After I became the foremost Bladesmith in the spiritual world, I barely had a few days to enjoy the adoration. Then, a cataclysm struck. Most cultivators were wiped out, and the world became a desolate wasteland. The Age of Decay arrived. Even the air here turned foul, slowly devouring what little spiritual energy remained in this ravaged world. The surviving practitioners couldn’t endure such an environment and faded away, yet I still lived. Because I was a long-lived one. One by one, I bid farewell to my friends. I slung my ancient blade-box onto my back and walked the earth, gathering “resonance energy.” I sought to mend my soul blight and discover a way for spiritual energy to return. This time, I arrived at a desolate outpost. It was another rainy day, the ceaseless drizzle chilling me to the bone. With the blade-box on my back, I trudged through the mud, each step sinking deep. Suddenly, a searing, piercing pain exploded in my chest, rushing straight to my throat. I doubled over, an uncontrollable cough tearing at my throat and lungs, as if trying to rip my rattling frame apart. The icy rain seized the chance to pour down my collar, making me shiver violently. Several equally soaked, hunger-ccrazed drifters closed in, like a pack of hyenas scenting blood. They shoved me, their skeletal fingers clawing at the blade-box on my back and the threadbare, patched cloak at my waist. Guttural, meaningless sounds escaped their lips, their clouded eyes filled with nothing but primal greed. I let them push me, like a piece of decaying wood battered by wind and rain. My steps even faltered, almost sending me sprawling into the mud. The blade-box shifted gently on my back, emitting a dull “clack.” That sound made the drifters pause. A flicker of instinctive fear crossed their murky eyes. In this cursed place, anyone carrying even a bit of iron and daring to show it was either a hardened killer or a dead man. They scrutinized me – a face so pale it lacked a trace of blood, a few strands of dark hair plastered to my forehead by the rain, and that faded, patched-up old cloak. By all appearances, I looked like a destitute scholar with one foot in the grave. I merely gave them a cold glance. Just one look, and their budding greed was instantly crushed by fear. They sullenly withdrew their hands, muttering crude curses, and retreated to the shelter of a dilapidated awning by the roadside that offered meager protection from the rain. From there, they continued to stare outwards with empty, hungry eyes. I straightened up, wiping the rain and spittle from my face, my gaze sweeping forward. A broken wooden plank leaned crookedly by the road. On it, two words were scrawled in charcoal: “Tavern.” To call it a tavern was an overstatement; it was more like a makeshift shack that barely kept out the wind and rain. Pushing aside the greasy, torn thick cloth curtain, a heavier stench of stale air assaulted me. The interior was dim, a few oil lamps flickering weakly in the turbid air, casting light on equally grim faces. Several rough-looking men, their shirts unbuttoned, sat by crude wooden tables, reeking of stale earth and fresh blood. Clearly, they’d just finished their “business,” their weapons carelessly tossed at their feet. Behind the counter, a greasy-faced, corpulent man looked up, the rolls of fat on his face jiggling with the movement. He puffed on a short pipe, his beady, murky eyes scanning me from my worn blade-box to my mud-stained trousers. The disdain in his gaze was almost palpable. “Get out! You stinking beggar, you’re bad for business!” He spat out a puff of cheap smoke, his voice like a rusty gate. **Chapter 2** I stopped in the doorway, rain dripping from my hair and clothes, pooling in a small, murky puddle at my feet. A brief silence fell over the pub; even those hardened men, used to violence, cast sidelong glances my way. “A bowl of hot soup,” my voice was low, hoarse from coughing, yet strikingly clear in the quiet tavern. “I’ll pay for it.” I pulled a few copper coins from my pocket, tarnished and worn smooth at the edges, but undeniably money. I gently placed them on an empty, broken wooden table a few steps from the counter. The fat barkeeper squinted, eyeing the coins, then my expressionless, unnaturally pale face. Finally, he merely scoffed. “Wait your turn!” he grumbled, waddling his bulky frame slowly towards the greasy curtain at the back. Low murmurs resumed in the pub. The scar-faced men continued to boast about their day’s “haul,” but their eyes periodically darted my way, filled with scrutiny and a hint of almost imperceptible wariness. One of the scar-faced men, bowl in hand, sat down opposite me, slamming the earthenware bowl onto the table, splashing some cheap liquor. His gaze swept over my pale face and the blade-box on my back. “Hey, kid, you’re not from around here, are you?” I didn’t reply, simply leaned back slightly, reaching for the Jade-Blade at my waist. Only after caressing its unique material did I feel a measure of calm. I lightly patted my chest, exhaling a breath. This world’s stagnant, decaying air felt like swallowing razors with every inhale. “If you were just a common traveler passing through, that’d be one thing. But with a big box like that on your back, you’ve got plenty of ‘goods’ in there, eh?” The man reached out, intending to touch my box. I subtly shifted, avoiding his grasp, my eyes growing colder. The man seemed to grow irritated. “Don’t you know the rules, boy? Don’t you know you gotta pay passage through here?” “If you don’t have money, we can take a person instead. Silas’s crew seems to love ‘new recruits’ like you, might even earn us a nice bonus,” another man at a nearby table chimed in. The big brute, emboldened by the support, became even more arrogant, reaching out again to snatch my box. I spun around, hooked a chair with my foot, and kicked it out. “Get lost. Don’t make me say it twice.” The brute seemed not to realize that a sickly-looking person like me could suddenly unleash such strength. Unprepared, he was struck squarely by the chair. He touched his nose, and a stream of blood flowed out. “You bastard…!” The brute seemed ready to pull out a weapon to deal with me, but his movements instantly froze when his gaze met my cold eyes. He felt fear. An invisible pressure seemed to bear down on him, and the blade he’d just gripped clattered to the floor with a dull thud. After a long moment, he cursed, “Damn bad luck.” I averted my gaze. As I was picking up the chair I’d kicked, I bumped into someone. **Chapter 3** I swayed slightly from the collision, my chest churning again. The kid looked up, his hollow eyes staring at me blankly for a moment, then were seized by profound terror. A rasping, wheezing sound, like a broken bellows, escaped his throat, but not a single word. A mute? He gestured wildly, then violently whipped his head towards the doorway, as if a vengeful spirit was hot on his heels. Then, like a startled rabbit, he ignored everyone else in the pub and bolted towards the side, where a dilapidated shrine stood. He huddled amidst the accumulated junk and dust of the shrine, curling into a small ball, trembling uncontrollably. Only his hollow eyes, peering through the gaps in the debris, remained fixed on the doorway. A few men in the pub exchanged glances. One of them, a bearded man, grinned, revealing yellowed, smoke-stained teeth. “Heh, is that Finn, the mute kid? What, did Knuckles and his crew chase him again?” “What else? Couldn’t pay off his debts! His parents owed Boss Knuckles a fortune for medicine before they died. With compound interest, the kid couldn’t work it off even if he sold himself a dozen times over!” Another lanky brute interjected, a hint of schadenfreude in his tone. “Tsk, tsk, I heard Boss Knuckles is really going to sell him to the northern ‘flesh pits’ this time. They specialize in young lads like him there, easy to break, easy to control…” “Shh! Keep it down! Silas’s people are in town these days, don’t stir up trouble!” The name “Silas” had a chilling effect, instantly silencing the lanky brute, a flicker of genuine fear crossing his face. The bearded man sullenly took a gulp from his earthenware bowl of cheap liquor and said no more. The atmosphere in the pub grew heavier, more oppressive, broken only by the crackle of the oil lamps and the persistent patter of rain outside. The fat barkeeper finally emerged from behind the back curtain, carrying a murky bowl of “hot soup” with a few questionable vegetable scraps and grease slick floating on top. He slammed the earthenware bowl down onto the broken table where I’d placed the copper coins, splashing a few drops of broth onto the grimy surface. “Here! Drink up and get out!” he gruffly urged, his beady eyes darting nervously to the trembling shadow in the dilapidated shrine, then quickly away. Clearly, he wanted no part of any trouble. “Finn, hiding here won’t do any good. Just come out.” Finn didn’t answer, nor did he move. The barkeeper cursed a few times, then bothered with him no longer, retreating to the back as if to avoid association. I didn’t rush to drink the soup. My gaze passed over the barkeeper’s greasy head and landed on the shrine behind him. The mute boy, Finn, was curled there like a small, battered animal driven to desperation. Every word spoken by those men earlier had been like a poisoned needle, piercing his hollow, despairing eyes. But now, in those dark eyes, besides fear, something deeper, darker, was slowly gathering, settling. It was hatred. A blood-soaked hatred, brewed by despair for too long, now congealed and crystallized. This hatred… so pure, like raw iron forged in the fires of an abyss for eons, just waiting for a spark to unleash a furious blaze that would burn everything to ashes. A minute, almost imperceptible tremor emanated from the depths of the blade-box on my back, carrying an indescribable sense of “hunger.” It was as if a beast, slumbering for millennia, had been slightly stirred by this intense hatred, turning over in its sleep. I watched him in silence. Through the dim light, the turbid air, and the shadows of the altar, he seemed to feel my gaze. His hollow, despairing eyes, with a last trace of deadened bewilderment, met mine through the gaps in the debris. There was no plea in those eyes, no hope, only a chilling, bone-deep ash of “defiance.” I took the bowl and advanced a few steps towards the dilapidated shrine. **Chapter 4** Actually, calling it a dilapidated shrine wasn’t quite right; it was merely a circle of crumbling ruins, barely forming a shelter from the wind. A few rotten timbers leaned precariously, barely supporting some leaky roof tiles. If not for its ability to block the wind and rain, the tavern probably wouldn’t have bothered to include it in its property. The idols were long gone, leaving only half a muddy, crumbling stone pedestal, remnants of an ancient altar, covered in bird droppings and thick dust. Someone had scrawled crooked, meaningless symbols with charcoal, giving off an unsettling, almost sinister vibe. I sat against the cold, broken wall. My soaked, old cloak clung to my body. I unslung my blade-box and placed it by my feet. Slowly, I drank the not-very-tasty hot soup, but at least the warmth it provided offered some relief from the chilling pain. A faint, suppressed sob, mingled with the chattering of teeth, drifted from a deeper corner of the shrine. It was Finn, the mute boy. He had buried himself deeper behind a pile of tattered straw mats and rotting wood, revealing only half of his wet head and a pair of eyes that glowed eerily in the darkness. The hollowness and despair were gone from those eyes, replaced by a frantic vigilance and terror, like a young wolf cornered by hunters on a cliff’s edge. He stared fixedly at the shrine’s only entrance – the crooked, cracked doorframe – as if a ravenous beast would burst in at any moment. He was waiting, waiting for those who were destined to come for him. In the darkness, the subtle “hunger” in the blade-box on my back resurfaced, like a deep-sea current, slowly but persistently stirring. It seemed drawn by the boy’s imminent, explosive aura, a mix of fear and hatred. Finally, heavy, shuffling footsteps, accompanied by crude curses, pierced through the wind and rain, growing louder as they approached. “Damn this cursed weather! That mute brat’s definitely hiding in here!” “Run? You owe Knuckles and you think you can run? We’ll break his damn legs!” “Boss said, ‘bring him back alive!’ The overseer from the northern flesh pits is due tonight, waiting for his ‘shipment’!” The footsteps stopped outside the tavern. Everyone inside seemed to shy away, and the fat barkeeper chose to hide in the back kitchen, clearly wanting no part of the trouble. Three hulking figures blocked the doorway. Leading them was a burly brute with a scarred face, a missing front tooth, and a necklace of animal bones – Knuckles, the local enforcer. Behind him were two equally menacing thugs, each carrying a short club and a rope. “Heh! Mute kid, playing hide-and-seek with me?” Knuckles sneered, the gap in his teeth showing like a dark hole. His eyes, like a vulture’s, scanned the pub’s interior, instantly locking onto the trembling shadow behind the dilapidated shrine. “Get out here! Save me the trouble!” Finn recoiled violently like a startled rabbit, a rasping, meaningless sound escaping his throat. His eyes were filled with desperate terror. He clutched tightly at a tattered bundle in his arms, as if it were his last pitiful support. “Damn it, you want to do this the hard way!” Knuckles spat, waving a hand to his followers. “Drag him out! Be careful, don’t damage him too much, we’re still counting on this brat for cash!” The two thugs grinned menacingly, grabbing their clubs and ropes, and strode towards Finn’s hiding spot. Their heavy footsteps echoed through the empty, decaying shrine, carrying a brutal sense of oppression. Finn cowered, with nowhere left to retreat. His scrawny body trembled violently from extreme fear, his teeth chattering so hard they almost shattered. In his eyes, fear was rapidly swallowed by deeper despair and a dying madness. He violently bowed his head, pressing his forehead against the cold, damp ground, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably, as if silently wailing. Just as the two thugs grinned and reached out, their rough fingers about to touch his worn tunic— I moved. **Chapter 5** It wasn’t deliberate. It was as if I’d simply lost my footing, buffeted by the bone-chilling draft that swept through the shrine, or maybe I’d slipped on a patch of water leaking from the roof.

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On my wedding day, my fiancé, Liam, and his groomsmen were frantically searching for my wedding shoes. Time was ticking, and the ceremony was about to start. Everyone looked really stressed. Just then, Liam’s childhood friend, Chloe, suddenly popped out. She lifted the hem of her long, floor-length dress and said, her voice dripping with pride: “The wedding shoes are with me! I told you guys, you’d never find them, right?” “Summer, I’ll take them off for you right now. I promise you won’t miss the scheduled time.” I let out a mirthless laugh, trying to keep my anger in check. “Are you seriously asking me to wear shoes you’ve worn at my own wedding?” It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, completely ruined by her. I just felt disgusted. But then Liam jumped in, defending her. “It’s just a pair of wedding shoes, Summer. Do you really need to make such a big deal out of it? I can just have a new pair sent over!” Seeing the impatience on his face, my throat went dry. I spoke calmly. “No, thanks. Let’s just call off the wedding.” Liam looked at me, completely taken aback. “Just because of a pair of shoes? Are you seriously overreacting?” I nodded, my voice steady. “Yes, I am.”

“Come on, ladies, don’t make it so hard on us! Just tell us where the wedding shoes are!” “Yeah, come on! We’ll even give you cash, whatever you want!” They were practically begging on their knees, trying to get us to give up the shoes. I couldn’t help but chuckle. I turned to my bridesmaids. “Alright, time’s almost up. Let’s bring out the shoes.” Everyone’s eyes immediately landed on the three bridesmaids. But they just stood there, completely still, looking at each other. It took a moment for them to react, then they all said at once: “I didn’t hide them!” “I have no idea where the wedding shoes are.” The atmosphere suddenly turned really awkward. Liam’s face grew serious. “Search again, thoroughly.” But even after searching every nook and cranny of the room, the wedding shoes were nowhere to be found. Someone cautiously asked, “Could someone have played a prank and hidden them outside?” As soon as that was said, everyone instinctively rushed outside to continue the search, without Liam even needing to say a word. But the entire house was practically turned upside down, and there was still no sign of the wedding shoes. The ceremony was about to start, and one of Liam’s groomsmen suggested, “Liam, the guests are waiting. Why don’t we head to the venue first? I’ll arrange for a new pair to be delivered.” Liam didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked up at me. Clearly, he was asking for my opinion. I frowned, a knot of annoyance forming in my stomach. But I guess no one could have predicted something like this. So, after two seconds of hesitation, I nodded and conceded, “I guess that’s the only way.” But just then, Liam’s childhood friend, Chloe, suddenly jumped out from a corner. In front of everyone, she lifted her floor-length skirt. Her voice was proud and playful. “The wedding shoes are with me! I told you guys, you’d never find them, right?” Chloe didn’t seem to notice the sudden, chilling silence that fell over the room after she spoke. Everyone stared at her feet, their faces etched with shock. One of my bridesmaids finally pieced it together, her voice belated. “Oh, I remember now! I was about to hide them in the closet, and Chloe said she had a better spot. Then someone knocked on the door, and I didn’t pay attention to where she put them.” “I’m so sorry, Summer. I never thought she’d mess with something so important.” Then, her voice turning accusatory, she demanded, “Chloe! How could you wear Summer’s wedding shoes?” Chloe gave her an innocent look, as if she hadn’t caught the accusation in her voice. She turned to me. “Summer, I just wanted to help you hide the wedding shoes. I’ll take them off for you right now. I promise you won’t miss the scheduled time.” Looking at her face, I had no doubt. I saw the pure, unadulterated malice in her eyes. No wonder Chloe, who was usually always stirring up drama, had been so unusually quiet today. So quiet, I hadn’t even noticed her presence. She was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. I couldn’t help but let out a furious laugh. “Are you seriously asking me to wear shoes you’ve worn at my own wedding?” That one sentence was enough to make Chloe’s eyes well up. She looked at Liam, all teary-eyed and wronged. “Liam, I was just trying to be helpful. I thought you and Summer would be happy if I hid the wedding shoes perfectly.” “Besides, I’ve never been married! How was I supposed to know you can’t wear wedding shoes?” Never been married or not, you don’t just wear someone else’s shoes, especially *my* wedding shoes. I silently cursed under my breath, feeling a wave of disgust, then retorted, “Just because you’ve never been married, does that mean you have no common decency?” Then again, if she had any decency, she wouldn’t always be getting in my face like this. But what truly shocked me was that, at a time like this, Liam actually sided with her. He defended her, saying, “It’s just a pair of wedding shoes, Summer. Do you have to be so mean?” I looked up and saw him frowning, an impatient look on his face. For a split second, all the fire in me just died. Not that I wasn’t angry anymore, but suddenly, it just felt… pointless. Liam didn’t notice my change in demeanor. He casually added, “I’ll have a new pair sent over right away. Happy now?” He said it as if *I* was the one being unreasonable. I forced a tight smile. My voice was calm as I said, “No, thanks. Let’s just call off the wedding.”

My words hung in the air, and the room fell into an immediate, stunned silence. Everyone looked at me in disbelief, probably not expecting me to be so drastic. Liam even chuckled. “Summer, are you kidding me?” “You’re calling off our wedding just because of a pair of wedding shoes? Are you seriously making such a big deal out of nothing?” It was Chloe who messed things up, who ruined our wedding. But in his eyes, I was the one being petty and irrational. Liam and I had been together for a year. But before that, he’d spent three painstaking years chasing me. He was clumsy but persistent in trying to win me over, always there whenever I needed him. Even if my heart was made of stone, it would have softened. The day we finally got together, Liam was as giddy as a teenager. He hugged me, crying and saying, “You’re a treasure I worked so hard to get, I promise I’ll never let you suffer any injustice!” He kept his word. After we started dating, he was completely devoted to me. All his actions revolved around my happiness. So, even though we hadn’t been together for long. When he proposed, I said yes. But then, during the wedding preparations, this so-called “childhood friend” of his appeared. From that moment on, Liam seemed to change. Whether we were on a date or having dinner, he’d drop everything and run off to Chloe whenever she called. When I got angry, he’d just give me a half-hearted excuse: “Chloe doesn’t know anyone else here, I just want to look out for her a bit.” “It’ll get better in a while.” Liam’s change in attitude was so drastic that I lost my emotional balance, constantly getting upset and fighting with him. During that time, I considered more than once whether we should actually go through with the wedding. But even the night before, I still hadn’t made up my mind. However, just now, the answer suddenly became clear. I wasn’t marrying Liam. When I didn’t respond, Liam assumed I was regretting my decision. He said, with a condescending tone, “Alright, stop messing around. If you delay any longer, we’ll actually miss the scheduled time.” “It’s just a pair of shoes, wait…” I didn’t even have the patience to hear him finish. I cut him off sharply. And answered his earlier question: “Yes, I am.” Liam didn’t expect me to be serious about this at such a crucial moment. He was stunned. But Chloe, standing next to him, started to cry again, her voice laced with false concern: “Summer, if you want to blame anyone, blame me. Don’t take your anger out on Liam. He didn’t do anything wrong.” As she spoke, she even knelt down in front of me, completely disregarding her image. She pleaded, “Summer, you can blame me however you want, but you can’t just cancel something as important as a wedding.” “Liam put so much effort into preparing for this wedding. How can you cancel last minute? Have you even considered his feelings?” “Besides, the guests are all waiting. It would be so bad if you two didn’t get married…” Chloe was pretending to be kind and persuasive, but every word she spoke was laced with accusation. But I’m stubborn. Once I make up my mind, it’s not easily changed. No one, not even the heavens themselves, could sway me. I opened my mouth, about to speak. But then Liam suddenly pulled Chloe to her feet. He looked at me with a cold expression. “Summer, I’m giving you one last chance.” “If you don’t want to make a fool of yourself right now, you’ll quietly go through with the wedding ceremony with me.” “Otherwise, you can figure out how to explain it to both our families and all the guests.” That was his way of threatening me. But Summer isn’t someone who’s easily threatened. I smiled, agreeing readily. “Fine by me!” Liam’s face turned ugly. He repeated “Fine” three times, his voice tight. Then he turned to the others. “Let’s go.” Seeing that we were serious, they hesitated, trying to say a few words to mediate. But before they could, Liam said coldly, “She’s the one who wants to cancel the wedding. If she regrets it, even if she begs me to come back, I’ll have to think about it!” He was speaking to his groomsmen, but his words were clearly meant for me. I scoffed, a mocking smile on my face, but said nothing. After they all completely disappeared from the room, my friends finally asked, “Summer, what do we do now?” “Liam’s right, the guests are still waiting. He’s just leaving you to clean up his mess!” I let out a cold laugh. If Liam thought this would make me regret it, then he was incredibly naive! “It’s just a wedding, isn’t it? No groom? I’ll just get a new one!” With that, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number.

The call connected quickly, but the voice on the other end was dripping with sarcasm: “Well, well! Calling me on your wedding day, Summer? Did the groom run off?” I often think Jace has a jinx. Otherwise, how could he always be right? I cleared my throat, speaking a little sheepishly. “Um, so, are you coming to my wedding?” He let out a mocking laugh, his voice full of disdain. “Summer, did you forget what I said?” Of course, I hadn’t forgotten. Jace had vowed that if I married Liam, he wouldn’t show up, even if I begged him. And he was true to his word; he wasn’t here today. I sighed helplessly. “Consider this me begging you, okay?” “I’m missing a groom. Will you play along with me to see this through?” Silence. Just when I was starting to wonder if the call had dropped, he finally spoke. “Wait there!” After the call ended, I found a new pair of heels, slipped them on, and told my bridesmaids, “Let’s go.” But as soon as we got downstairs, someone shouted, “Oh no, Summer, they’ve taken all the wedding cars!” Just as she said that, my phone vibrated. It was a message from Liam. **[If you want to cancel the wedding, then don’t even bother showing up!]** I let out a furious laugh. Trying to pull that trick on me, huh? This wedding? I was definitely going! Cars? My garage is practically a dealership. But I never expected Liam to be so petty. As soon as I got into a car, my phone started buzzing non-stop. Both sets of parents were constantly messaging me. **[Honey, Liam says you’re canceling the wedding, what’s going on?]** **[Summer, dear, I never interfere when you and Liam argue, but on such an important day, how can you be so unreasonable?]** **[Listen to me, go coax Liam back right now. Just get the wedding done, we can talk about everything else later.]** There were also curious and gossipy messages from friends, asking what was happening. I just quickly glanced at them, then replied to my mom. **[The wedding is happening as planned. If Liam doesn’t want to come, we’ll find someone else.]** I’ve always been strong-willed, and I never mess around with important matters like this. My mom didn’t know what was going on, but she still supported me. Not only that, but she publicly announced that since Liam wasn’t willing to show up for the wedding, our family would just replace him with someone else. As for the guests who came, they wouldn’t have wasted their trip. They were all welcome to stay for the wedding and dinner afterward. I heard that after my mom made her announcement, she immediately got into a huge argument with Liam’s mom. If this news reached my ears, it definitely reached Liam’s. A few minutes later, I received a call from Liam. But I hadn’t expected him to be making up scenarios in his head. The first thing he said was, “Summer, do you think this will force me to show up at the wedding? I’m telling you, no way!” “Just because you casually said you’d cancel the engagement, Chloe’s been crying, blaming herself. If you don’t apologize to her, don’t even think about me coming back to marry you.” Even at this point, all he cared about was Chloe. To say I wasn’t hurt at all would be a lie. But this time, I couldn’t swallow my pride! “Fine by me!” I sneered. “Don’t you dare come! I wouldn’t welcome you anyway!” “Summer! I’m warning you one last time, blowing things up like this, you’re the only one who will be embarrassed.” He didn’t need to worry about me. I hadn’t even finished that thought. When I heard him cooing to Chloe on the other end, my eyes hardened, and I immediately hung up. Not long after, we arrived at the hotel. As I was about to get out of the car, a hand reached out to me. “Your ride is here, Princess!” Though I was surprised Jace arrived so quickly, I felt a rush of warmth. He had his childhood sweetheart, and I had my own. The moment Jace and I appeared on stage together, everyone in the audience looked surprised. But I guess my mom had already prepped them, because everyone was pretty cooperative. Of course, someone also filmed the scene and sent it to one of Liam’s friends. That friend saw the message and was so shocked his phone dropped to the ground. Seeing everyone’s eyes on him, he stammered out, “Liam, Summer… she’s actually having a wedding with someone else!”

“What did you say!?” Liam immediately stood up, his voice filled with disbelief. The friend just picked up his phone and handed the video to Liam. As Liam’s face grew darker and darker, someone cautiously asked, “Liam, what do we do now? Are we just going to stand by and watch Summer marry someone else?” Hearing that, Liam couldn’t take it anymore. He furiously threw his phone to the ground. “No way!” With that, he grabbed his suit jacket. His voice was cold. “To the hotel, now!” “The only person Summer is marrying is me!” However, before he could leave, Chloe, her eyes red from crying, blocked his way. “Liam, if you go now, aren’t you just playing right into her hands?” Liam was in a fit of rage and wasn’t listening to anything she said. He just said, his face stormy, “Damn it, I chased her for three years, not to see her marrying someone else at *my* wedding!” “I just wanted to teach her a lesson, and now she’s trying to force my hand like this? Fine, I’ll give her what she wants!” After saying that, he forcefully pushed Chloe aside. She dramatically fell to the ground, letting out a pained cry, but Liam didn’t even look back. Seeing him about to walk out the door, Chloe quickly stood up and blocked him again. “No! Liam, you can’t go!” Liam’s expression shifted, and his gaze towards Chloe grew increasingly hostile. Luckily, she was quick-witted and immediately said: “Liam, I’m stopping you for your own good.” “She’s just found someone to marry so she doesn’t lose face, she’s not actually serious about marrying him. If you go, *you’re* the one who’ll look like a fool!” Liam looked at her with suspicion, as if weighing the credibility of her words. And Chloe, seeing a flicker of uncertainty in his expression, quickly continued: “Liam, as a woman, I know exactly what Summer’s thinking.” “She cares so much about a pair of wedding shoes, that means she definitely cares about you.” “Actually, I did this to stand up for you. You chased her for three years, and she’s getting mad at you over such a small thing. If you don’t let her learn her lesson, she’ll think you can’t live without her.” After Chloe finished, she saw Liam lost in thought. She subtly gestured to the people nearby. Seeing her signal, they immediately chimed in: “Liam, I agree, Summer’s totally overreacting. You spoil her so much, and just because of a pair of wedding shoes, she wants to cancel the wedding.” “Yeah, she’s just taking advantage of how much you dote on her. If you go to the wedding now, who knows how she’ll manipulate you!” “Liam, just listen to me. After the wedding, you just sweet-talk her a bit, and everything will be fine!” In the end, Liam was convinced by them. Of course, I knew nothing of any of this. Because right now, I was still reeling from what Jace had just said. I stared at him, feeling a bit dumbfounded. “What did you just say?” “I said, Ms. Summer, we just had a wedding, and you’re not even willing to give me an official status? Isn’t that a bit much?” “I’m a respectable single man, now suddenly married. If people ask to see our marriage certificate, I won’t have one! How embarrassing would that be!” “Wait!” I clamped my hand over his mouth. “It’s just acting! Just acting, got it?” The next second, I felt a sudden wetness on my palm. I instantly pulled my hand away. And met Jace’s triumphant grin. This man, still so hard to deal with! “Alright, enough messing around. If you don’t actually marry me, how will Liam believe it?” “I have a feeling he’ll still come bothering you. Do you seriously want to get back together with him?” I instinctively retorted, “How could I?” I admit, I did fall for Liam. But for me, Chloe’s presence was like a constant thorn in my side. I compromised once, and there would be a second time, a third. He was already siding with Chloe now, what about the future? Was I supposed to marry him just to constantly fight with Chloe? No matter what, the moment I said “cancel the engagement,” I never looked back. “Then let’s make him give up on you for good!” Coming out of the registry office, my mind was still dazed. Strange, how did Jace manage to talk me into this? “I’ll have the driver take you home first. I’ll be there in a bit.” With that, before I could even reply, he rushed off. I shook my head, not thinking much of it. After all this commotion and dealing with annoying things, I really just wanted to go home and rest. But what I didn’t expect was that, as I was entering the code to my door. Someone suddenly hugged me from behind. Without thinking, I kicked back and elbowed him away. I turned around defensively and saw Liam grimacing in pain. He said to me, “Summer, what the hell is wrong with you?” I rolled my eyes, retorted exasperatedly, “That’s what *I* should be asking you. Are you crazy?”

