Category: English

The day my husband’s first love returned to the country, I rushed to pack my bags and run. But my husband pressed down on my suitcase. “Where are you going so late?” “Celeste is back. I should step aside.” Before he could respond, my Father-in-law, Mr.Bob and mother-in-law, Ms.Bella were already upset. “Nonsense!” Mr.Bob, grabbed my suitcase and dragged it back inside. Ms.Bella took my hand and comforted me. “The Morrison family only recognizes you as our daughter-in-law.” My husband hugged me tightly with an amused expression. “Silly girl, I forgot about her long ago. Now I only love you.” But I calmly wrote down how Celeste would frame me after her return: 1. Mock me for being just a substitute 2. Spill red wine on herself at the banquet and accuse me 3. Fall down the stairs and frame me for it Mr.Bob and Ms.Bella gasped. Ms.Bella immediately sent the list to her assistant: “Starting tomorrow, everyone in the estate wears a body camera!” My husband looked at the last item and laughed: “Don’t worry, she’s a good person. She would never hurt you.” Until Celeste White saw me for the first time: “So this is Scarlett? She does look quite like me. Landon, you’ve done well for yourself these past few years~” The moment Celeste’s words fell, Mr.Bob, Ms.Bella, and Landon all froze. I helplessly spread my hands, silently conveying with my eyes: “See? I told you so.” However, unexpectedly, Celeste’s tone shifted. She walked forward with a beaming smile and gently took my hand: “Scarlett, don’t misunderstand. I mean, Landon is blessed to marry such a beautiful wife as you. You two are well-matched.” Her tone was sincere, her gaze warm, leaving me momentarily dazed. This white moonlight wasn’t following the script? Landon gently wrapped his arm around my waist and whispered in my ear: “See, I told you you were overthinking. Celeste is a good person. She won’t make things difficult for you.” Mr.Bob and Ms.Bella also breathed a sigh of relief. Ms.Bella patted the back of my hand: “Scarlett, you’re just too sensitive. Relax. The Morrison family only recognizes you as our daughter-in-law.” Halfway through the banquet, I excused myself to the restroom, wanting to clear my head. Just as I reached the hallway, I ran into Landon’s junior colleague, Miranda Smith. She’d always been hostile toward me, and now she didn’t bother hiding the mockery in her eyes. “Oh, if it isn’t our substitute wife?” She leaned against the wall, looking at me with contempt. “Now that the real deal is back, how do you still have the nerve to stay here? If it were me, I’d have packed my bags and left long ago.” I gave her a cold glance: “You’re so concerned about whether I stay or go—could it be you’re jealous I married Landon?” Miranda’s face instantly flushed red. She ground her teeth: “You! Fine, Scarlett Hayes, just you wait!” Halfway through the banquet, I held a wine glass and headed toward the terrace for some fresh air. Just as I passed near the buffet table, Celeste stood with her back to me, exchanging pleasantries with several elders. I was about to walk around her when suddenly a strong force came from behind—someone had shoved me hard! “Ah!” I cried out. My body lurched forward uncontrollably, and the red wine in my hand arced through the air, landing squarely on the chest of Celeste’s expensive white evening gown, instantly spreading into a large, glaring stain. The scene froze. Celeste looked down at her ruined chest, her face deathly pale. The surrounding guests all turned to look, whispering among themselves. “Scarlett!” Miranda’s shrill voice immediately rang out. She quickly stepped forward, her face full of perfectly calibrated shock and anger. “Even if you’re jealous of Celeste, you can’t deliberately spill wine on her in public! This is too much!” I stumbled a step and steadied myself, immediately understanding this was Miranda’s clumsy trick—the person who’d pushed me was clearly her!

I took a deep breath and looked toward Landon and his parents, who had rushed over at the sound. Their faces showed bewilderment. “It wasn’t on purpose,” I explained calmly, looking straight at Miranda. “Someone pushed me from behind.” “Who pushed you? Everyone saw you walking straight toward Celeste with that wine glass!” Miranda wouldn’t let it go, her tone both aggrieved and indignant: “Landon, Mr.Bob, Ms.Bella, you must stand up for Celeste!” Landon looked at me, his expression complex, with a trace of imperceptible scrutiny. Then he looked at the pitiful, disheveled Celeste, his brows knitted tightly. A sense of helplessness rose in my heart. Sure enough, when the white moonlight is wronged, reason easily crumbles. I turned to Landon with a bitter smile and said quietly: “See? Item two on the list—late but here. Now, can you let go of my luggage? Let me leave.” The onlooking guests whispered among themselves: “How can the Morrison family’s daughter-in-law use such lowbrow tactics to compete for favor? So petty.” “She must be jealous. This woman is really possessive. The romance between Mr. Morrison and Miss White was legendary.” “Shh, I heard this Scarlett is just a substitute.” “Nonsense!” Mr.Bob’s face darkened, his voice booming over the surrounding chatter. “Scarlett isn’t that kind of person! Until we figure out what happened, no one can jump to conclusions!” Ms.Bella immediately took my hand, her tone firm: “That’s right! There are cameras everywhere in this venue. We’ll pull the footage right now! We’ll see who’s really causing trouble!” Just as the butler was about to carry out the order, Celeste, who had been silently wiping away wine stains, suddenly lifted her head. She first cast an indescribable glance at Miranda, then looked at me, speaking in a gentle tone: “Mr.Bob, Ms.Bella, Landon, there’s no need to check the surveillance.” She paused, drawing everyone’s attention: “Just now… someone did accidentally bump into Scarlett, and she lost her grip on the glass. It was an accident, not intentional. Please don’t misunderstand her.” Miranda stared in disbelief, eyes wide. “Celeste! You…” Celeste gently but firmly interrupted her: “Miranda, thank you for your concern, but it really was an accident.” She then turned to me with a somewhat pale smile: “Scarlett, it’s fine. It’s just a dress. Don’t take it to heart.” The truth was lightly glossed over, protecting my innocence, yet making this white moonlight even more inscrutable to me. Landon visibly relaxed. He stepped forward to put his arm around my shoulder and whispered: “See? I told you Celeste is kind. She wouldn’t falsely accuse you.” Ms.Bella also patted the back of my hand reassuringly. I watched Celeste’s back as a server led her away to deal with the stain, then glanced at Miranda’s face, which had turned various shades of red and green. I felt no relief. Celeste… why didn’t she take the opportunity to frame me, but instead helped me out of trouble? After Celeste’s candor and “rescue,” she won everyone’s favor, including my in-laws. Ms.Bella patted the back of my hand: “Scarlett, Celeste is so sensible. You were just reading too much into things last time. You need to be more gracious.” Mr.Bob sat in the living room reading the paper, not even looking up as he chimed in: “That’s right. Landon and she are old classmates. She has good intentions. Stop being so paranoid.” Landon was even more relieved. As he tucked in my blanket before bed, he sighed: “Now you can rest easy, right? I told you Celeste isn’t like that.” Only I stared at the ceiling. After everyone had fallen asleep, I pulled out my notebook. I checked off item five: Everyone starts defending Celeste, and I become “unreasonable.” In the days that followed, Celeste became a regular at the Morrison house.

She arrived promptly at nine every morning, carrying either imported coffee that Mr.Bob loved or imported silk scarves that Ms.Bella preferred. When chatting with Landon about college club activities, the two would laugh themselves silly, but she always stopped abruptly when I approached, turning to smile at me: “Scarlett, Landon used to be so clueless. Once he forgot to bring the microphone to an event, and I had to run and borrow one.” At the dinner table, she’d serve me the steak I liked, saying softly: “Landon always says you have a sensitive stomach. Eat more.” Her tone was so natural, as if she were the lady of the house and I were merely a guest. My hand gripping the fork turned white. When Landon went to his study, I followed him in, my voice trembling: “Did you keep me here just to watch Celeste play lady of the house?” Landon’s hand, which had been flipping through documents, froze. He turned to look at me with impatience in his eyes: “Scarlett, do you have paranoid delusions? She let go of the past years ago. But you—what’s the point of constantly dwelling on it?” Then he slammed the door and left. The first escalation of conflict occurred at the weekend family meeting. Mr.Bob tapped on the table, saying Morrison Group lacked someone to head the overseas partnership project. Celeste came in carrying a fruit platter, and as she set it down, she “casually” mentioned: “Last time I was in London, I liaised with this consortium’s Asia regional director. He said he wanted to work with a familiar team.” Mr.Bob’s eyes lit up. He turned to me: “Scarlett, what if we let Celeste help out at the company? Her experience matches perfectly.” “No!” I stood up abruptly. “How can we let an outsider handle the company’s important projects? She…” My words caught in my throat, forced back by Landon’s glare. Celeste’s eyes instantly reddened. Her fingers twisted the edge of her apron: “Mr.Bob, I was presumptuous. I just saw Landon so busy he couldn’t sleep, and I wanted to help. After all, in the past…” She didn’t continue, but her shoulders trembled slightly, as if she’d suffered a great injustice. Landon’s face darkened: “Scarlett! Celeste is a professional who’s thinking of this family. How did you become so petty and jealous?” Ms.Bella quickly pulled me back down: “Scarlett, Celeste has good intentions. Don’t think the worst.” I looked at the room full of eyes favoring Celeste, my nails digging deep into my palms. That night, I added two more items to my list: “Will infiltrate the company under the guise of ‘helping’” and “Excels at playing the victim to manipulate opinion.” But it didn’t matter anymore. I’d already decided to leave. Whatever game Celeste was playing, it had nothing to do with me. The next day, a scream woke the entire household. Ms.Bella screamed as she rushed into the living room, saying the imperial green ring that had been passed down three generations in her treasured jewelry box was missing. The whole family turned the house upside down, from the storage room to the garage. Even the housekeeper’s room was searched. Finally, Landon’s assistant found the ring in the hidden compartment of my jewelry box. There was even a strand of my long hair tangled around the ring. Caught red-handed. Such a crude framing technique. I never expected that even as I was preparing to leave, I’d still be caught up in something like this. Landon clutched the ring, his knuckles white, looking at me as if I were a stranger: “Scarlett, if you wanted jewelry, I could buy it for you. Why would you steal mom’s heirloom? It’s the most precious thing from her dowry!” “It wasn’t me!” I said coldly. “Someone planted it. Celeste was in my room yesterday afternoon!” But he suddenly flung my hand away and stepped back: “Celeste was downstairs with mom arranging flowers all afternoon. There were people watching the whole time. Scarlett, can you stop slandering her?” I looked at his silence, at the disappointment in my in-laws’ eyes. My heart felt like it had been pierced by an ice pick. At that moment, Celeste walked over, supporting Ms.Bella’s arm. After hesitating for a long time, she said quietly: “Mr.Bob, Ms.Bella, Landon, I think I saw Scarlett lingering outside mom’s jewelry room the other day… Maybe she just had a momentary lapse in judgment. Please don’t blame her.”

Mr.Bob slammed his hand on the table so hard the teacups rattled: “Scarlett! The Morrison family doesn’t deprive you of food or clothing, yet you do something this disgraceful!” I laughed coldly: “Dad, mom, didn’t you install recording devices throughout the estate? Just check the surveillance and you’ll know.” I stared intently at Celeste, expecting to see a flicker of panic. Instead, her face remained completely calm. “What’s there to check? The only person in this house with dirty intentions is you, muttering to yourself all day, thinking the whole world is out to frame you.” “You stole mom’s jade because mom praised Celeste. Scarlett, you’ve really disappointed me.” Landon said furiously. Groundless accusations need no evidence. No amount of explaining would help, so I simply gave up: “Fine. I took it.” I returned to my room and grabbed my luggage. I couldn’t stay in this house one more moment. I’d just pulled my suitcase to the door when Landon and Celeste chased after me. “This act again?” Landon grabbed my suitcase, his tone commanding. “Explain things clearly before you leave!” I struggled to break free. Just as I was about to speak, an out-of-control car suddenly came barreling from the intersection, its piercing brake screech cutting through the air. In the chaos, Celeste suddenly threw herself at Landon. They both rolled to the roadside, while I was knocked down by the momentum, my knees scraping against the ground until they bled. Landon scrambled up and immediately rushed to Celeste’s side. Seeing blood seeping from her chest, his eyes turned red. When he turned to look at me, his gaze was full of hatred: “This is all your fault! If you hadn’t insisted on leaving, how would this have happened? If anything happens to Celeste, I won’t forgive you!” The ambulance wailed as it arrived. As Celeste was lifted onto the stretcher, she said weakly: “My blood type is rare… I don’t know if there’s a match…” Landon immediately grabbed my wrist: “Go to the hospital and donate blood for Celeste!” “I won’t go!” I struggled desperately. “Her situation has nothing to do with me!” Landon simply clamped down on my shoulder and dragged me toward the ambulance. The rough ground tore through my pants, pulling painfully at my knee wounds. Ms.Bella ran over, grabbing my arm, her tone icy: “The Morrison family has treated you well. Just donate blood for Celeste, and I’ll give you that jade ring. We’ll let bygones be bygones.” To kill without mercy—nothing could be crueler. Watching them willing to buy me off with what I despised most, all for Celeste’s sake, I found it both laughable and devastating. Mr.Bob had somehow also arrived. He stood before me with his cane, his usual refinement completely gone, slamming the cane hard on the ground: “Outrageous! Still being willful at a time like this! Celeste saved Landon’s life. What’s wrong with you donating some blood? If you dare disobey, I’ll publish an announcement right now, sever your relationship with Landon, and throw you out with nothing!” Seeing I wouldn’t budge, Landon called over two bodyguards. “Let go of me! Landon, let me go!” I screamed hoarsely, tears mixing with the dirt on my face. “Have you forgotten the last item on my list?! The more innocent someone seems, the more vicious their heart!” Landon froze for a second, reluctantly lowering his head. He waved his hand, and they forcibly stuffed me into the car. At the hospital, as the nurse approached with a needle, I looked at the cold point and felt chilled to the bone. Through my fading consciousness, Celeste was wheeled to the bed next to mine. I heard her say softly: “Do you know why I went abroad?” “To find someone.” She paused, a strange smile playing at her lips: “Remember when we first met, I said we looked alike?” My heart lurched violently. Just then, Landon’s secretary suddenly shouted: “This is bad, Mr. Morrison! The overseas project…”

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After New Year’s, my wife had her assistant, Marcus Smith, host the company’s celebration banquet. At the meeting, Marcus handed out bonuses to every employee—except me. Just as I was about to step forward and demand an explanation, he publicly mocked me: “Quinn Foster, you’ve contributed absolutely nothing to this company. How do you still have the nerve to stand here begging like this?!” I gave him a slight smile, tore off my employee badge on the spot, and ground it under my foot. As I turned to storm out, Marcus called after me: “You can leave, but you need to leave the company uniform behind! Take it off right now!” I froze. Did he really not know that I was the company’s actual owner? At that moment, everyone in the room was staring at me. I dialed several times before the call finally connected. Then Vivian Caldwell’s impatient voice came through the phone: “Quinn, what are you freaking out about now?” “This meeting is critical for the company. Can’t you wait until I get back?” I glanced at Marcus from the corner of my eye and said firmly: “No!” The next second, Vivian started cursing at me through the phone. “Yes! I told Marcus to fire you. Are you satisfied now?!” I paused for a moment before speaking again. “Give me a reason.” Vivian let out a scornful laugh and said coldly: “A reason? I’m the chairman of Caldwell Group. Do I need a reason to fire someone?” “You’ve held the title of Sales Manager for three whole years without a single shred of performance. How do you still have the nerve to ask me why?!” By the end, even though I’d turned the phone volume to its lowest setting, Vivian’s voice still echoed throughout the entire conference hall. “Quinn, listen carefully! My Caldwell Group doesn’t support deadweight!” After that final statement, she hung up directly. The room fell dead silent. “Everyone just heard that, right? Even Vivian herself called Quinn deadweight. Why keep someone like that around?” Marcus stood on stage, looking at me triumphantly. “I suggest you pack up your things and go home to sleep.” Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly smiled at me. “If you’re going to live off someone, you should at least act the part. Don’t you think I’m right, Mr. Foster?” I looked at him expressionlessly and let out a cold laugh. “So what Assistant Marcus is saying is that I’m completely unnecessary at this company?” Seeing me deliberately walk into his trap, Marcus’s face lit up with glee. “Well, what else?” “During work hours, you’re either on your phone or playing games. You know absolutely nothing about the business. If it weren’t for your relationship with Vivian, you would’ve been fired ages ago.” “Keeping deadweight like you at the company is just a waste of resources.” I held up my index finger and shook it gently. “No, no, no. I think everything Marcus said before was correct, but there’s one thing I disagree with.” Marcus looked somewhat surprised at my confident tone. “What don’t you agree with?” “You don’t actually think Caldwell Group can survive without you, do you?” I gave him a slight smile, then nodded emphatically. “You’re absolutely right.” “If I leave the company, Caldwell Group will collapse immediately.” As soon as I finished speaking, the previously silent conference hall erupted. “Oh my God, this guy is so full of himself. Caldwell is a publicly listed company, one of the top 500 nationwide. How could it possibly collapse because of one little manager?” “Exactly! This guy just relies on being the chairman’s husband. He’s been lazy for years, doing no work but taking a salary for three whole years.” “He’s so disgusting. How can people like this even exist? Pretty boy, freeloader—just go die already!” The cursing around me grew louder and louder, but I didn’t care at all. Because every single word I said was the truth. The reason Caldwell Group went from a tiny company with just a few people three years ago to a publicly listed corporation with over ten thousand employees today was entirely because of me—or rather, because of the power behind me. It had absolutely nothing to do with the Vivian they kept talking about. Back then, Caldwell Group’s founder, Gregory Caldwell, traveled all the way from Boston to New York just to beg me to marry his granddaughter. And he was holding a marriage contract. It did indeed bear my grandfather’s personal signature. I was young back then and didn’t understand what love was. I just figured that since my grandfather had arranged it this way, he must have had his reasons. But I never imagined that after single-handedly building Caldwell Group into what it is today, they would turn around and call me deadweight. At that thought, my anger surged. Right then and there, I decided to confront Gregory Caldwell face-to-face and ask him clearly whether the Caldwell family was planning to turn their backs on me. If he continued to let Vivian serve as chairman, I wouldn’t mind sending the Caldwell family right back to where they were three years ago. “Wait!” Just as I turned to leave, Marcus’s voice called out. “You’re just going to leave like that?” I slowly turned back around and looked toward the stage. “What? Is Marcus planning to invite me to stay for dinner?” Marcus stared at me with a wicked grin for a long moment before speaking. “Before you go, you need to leave the company’s property behind.” I narrowed my eyes and met his gaze directly. “I already gave you my badge. What else could there be?” Marcus let out a scornful laugh, then raised the microphone in his hand. “Take off that company uniform you’re wearing!”

