The day Julian Reed suddenly said he wanted to get married. I hadn’t seen him in three months. The last time, I’d accidentally overheard him telling his friends he was already sick of me. The whole room had erupted in laughter. Laughing at me, who’d clung to him for five years, ruining my reputation just to please him, only to end up discarded like garbage. These three months living with the Finch family had been hell. A few days ago, Arthur Finch got drunk and was particularly rough. The bruises on my back were still throbbing. So, when Julian called me today, asking me to come over, a desperate flicker of hope ignited in my chest once more. I specifically put on the emerald bracelets from our engagement and rushed over. By the time I arrived at the villa, Julian was already a little tipsy. He was half-reclined, eyes closed, on a young girl’s lap. The girl looked like she was still in college, very innocent. Seeing me enter, the girl who had been massaging Julian’s head started to get up, flustered. But Julian caught her wrist. “Just stay put.” He didn’t even open his eyes, just tightened his grip. He pulled her, and her body pressed against his. She submissively lowered her head, letting him kiss her. He let go, then pinched her chin. The kiss was deep, and the sound echoed loudly. I stood by the entrance, clutching my purse, utterly lost for a moment. I finally managed to compose myself, feigning indifference, and looked out the window: “I’ll just walk around the garden for a bit. I’ll come back later.” No sooner had the words left my lips than Julian scoffed. The girl beside him, sensing the mood, quickly stood up: “Maybe I should go out first, let Liana come over.” This time, Julian didn’t stop her. He just held her hand, playing with it for a long moment before reluctantly letting go: “It’s cold outside. Don’t catch a chill.” The girl smiled faintly, nodded, her long, dark hair obscuring most of her blushing face. As she walked past me, she politely greeted me, calling me “Liana.” I nodded back, returning a faint smile. She was so young, her eyes so clear, and her shy demeanor reminded me of my little sister. “Liana Croft, come here.” Julian leaned back on the sofa, patting the empty space beside him. The intricate, opulent crystal chandelier cast colorful light, highlighting his narrow, sculpted face and handsome features. The interplay of light and shadow made him seem almost unreal. I felt a sudden haze, and an indescribable ache. Julian’s captivating eyes shimmered, the wine staining their corners a soft red. Beneath his open collar, his collarbone and the side of his neck were covered in a cluster of hickeys. “That girl was Serena Hayes.” I nodded: “Yes, I know.” “What do you think of her?” I thought for a moment, then answered very seriously: “She’s very innocent, very pure, very sweet.” Julian nodded: “Doesn’t she remind you of yourself five years ago?” I froze. Five years ago, I had just started college. In Julian’s words, when he was pursuing me, I was ‘so pure it made his heart ache.’ He truly loved me then. And he doted on me fiercely. As if I were made of glass, fragile and precious. I was also his longest relationship. We even got engaged before I graduated college. Only… Now, I was a wreck, my reputation in tatters. Everyone in Veridia City knew. How many shameless things I’d done to cling to that wealthy and influential husband. Back then, he said he was tired of my innocence and purity. To please him, I forced myself to change, to fit into his sordid circle. Catering to his exotic tastes. He wanted passion and sensuality, he loved allure and intensity, he preferred an open and daring woman. I swallowed my humiliation and satisfied his every whim. But in the end, my efforts only earned me his contemptuous words. “Liana Croft, you’re truly pathetic.” “Even a call girl isn’t as unrestrained as you in bed.” “Look at you now, do you even have a shred of a proper lady left?” He broke up with me. Arthur Finch then threatened my younger siblings, who were living abroad. To keep Julian, I’d cut my wrists, taken pills—I’d done it all. Now, facing the broken version of me, he said he liked Serena. He liked that she reminded him of me five years ago. I wanted to laugh, but couldn’t. “I really like her. I want to give her a proper place in my life.” “She’s not like you. She’s timid, completely pure. I need to take responsibility.” I wanted to say something, but my lips felt glued together. Not a sound escaped. After a long moment, I managed a forced smile: “Okay, I understand.” “I can put in a good word for you with the Croft family.” “No need. I’ll figure it out myself.” “Suit yourself.” He swayed as he stood up, taking something from his pocket. It clanged as he tossed it onto the coffee table. My eyelids twitched violently. It was the love token we exchanged at our engagement. A matching pendant, a legacy from my birth mother. The emerald bracelets he gave me were his mother’s dowry. The pair I was wearing on my wrists. “Take off the bracelets.” “Our engagement is off.” I looked up at him, his captivating eyes, usually so vibrant, were now as cold as frost and snow. So, when he said he wanted to get married, he wasn’t talking about me. Five years of companionship couldn’t compare to the thrill of a few days of stolen passion with someone new. I thought I would break down, that I would be devastated. But not a single tear fell. I simply calmly removed the emerald bracelets and returned them to him. Julian raised an eyebrow, seeming slightly surprised. But he reached out, took them, and turned to leave without a backward glance. The news of Julian breaking off our engagement spread quickly. The expected brutal beating from my family didn’t come. Instead, I lost contact with my younger brother and sister abroad again. I knew this was my father’s usual tactic for unleashing his anger. He and my stepmother began searching the city for a suitable husband. They wanted to marry me off to secure the Croft family’s dwindling fortune. But soon, ugly rumors started circulating. They said that to please Julian all these years, I had done all sorts of unspeakable things, that I was damaged goods, even barren. No one in Veridia City would want to marry a woman like me. My father’s temper grew worse. My life became even more unbearable. The second month after Julian broke off our engagement. Explosive news about him spread through our social circle again. They said he was getting engaged again, to Serena Hayes. Julian was even defying his parents for her. The usual crowd of party animals deliberately brought the news to me. I knew what they wanted to see. Nothing more than their lives being too boring, and they missed the entertainment of having a clown like me around. “Liana, I actually think Julian still likes you.” “You’re having a hard time, aren’t you? Why don’t you go beg Julian?” “He’s got a soft spot. If you cry a little, or at least pretend to commit suicide, he might just change his mind.” “Serena can’t compare to you, Liana. You’re so much prettier than her.” I looked at those messages but didn’t reply. Instead, I focused wholeheartedly on preparing for my own wedding. Just a week ago, I knelt all night. Finally, my father relented, agreeing for me to take my recently-of-age sister’s place and marry into a powerful family in Azure Bay. I heard that the eldest son of the Thorne family in Azure Bay, Daxian Thorne. He was ruthless in his methods, yet wielded immense power, the uncrowned king of Azure Bay. But because he was crippled, he had a terribly volatile temper. Yet, I wasn’t afraid at all. To escape the Croft family, to free my siblings. I would gladly bear anything. Besides, I couldn’t stay in Veridia City any longer. Azure Bay might just offer a glimmer of hope. Before my wedding, I had dinner with my best friend. On my way to the restroom, I unexpectedly ran into Serena Hayes. She was completely different from before. Wearing exquisite makeup and Dior’s classic little black dress, she was slender and graceful, undeniably alluring. A delicate lady’s cigarette was clutched between her vibrant lips. “Ms. Croft, you’ve heard, haven’t you?” Serena looked at me, a defiant smile playing on her lips. “Julian Reed is going to get engaged to me.” I looked at her, suddenly recalling her pure, timid appearance when I first met her. For some reason, my heart ached with a sense of regret. “Yes, I heard.” Serena’s smile deepened: “Ms. Croft, are you very jealous?” “I heard you lost three children for him, and all these years, to keep him and marry him, you’d do anything despicable.” She leaned against the windowsill, her eyes holding a mix of disdain and contempt behind her smile. I gave her a bland look: “Ms. Hayes, you yourself said ‘you heard.’ “We’re both women. There’s no need to spread malicious rumors, is there?” Serena instantly scoffed: “It’s all over Veridia City. What ‘malicious rumor’?” I didn’t want to waste my breath on her, so I turned to leave. But Serena suddenly said, in a passive-aggressive tone, “Ms. Croft, girls are not all the same. You have no self-respect. Didn’t your mother teach you anything before she passed?” My footsteps abruptly halted. Hearing the word ‘mother,’ a surge of hot blood rushed to my head. I didn’t have time to think, nor could I be rational. I spun around and slapped her. “Ms. Croft…” Serena froze for a moment, then immediately covered her face, bursting into tearful sobs. “I know it hurts you that Julian and I are getting engaged, but you can’t hit people…” “I understand you’re upset, but you can’t force feelings.” “Julian doesn’t like a promiscuous woman like you. It’s not my fault…” She whimpered, crying pitifully and aggrieved, but every word she uttered felt like a stab to my heart. “I know your mother died young and you had no one to guide you, Ms. Croft. I won’t hold this against you this time…” I gritted my teeth, so hard my jaw ached, and raised my hand to slap her again. But my arm was seized by Julian Reed. “Liana Croft, apologize to Serena.” “I won’t apologize.” I stood with my back straight, my face pale, my lips bloodless. But my eyes glowed with a fierce, burning red, intensely captivating. Julian seemed somewhat surprised. Over the years, he had seen me as the docile, innocent girl. He had seen me as the obedient, submissive woman. And he had seen me as the hysterical, sobbing, clinging woman. I had been naive, alluring, cried, laughed, and acted out in front of him. But I had never been as calm and distant as I was now. He pushed Serena aside and walked up to me, expressionless: “Liana Croft, I’m saying this one last time: apologize to Serena.” I stared at him fixedly, then suddenly laughed. A laugh that was resolute, and utterly desperate: “Julian Reed, I told you, I won’t apologize. I’ll never apologize, not even if I die…” A sharp slap suddenly echoed in the empty corridor. After delivering that slap, Julian seemed momentarily stunned. Serena, clutching her face, widened her eyes, equally shocked and incredulous. Only I slowly raised my hand to cover my stinging cheek, my eyes slowly welling up with red. “Liana Croft…” Julian instinctively stepped forward. But I immediately took a step back. His hand, which had been about to rise, abruptly dropped, and his face hardened: “Liana Croft, this is your own fault.” “If you had apologized earlier, I wouldn’t have laid a hand on you.” Julian’s voice was deep and a little hoarse: “You know I never hit women.” “We’ve been together for so many years, I’ve never even touched a hair on your head.” “You shouldn’t have touched Serena today. I like her, it’s not her fault.” “Liana Croft, stop this. Have some dignity.” He was always a man of few words, never speaking at such length as he did today. But I didn’t hear a single word. My reddened eyes uncontrollably filled with tears. I desperately tried to hold them back, but couldn’t. My tear ducts ached fiercely, and tears streamed down my face, large and endless. Julian, at some point, had clenched his hands tightly, his brows deeply furrowed. Serena walked to his side and said sweetly, “Julian, it’s fine. Let’s go.” Julian took her hand, but his gaze remained fixed on my face. “Liana Croft, don’t try to cause Serena any more trouble.” “And don’t ever appear in front of me and Serena again.” “This is my final warning.” He finished, but didn’t leave with Serena. Instead, he stood there, watching me, as if waiting for my answer. But I said nothing, just lowered my head slightly. As if I wanted to shed all the tears I would ever cry in this lifetime. Approximately thirty seconds later, Julian finally left with Serena. As he turned to go, I suddenly spoke in a low voice. “Alright.” “I swear, I will never appear in front of you and Serena again in this lifetime.” Julian’s tall back stiffened abruptly. But he quickly pulled Serena forward, walking away without a single glance back. Serena, however, looked back at Liana. Her eyes still held tears, but the corners of her mouth curled up in a triumphant smirk. I slowly lowered my hand. *It’s finally over*, I thought to myself. Five years of entanglement, that love-hate bond with Julian, almost rooted in my very being. At this moment, it was finally ripped out, root and stem, utterly severed. I could leave now, clear-headed, with no lingering attachment, forever. That day, after I returned, I received many messages and calls. A large portion of them were screenshots from Serena’s Ins. Most prominent was the engagement ring she was flaunting. I exited SnapChat, still didn’t reply. And I didn’t answer any of those calls either. My face was still a little swollen, so I got some ice and applied it for a while. When I came back, there was a new bank deposit notification on my phone. I was somewhat baffled and opened it, stunned by the long string of zeroes. Before I could even count them, my phone rang. The three words flashing on the screen were saved by my own hand: Mr. Thorne. This was the first time Daxian Thorne had called me since our engagement was set. I felt my heart racing a bit, took several deep breaths, and then answered. “Ms. Croft, did you receive the money?” “Yes, I did.” “But, Mr. Thorne, you’ve already given the dowry…” I reminded him softly, wondering if someone on his end had made a mistake. “The dowry was for the Croft family. This sum of money is specifically for you.” I clutched my phone, stunned for a long moment, then spoke softly: “Mr. Thorne, you don’t have to do this.” “I was engaged before, and my reputation isn’t good…” “It’s alright.” Daxian Thorne’s voice was exceptionally deep and pleasant, yet it carried a reassuring strength. I thought of the rumors about him—ruthless, cruel, with an unpredictable and volatile temper. But at this moment, there wasn’t a hint of that in his voice. “You said it yourself, it was ‘before.’” “Everything from before is in the past, Ms. Croft. Don’t dwell on it.” “You’re moving far away soon. If there’s anything you like, you can buy some things for yourself to bring to Azure Bay.” My eyes felt a little warm, gradually filling with tears, yet I also subtly curved my lips: “Mr. Thorne, thank you.” The news of my marriage to the Thorne family was kept entirely under wraps. This was Daxian Thorne’s instruction. The Thorne family’s escort party had already arrived in Veridia City. With them present, the Croft family naturally remained perfectly compliant. Therefore, no one in all of Veridia City knew that I was about to marry and move far away. Three days before I left. All my luggage was packed. I looked at the exquisitely crafted treasure chest on my dressing table. And a yellowed, blank wish card. The treasure chest was a gift Julian had given me when he was pursuing me. It had nine layers, completely filled with all sorts of jewelry. And the blank wish card was a thank-you gift he’d given me when he was twelve. Of course, he had long forgotten about it. I had actually once thought of using that wish card to make him agree to marry me. But in the end, I was unwilling to waste my life on a man like him. The jewelry was too precious, so naturally, it had to be returned. The blank wish card had his private seal on it. Naturally, it couldn’t fall into anyone else’s hands. I carefully packed both items. And called Julian Reed’s personal assistant. “The items are very valuable. Please make sure to deliver them to him personally.” I repeatedly emphasized. His assistant, though still polite, was clearly impatient. “Ms. Croft, I kindly advise you, please don’t bother anymore.” “Mr. Reed is about to get engaged. Let’s all move on.” He thought I was trying to scheme for a reunion again. I wanted to explain. But he was clearly too lazy to humor me, tossing the box casually into his trunk before getting into his car and driving away. I quietly left Veridia City with the Thorne family’s escort. Two days later, I met my future husband for the first time. The heir to the Thorne family, Daxian Thorne. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, looking noble and handsome. Though he was in a wheelchair, his legs covered by a thin blanket. His posture was tall and straight, his shoulders broad and strong. Making one completely overlook his disability. “Liana Croft.” He spoke my name in a deep voice. I took a deep breath, quickly walked forward, and then slowly knelt down. My gaze met his. I must have been incredibly nervous and shy. Because in his deep-set eyes, within those dark pupils, I saw a tiny reflection of myself. It was as if even my eyelashes were trembling softly. I secretly took a breath, gathered my courage, and raised my hand to gently clasp his hands, which rested on the blanket. “Mr. Thorne, hello, I’m Liana Croft.” The moment I grasped his slender hand, I seemed to hear gasps around us. But my nervousness was so overwhelming that I couldn’t pay attention to anything else. Instead, I held his hand, instinctively gripping tighter. Daxian Thorne didn’t push me away. His fingers were long and slender, his knuckles strong; my hand could barely encompass his. Just as I was so nervous I could barely breathe.

