Alex’s mother Rose had only a simple cold, but was killed by a nurse named Lily who administered the wrong IV. I went to the hospital demanding answers, but was thrown out every single time. Just as I was about to file a complaint with the state medical board and request a malpractice investigation, Alex—the hospital’s chief physician—threw a box of ashes at me: “I’m the hospital’s most authoritative expert. What does it matter that your mother only had a cold? If I say she had a terminal illness, then she had a terminal illness.” “Besides, your mother’s body has already been cremated. If you keep making a fuss, everyone will think your mother had a terminal disease and deliberately came to the hospital to cause trouble just to extort money.” “Take these ashes and get lost. Stop harassing Lily.” That’s when I realized—Alex thought all along that it was my mother who had died. I pushed the urn back toward him: “I’m not qualified to take these ashes.” Alex thought I was refusing. His voice suddenly rose sharply: “The person’s already been cremated—what more do you want?” “Mata, get this straight. Your mother was just an unemployed vagrant. Is her life worth tarnishing our hospital’s reputation with a medical malpractice case? The hospital’s already agreed to handle this privately—that’s already your lucky break, so don’t push your luck!” I shook my head: “You’ve got it wrong. What I mean is, these ashes should be yours to keep.” Alex’s brow furrowed deeply, his face full of disgust: “Are you out of your mind?” “These are your mother’s ashes. What do they have to do with me?” “You think I’m like you, needing to live the rest of my life holding onto a box of ash?” Alex came from a single-parent home. His father died young, and Rose raised him through tremendous hardship. To help him achieve his dream of becoming a doctor, Rose worked multiple jobs a day, wearing her body down with all kinds of health problems. Alex saw it all and had always cared deeply for Rose. At first, I didn’t understand why when Rose had her accident, Alex didn’t even come home. He devoted all his energy to protecting Lily, the person directly responsible. I never imagined it was because he thought the person who died was my mother. I looked at Alex with complete seriousness: “Alex, I suggest you keep these ashes safe. Otherwise, you’re going to regret it.” Alex didn’t take me seriously: “It’s just a box of ashes. What’s there to regret?” “Now that your mother’s already been cremated, all the evidence is gone. What are you going to use for an investigation? Just take your stuff and stop making trouble!” Rose wasn’t my biological mother. But a perfectly healthy person was killed by a simple cold treatment, then branded as having a terminal illness and trying to extort money—and her own son even signed off on having her body hastily cremated. Thinking about what she went through, my heart ached for her. “Alex, since you know the hospital wants to cover up the accident, how could you bear to sign off on immediate cremation? Don’t you think that’s cruel?” Alex’s lips curled: “It was your mother, not mine. Why would I feel bad about it?” “Besides, she’s already dead. Cremating her quickly prevents complications and helps the hospital settle things down.” “It’s her own fault for having such a weak body. Dying from a simple cold, and getting Lily suspended for investigation!” Looking at Alex’s self-righteous attitude, I found it hard to imagine what his reaction would be if he knew the dead person was his own mother. Seeing my silence, Alex continued: “Honestly, I always thought your mother’s constitution meant she wouldn’t live long anyway. Even if nothing happened this time, she definitely wouldn’t have lasted much longer.” “The hospital’s willing to give some compensation—you should be grateful!” “Just take the ashes, and tomorrow buy some things to bring to the department and apologize to Lily. Then we can put this behind us.” With that, Alex left the urn and turned to leave. Watching Alex’s resolute departing figure. I suddenly realized that the renowned doctor who once vowed to save lives had completely rotted from within. This marriage needed to end.

The next day, I drafted divorce papers and went to the hospital where he worked. As soon as I entered the office, I saw Alex—who had severe germophobia—kneeling on one knee, gently applying medicine to Lily’s injured ankle. In his eyes was a tenderness I’d never seen before. The moment Lily saw me, she immediately feigned alarm: “Mata, don’t misunderstand! My ankle’s sprained, and Alex was kind enough to help me apply medicine.” She pulled her foot back and tugged at Alex, her voice anxious: “Quick, explain! I don’t want to be reported again…” Alex patted her back affectionately, softly comforting her: “Don’t worry. She’s here to apologize to you.” Then he looked at me with disgust, his tone cold: “Didn’t I tell you to bring something? Why are you empty-handed?” “At your age, you don’t even know how to apologize properly?” Too lazy to argue, I coldly pulled the divorce agreement from my bag and placed it in front of Alex: “Sign it. We’re getting divorced.” Alex stared at the divorce papers, stunned for a moment. Then his brow furrowed in anger: “What are you making a fuss about now?” “You know my mother… she approves of you. She’ll never agree to our divorce.” “You’re pulling this stunt just to make her criticize me, aren’t you?” So he still had his mother in his heart after all. I produced a bitter smile and said coldly: “Your mother can never criticize you again.” Alex’s expression changed slightly. He asked: “What do you mean?” I remained serious: “Go home and see for yourself.” Alex glared at me impatiently: “Stop being so cryptic with me.” “Your mother’s dead—isn’t that it? Why are you still going on about this?” “Just leave. Don’t embarrass yourself at the hospital. I’m not divorcing you!” Seeing this, Lily—who had been watching the drama unfold—suddenly wiped away non-existent tears and sobbed on cue: “Mata, even though my medical license was forged and my experience insufficient, that day was truly just a momentary lapse!” “Are you bringing up divorce now to threaten Dr. Alex into sending me to prison?!” Lily spoke so pitifully, as if she were the true victim who had suffered all the injustice. Her tear-filled eyes broke Alex’s heart. He pulled Lily into his embrace: “Lily, don’t cry. As long as I’m here, nothing will ever happen to you.” Then he glared at me furiously: “Mata, Lily is so young—is it really necessary to target her like this?” “You think threatening me with divorce will make me stop protecting Lily? Dream on!” “Let me tell you—your mother could only have died from illness. You’ll never get any malpractice compensation, and you’ll never harm Lily in the slightest!” Watching Alex turn hostile against me to protect the person directly responsible for killing his mother. My heart couldn’t help but ache again for Rose. Forget it. Since her own son had taken this stance, what more could I—an outsider—say? I took a deep breath and enunciated clearly: “I’m definitely getting this divorce.” Alex was so angry he tore up the divorce agreement on the spot, threw the pieces into the air, and said through gritted teeth: “You want a divorce that badly?” “Fine! I’ll grant your wish!” “But let me tell you—even if we divorce, I’ll be the one drafting the agreement. I’ll make sure you’re ruined and leave with nothing!” “I’ll make everyone see clearly that you’re nothing but a malicious woman using her own mother’s death to extort the hospital and smear its reputation!” Through the shower of paper scraps, I saw the cruel determination in Alex’s eyes. And the barely perceptible triumphant smile at the corner of Lily’s mouth. In the end, I said nothing. I turned and left the doctor’s office.

After returning home, I quietly began packing my belongings. Just as I was pulling my suitcase down to the apartment complex lobby. A large crowd suddenly swarmed toward me. They were all holding cameras or phones, frantically filming me: “Look, that’s her! She coached her elderly mother to fake illness at the hospital to extort money!” “After her mother died, she used the death to greedily extort the hospital. When that didn’t work, she filed complaints everywhere to smear them! She drove a young doctor who just started working to depression—the poor girl almost committed suicide several times!” “Fortunately, her husband is the chief physician. He stood by principle over family, maintaining the hospital’s reputation and speaking up for the innocent, poor doctor. Otherwise, who knows what that young woman would have suffered!” “Now she blames her husband for not conspiring with her, so she’s threatening him with divorce. She’s even packed her bags and is ready to leave!” Sharp accusations echoed endlessly. Through the crowd, I could see Lily and Alex’s gleeful faces in the background. So this live broadcast was Alex’s method of ruining my reputation? The response was indeed enormous. The on-site broadcasters hurled accusations, and various live streaming channels were filled with endless abuse: “This woman is absolutely terrible! For money, she didn’t even care about her own mother’s life?” “With children like this, what parent could live long?” “Like mother, like daughter. Her mother’s death was probably from taking random medicine and ruining her own health!” “Right! Why is it that everyone else’s cold was fine, but only her mother died? It proves her mother must have had serious problems to begin with!” Public opinion fermented quickly. In moments, my photo hit trending searches across the internet. Labels like “medical troublemaker,” “menace,” and “extortionist” all became synonymous with my identity. As these online broadcasters added fuel to the fire. The onlookers who had gathered at the scene couldn’t help but start throwing eggs and rotten vegetables at me. I stepped through the garbage on the ground, walked through the crowd, and stopped in front of Alex: “Alex, do you really need to go this far?” Alex frowned slightly. Before he could speak, Lily tearfully interjected: “Mata, even though your mother passed away, I’ve been suffering too during this time!” “I’m begging you to let me go—please stop targeting me!” Alex’s eyes flashed with sympathy, then he looked at me with determination: “Mata, you brought all of this on yourself.” “Your mother’s death was entirely due to her own underlying condition. You shouldn’t have kept filing complaints and making things difficult for Lily.” “Lily’s career has been delayed because of this. She hasn’t sued you for emotional distress—that’s already her being kind. Yet you keep going on and on. Your mother had such a vicious daughter—no wonder she died young!” As soon as he finished speaking. My mother suddenly emerged from the crowd and looked at Alex: “Who did you say is dead?”

Seeing my mother suddenly appear before him. Alex jumped in fright. His face turned deathly pale as he looked my mother over for a long moment. Then he stammered in disbelief: “How… how are you…” My mother’s eyes flashed with confusion: “Alex, dear, I’m perfectly fine. How could I…” Mid-sentence, my mother seemed to realize something. She looked at Alex with sympathy and concern: “These past few days must have been really hard on you.” During this time, my mother only knew that I had been running around daily dealing with Rose’s medical accident. But she didn’t know what Alex had been busy with. She assumed he was immersed in grief and hadn’t yet accepted reality. After all, my mother knew Alex had always cared deeply for his mother. When the mother you’d depended on since childhood dies, who could accept it calmly? Hearing my mother’s words, Alex nodded, glancing at me meaningfully: “It has been quite difficult.” Then he looked directly at me, his face full of displeasure: “Mata, is there something wrong with your brain?” “If it wasn’t your mother who died, what’s the point of filing complaints and reports every day, and refusing to let Lily go?” “Do you just hate seeing her doing well?” Faced with Alex’s questioning, I couldn’t help but be curious: “Is that really how you see me?” Alex snorted coldly and said decisively: “What else?” “The facts are right in front of us. It wasn’t your mother who died, yet you’ve filed complaints multiple times and kept pestering—if that’s not targeting Lily, what is?” “Unless you’re doing it for justice?” Lily immediately leaned weakly toward Alex, sobbing softly: “Mata never liked me. She’s deliberately using this incident to target me because she blames me for being too close to you.” “Maybe I should just resign. I’m afraid there’ll be even greater malice waiting for me in the future…” Alex looked at her with heartache: “You didn’t do anything wrong—why should you resign?” “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely get justice for you in this matter!” Then Alex faced the surrounding people and cameras, declaring firmly: “In today’s society, many doctors no longer dare to wholeheartedly treat patients.” “If a condition is complex, we don’t dare treat it.” “If the risk is high, we don’t dare operate.” “Why?” “Isn’t it because we’re forced into this by those extortionist patient families, and people like Mata who help tyrants do evil?” “These scum are best at exploiting people’s sympathy and our professional ethics to gain benefits for themselves!” “How many doctors with benevolent hearts and skillful hands have been ruined by them, their careers destroyed?” “Although Mata is my wife, I’ve always stood by principle over family.” “Today, I’m putting it out there—I, Alex, will use all my knowledge and connections to investigate this matter to the end!” “I will make sure that social parasite who had illness but extorted the hospital, her family and descendants, and morally twisted people like Mata all pay a heavy price!” Alex truly lived up to his reputation as a renowned chief physician in the medical field—his eloquence was indeed impressive. With just a few words, he shaped himself into a hero fighting for medical dignity. The crowd on site and netizens in the live streams instantly became fired up after hearing this. They unanimously applauded: “Way to go, Alex!” “That’s exactly how it should be—make an example of them, let everyone who makes unreasonable trouble be punished!” “Right! Who told them to earn such unconscionable money every day? How many innocent doctors have they harmed?” “The old person who died may be gone, but she definitely still has family and descendants. We need to make those people spit out every penny of extortion money they swallowed!” “They should be ruined and notorious, to serve as a warning to all such scum!” Hearing the chorus of support on site, Alex’s face displayed unprecedented satisfaction. Before this incident, he had handled numerous medical disputes, large and small. But never before had any caused such a huge response. In this moment, he forgot that the old woman’s charge of “terminal illness extortion” was his own slanderous fabrication. He forgot that his original intention in becoming a doctor was to cure illness and save lives. He only wanted to seize this opportunity to be Lily’s protector, to be the justice expert everyone praised. To make an innocently killed old woman notorious. To ruin me completely.

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I was away on a business trip for a month. When I returned, I discovered the smart lock on my house had been changed. I asked my husband David for the password. His response? Call his physical therapist. Only when she arrived could I enter. I couldn’t accept this humiliation. At the family gathering, I pulled out divorce papers. Everyone thought I was just drunk and joking around. David sat in his wheelchair, staring at me in disbelief: “Just because of a password lock, you want to divorce me?” I looked at him coldly and sneered: “Yes. Just because of a password lock. Isn’t that enough?” “Shut up!” “Katherine, if it weren’t for that car accident leaving me unable to move properly and needing rehabilitation, I wouldn’t have become so dependent on others!” “You’re so busy with work, you can’t even take care of me. The therapist knowing the password makes it easier for her to look after me. What’s wrong with that?” “This ridiculous reason for divorce—I won’t accept it!” David pointed at my nose, his eyes reddening. I didn’t even bother looking at him. I closed my briefcase and said coldly: “Sign it. Don’t make me force you.” With that, I picked up my things and left. The entire family stared at David trembling in his wheelchair and at me walking away with determination. They whispered among themselves. The Katherine who used to put David first in everything—why would she insist on divorce over such a trivial matter? David froze for a moment, then tried to wheel himself forward to grab me. Mr. Anderson struggled to stand up. Just as I left my seat, David’s physical therapist Sophia grabbed me and shoved me back down. “Katherine, your husband needs long-term rehabilitation and companionship after his car accident. He’s extremely dependent on others’ care.” “He did this just to get timely help! How can you be so harsh as his wife?” “It’s because you keep picking fights that David’s emotions have become increasingly unstable!” The relatives all sided with Sophia. “Sophia’s right!” “I think she’s just upset and taking it out on her husband!” “Everything she has comes from this family, and she’s this ungrateful? Only our David would spoil her like this, otherwise where would she be today!” David silenced his relatives with a glance, then looked at me with a vulnerable expression, softening his voice to coax me: “Honey, I’m sorry.” “I know my limited mobility has made you feel wronged. You never used to raise your voice at me. For the sake of our ten years of loving marriage, please calm down.” “Is it your father’s medical bills again? Don’t be embarrassed to ask. Your dad is my family too.” Everyone watched David in his wheelchair humble himself to coax me, nodding repeatedly, but their gazes toward me grew sharper. “Katherine, David has limited mobility. For him to treat you this way, you should be grateful.” “Your father’s situation—when hasn’t our family taken it to heart? However much is needed, just say it. There’s always a solution.” Mr. Anderson tapped his cane and spoke deliberately. I knew he thought I was too proud to ask the Anderson family for help again, so I’d resorted to this desperate measure. I looked calmly at David as he prepared to take my hand, deftly dodged it, and said flatly: “There are no feelings left. Let’s divorce.” The entire room fell deathly silent. David tried to get closer to me, shouting through tears: “Katherine, don’t lie to me…” I stepped back two paces, avoiding his touch. “The truth!” “Let’s end this here. Leave each other some dignity.” David froze in place, stunned. I ignored everyone and got up to leave. “Crash.” A glass smashed hard in front of me. Sophia had thrown it. She rushed forward, slapped the divorce agreement back at me, and pointed at me furiously: “Katherine, do you have any heart at all?” “David gave up an excellent opportunity to develop his career overseas to marry you! He loves you so much! This is how you repay him?” “Now that he needs care, you’re abandoning him!” “You’re absolutely ungrateful!” I looked calmly at the agitated Sophia, finding it laughable. “Sophia, my divorce with my husband has nothing to do with you, does it?” Sophia grabbed my collar, spittle flying as she shrieked: “You still know he’s your husband!” “Do you have any conscience? For your seriously ill father, how much money has the Anderson family spent! Don’t you know in your heart?” “If David hadn’t been softhearted and liked you, with someone like you, your father would have been finished long ago!” I kicked Sophia. She stumbled backward. “Get lost. A family gathering isn’t the place for a physical therapist to boss people around.” David suddenly wheeled himself between me and Sophia. “Katherine, why are you taking your anger out on her! She’s innocent!” “I’m hitting someone who can’t keep her mouth shut!” I glanced at the two people on the floor in their intimate position, my tone becoming even more resolute. The relatives’ cursing immediately grew louder. The abuse contained a wholesale denial of my ten years of dedication. They said I was ungrateful, that David had tolerated so much by marrying me. Sophia patted David’s hand: “It’s okay, David. I was wrong.” “I’m an outsider. I shouldn’t interfere so much with Katherine. Don’t get upset, be careful of your health.” Her tone was aggrieved as she shook her head and sighed. “How could this be your fault.” The heartache in David’s eyes was practically overflowing. He looked up with a tearful voice: “Honey, do we really have to make everyone uncomfortable?” “You know I love you. All the relatives are here today. Can you give me some face? Let’s go home and talk it through properly?” His tears fell one by one onto Sophia’s chest. I just found it ridiculous. He cried even harder. The relatives all comforted David. With him as a contrast, I became everyone’s target. “Katherine, you’ve taken care of David very well all these years.” “I’ve seen your capability and sense of responsibility with my own eyes.” “Tell us honestly, what really happened? If it’s the Anderson family’s fault, we absolutely won’t shirk responsibility.” Mr. Anderson limped over with his cane, trying to persuade me kindly. But I still kept a straight face, unwilling to accept this favor, saying coldly: “This marriage must end.” Mr. Anderson coughed violently in anger, his face flushing red. David anxiously wheeled closer, grabbing my hand and pleading, “Honey, don’t leave.” Seeing I remained unmoved, he shouted: “You must be having an affair!” I looked at him calmly, saying nothing. The cane slammed down hard as Mr. Anderson sternly rebuked: “Katherine!” “Everything you have, from head to toe—which part didn’t come from Anderson family resources? Moreover, you still have a father to care for!” “Live peacefully, or leave the divorce with nothing—you choose!” “I advise you to think carefully. You have two days.” It sounded like a threat. The onlookers’ faces were filled with anticipation of my apology. I shook off David’s hand forcefully. And strode out the door. As soon as I got in the car, someone handed me a document.