As soon as he said that, the entire conference hall erupted again. The vast majority of employees looked at me with schadenfreude. Only a few people I was close with gave me sympathetic glances. When the wall falls, everyone pushes. When I was still a manager, they all kissed up to me. Now that I’d been fired, not a single person stood up to speak for me. Was this the quality of employees at a publicly listed company? In my opinion, three years was too short a time for the company to grow this large. It happened too fast for the Caldwell family. Seeing that I wasn’t responding, Marcus’s tone became impatient. “Hey, I’m talking to you. Are you pretending not to hear me?” I smiled slightly and looked at him calmly. “What if I don’t take it off?” “In all my years, you’re the first person who’s dared to threaten me to my face. I wonder who gave you the guts.” Marcus raised his eyebrows, his eyes full of contempt, as if he didn’t take me seriously at all. “Quinn, even your wife doesn’t want you anymore. What right do you have to act tough in front of me?” Hearing his words, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Who told you I need to rely on Vivian?” As soon as I finished speaking, several employees close to Marcus started bombarding me. “Oh wow, look who’s talking. Turns out it’s just the dog Vivian keeps.” “Exactly! I thought you had some impressive background. Turns out you’re just a freeloader, a pretty boy.” “If Vivian finds out about this, you’ll probably be kneeling on a washboard all night.” They talked and laughed, looking very excited. I quietly noted down all their names. “If I’m not mistaken, you few are with Marcus, right?” As an excellent businessman, sharp observation is a basic skill. From the very start of the meeting, these people had been exchanging glances with Marcus. The red envelopes they received were noticeably larger than others—some could barely fit in their pockets. Company policy clearly stated that the annual bonuses were the same amount for everyone, regardless of rank or position. But these few were obviously different from the other employees. Marcus must have done something behind the scenes. Poor Vivian, so foolishly entrusting such an important task to him. Even I, the actual owner behind the scenes, couldn’t stand watching this. “You’re talking nonsense! We have no relationship with Marcus whatsoever.” “That’s right. We’re just speaking up because we can’t stand you hogging company resources.” “You’re just a freeloader. What right do you have to question us?” I struggled to stay calm and glared hard at them. “I admit I’m better looking than all of you, and younger too, but…” Halfway through, I suddenly raised my voice, and my gaze turned sharp! “I personally hate being called a pretty boy. I hope you won’t use that term again.” “Otherwise, I’ll get angry. And the consequences will be severe.” The sudden intensity I displayed scared those lackeys badly. They couldn’t squeeze out a single word for ages. Seeing someone bullying his subordinates, Marcus’s expression immediately changed. “You little punk, I guess I’ve been too nice to you.” “You’re just some unemployed nobody who got fired from the company, and you dare lecture my employees in front of me?” “Let me tell you, today I’m not only firing you—I’m going to make you streak out of here!”

Hearing Marcus’s words, I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter. It seemed Boston’s business world was definitely more entertaining than New York’s. At least here I could watch clowns perform. “Marcus, can your words represent the company?” I looked at him calmly, though I was actually quite excited inside. As soon as I finished speaking, Marcus waved his hand dramatically: “Of course!” “Quinn, let me tell you straight—Vivian is about to divorce you.” “She never liked you from the beginning.” I smiled slightly, my face showing no trace of panic. “Oh? Really? Did Vivian actually tell you that?” Marcus nodded instinctively, his eyes full of contempt. “What else? You don’t actually think the chairman of a publicly listed company would like a useless person like you, do you?” “If it weren’t for the old chairman’s sake, you should’ve been kicked out long ago.” So I was right. The Caldwell family thought their wings were strong enough now and wanted to fly solo. But they obviously picked the wrong target. This trick of discarding someone after using them wouldn’t work on me at all. If I could make the Caldwell family the top of Boston’s four great families in such a short time, I could naturally pull them down from that pedestal and leave them with nothing. For me, it was just a matter of one phone call. But suddenly I changed my mind. This game of cat and mouse had to be played to the very end to be interesting. After all, the main character hadn’t even appeared yet. How could it end so quickly? Marcus still didn’t know what I was planning. Seeing me standing motionless, he thought I’d chickened out and became even more brazen. “Hey, Quinn, everyone’s waiting. Are you going to strip or not?” “If you don’t do it yourself, I’ll get someone to help you.” With that, he raised the microphone and shouted toward the door. “Security! Get in here, now!” Following Marcus’s shout, more than a dozen workers wearing Caldwell Group badges rushed into the conference hall. Under Marcus’s command, these security guards quickly rushed toward me and surrounded me. At the same time, Marcus had already walked down from the podium. But he was quite cowardly—he only dared stand behind the security guards, about two meters away from me. “Marcus, are you planning to use force on me?” “Don’t forget, I’m not divorced yet. Aren’t you afraid Vivian will hold you accountable?” As soon as I finished speaking, Marcus burst into loud laughter. “I knew you’d use Vivian as a shield. Good thing I prepared ahead.” With that, he pulled out his phone in front of everyone and called Vivian. After the call connected, he smiled sinisterly and handed me the phone. “Vivian has something to say to you.”

Vivian’s voice quickly came through the phone. “Quinn, I want a divorce!” I spoke expressionlessly. “Judging by your tone, Vivian, you’ve already found your next man, haven’t you?” I could feel Vivian’s excitement even through the screen. “How much money do you want? Name your price.” “As long as you agree to divorce me, you can ask for whatever you want.” She didn’t answer my question directly, but I wasn’t in a hurry. After all, boiling a frog in warm water required patience. “I don’t need the money. I’m sure it won’t be long before the Caldwell family collapses.” Then I suddenly changed my tone, my voice turning colder. “I just want to know one thing right now. Who’s the one who dared to interfere and steal my woman?” Sensing my anger, Vivian immediately let out a scornful laugh. “You’re not worthy of knowing his name.” “But I can tell you this—he’s from New York, at a level you could never reach.” Hearing Vivian’s words, I almost laughed out loud. Someone from the same place as me, and I wouldn’t know them? Impossible. I was just curious about who exactly this person could be. To dare steal my woman—they must have a death wish. Before I could respond, Marcus snatched the phone back. “Alright, alright. Even if Vivian told you who it was, what could you do about it?” “I suggest you just take off your clothes obediently. That way you’ll at least get some severance pay.” “For a freeloader like you, that’s a pretty good deal, wouldn’t you say?” Facing Marcus’s repeated provocations, not only did I not lose my temper, I endured it again and again. Not because I was afraid of him, but because I still hadn’t figured out who was behind all this. Now that the truth had surfaced, I naturally didn’t need to indulge him anymore. “Enough!” I scanned my eyes around the room. “This meeting clearly can’t continue. So now I’m giving all of you two choices.” “Those who know what’s good for them should leave immediately. The rest, I’ll consider enemies of Quinn.” “And I never show mercy to my enemies.” As soon as I finished speaking, the surrounding employees burst into laughter. “Everyone heard that, right? This pretty boy is actually giving us choices. How hilarious!” “Quinn, you don’t still think you’re a manager, do you?” “Everyone heard that phone call. Even Vivian has abandoned you. What right do you have to spout such arrogance here?” I suppressed the anger in my heart and spoke slowly. “I wonder if any of you have heard the saying: there’s always a higher mountain, always someone better.” “When I, Quinn, do things, I never rely on women.” I looked disappointedly at the smiling faces before me, feeling somewhat let down. Was this what the workplace was really like? Usually when they called me a freeloader or a pretty boy, I just took it as a joke. But I never expected that just because Vivian wanted to divorce me, everyone would laugh at me. Was this the consequence of keeping too low a profile? Because of my special status, I’d been hiding all these years, rarely showing my face in public. Even when I occasionally overheard company employees gossiping about me behind my back, I just laughed it off. But I never imagined my usual easygoing attitude would become these people’s license to be arrogant. Seeing that I still wasn’t moving, Marcus’s face immediately darkened. “Hey, Quinn! I’m counting to three. If you still don’t strip, I’ll have them do it for you!” I put my hands in my pockets and looked at him sideways. “Alright, alright. I’ve played along with your little show long enough. It’s time to demonstrate some real power.” My words instantly enraged Marcus. He rolled up his sleeves and charged at me. Just then, the conference room doors suddenly opened. All the employees, including Marcus, turned around in unison. A young man about my age swaggered into the room. “Mr. Foster, I heard you were asking about me?”

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In my past life, my girlfriend’s first love, Derek Shaw, pretended to be rich. After I exposed him, he furiously drove his car straight at me. As I lay dying, my girlfriend’s sister knelt and begged my girlfriend to save me, but my girlfriend remained unmoved. “Ethan was the one who spread lies first! He should pay the price.” My girlfriend’s sister knelt for three days and three nights, until Derek finally dragged her away and tortured her to death. After being reborn, I am done being my girlfriend’s lapdog. After learning that Derek was impersonating a wealthy person, I immediately called my brother Alex. “Someone is impersonating me out there. Find someone to deal with him.” “Also, I want to change the arranged marriage partner from Lucy Anderson to her sister.” All these years I have poured massive resources into the Anderson family, but all I have raised are ungrateful wolves. I want to see how Lucy and her first love will act arrogant without me! “Ethan! You embarrassed me in front of everyone tonight. You’re going to regret this. Did you think you could expose me and get away with it? Did you ever see this coming?” “You’re just a nobody. Lucy doesn’t even care about you. Even if I run you over right here and leave you in the dirt, she’ll still protect me. You know it, don’t you?” Derek’s all too familiar words hit my ears. Before I could move, the blinding headlights were already upon me. I heard the engine roar, felt the crushing weight, and a sharp, white hot pain exploded through my body. That’s when I realized I’d been reborn. Reborn to the moment when Derek deliberately ran me over with his car. My shattered phone beside me had somehow dialed my girlfriend Lucy Anderson’s number. Her voice came through, cold with disgust. “Ethan, stop calling me. I know you’re just jealous of my relationship with Derek, so you’re making up reasons to drive us apart.” “Derek would never drive a car into you. That car costs tens of millions-it’s not worth totaling it just to hit you. No matter what you say this time, I won’t believe you anymore!” After she finished, she went silent, as if waiting for my response. But I didn’t explain or beg for help like I did in my past life, trying to make her believe Derek’s true nature. Instead, after watching Derek drive away, I struggled to reach out and hang up, using the phone’s last bit of battery to make another call. After it connected, I endured the pain throughout my body and said, “Alex, save me.” My ears were ringing. I couldn’t hear what he said in response, but I was certain Alex would come. I’m Alex’s most beloved brother, and one of the future heirs of the Yates family. The family’s protection of me is strict. Hiding my identity these years to date Lucy was already the limit of what they could tolerate. If they found out someone dared to hurt me, they would definitely torture that person until death seemed like mercy, making them pay back a hundred or thousand fold. I was dragging my body toward the edge of the road when I noticed Derek suddenly driving back. The car window rolled down. He stared at me with dark, sinister eyes. “Lucy said you’re not dead. Turns out it’s true.” My heart sank. If he hit me again, I really wouldn’t survive. Just as he was about to floor the gas pedal, at the moment of despair, A red car charged out from another direction and slammed hard into Derek’s Maybach. A woman got out of the car and ran toward me, calling anxiously, “Ethan, are you okay!” It was actually Lucy’s sister, Grace Anderson. Remembering how in my past life she begged people desperately to save me, and was humiliated to death by Derek at my hospital bedside, my heart filled with mixed emotions-mostly guilt and gratitude. I resolved that in this life, I would protect her and never let her get hurt again. Before I could think about why she appeared here, I pushed her away. “Don’t worry about me, just go!” But it was too late. Grace was suddenly grabbed by the hair from behind by Derek and yanked backward. Without even letting her speak, Derek kicked her directly. “Filthy bitch, where did you come from?” “Do you know who I am? How dare you get in my way! Do you have a death wish?!” Grace was kicked hard in the stomach, breaking into an instant cold sweat from the pain. Yet she mustered all her strength to bite down on his hand. Derek hissed, snatching up a rock to smash down on her. Watching Grace get beaten bloody, my heart tore. I shouted, “Stop! She’s Lucy’s sister! Don’t you think Lucy will make you pay for this?”

Derek paused, but seeing her face, he smiled wickedly. He actually slapped her to the ground, then started removing his belt. “So what if she’s Lucy’s sister? She should be grateful I’ve taken an interest in her.” “Besides, the Anderson family owes everything they have today to me. If I insist this woman is your doing, who do you think Lucy will believe-you or me? She’ll kill you herself, and this will have nothing to do with me!” My heart raced with anxiety, but with both my legs crushed, I couldn’t move. I could only reveal my true identity. “Enough! I’m the real heir to the Yates family. She’s under my protection. If you dare hurt her, I’ll use every connection my family has to make your life a living hell!” Derek laughed heartily. “Your lies sound pretty convincing, but Alex has already personally acknowledged me as his brother! How dare you try to impersonate me?” I was shocked, having no knowledge of this matter. My parents were devoted to each other and had no other illegitimate children. My brother Alex had personally promised he would only acknowledge me as his brother in this lifetime. Where did this imposter come from? Before I could figure it out, Derek’s face turned sinister as he approached me and raised his foot to kick me down. Beyond the wilderness road was a river. If I rolled down, I’d surely die. Just as I struggled to prop myself up to try to save myself, Grace lunged at him from behind, gripping Derek’s leg tightly. “Ethan, run! I’ll hold him off!” She bit down hard on Derek. This completely enraged him, and he was about to attack both of us when the sound of a helicopter tore through the sky. The Yates family had arrived! The secretary rushed down from the helicopter and rescued Grace and me. Derek was knocked unconscious and dragged away. Grace fainted from the shock. I hurriedly had people take her to the hospital for treatment, while I only had my fractured bones briefly stabilized. I sat outside the emergency room waiting for ages, until Grace was safely sent to a ward. Only then did my anxious heart settle. I immediately called Alex to let him know I was safe. Learning I was injured, Alex slammed his desk in fury. “Who did this to you? If I didn’t have urgent matters to handle, I would have flown there with the secretary myself to break his limbs and make him wish he were dead!” I didn’t want him to make a big scene out of this. I just said, “Alex, about the arranged marriage with the Anderson family next month-I want to change the person.” Alex was surprised. “You’re not marrying Lucy anymore? You’ve devoted yourself to her for three years. I thought you’d marry no one but her.” “Yeah, I don’t want that woman anymore. I want Grace.” “Also, all the resources I’ve invested in Lucy over these years-I want them all back!” I treated Lucy like the love of my life, but she treated me like a lapdog, letting her friends humiliate me. Whether in my past life or this one, she firmly protected that Derek. I’m completely disappointed in her. Alex’s voice was low. “I understand. We’ll do as you say.” “I have matters to attend to, so I’m recalling the secretary. I’ll leave bodyguards to protect you. Rest and recover well at the hospital.” “Also, don’t think you can hide your injuries from me. I’ll have people investigate thoroughly. For every finger someone hurts you with, I’ll chop off ten of theirs!” Before I could respond, he hung up. I’d wanted to ask about Derek, but it seemed I’d have to wait until next time. I turned to head to the ward to check on Grace when I heard hurried footsteps in the hallway. Looking up, I saw Lucy’s furious face. She raised her hand and gave me a resounding slap, saying furiously, “Ethan, have you lost your mind? You actually hired people to bully Derek. He’s the heir to the Yates family. Haven’t you heard how protective his brother is? You’re not far from death!” My face was slapped to the side, but I smiled mockingly. “He’s from the Yates family? Then why is his last name Shaw?” Lucy said, “What do you know? He’s the late-born son of the parents, the Yates family’s key protected person. What’s strange about having him hide his identity and keep a low profile for safety?” “I’ve been friends with him since childhood. I only just learned of his identity, so how would you know, you country bumpkin social climber?” At that moment, I saw Derek-who had originally been locked in a warehouse and beaten black and blue by people the secretary had found-actually following behind the head of the bodyguard team. Lucy looked at me with glee, thinking I was finished. I was puzzled about why he had been released when I saw the head bodyguard walking straight toward me. I thought he was going to stand in front of me to protect me, but he suddenly grabbed the baton from his waist and struck me viciously. “Who do you think you are, bullying someone under my family’s protection? You must be tired of living. I’ll teach you a lesson right now!” I was hit so hard that my forehead bled. My vision turned red, my head buzzed, and I nearly passed out. But his eyes as he looked at me were actually bloodshot, as if he were truly protecting his master behind him. I was utterly shocked. “Have you lost your mind? Don’t you recognize me? I am the heir to this family!”