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“Bro, I’ve agreed to the family’s arrangement for my marriage.” Anya’s soft voice cut through the silent night, clearer than usual. Liam, on the other end of the line, finally let out a sigh of relief. “So, you’re finally giving up on that guy? You’ve been together for years, and he never even agreed to come home and meet Mom, Dad, and me. I always knew you two wouldn’t last.” Hearing her brother’s absolute certainty, Anya lowered her gaze, letting out a quiet “Mm-hmm.” “I was wrong before. I’ll take care of things here as soon as possible. As for the wedding, I’ll leave it to you guys to arrange. Just give me about half a month.” “Don’t worry about the wedding; we’ll handle all the preparations. You just need to be back on time. Your fiancé for this arrangement was carefully chosen by Mom, Dad, and me. He’s perfect in family background, personality, and looks. You’ll definitely approve.” “Oh, and when you come back for the wedding, remember to invite someone for me. My best friend, Jax. You know, when you went to Silverwood City for college, you even stayed at his place for a while. He really looked after you back then. Make sure to invite him to the wedding.” Anya didn’t know how to respond to that. After a long silence, she quietly replied. “He can’t make it.” Before she could finish, the door swung open. Anya quickly hung up the phone, looking up at Jax, who had just returned. He raised an eyebrow, a confident, almost cocky smile spreading across his face. “I can’t make it? Can’t make it where?” *My wedding.* Anya answered him in her head. But her face remained calm, her tone flat. “Nothing.” Jax didn’t dwell on it, casually unbuttoning his black shirt. “Were you just on the phone with your brother?” Anya hummed, getting up to go back to the bedroom, but he pulled her hand, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. His warm breath ghosted over her ear, and a charged intimacy pulsed between them. “So, did you tell him what we are?” Anya gave a faint smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Didn’t you not want him to know?” “It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I *can’t*. Given your brother’s temper, if he knew his best friend and his most cherished sister were together, he’d probably fly to Silverwood City overnight and beat me to a pulp.” Listening to his joking tone, Anya’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, her voice still quiet. “So, in your heart, am I your girlfriend?” Hearing her suddenly ask such a question, Jax raised an eyebrow. “Not my girlfriend? I’ve lived with you for six years? Not my girlfriend? I come home and the first thing I do is hug you? Not my girlfriend, and I do *this* to you?” As he spoke, his warm lips brushed against her neck. Anya’s body tensed instantly, and she quickly turned her head, dodging the kiss. “I… I don’t feel well today.” Jax thought she was just shy and couldn’t help but chuckle. “My little girlfriend, we’ve been together so long, why are you still so bashful?” He ruffled her hair, then turned and walked into the bathroom. Listening to his footsteps fade, Anya murmured the question again. *Girlfriend?* *Shouldn’t it be… a replacement?* Anya first met Jax eight years ago. He and Liam were college roommates. Because they were close, Liam often brought him home to play games. It was her first crush, her first stirrings of love, and almost from the first glance, she fell for this cool, nonchalant older boy whose handsomeness made her heart skip a beat. Later, after she graduated high school, Jax also graduated and returned to his hometown, Silverwood City. Yearning for him, she ignored her family’s objections and secretly applied to a university in his city. Because she was so pretty, there were always troublemakers hanging around her in high school. Liam, worried about her being alone in a different city, entrusted her to his best friend, Jax, and even arranged for her to live in his apartment. Initially, they didn’t interact much. She was busy with school, and Jax was busy with racing, busy with dating—he seemed to have a new girlfriend almost every other week. It wasn’t until the second semester of her freshman year when Jax came home completely drunk. She clumsily took care of him. Late at night, looking at the man seemingly asleep on the sofa, she involuntarily reached out, wanting to smooth away the frown etched between his brows. As her skin touched his, his tightly closed eyes suddenly opened. Jax casually peeled back his eyelids, his voice lazy and husky. “You like me?” Caught off guard, Anya jumped up. “N-no…” The man smiled lazily. “Don’t like me? Then why does your face get so red every time you see me?” Anya hadn’t realized he’d noticed her every stolen glance. Before she could figure out what to do, he chuckled, cupped the back of her head, and pulled her into a soft kiss. She was lost in that tender, lingering kiss, unable to pull away. After a night of passion, Anya’s once-calm life was turned upside down. Jax, who had been a notorious playboy, seemed to settle down, dedicating himself to a relationship with her. She, in turn, repeatedly rejected her parents’ and brother’s demands for her to return home for a strategic marriage, stubbornly staying in Silverwood City, by his side. Every time, her brother would ask her, “Who’s keeping you in Silverwood City for six years that you refuse to come back?” She always wanted to spill everything about Jax, to tell everyone she was with her brother’s best friend. But Jax always stopped her. She never understood why until a few days ago, when Jax got drunk at a party. When she went to pick him up, one of his friends, also drunk, pointed at her and lamented: “How could such a beautiful girl also get entangled with old Jax?” “Listen, little sister, you really shouldn’t fall for old Jax. That guy has no heart. You, and all his ex-girlfriends before you, were just replacements for Seraphina.” That was the first time Anya had heard the name Seraphina. After that, she couldn’t forget it. After much discreet inquiry, she finally learned the truth. Jax and Seraphina were each other’s first loves. In the year he loved her most deeply, Seraphina broke up with him and resolutely moved abroad. He couldn’t get over the past, so he indulged himself, becoming a serial dater. And every girlfriend he had, more or less, bore a resemblance to Seraphina. That included her. After graduation, he refused to inherit the family business, insisting on becoming a race car driver. That too was because of Seraphina’s childhood remark: “Guys who race cars are so cool! My future husband has to be a racer.” Six years of youth and genuine affection, all just a fleeting dream. At that moment, Anya decided to accept the family’s marriage arrangement. She no longer wanted Jax. And she would never love him again. The next day, at seven AM, Anya’s internal clock woke her up promptly. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Jax in front of the mirror, adjusting his shirt. His routine was usually erratic, so getting up this early was, to Anya’s knowledge, a first. Hearing footsteps, he turned, saw her, and asked, “Does big brother look handsome in this outfit today?” He was a natural clothes-horse; even a casual black shirt looked good on him. Today, specially dressed up, he was undeniably stunning, capable of making countless girls swoon with just a lazy glance. She didn’t know why he was suddenly paying so much attention to his appearance. In the past, she would have been utterly smitten, her heart pounding. Now, she just calmly nodded. “Mm, very handsome.” Jax didn’t notice her unusual demeanor. He curled his lips. “I have a get-together today. You be good at home. I’ll bring you dessert when I get back.” With that, he turned and left. After his back disappeared, Anya went to pour herself a glass of water, but saw his phone lying on the table. As she picked it up, she accidentally hit the power button. The screen lit up, revealing a new message. From someone saved as “Seraphina.” “Jax, eight years. I’m really looking forward to today’s reunion. How about you?” Seeing the message, Anya’s steps faltered. So, his first love was returning today. No wonder he was up so early, dressed so meticulously, with joy sparkling in his eyes. The next second, the front door swung open. Jax, who had turned back midway, suddenly re-entered, grabbing his phone. Before leaving again, he quickly scanned the screen’s content. His steps paused slightly, and he couldn’t help but glance at Anya, who was eating breakfast. “Did you just look at my phone?” Anya subtly raised her eyes, her gaze calm. “No, why?” He then smiled, as if relieved, said “Nothing,” and turned to leave. This was the first time Anya found him somewhat inscrutable. His heart belonged to his first love, and all his girlfriends were just Seraphina’s replacements. Logically, he shouldn’t care if she discovered the truth. So why did he care if she saw it? Was he afraid of losing her? Anya didn’t want to flatter herself. Besides, she knew that the loss was already a foregone conclusion. After breakfast, Anya sat down at her computer and opened her drawing software. She was a comic artist. Once she went home to get married, she probably wouldn’t be able to work for a long time. While she still had free time, she planned to finish all her remaining drafts. After working all morning, she packaged up her half-day’s work and sent it to her editor, then had lunch. In the afternoon, taking advantage of the nice weather, she cleared out a lot of things. Matching couple’s mugs, keychains, scarves, jackets… These were all things she had bought little by little over the years, filling a large box. Every time she saw them, she remembered the helpless look on Jax’s face whenever she would get a new item and insist he wear or use it. “These are all just girly things. Do you really want your big brother to wear them out and be laughed at by his friends?” Remembering those words, Anya dragged the box downstairs, tossing both the items and the box into the trash can. Now it was done. No one would laugh anymore. Having dealt with it decisively, Anya was about to go back inside when she turned around and bumped into a cool, firm embrace. Jax, who had returned at some point, had one arm around her shoulder and was using his other hand to push back her sweat-dampened bangs. “What did you throw away? Why are you all sweaty?” “Useless junk.” Anya found an excuse without batting an eye. Jax didn’t suspect a thing and led her back upstairs. The moment the elevator doors opened, a sanitation truck rolled up, rumbling loudly. Watching the box of things being carried away by the truck, Anya finally averted her gaze. *Junk. How could there be so much junk?* *He could have easily noticed something if he’d just looked. But he didn’t ask a single thing.* *It’s simply because he doesn’t care.* A hint of self-mockery flickered in Anya’s eyes. Her peripheral vision caught the persistent smile on his face, and she paused slightly. Jax had a pair of incredibly captivating, charming eyes. When he smiled, it was hard to look away. Perhaps knowing this, he almost always had a smile on his face. Others thought he had a good temperament, but only Anya knew that his smile was superficial, never reaching his eyes. Yet, all day today, when he smiled, his eyes held genuine joy. *He must have seen Seraphina. He must be really happy.* The moment they entered the apartment, Jax noticed how much emptier it felt. He looked around, a surprised expression on his face. “Did we get robbed? It feels like a lot of things are missing. Where are the mugs? The throw pillows are gone too?” Anya was about to answer when Jax’s phone pinged several times. He glanced at the messages, quickly forgot about the missing items, and walked towards the study. Before closing the door, he called out, “Anya, I have something to do. You go to bed first. Don’t wait up for me.” Anya didn’t ask anything. She went back to her bedroom alone. The hour hand on the wall clock passed twelve. Her phone, tucked under her pillow, vibrated frantically. “Anya, Happy Birthday!” “Happy 23rd birthday, Anya baby! Don’t forget to eat cake!” Scrolling down, it was a stream of birthday wishes. Dad, Mom, Liam, friends, classmates—everyone, even those thousands of miles away, had sent their greetings. Only her boyfriend, who was right there in the city, seemed to have completely forgotten. Because he had more important things to do. Anya closed the half-watched movie on her laptop and used the mouse to click on the constantly popping-up SnapChat icon in the bottom right corner. It was Jax chatting with Seraphina. He didn’t know that his SnapChat was logged in on her laptop, and she could see all their conversations. She watched, wide-eyed, as the two talked from their past to their present, and then to their future. In the dense, long string of messages, Jax never once mentioned her. *Right. After all, she was just a replacement, a mere comfort. Why would he mention her?* She watched the rapidly refreshing dialogue, then pressed the power-off button. A night without dreams. The next day, Anya was woken by the doorbell. Rubbing her eyes, she walked into the living room and saw Jax, who had woken up at some point, holding a bouquet of flowers and a birthday cake, turning around. “Anya, did you order a cake? Why the sudden craving for cake?” A few seconds of silence filled the room before Anya slowly spoke. “It’s my birthday. It must be my friends who arranged for it to be sent.” At her words, Jax froze. He instinctively glanced at the wall calendar and realized it was July 12th. He had forgotten her birthday! A flicker of guilt crossed Jax’s eyes. He quickly put down the items in his hands and gently guided Anya back to the bedroom. “It’s your birthday today. Let’s go out on a date. What do you want to eat?” “No, it’s fine. Let’s just celebrate at home.” Anya declined the suggestion. But Jax insisted on going out to celebrate and even pulled a dress from the closet, handing it to her. She couldn’t argue with him, so she washed up and went out with him. They went to their favorite restaurant for brunch, then watched the latest movie, and browsed through the mall. Midway, Anya went to the restroom. When she returned, she saw him on the phone, asking his family to order a very expensive necklace. This necklace was one she had admired in a magazine just half a month ago. Watching his eagerness, Anya’s heart was a mix of emotions. She couldn’t quite understand what was going on in his mind. He remembered the necklace she had looked at a few times, but he completely forgot her most important day, her birthday. Did he really not know what was more important? Thinking it through, perhaps he *did* know. Before Seraphina returned, he treated her, his replacement, as a stand-in for his affections, so he cared about everything concerning her. But now that Seraphina was back, he had shifted all his attention to Seraphina. So everything related to her had been pushed aside. All morning, Anya couldn’t muster much energy; she was uninterested in everything. Jax noticed her absentmindedness and ruffled her hair. “What’s wrong, little birthday girl? You don’t seem very happy. Are you not satisfied with my plans today?” Now that she thought about it, he always loved ruffling her hair. Subconsciously, he probably always treated her like a little sister, not a lover. Anya shook her head, about to say she was tired and wanted to go home, but Jax hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of a mountain resort. Facing her surprised look, he raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you always say you wanted to meet my friends? Everyone’s free today, so I’m taking you to meet them. Will that cheer you up?” This unexpected change of plans left Anya slightly stunned. In the past, Jax had been unwilling to meet her family or friends, so she had tried to meet his. But each time, he would come up with various excuses to refuse. After a while, she stopped bringing it up. Now that she was about to leave Silverwood City, he was taking her because of a flicker of guilt. *Life really is full of ironic twists.* She quietly watched the fleeting scenery outside the window, ultimately saying nothing. The taxi stopped halfway up the mountain. Jax took her hand and led her into the resort, pushing open the heavy double doors. *Pop, pop, pop!* Confetti and streamers rained down from above. A crowd of people rushed out, shouting “Happy Birthday!” with beaming smiles. Seeing the commotion, Jax quickly pulled Anya into his arms, brushing confetti from her hair while shooing away the friends who crowded around. “Watch it, don’t scare my girl. She’s a bit…” His words trailed off abruptly. He stared at a familiar face in the crowd, his expression suddenly changing. Seraphina, however, looked completely at ease, smiling as she walked towards them. “Jax, it’s been so many years since I moved abroad, I haven’t been to a group event in ages. I heard this morning you were celebrating your girlfriend’s birthday, so I thought I’d crash the party. You don’t mind, do you?” Jax’s cold eyes swept across the room. Everyone avoided his gaze, pretending to be unconcerned. As the atmosphere threatened to turn frosty, Anya politely extended her hand, taking the initiative to greet her. “Welcome. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Anya.” Seraphina stared at her for a moment, then seemed to understand something, gripping her hand with a knowing smile. “Hello. I’m Seraphina. I’m Jax’s… friend.” “Anya, has anyone ever told you we look a little alike?” At her words, Jax’s hand, which was gripping Anya’s arm, tightened abruptly. Anya’s face remained calm. “Really? Then we must be very fated.” Seeing the tension, the people around them immediately started to liven up the atmosphere. A group of acquaintances gathered, drinking and playing games, making a joyful racket. Anya didn’t know anyone and wasn’t keen on joining the fun, so she sat on a sofa. Jax stayed by her side, but his eyes kept drifting to a table on the left. She followed his gaze and saw Seraphina, the liveliest among them, causing a stir. At first, he restrained himself, but when Seraphina picked up the drink in front of her, he couldn’t sit still any longer. He abruptly stood up, rushed over, snatched the drink, his voice laced with annoyance. “You’re allergic to alcohol, and you’re still drinking? Are you insane?” His voice was so agitated that the entire hall fell silent. Everyone turned their attention to them. Seraphina fiddled with the dice in her hand, a playful smile on her lips. “All these years, and you still remember that?” Before Jax could respond, a few of his drunk friends staggered over, shouting loudly: “How could Jax forget? When you two were dating, that lovesick fool only had eyes for you!” Hearing this, Jax instinctively glanced back at Anya. His face instantly darkened, and he snapped, “If you’re drunk, go sober up! What nonsense are you spouting here?” The men turned pale at his sharp tone, finally realizing Anya was present, and quickly tried to smooth things over. “Drink less, the game’s not over yet!” “Come on, next round!” The frozen atmosphere slowly returned to normal. After suppressing the emotions swirling in his chest, Jax returned to the sofa, picked up a glass of juice from the table, and handed it to Anya. Anya said nothing, asked nothing. She took the glass and sipped a few times. Her calm demeanor, however, made Jax feel uneasy. He was about to offer an explanation when more cheers erupted from behind them. “Seraphina lost! My turn to pick, my turn!” “Let’s see… you drew ‘Truth or Dare.’ The question is: if there was a chance, would you get back with your ex-boyfriend?” In the sudden silence, Seraphina’s gaze fell on Jax, and she curled her lips. “Nev-er.” As those four words came out, the atmosphere in the entire room dropped to freezing point. No one dared to speak. Seraphina, seemingly unaffected, playfully insisted on starting a new game. Everyone tried to humor her while secretly glancing at Jax, whose face was so grim he looked ready to flip the entire place over. They didn’t dare breathe loudly. In the very next round, Seraphina lost again. Just as she was about to accept her punishment, Jax couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed her hand and stormed out the door. The people present seemed to have anticipated this scene; no one inquired, they just went back to their own activities. But Anya could see, through the floor-to-ceiling windows, two figures arguing fiercely in the distance, and their indistinct, passionate voices from outside. Watching this scene, complex emotions flickered in Anya’s eyes. In her memory, Jax never seemed to care about anything, his face always adorned with a nonchalant, lazy smile. In the eight years she had known him, this was the first time she had seen him so utterly lose control. And it was all because of Seraphina’s one word: *Never.* *Turns out, when you’re not loved, everyone is equally pathetic.* When the argument finally ended, Jax seemed beyond furious, leaving without looking back. Seeing Seraphina re-enter alone, everyone realized the party was likely to fizzle out and began to make excuses to leave. Anya, the forgotten birthday girl of the party, also rose amidst the chaos. Before leaving, she went to the restroom. Through the door, she heard footsteps outside. A moment later, the voice of one of the girls who had been most boisterous at the table suddenly spoke. “Seraphina, you clearly still like Jax, and you came back to the country for him. Why did you say something like that just now? You totally pissed him off. How are you going to get back together now?” After a flush of water, Seraphina chuckled as she replied. “If we don’t have a fight, how will I make him remember what happened eight years ago? I want him to recall that heartbreaking, unrequited love he felt when we broke up. That’s the only way he’ll keep thinking about me.” “No, it’s been eight years! How much more ‘thinking about you’ does he need? Look at all the girlfriends he’s had; every single one looks like you. This one he brought today, even though they’ve been together for a long time, it clearly looks like he’s just playing around. I mean, it’s her birthday today, and Jax’s eyes and mind were completely focused on you. The birthday girl ended up looking like a ghost. I swear, I almost died laughing.” Listening to her friend’s teasing, Seraphina also let out a low laugh before speaking softly. “You don’t understand. The Kingsley family is an elite family in Silverwood City. Jax’s temperament and looks are top-notch, but his family wouldn’t approve of my ordinary background. They’ll eventually find him a wife who matches him in every way. I can only use this method to make sure his heart truly belongs to me. We fought today, but in a few days, when his anger cools down, I’ll just give him an easy way back, and he’ll definitely forget everything and come running back.” The words had barely faded when the restroom door suddenly swung open. Anya stood not far away, meeting their gazes!

