The Intern, My Cheating Husband, and My Billion-Dollar Revenge For three months, this naive intern had been working with us. Now, my husband wanted to make her a new shareholder. His friend tried to talk some sense into him. “Skylar Reed served dangerously adulterated drinks to a client, leading to their hospitalization with severe internal bleeding; she sent a funeral bouquet to a sick client, causing them to suffer a heart attack on the spot; she baselessly accused an international client of corporate espionage, almost getting the company sued… Are you *really* sure you want to make someone like that a new shareholder?” “Plenty of our loyal mid-to-senior level employees don’t even have shares yet. If you do this, they’ll be completely disheartened, won’t they?” “Besides, will your wife even agree? She’s the company’s second-largest shareholder.” My husband, Damian, just puffed on his cigarette and chuckled. “Ellie will definitely agree; she never challenges my decisions. As for those old-timers, if they’re not on board, they can pack their bags.” “Skylar might be young and prone to mistakes, but she has ambition. What’s wrong with bending the rules for a good employee?” “When I look at Skylar, I see the young Ellie, before life got so tough. I couldn’t shield the young Ellie back then, but I can shield the young Skylar. I can’t let her go through the same hardships we did.” I listened in silence, a cold smirk playing on my lips, then turned and walked away. At the shareholder meeting, Damian proposed Skylar Reed become a new shareholder. The company veterans instantly objected, but I raised my hand. “I agree!” After all, this debt-ridden company was just looking for someone to take the fall.

I stopped outside Damian Thorne’s office window. Mr. Harrison’s voice started up again. “Damian, you’re insistent on shoving Skylar Reed onto the board… Is there a personal motive here?” Damian chuckled. “Mr. Harrison, I won’t lie to you. Yes, I’ve developed feelings for Skylar.” “As for Ellie… Hmph, she’s just a corporate socialite now. How do you think those big deals came through? Wasn’t it all thanks to her looks and… her body? Why do those senior executives at the client companies only want to deal with *her*? God knows how many times she’s slept with them behind closed doors. She’s so dirty.” My body froze, as if doused with ice water. I had drunk myself to stomach bleeding for this company, plastered a fake smile on my face until my muscles ached, only for him to call me “so dirty”? Damian’s tone softened slightly. “But I know she did it for the company. I just had to pretend not to notice.” “But she’s tainted, and Skylar can’t be. Skylar is as clean as a blank page. I have to protect her, help her succeed, and keep her from going down Ellie’s dirty path.” Mr. Harrison looked confused. “But… what’s so great about this Skylar Reed? Why should she get all the benefits?” Damian took a drag from his cigarette, seeming to get lost in thought. “Don’t you see it? Her naive, innocent, and kind demeanor… she’s so much like Ellie was in college! And she’s even more delicate than young Ellie, making you want to protect her.” Mr. Harrison hesitated. “Naive? Innocent? Ellie back then… she wasn’t quite like that, was she? I remember her being quite strong-willed and hardworking…” Just then, the office door burst open with a loud *bang*, interrupting Mr. Harrison. “Damian, sweetie!” Skylar Reed burst in, completely ignoring Mr. Harrison, and plopped herself directly onto Damian’s lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck with practiced ease, and she snuggled into his embrace. Damian didn’t seem awkward at all; instead, he lovingly wrapped an arm around her waist. “What’s wrong, my little troublemaker? What kind of mischief have you gotten into now?” Skylar pouted, wiggling her body. “Today, I accidentally sent our purchasing price list to Mr. Jenkins instead of the product brochure. Now he knows how much we’re making and he’s furious! What should I do, Damian? I really didn’t mean to!” Damian laughed heartily, as if this was the funniest thing in the world. “I thought it was something major! What’s so hard about that? Just let Ellie handle it. She’s best at smoothing things over. She can fix any mess.” Skylar’s eyes lit up. “So… if we secure this project in the end, will it count towards my业绩? Will Ms. Vance get mad?” Damian pinched her cheek, his voice indulgent. “Of course it’s yours! Silly girl, the credit, the bonus, it’s all yours! What’s she going to say? I’m here.” Skylar instantly beamed, giving Damian a loud, unashamed kiss on the cheek. Mr. Harrison, beside them, was squirming in his seat, his face deeply uncomfortable. “Uh… Damian, something just came up. I’ll take my leave now.” Damian patted Skylar’s behind. “Skylar, stand up for a moment. I’ll see Mr. Harrison out.” Skylar wiggled playfully, hugging him tighter. “No way, I’m tired. I want Damian to hold me!” Damian gave a helpless yet delighted smile, and just waved goodbye to Mr. Harrison while still holding Skylar. Mr. Harrison shook his head, sighed, and quickly left. Before the door was fully closed, ambiguous kissing sounds and Skylar’s soft gasps could be heard from inside.

I stumbled back a step, then slowly turned and walked away. Ten years. A full decade. Damian and I built this empire from nothing. I thought we were partners fighting side-by-side, a loving couple. And he, he used the memories of our shared hardships as an excuse to coddle another woman’s “innocence” and “ignorance.” Skylar Reed had been with the company for three months, and Damian had already made countless exceptions for her. He’d not only spent millions on her but also alienated many long-standing clients, causing indirect losses of at least a hundred million. I’d warned him, but he just told me not to overthink it. “Young people need a chance to make mistakes. Some clients are indeed too demanding; if they leave, they leave.” Left with no choice, while Skylar made one blunder after another, I was left to clean up her messes. If it weren’t for me, the company would have faced a major crisis long ago. But what did all my hard work get me? I suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh, realizing how foolish I’d been. I took a deep breath and pressed the intercom button. “Book me and Chloe Vance tickets to Sea City. We’re leaving tonight.” The next morning, as I was getting ready in my hotel room, my phone rang. It was Damian. “Ellie Vance! Where the hell are you? Skylar’s project is a disaster! The client is furious, threatening to cancel the contract and blacklist us in the industry! Get over here and fix it for her, now!” He roared, completely out of his mind. I held the phone slightly away from my ear. “Didn’t you say some clients were too demanding? That if they leave, they leave? Why the change of tune now?” Damian paused, stumped, then immediately started yelling again. “Is this client the same as the others? He’s a long-term partner who brings in twenty million annually! Are you out of your mind? Do I really need to remind you of this?” His words changed faster than the weather. I forced myself to keep my temper in check. “I’m in Sea City right now, pretty swamped.” “Damian, didn’t you always say I was too overbearing, hogging projects and not giving new people a chance to grow? Well, I think now’s the perfect time. Let Skylar handle it herself; she’ll learn faster.” Damian grew even more enraged. “You’re her mentor! It’s your job to guide her! How can you just abandon her? I’m telling you, if this project falls through, you’ll be held responsible!” I chuckled softly. “Oh? Is that so… And if, by some miracle, this project *does* get secured, will the bonus and credit be mine?” Damian clearly hadn’t expected me to state my terms so directly. He paused, then spoke with clear dissatisfaction. “Ellie! Why have you become so petty? Competing for credit with a newbie?” “You’re a long-standing employee and a shareholder; you should have the generosity to support new talent! You can’t hog all the frontline resources forever, can you? You should step back and start thinking about having a family; that’s what truly matters!” He finally said what was on his mind. Everyone in the company respected me. Whenever there was a problem, they mostly came to me for advice, not him. He had long resented me for sidelining him. He was desperate to tie me down with my identity as his wife, force me out of the company, and clear the path for him and Skylar. My eyes turned utterly cold. “Damian, you’re right. Mentoring new talent is crucial. So why don’t you personally guide Skylar Reed? You’re the boss; your direct instruction will surely be more effective than mine.” Damian was completely furious now, his voice suddenly rising. “That client only trusts you! No one else will do any good! I don’t care where you are or who you’re meeting, fix this immediately! Otherwise, don’t blame me for revoking your shareholder status!”

*Click.* He hung up after roaring, not even giving me a chance to retort. “Revoke my shareholder status?” I murmured to myself. “Damian, have you forgotten how this company grew from a small workshop to what it is today? Do you really think your 40% stake gives you the right to do whatever you want, to control everything?” My mind raced. I held 30% of the shares, and the other six senior executives held 30%. Whose slice of the pie was he planning to take to bring Skylar in? No matter whose, he was digging his own grave. I still called Skylar’s client, even paying out of my own pocket to send them a gift. I also promised that starting next quarter, all discounts and promotions would be set at 90%. It took a lot of effort, but I finally appeased the client. Chloe, who had been listening quietly beside me, finally couldn’t hold back. She spoke with indignation. “Auntie! Why are you still cleaning up Skylar Reed’s messes? She’s just a shameless woman who only knows how to seduce men! It was her own stupidity that caused this trouble, and Uncle Damian… he’s just unbelievable!” I raised a hand to stop her. “Chloe, Auntie will teach you another lesson today. In business, you can cross people, but you should never cross money.” “As for Skylar Reed… let her gloat. The higher she jumps now, the harder she’ll fall later. Don’t worry, I have a plan.” I stood up, picked up my purse and jacket. “Get ready. I have a meeting with the trust company tomorrow. That’s the most important thing right now.” After all, securing my rightful assets was what truly mattered. This company, which was about to go bankrupt, Damian and Skylar could have it if they wanted it! Skylar Reed’s project was successfully signed. Damian threw a celebration dinner for her. In the ballroom of a five-star hotel, Skylar raised her glass, her face radiant with triumph. Several empty bottles of Romanée-Conti littered the table. All the project department employees were there, their faces filled with sycophantic smiles. I expressionlessly scrolled through her social media. Below, it was a stream of likes and fawning comments. “Skylar, you’re amazing!” “Please look out for us, CEO Skylar!” Skylar replied below. “Once I become a shareholder, I’ll give everyone a raise!” Below, there were countless likes and flattering remarks. A cold smile played on my lips. Several of the company veterans hadn’t liked or commented. It seemed not all hearts were lost yet. Just then, my phone vibrated violently. It was Damian calling. “Ellie, what are you doing? Have you seen social media? Skylar did something amazing for the company today! As a company shareholder, why aren’t you showing some support? Leave a comment, a like, set an example for the newcomer!” I rolled my eyes and said calmly. “I don’t make a habit of constantly checking other people’s social media. I have a lot of work to do.” Damian clicked his tongue, his tone laced with displeasure and suspicion. “You’ve been in Sea City for a week now, haven’t you? What project is so tricky that Ms. Vance needs to personally tackle it for so long?” His mind was clearly drifting further and further from work. I chuckled, a hint of mockery in my voice. “The ABV company project. A two hundred million dollar budget! Our competitor, Mr. Sterling, has been here for over a month, personally overseeing it. If you think it’s easy, why don’t you try it, Mr. Thorne?” The other end of the phone went silent for a moment. Damian seemed to sober up a bit. He knew very well the importance of the ABV project; it was a huge deal he knew he couldn’t handle. I seized the moment, my voice returning to a calm tone. “Don’t worry, though, things are almost wrapped up here. I’ll be back tomorrow, right on time for the shareholder meeting.”

Damian gave an “Oh,” then tentatively asked. “Uh, you’ve seen the agenda and proposals for the shareholder meeting, right?” My gaze swept over the equity transfer proposal on my computer screen. My voice remained calm. “Yes, I’ve seen it.” He was silent for a second, then asked cautiously. “So… do you have any objections?” I smiled indifferently. “No objections.” From the other end of the phone, I heard his sigh of relief, his voice instantly becoming relaxed and triumphant again. “That’s good! That’s good! Ellie, I knew you were sensible! You’ve worked hard, get some good rest tonight. See you tomorrow!” Before he finished speaking, Skylar Reed’s sweet, simpering voice came through the phone. “Damian, come on! I want to drink a loving cup with you! Mwah!” Damian hastily muffled the receiver. I pretended not to hear and simply hung up. 【Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.】 It seemed the old saying was absolutely right. I smiled coldly. The night was still long. And the show was about to begin. At the shareholder meeting, Skylar Reed walked in wearing a professional suit. Her gaze swept across the room, finally settling on the chair next to the head of the table. It was my seat. The faces of several veteran shareholders immediately darkened, their gazes turning to me with concern. I smiled faintly, unhurriedly walked to the third seat down the long table, and sat down calmly. Damian seemed quite pleased with my “discretion,” cleared his throat, and announced the start of the meeting. “I propose that Ms. Skylar Reed of the Project Department be exceptionally granted company shareholder status, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the company recently.” Before he finished speaking, Mr. Henderson, a senior shareholder, slammed his hand on the table. “I object! Skylar Reed has only been with us for three months, and she’s made a pile of major mistakes! What right does she have to become a shareholder? How many diligent, long-serving employees in this company haven’t had this opportunity!” Another executive, Mr. Davies, also sneered in agreement. “Outstanding contributions? I heard the deal she just signed was also secured with Ms. Vance’s remote assistance, wasn’t it? How does the credit for that just fall to her?” Damian’s face instantly turned grim. “Why dwell on past minor mistakes? Skylar is a quick learner and has made rapid progress! The MegaCorp project she just signed was secured by her independently!” “Ellie, tell them, whose credit is the MegaCorp deal, really?” All eyes immediately focused on me. I slowly lifted my head, my voice clear and steady. “The credit, of course, goes to Skylar Reed. She’s young and capable, full of drive. She did indeed… contribute to that project.” Skylar immediately breathed a sigh of relief, her back straightening, an unconcealed look of triumph on her face. Damian also smiled with satisfaction, a hint of “I knew you were sensible” approval in his gaze toward me. Mr. Henderson and the others, however, were wide-eyed, staring at me in disbelief, their eyes filled with disappointment and incomprehension. Damian struck while the iron was hot, his momentum growing. “Excellent! Since her contribution is outstanding, she should be given a commensurate reward! I propose granting Skylar Reed 20% of the company shares!” “Twenty!” Mr. Davies gasped in shock. “That makes her the third-largest shareholder directly! More shares than us?” Damian shook his head, a smile playing on his lips, his gaze falling on me once more. “Not third, but second.” “Ellie Vance, you have 30% of the shares, don’t you? You’ll transfer 20% to Skylar. From now on, keeping 10% will be enough for you. You’ve been tired lately anyway; this is a good chance for you to rest more.” At these words, the entire room fell into a deathly silence. Everyone was stunned by this blatant usurpation. Mr. Henderson shot to his feet, his face ashen, seemingly wanting to curse but too furious to speak. “Ms. Vance! This… this is outrageous! You can’t agree to this!” Under everyone’s tense gaze, I slowly smiled. Sure enough, the only pie he dared to touch was mine. I slowly, firmly, raised my right hand. “I agree.”

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My Ex-Wife’s Obsession Celeste Hayes, the poor, stunning girl I once shamed, finally made me pay. And the price was excruciating. She drove my parents to their deaths, then broke my limbs and threw me into a doghouse to sleep. Everyone said it was her well-deserved revenge. But on the night I jumped into the ocean, a terrified Celeste, who couldn’t even swim, bravely plunged in after me. To save my life, she lost a hand to a shark. Celeste even spent billions, assembling a team of hypnotists, just to make me forget our past and marry her. As she wished, my entire world had shrunk to a single purpose: loving her. But on our tenth anniversary, I saw her slip into my male caregiver Jaxon Miller’s room late at night. His intimate murmurs gradually merged with the voice of the man I remembered Celeste truly loving. Jaxon asked her why she still hadn’t divorced me. Celeste’s reply, laced with a sigh of pained affection: “I did all this just to make Liam Thorne suffer more when he finally comes to his senses. You know, you’re the true light in my life.” I slipped the memory-loss pill I’d been hiding into my mouth. Celeste didn’t know. I’d never forgotten a thing from before. But from this moment on, I would forget everything. Including her.

I waited five hours before Celeste finally returned to our room. The dampness clinging to her, mingled with the scent of Jaxon Miller’s shower gel, felt both clammy and unsettling. When she saw me still awake, she nearly jumped out of her skin. A cold dread spread through me, but I forced a smile onto my face. “Why such a strong reaction? Did you do something to betray me?” Her face flickered through a range of emotions, her eyes darting away, unable to meet mine. “Clients were demanding. Drank too much. Just rinsed off in the lounge.” Her excuse was laughably flimsy. Her moniker as the “Ice Queen” of the corporate world was well-earned; no one in their right mind would dare force her to drink until past midnight. I couldn’t be bothered to expose her lie. Instead, I slowly rolled up the sleeve of my silk pajamas. A vast, hideous burn marked my arm, stark and alarming. “Jaxon Miller did this.” My voice was flat. “Make him leave.” Celeste’s gaze dropped to the wound. Her brow furrowed for a moment, but then quickly relaxed. “It’s just a small cut. I’ll have the doctor bandage it tomorrow.” “He’s just out of college, a bit clumsy. Go easy on him.” She spoke as she unbuttoned her shirt. “I’ll make him apologize to you later, and he’ll cover the medical expenses.” I smiled. Years ago, when her own mother merely called me a bastard, Celeste had immediately sent her back to her rural old house. She hadn’t even allowed her to pack her luggage properly. In all our years of marriage, let alone a burn, if I so much as shed a few more hairs than usual on the floor, she would fire the entire care team. Those were her exact words: “Liam, your world is just me now, and I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you.” But now, this angry, festering wound on my wrist was, in her words, “just a small cut.” I pretended to be understanding, pulling my sleeve back down to cover the ugly mark. “Got it. I won’t pick a fight with the kid.” A “kid” the same age as me. I pressed my temples, letting out a soft sigh. “Headache.” This was the real amnesia medicine at work. I’d faked it for years, but this pain was brutally real. “Still hurting?” Her tone was thick with exhaustion. “It’s been years, it should be fine by now. Liam, stop using that old headache as an excuse; you’re driving everyone crazy. And stop driving *me* crazy too. I have a transatlantic meeting first thing tomorrow, I’m exhausted.” The room fell into a deathly silence. The piercing pain spread from my brain to my heart. I softly mumbled, “Okay.” My fingertip brushed the cold metal of my ring finger. Without even pulling hard, the wedding band, worn for so many years, slipped off. It felt like countless needles were simultaneously piercing my brain, the pain so intense my vision blurred. I bit my lip, forcing back the tears. In my mind, the image of Celeste, eyes red-rimmed, slipping that ring onto my finger, shattered and peeled away, finally becoming indistinguishable. At breakfast, Celeste couldn’t find me. She frantically tore through the villa. She even pulled every string she had, mobilizing a specialized search and rescue team. Finally, they found me in the basement. But beside me, coiled, was a highly venomous snake. Its head suddenly darted forward. “Don’t move!” Celeste, without a second thought, lunged forward, shielding me tightly with her body. The fangs sank into her neck, and her face instantly turned black and blue. She was rushed into the ER. It took a full day and night, and a complete blood transfusion, before she finally crawled back from the brink of death. Dr. Reed’s face was thunderous as he pointed at Celeste’s assistant, scolding him. “Why were you ten minutes late?! She was this close to dying!”

Everyone’s gaze pierced me like knives. Because on the way to the hospital, *I* was the one who insisted on going back for my teddy bear, causing the delay. Celeste’s assistant, who had been with her for ten years, couldn’t hold back. He lashed out at me directly: “A stupid teddy bear? Is that more important than Celeste’s life? Do you have any idea what she’s sacrificed for you all these years? And you? You don’t give a damn if she lives or dies!” Celeste’s face instantly darkened. “You’re fired. Go to payroll to collect your last check.” The hospital room fell silent. Celeste then turned to me, forcing a reassuring smile onto her pale face. “Don’t listen to him. If you like it, Liam, not just a simple teddy bear, but even my life—I wouldn’t hesitate for a second.” I hugged the faded teddy bear in my arms and gave a foolish smile. It was strange. Celeste wasn’t taking amnesia pills, so why was her memory so bad? This wasn’t just any ordinary bear. This was the one Celeste had given me in high school. It cost three thousand dollars. Celeste had to scrub toilets for five months just to scrape together that much. To me, that kind of money wouldn’t even cover the cost of decent wrapping paper for a gift. So, in front of all our classmates, I threw the bear into the trash. Then I pulled out a wad of cash—easily ten thousand dollars—and threw it in her face. “Go get some taste. Don’t ever insult me with this kind of trash again.” Thinking of this, my gaze fell on her remaining hand. These past few years of luxury had left it soft and smooth. Nothing like that year, when it was raw and peeling from harsh detergents, covered in swollen, painful chilblains. Celeste’s hand shouldn’t have been like that. Even the current me felt that way. The hospital room door burst open with a bang. Jaxon Miller practically threw himself onto Celeste’s bed, sobbing hysterically. He bumped into me, sending me sprawling to the floor. The wound he’d inflicted with scalding water just days ago ripped open, blood soaking through my sleeve. Celeste’s eyes were filled with such tender concern, but it was all for Jaxon Miller. It wasn’t until a nurse came in for rounds that she suddenly remembered I was still there. She offered me a somewhat awkward explanation: “Jaxon’s just… very emotional. Don’t read too much into it.” Then Celeste suddenly remembered my headaches. She asked the doctor to take me for a check-up. But from start to finish, she never once looked at me. And she certainly didn’t see the spreading crimson on my sleeve. The doctor went back to get something, leaving me alone in the hallway. Suddenly, a violent shove from behind sent me sprawling. Jaxon Miller grabbed me, pulling me to the floor. He snatched the teddy bear from my arms, shoving it hard against my face, his voice sharp, laced with venom: “You piece of trash! I’ll make you taste Celeste’s pain!” The suffocation made me struggle desperately, and I instinctively called Celeste’s name. The plush fabric smothered my nose and mouth, and panic, swiftly followed by suffocation, overwhelmed me. I struggled with all my might, instinctively crying out Celeste’s name. My fingernails scraped long, bloody trails on the floor. The room was only a few steps away, but no one came to help me. Just as darkness began to consume me, Celeste’s voice, eerily calm, finally drifted into my awareness. I thought I was saved. But she merely watched the scene unfold, then instructed Dr. Reed, who had followed her out: “Dr. Reed, please, do what you always do. Erase this memory for Liam.” Jaxon’s shrill voice detonated in my mind. “If Celeste hadn’t been wiping your memories clean every time, you would’ve learned your lesson years ago!” So, Celeste allowing Jaxon to hurt me wasn’t the first time. A torrent of fragmented images slammed into me, like countless knives piercing my skull, a pain so sharp it felt like my head would explode.

On our very first day of marriage, Jaxon Miller moved directly into our marital home. Time and again, he used the excuse of “getting revenge for Celeste,” splashing scalding coffee on me, pushing me down the stairs. He even, in front of me, pinned Celeste to the sofa. Celeste struggled, pushing him away. Until that late night, when she finally gave in. She held a cigarette, her bloodshot eyes locking with mine, her voice a raw rasp. “Liam, there’s too much baggage between us.” She was right. The humiliation of my youth, the death of my parents, the hand she lost for me. These were burdens of hatred too immense for us to overcome. I was dragged to the treatment chair, my head covered in electrodes. Celeste walked over, her face a mask of complicated emotions. Seeing the fresh tears on my face, she leaned down and kissed me. “Liam, just sleep. Everything will be a fresh start when you wake.” As she reached for the switch, Dr. Reed’s hesitant voice broke the silence. “Ms. Hayes, the memory wipes have been too frequent lately. It will harm Mr. Thorne’s brain.” Celeste paused, then sighed helplessly. “But I can’t let him hate me.” A harsh sizzle. The current savagely pierced my brain, tearing apart every unbearable, agonizing memory until nothing remained but dust. My fingers went limp, and the teddy bear I’d been clutching rolled into the trash can beside the bed. Just like all those years ago. Only this time, no one would pick it up. I slept for a long time. When I opened my eyes, I saw a handsome, slightly unfamiliar face. I frowned, abruptly pulling back the hand she still tightly clasped. “Who are you?” Her body instantly stiffened, immense panic flooding her eyes. “Liam, it’s Celeste, your wife.” She desperately grabbed my hand, her grip so strong it felt like she wanted to crush my bones. “We’ve been married for three years, you love me very much, remember? You said I was your life.” Seeing my blank expression, Celeste kept repeating how much I loved her. I rubbed my throbbing temples. I seemed to remember the things she was saying. But that love, it felt like it had been surgically excised. I habitually spoke to comfort her. “Sorry, my head just hurts so much.” Celeste’s expression froze for a moment, unnaturally rigid. She awkwardly averted her gaze, looking flustered, and her eyes landed on the teddy bear in the trash can. Her brows furrowed, and she immediately called for staff. “What is this trash? Get it out of here now!” I looked at the dried, dark crimson stains on the bear, and instinctively touched the wound on my own lip. Celeste’s body instantly tensed. “Did you have a nightmare?” she blurted out, then frantically added, “Dreams aren’t real, don’t believe anything you see in them!” Her attempts to cover it up were clumsy, almost comical. But I didn’t even have the energy to investigate. I just watched as the bear was taken away, and calmly said, “A rotten bear. It should have been thrown out long ago.” Just like our love. Celeste seemed to sense something. Despite being ordered by the doctors to rest, she clung to my side almost twenty-four hours a day. Oh, no, not at night. In the dead of night, when she got up to find Jaxon Miller, I would always wake up. Sometimes, they even returned to our bedroom. Right beside the bed I was lying in. “Celeste, when are you going to let Liam Thorne get his memory back?” Jaxon Miller’s voice was tearful, cutting through the lust-filled silence with chilling clarity. “You sacrificed ten years of marriage for revenge, and I’ve waited ten years for you. It’s enough, truly, it’s enough.”

Celeste always said “soon.” She was so absorbed in her own world, she didn’t see the poisoned hatred in Jaxon Miller’s eyes when he looked at me. Jaxon began to secretly take my medication. He didn’t know that Celeste, afraid I’d discover their dirty little secret, was adding even more pills to my food every day. Large blanks began to appear in my memory. I would often sit by the window for an entire day, doing nothing. Celeste was quite pleased by this. She just thought I wasn’t clinging to her anymore, and even inexplicably seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. It was laughable. She’d gone to such lengths to turn me into a useless shell whose world revolved only around her, and now she found it tiresome. I said nothing, merely existing, slowly, steadily, falling out of love with her. Until that evening at dinner, the mansion door burst open. Jaxon Miller stumbled in, disheveled and frantic, collapsing to his knees directly in front of me. “My mom has a heart condition! Come for me, but leave my family out of this!” He cried hysterically, as if I had committed some heinous crime. Outside the villa, flashbulbs erupted, reporters had swarmed the mansion, practically blocking out the light. “Ms. Hayes, what’s your comment on your wife publicly exposing your affair with Mr. Miller online?” “Ms. Hayes, was ten years of deep affection just a facade?” For ten years, Celeste’s deep love for me had been a fairy tale, whispered about by everyone in our circle. Now, with the fairy tale shattered and a third party exposed, all fingers naturally pointed at Jaxon Miller. Reporters’ microphones practically poked Jaxon Miller’s face, their questions harsh, their tone accusatory. Celeste’s face instantly darkened. She stared at me, her eyes a maelstrom of barely contained fury. But in the end, she still didn’t touch me. She simply pulled Jaxon Miller aside, saying she would handle it. Turning away, she called her assistant, instructing them to prepare for Jaxon Miller’s entire family to move abroad. Jaxon Miller’s eyes hardened. He tapped his phone a few times. Less than a minute later, Celeste’s phone rang. Jaxon Miller’s parents, reeling from the shock, had been in a car accident and died. Jaxon Miller crawled over, desperately tugging at my pant leg. “I’m sorry, I’m truly sorry…” He sobbed, his words a jumbled mess, yet with chilling clarity, he twisted all the blame onto me. “You warned me in high school not to try and take what was yours… I was expelled then, why didn’t I learn my lesson… Now I’ve caused my parents’ deaths, I’ve ruined our whole family…” Celeste’s eyes flashed crimson. She clamped onto my wrist, her grip so tight I thought my bones would shatter. “Why are you so cruel?!” Jaxon Miller wailed, kowtowing to me: “Please, I beg you, spare my family! I don’t want anything anymore…” Celeste let go of me, reaching to help him up. But Jaxon Miller swayed, then deliberately collapsed, tumbling right into me. A sickening pool of vibrant crimson bloomed beneath him. I looked down, seeing the stark red spread under him. Clutching his stomach, he cried out pitifully: “I told you I wasn’t going to fight you anymore! Why are you still trying to ruin me?! You secretly stopped your meds, faked your amnesia, all just to wait for this moment to get your revenge, didn’t you?!” That last sentence detonated in Celeste’s mind like a thunderclap. Her face was a mask of dark fury as she sharply ordered a servant: “Search his room!” Soon, a servant returned from under my bed with a dusty box. Inside, it was packed full of the unused pills I’d saved over the years. SLAP! Celeste’s hand connected with my face, sending me sprawling to the floor. Every word was squeezed out, venomous and precise. “So all these years, you’ve been lying to me!” “You never loved me!” I was locked away, forced to press my handprint onto divorce papers. Through the servant who brought my meals, I learned that Celeste was going to marry Jaxon Miller. In the public statement, I was portrayed as the homewrecker. Our marriage, merely a form of revenge against her. Now, everything was back on track. I was the one being sent abroad. Even with ten times the normal dose of medication pumping through my veins, Celeste still wasn’t reassured. She believed I would never love her. The excessive medication often left my mind in a haze. I couldn’t even distinguish the passage of time. On the night before my flight, Celeste came to my room. She traced my face. “If only you could have loved me.” I looked at her and smiled, a vacant, foolish grin. As soon as dawn broke, I was escorted onto a private jet. I was bundled up, my face mostly hidden, and no one recognized me. Everyone around was buzzing about Celeste and Jaxon Miller’s wedding of the century. They chattered on, full of excitement. Only I wondered, who was Celeste? But once the plane took off, I cast the question from my mind. Strangers’ affairs weren’t worth the effort.

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My Life, My Rules: No Second Chances for Toxic Exes Seven years after my supposed death, my ex-boyfriend showed up to pay his respects at my grave. He stared at the overgrown plot, his voice thick with a sniffle. “Aria, you’re really holding a grudge, aren’t you?” “It’s been so long since you died, and you still won’t visit me in my dreams.” “I was wrong about what happened back then, Aria. I truly apologize.” “For the sake of everything we once shared… please, just this once, forgive me.” Hidden in the dense bushes behind the grave, I rolled my eyes. Of course, I wouldn’t visit him in his dreams. Because I was never dead to begin with. That accident all those years ago had left me with a limp, but it also led me to the life I truly wanted. Now, I have a wonderful marriage and a happy family. Naturally, I wanted nothing to do with him ever again. The cemetery was desolate, choked with weeds. One look and you knew it hadn’t been cared for in years. Liam, however, seemed oblivious, utterly lost in his own manufactured grief. He placed a spread of offerings before the headstone – a pile of food I never even liked. He murmured, his voice cracking, “Aria, I really didn’t mean for things to turn out that way.” “Dad still feels awful about that slap he gave you.” “And I regret forcing you to donate blood for Chloe.” “You must have hated us so much all these years, that you never even came back to see me once.” He stroked the headstone, tears streaming down his face. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes again, my mind drifting back to the past. There wasn’t really a huge misunderstanding between Liam and me. Just a very clichéd story. The Petersons’ nanny lost their biological daughter, and in a desperate attempt to cover it up, she swapped me in. When their real daughter, Chloe, was finally found, everyone felt an overwhelming sense of guilt towards her, showering her with every luxury imaginable. I knew my position was awkward, so I never argued with her about anything. Chloe wanted my room; I gave it to her. Chloe wanted my shares; I gave them up. When Chloe set her sights on my husband, I gave him up too. But my endless compromises didn’t lead to a happy ending; they only emboldened her. Then she started wanting my organs. My life. Terrified, I fled in my car, only to suffer a terrible accident, plunging off a cliff. My adoptive family searched for me for a long time, eventually concluding I was gone. They say when a person dies, all grudges and past grievances fade away. Everyone suddenly started reminiscing about how good I was, constantly recalling memories of me. I’d often stumbled upon countless online tributes and obituaries dedicated to me. Every word, every line, poured out their deep remorse and aching longing for me. Those words were so touching, they actually made me a little curious. Curious if my biased family truly regretted their actions after my death. Curious if they actually held any genuine affection for me. So, I took advantage of Julian’s business trip to the city and secretly followed him. I never expected to run into Liam on my very first day here. Looking at how abandoned the grave plot was, I understood. Liam hadn’t really cared about me all these years either. He and Chloe quickly tied the knot. He’d occasionally remember me, shed a few tears, and parade his “deep affection.” I couldn’t help but curse under my breath, “Hypocrites.” As I turned to leave, I accidentally stepped on a dry twig. The sharp *snap* echoed clearly in the silent woods. I prayed Liam hadn’t heard. But as I turned my head, my eyes met his, trembling and wide with shock.

