My hands trembled, clutching the hospital diagnosis. The doctor’s words echoed in my ears: “Ms. Thorne, your health is perfectly fine. It’s just from prolonged medication use. If you want a child, you’ll need some time to recuperate.” It hit me then. My husband. The man who’d chased me so publicly, everyone in town knew. The man who’d driven hundreds of miles in the dead of night just to bring me breakfast because I’d mentioned it. The man who, at our wedding, swore before everyone that he’d only ever love me. He had been secretly giving me birth control pills, all so his ‘goddess’—who couldn’t have children—could have hers. I’d been living in the dark for years. Yesterday, I stumbled upon a pill bottle in the trash, and only then did I realize how long I’d been fooled. Wiping away my tears, I called the hospital. “I’m canceling the IVF. Stop the embryo cultivation now.” I hung up immediately and turned off my phone. Back home, Julian, who should have been at the office, was there. He rushed towards me, his usual composed demeanor completely gone. “Ellie, are you okay? Why was your phone off? I couldn’t reach you!” The worry in his eyes didn’t seem fake. He scanned me anxiously, as if fearing I’d been hurt. Seeing I was unharmed, Julian finally relaxed, letting out a long breath. He affectionately pinched my nose. “You scared me to death.” I watched him with cold eyes. Anyone seeing his anxious expression would never believe Julian had been putting on an act with me all these years. I pulled away from his hand. “My phone died. Why are you home? Is everything alright at the company?” “I couldn’t get a hold of you. I couldn’t focus on work, so I came straight home to find you.” We’d been married for four years, and Julian still seemed to live and breathe for me, especially in the eyes of outsiders who thought he was utterly devoted. Julian casually mentioned, “I heard from the hospital that you’re not doing the IVF anymore? What happened?” A cold laugh bubbled up inside me, tinged with a bitter sadness. It was about this, of course. I stated, emotionless, “I thought about it, and I’ve decided I don’t want children after all.” “Why?” Julian’s voice was sharp, but catching himself, he softened his tone. “You’ve always wanted a child, haven’t you? And my parents keep asking about it.” “I just feel like I’m not ready to be a parent yet. Plus, Lily hasn’t had her surgery, and I’m worried about her.” Julian pulled me into a hug. “Ellie, your sister’s surgery will be fine, I’ve arranged for the best surgeon in America to do it.” “Once she’s had her surgery and is back, she’ll get to meet her niece or nephew. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” “And the hospital said that embryo development needs the right timing. If we stop now, we’d have to start all over again. So, can we please continue?” Every word, every plea, revolved around the child. After all, it was the bloodline of the woman Julian loved most. “I’m still worried. How about we move Lily’s surgery up? If both are too close, I don’t know how I’ll manage.” I frowned. Julian smiled gently. “Alright, alright, whatever you say.” He pulled out his phone, spoke a few words, then looked at me, a smile playing on his lips. “It’s been moved to next month.” Finally, a genuine smile touched my face. “That’s wonderful!” Julian feigned sadness. “Aren’t you going to praise me, Ellie?” He lowered his voice, leaning close to my neck. “You haven’t been home for a while, I missed you so much…” The intimate atmosphere began to build, only to be abruptly broken by a sudden ringtone. Julian glanced at the screen, instantly snapping back to reality. “Ellie, something’s come up at the company. I need to leave.” I was struggling with how to deflect his advances, so the ringtone felt like a savior. I knew that specific ringtone was for Seraphina, Julian’s childhood friend. But I didn’t care anymore. Once Lily’s surgery was done, I would be gone. Watching Julian rush out the door, I made a silent vow: before I left, I would make every single person who’d hurt me pay. **Chapter 2** Julian didn’t return until dawn the next day. The moment he walked in, he headed straight for the bathroom to shower. He emerged a picture of the perfect husband, even meticulously preparing breakfast for me. When I woke up, he was half-kneeling on the floor, putting on my socks. If I didn’t know the embryos at the hospital were Seraphina’s eggs, I might have been fooled. I nonchalantly ate my breakfast, pretending not to notice the faint red marks on his neck, and deliberately brought up yesterday. “Julian, how did things go with the company issue?” Julian stiffened for a moment. “Just a minor thing, it’s all resolved.” “So, will you be able to come with me to the hospital today to check on the embryo development?” Julian readily agreed. At the hospital, we ran into an unexpected person: Seraphina. When I saw them, I paused, then she practically bounced over, her face alight with an effusive greeting. “Julian! What are you doing here?” Julian lovingly ruffled her hair. “I came with Ellie to check on the embryos.” “Oh, Ellie’s here too.” Seraphina said, as if just noticing me. How had I been so blind before? Seraphina never called me ‘sister-in-law,’ and I used to think it was just a sign of her affection. A cold laugh echoed in my mind. Seraphina must have been mocking my foolishness every time she called me ‘Ellie-sis.’ Seraphina’s eyes darted around. “I want to see them too!” Seeing Julian hesitate, Seraphina brazenly latched onto his arm, rubbing against him. How could Julian ever truly reject his childhood sweetheart, the love of his life? He naturally agreed. After getting permission, Seraphina pulled Julian along, striding ahead, while I followed slowly behind. To any onlooker, it would seem the two in front were the married couple. In the waiting room, the doctor confirmed that the embryos were developing normally and would soon be ready for implantation. A flicker of sorrow crossed Seraphina’s brow, and she unconsciously touched her stomach. Julian’s gaze turned to her, filled with tenderness and pity. I thought I wouldn’t be affected by Julian’s actions anymore, but my heart still bled as if carved by a knife. After all, this was the man I had loved for eight years. How many eight-year periods does one have in a lifetime? Back in college, Julian had pursued me with great fanfare. Just because I’d mentioned wanting to see a ginkgo forest. It was the middle of winter, yet overnight, yellow ribbons were tied to every ginkgo tree, making them look like a forest ablaze with golden leaves. To this day, their love story was legendary on campus. After graduation, we smoothly married. I managed our home, running a sprawling household with meticulous care. We were the model couple in everyone’s eyes. But for four years, Julian had secretly been giving me birth control, even colluding with the hospital to make me believe I had fertility issues. All of it was for his precious childhood sweetheart, Seraphina, who couldn’t have children and was destined to never have her own. Julian’s suggestion of IVF was merely a pretense. The embryos were Seraphina’s eggs. I was nothing more than a vessel, a surrogate. As we were leaving the hospital, Seraphina fidgeted with her fingers. “Julian, could you drop me off? My apartment is quite far from here.” By the car, I instinctively reached for the passenger door, but Seraphina beat me to it. “Ellie-sis, I get car sick easily, and I always sit in the front passenger seat. Could you let me have it?” Normally, I wouldn’t argue with her, but today, I looked at Julian. I wanted to know if, after all these years, I held even the slightest importance in Julian’s heart. Julian frowned, hesitated for a few seconds, then spoke. “Sera does get car sick easily. Ellie, why don’t you sit in the back?” The outcome was no surprise. I scoffed at my own foolishness. I released the car door with a decisive click. “I have something else to do later, so I won’t be going back with you.” Julian looked at me, about to say something, but Seraphina urged him. “Julian, hurry up, I have something great to show you!” Julian made up his mind. “I’ll drop Sera off first, then. You should head home early too.” He didn’t hesitate further, starting the car. I stood there, watching the car drive away, a complete absence of lingering affection in my heart. I was leaving. **Chapter 3** Right now, the most important thing for me was to stop those embryos—Julian and Seraphina’s bloodline—from developing any further. But the hospital clearly wouldn’t listen to me. This was Julian’s private hospital, and they only answered to him. It was, after all, this very hospital that had told me I couldn’t conceive. I pulled out my phone and saw photos from the private investigator I’d hired. The background was outside Seraphina’s apartment, and the two of them were entwined, seemingly too eager to even make it through the door. In the photos, Julian’s usually buttoned-up collar was ripped open, exposing a wide expanse of his chest, while Seraphina’s delicate waist was gripped tightly by his bulging, veiny hands. Looking at the pictures, I felt nauseous. Suppressing the urge to vomit, I transferred a large sum of money to the private investigator. “Excellent work. Keep following them.” When Julian returned, he had showered and changed clothes. He casually said, “Sera insisted I try the coffee she made earlier, but I spilled it all over myself, so I changed.” There was no need for discretion; in everyone’s eyes, Seraphina and Julian had grown up together, practically siblings by now. He still lay on my lap as usual, playing with my long hair, even though barely an hour ago, he’d been doing the same to another woman. I spoke up, “The old manor called earlier. They want us to stay for a few days.” “What do you think?” The Thorne family was extensive, old money, but deeply entrenched in tradition and influence. Normally, only Julian and I lived here. The old manor housed not only Julian’s parents but also various aunts, uncles, and cousins. Every visit required me, as the eldest grandson’s wife, to manage the entire household. Hence, I was reluctant to go back. “If you don’t want to, we won’t. I’ll tell the family.” He looked at me, his voice soft, his eyes doting. “It’s been a while since we visited. It might be nice to stay for a few days.” I really wanted to know if Julian acted this way, were those people truly oblivious? Julian caught my hand and kissed it lightly. “Then let me make the arrangements. You don’t have to worry about a thing.” “I told you, once you married me, all you had to do was enjoy life.” The Thorne family’s old manor had many courtyards. Julian and I had our own small one. It had already been tidied up, showing no signs of neglect. Julian was talking to me inside. “I heard they released some pheasants in the back hills. I’ll hunt some for you to make soup. Didn’t the doctor say you were a bit weak during your last check-up?” Because Julian’s mother was a strict vegetarian, meals at the manor were always vegetarian. But I was a meat-lover and always ate very little during these visits. Julian noticed this and planned to hunt some game for me, to make me a special meal. Suddenly, a young girl’s playful voice echoed from the courtyard. Seraphina’s voice arrived before she did. “Julian, are you going hunting in the mountains? I want to come too!” Julian seemed surprised. “Sera, what are you doing here?” “I missed Aunt Clara, can’t I come back to see her?” Seraphina ran in like a whirlwind. Her mother and Julian’s mother were close friends. After her mother married a terrible man, she was driven to set herself on fire and commit suicide. It was Julian’s mother who brought Seraphina back and raised her. “Have you seen my mother yet?” “I just did! Aunt Clara was so happy. She just said I didn’t tell her in advance, so she didn’t have anyone prepare a room for me.” She stuck out her tongue, looking innocent and playful. “This courtyard is so big, can’t I just stay here too? It saves bothering anyone else. You know, I hate bothering people.” Julian refused without a second thought. “It’s just having someone prepare a room, it’s no trouble at all.” It wouldn’t be appropriate for an unmarried girl to stay in a young couple’s private courtyard. Seeing Julian’s refusal, tears quickly welled up in Seraphina’s eyes, and her voice dropped. “I’m wrong. I shouldn’t be so thoughtless. Just pretend I didn’t say anything.” With that, she made to run out the door. Julian instinctively grabbed my arm. “Don’t go!” Seraphina lowered her head. “It was thoughtless of me. You’re married now, and I should keep my distance.” Julian grew furious, his brows furrowed tightly. “Who said such nonsense?! We don’t need to keep any distance!” This made Seraphina tearfully throw herself into his arms. Julian gently patted her back, then seemed to remember my presence in the room. He turned to look at me, silent until now, and nervously explained, “When Sera was little, a maid once told her she wasn’t really family and shouldn’t make demands. So she’s always been sensitive to people’s gossip…” I cut him off. “I understand. Sera can stay in the room next door. Mother just called for me, I’m leaving now.” Ignoring Julian’s calls, I walked faster and faster until I was out of their sight. Only then did I relax my stiff back, finally able to breathe again. **Chapter 4** My earlier statement about Julian’s mother calling for me wasn’t a pretense. I walked into the house, which was filled with spiritual artifacts. The burning sage in front of them never stopped, making my head spin. Mrs. Thorne, Julian’s mother, was a fiercely devout woman. I had just finished performing the customary obeisances and quiet rituals before her sacred space when she finally spoke to me. She took a sip of fragrant tea. “Are you two still planning to do the IVF?” I gathered my wits, focusing entirely on answering her questions. “I always say, you have to do good deeds to gain the gods’ protection.” “When you first married into this family, I wasn’t entirely pleased.” “You, my dear, are truly ill-fated. Orphaned young, and then your sister barely clung to life, consuming more medicine than meals. If it wasn’t for the mystic’s prediction that you would bring Julian immense prosperity, I would never have agreed to this marriage.” My fists clenched and unclenched, but I couldn’t hold back. “My sister’s illness is about to be cured!” It was the first time I had ever spoken back to Mrs. Thorne. Before, to avoid Julian being caught between us, I had always been careful and submissive. To please her, I had even fasted for a month at a temple and personally hand-copied hundreds of thousands of words of scripture. Furthermore, to be the daughter-in-law Mrs. Thorne desired, after marriage, I gave up my career and dedicated myself wholeheartedly to managing the affairs of hundreds of people in the household. Outsiders, when they spoke of me, would only praise me, saying, “With such a virtuous wife, what more could a man ask for?” “I will be very healthy in the future, living a long life, at least longer than yours.” The words left my lips, and I felt a surge of exhilaration. I had wanted to say that for so long. Mrs. Thorne was so furious she nearly toppled over. “How dare you speak to me like that! I see Julian has treated you too well, making you forget your place!” “Go and kneel in the old manor’s silent, uninviting study, filled with generations of portraits, right now! No one is to let you out or bring you food without my permission!” The study door was locked from the outside. I didn’t regret my words one bit. I looked at the walls lined with family portraits. If heaven truly had a spirit, how could it allow such people to live so grandly in the world? Since heaven wouldn’t punish them, I would have to rely on myself. As night fell, the temperature gradually dropped. I rubbed my arms repeatedly, trying to find some warmth. Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, a faint sound broke the silence in the room. I instantly awoke, startled. The old manor backed onto the mountains, and animals often roamed about. The study was in a secluded corner. I cautiously raised my candle. The light from the darkness revealed Julian. He looked disheveled, a far cry from his usual calm and composed self. The moment he saw me, he rushed over and pulled me into a hug. “Ellie, are you alright?!” “How did Mother get so angry all of a sudden? I just got back. As soon as I heard you were in the study, I rushed right over.” I was still somewhat surprised that Julian would come to take me out. “It’s alright, it’s alright. I’ll take you back to rest. You’re not healthy as it is, we don’t need you getting sick again. And your surgery is coming up soon.” So, he was still afraid I would affect the upcoming IVF procedure. I pushed Julian away. “I can walk on my own.” **Chapter 5** I don’t know what Julian told Mrs. Thorne, but the next day, though her face was still sour, she didn’t flare up again. She refused to even look at me directly, only chatting animatedly with Seraphina. Seraphina’s witty remarks had her beaming with laughter. It was only when a maid announced dinner that the awkward atmosphere was broken. At the dining table, Mrs. Thorne sat at the head. Normally, Seraphina and Julian would sit on either side, and I would sit next to Julian. But Seraphina quickly claimed my usual seat. “I have something to discuss with Julian today. Ellie-sis, you won’t be mad if I sit here, right?” Mrs. Thorne’s expression was indifferent. “Sera, if you want to sit there, go ahead. You and your brother have always been close.” Julian, however, was unusually insistent. “No. Go back to your own seat. Mother, aren’t you the one who values rules most? How can you let her be so disorderly?” Seraphina pouted and reluctantly went back to her seat, even making a face at Julian. Once all the dishes were served, it was still the usual all-vegetarian meal. My hand, holding my forks, paused again. Julian noticed and said softly, “I hunted yesterday…” Seraphina cut him off. “Ellie-sis, you don’t know, Julian is an amazing shot!” “He caught so many animals yesterday, but I felt sorry for them, so I begged him not to eat them. Then I brought them all back to keep them as pets. Once they recover from their injuries, I’ll release them back into the wild.” Mrs. Thorne cast a look of approval. “Now that’s truly a good deed, a way to accumulate merit. I always have the kitchen prepare these vegetarian dishes to accumulate merit for all of you.” “But some people just don’t appreciate it. Sera, you’re so good, you’ll surely be blessed.” Julian cut Mrs. Thorne off. “Mother, that’s enough.” Then he looked at me apologetically. “Ellie, I’m sorry.” I didn’t blame him, only myself for still holding out hope for him. I barely touched a few forks of food during dinner, then made to leave the table. As I walked away, I saw, hidden beneath the thick tablecloth, Seraphina’s bare foot resting on Julian’s crotch. No wonder Julian had remained silent. I let out a soft laugh. Seeing me leave, Julian also made to stand up and accompany me. “Don’t bother.” I motioned for Julian to sit back down. Why should I disturb their sweet time? Back in my courtyard, the once clean and tidy space was now overrun with pheasants and rabbits. The ground was covered in their droppings, the stench so foul it was unbearable. I hadn’t been feeling well these past few days, and the smell made me rush to the bathroom and vomit. But my stomach was empty, so nothing came up. A maid helped me to the sofa and brought hot water and a towel. Seeing my state, an experienced middle-aged maid said with surprise, “Madam, with you like this, could you be pregnant?” “What?!” Julian, who had followed back, still worried, along with Seraphina behind him, walked in just as these words were uttered. The atmosphere in the room instantly froze. Julian’s face lit up with surprise, and he took a few steps forward. “Really?” Seraphina, however, her eyes red, ran out the door. He then realized what had happened and made to chase after her, but the maid called out, “Mr. Thorne, please come check on Madam.” His steps faltered, and he froze in the doorway, caught between two impossible choices. **Chapter 6** Pregnant? How could that be?! I instinctively touched my stomach. Could there truly be a small life inside me? Julian, urged by the maid, slowly, stiffly, walked over. “How do you feel?” His tone was strained, clearly still worried about Seraphina who had stormed out. Seeing him like that, I quickly regained my composure. Whether this child was real or not, it would be my lifeline. Everything depended on this chance to escape. Soon, Mrs. Thorne also received the news. It was the first time she hadn’t glared at me. “It’s my tireless devotion to prayer that brought such a blessing from heaven.” “From now on, you all must be more devout. Oh, and I need to go back to the temple in a few days to fulfill my vows.” She ordered the maids to prepare offerings. Seraphina had returned, looking as she usually did. No hint of her earlier breakdown, though her reddened eyes betrayed a little. “Aunt Clara, you’re a bit too hasty. Ellie-sis hasn’t even had a check-up yet. Don’t let it be a false alarm.” As she spoke, she couldn’t help but let some bitterness seep into her words. I met Seraphina’s gaze directly. “Sera is right, it does need to be confirmed.” “So, a week ago, when I suspected I might be pregnant, I went for a check-up.” “The doctor said I’m already three months along.” At these words, everyone was stunned. Mrs. Thorne quickly muttered several “Amens.” “The Lord has truly blessed us! The Thorne family finally has an heir!” Julian instinctively tightened his grip on my hand, making me cry out in pain. “Julian, you’re hurting me.” Julian realized his lapse. He forced a smile. “I’m just so excited, is this really true? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” “I was planning to tell you on your birthday in a few days, to give you a surprise. I didn’t expect to be unable to keep it a secret.” “Ellie-sis, where did you get checked? Is the result reliable? Many hospital doctors don’t seem very trustworthy.” Seraphina’s hatred was barely concealed, her words growing sharper. “I’m just saying, Ellie-sis, don’t take it to heart. We have a hospital with our investment, why go outside? Outside hospitals will do anything for money, you know.” “I even heard that Mrs. Lee, who’d been married for years without children, bribed a doctor for a fake result. When it was exposed, it caused a terrible scandal.” Mrs. Thorne’s hand, twirling her prayer beads, paused. “Sera is right, it’s better to get checked again, just for peace of mind.” I smirked. “Of course, I didn’t just pick any hospital for the check-up. Do you know Dr. Valerie Bell? She personally gave me the diagnosis.” Mrs. Thorne’s face lit up with surprise. “Dr. Valerie Bell? How do you know her?” Dr. Valerie Bell, a rising star doctor who had recently become famous for a particular surgery. Though young and having only recently returned to the country, she was already receiving offers from various wealthy families. “Just yesterday, I was at a ladies’ luncheon, and we were talking about how great it would be to connect with Dr. Bell. I can’t believe you actually know her, Ellie!” “We were classmates,” I said, covering my mouth with a light smile. Julian looked at me, his expression unreadable. “How did I not know you had this connection with Dr. Valerie Bell?” “If Dr. Bell could establish a relationship with our hospital, its reputation would skyrocket!” Mrs. Thorne was delighted. “Ellie, see if you can invite her to give a presentation at the hospital sometime.” Seraphina still wanted to say more. “But even Dr. Bell might not be completely accurate…” But Mrs. Thorne stopped her. “Enough. Dr. Bell’s surgery saved Mr. White, her medical skills are beyond question.” “Everyone must be tired today.” Mrs. Thorne stood up, looking at my stomach. “Ellie is also pregnant, so everyone should get some rest early.” With her words, she effectively acknowledged my pregnancy, and no one dared to say another word. “Oh, and Sera, you should sleep in my courtyard later. You’re carrying a child, and you’ll disturb Ellie’s rest here.” **Chapter 7** Everyone dispersed, and even if Seraphina was unwilling, she had no choice but to leave. Suddenly, only Julian and I remained. After a long silence, Julian spoke. “Ellie, are you… are you really pregnant?” To be honest, I didn’t know if I was pregnant. After taking birth control pills for so many years, even if I stopped, it wouldn’t happen overnight. But right now, I could only say yes. “It seems you’re not very happy about me being pregnant.” “No, I’m just surprised. We haven’t had children, and we already agreed to IVF.” Julian vehemently denied it. “Isn’t this better? This is a child we conceived naturally.” I suppressed the nausea in my stomach and took Julian’s hand, placing it on my belly. “You’ve always wanted a child, haven’t you? I, for one, really want to have *our* child.” Feeling the warmth beneath his hand, Julian’s expression softened as he looked at me. “Yes, it’s our child. He’ll look so much like you.” “He’ll be the happiest child in the world.” Julian held me, sleeping soundly, but he didn’t see that the person in his arms remained wide awake. Late at night, the phone on the bedside table vibrated constantly with incoming messages. I picked it up and unlocked it. Julian had given me all his passwords. He said, “Everything I have is open to you.” Because of his apparent honesty, I had never once looked through his phone. I didn’t want to betray his trust, which is why when I later found out everything, I was so utterly shocked. I scrolled through the messages, expressionless. They were all from Seraphina. Seraphina sent a tear-streaked photo. She wrote, “Why can everyone else have children? Why not me? Did I commit some sin in a past life?” I chuckled softly, continuing to scroll up. Seraphina and Julian chatted frequently. They talked almost every day. It turned out that all those times Julian said he was working late or entertaining clients, he was actually with Seraphina. He even missed my birthday because Seraphina claimed she couldn’t finish her thesis and needed his help. Looking through the chat logs, there were even half-hidden, lingerie-clad photos from Seraphina. “Want to see more? Come find me now.” Julian’s reply was, “Have I not satisfied you enough lately?” Seeing all this, I expected to feel immense pain, but my heart remained surprisingly calm. I simply took photos and saved everything. Maybe I truly didn’t care about Julian anymore. I put the phone down and lay back in bed. Soon after, Julian woke up. He first checked if I was asleep, then tucked in my blankets. After seeing the messages on his phone, he tiptoed carefully out of the bedroom. I opened my eyes, mocking Julian’s talent for pretense, then I stretched out and enjoyed a wonderful sleep, alone in the spacious bed. **Chapter 8** Using the excuse that the old manor was not conducive to pregnancy, I made arrangements to return home early. Julian’s eyes were filled with contentment. “Do you want me to come with you?” I feigned thoughtfulness. “No, you’ve just come back, you should spend more time with your mother. I can manage on my own.” “Then promise me you’ll be careful. I’ll be back to join you as soon as I can.” He gently took my hand. “Without you, I won’t be able to sleep at night.” Finally out of their sight, I didn’t go home. Instead, I went to one of the most renowned hospitals. Standing outside, I hesitated. What I told the Thornes wasn’t entirely false. Dr. Valerie Bell was indeed my high school classmate, or perhaps, more than just a classmate. But back then, I hadn’t listened to her and stubbornly insisted on marrying Julian. Now that Valerie was back in the country, how could I possibly face her? Finally, I made up my mind and walked into the hospital. The moment Valerie saw me, she first paused, then her face hardened. “Well, if it isn’t Mrs. Thorne? What brings you here? Doesn’t the Thorne family have its own hospital?” “Valerie, I—” The moment I spoke, tears uncontrollably streamed down my face. Seeing me cry, Valerie’s expression changed. “What’s wrong? Who hurt you? Was it that man?” A person who had been strong for so long was finally able to show her vulnerability. I cried uncontrollably. After I finished telling her everything, Valerie clenched her fists. “That monster! I told you Julian Thorne was no good!” There was another reason why I had agreed to marry Julian. The Thorne family was a medical dynasty. My sister had a rare illness, and many years ago, when she had a sudden flare-up, it was Julian who pulled strings to save her. “I’ve already decided to leave. Next month, Lily’s surgery will be over. Then I’ll be gone.” “How can I help you?” Valerie sighed, still unable to stand by idly. She had witnessed me in my prime, vibrant and proud, and now I was like a wilting lily. My eyes lit up. I hadn’t expected Valerie to give in so easily. “Valerie…” “No need for thanks.” Valerie waved her hand. “Just get yourself out of that cage.” Under Valerie’s arrangements, I underwent examinations. Indeed, I wasn’t pregnant. I breathed a sigh of relief. Honestly, even if I had been pregnant, I wouldn’t have kept the child. I didn’t want to bring an unloved child into the world. Valerie helped me swap my results for ones indicating pregnancy. “As for those embryos, didn’t the Thornes want me to give a presentation at their hospital? I’ll do my best to destroy them then.” Bidding Valerie farewell, I felt incredibly light on my feet. After so many years, seeing an old friend for the first time, I felt like I was back in my reckless, fearless youth. Back then, I was young, believing the world was in my grasp, that all dreams could come true. Stepping out again, I drove past the city art museum. After much hesitation, I pulled over. My dream had always been to hold my own art exhibition there. But after marrying Julian, I put down my paintbrush, dedicating myself to being a virtuous wife and mother, managing every detail of the household impeccably. I entered the museum, browsing the newly exhibited paintings, and unexpectedly, I met the person I least wanted to see. **Chapter 9** Julian and Seraphina were intimately leaning against each other in the exhibition hall. Seeing me, they both looked somewhat surprised. “Ellie, what are you doing here?” Julian asked, astonished. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” I retorted. “Shouldn’t you be at the old manor with your mother?” Seraphina interjected, a teasing smile on her face. “I asked Julian to come with me. I’m preparing for my art exhibition here!” “What!” It was the first time I hadn’t controlled my emotions. My usual perfectly composed smile shattered. “I was surprised when I heard the news too!” Seraphina’s smile broadened when she saw my reaction. “After all, only truly great artists get to exhibit here. I’m just a nobody, and I actually got an invitation.” “Oh, right, Ellie-sis, weren’t you in oil painting? Could you give me some advice? It’s my first exhibition, that’s why I asked Julian to help me brainstorm.” I looked at Julian. He evaded my gaze, looking away. Julian knew that holding an exhibition here was my dream. I had described my imagined exhibition space to him countless times, the decorations and layout having played out in my mind endlessly. So, I could see it clearly just by closing my eyes. I never imagined such a scene would actually come to life, but on someone else’s exhibition. I turned to leave. “Ellie, let me explain.” Julian quickly reached out to grab my hand. “Sera’s exhibition was put together rather quickly, and she didn’t have many ideas. I remembered the creative concepts you used to tell me, and since you’re not painting anymore, I suggested they use those for her setup.” “I was wrong.” He apologized frantically. Watching me turn to leave earlier, a huge panic had suddenly welled up inside him, as if he was about to lose me completely. I tried to shake off his hand, but he held me tight. A message popped up on my phone. It was from Valerie. “It’s done.” This long nightmare was finally coming to an end. I stopped struggling. Julian immediately wrapped his arms around me. “I’m sorry, I’ll never do anything like this again.” “I’ve also been keeping a close eye on Lily’s surgery; it’s scheduled for next Tuesday. Once Lily is well, you’ll also be having our baby.” He didn’t know where the feeling of losing me had come from, only that he needed to use these words to keep me. I calmly asked him, “When does Seraphina’s exhibition begin?” Julian didn’t understand why I was asking, but he told me anyway. “It opens next Friday.” By then, Lily should be awake from her surgery. “I’ll be there.” No, I wouldn’t. I’d be gone. Julian hesitated. “You’re pregnant, and it’ll be crowded. Be careful not to get jostled.” Seraphina caught up to us. “No way! I’ll arrange for Ellie-sis to be in a less crowded area, absolutely no problem. With her there, my exhibition will be even more interesting.” Was this her way of retaliating because I was pregnant? I looked at Seraphina, who wore an innocent smile. Was she trying to ruin my dream? Valerie found me. “I used the opportunity of my presentation to swap out the embryos. They had them cryopreserved, apparently planning to perform surgery on you after you gave birth.” “And I also saw Seraphina’s medical records.” “She has congenital uterine agenesis and ovarian dysfunction. This embryo was her only chance. Now she’ll never be able to have her own children.” Hearing this, I only thought one thing: Karma is a bitch. “What’s your next move?” “Of course, to give them a grand farewell gift before I leave.” **Chapter 10** With Valerie’s help, Lily’s surgery went smoothly. I breathed a sigh of relief. On the day of the exhibition, Julian had originally planned to make an entrance with me. “We haven’t attended an event like this together in a long time.” After our marriage, I had barely participated in such activities. But Seraphina created a distraction. “It’s my first exhibition, and I’m a bit scared. Can Julian come out with me?” Julian hesitated. Seraphina frowned. “I just want you to walk out with me. Ellie-sis won’t get jealous, will she?” I said nothing. Julian cautiously said, “Sera is quite timid, I should probably accompany her.” I didn’t object. It suited my plans to be alone anyway. I simply smiled. “You decide on these things.” Seeing me like this, Julian felt something was off, but he couldn’t pinpoint the reason. Seraphina was already urging him. He had no time to think, and leaning down, he kissed my forehead. “I’ll go ahead and wait for you.” I watched his retreating figure. He wouldn’t be waiting for long. After seeing Julian leave, I immediately called Valerie. She quickly sprang into action. First, she retrieved a pre-arranged body, a pregnant woman, whose build was 70% similar to mine. “Your flight is ready. You can leave directly.” I took nothing with me. Without hesitation, I left the house I had lived in for so long, without looking back. In the art museum’s exhibition hall, Julian felt a growing anxiety, checking the time repeatedly. Seraphina pouted. “What’s wrong with you? You’re so distracted.” “Ellie hasn’t arrived yet,” Julian blurted out. Seraphina’s expression changed. “Why are you thinking about her? Have you fallen in love with her?” “You promised me back then! You said you would never leave me!” Seraphina brought up their old pact again, clutching Julian’s shirt, tears streaming down her face. “Of course, I haven’t forgotten. I’ll always be with you.” Julian hugged her. They had been companions for twenty years; he certainly wouldn’t change his heart so easily. “Don’t cry. You’ll ruin your makeup and turn into a little mess. Today is your big day, please don’t cry.” He gently wiped away her tears. “Julian, lately I feel like you’re different, and I’m so scared you’ll leave me. I feel like you’re starting to care about her.” “Is it because she’s carrying your child?” “Don’t overthink it. I don’t care about having a child. I only care about you.” Julian comforted her. Under his gentle reassurances, Seraphina finally smiled again. Just then, someone knocked on the lounge door. “There’s someone asking for Mr. Thorne outside.” Julian thought it was me, and he strode over, his steps carrying an unacknowledged anticipation. But it was the police. “Mr. Julian Thorne?” “Yes, that’s me. What’s the matter?” Julian looked at the police officer, unaware of what had happened, but a sense of dread already growing inside him. It felt as if the next announcement would be life-altering. “It’s like this, about an hour ago, your wife, Ms. Thorne, was found in a car accident on the mountain road. We regret to inform you, the deceased was pronounced dead at the scene, with no vital signs.” **Chapter 11** What? After hearing the police officer, Julian didn’t react for a moment. He stared blankly as people approached him, their mouths moving.