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Anya Miller rushed to the hospital after hearing Dax Thorne had been in a street racing accident, bleeding severely. She donated a full 1000cc of her blood for him. His friends urged her to go home and rest, and she reluctantly agreed. But just as she reached the exit, her worry got the better of her, and she turned back. That’s when she saw the nurse empty all five bags of her blood, which had just been drawn from her, right into the trash can! Immediately after, a wave of mocking laughter, loud enough to blow the roof off, erupted from a nearby hospital room. “Hahaha, Anya, that idiot, fell for it again!” Anya stared, stunned, at the half-open door of the room. Her gaze landed on a man in a hospital gown among the crowd. Dax Thorne leaned casually against the headboard, head bowed, busy with his phone. His face was slightly obscured, but she could still clearly see his sharp nose and deep-set eyes— He didn’t look injured at all! Anya blinked, wondering if her intense grief was making her hallucinate. “Guys, let me count. How many times have we gotten her now?” “First time, we tricked her into thinking the necklace Dax was supposed to give her was lost. She searched for it all night in a blizzard, running a fever of 104°F, but still wouldn’t rest.” “Second time, we told her Dax was in a coma. She went on an overnight pilgrimage, crawling up hundreds of stone steps to bring back a lucky charm, but Dax had already thrown it to a dog.” “Third time, we framed her for cheating and ruined her graduation. The way she frantically tried to prove herself… I still laugh thinking about it.” “This time, tricking her into giving five bags of blood, that makes it the ninety-sixth time, right? Three more times, and our revenge game can finally wrap up. It hasn’t been easy; Dax has had to play along for so many years.” “No kidding. Who told her to be so blind and steal Seraphina’s dance championship, making Seraphina cry all night? Seraphina, she’s Dax’s ‘white moonlight’—that perfect, idealized first love. How could Dax let anyone get away with making her cry? That’s why he decided to date Anya, to get revenge on her 99 times. Too bad, once the revenge is over, Dax will dump her, and we’ll have nothing fun to do anymore.” … Anya’s ears buzzed, as if a thunderclap had exploded right over her head. Her heart twisted in agony. She clutched her chest, bent over, gasping for breath, the pain almost suffocating her. She couldn’t believe the words she had just heard. She refused to believe that Dax was only dating her for revenge! He clearly knew how much she loved him… Dax Thorne, the city’s golden boy, everyone was falling over themselves to be near him. He was smart, from a good family, and handsome. There was a saying back then: no girl who had ever met him didn’t fall for him. She was one of those thousands of girls. She chased after him for three years, sacrificing her pride, but he remained indifferent. Until one day, out of the blue, he finally accepted her confession. She thought her dream had finally come true, but she never imagined it was all just a cruel revenge. It turned out he hadn’t accepted her before because his heart already belonged to someone else. It turned out he accepted her later because she had stolen Seraphina’s championship and made Seraphina cry. For revenge, he pretended to be with her, using 99 lies to drag her into this abyss. Anya’s tears wouldn’t stop falling. Her throat felt clogged, making it hard to breathe. She looked at the group of people in the room, laughing so freely, so cruelly, then at Dax’s cold face, and suddenly felt like a complete joke. She had offered him her sincere heart, only for him to ruthlessly crush it and toss it into the garbage, cheaper than a discarded pig’s heart. Just then, the people in the room seemed to notice something and looked towards the door. Anya quickly turned and hurried away. She walked faster and faster, eventually breaking into a run. She didn’t know where she was going; she just wanted to escape this place, escape Dax, escape this absurd nightmare. She ran until she couldn’t anymore, then she crouched down, tears pouring out like a dam breaking. She covered her face, muffled sobs escaping her throat, as if trying to cry out all the injustice and pain. How ridiculous, Anya. You really are a complete and utter idiot. After what felt like an eternity, her phone vibrated in her hand. She trembled as she answered, and her mother’s gentle voice came from the other end. “Anya, your dad and I are moving abroad soon. Are you really sure you don’t want to come with us?” Not long ago, her parents received a job transfer overseas. They had planned to move the whole family, but she couldn’t bear to leave Dax. She kept delaying, even considering staying in the city permanently for him. But now, she only felt bitter irony. “No.” She wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, her voice hoarse but firm. “Dad, Mom, I’m coming with you.” Her mother’s delighted voice instantly chimed in: “That’s wonderful, sweetie! We’ll go ahead and finalize the paperwork then. Once it’s done, there’s no turning back.” She gripped her phone, her fingertips trembling slightly, but she still replied with unwavering conviction: “I won’t regret it.” Her mother was about to hang up, but then thought of something and asked tentatively, “By the way, what about your boyfriend? Didn’t you chase him for a long time? You really liked him, didn’t you?” The word “boyfriend” felt like a thorn, piercing her heart. Anya’s mind instantly replayed the jarring laughter in the hospital room, Dax leaning casually on the bed, playing on his phone, the cruel mockery of his friends, and his ruthlessness, wasting three years to get revenge on her for Seraphina. Her heart clenched, as if an invisible hand had gripped it tightly, the pain making it almost impossible to breathe. “Not anymore,” she heard her own voice say, hoarse but calm. “I don’t like him anymore. Never again.” After hanging up, Anya stood by the roadside, letting the cold wind whip through her hair. She looked up at the gray sky, took a deep breath, and turned towards where she used to call “home.” The moment she pushed open the door, a familiar scent washed over her. Anya stood in the doorway, gazing at the familiar decor of the living room, feeling a sense of unreality. This was Dax’s apartment. He had given her the key after agreeing to her confession. That day, he leaned against the doorframe and said nonchalantly, “Let’s move in together.” She had been shy and overjoyed, believing it was the beginning of their love story. She had even secretly fantasized that one day, they would marry here, have children, and spend their entire lives together. But now, she only felt bitter irony. Move in together? It was just to make his revenge easier, wasn’t it? She didn’t know how deeply he loved Seraphina, to be willing to waste three years on her, living together with her, And sleeping with her so many times. All just to make her believe he loved her. For the next three days, Anya didn’t visit Dax at the hospital once. She locked herself in the apartment and began to sort through everything related to him. She found the diary she had kept during her secret crush on him, a thick notebook, every page filled with her innermost thoughts. “I saw him at the library again today. He was wearing a white shirt; he looked so handsome.” “He spoke to me today! Even though it was just polite, asking me to hand him something, I was happy all day.” “He agreed to be with me! Am I dreaming?” Anya flipped through the pages, one by one, tears silently streaming down her face. She tossed the diary into a trash bag, as if slowly peeling away her past love for him. Next were the gifts she had given him— A necklace, a watch, a jacket. Each item held her past joy and anticipation. Finally, there were all the photos she had secretly taken of him. Photos of Dax giving speeches, playing basketball, or leaning against the hallway talking to someone. Each one had made her heart flutter. She threw all these items into the trash, as if bidding farewell to her past self. On the evening of the third day, Anya finally finished organizing the last item. She stood in the center of the living room, looking at the empty apartment, feeling a sense of relief, like a burden had been lifted. Just then, Dax pushed open the door and walked in. His gaze swept over the now-empty room, his brows slightly furrowed. “What did you throw away?” Anya looked up, her eyes calm. “Nothing. Just some unnecessary things.” Dax took a few steps closer, a hint of displeasure in his voice. “I was so badly injured, why didn’t you come to see me?” Anya curled her lips into a faint smile, her tone cool. “Didn’t you already get discharged? How could you be so severely injured and still be back so quickly?” Dax froze for a moment, then explained, “I heard you gave me a lot of blood; I came back because I was worried about you.” He finished speaking, his gaze falling on her arm, his voice unusually gentle. “Does it hurt?” Anya pulled her hand away, saying flatly, “No, it doesn’t.” Dax noticed her coldness, his brows furrowing. “What happened recently? How did you change so much just because I was in the hospital for a few days?” Anya curled her lips, a faint smile on her face. “Changed? How?” Dax didn’t speak, but they both knew exactly what he meant. The old Anya used to look at him with eyes full of love. Even if he caught a cold, she would act like it was the end of the world, wanting to be glued to his side every second. But now, he had been hospitalized for three days, and she hadn’t even called him once. Dax’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment, as if trying to discern something from her expression. He suddenly spoke, his voice low and gentle. “Are you feeling a bit tired lately? They’re throwing a welcome-back party for me; want to come with me?” Before Anya could refuse, Dax had already taken her hand and led her to his car. The car stopped in front of an upscale club. Dax got out, walked around to her side, and opened the door for her. Anya glanced at him, said nothing, and silently stepped out of the car. The moment she walked into the club, Anya’s gaze was immediately drawn to a familiar figure. Seraphina Vaughn. She was wearing a white dress, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, a gentle smile on her face. She stood in the center of the crowd, chatting and laughing with a few friends. Seraphina was Dax’s childhood sweetheart. Although they had grown up together, Anya and Seraphina had never crossed paths in the years Anya and Dax had been together. So she had never imagined that Dax actually liked Seraphina. And the knowing look in Seraphina’s eyes, as she saw them holding hands, seemed to confirm that she was also aware of the 99 acts of revenge. Anya suddenly felt breathless. Dax seemed to notice Seraphina’s presence too. His fingers stiffened slightly, then he released Anya’s hand. He turned to Anya and whispered, “I’m going to make a call. You mingle for a bit, I’ll be right back.” Anya stood rooted to the spot, watching Dax’s retreating back, a chill spreading through her heart. Before she could say anything, Seraphina walked with elegant steps and followed behind Dax. Their figures, one after the other, disappeared around the corner of the club. Anya had no time to worry about what they were doing, because she was quickly surrounded by Dax’s friends. “Hey, Anya, come on, have a drink!” they said, grinning, as they offered her a glass of wine. Anya shook her head. “I can’t drink.” “Don’t be a party pooper! Just one glass, it’s nothing!” They shoved the glass into her hand without another word, pushing her forward. Anya struggled to break free and leave, but one of them suddenly pushed her hard. “Ah—!” Anya cried out, losing her balance and falling directly into the adjacent swimming pool. The icy water instantly engulfed her body. She couldn’t swim. Her limbs thrashed frantically, but she sank deeper and deeper. Water rushed into her mouth and nose, choking her, almost suffocating her. Her consciousness slowly faded, darkness enveloped her, and then, she completely lost all sensation. When Anya woke up again, she found herself lying in a familiar room. Her head was heavy, her body burning, as if on fire. She struggled to open her eyes and saw Dax sitting by the bed, holding a glass of water and a few pills. “You have a fever. Take these pills,” Dax said, his voice low, with a hint of concern. Anya drowsily took the pills and swallowed them with water. She didn’t have time to think, only feeling an intense dryness in her throat, her entire body drained of strength. She closed her eyes, wanting to go back to sleep, but her body grew hotter and hotter, as if something was burning inside her. After an unknown amount of time, she painstakingly opened her eyes and realized Dax was no longer in the room. She forced herself to sit up, touched her forehead, and found it alarmingly hot. She knew she couldn’t delay any longer; she had to go to the hospital. Anya dragged her heavy body and painstakingly made her way to the hospital. The doctor put her on an IV drip, and her fever finally subsided a little. After examining her, the doctor frowned and said, “Good thing you came early. Any later, and it could have turned into pneumonia.” Anya leaned weakly against the hospital bed, her voice hoarse. “Doctor, I took the medicine, why did it get worse?” The doctor paused, then asked, “What medicine did you take?” Anya pulled a small pill bottle from her pocket and handed it to the doctor. “Just some antibiotics. My boyfriend gave them to me.” The doctor took the pill bottle, opened it, and glanced inside. His face immediately turned serious. “These aren’t antibiotics at all! The bottle is for antibiotics, but it’s filled with sugar pills. They have no medicinal effect whatsoever; in fact, they only delayed your treatment.” Anya’s heart plummeted, her fingertips trembling slightly. Suddenly, her phone vibrated frantically a few times. She weakly raised her hand, picked up her phone, and saw a flurry of messages on the screen. They were from Dax’s friends. [Hahahaha, 97th revenge successful!] [Whoever thought of this is a genius! We ‘accidentally’ pushed her into the water, and then Dax switched out the meds. She must be suffering like hell right now.] Immediately after, someone frantically sent a message: [Holy sh*t, you posted it in the wrong SnapChat! Anya’s in this group!] Soon, those messages were quickly recalled, as if nothing had happened. Anya’s hand, holding the phone, trembled slightly. Her heart turned to ice, as if soaked in freezing water, making it hard to even breathe. So, even her falling into the water, her fever, and her medicine were all part of their elaborately planned revenge. And the “medicine” Dax had given her was just to make her suffer even more. Not long after, Dax’s call came in. “Where are you? Why aren’t you home?” Dax’s voice was deep, with a hint of barely perceptible urgency. Anya took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice calm. “My fever got too bad. I’m at the hospital.” There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Dax’s voice came through. “I’ll be right there.” “No need,” she interrupted him. “I’ll be discharged after the IV drip and one more day of observation. I know you’ve been busy lately, so just focus on your work.” Dax was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, “Did you check your phone?” So that’s why he called, he was afraid she’d seen those messages. She lied. “No, the doctor said I was burning up, so I didn’t have time to check my phone.” The other end of the line fell silent again. Dax’s voice seemed to carry some unknown emotion. “You’ll be fine with me here.” Anya tightened her grip on the phone, a wave of sadness washing over her. With him? But wasn’t all this suffering brought on by him? Anya was discharged from the hospital. But just as she stepped out of the hospital to catch a cab, a group of people suddenly rushed out from behind. Without a word, they clapped a hand over her mouth and nose from behind. Before she could struggle, she lost consciousness. When she woke up again, Anya found herself lying in a dimly lit hotel room, her hands and feet bound. Several thugs surrounded her, their faces twisted into sickening smiles. “Awake now? Don’t be scared, boys here are gonna have some fun with you.” One of the thugs reached out to tear at her clothes. “Who are you? Let go, let go of me!” Anya fought desperately, but she was already weak and no match for them. She threw things, kicked at them, screamed loudly, but there was no response. As she watched them about to strip her completely, her heart filled with despair, and tears flowed uncontrollably. Just then, the door was suddenly kicked open. “Get out, all of you!” Dax’s voice came from hell itself, filled with raging fury. The thugs were terrified by his presence and scrambled out, tripping over themselves. Anya huddled on the bed, trembling uncontrollably. She looked up at Dax, seeing a desperate urgency and panic in his eyes for the first time. “Anya…” He rushed to her side, his hand trembling as he reached out to embrace her. But Anya recoiled sharply like a startled rabbit, her eyes filled with terror. Dax’s hand froze in mid-air, a flicker of pain in his eyes. Anya wanted to say something, but everything went black, and she fainted again. After an unknown amount of time, Anya vaguely woke up. She heard people talking in the hospital room, their voices hushed, yet she could still discern the anger in them. “Why wasn’t I told about this revenge plan?” It was Dax’s voice. “Didn’t you want to finish these 99 revenges quickly so you could be with Seraphina? We figured you were busy, so we just handled it for you,” a friend’s voice replied, sounding nonchalant. “I didn’t tell you to have someone assault her!” Dax’s voice suddenly rose, his anger almost overflowing. Everyone was startled, exclaiming in disbelief, “No, seriously, so what if we did? Didn’t we decide from the start to get brutal revenge on her? Why are you so mad?” Dax didn’t speak, only kicked over the coffee table with a thud. Why was he so angry? He didn’t even know why he was so angry! All these years, Anya had chased after him like a bright little sun. He still remembered the day he agreed to be with her—she had frozen in disbelief, then cried tears of joy. He had never seen her like this. Lying there, like a withered rose, completely lifeless. He didn’t know why, but he panicked. He didn’t want to see her like that. When she looked at him with those helpless eyes, a faint ache resonated in his heart. Seeing his prolonged silence, his friends exchanged a look; understanding dawned on them. One couldn’t help but ask, horrified, “Dax, this isn’t right… Don’t tell me you fell for her for real over these past few years?” The hospital room fell silent, as if the air itself had solidified. Dax, who had been raging at the instigators, suddenly froze, the words echoing in his mind— “Don’t tell me you fell for her for real over these past few years?” Love Anya? Impossible! He quickly dismissed the thought. He swiftly rejected the idea, as if doing so could completely erase that inexplicable emotion in his heart. He had always loved Seraphina. What was Anya to him? Just a tool he used for revenge. But if he had no feelings for her at all, why was he so furious when he saw those thugs on top of her? Even when Seraphina had been flirted with by other men, he had never been this impulsive! His words plunged the room back into silence. The friends exchanged glances, seemingly relieved. One of them clapped Dax on the shoulder, his tone light. “You should’ve said so earlier; you scared us to death. We actually thought you liked her. It’s not worth it to get emotionally involved in a revenge game. Seraphina would cry herself to death if she knew.” Dax didn’t respond, only suppressed the inexplicable emotion in his heart and said coldly, “I will never love Anya Miller, not in a million years.” His friends finally relaxed, laughing as they said, “Alright, alright, she’s about to wake up. We’ll get going now.” After everyone left, Dax slowly walked to the bedside and looked down at the unconscious Anya. Her face was pale, her brows slightly furrowed; she didn’t seem to be sleeping peacefully. His fingers unconsciously brushed her cheek, but he instantly pulled back, as if burned by the touch. He turned to the window, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag, trying to numb his chaotic thoughts with nicotine. When Anya woke up, only Dax was left in the room. He sat by the bed, holding a glass of water. Seeing her awake, he asked softly, “How do you feel? Still uncomfortable?” Anya didn’t answer, only turned her head away, avoiding his gaze. For the next few days, Dax stayed at the hospital to take care of her. But occasionally, he would step out to take calls, and each time he returned, there was a hint of imperceptible tenderness on his face. Anya knew he was probably coaxing Seraphina. Thinking back now, it was always like this when they were together. He would often step out to take calls, always saying it was for “business.” But she had never doubted him until now. Only now did she realize that on the other end of those calls was Seraphina. The doctor came to change her dressing. Anya looked up and saw a young, handsome doctor. She paused, then asked softly, “You weren’t my attending physician before, were you?” The young doctor smiled, his tone gentle. “He’s my mentor. I’m his intern. He’s doing his rounds today, so I’m changing your dressing.” Anya nodded, saying nothing more. The young doctor began to change her dressing, his movements gentle, but his face was always slightly flushed. As he was leaving, he hesitated, then suddenly asked, “Could I… get your contact information?” Anya froze. Before she could answer, Dax pushed open the door and walked in. His gaze swept coldly over the young doctor, his voice carrying a warning. “She has a boyfriend, can’t you see that? Flirting with a patient? Do you want to kiss your internship goodbye?” The young doctor was intimidated by his presence, apologized profusely, and left the room in a hurry. Dax walked to Anya’s side, his face cold, a hint of displeasure in his voice. “Next time you encounter someone like that, just tell them you have a boyfriend. Is that so hard to say?” Anya looked at him, feeling only amusement. He said he would never love her, but what was this sudden possessiveness supposed to be? A few days after her discharge, Dax suddenly suggested they go to a class reunion. She knew he never bothered with such events before, but this time he had actively suggested it, clearly with another motive. Sure enough, at the reunion, Anya spotted Seraphina immediately. On the surface, Dax was cool and distant towards Seraphina, seemingly having little interaction with her. But true love, it couldn’t be hidden. Halfway through the party, Anya went to the restroom. When she returned, she found everyone playing Truth or Dare. Seraphina lost and was asked a personal question. Her face flushed with embarrassment, she was about to speak when Dax suddenly snatched the card, saying coldly, “I’ll take the punishment for her.”

