Company dinner. My fiancée’s junior assistant, Leo, threw a half-eaten eggplant he didn’t like into her bowl right in front of everyone. Without a second thought, Chloe picked it up with her forks and ate it. That night, when we got home, I told her I wanted to call off our arranged engagement. She irritably pinched the bridge of her nose. “Just because I ate the eggplant he gave me?” “It was *his* half-eaten eggplant, one he didn’t like,” I corrected her. “Lucas, you’re seriously so petty. You always have to make such a scene over the smallest things.” “Fine then. You want to break up? I’m okay with that. Just don’t come crawling back begging me to get back together later.” She just *knew* I’d never leave her, that I loved her too much to let go. But what she didn’t realize was that even the deepest love can erode away with constant pain and disappointment. This time, I was truly done. That same day, I talked to my parents about finding a different fiancée. They were a little surprised but respected my decision. After that, Chloe went into her usual silent treatment mode. My phone number, all my social media accounts, even our shared gaming friends list – she deleted and blocked me from everything. It was her go-to move whenever we argued. She was so sure I couldn’t live without her, that I’d be the one to swallow my pride and win her back. But this time, I stared at that ‘send friend request’ button, and for once, I didn’t hit it. A week later, a notification popped up in the company’s WhatsApp group chat. “It’s Chloe’s birthday today! She’s treating everyone, so full attendance is mandatory. No excuses, no days off!” To avoid making things awkward, I went. As I entered the private room, I immediately spotted Chloe sitting at the head of the table, with Leo right beside her. Leo’s lips were pressed close to Chloe’s ear, as if he was sharing some secret. It was like they were inside an invisible bubble; no one else could enter their world. Moments later, they both chuckled, their faces so close they were almost kissing. I couldn’t stand to watch anymore and found a corner to sit in. Everyone started giving Chloe their gifts, but I ignored it all. I just kept drinking my wine, only to find a shadow falling over me a moment later. I looked up to see Chloe’s excessively beautiful face. But her expression was still etched with that familiar impatience. “Lucas, why didn’t you get me a gift?” In the past, for an important occasion like Chloe’s birthday, I would have started preparing weeks in advance. One time, I spent over six months meticulously building her a life-sized replica of the flying house from her favorite animated movie, “Up.” The moment the hot air balloon lifted off, she told me we’d grow old together, just like the characters in the film. I believed her then, never imagining her promise wouldn’t even last three years. Faced with her persistent questioning, I simply replied, “I forgot.” My attitude clearly infuriated Chloe. She completely lost her patience. “Lucas, are you done with your little tantrum?” “Is this tiny thing really worth you sulking for an entire week?” I looked at the lipstick smudge on her ear, caused by Leo, and my stomach churned with disgust. “I’m not sulking. And I was serious about calling off the engagement.” At my words, Chloe’s expression stiffened for a split second, but she quickly regained her composure when Leo reached out and held her hand. “Lucas, please don’t misunderstand. I just didn’t want to waste food, that’s why I gave Chloe my leftovers. If you hate me that much, Lucas, I’ll just sit at a different table next time, or wait and eat whatever’s left over after everyone else finishes.” Leo’s words immediately tugged at Chloe’s heart. “Leo, don’t say things like that! You deserve the best things in the world. Lucas is the one who shouldn’t be here. Who does he think he is? Does everyone have to cater to his preferences?” “Chloe, don’t talk like that. Lucas might be a bit dramatic, but he’s still your fiancé. You should try to smooth things over with him. I really don’t want you two to argue because of me.” “Smooth things over with him? Who does he think he is? If my parents hadn’t begged me to get engaged to him, I wouldn’t be with him. He gets mad over every little thing; he’s so petty, not like a mature guy at all.” Leo walked over to me, patted my shoulder, and spoke in a seemingly earnest tone. “Honestly, Lucas, from one guy to another, you’re being a bit over the top this time. Chloe hasn’t been able to sleep because of you these past few days. Even though I also think your personalities don’t match, you two are engaged, so maybe just meet each other halfway.” I slapped his hand away and sneered. “Leo, you know what I admire most about you?” “It’s your blatant lies, and the way you shamelessly try to steal someone’s girlfriend while spouting all that sickening crap without an ounce of shame.” Leo’s triumphant expression instantly froze. Chloe completely flipped out. “Lucas, who gave you permission to slander Leo like that?” “Slander? Then tell me, why does he own a duplicate of every gift you’ve ever bought me, and then flaunts them at work? Why does he specifically spread rumors in the company break room every time we argue? And why does he know where your mole is?” “Enough!” *Slap!* Chloe, right in front of everyone, slapped me hard across the face. My ears rang, and everything went hazy, but my vision was disturbingly clear. I saw everyone in the private room staring at me with expressions ranging from pity to mockery and disgust.

As my ears slowly cleared, I heard Chloe’s loud declaration. “Starting today, everyone, feel free to like my photos with Leo! If we get a thousand likes, I’m breaking up with Lucas and getting married to Leo!” With that, she grabbed Leo’s hand and walked out without looking back. Before they left the room, Leo shot me a smug, defiant glance. After they left, people in the room started filing out. Some gloated, “He shouldn’t have made such a fuss without knowing if he could afford the consequences. Now he’s gone too far, and he regrets it, doesn’t he?” Others kindly advised me, “Pride isn’t important. Just apologize quickly, or Chloe will really marry Leo.” I knew this was Chloe’s way of forcing me to apologize. But this time, I just wouldn’t back down. Not even if it killed me. The once bustling room quickly emptied, leaving just me. I picked up the remaining hard liquor and drained it. The burning alcohol seared its way down my throat and into my stomach, making my eyes water. A lifetime of shared history was truly over, and yet, it felt… strangely anticlimactic. I just hoped she wouldn’t bother me anymore once I moved to a city a thousand miles away. But I found my face wet with tears again, though I didn’t know why. Back home, I started packing, ready to leave. Chloe and I had grown up together; for more than half of our young lives, we’d been inseparable. The impact was so profound that I had an overwhelming amount of things to sort through. This little paper flower was the first prize Chloe won in kindergarten. She waddled over on her short legs and gave it to me. I vaguely remembered her saying then, “I’m going to give my best things to you, Lucas.” This photo was one I secretly took of her blushing face the first time she got her period. She’d skipped health class and thought she had a terminal illness. She ran to me, tears streaming down her face, telling me to take good care of myself in the future, to find a girlfriend but not one prettier than her. I was completely baffled. Only after pressing her did I realize what was happening. I rushed to the corner store to buy her pads and even looked up how to use them online with her. I teased her for not paying attention in class, and she bit my arm fiercely, her face crimson. But I didn’t feel any pain; instead, a strange flutter bloomed in my chest. Later, we became a couple, but different colleges forced us into a long-distance relationship. Our memories became a stack of train tickets. For four whole years, 193,700 kilometers was the distance we traveled to be with each other. Back then, her world revolved around me. She never complained, no matter how long the journey. My fingers brushed against a small, hard box containing the matching rings we’d made together. For her, I moved back to this city right after college. The day I returned, she dragged me to get these rings crafted. I still remember her slipping the ring onto my finger and saying, “Lucas, with this ring, you’re stuck with me for life. You’ll never leave me.” We never imagined that in the end, it wouldn’t be me letting go, but her.

The day Leo came for his company interview, he performed terribly. Chloe openly disliked him. I didn’t pay much attention to the underqualified candidate either. But somehow, he was still hired, despite his poor performance. And slowly, he transformed from an unnoticed junior employee into Chloe’s special assistant. The moment I truly started to suspect something was when the matching ring, meant only for Chloe and me, appeared on Leo’s finger. Initially, when I confronted her, Chloe would patiently explain things and try to make me happy. But as time went on, all I got was her impatience. My repeated reluctance to let go, my tolerance, my constant attempts to please her – They only made her favoritism towards Leo more blatant. Company dinners only featured dishes Leo liked. Leo only worked half-days a week; the rest of the time, he spent with Chloe, going out and having fun. And Chloe, in turn, dumped all of Leo’s assistant duties onto me. Chloe started mentioning him more and more frequently in front of me. At first, it was unconscious praise and admiration. But later, it became comparisons, and she’d start complaining that I wasn’t as romantic or sweet-talking as he was. Then, during a company afternoon break, Chloe mentioned her bubble tea tasted good. Leo said he wanted to try it, and without a word, Chloe handed her drink to him. He didn’t even bother to change the straw and took a big sip, his lips pressing over Chloe’s lipstick mark. What’s more, Chloe took the bubble tea back and continued to drink from the same straw. In that moment, my heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, a painful, bitter ache. From then on, Leo’s transgressions as her “male best friend” became more and more frequent. He went with Chloe for her skincare appointments, helped her apply lotion. When Chloe twisted her ankle, he carried her straight to the infirmary, even though I, her boyfriend, was standing right there. Even the birthday celebration Chloe had promised me was canceled because Leo caught a cold. But every time I expressed my displeasure about these things, Chloe would impatiently say, “Lucas, you’re so twisted, always seeing the worst in everything. Leo and I just have a pure friendship. Don’t project your sleazy thoughts onto him.” However, as time went on, her voice lacked conviction when she said it. What truly chilled me was a major industry event. The organizers required attendees to bring their partners, but Chloe never told me. She simply took Leo. I only found out later, after several people asked if Chloe and I had broken up. When I confronted her, Chloe was even angrier than I was. “I was just helping Leo expand his network, and also training talent for the company. Why are you, a grown man, so petty about this?” That time, we gave each other the silent treatment for a long time. So long that I genuinely thought we would break up for good. Until she sent me a text late one night: “Hubby, my stomach hurts so bad.” My carefully constructed facade of indifference crumbled in an instant. And so, the terrible cycle of me questioning, her getting angry, me trying to win her back, and her forgiving me, started all over again. I closed the ring box and tossed it into the trash. Deep in my drawer, there was also a crumpled apology letter Chloe had written to me when she was 18, because she’d forgotten to reply to one of my messages. Back then, she really cared about me. But now, she only cared about Leo. I took out the apology letter, tore it into pieces, and threw them into the trash. After clearing out decades of shared history, the apartment felt so much emptier. My heart felt as though it had been emptied along with it. The company WhatsApp group chat was still buzzing with photos of Leo celebrating Chloe’s birthday and making her laugh. Knowing Chloe’s favoritism towards Leo, colleagues were eagerly sweet-talking them. “OMG, Chloe and Leo are so perfect for each other!” “You should find a boyfriend like Leo, not like Lucas, who’s so petty and always grumpy.” “Lucas only got where he is because of his family. Unlike Leo, who made it on his own. There’s no comparison between them.” I couldn’t be bothered to look anymore. I called my lawyer directly and asked him to withdraw all my investments in the Liu Group.

The next day, I went to the office to pack my things. But in my private lounge, I saw Leo, wearing baggy shorts, his feet propped up on my desk. His belongings were spread all over my lounge, while all my things had been tossed outside the door. Chloe had specially designed this lounge for me; it was *my* private space. Everyone in the company knew it, and no one dared to step foot in that room. Leo was blatantly walking all over me, disrespecting me right to my face. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and just called the police. At the police station, Leo panicked. “I was just helping Chloe get some materials. Did you really have to call the police?” “That’s my private space. Did I give you permission to enter it without asking?” “Taking something without asking? Isn’t that stealing?” Leo had no rebuttal to my words. He suddenly started to cry, and I immediately knew something was off. Sure enough, when I turned around, it was Chloe, her face thunderous. “Chloe!” The moment he saw Chloe, Leo practically launched himself into her arms. “I really just wanted to help you get some documents. But Lucas doesn’t seem to like me. He insists I was stealing. I have a villa with dozens of square feet full of things you’ve given me, why would I need his measly stuff?” This small room was Chloe’s “gift” to me. It was her return gift for the small cabin I had built for her. We had so many sweet memories in this room. I always thought at least this sanctuary wouldn’t be defiled; it was like the last shred of dignity for our love. But Chloe insisted on tearing apart my last bit of fantasy with her own hands. Chloe comforted Leo while explaining to the officers, “It’s all a misunderstanding. We know each other. Sorry to bother you.” Then she turned to me, her voice dripping with disgust. “Lucas, what’s gotten into you? Why are you acting like a crazy person all the time? Do you feel great using your power to hurt innocent subordinates like Leo? You really disappoint me.” Her accusations rained down on me, but before I could retort, Leo started his act again. “Chloe, don’t blame Lucas. It’s my fault for being careless.” “Worst case, I’ll go to jail for a few days, and people can laugh at me. It’s fine. Don’t let this cause trouble between you and Lucas.” Chloe held Leo’s hand, her face full of heartache. “Leo, you’re just too soft-hearted, that’s why people always pick on you.” “Lucas, let me tell you, this isn’t going to blow over easily. You need to apologize to Leo right now.” “Chloe, he entered my private space without my permission. And you want me to apologize to him? Do you still think *he’s* the victim?” The moment I spoke, Leo started sniffling again, looking utterly wronged. Chloe sneered, “Your private space? That lounge belongs to the Liu Group. Don’t forget, the entire Liu Group is under *my* name. You only had temporary access. If you keep this attitude, I won’t hesitate to have you charged with false accusation.” With that, she pulled Leo away to sort out the paperwork. Her words were like a sharp dagger piercing my heart. The heart I thought was long dead throbbed with a dull ache. For so many years, I poured my heart and soul into propping up the Liu Group, believing I was fighting for our shared future. Turns out, all I got in return was “you only had permission to use it.” Before Chloe left the police station with Leo, she gave me a warning. “Just so you know, the likes have already hit 990. If you keep this attitude, I’m really going to marry Leo.” I looked at Leo’s sneering gaze behind her and suddenly realized how pathetic I was. Leo’s tactics had always been clumsy; the intelligent Chloe couldn’t possibly have missed it. She just chose to ignore it. The scales of her affection had already tipped. All of this was just her way of dumping me, her boyfriend. Only I was foolish enough to try and reconcile again and again. Once I saw through it, the last bit of love I had for Chloe completely died. In the days leading up to my departure for the West Coast, a bunch of annoying colleagues kept messaging me privately, giving me updates. “The likes are at 994! If you don’t grovel now, someone else is going to steal your girl!” “Tsk, tsk, tsk, 997 likes already. Looks like you’re destined to be single.” “Oh, wow, you’re holding out for a long time this time, aren’t you? Afraid you can’t measure up to Leo, so you ran away scared, huh? Hahahaha.” I just deleted and blocked all of them, ignoring their taunts. When the likes reached 999, and I still hadn’t caved, the tension around Chloe was palpable. No one else in the company dared to press that final ‘like’ button. As Chloe was pondering how to issue a second warning to me, Someone suddenly burst into her office, yelling, “Chloe! The 1000th like has been achieved!”

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At a company dinner, my fiancé’s junior assistant, Amber Stone, shamelessly placed a piece of eggplant she’d already taken a bite from onto his plate, right in front of everyone. Without a second thought, Liam Donovan picked it up and ate it. That very day, when we got home, I told him I wanted to call off our arranged engagement. He pinched the bridge of his nose, agitated. “Just because I ate the eggplant she gave me?” “It was a piece she’d bitten into and didn’t like,” I corrected him. “Chloe Miller, calling you insane is no exaggeration. You’re being absolutely ridiculous, blowing a tiny thing out of proportion.” “Fine, if you want to break up, I have no objections. Just don’t come crawling back to me begging to get back together.” He was so sure I loved him, that I’d never leave. But he didn’t know that even the deepest love can wear thin and die from repeated wounds. This time, I was truly leaving. That same day, I told my parents I wanted to change my fiancé. They were surprised, but they respected my choice. After that, Liam and I entered our usual silent treatment phase. He deleted and blocked me everywhere—my phone number, all my social media, even our game accounts. It was his go-to move every time we fought. He was confident I couldn’t bear to lose him, that I’d humble myself and try to win him back. But this time, I stared at that ‘add friend’ button and didn’t press it, not like all the times before. A week later, a notice popped up in the company group chat: “It’s Mr. Donovan’s birthday today! He’s treating, and everyone *must* attend. No exceptions.” I didn’t want to make a scene, so I went. As I entered the private room, I immediately saw Liam at the head of the table, with Amber seated right next to him. Amber’s lips were pressed close to Liam’s ear, as if sharing some secret. It was like they had an invisible bubble around them, a world no one else could enter. A moment later, they burst into laughter, so close they almost kissed. I couldn’t bear to watch anymore and found a quiet corner to sit in. Everyone started giving Liam gifts, but I paid them no mind. I was quietly sipping my drink when suddenly, a shadow fell over me. I looked up to see Liam’s overly handsome face, but his expression was the same familiar annoyance. “Chloe Miller, why didn’t you get me a gift?” In the past, for a day as important as Liam’s birthday, I would have started planning ages ago. One year, I spent over six months building a perfectly scaled replica of the flying house from his favorite movie, *Up*. The moment the balloons lifted it into the sky, he told me we’d grow old together, just like the characters in the film. I believed him then, never imagining his promise wouldn’t even last three years. Facing his persistent questions, I simply replied, “I forgot.” My attitude clearly infuriated Liam. He completely lost his patience. “Chloe Miller, have you made enough of a scene?” “Is this tiny thing really worth a week of drama?” I looked at the smudge of Amber’s lipstick on his lips, and my stomach churned. “I’m not making a scene. And I’m serious about calling off the engagement.” Hearing that, Liam’s expression stiffened for a second, but it quickly recovered when Amber gently squeezed his hand. “Chloe, please don’t misunderstand. I just didn’t want to waste food, that’s why I gave it to Liam. If you hate me so much, then next time we have a dinner, I just won’t sit at the table. I’ll just wait and eat whatever scraps are left over.” Amber’s words instantly tugged at Liam’s heart. “Amber, don’t talk like that! You deserve the best things in the world. Chloe Miller is the one who shouldn’t be here. Who does she think she is? Does the world revolve around her tastes?” “Liam, you really shouldn’t say things like that. Chloe might be a bit dramatic, but she’s still your fiancée. You should try to make her happy. I really don’t want you two fighting because of me.” “Make *her* happy? Who does she think she is? If my parents hadn’t begged me to go through with this family arrangement, I’d never be with her. She gets upset over every little thing; it’s so annoying.” Amber walked over to me, patted my back, and said in a heartfelt tone, “Chloe, honestly, from a woman’s perspective, you really were a bit childish this time. Liam hasn’t been able to sleep these past few nights because of you. While I also feel your personalities don’t quite match, you two are still engaged. You should both take a step back.” I slapped her hand away and sneered. “Amber Stone, do you know what I admire most about you?” “It’s your blatant lies, and how you say such disgusting things while stealing someone else’s boyfriend without a shred of shame.” Amber’s triumphant expression instantly froze. Liam completely lost it. “Chloe Miller, who gave you permission to slander Amber like that?” “Slander? Then tell me, why does she have one of everything you buy for me? And why does she flaunt it in front of me at the office? Why does she intentionally spread rumors in the company break room every time we argue? And how does she know about that birthmark in such a private place?” “Enough!” *Smack*. Liam slapped me across the face in front of everyone. My ears rang, and the world spun into a chaotic blur. Yet, my eyes clearly saw the pity, sympathy, mockery, and disgust on the faces of everyone in the room.