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“Countdown to death: 5 days, 59 minutes, 59 seconds…” The flickering numbers in the void before my eyes struck me like a sledgehammer, sending a thrill of excitement coursing through my chest. Finally, I could die. Finally, I could return to my original world and reunite with my wife and daughter! Three years ago, my wife was about to give birth. On my way to the hospital, a runaway car suddenly swerved into us, dragging my life into an abyss of endless darkness. My wife and child died. I lost my legs and wished I were dead. Just as I was about to give up on everything and end my own life, filled with despair, a mysterious system appeared in my mind. The system told me that if I lived in this parallel world as a husband, if I treated and protected Victoria submissively until the very end of my life, my wife and child in my original world would survive safely. And I would get my legs back, becoming a normal man again. From that moment on, I had never yearned for death as intensely as I did now. I had endured three grueling years in this strange world, and finally, the countdown to my death had begun. *Ring, ring, ring—* Just then, the sharp ring of my phone pulled me back to reality. “Hey, Liam, get over here now! Vicki’s in trouble at the abandoned factory in the South District!” It was Chloe, Vicki’s best friend, her voice urgent and impatient. She barked the words and then hung up abruptly. It was deep into the night. Outside, a furious storm raged, fat raindrops drumming against the windows. I took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of excitement, grabbed my jacket, and rushed out. Since arriving in this world, I had existed as Vicki’s husband, the heiress of the Sterling family, but it was nothing more than a contract marriage. Vicki didn’t love me at all. My becoming her husband was simply a result of my late grandfather and Vicki’s grandfather being good friends, having promised this marriage years ago. In Vicki’s eyes, I was treated worse than dirt, and I had no idea how long this contract was supposed to last. I had served Vicki for three years, giving her everything I had. Yet, I had never received an ounce of respect. Vicki would often laugh and tell Chloe: “He’s just my dog. If I tell him to go east, he won’t dare go west.” “If it weren’t for family expectations, and him being so obedient, I would have found a reason to kick him out of the Sterling household long ago.” Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but smile. Soon. In six days, I would completely vanish from Vicki’s world. But before that, I couldn’t let anything happen to Vicki. I had to fulfill the system’s mission. As soon as I reached the entrance of the abandoned factory, I barely had a moment to catch my breath before I urgently asked Chloe: “How is Vicki?” “What took you so long! Vicki’s been kidnapped and she’s tied up inside the factory! The kidnappers offered a hostage exchange!” “Liam, hurry up and switch places with Vicki!” Hearing Chloe’s words, I didn’t hesitate for a second, agreeing firmly: “Okay, I’ll exchange myself. Tell them to release Vicki now!” At my words, Chloe looked surprised, as if she hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. She scoffed softly, then shouted into the distance: “Vicki, come out! Can’t believe it, this guy Liam really would do anything for you!”

I froze for a moment. From the corner, a stunning woman with an exquisite face and outstanding demeanor slowly emerged. It was Vicki. My heart sank, but I also let out a sigh of relief. It turned out Vicki hadn’t been kidnapped at all; she was just playing a cruel joke on me. “I told you he wouldn’t refuse.” Vicki glanced at Chloe, then walked towards me, her face expressionless and cold, saying: “Since you agreed to a hostage exchange, then it shouldn’t matter to you who you exchange yourself for, right?” The relief I had just felt immediately turned into a sense of ominous dread. Vicki looked at me, her eyes filled with chilling indifference: “I wasn’t the one kidnapped by the robbers; it was Felix. Go inside quickly and exchange yourself for Felix.” My heart pounded. It wasn’t Vicki who was kidnapped; it was Felix! Vicki was a prominent socialite, of noble status. She had countless admirers, but she only loved Felix. However, the Sterling and Harrington families were rivals, and Felix was an illegitimate son of the Harrington family. Coupled with Vicki’s grandfather’s orders, she couldn’t be with Felix. But for years, she had secretly protected Felix. Felix enjoyed thrilling activities like bungee jumping and adventure sports. Vicki, who had no interest in them and was even afraid, always accompanied him. Although my sacrifices for Vicki were only to complete a mission, I was still a man with flesh and blood! I was her husband, at least in name, yet she was putting me in grave danger for another man! It was absolutely heart-wrenching. Vicki’s expression remained cold, without a hint of guilt: “What are you waiting for? Go now!” Then, as if remembering something, she scoffed: “Don’t worry, I’ll compensate you after this is over.” Hearing that, I smiled bitterly and shook my head. Compensate me? What if I accidentally lost my life at the hands of the robbers? What compensation could be worth a life? Vicki’s actions made my three years of sacrifice seem utterly ridiculous. Seeing that I remained silent, Vicki frowned slightly: “What, you’re not willing?” I took a deep breath, and with an expressionless face, I said to Vicki: “I am willing!” I couldn’t refuse any of Vicki’s demands, including this one. “You’re really willing?” Vicki’s face flashed with surprise. Although she had just used Chloe to test me, it was for herself initially, so my agreement was understandable. After all, I had practically no dignity because of her for years, never refusing any of her demands. But regarding the agreement to exchange myself for Felix, she was still unsure. She hadn’t expected me to agree even to that. Vicki was silent for a moment, staring intently at me, urging me on as if afraid I would suddenly back out: “Then go quickly. Every minute you delay, Felix is in more danger.” “Okay.” I didn’t know what Vicki was thinking. I gave her a deep look and then smiled, a light, easy smile. It’s fine. Just a little longer. Soon, I would be free. Under the dim sky, the decrepit factory exuded an eerie aura. Overgrown with weeds, the crumbling walls swayed precariously under the erosion of time. A few gaping windows stared out like the eyes of a monster, coldly watching them. Protected by two bodyguards, five of us stepped into the factory, immediately hit by a pungent smell of rust and damp mildew. In the dim light, dust motes danced freely in the air, and the floor was covered in mottled water stains and messy footprints. Inside the factory, old machinery stood, parts scattered everywhere. “Where are they? Weren’t you going to exchange hostages?”

After stepping into the factory, Chloe yelled at the top of her lungs. Her voice echoed in the empty building, but there was no response. A moment later, a flurry of footsteps sounded from deeper within the factory, and several burly kidnappers emerged. Their faces were covered with black cloths, revealing only their fierce eyes. One of the kidnappers toyed with a gleaming dagger, letting out an ominous chuckle: “You really dared to come in. You’ve got guts.” My gaze swept over them, then landed on Felix, who was tied to a chair not far away. Seeing Felix, Vicki’s face showed anxiety: “Felix, are you okay?!” Then she glared at the kidnappers: “Didn’t I agree to your demands? Why are you still abusing him?!” Felix’s hair was disheveled, and a trace of blood stained the corner of his mouth. Seeing Vicki, a flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes, followed by a panicked shout: “Vicki, why did you come? Get out of here, they’re all crazy!” “Stop talking nonsense!” One of the kidnappers spat at him viciously. Seeing her beloved injured, Vicki was desperate. She took a deep breath, her voice laced with tension and unease, pointing at me and saying urgently: “The person is here. He’s my husband, he’s more valuable to you. I’m definitely here to redeem him!” “Oh? Husband?” Butch’s gaze fell on me. He squinted, sizing me up for a moment, then sneered at Vicki: “Him? This shabby-looking guy is the husband of a Sterling heiress? Don’t try to pull a fast one on me!” Vicki bristled: “If you don’t believe me, you can check online!” Butch signaled to one of his minions. The minion quickly pulled out his phone, his fingers rapidly sliding across the screen. Soon, he leaned close to Butch’s ear and whispered: “Boss, this guy really is her husband. You can find news of their wedding three years ago online. It was a huge, lavish affair!” Butch looked at the phone, then lowered his head, contemplating for a while. Then he looked up at Vicki and let out a harsh, mocking laugh. The sound echoed through the empty factory, making it even more sinister. “I didn’t expect this man to actually be your husband.” “If he’s your husband, how could you bear to trade him for this pretty boy?” He stared at Vicki, full of suspicion: “There’s no trickery going on here, is there?” Even Liam couldn’t help but look at Vicki. Even the kidnappers found this absurd, but Vicki seemed oblivious. A flicker of panic crossed Vicki’s eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. She raised her voice, feigning calmness: “Stop talking nonsense, he is my husband, just tell me if you’re making the trade or not!” Butch pondered for a moment, exchanged a few quiet words with his subordinates, then coldly said to Vicki: “Alright, I’ll believe you this once. But let me make one thing clear: if you try to trick me, you’ll be picking up his corpse!” My expression was calm, but my nails were digging deeply into my palms. In Vicki’s eyes, I was nothing more than a pawn, to be sacrificed at will to ensure the safety of her beloved. But even so, to save my wife and child, I could only silently endure all of this. Butch’s hoarse voice cut through the air: “Have your husband walk over, and we’ll release him.” Vicki frowned, refusing: “What if you go back on your word? Let’s release them simultaneously!” “Stop wasting time! I’m already giving you a chance to swap. One more word and I’ll gut him.”

The kidnapper’s knife pressed against Felix’s throat. It lightly drew a line, and blood instantly stained Felix’s collar. Seeing this, Vicki’s face went pale: “No, I’ll listen to you!” She abruptly reached out, pushing me forcefully towards the kidnappers. Her movements were desperate and rough; her delicate fingernails even left several red marks on my arm. I said nothing, walking like a zombie, step by step, towards the kidnappers. The moment my foot entered the circle of kidnappers, two fierce-looking men immediately seized me. Rough ropes were tightly bound around me. Butch tore off his mask, revealing an ugly scar. He laughed brazenly, his laughter echoing through the empty factory: “Miss Sterling, you actually believed we’d let him go?” Vicki’s face instantly turned ashen, her body trembling slightly from the intense surge of emotion as she furiously retorted: “You broke your word! Release Felix immediately! Otherwise, you won’t get a single cent!” I hung my head. Though it no longer mattered, hearing those words still sent a chill through my heart. “Release him? Miss Sterling, you’re too naive.” Butch’s eyes flashed with ruthlessness. “I can release him, but before that, let’s play an interesting game.” He said, taking a syringe filled with an unknown liquid from a minion behind him and shaking it in front of Vicki. “This is an experimental serum. Choose one person for me to inject it into: will you choose your husband, or your childhood friend?” The question hung in the air, and the surrounding atmosphere instantly froze. All eyes were on Vicki. Her lips trembled slightly, and with hardly any hesitation, she blurted out: “Inject my husband!” The words hit me like a heavy hammer, right to my core, yet they were entirely expected. The kidnappers erupted in laughter, their eyes filled with scorn as they looked at me. As if I were the most pathetic insect in the world. The cold needle pierced my skin, and the serum slowly injected. My body instinctively trembled, but I forced myself to remain calm. “Host, this is a highly active cellular agent. Your organs will fail within 10 days, and current medical technology cannot detect it.” I took a deep breath, my heart completely undisturbed. Anyway, I only had six days left. It didn’t matter anymore. “Now can you release him?!” Vicki glared at the kidnappers. The kidnappers discussed it for a moment. Perhaps they thought I was more valuable, so they untied Felix. “Get lost!” Felix scrambled to his feet, stumbling towards Vicki. He tightly embraced Vicki, his arms trembling slightly from excitement and lingering fear. “Vicki, thank you for saving me. I thought I’d never see you again.” Felix’s voice was choked with sobs, filled with the relief of a narrow escape. Vicki instinctively hugged him back, her eyes filled with worry and concern, comforting him: “It’s okay, it’s all over now. You’re safe, that’s all that matters.” Just then, Butch spoke up: “Miss Sterling, your husband is in our hands. You have twenty-four hours to gather fifty million in ransom. If you dare to call the police or exceed the time limit, you’ll be picking up your husband’s corpse!” Butch threatened coldly, his icy gaze seemingly able to pierce through hearts. Vicki bit her lower lip, shot a fierce glare at the kidnappers, then, helping Felix, left the factory without looking back. As their figures disappeared outside the factory, the kidnappers’ attention returned to me. Butch walked up to me, knelt down, and pinched my chin. A mocking smile played on his face: “Tell me, as a husband, how can you be so spineless? That man is clearly far more important to your wife than you are.”

