My sister-in-law, Amber, was totally obsessed with her boyfriend. The Arctic Apocalypse was upon us. I’d taken my whole family to stock up on supplies, explicitly warning Amber not to tell anyone about it. The very next day, she went and told her boyfriend everything. Later, as our family hunkered down in our safe house, cautiously living day by day, Amber started throwing a fit, insisting she had to deliver supplies to her boyfriend’s family. I tried to reason with her. “Amber, the apocalypse is here. We need to look out for ourselves first. We don’t even know when this will end; we can’t just give away our precious resources.” Amber wailed, accusing me of being petty and jealous, claiming I couldn’t stand to see her happy. She even threatened, “If Jake dies, I won’t want to live either!” My in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, screamed at me, calling me a heartless troublemaker. They snatched the thick winter coat I’d set aside for myself and handed it right over to Amber’s boyfriend. Then, they kicked me out of the house, telling me to go ‘reflect on my selfishness.’ I froze solid, my eyes wide open, glazed over with bitter, unfulfilled regret. My husband, Ryan, and his family, the very ones who cast me out, survived, warm and fed, thanks *only* to the immense stash of supplies *I* had painstakingly gathered. When I opened my eyes again, I was back a few days before the apocalypse.

“Cassidy, are you out of your mind? Why are you buying so many puffer coats? Are you planning on freezing to death and coming back as an ice zombie or something?” Mrs. Stone stomped over and shoved me hard. “You small-town girl, you’ve never had nice things, have you? Spending my son’s money like it’s free.” I jolted awake, taking in the scene before me. The air conditioning was on, and the house was warm, yet a bone-chilling cold seeped into me. Being frozen into an ice sculpture wasn’t a pleasant feeling. I snatched a puffer coat and pulled it on. The warmth brought me back to my senses. The familiar surroundings confirmed it: I had been reborn. “What’s wrong with you? Are we abusing you? Why are you acting like this?” Mrs. Stone’s incessant nagging droned in my ears, as if everything I did was wrong. I let out a slow breath, trying to keep my voice calm. “I saw online that a massive blizzard is predicted for next week, so I thought I’d buy you all some extra-thick coats.” “Ha! See? I told you you’re from a small town. No matter how cold it gets, I only wear pure wool coats, darling. Pure wool! It’s never cold in those!” Mrs. Stone rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with disdain. Asher, my husband, and I were college sweethearts. My parents died when I was young, and I only got through college thanks to my relatives. That was always their big problem with me – the reason my in-laws looked down on me. Mrs. Stone always prided herself on being a sophisticated city socialite, never caught in anything bulky, only pure wool coats in winter. Just then, Chloe, Asher’s younger sister, strolled out of her room. She wore a thin knit top, a short skirt, and black tights. It was already minus five degrees Fahrenheit outside; that outfit would leave her shivering. Chloe glanced at the coats on the floor, her disgust clear on her face. “Cassidy, what *is* all this ugly junk? And where’s my coat? Did you pick it up from the dry cleaner’s?” I pointed to the sofa. “It’s there.” Chloe walked over and put it on, not forgetting to boss me around as she did. “I have two papers due next week. Don’t forget to write them for me, okay? And Liam’s clothes are in my room. Make sure they’re clean. He needs them in a few days.” She ordered me around as if it were her absolute right, as if I were nothing more than a maid in this house. No, to be precise, I was worse than a maid. Who ever heard of a maid having to wash her sister-in-law’s *boyfriend’s* socks and underwear? My nails dug into my palms, the sharp pain the only thing stopping me from slapping that smug look right off her face. Because now wasn’t the time for revenge. This family’s comeuppance was still ahead. I turned to Mrs. Stone. “You’re right, Mom. These clothes are beneath you. I’ll return them right now.” With that, I grabbed the bags and stormed out of the house.

Returning them was out of the question. I took the bags to the shipping center and mailed them all back to my hometown. The clerk looked at me a bit strangely. “Why are you buying so many puffer coats?” I smiled. “My folks are old-school, not into online shopping. I bought these for them in the city and mailed them over.” The clerk chuckled. “Is it going to be that cold this year? It hasn’t even snowed yet. Isn’t this a bit much?” A bit much? Oh, it was *definitely* not enough. In my previous life, I saw online predictions of the coldest winter ever recorded, so I prepared by buying warm clothes and stocking up on food and supplies. At first, Asher and his family accused me of wasting money, thinking I was overreacting. They scoffed, claiming it couldn’t possibly get so cold that we couldn’t leave the house. But then, the temperature plummeted to a terrifying minus seventy degrees Fahrenheit. The Arctic Apocalypse had arrived. Even bundled up like a human marshmallow in thick puffer coats, walking outside for more than half an hour would lead to certain death. It was then Asher and his family finally realized how right I had been. Just when I thought we could survive by staying indoors, Chloe, completely love-struck, went into full panic mode. She received a FaceTime call from Liam. He said his family had run out of food, and despite wearing all their clothes, they were still freezing. He feared they’d freeze to death within days. Chloe, upon hearing this, immediately became heartbroken and rushed to go out to deliver him puffer coats and supplies. I knew the roads outside were mostly impassable. Even driving, she wouldn’t get far. Going out now was a death sentence. I desperately tried to dissuade her, telling her that self-preservation was paramount, and with no end in sight for this extreme weather, we needed to hoard as many supplies as possible. Chloe shoved me hard, tears streaming down her face as she wailed, “You just can’t stand to see me happy! He’s my world, my *everything*! If he dies, I’m dying with him!” My in-laws and Asher had always spoiled Chloe rotten, giving her anything she desired. Hearing her outburst, they all started yelling at me, calling me cold-hearted and cruel. They even packed up the extra puffer coats for Chloe and urged her to go. Chloe wiped her tears, pointing at the coat I was wearing. “We still need one more. Cassidy’s coat looks perfect, let her give it to me too.” I couldn’t fight all three of them. Asher held me down while they ripped my jacket off, and then Mrs. Stone actually *kicked* me out the door, telling me to “think about what I’d done”! I pounded on the door, desperate to get back inside. Before I could knock twice, my fingers, like frozen icicles, snapped right off my hands. Ten minutes later, I lost consciousness. This time, I would not sit back and let it happen. I would survive this. After mailing the packages, I rushed to a wholesale market and bought a stash of fake pearls, fake diamonds, and fake gold. Two large bags cost me only fifty bucks. While choosing the fake gold, I noticed a security camera, the kind with an intercom, sitting on the boss’s counter. Walking out of the market, I spotted a clothing store having a clearance sale. Designer puffer coats, all for just ten dollars each. What kind of puffer coat could you get for ten bucks? No need to think twice, they definitely wouldn’t keep anyone warm. Chloe loved doing good deeds, didn’t she? Well, I’d make sure she had plenty of chances to do just that.

Back home, I immediately snuck into my in-laws’ bedroom. Mrs. Stone had a collection of valuable jewelry, including my own wedding jewelry – the expensive set Asher’s family had given me, supposedly as a welcome gift. She’d “stored” them for me, but I knew she was just hoarding them for Chloe’s future, as a sort of inheritance or a ‘nest egg’. I stuffed them all into a bag and replaced them with the fake jewelry I’d just bought. After that, I replaced every single puffer coat in the house with the cheap, fake ones I’d bought. This family was all about appearances, every item a designer brand. I stripped their closets bare, every single piece, and hauled them straight to a pawn shop for cash. I needed money now. A *lot* of money. By the time I finished all this and got back home, it was already dark. Chloe was back. She probably expected Liam’s dirty clothes to be washed and dried by now. But to her surprise, they were still lying there, untouched. “Cassidy! Why aren’t Liam’s clothes washed yet? Are you ignoring me?!” She picked up the bag of dirty clothes with two fingers, screaming in exasperation. I sneered. “Am I your boyfriend’s mother? Why should I wash *his* clothes? Tell you what, why don’t you get down on your knees and beg me, maybe then I’ll consider it.” I’d been their housemaid for years, doing whatever they asked without ever daring to resist. This was the first time I’d defied her, and Chloe’s eyes widened. “You… what did you say?” “Are you deaf? Or just stupid? Do I need to spell it out for you?” Chloe’s eyes turned red with fury. She glared at me, as if she wanted to chew me up and swallow me whole. She screamed at Asher, “Bro! What kind of shrew did you marry?! She’s walking all over me now!” Asher glanced at me, frowning. “It’s just a few dirty clothes. Just wash them, what’s the big deal?” I scoffed, walked over, and picked up the bag of clothes. Chloe, thinking I’d given in, smugly said, “They have to be hand-washed in cold water. No machine.” “Go screw yourself! I’m not your damn maid!” I lifted the bag of dirty clothes and dumped them right over Asher’s head. A pair of his used boxers landed right on his head, a faint, stale odor wafting from them. Asher trembled with rage. “Are you out of your mind?!” He scrambled up from the sofa, kicking away the dirty clothes around him in disgust. He lunged at me, intending to hit me, but I kicked him hard in the stomach. Then, without thinking, I bolted out the door. Asher’s curses followed me. “Run! Run and don’t ever come back!” I certainly wouldn’t. That place held nothing worth staying for. I drove straight back to my hometown that night. After my parents passed, they left me a small cabin. A few years ago, I renovated it, and Asher had complained, saying it was pointless, that he wouldn’t set foot in such a “small-town” area. Now, it was perfect for me. In a few days, the blizzard would hit, burying everything under snow deep enough to cover an adult. Transportation would grind to a halt. No one would be able to get out. So, the cabin would be safe for now. I just needed to make sure it was warm enough. Mrs. Stone looked down on me, thinking I was just a country girl. She didn’t know how resourceful country people could be. Before dawn the next day, I rode my three-wheeled utility vehicle to the market to buy materials to build a rudimentary stove. Once it was built, burning firewood and coal would keep the entire cabin warm. I quickly contacted a coal supplier and ordered five tons of coal and firewood. When the apocalypse came, the power grid would fail, and air conditioning and electric heaters would be useless. Only the most basic heating methods would work. I told the supplier I had a huge family gathering coming up, a dozen people needing to keep warm, and he didn’t suspect a thing. With the crucial heating sorted, it was time for food. Small towns might lack modern amenities, but fresh produce? We had it in spades. My family, we’d always prepared for hard winters, a tradition passed down. My dad had dug out a root cellar years ago, perfect for storing food. But vegetables alone wouldn’t do. I needed staples. First, I bought a used minivan from a second-hand market and drove it to the wholesale market. Stocking up on too much at the local grocery store would raise too many eyebrows, so I went straight to the wholesale market, telling the owner I was opening a small convenience store in the area and needed to buy supplies. Every day, I went to purchase just as the wholesale market was about to close. By the time I returned to the cabin, every household in my hometown was already dark and asleep. I used this time to unload, so no one would know. These past few days, whenever I met anyone in town, I warned them to stock up on groceries, saying it would get too cold to go out. Boxes of rice, flour, brown sugar… were carried into my cabin. Seeing my cabin filled with food, I felt a surge of security. Then I continued to purchase daily necessities: tissue paper, sanitary pads, shampoo, body wash…

Just as I was focusing on hoarding supplies, Asher called again. The past few days I’d been gone, his family had been miserable without my service. Dirty clothes and pants piled up in the washing machine, no one willing to touch them. The sink was overflowing with pots, pans, and dishes, all waiting for me to come back and wash them. Even the ashtray on the coffee table was full, and they couldn’t be bothered to empty it themselves. Everything waited for me. Finally, Asher ran out of clean underwear. Now, he finally remembered me. “When are you coming back?!” His voice was laced with anger. “I’m not coming back. I’ve been playing housemaid for too long, and I’m done.” A cold laugh came from the other end of the line. “It’s just a few dirty clothes, why are you so mad about it? Look, Chloe’s been pampered since she was a child, she’s never done housework. What’s wrong with you, her sister-in-law, helping her out?” I laughed too. “Asher, you’re so generous. You can put up with your own wife washing another man’s underwear? You wimp. Even stray dogs on the street know how to protect their partner. You’re less than human.” “Cassidy! Don’t push your luck!” I didn’t bother with more pleasantries. “Unless Chloe gets down on her knees and *begs* for my forgiveness, you can dream about me coming back!” I hung up and continued to inventory my supplies. The root cellar was completely full. This food was enough for me to live alone for several years. That morning, I woke up to find the outside temperature had already dropped to minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit. We’re not even that far north here, so this was a record low. The snow was already up to my shins, making it difficult to go outside. But there was one last thing I needed. Although the heavy snow would soon make leaving impossible, some desperate individuals might try their luck. I needed something to defend myself. Knives and baseball bats felt too flimsy. A gun was out of the question – too hard to get, too much hassle. I walked into a hardware store and picked out a sturdy chainsaw. The roar of the engine echoed through the store, and even the owner kept his distance, afraid of being accidentally injured. I happily paid and carried my new tool home. The temperature would continue to drop tomorrow, so from then on, I would stay hidden in my safe house and not go out. That night, snuggled into my wonderfully heated bed, I finally remembered the hidden camera I’d installed in Asher’s house. I’d been too busy before to check on them, but now, with nothing to do, I could finally see what they were up to. The power grid was still running, and these people had no sense of urgency. I scanned the rooms, but Asher and Chloe were nowhere to be seen. I found it a bit strange, but it had nothing to do with me. I simply turned off my phone and closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep. The next morning, the insistent ringing of my phone startled me awake from my sweet dreams. I jumped, seeing it was Asher calling. Waking me up so early, how annoying. I hung up and tried to go back to sleep. But his calls were like a death knell, one after another. I blocked him, and he immediately called from Chloe’s number. Those two were together? Drowsily, I suddenly remembered what I’d said a few days ago. I pressed the answer button, and Asher’s desperate voice came through: “Cassidy! Chloe and I are at the edge of your town! Get out here and pick us up! I’m freezing to death!”

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I’m a professional suitor. I get paid to handle the emotional heavy lifting for my clients. A wealthy woman once paid me nine million to pursue her daughter, Anya, for three years. I swallowed my pride and endured countless indignities. But I finally reached the end of my contract, and I promptly stopped playing the desperate suitor. To my utter shock, Anya finally cracked. “Dean, you have ten minutes to get here and pick me up, or I swear I’ll slap you silly!” It was half past midnight. I’d just drifted off to sleep when Cassie’s demanding calls, which felt like a death sentence, pulled me straight out of bed. She always called me in the middle of the night, ordering me to drive her to some club to party. I wasn’t her personal chauffeur, but I had to be on call, 24/7. Because I was her contracted lapdog, specifically hired to cater to her every whim. Cassie’s mom was a wealthy socialite, absolutely obsessed with her daughter. Three years ago, she found me and offered me a “lapdog contract.” My job was to be Cassie’s loyal follower, to stick to her like glue, caring for her. I had to anticipate her every need, cater to her every whim, and ensure she never felt even the slightest bit of discomfort or dissatisfaction. For a term of three years, the payment was nine million dollars. For me, it was an undeniable jackpot. Of course, I took it seriously, diligently fulfilling every obligation of my lapdog contract. Cassie was fair-skinned, beautiful, and came from a privileged background – the epitome of a goddess in everyone else’s eyes. But only I knew just how rotten that woman truly was, how ugly her soul. She was extravagant, arrogant, unreasonable, and had a temper that could curdle milk. She wasn’t like other young ladies from good families, skilled in traditional arts. She was addicted to every vice imaginable – drinking, partying, gambling, and always surrounded by trouble. Her rumored boyfriends changed every other week, and juggling multiple relationships was her everyday routine. A total heartbreaker! Since I appeared, Cassie had added another hobby to her list: torturing her lapdog. She constantly found new ways to torment me, her attitude towards me swinging wildly between hot and cold. She loved to mess with my head, always with her ‘hot and cold’ routine – a stinging slap, then a tempting piece of candy. As a professional lapdog, I had to play my part convincingly. Whenever I saw her with other men, I’d put on a show of extreme agony. Heartbreak, jealousy, envy, fury… That’s when her twisted mind would find its ultimate satisfaction. Then, she’d whisper a few empty, pretty words to appease me. And I’d come crawling back, eager to please, resuming my role of doting on her, always compliant. Her demands on me were incredibly strict. She expected me to be there at her beck and call, a minute late was unacceptable. Even if she called me in the dead of night to drive her somewhere, I had to get up immediately. It meant I hadn’t had a single night of peaceful sleep in three years. This led to severe insomnia and nervous exhaustion. Yet, I couldn’t even take sleeping pills, fearing I wouldn’t wake up when she called. Of course, for that nine million dollar fortune, I could endure all of it. What I found most unbearable was Cassie’s habit of publicly humiliating me – that was her most twisted pleasure. Like making me kneel before her and her dates, lick their shoes clean, and bark like a dog on command. She and her dates would erupt in piercing laughter, calling me the most obedient lapdog. Any normal man would find such degradation intolerable. But bound by the contract, I could only swallow my pride and endure. This life of humiliation and forbearance had lasted three years, and now, I was finally seeing the light at the end of this hellish tunnel! I checked the time. Less than six hours until the contract expired. As soon as dawn broke, I’d be completely free. No more fawning over her. For now, though, I still had to diligently fulfill my contract. I immediately headed to the location Cassie had sent me. I drove her Maserati, speeding through the streets like a bat out of hell. The car was, of course, Cassie’s, but I was always the one driving her around. Looking at the car’s emblem on the steering wheel, a faint smirk touched my lips. As soon as it was morning, and the nine million hit my account, I’d go straight to the dealership and pick up my own luxury car. No more nagging voice from the backseat, ordering me here and there. The thought alone sent a thrill through me!

Despite speeding at 120, I was still two minutes late. Cassie stood by the roadside, her face dark. The moment she saw me, without a word, she slapped me. *CRACK!* The sharp sound shattered the silence of the night. “Dean, didn’t I warn you? Why are you still late?” “You can’t even make it in ten minutes? What, are you moving at a snail’s pace?” “You’re just asking for it, day in and day out!” Cassie pointed a finger at my face, cursing me out. I kept my head down, saying nothing. In the past, I would have bowed, apologized profusely, and admitted my mistake. But with the contract almost over, there was no need to grovel anymore. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Cat got your tongue?” Cassie’s brows furrowed. I calmly got back into the driver’s seat and said blandly, “Get in, princess. Any later and you’ll miss the party.” Cassie put her hands on her hips, annoyed. “Don’t you know to open the door for me? Do I have to teach you everything?” I sneered, “You’ve got hands, don’t you?” “You!!!” Cassie looked like she was about to slap me again. I quickly shut the driver’s door and locked it. After a minute of intense standoff, she decided it wasn’t worth the hassle and angrily got into the back. “Hey, how do I look today? Don’t I look super innocent?” Cassie preened, showing off her cropped spaghetti-strap top and denim shorts. To be fair, her figure was stacked, and her skin was fair and soft. She truly had a striking physique. In other men’s eyes, she’d undoubtedly be a rare stunner. But in my eyes, she was like a dishcloth used for years – filthy and disgusting. I glanced in the rearview mirror, my face expressionless. “It’s… fine.” “Fine? That’s all you’ve got?” Cassie’s face instantly darkened. The old me, the lapdog, would have gushed with compliments, practically written her a sonnet. But now, I couldn’t be bothered to flatter her. Another word would be a waste of breath. “Dean, are you trying to rebel today? How dare you play dumb when I ask you a question!” Seeing me ignore her, Cassie slapped me on the back of the head again. A sharp throb of pain shot through my skull, leaving a tingling numbness. A surge of anger ignited within me. I was ready to explode. I felt an urge to hit her back, but ultimately, I restrained myself. Five hours left on the contract. I’d just let her have her last wild hurrah… “No, I just… couldn’t think of a better word to describe your beauty. You look really good.” I mumbled a perfunctory reply. Cassie’s sour expression finally softened a bit. She twisted my ear and said, “It’s your lucky day to be my lapdog. Appreciate it, and don’t make me unhappy. Got it?” I grunted in response, then slammed on the brakes. The car lurched to a sudden stop. Due to the massive inertia, Cassie’s face slammed directly into the back of the front passenger seat, leaving a white facial imprint. Her nose was knocked crooked, and she shrieked in pain. “Dean, are you trying to kill me?! Who told you to brake like that?!” Recovering, Cassie grabbed my hair and started punching my head repeatedly. Though the blows hurt, my heart was secretly blooming with delight. Finally, I saw Cassie making a fool of herself. How utterly hideous! I smiled sweetly and explained, “Sorry, I was distracted just now. Almost missed the club entrance.” “We’re here. Get out of the car.” Cassie cursed at me again. “You useless idiot! My makeup, which took ages, is completely ruined by your stupid brake!”