When my hearing finally cleared, I heard Liam’s loud declaration: “From today on, feel free to like my and Amber’s photos! If we hit a thousand likes, I’m dumping Chloe Miller and marrying Amber.” With that, he pulled Amber and walked out without looking back. Before they left the room, Amber gave me a smug, defiant look. After they left, people in the room started leaving one by one. Someone gloated, “She doesn’t even have the leverage to cause trouble, and now she’s gone too far, hasn’t she? Regrets now, doesn’t she?” Others kindly advised me, “Forget your pride; just swallow it and apologize. Otherwise, Mr. Donovan really will marry Amber.” I knew this was Liam’s way of forcing me to apologize. But this time, I refused to back down. Not even if it killed me. The once bustling room quickly emptied until only I remained. I picked up the remaining strong liquor and drained it. The fiery alcohol burned its way down my throat and into my stomach. It made my eyes sting. A connection spanning almost our entire lives, really ending, felt surprisingly hollow. An arranged marriage thousands of miles away in Veridia—he surely wouldn’t bother me there, right? But why were my cheeks wet again? I couldn’t tell. I went home and immediately started packing my things, ready to leave. Liam and I grew up together; we spent more than half of our short lives side by side. The depth of our relationship meant I had too many things to sort through. This gold star sticker was the first reward Liam received in kindergarten. He’d toddled over to me on his short legs and handed it to me. I vaguely remembered him saying then, “I want to give all the best things to my little Chloe.” This photo was one he’d secretly taken of my flushed face the first time I got my period. I’d zoned out during biology class, so I thought I had a terminal illness. I ran to him, telling him to take good care of himself for the rest of his life, and that he could find a girlfriend, but she couldn’t be prettier than me. He listened, completely bewildered. After he pressed for details, he realized I’d just started my period. He rushed to the drugstore to buy me some pads and even searched online with me for how to use them. He laughed at me for not paying attention in class, and I flushed crimson, biting his arm hard. Later, he told me that bite hadn’t hurt at all, but it was the first time he’d felt something different for me. Eventually, we got together, but going to different colleges forced us into a long-distance relationship. Our memories became a stack of train tickets. For four whole years, 193,700 kilometers was the distance we traveled to be with each other. Back then, his eyes were only for me. No matter how long the journey, he never complained. My fingers brushed a small, hard box containing the matching rings we designed together. For him, I moved back to this city after college. The day I returned, he dragged me to get these rings custom-made. I still remember him slipping the ring onto my finger and saying, “Chloe, with this ring, you’re stuck with me for life. You’ll never be able to leave me.” Neither of us ever imagined that, in the end, it wouldn’t be me who let go, but him.

The day Amber came in for her company interview, she performed terribly. Liam was openly dismissive of her. I didn’t pay much attention to this underqualified and underperforming candidate either. But for some reason, she was eventually hired anyway, against all odds. She even slowly transformed from an insignificant nobody into Liam’s personal assistant. I only truly started to notice something was wrong when *our* matching rings, the ones only Liam and I shared, appeared on Amber’s hand. At first, when I confronted him, Liam would patiently explain things and try to appease me. But over time, he just grew impatient. My repeated reluctance, tolerance, and efforts to please him only made his favoritism toward Amber more blatant. At company dinners, he’d only order Amber’s favorite dishes. Amber only worked half a day a week; the rest of her time was spent playing around with Liam. And all of Amber’s actual assistant work? Liam pushed it onto me. Liam mentioned her more and more in front of me. At first, it was unconscious praise and admiration. Later, he’d compare me to her, complaining I wasn’t as understanding or considerate as she was. It came to a head during a company afternoon tea. Liam said his coffee tasted good. Amber said she wanted to try it, and without a word, Liam handed his coffee to her. Amber took a big sip from the straw Liam had used, without him even bothering to change it. He even took the coffee back and continued to drink from it, right where her lipstick print was. In that moment, my heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, a raw, aching pain. From then on, his so-called ‘best girl friend’ Amber crossed more and more lines. Afraid Liam would get sunburned, she’d brazenly rub sunscreen all over his body. I’d make him packed lunches, and she’d make them too. She’d always eat *my* packed lunches, under the pretense that my cooking was just “too good” to resist, and then make Liam eat hers. Even my birthday celebration, which Liam had promised, was canceled because Amber claimed she had a cold. But every time I expressed my unhappiness about these things, Liam would impatiently say, “Chloe Miller, your mind is just so dirty, everything looks dirty to you. Amber and I are just friends; don’t taint it with your twisted mind.” But as time went on, he said it with less and less conviction, his voice wavering. The most disheartening moment was a major industry event. The organizers required attendees to bring a partner, but Liam didn’t tell me at all. He just took Amber. I only found out afterward, when several people repeatedly asked if Liam and I had broken up. When I confronted him, Liam was even angrier than I was. “I was just helping Amber expand her network, and training talent for the company. Why are you so petty?” That time, we gave each other the silent treatment for a long time. So long that I truly thought we would part ways then. Until he sent me a text late one night: “Babe, my stomach hurts so much.” All my carefully constructed indifference crumbled in an instant. And so, the terrible cycle started all over again: I’d question him, he’d get angry, I’d apologize, he’d “forgive” me. I closed the ring box and tossed it into the trash. Deep in my drawer, there was still a letter of apology Liam had written me when he was eighteen, because he’d forgotten to reply to one of my messages. He really cared about me back then. But now, he only cared about Amber. I took out the apology letter, tore it into pieces, and threw it in the trash. After decades of memories were completely cleared out, the house felt much emptier. My heart felt empty along with it. The company group chat was still flooded with photos of Amber celebrating Liam’s birthday and making him laugh. Knowing Liam’s blatant favoritism towards Amber, colleagues eagerly chimed in with compliments. “Oh my god, Mr. Donovan and Amber are so perfect together!” “You should find a girlfriend like Amber, not a petty, moody one like Chloe Miller.” “Chloe Miller only gets by because of her family. Unlike our Amber, who got to this position all on her own. There’s no comparison between the two.” Too disgusted to look anymore, I called my lawyer and instructed him to withdraw all my investments from Donovan Corp.

The next day, I went to the company to clear out my things. But in my private office, I saw Amber, wearing a skimpy nightgown, with her feet propped up on my desk. Her things filled my office, and all of mine had been tossed outside the door. This was *my* private office, custom-built for me by Liam. Everyone in the company knew it, and no one dared to step foot in this room. Amber was openly trampling all over me, completely disrespecting my boundaries. Too fed up to argue with her, I called the police immediately. In the police station’s interview room, Amber panicked. “I was just helping Liam get some documents. Did you really have to call the police?” “That’s my private space. Did I give you permission to enter without asking?” “Taking something without permission? Isn’t that called theft?” Amber didn’t retort after my words; she suddenly started crying. That’s when I sensed something was wrong. Sure enough, when I turned around, who else but Liam, looking utterly furious, was standing right behind me. “Liam!” The moment she saw Liam, Amber directly threw herself into his arms. “I really just wanted to help you get the documents, but Chloe seems to dislike me. She insists I stole something. I have so many gifts from you, my huge mansion can barely fit them all. Why would I want her cheap, tacky things?” This small office was a “gift” from Liam to me. It was his reciprocal gift for the small wooden cabin I built for him. We had so many sweet memories in this room. I always thought at least this sanctuary wouldn’t be defiled, that it was the last shred of dignity left for our love. But Liam had to personally tear apart my last bit of illusion. Liam comforted Amber while explaining to the police officer, “This is all a misunderstanding. We all know each other. Sorry for the trouble.” Then he turned to me, his voice dripping with disgust. “Chloe Miller, what have you become? You act like a lunatic all the time. Do you get some kind of sick satisfaction from using your power to hurt an innocent subordinate like Amber? You’ve truly disappointed me.” His harsh words rained down on me, and before I could retort, Amber started her act again. “Liam, don’t blame Chloe. It’s my fault for being so careless.” “At worst, I’ll spend a few days in jail. It’s fine if people laugh at me. Don’t let this cause trouble between you and Chloe.” Liam held Amber’s hand, his face filled with concern. “Amber, you’re just too kind-hearted, that’s why everyone takes advantage of you.” “Chloe Miller, I’m telling you, this isn’t going to blow over easily. You need to apologize to Amber right now.” “Liam Donovan, she entered my private space without my permission. You’re telling me to apologize to her? Do you still think *she’s* the victim?” As soon as I spoke, Amber started whimpering again, sniffling pathetically. Liam scoffed. “Your private space? That office belongs to Donovan Corp. Don’t forget, the entire Donovan Corp. is under *my* name. You only ever had temporary permission to use that office. If you maintain this attitude, I won’t hesitate to have you arrested for making a false report.” With that, he pulled Amber away to settle the matter. His words pierced my heart like a sharp spike. My heart, which I thought had long gone numb, began to ache faintly again. For so many years, I poured all my efforts into supporting Donovan Corp. I thought I was fighting for our shared future. It turned out, all I got in return was: “You only ever had temporary usage rights.” Before Liam left the interview room with Amber, he gave me a warning. “Just a friendly heads-up: the likes have already reached 990. If you keep this attitude, I really am going to marry Amber.” I looked at Amber’s contemptuous gaze behind him, and suddenly realized how pathetic I was. Amber’s tricks were always clumsy; a smart man like Liam couldn’t possibly have missed them. He simply chose to ignore them. The scales of his affection had long since tipped. All of this was just a pathetic way to get rid of a fool like me, and I was still foolishly trying to make up with him again and again. After figuring that out, the last bit of love I had for Liam completely died. In the days leading up to my move to Veridia, annoying colleagues kept messaging me privately, giving me updates on the like count. “The likes are at 994! If you don’t humble yourself, your man’s going to be snatched away!” “Tsk, tsk, tsk, 997 likes already. Looks like you’re destined to be an old maid.” “Oh, you’re holding out for a long time this time, huh? Could it be you think you’re not as good as Amber, so you wet your pants and ran away? Hahahaha.” I blocked and deleted all of them, ignoring them entirely. When the likes reached 999, and I still hadn’t caved, the tension around Liam was so thick you could cut it with a knife. No one else in the company dared to press that final ‘like’ button. Just as Liam was considering how to issue another warning, Suddenly, someone burst into Liam’s office, shouting, “Mr. Donovan, the 1000th like has been reached!”

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I Have a Special Mind Reading Ability: I Can Hear the Thoughts of Those Who Don’t Love Me On the eve of my wedding, I suddenly heard my fiancé’s thoughts: “If she tries to hijack the wedding tomorrow, running away in dress shoes might not be the best idea.” I kept quiet and decisively boarded a flight out of the country the next day. Later, that wedding became the talk of the town – both the bride and groom had run away. ***** I’ve always possessed a special mind-reading ability: I can hear the thoughts of people who don’t love me. This ability allows me to easily judge whether someone’s love for me is genuine or fake. I can quickly distance myself from fake friendships and remain unmoved by confessions from long-time crushes. Even when buying durian, I can use the vendor’s thoughts to pick the one with the most flesh and sweetest taste. Because I can hear every single thought clearly. To avoid too much mental noise, I usually avoid eye contact with strangers in daily life. But when I first met Rock, the world became so quiet that I could only hear our clear dialogue: “Hello, may I get to know you?” No thoughts. When our eyes met, I couldn’t read Rock’s thoughts. “Hello.” During the time Rock pursued me, the sounds in my ears were simple and pure. I believed he truly loved me. So we fell in love, dated, and then talked about marriage. For two whole years, I never heard his thoughts. But on the eve of our wedding, I suddenly could hear Rock’s thoughts. Due to the wedding, Rock had been especially busy lately. He came from a wealthy family and had successfully taken over his father’s position, independently managing the family’s financial company. Because of the wedding itinerary, we had many things to handle in advance, especially in the last two months. I’ve always been an independent woman and respected Rock’s career as well. So we hadn’t seen each other much lately. But today, as we were finalizing the outfits, I couldn’t help feeling sweet at the thought of our rare time together. When I arrived at the studio on time, he was already there trying on shoes. After saying something to the staff, he walked out while talking on the phone, his tone very reassuring. I could understand his busyness; managing a company wasn’t easy, especially since the Bruce family had more than one heir. We exchanged a knowing glance. But suddenly I heard Rock’s voice in my head: “Delia says she’s going to hijack the wedding tomorrow. I should wear sneakers to run more easily.” Delia? Hijack the wedding? I froze on the spot, staring at his mouth, confirming this was indeed his inner thoughts. I didn’t know how to react. Even though it was a hot summer day outside, a chill spread through my body, paralyzing me. I could hear his thoughts now, and the implications were obvious. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the staff following his instructions, placing a pair of comfortable sneakers with the wedding attire. Rock nodded at me and prepared to walk out. This was our tacit understanding; he probably had some important matter to handle. But the words I just heard in my mind were undeniable, and I never mishear thoughts. My body almost moved on its own, following him. I called out, somewhat in disbelief: “Rock?” I was eager to read more of his thoughts, to understand what this man who bore the title of my fiancé was really thinking. Why did he suddenly have a change of heart right before the wedding?

My call made Rock pause just as he was about to get into the backseat, but it was only a brief pause. He turned back, hastily explaining to me before instructing the driver to speed away: “Sorry, a client suddenly has an urgent matter. I need to rush over there.” He was lying. At that moment, what he was really thinking was: “I can tell from her voice that Delia is angry. If I don’t go comfort her now, she probably won’t let me come home tonight.” I’ve never been one to just wallow in self-pity. Rather than overthinking things myself, it’s better to take action. I directly found an excuse to meet Rock’s secretary privately, using my mind-reading ability to gather more information. Her name was Delia. She was Rock’s first love. Delia was the illegitimate daughter of the Howard family. Mrs. Howard never acknowledged her, so her position had always been awkwardly ambiguous. Unfortunately, Rock’s family opposed their relationship. Delia had too much pride and left Rock, disappearing without a trace after being humiliated. Rock’s love at first sight for me was simply because I somewhat resembled Delia in appearance. Now that the real deal was back, he naturally didn’t need me as a substitute anymore. The timing of Delia’s return happened to coincide with Rock being exceptionally busy two months ago. The logic was clear and fit perfectly. This kind of story made me shake my head and laugh helplessly. I never expected such a cliché “substitute” plot could apply to me. Delia wanted to use hijacking the wedding as a way to declare her ownership of Rock, while also getting revenge on me for occupying the “Mrs. Bruce” position for so long. And Rock needed this occasion to prove his unwavering love for Delia, placate his angry little wife, and force his family to accept Delia. As for me and this carefully prepared wedding, we were just props in their play. This world is just one big cliché romance novel. Honestly, it was so ridiculous I couldn’t help but curse. That night, the lights in my apartment were still on. Even though the wedding was the next day, I was busy packing my luggage without a moment’s rest. Two hours ago, I had booked a first-class flight abroad. If they want to play games, I can play too. If Rock can let Delia hijack the wedding, I can naturally return the favor by pulling a “vanishing act” and running away from the wedding. Fortunately, my family had already settled abroad, and we hadn’t made a big fuss inviting relatives and friends from there to this wedding. We only invited some close friends in the country. Originally, we thought since both sets of parents had met during the engagement, we could have another ceremony abroad later, saving relatives and friends the trouble of traveling back and forth with language barriers. This plan actually made it convenient for me to run away from the wedding now. I briefly told my best friend Trista about my thoughts. She silently took the packing box from my hands, looking serious. Unable to read her thoughts, I saw her reaction was off and had to ask: “Trista, are you going to stop me?” Trista rolled her eyes and retorted: “Hell no. I brought you a sturdy bag for packing stuff.” Oh right, I forgot Trista’s family was in the agricultural business. On the wedding day, dressed in a greeting gown, I stood with Rock welcoming guests from afar. This time, Rock’s thoughts were so loud they gave me a headache: “Has Delia arrived yet?” “I can finally be with Delia. It’s been three years, I’ve waited for Delia for three years. She’s finally going to become Mrs. Bruce.” “With this wedding hijacking, Delia will believe my heart has never changed, right?”