I calmly countered: “If that’s the case, why did you trade me for him?” Butch stood up, clapped his hands as if dusting them off, a cunning smile on his face: “I’m not stupid. Even if your wife despises you, you’re still the Sterling family’s legitimate son-in-law. The Sterling family would never spend money to ransom that man, but for you, they absolutely would.” “After all, the Sterling family is notoriously concerned with its reputation. If their son-in-law were killed, how bad would that look?” My heart clenched. So, in these kidnappers’ eyes, I was merely a symbol of the Sterling family’s public image. I was their bargaining chip for a massive ransom. I smiled sardonically. Indeed, my standing in Vicki’s heart truly was less than this so-called “reputation.” “Why didn’t you extort the Harrington family?” I couldn’t help but ask again. “Heh.” Butch scoffed. “Don’t think I don’t know. That man is just an illegitimate son of the Harrington family, and not particularly favored. The Harringtons might not bother ransoming him.” My brow furrowed. Few people knew Felix was an illegitimate son of the Harrington family. It seemed these kidnappers really did their homework. I closed my eyes, saying nothing more. Meanwhile, Vicki and her group of five dared not linger for a moment. After exiting the factory, they got into the car, ready to leave. “Vicki, that was absolutely terrifying!” Chloe let out a heavy sigh of relief. “Thank goodness for you, Vicki.” Felix also turned, looking at Vicki gratefully, then hesitated: “But Liam is still with the kidnappers…” The words were barely out before Vicki coldly cut him off: “Just call the police!” Hearing that, Felix’s lips curled into a sneer. Inside the abandoned factory, the kidnappers taunted me with one comment after another. I remained silent. Seeing my lack of reaction, the kidnappers grew bored and dispersed. My face was impassive, but secretly, I carefully observed the distribution of the kidnappers. I noticed there were five kidnappers in the factory. One guarded the door, two chatted and smoked nearby, and two others played cards in a corner. I began to ponder. I couldn’t pin my hopes of escape on Vicki. I had to save myself! Time ticked by, minute by minute. Two hours later, the kidnappers gradually grew sleepy. They yawned incessantly, and Butch had long since fallen asleep. My eyes flashed. I quietly pulled out a razor blade I had hidden earlier. I had picked it up from the ground and stashed it when I was being led into the factory, while the kidnappers weren’t paying attention. I cautiously used the blade to cut the ropes on my hands, my movements subtle, terrified of making even the slightest sound. The ropes were slowly severed, and my heartbeat grew faster and faster. Finally, the ropes broke, and my hands were free. I crept towards the window, light-footed. But just as I was about to reach the window, a kidnapper seemed to sense something amiss and suddenly turned his head. My face changed. Without thinking, I swiftly leaped out the window and ran for my life. The kidnappers roared in fury and immediately gave chase. In the intense pursuit, I tripped over a discarded steel bar and was unfortunately caught by one of the robbers. A cold glint flashed, and a sharp pain shot through my wrist. Blood streamed out. But I ignored the pain, kicked the man away, gritted my teeth, got back up, and continued running. Finally, I escaped the factory.

Under the cover of night, I ran desperately towards the city. The continuous blood loss made my head swim. Not long after entering the city and shaking off the kidnappers, my vision went black. My body could no longer hold up, and I collapsed heavily, falling into a coma. When I woke up again, I found myself in a hospital bed. Seeing that I was still alive, I breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, the TV in the hospital room was broadcasting a news report: “Police successfully cracked a kidnapping case, apprehending all suspects…” Those kidnappers were the same group from last night. I clenched my fists, my eyes cold. The kidnappers had explicitly threatened Vicki not to call the police! Sure enough, my safety really was worthless in Vicki’s eyes. I took out my phone and found several missed calls. All these calls were from Vicki. Was she worried about me? I couldn’t help but wonder. But when I opened my phone, what greeted me was Felix’s Ins update. The accompanying picture showed Vicki meticulously caring for Felix by his bedside, with the caption: “Thanks to Vicki, I’m recovering so quickly.” Seeing this, the warmth that had just ignited in my heart instantly died down. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. It didn’t matter. It would all be over soon. Taking a deep breath, I dialed Vicki’s number. After a long while, the call finally connected. I tried to keep my voice calm: “Vicki, I escaped. I’m in the hospital now.” Vicki on the other end was clearly shocked: “You’re still alive?” “What?” I froze. Vicki seemed to realize she had said the wrong thing and stammered nervously: “No, nothing. Oh, are you okay?” I replied faintly: “I’m fine.” After a brief silence… “Good, if you’re fine. Felix was quite shaken up this time, so I’m going to take care of him. I’ll come see you tomorrow.” With that, Vicki hung up directly. Leaving me alone in the hospital bed, I suddenly felt ridiculous. She didn’t even know which hospital I was in. Where would she “see” me? In a blink, two days passed. Until my discharge, as I had expected, Vicki never showed up. “Only three days left.” I murmured to myself unconsciously, a faint smile touching my lips. Just then, my phone rang. I answered, and Vicki’s voice came through the receiver, carrying an undeniable tone of command: “There’s a very important business gala tomorrow in the city. Prominent figures from all walks of life will be attending. Make sure you’re there on time.” “I’ll text you the address for the evening. You can go there yourself.” My hand, holding the phone, tightened slightly. “Okay, I understand.” After all, I was still the Sterling family’s son-in-law. Any event Vicki attended, I had to show up, if only for appearances to impress her grandfather. The next day, I arrived at the gala on time. As soon as I stepped into the venue, I immediately spotted Vicki in the crowd. She was wearing a magnificent evening gown, her posture elegant, conversing with those around her. Beside her, Felix was also surrounded, a gentle smile on his face, but his eyes occasionally shot provocative glances my way. I immediately felt bored and wanted to go upstairs to a guest room to rest. As I reached the stairwell, a voice called out behind me: “Mr. Liam, wait.”

I turned my head to look back, and Felix walked over. Felix possessed finely sculpted features. His deep-set eyes were like tranquil pools, his thin lips gently pursed. Every gesture exuded a unique charm, making people instantly take a liking to him. I couldn’t help but think, with such superior looks, no wonder he could win the heart of a proud woman like Vicki. I didn’t want much interaction with Felix. I merely nodded politely, intending to leave. However, Felix reached out and stopped me, smiling faintly: “Mr. Liam, I’m truly sorry. If I hadn’t accidentally been kidnapped, Vicki wouldn’t have had to call you, and you wouldn’t have been injected with that unknown serum, nor would you have had to escape death.” Felix spoke words of gratitude, but his face wore an arrogant expression. I knew Felix was gloating, so I decided to make his gloating completely ineffective. “Those were all my own choices.” My face showed little emotion; I simply stated it flatly. As expected, seeing my calmness, Felix’s expression became unnatural. He dropped the pretense, sneering softly: “Your own choices? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning. Do you really think you can make Vicki accept you this way?” Then, he leaned close to me, his expression turning somewhat distorted: “You’re dreaming! Don’t you believe it? No matter how outrageous I am to you, Vicki will always side with me!” My face slightly changed, and an ominous premonition immediately rose in my heart. Before I could react, Felix gave a strange smile. He suddenly grabbed a beautiful vase from a nearby shelf and viciously smashed it against my head. *Bang!* The vase shattered instantly, fragments scattering everywhere. My vision went black, and a sharp pain shot through my head. My body instinctively stumbled back a few steps, leaning against the wall. Before I could even figure out what had happened, Felix shrieked in panic: “Liam, what’s wrong with you? Why are you doing this to yourself? Could it be… could it be that you’re still holding a grudge about what happened a few days ago, and you’re trying to frame me?” Blood streamed down my forehead, continuously flowing over my face. My freshly changed, clean shirt was now stained crimson with blood. I gritted my teeth, instinctively wanting to speak. But before I could open my mouth, a figure quickly darted past. Then, I heard Vicki’s furious voice ring out beside me: “Liam! What kind of stunt are you pulling now?!” Vicki, supporting Felix, glared fiercely at me, frantically checking on Felix. My ears rang, and the throbbing pain in my head made it almost impossible to stand upright. I wanted to explain everything to Vicki. But Felix spoke first. “Vicki, don’t blame Liam. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have been taken hostage by kidnappers. He must still be angry at me, which is why he resorted to this tactic…” “But… but he shouldn’t harm himself like this!” Hearing Felix’s words, Vicki’s anger flared even more. She stared intently at me, yelling furiously: “Three days ago, you voluntarily became a hostage. You weren’t seriously injured either. And now you’re here to bully Felix? Are you even a man?!” Though I kept telling myself it no longer mattered, seeing Vicki unconditionally believe Felix, I couldn’t help but feel utterly drained. Even if there was no love between us, I had gone through hell and back for her for three years. In her heart, was I truly that kind of person?

Felix’s eyes were red-rimmed, and he spoke with a feigned air of understanding: “Vicki, just let it go! Let’s just say I accidentally hurt him! I’m fine…” Hearing these words of wronged self-sacrifice from the man she loved, Vicki grew even more furious. She turned to Felix, her eyes filled with heartache: “Felix, you’re just too kind. He treated you like this, and you’re still defending him.” Then, she glared at me again, her voice sharp: “Liam, did you hear that? Felix is being so considerate towards you. Why aren’t you apologizing right now?!” I took a deep breath, trying hard to compose myself. I knew that if I didn’t comply with Vicki now, the situation would only worsen. “Alright, I apologize.” I turned to Felix, my voice low and strained. “I was out of line. I’m sorry!” Felix nodded in satisfaction, a false smile on his face: “It’s okay, Mr. Liam. I believe you didn’t mean it. It’s just childishness to come up with such a plan. It’s fine.” As he spoke, a flicker of mockery danced in his eyes. Vicki snorted coldly, giving me a dismissive glance: “Hmph, at least you’re sensible.” She hooked her arm through Felix’s and was about to leave. I watched their retreating backs, my body trembling slightly from the pain. Two more days. Just get through these two days. Then I could finally be free from all of this and return to my own world. To see my beloved wife and child, whom I yearned for day and night! After getting my wounds simply treated by a doctor, I found a corner and quietly waited for this farcical gala to end. The next morning, I slowly woke up in the dark. My head throbbed, and every inch of my body screamed in pain. Instinctively, I raised a hand to rub my aching head, but accidentally tugged at a wound, making me gasp in pain. “Liam, you’re awake!” Vicki’s voice reached me, lacking its usual sharpness, instead carrying a hint of urgency. I slowly opened my eyes, and Vicki’s anxious face came into view. I struggled to prop myself up, frowning as I asked: “What’s wrong?” Vicki was silent for a moment, as if recalling my years of sacrifice. A flicker of reluctance crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by resolve. She spoke rapidly: “Felix drank too much last night, hit someone on the way home, and was so scared he just left the scene. Now the injured person is in a coma. Liam, can you take the fall for Felix?” “What?!”

y eyes widened, as if struck by a lightning bolt, and I froze instantly. I couldn’t believe my ears, staring at Vicki in disbelief. “You… want me to take the fall for him?” Vicki took a step closer, her voice softening slightly: “Liam, Felix truly cannot be implicated. If he goes to prison, his life will be ruined! You go take the fall, and I’ll find a way to get you out quickly.” My heart chilled once more. I had sacrificed so much for Vicki, even my dignity. Yet, in her heart, I was merely a pawn to be sacrificed at will. After a moment, I took a deep breath, suppressing the humiliation in my heart, and slowly nodded: “Okay, I’ll do it.” Vicki was stunned when I agreed. “You… really willing?” A few days ago, my agreement to swap myself for Felix from the kidnappers was already unbelievable to her. Now, this was even more incomprehensible. “Yes, I’m willing.” I smiled. “I won’t refuse any of your demands.” *To save my Audrey and our child,* I told myself inwardly. Vicki’s heart trembled, and a complex emotion flickered in her eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely help you get acquitted, and I won’t shortchange you.” But to me, those words sounded like the cruelest irony. That day, I walked step by heavy step towards the police station. The moment I entered the police station, I was met with strange looks. I straightened my back and walked towards the confession window, my voice calm yet firm: “I’m here to turn myself in. The hit-and-run last night, I did it.” And just like that, after turning myself in, I was quickly taken into custody. The iron gate of the detention center slowly closed behind me with a heavy clang. It felt like fate’s final ultimatum. Inside the dimly lit detention cell, the lights flickered, and the air was thick with a damp, decaying smell. The moment I was brought in, I drew the attention of a group of men. Seeing them, my face involuntarily changed. They too were stunned when they saw me, then their expressions turned savage. Because these men were none other than the group of kidnappers arrested a few days prior! “Well, well, isn’t this Miss Sterling’s husband? Such a distinguished person, how did you end up in jail?” I remained silent. Seeing me not respond, Butch, the former leader, suddenly rushed forward. He kicked me viciously. I stumbled, falling to the ground. “I’m talking to you! Why are you playing dumb? Are you looking down on me? I’ll teach you a lesson today!” “If you hadn’t run away, me and my brothers would have been living it up with the money already. How else would we be stuck in here?!” With that, Butch waved his hand. A group of men swarmed around me, laying into me. I curled up on the ground, protecting my injured head with my hands. I let their punches and kicks rain down on me. Their curses and jeers echoed in my ears, but my heart was utterly numb. I knew I had no help now; resisting would only provoke a more brutal beating. I don’t know how long it lasted before they seemed to tire, finally scattering with a string of curses. I lay on the ground, covered in wounds. New and old injuries mingled, and I tasted rust in my mouth. I slowly closed my eyes, feeling the pain spread through my body, waiting for the moment of release.

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A text message suddenly popped up on my phone: [This is my 99th time proposing to you. If you don’t say yes, I’m jumping off the company roof!] My colleague, Scarlett Hayes, saw it and shook me violently. “Amelia Vance, snap out of it! You absolutely cannot marry this obsessive broke loser!” She was convinced I was being emotionally manipulated, and she spread rumors everywhere that my boyfriend was a violent psycho. Director Thompson, swayed by her gossip, mocked me relentlessly. “People blinded by love can’t be trusted.” Suddenly, a million dollars went missing from the company accounts. Scarlett and Director Thompson teamed up to frame me. “Amelia, what has that boyfriend of yours done to you? To actually embezzle company funds!” Seeing their smug faces, I dialed the Chairman’s number directly. “Do you know everyone in your company calls you a stalker?” Liam Sterling’s voice on the phone sounded tired but still gentle. “I’m in Europe for a conference. What’s wrong, Honey?” I cut straight to the chase: “A million dollars is missing from the company account. They say I embezzled it. Should I pay it back?” There was a second of silence on the other end. Then, his low chuckle. “You won’t even use my credit card. Why would you touch company money? Honey, that’s not a funny joke.” I hung up. Director Thompson and Scarlett exchanged a knowing glance, and the office erupted in deafening laughter. Director Thompson doubled over with laughter, pointing at me. “Amelia, where did you find a voice actor?” “His voice actually sounds a lot like the Chairman’s. That must have cost a fortune, right? Can your boyfriend, the one who only threatens to jump off buildings, afford it?” “You think the Chairman’s personal assistant is your housemaid, available at your beck and call?” Scarlett lunged at me, clutching my wrist tightly, her nails digging into my skin. “Amelia, snap out of it! How can you be so manipulated by a man?” She lowered her voice, whispering in my ear: “I know you care about your image, but don’t go to those loan sharks! He’s a broke loser, it’s not worth it!” “Is he forcing you? Did he make you embezzle company funds? Quick, tell Director Thompson the truth! Everyone here is trying to help you!” I told them the truth, but you didn’t believe me. Yesterday afternoon, I was reporting on project progress when Liam Sterling’s text suddenly popped up. [99th proposal. If you don’t say yes, I’m jumping off the company roof.] I reacted quickly and immediately turned off the projector. Scarlett’s face changed dramatically. After the meeting, she pulled me aside, lecturing me earnestly. “Amelia, listen to me, you absolutely cannot keep a man like that!” “99 proposals? Who does that? That’s clearly the behavior of an obsessive freak!” I tried to explain, tried to tell her Liam Sterling wasn’t obsessive, that it was just our little romantic game. My family wasn’t exactly struggling financially either. But she cut me off. “Amelia, wake up! How can ordinary people like us marry an heir to one of the richest families? You’re delusional!” Her words were like a bucket of cold water dumped over me. I looked at her familiar face, remembering all the little details from our four years in college. She always said she was ostracized by her roommates, and only I was willing to be her friend. I knew she struggled financially, so I specifically had my family’s company set up a special scholarship fund for the school and urged her to apply. When she was sick and hospitalized, I took her to our family’s private hospital, lying to her that the director was a distant relative who could give us a discount. I was careful not to hurt her fragile ego, never revealing my family background. I even managed to keep Liam Sterling’s true identity completely under wraps. Now, she was looking at me like I was mentally unstable. “Amelia!” Director Thompson’s roar snapped me back to reality. “What are you spacing out for? I’m talking to you!” Scarlett immediately rushed to Director Thompson, her face contorted in mock anguish. “Director, don’t be angry with her. She… she’s really sick.” “Yesterday, she told me herself that her boyfriend is the heir to Sterling Industries, and that she’s some kind of wealthy heiress herself!” “Sterling Industries’ heir… isn’t that our Chairman? Has the Chairman ever even looked at her properly?!” “What kind of pipe dreams is Amelia having?” “She’s so brainwashed by PUA, she doesn’t even know who she is anymore!” Scarlett choked out, pretending to be heartbroken. “We were roommates for four years in college, I know her situation best! She’s just like me, she only got through college with financial aid!” “Her family was so broke they could barely cover tuition, and I had to scrimp and save every penny for living expenses! Now she’s claiming to be a rich girl?” “What has this obsessive boyfriend of hers brainwashed her into!” Director Thompson listened, his face completely darkening. He sneered contemptuously. “So utterly manipulated by a man that she’s lost her mind, and still dares to embezzle company funds?” He pulled out a termination notice and slapped it on my face. “You have one minute. Sign it, then get out of my sight immediately!”

The paper sliced my cheek, leaving a small cut. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I won’t sign.” Director Thompson’s face flushed a deep crimson. “How dare you defy me!” He coldly flicked his chin at the colleagues behind him. “Throw her things out.” A few colleagues who usually hung out with Scarlett immediately rushed to my desk and pulled open the drawers. I lunged forward, wanting to grab the photos of Liam and me, but someone shoved me hard. My waist hit the desk, and I couldn’t recover for a while. Files, notebooks, a water bottle, gifts Liam had given me… Everything I owned was unceremoniously dumped onto the floor. A fountain pen rolled to Scarlett’s feet. “Oh my God, Amelia… isn’t this a Montblanc StarWalker?” She held up the pen, her voice shrill. “This pen costs hundreds of thousands! How could your boyfriend possibly afford it?” “Did he take out predatory loans to buy this for you? Is that why he’s forcing you to embezzle company funds to pay off debts?” Scarlett seemed to have a sudden realization. She clapped her hands sharply, looking at me with a triumphant expression. “I get it! I get it all now! Amelia, what a cunning scheme you’ve cooked up!” “Director! I know! She and that obsessive boyfriend of hers planned this together! It’s all a scam!” “They want to become TikTok famous!” “She pretends to be a wealthy heiress, her boyfriend pretends to be a rich, handsome CEO-type. They take out loans to buy luxury items for her, then shoot some videos, make up some stories, and post them online to flaunt their wealth. Doesn’t that get them followers and let them cash in?” “There are tons of scripts like this online now! Embezzling company funds is just their first investment to launch this scam!” The surrounding colleagues gasped in understanding, their gazes shifting from contempt to mockery. Seeing their reaction, Scarlett spoke with even more enthusiasm. “To kick off this script, they needed initial capital, right?” “A million dollars, not too much, not too little, just enough for them to buy several fake designer bags, rent luxury cars for a few days, and then buy some paid bots and promotional campaigns!” “This embezzled public money is the startup fund for their influencer careers!” She looked at me with mock anguish. “Amelia, I never thought you’d be this kind of person! For fame, for money, aren’t you even afraid of going to jail? What kind of spell has that boyfriend of yours cast on you!” Just then, a photo slipped out of my notebook and landed at Director Thompson’s feet. It was a picture of Liam and me at Disneyland. Director Thompson picked up the photo. The moment he saw what it was, his face twisted into a sneer. “Amelia, you actually dared to Photoshop the Chairman’s photo!” “My God, to become an influencer, she even dares to use the Chairman’s likeness! She’s got some nerve!” “If the Chairman finds out about this, won’t he sue her to oblivion?” Director Thompson had had enough of laughing. He contemptuously flicked the photo onto my face. “Amelia, you truly astound me.” “The script’s written, the props are ready, even the promotional photos are Photoshopped. All that’s left is the startup capital, isn’t that right?” “Using the Chairman’s likeness for self-promotion, aren’t you afraid that if he finds out, one cease and desist letter will wipe you out financially?” “Or do you think that obsessive broke loser boyfriend of yours, the one who only threatens to jump off buildings, can help you fight the entire legal department of Sterling Industries?” Scarlett snatched the photo, and in my stunned gaze, she tore it in half. “Amelia, snap out of it!” “Stop living in this delusional fantasy! All that junk that man gave you—that crappy fountain pen and all those other useless things—return whatever you can! Then, break up with him immediately!” She took a deep breath, looking as if she was deeply worried about me. “If things are really bad,” “I can introduce you to my brother. He’s not some wealthy heir, but he’s honest and dependable, and he’ll treat you well.” “Both our families are from small towns, we know each other inside and out, so we’re a good match. This is the kind of life you should be living!” I suddenly looked up, staring at her in disbelief. Her unmarried older brother, who was forty years old and still couldn’t find a wife? That lazy bum who never held a proper job a day in his life back in our hometown, only stealing chickens from neighbors and watermelons from people’s gardens? That leech who’d drain half her monthly allowance every time he came to the city to visit her? I couldn’t hold back anymore. A scoff escaped my lips. Scarlett’s face instantly flushed crimson. “What are you laughing at?!” “Amelia, I’m trying to help you out of the goodness of my heart, and this is your attitude?” “My brother, no matter how bad, is a hundred times better than your boyfriend! How can you talk about him like that! How dare you look down on him!”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I slapped her across the face. The sharp sound echoed in the dead silent office. “You’re disgusting.” Scarlett clutched her face, completely stunned. A few seconds later, she lunged into Director Thompson’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “Director, look at her… she’s crazy! She actually hit me!” Director Thompson exploded in fury, pointing his finger at my nose and cursing me out. “Is this how your parents raised you? Did growing up on a farm make you lose your mind? How dare you assault someone in the office!” He gave a look to the two security guards at the door. “Hold her down!” The security guards immediately rushed forward, pinning me firmly in place. Scarlett walked up to me, her eyes filled with venom, not a shred of her pretense remaining. She raised her hand and slapped me back with all her might. She hit me a dozen times, furiously slapping me left and right until her own hand hurt, and she shook it out. My cheek was swollen like a balloon, and three of my teeth fell to the floor. “Director, my hand hurts so much…” she whined to Director Thompson. A flicker of distress crossed Director Thompson’s eyes. “Take a break if your hand hurts.” His gaze swept across the office. “All of you, line up! One by one!” “Anyone who dares not to hit her today will be fired along with her tomorrow!” The colleagues exchanged glances. No one dared to move, and no one dared to speak. Director Thompson casually pointed at a female colleague who usually got along best with Scarlett. “You, first!” The woman’s face instantly turned white. “Director… I…” “Hit her!” Director Thompson’s voice was devoid of any warmth. The colleague closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and raised her hand, slapping me across the face. Director Thompson smiled with satisfaction. Once there was one, there would be a second. The crowd began to stir. Those who had received small favors from Scarlett in the past, or who feared Director Thompson’s authority, began to line up. One by one, they came forward, their palms landing on my face. Director Thompson seemed to enjoy the spectacle. He watched my disheveled state, the smile on his face growing wider. “Embezzling company funds, disturbing the peace, and even daring to assault someone – the nature of this is truly heinous!” He finally grew tired of the game. “Take her to security and wait for Mr. Sterling to deal with her!” Director Thompson yanked my hair. A searing pain tore through my scalp. He forcibly dragged me out, past countless stares, through the crowd.