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On my wedding day, my fiancé, Liam, and his groomsmen were frantically searching for my wedding shoes. Time was ticking, and the ceremony was about to start. Everyone looked really stressed. Just then, Liam’s childhood friend, Chloe, suddenly popped out. She lifted the hem of her long, floor-length dress and said, her voice dripping with pride: “The wedding shoes are with me! I told you guys, you’d never find them, right?” “Summer, I’ll take them off for you right now. I promise you won’t miss the scheduled time.” I let out a mirthless laugh, trying to keep my anger in check. “Are you seriously asking me to wear shoes you’ve worn at my own wedding?” It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, completely ruined by her. I just felt disgusted. But then Liam jumped in, defending her. “It’s just a pair of wedding shoes, Summer. Do you really need to make such a big deal out of it? I can just have a new pair sent over!” Seeing the impatience on his face, my throat went dry. I spoke calmly. “No, thanks. Let’s just call off the wedding.” Liam looked at me, completely taken aback. “Just because of a pair of shoes? Are you seriously overreacting?” I nodded, my voice steady. “Yes, I am.”

“Come on, ladies, don’t make it so hard on us! Just tell us where the wedding shoes are!” “Yeah, come on! We’ll even give you cash, whatever you want!” They were practically begging on their knees, trying to get us to give up the shoes. I couldn’t help but chuckle. I turned to my bridesmaids. “Alright, time’s almost up. Let’s bring out the shoes.” Everyone’s eyes immediately landed on the three bridesmaids. But they just stood there, completely still, looking at each other. It took a moment for them to react, then they all said at once: “I didn’t hide them!” “I have no idea where the wedding shoes are.” The atmosphere suddenly turned really awkward. Liam’s face grew serious. “Search again, thoroughly.” But even after searching every nook and cranny of the room, the wedding shoes were nowhere to be found. Someone cautiously asked, “Could someone have played a prank and hidden them outside?” As soon as that was said, everyone instinctively rushed outside to continue the search, without Liam even needing to say a word. But the entire house was practically turned upside down, and there was still no sign of the wedding shoes. The ceremony was about to start, and one of Liam’s groomsmen suggested, “Liam, the guests are waiting. Why don’t we head to the venue first? I’ll arrange for a new pair to be delivered.” Liam didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked up at me. Clearly, he was asking for my opinion. I frowned, a knot of annoyance forming in my stomach. But I guess no one could have predicted something like this. So, after two seconds of hesitation, I nodded and conceded, “I guess that’s the only way.” But just then, Liam’s childhood friend, Chloe, suddenly jumped out from a corner. In front of everyone, she lifted her floor-length skirt. Her voice was proud and playful. “The wedding shoes are with me! I told you guys, you’d never find them, right?” Chloe didn’t seem to notice the sudden, chilling silence that fell over the room after she spoke. Everyone stared at her feet, their faces etched with shock. One of my bridesmaids finally pieced it together, her voice belated. “Oh, I remember now! I was about to hide them in the closet, and Chloe said she had a better spot. Then someone knocked on the door, and I didn’t pay attention to where she put them.” “I’m so sorry, Summer. I never thought she’d mess with something so important.” Then, her voice turning accusatory, she demanded, “Chloe! How could you wear Summer’s wedding shoes?” Chloe gave her an innocent look, as if she hadn’t caught the accusation in her voice. She turned to me. “Summer, I just wanted to help you hide the wedding shoes. I’ll take them off for you right now. I promise you won’t miss the scheduled time.” Looking at her face, I had no doubt. I saw the pure, unadulterated malice in her eyes. No wonder Chloe, who was usually always stirring up drama, had been so unusually quiet today. So quiet, I hadn’t even noticed her presence. She was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. I couldn’t help but let out a furious laugh. “Are you seriously asking me to wear shoes you’ve worn at my own wedding?” That one sentence was enough to make Chloe’s eyes well up. She looked at Liam, all teary-eyed and wronged. “Liam, I was just trying to be helpful. I thought you and Summer would be happy if I hid the wedding shoes perfectly.” “Besides, I’ve never been married! How was I supposed to know you can’t wear wedding shoes?” Never been married or not, you don’t just wear someone else’s shoes, especially *my* wedding shoes. I silently cursed under my breath, feeling a wave of disgust, then retorted, “Just because you’ve never been married, does that mean you have no common decency?” Then again, if she had any decency, she wouldn’t always be getting in my face like this. But what truly shocked me was that, at a time like this, Liam actually sided with her. He defended her, saying, “It’s just a pair of wedding shoes, Summer. Do you have to be so mean?” I looked up and saw him frowning, an impatient look on his face. For a split second, all the fire in me just died. Not that I wasn’t angry anymore, but suddenly, it just felt… pointless. Liam didn’t notice my change in demeanor. He casually added, “I’ll have a new pair sent over right away. Happy now?” He said it as if *I* was the one being unreasonable. I forced a tight smile. My voice was calm as I said, “No, thanks. Let’s just call off the wedding.”

My words hung in the air, and the room fell into an immediate, stunned silence. Everyone looked at me in disbelief, probably not expecting me to be so drastic. Liam even chuckled. “Summer, are you kidding me?” “You’re calling off our wedding just because of a pair of wedding shoes? Are you seriously making such a big deal out of nothing?” It was Chloe who messed things up, who ruined our wedding. But in his eyes, I was the one being petty and irrational. Liam and I had been together for a year. But before that, he’d spent three painstaking years chasing me. He was clumsy but persistent in trying to win me over, always there whenever I needed him. Even if my heart was made of stone, it would have softened. The day we finally got together, Liam was as giddy as a teenager. He hugged me, crying and saying, “You’re a treasure I worked so hard to get, I promise I’ll never let you suffer any injustice!” He kept his word. After we started dating, he was completely devoted to me. All his actions revolved around my happiness. So, even though we hadn’t been together for long. When he proposed, I said yes. But then, during the wedding preparations, this so-called “childhood friend” of his appeared. From that moment on, Liam seemed to change. Whether we were on a date or having dinner, he’d drop everything and run off to Chloe whenever she called. When I got angry, he’d just give me a half-hearted excuse: “Chloe doesn’t know anyone else here, I just want to look out for her a bit.” “It’ll get better in a while.” Liam’s change in attitude was so drastic that I lost my emotional balance, constantly getting upset and fighting with him. During that time, I considered more than once whether we should actually go through with the wedding. But even the night before, I still hadn’t made up my mind. However, just now, the answer suddenly became clear. I wasn’t marrying Liam. When I didn’t respond, Liam assumed I was regretting my decision. He said, with a condescending tone, “Alright, stop messing around. If you delay any longer, we’ll actually miss the scheduled time.” “It’s just a pair of shoes, wait…” I didn’t even have the patience to hear him finish. I cut him off sharply. And answered his earlier question: “Yes, I am.” Liam didn’t expect me to be serious about this at such a crucial moment. He was stunned. But Chloe, standing next to him, started to cry again, her voice laced with false concern: “Summer, if you want to blame anyone, blame me. Don’t take your anger out on Liam. He didn’t do anything wrong.” As she spoke, she even knelt down in front of me, completely disregarding her image. She pleaded, “Summer, you can blame me however you want, but you can’t just cancel something as important as a wedding.” “Liam put so much effort into preparing for this wedding. How can you cancel last minute? Have you even considered his feelings?” “Besides, the guests are all waiting. It would be so bad if you two didn’t get married…” Chloe was pretending to be kind and persuasive, but every word she spoke was laced with accusation. But I’m stubborn. Once I make up my mind, it’s not easily changed. No one, not even the heavens themselves, could sway me. I opened my mouth, about to speak. But then Liam suddenly pulled Chloe to her feet. He looked at me with a cold expression. “Summer, I’m giving you one last chance.” “If you don’t want to make a fool of yourself right now, you’ll quietly go through with the wedding ceremony with me.” “Otherwise, you can figure out how to explain it to both our families and all the guests.” That was his way of threatening me. But Summer isn’t someone who’s easily threatened. I smiled, agreeing readily. “Fine by me!” Liam’s face turned ugly. He repeated “Fine” three times, his voice tight. Then he turned to the others. “Let’s go.” Seeing that we were serious, they hesitated, trying to say a few words to mediate. But before they could, Liam said coldly, “She’s the one who wants to cancel the wedding. If she regrets it, even if she begs me to come back, I’ll have to think about it!” He was speaking to his groomsmen, but his words were clearly meant for me. I scoffed, a mocking smile on my face, but said nothing. After they all completely disappeared from the room, my friends finally asked, “Summer, what do we do now?” “Liam’s right, the guests are still waiting. He’s just leaving you to clean up his mess!” I let out a cold laugh. If Liam thought this would make me regret it, then he was incredibly naive! “It’s just a wedding, isn’t it? No groom? I’ll just get a new one!” With that, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. The call connected quickly, but the voice on the other end was dripping with sarcasm: “Well, well! Calling me on your wedding day, Summer? Did the groom run off?” I often think Jace has a jinx.

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My husband’s female best friend lost a drinking game and was dared to reveal the most intimate thing she’d ever done with someone of the opposite sex. She suddenly turned to me with a mischievous grin: “I once gave Jack a handjob.” The room erupted in shock. I clutched my five-month pregnant belly, feeling it tighten and harden. She seemed to only just realize what she’d said, shrugging nonchalantly: “Oh, it was when you’d just gotten pregnant and he was blackout drunk. He was really uncomfortable.” “No need to thank me, sis-in-law. Just helping out a friend. Better than him cheating because he couldn’t hold it, right?” 1 Before the words had even finished leaving her mouth. Jack raised the half-eaten cucumber he was holding and smacked Tiffany’s hand: “Shut up, will you? Your skills are amateur hour compared to my wife’s!” Tiffany laughed and took the cucumber, biting into it suggestively: “I must say, it’s about the same size.” They burst into laughter, as if an invisible barrier had formed, isolating me from the group. No one looked at me. No one seemed to care about my feelings. It was as if I, five months pregnant, was just an unwanted prop that shouldn’t be there. The game continued, and this time Jack lost. The card read: “French kiss someone of the opposite sex for three minutes.” There were only two women present – me and Tiffany. But they all instinctively pushed Jack towards Tiffany. “Come on, we all agreed it’s just a game! Only an idiot would take it seriously!” He was laughing, she was giggling, and a group of people raised their phones to take photos and videos. I couldn’t take it anymore. I picked up my glass and smashed it on the ground. The shattering glass silenced the room. In the dead quiet, I slowly stood up, steadying myself against the pain in my back. My voice was eerily calm: “Want to play something more exciting?” “I’ll help you!” I took out my phone and dialed 91

