences of her note would ignite chaos throughout our village. [Esme, if anyone wishes to be buried with me, show them this note. Let them spend the night in my cemetery—whoever survives until dawn may join me in burial.] Mason read the note silently before passing it to the other mourners. The village cemetery lay in the wilderness, untended and crawling with venomous insects, snakes, and ants. At night, even predatory beasts roamed there. I couldn’t fathom Gabriela’s intentions, but her instructions provided a solution to the burial dispute. The mourners exchanged glances, their expressions varied, but no one objected. “Simple enough,” someone remarked. “But what happens if more than one person survives?” Another man sneered, “Go or don’t go—I’ll be the only survivor anyway.” As I observed their confidence, my heart raced with growing dread. Nevertheless, the selection proceeded. As sunset approached, nearly 20 men gathered at Gabriela’s chosen cemetery. The grave had already been dug, awaiting tomorrow’s burial. Sleep eluded me that night. I lay awake until dawn, thinking of those men risking death in the cemetery. The villagers shared my concern. Before daybreak, a crowd gathered at the village entrance, and together we journeyed to the cemetery. The metallic scent of blood reached us before we even approached the cemetery grounds. Upon arrival, we discovered bodies strewn everywhere. Some victims bore wolf bites, clearly attacked by predators from the mountain. Some showed no visible wounds but had purple faces and blackened fingernails—telltale signs of poisoning. Several displayed distinct marks on their necks. Most, however, had been killed by their fellow contenders. Bright crimson soaked into the soil, staining the entire cemetery red. Suddenly, a figure emerged from among the corpses. It was Austin Murray, Ryan’s son. Blood-drenched and grinning, he announced, “Dawn has broken. I’ve earned the right to be buried with Gabriela.” I shifted my gaze and spotted Ryan’s body on the ground, his son’s dagger protruding from his heart.

I finally understood Gabriela’s intentions. It wasn’t a mere coincidence that only one person would survive a night in the cemetery. To be the sole survivor, they had willingly slaughtered one another, ensuring only one remained. The villagers ignored the corpses and rushed forward to congratulate Austin. “Young and full of potential. Good to see strength prevail!” “How fortunate you are to be buried alongside Gabriela.” They all wore smiles, some tinged with envy, but not one showed fear or disgust at the carnage. I watched this spectacle until I could bear it no longer and erupted in hysterical screams. “Enough! They had killed each other for a place in a coffin! So many people died, and now you want to sacrifice one more?” My voice cracked with desperation. “You’re all insane—burying people alive!” The entire cemetery fell silent as everyone turned to me with disapproving expressions. “Esme, you’re too young to understand what an honor it is to be buried with Gabriela.” “It’s their blessing to die for her. If they couldn’t secure a position, it’s only because they were useless.” I couldn’t comprehend their madness. To me, the corpses scattered across the ground formed one massive grave. I stumbled back home, the iron scent of blood still filling my nostrils. I sat before Gabriela’s coffin, my head throbbing with pain. By midday, still determined to stop Austin, I went to his house. When I entered, I found him admiring himself in a mirror, already dressed in a burial shroud. His face brightened when he saw me. “Esme, perfect timing! Tell me—does this shroud complement your mother’s? I spent hours selecting it. We’ll have matching burial clothes.” Matching burial clothes? I tried to smile but couldn’t manage it. “Austin, must you really be buried with my mother?” Austin and I were both 18 and had played together since childhood. I couldn’t understand why he suddenly yearned for a living burial—enough to murder his own father. Austin’s eyes gleamed with determination, and his face flushed with eagerness. “Esme, this is my life’s wish. Do you know how long I’ve awaited this day?” He leaned closer. “I’d do anything to be buried alongside Gabriela!” “Then wait decades until your natural death,” I pleaded. “Why must you be buried alive?” “Decades?” he scoffed. “That’s an eternity. I want to join her now,” he stated with frightening conviction. I gazed at him deeply, recognizing the futility of persuasion, then turned and left. Three days later, Gabriela was laid to rest at dusk. Austin reclined in the coffin with a serene smile, clasping Gabriela’s cold hand in his. He glanced at me reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Esme. Your mother won’t be alone. I’ll remain with her forever.” The mourners sealed the coffin lid, driving nails into it one by one. A procession stretched from my house to the cemetery, yet no sound emerged from within the coffin. I wondered if Austin had died the moment they sealed him inside. The corpses from the cemetery had long been cleared away, leaving only rust-colored soil. Several men stepped forward from the crowd, lowered the coffin into the pit, and covered it shovelful by shovelful. When they finished, everyone laughed as though relieved of a tremendous burden. “Austin is truly blessed to be buried with Gabriela.” I remained silent, but as midnight approached, my anxiety intensified. At the stroke of 12, I ventured out with a shovel and headed directly to the cemetery. I couldn’t allow Austin to die this way. I bowed respectfully before Gabriela’s grave and then began frantically digging away the freshly packed soil covering the coffin. It took every ounce of my strength to pry out the nails. However, when I carefully lifted the coffin lid, I saw a scene of unspeakable horror.

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A fire broke out in the neighborhood. My father, Riley Hawkins, a firefighter, rushed in and gave the last available breathing mask to my younger brother, Asher Hawkins. Meanwhile, my mother, Elara Hawkins, a doctor, was frantically trying to help, her face streaked with tears. But she didn’t even glance at me, already faint from inhaling smoke, while she was checking on Asher, who seemed perfectly fine. One of the onlookers couldn’t hold back. “How can you be so unfair?” What they didn’t know was that in my past life, when Elara chose to save me first, she didn’t comfort Asher. He held a grudge and claimed that was the reason he fell into depression. He even deliberately skipped his SATs to get back at me. Elara and Riley blamed me for ruining his future. They forced me to pay for it. They lied, claiming I had an affair with a counselor, and pressured me to drop out of college. To pay for Asher’s medical bills, they sold me off to an old man in the countryside to have his child. The abuse was unbearable, and I eventually died in despair. But this time, I didn’t scream or argue. I quietly agreed to every unreasonable demand they made. Then, they came, crying and begging me to come back home, promising they would never favor Asher again. But this time, I didn’t want their love anymore. ***** The fire was raging, and the sound of crying children and elderly people filled the air. It had been two hours since the fire started, and the flames were about to break through the final barriers. Asher was shaking with fear, his eyes wide with terror. I, on the other hand, remained calm. Following the instructions, we gathered in the temporarily safe area, waiting for the firefighters to arrive. A firefighter looked troubled. “Captain, we’re one breathing mask short…” At that moment, only Asher and I still didn’t have a mask. The firefighter glanced at me, then at Asher. “Captain, give the mask to her. She’s covered in soot and might not make it out.” Asher, hearing this, burst into a tantrum. “Why her? It’s her fault the fire started!” When I heard that, I almost laughed. It was he who carelessly tossed a cigarette butt that set the curtains on fire, but now he was trying to pin the blame on me. But I didn’t say a word. I knew from my past life that explanations wouldn’t help. The firefighter captain was my father, Riley. Without saying anything, he grabbed the mask from the firefighter and placed it on Asher’s face. “Don’t be scared. It’s okay,” he said gently. Then he turned to me, his voice dripping with disdain. “You still think you deserve the mask? If you hadn’t thrown your brother’s cigarette butt on the curtains, none of this would’ve happened. Now you’ve put everyone in this building in danger. Are you happy now?” The blame landed squarely on my shoulders. Since even the fire captain had said it, everyone was quick to believe it. Those who had once stood up for me, upset with Riley’s decision to give the mask to Asher, now turned on me. Their expressions shifted in an instant. An elderly woman slapped me across the face. “If anything happens to my grandson, you’ll pay for this!” A middle-aged man in a suit waved his fist at me, his eyes bloodshot with rage. He was held back by other firefighters, but he yelled, “It’s your fault my house is burning down! Do you know how much this is costing me? This is my daughter’s life savings!” Everyone in the area suddenly blamed me for the fire and all its consequences. Asher, hiding behind Riley, snickered at me, an expression of smugness on his face. But then, he quickly changed to a pitiful look and cried, “Dad, Maeve is glaring at me.” Riley’s anger flared up instantly. He kicked me away with force, sending me stumbling. “How dare you! How could I have a daughter like you? I always knew you were jealous of him. And now that we’re sending him abroad, you’re holding a grudge…” In Riley’s eyes, I was a wicked, heartless person. But in reality, I hadn’t said a word. One hand pressed to my face, the other clutching my aching stomach, I felt dizzy and weak. Just a little longer, and it would all be over. Since they didn’t love me, I was ready to return my life to them. The firefighter who had wanted to give me the mask earlier came over and helped me to my feet, his eyes filled with apology. I simply shook my head. “Let my brother have the mask. It’s only right for me to let him.” I knew Riley never loved me. I couldn’t win against that. So, I stopped fighting.

On the way out, the fire wasn’t raging, but the smoke was thick and choking. I was struggling to breathe, my throat itching and a harsh cough escaping from me. The firefighter beside me, who had been shielding me the whole time, couldn’t stand it anymore. He tried to remove his own mask and give it to me. But Riley, who had been focused on the rescue, spun around immediately. He snapped, “You still have a mission to complete. If you put your mask on her now and delay everything else, can you really take responsibility for that?” I wanted to scream at him. Dad, you care more about the mission than my life? My head felt heavy, as if it might explode. The pain was unbearable. The firefighter’s voice cracked as he tried to calm me down, “Sweetheart, hang in there. Your mom’s waiting for you outside.” My mom, Elara, was downstairs, ready to treat us. But I just shook my head. That wasn’t my mom waiting for me. It was Asher’s. Finally, when we were out, the kind-hearted firefighter rushed to pick me up, his face pale with concern. He wanted to get me to Elara first, to treat me. But Riley just frowned. “Check Asher first! He’s younger. If there are any lasting effects, it’ll be worse! He’s about to go abroad!” Elara’s tears fell as she examined Asher again and again, holding his face, kissing him, as if he was something precious she almost lost. But there was nothing wrong with him. He was laughing at my singed eyelashes, my burnt hair, my face covered in soot. Meanwhile, my condition was worsening fast. I was on the verge of blacking out. Every breath felt like a sharp pain slicing through my chest. The firefighter was pacing in a panic, shouting, “Elara, check her first! She’s not going to make it!” But Elara just smiled, a strange look in her eyes. “You little trickster, we’re both women. Stop trying to play these games. You’re just jealous that Asher’s going abroad, trying to ruin him!” The firefighter, his voice cracking, protested, “How can you be this biased?” With the last bit of strength I had, I managed to give him a weak smile. “It’s my fault. Let my mom take care of Asher first.” In my past life, it was because of his insistence that Elara chose to treat me first. That decision led to both of us carrying the blame for ruining Asher’s future, and Riley often made things difficult for him at work. But this time, I would protect him. After that, everything went dark, and I lost consciousness.

Before Asher came into the picture, my parents loved me with all their hearts. Elara would always pick me up from school, and she’d spoil me with beautiful Barbie dolls. Riley, no matter how busy he was, would always find time to make little toys for me, and he never missed a parent-teacher meeting. But then everything changed. When I was six, that summer, Riley’s parents threatened to take their own lives if my parents didn’t give them a son to carry on the family name. Riley was caught in a corner and had to agree. Elara promised me, through her tears, “Sweetie, after your brother is born, nothing will change. We’ll still be the same.” But things did change. To take care of Asher, Elara, who used to be so protective and couldn’t even leave me for half a day, sent me to live with my grandmother, who never really liked me. My grandma, Ava Hawkins, wasn’t kind. She thought I was useless. On freezing cold mornings, she’d make me wash the whole family’s laundry. After that, I’d have to rush back to make breakfast and then hang up the clothes to dry. By the time I finished, there was no food left. My grandparents went off to work, leaving me with nothing for lunch. I’d sit, freezing, in the pigsty, holding my numb hands and thinking about Elara, my face streaked with tears. When hunger became unbearable, I’d sneak a little pig food. Meanwhile, Asher lived with Elara and Riley, spoiled and pampered. During holidays, my parents would bring my round, chubby brother to visit, and I’d feel this intense urge to hold him. Elara would roll her eyes and say, “You’d think you were born in the pigsty too!” That comment hit me like a punch in the gut. Mom, you used to call me your most precious treasure. I clung to Riley’s legs, begging him to take me home. But he just coldly replied, “You need to listen to your grandparents.” I couldn’t understand why, after I had done exactly what they asked, they still treated me so poorly. From that moment, I stopped hoping my parents would take me away. One day, Elara’s parents, Luna and Leo Smith, came to check on me. They found me feverish and delirious, mumbling, “Mom, Dad, I was wrong. Please take me home…” The doctor said if they’d been even a little later, I could’ve been brain-damaged. I had long been malnourished and was suffering from severe stomach issues. Luna and Leo’s hearts broke. After a big argument with Ava, they decided to take me in. Luna was a college professor, and Leo ran his own business. They were well-off. I thought I had finally escaped my misery and was about to start fresh. But Elara wasn’t pleased. She said, “How could you let my parents raise her? “It’s so unfair to Asher! How can she have what he doesn’t?” So, I was brought back. On the way home, I was so excited, thinking my parents had finally come back to me. But everything was different. The house was big, but there was no room for me, only a toy room and a study for Asher. I ended up sleeping in the bathroom. Asher, who didn’t do well in school, could still go abroad, while I was stuck at a university that gave me free tuition and dorm. Luna and Leo, seeing how unfair everything was, decided to send me abroad for graduate school. But Asher didn’t like that. He wanted to show me I wasn’t worthy. So, he set my bed on fire. The flames quickly spread, and it turned into a disaster. He called my parents, blaming me, saying I was jealous of his chance to study abroad and had tried to kill him on purpose. In my past life, I had to use Luna and Leo’s inheritance to force Elara to save me. But in the end, it still ended in tragedy. This time, if I survive, all I want is to erase all the painful memories tied to them.   I jolted awake, disoriented, with nothing but a blank space in my mind. Reaching up to touch my head, I had this nagging feeling that I was forgetting something important. Pain shot through my body, each breath feeling like it was pierced by a thousand needles. The nurse rushed over, her face full of concern. “Don’t move! You’ve got second-degree burns on your legs. Since you were admitted, you’ve had countless infections. And your lungs, they’re badly damaged from all the smoke you inhaled. You’re going to need a lot of care.” After checking my injuries and confirming there were no serious complications, the nurse muttered, almost to herself, “I’ve never seen parents like this. Their daughter’s in critical condition, and they don’t care at all. But when a guy twice her size has a scratch, he causes a scene.” For the time being, it was Leo and Luna who had been taking care of me. When Luna heard the nurse’s words, her eyes filled with tears. “Maeve, it’s my fault… I should’ve raised her better.” Leo clenched his fists, his face turning a dark shade of red with rage. “Those two… don’t ever come asking me for a penny again!” In my past life, when Leo and Luna found out I was sold off to that old man, they rushed to save me. But in their desperation, they got into a terrible car accident on the way. I managed a weak smile. “Don’t worry, Grandma. At least I’m still alive.” I had been through worse, countless times before. “Maeve, so the act’s over now?” Suddenly, Riley’s voice thundered as he stormed into the room, followed by a group of angry neighbors and a few reporters, cameras flashing like they were ready to turn my suffering into a public spectacle. It was like they wouldn’t rest until I was dragged through the mud. Leo immediately stepped in front of him, his face pale with fury. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Maeve’s just starting to recover!” Elara sneered, throwing a pile of hospital reports onto my bed. “Really, Dad? Are you still going to protect this arsonist? I’m a doctor. I know when someone’s sick. These reports? They’re legitimate. I pulled them straight from the hospital!” Elara’s voice oozed with disdain as she went on, “You two, educated, decent people, yet look at the mess your precious granddaughter has caused. Families are being torn apart because of her. Are you still going to cover for her?” Riley joined in, pointing at me like I was the villain. “Come on. You can’t be taking sides! This ungrateful brat was jealous that we were sending her brother abroad, so she tried to kill him and take his place. Even his eyelashes got burned!” I glanced at the reports, and while they seemed fine at first glance, I quickly realized they were doctored. My injuries, my lungs and legs, had nothing to do with the organs listed in these tests. They were trying to frame me, desperate to humiliate me, no matter what. Leo was holding his chest, looking like he was about to collapse, and Luna was frantically shoving pills into his mouth. Elara, however, stood there, smiling like she had everything under control, almost enjoying the spectacle, as if she couldn’t wait to tear off my mask and expose me to the world. I could only stare, confused, and blinked. “Who are you? “I’m sorry, but… my grandparents are the only family I have left. “My parents had been gone for a long time.”

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I was reborn on the day Landon Pierce was drugged. But this time, instead of being his antidote, I dialed the number of the woman he loved, Lydia Rowan. In my previous life, I had fallen for Landon, the man who raised me. When I found out he’d been drugged, I ignored his desperate plea to call his lover and ended up sleeping with him, becoming his antidote. A month later, I found myself unexpectedly pregnant. Landon was forced to marry me, but on the day of our wedding, his beloved woman was killed by kidnappers while abroad. Before her death, she tried to call him 199 times, begging for help. But Landon, preoccupied with the wedding, never answered a single call. Afterward, he stared at those 199 missed calls in silence, never speaking a word. Then, when I went into labor, he locked me in the basement. I begged him to take me to the hospital, but he just smiled cruelly, watching as I suffocated, unable to give birth. Just before I died, I heard him say, “If you hadn’t gotten pregnant, I wouldn’t have been forced to marry you. If you hadn’t taken her place, I would’ve answered Lydia’s calls. You deserve to die…” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Landon had been drugged. “Mira, hurry up and call Lydia!” Hearing those familiar words again, I suddenly realized I had been reborn. Without a second thought, I grabbed my phone and dialed Lydia’s number. Landon’s face flushed red, his gaze burning as he looked at me. In my past life, I had made the mistake of giving in to that look, which led to my tragic end. This time, I turned away from his gaze and quickly left his room. “Landon, just hold on. Lydia will be here in ten minutes!” As I shut the door behind me, I heard him mutter my name through gritted teeth. But I pretended not to hear, firmly closing the door and standing guard outside. Ten minutes later, Lydia rushed in. She gave me a complicated glance, visibly relieved when she saw that I was dressed and untouched. Before stepping inside, she shot me a glance. “You can leave now. We don’t need you here.” I turned and headed upstairs, back to my room. It wasn’t until the middle of the night that the downstairs room finally fell quiet. I exhaled deeply. In my previous life, my love for Landon had led me to become his antidote, and I had ended up pregnant with his child. He married me out of obligation, but on our wedding day, Lydia died unexpectedly, and he lost the love of his life. Then, he endured in silence until my due date, locking me in the basement. I begged him, willing to sacrifice my life for the child. That child was his, too, but he ignored my pleas, watching us both die horribly, all for the sake of avenging his beloved. This time, I had brought Lydia to be his antidote, and soon, I would leave, completely cutting ties with him. The next morning, Lydia appeared at the family’s breakfast table. Landon took a bite of his sandwich, then casually announced, “From now on, Lydia is my girlfriend. I’ll marry her, so be nice to her.” He glanced at me, then pointed his fork at me. “Especially you. Be nice to my girlfriend and don’t cause me trouble.” I nodded indifferently while Lydia smiled smugly at me. I pretended not to notice and stood up, ready to leave before finishing my breakfast. But just as I got to my feet, I heard Lydia’s soft, dramatic sobs. “Landon, does Mira not want me in the family? I know how important she is to you. If she doesn’t like me, maybe I should leave…” She let a few tears fall, looking as if she’d been deeply wronged. Landon frowned, clearly irritated, and called out to me. “Mira, sit down and finish your breakfast.” I didn’t respond, coolly saying, “I’m done.” Landon’s irritation deepened. “Sit down! Don’t you understand what I’m saying? “Is this how I raised you? With no manners?” This time, I had no intention of getting involved, but they wouldn’t leave me alone. I turned back, offering a polite smile. “I’ve really finished. You two enjoy your meal. I’ll take my leave.” Half an hour later, my door was knocked on. When I opened it, I was met with Landon’s deep, brooding eyes.

I instinctively reached for the door, wanting to shut him out and avoid any confrontation with him. But Landon was quicker, blocking my way with ease. He raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp as he studied me. “Avoiding me? Why?” He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing as he examined me. “Are you upset? Is it because of Lydia?” I shook my head quickly, trying to keep my tone even. “No, I’m not upset. I’m happy for you. You’ve found someone you truly love.” His expression shifted, unreadable, as though he didn’t quite buy my words. “Is that really how you feel? Are you sure you’re not just saying that?” He scoffed, letting out a small laugh that lacked any warmth. “Mira, don’t tell me you still have feelings for me. You think I don’t know about the kiss you stole from me on your eighteenth birthday? You were drunk, but I noticed. “And all those love letters you wrote me over the years? Yeah, I read every single one. You thought you were being sneaky, but the way you looked at me… your eyes practically screamed it. You think no one noticed? Everyone could tell. “You not confessing to me? Best decision you ever made, because if you had, I would’ve laughed in your face.” He chuckled, the sound sharp and cruel, before walking over to the desk and pulling open the bottom drawer. He grabbed a thick stack of letters and tossed them onto the floor, stepping on them carelessly. “Mira, I’ve been taking care of you since you were seven years old, raising you all these years, and now you’ve got these feelings for me? Do you even know how messed up that is? “You knew I only had eyes for Lydia, yet you still wrote me love letters behind my back. Honestly, it’s disgusting.” Then, he leaned in close, his voice low and almost mocking. “I came here to tell you something. Yesterday, I was drugged. You were looking at me like you wanted to jump me. I know you thought you could be the antidote. But luckily, you didn’t go through with it. If you had, I would’ve been disgusted for the rest of my life. You’re just not worth it.” A sharp pain twisted in my chest. Even though I’d stopped loving him in this life, hearing those words still hurt. After saying that, Landon warned me to stay away from him so Lydia wouldn’t misunderstand, then slammed the door on his way out. I didn’t want to be a nuisance, so I decided to head out to take care of some overseas paperwork. I packed my things and left. That night, I purposely waited until almost ten o’clock to come back. As soon as I walked into my room, I knew something was off. My bed had been moved. Then I saw Lydia had posted an update on social media, a selfie of her lying on the bed, smiling. [A million-dollar mattress really is the best. I just mentioned I wasn’t sleeping well, and he immediately replaced my mattress. That’s why it’s so important to find a man who loves you!] She’d taken the mattress Landon bought for me, the one he had custom-made when my back injury flared up earlier this year. It cost over a million dollars. He used to be so kind to me. He knew exactly what it meant to take care of a girl, especially since he had raised me from such a young age. But he let me fall for him. And now, he stood on some moral high ground, acting like I shouldn’t have fallen for him in the first place. And here was Lydia, casually mentioning her bad sleep, and without even telling me, Landon had the mattress replaced. When Landon heard me return, he stood in the doorway, speaking in his usual detached way. “Lydia has light sleep, so I gave her your mattress. Anyway, your back’s fine now. Doesn’t matter which mattress you sleep on.” I didn’t even look up, just nodded as if I couldn’t care less. Landon frowned, watching me closely. “Mira, you’ve suddenly become so… reasonable. I’m not sure how to handle this. What’s going on with you lately? You used to hate it when I was nice to other people. Why aren’t you throwing a tantrum now? Are you planning something? “I swear, if you mess with Lydia, I won’t let you off easy.” I finally looked up at him, my voice calm. “I’m not trying to mess with anyone. Honestly, I’d rather no one mess with me. “And didn’t you always want me to be more sensible? Well, look at me now. You should be happy about it, right?” Landon’s face tightened, and he muttered, almost through gritted teeth, “Fine. Mira, you really know how to be a pain.” With that, he slammed the door and stormed downstairs. Every time he said that, I knew he was angry. But I didn’t care anymore. Whether he was angry or not didn’t matter. Soon, I’d be gone.

The days that followed were simple, almost predictable. Lydia made sure to flaunt her relationship with Landon, and he was still sulking at me. This time, I wasn’t going to play the role of the peacemaker. A month later, Lydia made her announcement. She was pregnant. Landon couldn’t contain his excitement. He was practically bursting with joy, ready to tell the world. Wedding plans with Lydia went into full swing, and the entire Pierce family was swept up in the preparations. The tables had turned, and this time, it was his beloved who was carrying his child. I had already made up my mind to let them have their happiness. After finishing my paperwork for leaving the country, I immediately booked a flight to Kanvas, on the exact same day as their wedding. It didn’t take long for Landon to come to me. Taking advantage of the fact that Lydia wasn’t home, he slipped into my room and threw open the door. He pulled out his phone, opened an email, and shoved it in front of me. “So, you’ve used your parents’ money, huh? I had my lawyer check, and it’s being used as a deposit for your trip abroad. “What’s going on? My wedding has you so upset that you’re planning to run off and hide?” The knot in my stomach tightened, but his mocking tone made the tension dissipate a little. When I stayed silent, his voice grew colder. “Mira, how much longer are you going to drag this out? You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder for a month now. Were you planning to just ignore me forever if I didn’t come here? “Ever since Lydia moved in, you’ve barely spoken to me. But she’s the woman I love, and if you really cared about me, you’d understand that. You can’t keep running away from both of us. “You can hide from us for a while, but not forever. Do you really think you’ll keep avoiding us once Lydia and I are married?” I shook my head quickly. “Landon, you’re mistaken. I’ve always seen you as a guardian, someone who raised me. I’m grateful to you, but that’s all there is.” He let out a laugh, like I’d just told him the funniest joke. “Grateful? Mira, the whole world knows you’ve been in love with me for years. Who are you trying to fool? Do you honestly believe you don’t love me?” He glanced at the desk, his smile growing wider. “Look at all these gifts I’ve given you. You’ve kept every single one of them. And you’re still going to tell me you don’t love me?” He walked over and began picking up the gifts one by one, carefully examining them before looking back at me, his tone suddenly serious. “Put all this away. I’m marrying Lydia now, and you need to stop clinging to these fantasies. We might not be related by blood, but I’ll never fall for you. “And now that Lydia’s pregnant, I don’t want her seeing this stuff. I can’t let her feel uncomfortable. I have to think about my wife and child.” I nodded, casually tossing the gifts into a box. I’d been planning to throw them away before I left anyway, so it worked out that I could take care of it now. Landon frowned, clearly frustrated with my lack of reaction. He stepped in front of me, stopping my hand before I could finish packing. “Mira, can’t you be a little more careful? You’ve even knocked the bunny off this hairpin!” I glanced at the hairpin in his hand. It was the first gift he’d ever given me, after my parents died and he took me in. He’d been their best friend, and this was his first present to me. I’d cherished it for years, never letting anyone touch it. But now, I was casually tossing it aside. Landon clearly couldn’t handle it. “Mira, what’s with the act? You’re obviously still in love with me. Don’t even try to pretend you’re okay with me marrying someone else. You can’t stand it, can you? But here you are, acting like you couldn’t care less. Who are you fooling? “Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on. You’re so upset about Lydia and me getting married, you’re about to run off to some other country just to get away, right? But now you’re pretending like you’re over it. Yeah, I’m sure you are. “But fine, go ahead. Take your little trip. Lydia’s pregnant and we don’t want you hanging around, getting in her way. So, go. It’s better for everyone.” Then, without another word, he grabbed his phone and transferred 100 thousand dollars to my account. “Take the money. Go travel. See the world. When you get back, Lydia’s pregnancy should be more stable.” His eyes held a strange, almost mocking look as he added, “Take your time. Don’t think about me too much. You’ll have to get used to the fact that I’m getting married. It’ll be weird if we keep bumping into each other after that.” He threw a few more tips my way about my trip, but I wasn’t really listening. He didn’t know I was reborn, and this time, I was really leaving. On the day of his wedding, everyone at the Pierce Villa was up early, running around preparing for the big day. I waited until everything was in full swing, then quietly grabbed my suitcase, slipped out the back door, and took a cab straight to the airport.

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When Rachel Parker, my boyfriend Aaron Murphy’s childhood sweetheart, suffered hair loss as a result of cancer chemotherapy, he bluntly commanded me to snip off my own hair and craft a wig for her. “Rachel is allergic to wigs on the market. You’ve been growing your hair for a decade, and it’s just perfect.” I flatly refused, but Aaron’s friends restrained me, binding my hands and feet. They then took a hair clipper and shaved my hair right down to the roots. In an instant, my head, once adorned with beautiful, long, shiny hair, was left looking like it had alopecia areata. Sitting in the wheelchair, Rachel laughed at me. Aaron nodded and chuckled, “We just took your hair away, and it’s no big deal.” However, once upon a time, due to my unevenly cut short hair, I had been bullied for six years. It was Aaron who had once opened his arms and shielded me, yet now he harmed me cruelly. One after another, his friends chimed in, urging me to show tolerance towards the patient. Aaron spun around and impatiently growled, “Do not persuade her. Tell her to get lost. We just took her hair, and it will grow back one day.” So I turned away without hesitation. Later, I heard that Aaron tried every trick in the book to get me back together with him. After my hair was shaved, I was finally released. “Aaron, look, she is as ridiculous as a toad.” Sitting in the wheelchair, Rachel pointed at my bald head and laughed. Aaron’s friends playfully chimed in. Aaron glanced at me and said indifferently, “Rachel is allergic to wigs on the market. Your long hair is just right for a wig.” I paid no heed to their jeers, instead clutching the few remaining tufts of hair, my heart aching with profound sorrow. Two hours ago, Aaron invited me to Rachel’s birthday party. I wasn’t on good terms with her. However, since Aaron had made the request and Rachel was battling cancer, I showed up to the party with a gift anyway. Unexpectedly, at the so-called birthday party, they tied me up and shaved my hair. Staring at Aaron’s indifferent expression, I remembered the rare kindness he had shown two days ago. He gave me an expensive bottle of shampoo. “It has been dry recently. Take care of your hair.” Confused but flattered, I took the shampoo and washed my hair that night. Only now did I realize that Aaron told me to take care of my hair so that Rachel could have a more comfortable wig to wear! He suddenly walked towards me. I had thought that he felt guilty and wanted to apologize. To my disappointment, with a look of disgust, he pinched the last strand of hair on my shoulder and cut it off without mercy. He glanced back at his friend and scolded, “You’re so careless. How could you leave this tiny bit of hair? I even invited you to dinner, but you can’t even manage this simple task perfectly.” They immediately giggled and jeered. “Well, it’s our fault. Hey, is Evelyn going to burst into tears?” “Rachel is severely sick. She takes so many pills every day, yet she doesn’t even cry once.” Mean mockery rang out one after another, and Aaron remained unfazed. His friends disliked me due to the vast disparity between my social standing and theirs. I never made an appearance at their get-togethers since I hadn’t received an invitation. I once asked Aaron if he could bring me along. He impatiently stated that our social circles were different and that it was unnecessary for me to try to be part of their circle. Noticing my lack of response, Aaron finally turned his attention to me. He raised his eyebrows and chuckled, “Evelyn, you’re not angry, are you? “Cheer up and consider it a good deed.” Sadness overwhelmed me. “Tell me, was it your idea to have my hair made into a wig, or was it Rachel’s?” Rachel positioned herself between Aaron and me, tears streaming down her face. “It was my idea. Ask me if you want to know anything. Don’t make things difficult for Aaron.” Aaron instantly glared at me with dissatisfaction. “Rachel is a patient. Can you not upset her?” “She is my friend. We grew up together. What’s the big deal with you, my future wife, donating a wig to her?” When I spotted Aaron’s unconcerned expression, tears welled up in my eyes. Why could a man change in such a short time? Back then, my parents compelled me to cut my hair so that they could sell it for money and buy toys for my brother. When I was bullied due to my short, uneven hair, Aaron stepped in front of me with a wide grin. “From now on, I’ll protect your hair!” I instantly felt drained of my energy and slowly said, “Aaron, from today onwards, we are completely through. “Transfer the money for my hair to me later. I’m under no obligation to donate my hair to her.”

Aaron came to an abrupt halt and extended his hand to place it on my forehead, a scornful smile spreading across his face. “Evelyn, do you want to break up with me? “You aren’t running a fever, but why are you talking nonsense? “You’ve been with me for eight years. Do you think you can still find another man to marry after our breakup? “Evelyn, no man will want you. Can you stop making a fuss?” The tears I had managed to hold back were on the verge of spilling out once more when I heard these words. He was still aware that we had been together for eight years. My friends told me that in a long-term relationship, romantic love would be replaced by family bonds. But without becoming part of my family, Aaron grew more and more dissimilar to what a boyfriend ought to be. I bit my lip tightly and looked straight up at him. “There are so many men in the world. You are not my only choice.” Aaron’s face darkened. He cast an icy glance at me, and his friends tried to persuade me. “That’s enough. Aaron gave in. Evelyn, don’t go too far.” “It’s just a wig. Have Aaron get seven wigs for you. Then you can wear a different one every day of the week.” Once Aaron’s friends ceased their mockery, Rachel chimed in aggrievedly, “This is all my fault. Evelyn, I will pay for your wig. Please don’t be angry with Aaron.” At the same time, her eyes filled with tears. Her pitiful appearance caused Aaron great distress. Instantly, he glared at me as if I were an enemy with whom he had a long-standing and bitter feud. “Evelyn, come at me if you are displeased! “Rachel’s seriously sick. Why do you have to pick on a sick person? You’ve changed a lot. You weren’t like this before!” I opened my mouth to speak, yet before any words could escape, Rachel clutched her stomach and let out a cry of pain. “Aaron, it hurts a lot. Help me…” Aaron pushed me away. Caught off guard, I stumbled and tripped over a chair. “Ouch!” Aaron didn’t show any concern and roared at me, “Get the hell out of the way! We just cut your hair. Why are you making a scene? You knew that Rachel was sick, but you still goaded her. If anything happens to her, I will not let you off!” With that, Aaron left with Rachel in his arms, followed by his friends. The man who had been holding my hair lagged behind and nonchalantly tossed a bunch of my long, lustrous hair into the trash can. I was dumbfounded for a moment and hurriedly crawled over to collect it, bit by bit. Tears streamed down nonstop. At that moment, I made up my mind to leave Aaron. ***** I went to the barbershop to have my hair cut once more. Meanwhile, I snapped up a hotel’s discount package. When I went back to pack my belongings, Aaron entered, looking thoroughly exhausted. At the sight of my suitcase, he instantly lost his temper. He strode forward and kicked my suitcase away. “When will you stop making a scene? “The doctor said Rachel’s condition has deteriorated. It’s all because you upset her. I haven’t even made you pay for it, and now you’re trying to run away!” I laughed in anger. “Did Rachel develop cancer because I upset her? “Aaron, reflect on what ridiculous things you are talking about.” Perhaps because Aaron had never heard me speak in such a tone previously, he was stunned for a brief moment. I ignored him, retrieved the suitcase that had been knocked aside, and then resumed packing my clothes. I didn’t possess a great deal of belongings. Although I had lived there for eight years, two 26-inch suitcases sufficed to hold everything I owned. Staring at Aaron, who remained silent, I casually said, “Once you transfer the money for my hair, I’ll pay the rent.”

“I don’t need your money.” Aaron tugged at my hand hard with a dark face. “Evelyn, have you made enough of a scene? Can you support yourself alone? “Sometimes, I don’t understand you! “I purchased skin care products and jewelry for you, yet you never made use of them. I urged you to dress up, but you came up with endless excuses to decline!” Whenever I got into an argument with Aaron, he invariably had a penchant for bringing up our past disputes. He always criticized me for not using the skin care products he had bought. However, those products made me allergic. He always blamed me for not wearing jewelry, yet when I did wear a piece, people would jeer at me, claiming it was a fake. He always faulted me for my unfashionable clothes, but as a government employee, I couldn’t wear fancy garments. Noticing that I remained silent, Aaron became more aggressive. “Why don’t you say anything? Do you plan to go back to your hometown to marry someone?!” Upon hearing these words, I looked at him with wide-eyed disbelief. After the SAT, my family held me captive and compelled me to get married. It was Aaron who came to my rescue. He made a promise to protect me from danger forever. But it appeared to have slipped his mind. He had become no different from those hateful guys back then. I hailed from a troubled family. I was thrifty by nature. But what is wrong with me? Tears welled up in my eyes, and my heart ached as if it had been crushed. I made no reply. I completely realized that Aaron would always be the same. He would never feel that he was at fault in any situation. I took the suitcases and insisted on leaving. Aaron flew into a rage and hurled my suitcases to the floor. Instantly, the two suitcases broke in half, and the things that had only recently been packed came spilling out. “Aaron, we have broken up. You have no right to touch my belongings!” Aaron seized my hands and yanked me back. His strength was so great that my head collided with the corner of the table, and blood instantly flowed into my eyes. Despite blinking desperately, I couldn’t see anything. In a panic, Aaron rushed over. “Evelyn, don’t be afraid. I’m sending you to the hospital right now.” As soon as Aaron finished speaking, his cell phone rang. Rachel’s weak voice came through his cell phone’s stereo. “Aaron, I’m at the entrance of your residence. I’m vomiting blood. What should I do? I’m in pain.” Aaron instantly grew anxious and released me. “Evelyn, wait for me. Rachel’s cancer has flared up. I’m going to take her to the hospital right away!” Blood blurred my vision, and all I could make out was a hazy figure ahead. I clung to Aaron’s leg to prevent him from leaving. “Aaron, I can’t see. Help me call…” He kicked me away without hesitation. “I fucking told you to wait. Can’t you understand? “Can’t you even wait for a while? Are you rushing to your death?” I couldn’t manage to get to my feet. Yet, Aaron had disappeared long ago. The door slammed shut!   Fortunately, I had set the emergency number as my emergency contact. By the time the ambulance arrived, I was already unconscious. The doctor declared that I had a concussion. During my two-day hospitalization, Aaron neither called nor messaged me. No update notice popped up on my phone screen. When I was discharged from the hospital, Sarah Murphy, Aaron’s mother, called and invited me to the Murphy Villa for a meal. I intended to decline, but as the words were about to escape my lips, I held myself back. Sarah was different from Aaron. She was quite nice to me. When I was abused by my family in high school, she ran around and solved the matter for me. Only then was I able to break free from my hellish family. Subsequently, Aaron and I had been in a relationship for eight years, but he didn’t even propose to me. Instead, he grew increasingly close to Rachel. Sarah was so furious that she introduced a lot of excellent men to me. “Evelyn, you’re a wonderful girl. I won’t allow Aaron to mess up your life. Tell me if you want to leave him. I’d love to be your godmother.” Upon my arrival at the Murphy Villa, I noticed that Sarah had a dark face. I entered the villa, only to find that Rachel and Aaron’s friends were also there. As soon as they saw me, their expressions immediately turned odd. “Why is your injury so serious?” Aaron approached me and attempted to touch the corner of my bandaged forehead. I took a step back and gazed at him indifferently. “You should be well aware whether it’s serious or not. After all, it was you who pushed me.” Aaron frowned. “Do you have to be so sarcastic?” Ignoring him, I went upstairs to find Sarah and told her about our breakup. She instantly burst into tears. “Aaron is a fool. Rachel, who was brought up by the Parker family, is extremely crafty. They only spent three years together during their childhood, yet she insists she’s his childhood sweetheart. But when the Murphy family faced difficulties back then, the Parker family cut off their connection with us more quickly than anyone else! “Even though you broke up, I am still your godmother. We have ten years of friendship, and you can’t distance yourself from me.” During the meal, Sarah served me food several times. Rachel held the plate and complained, “Sarah, you only care about Evelyn. Why don’t you dish food for me?” Sarah looked indifferent. “Evelyn is like my own daughter. What’s wrong with me offering her food multiple times?” Rachel couldn’t help but shed tears. In an instant, the atmosphere became embarrassing. Aaron immediately served Rachel some food. She took a bite. However, all of a sudden, she covered her neck and coughed nonstop, and her face flushed red, as if she was on the brink of choking. “There are shrimps…” “Oh no! Rachel, you are allergic to shrimp!” Aaron immediately rose to his feet and yelled at the maids, “Didn’t I warn you not to prepare shrimp dishes? Why did you still make this mistake?” A young maid trembled and finally glanced up at me. “We didn’t prepare any shrimp dishes. However, just now, I seemed to have caught sight of Ms. Taylor entering the kitchen with a jar of something. I-I saw her hide it in her bag.” I was puzzled. “What does this have to do with me?” Aaron bought the maid’s story. He glared at me with a straight face and turned around to search through my bag. “Aaron, what are you doing? You have no right to rummage through my bag!” “Evelyn, are you feeling afraid?” I reached out to stop Aaron, but he shoved me away. The next moment, my bag was ripped open. With a clatter, the glass jar fell to the floor. At once, the air reeked of a sharp shrimp stench. Aaron glared at me, as if he had caught the conclusive evidence. “Evelyn, admit it. Here is the evidence!” I froze for a moment, instantly realizing that this was a plot against me. I soon calmed down. “It’s not mine.” As soon as the words escaped my mouth, Rachel weakly explained, pretending to defend me, “Aaron, don’t blame Evelyn. Perhaps she didn’t do it on purpose.” Aaron, in a state of fury, grabbed hold of my neck and thrust me in front of her. “I have no idea whether she did it on purpose or not, but I am sure that she tried to kill you! “Evelyn, you’re so vicious. We were the ones who cut your hair. Since you are quite bold, come at me! “Why did you harm a patient? Apologize to Rachel, or I will kill you!” Aaron exerted his maximum strength, and I couldn’t break free at all. It was only with Sarah’s help that he finally released me. I coughed desperately, as if I had just been on the edge of death! I never anticipated that Aaron would jump to the conclusion that I was the culprit without a moment’s hesitation! My calm demeanor crumbled, replaced by heartbreak. I raised my hand and slapped Aaron so hard that my palm turned numb. “A fingerprint analysis on this jar of shrimp paste will show who had their hands on it! “That’s not an excuse for you to attack me again! “Aaron, I won’t put up with your actions anymore. I’m calling the police!”

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The day I went to the hospital to collect the test results and settle the bill, I discovered that the 300 thousand dollars in my credit card account was gone. It was money that my husband Nolan Cole and I had spent three years saving for a house. Panic-stricken, I immediately called Nolan. “Did you use the money in our account?” After a long hesitation, he finally admitted the truth under my persistent questioning. “Andrea divorced with nothing. She’s struggling to raise her child alone. I just lent her the money for emergencies.” Andrea Powell was Nolan’s first love, the same woman who had abandoned him at his lowest point to marry a wealthy businessman. Whenever Nolan had mentioned her before, his voice had been filled with anger and bitterness about her betrayal. But now that she was divorced, his attitude had completely changed. I looked down at the test results in my hand and sighed, “Get the money back. We’ll discuss this in detail when I get home tonight.” It was dark by the time I arrived home. I found Nolan sitting on the couch smoking, a fresh bruise at the corner of his mouth. The room reeked of cigarettes. “What happened to your face?” I asked, frowning. He touched his bruised lip, avoiding my eyes. “I fell.” I accepted his explanation without pressing further. Watching him light another cigarette, I said gently, “Why are you smoking again? It’s bad for your health. By the way, did you get the money back?” “Every time I light up, you act like I’m killing you.” Nolan rolled his eyes and sprawled across the couch. “I’m not getting the money back. It’s just 300 thousand dollars. Consider it a good deed.” “What?” I threw my bag onto a chair, trembling with anger. “Nolan, get that money back now! We saved it together—half of it is mine. You had no right to give it to her.” I took a breath, trying to stay calm. “I know what you’re thinking. Do you really believe giving her money will make her want you back?” I tried to soften my approach. “I’m only thinking of what’s best for you. The money is for—” Before I could finish, Nolan leaped up from the couch, jabbing his finger in my face. His outburst seemed fueled by guilty defensiveness. “You used to be so gentle and understanding. When did you become this selfish and petty? Getting worked up over a mere 300 thousand dollars? Andrea has nothing after her divorce and a child to raise. Don’t you have any compassion?” “Selfish and petty?” I laughed bitterly. Nolan and I had met through a blind date. Back then, he had nothing—no job, no house, no car—and Andrea had just left him. I found he was honest and hard-working. With his parents deceased, there would be no complications between his mother and me. Plus, under pressure from my family to marry, I had agreed to marry him. When Nolan was starting his business, I had supported us on my modest salary. Now he dared call me selfish and petty? Realizing he’d gone too far, he fell silent, slumping back onto the couch with a cold expression. It was his typical response to arguments—no communication, no acknowledgment of his mistakes. I’d had enough of his passive attitude. “Listen carefully, Nolan,” I said with a sneer. “If you don’t get that money back within three days, I’ll leave you.”

I moved out and spent the next few days staying with my friend Kaia. On the third day, Nolan called with an arrogant tone. “I gave the money to Andrea. If you want a divorce, fine by me!” “We’re married,” I replied calmly. “Half of that 300 thousand dollars you gave her is mine. Even if we divorce, she needs to return my 150 thousand dollars.” “You want the money back? Impossible!” he roared. “I gave it to Andrea. Don’t even think about getting it back!” I hung up. With only a junior high school degree, it wasn’t surprising he didn’t understand the law. Kaia had been listening, and after thinking for a while, her expression changed. “Selena, doesn’t something seem off about Nolan?” She leaned forward. “No matter how generous he is, would he really give 300 thousand dollars to his first love to help raise someone else’s child? Nolan’s always been so stingy—it just doesn’t add up.” Kaia knew Nolan’s penny-pinching ways all too well. At our wedding, local tradition called for giving nice gifts to the bridesmaids, but Nolan had chosen cheap candleholders instead. The wedding banquet had been all vegetarian dishes—no meat in sight. He’d even transported the guests in a borrowed bus from his rural hometown. The memory of that wedding was still fresh for Kaia and me. Kaia had a point. Nolan was incredibly conceited. Even if he could forgive Andrea’s betrayal and reconcile with her, would he really accept raising another man’s child? Kaia and I locked eyes, mutual surprise dawning as we reached the same conclusion—the child might be Nolan’s. Since our marriage, he’d constantly pressured me to have a baby. I’d refused, focused on my rising career and concerned about my health. He’d berate me every few days about “ending his family line”—until suddenly, the next year, he stopped mentioning it entirely. I’d thought he’d finally accepted my decision and felt relieved. But what if he’d had a son elsewhere? Andrea’s child was two years old now. The timing fit perfectly. “No wonder he was so generous with his first love,” Kaia sneered. “He must have been having an affair with her all along!” Her eyes suddenly brightened. “Selena, if you can prove he cheated, you can divorce him without giving up any property.” I nodded, thinking it through carefully. Nolan had said Andrea left her divorce with nothing—perhaps her husband had discovered the affair. It would explain why Andrea, who had been so materialistic and dumped Nolan for money, would walk away without a penny. Nolan’s infidelity seemed certain. Now I just needed proof.

The next day, I returned home. Nolan was out. Opening Instagram, I found his latest update: [I’ve met many people, but in the end, I realized you’re the one I love most.] The post included a photo of a woman in a blue dress. Quite romantic. Without hesitation, I liked the post and commented: [Some dogs eat plenty of meat, but in the end, they still prefer eating garbage.] We shared many mutual friends on Instagram. They initially assumed the woman in the photo was me, commenting things like “Nolan and Selena, so sweet!” When they saw my response, however, they quickly realized their mistake and deleted their comments, leaving mine as the sole, glaring reply. Satisfied, I set down my phone and headed to his study to access his computer. I used to respect his privacy religiously—never entering his study, checking his phone, or using his computer. I’d given him complete trust, only to receive betrayal in return. Laughing bitterly at my own naivety, I tried Andrea’s birthday as his computer password. It worked perfectly. He hadn’t logged out of WhatsApp. Opening it, I found his chat history with Andrea—all voice messages. Rather than listen to each one, I converted them to text. Andrea said: [My husband discovered our affair. He wants to divorce me and leave me with nothing.] Nolan replied: [How could this happen? Don’t worry, honey, I’ll take care of you.] Andrea responded with an aggrieved expression. [Our son and I were thrown out. We have nowhere to go.] [I can handle hardship, but how can our son live like this?] Nolan arrogantly transferred our joint savings—300 thousand dollars—to her, replying grandly: [Honey, go buy a house. Use this as the down payment. Put it in your name, and I’ll handle the monthly payments.] After accepting the transfer, Andrea replied with hypocrisy: [Won’t your wife be angry?] Nolan replied: [She wouldn’t dare. She’s completely submissive.] Andrea replied: [Sweetie, when will you divorce her? We can’t let our son remain illegitimate.] My anger was boiling over as I read their exchange. Now I understood why Nolan had agreed to divorce so readily—he was eager to be with Andrea and their son. Checking his transaction history, I discovered regular transfers to Andrea beyond the 300 thousand dollars. I photographed everything as evidence. To prevent claims of fabrication, I recorded a video that included their voice messages. Satisfied with my collected proof, I left. The moment I got into a taxi, Nolan called. “Have you lost your mind?” he shouted. “Delete that ridiculous comment from my Instagram now!” “Ridiculous?” I laughed. “I just want everyone to know the truth.” I heard a woman’s soft sobbing in the background. Of course—he was yelling at me because Andrea was crying to him. “What truth? You just hate her because I gave Andrea money!” he barked. His words left me speechless. I owned half of that 300 thousand dollars she received. Why shouldn’t I dislike her? What woman would approve of her husband’s mistress? Too tired to argue, I offered one final piece of advice out of basic human decency. “Nolan, you’d better get that money back. Otherwise—” He cut me off impatiently. “I’ve told you Andrea’s struggling to raise a child. Where’s your compassion? “The money’s hers now. If you can’t accept that, divorce me!” He hung up before I could respond. I nearly laughed out loud. Fine, let him be generous and kind. After all, he was the one with lung cancer, not me.

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My husband, Ethan Royce, drove to the village school in a luxury car to pick me up after work. The new female teacher, Vivian Spencer, pouted and asked for a ride. She hopped into the passenger seat, gazing at my husband with admiration. “Ethan, you’re already a school director at such a young age? That’s impressive! With your looks and success, you haven’t abandoned your wife for someone younger. You must be a truly devoted man.” Sitting in the backseat, I raised an eyebrow. Abandon me? If he dares, he can kiss his position goodbye. “Ms. Sutton, your husband is so handsome! And he’s rich, drives such a nice car, and treats you well. I’m jealous,” Vivian teased me. But her gaze was glued to Ethan. I was the principal of a village girls’ school, and Vivian was a newly hired teacher. Since the school was far from our home in the city, Ethan would come to pick me up whenever he had time. Vivian asked, “Ethan, what do you do to make so much money?” Ethan scratched his head and chuckled, “This car is not that good anyway. I’m just a director for a few private schools, that’s all.” I felt a little uncomfortable. This car was my birthday gift to him. I also arranged his position as the school director. But he was my husband, so I let him have his moment. Vivian’s eyes lit up. “Wait… are you with Nova International Academy? That’s the top private school in the province!” Ethan smiled and nodded. Vivian’s eyes flickered before she suddenly switched to a coy tone. “Ethan, my house is so far from school. I’m just a young woman who just graduated. I’m so scared to go home by myself every day! Would it be too much trouble to give me a ride? Please?” Vivian clasped her hands together pleadingly, staring at Ethan with innocent eyes. Ethan was about to agree but suddenly remembered I was sitting right there. His expression stiffened as he glanced at me. Vivian turned to me with a sweet smile. “Ms. Sutton, you care so much about your staff. Surely you wouldn’t say no to such a small favor? Or could it be that you’re jealous over something like this?” I glanced at Vivian and chuckled before agreeing. I was curious to see what tricks she had up her sleeve. The moment we said yes, Vivian dashed to the car, yanked the door open, and plopped herself into the passenger seat. Which meant I had no choice but to sit in the back. For over an hour, Vivian showered my husband with flattery. “Ethan, being a school director in your early thirties? That’s beyond impressive! “I was wondering how Ms. Sutton managed to keep a girls’ school running in the countryside. It only takes in underprivileged students, so there’s no money to be made! Turns out, she’s got a supportive husband funding everything behind the scenes. “What? Ms. Sutton is younger than you? No way. To me, she feels like an elder, but you’re like an older brother.” Vivian turned to glance at me, eyeing my plain outfit with barely concealed disdain before adding, “Ethan, you really should take Ms. Sutton shopping sometimes. If you two went out together, people might mistake her for your mom.” I had spent years working in the village, so my wardrobe was all about practicality. Besides, our students came from struggling families. I didn’t want them to feel self-conscious, so I dressed as simply as possible. I looked at Ethan. He seemed to be basking in the praise, grinning from ear to ear. When we finally got home, Vivian lingered, chatting with Ethan for a few more minutes before reluctantly dragging herself away.

As soon as we got home, our son, Joe, ran up to us excitedly, calling out, “Mom! Dad!” Joe was seven years old and had just started elementary school. To keep things simple, we enrolled him at Nova International Academy. “I’ll go make dinner. You play with Joe for a while.” Ethan put on an apron without being asked. Only then did my frustration ease a little. We had a clear division of labor. I focused on my career while Ethan managed the household and took care of our child. I initially wanted Ethan to be a stay-at-home dad, but after much hesitation, he admitted that unemployment would be too humiliating for a grown man. So, I arranged a few honorary board positions for Ethan at schools under the Sutton Education Group. The title sounded prestigious, but it was just a formality. Ethan only needed to attend an occasional meeting, leaving him plenty of time to look after Joe. As for me, my mind wasn’t really on the company. Ever since I volunteered to teach during my college, I have dreamed of opening a school for underprivileged girls. The moment I inherited the family business, the first thing I did was establish an all-girls school in a neighboring impoverished county. Now, my energy was entirely devoted to changing these girls’ futures. I had no interest in trivial matters like Vivian’s behavior. Still, I was worried that what Vivian did might affect the students. So, I called her into the principal’s office the next day for a talk. Before I could say a word, Vivian slapped a resignation letter onto my desk. “I quit!” I was stunned. “You’ve only been here for a few days. Why are you quitting so soon?” Vivian crossed her arms, looking impatient. “The conditions here are terrible. Who could stand working in a place like this?” I fell silent. The village’s conditions were indeed rough, which was why I had offered high salaries to attract good teachers. I accepted Vivian’s resignation. I needed teachers who were truly passionate about education. Forcing her to stay would only be unfair to the students.

Lately, I had noticed that Joe was becoming distant from me. He used to run into my arms the moment I got home from work. But that evening, he just stood there, frowning like an adult. “So you still remember to come home? Dad works so hard every day, and all you do is enjoy yourself out there.” Hearing those words from a child felt strange. However, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. Maybe I had spent too much time at the girls’ school and neglected Joe without realizing it. “Joe, do you want to go to the amusement park? I’m taking some time off to spend a few days with you, okay?” “I don’t want you to!” Joe shoved me with all his strength. I was shocked. I wasn’t around as much as Ethan, but I had never been anything less than loving toward Joe. I felt a flicker of irritation. “What’s gotten into you today? Joe, pushing people is wrong.” Joe only grew more upset. “I don’t want you! I want Dad!” I swallowed my frustration and reached out to touch his head. “Dad’s still at work. Can’t Mommy keep you company?” Just then, Joe sank his teeth into my hand. The sharp pain made me instinctively pull away, maybe with a little too much force, and Joe landed on the floor with a thud. Joe burst into tears. “You’re not my mom! I want Ms. Spencer to be my mom!” I was stunned. Ms. Spencer? Did he mean Vivian? Just then, Ethan came back. Joe immediately ran to him, clinging to his waist, sobbing as he spoke, “Dad, Mom hit me! We don’t need her anymore, right? Take me to Ms. Spencer. I want her to be my mom!” Ethan’s expression shifted instantly. He shot me a guilty glance before turning to comfort Joe. “Don’t cry, Joe. Mommy didn’t mean to. Can you forgive her?” But Joe wasn’t having it. He sobbed even harder, his little body shaking with every breath. Ethan sighed, “How about this? Let’s hit her back, okay?” He took Joe’s small hands, curled them into fists, and gently tapped my stomach over and over. “Bad Mommy. Daddy and Joe will fight her together.” My face darkened. “So this is what you’ve been teaching him while I’m not around?” Ethan frowned. “He’s just a kid. Why are you taking it so seriously? What kind of mother argues with her own son like this?” Then Ethan scooped Joe into his arms, wiping away his tears. “What do you want for dinner, Joe? Daddy will make it for you, and we won’t let Mommy have any.” Joe finally stopped crying. I spoke abruptly, “Who is Ms. Spencer?” For a split second, Ethan looked flustered, but he quickly regained his composure. “There’s no Ms. Spencer. Probably some character from a cartoon. Kids say all sorts of things.” I didn’t believe Ethan for a second. I silently made up my mind that I would find out where Vivian went after she quit. But before I even had the chance to investigate, she delivered herself right to my door.   That day, something came up, and I had to leave the rural school early to drive home. As I approached the villa, bursts of laughter drifted through the air. “Ms. Spencer, can you be my mom?” Vivian’s tinkling laughter rang out from inside. “Oh? Joe, you like me that much? But you already have a mommy. How can I take her place?” Joe thought for a moment before saying, “Then if Daddy and Mommy get a divorce, can you be my mom?” Vivian laughed so hard she nearly gasped for breath. “Would you really be willing to give up your mommy?” Joe snorted, “I hate that old witch! Ms. Spencer, you are so gentle and pretty. How could she ever compare?” Vivian’s voice carried an unmistakable note of glee. “Well, that depends on whether your dad agrees.” “Dad, didn’t you say she’s just an old nag? Kick her out and let Ms. Spencer move in, okay?” I pushed open the door just in time to see Ethan sitting there, his face flushed, caught between hesitation and temptation. “What a lively family gathering,” I said coldly. Ethan turned to look at me, his face instantly drained of color. He shot to his feet and stammered, “Sabrina, it’s not what you think…” I asked, “Then why don’t you tell me what it is?” Ethan said, “Vivian is Joe’s homeroom teacher. She came over for a home visit today. “She reached out to me after she left the rural school, saying the conditions were too harsh. She’s a fresh graduate and just couldn’t handle it. She begged me for help. “I thought, since she was your friend, I’d do her a favor and get her a teaching position at Nova International Academy. I did it for you…” I sneered, “She is just my subordinate. What kind of friend is that? And she just happened to be Joe’s teacher? Let’s be honest, Ethan, this was never about me. You had your own agenda, didn’t you?” Vivian finally spoke up, “Sabrina, how can you talk to your husband like that? If it weren’t for Ethan, would you even be living such a comfortable life?” I pointed a finger right at her nose. “And who do you think you are? No one asked for your opinion.” Ethan’s face flushed. “Sabrina, do you have no respect for teachers? Vivian is Joe’s teacher and our guest. Apologize to her right now!” Ethan had always been gentle with me. But now, just to defend Vivian, he was suddenly playing the role of the tough, righteous man. Joe ran over, screaming, “Don’t bully Ms. Spencer! Get out of my house!” I was beyond furious. In just a few days, Vivian had poisoned my relationship with my own son. I turned to her, my voice cold. “Ms. Spencer, you are a teacher, and I suggest you act like one. What you’re doing now is completely unethical, and I have every right to request your termination.” Vivian’s eyes flickered before she feigned a pitiful expression. “Joe, how could someone like this be your mother? Poor child…” Vivian turned and hugged Joe dramatically. “I’m sorry, Joe. I can’t see you anymore. If I do, your mom will have me fired.” Joe let out a piercing scream and charged at me, pounding his little fists against me. “I hate you! Why did you have to be my mom?” Then he ran straight out the door, wailing. Ethan rushed after him. Vivian dropped the act, shooting me a smug, condescending glance before following them. My expression darkened. I pulled out my phone and made a call. “Jack, notify Nova International Academy. There will be a board meeting tomorrow.”   The next day, I headed to Nova International Academy for a board meeting. As luck would have it, I ran into Vivian at the entrance. Vivian shot me a sideways glance. “What, really here to make a scene? This is a prestigious school. There’s no room for your nonsense!” Then, raising her voice, Vivian called out, “Security! We have a suspicious person here!” A security guard hurried over, frowning. “Who are you?” Since I rarely showed up at the school, the guard didn’t recognize me despite my status as a shareholder. I had no interest in arguing, so I simply walked over and pressed the elevator button. “I’m a parent. I need to speak with the principal about something important.” Vivian blocked my way, her eyes cold and sharp. “There’s a board meeting today. Did you really think I’d let you do whatever you want at a time like this? I don’t care if you’re here to sabotage my job or ruin Ethan’s reputation in front of the board. You’re not getting what you want!” Then, all of a sudden, Vivian raised her voice, putting on an exaggerated act. “Mrs. Royce, how could you say such things about me?” Before I could respond, Vivian burst into tears. A few teachers passing by stopped and asked what was going on. Between sobs, Vivian whimpered, “Just because I care about her son, Mrs. Royce accused me of having an affair with her husband. She even came to the school to hit me and demanded that I be fired…” One of the teachers frowned. “Ma’am, it’s our duty to look after the students. How could you make such baseless accusations?” A crowd started to gather, whispering among themselves. “Parents these days are so unreasonable. Poor Ms. Spencer!” “Look at her. She is probably a housewife who spends all day obsessing over her husband, thinking every woman is after him!” “People like her shouldn’t even be mothers. What a terrible influence on her child!” I glanced at the time. The meeting had already started. I pulled out my phone and sent a message in the group chat: [Meeting relocated to the first-floor lobby.] Then, I settled onto the sofa and watched Vivian’s little performance. Before long, the principal, Kevin Robson, and other board members arrived. The teachers immediately swarmed around Kevin, eager to report the situation. “Mr. Robson, a parent barged in, causing trouble and slandering a teacher! You have to do something about this!”

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My husband, Evan West, and I were reborn on the eve of our marriage registration. We walked out of the City Hall, and neither brought up marriage again. He went on to start a business with his first love, Evelyn Scott, while I stayed home, sketching designs as always. Six years later, he became the CEO of a public company, happily together with his first love. Meanwhile, I was still at home, sketching away at my design work. When we met again, he had his first love on his arm, looking down at me in my simple outfit with a mocking smirk. He said mockingly, “After all this time, you’re still so… ordinary.” Little did he know that my husband, Sebastian Vaughn, was the wealthiest man in the world. I had flown back from abroad to attend my professor, Caleb Murray’s 70th birthday celebration. As fate would have it, I ran into my ex-husband Evan for the first time in six years since our split. He had indeed made it big as the CEO of a listed company. At first, everyone gathered around Caleb, making small talk. They all put on a show of being eager students. It delighted Caleb, who believed they had changed and grown more mature than before. When Evan walked in with Evelyn on his arm, everyone flocked around him like moths to a flame. They were all desperate to get on his good side. I noticed the hurt in Caleb’s eyes. I gently took his hand and stayed beside him with a reassuring smile. Someone piped up, “Evan, you’ve made it big! Look at you now! A hot-shot CEO!” “Yeah, Mr. West is way out of our league now. We might need to ask for some favors!” “Come on, we’re all old classmates! Mr. West, don’t hesitate to let us know if you need anything! We’ve got your back!” Evan just smiled politely and continued walking with Evelyn. The crowd quickly switched their attention, thinking they’d forgotten to compliment Evelyn. “Oh my, excuse my aging eyes! I can’t believe I didn’t notice Evelyn standing right there!” “Evelyn, you haven’t aged a day! You still look like you’re eighteen! You two make such a power couple!” The pair exchanged knowing smiles at the comment. “Oh, stop, you’re making us blush!” Evelyn protested with false modesty, clearly fishing for more compliments. The crowd caught her hint and kept laying on the praise. Everyone had completely forgotten about the real guest of honor. Even when it was time for the banquet to start, they were chattering away noisily. I frowned and walked over to speak up, “It’s already noon, and today is Professor Murray’s birthday celebration. Why are you all making a racket instead of celebrating with Professor Murray?” Evan finally noticed me and furrowed his brows slightly. “What are you doing here?” I found his question ridiculous. Why wouldn’t I be here on Caleb’s birthday? Everyone knew how Evan and I had announced our plans to get married, only to have things end badly in a very public way. People stared at us with evident curiosity, hungry for gossip. “Did you know Professor Murray treats Ava like his own protégé? I wonder where she’s working these days!” “Well, well, look at these old flames meeting again. My, how things have changed,” another person muttered. That was right. I was wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans. How could that compare to Evan’s designer suit and Evelyn’s fancy cocktail dress? Little did they know my outfit cost more than their fancy clothes combined. Evan was pleased to hear this. He deliberately tightened his grip on Evelyn’s hand as if preparing to make some big announcement. “Come on, guys, don’t joke around. I’m Eve’s fiancé now. Everyone’s invited to our wedding next May 20th.” The news excited everyone, completely glossing over my awkward history with Evan. They started showering them with congratulations and well wishes for their marriage. Seriously? They were not married yet, and everyone was already celebrating like they were.

Evelyn approached me as I stood there, clearly wanting to show off. She smirked, “Ava, which design company do you work for? I’d love to have you design some wedding dresses for me. “Since you’re Professor Murray’s student, I’m sure you’re talented.” Everyone turned to look at me. I forced a smile and shook my head. “Thanks, but I’m currently working on designs from home. “Your wedding dresses would be too fancy for me to handle. You should find someone more qualified.” Evelyn covered her mouth in mock surprise. “Oh my goodness, Ava! I’m so sorry! I had no idea you’d been unemployed for six years. “Ava, you’re Evan’s friend. Let us know if you need any help.” I waved off her fake concern and returned to my seat. The others exchanged knowing looks, clearly thinking I was being ungrateful. I helped Caleb stand up and shot them all a cold glare. “If you don’t want to be here, just leave. “Today is about Professor Murray. If you want to suck up to someone, at least pick the right moment.” Their cheerful expressions instantly turned cold as they glared at me resentfully. Evan finally turned to me, his smile never wavering. “Since Ava put it that way, I guess I’m wrong here. “Well! I’ll cover Caleb’s lunch bill, and tonight, I’ll invite everyone to see our new mansion.” The tense atmosphere instantly lifted as everyone got excited about visiting the mansion. Evan stared directly at me with a smug look on his face. “Would our former class monitor approve of this plan?” I nodded, not wanting to waste more words on them. “Then we’ll see you tonight. Don’t stand us up.” Before I could refuse, they walked past me to take their seats. Evan stopped beside me and gave me a few mocking glances. “Ava, still dressing so plainly, I see. “If you had listened to me back then, you wouldn’t be living off your parents and working from home now. “You’re just too stubborn. Look at us now—one soaring high, the other stuck on the ground.”

One was soaring high, and the other was stuck on the ground? That was one way to put it. After all, he could never reach the heights where I stand now. In my past life, Evan and I grew up as childhood sweethearts. Our parents naturally assumed we would end up together. He found his entry-level corporate job boring and unfulfilling. Meanwhile, I spent my days creating designs at home, but no one took my work seriously. Evelyn started a business with someone else. They quickly became the wealthiest couple in the city, living a life of luxury. He grew to hate me then, blaming me for holding him back. He believed he could have had a perfect life with Evelyn. He missed his golden opportunity because of our parents’ expectations and my presence. I still remember how Evan clenched his fists at Evelyn’s wedding, his face showing pure resentment. I thought he was only feeling bitter inside. But then he started staying out all night. Mysterious hickeys began appearing on his neck. Lipstick stains and foundation marks kept showing up in his car. In the end, that was the last straw that broke our relationship. “Ava, what more do you want? You just sit at home all day expecting me to care for you. What gives you the right? “I must have been crazy to choose you. If I had married Eve instead, I’d be the richest man in the city by now!” I watched as his usually gentle face twisted into something ugly. I felt a deep sense of heartbreak and helplessness for the first time. Sure, I spent my days at home. But I was the one paying most of our bills. He was right; my designs weren’t selling well. But my family was comfortably middle-class, and my parents provided the money. How did he support me and call me useless? He was just jealous that others were doing better than him. He blamed me for holding him back from getting rich. How did this become my fault? In the end, I gave in and agreed to divorce. A truck crashed into our car on our way to sign the papers. We plunged straight off the bridge into the river below. When I opened my eyes again, we had both traveled back to the day we sat in the City Hall, about to get married. This time, we walked straight out of the City Hall. Without many words, he called Evelyn. I went back home to continue working on my designs. My second chance at life had already started paying dividends. I had mastered the latest fashion trends and adapted my style accordingly. Now, I was the go-to designer for luxury jewelry brands. I had suddenly become the hottest name in the design world. Most of my earnings went back to the school as donations. I wanted to help more people pursue their dreams in design without financial barriers. They knew nothing about any of this. They still thought I was nobody, just waiting for life to pass. I had only come here to celebrate Caleb’s birthday. We were supposed to thank him for mentoring us, but instead, it turned into the Evan and Evelyn show. I had to stand up for Caleb. They love showing off their wealth, right? Well, let’s see who has the deeper pockets!

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