On the day of my difficult labor, I used the last of my strength to deliver the child that Dawson Holt and I had made. He wept with joy. “The baby is perfect and looks just like you. The doctor gave you something to help you sleep. Get some rest now.” I squeezed his hand and forced a smile. But through my fading consciousness, I caught a conversation between Dawson and my brother, Nathan Reed. Nathan asked, “Dawson, are you sure about cutting off the baby’s finger?” Dawson answered, “Do it. Maya’s child has that dark birthmark. If she finds out Serena had a healthy baby, it will destroy her.” My heart seized. My blood ran cold. Maya was the sister I shared no blood with. So Dawson had loved her all along. As I watched Nathan’s scissors move toward my child, I fought to throw myself forward. But I didn’t succeed. Under the drug’s influence, I couldn’t even lift my eyelids. A baby’s scream tore through the air. Nathan’s voice cut in again, edged with amusement. “Done. Go tell Maya that Serena’s baby is ‘imperfect.’ That should make her feel better.” Dawson’s voice carried a note of urgency. “Fine, Nathan. I’ll leave the rest to you.” My body locked up as if plunged into an icy void, my mind screaming with a sound that wouldn’t fade. “Ah-!” I jolted awake, staring at the unfamiliar hospital room, my heart slamming against my ribs. I tried to get up, but Dawson stopped me. “What’s wrong, Serena?” “You’ve just given birth and you’re still weak. The doctor said you shouldn’t leave bed yet.” “Where’s the baby?” I stared straight at Dawson. His eyes reddened, and he hesitated. “Serena, I’ll be honest with you, but please, don’t be upset.” “Our baby…he was born with a congenital defect. The middle finger on his left hand is missing from the joint. Nathan’s taken him to consult specialists, to see if anything can be done.” “Don’t worry.” He held me tightly. “No matter what it takes, I’ll find a way to fix this for our child.” Listening to his shameless lies, my heart contracted painfully, as if pierced repeatedly by thousands of silver needles. The pain was suffocating. I pushed him away and said numbly. “I want to see the baby. I want to see the baby right now!” I stumbled toward the hospital room door and ran straight into Nathan. He was holding a baby, sleeping peacefully. I breathed a sigh of relief, snatched the child, and hurriedly checked his fingers. All intact. Not a single one missing. No, something was wrong. My hand slipped and I nearly lost my balance. Nathan quickly caught the baby and looked at me reproachfully. “You’re a mother now. How can you still be so careless? This is Maya’s baby-the Reed family treasure. What if you had dropped him?” I ignored his scolding and asked urgently. “Nathan, where’s my baby? Dawson said you took him away. So where is my child?” He froze for a moment, then seemed to remember, looking somewhat guilty. “I just ran into Maya on her way to the bathroom, so I left the baby on the chair by the elevator.” I stood there stunned, then rushed outside. Dawson followed behind me. But then I vaguely heard a soft “Dawson” from behind, and those urgent footsteps behind me disappeared. Fortunately, the baby was still there, being watched over by two kind strangers. I thanked them profusely, then looked at my child’s wrapped fingers, sharp pains piercing my heart once more. Outside the hospital room door, cheerful laughter drifted out. Dawson and Nathan were both busy fussing over the baby in Maya’s arms. They should be the real family. I should be the adopted daughter. I wiped the tears that had fallen on my baby’s cheek, then borrowed a phone and made a call. “I’ve decided to join the research project.” The voice on the other end brightened. “Serena, you’ve finally made the right choice. The country needs you. But you know the terms-this project requires a ten-year commitment. Are you sure you can leave your family behind…and the baby you’re about to have?” “Yes.” I swallowed my tears and nodded. “I’ve decided to bring the baby with me. And I have one request.” “Before we go, find me the best pediatric surgeon in the world.” “Serena, what’s wrong?” “Don’t ask yet. Please, just help me.” There was a pause, then a more serious tone. “Alright, don’t worry. I’ll have it arranged within a week.”

“Serena.” Maya saw me first. Her call made the two men, who had been all smiles, look somewhat embarrassed. Dawson ran toward me. “Serena, is the baby okay?” I didn’t respond, just walked silently toward the bed. “Serena, don’t be too sad.” Maya handed the baby to Nathan, then took off a gold bracelet from the child. “This is what Dawson and Nathan gave to my baby. They said it would bless the child with peace and health.” “Now I’m giving this blessing to your baby. Your child will be fine too, don’t worry.” I raised my eyes slightly, glancing at those two delicate little objects. Before Maya’s child was even born, Dawson had spent a long time carefully selecting that gift. Back then, I thought it was meant for our child. Apparently not. “No, thank you.” My voice turned cold. “If it carries that much of their affection for your child, then mine cannot accept it.” Hearing my refusal, Maya clutched the item helplessly. “Serena, do you still think I’m stealing from you?” She trembled as she bit her lip, her face turning pale. But I only found it laughable. Hadn’t she been doing exactly that? From the moment she was adopted by our family at age ten. The first thing that happened was she said she was afraid to sleep alone, so she took half my bedroom. Later, when she caught a cold and got sick. She said she was afraid of infecting me, so I was completely moved out of what had been my room. When I was thirteen, I ranked first in the entire school on an exam. Nathan bought me a limited edition complete Lego set. She just cried in her blanket, and my Lego became her Lego. My new dress also became her new dress. Even the university I got into through my own merit-she could walk onto the same campus through family connections. And there was Dawson, who I’d grown up with. The moment he firmly proposed to me. I finally felt I had something that was completely mine. But it turned out it was only because we had an arranged marriage. How stupid I was. It took a disabled child today to verify this truth. Seeing I didn’t speak, she shoved the gold bracelet into Dawson’s hands. “Forget it, Dawson. Since Serena is unhappy, you should take your gift back.” Dawson immediately frowned. “Serena, it’s just a gold bracelet. If you like it, I’ll buy another one. There’s no need to be this upset.” I laughed coldly, not wanting to argue with them. My weak body couldn’t hold up much longer anyway. I placed the baby in the crib and was about to lie down on the bed. Maya suddenly lunged at me. Just as her hand was about to press down on the baby, I used all my remaining strength to push her away. But the next second, a loud slap landed on my face, making my ears ring. I looked back in disbelief at Dawson, whose hand was still raised. His face was cold and severe, his arms steadying Maya. “Serena, you’re too vicious.” “Just because of a gold bracelet, you’d treat your sister-someone you’ve lived with for so many years-this violently?” “Don’t you know Maya has a back injury? If I hadn’t caught her just now, she would have hit the corner of the table and caused secondary damage.” Nathan also spoke coldly. “I saw it clearly. Maya accidentally lost her balance just now. You could have just steadied her, but you insisted on pushing her instead.” “Serena, you’ve eaten the same food as Maya since childhood. How did they raise you to be so malicious and petty?” “Apologize now.”

I was malicious and petty? Maya had deliberately reached for my child’s injured hand. And I had no idea how someone standing perfectly fine could suddenly lose her balance on flat ground. Watching them protect Maya as if I were some kind of predator, I couldn’t help but laugh sarcastically. “I’m sorry, my dear sister.” Maya weakly stepped out of Dawson’s embrace. “It’s okay, I’m sure Serena didn’t mean it.” Dawson’s expression softened slightly. “I’ll have my assistant buy another gold bracelet later. You don’t need to be jealous of Maya.” I didn’t even bother to laugh anymore. My child would never want anything from him ever again. On discharge day, Dawson had promised to pick me up. But by the time I got back to the Reed house, there was still no sign of him. It just so happened that Maya updated her social media that day. “Taking baby for vaccinations, but I’m afraid of needles. Glad someone was there with me. Feeling so safe.” The accompanying photo showed a baby lying on a man’s shoulder, taken from behind. I didn’t need to look carefully to recognize that it was Dawson. The sudden ringtone pulled me from my immersion in thought. “Serena, I’ve contacted a very authoritative surgeon, but he can’t come to the country right now. You’ll need to go to him.” “Okay.” For the first time in days, the gloom lifted slightly. “I’ll get ready and leave with you tomorrow.” “Go where?” Nathan frowned, somehow having appeared behind me. I suppressed my joy and said flatly. “A friend found what she says is a really good postpartum care center. She insists I go check it out.” He didn’t ask further, just said in a deep voice. “Maya said she’s coming back to stay for a few days. If you don’t have anything else, you should leave soon.” I clenched my fingers, my heart still trembling. Ten years of closed research. Before leaving, the last place I wanted to stay a little longer was the home where my parents once lived. Five years ago, because I didn’t give up my current job opportunity to Maya. Maya left home in distress. My parents went after her and were killed in a car accident. Since then, Nathan had probably hated me. “I’ll leave tomorrow.” “Good.” Before dinner, Dawson finally returned home with Maya. “Dawson, when that needle went into the baby’s arm today, I couldn’t bear to watch. Thank goodness you were there.” Maya was still excitedly sharing with him, but he quickly walked toward me. “Serena, I met with more doctors today about our son’s finger, that’s why I was delayed picking you up. Nathan said you came back here, but I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me?” Jealousy flashed in Maya’s eyes, but she quickly recovered her smile. I tested the formula’s temperature, put it in the baby’s mouth, then replied coldly. “I forgot.” He paused, somewhat ingratiatingly trying to hold the baby. “Let me hold him.” I naturally wouldn’t let him touch even a hair on my child’s head. I turned slightly to avoid his touch. His expression darkened and he said nothing more. That evening, my son’s whimpering woke me. Before my sleepy eyes could open, voices from outside the door reached my ears. “Dawson, can my baby call you daddy?”

“Silly girl, your husband wouldn’t be happy to hear that.” Maya pouted in dissatisfaction. “But I only want you to be my baby’s father. When I see you caring about Serena’s baby, it feels like there’s a rock in my heart, blocking everything.” “Dawson, now that you have your own child, will you stop being good to mine?” I pulled the door open a crack and watched Dawson pull Maya into his embrace. His voice was somewhat hoarse as he comforted her. “Silly, you’re the most important thing in my life, and your child will always be closer to me than my own biological child. Don’t overthink it.” I covered my trembling lips, my hand stiffly pressing the doorknob, completely shutting out the two faces drawing closer beyond the door. The next day, I was startled awake from sleep by a scream. I instinctively reached for the baby sleeping beside me but felt only emptiness. My scalp went numb instantly. I didn’t bother with shoes and ran toward the source of the sound. In the bathroom, Maya stood frozen by the door as if frightened out of her wits. And further inside… Dawson was pulling my baby out of the bathtub. My mind went blank. I shoved Maya aside and rushed in to snatch the baby. “Baby, don’t scare mommy.” Dawson also seemed to have broken out in a cold sweat. He quickly pulled at me. “Let’s go to the hospital first, Serena.” The emergency room light came on. I collapsed on the floor as Dawson carried me out. In the hallway outside, Maya and Nathan had also followed. I lunged madly at Maya, my raised hand blocked by Nathan. Maya kept apologizing to me. “I’m sorry, Serena. I just saw how exhausted you were and kindly wanted to give the baby a bath. I didn’t know the swim ring would break. I really didn’t know.” She cried pitifully. Dawson’s heart ached for her. He also stood in front of her. “Serena, don’t blame Maya. This morning I saw you sleeping soundly and took the baby to give him a bath.” Another slap rang out, landing on Dawson’s face. But it couldn’t begin to offset the pain in my heart. Even now, he was still blindly defending her. I stared fixedly at the emergency room, no longer looking at them. I don’t know how much time passed before the doctor came out, looking regretful. “I’m very sorry. The child was submerged too long. We couldn’t revive him.” I listened in a haze. After a deafening roar in my head, the world before me drained of all color. I lay there for three days. For three days, I stared blankly ahead as Dawson spooned thin porridge into my mouth. He held me often and wept, his tears soaking into the neckline of my gown. “Serena, please don’t scare me like this!” Nathan stood by my bed frequently too, lips pressed into a tight line, never saying a word. On the fourth day, Maya threatened to take her own life to apologize to me. As they rushed to console her, I reached for my ID and stepped steadily into the waiting car.

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I married Lucas Ashford during his poorest year, giving up everything without hesitation—even cutting ties with my parents. For six years of marriage, I stood by him as he rose from nothing to become a billionaire. When I discovered he’d spent $880,000 buying a dog for his assistant Miranda Lane, I demanded furiously: “Lucas, how could you do this to me!” Lucas looked at me with contempt: “You were the one who crawled into my bed when you were eighteen.” Miranda nestled in his arms, laughing triumphantly: “I’m spending Lucas’s money. What’s it to you? You’re just a useless housewife.” I swallowed my tears and turned to leave. Then I called my mother: “Mom, this time I’ll listen to you. I’m coming home for the arranged marriage.” The woman standing before me, Miranda Lane, was dressed head to toe in haute couture, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Around her neck hung this month’s new Chanel piece—something I’d mentioned to Lucas I really liked at the beginning of the month. Back then, Lucas’s eyes had been full of impatience: “The company needs money everywhere right now. Can’t you be more understanding?” I’d felt so guilty then, thinking about how hard he worked building his business, that I shouldn’t add to his burden. But now that necklace sat securely around Miranda’s neck. So there was no budget crisis after all. He just didn’t think I was worth it. When I was young, I asked for nothing, marrying him with nothing but sincere devotion. Back then, my parents were furious that I’d left home for a man, cutting off all my financial support. At first, Lucas and I could only afford the cheapest basement apartment—dark and damp. In those terrible conditions, I stayed up late with him revising proposals until my eyes were bloodshot, never daring to complain about being tired. After surviving on bread for a week straight, he cried while writing me a guarantee, swearing he’d make something of himself in this life and never let me suffer again. But promises change so easily. The hardships I endured have now become evidence that I threw myself at him. Noticing my gaze, Lucas instinctively stepped in front of Miranda, as if I were some kind of threat. He cleared his throat lightly: “It’s the end of the year. She’s worked hard too—consider it her year-end bonus.” I laughed bitterly, suddenly feeling utterly exhausted. Seeing my pale face, Lucas softened his expression and came over to steady me: “Alright, honey, if you like it, next year…” I shook my head, cutting him off: “Forget it, Lucas. Let’s get divorced.” At those words, Lucas’s expression instantly changed: “Over a dog?” “Natalie, can you be more mature? I built this from nothing. It wasn’t easy getting where I am today. Miranda’s been by my side helping me tremendously. What’s wrong with buying her something?” The same old excuses. Last Valentine’s Day, I waited for him at home until midnight, only to see a post on Miranda’s social media. The caption read: [Spending Valentine’s Day with the one I love most. Perfect.] In the photo, she smiled with eyes like crescent moons, and on the hand of the man beside her was the diamond ring I’d personally chosen. I cried and asked Lucas why. He placated me: “We’ve been working overtime for a month straight. Just relaxing with the staff for one day.” And there was that other time—I accidentally found a trendy bubble tea bag in the car. It was from a shop I’d been wanting to try forever but never had time to visit because of company matters. I confronted him about it, but he dismissed it lightly: “Miranda said she wanted some. I was passing by anyway and picked it up. Just looking after my employee.” Only later did I learn that he’d waited in line for three hours that day. On my birthday, he said there was an emergency meeting at the company, but a friend spotted him spending the entire day with Miranda at an amusement park. On our wedding anniversary, he claimed he had to travel for a business deal, yet I saw matching hotel scenery photos on Miranda’s Twitter. Time after time, my heart completely froze over. I pushed Lucas’s hand away and headed for the door: “I’ll send you the divorce papers later.” “Natalie!” Lucas roared behind me, but I didn’t look back. I hadn’t gone two steps when Miranda’s dog charged straight at me. I lost my balance and my abdomen slammed into the corner of a table. “Honey!” Lucas finally panicked, rushing over to pull me into his arms, his voice full of concern. “Are you okay? Where did you hit? Does it hurt?” I instinctively grabbed his arm, about to ask for help, but the next second, Miranda’s delicate cry came from the distance: “Lucas, I think I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much. Come check on me.” Lucas’s arms around me froze. His eyes struggled for a moment before he gently pushed me away. “Honey, just hang on a bit longer,” his voice carried a trace of apology but no intention of staying. “I’ll take Miranda to the hospital first. I’ll come right back for you.” I was already losing consciousness from the pain, and couldn’t help clutching at his sleeve: “Don’t go.” But he didn’t hesitate to pry my hand away and turned to stride quickly toward Miranda. Everything went black, and I lost consciousness completely.

When I woke again, I was lying in a hospital. The young nurse beside me saw me wake and showed a hint of sympathy on her face: “I’m sorry, Miss White. You missed the optimal window for treatment. By the time you reached the hospital, you’d already miscarried.” My breath caught, and tears streamed down my face the next second. This wasn’t my first child with Lucas. The year we got married, Lucas was in his career’s ascent phase with endless business dinners every day. People at those drinking parties would find all sorts of ways to force drinks on him. To secure more investment, he could only drink glass after glass. I felt bad for him because of his weak stomach, so I’d always step in front of him and drink in his place. Until one day I suddenly passed out. When Lucas rushed me to the hospital, the baby was already gone. The doctor said I’d damaged my body from drinking too much alcohol, and getting pregnant again would be very difficult. When Lucas found out, he held me and broke down crying, kneeling by my hospital bed and slapping himself repeatedly, saying he’d never let me suffer such grievances again. But now, I still couldn’t protect this child that came with such difficulty. Perhaps it was for the best. Now that I’d decided to leave, the baby must have been disappointed in his father too, and left in a hurry. Maybe he couldn’t bear to put his mother in a difficult position either. In my daze, the hospital room door opened. Lucas walked in, with Miranda following behind him. Miranda wore just the right expression of concern, her eyes rimmed red as she rushed to speak first: “I’m so sorry, Natalie. I didn’t know Snow would suddenly run over there.” I scoffed and couldn’t help glaring at her: “Did you really not know, or was it deliberate?” Pet store puppies are trained before being sold, and besides, the puppy was gentle-natured and wouldn’t go wild for no reason. Before I passed out, I clearly saw puppy treats by my feet. But Lucas spoke impatiently: “Enough. Don’t be so petty. Miranda didn’t mean it.” Looking at the man before me—who looked no different from years ago—I only felt like he was a stranger. Tears blurred my vision as I spoke almost trembling: “Lucas, what we lost was our child!” Lucas avoided my gaze: “We can have more later.” Miranda pretended to be concerned, stepping forward to help me, but accidentally revealed the jade bracelet on her wrist. I knew that bracelet all too well. Lucas had bought it for me after successfully landing his first project. A small character “L” was carved on the bracelet’s body. Back then, he’d placed it on my wrist, his eyes determined: “Honey, I’ve decided on you for this lifetime. Jade nurtures people—when I’m not by your side, let it protect you for me.” Later, when I had my first miscarriage, I accidentally broke the jade bracelet in my emotional breakdown. Lucas, with red eyes, said he’d find the best craftsman to repair it, to let it accompany us for a lifetime, and when we grew old, we’d pass the bracelet on to our child. But now, this bracelet he’d promised to me and our child was on Miranda’s wrist. Miranda seemed to notice my gaze and instinctively pulled down her sleeve, yet smiled as if unintentionally: “Natalie, do you think this jade bracelet looks nice? Lucas brought it back for me when he traveled last month. He said it brings peace and safety.” At those words, panic flashed through Lucas’s eyes, afraid I’d make a scene like before. But I only said coldly: “Get out.” All these years, the care and favoritism that should have been mine—Lucas had given it all to Miranda. Now the child was gone, and even the token of our love was gone too. If that’s the case, I don’t want him either. But Lucas thought I was still throwing a tantrum. He frowned: “Alright, honey. Year-end is approaching and the company’s busy. I’ll head back first and come check on you later.” Miranda tugged at his sleeve, saying with concern: “Natalie doesn’t look well. She won’t actually leave, will she? Maybe you should stay and keep her company?” But Lucas scoffed: “She’s always throwing little tantrums like this. She’ll be fine on her own in a bit.” “As for leaving—who would want her without me?” With that, he turned and left without looking back.

After being discharged, I went to the company with the resignation letter and divorce papers I’d prepared long ago. But as soon as I entered, I noticed everyone’s strange looks. I’d just reached the entrance to the office area when I heard deliberately lowered but clearly audible teasing voices. Following the sound, my blood instantly ran cold. Lucas was leaning against his desk with Miranda nestled in his arms, her hands hooked around his neck as she tilted her head up and kissed his lips, drawing laughter from those around them. “Is it really true, Mr. Ashford? Did Natalie White actually give up her parents for you?” “God, if I gave birth to something so heartless, I’d rather have strangled her at birth.” Lucas didn’t push Miranda away. Instead, he pulled her waist closer, his face showing satisfaction: “It’s not that big a deal.” His tone was frivolous, deliberately loud enough to ensure everyone present could hear: “Back then she cried and begged to come with me. When her family disagreed, she threatened to die. To be honest, being with her has been pretty stifling. If it weren’t for her ‘deep devotion’ back then, I wouldn’t have wasted all these years on her.” Miranda laughed coquettishly and snuggled deeper into his embrace: “So that’s how it was. She threw herself at you desperately but acts like she did you some huge favor.” People around them chimed in: “Exactly. I always thought she didn’t match Mr. Ashford. She’s always got that cold face—nothing like Miranda’s warmth.” The cruel words drilled into my ears one by one. Standing there, I felt cold all over. So the entire company knew they’d been entangled for ages, even making me the subject of their gossip. Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I walked in as expressionlessly as possible. Since I was here, I had to finish what I came to do. Seeing me, everyone’s faces stiffened. One by one they dispersed awkwardly, heads down pretending to be busy, yet unable to resist stealing glances at us from the corners of their eyes. Miranda quickly withdrew from Lucas’s embrace, looking innocent and pitiful: “Natalie, why are you here? Your body just recovered—why didn’t you rest a few more days?” Her tone was full of concern, but her eyes held provocation: “Don’t misunderstand. Lucas and I were just discussing next quarter’s project proposal. Don’t take it to heart.” Lucas pulled her closer: “Enough. What’s there to explain?” I didn’t want to argue with them anymore. I just looked at Lucas calmly and handed him the documents directly: “Project agreement. Just sign it.” Hearing this, Lucas indeed didn’t look carefully and signed his name in a few strokes. I breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he signed, the rest would be easy. Six years of marriage finally came to a complete end. I turned, preparing to leave and draw a clear line with this man forever. Lucas frowned and grabbed my wrist: “Where are you going? What are you upset about now?” I said flatly: “Home.” Before leaving, I naturally had to go home and take what belonged to me. Lucas relaxed at those words, understanding in his eyes. In his mind, I’d long since severed ties with my family. No matter how excessive he was, I could only obediently go home and wait for him. Understanding this, he smiled: “Good. I’ll come home to keep you company after I finish up here.”

Winter taxis were hard to get. By the time I returned to the apartment, it was already late. Light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Someone was already home. After the miscarriage, I hadn’t returned to the apartment Lucas and I shared. Opening the door, in the warm yellow light, two overlapping figures caught my eyes without warning. Seeing me, Lucas showed not a trace of panic. He lit a cigarette and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke: “Why are you back so late?” Miranda’s voice was sweet: “Natalie, you just had a miscarriage these past few days. I’m helping you keep Lucas company. You don’t mind, do you?” I didn’t respond, just surveyed the apartment before me. After the miscarriage, I hadn’t come back. Only a few days had passed, yet the apartment had completely changed. Everything in sight was Miranda’s favorite pink. The coat rack by the door was full of her clothes. This apartment was Lucas’s and my first property. Every tile, every lamp was chosen by my own hands. The painting in the living room was drawn by Lucas—a cartoon version of the two of us. Now it had been replaced with Miranda’s portrait. The swing on the balcony was assembled by Lucas himself so I could get more sun during my leisure time. Now it too had been replaced with Miranda’s easel. The current apartment showed no trace of my life here. I felt sick to my stomach, but Cookie was still at home. I had to take her away. Cookie was a puppy Lucas and I raised together. Lucas found her the winter right after my first miscarriage. Cookie had been crouched alone by a dumpster, shivering from the cold. Lucas brought her home as comfort for me. To me, Cookie was my child. I couldn’t possibly leave her with Lucas. “I’m here to get Cookie.” I clenched my fists, nails digging deep into my palms, suppressing the choking in my throat and the nausea churning in my stomach. “Where’s Cookie?” Usually when I came home, Cookie would wag her tail to greet me, but today there was no movement. I couldn’t help feeling panicked. “Cookie?” Miranda laughed lightly and stood up, walking over to me. “You mean that stray dog? Why would you keep such a crazy dog? Yesterday she tried to steal my Snow’s dog food and almost bit me.” I suddenly looked up at her: “What did you do to her?” “Nothing much.” Miranda shrugged, a glint of triumph in her eyes. “Lucas said she doesn’t know the rules and made her go out to reflect properly. After all, she’s not some precious breed—a little cold won’t matter.” At those words, I trembled with rage and used all my strength to slap her. But the next second, Lucas rushed over and shoved me hard. My body hadn’t recovered. This push made me fall directly to the ground, my knee hitting the tile so hard I gasped in pain. Looking down, I saw my knee was scraped, blood slowly seeping out. My lower abdomen began throbbing dully too. Lucas glanced at me and said coldly: “There are cotton swabs in the drawer. Take care of it yourself.” Then, without another look at me, he carried Miranda upstairs. I didn’t dare delay any longer. Struggling up from the floor, I headed outside. It was so cold out. Cookie didn’t know where she’d gone. I had to find her. Fortunately, Cookie was hiding near the apartment and hadn’t gone far. When I found her, she was curled up in the grass, whimpering continuously. I wrapped her in my coat: “Don’t be afraid. Mommy’s taking you away.” This time, I didn’t look back. Holding Cookie, I went to the train station. …… When Lucas woke the next day, somehow he thought of the look Natalie had given him yesterday. He felt instinctively uncomfortable, sensing something was wrong. So as usual, he skillfully dialed her number to smooth things over, but this time all he heard was a busy signal: “Sorry, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable…”

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For the sake of her childhood friend, Kelly threw me overseas for three years. I had just broken my leg, was penniless, couldn’t speak the language—I could only survive by scavenging through trash. I called her more than once, begging: “Kelly, I really can’t go on like this.” All she left me with was cold indifference: “If it weren’t for you, would Hudson have gotten hurt? Once you fix that spoiled rich boy attitude of yours, I’ll bring you home.” Winter was brutal. Just as I was about to die on a street covered in snow, a wealthy heiress named Summer bought me. It wasn’t until three years later, when Kelly and I ran into each other by chance, that she stopped me: “Yan, three years and you still haven’t fixed that entitled attitude!” I frowned, ignoring her words, and called Summer. “Honey, another woman’s trying to seduce me. When you come pick me up, bring bodyguards to teach her a lesson.” The moment I finished speaking, Kelly snatched my phone and hung up the call. “Yan, when will you ever drop this spoiled act? Now you’ve learned to lie too.” As her words fell, snow began drifting through the air. Meeting Kelly’s disappointed gaze, this scene instantly pulled me back three years. Kelly and I were young sweethearts who went from college straight into marriage. Everything went smoothly. The world envied and praised us—perfectly matched families, a golden couple. Kelly’s lifelong promise to me was: “Yan, you’re an heir to a fortune, I’m a socialite. We’re made for each other—no one can tear us apart.” Her devotion made me willingly give her everything—company shares, household authority, all of it. Three years into our marriage, she went to countless hospitals, determined to give me twin children through IVF, to give me a sense of family. But my perfect wife changed completely after Hudson appeared. Hudson was her childhood friend. I heard his family moved away after going bankrupt. When Kelly encountered him again, Hudson was being beaten by loan sharks—his wife had run off with another man. That familiar face from childhood, bruised and alone, sitting on the side of the road—he looked pitiful. Oh, the night they met, Kelly had gone out to buy me a cake. I’ve hated myself countless times for craving that damn cake. On that street, Hudson recognized Kelly first. Two simple words stirred Kelly’s childhood feelings. “Kelly.” So Kelly brought him home. I was waiting excitedly for that cake when I saw a dejected man standing behind Kelly. Kelly said: “Hudson, my childhood friend. He’ll be staying with us for a while.” This was the first time Kelly brought a man home, and the first time I completely lost it in front of her. I smashed everything in the villa that could be broken. A shard even cut Hudson’s face during my rampage. Kelly rushed Hudson to the hospital in a panic, ignoring me as I collapsed on the floor, my old injury flaring up, begging her. “Kelly, my leg hurts.” As Kelly helped Hudson out the door, she only threw back: “Yan, stop faking.” So I went to the hospital alone. When I arrived, after the examination, the doctor said if I’d come two minutes later, they might not have been able to save my leg. Then the doctor pulled out paperwork from Kelly’s recent IVF procedure. “Your wife is three months pregnant. Please take good care of her.” This joy washed away my anger. For the sake of the baby, I could overlook tonight. As I left the examination room, I happened to run into Kelly. “Temp, you’re pregnant.” Kelly was cold: “What’s there to be happy about? I owe Hudson my life. I need to repay him first.” I stood frozen. “Kelly, if you keep treating him like this, we’re getting divorced.” I thought my threat would work. Instead, Kelly slapped me and forced me to apologize to Hudson. “Yan, you’re so childish. Hudson is the one who’s hurt right now.” So this was how it felt when the woman you love compared you to another man. The pain was unbearable. I was forced to apologize. I went back to my family home. I thought Kelly would come to make up with me. But in the end, I couldn’t stand it and softened first, going back. I opened the door to find Hudson lying in the bed Kelly and I shared, wearing the lingerie shorts Kelly had given me. The sight burned my eyes. I lost it, completely lost it. I grabbed Hudson’s arm, dragging him out of the villa. But Hudson fell down the stairs. That fall landed him in the hospital. The doctor said he’d injured his head and might suffer brain death. It sounded like a death sentence for Hudson, but in reality, it was a life sentence for me from Kelly. Once again, she looked at me with utter disappointment. “Yan, you’re trying to kill someone. Do you understand that?” Kill someone? I wasn’t. I tried to explain—the villa’s staircase was only two stories, and Hudson had fallen on his own. Kelly wouldn’t listen. She just kept accusing me. “Someone as privileged as you could never understand Hudson’s suffering, never empathize with his struggles. In your entitled eyes, is Hudson’s life that worthless?” I had nothing to say. Faced with this version of Kelly who so blatantly favored and protected Hudson, I truly couldn’t speak a word. Silence and self-mockery were my final defenses. But Kelly pushed me. “Yan, when something happens, all you do is stay silent. And you dare to smirk?” “Let me tell you—yesterday, I accidentally fell down the stairs. Our baby is gone. This is your punishment for hurting Hudson.” The baby was gone. It felt like countless fine threads were woven through my entire skin, threatening to flay me alive. The pain was unbearable. I steadied my emotions and only said: “I understand.” But Kelly’s punishment wasn’t over. She sent me overseas. “When Hudson wakes up, that’s when you can come back. Fix that spoiled attitude of yours and reflect on what you’ve done.” The final result of this cold war was Kelly abandoning me in a foreign country where I knew no one, stripping me of all my money, even cutting off all my connections. Leaving me without hope, without anyone to help. She said it was for my own good. “Yan, only by personally experiencing how hard Hudson’s life was can you truly empathize.”

The snow abroad was heavy. On the first day, I could only spend the night at the airport, staring at the gates, hoping Kelly would come back to take me home. On the second day, security kicked me out. She couldn’t understand what I was saying, I couldn’t understand her—I didn’t even have any identification on me. On the third day, I grabbed a passerby’s leg, having completely lost my dignity. I begged them for money. They kicked me, but finding me too pitiful, threw down some cash before walking away. I clutched that money like it was my last hope. I ran to a payphone to call that number burned into my heart. The call was quickly answered. I thought I even heard Hudson’s voice. But all my attention was on getting home. “Kelly, bring me home.” Kelly’s voice sounded strange, her breathing rapid, her words broken and choppy. “Kelly, Kelly.” But Kelly only responded absently: “Mm, mm.” Thinking she’d heard me, I walked back to the airport. My feet blistered and bled, the flesh nearly fused to my shoe soles, my body long since numb from the cold. Waiting for Kelly to pick me up, my leg hurt more and more frequently. I remembered the doctor’s warning, so I used my last bit of bread money to call Kelly. The moment she answered, I heard her accusation. “Yan, can’t you endure any hardship at all?” I rushed to speak. “Kelly, if I delay any longer, they’ll have to amputate my leg.” But the call disconnected. I didn’t know if she’d heard me. I just felt pain, pain everywhere, pain so intense I couldn’t breathe, pain that made me cry out Kelly’s name over and over. If this had been before, she would have descended like an angel, rushed to my side, saved me from hell. This time, I fell into an endless abyss, struck down by darkness with no hope of rising again. After that call, I passed out. A kind stranger sent me to the hospital. The nurse brought a diagnosis showing my leg needed amputation and required a family member’s signature. Looking at that leg, tears fell. The nurse tried to comfort me. “If your family is willing to pay, the hospital does have a second treatment option.” “There’s no one. My wife is dead.” In that moment, I was surrounded by pitying, sympathetic gazes. The moment Kelly betrayed me was the moment she died in my heart. She died on the road when she went to buy me that cake. She died the night she personally sent me overseas. The only person I’d wronged was myself. Kelly was right—I was so used to living like a spoiled heir that I had no ability to protect myself. From that day on, I never called Kelly again. Occasionally, I’d receive calls from people around me saying Kelly was trying to reach me, but I refused them all. At this moment, Kelly spoke up again to accuse me. “Yan, can you please show some respect? I’m talking to you—can’t you hear me?” I pushed away Kelly’s slender wrist. “Three years ago, did you properly listen when I spoke to you?” If she had, I wouldn’t have been amputated. My nose stung. I stepped back twice and held up the diamond ring on my finger. “Kelly, I’m remarried.”

Kelly laughed dismissively: “Ha.” “Still the same old tricks. Aren’t you tired of this?” True, when Kelly and I were dating, I did often use the tactic of saying other girls were pursuing me or that I had backup options to stir up conflict and emotion in her. So it was normal she didn’t believe me. But I didn’t want to get tangled up with her anymore. I tried to leave, but Kelly blocked my path. “Fine, you say you’re remarried—I believe you. Yan, have you considered that we’re still not divorced?” I stared at Kelly, confused. Didn’t the divorce papers reach her a year ago? During these three years abroad, Summer had helped me file for divorce on the grounds of spouses being separated in different locations for two years. When the court notice came, it even had Kelly’s signature. Now, what did she mean by this? Hudson, who’d been silent nearby, showed a flash of panic in his eyes. “Kelly, Yan is just joking with you.” Hudson’s voice made me want to vomit: “Shut up.” Then I looked at his head: “Weren’t you supposed to be brain dead? Yet here you are, perfectly fine and disgusting people. Did Kelly resurrect you with some miracle cure?” My words made Hudson’s face turn white, then green. He could only turn to Kelly for help. “Kelly… didn’t you tell him I recovered?” Recovered. When did that happen? So even knowing Hudson had recovered, Kelly still sent me away. A wave of nausea suddenly hit me. Kelly grabbed my hand again: “Since we’ve run into each other, I’ll take you back home this time.” I tried to pull away but was dragged along anyway. “Let go. My wife will be here to pick me up soon.” Kelly’s eyes held teasing amusement: “Oh really? I’d like to see which blind woman dares to steal my man.” Before, I loved this side of her—the possessive sweet talk. Now, compared to Summer, Kelly was just a narcissist. Being forcibly brought to the car, Kelly said she’d come overseas to find the best rehabilitation hospital for Hudson. Domestic facilities couldn’t compare to foreign ones. Today happened to be the day she was supposed to sign a contract with the rehabilitation hospital. In the car, Hudson sat across from us, his eyes practically glued to Kelly. The chemistry between them made me sick. I was just afraid Summer wouldn’t be able to find me—she might lose control. Getting out of the car, I realized the rehabilitation hospital Kelly mentioned belonged to Summer. And today happened to be when Summer said she was coming here for some project signing. Kelly forcefully draped her arm over my shoulder as we walked in. People who knew me widened their eyes and began whispering to each other. “How is her husband, he involved with this woman?” “Quick, go report this to she.” Hudson lowered his voice and gloated beside me. “Yan, these three years you were gone, Kelly has been carrying my child. Even if you come back, you can’t take away her love for me.” I knew Kelly had betrayed me. My heart no longer rippled with emotion, because I saw Summer walking toward me in the distance.

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My husband, who never helps our daughter with homework, suddenly volunteered to do her craft project today. Sitting on the couch, I suddenly noticed that my secretary Lily had updated her Ins post: 【Thank you Mr. S for this year of tutoring. My second-grader son got first place in his class on the exam.】 I scrolled to another one of her Ins posts: 【Mr. S is always traveling for work, such a headache. My son only listens to his father.】 When I saw that the stationery in Lily’s photo was identical to my daughter’s, my heart went cold. That set of stationery wasn’t available in stores—my husband had it custom-made for our daughter. It turns out my husband has been playing dad to someone else’s kid all along! My husband had two sets of that stationery custom-made. I took one set out and gave it to my daughter. The other set was in the cabinet, still unopened. When I opened the cabinet door and saw the empty shelf, my suspicions were confirmed. “Honey, did you see that set of stationery I had in my cabinet?” “I wanted to give it to Emma’s son.” Emma was my best friend, who had a first-grader. Sebastian’s expression froze for a moment. “Haven’t seen it. Maybe you put it somewhere else and forgot.” My heart sank as I slowly closed the cabinet door. I turned around and liked Lily’s Ins post. 【Lily, I see your son’s stationery is pretty nice. Can you send me a link? I want to buy a set for my daughter too】 In the kitchen, Sebastian and our daughter were sneaking bites of cake. Seeing me approach, he asked our daughter, “Maya, your mom can’t find a set of stationery. Did you see it?” I smiled. “The one just like yours.” Our daughter blinked her big round eyes. “My classmate liked it, so I gave it to her.” Sebastian visibly relaxed, rubbing our daughter’s head. “Maya, you’re so good at sharing. For your birthday this year, I’ll get you something special.” Just then, my phone rang. Lily replied to me. 【Lynn, I’m really sorry, but that’s not for sale. The child’s father brought it home】 My eyes fixed on the words “child’s father” and I couldn’t snap out of it for a long time. For the past six months, Sebastian had been constantly traveling for work. Lily had also been taking frequent leave. Considering she had a child and was a single mother, I never asked for specifics. Now, items from my home were brazenly appearing in her photos. And the affectionate ‘S’ she referred to was the initial of Sebastian’s name. My best friend’s words suddenly echoed in my mind. “Sebastian is handsome and loaded. You better keep an eye on him—there are plenty of women out there who want to sleep with him.” “Last time he came to our company for a meeting, those young girls were practically drooling, asking for his contact info.” I smiled and sipped my coffee at the time. Asking without concern, “Did he give it to them?” Emma was a bit annoyed. “He didn’t, but men all chase novelty and excitement.” I knew him best. “He won’t.” We met in high school. We both had excellent grades. To me, we were friends and rivals. After the SAT, we entered the same university and fell in love. After graduation, I supported him through starting his business, building our own stationery brand. Everyone envied our love story. But now, I was alarmed to realize he might have cheated. After dinner, when I scrolled through Ins again, I found that Lily’s post had been deleted. But she had posted a new one: 【It’s snowing. The kid insists his dad take him out to play in the snow. But the water pipe at home burst, so I guess skiing will have to be postponed.】 I liked it and replied: 【Do you want my husband to come fix your pipes?】

Lily replied: 【Huh? Lynn, what are you talking about】 【Sebastian and I don’t have that kind of relationship. You must be misunderstanding.】 【My ex-husband’s name is similar to your husband’s. We just got remarried not long ago】 Looking at her flurry of explanations, I smiled. Just then, our daughter pestered Sebastian to go downstairs and play in the snow, but Sebastian said: “Maya, Daddy just got back from a business trip. I’m really tired.” I took our daughter in my arms: “Come on, let’s go play in the snow.” Sebastian paused while putting on his shoes. “But you hate the cold. Let me go instead. You stay home and watch your shows. Maya and I will be back soon.” Our daughter chimed in, “Yeah, Mommy, we’ll be back soon.” “Okay.” I forced a smile and took out a jacket to help Sebastian put it on. My gaze lingered a few extra seconds on the pocket of his inner layer. After they left, I sat on the couch, staring at the constantly moving location marker on my phone screen. I called a car and followed. Luxe Haven Apartments. Very expensive per square foot, marketed as smart-connected living. I had mentioned it to Sebastian, who said he didn’t have enough liquid capital and to wait a bit longer. Based on what I knew about Lily, she absolutely couldn’t afford a place here. Through the fence, I watched Lily and Sebastian meet. Our daughter ran toward Lily. The earpiece glowed blue in the dim taxi. Their conversation came through. “Mommy, you look so beautiful today.” Our daughter’s sweet, soft voice was like a blade stabbing into my heart. She called Lily “Mommy.” So she knew. Through the car window, I stared in disbelief at our daughter’s back. This was the daughter I had carefully raised for nine years. She said again, “When Dad said we’d play in the snow, I knew it would be with Mommy.” Lily put a bracelet on our daughter. “Maya, Happy New Year.” Sebastian quickly intervened. “You don’t make much money. I’ve prepared Maya’s gift.” Lily took the opportunity to link her arm with his. “Maya is my daughter. This is what I should do.” “When will you spend a complete New Year’s Eve with me?” Sebastian’s face showed pain. “Next year I’ll spend it with you and our son…” “Let me fix your water pipe first.” Lily naturally leaned her head on his shoulder. “I just want to be with you like this for a while.” My heart turned ice cold. Every word from Sebastian was like a blade twisting in my heart. I called Sebastian. He answered. “When are you coming back?” Sebastian checked the time. “On my way back now.” He hung up. Our daughter’s voice rang out at just the right moment. “I wish she really was my mom.” Sebastian’s eyes darkened. He sent the child away and kissed Lily, unable to tear themselves apart. My stomach churned and I nearly threw up. With trembling hands, I sent the video I’d recorded to my lawyer. “I don’t want custody either.” A knot of pressure in my chest, I heard Sebastian say, “I’ll take our daughter back first, then come keep you company tonight.” Perhaps out of guilt, Sebastian was particularly enthusiastic that night. He held me, but I pushed him away. After a while, he took a phone call and whispered in my ear, “Honey, there are some specially stored packages at the company that weren’t entered into inventory. I need to go check on them.” “With this heavy snow, I’m worried the roads will be blocked tomorrow.” I kept my eyes tightly shut. Forcing down the tremor in my throat, “Go ahead.” A sleepless night. Through the earpiece, I constantly heard the sounds of their intense entanglement.

I sat dazed on the window seat, watching the snow outside fade and then weave itself into a thin blanket. Sebastian sent me a message. 【Honey, the roads are blocked. I’ll probably need to stay at the office for the next couple days】 Lily’s Ins had updated again. 【Heavy snow is heaven’s gift of love to us】 The photo showed her bare shoulder. Though covered with foundation, the red marks were clearly visible. Around her neck was a shiny ruby necklace. I remembered that necklace. This morning my best friend had messaged me. She said she’d unexpectedly attended a unique item auction with Sebastian. At the auction, Sebastian had won a ruby necklace. It should have been a New Year’s gift for me. She also said she really liked that necklace and had planned to bid on it herself. But when she saw Sebastian bidding too, she figured it was for me. I expressionlessly forwarded Lily’s Ins photo to her. A phone call came immediately. I had no choice but to answer. “Holy shit, Sebastian’s that bold!” “It’s not for me.” I calmly gazed at the white landscape. “He’s having an affair.” Emma hung up. Then she sent me a lawyer’s contact card. 【This was my divorce lawyer】 The lawyer I found turned out to be the same one Emma used for her divorce. At the time, he handed me his business card, but I didn’t take it. He said he didn’t just handle divorces, but also workplace disputes. 【If it wasn’t for him, that scumbag would have gotten custody of my son】 Staring at Emma’s message, my heart, which had been calm all night, began racing violently again. I replied, 【I don’t want custody】 I sent her a recording. She angrily asked, 【That bitch is there? I’m going to tear her apart!】 【Luxe Haven Apartments】 【Wait for me!】 I got Lily’s address from Emma. This was a place Sebastian and I had looked at six months ago. I really liked it. But when I inquired again later, the unit had already been sold. I never imagined that Sebastian had lied about not having enough money when he’d actually bought it for his mistress. Emma and I knocked on the door. The moment it opened, we both froze. “Attorney Morgan, this is your place?” Attorney Morgan nodded, his gaze landing on me. We staked out the stairwell waiting for Sebastian and Lily’s mother and son to leave. I called the property management. “What’s going on upstairs? The water killed the flowers on my balcony.” Property management came to check the situation and took us to the door. He knocked, asking tentatively, “Are you home?” He called out so naturally that Attorney Morgan asked, “You know this family?” The property manager smiled sheepishly. “I do. They bought the place six months ago. It’s a family of three.” “Mr. Sebastian is the best husband I’ve ever seen—when he travels for work, he often asks me to look after his wife and son.” Emma’s tone was contemptuous. “Really?” The property manager didn’t catch her meaning and continued on his own. “Don’t worry, I’ll call Mr. Sebastian. They probably just went out.” In the gap while he made the call, someone from the next unit came out. “Looking for Mr. Sebastian?” The friendly lady, seeing us gathered at the door, helpfully explained. “He took his wife and kid out.” “Mr. Sebastian travels a lot for work. It’s rare for them to go out together, so they probably won’t be back until evening.” Just then, Sebastian’s call connected. The property manager briefly explained the situation. He needed to enter the unit to investigate the water leak. Seeking Sebastian’s permission. On the other end, a child’s voice sounded disappointed. “Daddy, you promised we’d go to the amusement park today…” Then came Lily’s soothing voice. Sebastian indulgently coaxed the child, then said into the phone, “I can’t make it back. I’ll have to trouble you then.”

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For ten years, I pursued Daniel. In that time, I cured his disability and helped build his billion-dollar empire. On our wedding anniversary, his obsessive lover stood on the company rooftop for the ninety-ninth time. He said, “I’ll go check on her,” and later that night, he let her straddle his lap in a hotel room. “Willow’s aloofness…. it’s boring.” His contemptuous laughter pierced through me. He no longer loved me. I turned to leave and was hit by a car, losing our unborn child. The system asked if I wanted to go home. I said yes. The price was that he had to end my life with his own hands. At his yacht birthday party, he whipped me until I was half dead. My face was disfigured, my hair cut short, and I was framed as a murderer. Then he threw me into the deep sea. As seawater flooded my nose and mouth, I heard the system notification: “Target has personally terminated. Command fulfilled.” Later, he knelt in the ruins, searching for my belongings. Meanwhile, I stood arm in arm with my new husband at a seaside chapel, exchanging rings. Sunlight fell on the diamond ring on my finger, illuminating the ten days he had once spent waiting outside my coffee shop. Those ten days were bought with ten lifetimes of reincarnation. “I am sorry. And I wish you happiness.”

Willow POV On the fifth anniversary of my marriage to Daniel, that system-assigned pursuer Quinn appeared once more. Today marked her ninety-ninth death threat. A massive love confession banner hung from the rooftop terrace of Daniel’s skyscraper. She stood outside the railing, threatening to jump if he did not come to see her. It was the same staged performance as every time before. The first ninety-eight times, Daniel either had his security team handle it with blank efficiency, or simply ignored it altogether. But this time, I heard him grit out, “I’ll go see her.” My heart dropped. I didn’t stop him. Daniel left. He was gone all night. His phone went from ringing out to powered off completely. When I found the private club suite and stood before the half-open door, the sight inside froze the blood in my veins. There was the billionaire, always depicted in the media as distant and ascetic, hailed as the industry’s most untouchable tycoon… Now letting Quinn, who was barely dressed, straddle his lap, her hips moving, her eyes glazed. Quinn’s coquettish voice drifted out. “You know, Willow still thinks you’ve been ignoring me all this time. If she knew you’ve secretly come to me every single time since the tenth attempt, her face would be priceless.” “Her…” Daniel let out a contemptuous laugh. “She acts clever, but she’s the easiest to fool. I used to think that cold front of hers was special. Now I see it’s just boring.” So all his devotion, and his public disdain for Quinn-it had all been an act from the very beginning. I’d been played for a fool, watching them carry out nearly ninety secret affairs in corners I never noticed. Nausea instantly surged up my throat. I used every ounce of strength to shove the door wide open. The two tangled figures inside started, both looking toward the door in unison. I caught a flash of undisguised panic in Daniel’s eyes, but almost instantly, it transformed into irritation at being interrupted. “Daniel,” my voice came out hoarse, my whole body trembling so much I could barely stand. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?” Daniel unhurriedly straightened his shirt. “If Quinn fails her pursuit, the system will erase her. I can’t just stand by and watch her die…” Before he could finish, a sharp crack rang out-I’d used all my strength to slap him across the face. Daniel’s face jerked to the side. When he turned back, the last trace of warmth had vanished from his eyes. “Willow, I do love you.” “But we’ve been together for ten years. Ten years. Just looking at you exhausts me. You can’t expect me to eat only one dish for the rest of my life-I’d get sick of it.” His gaze swept over Quinn hiding behind him. “She’s different. Young, vibrant, knows how to cry and make a fuss… like you used to be.” After speaking, he looked at my instantly pale face and added, as if bestowing charity: “Don’t worry, the position of Mrs. Daniel will always be yours. When I’ve had my fun and dealt with her situation, I’ll naturally come home to you.” I felt frozen to my core. “I can’t accept this. Either you cut ties with her completely, or we get divorced!” Daniel laughed derisively. “Divorce? Willow, where would you even go without me?” “Don’t forget-you gave up your only chance to go home for me.” His cruel words were like salt poured on my bleeding heart. Unbidden, scenes from many years ago flashed through my mind. Fifteen years ago, when I first came to this world, the first person I met was the teenage Daniel, sitting in a wheelchair with nothing to his name. I healed his legs, accompanied him from having nothing to where he is now, helping him become a top-tier tycoon. The day the mission succeeded, I was supposed to leave. It was Daniel who knelt on one knee in front of a church in the pouring rain, his eyes burning as he promised me before that ring: “Willow, I, Daniel, swear that I will never love another in this life. If I break this vow, may God punish me.” I was cold-natured by disposition, and trust in human hearts was what I believed in least. But facing that Daniel, I softened. For the first time, I wanted to take a gamble and gave up my chance to go home. Later, Daniel did indeed pamper me into someone everyone envied. He would use snow machines to cover the entire estate in the blazing summer just because I mentioned wanting to see snow. He would bankrupt and destroy an entire family because I was mistreated. He wanted to announce his favoritism to the whole world, holding me in the palm of his hand every moment. But now, he casually told me he was bored. I don’t know how I escaped that suffocating place. On New York’s streets, cars came and went. I walked aimlessly, feeling my heart ache as if a piece had been carved out, my vision blurred. The next second, the harsh sound of brakes and a violent impact came simultaneously. My body was thrown up and fell heavily down, finally sinking into darkness. When I regained consciousness, the strong smell of disinfectant filled my nose. I heard the doctor’s anxious voice. “The patient is awake. Have we contacted her family?” “Called several times, but they all got hung up on…” The doctor cursed under his breath, then turned to look at me. “Ma’am, I’m sorry to inform you that when you were brought in, you had suffered impact trauma. We couldn’t save the baby.” Baby? My eyes flew open, my hand instinctively moving to my abdomen. I was pregnant? Without my knowledge, a life had come and quietly left. Even the baby didn’t want to stay here anymore? This thought was the final straw that crushed all my attachment to this place. I closed my eyes and called out silently in my mind. “System, I want to go home.” A long-absent, cold, mechanical voice responded at once. “Command received. Per world rules, departure now requires the Target, Daniel, to personally terminate your life.” “However, Daniel will also suffer rule backlash, forfeiting all health and wealth bestowed by you. Does the Host confirm execution?” Images of Daniel and Quinn together flashed before my eyes. I did not hesitate. “Confirm.” “Acknowledged. Departure in ten days.” “Countdown begins.”

Willow POV Daniel didn’t come to the hospital until noon the next day. “My assistant said you were in the hospital-that’s when I found out you’d been in a car accident. Why didn’t you tell me immediately?” As he spoke, he leaned down to touch my face. I noticed the very fresh love bites on his neck and tilted my head slightly to avoid him. He paused slightly, about to speak when his phone rang. “Daniel, my stomach hurts so much…” Quinn’s tearful voice came through clearly. Daniel’s expression changed. “Don’t be scared. Send me your location-I’ll be right there.” He put away his phone and looked at me. “I have something urgent I need to handle. Rest well, and I’ll make up our anniversary to you next time.” “No need,” I said softly. “We don’t need to celebrate it anymore.” Daniel frowned, seeming to want to say something, but ultimately turned and left. That evening, I was brought home. The car had barely stopped when I saw Quinn at the door, her smile radiant. “Willow’s back?” Quinn linked her arm through Daniel’s. “Daniel was worried about my health, so he insisted I come stay here.” Daniel’s tone was flat. “Quinn needs care. It’s more convenient if she stays here. I hope you understand.” I said nothing, went straight inside, and headed upstairs. The next day was the corporation’s anniversary gala. As the CEO’s wife and company co-founder, I had to attend. Except this time, the person standing beside Daniel was Quinn. “Is that Daniel’s new flame? His wife is right there-this doesn’t look good…” “Looks like this Quinn has some serious skills.” The whispers floated into my ears. I simply lowered my eyes, showing no emotion. Halfway through the banquet, I wanted to go to the restroom to collect myself. Just as I reached the outer area of the restroom, I heard Quinn’s lowered but unmistakably smug voice from inside. “Don’t worry, Daniel is completely devoted to me now. Once I get his…” My footsteps stopped abruptly. I held my breath. Still in shock, Quinn emerged from inside. Seeing me, she froze for a moment, then her face took on its usual fake smile. “Willow, you’re here too?” I didn’t respond. Seeing this, Quinn moved closer, her words carrying barbs. “Daniel wore me out so much last night-I’m sore all over. What if I get pregnant? I have no experience. Willow, why don’t you teach me?” “Teach you?” I finally looked up, staring at her coldly. “A year with Daniel doesn’t compare to one night with you-I have nothing to teach.” Quinn pressed her advantage, reaching out to pull me. “Why don’t I ask Daniel to let you watch and learn from the side? That way, when I’m gone, you won’t be completely clueless.” I shook off her hand, feeling utterly disgusted. “No thanks. Watching two pieces of trash together would dirty my eyes.” Quinn stared at me. Her smile collapsed instantly, her eyes turning dark enough to drip poison. I turned and left, returning to the banquet hall, my mind in chaos. Without thinking much, I picked up the half-glass of champagne I’d left on the table earlier and drank it down. Within minutes, my body began to feel hot, and my head started spinning. I immediately realized-the drink had been drugged. “Willow, why are you here all alone?” Quinn’s persistent voice sounded again. She approached with feigned concern, then exclaimed in a volume everyone nearby could hear. “Oh my God! Why is your face so red? And you’re sweating so much-this reaction looks exactly like you’ve taken some kind of dirty drug!” She covered her mouth, her eyes wide, but her tone was full of malicious insinuation. “At such an important event today, Willow, you didn’t arrange to meet some man for something exciting, did you?” All eyes turned toward me. I felt terrible all over, wanting to tear Quinn’s mouth apart, but my body wouldn’t allow it. I could only grit my teeth and look at Daniel. “Daniel…take me home… I’ve been drugged…” Daniel looked at my flushed face and rapid breathing, then heard Quinn’s suggestive words. His expression darkened instantly. He strode forward and grabbed my wrist hard-so hard it made me cry out in pain. “How would you just get drugged for no reason? Willow, you’d better explain this clearly!” Looking at his suspicious eyes, my heart went cold. My body grew hotter and hotter, my mind barely conscious. I suddenly shook off Daniel, grabbed a fruit knife from the table, and slashed my own arm. The intense pain made me groan, cold sweat instantly beading on my forehead, but my mind cleared somewhat. “Call the police!” I gasped, staring hard at Quinn. “Check the surveillance! Whoever tampered with my drink-once the police arrive, one check will reveal everything!” At the mention of police, Quinn’s face instantly drained of color, her eyes darting around nervously. Daniel saw her guilty look, something flickering in his eyes. He pressed down on my hand reaching for my phone, his tone cold and hard. “Enough! Isn’t this embarrassing enough?” “Nothing irreversible actually happened. Do you have to make a scene at the police station and let the whole city laugh at you?!” Without giving me a chance to argue, he ordered the bodyguards behind him: “Take Mrs. Daniel to the hospital! Treat her wound!” The next second, I was half-dragged, half-carried out of the banquet by two bodyguards.

Willow POV For the next two days, I locked myself in the guest room to recover. On the third evening, Daniel came in carrying a velvet jewelry box. He sat down beside the bed and held out the box. Inside was an expensive diamond necklace. “For you.” I didn’t take it. Didn’t even glance at it. Daniel looked at my indifferent profile. After a moment of silence, he spoke. “Are you still upset about what happened at the banquet?” He did not wait for an answer. “Quinn knows she was wrong. She is young and likes to joke. Since you are older, you should be the bigger person.” I jerked my head up, looking at him in disbelief. He clearly knew Quinn had drugged me. He clearly knew I had almost been publicly humiliated or worse. Yet he wanted to brush it aside with “she’s young” and “just joking”? A chill shot from my feet straight to the top of my head. Voice trembling, I forced out one word: “Get out!” Daniel’s expression darkened. He seemed surprised by my reaction. He suppressed his displeasure, stood up, and looked down at me from above, his tone carrying a final warning: “Keep the necklace. This matter ends here. Willow, remember what I said-don’t go looking for trouble with Quinn.” With that, he turned and left. The moment the door closed, I bit my lip hard to keep from crying out, but my trembling shoulders still betrayed my anguish. That afternoon, I was organizing some old clothes I rarely wore to donate when the guest room door was violently flung open with a bang. Daniel had returned, his face iron-dark. He rushed over in a few strides and grabbed my wrist viciously. “Willow, didn’t I warn you not to touch her?!” He yanked me so hard my wound hurt. I struggled. “What are you going crazy about now!” “I’m going crazy?” Daniel’s eyes were sinister, the words practically grinding through his teeth. “Quinn just got hit by a car. The doctor said she almost became a vegetable. You dare say you didn’t arrange it?!” “It wasn’t me!” I immediately protested. “Who else but you!” Daniel didn’t believe me at all. Rage had burned away his reason. He suddenly began dragging me outside. My struggles were useless against his absolute strength. He roughly dragged me out of the villa and shoved me into a car. The car sped all the way to a deserted road in the suburbs. Daniel pulled me out of the car. Another black sedan pulled up right behind us. Quinn got out of the passenger seat, gauze taped to her temple. Seeing me, she immediately showed a frightened and aggrieved expression, shrinking behind Daniel. Daniel looked at Quinn’s weakened state, then turned to me with murderous eyes. “Whatever she suffered today, you’ll pay back double!” Dread shot through me. “What do you want to do?!” Daniel didn’t answer. He took out a coil of rough tow rope from the trunk. Despite my desperate struggles and screams, he tied my hands tightly with the rope. Then he secured the other end firmly to the tow hook on the rear of his black sedan! “Daniel, let me go!” I screamed, unable to believe he would do this. The next second, I saw Quinn get into the driver’s seat, her face showing undisguised malice and satisfaction. Daniel looked at me like I was an inanimate object, coldly spitting out two words: “Drive.” The engine roared. The car suddenly started! I felt a tearing pain in both hands. My entire body was violently slammed to the ground by an enormous force. I was dragged like a piece of torn cloth. Pain engulfed my whole body. Blood quickly stained the road beneath me. I don’t know how long it lasted before the car finally stopped. I lay barely alive in a pool of blood, my clothes torn to shreds, exposed skin covered in horrific wounds. Daniel walked over, looked down at me coldly, left one sentence-“Take her to the hospital”-then turned and left with Quinn in his arms. I watched their departing figures, my vision blurred by blood and tears, until I finally couldn’t hold on anymore and blacked out.

Willow POV When I woke again, blinding white filled my vision. Daniel sat on the sofa nearby. Seeing me awake, his expression was calm. “I’ve already paid all the medical bills. Rest well. If you hadn’t gone too far, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point.” I closed my eyes, too lazy to even give him a glance. Daniel waited a few seconds. Getting no response, he rarely softened his tone. “All right. Didn’t you want to hold your birthday party on a yacht this year? Quinn has already arranged everything. You just need to show up. Stop throwing tantrums.” I kept my eyes closed, as if I’d heard nothing. After two more days in the hospital, I calculated that only three days remained. I had one more thing I had to do. Find Buddy a safe home. Buddy was a stray dog Daniel and I had picked up together on the street when I first came to this world at fifteen. I only wanted him to live in peace. But once I left, there was no guarantee Quinn wouldn’t poison him. With this thought, I ignored my still-unhealed body and forcibly checked myself out of the hospital. Dragging my still-aching body back to the villa, I was greeted only by deathly silence. I searched every corner of the house but couldn’t find that white figure that always wagged its tail and bounded toward me. My heart sank bit by bit. I immediately found Daniel in the study. “Where’s Buddy?” Daniel looked up from his documents, his tone as flat as if discussing the weather. “Quinn is allergic to dog hair. I had someone send him to the estate in the suburbs.” He paused, then added, “It’s just a dog. Don’t make a big deal out of it.” My heart plummeted to rock bottom. Without another word, I grabbed the car keys and rushed out. At the suburban estate, I found that dark storage room. Pushing open the door, a heavy smell of blood hit me in the face. Buddy lay collapsed in the corner, covered in blood. His white fur was stained red. Only faint breathing proved he was still alive. My tears burst forth instantly. I threw myself over, my hands shaking so much I could barely hold him. I demanded hoarsely of the watching worker: “What happened?! Who did this?!” The worker answered trembling: “This afternoon, Miss Quinn came. Said the dog barked at her and she wanted to personally teach it a lesson. She beat it with a baseball bat…” Hatred instantly consumed me. But I couldn’t spare another thought. I scooped up the dying Buddy and stumbled to the car, pressing the gas pedal like a madwoman toward the city. Before we reached the city, the small, warm body in my arms gave a final, gentle twitch, and the breathing stopped. Buddy was gone. He died in my arms. I pulled over on a desolate stretch of road and sat there, holding his body while it was still faintly warm, for what felt like an eternity. Finally, I found a quiet spot in the suburbs and buried him with my own hands. When I returned to the villa, it was already late at night. Quinn was leisurely nestled on the living room sofa with a face mask. Hearing movement, she lazily looked up. Seeing me covered in dust, my soul seemingly lost, a mocking smile had just curved her lips. But before that smile fully formed, I rushed over, grabbed her hair, and violently yanked her down from the sofa.

Willow POV Quinn screamed. Before she could react, my fists and slaps were already raining down on her. “Psycho! Help! Daniel, save me!” Quinn had no ability to fight back-she could only shield her head and shriek. The nearby servants were all stunned. No one dared step forward. Just then, Daniel returned. The moment he entered, he saw me pinning Quinn to the ground and beating her savagely. “Willow! Stop it!” He rushed forward and forcefully pulled me off, immediately pulling Quinn protectively into his arms. I was yanked by his tremendous force, stumbling backward. Losing my balance, I fell heavily to the ground, my forehead striking the hard corner of the coffee table. Warm blood instantly gushed out, blurring my vision. I saw Daniel staring at the blood streaming down my forehead, his pupils contracting sharply. He instinctively loosened his arm around Quinn and took half a step forward. Words of concern almost escaped his lips. “Daniel… it hurts… She went crazy and attacked me the moment she came back…” Quinn’s aggrieved crying came at just the right moment. Daniel’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air, then withdrew. He held Quinn, looked at me with blood flowing from my temple, his tone carrying habitual accusation and favoritism. “Willow! What are you going crazy about now!” I wiped the blood flowing to my eyelid roughly with the back of my hand. “Buddy is dead. She personally beat him to death with a bat.” “You’re lying! I didn’t! Daniel, how could I do such a thing…” Quinn cried even more pitifully, her whole body trembling. Daniel frowned, looking at me, his tone impatient. “Quinn is kind-hearted. She’s not that kind of person. Don’t slander her.” He paused, then added: “Besides, it’s just an animal. It died-that’s all. Is it worth making such a huge fuss and attacking someone?!” Hearing him speak so dismissively about Buddy’s death, wave after wave of pain stabbed through my heart. I remembered that when we first found Buddy years ago, Daniel had also patiently fed him, played with him, smiling and saying we were family. But now, those shared warm memories, along with Buddy’s life, were as cheap as grass in his heart. The last weak connection had also broken. I suddenly felt that any argument was utterly meaningless. Exhausted, I stood up and turned to go upstairs. But Daniel blocked my way. “Apologize to Quinn.” My footsteps didn’t pause. “Dream on!” As if thoroughly enraged by my attitude, he grabbed my wrist. “If you won’t apologize, then let Quinn hit you back.” I jerked my head up, staring at him in disbelief. “Daniel! You dare let her lay a hand on me-just try it!” But Daniel turned a deaf ear to my warning. His eyes immediately signaled to the security personnel behind him. The bodyguards rushed forward, grabbing my arms from left and right, pinning me firmly in place. Daniel looked at me struggling continuously. His Adam’s apple rolled once. Finally, he just looked away, his jawline tense, and said in a low voice to Quinn: “Do it!” With that permission, Quinn dropped all pretense of pity from her face. She raised her arm and slapped my face hard. Crack! A sharp sound exploded in the living room. My face was knocked to the side. Half my cheek immediately swelled with a bright red handprint, burning painfully. I jerked my head back, my dark eyes boring into Quinn’s face. Quinn raised her hand again. Crack! An even harder blow. I felt my lip split, blood seeping out. Quinn’s expression was extremely satisfied. Looking at my wretched state, she lifted her foot, and the sharp heel kicked viciously at my shin bone. The piercing pain made my knees buckle. If the bodyguards weren’t still gripping me tightly, I would have collapsed on the spot. Throughout it all, Daniel watched coldly-watched me take the beating in his hands, watched my face swell, my lip split, watched me curl up in pain but still keep my spine straight. I saw his brow furrow tightly. “Enough.” When Quinn seemed about to kick again, Daniel finally spoke to stop her. The bodyguards released me. My legs gave out. I collapsed to the floor, my body trembling violently. Daniel looked down at me, his voice cold. “Now we are even. Remember this. Do not touch Quinn.” Having said that, he stopped looking at me. He turned and put his arm around Quinn’s waist, his voice softening. “Are you feeling better now? Let’s go upstairs.” Quinn leaned softly against him and answered sweetly. Before leaving, she did not forget to give me, still collapsed on the floor, the unmistakable look of a victor. In the living room, only I remained, curled up on the ground. My face swollen, my lip split, the spot on my shin kicked so hard the bone felt broken. But none of this compared to the pain of having a piece of my heart carved out alive. I suddenly remembered many years ago, when I first came to this world. I was cornered in an alley by thugs. It was a boy in a wheelchair, with a useless leg, who dragged himself in front of me. He used all his strength to shield me, shouting, “Don’t you dare touch her!” But now, the one who let another woman slap me across the face was also him. I began to laugh quietly, a hoarse sound. It echoed in the empty living room, uglier than crying. I wiped the blood from my lip roughly with the back of my hand. Then, supporting my body which felt ready to fall apart, I slowly pushed myself up from the floor. Right on time, that cold mechanical voice sounded in my mind: “Three days remaining until departure from this world.”

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My twin brother Steven’s wife, Clara Hayes, had just given birth to their daughter when he ran off with my girlfriend. Furious, I used our identical faces and claimed Clara. Ten years later, Steven returned. By then, his daughter was healthy and beautiful. Clara’s company was on the brink of an IPO. My once-wealthy ex-girlfriend, however, was bankrupt. Steven sneered. “I’ve returned your girlfriend. Now return the family you stole from me.” I gritted my teeth and agreed. That night, I booked a flight to leave. But on the way to the airport, Clara slid into my lap and whispered, “You’d really leave? Tell me, is she better than I am?” When my brother eloped with my wealthy girlfriend, Mia Winters, he even had the audacity to send me a photo of them together. His message read: “Goodbye. You couldn’t beat me growing up. You never will.” Rage coursed through me. I stared into the mirror at the face I shared with my twin, and a plan crystallized. That same night, I stood at Clara’s door, ready to become Steven If he could abandon his wife and newborn daughter in my city, then he had no right to complain about how I chose to… care for them! Clara seemed uncomfortable with her husband’s sudden change in behavior. But at that time, her business was struggling. She naturally assumed I was angry because she wasn’t making money, dragging me down and burdening our daughter. She thought my temper was justified. So she became even more submissive toward me. Every time I criticized her harshly, she would just silently lower her head and promise she would soon give us a better life. I knew Clara was docile, but I hadn’t expected this level of submission. So I turned my focus to his daughter, Emma. I’d raised her since she was three. In her eyes, I was her father. But I was a strict one. The food I cooked was terrible, and my temper was worse. I scolded her constantly. Every time, she would press her lips tight, her small hands clutching her dress, looking up at me with eyes swimming in tears. “Daddy, please don’t be angry. I’ll go kneel outside. Please don’t hurt yourself being upset.” Mother and daughter were cut from the same spineless cloth. That was my conviction, right up until the day I went to pick her up from kindergarten and saw a circle of children kicking and punching her Something in me shattered. I had never laid a hand on her. I went straight to the principal. The ringleader bullying her was the heir to the city’s leading corporation. The principal advised me to drop it, implying I’d be ungrateful to cause trouble. So I walked out and punched the boy’s father-the CEO-right in the jaw. Clara spent the next hour apologizing profusely, bowing and scraping in a way that made my blood boil. After forcing them to cover the medical bills, I took the mother and daughter by the arm and led them out of there. On the way back, Clara seemed like she wanted to say something but hesitated. I shot her an irritated look. “What? You think I was too impulsive?” She coughed, awkward. “It’s not that…” “Then save it!” I cut her off, my voice sharp. “Either you find a backbone so your daughter never has to be bullied again, or you stay silent.” “Or let me handle it. That’s better than having the whole family be cowards!” I didn’t expect Clara to actually do it. Now, that CEO had to send me gifts through intermediaries just to get a meeting with Clara. The Hayes family had truly made a name for themselves in New York. No one dared to bully Emma anymore. After I stood up for her at the kindergarten that time, seeing her thin, bony frame, I gritted my teeth and spent my own money to buy lots of nutritional supplements, even though Clara was still in debt. “Look how skinny you are! No wonder people bully you! Don’t call me Dad until you’ve fattened yourself up!” Under the supervision of this stepfather, Emma not only gained weight, but also achieved a healthy body fat percentage. Whether in terms of strength or status, no peer dared to lay a hand on her anymore. Everything was good. Emma saw me as her father. She would brag to everyone about how I’d faced down the CEO in front of the principal. Clara also saw me as her husband. After her success, she kept pushing company shares into my hands, showering me with luxury cars and deeds to properties, never thinking of herself. Me, who’d never known money-I started to believe this life could last forever. Then my brother came back. And pulled me out of my beautiful dream with Clara.

“Actually, these ten years of happiness were all stolen by you.” Steven sat across from me, blowing a smoke ring into the air. “Although I eloped with your girlfriend back then, my wife and daughter are still my wife and daughter. “That’s no reason for you to take over my family.” He flicked his cigarette ash. “I won’t pursue the matter of you usurping my place. Now, I’m returning Mia to you. “You return my wife and daughter to me.” I clenched my fists. Mia had gone bankrupt not long ago. Her financial situation was even more desperate than Clara’s had been back then. “You really know how to pick your timing. “Steal your brother’s girlfriend when your wife is struggling, then come back to be the good husband after you’ve had your fill?” Smack! The ashtray shattered at my feet. My brother looked down his nose at me. “Is that any way to speak to your own brother?” “And let’s be clear, Lucas Reed. So what if I had a fling with your girlfriend? You seduced my wife. You stole my daughter.” “That was my child, born to my wife. Who’s the real disgrace here? Think about it. Which one of us is truly despicable?” The air left my lungs in a sharp rush. He stood up, came to my side, and looked down at me. “If you dare to cling on shamelessly, I’ll expose everything you’ve done. “When that happens, we’ll see who gets cursed out more-you or me.” I didn’t really care about being cursed out. All my life, having enough to eat and drink had been my only desire. When I was dating Mia, didn’t plenty of people call me a gold digger? I just thought of Emma. The way she sweetly called me Daddy. If this matter were exposed, what would she think? What would Clara think? Taking a deep breath, I said, “Give me three days.” Steven frowned. “What for? Don’t I need to pack my things? “Shouldn’t I clean up the traces I’ve left behind? “Don’t I need to write you a memo about how the mother and daughter have changed over these ten years?” Steven’s expression improved slightly. He sneered. “If you dare to play any tricks, I guarantee you’ll be utterly disgraced!”

During dinner, both Clara and Emma noticed something was wrong with me. Right after we finished eating, she came to the bedroom, holding my arm and looking at me. “Is someone causing you trouble?” “Clara, what would you do if you had to change husbands one day?” The smile on that docile, honest face cracked inch by inch. “You want to divorce me?!” I cupped her face. “Why are you panicking? I’m just curious.” “Never!” She said through gritted teeth. It was rare for her to be this assertive with me. “If you leave, I’ll stay single with Emma for the rest of my life. “If you die, I’ll raise Emma until she’s eighteen and then come find you!” I quickly covered her mouth. I didn’t like hearing her say unlucky things. “What if-I’m saying what if. “What if one day, someone who looks exactly like me came to replace me? Would that be okay?” My brother and I had competed with each other since childhood, and we never made a point of introducing our partners to each other. Clara didn’t know he had a twin brother. “Honey.” She gripped my hand. “What kind of partner lives with someone for ten years and then doesn’t care when an identical face shows up? “That would only mean they don’t love enough. “And in this world, no one loves you more than I do.” I forced down the corners of my mouth that wanted to turn up. “You’re being cheesy.” She didn’t mind. She kissed my lips, then turned to heat up milk for me. This was how we had spent our days together over the years. Even in the beginning, when my mockery hurt her the most, she would endure the grievance and heat milk for me. I don’t know from which day I started hoping I could drink the milk she heated for me for the rest of my life. Maybe feeling guilty, Clara publicly gifted me an entire building the next day. The ribbon-cutting ceremony set New York abuzz. She publicly announced that I would be her only husband for life. That evening, I rushed to the banquet venue. But I found a familiar figure already there, wearing the exact same suit as me, chatting and laughing with the very elites who knew me.

Catching sight of me from the corner of his eye, everyone’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh my God, Mr. Reed, you really do have a twin brother!” “Steven…” I looked at him in surprise. He raised an eyebrow, his gaze full of disdain. “Here’s the ‘good brother’ I mentioned-the one trying to crawl into his sister-in-law’s bed.” I clenched my fists. “No wonder Ms. Hayes handed you a whole building out of nowhere. Gotta prove her loyalty, right?” “Everyone knows how devoted Ms. Hayes is. Even if you two look the same, it doesn’t mean a thing.” “Honestly, real love can tell twins apart in a heartbeat. This homewrecker should quit his cheap tricks.” Those high-society types I used to laugh with couldn’t even tell us apart. Just because Steven showed up first, they accepted him as the “me” they once knew. Steven continued along with their narrative. “I was afraid you’d have those crooked thoughts again, which is why I never introduced you to your sister-in-law. “But all these years, I’ve never treated you unfairly. “Every time you said you had no money, didn’t I send you money? What, now you want to skip over me and ask your sister-in-law for money directly?” “You!” Rage surged through me. Just as I was about to step forward to argue, a look of panic suddenly flashed in my brother’s eyes. My hand hadn’t even touched him when he stumbled and crashed into the champagne tower. “Why are you pushing me!” The champagne tower toppled as he hit it. Countless glasses fell on him, drenching him. Everyone hurried to separate me from him. “You’re too ungrateful! You were the one who seduced your sister-in-law, and now you’re pushing your brother!” “Coming here dressed in the same clothes as your brother! Have you no shame!” “Don’t think being identical to your brother makes you special. Ms. Hayes wouldn’t want someone like you who sells himself!” Just as I was about to say something, a familiar voice came from behind me. “What are you all doing!” “Clara!” I turned around. But that figure walked right past me and helped Steven up. “Baby, are you hurt? Let me see.” Steven just kept biting his lip, his eyes rimmed red, shaking his head. He didn’t utter a word, yet his silence made everyone feel the overwhelming weight of his grievance. “Daddy!” A small figure rushed over and clung tightly to my brother. “Daddy! Are you okay?” Seeing the daughter I had raised, my brother first froze. Then he smiled with reddened eyes, touching her face and shaking his head. “Daddy…” Emma hugged my brother and cried her heart out. I suddenly realized that with my brother, she showed far more emotion than she ever did with me. They say blood ties are the hardest bonds to break. It turned out that even though Emma hadn’t seen her father in ten years, as long as that blood connection existed, Emma could still recognize her father at first glance in a sea of people. And then run to her father. “Sir.” Clara helped my brother stand up and looked at me coldly. “Although you’re my husband’s twin brother, that doesn’t mean you can bully my people. “He’s your brother, but more importantly, he’s my lover.” I clenched my fists. “For what you did today, I’ll contact a lawyer to pursue your legal responsibility.” I suddenly laughed. Yesterday she said that if an identical face didn’t matter, it was only because the love wasn’t deep enough. So Clara didn’t love me enough after all.

I promised Steven that the next day I would write a memo about the mother and daughter’s changes over the past ten years. Then pack up my things and leave. To prevent any mix-ups, after the banquet ended, it was still me who went home with Clara and her daughter. I leaned against the bed without saying a word. Clara carefully came to my side, gently holding my hand. “What’s wrong? Still angry at your brother?” I pulled my hand away without speaking. She shamelessly grabbed it again. “I told you, you’re the only man in my life. “He has the same face as you, but that’s not an advantage. “I just find it disgusting.” I suddenly looked up at her. “Don’t you believe me?” She clearly thought I was my brother. “Tomorrow, I’ll have someone send your brother abroad and never let him come back. “How about that?” I looked at her for a while before speaking. “No need.” Tomorrow, I would go abroad myself. After lying down, I turned my back to Clara. She continued talking, trying to get my attention. “I heard your brother caught feelings because his girlfriend hit rock bottom? That was Mia, right?” I frowned, impatient. This was the story my brother had spun about me. He painted me as a pathetic man who first leeched onto a rich girl. Then, when she fell from grace and his sister-in-law rose to power, he tried to move on to her instead. “Mia’s trash. If he was into her, that says enough about him.” The words sat like a weight in my chest. To claw back a shred of dignity, I muttered, “She was alright. Knew her way around a bed.” Then, a pair of warm hands gently circled me from behind. My back sank into a soft embrace. “Nothing in this world could ever come between us, love.” “Mm.” I closed my eyes. After I leave tomorrow, you can have your great romance with him for all I care. While Clara was at work and Emma was at school the next day, I handed over the past ten years’ work to Steven. Then, taking the check he gave me, I wheeled my suitcase out the door. I didn’t plan to go back to Mia. The plane ticket was for Paris. With this money in hand, I didn’t need to worry about the future. The car I’d booked arrived at the hotel after dark. I got in and closed my eyes to rest. But not long after we started moving, the driver pulled over. I opened my eyes. “Why are you picking up someone else?” Instead of answering, the driver got out. I was about to call him back when my door opened. The person stepping in stole my breath. “Mia is good in bed?” Clara’s voice came from above me. The next second, her weight settled in my lap. She cupped my face, looking down. “I’m so much better. Care to find out?”

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In the third year of my marriage to Dominic Chase, I discovered a physical defect. I’d lost my ability to conceive and could never get pregnant. I was devastated, but Dominic suggested adopting a child from an orphanage. Together, we found a sweet little girl. On the day we were supposed to officially adopt her, I noticed a birthmark on the girl’s hand while signing the paperwork. I immediately said I didn’t want her, but Dominic insisted on adopting her. So I asked him for a divorce. Everyone stared at me in shock. Dominic asked, “Just because she has a birthmark on her hand? You want to divorce me over that?” I replied seriously, “Yes.” Dominic thought I was being unreasonable. “But the birthmark is only the size of a pea! We can have it surgically removed. Is this really worth making such a big deal over?” I laughed coldly. “After we divorce, you can raise whoever you want. Raise as many as you like—I don’t care.” Dominic’s face filled with disbelief. “Miranda Caldwell! What’s gotten into you? You want to divorce me over a child? What did she do to upset you? There’s no need to take it this far.” I stared at him, my voice devoid of emotion. “Her or me. Choose.” Dominic looked at me like I was a stranger, his eyes full of shock. “She’s just a child. Such a small child, abandoned by everyone. Don’t you have a heart? Besides, she didn’t choose to have that birthmark. Why does it matter so much to you?” I cut him off. “Fine. Divorce.” Dominic’s face turned pale. I said nothing more. The atmosphere turned glacial. The orphanage staff exchanged uncomfortable glances until the director broke the awkward silence. “Mrs. Chase, Rosie has always been the sweetest child at our facility. She never cries or makes a fuss, and she often helps the other children.” “Many people have wanted to adopt her before, but Rosie refused to leave. Today, when she finally met your family, she really took to you.” My father-in-law, Bob Chase tried to smooth things over. “Miranda, dear, I think this child is lovely. Medical technology is so advanced now—if you don’t like the birthmark, we can easily have a doctor remove it.” I remained silent, insisting on the divorce. Dominic approached me, carefully taking my hand. “Can we talk about this at home?” His voice was filled with hurt and pleading. I yanked my hand away, showing him no mercy. “No need. When we get home, I’ll have my lawyer draft the divorce papers. Make sure you come sign them.” Seeing my resolve, my mother-in-law, Nancy Smith’s face filled with alarm. “What are you saying? You’ve been married into our family for three years with nothing to show for it. Now that we know the problem is with you, you’re throwing a fit about adopting a child.” She pointed her finger at my nose. “I never imagined you were this petty. Are you trying to end the Chase family line?” Nancy brought up past grievances one by one. “Whenever you wanted late-night snacks, no matter how late it was, my son would get up and make them for you. He never complained once.” “You only like cake from that one shop downtown, so my son would stand in line for an hour every day to buy it for you.” “Do you have a conscience? Our family has treated you well. All I want is a grandchild. What good are you if you can’t have children?” Nancy clutched her chest and cursed at me, calling me an ungrateful wretch with every sentence. I grabbed my bag to leave. The little girl approached me, looking pitiful. “Mommy.” I pushed her away in disgust. Chloe Chase caught the girl. “Miranda, she’s just a child. If you don’t like the birthmark on her hand, fine—but did you have to push her down?” “Why are you taking your anger out on a child? All she wants is a family. What’s wrong with calling you mommy?” I glanced at her coldly. “You can let her call you mommy.” Chloe immediately panicked, flustered and stammering. “Miranda, don’t talk nonsense. This is the child you and Dominic were going to adopt.” “You know it’s supposed to be Dominic’s and mine. Why are you butting in?” Chloe had no response to that. She bit her lip tightly. “Enough!” Dominic’s body trembled. “Honey, can we please talk about this in private? Just sign the papers. I’ve already called everyone here. Please, just give me this one courtesy.” “You can yell at me all you want when we get home.” I refused outright. “No need. Just sign the divorce papers when you get home.” I turned to leave. Behind me, there was a thud. Dominic had dropped to his knees in front of everyone.

“Please sign it, okay?” Dominic wrapped his arms around my legs, preventing me from leaving. Nancy looked like she was about to faint from anger, repeatedly telling him to get up. In all our arguments before, no matter how fierce, he’d never knelt down. They say a man’s knees hold gold. Yet here was Dominic, kneeling for a child who had no blood relation to me. Dominic, do you really care about her that much? I turned my head to look at the girl hiding in Chloe’s arms. Very pretty. Very well-behaved. Very much like her. I laughed at myself and bent down to pry his hands off one finger at a time. “Stop making a scene!” Dominic’s eyes reddened with frustration, tears falling. I looked up and surveyed my surroundings. The obedient child, the angry mother-in-law, the silent crowd. My kneeling husband. Somehow I’d become the villain in this story. All because of a pea-sized birthmark, making demands and threatening divorce over three years of marriage. “I’ll say it again. Divorce.” With that, I left without hesitation. I went home alone and contacted a lawyer to draft the divorce papers. I waited until late at night before the whole family finally came home. They were laughing and chatting, everyone carrying bags full of gifts. Rosie was surrounded in the middle, the center of attention as they entered. As soon as Dominic came in, he saw me sitting in the living room. His smile immediately vanished. “Honey, the director said she could stay at our house for a few days.” “I know you don’t like her. Don’t worry—I’ll send her back in a few days.” Dominic looked at me carefully. I avoided his gaze. “No need. Let her stay.” “Really? Honey, have you changed your mind?” I slammed the divorce papers heavily on the table. “Sign them.” Dominic shook his head, begging desperately. “Honey, I’m sorry. If you don’t want to adopt her, we won’t. Please don’t divorce me, okay?” “I can’t live without you. Why, honey? Why do you insist on divorcing me?” Nancy pulled Dominic away. “Are you seeing someone else? Are you using this to end our family line?” “Since you married into our family, have I ever mistreated you? When you couldn’t get pregnant before, I never said a word, afraid of upsetting you.” “I’m old now. I just want a grandchild around me, someone to call me grandma. Is that wrong?” Nancy grew more agitated, crying as she accused me. Chloe walked up to me holding Rosie, then suddenly dropped to her knees. “Miranda, I know marrying into our family was beneath you. You were born with a silver spoon, a real princess, and we’re just an ordinary family.” “You’ve never experienced life on the streets, but I have. I know what it’s like to have no home. It’s so painful—I even thought about dying.” “I can’t bear to see her go through what I did. Miranda, I know you look down on unwanted children like us. I know you’ve told Dominic many times that you don’t like me. If you take her in, I’ll leave this house immediately.” Chloe’s words were so pitiful they tugged at everyone’s heartstrings. I slapped her hard across the face and said sternly: “Don’t you have any idea why I won’t take this child?” Dominic suddenly stood up and backhanded me with a heavy slap. I fell straight off the sofa and hit my forehead on the corner of the table. Everything spun. Warm liquid ran down from my eye. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t… I didn’t mean to.” Dominic stared at his hand in disbelief, frantically moving to cover my wound. I shoved his hand away, grabbed my bag, and headed for the door. Bob called after me with a threat: “You dare leave? If you walk out that door, don’t ever come back to this house!” “If we divorce, you won’t get a penny!”

I dragged my exhausted body back to my parents’ house. My mom hugged me with concern. “Sweetheart, what happened to your face?” “Where’s Dominic? Didn’t he come back with you?” I buried myself in my mother’s embrace, tears soaking my face. “Did you and Dominic have a fight? What happened?” My mother’s gentle comfort opened the floodgates of all my grievances. “Mom, that child…” After I told my parents everything, they were stunned. “I never imagined Dominic was that kind of person. How could he have the nerve to do such things!” “Divorce him. We don’t want a penny of their money. We don’t need it.” My father grew angrier as he spoke, even wanting to rush to the Chase house and confront them, but I stopped him. The next day at the office, I went to get the divorce papers. When I reached the top floor and pushed open Dominic’s office door, I saw him and Chloe together, amusing Rosie. When they saw me, Dominic immediately stood up. He looked at the wound on my face with concern. “Honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yesterday.” “You know Chloe is the most cherished person in our family. I can’t stand to see her suffer even a little.” Dominic grabbed my hand and pressed it to his own face. “I lost my head yesterday. Hit me, okay? As long as it makes you feel better, you can hit me or yell at me all you want.” I pulled away, saying coldly, “I’m here for the divorce papers.” “What’s wrong with you, honey? Tell me, please.” These past two days had drained all my energy. “I just want to divorce you. I’m tired. I don’t love you anymore.” Dominic refused to listen, just kept shaking his head. “That’s impossible. Honey, what did I do wrong? I’ll change.” “You’re lying. How could you not love me anymore? If you don’t like her, we won’t adopt her. If we can’t have children, that’s fine. I only need you.” Dominic held me tightly, as if trying to merge me into his body. “Dominic! Can’t you understand plain English? I have one requirement—divorce!” I said each word deliberately: “Do you want me to spell out all the dirty things you’ve done?” “Honey, what did I do wrong? Tell me and I’ll change.” Dominic appeared calm on the surface, but I caught the flash of panic on his face. Chloe interrupted him. “Dominic, just let her go. This ungrateful woman doesn’t remember any of the good things you’ve done. Her conscience has been eaten by dogs.” “With so many women out there, you must have been blind to pick her.” Dominic slapped her. Chloe covered her face in disbelief. “Apologize to Miranda.” Chloe stubbornly turned her head away, tears welling in her eyes. “If you won’t sign, then I’ll see you in court.” With that parting shot, I walked out of the office. As I rode the elevator down, many people whispered behind my back, glancing at their phones. I grabbed one of their phones. “What are you gossiping about me?” The company group chat had 99+ messages pinging. “I heard that child is the CEO’s daughter. He said so himself.” “Mrs. Chase is really being unreasonable. Who would even notice such a tiny birthmark?” “That child looks so cute and well-behaved. I’d want to adopt her. How could anyone not like her?” “It’s her own fault for not being able to have children. Now she’s taking it out on the kid. Poor CEO, stuck with such a shrew at home.” Chloe suddenly sent a message: “Anyone else gossiping gets fired.” The group chat immediately went silent. I laughed coldly. Chloe really had some nerve. Riding on Dominic’s coattails all the way to Executive Secretary.

A few days later, a pile of things appeared at my doorstep. Thrown in a messy heap. All my belongings from the Chase house. I saw my favorite teddy bear lying in the dirt. I stared at it for a long time before picking it up. This was the token of love between Dominic and me. The night we made it official, I suddenly wanted a stuffed bear. It was too late—most shops were closed. Dominic ran six miles before finding a store that sold them. It was such a cheap bear. I’d seen plenty of more exquisite, cuter stuffed animals. But I’d fallen for this one specifically, making it my favorite thing. I took a photo and sent it to Dominic. “You’re quite the actor when it comes to playing devoted.” He didn’t reply for half the day. “Honey, it wasn’t me. I would never do something like this!” I didn’t want to hear his excuses anymore. I blocked him directly. That evening, torrential rain poured down outside, raindrops hammering against the windows. Accompanied by the doorbell. I opened the door. Dominic stood there, soaked through. Water dripped from his clothes. His hair covered his eyes, his lips pressed in a tight line. “Come inside first.” No matter how I pulled, he wouldn’t budge. “No. Honey, I won’t come in unless you forgive me.” “Then stand outside.” I shut the door directly. Soon after, I saw Dominic leave on the security camera. I laughed coldly. What a fool, still believing in him. The rain lasted all night. When I opened the door the next morning, Dominic was standing there again. Still wearing yesterday’s clothes, still soaked through. “Honey, can you forgive me now? I stayed outside all night.” Dominic’s voice was full of grievance. “What are you pretending for?” Just as I was about to continue, Chloe appeared. She rushed over in a panic, helping Dominic up. “Are you insane? You made Dominic stand in the rain all night. Have you lost your mind?” “You have physical problems yourself, so you take it out on everyone else. Aren’t you disgusting?” Dominic pretended to look hurt, seemingly holding Chloe back but not saying a word in my defense. They made me laugh with anger. I didn’t want to waste any more words on them. Chloe held up her phone to my face. “Look at the disgusting things you’ve done. Dominic puts up with you, but other people won’t tolerate your princess attitude.” The phone showed a video. The subject was Rosie. Rosie was being interviewed by reporters, telling them how I’d rejected her because of the birthmark on her hand. She cried as she spoke, looking utterly pitiful. The orphanage director was there too, revealing my cold attitude that day. The entire internet was attacking me. “Oh my god, Rosie is so adorable. How could she say such things? Making such a small child go through this—how traumatic.” “She’s so young but already so mature. She finally had a chance to escape that life, only to encounter this.” “I really feel for her. If you didn’t point out that birthmark, I wouldn’t even notice it. This woman is deliberately causing trouble.” Everyone was cursing me. They even exposed my identity. Every day people threw eggs at my family’s company entrance. The company stock plummeted. I was under siege from all sides. Seeing my parents come home looking worried, I wanted nothing more than to tell the public the truth immediately. I reassured them: “Don’t worry. At the press conference, I’ll make them pay.” On the day of the press conference, many reporters camped outside waiting for me. As soon as I appeared, cameras and microphones were shoved in my face, flashbulbs constantly going off. I ignored them and walked expressionlessly to the stage. Soon after, Dominic’s family appeared too. My former in-laws looked at me with disgust, not even sparing me a glance. Behind them was Chloe, holding Rosie in her arms. Perfect. Everyone was here. As soon as I sat down, reporters swarmed forward: “Ms. Caldwell, what’s your take on the orphanage incident?” “Ms. Caldwell, did you really refuse to adopt Rosie because of the birthmark on her hand?” … I took the microphone and spoke slowly: “I did indeed refuse to adopt Rosie because of the birthmark on her hand.” The room instantly erupted. I continued: “I have two things to show everyone.”

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The day after our wedding, my husband said he didn’t know me. I spent three million dollars on a house and a new car combined! Now my husband looked at me in horror, claiming he was single. The car and house were both his. Come on! I put all my life savings into this！ I was furious and went to find my husband’s friends to prove it. But they all said they’d never seen me before. I went to City Hall to make a scene. The staff thought I was mentally ill and called the police. But the police thought I was the problem: “Desperate for a man? Married a husband in your dreams? What kind of man wouldn’t recognize his wife the day after the wedding?” After the police mediated, they also concluded I had issues. I desperately tried to get my assets back, but instead got accused of marriage fraud and extortion. My husband posted videos of me losing it online, and I became a laughingstock across the internet. Everyone was convinced I was mentally ill. Finally, unable to bear the harassment, I was hit by a car and killed in my distracted state. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day we registered our marriage. 1 “Good, now you two newlyweds get a little closer!” The pain of being hit jolted me upright. “I’m not going through with this wedding!” Liam grabbed me in panic. “Honey, what’s wrong? Did I do something to upset you again?” But Mr. Williams, the clerk, tossed over the already-stamped marriage certificate. “The process is complete. If you want a divorce, you’ll need to get a new number and wait in line.” Divorce? Wouldn’t that mean I’d have to split all my assets with Liam fifty-fifty? I couldn’t swallow that. I had to find the flaw quickly. I looked around and confirmed this was definitely the largest City Hall in the area. Even the surveillance cameras were blinking their red lights. But why was I not in any of the footage in my previous life? I grabbed the marriage certificate. I randomly stopped a newlywed couple to compare. Every detail was the same. Liam looked at me, confused. “Honey, you’re not worried this marriage certificate is fake, are you?” I looked again at this familiar man. It took me three years from dating to marriage. I’d spent at least five hundred thousand dollars on him. But in just over ten hours, he’d ask with an innocent face: “Who are you? Why are you in my house? How could you possibly be my wife?” An inexplicable rage rose in my chest. I slapped him across the face. Then I rushed back into City Hall. I was going to see what the system showed this time! Liam followed, holding his face. He watched me stare blankly at the words “Married” on the screen. This was so bizarre! Everything seemed to follow proper procedure! The young woman who’d directed the photos came over to ask me: “If there are no more issues, you can come over here to collect your gift. Please don’t delay the next couple’s registration time.” She’d taken really good shots for me at the time. I’d even added her on social media to thank her. But when I came to City Hall to question things, she claimed she’d never seen me. Even our chat history had been completely deleted. I’d analyzed her expression repeatedly. All her reactions had been genuine. The staff had even less reason to give me trouble. After all, they wanted to register as many marriages as possible. But in my previous life, he also said he’d never processed paperwork for me! Could I really be having a mental breakdown? 2 “Honey, since we’re already married, let’s head back. Mom and Dad are still waiting for us to have dinner!” Liam gently adjusted my collar. Looking into his eyes, I almost doubted I’d only had a nightmare. He had good values, good upbringing, and a deep respect for women ingrained in his bones. Plus he was an orphan, so I didn’t have to worry about mother-in-law conflicts. I was an only child, and my parents kept urging me to get married quickly. Now we’d already gotten the certificate. I couldn’t embarrass the elders on our wedding day, could I? I pulled him under the surveillance camera. “Hold up the marriage certificate, say ‘I love you, honey,’ then kiss me.” If this was a premeditated conspiracy, Liam would deliberately avoid the cameras. But he just stood there grinning like an idiot. “Honey, you’re so fun!” I called Mr. Williams over too. “Today’s a happy occasion. I want you to share in our joy. Let’s take a photo together!” He gave us his most sincere blessings. I really had nothing left to say. Using the excuse that I’d lost something, I went to the surveillance room again. I secretly recorded everything from when Liam and I got our certificate to when we kissed. Then I sent it to all my friends on my contact list. I also posted it on all my social media platforms. Liam’s eyes sparkled. “Honey, you really love me so much! Being so public about it—I’ll post it too!” Oh, I just wanted to make sure I had evidence in case something went wrong again. I silently complained to myself. Then I logged into the system and took screenshots of all the information proving Liam and I were married. This time I’d definitely have complete insurance! By the time we got to the hotel, all our relatives were already waiting. Mom and Dad praised me for finding a good husband. No different from my previous life. Liam made rounds toasting all the relatives. Drawing a chorus of praise. But I kept my eyes glued to the wedding photos being passed around. They better not suddenly get swapped out! I ate this meal in fear. But fortunately, nothing unexpected happened. Back home, I deliberately called over a bunch of friends ahead of time. They all witnessed my marriage under one roof. They couldn’t possibly claim not to know later, right? When the noise died down, I clutched the marriage certificate tightly, afraid it would vanish into thin air. It wasn’t just about my marriage. More importantly, it represented my entire fortune! “Honey, you won’t suddenly forget about me, will you?” Liam came over and kissed me. His eyes sparkled. “Even if I lost my memory, I’d fall in love with you all over again.” I breathed a sigh of relief. This marriage had to work out perfectly this time! All night, I kept the marriage certificate under my pillow. But when I woke up the next morning, Liam was screaming in horror again, like he’d seen a ghost. “Who are you? Why are you sleeping in my bed?” 3 I didn’t have time to be shocked—I knew something had gone wrong again. I quickly pulled out the marriage certificate and shoved it in his face. “Don’t yell yet! I don’t care if you really lost your memory or you’re faking it, but we got married yesterday!” He widened his eyes and flipped open the marriage certificate. After looking at it for just a second, he suddenly burst out laughing. “Are you sick? You buy a fake certificate from a street vendor and claim you married me?” This again! I’d checked it over and over so many times yesterday! I could recite the patterns on it from memory! I snatched it back, about to speak. Then I froze too. How did this obviously fake marriage certificate appear again? I quickly lifted the pillow. But from the headboard to the foot of the bed, I couldn’t find the original certificate anywhere! Liam sneered and pushed me away. “Got nothing to say now? Stop putting on this act!” “If you leave now, I might consider not calling the police.” Angry and anxious, I quickly logged into the official system to show him our marriage information. But the content actually showed I was unmarried again! No matter how many times I refreshed, I couldn’t find any trace of marriage! I was completely dumbfounded. Liam kicked me right off the bed. “Can’t keep the lie going, can you? I’m calling the police to arrest you right now!” He pulled out his phone to dial 91

My blood was boiling. Without thinking, I knocked his phone away. “You’re a man with no money and no background—why would I commit marriage fraud against you?” “It’s all real! I bought the house too. If anyone should leave, it’s you!” He acted like he’d heard the funniest joke. He laughed so hard he couldn’t stand straight. He pointed at my nose mockingly. “You bought the house? If you’re so capable, show me the property deed!” Back then, to give Liam a sense of security, I hadn’t even added my own name! Seeing me fall silent, Liam laughed even harder. Without a word, he dragged me straight to the stairwell. “Everyone come look! This shameless woman snuck into my house in the middle of the night trying to sleep her way to the top!” Neighbors immediately poked their heads out. Seeing me in pajamas with messy hair, they all showed expressions of contempt. “There really are more and more shameless women these days!” “She probably got ahead before by being some old man’s mistress.” I was about to explode with rage. In my previous life, I was denied marriage and treated as a lunatic. In this life, I was being treated as a mistress. Why was it so difficult for me to have a normal marriage? The neighbors pointed and whispered. Security guards rushed over with batons. To avoid being dragged away in humiliation, I quickly dialed Liam’s friend’s number. As the call connected, my heart jumped to my throat. “This is Violet. You know that Liam and I got married yesterday, right?” I was filled with hope that he’d testify for me. But the voice on the other end was completely confused. “What? Liam got married? Did you dial the wrong number?” My heart instantly went cold. The mocking laughter around me grew louder. Some people even held up their phones to record. “She even investigated my friend’s phone number! This is downright sinister!” Liam looked at me with nothing but disgust and indifference in his eyes. Security rushed up, warning me to get lost. I was on the verge of despair. Suddenly, I remembered the safe at home. “In the innermost room, there’s a white safe. The password is my birthday, 0823.” “If you just open it, you’ll naturally be able to prove my identity!” Liam looked at me like I was an idiot. As if waiting to watch me make a fool of myself, he didn’t hesitate at all. He brought out the safe right then and there. And opened it in front of everyone. Everyone’s eyes fixed on it. Inside, besides the property deed and gold bars, there was a photo of me with Liam’s family. Thank goodness last night I’d felt uneasy and secretly tucked this inside. I let out a long breath: “Now you have to believe me, right?”

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I went to the hospital for a prenatal checkup because of my pregnancy, and the parents filed a joint complaint against me. “At such a critical time, you as a teacher should be on call 24/7!” “You dare to running off to the hospital?! what if we parents can’t find you? How can you still call yourself a teacher?” “Women really aren’t suited to be teachers, especially not math teachers. Too many issues affecting their work!” I was both angry and anxious listening to this. Over the past two years, I had carefully planned and raised my students’ overall performance by two grade levels, even postponing my own wedding for this. Though the pregnancy was unexpected, I never dared to take leave to avoid disrupting the students’ emotions. I had even become more dedicated than before. Yet these parents condemned me as irresponsible and subjected me to gender discrimination. What broke my heart even more was that after the students learned I’d been reported, they were completely indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with them. Things had come to this point, so I simply quit. A few months later, these parents blocked my doorway: “Ms. Griffin, please come back.”

I was pregnant, just over two months along. This baby seemed particularly considerate—I had no adverse reactions. I just needed routine checkups, and the doctor said I could continue working as long as I watched my activity level. My due date was in July, and I had already prepared my review materials in advance. I just needed to implement them step by step. I had even reported this to my supervisor. After comprehensive consideration, to avoid student resistance, they insisted I remain as their teacher. I never expected that after one parent complaint, the principal would change his tune and blame me first. Though angry, I still patiently replied: “Hugo’s mom, you’re a woman too. You should understand the pregnancy process. The first few months allow for normal work. Besides, my due date is late July. Right now my energy isn’t significantly affected. I guarantee it won’t impact my class responsibilities.” Hugo’s mom replied in a shrill voice: “You guarantee? With what? Precisely because I’m a woman, I know how terrible a pregnant woman’s condition can be. Plus, pregnancy makes you lose IQ for three years. In your state, how can you guarantee teaching quality? The kids only have one final sprint left—this is the most critical time!” After she finished, other parents kept liking Hugo’s mom’s message. Wendy’s dad: “Hugo’s mom’s anxiety is completely normal. Women teachers are just trouble. How could you get pregnant at such a crucial time? This is completely irresponsible!” Lily’s mom: “Last semester, grades barely improved and she took leave to get married. I was already worried about what would happen if she got pregnant now. Turns out she really did!” Zack’s dad: “We initially saw her credentials were decent. The school kept assuring us you were a good teacher, so we agreed to let you teach. Sure enough, here comes the trouble.” This was blatant gender and professional discrimination. I couldn’t help but argue: “Parents, I’ve explained very clearly—I went for my checkup on the weekend. It won’t take up work time. I currently have no other symptoms, I’m in good condition, and I haven’t used my pregnancy as an excuse for special privileges. I’ve always put work first. If I really wanted to slack off, I could easily use pregnancy as an excuse to resign from my teaching position.” Hugo’s mom sneered: “Words are cheap. You just got pregnant and haven’t shifted into that role yet. How can you guarantee you’ll stay in good condition throughout your pregnancy? At the end of the day, it’s about the bonus money. Who doesn’t know teachers get better pay, and you’re teaching the honors class, which adds to your teaching resume.” Hearing these words, my heart went ice cold. High school teachers could be said to be the hardest-working teachers. As a teacher, there are endless meetings and endless class affairs to handle. I also had to constantly adjust review plans and maintain communication with parents. Every day was like being a spinning top that never stopped. Yet the parents couldn’t understand and continued attacking me: “That’s why women teachers are risky. First marriage, then pregnancy, then childbirth. The trouble is pregnant women are emotionally sensitive. Who knows if she’ll be taking care of the students or if the students will be taking care of her?” “No wonder. She’s using her pregnancy to hog the position just to earn a bit more baby formula money!” “Ah! That’s so unethical. Our children are in their most critical final year. We can’t let this ruin everything!” “Get lost! Stop being a teacher. You’re harming others and yourself. You can be short on money, but you can’t lack humanity!” “Ms. Griffin, put yourself in our shoes. If your own child were in this class, would you want a pregnant woman as their teacher?” The questioning kept flooding the screen. I’m someone with stable emotions, but at that moment even my hand holding the phone trembled slightly. For money? If it were for money, why would I become a teacher?

I have a PhD in mathematics. When I first graduated, I had my pick of jobs. But because I grew up in a small town, I decided to become a teacher in an area with scarce educational resources. Yet these parents blamed me at every turn. Just then, Chinese teacher Ms. Garcia spoke up to calm things down: “Parents, let’s not talk about anything else. Why did Class 9 become the honors class? Wasn’t it because Ms. Griffin single-handedly built it up? Her ability is beyond question. Maintaining the status quo is better for the students. There’s no need to worry about things that haven’t happened yet, right?” Class 9 was originally the group with the weakest performance. I had voluntarily taken on the challenge and used two years to steadily improve their grades. The student with the best math scores in the entire school was in my class. The parent group fell briefly silent. Hugo’s mom: “What does the kids’ hard work and improvement have to do with the teacher?” As soon as she said this, the other parents chimed in: “Student success depends on natural talent. A teacher’s role is just supervision. How can we let a pregnant woman do proper supervision work?” Reading their words, my eyes reddened slightly. The students did work hard, but let’s not forget that both society and schools now have a trend toward adultification. Children have poor self-control. Guiding them to study actively and focus on their studies—this ideological work isn’t easy. But I had done it. They saw the results of the students’ progress but ignored how much research and sweat I had put into it. I often used diverse methods to teach students new problem-solving approaches. Sometimes to reward their progress, I’d buy stationery and notebooks out of my own pocket. Precisely because I had benefited from the country’s welfare, I wanted to pass on this simple emotion. More than profit, I was loyal to my heart in doing this work. But now these parents were saying their children’s improved grades had nothing to do with me. That I was dispensable. They completely denied everything about me. My heart went cold: “Since you parents believe students’ grades depend entirely on themselves, then how does my weekend prenatal checkup affect them?” Provoked by my words, the parents exploded again: “Students’ grades are easily affected by emotions. Since you’re pregnant, students will instinctively not want to trouble you. So what’s the point of having you as a teacher?” “Exactly. When students forget to eat while doing problems, or when they feel unwell, they’ll have to consider your physical condition first. They’re already exhausted—now they have to read your moods too?” “You’re a teacher. You should be taking care of students in every way, not having students take care of you.” They disparaged me as worthless. My eyes darkened. Just then, Ms. Garcia called me and told me not to argue with these impossible parents. I could understand the parents’ concerns. Finally, I patiently typed: “Parents, I’ve received your concerns. I sincerely ask you to trust me. I guarantee that my pregnancy absolutely will not affect my work. If anything unusual occurs, I will voluntarily step down from my teaching position.” Ms. Garcia sent a message: “Parents, please stay calm. I will do my best to assist Ms. Griffin and absolutely won’t let what you’re worried about happen.” However, Hugo’s mom sneered: “This pregnant woman is indeed stupid and can’t understand plain language. We told her to stop being a teacher, but she’s still clinging to the position. She really is greedy for money and fame!” These words stung my eyes.

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at myself. All along, I had accompanied these students for over two years, constantly adjusting study and review plans according to their individual situations. Everyone had received one-on-one tutoring from me, especially in mathematics, where our class had a massive lead over others. Fine. I gave up being this thankless teacher. Stroking my belly and holding the review plan I’d prepared earlier, I walked into the classroom. The students’ faces changed drastically when they saw me, especially when they received another huge stack of review problems. “Teacher, I’m sick of doing these problems.” “I’m dead tired right now. Can we please stop with all this problem-solving? I can’t take it anymore!” I gave my usual spiel: “This is an important period. After the exam, you’ll have a three-month vacation. Then you can do whatever you want!” “Teacher, if we get into good universities, how much bonus will you get?” Hugo stood up, looking at me mockingly. I was slightly stunned. “I asked about other classes, and none of them are like ours—keeping us locked up at lunch, not letting us go back, constantly pushing us to study, study, and study more. I heard you won’t be our teacher soon, so stop wasting effort exploiting us.” Exploiting? What kind of word was that? Did they think they were taking exams for me? Hugo was the biggest gossip in our class, with a mouth like a megaphone that leaked every piece of news. Realizing this, standing on the podium, I looked around at the other students’ reactions. They showed irritation and indifference. The one thing they didn’t show was… reluctance to see me go. They seemed to wish I would leave quickly. From their eyes, I understood they must think they were working toward good universities for my bonus and credentials. I closed my textbook. “Anyone who doesn’t want to do the practice problems, return the papers.” Then I watched as all the students unanimously placed their papers in front of me. I picked up the papers and left the classroom. Immediately after, I heard a burst of joyful laughter. “Finally free! No more looking at that ugly face!” “Her test papers are so hard. Every problem she creates is difficult. You lose half your hair doing just one.” “Finally we can breathe. I’m getting fried chicken tonight to celebrate.” My steps paused slightly, then I straightened my back and left the teaching building. For the first time, I questioned whether I should continue being a teacher. The next day, Class 9’s teacher was changed to a male teacher. He taught English. He had just graduated from college not long ago and also had connections with the principal. Hugo’s mom had already done her research. The new teacher lived near the school, making it convenient to supervise students. “Mr. Morris may be young, but he’s very easy to talk to, answers almost any question, and he’s an Ivy League graduate.” “Hugo’s mom, thank you for thinking of our children. I don’t think pregnant women make good teachers.” “Right, it’s kind of unlucky.” Seeing the group’s discrimination against pregnant women, I finished the handover with Mr. Morris and quit the group. When the principal saw my resignation letter, he frowned: “Ms. Griffin, this is wrong of you. Parents make a fuss—that’s all. You don’t need to threaten me with resignation.”

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My husband Derek’s online shopping orders suddenly included a baby stroller. But we don’t have any children. When I asked him why he bought a stroller, he said it was a gift for a coworker’s baby. I believed him. But the next day, I found that same stroller in an Instagram post from Lily Carter, a student I’d been sponsoring. “Our baby is already four months along. Your daddy has already prepared the stroller for you.” The photo showed a hand wearing a diamond ring resting on the stroller handle. That ring looked exactly like Derek’s custom-made wedding ring. I checked Derek’s bank statements and discovered he’d transferred three hundred thousand dollars to Lily not long ago. I didn’t cry or make a scene. I turned around and called my father: “Dad, Derek not only cheated on me, he even has a child. I’m going to leave him with nothing.” My father quickly responded: “That bastard! Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll contact a lawyer right away. He dares to treat you like this? We’ll make him pay!” I forced down my disgust and continued scrolling through Lily’s Instagram. One month ago: “We finalized our house today! The neighborhood is amazing! Thank you to my special someone for giving us this warm home.” The photo showed a property deed. This was the house Derek had bought with my money, claiming it was an investment. He’d turned around and given it to his mistress. The thought of him using my money to support his mistress and illegitimate child made me sick. Two months ago: “My love says he loves me and baby the most, and will give us the best life. Tonight’s steak was incredible!” The photo showed an upscale restaurant with premium steaks on the table—the kind I couldn’t even bring myself to order. I remembered that day. I’d suggested celebrating my promotion at that restaurant, but Derek had frowned and said it was too expensive. We’d ended up eating takeout at home instead. Four months ago: “I’m pregnant! Baby, your daddy is so happy he’s acting like a fool!” The photo showed her and Derek with their fingers interlaced over her belly. Each photo cut into my heart like a knife. Derek sat on the couch scrolling through his phone. I wondered if he was chatting with Lily right then. Looking at his hypocritical face, the love in my heart completely transformed into hatred. Derek, you think you can get away with this? I’m Victoria Hayes, and I don’t take this kind of treatment lying down. I walked into the study and opened my laptop. As the heir to SGA Group, I had plenty of ways to make him regret this. I first had someone investigate Lily. Lily was a student I’d sponsored through college. She’d even visited our home twice. I’d welcomed her warmly back then. And now both of them had betrayed me. On the surface, she and Derek barely knew each other. Who would have thought they’d been hiding a child behind my back! Our last contact was six months ago when she told me she’d graduated and landed a job at a good company. Through my investigation, I discovered she’d joined Derek’s company. What infuriated me was that neither Derek nor Lily had ever mentioned this to me. They must have started their affair even earlier to be hiding this guilty secret! These two! The next morning, Derek gently woke me as usual. “Victoria, breakfast is ready.” He kissed my forehead. “I have an important client meeting today. I might be home late.” I forced a smile. “Okay, your work comes first.” A flicker of something crossed his eyes—probably surprise that I was being so agreeable. “Victoria, I’ll probably be busy the next few days. Don’t read too much into it.”

“I understand.” I nodded obediently, sneering inside. Busy accompanying Lily to prenatal checkups, right? After Derek left, I immediately drove to his company. As a business partner, I had legitimate reasons to be there. I went straight to Derek’s department. He was in the conference room. Through the glass window, I saw him focused in discussion with colleagues, the picture of a dedicated professional. Who would have guessed this seemingly upstanding man was doing such things behind the scenes? I turned around and saw Lily standing not far away holding coffee. She wore the company uniform with her hair in a ponytail, looking pure and innocent. I walked over, feigning surprise: “Lily? You work here?” Lily clearly hadn’t expected to run into me. Her expression changed and the coffee cup in her hand wobbled. “Y-yes, I just started recently.” “How wonderful.” I smiled and approached her. “You should have told me. We could look out for each other.” “I didn’t want to bother you…” Her voice grew quieter as she lowered her head. I could feel her nervousness. She didn’t dare meet my eyes, her fingers unconsciously twisting together. “How could it be a bother?” I deliberately patted her shoulder. “By the way, how have you been? I haven’t heard from you in ages.” “Pretty good, everything’s fine…” she answered vaguely. At that moment, Derek emerged from the conference room. Seeing us standing together, his face instantly froze. “What are you doing here?” He quickly walked over, subtly positioning himself between Lily and me. “I came to see your work environment.” I smiled and linked my arm through his. “And to see Lily. You didn’t even tell me she works here.” Derek forced a smile. “I only found out recently myself. Haven’t had a chance to tell you yet.” “I see.” I nodded, not exposing his lie. At lunch, I made a show of asking if work pressure had been too much lately and whether he felt unwell. As he ate the food I served him, he said emotionally, “You care about me the most, Victoria. I’m so lucky to have you.” Watching his fake performance, I nearly threw up. “By the way,” I said as if suddenly remembering, “my friend mentioned a nice property development. Should we look at houses too?” Derek’s chopsticks paused. “Look at houses? Our current place is fine, isn’t it?” “But that place is too small. If we have children later, there won’t be enough room.” I tested him. His expression clearly changed. “Children aren’t urgent. We’re under enough financial pressure as it is.” Ha. When buying a house for Lily, he didn’t mention financial pressure. “True, let’s wait then.” I agreed on the surface while seeing his ugly nature crystal clear. That afternoon, I used the restroom as an excuse to deliberately pass by Lily’s workstation. She was chatting with a colleague. I heard her say, “The doctor said the baby is very healthy. Already four months along.” “You’re so lucky. Your boyfriend treats you so well—bought you a house and takes such good care of you,” the colleague said enviously. “I know. He said once the baby is born, he’ll marry me.” Lily’s face glowed with happiness. Marriage? I laughed coldly. He was still married to me and already planning to marry someone else? Then Lily noticed me. Her face went white. “Victoria.” She stammered as she stood up. I walked over with a gentle smile. “I just found out you’re pregnant? Congratulations.” She instinctively protected her belly. “Thank you.” “But you haven’t mentioned your boyfriend. How does he treat you?” I continued. “Very well,” she said, not daring to meet my eyes. “That’s good. Young people should cherish what they have. Don’t let yourselves be deceived.” I looked at her meaningfully, then turned to leave.

Walking out of the office building, I took a deep breath. Lily, you think hiding in the shadows means I can’t touch you? I’ll show you what a wife is capable of! Derek came home very late that evening, reeking of women’s perfume. “Client entertainment. Had a few drinks.” He burped. “I’ll take a shower first.” While he showered, I went through his phone. Lily: “Darling, the checkup went great. The doctor said the baby is very healthy!” Derek’s reply: “That’s wonderful! My precious! I’ll take you shopping for baby supplies tomorrow.” “You’re so good to me, darling. I love you!” “I love you and our baby too. Once he’s born, we’ll be a real family.” Reading these messages made me nauseous. They had everything planned out, just waiting for me, the wife, to disappear. Dream on! I put the phone back where I found it and plastered an innocent smile on my face. When Derek came out of the shower, I went up to massage his shoulders. “You’ve been working so hard. There really have been a lot of client dinners lately.” He enjoyed my service, a flash of smugness in his eyes. “It’s all for our future.” “By the way,” I mentioned casually, “I ran into Lily at your office today. The student I used to sponsor, remember? She seems to be pregnant. So young and already having a baby.” Derek’s body visibly stiffened. “Is that so? I hadn’t noticed.” “She looked pretty far along. Probably four months or so.” I continued probing. “Young people these days don’t know how to protect themselves.” He fumbled for something to say. I sneered internally while maintaining a concerned expression. “I hope her boyfriend is responsible. Otherwise, it would be too pitiful.” “He probably will be.” Derek was already sweating. The next day, I had my private investigator continue tracking their movements. Sure enough, Derek took Lily to an upscale baby boutique where they intimately selected baby items. In the photos, Derek had one arm around Lily’s waist and his other hand on her belly, his gaze tender in a way that reminded me of how he’d looked at me when we first married. Even worse, they went to a jewelry store and picked out a two-hundred-thousand-dollar diamond ring for Lily. I saved all these photos as evidence for the divorce. That afternoon, using shopping as an excuse, I went to the mall where Lily frequently appeared. I soon spotted her at a café chatting with a friend. I sat in a corner not far away and listened to their conversation. “Lily, are you sure about this? He’s a married man,” her friend said worriedly. “What does it matter? He doesn’t love his wife. He only stays married because her family has money,” Lily said dismissively. “He said once I have his son, he’ll find an excuse to divorce her.” “But what if he’s lying to you?” “He won’t. Look how good he is to me.” Lily showed off her hand. “This ring cost two hundred thousand. He bought me a house too. If he weren’t serious, would he spend this much money?” Her friend still seemed concerned. “But if his wife finds out…” “So what if she does?” Lily smugly touched her belly. “I have his son. That’s my trump card. Men all want their own bloodline. He won’t abandon us.” “Besides, that woman—three years of marriage and still no kids. I got pregnant right away with a boy. Who do you think he’ll choose?” Hearing this, I nearly lost control on the spot. Twenty-eight years old made me an old woman in her eyes? I forced down my rage and kept listening. “He promised me that once the baby is born, he’ll make our relationship public and let me be his wife.” Lily looked dreamy. “Then I won’t have to answer to anyone anymore.” “Does this Victoria know yet?” “Probably not. Derek puts on such a good act at home, never slipping up. She still thinks I’m just the student she sponsors. How would she guess I’m pregnant with her husband’s child?” Lily laughed smugly. “Even if she knew, so what? I have a son and she doesn’t. I’m the winner.” Enough! I couldn’t stand to listen anymore. I got up and left the café. Outside, I called my father. “Dad, we can make our move.”

“Are you certain about this? Once we start, there’s no turning back,” my father said seriously. “I’m certain.” I said through gritted teeth. “They’ve gone too far. I need to show them the consequences of betraying me!” “Alright, you have my support. We’ll begin tomorrow.” After hanging up, I watched the setting sun, the fire of revenge burning fiercely in my heart. The third day was a weekend. Derek said he was meeting a client, but he was really going to accompany Lily. I pretended to believe his lie and saw him off as he drove away. Then, in my capacity as CEO of SGA Group, I called an emergency board meeting. “Everyone, I have an announcement to make.” I stood at the conference table, my voice calm and forceful. “Effective immediately, all collaborative projects between SGA Group and Horizon Tech are terminated.” The board members exchanged glances. Horizon Tech was Derek’s company. “Victoria, why? Horizon Tech has been an important partner,” a board member asked, confused. “Because their CEO, Derek Hayes, has engaged in seriously inappropriate personal conduct that violates business ethics,” I said coldly. “It conflicts with our company’s values.” “But terminating the partnership so abruptly will incur penalty fees.” “I’ll cover the penalties,” I said without hesitation. “This is a matter of principle. No compromise.” After the meeting, I immediately contacted Derek’s company’s other major clients. Leveraging SGA Group’s influence and my personal connections, I quickly made them concerned about Derek’s company too. By afternoon, Derek’s phone was flooded with calls from clients. I leisurely sipped tea at home, listening to him anxiously take calls on the balcony. “Sally, why suddenly terminate the partnership? We’ve been working together so well…” “David, is there some misunderstanding? We can negotiate the price…” “John, please reconsider. Our company can’t survive without this project…” Watching him in a panic brought me satisfaction. Derek came home that evening looking dejected and worried. “I ran into some work problems today.” He tried to appear strong in front of me. “What happened?” I asked with concern, sneering internally. “Several major clients suddenly want to terminate partnerships. I don’t know why.” He rubbed his temples in distress. “Could competitors be sabotaging you behind the scenes?” I pretended to analyze. “Possibly…” His eyes flashed with suspicion. “Several companies have been trying to steal our business lately.” I secretly gloated. He still didn’t know the real enemy was right beside him. “Don’t overthink it. We’ll deal with problems as they come.” I gently comforted him. “Worst case, my family can help out.” Derek looked at me gratefully. “I’m so lucky to have you. Without you, I wouldn’t know what to do.” Hypocrite! If I was so great, why did you betray me? But soon he wouldn’t be saying that anymore.

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