On our fifth wedding anniversary, my normally aloof professor husband, Alistair, actually cooked for me for the first time. He pulled me close, his eyes full of tenderness. “I’ve neglected you before, Sera. I promise to make it up to you, tenfold.” For the next week, he showered me with daily homemade desserts and candlelight dinners. I genuinely believed my efforts had finally paid off, that I’d melted this ice-cold heartthrob. Even if I was stuffed to the gills every day, I refused to waste a single gesture of his affection. Just as I was lost in this blissful fantasy, a mocking pop-up notification flashed before my eyes: “Professor Alistair Finch is secretly signing his wife up for a life-or-death gamble so he can be with his thirty-years-older ‘true love’!” “He’s even sneaking fattening agents into Sera Thorne’s food, just to be safe. What a devoted man!” That’s when it hit me. My husband was utterly obsessed with Anya, the campus facility manager, who was in her fifties! The “life-swap system” would steal my vitality and restore her youth if I weighed more than Anya in a month. Then, Alistair could finally be with her, just as he wished! I stared at my husband, who was now holding out another pitcher of milk tea to me. Without a second thought, I ordered five pounds of specialized livestock growth enhancer, ready to give him a taste of his own medicine. A month later, seeing Anya’s weight double, Alistair’s eyes blazed with fury. … “Darling, this is the first pitcher of milk tea I’ve made just for you this summer.” Alistair placed the huge pitcher of milk tea in front of me. “Drink it while it’s warm, quickly. It won’t taste as good when it’s cold.” Recalling the pop-up notification, a flicker of suspicion crossed my eyes. I tentatively raised a hand to stop him. “Honey, I don’t really want to drink it.” “I stepped on the scale today and found I’d gained thirty pounds! If I keep drinking like this, I’m afraid I’ll be a two-hundred-pound胖 blob in less than a month…” I hadn’t even finished speaking when Alistair blurted out, “That’s fantastic!” Seeing the genuine delight in his eyes, I finally knew the notification hadn’t lied. My husband was deliberately trying to fatten me up, all to make me lose the life-or-death gamble next month, to hand over my youth and vitality to Anya! I was furious at his heartless betrayal, and a wave of raw disgust surged through me. I’d met Anya. She was the campus facility manager at the university where Alistair taught. She was over fifty, and easily weighed over two hundred pounds! And she wasn’t just heavy; she was short, so her weight seemed to pile up horizontally. At first glance, she looked like a moving mountain of flesh! And *she* was the object of my husband’s obsession? To be with her, he was willing to sacrifice my life without a second thought! “Sera, I didn’t mean it’s good that you’re gaining weight.” Alistair realized his blunder and quickly tried to compensate, adopting a tender expression. “I meant, even if you gained two hundred pounds, you’d still be my precious wife. I’d never dislike you!” But as soon as he finished his sweet talk, he impatiently put a straw into the milk tea pitcher and held it to my lips. “So, let’s drink this, okay? Come on, darling, open wide…” He still hadn’t given up, but I absolutely refused to drink this deadly tea. So, I just raised my hand and knocked it over. Alistair was caught off guard, splashed with milk tea. His usually cold face contorted with anger. “Sera Thorne, what the hell is wrong with you?” “I went to all that trouble to cook for you, and this is how you treat my thoughtfulness?” Hearing his accusation, a storm of hurt churned inside me. My eyes immediately welled up. “Alistair Finch, so you *do* realize it was a ‘trouble’ to treat me well for once?” Alistair and I met in college. He was known as the ice-cold heartthrob, with his brilliant academic record and aloof demeanor. I came from a privileged family and was the beautiful campus queen, yet I willingly sacrificed all my pride, obsessively pursued him for four years, just to finally make him acknowledge my existence. Even after five years of marriage, he rarely touched me. Even our occasional moments of intimacy were brief and unsatisfying. I just assumed he was naturally cold and not into that sort of thing. I even convinced myself that as long as I was with him, enduring a life devoid of passion and excitement was fine. So, a week ago, on our wedding anniversary, when he personally cooked a candlelight dinner and remorsefully told me he’d love me forever, I was overjoyed. I thought he’d finally seen my devotion, that I’d melted this iceberg. I never imagined it was all just an act of deep affection, a scheme to take my life for another woman! I stared fixedly at Alistair, hoping to see guilt or remorse on his face. But there was nothing. Alistair looked as if I’d hit a raw nerve, and he threatened angrily, “If you don’t eat it, don’t even think about getting another one of my homemade lunches!” 2 Not only had he not abandoned his malicious plan to take my life, but he hadn’t hesitated for a second. My seven years of devotion had been all for nothing! My heart completely died for him. I swore I would never let his scheme succeed. To avoid tipping him off, I deliberately lowered my gaze, feigning disappointment. “Honey, I was wrong.” “You’re so busy, yet you worked so hard to cook for me and improve our meals. I shouldn’t have thrown a tantrum and spilled your sweet milk tea…” My feigned submission made Alistair sigh in relief. He, too, put on a loving facade, embracing me reassuringly. “It’s okay. It’s normal for girls to have weight anxiety. I don’t blame you.” “Oh, by the way, darling, haven’t you always loved soufflés? I’ll make you one tomorrow. This time, you *must* eat it all, don’t waste a single bite.” He sounded so patient. Who wouldn’t praise him as a perfect husband? However, the moment I pretended to go shower and left the living room, he immediately revealed his malicious true colors. “Alistair, she didn’t drink the milk tea. Do you think she figured out you were doing it on purpose…?” The person on his video call had a face so wide it practically filled the entire screen, and even a ten-level beauty filter couldn’t hide her age spots and wrinkles. Yet, my husband seemed utterly blind to them, his eyes filled with adoration as he called her “honey” over and over! “So what if she found out? Sera Thorne has been obsessively pursuing me for years. Do you really think she’d be willing to refuse anything good from me?” “Anya, I thought we were destined to be apart because of our thirty-year age difference, but then you suddenly got bound to a life-gambling system that can steal vitality and youth!” “This must be the heavens moved by our true love, granting us a chance to grow old together! I won’t let us miss this opportunity for anything!” Alistair Finch, a mathematics professor, was a staunch materialist, yet he was now devoutly thanking heaven just to be with Anya… Even though I saw his malicious true colors, my heart still ached. But Alistair seemed determined to hurt me more, to make sure I couldn’t soften. He twisted the knife deeper into my heart. He spoke my name with utter disdain: “If it weren’t for needing a good background and connections for my tenure review, and Sera Thorne coming from a prominent family with a CEO for a father, I would never have married her.” “I suppose I fulfilled Sera Thorne’s delusional fantasy, so it’s only right that her vitality should be transferred to you.” “Not to mention, I didn’t directly inject her with fattening agents. I even pretended to be deeply in love, cooked her one lavish meal after another, letting her presumptuously enjoy the kind of treatment that should rightfully belong only to you, Anya.” He comforted Anya. “So even if Sera Thorne finds out the truth, she should die without regrets. Don’t feel any pressure about it.” Alistair Finch’s shamelessness utterly shattered my worldview! Die without regrets? How thick could his skin be to say something like that with a clear conscience?! After enjoying my devotion during our marriage, then shamelessly demanding my father’s help to become the youngest university professor, not only did he show no gratitude, but he wanted to steal my life and drain my last bit of value! How could such a good thing exist in this world?! At that moment, Alistair’s instructions to Anya reached my ears: “However, to be safe, Anya, I’ll make you slimming salads during this period…” Originally, I’d planned to expose his attempt to drug me with fattening agents and cut ties with him then and there. But now, I changed my mind. Simply letting him suffer the consequences wasn’t enough. I needed to give him a taste of his own medicine! I wouldn’t be satisfied until his reputation was utterly ruined! 3 I called my dad’s company: “Didn’t you develop a specialized growth enhancer for livestock a while ago? How does its effect compare to the regular one?” Alistair only knew my family owned a big company but had no idea our main business was animal feed. Giving me fattening agents – he was practically begging for death! The R&D lead respectfully replied, “It’s night and day, Ms. Thorne!” “Just ten milliliters injected into livestock can make them gain ten pounds rapidly in a short amount of time!” Hearing that, I was instantly satisfied. “Prepare three large barrels and send them over.” Alistair loves to mess with food, does he? I’d love to see who fattens whom into a pig first! Early the next morning, I saw Alistair carrying cooked dishes out of the kitchen. “Sera, you’re awake! Perfect, wash up and let’s eat.” Usually, at this hour, he’d still be asleep. It seemed my refusal of the milk tea yesterday had given him a sense of urgency. To quickly get me to two hundred pounds and ensure his ‘true love’ would win, he wasn’t even sparing breakfast! How diligent of him! My counter-attack plan was already in motion. Since he was actively walking into it, I wouldn’t hold back. I feigned delight, grabbed my forks, and immediately sat down. “Honey, you’re so sweet! But why are there vegetables today? I remember you usually only make meat dishes.” Alistair smiled and explained, “A balance of meat and vegetables is healthier.” “Oh, I see. You’re so thoughtful, honey.” I pretended not to notice his faint guilt, complimented him, and then picked up a forkful and put it in my mouth. “Delicious.” Alistair watched me clean my entire bowl, then smiled with relief. He then casually prompted me to step on the scale to check my weight. “Huh? How did I gain another five pounds? I barely ate anything!” Hearing my exclamation, my husband quickly came forward to comfort me. “Maybe the scale is broken? How could you gain five pounds from one meal, right, Sera?” I nodded, playing along with his words. “Then, honey, remember to buy a new one!” “Of course.” I changed my clothes, ready to go out, and glanced into the kitchen. Alistair was busy again, but this time, he was making a vegetable salad. Noticing my gaze on the lunchbox, a flicker of guilt crossed Alistair’s eyes, and he over-explained, “Darling, I’m taking lunch to school.” But that very afternoon, I scrolled through my TikTok feed and saw an identical lunchbox and salad. The caption read: *He said this was just a small token of his affection, with an even bigger surprise waiting for me…* How incredibly lucky, to meet someone much younger who truly loves me. That lunchbox, that caption… could the person who posted this video be Anya? My interest was instantly piqued. I clicked on her profile and found that every post flaunted various expensive gifts. I was all too familiar with those designs. I’d seen them all in Alistair’s Amazon shopping cart. Since they were women’s styles, I naturally assumed they were for me. Every time I saw them, I’d get excited for ages, looking forward to receiving his surprise one day, only to be disappointed every time. It wasn’t that the timing wasn’t right; it was that the recipient was wrong. I clicked on Anya’s videos and noticed she never showed her face. Every caption boasted about the affectionate “toy boy” who gifted her these things. She’d amassed a large following of middle-aged women in their thirties and forties. Every time Anya posted, they’d flock to the comments, praising her luck for finding such a loving toy boy. Little did they know, this wasn’t their “sister” she was talking about—it was her daughter! I found it absolutely sickening. Just as I was about to close the comments, I sharply noticed a very familiar ID. *FinchV*: Something beautiful is about to happen. 4 In the blink of an eye, Anya replied below: *I can’t wait! ❤️* They weren’t even trying to hide it anymore! I gripped my phone, forcing myself to calm down. There was only one week left until the life-gambling game’s weigh-in. I wondered if Alistair would still be smiling then! But what I hadn’t expected was that, despite my efforts to keep a low profile, Alistair had other plans. That very evening, he actually brought Anya home with him. Alistair seemed oblivious to my tightly furrowed brows, enthusiastically introducing her to me: “Sera, this is a highly respected senior colleague from my university. She’s been a great help to me in my work, and I truly admire her.” A campus facility manager with “great prestige”? You’re just blind for falling for this ugly thing and trying to boost her status. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and gestured for Alistair to continue. “Well, she’s thinking of changing jobs, and I remember you once mentioned the company needed a VP. So, I thought she could take the position.” At that, I couldn’t hold back. “Alistair Finch, have you lost your mind?” “Otherwise, why would you even suggest something so ridiculous? Can any random person off the street become a company VP?” “Oh, wait, no. Given this ‘senior colleague’s’ size, she’s more like a pig!” Both their faces instantly changed. Alistair, especially, roared at me, “Sera Thorne, how can you insult a senior colleague like that! She takes such good care of me!” “How did your parents raise you? Where’s your upbringing! Apologize to her, now!” Taking care of him in bed, perhaps? I suppressed the urge to completely lose it and retorted angrily, “Saying no to idiots—that’s exactly what my parents taught me!” Alistair was about to speak again, but Anya pulled his hand, consoling him. “Alistair, you’re just trying to help me out of kindness. If it’s not possible, then let it be.” “You two shouldn’t argue because of me.” Her understanding demeanor moved Alistair deeply. His usual aloofness was forgotten. After shooting me a harsh glare, he doted on Anya, asking about her comfort as he saw her out. He didn’t return until the next day, but he was back to being his ‘good husband’ self, apologizing and sweet-talking me. However, the double-dosed meals the next day told me he wanted to tear me limb from limb. And wasn’t that exactly what I wanted to do to him? We continued our charade, sleeping in the same bed yet worlds apart, for several more days. Then, on the evening of the seventh day, as I feigned sleep, I heard a voice in my mind say, “Life-gambling game weigh-in, officially starting!” I opened my eyes again to find myself standing on a massive circular platform. A sinister voice came from behind me. “Sera Thorne, confused, aren’t you?” I turned at the sound and saw another platform not far away, with Anya standing on it, hands on her hips, laughing wildly. “This is the Scales of Fate! Whoever weighs more will surrender their life force to the other!” “You didn’t know, did you? All these days, Alistair Finch has been secretly giving you fattening agents, all to make you heavier than me, so he can swap your youth for mine!” The life-swap system, with its twisted sense of humor, split a screen to Alistair. He looked at me and said, “Sera Thorne, if you had just been obedient and given Anya that VP position, I would have considered giving you a dignified end!” “But you’re ungrateful and asked for trouble, so I won’t hold back!” “Anya, once you win, just suck her dry!” “Sera Thorne, you’re finished!” Seeing them so sure of their victory, I sneered, “Oh really? I don’t think so!” “Weigh-in complete! I announce that the winner of this competition is—” Anya strode forward, chest puffed out, ready to claim her prize, when the System’s voice echoed eerily, “Sera Thorne!”
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