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“Professor Anya, I’ve made up my mind. I’m joining your pharmaceutical research institute to continue my studies.” Professor Anya chuckled. “Does your husband, who adores you so much, really support you going abroad to pursue your academic research?” “This is my decision. It has nothing to do with him.” “Alright then. When can you arrive?” “In a week.” “Perfect. I’ll look forward to your arrival.” “Oh, Professor Anya, that memory-erasing potion you developed earlier, is it still missing a test subject?” Professor Anya’s voice sharpened. “Are you implying…?” “Please mail a dose to me. I’ll test it myself.” It was nine-thirty in the morning when I made that call. I pulled the duvet tighter around myself, leaning against the headboard. The spot beside me in bed was empty. From the guest room next door, faint, intimate sounds drifted through. “…Missed me?” “I only get to see you once a month. Time just drags on forever.” “Heh,” a man scoffed. “Then how about I really ‘take care’ of you today?” “Keep your voice down. Don’t wake Chloe.” “It’s fine. She slept late last night; she won’t be up for a while.” “Mmm-hmm, you’re bad…” I knew that girl’s voice intimately. Her name was Mia, a young woman I’d personally sponsored through university for four years. On the first day of every month, she would visit the house. I’d give her the month’s living expenses, checking in on her studies and general well-being. Each time, she’d stay in the guest room right next to the master bedroom. I had even helped her secure a graduate school advisor and an internship. I just never imagined this girl’s ambition wasn’t about self-reliance, but directly stealing my husband. If that’s how it was, then she could have him. I’d already changed my name to Nyx. My new documents were already processed. Nyx. Hidden. Gone. One act of betrayal, and it’s over. For good. I would disappear from his world forever, then drink the memory-erasing potion and forget him completely. The intimate sounds from the guest room finally ceased. I lay back down, pretending to still be asleep. A few minutes later, the mattress beside me dipped slightly. Then, a heavy arm draped across my waist. Suppressing the surge of nausea, I pushed his arm away. Blake stirred, feigning sleepiness, his voice a low rumble. “Babe, are you awake?” The endearment ‘Babe’ on his lips made my stomach churn. “Yeah. Come on, get up. You’ll be late for work.” Blake rolled over and pulled me close from behind, pressing a kiss to my shoulder. “So tired, let’s sleep a little longer, babe.” I just wanted to sneer. After all that ‘effort’ last night, no wonder he’s exhausted. I teased, “What’s wrong, didn’t sleep well last night?” Blake nodded emphatically. “Last night, I dreamed a dark force stole you away. I fought through hell and high water all night to get you back, and I still woke up drained.” “No ‘dark force’ will ever take me.” But I will leave. And I absolutely won’t give you a chance to find me. Blake glanced at his watch. “You’re right, it’s getting late. Time to get up.” He quickly showered and dressed, then knelt by the bed, kissing me. “My lazy little bug, don’t sleep anymore. Get up and get ready. I’ll make you breakfast.” After Blake left, I vigorously brushed my teeth. The thought of his lips, fresh from Mia’s, touching mine, was utterly repulsive. When I went downstairs, two people were already seated at the dining table. Blake was at the head of the table, Mia perched innocently to his left. She wore a bright yellow dress, looking sweet and naive. Seeing me, she chirped, “Chloe, you’re up!” I simply hummed in response. Mia giggled, “Blake’s already made breakfast. Come eat!” I took my seat at the table. Blake gently blew on my oatmeal, then placed it in front of me. “Babe, careful, it’s hot.” Mia, beside him, said enviously, “I’m so jealous of you, Chloe. Blake treats you so wonderfully.” My smile was brittle, cold. “Oh, your ‘brother-in-law’ takes very good care of you too, doesn’t he?” Didn’t he just ‘take care’ of her all night? Right up until this morning. Blake chuckled softly. “It’s different. I dote on you because you’re my wife, the woman I love most in this life.” “And Mia? Why do you ‘dote’ on her?” “Because you sponsor her! You said she’s like your little sister, so she’s like my little sister too.” “Is that so?” I snatched my bowl of oatmeal back from his hand. “No need to blow on it. It’ll cool down on its own.” Blake sensed my change in attitude. He took my hand in his, kissed my palm, and asked, “What’s wrong? Unhappy so early in the morning? Is breakfast not to your liking? What do you want? I’ll make something else.” I pulled my hand away. “Blake, do you love me?” “Of course,” Blake said. “Everyone knows how much I love you.” “Then do you think a man can truly love two women at the same time?” Blake’s brow furrowed slightly. “True love is only for one person. There’s no room for any impurity.” I told him gravely, “If you ever change your mind, please tell me directly. I’ll step aside and let you be together. But please, don’t lie to me. My feelings are precious, and they cannot tolerate any impurity.” Blake laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll only love you for this entire lifetime. No other woman can ever replace you.” “What if one does?” “Impossible.” I said, “If I ever find out you lied to me, I’ll leave you and forget you forever.” Blake smiled. “That day will never come. And I won’t ever give you a chance to leave me.” Saying this, Blake tried to embrace me again. At this point, I recoiled from his touch. He still carried that cloying, sweet scent. The kind that lingered after a night of intimacy. I stood up. “I’ll go get a spoon.” Blake immediately stood up. “I’ll get it for you.” “No need, I can do it myself.” I went to the kitchen and turned on the faucet. The rushing water masked my quiet sobs. It wasn’t that I was weak; it was just that the man he used to be was too perfect. So perfect that whenever I remembered the days he loved me so passionately, a wave of bitter ache washed over me. Growing up in an orphanage, I’d faced relentless bullying and dismissive glances from everyone, hardening my heart to steel. I never planned on dating or getting married, I’d rather be drowned in drinks by sleazy clients than ever ask for help. But then, Blake appeared. He rescued me from a group of truly disgusting clients. “This woman,” he’d declared, “is with me.” At first, I thought he was just like the others, only interested in my looks, and would take advantage of me once we left the private room. But Blake did nothing. He just gently told me, “Go home, get some good sleep. Forget all the unpleasant things from today. Tomorrow is a new day.” After that, he started appearing in my life frequently. Sometimes at my company for business discussions, or a chance encounter at a coffee shop. He was always a gentleman, polite, but everyone could see he was interested in me. Once we were together, he practically put me on a pedestal. No matter how much he might have wanted to, he never touched me before marriage. He said, “Before we get married, you still have a chance to change your mind. I won’t force you. I want you to become my wife willingly.” His parents, however, opposed our marriage. I didn’t want to affect his relationship with his family, so I cried and broke up with him. But Blake just held my hand firmly. “It’s okay, don’t cry. I’ll take you away.” He started his own business from scratch, even as his parents tried to sabotage him, forcing him to conform to their will. He endured it all, nearly ruining his liver in the process from the stress and drinking. Later, we were involved in a car accident. In a split second of pure terror, Blake shoved me clear, taking the full impact as the truck slammed into his car, sending it careening off the road. The car violently flipped and then caught fire. Blake was burned within an inch of his life, falling into a coma. He only showed a flicker of response when I spoke to him by his bedside. It was then that Blake’s parents finally understood how deeply their son loved me. They finally relented, giving their blessing to our marriage. This hard-won marriage, I treasured. This man, who loved me to the bone, I treasured even more. But I never expected that only three years into our marriage, his heart had strayed, his eyes wandering to another woman. “Babe, are you okay? What took you so long?” “I’m fine.” I wiped a tear from my face, turned off the faucet, and picked up the spoon to leave the kitchen. But my hand trembled, and the spoon clattered to the floor. As I bent down to pick it up, I accidentally saw a secret hidden beneath the dining table – Mia, wearing the high heels I’d bought her, was gently rubbing her foot against Blake’s calf, slowly moving up to his knee, his thigh, and then further inward… A clearly defined hand with prominent knuckles caught her ankle, playfully holding it. “Being naughty again?” “What’s there to be scared of? Chloe hasn’t come back yet.” “Be a good girl, don’t cause trouble in front of Chloe. We can go out later…” I deliberately made a loud noise, and the two of them immediately stopped. I returned to my seat, and they both acted as if nothing had happened. Blake put some vegetables on my plate. “Babe, eat more greens, they’re good for you.” Mia still looked like an innocent little sister, watching me with an admiring gaze. “I wish I could find a man like Blake someday.” I said coldly, “You will.” Mia didn’t catch my underlying meaning and continued to flatter. “No way, Blake is the best man in the world. I’m not that lucky.” “You are,” I stated. Just then, my phone rang. “Hello, Ms. Chloe, you have a delivery.” This time, Blake was faster than me. He rushed to the door, intercepted the envelope, and opened it. He looked at the sender. “Southwing International Department… Babe, did you buy a flight ticket? Where are you going? Why didn’t I know?” “It’s just a gift I redeemed with points,” I said. Blake patted his chest, letting out a sigh of relief. “You scared me to death! I thought you were leaving me.” I pulled the envelope from his hand, holding it firmly. “You haven’t betrayed me, so why would I leave you?” Blake smiled. “You’re right. You’re the only one in my heart.” Once, hearing that, I would have been deeply moved. But now, my heart was utterly still. “Babe, what gift did you redeem? Let me see.” I refused. “Nothing, just a small commemorative coin.” “Southwing is making commemorative coins now?” “Mm-hm.” I retreated to my bedroom and opened the envelope. Inside lay a plane ticket to London, scheduled for one week from now. I had bought it under the name Nyx. At the same time, my phone displayed international package tracking information – Professor Anya’s memory-erasing potion would also arrive in about a week. Seven days from now, I would completely leave him. Downstairs, Blake’s voice called out, “Babe, are you feeling unwell?” “Didn’t sleep well last night, feeling a bit tired. Want to sleep a little more.” “Okay, then you rest well. Mia has class this afternoon, so I’ll drop her off at school on my way to the office.” I responded, “Okay.” I didn’t sleep. Instead, I went to the second-floor window and looked outside. Mia was clinging to Blake’s arm like a cheerful little rabbit, and Blake opened the passenger door for her. After Mia sneaked a kiss on his cheek, he immediately cupped the back of her head and kissed her back. From her cheek, his lips slowly slid to hers. And then lower… I didn’t watch the rest of the scene. They both got into the car. I could only see the car rocking and shaking. When it finally stopped, I checked the time on my phone. One hour and forty minutes. It seemed they were very compatible in that regard. After indulging all night, they were still insatiable. He had barely left, and they were already doing it again in the car. When the car finally drove away, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. I began to sort my clothes. Professor Anya told me that after taking the memory-erasing potion, I would forget everything from my past, with no possibility of retrieval. After organizing my clothes, I categorized them and wrote notes for each pile, along with all my toiletries and habits. Finally, I went to a jewelry store. I took off my wedding ring and handed it to the clerk. The clerk took it, looking slightly uneasy. “Ma’am, are you looking to replace this ring with a different style? I see it’s a wedding ring, a matching set. Does your husband also need his replaced?” “No,” I said. “Melt it down for me.” “Excuse me?” “I said, melt it down.” “Alright…” Half an hour later, I walked out of the store with a small red velvet box. When I arrived home, I ran into Blake, rushing out of the house in a panic. The house was filled with people: police officers, bodyguards, and house staff. Blake’s eyes were red. The moment he saw me, he wrapped me in a tight embrace. “Babe, where did you go? You scared me to death…” He held me so tightly I could barely breathe. Finally, a police officer chuckled and said, “Mr. Blake can finally relax. Your wife is back.” A house staff member added, “Ma’am, Mr. Blake came home, didn’t see you, and then saw all your clothes neatly packed away. He thought you’d left for good! He was absolutely out of his mind with worry.” “That’s right, ma’am. Mr. Blake just told us to contact the best private detectives, and said if we couldn’t find you, we’d all be fired.” Blake held me as if I were a rare and precious treasure. “Babe, where did you go? Are you hurt? Are you hungry or cold?” I gently pushed him away, creating a slight distance. “I just went out for a walk.” “But your phone wasn’t reachable.” I pulled my black-screened phone from my pocket to show him. “The battery died, that’s all.” “Then what about all those clothes you packed in the house?” “Those clothes are old styles,” I said. “I was planning to donate them.” Blake finally let out a heavy sigh of relief. “As long as you’re not leaving. Babe, promise me you’ll never leave me, okay? I’d really go insane.” The drama finally subsided. As the police left, one of them chuckled and said to me, “I’ve handled plenty of missing person cases in my time, but I’ve never seen a man so utterly devoted as Mr. Blake. You’ve got a good one, ma’am. Cherish him and try not to worry him so much in the future.” Blake stood protectively in front of me, looking slightly annoyed that anyone would criticize me. “Chloe was just out shopping. Worrying about her is my problem, not her fault.” The officer laughed wryly. “Alright, alright. As long as your wife is safe, that’s what matters. You two just live your lives well.” I apologized to the police and saw them out. Blake clung to my side almost the entire time, not leaving me for a second. He spotted the jewelry box in my hand, and his eyes lit up. “Babe, did you buy new jewelry?” “This is for you,” I said. “For me?” “Yes. Your birthday is in a week. It’s your birthday gift.” “Thank you, Babe! Can I open it and see?” “Open it on your birthday,” I replied. A week from now would be Blake’s thirtieth birthday. My flight was scheduled to depart at 5 AM that very morning. By the time he woke up, opened that jewelry box, and saw the small, melted chunk of platinum and the single, solitary diamond inside, I would have already taken the memory-erasing potion and flown out of the country. Our story began with this ring, so let it end with this ring. Over the next few days, Blake, as if terrified I might disappear again, pushed all his work aside and spent every day at home with me. He cooked for me, watched TV with me, or we’d go for walks in the park together. I had a strange illusion that we truly had returned to the beginning of our relationship. So in love, so loyal, with only each other in our eyes and hearts. But a constant stream of messages on my phone shattered all that beauty. [Mia: Chloe, I saw you that day.] [Mia: I know you saw what happened between me and Blake in the car. What you don’t know is, we’ve been together since you first started sponsoring me four years ago.] [Mia: I’ve been his woman since I was eighteen. I don’t want to always just call him ‘brother-in-law’.] [Mia: Chloe, you gave me money for my education, you opened up a wider world for me, and you led me to the best man in the world.] [Mia: He can’t bear to leave me, just you wait and see.] After that, there was a video. The video was long, one hour and forty minutes. Seeing the duration, I already knew what it contained. While Blake went to buy me water, I clicked on the video. Inside the cramped car, Blake’s face was a mask of raw desire. He pinned Mia against the seatback, moving relentlessly, ignoring her cries and pleas to stop. Mia traced circles on his chest with her finger, seductively asking, “Are we being fair to Chloe, doing this?” Blake just chuckled. “Sex and love can be separate for men, I truly love her, but I genuinely can’t stay away from your body.” “So I’ll be nameless and status-less forever?” “Aside from a formal title, I can give you anything you want.” “What if I want a child?” Blake pondered for a moment, then said, “Then we won’t use protection today. It’ll be more comfortable.” I couldn’t watch anymore. I closed the video. Blake returned with a bottle of water. “Babe, here you go. I specifically asked the owner to warm it up. Cold drinks aren’t good for girls.” I took the water; it was indeed warm, even slightly hot to the touch. Blake then cradled my face in his warm large hands, his brow slightly furrowed. “Why is your face so cold? You look a bit pale too. Babe, are you feeling unwell?” I turned my head, avoiding his touch. “No, I just scrolled past a video that made me feel a bit upset.” “In the future, if you see a video that makes you uncomfortable, just swipe past it. Don’t watch.” “Yeah, I won’t watch. Never again.” That evening, Blake took me to the beach. The area was bustling with people. Blake kept me close, circling me with his arm, as if afraid someone might bump into me. The next second, a dazzling firework exploded in the sky. Then came a second, and a third. Countless fireworks exploded, painting the entire night sky in a riot of color. “Wow, is some mega-rich guy proposing tonight? It’s breathtaking!” “So many fireworks, he must have bought out all the fireworks in the entire city of H!” “It’s so romantic! If a man was willing to put on a fireworks show like this for me, I’d marry him in a heartbeat!” I smiled faintly at that remark. Young girls were indeed easily swayed, a fireworks show could make their hearts flutter and easily make them pledge a lifetime. But I wasn’t that easily fooled. Blake said, sex and love could be separate for men. But for me, they couldn’t. Even if Blake claimed to love me, betrayal was betrayal. I could never forgive it. “Babe, look—” Blake pointed to a firework that had just burst in the night sky, urging me to see it. It was an English letter. H. Followed by Y, and then C. HYC, Blake’s initials. Then, a big pink heart. After that, came L, C, J. LCJ, Chloe’s initials. Blake whispered in my ear, “Babe, I’ll love you forever. We’ll be together always, until we’re old and gray, okay?” Before I could reply, Blake knelt down before me on one knee. In front of everyone, he shouted, “Blake loves Chloe! For one lifetime, for all lifetimes, my heart will never change!” A round of applause immediately erupted. Mixed with gasps and exclamations from young women. One girl even boldly asked, “Handsome, are you proposing to your girlfriend?” Blake smiled and denied it. “We’ve been married for four years.” “Is it your wife’s birthday today then? Or your anniversary?” “Neither.” “Then why such a grand display?” Blake looked at me, his gaze burning with intensity. “I just want my wife to know how much, how incredibly much, I love her. She hasn’t been very happy lately, and I want to make her smile again.” Another wave of admiration rippled through the crowd. I received envious glances from everyone. But only I knew the truth— My husband had been unfaithful for four years. He had held another woman’s hand, kissed another woman’s lips. In these four years, how many times they’d been tangled up together was beyond count. A little girl handed me a glow stick. “Big sister, this is for you. I hope you and big brother stay together forever.” I asked Blake, “Did you arrange for the child too?” Blake said, “No, I don’t think so. She must have been touched by our love, thinking our relationship is beautiful.” I returned the glow stick to the little girl. “Thank you, but I can’t accept your gift, little one.” The child didn’t understand, tilting her head and asking, “Why not?” Because the big brother and big sister’s love wasn’t beautiful at all. It was choked with lies, betrayal, and deceit. Such a relationship shouldn’t be aspired to by innocent children. It didn’t deserve it. Blake consoled the little girl. “Big brother will buy big sister a glow stick. Thank you, now go find your mom and dad.” The little girl said, “Big brother, you really should have a little sister with big sister! Big sister is so pretty, your daughter would be beautiful too.” Blake chuckled. “Alright, big brother will try his best.” Returning to my side, Blake said, half-jokingly, “Babe, should we have a daughter?” “You want a child that much?” I asked. “I actually prefer our life as just the two of us, but don’t most girls hope to have a child with the man they love?” “That’s Mi—” I almost blurted out Mia’s name. Truth be told, I really wanted to confront Blake right then and there: what was his relationship with Mia? Would he continue their physical relationship? Would the three of us somehow always coexist? But in my peripheral vision, I saw the hickey on Blake’s neck. Mia had left it days ago. And it still hadn’t faded. I averted my gaze, unwilling to look anymore, unwilling to ask. It had come to this. I didn’t want to act like a furious shrew, arguing with my unfaithful husband on the street, full of resentment. I had my pride. If he couldn’t change, then I would. Drink the memory-erasing potion, move to a city where no one knew me, and completely start a new life. Blake asked me, “Babe, what were you saying just now? Mi…?” I shook my head. “I was saying, many girls think that way, but I don’t.” “You don’t want to have a child with me?” “No.” “Is it because you’re afraid of the pain, or your body changing? Don’t worry, Babe. No matter how you change, I’ll still love you.” “Let’s go back.” “Are you angry? I’m sorry, Babe, I said the wrong thing. If you don’t want children, then we won’t have any. We can be child-free, just the two of us, always.” My footsteps faltered. He’s right. I won’t have a child with him, but someone else will. The hour and forty minutes he spent with Mia in the car… perhaps Mia was already carrying his child. “Babe, what’s wrong…?” Ring! Ring! His phone rang. Blake glanced at it, picking it up with a hint of annoyance. “Didn’t I say not to call me for these few days? I’m with my wife…” The person on the other end said something, and Blake’s eyes flickered. “Alright, I’ll be right over.” Hanging up, Blake turned to me. “Babe, something urgent came up at work. Can I call a car to take you home?” “I’ll call my own car,” I said. “Work is important, you go.” “My clever Babe. Alright, I’m off then. Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.” Blake sped away in his car. I did call a car. But I didn’t go home. I told the driver, “Follow that car ahead.” Blake’s car stopped in front of a hospital. Mia practically threw herself into his arms, crying. Blake held her, comforting her, even taking off his suit jacket and draping it over her shoulders. Then, he knelt down, placing his ear against Mia’s lower abdomen. Mia shyly slapped him, her mouth moving, saying something in a coquettish tone. My taxi happened to pass by them, and I clearly heard Mia’s words. She said, “The baby’s only a month old, what could you possibly hear?” So, Mia really was pregnant. No wonder he had been so distracted when he left. The driver asked me, “Miss, should we stop here too?” “Stop, but don’t open the door yet. I’ll pay you double.” The taxi’s windows had privacy tinting. I could see out, but Blake and Mia couldn’t see in. I watched Blake, overjoyed, lift Mia into his arms, spinning her around gleefully outside the hospital, oblivious to their surroundings. Mia laughed happily, shouting, “Husband, put me down! Be careful with the baby!” She was already calling him “Husband.” Just a few days ago, it was “brother-in-law.” Blake carefully set Mia down. She wrapped her arms around his neck and asked, “Do you want a boy or a girl?” “A girl,” Blake said. “I met a little girl at the beach today, she was incredibly cute.” Mia pouted in dissatisfaction. “I saw! You set off fireworks for Chloe at the beach, with both your initials and a big heart in the middle.” “Are you jealous?” “Mm-hmm, I want that too.” “Shhh, it’s not convenient here in H City. Chloe might see.” “Then let’s go to another city, okay? Just to celebrate me being pregnant with our baby.” “But Chloe…” “You said you’d give me anything except a formal title. You won’t even splurge on fireworks?” Blake was clearly in a good mood. After a moment’s hesitation, he agreed. “We might get photographed by the media in the country. I’ll take you to the Maldives for a vacation.” “Yes! You’re the best, Husband!” Under the moonlight, Blake cupped Mia’s face and kissed her passionately. Honk! Honk! An ear-piercing car horn blared from behind. The driver reminded me, “Miss, the car behind us is urging us to move.” I averted my gaze. “Let’s go.” The driver slowly started the car. In the rearview mirror, Blake and Mia’s figures gradually shrank, until they finally disappeared from sight. Buzz— My phone vibrated again, a new message. Mia had sent a picture. It was a prenatal checkup report. Clearly written on it: Embryo four weeks, threatened miscarriage. [Mia: Chloe, I’m pregnant with Blake’s baby.] [Mia: But he was too rough in the car that day. I bled today, and the doctor said there are signs of a threatened miscarriage.] [Mia: The doctor said the baby felt secure after seeing its daddy. Now it’s healthy and firmly in my womb, it will be born in eight months.] [Mia: That taxi that just passed by, were you inside?]

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My mother’s hands and feet were broken, and she was thrown into the sea to die, all because she accidentally touched the couture gown of the daughter of a powerful mogul. The day I dragged that arrogant heiress to court, she was acquitted. Why? Because the lawyer defending her was Liam Vance, the founder of the city’s most untouchable law firm, a legal powerhouse no one dared to cross – and my husband. When the trial ended, the handsome, elegant man left the defendant’s side and placed an “apology letter” in front of me, Audrey Hayes. “Audrey, sign it. You don’t want to be sued for defamation and end up in prison, do you?” His voice was coaxing, but the gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses was as sharp as ice. My tear-filled eyes, stubborn with pain, met his. My voice trembled, “Why, Liam Vance?” I just couldn’t understand… I was his wife. He loved me so fiercely that he’d even given up his inheritance and been cut off by his family just to marry me, their family’s caregiver. But after my mother’s death, I had cried and begged him countless times. Even this morning, for the ninety-ninth time, I knelt at his feet, threatening divorce if he didn’t drop this case. What did he say then? — *Audrey, don’t make me do this!* Liam impatiently loosened his tie. “Serena is different. She’s chased me for ten years, and she even saved my life.” “I have to protect her, even if the enemy is the wife I love most.” As he spoke, he tapped his tablet, showing a live stream to me. “You have two minutes to think, Audrey. Even if you’re not thinking for yourself, think about your mother. Sign it, and I’ll give you back your mother’s ashes…” The screen showed a scene at sea, several bodyguards holding a sandalwood urn. One slip, and… Tears streamed down my face. “What are you doing?” But he didn’t even flinch. “Be a good girl, don’t waste time. Can you bear to let your mother soak in the sea forever?” “Liam Vance!” I stared fixedly at the man before me, my mouth almost bleeding from biting my lip. “I want a divorce from you…” Yet, in this cruel confrontation, he remained utterly calm, unwilling to yield an inch. “Audrey, you only have thirty seconds left.” In that moment, my heart felt as if it were being pierced by needles. How ironic. This man had once loved me more than life itself. Eight years ago, he fell in love with me at first sight in the Vance family estate. I was Old Mr. Vance’s caregiver. Our social standings were miles apart, yet he had confessed his love a hundred times. If I glanced at a patch of bellflowers, he’d have all the roses in the garden replaced overnight. When I accidentally sprained my ankle, he booked an entire floor of the hospital. It was then I learned he had a long-time admirer, the daughter of a powerful mogul he’d grown up with, who’d pursued him for years, loving him to the point of obsession. But he had no eyes for anyone else. “Audrey, I only love you. What does it matter if Serena Thorne is from a family as good as mine? I only feel disgust for her!” To force him to let go, the Vance family not only seized his shares but even used their influence to send him to an island abroad. For twenty whole days, Liam went on a hunger strike, forcing his family to compromise and completely winning my heart. And so, we married. He truly loved me as he’d promised, more than life itself. The change happened half a year ago. After years away, Serena Thorne suddenly returned to the country. This time, his attitude towards his childhood friend abruptly shifted. He canceled international meetings to personally pick her up from the airport. He even stayed away from home for three days to arrange a lavish welcome-back party for her. Under my wounded gaze, he finally confessed. “A year ago, I went to London and was in a car accident. Serena saved me and was in a coma for an entire year because of it.” “Audrey, I only love you, but she just woke up. I have to repay this debt. One year, just give me one year, okay?” At first, I believed him. Until the night of the party, I unexpectedly suffered a relapse of an old illness and was rushed to the hospital. Liam’s phone, however, was unreachable. In desperation, my mother went to the luxury yacht where the party was being held. But once she went, she never came back. Everyone insisted it was an accident, saying my mother had committed suicide. Even Liam, who wasn’t at the scene of the incident, believed that story. But that night, after I was pushed out of the emergency room, I distinctly received a call. I heard chaos on the other end, mixed with Serena Thorne’s angry shouts, and my mother’s agonizing screams. My mother was *forced* to fall into the sea! For the past six months, I had been in torment, drowning in tears of self-reproach. In my despair, I finally unearthed a shred of evidence from a certain waiter. I had begged Liam countless times to help me. Yet, in this criminal private prosecution, he unhesitatingly stood against me. He protected my mother’s killer, and to force me to apologize to her, he even threatened me with my mother’s ashes… At this very moment, looking at Liam Vance, I felt as if he was a stranger, sprung from hell itself. I despaired, and I surrendered. With trembling fingers, I scrawled my messy signature on that apology letter. “Satisfied? Now tell them to bring her back from the sea…” But no sooner had my hoarse voice faded than a gasp suddenly erupted behind me. Serena Thorne suddenly clutched her head, collapsing onto the defendant’s bench. “Liam, help me! My head hurts again!” In that instant, Liam panicked, dropping the tablet and rushing towards her. On the live stream, the countdown had ended. Without Liam’s command to stop, the bodyguards had already opened the urn… “No! I’ve signed it! Liam Vance, tell them to stop now!” I screamed like a madwoman, but those bodyguards wouldn’t obey me. I lunged, trying to grab Liam, but his mind was completely on Serena. As he scooped her up and rushed out, his elbow brutally slammed into me. I fell hard onto the floor, my forehead hitting the corner of the table. Tears streamed down onto the tablet. It was too late. It was already too late… The ashes were being poured from the boat, scattering into the cold sea breeze, slowly vanishing into the rippling waves. A heart-wrenching remorse tore at my chest. My mother had always been afraid of the cold. She hated the icy sea most, but now, she had not only died there but would be forever trapped in those waters. “Mom, I’m so sorry…” My sobs were utterly broken. Suddenly, I regretted so much. Regretted falling in love with Liam. Regretted marrying him. An endless wave of regret crashed over my mind like a muffled bell. My vision suddenly blurred. In the world that flickered and darkened around me, I only heard Liam’s anxious voice from outside the courtroom. “Serena, just hold on. If you’re okay, I’ll do anything you ask!” I woke up in a hospital. Junior Lawyer Dean stood by the bed, looking helpless. “Ms. Hayes, this case has been categorized. You need to accept it. Your health is most important.” I came back to my senses amidst the lingering ache in my heart, ignoring the IV in my hand. I sat up abruptly, quickly fumbling through my bag. “Could you please check if this agreement is valid?” My voice trembled as I handed him the document I’d pulled out. He quickly gave an affirmative answer. “Ms. Hayes, your husband has already signed this divorce agreement. You just need to sign and submit it, and you’ll receive your divorce certificate in a month.” This morning, it was with this very document that I knelt before Liam. Perhaps he was too rushed to leave, or perhaps he didn’t believe I would actually divorce him. He was convinced the agreement was fake and signed it without even looking. But he would never guess that everything I said was true. I didn’t want to wait a moment longer. I pulled out the IV needle and rushed to the registry office to submit the documents. After completing the procedures, I made one last trip to the seaside. In the cool drizzle, I knelt directly down. “Mom, from now on, I’ll go to places with the sea, and I’ll be with you forever.” But only the cold sea breeze answered me. I don’t know how long I knelt. Wiping away my tears, I made a call. “Hello, I want to… book a simulated death rescue.” My voice, broken yet resolute, was filled with determination. “One month from now, the cause of death will be ‘homicide.’ I will arrange the location. All you need to do is prepare a new identity for me and take me abroad after rescuing me.” Yes, I wasn’t just getting a divorce. A month from now, I would personally claim my justice and leave Liam Vance with a surprise he would never forget. By the time I finished everything and returned to the villa, it was already late. The living room lights were on. Liam was holding a bowl of chicken soup, spoon-feeding Serena. “Liam, I posted that apology letter online.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Audrey has been slandering me constantly. Getting slammed online will teach her a lesson. Don’t you dare interfere.” Liam’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but he still acquiesced. “Alright. She made a mistake, she should be punished.” I suddenly remembered the online insults. They cursed my mother, saying she deserved to die, calling me a pathetic caregiver, not even worthy of polishing the heiress’s shoes… A sharp pain pierced my heart. I walked into the living room, my face expressionless. “Where have you been?” Seeing my pale face, Liam paused, his tone softening inexplicably. “Your forehead… how did you get that cut?” I ignored him. Serena, however, feigned a soft voice, changing the subject. “You’re back, Audrey! Perfect, I brought you some gifts. Come and see.” Liam cleared his throat, a hint of hesitation in his expression. “Audrey, Serena was in a coma for too long, her body hasn’t fully recovered. She’ll be staying here for a while. You need to be extra attentive with her. She’s lactose intolerant and can’t eat cold food. She needs her beauty sleep until ten AM, and all her fruit must be juiced…” Every single word felt like a knife twisting in my heart. I couldn’t believe it, and a cold laugh escaped me. “What? You want *me* to take care of her?” “Be a good girl, Audrey. What happened before is in the past, let’s not dwell on it. You used to be a caregiver in the Vance household, so I trust you…” He stopped himself before finishing the sentence. On one side of the dining table, the detailed instructions for taking care of the heiress filled 267 lines. On the floor, scattered haphazardly, were luxury shopping bags: a Chanel handbag with a scuffed clasp, an Hermes keychain likely given as a ‘gift with purchase’ from some big spend, and obviously worn Dior heels… So, these “gifts” were nothing more than discarded junk. I suddenly remembered years ago, when Liam’s best friend merely called me “the little caregiver who serves people,” he’d flown into a rage. That very night, he’d found someone to sabotage his rival’s multi-million dollar project. “Audrey is my wife! Whoever dares to belittle or bully her is disrespecting me, Liam Vance!” But now, he was slapping his own face, making me a personal caregiver for my enemy. What deep love, what sacred vows – all so fragile. I would never believe him again. I forced back the dampness in my eyes. For these last thirty days, I had to endure everything… But who would have thought, on the very first night she moved in, Serena would be tormented by nightmares. She rushed into the master bedroom barefoot just as Liam finished showering. “Liam, I can’t sleep alone.” Fragile and delicate, she climbed directly into his arms, burying her face against his bare chest. “The guest room mattress is so hard. I’m scared, I want you to sleep with me.” Liam’s handsome brows furrowed slightly at her words. I knew he felt pity for her… Pity so strong that, despite me still being there, he scooped Serena onto his lap, embracing her soothingly. He glanced at the left side of the king-sized bed. “Audrey, Serena has never endured hardship since she was a child. You see… could you, perhaps, stay in another room for now?” In that moment, I saw a flicker of triumph on Serena Thorne’s face. I pulled my lips into a sarcastic smile, grabbed my pillow, and got out of bed. “If Ms. Thorne likes it so much, then this bed is all yours.” Yes, not just this master bedroom, this bed, but this man too – I wanted none of it anymore. Over the next few days, with Liam’s nightly companionship, Serena quickly regained her vibrancy. When bored, she’d occasionally invite a few girlfriends over for afternoon tea. “Serena, Liam definitely still has feelings for you. The year you were in a coma, he ran to London every other day! He even swore that if you woke up, he’d divorce for you!” I happened to be walking past and overheard this. My heart felt as if it had been ripped open by a knife. With Liam gone, Serena didn’t bother to pretend. In a whiny voice, she called out to me, “Audrey, this coffee you brewed looks like dishwater. It’s disgusting.” I walked up expressionlessly, intending to take the coffee away, but someone grabbed my wrist. “No, what’s with your attitude? Our Serena’s caregiver, dares to make her sick? You should be on your knees apologizing! What, you think you’re above it now?” Receiving a look from Serena, one of her girlfriends snapped, her voice sharp. Before I could react, she yanked my hair, and the full cup of hot coffee instantly splashed over me. “Stop it!” But the next second, a sudden male voice shattered the confrontation. Liam had just walked through the door and witnessed the scene. His face dark, he rushed over, pulling me behind him. “Who gave you permission to bully her?” No sooner had his roar fallen than Serena, who had been watching with a smirk, instantly had tears welling in her eyes. She smoothly clutched her stomach. “Liam! It’s not like that!” “Don’t blame my friend. She was just doing it for me… Audrey, she, she deliberately put dairy in my coffee. My stomach hurts so bad.” Liam’s movements froze. He looked at me with scrutiny, his gaze turning completely cold. Dairy? “Audrey, I clearly told you Serena is lactose intolerant!” How ridiculous. From protecting me to casting me aside, it took only one lie from Serena. “I didn’t!” Coffee dripped from my hair. My eyes burned. “She’s faking it.” But my explanations were drowned out by Serena’s superb acting, compounded by her friends’ exaggerations… Liam finally exploded in anger, smashing the coffee cup on the table. He strode forward, sweeping Serena into his arms, and declared sharply, “Audrey Hayes, you stay home and think about what you’ve done!” But Serena was clearly not satisfied. She cried piteously. “I’m not going to the hospital! No one has ever dared to bully me like this since I was little. I can’t take it, Liam, just let me die from the pain.” Serena threw a tantrum, refusing to go to the hospital, until Liam finally hardened his heart and coldly called for the bodyguards. “Take my wife to the backyard! Put her in solitary!” Solitary confinement was a punishment reserved for Vance family bodyguards who committed serious offenses. That two-square-meter, fully enclosed dark room would then be infested with all sorts of venomous insects… I trembled and struggled under the bodyguards’ restraint. “No! I don’t want to go!” But no matter how much I cried out, the figure carrying Serena out of the villa never looked back. For a full 24 hours, I curled up in the corner of the dark room, enduring the fiery itch and pain on my skin. The sensation of countless insects crawling over my skin almost drove me mad! But no matter how much I cried out, the bodyguards Liam had arranged stood impassively outside the door. Until the moment I lost consciousness, I felt the large red welts on my body, numb to the point of forgetting what pain was. Only a single tear tracked down my cheek. I closed my eyes, letting despair drain away the last of my love… “Audrey, don’t sleep. Wake up, okay?” When a familiar male voice pulled me back to consciousness, I snapped my eyes open. My gaze fell on the crystal chandelier in the guest room. Liam, sitting by the bed, finally sighed in relief when he saw me awaken, his voice unconsciously softening. “I know you’re upset, Audrey, but you really did the wrong thing. No matter what, you shouldn’t have harmed Serena.” Waking up only to face his accusations, I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. “You trust her that much?” Liam frowned, a flicker of impatience in his eyes. “Alright, that’s enough. I’ve had a spiritual advisor perform a blessing ritual for your mother’s ashes at sea. Don’t cause any more trouble. Right now, Serena’s condition is really the tricky part…” “She’s been pampered since childhood. This time, you scared her, and they can’t find a diagnosis. She can’t sleep all night. The spiritual advisor said that the person who harmed her must personally grind a protective bracelet from thorny branches for her…” I froze. So, he was watching over me, waiting for me to wake up, all just for Serena? My hoarse voice trembled. “Liam Vance, can’t you see me like this?” I lifted my arm; it was covered in large, red welts, without a single patch of normal skin. The deep bloody marks were horrifying. But Liam remained silent for a moment, then cruelly said, “Serena hasn’t rested for a whole day. The bracelet must be finished tonight!” “What if I say no?” My eyes reddened, but no more tears would fall. “Are you going to lock me back in that solitary room and let those venomous bugs bite me to death?!” Liam seemed hesitant to look at me, swallowing my tears, and merely closed his eyes in resignation. “Audrey, just bear with it. Once Serena’s body is fully recovered, once I’ve repaid her for saving my life, we’ll go back to how we used to be.” He spoke as if making a promise, then placed several finger-thick thorn branches on the bedside table, his demeanor returning to calm. “Remember, if you don’t do it, the bodyguards will help you. They say a bracelet ground from these thorns works best if it’s stained with human blood.” The guest room door slammed shut. Several bodyguards dutifully stood by the bed. “Madam, don’t waste time. Mr. Vance said you need to remove the thorns with your fingers, and each bead must be polished by hand with sandpaper.” That night, I was pulled out of bed by the bodyguards and didn’t close my eyes for a moment. My fingers were punctured with bleeding holes, torn into raw fissures by the sandpaper. Every movement brought agonizing pain. Finally, at dawn, Serena’s satisfied chuckle drifted from the master bedroom. “Liam, this bracelet really works. My head doesn’t feel dizzy anymore once I put it on.” Liam responded gently, “That’s good. Be a good girl, get some sleep. I’ll stay with you.” I slowly curled myself up in the corner of the bed, clenching my injured fingers, watching blood drip onto the sheets. My eyes burned, wanting to laugh. Once, if a rose thorn pricked me and drew a bead of blood, Liam would be heartbroken and remorseful for half a day. Now, he could take a bracelet stained with my blood and use it to make another woman happy. Liam Vance, Liam Vance, you still say we’ll go back to how we used to be? How could it be the same? My love for you has clearly been exhausted… The next day, Serena had a peaceful night’s sleep thanks to the bracelet. In high spirits, she dragged Liam out for a stroll. I only found out about their outing through her online posts, sharing that they had gone to Greece to watch the sunset. The photos showed the white walls of Santorini. Serena’s hand was held tightly by Liam’s long fingers, with the caption: “Ten years of loving you, a wish finally granted…” I stared at the photo, my heart feeling empty as if wind swept through it. Yet, surprisingly, I no longer felt pain. I silently slipped off the ring from my ring finger, then went to the garden, pulling up all the bellflowers in the flowerbed by their roots. I snipped them into pieces, discarding them in the trash. After doing this, I opened my laptop, logged into the account filled with hateful comments, set a scheduled post for one month later, and wrote: “When this letter is sent, I will likely no longer be here…” I wrote that planned “suicide note” for a very long time. As I typed the last period, the sound of a car parking suddenly echoed from the yard. Liam rushed into the villa, his steps hurried. “Why did you destroy those bellflowers, Audrey? Didn’t you love them most? I planted them myself for you back then.” For some reason, his face was pale, and there were traces of blood seeping through his sleeve. I calmly glanced at him, asked nothing, and simply slammed my laptop shut. “Their roots are rotten. We should plant something else from now on.” Hearing me mention “from now on,” Liam finally suppressed his unease. “Alright, I’ll plant them for you again later.” The night Liam returned, there was a charity gala in their social circle that required me to attend. In the evening, before the Rolls-Royce headed to the event venue, it first stopped at a styling salon. Liam personally got out to greet us. Serena, wearing a million-dollar custom-designed gown and carrying a rare-skin diamond bag, stood there motionless. Liam reluctantly opened the rear car door. “Audrey, look…” But before he could finish, I got out of the car without a word and directly sat in the passenger seat next to the driver. The charity gala was held at a grand estate villa. In the ballroom on the first floor, light and shadow intertwined beneath the enameled chandeliers. When Serena appeared, arm-in-arm with Liam, she instantly became the center of attention. A group of socialites eagerly gathered around her. “Serena, Mr. Vance is so good to you! This couture gown, you’re the first in the world to wear it!” “Right, I heard that a few days ago, overseas, to snatch this gown from a Parisian millionaire, he made a bet with them and raced cars, even injuring his arm?” So, he got hurt to get the heiress that couture gown… This conversation made Serena’s eyes redden. “Don’t even mention it, I was so worried, he bled so much. But I just said I liked it, and he…” “Haha, he’s clearly loving you so much he doesn’t care about his own life.” The group showered her with compliments, one person even scoffing and glancing at me. “Some people, they wear five-year-old out-of-season rags and think they’ve become a phoenix flying onto a branch. In reality, they’re not even fit to carry the heiress’s shoes!” I looked at the dress I was wearing; Liam had arranged it. I tried to endure, clenching my fingers tightly. Until the event began, and there was a charity auction. Although it was mostly small trinkets Serena wouldn’t care for, Liam, wanting to bolster her image, repeatedly bid lavishly. Only one emerald ring, he was a step too late. Another buyer swiftly outbid everyone. But Serena, of course, loved it. She whined, tugging Liam’s sleeve. “Liam, I really, really love that ring. If I don’t get it, I won’t be able to eat tonight.” With just that one sentence, Liam, after the auction ended, personally approached the buyer. “Mr. Sterling, name your price. Ten times, a hundred times, I have no objections.” The man on the other side chuckled. “Mr. Vance, you should know my rules. Money isn’t what I care about. It’s just that I’m lacking creative inspiration lately and happen to need a model. How about this…” I was on my way to the restroom when I inadvertently overheard their conversation around a corner. “Your wife, Ms. Hayes, I find her quite appealing. If she could model for me in the nude just once, I’ll let you have that ring at its original price.” Liam’s face darkened. “I’ll consider it.” In that moment, I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cellar. What did he mean by… *consider it*? Mr. Sterling was an infamous playboy in their social circles, rumored to have a peculiar hobby: he loved photography, but he only photographed… My body trembled imperceptibly. I turned and quickly walked away. But not long after, in a corner of the ballroom, someone grabbed me. “Audrey, I have something I want to discuss with you.” Liam paused, trying to appease me by handing me a personally mixed fruit wine. “You’ve seen how much better Serena’s been doing lately. She’ll be able to move out after a bit more recovery. It’s just… she saw that ring today.” “But the buyer said if you’d agree to model for him just once, he’d give up the ring. You see…” “Impossible!” I suppressed my trembling, pushing him away. “Liam Vance, what do you take me for?!” A massive bitterness surged within me. I tried to suppress the overwhelming emotions, draining the fruit wine in my hand in one desperate gulp, as if to drown my anger. But just as I walked out of the ballroom, a dizzying fog clouded my mind. I lost control and stumbled backward. That drink, it was drugged… In my hazy consciousness, I vaguely felt Liam embrace me. His murmured voice held suppressed regret. “I’m sorry, Audrey. This is the last time.” *Click*— The spotlight suddenly flared, and I opened my eyes in the excessively harsh light. I was lying in a completely blacked-out room, my clothes already stripped off… A chill instantly swept through my entire body. In a panic, I curled my body, my slender arms drawn to my chest, but the meager cover was useless. A full-body weakness prevented me from standing. “Ms. Hayes, you’re truly beautiful, especially through my lens.” From behind the camera, the man’s malicious chuckle reached me. The dark, gaping lens, like a predatory beast, was pointed directly at me. “You pervert! I’m calling the police! What you’re doing is illegal!” I cried out in despair. “Oh? And who are you going to report? Me? Or your husband?” The man sneered. “This estate is my territory. All I’m asking is for you to pose nude for art. I did promise Liam I wouldn’t touch you beyond photography. But if you have other needs, I…” “Get away from me!” In that moment, I could no longer hold back my tears. I was like a fish on a chopping block, naked and exposed on the soft, diffused fabric backdrop… But he showed no intention of letting me go. “Yes, good. You’re even more enchanting when you cry.” The camera’s flash felt like knives, slicing at my heart again and again. I don’t know how long it lasted before the flashing camera finally turned off. I don’t even remember how I got dressed, or how I managed to get up and walk out of that room. I felt like a broken marionette, my humiliated steps heavy and slow. “Ms. Hayes, I’ve photographed tens of thousands of women to date, but you’re the first to be personally handed over by her own husband,” a mocking chuckle drifted from behind me. My fingers, gripping the doorknob, were white. I knew this wasn’t the time to confront him. My self-deprecating voice was filled with resolve. “I’m divorced. He’s no longer my husband…” Behind me, that door finally closed. I started to tremble uncontrollably, wrapping my arms around myself, trying to find some warmth. By now, the banquet downstairs was nearing its end. As I numbly walked out of the hall, I suddenly heard a “boom”— The next second, fireworks erupted across the estate’s sky. Brilliant sparks formed clear words in the air: “Happy Birthday, Serena!” It turned out this was Liam’s surprise. After midnight, it was Serena’s birthday… In the garden nearby, Liam stood under the fireworks, his eyes filled with deep affection in the night. “Happy birthday, Serena. Whether it’s the gown or the ring, whatever you want, I’ll find a way.” He spoke, opening a jewelry box in front of Serena. It was the emerald ring he had obtained by sacrificing me… The crowd around them was cheering wildly. “Kiss her! Kiss her!” Liam hadn’t even reacted, but Serena was already on her tiptoes, leaning in for a kiss…

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298752”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

Among the Merfolk, the Golden Mermen are revered above all. The female who bears a Golden Merman grants her consort the throne and secures her own place as Queen. In my past life, as a lowly red carp, I married into the Merfolk royalty and, against all odds, gave birth to a Golden Merman. Yet, after my husband ascended to the throne, he ripped out my very core essence. My own son then fed my true form to the piranhas. All because my sister awakened her dormant bloodline, transforming into a noble White Serpent Dragon. My husband looked down on me with disdain. “If I didn’t possess the Golden Merman’s bloodline, how could you possibly have given birth to such a talented Golden Merman? You have no right to be the Merfolk Queen!” My son, even more contemptuous, spat, “I refuse to acknowledge you as my mother! I utterly despise you. Lyra is incredibly gentle and has even ascended to a White Serpent Dragon. If she were my mother, she would never force me to do things I don’t want to!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the Merfolk royal selection. Kaelen, my husband from the previous life, eagerly chose my sister as his consort. My son, Caspian, was also reborn as Lyra’s child, just as he wished. But this time, Caspian was reborn as a black carp.

When I was reborn, Kaelen had already taken Lyra’s hand, declaring his intention to make her his consort. Everyone watched, utterly stunned, but I merely let out a sigh of relief. I looked up to see Lyra gazing at Kaelen with an incredulous, lovestruck expression. Kaelen, however, only gave me a smug, triumphant look. That’s when I realized: he had been reborn too. The Carp Clan was the weakest in the entire East Sea. So, even though I was the legitimate princess of the Carp Clan, Lyra and I were always looked down upon by the Merfolk simply because we were carps. King Theron had ten sons. The year Lyra and I entered the palace for the royal selection, five of the princes were choosing their consorts. Lyra and I were sent to the Merfolk royal palace. Aside from us, all the other women belonged to higher-ranking clans. After the princes made their choices, only Lyra and I remained. Just as I was thinking I could finally go home, the Tenth Prince, Kaelen, chose me. Kaelen’s true form was a common black carp, the Merman King’s illegitimate son. His status among the princes was far from high. After he chose me, we were quickly married. Five months into our marriage, the Tenth Prince actually transformed into a merman. Later, I became pregnant and gave birth to a Golden Merman, named Caspian. A carp transforms into a merman after five centuries, and a merman must endure another millennium to ascend to a Golden Merman. However, not every carp can become a merman, and not every merman can transform into a Golden Merman. On Caspian’s hundredth birthday, Kaelen himself also transformed into a Golden Merman. After examining both their destinies, the Shaman declared that they would ascend to godhood in just two millennia, not five. King Theron was overjoyed. He abdicated early, making Kaelen the new Merman King, and I smoothly became the Merfolk Queen. But the first thing the father and son did after Kaelen ascended to the throne was to kill me! They believed that I, a red carp, was a stain on their father-son glory. They thought Lyra, who later transformed into a merman, was more befitting of their status. If Kaelen had chosen Lyra back then, Caspian’s tail wouldn’t have had that large red birthmark. They tricked me into drinking poisoned wine. Kaelen used a blade to slice open my chest, ripping out and crushing my core essence. After I reverted to my true form, they plucked out my scales one by one to make a red scale robe for Lyra. My son then chopped up my true form and fed it to the piranhas in the sea. The腥味 of the piranhas in my nose still made me shiver involuntarily. King Theron was not satisfied with Kaelen’s choice. “Kaelen, if you must choose someone from the Carp Clan, why not choose the red carp?” Not just King Theron, everyone felt that if Kaelen were to choose a carp as his consort, no one was more suitable than me. My mother had been the Queen of the Carp Clan, while Lyra’s mother was merely my mother’s attendant. Back then, Lyra’s mother had taken advantage of my mother’s pregnancy to sneak into my father’s bed. In terms of looks, status, or spiritual power, Lyra simply couldn’t compare. Yet, Kaelen stood firm in his choice. He knelt before King Theron. “Father, my heart belongs solely to Lyra. I don’t believe I’m fated to be with anyone else.” At these words, Lyra’s face instantly flushed crimson. Though she was a carp princess, her mother’s humble status and her own form as a white carp often led to her being scorned. Even if Kaelen’s true form was a common black carp, he was still the Merman King’s son. Marrying into the Merfolk royalty was a significant leap in status for her. Moreover, Kaelen had rejected me and chosen her in front of everyone. Thinking of this, Lyra cast a triumphant glance my way. King Theron didn’t truly value his illegitimate son and mostly tolerated him. Since Kaelen was so resolute in his choice, King Theron agreed to the marriage. At that moment, only I remained in the great hall, unchosen. King Theron spoke, “Elara, since no one has chosen you, you may return to the Carp Clan.” “Father!” No sooner had King Theron finished speaking than Kaelen knelt again. “Your son visited the ancient merman in the Abyssal Grotto yesterday. Though he is five thousand years old and his body is not what it once was, he is still a member of our Merfolk clan. I’ve heard Elara is blessed with good fortune for her partner. Perhaps she could marry him, so as not to disappoint the Carp Clan’s expectations.”

The ancient merman Kaelen spoke of was the “beggar” of the Merfolk. He had no children and no family, yet had lived for five millennia, residing solely in the Abyssal Grotto. They said his body was in such poor condition that he couldn’t leave the Grotto, barely able to even acquire food. In my previous life, it was Lyra who was married to the ancient merman. But on the very night she was wed, he died. The ancient merman should have passed away from old age, but the Shaman declared that Lyra not only cursed her husband but also brought harm to the Merfolk. In a fit of rage, King Theron ordered Lyra to be sealed in the Abyssal Grotto, never to emerge. Yet, after Lyra was sealed, a White Serpent Dragon burst forth from the Grotto. This White Serpent Dragon circled the royal palace twice before descending and transforming into human form. Someone cautiously observed her. And discovered it was Lyra! To become a true dragon, one must ascend to godhood. And a Serpent Dragon is the lowest tier of dragon. Legend said that a small attendant from the Celestial Dragon Palace was punished and sent to the mortal realm to undergo trials. If she encountered great peril, she would transform into a White Serpent Dragon. So, wasn’t this my sister? Suddenly, Lyra became the most celebrated figure in the East Sea. King Theron even built a separate palace just for her and gifted her a Luminous Pearl of the East Sea. King Theron actually believed Kaelen’s absurd claims and directly betrothed me to the ancient merman. I feared the Carp Clan would suffer because of me, so I dared not defy him. Thus, after three days of preparation, I was forcibly dressed in a wedding gown and wed to the ancient merman. After the ceremony, Kaelen, with his arm around Lyra’s waist, approached me. “Congratulations, Elara. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be a lowly carp. Though this ancient merman is frail, he’ll surely treat you well.” The ancient merman was on his last legs, unable to even sit up. In my previous life, he had died on this very day. He died, and Kaelen didn’t even pin the crime of “husband-cursing” on me. That would have been his great mercy. I shot him a cold glance, replying without hesitation, “Indeed. Though he’s frail and old, his true form is that of a genuine merman.” At these words, Kaelen’s face instantly darkened. His true form was a common black carp, and he detested it when anyone brought up his original form. “Elara, don’t be ungrateful. You’ve barely married into the Merfolk, and you’re already putting on airs.” “What if he’s a merman? In his barely clinging-to-life state, he won’t last much longer.” “A merman’s consort who fails to bear children can be flayed and dismembered!” Lyra, standing beside him, also mocked me: “Sister, you’ve overshadowed me for four centuries. Now, the tables have turned, haven’t they?” “Whose fault is it that you didn’t win the Tenth Prince’s favor? The Tenth Prince will be five hundred years old soon and will quickly transform into a merman.” “You’d best pray that old merman dies slowly, just long enough to see me and the Tenth Prince get married.” I scoffed. Kaelen still dreamed of transforming into a merman? He truly believed his successful transformation in the past was due to his own destiny. In reality, the true reason was the bloodline within me. Before I left, my mother had revealed her secret to me. Her ancestors included the youngest daughter of the East Sea Dragon King. That princess had descended to the mortal realm for trials, leaving behind many descendants. Thus, I too carried dragon blood within me. Through our intimate moments with a male, both we and our partners could elevate our cultivation, and I could transfer my dragon blood to him. And the children I bore could inherit their mother’s dragon blood, being born with far greater cultivation than other children. That was why, in the previous life, Kaelen was able to successfully transform into a merman and quickly ascend to a Golden Merman. And Caspian was born a Golden Merman, possessing cultivation levels others could only dream of. I personally raised that child, teaching him to read, how to cultivate, and how to fight. Yet, in the end, he used the methods I taught him to brutally slice open my true form and chop it into pieces. “You, a mere red carp, how dare you claim to be my mother, Caspian? I am a Golden Merman! My mother should naturally be more noble, just like Lyra.” Kaelen and Caspian both believed Lyra was a White Serpent Dragon. But only I knew. Lyra was no Serpent Dragon at all. She hadn’t truly transformed. Her mother, my mother’s attendant, had secretly practiced forbidden arts from my mother, simply causing onlookers to experience illusions. Thinking of this, I closed my eyes. I had intended to tell them, father and son, the secret of my dragon blood. But before I could, they brutally murdered me. Since they believed I was lowly and unworthy of them. Then I would simply watch how Kaelen, without my dragon blood, would ever transform into a merman. After the ceremony, I was sent into the Abyssal Grotto. It was pitch black inside. They threw me down and quickly left. Groping through the darkness, I faintly saw the ancient merman in a glimmer of light.

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I was starving after working late, so I ripped open a bag of spicy chips. That’s when Sharon, my manager, absolutely blew her top. She darted over, pointing a finger right at my face. “Harper! Is this your personal kitchen? If you want to snack, do it on your own damn time!” “And that $200,000 commission you were expecting this month? Forget about it!” I stared at her face, contorted with rage, and calmly popped another spicy chip into my mouth. “Oh, whatever.” Then, right in front of her, I pulled out my phone, opened a job hunting app, and started browsing. That made her panic. “Harper, don’t be impulsive, that’s not what I meant.” Sharon’s face, which had been bright red, instantly drained to white. The woman who’d just been yelling in my face now forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. I couldn’t be bothered with her. My fingers flew across the job hunting app on my phone. I even clicked on a listing for a position that explicitly stated “$300,000 salary,” perusing it with an almost theatrical interest. “Let’s talk this through calmly. We’re colleagues in the same department; no need to make things so hostile.” Sharon’s voice softened, laced with an attempt to appease me. I didn’t even bother to look up. “Sharon, you’re the one who made things hostile.” “You work late, I work late with you. I get hungry and eat a bag of spicy chips, and you want to deduct my $200,000 commission.” “Now I’m looking for a new job, and you’re telling me not to be impulsive.” “I’m not quite following your logic.” My tone was as flat as if I were discussing the weather. The other colleagues still working overtime in the office didn’t dare to breathe. Each of them had their ears practically glued to our conversation. Sharon’s face cycled through shades of green and white. Clearly, she’d never been so publicly humiliated by a subordinate. She took a deep breath, trying to regain some composure. “Harper, I know you work hard, but this is still a corporate office. It doesn’t look good.” “I was just speaking out of anger earlier. We can revisit the commission.” “Revisit?” I finally looked up, meeting her eyes directly. “Are you saying you never intended to give me the full $200,000?” Sharon’s gaze flickered, and she stammered, “What do you mean… it’s what you earned, but there are always procedures, right?” I smiled. I got it. The $200,000 commission was mine from the company, but it needed her, the department manager, to sign off on it. She wanted a cut. The spicy chips were just an excuse she found to intentionally make things difficult. I couldn’t even be bothered to argue with her anymore. I picked up my phone. And directly clicked “Connect” on that $300,000 job listing. “You!” Sharon was trembling with fury. I slowly stood up, gathering my personal items from my desk one by one into a cardboard box. My water bottle. My little plant. My keyboard, my mouse… With each item I packed, Sharon’s face grew darker. Her sycophantic colleague, Tiffany, leaned over and whispered in Sharon’s ear, “Sharon, she’s just trying to scare you. $200,000 commission? She’d never walk away from that.” Sharon seemed to find some sense in that, her expression softened a bit, and she straightened up, regaining her managerial stance. She cleared her throat and put on her manager’s air again. “Harper, don’t take this too far. I know you’ve contributed to the company, but the company isn’t indispensable to you.” I didn’t say anything, just quietly continued packing. Once everything was packed, I picked up the box and walked over to her. “Sharon, could you please move?” Sharon froze. She hadn’t expected me to actually go through with it. “Harper, if you walk out that door today, you won’t get a single penny of that $200,000!” She blustered, but her voice wavered. I stopped, turning back to look at her. “Oh, I forgot to tell you.” “The HR person I just connected with asked if I’d be interested in bringing my team over.” “Salary, double.” With that, I didn’t look back at her instantly pale face. I carried my box and walked out of the office without another glance. Behind me, there was a deathly silence. And the sharp crack of a cup shattering.

I had just reached the elevator with my box when my phone started ringing like crazy. It was Mr. Sterling, the big boss. I swiped to answer, and before I could even speak, Mr. Sterling’s angry voice crashed over me. “Harper! Get back to your office right now!” “Who gave you the nerve to storm out on your superior?” I leaned against the cold elevator wall, my voice calm. “Mr. Sterling, I think there might be some misunderstanding.” “Misunderstanding? Sharon just called me! She said you publicly defied her in the office, showed insubordination, and even incited other colleagues to quit!” Hah. Classic move. The one in the wrong always points the finger first. I could practically hear her embellishing the story on the phone. “Mr. Sterling, I was just hungry from working late and ate a bag of spicy chips.” “Sharon said she was going to deduct my $200,000 commission this month.” “I figured, since company rules are so strict, it’s better if I don’t cause any more trouble for the company. Resigning seems like the better option.” Mr. Sterling on the other end of the line fell silent. A $200,000 commission wasn’t a small sum. It meant I had secured a multi-million dollar deal for the company. Mr. Sterling was a businessman; he understood the stakes better than anyone. After a few seconds, his tone softened. “Harper, it’s normal for young people to have a bit of a temper. Sharon can be a bit direct, but she’s always looking out for the company’s best interest.” “Just come back, and we can sort everything out in person.” “Looking out for the company’s best interest means arbitrarily withholding an employee’s legitimate earnings?” I calmly retorted. Mr. Sterling was clearly taken aback again. “Alright, just calm down. I promise, you’ll get every cent of that commission.” “Come back now, and I’ll make Sharon apologize to you.” Make Sharon apologize to me? It sounded sincere. But I knew this type of power play too well. Today, he might make Sharon apologize to appease me. Tomorrow, he’d find ways to make my life hell to protect Sharon. After all, Sharon was his wife’s niece. A nepotism baby. And I was just a tool to generate profit for him. “No need, Mr. Sterling.” “My decision is made.” “I’ll send my resignation letter to your email.” With that, I hung up the phone. With a ‘ding,’ the elevator doors opened. I stepped inside with my box. The elevator doors slowly closed, reflecting my calm, unwavering face. Back in my apartment, I put down my things and took a hot shower. Then, I ordered a deluxe spicy noodle soup takeout. With extra spicy chips, of course. My phone had dozens of missed calls – from Mr. Sterling, Sharon, and other colleagues. My SnapChat was blowing up. Tiffany was in the department group chat, indignantly accusing me: “She was just told off a little bit, did she have to make such a scene?” “Getting the highest commission in the company and still being so thin-skinned, it’s unbelievable.” “Sharon is really unlucky to have to deal with such a difficult person.” A few other colleagues who were close to Sharon quickly chimed in with their agreement. Meanwhile, my friends and those I usually got along with chose to remain silent. I looked at the chat history, a cold smirk playing on my lips. This was the corporate world. No permanent friends, only permanent interests. I didn’t bother to defend myself in the group chat. I just quietly took a screenshot. Then, I found our key client, Mr. Davies, on SnapChat, took a photo of my luxurious spicy noodle soup, and sent it to him. With the caption: “Mr. Davies, finally some time to enjoy a proper meal.”

Mr. Davies replied almost instantly. A single question mark. “?” I responded, “Just left my last company, feeling light as a feather.” Silence for about a minute. Then, the phone rang directly. “Harper, what’s going on? You quit?” Mr. Davies’s voice was surprised, with a hint of seriousness. “Yes, just finalized it today.” I picked up a spicy chip, savoring it, but kept my tone professionally calm. “Why so sudden? What about that multi-million dollar project of yours, the follow-up procedures and technical maintenance? I only trust you.” Mr. Davies was a client I’d been working with for six months. He was notoriously particular, but incredibly fair. A true tech purist, he hated corporate games and all their twists and turns. I had secured his business not through wining and dining, but through genuine professional competence and sincerity. “Mr. Davies, don’t worry. Even though I’ve left, I’ve arranged all the project materials and follow-up contacts, and I’ve left detailed handover documents. It won’t affect your project schedule.” That was my professional standard. Even if I was leaving, I’d ensure a smooth handover. “I’m not talking about that!” Mr. Davies’s voice was a little agitated. “My cooperation with you was based on *you*, on your technical solutions! I don’t trust anyone else!” “That Sharon manager at your company, I already didn’t like her when we had dinner last time. She knew nothing about the business, only how to suck up and propose toasts. Annoying as hell.” I chuckled. “Can’t help it, she’s the boss’s relative.” On the other end of the phone, Mr. Davies scoffed, full of disdain. “I figured. A nepotism baby.” “Harper, tell me the truth, did she make your life hell?” I didn’t answer directly, changing the subject instead. “Mr. Davies, let’s not dwell on that. Maybe we’ll have a chance to work together again in the future.” The phone line went silent. So long that I thought he was going to hang up. “Harper.” Mr. Davies’s voice returned, now exceptionally steady. “I recognize your ability. But honestly, you alone aren’t enough. In this industry, connections, a team, resources – none of them are expendable.” My heart sank. Everything he said was true. “However,” he continued, changing his tone, “there might be an opportunity.” My heart skipped a beat. “One of my subsidiary companies has a very important project going up for public bidding at the end of the month. The scale is much larger than your current project, and the technical requirements are more complex.” “This will be a pure battle of strength, and all the big companies looking to participate will be there. I can’t give you any promises, and I won’t open any backdoors for you.” He paused, his voice carrying a testing tone: “If you have what it takes, to put together a team in such a short amount of time.” “And come up with a solution that will convince me, and all the judges.” “And win the bidding…” “Then, between us, we’ll have a foundation to discuss further cooperation.” “If you can’t do it, then this call today never happened. You’ll be on your own.” I hung up the phone and looked at the unfinished spicy noodle soup in my bowl, suddenly finding it tasteless. Mr. Davies wasn’t feeding me empty promises. He was offering me a path I could see, but it was a tightrope suspended over a bottomless chasm. Win, and the world is mine. Lose, and I’m utterly ruined. Ripping open that bag of spicy chips had kicked off the biggest gamble of my professional career. Just then, my phone rang again. An unknown number. I answered it. “Hello, is this Harper?” A shrill, arrogant female voice. “It is. Who’s this?” “I’m Mr. Sterling’s wife. Sharon’s aunt.” Oh, so the real boss had arrived. “Can I help you?” My tone remained flat. “Harper, I don’t care how you do it, but you need to go to the company right now and apologize to Sharon!” Her voice was sharp and cutting, a command that brooked no argument. “Otherwise, I’ll make sure you can’t survive in this industry!” “Oh?” I let out a soft laugh, a lazy, mocking sound escaping my nose. “Mrs. Sterling, you’ve got some nerve.” “Who do you think you are? The queen of this industry?”

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At midnight, my phone buzzed with a SnapChat from Lily’s classmate’s mom. She sent me a video of the kids having lunch at kindergarten. Then, she immediately messaged again. “Lily’s mom, why isn’t Lily eating shrimp?” Groggily, I tapped out a reply. “She’s allergic.” I thought that would be the end of it. But then my phone just wouldn’t quit buzzing. I put it on silent, hoping she’d finally get the hint, but just when I thought I was free, she outright called me. “Lily’s mom, an allergy isn’t some magic pass not to eat! Kids watch everything, you know. If Lily isn’t eating shrimp, then my Daisy will totally get the idea and stop eating it too!” My sleep evaporated, my mind went blank. Is that something a normal person would say? Fearing I’d misheard, I repeated myself. “Ms. Albright, my daughter is severely allergic to shrimp. She can’t eat it.” “I know she’s allergic to shrimp.” Her tone on the other end sharpened, growing impatient, her voice shrill and thin. “So, just because she’s allergic, she doesn’t have to eat it? You’re spoiling your child beyond belief. You’re not only being irresponsible to your own kid, but you’ll severely corrupt other children.” “Honestly, talking to you is like pulling teeth. No wonder people say some people just shouldn’t be parents, they can’t even hold a proper conversation.” At that, my temper flared. “Ms. Albright, state your business, but don’t resort to personal attacks. I’m about to—” Before I could finish, she cut me off. “Oh, fine, fine, I won’t waste any more breath on you.” “Today, because your daughter refused to eat shrimp, my Ava missed out on one. Seeing as they’re classmates, I won’t ask for too much. Just half a million dollars for my daughter’s nutritional expenses, and we’ll call it even. Next time, it won’t be so simple.” Half a million? Fifty thousand for missing one shrimp? Why doesn’t this woman just rob a bank directly? I’m soft when people are soft, but I’m fierce when they’re fierce. I wasn’t about to indulge someone like her. “Ms. Albright, whether my daughter eats shrimp is her business. If your daughter chooses to imitate her, that’s a failure in your parenting, and it has nothing to do with us.” With that, I hung up, refusing to give her another chance to spew venom. This sudden incident left me tossing and turning all night. Having Ivy as a classmate of Ms. Albright’s daughter wasn’t a long-term solution. I decided to move Ivy to a different preschool. “Mommy, but Ava wants to go to school today. Yesterday, my friends and I promised we’d bring them cookies today. Ivy doesn’t want to be someone who breaks her word.” Seeing my daughter’s little face scrunched up, my heart melted. I couldn’t bear to disappoint her. Fine, one more day it is. As for Ms. Albright, she was probably just a paper tiger. After all, there were teachers in the preschool, and surveillance cameras everywhere. Thinking this, my heart settled a little. “Ivy, if anything happens, you *must* call Mommy, okay?” “Okay, Mommy! Bye-bye!” To be safe, I specifically sent a SnapChat message to Ms. Jenkins, asking her to keep an extra eye on Ivy. After doing everything I could think of, I threw myself into work. We had a new project bid coming up, doubling my usual workload. I was busy until past 1 PM before I finally had time to sit down and drink some water. I opened SnapChat and instinctively checked my chat with Ivy’s teacher. To my surprise, the conversation was still stuck on the message I’d sent that morning. Ms. Jenkins was usually busy, but she’d always reply within two hours at the latest. Not like this, with four or five hours passing without a word. A knot of dread tightened in my stomach. I quickly made a FaceTime call to Ms. Jenkins. But no matter how many times I dialed, there was no answer. I then called Ivy. The voice that responded was, *“The number you have dialed does not exist!”*

A strong, terrible premonition surged through me. I forgot about lunch, driving straight to Ivy’s preschool. As soon as I entered, I spotted Ms. Jenkins, Ivy’s homeroom teacher. Like a drowning person grasping a lifeline, I rushed up to her. “Ms. Jenkins, where’s Ivy?” “Ivy’s mom, Ivy’s napping right now. Is something wrong?” Ms. Jenkins was as cheerful as usual, but as she saw me, a flicker of panic clearly crossed her eyes! I didn’t bother with pleasantries and walked straight in. “Ivy’s mom, the children are all sleeping now. You can’t just barge in.” Ms. Jenkins tried to stop me, but a mother’s fierce instinct took over. Her slender body was no match for mine. “Ivy, Mommy’s here to take you home!” I shouted as I walked. Normally, if I called her more than twice, Ivy would immediately respond. But now, there was nothing. I searched room after room. Not only was Ivy gone, but there were no other children either! More and more teachers emerged to try and dissuade me. “Where have you taken my Ivy?!” “Ivy’s mom, please calm down. This is a school. Please don’t make such a scene. We can discuss whatever happened calmly.” “That’s right, Ivy’s mom, you’re being too aggressive.” Instead of helping me find my daughter, they started to criticize me. I was the victim, yet they were accusing me of causing trouble and being unreasonable! If she wasn’t in the nap room, I’d check other places. The office, the cafeteria, the classrooms… I turned every place I visited upside down. “Ivy’s mom, if you keep this up, I’ll call the police!” “Go ahead! I dare you!” The air fell silent for a moment. Just then, I suddenly heard a cry! It was coming from the storage room around the corner! The teachers clearly heard it too; their faces turned frantic. “Ivy’s mom, this is for staff only. You can’t go in there!” At this point, I couldn’t hear their pleas. All I wanted was to break through that door. The door was locked from the inside, so I slammed my body against it. Finally, the door burst open. Seeing the scene inside, my eyes blazed with fire. I wanted to kill. My daughter was on her hands and knees, bound hand and foot. Someone was holding her mouth open, forcing shrimp into it! “What are you doing?!” Hearing my voice, Ivy struggled harder, but her strength was too little, and it was useless. I frantically tried to rush to my daughter’s side. But a group of people surged forward, forming a barrier between me and Ivy. The woman sitting in the middle, smirking triumphantly. I recognized her. It was Ms. Albright! “Ivy’s mom, last night I told you to teach your daughter a lesson, but you didn’t listen. So, it falls to an outsider like me to do it, doesn’t it?” As she spoke, she continued to shove shrimp into Ivy’s mouth. By now, Ivy’s face was covered in red rashes, her lips swollen and red. She no longer had the strength to speak. My heart ached with every beat. Ivy had grown up, and I had never laid a finger on her. Now she was enduring such inhuman torture! “Ivy’s mom, don’t worry so much. Ms. Albright is a doctor. She’s giving Ivy desensitization therapy.” Ms. Jenkins blocked me, her face a picture of sincerity. “That’s right, Ivy’s mom. See, even Ms. Jenkins says so. You can relax.” “The preschool is a shared environment, not a place for special exceptions. Why can everyone else eat shrimp, but not your child? If this corrupts our children, can you bear the responsibility?” I knew some parents had limited understanding. But the teachers? They were educated professionals. How could they allow such an absurd thing to happen?

I fought to push forward, but there were too many of them. Ms. Albright had clearly come prepared; there were easily a dozen parents. They formed a human wall, making it impossible for me to reach my daughter. My heart was pounding with anxiety. “Let go of my daughter! You’re going to kill her!” Ivy’s cheeks were already severely swollen, and her breathing had become rapid. Yet, she used every ounce of her remaining strength to reassure me. “Mommy, Ivy’s okay. Ivy doesn’t hurt.” Ms. Albright gave a wicked smile. “See? I told you she’s fine. Be a good girl, Ivy. Eat ten more shrimp, and Auntie won’t make your mommy pay for Ava’s nutrition, okay?” “Okay, Auntie, you promise you’ll count!” “No!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Ivy, don’t eat it! Listen to Mommy, don’t eat it!” Ivy hesitated, closing her mouth again. But the next second, Ms. Albright yanked her hair, forcing her mouth open. Someone saw this and immediately rushed over to help. Several strands of Ivy’s hair were torn out, and she cried out in pain. “You psychos, let go of my daughter! If anything happens to her, can any of you bear the responsibility?!” “I’m telling you, I called the police on my way here! Every single person here will face consequences. Get ready to go to jail and become a lifelong stain on your children’s lives!” Everyone’s expressions shifted, and they began to waver. The human wall weakened, and I spotted an opening, ready to charge through. Then I heard Ms. Albright say, “What can the police do? Capitol City is run by the Vances!” “Quick, stop this madwoman! If you do, I’ll put in a good word with Julian, and you’ll be first in line for any future Vance family collaborations.” The Vance family? Julian? Julian Vance! Isn’t he my husband? When did he become *hers*? I hadn’t even processed what was happening before I was pushed back again. Someone eager to earn big favors grabbed my daughter’s hair and began slapping her hard. “That’s what you get for not eating shrimp, for being so stubborn!” Ms. Albright smugly lifted her chin. Seeing this, everyone followed suit. Ivy swayed like a falling autumn leaf, on the verge of collapsing. I roared, my voice raw. “She’s a liar! She’s not Mrs. Vance, because I am!” Ivy was beaten until she gradually lost strength, her breathing becoming shallow. “Ivy’s mom, lying is bad. No wonder Ivy is so disobedient; she learned it from you, didn’t she?” Ms. Jenkins deliberately fanned the flames, and I slapped her across the face. “Shut your mouth!” “If you don’t believe me, I can make a FaceTime call!” Ms. Albright nonchalantly stood up and walked over to me. She scoffed. “What’s so credible about a video call? AI can fake those, you know. To prove something, you need actual evidence.” “Besides, you called the police ages ago. Do you see even one police officer here?” It had been over an hour since I called the police. Even with slow response times… At that thought, my heart sank. She watched my expression, covering her mouth with a triumphant laugh. “To tell you the truth, this place has already been sealed off by the Vance family. Unless… your precious daughter eats all hundred pounds of this shrimp, nobody’s leaving!” “Mr. Harrison, please bring in the gift I prepared for Ivy.” The moment she finished speaking, a man walked in. When I finally got a clear look at his face, my eyes widened! It really was Mr. Harrison, Julian Vance’s personal assistant!

I didn’t immediately grasp the impropriety of his presence, my mind consumed only by Ivy. I gripped his arm tightly. “Mr. Harrison, quickly, get me and Ivy out of here! If we don’t leave now, she’ll die!” But Mr. Harrison looked at me as if he’d never seen me before, prying my fingers off his arm. “I apologize, ma’am, but I only follow orders from our CEO, Mr. Vance’s wife, Ms. Celeste Vance.” I felt a bucket of ice water dumped on me, standing frozen in place. CEO’s wife, Celeste Vance? A sudden image flashed through my mind. It was then I realized: Julian Vance’s waist tattoo, “YQ,” wasn’t the initials of his mother’s name, but *Celeste Vance’s*! What about me then? What about our nearly ten-year marriage? Celeste Vance chuckled, seeing my distraught expression. “Some people, born in the slums, always dream of living a fantasy. Ivy’s mom, do you still insist you’re Mrs. Vance?” “Please, Mrs. Vance, I beg you to show mercy and spare my daughter. I promise I’ll discipline her properly from now on.” As I spoke, my knees buckled, and I knelt before her. Although Julian Vance and I were legally married, my daughter’s life was in danger. I couldn’t risk further angering Celeste Vance. The more subservient I was, the happier Celeste Vance would be. And the less my daughter would suffer. “Like mother, like daughter. The mother is a compulsive liar, and the daughter is just as vile!” “Mrs. Vance, you can’t let her off that easily! She made our children not eat shrimp and wasted so much of our time. You must uphold justice for us!” Someone brutally kicked me from behind. Blood surged into my chest, and a mouthful of fresh blood splattered onto my daughter’s already shattered smart watch. The thought of Ivy trying to call me for help, only to be abused and destroyed by these psychos, made my heart feel like it was being squeezed in a vice. Breathing became difficult from the pain. “Since you all put it that way, I suppose I’ll reluctantly help you out. For every shrimp this little wretch eats, I’ll reward her with a million dollars.” I snapped my head up, my eyes bloodshot. This Celeste Vance, she truly intended to kill Ivy! “No! She’ll die if you do that!” But they ignored me, swarming forward and encircling my daughter. Ivy was shoved back and forth, trapped in the middle, her terrified cries drowned out by their clamor. “I am Seraphina Sterling! The biological daughter of Mayor Sterling of Capitol City! If you stop now, I will let you off the hook. Otherwise, every single one of you will face severe consequences. You won’t get away with this!” Ms. Jenkins let out a small laugh. “Ivy’s mom, using the same trick twice makes you look foolish.” “Mrs. Vance, I think we should just perform a tongue-cutting surgery on Ivy. That way, when she grows up, she won’t be a liar like her mother.” Celeste Vance smirked disdainfully. “Since Ms. Jenkins suggested it, I’ll offer Ivy’s mom this service for free.” With that, she pulled out a knife. She crouched beside Ivy. “No! Celeste, you lunatic, stop it!” Ivy was already semi-conscious, like a rag doll, completely at their mercy. Hearing my voice, she forced her eyes open and looked in my direction. But I was pinned to the ground by four or five people, unable to move, forced to watch helplessly. Celeste Vance first slapped Ivy hard, then roughly pulled out her tongue. She measured it with her eyes, then sharply raised her arm and thrust the knife towards Ivy. Just in the nick of time. The door suddenly burst open. “What are you doing?!” It was Julian Vance!

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My wife, Seraphina, just transferred half the company’s shares to Liam, her intern. Liam, of course, immediately gloated about it on his SnapChat story, “Thanks, my amazing boss lady, for believing in me! I finally have my very own shares! Mwah!” I was speechless, absolutely stunned. I immediately called Seraphina. “You transferred shares to *someone else*?!” Seraphina’s tone was utterly dismissive, like she couldn’t care less. “Liam isn’t just ‘someone else,’ Julian. Giving him shares is just to motivate him, isn’t it?” “We have so many companies in the family; we won’t even miss this one.” I was barely containing my rage. “Ten minutes, Seraphina. Get those shares back!” Seraphina hung up on me. And she didn’t reply to my follow-up texts. Three minutes later, every single one of Sterling Enterprises’ suppliers abruptly pulled out of their contracts. Well, if she’s so fond of giving away companies, I don’t mind giving away the *entire* Sterling Enterprises! All our suppliers had cut ties with the Arthur Corporation. Grandpa Arthur was practically tearing his hair out, desperate. He arrived at my house in his wheelchair, personally to make amends, his voice strained. “Alex, did that foolish girl, Chloe, upset you?” “Don’t worry, I’ll teach her a lesson she won’t forget! If she’s not to your liking, I have other granddaughters who would be a much better fit for you! You can take your pick!” “But please, don’t take it out on the Arthur Corporation, son. This old man can’t handle any more stress.” I took a deliberate, slow sip of my coffee, my voice deliberately calm. “Chloe blew a fortune on that toy boy, Leo, and transferred half her shares in the company to him.” “Do you think I *couldn’t* be angry, Grandpa?” Grandpa Arthur’s face froze, his cane slamming against the floor. “That irresponsible brat! Giving away shares to some stranger! Alex, don’t worry, I’ll make her get those shares back immediately!” Grandpa Arthur left in a huff. Not long after, Chloe called. I ignored it. But she was relentless, calling over twenty times. I blocked her number. Less than five minutes later, Chloe burst into my house. “Alex Alexander! Have you lost your mind?!” “It’s just a few shares in a *small* company, and you’re making such a fuss! You even conspired to cut off my allowance!” “How did you become so vicious?!” I was genuinely surprised. *She* thought *I* was vicious? The girl who used to whisper “I love you” shyly in my arms now looked like a completely different person. I ran a thumb over the cool surface of my polished obsidian ring, a chill spreading from my fingertips through my entire body. “All company shares are our joint marital assets. You transferred them to someone else without my consent. Did you even consider me?” “You have ten minutes. Get those shares back. Or I’ll make sure the entire Arthur Corporation pays the price with you!” Chloe stared at me in horror. She knew I always meant what I said; I wasn’t just blowing smoke. She muttered under her breath, “You’re a lunatic!” Weighing her options, she sighed softly. “Fine.” Her gaze dropped, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. I knew she was crying, waiting for me to comfort her. If this were before, I would have pulled her close, tenderly wiping away her tears. But now, I simply returned to reviewing the documents in my hand. We’d been married for a year, yet she couldn’t even maintain basic boundaries. I had no reason to respect her anymore. The company shares were quickly transferred back. My fury had mostly subsided. The remaining anger was appeased only after I’d smashed every single piece of her jewelry. The shattered remnants of her trinkets looked strangely poetic. I snapped a photo and sent it to her. “I hope you remember this lesson!” She didn’t reply. She didn’t come home that night either. I knew she was angry, protesting in her own way, but I no longer cared. 2 To secure new investments, the Alexander Group and Arthur Corporation co-hosted a business gala, inviting prominent figures from various industries. However, that evening, under Leo’s disastrous management, the event descended into utter chaos. A CEO from a major investment firm, who was supposed to be seated in the front row, was inexplicably relegated to the back, all because he was wearing a moderately priced shirt. And a major investor, who was set to fund 50% of the project, was flat-out denied entry at the door. Many influential moguls left in disappointment. I couldn’t fathom it. Chloe had handed such a crucial event to a completely inexperienced Leo. I immediately shut down the gala and began calling the industry giants one by one, preparing to personally apologize. But just then, Chloe burst into my office, kicking the door wide open, her usually delicate face contorted with rage. “Alex Alexander, what the hell is wrong with you?! Why would you humiliate Leo in front of everyone?” “I know you have a problem with him, but there’s no need to use company matters for personal vendettas!” “You’re truly repulsive!” She publicly humiliated me, utterly trampling my reputation in front of my own staff. Watching her contorted expression, I still couldn’t understand. After only a year of marriage, how could she have changed so drastically? My secretary, hearing the commotion, rushed in, trying to intervene, but Chloe snapped at her, her voice dripping with venom. “Open your eyes and look who you’re talking to! You think you have the right to stop me?!” I cleared my throat, and my secretary immediately backed away. I wasn’t going to lower myself to her level. My voice was calm, almost bored. “Who am I? With that attitude, I’d think you were my enemy.” “You know Leo’s capabilities. Do you honestly think he’s competent enough for this job?” She was speechless, but glared at me defiantly. “Tell me, what exactly did Leo do at the gala?” I gestured casually to my secretary, asking her to recount the events of the evening. Chloe’s face progressively darkened as my secretary recounted the night’s disasters. Her eyes darted around, and she instinctively clutched the hem of her dress. Yet, her defiance was unwavering. “Leo was in charge for the first time. He just lacked experience, but he’s very capable.” “Consider it a learning experience. He’ll know better next time.” Her naivete made me scoff. “Do you realize how much money you wasted, how many opportunities you jeopardized, all for his ‘training’?” “Get out. Now. I don’t want to see you anymore!” The Alexander Group and Arthur Corporation had spent six months preparing for this, finally convincing industry giants to attend, only for Leo to utterly destroy it all. Her face was ghost-white. Just as she hesitated, Leo suddenly appeared. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he subtly tugged at Chloe’s sleeve, playing the victim. “It’s all my fault. I’m always targeted, and now I’ve dragged you into it.” “I know I’m not good enough. Don’t worry, I’ll resign right away. I won’t cause you any more trouble!” He played the pitiful, wronged man so well, and it instantly melted Chloe’s heart. Chloe’s expression softened, and she comforted him softly. “Don’t worry, as long as I’m around, no one will dare lay a hand on you!” She glared at me, as if *I* were the villain. A wave of bitter irony washed over me. She was willing to turn against me, become my enemy, all for a man she’d known for less than three months. 3 To appease the investors, I removed Leo from his managerial position. Chloe, under Grandpa Arthur’s stern pressure, eventually conceded. But as soon as her back was turned, she took Leo to a luxury real estate agency, determined to shower him with an extravagant gift. After touring the most exclusive properties on the West Side, Leo’s eyes gleamed with undisguised avarice. He eventually stopped near the riverside villa community, but still put on a show of polite reluctance. “Chloe, this villa is breathtaking! Do I really deserve to live in a place like this?” “But it’s so expensive, Chloe. I don’t want you to spend so much on me.” He claimed he didn’t deserve it, but his feet were glued to the spot. Chloe, flattered by his sweet talk, was practically beaming. With a grand flourish, she was about to buy the most lavish unit, but the sales manager intervened. “I apologize, but this villa has already been reserved by Mr. Alexander.” “So what if it’s reserved? I’m taking this one today! Who dares challenge me?!” Leo blurted out. “Oh really? I’d like to see who’s bold enough to try and take something that belongs to Alex Alexander.” Seeing me, Leo’s face instantly darkened, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes. But when he turned to Chloe, he immediately put on a mournful, tearful expression. “Mr. Alexander is right. An insignificant person like me truly doesn’t deserve a villa like this.” “No matter how hard I work, I’m just a lowly grunt, miles beneath a man like Mr. Alexander.” “Chloe, please don’t argue with Mr. Alexander for my sake. I’ll just give up on this villa for him.” In a few short sentences, Leo had shifted all the blame onto me, while painting himself as a calm, dignified gentleman. Chloe interrupted him, her voice trembling with indignation. “We’re all human! Why should you be treated as inferior?” “You’ve worked so hard, and he still insists on making your life miserable. A heartless capitalist like him isn’t even fit to lick your boots!” She instantly switched tactics, turning her furious gaze on me. “You made a big deal about the shares, and now you’re making a fuss over a *single* villa? How can a grown man be so incredibly petty?” “Alex Alexander, your greed knows no bounds!” She was the one constantly trying to take what’s mine, yet she calls *me* greedy? That’s rich! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. My voice was slow and deliberate, my eyes colder than ice. “Whether it’s the company shares or this villa, I paid for them with *my* money. It’s none of your damn business!” “Don’t forget, even that black card in your hand? I gave it to you!” Chloe’s hand trembled, clutching the black card, her chest heaving with furious breaths. She harbored deep resentment towards me, and I had barely any affection left for her. When we married, her eyes shone like stars. She said I showed her a world she’d never known, swore she’d love me forever. Her apparent sincerity had moved me deeply. I went above and beyond for her, giving her career opportunities, status, and never once stinting on money. For her, I even leveraged my connections and resources to boost the Arthur Corporation, practically dragging her family into the upper echelons of society. I loved her, so I treated her well without expecting anything in return. But I never imagined I was raising a viper in my own home! 4 Chloe couldn’t buy that villa, and for that, she completely cut ties with me. To keep up appearances for Grandpa Arthur, she didn’t formally separate, but simply moved into the study. Every day, we lived under the same roof, ate, worked, but exchanged not a single word. As I ate breakfast, Leo called, his voice choked with feigned emotion. “Chloe, please, you have to help me! I can’t live like this anymore!” Leo was sobbing hysterically on the phone, as if he’d been cruelly wronged. Chloe softly comforted him. “Don’t rush, take your time and tell me.” “Chloe, I don’t know what Mr. Alexander said to Grandpa Arthur, but he’s fired me from the company.” “Mr. Alexander even put out a warning: anyone who hires me will face his wrath. Now, the entire industry is blacklisting me.” “Chloe, please, beg Mr. Alexander to let me go. I’m just a small, insignificant person. Please, ask him to just let me live!” Chloe’s brows furrowed, her face as black as thunder. “Don’t worry, as long as I’m around, no one will dare lay a hand on you!” She hung up, then grabbed my collar, her eyes blazing red. “Aren’t you going too far?! Do you really need to utterly destroy Leo?!” “He’s just a young man trying to make a living from nothing, always diligent and ambitious. You won’t even give him a chance to survive?” “You even ran to Grandpa Arthur to tattle on him? Resorting to childish tricks like that?!” Her anger poured out, a raging fire threatening to consume everything around her. I shook her hand off, struggling to keep my own temper in check. “Chloe, I’m done. You’ve pushed me too far, and if you insist on testing my patience, don’t expect any mercy from me.” “I play fair. If I did it, I’ll own it. But if I didn’t, no one, *no one*, is going to pin their crap on me!” She glared at me, clearly not believing a word I said. We stood there in a tense standoff for a long time. Finally, her eyes filled with disappointment. She gave me a long, deep look, then spat, “I must have been blind to ever marry someone like you!” and slammed the door shut. The enormous villa fell into an instant, suffocating silence. And my heart? It felt like it was being slowly roasted over an open flame. Who would have thought that *my* marriage, Alex Alexander’s marriage, would ever devolve into such a pathetic mess? After Chloe went back to the Arthur family and had a massive shouting match, Grandpa Arthur collapsed from sheer fury and was rushed to the ICU. Despite all this, Chloe still insisted on keeping Leo at the company. She openly showed special favoritism towards Leo, bringing him to every event. Suddenly, Leo became the hot new thing in their social circle. Everyone tacitly acknowledged their affair, though no one spoke of it openly. Not only did Chloe refuse to explain, but she even started taking Leo on lavish business trips, always booking just one hotel room. And rumor had it, her expense reports even included receipts for several boxes of condoms. Knowing these things, a chilling numbness spread through me. Because I knew, with a chilling certainty, that the girl who swore she’d love me forever was truly, completely gone. If that’s the case, then she couldn’t blame me for showing no mercy. Chloe, you chose to betray me. Now, you will pay the price!

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Liam’s longtime friend, Maya, lost a round of truth or dare during their party, and everyone egged her on to confess the most scandalous thing she’d ever done with someone of the opposite sex. She suddenly grinned, looking straight at me. “I gave Liam a handjob.” A stunned silence fell over the room, quickly followed by gasps and whispers. I instinctively clutched my five-month pregnant belly, a wave of intense tightness and hardening sweeping through my lower abdomen. Maya finally seemed to register the gravity of her words, but she just shrugged, completely unconcerned, and added: “Oh, come on, Chloe. It was just when you first got pregnant. Liam got totally wasted, blacked out, and was just… really desperate for release.” “You don’t need to thank me, honestly. Just a buddy helping a buddy out. I mean, it’s better than him cheating on you, right?” My Husband’s “Best Friend” Carried Our Baby Before I could even finish. Caleb picked up the half-eaten cucumber and smacked Chloe’s hand with it. “Shut up, you! Your pathetic skills? Nowhere near my wife’s!” Chloe laughed, took a bite, and savored it. “Gotta say, this size really holds its own.” They burst into laughter, an invisible barrier shutting me out. No one looked at me. No one cared that I was there. As if my five-month pregnancy made me nothing more than an unwelcome backdrop. The game continued, and this time, Caleb lost. The card read: “Tongue-kiss one person of the opposite sex present for three minutes.” There were only two women in the room: me and Chloe. But everyone, in unspoken agreement, pushed Caleb towards Chloe. “We all agreed, it’s just a game! Anyone who takes this seriously is a total idiot!” He was laughing, she was playing along, and a crowd of people raised their phones, cheering and taking pictures. I couldn’t take it anymore. I picked up my glass and smashed it violently onto the floor. Glass shattered, screams erupted. In the dead silence, I slowly stood upright, clutching my back, my voice terrifyingly calm: “Want to play something more exciting?” “I can help you with that!” I pulled out my phone and dialed 91

“Hello, officer? There’s public indecency happening here…” Caleb was the first to react, rushing over to snatch my phone. “Aria, are you crazy? It’s just a game! Do you really have to do this?” I looked at his hand, still resting on Chloe’s waist, and suddenly laughed, tears unexpectedly welling up. “Caleb, when our baby is born, how are you going to explain this to them?” “Are you going to tell them Daddy can’t keep it in his pants, and Mommy is a complete fool?” Caleb’s face turned cold. He shielded a teary-eyed Chloe behind him, his voice laced with suppressed fury. “You’re going too far! I told you, it’s just a game!” If this was considered a game, then I definitely couldn’t play. I turned to leave. Caleb grabbed my wrist. “My friends heard you were pregnant and threw this party to celebrate you. Do you really have to be such a buzzkill?” “Haha, ‘friends’ again.” *Slap!* I spun around and slapped him hard across the face. The entire private room fell silent in an instant. Chloe stepped forward, grabbed Caleb by the back of the neck, and pulled him into a hug. “My boy, listen to your daddy, stop arguing!” She laughed helplessly. “Aria, Caleb and I have been inseparable since we were kids, practically grew up in the same bed. He never saw me as a woman! Don’t take it so seriously!” As if just realizing, she then pushed Caleb towards me. “Hurry up and apologize to Aria! She’s pregnant, if you keep this up, everyone’s going to suffer.” Her words made everyone look at me with thinly veiled contempt. Caleb stood stiffly, refusing to lower his head. Chloe stealthily whispered something into his ear, making him chuckle. He then reluctantly looked at me, a forced smile on his lips. “My bad, alright?” The nausea that hit me in that instant went straight to my throat. I left the private room without looking back. I hadn’t expected Caleb to follow me. All the way out, my belly cramped, a dull ache growing more intense with each passing minute, but all I could hear were his complaints. “Are you losing your mind because you’re pregnant? Chloe is my best friend! How can you be jealous of that?” “Why don’t you just tie me to your belt like a dog, since you suspect everyone anyway!” “Just think for a second, if there was really something going on between us, would she dare to say it out loud so openly?!” Something in my chest shattered completely with a sickening crack. “Yes, there’s nothing between you two. I’m just pathetic.” I yelled, trembling all over. “I’ve tolerated you for too long!” All the accumulated grievances from the past slapped me across the face. Only I knew how much unbearable sorrow this last straw had piled on top of. “Caleb, let me tell you. When I was hospitalized for appendicitis, you were doing your nails with her. When I was bleeding and needed to save our baby, you were playing claw machines with her. Every single time I needed you, you were with your ‘girl best friend,’ right up until today!” I gasped for air, my face streaked with tears. “She, right in front of me, casually talked about those disgusting things, and you, as if nothing was wrong, kept flirting with her. When I couldn’t take it anymore and called 911, you didn’t stand by me, but instead screamed that I was crazy!” “From that moment on.” “Caleb, we are over.” No response. Instead, Caleb’s gentle voice suddenly rang out beside me. “Don’t be scared, I’m here. I’ll protect you.” I turned my head. He was wearing headphones, on a voice chat, playing games with Chloe. … The sounds of intense gaming from the bedroom lasted well into the night. I sat alone on the balcony, gently stroking my belly where the baby kicked furiously, and dialed my doctor’s number. “Doctor, I’d like to schedule an abortion.” The next morning. I was startled awake by a sharp pain in my stomach and struggled to find Caleb. He was sitting on the sofa, legs crossed. His phone chimed, and he was smiling, beaming with joy. I called him several times before he finally looked up. Seeing my pale face, he paused, then quickly helped me sit down, gently massaging my shoulder. “Honey, I can’t be with you today. Mr. Vance is waiting for me to discuss the cruise ship acquisition. The company needs to develop a new travel route.” His tone was light, as if everything from yesterday had been completely forgotten. He was always like this, letting me stew in a whole night’s worth of emotions. As if by simply ignoring me and giving me the silent treatment, the problem would magically resolve itself. The sharp pain made me instinctively clench his hand, but his other hand was still busy typing on his phone, completely oblivious to me. From outside the villa, Chloe’s unrestrained shouts echoed. “Caleb, your daddy’s here! What are you dawdling for?” Caleb immediately pulled away from me, dropped his phone, and rushed towards the door. I tumbled to the floor, my elbow knocking over his phone. On the screen, a group chat named “Princess Chloe and Her Knights” was prominently pinned at the top. I unconsciously tapped into it, and my whole body froze. “Aria is just way too dramatic. I told you two weren’t a good match ages ago, but you never listened.” “It’s such a drag having an outsider at every party. You should’ve just married Chloe back then!” Chloe sent a tongue-out emoji: “Blech, it’s my birthday today, why talk about that annoying person? Caleb said he’s buying me a cruise ship as a birthday present! Your princess wants to face the sea and see the flowers bloom!” Below it, Caleb’s playful reply: “Give Daddy a good kowtow, and my life is yours.” Chloe immediately sent a kowtow emoji: “Now your life is mine! I command you not to bring your spouse today!” “Caleb, I saw Chloe brought a string bikini! Who’s the real birthday present here? ” It was like a bucket of ice water poured over my head; I felt a suffocating cold. Sure enough, people can put on an act, but their inner circle never lies. When I first tried to blend in with them, everyone seemed as friendly as angels. But I had taken their politeness for genuine acceptance. They were an impenetrable fortress, and I was, and always would be, the unaccepted outsider. The cramps intensified. Trembling, I pulled out my phone and took pictures of the chat log, saving them page by page. When Caleb came back in to grab his phone, I was already curled up on the sofa in agony. He didn’t even spare me a glance, eager to leave. “Honey, my friends want to go to the cruise ship too. You’re heavily pregnant and won’t really fit in with them, so don’t bother joining.” My face was deathly pale. I tugged at his shirt sleeve. “My stomach hurts. Can you please take me to the hospital?” Asking a question when I already knew the answer was the last chance I was giving him. If he chose to walk away, I’d give up on him too. In the stalemate, Chloe’s impatient voice came from outside. “Hurry up! It’s boiling out here!” Caleb roughly flung my hand away, utterly exasperated. “What are you playing at? You were fine just a minute ago! I hate it when you use the baby as an excuse.” He shoved me back onto the sofa with such force, and my heart died with it. Chloe came in from the doorway, grabbing Caleb’s ear. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Why so aggressive? Pregnant women are like this, they always want everyone to revolve around them. What’s wrong with being a little dramatic?” Caleb scoffed, his voice full of disdain. “If she had a tenth of your charm, I wouldn’t be this annoyed.” His gaze suddenly fell on Chloe’s bra strap. He reached out naturally to adjust it. “You silly goose! Didn’t you see it was loose?” Chloe purred, tossing her hair to one side and giggling. “Gentle! You’re hurting me.” Caleb casually pressed his hand against her, a mischievous grin on his face. “Where? You’re practically flat-chested.” Amidst their laughter, they disappeared around the corner. I immediately dialed Liam’s number. “I’ll be at your cruise ship in a bit.” He replied with a simple, “Okay.” Caleb didn’t know that Liam was my childhood sweetheart. Twenty years of open, honest friendship. I knew better than anyone what pure friendship looked like. Six years of a relationship, from school uniforms to a wedding dress. I needed to see with my own eyes just how rotten this relationship had become from its roots. The sea air was salty. On the deck of the luxury cruise ship, screams and laughter mingled. I wore sunglasses and a mask, leaning against the railing not far away. I watched Chloe, in a string bikini, sitting tightly pressed against Caleb, who was only wearing swim trunks. They were playing a vulgar game of passing tissue. Chloe intentionally bit the tissue until only a corner remained. Caleb leaned in several times but couldn’t quite grab it. “Caleb lost! Punishment time!” Someone egged him on, “How about you publicly declare your feelings for someone? What about Chloe?” Chloe giggled, flopping onto Caleb’s lap and playfully punching his chest. “Oh my, how embarrassing!” Someone else shouted, “We’re already at this point, what’s the fun in just a confession?” “Chloe, what exactly happened back then? Share the juicy details with the guys!” As they joked around, Chloe suddenly, without a hint of politeness, yelled: “Watch this, Daddy! A playful jab below the belt!” Caleb quickly blocked her, laughing and cursing, “You’ve gone too far!” In their playful scuffle, he unintentionally grabbed a thin strap of her bikini, lifting it up. The strap instantly came undone! Chloe shrieked, and Caleb almost reflexively pulled her tightly into his embrace, shouting at everyone: “Everyone turn around! Don’t look!” Waves crashed and churned. He gently helped her re-tie the strap, his thumb brushing her bare back. Their gazes entangled, sparks flying. In that moment, I watched my beloved, standing in the sunlight, explode into a mess of unspeakable flesh. And I, fully armed, hid in a dark corner, peeking at others’ happiness like a cockroach. Pathetically watching the father of my child instinctively protect another woman. Liam, beside me, couldn’t help but move to confront him, but I held him back tightly. After a long hesitation, I called Caleb. From not too far away, I saw his phone light up. He glanced at it. The phone rang once, then again. He just stared at it, never picking up. Chloe saw “Wife” displayed on the screen and pouted. “You promised to spend time with me! No distractions, not even her. Otherwise, I’ll never talk to you again.” Caleb smiled, then raised his hand and dropped his phone into a glass full of wine. He raised an eyebrow. “My little princess, satisfied now?” Seeing Chloe finally nod, Caleb lifted her above his head and spun her around. Her excited screams filled the sea breeze. When I put down my recording phone, tears had already soaked my mask. Caleb, six years of love amounted to nothing. I hope you’re ready for hell. **截断点** Perhaps tired from playing, the group sat down to chat. Chloe’s voice drifted over with the wind: “Actually, on the night Caleb got married, I was completely drunk and said I just wanted to marry anyone. He panicked and came to find me, bringing Aria’s wedding dress with him.” “Isn’t that hilarious? We were like kids playing house, bowing to the moon as if we were getting married.” My heart gave a sudden, sharp pang. I remembered that custom-made wedding dress I’d searched for so long. Caleb had said it got dirty and he sent it to be cleaned, then accidentally lost it. Chloe laughed and added, “I was joking at the time, saying if we bowed, it would be real, and I wouldn’t marry anyone else. But I also said I wanted a child but was afraid of the pain of childbirth. Guess what that idiot’s reaction was?” Caleb chuckled, drinking his wine, not stopping her. Urged on by the crowd, Chloe’s eyebrows lifted, and she said, with a proud look, “He actually took it seriously! And then he really took me to do embryo cultivation!” She winked, signaling Caleb to speak. “Caleb, what about that child?” Caleb tilted his head back, draining his glass. His eyes were dark and deep. “The baby Aria is carrying right now, is Chloe and my test-tube baby.” *Boom!* Something exploded in my mind, leaving it utterly blank. In my ears, Liam’s enraged shout of “Beast!” echoed, and in my vision, Caleb’s nonchalant expression. I instinctively clutched my belly. It seemed to sense my grief, moving violently. But all I felt was bitter irony. From the very beginning of trying to conceive, Caleb had lied, telling me his sperm motility was a little low and that IVF had a higher success rate. Countless days and nights, I took medication until I was nauseous, my belly covered in purple needle marks. On the day the embryo successfully implanted, he pressed his ear to my belly and gently said: “My sweet baby, Daddy promises to make you and Mommy the happiest people in the world.” Turns out, those words were never meant for me. Chloe’s voice drifted over again, laced with disdain. “Caleb is so clever. Look at Aria’s figure, all out of shape, tsk tsk. I definitely don’t want to become a worn-out, frumpy wife like her.” I couldn’t listen anymore. I turned to leave. Suddenly, a giant wave crashed, and the cruise ship swayed violently. Chloe, standing at the edge, was lost in her own words. Amidst screams, she was flung directly overboard. Caleb barely hesitated, grabbing a lifebuoy and jumping in, swimming desperately towards her. I was completely stunned. He was a terrible swimmer. He had always said he was terrified of water! He truly, was willing to risk his life for her. I turned away, unwilling to watch that scene of a hero saving his damsel, and went directly to the hospital for the abortion. As the anesthesia was injected into my body, my consciousness blurred, and only one thought remained: Caleb, you can get lost. When I reopened my eyes. Only Liam, with red-rimmed eyes, was guarding my bedside. I instinctively touched my lower abdomen – it was flat. A long-lost sense of lightness washed over me. I turned my head, my voice hoarse. “Where’s Caleb?” Liam averted his face and handed me a video. The shaky footage showed Chloe crying and giving Caleb CPR on the beach. When Caleb coughed and came to, she immediately hugged him tightly, refusing to let go. “Caleb, I can’t go against my feelings anymore.” “I love you! Caleb, you big idiot! I love you!” Amidst the cheers of the crowd, they, soaking wet, kissed passionately. The mermaid had saved her prince. Their love was unwavering. Only I was the pathetic, ridiculous bubble. The bubble shattered in the sunlight, transforming into tears that streamed from my eyes. The second video showed Caleb carrying Chloe into a hotel. At the same time, my phone received an unknown message: “Honey, my phone fell into the water. I’m using a friend’s phone to text you.” “I’m still busy here, won’t be back tonight. Good night to you and the baby~” I stared at that message for a long, long time. Then, I slowly sat up. “Liam, help me put the aborted fetus into a foam box.” “And please hire a brass band and a chorus of gossiping older ladies.” “What are you planning to do?” Liam asked, perplexed. I said, word for word: “Of course, I’m going to take this grand ‘gift’ to the hotel and throw a grand ‘welcome to the family’ party for my husband’s ‘special friend’ – with a bang!” The brass band was in position, and I immediately started a live stream, feigning distress. “Families, your streamer has been having a real headache lately. My husband says he and his ‘girl best friend’ have a pure friendship, but I just don’t think so.” The comments section immediately filled with mockery: [Is she a living embodiment of a vinegar jar? Men and women can totally have pure friendships!] [Streamer definitely sounds petty.] I immediately shook my head, denying it. [No, no, no, this streamer isn’t petty at all! Since having issues with my husband’s ‘girl best friend,’ I’ve reflected deeply.] I paused for half a second, watching the number of viewers soar. [If there’s really something going on between them, I, as his wife, will not hesitate. I’ll immediately throw a ‘welcome party’ for my husband’s ‘new partner.’] Insults and sympathy flew side by side. After getting a room key using an online tutorial, I led the brass band directly towards the room. Pushing open the door. The room was a mess, and two scantily clad bodies were entangled, making out passionately. I covered my mouth and shrieked. “Wow! Looks like plenty to get your hands on! So much fun to be had! What true ‘best friends’ they are!” The suona blared, and the older ladies made their grand entrance.

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