“Hello, officer? There’s a group engaging in lewd behavior here…” Jack was the first to react, rushing over to grab my phone: “Emma, have you lost your mind? It’s just a game, why are you overreacting?” I looked at his hand still resting on Tiffany’s waist and suddenly laughed, tears spilling out without warning: “Jack, when the baby is born, how do you plan to explain this?” “That daddy can’t keep it in his pants, and mommy is a complete idiot?” Jack’s face darkened as he shielded the pouting Tiffany behind him, his voice barely containing his anger: “You’re going too far. We said it was just a game!” If this counts as a game, then I certainly can’t play. I turned to leave. Jack grabbed my wrist: “My friends threw this party specially to celebrate your pregnancy. Do you have to ruin the mood like this?” Hah, friends again. “Slap!” I turned and slapped him hard across the face. The entire room fell silent. Tiffany stepped forward and pulled Jack into her arms, patting his head. “Listen to mommy, don’t talk back!” She smiled helplessly: “Sis, Jack and I have been best friends since we were kids running around naked together. He doesn’t see me as a woman at all! Don’t take it so seriously!” She pushed Jack towards me as if suddenly realizing something: “Hurry up and apologize to your wife. She’s pregnant, if this keeps up, everyone will suffer.” With one sentence, she made everyone else look at me with disdain. Jack stood there stiffly, refusing to lower his head. Tiffany leaned in and whispered something in his ear, giggling. He smirked, then reluctantly looked at me. “It’s my fault, happy now?” The nausea hit me like a wave. I left the room without looking back. I didn’t expect Jack to follow me out. The whole way, my stomach cramped painfully, but all I could hear were his complaints. “Did pregnancy make you stupid? Tiffany is my friend, how can you be jealous of her!” “Why don’t you just tie me to your waist like a dog? You’re suspicious of everyone anyway!” “Use your brain and think about it. If there was really something between us, would she dare to say it out loud?!” Something in my chest shattered completely. “You’re right, there’s nothing between you. I’m just being a bitch.” I shouted, my whole body shaking. “I’ve been tolerating you two for a long time!” All the past grievances felt like slaps across my face. Only I knew how much hurt this final straw had piled onto. “Jack, let me tell you, when I was hospitalized for appendicitis, you were with her getting manicures. When I was bleeding and on bed rest to save the pregnancy, you were with her playing claw machines. Every time I needed you, you were with your female best friend, up until today!” I gasped for air, tears blurring my vision. “She casually mentioned those unspeakable things right in front of me, and you acted like nothing happened and continued flirting with her. When I couldn’t take it anymore and called the police, you didn’t stand by me, but hysterically said I was crazy!” “From that moment on.” “Jack, we’re over.” No response. Jack’s gentle voice suddenly rang out: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here. I’ll protect you.” I turned around. He was wearing headphones, voice chatting with Tiffany while they played a game together. … The sounds of their game continued late into the night. I sat alone on the balcony, repeatedly stroking my stomach as the baby kicked vigorously, and dialed the doctor’s number. “Doctor, I’d like to schedule an abortion.” The next morning. I was woken by sharp pains in my abdomen. I struggled to find Jack. He was sitting on the couch, long legs crossed. His phone kept pinging with notifications, and he was smiling from ear to ear. I called his name several times before he looked up. Seeing my pale face, he froze for a moment, then hurriedly helped me sit down, his fingers kneading my shoulders. “Honey, I can’t accompany you today. Mr. Murphy is waiting for me to discuss acquiring a cruise ship. The company is developing a new tourism route.” His tone was light, as if everything from yesterday had already been forgotten. He was always like this, letting me go to bed upset. As if just ignoring me and giving me the cold shoulder would automatically solve the problem. The pain made me instinctively grab his hand, but his other hand was still focused on typing, completely ignoring me. Tiffany’s shameless yelling came from outside: “Jack, your dad’s here! What are you dawdling for?” Jack immediately broke free from me, put down his phone and ran towards the door. I collapsed on the floor, my elbow knocking over his phone. On the screen, a group chat called “Princess Tiffany and Her Knights” was pinned at the top. I couldn’t help but click on it, and froze in place. “Emma is such a drama queen. I told you ages ago that you two weren’t compatible, but you wouldn’t listen.” “It’s so exhausting having an outsider at every gathering. You should’ve just married Tiffany back then!” Tiffany sent a tongue-sticking-out emoji: “Whatever, it’s my birthday today, why bring up that killjoy? Jack said he’s buying a cruise ship as my birthday gift. This princess is ready for the sea breeze and sunshine!” Jack’s teasing reply followed: “Kowtow to daddy and this life is yours.” Tiffany immediately sent a kowtowing emoji: “Now your life is mine, I order you not to bring your wife today!” “Bro, I saw Tiffany packed a bikini. Who’s the real birthday gift here? [wink]” It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over me, leaving me cold and breathless. As expected, people can act, but their true colors always show in their inner circle. When I first tried to fit in with them, everyone seemed as friendly as angels. But I mistook their politeness for sincerity. They were an impenetrable fortress, and I would always be the unwelcome outsider. The pain intensified. I trembled as I took out my phone and took screenshots, page by page. When Jack came back for his phone, I was already curled up on the couch in pain. He didn’t even glance at me, in a rush to leave. “Honey, my friends want to go play on the cruise ship too. You’re pregnant and can’t join in the fun anyway, so don’t bother coming along.” I was deathly pale as I grabbed his sleeve: “My stomach hurts, can you take me to the hospital?” Asking a question when I already knew the answer was my last attempt to give him a way out. If he insisted on leaving, I’d be done with him too. As we were stuck in this standoff, Tiffany impatiently clicked her tongue outside: “Hurry up, I’m dying of heat out here!” Jack yanked his hand away from me, extremely irritated. “What are you playing at? You were fine just now. I’m so sick of you using the baby as an excuse.” I was thrown back onto the couch by his forceful shove, my heart dying along with it. Tiffany came in from outside and grabbed Jack’s ear: “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Why are you being so mean! All pregnant women are like this, always wanting everyone to revolve around them. What’s wrong with being a little dramatic?” Jack snorted in disdain: “If she was even one-tenth like you, I wouldn’t be so annoyed.” His gaze suddenly fell on Tiffany’s shoulder strap, and he reached out to adjust it naturally. “Silly piggy! Didn’t you notice it was loose?” Tiffany swept her hair to one side, enjoying his touch and giggling: “Gentle! You’re hurting me.” Jack pressed down on her chest, grinning mischievously: “Where? It’s as flat as an airport runway.” Amid their laughter, they disappeared around the corner. I dialed Ryan’s number directly: “I’ll come find you at your cruise ship later.” He replied with a simple “Okay.” Jack didn’t know that Ryan was my childhood friend. After over 20 years of open and honest friendship, I knew better than anyone what pure friendship looked like. Six years of love, from school uniforms to wedding dresses. I wanted to see for myself just how rotten this relationship had become at its core. The salty sea breeze blew. On the deck of the luxury cruise ship, screams and laughter mixed together. I leaned against the railing not far away, wearing sunglasses and a mask. Watching Tiffany in her bikini sitting close to Jack, who was only wearing swim trunks. They were playing a vulgar game of passing tissues with their mouths. Tiffany deliberately bit the tissue until only a tiny corner was left. Jack leaned in several times but couldn’t grab it. “Jack lost! Time for punishment!” Someone shouted: “How about you publicly confess to someone? What about Tiffany?” Tiffany giggled and collapsed onto Jack’s lap, playfully punching his chest: “Oh my, how embarrassing!” Another person yelled: “Things have already gone this far, what’s the point of confessing?” “Tiffany, what exactly happened back then? Give us brothers the juicy details!” As everyone joked around, Tiffany suddenly said bluntly: “Watch daddy’s skills! Monkey steals the peach!” Jack deftly blocked her, laughing and cursing: “You little brat!” As they roughhoused, he inadvertently grabbed the string of her bikini top and yanked. The strap instantly came loose! Amid Tiffany’s screams, Jack reflexively pulled her tightly into his arms, shouting at everyone: “Turn around, don’t look!” The waves crashed relentlessly. He gently helped her retie the strings, his fingertips grazing her bare back. Their gazes intertwined, sparks flying. In that moment, I watched as the man I loved, who once stood in the sunlight with me, exploded into a mess of rotten flesh. While I hid in the shadows, fully covered up, peeking at other people’s happiness like a cockroach. Pathetically watching the father of my child instinctively protect another woman. Ryan beside me couldn’t hold back anymore and wanted to rush over, but I firmly held him back. After hesitating for a long time, I called Jack’s phone. Across the not-too-far distance, I saw his phone light up. He glanced at it. The ringtone sounded once, then twice. He just looked at it, never answering. Tiffany saw the “Wife” contact name and pouted. “You promised to keep me company. No distractions allowed, not even her. Otherwise I’ll never talk to you again.” Jack smiled and raised his hand to toss the phone into a glass full of alcohol, raising an eyebrow: “My little princess, satisfied now?” Seeing Tiffany finally nod, Jack lifted her high above his head and spun her around. Her excited screams carried on the sea breeze. I put down the phone that was still recording video, tears already soaking through my mask. Jack, so six years of love amounted to only this. I hope you’re prepared for the eighteen levels of hell waiting for you. They must have gotten tired of playing, as the group sat down to chat. Tiffany’s voice drifted over on the wind: “Actually, on Jack’s wedding night, I got totally wasted and said I wanted to just marry anyone. He panicked and came to find me, wearing Emma’s wedding dress.” “Isn’t that hilarious? The two of us were like kids playing house, bowing to the moon as if we were getting married.” My heart clenched painfully. I remembered that custom-made wedding dress I’d searched for so long. Jack said it got dirty and he sent it to be cleaned, but accidentally lost it. Tiffany laughed and added: “I joked at the time that bowing to the heavens made it real, so I wouldn’t get married in the future. But I said I wanted a child, though I was afraid of the pain of childbirth. Guess how this idiot reacted?” Jack just smiled and drank, not stopping her. Tiffany raised her eyebrows proudly when everyone urged her to continue: “He actually took it seriously! Then he really took me to do IVF!” She winked, signaling Jack to pick up the story. “Jack, what about that child?” Jack drained his glass, his eyes dark. “The baby in Emma’s belly right now is mine and Tiffany’s test tube baby.” Boom— Something exploded in my brain, leaving it blank. In my ears was Ryan’s enraged cursing of “beast”, in my vision was Jack’s nonchalant expression. I suddenly clutched my stomach. As if sensing my grief, it began to move violently. But I only felt bitter irony. From the very beginning of trying to conceive, Jack had lied to me, saying his sperm count was low so IVF would have a higher success rate. Countless days and nights, I took medicine until I was nauseous, my belly covered in bruises from injections. The day it successfully implanted, he pressed his ear to my stomach and said gently: “Good baby, daddy will definitely make you and mommy the happiest people in the world.” It turns out that sentence was never meant for me at all. Tiffany’s voice drifted over again, full of contempt: “Jack was so clever. Looking at how Emma’s body has gone to shit, tsk tsk, I definitely wouldn’t want to turn into an old hag like her.” I couldn’t listen anymore and turned to leave. Suddenly a huge wave hit, violently rocking the ship. Tiffany was standing at the edge, too absorbed in talking. Amid screams, she was thrown overboard. Jack didn’t hesitate for a second. He grabbed a life preserver and jumped in after her, swimming towards her with all his might. I was completely stunned. He was terrified of water. He once said water was his biggest fear! He really would risk his life for her without a second thought. I turned away, unwilling to watch that heroic rescue scene any longer, and went straight to the hospital for an abortion. As the anesthesia entered my body, in my hazy consciousness I had only one thought: Jack, you can get lost now. When I opened my eyes again. Only Ryan was by my bedside, his eyes red-rimmed. I instinctively reached for my belly, finding it flat. An unfamiliar feeling of lightness. I turned my head, my voice hoarse: “Where’s Jack?” Ryan looked away and handed me a video clip. The footage was shaky. On the beach, Tiffany was crying as she performed CPR on Jack. When Jack woke up coughing, she immediately hugged him tightly, refusing to let go. “Jack, I can’t go against my heart anymore.” “I love you! You big idiot, I love you!” Amid the cheers of those around them, they kissed passionately, soaking wet. The mermaid had saved her prince. Their love was unwavering. Only I was the pathetic, laughable bubble. The bubble shattered in the sunlight, turning into tears that slid down my cheeks. The second video clip showed Jack carrying Tiffany into a hotel bridal style. At the same time, I received a message from an unknown number on my phone: “Honey, I dropped my phone in the water. Borrowing a friend’s phone to text you.” “I’m still busy here, so I won’t be home tonight. Sweet dreams to you and the baby~” I stared at that message for a very long time. Then, I slowly sat up. “Ryan, help me put the aborted fetus in a foam box.” “And hire a group of gossipy old ladies with drums and gongs.” “What are you planning to do?” Ryan asked, confused. I said each word clearly: “Of course I’m going to bring this grand gift to the hotel and celebrate my husband taking a concubine with drums and gongs!” With the drum troupe in place, I immediately started a livestream, pretending to be troubled. “Everyone, the host is really having a headache lately. My husband says he and his female friend are just platonic, but I don’t think so.” The comments immediately had people mocking me: [Jealous much? Men and women can totally just be friends.] [The host is obviously narrow-minded.] I quickly shook my head in denial. [No no no, the host isn’t narrow-minded at all. After fighting with my husband’s female friend, I had an epiphany.] I paused for half a second, watching the viewer count skyrocket. [If there really is something between them, I’ll immediately arrange for my husband to take her as a concubine.] A mix of insults and sympathy flooded the comments. Using an online tutorial, I got the room key and led the drum troupe towards the room. I pushed open the door. The room was a mess, two half-naked bodies were entangled together. I covered my mouth and shouted: “Wow! Groping boobs and dicks, enjoying yourselves! Such good friends indeed!”

