Category: English

It was my birthday, and my boyfriend, Dexter Prescott, chose that day to publicly announce his engagement to someone else, right there in front of the entire company. I didn’t cry. I didn’t make a scene. I simply sought him out, hoping for an explanation. But what I found instead was a conversation between him and his friend. “Aren’t you worried Alice will be furious about this?” his friend asked. “I have no choice,” Dexter replied, his voice laced with a strange mix of resignation and righteousness. “If I don’t marry Chloe, her family will marry her off to some stranger. I can’t just stand by and watch her suffer.” Then, he added, his tone dripping with an unsettling confidence, “Besides, Alice has been with me for eight years. Everyone knows she’s mine. She has no other option but to wait for me.” Later, my family arranged a more suitable match for an advantageous alliance. I never imagined that my wedding day would coincide with his. As the groom, he was visibly anxious, plagued by a disturbing premonition. He even instructed his groomsmen to keep a close watch on the ceremony, to prevent me from causing a scene. It was then that one of the groomsmen awkwardly chimed in, “Didn’t you know? Alice Quinn is getting married today too…” —— 1 “Mom, is the Caldwell family’s proposal still on the table?” My mother’s hand, poised with a teacup, trembled slightly. Her eyes, wide with undisguised shock and worry, fixated on me. “Alice, why are you asking about that?” Just moments before, the video of Dexter Prescott’s proposal from last night had gone viral across all social media platforms. Everyone knew the Prescott family was about to celebrate a momentous occasion, but the bride wasn’t me—the woman he’d dated for eight long years. Seeing my silence, Mom grew frantic. “Alice, marriage is a huge decision. Don’t act impulsively now.” I swallowed the bitter ache in my throat and shook my head. “Mom, I’ve just… come to my senses. You didn’t reject the Caldwells’ proposal outright, did you? That’s because you thought Liam Caldwell was more reliable than Dexter, isn’t it? I trust your judgment.” My mother sighed deeply. “Liam Caldwell, the youngest son of the Caldwells, is indeed a good man. But perhaps you should meet him first, and then decide?” “No, it’s fine. You can make the arrangements. I’m okay with whatever.” After we settled the matter, I ate dinner at my parents’ house, then returned to the small apartment I owned. What I hadn’t expected was to find Dexter there. Hearing the sound of the key turning in the lock, he slowly put down his work and looked up. “Busy day at work? You’re back quite late.” I kicked off my shoes, my voice flat. “What are you doing here?” “I was passing by after an evening engagement and thought I’d drop in to see you.” Dexter approached me, just as he always did, intending to pull me into his embrace. But as he drew closer, a familiar scent wafted towards me—a women’s perfume. It was the same one Chloe Davis always wore. A wave of repulsion rose within me, and I instinctively recoiled, stepping back to avoid his touch. My nose inexplicably burned with a sharp, stinging sensation. “You’ve seen me. You can leave now.” Dexter’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air. A faint smile flickered across his face as he heard my words. “Don’t be silly, Alice. Weren’t you just complaining a few days ago that I don’t spend enough time with you? I specifically cleared my schedule to be with you today.” Yesterday was my birthday. I waited from morning till night, but not a single call from him. It wasn’t until late in the evening, when I finally gave in to the urge to go find him, that I received a video from an unfamiliar number. It was a clip of Dexter, right there in his company, proposing to Chloe in front of all their employees. In the video, a crowd cheered, their voices echoing with boisterous excitement. I couldn’t believe it. I rushed to his office, desperate to hear his explanation directly from him. Instead, I overheard his conversation with his best friend. It was then that I realized, in this cruel game of love, I had become the ultimate joke. Recalling the words he’d spoken last night, my heart felt like it had been viciously stabbed, the pain so excruciating it stole my breath. I lifted my gaze to the man before me, his features still deceptively gentle. My eyes welled up, tears blurring my vision. I didn’t know why, but I felt an overwhelming agony, a crushing weight that made it hard to breathe. Dexter watched as my tears fell, a flicker of panic in his eyes. He awkwardly reached out, fumbling to wipe away the moisture from my cheek. “Why are you crying? Who upset you? Tell me, I’ll go sort them out!” 2 Growing up, Dexter was the neighborhood’s resident wild child. He was unruly, mischievous, and often provoked his mother into chasing him with a slipper. I, on the other hand, was born prematurely, my health always delicate. My parents kept a strict watch over me, rarely letting me play outside with other children. I’d often sit by the window, watching them run freely, a pang of envy in my chest. Whenever Dexter saw me lost in thought by the window, he’d sneak over, bringing me little treats, then gently pinch my soft, chubby cheeks. “Little sister, when can you come out and play with me?” he’d whisper. By middle school, my health gradually improved, and my parents finally felt comfortable letting me venture out. Back then, he was always meticulously careful with me, saying, “Alice, little sister, if anyone ever bullies you when we’re out, just tell them my name. They won’t dare touch you.” From then on, I was never alone. He’d always accompany me wherever I wanted to go. If anyone tried to pick on me, he’d be there in an instant, a strong, unyielding shelter. When we started college, it felt natural for us to become a couple. He grew even more tender towards me, showering me with all his favoritism. That is, until my junior year, when Chloe Davis appeared, shattering all the beauty we’d built. She was clever, beautiful, efficient, and effortlessly charismatic. She was also Dexter’s classmate in the same department. They had a way of communicating that I simply couldn’t grasp. At first, Dexter would patiently translate for me. But eventually, he grew tired of it. “You don’t understand what we’re talking about anyway,” he’d say. “Why don’t you go off and do your own thing?” They talked about everything, from real life to online chatter, from dawn till dusk. Meanwhile, my conversations with Dexter dwindled to fragmented sentences. My friends warned me, urging me to pay more attention to their growing closeness. I dismissed their concerns, believing that even in a relationship, everyone deserved their privacy. And I trusted him. I truly believed he wouldn’t fall for someone else. But reality delivered a brutal slap to my face. That night, Dexter didn’t leave. He said he was worried about me. I gazed at him in silence for a long moment. “Suit yourself,” I finally said. Turning, I went into my room, and just as he tried to follow, I swiftly locked the door. Dexter stood outside, his expression complicated. He paused, then said, “Alice, I’ll be right outside. When you’ve calmed down, come find me, okay?” I ignored him, hot tears tracing paths down my cold hands, leaving burning trails. Dexter, I don’t want to love you anymore. The next morning, I woke up, rubbing my throbbing temples, and stepped out of the room. I saw Dexter frantically pulling on his jacket, clearly rushing to leave. “Alice, I have something urgent to deal with right now, so I’m heading out. I’ll pick you up tonight, and we’ll go out for dinner.” Before I could even respond, he rushed out, disappearing from my sight so quickly I barely registered it. I pursed my lips, then glanced at the sofa where he’d slept. I noticed he’d left his phone behind in his haste. I walked over and picked it up. I was just about to set it aside to send to him later. Then, a message popped up glaringly on the screen. Dexter hadn’t set a password, so any new message was immediately visible. The message was from a contact saved as “Sweet Pea.” The photo showed Chloe looking disheveled but smiling, giving a peace sign from an emergency room bed. The message read: “Don’t rush on your way here, drive safely. I’ll be waiting for you right here.” 3 It was then that I finally understood the real reason for his hasty departure. I let out a self-deprecating laugh, then called a local courier service to deliver his phone to his company. Afterward, I headed to my own office. I’d joined my family’s company right after graduation. My father, wanting to put me through the paces, made me start as a junior executive. Now, through my own efforts, I’d become a department manager. As soon as I arrived, my assistant brought over a project proposal. “Ms. Quinn, this document needs your attention. All the procedures are complete; it just needs your signature.” I took it and scrutinized it. It was a project collaboration with Prescott Industries, but I had absolutely no recollection of it. “Did my father approve this?” “No.” The assistant paused, then quickly replied, “Didn’t you say before that Prescott Industries should always be our first choice for any non-critical collaborations?” It clicked then. I had indeed said something like that, thinking that our two families would eventually merge anyway. Who earned more, who earned less, it wouldn’t matter, so I hadn’t bothered to thoroughly evaluate the project’s profitability. “Let’s pass on this one. From now on, for similar projects, we’ll choose based on merit. Company interests come first.” After a full day of work, I packed up my things after closing and decided to try the new chic bistro that had just opened recently. But when I arrived, I found the restaurant already packed to the brim. Just as I was about to leave, I heard a familiar voice. “Ms. Quinn, you’re here for dinner too?” I turned to see Chloe Davis and Dexter Prescott, sitting at a table, Chloe’s face beaming with a bright smile. Dexter’s expression froze when he saw me, then he quickly recovered. “I was just about to call you to join us for dinner! What a coincidence, you’re already here. Come, come eat with us.” He beckoned a server to add another place setting. I hadn’t eaten much for lunch and was ravenous by then. So, I decided to stay and sat down. “Ms. Quinn, I remember you like spicy food. Shall we add a few more dishes for you?” Chloe offered, her voice saccharine. I glanced across the table. It was laden with only bland, mild dishes. Both Dexter and I were notorious spice lovers. He used to say that food without chili was soulless, and eating it felt like a fate worse than death. Yet now, he sat before a table full of bland fare, his expression completely unbothered. Dexter shot Chloe an annoyed glare, feigning reproach. “I think you’re just trying to eat something spicy yourself, aren’t you? Don’t forget what the doctor told you today; you can only eat bland things recently.” Chloe, seemingly scolded, let out a playful huff. “Alright, alright, Mr. Bossy. I’ll listen to you, okay?” Watching their easy interaction, my heart, which had been torn to shreds, remained surprisingly calm. Dexter shook his head with a helpless smile. “You two go ahead and eat. I’m going to make a call.” As Dexter left, the smile on Chloe’s face gradually faded, replaced by a provocative gleam in her eyes. “Alice Quinn, you really surprise me. You know Dexter proposed to me, yet you’re still clinging to him? Your skin is thick enough to stop a bullet.” Catching the disdain in her voice, I met her gaze. “Is stealing someone’s boyfriend something to be proud of? Something worth flaunting in public?” “You…” Before she could finish, thick smoke suddenly billowed from the restaurant kitchen. Someone spotted it first and screamed in terror, “Fire!” At that cry, the bustling restaurant instantly descended into chaos. Everyone panicked, scrambling to escape. I snapped back to reality and quickly stood up. Just as I was about to leave, a figure suddenly crashed into me. Before I could regain my footing, I heard a familiar, anxious voice. “Chloe, don’t be scared! I’ll get you out of here!” Dexter didn’t hesitate, swiftly leading Chloe out of the burning restaurant. His heart thumped in his chest, a wave of relief washing over him, a joy of having survived. He pulled her into a tight hug. “Thank goodness, thank goodness you’re alright…” As he spoke, something seemed to click in his mind. He suddenly turned, his eyes landing on me, standing a short distance away, watching them with a cold, detached gaze. His voice caught in his throat, and he stammered, “Alice, I… I was just so rushed, I didn’t mean to not save you…” “I know.” I cut him off, my voice cold. In that moment, when he had pulled her into his arms and left, I had a crystal-clear realization: the Dexter who had once promised to protect me for life was long gone. Seeing that I wasn’t angry, he visibly relaxed, then offered to take me home. “No need. Ms. Davis seems quite shaken. You should take her home first.” 4 In the days that followed, I didn’t contact Dexter again. Instead, I busied myself with wedding preparations. One afternoon, I received a message from my designer, so I decided to use my lunch break to pick up my custom-made wedding dress from her boutique. It was a gown I had originally prepared for my own proposal to Dexter, but I would never have that day. As luck would have it, just as I stepped into the store, Chloe followed right behind me. She saw the dress box in my hands and, with an air of superiority, looked at the designer. “I want to try on that wedding dress.” “I’m sorry, but that was custom-made for Ms. Quinn. It belongs to her.” Chloe scoffed disdainfully. “Custom-made? As if you’re getting married soon…” As she spoke, she seemed to realize something, and her composure shattered. “Are you trying to wear this dress to ruin my wedding?!” Seeing her manic state, I couldn’t be bothered to argue. “If you’re sick, go get treatment. Don’t come here to cause a scene.” With that, I turned to leave, holding the dress box. Unexpectedly, she suddenly lunged at me. Before I could react, she violently ripped open the box and frantically tore at the magnificent gown. That wasn’t enough. She then rushed to the counter, snatched up a pair of scissors, and mercilessly shredded the fabric. “Alice Quinn, you won’t ruin my wedding! I’ll destroy your dress right now, let’s see how you cause trouble then!” “Chloe, are you insane?!” Furious, I tried to snatch it back, but she accidentally grazed my arm with the scissors, and blood quickly welled up. Chloe froze. For half a minute, she stared blankly, then she too began rapidly slashing her own arm with the scissors. Afterward, she collapsed onto the floor, letting out a low moan of pain. I was stunned by her almost deranged actions, before I could even speak. Dexter burst into the store from outside. Seeing the chaotic scene before him, his eyes blazed with fury. He glared at me. “Alice Quinn! When did you become so malicious?!” His eyes were filled with rage, but then he turned to Chloe, his expression softening into one of profound heartache. Dexter walked over and carefully helped her up. Chloe leaned against his chest, sobbing. “Dexter, it’s all my fault. Don’t blame Ms. Quinn; she didn’t mean to hurt me…” “Didn’t mean to?” He gritted his teeth, shooting me another venomous look. “It better be an accident. Alice Quinn, if anything happens to Chloe, I swear I won’t let you get away with it!” With that, he carried Chloe out, striding quickly. Truth be told, if he had just bothered to look up, he would have seen that the store’s security cameras had recorded everything. “This… Ms. Quinn, perhaps I should explain for you.” I shook my head, declining the kind offer from the designer. “No need.” This was actually better. It completely severed any lingering hopes we might have had. Time flew by, and soon it was my wedding day. I finally met the man who was about to become my husband. Liam Caldwell was far more handsome than Dexter, his refined features exuding a detached coolness. Yet, when he looked at me, a subtle tenderness softened his gaze. In that moment, I felt a strange sense of bewilderment about my future. He seemed to sense my nervousness. “Don’t be nervous,” he said softly, “I’m here for everything.” Liam navigated the introductions and tea ceremonies with my family effortlessly, his composure and grace making me feel not the slightest bit uncomfortable. He was just as meticulous when we got into the wedding car, ensuring everything was taken care of. As the car’s engine roared to life, the unease in my heart slowly began to subside. Meanwhile, in another wedding car, Dexter Prescott was distinctly restless. Logically, today was a significant day, and I wouldn’t be completely silent. But he’d practically worn out his phone, flipping through it repeatedly, yet there wasn’t a single message or update about me. Upon arriving at the hotel, the unsettling feeling in his heart hadn’t dissipated; instead, it had intensified. He scanned his surroundings, then turned to his groomsmen, his voice firm and resolute. “Guard the wedding hall carefully. Don’t let Alice Quinn come and cause a scene.” The next second, one of the groomsmen chuckled. “Don’t worry, she won’t have time to cause trouble. Alice Quinn is getting married today, too. She’s probably in the middle of her own wedding ceremony at her hotel right now.”

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1 The day before my wedding, my best friend, Celeste Rivers, ran over and killed my mother. My fiancé didn’t just stand by; he flaunted his marriage certificate with her. I dragged Celeste to court, disrupting their wedding to demand she pay for her crime, only to be ridiculed by everyone. In my darkest hour, my childhood best friend, Arthur Bennett, publicly proposed to me, swearing he’d be my lifelong anchor. I said yes. I entrusted the entire car accident case to him. He told me Celeste was imprisoned, and I believed him. But three years into our marriage, I accidentally overheard him talking to his lawyer. “Mr. Bennett, was marrying Evelyn Hayes just for a letter of forgiveness? For a mere car accident, why did you have to sacrifice yourself?” “Only by marrying her could I, as a family member, write that letter of forgiveness on Evelyn’s behalf. It was the only way to secure Celeste’s freedom.” “As long as she’s happy overseas, that’s all that matters. As for me… anything is fine.” It turned out the marriage I’d seen as my salvation was nothing but a meticulously crafted deception. That letter of forgiveness, signed with my name, and Celeste’s freedom—those were his true desires. I was the one who needed to leave. In his office, Arthur stared at a photo of Celeste overseas on his computer, a heartbroken, regretful smile playing on his lips. “Three years. Seeing her happy is enough, even if her happiness isn’t something I gave her.” “As for Evelyn… I’ve spent the rest of my life making amends to her. This matter, it’s behind us.” The company’s legal counsel was fuming but utterly powerless against him. “Mr. Bennett, the company has finally started to thrive. How can you joke about a murder case like this? If this gets out to our competitors, not just you, but all of Bennett family’s assets could be forfeit!” “It’s a fact that Miss Rivers committed premeditated murder. Why are you getting mixed up in this mess? She doesn’t even love you!” Arthur’s face hardened, his voice chilling. “Enough. I said not to bring this up again. I don’t believe Celeste intentionally killed her. It must have been an accident. I handled Mrs. Hayes’s funeral arrangements, which was a proper closure for the Hayes family.” “If it means saving her, forget a company, I’d even give my life!” The lawyer grew agitated. “What about Miss Hayes? She’ll find out about this eventually. The moment she goes to visit Celeste in prison, everything you’ve planned will collapse!” “You used her name to free the person who murdered her mother. What will she do then?” Arthur fell silent for a moment, then reached for a cigarette and lit it. “Then she’ll never know. Three years have passed. Celeste should be out of prison soon.” “Go make the arrangements. And remember, don’t let Evelyn find out.” “Mr. Bennett,” the lawyer warned, his voice grave. “As your legal counsel, let me remind you: the long arm of the law misses nothing. What you’ve done will leave its mark. To protect a murderer, at the cost of harming an innocent person… if Miss Hayes ever finds out, you’ll be completely ruined!” Tears streamed down my chin. My body trembled so violently I could barely hold the takeout box. Footsteps drew closer. I quickly scurried into the stairwell, my heart pounding. So, my mother’s fatal car accident had never even been formally investigated. And Celeste, far from being imprisoned to face justice, was living a carefree life overseas. All of it, orchestrated by the husband I loved with all my heart. His humble bowing, his quiet endurance, his every concession—all were for the salvation of the woman he truly loved. For three years, I had lived inside the meticulously woven tapestry of his lies. I thought I was living a fairytale, but it was a living hell. The irony was crushing. I stumbled down the stairs and out of the building, collapsing onto the curb outside the company. 2 I waited for five agonizing hours. The last flicker of light in the building winked out. Finally, his silhouette appeared. The moment he saw me, his expression softened, and he gently took my hand, his voice laced with concern. “Why didn’t you come in? How long have you been waiting?” “Not long, just arrived. I know you’ve been busy lately, so I brought you some homemade porridge. Your assistant said you were in a meeting, so I left.” “Don’t do this again, darling. You’re not well; I’d be heartbroken if you overtired yourself.” With that, he pulled me into his embrace and kissed my forehead. His touch was as tender and affectionate as always. But I felt nothing. His warmth no longer reached me. It was shocking, how far one person would go for another. He guided me into the passenger seat, then casually brought up a topic. “Oh, by the way, Celeste is getting out soon. You two used to be close, and she’s already served her time. Besides, Bennett Holdings has a lot of ongoing projects with the Thorne family now, so maybe—” “It’s fine. It’s all in the past. I won’t go after her. Don’t worry.” He let out a visible sigh of relief, a soft smile touching his lips. “Thank you, my love, for understanding. Having you is truly a blessing.” I turned my head, gazing out at the passing scenery, tears silently tracing paths down my cheeks. Back home, while he showered, I opened his laptop. The password was Celeste’s birthday. The desktop wallpaper was a sweeping view of the Maldives. That’s where Celeste had lived for the past three years. I logged into his social media. His profile’s background image was a photo of him and Celeste. His follower list contained only one person. I clicked on it. My vision was flooded with photos of Celeste and snippets of her life overseas. She wore new jewelry from brands under Bennett Holdings. Her shawl was from Bennett Holdings’ latest campaign. Even the villa she’d tagged was one of Bennett Holdings’ overseas hotel properties. This hotel, I noted, had been established exactly three years ago. It was Bennett’s only international project. My hand trembled as I clicked on his transfer history. The recipient was always Celeste. A million a month, for three years, without fail. I scrolled through each entry, my heart chilling with every passing line. I remembered his social media status, a single, cryptic word. Wait. I’d asked him once what it meant. He’d simply shrugged it off, saying it was something he’d written long ago. But now, I understood. Three years of marriage, and apart from the wedding photo on the wall, we had no other pictures together. No matter how much I cried or pleaded, he’d always say we saw each other every day, so there was no need to capture it. Only now did I realize it wasn’t that there was no need; it was that I was not a necessity to him. I let out a self-deprecating laugh, closing the laptop. I simply bought a plane ticket for three days later, overseas. And applied to cancel all my official documents. Three days to say goodbye to three years. It felt like enough. I set the countdown as my phone wallpaper, a constant reminder. When he emerged from the bathroom, I was already in bed. Assuming I was asleep, he remained silent. I spent the entire night wide awake. At dawn, I got up to freshen up. My phone rang. Arthur’s voice, laced with confusion, followed immediately. “Evelyn, what documents did you cancel?” I quickly snatched my phone, explaining casually, “Nothing much. My ID expired, so I booked an appointment to renew it.” “Don’t you have a project meeting today? Go on, get busy.” He didn’t think much of it, simply pulling me into a tender embrace, whispering sweet nothings in my ear. “Thank you, my love. Marrying a wife as wonderful as you is truly my blessing.” I simply smiled, saying nothing. 3 “As a reward, how about your husband gives you a big gift today?” he purred. “Alright. I’ll be home waiting.” He really pulled out all the stops to keep me from bothering Celeste. This three-year charade, it was time for it to end. The moment he stepped out the door, I went to cancel my documents. After filling out the application, I went to see a lawyer. When I asked about the letter of forgiveness, the lawyer simply stated that a letter of forgiveness from a family member carried legal weight. It was already established and irrevocable. I didn’t ask further, instead asking him to print two copies of a divorce agreement for me. With the agreement in hand, I headed to Arthur’s company. As soon as I entered, I heard employees whispering. “Is that Mrs. Bennett? I heard she just returned from overseas. That aura… no wonder she enchanted Mr. Bennett; even I, a woman, can’t resist it!” “Must be. That bag she’s carrying is a new Hermès, one of only ten worldwide. I’ve seen Mr. Bennett picking out bags a few times; I can’t believe he bought even this for her. So sweet…” “That overseas hotel, it wasn’t built for her, was it? I heard they were childhood sweethearts. Even a rom-com wouldn’t dare write a plot like that!” On the top floor, I stood at the office door. Familiar voices drifted out. “These past three years, you… how have you been?” “Oh, just wonderful. Every day, I wake up to the ocean, and the air is filled with freedom. I haven’t even thanked you properly. If it weren’t for you, I’d have already—” “Don’t say such things. It’s all in the past. I believe you didn’t mean to hurt anyone. My help was also for my own sake.” Celeste’s laughter tinkled like wind chimes. “You, you’re still the same after all these years. If Evelyn ever found out you secretly helped me, she’d surely make a huge scene.” “This bag is too extravagant; I can’t accept it. You should give it to Evelyn instead. I’m afraid if I take it, she’ll sue me again.” Celeste had always been like this: taking every advantage while feigning generosity, blaming me for everything. Three years ago, at the wedding. I had publicly exposed her as a killer, alienating myself from her and Julian Thorne completely. Yet, all the guests present had sided with her, accusing me of being unreasonable. I had become a laughingstock. Arthur’s appearance had been my only salvation. But now, he was the one who had pushed me into this abyss. His assistant, rushing to deliver a contract, burst through the door, nearly colliding with me. Arthur’s eyes flickered with surprise. “Evelyn? When did you get here? Don’t get the wrong idea; Celeste just dropped by to catch up, nothing else…” “Evelyn, long time no see.” Celeste rose, dressed in a bespoke piece from Bennett Holdings’ latest collection. Her face was flushed with health, her skin flawless. She looked anything but the picture of someone who had just been released from prison. I smiled, nodding, swallowing my rising resentment. “It’s fine. I was just in the area, thought I’d drop by. Since you’re busy, I’ll head back now.” Arthur, thinking I was angry, chased after me, explaining for quite a while. “Don’t be like this, my love. I was just asking her how she was doing in prison. After all, she’s a woman; it must have been tough in there…” “It’s been three years. All grudges should be laid to rest by now, shouldn’t they? Didn’t you say it was all in the past?” Watching his desperate display, I simply smiled. To free Celeste, he had sacrificed his own marriage, putting on a show for me. Now that Celeste was safe and sound, who was he trying to impress? “Yes, it’s in the past. Don’t worry. I’m not unreasonable; I keep my word.” 4 “You stay busy. I’ll be home waiting for you, like a good wife.” He visibly relaxed, instructing his assistant to personally escort me downstairs. Before I left, he specifically reminded me about the Thorne family’s banquet the following evening. It was a celebration of Celeste’s return. As a CEO, he had his reputation to uphold. Publicly, they’d claimed Celeste was studying abroad, never mentioning her imprisonment. I nodded, saying I understood. I wouldn’t cause a scene at the banquet. Only then did he seem relieved enough to let me go. Back home, I took down the wedding photos from the wall and meticulously shredded them with scissors. Then, I tossed them into the trash. That night, Arthur didn’t come home. But Celeste logged back into her social media account. And posted an update for the first time in ages. A candlelit dinner for two. The man’s face wasn’t visible, only a glimpse of his wrist. The spot where a wedding ring should have been was conspicuously bare, but the skin tone difference revealed where it once rested. It was Arthur. Just as she’d hoped, I liked the post. I turned off my phone and packed my bags. The next morning, Arthur’s assistant delivered a dress. I unwrapped it and saw it was an outdated design from a previous season. That evening, when I arrived at the banquet hall, Julian Thorne had just finished his speech. He announced that Celeste would be in charge of all the company’s projects with Bennett Holdings. A wave of envy rippled through the guests. They praised Celeste’s good fortune, how both her childhood sweethearts held her in the highest regard. The moment I appeared, conversations abruptly ceased. Eyes turned to me, expressions of expectant amusement. Arthur was busy with socializing, paying me no mind. Celeste, acting as hostess, led me to the terrace upstairs. Once we were alone, she dropped her charade, her true nature laid bare. Her expression was a cocktail of sarcasm and venom. “Evelyn Hayes, after all these years, you’re still so useless.” “I’ve been overseas for the past three years, and thanks to your husband, I’ve had a wonderful time, you wouldn’t believe it. You don’t actually think Arthur married you out of love, do you? Truth be told, if you hadn’t sued me, he wouldn’t have given you a second glance!” “Evelyn Hayes, you’re nothing but a joke!” Fury ignited within me. I couldn’t hold back any longer and slapped her across the face. She sneered, a cold smile touching her lips, and quickly stumbled back a few steps. Then, she tumbled down the stairs. A collective gasp, then screams, erupted from the main hall. Arthur was there in an instant, rushing to her, scooping her into his arms. He looked up at me, his eyes blazing with fury. “Evelyn Hayes, what are you doing? Are you insane?!” “Celeste was kindly hosting you, how dare you push her? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t pursue the matter from back then? What’s with this scene today?!” My expression was cold, my voice devoid of emotion. “Me causing a scene?” “Arthur Bennett, don’t you think you owe me an explanation for what happened that day?” His brow furrowed, a flicker of panic in his eyes. “An explanation for what? Hasn’t Celeste already apologized to you for the past three years? What more do you want?” “One thing has nothing to do with the other. No matter what happened before, it doesn’t justify you laying hands on her today!” “Evelyn Hayes, apologize to her right now!” Before I could speak, Celeste was already weeping in his arms, her voice choked with feigned sorrow. “Please… please don’t be hard on Evelyn. All the fault, all the mistakes, were mine from back then. I wronged her. Let what happened today be my apology to her…” “Since she hates me so much, let’s… let’s not contact each other anymore. I don’t want to cause you any trouble.” My nails bit fiercely into my palms, tiny drops of blood welling up. Watching their silhouettes, entwined, as they walked away, I knew it was truly over for us.

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I was ten months pregnant when labor began in the dead of night. My husband, Ryan, woken by the commotion, his face a mask of ice, reluctantly took me to the hospital in a taxi. The driver was clearly a novice; the car barely crawled. My contractions surged, growing more excruciating with each passing minute. I could only plead with Ryan: “Ryan, you’re a race car driver! Please, you drive. Faster, I can’t bear this pain.” His refusal was absolute, cutting through the air like a knife: “Every woman experiences pain in childbirth. I’m a professional race car driver, not some chauffeur. I won’t drive for anyone!” Before he could finish, my water broke. I crumpled into the back seat, tears streaming down my face as I pleaded again: “Ryan, my water just broke! Please, can’t you drive? Do it for the baby, if not for me.” He shot me a look of pure disgust and barked, “Pull over.” For a desperate moment, I thought he was finally going to take the wheel. Instead, he simply opened the passenger-side door. “It’s too cramped in the back. I’ll ride shotgun.” I closed my eyes, a wave of despair washing over me. If anything happened to my baby, Ryan Brooke, then we were over. Done. 1 When we finally reached the hospital, I was a writhing mess of pain, every stitch of clothing soaked through with sweat. Only when I was lifted onto the gurney did a sliver of safety settle within me. My baby, Mommy will protect you! “No good! Fetal heart rate is too weak! Get her to the delivery room immediately, prepare for C-section!” the examining doctor yelled in a frantic rush. I was whisked away, a flurry of hands pushing me into the operating theater. Strapped to a myriad of monitoring machines, I was already fading in and out of consciousness from the agony. “Patient has high blood pressure, critical condition! Get a family member to sign!” The attending physician called my name, “Eleanor Vance, is your family here?” I struggled to pry my eyes open, dimly registering the long corridor outside. My voice was a raw whisper, laced with tears, “My husband… he’s here.” A nurse rushed back in, “We can’t find the patient’s family!” “Call them! Get a signature, now!” the doctor ordered. What was going on? Hadn’t Ryan just come in with me? How could he just vanish? Gritting my teeth against the searing pain, I fumbled for my phone in my pocket. “Use mine, quickly!” The doctor snatched it, only to be met by the robotic voice: “Hello, the number you have dialed is currently busy…” The automated message looped, over and over. The doctor beside me decisively hung up. “Eleanor Vance, can you sign yourself?” I nodded weakly, pain incapacitating me. Clutching the pen, I fumbled through the signature, then gripped the doctor’s hand. “Please, you must save my baby!” “We’ll do our best,” the attending physician murmured, patting my hand before the surgery began. There was no time for proper anesthesia, the IV drip offering only the faintest relief. I felt my abdomen being sliced open, raw and visceral. To avoid distracting the doctors, I bit down hard on my lip, stifling every scream. As long as my baby lived, I could endure anything. Finally, the baby was out, but no cry met my ears. My consciousness began to fray. “No! She’s hemorrhaging!” I felt my lifeblood drain away, the bone-shattering pain fading into a strange, comfortable numbness. I was so, so tired, and a chill began to set in. “My baby… where is my baby…?” I murmured, my voice barely a whisper. The doctor’s voice broke through: “The baby is being resuscitated. No matter what happens to the child, you cannot give up on yourself. We are doing everything to save you.” I knew, deep down, I was losing my child. A strange peace settled over me, and I felt my grip on consciousness loosen. Dying like this… it seemed fine. “Patient’s heart rate dropping, losing will to live!” a medical staff member shouted. Through the haze, the attending physician made another call. This time, it connected. The doctor let out a sigh of relief. My hearing, strangely, was incredibly sharp in that moment. “Is this Eleanor Vance’s family? Her condition is extremely critical right now.” Before the doctor could finish, Ryan Brooke’s voice cut in, sharp and impatient: “I already brought her to the hospital. Saving her is your job as doctors. What can I possibly do? Besides, I’m saving someone too!” Then, a tearful female voice wafted from the phone: “Ryan, darling, I’m in so much pain…” Ryan abruptly hung up, leaving only the droning dial tone. I knew he didn’t care for me, but facing his utter heartlessness still sent a dull, throbbing ache through me, so profound it threatened to pull me back into unconsciousness. Then, a familiar voice pierced through the haze: “My sweet girl, hold on! Your mother is waiting for you to come home, to be a family again. Your father and I don’t blame you anymore. Marry him if you want, just please, be well. If anything happens to you, your mother won’t want to live either…” My mother’s choked sobs broke through, and tears streamed down my face. Yes, I had my parents. It had been years since I’d seen them, and they were waiting for me to come home. “Patient’s heart rate is improving! Alert the blood bank, get blood supplies here!” “Full resuscitation! Notify all departments, Level One mobilization!” I felt a swarm of medical personnel surround me. “Don’t you dare give up on yourself for anyone! Your father and I will always love you. We’re waiting for you to come home…” My mother’s voice flooded me with strength, and I felt energy surge back into my body. My mother’s voice was cut short by the ringing of a phone. The attending physician glanced at it, then offered a small comfort, “Your husband is calling you.” 2 “Eleanor Vance, quickly, what’s Martha’s number? Chloe’s sick, I need Martha to come take care of her for a while. I’m sure you’ll be fine managing the baby on your own, the doctor said you didn’t even get anesthesia for your C-section. I have faith in you.” A metallic, coppery taste flooded my mouth. I lurched forward, spitting a spray of blood onto the doctor’s white coat. The attending physician immediately snatched my phone away. “Are you even human? Your wife is still fighting for her life! Do you care about her at all?!” “I know my wife’s constitution perfectly well. She can drink a whole table of men under for my sponsorships. She’s tougher than any man. A little pain, a bit of blood—that’s nothing to her!” “No life is a small matter, and sacrifice deserves respect! A husband like you doesn’t deserve your wife fighting for her life to bear your child!” The doctor’s last words were practically hissed through gritted teeth. “I’m saving someone too! My assistant is ill. Is my wife’s life more valuable than someone else’s?!” “Besides, my wife willingly had this child for me. She hasn’t said a word, so who are you, a complete stranger, to criticize me? Be careful, I’ll file a complaint against you in a moment!” The doctor wasted no more words. She hung up the phone, came to my side, and gently took my hand. “Child, don’t give up on yourself. All of us, the entire medical staff, will fight for you with everything we have.” “He’s not worth it! Not for a man like him!” No, he wasn’t worth it. I still had my mother, waiting for me to come home. I squeezed the doctor’s hand back, a faint whisper escaping my lips: “Doctor… save me…” After battling Death for ten grueling hours, countless units of blood pumped into my veins, the doctors pulling me back from the brink of the abyss multiple times, they finally dragged me back from death’s door and transferred me to the ICU. I don’t know how much more time passed, but I gradually drifted back to a hazy awareness, though my eyes still refused to open. Two nurses were checking my monitors nearby. “Did you see the news? Ryan Brooke, the number one race car driver, last night he drove his girlfriend to the hospital, hazard lights flashing, blowing through ten red lights!” “I saw it! The whole city is talking about it, it’s all over social media. I heard the surgical head nurse say the girl only had a few scrapes. But it panicked Ryan like crazy, apparently.” They glanced at me. One sighed, “Some men are just different. Her husband, well…” They shook their heads in unison and left the room. They had no idea that Ryan Brooke was my husband. My eyes burned, and tears silently tracked down my temples as I slipped back into unconsciousness. I wondered about my baby. Oh, how I longed to hold him… 3 The first thing I did when I fully regained consciousness was to grab the doctor’s hand beside me. “Doctor, my baby? Where is my baby?” The doctor’s face lit up with relief at my awakening, then immediately fell. “I’m so sorry. We did everything we could. The baby was in the birth canal for too long, oxygen deprivation…” My brow furrowed in agony, as if my very heart had been ripped from my chest. She paused, then added, “Child, life is still long. There will be other chances.” I suddenly recognized that voice. Peering at her familiar, masked face, I realized she was the attending physician who had saved my life. “Thank you, Doctor. Thank you for saving me.” “It was my duty. Just try to keep your spirits up. You’ll be transferred to a regular room today.” I closed my eyes, memories flashing. I had defied my parents for Ryan, staying in the country to marry him. He loved racing, so I became his agent, supporting him every step of the way until he became the nation’s top race car driver. In the beginning, I endured countless snubs just to secure him a spot in a race. I drank endless rounds of alcohol for sponsorships, often ending up hospitalized with stomach bleeding. Everyone in the racing world knew I was a top agent, and they also knew I only represented one driver: Ryan Brooke, his exclusive agent. After he found success, we kept our marriage private for the sake of his public image. To boost his fame and appeal, he became the ultimate racing knight in the eyes of countless young women. Now, I was leaving. And everything I had given him, I would reclaim. The first thing I did in the regular hospital room was to contact a lawyer and draft divorce papers. The lawyer sat by my bedside, asking, “Are you sure you want to go through with this divorce?” Silently, I tapped open my phone. Sure enough, the news story the nurses had mentioned dominated my feed. “#RyanBrooke: Top Race Car Driver Risks All For Love!” “#BlewThroughTenRedLightsToRushGirlfriendToHospital!” “#RyanBrooke’s All-Night Vigil: Caring For Girlfriend For 24 Hours!” My baby died while he was rushing his girlfriend to the hospital. My life hung by a thread while he was tending to his girlfriend. He wouldn’t drive me, suffering in childbirth, yet he blew through ten red lights for his girlfriend. Chloe Green had just posted an update: “My knight is always there, ready to face anything for me. So touched, I’ll love you forever!” The accompanying picture showed my husband gently feeding her porridge. Then you two can be chained together for eternity. I’ll make sure of it! I looked up, meeting the lawyer’s gaze with unwavering resolve. “Absolutely. Please have the papers ready today.” After booking a flight out of the country for the next day, I dialed a number. “Hello, Martha? I’m being discharged tomorrow. Could you come pick me up from the hospital?” Martha’s voice on the other end was hesitant, fumbling. “Ma’am, Mr. Brooke… he asked me to come take care of… Miss Green.” The phone was snatched away, Ryan’s voice laced with mocking amusement. “You’re getting discharged so quickly? Didn’t the doctors say your condition was critical? I knew they were exaggerating. You’re not that easy to kill, are you?” “Why do you need someone to pick you up? Just take a taxi home. What woman doesn’t give birth? So dramatic.” I was about to speak when Chloe’s saccharine voice cooed from his end: “Ryan, darling, my foot hurts…” “Can’t talk, I need to take care of my patient now.” The call was abruptly cut off. He hadn’t even asked about the baby. He truly didn’t deserve to be a father. And yet, my heart was strangely devoid of any ripple of emotion. Chloe Green was the assistant I’d hired for him, worried that my pregnancy would prevent me from fully managing his races. I had no idea when they’d started their affair. But I knew, if it wasn’t her, it would have been someone else. It takes two to tango. When a heart changes, an affair is only a matter of time. I almost sacrificed my precious life for a man like him. He absolutely didn’t deserve it! He’d taken so much from me. I would reclaim every single thing.

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My father, heartbroken by my decade-long unspoken crush, took matters into his own hands. He drugged his cross-age friend and deposited him in my bed. Waking up, the man, Dominic Hale, coldly agreed to marry me. But soon after our wedding, Dominic began frequent business trips abroad, each lasting three years. I gave birth to our daughter, Lily, alone, waiting for him to return. Three years later, I heard he was finally coming home. I abandoned an important business engagement, taking our daughter to the airport to meet him. Lily, brimming with excitement, begged him for a hug. He merely glanced at me, his voice flat. “I’m sorry, I have a phobia of germs.” From that day on, Lily and I washed our hands at least three times, and our home was kept impeccably spotless. Yet, he never came back. And he never once held our daughter. Until I saw a video clip. Someone asked him: “Dominic, what’s the happiest thing for you?” He replied casually, “Last week, I guess, abroad. After putting Daisy to bed, I pulled Chloe into the bathroom.” Amidst the sounds of laughter and teasing, my hands and feet turned to ice. Chloe was his ex-girlfriend, with whom he’d had a long, complicated history. Daisy was Chloe’s daughter. I’d heard he’d been living with them for the past three years abroad, and now I knew it was true. My heart shattered. I left the divorce papers, canceled our identities, and took Lily out of the country. 1 The nanny brought Lily home from kindergarten, her eyes swollen from crying. “Mommy, does Lily not have a Daddy…?” She hiccupped between sobs, utterly heartbroken. “Daddy promised he’d come to my parent-teacher conference, but when he got there, he said he was Daisy Miller’s daddy.” Her voice broke. “Mommy, everyone says Lily is a child without a Daddy, boohoohoo…” A sharp pain shot through my chest. My eyes burned as I pulled my daughter into my arms. I wanted to say something comforting, but Dominic’s cold indifference choked the words in my throat. I regretted everything. I had waited three years, believing he had finally come to his senses, willing to return home and reunite with Lily and me. But no, it was merely because Chloe had expressed a desire to come back to the States. He had then, without a second thought, booked tickets, arranged everything, even transferring his ex-girlfriend’s daughter to the best kindergarten. The day we went to the airport to greet him, Lily wore her prettiest dress, asking me nervously, “Mommy, will Daddy like Lily?” I nodded. “Lily is Daddy’s only daughter, of course, he will.” But when we arrived at the airport, full of joyous anticipation, we saw Dominic, holding Chloe’s hand, a three-year-old girl in his arms. Lily and I froze. Dominic barely glanced at me. “Excuse me, I need to get Chloe and Daisy settled first. You two go home.” He didn’t even spare Lily a look, yet his gaze upon Daisy was filled with tender affection. The memory made me close my eyes in despair. “I’m so sorry, Lily. It’s all Mommy’s fault. Next time, Mommy will go to your parent-teacher conference.” After washing Lily’s face and finally coaxing her to sleep, her tiny brows remained tightly furrowed. “Daddy, hug me…” My heart felt as if it were being pricked by needles. If it weren’t for what happened three years ago, Lily might not have to suffer like this. Three years ago, my father, feeling sorry for my decade-long secret crush, simply drugged Dominic Hale and placed him in my bed. I was utterly shocked. “Dad, are you trying to ruin my life?” My father sighed. “I saw it, darling. You like Dominic, and that boy has a soft spot for you too, he just won’t admit it. That night, when he was drunk, I even heard him calling your name. I thought you two were dragging your feet, so I decided to push things along.” I resisted with all my might, but the next second, a feverish heat consumed me. My father chuckled. “I put something in your drink too. Cherish this night.” Then, he locked the door from the outside. After that night, Dominic sobered up and said coldly, “Yvonne, I will take responsibility and marry you.” I thought a happy life was about to begin. But at a gathering soon after, I accidentally overheard his conversation with a friend. “Dominic, you’re not seeing the good in this. Yvonne is beautiful, rich, and she loves you. You should just settle down and be happy.” Dominic took a drag from his cigarette and scoffed. “Initially, I did have some feelings for her, but I never expected her to be so… opportunistic. The thought of her drugging me that night, aggressively throwing herself at me, just makes me… sick.” Before I could even figure out how to properly explain, he obtained a visa and left the country two weeks later. But that one night had given me a child. I gave birth to our daughter, Lily, alone, eagerly waiting day and night for him to return. What I waited for, however, was his increasingly entangled relationship with Chloe and her daughter. In the empty, silent mansion, I pulled out my phone, about to call Dominic and ask when he was coming back. Suddenly, the door opened, and Dominic walked in, his expression detached. He glanced at the sleeping Lily and said casually, “Daisy is coming over tomorrow to play. You and Lily should go out.” Meeting my bewildered gaze, his lips curled into a faint smile. “Daisy is quite possessive; she doesn’t like other little girls calling me Daddy.” The anger that had been simmering within me finally boiled over. I laughed, a harsh, mirthless sound. “Dominic Hale, do you even remember who your biological daughter is anymore?” My voice cracked. “Do you know what happened to Lily at kindergarten today—” Dominic frowned slightly, cutting me off. “Yvonne, I don’t need you to remind me of this. I’m sorry about kindergarten today; Daisy also had a parent-teacher conference. Chloe and her father are divorced; she’s overwhelmed raising a child alone. Besides, before I even met you, I swore to Chloe that I would never let her suffer any injustice.” He continued, his voice firm, “I’ve already married you as you wished. You can’t stop me from caring for them. I owe them that much.” Dominic finished speaking, tossed his jacket aside, and went into the bathroom. The rushing water drowned out my desperate, helpless sobs. If only I had known that marriage to him would become like this, I would have chosen death over succumbing to that night. I looked at the freshly written divorce papers on my laptop, a bitter smile on my face. If not for Lily, given my personality, I would have filed for divorce long ago. But thinking of Lily’s wounded little face, I wanted to fight for her, unwilling to let her grow up without a father. Lily woke up early, overjoyed to learn her Daddy was back. She bounced excitedly on her small bed. “I’m going to take the picture I just drew to show Daddy!” Children forget easily. Lily had already forgiven Dominic for yesterday’s kindergarten incident. Lily happily ran downstairs. But she saw Chloe and Daisy already there, Dominic gently peeling an orange for Daisy. “Daddy, who are they?” Seeing Lily still at home, Dominic frowned. “Why are you still here? Where’s your mother?” Lily was startled, but she still carefully offered the family portrait she had spent a week drawing. “This is Lily’s family portrait. I drew it thinking I’d give it to Daddy when he came home…” The drawing was just about to be handed over when a small hand unceremoniously snatched it away. “What a trashy drawing!” Daisy stomped her foot and tore it in half. She put her hands on her hips defiantly, then violently shoved my daughter. “He’s my Daddy! Lily Hale, all the kids say you’re a bastard! Who said you could call him Daddy?” Seeing Lily fall to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, I panicked. I helped Lily up and glared coldly at Daisy. “Apologize.” Dominic frowned tightly, displeased. “Yvonne, why are you being so harsh with a child?” Without a word, he scooped Daisy into his arms. “I told you last night that Daisy doesn’t like others calling me Daddy. She’s just upset and hurt, she didn’t mean to push Lily.” I remained unyielding, still insisting. “Didn’t you see if she meant it or not? Dominic, she just called Lily a bastard to her face. Tell her, is Lily really a bastard?” Dominic hesitated for a moment, but then he