Category: English

1 I went for a walk and ended up being stalked by a kid. He followed me for ten blocks, through every turn and alley, all the way to my front door. I definitely didn’t expect the little guy to breathe fire. While I was getting him water in the kitchen, he burned my entire front lawn. Panicked, he covered his mouth, then dug into his pocket, pulled out a glittering silver band, and shoved it onto my wrist. “I’m a hatchling,” he squeaked. “I can’t control my powers yet. I had a huge fight with my family. Can I stay here a few days? I’ll give you my big brother as payment for the grass.” I was speechless. Before I could process the burned lawn, glowing text suddenly appeared in the air before me: [Holy crap, that’s the Dragon King’s mating bracelet! Once worn, it’s for life. The male lead is now tied to this random extra!] [The male lead’s little brother is such a liability. He burned her yard and sold his brother to a stranger.] [Who cares? This cannon fodder girl is terminally ill anyway. Our female lead is already on her way—she just has to kill this nobody, take the bracelet, and claim the Alpha.] Right then, the doorbell rang. The little guy’s face instantly darkened. With a soft pop, two tiny, golden dragon horns sprouted from his forehead. A smattering of iridescent scales crawled up his neck and tucked behind his ears, catching the porch light. He threw himself into my legs, burying his face in my jeans. “The mean lady who keeps harassing my brother is here. I hate her so much.” Before I could even reach for the handle, the front door was kicked wide open. A woman in a blood-red designer dress stepped over the threshold. Her cold, reptilian gaze swept the room before locking dead onto me. The floating text hovering in my line of sight started refreshing like crazy. [She is here! The female lead, Penelope, has arrived!] [Our golden koi shifter finally enters the chat. She is the chosen one. All she has to do is mate with the Dragon King, and she will ascend to full dragonkin.] I glanced down at the glowing subtitles, then looked back up at the arrogant woman standing in my entryway. Oh. So she was just a little koi fish trying to sleep her way up the mythical food chain. “You have a lot of nerve, luring Harry all the way out here.” She tilted her head, looking at me like I was something she had scraped off the bottom of her heel. “A dying human dares to touch a member of the dragon clan? You really are begging for a quick death.” I took a step back, hoping the little dragon attached to my leg would explain the situation. But Harry just buried his face deeper into my jeans, trembling. Penelope waved a manicured hand dismissively, gesturing to the two massive bodyguards behind her. “Take her down. Ronan said anyone who harms his baby brother is to be executed on the spot. We do not even need to report this.” The two heavily muscled men grunted in agreement and lunged toward me. My heart did a painful stutter in my chest. My oncologist told me I had exactly one month left to live. Now, somehow dragged into a turf war between mythical wildlife, I would be incredibly lucky to survive the night. The little troublemaker clutching my leg was shaking like a leaf, refusing to say a single word in my defense. I let out a resigned sigh and wrapped a protective arm around the kid’s shoulders. I raised my arm instinctively to block the guards’ incoming fists. But the second I moved, the two men hit the brakes so hard their boots skidded on the hardwood floor. The silver band on my wrist was pulsing with a low, dangerous golden light. The men stared at the jewelry, the color draining entirely from their faces. “Boss… that thing on her wrist… that is the Alpha’s mating band.” “Clan law is absolute. Whoever wears that claim has to be treated as the Dragon Queen.” The guards exchanged panicked looks. The weapons in their hands slowly lowered to their sides. Penelope froze. For a split second, she looked utterly lost, but it was quickly replaced by explosive, blinding rage. “Where did you steal that? Take it off right now! That belongs to me!” She lunged at me, her sharp nails digging fiercely into my forearm. “You think a cheap, dying mortal like you can compete with me?” Harry suddenly snapped his head up. He opened his tiny mouth and unleashed a scorching blast of fire directly at Penelope’s feet. “Back off!” He planted himself firmly in front of me. His golden horns vibrated with fury, and his pupils narrowed into dangerous vertical slits. “Do not ever touch her! She is going to be my brother’s mate!” A shiver ran violently down my spine. Wait. What? Penelope let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Harry, do you even hear yourself? You do not get to dictate Ronan’s marriage.” The kid stuck his chin out, his voice ringing loud and clear. “My brother spent months incubating my egg! I am his absolute favorite! Of course he is going to listen to me!” 2 The moment Harry finished his sentence, the glowing text in the air went into overdrive. [When their parents died, they left behind a single dragon egg. The male lead stayed awake for weeks straight to hatch his baby brother, and this ungrateful brat is what he gets.] [It is over. Penelope is totally in killer mode now. This sick mortal chick is not making it to morning.] Penelope’s eyes were practically boiling with rage. She was seconds away from tearing my living room apart. I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Look, I really do not care about the drama between you magical creatures.” I glanced down at the kid clinging to me. “If you want to crash here, you can.” Then I looked back up at Penelope. “As for this bracelet, if you want it so badly, you can have it.” I reached over and gripped the silver band, pulling at it. I yanked. I twisted. I pulled until my skin turned red. But it did not budge a single millimeter. The bracelet felt like it was fused directly to my bones. Penelope stared at my wrist, her eyes wide with absolute disbelief. “You…” Harry’s face instantly lit up. He clapped his tiny hands and jumped up and down. “It will not come off! That means your biological compatibility with my big brother is at one hundred percent!” “You are his fated mate! I knew I picked the right one!” Penelope’s face turned the color of storm clouds. I looked at her furious expression and offered what I thought was a very genuine, comforting smile. “Hey, do not stress about it. I have terminal cancer. The doctors gave me a month, tops. Once I drop dead, you can just slide it right off.” Penelope choked on her own breath. She stared at me in horrified silence for several long seconds. “Fine. One month. I will be back in thirty days to collect your corpse.” The second the front door slammed shut, the little guy on my floor let out a joyous, echoing howl. He was grinning so hard his cheeks looked like they were going to cramp. “I observed a lot of humans, and I knew you would be the perfect match for my brother! Now the three of us get to live happily ever after!” I looked down into his bright, glowing eyes, completely at a loss for words. Later that night, I sat alone on the edge of my bed. The doctor’s voice echoed in my head. “It is your final month, Riley. Just try to enjoy the time you have left.” Late-stage bone cancer was a nightmare. The cold did not just chill your skin. It seeped directly out from the marrow. I curled up under three layers of blankets. Just as I hovered on the edge of a restless sleep, I felt a solid, radiating heat press gently against my back. It was not invasive. It was just a quiet, heavy presence sharing its warmth with me. A broad chest pressed against my spine. I could feel the deep, steady rhythm of a heartbeat. I figured my brain was finally misfiring. A terminal hallucination. I let the warmth pull me under and closed my eyes. When I woke up the next morning, I stared at my hands. My usually translucent, ghostly pale fingertips actually had a healthy flush of pink to them. Harry, who was currently sprawled across my pillow drooling, rubbed his eyes and rolled over. He caught me staring blankly at my own palms. He stretched his arms high above his head, a tiny scaly tail swishing out from under the duvet. “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. That bracelet creates a sympathetic bond between you and my brother.” “A huge chunk of your pain and sickness is getting siphoned off to him.” He said it incredibly casually. “Our clan is super durable. A tiny human sickness like that is basically just a papercut to him.” I sat there, completely paralyzed. That heat in my bed every night. That was him. The month flew by in a blur. But the person who showed up at my front door when the thirty days were up was not Penelope. It was my parents. They stood on my porch, launching right into a screaming match before I could even say hello. “We had to ask around just to find out you were not even staying at the hospice anymore! Why the hell are you still breathing?” “Your brother Finn needs those corneas, Riley. We had a deal. Once you were gone, his eye surgery was supposed to be fully covered.” 3 Harry stopped playing with his Lego set on the floor. He slowly looked up, his little tail completely stiffening. My mother took a hard step into the hallway. “Are you faking this whole terminal illness thing? The doctors said you had a month. It has been five weeks, and you are sitting here looking perfectly fine.” “Are you just scamming us for pity money? That whole dying routine was just an act to ruin us, wasn’t it?” I opened my mouth, but the memories swelled up and choked the words right out of my throat. That was not how it happened. When the diagnosis first came back, the doctors told me if we started aggressive treatment immediately, I had a fifty percent survival rate. I went home and told them. My parents sat on the living room sofa in complete silence for a very long time. I thought they were doing the math, figuring out how to remortgage the house or take out loans. Instead, my father finally looked up and said, “We just cannot afford it right now. Finn needs his treatments. You are just going to have to tough this out on your own.” My father’s eyes suddenly darted past me, locking onto Harry. His face contorted into a nasty sneer, like he had just figured out a magic trick. He shoved past me, marching over and violently kicking over the Lego castle Harry had been building all morning. “Well, well. Look at this. No wonder your health suddenly bounced back. You are scamming your own family to play house with some stray brat! You are a disgrace!” Harry sat on the floor among the shattered plastic bricks. His tiny fists clenched tightly in his lap, and he bit down hard on his lower lip. Before I could intervene, a shadow fell over the open doorway. Penelope. “Not dead yet?” She smirked, leaning against the doorframe. “I guess I will have to do the heavy lifting myself. I cannot have you dragging this pathetic body around, trying to seduce Ronan. I am clearing the path today.” My mother’s eyes instantly lit up. She whipped around to face Penelope. “I knew this ungrateful bitch was out here sleeping around! We have been trying to figure out how to get rid of her for weeks. If you have a way to handle it, we will gladly hold her down for you.” Penelope raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. With agonizing slowness, she pulled a shimmering silver cord from the sleeve of her coat. Harry launched himself off the floor like a tiny cannonball, throwing his arms out to shield my legs. Penelope did not even bother looking down. She simply flicked her wrist. The silver cord shot out like a viper, wrapping tightly around the little boy and pinning his arms to his sides. “I carry this specifically for disobedient little lizards.” Penelope shifted her gaze back to me, smiling sweetly. “There. All quiet.” The three of them started walking slowly toward me. Harry thrashed violently on the floor, fighting the silver bindings. His voice went hoarse with panic. “Let me go! When my big brother gets here, he is going to rip you all to pieces!” Penelope elegantly adjusted her cuffs. “Ronan is incredibly busy right now. He does not have time to babysit you.” She stopped mere inches from my face, looking down her nose at me. “By the time he finishes his business, your ashes will be cold. His only choice for a mate will be me.” Without warning, she raised her hand and slapped me hard across the cheek. My head snapped to the side. A high-pitched ringing flooded my left ear like rushing water. Before I could recover, she grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanked me forward, and threw me straight to the floor. My forehead slammed against the ceramic tiles. My vision exploded into black spots. I could feel warm blood pooling in the grout lines beneath my cheek. But beneath the dizzying pain and the metallic taste of blood, something strange happened. A terrifying, explosive surge of pure rage bubbled up inside my chest. And it was not my own. The silver band on my wrist flared with a burning heat, pulsing like a second heartbeat beneath my skin. It felt like an invisible, massive hand was wrapping protectively around my pulse. I pushed my hands against the cold tiles and forced myself up. Penelope’s smug, victorious face was right in front of me. I raised my hand, pulled back, and swung. I did not even process the movement myself. My hand connected with her jaw so hard her head violently whipped to the side. She stumbled back, clutching her rapidly swelling face, her eyes wide with absolute horror. “How the hell does a dying mortal have that much spiritual power?” she screeched. 4 The moment she yelled, the floating text that had been missing for a month suddenly flooded my vision again. [Holy shit! That was the Dragon King channeling his power through her to slap the Koi!] [No way, no way! How could the male lead hit our precious Penelope? Is the Koi-Dragon romance sinking before it even starts?] [This random extra is definitely using black magic. Poor Penelope, her face is totally red. I feel so bad for her.] [What is wrong with Ronan? Did he get possessed by this dying human? How could he lay a hand on our girl?] My parents and Penelope scrambled out the door, terrified of the sheer force of the blow. Penelope made sure to yell a classic villain threat over her shoulder, swearing I was using dirty tricks. She promised to go find Ronan, get the truth, and come back to skin me alive. I stood alone in the hallway, staring down at my tingling palm. That terrifying, foreign strength was already slowly bleeding out of my muscles. I let out a shaky breath, crouched down, and helped Harry untangle himself from the silver cord on the floor. He threw tiny punches at the air, his eyes shining. “I knew it! I knew my brother was protecting us the whole time!” I knelt down so we were eye to level. I looked at him very seriously. “Harry, thank your brother for me. Seriously. Tell him I owe him my life.” He tilted his head, his little tail curling into a happy loop. “Just thank him yourself! You guys are literally soul-bonded through the bracelet. He can feel basically everything you feel in your heart!” Then, he suddenly leaned in close, dropping his voice into a dramatic, conspiratorial whisper. “By the way. My brother’s Mating Season is starting in a few days.” I blinked, still trying to process the magic slap. “Okay? And? What does that mean?” His chubby little cheeks instantly flushed bright crimson. Even the tips of his tiny dragon whiskers turned pink. He slapped both hands over his face and spun around, his muffled voice leaking through his fingers. “How am I supposed to know? That is adult stuff! Do not ask a baby!” A few days later, Harry spent the entire afternoon running wild outside. He claimed he made friends with a local pixie kid and they were going to look at lotus ponds. Before he sprinted out the door, he stuck his tongue out at me. “Do not wait up for dinner, Riley! I am eating lotus seeds with the bugs tonight!” When the sun completely set and the streetlights flickered on, he still wasn’t back. I couldn’t sit still anymore. I grabbed my jacket, ready to go scour the neighborhood. I yanked the front door open, and stopped dead. A towering, broad-shouldered silhouette was standing on my porch. I just stared, completely mesmerized. The man’s pupils dilated slightly. A deep flush crept up his neck, tinting his ears red. “Are you Riley?” I snapped out of my trance. “Uh, yeah?” “I had my people drop Harry off at my estate. Thank you for watching him these past few weeks. He will not be bothering you anymore.” He paused, his voice dropping an octave, turning rough and strained. “My Mating Season starts tonight. Can I stay here until it is over?”

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I suspect the nanny has been drugging my mother-in-law with sleeping pills. Even though we don’t get along, I still wanted to warn her. But when I went to find her, I overheard her on the phone with an old friend. “I deliberately picked a young, pretty nanny. My son is in his prime—there’s no way he can resist her!” “My daughter-in-law’s pregnancy is already unstable. When she gets upset, she’ll definitely miscarry!” “She dared to cross me—this is what she gets!” Listening to my mother-in-law’s triumphant voice, I wasn’t even angry. After all, the person who snuck out of the nanny’s room in the middle of the night last night wasn’t my husband. I’m somewhat responsible for my mother-in-law’s broken leg. I accidentally spilled water on the floor while getting a drink. A delivery arrived that I needed to sign for, so I didn’t have time to clean it up. But I never expected such a coincidence—my mother-in-law also went to get water, stepped right on the wet spot, slipped, and even fractured her leg. After that, our already strained relationship became downright tense. Although I didn’t think it was entirely my fault, I had spilled the water, so I put up with her passive-aggressive comments during this time. Besides that, I found myself paying more attention to her, and that’s how I noticed something odd. My mother-in-law has diabetes and always gets up once or twice during the night to use the bathroom. I’m pregnant too and need to pee frequently, so we often ran into each other in the bathroom. But a few days after the nanny arrived, I stopped seeing her at night. At first, I didn’t think much of it. I figured we were just going at different times. Until one night, after my mother-in-law took her medicine, the nanny took the cup to the kitchen to wash it. I saw white powder at the bottom of the cup. The next day, when the nanny went to wash the cup again, I pretended to look at my phone but actually turned on the camera and zoomed to 10x. Sure enough, the powder in the cup was crystal clear. I thought about it for a while. The nanny probably didn’t want to get up at night to take care of my mother-in-law, so she was giving her sleeping pills. This could be a big deal or a small one, so I wanted to tell my mother-in-law first and see if she’d fire the nanny or call the police. But I never expected her to harbor such vicious intentions! I touched my belly, trembling with anger. This was her own grandson! In the room, my mother-in-law was still gleefully describing to someone my “miserable state” after the “miscarriage.” I sneered silently. The person who snuck out of the nanny Linda’s room in the middle of the night wasn’t my husband. I’d like to see who ends up miserable! Linda and my father-in-law were being quite careful. If I hadn’t gotten up to use the bathroom last night and caught them, I still wouldn’t know they’d gotten involved. But no matter how careful, they’d eventually slip up. The shirt Linda wore today had a rather large collar, and when she moved, you could inadvertently see the red marks below her collarbone. My mother-in-law asked with feigned surprise, “Linda, what happened there? It’s so red!” Linda’s face flashed with panic as she nervously explained, “It must be mosquito bites.” My mother-in-law looked at me meaningfully. “Well, you do have such fair, tender skin—you attract mosquitoes!” I pretended not to understand and calmly continued eating. Seeing no reaction from me, my mother-in-law started praising Linda’s beauty, figure, and cooking, pointedly saying that any family who married such a daughter-in-law would laugh in their sleep. Linda blushed shyly throughout, as if embarrassed by the praise. Compared to her bold behavior at night, I almost couldn’t help laughing. This woman was quite interesting. After my mother-in-law went for her afternoon nap, Linda came to find me. She said, “Grace, you know a lot of people. If there’s anyone suitable, could you introduce me to someone?” “I like men older than me—more experienced, stable, and they know how to care for a woman.” This was practically spelling it out. I was quite surprised. Although young women nowadays joke about “old men being low-maintenance with benefits, and you can find someone new when they’re gone,” everyone knows that’s just a meme. But listening to Linda now, was she serious? My father-in-law is fifty-one this year, and Linda just turned thirty! I probed, “I do have someone in mind, but he’s twenty-one years older than you. Could you accept that?” Linda smiled. “I could accept that.” Our eyes met, and we both understood each other’s unspoken meaning. If Linda wanted to climb up the social ladder, she’d naturally deal with my mother-in-law herself—no need to dirty my hands. I was satisfied. And by pulling in me, the daughter-in-law carrying the Lee family heir, beforehand, she was satisfied too. That left only one question: should I tell my husband about this?