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I purposely switched to a super basic phone, one of those old flip phones, that couldn’t handle mobile payments. I wasn’t in a rush, but Chloe, the class beauty, sure was. In my previous life, right after high school graduation, Chloe used my phone to illegally swipe hundreds of thousands of dollars. She treated the whole class to a graduation trip, and as soon as we hit the tourist spots, she led them on a frantic buying spree. It maxed out my cards and left me over a million dollars in debt. When I confronted Chloe, telling her I’d take legal action, she looked completely innocent and played the victim to the entire class. “Harper! Even if you got scammed, you can’t just pin it on someone else, can you? Are you trying to saddle me with this huge crime, make sure I never recover?” Tears streamed down her face as the whole class angrily turned on me. “You’re so stupid for not being able to keep track of your own money, and now you’re trying to frame Chloe and make her take the fall for you? How shameless can you be?” Amidst the heated argument, they all ganged up and pushed me off a cliff, leaving me to die from the fall. The entire class then made false statements to the police, claiming I’d simply lost my footing and fallen. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day Chloe invited the class on that graduation trip. I looked at the old flip phone in my pocket and smiled. “Graduation trip, here I come!” … “Yay! We’ve finally graduated and can breathe easy! How about we all go to Italy tomorrow to chill out?” Hearing Chloe’s familiar voice, I realized I’d been reborn. The bone-deep ache of my shattered body clung to me, a phantom limb that would never heal, making me tremble uncontrollably. I looked at the familiar faces around me. No one responded to Chloe. I knew what they were worried about. They were worried if they could afford the overseas expenses. But Chloe’s next lavish declaration made the whole room erupt in cheers. “My treat! I’m paying for everyone’s round-trip airfare and all expenses during the trip!” As soon as she finished speaking, the entire class treated her like a goddess. In an instant, a thunderous wave of applause erupted, and everyone started showering Chloe with compliments. “Ugh… the class beauty is awesome!” “Chloe is so generous! Thanks, Chloe, for treating the whole class to this graduation trip!” Everyone present shrieked with excitement. Chloe’s vanity was supremely satisfied, and her face lit up with a beaming smile. Only I stood there, motionless, my expression calm. It was the exact same scene in my last life. Chloe, the class beauty, organized the whole class to go to Italy. But right before we boarded the plane, Chloe borrowed my phone, claiming hers was dead, saying she needed to call her parents to let them know she was safe. At first, everything seemed normal. It wasn’t until we reached our destination and the class started spending that my phone first showed signs of trouble. Large transaction alerts kept flooding in, one after another, filling me with pure terror. But no matter what I tried, I couldn’t stop them. I could only watch helplessly as my card was maxed out, racking up over a million dollars in debt before it finally stopped. Afterward, I went to a phone repair shop. The owner checked it out and told me my phone had been infected with a virus, which was how my money was stolen. Remembering that Chloe was the only one who had touched my phone during that time, I confronted her. But she completely twisted the narrative. Tears streaming down her face, she played the victim to the whole class. “Harper, I kindly invited you on this trip! Even if you got scammed, you can’t just pin it on someone else, can you? Are you trying to saddle me with this huge crime, make sure I never recover?” With such a massive amount of money stolen, absolute fury surged through me. Ignoring her crying, I declared I was calling the police. But they all blocked me, even damaging my phone to destroy the evidence. I was so enraged that I declared I’d pursue legal action. Ultimately, they all ganged up and pushed me off a cliff, leaving me to die from the fall. Afterward, when the police came to investigate, they all made false statements, claiming I had simply lost my footing and fallen. Because we were overseas, and because our location was remote with no surveillance cameras, the case eventually went nowhere. After I died, they pretended to be helpful, cremated my body, and sent it back home. They even told my parents I had taken my own life because I couldn’t handle the shock of being scammed out of money. My parents wept uncontrollably on the spot, their hearts shattered. They kept crying, wondering how I could be so foolish, so young, with such a bright future, to end my life over “just money.” My family was one of the most influential families in our city; a million dollars wasn’t much to me. There was no way I’d ever take my own life over it. But they still managed to deceive my parents. My parents had always taught me from a young age to keep a low profile about our wealth. I had always acted discreetly, so I had no idea how that dog Chloe had even targeted me, the daughter of one of the city’s prominent families. I died a wrongful death, my parents never recovered from the crushing sorrow of burying their own child, and they eventually withered away from grief. I clenched my fists, remembering the tragic events of my past life, my teeth grinding with pure hatred. But looking at the devils in front of me, I maintained a facade of calmness. I smiled. “Sounds great! Thank you for your generosity!” Chloe nudged my arm, acting as if we were super close. She said cheerfully, “Oh, it’s nothing! We’re all classmates, no need to be so polite. Just make sure you’re on time tomorrow, okay?” Afraid I wouldn’t come, she specifically reminded me before we split up. I replied with a fake smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely be there.” Of course, I was going. How else would I see her exposed in public? That evening, Chloe thoughtfully reminded everyone in the SnapChat group to bring their passports, pack their luggage, and gather on time the next day. The whole class actively responded in the group. “Don’t worry, Chloe, we’ll definitely be on time!” “Exactly, put your mind at ease.” Only I remained detached, like an outsider. From beginning to end, I just monitored their every move, never saying a word. The next morning, everyone was waiting early at the airport. I, as usual, was fashionably late, arriving last, right on the dot. My lazy attitude drew complaints from everyone present. “I don’t know why Chloe even bothered bringing her. People like that are so annoying, always slow at everything.” “Chloe’s just too kind, she doesn’t want to leave anyone out.” “If only *someone* had some self-awareness.” She said, giving me a pointed glare. One person directly yelled at me, “Hey, can you be a bit more proactive? How can you be so shameless, making so many people wait for you? Do you really think you’re some kind of princess? You’re acting like a diva without actually being one!” My face turned cold, ready to retort. Chloe, fearing her money bag would slip away, immediately stepped in to smooth things over. “We’re all classmates, let’s be more understanding. Harper is naturally a bit introverted, and what you’re saying is just making her more uncomfortable.” “If she’s uncomfortable, she shouldn’t come out! Only you would coddle her, Chloe.” “I think *someone* has a thick skin; she’s not uncomfortable at all, otherwise, she wouldn’t have made everyone wait so long for her.” Then someone suggested, “Why don’t you apologize to all of us? If you apologize, we’ll forgive you and let you come along.” Chloe looked at me with a difficult expression. “Harper, maybe you should just apologize to everyone to calm things down.” I looked annoyed. “Why should I? Then I’m not going.” I made a move to leave, and Chloe, panicked, grabbed my arm. “No, wait! You don’t have to apologize. I’ll apologize to everyone for you!” Chloe turned, a helpless look on her face, and apologized to the others. But her apology only fueled their anger towards me. “I’m so sorry! I’m apologizing on Harper’s behalf. Please, for my sake, just forgive her this once!” “Chloe, you’re just too kind. You’re spoiling someone like her! She needs to learn a lesson.” “Exactly! Just looking at her is annoying. If you hadn’t invited us, Chloe, we wouldn’t want to travel with *certain people*.” Seeing that their anger wouldn’t subside, Chloe quickly found an excuse to change the subject. “Alright, alright, everyone, let’s calm down. The plane is almost ready for boarding. Alright, ladies and gentlemen, let’s head to the gate!” Chloe energetically pushed them forward. Ultimately, they grudgingly agreed to let me come along for the sake of the free trip. I followed behind, and Chloe was overly solicitous, fussing over me the whole way. But right before we boarded the plane, a troubled look crossed her face, and she suddenly asked to borrow my phone. “Harper, my phone’s dead. Could I borrow yours for a moment? I want to call my parents to let them know I’m safe.” The classic scene from my last life had arrived. With the experience from my previous life, I had a plan this time. I made an excuse. “Sorry, Chloe, my phone died last night. I used it too much and forgot to charge it. Maybe you can try borrowing someone else’s phone.” Thwarted, Chloe’s face instantly fell. Her impatient expression was obvious as she brushed me off. “Fine then!” After that, she didn’t say another word to me once we were on the plane. The others were even more fearless, openly discussing me as if I were entertainment. I simply pretended to sleep, not bothering to engage. It wasn’t until after we deplaned that Chloe became enthusiastically attentive again. “Harper, the rooms are booked! To save money, we’re doing two people per room. You can share with me!” “Also, I’ve already planned our itinerary. We’re heading out bright and early tomorrow, and if you’re in my room, I can easily wake you up.” I subtly rolled my eyes at her. I replied coldly, “Fine.” Seeing this, the others immediately rallied around Chloe, seizing the opportunity to lecture me again. They started openly criticizing me, their voices dripping with disdain, right to my face. “What is she even playing at? She’s getting a free trip, and she still dares to act like that?” “Some people just have no manners.” “If I were Chloe, I’d just leave her outside the hotel.” “She’s just taking advantage of Chloe being beautiful and kind-hearted! Don’t worry, people like that always get what’s coming to them.” Their unrestrained chatter reached my ears, and I could no longer control myself. My face darkened, and I angrily demanded, “Have you said enough? Do you want me to get a needle and thread and sew your mouths shut?” They weren’t backing down. “Go on! Who’s scared of you?!” “Look at the b*tch, she’s finally triggered!”

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I’d just wrapped up the biggest tech summit globally when the mentor I saw as a mother called. She’d arranged a marriage for me, to Seraphina Hayes, the daughter of her close friend. Seraphina was a true business titan in Veridia City. I’d licensed several of my patents to her company, and they were currently the core technology for their new products. I worked late, clearing my lab tasks, then changed into a carefully chosen suit and headed to the engagement ceremony. But Seraphina Hayes’ male assistant, Brandon Lee, blocked me right at the auditorium entrance. He was dressed in a impeccably tailored designer suit, every hair in place, looking more like the groom than I did. “If you know what’s good for you, scram. An orphan with no background, honestly, do you even think you’re worthy of our CEO Hayes?” I shot back, “Does Seraphina know you’re taking such liberties?” Brandon Lee sneered, a dismissive chuckle escaping him. “A kept man, only clinging to success through his mentor’s name. How could you possibly understand my place in CEO Hayes’ heart?” As he spoke, a trace of obsession and smugness flickered in his eyes. I gave him a quick once-over, then called Seraphina. “If your hospitality means blocking your fiancé at the door, then perhaps my patents should only be a contract for you to glimpse, before I sell them to your rival company?”

I was an orphan. My education, my entry into the country’s top research lab—it was all thanks to my mentor’s cultivation. She’d shown me so much love, like a real mother. That’s why, when she picked my fiancée, I was willing to be patient. If Seraphina Hayes could handle this properly, give me a decent explanation, I was ready to give her another chance. “Julian Sterling? What is it?” The other end of the line was noisy, sounds of guests talking around her. She first responded to someone beside her, then coolly brought the phone to her ear, as if she hadn’t heard me at all. “Come get me into the venue, your assistant…” Before I could finish, she let out an irritated “Tsk,” cutting me off impatiently. “Do you have some kind of prince complex? Can’t walk on your own two feet?” “I’m busy greeting guests. Where would I find the time to come get you? Get in here yourself.” A dial tone buzzed in my ear. Brandon Lee covered his mouth, a muffled snicker escaping him, his eyes openly mocking. “I’m just following CEO Hayes’ orders. If you want to go in, just go in. I definitely won’t stop you then.” I could calmly handle the most complex experiments. But dealing with such an unreasonable person, I felt a sharp pain in my temples. “Mr. Lee, do you think your assistant position is really that secure? Troubling the CEO’s fiancé at the entrance of the ballroom—is that part of your career plan?” “What a pity. Compared to a professional elite like me, the CEO despises useless freeloaders like you even more.” I raised my eyes and stared coldly. “Professional elite? One who harbors inappropriate intentions toward his female boss?” “Does Seraphina Hayes know her assistant is like a lapdog, wagging his tail and begging for scraps every day?” Brandon Lee’s face contorted with rage. He raised his hand, lashing out at me. I stepped back quickly, dodging his blow. “You got triggered, so you resort to violence? Is that how you handle failed business negotiations, too, by slapping people? Truly an elite, indeed.” “You! Hold him down!” His mind laid bare, Brandon Lee’s sharp voice cracked. He gasped, glaring at me, his finger trembling as he pointed. The few security guards watching the drama nearby heard him and started walking towards me. “Mr. Lee is being an idiot, but are you all too? Do you realize you’re about to assault Seraphina Hayes’ fiancé?” I tried to appeal to their reason. The guards exchanged glances. The lead guard spoke with a seemingly apologetic tone, but his eyes held clear mockery. “Mr. Sterling, we’re just following orders. Please bear with us.” “Mr. Lee is the CEO’s golden boy. You’re just a tool for an alliance with no background. If your dead parents suddenly came back to life with some immense power, then we’d definitely apologize to you.” I was wearing a perfectly fitted suit and expensive dress shoes for the engagement ceremony. After dodging a couple of times, two guards quickly grabbed my arms, half-forcing me forward, pressing me in front of Brandon Lee. He glowered at my face, then suddenly pulled his lips back into a smile. He raised his hand, his designer watch glinting coldly, ready to slap me. I shut my eyes tight. “Stop!” A cool voice, laced with fury, cut through the air. Brandon Lee’s hand froze mid-air. **[CUT-OFF POINT]**

Seraphina Hayes walked towards me. Tall and striking, her beauty was even more captivating in person than in pictures. She scanned me with disdain, her gaze sweeping over my face, pausing for a moment. “It’s our engagement party today. What disgraceful scene are you making here?” I wrenched free from the guards, straightened up, and adjusted my suit collar, letting out a cold laugh. “Can’t you see what’s happening?” “Seraphina, I’d like to ask you, is allowing your security to assault me at the auditorium entrance your idea of hospitality?” “Do you know your assistant just—” Before I could finish, Seraphina cut me off with a frown. “Enough! You’re late for the engagement ceremony and instead of coming in, you’re causing trouble at the entrance? My security is supposed to restrain you, or should they just let you run inside and disturb the guests?” “My time is precious, and you’ve just wasted it. You, an orphan, are worthless and foolish. I honestly don’t know why my mother insisted I get engaged to you.” Guests who’d followed out to watch the drama vaguely looked my way, whispering among themselves. Their condescending stares made me feel like a clown. I, too, felt my time had been wasted. I’d spent so much time preparing, even specifically taking a day off. With that time, I could have updated the data for my new experiment. “Funny you say that. I feel my time has been wasted too.” “Since neither of us can stand the other, why don’t we just call off the engagement?” Seraphina Hayes froze, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Are you threatening me?” “Causing trouble in front of me isn’t enough, now you’re trying to use canceling the engagement to blackmail me? Do you really think that will make me bend to your will?” I looked at Seraphina’s expression, suddenly at a loss for words. It felt like I was talking to a brick wall. Beside her, Brandon Lee stood respectfully, yet his tone was laced with a hint of intimacy and grievance. “CEO Hayes, he’s causing such a scene at the engagement ceremony. What will happen after you get married? He’ll turn everything upside down!” “And he saw I was your capable assistant, thought I was stealing his thunder, and got so mad he tried to hit me. If those guards hadn’t protected me, he surely would have succeeded.” Seraphina Hayes looked at me in disbelief. “Brandon has been my assistant for two years. Do you know how much he’s handled for me? Do you think he’s some useless freeloader who got his position through connections, like you? What do you have to be jealous of?” I curved my lips, but there was no hint of a smile in my eyes. “While I’m curious why you think I’m useless, do you really believe your assistant’s words?” “It was your assistant—” Seraphina Hayes cut me off again. “If I don’t believe my assistant, should I believe a lunatic like you?” Brandon Lee raised his hand to cover his rising smirk. He blinked, and tears welled up in his eyes. “CEO Hayes, my heart aches for you.” “You’re practically royalty in Veridia City, your word is law, yet you’re still bound by your mother and forced into an alliance with a lunatic.” Seraphina Hayes had only taken over Hayes Corporation two years ago, and Madam Hayes still heavily interfered in the company’s affairs. She had accumulated a lot of anger from her mother’s meddling. Brandon Lee’s words made the atmosphere around her instantly heavy. “Julian Sterling, you’d better apologize to me properly and offer compensation. Otherwise, even my mother can’t save you.”

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I was cleaning the house on the second day after my husband left for a business trip when I casually said to our smart speaker, “Alexa, play some music.” Instead, an unfamiliar sultry female voice came through the speaker. “Sure thing, my little moonbeam. Also, a reminder for James – don’t forget Aria’s birthday surprise tonight~” I froze, the music suddenly grating to my ears. My husband’s name is James. Who was Aria? I immediately called James: “Did you mess with our smart speaker at home?” There was a pause on the other end before he laughed it off, “Oh, a friend came over to visit the other day. Maybe they connected their account. Why?” I laughed and said it was nothing. After hanging up, I pulled up the speaker’s login history and took a cab straight to the company address associated with that unfamiliar account. The taxi stopped in front of the “Starlight Design” building. I looked up. The glass curtain wall glared dazzlingly in the sunlight, much like the company’s aggressive momentum in the industry over the past two years. Our main competitor at “Dreamscape Design”. The receptionist was very professional, not giving me the cold shoulder despite me being from a rival company. She simply made an internal call in a businesslike manner. A few minutes later, a girl in a white dress walked out quickly. She had waist-length hair and a bare face, looking clean and innocent. Aria. When she saw me, there was a clear moment of panic in her eyes, like a startled deer, but she quickly composed herself and squeezed out a shy smile. “Hello, may I ask who you are?” “About the smart speaker,” I got straight to the point, looking at her calmly, “The login records show it was your account.” “Oh, that speaker!” She had a sudden realization, then scratched her head embarrassedly, “That belongs to my roommate. She used my phone to log in a few days ago, said her membership had expired and wanted to use mine for a bit. Did it cause you any trouble? I’m so sorry!” Her words were watertight, both distancing herself and appearing innocent and naive. If I didn’t know James’s personality, I might have believed her. That man, arrogant and sensitive, how could he let an unrelated intern use a personal account to log into a device at home? My gaze slowly moved from her face full of innocence to her slender wrist. There was a silver bracelet. Two irregular circular links interlocked, with a small letter “J” engraved on one of the links. That was the gift I had personally designed and had a craftsman friend make for James on our wedding anniversary last year. J for James. The only one of its kind in the world. Aria noticed my gaze and instinctively tried to hide her hand behind her back. But I smiled, stepping forward with an almost gentle tone: “That’s a unique bracelet. Did your boyfriend give it to you? He has great taste.” Her face went white in an instant, her lips trembling, unable to utter a word. That was enough. I didn’t look at her again and turned to leave. Getting into the return taxi, I immediately called my best friend Emma, the best divorce lawyer in the industry. As soon as the call connected, her loud voice came through: “Well, well, if it isn’t the great designer Olivia! Did the sun rise from the west today? You actually remembered me?” “I need a favor,” I said, watching the streetscape rapidly receding outside the window, my voice unnaturally calm. “Look into someone for me. An intern at Starlight Design named Aria. Also, dig up all of James’s financial transactions and hotel records for the past six months. Don’t miss a single one.” Emma went quiet for two seconds, dropping her joking tone: “…Are we raiding the house?” “Worse than that.” After hanging up, the car fell into dead silence. It wasn’t long before James’s call came through. I looked at the word “Husband” on the screen, finding it incredibly ironic. I took a deep breath before answering. “Olivia, what’s wrong?” His customarily gentle and refined voice came through the receiver, with just the right amount of concern, “I heard from Emma that you asked her to look into something. Are you having trouble at work?” Look, he even planted a spy so quickly. I pushed down the surging emotions and said in the most normal tone: “No, I just suddenly miss you very much.” On the other end of the phone, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, then chuckled softly. “Silly girl, I miss you too. Once I finish this project, I’ll fly back to be with you right away, my little moonbeam.” The words “little moonbeam” clearly pierced my ears. My grip on the phone suddenly tightened. So, I wasn’t the only moonbeam. Or perhaps, I never was.

Emma’s efficiency was astonishing. In just half an hour, my phone vibrated. A link, with a comment: “The year’s best white lotus actress in her prime, the evidence chain is so complete I almost feel bad charging you full price. Enjoy.” I clicked on it. It was Aria’s social media account, set to public. The latest post was a close-up of her wrist, wearing that all-too-familiar J bracelet, with the caption: “The moon races towards you, Mr. C.” My “little moonbeam” nickname, my J bracelet, had now become another woman’s trophies. I scrolled down expressionlessly. One photo’s background was our study at home. Aria was smiling innocently with her face cupped in her hands, behind her was my rare architectural atlas I had bought from Italy. “Absorbing knowledge in Mr. C’s study, I feel like I’m becoming smarter too!” In another photo, she was holding a pen, writing and drawing on a blueprint. That was the 30th birthday gift I gave James, a limited edition collaboration. “The pen Mr. C gave me works so well, he said my hands deserve the best pen.” There was another one at our favorite private kitchen, with dishes I loved to order. “Secret base with Mr. C, he says I’m the only harbor where he can completely relax.” Every photo, every word, was like a precise scalpel, cutting into my softest memories one by one. Until I scrolled to a post from three days ago. In the photo, Aria was holding a printed design draft, smiling triumphantly. The caption read: “Mr. C stayed up all night helping me revise this. He said I’m the most talented designer he’s ever seen, and I’ll definitely win the ‘Skyline Center’ project. Fighting!” “Skyline Center”. That was the project our “Dreamscape” had poured all our hearts into, preparing for a full six months. It was the most important milestone in my career. I suddenly stood up from the sofa, grabbed my car keys, and rushed out the door. The company was empty late at night. I unlocked it with my fingerprint and went straight to James’s office. His computer was still on the screensaver, our wedding photo where he was smiling tenderly and affectionately. I felt a wave of nausea. I hit the keyboard, the screen lit up, and a password input box popped up. I tried my birthday, error. Tried our wedding anniversary, still error. I laughed coldly and entered Aria’s birthday. “Welcome.” The desktop was clean and tidy. I immediately spotted that encrypted folder. I clicked on it, inside was the final proposal for “Skyline Center”, every detail crystallizing months of hard work from me and the team. And next to it, there lay another folder, named with just one letter – A. I opened it. The proposal inside was almost identical to ours, with only minor adjustments to a few key load-bearing structures and design highlights, avoiding core patents while retaining the essence of the plan. The name signed on the proposal: Aria. He not only cheated but was about to steal my life’s work, our company’s future, to pave a golden path for his mistress. A violent churning in my stomach, I gripped the cold desk tightly to keep from collapsing. So, jealousy and betrayal could truly distort a man to this extent.

At the “Skyline Center” project bidding conference, the venue was buzzing with noise. I sat in an inconspicuous corner, watching Starlight Design’s representative walk onto the stage. It was Aria. Today she wore a well-tailored business suit, her long hair tied up, face delicately made up, shedding her previous innocent look for a more professional elite aura. She took a deep breath and began to explain the design concept. “My design inspiration comes from the ‘Eye of the City’. We hope it’s not just a cold building, but a living entity that breathes with this city, witnessing its development…” These words, every single one, were what I had said to James countless times during late nights, drinking coffee with bloodshot eyes. I once thought it was the most tacit soul resonance between husband and wife. Now I know it was just my one-person show, and he was the most patient thief. More ironically, James was sitting in the VIP guest seat of the judges’ panel. Suit and tie, hair neatly combed, exactly the elite image I was most familiar with. He listened with extreme attention, nodding from time to time, his eyes looking at Aria with a light I had never seen before – a kind of regarding the other as a treasure, eager to show off to the whole world. He completely ignored me sitting in the corner of the audience, as if I were just an insignificant background. My phone vibrated in my palm. It was a message from Emma. “Need me to bring a brick and crash the scene?” Looking at the screen, the corners of my tightly pressed lips actually curved slightly. I replied with two words: “Stand by.” On stage, Aria’s speech reached its climax, the PPT showing the final effect drawing, exactly the one stolen from my computer. A low murmur of amazement rippled through the audience. The speech ended to thunderous applause. The host walked on stage: “Thank you for Ms. Aria’s brilliant presentation. Now let’s invite our special guest judge, a very senior figure in our industry, Mr. James from Dreamscape Design, to give a few comments on this proposal.” The microphone was passed to James. He cleared his throat, his gaze falling tenderly on Aria, and began to speak. “To be honest, I’m very impressed.” “Ms. Aria’s design perfectly balances artistic aesthetics and practical functionality, especially the minor adjustments to several key load-bearing structures, very bold, very inspired.” He used the word “inspired”. The word he used to describe Aria, to hurt me. He paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience. “I believe this work is undoubtedly today’s best.” Applause erupted again, even more enthusiastic than before. At that moment, my world went silent except for the dull thudding of my heart in my chest. The host smiled and took over: “Thank you for Mr. Chen’s high praise! It seems our ‘Starlight Design’ is determined to win this time! So, does anyone in the audience or any of the judges have questions for Ms. Aria?” The venue fell silent. After this “authority” James had stamped his approval, there seemed to be nothing left to ask. Aria bowed on stage, her face unable to hide her pride and joy. I put away my phone and stood up during the pause before people were about to applaud again. The movement wasn’t big, but it instantly attracted everyone’s attention. The host was stunned for a moment: “This lady, may I ask who you are?” James’s smile froze.

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I noticed something strange about my husband sleeping next to me. He was like a dead fish, unresponsive to my intimate advances. I thought it was because we’d been married for a while, and he had lost his passion and excitement for me. That was until I overheard my husband talking to his friend: “My wife sleeps like a log every night. You could put a corpse next to her, and she wouldn’t even notice!” So, did my husband find a corpse to act as his body double? 0 I jolted awake from my sleep, faintly hearing slight noises coming from the living room. It sounded like someone moaning and panting. In the pitch darkness, I couldn’t help but feel creeped out. I instinctively reached out to nudge my husband beside me. “Jack, I think there’s someone outside…” I pushed him a few times, but he didn’t respond, seemingly fast asleep. He must have been exhausted from the day, I thought. In the end, I decided not to wake him up. I slowly got up, grabbing a vase from the nightstand for self-defense. Could it be a burglar? I tiptoed out of the bedroom, opening the door quietly. The living room was pitch black, and I couldn’t see anything. After some consideration, I mustered up the courage to feel my way to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. Feeling a bit braver, I found the light switch by the door and turned on all the lights. The living room was suddenly bright. I looked around but didn’t find anything unusual. I checked the other bedrooms too, but there were no signs of intrusion, and none of our valuables were missing. I stood in the living room, bewildered. Had I imagined it all? The next morning, I woke up and went to the living room. Jack was already sitting at the dining table, smiling at me. “Morning, babe! Come have some breakfast!” My husband, Jack, was quite the catch – tall, handsome, and charming. We had a whirlwind romance, getting married after knowing each other for just a month. Despite the rushed nature of our relationship, our marriage had been good. He supported me as I built my career from nothing to becoming the CEO of a company. I became the envy of all the women in our social circle. After my business success, Jack quit his job and became a stay-at-home husband. The only regret was that after six years of marriage, we still didn’t have a child to show for our love. We thought there might be something wrong with our bodies, but medical check-ups showed we were both healthy. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be yet! I sat down after washing up and took a bite of the warm sandwich. Remembering last night’s incident, I couldn’t help but ask him about it. Jack rolled his eyes and said irritably, “Babe, were you dreaming?” I wanted to say more, but he had already stood up and said, “Alright, honey, you need to get to work. Hurry up and eat! I’m going back for a nap. For some reason, I’ve been feeling really tired lately.” Jack stretched and walked past me to the bedroom. I don’t know if it was my imagination, but I felt like there was a faint, strange smell coming from him. I didn’t think much of it. After a quick breakfast, I headed to the office. The next night, I don’t know how long I had been asleep when I was once again startled awake. The panting outside was even louder this time. I got up to check, but again, nothing was missing. My scalp tingled with fear. If it wasn’t a burglar, could our house be haunted? I’m a skeptic, but at that moment, the only explanation I could think of, besides a ghost, was… well, I couldn’t think of anything else. But for the next two weeks, everything seemed to return to normal. The eerie sounds never came back. I thought the incident was over, but little did I know, it was just the beginning. One night, I had a vivid dream. In it, Jack and I were passionately making love. But just as things were getting intense, I suddenly woke up. The lingering desire from the dream left my body feeling like it was on fire. I couldn’t help but snuggle closer to Jack’s body, softly calling out to him. “Honey, are you asleep?” Just like before, I called out several times, but Jack didn’t respond. It felt like lying next to a corpse. 0

But I was already consumed by an endless desire, and I wasn’t about to let him off the hook. I went from softly calling his name to shaking him vigorously. “Jack, wake up.” Just as my mind was starting to form some unpleasant theories, Jack finally showed a bit of response. He mumbled sleepily, “Go to sleep.” Of course, I wasn’t having it. I pressed myself against him again, whispering in his ear, “Babe, it’s been so long since we’ve been intimate. How about we go wild tonight?” As I spoke, my hands started to wander. He didn’t refuse me, so I became bolder in my actions. However, I vaguely felt that the skin I was touching was cold, unlike Jack’s usual warm, soft skin. Moreover, the scent on his body seemed different from before, which gave me a strange sense of novelty. But just as my hand was about to reach its peak, he suddenly grabbed my wrist. “No… not now. I need to take a shower first.” Before I could react, he had already scrambled out of bed, wrapped himself in the blanket, and stumbled out of the room in the dark. His series of actions left me bewildered. But since he said he wanted to shower, I could only wait silently, hoping he would be quick. However, after waiting in the room for a long time, I was starting to doze off. So I got up, intending to go and hurry him along. Suddenly, I heard voices talking in the living room. To my surprise, besides Jack, there was another man in the living room. It was Jack’s friend, Brian. I had met him a few times before. Brian was just as attractive as Jack, if not more so. Today, he was wearing only a thin T-shirt on his upper body, which perfectly outlined his impressive physique. He was the type of handsome guy that made people fantasize after just one glance. For some reason, Brian’s face looked troubled, as if he was hiding fear. “When did you get here?” I asked. Jack immediately put his arm around Brian’s shoulders and said to me, “He just arrived. Honey, there’s been some noise in Brian’s neighborhood lately, keeping him up at night. He came over to stay with us for the night.” I nodded upon hearing this. I was about to turn and go back to the bedroom when I suddenly noticed something odd. “Hey, Jack, weren’t you taking a shower? Why are you still wearing pants?” Jack had said he was going to shower, but now he was wearing dress pants instead of pajamas or a bathrobe. He even had dress shoes on his feet. Jack replied irritably when he heard my question, “Well, Brian called me just now and asked me to go pick him up. I couldn’t exactly go down in just a towel, could I?” I didn’t think much of it and turned to go back to the bedroom. The heated feeling from earlier had dissipated, and it was getting late. I had a team meeting at the office tomorrow morning, so in the end, I fell asleep without continuing what we had started with Jack. However, little did I know that Brian’s appearance at our house tonight was not as simple as Jack had made it out to be. 0

A week later, I had finished my work at the office and had nothing else to do, so I fell asleep in my office. I slept deeply, as I had been under a lot of stress lately. By nighttime, since I had rested for a long time during the day, I wasn’t sleeping as heavily. I woke up groggily and found that Jack wasn’t in bed. I initially thought he was in the bathroom and didn’t think much of it, preparing to go back to sleep. But suddenly, I heard whispering voices from outside the door. Could it be Jack on the phone with someone? A feeling of unease suddenly welled up in my heart. It was so late, Jack wasn’t in the room, and he was secretly making a call in the living room. Had our marriage hit a rough patch? I hurried to the door, pressing myself against it as if I wanted to meld into it. Jack’s voice came from outside. “Brian, please help me out here. Hasn’t your company not paid salaries for a few months now? If you help me, I’ll add another thousand, no, two thousand. How about that?” So he was talking to Brian! The heart that had risen to my throat relaxed a bit. But suddenly, Brian’s voice rang out. It wasn’t the sound of a phone call; he was in the living room with my husband. “No, no, I can’t agree to this, even if I’m short on money. We almost got caught by your wife last time…” I was stunned. What had they almost been caught doing? Jack continued, “Don’t worry, that was an accident. I promise it won’t happen again like last time.” “Look, if you agree to help me, I’ll not only give you an extra two thousand, but I’ll also have my wife arrange a position for you at her company. The salary will definitely be higher than at your previous company.” Brian seemed to fall silent. I listened, completely confused. What extra money? What did Jack want Brian to agree to? And how was I involved in this? What on earth was going on? After a long while, under Jack’s urging, Brian seemed to waver, but he said, “Sigh, I really don’t understand why you’re doing this. It’s clear that your wife loves you very much. Why don’t you two just have a baby? Maybe that will change your mind.” My heart, which had just settled down, rose up again. Although Jack’s voice wasn’t loud, I could still hear a hint of indifference in his words. “I don’t want to have children. I still want to play around for a few more years.” “I can’t live without those young, fresh bodies out there!” Hearing this, I almost collapsed to the ground. So the so-called stay-at-home husband was actually going out to party and fool around behind my back every day. What he said about not being able to live without it was just an excuse. Disbelief, pain, and anger instantly rushed to my head. I wanted to burst out and slap him hard, demanding to know why he would do this. But just then, he spoke again, pleading with Brian. “Come on, Brian. My wife has been under a lot of stress lately. She’s been sleeping like a log every night. You could put a corpse next to her, and she wouldn’t even notice!” A flash of lightning struck in my mind, and I came up with an unbelievable guess. 0

Could it be that Jack always sneaks out at night to fool around with other women, but he’s worried that I might wake up in the middle of the night and find him gone? So he asked his friend Brian to lie next to me as his substitute. After all, they have similar builds. This way, even if I wake up in the middle of the night, I wouldn’t be able to see clearly who’s lying next to me in the dark, and naturally, I wouldn’t disturb my “sleeping husband.” That means the two times I heard the door opening before weren’t burglars, but my husband letting Brian lie next to me while he sneaked out to fool around. Thinking about this, everything suddenly made sense. Why I suddenly found the voice of the “husband” next to me strange, why he would become stiff as if touched by a stranger when I touched his body – because it wasn’t my husband Jack at all, but Brian. I finally understood why he always smelled of alcohol early in the morning, and why he was wearing formal clothes that night when I saw him with Brian. Brian must have realized they couldn’t keep up the charade and ran to the bathroom to call Jack, telling him to come back quickly. That’s why Brian couldn’t look me in the eye that day, always avoiding my gaze. Realizing this, I collapsed onto the bed. I laughed bitterly at myself. I couldn’t believe such an obvious trick had gone unnoticed by me. If I hadn’t woken up suddenly tonight and heard their conversation, I probably would have continued being the fool. I suddenly got up, about to yank open the bedroom door, but in the end, I calmed down. Even if I rushed out now and tore Jack to pieces, it wouldn’t change anything. Once someone’s heart has changed, it’s like spilled water that can’t be gathered back. I wanted to see what else he would do to keep me in the dark. Thinking this, I slowly went back to bed and lay down, no longer paying attention to the voices outside. It was already midnight. I just lay there silently on the bed. About half an hour passed, and the room fell into complete silence. Then, once again, there was a faint sound of a door closing outside. Compared to the previous two times, this door-closing sound was obviously much quieter. If I had been asleep, I definitely wouldn’t have heard it. It was this sound of the door closing that completely broke my heart. Perhaps our marriage had been a mistake from the very beginning. Another half hour passed, and the lock on the bedroom door started to turn. The sound was still very small, hardly making any noise at all, pulling me back from my complicated thoughts. It seemed Brian had come in. In the darkness, I squinted my eyes. I couldn’t see very clearly, only able to make out a figure entering the room, carefully closing the door, and then tiptoeing to my bedside. It was undoubtedly Brian. His every movement was like walking on a tightrope, extremely careful, as if worried I might suddenly wake up. After reaching the bedside, he paused for a long time. Finally, he gently pulled back the covers and slowly lay down. To be honest, my feelings right now were extremely complicated. There was the grief and anger from my husband’s betrayal, but also, strangely, excitement and nervousness from him personally sending his friend to my bed. After Brian lay down beside me, even his breathing was barely audible. I knew he must be very nervous too. I laughed at myself again. My husband, in order to go out and fool around at night, actually sent his handsome friend to my bed. This is something even movies wouldn’t dare to portray, yet it was happening to me. I thought to myself: “Oh, Jack. I don’t think I’ve ever wronged you in any way. Since we got married, I’ve tried my best to satisfy all your wants. And this is how it ends up. I’m so angry!” Thinking about everything that had happened, my anger level skyrocketed. Suddenly, an extremely bold idea surged into my mind. Alright, Jack. You forced me into this. Since you sent Brian to my bed to impersonate you, there’s nothing wrong with me being intimate with my “husband,” right? I’ll just pretend that the person lying next to me now is Jack. I want to see how you’ll deal with this aftermath.

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When my husband Carlos Reeds insisted on taking away our disabled daughter Emilia Reeds, I, Violet Lewis, realized he had been reborn too. In my previous life, I caught Carlos having an affair with Vanessa Hanson. I tearfully asked for a divorce, but he showed no intention of trying to save our marriage. Carlos favored sons over daughters. After the divorce, he took away our 8-year-old son Myles Reeds but left 5-year-old Emilia, who was disabled, with me. Eighteen years passed, and under my devoted care, Emilia was accepted into New York University. After graduation, she was even recruited by the government as an outstanding talent. During her spare time, she unexpectedly met Noah Stewart, a military commander. Noah didn’t mind her disability and fell in love with her at first sight, vowing to marry no one but her. Eventually, Emilia married Noah, and I was able to enjoy my golden years in comfort and security. Meanwhile, Carlos married Vanessa right after our divorce. But Vanessa despised Myles because he was my child. After becoming pregnant with Carlos’s baby, she would beat and scold him constantly. She had originally planned to kick Myles out once her child was born, but on the day of delivery, Myles locked the door from the inside, causing Vanessa to hemorrhage and die. Having lost both his wife and unborn child, Carlos ran into me on the street by chance. Consumed by jealousy, he pulled out a fruit knife and stabbed me to death, screaming, “Why do you get to live so well while I end up like this!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Carlos and I divorced. “I’ve been done with you for a long time. You, a country girl, should consider it a blessing from your past life that you got to marry me and serve me for a few years. But I’m being generous—I won’t fight you for Myles. Emilia is coming back to Boston with me. Give me five hundred dollars for her support. If you weren’t so useless, she wouldn’t have been born disabled.” Looking at this arrogant, rambling man before me, I felt momentarily dazed. How could Carlos look so young? Shouldn’t he be that middle-aged man tortured beyond recognition by life? “Violet, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and get the divorce papers done. Don’t delay my precious daughter’s schooling.” I jerked my head up, staring at him in disbelief. Precious daughter? Divorce? Had Carlos and I both been reborn? In my previous life, when we divorced, he was utterly disgusted by Emilia, saying a disabled child didn’t deserve to be his daughter. Then he left without looking back, taking the struggling Myles and Vanessa with him. He never imagined that Emilia, whom he despised, would be admitted to a prestigious university under my care and marry into a military family, achieving upward social mobility. In contrast, Carlos not only lost Vanessa and his unborn child but was also dragged into legal trouble by Myles, whom he had placed such high hopes on, ending up alone and miserable. Thinking of this, my heart ached unbearably. My once most well-behaved son had been tortured into that state by these two demons, Carlos and Vanessa. “I want both Myles and Emilia. I will never let them follow a cheating father.” Hearing this, Carlos’s expression changed. He glanced at Vanessa, who looked pitiful beside him, then shouted at me harshly, “Violet, show some respect! Vanessa and I grew up together and have always loved each other. You’re the one who came between us.” I laughed coldly, “Oh really? Now that you can go back to Boston, you’re getting bold with your words? Who was it that came from a poor family, acting pitiful in front of my parents every day, even saying he’d be willing to marry into our family?” Carlos’s face flushed red. Just as he was about to retort, a childish voice interrupted, “Don’t talk about my daddy like that!” I followed the voice and saw Emilia glaring at me angrily, as if I were her mortal enemy. Then she turned to Carlos with an obedient expression, “Daddy, I want to go with you. I love you the most.” Carlos immediately straightened up and said smugly, “Did you hear that? Emilia chose me. I really don’t know how you’ve been mothering her—even your own daughter can’t stand you.” Yes, how had I been mothering her? In my previous life, I gave everything I had, only to end up with an ungrateful daughter. If that’s the case, then in this life, I’ll grant her wish and let her go with her beloved father to live her so-called “good life.” “Mom, I want you. I only recognize you as my mother in this lifetime. Besides you, I don’t want anyone else.” A warm little hand tightly grasped my trembling hand. I looked down at Myles’s innocent, pure little face, and tears I could no longer control began to fall. I don’t want Emilia anymore. In this life, I only want Myles to live healthily and happily. I raised my head and looked at the three people beaming with happiness, “Carlos, you’re really shameless. Don’t forget, you and Vanessa committed adultery during our marriage. If I report you two, you’ll both be scorned by everyone, and you might not even qualify to return to Boston.” Carlos and Vanessa’s faces instantly turned pale. After a long while, Carlos stammered, “We were husband and wife after all. Do you really have to be so ruthless? Fine, I won’t ask for child support. Just give me Emilia.” I scoffed and replied coldly, “You don’t want child support? Well, I do!” I stretched out my hand and waved it in front of him, “Five hundred dollars. Not a cent less.”

“Impossible. Myles isn’t worth that much money. If you really need the cash, I might as well take him with me too.” Carlos spoke while looking at Myles with obvious disgust. Hearing this, I could no longer contain my rage and slapped him hard across the face. His cheek immediately swelled up and turned red. Emilia shouted at me: “Bad woman! You hit my daddy! I hate you!” Before Carlos could react, Emilia had already stumbled down from her wheelchair and looked up at Carlos with an innocent expression: “Daddy, let me blow on it for you. It won’t hurt anymore…” Watching this touching father-daughter scene unfold before me, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes: “I’m not negotiating with you—I’m warning you. Besides, Myles is my precious boy, and I will never hand him over to you! If you don’t give me the money, I’ll tell everyone about your affair right now and let them judge who’s right.” With that, I made as if to leave. Vanessa immediately panicked: “Carlos, just agree to her terms, or we’ll both be ruined.” As expected, as long as Carlos and Vanessa didn’t want their reputations destroyed, they would scrape together the money for me. So the divorce and child support matters were settled smoothly. Looking at the thin divorce certificate in my hands, I let out a long sigh of relief. Carlos said: “Women are so short-sighted. You really think having five hundred dollars will change your life? You have no idea what you’re giving up.” As Carlos spoke, he scooped up Emilia, his face full of barely concealed smugness: “Emilia is a little genius. She’ll get into New York University someday and marry someone important so I can live the good life. As for you, raising such an ungrateful son—be careful you don’t live long enough to spend that money.” He finished with a sinister laugh, as if he could already foresee our fate. Emilia said: “I’ll study hard and give you a good life. I love you the most.” Watching Emilia tug at Carlos’s sleeve with that fawning expression, I smiled slightly. A cowardly, incompetent man who only wanted to steal the fruits of my previous life’s labor, and a calculating demon who could even betray her own birth mother—I was equally eager to see how they would end up. But before that, I just wanted to give Myles a good life and make up for everything I owed him in my previous life. Thinking of my last life, when I visited him in prison and saw Myles’s tear-stained face as he cried and asked why I didn’t want him, telling me how Vanessa had abused him, my heart clenched involuntarily. From now on, he would be my son alone, and in this life he only needed to grow up safe and happy. With this thought, I gently stroked Myles’s head: “Baby, from now on it’s just the two of us. It might be hard, but I promise I’ll take good care of you…” Before I could finish, Myles threw himself into my arms: “I’ll take good care of you too. As long as I can be with you, I’m not afraid of hardship.” Perhaps because I had memories from my previous life, the days I thought would be difficult gradually became fulfilling and meaningful. Slowly, we moved to Concord, and within six years, my business grew bigger and bigger, eventually expanding to Boston. I also changed Myles’s name to Jeremy Lewis. I had originally thought that Boston was so big, and six years had passed—surely I wouldn’t run into Carlos again so soon. But perhaps it really was a destined karmic connection, because I encountered the three of them dining at the restaurant I owned.

Emilia wore a fashionable princess dress, her face beaming with sweet smiles as she acted coquettishly toward Carlos. Meanwhile, Vanessa had completely lost that superior city-dweller attitude from her previous life. She looked utterly haggard, wearing clothes that were neither new nor old, appearing even worse off than rural women. Carlos kept scolding her: “What are you dawdling for? Didn’t you hear Emilia say she’s thirsty? Hurry up and bring her some water!” After the reprimand, he immediately turned to Emilia with a loving smile. The emotional shift was so abrupt that his expression looked twisted: “Sweetheart, your test scores this time are fine, right?” I watched Emilia with some surprise, never expecting that after being reborn, she would be even more outstanding by Carlos’s side than in her previous life. Emilia paused for a moment, then answered confidently: “Of course, Dad. When have I ever dropped out of the top three since I was little? Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get into the best university and give you the best life.” Carlos was extremely satisfied after hearing this. He crossed his legs smugly, his face full of pride: “Good, this month’s salary was well spent. You better remember my kindness in the future.” Emilia made another heartfelt promise, and for a moment, it was a picture of paternal love and filial devotion, warm and touching. Meanwhile, Vanessa just sat there with a dark expression, silently eating with her head down. I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened during these years. In her previous life, she had been so arrogant and willful, even tormenting Myles to the point of madness, ultimately choosing to perish together with him. Yet in this life, she was allowing Emilia to boss her around. Before I could think further, a surprised voice interrupted my thoughts: “Violet? You’re really something, running off to Boston to work as a waitress. How shameless. Thank goodness our precious daughter didn’t follow you, or just thinking about it would break my heart.” I looked up to see Carlos staring at me with disgust, while Emilia’s eyes were full of disdain: “I only have a dad. I don’t have any mom.” Carlos not only didn’t criticize her but became even more smug: “That’s right, Emilia is going to marry someone important in the future. How can she have a mom who works as a restaurant waitress? Emilia, you must never acknowledge her!” After saying this, he even let out a few mocking laughs and shouted loudly: “Waitress, check please!” Watching his pretentious act, I took a deep breath and forced a fake smile: “Please pay at the cashier. Have a good day.” Seeing me bow my head, Carlos became even more pleased with himself, swaggering toward the cashier. Vanessa kept her head down, pushing Emilia’s wheelchair from behind. As they passed by me, Emilia raised her hand to cover her nose and mouth, as if I were some kind of infectious disease, her face full of disgust. However, before I could even leave the dining hall, I heard an angry roar: “What kind of restaurant is this? Three people eating and you charge a hundred dollars? Are you people crazy with poverty? Let me tell you, I’m a local, not like those outsiders. You better wise up!” Suddenly, everyone’s attention turned to the cashier. The young cashier looked aggrieved but still tried to calm Carlos down: “Sir, everything here is clearly priced. You can take a careful look – the amount is definitely correct.” She handed him a receipt, but Carlos didn’t even look at it. He swatted her hand away, his words full of threats: “I knew it. Any place that would hire that woman can’t be any good. Call your boss out here. I’m from the Tax Bureau, and I need to have a good talk with him about how to run a business.” Seeing his behavior, I walked over: “Carlos, what are you making a scene about here?” Carlos pushed me away: “Get lost. I’m talking here – when is it your turn to butt in? When your boss gets here, you’ll be the first one I have fired.” Then he started shouting again: “Where’s your boss? Where is he? If he doesn’t come out, I’ll have this place shut down tomorrow!” Carlos became more and more pleased with himself, as if he could already see the boss bowing and begging for mercy. During these years, he had used his position at the Tax Bureau to get plenty of free meals. Today was no exception. A hundred dollars for one meal? He wasn’t crazy. Spending that much money to celebrate Emilia’s good test scores was completely unreasonable. The only reason he agreed to Emilia’s request was for her future gratitude. Another reason was that he had already found out the restaurant owner was from out of town, with no connections or backing – these types of people were most afraid of trouble. Today, he would teach the owner a lesson, and naturally get plenty of benefits in the future. With this thought, Carlos became even more brazen. He rolled up his sleeves and grabbed decorative items from the cashier counter, smashing them on the floor: “If your boss doesn’t come out, don’t blame me for not showing mercy! Tomorrow I’ll have people shut this place down!” “Carlos, what are you showing off for here?” An angry shout came from behind Carlos. He instinctively turned around to see his supervisor Abel Moore glaring at him furiously, and immediately panicked. After a long moment, he snapped back to reality and hurried forward with a smile: “Mr. Moore, what brings you here too? This restaurant has irregular pricing, and I was just about to handle them! We can’t have this kind of bad restaurant in our city. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take care of this matter.” After Carlos finished his fawning speech, Abel, who was usually gentle, not only didn’t respond to his flattery but pushed him away. He said to me: “Ms. Lewis, I’m truly sorry. I’ll definitely deal with Carlos properly when we get back. Please continue operating with confidence – this kind of thing will never happen again.” “Ms. Lewis? Mr. Moore, you’ve got it wrong. She’s just a lowly waitress who can’t even…” Carlos sneered as he interrupted. However, seeing Abel’s expression growing darker and darker, he suddenly froze in place, unable to say another word.

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My name is Emily Howell. My boyfriend Ivan Fuller’s friend Anna Lakin has bonded with some kind of transfer system where everything she eats gets transferred to my stomach. She started a livestream account and ate non-stop for twelve hours straight, making tons of money. Meanwhile, I ended up hospitalized with acute pancreatitis. When I tried to explain this to Ivan, he looked at me like I was an idiot. “Where in the world would something so bizarre exist? If food could transfer like that, no one would ever starve to death. I think you’re just jealous that she’s making money from streaming.” After that, every time Anna went live, I’d end up hospitalized with pancreatitis, sometimes even fighting for my life. I went to the hospital for tests, but the doctors couldn’t find any cause and nearly treated me like a psychiatric patient. Later, Anna decided to compete with another streamer and wolfed down over twenty hot dogs in one go. I suffered a ruptured spleen and died from internal bleeding. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to Anna’s first livestream. This time, I ordered twenty takeout meals in advance. This time, I’m eating first! Watching Anna finish an entire fried chicken on my phone screen, I felt full in my stomach. But in reality, I hadn’t eaten anything all day. It seems I was right. Even though I’ve been reborn, the situation hasn’t changed. Everything Anna eats still goes straight into my stomach. Just as I was panicking, Anna brought out a huge plate of spaghetti with a large bottle of Coke on the side. “That chicken was just an appetizer. Now for the main course,” she said sweetly to the screen. A voice off-screen kept exclaiming, “Oh my God, Anna, you’re amazing! You can eat even more than me!” Seeing Anna about to start eating, I immediately grabbed my car keys and rushed out the door. I absolutely cannot let her continue eating, or I’ll be facing death again. On the way, I ordered another twenty takeout meals. This time, I’m going to figure out exactly what kind of trick she’s playing. The car quickly stopped downstairs from Ivan’s place, and the takeout arrived almost simultaneously. I grabbed the takeout bags and rushed upstairs, knocking on Ivan’s door. When he saw me, his expression showed some impatience. “What are you doing here? Coming to cause trouble again? Anna’s livestreaming right now, so don’t make a scene. “Just leave. She’s having a great time eating. If you scare away all the viewers from her stream, I’ll never forgive you.” In my previous life, Anna moved into Ivan’s place after graduating from college, claiming it was “temporary” until she found a job and could afford her own place. I thought it was inappropriate, but Ivan argued back: “We grew up together. If we liked each other, we would’ve gotten together long ago. Would it be your turn?” Later, Anna decided to livestream eating online, and to support her, I followed her account too. That’s when the strange things started happening. Every time she went live, my stomach felt like it was being stuffed full, as if it might burst open. Eventually, I ended up in the hospital with pancreatitis. This condition is caused by eating too much, and in severe cases, it can even cause immediate death. I told Ivan about this, but he didn’t believe me at all and said I was just jealous of Anna. Since he was now responsible for managing the account with Anna, he wouldn’t let me get close under any circumstances, afraid I’d interfere with their money-making. Meanwhile, I was suffering at home, getting taken away by ambulances multiple times. The doctors even advised me not to risk my life over food. Later, Anna competed with a big streamer in a hot dog eating contest to see who could eat more. I suffered a ruptured spleen and died from massive internal bleeding. After I died, I saw Anna beat that big streamer and win the title of competitive eating champion. She and Ivan embraced happily together. Even in death, I couldn’t understand why this was happening. So this time, even if we go down together, I won’t let her succeed.

I burst straight into the livestream room, interrupting Anna’s meal, and held up the twenty takeout orders I’d brought with me. “Anna, you can’t keep eating like this. Too much food is bad for your health. Let me help you eat instead—you should go rest for a bit,” I said. Anna looked up, completely bewildered. “Emily, I’m livestreaming right now. Stop messing around, okay?” I squeezed into the camera frame, making sure my face was fully visible. I’d put on makeup before coming here, and since I was naturally thinner than Anna, I looked much better on camera overall. She was just a small-time streamer with hardly any fans in her chat. After seeing me, the comments started flooding in, saying they wanted to watch me eat instead. Anna couldn’t make a scene on camera, so she had no choice but to get up and give me her spot. I first pulled out a fruit box that was mostly filled with mangoes. Anna was allergic to mangoes and couldn’t eat them at all. I’d bought the mangoes to test whether this transfer system worked both ways. If I ate something she couldn’t have, would she react? After finishing the box of mangoes, the comments were all praising how well I ate, saying it was satisfying to watch, and some viewers even sent me several expensive gifts. I smiled sweetly at Anna. “Looks like everyone prefers watching me eat. But don’t worry—I just had a sudden urge to try this today. All these gifts are yours; I don’t want a penny.” Anna was clearly unhappy about having her spotlight stolen. Meanwhile, I kept staring at her face, watching for any signs of an allergic reaction. But aside from her anger, she showed no reaction whatsoever. Maybe one box of mangoes wasn’t enough. I pulled out a mango smoothie and a mango cake. Anna tried to stop me. “Emily, my streaming career is just getting started. If you want to livestream, use your own account. What’s the point of hijacking mine? Just step aside and let me eat. If that doesn’t work, we can both eat together and see who can eat more.” As she spoke, she reached for the spaghetti to continue stuffing it in her mouth. I snatched it away and held it up to the camera. “I’m doing this for your own good. This spaghetti has so many chili peppers—it’s bad for your stomach. And you’re washing it down with ice-cold Coke. You’ll get stomach problems eating like this. If you really want to eat something, have something lighter.” I found a box of bland food from the takeout orders and handed it to Anna. The viewers, seeing how considerate I was, praised me for being beautiful and kind-hearted. They sent me more gifts and told Anna to rest, saying they all wanted to watch me instead. Anna wanted to ask Ivan for help, but he was currently staring at the gift revenue on the backend, grinning from ear to ear. As long as money was coming in, it didn’t matter who was streaming—especially since I was earning more than Anna. Fighting through the discomfort in my stomach, I finished all the mango products, but Anna still showed no reaction. In the past, just one bite of mango would make her break out in hives immediately, and her face would swell up badly. Damn it. This transfer was one-way only. Everything she ate would transfer to me, but what I ate wouldn’t affect her at all. My stomach felt stretched to its limit, and I couldn’t eat another bite. I waved my phone at the camera. “It’s getting really late now, everyone. You should all go to bed. Staying up late is bad for your health. See you next time!” With that, I ended the livestream. As soon as I got back to my car, I grabbed a plastic bag and threw up violently, vomiting everything I’d just eaten.

By the time I drove home, it was already late at night, but I couldn’t fall asleep at all. If I couldn’t figure out what was happening within a day, my life could be in danger at any moment. Just as I was tossing and turning in bed, a wave of intense nausea suddenly hit my stomach. I dry-heaved desperately, but nothing came up. The feeling was as awful as when my parents forced me to eat the fatty meat I hated most as a child. I rushed to the fridge and grabbed an ice cream bar, trying to ease the discomfort. But after eating the ice cream, things didn’t get better. That’s when I suddenly remembered something and immediately opened my phone. Sure enough, Anna was livestreaming again. She said, “I’m going to eat some fatty meat for everyone. Hope you all send some gifts to encourage me!” She held a piece of greasy fat in her hand, eating it with obvious relish. Even through the screen, I felt sick to my stomach. I angrily typed a comment: [Stop eating! That’s disgusting!] After seeing my comment, Anna flashed a smug smile: “Who are you? Why should I listen to you? Show me what you’ve got then.” The nauseous feeling grew stronger, so I reluctantly sent her several expensive gifts, hoping she would stop. However, after accepting the gifts, not only did she not stop, but she brought out a large bowl of mayonnaise. She said, “Since you don’t like me eating fatty meat, I’ll have something sweet instead.” She spooned it into her mouth one after another. The greasy sauce was no different from the fatty meat. I felt like throwing up just watching. I kept sending messages: [What did you do to me? Why are you the one eating, but I’m the one suffering?] [Stop eating, don’t eat anything else!] Seeing me desperately typing comments in pain, Anna laughed even more wildly. My stomach suddenly cramped with severe pain. I used almost the last of my strength to call for an ambulance. Fortunately, the ambulance arrived in time and saved my life. Just like in my previous life, I developed acute pancreatitis from overeating. The doctor looked at my medical records with surprise: “You’re so thin, yet you managed to eat this much?” I didn’t respond, just asked the doctor to process my discharge. Then I immediately rushed to Anna’s house. As soon as the door opened, I pressed a kitchen knife against her throat. Anna stammered incoherently: “Emily, what are you doing? Calm down!” I had no patience for her nonsense and stared at her coldly: “Don’t play dumb with me. You’re the one eating, but I’m the one suffering, right?” Anna put on an innocent face: “What are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean.” I gripped the knife tighter, my voice low and menacing: “Stop acting. Talk!” Anna’s face went pale with fear: “Calm down, I’ll tell you.” The next second, she suddenly screamed: “Ivan, help me!” Ivan caught me off guard and attacked from behind, kicking me down and snatching the knife from my hand. He roared: “Are you insane?” He immediately started a livestream and placed thirty hamburgers on the table. He said, “You claim that when Anna eats, you’re the one who suffers? Perfect. Let the viewers witness whether what you’re saying is true.” The viewers in the livestream had no idea what was happening and kept asking questions. Ivan explained: “My girlfriend says that whatever Anna eats transfers to her stomach. Today, everyone can be witnesses. If she keeps making trouble, we’re breaking up!” Anna picked up a hamburger and stuffed it into her mouth without hesitation. The feeling of fullness and pain hit me instantly. My stomach was already overwhelmed, and the severe pain made me barely able to stand. I collapsed on the floor and started convulsing. [No way, why do I feel like this woman is acting? People like her just need a beating.] Someone in the livestream left a comment to remind Ivan. He looked at me coldly: “If you keep pretending, don’t blame me for what happens next.” I clenched my fists and struggled to stand up against the wall, forcing a smile as I said, “I’m not faking it. It’s just menstrual cramps. Are menstrual cramps not allowed either?” Ivan was livestreaming at that moment, so I couldn’t do anything except leave this mess behind. But he wouldn’t let me go and made Anna finish eating all the remaining burgers. He said, “Don’t cause any more trouble from now on. Consider this a lesson.” After returning to the hospital, the doctor helplessly questioned why I had gone out to eat again, suspecting I had binge eating disorder and even suggesting I see a therapist. I let out a bitter laugh. The truth was, I’d barely eaten anything these past few days, yet my stomach always felt full. This time the doctor wouldn’t discharge me, insisting I stay in the hospital for treatment. I followed the doctor’s advice and stayed put in the hospital. However, within a few days, I felt Anna binge eating again. I opened the livestream and found Ivan taking Anna to an Italian restaurant out of town, where they had ordered practically everything on the menu. At the same time, I received a message from Anna: [Emily, Ivan took me out of town this time. There’s so much delicious food here, I don’t want to waste any of it. I’m going to eat it all.] I was furious, wishing I could fly there immediately and tear Anna to pieces. Just then, I suddenly noticed the medication the doctor had prescribed for me. In that moment, everything clicked. I finally understood what was really going on. The instant the truth dawned on me, I was so excited I jumped right out of the hospital bed. Over the next few days, Anna frequently livestreamed visits to different restaurants, attracting quite a bit of attention online. She could eat an incredible amount without ever purging, yet still maintained her figure perfectly. Other competitive eating bloggers were skeptical and challenged her to contests. She accepted their invitations and decided to compete against a blogger with millions of followers in a few days. In my previous life, it was right after this competition that I died alone at home. This time, I lay comfortably in my hospital bed, peacefully recovering and waiting to be discharged. The day of the competition arrived quickly, and over ten thousand viewers flooded into the livestream. Anna sat in front of more than twenty hot dogs. As she prepared to start eating, her expression looked uncomfortable, and she instinctively put down the hot dog. Seeing that her opponent had already started eating, Ivan panicked: “Anna, hurry up and eat! Your opponent’s already started.” Anna nodded, forcing herself through the discomfort, and was about to pick up the hot dog again when she doubled over, clutching her stomach. Just as Ivan was about to ask what was wrong, she let out a loud fart right in front of over ten thousand viewers. The next second, a foul stench filled the air, and she collapsed unconscious on the spot. Watching this scene unfold, I couldn’t stop grinning. Soon, Ivan’s call came through: “What the hell did you do?” I smiled slightly: “Take a guess.”

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