But he spat viciously. “I think you’re the one on drugs! I’ve worked for the Yates for nearly ten years. I only know Mr. Derek. Who the hell are you to impersonate him?” Only then did Derek emerge from behind the bodyguard, staring at me coldly. I felt like he was looking at me like meat on a chopping board. He turned to Lucy and said, “Lucy, what do you think we should do about this? Tonight I just wanted to have a quiet drink with friends, but your boyfriend embarrassed me in front of everyone, saying I was impersonating the heir to the Yates family.” “Our family has always kept a low profile, so I held back again and again, even having someone politely escort him away in a luxury car.” “But he accused me of running him over with my car! Ruining my family’s reputation-how should we settle this account?” Everything he said twisted the facts, utterly absurd. But Lucy’s face went pale. She immediately grabbed my collar and yanked me off the wheelchair. Then she kicked my knee, making me fall heavily to my knees. She ordered people to press my head down and bang it against the floor. “Ethan, I never thought you were this kind of person. Apologize to Derek now! Keep kowtowing until he’s willing to forgive you!” I trembled with anger, struggling to get up. Alex always told me that unless it was for the person I loved, I shouldn’t kneel to anyone. From birth until now, I’d only knelt to my parents. This was a complete humiliation of my dignity! Seeing this, Lucy sneered and spoke arrogantly. “You still refuse? Let me tell you some inside information-the Yates family is going to have an arranged marriage with the Anderson family, and the marriage partner is me.” “People of our class could never be with a poor boy like you. Give up any thoughts of social climbing. Apologize to Derek now, and maybe for old times’ sake, I’ll ask him to spare your life!” My forehead veins bulged as I laughed mockingly. “Lucy, the Yates family won’t marry you under any circumstances. You’d better prepare to be kicked out of the Anderson family!” This seemed to ignite Lucy’s fury. She casually smashed a nearby vase and raised a sharp shard, about to stab it into my thigh. “Lowlife! How dare you talk to me like that?” “If you insist on being stubborn, I don’t mind completely crippling you. Let’s see if you can still be so arrogant!” I was held down, unable to move, and could only close my eyes in despair. But the expected pain didn’t come. When I opened my eyes, I found that Grace, who had appeared at some point, was shielding me. Her hospital gown was stained red with blood in large patches, but she still stood in front of me, opening her mouth weakly. “Don’t believe Derek’s words. He’s just an immoral thug and scoundrel! He’s not any heir to the Yates family at all.” “And if you want to hurt Ethan, you’ll have to kill me first!” Lucy looked in shock at the crisscrossing old and new wounds on Grace’s body, about to ask. But Derek reacted faster and spoke first. He hid the panic on his face, grabbed Grace, and slapped her, scolding her. “Shameless bitch! Still here spreading your poisonous lies?” “You think I don’t know? You threw yourself at my brother, and when he rejected you, you got so humiliated you decided to destroy us! You and Lucy are sisters-why are you so jealous she’s marrying into my family? Showing up here with Ethan, this pathetic nobody…Your game is too obvious!” Grace was slapped so hard she fell to the ground, blood spraying from her mouth. Her face went ghostly pale, and she could barely hold herself up. The bodyguard smiled wickedly and directly dragged her to a room on the side. My heart raced with anxiety as I tried to stop him, but Lucy suddenly raised the vase and smashed me to the ground. She said furiously, “No wonder, in the past life too… you two are definitely conspiring to deceive me!” I was shocked, suddenly realizing Lucy had also been reborn. No wonder in this life, even though I clearly hadn’t called her for help, she immediately insisted I was lying from the start on the phone! But as large amounts of blood flowed from my body, my head became dizzy and I couldn’t speak. I could only lie on the ground making weak struggling movements. Lucy took a deep breath and firmly gripped my hand. “Do you know the consequences of harming the heir to the Yates family?” “When he was born, a kidnapper tried to take him. The Yates family didn’t flinch. By that same afternoon, the thief’s limbs were shattered, his body was carved into eight pieces, and he was left in the wilderness to rot.” “In school, a classmate planted tacks in his path. The next day, that student’s legs were beaten into compound fractures.” “At university, a gold digger tried to play him but was caught cheating. She disappeared without a trace.” “So before you wish for the family’s full attention, you should be thanking me for my mercy.” With that, she picked up a sharp scalpel and stabbed it directly into my wrist, twisting it. I trembled with pain, gritting my teeth and saying with difficulty, “If my family finds out you’re treating me like this, you’ll be the first to die!” Derek sneered and then raised his foot to kick me hard in the stomach. “Ethan, you’re about to die and still daydreaming. You’d better worry about leaving here alive first! Today I’ll teach you the lesson your parents failed to teach you!” They took turns. One slashed the tendons in my hands, while the other rained punches and kicks down on me. Excruciating pain erupted from everywhere. I tried desperately to crawl back. But the head bodyguard pinned me down, his face twisted with viciousness as he slapped me and spat. “Still trying to run? For every hurt you caused Mr. Derek, I’ll pay you back tenfold. Now lie there and take your beating!” I was completely immobilized, unable to move an inch. I could only shut my eyes in utter helplessness and endure, silently waiting for my life to fade. Just as despair was about to swallow me whole, the hospital door crashed open. Alex burst in with a group of men. “What is the meaning of this?” he roared Then, his gaze landed on me.

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I’m a urologist specializing in circumcision procedures. Yet my husband went behind my back to have someone else perform his surgery, and the sutures were even shaped like a heart. I confronted him. “Who did your surgery? What’s with that heart-shaped stitching?” My husband stammered. “I didn’t want you to be too tired from work, so I just found another doctor. She was just joking around…” That night, I hid the pregnancy test results. While my husband was in the shower, I grabbed his phone. An Instagram account with no profile picture had sent him an explicit photo. In the picture, the woman had a heart tattooed on her butt. My heart hammered against my ribs as I slammed the phone face-down. How was this possible? Lincoln and I had been married for six years. Everyone saw us as the perfect couple. When I was trapped in that avalanche, buried under tons of snow, everyone told him to give up. But he searched day and night, refusing to quit no matter the danger. He finally found me in a crack between the rocks, barely alive. He literally gave me my life back. How could a man who loved me that much cheat on me? The bathroom door opened. I quickly put down his phone. At the same time, I quietly followed that woman’s Instagram account. Lincoln pulled me into his arms and said. “Still mad? I only did it to surprise you. I remember you saying the excess foreskin was unsanitary and could make you sick.” “I really don’t want you to suffer even the slightest harm because of me. I can’t bear it…” I pushed him away with disgust. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a notification that the woman had posted a new story. “OMG, my boyfriend is such a possessive puppy. He just had surgery but insisted on making out with me. We went at it so hard his stitches tore.” I couldn’t help glancing at the laundry basket. His white athletic pants really did have bloodstains seeping through. Lincoln noticed my gaze and explained frantically. “Honey… I was in such a rush to find you that my pants rubbed against it… Let me go take care of it.” His evasive eyes darted away as he rushed into the bathroom, giving me no chance to confirm anything. But his abnormal behavior made it clear. My husband really was cheating on me! I completely lost my strength and collapsed onto the bed. But I still wanted to know when they started their affair. With trembling hands, I clicked into the woman’s Instagram profile. The pinned post at the top was particularly glaring. “What do I do when I’m broke? My boyfriend scams money from his wife to support me.” The attached image showed a blue diamond ring. That ring was so familiar my eyes burned. After all, I’d looked at it in stores countless times. But at two hundred thousand dollars, I couldn’t justify the expense. Actually, over these years, I’d worked myself to the bone doing surgeries. My income wasn’t low. But Lincoln and his mother Nancy’s spending left me gasping for air. I really didn’t have the confidence to splurge. I never imagined he’d use my hard-earned money to support another woman! I gripped the phone tightly. My heart ached with a dense, stabbing pain, but I stubbornly kept scrolling. “My little puppy is having puppies! My boyfriend ditched his wife to personally deliver them.” Looking at the date of the post, my tears finally broke free. That day, six months pregnant, I’d felt sudden sharp pains in my abdomen. I panicked, calling his number over and over, but no one answered. Eventually, his phone was turned off completely. Later, Nancy rushed me to the hospital just in time to save my life. But the baby in my belly was gone. Lincoln didn’t appear at my hospital bedside until the next day, his eyes red and swollen. “I’m sorry. I got drunk at a friend’s gathering and didn’t see your calls. I’m so sorry…” I was angry he didn’t answer, but I felt even more heartbroken seeing his tears. In the end, I could only console myself that we’d have more children. But looking back now, that heartache and understanding made me look like a complete fool! Tears streamed down my face, but I still couldn’t let it go. I scrolled to the woman’s earliest Instagram post. “We promised each other we’d go to the same university and be together. I can’t believe he actually came.” The date was September 1st, 2019. The sixth year of our relationship. The first year of our marriage. How tragic-married for six years, and he’d been cheating for five! This marriage had been my one-woman show all along. The so-called love, the so-called forever-all of it was fake! And I’d naively believed he loved me more than his own life! In that moment, my emotions completely shattered. I rushed into the bathroom, holding up my phone accusingly. “Lincoln, how do you explain this?”

Lincoln barely glanced at it before lowering his head. He silently lit a cigarette and took a deep drag before speaking. “I’m sorry. I did cheat.” He paused, then continued. “But do you really think we’re compatible?” “You’re thirty-five years old. When we go out, people always say you’re my aunt.” “When I interviewed for that job last week, everyone called me Gianna Evans’s husband.” “Don’t I have a name?” He spoke calmly, as if he’d rehearsed these words a hundred times in his head. But I felt so devastated I could barely stand, as if I’d never known this person. Yes, I was five years older than him. Thirty-five wasn’t exactly young. But I didn’t just become older than him today! He used to say he liked his girlfriend’s maturity and stability, that he appreciated everything I did to pave his way. Now he’d turned all of that into a knife and stabbed it back into my heart. But what right did he have? What right did he have to enjoy all the benefits I brought while despising me for not withstanding the ravages of time! The intense emotions made my stomach churn with nausea, but I still bit down and spoke. “Lincoln, let’s get divorced.” Perhaps he hadn’t expected me to bring it up first. He froze for a moment. “You’re not in a good state right now. Let’s talk about this when you’ve calmed down.” If this were an ordinary quarrel, I might have thought he was giving me a way out. But now, I only found it laughable. Whether we talked now or later, what would change? If we were divorcing, we should do it thoroughly! I suppressed my reddening eyes and pushed him away firmly. “No need. Let me set you two free sooner.” In that instant, Lincoln’s eyes darkened, then returned to normal. “Gianna, don’t give her any trouble.” “She’s different from you. You’ve fought through society for so many years. You’ve weathered every storm.” “But she’s just an innocent young girl. She’ll be scared. I need to protect her.” In that moment, even though I was prepared for divorce, my heart ached so badly I could barely breathe. What did he mean by “weathered every storm”? I used to be a young woman who’d hide and cry whenever I faced difficulties. But I had no one to rely on. I could only swallow my grievances again and again, forcing myself to become stronger! Back then, Lincoln had held me in his arms and said that after graduation, he’d protect me for life. But now that he’d graduated, he’d given all his tenderness to someone else. At this moment, I really wanted to ask him: Did promises only have a shelf life lasting as long as the moment they were spoken? But before I could speak, his phone rang. “Rachel, don’t worry. I’ll be right there.” He didn’t even glance at me before turning to leave. I instinctively grabbed him. Actually, I just wanted to ask when we’d go file for divorce. But he thought I was trying to stop him from leaving, and he shoved me away violently. “Gianna, aren’t you annoying?! Rachel is hurt. She needs me!” With that, he left without looking back. I collapsed onto the cold floor, a stinging heat building behind my eyes. But I bit down hard, refusing to let them fall. What good would crying do? Would it make this man faithful again? Would it rebuild this shattered marriage? No! If that was the case, not a single tear was worth shedding! I directly called Lincoln’s interviewer. “Director Lee, regarding Lincoln’s matter, just handle it professionally.” Then I called the hospital. “Hello, please schedule an abortion for me tomorrow.” I’d found out the baby in my belly had deformities. Originally, I wanted to keep the child. But thinking about how the baby would never receive a father’s love from birth, perhaps abortion was the better choice.

Leaving the hospital, I dragged my weak body to a print shop to print a divorce agreement. In the agreement, we’d split the assets fifty-fifty. Consider it repaying the debt of him saving my life years ago. From then on, we’d be even. Then I bought some nutritional supplements, planning to visit Nancy one last time. This marriage was a disaster, but Nancy had truly treated me well. Back then, when everyone disapproved of our relationship with its age gap, she stood behind me and told people I was the best daughter-in-law. Even after I lost the baby, she cared for me without disgust until my body recovered. I grew up in a foster home and never experienced a mother’s love. In my heart, she was no different from a real mother. But before I could enter, I saw Nancy holding a young woman’s hand, her face beaming with joy. “Lincoln, Rachel as a daughter-in-law-beautiful and highly educated-I’m completely satisfied.” “You two are the real perfect match, so much more compatible than that old woman Gianna with her advanced age and low education.” Daughter-in-law? Old woman? I covered my mouth in disbelief, unable to believe these words came from the usually kind Nancy. Over these years, I’d had countless opportunities to advance my education. But to maintain this family’s stable income, I gave them all up. Even though I lost promotion opportunities because of it, I never complained. Nancy knew all of this! Yet now she said such things? My hands trembled uncontrollably, but I suppressed the urge to push through the door and kept watching. Seeing Lincoln hesitate, Nancy spoke with displeasure. “Lincoln, you’re not still hung up on that hen who can’t lay eggs, are you?” Lincoln instinctively frowned and pulled Nancy aside. “Gianna’s miscarriage was because you drugged her since you didn’t want her to have the baby.” “The divorce-we’ll talk about it later…” Before he could finish, Nancy sharply interrupted. “Lincoln, don’t forget why you married her!” “If our family hadn’t been struggling and needed her salary to pay your tuition, I never would have agreed to you marrying her.” “These seven years, we’ve been good enough to her. We’ve done our duty.” “Are you really going to let her keep the title of Mrs. Wright forever, making Rachel’s baby a bastard as soon as it’s born?” Lincoln’s mouth moved as if he wanted to say something. But in the end, he nodded. “Fine. I understand.” I covered my mouth tightly to keep from crying out loud. This was the husband I’d sacrificed my future for, year after year. This was Nancy, whom I’d loved and trusted as a second mother. And it turned out that my “accidental” miscarriage was a murder orchestrated by the baby’s own grandmother. This marriage I’d worn like a badge of honor was nothing but an elaborate con, meticulously crafted by the entire Wright family. And I, the biggest fool of all, had given them my whole heart. In that moment, overwhelming hatred nearly consumed me. I bit down hard on my lower lip, letting the taste of blood spread through my mouth. After a long while, I tremblingly called my lawyer. “Help me draft a new divorce agreement and send it over.” “I want Lincoln to leave with nothing.”