… I couldn’t help but shudder and frown at Rock several times. But he didn’t show it on his face, still caring for me in his usual gentle manner: “Tiffany, you don’t look well. Why don’t you go rest in the lounge for a bit? I can greet the guests outside, and you can make your entrance when the ceremony starts.” That works. Actually, I should find an excuse to slip away soon anyway. I agreed, and just as I was about to change out of my little reception dress into casual clothes, I happened to run into Delia at the door. Thanks to our similar looks and my mind-reading ability, I recognized her at a glance. I held back Trista’s arm as she was about to lunge at the mistress in her bridesmaid dress, pretending to be oblivious: “You must be Rock’s friend, right? Hurry inside, our wedding ceremony starts in a few hours.” Delia’s smile froze, seemingly displeased by my intimate way of addressing Rock. Her words had a sarcastic tone: “Miss Wood, I’m so sorry, but we seem to be wearing similar dresses today. If people who don’t know better see us, won’t they think I’m the bride?” Delia’s arrogant thoughts rang out in sync: “Go ahead and smile. In three hours, your groom will run away with me. Let’s see if you can still smile then.” I maintained my smile, shaking my head indifferently. I instructed a nearby waiter to show her to her seat: “Idiot, I’ve made it this obvious and she still doesn’t realize I’m here to cause trouble?” As we passed each other, Trista couldn’t help but complain to me: “Did you see how arrogant she looked? I can’t stand it.” I nodded noncommittally: “She sees me as a joke now, after all Rock is prepared to let her hijack the wedding. Not only can the lovers finally be together, but she can also force the Bruce family to acknowledge her status in front of me. ” The wedding venue wasn’t far from the airport. I sat in the waiting lounge, staring at the time on my phone, waiting for the farce to begin. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! My phone vibrated continuously as Trista excitedly spammed me with live updates: “Tiffany, it’s really happening! It’s really happening!” “Damn, they’re making their affair look like some epic love story. So shameless.” The official ceremony had only started five minutes ago when Trista sent me a video of the wedding scene. According to the program, after Rock went on stage and the host gave a sappy, emotional speech about their love story, the bride was supposed to make her entrance. And Delia planned to hijack the wedding at this crucial moment. Delia deliberately wore the same greeting dress as the bride, quickly went up on stage and snatched the microphone from the host. Despite the murmurs from the audience below, she poured out her love in an endless stream. Her bold and blatant words brought tears to Rock’s eyes. “Rock, will you come with me?” The guest seats erupted in an uproar. Taking away the groom on his wedding day – wasn’t this blatant wedding hijacking? The worst part was that Rock nodded in agreement with a moved expression, walking to Delia’s side and interlocking their fingers: “I will.” Delia’s vanity was fully satisfied at this moment. She even had the mood to give an “acceptance speech” to the bride separated by a large door, basically saying she knew I really liked Rock, but Rock loved her the most, and she hoped I would give them my blessing. In the video, Rock was wearing a pair of sneakers that clashed horribly with his formal suit. Delia could barely contain the smugness in her expression as she held the microphone. Delia was probably eager to see my devastated reaction. She had even prepared comforting words in her mind: “I hope Miss Wood can give her blessing to this beautiful love story between me and Rock.” “Miss Wood?” The atmosphere suddenly became extremely awkward at this point. After all, the person being humiliated wasn’t there, so this triumphant scene just became a clownish farce. “Miss Wood?” “Miss Wood?” … Delia called out several times with no response, until the etiquette officer opened the large doors. Behind them was an empty space, with only the carelessly discarded Bruce veil symbolizing the bride’s unknown whereabouts. The crowd suddenly became noisy, and someone shouted: “Holy crap, did the bride run away from the wedding too?”

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Kelly’s POV Three hundred years ago, an ancestor of the powerful Antonia family, the wealthiest in all of the capital, passed by the city’s abandoned baby tower and made a careless, cruel remark. “Girls are useless. They deserve to die.” That one sentence cursed every male descendant of the Antonias for generations. Since then, every man in the family had undergone a horrific transformation on their 25th birthday. They were growing full breasts and even a womb, as if their bodies were turning female from the inside out. There was only one way to break the curse, though. It was to marry a woman with the rare “curse-breaking blessing.” My sister and I were both born with that blessing. In my previous life, Benedict Antonia came to our home asking for my sister’s hand in marriage. But I saw through his real motive and fought with everything I had to stop it. In the end, he was forced to marry me instead. On the night of our wedding, my sister left behind a suicide note and jumped off a cliff. She claimed I stole the man she loved. Because of that, my parents called me cruel, and Benedict hated me with every fiber of his being. On the seventh day after my sister’s death, he had me tied to a helicopter like a kite and dangled me in the sky. I cried and begged him, “I saved your life! Please… just let me go.” His face twisted with rage, he roared, “The one I wanted to marry was Lindsay. Even if you weren’t in the way, she could’ve saved me, too! You ruined everything. You killed her. Now go to hell!” Then he cut the rope. I fell from the sky, shattered on the ground, nothing but a pile of broken flesh. But when I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day Benedict came to ask for a curse-breaking bride. This time, I want to see for myself how Lindsay would save him without her so-called ‘blessing.’ —— “Dad, Mom, I want to marry her,” Benedict declared, pointing to my sister in her white dress as she walked gracefully into the room. As he spoke, he shot me a threatening look, his eyes full of warning. In that moment, I understood. He had been reborn, too. My sister tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked sweetly, “Mom, Dad… who are they?” Our parents smiled and proudly introduced her to the Antonia family. I couldn’t help but sneer. As if they hadn’t been sneaking around together all along. Now she was pretending to be innocent? Tired of watching them play their game, I stood to leave. But Benedict’s voice stopped me. He stared at me with contempt and said, “Kelly, don’t even try that nonsense again about how only you can break the curse. I’m never marrying you. You’re ugly and pathetic, so just give it up.” His parents scolded him, but he only raised his voice louder. “Dad, Mom! That curse is just a stupid rumor. It’s been three hundred years. Why would it still matter?” Mr. Antonia smacked the back of his head and barked, “You fool! The only reason none of us mutated is because we’ve always married women with the curse-breaking blessing! Your 25th birthday is next week, Benedict. We can’t delay anymore!” Mrs. Antonia’s eyes were red with worry. “That’s true, son. I’m a curse-breaker myself. That’s why your father married me. We’ve searched for over twenty years and finally found two girls with the same blessing. Please, don’t be reckless now.” But Benedict pointed stubbornly at my sister and repeated, “Then I’ll marry her! She has the same blessing. But I’ll never marry Kelly. If you force me, I’d rather die right here and now!” I laughed coldly to myself. So this whole little scene was just a performance to shut everyone else up. In my previous life, after he announced he wanted to marry my sister, I stepped up and said clearly in front of everyone, “He can’t marry my sister. She can’t save him. Only I can.” Benedict had exploded, yelling that I was punching way above my weight. My parents had doubted me, too, as they always favored my sister anyway. Only Mr. Antonia and Mrs. Antonia had taken me seriously. After a private discussion, they had decided to force Benedict to marry me, thinking it was better to risk the wrong bride than lose him entirely. But they never knew the truth. Because my sister and I were twin sisters, linked by blood, I could see a secret no one else could, something even she didn’t know. Yes, she had the same blessing on the surface. But if he married her, she couldn’t save him, but rather destroy him.   Kelly’s POV In my past life, after my sister’s suicide, I tried to tell my parents the truth about her secret. But they refused to listen. They even called me cruel and heartless, and cut all ties with me. I tried to tell Benedict, too. But instead of listening, he tied me to a helicopter and let me fall to my death. I was nothing more than a splatter of blood and bones by the time I hit the ground. It wasn’t until my last breath that I realized the truth. He and my sister had been together all along. She didn’t kill herself because I “stole” her love. She took her life because she discovered the secret hidden in her own body, and it terrified her. The memory of it sent a chill down my spine. I could still feel the pain of crashing from that great height, waves of it rushing back like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. But this time, I was not going to play the hero. I would just let them destroy each other. “Don’t worry, Benedict,” I said, steady and calm. “You’re not the one I want to marry, anyway.” I gave him a long look, then turned to everyone else with a polite nod. “I’ll be leaving now.” As I walked away, I heard my parents trying to smooth things over with the Antonia family. “Our eldest daughter has always been a bit strange. Not easy on the eyes, either. Please forgive her…” A dull ache settled in my chest. Since we were kids, they had always favored my sister, just because she was born a few seconds after me. Every time, I had to give in to her, step aside for her, and let her shine. When I discovered her secret and tried to tell Mom, she snapped at me, accusing me of being jealous. Dad pinned all his hopes on my sister, his beautiful, obedient daughter who, he believed, could marry into high society and elevate our family. They never really cared about me. And now? I was done caring about them too. I took out my phone and opened a text from three days ago. “I’ll marry you,” I replied. “But I have one condition.” That same night, as if afraid I’d ruin his plans, Benedict had people leak the news that he was going to marry the second daughter of our family. The wedding was set for one week later on his 25th birthday. Coincidentally, that was the same day I planned to get married, too. Over the next two days, the man I agreed to marry sent people every day to escort me to wedding dress fittings and banquet tastings. I was exhausted and tempted to just give up, but he was serious. “You saved my life,” he said, “and you’re the only woman I’ll ever marry. So the wedding has to be grand. I won’t let you settle for anything less.” His deep, sincere gaze made my heart skip for a moment. In my last life, he had approached me, too. But I had already promised myself to Benedict, so I rejected him, cold and firm. Later, I heard he took his own life. The guilt stayed with me for a long time. But back then, I only cared about saving my sister and my parents from the wrath of the Antonias. I was willing to sacrifice everything for them back then. But not this time. This time, I was putting myself first. I would save the people I wanted to save. I would live the life I wanted to live. Three days before the wedding, he told me he was flying overseas to pick out a diamond worthy of me. “Kelly,” he said, gently holding my hand, “I’ll have someone pick you up tomorrow. You’ll love the wedding dress this time. I promise.” Then he got in the car and headed to the airport. The next day, I saw the dress, and it was breathtaking. The boutique owner told me he’d rushed over a hundred designers to complete it in time. He even named it after me. The moment I slipped into it, the entire room seemed to light up. Even my usually dull features looked striking in the mirror. Then I heard a voice I knew all too well. “Benedict, I love that dress she’s wearing!” As I turned around, I locked eyes with Benedict. For a split second, I saw surprise flash in his eyes. But it quickly twisted into a sneer. “Kelly?” he scoffed. “What are you doing here? Did you find out we were coming to try on dresses and show up just to ruin our day?” Lindsay threw herself into our mother’s arms and pouted. “Mom, do you think she’s upset because we didn’t invite her?” My parents turned on me immediately. “You little brat!” my mother snapped. “So this is where you’ve been hiding. You’re trying to upset your sister on purpose?” “Take that dress off and get out of here! What, are you that desperate to get married? You’re a disgrace to our entire family!” my father venomously spat.

Kelly’s POV I let out a cold laugh and snapped right back at them. “I’m 23 years old. Since when do I need your permission to go anywhere or do anything? And that wedding dress? It’s mine. No one’s taking it from me.” “You ungrateful brat!” my dad shouted, slapping me hard across the face. My mom also lunged forward and grabbed the gown like a madwoman. “Your sister wants it, so take it off! Now!” I tried to fight back, but Benedict grabbed both my arms and pinned me down. Under the gown, I was only wearing stick-on covers and underwear. Just like that, he saw everything. The shame hit me like a wave. I felt tears welling up, and when he saw that I was about to cry, he finally let go so I could change. When I walked out of the fitting room, I saw Lindsay already wearing the gown, with a smug look on her face like she’d just won a prize. “I told you,” I said, clenching my fists, “that dress is mine.” I tried to call the manager, but my mother yanked me back roughly. “Are you done embarrassing us? That dress was meant for someone beautiful like your sister. Stop dreaming!” My dad snatched my phone away and growled, “Go home and reflect on your behavior. You’re grounded until your sister’s wedding is over in two days!” While I was still shouting in outrage, Benedict told his bodyguards to drag me out and stuff me into the car. He leaned close to my ear, laughing under his breath. “Kelly, so this is what they mean by playing hard to get. You showed up here on purpose, didn’t you? Just to get my attention?” He then slipped a key into my palm and added, “Be good. I’ll spend the first half of our wedding night with your sister and the second half with you.” Disgusted, I spat right in his face. “What kind of trash bag are you? So full of garbage you’re spilling over? Disgusting. You’re punching way above your weight.” Right then, his smile vanished, and his face turned dark. “Ungrateful slut. Who else would want someone like you? You better think this through.” With that, he told the guards to send me home. I was then locked in my room, grinding my teeth in rage. Two more days… I couldn’t wait to see Benedict’s cursed transformation, neither man nor woman, just a freak of nature. And when that happened, the Antonias would blame my sister and my parents first. I had to find a way to cut ties with them before that. That night, I caused a ruckus. I broke furniture, threw things, and made so much noise that no one could sleep. But my parents still refused to let me out. Left with no choice, I lit a fire. Half of our estate went up in flames, so my parents called me a jinx and threw me out for good. In the chaos, I grabbed my phone and called my fiancé. He didn’t ask a single question. He just sent someone to pick me up and take me to an empty luxury villa. For the next two days, I slept well, rested up, and waited for the wedding day to arrive. And when it finally came, I put on the custom-made gown that had been designed just for me, and walked into the grand event hall. The moment my parents and Lindsay saw me, their expressions changed instantly. Even Benedict’s eyes lit up for a second before his face twisted again in disgust. “Kelly,” he barked, “you show up dressed like this to steal someone else’s wedding? Shameless!” I hadn’t expected these two walking disasters to choose the exact same day to get married. I frowned. But then, I calmly replied, “Relax. I’m here to get married, too. Now get out of my way.” But Lindsay stepped in front of me, gripping the hem of her gown, her eyes full of jealousy and resentment. “Why do you always take everything from me, even when we were kids? You can have the dress, fine. But Benedict? I won’t give him up.” That one line sent the entire room into chaos. “Wait, what did she just say? The older daughter tried to steal her sister’s wedding dress and the groom?” With that chaos, our parents pushed through the crowd, their faces flushed with anger. “Kelly, are you out of your mind? You tried to burn us alive just because we wouldn’t let you steal your sister’s fiancé, and now you have the nerve to show up dressed like this to ruin the wedding?” my mom accused me. My father then snorted and warned, “Try us, go ahead. Keep this up, and we’ll call the police!”   Kelly’s POV Everyone was stunned. “Wait, what?! She was the one who started that fire at the Shelton estate two days ago? What a monster. Typical ugly on the outside and even worse on the inside. If I were her parents, I’d have disowned her ages ago!” All I wanted to do was laugh coldly. Ever since we were kids, my sister had always had her eyes on what was mine. Then she’d twist the story, acting like I was the one who stole from her, playing the victim with her soft little voice and pitiful eyes. And my parents? They always took her side. They helped her steal everything that was supposed to belong to me. So now, when I spoke up, I didn’t hold back. “You locked me up. Took away my freedom. What, I’m not even allowed to save myself?” I shot back, calm and sharp. But my father slapped me across the face. “You really want to say that in front of everyone? You know exactly why we locked you up. It’s because you shamelessly chased after your sister’s fiancé!” “What?! What’s going on here?” Benedict’s parents had just arrived, clearly confused by the chaos. After hearing my sister and parents pile their accusations against me, they exchanged uncertain glances. “But… when we came last week to propose, she didn’t say anything about wanting to marry Benedict,” Mrs. Antonia said. Still holding my stinging cheek, I let out a laugh. “Mr. and Mrs. Antonia, you’ve always been reasonable, and I appreciate that. I’ve already said it—me showing up at the bridal shop, and now here, was a coincidence. The man I’m marrying happens to be holding his wedding upstairs on the second floor.” The crowd burst into laughter. “The second floor? Isn’t that reserved for private VIP events? I’ve never heard of anyone holding a wedding up there!” My parents turned even redder with embarrassment. “Kelly! You’re such a liar, it’s disgusting. Get out! As of today, we no longer have a daughter like you!” In contrast to their expected reaction, I smiled with satisfaction. “Perfect. Everyone here heard that, right? I want you all to be witnesses. I don’t want anything to do with them anymore. I won’t be dragged down by this family ever again.” Mr. and Mrs. Antonia paused, confused. “Dragged down? What do you mean?” I pointed directly at my sister. “She can’t save your son. She never could.” My sister’s face turned pale, her eyes welling with tears. “Kelly, don’t you remember? A fortune teller said when we were born that both of us had the blessing to break the curse. Are you really going to stand here and accuse me just because you were the one who had to marry into the Antonia family instead?” Benedict immediately pulled her into his arms, glaring at me like I was filth. “Give it up, Kelly. The only woman I’ll ever love, ever marry, is Lindsay. You could stand in front of me naked and I still wouldn’t want you.” I rolled my eyes and scoffed, “You’re in such a rush to die, what do you want me to do, stop you? Well, I’m sorry, but I just feel sorry for your parents.” With that, I turned to leave, but Mrs. Antonia stepped in front of me. “Kelly, what you just said, is it true?” Her voice trembled slightly. “If it is, will you marry my son instead?” A mother’s heart was always the same. Just like in my last life, she was willing to cancel the wedding in front of everyone, just to protect her son. But Benedict growled through gritted teeth. “Mom! I told you I’m not marrying that woman! Don’t beg her!” He then turned to me, his expression dark and twisted. “Kelly, stop trying to manipulate everyone. I don’t care what tricks you pull, but I’ll never marry you.” But before anyone else could speak, a calm, steady voice rang out from behind us. “My woman doesn’t need to marry you.” The whole room went silent. Gasps echoed through the hall. When people turned to look, they saw a tall, sharp-suited man standing at the doorway. Mr. Antonia’s eyes went wide. “Evan?!” Evan Antonia gave a polite, faint smile. “Long time no see. How have you been, my brother?” Mr. Antonia was so flustered, he nodded quickly. “Good, good!” It was only then that the truth came out. The man in front of us was the son adopted by Benedict’s grandfather, the very same day Benedict was born. Technically, that made him Benedict’s uncle, even though they were the same age. And when Benedict realized that I was marrying his uncle, he completely lost it.

Kelly’s POV Benedict pulled me aside and whispered, “Kelly, you don’t need to marry him just to spite me. He’s just an outsider. I’m the rightful heir of our family. If you agree to what I said earlier, I promise I’ll spend the rest of the wedding night with you and I’ll treat you well after that.” But I yanked my hand away in disgust. “Did your brain get stuck in your gut? You’d have to be sick to say something that gross. Get out of my way. I’ve got a wedding to attend.” Furious, he snapped, “Fine! Just wait till the day I take over our family. When that happens, I’ll make sure you both die miserable deaths!” But instead of being threatened, I simply smiled coldly and replied, “Maybe worry about making it through tonight first.” Out of sympathy for Mrs. Antonia, I gave her one final warning. “You’re still young, Mrs. Antonia. You and your husband could always try for another child. Next time, be careful who you pick for a daughter-in-law.” With that, I gave Benedict one last look, the kind you’d give a dead man walking, and turned to leave. But my sister couldn’t hold it in any longer and blocked my path. “Kelly, stop trying to imply I can’t save Benedict. If you’ve got guts, how about we make a bet? If I help him survive tonight, you get down on your knees in front of me, Mom and Dad, apologize, admit you were wrong, and leave this city for good!” I paused, turned back, and smirked. “Sure. But let’s see who pulls it off first, you saving Benedict, or me saving Evan.” Once the wedding ceremony ended, everyone decided to stay overnight at the hotel to wait and see the outcome. After all, this was a once-in-a-century showdown. Who wouldn’t want to witness the legendary curse in action? While I was straddling Evan later that night, a voice message came through from Lindsay, full of smugness and spite. “Sis, Mom and Dad just said they’re officially cutting ties with you and leaving everything to me. And Benedict promised me that once he becomes head of their family, he’ll make sure you and that bastard Evan suffer horrible deaths. Even if you save him tonight, you’re still doomed. Better go pick out a grave while you’re at it hahaha!” Ignoring it, I tossed the phone aside and wrapped my arms around Evan’s neck. “Evan, someone just threatened me. What should I do?” He tightened his grip around my waist, his voice low and husky. “Don’t worry. I’ll deal with them, one by one. But right now, we’ve got more important things to take care of.” When the clock struck midnight, Evan let out a deep, satisfied breath as he held me tightly. Just then, a knock came at the door. From outside, a trembling voice pleaded, “Kelly, please… please help me!”

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Hannah Edwards ran me down with her car and killed me, Harley Edwards, and my entire family is actually helping her cover up the crime. My mother Bella Edwards, a forensic pathologist who despises evil, washed away my fingerprints with strong acid. My father Cooper Edwards, an upright police officer, destroyed all the related evidence. Even my brother Leon Edwards, a lawyer who lives by the principles of fairness and justice, hugged Hannah tenderly and promised to protect her safety. But they don’t know that the innocent victim who died so tragically was me. The day the truth came to light, the whole family went insane. ***** I’m dead. On a silent, deserted mountain road, I was killed by a sports car that appeared out of nowhere. The agony of having every bone in my body crushed was unforgettable, though thankfully my consciousness faded quickly, and the pain lasted only moments. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself floating in mid-air as a spirit. The sky was growing dark. I watched as the girl in the sports car ran out in panic, trembling as she reached out to check my breathing, then collapsed to the ground in terror. She frantically pulled out her phone to make a call, crying as she said she had killed someone. The moment she spoke, I immediately recognized her face. It was my sister Hannah Edwards, though she wasn’t my biological sister. Less than half an hour later, Bella, who should have been on duty at the hospital, rushed to the scene. She jogged over to Hannah’s side, frowning as she looked at the pool of blood on the ground. “Didn’t you tell me you were going out with coworkers? How did you end up racing cars in the mountains?” Hannah sobbed as she threw herself into Bella’s arms, her voice choked with tears. “I’m sorry, Mom. I just wanted to try out the new sports car. I never thought I’d kill someone. I don’t want to go to prison!” She cried while watching Bella’s expression carefully. Seeing her face soften, Hannah continued, “The general manager election is just a month away. If this gets out, my life will be completely ruined.” Upon hearing this, Bella’s originally stern expression became gentler. She beckoned to Hannah, then playfully tugged at her ear. She said, “You’ve never given me a moment’s peace since you were little. You’re in your twenties now—how can you still be so reckless?” Though her words were scolding, there wasn’t a trace of real reproach in her tone. Even I could hear the indulgence in her voice, let alone Hannah, who had always been good at reading people’s moods. She cried even harder, even saying through her tears that she would turn herself in and spend the rest of her life in prison. She said this, but kept stealing glances at Bella’s face the whole time. Surely Bella wouldn’t indulge Hannah this time, right? After all, this was a human life. But I was wrong. Bella put on gloves and efficiently collected the items the corpse was carrying. Phone, wallet, keys… If she had just opened the wallet and looked, she would have discovered it was me. But she didn’t. She coldly finished processing the scene and began using concentrated sulfuric acid to corrode my fingerprints. Even in my spirit form, I felt a sharp pain in my fingertips. My once-soft fingertips slowly revealed bloody bone under Bella’s ministrations. Yet her expression remained unchanged as she frowned at Hannah, who stood there in a daze. She said, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and call your father to come help!” Would Cooper really help a murderer? I was stunned. Cooper, who had always been upright and moral, surely wouldn’t condone his daughter fleeing from justice, would he? But once again, I was wrong. At first, Cooper reacted just like Bella, angrily scolding Hannah for being reckless. But when Hannah broke down crying, saying she should go to prison, his usually stern expression softened. He sighed while helping Bella dispose of the evidence. When Hannah backed up the sports car, my body was fully exposed before them. It was a horrific sight. My once delicate face had been crushed beyond recognition by the wheels, completely disfigured. My exposed fingers had been corroded by the sulfuric acid into something grotesque. Mud mixed with blood covered my mangled flesh, making it nauseating to look at. Seeing this scene, Hannah immediately ran to a nearby grove and started vomiting. Cooper and Bella exchanged glances and, with practiced coordination, picked up the tools they had prepared and began dismembering the body. Even though I was just a soul and could no longer feel physical pain, why did my heart still ache so much that I wanted to cry? It gradually started to rain, getting heavier and heavier. The large raindrops hit their faces with audible splashes. Rain was the perfect tool for washing away bloodstains and covering up evidence, but it also seriously slowed down Cooper and Bella’s progress. Moreover, the longer they stayed here, the greater their chance of being discovered. So they picked up the pace, hacking at my leg bones without flinching. If one strike didn’t work, they’d use two. But when Bella touched my right leg, she suddenly froze. Following her gaze, I saw what she was holding in her palm – a crooked, jagged scar. It was from when I had first been brought back to Edwards Villa, when Hannah pushed me down the stairs and I got cut. I remembered how my blood had stained the white carpet red. But Cooper and Bella had only cared about checking Hannah’s hands for bloodstains, anxiously wanting to take her to the hospital. Hannah had refused, saying tearfully that she shouldn’t have been roughhousing with me, causing me to fall down the stairs. They had only glanced at me coldly and said, “Harley grew up in the mountains – how could she be afraid of a little pain?” But children who grew up in the mountains still bleed red blood. When people get hurt, how can they not feel pain? Bella’s hesitation made Cooper, who was busy working, impatient. He nudged her with his elbow: “What are you spacing out for? If someone comes by later, Hannah’s entire life will be ruined!” “Cooper, I feel like…” Bella’s voice was trembling. He cut her off: “Feel like what? You’ve been a medical examiner for so many years – are you getting squeamish now?” He frowned as he stuffed the pieces of flesh into bags: “Stop daydreaming. Time’s running out.” Hearing this, Bella, who had been hesitating, also picked up her pace. But I could clearly see a hint of barely concealed panic in her eyes. Perhaps she was also worried that her career would end with this dismemberment case. But in their hearts, Hannah’s bright future was more important. In the end, I watched as my body was divided into dozens of bags, then stuffed into paint buckets. It turned out that both Cooper and Bella had been prepared to destroy the evidence all along. But they left in such a hurry that they didn’t even notice when my ID card accidentally fell out of one of the bags. Also overlooked were the mushrooms that had been trampled into mush.

My biological parents perfectly covered up all traces of their crime and brought a shaken Hannah back home. My soul followed them as they drifted all the way back to the house I hadn’t seen in five years. To be precise, that place was never truly my home. Cooper and Bella brought me back, but they never treated me as their biological daughter. My excellent grades couldn’t earn their attention. Whenever Hannah cried and complained, they immediately assumed I was deliberately bullying their most beloved daughter. Due to three years of school bullying, I had bruises on my face that would never fade. But in their eyes, this became evidence of my unruly behavior. Even when Hannah pushed me into the swimming pool right in front of them during dinner, they thought we were just playing around. Such favoritism had been playing out every single day since the moment I stepped into the Edwards mansion. I endured it for three years, until I finally exploded when Hannah tried to tear up my college acceptance letter. What right did she have to so easily destroy my life? I beat her up thoroughly. Watching her lying on the ground in such a pathetic state, I felt satisfaction for the first time. But soon, Cooper and Bella came home early and witnessed this scene. Without even asking why Hannah and I had fought, they grabbed a stick as thick as an arm and beat me mercilessly. My biological parents gave me life but never gave me an ounce of love. I didn’t resist this punishment, but silently drew a clear line between us in my heart. I no longer wanted parents who didn’t love me. From that day on, I moved out of the Edwards mansion and frantically worked multiple part-time jobs during the brief time I had. In the scorching summer heat, even air-conditioned rooms felt stuffy, yet I wore suffocating mascot costumes to hand out flyers. Meanwhile, Hannah used the black card Cooper and Bella gave her to spend lavishly at the mall. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t envious, but I believed my future would be better than hers! I would bring Grandma Vanessa Edwards, who raised me, to establish roots in the city together. But plans never keep up with changes. The children in the mountains sent me letters asking what the outside world was really like. I suddenly realized that the meaning of my hard work wasn’t to escape the mountains. I gave up a million-dollar annual investment manager position and chose to return to the mountains. I went into the mountains hoping to help those children come out of the mountains. But even this small wish of mine was destroyed by Hannah. Cooper and Bella wore grave expressions, while Hannah looked utterly panicked. Leon, sitting on the sofa, immediately sensed something was wrong. Leon had gone viral online for his handsome appearance, earning him the title of “Most Handsome Lawyer” from netizens. But what truly made him famous was his professional expertise. Nearly ten years into his legal career, he specialized in advocating for victims and had never lost a single case. He stood up, frowning as he sniffed near Cooper and Bella, asking in confusion, “Mom, why do you smell so strongly of blood tonight?” Indeed, Bella was someone with a cleanliness obsession. Every time she returned from the hospital, she carried the scent of disinfectant. Yet tonight, the metallic smell of blood was so heavy it made Leon suspicious. He then looked at Hannah and said, “And you…” Before he could finish, he noticed obvious red stains on the hem of her pants. He crouched down and touched the stained area, immediately finding red on his fingertips. He stood up abruptly, holding his bloodstained fingertips in front of all three of them. “Don’t tell me the whole family went hunting in the suburbs in the middle of the night,” he said. “Leon, don’t bring your work methods into family matters,” Cooper said, slapping his hand down. “Get some rest early and stop overthinking.” After speaking, he frowned and glanced meaningfully at the dazed Hannah, signaling her not to say anything more. Cooper and Bella then went upstairs to begin destroying evidence. Knowing he wouldn’t get answers from them, Leon turned his scrutinizing gaze toward Hannah. “Are you sure you haven’t done anything you shouldn’t have?” he asked. Hannah bit her lip, forcing herself not to reveal the truth about killing someone. But under Leon’s probing, she finally couldn’t hold it together anymore and blurted out, “Leon, I killed someone. I’m going to turn myself in right now.” Leon frowned and said, “Do Mom and Dad know that you…” He stopped mid-sentence. There seemed to be a strange smell in the air, and he immediately covered his nose and mouth. His heart tightened, and he rushed upstairs, pushing open Cooper and Bella’s bedroom door without knocking. The room was filled with smoke—all my documents had been burned. Leon quickly grabbed a wet towel to extinguish the flames, but everything inside had been almost completely burned, except for one photo that had been in a wallet. A photo that was nearly half-burned. Cooper and Bella stood frozen, clearly not expecting him to arrive so quickly. At that moment, Hannah had followed him upstairs, her eyes full of pleading. “Leon, you don’t want to see me ruined, do you? I’m your most beloved little sister.” Hearing her say this, I didn’t even need to guess—I knew Leon would compromise just like Cooper and Bella had. But there was still a voice in my heart saying, “What if? What if Leon chooses to stand with the victim?” Just like how he fought for the underdog in court, securing justice and compensation for plaintiffs. But Leon, usually so eloquent and persuasive, let out a deep sigh amid Hannah’s repeated pleas. He chose silence, crumpling the photo tightly in his hand before stuffing it into his pocket. Then he crouched down, pulling the trembling Hannah into a tight embrace, softly comforting her. “I’m your brother first, and a lawyer second. I’ll protect you, even if it costs me everything.” Cooper and Bella were moved by this display of sibling affection, quickly urging them both to stand up while constantly murmuring about how this was what a real family looked like. Watching this heartwarming yet absurd scene, I felt nothing but bone-deep cold. I used to naively think they simply favored Hannah, but now I could see that this favoritism had long since evolved into boundless indulgence. Even if it meant trampling on the law, they were willing to do it gladly.

The day after my death, the mountain village classroom that should have been filled with the sound of reading was completely silent. The students sat quietly looking at their books, sometimes propping their little heads up with their hands as they stared blankly at the doorway. I knew they were waiting for me to come teach. But my innocent, kindhearted students had no idea that I would never return to teach them again. Principal Oscar Sanchez was the first to sense something was wrong. He had the students start practicing their handwriting, then stepped out of the classroom and dialed my number. A long busy tone came from the other end. Oscar couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “Harley usually seems pretty reliable. Why hasn’t she come to class today?” Without giving it much thought, assuming I’d simply overslept, he walked all the way to my little house. It was a small place, but it had been my home since childhood. I wasn’t lucky enough—someone else had stolen away what should have been my wealthy life. But I was also fortunate to have a grandmother who loved me dearly. When I was bullied, she would hold me with heartache, trembling as she leaned on her cane, going door to door to seek justice for me. When those troublemakers’ parents scolded me, Vanessa never blamed me. Instead, she would say firmly, “I know my child’s character very well!” But this grandmother who loved me so much, when she learned I wasn’t her biological granddaughter, didn’t hesitate to let the Edwards family take me away. She said, “You don’t belong here.” But she had no idea that I didn’t belong with the Edwards family either. At first I hated her—hated how decisively she abandoned me. But when I saw in the big city those landscapes I’d only seen in textbooks, I finally understood why she was so eager for the Edwards family to take me away. This limping old woman had never left the mountains, but she wanted her granddaughter to get out. By the time I understood, it was already too late. The only person in this world who loved me died of a stroke shortly after my high school graduation. That grandmother who had me constantly on her mind was placed in a tiny box. I silently endured the Edwards family’s indifference and favoritism only so that the grandmother who worried about me could have peace of mind. I wanted to tell her that I was doing well in the city, that I was doing well at the Edwards Villa. That way, she could worry less about me and wouldn’t have to work herself to death for my tuition. But she died, and my only tie to this world was gone. Breaking ties with the Edwards family wasn’t as difficult as I’d imagined. Oscar stood at the door calling my name, but there was never any response. He stared at the tightly locked door and finally turned around to head back to school. This time, to save time, he chose the same secluded path I had taken the night before. Not far from the narrow trail was a racetrack designed specifically for sports cars. Halfway through his walk, Oscar stopped at the spot where I had died. A pack of weasels was tearing at the remaining scraps of flesh. The moment Oscar appeared, they scattered and fled. Weasels are nocturnal animals, and this unusual behavior made Oscar’s heart tighten. He gripped his phone and cautiously approached. But it was just a pile of mangled flesh. Wild animals frequently roamed these mountains, so such a sight didn’t seem particularly unusual. As he lifted his foot to leave, he unexpectedly spotted my ID card. When he picked it up, the mud on it still bore traces of blood. He chuckled and shook his head, saying, “So even Harley has careless moments—dropping her ID while going into the city.” But as he prepared to slip the ID into his pocket, his expression suddenly changed. His lips trembling, he muttered to himself, “That can’t be possible, right? Harley couldn’t be that unlucky, could she?” Though his words expressed disbelief, his hands were already shaking as he dialed the police. When the officers arrived, Oscar’s forehead was already covered in cold sweat. The experienced police quickly cordoned off the scene with yellow tape and began their investigation. They collected blood samples, gathered tissue remnants, and carefully combed through the surrounding area, hoping to find other body parts. But no matter how thoroughly they searched the entire mountain, they would never find any more clues. Because Cooper and Bella had already divided my remains into over a dozen sealed bags and thrown them into the river, making them nearly impossible to find. While the police conducted their investigation, Hannah leveraged her family background to become the company’s general manager without any suspense. When she shared this news with her family, everyone celebrated for her and said they would throw her a party. The tissue samples couldn’t be completely reassembled, and DNA comparison failed due to severely damaged specimens. When Oscar learned that the victim’s identity hadn’t been confirmed yet, he actually felt relieved and hurriedly reported my disappearance to the police. He said, “I’m certain this person absolutely cannot be Ms. Edwards! She never makes enemies with anyone—she has such a gentle personality. You must help me find her! I haven’t seen her for a whole day, and she’s not answering her phone. I’m really worried!” Unfortunately, since less than forty-eight hours had passed, the police couldn’t open a case file and could only patiently advise Oscar to come to the station as soon as the conditions were met. Meanwhile, the officer quietly wrote my name in his notebook with “suspected victim” noted beside it, which made my eyes sting with tears. Oscar asked about the missing person case filing procedures over and over again, determined to find me. His anxious, worried appearance made him look like my actual family member. But where were my real family members? What were they doing? To celebrate Hannah’s promotion, Cooper, Bella, and Leon—who were usually busy—all took the day off and threw her a party at New York’s most luxurious hotel. Thanks to the connections they’d built over many years, political and business elites flocked to offer their congratulations. They all praised Hannah for being young and accomplished, commending Cooper and Bella for raising such an excellent daughter. They also said they envied Cooper and Bella for having such outstanding children. Bella smiled and responded warmly, completely different from her previous coldness. For Hannah’s future career, she spared no effort. Until someone casually mentioned, “I remember you have another child, right? Her academic performance is quite good too.” Bella’s smile froze on her face, and her gaze gradually turned icy. She sneered, “What good does academic success do? She’s ungrateful—the moment she got into college, she cut off contact with us. Who knows where she’s living it up now!” When speaking about me, her tone was full of contempt and disgust. The person quickly apologized and steered the conversation back to Hannah, and only then did Bella’s expression soften slightly. But soon, the lively gathering was interrupted by a phone call. Bella frowned and asked, “Is this matter really that urgent?” After hearing whatever the caller said, Bella quickly walked to Hannah’s side to apologize for suddenly leaving. After speaking, she hurried toward the hotel exit. Soon after, Cooper was also called away by a phone call. In the end, only Leon remained by Hannah’s side. Cooper and Bella’s affection had always belonged to Hannah alone. They had promised to attend my parent-teacher conferences, but each time Hannah would throw tantrums and create scenes, and in the end, they would both choose to attend her conferences instead. Though they were one set of parents, they couldn’t spare even the slightest bit of love for me.

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I promised to transfer schools with my bullied boyfriend, but the day before we were supposed to finalize the papers, he backed out. His friend joked, “Seriously, dude? All that fake bullying just to get Aria Blackwood to leave?” “But you’re her boyfriend. Are you really going to let her go to a new school all alone?” Liam Thorne shrugged, his voice indifferent. “It’s just another school in the same city. How far could it be?” “I’m tired of her clinging to me all the time. This works out perfectly.” I stood outside that door for a long time that day, eventually choosing to turn and leave. But on my transfer application, I secretly changed the name of the local high school to the international boarding school my parents had always pushed me towards. Everyone seemed to forget, he and I were always worlds apart. The moment I heard the truth, my heart violently shuddered. For the past month, Liam had been ganged up on and falsely accused too many times to count. I tried my best to protect him from harm, but there were always slip-ups. Finally fed up, I suggested he transfer schools. Liam had just been drenched in ice water, his handsome face pale and pitiful. He helplessly clutched my hand. “Aria, I’m scared to go to a new environment alone.” Liam and I had practically grown up together. We’d been walking to and from school together since kindergarten, a routine that hadn’t changed in over a decade. Besides, I secretly had a crush on him. So, in a rush of emotion, I promised him, “Don’t be afraid. Wherever you go, I’ll go with you.” But only now did I realize that everything he’d done was an elaborate charade just to get rid of me. I couldn’t help but wonder, did Liam Thorne really hate me *that* much? The voices in the private room continued, “Aria Blackwood is completely devoted to you, you know.” “Aren’t you afraid she’ll fall for someone else if you send her to another school?” “Her?” Liam scoffed, as if he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world. “She dared to break up a group beating for me. She got beaten black and blue, didn’t back down an inch, and you think she’d change her mind about me?” Someone whispered, “But what if she does? Aria Blackwood isn’t the type to be pushed around.” Liam’s voice was lazy. “There’s no ‘what if.’ There are plenty of rich guys at this school. When have you ever seen her even look at anyone else?” His voice couldn’t help but be tinged with contempt. “All she does is follow me around. Even a lapdog isn’t as clingy as she is.” Harsh laughter filled the room, feeling like a slap across my face. I wanted to leave, but my feet felt rooted to the spot, making me listen, and making me ache. Someone clicked their tongue in surprise. “First time I’ve seen someone actively push away a girl who’s head over heels for them. I gotta hand it to you, man.” “But if you don’t like Aria Blackwood being so clingy, why don’t you just tell her? Aria doesn’t seem like the type to beg or chase you.” Liam ‘tsk’ed, growing impatient. “Aria Blackwood’s too… assertive. If I just told her directly, it wouldn’t be easy to get her to leave.” He changed the subject. “Besides, Chloe gets so insecure and sad whenever she sees her. She only feels better when I’m around.” “For Chloe’s sake, I had no choice but to do this. Aria will just have to be inconvenienced for a while.” At that, everyone instantly understood. Doing the math, Liam decided to fake being bullied exactly one week after Chloe Davis transferred to our school. Someone laughed and cursed Liam. “You sly dog, you fell for the sweet, innocent act the second she showed up?” “But Chloe really is genuinely delicate and charming, with a fragile personality. It’s only natural for a man to be attracted to her.” “Not like Aria Blackwood. Her personality is so stern, always wearing a cold face and keeping everyone at arm’s length. Doesn’t matter how pretty she is.” The unrestrained comments about me surged like waves, one after another, in the private room. And Liam Thorne, who I’d secretly liked for years, didn’t stop them, didn’t refute them, and even agreed with them now and then. Standing outside the door, my heart sank heavily into an abyss, feeling empty and numb, yet aching with a dull pain. For a moment, I wanted to open the door and loudly confront Liam. Ask him why he lied to me. Ask him if he ever felt a flicker of guilt or compassion, watching me get beaten for protecting him. Ask him if he ever thought about our decade-plus friendship when he did all of this. But then my mother’s words echoed in my ears: *Don’t do anything unnecessary.* People don’t just rot overnight. I turned and left that private room.

A creeping ache, one I only fully registered later. I wouldn’t have been this upset normally; it would have just been a friend’s betrayal, no big deal. But that line, the one that kept us just “friends,” Liam was the first to cross it. The day I decided to transfer schools with Liam, he took me to a bar to celebrate our “freedom” with a drink. The dim, intimate lighting enveloped us. I looked at the person I had secretly liked for years, feeling a little dazed. So, when he leaned in to kiss me, I didn’t resist. Years of suppressed feelings surged wildly to the surface. Unable to control my emotions, I couldn’t help but ask for confirmation, “Liam, what are we now?” Liam affectionately kissed my forehead again. “Silly girl, what other relationship could it be?” Cheers erupted in the private room, the atmosphere electric, mirroring the burgeoning passion within me. I never imagined that just two days later, I’d hear Liam himself shatter my one-sided affection. I smiled, but tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. So that ambiguous rhetorical question, that was also just Liam trying to trick me and get me to leave quickly for Chloe, right? The wind chimes in my bedroom tinkled, slowly drying my tears. My broken heart slowly pieced itself back together. Liam was wrong. He was the illegitimate son of the Thorne family, and I was the sole heiress of the Blackwood family. We truly shouldn’t be so intertwined. Because we were a mismatch. The transfer application in my hand was soaked with my tears, the ink bleeding, making it messy and unreadable. But it didn’t matter. This one was ruined; I’d just get a clean one. The Blackwood family never lacked options. I reprinted a new form. But when it came to the “transfer to school” section, I called my mother. “Mom, that international high school you mentioned wanting me to attend, which one was it?” “Yes, I’ll go alone.” The wind chimes in my room made a clear, melodious sound, as if celebrating for me. I gently closed my eyes. This time, it wasn’t Liam Thorne’s face that appeared before me. A man who bore a faint resemblance to Liam, but was far more handsome and striking, smiled at me, with the same certainty and earnestness as two years ago. “Aria Blackwood, sooner or later, you’ll give up on Liam Thorne and choose me.” Back then, I thought he was joking. Now, I silently repeated to myself: *Liam Thorne, I really don’t want you anymore.* After filling out the new application form, I let out a long breath, my heart already quietly calm. The knock on my bedroom door suddenly startled me. I froze. I lived alone in this house. The only person who knew the password was… I opened the door and, sure enough, saw Liam Thorne’s face. His voice was as gentle as ever. “Aria, you haven’t come to say goodbye to our friends for a long time. I was worried about you.” I tried to keep my voice calm. “I’m not feeling so well, so I’m not going.” Just as I was about to dismiss him, my peripheral vision caught an unexpected figure. Chloe Davis’s petite figure huddled next to Liam, and she flinched the moment our eyes met. Liam, attentive to her every move, immediately pulled her loosely into his embrace. “Aria, you scared Chloe.” It was always like this. Chloe always put on this fragile demeanor, as if she was afraid I’d bully her, making me out to be some evil villain. But I hadn’t done anything. My expression turned cold. “I told you, I don’t like people coming to my house.” Liam frowned slightly, annoyed. “Chloe isn’t an outsider.” “Besides, she only came because she was worried about you.” Before I could argue, Chloe’s eyes suddenly welled up. “Aria, I’m so sorry. I know you’ve always had a problem with me because I don’t come from as much, but I promise I’m careful.” Tears streaming down her face, she added, “I won’t dirty your beautiful home…” Hearing this, Liam immediately frowned, looking at me with displeasure. “Aria, Chloe just has a difficult family background, but she’s not as bad as you’re making her out to be. Your attitude towards her truly disappoints me.” Chloe carefully tugged at Liam’s sleeve, appearing forgiving and understanding. “Liam, it’s okay, please don’t argue with Aria…” She sniffled, forcing a wronged yet stubborn smile. “After all, Aria said you two are childhood sweethearts. How could I ever compare to a relationship like that…?” “What are you talking about? You’re unique.” Liam tenderly cupped Chloe’s face, coaxing her in soft tones. Then he turned to me, his face as cold as ice. He spoke gravely, “Chloe’s upset, so I’m taking her home now.” “You should take some time to reflect. And don’t forget to finalize those transfer papers.” I did reflect—on my terrible judgment of character. Then I promptly changed the password to my front door. The pent-up frustration in my heart finally found a moment of release.

The next day, I took my new application form to school to get it signed. Watching that bright red mark, signifying my departure, being firmly stamped on the paper, my heart suddenly felt empty for a moment. After a brief愣怔 moment, someone blocked my path. Liam Thorne frowned slightly. “Aria, you changed your front door password?” “I went to your place right after dropping Chloe off yesterday, but the door wouldn’t open…” I cut him off, concisely. “Yeah, I changed it.” He seemed displeased, as if nothing had happened, and asked intimately, “What’s the new password? So I can come to your place and take care of you.” I said calmly, “No need. I won’t be living here after I transfer.” Liam looked at the folded application form in my hand, as if suddenly remembering. “Oh, I completely forgot about that.” “Aria, don’t worry, I’ll come get mine signed tomorrow.” Such casual chats, walking side-by-side with Liam, had become increasingly rare since Chloe transferred to our school. I closed my eyes, indulging in a moment of reluctance, then tentatively said, “Between us, what’s there to worry about?” Liam was silent for a long time, then abruptly spoke. “Aria, actually, I…” Chloe suddenly appeared behind Liam, carrying a stack of notebooks. She complained to him affectionately, “Liam, didn’t you say you’d help me with my tutoring? Why did you suddenly disappear?” Saying this, she handed Liam the notes. “I saw your study plan goes out two months, so I prepared the corresponding study materials.” She winked playfully. “Liam, you won’t mind me peeking, will you?” “Of course not…” Liam’s smile was strained. He nervously glanced at me. Seeing no reaction from me, a faint look of disappointment crossed his face. So, while pushing me away, you were already planning a future with someone else. Just a future that never included me. I tried my best to maintain a dignified composure, but deep inside, a bitter taste spread like a rich wine. I squeezed my palm, forcing myself to clear my head. “You two chat. I’m leaving.” Chloe feigned surprise, acting as if she had just noticed me, as if I had startled her. “Ar-Aria…” “Are you upset because Liam and I are studying together?” “But I come from a modest background, not like you with all your resources…” As she spoke, she started to sniffle again. I didn’t want to play along with her act, so I said coldly, “Move.” The sparse guilt in Liam’s eyes vanished. He grabbed my wrist, his voice laced with anger. “Aria Blackwood, what kind of tone is that?” Without another word, he dragged me in front of Chloe and yelled, “Apologize to Chloe!” The last sanctuary in my heart silently crumbled into desolate rubble. This time, I didn’t hesitate. I raised my hand and slapped Liam Thorne hard. “Liam Thorne, the one who should be apologizing is you.” “But not to Chloe Davis. To me.”

I started sorting through all the things Liam had given me over the past decade. This necklace was his eighteenth birthday gift to me. I wore it to school once, and not long after, I saw Chloe wearing an identical one. She bashfully said, “Liam told me that anything anyone else has, I’ll have too…” Only the box of the limited edition teddy bear remained. Liam took the bear, saying he liked the perfume I’d sprayed on it. But the very next day, I saw it sitting on Chloe’s desk. And the high heels for my eighteenth birthday, the indigo aromatherapy diffuser… It turned out that what I thought was uniquely mine had already been given equally to others by Liam. Or not even equally. I recalled Liam’s boundless protectiveness and endless favoritism towards Chloe. A cynical smile tugged at the corner of my lips. If that was the case, these things had no reason to exist. I booked a flight for the next day, preparing to spend my last night in peace. At two in the morning, I was woken by a phone call. I groggily answered, but the line remained silent. Just as I was about to hang up, Liam’s voice came through. “Aria, I’m sorry.” My mind instantly cleared. If he was finally going to tell the truth… Liam’s voice deepened. “Chloe self-harmed. I can’t leave her alone right now, so the transfer application, I’ll get to it a bit later…” My heart, which had soared with a sudden hope, crashed back down to earth, pathetic and ridiculous. I suddenly wanted to ask Liam, what about all the pain I suffered because you faked being bullied? Liam’s voice continued, “Just apologize.” I thought I’d misheard him. “What did you say?” Liam’s voice was firm. “Aria Blackwood, you really should apologize to Chloe.” “Can you honestly say Chloe’s self-harm has nothing to do with you?” I was suddenly speechless. Because I suddenly understood that with Chloe around, every word I said would be wrong. Liam spoke again, his voice like cold steel. “Aria Blackwood, you truly disappoint me.” “Just apologize, and I can pretend none of this happened. I’ll even come to the new school with you in two months.” “Are you really going to be so selfish and throw away all these years of our connection?” I heard the threat in his words. But there was no longer any resentment or sadness, only annoyance. I sharply hung up the phone, blocked his number, and deleted his contact. I eagerly anticipated my flight tomorrow. The foreign scenery felt fresh and new, and someone took my luggage. I looked up and met the eyes of the legitimate heir of the Thorne family. “Aria Blackwood, long time no see.” I reached out, a gentle smile on my face. “Long time no see, Julian Sterling.” My phone rang, interrupting our pleasantries. I swiped the screen, only to find it was one of Liam’s friends’ numbers. Puzzled, I answered. Liam’s voice, faintly anxious, came through. “Aria, which class did you transfer to at Northwood High?” “Why does everyone in every class say they haven’t seen you?” Before I could speak, Julian’s voice chimed in, “Aria, should I show you around your new school first?” His expression was innocent, as if he were just genuinely helpful. Liam’s voice immediately rose. “Aria, are you with Julian Sterling?!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298986”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

Before the semester started, my stepmom, Brenda, broke my leg to steal my college spot for her son, Kyle. She dragged me to a garage in the suburbs with an “Authorized Personnel Only” sign. “Skylar, the guys here love little girls like you. Just rot here.” With that, she drove off, leaving me behind. A few greasy men, their arms covered in tattoos, circled me, their gazes menacing. I closed my eyes in despair. But Jax, the scarred man leading them, kicked away one of his subordinates who was getting too close. “What are you looking at? Never seen a broken leg before?” He squatted down, pinching my shattered bone with his rough fingers, his brow furrowed. “Damn, that’s brutal. Someone really didn’t hold back. Reminds me of the good old days.” This garage wasn’t just a garage; it was a sanctuary for tough guys, most of whom had seen the inside of a cell more than once. They silently carried me inside. Pops, who used to be a black-market doctor, set my bone. Jax handed me a wrench. “Want revenge?” “First, learn how to fix cars. Later, it’ll make breaking people easier.”

My left leg throbbed with excruciating pain. I huddled on the floor, cold sweat blurring my vision. “Boss, where’d this chick come from? Looks like a student.” Vince, a tall, lean guy, squatted in front of me, a cigarette unlit in his mouth, asking indistinctly. Another voice, impatient, cut in: “Who cares? Look at the license plate. She’s from the city.” “Probably messed with the wrong people and got tossed here to die.” To die. The word clenched my heart, hurting more than my leg. Through my blurry vision, a few towering figures surrounded me like mountains. The air smelled of motor oil. “Damn, those eyes, all teary. Almost makes you feel bad.” Mitch, a guy with bleached blonde hair, reached out, trying to touch my face. A hand slapped his away. “Monkey, keep your paws to yourself.” It was Jax, the scarred man, the boss of this garage. I later learned everyone called him Jax. He squatted, bringing his gaze level with mine. The scar, stretching from his eyebrow to the corner of his mouth, seemed particularly savage with his movement. “Who did this?” he asked, his voice low and heavy. I bit my lip, the metallic taste of blood spreading in my mouth. “My… stepmom.” He didn’t press further, just examined my leg. His touch was surprisingly gentle, avoiding the most painful spots. “Clean break. Single impact. No hesitation there.” “Someone really wanted to hurt her.” He delivered his verdict as if evaluating a car part, not a human leg. “Jax, what… what do we do? Take her to the hospital?” Vince asked. “Hospital? Whose ID would we use? Yours? Mine?” Jax sneered. “Any one of us steps foot in a hospital, and they’ll run our names, dig up everything. We’re not exactly law-abiding citizens, remember?” Vince immediately shut up. “Then… just leave her here?” Mitch whispered. “It’ll be dark soon. Plenty of strays out there. She won’t make it through the night.” My heart squeezed tight. I didn’t want to die. Why should I die here? I used every ounce of strength I had, reaching out and grabbing Jax’s pant leg. It was covered in grease stains. “Save me…” My voice trembled uncontrollably. “Please.” Jax looked down at my hand clutching him. He remained silent, neither agreeing nor refusing. The air around us seemed to freeze. My life hung in the balance, at his whim. “Damn it, what a pain,” he finally muttered, cursing. He stood up, yelling toward the backroom: “Pops! Grab your gear! We’ve got a situation here!” He didn’t look at me again, turning and walking inside. Two men, Vince and Tank, flanked me, hoisting me up. Their movements were rough. When they jostled my broken leg, I cried out, my vision darkening, almost passing out. I was dragged into the inner room of the garage. It was even messier than the outside, with parts and tools scattered everywhere. A few framed certificates, reading “Expert Craftsmanship, Top-Tier Service,” hung crookedly on the wall. An old man in a grease-stained work coat walked over. He carried an old medical kit. When he opened it, there wasn’t a stethoscope or medicine, but a chilling array of gleaming steel pins, hammers, and pliers. “Jax,” Pops grumbled, “I’m telling you, I’ve only ever patched up livestock. A live human, a young girl no less? I’ve got no experience.” “Less talk,” Jax cut him off, handing him a bottle of cheap whiskey. “Treat her like a damn animal if you have to.” Pops poured the liquor onto my wound. The searing pain as it seeped into my bone and flesh made me scream. “Hold her down,” Jax commanded. Tank and Vince immediately pinned me. Pops picked up a pair of pliers, aiming for my dislocated bone. “Hang in there, kid.” I squeezed my eyes shut, tears streaming down my temples. Just before the excruciating pain hit, I heard Jax whisper softly in my ear. He said: “If you want revenge, first, survive.”

“CRACK!” A sharp snap, accompanied by my scream, echoed through the garage. I lay drenched in sweat on the makeshift bed, every breath a stab of pain. Pops skillfully splinted my leg with two wooden boards and bandages. “Alright, bone’s set.” “No walking for three months. Whether it heals properly is up to her.” Pops wiped the blood and whiskey from his hands, turning to Jax. “This kid’s bones are thin, brittle. Whoever did this really didn’t hold back.” Jax said nothing, pulling a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offering one to Pops. The two walked to the doorway, lit up, and smoke swirled around their faces. “Boss, are we really keeping her?” Vince asked, leaning in. “She’s a huge problem.” “What if her family comes looking for her…” “Her family?” Jax blew a smoke ring, his voice dripping sarcasm. “The kind of family that beats you half to death and dumps you here to die? They’d probably be happier if she was gone.” My consciousness blurred, but my mind uncontrollably replayed scenes. My senior year parent-teacher conference. Brenda, my stepmom, in an elegant suit, arm linked with my father, David, smiled politely at the teacher. “Our Skylar is just too introverted, she doesn’t know how to fight for what she wants.” “Not like our Kyle, he’s lively and outgoing, everyone loves him.” The teacher smiled awkwardly: “Skylar’s grades are excellent, always top of her class. Getting into a good university won’t be a problem.” Brenda’s smile faded: “Girls, what’s the point of studying so much? She’ll just get married eventually.” “Now for boys, a good education is everything.” David stood by silently, never saying a word. His silence was as good as a ‘yes’. From the day my mother passed away and David brought Brenda and her son, Kyle, home. I became an outsider in my own house. Kyle broke the only memento my mother left me, and Brenda said: “He’s just a child, Skylar. You’re the older sister, you should be understanding.” Kyle stole my allowance to buy the latest gaming console, and Brenda said: “We’re family, there’s no ‘yours’ and ‘mine’.” And my father always had just one thing to say: “Listen to your Aunt Brenda.” This time, I received an acceptance letter from a top university. Kyle barely got into a low-tier local college. Brenda stared at my acceptance letter, her eyes filled with undisguised envy. She begged me to give my spot to Kyle. There was no way I would agree. And then, everything happened today. She swung a baseball bat at my leg. David stood nearby, turning his face away, offering no resistance. “Skylar, don’t blame me,” Brenda’s voice was soft yet cruel. “Kyle’s future is more important than yours. He has to get that spot.” “Just consider it a sacrifice for your little brother.” A sacrifice. My future, my life, in their eyes, was something that could be casually sacrificed. “Awake?” Jax’s voice pulled me back from my agonizing memories. I opened my eyes, meeting his deep, unfathomable gaze. “Drink,” he said, holding a chipped enamel bowl to my lips. Inside was warm, soft rice porridge. I parted my dry, cracked lips and swallowed mechanically. A warm current flowed into my stomach, dispelling some of the cold. “What’s your name?” he asked. “Skylar.” “Skylar,” he repeated, without much emotion. “From today on, you’ll stay here.” “When your leg heals, you’ll work to pay off your medical bills and food.” “If you want to leave, you can, anytime.” “But step outside that door, and whether you live or die is none of our business.” He spoke coldly, yet it was the most sensible thing I’d heard in over a decade. None of that phony ‘I’m doing this for your benefit’ crap. “Why?” I asked, my voice still weak. “Why did you save me?” We were strangers; taking me in brought them nothing but trouble. Jax took the empty bowl, tossing it into the sink with a clang. He stood with his back to me, his tall frame blocking the dim light. “I used to have a sister,” his voice was low, as if speaking of something very distant. “She was about your age, and her grades were good too.” He paused, and I could feel the sadness emanating from him. “Later, she died.” “Her piece-of-shit stepfather beat her to death.” “All to get his own kid a chance at a good life, a ticket out of this dump.”

Jax never spoke of his sister again, and no one at the garage dared to ask. But from that day on, my status here changed. From a nuisance, I became a tacitly accepted presence. My bed was set up in the storage room, a simple cot made of wooden planks. Though crude, at least I had my own space. Pops came every day to change my dressing, grumbling, but his movements were gentle. “Girls shouldn’t have nasty scars. Jax said to use the best medicine on you.” He complained while applying a dark, gooey ointment. “This is my top-shelf secret formula, kid. Don’t tell anyone.” Mitch, the blonde kid, the one who tried to touch my face, would secretly slip me snacks, usually a lollipop or a bag of nearly expired chips. “Here, candy. Candy makes the pain go away.” He grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, a surprisingly innocent contrast to his intimidating tattoos. Tank was in charge of my meals, three times a day, like clockwork. Though the food was simple, there was always a bowl of hot soup. Every one of them had a record, and every one carried a past they couldn’t bear to look back on. They were rough and volatile, but they all looked out for me. A month later, my leg gradually deflated, and the pain subsided. Jax tossed me a book thick as a brick: Automotive Construction and Repair. “You’re just sitting around anyway, read a book.” I held the greasy book, turning the pages one by one. Every part diagram, every mechanical principle, was like Greek to me. “Can’t understand it?” Jax had appeared behind me without a sound. I nodded. He pulled up a stool and sat down, picking up a wrench and pointing at a diagram in the book: “This is the engine, the car’s heart.” “Pistons, connecting rods, crankshaft… they’re like the bones and joints of a body, working together to create power.” His explanations weren’t like a textbook lecture; they were vivid analogies. “See this clutch? Total jerk. Grabs on tight when it needs you, then kicks you to the curb the second it doesn’t.” “And the brake system? That’s your lifeline.” “If these brakes go soft on you when it matters most, you’re not calling a mechanic; you’re calling a coroner.” I listened, captivated. These cold machines, in his mouth, seemed to acquire life and personality. Days passed in this strange calm. By day, I read, and I listened to Jax talk about cars. By night, I fell asleep to the sounds of card games, curses, and occasional arguments from outside. I rarely spoke, spending most of my time in silence. Until that day, Mitch excitedly ran in with a new phone. “Look! I just scored this sweet used smartphone, cheap!” “I’ll teach you how to use it, then you can go online!” He helped me set up a social media account. The first thing it recommended following was the local university newsfeed. The screen lit up, and a bold headline jumped out at me: 【Freshman Spotlight: Welcome A-State Valedictorian Kyle, Beginning a New Chapter!】 The accompanying photo showed Kyle in a brand-new uniform, standing at the entrance of A-State, grinning confidently. Beside him, David’s face crinkled with pride, and Brenda, beaming with satisfaction, clung to his arm. The three of them looked like a picture-perfect happy family. In the background of the photo was the tree-lined avenue I had dreamed of countless times. My blood ran cold.

I stared fixedly at that photo. “Kid? What’s wrong? You know him?” Mitch noticed my distress. I didn’t answer. Tears streamed uncontrollably. All my carefully constructed composure crumbled at that moment. Why? Why did he get to steal my life and still smile so brightly? I grabbed a wrench from beside the bed and slammed it against the wall like a madwoman. “BANG! BANG! BANG!” Each impact felt like a blow to my own heart. “Enough!” Jax burst in, snatching the wrench from my hand. His grip was strong; I couldn’t break free. “What’s the point of crying? What’s the point of smashing the wall?” he glared at me, a cold fire in his eyes. “If you have energy, use it in the right place.” I looked up, my eyes blurry with tears: “What can I do? My leg is broken, my college is gone, everything is gone!” “If it’s gone, take it back,” Jax’s voice was low, but every word hit me with solid weight. He shoved the wrench back into my hand, the force of it digging into my palm. “Want revenge?” He squatted down, meeting my gaze, repeating the question he had asked when I first arrived. “First, learn how to fix cars.” “Later, it’ll make breaking people easier.” From that day on, I stopped crying. Tears were a weapon for the weak, and I no longer wanted to be weak. I poured all my time and energy into learning car repair. I sat in a wheelchair, letting Tank push me around the garage. Wherever Jax went, I followed. When he disassembled an engine, I handed him tools. When he painted a car, I stood by, learning how to mix colors. The greasy wrenches, screwdrivers, and jacks gradually became familiar in my hands. My fingernails were perpetually caked with black grease, impossible to wash clean. The smell of motor oil became my own scent. The men at the garage looked at me differently. From initial sympathy and pity, their expressions turned to surprise, and finally, acceptance. “Kid, you’re good! That carburetor is cleaner than mine!” Mitch gave me a thumbs-up. Pops ran his fingers over a part I had polished, nodding: “Hmm, steady hand, calm mind. You’ve got talent.” Only Jax never praised me. He only held me to stricter standards. “The torque on this screw is wrong; it’s too tight, you’ll strip the threads. Do it again.” “The wiring is wrong. Want the car to spontaneously combust? Take it apart, re-wire.” “Looks like a dog gnawed on it, take it back and make it shine until you can see your own pathetic face in it.” I didn’t complain. Whatever he told me to do, I did. Because I knew he wasn’t just teaching me how to fix cars. Two months later, my leg could finally bear weight. Though I still limped slightly, it no longer affected my movement. That night, Jax called me into his room. It was a small single room, with nothing but a bed and a table. On the table sat a photo frame, holding a picture of a sweet-smiling girl. It was his sister. He pulled a file folder from a drawer and tossed it to me.

I opened the file folder, my hands trembling slightly. Inside was all of Kyle’s information. His class schedule, his dorm room number, the restaurants he frequented, even his new girlfriend’s name and photo. The level of detail shocked me. “What do you want to do?” Jax asked. What did I want to do? I wanted him to taste what it was like to fall from grace. I wanted him to lose everything he now had. “I want to ruin his reputation,” I said, every word deliberate. Jax’s face showed something akin to a smile for the first time. “Good,” he said. “A goal gives you motivation.” He stood up and picked up a baseball bat from the corner of the room. It was the same bat Brenda used to break my leg. I didn’t know when Jax had picked it up. He handed the bat to me. “There are many ways to get revenge. The stupidest way is to be like the person who broke your leg – only knowing how to use brute force.” He walked to the table, picked up a photo of Kyle, and taped it to the wall. “First lesson: precision.” He looked at me: “See his right knee? Put all your strength into it, and hit.” I gripped the bat and walked to the wall. Kyle in the photo smiled brightly, a smile bought with my suffering. I took a deep breath, swung the bat, and with all my might, slammed it down! “BANG!” A deafening crash. The bat didn’t hit the photo; it struck the wall beside it, making my hands sting. “Worthless,” Jax’s voice was icily cold. “You can’t even hit a stationary target, and you want revenge?” Shame and fury engulfed me like a tide. “Again!” I raised the bat once more. “BANG!” Missed again. “Again!” “BANG!” “BANG!” “BANG!” I didn’t know how many times I swung, each time with all my strength, each time fueled by endless hatred. Until I collapsed to the ground, exhausted, my arms trembling, unable to lift the bat anymore. The wall was riddled with holes I’d created, but that photo remained untouched. Jax walked over and took the bat from my hand. He barely wound up, just a casual swing. “CRACK!” A crisp sound. The bat landed precisely on Kyle’s right knee in the photo, wood splinters flying. He dropped the bat on the floor. “Remember that feeling.” He turned, picked up an envelope from the table, and tossed it in front of me. “This is A-State’s campus map and his schedule for this week.” “He’s going to the movies with his girlfriend this weekend.” Jax looked at me. “As for what you want to do, that’s up to you.” The movie theater on the weekend was bustling. I wore a black baseball cap, pulled low, blending in with the couples lining up to enter. According to the information Jax provided, Kyle and his girlfriend had tickets for the 7:30 showing, a romance film.

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For three years, my husband, Liam Hayes, never really knew me. He could remember every face in the world, except mine. I’d change my hairstyle, and he’d ask, “Excuse me, miss, are you looking for someone?” I’d wear a different dress, and he’d assume I was the new housekeeper. On our anniversary, I was trapped in a collapsed mine shaft with employees from his company. In the suffocating darkness, I groped my way to him and told him my name was Evelyn Reed. He pushed me away with a scoff. “Stop pretending. My wife isn’t even here.” It took the rescue team three days and three nights to dig me out. That night, Liam raised a toast at a victory celebration. “Cheers, everyone. No casualties.” He’d completely forgotten I was still lying in the hospital. From then on, I only wore one color, kept the same hairstyle, used the same perfume – all just so Liam might finally recognize me. But every time he saw me, Liam still looked at me like a stranger. I thought it was heaven’s punishment for me. Yet, on the day I flew abroad to celebrate Liam’s birthday, I watched him push through a crowded airport and accurately embrace a girl. [Chapter 1] It turned out, he couldn’t remember my face simply because I wasn’t the one he loved. If that was the case, then let’s just fade into the crowd and forget each other. The moment I turned to leave, I was surrounded by several foreign police officers. They mistook me for some wanted criminal. My broken French only made their faces colder. They pushed me down, forcing me to my knees. In a panic, I instinctively looked towards Liam, who was not far away. “Liam Hayes! Help me! They’ve got the wrong person!” I screamed with all my might. He heard me and glanced over, his gaze sweeping across my face. Then, as if looking at a stranger, he calmly shifted his eyes away. “I don’t know her.” That was the coldest sentence I’d ever heard in my life. Fifteen days. In dark interrogation rooms and cold prison cells, I counted the hours, enduring three hundred and sixty of them. It wasn’t until a DNA comparison report finally cleared my name. [PAYWALL] I dragged my exhausted body out of the police station, but instead of Liam, his secretary, Mr. Davies, was there to meet me. Mr. Davies adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his voice thick with blame. “Ms. Reed, what on earth are you doing? Do you know Mr. Hayes waited for you at the airport for two whole hours?” Any remaining warmth in my heart completely froze in the foreign chill. The day I returned home, I was swarmed by countless flashing lights and microphones the moment I stepped out of the gate. My wrongful imprisonment abroad had become a public scandal. Finally pushing through the chaos and getting home, Liam’s first words were an accusation. “How many times have I told you to wear a white coat when you go out? Why don’t you ever listen?” He frowned, his tone like he was scolding an unruly child. “You know perfectly well I have face blindness; I can’t tell women’s faces apart.” I clenched my hands. He turned a page in his document, issuing a second instruction without looking up. “The PR department has drafted a statement. We’ll hold a press conference tomorrow.” “You need to clarify things and apologize to the public.” Apologize? Who was I apologizing for? For Liam Hayes’s cold indifference, or for his supposed “face blindness”? I looked at his unfeeling face and softly asked, “At the airport, the girl you were holding, who was she?” His hand, turning the document, paused. A rare stiffness appeared on his face. After a few seconds, he spoke. “There were too many people then. I thought it was you.” I almost laughed, bitterly. That day, the girl wore a bright, eye-catching red dress and had a voluminous wavy perm I had never worn. [Chapter 2] My closet didn’t even contain a single red item. “Liam, I explicitly called out to you that day.” The lingering resentment in my heart forced the words out. “And?” Liam raised an eyebrow. “Do you want me to apologize for my psychological condition?” “Evelyn, you knew I had this problem long before we got married.” Looking at his indifferent face, I suddenly felt incredibly tired. Yes, it was all my own doing. “Fine, I’ll go to the press conference.” Liam’s mind drifted, his gaze fixed on my handbag. Half a flight magazine peeked out. Following his gaze, I looked down and realized the open page displayed a photo of an orchestra performance. Dozens of people, packed together, and in the most inconspicuous corner of the photo sat a cellist. It was the girl Liam had embraced at the airport – Serena Vance. The photo was so blurry her features were almost indistinguishable. Yet Liam, with just a single glance, had seen her. It turned out, he wasn’t unable to recognize women’s faces. He just couldn’t recognize the faces of those he didn’t love. My heart felt squeezed tight, and every breath was painful. But I still managed a smile, pulled out the magazine, and put it into Liam’s lap. “Here, I don’t want it anymore.” This identity as Mrs. Hayes. And these three years of being ignored. I wanted none of it anymore. The next day, I arrived punctually at the press conference. The spotlights felt like countless sharp knives, all aimed at me. I wore a rose-colored gown, completely defying Liam’s demand for white. Taking the microphone from the host, I spoke calmly. “The reason I was wrongfully arrested was because my husband, Mr. Liam Hayes, told the police he didn’t know me, right to their faces.” The entire room erupted in an uproar. I paused, looking at a specific camera, as if looking through it at Liam. “I imagine a man who, after three years of marriage, still can’t recognize his own wife, must be in a lot of pain, trapped in that marriage.” “So, I’ve decided to set him free.” “Mr. Liam Hayes and I will be divorcing, effective immediately.” Only when I got into the car did I realize my hands were shaking. Not from fear, but from the sheer relief of finally breaking free from shackles. My phone vibrated wildly, “Liam Hayes” flashing on the screen. I simply turned it off. My car hadn’t driven far before Liam blocked its path. Liam got out of his car, his face as dark as a storm cloud. “Evelyn, have you lost your mind?!” He yanked me out of the car, his grip so fierce it felt like he might crush my wrist. “Who gave you the nerve to spout nonsense at a press conference?!” I coldly stared at his furious face. “Tell me, which part of what I said wasn’t true?” My question choked him, and his anger intensified. “Do you have any idea how much harm this could cause others?” “What if they dig up the airport surveillance? What if Serena gets dragged into this? She just barely got into the Vienna Orchestra!” He could distinguish her, after all. The pain in my heart spread instantly, agonizingly, like I was being flayed alive. “Liam, you recognize her.” Liam’s face was filled with undisguised irritation. “So what? She means something different to me, but I still married you.” “Don’t forget, all of this was something you begged for.” Yes, it was all my obsession. Liam couldn’t even remember my face, so how could he remember a promise from twenty years ago? I wiped away my tears. “Liam, I regret it. Let’s get a divorce.” [Chapter 3] Liam fell silent, but his face didn’t show the relief I’d expected. After a long pause, he finally spoke, as if making a monumental decision. “Don’t be ridiculous. If you just wear white like before, I won’t fail to recognize you.” “I’m not divorcing you.” “Really?” I managed a sarcastic smile, looking up at him. He’d probably forgotten what document he’d taken from my hand this morning. I had merely put on a wig and changed my clothes. Liam had automatically assumed I was the new secretary. He’d signed the divorce papers without even looking. He even asked me to tidy his study’s safe. Liam had carefully cut out Serena Vance’s photo from yesterday’s magazine. I opened the safe; it was filled with Serena’s press clippings. Red dresses, blue dresses, black dresses. No matter how Serena was dressed, Liam could recognize her. And in the oldest photo, a high school Serena, wearing a white dress and long, straight black hair. Exactly the look I’d painstakingly maintained for three years. Lost in thought, Liam took my hand. “Evelyn, I won’t lose you again.” I tugged at my lips in a mocking smile, about to explain everything. But Liam suddenly pushed me away and ran in a certain direction. I followed his gaze; Serena Vance’s back was disappearing into the crowd. Halfway there, Liam seemed to remember something. He turned back and yelled, “Evelyn, wait for me, I’ll be right back.” But the direction he shouted towards was at another woman nearby. She was also wearing a rose-pink dress, just like mine. I turned and walked away without hesitation. Liam was furious about my unauthorized departure. But that day, I was sitting in a nearby coffee shop, discussing my new identity papers. All afternoon, until dark, Liam never came back. I ignored Liam. After all, if I changed my clothes, I was invisible to him. With all the immigration paperwork settled, the first thing I did was go to a department store to buy new clothes. For years, just to get Liam to look at me, my wardrobe had been entirely white, like a walking funeral parlor. Now, even looking at them made me sick. The sales assistant enthusiastically pulled out a fiery red dress. I was about to swipe my card when a cool voice cut in. “I’ll take that one too.” I turned my head and saw Serena Vance’s arrogant face. She looked me up and down. “Ms. Reed, what are you still struggling for? Didn’t the airport incident make it clear?” “Brother Liam doesn’t love you. No matter how expensive the clothes you buy, he’ll only see you as air.” I couldn’t be bothered to waste words with her. I pulled my black card from my wallet and handed it to the sales assistant. “Wrap up the one she touched, and every single item in this entire collection, for me.” “Also, please escort her out.” The sales assistant immediately started to remove her, but just then, Liam appeared. He walked straight to Serena, not even glancing at me. “Wrap up the dress, for Ms. Vance.” The sales assistant stared, dumbfounded, and quietly reminded him, “Mr. Hayes, but this is your…” I was wearing smoky eye makeup and a flashy orange-red curly perm. Liam, predictably, didn’t recognize me. “What is she, anyway?” Liam’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for everyone in the boutique to hear. “Some woman who popped up out of nowhere, does she really think she’s fit to compete with Serena?” [Chapter 4] He turned to the stunned sales assistant, his tone an undeniable command. “From today forward, remember Ms. Vance’s face. From now on, all properties under the Hayes Group will prioritize her service without question.” Serena Vance, with an air of graciousness, tossed the dress back. “No need. I don’t lack this. “Let’s just leave it for those pitiful, unloved people.” Liam didn’t argue. “Whatever makes you happy.” I stood there, watching Liam’s eyes, never leaving Serena, and the last shred of warmth in my heart completely died out. Returning to the villa I’d lived in for three years, the security system failed to recognize me. I was about to call the housekeeper when the main door opened from inside. Serena Vance stood there, wearing my slippers and wrapped in Liam’s bathrobe. She frowned, as if she’d seen something filthy. “I thought you were a decent person who understood boundaries.” “Clinging to Liam, is that fun? Wearing white clothes to copy me, is that fun?” I stood outside, the night wind chilling me. Yes, it really wasn’t fun. What was I still fantasizing about? I looked down, taking off the diamond ring Liam had personally designed for me. The black card, the car keys. And my marriage certificate with Liam. I placed all these symbols of “Mrs. Hayes” status, one by one, neatly arranged. Then, I turned and never looked back. I took out a brand new phone and dialed a number. “Hello, it’s me.” “From now on, there’s no such thing as Mrs. Hayes anymore.” Liam never contacted me again, probably assuming I was just throwing a childish tantrum. It didn’t matter. I was too busy to bother with him. Gossip headlines, however, were pushed to me relentlessly. In the photos, he and Serena were inseparable. His usually stern face held a tenderness I had never seen before. Liam neither confirmed nor denied his relationship with Serena. I scrolled past the news, turned off my phone, and continued to tally all my assets. All the resources I had used to reach Liam were now converted into cash, flowing into the account of a non-profit organization dedicated to combating human trafficking. The person in charge was so excited he was incoherent, profusely thanking me. But I just stared, lost in thought, at the photos of the rescued children. Liam and I escaped from traffickers. But we got lost in the mountains. Little Liam gave me the last wild fruit he’d picked, while he subsisted on mud. But we were caught again. Rusty iron rods slammed into our bodies. I screamed in terror, but Liam held me tightly beneath him, grunting as he endured all the blows. The smell of blood filled the air, and he lay semi-conscious. While the traffickers were drunk, I finally found a chance to crawl through a dog hole and call the police. Later, Liam was picked up by his family, and I didn’t even get to say goodbye to him. His promise to marry me, made before he passed out, became my only obsession for many years after. I used all my strength, taking one step at a time to reach his side, to become his wife. But it was merely a one-woman show. Liam had long forgotten. Returning to the short-term rental I was temporarily staying in, Serena Vance was sitting casually inside. She even looked up and smiled. “You’re back?” The next second, police sirens blared outside. The door was kicked open with tremendous force, and a group of black-suited bodyguards stormed in, seizing me without a word and pressing me firmly to the ground. “Don’t move!” Immediately after, Liam rushed in, grabbing Serena and holding her close, his voice laced with uncontrollable fear. “Serena, it’s okay. I was careless and let them abduct you.” [Chapter 5] He held her like a precious treasure, lost and now found. “I promised you, I wouldn’t let anything happen to you again.” His words sounded eerily familiar. But the bodyguard captain holding me recognized me. “Mr. Hayes, this is…”

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My brother borrowed $7.5 million from me to open a luxury pet grooming salon, promising me free services for life. But just as my dog, Muffin, finished her treatment and I was about to leave, a staff member with a dramatically made-up face called out to me. “Miss, you haven’t paid yet. How can you just leave?” I politely explained, showing her my lifetime free access card. But the woman simply flung it back at me, hitting my face, her expression full of scorn. “Miss, if you can’t afford it, don’t bother coming! Who are you trying to fool with this card?! Pay up now!” With that, she shoved the bill right into my face. It was $280,000?! I was stunned. “Are you robbing me?! That’s outrageous! I invested in this place! Your boss is my brother! Do you think I don’t know the prices?!” But she sneered, then signaled for a group of burly men to surround me. “We *are* robbing you! Don’t think I don’t know – you’re just an adopted orphan!” “Today, you’re not only paying this $280,000, but every penny you’ve ever cost Mark, from childhood until now, is coming back to him!” I scoffed, my anger bubbling into laughter, and immediately called my assistant. “Withdraw my $7.5 million investment!” I wanted to see who, in the Caldwell family, was the real adopted orphan!

Before the other person could reply, the woman lunged at me. She smashed my phone to the ground, shrieking. “Miss! If you don’t have money, just say so! Go find your sugar daddy! Why smash up our little salon?!” “Besides, don’t you know this salon is owned by the Caldwells, the richest family in the city?!” “How dare you cause a scene here!” Everyone’s eyes landed on me, and they started whispering. My face flushed with rage as I clearly saw the name on the woman’s badge: Brittany, Manager. “What are you talking about?! What do you mean ‘my sugar daddy’!” Brittany scoffed, crossing her arms and looking at me coldly. “Dressed so expensively but you have no money? You’re probably just kept by some sugar daddy.” “Did your sugar daddy not give you any cash? He’s so stingy, tell us who he is so everyone knows!” The whispers around me were incredibly harsh. “Doing this kind of thing so young, no wonder she’s here – probably trying to hook a rich guy!” “You’ve got a good figure. Your sugar daddy must have a blast with you! Who knows, maybe she’s been ‘used’ by everyone already!” Brittany sneered, casually scanning me from head to toe. Anyone hearing that wouldn’t just quietly endure it. Enraged, I lunged forward, ready to slap Brittany across the face. But she grabbed my hand tightly, leaned close to my ear, and whispered. “You bitch, trying to lure men, trying to get them to spend money on you. Look at yourself, what kind of trash are you?!” “Be smart, pack your things and get out!” I froze for a moment. So, this was my idiot brother’s new, big-chested, empty-headed girlfriend. I was utterly speechless. Had my stupid brother not told her he had a biological sister?! “Brittany, don’t you recognize me?” “I’m Lily Caldwell, your boyfriend Mark Caldwell’s biological sister!” Brittany coldly shook off my hand, her voice icy. “I know, Mark told me all about you ages ago, you freeloader who only knows how to spend money!” “Everything you spend belongs to Mark’s future inheritance. Besides, you’ve spent so much since you were little, aren’t you satisfied?” “Pay up now. With me here, you won’t get a penny from Mark!” With that, Brittany glared at me fiercely, as if I were a villain trying to steal Mark’s fortune. I glanced at Brittany with disdain. Did she not know that Mark had no fortune at all? He was just an orphan my father brought home to raise! What right did he have to an inheritance?! “I advise you not to cause a scene. I, after all, have a secret about you, don’t I?” I raised an eyebrow, looking at her indifferently. “You’re not some heiress at all! You’re just an orphan! Good thing I secretly overheard it.” “Otherwise, Mark, the ‘son’ of the family, would have to split half his future assets with you!” Brittany’s eyes were full of challenge and triumph, as if she held my life in her hands. I sneered, looking at her like she was a clown, picked up my phone from the floor, and called Mark. “Mark Caldwell! I’m telling you, if that woman, Brittany, ever steps foot in our house, I’ll change my last name!” Brittany rushed over, snatched the phone, and replied in a sickeningly sweet voice: “Mark, it’s nothing, just a little misunderstanding with your sister. I’ll handle it.” Hearing Brittany’s voice, I gagged a few times, utterly disgusted. “Sis, Brittany’s just a bit blunt, please bear with her. I’m busy, gotta go!” Before I could say anything, Brittany hung up the phone. Suddenly, Brittany’s face turned grim, and she looked at me coldly. “You won’t take the easy way, so you’ll have to take the hard way. Guards, take her away!” With that, three burly men, one covering my mouth, the other two holding me tightly, dragged me inside. “Excuse me, everyone, but this is how we deal with people who can’t pay their bills!” I was thrown into a small, dark storage room. Then, Brittany walked in, carrying my dog, Muffin.

She casually tossed Muffin aside, and the dog whimpered, making my heart ache. “What, feeling bad? It’s just an animal, why be so precious about it?!” With that, Brittany brutally kicked the cage, sending it flying against the wall. I stared at her, my eyes red. “What are you going to do?!” Brittany’s high heel harshly kicked my body. She yanked my hair, then slapped me across the face, her eyes filled with malice. “What am I going to do? Just make you pay what you owe!” “Pay back the $280,000, and then pay back all the expenses Mark has covered for you since you were little!” “These are all Mark’s things. He’s too polite to say it, but I’m not!” “I’m going to be his wife, so you spending his money is just spending mine!” A sharp pain shot through my scalp, and I couldn’t help but cry out. Brittany pulled out a list from behind her, detailing all my expenses since childhood. From a single piece of candy I ate to the Porsche my parents bought me, everything was included. “Does Mark Caldwell not have to pay anything back?!” Brittany scoffed, her face full of ridicule. “Mark is the male heir, the only son of this family. Everything in the Caldwell family will be his.” “You freeloader, you’re just a girl who’ll marry out anyway, a drain on resources. Everything you spent, of course, has to be paid back!” “Not to mention, you’re just an adopted daughter. Even if I kill you today, Mark wouldn’t say a word!” Brittany looked down at me. “You won’t take the easy way, so you’ll have to take the hard way. Since that’s the case, I don’t need to be polite with you. Guards, beat her!” The two burly men didn’t hesitate, landing punch after punch on my body. I cried out in pain, tears streaming down my face. I curled into a ball, trying to dodge the fists, but I was yanked up by my hair. My head was violently shoved to the ground, and blood immediately seeped out. Brittany chuckled, walked over, and pressed her heel hard on my wound. “How pathetic. I’ll give you a chance. Pay back $280,000, and you can leave!” I clenched my jaw tightly, my face pale, the intense pain forcing me to submit. “Alright, if you let Muffin go first, I’ll give you the money!” “What right do you have to negotiate with me? Look at how pathetic you are, like a beggar!” “But, you did remind me. Guards, bring that animal over here!” My eyes widened instantly, and I shook my head helplessly. “Please, spare it! I’ll give you double!” Brittany ignored me, teasing Muffin. Suddenly, Muffin found an opportunity and bit Brittany hard. “Ah!” Brittany screamed, throwing Muffin away. With a thud, it hit the wall. Muffin was the birthday gift my father gave me before he died! Watching Brittany get closer and closer to Muffin, I couldn’t hold back anymore and screamed. “Don’t hurt it! What do you want?! I’ll give you anything!” Brittany picked up the barely breathing dog, walked over, and handed me a “Voluntary Waiver of Inheritance Rights” agreement. “Sign it!” I signed my name without hesitation, then looked at Muffin. “Now, can you give him back to me?” Brittany sneered, looking at me like I was an idiot, and twisted Muffin’s neck. “This animal probably cost tens of thousands a year, right? Good, now it’s dead, lessening your burden!” “Muffin!” I glared fiercely at Brittany, my eyes filled with hatred. Suddenly, I heard a sound at the door, and someone walked in.

The person who came in was Mark Caldwell. He saw my terrible state and froze, his voice filled with hesitation. “Lily? What happened to you? Who did this? I’ll get revenge for you, sis!” Before I could speak, Brittany clung to Mark’s arm, complaining tearfully. “Mark, your sister couldn’t pay, and I just… disciplined her a little for you.” “And that dog, it bit me, then ran into the wall and died.” “Look at my wound, it hurts so much!” Mark gently took Brittany’s hand, blew on it, his eyes tender. “That animal’s dead, it’s no big deal. I’ll take you to get a tetanus shot right away, don’t want it getting infected!” I couldn’t help but speak, my voice agitated. “Mark Caldwell! That dog was a gift from my dad before he died!” Mark looked at me hesitantly. “Lily, it’s just a dog. Dad’s gone, he can’t come back. I’ll buy you ten or even twenty more, pick any you like.” “This time, please, give me a break and don’t make a big deal out of it!” I looked at him in disbelief. He had promised me on Dad’s deathbed. He had said he would protect Muffin no matter what. But now, for some insignificant woman, he said, “it’s dead, it’s dead!” I stumbled to my feet, pointing at Brittany, and yelled: “What about me? Can’t you see all these wounds on my body?! She’s the one who beat me!” Brittany pretended to trip, falling into Mark’s arms, her eyes brimming with tears. “Mark, I did it all for your sake. She spent so much of your money, wasn’t it right for me to make her pay it back?” “These things were originally yours. I just got them back for you!” “She just has a tiny scratch!” She called the blood gushing from my head a “tiny scratch”? Brittany’s words enraged me, and I lunged, wanting to slap her directly. “You absolute bitch! Do I have to be dead for you to consider this a real injury?!” But Mark’s hand stopped me. He gripped my hand tightly, then coldly threw it aside. I lost my balance and crashed hard against the wall. Instantly, I felt an intense pain throughout my internal organs. Mark, however, embraced Brittany, watching me with cold eyes. “How long are you going to keep this up?!” “It’s just a tiny scratch, and Brittany didn’t mean it anyway. An apology is all that’s needed, right?!” “She’s going to be your sister-in-law. Be a bit more generous!” “And is Brittany wrong? All these years, you’ve lived off the family, used the family’s resources!” “Brittany just got it back early. I’m telling you, even if she didn’t demand it now, I’d demand it back from your future wedding settlement!” Brittany flashed me a triumphant smile, her eyes full of provocation, silently saying. “See? I told you, Mark will always side with me!” “Mark, this is the waiver of inheritance rights she signed. From now on, Caldwell Group will be all yours!” Mark’s face immediately lit up with surprise, and he kissed Brittany passionately. I slumped to the ground, watching them powerlessly. Mark had no idea that Mom had already made sure I knew all the top executives. I held the real power. Mom had put Mark in the company, yes, but only in a position that looked good on paper, completely useless in reality. So, even with that contract in his hand, it was worth absolutely nothing. And Mark knew nothing of this. “Mark, why don’t you go on ahead? I’ll call an ambulance for your sister and then I’ll be right out.” With that, Mark, holding the agreement, excitedly walked out. Brittany smiled at me and walked over. I subtly broke the chain on my wrist and sent my location. Her heel ground down on the back of my hand, twisting it. “You think someone’s coming to save you?” “Well, too bad. You and that animal can just die together!”

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Everyone in the department could hear Melody Thompson’s inner thoughts, a woman with a deceptively sweet facade. During our department’s company-funded team-building trip, I requested to stay at the base camp due to severe altitude sickness. Melody looked utterly torn. [Should I tell everyone that Chloe’s altitude sickness is totally fake, and because of her lie, we’re all going to be punished and forced to hike up the mountain?] Mr. Davidson, our department manager, heard her thoughts. He immediately canceled the mountain shuttle and ordered all employees to hike up. After that, the entire department froze me out. Months later, I had finalized a perfect project proposal and was applying for company seed money. Again, Melody’s thoughts piped up. [Chloe’s project is a guaranteed money pit. This loss will be in the millions, and every single one of us will be held accountable for her screw-up.] Hearing this, everyone raised objections. To get the project off the ground, I reached out to clients for investment. During one client meeting, I accidentally fell off a cliff. In a critical moment, I used my work phone to call for help in the company group chat on WhatsApp. I sent a photo of the cliff, but Melody’s inner thoughts just scoffed. [Chloe totally wrecked millions of dollars worth of client equipment and now she’s just trying to trick someone into coming over to be a scapegoat for her.] No one came to rescue me from the cliff. I clung on for two days and two nights, but I didn’t make it. I died without ever understanding why everyone was so cold. Until I was reborn, back to that very team-building day. This time, I finally heard Melody Thompson’s inner thoughts too.

On the crisp, fresh mountain air, I clutched my chest, leaning against a stone marker. My colleagues in front of me were excitedly taking photos and videos for their social media, brimming with energy. Only I felt a scorching churn in my abdomen, my head spinning, and my breath coming in ragged gasps. In my previous life, during this annual department team-building event, I had arrived at this mountain feeling relaxed and eager. But as soon as we reached halfway up, I developed severe altitude sickness. Looking at the all-too-familiar faces before me, I never would have imagined they would eventually lead to my death. Half a minute ago, I had asked Mr. Davidson, the department manager, if I could stop going up the mountain with the main group. That’s when I heard Melody Thompson’s thoughts. [Altitude sickness? Total act! Chloe just wants to be lazy, that’s her excuse. Once Mr. Davidson exposes her, we’ll all be dragged into hiking up the mountain, and our legs will be shaking for three days afterwards.] I lifted my head, looking at Melody not far away. Her lips were sealed, but her eyes were fixed on me. [Chloe works out for over two hours every day. She’s as strong as an ox, no way she’d get altitude sickness halfway up. None of the rest of us are having any issues.] [Oh no, Manager Davidson is looking this way. Is he about to discover Chloe’s little charade?] Mr. Davidson was indeed walking towards me, step by step. I wanted to speak, but it felt like all the strength had been drained from me. He glanced at my pale face, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Chloe, you’re such a good actress, why don’t you go join Hollywood?” “Manager, I’m not acting. I really feel nauseous and want to throw up from the altitude.” “Addicted to acting, are we?” Mr. Davidson rolled his eyes at me. “Thirty-two people in this department, and you’re the only one with ‘altitude sickness’? Who are you kidding! Get up, and don’t push my last bit of patience!” Before I could even move, Melody Thompson’s thoughts chimed in again. [Chloe would never listen to Manager Davidson. He’s the person she despises the most; she even goes over his head to complain about him to higher-ups. Once Manager Davidson gets fired, she’ll be promoted.] Hearing this, Mr. Davidson clenched his fists. “I think you all just have too little work at the company, that’s why you’re cooking up these little schemes. Everyone, hike up that mountain now! No one gets to take the shuttle, including you, Chloe!” “Anyone who dares defy my order will receive a termination notice from HR tomorrow.” Mr. Davidson’s attitude was resolute, and my colleagues’ complaints rained down on me, one after another. “What kind of person is she! She puts on an act, and why do we have to suffer the punishment with her?” “Exactly! Did Chloe ever think of us when she took her commissions? If we don’t share in the good times, why should we share in the bad ones?” I stayed silent, neither refuting them nor lingering there to rest. Enduring the discomfort, I forced myself to move, joining the crowd to go up. Behind me, Mr. Davidson was still grumbling. “Not altitude sickness, huh? Keep faking it. When we get back, I’m gonna deal with you properly. Let’s see if you dare to put on an act again.” But as soon as he finished speaking, his mouth snapped shut. Even the constantly complaining colleagues gasped. “Chloe, why are you coughing up blood?!” Mr. Davidson stepped forward and kicked me where I lay on the ground. “Stop faking.” I lifted my gaze to meet his for a moment, then instantly blacked out.

When I opened my eyes again, a doctor in front of me was explaining my condition to Mr. Miller, the company’s Vice President. “Her altitude sickness was already severe, and she was clearly unwell. Why wait until she developed wet cough symptoms from high-altitude pulmonary edema before bringing her to the hospital? We almost ran out of time, you know?” Seeing me awake, the other people in the hospital room swarmed around me. Mr. Miller, holding Mr. Davidson back, pulled him towards me. “Chloe, I’m truly sorry about this. I never expected something like this to happen during a company team-building event.” “What are you waiting for, apologize to Chloe now!” Mr. Davidson’s eyes darted around, hesitant to speak. I decided to cut to the chase. “Manager Davidson always has his own strong opinions. I suppose he still thinks I’m acting, just like when I asked for help with my altitude sickness, right?” My words flustered Mr. Davidson a bit, but he still gave me an imploring look. “It’s all a misunderstanding, Chloe. Our department is like a family, and you’re my most valued employee. How could I ever think that?” “I’ll get a medical certificate from the hospital. This incident counts as a work-related injury. As for who should take responsibility—” I looked at Mr. Miller, who immediately provided the answer. “Davidson, you’re fired!” “No, Mr. Miller, please! I’m a senior employee at the company. Even if I haven’t scored huge wins, I’ve put in years of hard work.” Despite Mr. Davidson’s repeated pleas and attempts to soften him, the outcome didn’t change. Fuming with nowhere to vent his anger, he looked left and right, his eyes landing on Melody, who was staring at the floor. He quickly stepped forward, grabbed Melody’s arm. “Why did you say Chloe’s altitude sickness was fake? You were the one stirring things up; otherwise, I never would have punished everyone with a hike. You b*tch, you made me lose my job!” With that, Mr. Davidson raised his hand and slapped Melody across the face. “Yes, I heard Melody say it too! She said Chloe was just faking being sick to be lazy. Could it be that Melody made all that up because she was jealous of Chloe?” “Her performance has always been worse than Chloe’s. She held a grudge and manipulated others to hurt her. You’re terrifying, Melody!” As the colleagues’ inciting voices grew louder, Mr. Davidson’s rage doubled. He grabbed Melody and was about to throw her out the window. It was Mr. Miller who saw this and shouted to stop him. After that day, my colleagues didn’t gang up and freeze me out like in my past life. Instead, they actively took on my workload. Their attitude towards Melody, however, grew colder by the day, making her personally experience what it felt like to be isolated and helpless. Not long after I was discharged from the hospital, the day came when my project proposal was complete. In my past life, when I took my design proposal to my superior to apply for project funds, Melody’s inner thoughts claimed my plan was full of flaws and would saddle every colleague with debt because of me. Both colleagues and management believed her, refusing to approve my funding. If I hadn’t been desperate to raise the money from my own sales performance, I wouldn’t have gone to that steel mill client on the cliff in my previous life, and that cliff accident wouldn’t have happened. I reined in my thoughts, displaying the project content on the large screen in the conference room. I had barely outlined the project framework when Melody impatiently projected her thoughts. [Does Chloe really think she’s the only one in the company who understands the industry?] [The internet is clearly the mainstream now, but she insists on going off the beaten path to do some overseas business. If it weren’t for her ‘brilliant idea,’ it wouldn’t cause everyone to work for years, not only failing to save money but ending up in debt because of her.] Initially, everyone in the conference room had been full of praise for my project. But after hearing those thoughts, their faces completely changed.

[I really want to tell everyone the truth. It’s one thing for me to take the fall for Chloe, but our colleagues are innocent!] [Those colleagues who rely on their salaries to buy food and pay bills might not even be able to afford meals later, let alone get married or raise children.] Mr. Jenkins, the approving manager, frowned, slamming my project document shut with force. “Chloe, you’ve only been with the company for a few years, and you already want to manage a project independently? You’re far too ambitious. You’re asking for twenty million dollars in funding. Who do you think you are?” “Mr. Jenkins, this project indeed requires this much seed money, and its prospects are excellent.” As I spoke, I pressed the remote, adjusting the PPT slides. Aligning with the visuals on the screen, I continued to analyze my project. “This is data I spent six months collecting. The construction materials industry in a certain overseas country is indeed a blank slate. Now is the best time for our company to enter that market. I can guarantee that we’ll recover our investment in less than six months.” I had specially prepared a comprehensive table, listing all possible scenarios for the project’s progression. Mr. Jenkins clearly hadn’t expected this. Looking at my PPT content, his expression wavered slightly. And the other colleagues with voting rights shifted from dissatisfaction to shock. “Chloe’s project actually looks really good. I’ve been with the company for ten years, and I’ve never seen such a complete project proposal.” I was quite satisfied with this scene. It meant all the extra work I’d done since my rebirth wasn’t in vain. Just as everyone’s doubts were beginning to shift towards Melody, she put on a wronged expression. [Chloe really is an incredibly manipulative woman. To trick us into approving this seed money, she even fabricated all this fake data.] [This data is all confidential company information. How could a mere employee like Chloe possibly get her hands on it? This is such an obvious red flag, has no one else noticed?] As these two thoughts echoed, everyone’s gaze immediately focused on the data table in the PPT. Someone quickly pulled out their phone to search, then pointed at me. “Chloe, I looked up these companies online. All their data is protected by specialists, which means the data you’ve presented is all fabricated! You clearly have no confidence in doing this project well, so how dare you ask for twenty million dollars? Have you even considered what happens if it fails?” With one person starting, others quickly chimed in. “Chloe, you should just go back to the sales department and contact clients, alright? Stop making empty boasts here.” “Or are you not genuinely interested in doing the project, but your real goal is to scam the company for money?” “No wonder I found a plane ticket for an overseas trip in your drawer before! So you were planning to flee with the company’s money after scamming us!” The voices grew louder and more chaotic, with some even advocating to call the police and have me arrested. This scene made my heart clench in frustration, especially when I saw Melody’s triumphant smile. It just made me feel like everyone else was an idiot. They weren’t looking at the real world; they were all being led astray by Melody’s inner thoughts. Just as I was about to speak, a man in a sharp suit with a stern face suddenly appeared outside the conference room. Seeing him, the colleagues and managers in the room widened their eyes, unconsciously straightening their collars and dresses. “Isn’t that the CEO of Sterling Group? Why is he at our company?” “He must be here to partner with us! Whoever lands this deal will definitely be this year’s top salesperson!” I had just taken a step forward when Mr. Jenkins reached out and pushed me aside. “Get out of the way! Is Mr. Sterling someone a small-fry like you can approach?” I said nothing, merely watching as the “important figure,” Mr. Sterling, walked towards me. “Why can’t my sister approach me?” My brother’s words left everyone speechless, their mouths hanging open. They looked back and forth, watching my brother walk over to me. I linked my arm through his. “Alex, what brings you here today?”

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