I was dragged into a room in the security department. Director Thompson and Scarlett pushed a stack of fabricated account statements and “testimonies” they had coerced from colleagues in front of me. “Amelia, do you plead guilty?” My face was numb, my mouth full of the taste of blood. I looked up, my voice hoarse: “I want a lawyer. Notify my family.” Scarlett shrieked as if she’d heard the funniest joke. “Are you crazy? You want your parents from the farm to sell their blood to hire you a lawyer? Amelia, how can you be so heartless!” Director Thompson folded his arms, surveying me contemptuously. “Stop bluffing. What can your farmer parents do when they get here? Kneel down and beg us?” I ignored him, my gaze fixed on Scarlett’s face. “I really don’t have the heart to.” “But I’m even more afraid that your leech of a brother won’t find another host to latch onto.” Scarlett’s face instantly contorted. She snatched an electric stun baton that a security guard had temporarily placed on a nearby table. “I’ll teach you to run your mouth! I’ll kill you! Die!” The room instantly descended into chaos. The security guards rushed forward, pinning the completely out-of-control Scarlett to the ground. “Don’t do anything rash!” I was taken to a windowless storage room. The door slammed shut behind me. Darkness instantly swallowed me. The air grew thin, and the walls seemed to press in on me. My claustrophobia immediately flared. I couldn’t breathe, my body trembled violently, and cold sweat soaked my back. I curled up in a corner, my mouth opening futilely, but not a single breath of air entered my lungs. Memories flooded back from college, when Scarlett had locked me in the art room and I was almost sexually assaulted by a group of thugs. Liam Sterling had saved me then. I had always thought it was just an accident. Scarlett’s unintentional mistake. Now, in this same darkness, it all clicked into place. It wasn’t an accident. It was premeditated. She probably knew my identity all along. My consciousness began to fade. “BANG!” With a thunderous crash, the storage room door was kicked open from the outside by a powerful force! Light surged in, blinding me. A tall figure stood in the doorway, dusty from travel, silhouetted against the light. Behind him were a dozen bodyguards in black suits with grim expressions, and the pale-faced head of the security department. Liam Sterling’s gaze cut through the dust and light, landing precisely on me. He walked towards me, step by step. “Honey, I’m back.” Liam Sterling took off his suit jacket and wrapped it tightly around me. He ignored everyone else in the room, cradling my face, his voice trembling.

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Rumor had it Marcus was cold as ice, completely uninterested in women. Yet, yesterday, in his office, he took me, not once, not twice, but *eight times*. I naively thought he’d finally accepted me, his ordinary wife. But the moment he was done, he vanished without a trace. He disappeared for twenty whole days. Later, as I knelt sobbing at my father’s tombstone, my husband was holding the wedding of the century. But the bride wasn’t me. It was Serena, his beloved “sister,” who only survived because she stole *my* kidney. A cold realization washed over me. This entire marriage had been a sham from the very beginning. If that’s how it is, then I’ll grant you your wish. I sent him a text: “Let’s get a divorce. See you at the courthouse at 9 AM the day after tomorrow!” To my surprise, he replied instantly. “Okay.” That single, light word utterly shattered my heart. Our mismatched marriage, doomed from the start by our different worlds, had finally reached its end. The person he loved had never been me. I thought back to six months ago, the first time he’d shown a vulnerable side. “Scarlett, if you were the only one who could save me, would you be willing to pay any price?” I stroked his face, answering without hesitation, “Of course. You’re my husband. I’d do anything for you.” He then asked, “What if it’s for my sister?” “Your sister is my sister. We’re family, and I’d help her just the same.” He suddenly looked up, his eyes intense. “My sister needs your kidney. Are you really willing to donate it?” I froze. He saw my hesitation, and tears instantly welled in his eyes. “Didn’t you just say you’d do anything for me? Turns out you were lying to me too!” He pulled away from my embrace, shoving me away. “You only married me for my status and wealth, you gold-digger, you social climber!” Watching him lose control, my heart twisted in pain. Finally, I nodded. “Okay, I promise.” I didn’t know how long I’d been kneeling before my father’s tombstone. It wasn’t until dusk began to fall that I finally prepared to leave. But at the cemetery gates, I ran into the two people I least wanted to see. My soon-to-be ex-husband, Marcus Shen, and his so-called “sister,” Serena Wen. Serena was Marcus’s childhood friend, but he’d always told me she was just a neighbor’s kid. It was only recently that I discovered this “sister” identity was nothing but a smokescreen. “Marcus, it’s so sweet of you to come with me to see Misty. Thank you so much.” Her familiar voice reached me, and I instinctively looked up. Misty was a purebred Ragdoll cat I’d rescued from a pet clinic. She was filthy and had a broken leg back then. After I nursed her back to health, I named her Misty, a quiet whisper for new beginnings, for hope. I never imagined that one day, when Serena visited our home, she’d burst into tears at the sight of Misty. Apparently, Misty looked exactly like her lost beloved cat. One evening, not long after, I came home to find Misty gone. Marcus said he’d given the cat to Serena. I had a huge fight with Marcus then, but he simply accused me of being unreasonable. Later, seeing how genuinely Serena cared for Misty, I gradually put my mind at ease. And yet, here they were, chatting and laughing effortlessly in the cemetery. The moment my eyes met Marcus’s, all tenderness vanished from his face, replaced by pure disgust and contempt. “Scarlett Lin, are you stalking me?” At this absurd accusation, I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. “Mr. Marcus, you’re quite the comedian. I have far better things to do than stalk you.” He narrowed his eyes, a sneer twisting his lips. “Really? This isn’t the first time you’ve pulled this stunt. Don’t think I don’t know your little games.” “What, did you come here early to pick out a grave for your father? Or are you trying to use his illness to gain sympathy again?” “Last week, I contacted the best specialists. They all said your father could fully recover if he actively cooperated with treatment.” I turned to leave, unwilling to humor his sarcastic remarks. “Think whatever you want.” My indifference seemed to infuriate him. He grabbed my wrist, his voice laced with icy coldness: “I heard you bought your father an exorbitant critical illness policy? No wonder you kept preventing him from getting treatment. Scarlett, you’re quite the schemer, aren’t you?” That sentence ignited my fury. I violently yanked my hand free, the force making him stumble back. Serena quickly caught him. “Scarlett Lin! You crazy woman, how dare you lay hands on Marcus!” Serena shrieked, pointing a finger at me. In the past, I always chose to silently endure their humiliation. But now, I wouldn’t let anyone slander my father. “Marcus Shen, you can trample on my dignity, but don’t you dare try to tarnish the bond between my father and me!” I turned to Serena. “And you, Serena Wen, aren’t you perfectly alive and well right now?” “If it weren’t for *my* kidney, you’d be lying in this cemetery right now! Stop with the innocent act, you fake saint!” Marcus’s face instantly darkened. He snapped his fingers behind him. “Bodyguards! Make her kneel and apologize!” Several men in black suits advanced towards me, but Serena suddenly interjected, “Wait!” She clutched Marcus’s arm, feigning tenderness. “Marcus, don’t get upset over a woman like this. It’s bad for your health.” Sure enough, Marcus immediately calmed down, waving off his bodyguards. “Scarlett Lin, this is your final warning. If you cause any more trouble, don’t blame me if I revoke your father’s medical expenses too.” Watching their retreating figures, walking hand-in-hand, the setting sun stretched their silhouettes long and distorted, like a cruel, jagged sword piercing through the last flicker of warmth in my soul. I gazed at the darkening sky, my voice filled with an unprecedented resolve: “Marcus Shen, 9 AM the day after tomorrow, courthouse. Consider these three years of marriage a time I was utterly blind.”

I hurried out of the cemetery, the night wind scattering the tears from my eyes. As I walked down the street, three years of memories flooded back like a tide. I remembered the first time I met Marcus. It was a rainy night, and I was an intern waitress at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Near closing time, a man, soaked to the bone, pushed open the glass door. He was impeccably dressed in a suit, but he looked utterly disheveled and miserable. I should have politely turned away a customer at that hour, but something in his eyes softened my resolve. “I’m sorry to bother you, but could I get a hot coffee?” His voice was pleasant, carrying a hint of exhaustion. I led him to a seat by the fireplace and brought him the last slice of tiramisu and a hot Americano. Not long after, I heard muffled sobs. “Are you alright?” I offered him a tissue. He looked up, tears blurring his handsome face. “My father kicked me out of the house.” Looking at his exquisite features, my heart unexpectedly fluttered. I thought it was just a typical family spat that would soon blow over. Only later did I realize how wrong I was. That night, he talked to me about many things, staying until dawn before he left. Before walking out, he asked, “Can I come back tomorrow to talk to you again?” Seeing the hopeful glint in his eyes, I found myself nodding, almost against my will. And so, he began to frequent the restaurant. Each time, he was the last customer, always ordering the same coffee and dessert. He spoke softly, his manners elegant. Gradually, I fell into the tender trap he’d woven. Until that day, when he pointed to my intern name tag and said, “Scarlett, do you believe that this restaurant is actually my family’s business?” I chuckled, teasing him, “Mr. Marcus, your storytelling skills are truly exceptional.” “Don’t believe me?” He pulled out his phone, pointing to a business news article. “See who this is?” I froze. The heir to the powerful Shen Group, featured in the news, was indeed the man sitting before me. “Actually, I wasn’t kicked out. I left on my own.” His eyes darkened. “My father wanted me to enter an arranged marriage, but I didn’t want to sacrifice myself to marry a woman I didn’t even know.” “Meeting you was the greatest stroke of luck.” He took my hand. “Scarlett, I have an unusual request…” Watching his hesitant expression, my heart melted. “I need a marriage. That way, my father can’t force me into an arranged marriage anymore.” My heart plummeted. “Are you saying…” He leaned in close, his warm breath caressing my ear. “I want to marry you, Scarlett.” In that moment, all my rationality was swept away. Later, we met his family. His family surprisingly didn’t object, even buying us a beautiful lakeside villa. But we never officially registered our marriage. I started to feel a profound unease. How could an ordinary girl like me be worthy of the Shen family heir? Finally, one late night, I packed my bags and fled back to my hometown. But the very next day, he followed me. “Why did you run? The moment I found you gone, my world fell apart.” He traveled two thousand miles, desperate to find me. I tried to explain, but he simply kissed me, silencing my words. Then he pulled me to City Hall. The sun shone brightly that day, bathing our marriage certificate in a golden glow. If only I had known it was all a meticulously planned deception… If only I had known I was nothing but a pawn in his game… If only I had known his heart had never truly belonged to me… Perhaps, I wouldn’t have hurt so much. I sat in the darkened living room, my fingers tracing the worn cover of my father’s old notebook. “Dad, you were right. We truly belong to different worlds.” “Like a moth to a flame, I was bound to get burned.” I pressed my necklace to my chest, as if seeking my father’s forgiveness. My signature on the divorce papers was already dry. All that was missing was Marcus’s final stroke, and this farce could finally end. Night fell, and the sound of laughter echoed from the villa’s doorway. Their joyous voices pierced my eardrums, a stark contrast to the deadly silent living room. Marcus pushed open the door. The moment he saw me, the smile froze on his lips. His gaze flickered in the darkness, then settled into an expression of disgust. “What? You can’t even afford to turn on the lights? Are you too poor to pay the electricity bill?” Then he tossed a beautifully wrapped box at me. “A new Hermès Birkin, global limited edition.” “Remember to pair it with the Cartier jewelry set I bought you. Don’t embarrass me out there.” This was his usual routine. Every time we had an argument, he’d send me a luxury item, as if offering a peace offering. But this time, I suddenly had no desire to play along. I picked up the documents from the coffee table and flung them directly at his face. “Sign it.”

The papers slipped from his grasp, scattering across the floor. When Marcus saw the contents of the agreement, his expression instantly twisted into a sneer. “Scarlett Lin, what is this supposed to mean?” I met his gaze with cold eyes. “Can’t you read English? Sign it!” I tossed the pen in front of him. “Don’t waste my time. Sign it and get out.” His anger dissipated in an instant, replaced by a playful smirk. “I get it,” he said, a dismissive laugh escaping him. “Did your father put you up to this?” “Trying to threaten me with divorce, hoping I’ll soften up?” He began to pace. “That trick is so old.” “If you want something, just tell me directly instead of playing these games. If you’re short on cash, just ask my assistant. Why go through all this trouble?” “Scarlett Lin, this is my last warning. Don’t play your little game of push and pull. You know I despise that.” He glanced towards the kitchen. “Go prepare dinner. Serena will be here soon, and remember, she prefers mild dishes.” I scoffed, nudging the divorce papers on the floor towards him with my foot. “Marcus Shen, are you seriously that dense, or are you just playing dumb? I want a divorce!” “What did you say?” “Di-vorce!” I repeated, enunciating each syllable. Suddenly, a cold laugh echoed from behind me. Serena had appeared in the living room without me noticing. She shoved me aside. “You ungrateful bitch, I’ve been too good to you!” “Marcus lets you live in a mansion, drive a limited-edition sports car, even your current job was arranged by him. How dare you speak to him with such disrespect?” “Get on your knees and apologize to Marcus!” I stumbled a few steps, my lower back slamming against the coffee table, a dull ache blooming instantly. Once, I would have silently endured such humiliation. But today, I wouldn’t take it anymore.

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I was born with a special condition, having two hearts. This was the only thing that could make my parents happy. Because my brother had a congenital heart disease. My parents gave birth to me only to extend my brother’s life. Later, I met Wendy Wat and married her. She saved me from the abyss of begging for affection. I thought she would be different from my parents. But after my brother fell ill, she stubbornly hoped I could donate a heart to him. But she didn’t know I had long been left with only one heart. And my other heart was with her. —— “It’s just one heart, why are you so selfish? Weren’t you born to keep your brother alive?” My hand was tightly gripped by Wendy. I said helplessly, “But I want to live too. Without a heart, I will die.” Wendy’s expression stiffened, then she continued, “You have two hearts, even if you give one, you still have another, you can live. But your brother is different, without your heart, he will die.” She ignored my struggle and pushed me into the preparation room. I helplessly tried to explain, “I only have one heart now. Didn’t you see the test results?” Wendy didn’t listen at all. “Who knows what you did to avoid donating? Maybe you even bribed the people in the examination room.” Wendy thought I bribed the medical staff to alter the report. I defended myself, “No, Wendy, I had surgery when I was a child, I already donated one heart.” “Enough, Alan, it’s just to save your brother, why are you so stubborn?” Wendy directly cut me off. “I’m not lying, my heart is in you,” I pleaded. Wendy didn’t listen to a word I said and walked straight to my brother’s prep room. At this time, the other doctors in the prep room also froze. Then someone spoke, “Talking about love at a time like this is disgusting.” “Your brother is on the verge of death and you are here telling disgusting love stories to your sister-in-law.” Only our families knew about my marriage to Wendy. None of Wendy’s colleagues knew me. Since Wendy handled all of my brother’s hospitalization procedures, everyone in the department thought my older brother was her husband. And Wendy never explained. “Exactly, instead of saving your brother, you’re seducing your sister-in-law.” “It’s a waste for your heart to stay in your body.” Hearing the other doctors’ words, I couldn’t help but want to tell the truth, “Actually, I am …” Wendy came out of the prep room and grabbed my hand. “Today you must donate your heart. Your brother is already in the operating room and you’re next.” As she spoke, Wendy took out a stack of documents. “I’ve already signed everything, you just need to get on the operating table.” In the operating room, I saw Toby, who looked extremely weak, making everyone feel sorry for him. One of the doctor said, “Don’t worry, your wife, Dr. Wat, will make sure you live a long life.” Toby heard the term and didn’t refute it, just gave a weak smile, “It’s all my fault, making my younger brother sacrifice so much for me.” His words were full of guilt, but his eyes at me were full of provocation. The other doctors, hearing this, thought my brother was kind and I was vicious. After comforted Toby, Wendy ignored my violent struggle and forcibly pushed me onto the operating table. She ordered the anesthetist to quickly inject the anesthesia. A moment later, my intense struggle finally calmed down.

Wendy brushed my cheek, “Don’t worry, I will definitely keep you alive.” Wendy’s mentor had performed heart transplants before, so she was confident she can keep me alive. She said, “After your brother recovers, the whole family will accept you and I will stay by your side.” Wendy and her colleagues carried out the surgery nervously but orderly. After a long time, Wendy took a heart out of my body. Before she could take a closer look, she rushed into Toby’s operating room with my heart. My chest lay open, my body lying alone on the operating table. The sharp alarm of the monitor startled the watching doctor. “How did he die? Didn’t they say he had two hearts?” One of Wendy’s colleagues felt puzzled, “You even believed Dr. Wat’s joke?” “It’s good that he died, after all the bad things he did, not saving Dr. Wat’s husband and even trying to seduce Dr. Wat.” Another colleague replied. “Then what should we do now? He’s dead, just wait for someone to collect the corpse. If no one claims him, the morgue will handle it.” After speaking, all the doctors left the operating room. Wendy devoted herself to Toby’s surgery. Although she was confident, it was her first time performing a heart transplant on a patient. Fortunately, a few hours later, she successfully completed the surgery. After finishing the surgery, Wendy followed Toby back to his ward. After Toby was settled, she finally thought of me. Just as Wendy wanted to return to the operating room to check on me, she ran into a colleague who had assisted earlier, “Where is my husband?” The colleague thought for a moment and answered, “Didn’t he already come back? Don’t worry, after surgery someone will watch him. The nurses will take care of your husband.” Wendy didn’t think too much about the oddity in the words and instead felt her colleague was right. With her influence, the nurses would surely keep an eye on me. So Wendy returned to her office to continue working. A day later, Toby woke up. Wendy stayed by Toby’s side, “Toby, you’re finally awake.” When Toby woke up and saw Wendy, he cried excitedly. Wendy stepped forward to hug Toby, “Don’t worry, the surgery was very successful. Your heart will not have any problems in the future.” Toby touched his heart. Thinking that the disease that had plagued him for years was finally gone, he kept hugging Wendy and crying. While warning him not to let his emotions fluctuate too much, Wendy gently patted his back to calm him. The nurses in the department teased Wendy seeing this scene, “Dr. Wat treats her husband so well.” Wendy froze when she heard this. She thought of me still lying in another room and hurried to explain, “You’re mistaken, he’s not …” Toby timely covered his heart and interrupted Wendy’s words. Wendy could only pat his back, “I told you not to cry. What you need to do now is rest more to recover.” Maybe because of seeing Toby like this, Wendy suddenly remembered me. It seemed she hadn’t seen me since the surgery, “Toby, you rest well, I’ll go check on Alan.” As she spoke, Wendy was about to get up. But Toby suddenly grabbed Wendy’s hand, “I secretly did the surgery without telling my parents. Now is a critical recovery period, without someone with me, I’m afraid I won’t recover well.” Seeing Toby’s pale face, Wendy softened. Thinking the doctors and nurses would take care of me out of respect for her, she felt relieved again.

