Category: English

I used to be the untouchable “Princess of Manhattan,” the kind of girl whose name was whispered with equal parts envy and exhaustion in the city’s most exclusive penthouses. My marriage to Brian Montgomery was, on paper, a merger of two empires. In reality, I treated him like a glorified, high-end errand boy for twelve straight months. I’d call him at 3:00 AM demanding a specific Ladurée macaron from across town, and if he was sixty seconds late, I’d block his number for a week. I once made him stand outside in a freezing October downpour all night because he’d forgotten our six-month anniversary, watching him through the window as he got soaked to the bone, feeling absolutely nothing. Back then, I was fueled by the arrogance of my family’s billion-dollar safety net. I thought the world existed solely to cater to my whims. Until the nightmare changed everything. In that dream—a vision so visceral I could still smell the damp concrete—I wasn’t the beloved heiress. I was the “fake” daughter in a twisted game of biological musical chairs. My relentless tantrums and cruelty had finally exhausted everyone’s patience. When the “real” daughter appeared—a girl as sweet as honey and as gentle as a morning breeze—she stole the hearts I thought I owned without even trying. Brian didn’t hesitate. He tore up our pre-nup, stripped me of the Montgomery name, and had security escort me to the curb. I ended up living under the Brooklyn Bridge, huddled in the shadows. I remember screaming at a homeless man over a piece of moldy foam padding to use as a bed. I didn’t win that fight. He broke my leg with a rusted pipe, the sound of my bone snapping echoing in the dark as I became a permanent cripple, forgotten by the world. I woke up sobbing, my silk pillowcase soaked, my chest aching with a phantom pain. I looked at my walk-in closet, filled with a museum’s worth of Birkin bags and Chanel couture, and the clarity hit me like a physical blow. To keep this life—to keep my legs intact and the wolves away from the door—I had to change. I made a vow right then: I would become the most devoted, gentle, and submissive wife Brian Montgomery had ever seen. As long as his black card kept working, I could play this part for the rest of my life. 1 When Brian pushed open the heavy oak doors of our foyer, he was still holding a half-burnt cigarette between his fingers. Under normal circumstances, I would have been down his throat the second he stepped inside. I would have thrown his Armani coat on the floor, screamed about him coming home late smelling of smoke, and probably smashed a three-million-dollar Ming dynasty vase just to emphasize my point. But tonight, I didn’t move. My brain was too busy replaying the sound of that pipe hitting my shin in the mud under the bridge. I forced a soft, demure smile onto my face and hurried over. I knelt down, placing his plush slippers right at his feet. “You’re home, Brian. It looks miserable out there. Let me go draw a warm bath for you.” Brian’s hand froze mid-air. He stood there, cigarette smoke curling around his sharp features, staring down at me for two long seconds. Finally, he crushed the ember in a crystal tray and loosened his tie. “Cassandra,” he said, his voice deep and vibrating with the kind of low-frequency tension that usually preceded a storm. “What kind of game are you playing now?” I felt a phantom shiver run down my spine, but I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. I reached out to take his briefcase. “No game. I just realized how hard you work for this family. I’ve been selfish. From now on, I want to be the partner you actually deserve.” Brian didn’t let go of the briefcase. Instead, he caught my wrist, pulling me flush against him. “Tell me the truth. Which private jet are you eyeing? Or did someone at the country club piss you off and you want me to bury their husband’s firm?” I shook my head frantically. “No! I swear!” The doorbell rang, cutting through the tension. Standing on the porch were my parents—the Belmonts—looking grim. And tucked behind them was a girl who looked like she was trying to disappear into her own sweater. In the narrative of my nightmare, Serena was the “true” Belmont bloodline. She was the woman who would eventually stand over my broken body, clinging to Brian’s arm and laughing at the “imposter” who had finally been discarded. My mother grabbed my hand. Her eyes were red, but her grip was like iron. “Cassandra, Serena has spent twenty years suffering in the sticks. It hasn’t been easy for her. She’s moving in today.” My father cleared his throat, not looking me in the eye. “She needs the master suite with the terrace. The light is better for her health. You’ll move your things to the north guest room. It’s… temporary, I’m sure.” “And the Porsche you just picked up?” my mother added. “Serena doesn’t have a car. It would be a nice gesture to let her have the keys. As her ‘sister,’ you need to show some grace. You can’t be so spoiled anymore.” Old Cassandra would have slapped the taste out of their mouths and thrown their luggage into the East River. But I took a deep breath, smelling the faint scent of that moldy bridge mattress in my mind. I forced a brilliant, beaming smile and pressed the Porsche keys into Serena’s shaking hand. “Mom, Dad, you’re absolutely right. I’ll have my things moved out of the master bedroom tonight. Serena has been through enough. Whatever is mine is hers.” Serena’s hand trembled as she took the keys, her eyes wide with disbelief. I ignored her and turned to Brian, whose expression was now unreadable, his eyes dark like a turbulent sea. I wrapped my arms around his bicep. “See, Brian? I’m being a good girl today.” 2 Brian’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. I felt a surge of secret triumph. I was doing it. I was surviving. Three days after Serena moved in, the Montgomery Group held its annual gala. I sat at my vanity, looking at my reflection. I had chosen a simple, understated white silk slip dress and almost no jewelry. I whispered the words virtuous, kind, obedient like a mantra. Brian walked in, his eyes sweeping over my plain attire, his brow furrowing. “That’s what you’re wearing?” I stood up and smoothed his lapels. “Yes. I don’t want to outshine Serena. It’s her first big event.” He grabbed my hands, his gaze searching mine as if trying to find the hidden trap. “Cassandra Belmont, what the hell is this?” I pulled my hands away gently. “I’ve grown up, Brian. That’s all. Let’s go.” At the gala, I stayed glued to Brian’s side, wearing a soft, pageant-perfect smile. Across the ballroom, Serena was draped in a red haute couture gown—a gown I had custom-ordered from Paris last month. My mother had “borrowed” it from my closet yesterday, claiming Serena couldn’t show her face in public looking like a pauper. Serena approached us, holding a glass of vintage Bollinger, looking appropriately shy. “Mr. Montgomery. Cassandra.” Then, it happened. A classic “oops.” Her heel “slipped,” and she lunged forward, aiming straight for Brian’s chest. The red wine splashed across his crisp, white dress shirt, soaking through to the muscle beneath. Serena’s eyes filled with tears instantly. She started dabbing at his chest with a silk napkin, her body pressed against his. “I’m so sorry, Brian! I’m so clumsy… please don’t be mad…” Brian didn’t move away. He stared directly at me, waiting. In the past, I would have dragged her across the marble floor by her hair. Instead, I stepped forward, took out my own lace handkerchief, and gently wiped a stray drop of wine from Serena’s skirt. “Serena, honey, are you okay? You really have to watch your step on these floors.” I looked up at Brian, my voice dripping with honey. “Brian, it was an accident. Why don’t you go up to the private suite and change? Don’t be cross with her. She’s still adjusting to the city. We have to be patient.” Serena froze. Brian’s face went pale, then a dark, dangerous flush of anger crept up his neck. He shoved Serena’s hand away and hissed at me through gritted teeth. “You’re being very… generous, Cassandra.” I nodded, looking innocent. “Of course. We’re family now.” Brian ripped off his ruined silk tie, threw it into a nearby trash bin, and let out a harsh, cold laugh. “You’re unbelievable.” As he walked away, I let out a long, shaky breath. Success. Another day of being the perfect, forgiving wife. Another day my legs stayed unbroken. Later, I went to the powder room to touch up my lipstick. As I pushed open the stall door to leave, I heard a group of socialites chatting by the mirrors. “Did you see Cassandra tonight? She’s pathetic. She didn’t even blink when that little country mouse was throwing herself at her husband.” “The Belmonts are already telling everyone Serena is the real blood heir. The Montgomerys married into a pedigree, and if that pedigree changes, you know Brian will swap wives. Cassandra’s heading for the curb. It’s only a matter of time.” I stood frozen in the stall, cold sweat drenching my back. Swap wives? Heading for the curb? No. That was not going to happen. 3 To solidify my position, I decided to go for the classic route: the stomach. It was Brian’s thirtieth birthday. Instead of booking a table at Per Se or flying to Vegas, I spent four hours in the kitchen, sweating over a stove until I produced a bowl of “Longevity Noodles”—a traditional touch he’d once mentioned his grandmother used to make. I was carrying the bowl to the dining room when my parents and Serena intercepted me. My mother’s eyes darted to the noodles, and she immediately snatched the bowl from my hands. “Cassandra, go sit down. You look a mess,” she snapped. She handed the bowl to Serena. “Serena, you take this to Brian. Show him how domestic and thoughtful you are. He needs to see your value.” Serena blushed as she took the bowl. I felt a surge of panic. “Mom! I made those—” “Quiet! So you made some noodles? Let Serena have this one. Don’t be petty.” My mother glared at me. I bit my tongue until I tasted copper. I retreated. Survive. Don’t make a scene. Brian emerged from the study and took his seat at the head of the table. Serena placed the bowl in front of him, her voice a sugary coo. “Brian, I made these especially for your birthday. Longevity noodles for a long life together.” My heart stopped. I looked closer at the bowl. She had sprinkled crushed peanuts over the top for “crunch.” In my nightmare, I remembered a terrifying detail: Brian had a lethal, anaphylactic allergy to peanuts. In the dream, I had accidentally fed him a peanut-based satay, and he had nearly died. That was the moment he truly began to loathe me. Serena had added peanuts. Brian picked up his chopsticks. He was about to take a bite. I didn’t think. I lunged across the table and snatched the bowl out from under his nose. “Don’t eat it!” Brian’s chopsticks hovered in the air, his eyes turning to ice. My father slammed his fist on the table. “Cassandra! Are you really so jealous of your sister that you’d snatch food out of his mouth?” Serena’s eyes welled up instantly. “Cassie, if you’re that upset that I made him something, I won’t do it again. But it’s his birthday… please don’t do this now…” I was trapped. If I said there were peanuts, they’d say I planted them to frame her. Brian would think I was playing some convoluted game of sabotage. I couldn’t let this be my fault. I looked at Brian’s dark, simmering face and forced a shaky laugh. “I’m not jealous. I… I’m just suddenly starving. It smells so good, I had to have the first bite.” I grabbed the chopsticks and shoved a massive mouthful of the peanut-laden noodles into my mouth, swallowing hard. My mother sneered. “Have you no manners? You’re eating like a stray dog.” Brian watched me, his expression unreadable, his eyes tracking every swallow. The bowl was empty. I put it down, wiped my mouth, and tried to smile. Then, my throat began to constrict. My lungs felt like they were being squeezed by a giant fist. My vision blurred into a kaleidoscope of grey and black. I slid off the chair, my knees hitting the floor with a dull thud. Serena and my mother shrieked, backing away. I clawed at my throat, gasping for air that wouldn’t come. Brian was a blur of motion. He kicked his chair back and gathered me into his arms, his hands shaking—the first time I had ever felt him tremble. “Cassandra! Stay with me!” he roared. “Call 911! Now!” As I lost consciousness, looking up at his face—no longer cold, but filled with a raw, terrifying desperation—I felt a strange sense of peace. See? I’m the perfect wife. You can’t get rid of me now. 4 I woke up to the smell of antiseptic and the dull throb of an IV in my hand. My mother was standing by the window, looking annoyed. “Finally. Are you done with the theatrics?” I looked at her, my throat too raw to speak. My father stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed. “It was Brian’s birthday, Cassandra. You ruined the entire evening with this… episode. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was for us?” My mother pulled Serena closer, patting her hand. “Poor Serena cried all night because you ruined her gesture. How could you be so cruel? You knew you were allergic, and you stole her noodles just to make her look bad? To play the martyr?” I stared at them, my heart turning to lead. I had nearly died to save the man they wanted to impress, and in their eyes, I was just a villain playing a part. “Mom…” I croaked. “I didn’t… frame her.” “Shut up!” she snapped. “I want you to sign a statement saying you had a private medical episode that had nothing to do with Serena’s cooking. And as an apology to the family, you’re going to transfer your five percent stake in the South Side Development Project to Serena. She’s the real Belmont heir; she needs assets if she’s going to move in high circles.” They were stripping me. They were making sure that when I was finally kicked out, I’d have nothing. I’d be exactly where the nightmare predicted—under that bridge. I started to shake. I gripped the hospital sheets. I can’t give it to her. If I give it to her, I’m dead. The door swung open. Brian stepped in, looking haggard, holding a folder. He looked at my pale face, then at the Belmonts. “Transferring shares?” he asked, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. “Cassandra, is this what you want?” I looked at him. I saw the coldness in his eyes and remembered the dream—the way he looked when he threw the divorce papers at my feet. He probably thought I was pathetic. He probably wanted Serena anyway. The fear reached its breaking point. If I was going to lose everything, I might as well go out with a whimper so they’d leave me alone. I closed my eyes, tears leaking out. I let go of the sheets. “I agree,” I whispered. “Give her the shares. I’ll sign the apology. It was my fault. I was greedy. I ruined the night.” My mother smiled. Serena let out a sigh of relief. But then, the sound of the folder hitting the floor echoed like a gunshot. “BOOM!” The Belmonts jumped. Brian was suddenly towering over them, his eyes bloodshot, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated rage. “Get out,” he hissed. My father stammered, “Brian, she agreed—” “I SAID GET THE HELL OUT! ARE YOU DEAF?” Brian kicked a chair over, the metal clattering against the floor. The Belmonts scrambled out of the room, Serena nearly tripping in her haste to escape. The door slammed shut. Silence descended, thick and suffocating. Brian was breathing hard, his chest heaving. He turned on me, his eyes burning with a fire I’d never seen. “Are you insane, Cassandra?” he growled, stepping toward the bed. “Who gave you permission to give away your shares? Who gave you permission to apologize?” He leaned down, his hot breath ghosting over my face. “Where is the girl who used to throw tantrums and hit me with her Chanel bags? You nearly died for a piece of ‘virtue.’ You ate those noodles knowing exactly what was in them!” The dam finally broke. Every ounce of suppressed terror and resentment from the last two weeks exploded. I grabbed the pillow from behind my head and slammed it into his face. “GO TO HELL, BRIAN MONTGOMERY!” I screamed, my voice cracking. I grabbed the water glass, the fruit basket, whatever I could reach, and hurled them at him. “I was acting because of you bastards! Everyone wants Serena! Everyone wants the ‘perfect’ daughter! If I’m a bitch, you hate me! If I’m ‘good,’ you try to kill me! Fine! I’m done! You want a divorce? You want to marry her? TAKE HER! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!” I was hysterical. I grabbed an apple and threw it with everything I had. It clipped him right in the forehead, shattering against his skin. A red welt immediately bloomed on his brow. I sat there, gasping for air, vision blurred by tears. It’s over. I just hit the most powerful man in the city. I won’t just be living under a bridge; he’ll probably have me weighed down and dropped in the Hudson. But then, I heard it. A sound that made no sense. Brian was laughing.

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Life has a cruel way of pulling the rug out from under you just when you think you’ve hit rock bottom. When the doctor handed me the biopsy results—a cold, clinical death sentence labeled Stage IV Cancer—I thought that was the worst it could get. I was wrong. Before I could even process the word terminal, I was dragged into the shadows of a vacant lot by a group of drunken men. I spent the night enduring a nightmare that no words in the English language are equipped to describe. By the time a passerby found me and called the police, I was more ghost than woman. At the precinct, the officers told me to call my family. My parents sounded frantic over the phone, claiming they were in the next state visiting old friends and would head back immediately. My two older brothers swore they were on their way, their voices thick with a protective rage I almost believed. But I sat on that hard, plastic bench in the empty waiting room for an entire day. When someone finally showed up, it was only my eldest brother, David. He looked devastated, shedding his designer coat to wrap it around my shivering frame. “God, Lauren, I’m so sorry,” he choked out, his voice cracking. “It’s all my fault. If Brianna hadn’t been feeling unwell, I never would have sent you to meet that client alone. I never would have let this happen… I’ll make it up to you, I swear.” Just then, his phone buzzed. His face went pale, and he ducked into the hallway to take the call. He didn’t realize I had quietly followed him. “Mom,” he whispered, his tone hesitant and strained. “We did this to her just so she wouldn’t ruin Brianna’s welcome-to-the-family gala. Don’t you think this went way too far?” The words hit me like a physical blow. At that exact moment, a notification popped up in the family group chat. A photo. It was deleted almost instantly, but the image was already seared into my retinas: Brianna, dressed in a gown that probably cost more than a mid-sized sedan, was beaming, her arm linked tightly with my fiancé’s. Standing beside them were my parents and my other brother, Michael. They looked like the picture of a perfect American dynasty. The ice in my veins turned to absolute zero. Because I had dared to oppose my parents’ decision to “adopt” Brianna as their goddaughter, they had orchestrated my destruction. I looked out at the grey, smoggy city sky and started to laugh. I laughed until the tears carved tracks through the dirt and dried blood on my face. Fine. I didn’t have much time left anyway. I wasn’t going to spend it playing a part in their sick little play. 1 David hung up on my mother and dialed another number. His voice was no longer trembling with grief; it was sharp with fury. “Who told you to actually go through with the rape? You’re not getting another dime of the balance!” “What? You want more money? You’re dreaming! I should hand you over to the cops myself!” Whatever the person on the other end said made David punch the doorframe in a fit of silent rage. I watched his reddened eyes for a moment before turning back into the station. A few minutes later, he walked in and approached the officer taking my statement. “Is there security footage from where my sister was attacked?” The officer looked up, confused. “Your sister just dropped the charges. Do you want to refile?” David spun around to look at me, but all he found was a faint, hollow smile. “Let it go, David,” I said softly. “I don’t want this getting out. I’m still supposed to get married, remember?” His eyes welled up instantly. He pulled me into a sob-wracked embrace. “Lauren, I am so, so sorry.” At this point, I didn’t care about my reputation. I just knew that if those men were caught, the trail would lead straight back to my brother. And despite everything, David was the only one who had ever shown me a semblance of warmth. Before Brianna entered the picture, my brothers and my father had treated me like the center of their universe. Whenever my mother—cold, perfectionist Katherine—sharpened her tongue against me, they were my shield. But everything changed when Brianna arrived. David drove me back to the estate. When we walked in, the whole family was gathered in the living room. They had already changed out of their gala attire, masquerading as a family worried sick. Katherine was the first to rush forward. She grabbed my hands and began to weep. If I hadn’t spent years watching her calculated moves, I might have believed she actually cared about her biological daughter. “Lauren, my heart is breaking for you,” she sobbed. Michael, the doctor of the family, stepped forward next. “Lauren, I heard you dropped the case. Are you sure about that? You’re really not going to pursue it?” I caught the subtle note of relief in his voice. The bitter realization deepened: they all knew. Every single one of them. I simply nodded. Then my father, Robert, stepped out from behind my mother. He looked small, his eyes darting nervously. “Honey, it’s been a long night. You must be starving. Let me go make you a bowl of pasta.” I hadn’t shed a single tear since learning the truth, but my father’s simple, genuine offer of comfort broke something inside me. The dam burst, and I started to sob. I moved to hug him, but my mother’s sharp voice cut through the air. “Food? Is that all you think about? You’re useless!” Robert flinched, shrinking back into himself. “I… I’ll just warm up some milk for her then. So she can sleep.” He hurried into the kitchen. My father was a man who had married into my mother’s old-money family and had been stepped on for forty years. I knew he must have hated their plan, but he was too weak to ever stop her. I gestured for everyone to sit. I was ready to tell them about the cancer. “I won’t be able to handle the firm’s accounts anymore. I’ve been diagnosed with—” “Lauren, honey,” Brianna interrupted, sliding over to wrap her arm around mine in a show of faux-intimacy. “I just graduated, and Mom said I should start helping out at the office. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take care of the company. You just focus on resting.” I pulled my arm away without looking at her. I tried to continue, but Katherine cut me off. “Brianna’s right. And don’t look too much into her calling me ‘Mom’—she just got caught up in the moment. Given what you’ve been through, Lauren, you need a long break. David will help Brianna find her footing. The company will be fine.” There it was. I couldn’t even finish a sentence in my own home. What was I even hoping for? “Fine,” I said. 2 I turned to go upstairs. Just as I reached my door, Brianna called out, “Oh, Lauren? Chris was so upset when he heard about the… assault. He left in a rage. You should probably call him and smooth things over.” My heart cramped. Tears fell silently as I shut the door. In the shower, the hot water hit my bruised skin, and I began to shake uncontrollably. I let out a jagged, silent scream into the tiles. Chris and I had a pact. We were waiting until our wedding night. I had wanted to give him that one thing, that one pure moment. And now, that choice had been stolen from me by my own blood. When I stepped out, I saw the glass of warm milk on my nightstand. My father had been here. I opened the door to go find him, to just be near the one person who wasn’t a monster. But as I cracked the door, a burst of laughter drifted up from the living room. Brianna was curled up next to Katherine, telling some funny story. My brothers were both laughing along. Only my father sat apart, glancing toward the stairs with a face full of sorrow. I closed the door. The silence of my room felt like a tomb. I picked up my phone and scrolled aimlessly until I hit Brianna’s Instagram. It was a gallery of the gala. The perfect family. There was Katherine, looking at Brianna with the kind of maternal pride she’d never once shown me. And there was Chris, looking dapper in his tuxedo, with Brianna’s hand possessively on his arm. She had set her profile so I could see everything. She wanted me to see. When Katherine first brought her home, I had treated her like a sister. But I quickly saw through the act—how she flirted with my brothers, how she played the victim to get my mother’s sympathy. I had warned them, and for my trouble, I had been branded as “jealous” and “spiteful.” I opened my chat with Chris. I typed three words: We’re breaking up. He replied almost instantly. Lauren, they’re saying you made up this whole rape story just to ruin Brianna’s night. Is that true? I didn’t lie, I typed back. Then why did you drop the charges? Why are you acting like this? Lauren, just tell me the truth for once! How could I explain it? How could I tell him that my entire family had conspired to have me violated? No one would believe that. And Chris had been best friends with David since they were kids. I didn’t have the energy to fight for a life that was already ending. We’re over, I sent. Then I turned off the phone and buried myself under the covers, trying to find some warmth in the dark. 3 The next morning, the house was empty. A quick check of social media confirmed that Katherine had taken the whole “family” out for an upscale brunch at the Heights. Brianna posted a photo of them all clinking mimosas with the caption: Family is everything. Blessed. It was as if I didn’t exist. As if the girl who had been broken on a dirt lot forty-eight hours ago was just a bad memory they’d already scrubbed away. The front door opened. It was Chris, carrying a massive bouquet of tulips. “Lauren, you look terrible.” I didn’t offer a greeting. “We broke up, Chris. Why are you here?” He stared at me, his voice trembling. “Did it… did it really happen? Were you really hurt?” I thought I was prepared for this. I thought I had hardened my heart. But hearing him ask made the grief crash over me all over again. Suddenly, the front door swung open again. The “family” was back, Brianna’s laughter ringing through the foyer. She marched over and snatched the flowers out of Chris’s hand. “Oh, Chris! You’re so sweet! How did you know tulips were my favorite?” Chris stood there, frozen, his eyes never leaving mine. I forced a thin smile. “Yeah, Chris. They’re perfect for her.” I turned to go upstairs, but my father stopped me. He held out a white paper bag. “Lauren, I brought you some dim sum from the restaurant.” As I reached for it, Katherine’s voice whipped across the room. “Bringing leftovers home from a place like that? How embarrassing! You have no class, Robert. None!” My father flinched. The bag slipped from his hand, and a container of shrimp dumplings hit the floor, rolling across the hardwood. Brianna chimed in, “Yeah, Dad, you’re really making Mom look bad.” I looked at my father, who was staring at the floor in shame. I did something I never thought I’d do. I knelt down, picked up a dumpling that had rolled through the dust, and popped it into my mouth. I looked at my father and smiled. “It’s delicious. Thank you, Dad.” Chris’s expression turned thunderous. He stepped toward David. “You all went out for brunch and left Lauren here starving? Alone?” He grabbed the tulips back from Brianna and shoved them into my hands. “These are for you, Lauren. I’m sorry about last night. I stayed up all night thinking. I don’t care if you’re as petty as they say, or if… if it really happened. I’m not leaving you.” Brianna immediately dissolved into theatrical tears, burying her face in Katherine’s shoulder. Katherine glared at Chris. “That was incredibly rude. You don’t take back a gift.” “It’s okay, Mom,” Brianna sobbed. “I’m just… I’m just so moved. Lauren was ruined by all those men last night, and Chris is still willing to take her back. He’s a saint.” Chris’s face went white. “What do you mean, ‘all those men’?” He turned to David, grabbing him by the collar. “You told me she was making it up!” David looked at the floor, his face a mask of guilt. “At first, we thought… we didn’t realize it was that many.” Brianna added fuel to the fire. “It was horrible. I heard there were five or six of them. They said she was… torn up.” “ENOUGH!” I screamed. “Shut up! All of you! Do you enjoy digging into my skin over and over again?” I turned to Chris, my voice cold and sharp. “Chris, I’ve wanted to break up with you for months. Being with you is like staring at a blank wall. It’s boring. I’m bored of you.” “I’m the CEO of a multi-million dollar firm, and what are you? A starving artist with no ambition? You’re not in my league. Get out. I never want to see you again.” I bolted for my room before the sob could escape my throat. Once the door was locked, I collapsed. The words I’d just said felt like knives in my own chest. I wanted to run into his arms. I wanted to tell him everything. But I was dying. I didn’t have a future to give him. 4 I didn’t see Chris for a week. Word was he’d taken a flight to Europe. I dragged my failing body to the office and spent the week systematically transferring every bit of my authority to David and Brianna. I tied up every loose end. Then, I bought a small cottage on the coast, three hours away. A place to disappear. Before I left, I asked the family to dinner one last time. I raised a glass. “Mom, Dad—thank you for raising me. David, Michael—thanks for being my brothers. To the memories.” I downed the wine in one go. “One more thing. I’m moving out tomorrow. I won’t be coming back.” Brianna started her usual whimpering. “Lauren, I know you hate me. You’re doing this to make Mom and Dad feel guilty for adopting me, aren’t you? What do I have to do to make you happy?” “It has nothing to do with you,” I said, my voice dead. “I have terminal cancer. I’m going away because I don’t want my family to watch me rot.” Katherine slammed her hand on the table. “Enough! I am officially adopting Brianna, and no amount of lies or ‘terminal’ drama is going to change that!” David sighed. “Lauren, don’t curse yourself just to get attention. We’re just adding a sister. We still love you.” Michael, the doctor, narrowed his eyes. “Give it a rest, Lauren. I’m a surgeon. Do you really think you can lie about a diagnosis to me?” I turned to my father. “Dad? Do you believe me?” Katherine shot him a warning look. He looked at his plate and said nothing. I laughed, the sound wet with tears. I finished the bottle of wine. Whatever debt I owed them for my life was paid in full tonight. From this moment on, I had no family. The next day, by the time Michael came home with the actual pathology report he’d pulled from the hospital’s system, I was already gone.

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To get back at me for refusing to buy him a limited-edition gaming skin, my ten-year-old son went behind my back, took my phone, and “tipped” a TikTok influencer a staggering fifteen thousand dollars. By the time I realized something was wrong, my wife, Ella, was already red-eyed and shaking, her fury boiling over until she slammed my phone onto the hardwood floor. “You’ve been throwing money at these girls behind my back? Fifteen thousand dollars in one go!” she screamed at me. “I can’t do this anymore, David! I want a divorce!” Our son, Toby, stood on the sofa, watching the chaos with a look of pure, smug triumph. “That’s what you get for always bossing me around! Now you know who’s really in charge. See if you ever try to stop me again!” What he didn’t realize was that those fifteen thousand dollars were the tuition for the elite private academy he’d been begging to attend. Since he’d decided to blow that money on a stranger’s livestream, he was going to have to find a way to earn it back himself. 1 I stared at the phone on the floor, the screen a spiderweb of shattered glass. My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise. I picked it up, managed to bypass the cracks, and opened my banking app. The notification for the $15,000 withdrawal felt like a physical blow to the gut. The transaction history was clear: a massive top-up of “coins” for a popular short-video platform. Before I could even process the loss, Ella’s hand connected with my cheek. The sting was sharp, hot, and humiliating. “Have you lost your mind? Fifteen thousand!” she shrieked, her voice cracking. “That was Toby’s future! That was his tuition!” “You really spent it on some girl online? Do you even care about this family? I’m done. I’m packing my bags.” Ella turned toward the bedroom, her shoulders heaving. “It wasn’t me!” I caught her arm, my voice desperate. “Ella, listen to me. I was in the shower. The phone was right here on the coffee table. It had to be Toby!” Ella’s eyes flared with even more rage. She shoved my hand away. “You’re going to frame a ten-year-old to cover your own tracks? Have you no shame, David?” “Toby is a child! He doesn’t even know how to navigate a payment gateway like that! You’ve probably been watching these streams for months, just waiting for a chance to throw our life savings away. And now that I’ve caught you, you’re blaming your own son?” I looked at her—bluntly protective, shielding a child who didn’t deserve it—and then I looked at Toby. He was still on the couch, swinging his legs, looking entirely too pleased with himself. I forced the fire in my chest down. Arguing with Ella while she was this hysterical was useless. Instead, I grabbed the broken phone and pulled up the footage from the Nest camera in the living room. I dragged the timeline back thirty minutes. The video was crystal clear. Three minutes after I walked into the bathroom, Toby crept over to the sofa. He fished my phone out of my jacket pocket, glancing nervously at the bathroom door. He bypassed the lock screen—he’d clearly memorized my passcode—and within seconds, the faint tinny sound of a livestream echoed from the speakers. His thumbs moved with practiced, lightning speed. I pulled up the digital receipt and the timestamp on the app logs. They matched the video down to the second. When I shoved the evidence in front of Ella, the color drained from her face. She began to tremble, her gaze darting between the screen and Toby. “Did you… did you really do this?” she whispered. Toby tilted his chin up, showing zero remorse. “So what if I did? He wouldn’t buy me the expansion pack! He deserved it!” He paused, then added a malicious little lie. “Besides, I see Dad watching those girls all the time anyway! He’s the bad guy, not me!” My hands were shaking with pure, unadulterated rage. I walked to the entryway drawer, pulled out the acceptance letter and the tuition invoice from St. Jude’s Academy that had arrived two days ago, and slapped them onto the coffee table. That money was a year’s worth of my overtime pay plus a generous gift from my parents. It was the total for the first year’s tuition, due the day after tomorrow. I had planned to surprise them tonight—to tell Toby he didn’t have to go to the failing public school in our district, that he’d been accepted into the best private school in the state. “That fifteen thousand you just threw away?” I said, my voice terrifyingly cold. “That was your tuition for St. Jude’s.” The smug look finally faltered. “The money is gone,” I continued. “Which means you either don’t go, or you find a way to earn that tuition back yourself.” Ella blinked, reaching for my arm. “David, stop. He’s ten. How is he supposed to earn fifteen thousand dollars? I’ll call the platform… they have policies for unauthorized spending by minors. We can get a refund…” “No.” I cut her off, looking directly at Toby, whose face was finally beginning to pale. I let out a sharp, joyless laugh. “I’ve already called Mark, who runs the local landscaping and flyer-delivery service. I’ve also checked with the diner down the street. Toby is going to be handing out flyers and doing neighborhood clean-ups.” “Fifteen thousand dollars. At his age, working part-time, it’ll take him forever. But until he earns it back, we aren’t talking about private school. We aren’t even talking about a new pair of sneakers.” Toby finally processed the reality. He let out a loud, theatrical wail and began thumping his fists against the sofa cushions. “I’m not doing it! You can’t make me! You’re a mean, horrible father!” 2 I ignored the tantrum. Right in front of them, I called the platform’s customer service. I submitted the account info, the security footage, and Toby’s ID as requested to apply for a “Minor Unauthorized Purchase” refund. Twenty minutes later, the agent called back with an apologetic tone. “Sir, I’m very sorry. Because the account is verified in an adult’s name and the payment was authorized via a known device and passcode, 70% of the funds have already been disbursed to the creator and the management agency. We can only offer a courtesy refund of $9,000. The remaining $6,000 is non-recoverable.” When I hung up, the living room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. Toby, hearing that the “debt” had dropped to six thousand, sat up straighter. There was still no guilt on his face; if anything, he looked annoyed, as if $6,000 was just pocket change he could wait out. Ella, however, finally grasped the gravity of it. She grabbed Toby’s arm and swatted his backside—hard—her voice thick with tears. “You little monster! That was your education! Tell your father you’re sorry! Tell him you’ll never touch his things again!” Toby started to wail again, but then he saw Ella’s bloodshot eyes. He immediately switched tactics, drooping his head and looking like a kicked puppy. “Dad, I’m sorry. I won’t take your phone again. Please just forgive me this once?” I watched his eyes darting around. I knew that look. It wasn’t repentance; it was calculation. He’d done this before—when he broke my vintage watch, when he “borrowed” Ella’s credit card for App Store purchases. He’d play the victim, wait for us to soften, and then go right back to his old ways. “Apologies don’t pay the bills,” I said, leaning back against the wall. “The six-thousand-dollar gap stays. He has to earn it. If he’s bold enough to steal fifteen thousand today, who knows what he’ll do tomorrow if there are no consequences? This ends now.” “Are you insane?” Ella snapped, pulling Toby behind her. “He’s ten! How is a ten-year-old supposed to make six thousand dollars? Is your heart made of stone, David? He’s your son!” “He said he was sorry! Just give him a stern talk and move on!” I didn’t engage. I pulled up a list of local chore-for-hire and community service opportunities on my phone and held it out to her. “I’ve already checked. The local cafe needs flyers distributed. The neighborhood association pays for litter pick-up. It’s manual labor, but it’s safe, and it’s work. It won’t kill him.” Ella’s face turned several shades of red and white. She refused to agree, accusing me of being “vindictive.” Toby joined in, howling that he wouldn’t go. Eventually, Ella ushered him into his room, whispering that she’d find a way to cover the $6,000 herself and that I should just leave it alone. The next morning, I took a personal day. At 7:00 AM, I knocked on his door to take him to his first flyer route. Toby burrowed under his duvet, his voice muffled but defiant. “I’m not going! Give me a week, I’ll have the money! Just leave me alone!” I was about to ask what he meant when I heard Ella scream from the hallway. “David! Have you seen my gold anniversary necklace? The one you gave me last year?” “And my vintage Louis Vuitton bag—the one from the top shelf of the closet? It’s gone!” My stomach dropped. I turned to Toby. He was shrinking into his covers, his eyes shifting frantically. I strode over, ripped the duvet back, and grabbed the iPad he was hiding under his pillow. The screen was open to a popular reselling app. The $5,000 necklace was listed for $3,500. The $2,000 bag was listed for $1,200. There were already comments from buyers asking if they could pick them up today. Toby had even replied: “Available today. Can do $200 off if you’re fast.” “Were you seriously going to sell your mother’s things?” I hissed. Finding himself cornered, Toby’s “sad puppy” act evaporated. He glared at me, his lip curling. “So what? They’re just sitting there! If I sell them and give you the six thousand, I don’t have to go work. Why are you even mad? You’re getting your money back!” Ella walked into the room just in time to hear him. She looked at the iPad, then at her son, and her knees gave out. She slumped against the doorframe, her hand over her mouth, unable to say a single word. 3 Seeing the cold, mercenary logic in her son’s eyes finally broke Ella’s resolve. She lunged forward and gave Toby two sharp slaps on the arm—the first time she’d ever truly disciplined him physically. “Is this how I raised you?” she choked out, her voice breaking. “To steal from your own mother?” “That necklace was three months of your father’s salary! It was a symbol of our marriage! And you treated it like junk to be pawned?” Toby was stunned into silence. He clutched his arm, his face crumpling. When he realized Ella wasn’t going to swoop in and save him this time, he finally went quiet. Ella turned to me, her eyes red and hard. “Do it. Do whatever you said. He needs to learn. If we keep making excuses for him, he’s going to end up in a jail cell.” The next morning, I dragged Toby to the commercial district. I’d arranged a job with a friend who owned a local bistro. Toby had to hand out a thousand coupons for $60. I told the owner not to take any nonsense—if Toby slacked off, he didn’t get paid. I pretended to drive away, but instead, I circled back and sat in a second-floor window at the Starbucks across the street. Thirty minutes in, Toby looked around to make sure no one was watching. He walked over to a trash can, dumped the entire stack of coupons inside, and then pulled out his Gizmo watch. He connected to the cafe’s Wi-Fi and hunkered down in the shade to play games, his head buried in the screen. I recorded the whole thing on my phone and went home. That evening, Ella went to pick him up. The moment Toby saw her, he turned on the waterworks. He slumped his shoulders, looking exhausted. “Mom, I’ve been standing all day. My legs hurt so much. The boss said I was the fastest worker he’d ever seen.” Ella’s heart melted instantly. She reached out to ruffle his hair, promising to take him for ice cream to celebrate his “hard work.” I didn’t say a word. I just walked over and handed her my phone. The video showed him dumping the flyers and gaming for three hours straight. Toby’s face went white. He shot me a look of pure venom, his fists clenched tight. “The owner called me,” I said calmly. “He checked the bins. No pay today.” “At this rate, Toby, you’ll be sixty before you pay us back.” Toby didn’t dare talk back. He bolted into the house and slammed his bedroom door so hard the frames on the wall rattled. For the next two weeks, Toby seemed to have turned a corner. He got up at 7:00 AM without being told. On weekends, he went to the cafe or did neighborhood litter picks. Every now and then he’d sit down for a break, but he didn’t dump the work. Ella started whispering to me at night, “See? It worked. He’s finally growing up. He’s learning.” I didn’t want to ruin her hope, but something felt off. The change was too sudden, too perfect. On Saturday, while Ella went to pick him up, I followed in a different car, wearing a hoodie and sunglasses. I watched from a distance as Toby ran up to Ella, his voice sweet and high. “Mom, I made fifty bucks today! I’m so hungry. Can I use your phone to order a burger on the app while you go grab that free smoothie the manager said I could have?” Ella, seeing his tanned face and “tired” eyes, handed over her unlocked phone without a second thought and headed into the shop. I watched Toby. He didn’t open a food app. He ducked behind a bus stop and opened a mobile game. He navigated straight to the in-game store. A limited-edition “God-tier” bundle was glowing on the screen: $1,999. His thumb was hovering over the FaceID/Apple Pay confirmation. I sprinted across the street and snatched the phone out of his hand just as the payment window popped up. Toby looked up. The “sweet boy” mask shattered. For a split second, his eyes held a look of calculated malice that sent a shiver down my spine. It was a look no ten-year-old should have. I grabbed him by the collar and hauled him toward the shop. Ella was coming out with a smoothie, smiling. I handed her the phone, the screen still showing the $2,000 pending purchase. She stared at the screen, then at her son, who was now trembling with caught-out rage. “I thought you were changing,” she whispered, the smoothie cup slipping from her hand and splashing onto the pavement. As I marched him toward the car, Toby leaned back and hissed under his breath so only I could hear: “Just you wait. I’m going to make you regret this. Both of you.” 4 The sheer venom in that “Just you wait” hit Ella like a physical blow. She stopped dead in her tracks, the last remnants of her maternal pity evaporating. She stepped in front of him, her voice trembling but cold. “Your father and I work ourselves to the bone to give you a life we never had. You stole fifteen thousand dollars. You tried to sell my jewelry. And we still tried to be fair. We tried to teach you.” “Do you honestly think we’re afraid of you?” Toby flinched, the darkness in his eyes flickering into a momentary fear. He didn’t say another word. That night, the house went into lockdown. Every electronic device—the iPad, the Nintendo Switch, the spare phones—was locked in the gun safe in my office. Ella stood over Toby in his room, her eyes red. “From now on, you don’t touch a screen. If I catch you stealing a phone or trying to scam a neighbor, we are done. I will send you to that military boarding school in the desert, and I won’t look back. Do you understand?” Toby burst into tears, clutching her legs. “Mom, I’m sorry! I was just mad! I won’t do it again, please don’t leave me!” Ella’s heart softened slightly—she was always the more forgiving one—but she stood her ground. “This is your last chance, Toby. One more lie, and no one will save you.” For the next month, Toby was a model citizen. He worked, he studied, he was polite. Ella began to relax. Even the bistro owner told me Toby was becoming a “pro” at the flyer routes. Then came Toby’s eleventh birthday. I figured he’d earned a break. We decided to take him to a high-end steakhouse he’d always loved. When we sat down, I smiled and nudged him. “It’s your birthday, bud. Get whatever you want. Dad’s treat.” Toby didn’t smile. He stared at the menu with a flat, hollow expression. “I don’t want anything. I still owe the family four thousand dollars. I shouldn’t be wasting money.” The words sounded responsible, but the tone was chilling. It wasn’t humility; it was a sharp, jagged irony. He was throwing our own lesson back in our faces like a weapon. “Toby…” Ella started, her voice thick. He just looked down at his lap, ignoring us. The cheerful birthday music in the background felt like a mockery. I felt that old knot of unease tightening in my stomach. Suddenly, Ella’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it, and her face went ghostly white. She turned the screen toward me, her fingers shaking. “David, look at this.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “425804”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My husband Leon is the Alpha heir of Stonehowl Pack. While I was in labor, he was on a private island with his mistress Aisling. On the third day, he finally came home to see the baby. “The kid’s pretty tough. By the way, I heard you were in so much pain during delivery you almost had a miscarriage?” “That’s because Aisling and I specifically chose the time you were giving birth to have sex.” I stared at him in disbelief as he continued. “Don’t be mad. The baby was born healthy, wasn’t he? Aisling won’t change the fact that you’re my wife.” Watching his retreating figure, I didn’t cry or make a scene. I’d already received fifty-two million dollars in compensation. I could divorce him with peace of mind now. Leon pushed his phone toward me with a restrained smile. The photo on the screen captured my shocked expression from moments ago when I’d heard how he nearly caused my miscarriage during delivery. My swollen eyes and sallow face were magnified countless times in the landscape orientation. I instinctively reached to grab his phone and delete the photo. He easily dodged away. “I finally got that candid shot. I told her I’d capture your expression when you heard this news.” “She’s been sulking for three days since you gave birth to a son and won’t let me touch her. No choice but to use you to cheer her up.” His smug expression was like a knife slowly stripping away my dignity. He talked about his affair so casually, like he was planning what to eat tomorrow. Like he’d never loved me at all. Leon and I were fated mates. We fell for each other at first sight and quickly fell in love. On our wedding day, he told all the guests he would only love me for the rest of his life. Until Aisling became his new secretary. Then he became madly infatuated with her and began betraying me again and again. The man who said he’d only love me for life ultimately broke his vows. A chime sounded. His special notification tone. Aisling saw me and looked horrified. “Why does Clara look so awful? Women really do get ugly after having babies. I never want to have children!” “I’m ordering you to always use protection with me from now on! I refuse to let my body go to hell and look all haggard!” His eyes crinkled with amusement. Gone was the anger he’d shown the first time he heard Aisling taunt that I was too plain to deserve him. “Of course. Clara’s job is having babies. As my mistress, you just need to keep me satisfied.” “Not mad anymore, right? Practice that position from last time more. In a bit, wash up and put on that transparent lingerie and wait for me!” The voice message ended. He turned off his phone, savoring the moment. Seeing my reddening eyes, he chuckled and pinched my cheek. “It is a bit loose. All right, it’s not the first time you’ve heard me flirt with her. Why be upset? She’s just a diversion. Once the novelty wears off, I’ll replace her. We have a child now. No one can shake your position. Look on the bright side.” With that, he put his hands in his pockets and left casually. He made it sound easy, but over these two years, his “novelty” never seemed to run out. The position no one could shake was an identity anyone could provoke. Ten minutes later, my phone showed a charge notification from the pharmacy. The purchased items were three boxes of strawberry-flavored ultra-thin condoms. Immediately after, he sent me a message. “The pharmacy account is almost empty. We’ve been using a lot of condoms lately. Remember to add more funds.” Looking at this nearly provocative message. I no longer felt the anger and impulse that made me storm his affair scene with righteous fury the first time I received a contraceptive purchase notification. I simply ordered five more boxes to Aisling’s address. Half an hour later, my account received two million dollars as a “reward.” The total was now exactly fifty-two million. I calmly took a screenshot of the transfer records and sent it to Leon’s father, Alpha James. “That’s enough money. Please process my divorce and find a witch to break the mate bond between Leon and me.”

The first time I received Leon’s “compensation” transfer was the first time I experienced his infidelity. I was three months pregnant then. Leon said he was busy with work and told me to do my prenatal checkup and go home alone. On my way home alone, I was attacked by Rogues. My body and mind suddenly transmitted immense pain. By the time Leon heard the news and rushed to find me, the Rogues had left. They’d beaten me until I didn’t have a single patch of unmarked skin, and I’d lost the baby. My first child was lost because of Leon’s infidelity. That night, he transferred all his assets to me and knelt before me, begging for another chance. I didn’t take it. I just told him: “From now on, transfer me two million dollars every time you wrong me. When it reaches fifty-two million, I’ll leave you completely!” He thought I was joking out of spite. I never told him that Alpha James had asked me not to divorce before Leon did. Back when Leon married me, he’d paid off tens of millions in gambling debts for my dying, gambling-addicted father. Alpha James said that when I paid back the debt money, he’d agree to our divorce. I knew he wasn’t deliberately making things difficult or demanding repayment. It was because I was Leon’s fated mate. Leon maintaining his marriage with his fated mate would consolidate his position as Alpha heir. After the first child’s accidental miscarriage, when I found out I was pregnant again, I was devastated. I didn’t want this child born into a broken family, a family where the father only cheated with mistresses. But Leon suddenly returned to family life, caring for me attentively like during our courtship, saying he wanted a family. Until my fifth month of pregnancy, while Leon was giving me a massage at home, Aisling suddenly showed up in the pouring rain. Drenched, Aisling wore only a dress. Her curvy figure was perfectly displayed by the dress clinging to her body. Aisling clung to the villa’s doorframe, looking pitiful, saying she missed Leon and accusing him of abandoning her. Leon’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He told me, “I’ll go talk to her. I’ll be right back.” But Leon never came back that night. After that, naturally, the two of them returned to their old ways and continued their affair. A message notification pulled me from my memories. Alpha James sent me a draft of the electronic divorce agreement. I breathed a sigh of relief. During my hospital nights, I’d felt physical and emotional pain again, knowing Leon was having sex with Aisling. The pain made me clutch my pillow, cold sweat breaking out on my forehead. I could only hope in my heart that Alpha James would quickly find a witch to break the mate bond between Leon and me. On discharge day, Leon came to pick us up. The nurse held the baby and a pile of infant supplies in the back seat. I sat in the passenger seat I hadn’t occupied in a long time. The seat was adjusted wide. When I reached to touch the knob, I pulled out a pair of torn pearl lace panties. “Aisling’s too wild. She wants to try it everywhere.” He raised an eyebrow at me. Expecting to see the uncontrolled madness in my eyes. But I just released my grip expressionlessly, leaving the thing where it was. He froze for a moment, then sneered. “Your composure is pretty good lately. You’ve become much more generous too. Good thing you sent those five extra boxes of condoms last time, or with how clingy she is, we wouldn’t have had enough.” “If you’d been this sensible earlier, we might’ve had a second child by now.” I didn’t respond, just closed my eyes to rest. After a while, that familiar ringtone sounded. I had an ominous feeling. Sure enough, he hit the brakes and stopped the car on a shortcut road. “You guys wait here. Aisling’s not feeling well. I’m taking her to the hospital first. I’ll come back for you soon.” He opened the car door and dumped everything by the roadside, pulling me out in two or three moves. With a whoosh, the car sped away. Meeting the nurse’s confused and angry expression, I pointed to the car turning the corner behind us. “Take that one. My father-in-law’s car.” She looked at me in surprise. I smiled. A year ago when he abandoned me halfway, I’d believed his words to wait. I’d encountered several drunk werewolves who beat people. In the end, those drunk werewolf thugs injured me. When I was sent to the hospital, he complained that I was inflexible and that the police call had disturbed him while he was comforting Aisling. After that, I avoided riding in his car whenever possible. Even when I did, I had to be prepared to be abandoned at any moment. I’d grown used to these accidents. That evening, Leon came back panting after returning to the original route and not finding us. “Why didn’t you tell me you got a cab? I went back to look for you for ages.” “I sent you a message. You didn’t see it.” He flared up immediately. “Don’t you know how to call? I thought something happened to you.” I paused, then quickly recovered. “Didn’t you say not to disturb you when you’re with Aisling?”

At my last prenatal checkup, the baby was misdiagnosed with Down syndrome. I was so scared I could barely walk. When I called him, Aisling switched to video mode. She wore a tight nurse costume, laughing seductively. “Leon says if you’re sick, get treatment. Calling him won’t help.” “We’re role-playing. We don’t have time for you.” “He also said to stop using these excuses to find him. If you like hearing sounds so much, he’ll record one for you as a prenatal lullaby.” Shortly after she hung up, Leon sent me a message. “Text me if you need anything. If I don’t reply, I’m with someone else. Stop calling to interrupt us.” He froze for a moment, looking somewhat satisfied. “You finally listened. Good, worth praising. But I really didn’t know about Kael that time. I wouldn’t have let her talk nonsense otherwise.” He pulled out two necklaces from his pocket. One pure gold necklace for our son Kael. Unfortunately, Kael cried the moment Leon touched him, as if thoroughly disgusted. Rebuffed, Leon gave me the other necklace with crushed diamonds. “Here, I was with Aisling at an auction yesterday and saw this necklace. Should look good on you.” It was true he’d gotten it at the auction. But I’d seen on Aisling’s social media yesterday that this was a free add-on gift with that two-million-dollar pink diamond. It wasn’t worth much at all. As he spoke, he moved to put the necklace around my neck. I flinched and dodged. He frowned, displeasure in his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean? I praise you twice and you’re already playing hard to get?” A trace of mockery rose in my heart. He always thought he could appease me with his occasional gestures. “You misunderstood. I’ve always been allergic to this material.” His expression stiffened. He seemed to have forgotten how he once spent tens of millions just to create a non-allergenic gold diamond ring for me. Back when I most hoped he’d change his heart, I accepted whatever he gave me, even if I was allergic, even if it was uncomfortable. As long as he showed me a pleasant face, I absolutely wouldn’t reject him. For that bit of lingering love, I made myself a complete mess. In the end, the result was what it was. After that day, he seemed to find a suitable excuse and stopped visiting us. I was happy with the peace, focusing on recovery, postpartum rehabilitation, and playing with the baby. But on social media, I could often see him riding the Ferris wheel with Aisling today. Tomorrow shooting a commercial with her. Cooking for her in the morning, accompanying her to trendy restaurants in the afternoon. Sometimes there were even rich, exciting nightlife activities in the early morning hours. People in the pack all said this was the mistress who’d stayed with him the longest. They all speculated when he’d kick me, his devoted wife, out for her. Actually, from my fifth month of pregnancy until before delivery, I’d mentioned divorce countless times, breaking the mate bond countless times. But Leon refused. He didn’t want to give up his happy family. If he’d really agree, I wouldn’t be opposed to being kicked out. The day before receiving the divorce decree was Kael’s Sip-and-See Party. Leon showed up with Aisling in a high-profile entrance. He even arranged her seat next to his. The hostess’s position. He played with Kael for a long time. Aisling leaned in, looking at the baby with him. “Hello, I’m your mother.” At those words, everyone’s expression changed. But before anyone could speak, Leon smiled at me. “Forgot to tell you, Aisling prepared a recognition gift. She’ll be Kael’s godmother from now on.” Aisling put a gold bracelet on his hand. Smiling brightly at me. “From now on, Clara and I will take care of the baby together.” Hearing her provocative statement, I smiled faintly and took Kael from their hands. “Perfect timing. A few days ago I met a witch who said Kael might face misfortune soon and needs a godmother to share his burden.” “Aisling really is a great philanthropist, solving so many problems for me. I’ll accept the gift. Thank you.” Both their faces instantly turned ugly. Aisling’s eyes reddened, her voice choked. “It’s okay. Being able to do something for Leon’s child is my good fortune. Sharing his misfortune is nothing. I’d even be willing to die.” “Someone who carries misfortune like me should leave early, so I don’t spread bad luck to everyone.” She spoke while looking at Leon pitifully and taking her bag to leave. Leon looked at me with displeasure, preparing to chase after her. Alpha James looked at him with sharp eyes. “Today is your son’s Sip-and-See Party. In front of so many people, you’re chasing after a mistress? Where does that put your family?” He paused, about to speak. I smiled at Alpha James. “Let him go. Kael is today’s main character.” He paused and sighed. “Get lost. If you bring these shameful things here again, don’t bother coming home!” Leon’s gaze was probing, as if trying to see in my eyes the same entanglement and bitterness that used to reassure him. But I had none. I withdrew my gaze. This Sip-and-See Party wasn’t too dignified, but fortunately Kael was still young and wouldn’t feel hurt. I wasn’t hurt either. Tomorrow I’d receive the divorce decree. Alpha James also said a witch could help break the mate bond tomorrow. After that, everything would be over.

Alpha James brought us to the old mansion to spend one last night with him. Kael fell asleep on the sofa. Alpha James went to get a handmade cotton blanket for him. Suddenly, the mansion’s front door banged open. Leon stormed in furiously, carrying Aisling. “Clara! I really underestimated you. Where’s that bracelet? Give it back now. Do you know Aisling had a mysterious headache this afternoon and got into a car accident on the way to the hospital?” “I thought it was too coincidental at first, until I met a witch and learned you tampered with the bracelet and cursed her! How can you be so vicious?” I sneered. “Just some offhand remarks to provoke you. You actually believed them? Where’s this witch who so conveniently let you meet them? Ask them which witch I hired to curse Aisling.” He was speechless, about to speak. Aisling sobbed and walked over to Kael. “It’s okay, maybe it really is my poor health and I just happened to encounter these things. I just want my gold bracelet back.” I stepped to block her. “I’ll return the bracelet tomorrow. Kael is already asleep. Please leave now.” Leon glared at me. “Why can’t you give it now? What else do you need it for?” I frowned, about to speak, when Leon instantly picked up the sleeping child. “What are you doing! Don’t touch him!” Aisling grabbed Kael’s arm and forcibly removed the bracelet. “Clara, this is for your own good. No matter how much you hate me, you can’t use the child. You used the gold bracelet I gave the baby to curse me. What if… what if the curse backfires on the child? What will you do then?” “Better to take it off now.” Kael was hurt and his crying made my heart clench. I rushed forward and slapped her to the ground. “What nonsense are you talking! I told you there’s nothing. Don’t you dare touch my child!” She looked at Leon tearfully. The next second, his eyes reddened. He pushed me down hard and casually tossed the baby onto the sofa. He helped Aisling up tenderly. “We’re reducing your and Kael’s karma, and look at you acting crazy!” He used too much force. My lower back hit the corner of the coffee table, and excruciating pain spread throughout my body. But what chilled my heart more was how callous he was toward his own flesh and blood. Alpha James, who’d rushed over at the sound, helped me up. He picked up Kael, whose face was red from crying. He slapped Leon across the face. “You animal! Abusing your own son for a mistress!” “You’ll regret this one day! Get out! Get out of my sight!” “She started it…” Leon’s originally dark gaze suddenly froze. He paused. “What do you mean, what ‘last’…” But before he could finish, Aisling collapsed on the ground and fainted. He instantly panicked and quickly picked her up. But as he was leaving, he suddenly looked back at me. Unease flashed in his eyes. “I’ll come back for the bracelet tomorrow. Don’t try anything!” Alpha James slammed the door shut. Early the next morning, the butler brought back the freshly stamped divorce decree. The witch also severed the mate bond between Leon and me. I didn’t disturb Alpha James. I placed the divorce decree under the gold bracelet, put it in the large box that once held the ring Leon gave me years ago. I set it in a prominent position on the coffee table. Looking at Kael in his swaddling clothes, my tone was more relaxed than ever before. “Baby, let’s start a new life together.” He suddenly broke into a smile, his eyes curved like crescent moons. In his innocent, unknowing laughter, we boarded the plane to a new world.

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On Valentine’s night, I treated a patient with a foreign object stuck in her vagina. Seeing her blushing face and anxious expression, I spoke softly to comfort her during the extraction process. But the next second, my movements suddenly froze. Because I saw something too familiar. My husband Ethan Moore’s wedding ring. Looking at the ring engraved with my initials, my eyes flew wide open, and my blood ran cold. Claire’s POV On Valentine’s night, I treated a patient with a foreign object stuck in her vagina. Seeing the young woman’s blushing face and anxious expression, I spoke softly to comfort her during the extraction process. But the next second, my movements suddenly froze. I saw something all too familiar. My husband Ethan Moore’s wedding ring. Looking at the ring engraved with my initials, my eyes flew wide open, and the blood in my veins seemed to freeze. Just then, voices of several of Ethan’s friends drifted in from outside. “Ethan! I just remembered. Your wife works at this hospital too, right? What if she runs into you?” “What are the odds? She’s just a former heiress from a falling family, and she’s been divorced before. She’s lucky Ethan even married her! I bet even if she does find out, she’ll make a fuss at most. Don’t worry about it, Ethan.” At those words, I looked up toward the man. Just an hour ago, he had texted me apologizing for not being able to spend Valentine’s Day with me. Now he stood there with a darkened expression, taking it all in without saying a single word in my defense. A ringing filled my ears, and my heart sank bit by bit along with his silence. They weren’t wrong. I had been married to someone else before. But that was for Ethan’s sake. We had been together for years and should have smoothly entered marriage. But three years ago, his father suddenly passed away. Other members of the Moore family went so far as to harm Ethan in their fight for the inheritance, causing him to fall into a coma from a severe car accident. In that critical moment, the only man with a compatible liver who agreed to donate to him made me a proposal. Marriage. “Just one year. To deal with my family pressuring me to get married. After marriage, we won’t interfere with each other’s lives.” To save Ethan, I agreed. A year later, the marriage was dissolved. When Ethan woke up, I confessed everything to him right away. Back then, he looked at me with reddened eyes and said, “I don’t mind. My Claire suffered because of me. I’ll make it up to you from now on.” And he kept his word. After reclaiming the company, he not only married me in a high-profile ceremony but also spent an enormous sum to give me a lavish wedding that caught the world’s attention. I thought our love had finally reached its happy ending. I never imagined that his claim of “not minding” was a lie. Deep down, he had always cared that I’d been married once before. Suddenly, the examination room door was pushed open. I looked up into that face I’d loved for so many years. Seeing me, Ethan’s anxious expression froze. Then he noticed the ring on the tray beside me, and his gaze shifted away. “So you know everything?” Before I could answer, the curtain behind me was pulled back, instantly drawing Ethan’s attention. He brushed past my shoulder and strode forward, his tone full of concern. “Rachel, are you okay?” The girl named Rachel Connors shook her head shyly. “Ethan, I’m fine. It’s just… down there still hurts a little.” At that, Ethan’s expression grew tense. He turned to look at me suspiciously, his voice ice-cold. “I know you’re angry, but take it out on me. You’re a doctor. You shouldn’t and can’t make things difficult for Rachel.” I froze, barely able to believe what I was hearing. He had not only cheated and betrayed our marriage and our relationship, but now he was also insulting the profession I took such pride in! Ignoring the hurt written all over my face, Ethan offered no explanation or apology. He wrapped his arm around Rachel and strode out. I took leave and returned home, staring at the wedding photos hanging on the wall that once represented happiness. Now they felt piercing. I still remembered how joyful Ethan had looked at our wedding. He had held me tight, his voice choked with emotion. “Claire, marrying you has been my dream since I was sixteen. And now it’s finally come true.” At that memory, tears had already blurred my vision. I wiped them away and let out a bitter laugh. Everything. It could never go back. I sent a photo of our marriage certificate to my lawyer and asked him to prepare divorce papers. The message was sent, and I quickly received a reply. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Moore. I can’t process your divorce. The marriage certificate you have is fake.”

Claire’s POV “What did you say? The marriage certificate is fake? How is that possible?!” I thought it was absurd, but the lawyer’s next message made my face go deathly pale. “Since you were referred by a friend, I’ll tell you this. The Mr. Moore you mentioned is indeed legally married. But the registration date wasn’t two years ago. It was one week ago. And the spouse listed isn’t Claire, it’s someone named Rachel Connors.” Crash! Those two sentences hit me like a sledgehammer. My hand holding the phone began to tremble. For two whole years, my marriage had been nothing but a lie. From the very beginning, Ethan had never truly married me. He had even registered his marriage with another woman just days ago. I didn’t know how much time had passed when the sound of the door lock turning snapped me out of my chaotic thoughts. Ethan was home. Seeing me sitting on the sofa in a daze, he took off his coat, sat down beside me, and spoke. “It’s so late. Why aren’t you asleep yet?” When I didn’t respond, his tone softened. “What, still upset?” “Honey, men like novelty sometimes. You have to allow me to make mistakes.” “Mistakes?” I repeated with bitter self-mockery. “How could you be wrong?” He was with his legal wife. How could that be wrong? Ethan assumed I was just throwing a tantrum. He continued. “Alright, honey. Yes, I really like Rachel right now. But I promise her presence won’t affect your position. After all, you’re my wife. That will never change. I promise.” I looked up at him in disbelief. “Wife.” “My position.” How ironic those words sounded! He’d been lying to me for two whole years. And even now, he was still lying! I shook off Ethan’s hand and went to sleep in the guest bedroom alone. As I lay in bed thinking about where I should go after this relationship ended, the door opened without me noticing. Ethan, breathing heavily, wrapped his arm around my waist. I jumped in fright. “What are you doing?! Don’t touch me!” But no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn’t escape being pinned to the bed. I was nearly exhausted when I saw something in the trash can by the bed. A used condom! We had never stayed in this guest room. The only possibility was that Ethan had used it with someone else. I felt all the blood in my body rush to my head. Rage gave me the strength to break free from his grip. “Get off me!” Ethan seemed surprised when I pushed him away, as if he hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. His brow furrowed, and a flash of impatience crossed his eyes. “What’s wrong with you now? Stop making a scene.” My eyes turned red, and my voice cracked with emotion. “I’ve been with you since I was seventeen, Ethan. You didn’t just betray me. You brought her into our home. How can you be so disgusting?” Ethan paused, then actually sneered and pointed at himself. “Claire, you’re calling me disgusting?” He looked down at me and spoke words that stabbed into my heart like knives. “You think you’re not disgusting?” “When I was in a coma, you climbed into another man’s bed and stayed there for a year. Claire, what right do you have to call me disgusting?” As he spoke, he pressed my face into the mattress as if venting his anger, so hard that my vision went black. “Don’t move.” His voice was low and hoarse, laced with impatience. The moment he finished speaking, he roughly tore open my nightgown and thrust himself inside me. I had no strength left to struggle. I could only close my eyes and endure this prolonged assault, letting tears slide down from the corners of my eyes. After several muffled grunts from the man, the obscene sounds stopped along with his violent movements. After releasing, Ethan let out a long breath. Looking down at me curled up on the bed, he seemed to soften a bit. “Honey, you were married to another man for a year, so I’m just playing around for a year too. That’s fair, isn’t it? After a year, I’ll come back to the family. We’ll live well together after that.” He pulled out and left to wash up, leaving me lying on the bed with dead eyes, the parts of my body he’d treated roughly aching faintly. But nothing compared to the pain in my chest. I stared toward the doorway and forced my lips into a bitter smile. “But Ethan, there can never be an ‘after’ for us anymore.” I got up and called the hospital director. “The overseas training program. If I agree to participate now, is it too late?” I received an affirmative answer from the other end. “Good. I’ll be ready to leave in one week.”

Claire’s POV This training program would keep me abroad for three full years, so early the next morning, I began preparations for my departure. I first went out to handle my visa, then returned to the hospital to process my transfer paperwork. But as soon as I arrived at the hospital, a colleague called me over, saying a patient had come for a follow-up and specifically requested me. I quickly changed and rushed to the department, only to discover that the patient who’d requested me was Rachel Connors. In the examination room, I forced down the churning emotions inside and tried my best to treat Rachel as just an ordinary patient. But Rachel wasn’t about to let me off that easily. After the examination, she spoke up. “Dr. Anderson, my body… it’s okay, right?” “Nothing serious. Just some swelling. Just avoid sex for the next few days.” Seeing my calm demeanor, a flash of surprise and unwillingness crossed Rachel’s eyes. “How can that work? My husband has a very high sex drive. Last night we even had a video call and…” She trailed off as if embarrassed. “But I was considerate enough to suggest he find another woman.” My hand froze as I removed my gloves. Thinking of what happened last night, disgust and humiliation swept through my entire body. “Dr. Anderson, are you alright? You look so pale.” Rachel’s words seemed concerned, but her eyes couldn’t hide her smugness. “I’m fine. If there’s nothing else, you can leave now.” I gripped the edge of the desk to steady myself as I issued the dismissal, but Rachel acted as if she hadn’t heard. She walked over to me, dropping the innocent and shy act she put on in front of Ethan. Her expression turned provocative as she spoke in a voice only the two of us could hear. “Dr. Anderson, do you know what Ethan says about you when he’s with me? He says every time he thinks about you being married to someone else, he feels disgusted. He also said you’re nothing but trash.” The malice in her words was obvious. My eyes widened and my pupils contracted sharply. Just as Rachel thought she’d achieved her goal and turned to leave, I spoke. “If he finds me so repulsive and likes you so much, why haven’t you made him kick me out? Is it that you don’t want to?” Rachel choked on those words. The smug smile on her lips instantly froze, and her expression turned ugly. “Don’t get too proud! I’ll replace you sooner or later. Just you wait!” I didn’t respond. Rachel slammed the door and stormed out. After finishing the paperwork and handing over my duties, the sky had already darkened. I stood by the hospital window, hesitating for a long time before finally dialing a number I hadn’t contacted in ages. “Claire? What’s wrong? Did something happen?” On the other end, my father’s voice sounded clearly surprised. “Dad, I just wanted to let you know I’m about to move to another city for work. I probably won’t be able to come home for the holidays.” “Why so sudden?” My father’s tone held a note of probing. “Ethan… is he going with you?” Hearing that name, I fell silent for a moment. “No. Just me. We’re… not husband and wife anymore.” We should never have been, actually. Silence stretched on the other end of the line. After a long pause, he simply responded, “Alright.” After hanging up, I stood there for a while. I remembered how my father used to love me when I was little. But after my mother passed away and his company went bankrupt due to poor management, and after he started a new family, we grew more and more distant. That’s why, from my teens onward, I learned to take care of myself. Later, when I met Ethan, I clung to him like a drowning person grasping at driftwood, loving him and giving everything for him. At that thought, I let out a self-mocking smile and got up to gather my things. But when I pushed open the door to my home, I unexpectedly heard Rachel’s voice inside. Ethan didn’t even bother pretending anymore. Seeing me return, he actually smiled and asked. “The girl was curious about where I live, so I’m letting her stay for a few days. You… don’t mind, right?”

Claire’s POV I stood in the entryway, looking at the man I thought I could rely on for a lifetime, and at this “home” I believed would shelter me forever. Suddenly, I laughed. “Of course I don’t mind.” I was leaving soon anyway. After that, whoever he wanted to bring home would have nothing to do with me. Hearing such an answer, Ethan froze, his expression blank for a moment. He probably expected me to fight, to scream, to break down crying. Not to agree so easily. Ignoring his searching gaze, I walked straight toward the bedroom and began packing. When my suitcase was filled, Ethan suddenly walked in. Seeing my luggage, his brow furrowed. “Honey, what are you doing?” “Packing.” I didn’t look back, my tone flat. “Creating space for you two.” Ethan’s expression darkened further. He slammed his hand down on my suitcase. “Can you stop making a scene? Besides staying with me, where else can you even go?” My movements stilled. My voice grew even colder. “That’s none of your business.” Ethan laughed in anger. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he released the suitcase, his tone taking on a confident edge. “Fine. You want to leave, right? Then what about this? Are you going to leave it behind too?” He pulled out a pendant from around his neck. My gaze fell on it, and I froze completely. It was the pendant my mother left me before she died. I’d given it to Ethan the year of his accident. I’d hoped the pendant would accompany him in my place. But now it was being used to threaten me. “Give it back.” Seeing me finally react, Ethan’s lips curved slightly. “I can. But you’re not a child anymore. Running away from home is too immature, don’t you think?” I stood there pressing my lips together, my nails digging deep into my palms. Ethan assumed I’d agreed to stay. His expression softened slightly as he walked out. Over the next few days, I watched with my own eyes how intimate Ethan was with Rachel. The meals he once swore he’d only cook for me in this lifetime were now made daily to make Rachel happy. The sweet words I’d heard in our youth were now spoken word-for-word to another woman. They kissed and embraced right in front of me without restraint. At night, I was forced to listen to the sounds of them having sex. Just one wall away, I buried myself under the covers, but it still couldn’t block out those gasps and moans piercing my eardrums like red-hot needles. Every minute, every second of this life was torture for me. But Ethan wouldn’t let me leave. Even that night, after they finished, he came to my door in his robe, his face full of satisfaction, and knocked. “Rachel wants foie gras. You make it well. Get up and cook it for her.” I was about to refuse when I saw the pendant hanging around his neck. The words stuck in my throat. “Fine.” I got up and went to the kitchen. After preparing the foie gras, I turned to head back upstairs. I hadn’t even fallen asleep when my door was kicked open. Ethan was furious. He grabbed me by the throat and yanked me out of bed. “You put something in the foie gras, didn’t you? Otherwise why would Rachel keep throwing up?!” I instinctively shook my head in denial, which only made him angrier. “Still won’t admit it? If not you, then who?! You’re a doctor, and you’d poison someone out of jealousy. Get up right now. You’re coming with us to the hospital.” His voice roared as he dragged me outside without care. Even when my shin slammed into a cabinet and opened a bloody gash, he didn’t spare me a glance. In the hospital corridor, I sat on a bench in my nightgown, barefoot. The blood from my wound had dried, but still the two of them hadn’t emerged. I could only walk to the hospital room door to hear the results, but instead I saw Ethan, who’d been full of rage just moments ago, now wearing a completely different expression. He held Rachel’s hand, his face showing undisguised joy. “That’s wonderful, Rachel. You’re carrying my child. I promise he’ll be my only heir.” Rachel’s eyes flashed with wild delight, though she tried hard to hide it. “But when Dr. Anderson was pregnant, you arranged for her to have an accident and miscarry. I thought you didn’t like children.” Ethan’s smile remained warm, but his words struck me like icicles, leaving me frozen to the bone. I watched the man I’d loved for ten years speak the cruelest words in that familiar voice. “How can she compare to you? Only you are worthy of bearing my child.”

Claire’s POV I stood outside the hospital room door, my face deathly pale at those words. So the child I couldn’t keep wasn’t an accident after all. That was half a year ago. I’d looked at the two lines on the pregnancy test with pure joy, thinking we were finally welcoming the fruit of our love. But then the maid knocked me down the stairs. When I woke up, Ethan looked at me with regret and told me the baby couldn’t be saved. I grieved for so long, crying every day. It was Ethan who held me through the nights, softly comforting me. He said, “Don’t cry, honey. We’ll have more children in the future.” But I still felt it was my own carelessness that cost us the baby. I’d felt guilty about it ever since. It turned out everything was arranged by him. Simply because he thought I wasn’t worthy of bearing his child… But I’d told him that the one-year marriage was only on paper. I never lived with that man. He said he believed me. He knew better than anyone how desperately I longed for a family. Thinking of my pain back then, and Ethan’s false tears. I suddenly felt nauseated. I covered my mouth and staggered into the restroom, collapsing over the toilet and dry heaving. Nothing came up. Just my stomach convulsing and tears streaming down my face. The sound drew the two people out of the hospital room. Ethan stood in the doorway. Seeing my state, he froze for a moment. “What’s wrong?” He was about to step forward to help me when a scream suddenly came from behind him. Rachel ran off crying. Ethan immediately withdrew his hand and chased after her. By the time I left the hospital, it was already deep into the night. The night wind blew against me, making me ice-cold all over. I hadn’t walked more than a few steps when a dull thud rang out. Pain shot through the back of my head and I instantly lost consciousness. When I came to, I found myself inside a burlap sack. My limbs were bound and my mouth was sealed with tape so I couldn’t speak. Suddenly someone viciously kicked my stomach. The pain made cold sweat instantly break out on my forehead. But the beating was far from over. Several people began savagely punching and kicking me. I had nowhere to hide. I could only curl up helplessly on the ground and endure it all. It wasn’t until the inside of my cheek was bitten through and bleeding, and my insides felt like they’d been ground to pieces, that the violence finally stopped. The thugs’ words sounded like they were talking to someone. “She took such a heavy beating and there’s no bleeding from down there. Looks like she really isn’t pregnant.” After a few seconds of silence, a familiar voice drilled clearly into my ears. It was Ethan. “Did you hear that, Rachel? Now you can relax.” Rachel answered obediently, “Mm-hmm. You’re so good to me, Ethan.” The two of them walked away laughing. The surroundings fell silent. I lay on the cold ground, tears and blood mixing together and falling. But suddenly I let out a low laugh. That teenage boy who once said he’d protect me forever when I confessed. That lover whose eyes would redden with heartache if I even frowned. That man I’d loved for ten years. He died three years ago. … After barely enduring that wave of severe pain, I struggled to untie the ropes. But even after my wrists were rubbed raw and bleeding, I still couldn’t get the ropes loose. Just then, Ethan rushed over. He undid my restraints in a few moves and said urgently, “I just found out you were kidnapped and came to rescue you right away. Honey, are you okay?” I forced a smile at him, but didn’t have the strength to expose his lies. Seeing me like this, Ethan suddenly grew flustered. He quickly looked away from my gaze. “Alright, it’s over now. I’m taking you home.” Perhaps out of guilt, he stayed in my room for the next two days, feeding me medicine and bringing me water. Until the third day, when Rachel insisted he accompany her on a trip. Ethan looked conflicted, but I said understandingly. “I’m fine. You two go.” He paused. “You mean it? I knew you were the most considerate. Rest well at home while you recover. I’ll be back soon.” After seeing him off, I put on the pendant I’d secretly taken from him when he wasn’t paying attention. I made up an excuse to send the housekeeper away, then threw off the covers and got out of bed. The training program’s departure time was this afternoon. I couldn’t be late. After packing my documents and essentials, I dragged my body to the door with difficulty. The moment I gripped the doorknob, I breathed a sigh of relief. All of this was finally ending. I took one last look at this home, then reached out and turned the knob. Clang! My suitcase fell to the floor. I stared straight ahead, my eyes trembling violently, all color draining from my face. Outside the door stood a crowd of people! At the front, Ethan wore a black suit, his expression twisted. “Claire, you didn’t actually think you could leave me, did you?”

Claire’s POV He walked up to me and gripped my chin, forcing me to lift my head. His voice was ice-cold. “You actually wanted to leave me. How dare you? If your father hadn’t told me in time, you really would’ve gotten away.” I froze completely. The news of my departure. My own father had told Ethan?! Just then, my father’s figure emerged from the back of the crowd, his expression a mixture of flattery and guilt. “Claire,” he began, unable to meet my eyes. “I’m doing this for your own good. Instead of living well with Ethan, what are you throwing a tantrum for?” “Just think about it. You’re a woman who’s been divorced. What else can you do? Ethan is so capable. He can take care of you, take care of us. What more could you want?” I closed my eyes in utter disappointment. I understood everything now. In the past, to pave the way for his son, my father had come to me more than once asking me to appeal to Ethan. Now it seemed he’d achieved his goal. Even if the price was selling out his own daughter. “Dad… he lied to me… betrayed me, threw away years of our relationship, even brought another woman into our home… hurt and humiliated me at will. And you think I’m ungrateful?” My throat felt like it was choked with razor blades. Those two short sentences left my heart unbearably bitter. Seeing my grief, my father turned his face away as if unable to bear it. Ethan’s brow furrowed too. Finally, a phone ringtone broke the deadlock. It was Rachel calling to hurry him along. That brought Ethan back to his senses. “I have to go. Rachel’s waiting for me. Anyway, you should calm down first. We’ll talk about whatever it is when I get back.” For some reason, his eyes looked somewhat panicked. He gestured to the bodyguards to confiscate my bag and phone. “I’ll keep these for you to prevent you from running around.” Ethan turned and walked out, then suddenly paused. “Oh, right,” he said as if remembering something. “I already handled your resignation at the hospital. You won’t have to work so hard anymore. Just rest well at home from now on.” My head snapped up. “No, you can’t do this… You have no right to make decisions for me.” Hearing that only made him walk faster. Everyone assumed he was rushing off to meet his mistress. After Ethan left, my father quickly ran off too. A bodyguard opened the villa door. “Please, Mrs. Moore.” I looked at this house that once held my happiness, then witnessed all my suffering. The thought of being imprisoned here made it impossible to breathe. But now I had no documents, no phone, no money. I couldn’t go anywhere. I walked through the door in despair, only to be pinned to the sofa by two bodyguards the moment the door closed. “What are you doing? Let me go!” But my struggles and shouts. They ignored everything. When I scratched one of their faces, he actually slapped me hard. Smack! The blow sent my face to the side, my vision going dark in waves. Just then, I heard their conversation. “Miss Connors only told us to film her. Hitting her isn’t good, right?” The one who’d struck me sneered. “What are you afraid of? Miss Connors said once Mr. Moore sees the video, he’ll definitely never be with her again. By that time, do you think anyone will speak up for her?” After hearing that, the previously worried man laughed. “You’re right. Let’s have some fun with her tonight.” He busied himself setting up the camera while the other started undressing. I seized the chance and jumped up, running out desperately. My clothes were disheveled. I didn’t dare look back, afraid danger would catch me at any moment. I could only run forward with all my might. Just when I was most desperate, a car suddenly pulled up and stopped in front of me. The rear window rolled down. I saw a familiar face and was filled with immense surprise. Adrian Sinclair. The man I’d once had a brief marriage with. My ex-husband.

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Reborn on the day of my engagement to the prestigious Wilson family. In my past life, I was brought home as an illegitimate daughter to become my sister Chloe’s substitute. I replaced her at every event she didn’t want to attend, including spending time with that Los Angeles rich heir, Robinson Wilson. In the end, to ensure Chloe could smoothly marry into the Wilson family, they didn’t hesitate to kill me in a plane crash. This time, when my parents handed me that white dress again, I refused. “This is Chloe’s engagement. I can’t be her substitute anymore.” But my parents locked the door, smiling as they said this would be the last time. I was forcibly dressed in the gown and made to wear a mask, becoming the substitute. Until Robinson walked through the crowd, and when everyone expected him to put the engagement ring on his fiancée’s finger, the mask on my face was torn off instead. He grabbed my chin, mockery in his eyes. “So that’s where you’ve been hiding. Playing Chloe’s substitute? Jennifer, you really know how to degrade yourself.” I instinctively looked up. He was wrong. In this life, the one who would be degraded wasn’t me.

The moment the mask was torn off, the entire ballroom fell silent. Camera flashes went off continuously, capturing my panicked expression with perfect clarity. I instinctively tried to cover my face, but Robinson gripped my wrist tightly. His strength was terrifying, as if he wanted to crush my bones. “What’s wrong? Can do it but can’t own up to it?” His low voice carried mockery, echoing through the quiet hall. I looked at his face so close to mine, those eyes churning with anger and disappointment I couldn’t understand. The entire venue erupted in discussion. The guests’ whispers pierced my ears like needles. “Oh my God, that’s not Chloe Franklin, the eldest daughter!” “Who is this? Why does she look exactly like Chloe?” “Twins? No, I remember hearing at the hospital back then that they had one daughter.” “A substitute? Using a substitute at an engagement party? Has the Franklin family lost their minds?” My father Johnson’s face turned iron-blue. He rushed over first, raising his hand to slap me. But his hand stopped mid-swing, halted by Robinson’s sharp gaze. Johnson could only resort to cursing instead. “You wretched girl! Who told you to come out here and embarrass us!” “Apologize to Mr. Wilson right now!” Johnson’s wife Bella rushed over next, squeezing out a few tears as she complained to Robinson. “Mr. Wilson, please don’t misunderstand. It’s all because of Jennifer! She’s jealous of Chloe!” “She’s been twisted since childhood. She must have deliberately come to ruin Chloe’s engagement party!” “We’ll take her away immediately. We won’t let her offend your eyes any longer!” I watched them frantically trying to distance themselves, my heart growing colder bit by bit. Of course it was like this again. Chloe arrived late, her face covered in tears as she looked at me. “Jennifer, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at the hospital?” In my past life, it was the same. Whenever I finished cleaning up Chloe’s messes, they would immediately hide me away. As if I were a rat in the gutter, something that couldn’t see the light of day. This time, I didn’t want to endure it anymore. Just as I was about to speak, Robinson beat me to it. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to lift my head. His thumb rubbed against my cheek, the motion hardly gentle, even carrying a hint of punishment. “Your face is much easier on the eyes than Chloe’s plastic surgery face.” His words made all three members of the Franklin family turn deathly pale. Chloe bit her lip hard, the jealousy in her eyes practically overflowing. Robinson completely ignored them, releasing my chin and pulling me into his arms instead. His warm chest collided with me, leaving me somewhat dazed. The man’s crisp woody scent enveloped me. He wrapped his arm around my waist and announced to the entire venue. “The engagement is canceled.” Everyone gasped. Johnson’s legs went weak, nearly collapsing to the ground. Robinson paused, then dropped an even bigger bombshell. “From today on, she—Jennifer—is mine.” With that, under the shocked gazes of my parents, Chloe, and all the guests. Robinson tightened his arm and lifted me up horizontally. Not a princess carry—he hoisted me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. My head hung down, my stomach pressed painfully against his shoulder. All I could see were swaying figures and crystal chandeliers. “Robinson! Put me down!” He completely ignored me, striding with long steps through the crowd toward the ballroom exit. Behind us came my parents’ frantic shouting. “Mr. Wilson! Mr. Wilson, please let us explain!” “The marriage alliance was supposed to be with Chloe! You must have made a mistake!” Robinson’s footsteps didn’t pause for even a moment. I was thrown into the back seat of his sports car, the soft leather seat unable to cushion my impact. The car door slammed shut with a bang, cutting off the chaos outside. The next second, the man leaned over me, pinning me beneath him. In the cramped space, all I could smell was his scent. His scorching breath hit my ear, his voice low and hoarse. “Jennifer, did you think you could escape?” “You should have been mine three years ago.”

He pressed me firmly against the seat, his hands pinning my wrists. “The person who saved me three years ago was clearly you. Why did you let Chloe take your place!” My whole body trembled. How did he know about three years ago? That winter, he was being chased and escaped into a back alley. I used money I’d saved from part-time work to buy him medicine and watched over him all night. Later, the Franklin family discovered what happened. They stole the token Robinson left behind and gave it to Chloe, forcing me to swear I would never reveal the truth. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I turned my face away, not daring to meet his eyes. Robinson grabbed my chin and forced me to turn back. His eyes were terrifyingly red. “In the past life, when they put you on that plane, were you still celebrating that you were finally free?” My heartbeat skipped a beat. He was reborn too. “You’re so stupid.” “Did you think they’d let you go after you died?” “They didn’t even bother collecting your body!” Tears fell from my eyes without warning. The despair from before the crash in my past life surged through me again. Robinson released my wrists and sat up straight. “Be my woman. I’ll help you destroy them.” I wiped my tears roughly. “I don’t need anyone’s help.” “Mr. Wilson should mind his own business.” I pushed open the car door and stumbled into the night. I didn’t want to get involved in any wealthy family disputes anymore. I just wanted to escape far away. When I got back to that damp, cramped rental apartment and took out my key, the door was pulled open from inside. Johnson kicked me in the stomach. I flew backward and slammed into the opposite wall, excruciating pain hitting me as if all my internal organs had shifted. Bella walked over in her high heels. She grabbed my hair and dragged me into the room. “Getting bold, aren’t you? Actually daring to seduce Mr. Wilson!” “Do you know how long Chloe has been preparing for this marriage alliance!” Chloe sat on the sofa, leisurely drinking tea. “Mom, don’t hit her face.” “I still need to take her to the gallery tomorrow to meet clients.” “If her face gets messed up, who’s going to drink for me?” I spat out a mouthful of blood. “I won’t be your substitute anymore.” Johnson grabbed the ashtray from the table and smashed it against my forehead. Blood instantly blurred my vision. “You don’t get a choice!” “We still have your mother’s ashes!” “If you dare disobey, I’ll scatter them right now!” I bit my lip hard, tasting blood. This was my family. They not only wanted to suck my blood dry, they wouldn’t even let my biological mother go. The next morning. I was woken by urgent phone ringing. The wound on my forehead still throbbed with pain. It was a colleague from the company calling. “Jennifer, check Twitter now!” “Chloe posted about you and started a cyber-mob!” I opened Twitter. The number one trending topic prominently displayed Chloe’s name. #Genius Painter Chloe Betrayed by Illegitimate Sister# Clicking in revealed an essay over a thousand words long. She portrayed herself as a kind sister who tolerated everything. While I was a vicious illegitimate daughter who had stolen from her since childhood, stolen her boyfriend, and even drugged people at the engagement party trying to climb the social ladder. The accompanying images were surveillance screenshots taken out of context. Plus embarrassing photos of me when Robinson tore off my mask at the party. The comments section had completely fallen. “Illegitimate daughters deserve to die!” “Feel so bad for Chloe. Jennifer’s mother wasn’t any good either! All trash!” “Jennifer get out of Los Angeles!” I stared coldly at the manipulated narrative on the screen. Chloe was as impatient as ever.

I put on a hat and mask to go to the pharmacy to buy gauze. The moment I walked out of the apartment complex gate, an egg smashed into my forehead. Egg liquid mixed with blood flowed into my eyes, stinging sharply. “That’s her! That shameless homewrecker!” Several young girls rushed up. They held rotten vegetable leaves and garbage they’d just pulled from trash cans, frantically throwing them at me. “Die, you bitch!” “How dare you steal Chloe’s fiancé!” I was pushed to the ground, my knees scraping against the pavement and losing a large patch of skin. I was utterly disheveled. More and more onlookers gathered around. No one came forward to help. They all held up their phones, taking photos and videos. I struggled to my feet and pushed through the crowd to move forward. With every step, garbage pelted my back. When I got back to the rental, my whole body reeked. As soon as I took off my filthy clothes, my phone rang. It was Johnson calling. “Enjoying getting beaten?” “This is what happens when you offend Chloe.” His voice dripped with smug superiority. “Record an apology video right now and post it online.” “Admit that you were just jealous of Chloe and that you seduced Robinson.” “Otherwise, I’ll flush your mother’s ashes down the toilet right now!” The hand holding my phone trembled uncontrollably. “Johnson, you wouldn’t dare!” He laughed coldly. “Listen to this.” The sound of a toilet flushing came through the phone. My rationality completely collapsed in that moment. “Don’t touch her!” “I agree! I’ll agree to anything!” I collapsed to my knees on the floor, shouting into the phone. Johnson hung up with satisfaction. I looked at myself in the mirror, covered in filth. The wound on my forehead still seeped blood, my eyes full of bloodshot veins. I picked up my phone and dialed another number. The phone only rang once before it was answered. Robinson’s voice was low and calm. “Made up your mind?” My voice was hoarse beyond recognition. “Help me get my mother’s ashes back.” “Okay.” Half an hour later, Robinson brought over a dozen people and kicked down the door of the Franklin family villa. Johnson and Bella were in the living room drinking champagne in celebration. Seeing Robinson storm in with people, they were so scared their glasses fell to the floor. “Mr. Wilson, what are you doing?” Robinson kicked over the coffee table in front of him. Glass shattered everywhere. “Looking for something.” The people he brought immediately spread out and began ransacking the villa. Chloe ran downstairs screaming to stop them. “What are you doing! This is trespassing!” Robinson walked over and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her entire body up. “Where are the ashes?” Chloe’s face turned red, her hands frantically beating against Robinson’s arm. Johnson was so frightened his legs went weak. He fell to his knees with a thud. “In the basement! In the storage room in the basement!” A few minutes later, a bodyguard came out carrying a dusty urn. Robinson released his grip. Chloe fell to the ground, coughing violently. He took the urn and turned to stride away.

When Robinson placed the urn in my hands. My whole body shook as I clutched that cold box tightly, tears falling heavily onto it. Robinson stood beside me, handing me a tissue. “Now, can we talk about cooperation?” I looked up and met his eyes. “Okay.” “I want them completely ruined and left with nothing.” I was settled by Robinson in a penthouse apartment in the city center. The security here was tight. The Franklin family couldn’t get in at all. I had just showered and changed into clean clothes. The doorbell rang. Robinson was in the study having a video conference. I walked over to answer the door. Outside stood an impeccably maintained middle-aged woman. It was Robinson’s mother, Mrs. Wilson. She looked me up and down, her eyes full of disgust. “You’re that illegitimate daughter from the Franklin family?” She walked into the living room in her high heels. She pulled out a checkbook from her bag, scribbled down a string of numbers, and threw it on the coffee table. “Here’s ten million.” “Take the money and leave Robinson immediately.” “Our family can’t afford this kind of disgrace.” I walked over and picked up the check. Right in front of her, I tore it into pieces. The scraps fluttered down onto the carpet. Mrs. Wilson’s face turned livid with rage. “Don’t be ungrateful!” “You think Robinson will really marry you? He’s just interested in something new!” “Chloe is the daughter-in-law our family has chosen!” I looked at her coldly. “Then you should go discipline your son instead of coming here to yell at me.” Mrs. Wilson raised her hand to hit me. Robinson pushed open the study door and walked out. Seeing this scene, he said coldly, “Mom, what are you doing.” Mrs. Wilson immediately pulled back her hand. Feeling humiliated, she pointed at me and cursed. “You’re throwing away the family’s reputation for her?” “The Franklin family has already told me everything!” “She’s just a bitch who’ll stop at nothing to climb the social ladder!” Robinson walked over and stood in front of me. “When did my affairs become yours to interfere with.” “Show her out.” Mrs. Wilson was escorted out by security. As she left, she looked at me as if she wanted to swallow me alive. The next day Robinson went to the company for meetings. I was alone in the apartment researching information about Chloe’s art exhibition. The door lock suddenly turned. I thought Robinson had returned, but it was Mrs. Wilson and Chloe who walked in. Chloe wore a smug smile on her face. In her hand was the apartment’s spare key. “Jennifer, aren’t you scared living in such a big place all alone?”

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The day my wife Austin gave birth, Anderson said the child was his. Seeing my mother and me frozen in shock, Austin sighed: “James, the child really is Anderson’s. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you wouldn’t agree.” Perhaps overcome by shock and rage, my mother’s hand slipped weakly, and the baby she was holding instantly fell. Anderson punched my mother in the face, and I immediately swung back at him. Our relatives all secretly mocked me. My mother grew more and more furious as she listened, and died of a sudden heart attack. As I lay crying over my mother’s body with swollen eyes, Austin called me: “How could your mother be so heartless, trying to kill my child?” I said angrily: “Austin, my mother has been killed by your actions. I’ll make you all pay!” Austin froze instantly. Even through the phone, I could sense her trembling. “James, what are you saying? Your mother is dead?” Austin’s breathing grew more and more rapid, guilt consuming her entire heart. I thought she would rush to the hospital to see my mother one last time, but then Anderson spoke while holding the child. “Dying now of all times, right when I was about to call the police and charge her with child abuse. Think I don’t know what scheme you two are plotting?” “You just want to use Austin’s guilt to trick her into coming back so my child has no milk to drink.” “Absolutely inhumane. Hurting my son and then cutting off his food supply. You better watch out for karma.” Anderson’s roar made me lose control. I gripped my phone and shouted back: “You already slept with my wife and had a child with her, and you still have the nerve to call me vicious.” “My mother isn’t—” “Enough, James. I just gave birth and I’m still very weak. If you really love me, you should be making soup for me, not hiding away making up lies about your mother dying.” “The reason I had a child with Anderson is because he has problems in that area. This pregnancy was through artificial insemination, not as dirty as you think.” Before I could speak, the phone line went dead with beeping sounds. I looked at my mother’s body, tears flooding my eyes again. I didn’t know what emotions to use to describe the grief and rage I felt in that moment. From the day I learned she was pregnant, I rejected my superior’s invitation to become an executive at a branch office. Because I was going to be a father, I had to think of this family. I couldn’t leave home for even a moment. When my mother found out, she was overjoyed and agreed to all of Austin’s unreasonable demands. I never imagined that the woman my mother and I spoiled day after day was carrying not my child, but the child of Anderson—the man I hated most. Just because this scumbag worked at the same company as me and constantly made things difficult for me. If it weren’t for Austin’s sake, I would have castrated him long ago. Now she had a child with the man I hated most. How could I bear this? My mother even died in the hospital because of this. This humiliation was like being stripped naked and judged by the whole world. As I picked up my phone to message my boss requesting leave, I saw that Anderson had updated his Twitter. He was holding Austin on his lap, and Austin was holding the baby. The family of three had their heads together in an intimate photo. “I’m finally a father. After living for decades, this is my happiest and most joyful moment.” The comments below weren’t congratulations, but questions. “This… this is so dramatic??” “The woman you’re holding looks like James’s wife!” “Don’t say that, maybe she’s a twin.” “But I remember James saying his wife was an only child, not a twin.” I smiled bitterly and left a comment: “You guessed right, he’s holding my wife.”

Right after I posted the comment, the woman who had hung up on me called again. “James, why did you leave that comment on Anderson’s Twitter? Couldn’t you say I was your wife’s twin sister?” “Do you really enjoy announcing to everyone that your wife cheated?” “Aren’t you afraid they’ll mock you?” “Because of your comment, Anderson is being criticized by his colleagues now. Are you happy?” Every word was in defense of Anderson. Not a single word of guilt or apology to me. In that instant, my heart, wrapped in sorrow, became as calm as stagnant water. My mother’s death had shown me clearly. My tone was light with sarcasm: “So you are afraid that acquaintances will know you’re morally corrupt, having a child for someone else without even divorcing first.” Austin’s volume instantly shot up: “James, how am I morally corrupt?” “Anderson injured himself down there trying to save me. Shouldn’t I give him a child in return?” “After hearing your heartless words, I think you and your mother are the ones without morals.” “If you mind that I had a child for someone else, then let’s get divorced!” In front of my mother’s cold corpse, I smiled coldly and nodded: “Then let’s divorce!” Austin froze for a long time. She couldn’t believe that I, who had always loved her like life itself, would agree to divorce. Suddenly, Anderson’s voice came from nearby. “Austin, help me apply some medicine. I can’t reach my back.” This was how Austin was. Whenever it concerned Anderson, she would leave me in the cold and forget we were even on a call. “There, done. Does it still hurt?” “That doesn’t hurt anymore, but I have somewhere else that hurts. You look so sexy in this nightgown.” “Anderson, don’t. I’m still in postpartum recovery.” I heard both of them breathing heavily. The ambiguous atmosphere was palpable even without being there in person. “Austin, I really miss the time we spent together. I can’t forget your body either.” “Now that we have a child, won’t you divorce him for the child’s sake…” “Anderson, I won’t divorce James.” “There won’t be a second man in this world who loves me like he does.” “I know he’s still angry right now and won’t accept it for a while, but after I finish postpartum recovery, I’ll go home.” I said nothing and just hung up the phone. She said it was artificial insemination, but that was another lie. She was running off to have sex with Anderson every night under the excuse of working overtime. I prepared to stand up when my phone received a message from Anderson. “Did you hear that just now?” “Pathetic loser, do you know how I slept with her?” “While you were working overtime outside, I held her and kissed her in the bathroom.” “We’ve left our marks in the office, in your bed, even in your car.” “Remember that day at the supermarket buying condoms? There was only one box left and you let me have it. I used it that very night to sleep with your wife.” I was so angry I turned off my phone, both hands clenched into fists. Just as I was about to break down, I remembered I couldn’t lose control in front of my mother. If her soul was beside me, how heartbroken would she be? Fighting through the unbearable pain, I sent my mother’s body to the crematorium. I took her ashes back to our hometown and chose an auspicious day to bury my mother. After finishing these matters, I stayed in my hometown for a month. When I returned to the city, I found the house still looked exactly as it had when I left. She hadn’t come back even once, nor had she called. Her heart and her person were with Anderson and his son. I contacted a lawyer and asked him to help me draft divorce papers. When she came back, I would file for divorce. After putting down my phone, I sighed. Going back to the company tomorrow, there would surely be plenty of gossip about me.

Just as I stepped into the company, my colleagues saw me and enthusiastically greeted me at first, then all bowed their heads in hushed discussion about me. I knew I couldn’t escape the mockery behind my back, so I walked in expressionlessly. “Ugh! If I were James, I’d definitely beat up that pair of cheaters.” “He doesn’t dare. The company is owned by Anderson’s uncle. Jobs are hard to find now. If he really hit Anderson, he’d lose his job too.” “Does that mean he has to just take this humiliation, watching his wife get screwed by someone else and raising another man’s child?” “What else can he do? Poor people have no right to oppose rich people.” Various embarrassing voices reached my ears, making them ache. The entire company knew that my sworn enemy had slept with my wife and had a child with her. Suddenly, the discussion stopped. Because across the hallway, Anderson stood there holding a coffee. The moment our eyes met, he saw intense hatred in mine. All my colleagues held their breath, staring intently at the two of us. “Are they going to fight?” “Quick, call security up here.” Afraid I would retaliate, Anderson pulled out a small fruit knife from his pocket. I stared at him impassively and walked forward. As I passed alongside him, he smirked coldly: “Right after her postpartum recovery ended, she played with me for a day and night.” I stopped walking. Anderson raised the fruit knife a bit higher. I knew he was trying to provoke me into attacking first, so he could claim self-defense while stabbing me, then rightfully have me arrested. The security guards rushed in too. Such a big fuss—they really underestimated me. “James, you took a month off, causing your group’s performance to decline.” “If you still want to work here, come to my office later to get the files and complete them.” I had thought about resigning, but the people in my group were all my good friends. My month-long absence had caused them to be constantly criticized. Even if I was leaving, I had to help them achieve results and get promoted first. Seeing I had no intention of fighting back, Anderson relaxed and sneered mockingly: “What an obedient dog. Knowing those colleagues are indebted to you, you’ll stay here feeling wronged.” The implication was that if I quit, he would fire my colleagues. They had elderly parents and young children to support. I couldn’t bear that responsibility. Back at my desk, my colleagues gathered around. “James, let’s all just resign together! We don’t need to take his humiliation.” “Right, don’t be sad. A woman like that isn’t worth keeping anyway.” I stopped what I was doing and looked at them calmly: “I’m single now, I’m not afraid. But you’re different from me.” “Before I leave, I’ll help you out.” Putting on my work badge, Anderson’s person came over to urge me: “James, Director Anderson is urging you to hurry up and get the documents to process.” When I arrived outside Anderson’s office, through the half-open door, I saw with my own eyes Austin sitting on the desk, her legs wrapped around his waist. In that moment, my mind went completely blank. I realized Anderson had deliberately lured me over to witness how he was having sex with my wife. I kicked the door open with one foot and walked in coldly.

Austin, still lost in passion, roared furiously: “Who is it!” “Not even knocking before—” The rest of her words went unfinished as her eyes widened larger than lanterns. They were still entangled together in an ambiguous, explicit position. What they were doing was self-evident. “James?” She hurriedly jumped away from Anderson’s body and out of his embrace. Frantically pulling down her skirt, scrambling to pick up the stockings Anderson had torn to shreds. As she picked them up, she suddenly stopped her frantic movements, breathing rapidly as she stood up straight, her eyes darting away as she looked at me. “James, let me explain.” “It’s not what you think.” “I told him that after my postpartum recovery ended, I wouldn’t see him anymore. I was going back to my family.” “Anderson asked me for one last—” “Director Anderson, I’m here to collect the documents.” I didn’t look at the flustered woman, but coldly at Anderson, whose face was smeared with lipstick. He stood up with a contemptuous, disdainful smile, zipped up his pants, and then handed me a stack of documents. I took the documents and left without saying a single word to Austin the entire time. Because shouting was useless, and talking to her would only exhaust my emotions. A dirty woman should just be discarded. Austin watched my back, a feeling of unease creeping up in her heart. At lunch, she came to find me to eat, and I treated her like she was invisible. Wherever I went, she followed. Unable to bear my cold treatment any longer, she broke down. “James, can we talk?” “Fine. I’ll send you the divorce papers later, and we should sit down and have a proper talk then.” Everyone in the company looked at us with strange eyes. I didn’t care anymore. Austin, however, lost control. Just then, our supervisor notified us of an emergency meeting. “Whoever can close the deal with FLY Company will receive a two hundred thousand dollar bonus.” “Plus a promotion and raise.” The supervisor looked at me: “James, especially your group. Because you took a month off, your group’s performance tanked.” “Upper management said they’re planning to fire you all.” “So take this opportunity to make up for it!” I was alone now and not afraid of losing my job, but those colleagues absolutely couldn’t lose their jobs because of me. From then on, I threw myself into work frantically, working overtime until late at night, drinking coffee until my stomach hurt. Outside, thousands of lights illuminated the night, but not a single one was lit for me. Austin had gone home. She couldn’t stand my cold treatment anymore. I worked overtime partly for my colleagues, and partly to avoid her. Finally, after completing a project proposal I was satisfied with, I arranged to meet with the potential partners. They deliberately made things difficult for me, forcing me to drink until I nearly died in the private room. “James, why are you working so hard you’d risk your life? I’m really impressed.” “I’m very satisfied with the project plan. We’ll come over to discuss the rest.” However, the next day when I woke up and returned to the company, I heard the supervisor praising Anderson. “Not bad, the partners are very satisfied with this proposal. I didn’t expect you to be smarter than James.” Smarter than me? Anderson hadn’t participated at all! When I walked closer to look, the content on that proposal was identical to mine. My brain exploded. Anderson had stolen my proposal and claimed it as his own. But the only person who knew my computer password was Austin. I glared at her with bloodshot eyes. She guiltily looked away. I couldn’t hold back anymore and rushed forward: “This proposal was done by me. When did it become his?” “Austin, why are you doing this to me?” To them, my rage was just a madman venting emotions. “James, you can’t produce results and still have the nerve to make a scene? Your whole group just wait to be fired!” No one believed me. Had I once again helped him get promoted and a raise? After the supervisor left, Anderson had his assistant bring cake and wine to celebrate. The anger in my heart kept burning, but Anderson smirked and handed me the wine. “The proposal was indeed yours. Austin helped me steal it.” “This kind of thing has happened plenty of times before.” “Every solution you came up with—didn’t Austin reject it? She deliberately rejected them to stop you from implementing them, then told me the solutions so I could implement them and get promoted and raises.” “Your former boss knew this, which is why she wanted to transfer you to a branch office in a high position, away from me. But you were stupid and stayed to work for me for Austin’s sake.” “Your group is in big trouble now.” I was so angry my face turned red, the rage in my chest wouldn’t dissipate. Before I could strike, Anderson smashed the cake in my face and poured red wine from my head down to my feet. “Pathetic loser, you dare try to hit me…” In that moment, I lost control of my emotions. I found a fruit knife on the table and stabbed it toward Anderson…

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On my wedding day, the makeup artist saw that the venue was booked at a high-end hotel. She suddenly changed everything from the look we had originally agreed upon. My fiancé looked at her with amusement and asked, “What, you want me to marry Crayon Shin-chan?” Turns out the expensive makeup artist I’d booked was my fiancé’s ex-girlfriend. Watching how familiar they were with each other, I removed my makeup on the spot and called off the wedding. As Ethan tried to stop me, Mandy suddenly stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips. That’s when I noticed—beneath her mask, she’d already done her makeup perfectly. So this was her plan all along. To steal my wedding. I raised an eyebrow. Stealing a wedding means taking on more than just the man. The final payment for that $700,000 sky-high banquet was to be paid in full by the bride’s family. I hoped she could handle that too. Last night, I’d stayed up late discussing wedding details with both sets of parents. I didn’t get to bed until very late. And this morning I had to get up at the crack of dawn. So when the makeup artist greeted me, I was still half-asleep. As soon as she walked in, she started looking around the hotel room. When she saw the expensive jewelry laid out on the table, her hands paused slightly as she unpacked her makeup kit. “Ha, Miss Olivia, does your husband treat you that well? Booking such a fancy hotel for the wedding, preparing such elegant jewelry—it’s enough to make anyone jealous!” “This must have cost a fortune, right? I really envy you, finding such a generous man.” At her words, I felt a surge of distaste. All the expenses for today’s wedding were being covered by my family. She hadn’t bothered to learn anything about the situation, yet she automatically assumed it was the groom’s family paying. But I didn’t need to explain myself to a stranger. I nodded and didn’t take it to heart. But she suddenly yanked her makeup kit open forcefully and looked at me with a half-smile. “Miss Olivia, why do you think women these days love stealing other people’s things so much?” “Are they just born shameless?” Honestly, hearing this nonsensical talk, I was getting angry. But there was no time now to find a replacement makeup artist. After she applied my foundation, I dozed off. I kept my eyes closed the whole time, pretending to rest. She was from a well-known brand’s shop after all—I wasn’t worried about her stealing anything. I figured if she needed me to open my eyes, she’d ask. But when I finally opened my eyes again, I was startled by the stranger in the mirror. I was about to ask the makeup artist what the hell she was doing, frowning. My mind was already racing, thinking about how to claim compensation. This was a massive professional failure on her part. But when I looked over at her, she was looking down, trying to suppress her laughter. Her shoulders were shaking nonstop, as if she’d seen something hilarious. I gradually realized something was wrong. This was clearly intentional. To be fair, I didn’t think I’d done anything to offend her. I frowned, thinking through the possibilities. When our eyes met, the girl couldn’t hold it in anymore. She burst out laughing. “Hahaha—” Laughing, she ran behind Ethan, who’d just opened the door and walked in. Her small hands clutched at the back of Ethan’s suit. “I… I’m sorry, Ethan! I didn’t mean to laugh!” “I just never imagined Miss Olivia’s face would be so… suited to this kind of makeup!” She covered her face again, trying to stifle her laughter. Seeing my ridiculous appearance, she hid behind Ethan, her malice obvious. Hearing her call out Ethan’s name, my sense of unease grew stronger. My intuition was usually accurate. This girl knew Ethan. And they were quite familiar with each other. I didn’t want to think the worst. I frowned and looked at Ethan. “What’s the meaning of this?” “You two already knew each other? What kind of stunt are you pulling? Is today a wedding or a theatrical performance?” When Ethan saw my face, he froze too. He looked down helplessly at the girl behind him, but he didn’t scold her. My originally irritated mood suddenly felt like it had been doused with cold water. Ethan leaned casually against a chair, looking at the girl with a familiar tone. “The trial runs went fine before. Why are you dropping the ball today?” “What, you want me to marry Crayon Shin-chan?” He looked at her with amusement. The girl shrank her neck, stuck out her tongue, and made a sound. “You’re asking me to do makeup for your bride. I can’t be that magnanimous.” She looked at my face with a half-smile, clearly enjoying my humiliation. I pulled out my phone and found the contact information for a backup makeup artist. “Make her apologize to me.” “I’ll call someone else to come redo my makeup. I’ll go downstairs whenever they’re done.” “We can talk about compensation later.” Right now, I didn’t care how the two of them knew each other. Today was my wedding day. The guests my parents invited were all business partners. I didn’t want any last-minute problems. Ethan and I met through matchmaking. I came from an upper-middle-class family. Ethan’s family wasn’t well off. He came from a single-parent household—his mother had raised him alone. Ethan himself was fairly capable, with good career prospects. But here, he had no house, no car. Even with a decent annual salary, he wasn’t exactly a hot commodity in this first-tier city’s matchmaking market. I’d chosen Ethan because I valued his personal abilities and his looks, which is why I’d agreed to date and marry him. But I didn’t expect that hearing my words, Ethan would actually frown. He pressed down on my hand as I was about to make the call. “Is that really necessary?” “You look like this anyway.” I was so angry I laughed.

Hearing this, the girl also let out a delicate laugh. “Ethan, is that any way to talk to a girl?” “After all this time, you’re still such a typical guy!” Even if I were an idiot, I could guess that this girl and Ethan had an unusual relationship. They might even be exes. But even if I couldn’t recognize his ex, couldn’t Ethan? From selecting the makeup artist to the trial runs to the final booking, Ethan had been with me the whole time. And he’d never mentioned this. Was he trying to give his ex a job opportunity, or were old feelings still lingering? I didn’t want to dig deeper and upset myself needlessly. I grabbed my makeup remover, went straight into the bathroom, and washed my face clean. Then I called my parents and told them I needed to reconsider the wedding. If I went through with today, I’d regret it. We hadn’t registered our marriage anyway. I didn’t avoid the two of them when making the call. Ethan heard everything loud and clear. His face darkened almost instantly. His previously calm expression turned stormy. He was about to speak when a pair of soft hands pulled him back. The girl wrapped her arms gently around Ethan’s waist from behind. “Ethan! If Miss Olivia doesn’t want to marry you, I will!” “Propose to me!” “You promised before that you’d only marry me~” Then, right in front of me, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Ethan on the lips. But I didn’t miss the greedy look in her eyes when she stared at the expensive jewelry on the table. At her words, Ethan froze. He turned his head slightly, his eyes conflicted. When he spoke again, there was a hint of guilt and excitement in his voice that even he didn’t seem to notice. He looked at me. “Let Mandy take your place at the wedding today and clean up your mess.” “You’ll still be my wife. You can rest assured about that.” “Go downstairs and tell your parents. Don’t make a scene that would embarrass everyone.” “Of course, you’re also free to make a scene.” Ethan was confident I’d swallow my anger for my parents’ sake. He also knew that today’s wedding had many of my parents’ important business partners in attendance. With that, he pulled Mandy toward the door. I finally remembered her name. Mandy. Mandy looked at me with triumph in her eyes. She stared directly at me, silently curling her lips into a provocative smile. As if she’d won the lottery. Only then did I notice—beneath her mask, she’d already applied exquisite makeup. Compared to the makeup on my face, it was night and day. Even her hair was already styled in the design I’d chosen. Oh, so this was all premeditated! “Sorry, Miss Olivia, I don’t want to leave myself with regrets!” “If you want to report me to the shop, go ahead!” Seeing her completely unbothered attitude made my anger spike.

I won’t deny it—Mandy had gotten under my skin. But I knew that being angry wouldn’t solve anything. After I told my parents what had happened, they looked shocked. They hurriedly apologized to the guests and came upstairs. Seeing that I’d truly decided not to marry Ethan, my parents sighed, feeling somewhat guilty. “Sweetheart, we had no idea the kid from the Hayes family was so unreliable!” “We originally thought he was decent, worth investing in. Looks like that’s no longer necessary!” “Forget it. My daughter doesn’t need to chase after Ethan Hayes!” I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d been worried my parents wouldn’t agree. After all, the guests were all important people. I was also concerned that my sudden decision to call off the wedding would burden my parents. Originally, my parents had planned to use the wedding as an opportunity to introduce Ethan to some connections. Looks like that wouldn’t be necessary anymore. This hotel handled mid-to-high-end banquets. The deposit was paid in advance, but the balance was due after the wedding. When our families discussed it, they’d decided the groom’s family would pay the deposit. The bride’s family would pay the balance—$700,000. Deposit: $30,000. Balance: $700,000. For appearances, Ethan’s mother had insisted that Ethan sign the contract with the hotel. Though the contract noted that the bride’s family would cover the balance, my name wasn’t specified. So now that the bride had become Mandy, Ethan’s mother could only ask Mandy for the money. Ethan called me, telling me to send the jewelry over to Mandy. After all, Mandy’s hair was already styled—she was just waiting for those accessories. Hearing Mandy’s triumphant laughter on the other end of the line, I hung up and blocked him. Was he joking? My family paid for all this. Why would I let Mandy wear it? When no one came to deliver the items, Ethan got somewhat angry with me. He decided to teach me a lesson. He had people take down the posters that were originally of us. He had them rush to replace them with photos of him and Mandy. The bride’s name was also changed to Mandy. He originally hadn’t planned to change any of this—he’d just wanted Mandy to substitute for me at the wedding. Now, this was his warning to me. But he didn’t know—this played right into my hands. Now the bride had completely and officially become Mandy. The debt collectors couldn’t come after me. I’d always been rational, so I chose to cut my losses. Even though I’d admittedly developed some feelings for Ethan. But sunk costs don’t factor into major decisions.

Seeing the screen display photos of her and Ethan, Mandy was over the moon. She posted multiple updates on social media and videos. Showing off her high-end wedding. Mandy put on the wedding dress my parents had paid a premium to custom-make for me. Even though it didn’t fit her perfectly, she couldn’t resist coming to glaunt it to me. Every word dripped with veiled sarcasm. “Miss Olivia, this dress seems to fit me better than you!” “Ethan’s so silly… ordering a wedding dress without getting your measurements right. I’ll have to talk to him about this! He has no idea how to take care of people. Such a typical guy!” She smiled smugly. Seeing that I remained unmoved, she wasn’t bothered. “Oh, by the way, Ethan just called in a highly experienced professional makeup artist. The kind that charges ten thousand dollars an hour.” “He said how could a bride do her own makeup?” “He’s still the same as before! Never listens to advice.” “Not frugal at all. Don’t take it personally, Miss Olivia! Today really has cost you quite a bit~” “If he keeps being like this in the future, call me and I’ll talk to him!” “Miss Olivia, thank you for being so gracious today and making mine and Ethan’s old dream come true.” Mandy covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes full of provocation as she looked at me. Deliberately disgusting me, and not even trying to hide it. I laughed coldly. Looks like Ethan wasn’t completely clueless—he just didn’t want to care! When I was wearing makeup that obviously didn’t suit me, he said I just looked like that and even the most expensive makeup artist couldn’t help. But when it came to Mandy, he thought of everything. Even hired a professional makeup artist. But did he have the money?

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Eight months pregnant, and the housekeeper’s daughter suddenly created a “pregnancy wellness plan” for me. She required me to spend six hours every day in the scorching 108°F outdoor heat, sunbathing. I was roasted until I nearly lost the baby. I begged her to open the door and let me inside. But she just sat there eating chilled watermelon, smiling sweetly. “Ma’am, pregnant women need plenty of sunshine. It’s good for you. I’m only doing this for your own good.” The door stayed locked. No one dared open it. I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed a flowerpot and smashed through the balcony window. An hour later, Sebastian hurried home from his meeting and immediately unleashed on me. “Vivian, how can you be so vicious! Do you realize that because you threw your tantrum and smashed that window, Sophie got heatstroke and ended up in the ICU?” “Sebastian, you have time to worry about the housekeeper’s daughter, but you can’t spare a thought for your own wife and child? If I’d stayed out there any longer, the baby would’ve died!” Sebastian stared at me for a moment with an unreadable expression, said nothing, and left. But that night, someone dragged me out of bed and locked me inside a metal baking chamber. Outside, dozens of the housekeeper’s relatives had gathered. Sebastian stood there with his arm around Sophie’s waist, watching me coldly. “Vivian, you’re utterly malicious and show no remorse. Today I’m going to make you pay for what you did to Sophie!” My heart kept sinking. I was completely disappointed in him. I decisively pulled out my phone and called my brother, Marcus. “Marcus, don’t leave a single one of them alive. Not the Hayes family, not the Walsh family. Kill them all.”

The moment those words left my lips, all those relatives outside turned deathly pale. Only Sebastian let out a cold sneer. Following his disdainful laugh, everyone else belatedly burst into hysterical laughter. “Miss Vivian, do you still think you’re some mob princess? Marcus is long dead. Who are you trying to scare?” “Exactly! If Mr. Hayes hadn’t been kind enough to take you in, you wouldn’t even be worthy of shining Sophie’s shoes!” Hearing these outsiders insult me, Sebastian just smiled faintly, not defending me at all. He pulled Sophie’s slender waist closer and slowly walked to the small window, casually tapping on the glass in front of me. “Vivian, feeling hot? Do you understand what you did wrong?” The red thermometer on the metal wall showed the baking chamber had been set to 122°F. The room was suffocatingly hot, like being in hell. My skin had turned bright red from the heat. No matter how deeply I breathed, my chest felt like it was being pierced with needles, so stifling I could barely breathe. Sweat poured off me like rain. My voice was hoarse. “Sebastian, what did I do wrong by escaping the sun to go into an air-conditioned room? If I hadn’t forced my way in, your child would already be dead in my belly!” I was about to continue when suddenly, under the intense heat, a violent cramping pain shot through my lower abdomen. Accompanied by frequent fetal movement, I crouched down and curled up, screaming. “Sebastian, let me out! It’s too hot in here—the baby can’t take it! Aren’t you the one who’s been so desperate for him to be born?!” Sebastian’s gaze dropped to my belly, his eyes dark and unreadable. Watching his reaction, my heart grew colder and colder. I had a weak constitution. Before this, I’d been pregnant five times, but every single one ended in miscarriage. Each time I lost a baby, Sebastian was so devastated he looked ready to kill someone. This time we’d been so careful with the pregnancy, finally making it to eight months. Once, when I was making him noodles and my belly was exposed to heat from the stove, causing frequent fetal movement, he’d been both angry and heartbroken, staying by my side all night. And now, because of Sophie’s ridiculous heatstroke, he’d personally locked me in a baking chamber. My heart ached with bitter pain. I was about to speak through gritted teeth when Sophie clutched her head and swayed unsteadily, her voice unbearably weak. “Sebastian, let her out. She’s been pampered all her life—how can she endure this suffering? She didn’t do anything wrong. It’s all my fault. I’m just a housekeeper’s daughter. Even if I die of heatstroke in this hundred-degree weather, it’s only what I deserve…” My blood boiled with rage. Just minutes after I smashed the window, she’d turned around and gone back to the bedroom, having a servant bring her half a chilled watermelon. The one who’d been roasting outside for hours, nearly suffering heatstroke—that was me! My eyes turned bloodshot as I glared at her. Just as I was about to speak, Sebastian slammed his fist against the glass window. His voice turned ice-cold. “Go turn up the temperature 9°F. She’s pampered and afraid of heat? Today I’ll make sure she gets back every bit of grievance Sophie suffered!” He affectionately ruffled Sophie’s hair, his eyes practically overflowing with tenderness. “I know you’ve been wronged. You were kind enough to help with her pregnancy care, and she nearly killed you for it. Go on, Sophie, adjust it yourself. I dare her to say one word against it!” When Sophie walked back, the red thermometer on the metal wall showed 140°F. She’d raised it a full 18°F! The baking chamber instantly became like hell itself. My entire body felt like it was being deep-fried in oil. My dress had long been soaked through with sweat, clinging wetly to my swollen belly. The frequent fetal movement was practically my baby’s desperate cry for help. For the sake of my child, I dragged out my smoke-damaged voice, hoarse beyond recognition, and admitted fault. “I was wrong, Sebastian. I know I was wrong…”

The instant I spoke, Sophie’s father suddenly interrupted, his booming voice drowning out my plea. “Mr. Hayes, your wife has such a great figure. Even with that pregnant belly, she’s so sexy. Just looking at her makes a man unable to resist…” My hoarse voice was swallowed up. The man’s excited, undisguised gaze fixed directly on me. That look was utterly disgusting. I clutched my body and shrank back toward the corner. But after prolonged exposure to the scorching heat, as soon as I lifted my foot, a layer of skin on my sole separated instantly from the flesh, torn open with bright red blood flowing out. The piercing pain made it nearly impossible to stand on one foot. I staggered and stepped down, the skinless sole pressing against the burning metal floor. In that instant, the stabbing pain shooting to my scalp made me scream shrilly. Sebastian clearly heard my scream. He frowned slightly and shot Sophie’s father a warning look before standing and walking to the small window. Seeing the complete footprint of skin and the bright red blood on the metal floor, his heart clenched. Just as he was about to speak, Sophie bit her lip and walked over weakly. “Just give Sebastian a simple apology. It doesn’t even have to be sincere. You know his temper—if you don’t apologize, how could he possibly let you out…” My internal organs were churning. I was nearly cooked through by the high temperature. I opened my mouth but could barely make a sound. Watching me, Sophie’s lips curved up. She suddenly raised her hand and slapped herself twice, then cried out that she wanted to open the door and be punished alongside me. “Sebastian, since she won’t apologize, just let me go in there and be punished with her. I really can’t bear to see her suffer like this. I’ll just take all the blame—it’s my fault for getting heatstroke, my fault for going to the ICU!” Seeing Sophie’s apparent kindness, whatever softness Sebastian had felt vanished instantly. He glared at me viciously, his voice full of disappointment. “Vivian, you’ve truly disappointed me. You used to have at least some sense of shame, but now you’re completely shameless. You hurt Sophie and don’t feel even a shred of remorse. Sophie is kind enough to want to accompany you, but you’re not worthy!” “Fine. Since that’s how it is, today I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of your dead father!” With that, he waved his hand and ordered, “Go raise the temperature another 9°F. I don’t believe her mouth can stay this hard at 140°F! If she won’t apologize, she’s not coming out!” As soon as he finished speaking, the other maids in the house rushed over, pleading on my behalf. “Sir, please forgive her this once. She’s eight months pregnant after all. The temperature in there is so high—it could be fatal for the baby.” Sebastian frowned and glanced at me through the small window. After a few seconds of silence, just as he was about to nod, Sophie suddenly cried out and collapsed. Sebastian immediately gathered her into his arms. “Sophie, where does it hurt? I’ll take you to the hospital.” Sophie shook her head, tears brimming. “I got sick and ended up in the ICU because of my own weak constitution. It has nothing to do with her. Since everyone’s pleading for her, Sebastian, just let her go. I’m fine…” Before she could finish, she curled up in apparent agony, gasping heavily as if about to go into shock. The “okay” stuck in Sebastian’s throat never came out. His voice turned sharp and cold. “Those who do wrong must be punished. Do as I said!” The maids glanced at the horrific scene inside the baking chamber and tried to continue pleading, but Sebastian’s cold stare shut them down. “Sophie only made her sunbathe because she was helping with pregnancy care. Not only is she ungrateful, she even smashed windows and hurt people. Even now she shows no remorse—she deserves to suffer! If any of you plead for her again, pack your things and leave immediately.” He paused, then ordered, “Go adjust the temperature! And have an ambulance wait outside.” Hearing this, the maids didn’t dare say anything more. Sophie’s mother and Sophie exchanged a glance, then hurried to adjust the temperature. When she returned, the temperature inside the baking chamber had changed to 158°F. She’d raised it another full 18°F.

The instant intense heat struck, I could no longer stand. My whole body trembling, I collapsed onto the scorching metal floor. The moment my feet left the ground, one foot had a layer of skin and flesh torn off by the metal plate, while the other had a layer of scab ripped away. As my body hit the floor, a “sizzle” sounded where my skin touched the metal plate. The contact area instantly swelled and oozed blood, as if being pan-fried. Piercing, bone-deep pain shot through my entire body. Blood kept seeping out from various places. To protect the baby in my belly, I ignored the pain and struggled to adjust my position to lie on my back. Every movement tore away the layer of skin and flesh pressed against the scalding metal. By the time I’d adjusted my position, there was hardly any intact flesh left on my body. And the baby in my belly had also gone completely still. The people outside who’d been jeering and laughing gradually fell silent as they watched the bloody scene inside. Feeling my child’s life slipping away, I screamed with all my strength. “Sebastian! My baby is dead—you killed him with your own hands! When I get out, I’ll have Marcus kill all of you. You all deserve to die!” Sebastian’s expression changed drastically. In the sudden silence, he walked to the small window, seemingly wanting to check on my condition. When he saw me covered in blood without a single patch of healthy skin, his pupils contracted sharply. He was about to order someone to get the key when Sophie suddenly stepped forward and grabbed his hand. “Ma’am, how can you say such things? You know how much Marcus made Sebastian suffer, how much he was held back. Now he’s long dead, yet you still use him to pressure Sebastian. Aren’t you just stabbing him in the heart?” She turned to look at Sebastian, her voice gentle. “Sebastian, I know about all the grievances you suffered back then. Don’t be sad. I’ll always stand by your side. As for her, you should still let her out. She’s speaking recklessly—she can even say things like killing us. Who knows what she might do if this continues, just like that Marcus of hers…” Sophie’s words stirred up Sebastian’s humiliating memories. He flew into a rage, slamming his fist against the metal wall. “Go raise the temperature another 9°F. Let’s see just how stubborn she can be!” Seeing Sebastian’s anger, no one behind him dared persuade him further. They obediently went to raise the temperature by 9°F. Instantly, piercing burning heat struck from below. My entire body felt like it was being grilled on a hot plate. My internal organs felt like they were being cooked through by the penetrating heat. I couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed onto my side. The moment my belly touched the metal plate, a gush of fresh blood poured from my lower abdomen. The blood flowed along the metal plate and out through the door crack. Even outside, it still steamed with heat. Realizing my child had completely left me, I screamed like I was coughing blood. Many people outside cried out, “Someone’s going to die!” Sebastian had been furious, but hearing this cry, he turned back and was also frightened by the seeping blood. He frantically grabbed the person next to him and roared, “The key! Go get the key!” Sophie volunteered eagerly. “Sebastian, I know where the key is. I’ll get it!” As she left, she glanced at me through the small window. That look contained undisguised malicious glee and triumph.

After she left, Sebastian frowned tightly, occasionally glancing at me, already barely alive in the baking chamber. After waiting for what seemed like forever without Sophie returning, he exploded. “Where is she! Go see why the key isn’t here yet!” “You few—go cut the power! Get the ambulance over here now!” Watching people scatter in panic, a flash of pain crossed Sebastian’s eyes. Shortly after the power was cut, Sophie came running back in a panic, tears falling. “Sebastian, the key… the key is gone…” Sebastian’s face turned deathly pale. He staggered toward Sophie, his voice laced with cold fury. “Why would the key be gone? You’d better not be lying to me!” Sophie dropped to her knees with a “thud.” “This baking chamber was custom-made and only came with one key. The servants were cleaning up earlier and accidentally threw it away with the trash…” I looked weakly at Sebastian. Ridiculously, he actually believed such a clumsy excuse. He had people go make a duplicate key while looking at me through the window. “Vivian, just wait a little longer. I’ll let you out soon. Just hold on a bit more.” Seeing the worry in his eyes, Sophie suddenly said, “Sebastian, you gathered all my family’s relatives here, saying you wanted them to witness her apology to me. They’re all still here…” “Anyway, the power’s already off. Just give everyone an explanation. Just have her say she’s sorry. It doesn’t even have to be sincere…” Sebastian looked at me, then at the wronged and obedient Sophie. Finally, he tapped on the small window. “Vivian, no matter what, today’s incident was your fault. Just give a simple apology and I won’t pursue this matter anymore, okay?” Seeing I didn’t respond, his tone softened. “Be good. Everyone’s waiting for your apology. Once you apologize, I’ll let you out. Sophie will take good care of you from now on, and I’ll love you properly too.” The physical burning and massive blood loss had already made me barely conscious. I crawled up from the pool of blood with all my strength, instinctively using blood to write on the metal plate, word by word: “Marcus… will kill… you all…” Sophie’s eyes were full of contempt, but her words came out as wronged sobs. “Ma’am, I know you’ve always been domineering. I just want an apology to give my family an explanation. Is that really too much to ask?” “Besides, Marcus was already turned into a human swine long ago. You’re the only one left in your family. What’s the point of this? If you don’t apologize, even if I want to let you out, my family won’t agree…” As soon as she finished speaking, Sophie’s relatives outside started chattering. “Miss Vivian, stop dreaming. Everyone knows your entire family was wiped out three years ago. If Mr. Hayes weren’t protecting you, you’d have died countless times by now. And you want to kill us? What a joke.” “Mr. Hayes, I think she’s just pretending. She nearly killed Sophie this time. If you don’t teach her a proper lesson, who knows how she’ll bully people in the future.” “Exactly, Mr. Hayes. She’s bullying people like this—you can’t let her off so easily.” Sebastian irritably pressed his temples, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness when he spoke again. “Vivian, Marcus is long dead. You’re not some mob princess anymore. Without my protection these years, you’d have struggled just to survive. Right now, I’m your only support. Just apologize once and I’ll let you out immediately, okay?” The temperature in the baking chamber hadn’t dissipated, but the heartbeat of the baby in my belly had completely stopped. That little life that had accompanied me for eight months—I ultimately couldn’t keep him. Tears blurred my vision. I was consumed with grief. I had no strength to answer him. I just hung my head and resolutely wrote two words on the floor in blood: “Never.” Sebastian’s expression shifted. “Vivian, think carefully. Besides me, no one can save you!” The moment Sebastian finished speaking, a “bang” echoed as a bullet grazed past his scalp. Accompanied by a massive sharp ringing sound, a team of gang members wielding assault rifles burst in. A cold, stern voice rang out from behind him. “Who says no one can save her?”

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My husband, Ethan Hayes, was diagnosed with cancer. I decided to sell my premarital property to raise money for his medical expenses, but my mom stopped me. “Don’t tell him the truth yet,” my mom said. “Tell him you’re the one with cancer and see what he says.” I thought my mom was being petty, but she insisted: “If he’s willing to stand by you and sell the house to help with your treatment, then I’ll agree to let you sell your property.” I did as she said. But the very first day after I told him, Ethan’s face turned cold. “You have cancer and you still want me to sell the house to pay for your treatment? You’re just dragging me down!” “I’m not being selfish, but cancer is like a bottomless pit. In the end, you won’t get better, and I’ll be bankrupted.” Without another word, he took our bank cards. “I’m telling you to just give up on treatment. At least you can enjoy the last few days of your life. If you keep trying to treat it, we’re getting divorced.” I stared at him in stunned silence for a long moment, then gave a cold laugh. “Fine. I won’t get treatment then.” After all, I’m not the one with cancer.

When Ethan heard me say this, his expression immediately softened considerably. He sighed and stepped forward to comfort me. “Sophia, don’t blame me for being heartless.” “Getting cancer out of nowhere—no one can predict these things. It’s not that I don’t want to treat you, but cancer is a bottomless pit.” “Think about me, think about your parents. If something happens to you and you’re gone, someone still needs to take care of them, right?” Ethan spoke with such apparent sincerity that he almost moved himself to tears. But inside, I was laughing coldly. Sure enough, when something really happens, that’s when you see someone’s true colors. Normally, Ethan was thoughtful about everything. After five years of marriage, I thought we were one of those rare loving couples. He always blow-dried my hair for me after I washed it. Every night, he personally prepared my footbath water, making sure it was the perfect temperature—not too hot, not too cold. I was touched by these little details. I believed that when facing hardship together, we should give our all for each other. But now, thinking I had cancer, Ethan directly told me to give up treatment while putting on this affectionate act. It was truly disgusting. I remained silent as Ethan’s voice continued in my ear. “Sophia, I know you’re upset about having cancer, but put yourself in my shoes.” He gently held my hand, looking so devoted. “If I were the one with cancer,” “Even if you wanted to spend all our savings on my treatment, I wouldn’t agree, because I wouldn’t burden you even a little bit.” I looked at him silently. “But I have cancer. Wouldn’t you even consider selling a house to help raise some medical expenses for me?” “What if treatment could give me a fighting chance?” Ethan’s brow furrowed tightly. “Sell the house for treatment? Sophia, you’re being too naive.” “Do you know how much those targeted cancer drugs cost?” “Our house would probably be like throwing a stone into a well—you wouldn’t even hear a splash. We’d probably end up completely broke.” “Besides, my mom still needs to live in this house. If we really sell it, where would our whole family sleep? Under a bridge?” My mother-in-law, who had been eavesdropping in her room, couldn’t help but come out. “Sophia White, you’ve been married for five years and haven’t even produced an egg, and now you want my son to sell the house to pay for your treatment? Dream on!” “Everyone has their fate. If you’re short-lived, blame yourself. You can’t blame anyone else!” “Mom!” Ethan frowned and interrupted his mother. “Sophia is sick after all. Don’t talk like that.” He gave her a look. “Go to the market and buy a chicken. Make some chicken soup for Sophia to nourish her body.” His mother looked reluctant and muttered under her breath. “She’s about to die anyway. What’s the point of chicken soup? Pure waste!” The door slammed shut. Ethan pulled out his phone and fiddled with it for a while. I snapped back to reality and glanced at it. “What are you buying?” “Painkillers for you, of course.” Ethan didn’t even look up, seemingly clicking to pay. “I bought you six months’ worth of painkillers. If the pain gets unbearable, just take some.” “After all, having cancer is basically a death sentence. There’s no need for you to keep going to the hospital.” Ethan’s voice sounded so gentle, But to me at that moment, it was like a death-beckoning demon. I was so angry I laughed. “Ethan, are you now even taking away my right to go to the hospital?” Is this the love you’ve been claiming all along? Is this the man I trusted for five years? “Sophia,” Ethan frowned and stood up. “Don’t make it sound so harsh.” “I’m not stopping you from going to the hospital. I’m just trying to be considerate, in case you can’t bear the pain.” “After all, you’ve already given up on treatment. Going to the hospital would just waste more money.” I couldn’t listen anymore. I grabbed my bag and turned to leave. “Where are you going?” Ethan’s voice called after me. “Remember to come back early tonight. I’ll make chicken soup for you.” I took a cab to my mom’s house. The moment I opened the door, my mom looked somewhat startled. “Sophia, why did you come back?” “Mom, you were right. I lied and said I had cancer, and forget about selling the house for treatment—Ethan wouldn’t even spend a penny on me. He told me to just give up on treatment.” And here I was, ready to sell my premarital property to pay for his treatment. My mom’s expression also turned cold as she held my hand with concern. “Sophia, since your husband said to give up, then give up.” “Didn’t you buy Ethan a lot of insurance policies recently? Just wait.”

I stayed at my mom’s house for three nights straight. Ethan, who usually checked in on me every day, Didn’t send me a single message for three whole days. It wasn’t until the fourth day that Ethan’s message finally arrived. “Why aren’t you back yet? Sophia, you didn’t ignore my advice and go to the hospital, did you? I told you it’s useless.” “That bank card is linked to my transaction alerts. If you buy medicine or anything, I can see it clear as day.” My stomach churned violently, a strong wave of nausea rushing up. Looking at these two messages, I felt chilled to the bone. This was the man I’d loved for five years, the person I thought I could live and die with. Yet he was this petty and mean. Knowing I was dying, he was still worried about me spending a single penny of his money. “I’m coming back today.” I typed my reply. After all, I’d paid half the down payment on the house we were living in and had been paying the mortgage together. Since Ethan wronged me first, I couldn’t let myself lose both the person and the property. I had just pushed open the front door when the sound of a man and woman laughing in the living room completely threw me. At some point, Ethan had brought a strange woman home. The woman was wearing a miniskirt, curled up on the sofa in Ethan’s arms, the two of them intimately entangled, talking and laughing. They were sharing a grape. When it dropped, Ethan grabbed the woman’s chin and kissed her. “Ethan, I’m not dead yet.” Seeing me standing in the doorway with a dark expression, Ethan not only didn’t panic, but instead kept his arm around the woman’s waist and spoke matter-of-factly. “Sophia, you don’t have much time left anyway. You can’t expect me to spend the rest of my life lonely, can you?” “I’m finding a companion in advance. When you’re underground, you’ll be at peace too, right?” His words nearly made me sick to my stomach. My mother-in-law chimed in from the side. “Exactly. My son has such good prospects—what kind of woman can’t he find?” She glared at me coldly with a sarcastic tone. “If you weren’t such a short-lived burden dragging him down, would my son have to go through all this trouble finding another woman?” With that, she carried a fruit plate over to the strange woman with a smile plastered on her face. “Chloe, I just washed these cherries. Try some.” “When you marry into our family, you can eat as much expensive fruit as you want.” Chloe Brooks smiled sweetly and accepted them. “Thank you, Auntie.” My expression grew even colder. Those were cherries I’d bought just recently. I hadn’t even eaten any yet, and they’d already finished them all. I clenched my fists tightly. At that moment, my heart was colder than ice. Five years in this family, and I’d given my all to these people. But they couldn’t wait for me to die. “Sophia, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m Chloe Brooks, just good friends with Ethan.” Chloe flashed a provocative smile and shoved a photo in my face. “This was taken when we were at the cycling club.” I coldly glanced at it from the corner of my eye. In the photo, Ethan and Chloe in short shorts had their arms around each other, looking very close. This wasn’t the first time I’d heard Chloe’s name. The first time was when Ethan was gaming with his teammates in his study. “Do you know that Chloe Brooks?” “The one with the outgoing personality. Her body is just… wow. If I could ever… ahem, forget it. That’s not something we should be thinking about.” Standing outside the door at the time, my heart flared with anger when I heard this. But since he didn’t finish the sentence and nothing actually happened, I pretended I hadn’t heard it. But now, he’d brought her home. “Sophia.” Chloe reached out and smacked Ethan’s butt, teasing. “Last time I just wore a bikini and Ethan couldn’t control himself. He pulled me into his tent to sleep.” “I was just helping him with his physical needs. Don’t take it to heart.”

I clenched my fists, my whole body trembling. So it wasn’t just a mental betrayal— He’d physically betrayed me too. “Enough, Ethan. Even if I really only have a few days left, it’s not your place to humiliate me like this.” Ethan frowned slightly. “Sophia, how is this humiliating you?” “You said before that you loved me so much that if you left before me, you wouldn’t want to see me lonely for the rest of my life.” “Don’t worry. If Chloe and I really end up together, we’ll definitely bring flowers to visit you every year on holidays.” I was already furious, but inside I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. We’d see who’d be bringing flowers to whom. I had no time for this nonsense. I turned and headed for the bedroom. “Stop.” Ethan suddenly called out, then tossed me a comforter and pillow. “Sophia, I’ve thought it over. Since you’re not feeling well, you might be uncomfortable at night. Why don’t you move to the guest room for now?” My mother-in-law chimed in from the side. “That’s right. You have cancer now—it’s so unlucky. Don’t pass your sickness on to my son.” I was so angry I laughed. “So this is what you’ve been planning while I was gone these past few days.” “Fine. I’ll make you happy.” That afternoon, I pushed open the study door. Ethan quickly pushed Chloe under the desk. Chloe deliberately made trouble. I pretended not to notice Ethan’s barely controlled expression. “Sign this.” I expressionlessly dropped a document on the desk. Ethan’s eyes were glazed, trying to stay composed as he glanced at me. “What… is this?” His words came out in a strange tone. Only in bed did Ethan make that kind of hoarse sound. What they were doing was self-evident. “Sophia, you’re not asking for a divorce, are you?” “Of course not.” I glanced at Chloe crouched under the desk and let out a sneer. “It’s a cancer treatment waiver.” “Sign this.” “Then I won’t get treatment.” This suggestion clearly suited him perfectly. Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t even read it, just signed the last page directly. “Sophia, go rest.” “Didn’t the doctor say that even if you give up treatment, you still have a month to live?” “You always wanted to see the Northern Lights. In a while, I’ll take time off work and take you…” Ethan’s subsequent words became increasingly fragmented. I checked the waiver to make sure the signature was fine, gave a cold laugh, and as I left, kindly reminded him: “Use the bed.” “The bed is so big. Why squeeze in here so awkwardly and secretively?” With those words, I ignored Ethan’s shocked and stunned expression and slammed the door shut. That night, Chloe clearly had no intention of leaving and stayed directly in our marital home. She refused to sleep on the sofa and, wearing my pajamas, headed straight for the master bedroom. Seeing my dark expression, she covered her mouth and laughed. “Sophia, you don’t have many days left anyway.” “Why fuss over so much? These silk pajamas are really comfortable. Why don’t you just give them to me?” “Take them off.” I stared at her coldly. “You’d even bully a dying person?” “Even if I die, I’m burning these and taking them with me. I won’t let some homewrecker have them.” “And I’m not dead yet. You’re a guest. You should sleep on the sofa.” Chloe leaned close to my ear and lowered her voice. “The sofa is too hard. I can’t sleep comfortably on it. Plus I need a familiar environment—I need to hold a man to fall asleep.” As Chloe said this, she winked at Ethan. Ethan impatiently spoke to me. “Enough, Sophia.” “Instead of making things difficult for Chloe, you should be doing everything you want to do. After all, you only have a month left to live.” “Especially at night—won’t your stomach hurt terribly?” Ethan let out a light scoff and pointed to the nightstand in the guest room. “See that? I’ve already prepared painkillers for you.” I gritted my teeth. “How thoughtful of you.” I voluntarily gave up the master bedroom. Ethan smiled with satisfaction and patted my shoulder. “Sophia, you’re much more sensible than before.” “I’ve already bought tickets to see the Northern Lights. In the last stretch of your life, I promise you’ll spend it happily.” With that, Ethan pulled Chloe’s slender waist and disappeared into the master bedroom. That night, listening to them rolling around in the master bedroom, laughing and playing. Yes, he still has a month to live. I told myself. It won’t be much longer.

When I came out early the next morning, Chloe was already sitting at the dining table like the lady of the house. She’d finished an entire bowl of chicken soup and smiled with satisfaction. “Auntie, your chicken soup is delicious. I want more.” After saying this, Chloe belatedly covered her mouth. “Sophia, I’m so sorry. I heard that was chicken soup Auntie made for you, and I drank it all…” “You haven’t even had breakfast yet. It’s all my fault!” Watching Chloe’s self-reproachful expression, Ethan affectionately ruffled her hair. “It’s just a bowl of chicken soup. We can make more.” “Sophia isn’t feeling well. She can’t digest such nutritious food anyway.” I really couldn’t watch this. My stomach was full just from anger. “I’m not eating.” I grabbed my bag and turned to leave. Ethan’s expression suddenly changed as he clutched his stomach and ran to the bathroom. When he came out, his mother asked worriedly, “Son, what’s wrong? Why has your stomach been hurting more and more frequently lately?” Ethan sighed but didn’t think much of it. “Probably ate something bad recently.” Only I looked down, my expression dark and inscrutable. How could it be food poisoning? After all, stomach cancer couldn’t be symptomless. His mother’s expression flickered strangely. “How odd. Sophia has stomach cancer but doesn’t seem uncomfortable. How is it that you…” Ethan laughed and interrupted. “Mom, what are you worried about? Your son’s physical exam results came back. I’m perfectly healthy.” That day, after shopping with my best friend, I was eating an ice cream cone as we went upstairs. Before I could finish half the ice cream, Someone coming toward me violently knocked it out of my hand. Ethan stared at me coldly. “Sophia, are you crazy?” “You know you have stomach cancer and you still dare eat ice cream? Are you trying to die faster?” For a moment I was startled, as if I saw worry and heartache in Ethan’s eyes, but I quickly realized it was just an illusion. Ethan didn’t even care about my life. Why would he care if eating ice cream would make my stomach hurt? “What do you want?” Ethan rambled on about many things before finally getting to the point. It turned out he’d come to find me, even waiting downstairs without complaint, just to force me to transfer my premarital property to Chloe. “Since we’ve both decided to be together, Sophia, we were married after all. Just give the house to Chloe as a wedding gift.” I could hardly believe my ears. “Why should I give her my house as a dowry?” Ethan looked displeased. “What kind of talk is that?” “You don’t have many days left anyway. After you die, won’t your premarital property be inherited by me as your legacy? Chloe is an orphan. You won’t even give her a wedding gift?” Ethan pulled out a property transfer agreement. “If you sign obediently now, I’ll still consider taking you to see the Northern Lights so you won’t have regrets.” “Otherwise, just wait to regret it.” I coldly scanned those unfair terms, completely motionless. “I’ll never sign.” Ethan laughed in anger. “Sophia, you’re so confused.” “You’re about to die. What use is holding onto this property? Don’t forget, we’re married. After you die, all the money will be mine…” I took a deep breath. “Ethan, do you know that actually it’s you who…” Before I could finish, Ethan’s phone rang. He picked it up and looked at the caller ID, frowning. “City Hospital? Why are they calling now?” He remembered he’d been feeling off these past few days and went for a physical exam. This must be the doctor calling about the results. Ethan didn’t hesitate to answer, his tone casual. “Hello?” “Is this Mr. Ethan Hayes? Your test results are in. You’ve been diagnosed with late-stage cancer…”

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