I didn’t need long to make my decision. To me, my child was definitely the most important. But to my husband Ryan, I wasn’t sure who mattered more—his mother or an unborn child. I didn’t want to gamble on that. I decided to say nothing, but this left me feeling somewhat guilty toward Ryan. So when he came home drunk from another business dinner, even though the heavy smell of alcohol and smoke on him made me nauseous, I still took care of him personally. I wiped him down with a hot towel and changed him into pajamas. He mumbled groggily, “Honey, you’re so good to me.” “How’s the baby? Today I…” Before he could finish, he fell asleep and started snoring. As I took his changed clothes to put them in the hamper, my gaze suddenly stopped on his shirt collar. Only the size of a fingernail, the color quite faint, but the red was glaring. I reached out to touch it, then smelled it. Instantly, I was certain—it was lipstick. Thinking about how guilty I’d felt all day, I found it utterly ironic. After a long moment, I tossed the shirt into the hamper, then took Ryan’s phone from his pocket. Using his fingerprint to unlock it, I opened his messages. I found it quickly. That woman’s profile picture was a glamour shot—a typical Instagram face with a curvy figure. I clicked into their chat history. The earliest message was from five months ago. I remembered that date clearly, because that was the day I found out I was pregnant. That day, Ryan had cried tears of joy. I expressionlessly took screenshots of all the chat records. After finishing everything, I lay down in bed. Ryan had cheated. The marriage was definitely over. But the baby was already over six months along. He could move in my belly now. I couldn’t bear to give him up. But if I kept the child, would Ryan fight me for custody? And there was my father-in-law. He was particularly obsessed with bloodline and legacy, so he definitely wouldn’t easily let me take the child away. The divorce needed careful planning. I needed a foolproof solution. I ran through all the people and situations in my mind, and finally realized the key to breaking this deadlock was Linda. I quickly formed a plan, and I believed Linda would definitely cooperate. The next day, I found an opportunity to tell Linda my plan. Linda agreed immediately, because our goals were aligned to some degree. After laying our cards on the table, I couldn’t help being curious. “Why didn’t you choose Ryan?” If nothing else, Ryan was at least young! Linda raised an eyebrow. “Because he’s too young.” I paused, then understood. Linda came from a poor family with little education. Her only asset was being young and pretty. That was an advantage to my father-in-law at his age, but not much to Ryan. Linda said mockingly, “Margaret told me outright that someone like me serving her son was my good fortune!” “She’s just looking down on me because of her husband’s status. If that’s how it is, then I’ll take everything from her. I’ll make her regret it!” Linda’s eyes filled with tears, looking like someone who’d endured endless humiliation and was finally fighting back. But she didn’t mention at all that my father-in-law had built his fortune from scratch and was the undisputed authority in the family, while Ryan was just a spoiled rich kid living off his parents—no power, no money, no ability. But I just smiled and said nothing, pretending to believe her.

After that, I focused on my pregnancy while patiently waiting for news from Linda. Every night, she continued drugging my mother-in-law as usual, then meeting secretly with my father-in-law. The two of them got increasingly bold. A couple of times they almost got caught by Ryan, but fortunately I reacted quickly and covered for them. Before long, Linda told me—it worked! Looking at the clear two lines on the pregnancy test, my feelings were complicated. She got pregnant so quickly, and my father-in-law was fifty-one! When Ryan and I got married, we tried for three years without success. I drank Chinese medicine like water. When I finally got pregnant, my morning sickness was severe. I couldn’t keep anything down. Partly because this child came so hard-won, even though I knew aborting him would make the divorce easier, I couldn’t bear to let him go. Thinking of this, I asked Linda, “Have you thought this through?” “What if things blow up and he doesn’t acknowledge the child, or takes it out on you?” Linda touched her belly, saying nonchalantly, “If he acknowledges it, this is his son.” “If he doesn’t, then this is evidence that he forced me.” I began to feel grateful that Linda and I were on the same side now. Otherwise, someone like Linda—not just my mother-in-law, but even Ryan and I together couldn’t match her! I looked at her and said softly, “Let’s do it tonight.” Any longer, and I was afraid Linda might get rid of me too. Besides, today was my mother-in-law’s birthday. What better day to give her a big present on this special occasion? My mother-in-law was very happy today. She did her makeup, got her hair done, sprayed perfume, and even though her leg was still in a cast, she changed into a custom-made dress. She ordered a huge spread from a five-star hotel—lobster, king crab, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall… basically whatever was most expensive. The whole family ate and chatted. The atmosphere was lively. My mother-in-law was delighted and even opened a bottle of wine my father-in-law had brought back from abroad. Smiling, she told Ryan to drink more. “Once the bottle’s open, you can’t keep it. No sense wasting it.” “Besides, you’re at home. If you get drunk, you can just go rest.” Ryan had been eyeing this bottle that cost hundreds of thousands for a long time. Hearing my mother-in-law’s words, he drank freely, finishing almost the entire bottle himself. His eyes lost their clarity, and his speech became slurred. “You *#% I have ¥# separately have &…” My father-in-law had also drunk quite a bit. Probably tired, he said, “Let’s call it a night. Everyone go rest.” Linda pushed my mother-in-law’s wheelchair to take her to her room, with my father-in-law following behind. My mother-in-law instructed Linda, “Ryan drank a lot. Grace is pregnant and it’s inconvenient for her, so help take care of him.” My father-in-law said impatiently, “If he’s drunk, he’ll just sleep. What’s there to take care of?” Linda gave my father-in-law a grateful smile. Their gazes were so suggestive you could practically see sparks flying. My father-in-law, probably drunk and forgetting Ryan and I were still in the living room, put his hand on Linda’s waist, with clear intentions to move lower. My mother-in-law sat in the wheelchair, oblivious. I poured a glass of honey water for Ryan. “Drink this, you’ll feel better.” He took it and drank more than half, then wobbled into the bedroom. I poured the remaining half down the kitchen sink and washed the glass clean before returning to the bedroom. Ryan was already asleep. I turned off the light and got into bed. Ryan slept restlessly, first tossing and turning constantly, then mumbling about being hot. After a while, he got up, opened the door, and went out. I heard the sound of flushing water. He must have drunk too much and gone to the bathroom. But he didn’t come back. In the darkness, I opened my eyes and listened carefully to the sounds outside. “Ahh!” A shrill scream suddenly rang out, shattering the peaceful night.

When I came out of the room, my in-laws’ bedroom door had also opened. My father-in-law’s face was ashen. He didn’t even put on shoes as he strode toward the living room. My mother-in-law sat on the bed, anxiously asking, “What happened? What’s going on?” I looked at her deeply, then also headed to the living room. The living room light wasn’t on—only the streetlight outside provided dim illumination. You couldn’t see clearly what was happening. But the crying and calls for help explained everything. “Ryan, let go of me!” “Please, I’m begging you.” I reached out and flipped the switch. With a “snap,” the light came on, illuminating everything in the living room. Linda’s clothes were disheveled as Ryan pinned her on the sofa, struggling desperately. Seeing us, she cried out, “Help me!” My father-in-law pulled Ryan off and slapped him across the face. “You animal!” Then another slap. “What kind of drunken madness is this!” After two consecutive slaps, Ryan seemed to sober up a bit, looking at my father-in-law in confusion. “Dad?” Linda sobbed uncontrollably. “I came out to use the bathroom, and he suddenly grabbed me. He even…” “I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t fight him off.” Just then my mother-in-law dragged herself out with her broken leg. Seeing the handprints on Ryan’s face, she demanded of my father-in-law, “Why are you hitting our son?” “She’s just a nanny—so what if our son slept with her? It’s no big deal!” Linda said aggrievedly, “Just because I’m a nanny means anyone can abuse me?” My mother-in-law responded righteously, “What else?” “If my son hadn’t been drunk, you think he’d look twice at you?” “Him sleeping with you is your good fortune!” Although I already knew what kind of person my mother-in-law was, hearing these words directly still shocked me with her shamelessness. My father-in-law was furious. “What are you saying!” Just as my mother-in-law opened her mouth to respond, Linda suddenly clutched her belly and looked at my father-in-law. “James, my stomach hurts so much.” “Please save our child.” I looked at my mother-in-law. She stood frozen like she’d been struck by lightning. My father-in-law was both shocked and delighted. “You’re pregnant?” Linda nodded through tears. “James, will the baby be okay?” “My stomach really hurts. Am I going to lose him?” My father-in-law quickly said, “Don’t talk nonsense. I’ll take you to the hospital.” He half-supported, half-carried Linda out the door. My mother-in-law instinctively tried to follow but forgot about her broken leg. She stumbled and fell. Her face contorted in pain, yet she still managed to call out, “What do you mean ‘James’?” “What child?” “Linda, you bitch!” “Ah, my leg! It hurts so much!” I sighed and took out my phone to call 911. See? How kind I am. Then I looked at Ryan. He’d actually leaned back on the sofa and fallen asleep. Did they use too much of that drug? Would the paramedics be able to tell when they arrived? I shook him hard several times, then avoiding my mother-in-law’s line of sight, pinched his arm hard twice. He groggily opened his eyes. I said with concern, “Ryan, Mom’s leg needs medical attention. You’ve had too much to drink, so stay home. I’ll let you know if there’s any news, okay?” I coaxed him into the bedroom. The drug must have worn off because he didn’t make a fuss. As soon as he lay down, he started snoring. I looked at him deeply, then closed the door and came out. Soon, the ambulance arrived. As she was being loaded into the ambulance, my mother-in-law kept cursing. “That bitch!” “I’ll kill her!” “I’ll kill that bastard child!” The doctor efficiently hooked my mother-in-law up to equipment while exchanging glances with his colleague. The drama was right in front of them, but they couldn’t fully enjoy it. I imagine they were dying of curiosity. At the hospital, the doctor wheeled my mother-in-law off for examination. After a while, the doctor told me her leg was fine, but her tailbone was fractured. Also, my mother-in-law’s blood pressure was too high—it had shot up to 180. The doctor said for a long time to come, my mother-in-law would need bed rest and to stay calm and avoid stress. I said gratefully, “Thank you, doctor. I understand.” Looking at my mother-in-law in the hospital room demanding to be discharged, my eyes were full of mockery. What to do? The days ahead held nothing but stress for her!

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After getting roasted by my advisor at our group meeting, I sent my online boyfriend a photo of my legs. 【Show it to your master right now!】 I looked up. My usually cold and aloof sharp-tongued advisor suddenly had his Adam’s apple bobbing, his ears flushed red. Curious, I sneaked a peek at his phone screen. There was the message I had just sent. Ah!!! I was instantly dumbfounded. But my hand had already initiated a video call with him… 0 The buzzing of Ethan Ford’s phone vibrating was particularly jarring in the oppressively tense atmosphere of the group meeting. I never would have dreamed in my wildest imagination. That my cold-blooded, ruthless advisor was the online boyfriend who would cry while calling me master! Ethan Ford’s fingertip moved toward his phone screen. My heart leapt into my throat. Was he about to answer the video call? Yes, answer it! Hurry up and answer! Ten minutes ago, he had just publicly berated me, calling my fifth-draft thesis a pile of garbage. Once he realizes I’m his master, he definitely won’t hold up my thesis anymore! Oh heavens! How exciting! Brother, I finally have hope of graduating! I immediately sat up straight and proper. The next moment. The video call was rejected. 185 Dumb Rich Guy With Abs (the nickname I’d given him) sent messages in quick succession: 【Baby, I’m in a group meeting right now, it’s not convenient to show you.】 【I’ll contact you later, okay~】 【Transfer $52,000】 【Puppy loves you·jpg】 I paused. The smile hadn’t even left my face yet. When my advisor Ethan Ford’s stern reprimand suddenly rang in my ears. “Vincent Scott! What are you grinning about?” I jumped in fright. Hastily looked up. Right into Ethan Ford’s cold, sharp gaze. Ethan Ford seemed furious to the extreme, staring at me without giving me any face: “During your undergraduate years, you neither participated in any major research projects nor had any relevant academic background. I didn’t even want to recruit you into the group back then. It was your academic counselor who strongly recommended you to me, saying you were a promising candidate worth cultivating.” “And the result?” “Your experiments are a complete mess, your thesis writing is utter nonsense, you don’t say a word during group meetings, and now you dare to play with your phone!” “Do you even want to graduate?” This is bad, this is bad. I think I’ve really messed up big time. My heart trembled with fear. The other students were also too scared to breathe, but they all unanimously looked at me. Their gazes were sympathetic, confused, relieved it wasn’t them getting chewed out… Since childhood, I’d excelled academically, making it all the way through university graduation on a steady diet of teacher praise and classmate admiration. But after starting graduate school, from my proposal defense to my thesis, I’d lost count of how many times Ethan Ford had berated me. My face burned with embarrassment. Hot tears welled up in my eyes. But Ethan Ford is so gentle with me online. He even acts coquettish with me, saying things like “baby give me kisses” and “love master the most”… I tried to explain to him. But my voice shook like a sieve from grievance and nervousness. “I was just… messaging my boyfriend. My boyfriend is actually…” “Zero people present care, zero people want to know about your relationship drama!” Ethan Ford coldly interrupted me: “Next time you can’t distinguish time and place like this, go apply for a new advisor. I won’t supervise you anymore.” Ethan Ford wasn’t just the youngest master’s degree advisor at the school—his father was also the CEO of a publicly listed company and even had shares in the university. If he refused to supervise me, the other advisors would be afraid of offending him and definitely wouldn’t take me on either. Then I’d be completely finished. My blood ran cold. After a long while, I stiffly squeezed eight words from my throat. “Understood. It won’t happen again.” 0

As soon as we left the academic building, my senior Ryan Jenkins asked me with a worried expression. “Vincent, how did you dare to make a video call during the group meeting today?” Because I discovered Ethan Ford is my online boyfriend. I was so happy I nearly lost my mind in that moment. But thinking about it now, it’s very strange. I looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then lowered my voice and asked, “Do you think Professor Ford could possibly be dating a guy online?” Ryan froze for a moment, then laughed: “Professor Ford is famously an aloof ice prince. He doesn’t even get close to women, let alone date guys online.” His expression changed, and he asked me seriously: “You’re not believing those online posts about confessing to your advisor about online dating when your thesis won’t pass, are you?” “Those are all clickbait. Don’t believe them.” “Professor Ford is already dissatisfied with you. If you go and offend him with pranks, you really won’t be able to graduate.” My heart sank with a thud. I thought I’d hit the jackpot being in an online relationship with Ethan Ford. But from Ethan Ford’s perspective, it really does look like I’m deliberately retaliating against him. After all, I made him call me master and wear a chest chain while showing off his abs. Just now, I even asked him to show it to me! Oh god, how humiliating, how terrifying. I absolutely cannot let Ethan Ford know it was me he’s been dating online! I feigned composure: “I’m just curious. I wouldn’t do something like that.” Only then did Ryan relax. Shortly after I returned to my apartment, Ethan Ford sent me a message. 【Baby, I’m free now. Should I show you now?】 Ah! Just thinking about how Ethan Ford is cold and cutting in person, with his shirt buttons always fastened to the very top. But privately he’s gay and shameless enough to want to pull down his pants for me to see. The contrast is just too huge. And he’s my advisor! How could I still dare to mess around? Me: 【No need.】 Ethan Ford panicked: 【Why not?】 【Am I not attractive to you anymore?】 【Or are you angry I didn’t agree immediately?】 【No wonder you haven’t accepted the money.】 【Baby, I was wrong, I was really wrong. I’m begging you, give me a chance to show you.】 Then a video call came through. My heart trembled along with the ringtone. Perhaps because Ethan Ford had been so harsh with me, seeing him so humble now stirred a huge sense of satisfaction in me. I even wanted to make him more miserable. I wanted to humiliate him, then dump him. But looking at the $52,000 he’d transferred… …forget it. I’ll keep being the dominant one and continue this relationship for now. However, the humiliation cannot be skipped. I answered the video call. We tacitly didn’t show our faces as usual. “Baby, are you angry?” His clear, deep voice drilled into my ears. Before, I hadn’t thought about connecting it to Ethan Ford. Now hearing this voice, it really was the same as Ethan Ford’s. I was afraid he’d recognize my voice. I typed back to him: 【Not angry. You do your thing, I’ll watch.】 Ethan Ford breathed a sigh of relief. His tone became cheerful. “Okay, then I’ll start.” 0

I stared intently at the screen. Ethan Ford unbuckled his belt… “Ah!” I couldn’t control my outcry and even dropped my phone on the bed in fright. Though I talk dirty all the time, am attracted to men, and love reading erotic fiction to decompress. This was the first time in my 24 years of life seeing another man’s… and it was Ethan Ford’s, no less. It was simply too shocking. Ethan Ford’s voice carried a trace of anxiety. “Baby, what’s wrong?” “Did I… scare you?” I patted my burning cheeks. Ended the video call. Deliberately asked: 【Did you not develop properly?】 Ethan Ford: 【?】 Me: 【In novels, the male leads are all 30.】 Ethan Ford didn’t understand: 【30 what?】 Me: 【Centimeters.】 Ethan Ford: 【…】 Ethan Ford: 【Novels are all made up. My 21 is already very impressive.】 【In fact, I’m even worried you won’t be able to handle it (awkward.jpg)】 This horny dog… My cheeks burned even hotter. 【Indeed can’t handle it.】 【You’re too old.】 【I like pink.】 【Maybe I should find a younger boyfriend.】 Ethan Ford was already 30 years old—this was enough to devastate him. Sure enough. Ethan Ford immediately called via video. Seeing that I rejected it, he sent a voice message, saying anxiously: “Baby, you can’t find another man.” “Whatever color and shape you want, I can get surgery to achieve it.” “Please.” “You can’t abandon me.” “Master.” By the end, his voice was trembling. Hahaha. I was extremely satisfied. Thinking I still needed to revise my thesis later, I deliberately tormented him, saying: 【Depends on your performance.】 【I need to get busy now.】 Ethan Ford was very nervous: 【What are you busy with? Can I help you with anything?】 Of course he could help. But I didn’t dare tell him. 【Something I wrote got called shit. Now I have to rewrite it.】 Ethan Ford felt so sorry for me: 【Then that person really has no taste. Sounds like trash.】 Huh? Cursing himself. I burst out laughing. 【Baby, send me your address. I’ll come back you up and make sure he apologizes to you.】 As if. He clearly just wants to trick me into meeting in person. 0

Ethan Ford and I met in a livestream room. I’m a faceless sleep-aid streamer. He’s my fan. My parents both know I’m only interested in men. They wanted me to start working early and earn more money while I’m young. In case no one takes care of me when I’m old, at least I’ll have money to support myself. But high-paying jobs also have high educational requirements. So I lied to my parents about having a job when I’m actually secretly pursuing my master’s degree. Besides needing to earn my own tuition and living expenses, worried that living in the dorms would expose me, I even rented an apartment off-campus. I really desperately needed money. After discovering that Ethan Ford was very dependent on me and very wealthy, I started reeling him in. For example: deliberately not replying to his private messages, or not streaming for several days in a row. When asked, I’d say I took on private clients. That’s when Ethan Ford would transfer money to buy my time. I smiled and played hard to get: 【There are people bidding higher than you. Why should I agree to you?】 Ethan Ford’s tone was pitiful: 【Then what do you want?】 Me: 【I want an obedient puppy that belongs only to me, the kind that calls me master.】 Ethan Ford coldly replied with 【Oh】. I thought I’d overplayed my hand. Then he asked: 【Do you need me to sell my body?】 【Would you want to see my eight-pack abs?】 Eight-pack? I thought he’d fool me with stock photos from the internet. I didn’t mind stock photos either. 【Yes.】 Ethan Ford sent a voice message. His voice was low and seductive. “I only show my boyfriend.” “Be my boyfriend, and I’ll agree to anything you want.” And so, we established our romantic relationship. But I only held the mindset of working to earn money. To protect my privacy, we agreed not to send face photos or reveal our names. But who could have imagined he was Ethan Ford? 0

I pretended to complain: 【Afraid you’ll show me something ugly.】 【Don’t come.】 【Don’t bother me today, or I’ll block you.】 Ethan Ford indeed quieted down. I took the money and put down my phone. But as soon as it passed midnight. Ethan Ford, as if he’d been watching the clock, sent me crying voice messages. “Baby, it’s a new day now.” “Are you asleep?” “I can change whatever you don’t like about me.” “I need only you. I want you to be my wife.” “Please don’t abandon me.” “Masters can’t abandon their puppies.” “Master, please, just reply to one message.” … I was still up late revising my thesis since I had to submit it to him tomorrow. Originally full of resentment. But hearing Ethan Ford crying that he needed only me and wanted me to be his wife. It was like being hit by a sugar-coated bullet. My heart sweetened. My resentment immediately dissipated by more than half. I asked him: 【Am I really that important to you?】 Ethan Ford’s voice was hoarse yet exceptionally firm: “Extremely important.” “You’re like the ray of light that illuminates my life.” “These two years with you, every single day I’ve been so happy.” “You’re more important to me than my own life.” “Let’s meet. I want to see you every day, take care of you, and spend my whole life with you.” My ears burned hot hearing this. My heart melted completely. Although Ethan Ford was usually cold, cutting, and harsh—making one regret that such a handsome guy had to open his mouth. But thinking about his face, money, abilities… and his current obedient clinginess. I really hit the jackpot. I happily replied: 【I understand. Let’s talk about meeting in June.】 I need to get my diploma first before meeting. Ethan Ford was very happy. The next morning, I went to the academic building to find Ethan Ford on time. Ethan Ford frowned at his computer screen. “Are you sure you revised this according to my comments?” My heart panicked. I leaned toward the computer screen. “Yes. Is it wrong again?” Ethan Ford’s face was cold, the pressure around him frighteningly low. I anxiously wrung the hem of my clothes. “…Then should I revise and send it again?” “But I think… I can’t revise it anymore.” Ethan Ford glanced at me. “Believe in yourself. Consider it fate’s way of testing you with obstacles.” Ah, I was stunned for a moment, not expecting Ethan Ford to change from his venomous style and comfort me. Could it be that thinking about meeting me, he’s being nice to the whole world? The little bit of joy in my heart hadn’t even had time to spread. When Ethan Ford poured cold water right over my head. “But fate seems to think you’re a donkey that needs constant grinding.” Me: “…” Ethan Ford pointed at a section of the document with his mouse. “What is this paragraph? Did AI write it?” “No, I wrote it myself.” “You wrote it yourself?” Ethan Ford scoffed lightly, his tone bone-chillingly cold: “Next time you show me this, I won’t let you enter the review and defense stage. Just apply for delayed graduation then.” A long ringing filled my head. I was already under tremendous pressure, secretly pursuing my master’s degree behind my parents’ backs. If I can’t get my diploma, haven’t these three years been completely wasted? How would I explain this to myself and my parents? And Ethan Ford said last night he’d back me up, but now he’s the one driving me crazy! I felt like Ethan Ford had stabbed me right in the armpit. It really hurt so much, yet was so absurd. In truth. I had completely broken down. I slammed his desk hard, saying: “Ethan Ford! Are you really going to prevent your wife from graduating?” Ethan Ford paused and looked up at me sharply.

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When Samuel asked me to deliver ultra-thin condoms again, my mom saw it. She paused and said, “I’ll deliver it for you.” “I had you when I was forty. No amount of love is too much. I can’t bear to see you wronged, so I’ll deliver it for you.” At that moment, I decided to give up on Samuel. Later, everyone was surprised I no longer revolved around Samuel. Some asked me why. I stayed silent for a long time, only pressing my lips together. “My mom would be heartbroken.” Samuel forgot to bring ultra-thins to his hotel room again. By the time the message reached me, it was already eleven at night. And I happened to be in the shower, so my mom saw the message. When I came out, the air felt particularly stagnant. The message on the phone on the coffee table was glaring. [Mia likes strawberry-flavored ones. Get them to me within half an hour.] My mom didn’t know many words. But he had sent a voice message. Probably still resentful that I had stolen Mia’s client last time, his message now was particularly explicit. The air grew heavy. Mom hung her head, lost in thought. After a long silence, she said to me: “If this is the boy you like, then I’ll deliver it for you.” “I had you when I was forty. No amount of love is too much. I can’t bear to see you wronged, so I’ll deliver it for you.” The light in the room was dim, but the white hair on her head was particularly conspicuous. I started liking Samuel in high school. I followed him to a university in Northbridge. Later, I joined his family’s company and got a high-paying job. He treated me well—gave me birthday gifts, paid me a high salary. When I first started and got bullied during business negotiations, the person came to apologize to me the next day. Some people were jealous and made snide remarks to my face: “Connections sure make a difference. Someone’s going to be Mrs. Samuel.” I half believed it myself. Many people came and went around him. When he needed something, I’d deliver things to him. When he didn’t, I’d take money and handle everything for him one by one. Only Mia lasted the longest. Samuel liked her so much he wanted to marry her. Following him all these years, I’d suffered plenty. But at this moment, I suddenly felt it was all rather pointless. “I’ve decided to give up on him,” I told my mom. As I said this, I blocked Samuel. His call came through the next second. His tone was particularly casual: “What’s this about? If you’re going to throw a tantrum, now’s not the time. I need these right now.” “Oh, and when you come, apologize to Mia in person.” The apology was because I had closed a big deal, but Mia claimed that was her client. The girl cried, and Samuel lost all reason. He docked two months of my salary, fired my entire department, and transferred me to a different position. Six months of hard work on my project went down the drain. When I confronted him about it, he laughed lightly. “You got your job through connections anyway. What’s there to regret?” “As for those people, what good projects could they do following you? If they had real talent, they wouldn’t be working on your projects.” It had been several days, but thinking about it still left me breathless, my heart twisting in pain. Humiliating and mortifying. I lowered my eyes and replied: “I won’t apologize to her. If she’s really that upset, just fire me.” He was silent for a moment on the other end, then laughed casually, displeasure evident in his tone. “Fine, as long as you can let it go.” I didn’t know if he meant the job or him. I’d been chasing after Samuel for ten years. Anyone with eyes could see I liked him desperately. He was a transfer student who came back from Northbridge in our senior year of high school. Northbridge didn’t allow day students to take the college entrance exam, so he returned. Elegant, distinguished. That was everyone’s first impression of him. That year was also when I was at my most pathetic. My face was covered in acne. I was withdrawn and unlikeable. My family was poor, and we rented a dark apartment where the laundry never saw sunlight. My clothes always had a fishy smell, and no one in class liked me. But he volunteered to be my deskmate. Perhaps out of pity or sympathy, he would always help me with problems I couldn’t figure out no matter how hard I tried, then say: “I think you’re really smart.” When people gossiped about me, he would hand me an earbud. It wasn’t music playing—it was a niche radio program where a comedy performer was saying in a shocking voice: “People like that deserve to be struck by lightning! Don’t you all just die!” He would also load two thousand dollars onto my meal card when I was chugging cold water to save five dollars on food. Then he’d say casually: “It’s just the price of one outfit for me. Pay me back when you’re earning money.” At first, I was anxious and uneasy. I felt I didn’t deserve this kindness. Later, I comforted myself that perhaps my luck had been so terrible, so bad, that fate arranged for Samuel to save me. After that, we talked about everything.

The year I graduated from college, I was looking for work. At the time, a saying circulated online: good jobs only flow through connections and bloodlines. Unable to suppress my frustration, I mentioned it to him once. He just stayed silent for a while, then raised his eyebrows slightly and adjusted his collar. “I’m your connection. You can work with me.” He was my best friend. Naturally, I liked him. I was too ashamed to say it out loud. But perhaps I was too obvious, or perhaps he was naturally perceptive and could see through people’s hearts. One night, he called me. “Emergency. I just fell for a girl at first sight, but I don’t have what I need. Can you bring it to me?” My mind went blank with a buzzing sound. My throat went dry, and I couldn’t speak. After a long silence, I asked him: “Why me?” He laughed lightly: “You’re my best friend. If you don’t help me, who will?” Finally, he asked seriously: “You’ll come, right?” In the adult world, some things only need to be hinted at. By saying this, he was telling me to put away my feelings. If I had cursed him out and hung up then, we would never have crossed that line. We would have remained just friends forever. But for some reason, I still went. It was pouring rain that day. The drainage system was overwhelmed, and water rose almost to my calves. Perhaps it was my body’s self-defense mechanism—I forgot how I awkwardly handed him the item under Samuel’s ambiguous gaze. I also forgot how I left that hotel. I only remember the woman in the room asking curiously: “Who’s that?” Samuel scoffed lightly: “Just an ordinary employee.” “Ah, working people really have it rough.” The subway had stopped running, and the rain was too heavy to catch a cab. I didn’t have my ID, so I couldn’t get a hotel room. I could only stumble through the flooded streets toward home. The wind in Northbridge cut across my face like a dull knife. My whole body was numb. From the hotel to home, I walked for three hours. After I got back, I developed a high fever. Later, I got otitis media. That same day, my mom called me. She said she wanted to come keep me company. On the other end of the phone, I also heard Samuel’s voice. As frivolous and certain as always. “You’ll come, right?” I didn’t respond. I just hung up. I wouldn’t go. I would never go again. Outside, rain was pouring down. My ear started hurting again. The pain spread quickly, even my scalp throbbed viciously. I instinctively pressed my temples. Mom stood there, looking somewhat at a loss. These past few years, she hadn’t been happy in Northbridge. She always did things cautiously. She always felt guilty for not being able to help my career, so while I was supporting her, she somehow learned to read my moods and act accordingly. It was completely backwards. I forced myself to sit up and act unconcerned: “Don’t worry about me. He’s not someone I like—he’s purely a capitalist boss.” “You know how it is in the city—it’s cutthroat. Some of my friends even have to babysit their boss’s kids after work.” She didn’t respond, and her expression didn’t relax. I knew she didn’t believe me. After all, I’d climbed so high in this city over the years. Even the leadership had to give me some respect and wouldn’t give me attitude. But I really didn’t have the energy to explain anything more. When I was in school, I used to tell her everything—what I ate, what I drank, what happened at school. But during these years of single-mindedly chasing Samuel, she and I gradually grew distant, like there was a wall between us. Separated by an invisible distance, I couldn’t open my heart to her. I didn’t know what to say to her. I just said softly: “Mom, really don’t worry about me. I’ve wanted to quit for a while now.” “It’s late. Let’s both go to bed.” I turned around, but behind me came a nearly choked voice. “But I can’t help but worry.” “I went to your company to find you. That time, I saw him bullying you.” My head hurt more and more. I couldn’t spare the mental energy to think about which time it was. “I went to him. I wanted him to treat you better. But he told me that you got into the company through connections anyway, that you’d already achieved more than most people could reach, that suffering a little was a privilege, and that at least you were smart.” “But having me as a mother—it’s really unlucky.”

Resigning required following proper procedures. When I got to the company, I discovered my workstation had already been taken by Mia. When she saw me, she smiled with a sense of entitlement: “I only shed two tears, and Samuel gave me your position. He said I’m his favorite canary.” I wasn’t angry. I asked calmly, “Doesn’t Samuel only want you? Aren’t you two getting married? Why are you still calling yourself a canary?” “What? Are you so used to being a mistress?” “Don’t you dare look down on me!” Hearing this, she seemed to have hit a sore spot. Her young face contorted strangely. “You don’t even know what Samuel says about you, do you? He said your motives are impure, your abilities are lacking, and he’s wanted to get rid of you for ages!” “You don’t need to feel it’s unfair. After all, the capable rise to the top.” “Whether in the office or in bed.” Originally, she was keeping her voice down, but her anger got the better of her, and her voice grew louder and louder. That “in bed” came out in an almost shrill voice. The Samuel Corporation was intensely competitive. Most people were so busy they couldn’t even drink water all day. But at this moment, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to us. Sticky, suffocating. She sensed everyone’s gaze and her whole face flushed red. It reminded me of when Samuel first took a liking to her—she was just as startled and flustered then. Her schemes were shallow, her methods of provocation brainless. I often wondered when Samuel would have me give her the breakup money. Samuel wasn’t patient. He liked novelty and never lacked girlfriends. Every visible part of his body was covered in women’s kiss marks. Maybe this time was true love. Even now, I still didn’t understand why Samuel liked her so much. Mia gritted her teeth but didn’t dare say anything more. She grabbed the thermos from the desk, intending to throw it at my face. But she forgot she was wearing high heels and a pencil skirt. In earlier years, when Samuel hadn’t yet secured his position in the company, I often attended business dinners for him. I wore either high-slit dresses or pencil skirts, always in stiletto heels. I hated it, so when I gained some authority, I immediately changed the dress code—formal occasions required pantsuits, and casual wear was fine for daily work. So her movements were slow. The skirt prevented her from taking big steps. I almost effortlessly snatched the thermos from her. Then I swung it forcefully toward her face. When it was five centimeters from her face, I stopped. Looking at her terrified eyes, I smiled. “Sorry, this is my thermos.” “Jennifer, I didn’t know you had it in you.” Behind me came a scoff. I turned around to meet Samuel’s slightly mocking gaze. Mia seemed to snap out of it. Tears fell quickly. “She’s too arrogant. She was going to hit me.” “Why are you crying? Want me to let you hit her back?” Mia’s tears turned to smiles. She walked up to me aggressively, ready to slap me. But I remained perfectly calm. I didn’t know what I represented to Samuel. I figured he must be so pickled in love that he shamelessly used me as a tool to please Mia. So this time, the thermos didn’t hit Mia. It hit Samuel’s face. Mia urgently covered Samuel’s face and said sharply: “Are you crazy?” Chaos erupted around us. Looking at Samuel’s disbelieving eyes, I said: “If you want to call the police, I’ll cooperate. Injury assessment—I’ll pay the medical bills.” “This job—I quit.”

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After ten years of marriage, Muriel cheated on me ninety-nine times. I never divorced her because before our wedding, she bought 100 urns. “You’ve always loved rituals. If I’m unfaithful to you after marriage, you can put the evidence in an urn.” “When all 100 boxes are used up, our marriage will be truly dead, and I’ll leave with nothing.” Later, she seemed to have forgotten about it. When she toured Provence with a popular male streamer to see the lavender fields, I put the photos taken by a private investigator into an urn. When she accompanied a rising painter on his global exhibition tour, I placed ticket stubs marked with lipstick into another box. Until our tenth wedding anniversary, she never showed up for the scheduled prenatal checkup. She went to celebrate her sponsored male student Robinson’s birthday instead. “Leonardo, I couldn’t bear to let Robinson spend his birthday alone. You’ve always been generous, so you should understand.” “After I finish celebrating with him, I’ll go to the prenatal checkup myself.” I gripped my phone, my fingertips white with pressure. “There’s only one urn left.” “How unlucky,” she said, her tone displeased. “Today is Robinson’s birthday—why are you randomly bringing up urns?” I didn’t argue further and hung up. Since she didn’t want the chance I gave her, I had no choice but to make her leave with nothing.

Muriel canceled the prenatal checkup. I wanted to ask the doctor when her next appointment was. No matter how hurt I felt, she was still the mother of our child. How could I feel at ease letting her go to checkups alone? But the doctor hesitated, then handed me an abortion surgery form. “Ms. Muriel… came this morning, but she had an abortion instead.” “She requested confidentiality, but I believe you have the right to know.” Muriel didn’t know this was a hospital under the Leonardo Group. It was nearly impossible for her to hide anything from me here. It seemed the birthday gift she gave Robinson was an abortion report. I returned home alone and numbly opened the 100th urn. With a “click.” Two documents fell out—a signed divorce agreement and a notarized statement of Muriel’s voluntary agreement to leave with nothing. Below them was a note, the handwriting youthful and spirited. [Leonardo, you’ve suffered enough. Move forward, don’t look back.] Twenty-year-old Muriel, reaching across the years, felt sorry for me. Thirty-year-old Muriel had long since given that tenderness to someone else. Expressionless, I placed the abortion surgery form inside. I closed the lid, sealing away our ten-year marriage along with it. My phone lit up with a photo from her. Fireworks blazed brilliantly in the night sky, illuminating Robinson’s gentle profile. “Don’t you love watching fireworks? Make a wish.” I looked around in silence. These were the decorations I’d prepared early for our tenth anniversary. The walls were covered with our photos together, from school uniforms to wedding dress. Balloons covered the floor, string lights wound around the entire room. But the petals had wilted and the frosting had melted. Outside the window, the fireworks lighting up half the city bloomed for someone else. I only replied: [Come home early.] Such a simple wish, but she didn’t respond. Her silence was her answer. I sat in the darkness until dawn, when she finally returned. Behind her came gift boxes that filled half the living room. A rare black diamond from Sotheby’s, a nineteenth-century oil painting I’d once lingered over, a custom Swiss watch… “Anniversary gifts. Do you like them?”

