After half an hour of sex, Torres handed me a birth control pill, as usual. “Take it now. Don’t cause me any trouble.” I took it and swallowed it skillfully. “This is the 150th time. You promised that after I took 150 pills, you’d marry me.” He looked surprised, then seemed to remember something. He lifted my chin with his fingertip. His tone was frivolous. “Vivian, how can you take pillow talk seriously? Anna’s coming back from abroad today. Pack your things and move out. I don’t want her to see any trace of you.” After he left, I sat on the edge of the bed in silence for a long time. Finally, I set his villa on fire. Didn’t he want to erase all traces of me? Then I’d make it completely clean. Three years ago, Torres offered Anna 1.5 million dollars in cash to make her stay, but she rejected him firmly. “Get lost! Who wants your dirty money?” She turned and ran. I took the initiative to approach him. “That money… can you give it to me? I look seventy percent like her. You can think of me as her.” He looked down at me, a playful smile appearing on his face. “Sure.” That night, I slept with him. Afterwards, he handed me a birth control pill from the drawer. “Take it. After you take 150 of these, I’ll marry you.” I didn’t take his words to heart. I took the 1.5 million that Anna didn’t want and went to the hospital to pay my mom’s medical bills. My anxious heart found a lifeline, and I felt slightly at ease. Anna was my half-sister, not much younger than me. To be precise, her mother was the mistress. My mom couldn’t bear my dad’s betrayal and ended the marriage with her own hands. I was only eight years old then, and I took my mother’s surname. Three years ago, my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The exorbitant medical costs forced me to beg my dad for help. He refused. “I have money, but I don’t owe her anything.” Then he turned around and publicly bid twenty million dollars for an agate necklace for his mistress-turned-wife. Twenty million—enough to save my mom hundreds of times over… When I was desperate, Anna and Torres happened to have a fight. In her anger, she went abroad and cut off contact with him. I seized the opportunity to take her place and secure a lifeline for my mom. That evening, I woke up in the hospital. The TV was broadcasting news about Torres going to the airport to pick up his first love, Anna. The nurse changing my IV smiled and said to me, “The CEO of TR Group is quite devoted. Three years have passed, and he still can’t forget his first love!” I didn’t respond. My heart felt like it had been stabbed with a blade. The pain spread from my chest outward. Initially, I got together with Torres only for his money. I couldn’t say I had any feelings for him. The first time my heart fluttered was when he prepared a birthday party for me. From age one to twenty-two, he had prepared every year’s birthday gift for me. “Vivian, all the birthday presents you never received in the past, I’m making up for them all at once.” Since I could remember, my parents had been locked in endless arguments, tearing our family apart. I’d never had a proper birthday, let alone birthday gifts. The second time my heart fluttered was when I had a high fever of 103.1°F. Torres put down a twenty-million-dollar deal and flew over ten hours on his private jet from abroad to be by my side. “I don’t trust them to take care of you.” He barely slept for three days and nights. Only after my fever broke did he collapse beside my bed and fall into a deep sleep. The last time I fell for him was when I’d fallen asleep exhausted. He helped my mom to the bathroom. Torres showed no disgust and was extremely patient. “Ma’am, Vivian is my girlfriend. It’s only right that I take care of you.” I thought Torres loved me too. Over the years, we became more and more compatible in bed. He no longer mentioned Anna in his sleep but whispered my name instead—Vivian. I thought I’d won, but I ended up losing completely.
Torres called me. He said casually, “Vivian, I told you to take all your stuff away. What do you mean by burning down my villa? Is this because you’re jealous?” He had countless villas, so naturally he wouldn’t care about that one. I remained silent. “Tonight is Anna’s welcome party. She said she wants to see you walk in a fashion show. I’ve already sent a driver to pick you up. Get changed and come over right away.” Just as I was about to refuse, he hung up. The driver arrived at my hospital room door just in time. “These are the clothes Torres prepared for you. Please come with me.” In his hands was the latest model of bikini. I froze. I remembered three years ago—to scrape together money for my mom’s treatment, I worked part-time as a car model and bikini brand model. What’s more, some bosses would specifically request me for photo shoots. For a few measly dollars, I had to endure their contemptuous and greedy gazes. That lasted until I accepted Torres’s help. “From now on, you belong to me. Don’t go showing yourself off or doing any more modeling.” Now, just because of one sentence from Anna, he’d shattered the illusion of his love for me that I’d held for years… I was about to refuse when I received a message from Torres: [Only my friend can perform your mother’s surgery. If you don’t want her to have an accident, behave and do as you’re told.] At the party, I wore the newest bikini in the freezing cold weather, shivering all over, my hands and feet stiff. Below the stage, Torres had his arm around Anna, playfully tapping her nose, looking at me like I was a pet. “Does it look good?” She showed a satisfied smile. “It looks great.” Torres’s friends also cast greedy glances at me, joking, “We really have Anna to thank for the chance to see Vivian like this!” “Exactly! Torres has been protecting her so tightly. If we looked at her twice, his expression alone would eat us alive!” Torres laughed carelessly. “When did that happen? Vivian and I are just friends. The only person I’ve ever loved is Anna.” He pulled her closer into his embrace. Anna scoffed too. “My sister still doesn’t have a boyfriend! If you guys like her, go ahead and pursue her!” A barely noticeable flash of discomfort crossed Torres’s face, but it vanished instantly. He also laughed along. “Right, if you like her, go pursue her.” I ran a fever for three days and nights. My consciousness drifted in and out. I grabbed my phone and weakly called Torres. “Hello? *cough cough* Can you take me to the hospital?” His impatient voice came through. “Vivian, what tricks are you playing now? Such a hassle.” “What’s wrong, Torres?” Anna asked from the other end. Torres replied casually, “Nothing. Spam call. Keep picking out dresses. Your solo dance performance is coming up soon. Don’t get distracted.” He hung up, and I passed out. I don’t know how long passed before someone gently picked me up, murmuring, “What’s going on? Can’t live without me?” “To the hospital.” Torres instructed. The driver laughed. “Torres, you still can’t let go of Vivian, can you? You seem pretty anxious to me.” Torres’s sharp brows furrowed. “Don’t talk nonsense. Anna said she wants to move into this house. I came ahead to arrange for someone to clean it. I was worried about dust, and I didn’t expect Vivian to be here too. Now not only do we need to clean thoroughly, but we also need to deep clean everything from inside out and throw away everything that should be thrown away. I’m worried Anna might be a germaphobe.” I opened my eyes slightly and watched him, his expression cold, chin resting on his hand, lost in thought as he looked out the window. I found it hard to reconcile him with the Torres from before. He seemed to see through my thoughts and said in a low voice, “Are you wondering why I’m different from before?” He sneered. “Ha, don’t forget—you’re the one who told me to treat you as Anna. I’m just doing what you asked.” “I didn’t expect you’d fall so deep yourself and trap yourself.” My pupils constricted. Those initial words became a bullet, piercing through my forehead…
During my hospital stay, my condition worsened and showed no signs of improvement. The day I was diagnosed with liver cancer, the doctor’s expression was grave. “Don’t you know the consequences of taking birth control pills?” I lowered my eyes without speaking. Of course I knew. But I was gambling—gambling on Torres’s sincerity. Unfortunately, I lost the bet. He never loved me, not even for a second. The first person to learn about my liver cancer was my best college roommate, Wesley. She came to my hospital room, her face paler than mine, her voice trembling, with a heavy nasal tone. “Vivian, you deserve this!” I had no emotional reaction. She was right. I was the one who ignored everyone’s warnings and stubbornly gambled with so-called love for sincerity. “I’m sorry…” Her tears fell in streams, sliding down her face and dripping onto the floor. “You used to be selfish and unscrupulous for money. How did one Torres turn you into this?!” “Does he know you have this disease?” I shook my head. Wesley bit her lip, her nose also turning sour. “No way. I’m going to settle accounts with him! What kind of man is he?!” I used my last bit of strength to grasp her wrist and begged her, “Don’t go! Only his friend can cure my mom’s illness…” She looked at me with disappointment and let out a heavy sigh. A few days later, Torres called me for the first time since I was hospitalized. “Vivian, don’t you have a friend named Wesley who works at the Dance Association?” I hummed in acknowledgment. Relief came through the phone. “That’s good. Ask your friend to pull some strings and get Anna into the Dance Association.” His commanding tone—I was used to it. Wesley beside me cursed, “Torres, what the hell are you?! Do you know Vivian is dy—” Before the word “dying” could leave her mouth, I hung up the phone. “What are you doing?! Vivian!” I sniffled. “Help me this one last time. He’s given me so much. I don’t want to owe him any favors.” She pressed her lips together, which meant she agreed. I didn’t want to waste my final days in the hospital, so I rented a place and grew some flowers and plants. For Torres to find my new address was just a matter of words, so when he knocked on my door, I wasn’t surprised. As soon as he entered, he picked me up and pressed me against the shoe cabinet. His wet kisses fell on my neck. I struggled desperately, but he held me tighter. When he tired of kissing, he released me and frowned slightly. “You’ve lost weight, Vivian.” I pulled a wet wipe from the shoe cabinet and gently wiped away where he’d kissed. A flash of displeasure crossed his brow, but in the end he said nothing. “What do you want? Where’s Anna?” I asked him. Torres walked toward the inner room like he was entering his own home, saying casually, “She’s on her period these past few days. I can’t hold back.” “What do you have to eat? Make me something. I’m starving.” I’d never refused him. From the moment he gave me money, I’d served him like a deity, whether in bed or in daily life. But I was too tired now. I felt exhausted even doing nothing. “There’s nothing to eat. This isn’t a restaurant.” Torres looked at me in surprise and scoffed. “So you’re throwing a tantrum now?” I said calmly, “I’m not throwing a tantrum.” “Fine, but your mother’s surgery…” “I’ll do it.” I interrupted him and walked to the kitchen. A few minutes later, a bowl of steaming seafood noodles sat on the table. Torres was satisfied. “So you can cook. How pretentious.” A full belly breeds lust. After eating, he pulled me into his arms and buried his head in my neck. “Sleep with me a few more times, okay?” I felt nauseated. “Ugh!” Then I actually vomited. Torres just felt his mood was ruined. He frowned. “Unlucky. Forget it.” He grabbed his coat and slammed the door on his way out.
On the day of my mother’s surgery, the hospital issued a critical condition notice. When I received the call, my mind went blank. When I rushed to the hospital, I learned that the doctor performing my mom’s surgery had been intercepted halfway by Anna and turned around to treat her mother instead, causing my mom to miss her surgery window. I called Torres and demanded to know why things had gone wrong. He actually said, “Your mom is just like you—a mistress. She deserves to die.” “I’m in Anna’s mother’s hospital room right now. Anna is unfortunate to have a sister like you. Back then, your mom insisted on marrying your dad and interfering with his relationship with her mom. It’s only fitting that she’s ended up like this.” I begged him humbly, “Torres, for the sake of the years we’ve been together, please send the doctor over quickly… My mom really can’t wait any longer…” He sneered and hung up. The only light in my life went out. The remaining doctors were doing their best to save my mom, but they still came out every few minutes to tell me. “The situation isn’t optimistic…” Four hours later, the operating room lights finally went out. My mom was wheeled out, a white cloth covering her face, peaceful as still water. Just then, the phone rang. It was Anna. She said mockingly, “Vivian, your mom died, didn’t she? You and your mom are equally despicable. For money, you rush to seduce men. You deserve this ending.” “Remember, from now on, don’t covet things that don’t belong to you.” The call ended, and the last string in my heart snapped. She didn’t know yet that I had evidence of her betraying Torres years ago and getting pregnant with someone else’s child. With a cold face, I sent all the videos, pictures, and other materials to Torres. Torres had severe mental cleanliness issues. When he received the information, his fingertips trembled. Anna wrapped her arms around his waist, her voice dripping with sweetness. “Torres, thank you for saving my mom.” When she met his sinister eyes, an ominous premonition surged in her heart. “What… what’s wrong, Torres?” Torres turned his phone around, his face dark. “You’d better explain to me clearly whose child this is.” Anna looked puzzled and focused her eyes. Her face instantly turned pale. Due to extreme fear, her speech became incoherent. “Torres, let me explain…” He pushed her away and grabbed her wrist. The force was so strong that she screamed in pain. Torres’s voice was frighteningly cold. “I’m asking you, whose child is it?” Anna knew that even if she covered it up, Torres would use every means to find out the truth. She simply came clean. “Your friend, Carter’s.” When the name Carter came out, Torres exploded with rage. He slapped Anna hard across the face. “Do you know? Back then, he almost caused our family to go bankrupt…” The past unfolded like a scroll before Torres’s eyes. Anna frantically threw everything within reach at Torres. “Heartless bastard! I called you so many times. Why didn’t you answer?!” He gripped her hands tightly and said helplessly, “I’ve told you countless times, I was in a meeting, a very important meeting. Why do you call over and over again to disturb me?!” Anna continued to be unreasonable. “Haha, so you used to answer my calls no matter what, but now you can’t? Once you’ve got what you want, you don’t treasure it anymore, is that it? Fine, I’m leaving.” He didn’t notice that Anna took his company’s USB drive. No wonder their product information appeared in Carter’s company’s presentation a few days later. He’d humbled himself to keep her, given her money, even knelt before her, but still couldn’t win her back. She’d betrayed him all along…
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