Ten minutes later, Cassie, having reapplied her makeup, dragged me into the club. No need to guess, it was another one of her wild friends’ get-togethers. There were seven or eight people, men and women, gathered in the VIP room. When we walked in, the room’s chatter abruptly ceased. “Well, well, if it isn’t Princess Cassie, with her personal pet.” “Looks like you’re late today, huh? Your lapdog isn’t keeping up! How should we punish him?” “Let the lapdog perform a trick!” “I like it! We’re drinking, and we could use a clown for entertainment…” The group started making fun of me again. I was used to it, unfazed. Cassie naturally slipped into the embrace of a wealthy young man, then crooked a finger at me. “Dean, didn’t you hear? Everyone wants you to perform. What are you waiting for?” I said expressionlessly, “I have no talents. I don’t perform.” Chad, the rich young man, smirked. “Who said you have no talents? Isn’t a lapdog best at licking? Just kneel down and lick our shoes clean, won’t you?” Another young man, Kyle, glanced at his flip-flops and joked, “Oops, my bad, I forgot I wasn’t wearing dress shoes today. You don’t mind, do you?” At that, the group roared with laughter. The laughter echoed in the VIP room, sounding especially grating. I suppressed the anger in my heart, standing still. Cassie frowned and snapped, “What’s wrong with you today? You’re not listening at all!” “Are you trying to spoil everyone’s fun and embarrass me?” “Get down and start your performance, now!” I said coldly, “Sorry, I’m not into that. If you want to lick, you lick. I’m not doing it.” The moment I finished speaking, the tension in the room thickened. Chad looked astonished. “Oh my, Princess Cassie, your lapdog seems to be biting back. He’s even talking back now.” Tonight, I had completely embarrassed Cassie in front of her friends. She stood up and slapped me twice, ordering me to kneel and lick Chad’s shoes. But I stood firm; she couldn’t budge me. She was furious, red-faced, spitting all over me. “Alright, alright, Princess Cassie, calm down. Why get upset over a lapdog?” “How about this: for every bottle of liquor the lapdog chugs, I’ll give him ten thousand dollars.” “Don’t say I’m getting a free show. I’m not short on dog food money.” Chad pulled out a wad of crisp bills from his bag and tossed them at my feet. Kyle opened a few bottles of liquor and set them in front of me. Cassie hissed in my ear, “If you don’t drink tonight, then get out of my life forever. I’ll even strip you of your right to be my lapdog!” I checked the time. Four hours left on the contract. Fine. I might as well see this charade through to the very end for Cassie. Besides, who would turn down money? Ten thousand dollars was still ten thousand dollars! I picked up the bills, grabbed a bottle, and tipped my head back, chugging it down. This was hard liquor, unlike beer, quite potent. The burning liquid scorched my throat, sending a searing heat straight to my head. I nearly choked, coughing violently after emptying the bottle. “Well, well, I never would have guessed the lapdog could hold his liquor!” “This show is way better than shoe-licking. Chug another one!” “I’ll cover this ten grand!” The group laughed hysterically, clapping and egging me on. Chad pulled out another ten thousand in cash and threw it at my face. “Keep drinking! Ten grand a bottle, isn’t that easier than working a regular job?”

He had a point. Ten thousand dollars for chugging a bottle. Even if I puked my guts out, it was worth it. Why let a little bit of health stand in the way of money? Plus, Cassie kept urging me on. I grabbed another bottle and downed it in one go. Two bottles of hard liquor were now in my system, and I was starting to feel it. The effects weren’t immediate, but the hangover would be brutal. In a short while, my head felt foggy, and my vision began to blur. “Another one!” “Ten thousand! Keep going!” The crowd’s cheers were relentless. I figured, since I was already this far, why not earn a few more tens of thousands? So, without hesitation, I chugged two more bottles. Forty thousand dollars in hand, and I was thoroughly drunk. I hunched over a trash can, puking my guts out. Seeing my pathetic state, the laughter of the crowd grew even louder. Cassie looked at me with disdain, even kicking my butt twice. “You disgusting embarrassment, get out and wait for me.” Though her words were insults, to me, they sounded like sweet music. Finally, I was free. I quickly stood up and headed outside. “Stop right there! Did I say you could leave?” Chad’s voice cut through the air, sharp and demanding. I paused, turning to him. “Is there something else?” Chad strutted, arrogant. “My money isn’t that easy to take!” “Until I’m satisfied, you’ll stay here, on your knees, drinking, until I say stop.” I said coldly, “What if I don’t?” Chad’s eyes narrowed. “You’re a lapdog, daring to say no? Who gave you the guts?” “If you don’t drink, leave the money and get out. Now.” “My money doesn’t go to disobedient dogs.” I picked up a bottle of liquor, my voice even. “Are you sure?” Chad grinned. “Of course. You’re not leaving this room until you finish it. Drink up, don’t make your goddess angry.” Cassie, perched on his lap, yelled at me, “Stop wasting time! If he tells you to drink, then drink!” “What are you, a wimp? Are you even a man?” “I called you here, not to embarrass me!” Oh, so she wanted me to make her look good, did she? *Consider it done!* I nodded silently, then suddenly swung the bottle, smashing it directly over Chad’s head. Liquor splashed, glass shattered, and blood streamed down. Amidst Chad’s screams and the shocked shrieks of the others, I calmly walked out of the VIP room. “Dean! You bastard, stop right there!” Cassie chased after me, grabbing my collar. Her eyes wide, she demanded, “Are you crazy today? How dare you hit my boyfriend?!” I knocked her hand away, straightening my collar. “Your boyfriend was the one who provoked me first. I gave him a chance.” Cassie stared at me, dumbfounded, as if seeing a complete stranger. “Dean, do you know what you’re saying? Who gave you the right to talk to me like that?” I checked the time. Three hours left. “Cassie, I’m sorry. I hit your boyfriend.” With that, I turned and walked away. “Come back!” Cassie blocked my path again. “That’s it?” I raised an eyebrow, challenging her. “What else? I’ve already apologized. What more do you want?” Cassie pointed at the VIP room door. “You go back in there right now, kneel down, and apologize to my boyfriend! And make it sincere!” “If he hits you, you can’t hit back. If he curses you, you can’t talk back. Just take it like a good boy, understand?” I let out a cold laugh. “So you love seeing people on their knees, huh? Do you think you’re royalty?” “Dean!!! You… you come back here!”

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I’m the main character of a steamy romance novel. My specialty? Taking anything—black, white, you name it—and turning it fifty shades of scandalous. So, on my first day in a horror game… When the final boss told everyone to choose their own death… The words just tumbled out of my mouth: “I choose to die breathless, legs trembling, eyes losing focus, heart pounding… until the very end.” The Boss: “?” ****** [Welcome to the SSS-Rank Instance: ‘The Wish’] [Please choose your method of death!] The moment I was pulled into the horror game and met up with my teammates, a strange man materialized before us. His head was a swirling vortex of black mist, his face completely obscured. An aura of unspeakable dread bled from him, chilling the air. “Shit!” a guy with bleached-blond hair swore under his breath. “Are you kidding me? Do they think a few cheap special effects are gonna make me fall for this crap?” Blondie had been complaining nonstop since we arrived. No matter how the veteran players tried to explain the situation, he was convinced we were all in on some elaborate prank to screw with him. He stomped forward, shoving a hand toward the mysterious man. “I’m warning you! Let me the hell out of here, or I’ll—What the—!” His hand passed right through the man’s form as if through smoke. Horrified, he snatched his hand back. But as he stared at it, his fingers began to dissolve, disintegrating into a fine, crimson mist. “What… What’s happening to me? Help… Somebody help me!” Tears and snot streamed down Blondie’s face as he scrambled back toward us. But it was too late. In a matter of seconds, his body abruptly burst, splattering gore and viscera across the floor. The system’s voice echoed, cold and impersonal. [Deaths: 1] [Survivors: 7] [Keep up the good work, players!] The man in front of us hadn’t moved a muscle. He simply repeated his earlier statement, his voice a low, empty drone. “Welcome to the SSS-Rank Instance: ‘The Wish.’ Please choose your method of death.”   We were all frozen, paralyzed by a mixture of shock and terror. Suddenly, lines of text began to scroll across my vision, like comments in a livestream. [Damn, this group is unlucky. ‘The Wish’ has a 0% clear rate. It’s the toughest instance known to exist.] [The Boss grants every player’s wish, but always in the most twisted, horrifying way possible.] [As soon as you enter, you face him. He forces everyone to wish for their own death, then ‘mercifully’ grants it.] [To survive, you have to find the one single, correct wish.] [Tons of top-tier players have wiped here. This bunch looks pretty average. How long do you think they’ll last?] After witnessing Blondie’s gruesome end, nobody dared to be the next guinea pig. The dead silence stretched on, thick and heavy. Finally, the Boss’s patience wore thin. His voice turned sharp as ice. “Since none of you have a wish… I’ll just start reaping at random.” A colossal scythe materialized from the black mist behind him, its blade gleaming menacingly. “Wait, wait!” a middle-aged man cried out, his voice trembling. “I have one! I’ve thought of how I want to die!” Every eye in the room snapped to him. The man swallowed hard, then said timidly, “I choose to die of old age, peacefully, with no illness or accident.” A wave of relief washed over the group. Someone gave him a thumbs-up, praising his quick thinking. The Boss retracted the giant scythe. “As you wish.” The middle-aged man let out a shaky breath, a grin of pure relief spreading across his face. The others quickly jumped in. “I want the same as him!” “Me too! To die peacefully of old age!” The Boss’s voice remained flat and cold, his reply concise. “As you wish.” Everyone started to relax, their nervous chatter filling the silence. “Thank God for Mike. Thinking of old age was brilliant.” “Nice! Now the Boss can’t touch us. This is gonna be an easy win!” “Is this seriously the easiest SSS-rank instance ever?” Only I remained silent, my gaze fixed on the sky above, where the livestream comments were mocking them mercilessly. [Old age. Again. So boring.] [What number group is this? Every single new batch of players makes the same damn wish. A bunch of clever-ass pigs.] [They’ll learn soon enough why they call this an SSS-rank instance.] Just then, the Boss drifted silently until he was standing directly in front of me. “Only you are left,” he said. “How do you wish to die?” Well, crap. Guess this is it for me.

Before being dragged into this nightmare, I was the protagonist of a steamy romance novel. My days consisted of waking up and getting tangled up with one hottie after another. I was, in a word, useless. Expecting me to have a sudden stroke of genius and figure a way out of this was a lost cause. So, I did what I do best: I gave up and prepared to die. If I was going to bite it in this instance anyway, I might as well go out fulfilling my greatest desire— I was going to turn this whole damn world into my personal playground. Black, white, horror, whatever—I was going to make it all filthy. Besides, while the Boss’s face was hidden by that swirling mist, I could still make out his frame. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, long legs… and that deep, magnetic voice. My expert eyes told me he was premium-grade material. And lust, as they say, makes you brave. The words just tumbled out of my mouth: “I choose to die breathless, legs trembling, eyes losing focus, heart pounding… until the very end.” The Boss: “?” I added with a wink, “Oh, and you have to be the one to do it.” He froze. It was as if he couldn’t process what he’d just heard. I saw the black mist coiling around him stop moving entirely. The air grew still. After a long moment, he slowly, deliberately, took a step back.   I waited and waited, but the Boss never said his usual “As you wish.” Instead, a system notification popped up. [Prerequisite Mission: ‘The Wish’ is complete.] [Please follow the Boss into the villa.] [Main Mission: Survive in the villa for 3 days.] [Side missions will be issued randomly over the next 3 days.] [Each completed mission grants an opportunity to make a new wish to the Boss.] [Only the one who makes the correct wish will survive until the end!] It was nighttime by the time we reached the villa. The moment we stepped into the grand living room, my eyes were drawn to a row of memorial portraits hanging neatly on the wall. The photos in the frames were of us—every player here. And beneath each portrait was their wish. [To die of old age, peacefully, with no illness or accident.] Except for mine. The text beneath my photo had been aggressively blacked out with a Mikeer. Instantly, all eyes were on me. Mike, the middle-aged man, was the first to speak. “Come to think of it, you didn’t make your wish with the rest of us. You were hiding in the corner. What did you choose, young lady?” Before I could answer, the Boss cut in sharply. “You are forbidden from asking about other players’ wishes.” For some reason, I detected a hint of anxiety in his tone. The other players backed off, but their looks were laced with schadenfreude. “Her wish is blacked out. That’s a clear sign she’s been Mikeed by the Boss. I bet the little brat won’t even last the night.” “Is she an idiot? We gave her the perfect answer to copy, and she chose to be a contrarian.” “Good. Better to get rid of the dead weight early.” Just like that, I was ostracized. When it came time to pick rooms, they all banded together, claiming the best ones and leaving me with the smallest, filthiest maid’s quarters. “You’re not gonna survive the night anyway,” Mike sneered before shutting his door. “Doesn’t matter where you sleep.” Soon, the vast living room was empty except for me and the Boss. Seeing him about to drift away, I quickly called out. “Wait! I’m not staying in the maid’s room!” I hurried after him, plastering a playful grin on my face. “You must have your own room in this mansion, right? How about we share?” The Boss said nothing, only quickening his pace. I was getting desperate. “Hey, didn’t you promise to grant my wish? Breathless, legs trembling, heart pounding…” “I never agreed to that,” he interrupted, his voice a low murmur. That pissed me off. “Isn’t this instance called ‘The Wish’? Aren’t you supposed to grant all the players’ wishes? Why the double standard for me? I’m filing a complaint with corporate! I’m taking this to the highest authority!” He seemed utterly exasperated. After a moment, a sigh tinged with resignation escaped him. “…Fine. Follow me.” He led me through a maze of corridors to a lavish, oversized bedroom. I immediately dove onto the plush king-sized bed in the center of the room and stretched out with a groan. “So tired,” I purred, kicking my legs playfully. “Give me a leg rub.” The Boss shot me a cool glance and ignored me. I wasn’t giving up. “So, what’s your name? Calling you ‘Boss’ all the time is so impersonal.” He was a master of evasion. “That doesn’t concern you. You are a player. Your only focus should be on clearing this instance.” I rattled off a list. “Sweetheart? Honey? Hubby? Master? Daddy?” As my suggestions got more and more outrageous, he finally snapped. “Owen,” he bit out. “My name is Owen.” Despite his monotone delivery, I could have sworn I heard the sound of him grinding his teeth. “Well then—” I started, ready to tease him more. “That’s enough. You need to sleep,” he said hastily. With a flick of his wrist, a wisp of black mist drifted toward me. Before I knew it, it was like someone had flipped my off-switch. I was out cold.

The next morning, I was jolted awake by a piercing scream. When I opened my eyes, Owen was gone. I quickly freshened up and rushed to the living room to find a strange corpse lying on the floor. The body was unnaturally old. The hair and beard were stark white, the face a roadmap of deep wrinkles. It looked at least eighty years old, and for some reason, vaguely familiar. I scanned the room. All the players were there except for Mike. Their faces were grim. A woman with fiery red hair, who looked to be in her thirties, finally broke the silence. “I just checked. This body… it’s Mike.” “That’s impossible,” someone immediately argued. “Mike was in his forties. This guy looks ancient. The age doesn’t match up at all.” The redhead let out a long sigh. “Do you remember the wish we made yesterday? To die peacefully of old age. Doesn’t Mike’s current state fit that perfectly? We underestimated this instance. We thought a little cleverness would see us through. An SSS-rank instance… it’s a whole different level of cruel.” The livestream comments reappeared. [Heh, my favorite part: overconfident players getting a reality check. Let the whole herd of pigs die, I don’t care.] [Wait, I thought not everyone wished for old age. What did that girl in the corner wish for? My stream went black yesterday right after she stepped up. Can someone fill me in?] [+1, my screen went black too.] [+2] [+10086] … [Why did so many people’s streams go dark? I thought it was just my connection.] [Could it be? Did she make the one correct wish, so the system censored it? Holy crap! Is someone finally going to beat this legendary SSS-rank instance???] [You guys have wild imaginations. I looked her up, she’s a total newbie. A fragile little flower like her? I could snap her in half. Expecting her to clear a top-tier instance is a joke.] A young girl in our group started to sob. “What are we going to do? We all made the same wish as Mike. Does that mean… we’re all going to die like that?” The same thought had clearly crossed everyone’s mind. The mood in the room grew even heavier. The red-haired woman lit a cigarette, took a long drag, and exhaled slowly. “Not necessarily. Remember what the system said? There will be side missions. Each time we complete one, we get to make a new wish. We still have a chance, as long as we make the right wish this time.” Her calm demeanor was a balm on everyone’s frayed nerves. She continued, “My name’s Alexia. I was an executive at a multinational before this. I’d like to think I have decent judgment. If you trust me, I will lead you all to victory.” When people are terrified, they instinctively look for a leader. Alexia, with her sharp mind and commanding presence, naturally became our anchor. After securing her leadership, she offered a few more words of encouragement. Just then, a system notification chimed. [Side Mission: ‘The Boss’s Dinner Party’ has been issued.] [All players are invited to share a feast with Him!] [Time: Tonight at 8:00 PM] [Participants: All surviving players] [Note: A variety of dishes will be served. Each player must select one dish to present to the Boss.] [Note: Dish selections cannot be repeated.] [Note: The player who presents the Boss’s favorite food will earn His favor and another chance to make a wish.] [Note: The player who presents the Boss’s most hated food will die!] A confident smile touched Alexia’s lips. “See? Our chance is here already.”   We had most of the day before the dinner party. Under Alexia’s direction, we fanned out across the villa, searching for any clue about the Boss’s preferences. An hour before the event, we gathered to share our findings. Alexia spoke first. “I found tonight’s menu in the kitchen. There are only six dishes, one for each of us. They are: escargots, Caesar salad, roasted lamb chops, pan-seared cod, creamed vegetables, and fruitcake. Any thoughts?” A tall, skinny guy spoke up excitedly. “I found a notebook in the maid’s room. There was an entry complaining that the ‘young master’ always ate his vegetables but barely touched meat. I’m guessing that ‘young master’ is our Boss.” Another girl’s eyes lit up. “And I saw a ton of milk and dairy products in the fridge! He must like creamy things. Milk plus vegetables… that has to be the creamed vegetables, right?” We were all encouraged. We’d figured out his favorite food so easily. Alexia tapped a long, manicured nail on the table. “Excellent work, everyone. So we know his favorite dish. The question now is, who gets to present it?” The system had been clear: no repeats. Only one person could present the correct dish and earn the Boss’s favor. Alexia cleared her throat. “Actually, I believe I’ve already figured out what the correct final wish is. If things go smoothly, I can get all of us out of here safely. So, if you all trust my judgment… I’ll be the one to present the creamed vegetables to the Boss.” The group exchanged hesitant glances. After a moment of deliberation, they all nodded in agreement. The girl who’d figured out the dish spoke up again, her voice small. “We know what he likes, but what about what he hates? If someone picks the wrong thing, they’ll die.” I quietly raised my hand. “I found a photo album in the library. It’s full of pictures of a little boy’s birthdays, from one year old to his early twenties. I noticed that in every single picture, the birthday cake is completely untouched. I think the food he hates is the fruitcake.” With the death option identified, a more brutal question arose. If everyone had to present a dish, who would be forced to serve the fatal fruitcake? In the end, we drew lots. A guy with a buzz cut drew the short straw. His eyes flickered nervously, darting toward me for a split second.

