In my dream, I was chained and collared. A tall man gazed at me with an almost manic look in his eyes, burying his face in my neck and inhaling deeply. “My puppy…” he whispered. “Don’t try to escape me.” I woke up with a start. I had heard from a coworker that the new general manager was mixed-race and supposedly very handsome. We were going to meet him this afternoon. When I saw that face, identical to the one in my dream, the blood in my body seemed to freeze instantly. I stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. Then I saw the man smile at me before turning to greet everyone else. “Hello everyone, I’m Maxwell.” I remained stiff, not daring to move an inch. I opened my eyes to find darkness all around me. The damp, gloomy atmosphere made me frown. I raised my hand, hearing the sound of chains rattling. The cold touch made me uneasy, and I began to assess my current situation. I was restrained by chains on my hands and feet, unable to move. There was also a collar around my neck. This feeling of being trapped made me very uncomfortable. Suddenly, the sound of leather shoes on the floor appeared, getting louder and softer. I tensed up, cold sweat dripping from my forehead. After about ten seconds, a pair of leather shoes appeared in my line of sight. I looked up to check the person’s appearance, and when our eyes met, my body froze. The man before me had thin lips and wore a black suit. His tall, muscular frame fit the suit perfectly, showing off his flawless physique. Just as I was about to speak, my chin was grabbed. “Mmph!” The man’s eyes darkened. “Who… are you? Why are you here?” I wanted to say I didn’t know either, but the hand on my chin was like an iron clamp, not giving me any chance to speak. Just when I was about to suffocate, the man finally let go. I gasped for air, my eyes fixed on him. He was quite handsome, just not very human-like. As I was sizing him up, the man was also examining me. When I finally caught my breath, I spoke, “I don’t know where I came from. Do you know where this is?” The man replied in a deep voice, “This is my home.” His tone implied that I was trespassing. I: “…” I was about to speak again when a familiar sound suddenly rang in my ears. “Ding ding ding ding ding—” The sound of the alarm clock woke me up. As I recalled the scene just now, it felt as real as if it had actually happened. At first, I thought it was just a nightmare, but on the second night… Seeing the man appear before him again, my body stiffened, and I didn’t even dare to speak. The man simply leaned down and gently sucked on my earlobe, looking down to observe my reaction. My ears were very sensitive, and I would never let anyone touch them normally. But now, with someone holding it in their mouth, my reaction was intense. I don’t know if it was my imagination, but I thought I heard a soft chuckle. That laugh made my face even redder. “Don’t… don’t touch my ears…” I protested weakly, but the person on top of me didn’t stop at all. I wanted to speak again, but my open mouth was filled with two fingers, gently stirring inside. “Mmph!!” I was forced to keep my mouth open, tears welling up in my eyes from the physical reaction. “Be good, don’t resist.” … I suddenly opened my eyes in bed, gasping for air. It was still dark outside, and the dim room reminded me of the scene in my dream. My face instantly turned red. There was a sticky feeling down below. I lifted the covers to look. “…” I ran off to wash my underwear, my ears burning red. At the same time, in another place, Maxwell got out of bed with a dark expression and walked into the bathroom. In the bathroom, hot water poured over Maxwell’s body as he recalled the dream he just had. He felt like a spectator, watching himself make love to the man he had dreamed about yesterday. Was he really so desperate that even his dreams were about this? The recent events were indeed strange. Maxwell changed into his clothes, not bothering to go back to sleep. He directly opened his phone to search. [What does it mean to dream about the same person two days in a row?] The search results were varied and unreliable. Maxwell irritably closed his phone and got into bed, starting to ponder… I was still doing the same as usual, ordering takeout after work and lying on the couch scrolling through videos. I came across a video about formal wear, and suddenly some erotic images flashed through my mind. The phone fell onto the carpet with a muffled thud. My voice, gritting my teeth, echoed through the living room. “Caleb, you’re hopeless!” That night, I fell asleep again. Familiar place, familiar chains and collar. I felt like I was getting used to it. The man walked in. This time, he didn’t make any physical contact with me. The strange atmosphere made me a bit uneasy. The man knelt down, looking at me with an almost manic gaze. He buried his head in my neck, constantly inhaling my scent. It tickled a bit, but I didn’t dare move. The man’s current state scared me a little. The man’s low voice sounded strange in this dark, damp basement. “My puppy…” “Are you going to leave me too?” I turned my head with difficulty to look the man in the eye, but the emotion in his eyes made me pause. Was he… sad? A pain made me look down. A knife gleaming with a silver light entered my vision. Before losing consciousness, I heard the man’s vicious voice. “Don’t try to escape me.”

“Ah!” I woke up startled, cold sweat dripping from my forehead. The pain felt too real. The suffocating feeling of death made me fearful. I gasped for air, taking a long time to come back to my senses. I didn’t know what to say. The events in the dream were too bizarre. I opened my phone and saw that the gossip group I was in was chatting. They’re still not asleep at this hour? “New general manager? Mixed-race? And very handsome???” I looked at the messages popping up in the chat, picking out the keywords, feeling a bit confused. Whatever, I’ll see him this afternoon anyway. I didn’t feel excited; I still hadn’t recovered from the dream just now. Just thinking about being stabbed made me feel pain. On the other side, Maxwell woke up. Today he didn’t dream about that person again, and he felt a bit empty inside. But Maxwell quickly adjusted his state, preparing to wash up and go to the new company in the afternoon. The morning passed quickly. I was holding my lunch box when the conversation from the break room reached my ears. “I saw him! I saw him! He’s really incredibly handsome! Great body, handsome face, I feel like my HP is about to be cleared.” “Really?” Another person obviously didn’t quite believe it. “Oh come on, you’ll see for yourself this afternoon!” I quickly finished my meal and walked back to my seat, thinking about what to do after work tonight. Lost in thought, time passed quickly, and soon it was time to get off work. However, I received an order from my superior. “…We have to go welcome the new general manager?” I was speechless but had to obey. The location was a somewhat hidden barbecue restaurant, not easy to find. I circled around a few times before finding it. I silently prayed that the food would be good… Actually, it was nothing special, just eating some food and waiting for the main character to arrive. But the main character seemed to be late. I didn’t care, I was about to stuff a skewer of beef into my mouth when the door of the private room opened. I heard the rising and falling gasps around me and looked up, meeting the eyes of the man who walked in. For a moment, I felt like I was back in that dark, damp basement, with shackles on my hands. I felt like the blood in my body froze instantly. I held my breath, my hand involuntarily starting to tremble.

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The night was bitterly cold, and no matter how fast I ran, they would find me. “Fucking bitch.” I had to wait until their fury subsided as they hurled insults at me. Time dragged on. After nearly an hour, the last one spat at me and left. Shivering, I curled into a ball. I tried to summon happy thoughts, but nothing came. Since my parents left me at the pack, kindness was a stranger. The Alpha refused to let me go, no matter how many times I begged. The pack used me as a punching bag. Even though my wolf healing abilities were strong, I believed it only fueled their hatred. Not even the Alpha could heal as quickly as I did. I took a deep breath, feeling the heat in the air. It would end soon. One month later I sat with my wrists bound, the sounds of wailing filling the air. This wasn’t a miracle. The entire pack had tried to escape the massacre. I kept my eyes low, but I couldn’t help but notice the lead attacker standing near my Alpha’s fallen monument. Pathetic, my Alpha groaned on the ground. The man with his foot on the Alpha’s chest caught my attention. I licked my dry lips, eyes tracing from his head to his torso. He wore nothing but trousers and boots, his massive chest bare, scarred, but without ink. That scent—I knew it well. Why would he attack our pack if he was one of us? “You,” he commanded, pointing at the men. I followed his gaze to William, who was dragged to the center where the attacker waited. They’d tried to escape, but it was futile. He wasn’t alone. Men just as imposing surrounded him, smirking. The women were roped together, the men shackled. I hated being tied up, the restraints biting into my wrists. My breath caught as the man—now clearly the Alpha—drew a blade and plunged it into William’s stomach, driving it up to his heart. Blood pooled, and I had to look away before it made me sick. “You think your Alpha will save you?” He sneered, glaring at the others. “He’s weak, groveling on the floor like a coward.” I dared to glance up as he pounded his fist against his chest, the sound echoing like thunder. “You’ll pay,” he growled, scanning the crowd before signaling one of his men. They grabbed me—resistance was pointless. My pack wouldn’t save me. But they lifted me gently, one of them supporting my back as they led me to Charley. My pulse raced as they released me. I stood, waiting for his verdict, praying for a quick death. The ropes fell away. I stared at Charley, searching for a sign, but his expression was unreadable. His eyes, nearly black, bored into mine. Long brown hair framed a face that was both cruel and captivating. He flicked the blade, offering me the handle. “Finish him.” My wolf quivered in fear. “What?” “You heard me.” He kicked the moaning Alpha, curled up like a coward. I’d seen my Alpha beaten, but I knew he was no leader. He had ordered my own thrashings, and I had endured. William laughed, his voice cutting through the tension. “Well, well, I’m surprised.” Charley’s gaze never left mine. “Do you think I don’t know what this man has done?” He leaned in, his breath hot on my face. “I smell you. It’s alright, kid. I’m used to driving women wild. You’re not the first, won’t be the last.” “I won’t kill him.” “Why not? He’s tortured you for years. Has he broken you so much that you won’t seek revenge?” “How do you know?” “Why do you think I came here, Susan?” His voice was dark, persuasive. “I’ve seen it all. These monsters stood by, doing nothing, or helped in your suffering. You must avenge yourself—kill them.” William had always been different, sharp senses setting him apart even in foster care. He could hear whispered conversations from feet away. He was always prepared for an attack. Years of survival had hardened William. He’d learned to hunt, to adapt, to thrive. But being an Alpha? It was a burden he never wanted. Rogue wolves were dangerous, and he was their leader, whether he liked it or not. He caught my scent, his wolf growling with a need he couldn’t ignore. Mates were powerful, binding—but he didn’t want one. He’d bedded plenty of eager women, both human and wolf, but none made him feel this way. He noticed the mark on my neck, burned into my skin before my first shift. The Mark of the Unwanted. It was a curse, a brand that would repel other packs. Fury ignited in him. How could they do this? William had never seen a wolf heal so quickly. What took others weeks, I managed in hours. It stunned him, and his desire flared, his body betraying his restraint. “No,” I whispered, stepping back from the sword. His eyebrows shot up. “No?” “I won’t.” He threw his head back and laughed. “You won’t kill those who made your life hell?” “No.” “Do you understand these monsters hurt you?” “I’ve seen it all,” William growled, kicking the Alpha again. Hatred burned in his eyes, rare even for him. “Stop,” I pleaded. William seized the back of my neck, pulling me against him. His wolf craved me, the urge to claim overwhelming. As his lips brushed my neck, he struggled to control himself. “I had to watch them hurt you,” he murmured, voice thick with desire. “Never fighting back made you a coward. I know why you didn’t stop them—the Alpha commanded you to take the beatings like a good bitch.” “He won’t live for what he did to you.” “I don’t want his death on my conscience.” I stood before him, battered, branded, healing right before his eyes. My strength was undeniable. “Please, I want to leave without hurting the pack.” “Leave?” “I’ve begged him to let me go, but if I kill him, I’ll be trapped here forever.” William hoisted the Alpha, his legs shattered, unable to fight back. With a cruel grin, William gripped the man’s crotch, knowing he could rip it off with ease. “You can leave and never return.” For the first time, I smiled as William dropped the Alpha to the ground. “I can leave?” “Yes,” he said. “Go. Run.” I didn’t hesitate. I bolted. William branded every face that had ever hurt me with a flaming rod. This pack would bear the mark of shame and rejection forever. A month later, I walked into my tiny apartment, singing as I locked the door. Freedom had never felt so good. The place was small—just one bedroom, a bath, and a little kitchen. But it was mine. For the first time, I slept peacefully, breathing deeply without fear. I thought about William often. The crazy man. Even late at night, I imagined him nearby. Sometimes, I was sure I could hear him or feel his presence. Rogue wolves were always a threat without the pack, and I knew the dangers. But the peace was worth it. After my shower, I wrapped myself in a towel, my stomach rumbling as I headed to the kitchen for some spaghetti. I grabbed a knife, turning around—only to see William. My heart pounded at the sight of him. The knife slipped from my hand. “Why are you here?” “I came to check on you.” “You followed me?” William stepped closer. “I guess I stalked you. Your scent—it’s even more intoxicating now.” “Why are you here?” “Didn’t you miss me?” I stayed silent. He chuckled, pressing his body against mine. “That’s fine. No need to say it. Your body speaks for you.” “How did you get in here?” “The beast in me has many skills.” “And you’ve mastered invading privacy. I should’ve known.” He chuckled. “Don’t lie. Your pussy got wet the moment you saw me.” “I just want to sleep.” He grumbled, squeezing my ass. How could I want him? But I let him. I whimpered as his cock pressed against my core. His lips grazed my shoulder, teasing my neck. It took just one flick of his finger to drop the towel. Would he hurt me? The thought made me queasy, but his groan said otherwise. His brown eyes gleamed, filled with hunger. Was this real? William looked at me like he wanted to devour me. “I planned to take this slow, but I need a taste.” He scooped me up, carrying me to the bedroom. I lay helpless as his eyes roved over me, his hands sliding up my thighs, so close to my pussy. I didn’t stop him. I wanted him. My mind went blank as his fingers brushed my clit. “Oh, fuck,” he muttered. He stroked, gliding over me. “Now, let me taste.” I didn’t think pleasure could be greater until his lips met my clit. His tongue was pure bliss, sending me spiraling into ecstasy. But he’d waited too long. His cock strained against his trousers, his wolf desperate to claim me. Still, he held back, sliding his tongue over my clit, teasing until he smelled my arousal. Then he took me, riding me hard, filling me with his come and my own virgin blood. He reveled in my surrender. William kissed my clit, drawing out my orgasm, then swiped his tongue over my breasts before kissing me deeply. “And you have one tasty pussy.” I tried to push him off, but he was too strong. “You intrigue me.” He breathed deeply, sensing my wolf near. “Why?” “How long have you healed so quickly?” “Did you watch me?” “Yes. I was near your woods. I smelled you, saw what they did to you. They punished you for nothing.” “I did something wrong.” “Yet you heal in hours, but their marks remain in your mind.” “I’m fine.” “Now you’re lying. I hate liars.” “I’m being honest. I just want to forget. This was my chance to live my dream. I begged to leave.” “For how long?” he pressed. “No need to tell you.” “Why does it matter?” I shot back. “You know why.” “Get off me.” “Why? You like me on top. You like it.” I growled. “This is my apartment. I didn’t invite you.” “You’ve got a nice pussy.” “Don’t say I intrigue you. You could have any woman.” “But Susan, we both know no other woman will do for me. You’re my mate.” “We’re not mates.” “No? Then why do you get wet every time I’m near? I’m hot, but you ignored all the other guys around you.” “You never hurt me.” “Yes, but the body wants what it wants. We’re not human. You crave me, calling out in the night. Your body’s heat says it all. It wants me.” “Why did you demand he free me?” He grumbled. “I have no intention of taking anything from you. I’m yours, and you’re mine. You can’t change that.” He inhaled deeply. “I can feel your heat.” “What?” “You’ve never felt heat?” “I don’t know what you mean.” He smirked. “We’ve got a lot to discuss. But first, that lasagna isn’t going to eat itself, and I’m starving.” His stomach growled as he got out of bed. “What are you doing?” I asked. “See you in the kitchen. You grabbed a salad at the store. I’ll make it while you think, then we’ll talk.” He glanced at my body, struggling to hold back a groan. Full moon’s coming—wouldn’t be long now. A woman in mating heat was a dangerous thing. My wolf demanded his presence, the last few months a torturous build-up. Soon, his wolf would claim his mate. Humming, he headed to the fridge. The meager items inside were enough for supper—his mate needed good food. He chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber with surprising ease. I quickly changed into sweatpants, glancing in the mirror before heading to the kitchen. Seeing William so at ease in the kitchen shocked me. He looked up, catching me staring. “You like what you see, little wolf?” Something under my skin itched. I grabbed a cold water bottle, pressing it to my neck. It helped, but not enough. William appeared behind me as I closed the fridge, his cock’s firm ridge brushing my back. “I know exactly what you’re thinking.” His voice was dark, knowing. “Don’t doubt me.” My wolf whimpered. I breathed deeply and stepped away, already missing his touch. “Dinner’s ready, my lady,” he said, carrying a salad dish. My body began to burn. “Have you experienced mating heat?” “No, and women only bear heat with their mates.” He chuckled. “Your wolf’s not quiet.” “Tell me,” he pressed. “How did you feel with my lips on your pussy?” Arousal surged between my thighs. “It’s impossible. You’re not my mate.” “Would you really say that? I’m amazed you’ve held on after everything they did to you—so stubborn. I half expected to find you at the pack’s edge, fighting yourself.” “I know what they did. I felt their pain.” William cut the lasagna in half before serving me. I devoured it, confused by my need, my hunger, my thirst. “I don’t understand why you let them live,” he said, his eyes darker than usual. “Revenge is natural, but you didn’t want it. Why?” “I’ve seen their marks.” “You noticed their tattoos?” “You want to examine my whole body?” “No, that’s unnecessary,” I replied. “Not a problem.” William shed his shirt and pants. He didn’t wear boxer briefs, and I couldn’t help but notice his firm cock before looking away. “Don’t mind me, dear. I’m yours.” “I don’t understand,” I whispered, the need overwhelming. I avoided his gaze as he approached, mocking. “My placid little wolf has some strength after all.” “I don’t know what you’re doing to me, but stop.” “It can only be stopped by giving in. You know that, but you resist. Why?” “I want you gone.” “Why?” “This isn’t your flat, and I’ll call the police if you stay.” He chuckled darkly. “How could you threaten innocent people when you can’t even harm the pack that tortured you?” “If you say I’m your mate, you’ll leave because I ask.” His grin disappeared, replaced by something darker. He stepped closer, his cheek brushing my neck. “One day, you won’t be able to push me away. I hope you’re ready for that day.” His hand gripped my neck, but I didn’t feel fear. Not until he leaned in, kissing me with a force that ignited every nerve. Then, just as abruptly, he pulled away, leaving me breathless as he walked out the door, shutting it behind him with a finality that made me flinch. I collapsed against the wall, hugging my knees, pulse racing. The heat that had flooded my body ebbed away, leaving me cold. If William brought the heat, it meant he was right. He was my mate. But why didn’t he claim me? Why didn’t he do it in front of my pack? “You’re in a mood,” Leon remarked, glancing up from his game. “Not in a mood.” “You’re practically vibrating. I’ve known you long enough to recognize when you’re struggling to control your anger.” In human society, letting rage take over was dangerous. He could kill or scare others in this state. “It’s nothing,” William muttered. Leon didn’t buy it. “It’s that woman again.” He sniffed the air, returning to his game. “I can smell her on you. Maybe try using the front door next time, or court her like a human.” William scoffed. “You mean meeting them at a pub?” “A drink isn’t worth it to wolves. The smells alone are foul.” He paused the game and looked up. “You look crazed again.” “You’re too into that game to notice.” Leon didn’t flinch. “You’re too busy avoiding claiming your mate. Does she even know she’s going into heat because of you?” William’s roar echoed through the room. The frustration, the need, the battle within him to keep from taking what he knew was his, all came to a head. Leon met his gaze calmly. “You’re losing control. She’ll feel it soon enough. What will you do then?” William clenched his fists, jaw tightening. “I’ll handle it.” “You’d better. Before she finds out the hard way.” “Want me to set up the castle?” “No.” William’s voice was sharp. The castle was a fortress, perched on a remote island, accessible only by aircraft. He hated flying, but he’d bought the place as a gamble. A secluded sanctuary, perfect for a mated pair. Their solitude would protect them. No one would hear their battles, their hunts, or their lovemaking. The idea had been intoxicating when he first realized what having a mate would mean. Someday, he wanted to call it home. “Think she’d like it?” Leon asked, watching William’s brooding expression. “What now?” William snapped. “Her heat risk goes up every time I’m near. If human guys start responding to her, things will get bad.” “Just pointing out the obvious. Is it working?” William’s jaw clenched. “I have all the answers.” But if men responded to her, his control would slip. The beast inside him would emerge, and if that happened, humanity would be wiped out. He liked his spotless record—never killed anyone, despite what the alphas thought. They didn’t understand him, and that was how he preferred it. He had learned long ago that money spoke louder than anything else in this world. And he’d made sure to have plenty of it. “You getting coffee?” Leon asked, as William poured himself a cup, the dark liquid swirling in the mug. “Why are you here?” William’s voice was a low growl. He didn’t need coffee to stay awake; he rarely slept since he’d met her. The dreams of demons haunted him, and he hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in ages. “Does she know you sneak into her room at night? Cuddle her to keep the nightmares away?” William’s roar echoed through the room, vibrating with barely contained fury. “So, she doesn’t know, and you didn’t tell her.” Leon paused his game, a smirk playing on his lips. “I’m surprised.” “Mates don’t need to be told everything,” William growled. “The start’s always rough. I enjoy a challenge, but I didn’t realize how much.” “Why keep me around then?” “Maybe for the fun. You’re probably the only one I haven’t killed yet. Plenty tried, though. Remember?” Unfortunately, it was true. Leon had been found by William at eighteen, bleeding and crawling up a steep slope. He had been thrown over the edge by a group of men who thought they’d seen the last of him. William, only twenty-one then, had murdered them, taken their things, and hidden Leon in a remote cabin, treating his wounds. It was the first time William had seen the brand of the unwanted—a mark that filled him with rage every time he saw it. When William had seen it on my neck, he’d felt that same fury. I tried to hide it with makeup or a scarf, but he’d noticed. Leon, on the other hand, had wanted to kill his tormentors. I was different. I didn’t crave revenge like the others. William glanced at Leon, who had gone still. “Don’t go back to that day,” William said, setting down his coffee. He moved closer, resting a hand on Leon’s knee. Leon shuddered at the touch. “They—” “Don’t think about it. You’re alive, they’re not.” William’s grip tightened on Leon’s neck. “I sent them over the edge alive. You know that.” “Why didn’t she want them dead? Why didn’t she want them all killed?” “I don’t know,” William replied, his voice thick with frustration. Leon’s eyes darkened. “I’ve been there, William. They beat me, they hated me. They tried to break me. My transition was agony because of them.” “I never healed like her,” Leon continued. “Her life must have been hell. But she healed so fast.” “I know,” William whispered, his voice tense. “I know.” Leonabruptly stood, saying, “I need to go for a walk.” They have experienced this numerous times. Leon was too hurt by his background to recover. He let it take control, and he had to run or walk it off. “Are you okay?” Wiliam asks. He couldn’t accompany him. Leon needed solitude. “I’ll be fine.” William sipped his coffee, trying to find calm. After pouring a second cup, he set it down and headed to her flat. He locked the door behind him and copied her key, returning it during her busy lunch. In the bedroom, he found me sobbing, nightmares haunting me. He lay beside me, wrapping his arms around me. The full moon was coming, and her flushed face told the story. Work had been brutal. Surrounded by men, young and old, all vying for victims. No one stopped me from leaving work. I kept my head down, but men bumped into me, leaning in to touch and smell me.  panic took over when i returned to my flat. I gasped . He looked arrogant and crossed his legs. “Why are you here again?” “I stayed in case something interesting happened today.” He showed her a watch on his wrist,. Wolves hardly noticed time. “you’re four hours early. Any reason?” “i had to leave town. ” William caught my wrist and pulled me into him. Arm heat subsided. “You know what happens.” “The first full moon away the pack. Only that. This is what they warn about.” He snorted. “Oh, please. That rogue nonsense again?” I tried to leave, but he stopped me. “If you were rogue, you wouldn’t have been with all those men today. I get your struggles.” Confused and angry, I snarled, “You did something to me!” “I did nothing. My presence affects you.” I tried to hit him, but he laughed and grabbed my hands. “Violence won’t help.” “I can’t stay,” I said. “You’re not leaving alone.” “Why?” “I need to do this alone.” “Are you stubborn?” “Yes. I need to show I’m not their prey anymore. A month of this is all I can handle.” I didn’t fight back as he dominated me. His kisses were irresistible. I struggled but gave in. I needed him. William lifted me, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, craving his touch. Surprised by the intensity, I tore off his shirt, and he fell onto the bed. I straddled him, kissed his neck, and stroked his firm cock. “You’re hard,” I said, momentarily halting as I regained my composure. I pulled away, but William stood up. “No,” I tried to shut off my feelings, but it was impossible. His touch burned my back, and I recoiled. I bolted from the flat, not looking back. I had to escape, find peace. Apologizing to someone I bumped into, I ran into the busy street, men’s eyes devouring me. Darkness fell quickly. Sweat coated my skin. I stopped abruptly in the woods, its artificial scents jarring. William found me there, calm. “Done running?” he asked. “Leave me alone,” I snapped. “Why? Think you’re crazy?” “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” “I’ve been alone too. No one kicked me out. I’ve never lost control. I haven’t killed anyone.” “You have a pack,” I retorted. “They kept you down.” “I met my first wolf at twenty-one. His pack was trying to kill him. I took him in. I grew up in foster care, alone until then. I’m telling you the truth.” “Why?” “Because wolves would flee if they knew the truth. Strong packs need strong members.” William had fought the alpha role. He sought out the unwanted. Rumors of his resistance were well-known. He looked at me. “We’re bonded by mating heat. You’re not crazy. I promise.” I hugged him, sobbing. “I just want freedom and a mate. Someone to love me.” William’s beast roared inside him. He held me tightly, knowing his pack was the only protection I had. “We’ll go to the cabin tonight. First turns away from the pack should never be alone.” “Have you helped many?” I asked. “More than you’d think. Evil exists everywhere,” he said, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Sorry for earlier.” “For riding you with our clothes on?” I flushed. William smirked. “I’ll remember you’re a virgin despite your attitude.” “Does everything seem like a game?” I asked. “No, not everything. One day, you’ll trust me. I won’t bite until you ask. I only kill those who need it.” He touched my cold hand and called Leon. “Bring the car,” he said, giving the location. Leon pulled up and William helped me into the car. As we drove to the cottage, he told me Susan had already moved my things. I nestled into William’s side as Leon and Susan greeted each other. “Are you okay?” Leon asked. “I’m fine.” William said, “She’s not rejecting me. She’s just unsure.” Leon, dealing with his own sorrow, understood the struggle. Wolves bond deeply, their emotions setting them apart. Packs are meant to connect. Leon said, “The pack’s got your back every step of the way.” “Will you help her?” “Leon, you know her pain. Mating heat is agony. She needs a leader. It might not be me.” Leon sighed. “You undervalue yourself.” “I want to be prepared for everything. She’s confused by mating heat, thinks she’s losing her mind. She’s hurting in ways I can’t even grasp.” I added, “You don’t have to stay by my side.” I was exhausted. At the cottage, I fell asleep immediately. The next morning, I felt a chill. William cooked breakfast. The smell made her hungry. i recalled waking up to find William wrapped around me and wanted to be less dependent. “Why wouldn’t I stay with you?” “Don’t you have more important things to do?” “Being with my mate is everything.” The word “mate” hit me hard. I rubbed her chest, feeling anguish. The mating bond was still absent. “Stop overthinking,” William said. “You need to get used to the pack.” A knock at the door made her jump. “It’s fine,” William said, opening the door. Three more people entered, followed by Leon. There were two women and four men. Most had scars like hers. “Hello,” one man said. “Introduce yourself so she can learn your names.” “Ashley,” the short, brown-haired woman said. “Rainy.” “Peter.” “Texts.” “Nice to meet you all,” I said, glancing at Texts. “Is that a nickname?” “No, miss. It’s my real name. They denied me a nickname, so I’m called Texts because I like texting.” He smiled. “Best day of my life being found by this pack.” William chuckled. “Don’t get too comfortable. He takes in all the strays.” “Not true. I don’t house anyone. They find me, not the other way around.” “We’re just the unwanted,” Rainy said, nodding at my neck. “That mark must be painful.” “It is,” I said, tears welling up. “They all are,” William said. “It never stops.” Leon added, “We all have stories. Doesn’t make the pack sound like a great place to live.” “Yeah, but ours is the exception,” Texts said. “We live among humans, like spies. No one knows who we are.” Ashley muttered, “Be careful with him. He thinks he’s got the next big thing.” “I could,” Texts said. “And be a giant pain in the ass,” Ashley replied. The group chuckled. “What? We need to be inclusive now that the miss is here. Right?” Texts asked. Everyone looked at me. “What?” “What kind of drama shots do you like?” Texts asked. “Er, I don’t know.” “You’ve never watched drama shots?” “I didn’t have money for a TV . I didn’t think watching by payment was worth it.” “Ah, your pack is terrible.” Texts said. The pack laughed. “Enough,” William said, handing me a plate. “You’ll join us for night.” I took the knife and fork, waiting. “You can eat,” William said. “I can wait.” “Is that a pack rule?” Ashley asked. “You can’t eat until everyone else?” Her palm trembled. “We won’t starve you,” Rainy said. “Eat before it’s cold. Alpha cooking is important.” I cut mushrooms, dipped them in tomatoes, and ate. “Good food,” I said to William, biting into a sausage and moaning. Everyone laughed. “Honestly, I was a street rat. William helped me out and then left. I didn’t want to stay in my old life. My pack was cruel, starved me for fun,” “He’s the shit.” “Ew,” Ashley said. “Can’t you say something nice about him?” “Fine. He’s dog bollocks,” Liam replied. I laughed, not quite understanding but not questioning it. I relaxed, enjoying breakfast and watching them. They felt like family. William prepared tea and sat back, feet up, hands behind his head, smiling. “Now this is life. Cabin, pack, peace.” “Some of the pack?” I asked. “Yeah, there are more of us,” Rainy said. “The others are busy working,” Ashley added. “We’d need a bigger place otherwise.” “Are you guys staying here?” I asked. “Yes,” they said. “Oh.” “Don’t worry. We won’t undercut you,” Leon added. “We’ll be nearby, just in case.” I nodded, still adjusting to the pack’s constant presence. “Do you want to explain your deal?” Leon asked, bringing a tray of coffee. “My deal?” I asked. “We all have a vague idea why we’re unwanted. What’s your story?” Leon pressed. “We don’t need to dive into that,” William added. “I’m just… weird,” I replied. Everyone moved to the sitting room. William stood by the window, arms folded. “A freak?” Texts asked. “What does that mean?” I grabbed a knife from the kitchen, stabbed it into the table, and cried out. The pain was relentless. “What the fuck?” William rushed to me, and the pack intervened. I yanked the knife out, holding it up to show them my recovering body. “A freak.” Breakfast had gone smoothly until my outburst. William asked everyone to leave for a bigger cabin. “Holy fucking shit,” Texts said. “Did you see that?” “I saw,” Rainy said, arms crossed. “She calls herself a freak? Does she realize her strength?” “Is this common?” Texts asked. “It’s rare,” Rainy said. “I knew one in my old pack. They were revered. Their healing delayed aging.” “Wait,” Leon said. “You’re saying she could be much older?” “She looks about twenty,” Rainy replied. “But it could be longer.” “How old was your elder?” “About two hundred. Time slows down after they mature.” “I saw what they did to her,” Ashley added. “She didn’t resist.” “Because she was ordered not to,” Leon said. “Alpha’s rules are law.” “She’s damaged,” Rainy said. “And she’ll be a fucked-up woman.” I was nervous during dinner. “You want us to do what?” Peter asked. “I want you to stay back while Susan adjusts. We should keep our distance,” William replied. “Is hiding the heat normal?” Ashley asked. “Not sure,” Rainy said. “In my old pack, the elder was revered. I’ve never seen such pain.” “I’m heading back. Don’t stray far, and if you hear cries, stay alert. Rush in if they’re mine.” William entered, seeing me on the couch, my wound already healed. “Sorry I sent your pack away,”I said. “You didn’t send them away,” William reassured. “They worry about you.” “They call me a freak.” “They don’t. They’re concerned.” I shrugged. “I’m fine.” “‘Fine’ doesn’t explain stabbing yourself.” “All gone, like it never happened.” “No scar doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.” He was furious at my wrongdoers. “You bruised.” “They faded eventually.” “Did your healing abilities annoy them?” “Yes,” “They hated that nothing they did could last.” William paced, then drank heavily. “Does it help?” “Nope, but it stops me from killing everyone,” he said, throwing back another drink. “I need to walk.” “I’m coming with you.” “Please, let me go alone.” “No,” he said, drinking more. His body metabolized the alcohol quickly. “Fine. Do what you want.” I stormed out, and William followed a minute later, tracking my scent. He found me by an ancient tree and tackled me. I gasped as we fell to the ground. He kissed away my tears, then nuzzled me. “William?” “I know your needs,” William said, tearing my jeans with his claws. He spread my thighs, touched me, and focused on my clit with his tongue. I begged and rocked against his face, crying out his name. He held my ass tight, savoring every drop of me. “Thanks,” I gasped. “That’s just the start, baby,” he grinned. The next morning, I watched him sleep, remembering his touch and the heat between us. I was anxious about the pack’s absence—did they dislike me? William woke, catching me staring. “I can feel you thinking all the way from here.” I blushed. “I didn’t know you were awake.” He smirked. “I didn’t want you to think I was just admiring your tits and imagining what I could do between them.” His fingers traced my thighs, making me moan. I closed my eyes, feeling his passion. “No,” I whispered. “Why stop?” he asked, his touch persistent. “I want to give you something,” I said, straddling him. “I’m a virgin. Only you have been with me.” “I’m the only man you’ll ever be with,” he assured. “Let me please you,” I offered. “Get off me then,” he said, eager to make love. “I want to taste you,” I said, lowering myself cautiously between his legs. “Don’t bite,” he warned. “Touch me first.”

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On the night of my 80th birthday, my husband of 55 years stabbed me 10 times, each blow fatal. After the final stab, he finally let go with satisfaction. The knife clattered to the floor. “Rachel Lee, I’m finally free of you,” he said. Pain spread throughout my body. I had no strength left to cry out. Bright red blood flowed from my heart onto the floor, staining my favorite floral jacket. Gabriel Gray stood before me, hunched over, carefully wiping the blood off the knife with his sleeve. At 81 years old, his movements were unsteady. I wanted to remind him that the blood left on his sleeve would still be evidence and he’d be convicted anyway. But I didn’t have the strength to open my mouth or lift a hand. Perhaps it was a final moment of clarity before death, but I saw visions of Gabriel at different ages before my eyes. 10-year-old Gabriel, 20-year-old Gabriel, all the way up to 81-year-old Gabriel. They all smiled at me and gently called me “Rachel.” But behind those smiles was a cold knife, piercing my heart. As I felt my body growing colder, Gabriel and I’s life together flashed before my eyes like a montage.

Gabriel and I had indeed been entangled for a lifetime. By the time I was ten, I was already the little girl who followed Gabriel around everywhere. Although we weren’t in the same elementary school, every holiday I would shamelessly go to Gabriel’s house to do homework together. Perhaps it was because my resentment was too strong, but after death my soul began to drift through various scenes of my interactions with Gabriel. Although I could only watch helplessly as everything unfolded, fortunately I could now hear Gabriel’s inner thoughts. Before my eyes was a little girl chewing on her pen and staring blankly at a difficult problem. She looked to be about 10 years old. Across from her sat a boy diligently working on his own problems. This was 10-year-old me and 11-year-old Gabriel. “Gabriel, how do you do this one? Can you teach me?” “I” finally gave up on the difficult problem and looked at the boy across from me with pleading eyes. He didn’t say anything. The air fell into a brief silence, but at that moment I heard his inner voice: “So annoying. She still can’t do two-digit addition and subtraction at this age. Why is she pretending?” Hearing those words, I froze in place. In my memories, the young Gabriel had been like a gentle older brother. Those harsh words would never have come out of his mouth. I had grown up without a father’s love, so I was more likely to show my vulnerable side to a boy my age. Seeing the boy hadn’t responded, the girl continued speaking. She pushed her workbook in front of him with a pitiful expression. “I really don’t know how to do it. I’m not lying.” “Just do your homework quietly,” the boy still didn’t look up at the girl. “So annoying. I wish she would leave already.” At the same time, I heard his inner voice speaking again. The scene ended with the girl leaving with red-rimmed eyes, her backpack slung over her shoulder. What had seemed like a heart-warming moment ended with such an abrupt and careless conclusion. The “stage” was now empty, with both the male and female leads gone. But as an audience member, I still couldn’t process what I had seen. Because I clearly remembered that I really had been stuck on those two-digit addition and subtraction problems back then. I never imagined Gabriel had been so annoyed with me even then. So why did he agree to my requests?

After a moment of silence, I could feel my soul being forcibly torn away. The white light became a vortex that swallowed my soul whole. When I came to, the first thing I saw was the asphalt road in front of the school gates. It was early summer then. The cicadas were buzzing loudly. The shadows of the evergreen trees dappled our bodies. Everything seemed too beautiful to be real. Gabriel was a year ahead of me. At this time we were in high school. “Gabriel, how are your studies going lately?” he asked. That day, my voice suddenly became halting and stumbling as I answered his question. I forgot what I said in the middle, but I ended with “I like you.” That day I confessed to Gabriel. But after hearing it, Gabriel only responded with an expressionless “Mm” and said nothing else. He was known for being a cold, aloof top student at school. So when I heard that “Mm”, I was overjoyed. He usually wouldn’t even acknowledge me, so maybe I had a chance? That’s what I thought. But now I heard Gabriel say in an impatient tone: “Can you stop following me around all the time? You’re like a fly.” I didn’t understand. I had only asked him one question. How had it turned into this? Although I couldn’t feel any physical pain, the place where my heart should be still ached. But the young woman before me was still immersed in her supposed happiness, coyly asking Gabriel: “So how have you been lately?” We rarely saw each other since Gabriel had moved. The young man paused in his steps. A gust of hot wind blew past him. I caught a glimpse of a blush on his face. “Fine,” he said. But I heard another cold voice in my ear saying: “It would be even better without you.” The young woman also stopped walking. Just as she was about to pull out the chocolate hidden behind her back, she was interrupted by a male voice. The owner of the voice slung his arm around Gabriel’s shoulder and said: “Come on, let’s go study.” Gabriel’s eyes lit up at that moment. Without responding to the girl behind him, he was about to link arms with his friend and leave. The girl’s beautiful confession had been abruptly cut off. Still unwilling to give up, she timidly asked: “Can I come find you during summer break after exams are over?” “Sure,” Gabriel’s retreating figure replied. The world froze again. At the same time, that cold voice appeared again: “This should get rid of her, right?” I was stunned for a long time. I never imagined that the man I had loved for nearly 70 years actually hated me so much. Thinking back on everything I had done, I still couldn’t find a reason for Gabriel to hate me.

Click-clack. The previously shattered world reassembled itself. This time we were at a college class reunion. At this point, “I” was being pressured by friends to play Truth or Dare. My luck wasn’t great – I kept drawing “Truth” cards. Having a crush on Gabriel seemed to be my secret. Even after four drinks, I still wasn’t willing to reveal it. When the wine glass pointed at me again, the cheering from the others seemed even louder than before. My best friend grabbed my hand. “We agreed, you can’t drink five glasses in a row.” I clutched my phone, my head a bit fuzzy from all the alcohol. The “Dare” I drew was: Call the first person on your contacts list and tell them “I’m drunk, can you come pick me up?” The ringing of the phone had everyone on edge. “Hello? What’s up?” It connected! Gabriel’s cool voice came through. Even though I knew Gabriel didn’t like me, my non-existent heart still skipped a beat as a disembodied soul. My friend nudged me and mouthed: Say it! Only then did I speak up coyly, my voice tinged with real drunkenness: “Gabriel, I’m drunk. Can you come pick me up?” My face visibly reddened. I was about to say something else when my friend snatched the phone and hung up. According to her, this was the way to hook someone – just enough ambiguity to be intriguing. Sitting on the couch, I clutched my phone tightly, my heart pounding. I wasn’t sure if Gabriel would come. Gabriel was a surgical resident who had just graduated two years ago. It could be said this was his busiest time. In the end, Gabriel didn’t come. The one who came was Luke, his classmate who had competed with him for top of the class. “No, don’t go with him.” When I saw Luke’s face, the defenses I had carefully built up suddenly crumbled. I tried desperately to grab myself, but my hands just passed through my body over and over. Only then did I realize I truly couldn’t do anything.

Unable to face the pain directly, I wanted to see what Gabriel was doing at that moment. Why did Luke come when I had called Gabriel? I floated out about two meters before being forcibly pulled back. After several attempts, the result was the same – I came to a conclusion that I couldn’t leave my past self. I didn’t want to watch the next scene. I crouched down and covered my head in pain, but I couldn’t block out the sounds. Accompanied by the noisy voices, painful memories were awakened. Images automatically floated through my mind. “She’s so pretty, how could Gabriel not want her?” Luke carried my half-drunk, half-conscious body out of the bar. As he looked me up and down, his hands started roaming over my body. “Ah! What are you doing?” My drunken self felt something groping my body. I opened my eyes to find a strange man trying to molest me. Luke gripped my hand tightly. I had no way to escape. I could only use my last bit of reason to take out my phone and dial Gabriel’s number. “Gabriel! Help me!” That pale, desperate cry for help was truly the only action my past self could take to help herself at that moment. At this moment, it was as if I had overcome my inner demons. I stood up and coldly watched the scene. Luke snatched the phone and tossed it aside. “Gabriel doesn’t even want you anymore. Why are you still calling him?” I floated over to their side, looking at my half-unconscious self who was in shock. I reached out to wipe away her tears, but my hand passed through her face again.

A force kicked Luke flying. He let out a cry of pain. Only then did I see the man approaching in the moonlight. When Gabriel arrived, Luke had already stripped me down to my underwear. “Gabriel, are you crazy…” “Get lost.” Gabriel dismissed Luke with one word. Gabriel looked at me, who had fallen into a deep sleep. He took off his coat and gently wrapped it around me before carrying me away. The scene froze again, leaving only a mess on the ground. The second half was like rewatching a movie. I focused on finding various details I hadn’t been aware of at the time. Like my dependence on Gabriel. Like my trust in Gabriel. Like how I couldn’t hear Gabriel’s inner voice. From when Gabriel entered until he left, I could only hear that one word: “Get lost.” Perhaps the situation was too urgent and he didn’t have time to think. The world reassembled once more. The clock ticked. This time we were at a wedding. I was holding Gabriel’s arm, my face filled with happiness. “Gabriel, we’re finally married.” This was 3 years after that drunken night. After I sobered up, I confessed to Gabriel again and he agreed. 3 years had given us time to stabilize our careers. The day before, I had proposed marriage and Gabriel had gone to get the paperwork done the very next day. I knew Gabriel was a workaholic, but I didn’t want him working too hard, so I suggested to him: “Gabriel, can you come home for dinner in the future? And don’t work yourself too hard.” Gabriel just frowned slightly, then his expression smoothed out again. After a long while, he finally spoke: “Okay.” I happily held Gabriel’s arm tighter with one hand, while holding up our marriage certificate to look at in the sunlight with the other. “Gabriel, do you think if my past self knew I really married you, she would be impressed with me now?” The sound suddenly stopped. The scene paused on the marriage certificate backlit by the sun. I didn’t know what this scene was for. I only knew that I truly couldn’t hear Gabriel’s inner voice anymore. In those few seconds when he frowned and was silent, my world was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The next few scenes had very short time intervals between them. The clips were also very short, with similar content – me quietly waiting for my husband after making dinner, and the doorbell ringing as Gabriel arrived home on time. Over these 55 years together, Gabriel could absolutely be called a dutiful, responsible husband. He was considerate to his wife, successful in his career, and never philandered. It’s just that this wife could have been anyone. Until Gabriel stabbed me to death, we had never been intimate or had children. The familiar white light flashed. A table and two people appeared before me. The lights were dimmed, with only candlelight flickering. This was Gabriel’s 30th birthday. I was very afraid of childbirth. My only relative, my mother, had also passed away from cancer. There were no direct relatives left to pressure me about having children. Gabriel’s mother had gently brought up the topic of having children multiple times, saying it would be good to have someone to take care of us when we were older. This time, I brought it up: “Gabriel, do you like children?” I had cut my steak halfway. I put down my utensils and looked at Gabriel’s face in the dim candlelight. Gabriel swallowed his bite of steak. “I don’t like them.” I hadn’t noticed before when I was blinded by love, but now I really felt Gabriel’s manners were too good. I could clearly see the disgust on Gabriel’s face for a split second before he looked up. Perhaps seeing my probing expression, that disgust was replaced by indifference. He could even hate my breathing, yet he still responded to me, not letting me feel he didn’t care about me, giving me enough dignity and fantasy. The play had just reached its climax, and the actors continued performing. I lowered my head, not daring to look at Gabriel’s eyes. “Then is it okay if we don’t have children?” There was no response. I lowered my head in shame. Soon, I felt a force on my shoulder, then a hand caressing my face. Gabriel bent down, his breath tickling my ear: “If you don’t like it, we won’t have any.” “I’ll talk to my mom about it.” I happily grabbed his large hand, pulling us even closer together. “Mm, thank you Gabriel. Happy birthday.” As if to repay him, I made him a promise: “I’ll celebrate every birthday with you from now on.”

I The final scene was of interlocked hands, like a couple deeply in love. I stared intently at the image, not noticing any flaws. After that day, Gabriel’s mother never brought up the topic of children with me again. I had thought Gabriel was respecting my wishes, but now it seems he probably couldn’t wait to be rid of me. But why didn’t he divorce me and instead lived with me until we were 80? A piece of information flashed through my mind. It wasn’t that I couldn’t hear Gabriel’s inner voice anymore, but that my words no longer provoked any reaction from him. He didn’t even feel disgust towards me anymore. The scene before me blurred, then came back into focus. Surprisingly, it was 81-year-old Gabriel wiping the knife. This was when I went to get the cake! Gabriel was alone at home. He sat in front of the coffee table, carefully wiping the knife. Each movement was very gentle, as if he was handling some precious treasure. The knife gleamed as he polished it, reflecting his wrinkled face. This time I could hear Gabriel speaking again. “My darling, my precious darling.” “My darling, my precious darling.” He seemed to have gone mad, repeating this phrase over and over. The door opened with a click. I had just picked up the cake from the floor when I was startled by the gleaming knife in Gabriel’s hand. “Gabriel… there’s a knife here to cut the cake.”

I walked forward slowly and with difficulty, holding the cake. I didn’t understand why he had suddenly picked up a knife. Gabriel didn’t speak, but approached me step by step with the knife. In his mind, he was still saying: “My darling, my precious darling.” Watching this scene sent chills down my non-existent spine. Until Gabriel pushed my physical self to the ground and plunged the knife straight into my heart. As a surgeon, Gabriel aimed precisely to kill me. But his advanced age seemed to have weakened his strength. He pulled out the knife, bright red blood splattering onto his face. Gabriel paid no attention to it and raised the knife again, stabbing viciously into the same spot. After ten stabs, the old woman lying on the ground had long since stopped breathing. Only then did Gabriel let out a sigh of relief. He slowly stood up, supporting himself on the sofa. The knife clattered to the floor in the pool of blood. “Rachel Lee, I’m finally free of you.”These words he spoke aloud.

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Six months after my death, Liam called me. He cursed me for being unreasonable, ungrateful, and accused me of cheating. Everyone advised me to initiate the divorce and even spoke up for the other woman, urging me to let them be together. “Don’t you all know? Our classmate, Nora, died in that accident.” Crash! The glass in Liam’s hand slipped and shattered on the floor, spilling red wine everywhere. At a reunion, a college classmate revealed that I had died in a plane crash. Liam went mad, but I just laughed. I came from a well-off family and was a firm believer in staying single. Having children was the furthest thing from my mind. But when a rival company dealt a severe blow to our family business, I had no choice but to become a sacrificial lamb in a business marriage. Watching my father’s hair turn increasingly gray, seeing the sudden wrinkles covering my mother’s face, and witnessing my sister tirelessly drinking and negotiating business deals day and night, I finally nodded in agreement. A once-staunch single was about to be forced into marriage. The marriage partner had been pre-selected by my parents. He was the new CEO of Anderson Group. In the past, Anderson Group wouldn’t have been considered a match for us, but now that my family had fallen on hard times, a partnership with the Andersons could revitalize our family business. I met the new female CEO of Anderson Group once before the wedding. It was then that I discovered she was actually Liam, a classmate from my university department. Apparently, after his mother passed away years ago, his father had also recently died, leaving him to take over the entire group. Liam seemed to have known beforehand that I was his intended partner. He smiled at me, and the first thing he said was, “I’ve secretly liked you since university.” Because of this statement, I felt a little less resistant to this arranged marriage.

Our wedding was incredibly grand, mostly funded by Anderson Group. Even the house and car we lived in were bought by Liam, who even made sure to add my name to the property deed. “This will be our little home from now on,” he said, holding my hand with a face full of happiness. Soon after our marriage, with Anderson Group’s help, our family business quickly revived. The two large enterprises complemented each other, developing even better than before. My life with Liam was also very happy. He told me not to worry about business matters and to focus on developing my hobbies. With him at the helm, I felt at ease and tried to enjoy life. Although I wasn’t used to it at first, I gradually adapted. This lifestyle continued for six years. Just when I thought the rest of our days would pass by peacefully like this, Stella returned to the country.

I didn’t know who Stella was, but I had heard Liam’s friends mention her at previous gatherings. They said Stella was beautiful and smart, and had studied at a prestigious university abroad. At the time, I was sipping red wine on the side, listening to them reminisce about the past, finding it quite interesting. Until they started wondering if Stella had found a boyfriend yet, saying she might even be married by now. Liam suddenly spoke up to stop them. The others immediately changed the subject, as if those words had never been spoken. That was the first time I felt something was off. From what I knew of Liam, he was definitely angry just then. Even though his face remained expressionless, I could hear the anger in his voice. He was furious. Was it because he didn’t like the topic? Or because he didn’t like the main character in this topic? I didn’t pay much attention at the time, but today I finally understood why Liam was so angry then. It was because he couldn’t bear to hear that Stella might be married…

Starting last month, Liam began to come home less frequently. At first, he would return home very late at night. Then it progressed to not seeing him for four or five days at a time. This time, he hadn’t been home for a whole week. Every time I called, it would take a long time for him to answer. Sometimes, the call would be directly hung up or go unanswered. Initially, I still believed he was working overtime, but with the same excuse repeatedly, even a fool wouldn’t believe it anymore. Finally, today, I couldn’t stand it and secretly went to his company. Sure enough, he wasn’t there. Then I called his secretary, who hesitantly gave me the name of a couple’s restaurant. I had a bad feeling about this. In the end, I saw Liam and Stella intimately embracing each other at the hotel. They were holding hands, snuggling close and whispering to each other. I walked directly towards them, but I froze when I saw that face that could easily be mistaken for mine. I also ignored Liam’s momentary panic and embarrassment upon seeing me. After what seemed like an eternity, Stella walked towards me with a smile. She extended her hand and said, “You must be Nora. Thank you for taking care of Liam for me all these years.”

That night, I still brought Liam home. We were silent the entire way. After entering, I first asked the housekeeper to rest, then sat with Liam on opposite sofas. The man who once loved to stick close to me now clearly didn’t want to be near me. Why is that? Maybe because I’m just a substitute, a stand-in for Stella. Perhaps because I had caught him red-handed, Liam didn’t try to hide anything and directly proposed divorce. “You don’t need to worry about the company. I’ll set up a fund and give you $20,000 every month.” But I just kept looking at him without saying a word. Liam kept checking the time, not noticing my gaze. Right, he had promised Stella earlier that he would definitely go back to accompany her tonight. He finally couldn’t wait any longer: “Nora, just tell me what you want. I’ll fulfill whatever I can. I just hope you can let me be with Stella. She’s finally back after so long, I can’t bear to lose her again.” I was stunned. What did he take me for? How could he treat me like this? In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to say these words out loud. Forcing myself to stay calm, I asked, “I just want to ask one thing. Did you only agree to marry me because I look like her?” Liam glanced at me. “Yes.” “So when we first met, and you said you had liked me since university, that was a lie too?” I clenched my fists. Liam neither confirmed nor denied it. “I did notice you in university.” So he had only noticed me. Of course, suddenly seeing someone who looked so much like the person you love, anyone would take a second look. So everything, all of it, was fake. The happy life we had, it was all just him projecting his longing for Stella onto my face. Humiliation, anger, at that moment, my heart was filled with a mix of emotions.

I left, before dawn the next day. I moved to a small house I had bought on a whim in the suburbs two years ago. This was a place only I knew about, Liam didn’t know, so he wouldn’t come to bother me. I blocked all his contact methods, and anyone related to him was also blocked. I won’t divorce him, at least not now. Not because I still can’t let go of him, but because I don’t want Stella to move into the house and replace me so quickly. I don’t want them to become a couple so soon. For a whole week, I lived very comfortably, with no one to disturb me. My parents called, but after hearing the truth, they unwaveringly chose to stand by my side. They also comforted me, telling me not to worry about the family, saying that Ning Corporation is now stronger than it was a few years ago. A weight was finally lifted from my heart, but what I didn’t expect was that on the eighth day after I moved out, someone still found me. That person turned out to be my brother, Neil. My relationship with Neil was quite good. In the past, I always protected him, and he would make porridge for me when he drank too much and his stomach hurt. But today, Neil looked at me with a serious face, his eyes carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. I invited him in and asked what had happened. My first reaction was that something had happened to our parents or the family company. Had Liam started to move against the family because he couldn’t find me? “Nora, you should divorce Liam, right?” “What?” I didn’t expect my brother’s first words to be this. “Nora, you don’t know, Stella has had it very hard all these years. She just wants to be with the man she loves now. Can you let them be together? Please? Consider it a favor to your brother.” Neil’s attitude was very humble. He had never said the word “please” to me before, but today he said it, and it was for that woman. I looked at him in disbelief and questioned him: “Neil, do you know what you’re saying? That Stella interfered with my marriage, and now you’re here begging me on her behalf? Begging me to step aside for her? Neil, have you gone mad?!” Neil’s face showed a hint of embarrassment, but he still tried to persuade me: “Nora, I know, I know all of this. Liam is just a scumbag, he doesn’t deserve you. So after you divorce, I’ll definitely help you find a better man. You don’t need this Liam anyway. But Stella only has this one love in her life, so can you please give Liam to her?” At this moment, I felt that the brother in front of me was very unfamiliar. When did my brother stop standing on my side and start standing on my enemy’s side? I shook my head, not wanting to say anything more to him. I pointed at the front door, asking him to leave: “Just go! I won’t divorce now, and you don’t need to say anything more.” “Nora…” “I said go!” Maybe my attitude was too harsh, but Neil finally left. However, when he reached the door, he still said: “I’ll come back, Nora. Think about it carefully.” I have nothing to think about. I’m not doing charity work, voluntarily making way for them.

After Neil left, the more I thought about it, the stranger this whole thing seemed. I unblocked the number of one of Liam’s good friends from my phone’s blacklist. This person was his childhood neighbor, and maybe because she was a woman, she was the one I got along with best among Liam’s circle of friends. She also seemed to dislike Stella. I dialed the number, and it was quickly answered. “Nora, you finally showed up. I was heartbroken for a long time after you blocked me,” Tina’s wailing voice came from the other end of the phone. But I had no time for jokes with her. “Tina, do you know if anything happened between my brother and Stella?” “Your brother? Neil?” “Yes.” I told her about Neil coming to ask me to divorce Liam to let Stella be with him. Tina on the other end of the phone burst into laughter, “Hahahahaha, I didn’t expect that after so many years, your brother is still such a lovesick puppy. He’s really good at self-delusion!” “What do you mean?” “Actually, your brother and Stella met at a competition once. It seems your brother really admired Stella’s talent and fell in love with her at first sight. Liam found out about this later and wanted to go beat up your brother, but Stella stopped him. After that, the two of them just stayed out of each other’s way. Stella went abroad after high school graduation. I don’t know if she kept in touch with your brother during that time. But your brother is quite a few years older than you, right? He’s never had a girlfriend and never showed any intention of getting married. Looks like he’s still waiting for someone~” Tina teased on the other end of the phone. I was shocked. I never expected that my brother would like Stella, and even stayed single for so many years because of her. How charming must Stella be to make my brother say such things to his own sister even now?

After hanging up the phone with Tina, I realized I couldn’t stay here anymore. I immediately packed my luggage and changed my residence again. I never thought there would come a day when I would be forced to run around by my own brother. I decided to go to another state. Coincidentally, one of my college classmates was working there. Although we weren’t in the same department, she was one of my few good friends. But because I got married, we gradually lost touch. The last time we met was several years ago. I felt quite sorry towards her and prepared to go find her and apologize properly. After contacting my friend, I boarded a plane to the other state that evening. But I didn’t expect that trip would become the last journey of my life. The next morning, news of a major plane crash was everywhere, almost all news media were devoted to this news, and social media was also flooded with it. In an instant, all the families of the victims rushed to the scene. Because I had lost my ID, they couldn’t contact my relatives for a while. Only my friend Tina, who knew about my whereabouts, came to the airport after seeing the news. It was she who helped identify my body remains, and she who helped retrieve the only phone fragment that could be found.

So I floated in mid-air, watching Tina secretly wiping her tears. Even though it was because of me that we hadn’t met for so many years, seeing her like this now, I really felt very guilty in my heart. But now I was already dead, just a soul floating around, with no way to give her a hug or comfort her. Soon a ghost official came. I thought he was coming to take me away, but unexpectedly, he told me that the karma of this life hadn’t been resolved yet, so he wouldn’t take me to reincarnate for now. I asked him how to resolve it? He said it depended on my own fate, then he patted me, saying he would send me to the side of the person with whom I had the deepest karma. My vision went black, and when I opened my eyes again, I found myself in the house where I had lived for nearly seven years. At this moment, Liam, who should have been at work, was at home, holding Stella, the two of them entwined on the sofa. I felt a bit sick instantly, but more than that, I felt they were desecrating the expensive custom-made sofa I had ordered. They cuddled for a while, then Liam let go of Stella. Stella seemed a bit unsatisfied and pounced back onto Liam, asking somewhat pitifully, “Liam, can’t we yet? Don’t you love me anymore?” Looking at her like that was really disgusting. Liam was also stunned for a moment, but in the end, reason seemed to overcome emotion. He comforted Stella, saying he would divorce as soon as possible, and then immediately marry Stella. So it was because Liam was still married, and he didn’t want Stella to be labeled as the other woman. How considerate and gentle. Maybe it’s because I’m dead now, in a state of a wandering soul, my heart doesn’t seem to hurt as much anymore. I just find all of this very laughable. “Okay, then when the time comes, we’ll start from the living room to the bedroom, from the bedroom to the kitchen…” “Alright, whatever you like,” Liam smiled and hugged her, using the tone he used to speak to me to tease Stella.

Time flew by, and more than a week had passed. I didn’t know why I always followed Liam; I couldn’t leave his side on my own, I could only go wherever he went. During these six months, I saw that apart from eating, sleeping, working, and coaxing Stella, he was frantically calling me, but without exception, my phone was unreachable. I heard him cursing at the busy tone on the phone. He cursed me for being unreasonable, ungrateful, said he shouldn’t have married me in the first place, shouldn’t have helped my family, and even accused me of having another man outside and not coming home. But what he didn’t know was that when he was cursing me, I was right across from him, watching him, watching his handsome face reveal a fierce expression, spitting out the most vicious words. Maybe it’s because I’ve really become a ghost, my heart seems to have disappeared along with it. Hearing these words, I wasn’t very angry, I just thought he was too noisy. After that, he went to find everyone who might have had contact with me, including my parents and my brother Neil, but everyone said they didn’t know my whereabouts either. Because Tina initially thought I had run away from home, and she didn’t have my family’s contact information, in her anger, she didn’t tell my parents that I was already dead. And Liam didn’t know about my relationship with Tina, so he didn’t go to her to find out what had happened. Now everyone probably thinks I ran away quietly to avoid divorce, right? No matter what they think, I don’t care anymore.

Recently, Stella’s mood doesn’t seem to be very good. She started frequently asking Liam when he could divorce me, where I had gone, when they would get married. At first, Liam would patiently comfort her, coax her, promise her that he would resolve these issues as soon as possible, but as the frequency increased, Liam’s patience was also exhausted. The last time was yesterday. When Stella asked again, Liam yelled at her, saying he was very troubled, that he had many things to do, and couldn’t always spend time looking for me. “So can you calm down? I said I would marry you and I will definitely do it. Now we can’t find Nora anywhere, and if I don’t divorce her, I’m still married. At worst, after two years of separation, I’ll file for divorce. So can you stop asking?” Stella probably never dreamed that this man who always said he loved her, who even forced away his legal wife for her, would one day yell at her too. At this moment, I was floating behind Liam, watching all of Stella’s expressions. It was quite funny, but I have to say, Stella is indeed beautiful. Even when she’s this angry, she’s not ugly. Liam realized his mistake and quickly went to hug Stella, softly coaxing her, but Stella just kept a cold face. One was coaxing, the other wasn’t accepting it. This scene was really boring, but I had no way to leave, I could only float in place watching this pair of “star-crossed lovers”.

Today I finally got to go somewhere new because Liam brought Stella to attend a banquet. It was originally a reunion for our university department, but Liam still brought Stella along. He really didn’t care about my face at all. The moment he entered with Stella, the originally lively crowd suddenly fell silent. Everyone unanimously looked at them. Some people were full of curiosity, some felt disgust, some were thinking about how to curry favor with Liam, but there was also a group of men whose gazes were on Stella. However, these people were all glared back by Liam. He really was protective. When everyone had arrived, the student union president from university days raised his glass and said some words to liven up the atmosphere. Everyone else also raised their glasses. After three rounds of drinks, the people at the scene had basically loosened up. Everyone was chatting in their own groups, it was quite lively. “Hey, do you know about that plane crash half a year ago?” “Who doesn’t know? It dominated the headlines for a whole week.” “My distant uncle’s whole family was on it. It’s really tragic. My uncle was quite good to me, it’s such a pity…” “Yeah, a whole plane full of people, it’s too tragic.” “But I really didn’t expect this kind of thing would happen to one of our classmates…” The topic was led to the plane crash that caused my death, but unexpectedly, a classmate suddenly came out with this sentence. This statement made everyone very concerned, and they hurriedly asked what he meant. “Don’t you all know? Our classmate, Nora, died in that accident.” Crash! The glass in Liam’s hand next to me slipped and shattered on the ground, making a crisp sound. The red wine inside spilled all over the floor.

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After giving birth, my mother-in-law posted a picture of the condoms my husband and I use on TikTok. She captioned it: “Young people these days have no self-control. They’re already at it right after having a baby.” I responded by posting a photo of her cheating on my father-in-law with his brother. My caption read: “Older folks sure know how to play the field.” I had just put the baby to sleep and opened TikTok to relax for a bit. I habitually checked my notifications, replying to friends and family who had shared videos with me. As I scrolled down, I was surprised to see a TikTok shared by a stranger asking, “Is this you?” I recognized the profile picture as a former male colleague from my old company. Curious, I opened the shared video and immediately felt my face burn with embarrassment when I saw the caption. The video was secretly recorded by Martha, my mother-in-law, when she came to wake me up to make breakfast for Derek. In the video, I was sound asleep, my head resting on Derek’s arm. The camera panned to the right, showing a blurry condom wrapper, then zoomed in to focus on it deliberately. The caption read: “Young people these days have no self-control. They’re already at it right after having a baby.” My blood boiled, and my heart raced. Last night, it was her son who had begged me, and I reluctantly agreed out of pity. Now his mother was spreading rumors online. I now realize that feeling sorry for a man only leads to trouble.

Trembling, I shared the video with Derek, telling him to ask his mom to delete it immediately. TikTok’s friend recommendation feature is powerful, and even my former colleagues had come across the video. I didn’t dare imagine what my parents, neighbors, and relatives would think if they saw it! After a while, Derek messaged back, “Isn’t my mom right? You were pretty enthusiastic last night!” followed by two suggestive emojis. “Just kidding, honey. You’re not mad, are you?” he added. “Besides, you can barely tell it’s us. I had to look closely to figure it out.” I sent him a screenshot of my former colleague sharing the video with me. “Look for yourself. This is from my ex-coworker.” To my surprise, he replied, “Your ex-coworker must be paying close attention to you if they recognized you after you’ve gained so much weight.” He added a jealous emoji. Reading Derek’s messages, my heart ached, and I felt my blood run cold. I took a deep breath, looked at our baby beside me, and forced myself to calm down.

I went straight to Martha’s room and got right to the point, “Mom, please delete the TikTok video you posted this morning.” Martha played dumb, “What TikTok video? You follow my account, and I didn’t post anything today!” Noticing her phone screen was still on, I snatched it from her hand and opened TikTok. I tapped on “My Posts” and saw the video pinned at the top. She had even pinned it! I was about to delete it when Martha headbutted me in the stomach, causing me to drop the phone. Ignoring the pain in my stomach, I got up to retrieve the phone, but the screen was already shattered and unusable. Martha stood by, gloating, “The phone’s broken. Perfect excuse for my son to buy me a new one.” “That was my most liked TikTok video ever. There’s no way I’m deleting it.” Shaking with anger, I smashed the phone on the ground, completely destroying it. “If this video isn’t deleted by the time Derek gets home tonight, I’ll report you for invasion of privacy.” “And remember, I control the bank card. Whether you get a new phone depends on me!”

Back in my room, I watched the video over and over. It now had 1,000 likes and over 2,000 comments. The comment section was filled with insults towards the daughter-in-law, some saying she looked attractive and making lewd suggestions. As I was about to screenshot these comments to send to Derek, the baby woke up, and I had to put down my phone to tend to her. When Derek came home from work that evening, he first complained about me breaking his mother’s phone and having to buy a new one. I snapped back, “She deserved it!” “And please read the comments under the video before you speak to me!” Derek said, “It’s just a bunch of nonsense. What’s there to see?” He was clearly avoiding the issue. He didn’t say a word about all the insulting comments. I opened TikTok and started reading the comments aloud to Derek: “The daughter-in-law is hot, let’s take her out to play!” “Your daughter-in-law has a great figure, your son is lucky.” “It’s better when the daughter-in-law is a bit naughty!” “Is this what you call criticizing the daughter-in-law?” As I was about to continue, the door suddenly burst open, and Martha stormed in: “Living off my son’s money and still daring to scold him.” “When people say you have big breasts, they’re complimenting your figure. It’s your dirty mind that’s the problem, not their comments.” Not wanting to argue with her, I played the voice message I had received from the lawyer I consulted earlier that afternoon. After hearing it, Derek quickly pulled Martha out of the room. Twenty minutes later, Derek returned with a bouquet of jasmine flowers, smiling apologetically, “Honey, don’t be angry. Mom has deleted the video and apologized. Look, she even asked me to buy you these jasmine flowers, your favorite.” I opened my phone and checked Martha’s profile. The video had indeed been deleted. “Don’t be mad, honey. I know I was wrong, and Mom knows she was wrong too. It won’t happen again.” I looked at Derek, feeling exhausted. Seeing my silence, Derek gave up trying to placate me. He tossed the flowers aside and said he was going to sleep in the study. 6 Lying awake for half the night, I still couldn’t fall asleep. My family is from a city in the neighboring state. I’m an only child, and although my parents are divorced and have new families, they still care for me deeply. When I told my family I was dating Derek, they disapproved. My mother would often call to tell me stories about girls who married far from home and suffered, or about parents who never saw their daughters again after they moved away. At the time, I found it annoying. When my father tried to introduce me to a young colleague at his company, I even said, “Didn’t you and Mom divorce because you didn’t know each other well enough before marriage?” Seeing that they couldn’t persuade me, my parents finally agreed to our engagement and marriage. Suddenly, I heard muffled voices coming from the study. I got up and pressed my ear against the wall, but I could only make out vague sounds. I remembered the stethoscope we had bought for the baby to check for illness and retrieved it. Placing it against the wall, I could hear every word clearly. “Your wife is so dramatic! It was just a bit of arm and chest showing, and she insisted on deleting it!” Martha complained to Derek. “Mom, you should have let me post it for you. I could have blocked her, and none of this would have happened!” Derek replied. “I just forgot! Don’t worry, I posted it on my secondary account too.” “You’re so clever, Mom. Have you gained more followers recently?” My heart raced, and I felt my blood boil. Derek clearly knew about this and was likely the mastermind! The thought of him making his mother post such risqué videos for money made me sick to my stomach. I want a divorce! Divorce! I suddenly remembered when I was four months pregnant, Derek would come home every day hinting that the economy was bad, his year-end bonus was cut in half, and his monthly salary wasn’t enough. He’d talk about how someone’s wife became an internet celebrity and earned $10,000 a month. Now I realize he was trying to get me to make suggestive videos too. Martha continued excitedly, “My secondary account is about to reach 10,000 followers. If your dad hadn’t stopped me from using TikTok two years ago, I’d be a top influencer by now.” “Your wife wouldn’t stand a chance!” Derek added, “Mom, I feel bad for making you film these videos.” “Son, I feel bad that you had to marry such a woman!” “If she wasn’t an only child with a house worth millions, I would have divorced her and found you a better daughter-in-law long ago!” “Son!” “Mom!” After hearing their conversation, I had only one thought: Find Martha’s secondary account and expose this mother-son duo! 7 On one hand, I contacted a friend in another state and asked her to pose as a brand representative interested in collaborating with Martha’s main account. She deliberately mentioned that the more followers, the more money could be earned. Martha immediately sent my friend her secondary account and asked how much she could make with it. On the other hand, I hired a private investigator to keep an eye on Derek. After all, if I wanted him to pay divorce compensation, I needed to find some dirt on him! After getting Martha’s secondary account, I thoroughly examined it. Martha was an uneducated woman from the countryside who married Robert, a high school teacher, because of her good looks and figure when she was young. In Martha’s eyes, being a teacher was a good, respectable job with a high salary. However, in this day and age, teachers’ salaries haven’t increased much, while the cost of living has skyrocketed. When Martha saw her old friends from the village become famous on TikTok by posting suggestive videos, earning enough to buy cars, houses, and travel the world, she always wanted to do the same. She had actually tried it once before, but I caught her and told Robert. He got angry and scolded her, forcing her to delete the video. Martha’s secondary account had posted over 90 videos, with a total of over 100,000 likes and exactly 10,000 followers. The video of me now had over 10,000 likes and more than 20,000 comments. More than 80 of her videos featured her wearing tight clothes, heavy makeup, and lip-syncing to cheesy songs. The comments were full of crude remarks like “You’re so beautiful” and “Your chest is so big.” I saved all these videos to a USB drive and sent it to my friend. I also carefully examined the comments and found one asking Martha if she had a partner. She had immediately replied “No.” In these 80-plus videos, there was one account that consistently appeared in the comments. I clicked on their profile and was surprised to see a hand wearing a pearl bracelet. That pearl bracelet was from a luxury brand. Martha had said it was a fake she wore for fun, but now it seemed there was more to the story. 8 During this time, Derek had been on his best behavior, and I couldn’t catch him doing anything wrong. Martha, on the other hand, was often going out. I installed cameras in various rooms of the house and, without consulting Derek, hired a nanny using his money. When they saw the nanny, they naturally wanted to let her go. I told them the contract had been signed and the salary paid. We could dismiss the nanny, but the money wouldn’t be refunded. During the day, I pretended to be job hunting, leaving the house early with my resume. In reality, I was sitting in a dessert shop near our apartment complex, waiting for Martha to leave. Martha loved sweets but was afraid of gaining weight, so she would usually walk quickly past dessert shops, pretending not to see them. With a bit of disguise, I managed to avoid being discovered for a whole week. However, Martha only went shopping for clothes and jewelry that week before returning home. Finally, on a Wednesday, I caught Martha heading to a dessert shop in a mall. Inside the shop, Martha went straight to a well-dressed man in his 50s, wearing a large gold necklace and a designer watch. I assumed this was the sponsor behind Martha’s TikTok videos. As soon as they met, they shared a deep kiss in public. I recorded the whole thing, but Martha was so well-covered that it was impossible to tell it was her. The shop was crowded and noisy, so I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I did, however, get a clear view of the man. The more I looked, the more uneasy I felt. Derek’s sister, Zoe, looked incredibly similar to this man! They say sons take after their mothers and daughters after their fathers. I had asked Derek before why his sister didn’t look like Robert or Martha at all, and he had dismissed it as a genetic quirk. Now, seeing this man, a ridiculous thought crossed my mind. When I got home, I took Robert, Martha, and Derek’s toothbrushes for a paternity test.

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My twin sister attempted suicide and was hospitalized. Her tormentors followed her to the hospital, mocking her for bringing it upon herself. Later, I went to school wearing an identical face to my sister’s. The bullies were excited, but I was even more so. Because I am a born monster, and the only one who could suppress my evil thoughts was my sister. This was my sister’s second suicide attempt. Our parents didn’t hesitate to call the police this time. But even when faced with law enforcement, the main bully remained smug and defiant. “How can you say I bullied her? I could say she bullied me!” she protested. “That’s right, my daughter is such a sweetheart. She wouldn’t even hurt an ant,” her mother chimed in. I watched this mother-daughter duo defend themselves from the other side of the security camera feed. Meanwhile, my sister – who had greeted me cheerfully just this morning – lay weak and pale in her hospital bed. Zoe, the ringleader of the bullies, raised an eyebrow and smirked. “If she acts like a b*tch, I’ll treat her like one. Simple as that. What are you going to do about it? Throw me in jail? I dare you!” She then made a mocking face at my sister, showing not a shred of remorse or fear. Zoe’s mother met my mom’s gaze, her eyes filled with contempt. She quickly looked away, clicking her tongue. “Tch, like mother like daughter. Cut from the same cloth, I see.” My mom let out a casual laugh. I knew that laugh – mom was angry. Mia, Zoe’s little sidekick, seemed to have found her courage. She glared at my sister with disgust. “Cutting your wrists? That’s nothing. If she really wanted to die, she should’ve jumped from the 18th floor. That would’ve turned her into mush for sure. Why bother with wrists? She didn’t even die. I bet she just wants to extort money from us. Right, Zoe?” “Hmph! Ugly people always make a fuss,” Zoe sneered. Due to lack of concrete evidence and the fact that they were all minors, the incident ended with Zoe giving a verbal apology. Back home, our little princess – the one we had cherished and protected – lay motionless in her bed. Bruises of various sizes covered her body. My parents and I finally noticed some things we had missed before. After a long silence, I said, “I’ll go to school in my sister’s place.” My parents understood what I meant. They knew what I was going to do. I turned and went into the bathroom. In the mirror, I saw a face identical to my sister’s staring back at me.

My sister and I are twins. Most people can’t tell us apart. Even our parents have almost mixed us up a few times. Lily loves pink. Her backpack, stationery, and even her bedding are all pink. I, on the other hand, prefer black. Mom often teases Lily, “If I hadn’t given birth to you myself, I’d think we picked you up somewhere!” Mom’s joke isn’t without reason. In our family, Lily is the special one. She’s different from us. She’s naturally pure and kind-hearted, carefully protected by me and our parents since childhood. I, on the other hand, was born with a “condition”. I’m a monster in the eyes of others. Since childhood, only Lily would play with me. To protect others, our parents had me study at home. I didn’t complain because with Lily around, I never felt lonely. Our parents said Lily was our family’s top priority for protection. So, from a young age, I’ve always protected her from the shadows. But we never imagined that after just one year of high school, Lily would end up like this. The doctor said we needed to be careful with Lily’s emotions. I stroked Lily’s forehead and whispered, “Lily, big sister will definitely avenge you.” Just then, a jarring phone ringtone broke the silence. Lily’s face turned ghostly pale. She covered her ears and started screaming. I picked up the phone and opened the message. It was a video. In it, Lily was being held down under a faucet in the bathroom, her wet hair plastered to her cheeks. Her face was red from choking on water. The perpetrators were laughing hysterically in the background. “If I catch you talking to him again, I’ll scratch up your face. See how you like seducing boys in our class then!” The video ended with this threat from the bully. Rage nearly burst through my chest. I closed my eyes for a moment and turned off the phone. Lily’s teeth were chattering. She stammered, “They… they took so many videos of me… without clothes.” I stroked Lily’s hair, looking at her tenderly. “Do you trust your big sister?” Lily nodded. I opened the door and walked into the backyard, where I dug another small patch of fallow ground with a hoe. Soon, there would be another addition here. Nearby, curses and pleas could be heard. “You’ll be struck by lightning! You’ll die a horrible death!”

I put on my sister’s backpack. From now on, I would be Lily, no longer Emma. As soon as I entered the classroom, a book flew towards my face. I dodged it easily. “Where’s Zoe’s breakfast? You want to die?” It was Mia, Zoe’s lapdog. She had been laughing the hardest in the video. It seemed bullying others gave her a sick pleasure. I ignored her and walked straight to my sister’s desk. The wooden desk was covered in insulting words carved into its surface – “btch”, “slt”… “Still admiring those words made specially for you? Can’t get enough? How about we carve them on your face instead?” Mia approached me, looking down with a sneer. Her narrow eyes narrowed further, a malicious smile spreading across her face. “I think that’s a great idea. Zoe would love it.” Something began to swell in my veins, gradually boiling and spreading throughout my body. It was uncontrollable, and I didn’t want to control it. Seeing Mia’s smile made me even more irritated. I stepped forward quickly and swung my right arm. A loud slap echoed through the classroom. Clear fingerprints appeared on her face. “You dare hit me? Just wait until Zoe gets back. You’re dead meat!” Her voice suddenly became shrill, as if her vocal cords had been struck by lightning. “Tsk tsk tsk…” The other classmates seemed surprised that I had hit her. Their smiles quickly froze on their faces. I narrowed my eyes. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you laughing anymore?” When she finally reacted and raised her hand to hit me back, the bell for class rang. She glared at me viciously before returning to her seat. I stuffed my backpack into the desk. It felt wet and sticky inside. It was full of oily residue from various snacks, emitting a nauseating smell. Soon, the homeroom teacher came in. She looked at me first, then said, “Lily, class has started. Why aren’t you sitting down?” “My desk is full of garbage that Zoe and her gang stuffed in there. The chair is also covered in glue.” I watched her expression gradually stiffen. She slowly raised her eyes and snorted coldly. “Are you saying Zoe is targeting you?” I didn’t speak, just stared at her silently. She sneered, “How is that possible? Zoe is the top student in our grade. Why would she target you? Even though Zoe is absent today, I won’t allow you to baselessly accuse her!” Mia looked at me smugly, nodding slightly with a small smirk. “Ms. Lee, I think she’s just jealous of Zoe’s good grades. All the teachers know Zoe is a good student in our class.” “Sit down. If you don’t want to listen to the lesson, that’s fine, but don’t disturb other students,” Ms. Lee glared at me. I pushed the desk over, spilling its contents onto the floor. The garbage was exposed, and oil stains spread across the floor, causing gasps from those around us. Mia glared at me fiercely. “Maybe you’re just a glutton and a slob. You ate snacks and didn’t throw away the trash. Now you’re trying to frame me!” Ms. Lee nodded thoughtfully. “I don’t think Zoe is that kind of person. If she really is targeting you, you should think about why. Why doesn’t she target anyone else? As they say, it takes two to tango…” I rushed forward in one swift motion. A crisp slap echoed through the classroom. I looked at the homeroom teacher contemptuously. “Ms. Lee, do you hear how loud one hand can clap?” No one had expected me to be so bold. Even the homeroom teacher was stunned. My action inevitably infuriated her. Her face turned red, her neck swelling as if about to explode. “Lily! How dare you… how dare you lay hands on a teacher! I see you don’t want to study anymore! I’m calling your parents right now. They can take you home. I don’t think you need to continue your education here!”

Soon, my mom arrived at the school. When she saw me, she gave a slight smile, as if to say “well done.” In the office, the homeroom teacher poured out a litany of complaints to my mom, emphasizing how unruly and disrespectful I was. “As a teacher, I just said one word to her, and she dared to hit me? I’ve been teaching for most of my life, and I’ve never encountered such a disrespectful student!” My mom tilted her head slightly, glancing at her with deep disgust in her eyes. “Ms. Lee, that’s where you’re wrong. Why did Lily only hit you and not other teachers? Have you considered that it might be your problem?” These words sounded familiar. I smiled. The homeroom teacher couldn’t utter a word in response to my mom’s smiling-yet-not-smiling face. In the end, she said, “Let’s go see the principal. We’ll see if they want to keep this worthless student or me, a teacher.” “Fine,” my mom agreed. As soon as we saw the principal, my mom rushed forward to shake his hand. “To think such a small matter would trouble the principal. Our Lily is really inconsiderate. How about this – my husband and I have discussed it. For any student from a poor family with good character, we can sponsor them all the way through graduation.” The principal’s eyes lit up at this. “Really?” My mom nodded. When she looked at the homeroom teacher, her eyes flashed with a challenging light. “We wouldn’t joke about such an important matter, of course.” “That’s good, that’s good. Actually, this isn’t a big deal. Children, you know, are at a mischievous age. She just accidentally hit Ms. Lee once. Ms. Lee has been teaching here for so long, she’s seen all kinds of students. Apart from being a bit naughty, Lily doesn’t have any other problems, right, Ms. Lee?” The homeroom teacher was shaking with anger, her face ashen. After a long while, she nodded. The words she had prepared to expel me stuck in her throat, neither able to come up nor go down. Her face turned an iron blue. I chuckled lightly. This was just the beginning. I believe my sister must have reached out to the homeroom teacher before, begging her to pull her out of the mire. But she chose to turn a blind eye and even aided the bullies. My foolish sister, don’t you see? The very methods you despise are often the most effective in manipulating people. Even when pushed to the brink of suicide, she never told me or our parents about what was happening at school. Whenever we asked, she always brushed it off, saying the teachers were good, the classmates were nice. Even now, she’s still protecting those demons. Because my sister knows that if those people fell into my or our parents’ hands, death would be a mercy for them.

Zoe came back. She seemed to have heard about my story from other classmates. For example, “Lily’s personality has changed dramatically. She even hit a teacher and caused a scene with the principal.” She kicked over my desk. “I was away for two days and you’ve become so tough? Which hand did you use to hit Mia? Let me see.” I smirked coldly, not even bothering to lift my eyelids. I slapped her across the face. “See? I used both hands.” Zoe’s fingers clenched into fists, her knuckles cracking. “You b*tch, how dare you hit me!” She charged at me, and we tumbled into a fight. Her little tricks were nothing new to me. It was just hair-pulling and arm-pinching. She quickly found herself at a disadvantage. I dragged her into the bathroom and shoved her head into the sink. This scene reminded me of my sister. She too had been held under water, unable to breathe. Mia seemed scared stiff. She stood at the bathroom door, hesitating to come in. It wasn’t until Zoe let out a yell that she finally entered, holding a mop. “Mia, what are you standing there for? Strip her clothes off. I’m going to post her video online today and make her famous!” Zoe’s eyes suddenly turned vicious as she was held down in the sink. Her features twisted into a grimace of extreme anger. “If you had the guts to fight me fair and square, I might have some respect for you. But you resort to these dirty tricks. It’s disgusting.” Mia took advantage of my distraction and hit me hard on the back with the mop. In that moment, Zoe broke free from my grip and pinned me down. “Btch, slt, how dare you hit me.” Her nails raked across my face. Only then did the anger on her face give way to pleasure. “You filthy sl*t, let’s see how you seduce men now!” The taste of blood spread in my mouth. Thinking about this, I suddenly laughed. “You target me so much just because I’m prettier than you? You’re jealous that all the boys in class revolve around me, right?” I guessed right. As soon as I said this, Zoe’s face changed. “Who told you to look like such a seductress? Are you so desperate for men? Huh?” My sister’s beauty was undeniable, everyone could see that. Our family had always put a lot of effort into maintaining our appearance. Because… we have our own methods. Looking at Zoe and Mia in front of me, I laughed so hard I could barely stand up straight. People like them should have an even better effect on our beauty regimen. “What are you laughing at, you b*tch!”

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The scorching heatwave was approaching, and I had stocked up on all the necessary supplies. However, my husband, concerned about our weak female neighbor, invited her to stay with us. “We have plenty of supplies, and how much can a frail woman eat? What’s wrong with helping out a neighbor?” he said. Later, I caught them having a steamy session in my bathroom. The neighbor girl blushed, saying shyly, “Your ‘big popsicle’ is the best way to cool down in this heat, honey.” When I caught them in the act, they panicked and locked me out on the balcony under the scorching sun. In the end, I died from heat stroke and dehydration. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the first day of the terrifying heatwave. My phone was pushing out a high-temperature warning: [Tomorrow, our city will reach a new high temperature of over 107°F (42°C). All citizens are advised to stay indoors and avoid going out.] When I saw this message, my whole body shuddered. There was no pain from dehydration or near-death experience, and I was casually holding an iced Americano. I tilted my head back, trembling, and gulped down the iced Americano like a person about to die of thirst. In my previous life, I did indeed die of thirst. I’m a well-known risk assessment expert in the industry. Before the terrifying heatwave hit, I had already noticed the drastic effects of global warming. So, I stocked up my luxury mansion with supplies and cooling measures. The house even had its own internal circulation system and power supply box. Even if doomsday came, we could be self-sufficient for over a year. Originally, this was supposed to be the perfect shelter for me and my husband. But in my past life, Samuel Song suddenly had a moment of inspiration and insisted on being charitable. He felt sorry for our single neighbor living next door, Molly, who was frail and couldn’t withstand the high temperatures alone. He proactively suggested bringing her to live with us. “It’s just an extra set of cutlery, really. Her husband is overseas and can’t take care of her. We’re neighbors, what’s wrong with lending a helping hand?” he said. At first, I strongly disagreed. Although Molly was our neighbor, she had only moved in a few months ago, and we weren’t close. Secondly, as a married woman, it wasn’t convenient for her to stay in someone else’s home. “Honey, if you’re worried about her frailty, I can go check on her every day,” I said. But my husband directly pulled Molly in front of me, crying like a fragile flower. “Aria, I know I’ll be a bother, but I have fainting spells and can’t handle the extreme heat. If I faint alone at home, I’m afraid I’ll die without anyone even knowing,” Molly said. Even Samuel frowned: “Yeah, honey, why are you being so stingy? We have so many supplies, and plenty of rooms. It’s just for a few days!” I had no choice but to agree. Before the terrifying heat hit and the power and water were cut off, we welcomed Molly to live under the same roof. Until that day, Samuel said he wanted to eat some fresh vegetables and asked me to go buy some. By then, the outside temperature was already close to 122°F (50°C), and you had to wear protective gear to go out. Samuel had a nosebleed and claimed he was lacking vitamins and might get sepsis. I had no choice but to brave the scorching sun and drive to a national cold storage facility dozens of miles away to buy vegetables. But when I returned, I caught my husband and Molly together, with the air conditioning set to a cool 75°F (24°C), taking a bubble bath in my bathtub. Molly was completely naked, her delicate hands resting softly on Samuel’s chest. “Where’s my cucumber? I still need to make a cucumber face mask!” she said. Samuel carelessly wrapped his arms around her smooth arms. “I’ve already asked Aria to go buy it. She shouldn’t be back so soon. That woman is madly in love with me, she’s just my lapdog. We can stay here comfortably and treat her like a maid.” They were living in my house, enjoying my supplies, and yet they were rolling around together right under my nose! I was instantly overcome with anger and rushed into the bathroom to catch them in the act. But this pair of scoundrels panicked and jumped at me, stripping off my protective gear and locking me out on the north-facing balcony. In the terrifying heat of over 122°F (50°C), I collapsed on the ground, parched and desperate. Before long, I was literally steamed into a mummy! After my death, Molly even persuaded my husband to dismember my body and throw it into the sewer, taking over all my property. At this moment, my phone rang again with a call from Samuel. I calmly answered. It was Samuel’s breathless voice: “Honey, come to 3044 quickly and give me a hand. Bring me a valve stem wrench!”

3044 was where Molly lived. Today, with temperatures soaring to 104°F (40°C), my husband wasn’t resting at noon but was helping our female neighbor fix her air conditioner. When I arrived, Molly was wearing a skimpy crop top, leaving little to the imagination. She was sucking on a banana-flavored popsicle, not biting it, letting it melt and coat her lips with a glistening sheen. Meanwhile, Samuel was standing on a chair, sweating profusely as he fiddled with the central air conditioning unit. “So cool! But it doesn’t really beat the heat. Though with you here fixing my AC, I don’t feel hot at all,” Molly said with a dazzling smile. She turned and saw me, feigning surprise and sticking out her tongue playfully. After experiencing my past life and this one, I finally understood that her carefree act was just a ploy to seduce men. I walked past her and looked up at my husband, whose back was soaked with sweat. “What are you doing?” I asked. He scratched his head sheepishly. “Honey, I grew up in the countryside. My dad used to fix appliances, so I’m used to doing this stuff. It’s a piece of cake.” Samuel was too lazy to even change a light bulb at home, always calling the housekeeper to do it. But now he was enthusiastically exploring new territory from scratch. It seems beauty really can make men more diligent than a lapdog. “Did you bring the valve stem wrench?” he asked. I shook my head. “You’ve never done this kind of work at home. We don’t have the wrench you mentioned.” “Oh well, forget it then, Sam. You should go back with Aria. I’ll call a professional to fix the AC. Don’t trouble yourself,” Molly said, hugging her arms. Her thin fabric was almost see-through, and from Samuel’s angle, he could perfectly see her enticing curves. After years of marriage, based on my understanding of him, I noticed Samuel was actually getting aroused. He quickly turned away, trying to hide it. “Alright then, call me if you need any more help,” he said. I looked around, taking in the messy state of the room. On the large table were instant noodle cups that had been left out for a long time, while the window table displayed an elaborate dessert stand. On an old plastic hanger hung a pair of GUCCI’s latest black stockings. The contrast between slovenliness and sophistication was perfectly embodied in one person. Molly was a boudoir model. She normally couldn’t afford to live in our neighborhood, but she had rented this house for a photoshoot. Her Instagram was full of posts showing a luxurious lifestyle and artistic poetry. And my husband would comment “Admirable!” on every single post, consistently liking them rain or shine, his excessive care almost spilling off the screen. I had never noticed these thoughts of his before because I didn’t use Instagram. She looked at Samuel standing next to me with a sour expression: “I’m so envious of Aria! Financially independent, with such a good husband by her side every day. Not like me.” Molly had been married for three years, but her husband worked overseas and only came back a few times a year. At this moment, I suddenly noticed a brand new Hermès bag on the table. Without even thinking, I knew Samuel had bought it for her. She saw me staring and proudly lifted her chin. “Isn’t it pretty? A big fan bought it for me!” “You know, as a woman, you have to be independent. You can’t just rely on your husband. The real skill is making other men willingly spend money on you.” Samuel’s expression didn’t change a bit. “Honey, do you like this style? I’ll buy you one someday.” I almost laughed out cold. He really was a hypocrite through and through, using my money to play the generous and gallant man. When I first met Samuel, he was still a vibrant college student on the green football field. I was already working at a research institute and had made a name for myself. Occasionally, when I went back to my alma mater as a guest lecturer, I would see him on the basketball court. When he dunked, the wind would lift his tank top, revealing his pumping abs. His waist and abdomen would contract, his eyes blazing with passion. Whenever he saw me, his ears would turn bright red as he called me “big sis.” There was a six-year age gap between us. Although I was moved, I didn’t really entertain any serious thoughts. Later, he took a part-time job at the gym where I had a membership, volunteering to be my diving instructor. One thing led to another, and we naturally got together. In adult relationships, I didn’t shy away from what we were both after. Before we got married, I made it clear to him that as long as he maintained his abs, I could support him financially. He wouldn’t need to worry about making money. Besides working at the research institute, I also invested in the US stock market and had a considerable income. I would give him $200,000 in pocket money every month. My only requirement for him, apart from maintaining his physique, was fidelity. Yet he still fell for someone else. Unfortunately, once a man is tainted, there’s no reason for him to exist anymore.

These past few days, the temperature on the streets at noon had reached a frightening 113°F (45°C). Just like in my previous life, I had stocked up on various supplies and was calmly facing this natural disaster. All outdoor work had completely stopped, switching to online remote work. Only personnel in certain special positions were still gritting their teeth and persevering. The internet was constantly filled with anxiety. Even a one-hour water outage could cause widespread panic. The recent trending topic was about an elderly scavenger who collapsed on the street. His skin stuck to the asphalt surface, causing severe burns that led to his death. Netizens were praying and mourning, but no one used the candle emoji anymore because it was just too hot. As the high temperatures persisted, power systems in many places experienced problems, and news of heat-related deaths became more frequent. But in my little mansion, I remained vigilant, conserving electricity and not daring to let my guard down. Fortunately, my parents lived in a colder northern city, where the terrifying heatwave hadn’t spread yet. “Aria, it’s only in the 80s (30s°C) here, and we have enough supplies. Don’t worry about us, just take good care of yourself!” my mom said. I reminded my parents to use the air conditioning without hesitation, and then transferred $10,000 to them for electricity bills. This allowed me to focus on devising a perfect hunting plan to get revenge on the cheating couple. As the heatwave descended, Molly had already fainted several times at home, each time calling my husband to take her to the hospital. I didn’t stop him, still calmly eating ice-cold watermelon on the sofa while watching TV. Samuel finally couldn’t hold back and made the same request to me. “Aria, why don’t we invite Molly to stay with us?” “We have plenty of supplies, and how much can a frail woman eat? What’s wrong with helping out a neighbor?” This time, I didn’t even think before agreeing. “Sure, honey. Of course we should help our neighbors.” I smiled and went along with Samuel. He seemed surprised that I agreed so readily, nodding appreciatively. “I knew my wife was the most kind-hearted and generous. Please don’t feel bothered by this.” But he didn’t know that I had already upgraded the whole-house system of the mansion. Dear husband, how could I feel bothered? I can’t wait for you both to come and deliver yourselves to death. On the first day Molly moved in, she secretly wore clothes from my walk-in closet. When I called her out for dinner, Samuel’s eyes were filled with undisguised admiration. “Why are you wearing Aria’s clothes?” he asked. Molly said, “I saw so many beautiful clothes in Aria’s closet, I couldn’t resist trying them on.” My husband couldn’t help but praise her again. “I think it suits you very well. Aria has so many clothes anyway, this one can be yours.” He didn’t even ask for my opinion, clearly treating me like thin air. But I just shrugged indifferently. It was just a piece of clothing, I didn’t mind at all being the most patient hunter. Even while staying home to avoid the heat, Molly claimed to be career-minded and wouldn’t give up her modeling work. Samuel enjoyed photography as a hobby, so Molly asked him to help her shoot a set of photos, even coming up with a title: #HotandSpicy! Goddess Street Style in the Heatwave. She said proudly: “I plan to send it to the editor of a fashion magazine. I have a feeling this set will definitely go viral.” I glanced at Molly’s new outfit. It turned out she had cut up my $20,000 dress, transforming it from its original simple home style into a revealing, tattered look. In my past life, as they were taking photos like this, they ended up rolling into the bathtub together. Samuel knew that I always had a regular schedule, going to bed early at 9:30 PM. Today, I even made an excuse that I wasn’t feeling well due to my period, telling him to sleep alone, conveniently creating the perfect opportunity for him. As night fell, I coldly stared at the computer screen. Sure enough, Samuel and Molly went to my largest bathroom. While countless people outside were dying from the heat, they turned on the air conditioning to a cool 75°F (24°C), not cherishing the precious electricity resources at all, and started taking a bubble bath together. Samuel hugged the woman in his arms, gently massaging shower gel onto her body. Seductive moans could be heard from the bathroom. Molly looked at him with bedroom eyes. “If your wife finds out, she’ll definitely kill me. Your wife is so scary.” Although she said this, she showed no fear at all, giggling flirtatiously. Samuel frowned: “That old hag? I’m just putting on an act with her. She’s after my looks, I’m after her money. She’s crazy about me, no need to worry about her.” He cupped the woman’s face, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “Tonight, why don’t you be on top? I’ll be at your mercy.” Molly playfully hit his chest. “You tease! Only you know how to sweet-talk me like that.” I felt sick to my stomach. How could I ever have fallen for such a despicable man? Meanwhile, I acted like the sleeping husband in those Japanese movies, completely oblivious. Fifteen minutes later, they finished, not realizing the bathroom door had automatically locked. Samuel grinned mischievously, “Still feeling hot?” Molly blushed, mumbling something indistinct. “…Your ‘big popsicle’ is the best way to cool down in this heat, honey.” Afterwards, they turned on the overhead shower, embracing under the water. Through the surveillance, I watched their entangled bodies. My bathroom was also a sauna room, with remotely controlled temperature and shower settings. When the sauna mode was activated, the dry heat could reach over 167°F (75°C), potentially going as high as 212°F (100°C). However, the human body can hardly withstand such extreme heat and sweating. If the time isn’t controlled, it can easily be fatal. Remembering how I was literally roasted to death in my past life, I shuddered, my teeth chattering from the cold in this scorching weather. Since they were seeking thrills, why not indulge them? With that thought, I pressed the temperature control button without hesitation.

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At my cousin’s wedding, she announced in front of everyone that I had over a hundred million dollars in savings and demanded that I buy a new house for the newlyweds. She then incited our relatives to pressure me into revealing my secret to wealth. I opened my phone to show them my overdue payment messages, looking helpless. “Megan, have you gone mad with poverty? Where would I get that kind of money?” Two months ago, Megan discovered my social media account. She kept sending me private messages trying to confirm my identity, but I ignored them all, pretending not to see. Over the next few days, my videos were repeatedly reported for no reason. After multiple appeals, the platform finally restored my account. I knew Megan was behind this, but I chose to continue playing dumb. Three days ago, I received an invitation to my cousin’s wedding. I initially planned to just send a cash gift and not attend, but then Grandpa called, saying he missed me and wanted me to come back for sure. Before moving away for middle school, I had always lived with Grandpa. He was very good to me. Realizing that the last time I visited was during the New Year, I decided to make the trip this time. But before going back, I had to make thorough preparations. On the day of the wedding, I rushed to the village right after getting off the plane. These days, not many people hold weddings in villages anymore, as most prefer hotels to appear more prestigious. The bride was from a neighboring village, and after discussing it, both families decided to hold the wedding in the village to save money. When I arrived, the ceremony had already started. Megan spotted me from afar and ran over to help with my luggage. I nervously clutched my suitcase, not letting her take it. She smiled at me, “Lily, let me help you carry it inside. You must be tired from the trip, right?” I quickly waved her off, “No, no, I’m not tired at all. I’ll go see Grandpa at his house first, then come over later.” Seeing me run off in a panic, she became certain that I was the million-dollar influencer she suspected. I chatted with Grandpa for a while, taking out the clothes, pants, and supplements I had brought for him from my suitcase. Grandpa had always been frugal, with four sons and one daughter. He always thought of his children first, while he remained skinny as a rail and still worked on the farm. Just as I was about to take out the prepared cash gift to give to Grandpa, Megan burst in. “Cousin, what nice things did you bring back? Did you bring any gifts for me?” She was wearing what appeared to be an expensive outfit, but the loose threads at the seams screamed “cheap knockoff.” Before I could stop her, she snatched the cash gift from my hand. She felt its thickness and sneered, “Is that all? You’re so stingy! You should give Grandpa at least twenty or thirty thousand!” I grabbed the envelope back from her and gave it to Grandpa. “Keep this for yourself, don’t give it to anyone else. They’re all able-bodied and can earn their own money. An old man like you doesn’t need to support them.” Grandpa lowered his head without a word and put the envelope under his pillow. I turned and pulled Megan outside. “I don’t know how much you gave Grandpa. Twenty thousand? Or thirty thousand?” Megan choked, “How could I have that kind of money? Unlike you, who’s earned so much without telling us.” I didn’t respond and walked straight to the wedding venue. There were a lot of relatives, but I wasn’t close to many of them. After moving away as a child, I rarely came back. I had only added a few cousins on social media in recent years, but we hardly ever communicated. However, they seemed overly enthusiastic when they saw me. I could guess who was behind this.

My aunt Sarah came over and put her arm around my shoulders, fawning, “Oh my, Lily, you’ve become more and more beautiful. They say money nourishes a person, and it seems to be true!” I smiled politely, “Aunt Sarah, you’re joking. What does this have to do with money? I’ve always been pretty.” Aunt Sarah wasn’t angry at my retort. “Yes, yes, our Lily has always been beautiful. Come, sit with us at our table.” She pulled me to a round table and sat me down. This was the main table for the groom’s closest relatives. I instinctively wanted to leave, but Aunt Sarah firmly held me in place. “Don’t go, just sit here.” Aunt Sarah smiled at me, but I found it rather creepy. When most of the guests had arrived, the kitchen started serving the dishes. While everyone around was chatting and laughing, the people at this table were silently staring at me. Aunt Sarah, sitting next to me, kept putting food on my plate. An ominous feeling swept over me. Sure enough, Aunt Sarah spoke up: “Lily, what kind of work are you doing these days?” I added a piece of braised beef to my plate. “Just a regular job, what else could I do?” Megan snorted coldly: “You’re no fun like this. I saw your account, you know. Over two million followers!” I looked at her in confusion: “What account? What followers?” Megan seemed surprised that I would deny it. She stood up and took out her phone to show me. “This one, with the username ‘Sesame Seed.’ Isn’t this you?” I shook my head, hiding my nervousness, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Megan became more agitated. “Fine, pretend you don’t know. But I’ve already confirmed that this account is yours! You accept so many sponsorship deals every day, you must be making at least a million dollars a month, right?” Everyone at the table’s eyes lit up. “A million dollars? A million dollars a month? My goodness, that’s incredible.” Megan came over trying to look at my phone, but I protected it, not letting her see. She smugly said, “What are you hiding? Didn’t you say you don’t know what I’m talking about? You’re really not being fair.” “We’re all struggling here as a family, and you’re secretly making a fortune? Without even helping us out!” I put down my chopsticks and looked into her eyes, seeing nothing but greed. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about. If I could make a million dollars a month, why wouldn’t I tell you all?” Megan didn’t believe me at all. “Hmph, you say you don’t have money. Then how did you get that Hermès bag? That bag must cost over a hundred thousand dollars, right? How could you afford such an expensive bag if you don’t have money?” I stood up and showed the bag to Megan. “Is this Hermès? Really? I just bought it online randomly. It only cost forty or fifty dollars!” Megan came closer to examine my bag, looking at it for a while before taking out her phone to search for images online. “You’re lying, this is Hermès!” She showed the phone to Aunt Sarah sitting next to me. “Aunt, look, isn’t it exactly the same!” Aunt Sarah looked at the phone and then at my bag. “It does look similar, but the capital H seems a bit different. See, it doesn’t protrude on the sides. The one in the phone image protrudes.” Hearing this, Megan ran over to compare, “It really is different! Cousin, don’t tell me you deliberately brought a fake bag to trick us.” My heart skipped a beat, she had actually guessed it, but I definitely couldn’t admit it. I quickly took out my phone and found the order. “I bought this several months ago, why would I trick you?” Everyone immediately lost interest, looking at their phones as if the big money tree they imagined had suddenly vanished into thin air. Uncle David muttered, “I knew all that talk about getting rich overnight was nonsense. People only have the fate of earning money through honest work. Our family just isn’t destined for wealth.”

I nodded along, “That’s right, isn’t it better to earn money honestly? Life should be down-to-earth, don’t always daydream.” Megan still wasn’t giving up. She took out her phone and kept sending messages. Suddenly, she shouted, “Look at this influencer’s IP address! She’s in Cloud City right now! It’s you! You’re just pretending to be poor, aren’t you?” My secret had been exposed, and I nervously took a sip of cola from the table. Aunt Sarah got excited and patted my shoulder, “Lily, tell Auntie the truth, do you really have money or not?” Uncle David chimed in, “Yeah, we’re all family, give us a straight answer. Look at your second uncle’s wedding today, we originally wanted to have it at a restaurant in town.” “It’s only because we didn’t have money that we’re having it in the countryside. If you have money, you should contribute some to help the family. Life is hard for everyone, you can’t be so selfish.” Megan coldly walked towards me, “Cousin, how much did you give as a wedding gift? Why don’t you just buy a house in the county for your second cousin? A house in the county only costs about a million dollars, you earn that in a month.” Aunt Sarah wasn’t happy, “Your eldest cousin doesn’t have a house either. Buy one for him first!” The groom and bride happened to come to our table for a toast. Everyone stood up to raise their glasses with them. After exchanging pleasantries, I was about to sit down when Megan said, “Brother, Lily has promised to buy you a house in the county! You should thank her quickly.” My second aunt’s eyes widened, “Really? Lily, are you really buying a house for my son?” I laughed awkwardly, “Don’t listen to Megan’s nonsense. Where would I get money to buy a house? I’m still renting myself.” The newlyweds smiled and moved on to the next table, but my second aunt pushed my second uncle to sit with us. Megan looked at me sideways, her face full of calculation. I couldn’t eat another bite at this table, just listening to Megan speak again, “I heard before that Aunt Linda was selfish, but I didn’t expect you to be just as selfish as her.” My hand on my leg tightened. This bitch dared to insult my mom! I held back from lashing out, after all, it was someone’s wedding. I couldn’t make too big a scene, but I couldn’t sit still anymore. I had already toasted the couple, so I stood up to leave. Unexpectedly, Megan rushed over and snatched my bag, starting to rummage through it in front of me. The bag wasn’t big, with only a few items inside: a phone, a cushion compact, and a hotel key card. Megan looked at the key card back and forth, “Lily, why are you staying in a hotel when you’ve come back home?” She stared at me greedily, making my back break out in a cold sweat. I sat down and took back my things, “My business is none of your concern. You dropout troublemaker, haven’t you caused enough chaos outside? Now you’re making a scene at your second cousin’s wedding! Has your brain gone bad?” “If you’re sick, you need treatment. A small illness untreated becomes a big one, and a big illness untreated leads only to death!” I took my things and walked towards the exit. Megan angrily cursed behind me, “You bitch, how dare you insult me! Your brain is the one that’s messed up, your whole family’s brains are messed up! Didn’t your mom die of a brain tumor? I bet you won’t live long either!!!” I stopped and turned back to look. Megan’s expression was particularly vicious, with the people around her wearing expressions of schadenfreude. I smiled at her, took out my phone to switch accounts, and sent her a message. …

[You’re destined to be poor and lowly. Even beggars on the street have more integrity than you. You’re just a maggot squirming in a trash can! Even if you try your hardest, you’ll only make it from the trash can to the dump, you worthless piece of garbage!] Megan saw the message and ran out screaming, trying to grab me. I was one step ahead, getting into the taxi waiting at the village entrance. Through the car window, I waved goodbye to Megan. She screamed hysterically, even scaring the taxi driver. “What’s wrong with that young lady? Does she have some business with you?” the driver asked. I smiled and answered, “It’s nothing, she’s just hungry.” The driver didn’t ask any more questions. I returned to the hotel and immediately packed my things to return to New York. Knowing Megan, I was sure she would come after me. Just as I arrived at the airport, she sent me a message. [I’m already downstairs at your hotel, don’t think you can escape. I’ll definitely catch you, and you must hand over the money.] [Aunt Sarah, Aunt Linda, and Aunt Mary are all here. You just wait!] I took a photo of the airport and sent it to her. [Dear sister, have you ever been on a plane in your life?] The next second, I blocked her account. I could imagine her screaming and shouting in frustration now, as that’s her only trick. The drama Megan stirred up continued for over two months. My account kept receiving baseless reports, so I simply stopped updating it. After all, I had other accounts. Megan sent harassing messages to my WeChat every day. I set her to “Do Not Disturb” and let her rant. Such colorful and vulgar language was usually off-limits, but I guess I learned something new.

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After four years of marriage, my wife finally got pregnant. I was overjoyed. Sophia had always been in poor health and disliked exercise. When I found out she was pregnant, I became even more attentive and caring. But she still had a miscarriage. While I was apologizing to her for not taking better care of her, she posted on Instagram: “Ryan, don’t worry. I won’t keep a child that isn’t yours.” The moment I saw that message, I felt my blood run cold. As everyone waited for my reaction as the lawful husband, I calmly responded, “Since you had a miscarriage for him, wouldn’t it be inappropriate not to divorce me and marry him?” 0 After commenting, I called up a few friends and headed to a bar for drinks. As I was drinking, my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID and saw it was Sophia. Without thinking, I hit the decline button. But she quickly launched a barrage of calls. My friend next to me asked awkwardly, “Is that your wife calling?” “What wife? From now on, she’s not anymore.” I answered the call in front of everyone. Before I could speak, Sophia’s angry shouts came through. “Jack, where are you? Why aren’t you answering my calls?” “The music is so loud there. Are you at a bar again? Are you even a man? I just had a miscarriage…” I quickly cut her off. “You had a miscarriage. Shouldn’t you be happier about that?” She paused for a moment. “What do you mean? Explain yourself.” “There’s nothing to explain, Sophia. Let’s get a divorce.” With that, I hung up. In the past, to maintain the image of a “good husband” that Sophia talked about, I had “suppressed” myself too much. I gave up almost all my hobbies. I used to enjoy having a drink occasionally to relieve stress, but after marriage, I quit both smoking and drinking. She didn’t like me playing video games, so I quit that too. Then, without my consent, she sold the high-end gaming computer I had painstakingly built and bought herself a designer handbag she liked. She even bragged about it to my face. “Jack, look at this bag. Isn’t it much prettier than that old computer of yours?” I can honestly say I never shortchanged Sophia in our relationship. We dated for three years and were married for four. I took care of her meticulously. When she didn’t want to work, I handed over all my salary to support her. In the dead of winter, when she was uncomfortable during her period, she called me at 2 or 3 AM. Without a word, I got up, bought medicine, and delivered it to her in the snow. When her mother was unwell and needed surgery, I accompanied her the whole time, contributing both money and effort. Sophia never cooked, so despite being very busy, I always tried to squeeze out time to prepare meals for her mother while she was ill. I devoted myself to her wholeheartedly. I thought that even if she were made of ice, she should have melted a little by now. But she seemed unchanged. I knew that before she was with me, she had a childhood sweetheart she had dated for many years. Later, this childhood sweetheart went abroad to study, and they lost touch. For these seven years, I handed over my salary and gave my all to her and her family. Yet it still couldn’t compare to her childhood sweetheart saying, “I’m back in the country, Sophia.” With just one message from him, she “cleared out” her womb, ready to welcome her beloved childhood sweetheart back? 0

Shortly after I hung up, Sophia called again. I didn’t answer and turned off my phone instead. My friends all looked at me in shock. “Jack, are you serious about this?” “Yes, I’m serious now.” I know why they’re looking at me like this. In the past, whenever Sophia called, I would drop everything and rush home immediately. I downed a glass of whiskey in one go. These seven years have really been enough. For Sophia’s sake, I completely lost myself. For seven years, I lived only for her. I stayed in this city for her, giving up countless good job opportunities. Thinking about it now, it’s just endlessly ridiculous. After finishing our drinks, I went home and fell asleep on the couch. The next morning, I was woken by violent knocking on the door. The “bang bang bang” sound kept coming. I got up to open the door, and two people quickly rushed in. I was still groggy from the alcohol. They started berating me, “Jack, I entrusted my precious daughter to you, and this is how you take care of her?” “You knew she was weak, yet you still made her do housework. Now look what happened, the baby is gone. Are you happy now?” Sophia’s mother stood with her hands on her hips, confronting me. “My daughter is still lying in the hospital, and I heard you were out drinking at a bar last night. Look at you, reeking of alcohol. Have you no conscience?” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them. “The one who should be happy isn’t me, but her and her dear childhood sweetheart Ryan.” Leaving them with that, I walked out towards the hospital. They quickly followed. I arrived at the hospital first, with them close behind. In the ward, I saw Sophia lying pale on the bed. The moment she saw me, anger flashed across her face. I knew she was about to throw one of her “princess” tantrums. I spoke first, “That’s enough. Why hasn’t Ryan come to see you?” “What do you mean?” “You cleared out your womb for him, and he doesn’t even come to see you. He’s not much of a man, no sense of responsibility at all.” I said with a cold smile. I knew Ryan was a “playboy” who never lacked female company. Sophia doing all this was probably just wishful thinking on her part. “You… you… Jack, you know I was just joking on Instagram. How can you say such things to upset me now? Are you only satisfied if you anger me to death? I’ve lost the baby, do you think I’m not heartbroken?” She looked at me with icy eyes. “Now that the baby is gone, don’t you think I’m devastated?” Looking at her fake act, I said, “I don’t know if you’re heartbroken or not. But do you think Ryan would be heartbroken?” 0

The door to the ward was pushed open, and Sophia’s parents rushed in. “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and pay for Sophia’s miscarriage and hospitalization fees.” “Better get a high-end nurse to take good care of Sophia, and buy some nutritious supplements for blood replenishment.” “What kind of supplements for blood replenishment?” I asked. “Of course, things like donkey-hide gelatin, bird’s nest, abalone. The more expensive, the better.” Sophia’s mom said in a commanding tone. I sneered, “Let Ryan buy those.” “What did you say?” “She cleared out her womb for Ryan, so he should buy these blood-replenishing supplements. And the hospital fees too, you should ask Ryan for those.” When Sophia’s parents heard me say this, their faces immediately turned red with anger. “You… are you even human?” “I’m not human? What about what your daughter did? For another man, she didn’t even want the child in her belly? Is this the good daughter you raised?” I said irritably. Sophia’s mother jumped up and started cursing at me, “Jack, you ungrateful wretch! My daughter is so good to you, and this is how you treat her? Are you even human?” Her commotion was quite loud and soon attracted a crowd of onlookers. After hearing Sophia’s mother’s words, people gathered around, pointing and criticizing me. “Young man, your wife had a miscarriage, and you’re acting like this? That’s not right.” “You should be taking good care of your wife.” “You’ll face karma for this.” I looked around at everyone and said, “If your wife deliberately aborted your child for another man, would you still be able to stand on your moral high ground and judge others?” Hearing this, their expressions changed, disbelief crossing their faces. Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Sophia’s mother quickly said, “Even if Sophia aborted your child, don’t you bear any responsibility?” “Why don’t you reflect on yourself? Is it because you haven’t been good to her, making her unhappy, that she aborted your child? Don’t you think you’re at fault at all?” I just laughed coldly in my heart hearing this. Sophia was still playing the victim, her eyes reddening, “Jack, you used to say you’d love me forever. Is this how you treat me now?” “Oh, how do you think I should treat you? I don’t want to waste words with you anymore. Let’s find time to get divorced.” I looked at her expressionlessly. “Your dear childhood sweetheart Ryan is back now. After divorcing me, you can hurry up and marry him.” I left after saying this, walking out of the ward. Sophia’s voice came from behind, “Jack, if you want a divorce, fine. I’ll be better off without you.” “That’s right, my daughter is naturally beautiful. After divorcing you, she’ll definitely find a rich and handsome man to marry.” Sophia’s mother’s voice also came through. 0

Leaving the hospital, I returned home. Without hesitation, I made a phone call. It was soon answered. A sweet voice came through, “What? Have you changed your mind and finally considered it?” I nodded, “I’ve considered it. Do you still have that position available for me?” The person on the phone was a former colleague of mine, also kind of my “apprentice”. Her name was Emma. After graduating, she worked with me at the company for two years before jumping to a Fortune 500 company. She was doing very well there and said it was all thanks to what I taught her. Now she held an important position. For the past few months, she had been contacting me, saying their company was expanding and needed someone experienced and capable to lead a new team in market development. The benefits and salary they offered were several times what I was currently getting. Emma told me she had recommended me to the company, and they were very satisfied with my qualifications. I graduated from a top university and had rich experience and a good resume. But at that time, I was always considering Sophia. After all, she had been trying to get pregnant then. I couldn’t possibly leave her to work in another city, so I had always politely declined Emma. Now that she received my call, she sounded a bit surprised from her tone. “Jack, I’ve been telling you this position hasn’t found a suitable candidate. If you’ve made up your mind, I can arrange an online interview for you. When are you available?” “The sooner the better. How about tomorrow? I’ll prepare my resume first,” I said. Emma was a very perceptive person. Hearing me say this, she seemed to sense something, “Jack, did something happen? Do you need money? I can lend you some first.” “It’s not about money. I just want a change of work environment.” I didn’t tell her about the mess in my personal life. I had been working at my current company since graduation, working my way up from a junior employee to a team leader, and now a department head. Every step was not easy, but I persevered through each one. “Alright then. Jack, let’s agree on this. You prepare your resume tonight, and I’ll arrange an online interview for you right away.” “Okay, thank you.” I agreed. “Jack, there’s no need to be so formal with me.” Emma said. After hanging up, I splashed some cold water on my face to stay alert, then took a shower and started preparing my resume. Although I was experienced, this was a Fortune 500 company after all. I carefully polished my resume, working on it for five or six hours before I was satisfied. I didn’t delay and sent it to Emma right away. Emma told me she had received the resume and would confirm the interview time and let me know soon. I let out a long breath, feeling relieved. “Okay.” By now it was already 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I got up and stretched, accidentally glancing at Sophia’s closet full of clothes next to me. She always brainwashed me, saying a woman’s closet is always missing one more piece of clothing. The closets in the master bedroom and even the guest rooms were all filled with her clothes. In our seven years together, I handed over almost all my salary, and in the end, not a penny was saved. Once when it was my parents’ birthday, I wanted to take some money from her to buy gifts for my mom and dad. After much pleading, she threw me $20, saying to spend it wisely because my parents were old and wouldn’t need much. But when it was her parents’ birthday, she had me book a fancy restaurant, buy a birthday cake, and even took her parents shopping for gold and silver jewelry. Thinking of these things, I felt I had greatly shortchanged my parents. Besides this, her treatment of me was also beyond words. Once when I had a bad cold and wanted to get an IV, she told me a man shouldn’t make a fuss over such a small illness and should just take some medicine. She rummaged around and found an expired box of cold medicine for me to take. After taking it, I almost didn’t wake up the next day. But when it was Ryan’s birthday, she immediately spent money to buy him expensive gifts. 0

Thinking of all these things, I found myself utterly ridiculous. Just then, my phone rang again. I looked at the caller ID and saw it was Sophia. I hesitated for a moment before answering. Her voice came through, “Jack, even if I was wrong in this matter, don’t you have any faults yourself?” “What faults do I have?” I asked. In these years, I’ve done everything short of feeding her with my own hands. “I don’t care what faults you have. I’m admitting my mistake to you now. Take this opportunity to back down.” I laughed coldly in my heart. In the past, she just had to give me a little sweetness, and I would be willing to give her my life. Now she thinks saying “Even if I was wrong in this matter” counts as her backing down. “I don’t want to waste words with you. Meet me at the Civil Affairs Bureau early tomorrow morning.” Sophia angrily said, “I’ve already admitted I was wrong. Why are you still holding onto this? How can you be so petty as a man?” “You should ask Ryan to be more generous to you.” “You… you’re going too far. Fine, tomorrow morning, whoever doesn’t show up at the Civil Affairs Bureau is a dog.” She hung up angrily. I laughed coldly, ignoring her and focusing on my own affairs. I tidied up the house a bit, sorting out my own things. In the end, I realized that in this 1500 square foot house, apart from a work laptop and a few sets of clothes, everything else belonged to Sophia. The dressing table was covered with various high-end lipsticks, roughly counting, there were dozens. Not to mention the expensive cosmetics and designer bags. It seemed that after being with me, she never knew how to save. As soon as I got paid, it was basically spent. Only now did I realize that Sophia never intended to build a good life with me. Around 7 PM, I received a call from Emma. She said, “Jack, the company is very satisfied with your resume. Are you free tomorrow at 2:30 PM?” “Yes, I am.” “Great, then let’s schedule your interview for 2:30 PM tomorrow.” “Okay,” I agreed. Perfect timing – divorce in the morning, interview in the afternoon. If the interview goes well, I can leave this city in a few days and start a new life. At 8 or 9 PM, I made myself a simple meal. Just then, I suddenly received a video from a friend. In the video, Ryan had his arms around two women. The women were tall and seemed very intimate with Ryan. The camera panned, and I caught a glimpse of another figure. I was a bit surprised because this figure was none other than Sophia. She had just had a miscarriage to “clear her womb,” and Ryan was throwing a party. Even though she was unwell, she had dragged herself to the party. But from the video, it seemed she was sitting alone, looking rather lonely. Ryan didn’t seem to be paying her much attention. My friend messaged: “Jack, your wife is here. Why didn’t you come?” “Oh, she won’t be my wife for much longer.”

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On my birthday, Jerry made an excuse about urgent company business and left me alone in the hospital with a high fever. But that evening, his first love posted a photo of the two of them with a giant cake. The caption read: “Someone who truly loves you will always come to celebrate your birthday, no matter how important their other commitments are.” No one liked the post because everyone knew she posted it specifically for me, Jerry’s official girlfriend, to see. I didn’t cry or make a fuss, I simply commented: “Why don’t you two just get married then!” When Jerry left me alone in the hospital, I had a fever of 103°F, I didn’t complain or make a scene, I just waited in the hospital for him to finish work so we could celebrate my birthday together. I waited all night, but all I got was Ivy’s Instagram post. Jerry was standing next to Ivy, with a three-tiered cake between them. [Someone who truly loves you will always make time to celebrate your birthday with you, no matter how important their other commitments are.] I immediately called him and we had an argument. “Don’t be ridiculous, Ivy wasn’t feeling well and needed me to keep her company because she was emotionally unstable.” “I just see her as a little sister, can you stop being so dirty-minded?” He hung up on me and didn’t contact me for several days, he told me the company had an urgent matter that needed his attention, and he’d come celebrate my birthday with me once he finished dealing with it. I had a high fever for several days that wouldn’t break, but my mind was unusually clear, I started to reflect on our relationship and whether it was really worth continuing. This wasn’t the first time we’d argued because of Ivy. Every time, Jerry would use the same excuse to shut me down: “I just see her as a sister. Don’t overthink it.” Every time, I would be the one to give in first, but these past few days, I found I didn’t miss him at all, I wasn’t anxious or irritable. I slept unusually well. Perhaps because I wasn’t making any conciliatory gestures, Jerry called me first for once. “I’ll come pick you up from the hospital this afternoon.” “No need to trouble yourself, I can take a cab home.” This was the first time Jerry had taken the initiative to make peace, but I didn’t take the bait, I wasn’t looking at my phone, just lying in the hospital bed catching up on sleep.

I was well-behaved and obedient, packing up my things and taking a cab home by myself. Jerry still wasn’t back. I didn’t call to ask where he was or urge him to come home like I usually would, I just cooked myself something to eat, had a full meal, took a shower, and went to bed. With no one on my mind to worry about, I slept comfortably and had pleasant dreams. Early the next morning, I heard the sound of the keypad lock, Jerry pushed open my bedroom door. “Susie?” “Hmm? You’re back?” I didn’t rush to greet him joyfully like I usually would, I just rolled over and went back to sleep. He was still standing in the doorway. “Ivy had another episode yesterday. I was worried something might happen to her, so I was delayed a bit. Sorry.” “Mm.” My tone was flat. Jerry tried to explain, “I know you’re angry, but Ivy really needed someone with her.” I laughed and glanced at him. “Angry? What’s there to be angry about? A brother taking care of his sister – isn’t that normal?” Jerry was silent for a moment. “Susie, I know I’ve been neglectful lately…” “Go get some sleep,” I interrupted him. “I need to catch up on my rest too.” Jerry felt inexplicably irritated. I had never been this cold to him before. When I woke up, I saw a table full of breakfast dishes. Jerry had cooked himself. I was quite surprised. In the past, I would always pester Jerry to cook for me, but he would impatiently wave me off. “Susie, do you really have to eat something I cooked? You’re not a child anymore. Can’t you just cook for yourself?” “I’m exhausted from work every day.” But he, who was even more exhausted from work, could still run to Ivy’s house to cook a big meal for her with just one phone call. So it wasn’t that he was too tired from work. He just didn’t want to cook for me. “Susie, I made all your favorites. Hurry and freshen up.” “Mm, thank you for your trouble.” After washing up, Jerry personally served me rice and soup. This was treatment I had never received before. Jerry put a piece of eggplant in my bowl. “Susie, this is the eggplant you love. Eat more.” I smiled and put the eggplant back in his bowl. “I’ve never liked eggplant. It must be Ivy who likes it. You got mixed up.”

“But you used to…” Jerry stared at me, stunned. I peeled some shrimp and started eating on my own. Every time Jerry and I went out to eat, he would always order a dish of eggplant. But eggplant wasn’t something I loved. I just pretended to like it because he served it to me, and I would finish the whole plate. A phone call came in. Jerry stood up anxiously. “Susie, I’m afraid I can’t stay for the meal. Ivy’s having another episode.” “Go ahead, it’s fine. She’s more important.” I kept my head down, focused on eating, not bothering to look at his expression. Every mealtime, Ivy would use the same trick to lure Jerry over. The clever Jerry was always willing to play along. After eating my fill, I packed the leftovers into containers and put them in the fridge. After taking a few days of sick leave, I finally returned to work under Claire’s repeated urging. Claire came to me with a transfer order. “Susie, are you sure you don’t want to go develop your career at headquarters in Beijing? The resources there are much better than here.” I had refused Claire many times before. “Beijing is too far from home. I’d get homesick.” Actually, I was afraid of leaving Jerry. I often fantasized that if I went to develop my career in Beijing, Jerry would be heartbroken without me. But thinking about it now, he probably wouldn’t be. I had waited all these years just to marry Jerry and have our own little family. But Jerry had never brought up marriage. He always found excuses to put it off. “Susie, I’m not stable enough yet. Once I’m stable, I’ll go propose to your family.” “Claire, I’ve thought it through. I want to go to Beijing.” Claire was a bit surprised, since I had refused her many times before. “What? You’re willing to leave Jerry now?” I shook my head with a smile. “I’ve thought it through and decided to broaden my horizons.” Yuri called and asked me to go out drinking with her. I agreed. It had been a long time since I had hung out with friends after getting together with Jerry. Yuri put her arm around my shoulders. “That’s more like it. You need to relax sometimes too.” Yuri and I drank until late into the night. I ended up staying over at her place. When I woke up in the morning, I had over a dozen missed calls and messages from Jerry. I called him back. Jerry’s voice was tinged with anger. “Susie, where did you go? I called you all night.” “You never used to stay out all night before.” I yawned, acting nonchalant. “I went out drinking with Yuri last night. It got late so I just crashed at her place.” “Susie, what kind of attitude is this? Do you know how worried I was all night?” Even through the screen, I could feel Jerry’s anger. In the past, when he went out for business dinners and got drunk, ending up staying at Ivy’s place, I would wait up all night for him, calling countless times and sending countless messages. In the end, all I got was his flippant response: “Why are you so worked up? It’s just one night I didn’t come home.” I stretched lazily. “Jerry, why are you so worked up? It’s just one night I didn’t come home after going out drinking.” “Alright, alright, I’m heading back now.” Jerry’s tone softened. “Susie, I’ll come pick you up. Let’s go out for a meal together.” “Okay.” I waited for a long time outside Yuri’s building. Taxis passed by one after another. “Miss, do you need a ride?” I shook my head. “No thanks, someone’s coming to pick me up.” It was only about a 15-minute drive from home to Yuri’s place, but I waited for over half an hour before finally seeing Jerry’s car. There was a familiar figure sitting in the passenger seat. The window rolled down and Ivy poked her head out. “Susie, I’m sitting in front. You don’t mind, right?” I got straight into the back seat. “Of course not.” “The power went out at Ivy’s place. I figured since three people eating is the same as two, I might as well invite her along,” Jerry said, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. I shrugged indifferently. “That’s fine, the more the merrier.” Jerry frowned slightly. He felt like he couldn’t read me anymore. In the past, if he had brought Ivy along, I definitely would have thrown a tantrum. But this time, not only did I not make a fuss, I didn’t even care that Ivy was sitting in the front passenger seat. Jerry peeled several shrimp and put them in Ivy’s bowl. Ivy took a few and put them in my bowl. “Susie, don’t be mad. Jerry is just like this – he always thinks of me first.” I smiled faintly. “Why would I be mad? You two have such a good sibling relationship.” Seeing this, Jerry awkwardly peeled a few shrimp for my bowl too, but I didn’t eat them. The waitress brought in the last dish, looking at Ivy enviously. “Wow, miss, you’re so lucky. Your boyfriend is so attentive to you.” Jerry frowned with slight displeasure, but Ivy seemed quite pleased. “Susie, you’re not angry, are you?” Ivy was clearly doing it on purpose, trying to provoke me into a frenzy, but I refused to take the bait.

“Why would I be angry? You two look quite good together standing side by side.” I smiled brightly, as if it had nothing to do with me, and just focused on eating. “It’s a pity, really. If I hadn’t gotten sick, maybe Jerry and I would have already…” Ivy put on a regretful expression. Jerry cut her off, “Ivy! Watch what you’re saying!” Seeing Jerry’s cold face as he slammed down his chopsticks, Ivy immediately put on a pitiful look. “I… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come to disturb you two. I’ll leave.” She covered her face and cried. Jerry seemed to feel he had been too harsh. He gave me a troubled look. “Go after her and check on her. Don’t let anything happen to her,” I said proactively. Jerry immediately stood up, leaving with the words, “I’ll go take a look. I’ll come back to take you home in a bit.” “Mm, thank you for your trouble.” I continued eating. It would be a shame to waste such a big table of food. After eating my fill, I contentedly took a cab home by myself, because I knew Jerry wouldn’t be coming back. As soon as I got home, Jerry called. “Susie, where did you go?” “I came home,” I said flatly. “Didn’t I say I’d come pick you up to go home?” Jerry’s tone held a hint of resentment. “I figured you wouldn’t be coming back, so I just took a cab home. I had nothing else to do anyway.” In the past when I asked Jerry to pick me up, he would always make excuses. “Why can’t you just go home by yourself?” “You’re free anyway, what’s wrong with going home by yourself? Can’t you see how busy I am?” There was silence on Jerry’s end of the phone. I hung up directly and leisurely applied a face mask. As I had predicted, Jerry didn’t come home again all night. But I still slept soundly. Surprisingly, when I woke up, Jerry had already prepared breakfast. “You’re up. Come eat.” It was rare for Jerry to cook so frequently. I drank some congee as Jerry looked at me with a complicated expression. “Susie, do you know what time I came home last night?” I shook my head. “No, why?” In the past, if it was past 10 PM I would call Jerry to ask when he was coming home. But recently, not only had I not called him once, I didn’t even care what time he came home. It was like I had become a different person. Even when he smoked a whole pack of cigarettes at home, I only mildly said, “Smoking is bad for your health.” Sometimes I didn’t even notice. Jerry felt uncomfortable all over, like something was missing. “Susie, we’re both adults. If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t be like this.” Jerry finally couldn’t hold back and spoke up.

“What is there to say? I’m full. I need to go to work.” I finished the last bite and stood up to leave. “I’ll drive you. Susie.” Jerry offered to drive me to work for the first time. In the past when I asked him to drive me, he always made excuses. “How can you compare yourself to Ivy? Ivy needs me to drive her because of her health issues.” “I’m already so tired. Can’t you be more obedient?” “Okay, thank you.” “Susie, why did you suddenly become…” Jerry’s expression was complicated. I had been very strange these past few days. I became very polite, more and more sensible, but it gave him a feeling of loss and uncertainty. I took the initiative to sit in the back. Jerry had already opened the front passenger door. He stared at me in shock. “Susie, why are you sitting in the back?” I smiled. “What’s the difference?” In the past, Jerry wouldn’t let me sit in the front passenger seat. I would argue and fight with him. “Why can Ivy sit there when I’m your girlfriend!” Jerry would respond wearily, “Do you really have to fight over this with Ivy, who’s sick? Can’t you be more sensible?” When we arrived at the company, Jerry called out to me. “Susie, there’s a company dinner tomorrow. Family members can come too.” “Oh? That’s nice.” I stretched and looked at him indifferently. “Family members can come, Susie.” Jerry frowned at me. “You can come with me.” I would never miss opportunities like this in the past. I was eager for everyone to know that I was Jerry’s girlfriend. Jerry rarely brought me to these events before, and seldom introduced me as his girlfriend to others. “Okay.” I nodded and went back to the company. Claire handed me the transfer notice. “Are you really sure about this?” “I’m sure. I want to go to Beijing.” I signed without hesitation. I still hadn’t told Jerry about this, but there was no need to tell him anymore.

I had just gotten into Jerry’s car when I saw Ivy. “Susie, you don’t mind, do you? I begged Jerry to bring me along. I’ve never been to these kinds of events before.” Ivy had one arm linked with Jerry’s, and he didn’t push her away. It was as if I was the outsider. “It’s fine. Why don’t you two go then? I still have some documents to deal with.” I smiled faintly. Jerry frowned. “Susie, you already agreed. Now you’re not going…” “Isn’t Ivy going with you? You two can go, it’s fine. Ivy is your sister, so she counts as your family member too.” I glanced at the time. “Just drop me off at the company entrance.” Jerry drove irritably to the company building. I went in without looking back. “Jerry, is Susie angry?” Ivy leaned on Jerry’s shoulder. Jerry snapped angrily, “Whatever.” I leaned back on the sofa. My phone buzzed with a notification from one of my special follows. Ivy had posted on Instagram. It was a photo of her leaning on Jerry’s shoulder. [Caring is always being willing to bring me along, no matter when.] Ivy liked to post on Instagram. I had set her as a special follow just to keep an eye on her interactions with Jerry. Now I felt there was no need for that anymore. I casually unfollowed her. Ivy posted this specifically for me to see. No one liked it. Everyone was waiting to see how I, the official girlfriend, would react. I didn’t care. Soon it wouldn’t matter anymore. “Susie, Jerry got drunk and fell asleep at my place.” Ivy called me using Jerry’s phone. “Mm, then I’ll trouble you to take care of him.” Ivy made this call just to show off to me. Ivy and Jerry were childhood sweethearts. Technically speaking, she was Jerry’s first love. Later she got sick, and Jerry’s mom wouldn’t allow them to be together. She became the one that got away for Jerry. I started to wonder if Jerry’s initial reason for being with me was just to appease his mom. I took a shower, watched some movies, and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, I got a call from Jerry. “Susie, I’m drunk.” “I know. Ivy will take good care of you.” Hearing no response from the other end, I hung up and went back to sleep. In the past, whenever I got a call that Jerry was drunk, no matter how late it was, I would immediately go pick him up and bring him home. I would even forbid him from drinking. But he would complain impatiently to his friends, “She’s really annoying. She tries to control everything and doesn’t give me any freedom.” “This kind of relationship is suffocating. Not like Ivy – she’ll party with me and never restricts me.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294555”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #校园School #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #后宫Harem #玄幻Fantsy