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“Mrs. Ashford, Bianca needs a heart transplant. We need you to come in for a compatibility test.” “Okay.” “It’s a match. Are you absolutely sure you wish to proceed with the donation?” “I’m sure.” On the day of the surgery, he knocked the last cake I’d ever bake for him to the floor. “Get out. Bianca’s in surgery today. Don’t bother me.” He never knew the heart for his lover was mine. The anesthetic crept cold through my veins. Before the dark pulled me under, I heard his tender voice through the surgical curtain. “Don’t be afraid, Bianca. When you’re well, we’ll marry.” It’s fine. This life. I owed it to his sister anyway. When the heart monitor flatlined, he finally asked where I was. The doctor pointed next door. “The donor. Would you care to see?” He scoffed. “A corpse? Why waste my time?” But, Lucas, when you learned that corpse was me, why did you lose your mind? Raina’s POV Today was my fourth wedding anniversary with Lucas Ashford. Instead of him, I got a call from his law firm, from his lead counsel, Mr. Preston. “Mrs. Ashford, Mr. Ashford is being sued by Miss Bianca White for unlawful restraint. As his legal spouse, your presence is required.” I tightened my grip on the phone. Another one of Bianca’s games. In four years, this had become routine. Another performance to prove who really owned him. But I still went. I was Lucas’s legal wife. This was my duty. In the law firm’s top floor conference room, the air conditioning hummed too cold. Through the glass door, I saw Bianca White before I entered. She was complaining, her tone caught between a boast and a grievance. “Mr. Preston, don’t you think he went too far? He kept me locked on his private island for three days and nights. I couldn’t leave.” The nearby assistants didn’t even blink. One leaned over and murmured to the intern beside her. “This isn’t a lawsuit. It’s a lover’s quarrel. Mr. Ashford indulges her completely. It’s a game. She’s making a scene just to have the wife summoned and forced to watch.” The intern caught on at once. “So that’s why they called Mrs. Ashford? Following protocol?” “Exactly. To rub her face in it.” Those not-quite-whispers pierced me, one after another. I pushed open the door and sat down on a sofa in the corner. Before long, Lucas arrived. He wore a black custom-tailored suit, bringing a frigid chill with him as he entered. The temperature in the entire conference room seemed to drop several degrees. But when he saw Bianca, all that ice instantly melted. He reached up and gently stroked the top of her head, his movements tender. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have locked you up. Have you forgiven me?” Bianca pouted. Lucas pulled out a velvet box from his pocket and opened it. A pink diamond brooch lay quietly inside. “I won it for you at an auction a few days ago.” He pinned the brooch to Bianca’s chest. “Don’t be angry anymore, okay?” Bianca looked surprised and delighted, but still wouldn’t look at him. Lucas pulled her into his embrace and tilted his head to kiss her. Throughout the entire process, I was like a transparent spectator, forced to witness my husband’s intimacy with another woman. Lucas, holding Bianca, finally turned around and noticed me in the corner. His gaze swept over me, and he paused briefly. Bianca leaned against him. “Lucas, I had Mr. Preston notify her to come. You’re not upset with me, are you?” “It’s fine.” Lucas said flatly. Those words stabbed into my heart like a sharp blade. Four years ago, it wasn’t like this. Back then, Lucas’s sister, Isabel, was my best friend in the world. I used to be afraid of him too. But later I discovered that while Lucas was cold to everyone else, he showed me a tenderness that others couldn’t imagine. He would remember my period and have hot drinks and heating pads ready in advance. He built an elaborate shelter for the stray cats under my dorm building, just because I’d casually mentioned feeling sorry for them. Whenever I went out, he’d always find excuses to stay by my side, protecting me completely. Little by little, I let my guard down. We were passionately in love for two whole years. During those two years, I was the princess Lucas cherished in the palm of his hand. But a sudden disaster shattered all that beauty. After our wedding, Isabel and I went shopping when we encountered an armed robber. In the chaos, Isabel used all her strength to push me away, screaming at me. “Raina, run! Go get help!” I turned and ran. I hadn’t gotten far when my stomach suddenly erupted in unprecedented pain. The pain made everything go black, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up again, the world had changed. Two pieces of devastating news hit me simultaneously. First, the doctor told me I had stomach cancer. Terminal stage. Second, Isabel had fought back and been stabbed to death by the vicious criminal. I didn’t even have time to process the sudden catastrophe before I was engulfed by Lucas’s overwhelming hatred. His eyes bloodshot, he gripped my shoulders tightly, roaring his questions at me. “Why didn’t you save her? Why were you the only one who ran!” Looking at this man who had just suffered the pain of losing his sister, how could I bear to tell him that his wife wouldn’t live much longer either? I couldn’t let him bear the double blow of losing both his sister and his wife simultaneously. So I chose silence. And my silence, to Lucas, was confirmation. From that moment on, all the love in his eyes transformed into hatred that would consume everything. To punish me, he found Bianca-someone who resembled me slightly. He took all the affection he’d once given me and lavished it on that replacement, multiplied. I placed my hand on my abdomen. It was still flat, but inside, the cancer cells had already spread throughout my body. Three days ago, I received my latest test results. The doctor looked at me and pronounced my final sentence. “Mrs. Ashford, I’m very sorry. You have a month at most.” One month. That’s fine. This endless torment would finally be over. Isabel, wait for me. I’ll come to confess to you very soon.

Raina’s POV A fire-red sports car stopped arrogantly in front of me. The window rolled down, revealing Bianca’s face wearing a victor’s smile. “Get in.” She said sweetly from the driver’s seat, not bothering to hide her gloating. Lucas didn’t look at me, just commanded. “Get in. Don’t make me say it twice.” I got in. In that cramped space, every inch of air made me feel suffocated. The car started, speeding along the riverside road. Suddenly, a ball rolled into the middle of the road, and then a child ran out after it. Bianca panicked and jerked the steering wheel, mistaking the gas pedal for the brake and stomping down hard. The sports car charged straight toward the guardrail along the river. In the instant before impact, I clearly saw Lucas lunge forward. Using his own body to shield Bianca in his arms. From beginning to end, he didn’t spare me a single glance. After the tremendous crash came the cold and darkness of plunging into water. Freezing river water poured madly through the shattered car window, flooding my nose and mouth. My heart went utterly cold in that moment. Before completely losing consciousness, the last scene I witnessed was Lucas smashing open the car window. Holding the unconscious Bianca, swimming desperately toward the surface. When I woke again, I was in the hospital. “Why hasn’t she woken up yet?!” It was Lucas. My heart trembled involuntarily. The doctor tried to explain. “Mr. Ashford, Mrs. Ashford’s unconsciousness may not only be due to drowning. Her physical condition-” Before he could finish, a nurse’s anxious voice interrupted. “Mr. Ashford! Miss White is awake and crying everywhere looking for you!” The hospital room door opened, and Lucas’s tall figure appeared in the doorway. Our eyes met as I’d just opened mine. He turned without hesitation toward Bianca’s room, not sparing me another glance. I slowly closed my eyes. That’s fine. It’s better that he doesn’t know about my illness. Otherwise, he’d probably just sneer “serves you right,” then complain that I was dying too slowly and offending his sight. I handled my own discharge procedures. Returning to that empty villa, my heart was as calm as stagnant water. I began calmly arranging my affairs for after death. I first went to the old photo studio on the corner that had been there for decades and took a portrait for my funeral. In the photo, I wore a clean white shirt and smiled. I went to select the plainest white ceramic urn for myself. Holding that small urn, imagining myself finally curled up inside it, I actually felt incredibly peaceful. Finally, I took a taxi to the cemetery. In front of Isabel Ashford’s grave, I set down the white roses I’d brought. “Isabel, I’m sorry.” “I’ll be coming to join you very soon.” “Raina.” I stiffly turned around. Lucas stood in the distance, also holding a bouquet of white roses. And beside him, intimately holding his arm, was Bianca.

Raina’s POV Lucas stepped forward and kicked away the white roses in front of the grave. “How dare you show your face here?” “Get lost! Don’t defile my sister’s place!” I supported myself against the gravestone and slowly stood up. “I just wanted to visit Isabel.” “Visit her?” Lucas acted as if he’d heard the world’s greatest joke. “What right do you have to visit her?” He suddenly lunged, slamming me back against a nearby tree. His hand closed around my throat. “Why didn’t you save her back then? Why did you let her die alone so miserably!” His roar was raw, his eyes bloodshot. The air vanished at once. My breath was stolen piece by piece. Death’s shadow fell, but I only felt release. I gave up struggling and slowly closed my eyes. Dying by his hand might also be a form of repayment. Just as my consciousness began to fade, the grip on my neck suddenly loosened. Lucas released me, his chest heaving violently. I leaned against the tree trunk, coughing severely. Bianca walked up sweetly and took Lucas’s arm. “Lucas, it’s so hot here in the sun. Let’s go. Don’t waste time on such a vicious person.” Lucas gently placed the white roses before the grave and didn’t look at me again. “Oh, my foot hurts so much.” Bianca suddenly cried out delicately. Lucas immediately crouched down in front of her, naturally lifting her onto his back. He walked down the cemetery steps steadily, one step at a time. Watching that familiar back, my heart felt like it was being cut repeatedly with a knife. Lucas used to carry me like this too. That time they went to pray at the church, and the long stone steps made my legs go weak. I stubbornly refused to walk, so he indulgently crouched down and carried me on his back. He walked very steadily, step by step, whispering promises in my ear. “Raina, I’ll carry you for a lifetime.” At the time, Isabel was teasing us from the side, laughing at our sweetness. The promise still echoed in my ears, yet now another woman rode on his back. I silently followed behind them. Lucas placed Bianca in the car, then turned back to see me, coldly ordering. “Get in.” When I didn’t move, he impatiently added another sentence. “Every second you stay here disgusts me.” I got in the car and sat in the back seat. Inside the car, Bianca deliberately pressed her entire body against Lucas. “Lucas, I want…” Lucas hit the brakes and stopped the car at a deserted riverside viewpoint. He turned to me and said. “Get out.” I couldn’t believe what was happening. “Get out.” His voice was full of violence. I trembled as I pushed open the car door and got out. As soon as I steadied myself, the car door behind me slammed shut and locked. Then that fire-red sports car began to shake violently in a rhythmic pattern. On the silent viewpoint, a woman’s deliberately suppressed yet seductive moans and a man’s heavy breathing clearly penetrated the car window, torturing my eardrums one sound at a time.

Raina’s POV Tears poured from my eyes, immediately dried by the river wind. The first time with Lucas, he was so careful, his movements gentle and restrained, afraid of hurting me. The cherishing and love in his eyes almost melted me. But now, just a few meters away from me, he indulged with another woman, rough and direct. Just to vent the most primitive desire. I don’t know how long passed before the car window finally rolled down. Bianca leaned lazily against the seat back. Her face flushed with post-coital satisfaction, she signaled that I could get in the car. I pulled open the car door. That heavy smell inside the car made my stomach churn with nausea. “Lucas, what if I get pregnant?” Bianca said. Lucas started the car. “Then have the baby. We’ll have a daughter as adorable as you.” Have a daughter. Those words hit like a thunderbolt. We’d once passionately discussed our future children too. He said if we had a daughter, she must be like me. He’d spoil her into the happiest little princess in the world. But he also said that his most beloved would always be me, his big princess. Those promises that once made my heart sweet with joy now sounded as distant as something from a past life. Bianca leaned sweetly against his shoulder, cooing. “Then we’ll have to keep trying hard when we get home.” Back at the villa, Lucas and Bianca threw all caution to the wind. On the living room sofa, in front of the bathroom mirror, on the study carpet-everywhere bore traces of their indulgence. Those lewd sounds continued day and night, tormenting me like a curse. And I could only lock myself in my room, repeatedly tortured by the excruciating pain of cancer. Each time the pain struck, I could only bite down hard on the blanket, spitting out blood tinged with a metallic sweetness. Inside the door was the silence of approaching death. Outside the door was unbridled pleasure. I left my room to get water and saw Bianca wearing an apron, busy in the kitchen. Lucas sat at the dining table reading the newspaper, the scene absurdly peaceful. Bianca saw me. “Eat with us.” Lucas didn’t look up. “Don’t be ungrateful.” A table full of charred, unidentifiable objects. Yet Lucas calmly ate, even indulgently telling Bianca. “It’s delicious.” The first time I cooked for him. It was just as terrible, but he ate every dish clean. Then he gently ruffled my hair and said I was the most amazing girl in the world. I forced myself to take a bite of food. My stomach immediately churned. A metallic sweetness I could no longer suppress, I rushed to the bathroom and vomited violently into the sink. The white ceramic was instantly stained with glaring blood. Bianca followed me in. Seeing this scene, her eyes immediately reddened. “Raina, what do you mean by this? I worked so hard making that food, and you hate it this much? Are you deliberately putting on a show for Lucas and me?” Lucas rushed over hearing the commotion. His expression darkened instantly. He quickly stepped forward, pulled Bianca into his arms, and soothed her gently. “Since you hate eating so much,” He spoke. “Then go hungry for a few days and reflect properly.” “Someone, lock her in the basement.”

Raina’s POV Two bodyguards responded and stepped forward, grabbing my arms and roughly dragging me toward the basement. Cold, damp air rushed at me, mixed with the moldy smell of dust. I didn’t even have the strength to struggle. The excruciating pain in my stomach and the ice in my heart left me nearly unconscious. I was thrown inside without mercy. From beginning to end, Lucas never looked at me once, just held the pitifully crying Bianca in his arms and turned to leave. In the darkness, I curled up on the cold floor. For two full days, not a drop of water or food. Hunger and stomach pain took turns torturing me, wearing away the last bit of my life force. It wasn’t until the third day, the eve of Bianca’s birthday party, that the basement door finally opened. Lucas had someone release me. He looked down at my miserable state from his height. “You’ll personally organize Bianca’s birthday party. If anything goes wrong, you know the consequences.” I nodded. The birthday party was extravagantly arranged. The entire villa was decorated with flowing lights, and guests gathered. Halfway through the party, Bianca walked up to me with a wine glass, looking seductive. “Raina, today’s my birthday. Where’s your gift?” Undisguised provocation glinted in her eyes. “I didn’t prepare anything,” I answered. Bianca noticed the necklace around my neck. It was the only keepsake my mother had left me. “Then give me that,” Bianca’s tone was matter-of-fact. “I really like it.” I immediately protected the necklace at my chest. “Not this.” “Why not?” Bianca’s eyes immediately reddened. She looked grievously at Lucas, who had rushed over. “Lucas, I just wanted a birthday present.” Lucas’s gaze went cold. “Give it to her.” He commanded me. “This is what my mother left me…” My voice trembled uncontrollably as I begged him. When my mother died, I cried until I couldn’t breathe. It was Lucas who held me tightly, promising over and over in my ear that he’d always be with me, that he’d love me well in her mother’s place. But now, this same man was personally taking away my last remembrance of my mother. Lucas lost patience and directly signaled to the bodyguard beside him. “No! Don’t!” Two bodyguards pinned me down firmly. I could only watch helplessly as that thin cord was torn off and fell into Lucas’s hand. He personally put it on Bianca, even praising her gently. “It suits you perfectly.” He took Bianca’s hand and returned to the center of the party. I collapsed to the floor. I had to leave this suffocating place! But as soon as I stood up, I was blocked by several of Bianca’s friends. They dragged me to a deserted corner. Vulgar insults accompanied punches and kicks, raining down on me. “Shameless bitch, occupying the position of Mrs. Ashford and refusing to let go!” “Bianca wanting your things is your blessing, and you dare refuse?” I curled up on the ground, giving up all resistance and calls for help. It hurt. It hurt so much. But how could physical pain compare to even one ten-thousandth of the pain in my heart? When another kick landed hard on my abdomen, I jerked my head to the side and vomited up a large mouthful of blood. That glaring red instantly frightened those women who’d been kicking in a frenzy. Just then, a cold voice sounded above their heads. “What are you doing?!” It was Lucas.