continued to gently console Daisy, with no intention of making her apologize. Chloe’s eyes flickered, and she smiled gracefully and apologized. “Miss Hale, I’m so sorry. Daisy grew up abroad and has a very straightforward personality; she just speaks her mind. Please don’t take it to heart.” As soon as she said that, the little girl in Dominic’s arms looked even more smug. “I wasn’t wrong! All the kids said Lily Hale is a bastard! She’s the one who stole my Daddy!” I clenched my fists, staring coldly at Dominic. Before, when he said he had a phobia of germs, Lily and I endured it, constantly accommodating him. He chose to get involved with other women under the guise of working overtime, and I turned a blind eye. But now, I could not tolerate anyone calling my daughter a bastard. “Dominic Hale, I’m asking you one more time—” “Is Lily one?” A flicker of displeasure crossed Dominic’s face, but he laughed coldly. “Don’t you know how she became my daughter?” Then, his voice changed, laced with a warning. “Alright, today is Daisy’s playdate. Let’s not make everyone unhappy.” Chloe and Daisy smirked from the side, clearly gloating. Dominic, his heart aching, picked up Daisy. “Daddy will buy you toys, okay?” “And a pretty Elsa dress!” “Alright,” Dominic agreed, his face full of doting affection. Watching his retreating back, my heart turned cold. Finally, I spoke the words I had weighed countless times but never dared to utter. “Dominic Hale, let’s get a divorce!” Dominic’s steps faltered. He turned back, his gaze chilling. “Yvonne, do you think this is amusing?” His voice dripped with disdain. “If you believe this can threaten me, then so be it. Have it your way.” With that, he left without another glance. A flicker of triumph danced in Chloe’s eyes, quickly suppressed. She returned to me, offering profuse apologies. “I’m truly sorry, Miss Hale. Dominic and I are completely innocent. He’s a man of integrity and deep loyalty. He felt sorry for me divorcing so early and my child not having a father, so he just took a little more care. Please don’t take it to heart, and don’t let this cause any unpleasantness…” Before leaving, Chloe added me on contact. She said she wanted to compensate Lily for the drawing. “Chloe, come here.” Dominic, holding Daisy, stood a short distance outside, calling her softly. “Coming!” Chloe hurried out, her face beaming. Their conversation, before they were out of earshot, drifted clearly into my ears. “Dominic, you really shouldn’t have. Miss Hale saying she wants a divorce was just out of anger. How could you agree so readily?” Dominic sneered, “She used every trick in the book to force this marriage. How could she possibly bear to divorce?” He scoffed. “Her being so harsh with our Daisy just now was a small punishment for her. It won’t be long before she’s begging me to come back.” I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. Dominic Hale, people change. The Yvonne who once loved you recklessly, putting everything on the line, is dead. Now, for my daughter’s sake, I will choose to leave you for good. Lily hid in her room, sobbing uncontrollably. “Mommy, the kids at school say Daddy is Daisy Miller’s daddy, but Lily isn’t trying to steal her Daddy…” Later, she fell asleep clutching a photo of Dominic, but I lay awake all night. I opened my phone and saw Chloe had updated her social media. “Daisy finally has the fatherly love she was missing. What belongs to us, no one can take away!” Beneath the text was a photo of the three of them intimately embracing, smiling for the camera, looking like a perfect family. I casually ‘liked’ the post when suddenly, a message popped up on my phone. It was a video from Chloe. I opened it and saw Dominic Hale’s handsome face. The timestamp was from when he had just returned to the country. A friend asked him: “Dominic, what’s the happiest thing for you?” He replied casually, “Last week, I guess, abroad. After putting Daisy to bed, I pulled Chloe into the bathroom.” Combined with the tenderness in his eyes and the teasing laughter from his friends, my hands and feet turned to ice. Chloe had once shared a post on social media: “Ever since having a child, we haven’t been able to have a private world for just the two of us. We can only wait for Daisy to fall asleep, then sneak off to do this and that…” I was lost in thought when another message from Chloe came through. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I accidentally clicked the wrong button just now and sent it to you. By the time I realized, I couldn’t unsend it.” She continued, “But honestly, you must know Dominic’s true feelings by now, right? You forced him into marriage with those underhanded tactics and became Mrs. Hale. For the past three years abroad, he’s been with Daisy and me.” She added, “Even though the child isn’t his, Dominic has been more thoughtful and considerate than a biological father. Even after we broke up, he still couldn’t bear to let me go. It won’t be long before we’re back together.” She pressed on, “Miss Hale, I know your family is wealthy, and you’re not short of men. I advise you not to make things difficult for yourself. Just step aside voluntarily.” Then she sent another picture. Daisy smiled brightly in the middle, while Chloe and Dominic simultaneously kissed the girl’s cheeks, truly looking like a perfect, happy family. I smiled and replied, “Alright.” Then, I called my father. “Dad, I’ve made up my mind. I’m taking Lily to live abroad. We’re leaving in a few days.” My father’s surprised voice came through the phone. “Really? But I heard Dominic’s back. You two just reunited as a family; does he agree to this?” I laughed, a desolate, bitter sound. “He couldn’t be happier.”

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I’d just hit the jackpot, winning a whopping fifty million dollars on the lottery, and I immediately called my boyfriend to share the unbelievable news. But the first thing he did was roar, “I’m swamped with work, I don’t have time for your pointless chatter! Unless you’re dead, don’t ever call me again!” The line went dead. I sighed, resigned, planning to deliver my last food order before claiming my prize. When I knocked on Room 301 at the hotel, the door opened to reveal my boyfriend, John Miller, who was supposed to be out of town on a business trip. John was wearing nothing but a bath towel around his waist, and behind him stood my best friend, Sarah Jensen, similarly wrapped in a towel. John and I stared at each other, eyes wide, for a full minute. “What are you doing here?!” “That’s what I should be asking you, isn’t it? Weren’t you supposed to be out of town on a business trip? Too busy to even pick up my calls, yet you’re here, playing cards with her?” John roughly yanked me into the room, then slammed the door shut. “Don’t yell out there, aren’t you ashamed?” My eyes blazed red with fury. “You should be ashamed! You two were cheating on me!” Sarah, still draped over John’s shoulder, drawled, “Don’t use such harsh words. I’m John’s real girlfriend. We’ve been together for over seven years.” So, I was the other woman. “You’re despicable!” I raised my hand to slap John, but he caught my wrist. “Natalie Sinclair, that’s enough! I never even liked you. Sarah was the one who encouraged me to be with you. Otherwise, do you honestly think I’d have stayed with you this long?!” Tears streamed down my face as I screamed at them, “Why?!” “For your money, of course, you idiot! You didn’t even go to college. You started delivering food right after high school, just to earn a few extra bucks to support John.” “You spent all your money on John. And when John took me on dates and bought me gifts, he was spending your money. I should actually thank you. Without you, what would John and I have spent?” I trembled with rage. “You’re utterly shameless! I’ll fight you both!” I lunged, grabbing Sarah by the hair, and we collapsed into a furious tangle. “Natalie, you’re pushing your luck! Let go of Sarah!” John, with surprising force, tore me away and landed a punch square on my face. I was stunned. Sarah seized the opportunity, lunging forward, pulling my hair and clawing at my face, cursing a blue streak. I was pinned to the ground, beaten by both of them. John showed no mercy, his punches landing with chilling force. All I could do was cry out in pain. I thought of all the years I’d spent with him. What an utterly pathetic joke it had all been. John and I both came from humble backgrounds. I was an orphan, and his elderly parents were struggling farmers with poor health. We had both gotten into college, but he’d convinced me to drop out and work, promising that once he graduated and found a good job, he’d marry me. I, foolishly, believed him. To earn more money and improve his living conditions, I didn’t even take Christmas Day off. While everyone else was celebrating, I was out in the snow and freezing temperatures, delivering order after order. Thinking back now, my seven years felt utterly ridiculous. They stopped only when they grew tired of beating me. I lay on the floor, bruised and battered, unable to get up. “John, how can you do this to me?! Aren’t you afraid your parents will disown you?!” Three years ago, John’s father had a stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed. I had brought both of his elderly parents to the city and nursed them back to health. They had always told me I was like a daughter to them, swearing that if John ever dared to betray me, they would be the first to disown him. John scoffed. “You don’t actually think my parents treated you like a real daughter, do you? They just sweet-talked you to butter you up. If they didn’t say nice things, how would you have served them like a maid?” I refused to believe him. “No! Auntie and Uncle truly cared about me!” “You don’t believe me, huh? Fine, I’ll call them now.” With that, John dialed the number and put it on speakerphone. “Hello, Mom? I broke up with Natalie. I don’t want to pretend anymore. I want to be openly with Sarah.” “Son, your mother supports you. But if you break up with Natalie, will she still wait on your father and me? Will she still give us money for living expenses?” “Don’t worry about money, I just closed a huge deal. As soon as it’s signed, I’ll get a two hundred thousand dollar commission. Then I’ll hire a housekeeper for you two. She’ll definitely be better than Natalie.” “Oh, that’s wonderful! Natalie can finally get out of here. A food delivery girl who didn’t even go to college? How could she ever be good enough for my son!” I was completely dumbfounded, unable to believe what I had just heard. John hung up the phone and kicked me again. “Heard that? In my parents’ eyes, Sarah is the only daughter-in-law they want. And I’m about to be rich. Once I get that two hundred thousand, we won’t be in the same league anymore!” I laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. “Just two hundred thousand?” Sarah, now wearing her high heels, brought her foot down hard on my hand. “You wouldn’t make two hundred thousand delivering food for twenty years! Who are you trying to fool?!” She hooked her arm through John’s. “Darling, let’s go. This was supposed to be our special time, and Natalie the b*tch ruined it.” They walked out brazenly. I quickly called an ambulance, then the police. Luckily, I was wearing thick winter clothes, so no bones were broken. After my wounds were treated at the hospital, I went home. But when I reached the doorstep, I saw all my belongings thrown out onto the curb. My blood pressure shot through the roof. I pounded on the door. John’s mother opened it, and when she saw me, her face instantly soured. “Natalie Sinclair, my son has broken up with you. Now grab your things and get out!” I had already planned to move out, but I never expected them to just discard my belongings. “I paid the rent for this place. If anyone’s moving, it’s you! What right do you have to throw my things out?!” “The right of three people living here! That makes this our home!” In that moment, her true, conniving nature was fully exposed. I didn’t want to waste another second arguing. I was about to call the police again, when John returned with Sarah. “Why aren’t you two in jail?!” Sarah smirked triumphantly. “It was mutual combat, and you threw the first punch!” My lungs felt like they were about to burst. My hands clenched into tight fists, my nails digging into my flesh, but I didn’t feel the pain. John pushed me. “Why aren’t you gone yet? Are you still trying to cling to me? Let me tell you, there’s no way we’re ever getting back together!” I glared at them, my eyes burning. “You’ll all regret this. You’ll come crawling to me!” They burst into laughter, telling me I was dreaming. I only took a few things from the heap on the ground. After all, I had won fifty million dollars; there was nothing I couldn’t buy. After settling into a hotel, I went to the lottery office to claim my prize. The moment the fifty million dollars landed in my account, the knot of tension in my chest finally loosened. I couldn’t wait to see the expressions on John and Sarah’s faces when they found out I was a multi-millionaire. Just after I acquired a lavish, fully furnished penthouse apartment, I received a call from Sarah. “Natalie, we’re having our high school reunion this weekend. You absolutely have to come; everyone from our class will be there.” “Alright, I’ll be there.” “You’re not just saying that, are you? Will you actually show up, or just disappear that day?” “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely come. It’ll be good to see old classmates after so many years. I’d like to see how everyone’s doing.” Sarah was organizing this reunion specifically to show off John’s two hundred thousand dollar earning, and to use the opportunity to humiliate me. Little did she dream that I was now the most powerful one in our entire class. The reunion was held at a five-star hotel. I made a point of arriving a little late. Under the gaze of all my former classmates, I glided in, impeccably dressed in a limited-edition haute couture outfit, and elegantly took my seat. “Excuse me, everyone, I apologize for being late.” Sarah immediately rolled her eyes at me. “Natalie, you’re being so pretentious. Does that fake outfit even buy you a ticket? Do you really think our classmates don’t know quality when they see it? Pfft.” Jessica Chen, the former class belle, sitting next to me, kept staring at the Hermes “White House” bag in my hand. “Natalie, can I borrow your bag for a closer look?” I generously placed the bag in her hand. “Of course.” “Jessica, what’s there to see in a fake bag? The real one costs over two million dollars. Even if you sold Natalie, she wouldn’t be worth that much.” Her comment drew a burst of laughter from the guys nearby. “This bag is real. I work at the Hermes store.” “Then Natalie bought a knockoff that fooled even you, the store employee.” “This bag is definitely real. A knockoff can’t replicate this craftsmanship.” Sarah immediately chimed in, dripping with sarcasm: “Oh, Natalie, you didn’t happen to ‘acquire’ that bag from some rich lady while you were delivering food, did you?!” “I know you’re afraid your classmates will find out you never went to college and are still delivering food, but you can’t steal someone else’s things to make yourself look good! That bag is worth a fortune; it’s enough to get you years in prison.” “Out of consideration for our past as classmates, we won’t report you. Just return the bag immediately and make a public apology. Maybe the rich lady will take pity on you and not press charges.” “Sarah, you need evidence when you make accusations. If you falsely accuse me of theft, I can sue you for defamation!” “I’m doing this for your own good, and you want to sue me? Everyone knows you’re broke. Stop pretending.” Jessica couldn’t help but remark, “Maybe Natalie hooked up with a rich guy.” “Jessica, you’re giving her too much credit. What rich guy would be blind enough to be interested in her?” Sarah walked directly in front of me, placing her own designer bag on the table beside mine. “See this? This is what real money buys. Ten thousand dollars.” She rolled her eyes at me. “Still pretending, you pauper.” Our classmates immediately looked at her with envious eyes. “Sarah, looks like you’re doing the best among us, carrying a ten-thousand-dollar bag!” Sarah beamed, thoroughly pleased with herself. “My husband is amazing. He just closed a huge deal, and his commission alone will be two hundred thousand dollars. Today, order whatever you want, everyone. My husband’s paying!” Everyone immediately began to flatter John, who was so puffed up with pride his chest seemed about to burst. John, menu in hand, lifted his chin and addressed the waiter: “Bring us all your most expensive dishes. One Australian lobster for each person. And open ten bottles of your most expensive wine!” I smiled. “As far as I know, that contract of yours hasn’t been signed yet, has it?” Sarah looked scornful. “So what? It’s a done deal, just needs the final signature.” “You haven’t even earned the commission yet, and you’re already buying such an expensive bag and ordering such costly dishes. What if the deal falls through, and you end up deep in debt?” “Shut your jinxing mouth! This deal is absolutely foolproof!” Once the food arrived, everyone started chatting idly. “Have you guys seen the trending news? A while ago, someone got incredibly lucky and won fifty million dollars in the lottery!” “Oh my God, I’m practically crying with envy! How many lifetimes would it take to spend that much money?!” “And I heard she donated a hundred million dollars right after winning, and even acquired several companies and invested in numerous projects. Those projects are all super profitable; it’s like money just makes more money!” “That person’s life is just too perfect. Not only did they get a windfall, but everything they invest in turns to gold.” Seeing their animated discussion, I couldn’t help but say, “Actually, that lottery winner is me.” The table fell silent for a moment, then erupted in uproarious laughter. Sarah laughed so hard tears streamed down her face. “Natalie, stop dreaming! With your pathetic luck, you couldn’t even win ten dollars, let alone five hundred million!” I merely offered a slight smile, offering no further explanation. Sarah then made a public announcement. “Classmates, John and I will be having our wedding in Bali! Everyone is invited; we’ll cover travel and accommodation!” “A Bali wedding must be incredibly expensive! You two are so extravagant!” “My husband is a top sales executive! He’ll have a continuous stream of big deals and commissions coming in. Of course, a top executive’s wedding needs to be grand!” After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, John called the waiter to pay. He swiped three credit cards, but it still wasn’t enough to cover the bill. “How is that possible? The credit limits aren’t enough! Bring me the bill; I want to see it!” The waiter handed him the bill. Our table’s total consumption was five hundred thousand dollars. John’s face immediately flushed with anger. “How can it be this much? Are you ripping us off?!” I scoffed from the side. “If you can’t afford it, don’t show off. I thought you were so rich, ordering all those expensive things.” John’s face burned with embarrassment, and he nudged Sarah with his elbow. “Lend me the five hundred thousand from your house sale first. I’ll pay the bill!” “No way! That’s my pre-marital asset!” “I’m not saying I won’t pay you back! I’m signing the deal tomorrow. As soon as the commission hits, I’ll pay you back immediately!” Sarah reluctantly pulled out her debit card and swiped it for the five hundred thousand dollars. My phone, lying on the table, suddenly chimed: “Bank transfer notification: Five hundred thousand dollars received.” All my classmates looked at me. Our class president, Mark, joked, “Natalie, how is it that as soon as John paid, you received five hundred thousand dollars? Could it be that the money they paid went directly to your account?” “Exactly,” I replied. “It went straight to my account. I just acquired this hotel. I was originally planning to treat everyone to dinner. But John and Sarah were so enthusiastic about treating you all, I didn’t want to argue with them.” Sarah rolled her eyes. “Natalie, can you stop pretending? You’ve been putting on an act since you walked in. You’re not embarrassed, but I’m so mortified for you I’m practically digging a hole with my toes.” “That voice notification? You can download any amount you want online.” I didn’t need to prove myself. I wasn’t there to flaunt my wealth. They had no idea yet that the company they were supposed to sign with had also been acquired by me. That deal was definitely not going to happen. Now that they had maxed out their credit cards, and wouldn’t be getting their commission, I wondered how they would repay their debts!

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To prevent my apprentice from falling into a forbidden romance with me, I spent ten years disguised as an old man. Only once, in a desperate attempt to save him, did my illusion fail. After that, he wouldn’t consider marrying anyone but me and nearly succumbed to dark magic. My only choice was to ask my junior, another instructor, to take on my appearance and deceive him. My foolish apprentice believed it. He fell for him, went crazy for him, and would have torn down walls for him. I ignored the flicker of irritation in my heart and continued to play the part of the old man. Until one night, he crept into my bed, loomed over me, and whispered, “Master, you are truly cruel. Did you really think I wouldn’t recognize that imposter?” 1 The Order of the Celestial Sword had three ironclad rules. One: No romance between master and apprentice. Two: When taking an apprentice, the master must be disguised as an old man to prevent romance. Three: Apprentices must not call their master “My Lord” or any other term of endearment. They must only use the title “Master” to prevent romance. Hence, our order was also known as the Order of the Old Men. I had been a dashing, youthful prodigy for a hundred and thirty-two years before it was finally my time to become an old man. Because this year, I took on an apprentice. His name was Caelus. He came from nothing, but his innate talent for magic was astonishing. I had to fight three of my fellow instructors to claim him. In the Great Hall, Caelus looked around. There was a stereotypical old man with white hair and an air of ancient wisdom. There was a flashy old man dripping in sparkling chains. And there was a rebellious old man with red hair, heavy makeup, and a snake coiled around his arm. Caelus’s face darkened as he asked the million-dollar question: “Why are they all old men?” The only one who wasn’t an old man was my junior, Alistair. Caelus pointed at him. “Can’t he be my master?” I couldn’t blame him. Alistair was a Fae, and when he had chosen his human form, he had, without my permission, used my face as a reference. His skill wasn’t perfect, so he only bore a passing resemblance to me, but among a sea of old men, he was a vision of youthful beauty. Alistair looked flattered. He’d been in the order for so long and still looked like a teenager because he was, frankly, a terrible mage and couldn’t attract a single apprentice. You think he didn’t want to be an old man? He was desperate for it. Alistair shot me a pleading look. “Senior…” I knew how badly he wanted an apprentice. But I whispered a dark threat in his ear. “Junior, are you sure about this? With your power level, are you certain the final trials won’t result in a double fatality?” My turn of phrase, a masterpiece of linguistic terror, must have spooked him. He stumbled back a few steps. “Perhaps… perhaps Senior should be the one to take him,” he stammered. Caelus’s opinion of me soured even further. But I was, arguably, the most normal-looking of the bunch. With no other choice, Caelus knelt before me, his face a stony mask. “Apprentice greets his lord.” That “my lord” was a thunderclap. Every old man in the hall instinctively clenched. I quickly stopped him. “Call me Master. Never ‘my lord’.” Caelus was confused. “But ‘master’ sounds like a blacksmith.” “Master, as in a paternal figure. Once a master, always a father. Can I not be a father to you?” Caelus looked me up and down. “But Master, you look old enough to be my grandfather.” I won’t say who was triggered. Isn’t there a rule that fantasy heroes can be a hundred, or a thousand, but never forty? I was one hundred and thirty-two, still in my prime! It was the first day, and my head was already starting to ache. I scoffed. “What’s wrong with being an old man? Old men get pensions.” 2 I was a renowned sword mage in the Order. Before I took an apprentice, they called me the Sword Saint. After I became an old man, I became “that old guy who’s really good with a sword.” Seeing Caelus still gazing longingly at Alistair’s face, I cleared my throat. “My boy, looks are fleeting. Your junior uncle Alistair may be young, but does he have my level of power? I am known as the Sword Saint. I may be old, but when I ascend to a higher plane, this entire Spire will be yours.” Caelus looked down, his eyes fixed on the gleaming sword in my hand. “Master, when are you ascending?” I was silent for a moment. “No need to ascend. You can have the sword now.” “Thank you, Master.” Caelus looked up, his delicate features set in a grim expression. Not a hint of a smile. It gave me the creeps. I put on a stern face and ordered him to practice three hundred sword swings. Caelus was obedient enough, diligently starting his practice under the hot sun. But he was malnourished and frail. Before he reached one hundred swings, his arms were already aching too much to lift. On the one-hundredth swing, the heavy sword pulled him off balance, and he collapsed. My heart lurched. I almost rushed forward to catch him. No. I can’t spoil him. My own grand-master, he had caught his apprentice when he fell from a tree. The next day, he was seen fleeing his apprentice’s chambers, clutching his rear. I had to be strict with Caelus to prevent any forbidden romance. There was no way I was falling in love with the head of the Disciplinary Council. I crossed my arms, nudged him with the toe of my boot, and taunted, “Is that all you can do? What’s the point of practicing the sword? You might as well go home and sell potatoes.” Caelus panted, glaring up at me with hatred in his eyes. I would later learn that his village was incredibly poor and survived by growing potatoes, but they never got to eat any of them themselves. But Caelus said nothing. He just gritted his teeth, pushed himself up, and continued to swing the sword, his body trembling. I stood there in the sun with him, watching for three long hours. When he finished the last swing, he could barely stand and fell to his knees, looking pathetic and wretched. I fought the urge to help him up and praise him. Instead, I tossed him a vial of priceless, life-restoring elixir. “Mediocre,” I said coolly. “Four hundred swings tomorrow. I’ll be watching.” My junior, Alistair, suddenly rushed over with a pile of things, wiping Caelus’s sweat and cooing, “Caelus, why are you so stubborn? If you’re tired, you just have to ask your uncle for a break.” Caelus leaned weakly against him, still glaring at me. He mustered all his strength to throw the elixir back at me. “Thank you for the gift, Master,” he said stiffly, “but I don’t need it!” You little rebel! I grabbed Caelus and in an instant, refined his spirit! No, I grabbed him and smacked his butt twice with the flat of my scabbard. Alistair tried to intervene. I shot him a sidelong glance. “You want some, too?” Alistair shut up. I forced the elixir into Caelus’s mouth. The pill dissolved instantly. His eyes widened as if to say something, but the immediate effect of the potion left him stunned. “For defying your master,” I said smugly, “one hundred extra swings tomorrow!” Caelus must hate me so much. He probably wants to kill me the moment he graduates. Perfect. Another day with my rear end safe and sound. 3 Under my harsh tutelage, Caelus grew more rebellious. I told him to do five hundred swings a day; he secretly did six hundred. Curious, I started hiding myself nearby to watch him practice. I discovered he had carved a wooden dummy in my likeness. A very handsome old man, I might add. Just as I was admiring my wooden doppelganger, he lopped its head off with one clean strike. Now it was just old. The way he attacked that wooden master… you couldn’t call it respectful, but you could definitely call it patricidal. I was so gratified. This way, even if we became enemies in the future, Caelus would only stab me in the chest, not in the… other place. I thought we could continue our days in mutual animosity, but one day, Caelus stumbled upon my grand-master and his apprentice. My grand-master has been vain since he was young. Also a sword mage, he had his sword encrusted with nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine diamonds. During duels, his opponents would be busy trying to pry the diamonds off his sword. Even after being forced to become an old man, he hadn’t changed. The Order had strict regulations for the old man illusions, down to the number of hairs, eyebrows, and wrinkles. But my grand-master, behind our backs, had secretly removed five wrinkles. Disgusting! At the time, I had cursed him in my heart. Dressing up like that all day, you’d better watch out or your apprentice will pin you down. My curse came true. Caelus was returning from practice and passed by my grand-master’s chambers. He saw my grand-master, disheveled and scowling, with his apprentice, Ronan, his hand resting possessively on his waist. It was too late for me to jump out and cover Caelus’s eyes. It was too late to explain that Ronan was just being a good apprentice and helping the old man. Because Ronan then leaned in and planted a loud kiss on my grand-master’s suspiciously smooth, recently-lifted face. Stop it! I watched as Caelus looked like he’d been struck by lightning, his mind exploding. His face went from green to black to white. I was hoping he’d pretend he saw nothing, that this sordid scene would just slide off his smooth, apprentice-like cerebral cortex. But then Ronan, with a look of pure satisfaction, said in a husky, post-coital voice, “My Lord, was I too rough today? You have to tell me if you’re uncomfortable!” Shut your mouth! Even an idiot like Caelus knew that “rough” didn’t refer to sword practice! His pupils were quaking. He could barely hold his sword. “You… you two!” My grand-master’s face changed, but Ronan was completely unfazed. “What about us? Little brother, this is a normal master-apprentice relationship. Isn’t it like this with you and your master?” “How is this normal?! Normal people don’t kiss their master’s face! And they don’t ask if they were too rough!” I nodded in the shadows. Ronan frowned. “Little brother, do you really need me to spell it out for you? Yes, my lord and I are in love! So what?” My grand-master looked like he wanted to die, hiding his face behind his diamond-studded sword. Caelus was devastated. “Brother,” he stammered, “you must be desperate…” Ronan smirked. “Don’t be so quick to judge, little brother. I hear your master, Lord Faelan, was the greatest beauty in the magical world in his youth. Maybe if you saw a portrait of him from back then, you’d understand.” Caelus held his ground. “I would never fall in love with an old man!” I was halfway through a nod. Then he asked, “My master… that old man… where can I find a portrait of him from when he was young?” My heart skipped a beat. I had a very bad feeling about this. 4 I remembered my younger days, before I was an old man. I was arrogant, proud of my looks. Every time I vanquished a demon, I would have the locals paint my heroic visage. As a result, portraits of me were more common in the Order than cockroaches. Every apprentice had one, not for admiration, but to pray to before exams. After I became an old man, they trusted me even more. They abandoned my youthful, handsome portraits and frantically bought up my old man ones. I really don’t understand young people these days. I checked all the portraits in the apprentices’ possession and confirmed they were all of the old man version of me before I finally relaxed. But then I returned to my own chambers to find the floor littered with portraits, and Caelus holding one up, about to unroll it. Oh, crap. I forgot about my own private collection! I paled, snatched the scroll from his hands, my voice cracking. “You insolent whelp! Did you see everything?” Caelus looked at me with a complicated expression and nodded. My heart sank. I scrutinized his face, terrified he had fallen in love with me. But he seemed perfectly normal, not like someone who had just seen my true face. But then I worried he was hiding his love deep in his heart. I cursed myself. Faelan, Faelan, if you had known this would happen, why did you have to go around telling everyone your grand-master got a facelift? Now his apprentice holds a grudge and lured Caelus into finding my portraits, nearly causing a catastrophe. I shakily picked up the scattered scrolls from the floor. I unrolled one and froze. What the hell is this? It was a white radish beating a tomato with a giant club. It took me a moment to remember. This was what the local villagers had painted: “The Saint Vanquishes the Crimson Fox.” When I told Caelus the title, he asked, confused, “So where is the Saint in this painting?” “The Saint is vanquishing the Crimson Fox.” “So he’s not in the painting?” “Mm, that seems to be the case.” Caelus asked cautiously, “Master, is it possible…” I forced a calm expression and cut him off. “Haha, you don’t think this white radish is me, the club is my sword, and the tomato is the Crimson Fox, do you?” “That would be ridiculous. So, impossible. Absolutely impossible!” Caelus’s expression was complex. He was silent for a long moment before saying, “…If you say so.” I moved on to the next one. The painting that unrolled was stunning: a vast, blue ocean, and a black dragon churning in the waves. It was masterfully done, capturing the ocean’s expanse and the dragon’s majesty. The only problem was, I still couldn’t find myself in the picture. Was it that hard to find a handsome guy like me? Caelus asked, “Master, is the Saint not in this painting either, but is slaying the dragon?” This kid. Can’t he be less obedient at a time like this? He’s even learned to apply logic. The little rebel! I suppressed my anger. “No. This painting is called ‘The Saint’!” “Then where is the Saint?” Yeah, where am I?

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The world knows me as Empress Seraphina, cherished above all else, the apple of the Emperor’s eye. What the world does not know is that my favorite secret is slipping out of the palace disguised as a young nobleman to watch the artistes at The Gilded Lyre. Today, the Emperor left under a simple guise to oversee drills at the city’s military garrison. Seizing the opportunity, I slipped out once more. I was enjoying the performance from a balcony seat when a lavishly dressed young lord and his retinue of thugs stormed into the hall. “My father’s finally let me off the leash! At last, a chance to see the beauties of The Gilded Lyre for myself!” he bellowed. “What’s this nonsense about ‘artistry, not favors’? I am a lord’s heir! Whomever I desire, I shall take!” This was The Gilded Lyre, where the artistes sold their craft, not their bodies. The sudden intrusion sent a wave of fear through the women on stage. The music faltered, the dancing ceased. The man advanced with a predatory smirk. “My father is the Lord Marshal of the Imperial Cavalry. To be noticed by me is the greatest fortune of your lives. Isn’t being my mistress better than being a common whore?” To have my rare escape interrupted like this… I frowned. Some petty lordling? I am the Empress. 1 The suffocating formality of the palace was a cage, and The Gilded Lyre was my one true sanctuary. Emperor Cassian knew of my little eccentricity and had always turned a blind eye to my visits. But today, just as I was losing myself in the show, chaos erupted below. I stood and peered over the railing. The man leading the disruption, the self-proclaimed heir, had to be Lord Sebastian, the only son of the Lord Marshal, Gideon Valerius. A lecherous grin was plastered across his face, his gaze slithering over the performers like a venomous snake. “The Gilded Lyre truly lives up to its name. These women are a cut above the common wenches in the brothels,” he sneered. “Today, this young lord will show you all some proper affection.” Madam Fleur, the proprietress of the house, was visibly terrified, but seeing the trembling girls on her stage, she squared her shoulders and stepped forward, forcing a veneer of calm. “Ah, Lord Sebastian! What a pleasant surprise to have you grace our establishment today.” “As all in the Capital know, the girls of The Gilded Lyre offer their art, not their bodies. I must ask you not to make things difficult for a humble woman like myself.” Lord Sebastian tore his eyes from the stage and fixed them on her. “You know who I am, yet you still dare to speak to me this way?” he scoffed. “Artistry, not favors? What a joke! When I take an interest in someone, I do as I please. Who are you to object?” He looked back to the stage and pointed a finger at one of the dancers. “You. Come down here. Let me have a proper look at you.” The girl’s face went deathly pale, but she stood frozen, unwilling to move. Madam Fleur took another step forward, blocking his view. “My lord, all the girls here are…” This time, she didn’t finish. Sebastian swung a fist, striking her hard in the chest. She flew backward, clutching her sternum, unable to rise. He glanced at her pathetic form with a contemptuous smirk and nodded to his men. They understood instantly, dragging the terrified girl from the stage and throwing her at Sebastian’s feet. My hands clenched the balcony railing, my knuckles turning white. That man, Gideon Valerius! A decorated war hero, and this is how he raised his son? Beside me, my lady-in-waiting, Lily, saw my grip and shook her head, her brow furrowed with worry. “My lord, you mustn’t. We are already breaking imperial decree by being here in disguise. We cannot afford more trouble.” “If you feel for these women, we can send the Imperial Guard when we return to the palace,” she whispered urgently. “If your identity is exposed, it will put His Majesty in a terribly difficult position.” Lily was my closest confidante. Whenever we left the palace, she called me ‘my lord’ and the Emperor ‘His Majesty.’ I understood her caution. I hesitated, but then Madam Fleur’s cry pierced the air again. “My lord, I beg of you, you cannot do this!” “These are good girls, trying to make an honest living with their talents. If you truly admire one, speak to her with kindness!” I looked down to see Sebastian forcing the young dancer into his arms, his foul mouth moving towards her face. She struggled desperately, but his strength was too much. In the split second before his lips touched her, I could no longer hold back. My voice boomed across the hall. “Stop!” 2 Seeing that scene, I cast all of Lily’s warnings to the wind. I understood her fears, of course, but as the Empress, if I could not protect a few women in a hall, how could I claim to protect the people of an empire? How could I be the Mother of the Realm? My shout drew Sebastian’s attention. His eyes swiveled up to meet mine. “Well, well. It seems we have a white knight for this fair maiden.” Lily tugged at my sleeve, her eyes darting nervously towards the thugs standing behind him. I knew we were outnumbered. Clearing my throat, I projected an air of authority. “I overheard you from my balcony. You must be the heir to the Lord Marshal’s house, are you not?” “A man of your station can have any woman he desires. Why trouble the artistes of The Gilded Lyre?” “Perhaps you could do me the honor of letting this matter rest for today?” Hearing my words, Sebastian released the girl and studied me, a calculating look in his eyes. “Do you an honor? And which noble house do you belong to, pray tell? I don’t recognize your face.” I cursed him silently. Which house? The Imperial House, you dolt! When I didn’t answer, he snorted and looked away. “Can’t even name your house. I suppose your family has no one of rank at court.” “You’re dressed well enough. At best, you’re the son of some lowly merchant. What gives you the right to speak to me?” “Now, get lost before you ruin my mood, or I’ll have you killed.” As he spoke, he reached for the girl again. Madam Fleur scrambled to her feet. Though she was trembling with fear and pain, she shielded the dancer with her own body. “My lord, they are all respectable girls. They came to The Gilded Lyre because they trusted me.” “I beg you, my lord, have mercy. Let them go.” As she spoke, she began to sink to her knees. Sebastian’s face twisted with impatience. He slapped her hard across the face, his voice dripping with venom. “I believe I told you once already. I am a lord’s heir. That I desire them is the greatest fortune of their lives.” “If you cannot understand simple words, then don’t blame me for what happens next.” “You are nothing but a collection of glorified whores, and you dare to bargain with me? One more word out of you, and I’ll have all of you shipped to the garrison to serve as camp whores!” The dancer behind Madam Fleur turned, gave a long, sorrowful look to her sisters on the stage, and then knelt before Sebastian. “My lord, you may do with me as you wish. I have only one request.” “I will go with you, if you will spare my sisters and Madam Fleur.” The girl knelt there, her eyes red and brimming, but she fought back her tears with fierce pride. This display seemed to amuse Sebastian. He grabbed her by the chin, his lust stark and undisguised. “You are in no position to bargain with me!” I could not bear it a moment longer. I rushed down, pulled the girl to her feet, and stood face-to-face with Sebastian, my eyes blazing. “The Lord Marshal fights on the battlefield to protect the people of this empire. Is this the lesson in honor he taught his son?” “You have spent years at his side in military camps. Do you think our soldiers shed their blood on the front lines, defending our homes and families, so that you could terrorize women in their name?” “Does this empire have no laws? Is there no justice?” My words were sharp and clear, but Sebastian only sneered, looking at me as if I were something he’d scraped off his boot. “Laws? A lowly merchant’s son dares to speak to me of laws?” “Fine. Today, I will teach you what the law is!” The moment he finished speaking, his men surged towards me. “My lord!” As Lily cried out, my nobleman’s hat was knocked from my head in the scuffle. A cascade of dark hair tumbled down my back. 3 Sebastian’s anger instantly transformed into stunned admiration. He raised a hand, halting his men. “Well, well. Not a young lord after all, but a lovely little lady.” “For such a pretty thing to play the hero… could it be you’ve taken a fancy to me?” “Come, little lady. I will be sure to treat you very, very well.” He advanced on me, his grin widening into a sickening leer. Lily threw herself in front of me, glaring at him with defiance. Sebastian paused, then reached out and snatched the cap from her head as well. “Just as I thought. No young man could be this pretty. Two little ladies, then.” “And you,” he said, looking at Lily, “you must be her maid. A waste not to enjoy you both.” “My men have followed me out today. It wouldn’t be right for me to have all the fun, would it?” At his words, his thugs swarmed Lily, pulling her away. I lunged to get her back, but Sebastian grabbed me by the waist, his grip like iron. I spun around and shoved him away. “Sebastian Valerius, I am warning you! If you dare to touch a single hair on our heads today, I swear I will have your entire house buried for it!” He showed no fear, licking his lips as his eyes devoured me. “Little lady, you still don’t seem to understand the situation, do you?” “My father is the Lord Marshal, appointed by the Emperor himself. I could marry a princess if I wished. What right does a mere merchant’s daughter have to threaten me?” “You are quite beautiful, I’ll give you that. How about this: if you agree to be my mistress, I will let these women of The Gilded Lyre go. What do you say?” I snapped. I slapped him hard across the face. “Insolence!” The lust in his eyes curdled into pure malice. He ran his tongue over the inside of his cheek and grabbed a fistful of my hair. “You bitch! You refuse my generosity?” “It is your great fortune that I even look at you, and you dare to lecture me? Who the hell do you think you are?” “You truly don’t fear death, do you? Then watch. Open your eyes and watch what happens to your little maid!” He yanked me forward, forcing my head to face Lily, and roared at his men. “You’ve all been cooped up in the garrison for too long, haven’t you? This little maid is quite a morsel, isn’t she? So soft, so tender. She’s yours.” “Show this little girl a good time.” “I want her mistress to see, to understand what happens when you defy me.” At his command, his men, who had been holding back, rubbed their hands together and closed in. The leader ripped away Lily’s outer tunic. Her pale skin was exposed to the room, and the men’s eyes glinted with a sharper hunger. I struggled with all my might, trying to break free. Strands of my hair were torn from my scalp, but I couldn’t move. Seeing Lily, clad only in her chemise, scrambling backward on the floor in terror, I found my voice and screamed. “How dare you!” “I am the reigning Empress! This is Lily, First Lady of the Empress’s Quarters!” “I’d like to see which one of you dares to touch her now!” 4 The moment my words rang out, Sebastian burst into laughter. “The Empress? If you’re the Empress, then I’m the Emperor!” “The Empress lives in seclusion. Why would she ever appear in a den of vice like this? Who do you think you’re fooling?” “What, you finally realize my father is second only to the Emperor himself? Are you scared now?” As he laughed, his grip loosened. I seized the chance, spun around, and kicked him with all my strength between the legs. He doubled over, gasping in pain. I scrambled to Lily’s side, snatching her torn tunic from the floor and throwing it over her shoulders. Sebastian, his face contorted in agony, pointed a trembling finger at me and roared. “This bitch! Beat her! Beat her senseless! The ungrateful wretch!” His men fell upon us, and a rain of fists and feet descended on me and Lily. She tried desperately to shield me, screaming at Sebastian. “This is the Empress! Are you all truly so eager to die?” “Do you think the law cannot touch you? When His Majesty learns of this, can you possibly bear the consequences?” “Stop! Stop it at once!” Sebastian strode forward and kicked Lily hard in the chest, hissing through clenched teeth. “The law? I am the law!” “You two madwomen seem to have become addicted to your own play-acting. The Empress? Do you even know which way the palace gates face?” He shoved Lily into the arms of one of his men, a terrifying darkness in his eyes. “This little maid is a gift to you all. Have your fun. If she dies, the blame is mine!” Then, his gaze fell on me. He grabbed my hair again, forcing my head up to meet his eyes. “As for you, you should thank that pretty face of yours. Otherwise, you’d be nothing but a toy for my servants as well.” “Come. Serve me well. If you please me, I might permit you to be my mistress.” He started dragging me towards a private room upstairs. I clawed at his face, my nails leaving bloody trails down his cheeks. “Sebastian Valerius, I am the Empress of this realm!” “Send a man to the military garrison right now! The Emperor is there today, inspecting the troops! Tell him I am at The Gilded Lyre, and he will come at once!” “Let Lily go now! If you don’t, when the Emperor arrives, I will make your entire house wish for death!” Cassian knew I loved to slip out of the palace. The mention of The Gilded Lyre would be enough. My scratching had broken his skin. His face turned livid with rage. He threw me to the ground and began kicking me relentlessly. “The Emperor? You dare mention the Emperor, you bitch?” “You should have done your research before starting this farce! If the Emperor were truly at the garrison, why would my father have given me the day off?” “I am a lord’s heir! It’s one thing for you to impersonate nobility in front of me, but to impersonate the Empress? I think you’ve grown tired of living!” Lily’s clothes were nearly shredded, and her terrified sobs echoed through the cavernous hall. I ignored the searing pain in my body and crawled to her, trying to shield her with my own. But Sebastian gave me no respite. He dragged me away from her, his fingers digging into my jaw. “Since you don’t want to join me in the private room, we can do it right here!” His men, grinning, swarmed around Lily, while his own hands began to grope me with desperate impatience. Madam Fleur and the other artistes were kneeling in a circle on the floor, pleading for us. “My lord, please let them go.” “From their clothes, these two ladies are clearly from a wealthy family. What if this causes trouble?” “We beg you, my lord, spare these two girls.” My voice was hoarse as I screamed at Sebastian. “Even if you don’t believe me! Have you considered the possibility—even one in a million—that I truly am the Empress?” “After what you have done to me today, can you bear the consequences? Can your family bear the consequences?” My outer robes were in tatters, my tunic hanging loosely from my chest. I could only cross my arms tightly over myself to keep from being completely exposed. When Sebastian couldn’t pry my arms away, he began slapping me again and again. He seemed to have lost all control. His breath came in ragged gasps as he looked around, snatched a porcelain vase from a nearby table, and brought it crashing down on my head. “I’ll bear the consequences? First, you should think about the consequences of impersonating the Empress!” “Impersonating royalty is a crime punishable by the execution of your entire clan! And you dare to impersonate the Empress herself!” “Everyone knows the Emperor adores the Empress! For her, he has even closed the royal concubinate and sworn never to take another consort!” “I’ll tell you what, you bitch. Become my mistress, and you might escape this. Otherwise, I will see every last member of your clan put to death!” The vase shattered. Shards flew everywhere. A warm liquid began to drip down my face. Lily’s bloodcurdling scream tore through the air beside me. “Your Majesty!” And in the next second, another voice, sharp and clear, sliced through the air above The Gilded Lyre. “Make way for the Emperor!” “Make way for the Lord Marshal!”

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My father and mother guarded the Northern Marches for ten years. They returned with an adopted daughter, a girl as beautiful and seemingy innocent as a lily. The moment we met, my family suddenly began to hear her innermost thoughts. Outwardly, she was warm and affectionate toward me, but in her heart, she seethed. “So this is the sister who was raised in the capital’s luxury. She’s never known the bitterness of the frontier. Dressed in such finery… she truly knows nothing of hardship.” The eyes of my father, mother, and brother turned on me, filled with blame. But what she didn’t know was that in this life, there was one more person who could hear her thoughts: me. … The sun beat down relentlessly as I stood alone under a parasol, waiting at the gate. A carriage slowly turned the corner, its simple canvas top a stark contrast to the grand, opulent manors lining the street. Before it had even stopped, a young woman leaped down. She was my age, her dark hair tied back with a simple red ribbon. She had the lively, almond-shaped eyes of a fawn, and every movement was filled with a playful, charming energy. “You must be my sister from the capital. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Seraphina.” Her words were sweet, but I already knew the venom in her heart. Sure enough, as my parents and my brother, Gareth, hurried out of the carriage after her, I heard that secret voice again. “My sister has lived in the capital her whole life, never tasting the bitterness of the Marches. Look at her, so extravagantly dressed. She knows nothing of true suffering. A single one of her hairpins could probably cover a soldier’s wages for a year, couldn’t it?” My parents and brother froze, their expressions hardening. They shot me accusing glances. It was just like in my past life. I had been filled with joy, eagerly awaiting my family’s return, only to be met with their instant, baseless resentment. No matter what I did—or even if I did nothing at all—Seraphina’s “inner voice” would guide them to turn their hearts against me. I had done nothing, yet I became a spoiled, disrespectful degenerate in their eyes. I died of a broken heart. Seraphina, however, had used my life as a stepping stone, becoming a celebrated paragon of humility and strength. But now, I no longer felt the sting of their coldness as I had in my past life. I simply nodded at my parents and my brother. “Father. Mother. Gareth.” Then I turned and walked back into the manor, not caring whether they followed. Behind me, Seraphina’s inner voice chimed in again. “Why won’t my sister speak to me? Is she trying to put me in my place? These ladies from the capital are always so wrapped up in their petty games. They have none of the simple honesty of the frontier people.” My mother, hearing this, bristled with indignation. “My lord, this daughter of ours has no manners at all!” My father, Lord Marshal Valerius, said nothing, his face a grim mask. Gareth couldn’t hold back. “I have no sister so rude and arrogant. In my heart, my only sister is Seraphina!” Seraphina was clearly delighted but put on a show of magnanimity. “Perhaps my sister feels that I’ve stolen our parents’ affection. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have presumed to call myself their daughter.” Hearing her usually cheerful adopted daughter speak so humbly, and seeing the tears welling in her almond eyes, a fire of rage ignited in my mother’s heart. She scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. “You are my daughter, Seraphina, and no one can take that place! Don’t you waste your tears on someone so inconsequential.” My father and Gareth rushed to comfort her as well. How absurd. My own parents, on the very first day of their return, calling their own flesh and blood “inconsequential” for the sake of an adopted child. My chest felt hollow. It should have ached. It should have been breaking with grief, with an unbearable agony. But it felt nothing. In my last life, the heart that had yearned for my parents and missed my brother had already died. It died when Gareth gave Seraphina the holy scriptures I had painstakingly copied, just so she could tear them apart for fun. It died when my mother, cradling a drenched Seraphina who had “fallen” into the lake, accused me of having a viper’s heart. It died when my father had me flogged, forcing me to give up my position as companion to the princess so that Seraphina could have it. I walked briskly to the main hall and turned, cutting through their tender family moment without a shred of emotion. “It is time for the evening meal.” The chatter behind me ceased. Perhaps they had suddenly remembered that the “inconsequential person” was still there. My mother’s embarrassment quickly turned to fury. “What is this attitude?” she snapped. “Is this how you treat your parents?” “Disrespectful to your parents, cruel to your sister… How did I ever give birth to a daughter like you?” I feigned confusion, tilting my head as I looked at her twisted, angry face. “I merely announced that it was time to eat. How is that disrespectful?” It was like punching a pillow. She was left speechless. Finally, my father intervened. “Enough! Both of you, be silent!” he commanded. “To the dining hall. Now.” In the hall, we took our seats around a large, mahogany table. But on its vast surface were only a few bowls of thin gruel and some meager vegetables. Seeing the simple fare, Gareth slammed his chopsticks down. “What is the meaning of this? Are you intentionally trying to starve us?” Seraphina tried to smooth things over. “Gruel and vegetables are fine. Our sister worked hard to prepare them.” But in her heart, she murmured, “My sister has seen every delicacy the capital has to offer, yet she prepares only this for us. Can she truly hate me this much? I should find a chance to tell our parents to send me away. I can’t be the cause of a rift in this family!” My father finally spoke, his voice a command. “Kneel!” I remained standing, unmoved. In my past life, because of Seraphina’s inner voice, the lavish feast I had prepared was seen as proof of my decadence. It was Seraphina herself who had clutched her heart and declared that the soldiers on the frontier were suffering, and that a simple meal of gruel would have been more than enough. And now, I had prepared the simple meal they wanted. Why were they still angry? When I didn’t move, Gareth lunged forward and grabbed my arms, forcing me down with brutal strength. He had trained in combat since he was a boy and had been hardened by years in the army. I, a girl raised in the gentle confines of the capital, was no match for his power. In an instant, bruises bloomed on my wrists as he forced me to my knees. My father pointed at me, calling me a disgrace. Gareth’s voice was laced with accusation. “You feast on delicacies every day in the capital, and this is what you prepare for our parents’ return? You are an unworthy daughter!” “And how, brother, would you know that I feast on delicacies every day?” I asked, my voice weak. My frail body couldn’t withstand his assault, and a mouthful of blood suddenly spilled from my lips. Seeing me cough up blood, Gareth released me in shock. I wiped the blood from my chin, my voice cold. “When our grandmother was alive, she forbade me from eating meat. At every meal, I was allowed only half a bowl of gruel. For you and our parents, I specifically ordered the kitchen to bring a full bowl. How does that make me an unworthy daughter?” My grandmother had despised my mother. After my mother abandoned me at the age of three to follow my father to the frontier with Gareth, her cruelty toward me only intensified. Half a bowl of gruel was a regular occurrence. If she was in a foul mood, I would be forced to kneel for hours on an empty stomach. It was a laughable shame—the daughter of the renowned Lord Marshal, starving in his own home. But it was the truth. My parents’ expressions flickered. They knew of their mother’s nature. My mother, remembering the years of torment she had endured under her mother-in-law, finally felt a genuine pang of sympathy for me. Tears streamed down her face as she helped me up. “My poor child, you’ve suffered.” “Your brother didn’t mean it. We are all family. Don’t take it to heart.” I said nothing, staring at the dark bruises on my arms. My father shoved Gareth forward. He stumbled, hung his head, and mumbled an apology. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have pushed you.” Seraphina rushed over, dabbing at the bloodstains on my gown with her handkerchief. “Oh, sister, it pains my heart to see you like this!” But in her mind, she was saying, “Yes, my sister has suffered, but it wasn’t Gareth’s fault. Why must she be so aggressive about it?” At her words, the atmosphere shifted once more. Gareth’s guilt vanished without a trace. The pity in my parents’ eyes faded, replaced by annoyance at my “impertinence.” I had no desire to deal with them. I turned and walked away. As I left, my father called after me, “Tomorrow, you will go to the palace. The Queen will be selecting a companion for the Princess. Remember to help your sister.” In the Royal Gardens, the Queen sat on the main dais, with Princess Aurelia nestled by her side. Princess Aurelia was the youngest child of the King and Queen, doted upon and known for her spirited, whimsical nature. In my past life, she had chosen me to be her companion. Not because of any great talent, but simply because she thought I was beautiful. It was as simple as that. But Seraphina, in her inner voice, had convinced my parents that I had used tricks to ensure she wasn’t chosen. I was punished, forced to kneel before the ancestral tablets in our dark family chapel to “reflect on my sins.” My father took the family scourge to me, the horsewhip lashing my back again and again. He demanded that I “repent” and give up my position. No matter how I explained, he only believed the “inner voice.” But a companion chosen by the royal family was not a position one could simply relinquish. In the end, he had to trade his military merits to secure Seraphina a place in the palace. Now, I watched Seraphina perform on the dais. She wielded a light, flexible sword, her red tunic rustling as she moved, drawing gasps of admiration from the other noble ladies. But Princess Aurelia looked bored. Everyone assumed her spirited nature would draw her to a unique woman like Seraphina. But the princess had a secret preference for delicate, willow-like beauties. After Seraphina stepped down, I took the stage, dressed in a gown of flowing silk with gossamer sleeves, my eyebrows painted like willow leaves, my eyes full of gentle grace. At first glance, I looked like a celestial maiden descended to earth. I hadn’t even begun my performance when Princess Aurelia started tugging on the Queen’s arm, whining like a spoiled child. “Mother, I want her!” Just like last time, Seraphina’s eyes immediately reddened with tears. And just like last time, when Gareth came to collect us, she made a show of congratulating me. “Congratulations, sister, on winning the princess’s favor and becoming her companion.” But in her heart, she sobbed, “The princess seemed so interested during my performance. Why did she choose my sister the moment she appeared?” Those ambiguous words had been the evidence that condemned me in my past life. This time, I couldn’t be bothered to feign a sisterly bond. “The princess likes me, so she chose me,” I said languidly. “There is nothing to congratulate.” Gareth frowned. “Seraphina lost her chance, and you’re here gloating. You’re disgusting.” I didn’t even look at him. I simply lifted the curtain of the carriage and stepped inside. My cool voice drifted out. “Are you driving this carriage or not? If not, I’ll find someone else. I have no time to waste on your squabbling.” Back at home, the same scene from my past life played out. My mother held Seraphina, comforting her, while my father ordered me to the chapel to “reflect.” I rolled my eyes disdainfully. “Tomorrow, the princess will summon me to the palace as her companion. Are you certain you want me to be on my knees all night, Father?” I had specifically asked the princess for this favor, anticipating this very move. My father’s face turned crimson with rage, pointing at me and sputtering, unable to form a coherent sentence. I turned my back on him, leaving him with only my cold silhouette. The next morning, no one came to see me off. The coachman was in a difficult position. “My lady,” he explained in a hushed tone, “it’s not that I want to make things hard for you, but the Lord Marshal has forbidden me from taking you to the palace. My hands are tied!” I didn’t blame him. I turned left out the gate and hired a carriage from the livery stable down the street. Fools. Did the border sands scour the sense from their heads? They’ve forgotten you can hire a carriage right outside your own door. At the palace, I was not surprised to see Seraphina. My father had rushed to the palace the night before to ensure her wish was granted. Princess Aurelia hadn’t arrived yet. Seraphina was deep in conversation with a girl whose makeup was exquisitely applied. It was Duchess Isolde. In my past life, she had been envious of Seraphina’s “freedom” on the frontier and had taken her as a confidante. When Seraphina hinted that I was suppressing her, Isolde had taken it upon herself to be her champion. She was the one who had ruined my reputation and had me driven from the palace in shame. In this life, she and Seraphina had become friends once again.

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My husband died suddenly. Then, his first love showed up at my door, pregnant and holding his will, ready to claim her inheritance. My daughter told me to stand up for myself, to fight the other woman to the bitter end. But my in-laws pulled me aside. “Just let her have it,” they said. “After all, she’s carrying our family’s bloodline. Our son did you wrong, we know, but the family line has to continue.” I nodded and agreed to their request. Ignoring my daughter’s protests, I packed our bags and moved us abroad. When my daughter raged at me for being a doormat, I remained silent. But when I received a call from a familiar number, a satisfied smile spread across my face… 1 The funeral was crowded. Beyond our friends and family, many of my husband Nathan’s colleagues and business partners had come to pay their respects. When they saw Lila, Nathan’s first love, arrive with a swollen belly and a will in her hand, their faces became a fascinating medley of shock, pity, and morbid curiosity. Many of them shot furtive glances my way but said nothing, seemingly waiting to see how I would react. It was clear they were all ready for a show. “Clara, I know Nathan and I have wronged you,” Lila began, her voice trembling for effect. “But… I’m having his child. I have to think about the baby’s future. I know this isn’t right, but this is the last gift Nathan left for me and our child. You can’t be so cruel as to take that away from us, can you?” “Oh, spare me!” my daughter, Chloe, exploded. “You shameless, homewrecking parasite! You snuck around with my father behind my mother’s back, and now you have the nerve to show up here, pregnant, demanding his money? I have never seen anyone as disgusting as you!” Her face was flushed with rage, the veins in her neck bulging. She looked like she wanted to tear Lila limb from limb. “Chloe! Where are your manners? I don’t recall your mother raising you to be such a shrew!” The sharp words came from my mother-in-law, Eleanor. She shot me a glare. “Is this how you raise your child?” “Grandma… she destroyed my parents’ relationship. She wrecked their marriage. And you not only refuse to help Mom, but you’re siding with an outsider to attack us? What are we to you?!” Chloe, usually so well-behaved, stood in front of me like a fierce mother bird protecting her nest. The sight moved me deeply, but also filled me with a pang of shame. Eleanor was momentarily stunned by Chloe’s outburst, then her face contorted with fury. “Insolence! Utter insolence! A little girl daring to lecture her elders? The adults in this family are still alive, so it’s not your place to speak!” She then turned her venom on me. “I always said having a daughter was useless!” My father-in-law, George, stepped forward. “This is a conversation for adults. Children should stay out of it. If you don’t learn to be quiet, don’t blame me for teaching you a lesson!” He finished with a hard stare at Chloe. His gaze then shifted from Lila to me. “Clara, I know you’ve been a part of this family for thirteen years. We’ve seen the kind of person you are, and we’ve always considered you one of us. I hope you can try to see things from our perspective.” Hearing his words, I asked calmly, “And what is that?” “Well…” George hesitated, then pressed on. “Lila told us… the baby is a boy. Our family has only had one son for generations. We want her to have this child. But now that Nathan is gone, it will be hard for her to raise him alone. We hope you won’t fight her for the inheritance.” Eleanor immediately chimed in. “Just let her have it. She’s carrying our family’s bloodline. Our son did you wrong, we know, but the family line has to continue.” My daughter spoke before I could. “So I’m not his child? Am I not his legacy? What am I in your eyes?” Her eyes, red-rimmed, were fixed on her grandparents, her voice trembling. I knew my in-laws never truly valued my daughter, but I never imagined they would say such things to her face. I realized then that all the affection they’d ever shown her had been a performance. In their hearts, a granddaughter meant nothing. Hearing Chloe’s question, Eleanor dropped the act. “I never said you weren’t his child. But… you’re a girl. How can a girl carry on the Thorne family name? After all the love your father showed you over the years, you won’t even do this one thing for him? You’re a disgrace!” George’s face was grim. “We are speaking to your mother. A child should not interrupt!” He looked back at me. “Clara, for the sake of the years we’ve been family, I hope you’ll understand.” I looked at them, my voice flat. “So, you knew about my husband and Lila all along?” My question hung in the air. Both of them froze, their faces a mask of awkwardness as they exchanged guilty glances. Seeing this, Chloe’s expression turned to one of pure disgust. “Grandma, Grandpa, I can’t believe I respected you. You were always lecturing me about honor and decency, but it turns out… you’re both just as shameless as she is!” “You wretched girl, what did you just say?! Are you tired of living?!” Eleanor shrieked and lunged for Chloe, but I pulled my daughter behind me. “Why would you hit her? Was she wrong?” I asked, my voice ice-cold. Eleanor glared at me, then at Chloe hiding behind me. She let out a cold snort. “Fine. I see how it is. My son is gone, so now you two think you can disrespect your elders, that I mean nothing to you?” She threw herself dramatically in front of Nathan’s memorial portrait. “Oh, my son! You left us too soon! Now your wife and daughter are ganging up on us poor old people! They won’t listen to a word we say! All we wanted was to ensure your legacy lives on through Lila’s child… why can’t they understand our simple wish?” The guests watched her histrionics with varying expressions. Some looked disgusted, others nodded in agreement, and a few, sensing high drama, pulled out their phones to record. Eleanor’s sobs were gut-wrenching, a truly pathetic performance. George took his cue and approached me, his voice heavy with false sincerity. “Clara, I know our family has wronged you, but… we truly want to continue the Thorne family line. And we need Nathan’s estate to raise the child. Please, agree to our request.” “Mom! Don’t listen to them!” Chloe squeezed my hand tightly, trying to give me strength. Seeing my daughter trying so hard to protect me, tears welled in my eyes. I reached out and stroked her hair. “It’s okay, sweetie. Let Mom handle this. I’ve already made my decision.” 2 At my words, Chloe nodded obediently. I looked at my in-laws, then at Lila. “It’s the company Nathan left behind that you want, isn’t it?” “Lila used to work there,” Eleanor said. “She knows how to run it. And let’s be honest, even if you and Nathan started it together, you quit after you got married. The company… it’s really my son’s personal property.” I stared at her. “You even know that? So you’ve known about their affair for a long time? You all conspired with Nathan to hide it from me? By the way, why haven’t you mentioned the other house Nathan owned? Oh, that’s right, it’s registered in your names. I suppose you had that all planned out, too?” Eleanor coughed, her face flushed with embarrassment, and said no more. Lila looked away guiltily and gestured to her lawyer. “You go talk to her.” The lawyer, though visibly uncomfortable, stepped forward. “Ms. Thorne, we have a document here. If you are willing to voluntarily relinquish your claim, you can sign this agreement, which states you will not pursue this matter any further.” I looked at them all and nodded. “Fine. If this is what you want, I agree.” “Mom!!!” Chloe stared at me in disbelief. The crowd of onlookers gasped in surprise. My in-laws’ faces lit up with joy. “Really?!” Eleanor chirped. “You can’t go back on your word!” Lila and her lawyer also looked astonished, but their surprise quickly turned to suspicion, as if they were waiting for the other shoe to drop. “What are your terms?” Lila asked. I nodded. “Of course, I have terms. From this day forward, I and the Thorne family are finished. My daughter as well. You will never contact us again.” I turned to Chloe, seeking her approval. “You’ll come live with me, right? Okay?” Chloe looked at me with a heart-wrenching mix of anger and disappointment. “Mom, of course I’ll live with you, but… but we can’t just let that homewrecker have Dad’s money! Please, don’t be so weak! Toughen up! I’d rather we starve together than let them get away with this! If we’re going down, we should take them with us!” Her words enraged Eleanor again. “You little brat, you say that one more time! I told you girls were useless! All they do is cause trouble for their own family!” Looking at my daughter, I saw a reflection of my younger self—kind, impulsive, unable to keep anything bottled up. I felt both proud and deeply sorry. “Chloe, please, just do this for me, okay? Your father stopped loving us a long time ago. He even planned his will to leave everything to his first love, without a thought for us… and your grandparents are the same. Why should we cling to the inheritance of a man like that?” Chloe’s eyes were red. “Mom, even if you think his money is tainted, we should donate it to charity before we let her have it! Please, don’t be so foolish!” “You insolent child!” George raised his cane to strike my daughter, but I stepped in front of her. CRACK! The cane hit my back with such force that I winced, a sharp, biting pain shooting through me. It was clear he had no intention of sparing his own granddaughter. “You…” George stared at me, shocked. “You’ve hit me, you’ve cursed me. All you want is Nathan’s company, right? I’m giving it to you, isn’t that enough?” I sobbed. “Nathan betrayed me, you all helped him hide it, and now that he’s dead, you’re ganging up on a grieving widow and her child… Can’t you just let us go in peace?” I turned to the uneasy lawyer. “I’ll sign the agreement.”

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The night I first told Doreen I loved her, she wept uncontrollably. She said she had seen the future, and she wanted to make a pact with me. When I asked her why, she only said, “I can’t remember the details, only that my future self is filled with a terrible, soul-crushing regret. Noah, promise me. No matter what happens, you’ll give me three chances. Please.” Deeply in love, of course, I agreed without a second thought. But in the years that followed, as she and her male assistant became inseparable, joined at the hip, she seemed to forget all about it. Only now do I understand why she made me promise. Because the moment my pen touched the divorce papers, I heard a familiar voice. It was the voice of the nineteen-year-old Doreen. She was crying. “Noah, you promised me, didn’t you? You promised you would give me three chances.” 1 “Mr. Bond, a man as magnanimous as you will surely step aside and let Doreen and me be happy together, won’t you?” The message on my phone was from Finn, Doreen’s assistant. Below the text was a gallery of photos and videos. A passionate embrace under the Eiffel Tower. Whispering sweet nothings before the masterworks of the Louvre. And then, them, completely naked on the white sands of the Maldives. There were even photos of them in the throes of passion against a floor-to-ceiling window, the city lights a glittering backdrop to their betrayal. It was only then that I truly understood. The Doreen I knew was gone. We had met when we had nothing. For the sake of her acting career, I worked from dawn till dusk, pouring every cent I earned into her auditions, into networking for her, into her dream. For seven years, I was so exhausted I’d fall asleep on the subway home. I drank so much at business dinners that I ended up with a bleeding ulcer. All of it to build a company from scratch, to build a foundation for her. And Doreen had finally made it. She was a superstar, adored by millions. But all the things we had once dreamed of doing together, she chose to do with her little assistant instead. I didn’t hesitate any longer. I drew up the divorce papers. Just as my pen was about to sign my name, a voice, sudden and ethereal, whispered in my ear. “Noah, don’t. You promised me three chances, didn’t you?” The familiar sound struck me like a bolt of lightning. I trembled, turning my head. There she was—the nineteen-year-old Doreen, standing before me, her form translucent, ethereal. She was wearing the simple three-hundred-dollar dress I’d bought for her with money from a part-time job I’d squeezed in between my other work. In that dress, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I stared at the ghost of the girl I fell in love with, and a slow, bitter smile spread across my face. “Alright. Three chances it is.” Just then, my phone rang again. “Noah Bond! I’ve told you a thousand times, stop bullying Finn! He’s just my assistant, and he’s exhausted from traveling the world with me!” The voice on the other end was the current, twenty-seven-year-old Doreen. I put her on speaker, and her angry words filled the room. “If you cause any more trouble, that trip to the beach I promised you is off!” I glanced at the nineteen-year-old Doreen beside me. A gentle smile touched my lips, which only made her spectral face contort with anger. “How can she talk to you like that! How dare she!” The younger her was shaking with rage. The older her was cold as ice. “Feeling bold, are we, Noah? You have a woman with you now? Get yourself to the Aether Tower in the next thirty minutes, or else…” The nineteen-year-old Doreen abruptly hung up the phone for her. I just said, my voice soft, “That’s the first chance, Doreen.” I wasn’t sure if I was saying it to her, or to myself. It took me forty minutes to get to the Aether Tower. The traffic around the skyscraper, the monument to her success, was gridlocked. When I finally reached her penthouse office and pushed open the door, her voice snapped at me instantly. “Noah, I warned you. Be here in thirty minutes. And now…” “Yes.” I cut her off, my voice flat, and casually sat down on the sofa. Her assistant, Finn, was also in the office. His head was bowed, his eyes were red, and he was clutching his left wrist. My indifferent attitude seemed to provoke Doreen further. She slammed her hand on the desk. “Noah, what is this attitude? Are you still refusing to admit you were wrong?” Before I could speak, Finn did. “It’s okay, Doreen. It was just a watch. It’s not Noah’s fault.” His words only made her angrier. She suppressed her fury, turning to him with a gentle, soothing voice. “What do you mean it’s not his fault? He’s so petty he’d steal the birthday present I gave you. Don’t worry, I won’t take his side.” She whipped her head back to me, her tone turning sharp as a razor. “Noah, I’m giving you one last chance. Give the watch back to Finn.” This had happened countless times. Finn would frame me, and no matter how I explained, it was useless. The Doreen who had once trusted me unconditionally now only suspected me unconditionally. I was done arguing. I stood up, unclasped the worn watch from my wrist, and tossed it lightly at Finn’s feet. The act made both Doreens—the past and the present—speak at once. The nineteen-year-old cried, “Noah, I’m begging you, please… don’t do this.” But the twenty-seven-year-old’s eyes were bloodshot, her rage finally boiling over. “Noah! Have I been too good to you?!” 2 The watch lying at her feet was the only one I owned. She had given it to me after she landed her first real role. It was just a supporting part, but we had been ecstatic for weeks. After filming wrapped, she used her meager salary to buy me that two-thousand-dollar watch. I never wore another one after that day. I still remember how she placed it in my hand, her own hand trembling, her eyes red with what felt like guilt for not being able to give me more. “Noah,” she had whispered, “this is all I have right now. When I make it big, I swear I’ll buy you the one you’ve always wanted.” And she did buy that watch eventually. She just didn’t give it to me. She gave it to Finn. I turned to leave, too tired for this. “You—!” the older Doreen sputtered, speechless with rage. Finn, however, was quick to console her. “Doreen, calm down. Maybe the birthday present you gave me was really important to Noah. If that’s the case, then it was my fault. It’s only natural he’d send someone to take it back. Don’t blame him. I’ll be fine.” His voice dropped. “Besides, no one’s ever celebrated my birthday with me before. Just having you there was enough. The gift doesn’t matter.” His words calmed Doreen’s ragged breathing. She managed to give me a slightly less hostile look. “Noah, give Finn back his watch. I’ll buy you a better one later.” “No, thank you. The one on the floor, and any you might buy in the future… I don’t want them.” With those cold words, I strode out of the office. But the nineteen-year-old Doreen rushed up and clung to my arm. “Noah, Noah, don’t… can we get the watch back? Please? I gave that to you.” Her eyes were red, but her tone was hesitant, as if she were afraid of making me angry. I looked at her fresh, beautiful face, and my heart softened. “Alright. But this is the second chance. Are you sure you want to use it?” She nodded without a moment’s hesitation. I gently stroked her hair and turned back from the elevator. I pushed the office door open again, only to find a scene that made the nineteen-year-old Doreen’s spirit rage. Finn had Doreen in his arms, whispering intimately in her ear. They sprang apart the moment I entered. “Noah, when did you become so rude? Don’t you know to knock before entering someone’s office?” I shot her a cool glance and walked straight toward them, bending down to retrieve the watch. But Finn subtly stepped on the watchband, pinning it to the floor. I had no choice but to stand up again. Finn looked at me, his eyes downcast. “Noah, I was just comforting Doreen because she was so upset. Please don’t be angry.” Seeing Finn play the victim again, the older Doreen couldn’t hold back. “Noah, look at yourself. What have you become? Finn is so understanding, yet you torment him again and again. Apologize to him.” I ignored her, my eyes locked on Finn, my own anger barely contained. “Could you please move?” He pretended not to hear. “Noah, I really didn’t mean anything by it.” Doreen grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at her. “Apologize to Finn.” I looked at her furious face, then turned my head slightly to look at the ghost beside me. She was frozen, silent tears streaming down her face. My heart ached for her. The anger inside me dissipated. “I’m sorry,” I said softly. 3 “Oh, Noah, you don’t have to do that, really.” Finn took a cautious step back, but I saw the flicker of a triumphant smile on his lips. I ignored whatever else Doreen was saying, bent down, picked up the battered watch, and left the office. On the way out of the Aether Tower, the nineteen-year-old Doreen was sobbing, apologizing to me over and over. I stroked her head. “It’s okay, Doreen. You didn’t do anything wrong.” I looked at her lovely face and asked gently, “Do you know what tomorrow is?” She looked at me blankly, then glanced at the date on the car’s display. A blush crept up her cheeks, and her expression turned to one of excitement. “It’s the day you’re going to propose to me.” Yes. Six years ago, on our first anniversary, I had made her a promise. Whether we were rich or poor, on Valentine’s Day six years from then, I would propose to her on the beach. “That’s my girl. So, will you come with me tomorrow?” My voice was gentle. Her nineteen-year-old eyes were filled with stars as she looked at me. Then, as if she’d made a momentous decision, she told me a secret. “Noah, do you know why I know about the future?” “The night you told me you loved me, I made a wish on a shooting star. I wished to see our future. But I wasn’t allowed to remember it… until midnight tomorrow. Then, I’ll remember everything I saw.” A single tear rolled down her spectral cheek. “So tomorrow night… she will regret it.” But none of us could have predicted how it would play out. The twenty-seven-year-old Doreen did appear on the beach. She just wasn’t there for our date. “Noah, you’ve been spying on me? You followed me all the way here? Fine. You’re really something else!” The beach where I had planned to propose was now covered in roses, with elaborate fireworks set up behind them. And in the center of it all stood the twenty-seven-year-old Doreen, her hand still firmly clasped in Finn’s, even as she looked at me. “The three chances are used up, Doreen,” I murmured. Beside me, the nineteen-year-old Doreen grabbed my arm, her voice desperate. “Noah, Noah, don’t. Maybe she prepared this for you. Let’s just go see, please?” Her voice was almost a beg. But the older Doreen’s voice was like ice. “Noah, get over here!” I gave my ghostly companion a gentle look, then walked toward them. “Noah! What more do you want?” Doreen snapped the moment I was close. “You stole Finn’s watch, and I let it go. Now I’m trying to make it up to him with a fireworks display, and you want to ruin this too?” I shrugged. “Not at all. I’m here to enjoy the fireworks. If you don’t mind, I’ll just take a seat.” My casual demeanor seemed to stun her into silence. I paid her no more mind, taking the sobbing nineteen-year-old Doreen by the hand and leading her to a spot on the sand. I tried to comfort her, but her tears wouldn’t stop. Seeing that I wasn’t going to cause a scene, the older Doreen relaxed. She and Finn began to openly embrace, whispering and laughing together, completely ignoring me. I felt nothing. I just held the nineteen-year-old Doreen’s cold, small hand. As the hours passed and night deepened, just as Valentine’s Day was about to end, the fireworks shot into the sky. Beneath the explosions of light and color, I took the ring I had prepared from my pocket. I knelt on one knee before the nineteen-year-old Doreen and said softly, “Doreen, will you marry me?” She covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears. “You… you still want to marry me?” “Of course. I will always love the you that is here right now.” I looked into her eyes, sincere and devoted. The starlight in them was the love of my life. After a long moment, she nodded emphatically and held out her left hand. “Noah, I do. I do.” I smiled, my heart full, and gently took her hand. But just as I was about to slip the ring onto her finger, the clock struck midnight. The nineteen-year-old Doreen dissolved into motes of starlight, vanishing completely before my eyes. The tears I had been holding back finally fell. “Goodbye, my love.” At that moment, a man’s voice, sharp and unwelcome, spoke from behind me. “Doreen, look at him. Poor Noah looks so pathetic, all alone. Who is he even proposing to? I guess I’m the lucky one, having you by my side.” I turned. At some point, Finn had led Doreen to stand behind me. From an angle she couldn’t see, his face was a mask of pure mockery. But Doreen… Doreen was weeping, her face awash with tears.

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