My heart dropped. Then I heard Liam’s voice, filled with a mix of disbelief and overwhelming joy. “Aria, is that really you?” “You’re not dead? Am I dreaming?” As he spoke, tears streamed down his face. “Aria, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you all these years.” “I kept everything that ever reminded me of you, just hoping you’d visit me in a dream.” “But how could you be so cruel? You left for years without a single word, didn’t even give us a chance to say goodbye.” I frowned. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to say goodbye back then; it was that they refused to listen to me. They stubbornly insisted I had bullied Chloe, and they were planning to harvest my kidney and then commit me to a mental institution. But so many years had passed, and I didn’t want to waste time arguing about it anymore. My husband gets jealous easily, and if I wasn’t back on time, he’d make a huge fuss. I feigned ignorance, offering a polite but distant smile. “I’m sorry, sir, you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I don’t know you at all.” Liam, however, grabbed my arm, yanking up my sleeve to expose the distinctive red birthmark. His voice was laced with excitement, revealing a hint of possessive pride. “How could I be mistaken?” “We were together for so many years; there’s no way I could mistake you!” “Aria, where have you been all these years? Why didn’t you ever contact me? Do you know how hard I looked for you…?” Liam, true to form, was about to launch into his usual accusations. But his words caught in his throat when he saw my prosthetic limb. His eyes slowly reddened, and he murmured, “Your leg… what happened to your leg?” “Aria, you must have suffered so much out there all these years, didn’t you?” “I’m so sorry, so sorry. It’s all my fault. I failed to protect you…” I brushed the dirt off my clothes, unsure how to explain. In truth, I’d been living wonderfully all these years. That accident, though it cost me a leg, inadvertently led me to find my biological parents. I wasn’t the Petersons’ real daughter, but I was the only daughter of the Sterling family, a top-tier dynasty. My birth mother and father were incredibly wealthy. My husband was the CEO of Newport City’s wealthiest enterprise. All I lost was a leg. What I gained was endless wealth and the complete affection of a loving family. My family provided me with the most elite medical team and the best of everything. This custom-made prosthetic limb alone was worth millions. It was just that the path up the mountain was slick from the rain and difficult to navigate, which made me look so disheveled. Thinking about it, it was Liam’s heartlessness to bury me on this desolate mountain just to save some money. My patience was wearing thin. “Liam, stop putting on an act for me.” “Seven years ago, I divorced you, and my parents said they’d disown me. I have absolutely nothing to do with any of you anymore, and I’m certainly not going back. So why are you still playing this charade?” My adoptive parents were incredibly controlling. From a young age, they forced me to dance and play piano. To control my weight, they starved me for years, and often resorted to corporal punishment. If I didn’t get perfect scores on tests, they’d hit my palms. If I didn’t win dance competitions, I was forced to kneel for hours. That’s why my first reaction to losing my leg wasn’t despair, but a profound, almost shameful, sense of relief. Relief that I finally wouldn’t have to practice dance anymore. When I grew up, they twisted my college application, forcing me to choose schools close to them. Even my marriage had to be arranged according to their wishes. And Liam, the brilliant, dependable man they deemed worthy of my hand? He quickly cheated on me shortly after we married, falling into Chloe’s arms. Back then, isolated and utterly devastated, I was truly heartbroken and lost. But now, I have a family who cherishes me completely. There’s no way I’m going back to endure that kind of humiliation again. Liam, however, thought I was just being stubborn. He grabbed my hand. “Stop being so childish, Aria.” “I promise I’ll treat you well, I’ll make up for all the suffering you’ve endured, and I’ll never let you be wronged again.” Liam’s tone became somewhat smug. “I got a new job at Sterling Enterprises as a manager, with a six-figure salary.” “We even moved into that villa you always liked. I can give you the best life!” Sterling Enterprises? Wasn’t that Julian’s company? Julian had indeed been planning to expand in the city recently, which was why he was recruiting so heavily. It was a cruel twist of fate that Liam had been hired there too. Seeing that I didn’t show any hint of admiration, but instead frowned, Liam grew annoyed. His voice unconsciously turned cold. “Aria, what’s wrong with you? Why are you still throwing tantrums?” “Haven’t you suffered enough out there all these years? Where could a cripple like you possibly go without me?” “Just be obedient and come back with me. I know you and Chloe had some misunderstandings, but that’s all in the past.” “She’s moved on, so why are you still hung up on those petty past grievances?” This was Liam, alright. He talked about guilt, but his heart had always belonged to her. Annoyed, I reiterated my desire to leave. But Liam’s face suddenly darkened. “Aria, don’t you understand? Now, only I can protect you.” “Otherwise, if word gets out about your attempted murder, you’ll be facing serious jail time, maybe worse!”

Attempted murder? When did I murder someone? I didn’t know anything about it. Meeting my bewildered gaze, Liam said grimly, “After Chloe was found, you resented her for taking the spotlight. You bullied her relentlessly, even tried to drown her in the pool.” “You were terrified of being exposed, that’s why you jumped from the car and ran away!” What in the world was he talking about? I listened, completely confused. Just as I was about to demand an explanation, I saw Chloe approaching, leaning on my adoptive parents. Seeing me, Chloe burst into tears instantly. “Sister… Sister, you’re not dead? Oh, that’s wonderful! Please come home, I’ve missed you so much!” “Even though you and Liam are divorced, you’re still Mom and Dad’s daughter.” “We all love you, Aria. If you’re willing to come back, I’ll even step aside and let you reclaim your place as our daughter, and I won’t ever mention the terrible things you did to me…” Chloe’s pitiful act completely shattered Liam’s heart. He quickly pulled her into his embrace, soothing her gently. “It’s not your fault. You’ve sacrificed enough for this family; I won’t let you be wronged again.” My adoptive parents also sighed. “Aria, stop making a scene. We know about all those things you did before.” “We spoiled you rotten back then, so we don’t blame you for those actions.” “You’ve suffered enough out there all these years, so you’ve learned your lesson.” “Since you’re willing to come back, we can still be a family.” The more I listened, the more something felt wrong. In the past, I might have been too lazy to argue with them. But now my identity was special; any small incident could impact Sterling Enterprises’ stock value. I absolutely couldn’t allow them to spread these outrageous lies and slander. I stared at them coldly. “Liam, you need to provide evidence for your accusations.” “When did I commit attempted murder? And when did I ever bully Chloe?” Seeing my defiant attitude, Liam grew annoyed. “Aria, I was trying to be discreet, to spare your reputation, but since you’re so utterly unrepentant, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” With that, he pulled out his phone and played a video. It was surveillance footage, a bit blurry. I could vaguely make out myself dragging Chloe into a swimming pool, holding her head firmly underwater. Chloe struggled painfully, and I ignored her, only letting go when someone passed by. As if afraid I’d deny it, Liam added, “I had the video professionally authenticated; there are no signs of editing, no fakery.” “Only you know the true extent of your depravity!” How could this be? I looked at Chloe in confusion. Just one look, and she shuddered from head to toe. That genuine, deep-seated fear didn’t seem faked. Reluctantly, I zoomed in on the surveillance footage. I repeatedly watched that familiar face, feeling a strange sense of dissociation myself. For a moment, I even wondered if I had forgotten past events after falling off the cliff. Just as I was puzzling over it, Chloe suddenly dropped a bombshell.

Chloe pitifully lifted her head, her eyes brimming with tears. “Liam, please stop. I’m so scared.” “What if Sister gets angry and sends a bunch of thugs to… to hurt me again?” Liam immediately looked at Chloe with a serious expression. “What did you say? Hurt you? What happened? Why didn’t you tell me about something so serious?” Chloe looked at me, then back at Liam. Finally, she stammered, “It’s my fault, Sister. It’s normal for her to send people to beat me up to vent her anger.” “I don’t blame her, I really don’t.” “Liam, let’s go home. I don’t want to recall those terrible things anymore.” The more Chloe said this, the more Liam pressed for details. Finally, Chloe was forced to tell everyone. She claimed that I had constantly bullied her at home, and Liam had been her only salvation. One time, after they’d both had too much to drink, they accidentally slept together. She had consequently become pregnant with Liam’s child. And when I found out, fueled by resentment, I allegedly hired a dozen thugs to assault Chloe. “I lost my baby, and I can’t have children anymore.” “I was afraid you’d despise me, so I kept this secret locked away.” “But I don’t regret it, Liam, I don’t regret it. As long as I can be with you, anything is worth it.” With that, Chloe suddenly knelt and kowtowed to me. “Sister, I know you hate me, but I beg you, please spare me. I really won’t contend with you for anything.” “I just want a home, a place where I can find shelter from the storm.” “Sister, please, please give me a chance to live!” Her tragic appearance broke everyone’s hearts. My adoptive mother hugged Chloe tightly, her eyes full of pity. My adoptive father, however, outright slapped me. “You animal! We raised you, fed you, housed you for so many years.” “And you repay our kindness with hatred, bullying my biological daughter like this!” “Now you still want to come back and live as the rich young lady? In your dreams!” “Liam is now a manager at Sterling Enterprises. We have connections to bring you to justice.” “I’ll send you to the police station right now and make sure you rot in jail!” The clamor around me brought back distant memories, and my lingering doubts vanished. Seven years ago, it was a similar scene. Chloe had stubbornly claimed I put nails in her dance shoes, causing her to lose a competition opportunity. Dad had slapped me, just like today. Mom, tears in her eyes, said she didn’t have a daughter like me. And Liam had stood behind Chloe, unhesitatingly defending his beloved. Now, history was repeating itself. Everything felt exactly as it had seven years ago. All those years after my supposed death, these people spoke of love and regret. But given a second chance, they still unhesitatingly chose Chloe. My pent-up frustration and resentment reached a boiling point. I violently shook off Liam’s hand, trying to call Julian. Liam, thinking I was going to hurt Chloe, kicked me. My prosthetic limb snapped, and my head slammed against a rock on the roadside, bleeding profusely. Liam, as if blind to my condition, dragged me towards the police station. “Aria, I gave you a chance, but you’re just too foolish.” “Today, I will make you pay for everything you’ve done!” If reporters caught sight of me like this, who knew what kind of scandal it would cause? On the verge of breaking down, I couldn’t think of anything else and shouted. “Let go of me! I didn’t do anything!” “I’m Julian Sterling’s wife! If he finds out you’re treating me like this, he won’t let you get away with it!” Liam froze for a moment, then let out a scoffing laugh. “Aria, your lying hasn’t changed a bit.” “You say you didn’t do anything, so what about that video? You claim to be Julian Sterling’s wife, but what proof do you have?” “I don’t believe Chloe would jeopardize her own reputation to frame you.” “And I certainly don’t believe Julian Sterling, the CEO of a major corporation, would ever look twice at a cripple like you!” As his words fell, a light bulb went off in my head. Suddenly, I understood the problem with that video.

Before I could even speak, my daughter, Lily, somehow caught up to us. She spread her arms, shielding me. Her big, round eyes glared furiously. “You bad people, let go of my mommy!” “Lily, be careful!” My heart clenched, terrified they might hurt my child. Seeing Lily, Liam suddenly froze. He stared intently at Lily, unconsciously releasing his grip on me. “Who is she? She just called you Mommy. Does that mean… is that my daughter?!” “Aria, why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant? How could you let my daughter live such a hard life with you?!” I seized the opportunity to break free, pulling Lily into my embrace and watching Liam warily. “Lily is Julian’s and my child. She has absolutely nothing to do with you.” Liam couldn’t have fathered such a beautiful child. Lily inherited her father’s striking features; she looked more mature and refined than children her age. But Liam refused to believe me. He even reached out to Lily, trying to pull her from my arms. Seeing Liam’s dazed expression, Chloe grew anxious. She tugged at Liam’s sleeve, tears instantly welling up. “What a smart, sweet child. Liam, if our baby had lived, they’d be this age now.” “My poor baby, they didn’t even get a chance to open their eyes and see this world.” “It’s all my fault for being a useless mother, I couldn’t even protect our child…” Sure enough, after hearing her words, Liam’s softened expression turned cold again. He looked at me with a grim face. “Aria, don’t think you can use a child to make me soft-hearted.” “My daughter deserves better than a despicable mother like you. Once I’ve put you in prison, I’ll take our daughter back and let her live with Chloe. It’ll be a small compensation for her.” With that, he turned to Lily, spreading his arms with an expectant look. “Come here, Lily, come to Daddy.” “Daddy has money! I can buy you a big house and the most beautiful clothes!” I was speechless. Knowing Julian’s temper, if he ever found out someone tried to make his daughter call another man ‘Daddy,’ all hell would break loose. But right now, I didn’t have time to dwell on that; I just wanted to get Lily and myself out of here quickly. I didn’t continue to argue with Liam about Lily. Pulling out my phone, I opened a social media app I’d used before. “You all said I almost drowned Chloe, right? I have proof.” “When I watched the video, something felt off, and I finally remembered why.” “The date on the video is October 30th, seven years ago. But at that time, Liam and I were on vacation in Bali. How could I have teleported back to the country to attack Chloe?” Liam paused, then hesitantly clicked on my social media. Back then, Liam and I were still in the throes of a passionate relationship, often taking photos together. That trip was a spontaneous decision, and I hadn’t told my adoptive parents, fearing their disapproval. When we returned, my parents were furious I hadn’t kept it a secret. To teach me a ‘lesson,’ they broke a cane over my back. Because of this, the memory was incredibly vivid for me. And only Liam and I knew about it; it was our little secret. It was just a shame he never really paid attention to my affairs, which was why he so easily fell for Chloe’s manipulations. Seeing Liam’s expression falter, Chloe started crying again. She looked at me anxiously. “Sister, don’t keep making excuses.” “You already caused me to lose my baby, and you made me infertile for life. Isn’t that enough?” “Why won’t you just leave me alone? Why do you have to keep slandering me?” “Do you… do you hate me so much that you want me dead?” “Fine, then I’ll die! I’ll give you what you want!” With that, Chloe recklessly lunged towards a rock by the roadside. Seeing this, my adoptive parents panicked and immediately sided with Chloe. “Liam, don’t listen to Aria’s nonsense.” “This girl has been a liar since childhood. Just send her straight to the police station.” “Once she’s in front of the police, I’d like to see what excuses she’ll come up with!” The stark difference between love and indifference was painfully clear. For their favored daughter, even with irrefutable evidence, they chose to ignore it. For me, their daughter who had long lost her usefulness, they wouldn’t even spare a glance. I suddenly regretted coming back, regretted still holding onto a foolish hope for these people. In that fleeting moment of thought, Liam suddenly rushed forward to snatch Lily from me. “Sweet daughter, come to Daddy. Your mommy is a lying cheat, we don’t need her.” Lily was terrified by Liam and burst into loud sobs. “No, she’s not! Mommy is the best mommy in the world!” “You’re the bad guys! Let go of my mommy!” Seeing Lily’s little face flushed with tears, my heart was about to break. I lunged towards them, desperate to get my daughter back. But my prosthetic limb had been discarded somewhere. I stumbled and fell again and again, covered in dirt and scrapes. Tears mixed with blood. Lily’s cries and the harsh accusations gradually pushed me to despair. Just then, a familiar figure blocked my path.

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“Pathetic!” My hand froze on my shoe, and I stiffly looked at Julian, who was sprawled on the couch. He was staring at my wrongly buttoned shirt, his displeasure evident. “I told you ages ago, no matter how you dress up, I’m never going to touch you! If you’re sick, take your meds!” I lowered my gaze. Of course, I knew. Our families forced Julian and me into this strategic marriage, which drove his true love away. On our wedding night, he locked me in the bridal suite, then walked out to find her. “If you can go three years without touching her, I’ll forgive you.” His love, Seraphina, had said, filled with spite. Now, there were only seven days left until the three years were up. Over a thousand days and nights had passed, and Julian had indeed never touched me. But he knew perfectly well that after being tormented all night by an intensely potent aphrodisiac on our wedding night, I had developed a severe condition of heightened senses and physical sensitivity. For three years, I couldn’t leave the Sterling estate; I had to find ways to tempt him. So much so that now, merely having a button on my shirt misaligned, in his eyes, became a deliberate seduction. The door slammed shut with a **bang!** I quietly breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good thing he continued to shun me completely. Otherwise, if he were to unbutton just one button, he would glimpse the marks covering my body—marks left by another man.

Sunlight streamed onto the enormous wedding portrait in the living room, and I offered a bitter smile. To outsiders, Julian and I were the perfect couple, living in harmony for three years. But no one knew that we had secretly filed for divorce the day after our wedding. The family alliance was too intricate; we couldn’t completely separate at the time. Moreover, Julian needed me to stay and prove his loyalty to his love over these three years. It was no wonder the outside world knew nothing. After all, the same Julian who had sneered at me in the morning could take my hand that evening, playing the part of a devoted husband and wife at a banquet. Sometimes, even I would get lost in the illusion. But illusions were just that—illusions. The fragile peace between Julian and me only needed Seraphina to shatter it. The moment I saw Seraphina, I felt the man beside me instantly stiffen. He instinctively flung my hand away. “Seraphina, what are you doing here?” Julian never attended banquets where Seraphina was present because pretending to be in love with me would hurt his Seraphina. Seraphina pointed to a man in the distance and said mockingly, “You’re allowed a dance partner, but I can’t have a male companion?” “Seraphina, you know perfectly well…” Julian’s voice was tinged with urgency. “Know what? Who was it that got a call from his ‘wife’ last night and almost rushed off, only staying reluctantly for one night and then claiming he had to leave first thing in the morning?” “Everyone in the city knows the Sterling heir and his wife’s loving story, don’t they?” I instantly understood her anger. Last night, I had my first flare-up outside the estate. In a haze of delirium, I dialed Julian’s number. But he never came. I had no choice but to call a male escort to help me. “It seems I’m truly superfluous. Three years ago, I said if you just didn’t touch her, I’d forgive you.” Her slightly reddened eyes darted to my neck. “You can’t even hide the hickeys now. What more is there for me to forgive?” I hadn’t realized the marks left by the male escort were visible. I instinctively covered my neck, my eyes meeting Julian’s in confusion. A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes. But Seraphina’s move to turn and leave didn’t give him time to think. He quickly grabbed her wrist. “I have never touched her! I can show you all the security footage from the house for the past three years!” Then, his face darkened as he turned to me. “Have you learned to stage things now? Apologize to Seraphina immediately! Her body is delicate; doctors have warned her against emotional distress.” I froze, my throat tight. I hadn’t done anything. But I eventually lowered my head and said, “I’m sorry. I overstepped.” No one knew that I, too, had once fallen for Julian. That day, when I first saw him, his smile beneath the cherry blossom tree was so bright. A friend’s casual comment, “Isn’t that your fiancé?” made my heart skip a beat. But later, I understood that anyone would look good standing under that cherry blossom tree. The first year, I finally accepted he could never love me. The second year, I thoroughly buried that ridiculous infatuation. The third year, I slowly, painstakingly, disentangled all the financial ties between our two families. Now, only seven days remained until their three-year pact expired. Seven days later, the Sterling family would have a new mistress, and I would forever leave this absurd marriage. “Anya, dear, it’s not your fault,” Seraphina said, her anger subsiding, as she playfully pointed at Julian. “I’m not the type of woman who likes to compete with other girls. If anyone’s to blame, it’s him.” She gently took my hand, as if she wasn’t the one who had just caused a scene. “But Anya, your feelings for Julian must be so deep, doing everything he tells you.”

A trace of undetectable mockery flickered across Seraphina’s face. My heart was calm. Mr. Sterling, the influential businessman, was also attending tonight’s banquet. My family needed his help with some recent business ventures. My easy apology was simply to prevent Julian’s impulsive actions from spoiling things. “Anya, I’d like to toast you.” I instinctively reached out for the glass, but a sudden pull made me stumble back two steps. Crash! The towering pyramid of champagne flutes collapsed, and both Seraphina and I fell hard into the shattered glass. Without hesitation, Julian rushed to Seraphina’s side. Even though she had avoided most of the glass shards. “Julian!” I looked at Mr. Sterling approaching in the distance and whispered a reminder to Julian. Julian paused, then, seeing me covered in blood and Seraphina with only minor scrapes, he quickly moved to help me up. “Anya, why did you push me?” Seraphina cried, her voice trembling. “Don’t worry, I won’t fight you for Julian. Even if our three-year pact is almost over, I’ll still leave.” Julian’s hand froze, and his face instantly turned dark. “First, it was fake hickeys, and now you’re deliberately hurting her?” he snapped at me. “Anya, I told you I wouldn’t touch you, even after three years. Give up your vicious schemes!” Julian didn’t hesitate anymore. In front of the Mayor and all the guests, he carried Seraphina away. “What’s going on? Didn’t Mr. Sterling and his wife have a great relationship? Why is he leaving with another woman?” “If that woman was more seriously injured, then fine, but Miss Hayes is clearly hurt worse!” “I always wanted to say, ‘model couple’? What genuine feelings can there be in a strategic marriage?” Amidst the whispers of the crowd, Seraphina, who was about to leave, subtly flashed me a triumphant smile. But I didn’t care about Julian’s blatant favoritism. After all, in many moments no one saw, he had been just as biased. While I soaked in an ice bath all night to fight the effects of the drug, he was at a bar, begging Seraphina for forgiveness. While I landed in the hospital after drinking myself sick at business dinners for countless contracts, Julian was at the vet with Seraphina’s dog. While I endured agonizing nights due to my sensual fever, Julian chose to prescribe me the most nerve-damaging medication, terrified he might cross the line himself. I didn’t care about any of that. My only concern was the company’s interests. I quickly explained, “It was my fault; I accidentally knocked over the champagne flutes. Miss Seraphina has a bleeding disorder, so even a small injury can’t be ignored. That’s why I asked my husband to take her to the hospital first.” Most people believed me. “Oh, I see. No wonder Mr. Sterling hesitated for a moment.” Of course, there were also sharp-eyed observers. “But that Miss Seraphina, doesn’t she look a lot like Mr. Sterling’s fiancée from before he got married?” I subtly glanced at Mr. Sterling, who had approached. His eyes were filled with disappointment; it seemed he didn’t believe a word I said. Suddenly, the roar of a helicopter echoed from above the ballroom. “We’re here to treat Mrs. Sterling’s injuries.” Julian had actually called a helicopter ambulance for me. My heart immediately eased. At least our image as a loving couple hadn’t completely shattered. Dragging my exhausted body, I was about to head home when four bodyguards suddenly blocked my path. They were unmistakably wearing the Sterling family’s security uniform. My knees hit the cold marble floor of the Sterling mansion with a heavy thud. “Married for three years, and you can’t even keep a man in line!”

Eleanor’s furious voice came from behind me. This scene was exactly like three years ago, when Eleanor found out Julian had gone to Seraphina on our wedding night. She had made me kneel here then too, after a night of soaking in ice water and a fever. Her son made the mistake, yet she blamed me for everything. If my family hadn’t still needed the Sterling family’s backing back then, I would have left long ago. “Call Julian immediately and tell him to get back here!” I called, but it was hung up in a second. 【Don’t bother me tonight. Seraphina’s wound got infected!】 Eleanor sneered, then, just like three years ago, she inflicted her cruel form of ‘discipline’ on me. Whip after whip. No visible marks, but the pain went straight to my bones. The next day, still aching from new and old wounds, I went to an animal rescue center to attend a charity event where the Mayor would also be present. If I could get some insider tips from high-ranking officials about certain shipments, my family’s business would be secure. Anyway, I was almost free, so I didn’t mind using this “loving couple” facade to gain some last benefits. Julian, knowing he had publicly abandoned me yesterday, felt guilty and did show up. I was feeding cat food with the children at the center. The gloom of my unhappy marriage was temporarily dispelled by the children and small animals, and I found myself unconsciously smiling. Sensing approaching footsteps, I looked up, and my eyes met Julian’s. For some reason, he froze in place. “He likes the pretty lady!” a child’s voice chirped. The child’s innocent remark startled Julian, a flicker of panic crossing his face. He quickly retreated a few steps. “Stay away from me. I still need to go take care of Seraphina later. She’s allergic to cat fur.” “Ah!” My wounds were accidentally touched, and I couldn’t help but cry out. Julian frowned, pulling my hand to examine the injury. “This is your own fault, you deserve it. If you hadn’t deliberately hurt Seraphina first, you wouldn’t have been caught by the glass—” His words trailed off. “What are these whip marks?” “Did my mother punish you again? Were you calling me yesterday to ask for help?” I found it a little funny, seeing Julian show a hint of remorse for me. “Yes, but you hung up.” “Then why didn’t you call more times? If you called more, I would have definitely answered.” “You told me not to disturb you, didn’t you?” Julian’s expression was odd. He mumbled, “Whatever I said goes, you…when did you start loving me so much?” “Huh?” “It’s nothing. I’ll take you to the hospital later.” If I had known I’d run into Seraphina at the hospital, I would have rather died of pain than go with Julian. “Julian,” Seraphina said, her eyes slightly red, from the end of the corridor. “Didn’t you say you were in a meeting?” Just as I was about to sigh about what a terrible man Julian was, Seraphina looked at me. “Did you specifically call me to the hospital just to show me this? I already told you, I won’t compete with you, why bother going to such lengths?” I was still at a loss for words, but Julian’s face had already darkened. **Slap!** He hit me hard, and my cheek instantly stung with a fiery pain. “It seems my concern just now was completely wasted. How could a scheming woman like you ever let herself suffer? You’d even exploit a small scratch to the extreme!” I covered my cheek, suppressing the dizzying sensation of seeing stars, and looked at Julian in disbelief.

In the end, I said nothing. After all, Julian was blind and deaf; any further explanation would only add to my list of accusations. My phone vibrated. It was an insider tip about shipments, revealed by the Mayor. The last bit of value from this marriage had been squeezed dry. I wiped away my tears and took one step at a time towards my freedom. “Anya, immediately send a pack of feminine hygiene products to The Nightfall Club. Seraphina started her period, and you’re familiar with those brands.” Julian and I hadn’t seen each other for days. He was busy coaxing Seraphina, and I was busy packing my bags to make room for her. When I received the message, I hesitated, but eventually delivered it to him. After all, I had a divorce settlement agreement for him to sign. “Three years are up. You never touched me once.” Hearing this, Julian froze, flicking cigarette ash onto the floor. “What do you mean?” I smiled faintly. “I mean, you can finally ask for your love’s forgiveness. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness!” Despite my blessings, Julian’s face showed no joy; instead, he said angrily, “What are you blabbering about? Are you deliberately dragging your feet, making Seraphina wait for you?” Unable to refute, I handed him the divorce settlement agreement, urging him to sign it and be done with it. He didn’t even look, scrawling his signature impatiently. “Aren’t you going to deliver the items to Seraphina?” I said nothing more, took the bag, and headed to the restroom. Everything went smoothly, and I left, filled with anticipation. But just then, two bodyguards suddenly blocked the exit and dragged me back inside. The restroom was in chaos. Four shady-looking men were subdued on the floor by Julian’s bodyguards. Seraphina was nestled in Julian’s arms, her face unusually pale, and an unlabeled bottle of liquid lay on the floor. Julian looked up, his eyes so cold they sent shivers down my spine. At his command, a bodyguard mercilessly kicked the back of my knee, and I fell straight to my knees. The sudden pain stole my breath, and I almost couldn’t suppress my rage. “Julian! What the hell is wrong with you?” “What’s wrong with me? If I had been a moment later, Seraphina would have been assaulted!” Julian’s voice was chilling. “You gave Seraphina this dangerous substance and hired four men to assault her! Anya, when did you become so vicious?” “No, I should say, when did you stop even pretending to be gentle?” He ordered Seraphina to be rushed to the hospital, then walked directly towards me, holding the bottle of liquid. I froze, and realizing his intent, I recoiled sharply. “Julian, calm down! There’s security footage here; check it, and you’ll know it wasn’t me!” “Miss Hayes, we don’t want your money anymore, but please, beg Mr. Sterling for mercy! We don’t want to go to jail!” the four men whimpered, their faces drawn. Julian sneered, reaching out to grip my neck, then pinching my jaw, forcing my mouth open. “Julian! No! You know I have that condition! If I take this, I’ll die!” He didn’t stop, pouring the remaining two-thirds of the liquid into my mouth. I couldn’t stop coughing. By the time I regained my senses, he had already led everyone out of the restroom. “Go on, enjoy the torment of craving release but finding none!” Almost instantly, my body began to boil. “Please, let me out…I’ll die…” The only response was the fading sound of footsteps. Before my consciousness completely faded, a familiar figure burst through the door. “Why do I always see you looking so pathetic?”

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My mom loves playing the victim whenever she faces a problem. One weekend, my whole family went on a trip. She thought no one would check the lucky charm souvenirs at the tourist spot. So she just casually snatched one and shoved it into my backpack. That led to an influencer filming me, and the video even went viral. I was fired from a major corporation where I earned a million dollars a year. She put on her innocent act, saying, “Wasn’t I just trying to bring good luck to this family?” Later, during my medical exam for a new job. My mom lost my lab samples. She secretly swapped them with her own. That resulted in me being diagnosed with a rare chronic illness and getting rejected for the job. She played the victim again, saying, “I thought anyone’s sample would be fine! How can you only care about your job? You don’t even care that I’m sick!” I was pushed to severe depression and had to stay home to recuperate. My mom, ever the victim, started crying, “My daughter, you can’t just isolate yourself!” So she forced me onto the street to hug strangers. Eventually, a malicious predator dragged me into a dark alley. When I opened my eyes again. I was back on that weekend family trip.

The first thing I did after realizing I’d been reborn. Was to subtly switch backpacks with my dad, then detour to the souvenir shop behind us. Because I knew. Half an hour ago. My mom had torn a lucky charm off the wishing tree at the top of the hill and stuffed it into *my* bag. That’s exactly what happened in my past life. I’d taken my family on this trip that weekend. In the crowded tourist spot, my mom had eyed the wind chimes hanging from the wishing tree. She just assumed they were free souvenirs you could take. So she casually shoved one into my backpack. When security staff at the exit stopped me during a secondary check. I had no idea why. I argued with them, self-righteously. Until my backpack was ripped open. The lucky wind chime fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. The embarrassing scene of me being exposed in public was filmed entirely by an influencer who happened to be there. The video instantly exploded online, becoming a trending topic. I became the thief condemned by netizens. My million-dollar corporate job vanished. It wasn’t until the security camera footage from the park was found that day. The footage clearly showed my mom. Her movements, as she slipped the wind chime into my bag, were clear and practiced. I angrily confronted her, demanding to know why she did it. My mom covered her face, speechless. She cried, trembling all over. My dad slapped me across the face and said, “Stop going on and on! Who told you to be so careless with your own bag?” Later. I managed to find a comparable job elsewhere, thanks to my impressive resume. But during the entrance medical exam, my mom lost my urine sample. She, again, just assumed. That anyone’s sample would be fine. As a result, my exam showed I had chronic conditions common in the elderly, leading to my job offer being rescinded. I was furious, crying silently in my room. But all the relatives and elders in the family dragged me out to apologize to my mom. “It’s just a job, if it’s gone, find another! You don’t even care that your own mother is sick! You really are a heartless wretch!” Even later. Under their constant pressure, I developed severe depression and refused to leave the house. My mom, once again, assumed I was like this because I lacked social interaction. She hung a “Free Hugs” sign on me. And pushed me out onto the street. Ultimately. I was dragged into an alley by a deranged pervert, abused, and left for dead. Reborn. I had to make everyone understand. Just how desperate it was to deal with someone like my mom.

By the time I returned with the purchased souvenirs. My dad was loudly arguing with the park staff, pointing at the shattered wind chime already in his backpack. My mom stood by, silent the whole time. As if the entire incident had absolutely nothing to do with her. “How many people do you guys extort with this stuff all year round?! I’m telling you again! I didn’t take this thing at all!” The park staff remained polite. Patiently explaining their work procedures to my dad. The onlookers couldn’t stand it anymore and started speaking up. “What kind of manners do people have these days? There’s a limit to lying through your teeth!” “You didn’t take it? Did that charm just grow legs and walk into your bag?” I walked in, feigning complete ignorance. After a quick understanding of the situation. I angrily pulled my dad aside, firmly demanding the park provide security footage from when the wind chime went missing. In my previous life. The moment I saw the wind chime shatter from my bag. The intense shame made me want to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. By the time I wanted to check the footage afterward. The park had already refused to cooperate. Even though the surveillance footage that later circulated online proved I hadn’t stolen anything. My job and life had already been severely impacted. This time. I asked to see the footage immediately. My mom, who hadn’t said a word, suddenly stopped me. She tried to persuade us not to pursue the truth and just apologize to resolve the matter quickly. My dad and I both ignored her. Especially my dad, who wore a self-important, clear-conscienced demeanor. He even pulled out his phone, ready to record irrefutable proof of the park extorting tourists on camera. Who knew that when the footage played. My mom’s movements, as she plucked the wind chime and slipped it into my backpack, were quick and practiced. She had even moved lightly, careful not to let me notice. Later, completely unaware. I had inadvertently swapped identical backpacks with my dad. Now it was clear. While it proved my dad hadn’t stolen anything. The thief was, unfortunately, his lawful wife. My dad, who had been righteously yelling at the park for extortion just moments ago. Could only turn ashen-faced and pay for the item.

On the way back. I sat in the back seat, silent. My dad gripped the steering wheel, his face grim. Only my mom wiped away tears, rambling incessantly. “Who knew that thing couldn’t be taken? Who knew?! It was right there, easy to pick… If you didn’t want people to take it, you should hang it higher!” “The park is also to blame, there were so many hanging on that tree, what’s wrong with me taking just one?” “Wasn’t I just thinking the charm had a good meaning, wanting to bring a little good luck to the family?” “Why is it all my fault? How was I supposed to know they had security scanners at the entrance that could detect it?” In all my memories, growing up. My mom had always been like this. She had her own unique understanding of the world. She’d act according to her own rules, assuming they were universal. Never considering anyone else’s feelings. Even if she ended up hurting others. She would always justify everything she did as being “for your own good.” I always thought. My mom was just ignorant and naive. It wasn’t until my past life, when she caused my death, that I finally understood. My mom actually knew right from wrong. She just chose to elevate her own ignorance above normal rules. Through feigned weakness and kindness, she would emotionally blackmail everyone connected to her. “Chloe! I distinctly remember putting that wind chime in *your* bag! Did you know about it all along?! Is that why you deliberately swapped bags with your dad?! Making him lose face in front of all those people!” In a moment of desperation. My mom threw the blame on me. “Mom, it doesn’t matter whose bag you put it in, if you wanted it, our family could afford to buy it. But since you were the one who put it there, why didn’t you just admit it? Why did you let Dad argue with those people for so long?” “Explain what?! I had good intentions, why should I explain?! I’m not like you! My heart is entirely for this family! For all these years, has anyone ever cared about me? Has anyone ever paid attention to me?” With that, my mom habitually began to sob again. As if the entire world was against her innocent self. My dad slammed on the brakes, stopping the car on the side of the road. He raised his hand and slapped my mom next to him several times. Then he glared at me, seething, and said, “Aren’t you two embarrassing enough?! You two worthless deadweights! I must have had the worst luck to be stuck with you! If you embarrass me again! Get out, both of you!” See? My dad, as always. Didn’t care about right or wrong. Only about his own cheap pride.

After the holiday ended. Sitting at my familiar office desk again. An unreal sense of dizziness washed over me. What happened at the park. My mom had lost that round. It was one of the few times in years my mom had been outmaneuvered by me. I knew. She would definitely find an opportunity to re-establish her authority over me. To completely escape the fate of my past life. And break free from this toxic family I should have left long ago. I decided to run for a senior leadership position at headquarters, aiming for a transfer to an overseas branch. Before participating in the election. I deliberately kept my candidacy a secret. I only told my mom that I was busy with work and would be working overtime. No need to prepare dinner for me at home. However, on the very first day of overtime. I received a complaint from the security department downstairs. They said my mom was sitting at the main entrance, carrying an insulated food container, crying and blocking the security gate, refusing to move. For the sake of my future. I patiently explained to my mom. Company policy disallowed outsiders from entering without important reasons. After much persuasion, I finally coaxed her back home. The next evening. She showed up again with the insulated container, insisting that the security staff’s hands were “dirty.” Crying and making a scene, she demanded to personally deliver the food upstairs to me. She even broke two of the security department’s walkie-talkies. This went on for a whole week, every single day. I was publicly reprimanded by the entire company. Under duress. I became like a trained pet. Forced to bring a huge pile of work home every day. Just to make it home in time for my mom’s dinner. My mom, once again, became everyone’s image of a hardworking, caring parent. On the day of the official election. To prevent my mom from sabotaging my candidacy that day. I specifically transferred her two thousand dollars. Coaxing her and my dad to go out and enjoy themselves. To my surprise. I hadn’t even finished my performance review presentation. When my mom burst into the company’s main conference room with her insulated container. Regardless of the occasion. She opened the container and tried to spoon steaming hot dinner into my mouth. “Honey, why are you hiding your overtime from your mom?” “Good thing Mom found out, I rushed it over to you right away!” “What do you mean outsiders aren’t allowed? If Mom wants to bring you food, she can! I don’t believe any rule can stop someone from eating!” Under the gaze of the senior executives from headquarters. I awkwardly and politely explained my current situation to my mom. Unexpectedly, my mom suddenly slammed her forks down. Pointing at the noses of the senior leaders, she started questioning them. “How can you leaders be like this? Why are you forcing my only daughter to go to such a faraway place!” “My daughter would never volunteer for this! She always listens to me! She would never leave me and her dad!” I don’t remember how I got home from the company. I only remember developing a high fever that night. I slept fitfully under my blanket. Dreaming of all my efforts over the past days turning to dust. Suddenly. A loud banging on the wall jolted me awake. My locked bedroom door was kicked off its hinges from the outside. Before I could even react. My dad and Uncle Robert, two grown men, dragged me from my bed all the way to the living room. And forced me down in front of my mom. The scene eerily overlapped with a desperate memory from my past life. In my previous life, my mom had spilled my urine sample. And secretly swapped it with her own. Causing my new job application to fail. As the two most meddlesome people in the family. Uncle Robert and Aunt Susan also rushed over immediately, pressing me to apologize to my mom. My mom sat on the couch, sobbing and wiping her tears. “It’s just a job, what’s the big deal? I didn’t know it was that important?” “No one ever paid for me to go to so much school since I was little! What do I know?!” “I just didn’t want my child to work too hard! I just wanted my child to have dinner early! If I really ruined my child’s future, I’d rather die!” Saying this. My mom theatrically slapped her own face twice. Uncle Robert shoved me from behind, telling me to kneel and apologize to my mom. He unleashed a torrent of accusations at me. “Hurry up and apologize to your mom! No matter what, your mom did it for your own good! You’ve been cooped up in your room, refusing to come out! Do you know how worried you’ve made your mom?” “Exactly! Why is a girl like you so restless, always wanting to run off to another city? Why not just stay put, find a good partner, and get married? So impulsive! Who would want to marry someone like that?!” Aunt Susan chimed in. “I told your mom back then to have another son, but she wouldn’t listen! If there was a brother here to be the man of the house! Would this girl dare talk back to her like this? She should have been disciplined a long time ago!” Uncle Robert stood by, arms crossed, watching coldly. “If you were my daughter, you’d be lucky to even finish junior high! Your mom even paid for your college, what a waste of money!” As the highest-paid among the younger generation in the entire family. Uncle Robert and Aunt Susan often received gifts from me. Occasionally, they would even praise my mom for raising a daughter so correctly. Now, my success had become proof of a girl who wouldn’t listen to authority. Amidst their incessant lecturing. My mom’s sobs grew even louder. But there wasn’t a single tear in her eyes. During brief pauses. I could even see clear triumph in her gaze as she looked at me. “Mom, I’m sorry, I was wrong.” “I shouldn’t have given you attitude, I shouldn’t have kept my transfer plans from you.” “Mom, please forgive me, from now on, I’ll listen to everything you say.” I don’t know how many apologies and sweet words I uttered. Until my voice was completely hoarse. Only then did Uncle Robert and Aunt Susan seem satisfied, patting my parents on the shoulders and chatting cheerfully. In reality. All of them knew perfectly well. Who was right and who was wrong between my mom and me. They accused me. Simply because they wanted to assert their authority as elders. And to elevate themselves to a moral high ground from which they could criticize anyone. I didn’t blame them for unanimously condemning me that day. I just hoped that when the boomerang hit them back. They wouldn’t cry out in pain. 6. The chance for the boomerang. I didn’t have to wait too long.

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I was the 40th generation successor of the Vance family, a renowned lineage of powerful vampire hunters. Yet, I was ambushed by a vampire and almost lost my life. It was Julian Blackwood who saved me, his vampire blood granting me immortality. He slaughtered his entire vampire clan for me. And amidst the bloody carnage, he proposed to me. Our souls resonated, our bond utterly inseparable. Until a century later, another woman found me, holding the Blackwood family’s heirloom ring. “Julian searched for me for a century. He even slaughtered his entire vampire kin to protect me and avenge me.” “Now that I’m back,” the woman lifted her chin haughtily, “you can roll over and disappear.” I tossed the blood-stained ring onto the table, then looked at Julian, his eyes blazing crimson. I tapped the tabletop. “Julian Blackwood.” “The consequences of betraying me.” “You should know them well.” Blood stained the ring. It dripped onto the floor, drop by sickening drop. With each falling bead of blood, there was the sound of Julian Blackwood shattering the heavy wooden table, followed by his chilling voice, towering over me. “Where is she?” Julian’s eyes were bloodshot, as if he wanted to tear me limb from limb. I wasn’t his wife of a hundred years; I was his sworn enemy. “She’s just a mortal.” “Flesh and blood, nothing more.” “Cassandra Vance,” Julian picked up a severed finger from the splintered wood, his gaze locked on me, teeth gritted. “Hand her over now, and I’ll pretend none of this ever happened.” “Otherwise—” “Otherwise?” My expression was cool, as I met Julian’s furious eyes. “Are you going to slaughter me to celebrate the return of your precious reincarnated lover?” “Julian Blackwood.” “Have I been too lenient, or has this past century made you forget who truly rules this house?” I clapped my hands. “You want your true love back? Of course, you can have her.” A curtain was drawn back. Seraphina Thorne was bound to a sacrificial altar, encircled by dozens of vampires. Mystical seals held them in place. Seraphina cried out in terror, her eyes pleading with Julian. One look, and Julian completely lost control. “Cassandra Vance!” Julian’s hand shot out, clamping around my throat. As oxygen was stolen from my lungs, I looked at the man who had sworn to love me for all eternity. Only mockery remained in my gaze. He lifted me, but I still smiled, snapping my fingers. From an iron cage below. A chorus of chilling vampire roars erupted. Seraphina writhed and struggled on the altar, her eyes shattered as she looked at Julian, making him tighten his grip on my throat, threatening me. “Let her go.” “Otherwise,” Julian’s gaze was murderous, “your entire Vance family will pay the price!” Julian and I had been together for a century. I helped him rise to his current position of power, only to find I’d nurtured such an ungrateful monster. My lips curved into a smile. I made a gesture, and the mystical seals instantly dropped. The vampires let out excited roars, rushing towards Seraphina. Julian screamed, “No!” and threw me aside, dashing towards Seraphina, engaging in a furious battle with the vampires. I watched from the sofa, enjoying the spectacle. Julian, covered in blood, emerged from a pile of bodies, carefully cradling Seraphina. His touch was so gentle, as if she were a priceless treasure. “It’s okay now.” “Seraphina, it’s okay.” I watched as the rough cloth covering her was removed. Seraphina let out a wail of sorrow, crying, “Why did you take so long to come!” She raised her hand, slapping Julian across the face. “I almost died!” “She tried to kill me!” “She did!” Seraphina pointed a finger, now missing one digit, at me. Her eyes held enough hatred to flay me alive. Julian gently set her down, then scooped her up bridal style. As he passed me, his gaze was icy. “Cassandra Vance!” “For one finger!” “I’ll make you pay!”

Mr. Davies handed me a tablet. “Ms. Vance.” “Julian Blackwood is currently making public statements to completely sever all ties with Vance Industries.” “Not only that,” he pointed to a news report on the tablet. “Julian Blackwood is preparing a press conference to expose the Vance family’s deepest secrets.” My expression remained calm as I watched the screen. A man in a sharp suit gently held a woman’s hand, facing the cameras. “I’m sure you all understand that I have now completely cut myself off from the Vance family.” Julian lifted Seraphina’s hand high. “From this day forward, Ms. Seraphina Thorne will be the love of my life.” Seraphina’s missing ring finger was starkly visible, and she perfectly conveyed a fragile vulnerability. Julian continued, “Many of you have tried to dig into the Vance family’s secrets, but you’ve always come up empty.” “Since Cassandra Vance is so bloodthirsty and cruel, I’ll be the villain, the traitor, and expose the Vance family’s secrets myself.” Mr. Davies’ voice overlapped with Julian’s. They spoke at once. “Ms. Vance, how dare he call you a monster!” “Cassandra Vance is, in fact, a creature of darkness!” I curved my lips into a smile, listening to Seraphina sob, “It’s all because of Cassandra Vance! She personally chopped off my ring finger, out of sheer jealousy. How could I, a mere mortal, fight against a supernatural entity like the head of the Vance family?” “Now, Julian and I are risking everything.” “We just hope you’ll join us in bringing down the Vance family.” On screen. Julian had someone bring out a vampire corpse, lying lifeless in a coffin, its eyes frozen open in silent accusation. He pointed at the petrified body. “This is Cassandra Vance’s lifelong secret. She isn’t human; she’s a creature of darkness.” The news exploded. I watched as my name trended, a storm of curses, fear, and conspiracy theories erupted, one after another. Some even vowed to summon elite monster hunters from a legendary order to ensure I had no resting place. I simply watched the news, listening to Mr. Davies’ indignant protests, then saw Seraphina send me a message from Julian’s SnapChat. 【How’s it feel, Cassandra Vance! Didn’t I tell you? Julian, who slaughtered his own kind for me, can just as easily end your life!】 【This is just the appetizer.】 【There’s more shocking stuff to come.】 【Just you wait.】 Seraphina sent a voice message. In it, she was whining playfully. “Julian, when are you going to send that grand gift to make Cassandra Vance suffer?” Julian’s voice was hesitant; he said he was still waiting for the right moment. But Seraphina wouldn’t let it go. “She chopped off my finger, she separated us for a century!” “If you don’t listen to me.” “I’ll find a mortal to spend my life with, and you can search for me in your next life!” There was a commotion on Seraphina’s end. I heard Julian frantically call out to her, “Seraphina! Don’t be dramatic!” “You know how deeply I love you.” “It’s just one grand gift. I’ll give it!” I knew I was caught in a storm. A swirling vortex. Yet, I remained still. Mr. Davies paced anxiously, asking, “Ms. Vance, are you just going to let them twist the truth like this?” I looked at Seraphina’s message. “The gift is already on its way.” “Ms. Vance, please accept it with a smile.” Then, a servant announced from the doorway, “Ms. Vance, something has arrived.” I had them bring it in. It was a small coffin. I rose from the sofa and walked over to it. The moment the servants pushed open the lid, Mr. Davies steadied me, and tears instantly streamed down my face. Julian’s call came through.