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My six-year-old biological daughter Evelyn Sanchez was found and brought back home, but she still refuses to get close to me, Caroline Sanchez. My husband Rafael Gordon says the child needs time to adjust, and that when I return from my business trip abroad, bringing more gifts might help improve our relationship. I was preparing to leave when I unexpectedly heard Evelyn’s inner thoughts. “Should I tell Mom that Lilith always hits me? Dad said Mom doesn’t like children who tattle, and she doesn’t like me either. But if I don’t say anything, I might not survive until Mom comes back.” My heart clenched suddenly, and I turned toward the cowering figure in the corner, meeting her tear-filled eyes. Evelyn didn’t speak, but I heard her inner voice again. “Maybe it’s because I’m living a second life, and I just want to see Mom one more time.” Rafael saw me standing there in a daze and urged me that the plane was about to take off. I spun around and slapped him across the face. I’m not going on any business trip! I’m staying right here with my precious daughter to see who dares hurt my child! ***** Rafael covered his face, staring at me in shock. Though I have a strong personality, I’ve never laid a hand on anyone before. Seeing that I was truly angry this time, he quickly made an excuse about needing to handle business matters at the company and hurriedly left the house. As soon as he left, Evelyn, who had been standing nearby, hid behind a pillar. “Mom really is as scary as Dad said.” Hearing Evelyn’s inner thoughts again, I was somewhat surprised. That slap was completely because I heard her say she’d been bullied to death – I was too worried and angry, and I lost control. Though I’m quick-tempered, except for today, I truly have never hit anyone. Why would Rafael tell Evelyn that I’m scary? Evelyn was switched at birth and spent six whole years growing up in an orphanage. After she came back, Rafael has been carefully taking care of her, even writing down guidelines for interacting with her. Throughout our years of marriage, he’s always been tolerant of my temper and taken the initiative to care for the children. He shouldn’t badmouth me in front of Evelyn – maybe she misunderstood what he said. Looking at Evelyn hiding behind the pillar, I felt even more eager to get close to her. I crouched down and asked with a smile, “I’m not working today. How about I take you to see your new school?” Evelyn nodded excitedly. I held her in my arms and heard her inner voice again. “Mom smells so nice, such a warm embrace. Too bad in my past life, when Mom first held me, I was already dead and couldn’t feel the warmth.” My heart tightened with pain. According to what she said, in her past life, I should have already gone abroad by this time. But in this life, I’m going to see who dares lay a hand on Evelyn! After changing Evelyn into new clothes, I went upstairs to get my bag. When I came back downstairs, I witnessed Lilith Sanchez, the daughter who was mistakenly brought home, pointing at Evelyn and cursing. “Who said you could wear that dress! Only I can wear that dress – I’m the princess of this house! You piece of trash, even though you’re in my house, you’re not part of this family!” While cursing, Lilith reached out to tear at Evelyn’s clothes.

I panicked instantly. By the time I hurried downstairs to reach them, Lilith was already on the ground. She was still clutching the fabric she’d torn from Evelyn’s clothes, yet she stretched her arms toward me while crying. “Mommy, I don’t know why Evelyn hit me.” Seeing Lilith getting her story in first, Evelyn quickly defended herself: “Mommy, I didn’t!” Lilith cut her off: “Yes, you did! You said I’ve been taking your place for three years and told me to go die! Mommy, I can leave to make room for Evelyn, but please don’t make me die, okay? I’m scared that if I die, I’ll never see you again.” Evelyn stammered, trying to explain, but ultimately said nothing. “If I keep explaining, Mommy will think I’m a bad child who did something wrong but won’t admit it. In my past life, every time Lilith bullied me, Dad and my brothers only believed her. They thought I not only bullied her but also liked to lie.” My heart clenched painfully as I watched the cautious Evelyn, who had already lowered her head, ready to admit fault. I quickly pulled her behind me for protection. “Lilith, I just saw with my own eyes that you were the one who grabbed Evelyn’s clothes first. Why are you still saying she was bullying you?” Lilith looked at me in disbelief, then suddenly burst into tears: “Mommy, you don’t believe me but you believe her? You two are real mother and daughter, and I’m the outsider, so you’re both bullying me! You clearly said that even after she came, you’d still love me the same way. It was all lies!” She ran upstairs crying and slammed her bedroom door shut. Though I was angry, I thought about how Lilith had been spoiled by the whole family for three years. Learning suddenly that she wasn’t my child would naturally be hard to accept. It was normal for a child to speak carelessly and harbor hostility toward Evelyn. I suppressed my anger and went upstairs, planning to explain things properly to Lilith, but then I heard her voice coming from the room. “That old woman is already playing favorites. I cried so hard, yet she still cares about what the truth is. The truth is that little bitch should die! When she’s not home, just wait and see how I’ll teach that bitch a lesson!” My hand froze mid-air as I was about to knock on the door. I never imagined that Lilith, whom I’d raised and cared for since she was small, could harbor such vicious thoughts. Evelyn had also followed me upstairs. She carefully tugged at the corner of my clothes, tears in her eyes. “Mommy, I don’t want to go to school anymore.” Evelyn’s inner voice came through: “Lilith is so angry today, she’ll definitely beat me to death. I don’t want it to be like my past life, where she locked me up with a dog. The dog bit me so badly. It bit off my nose and ears.” Hearing Evelyn’s thoughts, I could no longer suppress my rage. After bringing Evelyn back, I’d felt sorry for Lilith and thought that after years together, I should treat both children equally. But not only did she see herself as a princess, she was also tormenting Evelyn like this! I immediately called for the nanny Anna and sternly ordered her to send Lilith to the orphanage. Lilith’s cursing stopped abruptly. Anna looked at me in shock: “How can you be so biased? Lilith is crying so hard right now, yet you’re still so heartless. People will criticize you for this. Besides, Lilith is so smart with such a bright future ahead, unlike Evelyn, who’s so timid and cowardly. Who knows what she’ll become in the future.” I slapped Anna hard across the face: “What are you to dare comment on my daughter! Either you take Lilith to the orphanage right now, or you pack your things and get out!” Anna panicked immediately: “Maybe we should wait for Mr. Gordon to come home first. A man should make decisions about household matters. It’s not appropriate for you as a woman to do this.”

I was so angry I had to laugh. Rafael was nothing more than someone who depended on my family, and everything in this house was under my control. Besides, how dare a nanny with outdated ideas presume to lecture me? I let out a cold laugh. “Even if Rafael comes back, he’ll have to listen to me. And you’re fired.” I immediately called the butler and dismissed Anna on the spot. Anna flew into a rage, yelling about how she’d get Rafael to come back and teach me a lesson, but the security guards had already thrown her luggage out the front door. Watching her locked outside, I finally felt satisfied and left with Evelyn. Once in the car, I said earnestly to Evelyn, “If anyone ever bullies you again, you must tell me immediately. I will always protect you.” Evelyn’s eyes welled up with tears, but she suddenly smiled and nodded vigorously. Just then, I heard her thoughts again. “Why is Mom so different from what Dad told me? Did Dad lie to me? Does Mom actually love me? But why did Dad say Mom didn’t want to see me when I begged him to call her before I died in my past life?” My heart clenched. Could Rafael really be involved in all this? The next moment, my suspicions deepened. Principal Isabel Reed told me there was no record of Evelyn’s name on the enrollment list. I had clearly instructed Rafael that on the day both daughters enrolled, they should each receive ten percent of company shares as a gift. I said, “Ms. Reed, please look again carefully. Lilith and Evelyn were supposed to be enrolled together.” Isabel cast a contemptuous look at Evelyn. “When Mr. Gordon came to register, he said he wanted to give Lilith twenty percent of Sanchez Group shares as an enrollment gift. What is this girl supposed to be? An illegitimate daughter? Does she deserve shares too?” I was instantly furious. “How dare you slander my daughter as illegitimate? Who do you think you are? I can give Sanchez Group shares to whoever I want!” She was about to retort when she suddenly put on a fawning smile. “Mr. Gordon, you’re here!” I looked in the direction she was hurrying toward and indeed saw Rafael. Rafael ignored Isabel’s eager greeting and walked toward me with an anxious expression. “Darling, what’s going on at home? Why is Lilith crying so hard?” I slapped him across the face. “Why didn’t you enroll Evelyn?” Only then did Rafael realize what was happening, stammering, “Evelyn just came back from the orphanage. She definitely wouldn’t adapt to the elite school environment. I was afraid she’d be bullied.” I said, “Evelyn is the sole heir to Sanchez Group. How could she be bullied? Even if she were, she should learn to fight back. Otherwise, how will she manage the company in the future?” Rafael was stunned. “What do you mean? Isn’t the company going to Lilith? How can you be so biased? Even if you don’t give it to Lilith, we still have three sons. How could Evelyn possibly be the sole heir?” I sneered. “Our family has always had daughters inherit the business. When you said you wanted to give the company to Lilith before, you had no objections. Why is it different when it comes to Evelyn? And you have no right to call me biased. Ms. Reed said you wanted to give twenty percent of the shares to Lilith.” Rafael looked at Isabel in surprise. Isabel was still pointing at my nose and cursing, “You’re just a mistress! Don’t act all high and mighty. You really think Mr. Gordon can’t live without you!” “You’re talking nonsense! I’m the one who can’t live without her!” Rafael was already shouting at her angrily. Only then did Isabel realize something was wrong and sheepishly lowered her head. Rafael explained in a low voice, “I thought Lilith was pitiful, having no one to love her in this strange family, so I wanted to give her more shares.” Evelyn’s thoughts came through: “Lilith isn’t unloved at all—she has a beautiful mother. Every time I got bitten by dogs, that person would smile and say that when I died, it would definitely anger Mom to death, and then she could live with Dad and Lilith. She also said Dad deliberately switched me and Lilith back then. Too bad if I told Mom about this, she’d definitely think I was lying.” Evelyn’s inner thoughts hit me like a bucket of ice water, leaving me frozen in place. I stared at Rafael with a pale face, never imagining he would betray me like this. He used my money to support his mistress and secretly switched his illegitimate daughter with my biological daughter. I trembled with rage. Seeing my silence, Rafael assumed I was listening to him and continued persuading: “Lilith is a sensible child. Go back and apologize to her, give her some gifts, and she won’t hold it against you.” I let out a cold laugh: “What right does she have to hold anything against me? She’s an illegitimate daughter who eats my food and uses my money, yet she has the nerve to be angry?” Rafael froze instantly, stammering: “What illegitimate daughter? What do you mean by that?” I said: “Rafael, you’re shameless! How dare you betray me! Don’t you know exactly what you’ve done?” A flash of panic crossed his eyes, but he remained stubborn: “Caroline, do you just not want to raise Lilith anymore, so you’re trying to push her onto me? Do you have any conscience left? Lilith is still a child. Do you want her to carry this stigma for life?” He accused me with heated emotion. I just stared at him coldly and, right in front of him, dialed the private investigator’s number and put it on speaker. I said: “Help me investigate whether my husband Rafael Gordon has a lover outside. Also, about the baby mix-up six years ago – was it an accident or intentional?” Rafael reached to grab my phone, but the investigator had already hung up. He pointed at me in fury, his finger trembling: “How long are you going to keep this up? Do you have to make our home a living hell and make all the children hate you? Caroline, let me remind you – our three sons adore Lilith like a little princess. If you keep this up, they’ll disown you! Go back now and apologize to Lilith, let Evelyn adapt at another school for a while. Follow my arrangements and there won’t be any problems.” Seeing I remained unmoved, he took a deep breath and softened his tone: “You don’t understand how to educate children – it has to be gradual. This illegitimate daughter nonsense is all in your head. Stop wasting money on investigators for things that don’t exist. When the boys get here and see you acting like this, how will you explain it to them?” “Explain?” I laughed coldly. “I don’t need to explain myself to anyone! You abused my daughter and want to leave my company to your illegitimate child. I haven’t even held you accountable yet, and you want me to explain myself to you?” “You’re the one who owes Dad an explanation!” Before Rafael could respond, a voice came from behind us. My three sons had arrived. My eldest son Jasper Sanchez immediately stood in front of Rafael: “Mom, you’re wrongly accusing Dad and made Lilith cry. Of course you owe them an explanation!” My second son Thomas Sanchez pointed at Evelyn and scolded angrily: “It must be you, you little bitch, lying again and trying to drive a wedge between Lilith and Mom. How can someone so young be so scheming?” My third son Oliver Sanchez said irritably: “Because of your favoritism, Lilith almost committed suicide at home. What are you still standing here for? Go back and apologize to her right now. Tell her she’s the only princess in our family. If anything happens to Lilith, I’ll never forgive you!” Seeing my three sons’ angry faces, my chest ached with fury as I gritted my teeth: “Do you know what kind of people your father and Lilith really are?” They frowned, looking confused. I suddenly threw the evidence the private investigator had just sent right in front of them. It clearly documented that Lilith was indeed Rafael’s illegitimate daughter. And six years ago, when Evelyn and Lilith were switched, it was definitely Rafael’s deliberate doing.

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My boyfriend Andrew Ruiz and I went on a graduation trip, with my roommate Lucy Ortiz shamelessly tagging along. During our flight to Arabia, the plane encountered severe turbulence and began shaking violently as it plummeted toward the Pacific. A malfunction caused only half the oxygen masks to deploy. The vicious Lucy snatched the oxygen mask from an Arabian woman named Fatima Wilson. Unable to bear watching, I shared my oxygen with Fatima, saving her life. After the emergency landing, Fatima’s husband Salih Wilson arrived. He was an oil tycoon. To thank me, he adopted me as his goddaughter and threw Lucy into the slums. Later, Andrew and I got married successfully. On the day we went skydiving, he suddenly unfastened my parachute and pushed me out from thirty thousand feet. I was smashed to pieces. He said, “If you hadn’t insisted on saving that old woman, Lucy wouldn’t have died.” Only then did I realize he and Lucy had been secretly involved behind my back. When I woke up again, I found myself reborn at the moment the plane had just taken off. Lucy’s shrill voice rang in my ears: “Aaliyah, I’m talking to you. Let me switch seats with you.” Aaliyah Thompson is my name. Her words instantly pulled me back to reality. I pressed my hand against my wildly beating heart. After a long moment, I realized I had been reborn. I turned my head and looked at her with cold indifference: “Fine. You can go sit with Andrew.” In my previous life, I didn’t understand why Lucy insisted on switching seats. Now, looking at Andrew, my heart filled with disappointment and hatred. After switching seats, Lucy and Andrew immediately started groping each other disgustingly. As the plane climbed higher over the Pacific, I knew the turbulence was coming. Sure enough, the next second, the entire plane suddenly dropped. The intense weightlessness made everyone on board panic and scream. One woman shouted: “Ah! What’s happening?” Another woman cried out: “Is the plane going to crash? I don’t want to die! I want to go home!” A man roared: “Shut up! If you keep crying, I’ll strangle you!” Crying and cursing instantly filled the entire cabin. I turned to see Fatima with her hands clasped together, eyes tightly shut, her face pale. Based on my experience with her in my previous life, I knew she had severe panic disorder. Suddenly, the plane shot upward violently. The entire cabin tilted almost ninety degrees. My hands trembling, I gripped the armrests tightly. From the corner of my eye, I saw Lucy had already thrown herself into Andrew’s arms. She said in a weak voice: “Andrew, I’m so scared.” That voice gave me goosebumps. Andrew instinctively held Lucy, acting like he could give her security: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.” But right after he said it, he suddenly realized and immediately shut up, looking at me. I sneered inwardly, despising this pair of adulterers. Just as I looked away, a sharp pain shot through my left hand. I instinctively looked over. Fatima was pale, clutching her chest and gasping heavily, sweating profusely, her eyes beginning to roll back. My heart jumped. These were signs of her panic attack! I quickly reached to search her pockets. But just as I placed the inhaler near her nose, the plane shook violently again. The medicine in Fatima’s hand was flung away, landing right at Lucy’s feet. I stared at that medicine, noticing Fatima’s breathing becoming more and more rapid. I wanted to unbuckle my seatbelt and risk retrieving the inhaler. But my hand suddenly froze as I tried to unbuckle my seatbelt. I instinctively looked down and discovered the seatbelt buckle was completely jammed—I couldn’t pull it out. With no other choice, I shouted to Lucy: “Kick that inhaler by your feet over here!” Lucy leaned forward and saw Fatima, who was nearly suffocating. She let out a cold laugh and said, “If you want to save her, save her yourself. What gives you the right to order me around?” Perhaps sensing death approaching, Lucy’s fake mask of kindness was completely torn away. She continued: “You don’t just save rich people—you save poor people too. You’re just so noble, aren’t you?” Not only did Lucy refuse to kick the inhaler to me, she deliberately pretended to accidentally kick it even further away. She said with false concern: “Oops, sorry. The plane was shaking just now and I accidentally kicked the medicine away. Oh no, what a shame.” Seeing her provocative and smug expression, I felt a sharp pain in my chest from anger. What a b*tch! I glared at Lucy, my chest heaving violently: “Lucy, are you insane? This is someone’s life!” Andrew beside her dropped his act too. He pulled Lucy into his arms and said tenderly: “What does this have to do with us? Lucy, even if we die, we’ll die together.” Then he looked at me with disgust and said: “Aaliyah, you think you’re the most righteous person in the world, don’t you? Since you’re so noble, why don’t you unbuckle your seatbelt and go get that medicine yourself?” I turned to look at Fatima, who was nearly suffocating. The next second, I used a hairpin to cut through my seatbelt. The moment I stood up, the plane’s violent turbulence threw me upward, slamming me hard against the cabin ceiling. Then the plane climbed rapidly, throwing me back down into my seat. Every bone in my body felt broken, and my vision kept going black. Lucy seized the opportunity to lift her foot and stomp hard on my hand, saying: “B*tch, serves you right!” At that moment, the inhaler from the front rolled to my feet. I stared at the medicine, gritting my teeth as I crawled toward it. But just as I was about to reach it, Lucy kicked me hard from behind. My head slammed into the armrest, making me even more dizzy. Enduring the excruciating pain throughout my body, I used my memories from my previous life to send emergency texts to the rescue team and Salih.

I had just finished sending the text when a woman next to me screamed: “She’s foaming at the mouth! Is she going to die?” At the word “die,” the already terrified passengers became even more panicked and started screaming. Another woman shouted: “She’s scared to death! She’s dead! We’re all going to die! We’re all going to crash with this plane and be killed!” The cabin erupted into chaos. I slowly got up and held Fatima in my arms. I said: “Don’t be afraid. Someone will come to rescue us.” Suddenly, the plane’s rear wing was torn apart, and the cabin began rapid decompression. The oxygen masks above our heads dropped down. Just like in my previous life, some of the masks got stuck and didn’t fall. I quickly put one on Fatima and put one on myself, then gripped the seat tightly with both hands to prevent being thrown around. However, Lucy next to us became the only person in our row without an oxygen mask. Her face was full of panic: “Why don’t I have a mask? Damn it!” Then she glared at me viciously and said: “Aaliyah, the seat you’re sitting in was supposed to be mine, so this oxygen mask should be mine too. Give it back to me right now!” Andrew on the far right also ordered me: “Aaliyah, how can you be so vicious? Give the mask to Lucy quickly, it was hers to begin with!” I looked at them coldly. If looks could kill, these two shameless animals would have died a million times over. The oxygen in the cabin was getting thinner, and Lucy finally started to panic. Seeing that I didn’t respond, she turned her attention to the weak Fatima beside us. Thinking of what happened in my previous life, I instantly understood what she was planning to do. Before Lucy could stand up, I pressed her down in her seat: “What are you trying to do?” Lucy hadn’t expected me to stop her and angrily slapped me across the face with full force. She said: “Bitch, get out of my way!” I immediately tasted blood in my mouth. Lucy continued: “Are you crazy? What does it matter to you if this old woman dies?” Andrew next to us took off his mask and looked at me with disgust: “You’re so selfish! That seat was Lucy’s to begin with, and you stole her oxygen!” Lucy glared at me through gritted teeth and roared: “Don’t you like playing the good person? Then give me back the mask, you bitch!” After saying this, she slapped me hard again, then broke free from my grip and lunged toward Fatima on the left. She pushed Fatima out of her seat with lightning speed. Then she snatched Fatima’s oxygen mask and put it on her face. I looked at Lucy with bloodshot eyes and said: “Lucy, are you even human?” But Lucy felt completely justified and said smugly: “You’re the one who’s sick. She’s going to die anyway, so what’s wrong with her giving me the oxygen mask? You’re the one who wouldn’t give me back the mask. If she dies, it’s your fault!” Andrew immediately chimed in: “Aaliyah, you’re truly vicious.” I took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to kill these two people. Then I helped Fatima to my seat and put my oxygen mask on her. The severe decompression forced me to keep my head down, and my vision kept going black. At that moment, a gentle hand touched me. I instinctively looked up and saw Fatima looking at me gratefully. She pointed to the mask, then pointed to me. I understood what she meant. She wanted me to wear the mask. I shook my head. Just as I was about to suffocate from lack of oxygen, the flight attendant’s trembling voice came over the cabin speakers. She said: “Dear passengers, please put your hands over your heads and prepare for impact. The aircraft is about to make an emergency landing. The maritime rescue team has arrived, please get ready!”