“Alright, I’ll stay with you a few more days.” After seeing Wendy sit down, Toby slowly closed his eyes. In the morgue, the orderly stared at my corpse, troubled, “It’s been two days and no one has come to claim him. What should we do?” Another orderly was cleaning up, “What are you looking at? Finish up quickly and we can leave early.” So the two of them casually threw my body into a bag together. One of them said, “Judging by how miserable he looks, he probably wasn’t a good person anyway.” “Good person or bad, once they’re cremated, they’re all the same.” “True, but it’s still a pity, he was so young.” *** Two more days passed. After seeing Toby mostly recover, Wendy finally remembered to check on me. She walked to my hospital room and saw it completely empty. A nurse was tidying up the bed. “Where’s the patient from this bed?” Wendy asked. The nurse looked up and saw it was Wendy, “The patient was discharged.” Hearing the nurse’s words, Wendy felt a bit annoyed. She thought I had just had surgery, yet didn’t stay to recover properly. Where had I run off to? She took out her phone and dialed my number. But the call never went through. “Fine, if you have the guts to die out there, don’t come looking for me.” Wendy stormed back to Toby’s ward. Sensing Wendy’s anger, Toby spoke up, “Is Alan very angry, refusing to forgive you? It’s all my fault, I’ll go explain to him right away, don’t let him misunderstand you because of me.” Toby hurried to get out of bed, but Wendy immediately stopped him. “Why care about him? What you need to do now is focus on recovering.” “That way, when you’re discharged, Mom and Dad will be happy to hear the good news. As for Alan, he won’t die, he’s already been discharged,” she said. Wendy recalled how I had desperately begged her before the surgery and she still felt upset. She couldn’t understand why I, as his relative, could be so heartless toward my brother. Seeing Toby always thought of me, she felt even more that I wasn’t as good as him. She thought that since I was so stubborn and insisted on leaving, I could just calm down on my own. When Toby was discharged, it wouldn’t be too late to call me back. In the doctors’ office, the colleagues were laughing and chatting. When they saw Wendy walk in, they all immediately went quiet. Wendy felt something strange. “What were you talking about just now?” No one answered. After a while, a colleague came up and hugged Wendy’s shoulder, “What else could we talk about? Of course, we were saying how deep the love is between you and your husband.” Thinking about how I was forced to donate one of my hearts, Wendy felt that I truly loved her deeply. Even though it was under pressure, at least I had helped her and saved a life. Thinking of this, she forgave my sudden disappearance, but she was still angry that I wouldn’t answer her calls. A colleague noticed the melancholy on her face, “Is your husband in a bad mood?” Wendy stayed silent. The colleague continued, “He just had surgery, feeling down is normal. You should be more understanding, do something to cheer him up.” Hearing this, Wendy’s brows gradually relaxed. She thought of how much I loved the pastries from the shop near home, so she decided to go home after work. Wendy carried the pastries back to our apartment, “Honey? I bought the pastries you like.” No one responded. She had just set down the pastries when she saw the divorce papers I had placed on the table a week ago. The moment she had asked me to donate my heart, I had already decided to divorce her.   Wendy stared at the agreement in disbelief. She thought to herself, was it really necessary? It was just one heart. And he actually dared to propose divorce over this. Wendy angrily threw the pastries into the trash, “If you don’t want this home, then never come back.” At that moment, the phone rang. Wendy picked up her phone. “Wendy? Where has Alan been lately?” My dad, who rarely called, was asking about me. After all, he usually only ever mentioned Toby. Wendy thought for a while and realized only my parents could force me to show up. Plus, Toby had mostly recovered by now. So she told my dad about Toby’s surgery. My parents rushed to the hospital overnight. At the first sight of my parents, Toby couldn’t stop his tears. After the three of them cried together for a while, my parents asked about me, “Where’s your younger brother? You’re in the same department and he hasn’t come to see you yet?” Toby hesitated. “He’s already been discharged.” My mom hugged Toby, “Discharged? His body’s pretty strong, doing surgery and leaving just days later, not afraid of dying out there.” My dad quickly stopped her. “What are you saying? Even though Toby had surgery, there’s no guarantee there won’t be future problems. If he dies, what will happen to Toby?” After hearing this, my mom slapped her mouth repeatedly, “Oh crap! Even if I die, I prefer to die before Toby.” “Don’t worry Toby, Mom and Dad will always protect you.” Hearing his parents’ words, Toby felt a wave of warmth in his heart. The next day, when Wendy entered the ward, she saw a heartwarming scene of my parents surrounding Toby. She felt it a bit harsh to her eyes, because she had never seen my parents treat me like that. “Wendy, you’re here. Toby’s heart is all thanks to you.” My parents focused only on thanking Wendy, never mentioning me. Wendy asked if there was any news about me. As soon as my parents heard my name, their faces fell, “Why care about him? He’s already discharged, meaning he’s fine. Better focus more on Toby.” “Toby has always been weak since he was little, while Alan has always been strong as a bull.” My parents had always wanted to pair Toby with Wendy, but because of Toby’s health, they never said it aloud. Now that I was out of the picture and Wendy was about to divorce with me, they could finally make it happen. Before Wendy could say anything, a colleague walked in, “Dr. Wat is so good to her husband, coming to guard him every day.” Hearing this, my parents assumed it was a done deal, while Toby blushed slightly. But Wendy’s face showed anger instead, “Who told you he’s my husband?” The colleague didn’t notice Wendy’s expression and laughed, “Everyone in the department knows. Don’t pretend anymore.” After saying that, she hurried off to work. My parents pulled Wendy aside, “Wendy, since Alan isn’t around and everyone thinks Toby is your husband, they’ll take better care of him.” Seeing Toby’s pale face, Wendy forced down her anger. Back in the office, before Wendy could find that colleague to ask questions, someone said her mentor had arrived. Hearing this, Wendy quickly ran to the director’s office. The moment she saw EdisonSally, Wendy rushed up and shake hands with him, “Dr.Sally, it’s been so many years, how’s your health?” Edison nodded, then smiled and looked Wendy up and down. “I heard you performed a heart transplant. Truly the student surpasses the mentor.” Edison then reminisced about when he had operated on young Wendy and how she had now inherited his legacy as an adult. Wendy froze in place, “Dr.Sally, what surgery are you talking about?” Edison hadn’t expected such a reaction from Wendy, “The heart transplant surgery, the one you had when you were a child.” The office fell silent for a moment before someone rushed in, “Dr. Wat, come quickly! The family members at ward 32 are fighting!” Hearing ward 32, Wendy immediately thought of Toby. She dashed to the ward. As soon as she entered, she heard someone shouting, “How dare you deny it! My nephew donated his heart to your daughter!” Wendy rushed forward and separated the two people. Upon seeing Wendy, Myra, Wendy’s mother, her eyes turned red with grievance. The other person, after being pulled apart, pointed at Wendy and shouted again, “It’s you! My nephew Alan’s heart is inside you!” Wendy stared at the person in disbelief, suddenly remembering my words, “What’s going on here?”

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My daughter Eliza Mclean was assaulted and murdered, but the court ruled it a suicide. I appealed seven times, never getting a fair outcome. So I kidnapped District Attorney George Kennedy’s daughter, Rosie Kennedy. In the livestream, I strapped Rosie to the autopsy table. Then, in front of everyone watching, I declared loudly: “I performed an autopsy on Eliza myself. Eliza didn’t commit suicide—she was murdered. “I’m giving you seven chances to reveal the real evidence and the killer. For every wasted opportunity, I’ll destroy one part of Rosie’s body.” George and his wife Millie Kennedy cried, begging me to spare Rosie. Millie said, “The evidence shows your daughter committed suicide. Stop this madness and release my daughter. She’s innocent.” At that moment, viewers in the livestream were calling me deranged and cruel, saying I’d lost my mind over my daughter’s death and was taking my rage out on an innocent person. No matter how disgusted everyone looked at me, I smirked coldly, picked up the scalpel, and made a cut across Rosie’s stomach. I said, “Time’s ticking. You better reveal the real killer fast.” I knew perfectly well that the actual murderer was watching this livestream right now. Seeing Rosie bound to the autopsy table, George and Millie completely broke down. George shouted at me: “Freya, your daughter committed suicide. What gives you the right to kidnap my daughter? She’s only eight years old.” Freya Mclean is my name. Millie also said, “You’re a mother yourself—how can you be so heartless?” The police officers standing behind George tried to calm me down. My colleagues also urged me not to do anything stupid, not to ruin my future. A female colleague said, “Freya, calm down. Don’t hurt an innocent child. Eliza really did commit suicide.” A male colleague said, “You understand the law—don’t make a mistake that destroys both you and others. Eliza wouldn’t want to see you like this.” Another female colleague added, “That’s right. Eliza’s body is still in the freezer, waiting for you to take her home.” In the livestream, some viewers joined in condemning me. [Is she sick or something? Her daughter’s dead, so she thinks she can take it out on someone else?] [I heard she won’t accept that her daughter committed suicide—seven appeals all rejected. Looks like she wants revenge on George.] [If seven appeals failed, it proves her daughter definitely committed suicide. Otherwise, they would’ve found the killer by now.] [Her daughter committed suicide, so why doesn’t she think about whether she’s the problem?] They had their reasons, and I had mine. Eliza absolutely could not have committed suicide. Three months ago, Eliza was supposed to start college in Washington, but she suddenly died. Someone pulled her body from the river. She was naked, covered in bruises all over her body. Since Eliza and I were mother and daughter, the police station assigned a different medical examiner to perform her autopsy. I thought the autopsy would give Eliza justice, but the final result still ruled it suicide. However, Eliza was such a bright, radiant child—she absolutely could not have committed suicide. After bringing Eliza’s body home, I performed my own autopsy on her with tears in my eyes, and discovered that Eliza had been assaulted before her death. I gathered the evidence and appealed again and again, demanding the case be reopened. But every single appeal was rejected. On the seventh appeal, I even photographed a particularly obvious, horrifying tear wound on Eliza’s body as evidence. But in the end, I was still rejected. I couldn’t accept it, so I kidnapped Rosie. I wanted the prosecutor’s office to speak the truth with their own mouths.

I walked over to Rosie’s side, toying with the scalpel in my hand. I said to George, “I told you before—Eliza didn’t commit suicide.” “George, I’ve already given you a chance. Whether you can save your daughter’s life depends entirely on your choice. After all, blades are merciless—they can hurt people.” I’ll never forget how indifferent George looked when my seventh appeal was rejected. I was so furious I screamed like a madwoman: “All this evidence was found on my daughter’s body—it’s enough to prove someone committed a crime. I’ve appealed seven times and personally performed seven autopsies on Eliza. If that’s still not enough, what evidence do you people need to reopen the case?” But George just gave me a cold glance. Then he said in that heartless, indifferent tone: “Freya, because you and Eliza are mother and daughter, the materials you’ve provided could be deliberately fabricated. They’re insufficient to prove someone intentionally harmed Eliza.” His words made it crystal clear—no matter how many times I appealed, it would be useless. Even my lawyer shook his head helplessly and said, “Freya, just give up.” Give up? But every time I thought of Eliza’s face, I couldn’t do it. Seeing that I was actually about to use the knife on Rosie, everyone panicked. Millie pleaded with me directly: “Don’t hurt my child.” Then she turned to George, pushing him frantically while saying, “You need to have someone bring out the evidence, or Rosie’s going to die!” George frowned and took a deep breath. He still refused to budge: “Freya, how many times do I have to tell you? Your daughter really did commit suicide.” But before he could finish speaking, the knife in my hand had already sliced off one of Rosie’s ears. Blood flowed from the wound. Even though she was drugged unconscious, Rosie’s body still jerked violently from the pain. I said coldly to George, “You now have six chances left.” Seeing that I had actually hurt Rosie, everyone went into full panic mode. Millie nearly fainted from shock, screaming hysterically: “You psycho! Don’t touch my child—she’s innocent!” George’s eyes turned red with panic as he frantically called his superiors at the prosecutor’s office for help. The police were desperately trying every method to locate my position. Too bad they couldn’t find me. The account I was using for the livestream was a verified account purchased overseas—they had no way of tracking my exact location in such a short time. During the wait, the livestream chat was flooded with comments cursing me. [She’s pure evil—she belongs in hell!] [Why didn’t she die instead?] [Police need to catch this criminal who’s a danger to society!] Countless people cursed me, but I didn’t care. As long as I could clear Eliza’s name, I was willing to do anything. I ignored all the abuse. Ten minutes later, George publicly released what they called their “investigation evidence” in the livestream channel. I took one look at it, then turned and severed one of Rosie’s thumbs. Then I said to George, “You have five chances left.”

I’d already seen those pieces of evidence George had shown me countless times. All of them pointed to Eliza’s suicide. But I wasn’t satisfied with any of that evidence. Those so-called pieces of evidence were nothing but carefully fabricated lies, shields used to cover up the truth. I continued holding the scalpel, gently sliding it across Rosie’s arm, leaving a shallow trail of blood. I said to George, “George, you know damn well this isn’t the evidence I want.” My voice was ice-cold, sharp as a poisoned blade. “I want the real killer. I want evidence of who violated my daughter. I want those things you’ve gone to great lengths to hide. Stop trying to fool me with this fake garbage. Otherwise, next time it won’t just be her fingers that get destroyed.” George’s face instantly turned pale. But he still insisted, “This is the evidence. These things clearly show that your daughter Eliza committed suicide.” Millie rushed toward the camera like a madwoman, crying hysterically. She screamed at me, “You psycho! Let my child go! We’ve given you all the evidence. What more do you want?” Watching her breakdown, I let out a bitter laugh. I said, “We’re both mothers. You can’t bear to see your child suffer, and I can’t accept my daughter dying for nothing.” At that moment, the livestream chat was once again flooded with viewers’ curses. [The evidence is right in front of her face. She just refuses to accept it!] [She’s got some kind of persecution complex, right?] [We live in a society ruled by law now. I really don’t know what she’s still making a fuss about.] The viewers’ abuse was worse than before, but I couldn’t hear any of it. My eyes could only see the truth that refused to surface and the image of Eliza’s death. Time passed second by second. Each second felt like it was slowly cutting through my heart, while also counting down to the next part of Rosie’s body that would be destroyed. By the third chance, they were still trying to fool me with fake evidence. I knew they were stalling for time. They were figuring out how to deal with me, but I wouldn’t give them that chance. I steeled myself and severed the tendons in Rosie’s hand. I said, “George, I have time to waste with you, but your daughter doesn’t. What’s it going to be? Are you really going to sacrifice your own flesh and blood to protect a criminal?” George couldn’t speak. His hands hung at his sides, clenched into tight fists, his whole body trembling. Millie had already passed out. The police were still trying to persuade me, even bringing in my teacher, Hugo Miller. Standing in front of the camera, Hugo squinted his bloodshot, cloudy eyes at me and said, “Freya, you used to speak for the people. How can you hurt the people now? I know Eliza is dead, and you’re heartbroken. But listen to me—don’t go down the wrong path.” Looking at this man who had once loved me like his own daughter, my heart ached terribly. Hugo had personally performed Eliza’s autopsy, yet he was hiding the truth. I asked Hugo, “You watched Eliza grow up. Didn’t your heart ache when you were performing her autopsy? Why are you helping them hide the truth too?” I couldn’t understand why everyone was helping the killer cover things up. Hugo sighed and said, “Freya, Eliza really did commit suicide. I’m not lying to you. The police aren’t lying to you. Neither are the prosecutor’s office or the judge.” After finishing, he exchanged a glance with George, then called in a girl who was standing by the door. Hugo explained to me, “Eliza committed suicide because of depression. This girl can testify to that.” Seeing the girl in front of the camera, I froze.   That girl was Eliza’s best friend, Elsie Jones. Elsie spoke up in front of everyone. She said, “Freya, I can testify. Eliza suffered from depression. She had suicidal thoughts.” Elsie’s words left me frozen in place. It took me a long while to snap back to reality, unable to believe what I’d just heard. I stared at Elsie’s evasive eyes, my heart feeling like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain making it almost impossible to breathe. Elsie was Eliza’s closest friend when she was alive. They were as close as sisters. She often came to our house for dinner and would sleep in the same bed as Eliza, sharing their secrets. How could she come forward with such false testimony? I remembered that just the day before Eliza’s accident, she had excitedly told me that she and Elsie had gotten into the same college. They had made plans to visit Washington together after the semester started, to sightsee and try all the local food. When Eliza told me these things, her voice was full of anticipation and excitement. How could this possibly be the state of someone suffering from depression with suicidal thoughts? I tried to keep my voice calm, but my slightly trembling hands betrayed my emotions. “Elsie, look me in the eyes and tell me—is what you’re saying true? When did Eliza tell you she had depression? Did she go to a hospital? Is there a medical diagnosis?” Elsie wouldn’t look me in the eye, her voice barely audible: “Before the SAT exam, Eliza said she was afraid of disappointing you if she couldn’t get into a Washington school. She said the academic pressure was too much, that she felt life had no meaning.” “That’s nonsense!” I suddenly raised my voice, cutting her off. “Eliza’s grades were always excellent. Getting into a Washington university was her dream. How could she want to die because of academic pressure? You’re lying! Did someone force you to say this? Was it the killer? Or George?” I paused, then looked toward Hugo. “Or was it Hugo?” Elsie shook her head and pulled an envelope from her pocket. She opened the envelope and took out a piece of paper. Elsie said, “Freya, no one threatened me. Eliza really did commit suicide. This is her suicide note.” She unfolded Eliza’s suicide note and held it up to the camera for me to see. The note read: [Mom, I’m sorry. I can’t go on living.] I stared at that suicide note, my heart aching like it was being pierced by needles. The handwriting on the note was indeed Eliza’s, and the police had provided handwriting analysis results. In that moment, I began to doubt my own judgment. Had Eliza really committed suicide because of depression? Had I really failed to notice her psychological condition? In my daze, I noticed a particular phrase in the suicide note. Because of that phrase, I finally understood why Eliza’s death had been ruled a suicide.

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I, Grace Reid, gave birth twenty days before my due date. After being wheeled into the operating room for two hours, I delivered a lifeless fetus. I didn’t cry, didn’t make a scene, didn’t even glance at the tiny corpse. Enduring the pain from my wounds, I calmly walked into the nursery, locked the door tight, and turned down the temperature. In one more hour, the nursery would become too cold for any newborn to survive. All the doctors and parents stood outside the nursery door, begging me to spare their children’s lives. They shouted with all their strength, saying I was a mother too and hoping I could understand their feelings. But I just smiled. “I am indeed a mother, but the child I just delivered is dead.” An obstetrician cried at the door, pleading with me, “We may be responsible for not saving your child. But these newborns are innocent. Please don’t become extreme because you lost your baby. You’re still so young—you can have other children.” I gritted my teeth and roared at her, “But my child isn’t dead at all! She’s still alive. I’m giving you one hour to bring her to me.” Because I wasn’t sure if my child would still be alive after one hour. ***** The nursery door remained tightly shut, while my husband Felix Campbell, wearing his white coat, stood outside looking frantic. He suddenly slapped himself across the face. Then Felix shouted to me, “Grace, it’s my fault—I failed to save our child.” He continued, “I know losing the baby devastates you. This child wasn’t meant to be with us. We can have another. But if something happens to you, I truly won’t be able to live.” Felix looked desperate, almost ready to cry. But I kept staring at him with cold, indifferent eyes. Felix and I had been married for three years. He’d taken excellent care of me, considering every detail thoughtfully. As the head of obstetrics, after learning I was pregnant, he monitored every aspect of my health closely. Yet today, this same Felix who had successfully treated patients with amniotic fluid embolism told me he couldn’t save our child. I had delivered a stillborn. But throughout my pregnancy, all my check-ups showed the baby was perfectly healthy. Three weeks ago, the fetus was already fully developed. Forget being born twenty days early—even if I had delivered three weeks ago, the baby would have survived completely. I absolutely refused to believe my child was dead. Especially since when I was barely conscious, I clearly heard that child crying. I looked at Felix suspiciously, then said with barely controlled trembling in my voice, “With your abilities, why couldn’t you save even a premature baby?” “Grace, I’m incompetent.” Felix said through tears. “Premature birth causes too much damage to infants. I really did everything I could.” Then a man said, “Grace, losing a baby due to premature birth is unavoidable sometimes. You must try to accept this. You’re still young. You’ll definitely have other children.” The other medical staff standing beside Felix also anxiously tried to persuade me. The parents of those newborns pleaded with red-rimmed eyes. One woman said, “Grace, we feel terrible for you and your child too. But our babies are innocent. You know what it feels like to be a mother. Please spare our children. If you have doubts about your baby’s death, you should question your husband and these medical staff. This really has nothing to do with our children.” As they continued pleading, the temperature in the nursery began dropping slowly. Some people started trying to cut power to the nursery, hoping to stop the temperature from falling further. But I had already modified this department’s electrical system. The entire room’s cooling system was controlled only by the device in my hands. With just a light touch of the controls, the room temperature would plummet suddenly, and these children would freeze to death. Seeing that cutting the power didn’t work, they all stared at me with terrified eyes. One newborn’s mother directly pleaded, “Grace, I’m a lawyer. I can represent your child’s case for free and get you justice. Please give me back my baby.” I told her, “My child doesn’t need justice—she just needs to come back to me.” My breathing became rapid as I shouted outside, “My child isn’t dead at all! I clearly remember hearing her cry. If I delivered a stillborn, how could she have cried?”

“When you just gave birth, the anesthesia hadn’t worn off yet, so experiencing blurred consciousness is completely normal,” someone outside answered me. But I shook my head and said, “No, that’s not right. Because it was premature, the situation was too urgent. I didn’t have time for any pain medication.” Felix quickly explained to me: “Grace, many babies are born in the hospital every day. Isn’t it normal for you to hear crying?” Hearing his words, I began to hesitate. It was indeed normal to hear baby cries in the delivery room. But that crying was too close to me, making me feel like it was my child crying. I slowly turned my gaze to Felix. Only then did I realize that after I said “the baby might have been switched,” he didn’t doubt it at all. Instead, he kept telling me the baby was stillborn. I looked at him suspiciously and asked tentatively, “That crying was too close to me. Was it the baby from the bed next to mine?” “It was exactly the baby from the bed next to yours crying,” Felix answered without hesitation. But I was stunned, because there was no one giving birth in the bed next to mine. I stared at Felix in shock, my body trembling uncontrollably. Why was Felix lying to me? Seeing me frown, Felix thought I believed his words. He reached out his hand to me and said, “Grace, please come out from inside. Let’s properly prepare a funeral for the baby. Once you’ve rested, we’ll try to get pregnant again. We’ll definitely have another child.” I clenched my fists, gritted my teeth, and let out a cold laugh before asking him: “Felix, where exactly did you take our child? That’s your child too. Why are you lying to me? Who did you give my baby to?” Felix hurriedly said, “Grace, what do you mean? How could I possibly take away our child? Don’t you even trust what I’m saying?” I shouted angrily at Felix: “I don’t believe you. My child isn’t dead. You’re lying to me!” After saying this, I yanked down the electrical switch that controlled the newborn nursery’s temperature. The room temperature dropped instantly. With red eyes, I looked at the panicked people outside. I said, “I’m giving you one hour to return my child to me. Otherwise, we’ll all die together.” Discovering that I had actually pulled the switch, the people outside immediately panicked. Someone shouted at me: “What does your husband lying to you have to do with my child?” Another person said: “Felix, where exactly did you put your child? Do you really have to drag my child into this too?” Someone else tried to reason with me: “Grace, please calm down. As long as you can guarantee our children will be safe, we’ll definitely help you find your child.” Additionally, someone shouted anxiously at Felix: “Felix, tell us what’s really going on. There are thirty children in here. If anything happens to them, can your hospital take responsibility?” Felix shouted anxiously at me: “Grace, please calm down first. Our child really has passed away. Don’t say one hour – even if you gave me a hundred hours, I couldn’t bring the child back to you.” I stared at Felix with icy eyes. Actually, it wasn’t that I was giving them one hour – I only had one hour. Because when my consciousness was blurred, I heard an unfamiliar voice say: “One hour will be enough.” I didn’t know what my child would experience during this hour. I only knew that after one hour, my child might truly not survive. “Jackson, you’re finally here. Please talk some sense into Grace!” Felix said. His voice snapped me back to attention. My white-haired father Jackson Reid had rushed over anxiously. I quickly cried out to him: “Dad, please go find my child! She’s in this hospital, hidden away somewhere. I’m certain she’s still alive! There are fifty minutes left now. If we can’t find her, she’ll really die! Don’t believe what Felix is saying. What I gave birth to wasn’t stillborn at all. Felix and they are working together!”

Jackson suddenly slapped Felix across the face. Then he roared at Felix in fury: “You animal! You knew Grace couldn’t handle the news of the baby’s death. Why didn’t you watch her properly? Look what you’ve done to my daughter!” I quickly explained to Jackson: “Dad, I’m not crazy. My baby really isn’t dead! You’ve been handling my prenatal checkups all along—you know this. Even if I gave birth three weeks ago, it would have been a healthy baby.” But Jackson looked at me with guilt written all over his face. He said: “Grace, actually, your prenatal reports didn’t show the baby was completely healthy. The fetus had some problems all along. But I was too arrogant, thinking I could secretly help fix things, so I didn’t tell you the truth about the baby’s condition. However, I failed to correct the issues. That child was indeed stillborn.” I was completely stunned. Both my parents are obstetricians, and I’m their only daughter. They cared for me during my pregnancy even more than Felix did. Jackson, who has always adored me, would never lie to me. Could I really have given birth to a stillborn baby? I placed both hands on my lower abdomen as the sound of a baby’s cry echoed in my mind again. I furrowed my brow as a tear rolled down my cheek. I asked: “Maybe this baby and I really weren’t meant to be. Dad, with all your years of experience, was this baby beautiful?” Jackson’s eyes filled with tears as he nodded: “This baby looked just like you as a child—such smooth skin, especially the hands. They were exactly like yours when you were little, with all ten fingers tightly clenched.” I instantly tensed up, my whole body going numb as I stared at Jackson in disbelief. I screamed at Jackson: “Dad, so you’re lying to me too! Why are you deceiving me just like Felix? What is it that you can’t tell me? Why did you take my baby away?” Jackson was stunned and said: “Grace, you’re my only daughter. How could I possibly lie to you?” I broke down laughing hysterically. Then I said: “That’s right. You handled most of my prenatal checkups throughout my pregnancy. But there was one time when I was traveling, and I had a friend who’s also an obstetrician do an examination. What I didn’t expect was that my friend discovered my baby had six fingers. My friend said that because the baby kept its fists clenched during all the previous exams, the doctors never noticed this condition.” Jackson quickly explained: “That kind of examination can easily be misread. How can you suspect me over something like this?” I roared: “Am I the one who wants to suspect you? You’re all lying to me!” My screaming woke up the babies in the nursery. Weak cries of infants could be heard from the room. The parents of the other newborns outside were extremely worried about their children. They kept crying while trying to comfort me, and pleaded with Jackson to tell the truth. But Jackson still insisted that what I gave birth to was a stillborn baby. I took a deep breath, then lifted my head as tears streamed down my cheeks. I glanced at the clock overhead and said: “You have twenty minutes left. It seems you’d rather bear the consequences of thirty lives than return my baby to me. What reason could possibly make you willing to watch me die along with thirty newborns rather than give me back my child?” Everyone around us pressed Jackson and Felix for the truth, but both men maintained that my baby had died long ago. Left with no choice, everyone decided to call the police. But just as one of the mothers was about to dial the emergency number, my mother Mila Reid suddenly rushed over and snatched the phone from her hands. Mila said: “My daughter is just a bit emotional. She’s simply a mother who just lost her child. I’ll talk to her. Please, I’m begging you not to call the police.” After saying this, Mila looked at me with tears in her eyes and said: “Stop being foolish and come back to me.” But I asked her: “Mom, can I trust you?” Mila froze for a moment and said, “Of course you can trust me. You’re my child, you’re my life.” She would even give her life for me. How could she not love me? I asked Mila, “Mom, would you believe everything I tell you?” Mila answered, “Of course I would.” Hearing Mila’s unhesitating response, I immediately told her, “My child is still alive, and he’s in this hospital right now. Dad and Felix both know the truth, but they won’t help save my child. I only have twenty minutes left. If you help me find my child, I’ll honestly turn myself in. I never meant to kill anyone, and I certainly never meant to kidnap these children. I just want to find my child.” Mila paused slightly, looking toward Jackson and Felix. She frowned and said, “Grace, if all of this is true, I want to help you find your child too. But Grace, I was so worried about complications during your delivery that I specifically requested to assist with your birth. I watched you give birth with my own eyes. Felix wouldn’t dare mess around. I personally watched Felix remove a stillborn baby from your belly.” Mila spoke with complete sincerity, but I stood there stunned. Did I really give birth to a stillborn baby? Mila continued, “I know you’re heartbroken and can’t accept this reality. If you dare, I’ll take you to see the surveillance footage. Once you see it with your own eyes, you won’t keep obsessing over finding your child.” Then Mila reached out her hand toward me and said, “Come back.” I stood there numbly, staring blankly at Mila, then walked step by step toward the entrance of the neonatal unit. But just as I was about to reach the door, I suddenly noticed the bloodstains on Mila’s clothes. I immediately stopped and said, “No. You’re lying to me too! When I was giving birth, another woman was hemorrhaging badly. You left my delivery room. I remember it clearly. Mom, why? What secret are you all hiding from me? Why did you replace my child with a stillborn baby?” Mila stood there stunned in surprise and said, “How could I bear to replace your child with a stillborn baby? Grace, what are you talking about? If you don’t trust me, surely you trust the surveillance footage?” I let out a cold laugh and said, “If my own family can lie to me, what about some cold machine?” At that moment, the ten-minute countdown alarm sounded. I turned back to look at the children in the neonatal unit. I said, “Since you all want my child to die, then we’ll all die together.” The people outside immediately became tense. They begged Jackson and Mila to tell me the truth and release their children. Some people cried out to me, “Grace, if they won’t help you investigate, we will. Please spare our children.” I smiled bitterly and said, “I don’t have time to investigate anymore.” I took a deep breath and placed my hand on the temperature control device. Countless anguished cries came from outside the neonatal unit door. But just as I was about to lower the temperature, a voice came from the crowd. It was a man’s voice: “I know where your real child is.”

After giving birth to five stillborn children, I raised my stepson as my own for eighteen years. However, after my stepson graduated from college, my husband brought back his ex-wife. When he asked me to serve as a nanny for their family of three, I finally realized this marriage had been a scam all along. My stepson suffered from a rare heart condition, and my husband’s sole purpose in marrying me was to have me give birth to a matching heart donor. My five children had all been murdered by my husband’s own hands. Upon learning the truth, I carefully devised a revenge plan to make both my husband and stepson pay the price. ***** After I gave birth to my fifth stillborn child, my husband Wyatt Patel brought home his six-year-old stepson Logan Patel. He told me that from now on, this child would treat me as his biological mother. Since then, I devoted myself to caring for Logan for eighteen years. Just as Logan graduated from college that year, Wyatt brought his ex-wife Victoria Flores back home. When their family of three reunited, I finally realized that my marriage had been nothing but an elaborate deception. It turned out that Logan had a rare heart condition and they couldn’t find a suitable heart donor match. So Wyatt married me. Over five years, I became pregnant with five children, and all five of those children became tools to find a heart match for Logan. Yet I spent eighteen years feeling guilty about giving birth to five stillborn babies. The day Wyatt brought Victoria home, I was cooking in the kitchen. He casually ordered me, “Victoria will be living with us starting today. Move your things to the guest room. From now on, she’ll be staying in the master bedroom.” My hands suddenly froze, and I stared at Wyatt in disbelief. The food in the pot quickly burned, filling the air with a acrid smell. Wyatt sniffed and frowned with displeasure. “Stop cooking for now and go clean up the room. Victoria’s been shopping all day and she’s tired. She needs to rest.” Then he pulled out a list of requirements and slammed it down on the dining table. “Victoria has high standards for quality of life. Prepare everything for her according to what’s written on this list.” I picked up the list and looked it over, finding it densely packed with items. Everything had to be the finest quality—it was incredibly extravagant. I smiled bitterly and asked, “Wyatt, do you realize what you’re saying?” Did he really mean that not only would he be living with his ex-wife, but he was also forcing me, his current wife, to give up the master bedroom to them? What did that make me? Was I supposed to be their live-in maid? At that moment, Victoria feigned concern and said with a smile, “Wyatt, forget it. If Athena doesn’t want me to move in, I can just stay at a hotel.” Athena Brown is my name. After a pause, she continued, “After all, I’ve already endured eighteen years of this. I don’t mind enduring a few more days.” Hearing her words, Wyatt’s brow furrowed deeply. His eyes filled with sympathy for Victoria. Then Wyatt said to me, “Athena, when you gave birth to five stillborn children, I had no choice but to bring my son with Victoria home to keep you company. You’re the reason they were separated for eighteen years. This is what you owe Victoria.” I was instantly speechless. Back then, he was the one who voluntarily brought Logan home. Why was I now being painted as the villain who caused their mother and son to be separated? Wyatt kept going: “Although Victoria and I divorced, she’s still my original wife. In the old days, you would have had to serve her properly. Now I’m just asking you to give up the master bedroom—are you really unwilling to do even that?” He acted as if I had received some great favor. Victoria just smiled at me quietly, as if to say, “Now do you believe me?” I stood there stunned, fear coursing through my entire body. No one knew that Victoria had approached me alone a few days earlier. She told me she was getting back together with Wyatt and that I should be smart, pack my things, and leave this house. I thought she was talking nonsense and started to walk away. But Victoria blocked my path and asked, “Do you really think those five children you gave birth to over the years were all stillborn?” Then she showed me five videos. Although the footage was somewhat blurry, I could still make out Wyatt’s face. In all five videos, he was holding a living baby, walking from the delivery room into another operating room. I was stunned. Could those babies have been my five children? My five children were clearly alive—why did Wyatt tell me they had all died? After enjoying the sight of my distress long enough, Victoria finally revealed the truth with cold composure: “Logan has a rare heart condition, and we’ve never been able to find a suitable heart match for him. That’s why Wyatt married you. He wanted to use your womb to produce a child who could provide a heart transplant for our son. But we never expected you to be so useless—it took you five whole pregnancies to finally produce one child whose heart could match Logan’s.” I kept shaking my head, finding this too absurd to believe. I refused to accept that Wyatt could be so cruel. I rushed home to confront him, only to be told he was away on business. I spent the next few days in agony, waiting for his return so I could demand the truth. But when he finally came back, he brought Victoria with him. Wyatt said, “Athena, you haven’t given the Patel family a single child. Victoria and I will have to rely on our son Logan to take care of us in our old age. If you behave yourself now, your life might be easier when you’re older.” I snapped back to reality and stared at him. “Is it really true that I can’t have children? Did the five stillborn babies I delivered really die at birth?” Wyatt replied, “Of course they did.” He unconsciously touched his nose—a habit of his when lying. My heart raced as overwhelming helplessness consumed me. He really had killed our five children! The next moment, my legs gave out and I collapsed to the floor. But Wyatt thought I was just trying to get his attention. He let out a disdainful laugh: “Athena, we’re not kids anymore. Stop playing these childish games. I’m taking Victoria out to dinner tonight. You’d better do some soul-searching. I expect the master bedroom to be cleared out by the time I get home.” The door slammed shut, and my tears finally began to fall. The husband I loved so deeply was the murderer of my five children, and he had only married me to produce a transplant tool for his child with his ex-wife. I couldn’t accept this reality and collapsed on the floor, letting out anguished screams.

Just then, Logan opened the front door and asked, “Why isn’t dinner ready yet?” Seeing me collapsed on the floor, Logan was startled: “Why are you sitting on the ground? Where’s Dad?” I didn’t respond. After all, my five children had died to save him—they never even got the chance to call me “Mom”—yet I had lovingly cared for Logan for eighteen years. Logan called out several times in succession: “Mom! Mom! Mom!” I hesitated, then responded anyway. The child was innocent, after all, and I couldn’t bring myself to be so heartless toward Logan, whom I had personally raised for eighteen years. But after hearing my response, Logan frowned unhappily: “Ms. Brown, I was calling my mother. Why did you answer?” Logan’s look of disgust was identical to Wyatt’s. I froze, trembling as I asked him, “What did you just call me?” Logan said, “Hasn’t Dad told you yet? My real mom has moved in to live with us. To keep things clear, I’ll call her ‘Mom’ from now on, and I’ll call you ‘Ms. Brown.’” He said it as if it were nothing. My heart ached with anger, but Logan kept twisting the knife: “Ms. Brown, our family is finally reunited. You’d better not bully my mom.” Looking at him, I suddenly found myself speechless. This was the child Wyatt had once promised would treat me like his real mother. I felt like I had never truly known him at all. Just then, Wyatt and Victoria returned. Wyatt complained, “What rotten luck—we got splashed with dirty water on our way out.” Victoria added, “My phone got damaged when I dropped it.” Seeing them, Logan instantly became excited and rushed over to them. He said, “Dad, Mom, you’re finally back from your date. You two are still so in love.” Wyatt lovingly patted his head and said, “You little rascal! How dare you tease your parents? If we weren’t in love, how would we have you?” Victoria also showed Logan maternal affection, saying, “You’re still so reckless. Look at you, all sweaty. Let me wipe that off for you.” Logan buried his head in Victoria’s arms: “Mom, you’re the only one who cares about me. Ms. Brown didn’t even notice I was sweating.” Wyatt said, “Well, she’s never had children, so she doesn’t understand these things. Now that you have your real mother by your side, it won’t be like that anymore.” His hurtful words pierced my heart one by one. I wanted to leave, but inadvertently caught sight of the charm on Victoria’s phone. At that moment, I felt like I’d fallen into an ice cellar, chilled to the bone. Victoria shouted, “Athena, why are you grabbing my phone?” Holding the phone, I looked at Wyatt and Logan with a pale smile: “Don’t you owe me an explanation?” The charm on Victoria’s phone was a protective amulet I had personally bought for Wyatt and Logan. After giving birth to my fifth stillborn child, I had nightmares every night. After raising Logan, my nightmares became even worse. I was afraid I was an unlucky person, destined never to have children in this lifetime, and even more afraid that Logan would suffer misfortune because of me. So, starting from Logan’s first Christmas in my care, I would go to the church every Christmas to buy protective amulets. I prayed to God to keep Logan safe, prayed that God wouldn’t take away any more of my children. Ever since Wyatt had that car accident, I also made it a habit to buy him a protective amulet every Christmas. This Christmas, when I went to buy the amulets, I unfortunately encountered a flash flood and nearly died on the mountain. The two protective amulets I had risked my life to buy were now in Victoria’s hands, casually hanging on her phone case. I was trembling with rage. Logan, however, pointed at Victoria’s phone and said nonchalantly, “You mean this charm? I didn’t really want to give it to my mom, since it was something you gave me after all.” I asked, “Then why did you give it to her anyway?” My expression softened slightly. No matter what, Logan still treasured the things I gave him. But Logan said, “You’ve had five stillborn babies, so you’re definitely an unlucky person. How could I dare give my mom something you gave me? If my mom hadn’t insisted on having it, I never would have given it to her.” His words struck my heart like lightning, the pain making it hard to breathe. The next second, Wyatt frowned and snatched Victoria’s phone, then roughly removed the protective amulet. He said, “Could this amulet have stolen your good luck? You need to throw it away! How dare you want something bought by an unlucky person?” Victoria playfully stuck out her tongue. Despite being middle-aged, she still put on the coquettish act of a young girl: “I’ll listen to you from now on, okay?” I looked at them coldly, my heart already numb. After a long while, I finally said quietly, “Wyatt, let’s get divorced.” Upon hearing my words, everyone looked at me as if I were being unreasonable. Wyatt glared at me and asked, “Athena, do you know what you’re saying? You caused Victoria and Logan to be separated for eighteen years. I just want to let this mother and son reunite. Are you so unwilling that you’d even threaten me with divorce?” Logan also stepped in front of Victoria, taking a protective stance. He glared at me with hatred and asked, “Dad, you’re not really going to abandon me and my mom again for Ms. Brown, are you?” Wyatt immediately replied, “Never! Athena is an orphan who’s had five stillborn children, so her mind is inevitably twisted. She can’t stand to see others reunited with their families. But I will absolutely never abandon you two because of her.” The three of them looked like such a warm, happy family, while I felt like an outsider who could never fit in. But Wyatt had pursued me relentlessly back then. He said he wanted to give me a home, wanted to have more children with me, and let me experience the warmth of family. I was so caught up in his sweet words that I didn’t care he’d been divorced once before, and I agreed to marry him. I never imagined this marriage was a scam from the very beginning. All five of my children became someone else’s “nourishment.” And my status as an “orphan” became his weapon to attack me. Thinking of this, I trembled as I slapped Wyatt hard across the face. Wyatt stared at me in disbelief for a moment. After snapping back to reality, he immediately darkened his expression and dragged me in front of the mirror. He said, “Athena, what the hell are you making a fuss about? Take a good look at yourself. You’re not young anymore. Without me, you probably wouldn’t even have a place to live.” He threatened further, “You’d better serve our family of three properly. That way, I might still give you something to eat. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” After saying this, Wyatt shoved my hand away, and I collapsed to the floor again. Logan rolled his eyes at me. He said, “Ms. Brown, stop making a scene. Go cook dinner. My mom loves grilled ribs.” I looked at Wyatt and Logan in silence.

Victoria stood behind them, giving me a contemptuous smile. Looking at her elegant attire, then turning to see my haggard reflection in the mirror, I finally couldn’t take it anymore and ran out. But Wyatt’s voice followed me closely, impossible to shake off. He said, “She won’t last more than a few days. Once she can’t stand the hardship and comes back, she’ll obediently serve as our nanny.” I stayed at a motel for one night. First thing the next morning, I rushed to find a divorce lawyer. Over the years, Wyatt’s career had become increasingly successful. Even if we were getting divorced, I had to get something back from him. This was the price he should pay for deceiving me for twenty-three years. But the lawyer looked at me seriously and said, “Ms. Brown, your marriage certificate is fake.” I froze in place, unable to move. Just then, Victoria sent me a message. I opened my phone and the first thing I saw were five photos of dead babies. Victoria’s messages popped up immediately after. [Stop obsessing over my son. If you really miss children that much, look at your own kids—though they’re already dead.] I stared at those five photos of the children, my heart feeling like it was being torn apart. Victoria’s messages kept popping up. [I bet you didn’t know—Wyatt and I never got divorced.] [The divorce papers he showed you back then were fake, and the place where you two got your marriage certificate was fake too. You idiot actually believed it.] [Back then, after your useless self gave birth to the fifth child who could finally match Logan’s blood type, Wyatt wanted to kick you out immediately. But later, he felt sorry for me being so tired taking care of the child, so he decided to continue this fake marriage with you.] [For the past eighteen years, every time he told you he was going on a business trip, he was actually with me.] Below these messages were various travel photos Victoria had sent. My hands trembled as I held the phone. While I was racking my brains over Logan’s education, they had traveled to famous landmarks across half the world. I don’t know how I walked out of that law office. Looking at the flowing river before me, I felt like my entire life had been a complete failure. Thinking of my five dead children, my heart ached like it was being cut by knives. I even thought, “Maybe I should just jump in and join my children.” But just as I closed my eyes, ready to jump into the river, a pair of hands stopped me. I heard someone shouting: “Athena, I finally found you.” Someone else called out: “Ms. Brown, why did you run so far?” I opened my eyes to see Wyatt and Logan. They grabbed my hands and started dragging me back. On the way, Wyatt said: “You need to come with me to Logan’s company and apologize.” From their conversation, I learned that Victoria had offended Logan’s boss, Ruby Brooks. Last night, Ruby had sent Logan a message, and Victoria saw it. Mistaking Ruby for a woman trying to seduce Logan, Victoria cursed at her and deleted Ruby’s contact information without permission. This morning, Logan walked into the office only to be reprimanded by Ruby and even faced the risk of losing his job. That’s when Wyatt and Logan thought of me—they wanted me to apologize on Victoria’s behalf. Logan said to me: “Mom, when we get to the office, you need to apologize to my boss and beg for her forgiveness.” I laughed sarcastically. Now he was calling me “Mom” again. I yanked my hand free and said firmly: “I’m not going! Victoria is your mother—go find her!” Wyatt frowned and said: “Athena, stop throwing a tantrum.” He covered my mouth and forcibly dragged me to Ruby’s office. Wyatt said: “Ms. Brooks, this is my wife. I brought her here to apologize to you.” Ruby looked puzzled as she watched them covering my mouth. Logan quickly explained: “Ms. Brooks, this is my mother. Ever since she had five stillbirths, she’s had some mental issues. She’s extremely protective of me, her only son, and constantly fears that others will take me away from her.” Logan shamelessly used my most painful experience to attack me. I was so furious that I let out a low growl from my throat, which only seemed to confirm his claim that I was “mentally unstable.” Logan continued: “Ms. Brooks, my mother screams and shouts like this whenever she has an episode. That’s why we’re covering her mouth—we didn’t want her voice to disturb you. Now let her apologize to you.” As soon as Logan finished speaking, Wyatt kicked me in the knee and forced me to apologize. Finally, Ruby couldn’t stand watching this absurd charade any longer and put a stop to it. After they dragged me out of the company building, Wyatt finally released his grip on my hand. He patted my head like he was patting a dog, then said: “Athena, you helped Logan solve a big problem today. I won’t hold yesterday’s incident against you.” Then Wyatt generously transferred $100,000 to my phone. He said: “Take this money and buy some necessities for Victoria. Keep whatever’s left as my gift to you. From now on, let’s just live peacefully as a family of four.” With that, they drove off quickly.

