Six years into our secret marriage with Elias Coolidge, we decided on a secret divorce. To spare his new girlfriend from the ignominy of being called a home-wrecker, he said, “I don’t want anyone to know we were ever married.” I nodded, said nothing, and simply added an extra zero to the property settlement. Elias’s face changed. “In your heart, is there really nothing but money?” I chuckled softly. “After all these years, you still know me best.” 1 Elias Coolidge ended up in the hospital after a night of heavy drinking. The nurse asked, “Who is the patient’s family?” Both I and Sarah Hayes stood up simultaneously. “I am.” “It’s me.” The nurse frowned. “Who is it, really?” Sarah quickly stepped forward. “It’s me. Tell me anything you need to.” The nurse began explaining the instructions for staying overnight. Sarah listened intently. I glanced at Elias. His breathing was heavy, his brows furrowed, the corners of his eyes flushed red, but his lips were pale and bloodless. It had been years since I’d seen him like this. Drinking tolerance, while something you could build, was mostly about one’s constitution. And Elias, unfortunately, was allergic to alcohol. Sarah, her eyes welling with tears, warmed his hand. For the ‘other woman’ to be so dedicated, I, the actual wife, felt quite awkward. As I hesitated whether to just leave, she spoke. “It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have drunk so much.” My assistant had already filled me in on the details before I arrived. At the banquet, someone had approached Sarah, trying to get her to drink. Elias had intervened. The man had sneered, “A man who’s afraid to drink? You’re better off with me.” Elias was long past the age of impulsive bravado. But that night, he’d gotten heated and started a drinking contest. Anyone who knew Elias knew he wasn’t a strong drinker. But if he was determined to drink himself to death, you probably couldn’t outdrink him. In his wild, reckless youth, he’d landed in the hospital several times for such behavior. The last time was in our second year of marriage. He’d coughed up blood in the hospital, and I’d been in a car crash on the highway. After that, he changed. Sarah asked, “Ms. Jensen, did he use to protect you like that?” I forced a smile. “You stay with him; I’ll head back.” “Ms. Jensen.” Sarah’s voice was urgent. She bit her lip, as if making up her mind. “I told Elias I wanted to get married, and he said yes.” 2 Two days prior, I’d turned my car around and rushed back to the office, having forgotten something important. Passing Elias’s office, the lights were still on. Sarah was sitting sideways on Elias’s lap, her arms wrapped around his neck, nestled in his embrace. She cooed, “Elias, I want to get married.” I didn’t have a habit of eavesdropping. But that sentence made me stop in my tracks. Elias had a casual smile on his face, his eyes slightly narrowed, as he stroked Sarah’s long hair over and over again. “What, little lady in a hurry to get hitched?” “No way!” Sarah hummed. “I just want to marry you. Elias, will you marry me, please?” I stood outside the door, watching Elias through the half-open crack. He was silent for a long time. The smile faded from his face. He met my gaze steadily. Then he softly said, “Okay.” “Ms. Jensen, Elias doesn’t love you anymore. He loves me now.” Sarah’s voice was full of conviction. She looked at me, nervous and proud. I lowered my eyes. “Then congratulations.” 3 Elias returned to the office the next afternoon. As soon as he entered his office, he called for me. Pushing open the door, I saw him propping his head wearily, pressing his thumb hard against his temple. The after-effects of a hangover, a migraine, had set in. “Organize the ‘Bright Horizons’ project and hand it over to Sarah.” His sudden instruction left me stunned for a few seconds. “What?” He didn’t repeat himself, just looked at me with heavy eyes. “The Bright Horizons project is crucial. Sarah is just starting out… So she needs an opportunity, a big win, a glittering resume.” I fell silent again. “Cara Jensen, I’m not discussing this with you.” Elias rapped his knuckles sharply on the table. He was clearly impatient. Taking a deep breath, my clenched fists relaxed. “Alright. But I have one condition.” Elias raised his chin, signaling me to speak. “Keep the original team, just make her the head. The bonuses and dividends for the project members, not a cent less.” “Fine, I agree.” After receiving Elias’s affirmative answer, I turned and left. I spent an hour and a half organizing everything and explaining the situation to the team. Their gazes at me held pity, sympathy, indignation, and anger. I tapped on the table. “Don’t get emotional; don’t talk about loyalty. It’s just work. Get it done, get paid.” Carrying the documents, I re-entered Elias’s office. Sarah was there too, smiling as she fed Elias a cookie. Elias disliked all sweets. Though he frowned, he reluctantly accepted it. Seeing me, Sarah quickly stood up straight. “You two have business, I’ll step out.” “No need.” Elias placed the cookie box in Sarah’s hand. “Eat over there.” Then he looked at me, his tone unfriendly. “Next time, remember to knock.” Had I not knocked? I guess I hadn’t. It was habit. “There won’t be a next time.” “What?” I placed all the files on Elias’s desk. Meeting his questioning gaze, I handed him the bottom A4 sheet of paper. It clearly stated: Resignation Letter. Elias paused for two seconds. When he looked up again, his eyes were cold. “What do you mean? Are you threatening me?” I hesitated. “You’re overthinking it. The resignation letter has been ready for a while, just waiting for the Bright Horizons project to end. Now that I’ve handed it over, all my tasks are complete. It’s the perfect time to resign.” Elias stared at me, his face grim. Sarah seemed scared. “Ms. Jensen, I won’t do this project. Please don’t be angry. I know I’m not qualified. I just wanted to learn from you. I won’t participate. It’s my fault, I apologize.” Elias’s expression turned even darker. He grabbed Sarah. “You do it if you want to. You don’t need to apologize to anyone. Resigning, are you? Do you think the company won’t run without you?” Elias picked up a pen and scrawled his name at the bottom. He threw the resignation letter at me. “Get out.” I looked down at the paper lying at my feet. “One more thing.” Elias’s face was taut, silent. “Since you and Sarah are getting married, shouldn’t we first end our marriage?” Even Sarah’s sobs stopped. She gripped Elias’s arm, looking at him with a mix of nervousness and anticipation. Elias’s frame stiffened slightly. He slowly turned his head. “What did you say?” “I said, let’s get a divorce while we’re at it!” 4 Sarah was dismissed by Elias. She was somewhat reluctant but didn’t defy him, only casting me a hesitant glance as she left. Elias and I stood facing each other. He broke the silence first. “How long have you been planning this resignation?” “Six months.” “So you were ready to divorce six months ago, right?” I neither confirmed nor denied. Elias scoffed. “Cara Jensen, what right do you have to ask for a divorce?” I looked at him. “Does it matter now?” “No, it doesn’t.” Elias took a divorce agreement from his bottom drawer. “You can name any terms you want. Just one thing: I don’t want anyone to gossip about Sarah being the other woman. So no one can know about our divorce. Or rather, I don’t want anyone to know we were ever married.” I scanned the agreement’s contents quickly. I nodded. “Okay, no problem.” Then I picked up the pen and added an extra zero to the property division. Elias looked at me with a sarcastic gaze. “Cara Jensen, in your heart, is there really nothing but money?” I curled my lips. “After all these years, you still know me best.” 5 That day, I packed all my belongings and left the company. Some people were gleeful, others genuinely sad to see me go. The most complex emotions, however, must have belonged to Sarah. She looked like she wanted to say something, but the relief on her face was clear for all to see. Back home, suddenly without work, I felt a little out of place. I spent the whole day like a cat with its tail cut off, unsure what to do with myself. In the afternoon, my assistant sent me a message. [Mr. Coolidge was like a fire-breathing dragon today. Even the future boss lady got a dressing down. Ms. Jensen, I believe it won’t be long before he realizes he’s cut off his own artery. If you find a good new place, take us with you, please! We’d all love to follow you, hehe.] I curved my lips. [Don’t overthink it. As long as the Bright Horizons project is secured, the company still has a promising future. At least your salaries won’t suffer.] As for me—I had no plans to work in the short term. In the evening, Olivia called me to go out for drinks. Like clockwork, she asked daily. I replied: [Send me the location.] The next second, her call came in. “Well, I’ll be damned. The workaholic is taking a break? What, did Elias go bankrupt?” Hearing her vibrant voice, a smile touched my lips. “So, are you going to let me come or not?” “Come on, hurry up! Private room, drinks, men—we’ve got everything!” I met Olivia through Elias, but we unexpectedly became friends. She was one of the few people who knew Elias and I were married. So, facing Elias’s blatant infidelity, she resented him fiercely on one hand and dedicated herself to setting me up with men on the other. In her words, “If he pulls a stunt, don’t blame you for pulling an even bigger one. Who knows whose market value is better!” By the time I arrived, Olivia was already high-spirited. She held a wine glass, screaming and dancing, surrounded by a group of six-foot-tall male models. “Cara, come here.” She pushed the most handsome one towards me. The guy was smooth, calling me “sis” while pouring me a drink. I smiled faintly and took a sip. “Alright, you guys can head out now!” “No, what do you mean?! Cara, you’re such a buzzkill.” I rubbed my temples, helplessly. “Too loud.” She winked at me. “I thought you were shy!” I raised an eyebrow. “Am I that innocent in your eyes?” “Not at all. So I don’t get it. Elias is like that, why are you being so faithful to him?” Olivia was bluntly exasperating. “If he cheats, I cheat. That’s revenge.” “Revenge is too strong a word; we’re not at that point. Besides, his cheating happened after our breakup.” … “Does he acknowledge it?” Olivia sat up straight, her eyes gleaming. “I think I’ve found a crucial point.” I asked Olivia what she meant, but she wouldn’t say, just acting cryptic. “Alright! Actually, I mainly came to tell you that I’m going abroad soon.” “What, for vacation? Business?” “School.” “Huh?” “I got accepted into business school; I’m going for my master’s.” “What about your job? And you and Elias…” “I’ve already resigned. As for Elias and me, we’ve arranged to go to the courthouse tomorrow.” It was almost inevitable that Elias and I would reach this point. I always felt I didn’t have much emotion about it. Yet, when Olivia’s eyes turned red, a bitterness still welled up in my heart. “Is he being a jerk again?” “No.” “Is he intentionally targeting you?” “No.” “Why did you resign? If anyone should go, it should be him!” Olivia and I drank glass after glass. She railed against Elias, empathizing with my pain and feeling I deserved better. Perhaps love is the only thing in this world where input and reward are disproportionate. It’s strange; two people who once loved each other end up feeling shortchanged. 6 Elias and I met in high school. He shouldn’t have been in our small town, but due to family circumstances, he had to transfer to live with his grandfather. Back then, he was willful and rebellious. Not long after school started, he was among the first to be publicly reprimanded. Others, at least, were humble when admitting their mistakes. But he, even standing before the entire school, remained insolent. I disliked people like that. And I didn’t want any interaction with them. Yet, when he was falsely accused, I couldn’t help but step forward and testify for him. From that day on, he followed me, from school to my house, staying until I went upstairs. “Without me, you would have been retaliated against by now.” “Good student, stay out of such matters in the future.” He didn’t care. Fights, false accusations, misunderstandings, punishments – he didn’t care about any of it. But when my dad’s fist, having just struck my mom, was about to land on me, he rushed forward and knocked him down with a kick. My mom screamed, helped my dad up, glared at me, and called me a slut. Elias froze. The next second, he grabbed me and ran. He cooked me a bowl of noodles. It had cooked too long and was clumpy. Too much soy sauce, a bit too salty. The greens were added too late, completely raw. It was the worst bowl of noodles I’d ever tasted, yet I ate every last drop, even the broth. In our turbulent youth, two lonely souls, we found warmth in each other, supporting each other as we moved forward. But everyone was against us. The school opposed early romance. Elias’s family was condescending. “I’ve seen plenty of gold-diggers, but this young is a first.” My mom’s eyes turned red with anger. She slapped me, calling me a disgrace. Elias was forcibly taken away, and I became an outcast at school. But he escaped, with all his New Year’s money, and a bruised leg. He said, “Let’s elope!” I held him, resting my head against his. “One year. We’ll get into the same university. Then no one can stop us. Just one year.”

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I took my five-month-old daughter back to my hometown, but the neighbor’s kid took advantage of my inattention. He took my daughter and threw her into the old freezer in our family’s convenience store. I searched frantically all night, and finally, driven by some inexplicable force, glanced at the freezer. When I opened it, my daughter’s frozen, stiff body caused me to break down on the spot! I rushed her to the hospital with all my might, but the doctor pronounced her dead on arrival. After calling the police, they discovered through surveillance footage. The one who threw my daughter into the freezer was the 10-year-old kid from next door! But because he was too young, he didn’t have to bear criminal responsibility. They wanted to just pay me tens of thousands of dollars and brush it off. I was unwilling to let it go, holding a knife, wanting to personally avenge my daughter. But halfway there, I was hit by a Volvo and sent flying, and it even ran over me a few times back and forth. Only leaving the scene after making sure I was dead. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to that afternoon when I first arrived in my hometown. 1 When I came back, there was a moment of daze. Subconsciously looking at my arms and finding my child wasn’t there, I immediately rushed into the bedroom. Looking at the baby lying in the crib, reaching out to me. My heart settled, and I immediately grabbed the child and rushed to my sister’s house. Asking my sister to help take care of her for a bit. Then pretending nothing happened and going back, as if nothing had occurred. Because I wanted to know what the neighbor’s little demon’s purpose really was. I chatted at my sister’s house for a long time. On the way back, I saw the neighbor’s kid smiling at me at the door. The same expression as in my previous life, it made my hair stand on end. He seemed to know me, calling me Uncle Arthur. I nodded with a complex expression. Thinking it might be because my parents often mentioned me when chatting. Just as I was about to go upstairs, I found him following behind me. In the pitch-black stairwell, I could hear different footsteps. When I went up a floor, he followed up a floor. It wasn’t until I sped up and reached my door that he skipped away home. My dad opened the door and asked anxiously: “Where did you go this afternoon? Did you take the child?” When I took Mia away, I didn’t say anything to my parents. Just as I was about to nod, a scream suddenly came from downstairs! It sounded like my mom’s voice. My heart jolted, and I immediately ran downstairs and rushed into the convenience store. “Mom, what’s wrong? What happened?” When my mom pointed trembling at the freezer, I walked over. Opening it, I was shocked to see a frozen infant inside! 2 I am very certain that Mia was sent to my sister’s house by me. Then who is the infant in the freezer? Looking like it was also put in this afternoon, it was already frozen stiff. With a purplish face, plus frost on the eyelashes. It was very difficult to see the infant’s specific facial features clearly. When had my mom ever seen such a scene? Her whole face turned deathly pale from fright, and she almost passed out in the middle. She kept asking me if the baby in the freezer was real. I didn’t know how to answer her. So I asked my father, who had followed me, to accompany my mom and take care of her first. Then I took out my phone and dialed 911 directly. During this time, the doorway was crowded with many neighbors. They all heard my mom’s scream and came over to watch the commotion. I lowered my head and pondered, who exactly was this infant. Just looking at the facial features, it actually bore some resemblance to Mia. But I swear, I had never seen this child before. And I could be 100% certain. This infant must have been thrown in by the neighbor’s kid. I suddenly understood why he smiled at me earlier. That was a smug smile! Thinking back to my previous life, if I hadn’t sent my daughter to my sister’s house in time. The one lying in the freezer now would probably be Mia again! I was very scared in hindsight, every hair on my body standing up. Until I saw the neighbor’s kid in the crowd, pretending to be curious and innocent. I suddenly walked over and grabbed his wrist. “Tell me, did you do it?!” I remembered his name was Tommy, an absolute little terror. He shook off my hand and looked at me with feigned grievance. “Uncle, did I do something wrong? Why are you grabbing me?” Only then did I realize everyone around was staring at me. But I still couldn’t help but yell at him: “Don’t you know what you did?” “When the police arrive later, I advise you to turn yourself in!” After all, that was a fresh human life. Not to mention an infant, frozen alive to death in a freezer just like that. Even if it wasn’t my Mia, I couldn’t pretend it didn’t happen! Tommy’s dad also arrived at the scene. Seeing me grabbing his son, he immediately came over and shoved me. Pointing at me and cursing: “You lunatic, what are you trying to do to my son?!” “He killed someone, what do you think?” I replied. A trace of panic flashed across David’s eyes. He quickly denied that his son killed anyone, and even said I was fabricating things. I grabbed his collar, dragged him in front of the freezer, and questioned him. “Open your eyes wide and look carefully!” David just glanced at it and didn’t continue looking. He asked me what basis I had for concluding his son did it, and told me not to spout nonsense. I kept a dark face, my gaze dead set on him. “The store has surveillance, why do you think I would know?” I was just bluffing him; the store didn’t have surveillance at all. David seemed to know our store inside out, telling me not to lie to him. Whether there was any, he knew better than I did. What I didn’t expect was my wife Chloe suddenly rushing in. She forcefully grabbed my wrist, looking completely out of her mind. “Where is the child? Where is our child?” “I told you long ago not to take her on a long trip by yourself, but you just wouldn’t listen!!!” 3 My wife’s questioning and blame baffled me. Although it overlapped with her reaction in the previous life, the baby in the freezer wasn’t our child at all. Why would she conclude that the one frozen to death was Mia? I didn’t immediately reveal the truth, but chose to play along. “Weren’t you on a business trip?” “I finished my work, can’t I be worried that you can’t handle the child alone?” “Looks like I was right, you killed my Mia!” She wept bitterly, her whole face twisting. She also yelled at my parents: “My daughter is gone, and you guys are responsible too!” My parents were dumbfounded, never having thought the frozen baby could be Mia. Hearing Chloe say this. My mom cried heartbrokenly, almost fainting several times. My dad was stunned for a long time, unable to react. “Give me back my daughter!!!” My wife hysterically yelled at my parents. Then she turned around, her eyes red, and cursed at me: “You are the real murderer who killed my daughter!” “If you hadn’t brought Mia back, would she have been in an accident?!” I, on the other hand, calmed down a lot. Quietly observing my wife’s expression, the kind that is dramatic and very desperate. But my intuition told me things weren’t that simple. Who exactly is the infant in the freezer? I took Mia to my sister’s, so where did Tommy get an infant? I asked her, “You haven’t even taken one look at the infant in the freezer, and you’re saying it’s our daughter?” “Do I need to look? I just heard about it!” “Heard from whom?” Seeing I wanted to get to the bottom of it, she suddenly became impatient. Turning it around and questioning me, “Can you not change the subject?” “You took Mia away, and now that something happened, you want to blame me?” I shook my head, appearing very calm. “I wasn’t trying to blame you, just purely curious.” Just as I finished speaking, my wife slapped me right there on the spot! “You useless piece of trash, what part of you is like a man?” “In your eyes, there is only yourself!” “No, your whole family is like this, none of you will have a good end!” 4 My wife firmly believed it was our family’s negligence that led to the child’s death. Whether it was the time, location, or the words spoken, it was no different from my previous life. The only thing that changed was the frozen infant, it wasn’t my Mia. Every action of hers made me feel very suspicious. The neighbors outside were blocked from coming in, all asking what the situation was. I ignored them, but told my wife I had already called the police. Let’s find the murderer first. But she said I had a guilty conscience. Clearly, I was the murderer, what else was there to argue about. My parents doted on Mia more than I did. They would often urge me to bring the child back, just so they could see her more. When they learned the child was gone, their level of sadness was no less than mine. But my dad could only comfort her, “Chloe, it’s all our fault, this has nothing to do with Arthur.” “If you want to be angry and throw a fit, aim it at us. We let you down.” Chloe didn’t get angry but instead looked at them with a smile. Those eyes were gloomy to the extreme. “If it wasn’t for you guys pushing him every day to bring Mia back, would Mia have had an accident?” “This was originally your fault, none of you can escape responsibility!” Unable to bear it any longer, I reminded her, “Have you said enough? If you’ve said enough, just wait for the police to come and handle it.” “And then what? Will the police coming bring my Mia back to life?” “She’s only five months old, give me back my child!” My wife’s words and actions seemed increasingly off. From the time we had Mia to bringing her back to my hometown today. She rarely interacted with her, and hadn’t even held her a few times. This made me suspect she didn’t love our child at all, so why was she so agitated now? My dad sighed repeatedly, clearly blaming himself very much. I really wanted to tell them Mia wasn’t dead. I had sent her to my sister’s house, and she should be sleeping right now. But my wife’s abnormal behavior definitely pointed to a problem. When I looked at Tommy again, I saw him looking at me with a half-smile. That demon-like gaze made me involuntarily shudder. I tried my best to calm myself down. I said calmly to him: “I hope you can step forward and admit your mistake voluntarily.” Tommy immediately shrank behind his dad, looking very nervous. But I knew this was all an act. In my previous life, his family only paid money, without a single apology throughout the whole process. And this little demon didn’t even need to bear any legal responsibility. He remained exactly the same as he usually was. Going to school as usual, playing as usual. The kicker was, he actually claimed he put Mia in the freezer because he was imitating a TV show. I didn’t care if he learned it from TV or not. I only knew my Mia was gone, while the real murderer was still at large! David shielded his son, glaring at me angrily. Looking very much ready to start a fight over a disagreement. My wife also spoke up for the outsiders, telling me not to evade responsibility anymore. I looked outside the door and noticed Mr. Smith leaning on his cane. He had a body camera hanging on his chest. Because he was a bit forgetful, his family bought it for him for safety reasons. It could provide real-time feedback on his location and surrounding environment. I went up and asked him, “Sir, could I borrow this for a bit?” Being neighbors, Mr. Smith naturally agreed readily. I took the body camera back into the store, while my wife and David frowned. Not long after, I found the footage of Tommy carrying the infant into the convenience store.

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My family’s old estate was demolished, and we received a six million dollar payout. On the day the money was distributed, my parents stuffed the bankbook into my younger brother’s pocket and then handed me a bag of moldy local specialties. My dad avoided my gaze: “You’ll get married sooner or later. Giving you the money is just giving it away to outsiders. Your mom dried these sweet potatoes herself; don’t be ungrateful.” I smiled. To treat his lung cancer over the past five years, I had spent over four million dollars out of my own pocket. Even the $1.2 million imported targeted therapy drug currently being processed was paid for by me in advance. Right in front of them, I took out my phone and swiped to the chat with the pharmaceutical agent. “Ms. Smith, the drug has arrived. Should we make the payment and lock in the order now?” I replied word by word: “I don’t want it anymore. Process the refund and give it to the next person in line.” 1 It was Thanksgiving, and the house was bustling with activity. The table was covered in heavy, greasy, and salty dishes—all things I didn’t like. My mom, Martha, smiled so broadly her face wrinkled, constantly putting food on my plate. “Chloe, eat more. Mom specifically bought these ribs. It’s rare for our whole family to gather together for the holidays.” My younger brother, Liam, sat opposite me, jiggling his leg, his face glowing. His wife, Sarah, was busy calculating on her phone, grinning from ear to ear. My dad, David, sat at the head of the table, a cigarette pinched between his fingers. Under the swirling smoke, his expression was somewhat obscured. “Ahem, let me say a few words.” David cleared his throat and looked around. “It’s the holiday season, and our family has double the joy. The compensation for the old estate’s demolition has also come through.” I put down my fork, waiting for what came next. On the phone, Liam had solemnly promised that the six million would be split evenly between us siblings. To be honest, I didn’t lack that three million. Although my logistics company wasn’t huge, the cash flow had always been healthy. What I cared about was the attitude. For so many years, I had been dragging this family forward like an old ox. When David was diagnosed with a lung tumor five years ago, I was the one running around finding specialists. I was also the one who drained my savings back then to keep him on the expensive imported targeted therapy drug. That drug cost tens of thousands of dollars per injection. Over five years, millions had been poured into it. And Liam? Besides stretching out his hand for money, he just cried poor. If they could just treat us equally this time, even if it was just a gesture, I would feel comforted. David pulled a bankbook from his pocket and picked up a red plastic bag from by his feet. “Chloe,” David called my name and stubbed out his cigarette hard. I had told him more than once to stop smoking. But relying on the targeted therapy, he always did whatever he wanted, even complaining that I was trying to control my old man. “You’ve always been sensible and the most filial since you were little.” Hearing these words, my heart sank. This was his opening line every time they wanted me to give up my interests. “About this six million, your mom and I discussed it for a long time, and we’ve decided to give it to Liam.” David pushed the bankbook in front of Liam. Sarah was quick; she grabbed the bankbook and clutched it tightly, afraid it might fly away. Liam chuckled: “Thanks, Mom and Dad.” Only that red plastic bag was left on the table. David pushed it in front of me. “Chloe, these are dried sweet potatoes and peanuts from our hometown. They were grown by our family, all organic.” “You’ll get married sooner or later. If this money is given to you, it’s just a bargain for outsiders.” “Your brother just had a second child, the pressure is high, and he needs to buy a bigger house.” “As for you, your conditions are good, and you’re a boss. Don’t bicker with your own brother over this; don’t be ungrateful.” It was supposed to be a lively holiday moment, but the room was terrifyingly quiet. I looked at the plastic bag; it was a bit dirty, with mud spots on it. This was the fair treatment I got after five years and millions in medical bills. This was what they called treating us equally. Dried sweet potatoes, peanuts. Who will speak up for me? I didn’t speak, just quietly looked at David. He felt a bit guilty and turned his head to look at Liam. Martha tried to smooth things over: “Chloe, your dad is in poor health, he still needs to rely on this money for his retirement. Although it was given to your brother, he said he’ll be responsible for taking care of us in our old age.” I glanced at Liam, who was swiping on his phone, planning what new car to buy. Relying on him for retirement? The sun will rise in the west. Since you rely on Liam, then I don’t need to play the part of the great, filial daughter anymore. I picked up my phone and opened the chat with the pharmaceutical agent. It showed: [Ms. Smith, it’s time to transfer the 1.2 million advance payment for the next course of treatment. We need to lock in the order.] That was David’s life-saving drug. Supply that was extremely difficult to get domestically. My finger paused on the screen for a second, then I replied: [I don’t want it anymore.] The other side replied instantly: [Ms. Smith, are you sure? If this is cut off, the goods will immediately be given to someone else. It’ll be hard to get back in line.] I replied: [I’m sure.] After sending this message, I placed my phone face down on the table. “Okay.” I stood up and picked up the plastic bag. “I’ll accept this holiday gift.” “Since the six million was given to my brother, then Dad’s future retirement and medical care are also entirely my brother’s responsibility now.” Liam patted his chest: “Of course. I’m the pillar of this family, unlike some outsiders…” Sarah rolled her eyes beside him, seeming to notice something was wrong, and hurriedly stopped Liam. David nodded in satisfaction: “You really have to rely on a son for old age.” I smiled, a somewhat cold smile, turned around, and left. “Alright, then I’ll be going now. Remember what you said today.” Behind me came Martha’s shout: “Chloe, we haven’t even finished eating, why are you leaving? You’re becoming more and more outrageous.” 2 Walking out the door, I threw the plastic bag into the trash can. All the dried sweet potatoes spilled out, some already moldy. Just like my decaying, moldy familial affection. Returning to the company, I called the Chief Financial Officer. “Check how long until the guarantee we provided for Liam’s trading company expires?” “Ms. Smith, there are still three months.” “Notify the bank that we won’t renew the guarantee upon expiration. Also, send a formal letter to Liam demanding he immediately return the three batches of loan payments he borrowed, totaling eight hundred thousand.” The CFO was clearly stunned for a moment: “Ms. Smith, that’s your own brother…” “Business is business.” After handling these matters, my phone vibrated. It was from the pharmaceutical agent: [Ms. Smith, the procedures are done. The supply over there has already been transferred to another patient in urgent need of targeted therapy.] For the next week, all was calm. Liam was busy looking at cars and houses; his social media was full of it. Sarah posted pictures of newly bought designer bags and jewelry, with the caption: [A man who spoils his wife will prosper. Thank you, hubby.] David and Martha enjoyed the compliments from their neighbors, saying they had raised a successful son. Until the eighth day. David ran out of his medication. That medication was a special injection that required regular visits to the hospital for administration, and it required a supply order confirmed by my signature. So, the phone call came to me. It was Martha, her tone anxious. “Chloe, your dad needs to go to the hospital for his injection. That doctor said the medicine hasn’t arrived and asked you to contact them immediately.” I put the phone on speaker while pruning my plants. “Mom, I’m not buying the medicine anymore.” There was a full five seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a piercing sound. “What did you say? What nonsense are you talking about? That’s your dad’s life-saving medicine!” “I know. Wasn’t that six million given to Liam? Let him buy it.” Martha became anxious: “That money is for your brother to buy a house! Besides, you’ve always been the one buying that medicine. You have the channels. Your brother doesn’t know anything about this.” “If he doesn’t know, he can learn. He has all the money; do you really expect an outsider like me to pay?” “Chloe, how can you be so cold-blooded!” David’s voice cut in, sounding full of energy. It seemed the attack hadn’t started yet. “So what if I gave the money to Liam? He is the root of the Smith family. You, as spilled water, have no right to control how your old man distributes his money.” “Since I’m spilled water, naturally, this water won’t flow into your medicine jar either.” My tone was calm. “Over these five years, your medical expenses, nursing care fees, and nutritional supplements add up to over four million. Consider it my repayment for you raising me. From now on, we are even.” I hung up the phone and casually blocked the number. The world was quiet. 3 But I clearly underestimated their level of shamelessness. The next day, I was in a meeting. The receptionist ran in, panicking. “Ms. Smith, this is bad! Someone is unfurling a banner at the company entrance and live streaming!” I frowned, got up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down. Downstairs at the company, a banner with black characters on a white background was starkly displayed: [Heartless Daughter Chloe Smith, Worth Millions Yet Refuses to Support Severely Ill Elderly Father. Heaven Cannot Tolerate This!] David sat in a wheelchair, covered with a blanket, his face pale. Martha sat on the ground crying to the heavens, slapping her thighs while wailing. Liam held up a phone, loudly complaining to the surrounding crowd and the audience in the live stream. “Family, you be the judge.” “My sister is a big boss, drives luxury cars, and lives in a mansion. My dad got cancer, and she won’t give a single cent. She even stopped his medication.” “This is forcing her own father to death!” Sarah chimed in from the side: “People like this just have black hearts. She doesn’t even care about her own parents; she must be unethical in business too.” The surrounding crowd, unaware of the truth, pointed fingers, and the popularity of the live stream skyrocketed. A few radical influencers looking to piggyback on the trend even started rushing toward the company’s main entrance, claiming they were going to help educate this unfilial daughter. My assistant was pale with anger. I adjusted my collar and turned to walk out. I was going to let them know that some spectacles are not that easy to join in on. When I reached the company lobby, the security guards had already blocked a group of people. Seeing me come out, Liam immediately aimed the camera at me. “Look, this is Chloe. Everyone, take a good look at this face.” “Chloe, you actually have the face to come out. Dad is dying of pain. Hurry up and get the money, 1.2 million, not a cent less.” Liam roared at me, spit flying everywhere. I looked at him and sneered. “Liam, that six million demolition payout hasn’t even warmed your hands yet, has it?” Liam’s eyes flickered for a moment: “Dad gave that to me. What does that have to do with medical bills!” “Mom and Dad gave you six million, yet you refuse to pay even 1.2 million for medical bills, and you come looking for me, the daughter who didn’t get a single cent?” I faced the camera, my voice clear and powerful. The murmurs around us quieted down a bit. Martha climbed up from the ground, pointed at my nose, and cursed: “That’s your brother’s startup fund! You’re so rich, what’s wrong with pitching in this little bit!” “My money was earned through hard work. It’s not for filling your bottomless pit.” At that moment, a police car arrived with sirens blaring. Several police officers stepped out. “Who called the police?” “I did.” I stepped forward and pointed to the security camera overhead. “Officers, these people are gathering to cause trouble, disrupting the normal business operations of this company, and are also suspected of defamation. I have complete surveillance footage, as well as all transfer records and medical receipts from the past five years.” Hearing this, Liam’s arrogance immediately extinguished. “This is a family matter. The police have no jurisdiction.” “Unfurling a banner at the company entrance and live-streaming defamation is no longer a family matter.” The officer looked at the banner and frowned. “Take them all back to take statements.” David suddenly yelled: “It hurts! Oh, it hurts so much.” He was really in pain; the withdrawal reaction from stopping the medication had begun. That kind of pain that penetrates deep into the bones cannot be endured without the specific medication to suppress it. He curled up in the wheelchair, breaking out in a cold sweat. Liam panicked: “Dad, Dad, what’s wrong?” Sarah, however, subconsciously took a step back, afraid of getting involved. I glanced at David and the others, feeling no sympathy. “If it hurts, go to the hospital. Asking me for money is useless. You have six million in your hands; you can buy the medicine at any hospital.” “Stop putting on a show here.” 4 At the police station, the mediation did not go smoothly. Liam insisted that the six million was a gift and did not include any obligation for support. The police officers’ expressions changed as they looked at the thick stack of evidence I provided. Over five years, a full 4.8 million. Every single transaction was clear, including records of me paying off Liam’s gambling debts and buying Sarah a car. “Mr. Smith, from a legal perspective, your sister has already over-fulfilled her support obligations.” “You, on the other hand, took the six million demolition payout but let your father’s medication run out. This is truly unjustifiable.” Liam stiffened his neck, full of disdain: “My dad voluntarily gave that to me. It’s his money; he can give it to whoever he wants. But my sister is richer than me, so she should pay for his medical expenses!” This kind of robber logic left even the police officers speechless. In the end, because David’s condition had indeed flared up, they had to send him to the hospital first, while warning Liam that if he dared to cause trouble at the company again, he would be detained directly. I thought they would quiet down for a few days, but unexpectedly, they doubled down. Since hard tactics didn’t work, they resorted to underhanded ones. Sarah started a crowdfunding campaign online. The title was: [Heartless Female CEO: Severely Ill Elderly Father Urgently Needs Life-Saving Funds.] The text was tear-jerking, packaging herself as a filial daughter-in-law who, despite being poor, did her utmost to care for the elderly. It described me as an ungrateful wretch who turned her back on her family once she got rich. It claimed my parents made Liam drop out of school despite his good grades just to support my education, doing everything to lift me up, while I turned ruthless after achieving success. But the truth was, Liam was expelled for fighting, and it was only because my grandmother threatened suicide that I was able to finish my studies. Otherwise, I would have been married off long ago, becoming a tool for them to collect a bride price. Coupled with a video of David groaning in pain on his hospital bed. The netizens, unaware of the truth, were whipped into a frenzy once again. Although I had explained myself at the company entrance last time, a new narrative had taken hold. Who cared about the previous plot twist? My company’s phone lines were jammed, and some people even sent me funeral wreaths and photoshopped obituary photos. What’s worse, some directly contacted my partners, demanding they stop doing business with me, or else they would call on netizens to boycott their products. That evening, the CFO knocked and came in, looking grim. “Ms. Smith, two major suppliers called to say they want to suspend supplies, fearing it will affect their brand image.” “Also, the bank is inquiring about the public opinion situation.” I lit a cigarette and looked at the night view outside the window. After smoking three cigarettes, I took out my phone and made a call. “Lawyer Jones, please prepare the lawsuit materials. We are not suing them for defamation; we are filing to recover the gifted assets.” “The grounds are that the donee failed to fulfill the obligation of supporting the donor.” Although that six million was given to Liam by David. Most of the 4.8 million I gave to David was under the guise of making payments on his behalf, so there was still a chance to recover it. Moreover, I had an even bigger surprise for them. Half a year ago, while cleaning up one of Liam’s messes, I accidentally overheard a conversation between Liam and Sarah. I kept my wits about me and recorded it, but for the sake of family harmony, I suppressed the matter. I just didn’t expect it would come in handy now. Now, it was time for everyone to have a good listen.

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The year I hit my peak as a competitive eater—pure, unadulterated hunger—I could put away ten burgers in one sitting. For my sixteenth birthday, my parents asked me what I wanted for a gift. I told them I wanted to go to an all-you-can-eat luxury buffet. It had been so long since I’d felt full. Seeing me drooling with anticipation, my dad instantly lost his temper. “Leo, why do you always have to act like your mother and I mistreat you?!” “Like at dinner tonight. Your brother just took the last two pieces of braised pork, and you looked like it killed you.” “You’d already eaten two bowls of rice! There has to be a limit to how much you compete with your brother for attention, okay?!” For the millionth time, I explained to them: “I really just wasn’t full yet.” My dad slapped my face hard with his chopsticks. “Lying again?!” “What kid eats two massive bowls of rice and still isn’t full?” “You’ve gone crazy competing for attention, haven’t you? You don’t even care about your own body.” Getting hit with chopsticks hurts. Tears sprang to my eyes immediately. As I covered my face and lowered my head, I saw my younger brother spitting the intact pieces of braised pork into the trash can. … Who exactly was competing for attention here? My brother was clearly full. But seeing me still eating, he deliberately dumped the last two pieces of meat into his own bowl. And my dad even praised him, saying a healthy appetite is a blessing. Dad, why is it that when I can eat a lot, it’s just me faking it? Maybe it’s because I was a “left-behind” kid, growing up away from them. Not as close to him as my brother is. Fortunately, the next day was my uncle’s birthday. He hosted a buffet banquet at a hotel, and I could finally have a full meal. I had been eating for a while when my dad, who had worked overtime, finally arrived late. Seeing the plate piled high with food in my hand, my dad’s expression instantly changed. “Leo, why are you eating so much again!?” My brother smiled and took my dad’s arm: “Brother has such a good appetite. He’d already finished two plates before you got here.” “Wow, Leo, you can really pack it away.” A cousin I wasn’t very close to genuinely marveled. He was extremely skinny, had a poor appetite, and envied me. I forced a smile at him and said it was alright. My dad’s face grew even darker. “Leo, do you think this is something to be proud of?” “At a relative’s birthday party, you’re eating for free, and you have the nerve to eat this much?” “Look at how nice your brother is dressed, and then look at the tacky clothes you’re wearing.” I bit my lip, catching sight of my brother’s sleek superhero jacket out of the corner of my eye. I looked down at my own faded, washed-out denim overalls. My dad crossed his arms, rolled his eyes, and continued: “Envious, huh?” “If you keep eating like this, you’ll only be able to fit into potato sacks. What girl would ever look at you?” My brother covered his mouth and laughed: “Dad, you don’t need to worry about that.” “There are plenty of girls who like ugly guys, and some who like pigs. Someone will eventually take brother in.” Seeing my eyes redden, my dad scolded me impatiently: “Your brother and I are just reminding you to have some self-discipline. What are you crying for!” “I work at the print shop at your high school. A lot of people know we’re father and son. You eat like a pig, where am I supposed to put my face?” Ever since I started high school, my appetite had been growing. And my dad was constantly unhappy about it. He stubbornly believed this was a trick my grandpa taught me to vie for attention, refusing to believe I just naturally had a big appetite. 2 My brother smiled and coaxed, “Dad, don’t be mad. Brother’s head is probably entirely filled with food; it’s normal he can’t listen to good advice.” “Let’s just ignore him.” The strange looks from several relatives nearby made me feel like I was sitting on pins and needles. Embarrassed, I turned my back, wanting to escape the banquet hall. “What’s wrong?” My uncle, noticing something was off from afar, walked over. It hit me hard—today was my uncle’s birthday party. He had always been kind to me and sent me plenty of snacks. I couldn’t let my argument with my dad ruin everyone’s mood. I secretly wiped away the tears at the corners of my eyes and told my uncle it was nothing. Seeing more and more relatives gathering around, my dad forced his expression to soften. “It’s nothing, I was just lecturing Leo a bit.” He proactively stood next to me, picked up a single lettuce leaf with the tongs, and dropped it onto my plate. “I really don’t know what to do with you. If you want to eat, then eat more. Just don’t say I’m playing favorites again.” Numbly, I forked the lettuce and shoved it into my mouth. When I looked up, my eyes met my brother’s squarely. He gave me a contemptuous smirk, and my heart gave a sharp jolt. The first night I was brought back to live with my parents a year ago, that was exactly how he smiled at me. I knew he hated me, hated that my coming home took away some of Mom and Dad’s attention. So he always, overtly or covertly, led my dad to believe I was competing with him for favor. But I… I am clearly their son too. New Year’s was approaching, and the food street outside the school was bustling with activities. A fried chicken joint launched a “Competitive Eater Challenge.” Finish a set massive bucket of fried chicken within thirty minutes, and not only is the meal free, but you also get a fifty-dollar voucher. After school, I went to take the challenge alone. But just as I was about to step into the fried chicken shop, I was stopped in my tracks by my dad, who had just driven out from the school. “I was wondering why I didn’t see you after school. Sneaking off to participate in some eating challenge again?” His face held undisguised disgust. “You are not allowed to go. It’s a disgrace.” At the birthday banquet yesterday, I didn’t eat much before fleeing in panic. Today, my dad was stopping me again. I was too hungry and lacked the energy to argue with him. I turned around and stepped into the shop. I was the only one taking the competitive eater challenge, and all the customers cast curious glances my way. Especially when the owner brought out that massive bucket of fried chicken, gasps of amazement echoed around. My dad, face livid, tried to drag me away by force. “If you want fried chicken, I’ll make it for you at home. With so many people watching, are we monkeys in a zoo?” “Or do you just really enjoy this kind of grandstanding?!” His words pierced straight into the scar on my heart. When I was little, a kindergarten teacher scolded me for eating non-stop, calling it grandstanding. When my dad found out, he laid into the teacher and told me to eat as much as I wanted. But why, after being separated from him for ten years, did that former protection turn into a weapon, thrown back at me like a boomerang? “Just leave.” I pulled away the hand he used to grab me and asked the owner to bring the timer. Seeing he couldn’t persuade me, my dad glared at me fiercely, turned around, and walked out of the shop. As he left, I heard him mutter a curse under his breath. I lowered my head and ate the fried chicken, a single tear falling onto the plate. The owner called out to me in surprise: “What’s wrong, kid?” I looked up and smiled: “It’s nothing, your mustard sauce is just too strong.” 3 After successfully completing the challenge, I returned home all alone. Dad, Mom, and my brother were eating, talking, and laughing. Mom tried to grab a bowl to serve me some rice, but Dad shouted loudly: “Don’t serve him! He was out there playing the monkey for people to stare at, he’s full by now. He wouldn’t even remember to come home for dinner.” Mom hesitated for a moment, then put the bowl down. The picture of a happy family of three having dinner stung my eyes, making them burn again. My dad and I entered an unspoken cold war. My food allowance, which was already strictly controlled and repeatedly slashed, was cut even further. A boy with a normal appetite could barely get full on my allowance. But I couldn’t. I was hungry every day, depressed every day. I didn’t have the energy to argue with my dad anymore. “Leo, my stomach suddenly feels awful. I really can’t eat this spicy chicken I brought. You can have it.” My deskmate, a total angel, handed his lunchbox to me. He had only eaten one piece of chicken; the full box of food looked practically untouched. “Thank you so much!” After my deskmate left, I pulled out my freshly washed eating utensils. An exaggerated gasp suddenly came from the classroom door. “Dad, it looks like brother is eating someone’s leftovers!” Immediately, I heard my dad’s stern reprimand. “Leo! What are you doing!” My dad’s roar made me shudder instinctively. I tried hard to suppress the urge to run away; I just wanted to eat a full meal. But the fragrant, double-layered lunchbox in front of me was suddenly snatched away. My dad glared at me furiously: “Do you have any self-respect?!” “You’re eagerly eating your classmate’s leftovers? If word gets out, people will think I’m abusing you!” “Would it kill you to eat a little less!?” My brother, standing behind him with his arms crossed, looked down at me with the same condescending expression as my dad. I closed my eyes. Trying to keep my voice from shaking too much. “Give the lunchbox back to me.” “Dad, I just want to be a little more full.” He sneered: “Full?” “Your brother can’t even finish one bowl a meal, and I just saw you eat two bowls in the cafeteria! Can you show some restraint!?” “That day you came back from that fried chicken challenge, just looking at you made me feel embarrassed.” “A body stuffed with greasy fried food, what’s the difference between that and a pig ready for slaughter!” My ears started ringing. I wanted to retort, wanted to fight with him. But when I get extremely angry, my condition of crying uncontrollably makes me lose completely. I couldn’t speak, so I could only silently try to snatch the lunchbox back. My dad gave a cold laugh, popped open the lid of the lunchbox, and handed it to my brother standing next to him. “Go, take it and dump it.” I anxiously tried to rush over, but my dad grabbed my arm. His grip was strong, pinching me so hard it hurt. “Watch me cure you of this bad habit today.” My brother smiled, ran to the trash can, and lifted his hand. The entire box of food instantly fell into the filth. “Still want to eat, brother? Come dig it out of the trash.” 4 Returning home that evening, the smell of food wafted from the kitchen; Dad was making my brother’s favorite sweet and sour ribs. Actually, cold sweat had soaked my back ever since I started walking up the stairs. I knew my blood sugar was crashing. I leaned against the wall and shuffled to the kitchen door, my voice floating from weakness: “Dad, I don’t feel well. Could you give me one piece of rib first? Or brother’s cookies, snacks, anything…” Dad didn’t even turn his head. He placed the freshly cooked ribs on the highest shelf where I couldn’t reach, his tone filled with total disbelief: “Not feeling well? You ate two massive bowls in the school cafeteria at noon, what time is it now? Leo, did you smell the meat and get greedy again?” “I didn’t.” Dark spots began to appear in my vision. I tried hard to grip the doorframe. “Dad, I’m really dizzy, my heart is racing.” “Wait,” he interrupted impatiently. “The soup will be ready in a minute. We’ll eat when your mom gets back. Have you forgotten the rules? A kid whining here like a greedy pig before the adults sit down, what does that look like?” “I’m not greedy…” The ringing in my ears grew louder; I could barely hear my own voice. “Dad, please, just one piece of candy.” “How long are you going to keep up this pity act?” He finally glanced back at me, his eyes cold and disgusted. “Look at your brother, quietly doing his homework in the study. He’s never like you, always complaining about being hungry or unwell, trying every trick to get attention!” “You, low blood sugar? Eating so much every day, with that thick layer of fat, what low blood sugar? Who are you putting on a show for?!” My body grew colder, and my hands and feet began to tingle unresponsively. I knew I couldn’t hold on much longer. I turned around, leaning on the wall to head back to my room, wanting to call 911. Dad’s scolding voice kept drifting over: “Go back to your room! Don’t get in the way here and mess up my cooking. I’ll call you when it’s time to eat.” “Just looking at you makes me angry. A perfectly fine kid, not focusing on the right path, always scheming on how to eat more, take more, and fight for attention.” I couldn’t hear what he said next. Operating on pure instinct, I managed to twist the doorknob of my bedroom, but my hands were so weak I couldn’t even pick up my phone. A second before completely losing consciousness, I heard my brother’s crisp voice from the living room: “Dad, the ribs smell so good! I’m hungry, I’m going to grab a piece first.” In a tone completely different from when I asked for food, Dad laughed gently: “Go ahead, eat. It was made for you anyway.” Tears slid down my cheeks. I closed my eyes, and my consciousness plunged into darkness. I was jolted awake again by the sound of Mom coming home. “The food looks great tonight. Where’s Leo? Why isn’t he eager to eat today?” Dinner’s ready? A wave of joy hit me, and I sat up from the floor, wanting to go eat. How strange, after a short nap, my stomach wasn’t hungry anymore, and my head wasn’t dizzy. My hand touched the doorknob. I pushed, but the door didn’t open; instead, my hand passed straight through the handle. I froze for a moment, only then realizing my hand was semi-transparent. I turned around blankly and looked. My body was lying on the floor, contorted and stiff. I suddenly remembered a random fact I’d read before: acute hypoglycemia is fatal. So, I was dead. Just as I plunged into confusion and panic, I heard Dad complaining about me again. “I just lectured him a bit earlier, and now he’s throwing a tantrum and refusing to come out for dinner. Who does he think he is?” Mom laughed and smoothed things over: “I’ll go to his room and call him. He probably has his headphones on and didn’t hear us say it’s time to eat.” Dad scoffed but didn’t object. Mom’s footsteps grew closer and closer.

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When Liam and I broke up, it was incredibly ugly. He pinched my fake pregnancy report and pressed his cigarette butt against my chest. “Lying to me… how dare you?” Because of that sentence, I lost my decent job and was disfigured. Everyone said I had been his kept canary for five years, and ending up like this was exactly what I deserved. The day I left the city, he got engaged to a wealthy heiress who matched his social standing. I clutched my pregnant belly and scurried out of his world completely, like a rat in a gutter. The next time we met was four years later. He pointed at the little toddler in my arms, his eyes certain. “This is my child, isn’t it?” 1 The next time I saw Liam was late at night in the hospital. I was holding my daughter, Mia, in my arms. She was already used to IV drips and injections, remaining perfectly quiet the whole time. When she saw Liam, she was also quiet, just tugging in confusion at me as I dozed. I opened my eyes and abruptly met the man’s cold, alluring gaze. Past events came flooding back, and my heart skipped a beat. I stood up stiffly, ready to run, only realizing belatedly that my daughter was still on an IV. As soon as my hand touched the IV bottle, it was forcefully pinned down by Liam. “Long time no see, Chloe.” “This is your daughter?” Just a few light words, yet my calves began to tremble uncontrollably. My daughter tilted her head and asked who he was. He hooked a cold smile, emphasizing each word. “An old acquaintance of your mother’s.” More than just an old acquaintance. Five years of time, one hundred and eighty days and nights of desperate entanglement. Unfortunately, these numbers, heavy to me, were nothing but garbage to be casually tossed aside by the aloof Liam. I buried my head, my face turning pale. In the silence, Liam’s friend walked over. At first, he didn’t see clearly, pointing at my daughter and joking. “Liam, what luck. You go on a business trip, get a stomach bug, and your wife and daughter travel all this way to comfort you!” Not long after I left the city back then, I saw the news of Serena’s pregnancy online. I didn’t expect she also had a daughter. Taking two steps closer, the man saw my face clearly and cursed under his breath. “Holy shit, you’re Chloe, right? You’re still alive?” The surprised, sarcastic words stabbed a knife into my finally healed heart. I subconsciously covered my daughter’s ears to prevent her from hearing anything uglier. “Back then, you got a fake pregnancy certificate and angered Grandpa to death. How do you still have the nerve to appear in front of Liam?” “Are you out of money? Make sense. A woman like you who earns money lying down can only rely on men when you want money, right?” “This scrawny little girl is your daughter? You’re not trying to say this is Liam’s daughter, are you?!” I, already numb, looked up in astonishment upon hearing the last sentence. “No, she has nothing to do with Mr. Vance!” The distant address made the two men pause. A moment later, Liam pushed his friend aside and approached me, his aura as oppressive as ever. “How old is the child?” “Three!” I blurted it out almost instantly. He took another step closer. “Give me your ID, let me see.” I took a step back, forcing a slight smile. “I left my ID at home, forgot it.” Just as he was about to speak, I interrupted. “It’s getting late. Mr. Vance should go home early, lest Mrs. Vance worries.” Mentioning Serena made him unusually thoughtful. A bitter smile slid across my heart. Four years ago, humbled to the dirt, I questioned Liam why he didn’t believe me, why he had to marry Serena. He grabbed my neck, his eyes disgusted and cold. “She’s not like you. She’s clean and doesn’t lie.” “And, I love her.” I had been with him for five years, and he had never said the word ‘love’ to me. So much so that I thought someone as noble as Liam couldn’t possibly love anyone. Until he said he loved Serena and wanted to give her a home. I always thought that love wouldn’t last long, but looking at it now, I was too naive. Taking advantage of his distraction, I decisively took down the IV bottle, picked up my daughter, and ran without looking back. The man behind me vaguely said something. I didn’t hear it clearly, and I didn’t care. 2 It wasn’t until I ran out of the hospital that I stopped, my heart pounding wildly. My daughter touched my desolate face, asking in confusion. “Mommy, why did you lie to that uncle?” I kissed her round, tender little face. “Mommy did it to protect you.” To stop you from being taken away. But the current Liam has a wife and daughter; how could he possibly come to snatch my daughter? Despite this, I still took Mia to a small clinic to see a doctor. By the time we got home, it was already 2 AM. I couldn’t sleep, so I clicked on Serena’s social media updates. She flaunted her wealthy life every day, as well as her precious daughter. The comment section was full of praise for her gentleness and beauty. It’s hard to imagine that it was such a woman who personally slashed my face with a knife. Even now, no matter how hot the weather is, I don’t dare lift my heavy bangs to reveal the ugly scar on my forehead. I only asked for a half-day off for Mia. In the afternoon, I rode my electric scooter to take her to kindergarten. On the way home, a luxury car swaggered into my path, blocking my way. The window rolled down, and a beautiful woman poked her head out. “Chloe!” I froze in place, meeting Evelyn’s gaze. She looked younger than she did back then. If we walked together, people would probably mistake us for sisters. I abandoned the electric scooter and walked away quickly. she opened the car door and chased after me relentlessly in her sheepskin high heels. “Chloe! Won’t you look back at your mother?” Perhaps running too fast, her voice carried a hint of a sob. I didn’t understand why she was chasing me. Back then, she personally abandoned me for wealth and glory. It was also her who said in front of everyone that I was not her daughter. It was even her who, to get the approval of her stepdaughter Serena, personally forged my pregnancy. At that time, her bright red nails poked red marks one after another on my face. “You being able to live till now is all thanks to my blessing. What right do you have to accuse me? If I knew you would block my path to wealth when you grew up, I would have strangled you at birth!” As I was reminiscing, the driver slammed on the brakes at Evelyn’s signal, blocking my path. I was startled and fell to the ground. Evelyn reached out to help me. “Chloe, Mom just wanted to come and see you.” I abruptly shook off her hand, revealing a mocking smile. “See me for what? To see if I’m dead? Or to see if I’m still trying to steal Serena’s man?” “Rest assured, Mrs. Vance. I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t disturb the married life of Liam and Serena. I’ll stay far away from them, and your wealthy life!” Evelyn seemed hurt by my words, her eyes slightly red. “Chloe, Mom didn’t mean that.” Her gaze fell on my custom-made phone case, a photo of my daughter and me. She abruptly changed the subject. “That child back then…” Hearing this, my confidence vanished without a trace, and I said in a panic. “What child? Wasn’t that child personally killed by you?” I desperately hid the phone case behind my back. The cold temperature of the ground reminded me again of four years ago, the operating table in the private clinic. Evelyn’s vicious gaze fell on my stomach. “This child must be removed! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning. I will absolutely not allow you to give birth to this bastard and threaten Serena’s marriage!” To teach me a lesson, she didn’t let anyone give me anesthesia. The operating room was filled with my heart-wrenching cries. In the end, it was the operating doctor who couldn’t bear it and helped me escape. Now, Mia is my everything. I don’t want to experience the pain of almost losing her again, so I desperately tried to prove it. “That child is really dead! If you don’t believe me, ask the doctor. You saw that lump of bloody flesh with your own eyes, didn’t you?” “I really don’t love Liam anymore, and I won’t go back to seduce him!” To make her believe me, I lifted the hem of my shirt, recklessly revealing the four-inch incision on my stomach, my tone urgent. “Look, the incision is still there. The child died long ago. If you don’t believe it, you can touch it, it’s real!” I grabbed her hand to touch the incision. The next second, she suddenly hugged me. “Chloe, don’t be like this…” I was stunned for a moment, then struggled wildly, and she fell to the ground. I ran around the car, fleeing frantically. After running just a few steps, I fell hard onto the ground. Ignoring the burning pain on my knees, I got up and continued running. Back home, I decisively packed my important documents and money. Meeting Liam last night, meeting Evelyn today. All this could absolutely not be a coincidence! I submitted my resignation to the company I had worked at for two years and called the landlord to end the lease. After buying a bus ticket, it was almost time for school to let out. I rode my electric scooter to pick up Mia and handle her withdrawal from school at the same time. Thinking that I would take her away from here and never come back. However, when I arrived at the school gate, Mia’s teacher looked surprised. “Wasn’t Mia picked up by her dad? Sorry, Mia’s mom, I thought the child looked quite like that man…” 3 After four years, I pulled Liam out of the blacklist. As soon as the call connected, the man chuckled. “I thought you’d really bear to never contact me again for the rest of your life.” I stood in the cold wind, gripping my phone tightly. “Where is the child?” As my voice fell, my daughter’s innocent laughter came through. Liam’s voice was like a snake’s tongue. “Chloe, is the child mine or not?” I still didn’t have any hesitation. “No. Liam, give the child back to me.” He scoffed. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t admit it, I can do a paternity test. You still remember the consequences of lying to me.” The cigarette burn he left on my chest back then hasn’t faded to this day. Whenever my chest feels uncomfortable, it’s as if that cigarette burn is acting up, mocking me for loving a man I shouldn’t have. Thinking of this, I squatted on the ground uncomfortably, holding my swollen eye sockets. Liam decisively hung up the phone. I rested for a moment, got up, and rushed to the city. After four years, I set foot in the Vance mansion again, memories churning in my mind. I remembered when I first moved in, shaking Liam’s hand and asking him what if someone kicked me out of here? His smile was shallow, unquestionable. “You are my woman, who dares to touch you?” Later, it was also him who ordered people to strip all the clothes he bought off my body and threw me out of the mansion. It was snowing heavily. I walked in the snow, turning purple all over, tears freezing on my face. He stood on the second floor, looking down at me as I took each difficult step out of the mansion gates. To this day, photos of me completely naked are still circulating on the internet. The comments below either scolded me for bringing it upon myself or assumed I was dead, gone down to apologize to Grandpa Vance. I buried my head and walked on the path of the mansion, past humiliation welling up in my heart. I didn’t notice that the roses I used to love were still blooming furiously in the yard. Liam had already been waiting in the living room. He was wearing a black suit, like a wolf that had been scheming for a long time. I stood far away, restraining my anger. “Where is the child?” “Tired from playing, sleeping upstairs.” Hearing this, I ran upstairs without stopping. The man was quick with his hands and eyes, grabbed my hand, and pulled me into his arms. The familiar woody fragrance hit me, giving me the creeps. “What’s the rush? We haven’t settled the accounts between us yet.” I thought he was referring to the time I supposedly framed Serena for stealing my design drafts. Clearly, she stole my design drafts. But no one believed me. In the end, I was fired from the company, and all my works faced verbal abuse and boycotts. However, life over the past few years has already worn away my arrogance. I pushed Liam away and fell to my knees with a ‘thud’. “Mr. Vance, I know I was wrong about what happened back then, and I’ve paid the price. If you still think it’s not enough, I can kneel down and apologize to Mrs. Vance, as long as you return the child to me.” My humility did not win the man’s pity. He furrowed his brows tightly, his tone cold. “Get up.” I didn’t move, and spoke sincerely again. “Mr. Vance, you can humiliate me however you want, as long as you return my child to me.” Liam was so angry he laughed. He squatted down to meet my eyes. “Your child, your child with whom?” I froze for a moment, then answered decisively. “With my ex-husband.” Afraid he wouldn’t believe me, I took out my marriage certificate to show him. “Liam, I didn’t lie to you. I really got married. The child is mine and my ex-husband’s!” I was indeed married, but it was just so Mia could be registered and just in case. However, the man merely glanced at the red-background photo, snatched it away, tore it to pieces, and pulled me up. “Chloe, how much this child looks like me, can’t you see clearly?” I didn’t dare look at him, struggling to go upstairs to find my daughter. He scooped me up around the waist, threw me onto the sofa, pinned my hands behind my back, his gaze sinister. “I’ll ask you one last time, whose child is it?” My eyes widened, and I found myself somewhat breathless. In a daze, I remembered the shot he fired at me after Grandpa Vance died. That kind of chilling terror struck again, and I could no longer control my tears. “Liam, I beg you to let me go! I really can’t die, Mia is still so small! She can’t be without me!” “She really isn’t your daughter! If it makes you happy, you can do whatever you want to me, just leave me my life, just don’t take Mia away!!” He wiped away the tears at the corner of my eyes, lowered his brows, and said. “When did I say I was going to take your daughter away?” I froze, Serena’s social media update suddenly flashing in my mind. Her daughter has congenital heart disease, just like her…

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He told me company policy didn’t allow plus-ones. He said this for eight years. Eight years, sixteen corporate retreats, and I had never been to a single one. Today, while organizing some old photo albums, I came across a group picture from his company’s retreat last year. In the front row stood several couples, smiling brightly. I recognized his colleague Dave, standing next to his wife. There was also Kevin Smith from the Sales department, standing next to his wife as well. My husband was standing in the second row. Next to him stood a woman in a white dress. I had lost an identical dress three years ago. 1. I stared at that photo for a long time. A white dress, floral print, cinched waist, hem falling just to the knee. Three years ago, I bought it at the mall for $150. I only wore it once to my mom’s birthday dinner. Later, it just disappeared. I asked Mark about it, and he said the cleaning lady probably lost it by mistake when she was tidying up. I believed him. Now, that dress was on another woman, standing right next to him. I zoomed in on the photo, trying to make out the woman’s face. But the resolution was too low; I could only see a blurry outline. Long hair, slim, not very tall. Her hand was resting on Mark’s arm. The gesture was incredibly natural, like she had done it a thousand times. I heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. The door opened, and Mark walked in. “You’re back?” I put my phone down. “Working late again?” “Yeah, wrapping up a project.” He took off his shoes. “Did you eat?” “I ate.” I watched him walk into the bathroom to wash his hands, his movements the same as always. “Your company retreat to Lake Tahoe is next month,” I said. His movements paused for a split second. “Oh?” “I saw Dave’s wife post about it on Facebook today. She said she’s looking forward to it.” Mark turned off the faucet and dried his hands. “That’s the Sales department’s retreat. Our Tech department might not go.” “Aren’t Sales and Tech going together?” “Depends.” He walked out of the bathroom. “Management hasn’t finalized it yet.” I nodded and didn’t ask further. He went into the study to turn on his computer, saying he had some work to catch up on. I sat on the sofa and looked at that photo one more time. It was taken at the entrance of a resort, with a massive, manicured lawn in the background. I recognized the place. Two years ago, when they came back from their retreat, I asked him where they went. He said it was just a rustic cabin in the woods, nothing fun. But the resort in the photo was clearly not a rustic cabin. I opened Yelp and searched the location. Average cost: $250 a night. A four-star resort. So this was the “rustic cabin” he told me about. My phone rang. It was my mom. “Have you had dinner?” “I did.” “Where’s Mark?” “Working late in the study.” “Tell him not to work too hard. He needs to take care of his health.” “I know.” After hanging up, I walked over to the study door. It was slightly ajar. Mark was on the phone. “…don’t worry about next month. I’ll handle it.” His voice was hushed, as if he was afraid of being overheard. “Alright, let’s leave it at that for now.” He hung up. I knocked on the door. “Come in.” I pushed the door open. “Who was on the phone?” “A client.” His eyes never left the screen. “About the project.” “Talking to clients this late?” “Yeah, out-of-state client. Time zones.” I didn’t press him. Walking back to the living room, I saved that group photo to my phone’s camera roll. That night in bed, he wrapped his arm around me just like he always did. “Are you tired lately?” he asked. “I’m fine.” “The retreat next month… I might be gone for three or four days.” “Okay.” “You’ll be okay at home by yourself, right?” “I’ll be fine.” He kissed my forehead. “Get some sleep.” I closed my eyes and listened to his breathing slowly even out. Eight years. Eight years, sixteen corporate retreats. Every single time, he told me company policy prohibited plus-ones. Every single time, I believed him. But in that photo, all the other guys had their wives with them. I was the only one missing. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. His hand was still resting on my waist, warm. Just like always. But suddenly, that hand felt like a stranger’s. 2. The next day was Saturday. Mark said he had to go into the office for half a day to take care of some things. “Will you be back for lunch?” “I should be.” I watched him leave, then booted up my laptop. I found his company’s official website and clicked on the “Employee Events” tab. There were dozens of photos—retreats, annual galas, anniversary parties. I looked through them, one by one. 2016 Retreat, Miami. Mark was in the group photo. Standing next to him was a woman. Not me. 2017 Retreat, Aspen. Mark was in the photo, and standing next to him was the same woman. Still not me. 2018 Retreat, Hawaii. The same woman. 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. Every single year, in every single photo, that woman was there. She wore different clothes, changed her hairstyles, but her facial features never changed. An oval face, monolids, and a small dimple when she smiled. I didn’t know her. I had never seen her in my life. But she had been standing next to my husband for eight solid years. My hands began to shake. I saved those photos to my desktop, one by one. After saving them, I opened Mark’s iMessage synced to his iPad. He didn’t have a passcode on his devices. He always said we didn’t need to hide things from each other. I searched and found a chat history with a “Chloe Bennett.” The latest message was from 11 PM last night. Mark: “Did you get home safe?” Chloe: “I did. Thanks for today.” Mark: “Get some rest.” Chloe: “[Kiss Emoji]” I scrolled up. The day before yesterday. Chloe: “Did you book the hotel for next month’s retreat?” Mark: “Yeah, The Ritz-Carlton at Lake Tahoe.” Chloe: “The same suite as last year?” Mark: “Yeah, lakeview room.” Chloe: “Can’t wait~” My stomach began to cramp. I kept scrolling up. A month ago. Mark: “Wear that blue dress for the client dinner.” Chloe: “Okay. Are you going to wear a tie?” Mark: “I’ll wear the one you gave me.” Chloe: “It’s a matching couple’s set, you know. Don’t let anyone catch on.” Mark: “So what if they do?” Three months ago. Chloe: “Did your wife ask where you went again?” Mark: “No, she never asks.” Chloe: “She’s so gullible.” Mark: “She’s not gullible, she trusts me.” Chloe: “Then you better treat her well.” Mark: “I know.” Six months ago. Chloe: “What should I wear for the annual gala this year?” Mark: “You look beautiful in anything.” Chloe: “Your wife isn’t coming this time, right?” Mark: “No, she never comes.” Chloe: “Then I can dress up a little more.” Mark: “Whatever you want.” A year ago. Chloe: “Can I post the photos from the Maldives on Instagram?” Mark: “Yeah, just block her from seeing your story.” The Maldives. A year ago. I remembered. A year ago at this exact time, I was three months postpartum. He told me the retreat dates conflicted with everything and he had to go. I stayed home alone taking care of our newborn, while he went to the Maldives. With her. I put the iPad down. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The front door opened. Mark was back. “What’s wrong?” He noticed my expression. “You look so pale.” I looked at him. I had looked at this face for eight years. It was the face I woke up to every morning, the face I saw before falling asleep every night. I thought I knew him so well. But now I realized I didn’t know him at all. “Nothing.” I stood up. “I’ll go make lunch.” “Let me do it. You rest.” He rolled up his sleeves and walked into the kitchen. I stood rooted to the spot, staring at his back. That back was so familiar too. But so what if it was familiar? She was probably incredibly familiar with his back, too. Maybe even more familiar than I was. 3. On Monday, I took a personal day off from work. I went to Mark’s company building. I wasn’t there to see him. I went to see Emily from the HR department. Emily was my high school friend. She had been an HR manager at Mark’s company for five years. “Well, this is rare! What brings you here?” Emily was surprised. “I was just in the area. Wanted to grab lunch with you.” We went to a nearby coffee shop. “Does Mark know you’re here?” “I didn’t tell him. I wanted to surprise him.” Emily smiled. “You two are so sweet.” I forced a smile in return. “By the way,” I said, pretending to be casual, “Can we bring plus-ones to the retreat next month? I was thinking of tagging along.” Emily froze for a second. “Bring plus-ones? Of course you can.” “But Mark said company policy doesn’t allow it.” Emily’s expression turned very strange. “There’s no such policy. Our company has always allowed plus-ones for the retreats. They even cover half the expenses for family members.” My heart stopped beating for a full second. “Always?” “Yeah, it’s been like that since I started working here. Didn’t you know?” “Mark told me…” I couldn’t finish the sentence. Emily saw right through my facade. She reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “Sarah, what’s wrong? Did something happen between you and Mark?” “No.” I shook my head. “Maybe I just remembered it wrong.” “Don’t lie to me.” Emily lowered her voice. “Tell me… is Mark…” I looked at her without speaking. She let out a heavy sigh. “Actually… I’ve always wanted to tell you, but I was afraid of ruining your marriage.” “Tell me what?” “Every time there’s a company retreat, Mark brings a woman with him.” My hands began to tremble. “We all thought she was his wife. We thought she was you. But then, one time, I saw the name tag they printed for her. It said ‘Chloe Bennett’.” Chloe Bennett. I knew it. “Who is she?” “One of Mark’s clients. I think she works in foreign trade. They’ve known each other for years.” “How many years?” Emily hesitated. “At least… eight years.” Eight years. The exact amount of time Mark and I had been married. “Are you saying they go to all the retreats together?” “Not just retreats.” Emily’s voice dropped even lower. “Annual galas, client appreciation dinners, the boss’s birthday parties… she goes to all of them. When Mark introduces her, he calls her ‘my wife’.” My wife. Those two words plunged into my heart like a dagger. Eight years. A full eight years. He had taken another woman to every single event, introducing her to everyone. And me, his actual, legal wife—I hadn’t been to a single one. “I always assumed that was you…” Emily’s eyes turned red. “I’m so sorry, Sarah. I should have told you sooner.” “It’s not your fault.” I stood up. “Thank you for telling me.” Walking out of the coffee shop, I crouched down on the sidewalk and cried for a long time. Eight years. I waited for him for eight years. I trusted him for eight years. And the result? Eight years of “company policy” was just eight years of lies. For eight years, his colleagues, his bosses, his clients—not a single one of them had ever met me. They all thought Chloe Bennett was his wife. And I was the one kept hidden in the dark.

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As the ace translator of the company, I actively gave up the translation opportunity for a multi-million dollar project to the receptionist. Because in my previous life, my boyfriend’s childhood friend, a middle school dropout, suddenly claimed to have mastered eight languages through self-study. Every time I translated, I had to study professional terms in advance, but Chloe could easily perform simultaneous interpretation with 100% accuracy. Everyone praised her as a genius translator, while privately discussing that I was an incompetent fool unworthy of my reputation. Until the time I stayed up late for two weeks preparing to go on stage for a multi-million dollar project, Chloe stopped me. “Harper, this is not the time for you to show off. This translation relates to the company’s IPO. Your foundation is not as solid as mine, let me do it!” Chloe’s proposal won the unanimous agreement of Ethan and my colleagues. I tried hard to fight for it, but was still forced to be replaced. Chloe completed the translation excellently and became a great hero of the company. While I was transferred to be a cleaner on the grounds of insufficient professional ability. I didn’t understand why I, who had studied hard and worked conscientiously for ten years, couldn’t compare to Chloe, who mastered translation overnight. In a trance, I slipped, fell into the water, and drowned. Just before I died, I found out that Chloe translated by eavesdropping on my inner voice. Opening my eyes again, I returned to the day Chloe claimed to have mastered eight languages. This time, I didn’t stay up late to prepare translation materials, but turned around and started reciting the Great Compassion Mantra! 1 “Harper, congratulations! The first place in this month’s assessment is indeed you again!” “Yeah! You’ve achieved a three-peat!” Colleagues gathered around, applauding and praising. Surrounded by the crowd, I was in a trance for a moment. The host cleared his throat and announced, “The champion of our company’s assessment this month is still Harper…” “Hold on!” Chloe stepped out from the crowd. “I also signed up for this assessment. Why not let me try too?” Looking at the exact same scene as in my previous life, I unconsciously shivered. The colleagues looked at Chloe with suspicion. “This is not a joke! You haven’t even studied translation, the threshold for this profession is not low!” Chloe curled her lips. “I watched for a long time and didn’t feel it was difficult. Who says I haven’t studied? Can’t I have self-taught eight languages at home this month?” The colleagues sneered. “Self-taught? Even an ace translator like Harper studied properly for ten years. How could someone with zero foundation like you rely on self-study?” “Stop embarrassing yourself! If you can translate a complete sentence, I’ll take your last name!” Everyone laughed at Chloe’s pipe dream, no one took her words seriously. Only I knew that in the same scene in my previous life, Chloe indeed fluently translated eight languages. Chloe turned around, held Ethan’s arm and acted coquettishly, “Ethan, just let me try! I’ve signed up. If you don’t let me participate, beware I’ll complain about you!” Ethan, who always valued academic background the most, didn’t object at all, looking at Chloe dotingly. “Really can’t deal with you, then you try.” With Ethan’s permission, the host started to question Chloe again. To everyone’s surprise, for several questions in a row, whether English or French. Chloe translated quickly and accurately. The crowd’s gaze also changed from mockery to amazement. Until the final simultaneous interpretation question, as soon as the host finished reading. Chloe spoke in fluent German, “…under the influence of androgen receptor inhibitors, directly targeting the ligand-binding domain. Can directly treat patients with metastatic prostate cancer.” Applause erupted at the scene. “Chloe, hiding your light under a bushel! Your level is almost catching up to Harper’s!” Some also asked curiously, “Even an ace translator like Harper sometimes needs pen and paper to take notes during simultaneous interpretation. You, a rookie with no translation experience, can actually be so fluent?” Chloe widened her eyes in surprise. “Isn’t translation just saying out directly what you hear? Harper might be getting old, her memory is naturally not as good as young people’s. Taking notes is also normal!” After Chloe finished speaking, she stuck out her tongue. “Harper, am I being too straightforward? I don’t mean anything else, don’t take it to heart!” I smiled. Just now when Chloe was translating, I deliberately translated a word wrong when reciting silently in my heart. Chloe actually read out the wrong word together directly. Exactly as I thought, Chloe didn’t master eight languages overnight at all. Recalling Chloe’s unfocused eyes when translating just now. If my guess is correct, she couldn’t control what she said when translating, and could only subconsciously repeat what was in my mind. Since this is the case, then I have to give her a big gift! The host beside was a bit troubled. “This, Harper and Chloe are tied. Then the champion of this competition…” Ethan also frowned. Chloe confidently curled the corners of her mouth. “Since it’s a tie, Harper, I wonder if you have the confidence to compete with me?” 2 Chloe’s proposal drew the attention of everyone in the room. Just as Ethan was about to speak, I smiled and said, “No need, I forfeit!” The scene was in an uproar. Ethan was stunned, somewhat surprised. He knew I was the most rigorous about my profession, and thought I would definitely not let go of this competition. I repeated again, “I quit.” What he didn’t know was that in my previous life, I confidently participated in the competition. But every time I prepared to answer, Chloe spoke first. In the end, of course, Chloe won unquestionably, making my decades of hard study a joke. I naturally couldn’t agree again. Chloe deliberately tried to provoke me with words, “Harper, you are the ace translator of our company. How come you don’t even dare to compete with a little receptionist like me? How embarrassing if word gets out!” “Why don’t you test me with more questions to see what level I’m at? See if I can compare to you.” I spoke lightly, “Your level is much higher than mine, at least level thirteen.” Chloe proudly puffed out her chest, “That’s for sure, with my level…” Everyone couldn’t hold it back anymore, burst out laughing. “Hahahaha, what spoken language has a level thirteen!” “You!” Chloe’s face turned red and purple, stomping her feet in anxiety. “Enough!” Ethan shouted violently, glaring at me very dissatisfiedly, “You should have some limits even when joking! Do you think you are amazing just because you have a few certificates? Knowing Chloe doesn’t understand these, and still bullying a little girl, have some shame!” I pinched my palms tightly. The laughter around stopped abruptly. The host squeezed out a smile, “How about, dual champions for this month?” Ethan spoke sternly, “What dual champions?! Harper has studied for so many years, Chloe just started self-study this month. The winner is clear!” With Ethan’s instruction, the host had to announce Chloe as the champion. Everyone stepped forward to compliment. Chloe cheered and went forward to hug Ethan. Ethan looked at me, coughed lightly, and unnaturally took a step back. I sneered in my heart. Chloe leaned in Ethan’s arms, blinking at me provocatively. “Harper, I guess I’ve proved my strength. Can I go along with you to the business meeting this afternoon?” I subconsciously frowned, “No…” Chloe immediately reddened her eyes, “Harper, I know you look down on my academic background. But I studied translation day and night just to share Ethan’s burden and contribute to the company. Are you going to deprive me of even this right?” Ethan hugged her with heartache, scolding angrily, “Chloe is also doing this for the good of the company! Are you so intolerant of others?!” Colleagues around also looked at me and spoke, “Harper, you are quite selfish. Even if Chloe has high talent, it won’t affect you.” “Yeah, can’t you give a new employee a chance? You are too narrow-minded.” Everyone criticized my fault one after another. I spoke calmly, “What I wanted to say just now is, why not let her follow along, just treat it as going to learn.” Everyone then awkwardly changed the subject. Chloe looked at me meaningfully. “Harper, don’t worry. I will definitely study! Hard!” 3 In the afternoon, arriving at the meeting place. Mr. Lee, who was cooperating this time, is a long-term partner of our company. After everyone from both sides arrived, the meeting began. I listened with rapt attention, while constantly marking on my hands. When the other party finished a paragraph in German, I took a deep breath and was just about to speak. A fluent translation came from behind. “…used to treat patients who have received novel endocrine drugs, there is significant improvement. Key points include overall survival and time to needing cytotoxic chemotherapy.” I turned my head abruptly. Chloe, who was originally following to learn, was translating rapidly. In the following time, every time I prepared to speak, Chloe would quickly seize the conversation and continue translating. For the whole translation session, I didn’t even get a word in. All the way until Chloe finished translating the last sentence with unfinished interest, bursts of applause rang around. Chloe seemed to just come back to her senses at this time, pretending to cover her mouth in surprise, “Sorry, I just came to learn. I was listening too intently just now, and translated it smoothly.” “Harper, please don’t mind.” Ethan also applauded excitedly, “You did very well! What is there for her to mind, translation always relies on strength!” Mr. Lee also praised repeatedly, “Usually Harper is responsible for the translation work of our company. You, a rookie translator, are actually so fluent. It seems you must have prepared for a long time privately for this business meeting!” Chloe pursed her lips and smiled, “Nothing needs to be prepared. Isn’t translation just saying directly what you hear?” “When you get proficient, it forms an instinctive reaction like eating and drinking water.” Mr. Lee pursued with some surprise, “Harper is considered a senior translator with deep qualifications. Every time we cooperate, she asks for our negotiation materials a week in advance. You actually don’t need to prepare anything?” Chloe blinked innocently, “Although I am a rookie, I also know everyone is busy. I wouldn’t deliberately ask this and that for materials to disturb everyone. Things that can clearly be translated at once, she insists on dragging for a few days to show her professionalism.” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but frown. Chloe was purely talking nonsense! As a translator, every time you come into contact with professional terms from different industries, doing homework in advance is a manifestation of responsibility for work, and also a necessary preparation as a translator. Before I could open my mouth to explain, Mr. Lee’s look towards me instantly changed. “In the future, our company’s orders will all be handled by Chloe. Some people really know how to put on airs! Our company can’t afford to hire you!” I stood aside, unable to defend myself. Ethan agreed repeatedly. After returning to the company, Ethan praised Chloe greatly. And announced Chloe’s identity changed from receptionist to formal translator. That day Chloe had her own independent office. Ethan proudly announced that this was a reward for Chloe’s excellent performance as a translator in this business meeting. I sneered in my heart. For business meetings of this scale, I have completed no less than a hundred, and never made a mistake. Having worked for ten years, I still squeeze in a cubicle with others. I’ve never had my own office. I didn’t say much, silently burying my head and continuing to work. In the following several translations, Chloe used the same method to speak first, gaining enough face for herself. I knew she relied on me every time to translate smoothly. For this, I didn’t slack off at all, but prepared even more diligently. Finally, the day before the multi-million dollar project explanation arrived. On the surface, I was still holding materials looking for professional terms. A colleague rolled her eyes, “Don’t take on porcelain work if you don’t have the diamond drill. Chloe translated directly, where is there any need for you? Putting on an act wasting everyone’s time!” Chloe also covered her mouth and smiled, “Harper, what’s the use of looking at these every day?” Chloe raised her hand and pointed to her own head, speaking disdainfully, “You worked hard to study for more than ten years, and still can’t compare to the level I reached by self-studying for a month.” The colleagues around praised her heavily again. I frowned, pretending to speak in a difficult position, “You’re right, it’s useless to talk like this,” “Anyway, having you is enough. How about I just don’t go!” 4 “No!” Chloe screamed in objection. Facing everyone’s puzzled looks, Chloe squeezed out a smile, “I, I mean, Harper can also learn some experience on such a big occasion. What if she needs it in the future?” Ethan also frowned unhappily, “What kind of temper are you throwing again? Isn’t it a fact that everyone says you can’t compare to Chloe?” “Who can you threaten by saying you won’t go? Since you don’t want to go, then don’t go!” I didn’t speak. Chloe was the one who got anxious, “Ethan, let Harper go. After all, I haven’t come into contact with such a large-scale meeting. If Harper goes, we can also learn from each other!” Colleagues praised unanimously, “Chloe, she has to put on an act and prepare for half a day every time she translates, and you still leave her face. She should be eagerly learning from you!” Chloe pestered Ethan, begging constantly. Ethan nodded reluctantly, “Alright! For Chloe’s sake, I’ll give you another chance.” “You have three minutes. Pack up and go downstairs immediately! If you are a second late, you don’t have to go!” Chloe stared at me intently, afraid I would say the word “no.” I spoke slowly, “Okay! Then I’ll still go.” Only then did Chloe breathe a sigh of relief. When we arrived at the meeting venue and the translators were ready. Chloe reached out to stop me. “Wait!” “I thought about it, let me do the translation this time!” Chloe spoke sincerely, “Usually in small occasions, I let you have it. But this translation work is very important, it’s not the time for you to show off.” “Harper, your foundation is not as solid as mine, let me do it!” Just as I was about to speak, Ethan nodded in agreement immediately. “Makes sense! This meeting is very important to the company, there can’t be any mistakes.” “Harper, hurry up and thank Chloe. She stepped out for you. If your translation mistake affects the company’s IPO, then you are the sinner of the company. Let’s see how you explain to the board of directors then!” I sneered. Decades of study and work experience were described as worthless by her. When the company was just established, I took four or five translation sessions a day, standing for eight or nine hours, to help the company establish a good reputation in the industry. Now I’ve become the sinner of the company. Chloe snatched my job, and I still have to be grateful to her? Seeing I didn’t move, colleagues also mocked one after another, “No way, Harper. Don’t tell me you really want to fight with Chloe for this translation?” “This is an opportunity Chloe gave you to learn by bringing you here. You can’t be so ungrateful!” “Let alone Chloe’s professional quality is stronger than yours, just looking at her appearance is more pleasing to the eye than yours. Look at you, your dark circles are almost like panda eyes!” I raised my hand and touched the dark circles caused by staying up late checking materials. If it were my previous life, I would definitely argue strongly. But now… I looked around and smiled, “I have no objection. I hope you also take responsibility for your choices and don’t regret it.” Colleagues laughed and said I thought too much. Ethan sneered even more, “I let her go on stage. If there’s any problem, I’ll bear it all.” I didn’t argue, yielding the position to Chloe. Chloe blinked at me, “Harper, you used to stand in this position. Whenever I approached, you would argue non-stop. You are so quiet today, I’m a bit unaccustomed to it!” “But you also have to admit the difference in talent between people. You spent twelve years to get to this position, and I can stand here in a month.” “Just watch and learn how I translate later!” I ignored her. The meeting began, and Chloe sat steadily in the translator’s position. Ethan and colleagues offstage made gestures to cheer her on. The next second, Chloe’s expression became serious. This engrossed look made Ethan sigh with emotion, “Chloe is really born to do this job, going all out in everything she does.” Colleagues also echoed one after another. The next second, Chloe opened her mouth, “Namo Ratnatrayaya, Namo Aryavalokitesvaraya…” (Verses from the Great Compassion Mantra) Instantly, everyone in the venue widened their eyes.

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After my husband’s stepsister was widowed, he asked me for a divorce while I was five months pregnant. He looked earnest and guilty: “Her child is still young. Without someone to take care of them, the mother and son will be bullied. I can’t just ignore them.” I didn’t make a big scene; I calmly agreed. Because in my previous life, I didn’t agree. I even went to his military base with my heavy pregnant belly to make a fuss, just to save the marriage. In the end, because of her widow status, Jessica was bullied in the village. A local thug even sneaked into her house, forcing her to commit suicide. My husband, Ethan, resented me for this. He spread rumors that I used a past favor to force him to marry me, and that I wasn’t a virgin beforehand. I was investigated by the organization, sent down to a labor farm, and finally died of difficult labor in a cowshed. This time, I determined to let go, abort the child, and continue my studies. 1 I put down my pen. Before I could even stand up, Ethan hastily snatched the divorce application from my side. His slender fingers held those thin pages and immediately handed them to the instructor. The instructor took the application, frowned slightly, and sighed: “This divorce matter… Sigh, what a pity. Come get the certificate when the approval comes down.” Hearing this, a relaxed smile actually appeared on Ethan’s face. I sat there without saying a word, staring blankly out the window. Today is the beginning of spring, but this blizzard came unexpectedly. Coming out of the office, the snow pressed down the color of the sky, and the stagnant air around was suffocating. Ethan stopped, turned his head slightly to look at me, with a serious face: “Sarah, thank you for understanding me.” “Don’t worry, on Jessica’s side, when the child gets a little older, we can remarry.” His tone was solemn, as if I should be shedding tears of gratitude. But his tone was more mixed with a vague warning: “By the way, don’t tell everyone about our divorce. It will be very troublesome if outsiders know.” I froze for a moment, and only said one word, “Okay.” He’s afraid that if my father, a military commander in Washington D.C., finds out, it will hinder his future career, right? As husband and wife for a while, I was willing to leave him the last shred of dignity. He nodded, as if finding peace of mind, and his steps quickened a bit. But when I walked towards the car, he suddenly stopped me. “I have to go pick up Jessica. You walk back yourself.” After saying that, he started the car and drove away. The snowflakes beat against my face, it was very cold. So cold that my skin went numb, to the extent that even when I smiled bitterly, the corners of my lips were a bit stiff. As a pregnant woman, I really didn’t dare to walk 5 miles in such snowy weather. I had to endure a whole day at the guesthouse, waiting for the ox cart the next day to get back to the village. Just arriving at the village entrance, I heard some rumors from my previous life about me demanding repayment for a favor and being promiscuous. The speaker was in high spirits, not noticing at all that the subject of discussion was walking right past her. I didn’t stop to argue. As I continued walking forward, I only heard the last sentence: “Sigh, Ethan is just an honest man, planted for this life.” When I got home, my chest felt heavy and tight, and my stomach ached faintly. I didn’t understand why, even though I agreed to the divorce, such rumors still happened. Until early morning, Ethan still hadn’t come back. I originally wanted to wait for him to have a good talk about these messy rumors, but the needle-like pain in my stomach made me unable to wait any longer. Just as I planned to go back to the room and lie down, the main door was finally pushed open. He didn’t turn on the light. When he walked in with heavy steps, he brought a gust of freezing wind. He even carried the smell of rose perfume, obviously just coming back from Jessica’s side. Seeing me leaning on the sofa, he looked indifferent and annoyed: “We are already divorced, don’t tell me you still want to control where I go?” Before, whenever he came home late, I couldn’t help asking where he went, worried about his safety. But he always found me annoying, saying I was too controlling. Now, he’s actually acting self-righteous. I took a deep breath, trying hard to calm my emotions: “Do you know about those rumors about me in the village? Did you really not marry me voluntarily?” His eyes dodged, not daring to look at me, but he said toughly: “I don’t have time to listen to that gossip, you shouldn’t care either…” The more he dodged, the clearer it became in my heart. I’m afraid he was the one who spread those rumors. Anger and grievance intertwined. I fought back tears and said: “Ethan, you know clearly in your heart what happened back then wasn’t like that. Why throw dirty water on me?” “I’ve already agreed to the divorce, what more do you want? Go explain clearly for me!” He turned his face, his eyes gloomy but carrying a bit of impatient indifference: “They’re just rumors, what are you feeling wronged about?” “Right now everyone is staring at Jessica and gossiping. If there’s nothing else to distract everyone’s attention, how can Jessica stand it!” “Besides, I wanted to marry Jessica a long time ago.” “If you hadn’t been promiscuous and gotten into trouble, I wouldn’t have married you out of gratitude!” His voice was like a whip lashing my heart, making me feel embarrassed and chilled. I gritted my teeth, but still let my emotions collapse: “It was Jessica’s brother who almost assaulted me! It was you who hugged me saying you wanted to marry me, it was you who stopped me from calling the police!” Mentioning this again, it still feels like a nightmare. When this happened, he coveted my father’s power in the military, and also wanted to protect Jessica’s brother. He came to me immediately to comfort me and make promises. “Don’t be afraid, no one will know about this. Marry me, I will love you.” “If you call the police, your life is over.” He kept assuring me that he would definitely love me and care for me after marriage. I believed him, because marrying him, I had to interrupt my studies and get pregnant. He quickly got promoted because of my father’s convenience, immensely proud of himself. But it’s only been a year, and he has gone back on his word. Now, for Jessica, he casts me aside like a worn-out shoe. He froze for a moment, his thin lips pressed tightly together. He was clearly exposed by me momentarily. But the next second, his face returned to coldness, and he even squeezed out a sneer: “That was my kindness, not wanting your whole life to be ruined by that kind of thing.” “Besides, if you weren’t slutty, who would want to assault you.” I stared blankly at him, only feeling that the man in front of me was incredibly unfamiliar. How could he say such mean and heartless words. “Ethan, you are indeed not wrong. All this is my fault…” It was my failure to judge character. To actually mistake a jackal for a benefactor. “Enough,” He interrupted impatiently, not even willing to give a glance out of the corner of his eye. “Don’t bring up old things anymore. Jessica and her son will move over in a few days. You better pack up early.” “Don’t make any more fuss, and you are not allowed to bully them! Otherwise, get out!” After saying that, he turned and went upstairs with an indifferent face, too lazy to even look at me again. At the moment he left, a spasm of pain pierced my abdomen like an ice pick. Beads of cold sweat the size of beans popped out on my forehead, my back went numb into a stiff block of ice. I tried to call out to him, “Ethan!” “I… my stomach hurts so much…” He stopped, glanced back, but showed no intention of approaching: “If it hurts, go find a doctor. I’m not a doctor, what are you calling me for?” “Ethan, I might be miscarrying…” My voice was mixed with a faint tremble, my legs so weak I could barely stand. “What are you trying to do? Trying to use the child to threaten me?” His tone became even colder, “I advise you to be rational, don’t play these little tricks, it’s boring!” He watched coldly from the sidelines for a few seconds, then turned and walked towards his room. “Don’t forget, you should move your things out of the bedroom, this is my last tolerance.” Finally, he disappeared at the end of my sight. I held onto the trembling sofa wanting to prop myself up, but the abdominal pain gradually spread to my whole body. “It hurts… hurts…” I tried to save myself, looking down and hugging my violently twitching abdomen. But ultimately powerless, I fell to my knees, a dark tide surging before my eyes… 2 I was rudely awakened by a splash of cold water. Opening my eyes, I saw a little boy holding a water gun, standing in front of me with a disgusted look on his face. “Hey, who are you?” “Why are you sleeping in my house?” Water droplets slid down my temple, the chill piercing to the bone. I tried to prop up my sore body, but soon felt a dull ache in my abdomen again, and could only lean against the sofa and gasp for air. “Leo, don’t be impolite.” A familiar and soft voice came. I turned and saw Jessica. She stood not far away, gently pulling the child’s hand. “Sorry, Sarah. The child is still young and doesn’t know better.” She seemed to be apologizing for her son, but the topic suddenly changed. “But why are you still here? If you want to stay here, it’s not impossible, it’s just that Ethan and I have decided to get married.” “Then your identity would be a bit too awkward.” I suppressed the anger that surged up instantly and stared at her coldly: “With a mother who has no morals, no wonder you raised such an uneducated son.” “You!” Before she could speak, the child named Leo started shouting. “You’re not allowed to talk about my mom! She is the best person!” “What are you guys chatting about?” Ethan came down from upstairs. When his gaze fell on Jessica’s face, it softened. He stood steadily in front of her, quickly glanced at me, his eyes carrying a warning. Jessica lowered her head, her gentle expression deliberately mixed with a bit of pitiful grievance. “Nothing, I saw Sarah hasn’t left yet, so I came to say hi.” “But she didn’t seem too happy, and… scolded us.” Ethan frowned, obviously feeling sorry for her: “Didn’t I warn you not to bully them?” As soon as his voice fell, he raised his hand and slapped me across the face. My head roared, and my ears were even buzzing. The force was so great that I almost couldn’t stand, and staggered backward. The cabinet behind me was knocked over by my movement, and the vase on the cabinet fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. Broken porcelain shards splashed everywhere, several of them piercing into my calf. The pain made me break out in cold sweat instantly. However, before I could catch my breath, I heard a soft cry from Jessica. “Ah—” I subconsciously turned my head and saw a fine bloody scratch on her calf made by the shards. It didn’t look deep, but it attracted everyone’s attention. “Mom, you’re hurt!” Ethan’s expression became tense in an instant. He walked over without a second thought, picked Jessica up and carried her sideways in his arms. He asked softly if it hurt, his movements so skilled it made me dazed and want to laugh. He had never cared for me like this, even when I went through the discomfort of pregnancy, even when I was just slapped down by him. “I’ll take you to the clinic. Don’t be afraid.” He said this and carried her out, not even leaving a glance for me. I held onto the sofa wanting to stand up, but the abdominal pain made my legs weak several times. The wound on my leg was oozing blood. I looked down, only feeling my miserable state was ridiculously funny. I staggered out, but heard whispers from the doorway. Villagers were gathered there in twos and threes, the content of their whispers crystal clear. Someone saw Ethan carrying Jessica and immediately called out: “Hey, the daughter-in-law of the Carter family, what’s wrong? What happened to Jessica?” Ethan stopped, raised his head, and answered without any evasion, “Jessica is my wife. Her business is my business. From today on, no one can bully her, much less gossip about her.” Such a loud voice, completely an intentional declaration. “What about Sarah?” Someone couldn’t help asking. Ethan’s steps paused, but he didn’t look back. “She doesn’t deserve to be my wife. I have already divorced her.” Jessica’s nested head rested on his chest. The shy and triumphant expression on her face couldn’t even be hidden. I looked up at the watching crowd. Their eyes were either astonished or sarcastic, but there was not a trace of pity. At that moment, I remembered Ethan’s solemn vow at our wedding. “From now on, whether in sickness or in health, I am willing to accompany you and protect you…” And now, these words have become the deepest nail piercing my heart. 3 I dragged my bloodstained body to the health clinic. The doctor was startled when he saw my appearance. “Quick, somebody come! A pregnant woman is having a miscarriage!” He shouted loudly, turning to get tools. In my blurred vision, I saw my own blood dripping and spreading on the floor. My head was extremely dizzy, but I desperately protected my bulging abdomen with my hands. There was my child, the child I originally wanted to abort myself. Now leaving the world in such a way. Several nurses lifted me onto a gurney and rushed me into the operating room. I vaguely saw Ethan standing at the end of the corridor, talking to a nurse. He frowned slightly, his tone carrying a gentleness I had never heard before: “Will it leave a scar? Use the best medicine for the wound, don’t let her feel pain.” At this moment, a violent contraction came from my lower abdomen, the pain seemingly tearing me apart from my internal organs to my soul. As the world spun, I seemed to hear the sound of firecrackers outside. Faintly, there was also Ethan’s low voice: “Today is the Lantern Festival. I’ll make sweet dumplings for you mother and son when we go home…” In my ears was the doctor’s anxious voice: “Quick! She’s lost too much blood. Where are the family members? Who is willing to donate blood?” “She… she came in alone, it seems no one followed.” My world gradually blurred, as if my soul briefly detached from my body. From a bystander’s perspective, I watched the nurses outside running in the corridor, asking anxiously: “Does anyone have Type B blood? Does anyone have Type B blood?” Ethan was holding Jessica in his arms, she nestled weakly against his chest. A nurse grabbed him: “Excuse me, are you Type B blood? We have a pregnant woman hemorrhaging and urgently need a blood transfusion.” Ethan shook his head, “Sorry, I’m not.” He then frowned and added: “Whose family member is so irresponsible? How can they let a pregnant woman come over by herself?” My heart felt like it had been viciously slashed by something. Yes, how irresponsible. The doctors and nurses were in a flurry of activity. Through the small transparent window, I saw someone finally rolling up their sleeves to start donating blood. While Ethan had already turned and left, his tone relaxed: “Jessica, let’s go, don’t waste time.” I was finally saved, but the child couldn’t be kept. It’s better this way. Being born into such a family wouldn’t be a good thing for him. During the few days in the hospital, I didn’t receive any visitors. After being discharged, I carried a small luggage bag and didn’t return to the village. Instead, I went straight to the instructor and got my divorce certificate. “Ethan is hosting a wedding banquet tomorrow. Do you know it’s spread all over the village recently?” My tone was indifferent: “It has nothing to do with me anymore.” “Does he know you’re leaving?” “No.” “Could you please not tell him where I went?” The instructor was silent for a long time, and finally nodded.

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My husband’s phone lit up while we were eating dinner. I glanced over. “Your property management fee of $1,500 for this month is due. Please pay at your earliest convenience.” His name was clearly listed under the homeowner section. My fingers turned ice cold as I clutched the phone. I suddenly remembered how he’d been complaining about a pay cut and working late constantly, often not getting home until late at night. When I’d asked him about it, he’d just said, “It’s tough to find a job right now. We can’t be spending recklessly. We need to be frugal and manage the household budget.” I had secretly been proud of how responsible he was being. But now I realized that his “working late” actually meant he had another family on the side. My husband jumped up, reaching to snatch the phone away. “It’s just a spam message.” But I’d already clicked the link and saw the details page. Cloudhaven Villas. Owner: Lily Vance. The young nanny currently cooking in our kitchen was named Lily Vance. My brain felt like it had exploded. Our family of three was squeezed into a rundown, older apartment, while my husband had bought a villa for the little nanny. 1 Mark snatched his phone back and quickly locked the screen. I stared at his movements intently, my voice cold. “Cloudhaven Villas, Lily Vance, yet the property management fee reminder was sent to you.” “Which one do you want to explain first?” He placed the phone face down on the table, took a sip of water, and then said: “A relative of mine borrowed Lily’s ID to get a rural residency housing discount. He went abroad a while ago and asked me to manage it for him.” “Which relative?” “You don’t know him. An uncle from back in my hometown.” He was lying. In the ten years we’d been married, I had met every single one of his relatives. There was no such uncle. I wanted to keep questioning him, but he looked helpless. “You don’t actually think I bought a villa for Lily, do you?” “You know what my salary is. If I really had that kind of money, we would have moved downtown ages ago.” He looked natural as he spoke, even scooping a bowl of soup for our son. The range hood in the kitchen turned off, and Lily brought out a plate of ribs. “Eve, the food’s ready. Take your time eating. I’m heading home to take care of my daughter now.” “Just leave the dishes in the kitchen when you’re done. I’ll clean them up tomorrow morning.” She had no idea what had just happened. She took off her apron, changed her shoes, and left. She didn’t make any eye contact with Mark the entire time. Except for walking around me to place the braised ribs directly in front of Mark. This was Lily’s specialty. When we interviewed a dozen nannies, she was the only one who could make Mark’s favorite braised ribs and the mapo tofu my son and I loved. She said she was from a rural area, didn’t have much education, was four years younger than me, and was a single mom. I felt sorry for her. Plus, her rate was half the market price of eight thousand a month, so I hired her without hesitation. Over these years, I’d almost treated her like my own sister. I’d always think of her when I had anything extra, and I’d try to save a portion for her daughter whatever my son had. But now, her name was on the deed of a three-thousand-square-foot villa. While I, the employer’s family of three, lived in a cramped, old apartment. “Honey, eat up. The food is getting cold,” Mark urged me, biting into a rib. But I looked around and realized the table was full of his favorite dishes. The mapo tofu my son and I loved hadn’t appeared in over a year. This meal tasted like nothing. That night, while I helped my son with his homework, Mark went to take a shower. I quietly found his tablet and synced his WeChat history and expense statements. The newest transaction was the $1,500 property management fee payment. The ones before it were scattered expenses, mostly cosmetics and children’s toys. But I had never seen these cosmetics or toys. And he gave me his salary. How could there be tens of thousands in his balance? Scanning up, I saw a transfer of twenty thousand dollars a few days ago. It was a recurring monthly payment that had been going on for nine years. The payee was Lily Vance. I instantly held my breath, unable to believe my eyes. I gritted my teeth and clicked on his income. The year after we got married and our son was born, he said the company’s business had shrunk and his salary had been cut to five thousand. He made me skimp on every penny. I couldn’t buy new clothes, my son’s picture books had to be digital versions, and he’d nag me if I bought an extra half pound of pork. Let alone a villa and $20,000 a month in support. A wave of dizziness washed over me. He earned fifty thousand a month, but gave me five thousand. A message popped up on the screen. A transfer of fifteen thousand dollars had just been made. To his mom. Also a recurring monthly payment for nine years. So he gave his mom fifteen thousand a month, Lily twenty thousand, kept ten thousand for himself as pocket money, and gave me five thousand for the expenses of a family of three? In this family, he ranked me and our son last? Biting my lip, I was about to exit to look for other records when I saw a few recent chats. “Mom, same as usual. Save the money and buy gold for Lily and her daughter for the New Year.” My hand shook, and the tablet fell onto the bed. I looked towards the bathroom where the sound of running water could be heard. Through the glass door, Mark was looking down at his phone, sending messages. The last bit of hope in my heart was extinguished. I gripped the corner of my clothes tightly. It seemed I had to go see this villa. 2 The next day, Mark left for work at six o’clock as usual. After he left, I dropped my son off with a friend and went to Cloudhaven Villas myself. It was a palatial villa. The first floor had a yard, the second floor a terrace, the third floor a sunroom, and there was also a basement. It was the kind of dream house I wouldn’t even dare to dream of. Soon, the door opened. Lily, dressed exquisitely, was holding the hand of a little girl wearing a private elementary school uniform. The girl’s other hand was held by Mark, and she waved behind her: “Bye-bye, Grandma and Grandpa!” My in-laws hurried over, their faces full of love as they stuffed snacks into her arms. A sudden sourness rose in my throat. My son is nine years old this year, and he’s only seen his grandparents twice. They claimed they were too busy with farming and refused to come to the city to help me watch the child, nor were they willing to let us return to the hometown. I was busy to the point of collapse every day and had protested to Mark, but he had persuaded me: “My parents and I don’t get along. If they really come, we’ll definitely fight.” But the rural parents he claimed to have a bad relationship with were actually living in a villa, acting as grandparents to someone else’s child. Everyone was lying to me. Not far away, Mark gently fastened the seatbelt for the girl, started the car, and drove forward. I stood motionless in place until he slammed on the brakes and met my gaze in horror. “Eve… Eve, why are you here…” Lily and my in-laws were also stunned, looking at him at a loss. Mark got out of the car and ran towards me nervously. “Is this the busy work you talked about, no time to send the child to school?” “No, listen to my explanation. Lily can’t handle the child alone. She asked me to help…” “Aren’t your parents here too? How can she not handle it?” Mark was choked up. In the passenger seat, the little girl yelled at him: “Daddy, I’m going to be late for school!” The air instantly fell into a dead silence. Lily hurriedly covered her mouth, and my in-laws stamped their feet in annoyance. Mark’s face turned pale. I clenched my fists, my palms sweaty: “Mark, you said you work from 6 AM to 8 PM, so dropping off and picking up the child has always been my job, even though I also have a job.” “Because I sympathize with you and feel you work hard.” “Who knew your hard work was for an outsider.” He shook his head hurriedly: “No, you misunderstood.” “I misunderstood. Your heart is with your wife and daughter over here.” My tone gradually became cold: “I was in the wrong place. My son and I are the outsiders.” 3 Mark’s back stiffened, and all color drained from his face: “You’re my wife. That child isn’t…” “You dare say that’s not your daughter? Mark, you had the guts to lie to me, how come you didn’t have the guts to hide the birth certificate better!” I held up the photo on my phone. His breathing became erratic. Newborn: Grace Davis. Mother: Lily Vance. Father: Mark Davis. While he was sleeping last night, I went through his phone and tablet completely. When I saw this birth certificate, I bit my lip so hard it bled to stop myself from grabbing a knife and killing him in a fit of impulse. Behind him, Lily heard the commotion. She told my in-laws to take the child inside and walked over herself. She lowered her head, her voice very small: “Eve, don’t be mad at him…” Mark immediately stood in front of her, afraid I would hurt her: “You go back first. I’ll explain.” “No, I can’t let you face this alone.” I quietly watched them thinking of each other and suddenly felt very ridiculous. Before that property fee message last night, I thought we were a happy family of three. But today, with a shift in perspective, I was witnessing someone else’s couple sharing weal and woe. The painful heart gradually became numb, and now only anger remained. “Go back where? Back to your villa with a $1,500 property fee?” “Lily, you live in such a good house, yet you come to our cramped apartment to clean. Calling me ‘Eve’, you must have cursed me a lot in your heart, right?” Lily buried her head even lower: “I didn’t…” Mark frowned: “Eve, stop being sarcastic. If you have something to say, come at me.” “Let’s go home first. I’ll explain to you alone.” Anger rushed to the top of my head. I raised my hand and slapped him: “Go back to which home? You spent $45,000 of your salary here. This is your home!” Mark was stunned by the slap. Lily was startled and touched his face with heartache. He stared wide-eyed: “You know… No, I wronged Lily. That money was compensation…” “Then you’ve done right by me?” He swallowed and didn’t know what to say. I was panting heavily: “When did you get together?” Lily twisted her fingers and looked at him. He seemed to have given up: “Before marrying you, relatives back home introduced us for a blind date…” “You cheated me into marriage?” “No, we broke up when we got married. It was later when she came to the city to work…” He couldn’t say the rest of the words. Because it was too shameful to mention. Counting back ten months from the girl’s birth date, it was exactly my first trimester. At that time, I had severe morning sickness and had to lie on the toilet and vomit every day. But he happened to be busy with work and the company arranged a business trip for six months. When he came back, I was about to give birth. It turned out not to be a business trip. It was because he found me disgusting and ran out to rekindle old feelings with his blind date. We’ve been married for ten years, and my husband has been cheating for nine years. He was silent. Lily mustered up courage: “Eve, don’t blame him. I insisted on giving birth to the child. He saw me pitiful and helped me…” It was even more ridiculous. But I couldn’t laugh: “Where are you pitiful?” “My husband earns fifty thousand a month. He gives me five thousand, you twenty thousand, keeps fifteen thousand to buy gold for you mother and daughter, and has to keep ten thousand for himself to buy you cosmetics and toys.” “He even bought you a villa, let your daughter attend a private school costing a hundred thousand a year, and took his parents over to take care of your child.” “While I take care of the child myself, skimp and save using five thousand to take care of a family of three, and most of the salary I earn is given to you, leaving only a little to support my son in public elementary school, and foolishly hired the mistress back as a nanny.” “Now you say you’re pitiful? Lily, the pitiful one is you, or me?” Her eyes were tearful. She came over and held my wrist: “Sorry Eve, it’s all my fault…” I felt disgusted and wanted to pull my wrist out, but she staggered back a few steps and almost fell. Mark panicked. He quickly steadied her, his eyes filled with anger: “Be careful!” “Lily is pregnant!” 4 In an instant, my taut nerves snapped. Right under my nose, they actually had a second child. Mark realized he had misspoken. He immediately asked the sobbing Lily to go back first. He softened his voice towards me: “Wife, this time I got drunk and mistook her for you… It was my fault to you.” I looked at him, wordless. My gaze made him feel guilty, and his voice grew even lower: “I know I was wrong. I’ll give her money for the birth right now and break it off with her completely.” “From now on, all my salary will be given to you. Don’t you like houses with yards? I’ll buy a villa and put it in your name. Our whole family will move there…” Every word was full of apology, but it didn’t reach the bottom of his heart. I stared into his eyes: “Mark, it’s only been an hour since I confronted you.” “You’ve deceived me for ten years. How could you know you were wrong in one hour and even cruelly want to cut off relations with her.” “In your eyes, am I so stupid? You think I will forgive you, go home and continue to be taken advantage of, let you use our joint property to raise a little nanny and an illegitimate daughter?” His face turned pale, and he shook his head: “I didn’t take you for a fool. I felt sorry for her and wanted to compensate her.” “Then have you done right by me and our son?” “I’m sorry…” “Now you say sorry. When you gave her the villa, money, and parents’ help, when you arranged for her to be a nanny in our home and took away most of my salary, when you made my son and me skimp and save, why didn’t you think about being sorry to us?” The more I said, the more guilty he felt. Finally, in anxiety, he blurted out: “But I also gave you money. These years, at least I haven’t let you and our son starve!” He was actually self-righteous. A sneer came from my throat. He panicked: “I didn’t mean that. Wife, I…” “Don’t talk so much to her!” My mother-in-law suddenly ran over angrily: “What are you so arrogant about? Mark wanted to divorce you long ago. It’s you pestering him!” “Mom! When did I say I wanted a divorce!” Mark quickly covered her mouth, but she turned her head to curse at him: “Let me say, city women are no good. When Lily was pregnant with my granddaughter, I told you to divorce her. You said she gave birth to a son, a seed of our Davis family, and wanted her to bring him up for a few years before divorcing.” “Now Lily is pregnant with a second child. How long are you going to wait!” I was stunned. I thought the truth just now was all, but I didn’t expect there was another layer. “Mark, you treat me as a breeding machine?” “No! Wait a minute to explain to you. Mom, stop talking nonsense. I have only loved Eve from beginning to end. I never thought about divorcing her!” But his mom seemed determined and shouted at the top of her voice: “You are talking nonsense. If you loved her, how could you drug her when she was pregnant with the second child and make her miscarry!” At this moment, even the wind became quiet. I remembered getting pregnant three years ago. Just one month after it was found out, I miscarried in my sleep. At that time, I thought I worked too hard to keep it. I cried for several days, and my mood collapsed to the point of almost committing suicide. It was him who gave Lily a holiday, stayed at home to accompany me, and held me not allowing me to take a knife. He persuaded me again and again that we had no fate with the child, and it was enough for us to have a son. It turned out to be himself who didn’t allow me to have a second child. Now he let Lily have a second child, but carefully protected her for fear that I would hurt her. My first child was a son, so he couldn’t bear to leave. While Lily’s first child was a daughter, he still coaxed and pampered her, supporting her with money. Poor me for these ten years, I was just a complete big joke. “Mark.” Mark, who was desperately pulling his mom away, was stunned, his face getting more and more panicked. “You got your wish. We divorce.” “But the son must belong to me, and you don’t want a single penny of all marital property!”

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My mother loves conducting “obedience tests.” I told her I couldn’t eat ginger, but she put ginger in every dish she cooked. “Who is allergic to ginger? I think you’re just a picky eater!” On my eighteenth birthday, she even bought a thousand pounds of ginger, making a full ginger feast and ginger perfume. She looked at me smugly. “Ginger cures all diseases. I’m doing this for your own good!” “Not eating ginger is just you being spoiled. I specifically minced it this time; let’s see how you pick it out!” My mother smiled happily because her test was successful. But she didn’t know I wasn’t lying to her. I am severely allergic to ginger. Once consumed or contacted in large amounts, the symptoms will gradually develop within two hours, potentially leading to death. … I looked numbly at the full ginger feast in front of me: ginger stir-fried pork, ginger braised duck, shredded ginger with shredded potatoes… Even the dessert was ginger milk curd. Moreover, except for the shredded ginger with shredded potatoes, the ginger in all the other dishes was minced. I couldn’t pick it out at all. I suddenly remembered that before my birthday, my mother had asked me gently what I wanted for my 18th birthday. I thought this was a rare moment of warmth after my parents’ divorce. I repeatedly emphasized, “Just don’t put ginger. I’m allergic to ginger.” I didn’t expect it to be another obedience test. I looked at the meals my mother “carefully” prepared, losing all appetite. The smell of ginger filled my nasal cavity, and a feeling of nausea rushed straight to my throat. I ran to the bathroom and vomited miserably. My mother, however, rushed to the bathroom angrily, grabbed my hair fiercely, and pulled me up. “Who allowed you to vomit? Every bite of food you eat is made by me spending time and money. What right do you have to ruin this body?” She dragged me back to the living room and picked up that bowl of ginger milk curd with a strong ginger smell. “Eat it!” I desperately shook my head to refuse. “I really am allergic. Mom, I’ll listen to you on everything else, just don’t force me to eat ginger…” My mother hesitated for a moment, put me down, and went into the kitchen with the bowl. I thought my mother believed me and just breathed a sigh of relief. But I saw her come out with a small bowl—that small bowl was full of minced ginger, this time without even milk! My mother looked at me, like looking at an ignorant child. “Don’t be a picky eater. How could anyone be allergic to ginger?” “You just ate too little. Eat more and you’ll like ginger.” The spoon moved to my mouth. “Good child, take a bite. Ginger is good for the body.” I clenched my teeth dead tight. “Eat! Chloe, eat!” The spoon poked my gums to mush. I wailed in pain and swallowed a mouthful of minced ginger. Blood oozed from my mouth, but it couldn’t match half the pain in my heart. Since divorcing my dad, my mother fell in love with obedience tests. From what clothes to wear to which university to apply to, she demanded my obedience. As the tests deepened, the look in her eyes toward me grew colder day by day, not like looking at her own child, but like looking at a machine that would obey orders. I was choked by the minced ginger, tears and snot flowing. My mother, however, smiled with satisfaction. “Aren’t you able to eat it? Sure enough, you act as well as your dad.” I tried hard to suppress my emotions, but I still couldn’t hold back and shed two streams of tears. Large drops of tears wet the back of my mother’s hand. She froze for a moment, then flew into a rage, pinching my chin and roaring, “Didn’t I tell you not to cry? This body was born and raised by me. Without my permission, you can’t shed a single tear!” “As heartless as your deadbeat dad, an ungrateful wretch!” My mother looked at the minced ginger I knocked onto the floor during my struggle, her eyes full of heartache. She picked up her phone and took a few pictures with a “click click.” At this time, my phone sounded a message notification. My mother took pictures of the almost untouched dishes on the table and the ginger milk curd in the trash can, and sent them to the family group chat. “Child’s eighteenth birthday. I got up at five to make a table full of dishes for her, and she didn’t eat a single bite. Made the dessert she clamored for, and she threw it all in the trash can. Sigh!” The relatives replying below were all scolding me for being an ungrateful wretch. After sending the message, my mother turned her head and looked at me coldly. “Don’t think your wings are hard just because you’re an adult. If you dare to defy me next time, I’ll send it to your classmate group chat. You can’t escape even when you work. I’ll go to your company to make a scene and see if you can afford to lose this face!” Her voice was high-pitched and sharp; every word suffocated me. What was more suffocating than this was that my face grew hot, and my stomach started to ache sharply. My heart sank, knowing these were the symptoms of an allergy starting. While my mother was clearing the dishes, I hurriedly ran into the room to find allergy medicine. Fortunately, knowing that my mother loves conducting obedience tests, I always keep antihistamines prepared. But before I had time to take it, the bedroom door was pushed straight open. I hurriedly hid the medicine behind my back. My mother walked up to me, reached out, and touched my cheek. “Why is your face so hot?” She noticed my hands hidden behind my back and frowned. “What are you hiding? Take it out!” I explained tremblingly, “It’s allergy medicine. I told you I’m allergic to ginger, Mom.” My mother, however, snatched the allergy medicine from my hand and roared, “Do you eat it just because I allowed you to?” I scratched the new red rash on my arm, realizing the allergic symptoms had worsened again. I was running out of time. I bitterly begged my mother to give me the medicine. She instead took out a bottle of homemade ginger perfume and sprayed it wildly at me. “Ginger water removes cold. You just have a weak constitution and caught a cold.” “Still claiming a ginger allergy. I sprayed so much ginger water, and you didn’t die, did you?” Ignoring my pleas, my mother carried the sprayer and started spraying ginger perfume all over the house. “Stop pretending. I invited your classmates to celebrate your birthday. They’ll be here right away.” “Spray some perfume so you don’t pass the sickness to your classmates!” The whole house smelled of ginger. Dense red rashes broke out on my arms, thighs, and neck. I wanted to go out for some fresh air, but my mother forcefully kept me at home, euphemistically calling it, “You won’t feel uncomfortable after getting used to it.” I knew a new round of obedience testing had begun. I couldn’t stop my mother. I could only dial 911, wrap myself tightly, and hope to hold on until the ambulance arrived. Soon, the classmates arrived. Seeing Sarah and her clique, I subconsciously trembled. Aren’t these the people who bullied me? They tore my books, put dead mice in my desk, and falsely accused me of cheating on an exam out of jealousy. When the former mother found out, she didn’t say a word, took a kitchen knife to the school, and forced them to apologize to me. But now, how could my mother invite them to attend my birthday party? Sarah stepped forward and smilingly took my hand. “Happy birthday, Chloe.” Then she leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Bitch, let’s see how I deal with you.” “Ah!” Before I could react, Sarah fell to the ground. With tears in her eyes, she aggrievedly accused, “Chloe, I came to celebrate your birthday, why did you push me.” “Are you still holding a grudge against me because I reported you for cheating?” I helplessly wanted to explain, but before I could finish, my mother slapped me silly. She looked at my tightly wrapped outfit with disgust. “If you can lie about an allergy, you definitely cheated on the exam.” Then she looked at Sarah affectionately. “Sarah, Auntie wrongly blamed you before. My daughter cheated on the exam. Auntie apologizes to you.” But Mom, wasn’t it you who shielded me behind you and said you would always believe me back then? After going home, I had psychological trauma because of this bullying incident. Wasn’t it you who held me and coaxed me all night? The person who once said she believed me and protected me, how come now, she hurts me together with my enemies? Tears welled up in my sour and astringent eyes, and I tried hard to hold them back. The next second, my mother grabbed my collar, her tone disgusted. “Cry, cry, cry. How do you have the nerve? Apologize to Sarah immediately!” The allergy symptoms became more severe. The red rash spread to my chest. I couldn’t tell for a moment whether the suffocation was brought by the allergy, or if my mother’s words suffocated me more. I endured the pain and tried to explain, “I didn’t cheat. They cut my clothes and locked me in the bathroom…” My mother coldly cut off my words. “Why do they only bully you and not others?” She stripped off my clothes. My arms were exposed to the air, showing an abnormal red color. “Flies don’t bite seamless eggs. Look at how slutty you are; the curves of your body are outlined. Sarah taught my daughter a lesson for me; I should thank her.” I couldn’t believe these were words spoken by a mother. I interrupted her, devastated. “Mom!” My mother looked at my tears unmoved, instead pressing down on my shoulders. “Don’t pretend to be pitiful. Have you forgotten how Mom taught you? Be brave to admit your mistakes!” “You made Sarah suffer so much grievance for nothing. Now, kneel down and kowtow! Apologize to her!” I couldn’t believe what I heard—a mother making her daughter kowtow and apologize to her bully! But I didn’t have time to be angry. The allergy symptoms further deteriorated: Abdominal pain intensified, large patches of red rashes itched, and I started to have trouble breathing. I gasped heavily and begged my mother, “Give me the medicine. I feel so uncomfortable…” My mother still didn’t believe I was allergic to ginger. She shook the medicine, looking at me with a sneer. “Still pretending? I want to see how long you can keep up this act.” “Kneel down and kowtow three times to Sarah, and I’ll give you the medicine.” I knew my mother was conducting an obedience test again. Apologizing to the bully was to make me yield mentally. I lost my strength in despair. Pressed down by my mother’s hands on my shoulders, just as I was about to kneel to the bully in front of the whole class. A gentle voice rang out. “Auntie, what you are doing is wrong.” I looked back; it was the class president, Ethan. When I was bullied and isolated by classmates, only Ethan was willing to talk to me. He was a beam of light in my dark high school life, and also a person I genuinely appreciated and respected. Ethan helped me up, shielded me behind him, and looked straight at my mother. “Auntie, during the exam, I sat right behind Chloe. I can testify that she is innocent and didn’t cheat!” I felt unprecedented warmth. When even my own mother didn’t believe me, there was actually a person willing to stand up and support me. But at this time, my mother screamed and scratched at Ethan. “Why weren’t you looking at your exam paper during the test? What were you doing staring at my daughter?” “Chloe, you cheap tramp, wanting to seduce men right after coming of age?” “I was wondering why you spread your legs so wide when eating. It turns out you want to make money by serving men!” The boys’ eyes lingered on my legs, with playful smiles on their faces, discussing in low voices whether I was a virgin. What was even more excessive was that even Ethan, who kindly helped me, was misinterpreted. I felt ashamed, angry, and blamed myself, stammering to explain, “We are innocent.” But under my mother’s verbal abuse, no one believed me. Ethan, however, smiled and comforted me. “It’s okay, Chloe. The innocent are clear. They are ignorant. I won’t blame you.” I wanted to smile at him gratefully. But I had no extra strength left. It felt like cotton was blocking my throat, my hands and feet were ice cold, and my consciousness began to blur. Not knowing if I could still wait for the ambulance, I grabbed my mother’s pant leg and begged incoherently, “Medicine… medicine…”

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