“This analysis report should be sufficient.” My friend Marcus handed over a tablet, pointing at the data on it. “Thanks for your hard work.” “Don’t forget, tomorrow we’re giving Mr. Anderson that big gift.” With that, I let out a long breath and clicked on the surveillance video Marcus had just sent. Every day before I came home from work, the surveillance showed Sophia walking out of my front door. The time she entered typically lasted at least two hours. Two days was too long. I just wanted to end this as quickly as possible. When paying the bill at the restaurant, the server informed me my card had insufficient funds. For all these years, the Anderson family had strictly controlled all my spending. Ostensibly it was for responsible family finances, but actually it just ensured that I, the “outsider,” could never control any real financial power. David transferred money to my card monthly. When he was in a good mood, he’d give more. When he wasn’t, not a cent. Since he changed the door lock without telling me the password, this card hadn’t received any deposits in a long time. The next day, at dawn, I prepared to go home to get my things. Before I even entered the community, a group of neighbors were pointing and whispering about me. “Isn’t that the Anderson wife?” “I heard she found someone else and wants to abandon her disabled husband!” “David’s such a good man. He’s been so strong after the accident. Poor thing!” The gossip kept coming, their contemptuous gazes following me. I was about to turn around. “Honey~” A car stopped beside me. The window rolled down—David sat in the passenger seat. “I knew you’d come back. I bought you a gift. Come home and see.” I got in the back seat expressionlessly. I immediately spotted that expensive custom shirt and casually tossed it out the window. David’s mouth just moved. He didn’t dare say a word. “My God, that’s a designer brand! Just thrown away like that?” The driver looked at me in shock. “Drive. To the garage,” I commanded briefly. He suppressed his emotions and drove home in silence. The driver got out first, skillfully retrieved the wheelchair from the trunk, and helped David sit in it. The door opened. Sophia was standing in the living room. David looked shocked, forced himself to stay calm, but stuttered slightly: “Sophia… we had an appointment… early this morning… for a rehabilitation assessment.” I didn’t want to deal with them and headed straight for the bedroom. I was only here to retrieve the valuable family heirloom my father had left behind. Now, David didn’t deserve to have it. Before I could step into the bedroom, Sophia moved to block me, her face full of false relief. “Katherine, it’s good that you know to come back.” “Mr. David needs your support. His recovery depends on family care.” She pulled me toward her as she spoke. I shook her off. She forcibly tried to pull me again. Unable to bear it anymore, I flung her hand away, disgusted: “Move.” I quickly walked into the room and opened the hidden compartment in the nightstand to retrieve the velvet box containing the heirloom. Sophia wouldn’t give up and followed me in, trying to grab the box but missing. “My father’s belongings—you think you’re worthy of touching them?” I pushed her away forcefully. Sophia staggered back several steps. Instantly, a cry of alarm erupted as she fell. Sophia collapsed on the floor, clutching her elbow. Seeing this, David anxiously wheeled himself forward and yelled at me without asking questions: “Katherine! What did you do to her!” Sophia immediately got up by herself and went to support him. “David, don’t get upset! It’s all my fault. I just wanted her to care more about your recovery, but Katherine doesn’t care at all. She even… pushed me away.” David suddenly reached out, snatched the box from my hand, and smashed it hard on the floor, his eyes red: “Just for this pile of junk! You’d hurt someone who came to help me?” My head buzzed. I just wanted to check if the items were intact. Fortunately, there was cushioning inside the box. The contents were safe. Sophia shrilly accused me from behind: “You’re absolutely cold-blooded! I fell down and you don’t care, but you go check on some old object! Is this thing more important than your husband’s recovery?” David sat in his wheelchair, staring at me with red-rimmed eyes: “Katherine, you’d better pray nothing happened to Sophia!” “Take your stuff and get out of my house!” “Never come back!” “After tomorrow, I won’t just leave you with nothing in the divorce—I’ll make you pay the price!” “Get out!” He shouted out of control, grabbing things nearby and throwing them wildly. I just calmly protected the box and left this suffocating place.

I hadn’t even left the community when Marcus called and told me to check the news. Overwhelming accusations came crashing down. Cursing me as a heartless woman greedy for money. Cursing me as an opportunist exploiting my husband’s family resources. Cursing me as a cold-blooded person willing to hurt my disabled spouse for profit. Various fabricated accusations were pinned on me. Composite images were interspersed in the reports, looking quite convincing. “Handle all the false information involving my father. For the rest, prepare legal documents.” I hung up the phone, letting public opinion ferment. After lunch, I announced this afternoon’s livestream. David called me over a hundred times. I didn’t answer any of them. Finally, he came to Marcus’s apartment building, holding a sign and shouting through a megaphone: “Katherine, everyone is criticizing you now!” “Your livestream won’t help! As long as you’re willing to apologize and turn back, I’m willing to forgive you.” I stood upstairs behind the glass, looking down at him coldly. Sophia grabbed the megaphone with a tone of reconciliation: “David says he’s willing to let it go. Why make things harder for yourself? The livestream will only get you cursed at worse!” “Just admit your mistake honestly. Your father can still get good care!” Old Mr. Anderson came too, sitting under an awning, saying gravely: “Katherine, young people shouldn’t act so impulsively.” “Where in the world does a wife divorce her husband just because he changed the lock?” The constant voices sounded more like final threats to me. Watching the time reach the scheduled moment. The livestream started. As expected, the live comments were full of attacks. David wasn’t about to back down. He started his own livestream using the company’s verified account and requested to connect. The screen instantly split into two frames. “Katherine, since you’re so stubborn, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” On David’s side of the screen, forged records of my consumption at high-end clubs and compromising chat records scrolled by. [Sure enough, it’s all about money!] [David is so pitiful. I support the divorce!] [I’m a lawyer. This kind of woman definitely won’t get a cent!] “How about it? Today let everyone judge for themselves!” David leaned back smugly in his chair, tapping the table impatiently with his fingers. I smiled coldly, turned down the air conditioning a bit, and said calmly: “Do I need to remind everyone how many times this has happened?” Hearing this, David froze, his movements stiffening. Then he withdrew his hand from tapping the table: “Stop being mysterious. What do you know about the law?” “Whether I’m being mysterious or not, you know in your heart, don’t you, David?” Marcus couldn’t help but laugh beside me. This big gift was about to be revealed. Clearly, everyone was expecting me to drop a bombshell. The screen switched. My side began playing a surveillance video: The timestamp showed late at night. David, wearing a bathrobe, walked freely out of the bedroom door. He walked to the living room with steady steps, even easily bending down to pick up a cushion from the floor. Then he faced his phone camera, showing a smug smile, and deliberately walked a few steps to demonstrate his unimpeded stride. The live comment section exploded instantly: [This can be livestreamed?] [So he’s perfectly fine?] [What’s wrong with that? Can’t he recover well?] The comments started turning toward David again. David collapsed completely in his chair, his lips trembling, not daring to look at old Mr. Anderson. Sophia jumped up to defend him: “Katherine! What’s your intention in showing this video?” “You clearly know David’s rehabilitation training has been remarkably successful! He’s recovered well—is that also a crime?” “How can there be such a narrow-minded woman as you!” Another wave of attacks in the live comments. [She’s right! The wife doesn’t want her husband to recover!] [If he recovered well, isn’t that a good thing?] [So malicious! Publishing someone’s private videos!] Sophia was extremely pleased, comforting David with one hand while distributing lottery prizes in the livestream to attract more viewers. “David was driven to this by a cold wife like you. If you hadn’t neglected him, how would he have become like this!” “You deliberately secretly recorded this kind of video—is your psychology twisted?” “Or do you want to ruin David’s reputation so you can win the lawsuit and divide the assets?” I found it absurdly ridiculous. All the blame was pinned on me, completely absolving David. As if I were the perpetrator. David slumped in his chair, crying so hard he almost passed out. Old Mr. Anderson was so angry his hands shook, pointing at the screen and cursing: “I thought you really had some grievance! Didn’t expect your mind to be so vicious!” “I’ll make sure you leave with nothing. Compensation for damage to my son’s reputation—not a cent less!” One of David’s friends couldn’t sit still either. He rushed to the camera and glared at me viciously: “Katherine, when your father was sick, David’s family paid for everything. If you have any conscience at all, delete the video immediately!” “By spreading this video, how can David face people in the future?” “You’ve ruined him!” The number of viewers in the livestream doubled. Some even threatened to come find me. The comments were filled with all kinds of insults. The trending topics were almost entirely accusations of me being ungrateful and defaming my husband.

“Can you people use your brains?” Marcus looked at the live comments and shook his head helplessly, operating quickly on his computer. I spoke calmly, “Please watch the second video.” Gifts should be unwrapped one at a time for maximum surprise. The screen switched. A figure wearing a dark silk robe swaggered from the master bedroom direction into the living room. She walked straight to the wine cabinet, poured a glass, and elegantly drank it down. Her movements were completely natural and familiar, as if she were in her own home. The woman put down her glass. David walked over from one side of the frame and intimately pulled her into his arms. The live comments paused for a second, then exploded exponentially: [What’s going on?] [Who is this person??] Question marks on the screen nearly buried David’s face. Sophia gasped, her face ashen, her body instantly rigid. After a moment of silence, David immediately lunged at the camera, “Honey, don’t misunderstand!” “This is… this is just a little spice between us as a married couple. The person in the video is you!” “Were you threatened into divorcing me?” “Don’t be afraid. It won’t happen again. Let’s make up.” He begged humbly, hoping I would change my mind. [Are we part of this couple’s kinky game?] [Is this person really Katherine? Doesn’t quite look like her?] I watched the speculation in the comments and sneered. David looked nervous, afraid I would blurt out a denial, and quickly interjected: “Honey, let’s not discuss our private interests in public, okay?” “Stop this. Go offline and let’s talk properly at home.” Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. His meticulously styled hair was starting to get messy. He was desperately trying to hide his panic. I said nothing and signaled Marcus to play the next piece of evidence. The woman in the silk robe put a leather collar around David’s neck, her fingers sliding suggestively across his back. David’s face was full of excitement, without a trace of shame, as if this was exactly what he wanted. “What should you call me when you wear it?” He cooed: “Master~” The comment section jumped even more violently. [Playing this wild?] [The person’s body shape in the video doesn’t look like Katherine?] [Seems more petite, not as tall as Katherine. Did he really cheat?] One video played after another. The two played without restraint. Netizens exclaimed in shock. The comment sentiment shifted, and many people began to sympathize with my situation. “This…” One of David’s friends was completely dumbfounded. She had never imagined that the always respectable David would do such things. Old Mr. Anderson angrily banged his cane, glaring furiously at David: “You’ve brought shame to the entire family! Who gave you permission to do such things?” Faced with the relentless questioning, David deflated like a punctured balloon, completely collapsing on the ground. His eyes stared vacantly at me through the camera. David couldn’t produce a single word for a long time. Seeing the netizens all speaking up for me. Sophia quickly opened her phone, searching for something. “This is Katherine herself!” She waved her phone. The screen showed me washing that silk robe. Obviously, David had taken the photo. That day when I came home, I saw this robe by the laundry basket. I asked David about it. He said it was a performance costume a friend had left behind. Wine had accidentally been spilled on it. It needed washing. He’d forgotten. I said it was no problem, I’d wash it. Now it seemed this was a trap the two of them deliberately set. They wanted me to play the oblivious spouse.

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Five years ago, my husband Aaron’s first love got pregnant with his child. I asked for a divorce. He begged me through tears: “I’ll send her to Europe. They’ll never come back, and I’ll compensate you with half of everything I own. Please don’t divorce me.” My heart softened, and I agreed. Five years later, I went on a business trip to a neighboring city and found a little boy. I took him to the police station. When the officer called the boy’s family, a familiar voice came through the phone. “Baby, don’t be scared. I’m coming to get you right now.” Less than half an hour later, Aaron—who was supposedly abroad on business—burst into the police station. The moment he saw me, he froze. I smiled and stood up. “Aaron, I had no idea you had another son behind my back. Looks like the other half of your assets won’t be safe either.” “Claire, let me explain…” Aaron shielded the child behind him. That instinctive gesture felt like needles stabbing into my eyes. “This isn’t the place to talk.” I cut him off and picked up my bag. “Have that woman come pick up the child. We need to talk.” “Ruby’s not well…” “Aaron.” I stared at him coldly. “Do you want me to call Grandpa right now, or should I have my lawyer send the papers directly?” Aaron shut his mouth. The agreement I held was enough to knock him off his position as CEO of the Hayes Group and strip him of everything. The boy, whose name was apparently Miles Hayes, suddenly poked his head out and shouted at me: “Mean lady! Don’t bully my dad!” Children speak without thinking, but their words cut deepest. Aaron quickly covered the child’s mouth and looked at me in panic. “Well trained,” I said with a bitter smile. “Ruby hasn’t learned much over the years, but she’s certainly perfected the art of manipulation.” With that, I turned and walked out of the police station. The snow outside was heavy and bone-chillingly cold. I remembered five years ago when Ruby showed up at our door, heavily pregnant. Aaron knelt before me, his eyes bloodshot, saying the Hayes family line was thin and begging me to let the child live. I had just had a miscarriage then, at my most vulnerable. I signed the papers and made two conditions: First, Ruby and the child would go abroad and never return. Second, fifty percent of Aaron’s shares in Hayes Group would be transferred to my name. Grandfather Hayes was so furious he nearly beat Aaron to death with his cane. But to appease my anger, he allowed it. Aaron swore at the time: “Claire, I was confused for a moment. You’re the only one I love.” “The money is yours, my life is yours. Just let her have the baby, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.” These past five years, he really did “make it up to me.” No matter how busy he was, we video-called every single day. He never missed a gift for any holiday. He even turned down contracts worth millions just to spend weekends with me. I thought time really could heal everything. The snow stopped. Aaron had the driver take the child home first. But he didn’t dare leave, and he didn’t dare let me leave either. So we sat in a café next to the police station. “Claire, it’s not what you think.” Aaron clasped his hands against his forehead, his voice low: “Ruby… she really did go abroad.” “But she couldn’t make it there. Miles has asthma and a heart condition.” “Medical costs abroad are too high. She couldn’t afford it on her own.” “So you brought them back?” I stirred my coffee. “Bringing them back is one thing, but you also set them up in a luxury apartment owned by Hayes Group and visited once a week. Aaron, are you running a charity or keeping a mistress?” “I just went to see the child!” Aaron defended himself frantically. “Claire, the child is innocent. Miles’s health is poor. Every time he has an episode, he cries for his father. What could I do? I couldn’t just watch him die!” “But you could watch me be played for a fool?” I shot back. “Aaron, did you think as long as you didn’t bring them in front of me, it didn’t count as breaking our agreement? What about all those promises you made?”

Aaron fell silent. Just then, his phone rang. Aaron glanced at the screen but didn’t answer. Immediately after, my phone rang. It was an unknown number. I answered. A soft, fragile voice came through: “Claire, this is Ruby.” “I know you’re with Aaron right now. Could you… let me speak with you?” I put it on speaker and placed the phone on the table. “Claire, everything is my fault.” Ruby’s voice carried a crying tone, but it wasn’t grating—instead, it sounded pitifully vulnerable. “I’m useless. I couldn’t support Miles, so I had the nerve to come back and beg Aaron.” “Aaron is a good man. He just pities the child… Please don’t blame him.” “If you can’t accept us, I’ll take Miles and leave right now.” “Even if we die out there, I won’t cause you any more trouble…” Suddenly, a child’s coughing came through the phone, along with Ruby’s panicked attempts to soothe him. Aaron’s face changed. He grabbed my phone and shouted into it: “Ruby, is Miles having another attack?!” “Don’t move! The medicine is in the cabinet… I’ll be right there!” He hung up and looked at me with desperation in his eyes. “Claire, Miles’s asthma is acting up. It could be life-threatening.” “I have to go… We can talk about this when we get home, okay?” I looked at the man before me. One second he was confessing to me, the next he heard something from her side and lost his mind completely. I knew him too well. Ruby didn’t need to throw tantrums or flaunt herself in front of me. All she needed was to show her fragility, and she had Aaron wrapped around her finger. “Go.” I leaned back in my chair, expression indifferent. “Aaron, if you walk out that door, we’re really done.” Aaron hesitated. He looked at me with internal struggle, but finally, he gritted his teeth. “Claire, this is a matter of life and death. I can’t ignore it.” With that, he left without looking back. I watched his retreating figure, then picked up the cold coffee in front of me and drank it all. Bitterness spread through my entire mouth. I took out my phone and called Grandfather Hayes. “Grandpa, I’m in the neighboring city. I’m coming to see you.” I went directly to the Hayes Group branch office in the neighboring city. Grandfather Hayes was inspecting the workplace. When he saw me arrive, he wasn’t surprised. Everyone was dismissed from the office, leaving only him and me. “Claire, why do you look so pale?” Grandfather held his tea, his sharp eyes scrutinizing me. “You already knew, didn’t you, Grandpa?” I got straight to the point. “Ruby has been back in the country for three years, living in a Hayes Group apartment, spending Aaron’s money.” “You have eyes everywhere in the company. There’s no way you didn’t know.” Grandfather paused in his tea-drinking and sighed. “Aaron is foolish and soft-hearted.” He set down his teacup. “I remember that child. Though he’s illegitimate, he still carries Hayes blood.” “His health is poor. It’s only natural for Aaron to take care of him.”

“Natural?” I laughed bitterly. “Then what about the agreement Aaron and I signed? Is it just scrap paper?” “Claire!” Grandfather’s tone grew heavier. “You are the lady of the Hayes family. You need to think long-term. As long as that woman doesn’t enter the family and doesn’t threaten your position…” “Why not give Aaron some face in public?” “Besides…” Grandfather’s gaze swept over my flat stomach, his meaning clear. “These past five years, there’s been no movement from your belly. The Hayes family empire needs an heir.” “Aaron keeping a backup outside is for the family’s sake.” I felt cold all over. In their eyes, my inability to conceive was the original sin. Aaron’s infidelity was soft-heartedness, the illegitimate child was securing the bloodline, and my anger was being unreasonable. “What if I insist on divorce?” I stared at Grandfather. His face darkened. He slammed his teacup on the table. “Nonsense!” “Do you think divorce is child’s play? Hayes Group’s stock price can’t withstand turmoil right now.” “Those shares you hold are the family’s guarantee to you, but also our leverage over you.” “You think you can walk away with Hayes family money? Not that easy!” Grandfather narrowed his eyes. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. In this wealthy family, there was no warmth—only calculated interests. Someone knocked on the office door. The secretary entered awkwardly. “Chairman, Mr. Hayes is here… and he brought the child.” Then Aaron walked in. He was carrying Miles, with Ruby following timidly behind. “Grandpa.” Aaron didn’t even dare look at me. He went straight to Grandfather with the child. “Miles heard you was here and insisted on seeing you.” Though Miles looked pale, he obediently called out, “Hello, Grandpa Hayes.” Grandfather’s stern face immediately softened. “Good child. Very well-behaved.” Grandfather reached out and patted the child’s head. Ruby stood in the corner, stealing a glance at me. That look didn’t match her fragile appearance—instead, it carried a hint of smugness. As long as Grandfather acknowledged this great-grandson, even if she couldn’t enter the family, she’d be credited with a great contribution to the Hayes family. And I would eventually be swept out the door. Aaron looked at me with newfound confidence: “Claire, even Grandpa says so. Just consider it for the family’s sake…” The nausea in my stomach could no longer be suppressed. I covered my mouth and rushed to the restroom, vomiting violently. When I returned, Ruby was suddenly kneeling before me, crying. “Claire, I know I shouldn’t have come back, but Miles needs heart surgery.” “The best specialist in the country is in this city. I’m trying to save my child’s life!” She looked up, her face the picture of pitiful vulnerability: “As soon as Miles’s surgery is successful, I’ll take him and leave immediately. I won’t get in your way.” “Claire, you’re a woman too. You’ve had a child before. Please, have mercy on a mother’s heart…”

Yes, I’d had a child, though I couldn’t carry it to term. But I couldn’t sympathize with Ruby. In the end, she was still the other woman who destroyed someone else’s relationship. “Claire… Miles’s surgery is scheduled for next week.” Aaron bit his lip: “But the surgery and follow-up treatment require a huge sum of money. The company’s liquid assets are all tied up in your new project…” I looked up at him. “So?” “I want to pause your project temporarily and… redirect the funds to Miles’s treatment.” Aaron avoided my gaze. “This is a matter of life and death…” That project was my blood, sweat, and tears—three months of all-nighters to help Hayes Group break into new markets. I trembled with rage. “Aaron, do you know what pausing the project means?” “It means tens of millions in upfront investment down the drain!” “Money can be earned back, but I can’t watch my son die!” Aaron shouted. “Enough!” Everything went black. My chest felt crushed by a boulder, my blood churning. That intense nausea and dizziness hit me again, more violently than ever before. I clutched my chest. My body went limp and I collapsed. When I woke up again, I was in the hospital. Aaron sat by the bed, holding a document, his expression blank. Seeing me awake, he jumped to his feet. “Claire, you’re awake?!” He leaned closer. “Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Does your stomach… does your stomach hurt?” I frowned and shook off his hand. “Aaron, what are you pretending now?” Aaron said nothing. He just handed me the document. I took it and looked. Intrauterine early pregnancy, six weeks. I froze. “The doctor said… your body is too weak. The previous miscarriage damaged your foundation.” Aaron’s eyes reddened, his voice choking: “This pregnancy wasn’t easy. Just now, with the emotional stress, there were already signs of threatened miscarriage…” “You must stay in bed to preserve the pregnancy. You absolutely cannot be upset again.” “This is a miracle… Claire, this is a miracle from heaven.” He was so excited he wanted to hug me but didn’t dare touch me. “If Grandpa finds out, he’ll be thrilled!” Watching him so overjoyed, I found it utterly ironic. “Aaron, are you happy?” I looked at him coldly. “Of course I’m happy! This is our child!” “But I’m not happy.” I touched my stomach, my eyes cold: “I don’t want this child anymore.” I pointed toward the door: “Rather than let him be born to face a father who plays favorites and an illegitimate half-brother who’ll fight for the inheritance…” “Better to terminate now.” “No!” Aaron roared, his eyes bloodshot. “This is my child! What right do you have to abort him? I won’t allow it!” “You won’t allow it?” I laughed. “Aaron, right now the child is in my body. I can keep it if I want, terminate it if I want.” “You want me to keep this child? Fine.” I sat up straight, my eyes sharp. “Choose one. Either send Ruby and that child back abroad permanently, never to return or contact us again. Or I walk into the operating room right now and terminate this pregnancy.”

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“When the hell is Serena going to leave?” I heard a few employees whispering about me in the break room. “Soon, right? It’s been three months already.” “I bet she’s gone this week. One fancy dinner.” “Deal.” I didn’t say anything. I turned and went back to my desk. My desk was next to the bathroom, and it smelled 24/7. I sat down, opened my computer, and went back to my spreadsheet. Nobody knew what I’d been recording every day for the past three months. And nobody knew just how long the layoff list would be at the company gala three months from now—the list I would be reading aloud. My name is Serena. I’m 32 years old. Three months ago, I was transferred to this branch office. My position was “clerk.” No specific duties, no clear reporting structure, not even an official ID badge. HR’s explanation was: “It’s a transition period. Just get acclimated.” I didn’t ask what “transition period” meant, or what I was supposed to be acclimating to. I just clocked in on time every day, sat at my desk, and worked on spreadsheets nobody wanted. The first week, some people still said hello. The second week, fewer people greeted me. The third week, out of twenty-plus people in the entire department, not one person looked at me. When I walked over, they scattered. When I sat down, they lowered their voices. When I went to the break room, it immediately fell silent. I wasn’t stupid. I knew what was happening. But I didn’t say anything. I just showed up on time every day, left on time, and finished whatever needed doing in between. On Monday morning, I discovered my desk had been moved. It used to be by the window. Now it was next to the bathroom. “Serena,” The admin assistant smiled sweetly. “It’s quieter over there. Perfect for you.” I glanced at her and said nothing. Fine. They wanted to move it? So be it. I carried my computer over, arranged my folders, and kept working. The bathroom door opened and closed, and the smell came in waves. People walked by, covering their noses and laughing. I pretended not to notice. At noon, I was the last to know about the department lunch. Manager Rachel came back in the afternoon and paused by my desk. “Serena, you didn’t go to the department lunch?” I looked up at her. “Nobody told me.” She froze for a second, then smiled. “Oh my, we forgot. Next time, okay?” She walked away. I lowered my head and kept typing. A colleague nearby muttered: “Acting like what? Still waiting for someone to invite her.” Another person laughed: “She’s thick-skinned. Let her wait.” I didn’t turn around. But I opened a new document and wrote on the first line: [Deliberate Exclusion Record] I wrote down names, one by one. When I finished, I saved it, closed it. Then I went back to my spreadsheet. At 4 PM, I finished a market analysis report. This was work I’d found for myself—nobody assigned it, nobody wanted it. But I did it anyway, and I did it carefully. I sent the report to Manager Rachel and CC’d General Manager Maxwell. “Manager, this is the Q4 market data I compiled. For your reference.” Five minutes later, Rachel replied. “Received.” Two words. That was it. The next day, I saw that report on Maxwell’s Instagram. The caption read: “Rachel’s team is incredible! This report is so professional!” Tons of likes and comments below. “Amazing!” “Following you means eating well!” “This data compilation is so detailed—great work!” I scrolled to the report’s cover page. In the author field, my name was gone. Replaced with “Rachel’s Team.” I stared at those four words for a long time. Then I opened my document and wrote on a new line: [Work Theft Record – Report Author Changed] I saved it and closed it. Over the next few days, similar things kept happening. The PPT I made became Lisa’s. The data I compiled became Maxwell’s. The proposal I wrote became “the department’s collective wisdom.” Every time, I recorded it. Date, content, people involved. One entry at a time, crystal clear. Friday afternoon, Rachel called me into her office. “Serena,” She sat in her chair, legs crossed. “How long have you been with the company?” “Three weeks.” “How’s it going?” “Okay.” She smiled, but there was no warmth in her eyes. “Okay? You think your work is okay?” I didn’t answer. “Serena, let me be honest with you.” She leaned forward. “You’re not a good fit for our department.” “Oh.” “Look at you—you don’t fit in, you’re not proactive, you just sit there alone every day like a piece of wood.” “Mm-hmm.” “Don’t you have anything to say?” I looked at her and said calmly: “Manager Rachel, what would you like me to say?” She paused, then gave a cold laugh. “I want you to have some self-awareness. If you know what’s good for you, write your resignation letter yourself. The company will give you compensation.” “What if I don’t?” “Don’t?” She leaned back. “Then don’t blame me for not being nice.” I stood up. “Okay. Got it.” I turned and left, gently closing the door behind me. Back at my desk, I opened the document and wrote: [Coerced Resignation Attempt – Rachel ] I saved it and closed it. I glanced at the calendar. Three more months.

Starting the fourth week, the isolation escalated. Before, it was not inviting me to meals, not talking to me. Now it was not notifying me about meetings. “Accidentally” losing my reimbursement forms. The printer always breaking down whenever I tried to use it. Office supplies I requisitioned never getting approved. The stapler I used—I bought it myself. The pens—I bought them myself. Even the A4 paper—I brought my own. Once, I went to the admin desk to get a notebook. The girl smiled and said: “Serena, your request isn’t in the system.” I said: “I submitted it last week.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s a system issue. Could you submit it again?” I submitted it again. A week later, still not approved. I stopped submitting. I went to the convenience store downstairs and bought a dozen notebooks for myself. Wednesday afternoon, I heard about the bet in the break room. “I bet she quits this week.” “I bet next week.” “What’s the wager?” “One fancy dinner. How’s that?” “Deal!” I stood in the doorway holding my cup, completely still. The people inside didn’t notice me. That afternoon, Rachel made her move again—calling a monthly department meeting. Ten minutes before the meeting, I saw everyone packing up their things. I asked Wendy next to me: “What meeting?” She glanced at me without answering and walked away with her notebook. I caught up and asked Maxwell: “What time is the meeting? Which conference room?” Maxwell didn’t even look back: “Don’t know.” I stood there, watching them disappear down the hallway one by one. The office area emptied out. Only me left. I opened my email and scrolled through it. No meeting notice. I sat back at my desk and opened my document: [Deliberate Exclusion from Meeting – All Department Members – Date: XX/XX] After writing it, I thought for a moment and added: [Meeting content to be investigated.] Half an hour later, they came back. Rachel walked in front, looking displeased. She passed my desk and stopped. “Serena, why didn’t you come to the meeting?” I looked up: “Nobody told me.” “We did notify you.” She frowned. “It was posted in the group.” “I checked. There wasn’t.” “Then maybe you didn’t see it.” There was mockery in her tone. I didn’t respond. She didn’t say anything more and turned away. Soon, my phone buzzed. HR had sent [Notice Regarding Exit Interview] “Ms. Serena, please come to the HR department at 3 PM on December 15th for an exit interview.” I stared at that email for a long time. They didn’t know who I was. They had no idea what would happen at the company’s year-end gala three months from now.

On the day of the exit interview, I arrived on time. HR Director Andrew said: “You’re Serena, right? Sit.” I sat down. He flipped through some documents and looked up at me. “Serena, I’ll be direct. The company isn’t satisfied with your performance.” “What about it isn’t satisfactory?” “All aspects, really.” He shrugged. “You don’t fit in, you’re not proactive, your work output isn’t high…” I interrupted him: “That market analysis report—the one Maxwell praised on Instagram—I wrote that.” He paused. “That… wasn’t that from Rachel’s team?” “The byline said Rachel’s Team, but I was the original author.” He frowned: “Do you have proof?” I smiled. “Director, I’m here today to listen to what you have to say, not to argue with you. Please continue.” He was taken aback but quickly recovered. “Anyway, the company’s position is that we hope you’ll voluntarily resign.” “What if I don’t?” “Don’t?” He took off his glasses and wiped them. “That would be rather complicated.” He didn’t finish, but the meaning was clear. If I didn’t leave, the isolation would continue. But I stood up and said bluntly: “I’m not leaving.” He froze. I looked at him calmly and said: “I will not voluntarily resign. If the company wants to fire me, follow proper procedure. Labor law requires written notice with stated reasons for contract termination.” “You…” “And let me remind you,” I paused, “Every time my work was credited to someone else, every time I was deliberately isolated—I have records. If the company wants to take this to court, I’m ready.” His expression changed. I didn’t say another word. I turned and walked out. Walking out of HR, I took a deep breath. Back at my desk, I noticed the atmosphere had changed. Before, they treated me like I didn’t exist. Now it was hostility. I opened my document. It was already several pages long. Dates, incidents, people involved, sources of evidence. Before I came here, I’d done my homework. This branch had been bottom-ranked in performance for three consecutive years. This department had issues with expense reimbursements for two straight years. This manager, Rachel—annual salary of $120,000, but virtually zero performance. Headquarters had wanted to take action for a long time, but they didn’t have evidence. So they sent me. My official title was “clerk.” In reality, I was the head of headquarters’ audit team. I was here to fire them.

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I lived with Alpha Kaelan for six years. Yet on my birthday, he brought home a girl. He was covered in blood, and the delicate girl was hiding in his arms. From that day on, he, who had always indulged me in everything, never looked at me again. Everyone thought I loved Kaelan desperately, that my heart was broken into pieces. I smiled and fiddled with the watch on my wrist. I was a spy planted by the Silverveil Pack in the Cinderclaw Pack. I’d been undercover by his side all these years for one purpose: to send him to hell. How could I… ever fall in love with him? Late at night, the villa was brightly lit. I sat on the sofa, relighting the candles on the cake. “Lyra, stop waiting.” “Kaelan said he’s not coming…” The lighter in my hand kept clicking open. The flickering flame sparked to life, then died. I stared at the flame. “If he doesn’t come home, I’ll just keep waiting.” “He promised to spend every birthday with me. What does it mean to break that promise?” But in reality, the clock hands on the wall had already pointed to three in the morning. He wasn’t coming back. And here I was with a whole crowd of people waiting in the villa—all my subordinates. Those who knew thought I was waiting for him to celebrate my birthday with me. Those who didn’t might think I was waiting for him to come home so I could stage a rebellion. Finally, one second before the clock struck four in the morning, the rumble of a car engine sounded downstairs. “Lyra! He’s back!” Someone rushed upstairs and loudly announced the news. I stood up and walked to the stairs, looking down. Yes, he was back. I frowned and asked the man standing downstairs, looking at me with an inscrutable expression. “Kaelan, who’s that woman in your arms?” Kaelan had a long knife wound stretching from the tail of his eyebrow to his cheekbone. Blood was still trickling from it. If anything, it added a touch of ruthlessness to his usually refined and handsome features. “This was caused by a silver weapon? Looks like it’s healing slowly.” I pressed gauze to his wound, but he grabbed my wrist. “Lyra, have I been spoiling you too much all these years, hmm?” His fingers traced restlessly across the inside of my wrist. That’s just how he was—hiding all his menace and threats inside gentle gestures. I lowered my eyes. “Spoiling? I guess so.” He chuckled twice, his fingertips lightly and lazily pressing against my radius bone. “Is that so? Then calling so many people to my house…” “Those who don’t know might think I’m some kind of mob boss.” Well, he was exactly that—a mob boss. He’d walked through days of licking blood from knife edges to reach where he was today, all built on piles of corpses and skulls. Oh, but now he’d gone legitimate. He was a young entrepreneur. The newspapers were full of praise, calling him a brilliant young talent. It was disgusting. “Who’s the girl you brought back?” I struggled slightly, just enough for him to release my hand. And successfully changed the subject. But he relaxed his eyebrows and now avoided me. “None of your business.” The man stood up, took the gauze from my hand, then leaned down and kissed the corner of my lips. “You have time to worry about what woman I brought back…” “But no time to worry about how I got injured.” With that, he bit my neck as a slight punishment. “I really raised you for nothing.”

The wind in New York City had been a bit strong these past few days. Or perhaps it was because this abandoned building where I stood was drafty everywhere. In the distance, I could faintly hear the sounds of punching and kicking, while someone beside me offered me a cigarette. I pushed it away. “Kaelan doesn’t like me smoking.” “Help me investigate the girl Kaelan brought back last night.” I turned to speak to the person beside me. He’d been with me since I first entered the Cinderclaw Pack. Because he ranked seventh, his name was Rhys. I usually called him Rhys. Since he’d been with me so long, he would occasionally say things others wouldn’t dare to say. “Lyra, sigh…” “You’re the smartest woman I’ve ever met.” “So you should understand that emotions and love shouldn’t exist in people like us.” He stood beside me with his hands in his pockets, looking with me at the wasteland of ruins. “Which of us doesn’t have blood on our hands?” “He’s gone legitimate now. He’d never marry someone like us with blood-stained hands.” “Sure, we took the fall for his murders, so he treats us well. But becoming his Luna? That’s definitely impossible…” Yes, the reason Kaelan trusted me so much, spoiled me like this all these years, was because I’d taken the fall for his murders. Over the years, my hands had been stained with quite a bit of blood, so much so that sometimes late at night when I looked at myself, I seemed like a vengeful ghost. So much so that sometimes I almost forgot my true identity. A spy. A nail buried deep in dark soil. A long, lethal fuse. Purchased with my thirteen years and the blood of my own people. No one would come to this abandoned building. The sounds of fighting had ended not long ago. I raised my head, gazing at the bright white clouds under the clear sky. I didn’t care how many women Kaelan had. I was just afraid. Decades of meticulous preparation, failing because of one uncertain variable. “Let’s go meet this young lady who was brought back.” I turned and spoke to the person behind me. Unlike the cries and screams that echoed through the abandoned building, Kaelan’s villa was peaceful and serene. As soon as I entered, I saw a girl with braided pigtails lying on the sofa reading a book. When she saw me, she startled and immediately became reserved. “You…” The girl looked at me, her eyes evasive, then lowered her lashes. “Are you the Luna?” I was surprised she would address me that way and sat down beside her. “No.” “Ah…” The girl seemed a bit disappointed and shrank further into the corner. “I thought only someone as beautiful and outstanding as you would be worthy of Kaelan.” The girl’s eyes held a kind of worldly innocence. I smiled bitterly to myself. Here was another girl who’d been dazzled by Kaelan’s appearance. Just as I was about to reach out and pat her head, someone suddenly stopped me. “Lyra, Kaelan said you can’t touch Elena.” The person arrived quickly, getting right in my face. If not for the respect they still had for me, they would have physically escorted me out. “Please don’t come to this villa anymore. It belongs to Elena now.” The girl was so frightened she curled into a ball again, while I raised my eyebrows. Tsk, tsk, such a level of protection. “Fine, I’ll leave.” Kaelan had brought back plenty of women over the years, but this was the first time he’d protected one like this. “Lyra, this is all the information we could find.” In the car, Rhys bent down to hand me the documents. There was very little information, but even this much was probably only what Kaelan wanted me to find. This young woman’s full name was Elena. She was three years younger than Kaelan. And she and Kaelan… grew up in the same Pack. Before Kaelan brought her back, she worked at an orphanage. Her record was squeaky clean—they might as well have printed “delicate hothouse flower” on the paper. “Kaelan seems… very different with her.” Rhys whispered in my ear. Indeed. Could this Elena really be Kaelan’s white moonlight, the one pure figure in his dark heart? I bit my nail, thinking. As far as I knew, Kaelan had very few weaknesses at this point. He had no parents. He’d climbed up from the very bottom, entering this Pack even later than I had. Young but ruthless—I’d watched him climb his way up, and I’d followed him all along. I’d chosen the right person, but also the wrong one. Right because I’d become his confidant. Losing me would be like severing his own arm. Wrong because… I hadn’t anticipated his explosive growth. By the time I realized it, it was too late. My thoughts were interrupted by Rhys’s next words. He patted my shoulder. “Kaelan says…” “He wants to eat food you’ve cooked.” If Kaelan wanted to eat, I had to cook for him. I smiled slightly and told the driver to turn around. To the market.

The villa where Elena was staying was just one insignificant property among Kaelan’s many holdings. The place where I was now barely counted as Kaelan’s “home.” It was a simple apartment building, yet I had no idea how many bodyguards were watching it. I carried the groceries upstairs by myself, then washed the vegetables, boiled water, and cooked. What gourmet food hadn’t Kaelan tasted? How could he be devoted to food I made with my own hands? Yet every time he watched me cook, his gaze stuck only to me. It really gave the illusion of fated mates, making my stomach churn. This time, I was dealing with fish on the cutting board when he suddenly embraced me from behind. I didn’t even know when he’d arrived. “Don’t touch me. It’s fishy.” “Where’s it fishy?” He laughed, brushed aside my hair, and playfully toyed with my earring. I turned on the faucet and washed the fish blood from my hands. “Not cooking anymore? We can finish this first, then cook.” His kisses fell on my neck. I half-pushed him away uncomfortably. Until I fell into those eyes of his. Even my smile became practiced and seductive. I lowered my eyes and finally pushed him away. “Angry?” He was slightly teasing, pinching my cheek. “Because I didn’t celebrate your birthday? Did you puff up like a little pufferfish?” “Who’s a pufferfish…” I genuinely wanted to retort to that comment, but he tapped my nose. “You. Covered in thorns, disobedient, and… heartbreaking.” The marble countertop was fairly smooth. He lifted me up and placed me on it. The man lowered his head to kiss me. Everything was stirred into chaos by him. I couldn’t breathe, clutching tightly at his sleeve. Until he released me, smiling as he looked at me. I suddenly realized I was still so naive. When he smiled, I couldn’t tell what he meant. “Do you know why I was injured like that when I brought Elena back that day?” “Because she had something interesting in her hands.” He produced a photograph from somewhere and handed it to me. I smoothed out the photo and looked at the contents. “Lyra, don’t you think this is fascinating?” Kaelan spoke by my neck, his laughing breath crystal clear. “She said she’s seen you. She called you… Sephira.” The photo showed me wearing the distinctive uniform of the Silverveil Pack, in a group photo with Pack members. Kaelan lowered his head and kissed the tip of my nose. “Hmm? Baby, care to explain?” I looked down at the photograph. The tofu soup on the stove was still bubbling. He just watched me quietly like that, as if he didn’t want to miss a single expression. After a long moment, I laughed and raised my hand to hit him. “What do you mean? Kaelan, did you forget…” “I am from the Silverveil Pack, but later I was kicked out and became a Rogue…” When they arranged my identity, considering the possibility that my past with the Silverveil Pack might be exposed, the Pack simply gave me a backstory of being permanently exiled for breaking rules. Kaelan looked down at me. I was pinned tightly against the counter by him. I didn’t know if this paranoid lunatic would pick up the knife from the cutting board and strike me down. Until he chuckled softly. He squeezed my waist, neither gently nor roughly. “Oh? Is that so.” “Sorry, I forgot.” Releasing his restraint on me, he smiled as if nothing had happened. He even had the leisure to take the ladle from the pot and stir. “Not far from being ready, right?” “I’m so hungry, Lyra.” Though he said that, he stared straight at me. I pressed my lips together, straightened my clothes, and nodded. As I adjusted my collar, I finally understood why he’d squeezed my waist earlier. My back was already soaked through. That meal, at least for me, was tasteless. Actually, every day with Kaelan, I ate without tasting. I desperately wanted to plunge that silver dagger into this man’s chest. I thought about it every day, until I was nearly driven mad. Until a light, casual voice broke through my thoughts. “Lyra, there’s a shipment stopping at the port tomorrow. Handle it for me personally.” I looked up, gazing at the man across the table through the food. “The buyer is very cautious. Go alone. Don’t bring any subordinates.” I froze for a moment, instinctively asking him. “What kind of shipment?” He stared at me, smiling in silence. Then I understood—don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask. That’s just how Kaelan was. He kept secrets even from me. I nodded, picked up my bag, and walked toward the door. “Alright, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go first. I…” But as I walked past him, he grabbed my wrist. “Why are you so distracted today?” The man’s knuckles casually traced across the inside of my wrist. He had no intention of letting me leave. I smiled bitterly. “I just dealt with a subordinate this afternoon. I’m probably… a bit tired.” Kaelan said nothing more, but he didn’t let me go either. So we fell into complete silence. I could only feel the sensation of him stroking my wrist again and again. Until he softened his tone. “Stay tonight, hmm?” In that instant, my instinct was to refuse. “Forget it, I have things tomorrow… mmph.” So I was suddenly pulled into his arms, pressed against the dining table, with delicate kisses falling on my neck. The dim yellow light flickered on and off. In my panic, I looked into his eyes. He was always like this when aroused. Restrained, yet with reddened eyes. Crazy and… holding back.

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On a game show, the host asked my mom: “What’s one plus one?” My mom didn’t hesitate: “It equals three.” Everyone froze. My family had joined this show to raise money for my astronomical medical bills. Answer ten questions correctly, and they’d win five million dollars. After struggling through nine questions, the host took pity and asked a softball question. This prize money was my lifeline. But my mom, a PhD in mathematics, deliberately answered it wrong. I bolted upright in my hospital bed, chest tight with pain. The host recovered quickly, plastering on a smile: “Dr. Lily Smith is a mathematics PhD. Perhaps in unexplored mathematical fields, one plus one can equal three.” “However, the question I just asked is very simple. You only need to think like a first-grader!” But my mom blinked and said firmly: “One plus one equals three.” The host’s expression darkened. My brother held up two fingers, waving them frantically in front of Mom’s face. “Mom! Just answer one more question correctly and we can get the prize money for Chloe’s surgery!” “This isn’t the time for jokes!” Dad was sweating bullets too. “Honey, did you mishear the question? Or did you misspeak?” But no matter how Dad and my brother pleaded, Mom stuck to her answer—”one plus one equals three.” The audience exploded: “Is this mother insane?” “This has to be scripted! What mother would want her own child to die?” Each question had a ten-minute time limit. As the countdown neared its end, I begged the doctor to help me video call the show. The production team connected immediately. My pale, weak face appeared on the big screen. The crowd gasped in sympathy. The host’s eyes reddened with emotion. At sixteen, I’d been diagnosed with a malignant heart tumor and was in critical condition every moment. The only hope for my survival was this prize money. The host was frantic: “There are only three minutes left on the countdown.” “If you answer incorrectly, all your family’s efforts will be wasted!” To qualify for this show, my whole family had stayed up for three months memorizing the question bank. They’d barely made it through nine questions, and now Mom was spouting nonsense on the tenth. I spoke carefully: “Mom, the prize is five million dollars. My treatment only costs three million.” “I won’t take a penny of what’s left!” “And when I recover, I’ll work hard and give you every paycheck to show my gratitude!” The crowd murmured sympathetically. Mom’s eyes welled up too. With ten seconds left on the countdown, Mom raised her hand to indicate she wanted to change her answer. I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Mom had just been joking with everyone. “I’m sorry, I misspoke earlier.” “One plus one should equal…” I held my breath. Mom surveyed the room, then suddenly smiled. “One plus one equals one!” The countdown ended. The five million dollars on the screen instantly disappeared!

Then Mom said leisurely: “Sorry, I was careless and said it wrong.” “One plus one should equal two.” But the countdown had ended. My surgery funds were gone. Sharp pain shot through my chest. I nearly blacked out from the agony. My brother lost control, shouting: “Mom! What are you doing?” “Chloe’s going to die!” Mom just calmly pointed at the screen: “Look, isn’t Chloe suffering?” “You know she’s suffering and you deliberately answered wrong?!” My brother’s eyes were bloodshot. “You knew perfectly well that if you answered correctly, she could live!” “This is all your fault…” Mom suddenly raised her voice: “My fault? I didn’t do it on purpose!” “Of course I know one plus one equals two, but I was just careless!” Careless? My eyes widened in shock. How could anyone carelessly answer one plus one wrong? Mom knew perfectly well that without the prize money for surgery, I would die immediately. Why would she… Amid everyone’s confusion and anger, Mom raised an eyebrow and turned to look at my brother. “Carson, do you remember? On your middle school entrance exam, you lost a full five points because you wrote one plus one equals three.” “Because of those five points, you couldn’t get into the top middle school.” “When I criticized you then, you had the nerve to talk back, saying you were just careless and would be more careful next time.” “Today I’m showing you exactly what kind of consequences a moment of carelessness can cause!” Mom pointed at the big screen: “Take a good look and remember what Chloe looks like right now, covered in sweat from pain.” “This is the consequence of carelessness!” “Today I’m using your sister’s suffering to teach you a lesson!” Everyone exploded. I stared in disbelief. My brother was already a college junior! Mom was still holding a grudge about his middle school entrance exam! Dad was furious: “Do you realize Chloe’s about to die?” “If you wanted to teach Carson a lesson, couldn’t you have picked another time?” Mom muttered impatiently: “Doctors always exaggerate. Chloe’s so young, she can definitely hold on longer than other people.” “Carson’s careless habits should have been corrected long ago! Gentle methods don’t work, so I’m giving him a lesson he’ll remember in his bones!” I could barely breathe. The nurse gripped my hands tightly, her eyes full of pity. Dad roared that he’d fight Mom to the death. Mom raised her hand to block him. “What’s the rush?” “Doesn’t the show have one more bonus round?” “If we answer the next question correctly, we won’t get five million, but we can still get three million!” “That’s enough for Chloe’s surgery!” With the host’s intervention, Dad and my brother finally calmed down. Mom looked at the big screen, her gaze tender: “Chloe, hang in there a little longer.” “Mom just wanted to take this opportunity to teach your brother a lesson.” “I promise I’ll answer the next question correctly!” I bit my lip hard, forcing back tears. “Mom, I know you love me, but for the next question… can Dad or Carson answer instead?” Mom’s expression froze. Dad and my brother were afraid Mom would pull another stunt and strongly supported my suggestion. But unfortunately. During the earlier rounds, they’d already used up their chances to answer. So Mom had to go up again. This last question determined whether I lived or died. The studio fell silent. The host was sweating as he frantically searched the question bank, finally selecting the simplest possible question. “Ms. Lily Smith, what’s your birthday?” I relaxed, looking at the host with gratitude. Mom hit the answer button without hesitation. But said: “Host, I’d like to use my lifeline—phone a friend!”

The room erupted. How could someone not remember their own birthday? A wave of panic hit me. Since I got sick, Mom had been getting more and more gray hair. I’d heard that middle-aged people under prolonged mental stress could easily develop dementia. Had Mom’s condition already deteriorated this badly? Tears blurred my vision. My hands trembled. Mom chose Dad as her lifeline. Dad looked helpless: “Your birthday is January 8th.” Mom nodded and pressed the answer button again. But was suddenly stopped by my anxious brother. “Mom, did you hear clearly?” “What date is it exactly? Repeat it!” At my brother’s insistence, Mom repeated “January 8th” three times before being allowed to press the answer button. But Mom still didn’t speak. Seeing Mom’s nervousness, I endured the sharp pain in my heart and tried to comfort her: “Don’t be afraid, Mom. Just answer this one question and it’ll all be over.” Mom smiled at me. But her answer plunged me into ice-cold despair. “My birthday is January 9th!” The air froze instantly. The host immediately tried to smooth things over: “Your husband said your birthday is January 8th.” “Ms. Smith must have misspoken. Please answer again!” But Mom’s gaze was resolute: “I didn’t misspeak. I said it wrong on purpose.” The audience exploded. My heart hurt so badly I couldn’t straighten up. The nurse tried to end the video call, but I stopped her. “Mom… why did you deliberately answer wrong again?” My voice shook with pain. Mom’s eyes filled with tears, but her tone was aggrieved: “It’s all your father’s fault!” Not just Dad—everyone was stunned. Dad had told her the correct answer. What had he done wrong? Under the host’s questioning, Mom wiped her tears and revealed the truth. “A few weeks ago was our twentieth wedding anniversary and my birthday.” “But Sean actually got the date wrong!” “Sean! You said my birthday was January 9th, so now I’m making it come true!” Dad’s veins bulged with anger: “I did accidentally get your birthday wrong.” “But those few days I was working consecutive all-nighters to earn medical expenses for Chloe! I was completely exhausted and confused, so I got the date wrong.” “I apologized afterward, and worked three more weeks of all-night delivery shifts to buy you a gold bracelet to make up for it. Isn’t that enough?” Mom said nothing, just bowed her head and wiped her tears. The countdown kept ticking down. The burning pain in my chest had become unbearable, cold sweat soaking the bedsheets. Dad kept begging Mom to give the correct answer so they could get the money and rush me into surgery. But Mom remained unmoved. I was completely heartbroken. So my life was just a tool for Mom to teach my family lessons. Three minutes left on the countdown. Using all my strength, I personally ended the livestream. The doctors and nurses in the room all had red eyes. My voice was barely a whisper, but utterly determined: “Doctor, I want to sign an organ donation agreement.” “Also, after I die, I want my mom to witness the entire organ removal process!” Mom, don’t you love teaching people lessons? Then today, I’ll teach you one too! The second I finished signing, excruciating pain engulfed my entire body. Everything went black. In the last second before I lost consciousness, I heard Mom roaring on the show: “What are you all panicking about?” “Chloe’s illness isn’t new—how could she suddenly die just like that?” Dad was forced to his knees before Mom in front of a national audience, begging forgiveness and promising never to forget another important date. Mom finally gave the correct answer in the last second before the countdown ended. But it was already too late.

In the emergency room, doctors frantically pressed on my chest. But my heartbeat grew weaker and weaker. The attending physician shouted: “We need to operate now!” But the prize money hadn’t arrived yet. My account only had a few hundred dollars. Hospital policy only allowed standard emergency care. As consciousness faded, I seemed to see Mom. Mom, you knew I could die any second. Why did you keep deliberately answering wrong and wasting time? Mom, don’t you love me? The doctor’s CPR grew more forceful. I could almost hear my ribs cracking. Mom, I really can’t hold on much longer… If you could just come see me one last time, I wouldn’t blame you. But I waited and waited. Shot after shot of epinephrine was injected into my veins, yet my breathing still gradually weakened. The monitor beeped. Hospital policy: no money, no surgery. The doctor called the production team furiously: “Didn’t they answer correctly? Why hasn’t the prize money arrived?” But the production team was helpless too. “We wanted to transfer the money directly to the hospital account, but her mother insisted on cash!” “They’re probably rushing to the hospital with the cash now.” The breath I’d been barely holding onto finally gave out. My heart monitor flatlined. Then I heard my family arguing. “Chloe’s hanging by a thread—why did you insist on cash?” Mom said self-righteously: “Three years ago, you got scammed out of two hundred dollars online!” “Online payments are so dangerous, and you still haven’t learned?” “Cash is safest. Today I’m teaching you a good lesson!” Dad was frantic, rushing forward: “Fine, fine! Cash is safe!” “But what about Chloe? Every second she waits puts her in more danger!” Mom said reluctantly: “Stop talking!” “If Chloe’s in danger, it’s because you cursed her!” “She was fine this morning—how could something happen this afternoon?” In the emergency room, the doctor was pulling a white sheet over my face. Oblivious, Mom pushed open my hospital room door. “Chloe! Mom brought the money!”

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I’m the only daughter among six wealthy families’ wives, all of whom were pregnant at the same time. On the day of my birth, the other five ladies were filled with envy. They even got into heated arguments over who would become my future mother-in-law. My mother, feeling helpless, agreed that when I turned twenty-two, I would choose a fiancé from among the younger generation of the five families. In my past life, I chose Lucas without hesitation. After all, everyone knew I’d been infatuated with Lucas for years and had pursued him relentlessly. But one day after our marriage, he died in a plane crash, leaving no remains behind. I was devastated with grief. Until I saw “dead” Lucas on the street with my own eyes, pinning Melody—a student I’d sponsored—against a wall and kissing her. In that moment, I finally understood. Lucas had fallen for Melody long ago. He’d even gone so far as to fake his own death to elope with her. After discovering the truth, I fled in panic, only to be hit by a car. The two of them stood across the street, watching coldly as I died. In the end, it was Sullivan—who’d been at odds with me since childhood—who arranged my funeral and shed tears at my gravestone. After my rebirth, when my mother asked me to choose a fiancé, this time I chose Sullivan.

The younger generation from the other families were already waiting outside the lounge. They tacitly pushed Lucas forward to stand before me. “Claire, you’ve followed Lucas around since childhood. You must be getting your wish now, right?” “Tsk tsk, even for a rich heiress, isn’t this a bit too forward?” Lucas crossed his arms, his mocking gaze landing on me. “You’re determined to cling to me, aren’t you?” “Even though our elders made a verbal agreement, I’d advise you not to take it too seriously. If your family doesn’t offer terms that satisfy me, I won’t necessarily marry you.” His tone was cold and full of disgust. This profit-first attitude was exactly the same as in my past life. He’d never valued my love. I looked at him, my tone indifferent. “Lucas, you’re not the only son in the Montgomery family, are you? And you’re not the only option among the other families either.” The moment those words left my mouth, his expression changed instantly. The heirs standing behind him also began exchanging uncertain glances. Our six families had been close for generations, with early intentions of business marriages. All five families had subtly spread the word that whoever married me would gain significant leverage in future resource allocation within their family. After a moment of silence, Lucas laughed lightly. “Claire, you think I’ll believe you’re trying to provoke me with words like that?” The other heirs snapped out of it and laughed as well. “Lucas, when our families collaborate in the future with you at the helm, things will only get better. Just don’t forget about us when that happens.” Lucas basked smugly in everyone’s flattery. After a while, he finally glanced at me lazily. “You’ve chased me for ten years. Besides me, no one else would dare marry you.” “But I need to make something clear upfront.” He waved the others away before speaking up. “To avoid trouble, I can marry you. But Melody is the only one in my heart. As long as you don’t interfere with us, I can give you the dignity of being my wife.” Hearing this, I stared at him with wide, shocked eyes. In my past life, he’d hidden it so well—he’d never said anything like this. Could it be… had he been reborn too? I was still hesitating whether to probe further when a figure slowly appeared before us. “Claire, why are you standing here with Lucas like idiots?” Melody called out to me, but her eyes were fixed straight on Lucas. Lucas’s eyes instantly reddened as he turned and pulled Melody into a tight embrace. He spoke in a tender tone I’d never heard before. “Melody, what are you doing here?” Melody froze for a moment, then raised her hands to hold him even tighter. Her provocative gaze landed on me, though her voice feigned panic. “Lucas, you’re Claire’s fiancé. This isn’t right.” Lucas sneered. “There’s nothing wrong with it. If she dares blame you, then she can forget about marrying me.” With that, he unhesitatingly took Melody’s hand and turned to leave. I rubbed my thumb over Sullivan’s photo in my hand and laughed softly. Lucas, I never intended to marry you in the first place.

The birthday party was winding down. Most of the guests had left when Lucas and Melody finally reappeared before everyone. Lucas had changed into a high-collared formal suit, while Melody’s neck bore several suggestive marks. The atmosphere between them was so intimate it was almost tangible. If this were the old me, I would have rushed forward in fury to demand an explanation. But this scene had played out countless times in my past life. My heart had long since gone numb. I tilted my head back, drained the wine in my glass, and turned to leave. Lucas caught sight of the indifferent expression on my face and slowly frowned. For the first time, he took the initiative to stop me. “Claire, what are you sulking about now?” “I’m your fiancé. How can you leave without saying anything? Where are your manners?” “Apologize to Melody and me right now, or forget about getting your birthday present this year!” Lucas was clutching a ring box in his hand. Melody took the box from him and waved it triumphantly in front of me. “Claire, Lucas specially custom-made this for you! He put so much thought into it!” My eyes followed the movement of the box, and I naturally noticed the custom ring on Melody’s ring finger. It was from the same brand as the box in her hand. I pulled at the corner of my mouth sarcastically. “Put thought into it? I’d say he put more thought into that custom ring on your finger.” Melody suppressed her rising smile, feigning innocence. “How could that be? Mine is just a free gift that came with the present Lucas bought for you.” Melody opened the ring box and tossed it at me carelessly. I didn’t reach out to catch it. The box and a silver necklace inside fell to the floor together. Lucas frowned deeply, his voice sharp. “Claire, why didn’t you move? Didn’t you see the gift I gave you fell?” “Pick it up right now!” Hearing this, I laughed self-deprecatingly. “A free necklace that came with buying a ring, and you have the nerve to call it a gift?” Melody picked up the necklace with a pained expression, looking at me reproachfully. “This is Lucas’s thoughtfulness!” Thoughtfulness? Like I hadn’t received enough of his “thoughtfulness” before? Since I could remember, every birthday I’d received piles of careless gifts. Tree leaves Lucas randomly picked, model toys he didn’t want, paper balls he’d crumpled when irritated. Whatever was at hand, that’s what he’d give me. Yet back then, I treasured each one, carefully preserving every single item. In my past life, after we got married, I’d shown them to him like presenting treasures. What I got in return was only his merciless mockery. “Claire, are you a garbage collector?” “You pick up everything I throw away. How pathetic!” Hearing those words, I felt my heart shatter into pieces. But Lucas didn’t think he’d crossed any line. He even spread this story far and wide. From then on, everyone in our circle looked at me with mockery. Recalling how people pointed and whispered about me in my past life, my mood instantly darkened. I casually tossed the necklace onto the table, preparing to leave. But Lucas spread his arms wide, blocking my path, glaring at me furiously. “Claire, how dare you throw away the gift I gave you.” “Pick up that necklace right now and wipe it clean, or our engagement is off!” “When that happens, even if you beg on your knees at my door for three days and nights, I might not agree to marry you!” I looked down at Lucas and pulled my lips into a slight smile. “Lucas, I never planned to marry you in the first place.” The air instantly froze. Everyone present looked back and forth between Lucas and me. Lucas paused for a moment, then laughed mockingly. “Claire, everyone knows you’ve chased me for ten years. How could you possibly marry someone else?” “All those friends of mine witnessed how you pursued me. They wouldn’t want to marry you either. Oh, and Sullivan has been at odds with you since childhood—you two fight every time you meet. Would the Foster family even let you marry him?”

I was about to retort that Sullivan was exactly who I intended to marry. But the words caught in my throat as I suddenly remembered what Sullivan’s mother had said not long ago. “I don’t know why you suddenly changed your mind and chose Sullivan, but he’s about to have surgery. Let’s not announce this yet—keep it confidential for now? We can announce it at the engagement party, so no one disturbs him while he’s recovering.” I instinctively looked toward Sullivan sitting in his wheelchair in the distance. His face was pale and his frame thin, but his spine remained straight, his refined features softened by a sickly fragility. He really couldn’t be disturbed. Sullivan and I hadn’t interacted much—we’d been rivals since childhood. But in my past life, after I died, he too died alone in his apartment not long after. If I was going to marry him in this life, I needed to make sure he lived well. Sullivan gazed at me, a complexity I couldn’t read flowing through his eyes. I smiled reassuringly at him, then spoke. “You’ll all find out in due time.” With that, I turned and left. After the party ended, Melody followed close on my heels. She held out her hand toward me, the silver ring refracting colorful light. “All you have left is your sharp tongue.” “Lucas said that even though he’ll marry you, I’m the one he truly loves in his heart. He’ll only ever buy rings for me in this lifetime!” In everyone’s eyes, Melody was a well-behaved, sweet-talking child who knew gratitude. I only learned at the moment of my death that she’d been interfering in my marriage all along, and that Lucas had even faked his death to be with her. So after my rebirth, I decided to help them be together. I wanted to see if their love really ran that deep. With this in mind, I suddenly patted Melody’s shoulder. “No need to go through all this trouble, Melody. If you want to be with him, I can make it happen.” “If you two get married, I’ll definitely wish you a lifetime of happiness together!” Melody froze, then sneered. “Don’t say one thing and do another. I know you—you’ll never stop pestering Lucas. But give up now. He only loves me!” I nodded indifferently and headed home first. Since I’d decided to marry Sullivan, I should prepare some gifts for him before the engagement. For three consecutive days, I focused on preparing gifts. And for those three days, Melody didn’t return to the apartment I’d rented for her. During those three days, she posted on Instagram an average of once every two hours. The latest post showed Lucas wearing an apron in the kitchen, pan-frying steak. Just as I was about to close my phone, Melody’s chat window popped up. “You’ve never tasted Lucas’s cooking, have you?” “These three days, Lucas has taken such good care of me, whether at the dinner table or in bed…” Reading that sentence, images from my past life instantly flooded my mind—after my death, I’d seen them celebrating my fatal car accident by having sex in bed. A wave of nausea churned in my stomach. I suppressed the urge to vomit and replied with a single word: “Fuck off,” then blocked Melody. Immediately after, Lucas called. “Claire, are you sick? Melody just said something wrong—why the hell are you blocking her?” “Do you know how hurt she is right now? Get your ass to the party and apologize to her!” Lucas’s furious, shrill voice exploded in my ear. I laughed coldly. “Fine, I’ll come right now.” But not to apologize—to announce my engagement to Sullivan!

My parents had already left for the party. After organizing the gifts I’d prepared for Sullivan, I finally arrived at the banquet hall. Lucas and Melody stood side by side at the entrance. Seeing me, their faces showed contempt. “Claire, I thought you could hold out longer. Melody just sent you one message, and not only did you block her, but you got your parents involved to pressure me into marriage.” With that, he suddenly stuck out his foot and kicked hard at my knee. Caught off guard, my knees buckled and I fell heavily to the ground. “Kowtow and apologize to Melody! Otherwise, don’t blame me for ruining today’s event!” Melody bent down to stare at me, feigning reluctance. “Don’t blame Lucas. He’s just standing up for me.” I clenched my teeth, glaring fiercely at Melody. She timely displayed a pitiful expression. Seeing this, Lucas’s heart ached even more. He stepped forward two paces and backhanded me across the face. Five clear finger marks instantly appeared on my face. My eyes filled with blood as I shot to my feet and shouted, “Lucas, Melody, have you both lost your minds?” “I told you—I’m not marrying you!” Lucas’s contemptuous gaze swept over me as he sneered. “Claire, stop pretending. Today both sets of parents will announce our engagement. Be smart and apologize.” “Otherwise, forget about entering the Montgomery family!” My chest heaved with anger. Not wanting to argue with them anymore, I was about to step forward. But the elders from all the families appeared at the corner. Lucas’s father, Richard Montgomery, looked at his son with furrowed brows. “Lucas, what are you causing a scene about at the entrance now?” Sullivan followed slowly behind them. He wasn’t in his wheelchair. His complexion was rosier than a few days ago, wearing a well-tailored suit. Though thin, he stood straight. Seeing my disheveled state, his eyes filled with concern. “What happened?” Meeting his concerned gaze, warmth filled my heart. “Nothing. What are you doing out here?” A smile appeared on his face. “I noticed you hadn’t come in yet.” Lucas laughed coldly. “What does it have to do with you whether she came in or not? Sullivan, why are you trying to find a sense of existence at this moment? You’re acting so concerned about your future ‘brother-in-law’?” Everyone was somewhat taken aback by those words. But Lucas remained oblivious. He quickly moved closer, squeezing between Sullivan and me. He put on a fake smile for Sullivan. Then turned and threatened me in a low voice. “Let it go for today. But if after we’re engaged I find out you’re bullying Melody again, I’ll make you pay!” At this moment, Lucas inexplicably displayed unprecedented possessiveness. But I knew he was only protecting the massive resources about to fall into his hands. Richard sighed and spoke solemnly. “The person who gets engaged to Claire will gain priority leadership over our families’ joint project. Today is the day to formalize the engagement.” Lucas lowered his head to straighten his clothes, then raised the corners of his mouth, preparing to take my arm. But the next instant, his confident expression froze on his face. My father took my hand and Sullivan’s, placing them together. Sullivan’s smile was radiant, his spirits high, showing no trace of his former frailty. “Claire, are you ready to spend a lifetime with me?”

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I accidentally discovered that my boyfriend of seven years was getting married—and the bride wasn’t me. I didn’t cry or make a scene. I just broke up with him. All because I overheard a conversation between my boyfriend and his best friend: “You’re marrying your mistress. Aren’t you afraid Lynn will do something drastic?” His tone was lazy and unconcerned: “I’ll give Lynn my love and give Charlotte my name. It’s perfectly fair. Lynn loves me so much—she won’t be able to leave me.” I immediately called Mr. Adrian Foster, the man my mother had introduced me to, whose family business had always been in competition with ours: “I’ve thought it over. I accept your proposal.” To this day, I still don’t know who Victor’s mistress was. Ridiculous, isn’t it? It wasn’t until the girl deliberately appeared in front of me that I belatedly realized Victor had been cheating on me for three months. “I’m Charlotte. I’m here to pick something up. Victor bought me some lingerie, but he accidentally put in the wrong address and it got sent to your office.” She picked up a package on my desk, opened it, and pulled out a set of black lace lingerie. “He has such good taste. He said I’d look absolutely stunning in this.” “Especially… when we use it at night.” Was she bragging to me about how active their sex life was? My emotions churned like a storm inside, but I kept my face calm as I looked at this young girl before me. She looked quite young—maybe eighteen or nineteen at most. “You’ve got what you came for. You can leave now.” I pushed the box toward her. I had died once before. I thought that after being reborn and knowing who the mistress was, I’d rush over and tear her face apart. But when I saw Charlotte wearing cheap lipstick and rough makeup, her face still so young and fresh, I suddenly didn’t want to bother with this little girl. I had more important things to do. Charlotte froze for a moment, clearly surprised that I could be so calm. Her expression soured. Her gaze swept around the room and suddenly landed on another open velvet jewelry box on my desk. Inside was a pearl necklace my mother had given me. She snatched up the necklace and put it around her neck, taunting me: “Victor gave me this too. Does it look good on me?” Blood rushed to my head. “That’s a necklace my mother gave me. Take it off!” “What do you mean ‘yours’? It’s mine now!” She stepped back, her hand protecting the necklace. I moved forward to grab it: “Give it back!” In our struggle, with a sharp “snap,” the necklace chain broke and pearls scattered across the floor. “My necklace!” I stared at the pearls scattered on the ground and slapped her across the face. “Get out!” She covered her stinging cheek, looked at the pearls on the floor, and glared at me with shock and fury: “You’ll pay for this!”

She really did go tell on me. When Victor stormed back, I was quickly packing up my most important belongings. “Lynn! Why did you hit her!” He grabbed my wrist. “She’s just a young girl—was that really necessary!” I shook off his hand and slapped him hard across the face. Victor was completely stunned, as if seeing me for the first time. “Are you crazy? You hit someone over a necklace?” “That was my necklace.” I looked at him coldly, continuing to stuff documents into a box. “And I hit a thief who took other people’s things.” “You!” He choked with anger, his face turning bright red. “Fine, even if the necklace was yours, you still can’t hit people! Charlotte’s face is swollen! I’m telling you, this isn’t over! That slap cost you a million dollars! Consider it compensation for her pain and suffering and medical expenses!” “Victor, we’re breaking up.” I zipped up my suitcase. “As for the money, just try taking it and see what happens.” “Breaking up? Did I agree to that?” He blocked the door, his tone irritated. “Lynn, stop being unreasonable, okay? Come back. Let’s talk this through properly!” “Talk about how you used my money to make your little mistress happy?” I looked up, my gaze sharp. His eyes flickered for a moment, a flash of embarrassment at being exposed, but it was quickly replaced by anger. I didn’t look at him again. I squeezed through the gap between him and the doorframe and left with my suitcase. The moment the elevator doors closed, I heard him furiously kicking the door and roaring: “If you leave, don’t come back!” I moved to a downtown apartment I’d prepared long ago. Just as I set down my suitcase, my phone rang. It was Adrian Foster. “I just finished a meeting.” His voice sounded steady and clear. “I saw your message. Are you sure you’ve thought this through? About the proposal our families discussed?” “Yes.” My answer came without hesitation. He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief on the other end, then spoke in a warm but firm voice: “Good. I’ll finish up the business here as quickly as possible and return home to help you with the family business transition and… our matter.” “Thank you.” I paused. “I appreciate it.” “Don’t say that.” His tone was serious. “Wait for me to come back.” Shortly after the call ended, my mobile banking notification chimed. I opened it—a transfer debit alert. [Your account ending in XXXX has debited $1,000,000.00.] I knew who it was. I immediately called Victor. “I transferred the money.” He answered quickly, his tone forceful. “You hit someone, you have to pay the price. This million dollars is compensation to buy Charlotte a new necklace. Lynn, we’re even now.” “Victor,” I said coldly, “that’s not your money. Transfer it back immediately.” “Your money?” He sneered. “We’ve been together this long and you’re being this petty with me? Stop making a fuss. Come back home and I’ll smooth things over with her about the necklace.” I heard Charlotte’s coquettish voice in the background: “Victor, honey, I’ve drawn the bath for you—” He immediately hung up. I sent him a message: “You have twenty-four hours. If you don’t return the money, I’ll file a lawsuit and make sure your misuse of my trust fund appears in legal notices on every single one of your investors’ desks.”

That night, I received a new friend request with the note “Charlotte.” I accepted it. She immediately sent a message: “Got the million. Thanks for being so generous, sis~ Try not to be so bitchy next time, okay?” Then another: “Still awake this late? Waiting for someone? Don’t bother. Victor’s with me. He says you’re boring.” I didn’t reply. I just took screenshots and saved them. The next day, I went directly to the upscale club Victor frequented. I needed to retrieve a spare access card I’d left at his place. When I reached the door of his usual private room, just as my hand touched the door handle, I heard laughter from inside. “Victor, you’re something else. Lynn’s been with you for seven years, and you just swipe a million of her money without blinking to spoil your new girl?” A slick male voice laughed. Victor’s lazy voice came through: “Her money is my money. Women, you know—when they throw tantrums, you just let them cool off. When she realizes she can’t live without me, she’ll naturally come back.” “So what’s your situation now? Keeping the main wife at home while playing around outside? Who are you actually marrying in two months?” another person asked. “Whoever’s more obedient, I’ll marry.” Victor’s tone carried a condescending amusement. “If Lynn knows what’s good for her and comes back behaving herself, the position is still hers. Charlotte’s young and fun—I’ll keep her around for entertainment for now.” Someone egged him on: “Impressive! But Lynn’s trust fund is a fat piece of meat. Don’t screw it up.” “I won’t.” Victor sounded supremely confident. “With that brain of hers, all the money she earns will eventually be mine anyway. She’s just being stubborn right now.” My blood nearly froze. Nausea rose in my throat. I didn’t push open the door. I turned and walked to the quiet end of the corridor and called him. “Victor,” my voice was cold as ice, “I’m telling you one last time. Return my million dollars by the end of today. Otherwise, I’ll not only file a lawsuit, but I’ll also leak to the financial media and all your clients that you’ve been misappropriating trust funds to support your mistress. I mean what I say.” The other end went silent instantly, then his voice came through, lowered and furious: “Lynn! You wouldn’t dare!” “Watch me.” I hung up. That evening, my mother called, her voice full of concern: “Victor came to the house this afternoon and said some things… What’s really going on with you two? Seven years together isn’t easy. You’re about to get married—don’t let small things ruin it…” “Mom,” I calmly interrupted her, “there’s no misunderstanding. He took a million dollars of my money to buy jewelry for his mistress. He and I are completely finished. I’ve already agreed to Adrian’s proposal. He’ll be back soon.” Just after I’d calmed my mother down, Adrian called. His voice carried a hint of barely perceptible urgency: “Lynn, I’ve expedited the transition here. I can be back as early as next week. Are you… are you all right?” “I’m fine.” Hearing his voice steadied me a bit. “I’ll wait for you to come back.”

I didn’t expect his “next week” to be so immediate. Two days later, he’d already handled the most critical matters and rushed back. The first thing he said when we met was: “Come on, let’s go to city hall.” I teased him: “I’m not someone who goes back on my word. I’m not going to run away.” He gripped my hand tightly, slowly interlacing our fingers. This usually mature man was happy as a child: “I’m afraid something might change if we wait.” He didn’t want to wait even a second longer. He took me to complete the marriage registration. When we received that legally binding marriage certificate, he finally relaxed completely. That night—our wedding night—Victor sent me a text: “Okay, I’m not angry anymore. Come back home. The house feels empty without you. I’m not used to it.” I didn’t respond. The day after our wedding, Adrian had to return overseas due to urgent business matters. Before he left, he gave me an unlimited black card and the keys to an estate in the western district. After moving, I went back to work as usual. What I didn’t expect was that Charlotte would be assigned to my project team as an intern. “Victor said this project is my responsibility now.” “Since we’re so ‘close,’ hand everything over.” She actually walked past me and went straight to my computer, reaching out to operate it. I blocked her: “That’s not your workstation.” “Victor said I can use whichever computer I want here.” She even pulled open my unlocked drawer and took out a core proposal draft I’d spent half a month on and just finalized, flipping through it carelessly. “What is this garbage?” She pursed her lips and actually picked up my pen from the desk and scribbled several black lines across key data on several pages. “I don’t think this works. It needs to be redone. Oh, but it’s my responsibility now anyway.” Especially when she saw I was calm and not losing it like she’d imagined, she kept trying to provoke me with words: “Victor and I are getting married soon. This company will be mine eventually. Are you going to hand things over or not?” “Is this the level of a VP?!” “No wonder Victor doesn’t want you—you work like a zombie, no potential at all!” I stared at her coldly: “Unlike you, who’s like a rat—only knows how to steal.” “If you’re not satisfied, you can request a transfer.” She angrily raised her hand to hit me, but I grabbed it mid-air. “If you don’t want the whole industry to know you got ahead by stealing trade secrets, go ahead and act out!” She angrily jerked her hand back and glared at me viciously. In the end, she seized control of the project and arrogantly ordered me: “Organize all the raw data and give it to me!” I reminded her: “This proposal involves the company’s core secrets. You need to sign confirming you’re taking over, and you’ll be fully responsible for any leaks going forward.” She looked at me disdainfully: “How pathetic! My husband has plenty of money and connections—I can do whatever I want! The only reason he doesn’t give you resources is because you don’t deserve them.” I said nothing, secretly gleeful about the day they’d both fall. While silently organizing the handover documents in the stairwell, she suddenly deliberately fell backward and cried out, accusing me: “Why did you push me! It’s not my fault Victor didn’t choose you!” “Why do women have to make things hard for each other!” Such terrible acting. Not only that, she pitifully called Victor to complain. Victor soon arrived to find Charlotte sitting on the floor crying. Without asking what happened, he accused me: “Lynn, when did you become so vicious!” “I’m so disappointed in you!” I found it laughable and let out a small laugh: “I’m very disappointed in you too.” Charlotte sobbed: “It hurts, it hurts so much…” Victor held her in his arms and cooed at her. Then he slapped me across the face, lecturing me: “Now you know what it feels like to be hit! Otherwise you’ll never learn your lesson!” This was the first time he’d hit me in public. I was stunned by the pain for a moment. Watching him carry Charlotte away, I took a deep breath. Back in my office, I calmly submitted my electronic resignation. Then I copied the resignation notice to all senior management.

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“What’s one plus one?” On the highway, my brother Sam suddenly asked. I hesitated. “It’s…” Before I could finish, my mother flew into a rage and slapped me hard across the face. “I have a master’s degree. Your father has a PhD.” “Your brother is a math prodigy who gets perfect scores every time, and you have to hesitate over one plus one? You’re nothing but a useless waste!” My cheek burned. Terror flooded my chest. I shook my head, crying: “Mom, please don’t hate me. I’m not useless. Sam said-” But she wouldn’t listen. She pushed me out of the car “A piece of trash that inherited nothing but inferior genes doesn’t deserve to sit in the same car as us. Walk home yourself!” I ran after them desperately, but my parents drove off with Sam anyway. A massive truck came speeding from behind. Suddenly, my body felt light. I caught up to their car. “Mom, Dad, I’m not useless! My teacher called me a young artist and said everyone has their own strengths!” “A child’s stride is is roughly between 0.3 and 0.5 meters.” “I did the math for you. From here to the highway rest stop, you only need to walk 3,000 steps.” “This is your punishment, but it’s also meant to activate your potential. Since you’re not naturally clever, it’ll help you fit into our family.” Once Mom finished, she turned and got into the car without a second glance. I ran after her. “Mom, don’t leave me behind.” The car window slowly rolled down. Mom just tossed a small camera out from inside the car. “This is the latest cloud camera. It’ll record you, so don’t try to slack off and skip counting.” “Be careful on the road. You can only walk in the emergency lane.” Mom left those final instructions, and the window immediately rolled back up. I watched helplessly as the car drove away. The taillights grew dimmer and dimmer until they completely disappeared into the darkness. “Mom, it’s so cold.” The weather lady on the forecast said today’s temperature was 10 degrees below zero. But Mom forgot to give me my coat. I held up the little camera dejectedly and spoke to the lens. “Mom, I’m not useless.” “I’m the best at drawing in my whole class. My teacher said that’s called having different strengths.” But the camera lens couldn’t talk back. I sniffled and held back my tears, then started counting seriously. “1, 2, 3…” But it was so cold. Even the warm breath I exhaled seemed to turn to ice. I counted slower and slower, and my steps got smaller and smaller. When I reached 1,000, my legs felt as heavy as two big stones. I tripped over something and fell to my knees. The pain shot through me instantly. My whole body hurt. I apologized to the camera lens through my tears. “Mom, I’m sorry. It really hurts too much. I’ll just rest for ten counts.” Our family often played counting games. Success brought rewards, failure brought punishment. Sam always got the rewards. I always failed, and Mom would punish me for ten counts. Ten slaps on the hands, ten spanks on the bottom. I used to think ten counts was so slow, but now it felt so fast. When the ten counts ended, I struggled to get up from the ground. I moved my legs bit by bit. The blood from my knees soaked through my pants, and every step hurt so much. I gritted my teeth. Just 1,970 more steps and I could get back to our hometown. My grandparents were waiting for us at the reunion dinner. But my body grew colder and colder. White spots seemed to drift before my eyes. I cried toward the camera. “Mom, I don’t think I can keep going.” She didn’t answer. Then a blinding light flooded in from behind me. I had wandered into the middle of the road without even realizing it. When I woke up, I suddenly realized my body had turned weightless.

My lighter body quickly caught up to my parents. They were resting at a service area with lots of delicious food on the table. Mom was urging Sam to drink some hot water. “It’s too cold today. You must drink some hot water.” Sam reluctantly took a sip. I quietly swallowed, wanting so badly to drink some hot water too. “Mom, I want some too.” I timidly begged, but Mom remained completely indifferent. She fed Sam water and gave Sam fruit. She seemed unable to see me at all. I held back my sadness. Just then, Dad suddenly raised his hand to look at his watch and frowned. “We’ve been waiting at the service area for an hour. Why hasn’t Chloe arrived yet? I hope nothing happened to her.” My heart lifted with joy. Dad-he finally remembered me. “Dad, I met a really big truck. I was too tired to run, and that truck-” I wanted to tell Dad loudly. But Mom said impatiently, “Dylan, it’s only two kilometers. It’s not that far.” “If it were Sam, he would’ve run here already.” “She’s always been lazy since childhood. This is a good chance to let her exercise!” Sam nodded. He wasn’t just good at math-he was athletic too. “She’s already slow. If she doesn’t get some exercise, what are we going to do when she’s always sick?” He snorted coldly. Sam often mocked me. This time in the car, he suddenly asked me a math question. He just wanted to laugh at how stupid I was. Before, I would always grin at Sam foolishly, never holding grudges. After all, he was my brother. But this time I was a little angry. I yelled at him. “I am not! Sam is so mean!” If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have been kicked out of the car. Dad hesitated. He looked at the thick fog outside, then his brow gradually relaxed. “A two-kilometer walk takes adults 20 to 35 minutes. Considering external factors, it’s normal for a child to be a bit later.” Hearing Dad’s words made my heart feel heavy. I’d been sickly since childhood, getting winded after walking just a few steps, let alone walking 3,000 steps in such cold weather. But they seemed to have forgotten. They decided to wait a little longer. They waited another hour, until Sam got impatient. He pestered Dad to drive. Just then, a couple walked in. Their conversation interrupted Sam. “We left at dawn on purpose, but there’s still a traffic jam.” “That accident just now was really terrible. I heard the kid’s brains were splattered everywhere. It was just a child…” At those words, Dad trembled violently. Mom panicked too. She quickly opened her phone. She saw the little dot still moving on her phone and breathed a sigh of relief. The next second, she became angry again. “The camera I bought not only records video but also has GPS tracking.” “Look, she’s moving fast right now. She definitely got a ride and is playing victim. She doesn’t listen at all!” “We’re not waiting for her anymore. Let’s leave now. If she’s so capable, she can have whoever’s driving her take her home!” Hearing this, I became anxious. “Mom, that’s not true.” “I didn’t. That’s an ambulance, not a ride I found.” But Mom couldn’t hear me. She bundled Sam up tightly and pulled Dad to the car to go home. I cried as I followed my parents’ car. The ambulance siren seemed to get closer and closer, but Dad hit the gas and exited the highway. The car soon arrived at my grandparents’house. I rushed toward them feeling wronged, but passed right through them.

New Year was my favorite time every year. The New Year gathering meant I could see my grandparents. But now I felt so sad. My tears wouldn’t stop flowing. Grandma rushed to the back seat and lifted Sam out first. Then she looked into the car again. “Where’s Chloe? Why isn’t Chloe in the car?” “Grandma, I’m here.” I sobbed and tugged at Grandma’s sleeve. Mom said impatiently, “She’s riding with someone else.” “Come on, it’s freezing out here. Sam sat in the car for so long-he’s cold and hungry. Show some concern for your grandson.” Mom’s words immediately silenced Grandma. She looked at Dad. When Dad nodded, she sighed and stopped asking. “Alright, alright. I made apple pie. Try some.” Mom, Dad, and Sam all ate with relish. I clutched my stomach, about to cry. After walking for an hour, I was exhausted and starving. What I wanted most was Grandma’s apple pie. “Chloe loves apple pie. I even saved some especially for her.” Grandma said with a smile, standing up to look out the window again and again. I sniffled. I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. After everyone finished eating and Grandma cleared the table, she still hadn’t seen me arrive and finally couldn’t help asking my parents about me again. “Why isn’t Chloe here yet? Whose car is she riding in? Why didn’t you all come together?” The living room suddenly fell silent. Dad hesitated. “Soon, I think. She should be here soon.” His uncertain answer puzzled my grandparents. “Whose car is Chloe riding in? Just call and ask. She’s been gone so long-aren’t you parents worried at all?” Dad pushed up his glasses but looked at Mom. Mom angrily opened her phone. my grandparents stretched their necks expectantly. I looked too. She frowned and opened her phone. Seeing that the camera’s GPS showed it wasn’t far from my grandparents’ house, she said, “Fine. She’ll be back in five minutes.” my grandparents wanted to look closer, but Mom immediately closed her phone. “While we’re back, I need to tell you something important.” “Chloe’s about to start first grade. You can’t keep spoiling her anymore. It’s very bad for her future development.” Mom’s tone was extremely stern. I hid behind Grandma in fear. Mom loved smart children. She was always gentle with Sam. But I was too stupid. Mom was always angry. Once I scored 59 on a math test, and she was so furious she slapped me. “Are you even my biological child? How can you be this stupid?” “You got such simple addition and subtraction wrong? What’s in your brain?” To make me learn math well, she frantically created study plans for me. Study a year’s worth of math, do math problems. If I couldn’t learn, she’d hit my palms. Grandma couldn’t stand it and would speak up for me. This time was the same. She said quietly, “Jennifer, I think teaching children shouldn’t be too forceful. Chloe is still young…” Before she could finish, Mom cut her off sharply. “Mom, do you know that Chloe now has to hesitate even when asked what 1+1 equals?” “When Sam was her age, he could already solve third-grade math problems!” Grandma’s face turned pale. In the corner, Sam was secretly laughing. I rushed forward anxiously. “Mom, I didn’t hesitate! It was Sam!” “Sam said 1+1 doesn’t equal 2!” I didn’t understand, but when Sam asked again, I hesitated. But Mom couldn’t hear my explanation. “Everyone, look! Isn’t this Chloe’s coat?”

Dad and Grandpa went to get the luggage. They found my coat. Grandpa held up the coat, looking confused. “If Chloe rode with someone else, why is her coat in your car?” Dad frowned, also seeming incredulous. “Jennifer, when you made Chloe get out of the car, you didn’t give her a coat?” Mom panicked, her eyes shifting. “I… I forgot.” “And Chloe too. She’s old enough-she should know to put on her own coat.” Hearing Mom’s complaint, I felt wronged and hugged myself. Mom kicked me out of the car. She didn’t give me any chance to resist. The bone-chilling cold seemed to return. In this warm, heated room, my body kept shivering. “What?” “On the highway, you kicked Chloe out of the car?” Grandpa’s voice immediately rose in accusation. Grandma clutched her chest. “Are you insane? In weather ten degrees below zero, leaving a six-year-old child alone on the highway-how could you do such a thing!” “What if… what if something happened…” Mom immediately cut off Grandma. “There won’t be a ‘what if.’ I told her to walk in the emergency lane. There’s no danger!” Mom seemed to be trying to comfort Grandma. She even opened her phone. “Look, Chloe’s GPS is still moving. Nothing will happen.” But my grandparents didn’t believe her. They insisted on going to the highway to find me. I shook my head crying, my heart aching. “Chloe’s already back. Please don’t fight…” Sam suddenly ran out. He looked like he’d discovered something new. “Mom, look what I found!” I looked at what he was holding and wanted to snatch it away in fear. But Mom grabbed it first. She seemed to have found powerful evidence to turn things around. She pointed at the thing in her hand and questioned my grandparents. “What is this? You’re such good grandparents to Chloe! Spoiling her so she won’t amount to anything!” “Thank goodness I raised Sam myself. Look how excellent he is-first in his grade, perfect math scores. When it was time to move up, every school fought to have him!” “What about Chloe? She’s useless! A waste that you spoiled!” Her words stabbed into my heart one by one. In the picture of our family that I’d drawn, Sam and I held hands while my parents held ours. We all had big smiles on our faces. I’d titled it “A Happy Family.” “What future is there in drawing? I want them to get into NYU! To have a good future!” She was about to tear up the family portrait. I rushed over begging. “Don’t! Mom, don’t!” “I’ll be good. I’ll study hard. I’ll never draw again.” The next second, Mom ruthlessly tore the picture to shreds anyway. Her face twisted as she yelled at my grandparents. “Do you know how much pressure there is in society now? Degrees are so devalued, and you still spoil her. What will she do when she enters society?” My grandparents’ faces went pale. They looked at my father. He adjusted his glasses. “I also believe Chloe should focus on her studies, not waste her limited energy on meaningless things.” His words broke me completely. Through my tears, I felt myself slowly floating upward. Mom, Dad, I wasn’t the child you wanted. Please don’t be angry. Sam will become your pride… The doorbell rang suddenly. Mom went to answer it, muttering, “That must be Chloe. I told her to walk three thousand steps, but I bet she barely took one!” But outside stood two officers in uniform. They held a bloodstained camera and a photo from the accident. “Excuse me,” one of them asked. “What is your relationship to the child holding this camera?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “354171”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn

To awaken my true love from his coma, I married Logan, a serial cheater, and endured endless humiliation from his first love. Every time he betrayed me, he’d transfer a massive sum as compensation, mocking me for being as obedient as a dog. What he didn’t know was that this was the “contract” I’d signed with the System to wake Wyatt from his vegetative state. On the 99th occasion, his first love moved into our home, pregnant belly and all. I personally handed them wine laced with aphrodisiac, smiling as I watched Logan kiss his beloved. Logan’s 100th betrayal complete, my mission was done. After taking the money and disappearing, I returned with my awakened first love in a high-profile comeback. Logan went insane, kneeling in the rain, begging me to come back. He didn’t know that every moment I endured through those three years, I was calling out someone else’s name in my heart. I have never loved Logan. Evelyn POV My phone chimed with a bank transfer alert. The long string of zeroes meant another huge payment had just landed.  stood outside the noisy VIP lounge, holding his suit jacket, and took a deep breath. The door was slightly ajar. Through the gap, I could see my husband of three years, Logan, letting a seductive woman grind in his lap. Over these three years, Logan had transferred a large compensation payment to me after every single affair. The ironic part? It had been the same woman every time: Hannah. The System’s progress bar showed this was the ninety-ninth time. Just one more, and I’d be free. “Logan, why isn’t Evelyn here yet?She’s not upset about being called out this late, is she?” “How could she be? These past three years, she’s been like a spineless maid orbiting Logan. Delivering umbrellas in downpours, bringing hot meals in winter. Last time she was in a car accident, bleeding, and still insisted on delivering documents to the office. She wouldn’t dare get angry.” Logan casually swirled the whiskey in his glass, his eyes full of arrogance and confidence. The next moment, I pushed open the door. I’d just gotten out of the shower when his message came. I threw on a coat and rushed over. “Sorry I’m late.” I handed Logan his jacket, slightly breathless, playing up my hurried arrival. Several billionaire heirs in the lounge turned to look at me. My damp hair clung to my chest, my clothes soaked and sticking tightly to my skin. I could clearly feel several pairs of eyes fixed on me. “Evelyn, is this…your new tactic?” The man sitting closest to me laughed with a suggestive tone. Logan’s expression darkened instantly. He casually flung the drink from his glass into the man’s face, his voice icy. “Look again, and I’ll have your eyes.” “Logan, no need to be so upset. We’re all just admiring Evelyn’s…assets.” Hannah, perched in Logan’s lap, chimed in with a saccharine voice. Even when our eyes met, she made no move to get up. “Evelyn, I twisted my ankle. Logan’s just helping me sit for a bit. You don’t mind, right?” Hannah was Logan’s first love from before he went abroad-the legendary girlfriend he supposedly couldn’t forget. The first day after our wedding, Logan got a call that she was back in the country. He left me alone in that empty mansion for two whole months. Back then, I became the laughingstock of the entire social circle. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out.” I looked at Logan and turned to leave. But Hannah stepped in front of me first, smiling as she handed me a drink. “Today’s my birthday. Since you’re here, why not have a drink with me? Consider it a birthday wish.” “I’m allergic to alcohol.” I refused calmly, but the glass was already forced into my hand. “Just one drink, it’ll be fine. Evelyn, with so many friends here, you wouldn’t embarrass me, would you?” Hannah said, shaking Logan’s arm coquettishly. “Drink it.” Logan commanded in a deep voice, his tone brooking no refusal. “Alright.” I tilted my head back and downed the entire glass of hard liquor in one gulp. Cheers erupted around us as everyone egged me on, but no one noticed the strange flash in Logan’s eyes. I set the empty glass on the table, curved my lips into a light smile, and said gently to Logan, “Have fun. I’ll head home first.” As I left the lounge, mocking laughter pierced through behind me. “God, Logan, you’re incredible! I heard Evelyn obeys your every command, but I didn’t expect her to actually be like an obedient dog!” Hannah’s face bloomed into a radiant smile as she nestled back into Logan’s embrace, raising her glass. “Of course. Our Logan is just that charming.” My departing steps paused slightly. Then, with a cold expression, I walked straight out of the bar. The cold wind outside hit my face, and I couldn’t help but shiver. My stomach churned violently, and every step felt like walking on knife blades. Eventually, I couldn’t hold on anymore and collapsed by the roadside. As consciousness faded, I murmured through my tears, “Wyatt, I miss you so much…” Six years ago, that car accident turned my beloved Wyatt into a vegetable. The System found me and told me that if I completed the task of “enduring my husband’s infidelity 100 times,” I could wake my love. So I carefully orchestrated my meeting with Logan, who’d lost his first love. From dating to marriage, everything was part of my plan. As long as Logan cheated for the 100th time, I could bring Wyatt back. When Hannah returned three years ago, I knew my dream was close to coming true. Just one more time. Wait for me, Wyatt.

Evelyn POV When I woke up again, I found myself lying in a private hospital room. I’d barely started to sit up when the door burst open. “Evelyn, I heard you got sick? I’m so sorry. I was too happy yesterday. I thought one drink wouldn’t hurt, but I didn’t expect…” Hannah rushed to my bedside first. Before she finished speaking, tears were already streaming down her face, as if she were the wronged party. Logan gently patted her shoulder to comfort her, but when he looked at me, his gaze was bone-chillingly cold, tinged with disgust. “Stop pretending. You’re not that fragile.” I lowered my eyes and sat up from the hospital bed, my voice hoarse. “Hannah, I’m fine. You don’t need to blame yourself.” “That’s good to hear. Actually, I came to ask you for a favor.” At this, a shy blush spread across Hannah’s face. “Hannah’s pregnant. You don’t have much to do at home anyway, so I’m having her move in. You’ll take care of her until she gives birth.” Logan’s voice was low and commanding, making it clear this wasn’t up for discussion. Hannah’s face radiated undisguised happiness. She touched her belly and leaned shamelessly into Logan’s embrace. “This is my child, the crystallization of our love. Evelyn, you’ll take good care of us, won’t you?” Looking at this absurd scene, I slowly curved my lips into a cold smile. “Logan, you want your legal wife to take care of your mistress? If word gets out, what about your family’s stock price and reputation?” While I didn’t care about Logan’s feelings, this humiliation was hard to swallow. “You haven’t gotten pregnant in three years of marriage. The family trust needs an explanation. This child is the family heir. You must take care of him.” Logan frowned coldly, not allowing me to refuse. Thinking of all the memories with Wyatt, I took a deep breath and ultimately chose to endure. “Fine, I agree.” The System had warned me that before reaching the 100th affair, I couldn’t refuse any of Logan’s demands. That evening, before my body had fully recovered, I was forced to leave the hospital and return to that cold mansion. Hannah nestled on the couch, snuggling in Logan’s arms, watching me bustle around in the open kitchen. “Thanks for your hard work, Evelyn. Logan says you’re an excellent cook. You’ve even cured his stomach problems over the years. Looks like I’m in for a treat today.” Before I could respond, Logan casually brushed aside the hair by her ear. “Why be polite to her? She’s just a free maid. I have no feelings for her whatsoever.” In the kitchen, I heard every word of their conversation. I gripped the porcelain bowl in my hand tightly, gritting my teeth and enduring once more. Feelings? Someone like Logan didn’t deserve to talk about feelings. At the dining table, I brought the last dish to the table. “You two eat first. I’m not feeling well, so I’ll go rest.” “Evelyn, could you get me a bowl of soup? It’s fine if you don’t eat, but I can’t move easily. Surely you should take care of a pregnant woman?” Hannah held the bowl out to me, raising her eyebrows provocatively. Logan said nothing, clearly giving his tacit approval. In the end, I took the bowl to ladle hot soup. But when I handed it back, Hannah raised her hand and “accidentally” knocked the bowl over. The porcelain bowl shattered on the floor, and scalding soup splashed all over the back of my hand. “Are you okay?” Hannah pretended to care and tried to stand, but Logan pulled her back down. “Why bother with her? You’re what matters most.” I rushed to the kitchen, running cold water over my burned hand, biting my lip hard to keep the tears from falling. Once upon a time, Wyatt never let me do these rough chores. One time when I got curious and tried cooking, I accidentally burned myself. That was the first time Wyatt ever got angry with me-because it broke his heart. “What’s taking so long? Evelyn, you were the one who chased after me, who schemed to marry me. You should’ve known this would be the result. Get over here and serve Hannah!” Logan’s impatient shout came from the dining room.

Evelyn POV I closed my eyes, readjusted my emotions, and returned to the dining room. “Evelyn, I’m a bit clumsy sometimes. You’re not angry, are you?” Hannah smiled at me, her eyes full of malice. “No.” I was forced to sit across from them, watching them feed each other intimately. My face showed no emotional fluctuation, not even a hint of jealousy. Not until Logan fed Hannah the last bite did he suddenly slam his utensils on the table in anger. “That’s enough. Go back to your room. I’m sick of looking at your dead face.” I calmly stood and went upstairs to my room. Back in my room, I gently caressed the old bracelet on my wrist, silently calming my emotions. This suffocating place-I couldn’t stand another moment here. Just then, the door was violently pushed open. Logan, reeking of alcohol, rushed to the bed and pinned me beneath him. His cold eyes stared at me intently. “What exactly are you doing? You were the one who pursued me madly, made my mother like you so much that I had no choice but to marry you.” He continued, “But on our wedding night, you found every excuse to sleep in separate rooms. After marriage, you’ve always been this cold. Three years of marriage, and you’ve never let me touch you!” “Evelyn, I really want to crack open your head and see what you’re thinking!” Looking at the angry man before me, I just glanced casually toward the doorway. “Hannah, is something wrong?” Only then did Logan notice the figure at the door. Hannah stood in the hallway shadows, secretly clenching her fists, but forcing a smile onto her face. “Nothing. I was just about to take a shower when I heard some noise over here. I was worried you two might be fighting because of me…” “Fighting? She’s not worth it.” Logan stood up and straightened his disheveled shirt, his voice low. “A heartless person doesn’t deserve to affect my emotions.” As he spoke, he casually pressed down on my burned hand. I frowned in pain, but he forcibly lifted my chin, his threatening voice in my ear. “Marrying me was your choice. You need to take responsibility.” Logan turned and walked to Hannah’s side, instantly returning to his gentle demeanor. “Let’s go. Don’t waste time here.” Hannah smiled and nodded, gave me a long look, then left arm-in-arm with Logan. The door closed again. I stood there alone, lost in thought. Without the System, I would have followed Wyatt six years ago. Though I’d schemed to get married, spending three years as Logan’s free maid should make up for it. Almost there. Perhaps because my body hadn’t recovered, I developed a high fever in the middle of the night and couldn’t get up in time to make breakfast the next day. When the servants finally forced me awake and dragged me out of my room, I was surprised to find Hannah leaning against the staircase railing, as if waiting for someone. “Logan left to handle a company acquisition. We don’t need to keep wearing masks and acting anymore, do we, Evelyn?” She spoke up first, intentionally or not glancing toward the security camera. I didn’t respond. I planned to go downstairs to prepare the late breakfast. I had to remain compliant before Logan’s final affair. Fortunately, the drug I’d had someone buy for me would arrive soon. Even if they wanted to restrain themselves for the sake of family reputation, with that drug, they’d be unable to resist once. Once was all I needed. As I reached the stairs, Hannah suddenly blocked my path. “Evelyn, Logan doesn’t love you at all. I’m already carrying his child. Can’t you just let go and wish us happiness?” She gripped my hand tightly, digging her nails into my burn where the cameras couldn’t see. “Let go!” I yanked my hand back in pain. “Ah-!” Hannah’s body swayed, and she cried out as she fell backward.

Evelyn POV Everything happened too fast. By the time I reached out to grab her, it was already too late. Hannah tumbled down the stairs right before my eyes. The servants screamed in panic, frantically calling for an ambulance. The scene descended into chaos. I stood in place, staring at the unconscious figure downstairs, my brow furrowed. I hadn’t expected Hannah to be so ruthless to herself just to frame me. As expected, two hours after Hannah was taken away by ambulance, I saw Logan at home, his face ashen. I was sitting on the living room couch, quietly waiting for the storm to arrive. Logan roughly pulled me up and dragged me outside. “I checked the surveillance. You pushed her! Evelyn, I didn’t think you were this vicious-to not even spare an unborn child! Thank God the doctor said the baby’s safe for now. If anything happens to Hannah, I’ll make you pay!” “Now, come with me to the hospital and apologize!” In the hospital room, I was roughly thrown to the floor, dizzy and disoriented. “Logan, what are you doing? Evelyn probably didn’t mean it. Don’t be angry.” Hannah, lying pale in the hospital bed, gripped his hand and softly consoled him. But when our eyes met, she raised her eyebrows subtly, the smile at the corner of her mouth carrying a victor’s smugness. “Evelyn, as compensation, give Hannah that bracelet on your wrist. She’s liked it for a long time.” Logan looked down at me commandingly, leaving no room for discussion. “No!” Before I could even stand, hearing these words made me abnormally agitated. I hid the bracelet behind my back, shouting hoarsely for the first time. I stared at Logan intently, my expression grave. In three years of marriage, this was the first time I’d refused his demand. Logan paused, looking somewhat surprised. “I mean…” At the critical moment, remembering the System’s warning, I had to grit my teeth and explain. “If Hannah’s angry, I can do anything she asks, but not this bracelet.” But Hannah tilted her head, her smile bright and innocent. “But I really do like this bracelet. Just let me borrow it for one day, okay? I’ll give it back tomorrow.” She extended her hand. I still didn’t answer, my expression full of stubbornness. That was the first gift Wyatt ever gave me, and the only thing that survived the car accident. It was my keepsake, my motivation to keep going. Absolutely cannot give it away. “Evelyn! It’s just a broken bracelet. I’ll buy you a better one. Besides, Hannah said she’ll return it tomorrow. You made a mistake-shouldn’t you pay some kind of price?” Logan stepped forward, trying to forcibly remove my bracelet. I stumbled backward, using my actions to refuse, but suddenly the System’s mechanical voice rang in my mind. “Warning! If the host refuses, the 99 affairs will be invalidated. Everything will start over!” Almost instantly, my breath caught. The pain in my heart made it impossible to breathe. I gasped for air, looked up at Logan through tears, my voice choking. “Logan, can’t you help me just this once?” Tears rolled down my cheeks and landed on Logan’s hand. He froze for a moment, his eyes flickering, and the stern expression on his face shifted subtly. In three years, this was the first time he’d seen me this aggrieved and submissive. “You…” “Logan!” Hannah suddenly spoke up, interrupting whatever Logan was about to say. “I’m just borrowing it. Don’t you trust me?” I shook my head slightly, silently resisting. But in the end, Logan still heartlessly removed my bracelet and slowly straightened up. “I’ll write you a check later. Pick whatever jewelry you like. Hannah will return this tomorrow.” As he spoke, he turned back to the hospital bed and, right in front of me, personally put that old bracelet on Hannah’s wrist. “It’s beautiful. No wonder Evelyn treasures it so much.” Hannah smiled sweetly, but stared at me as she spoke each word deliberately. “I love it too!”

Evelyn POV I clenched my fists, staring hard at the bracelet on her wrist. It was tainted now. Hannah tugged at Logan’s sleeve coquettishly. “Logan, don’t you have a meeting at the company? With Evelyn here to take care of me, I’m sure nothing will go wrong.” By then I’d managed to stand up from the floor, returning to my usual calm. “I’ll take good care of her.” Only then did Logan feel comfortable leaving, though before going, he couldn’t help glancing at my burned hand. After leaving the room, he dialed his assistant. “Go to the auction and buy that new limited edition diamond bracelet.” Meanwhile, in the hospital room, only Hannah and I remained. “Evelyn, I heard that before you married Logan, you lived in a shabby apartment. After the wedding, you spent money to buy that apartment?” My hand paused while pouring water, a bad premonition creeping over me. “This child of mine nearly miscarried because of you. I have to make you pay some kind of price.” Hannah casually took out her phone and made a video call. “When I went abroad, we’d agreed I’d come back in three years and we’d get married. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have become this kind of shameful secret mistress. So you ruined me.” The video call connected. She turned the phone screen toward me. The moment I saw the image, I froze completely, my breathing becoming rapid and impossible to control. That familiar apartment-the little home Wyatt and I once shared-was now engulfed in roaring flames. Many onlookers had gathered, but no one could stop the fire from spreading. All my memories of Wyatt were there-how we met, how we got to know each other, how we fell in love-everything! Now being mercilessly consumed by fire! Large tears rolled continuously down my cheeks. I trembled with pain all over. But Hannah only laughed. “Consider this my gift to you. Do you like it?” I ignored her mockery, turned and ran out frantically, calling the fire department at the same time. Faster, go faster! At least save something… By the time I arrived, the apartment had become a pile of ruins. Though there were no casualties, everything before my eyes was bleak and dark. I stood there dazed as rain washed away all the memories, drenching me cold and merciless. I ignored the firefighters’ attempts to stop me and rushed into the ruins like a madwoman, frantically searching, murmuring that name over and over. Hoping heaven could be merciful, even if just one thing remained. I don’t know how long I searched. Eventually, I collapsed unconscious in the ruins from exhaustion. Everything was gone. “Evelyn, what happened to you? Logan, I feel so bad for her.” False crying sounds filled my ears, irritatingly noisy. I frowned and opened my eyes to see Logan holding the tearful Hannah in his arms, comforting her. “This has nothing to do with you. She went crazy on her own. Don’t be afraid. I’m here.” Those painful images appeared in my mind again. I suddenly sat up, grabbed Hannah by the collar, and slapped her hard across the face. The crisp sound of the slap made the hospital room instantly silent. “You deserve to die, Hannah. You deserve to die!” I tried to hit her again like a madwoman, but Logan pushed me away. I fell onto the hospital bed but lunged forward again. “You lunatic! Someone come!” Logan protected Hannah tightly while calling security guards to pin me down on the bed. “Logan, I… Evelyn really doesn’t like me. I’ve already booked a plane ticket. I’ll leave tomorrow. At least that way our child can be safe…” Hannah covered her red, swollen cheek, crying pitifully. “Evelyn, apologize now!” Logan shouted sternly.

Evelyn POV “I’m going to kill her! Logan, you bastard!” I kept struggling, but I had no strength left. My bloodshot eyes stared at Hannah, wishing I could tear her to pieces. “I think you really have gone insane.” Logan angrily tore the old bracelet off Hannah’s wrist. “I know this thing is important to you, but you shouldn’t have hit Hannah. Evelyn, you need to pay the price.” As he spoke, Logan broke the fragile bracelet right in front of me. “No!!” I screamed, the pain making my entire body tremble uncontrollably. But the bracelet still broke into several pieces before my eyes. Logan turned, walked into the bathroom, threw the remnants into the toilet, and pressed the flush. “Logan, no, please! I’m begging you!” I cried and pleaded, but it was too late. The sound of rushing water carried away the last proof of Wyatt’s existence. All of it gone. Logan’s face was cold and stern. He turned back to me, roughly grabbed my chin, and forced me to meet his eyes. “You need to recognize your place. You’re nothing but a dog following behind me. What right do you have to lash out and bite?” After a moment of shock, I suddenly shook off the security guards restraining me and bit down hard on Logan’s wrist. The man’s cry of pain mingled with Hannah’s scream. But I refused to let go no matter what. All I could see was Wyatt’s face and all our beautiful memories together. The metallic taste filled my mouth. Doctors and nurses rushed in to help, but I didn’t release my grip until I’d torn a chunk of flesh from Logan’s wrist. The nurse frantically bandaged him while Logan stared at me in disbelief. But I laughed-hair disheveled, I looked like a demon crawled back from hell, my laughter eerie and terrible. “Evelyn…” Logan spoke softly despite the searing pain in his hand. But I began coughing violently, coughing so hard I couldn’t hear the voices around me. Not until I coughed up blood did I finally collapse. In the second before I closed my eyes, I still stared at Logan with hatred. When I woke again, I found myself lying in bed at home. The room was quiet. I instinctively reached for my bracelet, but my wrist was empty. The door opened. Logan stood by the bed in his suit, his wrist wrapped in thick bandages. He casually tossed a new, expensive diamond bracelet onto the blanket. “Consider us even. You bit me, so we’re square.” I gave a cold smile, my eyes full of mockery, offering no response. “I’m taking Hannah to the charity gala tomorrow. You stay home. Last time…you did hit her first. You were in the wrong, so the punishment was deserved.” “Can I go to the gala?” My voice sounded unexpectedly hoarse as I spoke. Logan paused, frowning slightly in confusion. “I won’t get in your way. I just need some air. I know I was wrong.” I lowered my gaze, playing the obedient role as I clutched the diamond bracelet tightly in my palm. “Fine. As long as you behave, the family and I…won’t treat you badly. You’re still my wife.” He reached out stiffly and patted my head before turning to leave. At the door, Logan stopped. “Remember to take your medicine.” I didn’t answer. The door closed again. I tossed the expensive diamond bracelet into the trash, wiped my tears, and dialed a familiar number. “What I need. It will be here tomorrow, right?”

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