“Mrs. Thorne, your brain aneurysm is in a delicate spot, and there’s already been some bleeding. You need surgery as soon as possible. If it ruptures, your life will be in danger.” “How much will the surgery cost?” “A conservative estimate would be two hundred thousand dollars.” Two hundred thousand? The Vance family went bankrupt, my father had a stroke, leaving us with a mountain of debt. Everything I owned, every single valuable thing, went to fill that gaping hole. Where am I supposed to find two hundred thousand now? And here, in the Thorne family, I, their daughter-in-law, am treated worse than a dog. By the time I left the hospital, it was already dark outside. I hadn’t walked far when my phone rang. A cold male voice spoke. “Get to ‘The Nightfall’.” His tone was a command, giving me no room to refuse. I looked at the medical report in my hand, then thought about our current relationship. I bit my red lip, then nodded and replied, “Okay.” The Nightfall was Veridia City’s most infamous high-end club. When I arrived at the private room, it was packed with men and women, exuding an air of lavish decadence. The man in the center of the room swirled his drink. Seeing me enter, he snapped his fingers, and the room instantly fell silent. He lifted his gaze to me. “Come here.” I hesitated, then walked over. The moment I got close, he yanked my wrist, and the next second, I was pulled into his embrace. “Asher, let me go!” Asher held me tight with just one arm. “Mrs. Thorne, are you sure you want me to let you go? Think about how much the Vance family still owes me, and then think about your father’s medical bills.” At his words, I stopped struggling. “Can you… can you lend me another two hundred thousand?” The man looked at me as if I’d told a joke. Finally, his gaze settled on my makeup-free, gaunt face. “What part of you is worth two hundred thousand?” With that, he pinched my chin, forcing me to face the people around us. “Why don’t you pick a man, spend a night with him, treat him right, and maybe you’ll get two hundred thousand.” “Do you have to humiliate me like this?” “Humiliation?” Asher sneered, his cold lips brushing my ear, his voice like it came from hell itself. “Compared to what your Vance family did to me back then, what’s this little humiliation?” I closed my eyes in agony. **截断点** The Vance and Hayes families were old acquaintances. Asher and I were childhood sweethearts, and in college, we were *that* couple everyone envied on campus. But the year we were supposed to go study abroad together, the Hayes family suddenly went bankrupt. Asher’s father couldn’t handle it and committed suicide by jumping from a building. I went to beg my father to help the Hayes family, only to accidentally discover that my father was the real culprit behind their downfall. I didn’t know how to face Asher, so I broke up with him. Blissfully unaware, Asher couldn’t believe I would leave him at his lowest, most difficult moment. He knelt in the rain outside the Vance mansion all night, pleading with me not to go. But my father took the opportunity to finish him off for good. By the time I arrived, Asher had already been beaten unconscious. I fought desperately to protect his head, but I suffered a severe blow myself, leaving me with lasting aftereffects. To stop my father from going to extremes, I could only agree to an arranged marriage, marrying into the incredibly influential Thorne family. Who knew that six years later, Asher would return to Veridia City as a business magnate, and the first thing he did was completely destroy the Vance Corporation… Just then, someone chimed in from the side. “Mrs. Thorne, Mr. Hayes is doing you a favor! Everyone knows Mr. Thorne’s eldest son is crippled, and your children were conceived through IVF. Has he ever satisfied you in all these years?” After the man spoke, everyone burst into laughter. Amidst the laughter, I clenched my fists tightly and calmly said, “Okay, then I’ll pick one.” 2. Asher’s face instantly darkened. My gaze quietly swept over everyone present, as if I were truly making a selection. Finally, I looked at the man who had just spoken, “You’ll do.” The man was ecstatic. I was known as a great beauty in Veridia City. To have a night of passion with me, let alone two hundred thousand, he wouldn’t mind spending two million. “Then I won’t be polite.” The man stood up, walked to Asher, and tried to lead me away. The next second, he was kicked to the ground, spilling drinks everywhere. The man ignored his messy state and looked at Asher in fear, asking confusedly, “Mr. Hayes, what are you…” “Get out!” Asher’s face was grim. He abruptly stood up, grabbed my throat, and snarled, “I can’t believe how cheap you’ve become!” “Isn’t that exactly how you want me to be?” I retorted, my eyes red. Asher tightened his grip. A pure, smiling face flashed in my mind. *My Asher, we promised we’d be together forever.* But now, everything had changed. Just as I thought I was about to die, the door to the private room was pushed open, and a tall figure walked in. “Asher, let Ellie go!” Asher seemed to snap back to reality and released his hand. He grabbed a tissue from nearby, wiped his hands, and threw it to the ground with a look of disgust. I stumbled up and walked towards the door. “Starting tomorrow, you’ll come to The Nightfall to work until the Vance family’s debt is paid off.” The man’s words instantly plunged me into hell. I gripped the doorknob. “If you don’t come, you’ll face the consequences.” I pulled open the door and walked out. “Ellie, are you okay? Asher just has that temper, don’t take it personally.” The woman followed me out, blocking my path. “Oh, and I’m pregnant with Asher’s child. We’re getting married soon.” I looked at Skylar Dawson’s happy smile, feeling a bit dazed. “Ellie, you’ll bless us, won’t you? After all, we’ve been best friends for over twenty years.” Best friends? The three of us grew up together. How could I have been so blind back then not to notice that Skylar always liked Asher? Skylar looked into my eyes. “You know you and Asher can’t be together, right? After all, it was your father who ruined his family and destroyed his life. You probably don’t want him to know the truth, do you? Given his temper, your father wouldn’t just be having a stroke.” “I wish you two an eternity together, growing old side by side.” I smiled weakly. Hearing my words, Skylar’s lips curved, and she chuckled softly. “It’s best you’re sensible. I’ve been with Asher all these years, fighting alongside him. No one is more important than me in his heart. I’ll ask him to remember your old friendship and not be too harsh on you.” Returning to the Thorne family villa, it was already past ten o’clock at night. As soon as I walked in, a small figure rushed into my arms. “Mommy, I’m hungry.” I looked down at his red eyes, my heart aching as I wiped away his tears. I hadn’t eaten all day either. “Mommy will make Leo some noodles, okay?” Leo Vance nodded happily. I took him into the kitchen, found some ingredients, and cooked two bowls of clear noodle soup. Leo’s mouth watered, and he swallowed several times. Just as I was about to carry the noodles out, a figure appeared in the kitchen. Brenda Thorne, Julian’s mother, looked at me coldly. “Have I not told you that no one is allowed to cook after ten o’clock in the Thorne house?” “Mom, I know, but Leo is hungry…” “Dump the noodles!” Seeing her stern expression, Leo buried himself in my arms. “Leo is hungry, Leo wants to eat noodles!” “Eat what?” Brenda snorted. “Don’t think I don’t know you sold all your dowry to cover the Vance family’s debts. Let me tell you, you won’t get a single penny of the Thorne family’s money!” Leo cried louder for his noodles. Brenda walked over and dumped both bowls of noodles into the nearby trash can. Seeing the noodles gone, the child cried even harder. “Cry, cry, cry! All you do is cry!” Brenda snapped impatiently. “The Vance family made you cry until they went bankrupt. Are you trying to ruin our Thorne family too? Both of you are nothing but bad luck!” Leo immediately cowered in my arms, terrified. After Brenda left, I searched for a long time and finally found a bag of crackers. After coaxing the little guy to eat them, I took him back to his room. Even in his sleep, Leo was still whimpering. My heart ached as I stroked his cheek. No matter what, I had to survive! 3. After he fell asleep, I returned to my bedroom. As I switched on the light, I saw Julian Thorne sitting in the middle of the room. I gasped, clutching my chest. “Why didn’t you turn on the light?” “Where were you?” “The hospital.” “Did you go to Asher?” I didn’t answer. Julian wheeled his chair over to me, his eyes cold. “Did you go to him?” “If I didn’t go to him, he would have come to me anyway.” I scoffed. “He hates me. He’ll never let me off easy.” “That’s just an excuse. You want to rekindle your old flame with him, don’t you?” Julian glared at me furiously. “I knew it all along! You look down on me deep down!” “I don’t.” Julian’s gaze was icy. “Get into bed.” Under his intense stare, I could only close my eyes and lie down. Julian braced his hands on the edge of the bed and moved onto it. He tore at my clothes. He bit and nipped at my skin, making me wince in pain. “Can you… can you lend me two hundred thousand?” Julian’s movements froze. He looked at me with dark eyes. “Did you used to charge Asher to sleep with him too?” “I…” “You’re truly disgusting!” Julian immediately lost interest. He got back into his wheelchair and left the bedroom. I redressed myself. I never imagined I’d be stumped by two hundred thousand dollars one day. The next morning, I dropped Leo off at kindergarten, then called my mother, Martha Vance. I didn’t know what Asher had done, but any money that entered my account was immediately transferred out. All the money from selling my dowry was with Martha. As soon as she heard I needed money, Martha exploded. “What’s the situation with the Vance family now? Where am I going to get two hundred thousand? If the Thornes don’t care about the Vance family’s survival, surely they’ll care about yours?” Before I could speak, Martha was already cursing the Thorne family on the phone. I hung up bitterly, looking at the car parked by the roadside. This was the only valuable thing I had left to sell. I contacted an agent. Because I only needed cash, the car, originally worth a million, was undervalued by the buyer to two hundred thousand. After withdrawing the cash from the bank, I didn’t waste a moment and rushed to the hospital. Just as I reached the hospital entrance, Asher’s call came in. “Mrs. Thorne, your son is so cute.” I clutched my phone. The next second, Leo’s childish voice came through the phone. “Mommy, where are you? I’m scared.” “Leo!” My face instantly turned pale. “Asher, you can take whatever revenge you want on me, but please, I beg you, don’t touch my son!” “That depends on your performance.” Asher’s voice was cold. “Roll your ass over to The Nightfall in half an hour.” I dared not delay and immediately took a cab to The Nightfall. A bodyguard led me to an office. Asher was sitting in a chair, and Skylar Dawson was in his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. They were intimately close, and his face held a rare gentle smile. My heart tightened, and I clenched my fists. “Where’s my son?” “What’s the rush?” Asher’s face turned icy. Skylar slid out of his embrace. “Mrs. Thorne, you have money but you’re not paying your debt. What are you planning?” Asher looked at me with cold eyes. I instinctively hid my handbag behind my back. Skylar noticed my movement and smiled. “Ellie, you’re not thinking of abandoning everything and running away, are you?” Asher’s face darkened at her words. I shook my head. “I’m not.” “Then what’s in your bag? Take it out.” 4. I involuntarily backed away. Asher strode over to me, grabbed my throat, and pinned me against the door. “You think you can just walk away? Do you think I’d let you off that easily?!” “I… I didn’t… Asher, please, I really need this money…” I spoke with difficulty, tears streaming down my face and landing on his hand. Asher’s eyes paused. Watching me cry in pain, he felt no sense of satisfaction. Skylar’s eyes darkened. “Ellie, back then when Asher’s mom needed money for treatment, I was working at a club, earning it glass by glass. And what were you doing then? You were marrying into the Thorne family in grand style!” Asher’s expression instantly turned cold at her words. He tried to snatch my handbag. I clung to it desperately, refusing to let go. It was my only hope now. “The hardships Asher and I endured, you should taste them too, shouldn’t you?” Skylar looked at me triumphantly. Seeing me refuse to let go, Asher said coldly, “If I can’t touch you, then I’ll just have to go after your son.” At his words, I despairingly gave up struggling. Asher threw the handbag to a bodyguard. As he released me, I slumped to the ground like a rag doll. “Give me back my son.” “Whether you can take your son home safely depends on your performance tonight.” Asher looked at me with disdain and instructed the bodyguard, “Take her to work.” I wiped away my tears and followed the bodyguard out of the office. “Asher, you won’t feel sorry for her, will you?” Asher looked out at the endless dark night, clenching his fists tightly. “Why would I?” A small figure walked into the office. Leo ran to Asher’s side. “Uncle, where’s Mommy?” “Your mommy is working. She’ll take you home in a bit.” “Is this…” Skylar looked at Leo’s small face, her eyes filled with undisguised shock. “My son.” Asher picked up his jacket. “Keep an eye on him.” Skylar examined Leo again. The child’s features were indeed five or six parts similar to Asher’s. She clenched her fists tightly. *I can’t believe she didn’t get rid of that child and actually gave birth to him!* In the changing room, I put on a sexy bunny girl outfit. As I turned around, I saw Asher suddenly appear behind me. I instinctively took a step back, only to see Asher take out his phone and snap a photo of me. I rushed forward, trying to snatch the phone, but Asher deliberately raised his hand and scoffed, “What do you think Julian Thorne’s reaction will be when he sees this photo?” I struggled to grab it, but I wasn’t used to high heels. I stumbled and fell into Asher’s arms. Asher instinctively tightened his grip around my waist. The familiar scent, and the captivating softness, left Asher momentarily dazed. He lowered his head. When his gaze swept over the hickey on my collarbone, the desire in his dark eyes vanished, replaced only by endless coldness. “Mrs. Thorne, I’m truly surprised by your forwardness!” I pulled away from his embrace. “Asher, I’m the one who wronged you. Please, don’t hurt anyone else.” Asher stared at the mark on my collarbone, gritting his teeth. “Why wouldn’t I hurt the people you care about? How else will you feel pain?” I followed a group of people into a private room. I was already beautiful, and after being dressed up, I looked like an angel. Every man in the private room tried to take advantage of the opportunity to touch me. I sat next to a pot-bellied man, tugging at my skirt which barely reached my knees. The man reached out to touch my leg. I instinctively recoiled. The man’s face darkened. He directly pulled out a stack of bills and threw them on the table. “One touch, one stack for you!” That stack was ten thousand dollars. Thinking of Leo’s innocent little face, I clenched my fists tightly. I had to survive! 5. The man placed his hand on my leg through my skirt. Seeing that I didn’t pull away, he picked up the money and patted my face. “That’s more like it.” Then, the man tucked the money into my cleavage. I suppressed my revulsion and didn’t flinch. If this was what he wanted to see, then I would give it to him. Seeing my reaction, the man’s hands started to become more brazen. *Bang!* The private room door was kicked open, and the noise inside instantly ceased. Seeing the man’s hand on my leg, Asher’s face was terrifyingly cold. He took a few quick steps and dragged me out of the private room. I forcefully yanked my hand away from his, furious. “Mr. Hayes, what are you doing? Weren’t you going to make me entertain and sell smiles to pay off my debt? If you drag me out, how am I supposed to pay you back?” As I spoke, I pulled the stack of money from my cleavage. The next second, the money was snatched away. Then, my face was stung by the bills, and the scattered banknotes fell to the ground. Ignoring the pain, I bent down to pick them up. A luxurious leather shoe stepped on my hand, making me gasp in pain. Asher bent down, lifted my chin, his dark eyes glinting with malice. “Where’s your pride? Where’s your dignity? Is there anything you won’t do for money?” I looked directly into his eyes. “Isn’t this what you want?” “I should have seen it clearly long ago. You’re nothing but a gold-digging slut!” Asher pushed my face away. “You won’t get to keep a single penny you earn at The Nightfall!” Asher stood up and left. Soon, someone came and picked up all the money from the floor before leaving. I gave a bitter laugh, then changed back into my own clothes and left The Nightfall with Leo. For the next few days, I went to work at The Nightfall on time every day. Unlike the first day, the men who approached me only bought me drinks; no one dared to lay a hand on me anymore. Occasionally, I’d get a small tip, but I could only keep a tiny fraction of it. With such meager income, I couldn’t possibly raise enough for the surgery. Just then, the Thorne family hosted a grand charity gala. As Julian Thorne’s wife, I naturally had to attend. Julian personally took me to get my hair and makeup done. Dressed elaborately, I was beautiful and undoubtedly the center of attention. Until Asher arrived at the banquet hall with Skylar Dawson. Leo saw them and instinctively hid behind me. But the two walked step by step towards Julian and me. Julian’s face was livid. “What are you doing here?” Asher smiled, looking at me. “Of course, I’m here to deliver a grand gift to Mr. Thorne.” My face turned pale. Asher snapped his fingers, and countless photos rained down from the air. They showed me in various sexy outfits, drinking with different men. I instinctively bent down, pressing Leo tightly into my embrace. Everyone present gasped at the photos. Brenda Thorne trembled with rage. She took a few steps forward and *smack!* slapped me across the face. My ears rang. “You shameless woman, doing such things behind Julian’s back!” Brenda wasn’t done. She furiously pulled at my clothes and hair. “Eating our Thorne family’s food, using our Thorne family’s things, and you dare to betray my son? I’ll tear you apart today!” I instantly became disheveled and pathetic. Julian’s chest heaved with anger. He didn’t spare me another glance, turning his wheelchair and leaving the venue. The Thorne family relatives all rushed over. Some pulled Brenda away, while others took the opportunity to bully me. My expensive gown was quickly torn to shreds, and my exquisite makeup smeared. I just desperately protected my child. I looked at Asher outside the crowd, my vision gradually blurring. The boy in my memories who would love and protect me was long gone. Watching my pathetic state, Asher’s dark eyes grew even darker. Why didn’t he feel happy at all? Seeing that Asher’s expression wasn’t right, and people had vented enough, Skylar quickly went over to help me and Leo up. As she did, she whispered with a smirk in my ear, “As grand as your entrance into the Thorne family was, that’s how pathetic your exit will be. This is all your own doing.” I squeezed her arm hard. The next second, I fainted. 6. At the hospital. Seeing Skylar return, Asher’s eyes flickered. “What did the doctor say?” The doctor said she had a brain aneurysm and needed surgery urgently, or she could die at any moment. But she wasn’t foolish enough to tell Asher that. “Nothing serious.” Skylar clutched his arm, looking pitiful. “Asher, are you feeling soft towards her?” Asher’s eyes darkened a few shades. “No, I’m just afraid she’ll die too easily, and get off too lightly.” I happened to be walking past the hospital room door. Hearing Asher’s words, my numb heart still twinged with pain. Noticing my presence, Asher turned around. Seeing my body covered in injuries, his dark eyes darkened further. “If you’re not dead, get your ass back to The Nightfall tomorrow to work.” Skylar gave me a triumphant look, then walked away, holding Asher’s arm. Leo rushed into my arms, crying. “Mommy, what happened to you? I’m so scared.” “It’s okay, Leo, Mommy’s fine.” My eyes red, I hugged him tightly. Because I had no money, I dared not stay in the hospital for too long. The next morning, I took my child back to the Thorne family home, only to find our luggage already thrown outside the door. Brenda Thorne stood before us, arms crossed. “You actually have the nerve to come back! Go get the divorce papers with Julian right now. You’ve done such a disgraceful thing, you’ve completely shamed our Thorne family. Get out!” A black sedan pulled up beside us. The driver loaded our luggage into the trunk. Seeing the scene before me, I gave a weak smile, then turned and got into the car with Leo. On the divorce agreement, I left with nothing but my son. So, at the civil affairs office, the divorce was finalized smoothly. Julian didn’t say a single word to me from start to finish. My son and I stood by the roadside with our luggage. Leo held my hand. “Mommy, did Daddy abandon us?” I looked at his innocent face, my heart aching as I stroked his cheek. “Daddy, he…” Leo hugged me tightly. “Mommy, don’t cry. Daddy doesn’t like me anyway. I only need Mommy.” We found a small motel to stay in. I rummaged through a hidden compartment in my suitcase and found a diamond necklace. This was Asher’s coming-of-age gift to me, and a token of our love. I still remembered the intense look in his eyes when he gave it to me. *”Ellie, my heart for you is like this diamond—it will never change.”* Now, it was all gone, never to return. Though alone, for Leo, I had to survive! I took Leo to a pawn shop. The owner, seeing my injuries and a child with me, deliberately drove the price down. “Diamonds are supposed to hold their value, and this one’s quite old.” The owner said slowly. “I can give you ten thousand, at most.” “Twenty thousand. Not a penny less.” I took the necklace back, about to leave. The owner quickly pressed down on the necklace. “Let’s discuss it again.” The owner tried to pull the necklace, but I refused to let go. “Alright, alright, twenty thousand it is.” Half an hour later, I left the pawn shop with Leo and headed straight for the nursing home. Martha Vance was furious when she heard I wanted to temporarily leave Leo at the nursing home. “What, the Thorne family won’t even keep the child?” I didn’t answer, just said coldly, “I’ll probably be away for a week.” “I have to take care of your father! Where do I have time to take care of a child?” Martha’s face was grim. “Throw him on the Thorne family’s doorstep. I don’t believe they won’t take care of him.” Leo, hearing this, buried his head in my arms. “Mommy, Leo doesn’t want to be separated from you.” “Leaving the child here, where are you planning to go?” Asher’s voice suddenly rang out, and my face instantly turned pale. 7. Seeing Asher, Arthur Vance, who was in a wheelchair, immediately became agitated. He mumbled incoherent sounds, his eyes wanting to tear Asher to shreds. Asher smirked triumphantly. “Mr. Vance, why are you so agitated? You should have thought of this day when you stood by and watched the Hayes family fall, kicking us while we were down. You should thank me for leaving you alive.” “Asher, what do you want?” I anxiously blocked Asher’s view. Although I hated Arthur, he was still my father, and he had already fallen so far, so it was his just deserts. Asher’s face darkened a few shades. “Of course, I’m here to reclaim what’s mine.” Asher snapped his fingers, and several bodyguards stepped forward, immediately restraining Leo and me. Martha Vance quickly said, “What are you doing?” Asher said slowly, “In Veridia City, is there anyone who can stop me from doing what I want?” Leo and I were escorted back to a luxurious villa. Leo cried as he was led to a room by a bodyguard. I tried to follow, but Asher blocked my way. “He’s just a child! Take it out on me!” “Ellie, you sold the necklace Asher gave you. What were you planning?” Skylar Dawson walked over, the diamond necklace in her hand. “Were you trying to escape?” “This is my property. I can do whatever I want with it…” Before I could finish, Asher grabbed my neck, his eyes furious. “Your property? You don’t deserve it!” “This was Asher’s sincere heart.” Skylar dangled the necklace. “Is it really only worth so little?” “Where’s the money?” Asher’s face grew even darker. I shook my head. “If you don’t tell me, don’t blame me for being unkind to your son!” Asher released me and turned to walk upstairs. “No!” I clutched my neck and said anxiously, “Leo, he’s…” “Asher, why bother with a child?” Skylar quickly interrupted me. “Just keep her locked here, and with money, she can’t run away.” I was taken to a servant’s room on the first floor. Leo was also brought back to me. Skylar walked into the room, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the musty smell. “Asher and I will be getting married very soon. Don’t worry, once we’re happily married, I’ll plead with him to let you and your son go.” I held Leo, remaining silent. Skylar looked at the small face so similar to Asher’s, a cruel glint flashing in her eyes. She composed herself and lowered her voice. “Ellie, you simply don’t know how much Asher suffered all these years, how hard he worked to get where he is today. If it weren’t for your Vance family, he wouldn’t have had to endure any of it.” My eyes flickered. It was precisely because I knew, that I accepted all of his revenge. “You have to let him vent a little.” Skylar said earnestly. “Don’t complicate simple things. The child is innocent. I promise you, Asher won’t hurt the child.” After Skylar left, Leo was already asleep in my arms, exhausted. I placed him on the bed, thinking to myself, if Asher knew Leo was his child, he definitely wouldn’t let Leo stay with me. So, after Skylar interrupted me, I quickly suppressed that thought. I must get the surgery done quickly and take Leo away from here! 8. Late at night. Asher returned to the villa, drunk. From afar, he saw a figure busy inside the villa. I was carrying a bucket of water, wiping the stairs step by step. Skylar had said I didn’t need to work at The Nightfall, but I couldn’t be useless at the villa, so the cleaning duties had fallen to me. Finally, having wiped the last step, I wiped the sweat from my forehead. Suddenly, a figure hugged me from behind. Smelling the strong alcohol, I struggled in fright. Asher, however, held me tighter, softly murmuring, “Ellie…” A familiar yet distant “Ellie” made my body stiffen. “Do you know how much I missed you?” Asher inhaled my scent, wishing he could meld me into his own body. “Asher, let me go, you’re drunk.” “Only in my dreams can I miss you without restraint.” Asher whispered softly. I closed my eyes in agony, pushing him away with all my might. Asher grabbed my wrist, pinned me against the wall, and kissed me fiercely. My eyes widened. The possessive kiss gave me no room to breathe, and I couldn’t break free. “What are you doing?” Skylar’s voice rang out. The man’s movements finally stopped. Skylar rushed over, pulled Asher away, and *smack!* slapped me across the face. I covered my face. “He was drunk and harassed me.” “You slut! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning!” Skylar glared at me furiously. “I’ve given him everything all these years! No one can replace me! No one!” Skylar laboriously helped Asher to the bedroom. Asher frowned, looking very uncomfortable. Skylar poured him some water and helped him drink it. Asher mumbled something. She leaned closer. “Ellie…” *Eleanor Vance!* Skylar clenched her fists tightly. Although she didn’t want to admit it, the more Asher hated me, the more she knew it meant he loved me. If he knew Leo was his child… No, absolutely not! The next morning, I let Leo play with toys in the room. I silently cleaned the entire villa, and also looked for ways to escape. Asher had stationed bodyguards at the entrance. These past few days, my head had been throbbing. I knew I didn’t have much time left. Skylar appeared at the top of the stairs, looking at me with an unreadable expression. “Ellie, do you want to see the wedding dress Asher personally picked out for me?” I snapped back to reality, but didn’t respond. I intended to leave, but Skylar walked directly over to me. She grabbed my hand and led me to a room on the second floor. In the center of the room stood a pure white wedding dress, surrounded by many wedding photos. In the photos, Asher and Skylar posed in various ways, both smiling happily. “Are you envious of me?” I blinked my stinging eyes. “Skylar, I sincerely wish you both happiness.” “You’re such a hypocrite!” Skylar sneered. “You must be dying of jealousy inside, otherwise why would you seduce Asher when he was drunk?” “I didn’t!” Suddenly, Leo’s crying came from downstairs. I tried to leave. Skylar grabbed my wrist. “We haven’t finished talking. Where are you going?” “Mommy! I want Mommy…” Leo cried even more sadly. I pulled my hand free and rushed downstairs. Skylar chased after me. She saw the bucket of water left at the bottom of the stairs and deliberately grabbed me. In our struggle, I kicked over the bucket. Water flowed down the stairs. Seeing the bucket roll towards Leo, I quickly pushed Skylar away. “Ah!” With a scream, Skylar slipped, tumbling down the stairs.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298882”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

At the wrap party for my new show, I was drugged and exploited. My fiancé, Blake, disgusted with me, leaked the photos and publicly called off our engagement. When everyone was spitting venom at me, it was Caleb Blackwood who shielded me with his jacket. He paid a fortune to delete the photos and brought down Blake’s company. “You don’t deserve to marry Aurora if you can’t even trust the woman you claim to love! Aurora, I’ll protect you for the rest of your life.” His words moved me, and I agreed. Later, he was in a car accident and lost his sight. I willingly offered him my cornea. Everyone claimed Caleb treated me like the most fragile, precious gem, keeping me safe, adored. But when I secretly regained my sight, planning to surprise him, I went to find him. Instead, I heard ambiguous low moans coming from his study. “Caleb, that idiot actually believed you were in a car accident, didn’t she? If she hadn’t gone blind and couldn’t act, I never would’ve gotten her roles. But what *did* happen to her cornea?” Caleb chuckled, his movements not pausing, causing the person on top of him to giggle incessantly. “My cornea? Oh, I fed it to the stray dogs on the street.” Turns out, all that deep affection and love was just an empty dream. Yet, after I left, he broadcast across the entire city, searching for my whereabouts.

“The cornea, mixed with blood, smelled so foul even the dogs were disgusted.” “I told her not to go to the new show’s wrap party, but she insisted. I had no choice but to fake the car accident. She forced my hand.” The low, mocking voices from inside nailed me to the spot. The joy of regaining my sight transformed into a chilling dread that spread through every inch of my body. I stumbled back, my eyes falling on the countless bruises covering my hands and legs. For three years after donating my cornea, I refused to be a burden to Caleb. I stubbornly learned to navigate by memory, relying solely on my mind’s map. The long-term struggle had left my body covered in bruises, offering no benefit in return. I thought I had sacrificed my sight for the man I loved. In the end, it was just a nightmare woven from countless lies. Through the slightly ajar door, Vanessa Thorne, her dress half-slipped off one shoulder, was writhing on the chair, clearly engaged in something intimate. After a long while, she sighed, tracing Caleb’s hair, and asked curiously, “But was that ‘sleeping with someone’ rumor true?” Caleb’s eyes narrowed as he gently stroked Vanessa’s long hair, a slow, rhythmic motion. “She was so conservative, not as uninhibited as you are. How could it be true?” “I just paid her assistant a little money. Her assistant’s family was sick. Someone that desperate for cash will do anything. I didn’t even have to get my hands dirty.” I clamped a hand over my mouth, desperate to stifle my sobs. My heart felt like it had been violently hammered, a dull, aching throb. The butler called out to me from a distance, startling the people inside. Vanessa quickly slid off Caleb, their clothes disheveled as they walked out. I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat, forcing my eyes to remain vacant, and slowly walked along the wall. Vanessa kissed Caleb’s cheek; their affection seemed sickeningly sweet. As she left, she didn’t forget to roll her eyes at me. I pretended not to notice, watching her disappear into a room at the end of the hall. My blood ran cold. She had been living with us all this time. Caleb seemed to sense my stiffness. His voice was laced with concern and urgency as he helped me. “Aurora, didn’t I tell you to ring the bell if you needed anything, and I’d help you? What if you hurt yourself wandering around?” A faint floral scent clung to him, barely perceptible. The concern in Caleb’s eyes didn’t seem fake. My hands trembled as I clutched at his clothes. “Caleb, I want to accept the donation. Will you come with me?” He didn’t hesitate, embracing me with the same tender affection he had shown a thousand times before. “Aurora, donation surgery is very uncomfortable, and there will be all sorts of discomfort afterward. I don’t want to see you suffer.” “Has someone been upsetting you?” Then, his voice filled with fury, he yelled at the butler. “Replace everyone! Get me a whole new staff!” Normally, I would have begged him not to be angry, but this time, I said nothing. I simply loosened my grip on his hand. The light in my heart had completely extinguished. The idea of leaving him began to sprout within me. Caleb cleared his throat, a subtle, awkward sound, and escorted me back to my room to rest. Before leaving, he carefully pulled the covers over me. When his hand brushed against my icy cold feet, He gently cupped my feet, as if they were priceless treasures, warming them before putting on my socks. “Sleep now. I’ll be back soon.” Feeling him leave, I quietly followed. Around the corner, Vanessa was already wrapped around his waist, impatient. Caleb chuckled scornfully. “Even if she was once a celebrated actress, a blind woman is useless. Don’t worry, I won’t let her ever see again.” A buzzing filled my ears. The gentle, attentive Caleb of the past vanished in that moment. My best friend’s family had contacted me about donating a cornea. I’d asked them to keep it a secret, wanting to surprise him. If I had told him directly back then, would I have ever had the chance to see again? A rush of blood surged to my head. Dazed, I stumbled and hit the doorframe with a loud thud. Caleb’s face changed instantly. He pushed Vanessa away and rushed towards me. “Aurora, how are you feeling?!”

The worry in his eyes was like a giant wave threatening to drown me, making it almost impossible to distinguish truth from lies. I could only clearly see Vanessa, leaning against the doorframe behind him, her expression a mix of triumph and pity, like she was looking at a pathetic bug. She reached out, tracing circles on Caleb’s back, over and over. There were still red marks on Caleb’s neck, a blatant declaration of her ownership. His body visibly tensed, and in the quiet air, I heard a distinct swallow. Caleb reached back, giving Vanessa a reassuring pat, his silent lips forming a promise for her to wait. Then he turned and carried me back to the bed. His voice was a little agitated, and his movements were a bit rougher. Looking at Caleb, who was clearly eager to leave, I reached out with a final trace of longing. “Caleb, can you stay and rest with me for a bit?” Caleb’s tone was dismissive, his feet already turned towards the door. “I need to take a shower. I feel dirty.” Before I could even respond, he was gone, his retreating figure radiating an unsettling joy. I sat and waited all night. He never returned. Finally, just before dawn, I sent a message to my former agent, Ms. Miller. “My eyesight is back. We can arrange work.” After getting a positive reply, I started packing my things. While searching for my documents, I noticed my laptop glowing faintly. I meant to close it but accidentally opened it. One glance felt like a sledgehammer to my chest. The screen displayed an unknown dark website, covered in countless photos of me. They were from all angles. Though my head was deliberately obscured, the butterfly tattoo on my shoulder confirmed it was me. All sorts of vile comments were mixed together. [She acts so proper, but when she lets loose, wow.] [More views next time, show her face.] I gripped the table tightly, my knuckles white, tears streaming down my face. I froze for a long moment before finally lifting my hand to delete the webpage, then, still weeping, splashed water onto the CPU. Black smoke billowed from the computer. Caleb returned just then, his face instantly contorted with rage. I feigned panic and helplessness, using the opportunity to let my tears flow unchecked. Caleb had no choice but to force down his anger and try to comfort me. But as he came closer, The pungent perfume on him made my stomach churn. I bent over and dry-heaved. “Doctor! Butler, call the doctor!” Surrounded by people checking on me, Caleb suppressed his impatience and asked the doctor to discuss the results outside. I secretly slipped my phone, which was making a call, into his pocket. Through my earpiece, I heard his gritted teeth. “Didn’t we give her the medication?! How could she still be pregnant?!” “Give me the pills! I don’t want this baby, it’s disgusting!” Even though I had already seen his true colors, I couldn’t help but feel a profound sadness. The doctor hesitated, trying to dissuade him. “The medication given to your wife before has already harmed her body. Forcibly aborting the child now could endanger her life.” “I don’t care! The mother of my child can only be Vanessa!” I hung up the phone, my pillow already soaked with tears. After a while, Caleb brought me the bitter medicine. Numbly, I drank it down, sip by agonizing sip. My abdomen throbbed with an unbearable, dragging pain, as if countless hands were pulling me down. I didn’t make a sound, silently enduring as my child left me. My silence, however, seemed to unnerve Caleb. “Aurora, the doctor said you have a bad stomach, so he prescribed a tonic. Is it too bitter?” “Shall I get you some candied fruit?” He offered me candy coaxingly, but in my mouth, it tasted endlessly bitter. For three consecutive days, Caleb stayed by my side, personally caring for me, even feeding me himself. Only I knew that Vanessa’s shadow was always present at the dining table. My dinner plate was replaced with a dog bowl, and Vanessa, propping her chin on her hand, watched me with a smirk, her eyes glinting with amusement. The once delicious food had become unrecognizable, spoiled for days. Caleb merely frowned, offering a helpless smile, his hands doing nothing. A chill enveloped me. My nose stung, and I couldn’t help but shed tears. Caleb finally stood up in a panic, wiping my tears. “What’s wrong, Aurora? Are you feeling unwell?” “How about we go on a trip tomorrow to clear your head?”

Caleb personally packed the luggage, and I sat obediently by his side. Convinced I couldn’t see, he brazenly packed all sorts of peculiar items into the suitcase. My hands, gripping the bedsheets, gradually tightened, my breathing becoming shallow. Recalling the online comments, a chilling realization hit me: this ‘trip’ was just Caleb’s way of satisfying some sick desire to humiliate me. Caleb noticed my agitation and asked considerately, “What’s wrong, Aurora? Are you feeling unwell?” I lowered my eyes, silently shaking my head. When we left, the butler led me to the passenger seat. Caleb naturally opened the back seat door. “Sit in the back. I’ve put pillows there; it’ll be more comfortable.” I obediently sat down. The “pillows” were just a pile of Vanessa’s designer bags. Vanessa got into the passenger seat, and they held hands, ignoring me completely. They even fed each other snacks occasionally. I had no pain left, only numbness. By the sea, Caleb put his arm around me, carefully draping a coat and scarf over me. He cupped my hands in his, breathing warmth into them. Fireworks erupted across the sky. Caleb’s voice was soft in my ear. “Aurora, thank you for everything you’ve done for me all these years.” “Even though you can’t see, I still arranged these fireworks for you.” “I want you to know, you’ll always be the most brilliant firework in my life.” I looked up at the sky, and there, emblazoned in light, were words: “VANESSA THORNE, I LOVE YOU!——” His phone vibrated relentlessly. Caleb’s expression changed, and he quickly settled me on a long bench. “Aurora, I have an online meeting. Wait here for me.” Without waiting for my reply, he immediately left. Watching his retreating figure, I suddenly remembered when we first got together, before I lost my sight. Caleb had also set off fireworks for me on an island; back then, they spelled my name. When passersby secretly photographed me, he would stand up for me. When I got seasick during a boat trip, he didn’t care about the mess and even used his hands to catch my vomit. I was embarrassed, but he only worried about my health with all his heart. In the distance, under the fireworks, Vanessa stood in a pristine white gown. She was holding a bouquet of flowers. Photographers swarmed around them, instructing them to get closer, to press their cheeks together, looking like a perfect couple. Passersby beside me were excitedly discussing. “Are they taking wedding photos? They look so good together!” “Is that the famous actress who’s been so popular these past few years? No wonder she was shy when everyone kept asking about marriage; turns out they were already engaged in private!” “I envy them, standing together like that. Is the person on this bench blind? How miserable to be all alone.” I smiled sadly. The truth, it turned out, was far more unbearable than I had imagined. This “vacation” he’d coaxed me into was actually Vanessa and Caleb’s photo shoot. I was just an afterthought. Caleb had grandly proposed to me, but then he’d said, “Aurora, with all the scandal, now isn’t the right time for us to get married. I don’t want to expose you to public scrutiny again and see you hurt.” He’d smoothed my hair. “As long as our hearts are together, a piece of paper doesn’t really matter, does it?” I, foolishly, had believed him, convinced that our bond was the most sincere vow. Reality, however, had just delivered a brutal slap to the face. I stood up and walked towards the sea, step by painful step. In the last moment before the fireworks faded. I stood in the ocean, looked up into Caleb’s shocked eyes, and smiled directly at him. He dashed towards me, his hand outstretched as if to pull me back. “Aurora, don’t do anything foolish! I can’t live without you!” I slowly spread my arms and fell backward. My lips silently formed one word: “Goodbye.” The icy waves swiftly swallowed me whole, carrying me away with the current. On the distant shore, Caleb, holding the report confirming my recovered sight, looked utterly insane. “Aurora, come back! Everyone, get in there and find her!”

I swam to a dark spot, then peeked my head out, watching the frantic crowd on the beach. This was the best gift I could leave Caleb. I swam to the other side of the shore. Ms. Miller, my agent, wrapped a towel around me and ushered me into the car. Outside the car window, rescue teams passed by one after another. In the distance, Caleb was still desperately trying to rush into the sea. His distraught expression was sickening. Ms. Miller looked at me worriedly. “Are you sure you want to do this? You might offend Blackwood Group.” I took a deep breath and nodded silently. “If I want to return to the public eye, I can’t do it without a bang. He used me to elevate Vanessa; it’s time he paid the price.” The next day, my news was trending across the city. [Former Actress Announces Comeback! Tune in for Live Broadcast Today!] [Five Years Out of the Spotlight, Is She Still as Beautiful? What Led to Her Return?] [Was the Former Actress’s Scandal Real? What’s the Truth Behind the Scandal?] Along with this came an onslaught of hate comments. [She’s been out of the industry for so many years, her face must be wrinkled like an old lady’s. Why is she coming back to grab money?!] [Can she please just disappear and let my Vanessa shine alone? Is she trying to steal Vanessa’s award at the Starlight Gala?! Don’t be so obvious!] [I knew it. If there was any truth behind that old scandal, why wait until now to expose it? Don’t tell me she spent five years fabricating fake evidence?!] I calmly scrolled through the comments. Thankfully, compared to the pain of being kept in the dark all these years, I preferred to stand in front of people and reclaim my former glory. Rather than disappear from the world as a useless person. My phone rang relentlessly. Caleb Blackwood’s name flashed wildly on the screen. “You dared to fake your death and leave me?! Who gave you the guts to do that?!” “Do you know I’ve been looking for you all night! Aren’t you being a bit too much? I don’t care what you heard or found out, or who helped you regain your sight.” “You better get your ass back here and apologize! Make me happy, and I won’t hold it against you!” I didn’t hesitate to block his number and looked at the live stream studio in front of me. There were five minutes left until my stage time. The screen showed the number of scheduled viewers was already close to breaking platform limits. The waiting room door was violently slammed open. Caleb, filled with fury, pushed past the staff and stood before me. “Do you think you’re so tough now? You had the nerve to hide all this from me?” “Who performed your surgery? Do you really want to leave me that badly?” I didn’t understand why he was angry. He was the one who was so sweet with Vanessa. I calmly met his gaze. “Did you expect me to do nothing and let you deceive me for a lifetime?” Caleb’s anger vanished instantly, replaced by terror, and he reached out to grab my hand. “What do you know?” I promptly shook him off and walked towards the live stream. After the host’s smiling pleasantries, she asked the most frequently scrolled question in the live chat. “Ms. Hayes, it’s been five years since you announced your retirement. Many fans speculated you might have married and had children. Could you tell us why you decided to make a comeback now?” Having not faced a camera for so long, I forced myself to suppress my nervousness. All the past pain flashed before my eyes. I calmly laid everything bare. The host’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you saying the scandal back then was manipulated, and your subsequent blindness was also a calculated plot?” I took a deep breath and nodded, then played the recording I’d made outside the study. Caleb and Vanessa’s conniving faces were exposed for all to see. The live chat began scrolling wildly. [Is that Vanessa’s voice?! I’ve followed her for so long; I couldn’t be mistaken!] [Oh my god, I thought it was redemption, but it was a deep abyss. If it were me, I’d have completely broken down. She’s so brave to stand up and expose her wounds!] [I knew it. With Vanessa’s qualifications back then, how could she have been nominated for such a big award? So, the real star was set up with a scandal. The industry is so messed up!] [I know that guy. He was exposed a few days ago, taking wedding photos with Vanessa by the sea. Aurora Hayes is so pitiful, completely played for a fool!] “That’s not how it is!” Everyone’s attention shifted as Caleb burst in. His eyes were full of menace, but I remained calm. “If anyone is skeptical, I’m willing to publicly go to the hospital for an examination to confirm if I’ve had a recent miscarriage.” “And that abortifacient, Mr. Blackwood, you personally fed it to me.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298881”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic