My autistic daughter was screaming, terrified, locked in a horror escape room. They beat her for nearly half an hour. By the time I rushed in, my five-year-old was curled on the floor, her face covered in blood, her entire body shaking uncontrollably. Seeing that sight, my blood boiled. I desperately tried to reach her, but the escape room owner, Vanessa, and her staff blocked my way. “Let me go! My daughter needs to be rushed to the hospital right now! You’re trying to murder her, I’m calling the police!” I struggled with all my might, but Vanessa stomped on my hand, grinding her heel into my knuckles repeatedly. “Heh, the police? My husband is Damian of the Dawson Group. In this entire city, what the Dawson Group says, goes!” My world instantly crumbled. So, Damian was cheating on me, and he allowed this woman to hurt our daughter like this? Before I could even speak, Vanessa pulled out her phone and called Damian: “Honey, a crazy mother and daughter are causing trouble at my place. Hurry over and teach them a lesson!”

She must have gotten a satisfying reply because, after hanging up, Vanessa became even more arrogant. “I’m telling you, my husband will be here any minute! And he doesn’t have my good temper.” “Calling the police? By the time my husband gets here, you won’t even know what hit you!” I couldn’t break free, so I could only look up at the woman in front of me. “Who are you?” Vanessa looked like she’d just heard the funniest joke in the world, glancing at the other staff members standing beside her. “Hahahaha, this crazy woman is actually asking who I am?” “Come on, you guys tell her who I am.” The surrounding employees and customers chimed in, fawning over her. “Hahaha, this is Vanessa, our escape room owner, and the wife of Mr. Dawson from the Dawson Group!” “Mr. Dawson dotes on Ms. Hayes. He built this entire shopping complex just because she loves escape rooms.” “You still dare to yell? You can’t control your own daughter, so what if we took her into the escape room for some fun? Who knew she was so fragile?” The rage in my chest felt like it was about to explode. Damian built this shopping complex three years ago. At the time, I told him that building it in this location was a huge investment with tiny returns, not good for the company’s development. But he didn’t listen, determined to invest. I figured we weren’t short on money, so I let him do what he wanted. I never imagined it was all for his mistress! How utterly laughable! I lifted my head, glaring at everyone around me. “My daughter has autism! Taking her into a horror escape room like that is attempted murder!” Vanessa’s face twisted into a sneer. “Oh, so that’s why the kid looks off. She’s mentally ill?” “Why let a crazy kid like that out of the house instead of keeping her locked up?” “I’m telling you, you should be thanking me! I gave her a job opportunity by letting her be an NPC. Who knew this psycho would get so scared by the lights and sounds?” “I’m telling you, she was screaming and yelling in there, scaring off my customers. I should be making her pay for my losses.” I didn’t want to argue with her anymore. My eyes fell on my daughter, still huddled behind the crowd. Belle was covered in blood, lying on the ground, her eyes tightly shut. If it weren’t for the faint rise and fall of her chest, I would have thought she’d stopped breathing. My daughter was in a critical state. I forced my voice to remain steady. “We can talk about all this later. My daughter is in very bad shape right now. I need to take her to the hospital.” “If anything happens to her, you’ll be charged with attempted murder!” Hearing my words, Vanessa laughed even harder. “Hahahaha, do you even hear yourself? “No wonder you gave birth to a psycho. Turns out you’re just as crazy, huh?” “I’m telling you, in this entire city, there’s nothing my husband can’t handle. Getting rid of a couple of nobodies like you two won’t be a problem.” I couldn’t take it anymore. While the two security guards were also laughing, I violently broke free from their grasp. I grabbed a fire extinguisher from the corner and swung it wildly at the crowd. Perhaps startled by the wild look on my face, they hesitated to approach. I seized the opportunity, rushed to my daughter’s side, and gently pulled her into my arms. My movements startled Belle. Her confused eyes met mine. But quickly, she seemed to remember where she was, and she started screaming hysterically in my arms. Vanessa was furious. She ordered the security guards to move forward. I held my distraught daughter tightly. “Try to come closer! I dare you!” “This is Damian’s daughter! I am Damian’s wife!”

Led by Vanessa, the crowd erupted in even louder laughter than before. “Hahahaha, this woman must really be crazy, did you hear what she said?” “Ms. Hayes is standing right here, and she’s claiming she’s Mrs. Dawson? Is she out of her mind? She’s going to be a total joke.” “She must be jealous of how Ms. Hayes bragged about Mr. Dawson. She’s clearly delusional.” I was about to speak, but Belle suddenly screamed again, completely engulfed in terror. I could only pat her back, trying my best to soothe her. “It’s okay, Belle, Mom’s here, Mom’s here. Don’t be scared, Belle, don’t be scared.” Perhaps hearing my familiar voice, my daughter gradually calmed down in my arms. “M-mommy…” Hearing my daughter’s voice, I almost burst into tears. But Vanessa wasn’t about to give us any time. She glared at the security guards beside her. “What are you standing around for? Don’t just stare, grab these two bitches!” “Am I paying you to watch a show? You can’t even restrain one woman? Are you all useless?!” The guards snapped out of their daze and roughly pulled us apart. Against the strength of several men, I struggled desperately but to no avail. I could only watch helplessly as my already injured daughter was violently pulled away again. Belle, who had just calmed down, started screaming uncontrollably once more. My daughter’s screams enraged Vanessa. Vanessa picked up the fire extinguisher I had thrown on the ground earlier. “So noisy! See? I told you, crazy people should be locked up at home.” She said, walking towards my daughter, a sinister smile on her face. I realized what she was about to do and struggled frantically, roaring. “Vanessa! What are you doing?! She’s only five! She’s only five years old!” “If you dare to touch her, I swear I’ll kill you! I promise, I’ll kill you!” Vanessa tilted her head, looking at me with a scornful smile, raising the fire extinguisher high. “Oh? Well, let’s see if you kill me first, or if I finish off you two bitches first!” As Vanessa uttered her last word, the fire extinguisher in her hand crashed heavily onto my daughter’s head. “Mmph…” A muffled grunt escaped Belle’s lips, and fresh blood gushed from her already injured head. But my daughter didn’t dare to scream anymore; she just stared at Vanessa in horror. Vanessa looked at Belle with satisfaction. “That’s more like it.” I was pinned to the ground, unable to move, the anger and helplessness in my heart almost suffocating me. “Vanessa! Whatever you want, direct it at me! She’s only five! Why are you hurting her?!” Vanessa turned to me, as if she’d heard the funniest joke. “Direct it at you?” “Do you really think I’ll let you off?” Vanessa stood over me, raising the fire extinguisher like a demon, striking me again and again. “It’s been a long time since anyone dared to cross me like this.” “And you’re Damian’s wife? His name isn’t for a nobody like you to utter!” I tried to fight back, but the security guards held my limbs firmly, immobilizing me. Soon, I felt blood freely streaming down my head. My vision blurred, the world reduced to a single crimson hue. I used every last ounce of my strength. “I’m going to call Damian.”

Hearing my voice, Vanessa paused. A moment later, she scoffed. “Call Damian? Do you even deserve to? Who do you think you are?” I forced a playful smile onto my lips. “Are you scared?” Before Vanessa could respond, her employees quickly stepped forward to insult me. “Ms. Hayes is the legitimate Mrs. Dawson, what is there to be scared of?” “I think you’re just tough-talking even when you’re at death’s door. You want to call Mr. Dawson? Does Mr. Dawson even know who you are?” “I advise you to apologize now, otherwise, when Mr. Dawson arrives, you’ll be in for a world of hurt.” Vanessa’s expression told me she clearly knew of my existence. Which meant this humiliation of my daughter today was entirely deliberate on her part. I ignored the mockery of those around me and looked straight at Vanessa. “Vanessa, I’m Scarlett Stone. You know me, right?” “Or are you afraid to let me call Damian?” A flicker of annoyance crossed Vanessa’s eyes. But before she could speak, her sycophantic employees quickly jumped in to defend her. “What’s Ms. Hayes got to be afraid of? Stop trying to be mysterious!” “Ms. Hayes, let her call! What’s a Scarlett? Mr. Dawson couldn’t possibly know a crazy woman like this!” “I’m telling you, when Mr. Dawson gets here, don’t you dare beg on your knees.” Cornered by her own employees, Vanessa had no choice. She gritted her teeth and looked at me. “Go ahead and call. I’d like to see what magic you can pull off.” The security guards immediately released me. I endured the intense pain, trying to control the trembling in my hands as I dialed Damian’s number. After several calls went straight to voicemail, Vanessa’s face broke into a triumphant smile. “Scarlett, what are you doing?” “Looks like no one’s picking up your calls. I gave you a chance…” Vanessa hadn’t even finished speaking when Damian finally answered the phone. “Are you crazy? I’m driving, why are you calling me so many times…?” I cut Damian off directly. “I asked you to look after our daughter at home. Where are you?” “Do you know where Belle and I are right now?” Damian’s tone was full of impatience. “If you have something going on, does that mean I can’t? “Belle’s at home with the nanny, what are you worried about? Stop being so demanding.” “Alright, I’m driving now. Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it tonight when I get back.” Before I could say anything more, Damian hung up. Seeing my expression, everyone present couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Hahahaha, this woman’s act is falling apart. Look at her, it’s hilarious.” “Who knows who she was even calling? She still has the nerve to call herself Mrs. Dawson, trying to be a mistress in front of the real wife?” “Don’t insult Mr. Dawson and Ms. Hayes! Mr. Dawson would have to be blind to choose this woman, okay?” Vanessa, beaming with pride, squatted in front of me. She grabbed my hair, forcing me to look directly at her. “Bitch, what do you have to say for yourself now?” “You’ve called, you’ve tried to find help. What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?” Seizing this opportunity, I secretly pressed the emergency call button on my phone. Damian as my savior? Vanessa still underestimated me.

Seeing Vanessa’s actions, Belle, who had been curled on the ground, suddenly rushed towards us like a madwoman. She shielded me, frantically waving her little hands, trying to scare Vanessa away. At that sight, my heart lurched. When Belle was seven months old, we realized she was different from other children. After a hospital check-up, the doctor told us she had severe autism. For five whole years, Belle lived only in her own world, rarely reacting to anything outside of it. She would only occasionally say the simple word “Mommy.” But now, even though Belle still couldn’t speak, Her actions clearly showed she wanted to protect her mother. Vanessa was caught off guard and pushed to the ground by Belle. Belle had sustained such severe injuries that the push couldn’t have been very strong, yet Vanessa was furious. She grabbed Belle and walked towards the balcony railing. “You little psycho, looks like you haven’t been beaten enough. You’re really not afraid to die, are you?” “Fine, today I’m going to see just how many lives you have!” Vanessa’s escape room was a large-scale horror experience, with three floors. We were currently on the third-floor lounge. Judging by Vanessa’s direction, she clearly intended to throw my daughter from the third-floor balcony. Seeing this, my guts twisted with terror. I desperately tried to snatch my daughter back. But the security guards were faster than my injured self. Before I could even get up, they anticipated my move and firmly pinned me back to the ground. I struggled frantically but to no avail. I could only yell at Vanessa’s retreating back. “Vanessa! If you dare! I swear I’ll make your life a living hell!” “Vanessa! Vanessa!” Vanessa ignored my screams. It wasn’t until she reached the balcony railing that she turned back to look at me. She lifted Belle’s body, dangling her over the railing until Belle’s entire lower half hung outside the barrier before she stopped. “Oh? Looks like you really care about your crazy daughter, huh?” “How about this, you kneel and kowtow three times, loudly admitting you were wrong, and I’ll consider letting her go. What do you say?” Vanessa shot a glance at the security guards. The next second, the hands restraining me loosened. I stood up, about to rush forward, but Vanessa’s voice rang out again. “Don’t move, don’t move. If you take another step forward, I can’t guarantee my hand won’t slip, you know.” Vanessa grinned maliciously, her words chilling to the bone. Looking at my daughter’s terrified little face, I couldn’t move an inch. Vanessa was pleased with my compliance. “Why are you still standing there?” “Looks like your knees are pretty stiff, huh? It seems your daughter isn’t as important as your pride…” Vanessa hadn’t even finished speaking when my knees buckled, and I dropped heavily to the ground. “Ms. Hayes, I’m sorry, I was wrong, I didn’t know who I was dealing with.” “Please, please, be the bigger person and forgive my daughter.” “Please…” I spoke, lowering my head. But at that very instant, I saw something that made my pupils suddenly dilate. I heard my own heartbroken scream. “No!!!!” At the same time, the gasps of those around me echoed in my ears. “Mr. Dawson is here!”

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I was the sales champion, bringing in millions for the company. When my boss’s boyfriend took over, he fired me without a second thought, just because I didn’t gush about how handsome he was in the company’s WhatsApp group. He even put his cousin in my place. Later, when the company’s sales plummeted to zero, he showed up at my door, begging. “Please, come back. My girlfriend says if you don’t, she’ll leave me.” My boss, Jessica, went on a business trip for a month, leaving her boyfriend, Spencer, in charge. Who knew he’d come after me on his very first day? I walked into the office promptly at ten that morning. Chloe, a colleague, looked panicked. She pointed towards the boss’s office and whispered, “Spencer’s here. He wants to see you!” Spencer was Jessica’s new boyfriend, notorious for being a total tyrant. He’d snap at anyone he didn’t like. Once, a female colleague, Harper, accidentally bumped into him, and Spencer started spreading vile rumors about her, saying she slept her way to the top. But he had a way with words, always sweet-talking Jessica, so she usually just let him do his thing. Now, he was fixated on me. I put down my coffee and pushed open the office door. The moment I stepped in, a folder flew past my face and hit the wall with a thud. “Do you even know what time it is? Company policy says eight AM! Why are you just showing up at ten?!” The sharp edge of the folder left a thin cut on my forehead. I clutched my head, staring at Spencer, who was lording it over the office from behind Jessica’s desk. My ten AM start time was a perk, a special privilege for being the sales champion. Everyone in the company knew about this unwritten rule. Years ago, when Jessica’s company was on the brink of collapse, she accidentally hired me. In my first month, I generated half a million in sales, bringing the company back from the dead. Since then, Jessica had practically worshipped the ground I walked on, always consulting me on major decisions. He slammed his hand on the table, his face twisted into a snarl, his mouth wide open. “Look at your time sheet! You’ve been coming in at ten for a whole month straight! You don’t care about company rules, do you?!” “According to company policy, three consecutive late arrivals is grounds for dismissal!” “You’re fired! Get out!” I stared at Spencer in disbelief. “You’re firing me? Did you clear that with Jessica?” I brought in eighty percent of the company’s profits. How dare he fire me? Spencer scoffed, glaring at me with contempt. “You’re just a sales rep! A glorified salesperson. What’s wrong with me firing you?” “This is my girlfriend’s company. I’m the man in charge here. I can fire whoever I want!” Jessica had always treated me well. I couldn’t just leave like that. So I sat on the couch. “You should really talk to Jessica first.” Spencer rolled his eyes. “Who do you think you are?” With that, he directly called Jessica. Her voice on the other end sounded tired. “What is it?” Spencer, who had just been yelling at me in a high-pitched voice, immediately softened. “Honey, I miss you.” Jessica sighed. “Just tell me what you want.” Spencer shot me a smug look. “There’s a sales rep here who keeps breaking the rules, always late. I want to get rid of her.” “Whatever. I need to rest.” Jessica brushed him off and hung up. Spencer smirked triumphantly at me. “Hear that? I can fire whoever I want. Now get lost!”

I smirked back at him. “Are you sure about that?” “Jessica might be a little upset when she gets back and finds out you fired me.” I was trying to warn him, genuinely. Headhunters had been trying to poach me with high offers for years, but I’d always stayed out of loyalty to Jessica. My leaving wouldn’t affect me one bit, but Spencer? That was a different story. Spencer glowered at me, his face contorted in a furious, tyrannical mask. “Who do you think you are? Just a sales rep. I’m my girlfriend’s future husband, the man of this company! You think she’d choose you over me?” Hearing that, I just shook my head. Fine, if that’s how he wanted it. I turned and walked out of the office. My colleagues outside had clearly heard our argument but weren’t sure what happened, all looking at me with concern. “Riley, what happened?” I started packing my things efficiently, a small smile on my face. “What happened? I got fired, that’s what.” Chloe’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Fired you? Is Spencer out of his mind? Everyone knows you’re Jessica’s favorite! Isn’t he afraid she’ll break up with him?” I shook my head, chuckling softly. “Can’t say I care. It’s his decision, he’ll have to live with the consequences.” “Besides, I’ve been working for so many years, a break sounds nice.” I’d already saved enough money to be financially free, but I’d never taken a real break, feeling too guilty to ask. This was a perfect opportunity. Chloe was fuming. “No, but why did he fire you? Did you do something to offend him, Riley?” I frowned, trying to remember. “Probably because I defended Harper last time when he was spreading those rumors about her.” “He’s been looking for ways to pick a fight with me ever since.” Yesterday, Spencer had uploaded a professional photo of himself to the WhatsApp group, and everyone had been spamming compliments about how handsome he was. I was the only one who’d read it and not replied. That was probably the final straw. “Should I call Jessica right now? You’re the backbone of this company; you can’t just leave!” I shook my head, a light laugh escaping me. “No, it’s fine. If I ever come back, it’ll be after Spencer and Jessica break up. I can’t stand his act. We’ll see.” I finished packing my things and headed to the finance office to get my monthly pay. I’d only worked ten days this month, but my commission was easily over fifteen thousand dollars. I informed Mia, the finance girl, that I’d been fired and asked her to transfer my pay to my account. Just then, Spencer suddenly appeared at the office door, glaring at me. “Riley, I told you to get lost! What are you doing here?” I glanced at him indifferently. He was basking in his undeserved power, all thanks to his successful girlfriend, and it was truly disgusting. Seeing that I ignored him, Spencer immediately got agitated. He stepped forward and grabbed my arm. “Didn’t I just tell you to get out? What are you doing in the finance office? These are important company documents! Get out now, or I’m calling the police!” I frowned, yanking my arm free from Spencer’s grip. “Let go!” “I’m leaving, so what’s wrong with me taking my pay for this month? It’s a good thing I’m not even asking for severance.” Spencer stared at Mia. “How much is her pay?” Mia honestly replied, “Fifteen thousand five hundred.” Spencer’s face instantly changed. “How much?!” After Mia repeated the amount, he pointed at me. “You violated company rules, you were late, so your pay for this month is gone.” I scoffed. “Being late once costs two hundred. How did you do that math? Did you even pass elementary math?” Spencer looked at me defiantly. “I just made a new rule: three late arrivals, and your entire monthly pay is docked. Now get out!”

“What authority do you have to make rules?” Spencer crossed his arms, his mouth wide open, shamelessly declaring, “I’m going to be part owner of this company someday, so what if I make the rules?” I was too fed up to argue with him. “Then you can expect a lawsuit from me.” With that, I strode out. I gathered my things and drove home. As soon as I put everything away, I saw a message from Spencer in the company WhatsApp group, which I hadn’t yet left. “From now on, any message I send on SnapChat or WhatsApp must be replied to. Those who don’t reply will suffer the same fate as the person fired today.” It seemed he really did fire me just because I hadn’t joined in the flattery. Jessica really hit the bottom of the barrel with this loser, didn’t she? Replies immediately started flooding the group chat. Annoyed, I simply exited all of them. My phone was suddenly much quieter. But Spencer wouldn’t let me take my last month’s pay? I’d have to teach him a lesson. All my important clients were in my SnapChat contacts, so I sent a mass message to them, explaining that I had resigned and was no longer handling business for the company. Most of these people were clients I had brought in, and they worked with the company because of me. If I left, they would most likely follow me. Sure enough, within two minutes, my former clients started messaging me, asking which company I was moving to and expressing their willingness to transfer their contracts. I explained the situation to each of them, telling them I hadn’t found a new job yet but would contact them immediately once I did. I had so many SnapChat clients that I replied to messages until dark, eventually falling asleep from exhaustion. When I woke up the next morning, Chloe had sent me a message: “Riley, a lot of our partners are saying they want to cancel their contracts and won’t renew. Was that you?” Looks like my plan was working. I chuckled softly. “I didn’t do anything, except state the fact that I’ve left the company.” “You’re amazing, Riley! Spencer came in this morning, heard about it, and blew up at several sales reps, demanding to know why they couldn’t keep clients. Now several of them are planning to quit, saying they can’t stand this treatment.” It seemed many people in the company were unhappy with Spencer. I wondered how he would clean up this mess. Meanwhile, I prepared to contact a lawyer to sue and get my wages back. It wasn’t that I desperately needed the money, but I wasn’t going to let him get off easy. A few days later, Spencer actually called me. I was surprised, answering with a puzzled, “What do you want?” As soon as I picked up, I was met with a torrent of abuse. “Riley, are you even human?! Where are all the company’s client contacts? They all say they’re with you! Hand over those phone numbers right now! They’re company property! I’ll sue you, I swear!” I was stunned, then realized Spencer was panicking. “How can you be so disgusting? Hand over those client numbers! Or I’ll kill you, you hear me?!”

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Liam missed my birthday again this year. Because it was also Bella’s birthday, his childhood best friend. I opened Bella’s Ins, and sure enough, there was a new post. “Grateful for your company every birthday. We promise to spend every future birthday together too!” The photo showed two hands making a heart sign in front of a cake. One was Liam’s, and he was wearing the designer watch I’d bought him. I liked the post, put down my phone, and dumped all the homemade dishes I’d carefully prepared—all Liam’s favorites—into the trash. Then I went to a restaurant, ordered what I liked, and celebrated my birthday alone. From now on, I vowed to truly celebrate every single one of my birthdays for myself. Halfway through my meal, Liam called. His voice sounded a little anxious. “Chloe, did you see Bella’s Ins post?” “I did.” “I’ll come back after celebrating with her. Next year, I promise I’ll be with you. Just be cool about it, don’t start anything with me, okay?” The old me would have cried and made a scene, but not anymore. I simply said, calmly, “Okay.” The next morning, around seven, I was woken by my phone ringing. It only rang three times before stopping. I picked up my phone and saw it was Liam. He used to always call like this, three rings then hang up, because he was too lazy to use his key to open the door himself. No matter what I was doing, I’d always rush to let him in immediately. But not today. I tossed my phone aside, pulled the covers over my head, and went back to sleep. He knew the spare key was under the shoe cabinet by the door. I’d been packing until three in the morning last night, and my head was still fuzzy. My phone rang a few more times, but I couldn’t even bother to look. I don’t know how long passed before I vaguely heard someone open the door and come in. The door slammed against the wall with a loud bang, then my bedroom door was violently pushed open, followed by Liam’s angry accusation. “Chloe, why didn’t you open the door for me? I called so many times! You know I hate using my key!” I opened my eyes, giving him a flat look. “I was too tired, I didn’t hear it.” Liam opened his mouth, but in the end, just said, “I’m starving. Get up and make me some breakfast. I didn’t sleep at all last night, I need to eat and then catch up on sleep.” If this were before, I would have scrambled out of bed to make him breakfast. But now, I just said blandly, “I’m really tired too. You can go downstairs and grab something yourself.” Liam was clearly annoyed, but he held it back. “Are you still mad because I didn’t spend your birthday with you yesterday?” “No, don’t overthink it.” Liam didn’t believe me and started explaining on his own. “Bella’s like a sister to me. Her parents died young, who else would be there for her if not me? Don’t be so petty, or I’ll actually get angry!” “You’re right. You should be there for her. I’m not angry.” I couldn’t sleep anymore, so I got up and headed to the bathroom. Liam grabbed my wrist, reluctantly pulling a bracelet from his pocket. “Here, stop sulking. It’s your birthday present. I remembered it’s your special year this year.” Looking at the cheap bracelet, with its flimsy metal charms dangling with every movement, it felt so dismissive. Then I thought about the designer watch Liam wore in Bella’s Ins photo, and I couldn’t help but let out a self-deprecating laugh. Turns out, Liam wasn’t saving money these past few months to buy me a birthday present. I’d been overthinking it. I shook my wrist, revealing the watch my mom had sent me a few days ago. “Thanks, but I already have a watch. This one wouldn’t be practical to wear with it. You keep it.” Liam snapped, annoyed, “Still saying you’re not angry! You used to be thrilled with anything I gave you, but now you’re being picky, huh?” Liam didn’t earn much. In the past, his birthday gifts for me were never expensive, just small trinkets costing a few bucks or sometimes he even forgot, but I never minded. Yet, every year for his birthday, I’d painstakingly prepare a gift. Last week, for his birthday, I gave him a brand-name bracelet. I was exhausted, truly too tired to argue anymore. I took the bracelet and slipped it into my pocket. “Thank you.” I changed my clothes, ready to leave. Liam quickly asked, “Where are you going?” “To meet friends. We’re doing yoga together.” Ever since I got together with Liam, all my time outside of work belonged to him. I’d be with him, taking care of him, barely having any time for myself. But not anymore. I was going to live for myself.

After an invigorating workout with my friends, we sat in the lounge area, grabbing some water. My friends half-jokingly complained, “We thought you’d forgotten us now that you have a boyfriend. We were almost too scared to ask you out.” I quickly apologized and promised, “I’m so sorry! It won’t happen again. Call me for anything you guys do!” “That’s more like it! Come on, let’s go chill at a coffee shop and catch up.” When I was with Liam, I always tried to fit into his circle, but without realizing it, I drifted away from my own friends. Every day revolved around him, putting him first in everything. Looking back, I realized how foolish I’d been. It was almost midnight by the time I got home. Pushing open the bedroom door, I saw Liam sitting on the bed. He frowned and said, “Chloe, why are you home so late? I had to order takeout for lunch and dinner. It was disgusting.” I opened my closet to get some fresh clothes. “I ate out today too. The food was pretty good, not worse than homemade.” Liam’s eyes widened in surprise. “Didn’t you used to say you’d cook for me every day and not let me eat takeout because it’s unhealthy?” “I was wrong. Living in this day and age, if you can’t cook, you have to get used to the taste of takeout.” A flicker of anger crossed Liam’s eyes. “You still say you’re not angry! You were out all day, not a single call, not a single text, and you didn’t come back to cook!” I calmly said, “I’m really not angry. I was just catching up with friends, and my phone died.” Seeing my composure, Liam abruptly threw off the covers, stormed out of bed, and grabbed me as I was about to leave, his voice rising. “Can you stop being so petty? I told you, we’re just like brother and sister! What exactly are you trying to start? Chloe, my patience has its limits!” I pulled my hand free. “I’m not starting anything. I’m tired. I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight.” With that, I took my clothes and went to the bathroom, ignoring Liam’s shouts behind me. That night, I had a rare, full night’s sleep. Liam was a restless sleeper and always kicked off the covers. When I used to sleep with him, I’d wake up several times in the middle of the night to cover him. The next morning, Liam sat in the living room, arms crossed, a dark look on his face. I knew he was waiting for me to apologize, to sweet-talk him into a good mood. Before, whenever he was upset, regardless of whether it was my fault, I would humble myself and beg for his forgiveness. Then he would demand a list of things, and only after I complied with each one would he grudgingly forgive me. For years, it had always been this pattern. I was tired of it. I ignored him, washed up, and left. I had something important to do today.

I went to the office and handed in my resignation. My manager was surprised and tried to keep me, but my decision was firm. I originally took this job to be closer to Liam, to make it easier to take care of him. But now, there was no need. Last night, I video called my parents and told them I planned to resign and move back home. I saw the surprised tears in my mom’s eyes. Dad hadn’t been feeling well recently, and managing the family convenience store by himself was becoming too much for him. It was my hometown, but it was actually a nice, mid-sized coastal city. Liam grew up inland and couldn’t stand the temperature and humidity of coastal cities. He’d always been unwilling to go back with me, which was why I’d left my parents to work and live here with him. That evening, I invited my friends for dinner and told them the news. They all thought I was right to go back; my parents’ health was more important. Mid-conversation, someone suddenly asked, “What about Liam? Is he willing to go back with you?” I was silent for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. “No. We… we’re probably going to break up soon.” I used to think Liam and I could build a family here, and then bring my parents to live with us later. But now, that home no longer existed. I needed to return to the home where my parents were, the home that would never abandon me. When I got home, I saw Liam wearing a white shirt, his hair perfectly styled, holding his phone, on a FaceTime call with Bella. Bella’s voice came from the phone: “Liam, you look so handsome! Even in a simple white shirt, you look so stylish!” Liam smiled happily, his voice laced with laughter. “Really? You always know what to say.” I stood quietly, saying nothing. That white shirt was anything but simple; it cost me a month’s salary to buy it for him. When Liam turned back with a smile and saw me, his face immediately fell. He turned to Bella and said, “Gotta go, I’m heading out now, I’ll be there soon. You grab something to eat first.” Liam could smile warmly and be incredibly caring towards Bella, but he wouldn’t spare a single smile for me. He gave me an annoyed look, slipped on his shoes, and walked out past me. He was back to his old silent treatment. During all the years we’d been together, he often ignored me because of Bella. Each time, I’d be frantic, trying every way to make him happy. But this time, I wasn’t anxious. I simply brought the groceries I’d bought into the kitchen and made myself a late-night snack. I’d been so engrossed in talking with friends that evening that I hadn’t eaten much, and now I was a bit hungry. The next few days, I was busy with work handover and packing. The things belonging to me in the apartment slowly decreased, but Liam didn’t notice.

Today, Liam went out to see Bella again. I sat at the dining table, eating and looking at my phone. Bella posted on Ins: “Whenever I feel lonely, you’re always there. So good, grateful!” In the photo, Liam and Bella had their heads leaning against each other, flashing peace signs at the camera. Liam’s friends all liked and commented, envying their bond. They’d always thought Liam and Bella were better suited, that childhood sweethearts were so ideal, and I was like the third wheel intruding between them. Looking at that Ins post, I suddenly thought his friends were right; they really did look more like a couple. Before, I would always hold it in for a long time before carefully reminding Liam to keep some distance from Bella. Then his friends would mock me for being too controlling, stifling him, and not letting him have his freedom. Liam never stood up for me. Instead, he’d join them in criticizing me, telling me not to tie him down and to give him more space. Liam also commented below: “You’ve always been there for me too!” I calmly exited SnapChat and started clearing the dishes. Thunder rumbled outside; it was going to rain. I went to the balcony to bring in the laundry, and large raindrops immediately began to pelt the window. In the past, whenever it rained, I’d rush to call Liam, asking where he was, wanting to pick him up with an umbrella, afraid he’d get even a little wet. He and his friends would laugh at me, calling me a control freak, worrying too much, and spoiling their fun. I showered early, lay in bed watching YouTube, and drifted off to sleep. Liam violently pushing open my door woke me. Seeing me asleep, he angrily demanded: “Chloe, it’s raining so heavily, and your boyfriend isn’t home this late. Aren’t you worried at all? If it were my buddies’ girlfriends, they’d be calling non-stop, asking where he is, and personally picking him up with an umbrella! What about you?”

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My name is Aurora Olson. I donated $100 on a charity platform to a girl with leukemia. My husband, Vincent Watkins, saw the bank message and scolded me for not being frugal. Two days later, I received a message from the hospital thanking Vincent for donating a kidney to a girl. My fingers trembled as I dialed Vincent’s number. “Did the hospital make a mistake? They said you donated a kidney.” An impatient voice came from the other end of the line. “What nonsense? I just donated blood, the hospital made a mistake. Just delete the message.” I replied softly, “Okay, I understand.” After hanging up, I immediately called the hospital. “Hello, I’m a family member of the donor Vincent Watkins. I’d like to know about his post-surgery recovery and the recipient’s condition.” The nurse on the other end paused for a moment, then said, “Oh, you’re a relative of Mr. Watkins?” “His physical condition is excellent, and he’s recovering very well.” The nurse’s voice was enthusiastic, every word like a knife stabbing into my heart. I asked with a trembling voice, “And what about the child?” The nurse said, “Lucia Watkins? Her surgery was very successful, and she’s still under observation in the ICU.” “Thanks to her dad, truly great fatherly love.” “For the child, he’s even willing to give a kidney.” I felt the world spinning and could barely stand. I couldn’t believe it and thought, “Fatherly love? Vincent is Lucia’s dad?” I struggled to speak, “Nurse, are you sure Vincent is Lucia’s dad?” The nurse said, “Yes, Lucia’s mom said it herself.” “She even showed us the documents, otherwise the hospital ethics review wouldn’t have approved it.” “Don’t worry, their family is doing well now.” Hearing her words, my vision went dark, and the phone slipped from my hand, falling to the ground. So, I was the outsider all along. I took a day off and took a cab to the hospital. I arrived at the inpatient kidney transplant department. I stood outside a VIP ward, looking inside through the glass window on the door. Vincent was wearing a hospital gown, weakly leaning on the bed. A stranger was feeding him. The woman had long hair draped over her shoulders, with gentle eyes and brows. Vincent looked at her with tenderness and affection I had never seen in our five years of marriage. I recognized that woman. She is Amelia West, Vincent’s ex-girlfriend. Back then, Vincent told me they broke up because his parents disapproved. I looked at the watch on Amelia’s wrist. It was the one I stared at for a long time last year on my birthday at the mall, but Vincent pulled me away without buying it for me. He said, “This watch is too expensive, it’s worth three months of our living expenses. We’ll buy it later.” Turns out, it wasn’t that he thought it was too expensive, he just couldn’t bear to buy it for me. My heart has grown numb from the pain. I didn’t rush in. I just quietly watched them until my eyes stung, then turned and left. Two months later, Vincent “returned from a business trip.” As soon as he walked in, he wore a gloomy face and threw his briefcase heavily onto the sofa. He questioned, “Aurora, why didn’t you go to work today?” “Are you trying to slack off? Do you think it’s easy for me to earn money and support the family alone?” I lowered my head and lied, saying I wasn’t feeling well. He let out a cold snort and didn’t press further. But from that day on, household expenses started to be gradually cut. He said his mom’s back hasn’t been well lately, and they’ve spent quite a bit on her treatment back home. He said his dad’s rheumatism flared up again and they needed to buy an imported massage chair. Household expenses must be halved. The food for our three meals was also halved. My daughter Anna Watkins looked at the greens on her plate and softly said, “Mom, I want to eat strawberries.” Vincent heard it. He slammed the table, knocking the plate to the ground. “All you think about is eating all day!” he roared at a three-year-old child, “You have no idea how to understand adults! Lucia is seriously ill and not as picky as you!” After yelling, he froze. The living room fell into dead silence. I looked up, stared at him coldly, and asked, “Who is Lucia?”

Vincent’s face instantly turned pale. His eyes darted away, avoiding my gaze. “Nothing,” he stammered, “just a distant relative’s kid, also sick, quite pitiful. I just mentioned it casually, don’t ask more.” He hurriedly finished his meal, made an excuse about work, and quickly got up to leave. Watching his fleeing figure, a cold smile curled at the corner of my lips. I thought, “A distant relative? So pitiful that they need you to donate a kidney?” I started quietly gathering evidence. I made an excuse about managing finances and asked him to show me the “family emergency fund” account. It held all our savings from five years of marriage, about over $500,000. At first, he refused, but after I kept pushing, he reluctantly handed me his phone. I opened the bank transactions, and my heart sank bit by bit. Every so often, there was a large expense—$10,000, $30,000, $50,000. The recipient’s name was all Amelia. The notes all said living expenses, rent, supplements. The most recent transfer was $200,000 for Lucia’s surgery. Turns out, all the money we saved by scrimping and saving went to Amelia and her daughter. I handed the phone back to him, looking calm. He didn’t notice anything unusual. I found Amelia’s Instagram and started scrolling through her posts. Her life is indeed quite comfortable. One of her posts showed various supplements with the caption: [Thanks to my husband, enduring all the hardships for me and our daughter.] Another post of hers featured designer bags with the caption: [My husband’s love is never late.] The location of her post is right in our city. Every post feels like a sharp blade, cutting my heart open and leaving it bleeding. On the weekend, I took Anna back to my mom’s house. I pretended it was accidental and dialed Vincent’s mom, Stella Watkins, putting it on speaker. I asked, “Stella, how have you been feeling lately?” She said, “I’m good. How are you and Vincent?” I chuckled lightly and said, “We’re doing well. Just a few days ago, I got a text from the hospital saying Vincent donated a kidney to a little girl named Lucia. Do you know about this? Whose child is Lucia?” On the other end, Stella’s voice instantly became tense. “What Lucia? I don’t know! Who told you such nonsense?” Her voice was sharp and guilty as she said, “The hospital sent the wrong message! Vincent is fine, how could he possibly donate a kidney?” “Aurora, don’t listen to others’ nonsense. Just live your life well!” After saying that, she hung up the phone. I put down the phone, unable to hold back my tears as they poured out. That night, Vincent came back. As soon as he walked in, he exuded hostility. He must have received a call from his mom. He asked, “Did you call my mom?” He stepped closer to me, his gaze terrifyingly sinister. “Aurora, I warned you, don’t play tricks behind my back!” I looked up at him calmly. “I just asked a question, why are you so nervous?” “You!” He raised his hand, seemingly about to hit me, but it stopped mid-air. In the end, he gave me a hard shove. Caught off guard, I stumbled back a few steps and hit the wall, my back aching. He warned me, “If you dare meddle again, we’ll get a divorce!” His tone was fierce, and the hatred in his eyes startled me. He said, “By then, don’t expect to get anything!” It was the first time he laid hands on me, and also the first time he mentioned the word “divorce.” My heart completely died.

I thought, “Divorce? Fine. But I won’t let him get his way easily.” I want him to pay the most painful price for what he has done.” A few days later, Anna suddenly had a high fever in the middle of the night. Her little face was flushed, and her whole body was burning hot. I was terrified, holding her, completely at a loss. My first reaction was to call Vincent, my voice trembling and choked with sobs. “Vincent, Anna has a high fever. Come back quickly, let’s take her to the hospital!” On the other end of the line, there was a noisy background. Vincent’s voice sounded impatient. “If she has a fever, just take her to the hospital. What’s the point of calling me?” “I have an important project here at the company, with several bosses around. How can I leave?” “You take her to the hospital first. I’ll come over when I’m done.” I sneered inwardly, “Important project? Is it that illegitimate daughter of yours causing trouble again?” I hung up the phone and, holding the feverish Anna alone, took a cab to the hospital in the cold night wind. I handled everything alone with Anna—registration, payment, tests, and IV—completely exhausted. Anna lay on the hospital bed with an IV, crying her heart out. It felt like a knife cutting through my heart. After settling her down, I went to the nurse’s station to find a nurse. But at the end of the pediatric corridor, I saw a familiar figure. It was Vincent. He was carefully supporting Amelia, both of their faces full of worry. They were surrounding a doctor, whispering something. I instinctively hid in the corner. I could only hear Amelia’s tearful voice. “Doctor, why is Lucia’s rejection reaction still so severe?” She suddenly became agitated, pounding Vincent’s chest hard. “It’s all your wife’s fault!” “A few days ago, the nurses told me she even called to inquire about Lucia’s condition!” “Does she know something? Is she trying to harm our daughter?” Vincent held her tightly, gently comforting her. His voice was a tenderness I had never heard before. He said, “Babe, don’t be afraid, I’m here.” “She knows nothing, just making wild guesses.” “Don’t worry, once Lucia fully recovers, I’ll divorce her.” “By then, our family will never be apart again.” I leaned against the cold wall, feeling like all the blood in my body had frozen. So, in his heart, Anna and I are the ones who should be abandoned. I’m completely disappointed in him. He not only took our money but also blamed all the misfortunes on me. I didn’t listen any further and turned back to the ward. Looking at the sleeping, Anna just on the,-bed Anna, I wiped away my tears, my the ​-eyes became firm. I must win this battle. Vincent showed up in Anna’s ward at noon the next day. He carried a bag of fruit, with fake exhaustion on his face. He said, “You’ve worked hard. Something came up at the company last night, I really couldn’t leave.” I didn’t look at him, just said calmly, “Anna’s fever has gone down.” He pretended to check Anna’s forehead, then sat down beside me. He held my hand, putting on a sorrowful expression. “There’s something, I don’t know how to tell you.” I looked at him, waiting for his act. His eyes reddened, and his voice choked. “My mom was diagnosed with severe heart disease back home. She needs bypass surgery, and the cost is 300,000 dollars.” He took a piece of paper from his bag and handed it to me. It was a forged critical illness notice. The hospital seal on it was crooked. He said, “Our family savings were all invested in a friend’s project before, and now we can’t withdraw them. The only way to save my mom now is…” He paused, looked up, his eyes full of “hope” and “pleading.” He said, “The solution is to sell the house your parents bought for you.” As he spoke, he knelt in front of me. A man with only one kidney, for his ex-girlfriend and illegitimate daughter, knelt before me, crying and begging me to sell the only security my parents gave me. He continued his hypocritical plea, “I beg you, save my mom! As long as you’re willing to sell the house, I’ll listen to you for the rest of my life, I promise to repay you!” Looking at his utterly hypocritical face and that broken body, the last trace of attachment in my heart turned to ashes. I laughed, a laugh filled with utter sorrow. I helped him up and gently wiped away the fake tears on his face. “Alright, I’ll sell it,” I said softly. “Give me the property deed.”

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After a week of night shifts, I made a mistake. I injected phenobarbital into my son Albert Morrison’s body instead of the intended antibiotic. This mistake caused Albert to stop breathing on the spot. The hospital declared his brain dead. Upon hearing the news, my husband Harvey Morrison had a mental breakdown. He became very agitated and could only calm down by holding his nephew Felix Morrison, as Felix looked a lot like Albert. So, I gave up a valuable opportunity to transfer back to a city job. I used this opportunity to gain the consent of Harvey’s late brother’s wife, Mila Allan, to let Felix be adopted by our family. Because of that mistake, I have been extremely careful and hardworking. Even when facing Harvey’s cold and disdainful looks every day, I don’t mind. Until ten years later, Mila returned to her hometown, very successful and wealthy. I accidentally overheard her conversation with Harvey. Mila asked, “Back then, to help me become a city resident, you went as far as switching the medication and personally caused your child’s death. Do you really not regret it?” Harvey coldly laughed and said, “I don’t regret it. I promised you that I would make you someone better and more successful than others. With Charlotte’s personality, if she knew there was a chance to transfer back to the city, she would definitely fight you to the end.” Charlotte Simpson is my name. He continued, “I could only use my son’s death to trap her for life. This way, I could naturally have her raise our child, allowing you to focus on your career without any burden.” I couldn’t believe everything I heard. I rushed out of the room but fell into the fast-flowing river. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Albert was declared dead by the hospital. The painful feeling of not being able to breathe while drowning still lingered in my nose. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Mila’s tear-filled eyes. Mila said, “Charlotte, you’re awake. Albert is dead. Please control your grief.” The familiar voice reached my ears, and I suddenly realized I had been reborn. I was reborn on the day I gave the wrong medication, causing Albert’s “death.” Looking at this pretentiously kind face in front of me, I was furious. In my past life, it was Mila and Harvey who sent Albert to the orphanage. They even pretended to be heartbroken and reluctant, transferring that ungrateful Felix under my name, making me raise their child. Back then, I failed to see their hidden, cruel ambitions. Every time Mila came to my house to see Felix, I would voluntarily work overtime, giving them enough time to be alone together. I guess they were probably mocking me as a fool behind my back at the time. I dug my fingernails deep into my palm, forcefully suppressing the hatred in my heart. I’ll settle the score with them for all these wrongs they’ve done, one by one. Phenobarbital doesn’t cause immediate death. They must have hidden Albert. It was urgent, so I couldn’t delay. I threw off the blanket and rushed out. My action startled Mila. Mila said, “Charlotte, what are you doing? Even if Albert is gone, you have to stay strong. You’re still young. You can definitely have more children.” How ridiculous. Since Felix was adopted into my family, not only have Harvey and I not had any marital life, but even if Harvey and I got slightly closer by about two inches, Felix would loudly broadcast it. In this era, where newlyweds making louder noises at night would be mocked, Harvey and I lived like the most familiar strangers. Now, I understand. As long as Felix is adopted into my family, Mila can effortlessly get a spot to transfer back to a city job. This way, someone takes care of her child, and she can even conveniently plant a spy between Harvey and me. This one thing achieves three goals at once. She really knows how to plan and scheme. Mila tried to stop me. I pinched my thigh hard, and tears immediately streamed down. I said, “Mila, don’t stop me. Without Albert, as a mother, I don’t want to live either. Tell me where Albert is. I want to die with Albert.” In my past life, I was completely consumed by the guilt of causing my son’s death with my own hands. I didn’t even see the body and hurriedly had them bury Albert. Mila was completely panicked. She had already taken Albert away. How could there be a body? She could only scream sharply, hoping someone would hear the commotion and come quickly. Sure enough, the ward door was suddenly pushed open. My gaze met a pair of bloodshot eyes. The next second, a large rough hand tightly gripped my neck. The moment Harvey appeared, Mila let go of her tight grip around my waist. The suffocating pain quickly overwhelmed me. Looking at Harvey’s blood-red eyes, I couldn’t stop trembling all over. In my past life, he went crazy like this, blaming the child’s death on me and even trying to drive me to despair. Only Felix’s appearance could calm him down. At that time, I was filled with guilt, so when Mila suggested adopting Felix under my name, I had no objections. Back then, I only hoped Felix could bring new hope to our broken family. He did bring hope, but it wasn’t for me. My breath was taken away, and my vision gradually blurred. At this moment, a child’s voice rang out. “Dad.”

After the tender “Dad” sounded, the hand gripping my neck loosened. I lay on the ground, gasping for air. And Harvey, whose eyes were bloodshot just now, immediately changed his expression upon hearing that “Dad.” He used all his strength to hold Felix, who had rushed into his arms, as if holding a precious treasure lost and found again. His hands trembled, and he kept murmuring softly, “Albert, Albert…” Who wouldn’t be moved by this performance? Only I kept a cold face, unwilling to spare them even a glance. If I hadn’t lived again, I might have been so guilt-ridden at this moment that I’d wish to apologize with my life. After all, I am directly responsible for Albert’s death and indirectly caused Harvey to go mad and lose his sanity. Noticing my cold expression, Mila cautiously said, “Charlotte, I let Felix call Harvey ‘Dad’ for your sake. You saw it too. Albert is gone, and Harvey’s mental state…” The worry on her face was unmistakable. I sneered inwardly. Whether she did it to stabilize Harvey’s emotions or for something else, she knew better than I did. I said, “Is that so? That must have been hard on you, Mila.” Meeting my stern gaze, Mila instinctively looked away, then turned to comfort Harvey and Felix. I didn’t hesitate either and strode out of the ward. This time, no one bothered to stop me. Standing in front of the public phone booth, I took a deep breath before dialing that familiar number. The voice on the other end said, “Hello?” I said, “Dad, Mom, Albert is missing.” Almost the moment I heard the voices of my parents, George Simpson and Evelyn Simpson, my tears uncontrollably streamed down. Hearing my tearful voice, George and Evelyn, who had angrily threatened to cut ties with me when I got married, also panicked. After I haltingly explained everything, I heard a steady and reliable man’s voice on the receiver. He said, “Charlotte, don’t be afraid. We’ll definitely help you find Albert. Can you handle things over there on your own?” Although I couldn’t see the person on the other end of the phone, I still instinctively nodded like I did when I was a child. I said, “I can manage. The transfer notice has been issued. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow.” He said, “Alright, we’ll wait for you to come back.” This gentle male voice reached my ears, inexplicably giving me a strong and reassuring feeling. I returned to the ward and saw Harvey and Mila sitting on either side of Felix. When they looked at each other, the sweet and clingy atmosphere almost overflowed. I pushed the door open directly, interrupting the warmth filling the room. Harvey, who had “returned” to normal, turned his head, not even bothering to spare me a glance. Mila, however, stood up a bit embarrassed, then walked over to me and held my hand. She said, “Charlotte, we’ve discussed it. In a few days, we’ll find a time to transfer Felix to you and Harvey’s name.” Her face was full of heartache, but the slight lift of her brows still revealed her true feelings inside. Before I could speak, a small figure slammed into my waist. Felix roared, “Bad woman! Don’t think you can separate me from Mom!” Then, he cried and threw himself into Mila’s arms, sobbing, “Mom, don’t you want me anymore?” After all, Felix is just an eight-year-old child now. Even though Mila had talked to him a lot before, he still couldn’t control his emotions when truly facing abandonment by his biological mother. I held my aching waist, looking at the scene of a loving mother and a filial child before me, sneering coldly in my heart. Facing Felix’s tears, a trace of reluctance flashed in Mila’s eyes. But the next second, she steeled herself. Mila said, “What are you doing? Hurry up and apologize to your mom!” Felix stiffened his neck, like a stubborn little wild beast. Mila raised her hand and slapped him, then shoved him hard onto me. As soon as he got close to me, Felix grabbed my hand and bit down hard. The sharp pain in my wrist made me throw him hard against the wall. The scene was chaotic. Harvey’s mother, Freya Morrison, pushed the door open and came in. She saw Felix crying loudly, while Harvey and Mila were frantically holding him to comfort him. And I stood aside, looking as if it had nothing to do with me. Freya said, “Charlotte, you wicked woman! You killed Albert, and now you want to kill Felix too?” She grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall with her rough hands. My vision turned blood-red as blood streamed down. Mila screamed, drawing everyone’s attention.

Harvey carefully covered Mila’s eyes, his brows tightly furrowed. He said, “Mom. Mila faints at the sight of blood. Even if you want to act, this isn’t the place.” Freya, who was showing off in front of me just now, instantly lost her momentum. She ingratiatingly helped Harvey support Mila out of the ward. As she passed me, Mila gave me a slight smile, showing no signs of fainting or discomfort. In the vast ward, only the sound of my heavy breathing remained. I forced myself to walk to the nurse’s station. The nurse on duty was startled when she saw me. She said, “Ms. Simpson, what’s wrong with you?” After hastily bandaging up, I immediately got up and headed toward the leader’s office. Unexpectedly, I ran into Harvey and Mila eagerly embracing each other in the hallway. Mila said, “Harvey, sending Albert to the orphanage, are you sure you won’t regret it? He’s your own son.” Harvey’s voice was hoarse. He said, “Of course, I don’t regret it. Felix is my son. I remember Charlotte’s family even prepared a house for her in the city. When Felix grows up, won’t all of this be ours?” “Besides, haven’t you always wanted to study in the city? This is a perfect chance for you to check it out.” Mila said emotionally, “Harvey, you’re so good to me.” After speaking, the sound of a sticky embrace followed. My stomach churned with nausea. Holding back the urge to vomit, I went around to the other staircase and headed to the leader’s office. I carefully tucked the transfer notice into my pocket before returning to the ward. But when I pushed open the ward door, I found it empty. Seeing me return, a nurse tidying up the room said a bit awkwardly, “Ms. Simpson, your husband said there’s no need to waste money, so…” I didn’t say anything, just let out a self-deprecating chuckle. Since that’s the case, I might as well go back to the staff dormitory to pack my things. After confirming with the logistics department that the staff dormitory would be reclaimed once my transfer procedures were completed, I finally felt at ease and returned to the dormitory. But the moment I opened the door, I was stunned by what I saw. The wedding photo on the wall was gone, the orchids I planted on the balcony were missing, and the bedsheets and duvet cover had been replaced with patterns I disliked. All traces of me in the house had disappeared. As I stood there in a daze, laughter came from outside the door. I opened the door and saw Mila in brand-new clothes, holding Harvey’s arm intimately. The diamond bracelet on her wrist sparkled blindingly. Harvey was holding shopping bags from the department store, and his other hand was holding Felix, who was eating candy. Seeing this scene, my blood pressure instantly spiked. Married to Harvey for ten years, he never bought anything for Albert and me. Now, he’s openly buying things for another woman and her child. How can I not be angry? Even though I already knew what kind of person he is, I can’t help but feel heartbroken at this moment. I said, “Harvey, explain this to me. Why is all my stuff gone from this house?” Harvey frowned tightly and said impatiently, “I let Mila move in. Felix will be our child from now on.” “I let Mila move in so I could spend more time with Felix. Do you really have to fuss over such small things?” I could hardly believe my ears. I said, “Fussing over small things? You let a widow move into our home…” Before I could finish my sentence, a hard slap landed on my face. Harvey said, “Charlotte, I’m not as dirty as you think.” Immediately, Harvey’s eyes widened. Seeing me covering my face, he looked guilty for a moment. He instinctively took a step back but continued, “If it weren’t for you killing Albert, how would we have ended up here?” “I’ll take Mila and Felix to stay at a hotel for a couple of days. You think it over on your own.” After saying that, he took all the cash from the drawer and left with the two of them as if fleeing. I looked around the house, which was filled with traces of Mila’s presence. I grabbed a broom and started smashing things around the house. Since these things were bought with my money, no one can blame me even if I smash them all. After smashing everything, I specifically went to the logistics department and told them I didn’t want anything in the house anymore. I also said that if they needed anything, they could just take it. It was two days later when the house was completely emptied. I handed over the keys to the staff dormitory. Then, I saw a car parked at the hospital entrance at the agreed time. The car window rolled down, and I immediately saw Albert wearing a small hat, smiling sweetly at me. He called out, “Mom.” The deep unease in my heart finally disappeared. I held my precious, lost-and-found treasure tightly. At this moment, a steady male voice came from the driver’s seat. He said, “Let’s go. George and Evelyn are still waiting for you.” I nodded, took one last look at the place where I had spent ten years, and then got in the car without looking back.

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When the wheat was not yet ripe, I dreamed of my grandmother Abigail Garcia telling me, “This fall, there will be a locust plague. Sell the family fields and switch to fish farming. That way, you can secure your income.” I convinced my parents, Roman Garcia and Layla Garcia, to harvest the wheat early and sell it, then flood the fields to raise fish. But later, we faced a severe drought. All the fish were dried to death. Our family ended up in heavy debt. Just when we didn’t know what to do, Abigail appeared in my dream again and told me, “Under the apple tree behind the old house, gold bars are buried. Exchange the gold bars for money to pay off the debt, and there will still be plenty left.” I immediately told Roman the news. However, what he dug up wasn’t gold bars but a whole box of white powdered drugs. The police stationed there arrested him as a drug dealer. Due to the large quantity of drugs, he might face execution. Layla couldn’t handle the shock and immediately fainted. Abigail appeared in my dream again and said, “The doctor Everett Taylor at Central Hospital can cure her. If you don’t find Everett soon, your mom will be in danger.” I was determined to save Layla, so I threatened Everett with my life. He finally agreed to perform surgery on Layla. What I didn’t know was that my boyfriend Anthony Jones had also been in a car accident and urgently needed Everett’s treatment as well. Because I took Everett away, Anthony didn’t receive timely treatment and passed away. At the same time, Layla also died on the operating table due to delayed rescue. Before she died, she cried and asked me, “Why did you harm me and your dad?” Anthony’s parents believed I was responsible for their son’s death. To vent their anger, they stabbed me eighteen times. I was rushed to the emergency room. In my coma, I saw Abigail again. But she grinned menacingly and stabbed a knife into my heart. In reality, I also died from a ruptured heart. Until my death, I couldn’t understand why following what Abigail said in the dream led to my entire family’s demise. When I opened my eyes again, I returned to the day Abigail told me to sell the land. ***** Abigail said to me in the dream, “Eloise, remember. There will be a locust plague this fall. Planting this wheat will be a waste. It’s better to cut the seedlings, sell them, and use the money to lease a fish pond. That way, you can make money.” Eloise Garcia is my name. I suddenly woke up. This familiar dream made me realize I was truly reborn. But this time, I don’t plan to tell Roman and Layla anything; instead, I’ll just turn over and go back to sleep. In my previous life, Abigail also told me in a dream about the locust plague and asked me to tell Roman to quickly harvest the wheat, sell it, and raise fish. Abigail loved me the most when she was alive, so I trusted her words completely and immediately told Roman about the locust plague. Since Roman injured his hand while working, the only source of income for my family has been those fields. Not only do we rely on it for our family’s food and drink, but also to pay for my schooling. So, we can’t afford any risks. I was originally worried that the message from the dream was too unreal and wondered how I could convince Roman to believe it. However, Roman chose to believe me unconditionally. He harvested the wheat and leased a fish pond to raise fish. Facing the villagers’ ridicule, he straightened his back proudly and said, “Eloise is a college student, she knows more than I do. How can I, as her father, not trust her?” However, reality dealt us a heavy blow. By autumn, let alone a locust plague, not even a single locust appeared. Instead, we faced a once-in-a-century drought. Roman desperately released water to prevent the fish pond from drying up. But due to the continuous heat, the young fish that hadn’t grown yet were eventually scalded to death. Soon after, Roman fell ill. My family lost all our money. Layla was so worried that she couldn’t sleep all night. But when she saw me, she forced a smile and comforted me, telling me not to blame myself. I deeply regretted it. But then, I received guidance from Abigail in a dream. She said, “Eloise, go to the apple tree on the back hill. Your grandfather buried gold bricks there for emergencies. Now is the time to dig them up.” I excitedly shared this news with Roman and Layla. Roman went straight to the back hill and indeed dug up a box. However, when he opened it, he found it wasn’t the gold bricks Abigail mentioned, but a box full of white powder drugs. Roman hadn’t figured out what was happening when the police, waiting there, mistook him for someone meeting with drug dealers and arrested him on the spot. Due to the severity of the situation, we weren’t even allowed to visit him. The investigating police revealed that due to the large amount of hidden drugs, Roman might face the death penalty. Devastated by the blow, Layla fainted on the spot. The diagnosis was acute heart failure. I passed out crying by Layla’s bedside. In my dream, I saw Abigail again saying, “Only Everett at Central Hospital can save your mom. Hurry up. If you’re any later, she won’t wake up.” I rushed to Central Hospital, begged Everett, and finally convinced him to go back and operate on Layla. What I didn’t know was that Anthony had been in a car accident. His heart was pierced by debris, urgently needing Everett to perform a stitching operation. Because I intercepted Everett midway, Anthony missed the best time for rescue and passed away. I was still in shock from indirectly causing Anthony’s death when Everett regretfully announced that Layla had also died due to a failed rescue. I rushed into the ward in a panic, only to catch one last glimpse of Layla. The one who always adored me looked at me with disappointment and confusion for the first time. Layla asked me, “Why did you harm me and your dad?” I walked out of the funeral home in a daze, holding Layla’s urn, only to be found by Anthony’s parents. They believed I was responsible for Anthony’s death. To vent their anger, they stabbed me eighteen times. I was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. On the brink of death, I saw Abigail again. I wanted to question her why she harmed me and my family. But before I could speak, she raised a knife and stabbed it into my chest. My heart shattered, and I died tragically in the ambulance. Living this life again, I will never trust Abigail’s misleading guidance in my dreams.

I comforted myself, thinking the drought wouldn’t affect the wheat much. Even if we ignored it, Roman would surely harvest this season’s crops by autumn. But I still felt uneasy. The next morning, I used my long-saved living expenses to buy pesticide and carefully cleared the pests from our fields. When Roman saw this, he couldn’t help but laugh, saying I was more like a farmer than him. I didn’t dare relax, keeping a close watch on the fields every day. Until harvest season arrived, the wheat grew tall and strong. The grain merchants who came to buy carefully inspected it and offered the highest price. They said, “This batch of wheat is top quality. We’ll pay a high price for it. You must save it for us.” Roman’s face was full of smiles. “Great. This year I can buy new clothes for my daughter and wife.” After agreeing to harvest tomorrow, I could finally relax. I guessed right. What Abigail said in her dream was wrong. As long as I don’t believe her, it’s fine. That night, Layla made a turkey usually reserved for Christmas to celebrate. Then, we went to bed early to prepare for harvesting wheat tomorrow. But at dawn, I heard an unbelievable wail. “How could this happen? Where did the locusts come from?” I instantly became alert, a sense of foreboding bursting in my heart. I rushed out without even putting on slippers. The scene before me left me wide-eyed in shock. Locusts swirled like a black tornado over my wheat field. The wheat, which had been perfectly ready for harvest during the day, was now being devoured into a mess by the locusts. Roman frantically waved his hands to drive away the locusts, but it was useless. He even accidentally fell to the ground, helplessly watching as the locusts devoured almost all our wheat. That man, who was so tall in my heart, never got up again. I leaned in and only heard him mutter, “It’s over. All over. Eloise’s tuition, money for Layla’s medicine, the family’s living expenses, all gone.” Roman’s words made me feel deeply upset. I wondered, “Why? I clearly didn’t follow Grandma’s words, and there was no locust plague in the previous life. Why is it happening this time?” Before I could figure it out, Roman went out. When he came back, his waist was deeply bent. I knew he had gone to borrow money from relatives. For someone as proud as Roman, this was such a humiliating thing. Just thinking about it made me feel really upset. However, that night, Abigail appeared in my dream again. She seemed to know about the difficulties at home now. She sighed and said, “Eloise, go to the apple tree at the back hill. Your grandfather buried gold bars there for emergencies. Gold prices are high now. Sell them, and you can solve the immediate difficulties.” But in my previous life, I believed Abigail’s words and happily shared this news with Roman. But what was hidden there wasn’t gold bars at all, it was drugs. Roman was also mistaken by the police as a drug dealer and was arrested. This time, I will never let such a thing happen again. So the first thing I did after waking up was report this to the police. I said, “It seems like something is buried under the apple tree in our back mountain, possibly evidence left by criminals.” They stayed silent for a long time, then told me they would investigate. I knew this disrupted their plans, but to keep Roman out of it, I had no other choice. That afternoon, the police drove to my house. I was stunned for a moment, instinctively thinking they were here to thank me for my report. But to my surprise, the officers behind them walked in carrying a box. That was the very box that got Roman imprisoned in the previous life.

Why did the police bring in the box filled with drugs? But what surprised me even more was that when the box was opened, it wasn’t drugs inside, but over a dozen gold bars. “How is there so much gold?” Roman asked in confusion, still unaware of what was happening. But as soon as he stepped forward, he was pinned to the ground by the police and handcuffed. This sudden situation left me completely stunned. I instinctively wanted to rush forward but was stopped by the police. I asked, “Why are you arresting my dad?” A police officer replied, “Because we’ve identified that the gold bars in this box are the ones stolen during the gold bar theft case in transit over a decade ago.” “Through our investigation, we’ve confirmed that the main culprit is your grandfather. And just now, your dad’s guilty expression clearly shows he’s connected to this case.” At this point, the police officer’s gaze at me became complicated. Then he continued, “Although turning your dad in will leave a mark on your life, you’ve helped the country catch the criminal and recover the losses, which is something to be proud of.” I couldn’t believe it. “That’s impossible. How could my dad be a criminal? Dad, hurry and say this is all a misunderstanding.” But when I turned to look at Roman and saw his face full of guilt, sadness, and the shock of betrayal, I couldn’t believe it. “Is this true?” I asked. Roman looked at me and slowly revealed the truth. He said, “Your grandpa wanted to improve our lives back then and brought back a box, then asked me to carry it. But when I discovered it was full of gold bars, I realized the truth that he had robbed a bank. “But in those days, the consequences of crime were severe. At that time, your mom was already pregnant with you. For your safety, I chose to keep it a secret.” I thought, “So Grandma was telling the truth? But how is this possible? In my previous life, the box was filled with drugs.” Until the police took Roman away from me, I still couldn’t recover from this shocking truth. I still wondered in confusion, “Wasn’t it drugs in there? How could it be gold bars? How could Dad be a criminal?” At that moment, the door opened. It was Layla, who had rushed over after hearing the news. “Roman!” But when she saw the empty room, she understood what had happened. “It’s over.” She instantly collapsed to the ground, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. Layla’s illness flared up. I shouted, “Mom.” This scene, identical to the previous life, stirred the deepest fear in my heart. I rushed up frantically to support Layla, but her dying gaze was fixed firmly on my eyes. She said to me, “Your dad was wrong, but he did it all for you. Yet you reported him.” Layla’s voice was choked with emotion. “Eloise, do you hate your dad for not giving you money to live a wealthy life, so you’re deliberately retaliating against him?” I shook my head and said, “No, no, it’s not that. How could I hate Dad? I never truly wanted to hurt him.” But Layla passed out before hearing my explanation. I hurriedly carried her to the hospital for emergency treatment. Rushing all the way there, after handing her over to the nurse, I also briefly passed out from exhaustion. Here, I saw Abigail again. She was deeply distressed and urged me, “Your mom’s condition is critical. Only Everett from Central Hospital can treat her. If you don’t go to him soon, it will be too late.” I suddenly woke up but fell into conflict. In my previous life, I had witnessed Everett’s skills. As long as he intervened in time, he could definitely save Layla. I checked the time and realized Anthony’s car accident in the previous life happened two hours later. I could completely prevent it. Immediately, I called Anthony.

The call connected quickly. On the other end, Anthony’s voice sounded very comforting. He said, “Babe, I heard about the situation with your family’s wheat. Is there anything I can do to help you?” His words made me feel very warm inside. Anthony had always been such a good person. But in the previous life, he died because of my reckless behavior. This time, I must save Layla. I absolutely won’t let anything happen to him. So, I said to him, “Anthony, I need you to do something for me. From now on, you must stay where you are all afternoon and not move. I’ll come to see you tonight, okay?” I tried hard, thinking intensely about the answer. But Anthony didn’t hesitate at all. He said, “Although I don’t know why, since you’re asking so seriously, this must be very important. “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely do as you say and stay here obediently waiting for you to come and get me.” I nodded firmly. Then, I wiped away my tears and hurried to Central Hospital. I skipped a lot of unnecessary communication and directly pleaded in front of Everett. He immediately understood the seriousness of the situation and chose to treat Layla. I glanced at the time and realized it was an hour earlier than planned. Everett also said we arrived just in time, so the chances of Layla being cured are very high. I waited until after the three-hour surgery. Everett took off his mask and happily said to me, “The patient’s surgery was a complete success. As long as she rests and recovers well, she will heal.” On the hospital bed, Layla slowly opened her eyes. But when she saw it was me, she closed her eyes in pain again. She still resents me. But I still burst into tears of joy. At least this time, I saved Layla’s life. This also means I broke free from what Abigail told me in the dream. The first person I wanted to call was Anthony to share the good news. However, after dialing over a dozen times, it kept showing unreachable. I hadn’t figured out what was going on when a commotion erupted in the hospital. I heard someone calling my name. I turned around and saw a scene that made my blood run cold. Anthony’s mom, Madelyn Jones, strode toward me. Her face was full of accusation. She shouted, “Eloise, you wicked woman! You killed my son.” I said, “Something happened to Anthony? How is that possible? I clearly told him to stay put.” Hearing this, Madelyn suddenly went crazy. She screamed, “It really was you! Do you know? My son was waiting for you at the intersection when a drunk driver hit him and killed him on the spot. You killed my son!” Her words hit me like a hammer, leaving me completely stunned. I thought, “Anthony is really dead?” My eyes narrowed sharply in shock. I couldn’t believe it was true. I thought, “I clearly didn’t follow what Grandma told me to do in her dream. Why did I still end up causing Anthony’s death?” I hadn’t figured it out yet when Madelyn suddenly pulled a fruit knife out of her pocket. It was the exact same knife that killed me in my previous life. Then, she stabbed at me with all her strength. But at that moment, someone forcefully pushed me away and took the stab for me. That person shouted, “Eloise, run!” It was Layla. Immediately, the blade pierced her chest, and blood splattered onto my face. I snapped out of my daze, but Layla was already lying in a pool of blood. She tightly grabbed Madelyn’s pant leg and shouted to me, “Eloise, run!” Unable to break free, Madelyn angrily kicked Layla hard again. She glared at me fiercely and threatened, “If you don’t come over and pay for my son’s life, I’ll kill your mom first, then you!” The knife in Madelyn’s hand was about to pierce Layla’s chest. But suddenly, I finally understood everything. Why would Abigail, who loves me, hurt me? Why can’t I stop the tragedy no matter what I do? I understood all these reasons.

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My name is Haley Ramirez. On the way to a meeting at the company, I called my daughter Nora Black. But on the other end of the line came a voice exactly like mine. She said she was me from three years later. She said, “Haley, go home immediately and find Nora, she’s in danger.” I was stunned for a moment, then instinctively retorted, “Who are you? Don’t joke like this!” I sped up. But she sternly stopped me, “Don’t drive forward! There’s going to be an accident at the intersection.” The next second, at an intersection not far from me, two cars collided with a bang. Cold sweat slid down my back as I froze in the driver’s seat, my breath caught. The next second, the voice identical to mine rang out again. “Three hours later, Nora will fall to her death.” “This is your only chance to save her.” ***** I asked, “Who are you exactly? What’s with this car accident?” I slammed on the brakes, staring in shock at the car accident ahead, cold sweat covering my back. A voice identical to mine came through the phone. “Don’t doubt it, I am you from three years in the future, which is why I know all of this in advance.” I just found it absurd, convinced it was a scammer using technology to mimic my voice. For years, my life has been simple and happy, following a routine every day. Besides, Nora was perfectly fine at home, and there was nothing unusual when I left. On such an ordinary day, how could Nora die? Calming down, I was about to hang up and call Nora again. At that moment, the voice on the other end hurriedly said, “I can prove I’m not lying, Nora is really in danger!” Immediately after, an elderly voice came through in the background of the call. “Ms. Ramirez, you’re here so early to visit your daughter at the cemetery. My condolences.” I held my breath and thought, “She’s at the cemetery, could something really have happened to Nora?” The footsteps gradually faded away, and the “I” spoke again, “That’s the cemetery caretaker. I’ve been coming here often over the past three years, and we’re quite familiar now.” The car accident that had just accurately come true flashed through my mind, and my heart sank bit by bit. I still struggled to say, “My husband will be home soon, he’ll take care of Nora, nothing could happen.” There was a light chuckle on the other end of the phone, followed by a few things that would happen later. She said, “At 1:15, your husband Carlos Black will call to tell you he’s working overtime today and won’t be back this afternoon.” “You’ll immediately call your good friend Freya Martin, but she’ll say she’s out traveling.” “Five minutes later, your secretary Ruby Ford will call to urge you, and you’ll have no choice but to give up going home and head back to the office.” I listened in a daze, subconsciously glancing at my watch. It is 1:14 now. The second hand completes a circle, and the phone rings right on time. It’s Carlos. He said, “Babe, I have to work overtime today, so I won’t be home for dinner.” I subconsciously asked him, “Didn’t we agree you’d take care of the kid this afternoon? If you don’t come home, what about Nora?” Carlos sounded relaxed. “Nora staying home for half a day won’t be a problem. Don’t worry too much. I have something urgent, gotta go.” After saying that, he hung up the phone. I looked at the car accident scene not far away and dialed Freya’s number. She said with a smile, “Sorry, Haley, I went on a trip and just got off the plane. I’ll bring you and Nora some souvenirs when I get back.” After saying that, she even sent me a few travel photos. By the time Ruby called, I had completely lost interest in listening. That strange call across time and space did not disconnect. The “me” on the phone had a hoarse voice. “Haley, trust me. I tried to send you a photo, just hoping to change this ending.” The phone vibrated, and a multimedia message popped up—it was a black-and-white tombstone. In the photo above, Nora was smiling brightly. The thought of Nora lying in a cold grave made my heart ache sharply. Thinking of this, I no longer hesitated and immediately turned around to head home. Even if there’s a one-in-a-million chance, I won’t allow any accident to happen.

The moment I opened the door and saw Nora, my anxious heart finally settled. Nora’s eyes lit up, and she ran over to me, grabbing my arm. She said, “Mom, why are you back so soon?” I held her in my arms and patted her fluffy little head. According to Haley three years later, Nora would fall from the building three hours later. To be safe, I must keep Nora with me at all times. I said, “Nora, how about coming to the office with me today? I’ll buy you a strawberry cake.” She cheered and immediately went to the entrance to change her shoes, as if afraid I might change my mind. We reached the office smoothly without anything happening. Ruby came to report to me, and sure enough, the partner originally scheduled to attend the meeting was absent without notice. I was secretly surprised that another thing came true, and at the same time, I became more nervous, holding Nora’s hand tightly without letting go. This time, I took the initiative to call, and sure enough, the unknown number was connected. I said, “Nora is safe now. You said she would fall from the building; there must be a reason. Something like this can’t happen for no reason.” However, my future self said there were no clues at all. She said, “I investigated for three whole years, replayed everything that happened on this day countless times, and could recite it with my eyes closed. Whether it was the autopsy or the police investigation, no abnormalities were found.” “It’s as if Nora really had a sudden whim to go to the rooftop and accidentally fell.” “But I know, and you know, that even though she’s young, she’s obedient and well-behaved and would never go to the rooftop alone.” I couldn’t help but frown. Not knowing who the culprit is, I just can’t feel at ease. Even if she escapes today, who knows if something might happen tomorrow or the day after. While I was anxious, Carlos called. He said, “I heard you took Nora to the company. Why so sudden? Won’t it affect your work?” I rubbed my temples and ultimately chose not to tell him about the strange events. I said, “I don’t feel comfortable leaving her home alone. It’s safer to keep her with me.” Carlos chuckled lightly, “You’re just too sensitive.” I sighed silently, thinking, “If he knew what I just went through, he wouldn’t say that.” A thought crossed my mind, and I asked him, “Have you ever held a grudge against someone, or had any intense conflicts with anyone recently?” Carlos denied it, looking puzzled. I came to my senses too. He’s known among friends for his good temper, gentle nature, and hasn’t even argued with anyone—how could he have conflicts with others? However, until this hidden danger is uncovered, I won’t be at ease. Just as I was meticulously going through the network of connections, Ruby suddenly rushed in, flustered. She said, “Ms. Ramirez, something’s wrong! I just took Nora to the restroom, and after she went in, she never came out. When I went back to check, she was gone.”

A loud buzz filled my head, drowning out everything else, and I got up and rushed toward the restroom. The restroom was completely silent, with no one inside. Ruby looked grave. “I’m sure it was less than ten minutes. No one could quietly hide a five-year-old child in that time.” “I’ve already notified security to check the building’s surveillance. We’ll find her soon.” I tried calling Nora’s smartwatch, but it kept showing as powered off. Checking the watch’s location, it was less than a hundred meters away. I followed the location and found the watch dropped on the ground in a corner, but Nora was nowhere to be seen. I clenched my palm tightly, the pain barely keeping me awake. I ordered, “Go ask the people nearby if they’ve seen Nora!” A few minutes later, an employee hesitated and said, “I remember Nora did pass by here just now, heading out. But she looked quite normal, so I thought you knew and didn’t think much of it.” In just a few minutes, the security guard brought the surveillance footage to my office. I couldn’t believe my eyes—Nora actually walked out of the office building alone! I said, “That’s impossible.” The security guard pointed at the surveillance footage, speaking with certainty. “She went out alone. Look at the footage, I remember it too!” In the footage, Nora skipped out the door without any sign of being forced. But Nora would never leave me so far without saying a word. What was she doing leaving the company? I was completely puzzled, wondering where she went after leaving the company. The security guard said awkwardly, “Once she left the office building, she was out of the surveillance range, and we couldn’t track where she went.” There was no other way, so I immediately called the police. The police reviewed the footage with a serious expression. “Ms. Ramirez, your daughter entered a blind spot after leaving the company, and there are currently no new leads.” “It’s likely the work of an experienced trafficking gang. We’ve already dispatched search teams.” I thought, “But if Nora was trafficked, why did she end up falling from the building?” Thinking about the warning from three years later, with only an hour left until the incident, my heart sank uncontrollably. I called my future self and urgently asked, “Why did Nora still have an accident even though I brought her to the company?” There was only static on the other end, followed by a dull thud, like something heavy hitting the ground. She said, “I saw it. Even if Nora disappeared at the company, she was still found jumping from the twentieth floor.” I felt dizzy, grabbed my car keys, and rushed home. Halfway there, I remembered to tell Carlos about it. He immediately panicked. “Don’t worry, I’ll head home right away and help you look. Nora will be fine.” Hearing his voice, I almost couldn’t hold back my tears. I thought, “Everything was fine, so why did things turn out like this?” I sped home, and the community security said they hadn’t seen Nora or any strangers coming in or out. I headed straight to the rooftop. For safety reasons, the door to the rooftop was always locked. At this moment, the door was also tightly shut, with no signs of anyone entering. But time was running out. At that moment, the phone rang, and my future self’s voice sounded urgent. “No, we were all deceived. Nora didn’t fall from the rooftop at all!”

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After being reunited with my wealthy biological parents, Harry Marshall and Grace Marshall, my good friend Sophie Martin, who is allergic to dogs, picked up a dog. I was eating all kinds of expensive and rare foods, while Sophie didn’t hesitate to spend three months’ salary to buy king crab for that dog. I had just finished a perm that cost $15,000, and she immediately had the dog’s fur curled too. Even though Sophie broke out in rashes and was severely swollen, she still came to me every day holding the dog, even calling it by my nickname. Sophie explained pitifully, “Olivia, I can’t bear to see you leave. With this little dog around, it feels like you’re still by my side.” Olivia Marshall is my name. I was deeply moved by her words and immediately covered all the dog’s expenses, even buying many matching items for the dog and me. Unexpectedly, 81 days later, I turned into a dog, and Sophie took over my body. I was so anxious that I cried, but the sound I made turned into barking. Sophie, on the other hand, fearfully hid in Grace’s arms. Harry and Grace immediately ordered the bodyguards to beat me until I was barely alive. While I was severely injured, Sophie smiled and sent me to a dog meat shop for slaughter. In the end, I was shared and eaten by the whole family. As my soul was about to dissipate, I saw her talking on the phone with my fiancé Arthur Duncan. She said, “Arthur, thanks to the Soul-Swapping Spell you taught me, I can finally have everything of Olivia’s, including you.” When I opened my eyes again, I returned to the day Sophie asked me to help her feed the dog. ***** “Olivia, I have a business trip these days. Can you help me feed the dog?” As soon as I opened my eyes, I heard Sophie’s sickly sweet voice whining over the phone. Seeing that I didn’t answer, Sophie continued to plead, “Could you really bear to see a little life starve to death?” I felt cold sweat instantly soak my back, and the phone almost slipped from my hand. In my previous life, I turned into a dog, screaming in pain under a beating, and was sent to a dog meat market by her. A blunt knife mercilessly cut through my flesh. No one understands the feeling of dying better than I do. I tried to keep my voice steady and then agreed to Sophie. Endless hatred filled my heart. Living this life again, I must escape the fate of soul-swapping from my past life. The key to the problem must lie with that dog. As soon as I opened Sophie’s door, a strong smell of urine hit me. A filthy stray dog was locked in a small cage. It had to relieve itself inside the cage. Its fur was messy, eyes swollen and crusted with discharge, emitting a foul smell. It was the same in my previous life. Sophie never treated it as a pet or took proper care of it. I couldn’t stand it, so I took it to the pet shop for a bath, a check-up, and bought some tasty food. Unexpectedly, my kindness ultimately led to my own death. Thinking of this, I took out the folding knife I had prepared beforehand. I originally planned to take advantage of Sophie’s absence to come here and kill the dog, eliminating future troubles. But when I saw it curled up in the corner, whimpering pitifully, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The dog is innocent; the real villains are Sophie and Arthur. After thinking for a while, I called the local stray animal protection association. They will find a good home for the dog, allowing it to live a safe and peaceful life. I stepped closer and fed it some jerky. Looking into the puppy’s moist eyes, I thought no one would interfere with its life or death anymore. But the next second, I noticed something was off. A faint black spot appeared behind the puppy’s right ear. Almost at the same time, the food in my hand fell to the ground. This spot is exactly where my birthmark is. And just now, there was clearly nothing there. My heart started pounding. I thought, “Could it be that even starting over, I still can’t escape their scheme?” I backed to the door, forcing myself to calm down. In my past life, Sophie was allergic to dog fur, her face swelling so much that her eyes narrowed to slits, and she had to take a handful of allergy medicine every day. Even so, she insisted on bringing her dog to see me every day. This shows that the conditions for soul exchange are definitely not that simple. After seeing the staff take the dog away, I finally felt a bit calmer. As long as the dog is gone, I still have time to find a solution. Unexpectedly, the next day, my door was knocked on. Sophie stood at the door holding the dog, her tone very serious. She said, “Olivia, I just asked you to feed him for a few days, but you actually sent my Oli away. How could you be so heartless?” Sophie shoved the dog into my arms, then rudely barged into my bedroom and lay down. I froze in place, and the arm that had touched the dog instantly broke out in goosebumps. I almost immediately threw the dog to the ground and tried hard to make my expression look normal. I asked, “Aren’t you allergic to dog hair? I sent it away for your own good.” Sophie stroked the silk sheets and said gloomily, “What gives you the right to decide for me? I got a pet because I was always thinking of you.” I really didn’t want to say more to her, so I had the butler take the dog outside. Sophie, however, panicked and blocked the doorway. She said, “Are you driving the dog away, or me? Olivia, now that you’re rich, have you forgotten our years of friendship?” While we were at a stalemate, Arthur, who was abroad, called. He started by questioning, “Don’t you know that so-called protection organizations actually dispose of stray animals?” “Olivia, apologize to Sophie right now.”

Focused on dealing with that dog, I forgot that Sophie herself was also trouble. Since I returned to the Marshall family, Sophie often comes to see me. Now, everyone knows I have a very close friend. In my previous life, I was too oblivious and only realized Arthur and Sophie had an affair after I died. I abruptly pushed Sophie out and shut the door. I said, “I’m your fiancée, and you want me to apologize to someone else?” I hung up the phone and blocked Arthur’s contact. It took me a while to come to terms with this reality. Sophie took the dog back again, but I still had no clue. I tried hard to recall all the details of my past life, and my head felt like it was about to explode. Starting early the next morning, Sophie’s messages bombarded my phone one after another. Sophie: [Olivia, can we meet? I really miss you.] [Are you mad at me? I was just too anxious that day. I’m sorry.] [Please don’t ignore me. You’re my only friend.] I can almost picture her fake expression while typing those words. I felt a wave of nausea in my stomach, gripping my phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white. Then, I replied: [I’ve been busy lately. Let’s meet another day.] Seeing that Sophie didn’t message me again, I breathed a sigh of relief. However, I saw her post on Instagram with the caption: [Good friends are the family I choose myself.] The post had two pictures: one was a photo of her and me at the orphanage, and the other was a painting we made together. The painting, done roughly with crayons, depicted her and me, and the edges of the paper had already turned yellow. That was a gift I gave her when we were kids. In the comments section, our mutual friends and teachers left messages, admiring our friendship that has lasted over a decade. But I couldn’t bring myself to smile. Because in the reflection of the inconspicuous bedside table in the photo, there was a naked man. He was wearing a luxury watch on his wrist. That watch was the gift I gave to Arthur. Sophie quickly commented below, asking me to visit the orphanage together. She was clearly using moral coercion on me. Ten minutes later, the orphanage director called. She said, “Olivia, Sophie said you look down on her for being poor and don’t want to meet her. Is that true?” I bit my lip hard, the taste of blood spreading in my mouth. But I couldn’t share my difficulties with anyone. I heard myself say in a cold voice, word by word, “How could that be? We’ve arranged to go shopping together tomorrow afternoon.” The mall lights were glaring. Sophie held the dog, following me closely. She said, “Olivia, look at this bag.” She suddenly grabbed me and pointed to the Louis Vuitton bag in the display window, exactly the same as the one I was carrying. Sophie smiled and said, “The dog has matching accessories too. So cute.” I coldly watched the excited Sophie. In my previous life, at this moment, I had already taken out the black card and bought that bag. But now, I just chuckled lightly and said, “I think it’s average.” Sophie’s expression froze. She bit her lip, and her voice suddenly softened. She said, “I want to buy it for Oli. But I don’t have enough money.” She looked at me, and even the sales clerk behind the counter cast an expectant glance. The air froze for a second. I said coldly, “If you don’t have enough money, save up some more.” I slowly ran my hand over my bag strap. I continued, “Or, you could buy a cheaper one? It’s all the same for a dog anyway.” Sophie’s face twisted instantly. She said, “Olivia, just say it if you look down on me. In your eyes, am I only worthy of buying cheap stuff?” Sophie was about to continue, but out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed something, and tears immediately welled up. She said, “Olivia, you’re still mad at me for losing my temper that day, aren’t you?” She choked up as she reached for my hand. “I was just worried because Oli was scared.” At that moment, Arthur’s voice came from behind. “I’ll pay the bill.”

He walked over in a sharp suit, but his eyes were fixed on Sophie’s face. Sophie’s eyes immediately reddened, and she hid behind him like a startled fawn. When Arthur gave the membership code to the salesperson, I saw Sophie smugly pat the dog’s head. She said, “Good boy, Oli. You’re getting a new bag soon.” My nickname coming out of her mouth felt so sticky it was disgusting. While the salesperson was wrapping up, Arthur looked at me mockingly. He said, “Olivia, you can’t even buy a bag for your good friend? So stingy, as expected.” I stared at the faint red marks on his collar, the color exactly matching Sophie’s lipstick today. I sneered, “Mr. Duncan, you’re quite generous.” Arthur mockingly said, “You’re just like it, a stray brought back. Don’t you think you’re quite similar?” This sentence threw me back to the tragic end of my previous life. I felt a buzzing in my ears as Arthur’s mouth kept moving. He said, “I suggest you treat your friend and her dog well. Otherwise, someone as cold and heartless as you shouldn’t dream of becoming a member of the Duncan family.” Looking at his smug expression, I almost felt like throwing up. In my previous life, he always used breaking off the engagement to threaten me. Every time this happened, I would be very obedient to him, simply because I truly wanted to spend my life with him. If I had realized their malicious intentions earlier, perhaps I could have avoided the tragic ending of my previous life. Suddenly, the dog in Sophie’s arms started barking wildly. It was forcibly put into a bag identical to mine, struggling uncomfortably. And the black spot behind its ear had become too noticeable to ignore. I no longer cared about what happened next. I returned home in a daze. After a while, Grace came to call me for dinner. At the dining table, Harry and Grace looked at me lovingly. Grace said, “Olivia, you’ve had a tough time outside. Now, we’ll take good care of you.” “We never gave up looking for you. Thanks to fortune-teller Hunter Gray, who calculated your location. He’s truly amazing.” I was also a bit moved. After I came home, Harry and Grace couldn’t wait to give me all the best things in the world. But later, Sophie replaced me. Fear filled my heart, and I couldn’t swallow the food in my mouth. Grace continued, “Unfortunately, Hunter refused to accept our gratitude money. He’s truly skilled.” A thought quickly flashed through my mind. I thought, “Maybe Hunter can save me.” I smiled and said, “Dad, Mom, I want to personally thank this fortune-teller.” On Saturday, I set off early in the morning and finally climbed to the church on the mountain top by 2 p.m. When I walked in and saw Hunter, I was stunned. I always thought he would be an old man, but he turned out to be a handsome young man. He was dressed in simple clothes, his eyes deep and calm, nodding to me in greeting. He said, “Hello, Ms. Marshall.” I snapped out of it and quickly returned his greeting. Hunter said, “No need to be formal, just call me Hunter.” I briefly described the events to Hunter, leaving out the part about reincarnation, only mentioning it as a very realistic dream. After listening, his calm face turned serious. Hunter said, “Soul-Swapping Spell? I didn’t expect anyone to actually use such an evil spell.” “I need to look into a way to undo it. In the meantime, avoid contact with that dog. Wait for me to return.” I almost cried while thanking him. Before leaving, Hunter handed me a small box. Inside was a cross necklace. Hunter said, “Put it under your pillow, it can temporarily protect your soul from disturbance.”

After coming down from the mountain, I immediately claimed I was sick and stayed home to recover. And Sophie came to chat with me every day. She would ask me what I ate today and what kind of clothes I was wearing. If I didn’t reply, she would directly make a video call. She said, “Oli misses you. Olivia, when can we come visit you?” I didn’t dare to seem too resistant, so I replied to her intermittently. Arthur would drop by to see me from time to time. He claimed to be visiting, but he was actually monitoring me. Harry and Grace, however, welcomed him, thinking we had a great relationship. I couldn’t stand his behavior anymore and pulled him into the nearby living room. I asked, “Don’t you prefer Sophie? I’ll make it happen for you. Let’s call off the engagement.” Arthur just laughed. He stepped closer, lifting my chin. He said, “Are you jealous? It’s because you’re not as carefree as she is.” “If your face matched Sophie’s tricks in bed, I can’t imagine how thrilling it would be.” Alarms went off in my mind. In my previous life, was it for this reason that he swapped my soul into a dog’s body and let Sophie take over mine? I almost escaped his control. On the seventh day after Hunter left, he still hadn’t sent me any messages. I sent him countless messages, from asking about progress to eventually pleading for help, but got no response. Sophie, however, kept sending messages persistently: [Olivia, are you still not feeling better? Should I bring you some supplements?] I stared at that message, my fingers trembling, and replied: [No, I might infect you.] Fear and unease filled my heart as I tossed the phone aside. Compared to my previous life, I’ve hardly had much contact with dogs, so there shouldn’t be any problem. On the twenty-seventh day, Hunter finally called me. He said, “I found a solution in Los Angeles. I’m getting on a plane right now and coming to your place.” Before I could speak, tears streamed down my face. The me in the mirror looked extremely haggard, red-eyed, and seemed to have lost about eleven pounds. After hanging up, I kept praying in the room. Suddenly, the loud cheerful music from downstairs interrupted me. I opened the door in confusion and saw that the first-floor hall had already been decorated in vibrant colors. Looking closely, Sophie was directing the servants to arrange the cake, completely exuding the demeanor of a hostess. The dog was not there. Seeing me, she immediately ran over and held onto me. Then, she affectionately said, “Olivia, today marks the 16th anniversary of our friendship. Mr. Marshall, Mrs. Marshall, and I have prepared a surprise for you.” I watched her warily, while Harry and Grace warmly thanked her. Grace said, “Olivia hasn’t been going out lately. Sophie, luckily you came.” Harry said, “With such a good friend like you by her side, we feel reassured.” Sophie smiled and handed over a box. Inside was a white dress. She said, “This is my gift for you. Go try it on.” Seeing the relieved expressions of Harry and Grace, I could only put on the dress. But unexpectedly, when I came downstairs after changing, I ran into Arthur coming in with that dog. Fear instantly spread through my whole body. I couldn’t care about appearances and let out a scream. Arthur frowned tightly and said sternly, “Olivia, what’s wrong with you?” Everyone’s eyes were on me. Sophie lowered her head and said sadly, “Olivia, don’t dislike it. Before coming, I already bathed Oli. It won’t dirty your house.” The prolonged tension made me lose my mind the moment I saw the dog. I said coldly, “What are you pretending for? Naming the dog like that is just mocking me, isn’t it?” After saying that, I turned and fled back to my room. I didn’t touch the dog, so it should be fine. But the next second, strange white fur appeared on the skin under my skirt. I watched helplessly as my fingers turned black, twisted, and shrank. Then, my hand turned into an animal’s paw.

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The year my family went bankrupt, I clung to Frederick Thomson and spent the last night with him. The next morning, I threw the last bit of money at Frederick. I told him, “You can go find another rich person now. You don’t have to force yourself to serve an ugly woman like me anymore.” Afterward, I was kicked out of my home by those coming to liquidate the assets. Because of the birthmark on my face, everyone pointed at it and mocked me. Meanwhile, Frederick’s friends were celebrating, cheering that he could finally start a new life. They told him, “Frederick, with your looks, plenty of beautiful and wealthy girls would fight over you. Why did you have to lose your mind back then and let that ugly woman take advantage of you?” “She’s bankrupt now, so she probably won’t bother you anymore, right?” Five years later, Frederick transformed from the poor campus heartthrob into a rising star in the business world. In an interview room, he flipped through my resume, but his gaze lingered on my photo for a long time. He asked calmly, “You’re 28? You already have a child?” I met his scrutinizing gaze and introduced myself, “Yes. My name is Isabella Fraser, I’m married, and I have a daughter.” Now I’ve changed my name, and the large birthmark on my face is gone. Frederick didn’t recognize me. I never thought the resume I sent would end up in Frederick’s hands, and that he would personally interview me. The moment I pushed the door open and saw him, my breath faltered for a moment. Frederick sat behind the desk, a pair of rimless glasses perched on his high nose. He was reviewing my resume. His gaze shifted from my photo to my face, with a probing look in his eyes. Frederick asked, “Isabella? You graduated from the University of Washington? You’re here applying for the personal assistant position?” He tapped the table with his fingers and looked up at me. “Do you know what a personal assistant means?” “To put it bluntly, it’s like being a nanny. I have a lot of daily tasks. You’ll need to pay attention to many details.” He kept talking, but my thoughts had already drifted back to the night we parted ways years ago. That night, Frederick was wearing a faded shirt. I tore off the button on his collar, then pushed him onto the bed and kissed him passionately without any order. I said cruel words to him, “The happiest person to hear about my bankruptcy must be you, right? You finally don’t have to humble yourself to serve me anymore. Seeing my face, does it disgust you?” “Don’t worry. Even if I’m bankrupt, I can still afford to buy one more night with you.” Frederick stayed silent, his eyes deep. Then, just like before, he skillfully wrapped his arm around my waist. At the end, I threw him a bank card. That also marked the end of my ridiculous earlier life. “Have you made up your mind?” Frederick asked. He tapped the table with his fingers, his voice cold and his gaze calm. He didn’t recognize me. I instinctively touched my face. The bluish-purple birthmark was gone, and so were the rashes caused by various cosmetics. My face now is slightly thin, with no makeup, clean and plain, completely unrecognizable from the person I used to be. What’s more, I even changed my name. I said, “I’ve made up my mind.” I forced down the surging emotions inside and temporarily regained a calm exterior. Frederick said, “Great, you can start now. I’ll have my secretary Jaxon Anderson brief you on the details.” Then, he raised his hand, signaling me to leave, without giving me another glance. I tactfully stepped out. The moment I closed the office door, my anxious heart finally settled. If possible, I never want to have much to do with Frederick again in this lifetime. In school, he was someone everyone saw as untouchable, while dirty, despicable, mean, and ugly were the labels attached to me. It was me who insisted on using money to buy and trample on Frederick’s dignity. I selfishly gave birth to a daughter, Hallie Fraser. Sadly, Hallie has now been diagnosed with a brain tumor and must undergo surgery. It’s like an unbreakable, unhealthy bond. For Hallie, I went to his company again. In the following days, I remained restless and unable to focus. Hallie’s surgery is approaching, so I have a lot to prepare. When I asked Frederick for leave the third time, his response was merciless. He said, “This is the last time. If it happens again, don’t come back.” I understand too. But today is Hallie’s birthday. She really wants to go to the amusement park. With the surgery approaching, I’m really scared she might never have the chance again. I clenched my teeth and still took Hallie to the amusement park until the afternoon. When we were heading back, the sky suddenly poured with heavy rain, and we took shelter under the eaves by the street. Just as I opened my phone to call a ride, Hallie suddenly broke free from my hand and stumbled out to pick up a fallen toy. By the time I reacted, Hallie had already run into the rain. Seeing a car speeding through the rain in the distance, I instantly became tense, almost screaming out loud. But a large hand pulled Hallie back before I could. “Isabella.” His voice was cold and low in the pouring rain. I froze, looked up, feeling like I was dreaming. Frederick stood in front of me, holding Hallie’s hand tightly. He wasn’t holding an umbrella, and rain kept streaming down his hair, cheeks, and chin, soaking his expensive suit. His expression was as distant and stern as ever, but there was a faint trace of anger in it. I said, “Thank you, Mr. Thomson.” Immediately, I hurriedly pulled Hallie behind me. This time, I didn’t teach Hallie to say thank you as I usually would. Frederick glanced at us and coldly said, “Get in the car.”

When Frederick had a cold expression, he gave off a strong sense of oppression. I got into his car with Hallie, my heart racing. My hand unconsciously clenched the hem of my clothes, wrinkling them. The hair on his forehead was still dripping water, and he handed me a towel. Frederick said, “Don’t let the child catch a cold.” I was still stunned, but Hallie had already taken the towel and said crisply, “Thank you.” Frederick’s expression softened a lot. His gaze fell on my dazed face, and he frowned again. He asked, “Did you take the day off just to get caught in the rain?” As soon as he spoke, he seemed to realize his tone was a bit stern. He rubbed his aching temples and asked, “Where are you going?” “Central Hospital,” Hallie answered quickly. As if defending me, she said, “Mom came to celebrate my birthday today. I’ve been in the hospital for so long, and it’s been ages since I went out to have fun.” Frederick was stunned, looking at the fearless little girl in front of him. Her face was slightly thin, with a sickly pallor that made her eyes seem even larger and rounder, and unusually bright. As she blinked at him, an inexplicable and strangely indefinable feeling arose in Frederick’s heart. He felt the child looked vaguely familiar and, almost as if driven by something uncontrollable, asked, “Where’s her dad?” “He passed away a long time ago,” I quickly said my first words after getting in the car. Then, as if trying to cover something up, I changed the subject and said, “Thank you, Mr. Thomson. There have been some matters on her side recently, so I’ve been busy. I won’t let this happen again and will complete my work properly.” After I finished speaking, Frederick’s gaze shifted from Hallie to me. His stern face, with those deep eyes, startled me. I instinctively avoided his gaze. Frederick no longer wanted to say more. He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes to rest, and simply instructed the driver, “To Central Hospital.” The car quickly arrived at the destination. Frederick got out of the car before me. He pulled out a black umbrella and lightly tapped the handle with his fingers, signaling me to get out. “Thank you, Mr. Thomson. You don’t need to see us off. I’ll return the umbrella to you tomorrow,” I said softly, just wanting to leave quickly. “I only have this umbrella.” He stood in front of the car door, his chest broad. His soft voice came from above my head. He meant that if he lent it to me, he would be without an umbrella. I had no choice but to give up, then held Hallie and squeezed under the same umbrella with him. I was very close to him. Frederick could catch a faint scent of laundry detergent lingering at the tip of his nose. For some reason, he found the smell somewhat familiar, and his heart started beating irregularly. He took a deep breath and started talking to distract himself. Frederick said, “You’ve been at work for less than a month, took a few hours off a couple of times before, and now a whole day off today. You’re even busier than me.” I felt both ashamed and anxious, keeping my head down without saying a word. Walking into the hospital, I handed Hallie to the doctor for a checkup. When I turned around, I saw Frederick still standing behind me, showing no intention of leaving. I stepped forward, smiling awkwardly, and said, “Mr. Thomson, do you have any other plans? I’ve taken care of my personal matters and can return to work now.” He didn’t answer my question, only asked, “What’s wrong with her?” I didn’t understand what he meant, so I answered truthfully, “She has a tumor and needs surgery.” Frederick said, “If that’s the case, I suggest you find a new job.” I was stunned and looked up at him. His expression was as calm and indifferent as ever. Frederick suddenly changed the subject and said in a condescending tone, “Being my personal assistant is demanding. I don’t need someone who’s always distracted and unfocused wasting time here.” His words were very direct, so direct that they were a bit harsh. A buzzing sound rang in my ears. The corners of my eyes turned red, and I let out a cold laugh, saying, “I’ve only been here for a week. Mr. Thomson, what makes you think I’m just here to slack off?” “I took leave, first because I had a valid reason, and second, after completing my work. I don’t think I did anything wrong.” Frederick listened to every word without missing a beat and, unusually, remained silent. He stared into my eyes, noticing a different emotion in me for the first time. From the first time he met me, he felt that my quietness was strange, or rather, that I was avoiding something. Until now, he met my gaze, saw through my evasive eyes, and realized these eyes seemed somewhat familiar. So, he abruptly said, “Have we met somewhere before?”

It felt like all the blood in my body stopped flowing for a moment. Nervous, my tightly clenched palms were drenched in sweat. I asked, “Mr. Thomson, are you changing the subject? Do you think what I just said was so accurate that you can’t refute it?” I lifted my head, trying to interrupt Frederick’s absurd assumptions with sharp words. He paused noticeably for two seconds. Those two seconds felt endless, tugging at my heart. Frederick said, “You’re right, I was wrong.” He let out a soft chuckle, his tone sounding like he was mocking himself. After speaking, he turned and left. The next day, everything at the company was as usual. When Frederick appeared, he didn’t spare me a glance, as if nothing had happened. Near the end of the workday, Jaxon walked out of the office, looking a bit unwell. He muttered softly, “Why did Mr. Thomson suddenly ask me to look into a college classmate?” The words “college classmate” reached my ears. My heart felt like a massive tsunami had been unleashed. I asked with difficulty, “Jaxon, who is Mr. Thomson asking about? Maybe I know them.” “Oh, right, you both graduated from the University of Washington. She’s a woman named Arabella Paterson,” Jaxon said, kindly flipping open a printed photo to show me. The girl in the photo had heavy makeup on, but the bluish-black birthmark clung to her face like a demon’s claw, strikingly obvious. Frederick is looking for me. This news felt like a thorn, piercing my heart and making me increasingly uneasy. So, when Frederick called me into the office at noon as usual, I was still a bit dazed. While making coffee for him, I could feel his cold gaze filled with intense scrutiny. He asked, “Isabella, you also graduated from the University of Washington. Which department were you in? You look somewhat familiar to me.” My whole body tensed up, gripping the coffee cup tightly, even my breathing trembled. I replied, “I was in the Department of Communication. During college, I participated in several volunteer activities. Maybe I ran into Mr. Thomson back then.” “Oh, really?” Frederick took the coffee cup, his gaze falling on the rippling liquid inside, and smiled ambiguously. Then, he suddenly said, “Do you know Arabella from the Department of Economics?” “I think I’ve heard of her, but I don’t really remember,” I replied with a forced smile. Fortunately, Frederick didn’t seem to mind the perfunctory tone in my words and just nodded lightly. I quickly finished organizing the files on hand and then left the office. I didn’t notice Frederick’s gaze shift from my back to the desk in front of him. He picked up the two photos on the desk and tried to overlap them. After work that day, my rarely used email inexplicably received a message. It was actually my former university professor. He said my thesis needed a random check and asked me to provide a phone number for contact. The doctor beside me was advising me on precautions for Hallie’s surgery. So I didn’t even think about whether the message was real or not. I quickly replied with a string of numbers, then turned off my phone to focus on listening to the doctor. After leaving the consultation room, I walked through the hallway toward Hallie’s ward. But I froze when I saw the scene in front of me. In the distance, Hallie was holding Frederick’s hand and waving at me from afar. My hand gripped the doorknob tightly, my whole body tensed up. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and quickened my pace. Hallie tilted her little head, speaking as her voice gradually became clearer. She said, “I’m not afraid of pain. I’ll be just like Mom. Mom once fought and defeated a big monster on her face. I can definitely beat the demon inside me too.” Hallie’s words were a bit confusing, and Frederick seemed not to understand. He paused for a moment and asked, “What?” I broke out in a cold sweat and quickly stopped Hallie from continuing. “Hallie.” A passing nurse greeted me and praised, “Isabella, Hallie really looks like her dad.” I hurriedly said, “He’s not. Hallie’s dad passed away a long time ago.” No one knew my panic at that moment. The intense heartbeat almost shattered my eardrums, and my voice came out dry and strained. The nurse awkwardly walked away. Frederick nodded at me, his gaze calm, seemingly unfazed by the nurse’s words. I breathed a sigh of relief. Taking Hallie’s hand, I thanked Frederick. Hallie’s surgery is less than two days away. I’m struggling with how to ask Frederick for leave. Jaxon walked out of the office with a worried look. His eyes met mine, and he seemed about to say something but stopped. He sighed and finally said, “Isabella, be honest with me. Which school are you really from? This can’t be faked.” My hand trembled, and cold sweat instantly broke out on my forehead. I could only pretend to be confused and forced a smile. “Jaxon, what do you mean by this? I graduated from the University of Washington.” Jaxon said, “Mr. Thomson asked me to check on you. There’s no one named Isabella Fraser in the University of Washington’s Department of Communication.” It felt like something exploded in my head. At that moment, my mind went blank, unable to think. “Think about how you’re going to explain this to Mr. Thomson later,” he advised. I stood there, unable to move. It took a full minute before my clogged mind started thinking again. I quickly wrote my resignation letter, packed up my desk, and marched straight into Frederick’s office. I said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Thomson. I admit I’m not a University of Washington graduate. I faked my credentials and deceived you.” “Hallie is having surgery in a couple of days. I can’t handle this job, and I don’t have the face to continue.” “Thank you for taking care of me this past month. I’ve left my resignation letter here.” I couldn’t give Frederick the chance to keep investigating. Otherwise, he would find out that Isabella was actually called Arabella five years ago. For this, I clenched my teeth and walked forward with my head down. I was about to throw the resignation letter onto Frederick’s desk and run, but a large hand grabbed my wrist. I looked up and saw Frederick’s eyes filled with complex emotions. He said slowly and firmly, “Arabella, how much longer are you going to mess with me?” His words dragged me back to the most unbearable past.

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My name is Diana Murray. My boss, Julian Grant, got a new girlfriend, Sofia Jackson. The first time we met, she was openly hostile toward me. She looked me up and down and sneered, “You’re Julian’s secretary? The rumored mistress?” I was momentarily speechless, staring at her in disbelief. I am indeed Julian’s secretary. After graduation, my dad, Aiden Murray, specifically arranged for me to learn company management under Julian. Over the past year, I’ve been working overtime almost every night, handling piles of documents. Everyone says I’m the hardest worker in the company. How did Julian dating someone turn into me being rumored as his mistress? ***** When Julian brought Sofia to the office, I happened to be delivering documents to his office. She held onto his arm, her high heels clicking crisply on the floor. The moment I looked up, our eyes met. The smile on her face suddenly faded a bit. “And who is this?” she asked softly. Julian remained calm and smiled, “She’s my secretary, Diana Murray. She just graduated recently and is very reliable.” I gave her a polite nod. Sofia responded faintly, but her gaze remained fixed on my face. The next second, she suddenly leaned closer to Julian and softly said, “Julian, is she the rumored little mistress you’ve been hiding in the company?” My hands paused. Julian immediately frowned. “Nonsense. Where did you hear that?” He seemed to sense the tension and softened his tone. “Don’t you already know who’s around me? Ms. Murray is my colleague, highly capable. Don’t joke like that again.” Sofia pouted, looking aggrieved. “But it’s all over the company, saying you’re especially protective of a secretary, not letting her handle even the smallest tasks.” She glanced at me sideways, then turned to Julian, her voice even softer. “And look, Ms. Murray is indeed beautiful, and you admire her abilities so much. Isn’t it normal for me to feel jealous?” She suddenly laughed and said to me, “But since Julian says so, of course, I believe him. Ms. Murray, make sure to keep your distance from him in the future.” The corner of my mouth twitched slightly. Her words truly carried a deeper meaning. On the surface, she acted coy and vulnerable, but in reality, she shifted all the blame onto me, implying that I was the one being inappropriate and scheming. I lowered my eyes and stayed silent. I don’t deny having other intentions toward Julian, but they’re definitely not what she imagines. Murray Group is internally selecting a general manager to join the headquarters. As the chairman’s daughter, I chose to join the branch as a secretary, both to learn and to closely evaluate the candidates. Julian was originally the most promising candidate. He is capable and bold, someone Aiden holds in high regard. But now, seeing his sharp-tongued, possessive girlfriend, I have to reconsider. Julian stepped out to greet a visitor, leaving only Sofia and me in the office. She immediately seemed like a different person, bouncing over to me, casually picking up the freshly trimmed flower branch, and sniffing it lightly. She said, “Ms. Murray, you’re not mad at me, are you?” She tilted her head, but her gaze was cold and devoid of warmth. I responded calmly, “No.” She let out a soft laugh and lowered her voice. “Because I took the position you wanted most.” “Now it’s me standing by his side, and in the future, I’ll be his wife.” “And you? After being by his side for so long, you ended up with nothing. Don’t you think it’s a pity?” I looked her straight in the eye, my tone calm. “Ms. Jackson, I’ve already said, Mr. Grant and I are just superior and subordinate.” “Stop pretending,” she sneered. “Secretaries like you act all professional, but behind the scenes, aren’t you just trying to seduce your boss?” She stepped closer, almost in my face. “If you’re smart, you’ll resign on your own. Don’t wait for Julian to kick you out.” I smiled lightly. “This is a company, please mind your words and actions.” I met her gaze and said coldly, “Does Mr. Grant know about what you’re saying?” She was momentarily speechless. At that moment, Julian pushed the door open and walked in. Sofia’s expression changed instantly. Her eyes reddened, and she choked up as she rushed toward him. “Julian…”

Julian’s words, “She’s still young and easily swayed by rumors,” made me swallow back the words I was about to say. As a secretary, I really shouldn’t clash with my boss’s girlfriend. But as the chairman’s daughter, watching him so unbalanced between work and personal matters, I felt only disappointment. The next morning, I arrived at the company as usual in the family car. As soon as I sat down at my desk, I heard a familiar voice with deliberate curiosity. “Ms. Murray is impressive, always getting chauffeured in luxury cars every day.” Sofia came to the company again. She leaned against the office doorframe, her gaze fixed on me. Several colleagues looked up. I put down my bag and said calmly, “Ms. Jackson, you’re not an employee of this company, so my commuting method shouldn’t be your concern.” “Why wouldn’t it concern me?” she raised her voice slightly, sounding justified. “I’m Julian’s girlfriend. If I see behavior that might affect the company’s image, shouldn’t I have the right to question it?” Hearing the noise, Julian walked out of the office, frowning slightly. “Sofia, this is a workspace. Please don’t disturb the employees.” He turned to me, his expression returning to its usual calm. “Ms. Murray, I’m well aware of your character. However, please try to be mindful of the impact in the future to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.” Sofia was visibly displeased but said nothing more. Julian’s seemingly fair approach made me sneer inwardly. He had no idea who truly needed to correct their behavior. After Julian returned to his office, Sofia quickly walked over to my desk. She lowered her voice, laced with undisguised malice. “Don’t think you’re so great just because Julian spoke up for you. You’re just a secretary, know your place. We’ll see.” I didn’t respond. A branch manager’s girlfriend talking about “position” in front of the Murray Group heir is truly laughable. But I just lowered my eyes, hiding all my emotions. The evaluation isn’t over yet, and my identity can’t be revealed. However, the next morning, I discovered that the 7,000-page bid document on my computer was gone, and the recycle bin had been emptied. This document pertains to the company’s most important project for the second half of the year, worth 800 million dollars, and is also a key assessment of Julian’s team’s execution capabilities. I walked straight into Julian’s office. Sofia was sitting on the sofa playing with her phone, as if this were her living room. “Mr. Grant, the bid document was maliciously deleted,” I reported directly, my gaze sweeping over Sofia. “Yesterday afternoon, Ms. Jackson stayed alone in the office area for a long time.” Sofia immediately put down her phone, looking aggrieved. “Julian, I was just waiting for you to finish work. How could I possibly touch the company computer? She’s slandering me.” Julian looked at me with a serious expression. “Ms. Murray, such accusations require evidence. Are you sure it wasn’t a system malfunction?” I responded coldly, “I’m very sure. Deleting the file might be explained as an accident, but emptying the recycle bin is clearly a deliberate action.” Sofia’s eyes suddenly reddened, her acting flawless. “Ms. Murray, I know you like Julian and want to drive me away from him. But you can’t use something like this to slander me!” Julian looked at her but said nothing. In the end, he said to me, “Try to recover the files first. Without solid evidence, don’t accuse anyone recklessly.” I watched him protect Sofia, thought of the seven thousand pages of the bidding proposal, and clenched my fists in anger. I spoke coldly, “Since you want evidence, why don’t I call the police now and investigate whether it was you who deleted it!” Sofia’s face suddenly changed. Julian stood up and reprimanded, “Enough! The bidding documents were your responsibility to keep, and now that they’re gone, it’s your fault!” “Now that the documents are gone, go work overtime immediately and make a new one!” “If the bid fails, I’ll fire you.” Behind him, Sofia gave me a smug smile. She thought she had won. But she didn’t know she had crossed more than just a secretary’s bottom line.

That day, colleagues who thought they could finally leave work on time and rest were all sitting at their desks with gloomy faces, working overtime. But a 7,000-page bidding proposal wasn’t something they could finish in one night. The next day, the project bid failed. Sofia walked into the office with a big bag of coffee and said to everyone, “Oh, it’s all Ms. Murray’s fault for not saving the bidding documents properly, causing everyone to fail the bid.” “Ms. Murray, you should apologize to everyone. Your mistake has cost everyone their year-end bonuses!” I took a deep breath and said coldly, “It was clearly you who used my computer without permission, causing the company to lose an $8 billion project.” Hearing this, everyone turned to Sofia in shock. Sofia’s face turned bright red. “You’re just jealous that I’m with Julian, so you’re deliberately slandering me to force us to break up!” “Let me tell you, even if Julian breaks up with me, he would never fall for a vicious woman like you!” At that moment, Julian happened to walk out of the office. He held Sofia’s hand and looked at me with a grim expression. He said, “Diana, you mix personal matters with work, slander others at will, and caused the company to lose an $800 million project. “As an intern, your lack of ability could be overlooked, but your character is so questionable. You’re fired.” Moments later, I stood at the bottom of the building holding my belongings. I looked back at the company, my gaze turning cold. ***** The next day was the Murray Group’s annual meeting, where all branch managers, executives, and key employees were required to attend at the headquarters. I attended with my dad. Just as I went to get champagne, a piercing voice suddenly rang out. “Diana? What are you doing here!” Sofia walked toward me arm in arm with Julian. She looked me up and down, gritted her teeth, and pointed at me, yelling, “Diana, you shameless homewrecker!” “Do you still dare to deny that you have feelings for Julian?” “To cling to him, you even stole an invitation to sneak in!” Even Julian’s gaze at me carried a hint of wariness. He said, “Diana, I really didn’t expect to see you here.” He coldly ordered, “Security! Throw her out!” Looking at his self-righteous attitude, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. I said, “Ms. Jackson, I’ve told you many times to stop talking nonsense.” “You say I sneaked in with a stolen invitation? Where’s the proof?” Sofia sneered sarcastically, “Weren’t you fired? If you didn’t sneak in, how else did you get in?” “Security, get this woman out of here!” The security guards at the venue approached upon hearing the commotion, but when they saw me, they all stopped in their tracks. Julian frowned tightly. “Diana, I’m giving you one last chance—leave here immediately!” “If you keep pestering, I’ll blacklist you in the industry.” Hearing his threat, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Blacklist me? Do you even qualify?”

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