Raina’s POV Bianca’s friends turned pale with fear, hastily explaining. “Mr. Ashford, it has nothing to do with us! She vomited blood on her own!” Bianca rushed over, grabbing Lucas before he could step forward. “Lucas, don’t let her fool you! She did it on purpose, using a blood pack to act, trying to ruin my birthday!” Lucas’s advancing foot paused. He looked at me curled up on the ground. “Since she loves acting so much, let her act to her heart’s content.” He turned to the bodyguards. “Throw her in the pool in the back yard. When dawn comes, fish her back out.” That night was early winter. The nighttime temperature was already close to freezing. A bodyguard couldn’t help but warn. “Mr. Ashford, this could kill someone.” “If she dies, she dies.” Lucas responded indifferently. Two bodyguards roughly dragged me to the back yard and threw me into the freezing pool. Bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped me. Suffocation and excruciating stomach pain struck simultaneously. I struggled in the icy water. While Lucas and Bianca embraced intimately under the lights. After that night, I was fished out. But I had only one breath left, burning with fever. I was thrown back into my room, left to fend for myself. In the following days, my illness grew more frequent. Vomiting blood became routine, and my consciousness often slipped into confusion. During one bout of severe pain, my memory returned to five years ago, to that moment when he would still feel sorry for me. Instinctively, I grabbed my phone and dialed that familiar number. Just like every time I felt terrible before, crying as I spoke. “Lucas… I feel awful…” On the other end, a long silence. Just when I thought he wouldn’t respond, Lucas’s voice came through the receiver. “What’s wrong?” I suddenly realized what a ridiculous thing I’d done. I hung up in a panic, buried my head in the blanket, and cried silently while gritting my teeth. Finally, I swallowed a handful of painkillers and fell into a drowsy sleep. I don’t know how long passed before a basin of cold water was dumped over my head, shocking me awake from unconsciousness. Bianca stood by the bed, looking down at me. “I found a man for you. So you can see what another man feels like. How’s that?” As she spoke, a greasy-looking man walked in from the hall. He leered at me as he approached the bed. I scrambled back in panic. Just as his grimy hand was about to grab me, I shoved him away with all my strength. And I ran. I burst out of the room and slammed straight into a solid chest. It was Lucas. Bianca threw herself against him, sobbing as she began her story “Lucas, I can’t believe it…she had a strange man in her room. How could she do this to you?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “355472”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn

“Sienna, you’re so tight…” At the graduation party, Archer Brennan—who’d been pursuing me for half a year—got me drunk and tricked me into bed. When I woke up, he gripped my chin and sneered: “Last night, I wasn’t the only one who slept with you.” Opening my phone, I discovered photos of me in bed with a group of married men had gone viral. My mom was so furious she slapped him. He shoved her hard to the ground: “Weren’t you the one who loved being a mistress? Now your daughter’s a mistress to a whole group of men!” My mom had a stroke from the rage. After they revived her, her mental capacity was permanently stuck at age five. To support my mom, I became a pole dancer in the red-light district. Ten years later, as I twisted my body through swirling smoke, I saw those familiar eyes in the VIP section. I spun around the pole, the friction of the metal bar making the inside of my thighs burn. Ten years, and this body still hadn’t gotten used to this kind of friction. But I didn’t dare stop. Every stack of tips from the audience below meant another payment toward my mom’s medical bills. Inverted hold, split, backbend. Just as I was hanging from one hand, preparing to slide down, my gaze crashed into a pair of eyes. My breath caught. My hand slipped. I fell straight down from the three-meter pole. “THUD—” I slammed hard into the floor, searing pain shooting through my ankle. The crowd below instantly erupted in jeers and curses. “What the hell was that? If you can’t dance, don’t hog the stage!” “Wasting my time. Get the hell off!” Manager Diane rushed onto the stage, apologizing in all directions while roughly yanking me up and hissing under her breath: “Sienna! Are you deliberately trying to sabotage us? Do you know who’s here tonight? If you piss off the VIP guests, we could sell you and still not cover the damages!” I clutched my swelling ankle, cold sweat pouring down from the pain. Looking up toward the second floor again—that figure was already gone. Was it a hallucination? “Still standing there? Get backstage!” Diane shoved me hard. I stumbled off stage, every step like walking on knife points. Back in the closet-sized changing room, I’d barely sat down when a server pushed the door open and tossed out: “Diane says since you screwed up the performance tonight, all your pay is docked.” “All of it?” I shot to my feet. “But my mom has rehabilitation therapy tomorrow.” I grabbed his sleeve. “Can you please ask Diane for some mercy? I promise I’ll be more careful next time.” The server shook me off, impatience all over his face: “Beg for what? You’re the one who messed up. Who else is to blame?” The door slammed shut. I collapsed back into the chair, the pain in my ankle and the panic in my heart twisting together. Treatment fees, medicine costs, loan shark interest… a pile of bills circled in my mind, crushing until I couldn’t breathe. If tonight’s pay was gone, Mom’s rehabilitation would have to be postponed. Just as I was drowning in worry, the door suddenly opened. Diane walked in, her expression softer than before: “Sienna, come with me. A guest in the VIP section specifically requested you for a private dance. Triple the normal rate.” My heart sank. I knew exactly what going into a private room meant. Enclosed space, hard liquor, and those hands that wouldn’t take no for an answer. I’d always avoided these situations. But thinking of my mom’s treatment fees, thinking of those life-or-death bills, I hesitated. “Not going?” Diane raised an eyebrow. “Then forget about this month’s base pay too.” “I’ll go.” I bit through my lower lip. Having reached this point, what right did I have to be picky? Diane smiled. “That’s more like it. We all work at Red Hall—what’s with the high-and-mighty act?” “Change into a different dress. Don’t keep the guest waiting.” I pulled out a relatively conservative black slip dress from the bottom of the closet, threw on a jacket, and followed Diane to the top-floor VIP room. Pushing open the door, Diane instantly plastered on a smile: “Mr. Brennan, I’ve brought her. This is our top performer, Sienna.” I followed her gaze, and my smile froze. Sitting in the main seat on the sofa was the very person I’d seen from the stage—Archer. Ten years apart, he was no longer the naive underclassman who used to follow me around. Now he wore a black suit that emphasized his tall frame. His features carried the cold severity of a mafia boss, his entire presence radiating an intimidating aura that warned people to keep away. And I had become a dancer in a red-light district, making a living by selling performances. The humiliation lasted only half a second before I lowered my eyes and put on a professional fake smile. The current me had no right to emotions. I walked to the small round platform in the center of the room and moved my body to the music. Sweat mixed with black eyeliner streamed into my eyes, stinging sharply. When the song ended, sparse applause sounded. Archer finally spoke, his voice laced with bone-chilling mockery: “Sienna, it’s been ten years. You’ve really made something of yourself.”

The room instantly fell silent. Someone immediately chimed in: “Mr. Brennan, you know her?” Archer swirled his glass, his gaze sweeping over me with contempt: “Not really. Just schoolmates. Had the honor of hearing about this senior’s ‘glorious deeds’ back in the day.” He emphasized “glorious deeds” with loaded meaning. Laughter erupted around the room. “Since she’s Mr. Brennan’s schoolmate, shouldn’t we get something more exciting?” A man covered in gold rings jeered: “Strip! Give us something hotter!” My face went pale. “I’m sorry… I… I don’t do that.” “Don’t do that?” Gold Ring laughed out loud. “Coming here and still acting virtuous?” He pulled a thick stack of bills from his wallet and threw it on the glass coffee table. “Take off one piece, get ten thousand.” Others followed suit. Soon, a mountain of money piled on the table. Under the dim lighting, that money gleamed with a dirty but alluring sheen. I seemed to see the hospital payment slip, my mom’s vacant stare, and the nurse’s voice urging payment. Time ticked by. The gazes in the room shifted from mockery to impatience. “Strip or not? If not, get lost!” Archer just sat there, leisurely smoking. He was the judge controlling life and death. I was the lamb awaiting slaughter. My nails dug into my palms. The pain brought clarity. I raised my trembling hand and unbuttoned the first button. My jacket slid to the floor. Then my fingers moved to the zipper on the side of my dress. The sound of metal sliding was faint but piercing. The dress slipped from my shoulders, revealing the thin black lace lingerie underneath. The air conditioning in the room was cold. My skin erupted in fine tremors. I mechanically moved my body, trying to cover myself with my arms, but this only triggered more excited whistles and jeering. Just as my trembling hand reached for the clasp on my bra— “Enough.” Archer crushed out his cigarette. All sound stopped abruptly. I froze in place, dress half-removed. He stood up, looking down at me from above, undisguised disgust in his eyes: “Like mother, like daughter—willing to do anything for money.” With that, he turned and left. The VIP room door slammed with a thunderous crash. Once Archer left, everyone else dispersed. I quickly wrapped my jacket tight, hugging my arms, head down, frozen in place. Just then, a middle-aged man wearing glasses walked over. I recognized him—he was one of Archer’s lieutenants, a hall master named Wesley. He stuffed a business card into my cleavage, his gaze lewd: “Miss Sienna, right? Nice body.” He leaned close, alcohol fumes spraying on my face: “I’ve got an overseas filming project that needs bold actresses for some ‘art films.’” “Contact me if you’re interested. The money—I guarantee you’ll be satisfied.” As Wesley left, his eyes lingered on my chest for several seconds. The VIP room door closed. It was completely empty. 2 I numbly wiped the cold dampness from my face, walked to the table, and picked up the scattered bills one by one, smoothed them, and stacked them. Counted twice. Forty-two thousand. Fifty-two thousand total. I silently calculated in my mind: Mom’s specialized medication for next month costs twelve thousand per dose. I could buy four doses first, with four thousand left over. The weather was getting colder. Last winter Mom kept saying her hands and feet were freezing. This year I could buy her thick snow boots. The heating in the rental apartment was never good. I could also buy a space heater. Calculating this way, tonight… was worth it. It was just being looked at, touched a few times, hearing some unpleasant words. Compared to the cold numbers on hospital bills, what did any of this matter? I braced my weak legs and stood up, carefully tucking the money into my bag. Turning to leave, I saw the business card on the carpet’s edge. I stopped at the door, my hand on the cold doorknob. The doctor had said there was a new treatment abroad for Mom’s condition that could restore seventy to eighty percent of her function. Cost: eight hundred thousand. A number I didn’t dare dream about. What else could Wesley want me to film? Nothing but those things that couldn’t see the light of day, circulating on the dark web. But if filming once could get me eight hundred thousand, what couldn’t I sacrifice? This body had been dirty since ten years ago anyway. A little dirtier—so what? As long as I could get eight hundred thousand. I took a deep breath, turned around, and picked up the business card. Three days later, I arrived at a private villa on the city outskirts following the address. The staff inside were few and far between. Wesley greeted me, smiling as he said they’d first take fitting photos, and had an assistant hand me an almost transparent lingerie set. The fabric covered nothing. Wearing it was like wearing nothing at all. Wesley directed me from the side to pose in various suggestive positions. “Right, kneel down, arch your back…” “Spread your legs a bit, make your eyes seductive…” The lights were blinding. I instinctively wanted to curl up. “Don’t hide. Look at the camera. Imagine you’re craving a man…” I became a puppet, manipulated at will. In my mind I repeated: eight hundred thousand, eight hundred thousand… As long as I got this money, Mom could go abroad for treatment. When the shoot ended, Wesley walked me to the door. Just as I reached the villa entrance, I ran into Archer with a young woman in his arms. Seeing me, his expression froze. Wesley immediately stepped forward: “Mr. Brennan, what a coincidence!” Archer ignored him, his gaze locked dead on me. The girl in his arms spoke softly: “Hello, Mr. Wesley.” “And who’s this?” Wesley looked at the girl. Only then did Archer withdraw his gaze, his tone gentler: “Lily Smith, my fiancée.” Delight flashed in the girl’s eyes, and I saw it. Fiancée… So he was getting married. I felt no ripples in my heart. I forced a smile. Lily wore a white cashmere dress, her demeanor clean and refined. Standing with him, they looked well-matched. Wesley heaped on praise: “Mr. Brennan and Miss Smith are truly a perfect couple!” Then he patted my shoulder: “Sienna’s figure is also top-tier. The art photos we just shot—absolutely stunning.” Archer’s expression instantly darkened. I didn’t want to linger. I said goodbye to Wesley and turned to leave. I hadn’t gone far when Archer caught up and grabbed my wrist: “You came out of Wesley’s house?” “Do you know what he’s having you photograph?” I pulled my hand free: “What’s it to you?” “Wesley’s married, don’t you know?” He growled quietly. “Do you really enjoy being the other woman that much? Are you really that cheap?” Those words stabbed like a knife into my heart. My eyes reddened as I laughed, laughing until tears came: “Yeah, I’m cheap. I love being the other woman. So what?” I stepped closer, deliberately provocative: “Or does Mr. Brennan also want to keep me? For old times’ sake, I’ll give you a discount?” Fury instantly flared in Archer’s eyes. Before I’d finished speaking, Lily rushed up from behind and slapped me hard. “Have you no shame? Seducing someone else’s fiancé!” She trembled with rage, about to strike again. Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth, the metallic taste spreading. Archer stopped her, his voice cold: “Lily, don’t touch her. She’s filthy.”

With that, he glanced at me with disgust, put his arm around Lily, and turned away. I covered my face, watching their backs, and finally crouched down and cried out loud. When I’d cried enough, I wiped away the tears and blood, braced my knees, and stood up. I walked for three hours before reaching a bus stop. Just as I sat down, my phone buzzed. A bank message popped up: [Deposit received: $800,000 USD] My finger traced across those numbers. Ice cold, bone-piercing. Mom’s treatment fund was complete. I leaned against the bus window, watching the neon lights fly backward outside. Memories from ten years ago surged up. Back then, I was a piano prodigy at the music conservatory. My professor said these hands of mine belonged in concert halls. Until Archer appeared. He was an underclassman one year behind me, the most popular guy at school. Wild, flashy, eyes like a wolf when he looked at people. He said he’d fallen for me at first sight. Pursued me for half a year. The night of the graduation party, he said he had a surprise for me and got me blackout drunk. But when I woke up, explicit photos of me with a group of married men had spread across the entire internet. I became a homewrecker everyone wanted to condemn. I went to find him like a madwoman. He just leaned against his motorcycle, smiling cruelly: “Getting close to you was never about liking you.” “Your mom seduced my dad back then and drove my mom to jump into the sea and commit suicide.” “The debt she owes, you’re paying back.” I didn’t believe it. I shook my head desperately. When my mom came looking, she slapped Archer across the face. He backhanded and shoved my mom to the ground. “Weren’t you the one who loved being a mistress? I just helped your daughter carry on the family tradition.” My mom had a stroke on the spot from rage. After they resuscitated her, her mental capacity was permanently frozen at age five. And I was expelled from school, spurned by everyone. With nowhere to turn, I entered Red Hall. I’d been there ten years. Now I finally had eight hundred thousand. Mom could be saved. But what about me? What about the truth that had been buried? Had my mom… really done those things? The bus announcement pulled me back from my thoughts. I put away my phone and got off. Just as I reached the entrance to the old apartment complex where I rented, neighbor Mrs. Liu rushed out in a panic: “Sienna! Something terrible! Your mom’s missing!” My head buzzed. Blood rushed to the top of my skull. “I just wanted to bring your mom some pastries. The door was open and no one was inside!” “I searched the whole area and couldn’t find her. What do we do?” I couldn’t hear the rest. I shook off Mrs. Liu and rushed upstairs like a madwoman. The door to my home stood wide open. Mom wasn’t there. “Mom—!” My hoarse shout echoed through the empty hallway. I rushed downstairs, sprinting wildly through the night streets. “Mom! Where are you?!” Cold wind howled. The streets were empty. Fear wrapped around my heart like vines. What if she got lost? What if she fell? What if… she got hit by a car? What if she ran into bad people? No, that won’t happen— I rushed through an intersection without checking the light. The piercing sound of brakes tore through the night sky. My legs gave out. I collapsed to the ground. My knees screamed with pain. A car door was violently thrown open. A tall figure charged out, wrapped in fury. “Do you have a death wish?! Walking without looking—” The scolding stopped abruptly. I raised my tear-filled eyes and saw who it was. Archer. Seeing it was me, surprise flashed in his eyes. “Sienna?” Hearing his voice, ten years of grievances and terror broke through the dam. I sat on the cold ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Archer’s expression was complex, then quickly replaced by mockery. He sneered: “What? Not enough money selling your body, so now you’ve moved on to insurance fraud? How much do you want? Just say it.” As he spoke, he reached out to pull me up. Just then, a figure suddenly rushed out, forcefully pushing Archer away and spreading her arms in front of me, shouting with vacant urgency: “Don’t bully Sienna! Don’t bully Sienna! Bastard! Go away! Don’t touch my Sienna!” It was Mom. Archer was pushed back a step. When he saw who was blocking me, his entire body froze.

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I just moved in, and the college girl across the hall reported me to the police, claiming I was stalking her out of twisted obsession and peeping on her while she showered. When the police showed up at my door, she was crying her eyes out, pointing her finger right at my nose and screaming: “Pervert! You’ve been using binoculars to spy on me every night! You even posted my photos online!” “I saw you! Those disgusting, leering eyes of yours make me sick!” The neighbors around us started pointing and whispering. Some even shoved me, calling me the scum of society. “This creep should be chemically castrated!” “He looks so normal on the outside, but he’s actually a peeping tom!” Facing their accusations, I removed the sunglasses from my face, revealing two deeply sunken, empty eye sockets. “Officer, tell me—how exactly does a blind man peep on anyone?” My voice wasn’t loud, but it pierced through the chaotic air in that room like an awl. The neighbors who had just been shoving and cursing at me froze mid-motion. The middle-aged woman who’d been leading the charge stood there with her hand still raised in midair, forgetting to lower it. Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto my face. Or more precisely, onto the two hollow, eyeball-less cavities where my eyes should have been. These were the permanent marks left on me three years ago, in a fire. The lead officer was experienced. His name was William. He froze for a moment, then furrowed his brow, his tone thick with impatience. “Don’t lie to us!” “Whether you’re really blind or not, we’ll find out at the hospital!” The girl across the hall—Mia Li—paused her crying for a beat, then burst into even shriller sobs. “He’s lying! He’s just trying to get away with it!” “There’s no way he can’t see! He stands by his window watching me every night! Those eyes… those eyes…” She seemed to want to describe my eyes, but the sight of my empty sockets scared her speechless. She just pointed at me, trembling all over. “Disgusting! This is so disgusting!” Her outburst stirred up the neighbors again. “Right! He must be faking it!” “These days, criminals will do anything! He’d even claim to be blind just to escape punishment!” A young man even stepped forward indignantly, trying to grab me by the collar. “You scum! I’m going to teach you a lesson today!” The police officer blocked him. “What are you doing? Everyone stay back! The police will handle this!” He turned to me, his eyes still full of suspicion and disgust. “You’re coming with us.” I didn’t resist. I calmly held out both hands. Cold metal touched my wrists. Two younger officers flanked me on either side and led me toward the elevator. Behind me, Mia’s crying mixed with the neighbors’ curses into a chaotic din. “Scum of society!” “Get out of our community!” “Hope you rot in prison!” I could “see” the righteous expressions on their faces. I could also “hear” the pleasure in their voices as they trampled me into the mud. I stepped into the elevator. The metal doors slowly closed, cutting off the noise from outside. One of the younger officers, probably new to the job, couldn’t help but ask me quietly. “Are you… are you really blind?” I tugged at the corner of my mouth but didn’t answer. The other officer patted his shoulder, signaling him to keep quiet. But I knew that in their minds, the scales had already tipped completely in favor of that tearful young girl. After all, it was a young, pretty, pitiful college student on one side. And on the other, a suspicious man living alone, wearing sunglasses. In their eyes, it was crystal clear who was the victim and who was the perpetrator. What they didn’t know was this: Sometimes, what the eyes see is the biggest lie of all. And I—a blind man—had “seen” something that none of them had. For instance, when Mia accused me, her heartbeat was steady, without a single ripple of genuine emotion.

The interrogation room at the police station was harshly lit by fluorescent lights, and the air smelled faintly of mildew. I sat on a cold metal chair. Across from me were William and a female officer taking notes. “Name.” “Lucas .” “Age.” “Twenty-eight.” “Occupation.” “Unemployed.” William slammed his pen down on the table with a sharp crack. “Lucas , I suggest you come clean!” “We have witnesses and evidence. How long do you think you can keep lying?” I faced in his direction and asked calmly. “What witnesses? What evidence?” “The witness is the victim, Mia ! As for the evidence…” William paused, seeming to realize this was a bit tricky. “We’re still searching for it! Don’t think you’re off the hook just because you won’t confess!” He raised his voice, trying to intimidate me with sheer force. “Mia has already told us everything! You just moved in a week ago and started peeping. Every night at eight o’clock, when she takes her shower, you stand across from her with binoculars and watch!” “You even took photos of her and posted them on foreign websites to make money!” “Your behavior constitutes a serious crime! If you confess now, we can still request leniency!” I almost laughed out loud. What a well-crafted story. Time, location, tools, motive—everything was there. If I weren’t the person being accused, I might have believed it myself. “William.” I interrupted his long-winded lecture. “First, I don’t own any binoculars.” “Second, I don’t have the tools to commit this crime. My computer and phone were replaced three years ago with devices designed for the blind. They don’t even have cameras.” “Third, and most importantly.” I enunciated each word clearly. “I. Am. Blind.” William’s breathing grew noticeably heavier. “I told you, don’t use that as an excuse! Whether you’re really blind or not, we’ll take you for testing!” “Until the test results come back, you’re our prime suspect!” At that moment, the interrogation room door swung open. A young officer poked his head in. “Captain, the victim is extremely emotional. She won’t stop crying. She’s saying she’ll report us to our superiors for covering for a criminal.” William’s face darkened. “Got it.” He waved the young officer away, then glared at me fiercely. Of course, I couldn’t see his glare, but I could hear his teeth grinding. “Lucas, do you have any idea how much pressure we’re under because of you?” “She’s a student at a top university. This case is getting a lot of public attention. If we don’t handle this properly, the entire station is going to take heat for it!” I understood now. To him, the truth mattered less than keeping the peace. And the easiest way to keep the peace was to get me to confess. “So, to save you from getting criticized, I have to admit to something I didn’t do?” My tone turned cold. William seemed infuriated by my attitude. “What kind of tone is that? Who do you think you are?” “Let me tell you something—once you’re in here, you follow our rules!” “You won’t talk? Fine! We have ways to make you!” He stood up, looming over me from above. “Lock him up! Once we get the search warrant, we’ll tear his place apart!” “I don’t believe we won’t find evidence!” The door opened. Two officers came in and grabbed me by the arms again. I didn’t struggle. I knew that from the moment Mia reported me, I’d already fallen into a carefully designed trap. If they dared to do this, they must have prepared everything perfectly. Next, they would “find” so-called “evidence” in my apartment. And I would be nailed to the pillar of shame forever.

The cold iron door slammed shut behind me with a heavy echo. I’d been locked in a temporary holding cell. The room was small—just a hard bed and a toilet. The air reeked of disinfectant mixed with despair. I felt my way to the bed and sat down, listening quietly to the sounds outside. Footsteps echoed up and down the hallway, mixed with hushed conversations. “That’s the peeping pervert?” “Looks so normal, but he’s actually disgusting.” “I heard he’s blind. Must be faking it, right?” “Who knows? Either way, he’s finished. Of all people to mess with, he picks a college girl.” These voices pierced my ears like countless tiny needles. I’d long since grown used to the darkness, but for the first time, it felt unbearably cold and cutting. About two hours later, the iron door opened again. It was William. He was holding a clear evidence bag, a smug smile on his face. He waved it in front of me. “Lucas, look at this.” He seemed to forget I couldn’t see. He revealed the answer himself, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “We found this under your windowsill!” “Military-grade binoculars!” “And this!” He pulled out another evidence bag containing a digital camera. “We found tons of photos of Mia on this camera! From all kinds of angles! Absolutely disgusting!” “Now, what do you have to say?” I remained silent. But inside, I was reeling. They moved fast. They’d already planted all the “evidence.” Seeing that I didn’t respond, William assumed I was admitting guilt. He pulled over a chair and sat across from me, his tone taking on a lecturing quality, as if he were scolding a clueless kid. “Lucas, oh Lucas. You’re young, you’re not bad-looking—why do something so sleazy?” “Now the evidence is right here. There’s no point denying it.” “Just sign the papers. I’ll even ask the prosecutor to go easy on you. Maybe you’ll get a few years shaved off your sentence.” He pushed a document and an ink pad toward me. “Come on. Press your fingerprint. Let’s end this quickly. It’s better for everyone.” I could “hear” the dismissiveness and impatience in his tone. He didn’t care about the truth. He just wanted to close the case. I slowly lifted my head and faced him. “William, if I press my fingerprint, does that mean I’m admitting to all the charges?” “Of course!” “And I’ll be convicted of indecent assault and distributing obscene materials?” “That’s right. Combined charges, at least three years minimum.” “My name, my life—I’ll be branded as a ‘rapist’ and a ‘pervert’ forever?” William’s patience seemed to run out. “Why are you talking so much? You brought this on yourself! Who else is there to blame?” I laughed. The sound echoed eerily in the empty holding cell. “Yeah. Who else is there to blame?” I murmured to myself. Then I reached out, groping for the transcript. Just as William thought I was about to press my fingerprint, I used every ounce of strength I had and tore that document to shreds. Paper scraps fluttered down like snowflakes. William was stunned. He hadn’t expected me to do that. “You… you’re insane!” He shot to his feet, pointing at my nose and roaring. “This is resisting law enforcement! You’re making it worse for yourself!” I faced his fury and said, slowly and clearly: “I didn’t do it. I won’t admit to a single word.” “You can fabricate evidence. You can beat a confession out of me. But you will never make me bow.” “Want me to confess? You’ll have to kill me first.” My words were like a resounding slap across William’s face. His face turned from red to green, then from green to purple. “Fine! Fine! Fine!” He said “fine” three times, trembling with rage. “You’ve got guts! Let’s see just how tough you really are!” He spun around and stormed out, shouting into the hallway. “Someone get in here! Cuff him! File for formal detention!” “I’m going to make him understand what the law’s authority really means!” Two officers rushed in and roughly dragged me off the bed. Cold handcuffs clamped onto my wrists again—this time tighter than before, biting painfully into my skin. They shoved me forward, making me stumble as I walked. Just then, my phone rang. It was that monotone electronic tone unique to phones designed for the blind. One officer moved to hang up impatiently. But I spoke. “Let me answer it.” My tone carried an undeniable calm. The officers hesitated. William barked: “Answer what? Take him away!” “If this call delays you from learning the ‘truth’ you want, the consequences are on you.” My words made William freeze. He looked at me suspiciously. Finally, he signaled for his subordinate to hand me the phone. I fumbled for the answer button. On the other end, a cold, familiar female voice spoke. “Lucas, this is your landlord. I’m giving you three days to move out of my apartment.” “I don’t want a disgusting peeping tom living in my property.”

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When I pushed open the front door, Christmas dinner had just been set on the table. Mom poked her head out from the kitchen: “Is Claire home? Go wash your hands, we’re about to eat!” Dad sat in his usual spot, clutching the TV remote in his hand. Everything was exactly the same as the past twenty-six Christmas Eves. Until I went to the bathroom to wash my hands. Thirty seconds. I was only gone for thirty seconds. When I came back, a strange man was sitting in Dad’s seat. A strange woman walked out of the kitchen carrying a soup bowl, her hair styled in trendy curls. It was still the same elm wood dining table, the same dishes, even the tableware hadn’t moved. But the people eating—they had all changed. Seven strangers, sitting around my family’s dining table, eating my family’s Christmas dinner. “Who are you people? Where are my parents!” My voice was shaking. All seven of them looked up at once. The white-haired old man in the head seat put down his fork: “Miss, who are you looking for?” “This is my house!” The curly-haired woman laughed first: “Miss, you must have the wrong place. This is our home.” “That’s impossible!” I pointed at the table. “This table has a burn mark on the lower left corner. I made it when I was seven.” Everyone looked down. The burn mark was indeed there. “Coincidence.” The curly-haired woman said. I pointed at the ceramic bowl: “This soup bowl has my name carved on the bottom—Claire . I carved it when I was ten.” They didn’t touch the bowl, but their expressions changed. The white-haired old man stood up: “Miss, I don’t know how you know these things, but this really is our home. My name is Robert Williams, this is my son James, his wife Sarah, and their children…” I didn’t answer. I turned and rushed into the inner room. My bedroom door was open, but inside it had become a children’s room. Family photos of strangers hung on the wall—the seven people currently at the dining table. James stood up: “Dad, what’s going on?” I finally broke down: “I should be asking you that! Thirty seconds ago when I came in, this was my parents’ house! Thirty seconds later, it became yours! The food hasn’t changed, the table hasn’t changed—where are the people? Where are my parents?” Sarah’s face turned pale: “Miss, are you… having hallucinations? We’ve been preparing dinner since this afternoon…” “Hallucinations?” I dragged over my suitcase, opened it, and pulled out a photo frame. The frame held a picture of me and my parents, taken last Christmas in this same living room. The photo was passed around among the seven people. James’s voice came out dry: “This photo… it’s photoshopped, right?” “I have videos on my phone too!” I patted my pockets. Strange, where was my phone? “Is that phone on the shoe cabinet by the entrance yours?” Sarah spoke up to remind me. I looked at her suspiciously, then found my phone where she said. I opened my recent files. It was a screen recording of a video call with Mom from ten days ago, the background identical down to the smallest detail. But halfway through the video, Mom’s image suddenly distorted. Amid the buzzing static, Mom’s face shook and warped, then transformed into Sarah’s face. Sarah in the video smiled at the camera: “Claire honey, when are you coming home for the holidays?” The phone clattered to the floor. By the time I picked it up, the video had returned to normal. From beginning to end, it was my mother. “What’s going on!” I jerked my head up. “Did you tamper with the video when I wasn’t paying attention!” Robert sighed: “Miss, if you can’t even tell what’s real in your own phone videos, I suggest you go to the hospital and get your head checked. Stop making a scene.” “I’m not making a scene! You’ve been planning this all along, haven’t you!” James’s face darkened: “If you keep talking nonsense, I’m calling the police.” “Go ahead! Let the police come see whose house this really is!” James really did call the police. During the twenty-minute wait, we remained at an impasse. The Williams family continued eating, though half-heartedly. I sat on my suitcase, staring intently at them, at this house. That door leading to the balcony—the paint had chipped off the lower right corner when I crashed into it with my tricycle as a child. The clock on the wall was the Roman numeral style Dad loved. Even the smell in the air was exactly the same as in my memories. How could this not be my home? The police finally arrived—one older, one younger. The older officer showed his badge. His name was Officer Mitchell. After hearing both our accounts, he frowned deeply. “You say this is your home. Do you have proof?” I pulled out property documents: “The homeowners are David and Linda—my parents.” Officer Mitchell looked them over, then turned to Robert: “And yours?” Robert produced property documents. Officer Mitchell compared the two documents, his frown deepening.

“They’re both real. Same address, same number, but different owner names. Issue date… both July 15, 2005.” “That’s impossible!” James and I said simultaneously. “See for yourself.” It was true. The certificate numbers were identical. The younger officer ran a search. Half a minute later, he looked up with a confused expression: “The system shows the owner is Robert Williams. David … no record found.” “What do you mean no record found!” I grabbed the police tablet. In the search results, both David and Linda ‘s names were followed by red exclamation marks displaying [DATA DOES NOT EXIST]. Officer Mitchell wiped his brow: “Miss, did you get the address wrong?” “I grew up here! I remember every single scratch on these walls!” I rushed to the TV cabinet and yanked open the bottom drawer with force: “Look! There’s a hidden compartment here—it’s where my dad used to hide money!” The drawer opened. The compartment was still there, but it was empty. James’s voice was calm: “This girl’s mental state might not be quite right. It’s Christmas, we don’t want to make things difficult for her, but she’s disrupting our holiday.” Officer Mitchell looked at me: “Miss, why don’t you find somewhere else to stay. After the holidays…” I interrupted: “I’m not leaving. This is my parents’ house. I have to be here tonight! Who knows where they’ll take my parents if I leave!” Sarah screamed: “What are you talking about!” Just then, Officer Mitchell’s phone rang. He answered and walked outside. Through the glass, I could see him nodding continuously, his expression growing more serious. Two minutes later he came back in: “I just received notification that David and Linda are involved in a financial dispute and fled the country this afternoon. This house… was mortgaged to Mr. Williams last month.” I felt like I’d been struck by lightning: “That’s impossible! I talked to them on the phone this morning!” “You can check the immigration records.” Officer Mitchell handed me his phone. On the screen were two familiar photos. Mom and Dad’s passport information. Departure time: 3 PM today. Destination: Cambodia. “This has to be fake!” I shouted. “Why would they run? They’ve always lived honest lives—where would a financial dispute come from?” “That requires further investigation. But right now, the house does belong to the Williams family. If you keep causing trouble, we’ll have to take you in for disturbing the peace.” “The evidence is conclusive.” Officer Mitchell put away his phone. “please leave.” I had no choice but to be forced out of what used to be my home. Late at night, I bought bread at a convenience store and sat on the sidewalk eating it. I called my parents several times. Each call went to [TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE]. “Mom, Dad, where did you go! I clearly saw you before I washed my hands for dinner!” Thinking about this, my tears stubbornly fell to the ground. In my phone gallery, I flipped through photos of my parents one by one. Last year’s birthday—Mom making me dinner while Dad snuck bites of cake. Family mountain hike—Dad panting from exhaustion while Mom laughed at his lack of exercise. Our chat messages stopped yesterday afternoon. Mom had written: [Dinner’s ready, just waiting for you to come home and eat.] Dad sent a cash gift: [For my girl to buy snacks.] Dad’s latest Instagram post was from three days ago, sharing a health article. Before that was last week’s photo of a gathering with old colleagues. He looked so happy. A relative had commented below: [Get together in a few days?] Dad replied: [Sure, once my daughter comes home we’ll all meet up.] That reply was timestamped yesterday at 4 PM. But the immigration records showed they’d already left the country at 3 PM today. All their social media accounts were updating normally, as if they were still somewhere living their ordinary lives. Except I couldn’t reach them. Except their home had been taken by strangers.

No, I won’t accept this! I stood up, dragging my suitcase, and knocked on the door next door. Mrs. Harper opened it—the woman who’d watched me grow up since childhood. “Mrs. Harper! It’s me, Claire!” I grabbed onto her like a drowning person clutching a life raft. “Something happened to my family! My parents are missing, and a group of strangers has taken over our house! Did you see my parents today? They…” “Claire? Are you confused? The house next door… that’s the Williams family. They’ve lived there for years.” I froze: “Mrs. Harper, what are you saying? That’s David ‘s house—my house! You came to borrow sugar from us last month, and my mom baked you cookies…” “That never happened!” Mrs. Harper suddenly raised her voice. “Young lady, don’t make things up! I don’t know any David !” With that, she slammed the door shut. I stood in the cold wind, chilled to the bone. I went to knock on other neighbors’ doors. The answers were all variations on the same theme: “Never heard of them.” “Miss, did you get the wrong address?” “That house has always been theirs. We all know them.” Just as I was losing all hope, I saw elderly Mrs. Murphy about to take out her trash. I rushed over and grabbed her hand: “Mrs. Murphy, you know my parents, right? Tell me where they went!” But Mrs. Murphy shook off my hand forcefully, quickly closed her door, and didn’t even take out the trash. I stood on the street, looking at door after door shut tight, and suddenly felt the whole world spinning. Could it be… I really did remember wrong? Could the parents I saw when I first came home just be my hallucination? I stumbled back to the front of the house. Through the glass window, I saw those seven people enjoying their meal harmoniously. The little girl pointed at something on TV and laughed. Sarah brought her fruit. Robert poured wine with a beaming smile. Everything looked so normal, so normal it was as if they’d been living here for twenty years. And I was like an intruder who didn’t belong, like a crazy person. No, wait—why am I starting to doubt myself? I shook my head, quickly pushing that thought away. Over the next two days, I haunted the area like a ghost. I checked into a small hotel and squatted across from the house before dawn every day, watching that door. On the morning of the third day, I blocked Sarah as she went out to buy breakfast. “Give me back my parents!” I stood in front of her, my eyes bloodshot. Sarah jumped, then composed herself: “Miss, why are you still here? Wasn’t what the police said clear enough?” “Those must have been fake police! You’re all definitely working together!” My voice was hoarse. “Tell me right now—where are my parents!” I grabbed her arm to keep her from leaving. Sarah shook me off forcefully and shouted loudly: “Help! A crazy person is attacking me!” Several neighbors out for morning exercise gathered around. Sarah pointed at me and said to everyone: “It’s this girl. On Christmas Eve she broke into our house claiming it was hers, saying I stole her parents! The police already came, and she’s still causing trouble!” The neighbors looked at me with suspicion, pity, but mostly the desire to keep their distance. “Looking at her, her mental state really isn’t right.” “Poor thing.” “Keep your distance, don’t get involved.” I looked at these familiar faces. The way they were looking at me now—like I was a stranger, a lunatic.

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A moment before the flames swallowed me, I saw my husband and my best friend locked in a smiling embrace. He said, “Serena, you deserve to die.” When I opened my eyes, I was back the night before my wedding. This time, I had their car rendezvous filmed in advance and set it to play on a loop on the wedding screens. In front of all the guests, I played the recording. “Once Serena is dead, the inheritance will all be ours.” The two who drove me to my death in my past life, one went bankrupt, the other went to prison. The ex I’d abandoned came to me at last. “Now that you’ve had your revenge, can you turn and look at me?” My new husband placed a hand on my back. “Honey, has the baby been bothering you today?” Serena’s POV I was reborn on the night before my wedding. One moment I was drowning in fire, the next I was surrounded by wedding gowns.. In the mirror, my twenty-two-year-old self stared back.. The man I would marry tomorrow would, in three years, conspire with my best friend to burn me alive. They would steal my legacy and hound my mother to her death. The wedding dress was so white. A pity it would soon be stained with my blood. I picked up scissors and cut from the neckline to the hem. Fragments scattered all over the floor. Ethan Chapman, Claire Sullivan. This time it’s your turn to go to hell. My phone rang. It was Ethan. “Serena, tomorrow you’ll officially be my wife. Are you nervous?” I kept cutting the wedding dress. “Nervous,” I said. “Nervous about how to make your death look good.” He laughed on the other end. “There you go again. Get some sleep. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow.” The call ended. I looked at the mirror. At thirty, I had fine lines around my eyes. Now this face was smooth and full. So young. Young enough to still believe in love. The door opened. Claire walked in wearing a nightgown, holding a glass of milk. “Serena, have some milk to help you sleep.” She placed the glass on the vanity, her eyes drifting to the jewelry box beside it. “Are you wearing this pearl set tomorrow? It’s beautiful.” In my previous life, she had asked the same thing. I told her if she liked it, she could borrow it. She took it and never returned it. Later I learned that on that day, she wore my pearl necklace while fooling around with Ethan in the lounge before the wedding. “No.” I closed the jewelry box. “My mother gave it to me. I don’t lend it out.” Claire’s smile stiffened. “Why are we drawing such lines?” She reached out to pull me. “Starting tomorrow, we’ll be family.” I dodged. “Claire.” I looked into her eyes. “Ethan came to see you last night, didn’t he? At 2 a.m., downstairs at your place, right?” Her face turned pale instantly. “You-how did you…” “The second button on his shirt was missing.” I said,”Your stitching is very distinctive. I recognize it.” The air froze for a few seconds. Claire backed up and bumped into the vanity. The milk glass tipped over, white liquid spreading across the wedding dress fragments. “Serena, let me explain…” “No need to explain.” I crouched down and picked up the largest piece of the wedding dress. “The wedding tomorrow isn’t happening anyway.” She ran. I sat back down in front of the mirror and opened my phone’s photo album. The photos were taken by someone I hired the day before yesterday. Ethan and Claire kissing in a car. Very clear. Clear enough for both families to see. At 3 AM, I called the wedding company. “Mr. Lee, I’m changing the video for tomorrow’s screen. I’m sending you the new one now.” “Miss Williams, it’s so late…” “I’ll triple the payment.” “I’ll handle it right away!” After hanging up, I called my mother’s attending physician. “Dr. Walker, please stay with my mother at the wedding tomorrow. She has a bad heart and may need emergency care at any moment.” “Don’t worry, Miss Williams. I’ll be there the entire time.” After finishing these tasks, dawn was breaking. I looked at the pale light outside the window and remembered the day I died in my previous life. It was also dawn. Ethan poured gasoline on me while Claire held a lighter. They said, Serena, go die. The instant the flames licked my skin, I thought of my mother. She lay in the hospital after a stroke, not yet knowing her daughter was dead. I wiped away tears with a piece of the wedding dress. I couldn’t cry. Not this time. At six, the makeup artist arrived. She saw the fragments everywhere and screamed. “Miss Williams! The-the wedding dress…” “Get another one.” I said, “Any style. Something simple.” The makeup artist applied my makeup trembling. At seven-thirty, Ethan called again. “Serena, I’m on my way. Wait for me.” “Okay.” I said, “I’ll wait for you.” Wait for your complete ruin.

Serena’s POV The wedding venue. The banquet hall for five hundred people was full. Relatives and friends from both sides, business partners, media reporters. Ethan’s family ran a building materials business and wanted to use this wedding to build their reputation. I walked into the hall on my father’s arm. Ethan stood at the end of the red carpet, suit impeccable, smile gentle. In my previous life, I was deceived by this smile, thinking he was the right person. When I reached him, my father placed my hand in his. Ethan squeezed tight. “Serena, you look beautiful today.” He said in a low voice. The officiant began reciting his lines, asking those old clichéd questions. Ethan looked at me, his eyes shining. Such good acting. My turn came. The officiant said, “Miss Serena Williams, do you take Mr. Ethan Chapman to be your husband?” The entire hall fell silent. Everyone looked at me. I took the microphone, my fingers ice-cold. “Before I answer,” I said, “I’d like everyone to watch a video.” Ethan froze. So did the officiant. The backstage staff, following my instructions from last night, cut the music and turned on the big screen. The first photo appeared. In a car, Ethan and Claire were kissing. The timestamp read three days ago. The entire hall erupted. “What-what is this?” Ethan’s father stood up. The second photo. A hotel corridor, Ethan with his arm around Claire’s waist entering a room. The third photo. Morning, Claire coming out of the same room, wearing my pearl necklace around her neck. My mother in the audience clutched her chest. Dr. Walker immediately stepped forward, and the two bodyguards I had arranged also moved behind her. “Serena, these are AI-generated! Someone is trying to frame me!” Ethan tried to grab the microphone. I dodged. And clicked on the last photo. It was from last night, a recording from Claire in my room. “Ethan said once we get Serena’s money, he’ll dump her… Her mother’s health is so bad, just upset her a bit and she’ll die, then the inheritance will all be ours…” Claire’s voice in the recording was clear and piercing. The entire hall fell deathly silent. Ethan’s face went from red to white to blue. He looked at me like I was a stranger. “You-you bugged me…” “What else?” I returned the microphone to the officiant. “Wait for you to burn me alive?” Ethan looked like he’d been struck by lightning, stumbling back two steps. I turned to face the guests. “The wedding is canceled. Sorry for the spectacle.” After speaking, I walked off the stage. Ethan tried to grab me but was blocked by the bodyguards. His father was cursing him, his mother was crying. Claire had slipped away at some point, her seat empty. When I reached the door, I looked back. Ethan still stood on stage like a ridiculous statue. Guests were whispering to each other, some holding up phones to record. Getting into the car, the driver asked where to go. “Home,” I said. “My parents’ home.” The car drove away. I leaned my head against the window, finally starting to tremble. Not from fear, but excitement. So this is what revenge felt like-like liquor burning down my throat. My phone vibrated. I answered. “Serena.” It was Adrian’s voice, the only person who had helped me in my previous life. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine.” I took a deep breath. “This is just the beginning.”

Serena’s POV My mother lay in her bedroom on oxygen. Her face was pale. “Serena, those photos… are they real?” “Real.” I sat by the bed, holding her hand. “Mom, I’m sorry. I kept it from you for so long.” Tears fell from her eyes. “That boy… he seemed so honest…” “Appearances don’t represent a person’s character.” My father stood in the doorway smoking, ash falling to the floor. “Good thing Serena found out early.” The doorbell rang. Our housekeeper went to answer it and soon ran back in a panic. “It’s Ethan… holding a huge bouquet, kneeling at the door!” My father started to go drive him away, but I stopped him. “I’ll go.” At the door, Ethan really was kneeling there, holding ninety-nine red roses. His hair was messy, his tie crooked, his eyes bloodshot. “Serena.” His voice was hoarse. “Let me explain.” “Explain what?” I leaned against the doorframe. “Explain how you and Claire planned to kill me?” His whole body trembled. “I didn’t! Those recordings were fabricated! That bitch Claire is framing me!” “Oh?” I smiled. “What about the photos? Fabricated too?” He couldn’t answer. His lips trembled. “Serena, I was wrong. I was really wrong.” He held up the flowers. “Give me one more chance. I love you, I only love you…” I took the flowers. His eyes brightened for a moment. Then I threw the entire bouquet on the ground. My high heels stepped on them, crushing those delicate petals. “Are you worthy?” That sentence made him collapse to the ground. Some neighbors were peeking from behind their windows. I raised my voice. “Ethan, return the three million your mother borrowed from my mother by tomorrow. Otherwise, see you in court.” “Three million? That-that was an investment…” “Investment?” I crouched down to meet his eyes. “Investment in that shell project at your father’s company? I’ve checked the books. The money went into your personal account.” His pupils contracted sharply. “How did you…” “How did I know?” I stood up, looking down at him. “Because I’m not the Serena I used to be. Get lost. If I see you again, I’ll report you for harassment.” Security came. Two burly men dragged Ethan away. He kept calling my name, each cry more pitiful than the last, like a stray dog. I closed the door. My father applauded behind me. “Well done.” He said,”Now that’s my daughter.” My mother came out of the bedroom, eyes still red but smiling. “Serena has grown up.” My phone vibrated again. This time it was Claire. I answered and put it on speaker. “Serena, I had no choice! Ethan threatened me! He said he’d expose my past if I didn’t help him-” “Your past what?” I cut in. “The time you stole your roommate’s wallet in college? Or when you cooked the books at your last job?” Silent. “You…you looked into me?” “A passing glance,” I said. “By the way, isn’t your mother’s birthday coming up? I’ve prepared a big gift. Remember to check it.” I hung up and messaged my private investigator. “You can proceed. Send the stuff to her house.” Claire’s biggest weakness was her parents. They cared most about face. I was curious what their reaction would be if they knew their daughter stole, was a mistress, and wanted to kill someone. So looking forward to it.

Serena’s POV Claire came the next afternoon. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts. As soon as she entered, she tried to kneel. “Serena, I was wrong… I really know I was wrong…” I sat on the sofa drinking tea, not letting her sit. “What were you wrong about?” “I shouldn’t have been with Ethan… shouldn’t have been greedy for his family’s money…” She cried, face covered in tears. “But I really didn’t want to hurt you. Those words were all forced by him…” “Really?” I put down my teacup. “So when you stole my mother’s jewelry, was that forced by him too?” She froze. The day before yesterday she came to my house to “apologize” and snuck into my mother’s room when I wasn’t paying attention. She thought I didn’t know. But there were cameras in every corner. “What… jewelry… I don’t know…” I opened my phone and played a video. In the footage, Claire tiptoed to open the jewelry box and stuffed the jade bracelet and diamond necklace into her bag. Smooth movements. Clearly not the first time. “This is theft.” I said, “The amount exceeds five hundred thousand. That’s ten years or more.” Her legs gave out and she really did kneel. “Serena! Please! I’ll return it! I’ll return it right away!” “Already returned,” I smiled. “I sent the video to your father. He just called, said the items have been returned. Also, he told you to get out of the house and never come back.” Claire’s face lost all color. Her father was a university professor who valued reputation above all. In my previous life, Claire married a rich second-generation, and her father bragged about it everywhere. Now? His daughter was a thief, a mistress, an accomplice to murder for money. “Serena… do you have to be so heartless…” “Heartless?” I stood up and walked to her. “Compared to what you planned to do to me, this is heartless?” She looked up at me, her expression changing from pleading to resentment. “You will pay for this.” “I’ve already paid.” I said, “Now it’s your turn.” Claire was dragged out. She cursed me, damned me, her voice shrill like a ghost. Didn’t matter. I’d been a ghost before. Why would I fear the living? My phone rang. A text from the bank. Ethan’s family had returned the three million, with an attached message. “Serena, the money’s returned. Can we meet?” I replied, “We can meet. Bring evidence of your embezzlement. See you in court.” No response after that. In the evening, Adrian came. He brought a fruit basket, saying he was visiting my mother on behalf of his mother. “How is your mother doing?” I invited him in. “She’s okay. Just hearing about your situation made her blood pressure spike.” He looked at me. “Are you okay?” “Do I look like I’m not?” He shook his head. “No. You look like you’re going to war.” We both laughed. That was Adrian-didn’t say much, but always hit the mark. In my previous life, to help me investigate Ethan’s accounts, Adrian was beaten by people Ethan hired. Two broken ribs. I visited him in the hospital. He said it was nothing, just take care of yourself. “Adrian,” I said. “Thank you.” “I haven’t helped yet. What are you thanking me for?” “Thanking you for helping me in my previous life.” Only after the words left my mouth did I realize something was wrong. But he wasn’t surprised, just looked at me deeply. “If there really was a previous life,” he said, “then I’ll help you in this life too.”

Serena’s POV Ethan started desperately trying to win me back. Sending gifts to my company every day. Hermès bags, Cartier watches, Tiffany necklaces. Gift boxes piled up at the reception desk. The secretary asked how to handle them. “Donate them.” I said, “Donate them to a girls’ education fund under ‘anonymous benefactor.’” “Should we… get a receipt?” “Yes, with Ethan’s name and company address.” The secretary went out holding back laughter. That afternoon, the local evening paper’s society section ran a thank-you letter. “Thanks to anonymous Mr. Chapman for donating luxury goods worth two million dollars to help one thousand girls return to school…” The accompanying photo showed the mountain of gift boxes. The reporter photographed it well-it came across as satirical. Ethan’s call came immediately. “Serena! What do you mean!” “Helping you do charity.” I said while flipping through files. “What, you’re unwilling?” “Those were for you!” “Once you gave them to me, they’re mine. Do I need your permission on what I do with them?” He was breathing heavily on the other end. I could imagine his face red and neck thick. “Serena, don’t go too far! If you push me, it won’t be good for you.” “Great.” I laughed. “I’m waiting.” The call was slammed down. The next day, an even bigger gift box arrived. This time it was a complete ruby jewelry set. The certificate read: Burmese pigeon blood red, total weight fifty-eight carats. The secretary’s eyes went wide. “Miss Williams, this… donate this too?” “Donate it,” I didn’t even look up. “Oh, contact the media. Hold a donation ceremony. Make it grand.” The ceremony was three days later. Even the TV station came. I handed the jewelry box to the foundation director. A reporter asked why I was donating such valuable items. “Making the best use of things,” I said. “Jewelry worn on a person is decoration. Converted to money to build schools, it can change many people’s destinies.” The news aired that evening. Ethan’s mother saw the program, had a heart attack from rage, and was rushed to the hospital. Ethan’s father called to curse me, saying if anything happened to his wife, he wouldn’t let it go. “I’ll pay the medical bills,” I said. “Consider it atonement for Ethan.” His father roared over the phone. After hanging up, Adrian messaged me. “You’re playing too big. Be careful they retaliate.” I replied, “Let them try. I’m waiting.” A week later, Ethan was suspended from his company pending investigation. Someone anonymously reported his embezzlement with solid evidence, even forged contract copies sent to the board of directors. He blocked me downstairs at my company. “You did this.” “Evidence?” I crossed my arms looking at him. He had lost weight, eyes sunken, unshaven. The elegant man from before was gone, only wretchedness remained. “Serena, how did I wrong you? Just because I slept with Claire? What man doesn’t cheat?” “Cheat?” I laughed out loud. “Ethan, do you still think I’m only doing this because you cheated?” He froze. “Then-then what else could it be…” I leaned close to him, speaking in a voice only we could hear. “Because you wanted to burn me alive.” He backed away like he’d seen a ghost, hitting the wall. “You-you’re lying.” “Last September. Twenty liters of gasoline. Paid in cash at the pump. The station still has the footage.” I let the words hang. “Shall I have it pulled up for you?” His mouth opened, but no sound came out. “Then there are your messages with Claire. ‘Once Serena’s dead.’ ‘The inheritance, ours.’ ‘Her mother won’t last long.’” I continued. “Would you like me to go on?” Ethan collapsed to the ground. Eyes bulging like they might pop out. “Impossible… you couldn’t possibly know…” “I know more than you imagine.” I turned to leave. “Ethan, this is nothing. Wait. The good show is still coming.” Getting in the car, I watched him in the rearview mirror. He still sat on the ground like a puddle of mud. My phone vibrated. Adrian sent a photo. It was Claire, getting drunk at a cheap bar, being held around the waist by a man. Caption: “She’s trying to get your father’s company’s business secrets. Be careful.” I replied, “Let her look. I’ve dug a pit waiting for her.”

Serena’s POV My father had me join the company to learn. Starting as assistant to the general manager. Every day following him to meetings, seeing clients, reviewing reports. In my previous life, I had no interest in business and left everything to Ethan. He ended up hollowing out the company and left my father in debt. The finance department submitted a report. I spent an afternoon on it, circling over a dozen issues in red pen. “Dad, the cash flow for these projects is wrong.” I pushed the report over. “Officially, it’s for raw material procurement. But the funds were routed through three shell companies. All registered to individuals named Chapman.” My father put on his reading glasses. His expression grew stormier with each line. “These… these were all Ethan’s projects.” “Not just those.” I opened my laptop and called up another file. “Of the seventeen projects he managed from last year to this year, twelve show irregularities. The total discrepancy… is around eighty million.” The office fell into a deep, heavy silence. My father took off his glasses, rubbing his temples. In my previous life, these bad debts gave him a cerebral hemorrhage. He was paralyzed for two years, and finally, hearing on his deathbed that I had died, he passed away. “Call the police,” he said. “Call the police immediately.” “Wait.” I pressed his hand. “If we call the police now, we can’t get the money back. Give me a month. I’ll get the money back, then send him in.” My father looked at me with a complex expression. “Serena, when did you… learn all this?” “Was forced to.” I smiled. “Dad, don’t worry. This time I won’t let anyone bully our family.” I started investigating those three shell companies. The legal representatives were Ethan’s distant relatives, but he was the actual controller. Money left the company accounts, circled through the shell companies a few times, and ended up in his overseas account. Very old-fashioned tactics, but in my previous life I was too stupid to see it. Adrian came to find me with a stack of materials. “Bank statements for these three companies.” He handed me a USB drive. “Got it through a friend at the bank. Complete chain of evidence.” I plugged in the USB and opened the files. Dense transfer records, one by one, shocking to see. “Adrian,” I looked up at him. “Why are you helping me so much?” He was silent for a while. “If I said I dreamed you died, would you believe me?” My fingers trembled. “What dream?” “A long dream.” His voice was low. “In the dream you married Ethan and had a terrible life. In the end… you died in a fire. I wanted to save you, but it was too late.” I looked at him. His eyes were very clean, very serious. “What happened next?” “Then I woke up. Found you hadn’t married yet.” He smiled slightly. “I thought, this time I can’t let you walk that path again.” I couldn’t speak. My throat tightened. “So.” He pointed at the USB. “Use these. Send him to prison.” Three days later, the board held an emergency meeting. As assistant to the general manager, I attended. Ethan came too, sitting next to his father, looking terrible. My father projected the report on the big screen. “Everyone, this is the financial audit report for projects Manager Ethan Chapman handled over the past two years. I’ve marked the problematic areas in red.” The conference room erupted. Ethan stood up. “Mr. Williams, this is slander! I demand a re-audit!” “Fine.” I stood up and walked to the projector. “But before the re-audit, let’s look at this first.” I inserted the USB drive Adrian gave me. Overseas bank records. Shell company registrations. Contracts Ethan had forged. Page after page of irrefutable proof. Ethan’s father collapsed on the spot. The conference room erupted. Ethan’s finger trembled as he pointed at me. “Serena… you’re vicious.” “Not compared to you.” I turned off the projector. “Call the police.” They came and led him away. He looked back once, his eyes like poisoned glass. I simply smiled and gave a small wave. Goodbye. And good riddance.

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Lately, I noticed that my custom panties kept disappearing—a few pieces here and there, every few days. When I asked my husband Derek about it, he just shrugged it off, saying I must have carelessly misplaced them somewhere. At the company’s annual gala, while everyone was eating together, a system prompt suddenly echoed in my mind: [Mind-reading mode is now activated.] Before I could even process what was happening, another voice followed: [The thrill of being touched by Serena’s husband while wearing her panties is absolutely exhilarating!] [Harder… yes… I’m coming!] My blood ran cold as I looked at Derek sitting beside me. His hand was hidden beneath the table, and his assistant Vanessa was biting her lip with a flushed expression, as if she was trying to hold something back. They were flirting right here at the dinner table—in front of everyone! Fine then. Don’t blame me for spicing things up. 0 Before I could fully react, the voice in my head grew even more shameless: [Derek’s hand is so hot… this lace is digging into me so tight.] [Harder… feel good, yes! I’m coming!] Lace panties… Last week, Derek had taken me to a lingerie boutique to have them custom-made. Purple lace with an iris flower pattern. He said they’d look sexier on me. I wore them once, and then they vanished. The voice echoing in my mind—I recognized it immediately. It was Vanessa, Derek’s assistant. Our company only hired top graduates, yet she’d landed the assistant position with just a high school diploma. I always assumed it was because she was exceptionally capable. The truth is, she climbed her way up by sleeping with my husband. Derek’s left hand was clearly under the table, and Vanessa’s eyes had that distant, glazed look. Everyone was tipsy from drinking, so no one was paying attention to what was happening below. Hoping to confirm my suspicions, I deliberately dropped my fork and bent down to take a look. But Derek stopped me before I could. With a perfectly considerate expression, he said, “You’re wearing a dress—it’s not easy to bend down. Let me get it for you.” His smile was so warm and thoughtful. Flawless. Then, the voice returned: [Thank God Derek reacted fast, or they would’ve seen my panties on the floor. He’s so bad, pulling them off like that. But going commando feels kind of exciting!] My face went pale. The filth I was hearing made me sick to my stomach. Derek stood up, raising his glass and gesturing for everyone to follow: “Our collaboration with Mr. Sullivan went incredibly smoothly, and Vanessa played a huge role in making it happen. Starting today, Vanessa will officially become the Director of Project Division One!” The room erupted in applause. People stood up to toast her. Vanessa smiled sweetly, graciously accepting every glass raised in her honor. “Thank you all for your support.” [It’s so breezy down there… what a rush!] Derek noticed I hadn’t moved from my seat. He frowned. “Serena, do you have a problem with this?” I looked up and challenged him directly. “She’s the Project Director now? Then what am I?” Derek hesitated. Vanessa jumped in with a smug tone. “Serena, you’ve been Project Director for a while now, but you haven’t closed any major deals. Why not let me have the position? I’m confident I can do better than you!” I had been Project Director for five years. I’d signed dozens of deals. And as far as I knew, the entire company’s operating funds came from those deals. “Serena, you know how hard it was to land the Sullivan deal. Vanessa pulled it off, so she deserves this promotion.” “As for your position…” Vanessa seized the moment. “Mr. Thompson, I’m new to the director role and still getting the hang of things. How about Serena becomes my assistant to help me adjust?” Vanessa’s flirtatious act was absolutely masterful. Derek didn’t hesitate. He made the decision on the spot. I immediately protested. “I don’t agree!” Derek’s face darkened. I had just embarrassed him in front of everyone. “Serena! Personnel decisions are made by management. As an employee, you accept them!” Colleagues started whispering: “If you can’t cut it, step aside!” “All she does is collect a paycheck!” “I heard everyone who worked on the Sullivan deal with Vanessa got double bonuses!” “We backed the wrong horse!” I clenched my fists and slowly exhaled. “Fine. I’ll step down.” 0

Vanessa hadn’t expected me to give in so easily. The insults she’d prepared died on her lips. [What’s wrong with her today? Since when is she this agreeable?] She had no choice but to play nice on the surface. “That’s great, Serena! With you assisting me, I’m sure things will go even smoother!” That night, back home, Derek was clearly drunk. He stripped off his clothes and collapsed onto the bed. I stared at his discarded clothes, deep in thought. I crouched down and searched through his pockets. Sure enough—there it was. A purple lace panty with an iris pattern. I held back my disgust and stretched it open. There was an obvious wet stain on it. The thought of Vanessa stealing and wearing my underwear made my stomach turn. I ran to the bathroom sink and dry-heaved. Furious, I threw the panties right onto Derek’s face. But he was too drunk to even flinch. I collapsed onto the couch. Tears of humiliation and rage streamed down my face. The next morning, Derek came to me holding the panties, his eyes slightly evasive but his tone defensive. “Where did you find these?” I glanced at him coolly. “In your suit pocket.” He pressed his lips together. “The washing machine must’ve tangled them into my pocket. See? I told you they wouldn’t just disappear.” I took the panties from him. They’d been washed spotless. “But I’ve lost more than just this one pair.” Derek’s expression tightened. He quickly explained, “You probably left them somewhere around the house. Where else could they have gone?” Before I could press further, the doorbell rang. It was Vanessa. “Mr. Thompson, the meeting with Mr. Sullivan is almost time.” Derek immediately grabbed his briefcase and headed for the door. “Oh, Serena—be a good assistant and print out all these documents for me.” Vanessa shot me a condescending look, her tone dripping with contempt. [Bossing Serena around feels amazing.] I looked down at the files she’d sent me. Over a thousand pages. I didn’t know what she was planning, but I followed her instructions and printed everything. From my observations, I realized my mind-reading ability had limitations. I could only hear Vanessa’s thoughts, and only within about fifteen feet. Like right now—when I placed the printed documents on her desk, she didn’t even glance at them before slamming her hand down. “Are you stupid? You’ve been here long enough to know company printing standards! Key points need to be in bold! Go reprint everything!” “You only told me to print them. You didn’t—” She cut me off. “Do I have to spell everything out? Can’t you think ahead? The company doesn’t pay you to be a brainless waste of space!” I gritted my teeth and nodded. Before I even left her office, I heard: [So this is what being a director feels like. I’m going to put her in her place every chance I get!] Every chance? She wouldn’t get many more chances. 0

I reorganized the documents and reprinted them. As I was leaving the printer room, a colleague behind me started complaining loudly: “I waited an hour in line, and now the printer’s out of paper!” “One print job takes an hour? What a waste of everyone’s time!” “Acting like company paper is free!” “Never seen anyone so shameless!” I held the stack of papers and replied coldly, “Director Vanessa requested these prints. If you have a problem, take it up with her.” The colleague scoffed. “Director Vanessa? A director wouldn’t print this kind of stuff!” She shoved a piece of paper at me. The title read: [How to Seduce a Man: A Detailed Guide] I frowned and examined it closely. The content was full of cheap, sleazy tricks. “Someone as capable as Director Vanessa would never have you print something like this!” “Making things up without even trying to be convincing. Does she still think she’s a director?” “She’s just Vanessa’s little lapdog now!” I clenched my fists, instantly realizing I’d been set up. Vanessa had hidden this garbage among the thousand pages of documents. How thoughtful of her. The commotion drew Derek and Vanessa over. “What’s all this noise about?” The gossipy colleague immediately tattled to Derek. Derek exploded. “Serena, the company doesn’t pay you to play dirty games!” “Exactly, Serena. I thought you had real talent like me!” I calmly held up the paper so everyone could see it clearly. “This looks like a screenshot from some online post. But whoever took it wasn’t very smart—they forgot to crop out their profile picture.” Everyone leaned in for a closer look. “That profile pic… isn’t that Director Vanessa…?” Vanessa’s face went pale. [Damn it! How could I forget to crop out my picture!] She stammered out an excuse. “I accidentally sent that to Serena along with the other files… But Serena, as an assistant, you should’ve double-checked everything!” “What if you’d printed confidential materials for a client meeting this carelessly? You’d be damaging the company’s reputation!” The whispers continued: “Didn’t she say she never stooped to these tactics?” “Did she sleep her way to the top?” Vanessa’s face flushed red. Derek grabbed her hand to comfort her. “Vanessa’s abilities speak for themselves. I personally promoted her!” “Everyone has a private life. Let’s keep work and personal matters separate. Is gossiping about colleagues really appropriate?” The crowd finally dispersed. Derek glanced at me. “The Morrison deal has a networking event in a few days. Go with Vanessa and make sure we close it.” Vanessa immediately objected. “No!” 0

When no one else was around, Vanessa tugged at Derek’s sleeve, pouting. “Derek, let me go alone this time. I can handle it!” [As if I’d let Serena come. What if she steals my credit?] Derek looked conflicted. After all, I was the one who’d always dealt with Mr. Morrison. “Don’t worry, Derek. I’ve already familiarized myself with all of Division One’s projects. This deal is guaranteed to go smoothly!” “Besides, Serena couldn’t even handle a simple printing task today. She’d only embarrass the company at the event!” She turned to me with a sweet smile. “Right, Serena? You’re not going to shamelessly tag along, are you?” I smiled back and slowly pulled out an invitation from my pocket. “Well, Mr. Morrison already sent me a personal invitation. It would be rude not to go.” Vanessa’s face froze. She couldn’t believe it. “That’s impossible… That invitation was sent to the company!” I opened the invitation and showed her the inside. It clearly read: Invitee: Serena. “I’m not going as a company representative. I’m going as myself. Any other questions?” Vanessa clenched her teeth. [That bitch! How did she get a personal invitation to the event!] Derek cleared his throat. “Then we’ll split up. Division One will represent the company at the event.” I turned and left. Over the next two days, I dug out all my old meeting notes with Mr. Morrison. I prepared meticulously for the negotiation. I knew exactly how much Vanessa was worth. I couldn’t let her destroy the client relationship I’d carefully cultivated. The day of the event arrived. Mr. Morrison warmly welcomed me and even arranged a private lounge for me. Shortly after, Vanessa and Derek arrived with a few key team members from Division One. They approached Mr. Morrison with smiles and toasts. I stayed quiet in the background. Vanessa shot me a gleeful look. [She’s like a pathetic little rat! Without Derek, she’s nothing!] I smirked and picked up a glass of red wine, walking straight toward her. As I passed by, I “accidentally” stumbled, splashing wine all over her dress. Vanessa shrieked. “Serena, are you insane? This is designer! Can you even afford to replace it?” “Oh, I’m so sorry.” I made a show of trying to wipe it off. Derek instinctively steadied Vanessa and snapped at me. “Serena! Since when are you this careless? Don’t you know how important tonight is for the company?” “Are you trying to sabotage Vanessa’s pitch to Mr. Morrison?” I calmly offered a solution. “I have a spare dress in my lounge. Go change—it’ll work for now.” Vanessa stormed off, cursing under her breath. I smiled. A while later, Derek spotted Vanessa emerging and quickly called her over to meet Mr. Morrison. “Mr. Morrison only has thirty minutes for us.” Vanessa nodded and began her pitch with a smile. I watched from a distance. She started squirming, pressing her thighs together. Her face grew increasingly strained. Even her speech became halting and confused. Her voice echoed in my mind again: [Ah! It burns down there!]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “355135”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn