Category: English

My boyfriend, William, was famous in our social circle for being a “central heating” type of guy – warm to everyone. At group dinners, he’d smile and help order for ten female friends at the table: “Chloe loves the Shrimp Scampi with Garlic, Mia prefers the Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, and Emily absolutely has to have the Spicy Jambalaya…” Ten people, ten dishes, all their favorites. Everyone envied me: “You found a great guy that’s impossible to find.” But I broke up with him. He asked why, his eyes red. I said, “I don’t want to live with a central air conditioner anymore.” Later, we ran into each other at a party. He had his new girlfriend in his arms, and his eyes mocked me: “Heard your new boyfriend’s pretty cold? Doesn’t even let you order your own food.” I looked at the silent man beside me. He opened the menu and ordered only three dishes. All of them were my favorites. Then he closed the menu, not glancing at anyone else. Someone tentatively asked, “Aren’t you going to ask what we want?” He didn’t even look up, “What other people like to eat, what does that have to do with me?” My ex-boyfriend’s face stiffened, inch by agonizing inch. 1 Once the dishes were all served, William suddenly raised his hand and called for the waiter. “Add a mug of Cinnamon Ginger Tea.” My hand, midway to picking up a piece of Roast Chicken, paused. The tightness in my chest, which had been there all evening, eased a little. After such a late night, he still remembered I wasn’t feeling well. The tea arrived quickly, and William got up to pour a cup. I was just about to reach for it. The lazy Susan was already turning. The mug of tea rotated to the hand of Tara, a colleague from the club. Tara’s eyes lit up… “Wow, William, you’re so thoughtful! How did you know I’m on my period?” William smiled casually, a hint of nonchalance: “You usually crave spicy food, but tonight you haven’t touched anything hot. How could I not notice?” Everyone at the table exclaimed. “William, are your eyes like a measuring tape or something?” “Where do you find a good man like this?” “Only Olivia is lucky enough to have such a considerate boyfriend.” William waved a hand: “Alright, alright, stop teasing me.” Then he got up, walked to the wall, and turned the air conditioning up two degrees. He turned back to Tara with a smile: “You get stomachaches and still don’t wear enough layers.” I was wrapped snugly in a high-neck sweater, the collar hiding the marks he’d insisted on leaving last night, and fine beads of sweat trickled down my forehead. The air conditioning was already warm enough. But I still felt cold. The entire table of delicious food tasted like sawdust. As the dinner ended, William picked up his car keys: “I’ll drive you girls home; it’s not safe late at night.” I tugged at his sleeve, whispering: “It’s not even nine yet. Let’s just go home; I’m not feeling well today.” Sweat had been pouring off me in the stuffy private room, and now the evening breeze made my temples throb. William looked down, took my hand, and said gently: “How can I let girls go home alone when it’s dark? Be good, just a little longer.” Another one of his perfectly warm, unblemished statements. A wave of helplessness washed over me. Was William not good to me? Quite the opposite. Everyone in our circle knew he was incredibly attentive, the perfect boyfriend who did everything for me. But his kindness was like the breeze from an air conditioner, evenly distributed to everyone in the room, without favor. And what I wanted was, just once, his undivided attention. I let go of his hand. “I’m only asking you once.” “Can you take me home first today?” William frowned, his tone laced with exasperation: “Don’t be difficult, it won’t take long, you can rest in the car just the same—” “Fine.” I stopped arguing, turned, and hailed a taxi. William froze for a moment, then chased after me, grabbing the car door: “Jasmine! What are you doing?” I pushed his hand away and closed the door. “Drive.” 2 When I got home, the air conditioning was broken. I huddled under a blanket on the bed, waiting until one in the morning. William called. “Jasmine, something happened with Tara.” “Her ex-boyfriend showed up again, her apartment is a mess, and she’s too scared to be alone. I’m staying with her for a while.” I closed my eyes, taking a sharp breath. “William, you could have taken her to a hotel, or called a female friend to come over.” “You staying there, just the two of you, what kind of impression does that give? Aren’t you worried people will misunderstand?” “Misunderstand what? We’re just colleagues.” He dismissed it. “I’m like this with everyone, you know that. No one will think anything of it.” I clutched the blanket tightly. “I think I have a fever. The air conditioning at home is broken, can you…” “Jasmine!” He cut me off, a hint of impatience in his voice. “Can you stop being so dramatic? I’m just helping a friend. She’s terrified right now, and you’re making a scene with me? “Am I not good enough to you normally? Do I have to ignore everyone else and only pay attention to you?” I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Tara took the phone, her voice soft and tearful. “Jasmine, please don’t misunderstand William… I was just so scared that I begged him to stay and protect me… “Please don’t be angry. I promise I’ll give him back to you tomorrow.” I hung up the phone. The room was cold, so cold my bones shivered. I wrapped myself in the blanket and lay down, curling into a ball. My body grew hotter and hotter, my heart pounding as if it wanted to leap from my throat. I struggled to get up. I called 911 myself. In the emergency room, after the doctor finished examining me, she frowned. “Didn’t you know you were pregnant?” “Why did you wait until your fever developed into myocarditis to come in!” I stared at the report, my mind reeling. 3 When I next woke, birds were chirping outside the window. The nurse removed the IV drip. I picked up my phone; it was quiet, no messages, no calls. Just as I was about to get up and leave, my phone rang. “Hello, is this Jasmine?” “This is the police station. William Vance is your boyfriend, right? He got into a fight and was brought in. Could you come down?” My head buzzed. “A fight? He—” “Both he and the other party were involved. They’re both here now; please come handle it.” I hung up, my mind a mix of panic and urgency, quickly getting out of bed and putting on my shoes. Wasn’t William with Tara? Why would he suddenly get into a fight? It had been years since he was that impulsive. My phone rang again. “Jasmine! Get online quickly! William’s been filmed!” I clicked the link my best friend sent. Video title: “E-sports Player William Vance Fights in Early Hours, Angrily Confronts Ex-Boyfriend to Protect Mysterious Woman” In the footage, William stood beneath an apartment building, his hair disheveled, a cut on his lip, blood oozing out. Tara hid behind him, her eyes red, clutching his arm. The man opposite pointed at Tara’s nose and cursed: “You only broke up with me because of him!” William shielded Tara behind him, wiping the blood from his lip: “If you dare harass her again, I’ll beat you every time.” The ex-boyfriend rushed forward, and the two men wrestled. The video shook violently; I could only hear the dull thud of fists on flesh and Tara’s screams. The comment section had gone wild. [Holy cow, William is so alpha! What a boyfriend!] [Who’s that girl? His girlfriend?] [Looks like the operations manager from their club, I’ve seen her on streams before!] [William getting mad for his lady, I’m swooning!] [William didn’t deny it, isn’t this basically official?] My chest felt tight, struggling to breathe. I stared at those comments, my fingers clenching until they were white. We had been together for seven years. His fans didn’t even know I existed. He always told me that his profession was unique, that e-sports players didn’t date, and that if they made mistakes, fans would still forgive them. But if he dated, any slight drop in performance would be blamed on him being distracted by romance. For his career, I endured it. But what was this now? 4 In the police station hallway, I spotted Tara immediately. She sat on a bench, her shoulders shaking. William stood beside her, his hand resting on her shoulder, talking to her quietly. Hearing footsteps, he looked up, his eyes flickering. I said nothing, turning to sign the papers and pay the fine. When I returned, Tara got up to meet me. “Jasmine…” She grabbed my hand, tears streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry, I dragged William into this. I didn’t know it would cause him to get hurt, or that someone would film it…” She cried, tears falling like pear blossoms after a rain. Then she looked up at William, her tearful eyes filled with dependence. William raised a hand and gently ruffled her hair, his voice incredibly tender. “Who else is going to look out for you? If you have trouble, who else would you call?” I turned to walk out. “Jasmine!” William ran after me. I didn’t look back. Back home, just as I set my bag down, William hugged me from behind. His chin rested on my shoulder, nuzzling me affectionately: “You were scared today, weren’t you? Don’t be angry, it was just an accident, Tara’s situation…” His hand rested on my lower abdomen. There, a tiny life. Seven years. I had been with him since I was twenty. We lived in a basement apartment, and at our poorest, we only ate instant noodles. He played games, and I worked three part-time jobs to support him. Now, finally, we had made it through the hard times. Was I willing to break up over these things? I closed my eyes, then opened them again. I turned to face him. “William, let’s get married.” “Why so sudden…” He froze. “We’ve been together for seven years, shouldn’t we get married?” A flicker of panic crossed his face, quickly replaced by a forced smile. “Why are you bringing this up again? Honey, I told you, I’m in a career upswing right now, I need to focus on competitions. Marriage can wait…” “Then announce me,” I interrupted him. “Clarify that I am your girlfriend. I don’t like people speculating about you and Tara.” He frowned. “Why do you care what strangers on the internet say? As long as we’re good, isn’t that enough?” “You used to say not to go public because you were afraid of upsetting your fans.” I stared into his eyes. “What about now? Aren’t your fans supportive?” “Don’t be difficult, Jasmine. If I announce you now, how will the public view Tara?” He looked away, his voice softening as he tried to appease me: “Listen, I’m doing this to protect you, aren’t I?” “Protect me?” “If your past working at the club as a bartender were dug up, you know how vicious people online are; they’d definitely cyberbully you.” I looked at the man before me, feeling an unprecedented sense of unfamiliarity. “Are you afraid they’ll slander me, or are you afraid they’ll look down on you?” William’s face changed. “Jasmine, what do you mean by that?” “Are you afraid others will look down on me, or is it that you look down on me?” Silence cut through the air like a knife, slicing me inch by inch. “Fine.” I nodded, my voice beginning to tremble. “You won’t say it, will you? Then I’ll say it for you. “You’re the last person who has the right to look down on me!” “Back then, you were dead set on e-sports, cooped up at home playing games all day. If I hadn’t gone to the club to earn extra money to support you, would you be where you are today?” William’s face flushed instantly. “Why are you bringing this up? Are you trying to use it against me? “Haven’t I given anything? Haven’t I been good to you all these years? Haven’t I provided emotional support?” His arrogant words left me stunned. A tight cramp seized my lower abdomen. “Get out.” My voice suddenly became calm. He was bewildered. “What?” “Get out.” I pointed to the door. “I don’t want to see you.” His face alternated between red and white. He slammed the door shut as he left. 5 In the evening, I drifted into a drowsy sleep. Woken by a ringing phone. My best friend’s voice was frantic: “Jasmine! Come downstairs quickly! I’m outside your building, it’s urgent!” My head throbbed as if it would split open, my throat sore and dry. “I’m not feeling well today, can we reschedule?” “No! Hurry down! It’s a big deal!” I struggled to get up, felt my forehead—it seemed I was feverish again—and threw on a jacket before heading downstairs. I was shoved into a car and driven directly to a fancy club. The moment the private room door opened, confetti sprayed over my face. “Surprise!” William had hired a party planning team. The room was filled with balloons and lights, and there was even a photographer. A banner hung on the wall—”Jasmine, I’m Sorry.” William stood in the center, holding a large bouquet of roses, his smile gentle and sincere. “Honey.” He walked over, knelt on one knee, and placed the flowers in my arms. “This morning was my fault, my attitude was wrong. I regretted it the moment I left, and I felt I had to formally apologize.” “All these friends are here to witness. I promise I’ll never argue with you again. Please forgive me, okay?” Everyone applauded and cheered: “Forgive him! Forgive him!” I stood at the doorway, feeling cold all over. But not a trace of emotion. All I wanted was for us to be together, a quiet hug, just the two of us. Not like this. Not a room full of people, not confetti and banners. Not being put on display for everyone to watch, forced to nod, forced to smile magnanimously, forced to forgive. William got up, put an arm around my shoulder, and looked down at me: “What’s wrong? You look terrible. Still upset?” Before I could open my mouth. Tara squeezed in, holding a glass of wine, and with a sweet smile, offered it to me. “Jasmine, please forgive William.” “You don’t know how much effort he put in today. He started running around arranging the venue first thing this morning, even picked out the balloon colors himself. We’re all so jealous of you.” She paused, then tilted her head to look at me. “But Jasmine, you haven’t even smiled since you walked in.” “William put in so much effort, you should at least give him some face. So many people are watching; it makes things so hard for him…” Her tone was aggrieved and innocent. The entire room fell silent. Everyone’s gaze landed on me. William’s hand on my shoulder stiffened. I looked at him. Then at Tara. Suddenly, I smiled. “You envy me? Envy me for what? “Envy that every birthday, every anniversary, every surprise is such a half-hearted gift? “Envy that after a long day, I still have to force myself to party all night with a group of people, and at the end of the month, I’m still robbing Peter to pay Paul to pay off credit cards, because my boyfriend says he spent all his money on me? “Or envy that I’ve been in a relationship for seven years, and it still has to be kept a secret?” The room was completely silent. William’s face changed: “Jasmine, you—” I pushed his hand away, looking at Tara. “You want them?” I picked up the bouquet of roses and placed them in her arms. “They’re yours. “And William, if you want him so much, he’s yours too.” Tara stood there, stunned, holding the flowers. “Jasmine!” William grabbed my wrist, his voice very low. “I know you’re still angry with me. I’ve already apologized. There are so many people here; give me some face. Let’s go home and talk, okay?” “I don’t want your apology.” William panicked, his face alternating between red and white: “Then what do you want? Tell me! I’ll do anything, alright?” “Do you want me to announce our relationship? If you really want that, then I can forget about my career and announce you as my girlfriend right now…” He stopped. Because I gently pulled away from him, smiling and shaking my head. “I don’t want it anymore.” I turned to walk out. William chased after me, grabbing my wrist again: “Jasmine, explain yourself! What do you mean, you don’t want it anymore?” “Let go!” I struggled to shake him off. In my panic, my side violently hit a metal door handle. Sharp pain shot through me, quickly spreading to my entire abdomen. A spasm came from deep within my lower belly, as if something was being fiercely clutched and torn downwards. I doubled over in pain, cold sweat already breaking out. William looked down and saw my other hand clamped tightly over my lower abdomen, my fingers trembling violently. “Jasmine?” His voice changed in fear. “What’s wrong with you?” I couldn’t control my body as I slid down, yet I still forced myself to open the private room door and walk out. William’s pupils contracted sharply; he suddenly embraced me. “Let go of me!” He held me tighter, his voice trembling: “Jasmine! What’s wrong? You look so pale—” My vision went black. Just then, a hand reached out from the side, gripping William’s wrist. With a forceful twist. William cried out in pain, his hand loosening its grip. I fell backward, but into an embrace. A voice came from above my head, deep and restrained. “Didn’t you hear her tell you to let go of her?”

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I was the chosen shield for the ruthless gang lord’s beloved. Three years into our marriage, I was kidnapped by his enemies for the eighth time. Ace arrived with his men to rescue me. The negotiation lasted barely five minutes before the young girl’s call came through. “Ace, my dare game led to a kiss, but I want to save my first kiss for you.” “Can you come to me?” The moment Ace turned to leave without hesitation, the knife plunged into my abdomen, blood gushing out. His men, just like the seven times before, paid them off and then sent me to the hospital. In the ambulance, I vaguely overheard someone speculating if I’d live to see the day that girl could stand on her own. They burst into laughter, while I wept silently. The mission to save the gang lord had failed, and the system was about to erase me. Ace, I won’t make it to that day. 1 The doctor sighed softly beside my ear. “Ms. Spiller, your uterus was already damaged from your last miscarriage, and now it’s been stabbed in that very spot again.” “I’m afraid you won’t be able to bear children anymore.” I stared at the pristine white ceiling, my voice sounding as if it came from a distant place. “It’s fine.” After the doctor left, I heard the system sigh too. “Mission failed. You will be erased.” “Do you want to restart the mission and continue saving him?” I shook my head. “Erase me.” “Understood. Erase protocol initiated. You have 72 hours remaining.” I closed my eyes, the silence around me almost unnerving. But soon, a strange impulse led me to open Chloe Vance’s live stream. Today, she was painting live from the hilltop mansion Ace had bought her. The young girl, in Ace’s oversized men’s shirt, her hair in a messy bun, was mixing colors in front of an easel. In the camera, her cheeks were flushed, and her smile was pure and lovely. “My clothes? Oh, they’re my boyfriend’s. My own shirts were just… impossible to wear.” “It was quite… intense last night, actually.” As she spoke, she glanced back shyly at the person just out of frame. She mumbled, “I never expected my first kiss and first time to happen on the same day…” A man’s deep, gentle voice drifted in. “My apologies. I’ll be gentler next time.” The chat exploded with cheers. [Chloe finally got her man! More daily couple content, please!] “Couple content is a bit tricky. My boyfriend has a special job, so he can’t show his face.” As she spoke, a little red paint stained the sleeve of her shirt. Chloe let out a small “oops,” and the man’s long, slender fingers reached over to roll up her sleeve for her. A cute little peach ring on her ring finger was revealed. “It’s okay if it gets dirty.” Chloe’s blush deepened. She giggled, then was suddenly pulled away by the man. From off-camera, sounds of kissing and heavy breathing, leaving much to the imagination, filled the air. The live stream comments flew by, one catching my eye: [I think I just heard Ace Evans, the gang lord.] The man spoke, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly. “I am not.” The live stream abruptly ended. I put down my phone and drifted back into a heavy sleep. I dreamt of a time I was cleaning and accidentally got dust on his white shirt. I apologized profusely, but he still flew into a rage, scolding me for touching his belongings. He threw that white shirt away like trash, and I never saw any of his clothes in the house again. The last image in my dream was Ace’s back. It was eerily similar to his back over the past three years, each time he’d rushed off because of Chloe, leaving me to my torment. I woke up groggily, and the first thing I saw was a peach ring. My gaze traveled upwards to Chloe, who had changed into a simple T-shirt and jeans. She was cheerfully sipping chicken soup from a thermos. The housekeeper’s face held an apologetic expression: “Mrs. Spiller, it’s all my fault. I only made one serving of soup for you, and it turns out Miss Chloe loves it too.” “Oh dear, I drank it all! Clara, I’m so, so sorry!” Chloe seemed to just realize it was my nourishing meal, and her eyes welled up with tears. When Ace walked in, he saw her clutching her hands, repeatedly bowing to me. “Clara Spiller, what are you doing now?! Chloe came to see you because she was worried!” The housekeeper looked a little awkward, wanting to explain, but Chloe cut her off: “Ace, please don’t be angry. My mouth was just so greedy. As soon as I smelled the chicken soup, I couldn’t help but have a couple of sips, and then I just drank it all… Clara has every right to be mad at me…” She cried so piteously that Ace’s heart ached. “It’s just a bowl of chicken soup. You can have all you want when you’re discharged. Why are you picking a fight with Chloe?” He looked coldly at the housekeeper: “Chloe hasn’t had much appetite lately, and she rarely enjoys your chicken soup. Go back now and make another pot, and deliver it to Chloe’s hilltop mansion.” The housekeeper scurried away. Ace’s expression softened as he bent down to wipe away Chloe’s tears. “Don’t cry anymore, or you’ll be a little mess.” Chloe broke into a smile, throwing herself into his arms. “You’re making fun of me again.” The two left the hospital room, giggling, and silence once again settled around me. To my surprise, the familiar cycle of misunderstandings, scoldings, and accusations, which had played out countless times, now stirred no ripple within me. I no longer wanted to argue, to make a scene, or to explain myself. An hour later, as the doctor was checking my wound, Ace’s henchmen sauntered in, urging me to get discharged quickly, as his enemies were still stirring. One of them, taking pity on me, asked if I wanted more pain medication. I shook my head. “It’s fine.” I’ve grown accustomed to this pain. 2 His men dropped me off at the doorstep, tossing a bag of medicine at me before driving away. Ace treated me as if I were nothing, and his people regarded me like dirt. I unlocked the door, carrying the bag, only to find the house cold and empty; even the cleaning staff were gone. Ace’s call came through, his voice as cold and devoid of warmth as ever. “Chloe’s not feeling well. Your housekeeper is meticulous, so I sent them all over there.” “You’ll have to stay by yourself for a few days. They’ll come back once Chloe feels better.” He said it as if it were the most natural thing, as if the person who had been stabbed five times by his enemies and nearly died was Chloe. “Okay.” Hearing my indifferent tone, he paused for a moment, then continued: “Jot down anything you want to eat, and the housekeeper will make it for you when they come back.” “Okay.” Even through the phone, I could sense his frown. “What’s with the attitude, all for a bowl of chicken soup?” “Clara Spiller, don’t you forget, when I married you, I told you you were just a shield for Chloe. Don’t think that after three years as Mrs. Evans, you can walk all over Chloe!” I nodded mechanically. “Okay.” “You…” Just as his anger flared, Chloe called out to him. “Ace, come quickly and have some cake!” The call ended. 48 hours left until the system erased me. I felt a little hungry, but when I went to the kitchen, I found all the groceries gone, the refrigerator completely empty. Due to Ace’s peculiar identity, he never allowed me to order takeout. I rummaged through the cupboards and drawers, managing to find a single packet of expired instant noodles. The kettle had been broken and unrepaired, so I used hot water from the water heater to prepare them, then placed the bowl on the dining table. My phone chimed, showing Chloe was live streaming. Today, they weren’t at the hilltop mansion. The background seemed to be a hot spring resort. Chloe, in a loose T-shirt, was eating chocolate cake while interacting with her viewers. The man off-camera occasionally speared a piece with his fork, gently feeding it to her. [Can’t you really show your daily romance? Those fingers definitely belong to a hottie!] Chloe stuck out her tongue. “My boyfriend is the most handsome man in the world. Every time he smiles, my heart just melts.” “He chased me first, but I’m a bit timid, afraid of everything, so I dragged it out until now before saying yes.” “The cake is sweet, but not as sweet as we are.” The man stroked her hair, and her cheeks turned crimson when she smiled. Chloe finished half the cake, and I finished my unappetizing instant noodles. In the live stream, her other phone lit up. Her eyes went red as she looked at it, revealing a surprised expression. A few seconds later, she burst into heart-wrenching sobs in front of over a hundred thousand viewers. The live stream abruptly ended. I was still in a daze when Ace’s call came through. He immediately launched into a furious tirade: “Clara Spiller, all for a bowl of chicken soup, for a few housekeepers, you actually posted about Chloe and me dating online!” “If Chloe gets hurt because of this, dying ten times wouldn’t be enough!” I opened my mouth to speak: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. After I got home, I was just eating…” “Still denying it? Chloe said she only accidentally sent those pictures to you, no one else has seen them, not even me!” “Besides, the resort where we’re eating today, you’ve been there before.” “You were just in the live stream. I saw you.” His last few words were laced with a grinding fury. If I were in front of him right then, he would probably have kicked me down, forcing me to my knees to apologize to Chloe. Just like last winter, when Chloe had period cramps and specifically demanded I take care of her. But my body was weak after the miscarriage, and I had barely uttered “I’m sorry” before he grabbed my shoulders and shoved me down. That day, I must have knocked my head ten times, leaving my face covered in blood, before Chloe finally cried and said she forgave me. Ace’s angry breathing from the phone dragged me back from my memories. I looked down at the instant noodle soup and said, “It wasn’t me. I had no reason to do that.” Chloe cried again. “Ace, someone outside seems to be watching me. I’m so scared…” After the call ended, I sat motionless at the dining table, lost in thought. Sure enough, just ten minutes later, Ace’s men punched in the code and burst in, dragging me out like a sack of potatoes. “Hurry, Boss wants you to shield Miss Chloe!” 3 The hot spring resort had an enormous floor-to-ceiling glass window. I was instructed to sit at the dining table in front of the window and read. In the safest corner of the room, Ace was gently comforting a weeping Chloe. “Don’t be scared. I’m here. I’ll protect you.” She buried herself in his arms, her delicate hands clutching his expensive custom cashmere sweater. “Ace, will they kill me? I’m so afraid, I hate pain…” “No, they won’t. It’s safe here. Ace promises you’ll be fine.” Her sobs gradually subsided, and Chloe sniffled. “Ace, what would I do without you?” “Don’t talk nonsense. How could you be without me? I’ll always be with you, until we grow old.” The sounds of their kissing were too obvious. Even if I concentrated on my book, every detail reached my ears. The sounds lasted for half an hour, only stopping at the final stage. “Ace, Clara is still here. She is your wife, after all. Maybe you should find someone to protect her?” Ace glanced at me coldly. “If she hadn’t exposed our photos and location, you wouldn’t be so scared. She deserves this.” I desperately wanted to read the words on the page, but my vision was blurred. Why did tears still fall, when I supposedly no longer felt that agonizing pain? I didn’t understand, and I didn’t want to. After an unknown amount of time, the accumulated pain and exhaustion of the past few days made me drift off to sleep. I woke up to the sound of “24 hours left” ringing in my ears, accompanied by Ace’s slap across my face. “Clara Spiller, how could you be so vicious, sneaking in while I was asleep!” As I quickly stood up, I pulled at the wound on my abdomen, letting out a sharp gasp. “Don’t play innocent. Tell me, where is Chloe?!” It was then I realized I had somehow entered the bedroom. And Chloe was gone. “I don’t know. I remember I was at the floor-to-ceiling window last night…” “Cut the crap. Where did you send Chloe?!” I shook my head. “I don’t know.” “Clara Spiller, you’d better genuinely not know, or I swear I won’t let you off!” Ace said, gritting his teeth, then stormed out, making countless calls until he finally located Chloe. “Get a few men here, and bring her along!” I was bound at the feet and trapped in the back seat of Ace’s car. He drove himself, pressing the accelerator to the floor. In three years of marriage, this was the first time I’d seen him lose control like this. When we arrived at the beach, Chloe was tied by her wrists and suspended from a boat, crying hysterically. “Ace, why did you take so long? I’m so scared, please save me!” “Chloe!” Ace shouted her name anxiously, then glared menacingly at the enemies on the boat. “Let her go. I’ll give you my wife, plus two territories and ten businesses, in exchange.” The leader of the enemies, his face scarred, grinned. “Deal.” As I was slowly hoisted up, Ace was tightly embracing Chloe, whispering soothing words. When I reached the highest point, he turned and walked away with the woman he loved. I saw that back again, but this time, Chloe was by his side. The enemy leader lit a cigarette, then glanced sideways. “Do it.” The searing hot iron pressed against my skin, and I couldn’t help but cry out in agony. “Just kill me!” He shook his head: “If you die too quickly, it would be an injustice to my fallen brothers.” “Better to slowly torture you, so everyone in the underworld can see that Ace Evans isn’t so terrifying after all.” I struggled and twisted my body, but the branding iron always found its mark, hurting me so much I couldn’t even speak. I don’t know how many times he burned me. I was on the verge of losing consciousness from the pain when they finally lowered me. But just as I caught my breath, I felt a sharp sting on my wrist. He cut my wrist with a knife, then plunged it into the sea! Blood flowed into the ocean, instantly staining the seawater a vivid red. I was pressed down, unable to move, but my head was forcibly turned to my wrist, forcing me to watch my own blood drain away. Suddenly, I smiled. Ace, if I die here, will you find another shield for your young girl? Or will you simply marry her and take her home? But either way, it will no longer concern me. My consciousness gradually blurred. Before I completely slipped away, Ace’s men finally arrived, belatedly. I heard muffled negotiations, and then I was lifted onto an ambulance. Inside the vehicle, they were playing cards and laughing raucously, their noise keeping me from sleep. In my daze, I heard someone say: “Boss truly dotes on Miss Chloe. He wasn’t even going to pursue it, but the moment he saw Miss Chloe’s wrist was scraped, he got so angry he personally killed all those people.” “Hey, have you heard? Boss decided to retire from the gang for Miss Chloe.” 4 When I was resuscitated, the system informed me I had six hours left. I suddenly remembered what they said in the ambulance. Ace, because Chloe’s wrist was scraped, was going to retire from the gang. I looked down at the bandaged wounds on my wrist and the countless scars covering my body, a bitter smile on my face. Something that took me three years to achieve was, it turned out, so easily accomplished. Only, the one who completed the task wasn’t me. With four hours left, I ignored the hospital’s protests and, leaning on my fragile body, returned to the villa. Before I left, I wanted to take one last look at that medical report. But when I struggled back, I found the yard in disarray, the house completely empty. The guest bedroom was turned upside down. The things in the drawer were gone. I hastily called Ace. He answered, full of impatience: “I’m going to retire from the gang. All my previous properties will be sold, and I’ll buy new ones after everything’s clean.” “Just find somewhere to stay. Once Chloe’s emotionally stable, we’ll get a divorce.” I opened my mouth: “But the things in my bedroom drawer…” “Clara Spiller, don’t push your luck!” “Chloe’s injuries are all your fault. Sending my men to save you was already more than enough. Are you seriously expecting me to buy you a separate house just for the jewelry in your drawer?” I had nowhere to go, and I didn’t need to find a place to live. With three hours left, I sat on the doorstep, basking in the sun. The sunlight warmed my skin, but it couldn’t thaw my gradually chilling body. The garden gate creaked open, and I looked up to see Chloe, arms crossed, leaning against the gate and staring at me. “You’re truly lucky. You still haven’t died.” I paused, then smiled softly. “Soon. Don’t worry.” She was about to say something when she suddenly heard a sound and immediately dropped her arms. Tears sprang to her eyes. “Clara, I didn’t mean it, please don’t be angry, okay?” “You just got discharged, you shouldn’t get upset. I’ll ask the housekeeper to make you some chicken soup right away…” Before she could finish, Ace burst in, enraged, his phone held up in front of me. The chat log displayed a message someone had sent him. “Boss, your wife is quite something. She mass-emailed your enemies, telling them you love Chloe, and they should go after Chloe from now on, not her.” “Photos and addresses are all there. Chloe’s social media accounts have been exposed.” Ace, in a frenzy, kicked me hard in the chest. “I shouldn’t have sent anyone to save you. You’d be better off dead there!” I gasped for air, and as I looked up, the sun blinded me. A gun was pressed against my forehead, the barrel icy cold, sending a shiver down my spine. “It wasn’t me.” In these three years, I seemed to say those three words often. Chloe ran over and stopped him, crying, “Ace, Clara didn’t mean it. It’s my fault for taking the person she loved. It’s normal for her to hate me, so please don’t hurt her. She just got out of the hospital…” “It’s okay if the accounts are gone. It’s fine if they come after me. I can handle it…” Ace hugged her, his heart aching. He turned to look at me, his teeth gritted. “I really regret ever finding you. You’re restless and vicious!” His men called him: “Boss, several of our enemies are offering bounties for Miss Chloe’s life, what should we do?!” “Maybe you should take Miss Chloe abroad to hide. Someone must have told them Miss Chloe is at the villa, they’re already heading that way!” Ace’s eyes flickered. “I know who told them.” He started a live stream, appearing on camera for the first time in his life, but quickly turned the camera to face me. “I am Ace Evans. As of today, I’m retiring from the gang and will no longer be involved in underworld affairs.” “All of you who have grievances and grudges, come find her. Everything I’ve done in the past was at her instigation. Now, I no longer wish to be with her. She’s yours to deal with.” I gasped for air. “I shielded Chloe for three years. Now you want me to die for you?” Ace grabbed my collar and dragged me all the way to the main road. As he threw me down and walked away, he left a cold parting remark: “This is all your own doing. Whether you live or die is up to fate.” This was the last time I saw his back. Cold, resolute. He disappeared. Not even ten minutes later, countless enemies swarmed from all directions. They unleashed all their pent-up resentment and fury on me, no one holding back. My tendons were severed, my legs broken, and countless knives plunged into my chest. They roared for revenge for their relatives, brothers, and friends, gripping my chin and demanding an apology. But I felt as if I had lost all sensation of pain, only staring blankly at the clear blue sky. It was good. Before I died, I could see a vast expanse of blue, not a single cloud in sight. Just like the day I first entered this world. “Mission failed. Erase protocol initiated.” “In one hour, all your identity information will be erased. Clara Spiller will completely vanish from this world.”

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I was a technical consultant personally recruited by old Mr. Sewell. On my second day, I hadn’t even gotten my ID badge yet. That morning, a crowd was waiting at the elevator. When the doors opened, I instinctively stepped inside, but suddenly felt a shove from behind. “Move it, move it, move it! Mrs. Sewell is here!” The woman, in her early thirties, didn’t even glance up, her high heels clicking as she squeezed past me into the elevator. Her male assistant forcefully pushed me aside, and I nearly collided with a trash can. I suppressed my anger, choosing not to make a scene. But that afternoon, HR showed up. In front of everyone, Mr. Thorne, the manager, ripped off my temporary ID badge and tossed it into the trash can. “Mr. Sewell said your probation period is over.” “Pack your things and get out.” “A rule-breaking dog like you will never be worthy of entering Sewell Group’s doors!” I said nothing, quietly gathering my belongings. I pulled out my phone and found the message that had gone unanswered. “Mr. Lyn, about the employment conditions you mentioned last time.” “I accept.” 1 My first day at work, I finished the paperwork in the afternoon, only to be dragged into an emergency project meeting that evening. A technical problem had stalled the team for a month, leaving the engineers with hollowed-out eyes from exhaustion. Looking at their test data, I had a rough idea. It wasn’t a major issue, but it would take time. I ended up working until two in the morning. This morning, I dragged myself out of bed at seven, my eyelids heavy with fatigue. My mind was consumed by the optimization path for that algorithm, so much so that I didn’t even pay close attention to the queue at the elevator. The elevator doors opened. I instinctively took a step forward. Suddenly, a hand shot out from behind, forcefully pushing me to the side. The force was considerable; I stumbled back a couple of steps, nearly crashing into the trash can by the wall. By the time I regained my balance and turned around, a young man in a black suit was already blocking my path. He made a shooing gesture with his hand towards me, words spilling out in a rapid-fire volley: “Move it, move it, move it! Get out of the way, are you blind?” “Can’t you see Mrs. Sewell is here?” The crowd automatically parted, creating a path. A woman in high heels strode in. She was in her early thirties, with long, curled hair and an unreadable expression. Her gaze swept over my temporary ID badge, but her eyelids didn’t even flicker. I stood there, looking at the crumpled cuff of my shirt. Before the man in the black suit followed her in, he glanced back at me, his mouth turning down at the corner. I’d seen that look before. It wasn’t a big deal, just that dismissive “who do you think you are?” kind of contempt, so subtle it wasn’t even worth his breath. A large elevator, yet only two people entered. I took a deep breath, pushing down my anger. Better to avoid trouble. It was only my second day, the project was waiting, and it wasn’t worth getting into it with someone like that. Another elevator door opened. I smoothed out my cuff and followed the rest of the crowd into the elevator. The elevator ascended in silence. Everyone was covertly sizing me up. There was sympathy in their eyes, some ridicule, and many other unreadable emotions. The crowd streamed out. As I walked towards my cubicle, a middle-aged woman with a teacup, sitting nearby, leaned over and whispered, “New guy, huh?” “You were standing by the elevator just now, weren’t you? Did Mrs. Sewell’s assistant push you?” I didn’t reply. The woman sighed, looked left and right, then leaned in closer: “Listen, kid, I’m just an old busybody, but there are some things you need to know.” “Mrs. Sewell is not someone you want to cross. She never takes the same elevator as regular employees, she thinks it’s beneath her.” “Oh, and her assistant’s name is Louis, he’s Mr. Thorne’s brother, the HR manager.” “Everyone in this company knows Mrs. Sewell and Mr. Thorne are old classmates, right?” “If you offend her, your job… well, it might be…” She didn’t finish the sentence, just shook her head. I offered a faint smile: “Thanks for the warning.” “Don’t just brush it off,” she said, looking a little anxious at my nonchalance. “A few days ago, a young woman, just because she didn’t move fast enough in the elevator, Louis yelled at her, and then somehow, she was gone before her probation was even over.” “You, this…” “Ma’am, I know you mean well,” I interrupted her. “But I think I’ll be fine.” She looked at me suspiciously. I didn’t elaborate. She was about to say more, but someone called her from a distance, and she hurried off with her teacup. As she left, she looked back at me, her eyes filled with the worry of an elder seeing a naive young person. I didn’t dwell on it. I sat down at my workstation, opened my laptop, and continued to adjust the parameters from last night. It wasn’t that I was ungrateful for her concern, it was that I genuinely wasn’t afraid. Because I was personally invited back by Mr. Sewell, the company’s founder. 2 A week ago, freshly returned from overseas, I was on the shortlist for several companies. It was then that old Mr. Sewell reached out through a contact, requesting a meeting. The meeting wasn’t in some luxurious office, but an old tea house in the west of the city. Old Mr. Sewell was in his seventies, with completely white hair and a slightly stooped back. The moment he saw me, he reached out and clasped my hand, holding on tight, his grip surprisingly firm. “Mr. Lane, I’ve finally met you,” he said, pulling me to a seat and personally pouring me tea. “I’ve read your papers published abroad, every single one, several times over.” “That paper on intelligent algorithm optimization paths, I understand parts of it, but not entirely.” “After all, I’m just an old man, a layman in technology.” “But I trust in your abilities.” As he spoke, he pulled out a stack of papers from his old leather briefcase – my research papers, densely printed. “Our company is currently facing a major problem. Our core project has been stalled for a year, and we’ve poured nearly twenty million into it with nothing to show for it.” “I’ve consulted experts in this field, and they said fewer than five people in the entire country could save this project. You are one of them.” I smiled faintly: “Mr. Sewell, you flatter me.” “Not at all, not at all.” He waved a hand, leaning forward slightly. “Mr. Lane, I won’t beat around the bush. I want to invite you to join Sewell Group, and you can name your terms.” I paused for a moment. The old man looked at me, his clouded eyes showing a stubborn determination: “I know you have several options, and I know our company isn’t the biggest or the wealthiest.” “But let me tell you something from the heart, this project is the last thing I want to accomplish in my life.” “I’ve been in business my whole life, made some money, and now at the end, I want to create something truly remarkable.” “Not for myself, but to leave something for this industry.” As he said this, his voice was low, but every word was distinct. I looked at his silver hair, at his face full of wrinkles, and something stirred within me. “Mr. Sewell, I…” “You don’t have to agree right now.” He cut me off, pouring me another cup of tea. “Go home and think about it. My only condition is this.” “If you come, you’ll be in charge of this project.” “Whatever you need, people or money, you’ll have it.” He then pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to me. “This is my private number. Whenever you’ve made up your mind, feel free to call me.” After returning that day, I deliberated for three days. The conditions offered by other companies were indeed better, but for some reason, the old man’s cloudy eyes kept swirling in my mind. When he said, “I want to leave something for this industry,” his tone reminded me of my graduate advisor. The old man never rushed me. On the fifth evening, I sent him a message, saying I had made up my mind and would join. The next morning, he had his assistant contact me to arrange my onboarding. Before I left, he specifically called me, his voice filled with joy: “Mr. Lane, rest assured, I will personally oversee your compensation to ensure you are not shortchanged.” “You were brought in by me, and I will absolutely not allow you to suffer any injustice.” I believed him. So now, I wasn’t at all worried about Mrs. Sewell or Mr. Thorne. Mr. Sewell, after all, was merely old Mr. Sewell’s son. Moreover, in a place where technical skill spoke loudest, there was no need to cater to anyone’s whims. I lowered my head and continued typing code. The parameters on the screen adjusted smoother and smoother, and I gradually forgot the earlier unpleasantness. The words the old lady had spoken were long gone from my mind. Project progress was paramount. I was here to solve problems, not to get involved in office politics. Just as I was hitting a crucial part of the code, footsteps suddenly sounded behind me. I didn’t turn around. The footsteps stopped behind me. “You must be Ethan Lane?” The man’s voice was a little sharp, a little arrogant. I turned my head. A man in a white shirt stood behind me, in his early thirties, with slicked-back hair. He was followed by two others, a man and a woman, both with their heads down, carrying folders. I stood up: “I’m Ethan Lane. And you are?” He didn’t answer, just looked me up and down, his gaze settling on the temporary ID badge on my chest. Then he smiled. It was an unsettling smile, as if he’d seen something utterly ridiculous. He reached out, pinching the thin plastic with two fingers, and ripped it off. “You won’t be needing this anymore.” Rip. In front of everyone, the ID badge was violently torn off. Without even looking at it, he casually tossed it into the nearby trash can. 3 “You…” My words were cut off before I could finish. “Ethan Lane, right?” “I’m the HR manager, Mr. Thorne.” He took a step forward, very close to me, his spittle almost spraying my face. “Mr. Sewell said your probation period is over.” He paused, a slow grin spreading across his face. “You have ten minutes. Pack your things and get the hell out.” The office fell silent. I could feel the gazes from the surrounding cubicles, all directed our way. Some were pretending to be busy, head down, while others covertly looked up, their eyes filled with shock and sympathy. Mr. Thorne stared at me, waiting for me to speak. He waited for me to argue, to plead, to show panic and distress. I didn’t move. Nor did I speak. His smile faltered slightly, then became even more arrogant: “What? Didn’t hear me? I’ll say it again then.” “A rule-breaking dog like you will never be worthy of entering Sewell Group’s doors!” “If I see you here in ten minutes, I’ll have security throw you out!” With that, he clapped his hands, as if he’d just touched something dirty. Then he turned and walked away, his dress shoes clicking loudly on the floor. The two followers hurried after him, never once lifting their heads to look at me. The office was eerily quiet. I stood rooted to the spot, looking at the crumpled temporary ID badge in the trash can. I pulled out my phone and scrolled to the unanswered message. It was from Mr. Lyn, CEO of Lyn Industries, three days ago. At the time, I had already agreed to old Mr. Sewell, so I hadn’t replied. “Mr. Lyn.” “I accept the employment conditions you mentioned last time.” After hitting send, I began packing the items on my desk. My laptop hadn’t even warmed up, the code wasn’t finished. But none of that mattered anymore. Less than two minutes after sending the message, my phone vibrated. Mr. Lyn’s reply was direct: “Welcome aboard! I’ll have a driver pick you up immediately!” “No, better yet, I’ll pick you up myself!” I continued packing. My laptop went into my backpack, a few pens from the drawer were tossed in, and I glanced at the borrowed water bottle on the desk. It wasn’t mine, so I left it. As I zipped up my backpack, footsteps sounded behind me, someone jogging over. “Mr. Lane!” I turned around. It was old John, an engineer I’d met in the project team yesterday. He was in his forties, with graying hair and deeply sunken eyes, clearly a seasoned technical veteran who had pulled countless all-nighters. He hadn’t spoken much during the meeting yesterday, but the few questions he asked were spot-on. “Mr. Lane, I finally found you,” old John said, out of breath. “I can’t get this parameter to tune, could you take a look for me?” As he spoke, he was already holding out a tablet, filled with dense data. I glanced at the screen, then at him. He then noticed I was packing my things and froze: “Mr. Lane, what are you doing?” His gaze swept to the side and landed on the temporary ID badge in the trash can. Old John’s face changed. He squatted down, picked up the badge, which had some tea leaves stuck to it. He wiped it with his hand, flipped it over to read the name, then looked up at me. “Mr. Lane, who did this?” I offered a faint smile. “It’s fine, John. Send me that parameter to my email; I’ll take a look tonight if I have time.” “No, what exactly happened?” old John’s voice rose. “You just started yesterday, how could you be…?” Before he could finish, footsteps echoed from down the hallway. Old John turned around; it was Mr. Thorne returning. Next to him was the man in the black suit, the one who pushed me this morning. Mrs. Sewell’s assistant, Louis. The two brothers walked over, one after the other, their expressions identical, both with a hint of a smirk. Louis spoke first, nodding towards me: “Well, well, still here?” “Got fired and still trying to leech off us?” 4 Mr. Thorne stood beside him, arms crossed, saying nothing, just watching me. Old John stepped forward, demanding, “Mr. Thorne, what is going on?” “Mr. Lane is the technical consultant our project team brought in. He just started yesterday, why is he leaving today?” Mr. Thorne rolled his eyes. “Old John, this has nothing to do with you.” “How can it have nothing to do with me?” Old John held up the ID badge. “Who threw this away? Mr. Lane was personally recruited by old Mr. Sewell, do you know that?” Louis snorted with laughter. Mr. Thorne took a step forward, pointing a finger at old John’s chest: “Old John, how many years have you been at this company?” Old John froze. “Over ten years, why?” “Over ten years,” Mr. Thorne nodded. “And you’re still just an engineer. Do you know why?” Old John’s face clouded: “What do you mean?” “What do I mean?” Mr. Thorne withdrew his hand, pulled a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. Louis immediately leaned in to light it for him. They completely ignored the ‘No Smoking’ sign on the wall. He took a drag and blew smoke right into old John’s face. “It’s because of your muddled thinking.” Old John coughed a couple of times from the smoke, stepping back. Mr. Thorne, cigarette in mouth, eyed him askance. “Old Mr. Sewell? Old Mr. Sewell retired a year ago, don’t you know? Who’s in charge of the company now?” Old John, stubborn, argued: “But even so, you can’t…” “Can’t what?” Louis interjected. “John, my brother calls you ‘Old John’ out of respect.” “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” Old John’s face turned beet red. “You… you can’t just make Mr. Lane leave!” Mr. Thorne flicked his cigarette ash, slowly saying, “What did he do wrong? He did a lot wrong.” “This morning at the elevator, Mrs. Sewell was already there.” “This kid, eyes in the back of his head, pushed his way to the front.” “Louis told him to move, and he dared to glare back.” Louis nodded beside him: “Yeah, like a stubborn idiot, just stood there.” I stood by, listening, not saying a word. Old John grew agitated: “Just for that? Just because he didn’t yield the elevator to Mrs. Sewell?” Mr. Thorne threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it with his foot. “Old John, are you an idiot? That’s Mrs. Sewell! The company’s boss!” “What is he, a consultant who just started?” “And he dares to fight Mrs. Sewell for an elevator?” Louis chimed in: “Exactly, what a nobody.” Old John was trembling with anger. “You… you’re too much! I’m calling old Mr. Sewell right now to make him resolve this!” He said, pulling out his phone. Louis’s face changed, and he reached out to snatch it. Old John dodged, but couldn’t hold onto his phone, and it clattered to the ground with a snap. Louis stomped on it. Crunch. The screen shattered. Old John froze, staring down at the pile of fragments on the ground. Louis took his foot back, his sole still carrying glass shards. He scraped his shoe on the floor, cleaning it off, then looked up and smiled at old John. “Go on, call him again.” Old John looked up, his eyes red: “You…” Mr. Thorne walked over, patting old John’s shoulder, this time with considerable force, repeatedly. “Old John, I’m advising you, stay out of this.” “Louis is my brother, you know that.” “My brother works for Mrs. Sewell, you know that too.” “And you know my relationship with Mrs. Sewell even better.” He paused, then leaned in close to old John’s ear, lowering his voice. But the office was so quiet, everyone could hear. “If you keep meddling, you’ll be out with him today.” Old John trembled with rage. Mr. Thorne stepped back, sizing him up, a smirk on his face: “Think it through yourself, ten years of service, for a stranger who just arrived yesterday. Is it worth it?” I walked over and patted old John’s shoulder. “John, let it go.” Old John turned to look at me, his eyes red-rimmed: “Mr. Lane…” I smiled faintly and picked up my backpack. “It’s fine. I’ll email you that parameter tonight.” Louis, listening nearby, sneered: “Still emailing? Fired and still pretending to be a big shot?” I ignored him and walked towards the exit with my bag. Mr. Thorne called after me: “Ethan Lane, did you hear what I said?” I stopped and turned back to him. He stood there, a newly lit cigarette in his mouth, eyes squinted at me. “I said, you’re not worthy of entering Sewell Group’s doors.” “If you dare to show up again, I’ll have you beaten every time I see you!” I looked at his face, then at Louis, who stood beside him with his arms crossed. I smiled. “Don’t worry, even if old Mr. Sewell himself comes to ask.” “I won’t be coming back.”

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My grandmother is the richest woman in the country, and I’m her only granddaughter. Yet, my two older brothers allowed their trophy girlfriend to impersonate me. Before the start of the group’s centennial celebration, Mia Turner had already taken her place in the seat reserved for the CEO’s daughter, feigning politeness as she spoke to me. “Oh, dear~ if the boys hadn’t insisted on bringing you to see the world, a poor student like you would never step foot inside the Zenith Group’s doors.” “Later, remember to be sensible. Don’t cause me any trouble, or the boys will surely beat you to a cripple.” In my previous life, I was intimidated by my brothers, timid and weak, always yielding to Mia. But now, I’ve been reborn. Watching Mia still spouting nonsense, I simply raised my foot and kicked her back three feet. “What do you think you are? Trash, daring to lecture me!” 1 My audacious act immediately drew everyone’s attention. My elder brother, Alexander, instantly rushed to cradle Mia, his face etched with concern. My second brother, Benjamin, then raised his hand and slapped me twice. Seeing their pampered trophy girlfriend kicked away by me, both brothers were beside themselves with distress. They glared at me, seething. “Alexa Summers, you must have a death wish, daring to lay a hand on our sister!” Looking at my two aggressive brothers, I realized how foolish I’d been to ever imagine they felt any familial affection for me. I pointed at Mia, who was still cradled in their arms, and mocked loudly. “She’s just a little ‘sister’ you’re both keeping as a mistress. Am I, the group’s heiress, the CEO’s own granddaughter, not entitled to hit her?” At my words, Alexander instantly flared up, shoving me back to the ground. “Alexa Summers, Mia was kind enough to fund your education, yet here you are, spouting nonsense.” “Everyone here, listen up! Mia is my grandmother’s true granddaughter, the daughter of Zenith Group!” I looked at Alexander in disbelief. “She’s my grandmother’s granddaughter? The daughter of Zenith Group?” “Alexander, how dare you say such a thing? You truly have no shame!” Benjamin’s eyes darted around, then he looked at me with disdain. “Alexa Summers, did you forget to take your medication today? Are you having an episode?” Mia, meanwhile, began to sob theatrically. “It’s all my fault. I knew Alexa had a mental illness, but I still brought her here.” Their twisted conversation, where they completely inverted the truth, was heard clearly by everyone in the hall. Instantly, everyone around me looked at me with contempt. “So Alexa Summers is just a poor student sponsored by the young lady, no wonder she’s dressed so shabbily.” “The young lady is truly pure and kind, to sponsor someone so mentally ill and twisted.” Alexander then called for the group’s assistant, Mr. Davies. “Take Alexa Summers out of here. From now on, she’s not allowed to step foot in the group’s building without my permission.” I looked at Mr. Davies, who was approaching me with security guards. “Uncle Davies, you were a veteran beside my father. How can you not tell who the real CEO’s daughter is?” Mr. Davies immediately stopped, frozen in place. “I… I…” Benjamin glared at him with clear displeasure. “Uncle Davies, my elder brother is the future heir of the group. Are you defying his orders now, or do you want to pack your bags and get out?” Mr. Davies instantly turned pale with fright. He looked at me uneasily. “Miss, I have elderly parents and young children to support; I rely on this job. Please don’t make it difficult for me. Please come with me outside.” With that, Mr. Davies motioned for the security guards to quickly drag me away. Looking at the several people surrounding me, I picked up a vase from the table and threw it hard. “I am not only the CEO’s daughter of Zenith Group, I am also the group’s sole heiress. Dare to touch me, and you’ll regret it!” 2 The shattering sound of the vase and my furious shout echoed through the entire banquet hall. Hearing my words, everyone around me scoffed. “She must be seriously ill. First, she claims to be the CEO’s granddaughter, and now the group’s heiress? Absolutely ridiculous.” “Exactly. Even if she were the CEO’s actual granddaughter, it wouldn’t fall to a woman to inherit the group. After all, the CEO has two biological grandsons.” Looking at my two still arrogant brothers, I directly challenged them. “Alexander, are you sure you and Benjamin have any claim to inheritance?” Benjamin’s eyes flickered, but he quickly regained his composure, tugging at Alexander’s sleeve. “Alexander, today is a joyous occasion. Later, all the family elders will be here. Perhaps we should just let it go?” Seeing Benjamin’s reaction, I knew he was remembering his origins and was starting to get scared. After all, my grandmother, the richest woman in this country, only gave birth to my mother. After my mother’s passing, I was her only biological granddaughter. My two brothers were merely the orphaned children of my father’s younger brother. After their parents died, my father, unable to bear seeing his nephews suffer outside, brought them into the Summers family. So they shared no blood relation with my mother or grandmother and could absolutely not inherit Zenith Group, which my biological grandmother had founded. But Alexander ignored my words, instead glaring at Benjamin with a deep frown. “She just laid a hand on Mia. Are you seriously going to let Mia suffer this indignity?” “Alexa Summers, it seems your illness has worsened. Should we just have Mr. Davies send you to a mental institution for treatment?” The mention of a mental institution sent a surge of pure hatred through my chest. I remembered the agony of being bled and flayed by Mia in the mental asylum in my previous life. Yes, in my past life, Alexander and Benjamin, in their desperate attempts to win Mia’s affection, had both, without exception, conspired against me and harmed me. Mia, who was studying medicine, always had a peculiar fascination. She wanted to personally observe the differences in anatomical structure between living and dead bodies. And after my two brothers learned of this, they collaborated with Mia to dissect me alive. Despite growing up with my brothers, living together in the Summers family for 18 years. Yet, to please Mia, they not only allowed her to impersonate me, but also daily concocted ways to help Mia torment me. Now, I understood. In my brothers’ eyes, familial bonds were meaningless; only romantic love held true importance for them. But now I was curious, when love and power were placed side by side, which would my two brothers choose? Thinking of this, I let out a cold laugh. “I’ll ask you one last time, who is the CEO’s daughter and heir of Zenith Group?” Before my two brothers could even open their mouths, Chloe Green, the daughter of a partner of the group, rushed forward and slapped me. “This is outrageous! You, a sponsored poor student, dare to act out in Zenith Group’s premises? Look at yourself, you don’t belong!” I knew Chloe Green. She secretly adored my older brother, Alexander, and constantly fantasized about marrying him and becoming the future chairman’s wife of the group. Ever since she heard Mia Turner was the CEO’s granddaughter and the daughter of Zenith Group, she had been fawning over Mia for the past two months, running errands for her. She wanted to establish a good sister-in-law relationship early on, to leave Alexander with the impression of a virtuous wife. Too bad she was flattering the wrong person. Mia was not only not the Zenith Group’s CEO’s daughter, but she was also Chloe’s love rival, my older brother’s secretly kept mistress for years. I wasn’t about to take Chloe Green’s slap for nothing, so I raised my foot and kicked her hard in the stomach. “What do you think you are? The daughter of a third-rate company daring to lay a hand on me! One word from me, and your family goes bankrupt instantly.” Chloe clutched her stomach in pain, looking at me in disbelief. “Alexa Summers, you actually dared to kick me! My mom and dad never even dared to yell at me, not once in my life!” “You just wait, I won’t let you get away with this.” Mia remorsefully took Chloe’s hand. “Chloe, don’t bother with her. She’s not mentally stable. I apologize on her behalf.” I looked at Mia with disdain, sneering. “I think you’re the one with a screw loose. Why act as a common mistress when you could be a high-class one? And why pretend to be the group’s CEO’s daughter at such an important event?” I turned to my two brothers, pointed towards the door, and said coldly. “Oh, since you two insist on playing dress-up with your mistress, then take your little ‘sister’ and get out of my company!” 3 My two brothers’ faces turned ashen as they glared at me. “Alexa Summers, let me tell you, we hold real power in this group. You’re still just a student. You’re the one who needs to leave!” “What’s going on? Why are you all standing here instead of taking your seats?” A distinguished, elegant middle-aged man pushed his way through the crowd. He was Marcus Summers, the CEO of Zenith Group, and my biological father. But he hurried to Mia, raising his hand to wipe away the tears from her eyes. “Mia, don’t cry~ Who’s been bullying you?” “Tell me quickly, and I’ll take care of them right now!” Alexander angrily pointed at me: “Besides this ignorant little brat, Alexa Summers, who else would dare to bully Mia right under my nose?” My father heard him and slapped me hard across the face. “Alexa Summers, I truly gave you too much freedom. You dare to abuse your power and bully Mia.” “Now, apologize to Mia on your knees immediately, or you won’t get any allowance for the next year.” Looking at my father, who was blaming me without any clear understanding, my eyes filled with disappointment. Sure enough, my father was still the same as in my previous life, blindly favoring Mia along with my two brothers. Although I had long anticipated it, my heart still couldn’t help but ache. Before, I never understood. I was clearly my father’s daughter, while Mia was just a plaything for my two brothers. But after my father met Mia, he became obsessed with her, treating her exceptionally well. Especially after discovering both my brothers had been supporting Mia as their mistress, my father exploded in fury, whipping both brothers for an entire day and night. When I saw my brothers being beaten, I even ran over to plead with my father, defending them. But I was accidentally hit with two lashes, and those two whip scars are still on my arm to this day. Afterward, my father not only stopped my brothers from continuing to support Mia, but he also used his connections to send Mia to the best university in the country. What’s more, my father even told my two brothers. If they truly loved Mia, they should compete fairly and try their best to marry her. And the one who successfully married Mia would be the heir to my father’s fortune. In my previous life, my father’s unusual behavior made me very curious, so I secretly investigated Mia’s background. Later, I learned that Mia was actually the daughter of my father’s first love. Mia looked very much like her mother; my father recognized her the first time he saw her. The destructive power of a deceased first love was truly formidable; a similar face could firmly capture my father’s heart. It was pitiful for my mother, who died of illness, never knowing that my father harbored another woman in his heart. Thinking of this, I looked at my father with sarcasm. “I will not apologize!” “But since my two brothers say Mia is their sister and the CEO’s daughter of Zenith Group, shouldn’t Father offer an explanation to everyone?” Hearing this, Mia immediately looked at my father with a pained expression, knowing he hated seeing her cry. Sure enough, seeing Mia crying so beautifully, my father immediately slapped me twice again. “Explain what? They’re right, Mia is my dear daughter, the CEO’s daughter of Zenith Group.” Looking at my father, who was telling blatant lies, I directly yelled at him. “Marcus Summers, do you think this is fair to my deceased mother? Do you dare to lay your hand on your heart and repeat what you just said?” My father ignored my words, turning to my two brothers. “Go throw this trash out, this one who bullied your sister.” Looking at my cold and heartless father, my heart was a mix of emotions. Heh, this was the man my mother loved her entire life? This was my biological father, whom I had admired for 18 years since childhood? I doubt my mother ever imagined, before her death, that the two sons she kindly adopted would harm her beloved daughter for the sake of a mistress. And that her own husband would not only fail to protect his biological daughter but would also drive her out of the house for the child of his first love. In this moment, I truly felt sorrow for myself and for my deceased mother. I lifted my head, meeting my father’s gaze directly, and said coldly. “This is my family’s Zenith Group. It’s not for outsiders like you to swagger around here!” I deliberately emphasized “my family’s” with extra force. The words had barely left my lips when my father completely erupted in rage. He signaled my two brothers to rush forward, holding me down firmly so I couldn’t move. “Yours? That’s utterly ridiculous!” My father then walked behind me, grabbing my hair, and violently slammed my forehead against the glass wall of the hall. “I’ve been managing Zenith Group all these years. Why can’t it be my Marcus Summers’s? Why can’t I decide the heir?” I fought back tears, firmly shouting, “Zenith Group belongs to my grandmother! I am the group’s only heir!” Thump, thump, thump, the moment my words ended, my forehead was shoved against the glass wall again. My father continued to roar at me, “Alexa Summers, stop dreaming! I gave Zenith Group to Mia as a dowry last year! Whoever marries Mia will inherit Zenith Group!” My father’s words stunned everyone present, and their gazes at Mia grew even more intense. Just then, an aged, sharp female voice came from behind me. “Marcus Summers, dare you say that again? Who is the heir of Zenith Group?”

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My wife was raped and murdered. In a fit of vengeful rage, I stabbed the assailant seven times in the abdomen, resulting in a ten-year prison sentence. Three years later, I was released early. I tore up the succession contract my billionaire father handed me, choosing instead to become a private chef. But the address for my first job was none other than the scene of my wife’s murder – our marital home. My mind a tangled mess, I finished cooking. The sound of a key turning in the lock echoed from the front door. I looked up, and a figure identical to my wife smiled as she pushed the door open and walked in. … ##1 I froze, my heart threatening to pound out of my throat. She was holding a man’s hand, smiling blissfully as they approached the kitchen table. I knew that man. He was the defense attorney in my rape-and-retaliation case – Arthur Chen. Arthur pulled her back before she could sit down at the table, smiling as he took a ring from his suit jacket pocket. She gasped, covering her mouth, her eyes wide. Their friends whistled and cheered from the sidelines. A surge of panic hit me, and I stood up, shouting, “You can’t marry him!” She turned, looking at me with a confused, unfamiliar gaze. Arthur, seeing me, froze, his face abruptly darkening. “Ken Stone? What are you doing here?!” His gaze dropped to my greasy, disgusting chef’s uniform, and a sneer curled his lips. “Oh, so Mr. Stone is out of prison. You’re our chef for today.” People around chuckled. “Is he the one whose wife was raped, and he murdered the assailant in a rage?” “Hilarious, he used to be a big shot, everyone on the street would greet him. Now he’s cooking for us!” Arthur took her right hand, smiling as he knelt. “Mr. Stone, Laura Lee isn’t your deceased wife. She’s my soon-to-be bride.” Laura stood there, one hand playfully covering Arthur’s mouth, the other extended towards him. “You don’t have to say anything. I do.” My wife loved me desperately. If she were still alive, she would never accept another man’s proposal. But Laura looked so much like her, even sounded like her… I was caught in endless turmoil, then inadvertently glanced up. On the bare forearm Laura exposed as she rolled up her sleeve, there was a tiny heart-shaped birthmark! My heart lurched! This was my wife’s unique birthmark, no one else in the world had it! I rushed forward, grabbing Laura’s hand, pointing to the heart-shaped birthmark on her arm. “Have you had this birthmark since birth?” Arthur grabbed my shirt, tugged hard, and threw me onto the sofa. He pointed at me, impatiently saying, “Ken Stone, finish cooking and get out.” “I’m proposing to my girlfriend. Try disrupting it again, and see what happens.” I stood up, holding Laura’s arm tightly. “Laura, have you lost your memory? How could you forget me?” “Let me take you to the hospital, please…” Laura struggled furiously, her face icy cold. My wife was an only child. I didn’t believe there could be two people so identical in the world. I tried to persuade Laura to go to the hospital for a DNA test. Arthur walked up to me, raised his hand, and slapped me, pointing his finger at my nose. “Ken Stone, you stinking cook, open your eyes and look! This is *my* house, not yours anymore!” This house used to be my wife’s and my marital home. But after her passing, I commissioned a real estate agent to sell it for me, to avoid painful memories. I never expected the buyer to be Arthur, a student I had once funded. Even more, I never expected a woman so similar to my wife to appear in our former marital home. I stood in the center of the living room, covering my stinging face, and scanned my surroundings. All the memories unique to my wife and me had been erased. The furnishings had completely changed. Even the eternal rose, symbolizing my wife and my love, had been removed from the wall cabinet, replaced by an object covered with a red cloth. I was lost in thought. Laura… maybe she truly wasn’t my wife. Because my wife had promised me that the day the eternal rose withered, that’s when she would stop loving me. But eternal roses don’t wither, and my wife would never stop loving me. I turned away in despair. Laura, amidst cheers, had the ring placed on her finger by Arthur, and they kissed. My heart ached unbearably, a burning sensation spreading across my back. Before turning to leave, I looked back longingly. Laura, at that moment, made a gesture in the dining area. My pupils dilated violently… ## 2 I was convinced Laura was my wife! I rushed over, gripped the wedding ring on her ring finger, yanked it off, and smashed the broken ring onto the ground. I held Laura’s hands tightly, earnestly saying, “Laura, listen to me, you really are my wife!” “When I used to make you this dish, I would often put in tiny slivers of ginger. No one could see them, and no one would pick them out directly. Only my wife knew these little details, and all of this proves that you are my wife!” Laura tried to pull her hands away from mine, but I desperately held on. After several unsuccessful struggles, she angrily raised her hand and slapped me. “Get out!” I wasn’t angry; instead, I laughed. There was nothing more joyful than the resurrection of a deeply loved, departed person! I grabbed Laura and was about to leave when Arthur rushed over again, pulling Laura away. He picked up the ring, holding it in front of my eyes. “Ken Stone, I told you, Laura Lee isn’t your deceased wife, she’s my fiancée.” “It’s perfectly normal for her to wear my wedding ring. How dare you smash it?” “How much do you want for compensation?” I asked. Arthur poked my chest with his index finger. “This ring cost three hundred thousand, and it’s a limited edition, the only one in the country.” “It took me half a year to secure it. You owe me at least a million!” I stood there, taking Laura’s hand and walking towards the exit. “The money isn’t an issue, but I don’t have that much on me right now. I’ll transfer it to you immediately when I get back.” “Forget a million, I can afford ten million.” “Get out of the way, I’m taking my wife with me!” Arthur stood and kicked me. “Ken Stone, do you really think I’m an idiot?” “Three years ago, when you were a boss, you didn’t have ten million in cash. Now that you’re an ex-con, you suddenly do?” I was kicked into a corner, and the red cloth-covered object above my head swayed precariously. Several burly men with full-sleeve tattoos rose from the sofa, clenched their fists, and surrounded me. I picked myself up and said earnestly, “Arthur, I am truly the son of Lord Stone, the wealthiest man in Capital City.” “Just let me take Laura for a test first. Afterward, I’ll immediately transfer ten million to you.” I wasn’t lying. The Capital City billionaire truly was my father. This secret was known only to the elite of society. I had a very strained relationship with my father since childhood. I disliked everything he arranged for me. Unable to bear it any longer, I ran away from home when I was young. While in prison, he offered to reduce my ten-year sentence to three if I returned home and took over the business. But after my release, I didn’t fulfill my promise to take over, so he froze all my bank accounts. I stood up, pulling Laura, and turned to leave. Arthur raised his fist and punched me in the face. “Do you know what a powerful figure Lord Stone is in Capital City? If he tells you to shut up, you breathe softly!” “His son is this kind of worthless man? You stinking cook dares to bluff me? Beat him up!” They raised their feet and kicked me in the head, repeatedly. Laura was also within the attack range. I desperately shielded her behind me, taking all the kicks with my back. “Ken Stone! My wife doesn’t need your protection!” Arthur bent down, picked up an iron bar, raised it, and brought it down on my head! I hunched over, preparing to take the blow, but Laura suddenly pushed me away. Arthur’s wooden stick slammed into Laura’s shin, leaving a bruised, swollen mark. “Laura!” I panicked. I clenched my fists and unleashed a flurry of punches, smashing into Arthur’s nose. The burly men stepped back, all looking at me with fear. I pinned Arthur to the ground. He couldn’t break free from my grasp, his nose bleeding profusely, angry and agitated. “Darling!” Laura’s scream reached my ears. I instinctively turned. A wooden stick came flying towards me! With a *thud*, excruciating pain shot through the top of my head. Warm, sticky blood streamed down my face, and my vision blurred. I stumbled and collapsed by the wall cabinet. Laura anxiously cradled Arthur’s face. My heart was filled with immense grief and indignation. She wasn’t calling out to me… *Crash!* The red cloth-covered object above me fell to the floor in front of me. The red cloth scattered, revealing the true nature of the hidden object. ## 3 It was a photograph. Laura stood in a pool of blood, smiling, with Arthur beside her, kissing her hand. The timestamp in the bottom right corner of the photo was the exact day my wife was raped and murdered. The photo’s title was “Moment of Bliss.” My heart trembled with terror, all the blood in my body freezing. Arthur reached out, sneering as he repeatedly patted my face. “Well, well, looks like you’ve discovered the truth.” Laura leaned her head on Arthur’s shoulder, giggling as she spoke to my stunned self. “Ken Stone, three years have passed, and you’re still so foolish.” “Laura, you didn’t lose your memory…” The people around burst into laughter, pointing and mocking my heartbroken expression. “Look at him, like a lost dog, haha!” “He actually believed it, didn’t even know he’d been completely taken advantage of.” Laura whispered into Arthur’s ear, her breath like orchids. “Darling, he knows I faked my death. What if he, having stabbed someone before, stabs *me*?!” Arthur wrapped his arm around Laura’s waist. “Then we’ll make him rot in prison for a few more years, or… kill him!” Arthur pulled out his phone and made a call. “Alex, your father’s killer is at my house. He wants revenge. Hurry over.” I crawled up, clutching Laura’s leg. “Laura, what are you two talking about?” Laura raised her leg, her high heel digging into my face. “Ken Stone, you stabbed his father to death! We’re calling him to get revenge!” My lips trembled. “Laura, weren’t you raped? Everything I did was to avenge you!” Laura laughed until she bent over, while Arthur watched me with amusement. “But Sarah wasn’t raped at all. The truth of the matter is, you just went crazy and killed someone!” My standing body began to tremble. “How could you two frame me like this? I killed the pillar of a family!” Arthur grabbed my hair. “Not just that. You also caused a girl who got into a top university to drop out.” I roared, “Arthur, back then, I funded you to get out of the mountains, and I introduced you to a top law firm. Are you repaying kindness with enmity?!” Arthur narrowed his eyes, extended a hand, and lightly slapped my face. “Don’t talk to me about funding. All my achievements are due to my own excellent abilities.” “Besides, Ken Stone, your funding of me was earned by Sarah Jensen.” “Sarah Jensen is my true benefactor. You, Ken Stone, are just a useless tool.” I opened my mouth, a sob escaping my throat. I straightened my head and head-butted Arthur. “You adulterous couple, I’ll kill you both!” “Kill us? Do you have the guts to kill us?” The burly men on the sidelines grabbed both my arms, yanked hard, and held me spread-eagled, unable to move. *Ding-dong*. The doorbell rang. Arthur opened the door, leading a small, thin girl inside. Arthur pointed at me, speaking into the girl’s ear. “He is your father’s killer.” The girl looked up, her eyes filled with a hatred so dense it seemed to turn to liquid. “Ken Stone, you killed my father, I want you dead!” She aimed the knife at my chest. *Plop*. The knife tip entered my chest, stopping half an inch from my heart. The pain was unbearable, my face pale. “Alex, I’m also a victim. Our real enemy is Arthur.” “If you kill me, you’ll also go to prison. Don’t throw your life away for this. Arthur is lying to you!” Arthur reached out, gripped the girl’s trembling arm, and gently pushed forward. The knife tip sank another half inch. Arthur stared at my distorted, pained expression, whispering into the girl’s ear, egging her on. “Don’t be afraid, Alex. Uncle Arthur is a great lawyer.” “Uncle will tell the judge in court that you didn’t intentionally kill him, it was self-defense.” “Don’t forget, you once had a happy family, you got into your dream university, you should have had a bright future, but Ken Stone ruined everything beautiful for you!” I anxiously said, “Alex, after the incident, I transferred all the money from selling the house to you. I didn’t mean to harm you.” Alex gritted her teeth, roaring, “You liar, what money did you give me?” I shuddered, looking at the smiling, silent Arthur. Back then, as my defense attorney, he was the one who prepared the compensation process for me… Alex’s reaction suddenly made me realize he had embezzled the money from my house sale. This house was bought by him. He played a shell game, turning everything I owned into *his* – Arthur’s! “Hahahahaha!” Arthur stroked Alex’s hair, laughing uproariously. Alex cried out, her right hand gripping the knife, plunging it into my chest. But for a long moment, no sharp pain came from my chest. I opened my eyes. Arthur lay collapsed on the ground, a bloody knife sticking out of his thigh.

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1 Before the wedding, my adopted sister, Serena Davies, hit my brother with her car, leaving him in a vegetative state. My fiancé, Sam Ford, a lawyer, not only didn’t blame her but actually became her defense attorney. I raised hell, demanding she go to jail, only to become the laughingstock of the city. In my brokenness, my sworn enemy, Harrison Blackwood, proposed to me, promising to be my only support. I said yes. Later, he personally ensured Serena was sent to prison. But in the fifth year of our marriage, I unexpectedly saw him talking to my brother, Ethan, who was supposed to be in a coma. “Bro-in-law, if Serena couldn’t have kids, you wouldn’t have had to orchestrate this whole scheme to trick Ariel into marrying you, making her a surrogate for Serena!” “It’s fine. My marriage certificate with Ariel is fake; the one with Serena is real.” “When Ariel gives birth, I’ll make sure the child calls Serena ‘Mother.’” It turned out the happiness I thought I had was nothing but a deception from start to finish. I’d risked everything to get justice for my brother, only to find it was all one-sided! I was the one who needed to leave. … My hand froze in mid-air as I was about to push open the hospital room door. A chill spread through my body; I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. Inside the room, Harrison Blackwood gazed at photos of Serena’s trip on his phone, a deeply regretful look on his face. “Seeing her happy and carefree makes these five years of acting for Ariel worthwhile.” “Once the baby inside her is born, this fake marriage should end.” My brother, Ethan Davies, lay in the hospital bed, snorting dismissively: “Ariel really thinks you love her. She even handed over all the shares Mom and Dad left her. But what if she finds out this was all our plan?” Harrison paused, a flicker of coldness in his eyes: “Then she’ll never know. Five years have passed; Serena should be out of prison soon.” “Besides, plenty of women die in the delivery room.” Ethan froze for a moment, then praised, “Bro-in-law, you’re still the smartest.” I recoiled, my hand clenching, the pregnancy diagnosis I’d just received falling to the floor. Harrison had distinctly told me he’d sent Serena to prison. It was all a lie! Ethan’s car accident was fake, Serena’s reckless driving and conviction were fake too. Everything was just a setup to make me bear a child for her, because she couldn’t! And all of it, orchestrated by the husband I loved to my very core! His tenderness, his loyalty, his devotion to me alone – it was all just a facade for his true love. For five years, I’d been living in the web of lies they’d spun. How ridiculous. Footsteps echoed from inside the room; Harrison was getting up. I quickly spun around, scooped up the diagnosis, and stumbled down the hallway. Tears streamed down my face as I ran. Once far from the hospital, I sank to the ground, taking a long time to compose myself. I don’t know how long passed before I carefully tucked the pregnancy diagnosis into my bag, hailed a cab, and returned home. After telling the housekeeper she could leave, I was alone in the house. I looked at the decorations, each one carefully chosen by us, and let out a bitter laugh. Not long ago, Harrison had held me close, his voice soft, “Ariel, let’s have a baby.” My health wasn’t great to begin with, but for his wish, I sought out specialists everywhere to improve my physical condition. I drank traditional herbal medicine like water, and acupuncture was a daily ritual. I finally conceived, only to discover the truth. I sat on the sofa until dusk. Then, footsteps sounded outside the door. The lights came on, and Harrison walked in. Seeing me on the sofa, he hugged me tenderly, “Why are you sitting in the dark?” I shook my head, subtly avoiding him. “Just woke up. Was waiting for you to come home.” Harrison didn’t suspect anything, kissing my forehead. “Ariel, you need to take good care of yourself, or I’ll feel guilty.” His tone was as gentle as ever. But I felt no warmth in my heart, only that he was an excellent actor. Why could he go to such lengths, for Serena, with someone he didn’t love? I leaned against Harrison’s chest, and his casual words echoed in my ear: “Wife, Serena is getting out of prison soon. After all, you two were sisters for over a decade, and she’s paid her penance. Maybe it’s time to let it go?” My eyes welled up, but I forced myself to speak: “You said it yourself, she and I are sisters. I won’t blame her anymore.” Harrison visibly relaxed, a smile touching his eyes: “I knew my Ariel was the kindest. Tonight, your husband will cook for you personally.” Watching him walk into the kitchen, I turned my head to wipe away my falling tears. Just then, Harrison’s phone on the table buzzed with a notification. I picked it up and unlocked it. The password was Serena’s birthday. On his private messaging app, the message was from one of Harrison’s inner circle: [Blackwood, your wife is returning tomorrow. The guys have prepared all the gifts you wanted.] The image showed acres of rose fields he’d bought out, and a new jewelry collection worth a billion from a top auction house. Scrolling further up, I discovered the truth. Every time Harrison had been away on business or working late, he’d actually been flying abroad to be with Serena. His friends were all in on it, covering for him. I clicked on Harrison’s social media, and what met my eyes were countless photos of Serena and him. Announcing their marriage, travel photos, kissing… The comments below were from people we both knew. Only I had been blocked from seeing them. My heart felt like it was tearing apart. I dug my nails into my arm, forcing myself to stay calm. Five years of marriage, and apart from our wedding photos, we didn’t have a single picture together. I’d always thought Harrison disliked taking photos. Turns out, it was just that he disliked taking photos with me. I let out a self-deprecating laugh, placing the phone back where it was. I didn’t want this marriage anymore. And Harrison, and this so-called family, I didn’t want them either. 2 After dinner, I bought a plane ticket for seven days later, heading out of the country, and booked the soonest possible abortion appointment. Seven days. That was enough time to say goodbye to this marriage. While Harrison showered, I found our marriage certificate. Looking at the vivid red cover, the official seal of the registrar’s office inside. Anyone would think it was real. My eyes grew moist. Just as I was about to put it away, Harrison’s questioning voice sounded behind me: “Ariel, what are you doing with the marriage certificate?” I calmly put it down, smiling. “It was a bit dusty. I just took it out to wipe it.” Harrison saw my reddened eyes, and his own flashed with concern. He came over, took the certificate, placed it in the cabinet, and hugged me. “You should let the housekeeper handle things like this.” I said nothing. Harrison was about to linger a bit longer when his phone rang suddenly. “Wife, I have to deal with something at the office. You go to bed after you’re done showering.” With that, he took his phone and went to his study. After I had showered, I was drying my hair when I passed the study door. I heard Harrison’s soft, cooing voice: “Serena, you’ll be in Capital City tomorrow. Your husband has a big surprise for you.” Serena replied sweetly, her voice soft, “Really? Thank you, hubby. But what about Ariel?” I felt Harrison’s mood instantly darken. He said in a cold voice: “You are my wife. Ariel is just your surrogate.” A chill settled deep in my heart. On the phone, Serena laughed twice, then chided him playfully, “Don’t say that about Ariel.” Harrison’s voice was so soft it could drip with sweetness: “Serena, you’re too kind.” I couldn’t bear to listen anymore. Suppressing the bitterness, I returned to my room. When Harrison came back, he saw I was already in bed. He didn’t disturb me, climbing in and gently holding me as he lay down. But I barely slept a wink that night. Early the next morning, Harrison held me tightly, reluctantly saying, “Wife, the company is very busy today. I won’t be back tonight to be with you.” “Your husband will make it up to you later.” I smiled. “It’s fine.” He had truly planned it well, all to keep me from finding out about Serena. But this five-year deception, I wasn’t going to let it continue. Especially since Harrison intended for me to die in childbirth. After he left, I grabbed the marriage certificate and went out. Arriving at the civil affairs office, I handed the marriage certificate to the clerk: “Could you help me check if there’s anything wrong with this marriage certificate?” The clerk frowned, her expression complicated as she looked at me. “Miss, this official seal is fake, so your marriage certificate has no legal validity.” Even though I already knew the outcome, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. But at least this saved me the trouble of divorce. I then went to the immigration office, applied for emigration, and canceled my identification documents. “Ms. Davies, this means you won’t be traceable anymore.” I shook my head. “It’s fine.” After I finished everything, I suddenly remembered that Harrison was throwing a welcome party for Serena today. I followed the address I’d seen yesterday and found the rose field. As soon as I arrived, I saw Harrison, surrounded by an adoring crowd, kissing Serena. Among those gathered were not only his friends but also company employees. “So this is Mrs. Blackwood! She’s truly beautiful, and so elegant. No wonder Mr. Blackwood is so utterly smitten!” “Did you see the necklace on her neck? It’s one of a kind in the world. I personally saw Mr. Blackwood pick it out.” “I heard Mr. Blackwood and his wife were childhood sweethearts. Such love is truly enviable.” Someone else questioned, “But I’ve seen Mrs. Blackwood before, and she didn’t look like this?” “Heh, I heard it through the grapevine a while ago. That’s the wife’s older sister, and rumor has it she’s been desperately clinging to Mr. Blackwood.” I just found it laughable. Five years of marriage, yet in everyone’s eyes, no one knew I was Harrison Blackwood’s wife. Just as I was about to leave, I suddenly heard Ethan’s voice: “Ariel, you’re finally back. I missed you so much. You have no idea how disgusting it was facing Ariel Summers every day…” Suddenly, an inexplicable bitterness welled up in my nose. Five years ago, I fought with Serena and my former fiancé to get him justice, becoming the laughingstock of the entire capital city. But in the end, he treated me like a stranger. In the rose field, Ethan was whining to Serena. I walked closer, making my way to the front amidst everyone’s astonished gazes, and suppressing my hurt, asked: “Ethan, why are you here?” 3 Instant silence. Shock flashed in Harrison’s eyes. Ethan, even more panicked, couldn’t utter a word. Once he recovered, Harrison hurriedly asked: “Ariel? How did you come here? Don’t misunderstand, Serena just got out today, and Ethan woke up, so we just thought we’d throw her a welcome party…” Everyone around them had already dispersed. After all, for five years, Harrison, worried that others would know Serena had been to prison, had always claimed she was abroad. I smiled. “Well, that’s just wonderful.” “Ariel, long time no see. I was so foolish back then.” Serena said, choking up, her tearful expression drawing sympathy. She was wearing a high-fashion gown, her makeup flawless. There was no sign she’d ever been to prison. Ethan immediately stepped in front of her, glaring at me defensively: “Don’t you dare target Serena! I don’t blame her for what happened back then, so what right do you have to decide for me!?” Watching his anxious expression, I couldn’t help but laugh. Serena always knew how to make herself out to be the victim. She did it when she was adopted by Mom and Dad, making me look bad at home. As we grew up, she continued to manipulate everyone around me, making them believe I bullied her. I took a deep breath, replying calmly, “I just heard there was a lively event here today. I didn’t realize it was you all. Since it’s a welcome party, I won’t disturb you.” I turned to leave. Harrison, thinking I was throwing a tantrum, rushed after me and grabbed my arm: “Ariel, don’t be angry. I was just worried about Serena, a young woman, suffering in prison…” “Five years have passed, and Ethan is fine, isn’t he? You should let it go too.” Harrison’s self-deceiving justification only struck me as hypocritical. He’d lied so much, he’d actually started believing it himself. Who was he putting on a show for now? “I’m not angry. I said it’s in the past, and I won’t hold a grudge anymore.” I thoughtfully straightened Harrison’s tie. “Go on, I’m heading home first.” Harrison hugged me, secretly letting out a sigh of relief. “I knew my wife was the most understanding. Get some good rest.” He instructed the driver to take me home, specifically saying he’d be back to accompany me tonight. I just nodded and agreed. Once home, I packed away all our couple items, throwing mine into the trash. Then I took down the wedding photos, cut Harrison and me apart, and burned them in the fire. I pulled out my suitcase, waiting only for my immigration application to be approved, then I would leave Capital City forever. That evening, until midnight. Harrison stood me up again. I had already anticipated it, so there wasn’t much of a ripple in my heart. Early the next morning, the obstetrics and gynecology department reminded me it was time for my appointment. I arrived at the hospital and got straight to the point: “I want an abortion.” The doctor looked at my report and frowned slightly: “This pregnancy wasn’t easy for you. If you terminate it, your chances of getting pregnant again might be very low. Please discuss it with the baby’s father.” I remembered seeing Serena’s social media post on the way to the hospital. It was at a hotel. One picture showed their candlelight dinner last night; another showed their hands intertwined on the hotel bed. Even though the man’s face wasn’t visible. The wedding ring on his right hand immediately revealed it was Harrison. I came back to myself, offering the doctor a bitter smile: “No need. The baby’s father is dead.”

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On our third wedding anniversary, in front of all our friends and family, I presented my husband, Liam Brooks, with a special gift. “Open it.” Liam looked confused as he unwrapped it. When he saw the lifelike android, he froze, his face draining of color. He shot up, “What is the meaning of this?” The android wasn’t just anyone; it was the spitting image of his deceased first love, Sarah Jensen. I spoke nonchalantly. “Now you can openly hug her to sleep, without having to secretly get up in the middle of the night, while I’m asleep, and relieve yourself with her photos.” “How’s that? Am I a thoughtful wife or what?” 1 Everyone present exchanged glances, their faces showing they’d stumbled upon some juicy gossip. Liam’s face fell, and he rose in indignation. “Sophia, are you deliberately humiliating me?” “Sarah has been gone for three years. How dare you insult her this way?” Looking at the strikingly lifelike android, Liam’s face darkened, almost choking. “What, you don’t like it?” I scoffed. “Then throw it away.” Saying that, I stood up, intending to toss the android into the trash. “Stop!” Liam rushed over, his face pale, and blocked me. His hand clutched the android’s arm, an imperceptible tenderness and heartbreak flashing in his eyes. “This is Sarah’s face. How dare you throw it in the trash?” “Sophia, do you have any decency?” “Should someone who died three years ago be treated, humiliated, and made a joke of like this?” His voice was almost hoarse on the last sentence. I, however, stood with my arms crossed, watching him with a half-smile. “I’m just worried about you, driven mad by grief, aren’t I? We’ve been married for three years, and you’re still obsessed with photos of your ex-girlfriend every day. So I splurged on this custom-made Sarah Jensen android. It’s exactly like her when she was alive.” “I’m being so considerate, how can you speak to me like that?” Our friends, witnessing this scene, didn’t know whether to mediate or plead. They cast meaningful glances at the android in the gift box, involuntarily swallowing. Luke, Liam’s friend, nudged him with his elbow. “Come on, Liam, it’s rare for Sophia to be so thoughtful. You should be grateful.” “Look at the robot’s figure – curvaceous and perfectly proportioned, far better than the real thing…” “What are you talking about?!” My best friend, Clara, couldn’t take it anymore, rolling her eyes. “Can’t you see Sophia is truly angry and deliberately being sarcastic with Liam?!” Everyone else exchanged bewildered looks. Luke belatedly realized, gasped, and then apologized to me. “I’m sorry, Sophia, I thought you two were just being… ironic.” I said nothing, merely observing Liam’s exasperated expression. I watched him go from initial anger to being gradually captivated by the android before him. I watched him, the guest of honor on our anniversary, completely detached, gazing tenderly at this ‘Sarah Jensen.’ Even with a nonchalant smile on my face, my heart still gave a faint, painful throb. Three years of marriage. I remembered the day we got our marriage license, Liam had promised me, thumping his chest. “I’ve forgotten all about the past. I’ll settle down and build a good life with you.” But he never kept that promise, not for a single day. The car’s GPS used Sarah’s synthesized voice. He would even spend hours driving around, lost in thought. Liam would respond to every turn, every direction, yet he couldn’t manage more than ten words a day with me, though he could chat with a virtual, synthesized voice for two hours. I can’t describe how I felt when I saw that dashcam footage. But that wasn’t the first time, nor the last. Those fragmented memories began to unravel. I even recalled that for three years of our marriage, Liam claimed to be a light sleeper and uncomfortable with someone next to him. So, we started sleeping in separate rooms on the second night of our marriage. He never dared to touch me. Even when I deliberately had a little wine and tried to tempt him with sexy lingerie, he’d maintain a cool distance. He told me he was a devout man, committed to chastity and detachment. Even when his parents pressed him for a child, he flatly refused, firmly stating, “I’m childfree for life. If you really want a child, you can adopt one from a welfare institution; I don’t mind.” Initially, I believed he was truly detached. But then, one night, I woke up thirsty. I inadvertently noticed the study light was on. Through the crack, I heard rustling, and faint, low gasps. I cautiously approached, only to witness a scene that chilled me to the bone. Liam, usually so self-restrained, was gazing longingly at a woman’s photograph, his eyes hazy. What he was doing was undeniable. Afterwards, I went into the study, pulled open a drawer, and saw the woman’s face in the photo. Sarah Jensen. His ex-girlfriend, who died three years ago in that avalanche. She also died in the year Liam loved her most. 2 Ever since Liam received that android, he’d been holed up at home. I inadvertently noticed it. In the neatly tidied guest bedroom, the android wore a pristine white dress, and at first glance, it really did look like a living young woman. Even I felt a moment of disorientation, even freezing. It truly resembled… Sarah Jensen as she was alive. Liam became even busier each day. He worked during the day, returned to the study to handle messages in the evening, and then retreated to the bedroom early. Every night, he’d embrace that robot, whispering his innermost thoughts, and I even heard indescribable sounds. It was fine. After all, that android was meant for exactly that purpose. But ever since Liam received that android, some imperceptible changes occurred in me too. For instance, in the mornings, I no longer prepared breakfast for two. I only toasted one slice of bread. I only poured one glass of milk. Even the dirty clothes I put in the washing machine were just mine. His piles always remained on the sofa. Even if they grew moldy, I wouldn’t touch them. I was waiting for Liam to initiate the divorce. Yet, Liam, though he must have noticed these things, noticed my deliberate targeting, my cold shoulder, never argued or made a fuss. He simply, silently, completed the forgotten household chores himself. It was a fortnight later that I finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Things have come to this; do you think we should still just ‘make do’?” “Liam, stop deceiving yourself, and stop deceiving me.” “Let’s get a divorce.” I pushed the divorce papers towards him. Liam slowly looked up, a hint of confusion on his face. “You did this on purpose.” “You deliberately provoked me at the anniversary party, hoping I’d ask for a divorce in front of everyone, didn’t you?” Liam seemed to see right through me. He frowned slightly, then relaxed. “I won’t divorce you, Sophia.” “I promised your mother I would take good care of you.” Mentioning my mother, my heart felt a gentle prod. Yes. Liam carried the burden of my mother’s life-saving grace. He was always a man who repaid his debts and wouldn’t be so ungrateful. After my mother saved Liam in that car accident, her dying wish was, “Liam, I’m entrusting Sophia to you. Please take good care of her…” Liam knelt by my mother’s hospital bed, silent for a long time. Finally, under my mother’s hopeful gaze, he nodded and agreed. “Okay.” “I will take care of Sophia for the rest of my life.” So, even though he was in immense pain. Even though he would secretly go to the study to vent his frustrations alone. Even though he had long grown weary of living with a woman he didn’t love. He never once mentioned divorce. In everyone’s eyes, he had done his utmost. But this kind of life, I no longer wanted. 3 I turned around and booked a few male escorts. After drinks at the bar, I openly brought them home. Liam froze the moment he pushed open the door. On the sofa, on the rug, sitting or lying, was a group of flamboyantly dressed men. As he entered, all the men paused. I watched his slightly pale face and let out a nonchalant sneer. “Why are you looking at him? Look at me. Keep drinking.” I took out all the rare bottles from the liquor cabinet and let them have at it. I deliberately made the party as boisterous as possible, trying to provoke Liam, hoping he’d demand a divorce on the spot. But he said nothing, just quietly went back to his room. The men left in the dead of night. I thought Liam had long gone to sleep in his room, but I found him waiting for me in the study. “Sophia, we need to talk.” I paused, then scoffed. “Finally going to talk about divorce, are we?” I turned around, only to see him frowning as he gathered all the empty bottles. “Don’t drink like this anymore. Alcohol is bad for your health.” He said it with a serious expression. “In the future, if you want to drink, you can have fruit wine. If it’s inconvenient for you to buy it, I can buy some and keep it at home…” I was stunned. I was silent for a long time before coldly speaking. “Don’t men usually go crazy when their wives cheat on them?” “I’ve brought so many men home, why haven’t you asked me for a divorce yet?” “Liam, do you have any backbone?” Liam looked at me with extreme patience, as if watching a child cry and throw a tantrum. “Sophia, I know you wouldn’t cheat.” It was that same light, placid attitude. All my attacks felt like punches landing on cotton. Soft and ineffective. “This is hangover soup I made for you in advance.” Liam placed a bowl on the table. “Remember to drink it. I’m going to sleep now.” The moment he closed the bedroom door, my tears flowed. That bowl of hangover soup was so bitter, just like my heart. Liam didn’t hesitate to show me this gentle side. But I knew, it was different. No matter how kind he was to me, how gentle, it didn’t change one fact: he still deeply loved his true love, Sarah Jensen. I had seen it before. The day before our wedding anniversary, Liam, carrying white daisies, went to the cemetery. Liam’s parents were still alive. The only person he would be visiting was Sarah Jensen. There was no other possibility. “I’m sorry, Sarah.” “If only I had stopped you from going on that trip, you wouldn’t have died in that avalanche.” Saying this, Liam covered his face, sobbing uncontrollably. Every time he remembered that disaster, he was filled with extreme regret. In the days after Sarah’s death, he fell gravely ill, even running barefoot to the temple to pray, kneeling for three days straight. He said, “Take my life for hers, please? Let Sarah come back…” But the gods did not hear his pleas. Sarah died. How could the dead ever return to life? I had seen his diary. He wrote Sarah Jensen’s name over and over again. Every stroke, every line, was imbued with all his strength. So I had witnessed firsthand what it looked like when Liam truly loved someone. Even as Liam’s wife, I had never possessed that kind of love. So rather than both of us suffering, it was better to give up. “Let’s get a divorce.” I whispered, more to myself than to him.

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Back in Harbor City, I never expected to run into Alexey Volkov at the Christie’s auction house. For a moment, we both froze, just a subtle twitch. Then, with unspoken agreement, we plastered on professional smiles, nodding to each other – a formal exchange utterly unlike what you’d expect from a couple who’d once torn each other apart. His eyebrows were sharp, his eyes keen. Beside him stood the same demure and pretty nanny, Vera. Behind me, my handsome and capable male secretary, Liam, was at attention. Everyone in the room held their breath, waiting. They were anticipating that I’d, as always, rush over to confront his mistress. Even Alexey’s gaze held a covert flicker of eagerness. But this time, I simply tightened my shawl, curled my lips into a faint smile, and turned away. Leaving all the love and hatred tied to my ex-husband far behind. … My heels clicked sharply on the marble floor. I hadn’t even made it out of the main hall when Alexey called out, “Ariel!” People in scattered groups began to whisper: “Mr. Volkov truly is Harbor City’s number one. One moment, he’s showering his ‘little wife’ with affection, the next he’s chasing after his ex-wife. He’s certainly got his hands full!” Alexey frowned, his gaze instinctively darting to me. I paused, turned, and spoke with a smile, “Oh, everyone’s joking. I’m merely Mr. Volkov’s ex. His current wife is standing right over there.” I gestured towards Vera’s position in the hall. Ignoring their reactions, I lifted the hem of my gown, preparing to leave. But Alexey caught up to me in a few strides, grabbing my arm. “Five years, Ariel… Can we talk?” I took a step back, widening the distance between us. “Mr. Volkov, let’s discuss it at the summit.” I pulled my hand free, turned, and didn’t spare him another glance. His eager calls continued, but my pace never faltered. In that moment, my relationship with Alexey seemed to have completely reversed. After five years, he was no longer the man I’d once loved with such fervent passion, the one who’d kept my heart in constant turmoil. My secretary, Liam, was perceptive. The moment we got into the car, he handed me a lit cigarette. I raised an eyebrow. He smiled obediently. “You always like one when you’re troubled, Ms. Summers.” I lost myself in the curling wisps of smoke. In all those countless nights I’d waited for Alexey, I’d gotten through it one cigarette after another. Eventually, I broke free from the man, but the habit of smoking remained. Now, he mattered less to me than this single cigarette. I said nothing, letting the Pagani drive us all the way to the hillside hotel. Liam didn’t intend to let me relax, though. He brought over a stack of files and spread them before me. “Ms. Summers, this is the proposal for Volkov Group’s bidding conference the day after tomorrow…” Opening the folder, I saw reports on the Volkov Group’s projects and financial statements. Whap! I slammed it shut, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Them.” “Volkov Financial is indeed the top firm in Harbor City. I hear Mr. Volkov made it to the Top 3 of international wealth lists at a young age – a true business prodigy. But, he was almost ‘kidnapped’ by his ex-wife later on.” Liam took the folder, his eyes lingering on me hesitantly. “You… were you really… that…” I nodded, my eyelids unmoving, my voice as calm as still water: “Yes, I am that ex-wife. The one who nearly took him down with dynamite.” A long time ago, even the mere thought of Alexey Volkov’s name would leave me gasping for air. But now, I could hold a glass of wine and recount it all as if it were someone else’s story. The Summers and Volkov families were old friends, and Alexey and I had practically grown up together. To call us childhood sweethearts wouldn’t be an exaggeration. The young boy, usually so serious with others, would flash his adorable fangs just for me. If I faked a sore foot, he’d bend down and carry me for miles, never complaining, even when his heels blistered. But the Volkov family was a viper’s nest of intrigue. After his parents died in a car accident, Alexey, being too young, was cut out of the line of succession. His older siblings even tried to orchestrate his demise, nearly leaving him dead on the streets. The Summers family initially wanted no part in the mess. It was I who knelt and begged my parents to intervene, to send Alexey abroad. Just before he boarded the plane, his eyes red, he clung to me, weeping, refusing to let go. “Ariel, you’re destined to be my bride, this lifetime and forever!” “Call me shameless, call me despicable, but you’re not allowed to like anyone else these next few years. I’ll come back, and I’ll marry you!” I choked back tears, nodding. My nails bit deep into my palms as I fought the urge to follow him. While he was abroad, I wasn’t idle. I collected reports on the Volkov empire and tirelessly built connections for him. Five years later, after Alexey had become a top trader on Wall Street, He returned home, laden with honors. In less than three years, he systematically exposed the crimes of his siblings and the old guard who had once scorned him, rooting them out completely. I was so naive, so foolish back then. I’d tugged on his hand and playfully asked, “Alexey, will you ever be so ruthless with me?” That night, the moon hung high. His eyes, it seemed, held an entire galaxy. “Silly girl! How could they ever compare to you?” “Thank you for never giving up on me, for always being there. You are my treasure, my everything, for the rest of my life!” “Whether I’m Alexey Volkov or the CEO of Volkov Group, you will always be my only one!” His sweet words, hot like his touch, seared themselves into my heart, leaving me utterly disoriented. In the end, it was my personal assistant who even told me about his affair. Liam’s wine glass slipped from his grasp and shattered, the crimson liquid staining the entire carpet. He didn’t bother to clean up the spilled wine, his expression urgent as he pressed, “Ms. Summers, you’re the Summers family heir, rich and beautiful. Marrying you meant inheriting the Summers fortune. The news reports back then said you brought hundreds of millions in dowry to your wedding! Alexey must have lost his mind to cheat on you!” I exhaled a smoke ring, smiling dismissively. Perhaps, that was why I was so unwilling to let go back then. I was raised as an heir from childhood. My suitors lined up from across the country to abroad, some for my wealth, some for my beauty. But I poured my heart out only to Alexey. In our circles, having mistresses was commonplace. Some dallied with young models, others with celebrities, and some were even open to both. But they were all fresh, beautiful faces, and none of those men were Alexey. Yet, I took a deep drag. The suffocating bitterness filling my lungs was exhaled along with the smoke. No one could have guessed. The CEO who swore I was his only one, was having an affair with his housekeeper. A demure, voluptuous woman, completely under his control. Liam’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How is that possible? Ms. Summers, wasn’t there some misunderstanding?” I scoffed. See? Another unbeliever. Just like I was back then. How could I, the esteemed Summers heiress, the CEO of a thriving corporation, lose to a housekeeper? I searched through all of Alexey’s properties, but found no sign of her. It wasn’t until I arrived at the Sunshine Mountain Villa—a Volkov family ancestral estate that Alexey had refused to let me use as our marital home. Yet now, it had become a private love nest for his mistress. The moment I smashed open the front door, Alexey happened to be returning from an overseas business trip. He blocked my path, his face etched with a pained expression. “Ariel, let me explain.” Seeing my cold demeanor, he dropped to his knees at my feet, eyes rimmed red, grabbing at the hem of my dress as he began to explain. That year he went to the States, he couldn’t stomach the salads and sandwiches. His stomach had gone bad, bleeding constantly. He was interning and studying at the same time, stretched thin. It was Victoria, the housekeeper who had cared for him since childhood, who quit her well-paying job at the ancestral home. She traveled across the ocean, acting like a mother hen, taking care of him. When he was at his lowest, she was there. When he got his first commission and desperately wanted to share it with someone, she was there too. “I consider Victoria family… Really, you have to believe me!” “Then why didn’t you ever mention her during our video calls?” I pouted, though deep down, I’d started to believe him a little. He sprang to his feet and pulled me into an embrace. His fractured gaze held the sorrow of being doubted. “You were studying and gathering intel for me on the Volkov Group back then. How could I bear to burden you further?” “Victoria has looked after me for over a decade in the old house; she’s like an older sister to me. That’s why I let her live in this house…” Perhaps it was Victoria’s gentle nature. Perhaps it was my inherent self-confidence. Alexey’s few words completely dispelled my doubts. From then on, I treated her like an older sister too. Luxury jewelry sets flowed into her wardrobe as if they cost nothing. Each time, she’d politely refuse, saying she wasn’t worthy. Then she’d express profound gratitude, telling me I was a kind and beautiful wife, and that Alexey was incredibly fortunate to have married me. Pleased, I’d often bring her along, hoping she’d gain some worldly experience. She’d blush with excitement, saying she’d lovingly care for my future children. Later, she kept her word. Except her dedicated care was entirely focused on the marital bed between Alexey and me. The stark, crimson sheets, the dull thud as their bodies separated. Like a bomb, it detonated all my reason. All thoughts of being a socialite. All pretense of composure. Forgotten. I charged at Alexey like a madwoman, scratching and clawing. He stood there, pale-faced, letting me strike and curse him. Until I slapped Victoria several times. He couldn’t take it anymore. Shielding the woman behind him, he glared at me with clenched fists for the first time. “Have you had enough?! If you have a problem, come at me, don’t bully Victoria!” Victoria’s tearful whimpers from behind him completely turned Alexey’s eyes red. He threw caution to the wind, sneering at me, “Since you’ve found out, I have nothing to say. You can either continue to be Mrs. Volkov…” “Or you can leave with your shares. I’ll compensate you!” In that moment. All vows, all those years of childhood friendship. They were all a joke. My eyes red, I grabbed his collar, desperately demanding an answer. He pried my fingers off, one by one, sighing softly: “Ariel, you need to be more understanding.” “Victoria isn’t a threat to you… and I, I can’t live without her.” I had loved him for over a decade. I poured the entire Summers family fortune into helping him reclaim the Volkov Group, only to be met with “I can’t live without her.” I couldn’t swallow that insult. I began to hound them, spreading their sordid affair throughout our social circles. Alexey, heartbroken that Victoria was being branded a “mistress,” secretly stripped me of 10% of my Volkov Group shares. He also colluded with the Summers family elders to remove me from the board. And froze all my bank accounts. I went from being the esteemed CEO of Summers Inc. to a discarded Volkov wife, deemed inept and wasteful. Alexey didn’t stop there. He coldly sent a message: “If you don’t quiet down, I’ll make you regret it for the rest of your life!” Having lived a life of smooth sailing for over two decades. Neither my feelings nor my dignity could tolerate his betrayal. I became frantic, hiring paparazzi to track them. My former close friends turned around and advised me. “She’s just a housekeeper, he’s just playing around!” But the next day, all my shares, assets, and positions were transferred to Victoria’s name. He even arranged for the hospital to release a false diagnosis, claiming I had contracted a venereal disease due to promiscuity. Countless high-definition videos and photos flooded the internet. Everyone called me a debauched hussy, a rotten slut who only pretended to be a lady. I finally broke down. Crying, I called my parents, who were abroad. Until their private jet crashed into the sea, killing them both. For a long time after my voice faded, the room remained in dead silence. Liam’s lips were tightly pressed, his eyes burning with anger. “Ms. Summers, how… how did you get through it?” His hands trembled so much he couldn’t light the cigarette. I just held it tightly between my fingers. As soon as the news of my parents’ deaths broke, Alexey’s demeanor completely changed. He played the dutiful son-in-law, helping me arrange their funerals. Everyone in Harbor City praised him. They called him a virtuous man, a wonderful husband and son-in-law, a true rarity. Meanwhile, I was utterly cast as the immoral madwoman in everyone’s eyes. It was then that Alexey, holding a pregnancy test report, softened his stance towards me. “Ariel, we’re having a baby. Let’s stop this… okay?” “This child will take your surname, Summers, to carry on the family name.” After my parents’ accident, I lived with daily guilt. If it weren’t for me, they wouldn’t have chartered a private jet home. I was the one who killed them. The arrival of this child felt like a lifeline. It pulled me out of the despair of losing my parents. I became silent, but day by day, my anticipation for this child grew. And Alexey seemed to have broken off contact with Victoria. He canceled all his social engagements, and after work, he’d stay by my side, smiling as he watched me do prenatal exercises. My smiles seemed to grow more frequent. Our relationship also appeared to be improving. Until three months later, Victoria walked into the Volkov mansion, her hand on her belly. She slammed that pregnancy test report onto my face with a smack. Gone was her former facade of gentle obedience, replaced by a twisted, sharp smile: “Ariel Summers, you truly are a fool! Three months, and you still haven’t realized you’re not really pregnant!” My first reaction was to retort, “Impossible!” She grabbed my hair, rubbing the pregnancy report viciously across my face. The sharp edges poked my eyes, and I trembled in pain, but she laughed maliciously: “Look closely! This pregnancy report is mine! It just has your name written on it!” “You’re lying!” My face was pale, my voice shaking uncontrollably. “I have a child! He’s my parents’ continuation, and he’ll take the Summers name!” I screamed, my voice raw, tears streaming down my face. “Don’t be stupid! Alexey just used my child to trick you!” She pulled out videos, flipping through them one by one for me to see. It turned out Alexey accompanied her to prenatal check-ups every weekend. The humble street food stalls he once deemed beneath him, he now visited hand-in-hand with Victoria. He was no longer the high and mighty CEO of Volkov Group; he’d even roll up his sleeves to massage Victoria’s legs and feet. True love, perhaps. All the experiences I’d missed out on for over a decade, he had given to Victoria. My gaze fell upon my still-flat belly. It felt as if my very core had been shattered. Suppressing the heartache, I laughed through my tears. But it wasn’t over. Victoria suddenly pulled a family tree from her bag, spreading it before me. She pointed to a name with a smile, reminding me: “See this Alexander Volkov? My son! Alexey’s eldest son, whom I bore him overseas!” Then she pointed to her belly: “And this one is the second.” Her laughter was soft and gentle. Yet it struck me like an executioner’s axe. Chopping down from above. My heartstrings snapped. I glared at her, then tilted my head back, spewing a mouthful of dark blood. And softly collapsed. When I next awoke, I was back in my bedroom. Alexey’s eyes were bloodshot, staring intently at me. His lips moved several times, but nothing came out. Ignoring him, I reached for the drawer. I pulled out the tiny bomb I’d hidden for so long, tugged the detonator, and rasped, “Alexey, let’s get a divorce.”

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I used to believe that after fifteen years of growing up together, he would be my only destiny. Until I saw him put his student’s name where mine should have been on our marriage papers. Scholarships, favoritism, trust. He gave them all to someone else. He even let me be falsely accused, my future destroyed. That’s when I realized I was never his first choice. So I turned around, went abroad, and reclaimed my dreams. Later, when I stood at the peak of success, he came to me, saying he regretted everything. But my new husband pulled me close. “You didn’t choose her back then. Now it’s not your turn anymore.” Iris Hart POV After winning six consecutive international awards, the name “Sebastian Kane” became legendary in academic circles. At only twenty-five, he wasn’t just Stanford University’s youngest professor. He’d also claimed the highest honor in academia. The day his fame skyrocketed, he posted a photo of us holding our marriage license application, captioned “Soulmates finally united.” Before I could even share it, I scrolled down and saw a comment that made my heart stop. “Sebastian’s getting married, but the county clerk sent ME the notice. Now that’s love!” The replies flooded in. “Maybe YOU’RE his true love?” “Sebastian’s handwritten over thirty thousand experimental data points, accurate to eight decimal places without a single error. Yet on the most important form of his life, the one where you list an emergency contact for marriage, he put YOUR name.” “You two should just go get married already!” I looked closer at the username. The poster was none other than Sebastian’s intern, River Lawson. Afterward, Sebastian explained it was just an accident. I believed him. But not long after, he turned around and gave the only full-ride graduate scholarship to River. Then he pulled me aside to apologize. “I’m sorry, Iris. River grew up in poverty. If this application fails, she’ll never have another chance to get ahead in life.” He gripped my hand tightly, his eyes full of guilt. “But I’m also thinking about us. Even if you never achieve anything, you’re still the one I love.” The next day, River-the supposedly excellent student Sebastian praised-secretly reported me to the school for academic fraud, got my graduation status revoked, and had me ordered to withdraw. When they want to pin something on you, they’ll always find a reason. During the long investigation period, my heart grew colder and colder. I’d worked every single moment to keep up with Sebastian’s pace. But in the end, the full scholarship was gone, my dream of studying abroad shattered, and even basic graduation became uncertain. Gradually, I understood-I was no longer Sebastian’s first priority. If that was the case, then I chose to let them have each other. In my moment of deepest despair, my advisor threw me a lifeline. “I can fund your study in France, on the condition that you join my research team. But… are you really ready to leave everything behind and go abroad?” “I’m willing.” In the dead silence of night, I heard my own resolute answer. My father, Marcus, and mother, Elena, had always been open-minded-they would support my decision without hesitation. I had nothing to worry about. As for Sebastian… perhaps our fate ended here. I still remembered meeting Sebastian when I was six years old. He’d been quiet and withdrawn since childhood, guarded around everyone-except me. He was willing to open up to me, even if just a little. Sebastian’s father, Richard, and mother, Caroline, were always busy with work, often leaving him at my house. The two of us grew closer over time. In middle school, he waited downstairs for me every day before and after school. In high school, he carefully organized study notes just for me. In college, he kept up the habit of having breakfast with me every morning. Everyone said we were made for each other. I believed it too. At least, I believed it until River appeared. At first, Sebastian kept his distance from this clingy intern. But then one day, River single-handedly solved a math problem left behind by an old professor. Though I couldn’t see much reaction from him, I noticed he gradually stopped pushing her away when she followed him around. We’d fought about this intern several times. He always said he just recognized talent and couldn’t bear to see a genius buried. Whether it was really about recognizing talent or something else, I didn’t want to guess anymore. The truth behind it all was probably something only he knew. The engagement photos were already taken, and the marriage registration was still just scheduled-everything could still be undone. “I’ll have the application process completed within a month.” The person on the other end of the call was satisfied with the answer and hung up in good spirits. I didn’t sleep all night. Early the next morning, Sebastian knocked on my door. “There are a lot of wedding details we haven’t finalized. Richard and Caroline invited Marcus and Elena to dinner together, and they asked me to pick you up.” I instinctively tried to decline. “Actually, I can’t today…” “Marcus and Elena are already there.” He cut me off, gently taking my hand as he always did, his usually expressionless face now wearing a tender smile. I’d once been captivated by that smile for so long. Unfortunately, it no longer belonged to me alone. Inside the Kane house, Caroline warmly welcomed me and sat me down, casually calling out, “The pizza and roast in the oven are almost ready-Sebastian, go check on them!” Sebastian headed straight into the kitchen. His phone suddenly started ringing nonstop. I glanced at it and caught sight of the glaring name “River Lawson” on the screen. At the dinner table, both sets of parents were chatting happily when the shrill phone ringtone cut through the harmonious atmosphere again. Sebastian answered the call, his expression instantly changing. “I’m sorry, Marcus, Elena. Something urgent came up at school. I need to go.” My instincts told me it wasn’t that simple. After making an excuse to leave the table, I secretly followed him. Then I watched Sebastian enter the back warehouse of a convenience store. River was wearing a dirty work uniform. The moment she saw him, she rushed over eagerly but accidentally tripped on something. She fell straight into his arms, and their lips happened to touch. He didn’t pull away. They both froze in that moment, their eyes locked for what felt like forever.

Iris Hart POV My face went pale as I stared at the scene, frozen. My heart suddenly felt like it had cracked open, cold wind pouring into the fissure, chilling me until I couldn’t stop trembling. River quickly jumped up, her face flushed as she lowered her head, a sly smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “You… how did you get here? Didn’t you say you had something really important today?” Sebastian ruffled her hair, his voice helpless yet indulgent. “It’s nothing major. You said you were hurt-let me see how bad it is.” River deliberately hid her right hand behind her back. “It’s nothing, nothing-just a small cut.” Sebastian caught sight of the wound on her finger and pulled a Band-Aid from his bag, crouching down to carefully apply it for her. I couldn’t help but think of the past. I used to get bumps and scrapes all the time as a kid. At some point, Sebastian had made it a habit to always carry Band-Aids in his pocket. He’d once told me they were exclusively mine. But now… I felt dazed and instinctively stepped back, accidentally kicking something. They both looked over at once. I turned and ran. “Iris!” He caught up to me, breathless, and we both stopped at the same time. I didn’t turn around, just listened to him scramble to explain. “It’s not what you think. That was just an accident.” “I know.” I took a deep breath, staring hard at the ground. He seemed flustered. “Iris, I didn’t mean to lie to you. I was just afraid you’d be upset if you found out.” I turned around, my expression calm. “I just happened to pass by. I’m not upset. Where you go is your freedom.” River had also caught up, looking at me cautiously. Sebastian seemed afraid I’d scold her and quickly stepped in front of her. “Now that we’ve cleared up the misunderstanding, let me take you home.” I didn’t want to keep arguing, so I nodded. “River, you should head home early too.” He turned back to tell her. She smiled bitterly and shook her head. “Sebastian, you two go ahead. I still have goods to move. If I’m not done by ten tonight, my supervisor will dock my pay.” Sebastian’s brow furrowed in displeasure. “You’re new part-time staff-why are they making you do all this?!” “I can only blame myself for being poor.” She wiped away tears and started heading back to the warehouse, but Sebastian grabbed her wrist. “I’ll help you move them.” He said to me, “Iris, go home and rest early. Don’t wait up for me.” Watching him walk away side by side with River without a second thought, I just stood there, looking more and more alone. Most of the streetlights in the old district were broken. The road was dark and cold. I walked alone, shivering. Suddenly, I heard a low growl. A large dog was baring its teeth at me, staring me down. Fear made my legs weak. I turned and ran. A sharp pain shot through my calf, and blood started running down. A kind stranger helped drive the vicious dog away. By the time I dragged my injured leg to the district hospital, dawn was nearly breaking. After getting the rabies vaccine, I turned my phone back on. Missed calls and messages started popping up one after another. I silently turned off the screen and closed my eyes. “Iris! Iris!” A familiar voice rang out. I thought I was dreaming. When I opened my eyes, it really was Sebastian’s anxious face.

Iris Hart POV “I saw your phone location and rushed over. How did you get hurt?” I didn’t even lift my head, my tone light and casual. “Couldn’t get a cab in the old district. Got bitten by a stray dog on the road.” Hearing this, his eyes immediately reddened, full of heartache and guilt. “I should’ve thought of that. I’m so sorry.” “I’m fine.” My tone remained calm. A few days later, after I’d fully recovered, Sebastian showed up uninvited, carrying something. He handed me an elegant gift bag with a hint of flattery. “I was wrong the other day. Maybe looking at a plant will cheer you up.” I opened it to find a pot of mint. A sharp pain suddenly pierced through my chest. He’d always had an exceptional memory-how could he forget I was allergic to mint? Seeing my silence, he assumed I was still angry. He pulled out two tickets. “The zoo you wanted to visit-I managed to get tickets. Let’s go right now, okay?” Without waiting for me to refuse, he grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door. When we got to the zoo entrance and I saw River getting out of the car, I turned to leave. He gripped my hand tightly. “I asked a friend to get the tickets and they happened to have two extras. I just didn’t want them to go to waste.” Using the excuse of accompanying me to the zoo, his eyes never left River. After a few exhibits, they were practically glued together. Watching them, they looked like a couple madly in love, while I was just an outsider. At the bird show area, the host was introducing albatrosses. “Once they choose the right mate, they stay together for life! Now let’s pick some audience members to participate!” The spotlight landed on River. She looked at Sebastian hesitantly. “Sebastian, I’m too scared to go up alone. Can you come with me?” He glanced at me briefly, then took her hand and went onstage. The host assumed they were a couple and had them complete challenges: staring into each other’s eyes for ten seconds, eating cookies, and the final task-a kiss. Amid the cheering crowd, Sebastian pressed his hand against her head and kissed her. My nails dug deep into my palms. My heart felt like it was being sliced with a knife. The air tasted unbearably bitter. When the crowd dispersed, he stopped me. “With so many people watching, if I’d just left her there, people would’ve talked about her.” I didn’t say anything more and headed to the next exhibit. He nervously followed, trying to apologize. Suddenly, screams erupted nearby. An escaped brown bear was charging toward the crowd, swinging its massive paws. I was pushed back by the surging crowd and suddenly lost my footing. River and I both fell into the artificial lake at the same time! Sebastian reached out his hand and swam toward me with all his might. “Sebastian!” A shout made him freeze mid-motion. He instinctively changed direction and swam toward River instead. The icy lake water swallowed me. I struggled desperately, staring hard at his retreating back as I gradually lost consciousness. My body felt heavy as lead. When I opened my eyes, I saw him with red-rimmed eyes, gripping my hand. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault for not taking better care of you.” I thought he was going to explain why he’d abandoned me to save her, but he carefully avoided the subject, not saying a word about it. His phone vibrated frantically. “Excuse me, do you still have fever medicine in stock?” It was River’s weak voice on the other end. “River?” “I’m sorry, Sebastian. I called the wrong number trying to buy medicine.” She hung up in panic. Sebastian, usually so composed, immediately panicked. He glanced at me a few times before standing up. “River’s home alone. I’m afraid she…” “Go ahead.” My face was pale, but my expression remained calm. Watching him leave without hesitation, I was consumed by grief. He used to feel heartbroken for half a day just seeing me frown. Now he could abandon me without a second thought, even when I was seriously injured.

Iris Hart POV On the day I was discharged from the hospital, I unexpectedly received an invitation from my advisor. An opportunity to attend an academic summit. I became part of the setup crew for the venue. As soon as I walked in, I saw River all dressed up, along with Sebastian. “Iris?” When he saw me, his smile stiffened. He quickly lowered his voice. “When did you get discharged? Why didn’t you tell me so I could pick you up?” I pushed his hand away. “It’s fine. Go do what you need to do.” A shriek came from nearby. River screamed and stood up. Her arms were covered in red welts. “I think I’m having an allergic reaction.” I turned to look. Sebastian, ignoring everyone’s stares, scooped River up in his arms and rushed out. The venue fell silent. People whispered to each other, some even casting pitying glances my way. My cheeks burned with shame as I quickly left. I’d barely gotten home when Sebastian showed up at my door. He glared at me, his face full of anger. “With so many people at the venue, how is it that she was the only one who had an allergic reaction to that chair?!” “What are you implying?” My brow furrowed. “You’re one of the people in charge of setup. This has to be connected to you!” My heart trembled. I couldn’t believe it. “You’re accusing me?!” Fifteen years together, and he was actually accusing me over something completely fabricated. River, who’d been hiding behind him, stepped forward timidly. “Just forget it. I’m sure Iris didn’t mean it.” “River, you’re too kind. That’s why you think everyone else is kind too!” His anger intensified. I laughed coldly. So in his eyes, I was malicious? He grabbed my wrist tightly and dragged me all the way to the venue to confront me. When he finally let go, my wrist was already covered in bruises. “The summit still has one more day! I want you to replace every single chair tonight with something River isn’t allergic to.” “I refuse.” I stared at him, enunciating each word. He nodded as if driven to the edge. “If you don’t replace them, believe me, I’ll throw this ring away right now.” The moment I saw him hold up the ring, my expression changed. That was the ring my grandmother had left me as a wedding blessing. And he was using it to threaten me! My heart turned to ash. Under their watchful eyes, I pathetically hauled out a thousand chairs and replaced them with a new batch from storage. After I finished arranging them, he finally let me go. “I have one more condition. Give me back the ring,” he said. “No problem. It’s just a ring. But if there’s a next time, we’re calling off the marriage license.” I clutched the ring, my palm aching. There won’t be a next time. We’ve already canceled it. Sebastian, I will never love you again. I’ll be leaving soon.

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I flew two thousand miles to surprise my wife. Instead, I was greeted with an invitation. “Welcome to the wedding of Mr. Xavier Grant and Ms. Mara Cole.” Her groom wasn’t me. But her wedding dress was one I had chosen, and the wedding plan was one I had designed. When she saw me, she accused me of not knowing when to let go, claiming it was all just business. Does a performance require passionate kissing? I didn’t argue. I just turned around and took a hard drive with me. It contained all the original design drafts I’d created for them over the past four years. What Mara didn’t know was that three months later, at a bidding presentation, she’d be on her knees in the snow, bankrupt, begging me for ten dollars just to buy a meal. Lucas POV To surprise my wife, I flew to the island without telling her. The taxi had barely stopped when the hotel’s greeting system sent me a text message: “Welcome to the wedding of Mr. Xavier Grant and Ms. Mara Cole.” My hand froze around the gift box. Mara Cole was my legal wife of four years in a secret marriage. Xavier Grant was her first love from college overseas, and also the star designer at my studio. Just last night, Mara had been packing her luggage. “I’ll be inspecting resort projects for a while. The clients are difficult to deal with, so I can’t get away. I’ll make up for our anniversary properly when I get back.” She complained that Xavier was clumsy and needed her to look after him. I believed her. Like an idiot, I helped her organize her clothes and told her she was working hard. She was working hard, hard enough to organize a grand wedding between inspections. I stepped into the lobby. White veils billowed in the cold sea breeze. The décor looked very familiar. A month ago, I’d stayed up three nights straight in my study to draw up this exact plan. At the time, Mara had leaned against the doorframe, holding coffee and pleading with me. “The client wants a dream wedding. Xavier’s run out of inspiration. Help him out.” I joked that this design was worth fifty thousand dollars. She hugged me and acted cute. “Helping him is helping me.” Turns out I was the free wedding planner for her own wedding. “Sir, do you have an invitation?” The receptionist stopped me. I was wearing a hoodie and jeans, carrying a small box, completely out of place among the suited guests around me. “I’m an old friend of Mara’s.” The receptionist stepped aside. The banquet hall was brilliantly lit. Mara wore a mermaid-cut wedding gown and looked so beautiful she seemed like a stranger. We’d been legally married for four years, but we’d never had a wedding or any celebration. The reason was that we had to keep a low profile during the startup phase, and I was behind-the-scenes personnel who didn’t need formalities. Right now, she stood under the spotlight, gazing at the man across from her like he was the only one in the world. Xavier Grant, nothing but an empty-headed pretty boy, spoke with deep affection. “Mara, we’ve missed so much. Today, I can finally hold your hand in front of our friends and family…” Applause thundered. Guests murmured about what a perfect couple they made, praising Xavier’s so-called brilliance. Some even claimed the island project was his work. My nails dug into my palms. Every award Xavier had ever won was something I had created. His breakthrough work was my rejected draft. His award-winning design was something I’d destroyed my stomach staying up late to finish. Even the stage beneath his feet was my creation. In the front row sat Mara’s mother, Diana, wiping away tears of joy. She took the generous support payments I sent every month, and now she sat there without a care in the world. Next to her sat my business partners, people who ate the afternoon tea I bought, now applauding as my wife married someone else. Everyone in the world knew-except me, the fool left in the dark. What inspection? What fake business marriage? All excuses. I could see it clearly: the genuine happiness radiating from Mara’s face. The officiant called out loudly, “The groom may now kiss the bride!” Mara turned her head. Her gaze cut through the crowd and landed on me. Her smile froze instantly on her face. She pushed away Xavier, who was about to kiss her, in panic. The bouquet in her hands fell to the floor. “Mara?” Xavier looked confused. Mara ignored him. She stared at me, her face deathly pale. I looked at her and expressionlessly raised the delicate gift box in my hand. Then, as she watched in horror, I let it go. The box hit the floor. The necklace inside probably broke. Just like this absurd four-year marriage. I turned and walked out of the banquet hall without looking back. Behind me came commotion and the rapid clicking of high heels on the floor. “Mara! Where are you going?” If this had been yesterday, if she had chased after me like this, I would have cried with emotion, thinking there was still a place for me in her heart. But now, I just found it ridiculous.

Lucas POV I hadn’t even reached the elevators when someone grabbed my arm hard. “Lucas! Stop right there!” Mara was out of breath, holding up her wedding dress train, her updo coming loose. There was no guilt on her face-only furious indignation. “Why are you here? Did you follow me?” I laughed bitterly. I’d caught my wife at her wedding, and her first reaction was to interrogate me. “Mara,” I looked at her like she was a stranger, “what’s today’s date?” She froze. “October sixteenth.” “Four years ago today, we registered our marriage. You said the company had something come up and left me on the side of the road. Today I flew two thousand miles to surprise you, and you gave me an even bigger surprise.” Mara’s expression stiffened for a moment, then reverted to her usual assertiveness. She straightened her hair, all business. “Can you use your brain like an adult? This is a business strategy! The clients value family values. Xavier is our brand face. For a contract worth tens of millions, we had no choice but to put on an act.” “An act requires inviting your mother? Exchanging rings? Smiling that happily?” “That’s because we had to make it realistic! How else could we fool the clients if we didn’t make it look real?” Mara raised her voice. “Who do you think I’m working myself to death out here for? It’s bad enough you don’t trust me. Now you’re sabotaging everything. If this project falls through, can you afford to compensate for it?” She was even trying to turn this around on me. “You’ve disappointed me so much. If you had even a little sense of the bigger picture, you wouldn’t cause trouble at such a critical moment.” Watching her mouth run on and on, my thoughts suddenly drifted far away. I thought back to four years ago. Back then, I was recognized as a genius in the architecture program at a university overseas. I’d won international awards before even graduating. And Mara was just an ambitious but mediocre rich girl. She started a studio but couldn’t land any projects. She cried in the rain out of desperation. I was the one who shoved the design drawings I’d labored over for half a month into her hands and told her to enter the competition. That one time made her famous overnight. Later, she said she loved me. She said I was her source of inspiration. I believed her. I gave up the opportunity to pursue advanced studies at a prestigious architectural firm for her sake, willing to be the person behind her. Over these four years, all the studio’s core proposals came from me. The credit always went to Mara or Xavier. She always said I had an introverted personality and was suited to working behind the scenes and making money. She also said Xavier had a good image, so he should be the public face. So I became the nerd who only knew how to draw. In Xavier’s words, an assistant. They took my work and accepted awards. They enjoyed the flowers and applause while I waited for her to come home with cold coffee. I thought it was sacrifice. Turns out it was just pathetic. The last trace of love in my heart went cold. I looked at that haughty expression on her face, as if she thought she controlled everything and was certain I couldn’t leave her. But what’s valuable in this industry isn’t the studio-it’s the person who creates. “Are you finished?” Mara frowned. “What’s with that attitude?” I looked at her calmly, suppressing the turmoil in my eyes. “Mara, your dress zipper isn’t closed properly.” She instinctively reached for her back. I stepped back, creating distance. “Go back. Don’t keep the groom waiting.” “You’re done making a scene?” She looked suspicious. “I’m done. Disrupting a wedding is immoral. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness.” I turned toward the elevator. “Go back to the room and wait for me! I’ll explain tonight!” she ordered from behind me. No need. I don’t need her love anymore either. As the elevator doors closed, I took out my phone and looked at the date on the screen. Today was our wedding anniversary. I opened my messaging app and found a contact-Chloe, my college classmate and also a divorce attorney. The last time I’d contacted her was four years ago. She’d sent me a message cursing me out back then. “Lucas, if you’re going to be someone’s ghostwriter for a woman, don’t call me your friend anymore.” I hadn’t replied at the time. My finger hovered over the screen. I took a deep breath and relied. “I’ve made up my mind. Is it still possible to pursue my dream now?” I waited a few seconds. The screen showed she was typing. Chloe only sent back a voice message. I could hear wind in the background. “Lucas, I’ve been waiting for this call for four years. Tomorrow at ten in the morning. Same old place.” I closed my phone and looked at my reflection in the elevator mirror. No one knew that my dream was to open a design studio that was truly my own. Back then, I hadn’t been worn down by life yet. All I thought about was architectural ideals. Later, I hid that dream away and had Chloe guard that small flame for me. I thought I’d never rekindle it in this lifetime. I exited the chat and casually opened my cloud storage. Inside were all the original drafts and revision records from four years of working for Mara. No matter how much I loved her, as a designer’s professional habit, I had kept the source files.

Lucas POV That same day, I went straight to the front desk to check out. I threw the carefully prepared anniversary gift into the lobby trash can. I was pulling my suitcase at the hotel entrance, about to hail a cab, when Mara chased after me. She blocked the taxi door, her face iron-gray. “Lucas, where are you going?” “Back to New York.” I opened the car door and shoved my suitcase into the back seat. “What are you throwing a fit about?” Mara lowered her voice, annoyance in her tone. “You just walk away like this-where does that leave my reputation?” I paused, then turned to look at her. “That’s your banquet, not mine.” Mara grabbed my sleeve, her nails digging into my flesh. “Lucas! When will you stop? I already told you this is just an act! I didn’t hold it against you earlier, and now you’re pushing your luck?” She took a deep breath, seemingly trying to suppress her anger. “I know you’re upset, but you need to understand my difficulties. Xavier is a public figure. The studio has relied on him as our public face these past few years. If things go wrong today, millions in prior investment will go down the drain. As a member of the company, can’t you be more mature?” Over these four years, whenever I tried to claim my rightful due, she would use “the bigger picture” to suppress me. As if my unwillingness to sacrifice made me immature and childish. I didn’t even have the desire to argue. “Mara,” my tone was calm, “I’ll have my lawyer draft divorce papers. For the specific property division, my lawyer will contact you.” Mara clearly hadn’t expected that. Her pupils contracted slightly, a flash of shock crossing her face. “Divorce?” She crossed her arms and laughed coldly. “Without me, you can’t even pay rent in New York. Your mother is still lying in a nursing home. Who’s been paying her medical bills every month? You?” One major reason I’d agreed to stay in the background was that my mother had suddenly fallen ill and urgently needed a large sum for surgery. Mara had provided that money. That was also why, no matter how much she exploited me these four years, I’d silently endured it. I felt I owed her. But she seemed to have forgotten that over these four years, the drawings I’d produced, the projects that won bids, the value I’d created had long surpassed those medical fees. “That’s none of your concern.” I opened the car door and got in. “This divorce is final.” Seeing I was serious, Mara’s expression finally changed. Her eyes turned vicious. “Lucas, don’t regret this! According to the prenup, you won’t get a single cent of the studio’s shares! Since you want to make a scene, fine-make one! When you calm down and can’t afford medicine, don’t come crawling back to me!” She pulled a document folder from her bag and slammed it onto the passenger seat. “I was going to let you rest on the island for a couple days, but since you want to leave, go back and work! The Brooklyn library project-final draft is due next week.” “Xavier will be entertaining clients these next few days and won’t have time to draw. Go back and finish the proposal. If you don’t do it right, don’t blame me when your mother’s medication gets cut off next month!” I looked at the folder on the passenger seat. This was a key city project-also critical to whether Mara’s studio could go public this year. At a time like this, she could still take for granted dumping work on me and threatening me with my mother’s life. I picked up the document folder. Outside the car, Mara looked at me with contempt, probably thinking I’d compromised for the money. “After you finish this project, I’ll transfer fifty thousand dollars as your closing fee. Driver, go!” She slammed the car door for me, then turned and walked away without looking back. The car started. I opened the folder and pulled out the materials inside. This was a project costing over a hundred million dollars. The design requirements were extremely high. Xavier had struggled with it for two months without getting approval. The client had already issued an ultimatum. If I walked away now, I could vent my anger temporarily, but I’d lose all claim to the four years of work I’d put in and the benefits I deserved. Besides, a simple divorce agreement wouldn’t be enough to completely bring them down. I needed evidence. That evidence was all on the company’s internal network, in Mara’s safe. I had to go back. Not only that. I had to make this project absolutely flawless. Because only if they thought I was still under their control would they reveal their weaknesses. “Sir, to the airport, right?” the driver asked carefully. “That earlier… was that a fight?” I resealed the folder and leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes. “No fight.” I said calmly, “To the airport.”

Lucas POV Three days after returning to the company, I clocked in on time. The office was covered in banners, and the front desk displayed a poster of Xavier and Mara kissing on the island. Several female colleagues huddled together sharing chocolates, their conversation loud. “Mara and Xavier have such a great relationship.” “The island wedding cost two million dollars. They really know how to spend.” I walked through the crowd toward my corner workstation. My spot was next to the printer, my desk piled with discarded paper. No one paid attention to me. “Lucas is here?” Derek walked over holding a box of chocolates and casually tossed it onto my keyboard. “Mara said everyone gets a share. Brought back from the island. A few hundred bucks a box.” I didn’t look at the chocolates. I pressed the power button on my computer. Seeing I wouldn’t engage, Derek turned to the female colleague beside him and raised his voice. “Some people are just born to do grunt work. We eat souvenirs while they have to work.” Laughter rippled around me. I logged into the company’s internal network. Derek was Xavier’s assistant. I ignored him. I opened the Brooklyn Library folder. The initial draft inside was logically chaotic and completely unusable. Obviously Xavier couldn’t handle the client and dumped this mess on me. I turned off the auto-sync function and changed the file path to my private network drive. This time, the company wouldn’t have backup copies of the source files. “How’s the proposal coming?” Mara’s voice came from behind me. The room instantly went quiet. Colleagues lowered their heads. Mara stood by my workstation, staring at my screen. “Just started.” I answered. “Hurry up.” She tapped the desk. “Friday presentation. Xavier has a sore throat, so you’ll present.” In the past, Xavier always handled these occasions while I assisted from below. Having me go this time-I guessed the project was too difficult and Xavier was afraid of exposing himself. “Got it.” Mara pointed at the chocolates on my keyboard. “Why aren’t you eating them? You think they’re beneath you?” “I don’t like them.” She sneered and turned to leave, but stopped after two steps. “My mom’s sixtieth birthday banquet is this weekend. If the proposal passes, I’ll let you make an appearance.” Attending Diana’s birthday party as her legal spouse had become a reward. “No need,” I looked at the screen. “I’m busy.” Mara’s expression darkened. “Suit yourself.” She clicked away in her heels into the general manager’s office. Ten minutes later, Xavier arrived. He walked straight to my workstation, bent down, and lowered his voice. “Did you watch the whole thing that day? My wedding was pretty good, wasn’t it? Thanks for the rough draft.” I stopped my mouse and turned to look at him, mockery in my voice. “It was good.” Xavier looked triumphant and straightened up. “Work hard. That’s the only place you’re useful.” He patted my shoulder, whistling as he walked away. I pulled out a tissue, wiped the spot on my shoulder he’d touched, and tossed the crumpled tissue into the wastebasket by my feet.

Lucas POV I went to the break room with my water cup. Derek was leaning against the coffee machine, holding a half-eaten box of gift chocolates. When he saw me come in, he shifted to block the doorway. “Lucas,” he looked me up and down, “I heard you went to the island? Why didn’t you go in for a drink before coming back?” I walked around him to get water. Derek followed, leaning against the water dispenser. “Stop pretending. Everyone in the company knows you have a crush on Mara. Look at yourself. Xavier is an overseas student-he’s got talent and looks. You’re just meant to draw. It’s complete wishful thinking.” The water overfilled and some spilled, scalding my hand. I ignored him and turned to leave. Derek called out loudly behind me. “Stop having these inappropriate thoughts. They’re a perfect match. People like you can only be background decoration.” Back at my workstation, Xavier was sitting on my desk. He was holding an architectural model in his hand. It was a small model I’d carved by hand the year I first joined the studio, given to Mara as a birthday gift. Later, Mara thought it was tacky and casually tossed it in the company’s junk pile. I picked it back up and kept it in the corner of my desk. Xavier was playing with it, disgust on his face. “What is this piece of junk?” He looked at me as I walked back. “Lucas, your taste has always been this terrible. Having something like this on the desk lowers the class of the entire studio.” I put down my water cup and reached for it. “Give it back.” Xavier raised his hand, dodging me. A smile played at the corner of his mouth. His wrist relaxed, and the model dropped into the trash can by his feet. “No need to thank me.” He dusted off his hands and jumped down from the desk. “I’m just helping you clear out the garbage. From now on, only keep work-related things on your desk. Don’t clutter it with this nonsense.” Low laughter came from around us. Xavier straightened his collar, didn’t even glance at me, and walked away.

Lucas POV At three in the afternoon, my phone rang. I walked to the window at the end of the hallway to answer. “Lucas,” my mother’s voice was a bit weak, “it’s getting cold these days. You and Mara need to take care of yourselves.” I gripped the phone tightly. “I know. How are you feeling?” “I’m fine. I just miss you both. Has Mara been busy lately? If she is, don’t make her come see me. You young people need to focus on your careers.” My mother was always like this, afraid of causing me trouble. I was about to speak when I heard the sound of high heels behind me. Mara was walking out of the elevator with her arm linked through Xavier’s, followed by several administrative staff who’d just finished a meeting. She saw me. I saw her too. Mara stopped, her gaze sweeping over the phone in my hand, a playful expression crossing her face. She didn’t avoid the situation. She turned to Xavier and said, “Xavier, this weekend is my mom’s birthday party. It’s your first time attending as my partner. I’ve already prepared your gift. You need to make a good impression.” Her voice echoed in the empty hallway. Silence on the other end of the phone. A few seconds later, my mother’s puzzled voice came through. “Lucas? Was that Mara’s voice just now? What is she saying about a partner? What first time?” I felt blood rushing to my head. Mara stood not far away and tightened her grip on Xavier’s arm. Xavier smiled cooperatively. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure your mom is satisfied.” “Lucas? What’s going on? Is Mara talking to someone else?” My mother’s voice grew anxious. I took a deep breath and turned away. “It’s nothing. She’s rehearsing lines. The company has a theater activity recently.” “Oh, you scared me. I thought…” “I have a meeting. I have to go.” Without waiting for my mother to say more, I hung up directly. Behind me came the sound of Mara and Xavier’s laughter. They walked into the elevator. I looked at the darkened phone screen, my fingers gripping it until my knuckles turned white. I put away my phone and turned back to the office. The progress bar on my computer had just finished. File transfer complete. Mara, I’m going to give you a gift you’ll never forget.

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