She knew I valued rituals, yet she insisted on making up for them after the fact. She always did this—casually using gifts to cover up conflicts, as if my pain didn’t matter at all. I pushed the divorce agreement toward her. “Sign it.” She paused, then a smile rippled in her eyes. “So obedient? You know I’m going to marry Robinson?” My fingertips trembled violently. She seemed oblivious, took the document, and signed her name smoothly. “He’s young and sees me as his whole world. He’s begging to marry me—I don’t want to disappoint him.” “You did well. What reward do you want? After the baby is born, we can travel as a family of three, okay?” She reached out to touch my face. I dodged calmly, my tone flat. “There won’t be a baby.” Her fingers froze, her probing gaze falling on my face. “You know how hard it was for us to have this child. Don’t say things like that anymore.” She probably thought I didn’t know the child was already gone and still had to pretend to cherish it. I laughed bitterly. I thought only I remembered. I remembered the pain and devastation when she miscarried our first child eight years ago after drinking at a business dinner with me. I remembered how I felt—guilty and lost—when the doctor said she’d have difficulty conceiving again. I remembered her day and night companionship and comfort, saying that a lifetime with just the two of us would be good too. I remembered eight years of hoping and disappointment while trying to conceive together. I remembered crying tears of joy when we finally had our second child. The vows still echoed in my ears, yet now she had thrown the child away herself. She stared at my smile and suddenly asked, “Why are you crying?” I was startled. I raised my hand and indeed felt coldness all over my face. Her expression became complicated, her tone softening. “Don’t worry, no one can replace your position in my heart.” “I’ll only hold the ceremony without getting a marriage license. Once I’ve appeased him, I’ll remarry you.” I looked at her deeply. “Didn’t you say you’d reward me? Travel with me. Let’s leave now—don’t wait for the baby to be born.” She avoided my gaze. “I still need to prepare for the wedding…” “I understand.” I nodded. I was too calm. Panic flashed in her eyes, and for once she explained: “I’m just afraid if we go now, I won’t be able to focus on you…” Before she finished speaking, her phone suddenly rang. A young man said tearfully that he woke up and couldn’t find her. Her voice immediately changed pitch as she coaxed him while walking toward the door. At the doorway, she covered the phone and tossed out “I’ll go with you next time,” then hurriedly disappeared through the entrance. The words “next time” opened up a vast distance between us. I dialed a number that had been dormant for a long time. “Dad, I want to come home.” “How about I give you the Muriel Group as a welcome-home gift?” I began packing my luggage, preparing for a farewell trip. The end of a ten-year marriage also needed a ritual. It wasn’t until I zipped up my suitcase that I saw Muriel’s message. “Robinson likes this house. Move out—I need to redecorate it as our wedding home.” My heart felt like it was being crushed by needles, pain spreading densely through it. Ten years was truly too long—so long that she’d forgotten this house was the one I bought with all my savings back then. When we got married, she had nothing. Forget buying a house—she couldn’t even afford a wedding. We only registered our marriage. I didn’t mind, but she cried more pitifully than I did, her voice shaking. “You’re giving up your comfortable life as heir to the Leonardo Group—what exactly do you see in me?” I smiled. “I see your true heart.” She buried her face in my chest and swore: “I will never betray you in this lifetime.”

At first, she would proactively send video check-ins wherever she went. She would hold me tight when I had insomnia and tell me stories all night long. As long as she was home, I never washed a single dish or cooked a single meal. When did things start to change? Questions I couldn’t figure out—I simply stopped thinking about them. Things that had gone bad—I simply discarded them. I called housekeeping to pack up and throw away all her belongings. I also changed the locks so no one but me could enter. After arranging everything, I dragged my suitcase straight to the airport. Along the way, mall screens were all broadcasting the wedding news of her and Robinson. The way she looked at him was so tender it seemed to overflow. I smiled mockingly at myself. I thought her growing coldness was the iron will and composure honed by the business world. It turned out the bright moon simply hung high, refusing to shine on me alone. Fortunately, nature embraces everyone gently. I went to East Africa to see wildebeest migrations, to Hokkaido to see falling red leaves, to New Zealand to see lupines covering the mountains. My last stop was Norway. The aurora seemed alive, moving like sprites in the night sky. In the silence, I could only hear the thundering of my own heartbeat. It turned out watching the aurora alone could also be romantic. I remembered when the company first went public, she bought a pair of diamond rings—the best she could afford at the time. When she knelt on one knee, her eyes looking up at me seemed filled with an entire galaxy. “When I have more money later, I’ll replace them with bigger diamond rings.” “Maybe I won’t be so busy then. I’ll take you to Norway to see the aurora you’ve always talked about, and give you a proper wedding trip.” “Let’s plan it for our tenth anniversary, okay?” Now, the shadow on the ground was so lonely it seemed to mock the worthlessness of her promise. I took a photo and posted it on Twitter. [Be my own light, no longer chasing anyone.] Scrolling down, I saw that Muriel, who had never posted about me once on Twitter, had posted many updates. She refused to accompany me, yet she flew around the world with Robinson. Under the Eiffel Tower, in the dusk of Prague’s Old Town Square, on Venice’s waterways… all bore the sweet couple photos of the two of them. The limited-edition Patek Philippe watch on his wrist had a sapphire-studded dial that shone blindingly. That was the heirloom collection piece she’d bought at auction last month for nine million. When interviewed by the media, she said it was a gift for her lover. I thought she would personally put it on me on our tenth anniversary, but I was just being presumptuous. The journey was coming to an end. I stopped by to inspect a hotel under the Leonardo Group. Since I’d decided to go home, I should familiarize myself with the family business in advance. When checking in, the staff bowed respectfully. “How long will Mr. Leonardo be staying? Please let us know if you need anything.” I didn’t want to alert anyone and just asked the staff to treat me normally. Even for an inspection, I wanted peace and quiet. But even this small wish was easily shattered. While walking in the garden, I saw Muriel and Robinson. Several photographers surrounded them, taking wedding photos. She carefully adjusted his tie, her every movement showing a focus I hadn’t seen in ages. So this wasn’t an ordinary trip. The wedding trip she promised me—she gave it to someone else. Seeing me, Muriel instinctively frowned. “I said I’d go with you next time. Why did you follow us here?” “We’re already divorced. Mind your boundaries.” Before I could speak, Robinson tugged on her sleeve, drawing out his voice. “Muriel, don’t be so fierce.” “I happen to be having trouble choosing my next groom’s outfit. Why don’t you let Leonardo help me pick?”

Her expression softened slightly, and she nodded. “That’s fine. His taste is decent.” When the design sketches were handed over, my hand shook and I almost couldn’t hold the tablet. Both tailcoats were designs I’d made in my youth. Back then, we’d only been together a short while. I still had a young man’s mind, fantasizing about everything every day. Fantasizing about the wedding, the wedding dress, life after marriage. When my family discovered our relationship, my status-conscious parents firmly opposed it. They never imagined that their always obedient and well-behaved son would dare to run away from home for a girl with no parents. But they didn’t understand. She would write me an entire book of love poems. She would point at classmates who made dirty jokes about me and curse them out. She would save three months’ wages to buy me shoes I’d mentioned in passing. She would fight alone, in high heels and a skirt, covered in blood, when I nearly got kidnapped while drunk. The doctor said if the knife wound on her chest had been an inch deeper, even the gods couldn’t have saved her. The young girl’s love was intense, burning so hot I fell for her helplessly. My parents were utterly disappointed and publicly announced they were disowning me, cutting off all my financial support. Later we were busy making money, busy surviving. When the business took off, she was busy cheating and I was busy catching her in the act. Back and forth, the wedding we’d promised kept getting postponed. Those two design sketches were also shelved, becoming unresolved regrets. Now they’d become wedding clothes she was giving someone else. I looked into her eyes. “Muriel, these are the tailcoats I designed.” She paused, then raised an eyebrow. “Name your price.” My nails dug into my palms, my voice hoarse. “They’re different.” “What’s so special about them?” She put her hands in her pockets, her tone impatient. “If Robinson didn’t like them, they’d just be two pieces of waste paper.” I suddenly laughed. I didn’t know her memory was so poor. She’d forgotten all the promises, wishes, and love. All these years of bright lights and wine, money and pleasure—like a master thief. Stealing away the Muriel whose heart and eyes were full of me. “Please don’t fight over me…” Robinson’s eyes reddened. Muriel panicked, about to comfort him, when she suddenly covered her mouth, her face turning pale. “Ugh!” I froze, a chill rising within me. This was a sign of pregnancy—I knew it all too well. But ever since the abortion, she’d been with Robinson the whole time. Whose child this was couldn’t be clearer. Sure enough, Robinson’s expression changed instantly. He skillfully opened a thermos and fed her water. “Are you tired?” He gently stroked her slightly rounded belly. “Muriel, let’s stop shooting, okay? You and Niland both need rest.” He carefully picked her up and quickly left without giving me a single glance. I stood frozen in place, thunderstruck. Niland—that was the name of our first child. After she miscarried that year, I was consumed with guilt, hating myself for not protecting her and the child. I couldn’t sleep day or night and nearly became depressed. Yet she casually gave this name to another man’s child. Life was truly absurd. The staff noticed my distress and asked tentatively, “Mr. Leonardo, should we blacklist them from the hotel?” I took a deep breath. “No need.” Let them enjoy the last glimmer of light before dawn.

When the journey ended and I returned home, the lock was intact. Muriel was too busy accompanying her new lover around the world to even think about the “wedding home.” I laughed somewhat mockingly. As I laughed, my throat tightened. I remembered how she once broke into my family home and knelt before my parents. “Please let me be with Leonardo.” “Unless I die, I will never betray him.” My parents didn’t believe her. I did. I betrayed everything and did everything I could to build a home with her. Every single thing in this house was something we’d acquired together with our own hands. The floor mat from the secondhand market, the TV stand I built myself, the sofa blanket she crocheted stitch by stitch. Later when we had money, we still didn’t move. I firmly believed that when she said “forever,” she meant forever. Turns out she didn’t. Her devoted heart had weathered and corroded over the years. When finally pried open, it was completely rotten inside. Disgust suddenly surged up within me. I immediately contacted a realtor to sell the house. I packed up those 100 urns and mailed them away. Everything else was completely cleared out too. After doing all this, I dragged my suitcase and left. When I looked back one last time, I thought I would feel reluctant. But when it came down to it, all I felt in my heart was relief. I moved into my own hotel and began contacting lawyers to discuss the division of assets. During this time, Muriel’s messages bombarded me. “Why did you sell the house?” “Where can you go by yourself?” “Stop throwing a tantrum. You have no family, no friends. You’re not comfortable living outside, are you?” “Come to the villa in the south side of town. You and Robinson can keep each other company. I’ll treat you both well.” I didn’t reply to a single message. After arranging everything, I went to the church. It was quite regrettable, really. Our first child was lost by accident. Our second child was also abandoned by its biological mother. Perhaps in this lifetime, I was simply not meant to be a father. I wanted to light a new candle for our first child and set up a candleholder for our second child as well. But when I got to the church, I discovered that Niland’s candleholder was gone. The priest told me it had been removed by Muriel. My heart felt like it had a huge hole torn in it, with wind howling through, so cold my whole body trembled. When I first lost Niland, I couldn’t eat or sleep. I even cut my wrists. It wasn’t until the candleholder was lit that she told me this way Niland could have complete blessings. She also said that for the child to be at peace, the father must be safe. Only then did I put down the knife and try to keep living. But she personally extinguished the candleholder. I walked out of the church in a daze. Looking up, I saw Robinson supporting Muriel, whose belly was slightly rounded. “Muriel, thank you for bringing me and the baby here for blessings.” She gently stroked her belly, her gaze tender. “Thank me for what? You’re my lover, and Niland is our child. Of course I want you both to be safe and happy for life.” Niland—she still dared to speak that name. I rushed forward and slapped her hard across the face. She was first stunned, then immediately shielded Robinson behind her. “Leonardo, what’s wrong with you? I’m still carrying our child!” “Our child? Muriel, have you no shame?” I said through gritted teeth, desperately suppressing my body’s trembling. “It’s bad enough you aborted our second child, but why did you remove Niland’s candleholder?” She froze, her eyes evasive. “You… you know everything?”

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When I came home early from my business trip and pushed open the door, soft romantic music was playing in the living room. On the French dining table sat a candlelit dinner, using all the premium Wagyu beef and white truffles I’d had shipped from abroad. My husband Ethan, who normally wouldn’t even pick up a fallen spilled milk, was down on one knee. He held the hand of a young girl affectionately, raising a diamond ring. “Claire, this ring represents my lifelong commitment to you. You’re carrying my child. I will never let you suffer any injustice.” The girl shyly covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. “Ethan, but what about Vivian… She’s been so good to me. She not only funded my college education but also gave me living expenses. How can I steal her husband?” “What’s she worth?” Ethan snorted disdainfully. “Vivian just has some dirty money her parents left her! She plays the career woman at the company all day, but can’t even have a child! Not like you—so gentle and caring, and you got pregnant with my child so quickly.” As Ethan spoke, he slipped the diamond ring onto the girl’s finger. “Once the baby’s born, I’ll tell her it’s a child I adopted from an orphanage. I’ll handle all the adoption paperwork and write it into her huge trust fund. She has no parents, so she’ll be lucky to get a free son to inherit her fortune. She should be grateful to me!”

I stood in the shadows of the entryway, watching this absurd and disgusting scene, trembling with rage. That girl wearing my limited edition designer dress and my late mother’s diamond ring was none other than Claire Sullivan, the struggling college student I’d sponsored for four whole years. Two years ago, she wore a faded school uniform and knelt before me crying, calling me her benefactor, saying she would definitely repay me. This was her repayment? Sleeping with my husband, living in my mansion, and planning to have her illegitimate child seize my assets? “Clap, clap, clap—” I laughed coldly and applauded, stepping out from the shadows. “What a touching love story.” Hearing my voice, Ethan jumped in fright, springing up from the floor. Claire’s face turned deathly pale, and she hid behind Ethan like a frightened rabbit. “Vivian, how did you get back early?” Ethan stammered as he looked at me, a flash of panic in his eyes, but he quickly forced himself to appear calm. I walked toward them step by step in my heels. My gaze fell on that blinding diamond ring. “Ethan, you took my mother’s heirloom to propose to a mistress. Who gave you the audacity?” I asked through clenched teeth, word by word. Ethan’s face stiffened, and he instinctively moved Claire behind him. “Vivian, don’t make it sound so terrible! What mistress? Claire is a pure, good girl!” He puffed out his chest self-righteously. “Besides, your parents are dead. The ring was just sitting there. Claire is pregnant with my son now. When the baby’s born, he’ll be the heir to the Carter family. What’s wrong with her wearing a ring?” I was so angry at his shameless words that I laughed. “Your son? The Carter family heir?” I looked at him coldly. “Ethan, have you forgotten that you eat my food, wear my clothes, live in my house? Even that cushy position in the company’s logistics department was given to you out of pity by my parents! You’re a kept man living off me, and you’re talking to me about the Carter family?” Ethan hated it most when people called him a kept man. Instantly struck at his sore spot, his face flushed red. “Vivian! Don’t lord money over me! We’re married—your money is my money! This house has my name on the deed too!” He pointed at Claire’s belly and shouted arrogantly, “I’m telling you, the baby in Claire’s belly must be born! You can’t have children, so Claire will have them for you! From now on, this child will call you Mom, and you’ll pay to raise it. That’s settled!” Claire also poked her head out, looking at me timidly. “Vivian, Ethan’s right. I don’t need any status. I just want to stay by Ethan’s side. You’re so kind—you’ll definitely accept this child, right?” Looking at her hypocritical face, I could no longer control the fury in my heart. I grabbed the bottle of Romanée-Conti worth over a hundred thousand dollars from the table and threw it at them! “Ah—” Claire screamed as the red wine splashed all over her, instantly ruining that expensive designer dress. Ethan was also drenched from head to face, looking utterly disheveled. “Go to hell!” I pointed at the door and shouted angrily, “Take off that ring and get out of my house with this slut!”

“Vivian! Are you crazy!” Ethan wiped the wine from his face and roared at me furiously. He pulled Claire into his arms protectively, and seeing her ruined dress, his eyes turned red. “Don’t you know Claire is pregnant? If something happens to my son, I’ll never forgive you!” Claire leaned into Ethan’s embrace on cue, crying pitifully. “Ethan, my stomach hurts… Is Vivian trying to kill our baby?” Hearing this, Ethan became even more furious. He strode up to me and raised his hand to hit me. “Vivian, you vicious shrew! I’m going to teach you a lesson today!” I looked at him coldly without even flinching. “Go ahead and hit me. If you dare lay a finger on me today, I guarantee you’ll leave with nothing and spend the rest of your life in prison!” Ethan’s hand froze in midair. He looked at my ice-cold eyes and felt inexplicably intimidated. He knew my methods too well. Usually I just didn’t bother with him, but if I got serious, he was no match for me at all. He gritted his teeth and lowered his hand. “Vivian, don’t threaten me with divorce! Half of this house is mine, and half of the company shares are mine too! If we really divorce, I’ll take half of your assets!” He sneered and pulled Claire’s hand. “Claire, let’s go! Don’t pay attention to this crazy woman! Tomorrow I’ll use my card to buy you a big mansion, and we’ll move out!” At the door, he didn’t forget to turn back and glare at me viciously. “Vivian, you just wait! When you’re old with no one to care for you, you’ll come begging me!” The door slammed shut heavily. I stood in the wrecked living room, took a deep breath, and suppressed the rage in my heart. I took out my phone and called my private banking manager. “Immediately freeze all supplementary cards under Ethan’s name and freeze all our joint accounts. From now on, without my permission, he can’t touch a penny!” After hanging up, I called the company’s CFO. “Seal all of Ethan’s accounts from the logistics department for the past three years. First thing tomorrow morning, I want a third-party audit team to conduct a comprehensive investigation!” After doing all this, I sneered. Ethan, did you really think my money was so easy to take? Since you won’t accept the easy way, don’t blame me for being ruthless! The next morning, while I was in a company meeting, my phone started vibrating like crazy. It was Ethan calling. I pressed the answer button, and his furious roar immediately came through. “Vivian! You bitch! Why did you freeze my cards!” In the background, I could also hear a saleswoman’s polite but awkward urging: “Mr. Carter, can you still make the payment? If not, we need to show this mansion to other clients…” I leaned back in my executive chair, casually twirling the pen in my hand. “What’s wrong? Can’t pay for the big mansion?” I sneered. “Ethan, have you forgotten that all those cards under your name are linked to my accounts? When I’m happy to let you spend, you’re still my husband. When I’m not happy to let you spend, you’re nothing!” “You!” Ethan’s voice trembled with rage. “Vivian, don’t go too far! Are you really going to be so ruthless!” “You’re the one who went too far.” My eyes turned cold. “Ethan, I’m giving you until the end of today to return that diamond ring to me. Otherwise, I’ll report you to the police for theft!” With that, I hung up directly and blocked his number.

That afternoon, when I got home, I saw a beat-up pickup truck parked outside my mansion. The door opened, and a middle-aged woman with a rough face wearing a cheap leopard-print top, and a punk-looking guy in baggy pants got out. The woman was Claire’s mother, Linda Sullivan, and the punk was her brother, Jake Sullivan. They carried large bags and stood at my door looking around. “Oh my, this is the mansion my son-in-law lives in! So grand!” Linda shouted at the top of her voice, excitedly slapping her thigh. Jake’s eyes were gleaming too. With a cigarette dangling from his mouth, he said sleazily, “Linda, my sister finally hooked a rich guy! Now we can live the high life too!” I frowned and walked forward. “Who are you? What are you doing at my door?” Linda looked me up and down and rolled her eyes. “Who are you? This is my son-in-law Ethan’s house! My daughter Claire is carrying their family heir. My son-in-law specially invited us over to enjoy the good life!” So these were Claire’s trashy relatives. I sneered. “Ethan’s house? I’m afraid you’ve got it wrong. This house is mine. That kept man Ethan was kicked out by me long ago!” “Bullshit!” Jake spat his cigarette on the ground and pointed at my nose, cursing, “My brother-in-law said half of this house is his! Who the hell are you to kick him out?” Just then, Ethan came over supporting Claire. Seeing me, Ethan’s expression was somewhat unnatural, but he quickly straightened his back. “Vivian, so what if you froze my cards? Half of this house is mine, and I have the right to bring Claire and her family to live here!” He pointed at me and said to Linda, “Linda, this is my useless wife who can’t have children. Don’t pay attention to her—just move your stuff in!” Upon hearing this, Linda immediately put her hands on her hips and spat at me. “Ptui! So you’re the barren woman! No wonder my son-in-law had to find my daughter! Let me tell you, my daughter is carrying the heir to the Carter family. This house will be my daughter’s in the future!” With that, she directed Jake to charge inside. I blocked the door directly, looking at them coldly. “Anyone who dares step through this door today, I’ll break their legs!” My aura was too strong. Linda and Jake were startled and instinctively stopped. Ethan felt he’d lost face in front of his mother-in-law. Embarrassed and angry, he rushed forward and shoved me aside. “Vivian, get out of my way! This house is mine, and I’ll let whoever I want live here!” His strength was considerable. I stumbled from the push, my back hitting the door frame hard. I gasped from the pain. Claire took the opportunity to pull Linda and Jake inside, swaggering into my home. “Wow! This couch is so soft! This TV is huge!” Jake walked all over my expensive carpet with his dirty shoes, then plopped down on my million-dollar leather sofa. Linda was like a country bumpkin who’d entered a palace, touching this and looking at that. Finally, her gaze locked on the master bedroom where my parents had lived. “Oh my, this room is the biggest and most magnificent, and the orientation is great too! Claire, let me have this room so I can take good care of you!” As she spoke, she carried her smelly bag toward the master bedroom. “Stop!” I shouted and rushed over to block the master bedroom door. “That’s my parents’ room. No one is allowed in!” Since my parents died in a car accident, I’d kept that room exactly as it was, cleaning it personally every day. I absolutely wouldn’t allow anyone to defile it. Linda rolled her eyes at me and said sarcastically, “Dead people’s room sitting empty is such a waste! Perfect for me to live in!” “I’ll say it one more time—get out!” I pointed at the door, my voice cold as ice. Ethan walked over and impatiently pulled at me. “Vivian, stop making a scene, okay? What’s so precious about a dead person’s room? Linda came all this way to take care of Claire. What’s wrong with her staying in a nicer room? Don’t be so petty!” I forcefully shook off his hand and slapped him hard across the face! “Smack!” The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the living room. Ethan was stunned, covering his face in disbelief as he looked at me. “You dare hit me?” “I hit you, you ungrateful bastard!” I pointed at his nose and cursed, “You eat my food and use my things, and now you bring these leeches to defile my parents’ room! Ethan, you’re worse than a dog!”

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My advanced emergency responder certification is still pending renewal. According to regulations, I’m not supposed to provide services outside of work. But my neighbor’s son was choking on a whole grape at the park, on the verge of suffocating to death. How could I care about regulations at a time like that? I rushed over and used the professional Heimlich maneuver to save the child’s life. But she immediately turned around and reported me to the Labor Board and the Emergency Response Association for performing unauthorized procedures without valid certification. I lost my job and got blacklisted from the entire industry. She even came at me with a forged medical report, extorting me for $200,000 in medical fees: “What if you damaged my son’s internal organs? Is it wrong for me to protect my rights according to the rules?” Later, when her son’s life hung by a thread from febrile seizures, she knelt on the ground and begged me to save him. I let out a cold laugh and dialed 911 directly: “I’m sorry, but I don’t have certification. If I damage your precious son, I can’t afford to compensate you.”

“Sophia, stop going on about how you saved his life! Your emergency certification expired and you still dared to touch my son–that’s practicing medicine illegally!” I stood in the mediation room, my head buzzing. Across from me stood my neighbor, Amanda Wilson. She held her son in her arms–the same boy who’d nearly choked to death on a grape at the park yesterday afternoon. Her finger was practically poking my nose. “Amanda, yesterday at the park, your son’s face had turned purple. You were the one kneeling on the ground, grabbing my legs and begging me to save him!” I suppressed the rage churning in my chest, trying to reason with her. “I was trying to save a life. It was an emergency. I didn’t have time to think about anything else!” “Stop making excuses!” Amanda raised her voice to a shrill pitch that made everyone’s eardrums ache. “You work in safety training. Without certification, you’re nothing but an unlicensed fraud! Who knows if your technique was even standard?” She stepped back with a look of disgust on her face, clutching her child’s chest protectively. “What if you broke my son’s ribs? What if you injured his internal organs? Don’t you know how fragile a child’s bones are?” I trembled with anger, my nails digging into my palms. “You’re twisting everything! I take the certification exam every year. This year’s certificate is just still being processed through the system!” The Emergency Response Association inspector coughed and slammed an official notice down on the table. “Sophia, regardless of your intentions at the time, the fact is your certification had expired.” Mr. Lewis kept his face stern, speaking in official tones. “According to industry regulations, performing professional emergency procedures without valid certification constitutes a serious violation. You’re fined $10,000 and will receive an industry-wide reprimand.” I turned to look at Mr. Lewis, hardly able to believe my ears. “Mr. Lewis, she wasn’t my client! This was an act of heroism at a public park!” “That doesn’t matter. You’re a professional, which means you must follow professional rules.” Mr. Lewis cut me off mercilessly. “You used professional techniques yesterday. That constitutes a service action in practice. No certification means violation of regulations.” Amanda lifted her chin triumphantly, laughing coldly. “You hear that? Even the association says you’re wrong! I’m just trying to clean up industry chaos and follow the rules. Is that wrong?” My husband Ethan, who’d been standing behind me, suddenly tugged at the corner of my shirt. “Sophia, just apologize to her.” I turned around in disbelief. “Ethan, what did you just say?” Ethan frowned, his face full of impatience, lowering his voice. “You knew your certification had expired, didn’t you? Why did you have to play hero? We still have car payments to make with that $10,000!” My heart went cold. “I saved her son’s life and you want me to apologize?” “Amanda’s just being careful about her child. Is it wrong for a mother to be cautious?” Ethan pulled me behind him and turned to Amanda with an ingratiating smile. “Amanda, I’m really sorry. Sophia was just too impulsive. Please don’t hold it against her.” Amanda rolled her eyes and snorted self-righteously. “Ethan, I’m only being lenient because of you. Otherwise I’d take my son for a full-body CT scan, and you’d have to pay for that too!” “Of course, of course. Thank you for being so generous.” Ethan nodded repeatedly. I stared at Ethan’s fawning face, finding it utterly unfamiliar. “I won’t apologize, and I won’t pay this fine.” I shook off Ethan’s hand and stared at Mr. Lewis. “You’re all accomplices to this.” Mr. Lewis pointed at me. “Sophia, if that’s your attitude, your advanced emergency responder qualification will be permanently revoked. You can forget about working in this field ever again!” Ethan panicked and shoved me. “Sophia, have you lost your mind? Do you have to destroy this family before you’re satisfied?” The shove sent me stumbling backward into the water cooler behind me. My lower back throbbed with pain. Amanda held her child, watching me with smug satisfaction written all over her face. “Sophia, I suggest you pay that fine quickly. I posted about this on the community forum. Everyone knows you’re an unlicensed fraud now.” I clenched my teeth, looking at her. “Amanda, aren’t you afraid of karma?” “Karma? I practice scientific parenting and follow the rules. What do I have to fear?” Amanda laughed coldly and turned to leave. At the door, she looked back and threw out one more line. “Stay away from my son from now on. Who knows what diseases you might be carrying.”

When we got home, Ethan slammed the door so hard it shook. “Sophia, did you take crazy pills today? Would it kill you to back down a little?” Ethan loosened his tie and pointed at my nose, cursing. “Ten thousand dollars! How much do I make in a month? And you, playing the hero, just threw away all my savings!” I looked at him jumping around in rage, finding it incredibly ironic. “That was a human life! If I hadn’t acted, that child would be dead!” “If he died, that would be Amanda’s fault for not watching him properly. What does it have to do with you?” Ethan frantically ran his hands through his hair, pacing around the living room. “Great, now the whole complex knows you’re an unlicensed menace. I’m embarrassed to even go outside!” I ignored him and pulled out my phone to check the community forum. The forum had exploded. Amanda had posted a long accusatory essay with an eye-catching title. [Warning! Unlicensed Emergency Responder in Our Complex Using the Guise of Saving Lives to Violently Harm Children!] In the post, she vividly described how I had forcibly grabbed her son and how I’d used brutal techniques to abuse him. She even insinuated that I was trying to create panic at the park to promote my safety training courses. The neighbors below all chimed in. “Oh my God, that’s terrifying. How did someone like that get into our complex?” “Support Amanda’s fight for justice! We must resist unlicensed practitioners!” “I heard she got fined $10,000 by the association. She must have done something really shady.” I looked at these vicious comments, my hands and feet going cold. Just yesterday afternoon, the situation had been completely different. Yesterday afternoon, I’d been walking my golden retriever in the park. Suddenly I heard heart-wrenching screams coming from nearby. I ran over to find Amanda collapsed on the lawn, holding her two-year-old son in her arms. The child’s little face had turned purple-red, his hands flailing in the air, his lips turning black, unable to make a single sound. A box of peeled grapes lay scattered beside them. Clear signs of airway obstruction from a foreign object. I didn’t have time to think. I tied the dog leash to a tree and rushed over. I took the child from Amanda’s arms and held him from behind. I made a fist with one hand, positioning my thumb side against the child’s abdomen on the midline, two fingers above the navel. With my other hand gripping the fist, I thrust quickly inward and upward. One, two, three, four, five. “Waaah–” With a weak cry, a whole grape shot out of the child’s mouth and rolled onto the grass. The child’s face gradually regained color as he gasped for air. Amanda had knelt on the ground, clutching my hands, crying with snot and tears streaming down her face. “Sophia, you’re an angel! You’re my son’s savior!” But in less than twenty-four hours, the angel had become the villain who violently harmed children. “What are you looking at? Haven’t you embarrassed us enough?” Ethan snatched my phone away and threw it hard onto the couch. “I just went downstairs–someone slashed our tires!” He pointed toward the window, his eyes bulging red. “It was definitely someone from the complex! All because of you!” I looked at him coldly. “So?” “So you need to go apologize to Amanda right now! Take some flowers and beg her to delete that forum post!” Ethan barked orders at me. “Why should I? I did nothing wrong.” “Nothing wrong? Not having certification IS wrong!” Ethan moved closer, grinding his teeth. “Sophia, I’m warning you. If you don’t apologize tomorrow, we’re done!” I looked at this man I’d shared a bed with for three years. “Fine. Then we’re done.”

The next morning, as soon as I arrived at the training center, I could tell something was off. Lisa at the front desk looked at me with shifty eyes, and several colleagues huddled together whispering. I’d barely reached my workstation when the boss’s office door burst open. Amanda swept in with three elegantly dressed women, marching forward aggressively. “Everyone, come look! This is your center’s star instructor!” Amanda held up an enlarged screenshot–it was the disciplinary notice from the Emergency Response Association. “She doesn’t even have an emergency certification, yet she dares to randomly press on people’s stomachs out in public!” Colleagues around me began pointing and whispering. The boss followed behind, his face ashen, sweating profusely as he tried to placate them with a forced smile. “Ms. Wilson, please calm down. The training center will definitely handle this matter seriously.” “Handle it seriously? You’re still keeping this dangerous person around?” One of the women beside her added with sharp sarcasm. “We paid premium VIP tuition. If you use someone like this to teach us emergency response, we’ll demand an immediate refund and sue you!” I strode forward and snatched the notice from Amanda’s hand. “Amanda, have you caused enough trouble?” I stared into her eyes, my voice cold as ice. “I’ll say it one more time. Yesterday, you were the one kneeling on the ground begging me to save him.” “Bullshit!” Amanda glared right back without backing down. “I was desperate! If I’d known you were an unlicensed fraud, I would have waited for the ambulance rather than let you touch my son!” She turned to the boss, pressing aggressively. “Mr. Johnson, if you don’t fire her today, I’ll expose this immediately and make sure your center shuts down for good!” The boss wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to look at me. “Sophia, you’re terminated. Don’t come in tomorrow.” I froze. “Mr. Johnson, I’ve worked at this training center for four years. I’ve trained countless excellent students and never made a single mistake. You’re firing me because of her unreasonable tantrum?” “Sophia, the training center has its difficulties too.” The boss avoided my gaze, his voice cold and hard. “The fact that your certification expired and you were disciplined is real. The training center can’t let one person damage the entire brand’s reputation.” “You hear that? Now get lost!” Amanda laughed triumphantly. I looked at the boss’s cold face and suddenly felt that any defense was meaningless. “Fine. I’m leaving.” I gathered my personal items from the desk, carried the box, and walked out the center’s main doors. The cold autumn wind hit my face like knife cuts. I wandered aimlessly on the streets for two hours before dragging my exhausted body home. I pushed open the door. The house was silent. Usually, as soon as I opened the door, my golden retriever that I’d raised for five years would wag his tail and rush over to nuzzle my legs. Today, nothing. I set down the box and searched through the living room and bedroom. Nothing. The dog bed was gone. The leash was gone. Even his food bowl was missing. Just then, Ethan came through the door. He was carrying two takeout meals. When he saw me, he froze for a moment. “Why are you home so early?” I looked at him. “Ethan, where’s my dog?” Ethan avoided my gaze, setting the takeout on the table with a casual tone. “Oh, I gave him away.” “Where did you take him?!” I rushed over and grabbed his collar. Ethan pushed me away impatiently. “That stray dog shelter on the outskirts. He won’t die.” Tears instantly welled up in my eyes. “Are you insane? He’s been pampered since he was a puppy and you dumped him at a shelter?” “What choice did I have!” Ethan suddenly raised his voice and shouted back. “Amanda posted on the forum that dogs carry rabies virus that can be transmitted through the air to her kid!” He glared at me self-righteously. “The management came knocking this morning, demanding we get rid of him! What was I supposed to do, wait for them to break down our door?” “Amanda says there’s a virus and you believe her? Who the hell does she think she is!” I lunged toward the door like a madwoman. “Sophia, enough!” Ethan grabbed my arm. “It’s just a dog! When this blows over I’ll buy you another one!” “Get away from me!”

I searched the stray dog shelter on the outskirts for three solid hours. The sky went completely dark. The cold wind was biting. The old man at the shelter told me that yes, a golden retriever had been dropped off today, but because there weren’t enough cages, they’d temporarily tied him in the yard. The dog broke free and ran away. I circled the nearby wasteland again and again. I didn’t find Biscuit. I only found a torn piece of leash in the grass, still stained with blood. I collapsed to the ground, my heart feeling hollowed out. Biscuit was a dog I’d gotten before marriage. He’d kept me company through countless lonely nights. Now, because of a malicious woman’s lies and a cowardly man’s betrayal, his fate was unknown. I stood up numbly and took a taxi back to the complex. As soon as I walked into the complex plaza, Amanda appeared out of nowhere. She held a hospital test report in her hand and blocked my path directly. Neighbors out for evening walks immediately gathered around. “Sophia, perfect timing!” Amanda slapped the test report right into my face. “My son has been complaining of stomach pain all day. The doctor says there’s suspected internal organ damage!” She pointed at my nose, grinding her teeth. “You injured his internal organs yesterday with your pressing! Your brutal technique wasn’t saving him–it was trying to kill him!” I looked at the test report on the ground, finding it utterly absurd. “The Heimlich maneuver can naturally cause mild abdominal discomfort. That’s a normal side effect. Compared to death by suffocation, what’s a little discomfort?” “Normal? My son never complained of stomach pain before!” Amanda shrieked. “I’m telling you, Sophia, I’ve already consulted a lawyer. You need to compensate my son $200,000 for ongoing treatment and emotional distress!” She laughed coldly and moved closer. “If you don’t pay, tomorrow I’ll go to your husband’s workplace with a protest banner and make sure your whole family is too ashamed to show their faces!” Ethan had apparently come downstairs. Hearing this, his face went deathly pale. He rushed over and shoved my head down hard. “Amanda, I’m sorry, this is all our fault!” Ethan’s voice carried obvious trembling and fear. “Don’t go to my workplace, please. We’ll pay, we’ll definitely pay!” I struggled desperately. Ethan pressed down on my neck with surprising strength. “Sophia, will bowing your head kill you? Do you have to drive me to my death before you’re happy!” Ethan hissed viciously in my ear. I stopped struggling. I slowly raised my head and looked at Ethan’s twisted, cowardly face. To save his own face and job, he didn’t hesitate to push me out as a shield. I shook off Ethan’s hand. “Two hundred thousand? Dream on.” I looked at Amanda, my voice eerily calm. “Go ahead and sue me. I’d love to see how the court rules.” With that, I turned and walked away. Ethan shouted my name behind me, furious. I didn’t even look back.

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The first time Ethan Chase’s fiancée, Stella Grant, saw me, she was instantly hostile. One evening, I came out of Ethan’s bedroom wearing my pajamas. Stella glared at me viciously, then whispered to Ethan in private: “Is that foster daughter of yours deliberately trying to seduce you? She’s only twelve years younger than you. She’s a woman now.” From that point on, Ethan became very cold toward me. Soon after, they got married and left the country for their honeymoon. Ethan left me in the care of his younger brother, Jasper Chase. When Jasper saw me, his face was full of disgust: “So you’re the kid my brother adopted? Stella told me you’ve been trying to seduce him, huh?” I hurriedly explained: “No, that’s not true. That day I was washing my hair and the showerhead broke…” Jasper kicked the sofa with a sinister smile: “Cut the crap. Go make me dinner.” After that, he made me wash his sneakers in freezing cold water in the dead of winter. When I cooked, he complained it was too salty. When I made tea, he complained it was too hot. The worst time was when my teacher came for a home visit. He said: “Her? She came from an orphanage. No manners. You teachers need to keep a close eye on her.” I stood in the kitchen doorway holding a fruit plate, forcing back tears.

Steam swirled around me as I stepped out of the first-floor bathroom. The crystal chandelier in the living room was blindingly bright. I instinctively lowered my head, wanting to quickly slip back upstairs to my room, but a figure blocked my path. It was Ethan’s fiancée, Stella Grant. She wore a wine-red silk dress, her long curled hair casually draped over her shoulders. Her makeup was flawless, her nails long and beautifully painted. I clutched the corner of my pajama dress tightly. Under her scrutinizing gaze, I felt completely exposed. “Hello, Miss Grant.” I greeted her quietly. She didn’t respond. Those slightly upturned eyes swept over me from head to toe. There was no warmth in that gaze. It was like looking at a cheap decoration placed in the wrong spot. I was so embarrassed I wished I could find a crack in the floor to crawl into. The showerhead in the second-floor guest bathroom was broken, and Martha had told me to temporarily use the bathroom in Ethan’s master bedroom on the first floor. I hadn’t expected to run into his rightful fiancée at such an unfortunate moment. Stella finally withdrew her gaze and turned to Martha, her voice soft: “Martha, who is this?” Martha quickly explained: “Miss Grant, this is the young lady the master brought back from the orphanage recently… Miss Winters. Ava.” “Oh? An adopted child.” Stella drew out her words and gave a light laugh. “Ethan is so kindhearted. However…” She paused, her eyes contemptuous: “She must be sixteen or seventeen now, right? At that age, still living under the same roof as her guardian? That doesn’t look good for Ethan’s reputation.” My entire body stiffened. My blood seemed to freeze instantly. I could feel the malice wrapped in her words, like countless tiny needles stabbing into my fragile, sensitive self-esteem. Martha tried to help me: “Miss Grant, Ava is a good girl…” “Martha.” Stella interrupted her, her tone still gentle. “You’re just a housekeeper. When did it become your place to speak about Chase family matters?” Having said that, she gracefully walked over to the sofa and sat down, as if nothing had happened. I didn’t dare stay any longer. I practically fled upstairs and shut myself in my room. My heart pounded wildly in my chest. Stella’s words circled in my mind like a curse. I had only been in this so-called “home” for three months. To me, Ethan was more like a cold benefactor than a father. He gave me a place to stay, an expensive private school education, but withheld any warm glances. I desperately tried to minimize my presence, just to have a place where I belonged. But Stella’s appearance reminded me that I was ultimately an outsider living under someone else’s roof. From that day on, I began deliberately avoiding her. Whenever she came over, I locked myself in my room. I even avoided going downstairs for water. I naively thought that as long as I didn’t appear in front of her, we could coexist peacefully. Until that dinner, when Ethan was also present. In front of him, Stella pulled out a blue letter and placed it on the dining table.

My heart skipped a beat. I instinctively gripped my fork tighter. That letter was mine. I had written it a few days ago to thank Ethan and wish him a happy Father’s Day. Since he wasn’t home at the time, I had left it on his study desk. How did Stella get this letter? “Ethan,” Stella began, her voice like poison coated in sugar. “I know Ava is young and doesn’t understand things well. But we should guide her properly.” Hearing this, Ethan put down his knife and fork. His gaze shifted to me, his eyes probing. I was so nervous I could barely breathe. I hurried to explain: “Sir, that was a thank-you letter I wrote…” “A thank-you letter?” Stella laughed lightly, cutting me off. She elegantly picked up the letter, her slender fingers brushing the edge of the paper. Holding it up to the light, she read in an almost lyrical tone: “Thank you for giving me a home so I no longer have to wander. I will study hard and live up to your expectations.” She paused, then her tone sharpened, her eyes suddenly piercing: “Ava, these words are beautifully written. But how do you explain this last sentence?” I looked at her blankly. Then I saw her red lips part as she read in French: “I love you, and I want to be the one who holds your hand for life.” My mind went blank with a buzzing sound. “I didn’t write that!” I shot to my feet. The chair scraped loudly against the floor. “I never wrote anything like that!” “You didn’t?” Stella pushed the letter toward Ethan, pointing at the line at the bottom. “Ethan, look at this handwriting. How could it not be hers?” I rushed forward to grab the letter, but Ethan’s icy glare stopped me. His eyes lingered on the paper for a moment. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. “Sir, it really wasn’t me!” Tears welled up in my eyes. My voice trembled with fear. “The last line of my thank-you letter was wishing you a happy Father’s Day!” Stella let out a timely sigh, her tone full of helplessness and tolerance: “Ava, don’t be scared. I know you’re dependent on Ethan. That’s normal. But this kind of feeling is unhealthy and must be corrected early. You’re still young. You have a long road ahead. You can’t waste your thoughts on the wrong things.” Every word sounded like she was looking out for me. But every sentence was nailing me to the pillar of shame for “improper thoughts.” Ethan finally spoke, his voice devoid of warmth: “That’s enough.” He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. The lenses reflected a cold light. “Ava, your priority is your studies.” He looked at me, his gaze distant, as if looking at a troublesome stranger. “I don’t want anything like this to happen again.” My heart sank, cold as if it had fallen into an icy pit. He believed her. He didn’t even give me a chance to defend myself before condemning me. “Stella and I are going to Europe for our honeymoon next week.” Ethan’s voice was calm. “During that time, I’ll have Jasper move in to supervise your studies.” Jasper Chase. Ethan’s good-for-nothing younger brother who did nothing but fool around.

The day after Ethan and Stella left, the doorbell rang. I opened the door to see Jasper’s impatient face. He didn’t even look at me properly. He barged past me, bumping my shoulder, and walked right in. He casually tossed a suitcase into the living room. With a clatter, he threw a set of car keys at me. The sharp metal edges hit my cheekbone precisely. It stung painfully. “Hey, I’m staying in the south-facing room on the second floor. Take my stuff up there.” He gestured toward the suitcase with his chin, his tone commanding. “Don’t touch my things with your dirty hands. Use gloves.” He looked at me like I was garbage that spread disease. From that day on, my nightmare officially began. He would come home at midnight covered in mud after partying outside, then throw his limited-edition sneakers at my feet. “They’re dirty. Wash them.” It was winter. The water from the balcony faucet was as cold as ice. I scrubbed those shoes that cost more than all my clothes combined. My fingers turned bright red from the cold and nearly lost all feeling. He leaned against the doorframe watching me the whole time, a malicious smile playing at his lips. He would violently bang on my bedroom door in the middle of the night, demanding I make him a late-night snack. But after I finished cooking, he would complain: “This tastes awful! Like pig slop.” At first, I would argue back. Eventually, I became numb. I silently cleaned up the mess, telling myself I’d move out once I had the means. The real breaking point came the day Ms. Smith made her home visit. Ms. Smith praised me profusely, saying that although I was introverted, my grades were stable and I was a promising student. I kept my head down, nervously clutching my clothes, but felt a rare warmth in my heart. Then Jasper came downstairs in a tank top and slippers. He grabbed an apple from the table, took a bite, and smiled maliciously at my teacher: “Ms. Smith, you really need to give her a good talk. After all, she’s a wild child from an orphanage. My brother’s giving her a chance to study, which isn’t easy. She shouldn’t be getting improper ideas.” The smile on Ms. Smith’s face froze instantly. The home visit ended abruptly. The next day, rumors about me being an orphan somehow spread throughout school. My desk was vandalized with drawings. My textbooks were torn. People pointed and whispered about me in the hallways. That day after school, as soon as I walked in the door, Jasper cornered me in the entryway. He held a note in his hand—one my deskmate had written asking about a math problem. But he waved that note in front of my face, his tone both flippant and vicious: “Oh, can’t control yourself already? Hooking up with male classmates now? What, you planning to write him a love letter too?” “‘I love you and want to be the one who holds your hand for life.’” He deliberately mimicked Stella’s tone, humiliating me word by word. In that instant, all my pent-up emotions exploded like a volcano. The rational string in my mind finally snapped. I don’t know where the strength came from, but I shoved him aside, spun around, and grabbed the heavy jade sculpture from the entryway table. With all my strength, I hurled it at his face! “Shut up!” I screamed hysterically, tears flooding out. “Why does everyone keep bullying me! What did I do wrong!”

He dodged. The jade sculpture shattered at his feet. I stood there like a cornered animal, chest heaving violently, glaring at him with all my might. I expected him to rage like usual, to grab me by the hair and throw me out. But he didn’t. Jasper just stood there. The mockery and malice on his face slowly faded. For the first time, he looked at me with an expression I couldn’t read. Silence stretched between us, suffocating and oppressive. After a long while, he finally moved, turning and walking into the kitchen. Soon, a chaotic clattering sound came from inside, like a battle. Half an hour later, he emerged carrying a bowl of noodles and placed it on the coffee table in front of me. The bowl was… a disaster. The noodles were clumped together. Half-cooked vegetable leaves floated on top, along with a burned fried egg. “Today is your birthday, right?” His voice was stiff, with an unnatural awkwardness. “My brother told me to watch over you carefully. Keep you from learning bad things outside.” He explained clumsily, as if trying to find a lame excuse for all his previous cruelty. I looked at that bowl that was supposedly “longevity noodles.” My heart felt nothing. I said nothing. I turned and walked straight upstairs. That night, I finally understood everything clearly. Ethan’s adoption was nothing more than a charity show to boost his reputation. My father had been one of Ethan’s founding employees. He and my mother died in a car accident while on a business trip. I was sent to the orphanage. It was years before Ethan remembered me. He didn’t need a daughter. He just needed a prop to demonstrate his benevolence. Early the next morning, before dawn, I grabbed the worn duffel bag I had arrived with and left that luxurious prison without looking back. I returned to the orphanage. When the director saw my pale face, she sighed and pulled me into her arms, gently patting my back. “Ava, eat something first.” Just that one embrace broke me. I hugged her and sobbed uncontrollably. That evening, an international call came through. It was Ethan. His voice carried the tone of a superior placating a subordinate: “Ava, stop throwing a tantrum. Jasper doesn’t know better. I’ll discipline him. Wait until Stella and I come back to handle this.” I gripped the receiver, listening to him with unusual calm. “Mr. Chase,” I spoke softly, surprising even myself with how calm I sounded. “I just have one question for you.” There was a pause on the other end. “Do you really believe I wrote that French love letter? I’ve never even taken a French class at school.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “398153”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

It was our third wedding anniversary, and I rushed home. But when I pushed open the door, my workroom had been painted pink, and all the rare equipment my father left me had been thrown in the trash. In their place stood a pink piano. Ethan appeared before me with a woman in his arms. He said Melody needed the sunroom. Those pieces of junk were just gathering dust anyway. He also said he had fallen for her. If he’d met her earlier, he never would have married me. Five years ago, he dug me out of an avalanche with his bare hands until his hands were bloody and torn. Now he held another woman’s hand and dismissed what I loved as “junk.” The compass was shattered, my mother died, and the search and rescue dog had its leg broken. And the moment I fell into an ice crevasse and pressed the distress signal, he personally cut the connection. But he didn’t know. I didn’t die. Three years later, he knelt before me with bloodshot eyes. “Lily, I’ve searched for you for three years. I’ll give you my life to make it up to you, okay?” I looked down at him and smiled. “Ethan, your life is too cheap. I want you to live and watch me marry someone else.”

Lily’s POV When I pushed open the villa door, I still carried the biting chill of the snowy mountains. I had just finished a grueling two-week climb and rushed home filled with joy to make it back for our third wedding anniversary. The backpack straps dug into my shoulders painfully, but I touched the rare glacier stone I’d found at 23,000 feet in my pocket and still felt happy. Because Ethan once said that was the view he most wanted to see. But when I expectantly pushed open the equipment room on the second floor that belonged exclusively to me, the scene before me left me completely stunned. The walls that had been covered with ice axes, carabiners, and climbing ropes were painted a glaring soft pink. All the mountaineering equipment I treasured, the gear that had accompanied me through life-and-death situations, had completely vanished. In their place stood an expensive white grand piano and delicate sheet music scattered across the floor. “Who touched my things?” My whole body trembled. Footsteps sounded behind me. Ethan wore a well-tailored lounging outfit, his gold-rimmed glasses framing deep eyes that now held an unfamiliar coldness. Beside him stood a woman in a white silk dress with a delicate frame. The woman shrank behind Ethan like a frightened rabbit. “I had someone take them away.” Ethan’s voice held no emotion, direct and decisive. “Melody’s hands were injured. She needs a quiet, sunny room to practice piano. Your junk was just gathering dust there anyway. I had someone throw it all in the basement.” Junk? I was thunderstruck. Among that equipment was the rare vintage ice axe my late father left behind, and the first safety lock Ethan gave me when we first met! “Ethan, are you insane? That’s my equipment room! What right do you have to clear out my room for her?” I stared at this man I’d loved for five years. Melody gently tugged at Ethan’s sleeve. Her eyes instantly filled with tears, her voice so fragile it seemed the slightest breeze could scatter it. “Ethan, I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I didn’t know that was Miss Hayes’s room. I’ll move out right now. Please don’t fight with her because of me…” “Don’t move.” Ethan turned and grasped Melody’s hand, the gesture gentle as if handling a priceless treasure. When he looked back at me, his gaze was cold as ice. “Lily, stop making a scene. Melody has severe PTSD. She can’t handle stress. You’re never home anyway, gone for weeks at a time. That room was just sitting empty.” He paused, his tone calm yet cruel as he passed judgment. “Also, I’ve fallen for Melody. If I’d met her earlier, I wouldn’t have married you.” I staggered back a step, my back hitting the door frame hard as my heart ached until I could barely breathe. Fallen for her? Then what am I? Five years ago on that mountain during the avalanche, he dug me out of the snow with his bare hands until they were a bloody mess, nearly requiring amputation. He held my hand in the hospital bed and swore he’d only ever want me, that he’d wait at the base of every mountain for me to come home. But now he held another woman’s hand and dismissed what I loved as “junk.” “Say that again?” My whole body shook. Ethan frowned slightly, seeming annoyed by my loss of control. “I said it clearly enough. But don’t worry, I promised to take care of you for life, so I won’t divorce you. The position of Mrs. Clarke is still yours. Just don’t provoke Melody. She’s too fragile. She can’t handle your rough treatment.” Fragile? Rough? I watched him protect Melody and found it utterly absurd. I didn’t scream or cry. The extreme pain lodged in my throat, unable to come out or go down. I gritted my teeth hard, turned, and rushed to the basement, searching through the dark, damp corners for the equipment that had been thrown away like garbage. Ethan, so even the love you traded your life for only has a three-year shelf life.

Lily’s POV The basement lights flickered dimly. I crouched before dusty cardboard boxes, my hands trembling as I searched. The ice axe was there, the harness was there, but the old brass compass was nowhere to be found. It was the last thing my father left me before he died, and three years ago when Ethan and I got lost in a blizzard, it was the only thing that guided us away from death. “Looking for this?” A delicate voice rang out at the stairway. Melody stood on the steps, looking down at me from above. In her hands, she toyed with that brass compass. “Give it back!” I stood and rushed toward her. But Melody just laughed lightly and loosened her fingers. Crack. The brass compass fell onto the hard cement floor. The glass face shattered instantly, and the needle inside trembled violently a few times before jamming completely, never to turn again. My breathing stopped abruptly. My mind went blank. I crouched down and carefully gathered up the broken pieces. Glass shards pierced my palm and blood welled up, but I didn’t care. “You did that on purpose.” I looked up. “Melody, I’m going to kill you!” I stood and grabbed Melody by the collar. “Ah! Ethan, save me!” Melody immediately let out a shrill scream and deliberately fell backward, tumbling heavily onto the steps. The basement door burst open and Ethan rushed down. Seeing Melody trembling on the ground and me with blood all over my hands, he didn’t hesitate to shove me aside. Already exhausted, his forceful push sent me crashing into the rough wall, a sharp pain shooting through my shoulder. “Lily! What’s wrong with you!” Ethan held Melody tightly in his arms, shouting angrily. “She smashed my father’s compass!” I held up my hands covered in blood and broken glass, my voice becoming shrill. “Ethan, that compass led us out of the mountains! She smashed it!” Ethan’s gaze swept over that pile of junk, a flash of impatience crossing his eyes. He looked at me coldly, his tone full of disappointment and disgust. “Over a broken compass you’d assault Melody? Lily, when did you become so unreasonable and materialistic?” Materialistic? Unreasonable? I stared at him in shock as tears finally broke free. “Ethan, I didn’t mean to…” Melody hid in Ethan’s arms, crying with tears streaming down her face. “I saw that thing was so old, I thought it was trash and wanted to help Miss Hayes put it away. I didn’t expect my hand to slip… It’s all my fault. My hand was injured, I can’t hold things properly…” “It’s not your fault. She’s too aggressive.” Ethan gently comforted the woman in his arms, then pulled out his checkbook from his pocket, scrawled a series of numbers, and tossed it at my feet like throwing alms to a beggar. “One million. Enough to buy you a hundred top-of-the-line electronic navigation devices. Take the money and apologize to Melody.” That light check fell on my blood-stained shoes like a resounding slap across my soul. I didn’t look at the check. I just stared at Ethan, my heart feeling like it was being slowly carved open with a dull knife, the pain making even my breath taste of blood. “Ethan,” I smiled. “No amount of money can buy back something dead.” Not the compass, and not his love.

Lily’s POV From the day the compass shattered, my heart died with it. I locked myself in the guest room, making no noise or fuss. But from the master bedroom one wall away, I could often hear Ethan’s gentle voice coaxing Melody to sleep. Until three days later, an emergency call from the hospital shattered the silence. “Miss Hayes, your mother’s heart condition has suddenly deteriorated, triggering serious complications! The county hospital doesn’t have the equipment to sustain her. She must be transferred to a Manhattan hospital within three hours, or her life will be in danger at any moment!” My hand holding the phone trembled violently. All the blood in my body turned to ice. From here to Manhattan was at least a five-hour drive. The only chance was to use a medical rescue helicopter. And Ethan had access to a private medical flight route. I rushed out of the room but found the villa empty. I tremblingly dialed Ethan’s number. Once, hung up. Twice, hung up. By the fifth call, it finally connected, but it was Melody’s delicate voice that answered. “Miss Hayes? Ethan’s in the shower. Is there something you need?” “Let Ethan answer! Quick, let him answer! My mom’s dying!” I shouted, my voice hoarse. The other end fell silent for two seconds, then Ethan’s displeased voice came through. “Lily, what game are you playing now? Melody has a slight fever today. I don’t have time for your drama.” “I’m not playing games! Ethan, please, my mom has heart failure. I need your medical helicopter to transfer her right away! The doctor said she only has three hours. Please save her!” I was nearly going insane. Ethan laughed coldly on the other end. “Lily, if you’re going to lie, find a better excuse. I visited your mother at the hospital last week. The doctor said her condition was stable. You’d even curse your own mother just to get attention?” “I’m not lying! Call the hospital to confirm! Ethan, this is a human life! My mother’s life!” “Enough!” Ethan cut me off harshly. “I’ve already diverted the helicopter. Melody’s fever triggered a panic attack. I’m taking her to a private island retreat to recover. The flight plan is already approved. We’re taking off soon. Behave yourself and stop calling.” The phone was mercilessly disconnected. I felt like I’d fallen into an ice pit, my mind buzzing. The helicopter was diverted? For Melody’s slight fever, for an island getaway, he cut off my mother’s only lifeline?! I scrambled out of the villa and flagged down a taxi straight to Clarke Group’s helipad. All along the way, I frantically sent Ethan messages, sent the critical condition notice from the hospital, sent videos of my mother being resuscitated on a ventilator. But it was like throwing stones into the sea. No response at all. When I reached the helipad, I only saw the helicopter’s massive rotors whipping up a gale as it slowly lifted off. “Ethan! Come down! Give me back the helicopter! Ethan!” I broke through the security guards’ blockade and screamed desperately at the helicopter in midair. But the helicopter didn’t pause at all. Carrying that woman with just a “slight fever,” it flew mercilessly toward the azure sky. Ten minutes later, my phone rang. It was the hospital. “Miss Hayes… I’m sorry. We did everything we could. Your mother… didn’t make it.” The wind stopped. I collapsed to the ground. My phone slipped from my hand. I didn’t cry. I just stared blankly at the direction where the helicopter had disappeared, feeling like some part inside me had been completely hollowed out along with my mother’s passing.

Lily’s POV My mother’s funeral was simple and desolate. Continuous rain fell for three full days, as if even heaven was weeping for this absurd death. During those three days, Ethan didn’t appear once. Not even a single phone call. It wasn’t until the evening after the funeral ended, when I returned to that cold villa holding my mother’s urn, that the front door finally opened. Ethan walked in carrying the sunny atmosphere of a beach resort, followed by Melody with a rosy complexion and no trace of illness. Seeing the black-and-white memorial portrait in the living room and the urn in my arms, Ethan’s steps stopped abruptly and his expression changed instantly. “What’s going on?” He frowned, his tone holding no sorrow, only the displeasure of having his mood disrupted. I raised my head and stared at him. “My mom died.” “While you were taking her to the island for fun, my mom died in the hospital emergency room because she couldn’t get the helicopter.” Ethan’s pupils contracted sharply, a flash of shock and panic crossing his eyes. He opened his mouth, seeming to want to explain something. “I… I thought you were lying. I didn’t watch the videos on my phone…” “Ah!” Before he could finish speaking, Melody behind him suddenly clutched her chest and let out a terrified scream, collapsing into Ethan’s arms. “Ashes… a memorial portrait… so scary… Ethan, I’m scared. I can’t breathe…” Melody’s face turned deathly pale. She gasped for air in large gulps as if she might faint at any moment. The trace of guilt in Ethan’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by extreme anxiety. He scooped up Melody and glared at me furiously. “You know Melody is timid and can’t handle being frightened! Why did you put these disgusting things in the living room?! Won’t you be satisfied until you’ve killed her too?!” Disgusting? My heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible hand. The pain made my whole body convulse. My mother, who carried me for ten months, who raised me through hardship, had become a “disgusting thing” that frightened his beloved in this man’s mouth! “Ethan, are you even human?” I laughed through my anger, tears sliding down my cheeks. “That’s my mother! The mother whose lifeline you personally cut off!” “Life and death are normal. If the hospital couldn’t cure her, that’s their incompetence. Why are you blaming me?” Ethan’s tone was cold and cruel, as if discussing a minor mistake that had nothing to do with him. He coldly issued an order. “Put these things away immediately! Also, because you called frantically that day, Melody had a panic attack on the plane and hasn’t slept well for days. Now, apologize to her immediately!” I looked at this man before me in disbelief. Force me to apologize to my mother’s killer? “What if I don’t?” I gritted my teeth, each word bleeding. Ethan’s eyes turned completely cold, carrying undeniable authority. “Lily, don’t push it. If you don’t apologize, I’ll have your mother’s burial plot cancelled. You know that in this city, without my signature, you can’t buy cemetery space.” Using my mother’s resting place to threaten me! My spine bent sharply. Looking at Melody in Ethan’s arms with a subtle smirk of triumph at the corner of her mouth, I slowly closed my eyes and swallowed all the hatred and despair. “I’m sorry.” I spoke these three words numbly to Melody. Ethan snorted with satisfaction and carried Melody upstairs. I stood alone in the empty living room, holding the cold urn, as if I were in an endless hell.

Lily’s POV After my mother passed, my world completely collapsed. My only remaining emotional support was a retired search and rescue dog named Snowball. I’d brought Snowball back from an avalanche rescue. He’d accompanied me through countless lonely days and nights, and was the “child” Ethan and I once raised together. That afternoon, I was sitting in the yard brushing Snowball’s fur when Melody suddenly walked over. She wore an exquisite dress and carried a lace parasol. After just a few steps closer, she suddenly coughed violently and repeatedly retreated. “Cough, cough, cough… Ethan! Ethan, save me!” Ethan rushed out from his study at the sound, nervously supporting her. “What’s wrong?” Melody pointed at Snowball with tears in her eyes, gasping. “The dog. I’m severely allergic to dog fur… Ethan, I can barely breathe…” Ethan’s expression darkened. His gaze shot toward me like a knife. “Didn’t I say to lock that beast up when Melody’s around?!” I protectively hugged Snowball, my voice trembling. “Snowball’s always been in the yard. She walked over here herself! And you used to know that Snowball doesn’t shed!” “If Melody says she’s allergic, she’s allergic!” Ethan didn’t listen to any explanation and coldly passed judgment. “Someone! Throw this dog out! Send it to the stray dog shelter!” “No!” I widened my eyes and held Snowball’s neck tightly. “Ethan, you can’t do this! Snowball is a retired search and rescue dog. He saved people’s lives! He’s old now. He’ll die if he goes to a shelter!” “Better than Melody’s allergy!” Ethan waved his hand without mercy. Several bodyguards immediately stepped forward and roughly pulled me away. Snowball seemed to sense the danger. He barked at me anxiously but was grabbed by the throat with a thick rope and forcibly dragged away. “Snowball! Let him go! Ethan, I’m begging you. I’ll lock him in my room. I absolutely won’t let him out! Please don’t send him away!” I struggled frantically, my fingernails scratching bloody marks on the bodyguards’ arms, but it was useless. I watched helplessly as the car carrying Snowball drove out the gate, my desperate cries echoing throughout the villa. A trace of faint reluctance flashed in Ethan’s eyes, but it was quickly interrupted by Melody’s coughing. “It’s just a dog. I’ll have someone buy you a hairless cat tomorrow.” He dropped this cold statement and turned to help Melody back into the house. I didn’t cry or make a scene. I got up from the ground, didn’t even put on a coat, and rushed straight out the door. Heavy rain poured down. I ran through the storm, searching one by one for stray dog shelters in the city. Rainwater blurred my vision. The cold penetrated my bones, but all I could think about was Snowball’s desperate eyes as he was dragged away. A full forty-eight hours. I didn’t close my eyes or drink a drop of water. Finally, in an extremely remote, poorly maintained private dog slaughter facility in the suburbs, I found Snowball. The bodyguards hadn’t taken him to a proper shelter at all. They’d sold him directly to dog dealers! When I spent all the money I had on me to ransom Snowball, this once majestic search and rescue dog had already had one of his back legs broken. Covered in blood, he was curled up in the corner of an iron cage, barely clinging to life. “Snowball…” I knelt in the muddy water, trembling as I held his cold body. Snowball barely opened his eyes, stuck out his tongue, and gently licked the tears from my face. Then he slowly closed his eyes and never woke up again. In the pouring rain, holding Snowball’s corpse, the last trace of warmth in my heart froze completely into ice.

Lily’s POV I didn’t bring Snowball back to that cold home. I personally dug a pit next to my mother’s grave and buried Snowball there. When I returned to the villa, it was already late at night. The living room was brightly lit. Ethan sat on the sofa looking at a document, his brow slightly furrowed. Hearing movement, he looked up. Seeing me soaked through and covered in mud, disgust flashed in his eyes. “Where have you been? Missing for two days without even answering your phone. How long are you going to keep this up?” I didn’t answer. I just looked at him quietly. Ethan irritably threw the document in his hand onto the coffee table. “Fine. What happened with the dog was my fault. My subordinates didn’t handle it properly. I’ve already fired that bodyguard. This is the climbing permit for Mount Sumeru and a full sponsorship contract. Consider it compensation.” Mount Sumeru. It was the deadly peak my father never conquered before he died, and my greatest dream in life. To get this slot, I’d prepared for three full years and put in countless efforts. I numbly walked over and picked up the document. However, when I saw the name clearly on the contract, my heart trembled. In the climber column, it wasn’t my name but Melody’s. “What does this mean?” I asked. Ethan avoided my gaze and explained in a forceful tone. “Melody recently accepted a wilderness survival reality show. She needs a high-profile persona. Mount Sumeru is very famous. As long as she can take a helicopter to base camp and get some photos, she can establish a brave and strong image. This will greatly benefit her career.” “So you took my slot, my dream, and gave it to her for a publicity stunt?” I found it so absurd that I couldn’t help laughing. “Lily, be rational.” Ethan frowned and self-righteously accused me. “You climb just to satisfy your personal thrill-seeking and selfish desires. It has no value! But Melody is different. She’s doing it for her career, to convey positive energy to the public. As Mrs. Clarke, shouldn’t you make way for her?” Selfish desires? No value? I risked my life for that passion. I was obsessed with completing my father’s dying wish. But in this man’s eyes, none of it could compare to a few fake photos Melody posed for in front of cameras. “Ethan,” I looked at him and asked word by word. “Do you remember? You once said I was the freest eagle on the snowy mountains.” Ethan froze for a moment, seeming to remember something, but it was quickly covered by coldness. “People change. Your current stubbornness and selfishness only exhaust me.” “Fine. I understand.” I didn’t tear up the contract or argue hysterically. I calmly put down the document and turned to walk up the stairs. Where Ethan couldn’t see, I drafted a divorce agreement and signed my name at the bottom. I didn’t want anything anymore. Equipment, compass, mother, Snowball, dreams, and Ethan. I wanted none of it.

Lily’s POV The moment I signed the divorce agreement, I felt an unprecedented sense of relief. It was like carrying a thousand-pound burden through the snow for so long and finally setting down the pack. I didn’t immediately give the agreement to Ethan. Instead, I packed the simplest climbing backpack. I needed to go to a mountain. Not Mount Sumeru, but an undeveloped, treacherous wild snow mountain, a satellite peak of Muztagh Ata. I needed an extreme climb to bury the past, to say goodbye to the person I once was. At dawn, when the first ray of sunlight shone into the villa, I shouldered my pack and left silently. I didn’t bring my phone. I only brought a GPS emergency distress device linked to a private channel with Ethan. It was something Ethan had forcibly made me wear in the first year of our marriage. He said, “Lily, no matter where you are in the world, as long as you press this button, I’ll risk my life to save you.” How beautiful those vows sounded then, how cruel reality was now. Three days later, I reached the glacier zone at 20,000 feet. The weather forecast had made a fatal error. The originally clear sky was suddenly shrouded in black clouds. A once-in-a-century massive blizzard descended without warning. Winds whipped up the snow. Visibility instantly dropped to zero. The temperature plummeted to negative forty degrees. I struggled through the wind searching for shelter but accidentally stepped into empty space. My entire body plunged into an ice crevasse more than thirty feet deep! The violent impact fractured my lower leg. Icy water instantly soaked through my protective suit. In the desperate darkness, with trembling hands, I fumbled for the GPS distress device I kept close to my body. This was my last hope. Without hesitation, I pressed the red SOS button. But the next second. The red alarm sound stopped abruptly. At the bottom of the ice crevasse, I watched as the green light on the distress device that indicated “signal received” lit up, then instantly went dark, turning into the dead gray of “connection terminated.” I froze. Then a heart-wrenching pain spread from deep within, ten thousand times more intense than the agony of broken bones. He saw it. But he cut off the signal. He personally severed my hope of survival. The temperature in the ice crevasse continued to drop. My eyelashes frosted over. My consciousness began to blur. I could no longer feel the pain in my lower leg. A strange warmth began to envelop me. This was the sign of severe hypothermia. In the final moments of my life, what flashed through my mind wasn’t fear of death, but Ethan’s decisiveness in cutting off the signal. So this is what it means when love dies. You can watch someone go to their death without blinking. “Dad, Mom, Snowball… I’m coming to find you…” I slowly closed my eyes, smiling as I let endless darkness completely swallow me. I don’t know how much time passed. “There’s someone here! Quick! Lower the rope!” An urgent but powerful male voice pierced through the howling wind and snow, and I barely heard it. Then a beam of strong light cut through the darkness of the ice crevasse. Someone wrapped my cold, stiff body with their body warmth. Strong arms held me tightly. “Lily! Wake up! Don’t sleep! I’m taking you home!” That voice was deep and steady, with a barely perceptible tremor. It wasn’t Ethan. I tried to open my eyes to see who it was, but I lost consciousness completely.

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Everyone says I was the twin who took everything in the womb, so I owe my sister Winnie my whole life. Growing up, she got the big sunny room while I lived in a tiny space next to the servants’ quarters. She wore new clothes while I got her hand-me-downs. My parents told me this was fate. I had to accept it. Later, I met Adam Cooper. He pulled me out of the gutter and told me I didn’t owe anyone anything. He promised me a grand wedding and said that once I was pregnant, he’d take me home to meet his family. I thought he came to save me. Until I heard him tell my parents, “Once she gives birth, I’ll marry Winnie.” That’s when I understood. I wasn’t a beloved wife. I was just a tool to bear my sister’s child. The marriage was fake. Five years of love was an act. Even my afe’s work was stolen, destroyed, and trampled into the ground. Now I’m lying in a hospital bed. I lost the baby, and the whole world is cursing me. But this time, I’m done being patient. Hazel POV After three years of secret marriage, I was finally pregnant. For three years, Adam Cooper had sex with me almost every night. He said once I got pregnant, he’d officially bring me home to the Cooper family and make up for it with a grand wedding. I was ecstatic. I ran through the pouring rain to his company to surprise him. The door to the CEO’s office was slightly ajar. Inside, I could hear Adam talking with my parents. My heart sank. My relationship with my parents had always been bad, and Adam rarely interacted with them either. Why would they come looking for him? I was about to push the door open when my father’s words froze me in place. “Winnie is coming back tomorrow. Hazel still isn’t pregnant. Adam, what are you planning to do?” I went rigid. Winnie was my twin sister. What did her return have to do with my pregnancy? Adam spoke unhurriedly, his tone nothing like the cold distance he usually showed my parents. “I’ll work hard to get her pregnant as soon as possible so Winnie can marry me sooner.” My mind went blank. What did he mean, “so Winnie could marry him?” What was he talking about? My mother’s voice came through, tinged with complaint. “If Winnie’s health wasn’t so poor that she couldn’t have children, you wouldn’t have had to put on this act for Hazel all these years or go through that fake marriage with her.” I could barely stand. My whole body trembled. Fake marriage? An act? I shook my head desperately, unable to believe what I was hearing. Adam was silent for a moment before speaking again. “The Cooper family is strict. Only if Winnie has a child will my grandfather agree to let her marry into the family. “It’s just… Hazel has had to suffer for it.” My father snorted coldly. “What does she have to complain about! It’s all Hazel’s fault anyway. She took everything in the womb before Winnie was even born, leaving Winnie weak and sickly her whole life. Having her bear a child for Winnie and help her marry you is what she owes Winnie!” I closed my eyes. Tears fell heavily. I looked down at the ultrasound report. The words “intrauterine early pregnancy” stung my eyes. I turned and ran out of the Cooper Corporation building. The rain came down harder, pouring mercilessly on me. I couldn’t feel anything anymore. Winnie and I were twin sisters. I was born healthy and strong. Winnie was severely malnourished and has been weak and sickly since childhood. My parents decided I had stolen my sister’s nutrients in the womb, so they favored Winnie from an early age. The Jones family wasn’t poor, but I never had a good life growing up. All the good food went to Winnie. I could only wear her hand-me-downs. Winnie got the big sunny room. My bedroom was next to the servants’ quarters. Even the household staff looked down on me. I never fought back. Never competed. Because my parents told me every day: “Winnie is the way she is because of you. You’ll owe her for the rest of your life.” I was young then. I believed whatever my parents said. After college graduation, Winnie went abroad for treatment, and I moved out of the Jones house. That life finally ended temporarily. Later, I met Adam. That night I worked late. On my way home, two thugs cornered me in an alley. Adam drove by. He got out and chased them off with just a few moves. He stood under the streetlight in a crisp suit, his features sharp and cold, like salvation descending from heaven. Adam was good to me. I’d always been used to depriving myself, wearing clothes from thrift stores that cost just a few dozen dollars. Adam sent haute couture piece after piece to my home. I rarely ate proper meals. Adam cooked every meal himself and wouldn’t eat until he’d made sure I was full. During my period when my stomach hurt, Adam would keep his palm pressed against my lower abdomen all night. I’d always loved dogs, but Winnie didn’t like them, so I never had one. When Adam found out, he rescued a stray dog with me. We named it Lucky. Every day we’d walk Lucky together and give it baths. He told me, “You don’t owe anyone anything. Parents who don’t love you don’t deserve your love in return. Not every parent is worthy of their child’s love.” Two years of dating, three years of secret marriage. Adam made my life better and better. Adam taught me that I wasn’t born owing anyone. I deserved better too. It was just that the Cooper family was the top elite family and looked down on the Jones family. His grandfather was old-fashioned and stubborn. Three years ago, we married. He said once I got pregnant, he’d take me and the child home to the Cooper family. When his grandfather saw the child, he’d relent, and then we’d have a proper wedding. I cried with gratitude. I didn’t feel wronged at all. Instead, I felt sorry for him being caught in the middle. Today I finally got pregnant. I thought my suffering had ended, but this was the answer I got instead. The marriage was fake. Getting me pregnant was so I could bear Winnie’s child. I wanted to ask Adam. What was real? Was all the good he’d shown me just an act? Did he only see me as a tool for bearing children? I thought Adam was my salvation. I never expected he’d drag me into another abyss. Rainwater ran down my hair, mixing with the tears on my face. I couldn’t tell which was colder. Adam, since you never really wanted to marry me, then I don’t want to marry you either. Mom and Dad, since you’ve never really cared about me, then I won’t care about you anymore either.

Hazel POV I stumbled home in a daze. The moment I pushed open the door, Lucky came bounding over, tail wagging. I crouched down and hugged Lucky, remembering that winter three years ago. That day, Adam and I found Lucky on the roadside. It was so thin its ribs showed, shivering in a cardboard box. Adam didn’t hesitate. He took off his suit jacket and wrapped it up. “From now on, it’s ours.” Thinking of this, a glimmer of hope rose in my heart. Was there any chance I’d heard wrong? Was there any chance Adam was just lying to my parents? Five years together, so many days and nights. How could it all be fake? I let go of Lucky, got up, and went to the study. I pulled out our marriage certificate from the back of the drawer. I’d always kept it locked away carefully in the deepest part of the drawer. I went online and checked the state’s marriage records database, typing in my personal information. During those few seconds waiting for the results, I clutched the certificate tightly to my chest. My heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest. It had to be real. It had to be. The page loaded. The screen clearly displayed: “No marriage registration data found.” I stared at those words. My vision gradually blurred. It was fake. I hadn’t heard wrong. I laughed. As I laughed, tears fell. My phone suddenly lit up. A conversation window that hadn’t moved in years popped up with a message. Seeing Winnie’s profile picture, I couldn’t help trembling. Winnie wasn’t just my twin sister. She was my lifelong nightmare. At first, though my parents favored her, they weren’t that bad to me. It was Winnie who framed me again and again. She would slap herself hard, then run crying to our parents saying I’d hit her. She would hide her own things in my room, then find them in front of our parents. She would eat peanuts she was allergic to until her face turned red, then say I’d tricked her into eating them. She would roll down the stairs, sobbing uncontrollably, saying I’d pushed her. The worst time was when we were both supposed to go to school, but Winnie came home very late that day. Her clothes were torn, she was covered in injuries, crying that I’d found several thugs to assault her and she’d barely escaped. That day, Dad broke a clothes hanger on me. Mom stood there the whole time without stopping him once. Frame after frame, in my parents’ eyes I went from the older twin who’d stolen nutrients to a born villain who wanted her sister dead. Winnie and I had identical faces but completely different hearts. I thought moving out of the Jones house would let me escape this nightmare, but only now did I understand. The nightmare had never ended. I clicked on the conversation. It was a link to a social media profile. I clicked the link. It was Winnie’s private account. The posts went back to college days. As I scrolled through the photos, my fingers grew stiffer and stiffer. So Winnie and Adam had known each other since college. Adam cooked every meal for Winnie himself and wouldn’t eat until she was full. When Winnie had period pain, Adam would keep her stomach warm all night. Every time luxury brands released new items, Adam immediately bought them for Winnie. Everything was exactly the same as what Adam did for me. Even many of the things Adam gave me were the same as what he’d given Winnie before. So all his kindness to me was just skills he’d practiced on Winnie. And what Adam did for Winnie was far more than what he did for me. Adam personally learned to make birthday cakes for Winnie. Adam carried Winnie on his back up a mountain for three hours just so she could watch the sunrise from the peak. The year Winnie went abroad for treatment, he flew over dozens of times. Adam had never done any of these things for me. I watched and cried. As I cried, I laughed. I turned off my phone screen. Without further hesitation, I went out early the next morning to apply for a visa. At the end of this month, the results of the IDA International Emerging Jewelry Design Awards would be announced. It was a competition I’d been preparing for half a year. It was crucial for my career, and I was very confident. Once the visa came through and the competition results were out, I would leave this place. Leave Adam. Leave Winnie. Leave all of them. As for the baby in my belly, I hadn’t decided yet. After all, it wasn’t just Adam’s child. It was also the little life I’d been looking forward to.

Hazel POV Before I’d even left the visa center, Adam’s call came through. “Hazel, where are you?” Before I could answer, a staff member’s voice came from behind me: Your visa materials have been collected. Processing will take approximately ten business days. “What visa?” Adam’s tone tightened sharply. “You’re applying for a visa? What for?” I gripped my phone, trying to keep my voice normal. “I want to travel and gather inspiration for my designs in a little while.” Adam seemed to believe me. His tone relaxed. “I’ll go with you when I’m done with work.” He paused, then continued, “Come home today. Your place, I mean. Your sister is back. It’s her birthday today. We need to go over.” My hand clenched my clothes. In the past, Adam never proactively made me go back to the Jones house. He always said, “If the Jones house makes you unhappy, you don’t have to go. That’s not your home.” As soon as Winnie came back, he changed. I said softly, “I don’t want to go.” “Don’t be difficult.” Adam’s tone grew heavy. “She’s your sister. You’re still part of the Jones family.” So with Winnie back, I was part of the Jones family again. Adam didn’t give me a chance to refuse. He picked me up and brought me back to the Jones house without question. The Jones family living room was piled high with gifts for Winnie. As soon as I walked in, Winnie came up to me, opening her arms to embrace me. Her tone was sickeningly sweet. “Hazel! I haven’t seen you in years. I missed you so much!” My body went rigid. I struggled to maintain calm. Dad snorted coldly. “Why the long face? Your sister finally came home. Can’t you show a little warmth?” Mom took Winnie’s hand and turned to Adam with a smile. “Winnie, this is your brother-in-law, Adam.” Winnie blinked, speaking sweetly. “I love the necklace Hazel gave me. Thank you!” Adam looked at her, his expression gentle. “I’m glad you like it.” I stood to the side, my nails digging into my palms. At dinner, Adam instinctively sat next to Winnie instead of beside me. I glanced at the dishes on the table. All things I didn’t like. I wasn’t surprised. Winnie loved spicy food. When she was home, the dinner table was always dominated by spicy dishes. I couldn’t handle spice. As a child, I often could only drink water. Nothing was different now. Like before, I drank water without eating. I didn’t make a sound. Adam had taken good care of me for five years, but with Winnie back, I’d become that Hazel in the corner again. The one no one cared about. “Hazel, you can’t just drink water without eating anything.” Winnie looked at me with a smile. “Come on, eat. Have more.” Mom glanced at me irritably. “Leave her alone. She’s perfectly healthy. She doesn’t need to eat! Winnie, you eat more!” Adam was focused on taking care of Winnie. He’d completely forgotten about me. The birthday cake was brought out. The whole family raised their glasses to wish Winnie happy birthday, having her blow out the candles and make a wish. Adam smiled, his gaze following Winnie the whole time. I held my water glass, sitting quietly in the corner. The maid brought out a new hot dish. It was scalding. There was water on the floor. The maid slipped, and the bowl flew straight toward Winnie. Adam reacted instantly, swatting the bowl away and pulling Winnie firmly into his arms. The scalding food, deflected by Adam, splashed onto me. I cried out. My arm turned bright red over a large area. Only then did Adam notice he’d splashed the food onto me. His expression changed sharply. “Hazel! I’m sorry. Are you okay?” In the past, if I cut my finger even slightly while chopping vegetables, he’d be so distressed he’d never let me touch a knife again. Adam let go of Winnie and was about to come check on me. Winnie cried out at just the right moment. Some of the soup had splashed onto her fingertip. Adam’s attention immediately shifted. He held Winnie’s hand, examining it carefully. “Does it hurt? Don’t be scared. Let me see.” Mom rushed to stand up. “I’ll get the burn ointment! Winnie, hang in there!” Dad looked at me with disgust, scolding coldly. “So clumsy! Stop embarrassing yourself. Go change your clothes!” I stood there. The scalding soup dripped down my arm. My skin had already turned bright red. No one asked if I was burned. No one asked if it hurt. The whole family bustled around Winnie’s single finger. Adam lowered his head, bringing Winnie’s finger to his lips and gently blowing on it. I looked down, turned, and went upstairs. My arm burned with pain. But my heart hurt even more than my arm.

Hazel POV That night, Mom and Dad made us stay over. Mom’s reason was that she hadn’t seen me in a long time. It was rare for us all to be together. I knew clearly that Mom wasn’t asking me to stay. She was keeping Adam there for Winnie. I went back to the guest room early. My room at the Jones house was no better than the servants’ quarters, but Mom and Dad would never make Adam stay in a servants’ room, so tonight they’d arranged the best guest room. Late at night, I felt thirsty and went downstairs for water. Passing Winnie’s room, warm yellow light spilled from the gap under the door, along with voices talking. It was Adam and Winnie. “You were so worried about her earlier. Have you fallen in love with her?” Winnie’s tone was pitiful. Adam’s voice was as gentle as if coaxing a child. “Don’t think like that. I only love you. Being with her is just to have her bear your child. All these years, looking at her face, I’ve only thought of you.” I leaned against the wall, my body trembling slightly. So for these five years, looking at my face, he’d been thinking of another woman. Those late-night embraces, morning kisses, every moment I thought our hearts were connected. He was thinking of Winnie. All the sweet words he’d said, all the gentle looks he’d given me. None of it was meant for me. “When will you leave her?” Winnie’s voice choked with tears. “It hurts so much to see you holding her hand. I’m supposed to be your love.” From inside the room came a man’s low sigh. Even through the door, I could hear the heartache in it. And who it was for. “Soon. Once she’s pregnant and gives birth, I’ll take the baby to you, and we’ll get married.” “What about Hazel? Won’t she be sad?” A long silence. “I’ll give her money and send her away, so you won’t be upset seeing her.” I see. Money could pay off five years. Even though I already knew the truth, my chest still felt like something was gripping it, squeezing again and again without rest. I didn’t listen any longer. I slowly walked to the kitchen for water. The water overflowed the cup. I didn’t notice. The hot water spilled over the rim and burned my hand. Water splashed everywhere. I crouched down and quietly cleaned up by myself. No one knew. Before, when I was designing, if a thorn pricked my hand, Adam would frown and spend ages pulling it out for me. Now I was burned, and he was in the next room comforting another woman. Later, Adam came back to the guest room. As soon as he entered, he pulled me into his arms, calling me softly by name, leaning down to kiss me. For three years, as long as I wasn’t on my period and he wasn’t working late, he wanted me every night. I used to think it was because he loved me, wanted me. Now I understood. He was just eager to get me pregnant so I could bear Winnie’s child. I decided this child, I would definitely take with me. I would never leave it for them. The moment Adam drew close, I smelled Winnie’s perfume lingering on him. Sweet, cloying. Nausea rolled through my stomach. I turned my head to avoid him. Adam noticed my evasion. He frowned. “Hazel, what’s wrong?” I didn’t look at him. I spoke softly. “Adam, what if I don’t want a child anymore…” Before I finished, Adam’s face darkened. “Don’t be difficult, Hazel. I can indulge you in anything except this.” I asked again, “Then, I want to have the wedding right away. Can you do that for me?” Adam’s frown deepened. He was silent for a while, then finally sighed. “You know my family’s situation. It’s not that I don’t want the wedding. I don’t want my grandfather to make trouble for you. Be good. Let’s focus on trying for a baby, okay?” After he spoke, he tried to approach again. For the first time, I coldly pushed him away. Adam froze. Confusion and panic flashed in his eyes. “Hazel, what’s wrong with you?” I looked at the pitch-black night outside the window and spoke calmly. “Today is my birthday.” Adam went rigid. Winnie and I were twins, born on the same day. Today everyone remembered Winnie’s birthday. Not a single person remembered today was my birthday too. Every year on my birthday, Adam prepared flowers, gifts, and cake in advance. On the day itself, he’d clear his entire schedule and cook for me personally. This year, he’d forgotten completely. Adam stood frozen, hastily reaching for my hand. “I’m sorry, Hazel. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow. I’ll take you to the beach, okay?”

Hazel POV Early the next morning, Adam and I had just changed clothes and were about to leave when Winnie followed us. She stood in the entryway, fingers twisting her hem, looking pitifully at Adam. “Hazel, are you going out? Can I come with you?” Adam’s brow furrowed slightly. His tone softened. “Winnie, be good. Your health isn’t good. Stay home and rest.” Winnie’s eyes immediately reddened, her voice full of grievance. “I don’t have any friends here. If you won’t take me, I’ll just be stuck at home alone.” I didn’t keep listening. I turned and walked outside. Because I knew Adam would definitely give in. Sure enough, less than a minute later, Adam followed with Winnie in tow. I opened the passenger door and had just sat down when Winnie came to the window, looking pitiful. “Hazel, can I sit in front? I get carsick in the back.” I glanced at Adam. His expression was unreadable. He said nothing. I quickly nodded, pushed open the door, and moved to the back seat. Adam seemed momentarily stunned, as if he hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. The car pulled out of the Jones family gates. Winnie sat in the passenger seat, chattering nonstop about stories from abroad, college memories, and the shows she was watching. Adam looked at her with a smile, occasionally responding gently. They both seemed to forget there was another person in the car. I leaned back in my seat, eyes closed, palm covering my lower abdomen. At a turn, an oncoming truck ran a red light and headed straight for us. Adam jerked the steering wheel, instinctively pulling Winnie in the passenger seat into his arms. In the massive crash, my forehead slammed hard against the window frame. Warm blood ran down from my brow bone. My vision instantly turned red. Before losing consciousness, I heard Winnie crying, “Are you okay?” Adam responded urgently, “I’m fine. Winnie, are you hurt?” No one asked about me in the back seat. The ambulance came. The emergency personnel opened the door to check for injured. “There are two injured. We can only take one first. The one in back. Head injury, bleeding. Situation is serious.” “Take her.” Adam didn’t hesitate. He pointed at Winnie in the passenger seat. “Take her first.” The emergency personnel hesitated, looking at me in the back seat covered in blood, then at Winnie in the passenger seat with only a scraped arm. “Sir, the one in back-” “I said take her.” Adam repeated, his tone brooking no argument. That was the last thing I heard before losing consciousness. When I regained awareness, I smelled strong disinfectant. I hadn’t opened my eyes yet. My head felt like it was splitting. Then I heard movement nearby. Two nurses were talking in low voices. “These two sisters really have different fates. The other one just has soft tissue contusion and a tiny scrape on her arm. Her boyfriend not only had the ambulance take her first, but made all the doctors stand by to treat her first.” “Right? This one got eight stitches in her head, has a concussion, and almost lost the baby. She had to wait in line for over two hours before being brought in. She’s been here two days now and the father of her child hasn’t even shown his face.” “The one in the next room. Her boyfriend stays with her all day, bringing her water and tucking her in.” I smiled bitterly to myself. Boyfriend? Right. Adam had always been Winnie’s boyfriend, not my husband. I didn’t even have a real marriage certificate. I stayed in the hospital for five days. In those five days, Adam never came once. Mom and Dad didn’t appear either. I signed my own admission forms, paid my own bills, held onto the wall to go for tests. I moved slowly through the corridors alone. I didn’t feel sad. I’d been alone all my life. I was used to it. Then Adam came along, and I thought things had changed. Now I was just going back to life without Adam. On the fifth day, I completed discharge procedures and took a taxi home alone. The moment I pushed open the door, I froze. Winnie was wearing my pajamas, curled up on the couch I’d chosen, covered with my blanket, eating snacks and watching TV. The sound of a spatula came from the kitchen, along with a pungent spicy smell wafting out. Adam was cooking, clearly not for me. Winnie saw me and immediately came over with a smile. “Hazel! My health isn’t good. He said the air here is better and told me to move in for a while to recover. You don’t mind, do you?” Just then, Adam walked out of the kitchen carrying dishes. Seeing me, a flash of guilt crossed his face, quickly suppressed. “Hazel, you’re back. I was just about to go see you at the hospital. Come, let’s eat first.” I’d been lying in the room next to Winnie’s for five days, and he said he was “just about to” come see me? I didn’t respond. I gave a self-mocking smile. I didn’t see the familiar figure. Usually at this time, Lucky should have bounded over. My heart sank. I stared at Adam. “Where’s Lucky?”

Hazel POV Adam’s expression changed slightly. He quickly explained. “Don’t worry. Lucky is in the storage room. Winnie is afraid of dogs, so I temporarily put Lucky there.” I turned and ran toward the storage room. That cramped storage room was less than thirty square feet, with no windows, never seeing sunlight. He actually locked Lucky in there! Was this the same Adam who bathed Lucky and ran with it? No. The man who could unhesitatingly protect Winnie and leave me bleeding without care could naturally lock Lucky in a dark room for Winnie’s sake too. This was the real Adam. I pushed open the storage room door. Lucky was huddled in the corner. Hearing the sound, it couldn’t even wag its tail, just made a weak whimper. My nose stung with emotion. I picked up Lucky and looked back at Adam, who had followed. “Adam, how long did you lock it up!” Adam’s expression stiffened. He was about to explain. Winnie, who had followed behind, immediately shrank her shoulders, her voice tearful. “It’s all my fault. I made Lucky get locked up for two days. Hazel doesn’t want me here. I should just leave.” Adam immediately darkened, grabbing Winnie’s wrist. “Don’t talk nonsense. I’m in charge of this house. You stay as long as you want.” He looked at me with displeasure. “Hazel, Lucky is just a dog. Winnie is your sister.” I laughed coldly. “So these two days, you didn’t feed it even once, did you?” Adam’s brow furrowed tightly. He said nothing. Without another glance at him, I walked straight out with Lucky in my arms. I took Lucky to a familiar pet boarding facility. I knew Winnie well. As long as she lived there, there would be no peace in that house. If Lucky stayed home, it would only suffer. But seeing Lucky lying pitifully in a narrow cage, my heart ached. “My dog is also boarding here recently.” A young man nearby spoke up. “I come every day to walk it. If you’re comfortable with it, I can walk yours too.” I nodded gratefully. “Thank you.” After settling Lucky, I went back home. As soon as I entered the yard, I noticed the garden bed where I’d planted lisianthus had been completely dug up and replaced with the red roses Winnie liked. I just looked calmly for a moment before looking away and heading straight to my room. A few minutes later, someone pushed open my bedroom door. Winnie leaned against the doorframe. The sweetness she showed in front of Adam was gone from her face. She lifted her chin and walked in.”Hazel, you saw everything on Ins, didn’t you?” She lazily sat on the edge of my bed, crossing her legs. “Have you figured out your place yet?” I lowered my head and organized my vanity, ignoring her. But Winnie wouldn’t let it go. Her gaze swept around the vanity and stopped on a jeweled crown. It was the first jewelry piece I’d designed myself. I was saving it to wear at my own future wedding. Winnie casually picked it up and tossed it in her hand. “What are you doing? Give it back!” I stood up to grab it. Winnie stepped back a few paces. With a twist of her wrist, she gripped the crown in her hand and asked with a light laugh, “Hazel, after all these years, you still don’t understand? You can’t beat me at anything.” I stared at her hand. “That’s mine!” Winnie scoffed. “Who it belongs to is up to me.” The words had barely left her mouth when she scratched the back of her other hand viciously with her long nails. Her delicate skin immediately bled. She threw the crown on the floor. Winnie collapsed onto the ground, tears streaming down her face. “Hazel, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to look…” Urgent footsteps came from downstairs. Adam rushed upstairs. “Winnie!” He quickly bent down and helped Winnie into his arms. Seeing her bleeding hand, his eyes instantly reddened. “How did this happen?” “It’s all my fault. I wanted to look at Hazel’s crown without asking her permission. Don’t blame her. It’s all my fault…” Adam looked up, staring at me with fury in his eyes. “I never thought you could be this vicious!” Something pressed against the sole of his foot. Adam looked down and saw the crown on the floor. He lifted his foot and stomped down hard on the crown. Adam scooped Winnie up in his arms and left without looking back. I stood there quietly, looking at the scattered fragments on the floor. I once thought I would wear it as his bride. I looked at it for a long while. Finally, I slowly crouched down and gathered the remains into my palm. The sharp edges cut my palm. Blood seeped out. I would never love Adam again.

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