“Cassandra.” “You chopped off one of Seraphina’s fingers, and she’s still having nightmares because of it.” His tone was flat, as if he were discussing something trivial. “I consulted with a mystic. They said Seraphina is being tormented by a malevolent spirit. They deduced it’s our unborn child, so—” Julian’s breathing was steady. He was waiting for my response. Excellent. Just excellent. I wiped away my tears and told Julian. “I received your gift.” “As for anything else,” I carefully cradled the box of ashes, looking at the empty space where only a half-burnt mystical seal remained, sensing my child’s agony before fading away, my heart twisting in agony. “Julian Blackwood, protect your true love well.” “Because.” “When I truly snap.” “Ten of you.” “Wouldn’t be my match!” Julian hung up. A voice message followed: “You’re utterly unreasonable.” I listened to that voice message repeatedly, recalling a century ago, when he marked my neck. His eyes had been crimson as he said, “40th generation successor of the Vance family, I have admired you for a long time. Please don’t blame me for using such despicable means to save your life.” “I only want to be with you.” Later. We slaughtered all the vampires in the mountains. We went from a life of turmoil to one of stability, watching eras of chaos transition to prosperity. I finally became pregnant, but because of the vampire blood in my veins, I couldn’t carry the child to term. My baby emerged from my body bruised and cold. I used all my cultivation to preserve his physical form. I kept him safe in a small coffin, meticulously creating a tiny ice chamber. Julian had held me, sobbing. “It’s my fault.” “I made you unable to be a mother.” “I was selfish and vile, using such filthy methods, defiling your status.” That year, our souls were entwined. I couldn’t help but feel Julian’s heartbreak. Now, Julian had finally found his true love from a century ago. If he truly loved her that much, we could have separated peacefully. But since he dared to cross me, I shattered the coffin. With a mere gesture, the love nest Julian and I shared was engulfed in flames. I walked out of the inferno, looking at the media and the so-called demon hunters blocking the estate gates. A mere gust of dark wind. Sent them scrambling in terror, screaming, “Don’t kill me!” I heard the crisp vampire roars echoing through the mountains. When I arrived at Julian’s office, I saw Seraphina sitting on the sofa, her mouth full of potato chips. I pushed open the door, smiling as I asked her. “Are they delicious?” The chips clattered to the floor. I caught her jaw in my hand, meeting Seraphina’s terrified expression. I smiled faintly, baring my teeth. “It actually hurt quite a bit back then.” “But,” I squeezed Seraphina’s chin, “Julian was indeed clever. He concealed your existence, used me for a century, and ascended to his current position.” Seraphina’s tears fell, and she began to sob. “Cassandra Vance!” “If you dare to hurt me, Julian won’t let you get away with it!” “Oh,” Seraphina cried, then laughed. “I understand. Your little bastard’s soul has been scattered, hasn’t it?” “So, you’re desperate to avenge your little bastard?” “But Julian told me it was because you weren’t pure enough.” Seraphina’s challenging gaze made me utterly uncomfortable. “That’s why you couldn’t keep your child, couldn’t be a mother,” Seraphina looked at me triumphantly. “What you’ll never have in this lifetime, I can easily take—” Her words were cut short. A piercing scream ripped from her throat. Along with Seraphina’s shriek, Julian rushed in, yelling, “Cassandra Vance! What madness are you up to now!” I lifted Seraphina, who now had an eye gouged out. Blood splattered across my face, but I laughed, wild and unhinged. “Last time was a warning.” “This time,” I licked the blood from my lips, “the game begins.” Seraphina, dangling in my grip like a tiny chicken, struggled frantically, screaming through the hand pressed against her empty eye socket. “Kill her!” “Julian!” “Kill her!” “Kill her, Julian!”

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My supposed best friend, Briana, was supposed to be performing a critical surgery. Instead, she was on a video call, openly flirting with my fiancé, Julian. Her distraction led to a catastrophic mistake – her scalpel slipped. The patient was left permanently paralyzed, trapped in a vegetative state. Afterward, she threw me to the wolves – the patient’s devastated family, who were absolutely consumed by rage and grief. She shamelessly claimed *I* was the lead surgeon. I begged Julian to testify for me, but he simply said he’d already married Briana in secret and didn’t want his wife to get jealous. He turned his back on me and escorted Briana away. I was stabbed over a dozen times. The tendons in both my hands were completely severed, and the ring and pinky fingers on both hands were crushed into an unrecognizable pulp. In my darkest moment of despair, my childhood friend, Julian Hayes, appeared with his bodyguards. He cradled my hands, tears streaming down his face. He sent a private jet, flew in dozens of top experts from all over the world, and begged them on his knees to save me. Two years later, I overheard him talking to his assistant: “Mr. Hayes, because of Ms. Thorne’s mistake, the patient died right there on the operating table. Their family is flying back from overseas, and I doubt they’ll let her get away with it.” “Are we going to push the blame onto your wife again, just like last time? This is already her second time taking the fall for Ms. Thorne. What if someone ends up dead for real?” Julian scoffed: “She was stabbed ’til she looked like a sieve, her hands completely useless, and she still survived, didn’t she? If she can take the hit once, she can do it again. I’m supporting her anyway; as long as she doesn’t actually *die*, it’s fine.” “Briana is preparing for the ‘Golden Scalpel’ competition. Becoming Dr. Serena Reed’s disciple is her dream, and I will not allow any danger or obstacle to come near her!”

The assistant, Mr. Davies, looked pained: “But that competition spot originally belonged to your wife, Ellie! She was once the most brilliant surgeon in the country, and becoming Dr. Reed’s disciple was *her* dream too. You deliberately had her hands crippled, making her lose her eligibility.” “Your wife worked tirelessly for ten years to get that spot. Is this truly fair to her?” “Fair? What’s fair about it? Her hands are useless anyway. She’s just a cripple; she can’t compete. Period.” Mr. Davies still hesitated: “But you spent thirty million just to get Ms. Thorne a substitute spot, and then another two hundred million to bribe the organizers for the competition questions. If news gets out that you helped her cheat, your reputation and the company’s stock will suffer incalculable losses.” Julian looked annoyed: “Enough! From the moment I met Briana, I decided I’d do anything for her. Since I couldn’t make her choose me, then I’ll do everything in my power to lift her dreams. As long as Briana is happy, what’s a little reputation or stock loss?” “Briana *must* win that competition. Only then can she become Dr. Reed’s disciple. As for Eleanor… if she’s crippled, then she’s crippled. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to her.” Outside the door, I trembled, recording everything on my phone, then stumbled downstairs. So, the patient’s family member who stabbed me and severed my tendons, who crushed four of my fingers all those years ago—he was acting on Julian’s orders! He saved me, he married me, not out of love, but to keep me penned up like a sacrificial lamb, ready to be offered up for his beloved woman whenever needed. I had survived, but both my hands were useless, and four fingers had been amputated. Now, I could barely even hold a fork, let alone pick up a scalpel again. But I never imagined that behind all of this was my own husband’s meticulous scheme. The thought that while I lay there in a pool of my own blood, my dreams shattered and my heart filled with utter despair, he might have been lurking in the shadows, savoring his ‘achievement’—it sent shivers down my spine that I couldn’t control. The scars on my wrists throbbed faintly, my hands trembling uncontrollably. A glass slipped from my grip and shattered on the floor, the sound drawing Julian’s attention. He instantly swept me into his arms, protecting me from stepping on the shards. His voice was full of feigned concern: “Ellie, I’ve told you countless times, in this house, *I* am your hands. Whatever you need, just tell me, and I’ll get it for you.” “Or there’s Mrs. Gable. Your hands aren’t fully healed yet. What if you make them worse? Do you want to break my heart?” I instinctively reached for the gloves on the bar. Julian stopped me, gently lifting my mutilated, grotesque hands, and kissed the scars where my fingers had been amputated. “Ellie, with me, you never need to feel inferior, and you certainly don’t need to wear gloves to hide yourself. I love you, and I love everything about you.” “I only regret that I arrived too late. Otherwise, your hands wouldn’t be like this, and you wouldn’t have lost your dream of being a doctor. Don’t worry, I will take good care of you.” His tone and gaze were so tender, yet his words filled my heart with immeasurable sorrow. The deep affection and salvation I thought I’d found were nothing but his elaborate disguise. I forced a smile: “Don’t say that. You did your best.” “You’ve worked hard. Go back to the bedroom first; I’ll ask Mrs. Gable to warm some milk for you.” I secretly put two sleeping pills in the milk, and after Julian fell asleep, I went to the villa’s garage. I intended to check the dash cam, but accidentally brushed against a button in the corner. The floor tiles beneath me flipped open, revealing a downward staircase. Beneath it lay a hidden room. The room was secured by an electronic lock. On the small screen, there was a heart-shaped sticker with pictures of Briana and Julian. As expected, the password was Briana’s birthday.

Once inside, the scene that greeted me pierced my heart like a sharp blade. Julian had transformed the secret room into a private cinema. On the best display screen money could buy, a video was playing: Briana in college, practicing vascular sutures on a white mouse. Briana’s pores were clearly visible, as if I could reach out and touch her. Her hands weren’t steady enough; the needle pierced right through the mouse’s heart, killing it instantly. Despite such clumsy technique, such idiotic操作, Julian had overlaid the video with heart stickers and a caption: “October 3rd, 2018, Sunny. My dearest Briana, a future medical star, you look so beautiful when you’re focused.” I once wanted to record our daily life after marriage, to keep as memories for our old age. Julian had told me that true memories should only be kept in the heart, and we shouldn’t waste time on such meaningless things. Yet, he had recorded so many videos of Briana’s daily life and work. The playlist held over a thousand videos, more than the days we’d been married. Each one was accompanied by his heartfelt confessions. In the secret room, there were also a dozen small wooden shelves, displaying hundreds of bottles of women’s hand cream. When I was still a doctor, I’d seen a similar bottle in Briana’s bag. Curious, I’d asked her where she bought it. Briana had scoffed: “Ellie, don’t even think about it. You can’t buy it, and you can’t afford it. This was specially formulated for me by an international master, commissioned by someone who loves me. The ingredients are expensive and rare, the best for nourishing skin. One bottle costs hundreds of thousands!” It turned out that ‘someone’ was Julian. Three years of marriage, and I had never received such favoritism. But what truly broke my heart was the comic poster titled ‘Briana’s Dream.’ A cartoon version of Briana was depicted, battling her way through, winning the ‘Golden Scalpel’ championship, and becoming Dr. Reed’s disciple. Next to it was Julian’s handwriting: “Briana, I will definitely lead you to the pinnacle.” And on this path to the pinnacle, I saw my own image: covered in blood, my fingers crushed to pulp, lying in a pool of blood. My face was crossed out with a vivid red ‘X,’ and a note read: Briana’s Obstacle, resolved. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I booked a plane ticket for three days later. Julian, since I was such an eyesore to you, I would leave for good. As for your Briana, she’d enjoyed my pain and spilled blood for long enough. It was time for it to end. I returned to the villa and drafted a divorce agreement on my phone. To leave with nothing was easy; there were plenty of templates. I sat on the sofa, staring blankly at my mutilated hands, sleepless through the night. The next morning, Julian, assuming I had simply woken up early, didn’t suspect a thing. He pulled out a thumb-sized tube of hand cream and meticulously massaged it into my hands. “Ellie, this is a new product developed by an international master. It can nourish your skin and help it regenerate. It’s incredibly hard to get; I finally managed to buy just one tube. It’s perfect for you.” Looking at the hand cream, I inwardly scoffed. This was a free sample he got from buying Briana’s expensive hand creams, piled up in dusty boxes in the corner of the secret room. Before I could even suggest divorce, Julian hurriedly got dressed and left. “Ellie, things are a bit chaotic outside lately. Stay home, be good, and don’t run around.” No sooner had he walked out the front door than I pulled out my phone. The recording device I’d secretly placed in his car transmitted Julian and his assistant, Mr. Davies, talking.

“Mr. Hayes, the deceased patient’s family seems to have contacted the media to seek justice for their loved one. I’ve already told the hospital staff to keep their mouths shut, but the public outcry is growing, and it’s very likely to trace back to Ms. Thorne.” “Then what are you waiting for? Leak Eleanor’s photo and our home address to the media. Tell them she’s the one who did it.” “But your wife…” “Don’t waste time! She’ll be safely tucked away at home. Just send two bodyguards to stand guard outside. What could possibly happen? The main thing is, nothing must affect Briana.” For Briana, he shamelessly threw me into the eye of the storm. Truly, his devotion was profound. Not long after Julian left, the media and influencers, having received the tip, swarmed our house. The two bodyguards, of course, were nowhere to be seen. They violently pounded on the door, shouting: “Eleanor Vance, you murderer, you heartless doctor! You killed someone and still have the nerve to hide at home and enjoy yourself? Today, we’re delivering justice! Get out here!” Windows shattered from stones, and rotten eggs splattered on my head, emitting a disgusting stench. Seeing the front door about to give way, Mrs. Gable, the housekeeper, couldn’t bear it. She urged me to change into her clothes and hat and sneak out through the back door. To my dismay, I hadn’t run far when a few influencers spotted me. “There she is! The bitch is running! Quick, catch her! Our livestream is going to go viral!” The trauma of being caught and tormented by the patient’s family years ago resurfaced, and I ran for my life in terror. In a panic, I FaceTimed Julian for help. The moment he picked up, he said: “Ellie, I’m in a meeting. Can we talk later, alright?” Before I could speak, Julian seemed to accidentally turn on his camera. On the screen, Briana was clinging to his arm, and they were leisurely and sweetly shopping at a mall. Briana pointed at a high-end jewelry store in front of them, pouting playfully: “Julian, I love all their diamond rings, but they’re so expensive. What should I do?” Julian’s gaze was full of adoration, his voice doting: “Then I’ll buy them all for you, Briana, as a cheer for your competition tomorrow.” “Oh, you’re spoiling me too much! I’m going to get completely spoiled. How about… you let me try on that pigeon-sized diamond first?” “Whatever makes you happy, Briana. I’ll do anything.” The sales associate next to them looked envious: “Sir, you truly adore your wife! They say loving your partner is like nurturing a flower, and no wonder your wife is so radiant. You two are a perfect match, truly enviable.” “If my husband spoiled me half as much as you spoil yours, I’d die happy.” Julian simply smiled, not denying it. In fact, he seemed quite pleased the sales associate called him Briana’s husband and immediately tipped her a thousand dollars. Briana playfully slapped his arm: “You’re such a spendthrift.” My steps froze instantly, the words caught in my throat, unable to go up or down. Only a sickening ache remained. Briana saw me on the screen and feigned enthusiasm: “Oh, isn’t that Ellie? Oops, it’s all Julian’s fault, he was so busy buying me jewelry, he forgot he was still on a video call with you. You’re so magnanimous, you won’t be mad, right?” She then introduced me to the curious sales associate: “This is my best friend. She’s not just generous, she’s quite special, actually.” “The rest of us normal people have ten fingers, but she only has six! Isn’t that unique? If she came today, you probably wouldn’t earn as much commission, since she doesn’t have as many fingers.” “Ellie, you’re so good at managing your money, always so thrifty.” Julian finally realized he’d pressed the wrong button and awkwardly tried to explain: “Ellie, don’t misunderstand. Briana has a competition tomorrow, and as a friend, I just wanted to get her a gift to cheer her on…”

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Visiting my mom at the Serenity Haven, she suddenly clutched her chest, crying out in pain. I immediately reached for her emergency heart medication. But the new head nurse, Tiffany, slapped the pills right out of my hand. “Visitors aren’t allowed to give residents medication without authorization!” “I’ve established new rules. All medications must be approved by me before use!” Seeing Mom’s ashen face, I frantically shouted: “My mom has coronary heart disease, and she’s having an angina attack right now! She needs her medication immediately! Any delay could be fatal!” I tried to grab the pill bottle from the floor. But the head nurse stepped on it, crushing it under her heel. “What’s all the fuss about? Chest tightness is common for the elderly, don’t make a big deal out of it.” “If everyone caused such a scene, breaking the rules, would you be responsible for the chaos?” This nursing home, which I invested two hundred million dollars to build, was denying my mother the right to her emergency medication! I was shaking with rage. I immediately called Director Miller. “Director Miller, you have three minutes to get in front of me, or you can kiss your job goodbye!”

Before I could say anything else, Head Nurse Tiffany snatched my phone and violently smashed it on the floor. The screen shattered instantly. She crossed her arms, smirking at me with disdain. “Oh, so you dare threaten the Director? Who the hell do you think you are?” She scanned me with contempt. “Look at you, dressed like a pauper. I bet you can’t afford the VIP fees for Serenity Haven. Are you trying to stage a scene to extort money?” “Let me tell you, no way!” My chest tightened with anger, and I found it almost laughable. Because of my extremely sensitive skin, all my clothes are top-tier custom cotton, without any labels. In the eyes of a brand-obsessed snob like her, it just looked like proof of my “poverty.” “Ah… it hurts…” Mom groaned in agony, cold sweat beading on her pale face, her lips starting to turn purple. My heart was pounding. I couldn’t waste time arguing with this idiot. “My mom is in critical condition! Call a doctor, now!” Tiffany arrogantly tilted her chin up. “A doctor? Even a doctor has to listen to me.” “I said no medication, and that means no medication! No one can change my decision!” Her irrational stubbornness finally pushed me over the edge. “Fine, you won’t call a doctor, will you? I’ll take my mom to the hospital myself!” I immediately moved to help my mother into her wheelchair, ready to take her away. It was only a ten-minute drive to the nearest major hospital; there should still be enough time! Tiffany’s eyes hardened, and she gestured to two burly male orderlies nearby. “Grab her!” The two men instantly moved, gripping my arms tightly, one on each side, pinning me in place. Tiffany walked up to me, a triumphant smirk on her face. “Ms. Summer, the contract you signed clearly states that your mother must stay with us for a full year.” “If she leaves now, people outside will think we mistreat the elderly at Serenity Haven! Can you bear that responsibility?” I was trembling with fury. She clearly intended to hold my mother here, forcing her to suffer a slow, agonizing death! Just then, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Director Miller came panting down the hall. “Stop!” “What are you doing!” When I first brought my mother here, I had specifically told Director Miller about her history of coronary heart disease and emphasized the need for her emergency heart medication to be on hand at all times. He had promised me emphatically that he would give my mother extra care. So I quickly shouted, “Director Miller, my mom is having a heart attack…” But before I could finish, Tiffany rushed forward, throwing herself in front of Director Miller. “Director, you’re finally here!” She pointed at me, her voice laced with a sob. “This visitor is causing a scene! The old lady just has normal chest tightness, she just needs to rest.” “But she refused to listen, insisted on giving the elder unauthorized medication, and even threatened to call an outside doctor! Doesn’t she trust the professional standards of Serenity Haven?” “I was only stopping her for the old lady’s safety!” After listening to her tearful accusation, Director Miller turned to me, his brows furrowed in a knot. His gaze swept over the shattered phone and pill bottle on the floor, then landed on me. “Madam, making such a scene here, it’s unacceptable!” “Head Nurse Tiffany is an expert our CEO, Mr. James, specially invited back from overseas. All the rules she sets are to ensure the safety of all our residents’ medication.” “As a family member, how can you be so unreasonable, causing trouble for no reason?” I looked at this man, twisting the truth so blatantly, and felt a wave of nausea. I had invested two hundred million dollars to build Serenity Haven, the most luxurious high-end nursing home in Newport City. To give my husband, James, who married into my family and was always eager to climb the social ladder, some status, I had given him the CEO position. After my father passed away, my work required frequent business trips, leaving me unable to care for my mother personally. Thinking that my own nursing home would provide proper care, I had entrusted her here. But look at the kind of people James had hired! A surge of anger shot from my chest to my head. “Rules? My mom is dying right now, and you’re talking about rules?” “This nursing home was built with my money! Is this how you treat an investor’s family?” I thought that revealing my true identity would at least make them hesitant, make them prioritize saving my mother’s life. However, as soon as I finished speaking, Tiffany slapped me directly across the face. She pointed a finger at my nose, cursing: “You built it? Who the hell do you think you are to say such a thing?”

“Let me tell you, this Serenity Haven is my husband James’s property!” “You pathetic excuse for a woman, how dare you impersonate the owner here? You have a death wish!” “My husband… James?” If she was James’s wife, then who was I? In that instant, I understood why this new head nurse dared to be so arrogant, why even the director followed her every command. All these years, James had always presented himself as gentle, caring, and deeply devoted to me. Those empty vows of eternal love, those sweet nothings like “I can’t live without you”—they all slammed into my face now, like resounding slaps. Just as I was lost in shock, I felt a sharp kick right behind my knee from behind. Caught off guard, I stumbled forward, collapsing onto the hard, cold tiles. My knees screamed in pain. Tiffany squatted down, pinching my face cruelly, slapping me repeatedly, and cursing: “Bitch! Whore!” “Tell me! Did you sleep with my husband to hook him?!” “Otherwise, how could a pauper like you ever get into Serenity Haven?!” My face was burning. Suddenly, my gaze caught sight of the watch on her wrist. That watch—I had commissioned it specifically for James last year, for our wedding anniversary. It was one of a kind in the entire world. I remembered clearly, when I gave him the watch, he’d hugged me, tearfully promising to treasure it forever. And now, he’d treasured it onto another woman’s wrist! Tiffany was still cursing. I simply opened my mouth and bit down hard on her hand. “Ah!” Tiffany shrieked in pain, kicking me to the ground. She looked at the bloody teeth marks on the back of her hand, her eyes instantly filling with venomous hatred. My mother, who had been lying in bed, saw me being attacked. She struggled to get up, trying to reach me. “Don’t… don’t hit my daughter…” Tiffany turned, glaring viciously at my mother. “You old hag! It’s all because of your awful daughter that I got hurt!” “Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson, you old biddy!” With that, she lifted her foot and violently kicked my mother in the chest! My mother’s angina hadn’t subsided. With that kick, she rolled her eyes and passed out. “Mom!” Summoning strength from somewhere deep inside, I violently broke free from the two orderlies’ grasp and threw myself towards my mother. I checked her breathing, a wave of relief washing over me. Then, I lunged at Tiffany, grabbing her hair and slamming her head to the ground with all my might. I scrambled on top of her, windmilling my arms, slapping her face again and again! “I’ll kill you!” “You dare touch my mom! I’ll kill you!” Tiffany was utterly stunned by the assault, screaming and trying to push me away. Director Miller, pale with fright from the sudden turn of events, nervously tried to pull me off her, frantically shouting into his walkie-talkie. “Security! Security, quickly! There’s an assault on the third-floor VIP section!” Soon, a group of uniformed security guards rushed in. It took several of them working together to finally drag my enraged self off Tiffany, pinning me firmly to the ground. Tiffany struggled to her feet, her pretty face swollen like a balloon, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She stumbled over to me, lifted her high-heeled foot, and stomped the heel viciously onto my hand. “Bitch! You dared to hit my face!” “Today, I’m going to break both your hands! Let’s see how you hit people then!” “Ah!” A searing pain shot through me; I felt like my hand bones had shattered. “Tiffany, I am James’s lawful wife.” “If he knew you beat me like this, and hurt my mom, he would never let you get away with it!” Hearing this, Tiffany burst out laughing. “Lawful wife? You?” “I said you were trying to hook up with my husband, and you really ran with that lie, didn’t you?” She patted my face. “Let me tell you some good news: James is on his way.” “When he gets here, I’ll make sure he wipes both you shameless mother and daughter off the face of Newport City!” Just then, a familiar voice came from the doorway. “Stop! Who dares bully my wife!” It was James. He walked towards us, his face etched with fury, two black-suited bodyguards trailing behind him. The moment she saw him, the venom and rage on Tiffany’s face vanished, replaced by an expression of extreme vulnerability and victimhood. She threw herself into James’s arms, pointing at me and sobbing. “Husband! You’re finally here! This crazy woman is impersonating you!”

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Three years after my best friend vanished, eighteen skeletons were unearthed beneath Harmony Creek. One of them was the worst—180 stab wounds, each one cutting to the bone. Clutched tightly in her hand was a single, folded note. “Don’t be scared. I just went home. If you can’t hold on, come back too.” The system’s alert blared in my mind: “Affection and Love Progress values have dropped to ten percent. Host, please expedite your demise and return to your original world.” That night, I put on my wedding dress and sent my suicide note to the family group chat on SnapChat. My adopted sister’s fiancé, who was with her, simply texted back: “Are you out of your mind?” My actress mother called me repeatedly, ordering me to take off the dress and apologize to Isabella. My brother, Arthur, a police officer, was furious. “You know Isabella can’t handle the news of you marrying Lucas since her memory loss, yet you deliberately wear a wedding dress to provoke her, hoping to worsen her condition, don’t you?” No one paid any attention to my suicide note. They didn’t know I was wearing the wedding dress not to marry Lucas. But to lure out the serial killer who murdered my best friend. And to finally break free from this world that had trapped me for twenty-five years. Only my lawyer brother, Daniel, sent multiple voice messages on SnapChat. “Vera, do you know something?” “Is that body Summer’s? Was that note she left for you?” I didn’t reply to anyone. I just clutched Summer’s photo, her image a blur through my tears. With plainclothes police officers following discreetly behind, I headed for the hotel.

I sat in the wedding car, the police officers disguised as bridesmaids and groomsmen looking at me with complex emotions. “Are you really sure about this? To lure out the ‘Bride Butcher,’ you might not make it out alive.” “Even though this case could cost Captain Arthur his job, you don’t have to risk your life…” I spoke softly. “I’m not doing this for Arthur.” They didn’t respond, assuming I was still angry with Arthur. Someone said, “I’ll call Captain Arthur. In such a dangerous situation, he should be here protecting you.” I watched him dial, a faint, bitter smile playing on my lips. The call connected. He said, “Captain Arthur, Vera is going in as bait for the Butcher today. It’s incredibly risky, you—” He didn’t finish his sentence before the line went dead. At that exact moment, my own phone rang. I answered, my face expressionless. Arthur’s furious voice exploded through the phone. “I always thought you were just selfish and childish because we spoiled you.” “I never imagined you’d stoop so low, throwing away all your principles just to force a marriage.” He gritted his teeth, his breathing ragged, each word a venomous accusation. “You not only pushed your sister’s condition to worsen, but now you have the gall to get my colleagues to lie, saying you’re acting as bait. You think you can trick us into pitying you, into softening our hearts and agreeing to your marriage with Lucas, don’t you?” “Vera, you’re exactly like that manipulative foster mother of yours—reckless, obsessed with men, always playing games. How dare you exploit such a critical case for your selfish agenda!” He bit out the words, his voice as cold as a knife. “Get over here immediately and apologize to your sister on your knees!” “Make it clear to everyone that Lucas has nothing to do with you. That *you* are the one being pathetic, trying to steal your sister’s man!” Listening to him, my hand clenched tighter. When he compared me to my foster mother in that tone, my vision swam. Yet, when he’d reviewed my case files years ago, he saw how my foster mother, just to avoid upsetting my foster father, Frank, would coldly watch as Frank entered my room in the middle of the night. He saw how she’d smashed a vase over my head, leaving a permanent scar above my brow, all while I screamed and struggled, threatening to call the police. Back then, his hands trembled, his eyes red as he gently traced my scar. He’d sworn with that same intense voice: “Vera, I won’t let anyone who hurt you get away with it. Not one.” I let out a bitter laugh, then spoke calmly. “My foster mother is Isabella’s biological mother.” “By your logic, *she* should have inherited my foster mother’s bad character.” “After all, she’s certainly been pretending to be crazy and helpless, trying to steal her sister’s marriage. Aren’t you all her accomplices?” A few seconds of silence followed on the other end, then Isabella’s frantic sobs erupted. “Sister, I really didn’t mean to… I’m sick and I don’t remember some things. I didn’t know you and Lucas… ” “Mom, Arthur, Lucas. I never meant for my illness to upset my sister. I’d be better off dead…” Then came my mother’s enraged roar. “Enough, Vera! If you have even an ounce of decency, come over and apologize immediately! Otherwise, we’re cutting you out of our lives starting today!” I heard a scramble on the other end, as if someone had snatched the phone. It was Lucas. His voice was calm but laced with impatience. “Vera, cancel the wedding right now and come apologize to Isabella on your knees.” “Otherwise, I’m breaking off our engagement.” I lowered my eyes, my voice steady. “Fine.” Then I hung up. The police officers exchanged glances. No one mentioned calling my brother to accompany me again. The wedding car pulled up to the hotel entrance. As soon as I pushed open the car door, a foul stench assaulted me. Eggs, fruit peels, and even some liquid splattered onto my wedding dress. I was shoved backward, almost losing my footing. “Bitch! Stealing your own sister’s boyfriend and still having the nerve to force a wedding! How dare you try to play the victim with the Butcher case! We have to teach this vile woman a lesson today!” “The actress mom, who’s usually so gentle, was brought to tears by her! A daughter like this should just be beaten to death!” It clicked then. My conversation with my family had been live-streamed by my actress mother. They grabbed my hair, kicked my body, forcing me to my knees. Others ripped at my wedding dress, holding up phones to capture my humiliated image. “Apologize to your sister and the actress on your knees!” “And this wedding dress! Does a dirty woman like you deserve to wear it? Tear it off her! Let her learn not to steal men!” My fingers trembled from the pain. Yet, I lifted my head and shouted defiantly. “I didn’t do anything wrong!” “Why should I apologize?” The crowd surged, then Arthur and my mother’s bodyguards pushed through, forcing the mob back. Arthur’s voice trembled with rage. “You still claim you did nothing wrong? I told you not to upset Isabella with your engagement to Lucas, so why are you still having this wedding in a gown? Why do you insist on this forced marriage charade?” But when he rushed over and saw me clearly, he froze. My wedding dress was torn to shreds, barely covering my body, which was covered in bruises and cuts. My forehead and clothes were stained with foul, dirty liquid. He instinctively moved to wipe the grime off me. He asked my mother in a low voice, trying to keep it steady: “How could you live-stream those things? And bring these extremist fans here?” “What if Isabella gets dragged into this?” My mother’s eyes showed a flicker of regret. But hearing him, she hardened her voice and replied: “She brought it on herself, didn’t she? Serves her right.” I took two steps back, avoiding his hand, and spoke calmly. “I didn’t come here to force a wedding. Lucas breaking off our engagement, or marrying Isabella, has nothing to do with me.” “I came here to be bait, to lure out the Butcher.” My mother’s face instinctively paled. Before she could speak, Arthur slapped me across the face. His expression was complicated, anger mixed with a flicker of panic. “I warned you not to use a major case involving dozens of girls’ lives as a tactic to make us pity you!” He took a deep breath, his face hardening, his voice turning vicious. “You’re just like that best friend of yours—heartless and immoral!” “She betrayed Daniel, stole his money, and ran off.” “She was afraid of being wanted by the police, so she secretly faked evidence, slipped a note into a victim’s hand, and pretended to be dead.” “I told you repeatedly that the body couldn’t be that lowlife Summer, but that idiot Daniel actually believed it and drank himself into oblivion, even abandoning his cases!” The onlookers started heckling. “Summer? Isn’t she that gold-digger who ran off with the money? Her nude photos were all over the dark web, you didn’t even need a dollar to see them, hahaha!” “A vile woman like her, interfering with a murder investigation. She deserves to die.” I clenched my hands, my heart tearing apart with pain. Three years ago, Summer found proof that Isabella was faking her amnesia and madness. But she vanished before she could give me the evidence. Before her disappearance, her nude photos were being sold online, available for just 99 cents. At the time, Summer cried and begged my younger brother, her fiancé, to represent her in court. But my brilliant lawyer brother, who had never lost a case, sat idly by in the plaintiff’s seat on the day of the trial. He didn’t utter a single word, ensuring we lost the case. The day we left the courthouse, Daniel dropped his pretense and scoffed. “This is what you get for messing with Isabella.” “This time it’s just your photos. Next time, you’ll be sold off on the black market, a plaything for strangers.” That day, Summer cried in my arms for a long, long time. The next day, she disappeared. I spent three years searching for her, but Daniel always met my efforts with scorn. “She’s just faking her disappearance, wanting me to look for her. Let her play her games. We’ll see how long she can hide.” Until… the victims of the ‘Butcher’s Bride’ dismemberment case were discovered in an abandoned underground facility in Harmony Creek. In my mind, the system finally announced Summer’s death. My Summer, dead at the Butcher’s hands. And the system had already decreed my fate. My ten years of striving for family affection and romantic love had all ended in failure. It instructed me to commit suicide immediately and escape this world. But I still chose to use my death to seek justice for those poor victims. … Lucas walked over, his face grim. “Since you insist on going against us, then as you wish, I’m breaking off our engagement.” I nodded, took out my phone, and posted a statement. —I am breaking off my engagement with Lucas. I held up my phone for them to see. “Is this sufficient?” The three of them were stunned by my actions, frozen in place. Lucas stared at me in disbelief. Then he gritted his teeth and continued. “Fine, then the child in your belly? You’ll have to get rid of it. Who knows what schemes you’d cook up with a baby.” I raised a hand to my stomach, a bitter smile on my face. “The child is already gone.” The words had barely left my lips when Lucas lunged forward, grabbing my shoulders. “What are you talking about! How could you bring yourself to abort this child? How dare you terminate *our* baby without consulting me?” His shock wasn’t unwarranted; he knew how much I longed for this child. Despite the unstable pregnancy, I gritted my teeth, enduring the thick, stabilizing injections that left my belly bruised. To help the baby develop, I choked down bowl after bowl of bitter medicine, fighting back nausea. Even as a doctor who never believed in superstitions, I found myself buying a fertility charm, praying devoutly every single day in my bedroom. But I knew, even as I yearned for this child—because in another world, I was an orphan, desperate for a blood relative—that if this child were born, unloved like me, it would only be a torment. Lucas automatically assumed that when I said the child was gone, I meant I’d aborted it. His eyes were filled with anguish. He grabbed my hand, completely forgetting his original purpose for being here. He tugged me, demanding we go to the hospital to confirm. Just then, a cry came from behind us. Isabella’s voice was shaky and shrill: “Lucas, isn’t today our wedding day? Why are you holding her hand? Why is she wearing a wedding dress?” “Sister, did you call me here just so I could see Lucas betray me? I hate you both!” She cried, spun around, and ran into the street. Arthur yelled, and my mother slapped me across the face: “What did you call Isabella here for! Are you only happy if you drive her completely insane?!” “If anything happens to Isabella because of you today, I’m disowning you!” “Lucas, stop her!” Lucas violently flung my hand away. I stumbled backward and fell. My wedding dress tore on the gravel, scraping blood from my knees. I sat on the ground, a bitter smile on my face, watching them rush after Isabella. I had seen those retreating backs too many times. When I first returned to this family, we did share a brief, happy period. Back then, my mother would smile as she cooked for me, Arthur would take me for ice cream after school. Daniel would pull me along to play his favorite computer games. But everything changed the day Lucas, the boy next door, and I started dating. Isabella began to act out. She would cry and scream, claiming I was scaring her. Saying I was going to send her back to my foster parents’ home. She’d point at me, her face streaked with tears, yelling hysterically: “Sister said, why should she have lived like that? Why should she be beaten and scolded while I took her place in a good life? She’s not okay with it; she wants me to suffer too!” At first, my mother, Arthur, and Daniel would try to soothe her. My mother would gently say, “That’s impossible, Vera wouldn’t say such a thing.” Arthur would explain for me, “She’s a good kid; she wouldn’t say something like that.” Daniel would say, “Isabella, you must have misunderstood Vera.” But as time went on, my mother and Daniel eventually sided with Isabella. They would cold-faced scold me whenever Isabella cried and fussed. “Are you done yet?! Do you only stop when you’ve terrified Isabella like this?” “We shouldn’t have taken you back. You’ve ruined this family.” Back then, Arthur would still rush out and defend me. He said I volunteered, helping girls who were victims of domestic violence. “How could a kind child like Vera say such things?” “Mom, you’re being too biased!” He would take me directly from home, and we’d travel to clear my mind. Later, on my birthday, Isabella threw a huge tantrum, forbidding me from celebrating. Arthur picked me up directly. He ordered a birthday cake for me and bought me a white dress with his own salary. He said, “Tomorrow’s your birthday; I’ll take you to Disneyland. Don’t worry about all that nonsense.” He even patted my head, smiling, “Brother will always believe you, always stand by you.” But all that stopped the very next day. That day, I took a day off from work, wanting to surprise Arthur. Instead, I was ambushed in an alley by my foster father, who had just been released from prison. It was a dark, old alley, the walls covered in peeling paint and the smell of damp mold. He dragged me into a corner, cursing, “You little bitch, daring to call the cops on me? Let’s see what I do to you now!” I struggled, but he kicked me down. He snatched the cake from my hands and savagely stomped on it. Cream mixed with mud, like a pool of blood. I was dizzy from the beating, my dress torn. In that moment, I felt like I was back in that hell. When I woke up, I clutched my wounds and ran to find Arthur. He was sitting outside a hospital room. I rushed to him, crying, “Arthur, help me…” But before I could finish, he slapped me across the face. It was the first time he had ever hit me. He dragged me, pulling me into Isabella’s hospital room, and forced me to kneel by her bed. He gritted his teeth and cursed me, “I can’t believe how good you are at faking it! How could you buy off that old animal to hurt Isabella?!” Tears streamed down my face. I cried, shaking my head, “It wasn’t me… it really wasn’t me…” But he didn’t believe me. He just looked at me with disappointment, coldly stating. “I can’t believe those monsters taught you to be like this.” “Now Isabella has been driven mad by you! Vera, you’d better live with that guilt forever and spend the rest of your life making it up to her.” My mother stood by, watching me expressionlessly. Even Lucas looked at me with a cold face, saying, “You disappoint me.” After that, he spent almost every day with Isabella, saying it was to atone for my sins. I always believed then—that my foster father had lied, seeking revenge on me. Until Summer overheard Isabella talking on the phone with a friend. She was laughing, triumphant. “Haha, I’m fine. Just put on a little show, and she’s completely screwed. That old man, give him a little cash, and he’ll cooperate.” “I told you, who does she think she is, trying to steal my family? All I have to do is cry a little, and everyone believes me.” When I found out, I felt utterly numb. … My thoughts snapped back to the present. I braced myself against the wall, staggering to my feet, and turned towards the hotel. But I hadn’t taken two steps when Arthur ran over and grabbed my arm. He roared: “You deliberately called Isabella here, provoking her until she had another episode! She almost got hit by a car, and now she’s fainted from shock!” “You have to come to the hospital with us and kneel at her bedside to admit your mistake!” “When she wakes up, *she* can decide if you’re allowed to leave!” I struggled as Arthur dragged me into the car. The police officer’s voice came through my earpiece: “The Butcher’s trail has gone cold. Stand by, you don’t need to enter the hotel anymore.” I let out a long sigh. I acknowledged, “Okay,” and turned off my earpiece. They brought me into the emergency room at the hospital. I stumbled as I was pushed toward the ER. Just as the door was about to close, I spoke softly: “Arthur, I didn’t tell anyone I was wearing a wedding dress and going to the hotel.” “Arthur, I didn’t call anyone to come, and I certainly didn’t deliberately call Isabella.” “This time, do you believe me?” Arthur frowned, impatiently pushing me. “Enough. Explanations are useless. Just admit your mistake. As long as Isabella forgives you, Mom and I won’t pursue this.” I let out a bitter laugh, the last shred of hope in my heart swallowed by a wave of bitterness. I turned and entered the emergency room. As soon as the door closed, a sharp pain shot through my neck. I lost my balance and collapsed to the floor. I woke up to the smell of damp mold in a dimly lit, stifling warehouse. Isabella lay next to me. Her eyes flew open, and her first words were a furious scream.

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A sudden fire engulfed our home, trapping my mother-in-law and a pet dog inside the raging flames. Shawna, my husband Max’s childhood friend and a rescue team member, rushed to the scene. Yet, she insisted on saving the dog first. The consequence? My mother-in-law burned to death. Afterward, I dragged Shawna to court. But the day before the trial, I received a chilling video: my son, Leo, was dangling upside down, hundreds of feet in the air. My CEO husband stood before me, his eyes cold and unfeeling. “Shawna was just strictly following rescue protocols. You save those with a chance of survival. Your mother was already dead when Shawna rushed in. Your current actions are nothing but malicious revenge.” “Don’t you realize you’ve severely damaged Shawna’s reputation and disrupted her daily life? I’m giving you five minutes. If you don’t drop the lawsuit, I can’t guarantee that rope on the helicopter won’t snap.” Turns out, Max had always believed it was *my* mother who died. That’s why he’d stooped so low, threatening our son’s life to force me to withdraw the suit. I looked at him, my expression blank. “Withdrawing the lawsuit requires the victim’s family to sign off. I don’t have that right.” Hearing my refusal, Max’s face hardened, his gaze growing even colder. “Seraphina, I’m not discussing this with you; I’m *telling* you!” “Your mother was already dead by the time Shawna got there. She only brought the dog out of kindness, and you’re twisting it into a reason to get back at her. You’re truly vile, it’s sickening!” “Leo is only five years old. He can’t hold on up there for long. You’d better make your choice quickly.” I looked at Max, so smug and confident, and my heart turned to ice. To clear Shawna’s name, he was willing to threaten our own son’s life. I was dying to see if he’d still wear that expression if he knew it was *his* mother who died! Max’s father, Vincent, was a brutal alcoholic. Every time he drank, he’d beat Max and Evelyn. Once, to protect Max, Evelyn had a leg broken by Vincent. From that day on, Max swore he’d protect his mother with his life. Later, Max and Evelyn escaped their fractured home. He clawed his way to his current position, using every means possible, all to give Evelyn a better life. Max’s filial piety was legendary. Once, his father secretly found Evelyn, demanding money. Max mobilized all his resources that very night, and by the next day, Vincent was in prison. Sentence: life imprisonment. I thought of Evelyn, such a good woman, burned alive when there was still hope for rescue. I couldn’t help but sigh. “Max, Evelyn was standing at the window, desperately calling for help before she burned to death. She wanted to live so badly. Can you really bear to see her die in vain?” Max just stared at me coldly, tossing a withdrawal application onto the table in front of me. “That was just a final flicker of life before the end. Besides, your mother was over fifty; she’d lived long enough.” “And if she really could’ve survived, she would’ve held on until the rescue team got back to her. Since she didn’t wait for them, it means she deserved to die.” I saw a hint of disdain flash in Max’s eyes, and a chill shot through my heart. “Max, do you know that the last name Evelyn called out before she died was yours? She hoped so much that you would save her!” Max scoffed. “I’m not a miracle worker. Calling my name won’t save her. Besides, the fire was so fierce that day; even if the rescue team had gone for her first, your mother might not have made it out alive.” “Just sign the withdrawal application! Don’t waste any more time.” Max roughly pressed on my shoulder, forcing me to look at his phone screen. The image showed Leo, dangling upside down hundreds of feet in the air, trembling uncontrollably. “Mommy, save me! I’m so scared.” I stared at my son on the screen, horrified, and a surge of rage boiled within me. “Max, our son was born after three agonizing years of IVF, and you’re dangling him hundreds of feet in the air for Shawna? Are you even human?” Max looked at Leo on the screen, his face utterly devoid of emotion. “Whether Leo comes down safely depends on whether you sign that withdrawal application.” Watching Leo on the screen, almost unconscious, I clenched my fists tightly. “Fine, I’ll sign it.” As the words left my lips, Max finally cracked a slight smile. He picked up his phone and gave an order to the person on the other end. “Bring the child down!”

Then Max looked at me with a triumphant smirk. “I’ll publish this withdrawal application online for everyone to see. You won’t get a second chance to sue.” Max then sent me a photo. It was a mansion worth millions in a prime school district. “Shawna’s almost depressed because of you. This villa is your apology gift to her.” I looked at Max’s arrogant face, my expression darkening. “You buy that house yourself, Max! After all, the victim’s family who made her depressed isn’t me.” Max shot me a furious glare, his face turning pale. “Seraphina Hayes, what does your mother dying have to do with me? You’re the only victim’s family here. Don’t drag me into this. My mother is perfectly fine.” Then he pointed a warning finger at me. “Don’t let me catch you cursing my mother behind my back, or I swear I won’t let you off easy.” With that, Max grabbed the withdrawal application and stormed out. I watched his retreating back, utterly bewildered, unable to fathom why Max would go to such lengths for Shawna, even threatening our son’s life. Thinking of Leo, I frantically called Maria, the nanny. Learning that Leo had already been taken to the hospital, I rushed there immediately. After a doctor’s examination, Leo was fine, but I froze when I saw his medical report. The report listed Leo’s blood type as AB! But I am O-negative. A wave of panic washed over me. I grabbed the report and hurried home, determined to confront Max. Just as I was about to knock, I heard mocking laughter from inside. “It was just an AI-generated video, and Seraphina believed it right away. You’re so clever, Max.” Peeking through the slightly ajar door, I saw Shawna leaning into Max’s embrace, gazing at him with adoration. Max’s hand traced circles on Shawna’s back. “How could I ever truly hang *our* biological son hundreds of feet in the air?” Shawna giggled shyly, tracing patterns on his chest. “It was brilliant, the way you swapped Seraphina’s vitamins for birth control pills, making her believe she was infertile, then forced her into IVF. Then, so naturally, you had my egg implanted in her, making her carry our son for ten months. Pure genius.” It felt like a thunderbolt exploded in my mind. My son, whom I had lovingly raised for five years, was Shawna’s? I clenched my fists, feeling a sharp knife plunge deep into my heart. I never imagined the man sharing my bed was a complete demon! I was about to push the door open and confront Max, but his next words stopped me cold. “If it weren’t for Seraphina’s family background, I never would have left you to marry her. Now that her mother is dead, all the inheritance will go to Seraphina. Once I get my hands on those assets, our family of three can finally be together.” Max’s words were like invisible hands squeezing my heart, making it impossible to breathe. I never thought this entire conspiracy was tailor-made for me! If Evelyn hadn’t come to our house that day to bring Max soup, perhaps the one who died would truly have been *my* mother. I dared not think further. I immediately pulled out my phone and dialed my lawyer. “Prepare a divorce agreement for me right away. I’m filing for divorce.” Then I called my assistant. “Help me investigate something.” The next day, I returned home with the divorce papers. Max was lounging on the sofa, casually eating fruit with Shawna in his arms. When he saw me, Max’s face darkened. “So you finally decided to come home. Where’s that apology gift I told you to get for Shawna? Is it ready?” I scoffed at Max’s entitled attitude. “Max, Shawna caused Evelyn’s death, and you expect me to buy Shawna a house? Aren’t you afraid Evelyn will crawl out of her grave tonight to claim your life?” Hearing me, Shawna, feigning fear, hid deeper in Max’s embrace. “Max, I know Sera is still angry about Evelyn’s death, but how can she curse people so viciously?” Max looked at me with utter disgust. “Your mother’s death is her own bad luck. Otherwise, why would the fire only burn her and no one else? If you keep dwelling on this, don’t blame me for being unkind.”

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