My mom has bipolar disorder, but ever since my dad committed suicide because of her, her moods have actually gotten better. What I didn’t expect was that she’d have an episode on my wedding day. When my husband offered her a toast, she pulled out a dagger and plunged it straight into his heart. Before we could even react, she killed my in-laws too. When I demanded to know why, all she said was, “You should die too.” With those words, she pushed me off the edge. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the wedding. This time I grabbed my husband and in-laws and got them away from her as quickly as possible. Just when I thought being reborn had changed everything, my mom came looking for us. The same words again: “You all deserve to die.” We died by her hand once more. And I was reborn for the third time. This time I was back at the wedding scene again, and I finally understood why my mom wanted to kill us all. “Mom, don’t…” I opened my eyes and screamed at my mom, then grabbed my husband and rushed off the stage. My husband looked at me in confusion, but I kept my eyes locked on my mom. Meeting her furious gaze, I confirmed this was my third rebirth. “Let’s go, we’re leaving. We don’t need this wedding. Let’s go right now.” I’d escaped once before. I was sure I could do it again this time. But we’d barely taken two steps when I saw my mom smile in the direction of my in-laws’ seats. Before I could react, I heard screaming from the crowd. “Ahhh…” The next instant, the ceiling light came crashing down. By sheer coincidence, it landed right on top of my in-laws. My husband froze, standing there in shock for what felt like forever. The sudden turn of events left me stunned too. This was different from the previous two times, but I was certain it still had something to do with my mom. Because right then, instead of running out scared like everyone else, she was heading toward my in-laws. Seeing how furious she looked, I could easily imagine that if they weren’t dead, she would kill them herself. At that thought, I rushed over to my in-laws in long strides, while shouting at my husband, “What are you standing there for? Call 911! Get them to the hospital!” As I spoke, I looked at my mom. “Mom, can’t you just leave us alone?” “What nonsense are you talking?” My mom shot me an indignant look, then turned to my husband. “Nathan, call the police quickly.” “Yes, yes.” My husband finally snapped back to his senses. While he made the call, I kept staring at my mom. She seemed perfectly normal, but the moment I turned my head, I saw her watching us with a sinister expression. “Mom, why?” “Why what?” My mom looked at me with hurt in her eyes, tears about to fall. “I raised you all these years just so you could interrogate me on such an important day?” The moment our eyes met, I hesitated too. My mom was still my mom, but I’d died three times—could it really all be just hallucinations? Before I could say anything, my husband pulled at me in displeasure. “Of all times, why are you interrogating Mom? This was an accident. What does it have to do with her?” “Go calm down the guests. I’ll wait here for the ambulance.” Knowing my husband was there, I felt a bit more at ease. So I turned to see off the guests. Halfway through, I looked back and saw my husband wasn’t by my in-laws’ side—only my mom was there. She had a knife in her hand, pointed at my father-in-law’s chest. I was dumbstruck. “No, don’t…”

I rushed over to my mom with quick reflexes, pushing her to the ground without a second thought. “Ahh…” My mom hit the ground hard. I didn’t even look at her, just immediately checked on my in-laws. Only after confirming they were okay did I breathe a sigh of relief. But when I looked up, I met my husband’s grief-stricken expression. “Mia, what the hell are you doing?” Nathan shook his head at me in disappointment, then helped my mom up. “Mom, are you alright?” My mom shook her head pitifully. “No, I’m fine.” When I looked at my mom again, there was no knife in her hand—just a belt. “Mia, I just saw your mother-in-law bleeding and wanted to help stop it. What on earth are you doing?” This time my mom actually cried. “From earlier until now, you’ve been acting paranoid. What exactly are you guarding against?” “I raised you all these years just for you to treat me like this?” “Do you think I’m trying to hurt you?” Meeting my mom’s devastated eyes, I truly didn’t know what to say. The knife—where did it go? Why was it gone? My mom was wearing a formal dress. If she really had a knife, there’d be nowhere to hide it. Was it just my panicked reaction? Just as I thought this, the ambulance arrived. Nathan quickly got my in-laws onto the ambulance, then looked at me and my mom. “Mia, take Mom home.” “Okay.” I came back to my senses and nodded at Nathan, then watched them leave. After things were settled at the hotel, I finally remembered about my mom. But I couldn’t find her anywhere. Though I kept dying at my mom’s hands, she had raised me all these years. Not being able to find her, I was still somewhat worried. So I called my mom’s phone, but it showed she was on another call. With no other choice, I kept searching. When I got to the waiting room door, I happened to hear my mom’s voice. I was about to push the door open when I heard my mom say, “Don’t worry. Even if they don’t die, they’ll be disabled. I’ll make my move when I visit them.” “No need. I’ll do it myself.” “Mia is already suspicious of me. We might as well get rid of her first.” At those words, a chill ran down my spine. Yes, yes, that was right. This was the mom from my past life. She was still the person determined to kill us all. I quickly turned and ran. As I passed where my in-laws had been earlier, I finally saw the knife. No wonder I couldn’t find it—my mom had hidden it under the table. I barely made it to the car before I could breathe again. I pulled out my phone to tell my husband to take good care of my in-laws, but the car door opened. It was my mom. She smiled coldly. “Planning to leave on your own?” “No, no! I was just about to call you!” My panic made me stumble over my words. My mom calmly settled into the passenger seat. “Drive.” Compared to my panic, my mom was much more composed. I didn’t know when she would strike, so I was extremely nervous. Yet my mom kept scolding me for ruining our wedding. “Actually, if you didn’t want to marry Nathan, you could have told me. There was no need to make such a mess of things.” My mom’s questioning gaze bore into me. I instantly felt guilty.

Of course I wanted to marry Nathan. Though we hadn’t been dating long, I truly loved him deeply. So when my mom had asked me, “Do you really need to get married so soon?” I had nodded very firmly. My mom had frowned. “Alright, if you’ve thought it through, I won’t stand in your way.” But then the accident happened at the wedding. Those bloody scenes still haunted me. I’d even died three times and still hadn’t found the reason. So I asked my mom back, “Mom, do you not want me to marry Nathan?” “It’s not about wanting or not wanting. Since you like him, then go ahead and get married.” My mom’s bland response gave me no insight into her true feelings. Finally, I got my mom home safely. After she got out, she asked me, “Stay here tonight?” “No, I need to go to the hospital to check on them.” “Alright. I’ll bring you lunch tomorrow.” “No need, Mom. You’ve worked hard these past few days. We can manage. I’ll call you if we need anything!” After speaking, I looked at my mom nervously. Only when she nodded did I relax. I quickly drove to the hospital. By then, my in-laws were already out of surgery. The doctor said they weren’t in life-threatening danger, but needed to stay for observation. Their injuries were serious though—at least a month in the hospital. My in-laws had already taken their medication and were asleep. When my husband saw me, he pulled me directly into the hospital corridor. “Mia, don’t you have anything to say?” “Say what?” I didn’t know what Nathan was asking about. But he got angry. “A perfectly good wedding ruined like this, my parents injured—don’t you think you owe an explanation?” “I…” Seeing Nathan so angry, I hesitated for a long time. Finally, I looked up at Nathan seriously. “Do you trust me?” “Of course. As long as you tell me the truth, I’ll trust you.” “Okay. My mom wants to kill us…” I didn’t mention being reborn. I just said I’d had a dream that was exactly like what happened today. And at the end of the dream, my mom wanted to kill us all. After hearing my words, Nathan froze completely, unable to react for a long time. I knew this sounded absurd, but I felt I had to say it. After what felt like forever, Nathan nodded at me. “Alright, then we’ll…” “Mia, you’re not making all this up because you want to back out of the marriage, are you?” I couldn’t believe it. Of all times, that’s what he was thinking about. I quickly raised my hand and swore. Nathan reluctantly believed me. From that day on, we tried to avoid contact with my mom as much as possible. My strategy was simple: until we figured out how to break this cycle of my mom wanting to kill us, we shouldn’t provoke her. If she could kill us three times, she could certainly kill us a fourth. Just to be safe, Nathan and I agreed to take turns watching over my in-laws at the hospital. We weren’t counting on my mom’s help. Several times my mom wanted to visit the hospital, but I turned her down. Half a month passed like this, and both Nathan and I were exhausted. Running between home and the hospital every day, unable to focus on work—finally, when I went home to cook that day, Nathan couldn’t take it anymore. But he didn’t contact me. Instead, he answered a call from my mom.

When I arrived at the hospital with food, my in-laws weren’t in the room. An ominous premonition washed over me. I quickly called Nathan. “Where did you take Mom and Dad?” “I’m at the office. Mom and Dad aren’t in the room?” “You’re at the office? Nathan, have you lost your mind? I told you someone had to be in the room at all times…” I lost it. Nathan’s words became jumbled too. “Your mom went over there.” “My mom?” My voice got even louder. Nathan went silent, but I could hear his breathing getting heavier. “Nathan, you’re absolutely insane…” He’d said he believed me. I’d actually thought he believed me. I didn’t say anything more and quickly hung up. Then I frantically tried to contact my mom, but she wouldn’t answer my calls. From the hospital security footage, I saw that ten minutes ago, my mom had walked out of the hospital with them. I quickly drove home, but they weren’t there. With no choice, I called the police. When the police and I found my mom, she was shopping for groceries at the market. Meanwhile, the hospital called to say my in-laws were back in their room. Seeing me arrive with the police, my mom was devastated. “Mia, you…” My mom fainted from anger. We all ended up at the hospital together. Nathan came too. According to my in-laws, my mom had just taken them home for a bath. The reason she hadn’t answered her phone was that the battery had died. After learning I’d called the police, Nathan thought I was sick. He even said, “You know, I almost believed you…” I couldn’t miss the blame in his tone. And after my in-laws learned I suspected my mom of wanting to kill them, they looked at me strangely. In that instant, I felt like I’d become some kind of heinous criminal. I didn’t even know what to say to defend myself. Nathan told me to calm down, so I left first. Early the next morning, I went to my mom’s room first. She wasn’t there. Right after, I heard Nathan’s heart-wrenching screams. I rushed over to see my father-in-law was already dead. My mother-in-law was lying on him, crying. My heart sank. Was it my mom? The police came that day but determined my father-in-law had simply died of a heart attack. And my mom hadn’t been to their room at all that day. After the police left, my mom shook her head at me in disappointment. “You still suspect I killed your father-in-law? Mia, I don’t have a daughter like you anymore.” Nathan was tired too. “Mia, I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but I need to handle my dad’s funeral. I really don’t have time for this.” With no choice, I stopped saying anything. For the next few days, Nathan handled his father’s funeral while I stayed at the hospital to watch over my mother-in-law. During this time, my mom was discharged. We completely stopped talking. I thought this time would be different. But on the third day, when Nathan came to the room, I had fallen asleep, and my mother-in-law had stopped breathing. “Mia, tell me what’s going on.” “How did my mom die?” I was completely dazed. I’d been watching the room these past few days. I was sure no one had come in. And I’d only been asleep for five minutes at most. The nurse testified that no one had entered. But my mother-in-law was dead. My mom came too. Seeing my mother-in-law dead, she was visibly relieved. I instantly caught the meaning in her eyes and rushed over to confront her. “It was you, wasn’t it? Why are you doing this? Why did you kill them? How did you do it?” Faced with my interrogation, my mom just shook her head helplessly. And Nathan looked at me like I was crazy. I desperately tried to expose my mom’s crimes, so I grabbed her sleeve and started pulling her outside. But because I used too much force, I tore my mom’s clothes. Instantly, I saw a scar on my mom’s arm. In that moment, countless images flooded my mind. Tears fell as well. Seeing me like this, my mom smiled. She smiled and then cried. “You remember?” And in that moment, I finally understood why my mom wanted to kill us.

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I was seven months pregnant, but my husband Ethan kept making detours every day to drive his female coworker to work. “Just take an Uber to the office yourself. Charlotte doesn’t drive, and the subway is inconvenient for her. I need to give her a ride.” Watching him rush out the door yet again to pick her up, I blocked his way: “Is a coworker really more important than the safety of me and our baby?” Ethan’s face showed irritation: “She’s the CEO’s niece. I can’t afford to offend her. It’s not like I’m not giving you money for an Uber. Can’t you just be understanding about my situation?” My morning sickness, my swelling, my sleepless nights—who cared about my difficulties? In a fit of anger, with my belly protruding, I went straight to his company lobby and made an announcement over the PA system: “Miss Charlotte, hello. I’m Ethan’s wife.” “He’s been picking you up and dropping you off every day, making my commute in the third trimester extremely difficult. Could you please be considerate and get to work on your own?” 1 The moment the words landed, the lobby fell into dead silence. Ethan burst out of the elevator and grabbed my wrist: “Victoria, what the hell are you doing?” I gasped at the pain but didn’t struggle. Charlotte followed behind him. When she saw me, her eyelashes trembled, and her eyes instantly reddened. “Ethan, is this because of me?” “This has nothing to do with you.” Ethan didn’t even turn around, just stared at me intently. “You go upstairs first.” “But she…” Charlotte took half a step forward with a fake apology. “I’m sorry, this is all my fault.” “Had enough of the performance?” I cut her off. “Every morning at seven, he makes a twenty-minute detour to pick you up. I ask him to come with me to prenatal appointments, and he says he needs to take you to meet clients. Now you cry a few tears, and he thinks I’m the one causing problems. Charlotte, don’t you have any shame?” Someone in the crowd gasped. Ethan’s face turned livid: “Victoria! Charlotte is the niece of the CEO, Mr. Harrison. Taking care of her is Mr. Harrison’s instruction! Can’t you be reasonable?” “Did Mr. Harrison tell you to pick her up and drop her off every day?” I shot back with a smile. “Did Mr. Harrison tell you to change your phone password to her birthday? Did Mr. Harrison tell you to get her perfume on your shirt collar?” His Adam’s apple bobbed. He couldn’t speak. Charlotte’s tears fell one by one onto the floor: “Victoria, you’ve misunderstood. Ethan and I are completely innocent…” “Innocent?” I pulled out photos from my bag and threw them at Ethan’s chest. The photos scattered all over the floor. Screenshots from the dashcam, with time and location, crystal clear. Charlotte in the passenger seat, smiling like a flower. “These past three months, you’ve picked her up and dropped her off sixty-seven times.” My voice was calm. “Twenty-three of those times, you stayed parked in front of her building for over half an hour. The longest was two hours and seven minutes. Ethan, tell me, what were you two talking about in the car all that time?” Dead silence. Ethan stared at the photos, his lips trembling. Charlotte suddenly rushed over and grabbed my arm: “Victoria, please don’t do this.” I shook off her hand—not with much force, but she dramatically fell backward, screaming as she hit the floor. “Victoria, what are you doing!” Ethan rushed over to help her up, his eyes looking like he wanted to kill me. Charlotte leaned against him, tears streaming down her face: “Don’t blame Victoria. I just didn’t stand steady.” Watching this scene, I suddenly laughed out loud. “Nice performance.” I clapped. “But unfortunately…” Before I could finish, Ethan suddenly let go of Charlotte and stepped right in front of me. “Slap!” The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the lobby. I froze, my cheek burning with pain. Shocked exclamations came from all around. “Have you caused enough trouble!” he roared, his eyes bloodshot. “Are you not satisfied until you’ve destroyed my career!” My ears were ringing, and the world seemed to lose all sound in that moment. I looked at his furious face—that face that once smiled at me tenderly—and suddenly it felt so unfamiliar. Tears finally broke free, not from the pain, but because my heart had died. The elevator doors opened. I walked in and pressed the close button. In the final second, I saw Ethan holding Charlotte, looking at me with complicated eyes. As the elevator descended, the person in the mirror had bloodshot eyes. I told myself, hold on, Victoria. For the baby’s sake, just hold on a little longer. Once she’s safely born, we’ll leave. Leave forever. My phone buzzed. Ethan had transferred $5,000 with the note: Stop making a scene. Come home. I accepted it. Since I couldn’t get love, I might as well get money. Walking out of the building, the sunlight was blinding. I raised my hand to shield my eyes and suddenly remembered many years ago. He rode his bike carrying me through the shade of plane trees. The wind was gentle, and he said: “Victoria, I’ll always be good to you.” Forever turned out to be so short. 2 After that day, Ethan stopped picking up and dropping off Charlotte—at least not in ways that I knew about. We rarely spoke, like strangers living under the same roof. I focused on preparing the hospital bag, organizing baby supplies, scheduling prenatal checkups. Every kick from the baby made me more determined to leave. Until that night. Ethan stumbled onto the bed reeking of alcohol. The strong smell of liquor mixed with unfamiliar perfume made me nauseous. “Ethan,” I pushed him, “go take a shower.” He mumbled an “mm-hmm” but didn’t move. I turned on the light to wake him, but my gaze froze on his neck. A small, fresh red mark. My mind went blank for a few seconds. I reached out, my fingertip touching that patch of skin—it was still warm. The touch woke Ethan. He opened his eyes groggily: “What…” “What’s this?” My voice was trembling. He touched his neck in confusion, then his whole body stiffened. The alcohol had worn off. He sat up abruptly, his eyes darting around. “It’s a mosquito bite!” “Mosquitoes in winter?” I questioned shakily. “Ethan, your eyes drift to the right when you lie.” His mouth opened, but no sound came out. “Was it Charlotte?” I asked with terrifying calmness. “No!” He grabbed my hand urgently. “Victoria, listen to me. Tonight Mr. Harrison hosted a birthday party. I drank too much, and when she helped me, it was an accident.” “An accident that left such an intense mark?” “It really was an accident!” His eyes reddened. “I swear, you’re the only one in my heart. Please believe me…” I looked into his eyes, full of panic and guilt, but no honesty. Seven years. I knew him too well. “Let’s get divorced,” I said. He froze like someone had hit pause, staring at me motionlessly. After a long time, he finally squeezed out words: “What… did you say?” “I said, let’s get divorced.” I enunciated each word. “Are you crazy!” He grabbed my shoulders. “Just because of a mark? Victoria, Charlotte and I have nothing going on! I drive her to and from work, accompany her to business events—it’s all for work!” “So you let her leave her mark on your neck?” I laughed. “Ethan, are you treating me like a fool, or yourself?” “Then what do you want me to do!” He suddenly shouted, eyes bloodshot. “Get on my knees and apologize? Write a guarantee? Victoria, I’m tired enough of acting like a doormat at work—you’re going to push me at home too?” So my waiting, my patience, enduring morning sickness and prenatal checkups alone—all of that was me pushing him. “Fine,” I nodded, throwing off the covers to get out of bed. “Then I won’t push anymore.” The moment my feet touched the floor, my lower abdomen suddenly tightened, like a hand viciously twisting my insides. I let out a muffled groan and had to lean against the wall to keep from collapsing. “What’s wrong?” Ethan finally noticed something was off. “Nothing.” I gritted my teeth. “I won’t die.” But the pain grew fiercer. I bent over, my forehead pressed against the cold wall. “Victoria!” Ethan rushed over to support me. “Why is your face so pale?” His phone rang at that moment. Charlotte’s name flashed glaringly on the screen. He glanced at it, then at me, his fingers trembling slightly. “Answer it,” I said through the pain. “Maybe she also has a stomachache and needs you to take her to the hospital.” “Don’t be like this…” He held his phone, at a loss. When the phone rang for the third time, he finally answered: “Hello? What’s wrong?” “Don’t cry, speak slowly… You fell? How bad is it? Okay, I’ll be right there.” He turned to look at me, his expression conflicted: “Charlotte fell down the stairs. Her leg might be fractured. She lives alone…” “Go ahead,” I cut him off. “She’s more important than me and the baby. I know.” “That’s not what I mean! Wait for me, I’ll take her to the hospital and come right back…” “Don’t bother.” I looked into his eyes. “Ethan, we’re done.” 3 He stood there, looking at me, then at his phone. Finally he said: “Wait for me half an hour. I’ll be right back to take you to the hospital!” He rushed out the door, didn’t even change his shoes. The security door slammed shut with a “bang” that shook the entire place. I slid down the wall to sit on the floor as warm liquid gushed out between my legs. My phone had fallen into the corner earlier. I crawled over and shakily dialed 91

Another wave of intense pain hit, my vision went dark, and the phone slipped from my hand. All I could hear was my own hoarse cry for help: “Save me… and my baby…” The ambulance siren tore through the silence of the early morning. When they lifted me onto the stretcher, everything beneath me was already soaked. The contractions came in waves, as if trying to tear me apart. The nurse pushed the gurney at full speed, the wheels screeching against the floor. “Family! Where’s the family!” the nurse shouted as she ran. I opened my mouth but couldn’t make a sound. The delivery room doors opened and closed. I was moved onto the operating table, my legs raised. After the examination, the doctor’s face grew grave: “The cervix is dilating too fast. Premature birth. The fetus is too small. We need family to sign the surgical consent form!” “I’ll… sign it myself…” My consciousness was fading from the pain, but my hand desperately clutched the doctor’s sleeve. “That won’t work. It must be immediate family!” The nurse panicked. “Where’s your husband? Phone number!” They retrieved Ethan’s number from my broken phone. The long dial tone, then his lowered voice: “Victoria? I’m in the ER. Charlotte has a fracture and needs surgery. I can’t leave…” “This is the maternity ward!” the nurse interrupted him. “Your wife is having a premature birth with severe hemorrhaging. She needs immediate surgery! Please come sign the papers right now!” A few seconds of silence, then he said: “I… I really can’t leave right now. Charlotte also needs a family member to sign, and her uncle hasn’t arrived yet…” “Can Victoria sign herself?” The nurse froze and looked at me. I closed my eyes, my voice ice cold: “Tell him to go to hell.” The call ended. I took the consent form and pen, my hand shaking too much to write. The nurse held my hand and guided it stroke by stroke to write “Victoria.” The surgical lights came on, so bright they made me cry. “She’s out!” the doctor called. No crying. My heart jumped to my throat. A few seconds later, a weak cry sounded. “It’s a girl. Premature. She’s going to the ICU.” The nurse brought the baby to my face. “Take a look.” She was so tiny, all wrinkled, eyes closed, her little mouth quivering as she cried. I reached out, my fingertip just touching her warm skin before she was carried away. “Baby…” I called out hoarsely. The incubator door closed, shutting out all sound. I spent two hours of post-op observation alone in the recovery room. As the anesthesia wore off, the incision burned with pain. The door opened. Ethan rushed in, hair disheveled, eyes red. “Victoria!” He lunged to the bedside trying to grab my hand. “I’m sorry, I came too late…” I pulled my hand away and looked at him. He’d changed clothes, but the red mark on his neck was still there. “Is her surgery done?” I asked quietly. He stiffened and nodded: “Yeah. Her uncle arrived, so I rushed over… Where’s the baby?” “Incubator.” I said. “Premature. Lungs underdeveloped. She might not survive.” His face instantly turned deathly pale: “How could… what did the doctor say?” “The doctor said family needed to sign.” I looked into his eyes. “But you couldn’t sign earlier, could you?” “Victoria, I didn’t mean…” “Ethan,” I interrupted him. “Do you know what I was thinking when my water broke?” He shook his head, tears falling. “I was thinking,” I said slowly, “if I died today, would you regret choosing to take her to the hospital instead of me.” “Don’t say that…” He choked up. “You won’t die, and neither will the baby…” “But we already did die.” I turned to look at the ceiling. “From the moment you rushed out that door, the Victoria who loved you for seven years died.” The nurse came in to wheel me to the ward. Ethan tried to follow but was stopped at the door. “Family members need to handle admission procedures,” the nurse said coldly. He stood there bewildered, at a loss. On the seventh day, the baby was taken off the respirator. The nurse said it was good news, but seeing the IV catheter in her little wrist, my heart still ached. That afternoon, Ethan came. He stood outside the glass looking in for ten minutes, then said to me: “I’ve thought of a name. Let’s call her Lily.” “Her last name is Morgan,” I said. He froze: “What?” “Her name is Hope Morgan. Nickname Hope.” I repeated. “My daughter. She takes my last name.” “You really want to do this?” He frowned. “The child belongs to both of us.” “She belongs to me alone.” I cut him off. “Did you sign the papers? Were you there during the surgery? How much time have you spent with her these seven days?” He was speechless. I handed him the divorce agreement: “Sign it. I get custody, you pay child support, and we split the assets fifty-fifty.”

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The night before our engagement party, I discovered my boyfriend Adrian kept recordings from his first night with his childhood sweetheart, even the bloodstained sheets. When I confronted him through tears, his response was ice-cold: “I just had too much to drink that night. Vanessa gave me her first time—I need to take responsibility for her.” At the engagement party, when I tried to call off the wedding, Vanessa deliberately spiked my drink with formaldehyde. I vomited all over the floor in front of everyone, but Adrian only had eyes for Vanessa’s bleeding hand. “She’s the one who got hurt, and you’re still putting on this act!” He rushed his childhood friend to the hospital, leaving me alone on the floor in that mess. Fine then. I’ll let you two have each other. Later, as I walked toward another man in a pure white wedding dress, Adrian knelt at my feet with a diamond ring: “Ella, please give me one more chance.” Watching Adrian’s determined figure walk away, I picked up my phone and called my mom: “Mom, I’m willing to marry Theo.” “Oh sweetheart, I know you’ve been wronged. I’ll arrange the wedding right away.” Before the engagement party even ended, an ambulance took me to the hospital for a stomach pump. The burning sensation in my mouth and throat kept assaulting my nerves. After giving my mom instructions through the pain, she immediately had someone notify the Richardson family to set a date for our wedding. Theo had been pursuing me for five years, proposing to me every birthday. But back then, my heart only had room for Adrian. I never accepted his affection. Even though I’d decided to leave, my heart still ached unbearably. I smiled bitterly and shook my head. Better a short pain than a long one. I’d get used to it. After the stomach pump, I was lying weakly in the hospital bed when the door suddenly burst open. Adrian rushed in with red-eyed Vanessa. “Ella Hayes, how long are you going to keep pretending to be sick?” “Vanessa just grabbed the wrong glass—what gives you the right to make her kneel and apologize to you!” His whole body radiated hostility, veins bulging on his face like a lion pushed to the edge of fury. “When did I ever tell her to kneel?” “Still making excuses.” He shoved Vanessa’s phone in my face. After seeing the message on the screen, my eyes went wide. “I never sent this.” I pulled out my phone to show him the chat history, but he slapped it out of my hand. “Who else could it be!” He wouldn’t listen to my explanation at all, throwing my phone violently to the side. In that moment, I suddenly didn’t want to explain anymore. He always took Vanessa’s side anyway, using the sharpest words to wound me. Whether I did it or not didn’t matter anymore. “Adrian, it’s all my fault. I’ll kneel and apologize to Ella.” Vanessa, her hand wrapped in bandages, held back the furious Adrian and bent down as if to kneel. “Ella, are you done with this tantrum!” Adrian pulled her up immediately, and Vanessa nestled in his arms, tears falling like broken pearls. “Adrian, it’s okay. Every time Ella gets angry, I’m the one who apologizes first anyway. As long as Ella feels better, that’s all that matters.” Adrian tenderly wiped the moisture from the corner of her eyes, then turned to me with uncontrollable rage. “Ella, I already told you that night was just an accident. Why do you keep making things difficult for Vanessa!” “If you’re angry, take it out on me, but if you bully Vanessa again, I won’t let you get away with it!”

Watching him desperately protect Vanessa, the pain in my heart spread to every organ. Five years together, and he made a vow in front of my father’s memorial photo, saying he would take care of me for life. After that, Adrian really did treat me with meticulous care. Even my mom praised him constantly, saying he was a man worth entrusting my life to. We had agreed that once I finished mourning my father, we would get married. But then I found the recording and bloodstained sheets from his first night with Vanessa hidden in the closet. In that moment, my world collapsed. Adrian, you never touched alcohol—how could you lose control while drunk? So our thousand-plus days and nights together couldn’t compare to one night of pleasure with her? My throat burned with pain. Overwhelmed by grief, I couldn’t help vomiting all over the bed. Adrian’s furious expression changed, and he frowned with some concern. “Ella, are you really not feeling well?” I didn’t want to answer him. Everything spun around me. In the last second before losing consciousness, I saw him rush over to catch me. Suddenly, I felt a sense of relief. This kind of life would finally be over soon. “Ella, you’re finally awake. It’s all my fault for not being by your side when you had this accident.” When I woke up, my mom sat by the hospital bed, haggard, worriedly holding my hand. I smiled at her and told her to go home and rest properly. The nurse was here watching me—nothing serious. As soon as my mom left, Adrian rushed in accusing me: “The doctor said your condition isn’t serious. Why did you pretend to faint?” “Do you know Vanessa’s wound reopened because she was so worried about you? Ella, I never thought you’d become so manipulative!” I looked silently at Adrian, suddenly losing the strength to defend myself. Whenever Vanessa got hurt, it was always somehow my fault. What was the point of explaining? Disheartened, I thought of all our memories together. He once said I was the most innocent and kind girl in the world, that he would cherish and protect me forever. But after Vanessa appeared, he started taking her side without limits, stabbing my heart again and again with the cruelest words. Three people in love was too crowded. I was truly exhausted. If that’s how it is, then I’ll let you two have each other. After Adrian left, I lay exhausted in the hospital bed and made a call. “Mom, have you picked a wedding date?” “Ella, Theo’s coming back from abroad at the end of this month. Let’s set the wedding for early next month.” “Okay.” I put down my phone and fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up, my phone was flooded with messages. “Ella, Adrian is so romantic. After all these years, he’s still devoted to you.” “I’m so jealous, Ella. You must be the happiest woman in Northbridge today.” Confused, I opened my social media. Adrian had set off a huge display of pink fireworks by the river. But the woman he was holding in the video wasn’t me—it looked exactly like Vanessa. Under the blooming sky, they kissed intimately. I smiled bitterly and closed the video. This firework display called “Ella’s Crossing” was named after me by Adrian. He said he would only make it bloom for me in this lifetime. The fireworks bloomed in the night sky over the river, and my friends all thought he was trying to please me.

But I knew that neither the fireworks nor Adrian belonged to me alone anymore. “Ella, Adrian put so much effort into this for you. You absolutely can’t let him down.” I laughed coldly. Who was letting whom down? In front of others, he always played the model boyfriend. Even when we fought, people would only think I was throwing a tantrum. Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I replied in the comments: “The fireworks are beautiful. Hope you guys have fun.” In the blink of an eye, that comment disappeared. Adrian, so you do have some shame after all. The nurse came in to tell me it was time for nebulizer treatment. Before she could set up the equipment, my phone rang urgently. “Ella, Vanessa was just starting to feel better. Why did you comment that? Are you deliberately trying to upset her?” I coughed heavily a few times, my voice bleak: “I was wishing you both well. What more do you want?” He paused for a few seconds before his voice came through again, “Fine, I can let this slide.” “But you have to apologize to her. Vanessa didn’t do anything wrong.” I let out a muffled laugh, closed my eyes, and my voice returned to calm. “Apologize? I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I apologize? Why should I take the blame for something I didn’t do?” I had already compromised to the extreme, but in Adrian’s eyes, I was still the one at fault. Choked by my words, Adrian was momentarily speechless. After hesitating for a few seconds, he still put down harsh words with a firm attitude. “Ella, I used to tolerate your tantrums, but Vanessa is different. She gave me her first time—I have a responsibility to protect her.” “If I catch you deliberately bullying Vanessa again, I won’t be nice about it!” He hung up. I lowered my eyes mockingly, my heart desolate. She gave you her first time—but didn’t I spend my best five years with you? My phone vibrated. Vanessa had posted something new: “Thank you for protecting me. Giving you my first night made me so happy.” In the photo, the two of them were lying in a trailer. Vanessa’s bare shoulders showed little red marks, her face flushed as she nestled in Adrian’s arms. What had happened was obvious. I fought down my nausea and blocked both Adrian and Vanessa’s feeds. I thought I’d feel terrible like before, but now I actually felt somewhat relieved. After leaving the hospital, I went home and packed my things, planning to move back to the Hayes house. Adrian walked in holding Vanessa’s hand. The jade necklace my father left me was hanging around Vanessa’s neck. “Vanessa, who gave you permission to touch my things!” Blood rushed to my head instantly. I tried to grab back the necklace, but Adrian blocked me with his hand. “Ella, what are you yelling about? Vanessa just borrowed it temporarily. Is this reaction really necessary?” He frowned impatiently, shielding Vanessa behind him. “Adrian, you know how important this necklace is to me. Why did you take it without asking me?” My voice trembled uncontrollably. This was my father’s last keepsake, my final spiritual anchor. Adrian froze for a moment, his eyes evasive. “Ella, it’s all my fault. I’ll return it to you right now.” Vanessa carefully removed the necklace. As she handed it to me, she whispered in my ear: “Ella, guess who Adrian will side with?” Her hand shook, and the necklace fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Vanessa’s eyes glistened with tears as she frantically tried to pick up the necklace. “Don’t touch it!” My sanity finally snapped. In rage, I raised my hand and slapped Vanessa across the face. “Ella, you’ve gone too far! It’s just a necklace—what are you so crazy about!” Adrian tenderly cupped Vanessa’s swollen face and pushed me away.

I stumbled back a few steps, holding back the heartache, and looked up with tears in my eyes. “Adrian, have you forgotten the oath you made in front of my father’s memorial photo?” Back then, he knelt before my father’s memorial tablet and swore he would never let me suffer any grievances. Now, for Vanessa’s sake, he let her destroy my most precious possession. In just three years, this relationship had changed beyond recognition. Adrian’s eyes flashed with reluctance, but looking at Vanessa crying her heart out in his arms, he still scolded me coldly. “Ella, I know you’re upset, but can’t you be more mature? I have a responsibility to Vanessa. I can’t just ignore her.” “Let’s postpone the wedding. We’ll talk about it after Vanessa recovers.” He left those harsh words and took Vanessa to the hospital. I picked up the shattered necklace from the floor and left the Shaw house without looking back. Adrian, why bother postponing? I’m not going to marry you anyway. With only two weeks until the wedding, the Hayes household was checking off wedding preparations, sending invitations, and hosting dinners. Everyone was too busy to catch their breath. After helping my mom finish organizing, I was about to rest when Adrian called. “Ella, why aren’t you home? Where did you go so late?” “I’m at the Hayes house.” “Over such a small disagreement, you run back to the Hayes house to complain?” “Stop this nonsense and come back. Vanessa already knows she was wrong.” Adrian’s tone carried some dissatisfaction, still thinking I was sulking over the necklace incident. “I’m not making a fuss. Weren’t you worried I’d bully Vanessa? Now I’m gone—no one will bully her.” Adrian fell silent for a few seconds, his tone slightly angry. “Ella, why have you become so unreasonable? Vanessa’s hand hasn’t healed yet. Are you deliberately trying to make her feel guilty?” I laughed mockingly. “What does her injured hand have to do with me? Didn’t you say you had a responsibility to take care of her? Then take good care of her.” Adrian, why have I become like this? Don’t you know? Every time we had a conflict, you never considered my feelings, taking Vanessa’s side without limits. Our five years together never mattered as much to you as making Vanessa happy. Well then, I don’t want you anymore either. I hung up, took a comfortable bath, and finally could let down all my defenses and sleep peacefully. The next day at my follow-up appointment, the doctor said my liver, kidneys, and digestive system had recovered well—nothing serious. Walking out of the consultation room, I ran into Vincent accompanying Vanessa for her checkup. “Ella, last time was my fault. Don’t be angry anymore—Adrian was so worried about you he couldn’t sleep last night.” “You two spent last night together?” Realizing her slip, Vanessa tried to explain in a panic. “I had Vanessa stay at our place. Her hand is injured—it’s not convenient for a girl to live alone.” “Ella, you should stop being angry. We’re getting married soon. Suddenly living apart—what will people think?” Even now, he was worried about people misunderstanding Vanessa as the other woman. I didn’t even have the energy to argue anymore. I said coldly: “No need. I have things to do. I’m leaving.” “Ella, how long are you going to keep this up!” I had just turned around when Adrian grabbed my neck from behind…

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “363462”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #玄幻Fantasy #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn #狼人Werewolf

My mom was obsessed with doing stand-up. At my wedding reception, she snatched the mic and unleashed a barrage of jokes. “Honestly, I admire my new son-in-law. He’s a quiet, honest man. He knew my daughter wasn’t a virgin, yet he still agreed to marry her!” “I wonder if he’ll be so understanding when he finds out my daughter gives birth to a baby that looks nothing like him?” Immediately, a ripple of shock spread through the hall. My fiancé and his family broke off the engagement on the spot, storming out in a rage. I became the target of everyone’s scrutiny, and no amount of explanation helped. Seeing that she’d completely ruined the happy occasion, my mom grumbled, “Honestly, how narrow-minded! They just don’t understand the art of offense!” My dad, Richard, and my brother, Noah, both nodded in agreement. “Exactly, how can someone with such a narrow mind achieve anything great?” “Good riddance! But we’re not returning the wedding money; it’s for Noah’s future wife.” Only I was left shattered. Under the accusing stares of the crowd, I jumped to my death. When I opened my eyes again, watching my mom, Brenda, spew her nonsense, I gave a cold laugh. The art of offense, huh? I could play that game too!

“First, let me share a little secret with everyone: my daughter hasn’t been a virgin for a long time.” “She’s had more boyfriends than she has fingers!” As I opened my eyes, I heard my mom’s excited, booming voice amplified by the speakers. I suddenly realized I had been reborn, back to the very day of my wedding reception with David! In my previous life, on this exact day, my mom had rushed onto the stage, grabbed the mic, First declaring to hundreds of people that I wasn’t a virgin, Then following up with a dramatic sigh, “Thank goodness she managed to find an honest, simple man to marry her!” Seeing the shocked faces in the audience, she grew more smug and escalated her attacks. She continued to spread rumors that I was pregnant out of wedlock, mocking my fiancé for being a naive man taking on someone else’s baggage. She even hinted that I was promiscuous and had contracted syphilis! I was furious. I stormed onto the stage, telling her to stop her nonsense. But she just widened her eyes and said, with a straight face: “Maya, if you did it, own it. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” “But these things need to be made clear to your in-laws first, so they don’t accuse our family of tricking them into marriage later!” With those baseless lies, she nailed me to the cross of shame. Just like that, my fiancé and his family were enraged. They broke off the engagement on the spot and stormed off. I crumbled to the floor amidst the gossip, completely broken. After causing all that trouble, my mom still cried innocence. My dad and brother also accused me of making a mountain out of a molehill. Finally, consumed by despair and pain, I couldn’t take it anymore. I rushed out to the balcony and jumped… Reborn, I wouldn’t be so weak this time. I’d make my mom feel the sting of her own words! On stage, my mom was still talking with great animation. All the guests’ complex stares were now on me. Last time, listening to those vile slanders, I wished I could crawl into a hole and die. I frantically rushed onto the stage, desperate to drag her down. But I couldn’t. My struggles only confirmed that what she said must have been true, making me look even more guilty and agitated. Thinking of this. This time, with a calm expression, I asked the emcee for a mic and walked onto the stage.

Seeing my reaction, so different from before, my mom looked surprised, even forgetting to continue her “act.” As the guests saw how composed I was, the buzzing gradually died down. My fiancé David and his family, whose faces had been stiff, slowly relaxed. Just as my mom frowned, realizing this wasn’t going according to her plan, and raised the mic to say something else, I spoke first. ” Brenda Johnson, thanks for trying to liven things up, but this ‘act’ isn’t funny at all.” “How about I be your partner instead?” In her astonished gaze, I turned to the audience and said, unhurriedly, “Actually, the charming person with 99 ex-boyfriends that she just mentioned, is my mom herself.” “My mom, even though she’s almost sixty, still has endless charisma!” “Who knows, maybe some of those uncles she’s charmed are sitting right here in the audience!” As I spoke, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my mom’s TikTok account, listing off several IDs that had frequently liked her posts and left flirty comments, along with the names of a few older men from her regular dance group who were very close to her. “‘LoveNoTrace,’ ‘FatedLover,’ ‘BigPotential,’ are you here for the wedding today?” “And Mr. Peterson, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Johnson from the dance group, are you all here?!” Suddenly, all eyes turned to the table where the dance group sat. Those older men, who usually loved to chime in with my mom and gossip about me, hastily lowered their heads. Meanwhile, my dad, Richard, sitting below, had a face as dark as thunder. My mom was dumbfounded. It took her a while to snap out of it, her face burning red as she snatched my phone, yelling, “You brat, what nonsense are you spewing?!” I smiled. “Mom, and you said you love stand-up! Now you understand, don’t you?” “Stand-up, you see, it’s an ‘art of offense’!” It was the first time she’d been shut down by me. My mom forced a smile, seething with anger, and stepped down. Her murky eyes fixed ominously on my face, she gnashed her teeth, “Well, Maya, you’ve really grown up, haven’t you? You’ve grown wings and become defiant!” See? Some lessons you only learn the hard way. But when the knife falls on them, they’ll know the pain. For as long as I could remember, my mom loved putting on a “stand-up routine.” Whenever inspiration struck, whether it was in the neighborhood, the park, or the square, as long as there was an audience, anywhere became her stage. The only constant was that her target was always me. The more sensational the effect, the more excited she got. The more publicly humiliated I was, the more triumphant she became. At parent-teacher conferences, she spread rumors that I badmouthed teachers behind their backs. When I accidentally fell and bruised my legs, she said my private life was too wild. When David and I planned to get our marriage license a bit later, she said my in-laws disliked me. When I was taking medication for my health, she said I was treating infertility. She even boasted to relatives that I couldn’t have children because I’d had too many abortions… One shocking declaration after another left me mortified and scorned. I couldn’t even stand up straight from the shame. After countless breakdowns, I finally exploded, screaming and smashing everything I could get my hands on at home! But my mom just widened her eyes, fiercely poking my forehead, absolutely furious. “Why are you always so dramatic?!” “If you’re so sensitive, then what about all the comedians who make fun of their partners? Do you think they’d still be alive? Go ask any professional comedian if they’d mind!” My dad and brother looked impatient, chiming in to criticize me. “You’re just too precious. Does being talked about a little make you lose weight or something?” “Yeah, wait until Mom makes it big on a national comedy show, then you’ll regret it!” And so, insecurity and hypersensitivity accompanied my entire childhood. It wasn’t until later, when I went thousands of miles away for college and met my emotionally stable husband, That I could finally hide my scars and live somewhat like a normal person…

Back to reality. Knowing my mom, she wouldn’t let things go easily after being outmaneuvered. Sure enough, during the toast, she spoke to my in-laws, her voice as loud as a bell, “Oh, I truly have nothing but good things to say about David!” “Although I don’t approve of getting pregnant before marriage, or having to rush a wedding…” “But for you to accept that Maya contracted syphilis, that truly shows responsibility!” Whoosh. The surroundings fell silent. Everyone’s ears perked up, their expressions a mix of gossip and surprise as they stared. My in-laws, who had been smiling warmly, instantly changed their expressions. My fiancé David stared at my flat stomach in disbelief! I took a deep breath. ” Brenda, the stand-up portion is over. Please stop making such jokes.” David also snapped back to reality, shielding me. “That’s right, Brenda. Even if you’re trying to rush us to have kids, don’t joke like that.” “Maya and I aren’t in a hurry to have a baby.” “You didn’t know she was pregnant?” My mom didn’t take the hint. Instead, realizing David’s “ignorance,” she brightened, instantly raising her voice excitedly. “Could it be that the child isn’t even yours?!” Seeing David’s face stiffen, the buzzing around us growing louder, and my in-laws’ expressions becoming increasingly grim, her eyes lit up even more, her mood soaring. “My goodness! My poor David, aren’t you being a naive man taking on someone else’s baggage?!” “That’s enough, Brenda Johnson!” I couldn’t hold back anymore, sharply shouting, “How can you say such things?!” “First pregnancy, then syphilis! What kind of mother spreads rumors about her own child?!” At that, my dad immediately bristled. “Maya, how dare you talk to your mother like that?! Show some respect!” At this point, many relatives who had watched me grow up began to speak up for me, interjecting with advice. “Brenda, it’s Maya’s big day today. Stop talking nonsense.” “That’s right, you can eat anything you want, but you can’t just spread rumors about someone having a disease!” This really got my mom riled up. She yelled at the top of her lungs, stomping her foot, “Look at what you’re all saying! I’m her mother; would I ever wrongly accuse her?!” “Fine, then let me show you all what these are!” Saying that, she frantically pulled out several photos from her phone! Everyone craned their necks to see. She had captured me frequently entering and exiting the hospital’s obstetrics department. She had photographed a stack of appointment slips and a tube of syphilis medication in my drawer. She had images of my phone, showing my online inquiries about syphilis. She had even hastily taken pictures of a pregnancy test result and a syphilis diagnosis report on my phone! At this point, my mom stood with her hands on her hips, looking triumphantly at me. I stood there, dazed, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over me. I never thought she would secretly follow me, or even go through my drawer and phone!

With undeniable evidence laid out, everyone exchanged glances, forced to believe the facts. “This… you really never know someone’s true nature!” “Her private life is so messy… this is truly disgraceful!” “If it were my daughter, I would have disowned her by now!” “The most pitiful ones are the groom’s family; they almost got tricked!” Amidst the murmuring. David’s face was livid, his eyes full of disappointment and suppressed anger, his voice trembling. “Maya, is all of this true?!” But I desperately clung to his hand, refusing to admit anything. Seeing this, the old witch urgently added more fuel to the fire. “It’s too late to argue now, I have witnesses!” “The entire dance team saw you leaving the hospital that day, carrying a folder.” “And Dr. Miller, you’re a doctor, tell them, did I fake these reports?” The older men and women from the dance team hastily nodded their heads in confirmation. Dr. Miller also gave me a troubled look. “The reports… they are genuine.” With this irrefutable evidence, Brenda spoke with even more conviction. “See? She really is that kind of person! I haven’t wronged her one bit!” I became the target of everyone’s scrutiny, enduring their pointing fingers. At this moment, I clenched my fists and looked at Richard and Noah, who had been mostly silent, asking in a trembling voice, ” Richard, Noah, you know me well. What do you say?” The two exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away. “I don’t understand all this nonsense between you and your mother.” Richard spoke first, his tone impatient. “But Maya, if you want to argue, argue. If the wedding can proceed, fine. If not, then just cancel it.” “There’s no need to argue with your mother here and make a spectacle for everyone!” As soon as he finished, Noah also gave a strange look around the room. Seeing Chloe’s family present, and clearly not wanting to escalate things further, he quickly chimed in, ill-temperedly, “That’s right, Maya, stop causing trouble!” “These aren’t big deals. You can talk about whatever you need to with David behind closed doors.” “Why do you have to pick a fight with Mom here?” Suddenly, a massive sense of absurdity washed over me from head to toe. I laughed humorlessly. “Small matters? She’s practically trying to kill me, and you call that a small matter?!” “All these years, you two knew full well who was right and who was wrong, yet you always pretended to be ignorant, even helping her bully me.” “If she’s the murderer who killed me, then you two are her blatant accomplices!” Those words hit a nerve with Richard. He slammed his hand down on the table and stood up. “You’ve gone too far!” He glared at me, raising his hand to strike! Brenda, watching from the side, looked utterly gleeful, practically clapping her hands. I covered my burning cheek, my heart sinking in despair. My last shred of hope for my so-called family was completely shattered. If that’s how it was, then let’s all go to hell together! Taking a deep breath, I slowly calmed my racing chest, and nodded peacefully. “You’re right, things need to be cleared up.” “But the pictures Brenda just showed aren’t complete. Let me do it.” With that, I took out my own phone and projected the stored files onto the large screens placed throughout the banquet hall!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “363461”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #玄幻Fantasy #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn #狼人Werewolf

At 3 AM, my neighbor John broke down my door with a group of people, claiming I’d hit someone with my car and fled the scene. One of them grabbed me by the collar and yelled: “It was you! You hit my dad and drove off. I got your license plate number. My dad’s in the ICU right now, unconscious! You’re taking full responsibility for this!” He shoved his phone in my face, showing me photo evidence. His wife stood beside him holding their child, wailing dramatically. Still half-asleep, I had no idea what was happening. “What does this have to do with me?” The crowd joined in, pointing fingers: “Hit someone and still managed to sleep—how cold-blooded! How can we have a criminal like this living here!” Hit someone? I’m red-green colorblind. I can’t even drive! “Sir, please calm down,” I tried to keep my voice steady. “I didn’t leave my apartment today. You must have the wrong person.” John lived in the unit below mine. We usually nodded to each other when we crossed paths. But right now, he looked like he wanted to eat me alive. He shoved his phone screen in my face. “Wrong person? Is this your license plate or not?” The screen showed the rear of a Porsche Panamera, the plate number clear as day: A123. I squinted at it for two seconds and nodded. “That’s my car, but I—” “So you admit it!” He turned to the other neighbors. “Everyone heard that, right? The car is hers!” The hallway erupted. “That’s rich people for you—hit someone and won’t own up to it.” “Look at her face, acting all innocent.” His wife pushed through with the child in her arms and collapsed to her knees, sobbing hysterically: “Please, I’m begging you! My dad’s on a ventilator. The surgery costs $30,000.” “It’s nothing to you, but it’ll destroy our family. You can’t just let him die!” My scalp prickled. I quickly tried to help her up. “Please get up first. We haven’t even figured out what happened—” “It’s crystal clear!” John grabbed my arm. “I saw it with my own eyes! Your car ran a red light and sent my dad flying twenty feet!” Finally fully awake, anger flared inside me: “I didn’t drive anywhere today! Just because you say I hit him means I did?” “Thirty thousand dollars? Why not say three hundred thousand? I could just as easily say you’re trying to rob me!” The moment the words left my mouth, John’s hand connected with my face. The slap sent me stumbling back two steps, my ears ringing. “Bullshit!” He jabbed his finger at my nose. “My father is dying!” “If you don’t pay up, I’ll call the cops right now and have you thrown in jail! You won’t get away with this!” Someone in the hallway cheered him on: “Good! People like her need to be taught a lesson!” The neighbors grew more agitated. “Don’t waste your breath on her—call the police! Lock her up!” His wife knelt on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, the child wailing along with her. Camera flashes went off in my face. I covered my cheek and slowly straightened. “Fine. Call the police.” John froze. “Didn’t you say you’d call them? Go ahead.” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. I turned, pulled something from my bedside table, and slapped it against his chest. “While you’re at it, have them explain how someone who’s red-green colorblind and can’t drive managed to hit your dad!” John stared down at the red-green colorblindness certificate for three seconds. The shouting from the hallway stopped. Someone muttered quietly, “Red-green colorblind? Doesn’t that mean she can’t get a license?” “John, could you have… gotten the wrong person?” I pointed at the paper in his hands. “See it clearly? It’s got an official stamp. Can you read?” John’s face went from pale to flushed and back again. The next second, he threw the paper on the ground. “You think one piece of paper can fool me?” “You can afford a Porsche Panamera, but you don’t have a license?” He stepped closer. “Besides, if you really are colorblind, that means you were driving without a license! That makes it even worse!” The others nodded in sudden understanding. “Right! She almost tricked us!” “No wonder she ran the red light—she can’t tell the colors apart at all!” I had no interest in continuing this pointless argument. “Fine,” I pulled out my phone. “Like I said, let’s call the police. We’ll see if I’m playing dumb or if you’re trying to scam me.” “Go ahead! Call them! We’ll see who they arrest when they get here!” John snarled. The call connected. I gave them the address and explained the situation. After hanging up, I leaned against the doorframe without another word. John kept ranting: “You’re calling the police now just to stall until my dad dies!” “Don’t think you can get away with this. No matter what, I’m sending you to prison.” “Shut up,” I said coldly. “Your dad’s not dead yet. Why are you so eager to curse him? Afraid he’ll die and you’ll get less money?”

John’s expression changed instantly. “Say that again!” He lunged at me, but his wife grabbed him and held him back. I was about to respond when sirens wailed from downstairs. John rushed toward them like he’d found his savior: “Officers! It’s her! She ran a red light and hit my dad, then refused to admit it!” The police officer looked me over. “Are you the owner of vehicle A123?” “Yes.” “Did you hit someone?” “No.” John panicked. “It was her! I saw it with my own eyes!” The officer waved for him to be quiet and turned back to me. “Miss, you say you didn’t hit anyone. Do you have proof?” I picked up the certificate from the floor and handed it over. The officer opened it and paused. “Red-green colorblind?” “Yes.” I nodded. The officer frowned. “Then how did you get this car?” “It’s a keepsake from my father,” I paused. “But I can’t drive it, so it’s always been parked in the garage.” “The dealership comes to pick it up for maintenance. There are records.” John sneered. “Keep making stuff up! You think the cops will believe you?” The officer ignored him and turned to the property manager. “Pull up the security footage.” The manager scratched his head. “Well, we had that heavy snow a couple days ago, right?” “It damaged some of the wiring. The parking garage cameras are down—we haven’t had a chance to fix them yet…” My heart sank. What a coincidence. John immediately perked up. “The footage is gone? Your evidence disappeared! Bet you’re thrilled!” The officer frowned. “Sir, please remain quiet.” “We have our own procedures. Without clear evidence, please show this woman some respect.” He turned to me. “Miss, does your car have a dashcam?” “Yes.” “May we take a look?” I nodded, grabbed the car keys from the living room cabinet, and handed them over. The group went downstairs to the underground garage. The officer had just reached the front of the car and hadn’t even opened the door yet. Suddenly John rushed forward and threw himself onto the hood, his voice cracking with excitement: “Officers! Come look at this!” He pointed at the front bumper. “What is this?” I walked over and used my phone light to see. On the right side of the bumper was a fresh scrape mark with a bloodstain on it.

The crowd erupted: “There’s no denying it now! The car’s got such a huge dent!” “She was so stubborn before—let’s see what she says now!” John’s wife rushed forward with the child, pointing at the bloodstain. “That’s my dad’s blood… What do you have to say for yourself now?” My head was spinning. Impossible. I never drove the car. The officer crouched down, shining his flashlight on the mark, his brow furrowed. “Miss, how do you explain this?” I opened my mouth, my voice dry. “I don’t know… I really never drove the car.” John sneered. “Don’t know? It’s your car, the blood’s right here, and you don’t know?” The officer stood up and looked at me. “Miss, we need to collect samples for testing. Please cooperate with the investigation and come with us.” My instincts told me that if I went with them now, things would only get worse. Could someone else have driven my car and caused an accident? “Okay.” I nodded. “But I have one request—let me make a phone call first to verify something.” The officer nodded. I pulled out my phone and called the dealership’s service manager, putting it on speaker. “Manager, this is Russell. Quick question—has anyone touched my car recently?” There was a two-second pause on the other end. “Your car? No.” “The last service was two weeks ago. After we finished, we parked it back in its spot. The keys have been with you the whole time. No one here has touched it.” “Are you sure?” “Positive. Our dealership has a policy—every time a customer’s vehicle goes in or out, we log it.” The call ended. The officer looked at me. I held my phone, my mind racing. So where did this scrape come from? Where did the blood come from? The murmuring in the crowd grew louder. John was energized. “Given up yet? It couldn’t have been anyone but you!” He grabbed my arm. “Let’s go! You’re paying me that $30,000 today!” I stumbled from the force, hitting the car door. My head struck the window frame, the pain making my vision go dark. In that instant, my eyes caught sight of the small black box attached to the windshield inside the car. The dashcam! “Wait!” I grabbed the car door and wouldn’t let go. “I want to see the dashcam footage right now!”

John froze, then sneered. “What good is a last-ditch struggle? Planning to pull another trick?” I ignored him and looked at the officer. “Officer, if I really hit someone, there must be footage in the dashcam!” The officer nodded, opened the car door, and removed the memory card from the dashcam. “Alright, let’s watch it now.” The footage loaded. Everyone held their breath, watching the progress bar crawl forward. John crowded in. “Fast forward! Don’t waste time! Yesterday at 6:34 PM—that’s when my dad got hit!” The officer frowned but hit fast forward anyway. The footage sped past, showing nothing but the gray parking garage wall. The knot in my chest loosened slightly. It seemed my car really had been parked here the whole time, never moved. The timestamp jumped to 6:30 PM yesterday. In the footage, my car suddenly started and drove out of the underground garage. My heart dropped. The car approached an intersection. The light was red, but the car showed no sign of slowing down. It drove straight through. An elderly man on the crosswalk couldn’t dodge in time. He was hit and sent flying twenty feet, landing hard on the pavement. The car didn’t stop at all—it simply made a U-turn and left. John shoved his phone in my face, his voice shaking: “See that? That’s my dad! What do you have to say now?” “You wanted evidence—there it is! What, you hit someone and don’t remember? Think you have multiple personalities? Acting like you have amnesia to escape reality?” “Let me tell you something—you’re paying for the medical bills! Thirty thousand dollars, not a penny less!” But I said nothing, just stared at the screen. I dragged the progress bar back and forth, watching that segment over and over. Once, twice, three times, trying to find any flaw. But the more I watched, the more confused I became. The crowd completely lost it: “The evidence is right there!” “What are you waiting for? Arrest her!” “Lock her up! Charge her!” I was shoved around, surrounded by cursing voices. The officer held back the surging crowd. Just as he was about to speak, his radio crackled. “Copy that. Copy that.” After listening, his expression darkened. He turned to me and reached for his handcuffs. “Russell, forensics just sent word. The blood on your car’s bumper has been tested. The DNA matches…” He paused. “Bradley, John’s father.” He stepped forward and the handcuffs clicked around my wrists. “You’re under arrest for hit-and-run.” Some in the crowd applauded and cheered. Others took photos. I was pushed toward the police car. My feet stumbled. My mind went blank. Impossible. Truly impossible. I’d never driven a car. I couldn’t drive. But the footage clearly recorded the entire crime. Could I really have multiple personalities? Did I kill someone and not remember? Wait. Something’s wrong. I stopped abruptly. The officer frowned. “Get in the car. Please cooperate with the investigation. Don’t waste time.” The dashcam video was still playing on a loop. “Officer,” my voice trembled, “can I watch that video one more time?” John cursed from the side. “Still trying to deny it? Officers, don’t let her stall for time. Just take her away!” The officer stopped him, hesitated for a moment, then handed me the phone. I dragged the progress bar back to the beginning. The car left the garage, passed the first intersection, red light, hit the person, made a U-turn, returned to the complex. I watched it again. Suddenly, my eyes locked onto a detail. Of course! The trick was right here! I looked up sharply. “I know who the real culprit is!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “363459”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #玄幻Fantasy #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn #狼人Werewolf

A clueless young nurse recently joined our department. Every time I performed a routine gynecological exam on a female patient, she’d stand behind me, covering her mouth and gasping dramatically. She’d ask questions that sounded innocent but shattered my professional integrity: “Why are you swallowing when you’re examining her?” “Oh my gosh, do you really have to reach inside? Why is your finger moving around so much in there?” “That’s so embarrassing! You’re not secretly taking advantage and getting off, are you?!” In my previous life, I tolerated her, assuming she was just ignorant of clinical procedures. I maintained my professionalism even when offended. But my career promotions were inexplicably stalled, year after year. One day, she suddenly posted a photo of me performing a palpation, taken from a highly unflattering angle, in the hospital’s main SnapChat group, tagging me. “Anthony… Even though the patient is under anesthesia, you shouldn’t take advantage and grope around to satisfy yourself!!” With medical malpractice claims running rampant and the entire internet condemning me, I was branded a perverted doctor. Consumed by resentment, I jumped from the hospital building. As my soul plummeted, I actually saw her: She held my core research paper, stolen from my computer, and shamelessly put her own name on it, successfully securing a permanent position and a promotion! It turned out she was constantly slandering me, All to drive me to my death, then legitimately seize my academic achievements! When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day she first blushed and asked me why I was taking off a patient’s pants.

“Anthony, why did you take off all her pants?” “That’s way too embarrassing, can’t she at least keep her underwear on?” “Oh my gosh, why do you have to reach inside?” Korina’s overly sweet voice suddenly burst out in the examination room. Filled with feigned horror and exaggerated trembles. The young patient lying on the examination table instantly stiffened, her legs clamping together, her face beet red. She looked at me like I was a lecherous pervert. Korina hid behind the light blue curtain, covering her mouth. Her innocent eyes, adorned with fake eyelashes, fluttered dramatically. “Anthony… I didn’t have to undress like this in my practical classes before.” “Are you trying to… Oh, I shouldn’t say it, it’s so embarrassing.” This scene was all too familiar. The sensation of falling from the tall building snapped me wide awake. I had been reborn! In my previous life, to maintain harmony in the department, I patiently explained that this was standard procedure, even with her slanderous accusations. The result was the patient breaking down on the spot, filing a sexual harassment complaint against me, making it known throughout the entire hospital. Afterward, Korina cried, claiming she was just naive and too pure. This time, I would never swallow my anger in silence. I slammed the instrument in my hand onto the tray, making Korina flinch. “Korina!” I roared. Before I could continue, the female patient on the bed suddenly erupted. She snatched the sheet, wrapping it around her lower body, tears streaming down her face. Pointing at me, she shrieked: “You pervert! Even the nurse says you don’t need to undress me, so why are you making me do it?!” “I’m going to report you! I’m calling the police!” The hallway outside instantly became agitated, with patients and family members in line peeking in. “What’s going on? What happened?” “I heard the doctor was acting perverted, insisting on taking off some young girl’s pants.” “I told you male gynecologists aren’t reliable, it’s disgusting!” “Exactly, if there weren’t any female doctors available, I wouldn’t have booked an appointment with him.” “What kind of man studies gynecology, what are his intentions…” I took a deep breath, about to explain the medical guidelines, when the door to the examination room was suddenly pushed open with a bang. Vice Dean Tony walked in, hands clasped behind his back, his belly protruding. He was followed by several interns eager to watch the drama. Korina, like a startled bird, rushed towards Tony. Her eyes instantly reddened, large tears falling freely. “Dean, Anthony… he yelled at me!” “I just felt a little sorry for that patient having all her pants off.” “I just asked one question, and he threw things and cursed at me…” “And he said… he said he was in charge of this room, and if I couldn’t do the job, I should get out…” Tony naturally caught Korina by the shoulders. His fleshy hand rubbed her shoulder for a moment, then he looked at me with an air of official authority. “Anthony! What’s wrong with you?” “Is this how you treat a colleague? Where is your medical ethics?” “Scaring Korina like this, scaring the patient like this, are you a doctor or a thug?” I coldly watched the despicable duo, working hand in glove. In my previous life, it was Tony who backed Korina. Together, they conspired to block my promotion, and eventually climbed over my dead body. “Vice Dean Tony!” I deliberately emphasized the “Vice.” “According to the Ninth Edition of *Obstetrics and Gynecology*, the bimanual examination protocol requires full exposure of the external genitalia.” “Korina, as a licensed nurse, doesn’t even know this basic common sense?” “She’s screaming and misleading patients, creating doctor-patient conflict.” “This incompetent, overgrown child, I don’t know how she even managed to get into this hospital?!” Tony’s face changed dramatically, the flabby flesh on his face twitching. He hadn’t expected me, usually so mild-mannered and honest, to dare to contradict him in public. “You… you dare be insolent!” “You think you’re in the right? If you can’t even calm a patient’s emotions, how are you fit to be a doctor?” The patient on the bed became even more agitated, crying out: “I’m not getting examined! Your hospital is all in cahoots! I’m going to expose all of you!” Tony immediately put on a fawning expression, bowing and scraping to the patient: “I’m so sorry, so sorry, our management is too lax.” “How about this, today’s examination fees are waived, and I’ll personally arrange for a female specialist to see you.” Turning his head, he glared at me fiercely. “Anthony, given your deplorable attitude today, and the potential suspicion of sexual harassment,” “All your VIP special outpatient clinics this week are canceled!” “Those are for high-end clients, we can’t have someone like you ruining the hospital’s reputation!” “You report to the ER right now and reflect there on what ‘service attitude’ means!” Korina, hiding behind Tony, stuck out her tongue at me and mouthed: [Serves you right]. The surrounding patients and family members pointed and whispered about me. I looked at the chaotic scene in the room, but my mind was clear. Go to the ER? Perfect. If I remembered correctly, this afternoon, the ER would receive a very special patient. She was Mrs. Anderson, the wife of the city’s wealthiest man. In my previous life, she was the key figure who brought Tony to prominence, and then, due to a misdiagnosis, caused his downfall. Only in the previous life, Tony found a scapegoat. This time, I would hold that surgical scalpel myself. “Alright, I’ll go to the ER.”

Three forty-five in the afternoon. The piercing siren of an ambulance grew closer, urgent like death’s own summons. “Quick! Clear the way! Car accident! Closed abdominal injury! Hemorrhagic shock!” The accompanying doctor shouted hoarsely, pushing a stretcher into the hall. On the stretcher, an elegantly dressed middle-aged woman had a face as pale as paper, her abdomen visibly swollen. Blood stained half the sheet, and the blood pressure monitor’s alarm shrieked. Following closely behind was a well-dressed but disheveled middle-aged man – Mr. Anderson, the city’s wealthiest man. He grabbed the doctor’s hand and yelled: “Save her! No matter the cost! You must save her!” I was about to step forward to admit the patient, but a figure moved faster than me. “I’m the Vice Dean! I’ll take this!” Tony had somehow ambled into the ER with Korina. He instantly recognized Anderson and saw the priceless sapphire bracelet on the woman’s wrist. This was an enormous opportunity, the perfect ladder to climb among the powerful. He pushed me aside and rushed to the stretcher, pretending to press the patient’s abdomen. “Korina! Prepare for IV access! Prepare for ultrasound!” Korina, still holding the iced coffee she’d just bought to watch me fail, casually tossed it aside and scurried around after Tony. Though clumsy, her voice was loud. “Oh dear, so much blood! How scary!” “Dean, you’re truly amazing, you spotted the problem right away!” Tony fumbled around on the patient’s stomach a few times, then his face showed a flicker of certainty: “Abdomen rigid as a board, obvious tenderness in the upper left quadrant, this is a classic case of traumatic splenic rupture with severe hemorrhage!” “Quick! Notify General Surgery! Prepare for exploratory laparotomy and splenectomy immediately!” He ordered loudly, adopting the air of a renowned physician. Anderson, hearing a diagnosis, clutched at it like a drowning man: “Okay! Cut it!” “As long as she’s saved, cut whatever you need to!” The surrounding medical staff immediately sprang into action, pushing the stretcher towards the General Surgery operating room. That’s it! In my previous life, this diagnosis had killed her! She didn’t have a splenic rupture! I suddenly lunged forward, gripping the stretcher’s railing tightly, the immense inertia causing the cart to jerk to a halt. “Don’t go to General Surgery!” I shouted loudly, my voice cutting through the clamor. “This isn’t a splenic rupture! This is a ruptured ectopic pregnancy!” “And it’s an interstitial pregnancy rupture!” “She needs to be sent to the Gynecology operating room immediately for uterine horn resection to stop the bleeding!” The entire room fell silent. Tony’s face twitched with rage. He rushed over and grabbed my collar: “Anthony! Are you insane?” “The patient is fifty years old!” “She’s probably already menopausal! How could she be pregnant?” “Are you losing your mind just to steal credit? This is a matter of life and death!” Korina also covered her mouth nearby, shrieking in feigned surprise: “Anthony, you’re just disgusting!” “Earlier in the exam room, you wanted to take off that lady’s pants, and now she’s in shock, and you’re still trying to link it to a female condition?” “Do you only think about *that* area whenever you see a female patient?” Her words were venomous. Anderson’s already anxious face instantly contorted into a snarl. As a man, hearing such words, his anger ignited immediately. “You bastard!” Anderson rushed forward and punched me hard in the face. I staggered backward, tasting blood in my mouth, but I didn’t even bother to wipe it. “Mr. Anderson! Listen to me!” “I’ve observed her vital signs; the abdominal distension is asymmetrical, and there’s a clear mass in the right uterine horn!” “If the bleeding isn’t stopped immediately, she’ll be in mortal danger within five minutes!” I tried to rush back to block the stretcher but was firmly restrained by two ER security guards. “Pull him away! Get this lunatic out of here!” Tony roared. “Don’t let him delay the rescue!” “Anthony, you’re suspended! Get out of my sight!” Korina hid by the stretcher, watching me being dragged away pitifully, a triumphant, malicious smirk playing on her lips. She leaned in close to Anderson, thoughtfully offering him a tissue. “Please don’t be angry, Mr. Anderson. This Anthony has always had a problematic reputation; everyone in our hospital knows it.” “Don’t worry, Tony is an expert, he’ll definitely save your wife.” Anderson shot me a look of disgust and spat on the floor: “Once my wife’s surgery is done, I’ll get my lawyers to destroy you, you quack!” The stretcher rumbled away, and the operating room door slammed shut with a bang. The red light flickered on. I was tossed onto the cold ER floor by the security guards. Around me were the contemptuous stares of patients and their families, and whispered accusations. “Is that the pervert doctor?” “He doesn’t even spare a fifty-year-old, how disgusting.” “Why hasn’t this kind of person been fired yet?” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and slowly stood up, leaning against the wall. A sense of powerlessness washed over me like a tide. I knew the truth, I wanted to save her. But I was crushed by authority and public opinion. But I didn’t leave. I leaned against the wall outside the operating room, staring intently at that red light. I glanced at my watch. Four fifteen. Ten more minutes. As soon as Tony opened the abdominal cavity and found the spleen perfectly intact, While blood poured into the abdominal cavity. That would be the beginning of his nightmare. And I had to be here. Because a life was at stake. Even if misunderstood, even if beaten. I couldn’t watch her die at the hands of that idiot. This is what it means to be a doctor.

The hallway outside the operating room was deserted, only Mr. Anderson pacing back and forth anxiously. Korina, as the scrub nurse, had also gone in. Tony clearly wanted to give her a share of the credit to help her secure a permanent position. Time ticked by, second by second. Four fifteen. Four twenty. Suddenly, the airtight door of the operating room opened a crack. An anesthesiologist, covered in sweat, rushed out. He yelled frantically at the nurse’s station: “Blood bank! More blood! Type AB blood! Quickly!” Anderson grabbed the anesthesiologist’s arm, his hand trembling: “What’s going on? Aren’t they doing a splenectomy? Why do you need more blood?” The anesthesiologist’s face was pale, his eyes darting away: “The… the bleeding is too massive… can’t find the source of bleeding…” “What do you mean you can’t find the source of bleeding?!” Anderson roared like thunder. Just then, the operating room door opened again. Dr. Miller, the Director, arrived hurriedly with several specialists, clearly having received a critical report. “What’s the situation? What is Tony doing?” The Director demanded, pulling on his scrubs. I emerged from the corner, my voice hoarse but firm. “Director, it’s a ruptured interstitial pregnancy.” “Tony can’t find the bleeding source because he’s been rummaging around the spleen up top, but the bleeding point is in the uterine horn below.” The Director abruptly stopped, turning to look at me. He saw the bruises on my face and the blood at the corner of my mouth. “Anthony? What are you doing here?” “What you’re saying, is it true?” “Let me in.” I met the Director’s gaze, without any hesitation. “Right now, only I can locate the spot and stop the bleeding within a minute.” “If I fail, I’ll never practice medicine again, and I’ll serve time in prison as restitution.” The Director looked at me deeply, with scrutiny and the resolve of a desperate gamble. The monitoring alarms inside were already echoing in the hallway – the wailing of a heart about to stop. “Get in! Scrub in!” The Director growled. Anderson tried to stop me, but the Director silenced him with a look: “Shut up, unless you want your wife to die!” I sprinted into the changing room. In that moment, I felt my blood boiling. Three minutes later. I entered the operating room. The operating table was a scene of hell. Blood-soaked gauze littered the floor, and the monitors emitted piercing alarms. Tony, his hands covered in blood, was frantically rummaging around inside the patient’s abdomen. He had completely broken down, muttering to himself: “Impossible… why isn’t it there… the spleen is fine… where is the blood coming from…” Korina cowered in a corner, trembling, instruments scattered all over the floor, too terrified to do anything but whimper. “Get out of the way!” I charged forward, forcefully using my shoulder to shove Tony, sending him stumbling backward and falling to the floor. “You… Anthony? What are you doing?!” Tony looked at me in terror. I ignored him, my hands swiftly reaching into the pelvic cavity. Hot. Scalding blood. But I didn’t need my eyes; my hands were my eyes. Countless dissection practices in my past life. Made my fingertips, the moment they touched that pulsating rupture. Form a muscle memory. Found it! My left hand tightened instantly, gripping the ruptured uterine horn artery. In that very moment. *Sizzle—* The blood that had been gushing violently suddenly stopped. The blood pressure readings on the monitor, which had been plummeting, finally stabilized. Then slowly began to rise. The entire room fell silent. The anesthesiologist’s eyes widened, looking at me as if he’d seen a ghost: “Did… did you stop it?” I looked up, casting a cold glance at Tony on the floor, then at Korina in the corner. “Did you see that, you quack?!” “Prepare for uterine horn wedge resection!” The next ten minutes were my domain. Excision, suturing, ligation—each movement was precise and flawless. When I cut the last suture, the patient’s vital signs were completely stable. From that bloody mess. I retrieved the culprit. An abnormally developed embryonic tissue. Tony lay limp on the floor, his face ashen. He knew he was finished. The surgery ended. I removed my blood-soaked gloves and walked out of the operating room. Outside the door, Anderson had already learned everything. This titan of the business world now bowed deeply to me. “Miracle worker! Anthony is a miracle worker!” “I’m a fool! I was blind to your talent! I wronged you so terribly!” “Thank you for saving my wife’s life!” He cried with gratitude. I stepped aside, not helping him up, and simply said calmly: “It’s a doctor’s duty.” “However,” I changed the subject, my gaze sweeping past him to Korina, who had just sneaked out of the operating room and was furtively fiddling with her phone. She was hiding behind a pillar, thinking no one saw her, her fingers rapidly tapping on the screen. My phone vibrated in my pocket. A notification from the main group chat. A cold smirk touched my lips. “Mr. Anderson, I appreciate your gratitude. But I might be facing trouble again now.” “Trouble?” Anderson paused, then rose from the floor. I took out my phone, opened the hospital’s five-hundred-person group chat, and handed the screen to Anderson. In the group, Korina had just sent a new message and tagged everyone. [Korina: I was really scared today.] [Even though it was to save a life, Anthony was too much in the operating room…] [How can he just grope around in such a private area? ] [And keep his hand in there for so long… He looked like he was really enjoying it.] [Everyone, judge for yourselves, even if the patient was under anesthesia, he shouldn’t take advantage to molest her, right? image.jpg] Attached was a photo taken from an extremely unflattering angle. In the picture, my hand was deep inside the patient’s abdominal cavity. Due to the exertion, my expression looked somewhat strained. But after she added a filter, it genuinely appeared to have a perverted, lecherous quality. Anderson looked at the phone screen, his face shifting from confusion to disbelief, and finally to a dark, explosive red. He had been standing right beside me. He had personally watched me snatch his wife back from the jaws of death. He had personally seen that nurse terrified and useless in the operating room, yet now she was spreading such malicious lies online. “Is that… the nurse from just now?” Anderson gritted his teeth. I took back my phone and said calmly: “Yes, she says I was molesting the patient.” “Mr. Anderson, it seems I’m in for a rough legal battle.” Anderson spun around abruptly, glaring fiercely at the triumphant figure behind the pillar. “Fine… very fine!” “Daring to spread rumors about my wife’s savior, and using my wife’s surgery photo as material for sexual slander!” Anderson pulled out his phone and dialed a number: “Get my entire legal department here! I want this b*tch to rot in jail!”

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My wife, Chloe, loved to record our intimate moments, especially videos where she played the queen and humiliated me. I initially disagreed, but she’d always plead: “Alex, if you truly love me, can’t you even grant me this one request?” Over three years of marriage, she recorded us over a thousand times. But the moment Liam, the guy she’d always been hung up on, returned to the country, he uploaded my private videos to TikTok. The caption read: [Check out this simp! So embarrassing for a guy!] I demanded a public apology, but he just sneered at me: “Isn’t that Alex? You’re like a dog in the video, now you’re trying to act all high and mighty? A pathetic kept man who whored himself out for status, do you really think you deserve an apology from me?” My hands trembled with anger, ready to call the police, but Chloe snatched my phone, chuckling: “He’s just kidding, Alex. Be a little more laid-back, don’t be so sensitive!” Watching the constantly climbing hot topics on TikTok, I suddenly felt that our three-year relationship had to end.

On TikTok’s trending list, the hashtag #Alex Is A Dog# had been stuck at the top for three whole days. My private videos were viewed, commented on, and reposted by tens of millions. I stared silently at the screen, my fingers mechanically scrolling. After a long while, I took a deep breath and called my lawyer. “Regarding the video infringement.” “Alex, I’m sorry.” The voice on the other end sounded a bit awkward: “Chloe said she’s handling this herself and instructed us not to interfere.” “What does that mean?” “It means we can’t accept any of your requests.” I was silent for two seconds, then said calmly, “Okay, I understand.” I hung up and called three more law firms. The same reply. I sat on the couch, staring at the wedding photo on the coffee table. In the picture, Chloe was nestled in my arms, smiling gently. She’d said, “Alex, I’ll love you forever.” Now, her way of loving me was to have my private videos plastered all over the internet. At eleven PM, Chloe returned. She saw me still on the couch, her brow furrowing slightly: “Not in bed yet?” I didn’t answer, just calmly asked: “What are you planning to do about the videos?” “The PR department is handling it,” she said, taking off her coat, her tone casual. “How are they handling it?” “I’ll issue a statement saying the videos are AI-generated,” she said dismissively, “then get some influencer accounts to clarify, and in a few days, no one will remember.” I looked at her and suddenly laughed: “That’s your solution?” “What else?” she frowned. “What more do you want? It’s just a few videos, right? Didn’t you enjoy playing around in them?” “What do I want?” I repeated softly. “I want Liam to delete the videos and issue a public apology. I want you to give me back my $5 million!” Chloe’s face instantly darkened: “Alex, don’t push your luck.” “Push my luck?” I stared at her, suddenly finding it laughable. Three years of marriage, over a thousand days and nights of what I thought was intimacy. She never saved our memories; she saved her trophies. “Chloe,” my voice trembled with anger, “do you know? What disgusts me most isn’t that my private videos were seen.” She frowned, a flicker of impatience in her eyes: “What are you trying to start now?” I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to slap her: “What disgusts me most is that I’m only now seeing your true colors!” With that, I kicked the bedroom door and turned towards my study. Before I closed the door, her furious shout came from behind: “Alex! Stop right there!” I didn’t look back. The moment I locked the door, I pounded the wall, venting my rage. Then, I opened my phone’s photo album and scrolled to the very bottom. There was an encrypted folder containing photos of Chloe proposing to me. I gently brushed the screen, then deleted them one by one. When I reached the last one, my finger paused. It was our wedding photo. I was in a suit, she in a white gown, standing at the church entrance. She’d said, “Alex, you look so handsome.” I pressed delete, and the wedding photo vanished from the screen.

The next morning, I was woken by noises from the kitchen. Pushing open the guest room door, I saw Chloe’s back as she bustled around the kitchen. I froze. Three years. This was the first time I’d seen her cook. I stood there for a long time. Then the doorbell rang. Through the peephole, I saw Liam standing outside, impatiently ringing the bell. I took a deep breath, gripped the doorknob, and opened the door. “Well, if it isn’t the kept man,” He looked me up and down, sneering, “Up so early, going to serve some sugar mama?” Before I could speak, he walked straight into the kitchen, embracing Chloe from behind. “Chloe, what are you making?” “Breakfast for you,” Chloe’s voice was uncharacteristically gentle. I stood there, my stomach suddenly churning. Her first time cooking was for Liam. I put on my jacket, turning to leave. But Chloe called out to me. “Alex, eat breakfast before you go.” I paused. Staring at the breakfast on the table, I suddenly remembered when we first started dating. Back then, I was just a poor student, but she didn’t mind. I remember the first birthday gift I gave her was a green dress, which I’d saved up for three months working part-time. But after she saw the price tag, she insisted on returning it. She smiled and said: “You are the best gift heaven sent me. Don’t ever waste money on me again.” Back then, I secretly swore that I would earn a lot of money and give her a happy life. But now, the woman who once cared for me had even forgotten I was allergic to eggs. “I’m allergic to eggs,” I said calmly. Chloe’s face instantly flushed, about to explain. But I didn’t stop, walking straight out. At ten AM, I was in my office, processing documents, when a sharp pain flared in my stomach. Just as I pulled open a drawer to find my stomach medicine, the door pushed open. Liam walked in and kicked my desk. “Hey, kept man, Chloe wants to see you.” I looked up at him, my gaze falling on the ID badge on his chest. On Liam’s first day back in the country, Chloe had made him President’s Assistant. A year ago, my mom asked me to arrange for a relative to join the company, but Chloe had repeatedly declined. “What does she want?” I asked calmly. “How should I know?” Liam rolled his eyes. “Anyway, she said to come now.” I endured the stomach pain and walked towards Chloe’s CEO office. Although I had initially founded this company, I had gifted all my shares to Chloe. Pushing open the door, Chloe sat at her desk. “Sit,” she said without looking up. I didn’t sit, just stood and watched her: “What is it?” She finally looked up, her eyes cold: “The video situation has gotten too big. The company’s stock price is affected.” “So?” “So,” she pushed a document across, “the board has decided for you to take some time off.” I picked up the document. It was a suspension notice. “Suspension?” I laughed. “What’s the reason?” “Too much public pressure,” she frowned, looking very impatient: “You need to lay low.” I stared at her, suddenly feeling my stomach ache even more. She had sent the videos to Liam, and Liam had posted them on TikTok. Now, she wanted me to pay for their mistake?! “Okay, fine,” I nodded. “I accept the suspension.” As I turned to leave, she suddenly called out: “Wait.” “Something else?” She hesitated, “Why don’t you take a trip to Greece, clear your head.” Greece. A place I had always wanted to go. When we got married, she said she wanted to honeymoon in Greece. But at that time, the company was just starting, and I hoped we’d go once it stabilized. Later, when the company was stable, she said she didn’t want to go anymore. Now, she suddenly brought up our missed honeymoon. I looked at her and suddenly smiled. “What? You want to get rid of me, afraid I’ll cause trouble at the company? Or are you afraid I’ll get in the way of you and Liam’s little romance?” “You…” “Don’t worry,” I cut her off. “I won’t bother you.” Because it wasn’t worth it. The moment I closed the door, I heard something shatter inside.

I didn’t look back. Returning from Chloe’s office, my workspace had been cleared, and Liam sat in my chair. “You’re back!” I ignored his provocation, just going to the drawer to retrieve my personal items. After taking a cab home, I found the front door password had been changed. I called Chloe. It rang for a long time before she answered. I asked, “The password’s changed?” “Yeah,” she paused, “Liam hasn’t found a suitable place yet, so he’s moving in with us. He thought the old password was hard to remember, so he changed it.” I gripped my phone. Three years ago, when we moved into this house. Chloe had linked her arm through mine, smiling and saying: “Let’s use our wedding anniversary as the password. That way, you’ll never forget.” Now, because Liam said it was hard to remember, she had erased our wedding anniversary. “Anyway, you’re going to Greece for vacation, so changing the password won’t affect you,” she continued on the phone. I took a deep breath: “I can go to Greece, but I’m taking Judy with me.” Judy was my Ragdoll cat, I’d had her for three years, she’d been with us since we got married. The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds. “Judy…” Her voice suddenly became unnatural: “Liam is allergic to cat fur, so I had someone take her to a pet hotel.” “Which pet hotel?” She said, “The one by the complex entrance. Just go to Greece first, we’ll talk when you get back!” I hung up and went directly to the pet store by the complex entrance. “Excuse me, did Chloe board a Ragdoll cat here?” The clerk shook her head: “No, Chloe hasn’t been here in a long time.” I stood there, suddenly feeling a chill run through me. I went to several nearby pet stores, and the replies were all the same. Finally, I went to the vet clinic. The vet saw me, his expression a bit troubled. “Alex, what brings you here?” I went straight to the point: “I’m here to pick up Judy.” The vet’s face changed: “Judy? She…” “What about her?” The vet lowered his head: “When Chloe brought her in, she said the cat was very sick.” I staggered back a step, feeling the whole world spin. “She lied!” my voice trembled uncontrollably. “Judy was fine before I left the house!” The vet didn’t dare to look at me: “Later, Liam came to handle it. He said the cat was too noisy, affecting his rest, and requested euthanasia.” Judy, my cat of three years, was euthanized because she was too noisy. Walking out of the vet clinic in a daze, I took out my phone and called Chloe: “Judy is dead!” The other end was silent for a long time. “Alex!” She finally spoke, her voice somewhat flustered: “I didn’t know.” “You didn’t know?” I cut her off: “Didn’t know Liam would kill my cat? Or didn’t know I’d find out?” “Chloe, do you know?” “When Judy died, she must have been so scared. She must have wondered why I didn’t come to save her.” With that, I hung up the phone. I stood at the vet clinic entrance, holding Judy’s urn, memories flooding back like a vivid montage. The first day I saw Judy, I had failed in my startup, sitting on the couch, covering my face, silently weeping. When Chloe returned, she held a box in her hand. She smiled and said, “Alex, this is for you.” Inside the box was a tiny Ragdoll kitten. “Her name is Judy,” she said, “I hope she can make you happy.” Later, every time I worked late into the night, Judy would lie on my lap. Every time I was too stressed, she would rub her head against me. Every time Chloe and I argued, she would jump into my arms, as if comforting me. Now, she was gone. Just like my feelings for Chloe. “Judy,” I whispered: “I’m sorry. I didn’t protect you.” I wiped away my tears: “I promise you, I will make those who hurt you pay the price.”

My phone suddenly rang; it was my mom. Her voice, choked with tears, came through: “Alex, I saw the news online.” My nose stung, and my eyes welled up. Mom’s voice was choked but firm: “No matter what happens, your dad and I believe in you.” I took a deep breath: “Mom, I’m fine. Those videos are AI-generated; it’ll be resolved soon.” Mom suddenly said: “If you’re unhappy, just come home. I know starting your own business alone in New York is hard. Your dad and I will always welcome you back.” I stood by the roadside, and tears finally fell. It had been three years. This was the first time I’d cried. In this world, someone still loved me unconditionally. “Okay,” I said softly. I hung up the phone and looked at the wedding ring on my hand. Chloe hadn’t worn hers in a long time. It was time for me to take mine off too. I took a deep breath and removed the ring. Then I called a local delivery service. I put the ring in a parcel box and sent it to Chloe. After the courier left, I went to a hotel. As soon as I entered the room, Chloe’s call came through. I didn’t answer. After it rang three more times, I just turned my phone off. When I turned it back on an hour later, there were 23 missed calls, all from Chloe. And over a dozen text messages: [What does the ring mean?] [Answer the phone!!] [Alex, I’m giving you one last chance] [Fine, then don’t regret it] The last one was sent five minutes ago. I scoffed, a cold laugh escaping me, and with a tap of my finger, deleted her contact. At eight PM, there was furious pounding on the door. “Alex! Open up!” It was Chloe’s voice. I looked through the peephole; she stood at the door, her face dark. “I know you’re in there,” her voice was icy, “Open the door, let’s talk.” I didn’t move. “Alex,” she knocked on the door, “Don’t make me get nasty.” I still didn’t move. “Fine,” she sneered, “You think hiding will solve anything?” “I’m telling you, I’ve frozen your accounts.” “All your money is in my hands.” “Without me, you can’t even afford this hotel!” “Open the door right now, or…” “Or what?” I spoke through the door. She froze for a moment, then grew angrier: “Or you won’t get a single cent!” “Oh,” I said, “Then don’t give it.” “Chloe,” I said softly, “Do you know?” “The one thing I’m never short on is money.” “Alex!” she exploded, “Open the door for me, now!” “You…” “Chloe,” I cut her off, “If you don’t leave, I’m calling the police.” “The police?” she scoffed, “Go ahead! Let’s see who dares to intervene!” I took out my phone and dialed 911. “Hello, I have someone harassing me here.” Before I finished speaking, I heard footsteps outside the door. Then the sound of the elevator closing. I hung up. I opened my laptop and logged into my email. Three years ago, I gave up a Ph.D. opportunity, focusing solely on starting a business to make money for Chloe. My mentor once told me: “Alex, with your abilities, you shouldn’t just be your wife’s assistant. You can always come back.” Now, it was time to go back. I sent an email to Professor Clark: [Professor, is there still a position available for the project you mentioned three years ago?] Then I made a call. “Jeff, can you help me check Chloe’s recent call records?” The other end was silent for a few seconds. “Okay.” Jeff was my college roommate and the champion of a national hacking competition. Back then, I had helped him secure a coveted position at a prestigious research institution. After hanging up, I dialed another number. “Marta, it’s me.” The voice on the other end immediately became excited: “Alex! You finally contacted me!” Marta was a classmate from college, now a partner at a renowned law firm. Back then, I had helped her get established at SKY Group; now it was her turn to help me. “Marta,” my voice was calm, “I need your help.” “Tell me,” she said immediately, “What do you need?” “Help me prepare divorce papers.” The other end was silent for a few seconds. “Alex,” her voice was slightly choked, “You finally came to your senses.” Hanging up, I walked to the window, looking at the distant SKY Group building. Those lights, one of them used to shine for me. Now, I was going to shut them down, one by one.

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The day before our wedding, Mason suddenly demanded I buy him a Mercedes. He looked utterly helpless. “You’re pregnant and can’t work. Buying a new car is just for my job, and to make it easier to take care of you and the baby.” To help me, my mom used all her life savings. But three months after we got married, Mom was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I begged Mason for help, but he refused. “You’re already asking me for money right after getting married!” he said. “You think having my child gives you leverage over me? Honestly, I’m not short on women who’d have my kids!” I worked desperately to earn money, but Mom still passed away. On the way back from the funeral, I overheard Mason talking to a woman. “Turns out poor people are all the same, always calculating,” he said. “I thought Mia was different from other women, but she’s just after my money! I lost the bet. Pick out whatever car you want.” So he’d been pretending to be poor all along. And marrying me was just a bet. But when I finally gave up all hope and turned to leave, he cried and fell to his knees, begging me not to go.

“I told you before, poor people have no genuine feelings!” the woman, Tiffany, said smugly, snuggling into his shoulder. “I just feel bad for you, getting played. She showed her true colors after only three months. How boring.” I couldn’t see Mason’s expression, only that he calmly swiped his card. “A bet’s a bet. I misjudged her this time,” he said. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Mia’s pretty and has a good figure. I’ll just consider it like keeping a call girl for two years. No loss there.” Tiffany couldn’t hide the joy on her face as she pulled Mason into the new car. I knew that car dealership all too well. During the months Mom was sick, I worked there part-time as a mechanic, eagerly taking on every dirty, exhausting job I could find. I was actually coming back now to pack up my things and quit. Watching that flashy, limited-edition Ferrari peel out of the lot, I slowly approached. Sarah, the car salesperson, was still beaming and chattering away. “That’s the son of our city’s richest man!” she said. “Casually dropping millions on a luxury car. I don’t even want to work hard anymore. Marry a guy like that, and you’d instantly save yourself ten years of effort!” I stood there, clutching Mom’s urn, frozen for a long time. Mr. Davies, my supervisor, settled my remaining wages, sighed, and patted my shoulder. “My condolences,” he said. “If you ever want to come back, you’re always welcome here.” Less than two thousand dollars–not enough for even half a day of Mom’s medical bills. Now it was all I had left in the world. I trudged home, completely distraught. My landlord, Mr. Henderson, was waiting at the door. “Mia, you’re two months behind on rent,” he said. “The deposit won’t cover it if you can’t pay up soon.” I forced a weak smile, clutching the cash in my hand. “There’s been an emergency,” I said. “I can’t pay. I’ll move out as soon as possible.” Mr. Henderson’s eyes held a hint of amusement. “Bought a new place?” he asked. “I saw your husband driving a luxury car home the other day. You two certainly keep things under wraps, don’t you?” I lowered my head with a bitter smile, unsure how to explain, just as Mason stepped out of the elevator.

He spotted me, clicked his tongue impatiently, and carelessly tossed his bag at me. Mr. Henderson immediately spoke to Mason. “If you terminate your lease early, the deposit isn’t refundable,” he said. “You’ll also need to pay these two months’ rent. I know you two aren’t short on cash. Don’t make this difficult for me.” After Mr. Henderson finished speaking, Mason shot me a cold glare. “You didn’t pay the rent?” he said. “Waiting for me to bail you out, huh? Mia, do you really have to stoop so low? Your schemes are practically hitting me in the face. Is it really worth it for a little cash?” I replied almost instinctively, “Yes, it is.” My mom’s half-million dollars, saved over a lifetime, was nothing but pocket change to him. Yet that money, or the lack thereof, had literally dragged her to her grave. He scoffed, pulled a wad of cash from his bag, and slapped it hard against my face. “Here, how much do you want?” he said. “I’ll give it to you!” Bills fluttered to the floor. Days ago, I would’ve swallowed my pride and scrambled to pick them up. But now they meant nothing to me. I counted out two months’ rent, handed it to Mr. Henderson, and opened the door to go inside. Mason and I had lived in this apartment for two years; every corner held traces of our life together. My gaze fell on a photo on the wall–two slightly awkward figures, leaning close, smiling radiantly. It was the first photo we’d taken when we first got together. After graduation, in the breakroom of my internship company, he told me he was an intern in another department. I still remembered how his eyes crinkled when he smiled, bright and innocent, claiming he knew nothing and needed my guidance. I couldn’t forget his youthful innocence. He sought me out, and I couldn’t help but fall for him. I truly wanted a good future with him, so I worked desperately, striving for a full-time position, trying to make a stable life for myself in this city. For two years, we supported each other, comforted each other, slowly building our story in this apartment. But now everything had dissolved into thin air. All my hopes for the future were just a rich kid’s elaborate game. A ridiculous feeling spread through my heart. Mason didn’t notice anything different about me and simply sat on the couch. “Satisfied, Mia?” he said. “Finally got your money, feeling good about yourself? Your greed is disgusting. How did you become like this? You used to have some integrity. Think about it, how many times have you asked me for money these past few months? All for a Mercedes, and you completely showed your true colors. Were all your talks about working hard and our future just empty words?” I looked at him. He was different now, dressed in a sharp, tailored suit, his hair meticulously styled. He clearly wasn’t going to keep up the act anymore. The disappointment and helplessness in his eyes pricked at me. I didn’t respond to his accusations, just said faintly, “Let’s get a divorce, Mason.” A strange silence stretched for a long time before Mason suddenly laughed. “Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?” he said. “To get me to pay that half-million, you’d even lie about your mom having cancer? You know I hate being lied to! Two years wasted. I was clearly blind. If anyone’s getting a divorce, it’s me calling it.” His voice was filled with anger. He pulled a paper from his bag and signed it directly. “Get over here, sign it, and let’s get this done,” he said. “I don’t have time to waste on you.” So he’d been prepared all along.

I carefully placed the paper box containing Mom’s ashes and her photo on the cabinet. Then I walked slowly toward Mason. I took the pen and signed, without hesitation. Out of the corner of his eye, he was eyeing me up and down. I felt nothing but disgust and weariness. After I signed, he scoffed and tossed a bank card onto the floor. “Your money’s all in there, untouched,” he said. “Consider these two years a gift from me. I misjudged you.” I looked back at him, really looked at him. I remembered just a few days ago, when Mom was critically ill, she’d whispered that she wanted to see Mason, to know we were okay. He’d already lost patience with me after I’d begged him for money, but for Mom, I swallowed my pride and called him. It took a whole night to get through, and when he finally picked up, I was met with a torrent of mockery. “Calling for money again?” he said. “What’s the excuse this time?” I suppressed my anger and whispered, “Mom’s not doing well. Could you… just come see her once, let her know we’re okay? That’s all.” Suddenly, a loud laugh erupted on the other end. “Wow, your storytelling has really improved,” he said. “You think I’ll pity you, believe you, and transfer you money now? I’m not a fan of this act. Go practice some more. Next time, come up with something more touching, and maybe I’ll actually fall for it.” The call was disconnected. When I tried to call back, he’d blocked my number. He never came, not even when Mom passed away. I couldn’t forget the last words Mom said to me. She said, “When you have a baby, I won’t be able to help you during your postpartum period. That’s a crucial time for a woman, and I wanted to tell him to treat you well.” “Couples need to understand each other,” she said. “He’s a good boy. You two should live a good life together.” Until her last moment, Mom wanted Mason and me to stay together. But Mom didn’t know that the day after I begged Mason for money, he dragged me to a forced abortion. He said he wouldn’t be threatened by a child and wanted to crush any hopes I had. Right after the abortion, I had no time to rest. Hounded by hospital bills, I worked non-stop odd jobs, day and night. What was he doing then? Partying it up every night with other women? Or venting to his buddies about how I’d supposedly ‘schemed’ against him? I couldn’t even feel angry anymore, only sad and ridiculous. I picked up the card. It held the money Mom had saved her entire life–it was hers, and I needed to get it back. As I picked up the card, Mason let out a disdainful scoff, clearly sneering at my actions. I ignored him, secured the card, and started packing. Half a million dollars–enough to buy Mom a proper urn and a decent burial plot. The thought brought a familiar pang of sadness to my nose, and my eyes welled up. I’d never been one to cry easily. I hadn’t cried while caring for Mom, or even after she passed. Until now, I’d always thought that if I just tried harder, maybe everything would turn around. But the pain had only been delayed. Only now was the reality of Mom’s absence slowly sinking in. Tears slowly streamed down my face, and my hands trembled uncontrollably as I packed. Just then, the doorbell rang. Mason went to open the door, and I looked over. The person was familiar–it was Sarah, the car salesperson from the dealership, the ‘little white flower’ who’d driven away in the new car. I saw her smile at Mason. “Mason, I was worried she might get desperate and pull something crazy,” she said. “Cornered poor people can be terrifying, you know. Is the agreement signed? I’m here to take you home.” Mason’s gaze instantly softened.

“You’re always so thoughtful,” he said. Tiffany looked down and chuckled, then her gaze landed on me. “Pleasure to meet you,” she said. “I’ve heard Mason talk about you often. I honestly thought you might be different from other lower-class people, but it turns out you’re just a terrible actress, a clumsy liar. Oh, and the ‘dutiful daughter’ act? Now that you have your money back, you can drop it. Go ahead, raise your mom from the dead. Wouldn’t want those ‘unlucky’ words to actually come true, right?” Her mocking tone, her disdainful gaze–the anger coiling in my chest finally snapped. Saying things about me was one thing, but about my mom? I wouldn’t tolerate it. It was almost instinct. My hand flew out, landing a punch squarely on her face. By the time Mason roared, Tiffany was already sprawled on the floor. “Mia, are you crazy?” he yelled. “Did I hit a nerve? Do you even know who you just hit?” Did it matter who she was to the person I was now? I had nothing left to lose. I ignored his threats, dragged Tiffany up, and slapped her hard again. But before I could finish, several burly men in black suits burst through the door and pinned me to the floor. Tiffany scrambled up, looking disheveled, and burst into tears, burrowing into Mason’s arms. “Mason, I’m okay!” she sobbed. “I provoked her on purpose! I already recorded her hitting me with my tiny camera. I can press charges right away!” Pinned to the ground, I couldn’t move an inch, only watch her through gritted teeth. She pulled out a tiny camera from her neckline and gave me a sinister smile. “It’s all recorded now!” she said. “Mason, you *have* to get revenge for me!” Mason stared at me, his face grim. He slowly took off his shoe, patted my face with it mockingly, then swung his hand back. The pain arrived as expected–a harsh, stinging slap. My tears instantly welled up and spilled over. A flicker of regret crossed his eyes, but his gaze was full of disappointment. “I never thought we’d end up like this,” he said. “You were almost there, almost passed my test. But at the last moment, you showed your true colors.” “We did have two years together, and I truly loved you once,” he continued. “This slap is just Tiffany returning the favor. Let’s just part ways. You and I, we’re simply not meant for the same road.” Tiffany, still held back, sounded indignant. “Mason, you’re too soft-hearted!” she said. “That’s why this gold-digger had you wrapped around her finger. Look at her, still unrepentant. If she knew your real identity, she’d probably be on her knees begging to get back with you.” Mason looked down at me, his eyes full of pity, as if he felt sorry for me. Yet in our two years together, he’d never once given me a gift. Instead, I’d been constantly struggling to meet his demands. Maybe that was another part of his ‘test,’ but truly, I owed him nothing. I spoke coldly to Mason. “Is it fun to play with someone’s genuine feelings?” I asked. “In this relationship, I never owed you anything. Maybe I wasn’t ‘good enough’ for a rich heir, but you have no right to insult me.” “From beginning to end, you’re the only one who wronged me.” No sooner had I finished speaking than another angry slap landed. “I wronged you?” he shouted. “I spent two years on you! Do you honestly think those cheap little things you gave me can buy back two years of my youth? You know I’m a rich heir! Do you even comprehend how valuable my time is, someone like you?” Mason’s face flushed crimson with anger, and Tiffany beside him laughed, clearly enjoying the show. “Mason, didn’t I tell you?” she said. “These people are hopelessly unrepentant. You try to give her an inch, and she’ll take a mile.”

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I lost both my parents at ten and was raised by Payton. He helped me overcome my mutism and turned down every relationship for my sake. I thought this was love. On my eighteenth birthday, I gathered the courage to kiss him. But he pushed me away. “I’m your brother. Even though we’re not blood-related, what you’re doing is disgusting.” Three months ago, he brought home his arranged fiancée, Sophia They held hands. Embraced. Kissed. Right in front of me. When Sophia had an allergic reaction and was hospitalized, he accused me of poisoning her. “Go home and kneel. Give the Williams family an explanation.” I knelt in the pouring rain all night. Later I found out the allergy was her own staged performance, and her fall at the banquet was self-inflicted too. But what did it matter? By then, I’d already bought a one-way ticket to the Gobi Desert. On the night of the birthday banquet, I left him a letter. “I don’t love you anymore.” 1. Lily’s POV “Professor, I’ve made up my mind. I’m ready to go to the Gobi.” On the other end of the line, the professor’s surprise quickly gave way to relief. “Are you sure? The conditions in the Gobi are extremely harsh.” I gripped my phone, my knuckles turning slightly white. “I’m sure.” “But your brother has always doted on you. I doubt he’ll agree to let you…” I cut off the professor’s words, my voice softening. “Don’t worry, he’ll agree.” “Good. Make sure you talk it over with him properly. The departure date is in two weeks.” After hanging up, I looked at the framed photo on my nightstand. In the photo, seventeen-year-old Payton stood with ten-year-old me on his back at a mountain summit. He turned his face toward me, the mountain wind tousling his hair. Our two families had been close friends for generations. The year my parents died in a plane crash, the Sterling family took me in. But losing my parents caused me to develop mutism. I didn’t speak a single word for three whole months. The two Sterling elders were busy with official duties and had no extra time to focus on me. It was Payton who took my hand and said, “You still have me. I’ll always be here to take care of you.” And he really did. He picked me up and dropped me off at school. Always sat in the front row at parent-teacher meetings. Braided my hair, clumsy but gentle. Stayed up all night when I had nightmares. He even turned down several relationships for my sake, saying, “Lily isn’t ready to accept a new family member yet.” Under his gentleness and patience, I finally spoke again. I grew more and more dependent on him, making him my entire world. But somewhere along the way, that dependence changed its nature. On the night of my eighteenth birthday, Payton threw me a coming-of-age party that stunned the whole city. At that party, he, who never touched alcohol, broke his rule and drank. After the celebration ended, I helped the drunk Payton home. As he leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed, I leaned down and gently kissed the corner of his lips. Payton’s eyes flew open. He pushed me away, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock. “Do you even know what you’re doing?” “I know.” I gathered my courage and confessed my feelings. “I like you.” “This is absurd!” It was the first time he’d been this angry with me. “Everyone knows we’re siblings!” “We’re not blood-related. How does that make us siblings?” “I’m your brother in name!” “So what?” “Lily!” He was livid, as if I’d committed some grave sin. “I’m seven years older than you! You’re only eighteen. What do you know about liking someone?” I remained stubborn. “Eighteen is legal adulthood. I’m an adult now, so of course I know what it means to like someone!” Seeing me counter his every argument, his expression darkened. “Ridiculous!” That argument ended with Payton slamming the door and leaving. From then on, Payton’s attitude toward me grew increasingly cold. He came home less and less frequently. For matters concerning me, he no longer handled them personally but sent the butler instead. But even so, I never gave up. Every year on his birthday, I carefully prepared gifts and earnestly confessed my feelings to him. Payton never responded. I thought that no matter how cold he was or how much he refused to respond, I would keep on liking him. Until three months ago, when Payton suddenly agreed to an arranged marriage and brought his marriage partner, Sophia, home. That night at dinner, Sophia sat in what used to be my seat, gently serving Payton food. I couldn’t believe it. I questioned him privately, asking if he’d deliberately agreed to the marriage just to force me to give up my feelings for him. But Payton said coldly, “You’re overthinking it. We’re getting married because we’re well-matched, and we’ve reached the age for marriage.” “I’ve also reached the age for marriage!” For the first time, my eyes reddened in front of him. “Payton, why won’t you like me?” “Because you have no idea what real affection is!” After that, Sophia appeared at the house frequently. They held hands, embraced, kissed-intimate and affectionate. It made me feel like all my years of affection were nothing but a laughable case of unrequited love. Last night at two in the morning, I got up for water. Passing by the study, I heard faint sounds coming from inside. The door was ajar. I saw Payton and Sophia by the desk, intimately close, with ambiguous sounds spilling out. I covered my mouth and retreated to my room, sliding down against the door until I sat on the floor. I cried all night. In that moment, I finally understood-some things, if they’re not mine, I can’t force them to be. So I decided to let go of my feelings for him and leave his side. I’d clung to him for so many years. He must have been fed up with me long ago. I was about to leave for the Gobi soon. I wouldn’t bother him like I used to. He’d probably be relieved when he found out. 2. Lily’s POV I pulled my suitcase and opened my bedroom door, suddenly hearing the faint sound of a lock turning from the master bedroom across the hall. My breath caught, and I froze in place. Payton pushed his door open and stepped out. He wore a light gray cashmere sweater and casual slacks. His hair was still slightly damp, as if he’d just showered. The morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling window at the end of the hallway, gilding him in a thin golden outline. For a moment, I felt like I’d returned to the past. Those mornings when he hadn’t yet distanced himself from me-he would always appear like this, fresh and clean, ruffling my hair and asking if I’d slept well. But the next second, his gaze swept over to me and landed on my suitcase. “Going somewhere?” “…Yeah.” I pressed my lips together and looked away. Payton’s brow furrowed slightly. “Where?” “Back to campus to stay for a few days.” I didn’t mention that I’d be leaving for the Gobi in two weeks. After all, he’d find out once I was gone. Payton looked me over. “Why would you suddenly want to go back to campus?” Because I wanted to make room for Sophia. I didn’t want my presence to get in their way. But before I could answer, Payton stepped forward, grabbed my suitcase from my hand, and ordered, “You’re about to start your internship. There’s no need to go back to campus. Stay home. You’re not moving out.” With that, he domineeringly placed my suitcase back in my bedroom. He looked almost afraid I might leave. I froze, but quickly dismissed it as overthinking. How could Payton possibly be afraid of me leaving? He only forbade me from returning to campus out of habit-treating me like a “little sister.” “Miss Lily, breakfast is ready.” The butler’s voice called from downstairs, breaking my daze. In the dining room, an elegant breakfast was already laid out on the long table. Payton sat at the head, a financial newspaper spread before him, a cup of black coffee at his side. He ate gracefully, his movements refined. Even the sound of turning pages was soft. I sat down diagonally across from him. “Payton!” A crisp female voice suddenly rang out from the foyer. My fingers trembled, and my spoon clinked against the bowl. Sophia walked in with a bright smile, went to Payton’s side, and leaned down to kiss his cheek. “Did I keep you waiting? Traffic was a bit heavy.” Payton set down his newspaper and naturally put his hand on her waist. “No rush. Have you eaten breakfast yet?” “Not yet. I wanted to eat with you.” Sophia sat down beside him, and a servant immediately added a set of utensils. Throughout the whole process, no one glanced at me. I sat there like a ghost in my own seat, watching their natural, intimate interactions. Sophia served Payton a piece of bacon. Payton poured her milk. They spoke in low voices, occasionally exchanging smiles. That intimacy was like fine needles piercing my eyes. I lowered my head, staring at the porridge in my bowl that had already gone cold. Suddenly, the dining room felt unbearably crowded-so crowded I couldn’t breathe. “By the way, Lily,” Sophia suddenly turned toward me, as if just noticing my presence. “We’re going skiing today. Do you want to come with us?” I froze, instinctively shaking my head. “I…” “Don’t refuse so quickly. You’d be so bored at home alone.” Sophia’s tone was light. “Payton, let’s bring Lily along, okay?” Payton looked up at me. His gaze was calm and indifferent as he said flatly, “Since Sophia invited you, come along.” One sentence-but it felt like a dull knife slowly cutting open my heart. He didn’t care whether I’d feel awkward. He didn’t care whether watching him be intimate with someone else would hurt me. I didn’t want to torture myself, so I tried to decline. But Sophia came over at that moment and enthusiastically linked her arm through mine. “Then it’s settled! Lily, you won’t refuse me, will you?” 3. Lily’s POV Sophia was too enthusiastic. The refusal on the tip of my tongue never made it out. In the end, I sat in the passenger seat of the Maybach while Payton and Sophia sat together in the back. “Payton, do you remember the last time we went skiing? I took such a bad fall, and you laughed at me.” “Yeah, I remember. Later at the hot spring inn, you complained all night about your sore knee.” “Don’t tease me about that…” Listening to their conversation from the back seat, my hands twisted together on my lap, my nails digging into my palms. So he had all these shared memories with someone else too. That tenderness, that companionship-they weren’t exclusive to me. Halfway through the drive, Sophia seemed to finally remember there was another person in the car. She suddenly asked with a bright smile, “Lily, do you know how to ski?” I tensed up and glanced at the rearview mirror. The handsome man in the back seat furrowed his brow slightly, a fleeting emotion passing through his eyes. I forced a curve to my lips. “Yes.” “Oh?” Sophia sounded interested. “When did you learn? Did you teach yourself, or did someone teach you?” I’d known how to ski since I was fifteen. And the person who taught me was sitting right beside Sophia. But after two seconds of silence, I said, “I learned from an instructor at the ski resort.” At those words, the man in the back seat frowned even more deeply, his expression darkening slightly. When we arrived at the ski resort, I was putting on my protective gear. Payton walked up to me, his tall frame bringing an oppressive presence. “Lily, since when did you learn to lie?” I looked up. “What?” “You learned to ski from a resort instructor?” His handsome face was clouded with displeasure. “Why lie?” I lied only to avoid Sophia misunderstanding anything and affecting their relationship. But I didn’t understand-this was such a trivial matter. Why was Payton so upset about it? Just as I was about to explain, Sophia’s voice called from the other side. “Payton, come help me. I think there’s something wrong with my gear.” Hearing that, Payton warned me coldly, “If you lie again and develop those bad habits, see if I don’t punish you.” Then he turned and walked toward Sophia. I watched his retreating figure. Watched him help Sophia with her gear, checking her equipment. That gentle, careful, considerate side of him-he used to show it only to me. I forced myself to stop watching them and found a gentle slope to ski on alone. “Lily!” Before long, Sophia skied over to me. I glanced behind her, but she was alone. “No need to look. Payton went to get us hot drinks.” Sophia stopped in front of me, removed her ski goggles, and revealed a face with delicate makeup. “Payton really is something, putting all his attention and energy on me and just leaving you here alone. He’s being unreasonable.” I stopped as well and smiled. “It’s fine. You’re his fiancée. It’s only right that he takes extra care of you.” “But watching him treat me well must hurt you, doesn’t it?” Sophia’s eyes suddenly carried undisguised scrutiny and provocation. I frowned slightly. “I don’t understand what you mean.” “Heh.” Sophia let out an extremely soft laugh, one laced with mockery, completely different from her gracious demeanor in front of Payton. “You understand. You understand better than anyone.” I froze. “The way you look at him-you can’t hide it.” Sophia smiled smugly. “Too bad it only makes him feel burdened. He told me himself that you’re too emotionally complicated, and sometimes he doesn’t know how to deal with you.” Emotionally complicated… doesn’t know how to deal with… So when he talked about me to others, that’s how he saw me-even as a burden. “He’s just too responsible. Because your families have been friends for generations, and he pitied you for losing your parents, he had no choice but to take care of you all these years.” My fingers curled as I pressed my lips tightly together. “But it’s just responsibility. Lily, do you understand? He takes care of you out of responsibility. Nothing more.” Sophia leaned closer, lowering her voice. “We’re getting married soon. If you’re smart, you’ll gradually learn to distance yourself from him. Leave yourself some dignity.” I listened quietly, then slowly smiled. “You’re right.” 4. Lily’s POV Sophia froze. I continued with a smile, “He’s taken care of me all these years only out of pity. So you don’t need to be threatened by my existence. After all, you’re already his fiancée.” Sophia was about to say more- “Watch out! Move!!” A terrified shout suddenly came from the steep slope in the distance. A snowboarder who’d clearly lost control was hurtling straight toward us at breakneck speed. “Lily! Sophia!!” Payton’s panicked shout rang out almost simultaneously. “Get out of the way!” Everything happened in a split second. I had no time to react. Sophia, standing diagonally in front of me, let out a scream of terror. The next moment, a figure came charging from the side, wrapped in wind and snow spray, at incredible speed. It was Payton. He rushed to Sophia’s side, extended his arm, pulled her into his embrace, and together they stumbled toward the safety zone. I stood less than a meter from Sophia, but he didn’t spare me even a glance. Then a massive force slammed into me. A muffled grunt caught in my throat. Everything spun. I was knocked off the ski run, rolled several times in the snow, tumbled into the forest barrier, and finally hit the back of my head hard against a tree trunk. In an instant, my vision went black. I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was in a hospital room. The nurse changing my IV bag glanced at me when she heard movement. “You’re awake. How do you feel?” All I felt was a dull throb in the back of my head and aches throughout my body, like I’d been taken apart. “You have a mild concussion and multiple contusions. Lucky for you, no fractures. Just lie still and don’t move around. You’ll need to stay for observation for a couple days.” After giving her instructions, the nurse turned and left the room. I closed my eyes again to rest, but then I heard the envious voices of nurses outside. “Mr. Sterling is so good to Miss Williams. She just got a little scared, and he’s been by her side the whole time…” “I heard the Sterling and Williams families are about to have an arranged marriage. Of course he’d be attentive to his fiancée, right?” “But that girl in the next room…I heard she’s Mr. Sterling’s sister? She’s injured so badly, even has a concussion, and he barely even comes to check on her…” The voices gradually faded. I sat up, pulled the needle from the back of my hand, and got out of bed. The dizziness was intense. I leaned against the wall for a while before slowly shuffling out of the room. The door to the VIP room next door was ajar. Through the crack, I saw Payton sitting by the bed, gently and attentively feeding Sophia fruit. “Payton,” catching sight of me outside the door, Sophia suddenly grabbed his hand, her eyes glistening. “I was so scared today… If you hadn’t gotten there in time, I…” “It’s okay.” Payton patted her back, his voice soothing. “It’s over now.” Sophia nestled into his arms, flashing me a victorious smile, then said as if casually, “I heard Lily woke up. Don’t you want to go check on her?” “I hired a caregiver for her. The caregiver will look after her. You were frightened and need rest. I’ll stay here with you.” As his words fell, I lowered my lashes. I didn’t go in to disturb them. I turned and walked back to my room, supporting myself against the wall. Lying back in bed, I pulled the covers over my face. I remembered when I was fifteen and hospitalized with a high fever. Payton postponed an important international conference and stayed by my bedside for two full days and nights. Delirious with fever, all I remembered was him wiping my forehead with warm water over and over, coaxing me softly, “I’m here. Don’t be afraid.” Back then, his eyes were so gentle-gentle as if he wanted to place the whole world before me. But now, I was injured and hospitalized right next door, and he didn’t even have the time to glance my way. Maybe this was for the best. He’d agreed to an arranged marriage now and had a fiancée. We should distance ourselves. My phone vibrated. I picked it up. It was a text from Payton. “You’re awake? How do you feel? Do you need anything?” I stared at the message, my finger hovering over the screen. A few seconds later, I turned off the screen without replying. 5. Lily’s POV Late at night, the hospital room door was pushed open. I heard movement through my drowsy haze. When I opened my eyes, Payton’s dark silhouette stood by my bed. He spoke. “Did I wake you?” I shook my head and said nothing. Payton glanced at the gauze wrapped around my forehead, his brow furrowing. “Does it still hurt?” “Not too bad.” Silence spread between us. After a pause, Payton said, “Lily, that situation was so sudden. I saved Sophia because…” “I understand. You don’t need to explain.” I cut him off, lowering my lashes. “Miss Williams is your fiancée. It’s only natural that you saved her.” But before, he’d always put me first. Even if it meant getting hurt himself, he’d protect me without a scratch. He couldn’t bear to let me get even the slightest injury. Payton’s feelings were unclear. I said calmly, “Did you come all the way here in the middle of the night just to say this?” “I remember you’re very good at making soup,” Payton said slowly, somewhat reluctantly. “You have your own special recipes.” That was because he worked long hours with irregular meals. I was afraid he’d develop stomach problems, so I consulted countless sources and asked several doctors. After trying countless times, I finally figured out the foods and flavors that suited his taste and were best for his stomach. “Sophia hasn’t had much of an appetite these past couple days. She’s not feeling well and wants some soup. She tried yours once before and thought it was quite good, so she asked me to come ask you…” Before he could finish, my heart sank and my chest tightened painfully. “I’m injured and still hospitalized, and you want me to make soup for her right now?” Payton paused, a flash of discomfort crossing his expression. Then he said, “Not you. Just give me the recipe. I’ll have someone make it and send it to her.” I stared at him for a long moment, then finally nodded without a word. I found paper and pen, wrote down the recipe, and handed it to him. Payton opened his mouth. “Lily…” “You should go.” I smiled. “Don’t keep Miss Williams waiting.” The next morning, when the hospital room door was urgently pushed open again, I was staring out the window in a daze. Payton strode in, his expression darker than I’d ever seen. I had a bad feeling. “What happened?” “Sophia’s in the emergency room!” he said directly, his voice ice-cold. “Full-body allergic rash, difficulty breathing!” I froze. “How could that happen?” “That’s what I should be asking you!” Before I could react, Payton threw a crumpled piece of paper at me-the recipe I’d written last night. “Why was she fine drinking it before, but this time she had a severe allergic reaction?” Payton stared at me, his gaze sharp as a blade. “What exactly did you add to this recipe?” I instinctively protested. “I didn’t add anything. This is the same recipe I always used. I don’t know why she had an allergic reaction.” “You don’t know?” Payton’s eyes simmered with barely suppressed rage. “The kitchen followed your recipe exactly. Now she’s lying in the emergency room, and the whole household is in chaos! And you think ‘I don’t know’ is enough?” “If you don’t believe me, you can test the recipe…” “But the Williams family demands an explanation now!” Payton’s face was cold and severe as he said darkly, “They say that at the ski resort, I saved her but not you. They claim you can’t tolerate her because of that, so you deliberately tampered with the recipe. They want you to pay the price! Otherwise, this won’t end!” I stiffened, understanding his implication. “So? How will you give them an explanation? Hand me over to the Williams family, or to the police?” Payton’s jawline tightened. He was silent for several seconds-seconds that felt like an entire century. “Pack up,” he finally spoke. “Go home and kneel outside the gate.” 6. Lily’s POV Payton actually wanted me to kneel? Before I could process my shock, two bodyguards in black burst into the hospital room. They grabbed my arms from both sides and roughly dragged me from the bed where I was still receiving an IV. “What are you doing? Let me go!” I couldn’t believe it. “Payton, how can you convict me without investigating first?!” I struggled with all my might, but with my strength, how could I possibly move two burly bodyguards? In the end, I was forcibly taken out of the hospital, shoved into a car, and escorted home. Outside the gates of Sterling Manor, Payton stood tall, his expression as still as a frozen lake. The Sophia’s parents stood nearby, their gazes stabbing into me like thorns. He spoke in a low voice. “Kneel.” My whole body went cold. “Why should I?” “Because you’re vicious and nearly killed Sophia!” Sophia’s mother shrieked. “Payton, this is the fine sister you raised!” Payton’s jaw tightened. He shot a look at the bodyguards. They understood. They pressed down hard on my shoulders. I fought back with everything I had, only to be restrained even more brutally. My kneecaps slammed hard into the cold, unforgiving stone pavement. Searing pain exploded through me. Payton walked up to me, looking down from above. “Apologize.” I gritted my teeth and looked up at him. “Payton, I didn’t try to harm her!” Payton’s brow furrowed deeply. He turned to the Williams parents. “You can rest assured. She’s here and will kneel until Sophia is confirmed safe. This is the Sterling family’s accountability to the Williams family.” Sophia’s mother wanted to say something, but Sophia’s father pulled her back. They had originally demanded that Payton hand me over to them, but Payton had said unequivocally that he would personally seek justice for Sophia and absolutely refused to hand me over. “Payton, Sophia is still lying in the emergency room. I hope you truly mean what you say. Don’t go soft halfway through just because she’s the sister you raised.” “You can rest assured. I’ll have someone watch her here and record everything.” With that, he clapped his hands. Immediately, bodyguards set up a tripod in the distance, aiming a camera lens directly at me. Only then were the Williams parents satisfied. Watching the Williams parents and Payton turn and get into their cars and leave, bone-deep coldness swept through my heart. I tried several times to struggle to my feet, only to be pushed back down mercilessly by the bodyguards standing watch. “Mr. Sterling said you can’t get up until you’ve knelt long enough!” Realizing resistance was futile and accepting reality, I stopped struggling. The rainstorm came without warning. One second the sky was overcast, the next second massive raindrops came crashing down, instantly turning into a torrential downpour. Icy rain poured over me, soaking through my thin hospital gown in seconds. My hair and clothes clung to my skin. Cold. Bone-piercing cold drilled into me through my knees, crawling up through my bones. I couldn’t stop shaking. My teeth chattered uncontrollably. I vaguely remembered the year I first came to the Sterling house. It had rained like this too. I was afraid of thunder and hid under my blanket, crying. It was Payton who pushed open my door, scooped me up blanket and all, gently patted my back, and said, “Lily, don’t be afraid. I’m here.” And now, the one making me kneel in the thunderstorm was also him. I pulled my lips into a faint smile.So this was what true heartbreak felt like. The sky turned from day to night. I didn’t know how long I’d been kneeling, only that my body had grown stiff and numb, like a piece of wood. My consciousness began to slip away under the assault of cold and pain. Then darkness came. Just as I lost consciousness and fell forward, I thought I heard a man’s panicked voice. “Lily.” My body didn’t hit the cold stone ground. Someone caught me. The man’s embrace was scorching hot. It carried a familiar scent. And a barely perceptible…tremble. How laughable.

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Sitting on the plane, I still felt dazed. I never thought that after five years abroad, I would have the chance to come back. After all, Orion had said that in this lifetime, I’d better never appear in front of him again. But it was also he who personally bought me a ticket back home, inviting me to attend his and Melissa’s wedding anniversary celebration. After two layovers, I finally landed. Uma had been sleeping peacefully on the plane, but once we got off, she started crying. “Mommy, my feet hurt,” she whimpered softly. Hearing Uma’s quiet sobs, I quickly picked her up and walked towards the exit. At the arrival gate, I turned on my phone, ready to call a cab. Just then, my phone rang. Seeing the familiar number on the screen, I fell silent, unsure whether to answer or not. In the end, I didn’t pick up. But a second call came through almost immediately. I sighed and finally answered. Orion’s voice quickly came through. After years without talking, his voice hadn’t changed. “Are you out of the airport? I sent an assistant to pick you up,” Orion said in a businesslike manner, as if we were strangers. I laughed bitterly, “I can get a cab myself.” There was silence for a second; Orion probably didn’t expect me to say that. After all, back then, I had been well taken care of by him. During my years by his side, all my needs were met – I never had to worry about transportation. After a moment of silence, Orion spoke casually, “Let the assistant come anyway. I bought a gift for Melissa on your behalf, it’s in the trunk. You can bring it directly when you come for dinner.” Orion was still so thoughtful, considering even the gift situation perfectly. Of course, when he spent millions on the venue and commissioned a limited edition diamond to create a unique wedding ring for Melissa, it was clear how much he loved her. “Alright,” I said, rubbing my forehead and responding softly. Orion didn’t say anything more, but he didn’t hang up either. After a while, Orion finally spoke: “Yara, after five years abroad, I hope you’ve really reflected on things. If you do anything to Melissa, I won’t let you off easy.” Hearing this, I was stunned. The noise around me seemed to fade away. Orion said he wouldn’t let me off easy. Before I could respond, Orion had already hung up. Actually, Orion could rest assured. I wouldn’t do anything to them. I just wanted to take good care of Uma and find a job. As I left the airport, I lowered my head. The proud 22-year-old me probably couldn’t have imagined that my life would end up in such a miserable state.

I was sent abroad by Orion on my 22nd birthday. That day, Orion discovered my diary. When I was young, my parents died in a cruise ship accident and never returned. Orion naturally took over my care. My relationship with him had always been harmonious. Until I became an adult, I realized I didn’t just see Orion as an uncle. I liked him. But I also knew very clearly that there was no future between Orion and me. So I wrote all my feelings in my diary. If Orion hadn’t seen my diary, I probably could have pretended that my feelings for him were just those of a niece for her uncle. But Orion saw it. He tore up my diary and asked me how I could have such disgusting thoughts. “Don’t you know I’m your uncle! Even without a blood relation, we can only be family!” The usually gentlemanly and refined Orion was no longer gentle, shouting at me with disgust in his eyes. At that time, I wanted to explain, but couldn’t explain anything. In the end, I could only keep bowing and apologizing, saying I was wrong, that I shouldn’t have fallen for him. But Orion didn’t calm down. The next day, he resigned from the job I had lined up, and under the guise of studying abroad, sent me to a remote university overseas. To prevent me from contacting the outside world, Orion even hired bodyguards to watch me. At first, I didn’t understand why Orion treated me this way. Until the first month after I went abroad, news of Orion’s marriage went viral. Only then did I realize that all these years, he had always had someone in his heart. I watched Orion’s wedding video over and over again. In the video, when looking at Melissa, Orion’s gaze was gentle and loving. He had never looked at me that way. From that moment on, I knew that Orion keeping me by his side for so many years was just out of sympathy and responsibility. His only love was Melissa. “Miss John, please get in the car,” the assistant’s voice brought me back to reality.

I nodded and got into the car with the sleeping Uma. When he saw Uma, the assistant’s face showed a hint of surprise: “Miss John, this is…?” I made a shushing gesture, afraid our conversation would disturb Uma’s sleep. After sitting in the back seat, I answered softly: “This is my daughter.” The assistant nodded and fell silent. When he drove to our destination, I was stunned. This hotel was where Orion and Melissa got married. Five years of marriage, he held a wedding anniversary celebration every year, and personally selected gifts for Melissa. I thought, Orion really cherished Melissa. In previous years, he didn’t allow me to enter their world. Inviting me back this year was probably just to let me witness their happiness. I numbly got out of the car and saw Melissa smiling as she walked towards me. Unlike my haggard appearance and simple clothes, Melissa wore expensive jewelry and perfume, looking well-cared for by Orion. Melissa’s smile suddenly froze. I knew she had seen Uma in my arms. Sure enough, when she came to my side, Melissa’s expression was very surprised: “Yara, how did you secretly have a child abroad without telling me? I’ve been married to your uncle for so long, you still treat me like an outsider.” Before I could speak, Melissa took Uma from my arms without asking. Uma woke up and immediately started crying, struggling not to let Melissa hold her. I took Uma back from Melissa and comforted her for a while. Actually, Melissa knew about my past crush on Orion. Returning this time, I didn’t want to get too involved with Melissa. But Melissa still stubbornly wanted to hold Uma. When Melissa and I arrived at the hotel’s private room, Uma was still crying and wanting me to hold her. Melissa forced a smile and handed Uma back to me: “Your uncle knows having children isn’t easy. We haven’t thought about having kids these past few years. Seeing you’ve had a daughter, I got too excited.” There were already several people sitting in the room. I wasn’t used to socializing, so I chose a corner seat, and Melissa sat down next to me. She enthusiastically linked arms with me, introducing me and Uma to the others. The looks others gave me were visibly teasing and probing. I couldn’t stand the strange atmosphere here and said I wanted to go to the restroom. When I came back after washing my face, I heard Melissa’s voice. Someone asked Melissa why she brought in an unlucky thing like me. “What unlucky thing, Yara is Orion’s sister. Although she went down the wrong path and tried to seduce Orion before, now that she’s had a child, she definitely won’t make mistakes again.” Hearing Melissa say this, I just quietly stood at the door of the private room. Yes, in others’ eyes, I was just a madwoman who tried to seduce her uncle, a shameless slut. Uma tugged at my clothes uneasily, and I comforted her before entering the room. Some things have to be faced eventually. I don’t know how long passed, but suddenly everyone in the room stood up. “Mr. John is here!” “Hello, Mr. John!” A group of people crowded around him, while I didn’t move, just sitting in my seat. After a long time, I finally raised my head and looked at Orion. He seemed to have lost some weight. Orion wore a suit, with Melissa leaning on him. When they looked at each other, their eyes were full of smiles. Orion was surrounded by people and didn’t notice me in the corner. All these years, he who should have been the center of attention still was, while the only one not doing well was me. Suddenly, Melissa seemed to remember something and pushed Orion with a smile: “Orion, Yara is here too. You uncle and niece haven’t seen each other for so many years, catch up a bit. Yara even brought back a surprise!” Hearing the word “surprise”, Orion remained unmoved, first helping Melissa sit down and ordering her a glass of milk before raising his eyes to look in my direction. Uma shrank into a ball, looking very wary. Orion obviously saw Uma too, his eyes widening suddenly. “Yara, what is this?” He was asking about Uma. I hadn’t told them about Uma, so when they saw me with her, their expressions were all the same – either surprised or looking like they were watching a show. Melissa spoke for me: “Orion, this is Yara’s daughter. Isn’t she cute? She looks just like Yara and seems to be a few years old already.” Orion’s gaze fell on Uma, then on me, examining me for a while. Just when I thought Orion wouldn’t pay attention to me anymore, he asked hoarsely, pointing at Uma: “During these years abroad… you got married and had a child?” I raised my head, looking directly at Orion, and nodded. “I got married a while ago. Sorry I didn’t tell you.” It was very quiet around, no one spoke. Orion stared at me, as if trying to judge whether my words were true or false. Melissa seemed about to say something, but Orion had already come to stand in front of me: “Where’s your husband?” I pursed my lips: “He’s busy recently, so he didn’t come.” Whispers and snickers sounded around the room, though these guests seemed to restrain their laughter out of respect for Orion. Orion’s face was aJohn, but in the end he didn’t say anything, just sat down next to Melissa. This meal, I ate without tasting anything. Everyone else was praising how well-matched Orion and Melissa were, while I just wanted to take Uma to rest early. The rent here wasn’t too expensive, I could still afford it. I didn’t want to go abroad again. The meal ended quickly. I wanted to leave, but Orion stopped me, saying he had something to tell me. In the end, Orion and I stayed in the private room. Melissa was there too. Orion looked at me coldly, his words as emotionless as his expression. “Yara, since we all have our own families now, I hope you won’t come to bother me in the future.” Melissa covered the smile at the corner of her lips: “Orion, don’t say that to Yara. She’s a grown woman now, she knows what she shouldn’t do.” The couple sang in harmony, looking particularly in sync. And I was excluded from this synchronization. They never believed the promises I made. But I still nodded and bowed: “I won’t in the future.” They didn’t say anything, and I had already turned to leave with Uma in my arms. Orion called his assistant to send me off, but this time I refused. After returning to the rental apartment with Uma, she suddenly asked me quietly if the uncle and aunt today disliked her. They say children are perceptive and know everything. I shook my head: “They don’t dislike Uma.” They just dislike me. Uma looked like she had many questions she wanted to ask me, but in the end she didn’t, just hugged me and said, mom, you’ve worked hard. The tears I had held back all day seemed about to fall at this moment. But I couldn’t cry in front of Uma. So I tilted my head back, holding back the tears. After putting Uma to sleep, I suddenly received a text message. The sender was Melissa. “Yara, if you have time, let’s talk.” I frowned and told her she could just text me directly. But Melissa didn’t send any more messages. Just before bed, I received a call from Melissa. “I’m downstairs at your place. I just want to ask you one thing.” “Do you have any thoughts of going abroad again recently? Orion and I actually both hope you’ll continue to stay abroad. And your husband is abroad too, right? It’s better for you to go abroad.” I was a bit confused at first, but after realizing, I found it a bit funny. The only thing that could make Melissa contact me late at night was probably just this. They both hated me to this extent. They couldn’t even stand being in the same country as me. I glanced at Uma sleeping beside me. After going downstairs, I indeed saw Melissa standing under a streetlight. Standing in front of her, I took a deep breath before looking directly into her eyes: “I don’t plan to go abroad.” Even if just for Uma’s sake, I won’t take her on such a tiring journey again. Melissa laughed lightly. With no one else around, her gaze finally showed undisguised contempt. “Yara, I know you’re very short on money now. What if I could give you a sum of money, would you be willing to go abroad?”

I was silent for a moment. The fact that I was short on money was already common knowledge. Melissa and Orion knew I had a hard time abroad, so when threatening me, they were also very clear about my weakness. But I refused. Melissa seemed a bit surprised. That night, Melissa and I parted on bad terms. For the next few days, I was busy looking for work, but I would be rejected after the first round of interviews every time. It wasn’t until a young interviewer hesitantly told me that this was Ms. Cheng’s order that I realized Melissa didn’t even want me to find a job. Melissa was determined to make me go abroad again. After being stunned for a long time, I thanked the interviewer who told me the truth. Just as I left the interview company, I received a text message from the hospital. Last night, I had made an appointment at the hospital, wanting to get some antidepressants. During the consultation, the doctor told me that my recent condition was very poor and I should consider doing more psychological counseling sessions. Back when I was abroad, doctors had given me similar advice. It seemed my depression had indeed become very serious. As I was leaving the clinic looking at the prescription instructions, I accidentally bumped into someone while passing a corner. “I’m sorry…” I apologized first, but when I looked up, I found that the person standing in front of me was Orion. And behind him was Melissa. Orion frowned, seemingly not intending to talk to me, and was about to leave directly. At this time, Orion suddenly noticed the medicine in my hand. “Yara, what are you doing at the hospital?” He seemed to want to see what I was holding, but I had already quickly stuffed the medicine box into my bag: “I just caught a cold recently, came to buy some medicine.” Melissa chimed in at the right moment: “There are indeed quite a few people getting the flu lately.” But Orion didn’t speak, still staring at my bag. I lowered my head and quickly went downstairs. The encounter with Orion was not in my expectations. In the past, I always wanted to see Orion, but he was always busy. Before going abroad, I could count on one hand the number of times I met with Orion. Most of the time, he would only occasionally send me a couple of messages. After going abroad, Orion simply didn’t contact me at all. Unexpectedly, after returning home, when I really didn’t want to run into Orion anymore, I could bump into him. I’ve had depression for a long time. At the worst times, I experienced severe somatization symptoms and even thought about jumping off a building, but I still gritted my teeth and lived on. When I got home, Uma was waiting for me in the living room. Uma didn’t sleep well last night, so I decided to take her to bed early. But just as we were finally starting to feel a bit drowsy, I smelled something burning. Uma was sound asleep, completely unaware of anything wrong. At first, I thought the neighbors had just burned their food, but as the burning smell got stronger, I finally realized something was wrong. Suddenly rolling out of bed, I stood by the window and saw thick smoke rising into the sky.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “363454”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #玄幻Fantasy #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn #狼人Werewolf