Category: English

I finished my fieldwork and checked my phone, only to be bombarded with messages. Some colleagues asked where I’d ordered my wedding dress from and who my husband was, while others immediately started calling me shallow and materialistic. I opened the work group chat and realized that I’d accidentally sent the wedding dress photo to the wrong group. Daphne Quinn, a colleague, was still typing away furiously in the chat. [How dare you steal my wedding dress photo and try to pass it off as yours? Have you no shame?] [My husband is Dorian Black! If he finds out you’re impersonating me, you’re in trouble!] At that exact moment, Dorian was lying on my lap, looking up at me. “Babe, don’t schedule so much work for yourself this week. Come to my private island and hang out with me.” ***** Dorian and I met in college, and we recently got our marriage certificate. Right now, we were caught up in wedding planning, barely keeping our heads above water. But then Daphne suddenly popped up, claiming Dorian was her husband. I didn’t tell him about it. He had been busy taking over the family business, and this was something I could handle on my own. Daphne and I had always been in competition, and she thought she had me cornered, so she wasn’t holding back. She was still in the group chat, demanding that I apologize. When I got back to the office, I went straight to confront her. “This wedding dress is mine,” I said. Daphne’s face turned red with fury. She stormed over, shouting, “I’ve never met anyone so shameless! The proof is right in front of you, and you’re still denying it! “Since you’re so sure, why don’t you tell me what kind of flower is on the veil?” The picture I posted only showed the dress, not the accessories. I said confidently, “It’s jasmine.” Daphne practically exploded. She screamed, “Did you hear that, everyone? She’s still lying to herself!” Then, she sent another photo to the group, showing the whole wedding dress, but this time, the flower on the veil was a rose. “Jasmine was just a sample accessory. This dress was completely redesigned by me to match my personal style. “You, poor thing, could only dream of the mass-market version.” I was confused. How did she manage to talk to the designer without me knowing? I never asked for any changes to the accessories. “Show me your chat history with the designer,” I demanded. Her gaze immediately shifted, and she stumbled, “Eliza, you post a picture and claim it’s your wedding dress, but you don’t even know the style, and you’re still asking me for proof?” The group chat exploded with more nasty comments. [Vain woman. She looks all perfect on the outside, but behind closed doors, she’s stealing and lying. What a fraud.] [I bet that designer handbag she had was probably a gift from some sugar daddy.] [No wonder she’s so good at sucking up to the boss. She’s always getting the top projects. Must have learned that from somewhere.] These people were jumping at the chance to spread rumors and gossip. I gripped my phone so tightly my knuckles turned white. Seeing the drama escalating in her favor, Daphne marched over, hand raised, ready to slap me. “Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson, you shameless bitch!” Quick on my feet, I grabbed a clipboard and blocked her hand. Her hand hit the wooden board, and she yelped in pain. “How dare you hit me!” She was about to lose it, but our team leader, Mason Brooks, stepped in and stopped us. “Alright, Daphne, don’t make a scene. The office isn’t the place for this.” Daphne, realizing it wasn’t worth making a bigger fuss, reluctantly backed off. When I got back to my desk, she still wasn’t done. She shot me a final threat. “Just wait. After work, I’ll make sure my husband deals with you.” Later, Mason pulled me into a meeting room and handed back the design proposal I had submitted earlier. “Eliza, did you create this design all by yourself?” A bad feeling crept over me, but I still answered honestly, “Yes.” He gave me a half-smile and then pulled out another document.

I felt a knot form in my stomach as I compared Daphne’s design with mine. Aside from some minor tweaks to the decoration and the final design being slightly different, everything else was identical. Suddenly, it hit me. Just a couple of days ago, I’d been working late and left my computer unlocked when I went out for dinner. Daphne had been there too. Looks like she had taken full advantage of that moment. “So, what do you think? Noticed anything? Just so you know, Daphne submitted hers earlier than you,” Mason said, his tone clearly favoring her. I took a deep breath and replied calmly, “Mason, I’m not sure how Daphne completed her design, but I can walk you through mine step by step.” I explained my design process, the inspiration behind it, and how I developed the concept. “Two days ago, I added a new element to make the design more appealing to the audience. Honestly, if I’d just wanted to finish quickly, I could have wrapped it up that afternoon. “You can compare my design approach with Daphne’s and judge for yourself.” Mason nodded but then said, “Eliza, you still don’t get it. I don’t need to ask Daphne anything. “No matter how well you explain it, her version is just different.” I was starting to feel confused. I was just presenting the facts, but he was talking to me like I was some rookie. Trying to hold back my frustration, I forced a smile. “I don’t quite understand. Could you explain it more clearly?” Mason seemed pleased with my polite response, taking his time to sip his coffee. “I get it. You’re talented and passionate, but talent alone won’t get you far here. “Do you know who Daphne’s husband is? He’s the heir to the Black family! If I don’t take her side, I might as well kiss my career goodbye.” I couldn’t hide my disgust. He was just blindly siding with her without even hearing me out, and he had the nerve to say this to my face. Honestly, flattering someone didn’t mean they’d return the favor. “You really don’t get it, do you? You’re making enemies everywhere. I’m covering for you this time, but what happens next time?” My fists clenched under the sleeves. “How exactly are you covering for me?” He casually replied, “I’ll keep the similarity in the designs under wraps. It wouldn’t look good for the company if it came out. “You won’t be punished or forced to apologize. Just redo your design, and Daphne will handle this project from here on out.” I couldn’t believe it. I was the one who got plagiarized, yet he was acting like I was the one at fault. I stood up quickly, startling Mason so much that he choked on his coffee. “W-what do you want? “I’ve been helping you. If it were anyone else, this would have been discussed in a meeting. Daphne already came to complain about you yesterday.” I bit my lip, forced out a sarcastic smile, and left the meeting room. As I opened the door, I saw Daphne standing right outside, grinning like she’d won something. “What’s up? Something wrong with your design?” I didn’t even bother answering her. She had stolen my work and now she was acting like the victim. I could tell she was more thrilled by my misfortune than her own success. Mason wasn’t much better. He was just sucking up to her and pretending to be magnanimous, even though I was the one who’d been wronged. But then again, even if I had gotten the project, I’d still be working under him, so maybe it was better to keep my distance. They both seemed like they were all about their own gain, Daphne trying to shine and Mason eager to please her. I could already picture how well they’d work together. So I forced a smile. “If you really want to know, maybe you should ask Mason. I’m sure he’d be happy to explain everything to you.” Back at my desk, I encrypted all my files, created a new document, and saved a recording of my conversation with Mason. I was planning to report this to the director. I could redo the design, but the team leader could also be replaced. In the afternoon, we had an impromptu team meeting, where Mason announced that Daphne would be taking over the project. Everyone was praising her, saying her design was brilliant. Daphne humbly responded, “It’s all thanks to Mason for giving me this chance. I’m not great, just worked hard.” I almost rolled my eyes. Since she got the task, she’d been slacking off, only putting in the effort to steal my work. “I’m not like some people, pretending something that’s not theirs is their own.” Some colleagues snickered, clearly glancing at me. Mason smiled. “Alright, as long as we all stay on the right path, everyone will get the chance to lead projects. Now, let’s get back to work.” But it was clear Daphne wasn’t done with me yet.

I had just finished work when a man in a sharp suit appeared at the door, slicked-back hair, roses in hand. Something about this stranger felt oddly familiar yet out of place. “Babe! You came to pick me up!” Daphne spotted him and instantly dropped her unfinished task, rushing over to throw herself into his arms. “I got a new project today! Praise me!” The man ran his hand gently along her waist. “You’re incredible, babe.” Daphne nestled into his chest, taking in the cologne before turning to introduce him to the team. “Oh, I forgot to introduce him. This is my husband, Dorian Black.” He gave a polite nod. “Thanks, everyone, for looking out for Daphne.” I couldn’t stomach the sight of them, so I started gathering my things, ready to head out. “Eliza, don’t walk away!” Daphne’s sharp nails snagged my sleeve. I yanked my bag away, knocking her hand off. “Let go.” She instantly started fake-crying, clinging to the man’s arm and pointing at me, her voice high-pitched. “She’s been bullying me! She took a picture of my wedding dress, claimed it was hers, and refused to apologize. She’s so full of herself!” The man raised an eyebrow, his gaze darkening as he turned to me. “Oh? You dared to mess with my wife? “Apologize to Daphne right now, or I’ll have your director fire you on the spot.”

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The day I found out I was pregnant, my mom posted a picture of her baby bump on social media. [At 49, still spoiled and loved, I’m finally having another child!] In the photo, she was wearing a sexy outfit that showed off her stretch-marked belly, snuggling up to a man as they took a selfie. The guy was gently rubbing her stomach while holding the heart-shaped lunch I had made for him. I liked the post, and just seconds later, Gabriel Hawthorne called me, practically yelling through the phone. “Are you seriously jealous of your own mother? What, are you panicking now? “You’ve been married for ages and still can’t get pregnant, but your mom? How is she pregnant already?” A few minutes later, my mom posted another one. [What should I do? My daughter is jealous because I’m pregnant.] Gabriel commented right away, trying to comfort her. I rolled my eyes and decided I was done. I’d head back to the hospital and schedule surgery to get rid of the baby. ***** I took a deep breath and stepped into the house I’d lived in for four years. The place was buzzing with excitement. Mom was lounging on the sofa, letting Gabriel massage her shoulders. When Gabriel saw me, he immediately started scolding me. “It’s six o’clock! Why haven’t you made dinner yet? Clary is starving!” Clary, of course, was my mom, Clara Lockwood. Noticing my blank expression, Gabriel frowned. “Still not pregnant?” I didn’t say anything and just stuffed the pregnancy test results in my pocket. Gabriel scoffed, “Seriously, how many times have you been to the gynecologist this month? Your mom’s pregnant and you’re still not? “I don’t want to feed a barren hen.” I gripped my canvas bag tighter, ready to speak, but my mom sweetly interrupted, “Gabe, don’t say that about my daughter!” She snuggled into his arms and pouted, looking almost too cute for a woman with so many wrinkles. But Gabriel was eating it up. He leaned down and continued massaging her temples. “Alright, alright, Clary. Don’t be upset. Ariana is lucky to have such a great mom. Too bad she didn’t inherit anything from you.” My mom sighed and shot me a glance. “Maybe it’s her father’s genes. Your genes are definitely better.” Gabriel took this to heart, clearly pleased by the compliment. At 37, Gabriel still hadn’t fathered a child. He worked as a foreman at a construction site, where the men all had kids by their twenties. The workers used to joke that Gabriel must have some kind of problem, whether it was impotence or infertility. Before long, the nickname “One-Minute Man” started circulating at the site. Gabriel was obsessed with proving them wrong and was determined to make me pregnant. He always said, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl. You’ve got to be pregnant this year.” Without responding, I just slipped off my shoes and walked past him. “Why the long face? When you’re done changing, remember to wash your hands and make some chicken soup for Clary.” He got up as if my mom was some kind of treasure, treating her like royalty. Mom had been so lively yesterday, but today, she was lying on the couch, acting all fragile and in pain, while Gabriel fussed over her, practically in tears. I decided to stir the pot a bit, dragging my words out. “Mom, who is the father? Could it be some guy on the street?” Mom’s face turned pale, and then she gave me a tearful glare. “You don’t have a heart, do you? Isn’t it a good thing that I’m giving you a little brother at my age? “Plus, you still haven’t gotten pregnant. I’m worried too. Just pretend this child is yours and Gabe’s.” She skirted around it, never once mentioning who the father really was. Gabriel was so moved by her words that he didn’t even wait for me to get up and cook. “You’re not cooking today. Since your mom’s pregnant, we’re going out to eat something nice.” He carefully helped my mom up, even putting on her socks with a smile. Gabriel nudged me aside and gave me a quick once-over, his eyes landing on my stomach. “You stay home and clean up. Don’t come with us to dinner.” Seeing my face fall, Gabriel softened his tone. “After all, she’s your mom. Helping her is the least you can do. “Plus, you’re not pregnant yet. You should be taking care of your mom.” I could feel my blood boiling. “Yeah, you’re so busy ‘taking care of her’. People are going to think you’re sleeping with her.” Gabriel’s eyes went wide, and before I could blink, he slapped me across the face. “Don’t you dare slander me and Clary! I’m doing all this for you. If she was anyone else’s mom, I’d have kicked her out already!” The slap made my head spin, and my heart was racing. My mom, standing off to the side, was barely holding back a laugh, looking totally smug. Before I could say another word, the two of them stormed out, slamming the door behind them. I slumped down on the couch, covering my face. On the table in front of me was my mom’s pregnancy test result. She was already three months pregnant, a full month ahead of me. Gabriel wasn’t infertile at all. In fact, he could even knock up his mother-in-law.

I reached out to Elise Westbrook, the daughter of Darren Westbrook next door. She’d just gotten divorced, so it seemed like the perfect time to ask her about it. Elise walked in without hesitation, immediately glancing around. “Are you making chicken soup? It smells amazing. So, what’s up? Did you call me over for something good?” I gave her a quick look. “Good? It’s about my divorce!” Elise froze for a second, then rushed over to sit next to me, grabbing my hand. “You’re serious about this? “Gabriel seemed like a nice guy, though. He was walking with your mom yesterday, right? It’s rare to find someone that thoughtful. “He’s got some money and doesn’t cheat. All he wants is to have a kid with you! Honestly, even if it’s for your mom, you should really think about it.” I stayed silent. Gabriel had indeed taken good care of my mom, and they had slept together. But that was a family issue, and I wasn’t about to air it out. “Elise, stop asking so much. I’ve made up my mind. This marriage is over!” Elise thought for a moment, then said, “If you go through with the divorce, Gabriel probably won’t agree. Plus, there’s the whole cooling-off period. “If it comes to that, you might have to move out. But how are you going to handle your mom?” I sighed, feeling lost. I didn’t have much education. My dad passed away early, and I started working with my mom right after middle school. No one around us even went to college. Gabriel was introduced to me by my mom’s friends. I didn’t feel much for him as our relationship was arranged. But I never expected he’d get involved with my mom. Before I could think it through, a message popped up on my phone. It was from my mom, with several texts in a row. [Gabe’s been losing weight. Can you make some beef soup tomorrow and take it to him at the construction site?] The photo she sent showed her and Gabriel holding hands. [Why is Gabe’s back so dirty? You didn’t help him wash when he took a shower?] Another photo showed Gabriel’s dirty back. [When I come home tonight, my feet are sore. Don’t forget to rub them. Gabe’s working, you know.] The picture showed Gabriel massaging my mom’s feet, and there was even a bystander in the background holding their nose. I felt my stomach churn and quickly turned off my phone. I could practically smell her feet through the screen. Without getting a reply, my mom sent more messages, desperate for attention. In the past, I would have rushed over to confront Gabriel. But now, I honestly didn’t care anymore. At first, I wanted to have a child because Gabriel provided me with stability. But now that my mom was pregnant, I didn’t need to worry about it anymore. Gabriel just wanted a kid, so I decided to give them what they wanted. Elise noticed me staring at my phone without saying anything. “What did your mom say?” I shook my head. “Nothing important. I think you’re right. I’ll just move out.” Elise’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re really doing this? Don’t let Gabriel think this was my idea! It’s just about getting pregnant. Try harder, and maybe you’ll be pregnant in no time.” She started pacing, her eyes darting around until she saw the pregnancy test report on the table. “You’re pregnant?” She reached for it, but I quickly grabbed it from her. “Are you showing off by calling me over here?” Elise sighed in relief while I crumpled the report in my hands. “It’s nothing. Just leave. It’s none of your business.” Elise stood up and headed for the door. “Wow, you really got me there! I thought you were serious. Alright, I’m out.” I followed her to the door, and just then, I saw Gabriel walking back with my mom in his arms. My mom was pretending to be all shy, hiding her face against his chest. Elise didn’t recognize her at all. “Oh my god!” When she heard Elise, my mom tried to peek out, but by the time she did, Elise had already darted away. My mom didn’t catch a glimpse of her. “Elise’s always in such a rush. I was just about to ask Darren how things are going with him!” A message popped up on my phone. [Ariana, I feel so bad for you. Gabriel is such a jerk. He even brought his mistress home.] [Leave him! You have to get out of there!] I didn’t respond. If Elise knew the truth, she’d probably be shocked for a while.

As soon as I walked in, I saw my mom’s eyes go red, and she pushed Gabriel aside, huddling into the corner of the sofa. “What’s going on, Clary?” Gabriel rushed over, still wearing his shoes, clearly panicked. I froze, my stomach tightening as I peered over. My mom was staring at the pregnancy report I’d crumpled up, quietly sobbing. “Ariana! Are you serious?” Gabriel followed her gaze, saw the crumpled report, and, fuming, dragged me over to the sofa. “You’re really gonna be this petty? You can’t even deal with your own mom? “So what if she’s pregnant?” He yanked me so hard my shoulder screamed in pain. “Yeah, what’s the big deal? It’s just your kid, right?” I sneered and tried to push back, but he threw me onto the sofa with a grunt. I braced myself and grabbed something on the sofa to steady myself. What I pulled out made my stomach churn. It was a pair of loose thongs, stained with yellowish liquid. The smell hit me immediately, disgusting and rancid. “Ugh, no wonder this place stinks.” My mom had been watching quietly, but at that, her face turned crimson, and she lunged to grab the underwear from me. “Don’t say anything else!” Gabriel, seeing her embarrassment, suddenly lost his anger. “Hey! Let me explain!” I glared at him. “Explain what? You and my mom are having sex on the sofa, and you didn’t even use a condom?” For a second, Gabriel sounded guilty, but then he snapped back. “Is this my fault? It’s your fault! If you could have a baby, would I need to be doing this? “Ariana, I don’t owe you anything! If it weren’t for your mom, I would’ve left you a long time ago!” My mom, seeing it was getting out of hand, clung to Gabriel’s arm. “Gabe! We promised not to talk about this!” I felt a wave of nausea. “Sweetheart, is it really necessary to blow this up? I’m doing this for our family. “I’m having your child, and Gabe’s sticking around. Isn’t that enough for you? “Why do you want to ruin everything?” My mom was acting like she was heartbroken, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that her foot was still wrapped around Gabriel’s leg. I sighed, defeated. “Fine. Do whatever you want. Just divorce me. I’m cool with you two being together.” Without missing a beat, they both spoke in unison, “That’s not happening!” Gabriel gently laid my mom back on the couch, then turned to me with a serious face. “If you keep this up, you’re going to ruin my reputation. When Clary has the baby, we’ll just say it’s yours. If I marry a 50-year-old woman, what would people say about me? “You’ve got to trust me. Clary and I both love you!” My mom nodded along, clearly agreeing. I didn’t want to stick around any longer. I walked out, leaving behind Gabriel’s angry shout. “Do you really think you’ll find anyone else out there who’ll treat you like we do?” I slammed the door shut and started walking, only to see Elise peeking her head out from next door. She mimed with her lips. “Had a fight?” I nodded, pressing the button for the elevator. She raised an eyebrow. “Want to crash at my place?” “Nah, too awkward. I’ll see if I can find a site that needs a cook. I’ll figure it out.” I didn’t wait for her reply, heading straight for the elevator. I had a few thousand dollars saved up from selling fast food at the construction site before. I booked a hotel for the night, got some good rest, and the next day, I found a construction site that was hiring. They offered food and lodging, plus four thousand dollars a month. I took the job right away. I didn’t think about home, just focused on cooking at the site and getting through the day. But, of course, it didn’t take long for Gabriel to track me down. He pulled up on his motorbike, frowning when he saw me handing out food. “Really? You’re out here cooking instead of taking care of your mom?” My mom was right behind him, holding a new pregnancy test in her hand. “Honey, I really need you. I’m three and a half months pregnant, and I can’t eat anyone else’s cooking. I want you to make food for me.” I didn’t even look up and just waved the ladle. “Move aside. Don’t disturb them.” The workers, who were hungry from working all morning, crowded Gabriel out of the way. “Ugh! What an ungrateful little brat!” I heard my mom’s voice from far off, cursing under her breath. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. After about an hour, I had a moment to check my phone. There were a couple of messages from my mom and one from the hospital. [Sweetie, have I done something wrong? Why are you ignoring me like this?] [My 50th birthday is coming up. Can we talk?] [Next Wednesday, Gabe will host a party for my birthday at Golden Restaurant. You better show up.] [Love, Mom.] [Ms. Hawthorne, your scheduled abortion is tomorrow at 10 AM. Please arrive on time.] I wiped my hands, took a deep breath, and called my boss. “Hey, can I take a week off? I’ve got something urgent to deal with. Thanks!”   I quickly went through the procedure, stuffed the aftercare instructions the doctor gave me into my bag, and left the hospital. I don’t know why, but I felt no sadness at all. Maybe at one point, I had considered keeping the baby, especially with how hard Gabriel had worked for us. I’m not bad-looking, and Gabriel fell for me the moment he saw me. He fought against everyone’s opinions to be with me, a penniless girl. Over the years, there was no love, but I got used to having a man around to lean on. But now my mom was pregnant with his child, and things had gotten way too complicated. I didn’t know if I should call my mom’s baby my sibling or my husband’s illegitimate child. To make matters worse, my mom’s pregnancy was actually further along than mine. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the kind of gossip I’d have to deal with if I had a baby now. In a small town like ours, rumors spread fast, and I didn’t want to be the subject of everyone’s whispers. Just as I got into a cab, my phone rang. It was Gabriel. His tone was a bit hesitant. “Hey, babe, could you pick up some larger-sized underwear on your way back? The ones Clary has right now don’t fit her well.” I blinked in surprise. “Why don’t you just buy them yourself?” Gabriel coughed, a little awkward. “How could a guy like me go to a lingerie store? Clary’s your mom, after all! Can you just help me out?” I couldn’t tell if they were treating me like a part of their little game, but after all, she was my mom, the one who gave birth to me and raised me. With a sigh, I grabbed a few XXL-sized pieces of underwear, paid, and headed home. As soon as I opened the door, a strange smell hit me. “What’s going on here?” Gabriel, wearing an apron, stepped out of the kitchen, his face smeared with yellow and black stains. “Hey, babe, you’re back! I was just cooking for Clary.” Mom, who was Gabriel’s little darling, had even made him go into the kitchen, something he’d never done before. “Ariana, let me see what you bought me!” Mom twirled over in her trendy pink puffball dress. She dug through the bag, pouted, and said, “Honey, you’re only thirty. How do you have such bad taste? “Who’s going to wear these? Why didn’t you get some with lace? Even men would think these are ugly!” Gabriel quickly agreed, “Clary knows best. You should learn from her.” He casually glanced between me and my mom’s chest. I froze, realizing exactly what was going on. I’d never felt at ease in bed, and there were times when Gabriel lost interest halfway through. But I knew deep down, he wanted me to have his child. He kept messaging me during this time, telling me that the thing he looked forward to most was me having his baby. But I couldn’t bring myself to believe him anymore. Mom’s 50th birthday was coming up, and Gabriel had planned a celebration that was even grander than our wedding. He invited over a hundred people, including my mom’s side of the family. It was supposed to be a birthday party, but it looked more like a wedding. Flowers everywhere, and a giant family portrait of the three of us. But if you looked closely, you’d see I was in the corner, half of my face hidden by Mom’s bun, making it look like a newlywed couple with their servant. The moment I arrived, my grandparents rushed over to me. “Ariana, you married a good man! He’s so good to your mom. You’ve got to have a baby with him soon!” “Yeah, make sure to keep him tied down with a kid.” “When you’re older, your face won’t be worth anything!” I stayed silent because, honestly, Mom had already secured him with a baby. Elise and her father showed up too. She shot me a look of disappointment and mouthed, “Are you two back together?” I shook my head. Gabriel hadn’t invited his parents because I wasn’t pregnant yet and it’d be bad if they noticed anything. But my mom was having the time of her life, thrilled by the lavish event after so many years of struggling. She was collecting gifts and basking in compliments from our relatives. That was when Gabriel came up to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Babe, when you get pregnant, I’ll throw you an even bigger birthday party. How’s that sound?” I rolled my eyes and tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t let go. Back and forth, my bag dropped to the floor. A piece of paper slipped out, and a child from the crowd picked it up for me. She handed it to me with a curious look. “What’s this, the aftercare instructions for surgery?” Gabriel’s face went pale. He quickly snatched the paper out of my hand. “Babe, what’s this? Are you pregnant?”

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The day I nearly lost my life during childbirth, my husband should have been waiting outside the delivery room, but instead, he was accompanying his first love to treat her child. She shared a post: [With him, I, as a single mother, feel like I’ve found a home.] The caption went with a photo of my husband holding her child, looking full of compassion. Having narrowly escaped death, I no longer craved his attention. Whether he had an ambiguous relationship with her or built a home outside of ours, it no longer mattered to me. On the day I sent the divorce papers and prepared to leave the country, he chased me to the airport. He asked desperately, “Honey, why don’t you care about me anymore?” ***** The night before my due date, my water broke, and I was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night. After signing some paperwork, my husband, Luke Carter, lingered in the waiting area, playing on his phone. In excruciating pain, I wanted him to come in and comfort me, but he was indifferent. While I missed the best window for anesthesia, he was still chatting with his first love. As I bled heavily, and the doctor informed me that the baby was gone and that they would do their best to save me, he wasn’t even outside the delivery room. I came back from the brink of death, only to see a lifeless fetus when I woke up, and Luke’s phone had powered off. The doctor, exhausted, tried to console me, but I felt numb. Without shedding a tear, I asked the nurse to take me away from the hospital. Being sorrowful was meaningless. If even my husband didn’t care about me, no one else would. Walking through the hospital corridor, I passed the emergency department and saw Luke, who had been missing for several hours. He was holding the son of his first love, Jessica Ellis, in his arms. The child was weak and burning with fever. When he saw me, he whispered, “Did you give birth? A boy or a girl?” Looking at the warm scene before me, I bitterly said, “She’s dead. It was a girl.” Luke froze, while Jessica shot a look of high-handed pity. The postpartum pain made it impossible for me to stand for long. I ignored them and left wearily. My relationship with Luke was always poorly timed. We were forced to sit at the matchmaking dinner table, thrown together by circumstance. After the wedding, I learned that he had always been in love with Jessica, who lived overseas. He had only agreed to marry me out of disappointment. He promised to treat me well, but after I was five months pregnant, Jessica returned home with her child after a divorce. Luke’s rekindled feelings for her led to the most difficult four months of my life. He began frequently coming home late, always citing work as the excuse. He smelled of unfamiliar perfume. He never accompanied me to regular check-ups, but he would run around for Jessica’s son. I opened my phone and saw her latest post: [With him, I, as a single mother, feel like I’ve found a home.] The word “home” stung my eyes. I was Luke’s wife, but Jessica and her child seemed to receive more care from him. During my pregnancy, I would cry and argue, asking him why he couldn’t prioritize me. But now, having come so close to death, I had let go. If I survived such a major surgery without him by my side, I could live the rest of my life without him. I no longer wanted the love he had begrudgingly given me. I decided to stop giving him my heart and soul. I continued clearing the unread messages from the past few days and saw an announcement from the company about a recruitment opportunity at the headquarters in Olisfast for two years. My past achievements met the application criteria. I felt a surge of gratitude toward fate for giving me a chance to start over right after I had shifted my perspective. Without hesitation, I submitted my application and began secretly preparing for the documents to go abroad. Luke had always disliked that I earned more than he did and that my household chores didn’t match up to his mother’s. He complained that I wasn’t good at taking care of him. I couldn’t let him find out too soon, or he’d try to stop me. As I was calculating my next steps, Luke came home. Before I could close the webpage, he caught me red-handed. “What are you looking at? You plan to go abroad?” he asked.

I hadn’t even had the chance to come up with an excuse when Luke frowned. He said, “You lost your child and you’re still in the mood for a trip abroad? “You should stay home and rest for now, stop running around and working.” He still saw me as the woman who clung to fantasies about marriage. But thanks to his dismissive attitude and self-righteousness, my plans to travel abroad remained a secret. I kept my face neutral, closing the webpage. “Got it.” Luke threw his coat onto the sofa and sat down, placing his feet on the table. “What’s for dinner?” I didn’t want to move because I was in pain. “Isn’t your mom here today? Let her cook for you.” Luke tilted his head and chuckled, “You want to eat without cooking? My mom is only here to take care of you because you’re pregnant. “Now that the baby’s gone, she won’t come. If I didn’t stop her, she’d probably have a few harsh words to say to you.” During my pregnancy, I still went to work and cooked, while my mother-in-law, who cared more about the child, came uninvited to take over the housework. Luke didn’t care about me or our family. He expected everything to be served to him on a plate while running off all the time. Now, after losing the baby, I was still weak. He had the nerve to blame me. I bit my lip, not wanting to argue. I got up and went to the bedroom to lie down on the bed. Luke was puzzled by my unusual silence. He followed me into the bedroom. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you making dinner?” I closed my eyes to rest. He shook me lightly and continued, “You’ve had enough sleep at the hospital, haven’t you? If you’re not making dinner, what am I supposed to eat?” I sighed, “I don’t want to move. Just order takeout.” He retorted, “No way! My mom says takeout is unhealthy and expensive.” His loud voice made my headache worse. I pulled the blanket over my head, ignoring him. Luke bent down and leaned in. He asked tentatively, “Amy, are you mad?” Not waiting for my reply, he continued, “You’re angry, aren’t you? “Jessica’s been divorced and raising a child on her own. It’s tough for her. I just want to help her out. “I am her only friend in Yraburg, so please try to understand.” In the past, I might have argued with him. He just wouldn’t let go of his ridiculous need to save people. I also needed his support, but he’d rather leave me to help someone else. He never cared about my feelings. But now, I was too tired to bring it up anymore, because talking about it felt pointless. I replied, “I’m not angry. She does have it hard. “Since she’s your acquaintance, why don’t you ask her to make dinner for you? I’m tired today.” Luke stood up, taking a deep breath. He snapped, “What’s with the attitude? Honestly, it’s fine if you don’t want to cook. Don’t act like I’m some big fan of your cooking.” It didn’t matter whether I agreed with him or not. He was impossible to please. He left in a huff and went to the living room, watching short videos on his phone and laughing loudly. Soon enough, he received a phone call and rushed out of the house, grabbing his coat as he went. He went to find Jessica. I recognized the ringtone. It was set for Jessica specifically, by Luke. The house fell silent. After nearly a week of rest post-surgery, I had mostly recovered to my pre-pregnancy state. One night, after finishing the work I had put off, Luke came back home reeking of alcohol. Jessica had brought him back. She had almost been knocked over by him as she helped him walk. She said, “Luke has been waiting for ten months, hoping for a child, and he’s not in a good mood these days. He drank too much. “Amy, please be patient with him. After all, the baby died in your womb.”

Jessica’s smile was polite, but the hostility in her eyes was crystal clear. I didn’t understand why she hated me so much, but in less than a month, I’d be divorcing Luke and leaving the country. I ignored her glare, took Luke from her hands, and gave her the cold shoulder. I said, “Thanks, it’s inappropriate for a single lady to be out so late. You should head home too.” Jessica seemed unwilling to leave without getting in one last jab. She said, “You can’t even have children, so make sure you watch your husband. Don’t blame me when things go wrong.” I closed the door and tossed Luke onto the sofa. His voice was weak and intermittent as he muttered, “Amy, I’m drunk. I feel terrible.” I didn’t bother with him. Luke had a bad drinking habit. Whenever he was either in a good mood or a bad mood, he’d go out and drink himself into a stupor. He had never thought about changing this habit, and before we were married, he had relied on his mother, and after marriage, he relied on me. Three years ago, it was the same thing. On a night like this, he had been brought home by his friends. I took care of him diligently, bathing him and making soup for him. In return, he hit and scolded me. He snapped, “Why did I marry you, you ugly freak? “You’re nothing compared to Jessica. How can you expect me to care about you? No chance!” He pulled out his belt, venting all his pent-up frustrations on me. He knocked over the bowl and left my body bruised. He couldn’t hold his liquor, and his temper only worsened after drinking. He’d blackout completely. I cried the entire night while taking care of him until he fell asleep. But when he woke up, he had forgotten everything he’d done to me. He said, “Honey, I didn’t know. I was drunk. I promise I won’t hit you again, okay?” I believed him. But even when he wasn’t hitting me, he would still throw drunken tantrums, yelling at me as if everything going wrong in his life was my fault. “Amy, why aren’t you here to take care of me?” he grumbled as if I had wronged him in some way. I stood a few steps away from him. I said indifferently, “Jessica can’t handle you. If you can come back on your own, it means you’re still standing. There’s soup on the table, help yourself.” He snapped, “Why are you so stubborn? How long are you going to hold a grudge over Jessica? “You heartless shrew, I already explained it to you.” I ignored him and returned to my room to continue preparing my documents for leaving the country. Luke kept whining, asking for my attention one moment and insulting me the next. I acted as though I couldn’t hear him. I wasn’t his maid. I still had my own life. The next morning, still hungover, Luke packed his things, shot me a glare, and slammed the door on his way out. He said, “I’m on a business trip. You have a few days to think about what a wife is supposed to be like.” So, he could pack his luggage after all. I hummed in response and went off to work. A week went by without a word from Luke. He was adamant about freezing me out. Meanwhile, Jessica’s posts were full of life. Starting from the day Luke “went on a business trip”, she updated her travel photos like clockwork. In every set of pictures, Luke appeared. Her captions were as suggestive as ever. [The important thing is not the scenery, but the person you see it with.] [After all the twists and turns, the right person finally walked into my life.] They made quite a sweet couple. I took screenshots of all these posts, keeping them as evidence of his infidelity. Thankfully, with Luke out of the picture, I had the peace of mind to prepare my documents for leaving the country. Jessica’s flaunting was practically a gift to me, providing the perfect leverage for my divorce. A week later, Luke returned home. The first thing he did was nervously ask me, “Amy, I’ve been gone so many days, and you didn’t ask where I went or if I missed you. “How did you change like this?”   I looked at him, feeling a bit bewildered by his anxious expression. If I didn’t know any better, I might think he was off on a vacation with someone else, not Jessica. Freshly out of her arms, he came to me. His mother taught him well, making him think that the world should revolve around him. “What about me? You used to tell me not to bother you when you were on business trips, so I listened and didn’t disturb you,” I said. Luke was speechless. After a long pause, he finally replied, “Alright. I promise I won’t contact Jessica again, okay? “This weekend, I’ll invite some friends over for dinner. Cook for them and show them even though you can’t have children, you have other qualities. How about it?” I smirked. “You don’t need to go through the trouble because I’m going on a business trip this week.” His friends never liked me, always thinking Jessica was a better match for him. They had mocked me both openly and covertly. Cooking for them would not change their opinions of me. Moreover, their gatherings were always filled with heavy drinking and meats. I would be the one to clean up. I had no reason to please people who would soon become my ex-husband’s friends. Luke frowned, unable to believe that such a good proposal had been rejected. He said, “You don’t know how to appreciate a favor. “Is work more important than me?” I heard him say these words, ones I had often said in the past, and I couldn’t help but feel a touch of irony. “Sorry, maybe next time,” I said. I thought that would be the end of it, but when I arrived home on the weekend, dragging my luggage and feeling exhausted, I was greeted by a loud noise. “Kiss her!” Cheered Luke’s friends. They were surrounding Luke and Jessica. Luke and Jessica embraced each other. They were getting closer and closer when a child sitting nearby suddenly pointed at me. He asked, “Daddy, who’s that lady?” Luke quickly pulled away from Jessica. He asked awkwardly, “Amy, you’re back.” Without batting an eye, I closed the door and went downstairs, as though the house behind me wasn’t even mine anymore. Luke opened the door and chased after me. He didn’t care whether the neighbors heard. He shouted, “It’s not like that, Amy. Let me explain. You misunderstood. “Amy, where are you going? Please come back.” I flagged down a taxi by the side of the road and asked the driver to take me to the airport. In truth, my visa had already been processed, and I had planned to leave for abroad tonight. I wanted to leave quietly and calmly, officially part ways with Luke. That was why I had returned home. But now, it didn’t seem necessary to set aside time for a conversation with him. After all, that home had long been taken over by someone else. I sat in the taxi and sent the electronic version of the divorce agreement to Luke. My colleague, Jake Grant, who was also on this business trip, called me for a conference call to confirm my flight details and work arrangements. After hanging up, I saw several missed calls from Luke. I put my phone on silent. Aside from the signed divorce agreement, nothing else mattered. At the airport, I met up with Jake. Just as we were about to go through security, someone grabbed my suitcase. I turned around to see Luke, panting heavily. His eyes were red, and his voice was hoarse as he said, “Amy, I’ve already sent them all away. Please come home with me, alright?” I didn’t answer. Instead, I took the paper version of the divorce agreement from my bag. I asked, “Did you read the agreement I sent you? “If it’s convenient, you can just sign this one instead.”

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I was Bob Packer’s adopted sister. He took pity on my tragic past. For thirteen years, I had been treated like a delicate treasure, nurtured in his immense care. When I turned eighteen, I gathered the courage to confess my feelings to him. However, he distanced himself from me and ignored me for two years. Later, he chose to get engaged to his childhood sweetheart. As for me, I decided to give up and no longer entertain the unfounded hopes. I agreed to a marriage alliance with a young heir from a wealthy family. “Let’s get married,” I said. ***** When my family learned that I had agreed to the marriage alliance with the Hooper family, everyone was shocked. Bob’s mother, Roselyn, gently took my hand, looking at me with a mix of concern and hesitation. “Irene, are you sure about this? Marriage is no joke,” she asked. I smiled faintly, “Roselyn, I’ve thought about it carefully.” “But…” Roselyn furrowed her brows, unsure of what to say. After a brief silence, she sighed, “I suppose… you’ve grown up and have your own mind now. Just don’t let yourself suffer. “While this marriage is beneficial for our family business, we shouldn’t sacrifice your happiness just for profit.” Her words warmed my heart. “Roselyn, I understand. But…” I paused for a moment before continuing, “Could you please not tell Bob about this yet?” Roselyn seemed to understand, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she nodded. With that, she didn’t say anything further. I silently returned to my room, and soon, my best friend Doris called. “No way, Irene! Are you serious?” Doris sounded shocked, but I felt oddly calm. “I’m serious,” I replied. There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. Doris cautiously asked, “Is this because of Bob? Are you giving up because of him? But even if you’re acting out of spite, you don’t have to throw yourself into this, right?” I bit my lip and fell silent. Maybe it was out of spite, but I didn’t want to wait anymore. He had made it clear he didn’t want to give me a chance… Thirteen years ago, my parents died in an accident, leaving me an orphan. My relatives all rejected me, unwilling to take the burden of raising me. “I have two sons. I simply can’t manage another,” one said. “My family’s situation is difficult,” said another. “Let’s send her to the orphanage,” suggested another. I sat silently in a corner, clutching a family photo tightly in my arms, feeling lost and helpless. Then, a bright voice cut through the chaos. “Irene, come home with me.” I looked up to see a tall, young figure reaching out to hold my hand with a big smile. And at that moment, I had a home again. From then on, I became the adopted daughter of the Packer family and Bob’s younger sister. Although he was only two years older than me and we hadn’t known each other long before, Bob treated me with incredible care, pampering me for thirteen years. He remembered every little thing I liked, took care to help me integrate into the family, and protected me whenever I was wronged. He would always say to me, “No matter what, Irene, don’t be afraid. The Packer family is always behind you, and I’ll protect you forever.” Every word Bob spoke was etched deeply into my heart. I began to realize that my feelings for him went beyond familial affection. I loved him. I wanted to be the one who stayed by his side forever. When I turned eighteen, I lost my composure after seeing him accept another girl’s love letter. I tore it up in a fit of rage and confessed my feelings to him. “Bob, I don’t want to just be your adopted sister. I’m into you!” Our parents had been close friends when my parents were still alive. If Bob and I were together, his parents would not object. But from that point on, Bob became increasingly distant, avoiding me more and more. I didn’t want to give up. I believed that his care for me must have been love, and that he just needed more time. I was willing to wait. But day after day, my persistence became a joke. I would often hear whispers around me. “The Packer family only took her in because she was pitiful. How could she really think she matters?” “There are so many men in the world. Why does she have to fall for her own brother? Isn’t it awkward?” I waited and waited, but never once did Bob say “I’m into you too”. The boy who once loved to tease me never smiled at me again. Eventually, Roselyn, seeing how much I was suffering, kindly advised me. “Bob had a cousin he loved very much when he was young, but she passed away when he was five. “When we decided to adopt you, he was very happy and sympathetic to your situation. He promised he would take good care of you. “Feelings can’t be forced. Don’t be too persistent.” At that moment, I finally understood. Bob was kind to everyone, and his affection for me was no exception. That day, Bob publicly announced that he had decided to get engaged to Daisy Glisson, his childhood sweetheart who had once written him a love letter. Afterward, I replied to Jonathan, “I agree to the marriage.”

When Jonathan first approached me, I didn’t understand. As far as I knew, the Hooper family and the Packer family rarely had any interaction. I knew very little about either the Hooper family or Jonathan. I had only heard rumors, mainly about the Hooper family being internally complicated and full of disputes. After Jonathan’s father passed away unexpectedly, the rest of the Hooper family members became fiercely competitive over control of Hooper Group. As the sole heir of the Hooper family, Jonathan was trapped in a precarious position, facing immense pressure. After much consideration, Jonathan approached me. He knew that the Packer family treated me like their own daughter and was aware of the challenges the family was facing. Unlike others who were driven by ulterior motives, Jonathan trusted the Packer family’s integrity. So, he proposed a marriage alliance to secure his position at the Hooper Group, while offering to form a lifelong partnership with Packer Group, ensuring they would never face any worries. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement—after a year, we would part ways, with no further obligations. Once we finalized the marriage agreement, I left. When I returned home, the house was filled with laughter and joy. It turned out that Bob had brought Daisy along. She was sitting next to Roselyn, seemingly saying something that made Roselyn laugh heartily. The atmosphere was harmonious, as if they were a real family. “Irene, you’re back! Come on, dinner is ready,” Roselyn called out cheerfully, waving at me. I forced a faint smile and said, “Roselyn, I’ve already had dinner.” I was about to head upstairs, but Bob grabbed my arm, his tone brooking no refusal. “Sit down and eat with us.” I pulled my arm free but reluctantly stayed. I deliberately moved to sit beside Roselyn, making sure to keep my distance from Bob. I ate in silence, my thoughts distant. Suddenly, I found a piece of fish placed in my bowl. I looked up and met Bob’s deep gaze. “Why have you been going out so much these past few days? Is something going on?” he asked. My voice was calm. “Nothing’s wrong.” Daisy raised an eyebrow and teased, “Irene’s already twenty, Bob. Why do you control everything she does?” Bob’s gaze darkened, his emotions unreadable. “Don’t mess around with those guys you don’t know much,” he warned. My heart jolted, and I quickly avoided his gaze. “I see. You don’t need to worry about me.” The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Daisy pursed her lips, glancing between Bob and me. After a while, she gently tugged at Bob’s sleeve and spoke in a soft voice, “How about we go to the beach tomorrow? Bring Irene along, the more the merrier.” Bob frowned slightly. Daisy continued, “You said Irene loves the sea, right? It’ll be a good chance for me to bond with her.” Then she turned to me and asked, “What do you think, Irene?” My heart sank, and I instinctively wanted to refuse. But before I could speak, Bob spoke first, “Okay, let’s go together.” With everyone’s eyes on me, I couldn’t refuse Daisy’s request, so I stayed silent. The meal felt tasteless. The next day, we went to the beach. I sat quietly on a rock, watching Bob and Daisy walk along the shore, holding hands, looking like the perfect couple. It was such a harmonious scene. At that moment, a picture of the past surged in my mind. It was when Bob and I dropped the drift bottles into the sea to make our wishes. Each time, I would make the same wish that I could stay with Bob forever. But the reality was cruel. Suddenly, a desperate cry rang out. “Help! Mommy…” I looked around and saw a young girl not far from me, frantically trying to stay afloat in the waves. The people around her were helpless, and it seemed like the girl was about to be swallowed by the sea. Without thinking, I grabbed a lifebuoy and jumped into the water. But the rising tide made the waves fierce, crashing into me one after another. Though I was a good swimmer, I still swallowed several mouthfuls of seawater. Suddenly, I felt a warm grip on my wrist. I looked back to see Bob, his arms around me as he pulled me into his embrace. After a short struggle, the three of us emerged from the water, shaken but safe. I curled up, shivering uncontrollably. As I looked at Bob, drenched and looking like a drowned rat, a complex mix of emotions surged within me. I bit my lip, about to speak, but before I could, Bob scowled and snapped, “Are you stupid? What’s the point of showing off like that? Or do you think I’ll always be there to save you?”

I stood there frozen, my heart tightening as if I suddenly realized something. The words in my throat were swallowed back. Bob was right—he now had Daisy. He could no longer be by my side all the time. He was no longer the hero who belonged only to me. I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the bitterness inside me. After a long pause, I finally spoke in a hoarse voice, “I’m sorry…” I shouldn’t have caused him trouble. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of his affection. I should have recognized my place long ago. That night, I developed a fever, but I couldn’t fall asleep. The door was suddenly knocked on. I wrapped myself in a blanket and said, “Come in.” The next moment, Bob’s cold expression appeared at the door. He handed me some cold medicine. “Are you still feeling bad? Do you want to go to the hospital?” he asked. I was momentarily taken aback, and I shook my head. “No, thank you. I’m fine.” As I took the medicine from him, my eyes accidentally landed on the ring on his ring finger. It must have been his engagement ring with Daisy. The handmade bracelet I once gave him was gone. The one I had made for him, with a strand of my hair inside, meant to wish him safety. I bitterly smiled to myself. He must have thrown it away, not wanting Daisy to misunderstand. Bob seemed to notice my gaze and quickly withdrew his hand. I kept my expression neutral and casually asked, “Has the wedding date been set?” Bob’s eyes narrowed, and after a brief silence, he replied, “Next month, once I return from my business trip.” A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, but I remained silent. I nodded and said flatly, “I see. Congratulations.” Bob looked at me deeply, his eyes like cold stars in the night. He nodded slightly and said, “Good night.” Then, he turned and left. I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh and whispered to myself, “Bob, I’ve let go. I don’t love you anymore.” Jonathan arrived as planned to discuss the marriage arrangement. Bob’s parents were initially hesitant, but after asking a few times and seeing I had no objections, they didn’t say anything more. My only request was that the wedding be held as soon as possible. Bob’s parents understood and said everything would be up to me. But to my surprise, the week before the wedding, Bob returned beforehand. I went to a banquet that day, and to my surprise, I ran into Daisy again. Instinctively, I wanted to avoid her, but she greeted me warmly. All her words were about Bob, and she even made a point of showing me the necklace Bob had given her. It was one of only two Sapphire Tear necklaces in the world. I kept my composure and said blandly, “It suits you.” Daisy smiled, her eyes gleaming with a barely concealed sense of pride. I didn’t have any emotions at all. Since she wanted to show off, I’d play along. However, not long after, Daisy came over with a group of her friends. Bob was even in the crowd. “Irene, did you steal Daisy’s necklace?” one of the women sneered down at me, her voice full of accusation. I was taken aback. I retorted, “You can just slander others like this without evidence? I’m not that idle.” “How can we believe you? Let us search you!” The woman persisted, clearly convinced it was me. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Fine, go ahead. Search me.” I spread my arms, too tired to argue. Moments later, the woman triumphantly pulled the necklace out of my coat pocket. “Gotcha! Caught red-handed! What do you have to say now?” I was shocked. Looking at the woman’s smug expression, I understood this was all a setup, an act they had staged. The crowd around us murmured in disbelief. Bob’s face darkened as he approached me. “We don’t give you enough pocket money, huh? You even stole things from others?” I was stunned. “You don’t believe me? Can’t you see they’re framing me?” Bob’s face remained emotionless as he said, “Apologize to Daisy!” I stared at him, my nose stinging with unshed tears. “I didn’t do anything wrong!” I shouted. The atmosphere grew tense, thick with unresolved emotions. Seeing this, Daisy quickly stepped in to mediate. “Forget it, Bob. Maybe Irene didn’t mean to.” Bob said nothing but gritted his teeth and repeated, “Apologize!” My heart twisted painfully, and I suppressed the feelings of injustice rising inside me. Without saying another word, I turned and left. Returning home, I packed my bags and left a note for Bob’s parents. I left the home I had lived in for thirteen years. But from now on, it would no longer be my shelter.

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On the day of the company’s celebration party, our president’s first love came back. The man who was still affectionate with me the night before rushed down the podium and hugged her tightly in front of the whole company. During the banquet, I wanted to help him drink, but he scolded me in public, “You don’t have to come today. Go back and reflect on yourself!” Looking at his ruthless and cold face, I felt bitter. I loved him for seven years, but it ended up like this. The strong liquor burned my throat. Seeing Spencer Scott’s look of being so happy about Taylor Xavier’s return that he lost his composure, I knew I had lost. Over the years, I had been with Spencer from the start of the company to its rise to the top in the industry. On countless late nights, I stayed up late until I suffered from insomnia and hair loss just to help him get a difficult order. He said that I was the most important person in his life. He also said that he would talk to me about marriage after the celebration party. Before the banquet started, I was really looking forward to it. I thought that the relationship I insisted on unilaterally would finally have a good result. But I was really wrong, so wrong. I called a number I hadn’t called in a long time. “Dad…” I choked up and couldn’t speak. My dad sighed, “You miss home, right?” I wiped my tears and tried to smile and said, “Dad, I miss you. I want to go home.” Of course, my dad could tell that I was in a bad mood. So, he comforted me. “You can come home anytime! My daughter shouldn’t be aggrieved.” I stabilized my emotions and said with a smile, “It’s okay, Dad. I’ll go home after I deal with some things.” I hadn’t seen my dad for a long time. He tried his best to stop me from helping Spencer at all costs. He said that he knew the minds of men. What you can’t get is the best. He said that people like me who gave everything would get nothing in the end. But my mom also pursued him for ten years before they got married. My dad didn’t explain in detail but only said that my mom suffered a lot. I didn’t understand it at that time. Now I finally understood how bitter it was to love but not get it. After talking to my dad on the phone, I returned to the celebration party. When I was about to leave, I was forced to witness Spencer’s affectionate confession. Spencer held Taylor’s face. They looked at each other lovingly. Taylor stood in the spotlight like a princess. She said coquettishly, “Spencer, I will never leave again. We will be together forever.” Spencer’s nod was like a knife stabbing my heart again. “Taylor, I’ve been waiting for you to come back. I miss you so much.” “I miss you too!” If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that the cold president of the Scott Group, Spencer, could say such cheesy and sweet words. He always looked serious when facing me. I thought it was his nature. It turned out that he was not incapable of saying sweet words but just didn’t want to say them to me. At the end of the party, Spencer got drunk. Everyone subconsciously looked at me and waited for me to clean up the mess. I sighed, resignedly carried Spencer on my shoulders, and prepared to take a taxi to take him home. Taylor looked me up and down carefully and sneered, “Are you the legendary hardworking secretary Quiana Yost? How can you be worthy of the Scott Group with your shabby appearance?” I sneered, “You don’t need to worry about work.” Taylor lowered her eyes. “Do you think I don’t know that you are Spencer’s secretary on the surface but actually his lover? Who are you showing off this noble attitude to? Shame on you.” She looked down at me with her usual attitude. “You must be jealous that Spencer treats me so well.” Then she showed the shining diamond ring on her ring finger, which showed her status and the love she had. My eyes were slightly sour, but I just smiled. “How could it be? You and Mr. Scott are a perfect match, and you will be happy forever.” I took Spencer back to the home where we had lived for three years. I turned around and left after I put him down. Spencer held my wrist and wouldn’t let me go. He pulled the tie on his chest nervously, muttering, “Quiana… Quiana…” My breath stagnated, and I leaned close to his lips.

His hands brushed my cheeks, and our hair tangled together. He kissed me softly on my lips. My waist softened, and I subconsciously put my hands on the side of his neck. He pressed me down. As our ears rubbed against each other, the smell of cedar and green-orange intertwined. But the next second, I heard clearly the words he said, “Dear Taylor.” I felt like I was falling into an ice cave. I pushed him away and rushed to the bathroom. The cold water washed over my head and face, and I was shivering with cold. But only in this way could my brain be clearer. I thought to myself, “Don’t be stupid again, Quiana. If you want to let go, don’t think about looking back.” I packed my luggage until dawn. I carried my bag and prepared to go to the company. Spencer came out of the bathroom and stood in front of me with one hand wiping his wet hair. His tone was still as cold as before, but the content was surprisingly gentle. “It happened suddenly yesterday. I shouldn’t have been so harsh to you.” I restrained my expression. “I understand. It’s normal to be emotional when you meet your first love again.” He frowned slightly. “Are you mocking me?” I didn’t want to talk to him anymore and reached out to push him away. “You’re overthinking it. I’m going to work.” But he kept getting closer to me. He was 6.1 feet tall and sturdy. He held me in front of him. “You don’t need to go to work. Resign. You don’t have to take care of the company’s affairs again.” I was stunned. I asked in disbelief, “Who will take over?” Spencer hesitated for a second, then said, “Taylor. She studied MBA abroad and has rich experience.” How ridiculous! I tried to train new people to take over my position as assistant to the president before. But Spencer had a cold personality, and he knew it himself. He wanted others to know from his expression whether he wanted coffee, cut down the project, or add investment. Who could stand it? A newbie like Taylor who had never worked before? I suppressed my anger and said indifferently, “It’s hard to judge. I wish her success.” Spencer came closer but didn’t see the reaction he wanted from my face. After a long pause, he added another condition. “You must teach Taylor all relevant professional skills before you leave.” I pursed my lips. “No.” “I’ll give you one million dollars.” I laughed in anger. “Mr. Scott, do you think I need the one million dollars?” He snorted coldly, “Then what have you been doing with me for so many years? Isn’t it just for these benefits from me?” Benefits? I stared at his eyes, trying to find a hint of a joke in them. But no. He was serious. I followed him for seven years. Four years on campus and three years of entrepreneurship. I was like a lackey, full of him in my heart. People who knew me knew that I really liked him. But Spencer thought I was being with him just for benefits. What were these seven years for me then? Unlucky for me. I laughed so hard that tears came out. “One million dollars is too little. I want five million dollars.” “Okay.” When I signed the resignation letter, I was relieved. I waited in the office for more than an hour before Taylor came in with a nonchalant look on her face. I got straight to the point. “Here are the documents you need to be familiar with. Read them today.” But she didn’t even look at them. She pouted and said, “Why do I need to do these jobs? I’m the boss’ wife. Let the employees do these things.” The veins on my forehead popped out. “I don’t care if you will be the boss’ wife in the future, but you are the president’s assistant now. You should do what you should do in this position.” But she just thought I was deliberately making things difficult for her. She went to Spencer’s office. It was during working hours, but she still got into his arms and acted like a spoiled child. “Spencer, Quiana is making things difficult for me. She wants to assign me a lot of work. I can’t do it.” I stood in front of Spencer with the documents in my hand. “This is my teaching style. If you don’t like it, you can ask someone else.” Spencer never looked at me, just consoling Taylor in his arms. “If you are tired, take a rest. There is no rush.” I clenched the documents in my hand and turned to leave. But the thing I least wanted to see still happened. Even though I helped Taylor with the aftermath, she still got into big trouble.

I warned her many times, but she still published the company secrets that must not be leaked on the company’s official website. I took the most urgent measures, but I still couldn’t avoid being held accountable. She cried and put all the blame on me. “Quiana didn’t tell me. I didn’t know. Spencer, blame me if you want to.” He looked up at me with his cold eyes. I had been with him for so many years. How could I not see the doubt in his eyes? I stepped forward to confront him in disbelief. “Spencer, when have I ever made such a low-level mistake in all the years that I have worked with you?” His index finger tapped the table. It was his habitual action when thinking. But I still thought it was ridiculous. He not only doubted my feelings for him but even doubted my most basic professional ethics! I looked into his eyes and said, “Have you lost your sense of right and wrong for her?” Spencer’s face clearly flashed a trace of hesitation, but it disappeared in an instant. “No matter what, you are the one who taught Taylor. If she makes a mistake, you will definitely be the first to be held accountable. Just apologize on the official website. No one will say anything.” He knew very well whose fault it was, but he still chose me as a scapegoat without hesitation. Was the difference between love and not love? It was so big. I was shaking with anger. “I have told her this ten times. Even an idiot should have learned it. Why do you ask me to apologize?” Taylor picked up the ink bottle on the table and smashed it on me. She cursed sharply, “You bitch. You can’t teach well yourself, but you blame me.” Her words were dirty and unpleasant, but I ignored them. I just stared at Spencer’s face. But he only cared about the ink stains on Taylor’s hands, carefully wiping her fingers one by one. “Spencer!” “Just do it.” The string in my heart broke. The back of my head felt like it had been hit hard, and it hurt so much. I held back my tears and went forward, smashing the bank card with five million dollars in it in his face. “I won’t apologize. I can’t teach her. Mr. Scott, please ask someone else.” He was obviously a little guilty, looking at me as if he was enduring something. But in the end, he still didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to look back, so I didn’t see the reluctance in his eyes. After leaving the company, I leaned against the big tree at the door for a long time, still felt nauseous, and couldn’t stop wanting to retch. Suddenly, I covered my abdomen, and a sense of uneasiness surged in my heart. I was actually two months pregnant. We took protective measures every time, but no contraceptive method was absolute after all. If it was before, maybe I would have given birth to the child without even thinking about it. But now, I didn’t want to. A week after I made an appointment for an abortion, I was notified to come for surgery. When I entered the hospital with the pregnancy test report, I ran into Taylor. I turned around and left, but she still saw me. She rushed in front of me and said in a stern tone, “Today is Spencer’s regular stomach check-up time. What are you doing here? You’ve been fired. Did you follow him to the hospital? Are you still thinking about seducing Spencer?” I didn’t want to talk to her. She took the pregnancy test report from my hand. “You are pregnant!” Taylor shouted in surprise, “Go to get an abortion! I won’t allow my future husband to have a child outside.” “A child outside?” Spencer heard the argument and came over. I quickly snatched the pregnancy test report and stuffed it into my bag.   Spencer’s eyes lingered on my abdomen for a long time. I gritted my teeth secretly and turned my face away from him. I didn’t want him to know of the existence of this child. Taylor folded his hands and said sarcastically, “Quiana said she wanted to give birth to a child for a married man in the future. I said that this is not good.” Spencer was suddenly shocked, and he said in a heavier tone, “Children should not be a means for gold diggers to get married. Even if they are born, they will not be recognized.” My abdomen suddenly felt a sharp pain. “You are so nosy. Even if I choose an old and ugly rich man now, you can’t control it.” Spencer’s breathing stagnated, and he stepped forward to pull hold wrists. “You can’t give up on yourself like this.” I pried his fingers apart one by one, and a smile appeared on my pale face. “It’s none of your business.” His eyes were deep, and he seemed to have a lot to say. “Quiana…” I didn’t want to listen, so I turned around and left. But Taylor actually pushed me from behind while I was going down the stairs. The sound in my ears was buzzing, and I couldn’t hear it clearly. “Ah! It wasn’t me. I didn’t touch Quiana!” “If anything happens to Quiana, I’ll kill you!” I fell down the stairs and lay in a pool of blood. Then, my vision became blurred. In a trance, I seemed to see Spencer losing his composure and rushing towards me in a hurry, without his usual rationality and elegance. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying on a white hospital bed. I touched my stomach. I could feel that the child had left me. Fine. There was one less thing to worry about between him and me. Spencer sat beside me. Seeing that I woke up, he blew on the soup and raised his hand to feed me. I raised my hand in resistance and overturned the soup cup. The chicken soup he had carefully cooked was spilled all over the floor. He didn’t even frown. He just asked me if I was hungry. I said defensively, “You don’t have to be so hypocritical.” A trace of sadness flashed in his eyes, and just as he was about to explain, his phone suddenly rang. “Take some rest. I’ll be back.” I looked around, and it was full of snacks that I loved to eat. If it weren’t for the people who had lived with me before, they would never know my preferences. The tenderness that I had always dreamed of was now in front of me. But I just felt that he had other intentions. My colleague sent a message on my phone: [Quiana, the video of you and Mr. Scott has gone viral in the company!] My heart tightened. It turned out to be a video of Spencer and me being intimate in the company a month ago. It was spread by someone and labeled as indecent. It had caused a great impact, and even the investors of the Scott Group knew about it. I seemed to know why Spencer suddenly changed and became so gentle to me. He was in the golden period of his career development. If there was a scandal, he could only be temporarily hidden. Otherwise, it was easy to piss everyone off. It was impossible to suppress it, so he could only come out to clarify. But what could he clarify? Our relationship was not pure to begin with. I smiled bitterly when I remembered that when Taylor made a mistake, he decisively pushed me out to take the blame. Maybe he was using the same old trick again. I was discharged from the hospital before Spencer came back after answering the phone. I sent the packed luggage back to my home. Before boarding the plane, I asked my colleague to post a statement in the company chat group: [For three years, I deliberately approached Spencer. The video that was circulated recently was also me seducing him. Now, I have resigned. I have cut off all ties with the Scott Group and have nothing to do with it. Please don’t spread the relevant information.] My dad picked me up in person and took me back to our old house. The next morning, I received a call from Spencer. His tone was more flustered than I had ever heard. “Quiana, where have you been? Who allowed you to do this?”

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Six months ago, my husband, Matthew Wright, hired a stunning new secretary, Everly Tate. They were inseparable in public, always holding hands without a hint of shame. The entire company was waiting for me, the CEO’s wife, to become the laughingstock. Behind closed doors, they even placed bets that my husband would divorce me within three months. I watched them making out in the back seat of the car and calmly started recording on my phone. They were right about one thing, divorce was coming. But I would be the one walking away. I tapped on the car window. The window rolled down, and my husband’s face twisted with annoyance at the interruption. “Nicole Samson, Everly is just a secretary. Must you harass us every single day?” In the past, I would have made a scene. But now, I just smiled sweetly, “The house is all cleaned up. You’ll be much more comfortable there.” ***** When Matthew stepped out of the car to scold me, his wrinkled shirt still bore traces of lipstick. “Nicole, are you following me?” I shook my head and replied in a neutral tone, “I’m just shopping. I didn’t expect to run into you and her working here.” But Matthew wasn’t buying it. He grabbed my wrist tightly, speaking through gritted teeth. “Cut the act. Your comment was clearly implying something is going on between us. “I’ve told you many times, me and…” I cut him off with a smile. “I know, you guys are just colleagues. I must have seen wrong through the car window. I apologize to Ms. Tate.” I bowed my head apologetically without protest. A complete departure from my usual argumentative self. Matthew’s expression froze. I reached up to fix his collar, my fingers deliberately brushing over the lipstick mark. “Ms. Tate’s lipstick quality seems rather poor. Why don’t we go pick out a better one at the counter? My treat.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Matthew slapped me across the face. “Nicole, what’s with the snide remarks? “Evie is so busy every day that she doesn’t have time for these petty things.” I stood frozen in place. So he knew all along that busy people had no time for appearances. Yet he’d rejected my promotion application back then, citing my “unkempt appearance” as the reason. But none of that matters to me anymore. I kept recording on my phone until they walked out of the jewelry store, hand in hand, with two jade bracelets. I sent the video to my divorce lawyer. [These gifts he’s buying for his mistress. They count as our shared marital property, right?] The reply came quickly: [Yes, Ms. Samson. Are you sure you want to skip mediation and go straight to litigation? That might require more time for evidence collection and trial preparation.] I replied without hesitation: [Absolutely.] If he dared to have an affair during our marriage, he must be prepared to leave with nothing. Matthew was right about one thing. As someone with “nothing better to do”, I certainly have plenty of time to study these legal provisions. My phone chimed with a final message from the lawyer. [To prove the husband’s infidelity and violation of the prenuptial agreement, please continue gathering evidence discreetly, just as you did today.] Shortly after I got home, Matthew reluctantly returned as well. He tossed his perfume-scented shirt onto the couch and ordered. “I have a meeting tomorrow. Make sure you iron this again.” I nodded obediently, then dumped his dirty clothes on the floor. After throwing them in the washing machine, I prepared for bed. I already had trouble sleeping. Just when I finally dozed off, someone shook me awake roughly. “Get up. Everly called, saying her throat hurt. I need to go check on her.” My temples throbbed and my heart raced as I nodded weakly with a pale face. Then he added matter-of-factly, “Stop being dramatic and pretending to be sick. “Make an apple pie and drive it over later.” I pressed my throbbing temples, laughing with rage. “Apple pie, huh? Well, tell her to look forward to it!” But Matthew remained oblivious as he threw on his coat and rushed out. I opened Grabfood with practiced ease. Carefully selected and ordered an apple pie worth a whopping four dollars and fifty-six cents. To show my sincerity, I even transferred the pie from its cheap black plastic container to high-end dinnerware. I decided to deliver it personally. When I knocked on Everly’s door, Matthew answered with an irritated expression. “What took so long to make the pie?” Before I could speak, Everly, lounging on the sofa, cleared her throat theatrically. “Boss, don’t be so harsh! It’s late, and Nicole’s always been prejudiced against me. “It’s understandable if she didn’t want to deliver it.” Her words were sweet, but her eyes were full of challenge. I knew she was waiting for me to make a scene. But I just smiled and walked into her house with casual familiarity, cutting a slice of pie. “Isn’t your throat sore, Ms. Tate? You should rest your voice and eat something.” Everly’s expression turned complex as she stared at the appetizing pie in my hands. Matthew was taken aback, completely surprised by my sudden compliance. He snatched the pie from my hands and demanded, “What are you up to this time?”

“What am I up to?” I couldn’t help but laugh. Ever since Everly showed up, she had been walking all over me like she owned the place. And Matthew? He couldn’t be happier about it. I was blind before, either picking fights with Everly in public or getting into screaming matches with Matthew. In the end, everyone turned against me. They called me a drama queen who stirred up trouble for no reason. Looking back now, I really did mess up badly. Who was I to cause trouble anymore? I looked at Matthew, keeping my expression neutral. “Didn’t you ask me to bring the apple pie? Or is Ms. Tate allergic to apples?” I made sure to show a hint of concern. “Oh my bad, my bad! Matthew, quick, give me back the pie before Ms. Tate has an allergic reaction, and it affects her work!” I played both parts perfectly, reaching for the apple pie. After a couple of deliberate fumbles, I watched as the sticky pie spilled all over Everly’s clothes and the pristine white fabric sofa. Everly let out a startled cry. Her exposed skin at the neckline, where the apple pie had spilled, turned a rosy pink. Matthew’s eyes narrowed as he pulled Everly close and roughly shoved me away. The bowl in my hands shattered, slicing my palm and splattering blood across the floor. He ignored my injury completely and snarled, “What’s wrong with you? You’re almost thirty and useless! You can’t even hold a damn apple pie steady!” I was used to his rough treatment by now and just gritted my teeth while pressing down on the wound. Head bowed, I murmured, “I’m so sorry… the house isn’t really livable right now… “Perhaps Ms. Tate could stay at our place for the night?” The suggestion sounded absurd even to my ears. But it struck precisely the chord I intended. They were probably dying to spend more time together anyway, and it would give me perfect access to the dozen surveillance cameras I had at home. Sure enough, Everly couldn’t resist. Right in front of me, she draped herself around Matthew’s neck, deliberately pressing against him. Her pale pink skin peeked through the semi-sheer fabric as she tentatively offered, “Mr. Wright… maybe I should just go ahead and…” But his expression darkened as he pushed away the advancing Everly. “There’s no need for that! It’s too late to be moving around.” But Everly wouldn’t give up, clutching his hand with a wounded look. “But the apple pie burned my chest. It really hurts… And Nicole already agreed. Please take me home to put some medicine on it!” After a brief exchange, Matthew gave in to her request. Before leaving, though, there wasn’t a trace of a smile on his face. He just fixed me with a long, dark stare. I stood by the window, waiting until their car disappeared before sending Matthew a casual message. [I need to clean up the apple pie mess. I won’t be coming home tonight.] [Take care of Ms. Tate. Don’t wait up for me.] My phone helpfully chimed, indicating all cameras were connected to the cloud, ready for online storage and playback. I remained silent, a slight smile playing on my lips. When I arrived home the next day, I was surprised to find Matthew there. He looked up as I entered, his gaze heavy and his expression unreadable. “Matthew, why are you home?” Instead of answering, he grabbed my waist. “What was that about last night?” “Stop it!” I brushed his hand away, pretending not to understand. Heading straight to the kitchen, I said, “Is Ms. Tate’s throat still bothering her? I picked up some medicine this morning. Remember to tell her to come by the house…” Before I could finish, the medicine bag was suddenly snatched from my hand. Matthew’s face darkened as he roughly shoved me onto the couch. “Nicole, who are you trying to fool with this act? I’ve never seen anyone push their husband towards another woman!” He towered over me, his eyes filled with disgust. “Looks like you’ve found a new angle. You’re trying to make me sick by playing the perfect little housemaid, aren’t you?” I looked up at him and could only laugh at the absurdity. Once upon a time, I genuinely saw myself as his wife, repeatedly claiming my place whenever I needed to. But how did that end? With a harsh slap across my face and being thrown out of our home. Now that I had proof in my hands, I was finally showing him a bit of kindness. And somehow, that didn’t please him either. Men were such pathetic creatures. Anger flared in my chest as I shot him an icy glare. “I’m only concerned about Ms. Tate. After all, you said she’s your right-hand woman. Without her, the company’s operations would suffer. “I’m just thinking about the company.” But Matthew let out a sudden, scornful laugh. “We’ve been married for so many years. Why are you putting on an act?” In the next instant, he grabbed my collar and snatched a camera from the table. “You didn’t seriously think I wouldn’t catch on to your little scheme, did you? “What’s this? Stooping to such dirty tricks just to confirm your disgusting suspicions!”

My eyes widened as my heart jumped. Still, I forced myself to respond calmly. “They’re just security cameras. You’re the head of the household. They weren’t installed because of you.” As I spoke, I handed Matthew my phone, openly showing him the camera system’s backend. “If you want to check, I can share the backend access with you, too.” Matthew snatched the phone and immediately deleted last night’s footage. I pretended not to notice, deliberately putting on a dejected expression. “Matthew,” I began, my voice thick with emotion, “Do you realize you haven’t been home in two months? Not counting yesterday, that is.” My eyes welled up with tears as I looked down with a bitter smile. “It’s a huge house, thousands of square feet, and I’m all alone. I… I get scared sometimes, you know?” Matthew paused from browsing through the surveillance footage. “I was so frightened lately. I couldn’t sleep, so I installed about a dozen cameras. If you don’t like them, we can turn them off in the backend.” My calculated display of vulnerability immediately pleased Matthew. He pulled me into a protective embrace and said soothingly, “Let’s forget about this time, but tell me if you’re ever scared in the future. “Nicole, no matter what, you’re my only wife and the woman I love most. “Just stop picking fights with Everly, and after your birthday, we can try for a baby.” I nodded obediently while inwardly sneering. Soon after, my birthday celebration arrived. In our first year of marriage, Matthew had held my hand, his eyes full of love. “Nicole, whether we’re rich or poor, I promise I’ll always treat your birthday as the most important day of the year! “I’ll forever thank Heaven for sending me my one true love on this day!” He was indeed a man of his word. Even now with Everly as his mistress, he still threw me a grand birthday party. Of course, I might have been more touched if anyone had remembered to get a cake for the birthday girl. I stood among the well-dressed crowd in my everyday clothes, silently watching the couple holding hands on stage. What a perfect match. Under the guise of a “birthday party”, Matthew worked the room with a wine glass in hand, exchanging business cards left and right. They eagerly discussed various business collaborations and partnerships. Everyone had forgotten this party was meant to be my birthday celebration, everyone except Everly. As the wine flowed, the atmosphere reached its peak. Feeling irritated, I decided to leave. Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm. “Nicole, you’re the guest of honor! How can you leave so early? Don’t tell me you’re upset because Mr. Wright’s been busy with work all night?” I turned to face Everly’s beaming expression, my face darkening. Matthew spotted us from across the room and rushed over, pulling Everly into his arms. “Nicole, are you trying to start trouble with Everly again at a time like this?” He hissed, his eyes burning with anger. “You’re thirty now! Can’t you read the room like Everly does? “Are you really making a scene in front of everyone just because we didn’t get you a cake? Do you know how many cakes I could buy with the contracts I’ve secured tonight?” I smiled faintly at the growing impatience and disgust in his eyes. “Matthew, it’s just a birthday. There will be plenty more. Why would I be angry over something so small?” My smile, free of any resentment, only seemed to deepen the darkness in Matthew’s eyes. The glass in his hand froze midair. “What’s with the attitude? I threw you this huge party! What more could you possibly want?” I raised my glass and lightly clinked it against his. “I’m thrilled about such a grand party! Besides, these are just minor details. You and Ms. Tate just focus on having a good time.” Matthew snapped, gripping my wrist and hissing in my ear, “Fine, I admit I messed up! I’ll make it up to you with a vacation to Malt Island when I have time, okay?” I curved my lips into a smile. Back when I loved him, I knew he had trouble admitting his faults. Whenever he made the first move to apologize, I would forgive him unconditionally. But now, I couldn’t care less about his apologies. Tonight, I would destroy both him and his mistress. I pulled my hand away and smiled sweetly. “I need to grab something from the car. I’ll be right back.” When I returned, I held a black velvet box in my hands. I walked in and immediately linked arms with Everly, who stood beside Matthew and headed straight for the stage. As all eyes in the room turned to us, the large screen behind me went dark, then began playing the video automatically.   The two figures in the video became entangled the moment they entered the room. In just ten seconds of footage, several pieces of clothing were already scattered across the floor. The video ended with Matthew lifting Everly onto the bedroom bed, pinning her beneath him. As the screen went black, a spotlight suddenly illuminated Everly and me. Her face was as white as chalk. The microphone amplified my voice to fill the entire room. I turned to face Everly in her elegant attire and spoke with sincere politeness, “I’ve always known Ms. Tate to be meticulous and talented at her work. “However, I never realized she was so dedicated to performing such… round-the-clock services. “Since it’s my birthday today, I’d like to thank Ms. Tate for her hard work specially. “While my husband manages our family assets, I can at least offer Ms. Tate a vacation opportunity on the Malt Island.” Still smiling, I opened the small box in my hands. I removed a plain ring and placed it in Everly’s palm. “This ring is a bit tarnished, not worthy of me anymore. Consider it your gift.” As I announced this loudly, I caught sight of Matthew in my peripheral vision, restrained by my bodyguards. His eyes were bloodshot, fixed intensely on that single ring. It was our wedding ring. “Nicole, you fucking bitch!” he screamed. In a surge of rage, he somehow broke free from the two security guards and aimed a vicious kick at me. Chaos erupted instantly. Before I could process what was happening, Matthew grabbed my wrist in an iron grip and threw me into the car. The door slammed shut with a deafening bang. In the dim light, he wrapped his hand around my throat in a death grip. His words came out in a murderous hiss, “Nicole, have you lost your damn mind? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Blood vessels burst in his eyes as he stared at me with pure hatred. Trembling with fury, his hands tightened around my neck as if he wanted nothing more than to end my life right there. “You worthless whore, you actually… you actually dared to leak this! “And for what? Everly? That second-rate mistress? You’d destroy me for someone like that? “After I was going to make you the president’s wife of the Wright Group for life! It is how you repay me!” I was starting to black out. Driven by survival instinct, I frantically clawed at his hands when suddenly a phone rang like a death knell. The moment the phone was answered, I was finally released and began coughing violently. Through the phone came a panicked voice, shouting frantically, “Mr. Wright, the incident from the party has leaked!” Hearing this, Matthew immediately forgot about me. He rushed out the door. I took my time, waiting until he left before checking my phone. Sure enough, the topic was trending. [Wright Group’s internal party! CEO’s wife creates malicious rumors about female employees out of jealousy. Sources say the victim now suffers from depression. Will there be an official statement? @WrightGroupOfficial] The video had been edited, with my voice and lip movements replaced using AI. Combined with provocative screenshots and commentary, it had completely inflamed public opinion. [I heard the company maliciously fired this poor girl! That old witch is disgusting!] [Typical trophy wife behavior! She thinks every woman wants to steal her precious husband!] [Can someone dig up her social media accounts? We need to cyberbully her off the internet!] The comment section was flooded with vicious insults and curses. While scrolling, Matthew called again, his voice seething with anger. “You worthless piece of trash, I’m warning you! “Stay in the car and don’t move. If this mess isn’t cleaned up today, you can expect divorce papers, you bitch.” I let out a soft laugh, my voice oddly cheerful. “An amicable divorce? Oh, Matthew… you’re really living in a fantasy world.” The moment those words left my lips, I posted it. A pre-written post appeared on my profile. The post was simple, featuring just three pieces of evidence. A photo of our marriage certificate and a complete video from the birthday party… And finally, a court summons. [See you in court, Matthew.]

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I had been in a five-year relationship, and my fiancé, Charlie Atkinson, had never once given me a surprise. But on our anniversary, he had a pair of couple’s diamond rings and a box of liquor-filled chocolates delivered to me. I was allergic to alcohol, but I was still ecstatic and immediately posted it on Twitter. And then, his first love, Beatrice Chapman, left a comment: [Looks like some people treasure the trash I threw away.] It turned out that this “surprise” was originally meant for her. I decided to return the gift in person, only to walk in on the two of them, disheveled and tightly embracing. Charlie’s face darkened, and he scolded me viciously. “You’re always so paranoid. Beatrice and I were just talking about work. “Why are you always imagining things? If I were really with Beatrice, do you think I’d still be engaged to you?” In the past, I would’ve screamed, demanded answers, and lost control. But this time, I remained calm. I simply said, “You two are a perfect match. Congratulations.” ***** The couple’s diamond rings rolled to a stop at Charlie’s feet. He glared at me, sneering, completely indifferent. “Melany Robinson, what drama are you pulling now? “If you still want me to marry you, stop making a scene. Go home!” I ignored his insults. My gaze fell on the rings at his feet, and a bitter irony crept into my heart. He kept promising to marry me, but he had never bought a ring for me. Yet here he was, ordering a custom pair for another woman. When I got home, I posted on Twitter again. This time, I attached a photo from Beatrice’s profile of the two of them locked in an intimate embrace. I wrote just one sentence: [I’m letting you go. We’re done.] The post quickly gained traction, and friends and family started reaching out, but I didn’t respond to anyone. Meanwhile, the wedding planning group chat exploded. Charlie’s mother, Tiana Atkinson, tagged me directly, demanding: [Melany, what’s the meaning of your Twitter post?] I didn’t mince words and responded: [Your son cheated. I’m not getting married.] Charlie, who usually ignored group chats, replied instantly this time. He attached a picture of himself at work and wrote: [I’m at the office with my colleagues. Everything’s fine.] I calmly dropped all the incriminating photos Beatrice had posted onto the group chat. I asked: [Since when do colleagues hug and cling to each other like that?] [Charlie, don’t think you can fool me.] Even faced with undeniable evidence, Charlie still tried to shift the blame onto me. Charlie: [Melany, just because I’m not rich enough for you doesn’t mean you have to smear me like this.] [Didn’t you spend my money partying with other men at bars? I let it slide because I thought marriage would settle you down, but clearly, you’re insatiable.] I laughed out loud. I couldn’t believe how shameless he was. Right then, my father called. “You disgraceful woman! What have you done? Do you know how much embarrassment you’ve caused me? “Go and apologize to Charlie immediately! If you can’t marry into the Atkinson family, don’t bother coming back!” I pressed my lips together tightly, a bitter taste rising in my throat. My mother had passed away when I was young, and my father had never liked me. I had never felt an ounce of love from him growing up. In his eyes, my only value was marrying into a wealthy family. Every man I met was worse than the last. I thought my life would never improve, but later, I met Charlie. At first, he didn’t belittle me like he did now. He didn’t appraise me with that disgusting, objectifying gaze. But somewhere along the line, he changed. He stopped being kind and attentive. His words became sharp, his attitude cutting. I told myself he was just under too much pressure and tried to understand him. I swallowed my grievances and endured it all because I loved him. But I never thought the man I loved would become so repulsive. Now, I understood. Maybe this was who Charlie had always been. I had just been too blinded by love to see it. This time, I didn’t want to keep this relationship. As I packed my bags, Charlie finally came home. I didn’t plan to acknowledge him. He glanced at me with indifference as if the argument earlier in the day had never happened. “I’m hungry. Make me a sandwich.” I ignored him completely. His expression darkened. “Melany, you’re pushing it. Stop throwing a tantrum. “You’re mad because I didn’t celebrate our anniversary properly, right? I brought you cake. Stop saying I don’t care about you.” He shoved a slice of cake toward me. I glanced at it coldly and felt a wave of nausea. Not long ago, I’d seen Beatrice’s Twitter post. The diamond rings, the chocolates, the cake… Everything had been painstakingly prepared to win her over. And this cake was their leftovers. I tossed it straight into the trash and said calmly, “I’m not a beggar. I don’t need someone else’s scraps. “And I’m not a shelter. I won’t keep putting up with trash like you.”

The moment Charlie heard my words, his face darkened. “Melany, what’s that supposed to mean? “And you still have the nerve to scold me? Did you forget that I’ve been paying for all your expenses these past few years? I’ve been the one supporting you!” A sharp pain pricked at my heart, and I almost wanted to argue back. But when I saw the arrogance in Charlie’s eyes, the scornful, dismissive look, I suddenly felt exhausted. I realized that arguing with him was pointless now. It was my unconditional love that had emboldened him to behave this way. He had forgotten that it was me who stood by his side, helping him build his business so he could have the success he enjoyed today. I had never demanded wealth from him, nor had I cared about whether my sacrifices would pay off. All I wanted was to create a warm and happy home with him. Later, when he finally succeeded, he told me he didn’t want me to work so hard anymore. He asked me to quit my job and stay home to take care of our little home. He promised me he would marry me, and said he would give me a grand wedding. But in the end, his promises were worthless. Now, his eyes were filled with contempt and disdain whenever he looked at me. I had become nothing more than an “unreasonable, useless housewife”, in his words. Charlie’s arrogance stemmed from the belief that I owed him for his financial support. But he didn’t know that in the past five years, I hadn’t spent a single penny of his. Everything I used came from the savings I earned through part-time work in my free time. I took a deep breath and said, “Fine. You’re absolutely right.” I didn’t want to waste energy arguing anymore. I turned and continued packing my suitcase. Charlie’s expression darkened with displeasure, and he grabbed me by the arm. “Where do you think you’re going?” I shook off his hand and replied coldly, “I’m moving out tomorrow. Like I said, we’re done.” Upon hearing this, Charlie’s face twisted with anger. His voice rose in agitation. “Melany, are you joking? The wedding…” “I’m not joking!” I cut him off firmly before he could finish. “Charlie, are you still pretending at this point? If you can’t get over your first love, just say so. I’m not someone who clings to the past.” Charlie frowned deeply, but there wasn’t a trace of guilt in his eyes. Instead, he defended himself. “Beatrice and I are over. We’re just colleagues now. “As for those tweets and the gifts, they were nothing more than friendly gestures between coworkers. “I already told you, if there was really something between us, why would I bother marrying you?” As he spoke, he pulled out an exquisite little box from his pocket. Inside was a ring. “This is the wedding ring I carefully chose for you. I told you before that whatever others have, you’ll have, too. “You’ve always dreamed of us having our little home together, right? I want that, too. But now, just because of your baseless accusations, are you really going to deny everything we’ve built together?” I stood there, stunned and silent. My gaze fell on the ring in his hand, and for a moment, I felt a flicker of hesitation. I thought, “Did I overthink things?” Seeing that I hadn’t responded, Charlie didn’t get angry. Instead, his tone softened. “I shouldn’t have said those harsh words earlier. You should get some rest. I’ll head back to the office tonight.” With that, he gave me a light hug. Before I could say anything, he turned and walked out the door. The apartment fell silent again. I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Charlie’s words echoed in my mind over and over. I admitted that I still couldn’t let go of him. If he could truly change, I would be willing to forgive everything from the past. But that night, my sleep was restless. The next morning, I woke up to find a strawberry cake, my favorite, on the table. Beneath the cake was a small note written by Charlie. Charlie: [This cake is for you. Things are busy at work these days, but I’ll make it up to you soon.] I was caught off guard by the sudden change in his attitude. But I still smiled. Then came a loud, urgent knock at the door. It was immediately followed by the sound of two familiar male voices. “Melany! Open the door, now!” At that moment, a wave of irritation washed over me. My father had arrived, and he’d brought my younger brother, Cullen Robinson, with him.

I knew exactly why they were here. And I didn’t want to face them. But the knocking on the door grew louder, their voices more impatient. I knew they wouldn’t leave unless they saw me. So, I opened the door. “Dad…” I greeted him wearily, my voice flat and emotionless. The moment he saw me, he began to yell. “You idiot! Not answering your phone, ignoring my messages… What do you think you’re doing? Charlie’s such a catch! What more could you possibly want? And now you’re even thinking about calling off the wedding! “Do you have any shame? Sneaking off to drink with other men behind Charlie’s back? You’re disgusting!” I sighed and tried to explain, “Dad, it’s not what you think. This is between Charlie and me. He’s the one…” “I don’t care!” He cut me off sharply before I could finish. “You’d better stop this nonsense right now! Charlie’s willing to marry you, so you’re going to behave yourself and marry him!” “Exactly, Melany.” My younger brother Cullen chimed in, leaning lazily against the wall. He exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone casual. “You’re already engaged. What’s there to fuss about? “Besides, the money Charlie set aside for the wedding? I already used it to buy my car. You’re not backing out now, no way.” He raised an eyebrow, his smirk turning smug as he said, “Actually, why don’t you talk to Charlie for me? Get me a little more. I’m thinking of buying an apartment in the city.” I chuckled dryly and gave him a cold look, “I can’t help you. That’s his money, not mine.” “What are you talking about?” My father’s glare sharpened as his tone grew harsher. “Cullen’s your brother! Once you marry Charlie, we’ll all be family. And once you’re his wife, isn’t everything he has yours too? “Anyway, you’d better go apologize to Charlie. You’re marrying him, end of story! If you even think about canceling the wedding, I’ll die right here in front of you!” I felt drained. They weren’t interested in hearing me out, not even for a second. They only cared about pressuring me into making a decision. They’d been like this since I was a child. My feelings didn’t matter. The sacrifices I’d made didn’t matter. All they cared about was wringing every ounce of value out of me. I took a deep breath and said calmly, “I understand…” Satisfied with my response, they finally left me alone. When they were gone, I let out a long sigh of relief. I sat at the dining table, staring at the cake in front of me. My body felt heavy, my mind even more so. In the end, I gave in. I chose to bow my head and compromise. I decided I would find a time to sit down with Charlie and talk things through. If everything really were just a misunderstanding, I would marry him. But I hadn’t expected how naive I still was. Reality hit me hard. One day, as I was tidying up the apartment, I stumbled across a property deed tucked in a corner of the bookshelf. The address on it was for a unit in the apartment complex next door. Confused, I looked at the name listed under “Owner” and froze. It wasn’t Charlie’s name. It was Beatrice’s. My breath caught in my throat. A ridiculous thought flashed through my mind, one I didn’t want to believe. But the truth was undeniable. That apartment was a gift from Charlie to Beatrice. I stared at the document, struggling to process it. Images of the intimate photos Beatrice had posted on Twitter flooded my mind. I instinctively reached for my phone, wanting to call Charlie and confront him. I tried several times, but he didn’t pick up. After a long wait, he finally texted me back. [I was in a meeting. I’m busy today. Let’s talk later.] I took a photo of the property deed, ready to send it to him. But just as I was about to send, I hesitated. I exited the chat window, saved the photo to my phone, and carefully put the deed back where I found it. Then, I went to the apartment complex next door. When I reached the door of that unit, I froze. Charlie, who had told me he was at work, was standing there, knocking on Beatrice’s door.   The door swung open almost immediately. Beatrice stood there in a thin, revealing nightgown, her cheeks flushed and her voice playful, almost syrupy. “There you are. I’ve been waiting forever.” Charlie grinned, pulling her into his arms. “My bad. I’ll make it up to you in a bit.” He leaned in, pressing a deep, eager kiss to her lips. Beatrice giggled, gently pushing him away as if chastising him. “You’re just as bad as ever.” Charlie raised an eyebrow, his smirk turning mischievous. “Oh, I can be worse. Want to find out?” Without waiting for her reply, he swept her off her feet and carried her inside, slamming the door shut behind them. I stood there, frozen. Slowly, I lowered my phone. Step by step, I dragged my stiff body forward. Inside, their voices, laughter, whispers, and more spilled out clearly through the door. His ragged breaths mixed with her soft, teasing moans, peppered with words I wished I hadn’t heard. My legs locked in place. I covered my mouth, a wave of nausea crashing over me. When I looked down, my gaze landed on a trash bag by the door. My heart sank. Two used condoms sat conspicuously atop the bag. I didn’t need to guess who they belonged to. At that moment, clarity hit me, sharp and cruel. My earlier hesitation, my moments of doubt… They all felt laughable now. Charlie’s “late nights at work” were nothing more than passionate evenings with Beatrice. I didn’t know when they had started this. All I knew was that I had been a fool, left completely in the dark. The signs had always been there. Beatrice’s provocations were never subtle. But I had believed Charlie’s clumsy excuses. I finally understood why he kept delaying our wedding. Memories rushed back, one in particular, from four years ago. It happened when we had been dating for six months. I had just returned from a business trip, eager to surprise him. However, I overheard him talking with his friends. They teased him, saying I was better than Beatrice because I had helped him move on so quickly. But Charlie had dismissed it with chilling indifference. “No one compares to Beatrice.” Even so, I hadn’t given up. I believed that one day, he would see my sincerity. But I had forgotten one crucial thing. Someone who didn’t love you would never care, no matter how much you did. Looking at it now, I realized that this marriage I had hoped for was unnecessary. I didn’t even remember how I got home. Back in my apartment, I packed my things and booked a flight abroad, determined to leave that very night. But fate had other plans. I ran into Beatrice again. I tried to walk past her, ignoring her completely. But she called out to me. Arms crossed, she leaned against the wall, her tone dripping with mockery. “I heard you and Charlie are getting married. Congratulations.” I lifted my gaze to meet hers. My eyes caught the faint marks on her neck, red and unmistakably intimate. A wave of revulsion surged within me. My voice was cold. “What do you want to say?” I knew her well enough to sense the malice beneath her feigned politeness. Beatrice arched an eyebrow, her lips pulling up into a smug smile. “Just that. Congratulations! You’ve finally got what you wanted.” She gave my shoulder a light pat, her tone full of mock sympathy. “Charlie’s lucky to have someone as selfless as you.” With that, she turned to leave. I took a deep breath and called after her, my voice calm. “Beatrice.” She paused, glancing back. “What?” The sound of a slap echoed in the corridor as my palm connected with her cheek. Beatrice froze, staring at me in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Melany, are you crazy?” She raised a hand as if to strike back, then hesitated and let it fall. Covering her face, she adopted an air of helplessness, tears brimming in her eyes. “Beatrice!” A worried voice called out behind me. “Get away from her!” A large hand shoved me aside, and Charlie rushed past me to her side. I stumbled, my body lurching forward. Before I could catch myself, I tumbled down the stairs. Pain shot through me as I hit the bottom. Blood trickled from a gash on my forehead, my limbs throbbing from the fall. But Charlie didn’t even glance my way. He was too busy cradling Beatrice’s reddened cheek, his voice soft with concern. “Are you okay? Let me take you home and get this taken care of.” With that, he wrapped an arm around her and led her away, leaving me there without a second thought. I dragged myself up, my body aching, and went to the hospital on my own. After getting treated, I headed straight to the airport. While waiting for my flight, I opened my phone. Using Charlie’s account, I sent his colleagues everything, including the full story of us, evidence of his affair with Beatrice… As I stood at the gate, ready to board, my phone lit up with calls and messages pouring in nonstop.

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On my son Jasper Williams’ birthday, I personally prepared a feast, but my husband Henry Williams was late in bringing him back home. Just as I was about to call and ask, I received a photo from Jasper on his phone watch. “Look, my dad and the gentle Edith match so well. She isn’t a tomboy like you!” That night, they went to the theme park with Edith White and didn’t come back until the next morning. I sat alone at the dining table and finished the food by myself. This time, I decided to give up on my husband and son. ***** “Henry, let’s get a divorce.” I slammed the divorce agreement on the table, my tone icy. Henry, wearing an apron, seemed not to hear me and continued mopping the floor. I repeated myself again. Seeing he ignored me, I snatched the mop from his hands. “I’m talking to you. Are you even listening?” I had enough. Henry and Jasper treated me like air all day long. Henry ripped off his apron and tossed it on the table. “You want to divorce me over this small matter? “Jasper isn’t a robot. He just wanted to eat some fried chicken and have some fun at the amusement park. “I was just fulfilling Jasper’s wish. Is that wrong?” Henry stared at me with disgust as if I were a great sinner. Jasper had been weak since birth. The doctor specifically advised that his diet must be balanced and should not include fried food. He was also prone to bacterial allergies. With so many people at the amusement park, the chances of him getting sick were high. I had a thousand thoughts in my mind, but nothing came out. I realized they were not wrong. I was the one at fault. It was my stupidity to fall in love with Henry and give birth to an ungrateful son. I rubbed my temples. “Just sign the papers.” “Fine, you want a divorce, right? I’ve had enough of being a stay-at-home husband! “In other families, the men are in charge. Why should I be the one trapped in this home?” I couldn’t help but smirk sarcastically. He had once complained about how hard work was, begging me to support him. When I took on the burden of supporting the family alone, he said I looked down on him. Men were truly ungrateful. Jasper seemed to hear our argument and rushed out of the room, hugging Henry. “Dad, I want to be with you.” I maintained a stoic expression, as I had long expected this situation. To manage Jasper’s health, I was always strict with him while Henry played the gentle one. In Jasper’s eyes, Henry was the perfect dad. Hearing Jasper’s words, Henry looked at me with pride. He hugged Jasper and declared loudly, “From now on, I’ll earn money to support Jasper myself.” Henry had been out of work for so many years, not realizing that the job market was completely different now. But I didn’t remind him, just nodded. “Okay.” Hearing I agreed so readily, Henry and Jasper were stunned for a moment. But thinking of the freedom within reach, they soon beamed with joy. Henry quickly signed the divorce agreement. Fourteen years of marriage ended in just a few strokes. I left this house to them. I picked up the divorce agreement and returned to my room to pack my things. It was somewhat amusing. Every item in this home was bought with my money. Yet my personal belongings were so few that they fit into a single suitcase. As I exited with my suitcase, I saw Edith had bought a big bucket of fried chicken for Jasper. Chicken crumbs scattered all over the carpet. Jasper intentionally waved the drumstick in his hand. I pretended not to see and headed for the door with my suitcase. But Jasper shouted, “From now on, Edith will be my mom! You tomboy, after the divorce, surely no one will want you.” Saying this, he threw the bone in his hand at my head. I turned around and smiled at him. Jasper was taken aback. Then, in front of Edith, I stuffed all the fried chicken legs into Jasper’s mouth. “Don’t you love to eat that? Then I’ll let you eat your fill.” Jasper’s mouth was stuffed full, and he whimpered a couple of times before bursting into tears. Henry heard the commotion and rushed out of the kitchen, quickly taking the fried chicken from Jasper’s mouth. Then he glared coldly at me. “Get lost!” In front of him, I smashed everything in the house that could be broken. It was all mine. I wouldn’t let them use it even if I broke it all. I glanced back. The three of them stood closely together, like a family.

I carried my suitcase to the spacious apartment that I had bought earlier. The apartment had been renovated a year ago, and I initially intended to give it to Jasper as it was near the best high school. Now, it turned out to be a saving. I had just laid down, not yet calming my emotions, when I received a call from my stepmother, Tracy Flynn. She said she wanted to bring her son over to stay with me for some time. My mom passed away when I was very young. My dad, being a rough man who couldn’t care for a girl, married Tracy to take care of me. Tracy had a kind personality and got along well with me, almost like a friend. Later, she had a son with my dad named Andy Flynn. I tidied up the house. Before long, Tracy arrived with Andy. Tracy dressed very fashionably and immediately gave me a big hug. “Sweetheart, long time no see.” Andy also greeted me obediently. I nodded and asked Tracy, “Why didn’t my dad come?” She pouted, “Don’t you know? Your dad, that fishing enthusiast, would rather stay by his fishing pond every day.” I chuckled and invited them to sit on the sofa. I had originally planned to get them two bottles of water right away, but then I remembered something and asked Andy, “Andy, do you want some Coke?” He shook his head. “Thank you. But water is fine.” I secretly praised him for being such a health-conscious child. Tracy casually said, “Don’t spoil him. Just drink whatever you have.” I told Tracy about my divorce from Henry. She wholeheartedly agreed. Tracy gulped down some water and burped. “That man is a coward. It’s a good thing. “You have money and no man or child to burden you. Aren’t you thrilled!” Andy looked at Tracy. Tracy smiled sheepishly, “I didn’t mean you burdened me. I was just making an example.” I laughed. I rarely felt such a relaxed atmosphere when I was with Henry and Jasper. Most of the time, they would wear stern faces, listing all the things I did wrong and how I was too controlling. “By the way, Catherine, I need to discuss something with you.” Tracy suddenly sat up, blinking her big eyes at me. Every time she had a favor to ask, it was this way. I rolled my eyes at her. “Go ahead, what is it?” Tracy cleared her throat intentionally. “Andy’s school is holding a parent-child sports day next week, and parents must attend. “You know, I just scored concert tickets a few days ago. What a coincidence, they clash with the sports day.” So, Tracy unhesitatingly chose the concert. I pretended to be in a difficult position. “But that day…” Tracy gritted her teeth and pulled out her newly bought watch from her bag. I quickly took it. “Deal!” She gritted her teeth. “Catherine, you are too calculating!” I lowered my gaze and smiled, “Thank you for the compliment.” We hadn’t chatted for long when Tracy grabbed her bag and headed to leave. I asked, “Aren’t you going to stay overnight?” Tracy smiled sheepishly again. She had already arranged a trip with her good friends. She made up an excuse to borrow my place but actually wanted me to take care of Andy. Tracy vowed, “I’ll treat you to a big meal when I get back!” I knew Andy was well-behaved and obedient, so I agreed. Soon, it was afternoon, and it was time to prepare dinner. To entertain Andy, I decided to cook another meal myself. Just as I picked up the kitchen knife, he took it from me. “Catherine, I can handle it.” I lay back on the sofa, unable to help but sigh. Tracy really taught Andy well. He was sensible and cooperative. On the day of the sports event, I carefully put together an outfit for Andy. Suddenly, a hurried ringtone sounded. It was Henry calling. I glanced quickly and was about to hang up, but the voice assistant connected the call by itself. Henry’s anxious voice came through. “Jasper has a stomach ache. You need to come back and take a look.”

Before I could respond, the voice assistant answered automatically, “Call a doctor. What does that have to do with me?” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Henry fell silent for a moment. “Catherine, Jasper is your son. How can you be so heartless?” This time, the voice assistant didn’t get a chance to speak before I lazily replied, “Henry, if I remember correctly, we are already divorced. He is your son, not mine. “Besides, doesn’t he have a new mom now? You can go to her.” He seemed to want to say something else, but I immediately hung up and blocked his number. If it weren’t for his call, I would have forgotten about him altogether. Just to be safe, I blocked all his other contact methods as well. Andy dressed himself in a white sports outfit. I nodded approvingly. “You look clean and neat, very good!” When I arrived at Andy’s school, I realized he attended the same school as Jasper. I thought I had not been paying enough attention to Andy. Feeling this, I lightly patted his shoulder in embarrassment. Andy looked at me in confusion. “It’s nothing. Let’s check the bulletin board for the list.” Andy and I arrived at the sports field, and I immediately saw Jasper and Edith not far away. Edith smiled brightly as she held Jasper close, as intimate as if they were mother and son. I turned my gaze away and didn’t look at them anymore. But when Jasper saw us, he stormed over angrily. He pointed at Andy beside me and shouted, “Who is he? My dad called you, and you didn’t come back. Was it because of him?” Tracy hated Henry, so she hadn’t brought Andy to my house. She even said not to bring Henry and Jasper home during the holidays. Therefore, Jasper had never met Andy. I didn’t want to talk to Jasper. I grabbed Andy and started to leave, but Jasper wouldn’t let it go. He had a pale face. “He can’t possibly be your illegitimate child, right? No wonder you divorced my dad. Turns out you have another…” I slapped Jasper. “Jasper, do you have no manners at all?” Jasper glared at me fiercely. “You hit me for this bastard? This bastard can’t compare to me!” He looked Andy up and down several times. “For a weakling like him, how dare he participate in the competition? I’ll make sure you and this bastard lose badly.” After saying that, he dragged Edith away. Edith even turned back to me and smiled provocatively. I glanced at Andy. “How do you do in sports?” He replied, “Okay, I guess.” By the end of the competition, I realized Andy had been too modest. He was clearly an exceptional athlete. I had been working out for years, so Andy and I worked well together and successfully claimed first place. But since Edith ran slowly, Jasper and she ended up in last place. Jasper’s face looked extremely bad, and he ignored Edith when she tried to talk to him. Perhaps it was because of the dopamine released after exercising. I felt exceptionally joyful as if I had never been this happy before. Andy went to the convenience store to buy two bottles of water, but when he turned around, he couldn’t see me and started looking around. I waved at him. “Dear, I’m over here.” But Jasper also ran over. Andy looked at him curiously and handed the water to me. It was then that Jasper realized I had not been calling him. His face turned red with anger. “Not only do you have an illegitimate child, but you also call him dear?” Jasper was breathing heavily, his face turning red and green. I suddenly noticed that his reaction seemed not just due to anger. He was having an allergic reaction. With so many people at the sports day and after sweating, germs had taken advantage of him. Edith was still busy taking selfies with her phone. I kindly reminded her, “Jasper seems to be having an allergic reaction.” Edith glanced over and casually said, “It’s normal for young kids to have a red face after exercising.”   After saying that, she went to another corner to take selfies. This was Jasper’s idea of a “good mom”. I looked at Jasper with some sarcasm and took Andy away. Jasper felt itchy all over. When he saw I was leaving, he panicked. “Hey, aren’t you going to take care of me?” “What does that have to do with me? Go and find your mom.” I ignored him and walked out of the school gate, where I spotted Henry’s car not far away. Seeing me come out, he rolled down the window and looked at me. “Do you want me to give you a ride?” His car was still the one I bought. I pulled Andy along and got into my new car, driving away. After the concert, Tracy, like a runaway horse, went abroad to play. I knew it would be a long time before I could enjoy her promised feast. Andy moved in with me. Every time I came back from work, I was able to enjoy the meals he had prepared. I marveled at the kind of extravagant life Tracy was living. I even thought about letting Andy stay with me permanently. After dinner, I opened my phone, ready to handle some work-related matters. Suddenly, a voice call popped up, labeled “My dearest son”. I wondered if I had ever been that cheesy before. Without thinking, I hung up right away. After blocking Henry last time, I had forgotten to block Jasper. I treated them equally and blocked both of them. Finally, no one could bother me anymore. Andy finished washing the dishes and came out with grapes from the refrigerator. “Did someone just call you?” I bit my finger, staring at the notification just sent in the workgroup, casually answering, “Yeah, harassment call.” He looked puzzled. “But it sounded like a WhatsApp call.” After a while, I finally saw my name on the promotion list sent by the HR department. “Oh yes!” I jumped for joy and hugged Andy. “I got promoted! What do you want to eat? It’s on me!” He washed the grapes in his hands and cautiously said, “Grapes?” I was somewhat speechless. “Can’t you have some ambition?” “Then ten portions of grapes.” I gave up trying to ask Andy what he wanted. I opened my phone and made a reservation at a high-end restaurant days later. When Henry couldn’t reach me on the phone, he blocked my way on my way to the office. He gritted his teeth. “Catherine, you are too ruthless! You blocked all my contact methods. That’s impressive.” “Should I keep you in my contacts to annoy me?” I rolled my eyes at him and walked ahead. I still had to go to work. I cursed Henry under my breath for wasting my time and affecting my ability to earn money. But Henry didn’t notice my impatience at all. He followed me. “Jasper’s class is scheduled for an outdoor study next week, and it requires 50 thousand dollars.” I crossed my arms and scoffed, “Fifty thousand dollars? So what?” He rubbed his nose. “Did you think after our divorce, you’d be free of responsibilities? Legally, you have to pay for Andy’s support! “And to you, that’s just pocket change.” I shot back, “Didn’t you say you were going to make your own money?” Henry argued confidently, “Well, I need some time to adapt. Why do you react so strongly when it comes to money? As if I am always spending yours.” I opened my phone and scrolled through the bills. “You want to talk about money? Do you want me to calculate how much I’ve spent over the years?” Perhaps feeling guilty, Henry changed the subject. “You only know money. Edith is nothing like a vulgar woman like you.” I smiled faintly, “Is that so? Why don’t you take a look behind you?” “If you don’t want to give me money, just say so. What are you playing at?” Henry frowned and turned to look behind. Edith was leaning against the wall not far away, smoking and on the phone. She had a sinister smile on her face, different from her usual gentleness. “Let’s change our target. Henry is just a man who lives off women.”

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My name was Evelyn Luis. The day I suddenly suffered from a heart attack, only my son, Matthew Luis could save my life as he was the chief thoracic surgeon at Central Hospital. But when I called him, he was busy helping his first love’s cat give birth. “Can you stop making a scene? You actually cursed my mom. So disgusting!” Matthew hung up without hesitation, leaving his wife, Lila Collins, watching helplessly as I died despite the efforts to resuscitate me. Later, at my funeral, the room was filled with mourning. The well-dressed Matthew collapsed on the ground, pleading desperately, “Mom! Mom! Please don’t leave me.” I found it truly laughable. At that moment, he forgot his scheming first love. ***** I lay on the cold emergency bed, struggling to make a sound through the oxygen mask. I gasped for breath, my heart in excruciating pain, unable to get out a complete sentence. “Lila… Matthew… Matthew…” I felt my time was running out, and I looked at Lila, who was anxiously beside me, wanting to ask where Matthew had gone. Fortunately, Lila understood what I meant. She held her phone and gave me a reassuring smile. “Evelyn, he is on his way. Don’t worry. He will make it!” As she said this, I didn’t believe her. Just moments ago, I clearly saw her answer the phone and then hang up shortly after, her anxious expression only deepening. “Call… Call him!” I struggled to speak. Unable to resist, Lila made another call to Matthew right in front of me. The moment the call connected, surprise crossed Lila’s face as she hurriedly spoke, “Matthew, your mom is in critical condition!” The voice from the phone was loud, and I immediately heard a woman giggling. “Is that you, Lila? My little cat is giving birth. Matthew has to be here with me. Can’t you let him have just a little freedom? “If something happens to my cat, it would be five lives lost. You wouldn’t be so vicious, right?” Lila tried to say more, but the woman abruptly hung up the phone. She looked up at me, forcing a strained smile. “Evelyn, Matthew said he is on his way, but there’s traffic. We just have to wait a bit longer.” My heart ached even more, and the emergency machines began to alarm. The doctors gathered around me quickly. A young doctor approached Lila and handed her a document. “I’m sorry, but please sign this critical condition notification. “If we don’t get our chief here for emergency surgery within half an hour, she might…” I knew the “chief” was referring to Matthew. Lila trembled as she signed the critical condition form, then she repeatedly dialed Matthew’s number on her phone. I looked at her, feeling utterly hopeless. Matthew’s father died before he was born. For all these years, I had played both mother and father, enduring countless hardships to raise him properly. When he got accepted to medical school, he brought me his admission letter, promising that he would repay me well. I never expected, in the end, this was how he would repay me. Doctors came and went, leaving only machines to sustain my life, which was rapidly approaching its end. Lila cried in desperation, but she didn’t stop trying to call. She was a thoughtful girl. Over the years, she had treated me almost like her own mother. Perhaps I shouldn’t have pushed her to marry Matthew back then. If I hadn’t, she wouldn’t have had to struggle to maintain this loveless marriage, which also wasted her youth. I shed a tear of regret, only to hear her voice rise in shock and anger. “Matthew, your mom had a heart attack! You need to come to the hospital for surgery to save her!” A flicker of hope reignited within me. But Matthew’s words shattered my hope. “Lila, can you stop lying? “Your old tricks don’t work anymore, and now you’re cursing my mom. You truly are malicious!” After hearing this, Lila lost her composure and shouted, “Matthew!” In the end, she couldn’t persuade Matthew, and she could only stand by my bed, holding my hand while wiping her tears. I didn’t blame her. If I were to blame someone, it would be myself for raising an ungrateful son without realizing it. Their flawed marriage perhaps should never have existed from the start. I struggled to speak, my voice so faint that she had to lean close to hear me. “Lila, after I’m gone, if you want a divorce, go ahead. I am sorry.” My heart ached more and more, and dark spots began to cloud my vision. Suddenly, I felt a sense of liberation wash over me. I floated in the air, watching as the cardiac monitor turned into a straight line. Lila held me, crying uncontrollably. Nurses rolled away my lifeless body, leaving Lila standing alone in the hospital corridor, dazed. I didn’t know how long it passed, but eventually, she seemed to remember something, took out her phone, and first saw Matthew’s social media update. Matthew: [Witnessed the miracle of life again with my beloved.] The accompanying photo was of him with a young girl and four little kittens. Upon closer inspection, a surge of anger erupted within me. I recognized that young girl.

That girl was named Annie Crawford, and she was Matthew’s girlfriend during college. When I first met her, she pretended to be innocent and kind, but in reality, she was a vain and materialistic person. After I exposed her true nature, she claimed, “Boys from single-parent families are all mama’s boys,” and demanded that Matthew cut ties with me. We had a lot of quarrels over it back then. In the end, she left Matthew on her own. I never expected that Matthew would rekindle his relationship with her. Outside, the rain poured heavily. Lila used the location from Matthew’s social media to find the pet hospital where they were. I saw Matthew and Annie sitting closely together on a bench in the pet hospital. In the warm, soft lighting of the pet hospital, they exchanged a passionate kiss filled with affection. No wonder Matthew didn’t care that his biological mother was dying in the hospital, nor did he care about his wife’s desperate cries. It turned out it was because he had his first love by his side. I knew from the social media post that they were together but seeing it with my own eyes still made my heart ache even more than when I was having a heart attack. He knew Annie had stirred up trouble between us, yet he remained lost in his world of affection, making me wait for help and ultimately dying in the emergency room. Lila was soaked and looked disheveled from the rain. Seeing their intimacy, she rushed in and slapped Matthew across the face. Her eyes turned red, and her voice trembled. “How can you still be so happy? “Matthew! It is because of you that Evelyn died! “Do you know that Evelyn kept her eyes open until the end, wanting to see you one last time?” But Matthew didn’t believe her at all. He tightly grasped Lila’s wrist. “Lila, are you done causing a scene? “Isn’t it enough that you lied to me over the phone? Do you have to come here and embarrass yourself?” Lila shook with anger, completely ignoring the curious gazes around them. “I didn’t!” “You didn’t? Mom got annual check-ups, and her heart was never an issue. How could she suddenly have a heart attack? “My mom treated you like a daughter. Why did you curse her?” I watched as Matthew fiercely protected Annie, who nestled in his arms, while he turned aggressive and violent toward his wife. He studied medicine for eight years yet didn’t understand that even healthy individuals could suddenly suffer from heart problems. He simply didn’t care about me or his wife. He was just finding excuses for his favoritism toward Annie. I realized this, and I felt the endless coldness. When did Matthew become such a despicable person? Lila was brought to tears by his harsh words. But she didn’t leave. She even wanted to show Matthew the payment records on her phone. At that moment, Annie snatched her phone away and threw it on the ground. “Lila, we’re in a hospital. My little cat is inside undergoing surgery. Don’t you know that hospitals need to maintain silence? “You have no manners in public and curse Matthew’s mother privately. Matthew is so unlucky to have you as his wife!” There were many onlookers in the pet hospital who started to criticize Lila. “She is truly a social disgrace.” “How can such a woman attract any man?” “She is drenched in the rain and wearing a white shirt. She isn’t trying to use that to lure her husband back home, is she?” I was a university professor who had never clashed with anyone in my life and had never heard such filthy language before. I wanted to shield Lila from the insults, to cover her ears so she wouldn’t hear these slurs, but I could only watch helplessly as my translucent hand passed through her body. Matthew listened to the crowd’s comments, feeling humiliated. He harshly said, “Annie is right. A woman like you doesn’t deserve to be my wife. Lila, we are getting a divorce!”

That was what I wanted Lila to do, but it was brought up first by Matthew. During their years of marriage, although they were not deeply in love, at least they maintained a courteous relationship. Matthew was busy with work, hardly paying attention to his family. Without Lila’s support, his life would surely have been a mess. Yet Matthew completely failed to see Lila’s contributions. Even when Lila was publicly criticized, he would still stab her in the back. I turned to look at the crumbling Lila, eager to wipe her tears away. But I could only watch as she bit her lip, suppressing her sobs as she asked Matthew, “Matthew, have you thought it through? If you don’t leave with me today, you won’t have another chance. “Do you really want to be with the woman that Evelyn disliked the most while she was alive?” As soon as Lila finished speaking, the surgery room door swung open. Annie’s cat was wheeled out. So, no one cared about Lila’s question or my death news. They held hands together, softly comforting the cat that was still under anesthesia. The doctor spoke to Annie about post-operative care. But Matthew suddenly turned around, glancing at the disheveled Lila as if she were a stranger. This time, Lila didn’t try to hold him back. I watched her clench her fists and quietly say, “Evelyn, I really tried my best. Please don’t blame me.” I felt both touched and sad, almost shedding tears. I wanted to tell her what a good girl she was and that I could never blame her. Though it had only been a few minutes, I had already seen it clearly. Matthew was no longer the Matthew I once knew. He was clearly the murderer who caused my death. The only one who still treated me like family was Lila. Meeting Lila and having this time together made me feel like the luckiest person. The next day, Lila took me to the funeral home. In front of other people’s cremation furnaces, there was a crowd of family members weeping and mourning. But in front of my furnace, there was only Lila. She cried all night, and now she couldn’t cry anymore. Only silence remained. The crematorium staff asked her to sign the confirmation form. Her hands trembled, and she couldn’t bring herself to sign. Instead, she picked up her phone again. She texted Matthew, telling him that my body was at the funeral home. But the reply Lila received was just a cold, hard “get lost.” That brief response stung my eyes. Even though I had experienced Matthew’s indifference the day before, at the final moment, I still held onto some hope. I hoped he could believe Lila and come to see me one last time. After all, he was my only son. I watched him grow from a tiny baby into such a formidable man. I had also fantasized about holding his child in my arms, sharing family bliss together. Now I ended up with such a result. Lila turned off her phone screen and resolutely signed her name. “Evelyn, rest in peace.” When the crematorium door closed, my body completely vanished from this world, leaving behind only a handful of ashes. Lila held my ashes, sitting on the steps at the entrance of the funeral home. She sat in a daze for a long time before finally making a call. “Matthew, didn’t you say you wanted a divorce? “Let’s go to court tomorrow.” As she spoke, she affectionately touched the urn in her arms with her forehead. I knew she was asking me if I had seen her fulfill my last wish.   “Lila, what is wrong with you, acting crazy all the time?” Matthew’s impatient voice came through. “When you are done making a scene, go home and cook. I have surgery this afternoon.” Upon hearing this, I watched Lila’s last glimmer of hope fade away. All these years of marriage, her value seemed to be just that of a cook. “I’m not making a scene. Didn’t you say last night that you wanted a divorce? I’ll fulfill your wish. You…” Matthew’s voice turned angry. He interrupted Lila without hesitation. “Are you going to hold a grudge with me because of something I said out of anger? “I didn’t blame you for cursing my mom yet. But you are being unreasonable.” I saw Lila let out a long sigh. “Believe it or not, that’s the truth. You won’t get to see her one last time anyway.” He scoffed, “Why should I believe you? “You are using something so serious as a joke. Don’t you feel guilty? “Lila, you really have no moral bottom line. Why don’t you just become a prostitute?” The call was hung up abruptly. I was both shocked and furious. I couldn’t believe such words came from Matthew. I had always thought their marriage, though not deeply affectionate, was at least harmonious. But in reality, I was wrong. Dead wrong. If I had known they interacted like this regularly, I would never have supported their marriage. Lila was a good girl. She deserved to marry someone better. What surprised me even more was that even after being treated this way by Matthew, Lila didn’t get angry. She calmly walked out of the funeral home, holding my ashes. In an instant, guilt and heartache washed over me. I watched her thin figure as I repeatedly apologized. “Lila, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry!” After that call, Lila took me back home. She stayed at home for three days, waiting for Matthew, hoping to discuss my funeral arrangements with him, but she didn’t even catch a glimpse of him. Left with no choice, she had to invite others to organize a memorial service for me. On the sixth day after my death, the memorial service started. Colleagues from academia, my superiors, teachers, and many doctoral and graduate students I had guided all arrived at the scene. I looked at their red-rimmed eyes and felt pain as well. I hadn’t finished grading my students’ papers, and my newly approved project had just begun to take shape. If only Matthew had come to the hospital that night, perhaps I wouldn’t have lost my students, my career, and my life. As I looked at them, I felt resentment toward Matthew for the first time. Just when everything was proceeding smoothly, there was suddenly a commotion at the entrance. Matthew stormed in with a face full of anger and grabbed Lila, who had been bravely holding the memorial service together. “Lila, I didn’t expect you to be so shameless. “You need to know where to stop with your lies! How could you really joke about my mom’s life!” He yanked at Lila’s collar, his eyes nearly spitting fire. “All these people are my mom’s colleagues and students. What will she do to go back to work or teach after this?” Lila might have been disappointed in Matthew, or perhaps she just didn’t want to ruin my final moments on earth. She tore Matthew’s hand away fiercely and pointed at the urn placed in front of my portrait. With every word, she questioned him, “I’m lying? Evelyn treated me so well. I’d have to be crazy to do so! “Weren’t you busy helping little kittens give birth? Why didn’t you switch careers to be a vet? “How can someone like you, who has no ethics, deserve to be a doctor? You wouldn’t even save your own mother when she was dying! “Just for those few animals, you personally sent your mom to her death!” Her haggard face was stained with tears, and she looked more like someone who had lost a loved one than my own son.   Perhaps Lila spoke so sorrowfully that Matthew seemed to believe her words, looking momentarily flustered. But the next second, as he faced the disapproving gazes of all the mourners, it was as if he suddenly remembered something. He snatched the urn placed in front of my portrait. “You’re talking nonsense! My mom has annual check-ups and has never had any serious health issues! “I’m a heart doctor. No one understands her heart health better than I do. “My mom could never have heart disease. Lila, you must be exposed!” Seeing him lift the urn high, Lila visibly panicked. “Don’t! Matthew. Put down Evelyn’s urn!” He looked at the frightened Lila and scoffed, “Are you scared? It seems like it’s just filled with flour to fool people.” Saying this, he hesitated not at all and slammed the urn to the ground. “No!” Lila was terrified, nearly falling apart. She lunged for the urn but still missed it by a hair. The clay urn shattered upon hitting the ground. The last remnants of my existence were scattered everywhere. Gray-white ashes spilled out, blending into the carpet. The room erupted in chaos. I was an intellectual born into a wealthy family. Growing up, I worked hard and lived a respectable life. I had never imagined that my final fate would be having my own son scatter my remains before all the people I knew. I recalled how proudly I spoke about Matthew in the past and suddenly felt utterly ridiculous. At that moment, even as a spirit, I trembled uncontrollably. Lila knelt on the ground, trembling as she tried to gather my ashes, even if it was in vain. Her tears uncontrollably fell into the white ashes as if crying for me. “You are still pretending? With such good acting skills, why don’t you become an actress?” Seeing Lila’s sorrow only deepened Matthew’s disdain. He raised his foot and stomped on my ashes, also stepping on Lila’s hand. “This is just a pile of flour. You wouldn’t think that because you shed a few tears, I would believe your nonsense, would you?” As he spoke, he pressed hard on Lila’s hand. “Lila, you insulted my mother like this. I’ll make you pay!” Just then, the old dean of the college I had worked at finally arrived, leaning on his cane. Seeing this scene, he angrily struck Matthew with his cane. “You wretched boy, how could you not know your mother has passed away? “And you’re causing a scene at her memorial service!” Seeing the highly respected old dean in the academic world, Matthew finally calmed down. He stared in disbelief at the powder beneath his feet and stood there stunned for a moment before saying, “Sir, have you also been bribed by this bitch?” “Nonsense!” the teaching secretary, who was supporting the dean, frowned. “Two days ago, your wife submitted Prof. Luis’ death certificate to us, or we wouldn’t have organized for students and teachers to come to mourn.” “What? A death certificate?” It wasn’t until that moment that Matthew seemed to wake from a dream. He looked incredulously at the room full of mourners, taking a step back and uncontrollably sitting down. “How could this be?” He lowered his head in disbelief, reaching down to touch the powder still marked with his shoe prints. The difference between ashes and flour was obvious. He couldn’t possibly mistake it. “This is my mom’s ashes? “My mom is dead?”

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After I gave Arthur Hastings, the man who raised me for twelve years, the antidote, he started avoiding me like the plague. When I finally decided to tell him I was pregnant, I found him at home with Grace Fairfax, a famous actress signed to his company. Seeing me, Grace smirked. “So this is the delicate beauty Mr. Hastings keeps hidden away in his golden cage? The rumors were true.” He wrapped his arms around Grace and headed toward the bedroom without even looking back. Don’t mind her, he said dismissively. “She’s just the kid I raised for someone else.” I gave a bitter laugh, went to the hospital to get rid of the baby, and left Claudia that very night. ***** I was like a pampered flower blooming in a wealthy estate, showered with affection since childhood. But after the pillars of my family passed away one by one, my beauty became my curse, with every man in the estate wanting to taste the forbidden fruit. If it weren’t for Arthur, I would have been devoured by their hungry wolves long ago. He was my father’s close friend and the head of the Claudia elite family, always looking out for me. If he couldn’t reach me for two hours, he would turn the entire Claudia estate upside down to find me. But all this protection was withdrawn a month ago. That night, he was drugged by his enemies. I took off my red dress and embraced him on my own accord. After he woke up, he avoided me like the plague. I thought he was just shy, struggling to accept our changed relationship. But yesterday, he brought a woman home and spent the entire night with her in the study next to my bedroom. Like a masochist, I pressed my ear against the wall all night until dawn broke. My tears had all dried up. Finally, I realized the truth. He had never loved me. The maid, Kelly Thornton, knocked on my door. “Ms. Birch, today’s ingredients are ready.” At six o’clock, it was time for me to prepare Arthur’s daily meals. Ever since I moved into Hastings Manor, I hadn’t missed a single day. Even though I knew perfectly well that Arthur had his nutritionist and didn’t need my help, I still carefully packed all the meals. I’d even sneak in a heart-shaped decoration. He’d brush it off, saying, “Don’t bring any more next time,” but his plate would always end up empty. I’d smile sweetly and promise it was the last time, yet the next day would be no different. I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Love made me both presumptuous and contentedly humble. But now, I found myself saying, “No need, Kelly. I won’t be making them anymore.” Whether he ate not or adequately was no longer my concern. I packed up my belongings. It was time to leave Hastings Manor. Better to leave on my terms than wait for Arthur to show me the door. At least I could keep my dignity. That evening, when Arthur returned, he handed his coat to the servant and strode toward me. “Aria, where’s today’s lunch?” I kept my eyes down, took a sip of water, and replied casually, “What lunch?” I focused on my packing checklist, making sure everything would be easy to pack. When I finally looked up after a while, I noticed he’d been staring at me with furrowed brows. I feigned surprise, “What’s wrong?” He stood there as usual, but I couldn’t help noticing a hint of hurt in his eyes. “Why didn’t you bring me lunch today?” I curved my eyes into a smile and chuckled softly, “Weren’t you against me seeing you off? It works better, anyway. Less stress for both of us. Is something wrong?” Arthur clenched his jaw at my puzzled expression. “Nothing.” He coldly said and turned away. He was angry, but I no longer cared. I used to love him too much, always anxious and desperate to guess his thoughts, terrified of making him unhappy. I spent twelve years loving him cautiously, creating an unbearable burden for us both. It was finally time to wake up. After packing several boxes of belongings, I went to bed early. Tomorrow morning, I had an appointment to terminate the pregnancy. The following day, Grace, the glamorous actress, all dolled up in heavy makeup, sashayed around in her silk pajamas, bossing Kelly around like a queen. She glanced at me, her eyes filled with mockery and amusement. “Hey, little canary!” I fidgeted with my hands, refusing to acknowledge the label. Everyone seemed to think I was just some delicate flower clinging to Arthur for dear life. Unfazed by my silent protest, she shoved a black card into my hand. “Mr. Hastings is something else, you know? It was rough with me all night, but he still remembers to give you your allowance for next month. Here you go.” I smiled faintly and pushed the card back. “No, thank you.” “Throwing a tantrum, are we?” “There’s no need to give me an allowance anymore. Thank you for everything, Mr. Hastings.” Grace didn’t say a word, but suddenly, a hand clamped down on my wrist, the grip like iron. I turned to see Arthur, his face pale, his hawk-like eyes bland into me. “Aria,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “What do you mean by that?”

I tried to pull away slightly, but he tightened his grip, his expression resolute. With a soft laugh, I said, “You’ve given me enough over the years, Arthur. More than enough for my next life.” His expression softened, and he finally let go of my wrist, turning to Grace and showering her with affection, leaving me standing there alone. I discreetly rubbed my wrist, where his hand had been, feeling the lingering warmth. I had to be crazy. For a moment there, I actually felt like he didn’t want me to leave. I gathered my documents and prepared to leave for the clinic. Arthur, unusually, was still at home. He sat on the sofa, reading the newspaper. Seeing me with my bag, he frowned and asked, “Where are you going?” I tightened my grip on the strap of my purse and lied, “Just going for a walk.” Arthur’s eyes narrowed, and his lips thinned. “Aria, you always fidget when you lie.” I pressed on, “I really do have an appointment. I have to go.” “Stop.” His single word halted me in my tracks. “Damn it,” I cursed inwardly. Years of being under his thumb, years of ingrained obedience, and even now, I couldn’t slip away to get a simple abortion done without him knowing. He led me to the walk-in closet, a room filled with dresses of every kind. “Pick one. We’re going to Grace’s birthday party tonight.” I looked at the tall, handsome man in front of the full-length mirror and, for once, dared to talk back. “What’s her birthday got to do with me?” Arthur was silent for a moment, then bent down and whispered in my ear, “Aria, you’re the only family I have left.” Family… My eyes stung. It was a relationship forever confined to its boundaries. I turned away, pushing him out the door. “Yeah, yeah, I got it. I’ll be ready soon.” As the curtain fell behind me, a tear slipped down my cheek. Perhaps out of defiance, I deliberately chose a red dress with a plunging neckline that dipped all the way to my navel. I stepped into a pair of strappy stilettos, the picture of glamour. Arthur took one look at me, his brow furrowing like a mountain range. “What are you wearing?” “Just trying to look good for a party,” I replied innocently. “Wouldn’t that make me more appealing?” Arthur bit his tongue as he reached into the garment bag and roughly pulled out a frilly white dress, the kind that would swallow me whole. “Wear this,” he demanded. I didn’t understand his sudden hostility. For the first time, I defied him. That night, I wore a backless purple dress. My shoulder blades, stark against my fair skin, jutted out slightly like a butterfly about to take flight. As Arthur and I entered the ballroom, all eyes were on us. It wasn’t just my beauty that drew their attention, but also our status. Arthur’s name held weight in the capital’s elite circles, enough to make the entire room flock to him. Business tycoons lined up to clink glasses, and after settling me at a table, he turned to greet them, navigating the crowd with an effortless grace. He was like the moon in the night sky, noble and elegant. I had dreamed countless times of reaching for that moon. But when Arthur and Grace, hand in hand, announced their engagement in front of everyone, I knew the moonlight I had stolen was only temporary. From the audience, my eyes met Arthur’s across the room. I laughed, tears streaming down my face, and raised my hand to applaud him. My palms stung from the force of it. He faltered for a moment, then quickly looked away. Grace and Arthur approached me, wine glasses in hand. She leaned against him, her smile radiant with happiness. “You’re Mr. Hastings’ relative, which naturally makes you mine as well. This toast is for you.” I held my wine glass, feeling a little awkward. In the past, he would never have let me drink alcohol outside. I glanced at Arthur, who seemed to have no intention of intervening today. With a slight curve of my lips, I drained the glass in one gulp and said calmly, “Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness together.”

Something was wrong with the drink! The realization hit me like a ton of bricks, and I found myself crouched in a bathroom stall, vision blurring. I dialed Arthur’s number over and over again, but it went straight to voicemail. Panic clawed at my throat. Who could I trust? Footsteps hurried past the stall, then stopped right outside my door. A chilling voice slithered through the cracks. “Found you.” I screamed, but my cries were met with silence. The flimsy stall door burst open, and a hulking, bearded man barged in. I swung my stiletto heel with all my might, but it was no use. He clamped a hand over my mouth, his other hand roaming my body with disgusting familiarity. His lips trailed down my neck, leaving a sickeningly wet path. Just as despair began to consume me, Arthur’s voice suddenly broke through from the other side of the door. “I’ll send Aria away. You don’t have to worry about it.” My heart skipped a beat. “Can you really let her go? After all these years,” Grace’s sweet voice echoed. “You know better than anyone how I feel about that.” “I can tell that girl still wants to marry you.” “Hah, maybe in the next life.” The sound of passionate kissing erupted from behind the door. I let out a bitter laugh as tears streamed down my face. Just a wall away, yet one side was hell, the other heaven. A sharp pain suddenly shot through my abdomen, and blood pooled around me on the floor. A muffled cry of agony escaped through the man’s palm pressed against my mouth. “Mmph…” Outside, Arthur suddenly snapped to attention and kicked the bathroom door open. He found me collapsed on the floor, clothes partially torn, in a pitiful state. His eyes blazed with fury as he slammed the man’s head against the sink. Again and again, each impact drew more blood. He attacked like a man possessed. No one dared approach him, not even Grace. He held me close, my blood staining his clothes, but he didn’t seem to care. “Find out who did this! Now!” His voice was raw with fury. “Where’s the doctor? Get a doctor here!” He ran like a madman, searching for a doctor, holding me tightly in his arms. As I drifted off to sleep, the last thought that flickered through my mind was the loss of our child. Arthur and I were truly over. From that day forward, Arthur confined me to the villa, refusing to let me step outside. Even for a casual stroll, he insisted on having me constantly watched. But I didn’t want to drown in this kind of suffocating care anymore. I had to leave. The flight was scheduled for tonight. If I missed it, who knew when the next chance would come? I reached the door, and Arthur’s domineering voice boomed from behind. “Where do you think you’re going?” I took a deep breath. “Arthur, you can’t keep me locked up like this forever.” “You know I can. ” My hands clenched into fists, knuckles bone white. “I love you,” I choked out. He froze. “What?” I locked eyes with him, forcing the words out. “I said, I love you. “Being near you, all I can think about is touching you, kissing you, being with you as your lover. “You think that night was a mistake? I planned it. I thought, if you fell for my body, maybe you’d…” Arthur’s face darkened. “Shut up!” he roared. I stood frozen as he stormed toward me. “I raised you for twelve years. Was it for you to throw away your self-respect, your self-worth like this? “I will never love you. We have no future. Give up.” See? I didn’t need any tricks. All it took was baring my heart, and he recoiled. A bitter smile twisted my lips as I watched him walk away. Kelly watched all this, her heart aching. “Ms. Birch,” she said, “why are you hurting yourself like this?” I shook my head and went back to my room. I didn’t bring a single gift Arthur had given me over the years. To keep Arthur from finding me, I faked my death. The fake me died in a car crash explosion. The real me boarded a plane to a faraway place. Goodbye, Arthur. Goodbye forever…

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