I was extremely nervous and held Fatima tightly. After a violent impact and turbulence, seawater instantly flooded the cabin. Everyone began to panic and flee. I unbuckled Fatima’s seatbelt and helped her stumble toward the emergency exit. A rescue team member shouted through a megaphone: “Are there any injured passengers? We don’t have enough lifeboats, so we need to evacuate the injured first for medical treatment, then rescue everyone else in batches.” I quickly raised my hand, about to speak. But suddenly, Andrew from behind covered my mouth with his hand. He glared at me viciously: “Lucy and I are getting on the boat first. This old woman can’t take our spots!” I struggled free from his grip and stared at him with ice-cold eyes. “Get away from me, you coward!” I shoved Andrew aside and helped Fatima step forward. I told the rescue team: “This lady has severe panic disorder and needs immediate medical attention. If we delay any longer, she could die from suffocation.” Lucy glared at me with malicious eyes. “You’re being so selfish! There are so many people here waiting to be saved. Why should we rescue a dying old woman first?” As soon as she finished speaking, the already panicked crowd immediately started talking. One woman said: “Let us healthy people go first. Why should dying people get priority?” A man chimed in: “She’s already dying, so why should she take up space?” Another man said: “Exactly! You should rescue us first, or we’ll all report you!” I looked at them in disbelief. Fatima beside me was pale, looking as desperate as I felt. I was so angry I could barely speak: “You people…” The rescue workers were just doing their jobs for pay. Getting reported once would cost them a lot of money. They looked at each other and reluctantly said: “Alright, you go first!” Lucy and Andrew showed triumphant expressions, gave me a mocking look, then walked straight onto the lifeboat. Seeing this, several men nearby, afraid of being left behind, pushed others aside and jumped onto the boat. Watching Fatima lean against my shoulder, barely able to hold on, I became extremely anxious. “Fatima, don’t fall asleep!” Then I looked at the rescuers with pleading eyes. “I can stay behind and give up my spot, but you must take her with you. Otherwise, she’ll die!” The rescuers looked at each other. On one side was me, refusing to back down, and on the other were passengers wanting to rush forward and grab spots. They didn’t know what to do. I added: “They can file complaints against you, and so can I. If someone actually dies, how will you handle that?” The lead rescuer thought for a moment, then looked at the weak Fatima behind me. “Fine, help her up.” I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly helped Fatima onto the lifeboat. Just as I was about to turn and leave, Fatima grabbed my clothes tightly. Seeing this, Lucy immediately mocked: “Didn’t you say you’d give up your spot? Now you don’t want to, right?” She looked at me with cold eyes, deliberately stirring up conflict. The already agitated crowd was instantly inflamed. Someone shouted: “Get off, you b*tch! Or we’ll kill you!” I pulled my clothes free from Fatima’s grip, preparing to leave. Lucy behind me said again: “You can’t leave!” She looked at the confused rescuers and said: “What if this old woman dies on the way? So she has to come with us!” Before anyone could object, Lucy continued: “But she’s already given up her spot. So let’s just tie her to the back of the lifeboat and drag her back!” As she said this, she looked at me with eyes as vicious as a venomous snake.   The lifeguards discussed it briefly and immediately agreed to the plan. When one of my hands was tied to the lifeboat rope and I was thrown into the sea, I was still in shock. The bone-chilling seawater instantly engulfed me. My body began cooling rapidly, shivering uncontrollably. Lucy sneered as she watched me. She said, “Aaliyah, this is what you get for pretending to be the good guy!” Standing in the boat cabin, she looked down at me from above. “You dare glare at me?” With that, she grabbed a harpoon nearby and thrust it viciously toward my eyes. My mind went completely blank. Just as I was stunned, Fatima somehow found the strength to shove Lucy hard. “Ah!” Lucy screamed. Her body lurched sideways, nearly falling out of the lifeboat, and the harpoon dropped into the sea. “You b*tch!” Lucy spun around and kicked Fatima hard. Already weakened, Fatima immediately coughed up blood. Lucy was furious. After exchanging a glance with Andrew, they seized the moment when no one was paying attention and threw Fatima into the sea together. “Bastards! Stop!” I roared. Lucy also shouted in feigned surprise, “She fell overboard!” Only then did everyone turn their attention our way. I watched as Fatima was thrown down. Then, with my one free hand, I lunged forward at lightning speed and caught her. The already weakened Fatima and I were dragged through the sea together by the speeding lifeboat. The icy seawater pounded against my body, sending sharp pain through every bone. I could only grit my teeth and endure. I couldn’t let go. If I let go, Fatima would be swallowed by the ocean. I don’t know how much time passed, but just when I thought I was going to die, the lifeboat finally reached the harbor. Suddenly, over a dozen gleaming golden aircraft appeared in the sky. Salih stepped off one of the planes, wearing a headscarf, frantically searching through the crowd. When he saw his wife lying barely conscious on a stretcher, his eyes widened instantly. “Fatima!” He rushed forward, his voice trembling as he asked, “What happened to you?” Fatima on the stretcher glanced at him, then completely lost consciousness. “Fatima!” After a furious roar, Salih glared menacingly at everyone present. Hundreds of bodyguards immediately surrounded the area. Salih bellowed, “None of you are leaving. Take them all back.” Then he carried Fatima onto the plane and departed. Lucy and Andrew exchanged glances, sensing trouble ahead. Seeing the fierce-looking bodyguards, Lucy immediately screamed to stop them. She said, “Don’t come any closer. What right do you have to restrict our freedom? This is illegal.” A nearby rescue worker turned pale, realizing the woman they had treated so roughly was no ordinary person. He whispered, “That’s Salih, the Arab oil tycoon who controls almost the entire South African oil industry.” Everyone’s faces instantly drained of color. They all knew that in the fight for oil fields, people in the oil business used countless illegal methods. After treating his wife like that, would they face punishment? Lucy’s face went pale, trembling just like Andrew. The bodyguards said nothing more and forced all of us onto helicopters. Half an hour later, the helicopter landed in a towering castle. Fortunately, Fatima was only suffering from hypothermia and a panic attack. She had been given sedatives and was no longer in life-threatening danger. Salih swept his cold, venomous gaze over us. He asked, “Who threw my wife into the sea and dragged her?” Everyone’s eyes turned to Lucy. Lucy’s eyes instantly filled with terror as she frantically tried to defend herself, “It wasn’t me. I…” Before she could finish, Salih shot her in the leg. A piercing scream rang out, making everyone’s skin crawl. “It wasn’t me!” Lucy’s face went white as she clutched her bleeding leg. Looking at me, she said, “It was her! She’s the one who dragged your wife through the water. Everyone can testify to that.” That’s the evil of human nature. As long as they’re not the ones in trouble, anyone can take the blame. Seeing that no one contradicted her, Salih stepped forward and grabbed me. He gripped my throat tightly with one hand while pressing a loaded gun hard against my temple with the other. Salih said, “Since you hurt my wife, you won’t live.” His grip tightened, and my eyes began to fill with blood. The suffocation made it impossible for me to speak. Just as I was about to die, Fatima was wheeled out in a wheelchair. Seeing me nearly strangled to death, she quickly said, “Salih, stop! She’s my savior.”

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I, Isabella Garcia, was reborn back to my first birthday party. Despite having a constitution that brings good luck, in my previous life, I completely ignored all requests from my father Wesley Garcia and mother Emery Garcia. In my past life, I used my good fortune to help Wesley and Emery become the wealthiest family. My eldest brother Rowan Garcia became a powerful figure in the business world, my second brother Liam Garcia became a highly skilled doctor, and my third brother Jacob Garcia became a superstar in the music industry. Only our family’s adopted daughter, Ariana Garcia, wasn’t affected by my good luck because she shared no blood relation with me. Ariana scored poorly on her SATs at eighteen, was kidnapped at twenty, and died in an accident at twenty-five. Before dying, she said through tears: “I don’t blame Isabella. I was always an outsider, so it’s only natural she wouldn’t help me.” The entire family believed I was jealous of Ariana and deliberately caused her misfortunes. They locked me up, conducted various experiments on me, trying to use my good luck to bring Ariana back to life, and ultimately tortured me to death. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to my first birthday. Wesley asked me with a smile: “Isabella, do you think I should sign this ten-million-dollar project?” I blinked, then grabbed a handful of mud and threw it right at his face. The entire room fell silent. I grabbed more dirt from the flower pot and smeared it on Wesley’s face. Wesley’s arms holding me froze, his expression nearly collapsing. Everyone was at a loss, except for Ariana, whose eyes flashed with satisfaction. Ariana let out a shriek, putting on a worried expression as she rushed over: “Dad, are you okay? Isabella is being so naughty.” Wesley wiped the mud from his face forcefully and angrily handed me to the nanny: “That fortune teller clearly said she had a lucky constitution, naturally bringing good fortune. How could she suddenly go crazy?” Ariana bit her lip. After a moment, she said quietly: “Isabella’s been born for a whole year now, and she hasn’t brought us much luck. Maybe what that fortune teller said was fake. When I was taking care of Isabella a few days ago, she bit me. She doesn’t seem like a smart child at all, instead…” Rowan snorted coldly: “She’s just a troublemaker. Isabella has done nothing but torment us since birth. Even Ariana has been neglected and suffered so much. I think that fortune teller was lying about her having good luck. She’s just here to cause us trouble and bring misfortune.” Emery frowned as she studied me, then said after a long pause: “Forget it. She just turned one, she doesn’t understand anything. Our company went public successfully right after she was born. Maybe she threw mud because she wanted to stop you from signing this project.” Wesley paced back and forth irritably: “Then I won’t sign this project and see if she really has good luck or not.” With that, he hurried off to change clothes, and my first birthday party came to an abrupt end. As soon as Wesley and Emery left, Ariana revealed her true face. She stared at me with malicious eyes: “Isabella really is lucky. Dad loves cleanliness so much, but he didn’t hold it against you. Sure enough, blood relations are what matter most.” Rowan immediately walked over, glanced at me coldly, and said to Ariana: “Ariana, don’t be sad. In our hearts, we only recognize you as our sister. If it weren’t for that fortune teller saying Isabella could bring good luck, why would Mom and Dad have had her? If she dares compete with you for Mom and Dad’s affection, we’ll definitely take your side.” My other two brothers also made firm promises and held Ariana’s hands to comfort her. In my previous life, Wesley and Emery felt they couldn’t have a daughter, so they adopted Ariana shortly after Jacob was born and developed deep feelings for her. My three biological brothers also treated me as an unexpected child and were particularly cold toward me. Moreover, because Ariana didn’t benefit from my good luck, they were convinced I was deliberately harming her. Back then, I understood nothing and thought that if I just used my good fortune to help them, I could earn their love. But in the end, I was abused and tortured by them, dying miserably. Watching them get along so harmoniously now, I opened my mouth and began crying loudly. Ariana looked at me coldly and raised her hand to pinch me: “So annoying.” But just then, Wesley ran over excitedly and picked me up, interrupting her action: “The company leading that project just ran off with the money. The whole project was a scam. Thank goodness I didn’t sign the contract. Isabella really is my lucky star.”

Wesley hugged me and laughed heartily, then instructed the butler to have a ruby necklace made for me. He said, “I can’t shortchange my lucky star. All these wonderful things will belong to Isabella in the future.” My brothers and Ariana stared in shock, their eyes wide. Jacob shouted in protest, glaring at Wesley with dissatisfaction. He said, “Dad, how can you favor Isabella like this? Ariana is the sister we truly care about.” Ariana’s eyes reddened as she stubbornly lowered her head, putting on a pitiful act. Wesley quickly set me down and cleared his throat. He said, “All these Christmases, I’ve treated Ariana like my own daughter. How could I possibly play favorites? Didn’t Ariana have her eye on that twenty-million-dollar necklace a couple days ago? It’ll be delivered to the house today.” Ariana immediately stopped crying and broke into a smile. She ran over to Wesley, acting coquettish as she said, “Daddy, you’re so good to me. I thought after Isabella was born, you’d all stop caring about me.” Wesley lovingly stroked her head, saying, “Silly child, you’ll always be mine and Emery’s little princess.” Ariana turned around and gave me a provocative smile. I couldn’t understand why Ariana harbored such hostility toward me, even as a one-year-old, but it was obvious she wanted to suppress me while I was still young, preventing me from having any chance to grow. Wesley often asked me what he should do to have good luck, and I didn’t always agree to his requests. Whenever they wanted me to bring Ariana good fortune, I would start crying. Over the next month, everyone in the family encountered misfortune and had terrible luck. Wesley and Emery faced setbacks in their careers. Rowan was schemed against by competitors. Liam encountered eerie, terrifying incidents at the morgue. Jacob thought he’d met someone who could make him famous, only to be swindled out of all his money. After this happened multiple times, they began to notice the pattern, though they couldn’t figure out why. Since I was just a child under two who couldn’t even speak complete sentences, I simply pretended not to understand what they were saying. Ariana’s complexion grew increasingly worse. Now everyone associated the family’s misfortunes with her. Finally, when Wesley made another wrong decision that nearly broke the company’s cash flow and brought them close to bankruptcy, the entire family couldn’t take it anymore. Ariana covered her face and began to cry. She said, “Only I bring bad luck. Isabella must not like me. Then I’ll leave. I can’t drag down Dad, Mom, and my brothers.” They all nervously gathered around to comfort Ariana. Rowan said, “Ariana, this isn’t your fault. You’re also our parents’ daughter. This will always be your home.” Liam chimed in, “That’s right. It’s Isabella’s fault. She’s stolen our good luck, which is why we keep having bad fortune.” After hearing this, Emery also looked at me with resentful eyes. She said, “If only Ariana were my biological daughter. She’s so filial and understanding, unlike this child who’s already causing harm at two years old.” Wesley immediately made up his mind to invite a fortune teller named Thomas Adams over. He said, “Mr. Adams previously said Isabella could bring good luck. This time I want to ask him why she keeps bringing us misfortune.” After Thomas arrived, he stared at me for quite a while. I pointed at Ariana and said in my childish voice, “Ugly.” Rowan’s face immediately darkened. “Ariana is obviously so beautiful with such delicate skin. She’s even talking nonsense about this—no wonder she brings us bad luck.” The others’ expressions were equally grim. Seeing Ariana’s pitiful appearance made them feel even more sorry for her. However, Thomas said, “This has nothing to do with Miss Garcia. The source of your family’s recent misfortunes is actually Miss Ariana Garcia.”

As soon as Thomas finished speaking, everyone immediately protested: “Impossible!” Jacob said excitedly: “You useless fortune teller are deliberately lying! Ariana has lived with us for over ten years, how could she possibly bring us bad luck?” Jacob was furious, as if Thomas was saying that he himself was the one bringing misfortune. He took two steps forward, ready to hit Thomas, but Wesley stopped him. Wesley looked at Thomas with scrutinizing eyes and asked suspiciously: “Mr. Adams, you initially said my youngest daughter could bring good luck, but never mentioned that Ariana would be cursed. Now our entire family has been harmed so badly by my youngest daughter, you owe me an explanation.” Emery’s eyes also reddened as she held Ariana in her arms and said: “Mr. Adams, nothing can happen to Ariana. Think of a way to break this curse.” Thomas waved his hand and said: “Isabella can only bring good luck to blood relatives, and she’s only two years old now. It’s possible that your forceful demands for her to transfer good luck to Ariana caused a reverse effect, turning everyone’s good luck into bad luck. Ariana is also surrounded by negative energy and has very poor luck.” Thomas shook his head again, looked at them meaningfully, and said: “I’ve said everything I needed to say. You should be careful in your actions.” After speaking, he turned and left Garcia Villa. Ariana suddenly began crying softly, choking as she said: “I’m just an adopted daughter, I shouldn’t have coveted the Garcia family’s wealth in the first place. Otherwise Isabella wouldn’t have caused Mom and Dad to be affected by misfortune. Why don’t you just sacrifice me alone so you can all have good luck?” She spoke as if she was very righteous and willing to sacrifice for others. Wesley, Emery, and her brothers naturally refused, all expressing that they wouldn’t let Ariana suffer alone. Rowan said firmly: “This isn’t your fault. Isabella is biased against you – she’s so young yet already wants to drive you away. We absolutely won’t give in.” Jacob also said unwillingly: “If only Ariana had the good luck constitution.” Everyone agreed with Jacob’s words. Listening to their conversation, I just wanted to roll my eyes. Ariana looked at me with even more wariness. When no one was watching, she would pinch me more viciously and wouldn’t give me food. But I wasn’t really a child. Whenever she abused me, I would make the whole family unlucky, tormenting them without any mercy. As for the Garcia family’s attempts to transfer good luck, only one or two out of ten times would succeed. After each failure, they would all return with dark faces, recalling where they had mentioned Ariana again. By the time I turned five, Wesley and Emery’s company was still struggling in the middle tier of the industry with no development, and my three brothers hadn’t achieved anything either. Ariana had fallen to the lowest point of her life, with particularly poor SAT scores. The night the SAT scores came out, Ariana cried all night, with the whole family surrounding her for comfort. When she saw me, Ariana broke down and lunged at me, scratching marks across my face with her sharp nails, saying: “It’s all your fault! Why won’t you give me good luck?” Jacob was startled and wanted to stop her. Ariana cried and shouted: “I can’t go to college anymore, can’t I at least vent on the culprit? Do you still consider me your sister?” Wesley and Emery also remained silent, pretending not to see what was happening before their eyes. Rowan took Ariana’s hand and said softly: “Don’t worry Ariana, we’ll get revenge for you.” That night, my three brothers forcibly took me out of the house, blindfolded me with cloth, and then dumped me in a dark alley. Rowan said to Ariana: “Ariana, we’re leaving her here to reflect and get revenge for you.” I cried and called for my brothers, but no one looked back. They laughingly took Ariana to the amusement park. The moment the surrounding lights disappeared, my heart completely turned cold. They wanted to punish me, but forgot that I had good luck protection. When I ran out of the alley, I used up all the good luck I hadn’t previously used on my family members all at once. After an unknown amount of time, a car stopped in front of me. The person inside asked: “Whose child is this that got lost?” I looked up and recognized the person in the car as Claire Miller, the matriarch of the Miller family. She had enormous power and influence in Washington, yet was known as a philanthropist. I immediately shed tears, putting on a very pitiful appearance and said: “My brothers wanted to abandon me.”   Claire was indeed known for her kindness and soft heart. Not only did she save me, but she also arranged for her assistant Harper Brown to drive me back to the Garcia family mansion. When we arrived at the Garcia mansion, we could hear laughter and cheerful voices coming from inside before we even entered. Wesley, Emery, and my three brothers had decorated the mansion in a dreamy, adorable way, excitedly celebrating Ariana’s 18th birthday. Emery said, “Ariana, don’t worry. We’ve already arranged for you to study abroad. Once you go overseas for school and come back, your three brothers will still be here to take care of you. These company shares are your birthday gift—we’ll always support you.” Everyone lovingly surrounded Ariana, completely forgetting about me, the one they had thrown out of the house just a day ago. When I walked into the mansion, the smile froze on everyone’s face. Harper, who was carrying me, maintained a cold expression as she introduced herself, then said, “Mrs. Miller would like to ask the Garcia family—is this how you raise children? Abandoning a five-year-old in an alley in the middle of the night?” Wesley’s smile immediately stiffened. He tried to take me back, saying, “This is just a small matter. She was being naughty and ran out on her own. Thank you for bringing her back, Mrs. Miller.” I immediately dodged Wesley’s hands and hid behind Harper, bursting into tears. Harper’s gaze grew even colder: “It seems we need to reconsider our company’s partnership with the Garcia family.” Wesley’s outstretched hand awkwardly froze in mid-air. He turned to my brothers and scolded them loudly: “How were you watching Isabella? She went missing and you didn’t even know?” Ariana said seriously, “This has nothing to do with them. They were busy celebrating my birthday, so they didn’t notice Isabella wandering off. Dad, if you need to punish someone, punish me. I hope Mrs. Miller won’t make things difficult for my father—this is all my fault.” With that, Ariana ran out crying. Rowan immediately became anxious: “This has nothing to do with Ariana! Leaving Isabella in the alley was our idea. Isabella, when will you stop? All you know how to do is tattle!” I looked at them and asked, “When you saw I was missing, didn’t Mom and Dad worry about me either?” They exchanged glances, and Wesley said, “What does a little kid understand? You must be remembering wrong.” However, the next second, Harper pulled out a USB drive containing surveillance footage of me being abandoned in the alley. They opened their mouths to argue, but the surveillance footage was crystal clear and impossible to refute. Their faces all turned ugly. Harper said, “Mrs. Miller mentioned that she and Isabella have a special connection. Mr. Wesley Garcia, if you can’t raise your daughter properly, then let her raise her instead.” I gripped Harper’s hand tightly, knowing that my chance to leave the Garcia family was about to come. Just then, Rowan suddenly burst in, shouting frantically, “Something terrible happened! Ariana’s been kidnapped! The kidnappers are demanding either a hundred million dollars or Isabella in exchange for her!” In the video the kidnappers sent, Ariana was pitifully tied up, trapped inside a run-down van. Rowan pointed at me, his eyes filled with hatred: “It must be her fault again!” Wesley and Emery’s faces turned particularly grim. Emery lunged at me, gripping my throat tightly, and said frantically, “If you hadn’t suddenly appeared, why would Ariana have run out? You have to save her! If Ariana doesn’t come back safely, you’ll pay with your life!” Just as Emery finished speaking, the mansion’s front door was suddenly kicked open with tremendous force. Then, a voice rang out: “I’d like to see who dares to touch her.”

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My husband’s name is Aiden Thomas. On the second day of his business trip, while I was cleaning the house, I casually said to the smart speaker, “Siri, play some music.” Instead, a strange woman’s sweet voice came from the speaker: “Sure thing, my Little Moon. Also, remind Aiden not to forget tonight’s birthday surprise for Naomi.” I froze instantly. The music from the speaker suddenly sounded jarring. My husband is indeed named Aiden, but who is Naomi? I immediately called Aiden: “Have you ever used the smart speaker at home?” On the other end, Aiden’s voice paused for a moment, then he laughed casually as if nothing happened: “A friend came over a few days ago and probably connected his account. What’s wrong?” I smiled and said it was nothing. After hanging up, I pulled up the smart speaker’s login records and took a cab directly to the company registered under that unfamiliar account. The taxi stopped in front of Astral Studio. I looked up at the building. The glass exterior gleamed in the sunlight, just like this company’s dominant position in the industry over the past two years—impossible to ignore. This company is DreamCraft Studio’s main competitor. The receptionist was very professional. She didn’t treat me poorly despite knowing I was the CEO of a competing company, but followed protocol and made an internal call. A few minutes later, a girl in a white dress hurried out. She had waist-length hair, no makeup, and looked clean and innocent. This was Naomi Collins. When she saw me, Naomi’s eyes clearly showed panic for a moment, like a startled deer. But she quickly composed herself and forced a shy smile. “Hello, may I ask who you are?” Naomi asked. I got straight to the point, looking at her calmly: “I’m here about the smart speaker. The login records show your account was used.” “Oh, it’s about that speaker.” Naomi seemed to suddenly understand, scratching her head embarrassedly. “That’s my roommate’s speaker. She used my phone to log in a few days ago because her membership expired and she wanted to borrow mine. Did it cause you trouble? I’m really sorry.” Her explanation was flawless, both clearing herself of responsibility while appearing naive and adorable. If I didn’t know Aiden’s personality, I might have actually believed her. Aiden is both proud and sensitive—how could he possibly let a completely unrelated intern use his personal account to log into our home devices? My gaze moved from Naomi’s innocent face to her delicate wrist. She wore a silver bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet had two irregular rings interlocked with each other, and one of the rings was engraved with a tiny letter “A.” This bracelet was one I personally designed for our wedding anniversary last year, had a friend craft it, and gave it to Aiden. The letter “A” stands for Aiden. There’s only one like it in the world. Naomi noticed my gaze and instinctively tried to hide her hand behind her back. But I smiled, stepped forward, and spoke in an even gentle tone: “That’s a very special bracelet. Did your boyfriend give it to you? Your boyfriend has excellent taste.” Naomi’s face instantly turned pale, her lips trembling continuously, unable to say a word. That was enough. I didn’t look at Naomi again and turned to leave. I got back in the same taxi. Once in the car, I immediately called my good friend Kennedy Richardson. She’s the best divorce attorney around. As soon as the call connected, Kennedy’s voice came through: “Ms. Anderson, what made you think to call me today?” Elizabeth Anderson is my name. Looking at the rapidly retreating streetscape outside the window, I said in a calm voice: “I need a favor. Investigate someone—Naomi, an intern at Astral Studio. Also, find all of Aiden’s financial transactions and hotel records from the past six months. Don’t miss a single one.” Kennedy was quiet for two seconds on the other end, then dropped her playful tone: “You want to thoroughly investigate everything about him?” “It’s worse than that,” I said. After hanging up, the taxi fell silent. Soon after, Aiden’s call came in. I looked at Aiden’s name on my phone screen, finding it ironic, and took a deep breath before answering. Aiden’s gentle voice came through the receiver, with just the right amount of concern in his tone: “Elizabeth, what’s wrong? I heard from Kennedy that you asked her to investigate something. Are you having trouble at work?” His informant worked fast. I suppressed the churning emotions in my heart and used my most casual tone: “No, I just suddenly missed you terribly.” Aiden seemed to breathe a sigh of relief on the other end, then laughed tenderly. “Silly girl, I miss you too. Once I finish this project, I’ll immediately fly back to be with you, my Little Moon.” Those words “Little Moon” came through clearly to my ears. My grip on the phone instantly tightened. So I wasn’t Aiden’s only “Little Moon.” Or rather, I was never his “Little Moon” to begin with.

Kennedy was incredibly efficient. Half an hour later, my phone buzzed. I received a link along with Kennedy’s assessment: [This is hands down the best innocent act performance of Christmas. The evidence chain is so complete I almost feel bad charging you full attorney fees. Take your time going through it.] I clicked the link and found Naomi’s social media account, set to public viewing. Naomi’s latest post was a close-up of her wrist. She was wearing that familiar bracelet engraved with the letter “A” that I knew so well, with the caption: [The moon is running toward you, Mr. Thomas.] My exclusive “Little Moon” nickname and the “A” bracelet I’d given to Aiden had now become another woman’s trophies. I scrolled down with a blank expression. One photo showed our home study in the background. Naomi had her hands cupping her cheeks, smiling innocently. Behind her were the rare architectural volumes I’d brought back from Italy. The caption read: [Studying in Mr. Thomas’s study makes me feel smarter too.] Another showed Naomi holding a pen, sketching on blueprints. That pen was the thirtieth birthday gift I’d given Aiden—a limited edition collaboration piece. The caption: [The pen Mr. Thomas gave me works wonderfully. He said my hands deserve the finest pen.] Another photo was taken at our regular private restaurant. The image showed several dishes I always ordered. Caption: [This is mine and Mr. Thomas’s secret hideaway. He says I’m the only one who can make him completely relax.] Every photo, every word cut into my most precious memories like a scalpel. Until I scrolled to content Naomi had posted three days ago. In the photo, Naomi held a printed design draft, looking particularly smug. The caption read: [The blueprints Mr. Thomas stayed up all night helping me revise. He said I’m the most talented designer he’s ever met. I’m definitely going to land the Horizon Center Building project. Go me!] Horizon Center Building was the project our DreamCraft Studio had poured our hearts into, preparing for half a year—it was also the most important milestone of my career. I shot up from the couch, grabbed my car keys, and rushed out the door. The company was empty in the dead of night. I used my fingerprint to unlock the door and headed straight to Aiden’s office. Aiden’s computer was still displaying the screensaver—our wedding photo. In the picture, Aiden smiled with tender affection. I felt nothing but disgust. I tapped the keyboard. The screen lit up, showing a password prompt. I tried entering my birthday—incorrect. Then our wedding anniversary—still wrong. I let out a cold laugh and entered Naomi’s birthday. The screen displayed “Welcome” message. Aiden’s desk was meticulously organized. I immediately spotted the encrypted folder. Opening it revealed the final proposal for the Horizon Center Building project. Every detail in the proposal embodied months of blood, sweat, and tears from me and the team. Next to this folder was another one, named with just a single letter: N. I opened this folder and discovered a proposal nearly identical to ours, with only minor modifications to key load-bearing structures and design highlights. This cleverly avoided our core patents while preserving the essence of the proposal. The proposal was credited to Naomi. Aiden hadn’t just betrayed me—he was stealing my life’s work, our company’s future, using it all to pave the road to success for his mistress. My stomach suddenly churned violently. I gripped the cold desk tightly to keep from collapsing. So this was how jealousy and betrayal could make a man become completely unrecognizable.

The bidding venue for the Horizon Center Building project was buzzing with industry professionals everywhere. I found an inconspicuous corner to sit in and watched as Astral Studio’s representative took the stage. The person walking up was none other than Naomi. Today, Naomi wore a perfectly tailored business suit, her long hair pinned up, makeup flawless—completely different from her previous innocent appearance. She now carried the sharp, professional aura of a corporate powerhouse. She took a deep breath and began presenting her design concept. “My design inspiration comes from the ‘City Eye’ concept. We want this building to be more than just cold steel and concrete—it should ‘breathe’ with the city and serve as a living entity that witnesses urban development,” Naomi said. Every single word she spoke was something I had once explained to Aiden during countless late nights, clutching my coffee cup with bloodshot eyes from exhaustion. I used to think those were the most intimate soul-to-soul exchanges between us as husband and wife. Now I realize it was just my one-man show, and Aiden was simply the most patient thief. What made it even more ironic was that Aiden sat in the special guest section of the judging panel. He was impeccably dressed in a suit with a perfectly straight tie, his hair meticulously styled—exactly the elite image I knew so well. Aiden listened with focused attention, nodding approvingly from time to time. The way he looked at Naomi held a light I’d never seen before—the look of someone treasuring a beloved object while eagerly wanting to show it off to the world. He completely ignored me sitting in the corner below, as if I were just dispensable background scenery. My phone buzzed with a message from Kennedy: [Need me to grab a baseball bat and rush over for backup?] Looking at the screen, my tense expression actually cracked into a slight smile. I replied: [Just wait and watch the show.] On stage, Naomi’s presentation reached its climax. The screen displayed the project’s final renderings—exactly the design stolen from my computer. The entire venue erupted in gasps of admiration. After Naomi finished her presentation, the room filled with enthusiastic applause. Director Charles Reed took the stage: “Thank you for Ms. Collins’ excellent presentation. Now let’s invite our special guest judge, a senior veteran in our industry from DreamCraft Studio, Mr. Thomas, to comment on this proposal.” The microphone was handed to Aiden. Aiden cleared his throat, gazing tenderly at Naomi. “Honestly, I’m impressed. Ms. Collins’ design perfectly balances artistic beauty with practical functionality, especially the clever handling of several key load-bearing structures. She’s bold and talented.” He used that word “talented” again. The same word he used to describe Naomi, the same word he used to wound me. Aiden paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the venue. “I believe this is today’s best work,” he continued. The room erupted in applause again, even more enthusiastic than before. In that moment, my world suddenly went quiet. All I could hear was my heart beating dully in my chest. Charles smiled as he took back the microphone: “Thank you for Mr. Thomas’ high praise. It looks like Astral Studio has this project locked up. Are there any other guests or judges who’d like to ask Ms. Collins a question?” The venue fell silent. After Aiden, this “authority figure,” had already given his definitive conclusion, it seemed no one had any more questions. Naomi bowed in gratitude on stage, unable to hide her triumph and joy. I put away my phone and stood up just as everyone was preparing to applaud again. Though my movement was small, it instantly drew everyone’s attention. Charles looked stunned and asked, “Excuse me, miss, may I ask who you are?” The smile on Aiden’s face froze instantly.

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She fell for her dad’s friend, a man a full twelve years her senior. The first time she saw him, he was impeccably dressed in a suit, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted – undeniably the most striking person in the room. He smiled, ruffled her hair, and gave her a beautiful princess dress. When she turned twenty, he was drugged at a party. Wearing that very princess dress, she became his antidote. The next day, they were caught disheveled by Celeste Miller, his childhood sweetheart. Celeste was stunned, her eyes red as she rushed out, only to be hit by a runaway truck and killed instantly. From that moment on, Audrey Davies felt Julian Harrington had changed completely. He calmly handled Celeste’s funeral, calmly married her, calmly slept with her every night, then calmly stated he didn’t want children, dragging her to have abortions again and again. After her eighteenth abortion, Audrey suffered a massive hemorrhage. Lying on the operating table, clinging to life, she heard the doctor call him. He was still calm: “Is she dead? Let me know when she is.” In that moment, Audrey finally understood: he hated her. He hated that she had willingly become his antidote, hated that she had, by tragic accident, caused Celeste’s death. The moment Audrey died on the operating table, regret consumed her. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself reborn, back to the very day Julian was drugged… Audrey’s heart was a tangled mess as she looked at the man who usually seemed so cold, noble, and untouchable, now sprawled on the bed, a revered figure brought low. In her past life, she had been so captivated by this side of Julian that she had given in to her desires, disregarding that he was her father’s friend, that he was twelve years her senior, and, against all odds, became his antidote. But later, she learned that Julian and Celeste had been in love for ages, only waiting for the right moment to admit their feelings when she had swooped in and taken his place. Perhaps fate pitied her, granting her another chance to be reborn on the very day that would determine her future! This time, all Audrey wanted was one thing: to bring Julian and Celeste together. Without a moment’s hesitation, she quickly pulled out her phone from her bag and dialed Celeste Miller’s number. Ten minutes later, Celeste rushed over. Audrey quickly grabbed her hand: “I know he likes you, and you like him. You just haven’t had the right moment to make things official. Now he’s been drugged and needs you. This is the perfect time to finally admit your feelings to each other.” Celeste had been skeptical when she received the call, and hearing Audrey say this now made her expression complex, wary of any trap. “Audrey, what are you playing at? Don’t you like Julian? He’s been drugged, and instead of taking advantage, you call me here and want to set us up?” Audrey gave a self-deprecating smile at that. It was true that at this very moment, her relentless pursuit of Julian was common knowledge. Before, she thought that with enough effort, she could bridge the unbridgeable gap of status and age. Now, she realized that if he didn’t love her, no matter how much she gave, her future would only be filled with misery. In her past life, she had been terribly wrong. She shook her head. “Not anymore. I’ll never like him again.” The words had barely left her lips when a suppressed groan echoed from inside the room. “He’s barely holding on. If you don’t go in now, it’ll be too late.” Celeste followed Audrey’s gaze towards the room, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. Finally, Celeste gritted her teeth, seemingly convinced. “Then what are you still doing here? Listen to them making love?” Audrey’s body stiffened slightly, then she turned aside, letting the woman in front of her enter. The moment Celeste’s hand touched Julian’s face, Audrey decisively slammed the door shut. The sounds from within, one after another, were like heavy hammer blows, shattering Audrey’s heart into a million pieces, pounding it to a bloody pulp. She felt as if all her strength had drained away, and she slid to the floor. Tears of despair streamed from her eyes, yet Audrey felt an inexplicable sense of relief throughout her body. She was finally free from the fate of her past life. Audrey frantically wiped away the tears from her face, then stumbled towards her own room. That night, the couple in the next room indulged themselves. Audrey didn’t sleep a wink. At dawn, her father, Mr. Davies, called. “Audrey, do you want to come live with me abroad?” A few years ago, Davies Group planned to enter the international market. Mr. Davies went abroad alone and, fearing he couldn’t look after his daughter, entrusted Audrey to his close, older friend, Julian Harrington. That care lasted for several years. Later, Audrey fell for Julian, so even when Davies Group’s international operations were stable, and Mr. Davies repeatedly offered to bring her back, she refused every single time. Now, Julian and Celeste had finally admitted their feelings and were together. It was time for her to leave and live her own life. Taking a deep breath, Audrey spoke. “Dad, I’d love to go abroad.” Mr. Davies on the other end of the line seemed surprised by her sudden agreement, and his tone became particularly excited. “Honey, you’ve finally come to your senses! I’ve told you many times that Julian isn’t right for you. Your obsession would never lead to anything good! It’s fine to want love, but you need to find the right person. I’ve found you a fiancé, he’s your age. When you come here, spend more time with him, try dating other people. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Mr. Davies’s words made Audrey’s already swollen eyes well up with tears again. In her past life, her father had advised her the same way, but she had stubbornly refused to listen, wasting her entire life. She pinched her palm, forcing a smile. “Dad, I’ll do whatever you say. I’ll go apply for immigration papers right away.” After hanging up, Audrey quickly wiped her tears, grabbed her documents, and prepared to leave. But the moment she opened her door, she bumped squarely into the man standing outside. Julian Harrington’s neck, covered in countless hickeys, immediately caught Audrey’s eye. Even though she was prepared for Julian and Celeste to have already shared intimate moments, Audrey silently averted her gaze in that instant. Her subtle movement didn’t escape Julian’s notice. Combined with her slightly red eyes, the man immediately understood something. His normally cool tone carried a hint of warning: “Audrey, whether you like it or not, Celeste and I are together now.” “I’ll marry her eventually. Since you’re living here, you need to respect her. Don’t ever say those ridiculous things you used to say again.” Audrey lowered her eyes, replying calmly: “I understand, Uncle Julian.” The words “Uncle Julian” made Julian incredibly uncomfortable the moment they left her lips. He looked down, studying the girl before him for a long moment. He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he’d heard that address. When Audrey first moved into the Harrington mansion, she would sweetly call him “Uncle Julian.” But later, as her intentions changed, she started calling him by his first name, refusing to call him uncle anymore. He frowned, about to speak, when a woman’s voice suddenly broke the strange silence between them from behind him. “Julian, I’ve moved my luggage in. Which room is mine?” Julian quickly snapped back to reality, pulling Celeste, who was walking towards him, into his arms. He said tenderly, “You love the sunlight, and Audrey’s room faces south, with the best light. I’ll have her move to the guest room, and you can live here from now on.” Celeste’s eyes gleamed with a triumphant smile, though her words feigned reluctance: “Oh, but I couldn’t possibly!” “Compared to Audrey, I’m the newcomer. Maybe I should just take the guest room.” With that, Celeste made to walk downstairs, but the next moment, a gasp escaped her lips. Julian scooped her back into his arms. “You’ll be my wife, the mistress of this house. How could you stay in a guest room?” “But Audrey has lived in that room for so long, won’t it be inconvenient for her to suddenly move?” Hearing this, Julian glanced at the girl by the door. “What’s inconvenient about it? She needs to get used to me getting married, used to this house having a mistress, used to herself being an outsider.” Audrey’s eyelashes trembled, and she gave a self-deprecating smile. An outsider… Yes, he wasn’t wrong. She was indeed just an outsider. She pursed her lips. “I’ll pack my things now and move to the guest room.” Anyway, she would be leaving soon, returning to her father’s embrace, never to come back, never to set foot here again. This place was only Julian and Celeste’s home. Over the next few days, Audrey went to the embassy to handle her paperwork, leaving early and returning late, all to avoid seeing Julian. But no matter how much she tried to avoid him, she still witnessed Julian’s intimate affection for Celeste. When Celeste had no appetite, he spent a fortune hiring various celebrity chefs to cook for her at home. When Celeste felt unwell, he postponed a multi-billion dollar deal, dedicating himself entirely to staying home and accompanying her. If Celeste casually mentioned a certain piece of jewelry, it would be personally delivered to her within ten minutes. She watched silently, without complaint or fuss. While waiting for her immigration application to be approved, Audrey began to pack her belongings. She first packed her luggage, then gathered all the love letters she had written to Julian and the sketches she had drawn of him, putting them into a box, which she then took out, intending to throw them away. Just as she reached the door, she bumped right into Julian, who was returning with desserts for Celeste. Audrey pretended not to see him, walking straight past without looking. The next instant, her wrist suddenly ached as Julian grabbed her hand. “Have you been avoiding me these past few days?” Audrey frowned. “No, I haven’t.” Julian took a few steps closer, scrutinizing her evasive expression. “Still saying no? You leave early and come back late every day, and you leave without even greeting me when you see me. Isn’t that avoiding me?” “Why? Just because Celeste and I are together?” Audrey quickly shook her head. “No! Uncle Julian, I’m genuinely happy for you that you’re with someone you love. I sincerely wish you both happiness. Don’t worry, I’ve accepted that you’ll never love me, so I won’t love you anymore either.” She stated the established facts calmly, but Julian’s face darkened, finding her words inexplicably grating. Audrey not loving him—that was probably the most absurd thing he’d ever heard. “You confessed to me, I refused. You缠着 me daily, I refused. So now you’ve changed tactics to get my attention?” Julian said this while observing her expression. When he saw the girl’s clearly stunned look, he became even more convinced of the truth. He advanced on her, step by step, and upon seeing the box in Audrey’s arms, his tone grew even colder. “You don’t love me anymore, yet you wrote me so many love letters, secretly drew so many pictures of me, relentlessly pursued me for years, and now you suddenly say you don’t love me?” “Audrey, don’t you think what you’re saying is ridiculous?” Audrey silently stared at the man before her. Of course, she knew these words sounded ridiculous. After all, tell the ‘boy who cried wolf’ story too many times, and no one would believe you. But these ridiculous words were the truth. “Uncle Julian, I did love you for a long time, but you’ll never love me, so I’ve truly given up.” With that, Audrey, right in front of Julian, dumped everything out of the box. Then, she tore the love letters and sketches inside into tiny pieces, one by one. Amidst the fluttering scraps, she noticed that the man’s face showed no joy; instead, it grew even gloomier. Just as Audrey wondered if she had seen wrong, Julian’s icy voice suddenly fell into her ears. “Keep acting, Audrey. Keep pretending. Remember this, no matter what tricks you play, Celeste is the only one I love!” After that day, Audrey and Julian never spoke again. The former had nothing left to say; the latter simply thought she was playing hard to get and ignored her. This tense atmosphere persisted until the Harrington family dinner. In the past, at such family dinners, Audrey, who was greatly favored by Julian’s parents, was always the center of attention. The Harrington family members would fuss over her, and Julian often had to intervene to rescue her. Now, the Harrington family’s focus had shifted entirely to Celeste. After all, she was the future mistress of the Harrington household, while Audrey was just an outsider. They knew who was more important. In just one morning, Audrey witnessed the Harrington family’s reverence for Celeste. The Harrington family’s heirloom jade bracelet was slipped onto Celeste’s wrist by Mrs. Harrington the moment she walked in. Audrey had never even seen this bracelet in her past life. As the banquet began, the Harrington family openly discussed the couple’s wedding date at the dinner table. The family dinner concluded with the finalization of the wedding date. Just as Audrey was about to follow Julian back, Mrs. Harrington suddenly called out to her, saying she had something private to discuss. As soon as they entered the study, Mrs. Harrington immediately got straight to the point: “Audrey, you need to leave Julian.” “You know Julian and Celeste are together now. What else can you do by staying here, other than cause him trouble and humiliate yourself?” Mrs. Harrington made no attempt to hide her dislike for Audrey. Audrey felt a strange pang of bitterness in her heart. In the past, Mrs. Harrington had been very fond of her, but that affection ended the day Audrey confessed to Julian. Everyone had called her absurd, accused her of being disgraceful… Audrey desperately pinched her palm. “Don’t worry, I will leave.” With that, she took out her immigration documents from her bag and handed them to Mrs. Harrington. “A few days ago, I called my father and told him I would go live with him abroad. My father said he found me a fiancé, and I will stay far away from Uncle Julian and never bother him again.” Mrs. Harrington carefully examined the immigration documents in Audrey’s hand before her expression finally softened. “You’d better keep your word.” It wasn’t until Mrs. Harrington left that Audrey finally relaxed her tense nerves. After putting the documents back in her bag, she was about to leave. But as she stood up, she locked eyes with Julian, who was standing at the doorway. “You’re staying away from whom?” Audrey’s mind went blank. She didn’t know how much Julian had heard, but she instinctively didn’t want him to know about her plan to go abroad. So she shook her head and said, “No one. You misheard.” She then looked away from him, turning to leave, but Julian’s voice suddenly fell into her ear. “I know you don’t want to go abroad. Even after Celeste and I marry, you don’t have to move out. Your father and I are good friends; I can support you for life.” At his words, Audrey’s eyes widened instantly. Even Celeste, who had come out looking for Julian, froze in place. It wasn’t until Celeste’s resentful gaze fell upon Audrey that Audrey finally reacted and hurried away. Audrey didn’t pay much attention to what Julian said that day. She simply waited for her immigration papers to be processed quickly, then she would leave. But Celeste wouldn’t let her go. One day, Celeste enthusiastically insisted on dragging her out shopping, but shortly after getting into the car, Audrey was drugged. When she woke up again, she found herself tied to a cliff by the sea. On the other side, Celeste was also tied in the same position. She struggled desperately, wanting to ask Celeste why, but her words were muffled by the tape over her mouth, turning into whimpers. Celeste seemed to understand her unspoken question and gave a cold laugh. “Audrey, I didn’t want to kidnap you either.” “But Julian’s words that day have made me uneasy. I just wanted to prove who is more important to him.” Hearing this, a wave of sadness washed over Audrey. What was there to prove? Wasn’t the answer already obvious? Soon, Julian Harrington, having received a message from the kidnappers, rushed over with two suitcases full of cash. He tossed the suitcases forward and demanded, “I’ve brought the money. Let them go!” But the kidnapper, who had already received Celeste’s orders, remained unmoved. He slowly said, “Mr. Harrington, I didn’t kidnap them for money.” Julian’s expression changed slightly, and his voice instantly dropped a degree: “What do you mean?” The kidnapper placed a hand on Audrey and Celeste’s shoulders, grinning menacingly. “I hear these two women, one is your old friend’s daughter, and the other is your fiancée. You can only save one. The other will be thrown into the sea to feed the sharks. You choose!” With that, the ropes in the kidnapper’s hands slightly loosened, and the two women tied to the cliff edge looked as if they were about to fall into the sea. Celeste’s face turned pale with fright, her voice trembling uncontrollably: “Julian, save me! I don’t want to die!” Julian’s heart instantly clenched. “Don’t touch Celeste!” The answer was clear. The kidnapper finally smiled in satisfaction. Even Celeste, who had deliberately feigned fright, completely relaxed. She pretended to look at Julian with gratitude, but Julian instinctively glanced at Audrey on the other side. He expected her to be broken, to be desperate, but her face held only calm. For some reason, seeing her peaceful expression, Julian felt an inexplicable panic. But before he could speak, a sudden weight fell upon him as the unbound Celeste, overwhelmed with emotion, rushed into his arms. He instinctively held his beloved tightly: “Celeste…” The next instant, Julian’s pupils constricted. Audrey’s rope had been cut at the same time, and she plunged straight into the sea! “Splash!” The surging seawater enveloped Audrey completely, and countless currents relentlessly dragged her down into the abyss. Audrey tried desperately to swim upwards, but an overwhelming exhaustion slowly consumed her. Finally, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and she completely lost consciousness… When Audrey woke up again in the hospital, she saw Julian sitting by her bedside. The man’s bloodshot eyes and stubbled chin suggested he had been watching over her for many days. But now, she no longer needed his protection. They stared at each other for a long time, maintaining a heavy silence. Finally, Audrey spoke first: “Uncle Julian, you don’t need to stay with me. Go see Celeste; she needs your care more.” Perhaps feeling her words were inappropriate, she added: “I can take care of myself.” Julian froze, looking at the girl in the hospital bed with a complex expression for a long time, before finally getting up and leaving. Audrey’s discharge day happened to be Celeste’s birthday. Since it was their first birthday celebration together, Julian had organized an exceptionally grand event. One hundred thousand roses, air-freighted from France, filled the entire venue, and countless expensive gifts were casually piled in the corners. Enamored photos of the couple were displayed from the entrance to inside the hall. As fireworks burst across the sky, the banquet finally reached its climax. Julian tightly embraced Celeste’s waist, gracefully dancing in the ballroom to elegant music. Behind them, a large screen continuously played sweet videos of Julian and Celeste together. Just as guests were moved by their love, the large screen suddenly went black. Then, childish love letters and drawings abruptly appeared on the screen, one after another. Audrey’s profound love for Julian was thus revealed to everyone! The entire room erupted in uproar! Audrey stared at the big screen, her face pale! She had torn all those things to shreds; why were they appearing here? She wanted to rush up and turn off the screen, but her feet felt as if they were nailed to the floor, unable to move. She could only let the torrent of discussions push her into the abyss! “Mr. Harrington is almost married, and Ms. Davies still won’t give up? How shameless!” “This is Ms. Miller’s birthday party, isn’t this a public provocation?” “Ms. Miller is truly pitiful. Even after marrying, someone will always covet her husband…” The murmurs finally drew the attention of the protagonists on the dance floor. Upon seeing the scene on the large screen, Celeste’s face instantly turned ashen. She trembled as she looked at the culprit. Finally, with red eyes, she clutched her dress and ran out. “Celeste!” Julian’s heart clenched, and he immediately made to chase after her. But upon seeing Audrey still frozen in place, he sharply stopped, raising his hand and delivering a slap! “Slap!” The surroundings instantly fell silent. “Audrey, I wondered why you’ve been so well-behaved lately. Turns out you were waiting for me here!” The force of the slap sent Audrey sprawling to the ground. Her face rapidly swelled and turned red, and even a trickle of blood escaped the corner of her mouth! Audrey’s ears rang. She couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t see anything. She tremblingly touched her face, and the moment her fingers grazed the handprint, tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes. This was the first time Julian had ever slapped her. But before she could react, his figure rapidly disappeared out the main door. Audrey took a deep breath, quickly scrambled to her feet, and chased after him. She was afraid, afraid that Celeste would suffer the same accident as in her past life. “Boom!” One after another, dull thunderclaps, accompanied by heavy rain, washed over the entire world. And in the downpour, a tall man tightly held a petite woman in his arms. Celeste struggled incessantly, her voice filled with despair: “Today is the most important day of my life, yet she did such a thing! How can I stay there? Since she’s still so hung up on you, I don’t want to compete with a young girl. Maybe I should just give you back to her…” Julian, however, held her even tighter: “No, Celeste, I can never love her. You know how long I’ve loved you. Are you trying to tear my heart out by pushing me to someone else?” As he spoke, he leaned down to kiss her. But the next second, a dazzling car light approached them from a distance. Audrey, who had just chased out from afar, saw nothing but a bloody scene and froze completely! Inside the emergency room, a red light shone. Countless doctors rushed to attach medical equipment to Julian, preparing for resuscitation. But Julian ignored his own injuries, insisting they save Celeste first. “But Mr. Harrington, you’re the most severely injured!” His voice was weak and trembling. “Don’t mind me, save her first…” Reluctantly, the doctors could only send the unconscious Celeste into the operating room first. But after a short while, a doctor rushed out: “The patient is hemorrhaging! Who here is Type A blood?!” Hearing this, Julian ignored the nurses’ protests and scrambled out of bed. “I am! Draw my blood!” “But Mr. Harrington, you’re…” “Shut up, hurry!” Soon, bags of bright red blood piled up on a nearby medical tray, and Julian’s face turned pale. Only after confirming Celeste was out of danger did he finally agree to lie on the operating table and be wheeled into the emergency room. Audrey couldn’t bear to watch anymore and turned to leave. She knew Julian loved Celeste, loved her more than his own life. If only she had realized this sooner in her past life, her ending might not have been so tragic. Now, in this life, she had changed the course of events, yet Celeste still got into a car accident. And the source of this series of events was all those love letters and drawings. But she truly didn’t know how they had gotten out; she had torn them all up. Now it seemed the only one who could have secretly kept her love letters and then made them public was Celeste. But why would she do that? She was already with Julian. She couldn’t understand, nor did she dare to ponder it deeply. She stayed at home in a daze for three days. Julian was discharged from the hospital, and the first thing he did upon returning was order his bodyguards to throw her into the walk-in freezer. The moment she was thrown in, an icy cold instantly enveloped Audrey’s entire body. Looking at the stark white surroundings, Audrey gave a bitter smile. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she’d felt cold. Ever since she accidentally fell into an icy lake as a child, her health had deteriorated, and she became extremely sensitive to cold. So the mansion was always heated, like spring all year round. But now, Julian was punishing her this way, punishing her for her undying affection for him, and for indirectly harming Celeste. Audrey instinctively curled up, hoping to find a shred of warmth, but it was futile. She could only let out soft whimpers. The housekeeper outside couldn’t bear to watch and quietly advised, “Miss Audrey, why don’t you just apologize to Mr. Harrington? Otherwise, how will your body endure this…” Audrey’s eyes suddenly reddened. In her past life, she was wrong, so she accepted it. But in this life, she had done nothing wrong, so what apology was she supposed to offer? Moreover, Julian’s heart was entirely with Celeste now; he wouldn’t even listen to her explanation. A fierce cold wind blew at her from all directions, quickly forming a layer of frost on Audrey’s eyelashes. She felt her heartbeat slowing, her thoughts growing increasingly blurry… Finally, she slowly closed her eyes, completely losing consciousness. When she woke up again, she found herself in her room’s bed, with Julian standing by her bedside, his expression icy. “You caused such a huge mess this time; you should have been locked up for three days and three nights. But Celeste is kind and didn’t want to pursue it, begging me to let you out.” “I knew you still had feelings for me, but Audrey, remember this, I can’t possibly love a girl twelve years younger than me. You and I, it’s impossible, forever.” With that, the door slammed shut in front of Audrey, the loud bang immediately drowning out the explanation she had been about to offer. She leaned back against the headboard, closed her eyes, and let out a long sigh, murmuring that sentence. “Julian Harrington, I truly don’t love you anymore.” Over the next few days, the Harrington mansion became exceptionally lively. Everyone in the villa was preparing for Julian and Celeste’s upcoming wedding. Celeste, while giving instructions, enthusiastically grabbed Audrey, as if all the previous unpleasantness had vanished. “The venue and decorations are almost ready, just missing a bridesmaid. Audrey would be perfect, she can catch some good luck, maybe even find a groomsman to be her boyfriend.” Celeste’s words even held a hint of playful teasing at the end. Audrey didn’t have such sophisticated acting skills. She withdrew her hand from Celeste’s arm and was about to refuse when a cold male voice suddenly spoke from above them. “She can’t be a bridesmaid.” Audrey and Celeste turned around simultaneously, seeing Julian standing behind them. “Why can’t she?” Celeste seemed surprised that he would reject her suggestion. Julian didn’t speak, merely raising his eyes to look at Audrey beside them. Lately, she seemed a bit more obedient and hadn’t been clinging to him all day. But the thought of Audrey finding a boyfriend somehow made him feel a strange sense of oppression, a displeasure he couldn’t pinpoint. Julian’s gaze deepened. He was about to come up with some excuse when he heard Audrey speak. “I’m too young, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to be a bridesmaid.” The truth was, she was leaving the country soon. This wedding, she was destined not to attend. Hearing her words, Julian nodded, following her lead, and Celeste finally dropped the idea. Just as Audrey let out a sigh of relief and prepared to leave, she heard Celeste say, “Since Audrey can’t be a bridesmaid, then to show your blessing, why don’t you give me the wedding dress you designed? I really love it.” Audrey involuntarily looked at Julian. That wedding dress was designed by Audrey when she was eighteen and had won an award in a competition. Countless socialites and heiresses in the industry had coveted that dress, wanting to buy it to wear on their wedding day, but Audrey had refused them all. Because she had designed it for herself. She wanted to wear it to marry Julian. Julian knew its significance, but he didn’t want to disappoint Celeste, so he still spoke. “Audrey, as long as you sell me this wedding dress, I’ll grant you any request.” Audrey pursed her lips. “No need. Celeste is right; I should show you both my blessing. In that case, consider this wedding dress my early wedding gift to you.” With that, she made a call to the bridal shop. Soon, staff delivered the wedding dress, stored at the shop, directly into Celeste’s hands. Celeste, having received the beloved wedding dress, had no time to bother Audrey and happily ran off to the fitting room to try it on. Audrey watched her retreating figure calmly, then, without joy or sorrow, turned and returned to her room. Only Julian watched her receding back, lost in thought for a long time. At midnight, Audrey was alone in her room, packing her luggage. Her bags were almost ready, her paperwork nearly complete; she would be leaving soon. Just as she hid her suitcase and prepared to sleep, the door to her room was suddenly flung open. Before she could even react, Julian stormed in, tightly gripping her wrist, and a barrage of furious accusations rained down on her. “What did you do to the wedding dress?!” “Celeste only tried it on for a short while, and soon after, she broke out in an itchy rash! Audrey, are you trying to kill her?!” Under the dim yellow light, Julian’s eyes blazed with fury, like sharp knives, seemingly intent on dissecting her body piece by piece. Audrey quickly shook her head. “I never touched the wedding dress, nor would I tamper with it. I have no reason to harm her!” Julian’s face darkened, and he violently threw her onto the bed, his eyes like cold stars, his voice filled with rage. “What reason? I know you’ve always held feelings for me, but you absolutely shouldn’t have hurt Celeste! You’d better hope she’s alright, otherwise…” Julian’s words were cut short as the housekeeper suddenly rushed in through the door. “Mr. Harrington, bad news! Miss Miller has fainted!” “Watch her. Don’t let her run off!” Julian’s expression changed. Leaving those words behind, he quickly stormed out of the room. The entire Harrington mansion was lit up all night. Audrey sat restlessly on the sofa, her fingernails digging deep into her palms, drawing blood. But she seemed not to feel it, staring fixedly at the wall clock. She watched as the hour hand moved from midnight to seven in the morning. The moment the clock chimed on the dot, hurried footsteps approached from outside the door, growing louder. Julian Harrington’s eyes were pure black, filled with a menacing intensity that made Audrey’s scalp tingle and a chill spread from her feet throughout her body. Julian took a long whip from a servant and walked towards her, step by step. “Audrey, do you know that Celeste and the baby in her womb almost died?” A baby? Celeste was pregnant? After the initial shock, Audrey immediately snapped back to reality. Yes, in her past life, Celeste had also gotten pregnant around this time. In this life, she had pushed Celeste to Julian as his antidote, so naturally, Celeste would be the one pregnant. She had no time to ponder further. Looking at Julian, who was willing to use family punishment on her just to get revenge for Celeste, her eyes suddenly welled up, and she tried desperately to explain: “I didn’t tamper with the wedding dress, nor did I ever intend to harm her. From the kidnapping, to the mysteriously appearing love letters at the banquet, and now today’s wedding dress – don’t you find any of this suspicious? Even if I wanted to frame her, it’s impossible for me to succeed repeatedly, every single time.” She had thought that after saying this, Julian, who was usually cautious, would notice the many suspicious points. But at that moment, he was entirely consumed by rage, saying coldly, “Are you implying that Celeste has been framing you lately? I love her, and I’m marrying her. Why would she unjustly accuse you?” That was what Audrey couldn’t understand. “I don’t know…” The words were only halfway out when a cry of pain escaped her lips, as Julian’s whip, raised high at some point, viciously lashed across her body. “Audrey, you truly are incorrigible.” Audrey’s face instantly turned pale, a bitter smile gracing her lips. Celeste was the one he held dearest. How could she still cling to a shred of hope that he would believe her? She instinctively tried to escape. But the bodyguards behind her rushed forward, pinning her firmly to the ground. “Audrey, do you admit your mistake?!” As the whip landed again, Julian’s voice roared. Audrey trembled with pain, but her hands were tightly clenched, refusing to let out a single whimper. Seeing her refusal to answer, Julian’s whip landed heavily on her back again! “I’ll ask you one more time, do you admit your mistake?!” But the girl on the ground kept her lips tightly sealed, refusing to speak. She hadn’t done anything wrong! Why should she admit it?! Seeing her stubbornness, Julian’s temper flared. The whip lashed against her back, again and again. Soon, Audrey’s entire back was a bloody mess, yet she still refused to admit her mistake. Finally, Mr. Perkins, the butler, couldn’t bear it and stepped forward, grabbing Julian’s hand holding the whip. “Sir, if you keep hitting her, you’ll kill her…” Julian finally stopped, coldly tossing the whip aside. “Audrey, don’t let there be a next time!” Audrey could no longer hold on. Her head dropped to the ground, and she completely lost consciousness.

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For our fifth wedding anniversary, Julian’s ‘gift’ to Eleanor was forcing her to drink nine hundred ninety-nine bottles of strong liquor. “Julian, I really can’t drink any more…” I pleaded, my voice hoarse. He scoffed, leaning closer to me. “Your parents loved drinking so much, didn’t they? Loved it enough to drive drunk and wipe out my entire family. As their daughter, you must share their passion.” “I’m so sorry.” My eyes burned with desperate tears. “Sorry” – I’d said it a million times, it was a habit now. “But my parents already paid for their sin with their lives. Isn’t that… isn’t that enough?” “Their deaths won’t bring my family back!” He savagely squeezed my jaw, his grip so powerful it felt like my bones would shatter. “Eleanor Vance, it’s only been five years. Are you already giving up?” He released me, then flicked his eyes at the bodyguards behind him. “Force her.” Two men in black suits stepped forward. One pinned my shoulders, the other pried open my mouth. The icy liquor poured down my throat, making me choke, tears streaming down my face. I was powerless to fight back. I slumped to the floor, my face flushed with agony, my clothes drenched in alcohol. When would this torment finally end? I didn’t know. “Julian, weren’t we supposed to have a romantic candlelit dinner? What’s going on here?” A clear female voice suddenly chimed in from the doorway. Through my tear-filled eyes, I saw Vivian Hayes standing there, dressed in a white dress, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, her face as beautiful as a painting. My breath hitched. A wave of profound sadness washed over me. Vivian… she really did look exactly like my twenty-two-year-old self. No wonder Julian chose to keep her by his side. Seeing Vivian, Julian’s expression softened instantly. “Sweetheart, could you wait a moment? Today is my wedding anniversary with Eleanor, and I’m giving her a gift.” Hearing this, Vivian cast a disdainful glance at me, then tugged playfully on Julian’s sleeve. “Don’t waste your time on someone so unworthy, okay?” Julian fell silent. Clearly, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. So he gently changed the subject. “Come on, are you hungry? I’ll take you to dinner right now.” With that, he took Vivian’s hand and walked towards the exit. However, as they passed me, Vivian deliberately reached out, knocking over the stack of countless liquor bottles piled beside her. *CRASH!* The bottle tower collapsed with a deafening roar. Glass shards flew everywhere, showering down on me. I instinctively shielded my head and face, but I was still cut and bruised all over. “Oh!” Vivian gasped. “I didn’t mean to! Should we send her to the hospital?” Julian didn’t even spare me a glance. “Don’t bother with her.” He lifted Vivian’s hand, his brow furrowed. “You cut your hand.” It was just a shallow red mark, not even bleeding, yet Julian treated it like fragile porcelain, gently kissing her fingertips. “Does it hurt?” Vivian wrapped her arms around his neck, initiating a kiss. “Not anymore, not like this.” Julian quickly took control, deepening the kiss. I lay in a pool of my own blood, listening to the sounds of their lips intertwining, my heart twisting in agony. “Vivian…” In the throes of passion, Julian whispered Vivian’s pet name. Vivian. Eleanor. How similar the names sounded. The kiss ended, and Julian, now consumed by desire, swept Vivian into his arms. Without looking back, he told the bodyguards, “Clean this up. Don’t let her die.” He paused, his voice as cold as ice. “Her body is the only thing left of her that’s worth tormenting.” I watched him carry Vivian away, my heart torn in two. Things had changed, people were gone, and everything was over. Tears flowed before I could even speak. The love we once shared felt like a distant, faded memory. Five years ago today, we should have been the happiest newlyweds. Julian would have held me close, kissed my forehead, and said, “Eleanor, I finally married you.” But now, he held another woman in his arms. We grew up together, childhood sweethearts, inseparable from kindergarten all the way through university. Everyone knew how deeply Julian loved Eleanor. If I casually mentioned wanting a cake from across town late at night, he’d drive two hours through a blizzard to get it. When I had period cramps, he’d stay up all night, gently rubbing my stomach. On the day he proposed, he knelt to put shoes on my feet, promising to cherish me like a princess for the rest of my life. Then, the car accident on our wedding day changed everything. My parents, driving under the influence, killed Julian’s entire family. That day, our wedding turned into a funeral, and my lover became my enemy. He lost his father, his mother, and his sister. The Blackwood family, utterly obliterated, with only his name left. His hatred was boundless. He immediately sent my parents to prison, specifically instructing people to give them “special attention.” The last time I saw them was when I was notified that my parents had taken their own lives. In prison, the elderly couple had already been tortured beyond recognition, skeletal and covered in wounds. After their resolute act of slitting their wrists, they were barely clinging to life, with only a final breath left. They gently caressed my face, their voices choked with sobs. “Ellie, your father and I did something wrong. We deserve to go and atone to the Blackwood family. But you did nothing wrong. You must live well…” “Julian hates you, but he also deeply loved you once… Your father and I are begging you, no matter what happens, you must endure for five years. If after five years, you still find no hope for living, then… then come join us.” That day, my parents died. And I became the one to continue paying for the Blackwood family’s atonement. Five years, over eighteen hundred days and nights, I was tormented by Julian in every conceivable way. Kneeling in the snow during the bitterest winter, locked in a scorching room without AC in the dead of summer, forced to eat foods I was deathly allergic to… Countless times, I contemplated suicide, but that five-year promise repeatedly pulled me back from the brink of death. Until three months ago, when Vivian appeared. She looked like me, her name sounded like mine – she was Julian’s carefully selected replacement. He poured all his love into this substitute, while unleashing all his torment upon me, the original. His methods of torture were always bizarre, and I should have been used to it. But watching them kiss countless times, hearing him call her “Vivian,” witnessing him showering her with the same affection he once showed me, I still felt a suffocating pain. Now, only seven days remained until the five-year term was up. Lying in a pool of blood, I fumbled for the family photo tucked inside my clothes. Blood seeped from my fingertips, staining the picture. The three people in the photo smiled brightly, a dream now unreachable. “Mom… Dad…” I whispered softly. “I’ll hold on for just seven more days… After seven days… I’ll come find you…” When I next awoke, it was the following day. I was lying in the guest room bed, my wounds already treated and wrapped in clean, white bandages. I touched the family photo over my heart, remembering the five-year promise to my parents— Six days left. I had to listen to them and try to find a reason to live. Seeing the circled date on the calendar, I remembered it was Julian’s birthday. One last try, I told myself. I forced myself to ignore the pain in my hands, busying myself in the kitchen all day. When my fingers blistered from burns, I simply bandaged them and kept going. The cake batter burnt twice, but I patiently started over each time. Finally, by evening, a delicate chocolate cake was finished. I then pulled out a photo album, cherished for years, and selected a few old pictures of Julian and me from our youth, assembling them into a handmade album. Finally, I mustered the courage to text Julian: [Julian, I’m waiting for you at our old spot. There’s something I want to tell you.] After the message sent successfully, I left the house and drove to the restaurant we used to frequent. I arrived half an hour early, placing the cake and gift on the table, nervously waiting. Julian was an hour late. When he pushed open the door, he was impeccably dressed in a suit, his expression cold and stern. His face instantly darkened upon seeing the cake on the table. “Did you forget I don’t celebrate my birthday after my family died?” he said icily, then swept the cake off the table. Cream splattered onto my dress, but I didn’t flinch. “I know… but it’s been so many years. My parents paid with their lives, and I’ve suffered so much…” My voice trembled. “Can we just let go of each other and start over?” “No!” Julian’s answer was definitive. “The torment you’ve endured is nowhere near a tenth of what I experienced.” He leaned in close, his eyes blazing with an inferno of hatred. “Eleanor Vance, because your parents drove drunk, I watched my mom, dad, and sister die right in front of me. My loving grandfather saw their bodies, was heartbroken, and suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage. Overnight, my family was destroyed.” He gripped my chin. “You want me to let it go? How could I possibly do that?” Tears streamed down my face. “I’m so sorry… I really…” “Julian!” A sweet voice interrupted me. Vivian ran in, wearing a white dress, holding a glass jar filled with colorful origami cranes. “Happy Birthday!” She smiled brightly, handing the jar to Julian. “I folded them myself, a thousand of them. From now on, every time you take one out, you can make a wish to me.” Julian froze. My heart felt like it was being brutally squeezed by an invisible hand. The scene was all too familiar. When I was eighteen, I had given Julian a jar of origami cranes just like that, and said the exact same words. “Vivian…” Julian’s voice was hoarse. He took the jar, his fingertips gently tracing the glass surface, his gaze distant, as if seeing someone else through Vivian. The next second, he suddenly pulled Vivian into a hug. “I love this gift.” Vivian shot me a triumphant glance, then hugged Julian back. “I’m glad you like it.” I sat by myself, my fingers unconsciously tracing the neglected photo album. My heart felt like it was being slowly carved out with a blunt knife, bleeding and torn in an instant. I never imagined that my defeat wouldn’t come from another, but from my past self. Julian would always hate the current Eleanor. But he deeply loved the girl named ‘Ellie’ in his memories. Watching them embrace intimately, I didn’t have the courage to look any longer. I got up, left the restaurant, and drove into the night. The neon lights outside the car window blurred into streaks, and tears fell uncontrollably. I wiped them away, but new tears kept welling up, endless. I thought I had long gone numb, but it still hurt. Just then, a white figure suddenly darted out from the roadside. “BANG!” A loud crash, and the car screeched to a halt. I trembled, looking up to see a figure thrown into the air by the impact, then falling heavily to the ground in front of my car. It was… Vivian?! I scrambled out of the car, my legs weak, and ran over. Sure enough, Vivian lay on the ground, a shocking pool of blood spreading beneath her. “Vivian!” Julian’s roar came from behind me. He rushed over like a madman, scooped up the unconscious Vivian, and glared at me with eyes that promised murder. “Eleanor Vance, wasn’t it enough that your family killed all of mine? Why can’t you leave even her alone?!” I trembled all over. “It wasn’t me… she ran out into the road herself…” Julian didn’t listen. He carried Vivian into the car that had just pulled up, his eyes red as he threw one last icy command: “Take her to the hospital! Make her kneel outside the ER and atone!” Two bodyguards grabbed me, roughly shoving me into another car. Outside the emergency room, Julian stood at the end of the corridor, his back rigid, like a drawn sword ready to kill. I was forced to my knees on the cold floor, my knees throbbing, but I didn’t dare move. “If anything happens to her, Eleanor Vance, I’ll make you pay with your life.” Julian’s voice was like ice, every word a knife plunging into my heart. I hung my head, tears silently splashing onto the floor. *Tick-tock, tick-tock…* Minutes dragged on, then finally, the emergency room light went out. The doctor walked out, pulling off his mask, his expression grave. “Mr. Blackwood, Ms. Hayes’s kidney was damaged in the accident. She needs a transplant immediately, or her life will be in danger.” Julian’s face changed instantly. “Arrange a matching test at once!” The doctor nodded. “Ms. Hayes has B-type blood. We need a matching donor.” Julian’s gaze shifted to me, his voice chilling. “She and Vivian have the same blood type. Make her do the matching test.” I suddenly looked up, my body trembling as I stared at him. He wanted me… to donate a kidney to Vivian? I stumbled, trying to run, but the bodyguards instantly pinned me down. Julian walked over, looking down at me, his eyes devoid of warmth. “Eleanor Vance, this is what you owe me, what you owe her. You have no right to refuse!” I trembled all over, tears blurring my vision. “Julian…” My voice choked. “Are you really going to do this to me?” He didn’t answer, just turned away coldly and told the doctor, “Arrange the surgery immediately!” Before I was wheeled into the operating room, Julian signed the consent form as my spouse. I lay on the operating table, staring at the glaring surgical lights above, my mind drifting back to the past. Fifteen-year-old Julian, carrying me with a fever, running three blocks to the hospital; eighteen-year-old Julian, heartbroken when I cut my hand chopping vegetables, never letting me into the kitchen again; twenty-year-old Julian, staying up all night to apply cream when I broke out in an allergic rash. Once upon a time, if I felt even the slightest discomfort, his eyes would redden with worry, wishing he could suffer in my place. “Ellie, I’ll protect you from now on. You’ll never be hurt again.” But now, it was also him who personally sent me to the operating table. After the surgery, I was wheeled back to the ward. The anesthesia slowly wore off, and the pain in my wound made me tremble all over. I bit my lip, refusing to cry out. The nurses, while applying my medicine, quietly gossiped: “Mr. Blackwood is so good to his wife. He stayed outside the operating room the whole time, never leaving her side.” “I know, right? Such a handsome and rich man, and so devoted to his wife. I really envy their relationship. Ms. Hayes is truly blessed.” Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I weakly mumbled, “I’m his wife…” The nurses froze, then quickly and awkwardly left. Silence returned to the ward, broken only by the drip of the IV. I struggled to prop myself up, wanting to go to the bathroom. But as soon as I got out of bed, my legs gave way, and I collapsed to the floor, my wound hitting the bed frame. The pain made my vision swim. The ward door opened a crack. Julian stood outside, subconsciously taking a step forward. But when he saw me struggling to get up, he abruptly stopped. He withdrew his hand, turned, and walked away. His assistant followed, puzzled. “Mr. Blackwood, you clearly care about Ms. Vance, so why…” Julian paused, his voice icy. “This is her torment. She deserves it.” The assistant hesitated, then spoke again. “But it wasn’t Ms. Vance’s fault back then. Her parents already paid with their lives, and you’ve tormented her for five years. Isn’t that enough?” Julian remained silent for a long time, finally replying, “If I let her go, who will let me go?” After that, I remained in the hospital, and no one came to visit me. Until the buzzing of my phone startled me awake from a hazy sleep. I struggled to find my phone. The screen displayed a message from an unknown number: [Your kidney is working great for me~ From now on, not just your kidney, but everything you have—including Julian—will be mine!] Attached below was a photo: Vivian’s slender wrist, prominently adorned with the emerald heirloom bracelet my mother had left me. That was… the last relic my parents had left me. My blood ran cold instantly. I violently yanked out the IV needle. Blood spurted from the back of my hand, but I didn’t bother to wipe it, stumbling and rushing towards Vivian’s ward. When I pushed open the door, Vivian was leisurely leaning against the headboard. Seeing me enter, a triumphant smile curved her lips. “Well, well, isn’t it our kidney-donating hero? What, here to visit your kidney?” I stared intently at the bracelet on her wrist, my voice trembling. “Give it back to me!” Vivian lightly caressed the bracelet, smiling innocently. “Why should I give it to you? Julian said it looks beautiful on me, and that it makes me look a lot like the old you, so he gave it to me.” I felt a chill spread through me. I reached out to grab it, but stopped myself abruptly, afraid of damaging the bracelet. I swallowed my pride and pleaded, “This bracelet means a lot to me. I can exchange it for anything else you want, anything I can give you…” Vivian tilted her head, feigning innocence as she thought. “There’s nothing I really want. The only thing I’m missing… is the title of Mrs. Blackwood.” She chuckled. “How about you give that position to me?” I closed my eyes for a moment, my voice hoarse. “Okay. As long as you give me the bracelet back, I’ll let you become Mrs. Blackwood!” The words had barely left my lips when the ward door was violently pushed open. Julian stood in the doorway, his face terrifyingly dark. “Eleanor Vance, in your eyes, my wife’s title is less important than a lifeless object?” I froze, my throat tight. “This is the last thing my parents… left me.” “Parents?” Julian sneered, hatred surging in his eyes. He ripped the bracelet from Vivian’s wrist. “I almost forgot, anything related to your parents, I want to destroy!” With that, he turned and walked towards the window, raising his hand to throw the bracelet down! “No!” I shrieked, throwing myself forward without a second thought. The moment I collided with Julian, the bracelet flew from his hand, and I, too, tumbled out the window— “Eleanor Vance!” Julian’s voice was almost a撕裂. He reached out to grab me, but only clutched at empty air. “THUD!” I crashed heavily onto the lawn below. The bracelet shattered beside me, emerald fragments piercing my palm, but I felt no pain. In a haze, I saw Julian rush downstairs like a madman, kneeling beside me, trembling as he gathered me into his arms: “Eleanor Vance! Eleanor Vance!” His voice held a panic I’d never heard before, just like that fire many years ago when he rushed into the flames to find me, calling my name just like this. “Doctor! Call a doctor, fast!” My consciousness blurred. A faint glimmer of hope ignited in my heart— Did he still care about me? Was it possible… that he still cared about me just a little? When I next awoke, my whole body ached as if it had been crushed and reassembled. In the ward, the doctor was speaking softly with Julian. “Mrs. Blackwood has multiple fractures and internal organ damage. She needs careful rest, or there will be lasting complications.” Julian ordered coldly, “Give her the best medicine.” The doctor nodded and left. Julian turned, his eyes meeting mine as I opened them. Our eyes locked. The concern in his instantly vanished, replaced by coldness. “Don’t think that just because I’m giving you the best medicine means I still care about you.” He walked closer, looking down at me, his voice cruel. “I just want you to live longer, so I can torment you better.” “The moment your parents killed my family, our fate was sealed—” “It will only be an endless cycle of suffering until death!” I stared at him blankly, tears silently falling. So… I had just been fooling myself. I slowly closed my eyes and whispered, “Okay, then I’ll just die.” My voice was too soft; Julian didn’t hear me clearly. He frowned, leaning closer. “What did you just say?” I opened my mouth, about to repeat myself, when the ward door suddenly burst open. A nurse rushed in. “Mr. Blackwood, Ms. Hayes needs to go for her check-up, but she can’t find you and refuses to cooperate…” Julian’s brow furrowed. He turned and left, not sparing me even a glance. … The moment the ward door closed, I pulled out my IV needle. Ignoring the excruciating pain and the doctor’s protests, I checked myself out of the hospital. My time was running out. Since I had decided to die, I should take care of some arrangements beforehand. I gave a bitter smile. Julian… he wouldn’t even claim my body. I went to a photography studio and had a memorial photo taken. Then I bought a burial plot and chose a small urn. When I returned to the villa, the sound of padding paws came from the living room. A golden retriever joyfully bounded over, its tail wagging like a propeller, its wet nose rubbing against my leg. My eyes welled up. I crouched down and hugged it. “Buddy…” This was the dog Julian and I had adopted together when we were eighteen. Back then, we had just moved in together. He held this little puppy, smiling, and said, “Ellie, from now on, we’re a family of three. We’ll grow old together.” But now, the family was gone, the love was gone, and growing old together was just a pipe dream. “Woof!” Buddy brought over a toy ball, looking at me expectantly. I stroked his head. “Good boy. Mama will make you something delicious.” I forced myself to cook Buddy some meat porridge. Watching him gobble it down, my heart ached. I would be leaving this world in three days. Buddy was getting old; I had to find him a good home. After searching all day, I finally found a suitable adopter. A retired couple, with a yard, experienced in raising golden retrievers. I packed Buddy’s toys and dog food. Just as I was about to take Buddy out, the villa door suddenly swung open. Vivian walked in, high heels clicking, her gaze falling on Buddy, a cold smile curving her lips. “Eleanor Vance, Julian hates you and has destroyed most of the things you cherish. Now… only this dog is left, right?” My body tensed. I instinctively shielded Buddy behind me. “What do you want?” “Julian hasn’t even said anything, you have no right to touch him!” My voice trembled. “This is our dog, we’ve had him for ten years. He cares about him too, he won’t let you hurt him!” Vivian scoffed. “You’re too naive. He hates you, and everything connected to you!” She clapped her hands, and two bodyguards immediately rushed in, roughly grabbing Buddy’s collar! “No!” I lunged forward to stop them, but was shoved aside. My forehead hit the coffee table, and blood instantly streamed down. Buddy, startled, struggled wildly to protect me, but he was struck by a stun baton and collapsed, whimpering. “Buddy!” I screamed, my heart tearing apart. I desperately pushed past the bodyguards to hold my dog, accidentally bumping into Vivian. “Ah!” Vivian tumbled down the stairs, a pool of blood instantly spreading on the floor. “What are you doing?!” Julian’s voice roared from the doorway. Seeing the scene, he instantly strode over, scooped up Vivian, and glared at me with icy eyes. “You pushed her? She just had a kidney transplant, are you trying to kill her?!” My face was covered in blood. I trembled, pointing at the dying Buddy. “She beat Buddy to death first! He didn’t do anything wrong!” Julian paused, his gaze falling on Buddy’s lifeless body, his eyes momentarily distant. But soon, he said coldly, “It’s better that he’s dead.” “Any proof of our love should not remain.” Those words utterly shattered me. I looked at him in agony, tears flowing uncontrollably. He was right… nothing should remain. After all, he didn’t even love *me* anymore. “Julian…” Vivian weakly leaned in his arms. “My leg hurts so much…” Julian kissed her forehead, his eyes full of tenderness. “Hold on. I’ll take you to the hospital right away. Before we go, think about how you want to punish her?” Vivian leaned in his embrace, her voice weak. “How about… we lock her in the basement and starve her for a day? Let her reflect properly.” “Okay,” Julian said, picking up Vivian and leaving without a backward glance. “Lock her in.” I was locked in the basement. It was dark, damp, and freezing cold. After an unknown amount of time, the door opened. Vivian walked in, carrying a small jar, a sweet smile on her face. “Hungry? Weren’t you so attached to that dog?” She lifted the lid. Inside was a pile of greyish-white powder— “Come, I’m sending you to be reunited.” My pupils constricted. Before I could react, Vivian grabbed my chin, forcing the ashes into my mouth! “Mmm… No… Don’t…” I struggled desperately, but I was too weak to resist, forced to swallow several mouthfuls. “Does it taste good?” Vivian’s smile was twisted. “This is your beloved ‘Buddy’!” Only when the jar was empty did Vivian pat her hands in satisfaction, clean up the scene, and leave. “Buddy… Buddy…” I was in unbearable agony, collapsing in dry heaves, but nothing came up. I curled up on the floor, my tears long gone, my consciousness slowly fading. A high fever made my body burn, and my wounds began to get infected. In a daze, I felt someone gently pick me up, wipe the grime from my face with a wet towel, and carefully apply medicine to the wound on my forehead. “Ellie…” A familiar voice whispered in my ear, carrying a tenderness I hadn’t heard in so long. Was it a dream? I tried hard to open my eyes, but only saw a blurry outline— Julian, his eyes red, was gently feeding me medicine. My eyelashes trembled. I didn’t dare fully open my eyes, fearing that the next second, he would simply leave. Perhaps, after all, we couldn’t completely hate each other. But love… that was also impossible now. Julian’s phone suddenly rang, breaking the oppressive silence in the room. He released the hand that was supporting me and walked aside to answer the call. On the other end, Vivian’s voice held undisguised excitement. “Julian, I… I haven’t had my period in over a month. I went to the hospital for a check-up, and do you think… we’re going to have a baby?” Her voice was soft, with a careful, hopeful tone. “I’ve already thought of names. If it’s a boy, we’ll call him Nathan Blackwood, and if it’s a girl, Naomi Blackwood. How does that sound?” Julian’s fingers tightened sharply around his phone. Nathan Blackwood. Naomi Blackwood. These names were like a blunt knife, savagely stabbing into his heart. He vaguely remembered five years ago, I had leaned against him, my eyes sparkling as I said, “Julian, how about we have two children in the future? A boy named Nathan, a girl named Naomi. That way, even when we’re old, we’ll always remember how much we loved each other now…” Back then, I had smiled so sweetly, as if our future would be forever happy. “Julian? Are you listening?” Vivian’s voice pulled him back to reality. Julian’s throat bobbed. He subconsciously replied, “Okay, those names are fine.” He paused, his voice low. “I’m coming to the hospital now.” Hanging up the phone, Julian glanced back at me, sleeping in the bed. I had opened my eyes at some point, quietly watching him, my gaze as lifeless as a dried-up well. Julian felt a strange pang in his heart. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he just turned and left. The moment the door closed, I slowly closed my eyes. How wonderful, he had new hope… And I, I could finally die. After that, Julian never came back. Until the last day of the five-year promise, I could finally die. I forced myself out of bed and called a delivery service for a bouquet of white lilies and some offerings. It had been too long since I visited my parents. After they died, Julian hated them so much that he never allowed me to mourn them. Now that I was about to die, I should at least go see them. “Where are you going?” Just as I reached the door, Julian returned, his face dark as he stared at the lilies in my hand. My voice was very soft. “One last time… let me go see them.” “Please,” I looked up, tears in my eyes, “I also want to visit your parents, too…” “You still have the nerve to mention them?!” Julian violently gripped my neck, his eyes burning with boundless hatred. “Your parents killed them, how dare you go to their graves?!” I struggled to breathe, my face slowly turning pale, but I didn’t fight back. I just looked at him silently, as if waiting for release. Julian’s heart suddenly trembled. He instinctively loosened his grip. I fell to the floor, coughing violently, a stark red mark left on my pale neck. Julian stared at me, his voice icy. “Fine. You can go to their graves.” “But you’ll go from here, crawling on your knees, step by painful step, all the way to their graves. With every kneel, you’ll shout—’I am a sinner, I deserve to die a thousand deaths!’” He leaned down, pinching my chin, his eyes full of mockery. “After all, your parents are dead. The only one left to atone… is you.” I looked at him, slowly nodding. “Okay.” The scorching sun beat down. I knelt on the burning ground, my forehead hitting the earth heavily. “I am a sinner, I deserve to die a thousand deaths!” “I am a sinner, I deserve to die a thousand deaths!” “I am a sinner, I deserve to die a thousand deaths!” My voice was hoarse, but each shout was clearer than the last. One step, one kneel, one bow. From the villa to the cemetery, a full ten kilometers. Passersby stared, some pointing, some pulling out their phones to record. But I seemed oblivious to the outside world, mechanically repeating the ritual of kneeling and bowing. My knees were raw, a bloody mess, blood seeping through my pants. My knees were worn out, the blood mixing with sweat and stinging my eyes. But I never stopped. Julian drove slowly behind me. He watched my frail figure inch forward under the blazing sun, watched the trail of blood from my knees stretch into a long red mark, watched how every bow seemed to drain all the strength from my body… His fingers unconsciously tightened on the steering wheel, veins bulging. From day to night, I finally crawled to the cemetery. My knees were a bloody mess, my forehead bore a thin crust of dried blood over the wounds. I swayed, on the verge of collapsing at any moment. But I forced myself, step by step, to Julian’s parents’ tombstone. “Sir, Madam…” My voice was hoarse. “I’m so sorry…” Again and again. Julian stood by, his eyes cold. “Do you think apologies are useful? Even if you say it a thousand, ten thousand times, it won’t bring them back. Your entire family are sinners.” I didn’t argue. I just struggled to move to my parents’ tombstone again. In the photo, my parents smiled gently, as if looking at me. I gently caressed the tombstone, tears silently falling. Dad, Mom… I’m coming to find you. What our family owed him, I’ll pay with my life. I can’t hold on anymore. Let me be free, and let him, Let himself go. After the memorial, night had fallen deep. Julian drove in silence. I sat in the passenger seat, the blood on my knees and forehead dry, my entire being like a hollow shell, as if my soul had been drained. Halfway there, Vivian’s call came in. “Julian, the test results are back, I’m pregnant!” Her voice held undisguised excitement. “The doctor said the baby is very healthy. Can you come pick me up from the hospital, please?” Julian’s fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel. He subconsciously glanced at me beside him. My gaze was empty, staring out the window, as if completely unaware of everything. “Okay, I’ll be right there,” he finally said. The car pulled over. Julian said coldly, “Go home yourself.” I didn’t respond, just quietly pushed open the car door and stepped out into the night. The car door closed, and the engine sound faded into the distance. I lowered my head to look at my phone— 00:00. The five-year term was up. I looked at the brightly lit bridge spanning the river in the distance, and suddenly smiled. These past five years, Julian and I had gone from love to hatred. I couldn’t blame him, but I couldn’t blame my parents either. No one wanted that accident to happen. Just as Julian said, between us, it was an endless cycle of suffering. Now that I was dead, everything could finally end. The night wind ruffled my long hair. I walked step by step towards the edge of the bridge. The river surface, dark as ink, mirrored the scattered city lights. It was as if another world was beckoning me. I stood by the railing, taking one last look back at the city lights. “Julian,” I whispered in my heart, “Goodbye forever.” The next second, I let go, and plunged down— “SPLASH!” The icy river instantly swallowed me. The immense impact felt like my internal organs were being crushed. Darkness, suffocation, and bone-chilling cold swept over me… But I felt an unprecedented sense of relief. Finally… freed.

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“Ms. Dawson, this is for the simulated death service you booked with us. The specified date of death is half a month from now, at your wedding. The method of death is suicide by drowning, and the person faking their death is you. Please confirm and sign here.” Evelyn nodded, signing her name at the bottom of the document without hesitation. On a bustling street, Evelyn walked home alone. She looked up and saw the giant advertising screen on a nearby building, looping the video of Liam Sterling proposing to her. In the video, he was on one knee, his usually steady hand trembling slightly as he held the ring. The moment she said “yes,” the tears he’d held back in his eyes finally fell. The beautiful scene made two girls beside Evelyn hug each other, gushing with envy. “Oh my god! Liam Sterling truly loves Evelyn Dawson!” “Right? Mr. Sterling is the ultimate romantic. I heard they were childhood sweethearts. He was so eager, he confessed his feelings to her at seventeen. At twenty, he had a crown made for her with the world’s most expensive pink diamonds, telling her she’d always be his princess. When Ms. Dawson got into a car accident at twenty-three, and the blood bank was critically low for her rare blood type, Mr. Sterling donated blood against all advice, almost draining himself to save her. Then at twenty-six, he proposed on a global live stream, and finally managed to marry the girl he loved most. How can there be a man in the world who dotes on his wife like that?” … Evelyn didn’t listen further, lowering her gaze to hide the self-mockery in her eyes. Everyone envied her and Liam’s love story. Everyone said Liam Sterling was utterly crazy about her. So no one would ever imagine that this very man had been secretly keeping a mistress stashed away for three whole years. Discovering that on countless nights he’d claimed to be busy with work, he was actually intimately entwined with a little influencer, her heart felt as if it had been pierced by a sharp blade, bleeding, raw, and mangled. As she scrolled through those obscene photos, she vaguely remembered that at fifteen, when her parents divorced and fought tooth and nail over who wouldn’t have her, it was Liam Sterling who burst through the door, took her hand, and said, word for word, “If you don’t want her, I do!” From that day on, Liam Sterling gave his entire heart to her alone. He’d broken three ribs fighting for her. He remembered every single one of her periods. His Ins feed was filled with only her. All his friends said he was completely love-struck when it came to Evelyn Dawson… When he slipped the wedding ring onto her finger, he kissed her through his tears, his voice filled with pleas. He begged her to love him forever, to never leave him, swearing he’d lose his mind if she did. He was the one who first said he couldn’t live without her. Yet, he was the first to betray her. In that case, she would fake her death and escape, change her name, and vanish completely from his world, so he could never find her again. Evelyn reached up to wipe away the faint dampness from her eyes. Just as she was about to leave, a Maybach suddenly braked in front of her. A tall figure opened the rear door and rushed towards her. “Evie, didn’t you say you’d wait for me at home? I told you I’d pick you up for your wedding dress fitting once I finished work. Why are you out here alone?” Liam said, taking her hand. When he felt her fingertips were icy cold, he quickly took off his jacket and draped it over her. “Your hands are freezing, and you’re not even wearing a jacket. Do you want to make me worry myself sick?” Evelyn didn’t speak, just looked up at him silently. The concern in his eyes didn’t seem fake, but that only made it harder for her to understand how someone could genuinely love two people at the same time. Liam tightened the jacket around her. As he was about to lead her to the car, the two girls opposite them heard the commotion and instinctively turned to look. Seeing who it was, their eyes immediately lit up. They excitedly walked closer, their faces flushed, their words stammering. “H-hello, are you Evelyn Dawson and Liam Sterling? W-we’re your fan club, can we take a picture with you?” Evelyn didn’t want to disappoint them. After a moment of thought, she nodded. Given permission, the two girls surrounded them, looking at the camera. Liam didn’t particularly like taking photos, but he dutifully put an arm around Evelyn and looked at the camera with her. After the photo, the two girls, still blushing, kept thanking them, their words filled with hopes that they would grow old together and have a happy marriage. Grow old together? Evelyn looked up at Liam beside her. As their eyes met, he offered a doting, tender smile, full of affection. He seemed to be agreeing with the girls’ wishes. Only she knew that they would never make it to old age. Outside the bridal boutique, the moment Evelyn stepped out of the car, the store assistant, who had been waiting at the entrance, rushed forward, her voice tinged with envy. “Ms. Dawson, all thousand custom-made wedding gowns Mr. Sterling ordered for you are ready. You can try them on anytime and see which one you like.” She didn’t speak, just looked silently at Liam behind her. He was looking at something on his phone, his eyes filled with an undeniable longing – that same look she’d only seen in his bed photos with the little influencer. Noticing her gaze, he quickly put away his phone and walked over, a hint of apology on his face. “Evie, I’m sorry, something urgent came up at the office that I need to handle. I’ve asked the driver to wait for you here. He’ll take you home after you’ve finished trying on the dresses.” With that, he kissed her forehead and hurriedly got into another car, leaving her alone. The assistant quickly approached, tentatively asking, “Ms. Dawson, would you like to try on wedding dresses now?” Evelyn withdrew her gaze and shook her head. “No, I won’t. I don’t want any of these.” After all, at their wedding, there would only be a “dead” bride. Evelyn got into the car heading home. The moment she opened her phone, a SnapChat message from Seraphina popped up. It was a chat screenshot. In the picture, Seraphina wore a black lace bunny outfit, sprawled delicately on the floor, her eyes hazy as she looked at the camera. 【If Master can make it here in twenty minutes, your little bunny is all yours to devour.】 Below, Liam’s black profile picture sent a brief two-word reply: 【Wait for me.】 Evelyn turned off the screen, closed her eyes, and tried to suppress the sharp, dense pain in her heart. She thought that after seeing so many photos, her heart would grow accustomed, would become numb. But an uncontrollable wave of agony swept through her body, invading her very bones. Finally, she forced her eyes shut and turned off her phone. Deep in the night, Evelyn curled up by the bed, her eyes red, and fell into a deep sleep. But the phone beside her pillow vibrated every hour, right up until the next morning. When she woke up and checked it, she found that from last night to this morning, Seraphina had sent her a picture every hour – each one showing used condoms. 【He took me all night last night, trying every position on me. I can barely get out of bed. Has he ever been like that with you?】 Evelyn didn’t move, yet she turned over and over, staring at those pictures and that message dozens of times. When Liam returned, he found Evelyn lying in bed, her eyes red-rimmed, her knuckles white as she clutched her phone. His heart gave a sudden lurch. He quickly walked over, pulled her into his arms, his voice tight with alarm. “Evie, why are you crying?” Was she crying? Evelyn finally came back to herself and looked at him, belatedly touching her face. Only then did she realize that, unknowingly, tears were streaming down her face. After a long moment, she let out a soft laugh, though the sadness in her eyes remained unconcealed. “It’s nothing, just saw some very touching pictures.” Liam gently stroked her face, dotingly saying, “What pictures made you cry like this, babe? You’re going to break your husband’s heart.” Evelyn was about to speak when Alfred, the butler, knocked respectfully on the open bedroom door. “Sir, the car is ready.” Liam hummed in acknowledgment, then turned and kissed the woman in his arms. “Evie, I was wrong yesterday, leaving you alone at the bridal boutique. As an apology, I’ll take you to the auction. Anything you want, I’ll buy for you, okay?” Evelyn didn’t answer, but he took it as consent, sweeping her into his arms and out of the room. He personally helped her pick out an outfit, jewelry, and shoes. At the auction. To cheer Evelyn up, Liam spared no expense in the first half, buying up all the precious items, even though she wasn’t particularly interested in them. During the intermission, several men, Liam’s buddies, walked over. “I wondered who was so generous, buying everything in the first half. Turns out it’s Liam!” “I was planning to buy a gift for my grandma’s birthday, but nope, nothing left.” “Truly, his reputation as a wife-pampering maniac is well-deserved. Liam, give me a chance in the second half, let me buy at least one thing!” The men joked with Liam. He just gave them a glance, then turned his attention back to peeling an orange for Evelyn. “You won’t have a chance in the second half either. All the items today belong to my Evie.” The men groaned dramatically, clutching their chests in mock pain, but had to concede defeat. Liam’s lips curved upward slightly, ignoring them as he dotingly finished peeling the orange and offered it temptingly to Evelyn. Evelyn shook her head, her expression distant. “I don’t have an appetite. You eat it.” Soon, the second half of the auction began. Just then, the main doors suddenly opened. A server respectfully ushered in a woman in a short red dress. The next second, Evelyn felt Liam’s body stiffen beside her. She looked up and saw Seraphina’s striking face appear right before her eyes! Seraphina pulled some red bills from her bag and tucked them into the server’s chest, then flashed a captivating smile. Before the server could react, she walked straight over and sat down next to Liam. Everyone in the room gasped, trying to guess Seraphina’s identity. “How audacious is this little influencer, daring to sit next to Mr. Sterling?” “Doesn’t she fear Mr. Sterling will blacklist her in a fit of rage?” “Shhh, keep it down, you don’t know anything! I heard she has a powerful backer. Didn’t you see all the designer jewelry and bags in her apartment during her live streams?” … Evelyn was about to look away when she saw Seraphina brazenly take Liam’s hand and place it under her skirt. Liam’s hand instantly froze. He instinctively tried to pull it back, but Seraphina smiled and pressed it down, then shifted slightly. Finally, Liam stopped resisting. His hand remained. Evelyn sharply turned her head, desperately clenching her trembling hands. Throughout the second half of the auction, Evelyn was distracted until the grand finale item was presented, and gasps of awe from the crowd pulled her from her pain. Evelyn looked up, seeing a dazzling necklace resting quietly on velvet. The auctioneer passionately introduced its history, claiming it was Queen Elizabeth’s favorite necklace, symbolizing unwavering love. Perhaps sensing Evelyn’s interest, Liam unhesitatingly raised his paddle. “Ten million!” Then a female voice beside him chimed in. “Thirty million!” He turned his head and saw Seraphina had also raised her paddle. Noticing his displeased look, she gave a seductive smile, her eyes full of allure. “Oops, sorry, Mr. Sterling. My boyfriend loves me very much too, so he also wants to give me this necklace!” Liam’s face darkened. “Fifty million!” “One hundred million!” “One hundred fifty million!” … Finally, Liam made a decisive gesture. The auctioneer upfront excitedly tapped his gavel. “He sealed the deal with a ‘lights-out’ bid! Mr. Sterling made the ultimate bid!” “Congratulations to Mr. Sterling for acquiring the Heart of True Love!” As applause erupted, Liam subtly withdrew his hand and kissed Evelyn beside him. “Stay here, sweetie. I’ll go get your necklace for you.” Evelyn watched him get up and leave. Then, Seraphina opposite her also stood, giving her a meaningful look.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298742”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic