Our dragon clan has an ancestral rule. To avoid drawing unwanted attention, no one may reveal their name or identity. Then a dragon woman gives birth to the first true dragon leader who commands the seas and rules all lands. Only then can she be honored as the most noble woman, receiving the love and adoration of all. As the first dragon woman confirmed to be pregnant, I was eager to share the good news with my husband, Kael. To help him restore the wolf clan’s prestige and finally release years of pent-up anger from being oppressed by the bear clan. But when I returned to the familiar wolf den, I saw Kael ingratiatingly presenting a crown to Yuna of the fox clan. The very crown I had been thinking about for three whole years, hoping to wear at our wedding ceremony. Kael’s gaze swept past me indifferently. “Zara, your timing is perfect. I was just about to notify you to dissolve our bond.” I quietly hid the golden dragon pearl that symbolized my pregnancy in my sleeve. My throat choked up painfully. Kael had mentioned to me many times how the fox clan was growing stronger, and that an alliance with them would surely enhance the wolf clan’s reputation. What he didn’t know was that I, whom he considered a useless deer clan partner, came from a family he could never obtain in his entire lifetime. Since he showed no consideration for our marriage, I could only steel my heart and raise the child on my own, leaving the father behind.

Seeing me standing there in a daze, Kael reminded me impatiently. “I see you have nothing urgent. Let’s go dissolve the bond now.” The woman beside him stroked the crown with satisfaction, not forgetting to turn her head and give me a provocative smile. Her eyes seemed to say she got everything I ever wanted without even trying. I didn’t follow Kael. Instead, my gaze fell on a small bundle in the corner. “My things?” Kael looked at me flatly. “Just these. Everything’s packed. Once we complete the ceremony to dissolve our bond, you can go live in that small warehouse on West Street.” “Consider it compensation. At least you won’t be homeless. That’s the last kindness I’ll show you.” That was merely the old warehouse where he used to store worn weapons. Now he spoke of it as some great favor. Yuna put down the crown. “Zara, Kael protected you for three years. Even at our parting, he’s still concerned about you. You should be grateful.” This was my second meeting with her. The first was in Kael’s military tent, where I heard they discussed military secrets for five hours. Looking at it now, all the impropriety had been traceable all along. “Did you win this?” She covered her mouth and laughed shyly. “This crown was the top prize at the Spring Hunt Banquet. I really loved it, so Kael won it for me.” I knew all about this. Half a month before the Spring Hunt Banquet, I had begged Kael no less than three times to compete for the top prize. But he only frowned and scolded me for wanting too much. I never imagined he would personally present my cherished object to another. “It was just a little effort. Your happiness is what matters most.” Kael tenderly placed the crown on Yuna’s head. The two of them looked so affectionate that to outsiders, they truly seemed like a married couple. The dragon pearl in my sleeve burned until my whole body went numb. I was so close to telling Kael we were having a child. He would no longer have to rage about his people being oppressed by the bear clan, no longer have to worry about being unable to revitalize the wolf clan. But the devastating betrayal came one day earlier. I bit my lip, picked up my luggage, and walked out first. Following behind me weren’t just Kael, but Yuna as well. In the hall, he placed his hand under mine for the last time, solemnly and ironically declaring. “I, Kael, willingly dissolve the matrimonial bond with Zara.” Two minutes later, the totems belonging to each other on our chests had completely disappeared, as if they had never existed. I couldn’t snap out of it for a long time. What churned through my mind was how he looked three years ago when he formed the bond with me. To marry me, he withstood pressure from the entire wolf clan council of elders. They said he, the heir to the wolf clan, shouldn’t choose an unknown deer clan woman who offered no help to revitalizing the clan. His father even declared that if Kael insisted, he would strip him of his qualification to inherit the clan leadership. But Kael came anyway, bringing that bond contract, eyes shining as he asked if I was willing. At that time, I didn’t know how much he had sacrificed for this. I simply believed he truly loved me. Looking back now, everything he sacrificed became the reason he could casually discard me today. Because if he could abandon something once, he could abandon it a second time. Yuna swiftly took Kael’s arm and walked toward the bonding platform, tilting her head with an excited smile. “Kael, let’s reserve a bonding appointment. After our wedding ceremony next week, we’ll come immediately to form our bond.” Kael agreed without hesitation. Over the past three years, he never once kept his promise to give me a wedding ceremony. Whenever I brought it up, he always shut me down with excuses. Busy expanding wolf clan influence. Not enough money. No need for ostentation. And so on. Now he agreed to hold a wedding for her more readily than giving me a bouquet of flowers on a holiday. I stared blankly at their intimate backs. My chest throbbed, the pain deepening with each beat.

After Yuna got the appointment card, she called for Kael to quickly prepare the invitations. She raised her eyebrows at me. “Zara, don’t get any funny ideas. Our wedding will be held in the fox clan territory. If you go, you might not come back with all your limbs intact!” I shook my head mockingly. “I won’t go.” Her eyes were full of contempt. “That’s best. Besides, if you went, Kael would be the most unhappy one. You’ve been with him for three years, but you never understood how to be considerate of him.” “Do you know how much pressure he faced just to have a home with you? The council of elders advised him daily to choose another partner. His father publicly scolded him at clan banquets for his short-sightedness. Even the younger clan members privately gossiped that the heir had been bewitched by a woman.” “Every time he couldn’t bear it, he would come find me.” “I always found ways to help him shed all his fatigue. He even personally told me these were things you could never give him.” “He was so exhausted, yet you understood nothing. So if you want to blame him for being heartless, you should blame yourself for being useless.” I lowered my eyes, concealing my resentment. How could I not know about his exhaustion? I just thought what he wanted was to solve the most pressing problems. When the clan lacked food, I secretly contacted old friends to arrange the import of large quantities of grain. When foreign clans frequently invaded, I deployed my private forces to intercept the bear clan’s repeated incursions at the border. When the aging population became increasingly serious, I quietly brought in hundreds of young wolf clan descendants from exiled scattered groups to strengthen his bloodline. Every crisis was handled by me. But what he saw each time was Yuna massaging his shoulders, softly coaxing him with gentle words. While I said nothing, never asking about his worries, just silently cleaning up the problems. He’d worry all night, then wake up to find help had fallen from the sky and think it was good luck. I lowered my eyes, hiding my unwillingness. “Yes, so he chose you as his capable wife. I hope you can satisfy him.” The environment in the West Street warehouse was worse than I imagined. The only clean space was barely enough for me to lie on my side. I held the dragon pearl and couldn’t sleep all night. Before dawn the next day, I endured the pungent dust and cleaned thoroughly. While moving wooden boards, Kael’s cold voice came from behind the stone wall. “Zara, how much longer will you be busy?” When I turned to look, he was covering his nose, having stood there for who knows how long. “Do you need something?” He paused. “I seem to have left a seal here. Yuna says she can’t find it at home.” The object used to summon internal dissidents within the clan was hidden by me in layers at the bottom of the wheat barrel. “In the wheat barrel.” “Where are the training methods for messenger pigeons recorded?” “In my head.” Kael was startled, obviously thinking I had trained the messenger pigeons based on methods I’d obtained. “Then could you write down the methods? Yuna wants to learn.” I took a deep breath and helped him in the end. But there was no ink or paper in the warehouse, so I had to return to the Kael residence with him. Beside the inkstone, more than sixty letters were impossible to ignore. The first letter was a thank-you note from Kael to Yuna, full of admiration and completely inappropriate. I remembered very clearly that day Kael received news that the leopard clan was invading the border. When he arrived, there were already many casualties. The leopard clan had shouted the night before that they would seize a piece of land, but the next day they suddenly retreated in disgrace. And Yuna happened to pass by the border at that moment. Kael didn’t know it was I who secretly called people to expel the leopard clan and issue warnings, securing many days of peace at the border. In his eyes, all he saw was me. A deer with improperly grown antlers. Doing nothing but laundry and cooking every day. No help with internal stability. No help with external pacification. I didn’t explain, enduring everything silently and maintaining this persona. As soon as my pen stopped, Yuna’s crying voice suddenly came from outside. “Where’s my little shawl? The one Mother brought from the fox clan, my favorite!”

Kael rushed forward to comfort her. “Don’t worry, we’ll find it slowly.” Yuna looked around with red-rimmed eyes, then looked up and spotted me about to leave. “Zara, you haven’t finished moving your things? Did you come back to get something?” Seeing that Kael didn’t defend me at all, I said flatly. “Finished moving. Leaving now.” But Yuna suddenly seemed to remember something. “I remember Kael saying you’re good at weaving clothes. Since you’re here, it’s perfect timing. Help me weave a little shawl. I need to wear it at my wedding ceremony.” I shook my head decisively. “I won’t weave it.” Kael walked over, his tone seeming persuasive. “Zara, there’s no need to be so petty. If you help, I’ll give you that biggest pot in the house. I know you love cooking.” My heart immediately stung. I was the youngest princess of the Dragon King. Before marrying Kael, I had never touched any household chores. After marriage, to be a capable wife, I studied culinary arts and changed up dishes for him every day, making delicious meals. I never imagined that in his eyes, this became evidence that I loved cooking. I refused even more firmly. “No need. I won’t weave it.” Kael thought I was asking for more and sighed. “I know you’re upset. Yuna told me yesterday that you want to attend our wedding.” “I thought about it for a long time. If you’re willing to weave this shawl for Yuna, I’ll agree to let you come as the tailor at the wedding.” “In the future, if you want to make a living with your weaving skills, having served as Yuna’s tailor will be an impressive credential.” I narrowed my eyes. “Does Yuna come from a good family?” Kael nodded without elaborating. I felt a chill in my heart, finally seeing through Kael’s purpose. All attachment left me. “I don’t care about being a tailor.” With that, I started to leave. Just as I reached the door, I ran into Yuna’s mother entering. She was covered in jewels, her gaze arrogantly sweeping over me. “Well, isn’t this the deer clan girl?” She deliberately bumped into me sideways and snorted coldly. “Don’t step through this door again. If you upset my Yuna, I’ll beat you severely.” I didn’t want to spare her even an extra glance. Had she beaten me rarely before? That time when Kael was framed for embezzling disaster relief grain, I rushed around overnight to find evidence. For two nights straight, I didn’t return until nine. She accused me of impropriety and made me kneel for three days and nights. My knees swelled so badly I couldn’t walk, yet she never offered me even a bowl of water. The time I accidentally broke one of her teacups. In front of a courtyard full of servants, she slapped me twice and called me an ill-bred bastard. When Kael came back, she tearfully complained that I deliberately smashed her beloved possession. In the end, Kael gave me the cold shoulder for two days before the matter was settled. My lack of response made her even angrier. She pointed at my back and cursed wildly. “No manners! No wonder Kael doesn’t want you. You deserve it! Talking to you dirties my mouth!” Kael, who was cooking, heard her. He blocked my path with his body, his tone unpleasant. “We’ve already dissolved our bond. There’s no need to make things this ugly, is there?” I looked up to meet his eyes, mine full of complexity. “I’m not the unreasonable one. What right do you have to question me?” He sneered lightly. “Because you couldn’t even handle the mother-in-law relationship properly, making me caught in the middle every day. But as soon as Yuna came in, my mother couldn’t stop smiling. Can’t I see who the problem is?” I clenched my fingers, having no more strength to argue, and walked out without looking back.

After quickly leaving the Kael residence, I used the crescent-shaped reverse scale under my throat to verify again. Seeing the pale golden flowing pattern, I finally felt relieved. This was the most reliable way to confirm the dragon offspring’s existence. In three months, once the dragon fetus stabilized, I could return to my family to nurture the first true dragon leader and become the most noble dragon mother of the four seas and eight wildernesses. Before then, the only thing I needed to do was conceal it. After only two peaceful days, a messenger pigeon suddenly arrived at the warehouse window at dawn. The note bore Yuna’s handwriting: “Zara, there are some pregnancy-preserving medicines in the kitchen. Could they be yours?” My breathing tightened, fear welling up from my heart. When I wrote back, my hand trembled: “The medicine has lost its potency. You may discard it all.” After sending off the pigeon, I urgently activated a simple dragon bone transmission array to send a message to my parents Then I cautiously went to the Herb Hall to verify the fetal age. Strangely, there wasn’t a single person in the main hall. “Zara, what are you doing here?” When I turned to look at Yuna, she was closing the hall door tightly. My tone remained calm. “I caught a slight chill last night. I came to get some medicine.” “You’re really not pregnant?” I stared at her. “Since there’s no physician here right now, I’ll come back tomorrow.” Yuna suddenly grabbed my forearm, smiling without warmth. “Don’t rush off. Since you’re here, let’s verify your condition before you leave.” Before I knew it, a pregnancy-detecting mirror appeared in front of me. In an instant, a round shadow appeared in my abdomen in the mirror’s reflection. Fortunately, it was less than a month old and the beast form couldn’t be seen. “You really are pregnant!” I broke free from Yuna’s surging anger. “This has nothing to do with you. You’ve already overstepped by forcibly testing me.” Yuna closed the distance between us. “How is it not related? You’re carrying my husband’s offspring. I have the right to know whether you’ll use it to coerce my husband!” “I won’t endanger your husband or the Kael family.” “Your guarantee means nothing. As long as the child in your belly exists, you hold leverage over my husband.” Detecting the resolution in her tone, I asked. “What do you mean by that?” Her lips curved slightly upward. “Zara, in my opinion, you should abort the fetus. After that, you go your way, we’ll go ours, with no further entanglement.” “And if I refuse?” “If you refuse, I’ll tell my husband everything truthfully. Based on your understanding of him, you surely know he won’t accept the child in your belly.” The certainty in her tone stung me. I asked incredulously. “Did he say that himself?” She pulled out a wedding invitation, as if she’d prepared it long ago. Every word on it was written by Kael using his life-bound wolf hair brush. The life-bound wolf hair brush was specially made from heart’s blood mixed with neck fur burned to ash. It could only be offered once in a lifetime, only to one’s true love. “Look up.” Yuna called back my scattered consciousness, making me focus on the pregnancy mirror. There it clearly showed that in her belly was an offspring larger than the one in mine, with even the outline visible. “I’m pregnant too, about two months along.” “Kael already knows. He’s so happy he wants to tell the whole world. Every day he personally cooks meals for me, never letting anyone else touch them. “He stays by my side constantly, even accompanying me during training.” “So don’t dream about using the child to win his favor. The offspring in your belly means nothing to him but an optional bloodline. It absolutely cannot make him change his mind!” Two months ago, Kael was suppressing dissidents in the wilderness. At that time, his letters to her were full of longing. The timing didn’t match. Looking more carefully, the outline in her belly didn’t look like a wolf, but more like a dog that closely resembled a wolf. Yuna left one sentence and resolutely departed. “While I’m still being reasonable, you might want to reconsider.”

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My wife is five years older than me. Besides the age gap, she also has a much higher sex drive. On our wedding night, we made love seven times. My lips were swollen, and my voice was hoarse. Three years ago, I agreed to marry the billionaire Nicola. After the wedding, we were very much in love. I loved red wine, so she personally made wine for me. I loved watches, so she bought me 999 of them. I inevitably fell in love with her and vowed to stay with her for life. Until one day, I found thousands of photos of men on her computer. That’s when I realized she chose me only because I resembled her first love. On the day I learned the truth, I was captured by her business rival. They stepped on my face with their feet, forcing me to call her. But Nicola was setting off fireworks with her first love who had just returned to the country. The fireworks in Seattle lasted all night. Yet she hung up on me. That night, everyone in Seattle knew that the female billionaire Nicola had spent a fortune, setting off fireworks all night just to make her first love happy. But no one knew that I was tortured nearly to death, and even my right hand for painting was destroyed. Looking at the medical report in my hand, I smiled bitterly. Nicola, if you love him so much, why did you choose me? Since you can’t let him go, then I’ll make it easy for both of you. With my trembling right hand, I marked a date on the calendar. In seven days, I would leave completely, where she could never find me. Nicola didn’t come back until the next day. When she saw the injury on my face, she ran over without even taking off her coat, holding my face with concern: “Richardson, what happened?” I glanced at her and shook my head: “Nothing, I just fell accidentally.” She looked at me with heartache: “You’re a grown man, how did you fall this badly?” She didn’t seem to be faking it. She looked exactly like a wife who loved me. A woman who dominated the business world was now carefully applying medicine to my face with a first aid kit. “Be more careful when you walk from now on. It hurts me to see you injured like this.” I sneered inwardly. Was she heartbroken that I fell and got hurt, or that I injured this face that resembled his? I dodged her touch and said to her indifferently: “Let’s eat first.” But Nicola looked at me with difficulty: “Richardson, I have to work overtime at the company tonight. I won’t be able to have dinner with you.” In three years of marriage, no matter how busy she was, she had never missed having dinner with me once. It was only because I told her that when I was young, my parents divorced and my mom was busy with work, so I always ate dinner alone. After hearing this, she hugged me with heartache and promised that she would eat dinner with me every day from then on. “Richardson, I have no choice. This work is too important. You’ll understand, won’t you?” I nodded. Only then did Nicola leave satisfied. Half an hour later, I also went out. I arrived at a villa under Nicola’s name. The place was brightly lit, and I could hear laughter from outside. Through the iron railings, I saw a group of people partying downstairs in the villa. The main characters in the center were Nicola, who said she had to work overtime, and her first love, Jacobs. They were playing truth or dare, and Jacobs lost. His punishment was to kiss someone of the opposite sex present. The only person of the opposite sex present, besides Nicola, was no one else. Those people jeered: “Nicola, if you don’t let him kiss you, he’ll have to drink three glasses as punishment.” Nicola didn’t say anything, but in the next second when Jacobs looked disappointed, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Jacobs held the back of her head and deepened the kiss. The two were passionately entangled there. The jeering fell on my heart, delivering a heavy blow. Everyone had their backs to me, except for Jacobs. He saw me outside the iron railings and gave me an ambiguous smile. “Nicola, you didn’t resist my kiss. Does that prove you still love me?” Everyone present knew about Nicola and Jacobs’ relationship. When Jacobs left back then, Nicola was depressed for a long time. Everyone waited for Nicola’s answer. Nicola looked at Jacobs and nodded without hesitation: “Yes.”

Enthusiastic applause erupted around them. Jacobs excitedly hugged Nicola, and they kissed again. Hearing this expected answer, although I was prepared, I still couldn’t avoid the stabbing pain in my heart. I knew Jacobs called me here deliberately to make me see all this. He wanted me to back off. I smiled bitterly and prepared to leave, but as I turned around, my phone received another message. [They were right. Nicola married you only because you look like me. Richardson, you’re just a poor boy. I advise you to be sensible and divorce Nicola voluntarily.] [You saw what happened inside just now, right? The person Nicola loves has always been me. You’re just my substitute.] A substitute? I suppose I already knew that. Nicola didn’t come back until the next day, bringing me many gifts when she returned. “Richardson, I’m sorry. I worked too late last night. I was afraid of disturbing your rest, so I slept directly at the company. These are gifts I brought you. See if you like them.” I pulled at the corner of my mouth. Nicola’s lies came so easily. There were still suspicious red marks on her neck. I suddenly thought of the picture Jacobs sent me after I went back yesterday. The picture showed Nicola’s underwear. They slept together last night, but she was still lying to me. I suddenly really wanted to ask her. Since you don’t love me, why didn’t you tell me earlier? Why did you hide it from me and secretly be with him? If she explained it clearly to me and just told me the truth, I wouldn’t have pestered her either. I didn’t look at those gifts. Only then did Nicola notice something was wrong: “Richardson, what’s wrong? Don’t worry, I’ll definitely have dinner with you next time. Please don’t be unhappy, okay?” I shook my head and got up, wanting to get some water from the table. But I forgot that my right hand had long since lost its strength. I couldn’t even hold an ordinary cup. The cup fell to the ground. Nicola ran over and grabbed my hand: “Richardson, what’s wrong with your hand?” My fingers unconsciously grasped lightly, and I said indifferently: “Nothing, from that fall last time.” Nicola pulled me with heartache, full of guilt: “It’s all my fault. I should have taken you to the hospital right away. Come on, I’ll take you now.” She pulled me toward the door, but at that moment, her phone rang. After Nicola answered the call, she looked at me with difficulty: “Richardson, can I take you to the hospital this afternoon? I have something urgent I need to deal with right away.” I suddenly felt like laughing. Nicola, you’ve once again missed the chance to know the truth. I wonder if you’ll regret it when you look back on this later?

I obediently nodded and said to her: “Okay, you go ahead.” She kissed me on the face before leaving. After Nicola left, I vigorously wiped my face. Thinking about how she used this mouth to kiss someone else’s mouth last night made me feel disgusted. Nicola didn’t come back until evening. I received another message from Jacobs. It was nothing more than him showing off how sweet he and Nicola were. Along with some mocking remarks to make me back off. I said softly: “Soon, I’ll be leaving very soon.” I saved all these messages as screenshots, and after turning off my phone, I looked at the date on the calendar. Four days left. I started packing up things in this house. I had quite a few things in this house, almost all bought by Nicola. I didn’t want to take these things with me, so I just threw them all away. The next day, I wanted to go buy a new SIM card. But as soon as I got downstairs, I saw Nicola and Jacobs. The two were like a young couple, drinking each other’s coffee. Nicola panicked for a moment when she saw me, and quickly came over to pull me: “Richardson, this is Jacobs. He just came back to the country, and I thought I’d show him around.” Jacobs looked at me provocatively and extended his hand: “Hello, Nicola often mentions you.” I didn’t extend my hand. To ease the atmosphere, Nicola said she would go buy me another cup of coffee. After she left, Jacobs said to me: “You see, she lied to you again and again just to be with me. Since I came back these past few days, we’ve had sex countless times.” “Richardson, if I were you, I’d get divorced quickly.” I suddenly found Jacobs somewhat laughable. He was clearly over thirty, yet he acted like a teenage hothead, only putting on a show in front of his partner. What was the point? Just as I was about to speak, Jacobs stood up and poured the coffee from the table onto his own head. The moment the coffee poured down, Nicola appeared. “Jacobs, what happened?” Jacobs pulled Nicola’s hand, pretending to be aggrieved: “Nicola, don’t blame Richardson. He’s young, and he probably misunderstood our relationship. It’s normal for him to throw a little tantrum.” Hearing this, Nicola looked at me with dissatisfaction: “Richardson, apologize.” She didn’t even ask me what happened before demanding I apologize. I stared at her steadily: “It wasn’t me.” “It wasn’t you? Would he deliberately frame you then? Richardson, I told you, Jacobs and I are just friends. You can’t be this rude. Apologize now!” She was certain I did it. She never believed me. Seeing my stubborn refusal to apologize, Nicola looked completely disappointed: “Richardson, how did you become like this? Let me tell you, if you don’t apologize, I won’t agree to relocate your mother’s grave!” I looked at Nicola in shock. My mom’s wish was to return to her roots. Although three years ago, with Nicola’s help, she lived two more years, in the end she still couldn’t defeat her illness. It happened suddenly, so I could only bury her in Seattle. A month ago, I proposed to Nicola that I wanted to move my mother’s ashes back to our hometown. I never expected she would use this to threaten me into apologizing. “You really want me to apologize?” Nicola hesitated a bit, but after Jacobs sighed, she said to me firmly again: “Yes, Richardson. If you do something wrong, you must apologize.” “Fine.” I looked at the smug Jacobs and said softly: “I’m sorry.” Whatever. I was leaving anyway. It was just an apology, wasn’t it? If she wanted it, I’d say it. I didn’t pay any more attention to Nicola. After buying a SIM card, I went home. Looking at the now much emptier home, I didn’t hesitate for a moment. I burned all the photos of me and Nicola together, then canceled all my identity information. The day I left would also be the day I completely disappeared from Nicola’s life.

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On my due date, my husband Blake’s depressed ex-girlfriend Isaacson burst into the obstetrics ward. She stabbed a fruit knife into my side. But Blake crouched down first in front of Isaacson, whose arm had a scratch. A nurse said: “Dr. Blake, your wife is in critical condition. She needs surgery immediately!” Blake looked up and glanced at me, his tone calm: “Her wound didn’t hit any organs. She can hold on for now. Isaacson has a coagulation disorder. Even a minor scratch might not stop bleeding. Her situation is more urgent. Give Isaacson those two bags of blood reserved for the delivery first.” As I was being pushed away, I used all my strength to grab his white coat. He frowned and looked down at me. “Isaacson didn’t do it on purpose. She had an episode. You studied medicine too, you should sympathize with patients.” After saying that, he took out a pre-printed settlement agreement from his pocket. Holding my blood-covered hand, he pressed a fingerprint in the signature section. “The next batch of blood bags will arrive soon. Just hold on a little longer.” He carried Isaacson away. The corridor was empty. No one looked back. The baby in my belly kicked me desperately, once, then again.

“Quick! Establish bilateral venous access, pressurized infusion! Go urge the blood bank!” “The mother’s blood pressure has dropped to fifty, blood loss exceeds two thousand milliliters!” “Where are those two bags of red blood cell suspension reserved for delivery?” I floated above the operating room, watching a group of people busy around my body. Dr. Waco’s surgical gown was already soaked with my blood. I wanted to touch my belly, but my hand passed through the air. That stab from Isaacson wasn’t the scratch Blake thought it was at all. She avoided the nurses’ rounds and hid the fruit knife in her sleeve. When she stabbed it in, she leaned against my ear and said, as long as you and this child are gone, Blake will only have me left. When she pulled out the knife, she even deliberately twisted the handle. “The blood bank replied that those two bags of backup blood were signed for and taken away by Dr. Blake five minutes ago.” The circulating nurse’s voice was tearful. “Taken away? Is he insane! This is life-saving blood for a high-risk pregnant woman!” Dr. Waco’s hand veins bulged. “Dr. Blake said Miss Isaacson has a severe coagulation disorder and needs emergency blood reserves for an arm scratch.” The operating room fell silent, leaving only the sharp alarm of the monitoring equipment. I watched Dr. Waco desperately pack gauze, trying to stop the bleeding point. I wanted to tell him, don’t bother. I couldn’t wait for the next batch of blood Blake promised. The sound of the fetal heart monitor went from rapid to gradually slower, and finally drew out into a long beep. The child who had just been kicking me fell completely silent. “Fetal heartbeat lost.” “Patient in ventricular fibrillation, prepare defibrillator!” “Two hundred joules, charging, clear.” With a thud, my body bounced on the operating table and fell heavily again. The electrocardiogram struggled a few times, then flatlined. “Dr. Blake said the next batch of blood can be transferred from the city blood station in ten minutes.” The head nurse came through the door with red-rimmed eyes. Dr. Waco put down the defibrillator, his voice hoarse beyond recognition. “No need. Record time of death, eight-oh-seven p.m.” I watched the nurse take the white cloth, pull it over my head, covering my eyes that wouldn’t close in death. In the VIP ward just one wall away. Blake was holding an iodine cotton swab, wiping the scraped skin on Isaacson’s elbow. “Blake, did I kill someone?” Isaacson curled up on the hospital bed, her shoulders trembling. Blake threw the cotton swab into the medical waste bin, his tone steady. “No. She just has a superficial wound. You had a depressive episode and couldn’t control yourself. The law won’t hold you accountable.” “But she bled so much, the way she looked at me was so scary.” “That was amniotic fluid breaking, mixed with blood, just looked frightening. She studied medicine herself, she knows how to avoid vital areas.” Blake lowered his head and blew on Isaacson’s wound, which had stopped bleeding. “As for you, you know your coagulation function isn’t good, yet you still ran around. What if this scratch wouldn’t stop bleeding?” Isaacson leaned into his arms, tears rubbing against his white coat. On the hem of that white coat, there were still bloody handprints I’d clawed out in my dying moments. “I was afraid that once you had a child, you wouldn’t want me anymore. I couldn’t control myself.” “Don’t overthink it.” Blake stroked her hair. “I already had her press her fingerprint on the settlement agreement. After she gives birth and her emotions stabilize, I’ll have her come tell you in person that it’s okay.” When he spoke, it was as if he was just arranging tomorrow’s clinic hours. The emergency room door was pushed open. Dr. Waco removed his blood-soaked mask, his voice hoarse beyond recognition: “The mother and child, both gone.” And in the adjacent ward, Blake was lowering his head to blow on the shallow scratch on Isaacson’s elbow.

“Dr. Blake, the emergency record from obstetrics needs your signature for confirmation.” Nurse Priya stood at the VIP ward door holding a folder. Blake tested the water temperature and handed it to Isaacson without looking back. “Just leave it at the nurse’s station. Can’t you see Miss Isaacson can’t be left alone right now?” “But Dr. Blake, this record is very special, it’s about last night’s…” “Special how? Obstetrics has emergencies every day.” Blake interrupted her. He pulled out a tissue and wiped the water from the corner of Isaacson’s mouth. “I watched over Isaacson all night last night. I don’t have the energy to deal with other matters. Have the deputy director sign it.” Priya opened her mouth, her eyes reddening. She gripped the folder tightly, ultimately said nothing, and turned to leave. I followed behind her, watching her put my death record in a drawer. Along with the pink identification ankle band that never got put on, stuffed together into a medical record bag. The morgue was too cold. My child and I lay in the freezer, unclaimed, eyes never opened. I could only drift back to Blake’s side. Isaacson finished drinking water and timidly pulled at Blake’s sleeve. “Blake, she looked at me so fiercely last night, like she wanted to kill me.” “Is she still angry at me? Is she deliberately hiding so she doesn’t have to see you?” Blake took out his phone and looked at the empty WhatsApp chat interface, his brow slightly furrowed. Usually, as long as he left for more than two hours, my messages would come one after another. Asking when he’d come home, asking if Isaacson had another episode. But from last night until now, there had been no activity in my chat window. “She’s just stubborn. She thinks I’m biased toward you and is sulking at me.” Blake’s slender fingers tapped on the screen. I drifted over and saw clearly the message he sent me. “When you’re done throwing your tantrum, respond. Isaacson is already pitiful enough, don’t push her anymore.” “The child isn’t a tool for you to compete for attention. Do you think playing missing will make me give in?” After sending, he directly locked the screen. Isaacson watched his actions, a flash of smugness in her eyes. She bit her lip, and tears fell again. “What if she reports me to the police? I’m really so scared.” Blake pulled out a copy of the settlement agreement. “With this, she can’t pursue anything. Besides, she’s a doctor, she knows the severity.” “When she calms down, I’ll have her apologize to you. After all, she did stimulate you last night.” I looked at him calmly. Listening to him use the gentlest voice to condemn a dead person. Two nurses passing in the corridor lowered their voices to gossip. “That pregnant woman last night was so tragic, bled completely dry.” “Yes, the baby couldn’t be saved either. I heard it was a fully formed baby girl.” Blake’s hand holding the water cup paused. He suddenly remembered that today seemed to be my due date. He stood up, feeling stuffy in his chest. “I’ll go check on the obstetrics department.” He had just taken one step when Isaacson suddenly screamed, clutching her arm. “It hurts! Blake, I’m so dizzy. Am I going to bleed again?” Blake immediately turned around and sat back on the bedside, pressing her hand. The nurse said quietly, “The pregnant woman who died last night, the father registered on the child’s ankle band also seemed to be named Blake.” Blake was about to turn around when Isaacson suddenly screamed and threw herself into his arms.

When Blake returned home, the night light in the nursery was still on. Warm light fell on the brand-new baby bed, covered with sheets I had washed and dried. The hospital bag lay open on the sofa, with little clothes and diapers neatly packed inside. On the shoe cabinet, my prenatal checkup book still sat. On the dining table was a sticky note I’d made in advance listing postpartum meal plans. Blake changed his shoes and looked at the empty living room, his brow furrowing deeper. He probably expected me to be sitting on the sofa waiting for him, eyes red, questioning why he saved Isaacson first. But the house was so quiet, only the ticking of the wall clock remained. He walked to the dining table and picked up the sticky note. On the back of the note was a birth risk plan I’d written. “If I hemorrhage, please prioritize saving the child.” “If I unfortunately don’t make it off the operating table, please tell Blake not to let Isaacson near my child.” Blake sneered and crumpled the note into a ball, tossing it in the trash. “Playing these scare tactics again.” He took out his phone and dialed my number once more. The receiver only had the cold mechanical female voice prompting that the phone was off. He opened WhatsApp and forcefully tapped the screen. “You should come back now. The due date is in these few days. Don’t gamble with your body out of spite.” “I’ve already handled Isaacson’s matter. She’s just a patient. You don’t need to keep arguing with her.” “After you give birth, you can take maternity leave at home. You can keep Isaacson company and provide psychological counseling.” The message was sent, but still no reply. Blake threw his phone on the sofa and rubbed his temples. Just then, the phone rang. The caller ID showed my medical school mentor, Professor Angel, who had always treated me like a daughter. Blake answered the phone, his tone resuming polite distance. “Professor Angel, you’re looking for me.” “Blake, where are you right now?” Professor Angel’s voice trembled, suppressing anger. Blake glanced at the sticky note in the trash, naturally assuming I had gone to complain. “I’m at home. If she sent you to be a mediator, there’s no need.” “If she wants me to back down, she should come home herself. She’s about to be a mother, yet she’s still this immature.” Heavy breathing came from the other end of the phone. “Immature? Blake, do you even know what happened last night!” “Of course I know.” Blake’s tone cooled. “Isaacson had a depressive episode and accidentally scratched her. I already had Isaacson apologize. What more does she want?” “If she feels wronged, after the child is born, I’ll buy her that jewelry she’s had her eye on for a long time to compensate.” “Don’t you have a heart!” Professor Angel shouted into the phone. “Usually favoring that woman is one thing, but last night was her due date! You…” Before Professor Angel could finish, Blake’s other phone rang. It was a video call from Isaacson. Blake didn’t even look and directly hung up on Professor Angel. He answered the video. On the screen, Isaacson was crying, her face covered in tears. “Blake, come quickly! I dreamed of her!” “She was holding a knife coming for me, saying she’d kill me! I’m so scared!” Blake stood up and grabbed his car keys without hesitation. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll come right away.” As he walked through the living room, his gaze fell on a delicately packaged velvet box. It was a baby baptismal cross necklace he’d bought last week, planning to put it on the child during their future baptism. It had the nickname he’d casually chosen engraved on it: Oliver. It seemed he had originally planned to use this to placate me after I gave birth. He stuffed the box in his pocket and closed the door. When Blake rushed to the ward, Isaacson was curled in the corner of the bed, pointing at the window and screaming: “She’s here! She’s holding the baby coming for me!”

The ward curtains were drawn so tightly not a crack showed. The phone at the bedside was looping the sound of a fetal heart monitor alarm. Several torn four-dimensional ultrasound photos were scattered on the floor. Those were ones I’d waited in line alone to take at six months. Isaacson covered her ears, rolling desperately on the bed. “It’s her! She’s sending messages cursing me!” “She said she and the child won’t let me go, she wants to drag me to hell with her!” Blake strode over and held her tightly in his arms. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Just hallucinations.” “It’s not a hallucination! Look at the phone!” Isaacson trembled as she pointed to the phone on the floor. Blake picked it up. On the screen was a text from an unknown number. “You stole my husband. My child and I will haunt you even as ghosts.” Blake’s expression instantly darkened. He was too familiar with this tone. In the past, when I was pushed to the edge, I would also use this desperate tone to question him. “She’s really lost it.” Blake clenched his teeth, his eyes full of disappointment. “Using the child to scare a patient—is this her medical ethics as a doctor?” I floated in midair, watching Isaacson buried in his embrace, a cold smile appearing. Of course she knew I was already dead. When she stabbed me last night, her eyes were terrifyingly clear. She had even calmly stuffed the knife handle into my hand after pulling it out, creating the false appearance of a struggle. Now, she was using a dead person’s name to continue playing the victim in front of Blake. Blake took out his phone and called the medical affairs office. “Mr. Johnson, it’s me. About my wife’s advanced training qualification for next year, cancel it for now.” “She’s been extremely emotionally unstable during pregnancy, showing paranoid and aggressive tendencies. She’s not suitable to continue contact with patients.” “Yes, I’ll submit a psychiatric evaluation statement.” In a few words, he stripped away three years of my effort and used his professional status to label me mentally abnormal. After hanging up, he sent me an ultimatum. “Come to the hospital within ten minutes and apologize to Isaacson in person.” “Otherwise, after the child is born, I won’t let you continue being this willful. I’ll consider having you temporarily stop working and focus on taking care of the child at home.” The message was sent successfully, still no reply. Isaacson pulled at his collar, crying until she couldn’t catch her breath. “Blake, I’ll never be able to have children in this life. Why does she have to use a child to provoke me?” Blake looked at her pale face, a trace of guilt flashing in his eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the velvet box he had originally prepared for me. With a snap it opened. A pure silver baptismal cross necklace gleamed, ‘Oliver’ glaring on it. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll always be with you from now on.” Blake took Isaacson’s hand and placed the cross necklace that belonged to my child in her palm. “This is for you. Consider it her apology to you.” Isaacson broke into a smile, gripping the cross tightly. With a bang, the ward door was kicked open violently from outside. Professor Angel stood panting in the doorway, hair disheveled, eyes red as if dripping blood. She strode forward, raised her hand, and slapped Blake hard across the face. The crisp sound of the slap echoed in the ward. Professor Angel’s voice trembled: “She and the child are both dead, and you’re still using the child’s things to placate the murderer?”

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On Friday, I went to my dad’s company to wait for him to get off work. I found an empty workstation and started playing games. The CEO’s secretary stormed over and yelled at me: “You’ve got some nerve playing games! Because of your negligence, the company missed a client email and lost twenty million dollars!” “So, how are you going to pay for this?” I shook my head, confused. “I think you’ve got the wrong person. I’m not an employee here. I’m waiting for my dad to get off work.” She sneered repeatedly and slapped me across the face. “Still pretending? Call the police! I suspect she’s a corporate spy sent by our competitors!” Tears welling up, I pulled out my phone watch and sent a message. “Dad, your secretary hit me.” Dad must have been in a meeting—he didn’t reply. Secretary Eliot put her hands on her hips and snorted coldly: “Look at all those designer brands you’re wearing. Did you get them all by selling out the company?” “Confess! How many deals have you sabotaged?” She shoved me hard, and I fell heavily to the ground. Mom taught me to be strong. I bit my lip and didn’t cry. “I didn’t do anything. Why did you push me? Pushing people is bad.” Eliot shrieked and grabbed a handful of my hair. “So rude!” It hurt so much. I struggled desperately. “Let go! You’re hurting me! I’m going to tell my dad to fire you!” Eliot mocked me brazenly: “Who does your dad think he is? Fire me? I’ll have HR fire you right now, and you’ll still have to pay the company twenty million in damages!” She dragged me all the way to the HR department without giving me a chance to explain. More and more employees gathered to watch. Someone couldn’t bear it and advised Eliot to stop. She raised her voice to announce: “Don’t be fooled by her pitiful act! Because of her negligence, the company lost a twenty-million-dollar deal. Everyone’s year-end bonus will be affected. I’m seeking justice for all of us!” Everyone’s expression changed. Sympathy turned to disgust. No one spoke up for me anymore. I kept calling out: “Dad, save me.” Eliot sneered contemptuously: “Is he your real dad, or one of those sugar daddies?” “Shameless! With that seductive face of yours, entry-level employees only make five thousand a month base salary. That Balenciaga you’re wearing—did your sugar daddy buy it for you? And you dare to flaunt that Van Cleef & Arpels in public!” Eliot yanked hard, and the necklace my mom gave me for my twelfth birthday broke. “You evil woman! Don’t touch the gift my mom gave me!” I struggled hard, and my hand hit Eliot’s calf. She kicked me twice viciously and picked up the broken necklace, stuffing it in her pocket. “Say another word and I’ll tear your mouth apart!” I trembled all over. When we reached the HR office, Eliot knocked on the door obsequiously. “Molina, I brought over the culprit who lost the company’s deal.” HR manager Molina glanced at me impatiently. “Where’s your ID badge? Which department? What’s your name?” I shouted urgently: “I’m only thirteen years old! I’m not an employee here!”

Molina looked me over suspiciously. “Eliot, what’s going on here?” Eliot immediately pulled me up. “Molina, she’s lying to you! Look how tall she is, taller than me even, and wearing all those designer brands. How could she possibly be only thirteen?” She leaned over and whispered in Molina’s ear. Molina immediately slammed the table. “You’re the one who lost the Merritt Group order! And offended Mr. Merritt?” Merritt Group? That’s my uncle’s company! The Mr. Merritt she mentioned is my cousin Kevin Merritt. But I hadn’t seen him since last month’s family gathering. I waved my hands frantically. “I didn’t! I don’t know anything about any order! I’m just here waiting for my dad to get off work!” “This woman is such a good actress! Her parents probably aren’t any better. Like parents, like child!” Eliot raised her chin, her face full of disdain. I got angry and rushed over to push Eliot. “Don’t you dare talk about my mom and dad!” Eliot and I wrestled together. Molina pulled us apart and glared at me sternly. That look was like she wanted to devour me. I shrank back. Eliot tugged at her arm coquettishly: “Fire her already! Keeping someone like this in the company will only tempt Mr. Robertson!” Robertson! She’s talking about my dad? I loudly protested: “I would never tempt Mr. Robertson, because Mr. Robertson is my dad!” Both Molina and Eliot froze. Eliot leaned in to examine me, then suddenly giggled. “Are you insane? Everyone knows Mr. Robertson is a golden bachelor in his thirties. If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable. He’s not even married. How could he have a child? Even if he did, it couldn’t be someone as old as you.” “Besides, you look nothing like Mr. Robertson. If you said you were his family’s housekeeper, I’d believe that.” I retorted indignantly: “I don’t look like Dad, but I look like Mom. And Dad doesn’t go public because of Mom’s profession…” Slap! I don’t know which sentence upset Eliot, but she slapped me again. “If you keep slandering Mr. Robertson’s reputation, I’ll beat you to death!” I covered my face and sobbed. Molina pulled Eliot back. She turned and scolded me with disgust: “Stop crying. You’re not a child. Take responsibility for your mistakes! What’s your name? Which department?” I hung my head sadly. “Molina’s asking you a question! Playing deaf, are you?” Eliot came over and reached into my pockets. “Where’s your ID badge?” I was at a loss. “I don’t have an ID badge.” Molina’s frown deepened. “No ID badge? Are you a contract employee? But wait, contractors have badges too…” Eliot yanked at my pocket until she tore a big hole, finally feeling something hard. “Found it! Bitch, you said you didn’t have a badge!” She pulled it out—it was a student ID card. It clearly read: “Grade 7, Class 8, Colleen Robertson.”

Eliot threw the student ID card right in my face. “No work badge, so you’re using your sister’s student ID to slip through! Molina, according to company policy, how much is the fine for this?” Molina cleared her throat. “Five hundred dollar donation, treat it as buying bubble tea for the whole office.” Eliot held out her hand to me. “Pay up, right now!” I looked down at my pocket, cleaner than my face. “But I don’t have any cash…” “Then use your phone! Double for digital payment, one thousand!” Why was she bullying me like this? I was both angry and upset. To teach me about financial management, Mom had taken all my New Year’s money to invest it, and Dad worried that giving me too much money wouldn’t be safe. So during the school term, my weekly allowance was only a thousand. She was demanding my entire week’s allowance with one sentence. I didn’t want to give it, but she was so fierce, like the cackling old witch from cartoons. “Pay up! If you don’t, I’ll…” Eliot raised her hand. I backed away. I pulled out my phone watch. Molina held up her payment QR code. She smiled mockingly: “What brand of new sports watch is this? Spending money like water—no wonder you have to sell out the company for cash.” I was about to protest that I hadn’t. Eliot threw out a disciplinary confirmation form. “Sign it and get lost.” I couldn’t understand the content, but Mom taught me never to sign papers randomly. I silently backed away, refusing without words. Eliot twisted my arm hard. “Sign it! And sign that IOU too!” She was so rough! Why did she keep hitting people! Molina flipped open the signature page and handed me a pen. “Making you pay only one-tenth of the damages—two million is already the company showing you mercy.” I shook my head like a rattle drum. Molina pursed her lips in disgust. “Who hired this person? Why can’t she understand human speech? If you don’t sign, just wait for the court summons!” “Molina, why waste words on her?” Eliot grabbed my hand, pressed it on an ink pad, and quickly stamped fingerprints on the contract. “There, done!” A complaint suddenly sounded from outside the door. “Molina, I asked you to hire me an assistant. Why hasn’t it been arranged yet?” That person looked so familiar. Wasn’t this Uncle Johnson who’d delivered documents to our house? Our eyes met, and he blurted out: “Miss Colleen, what are you doing here?”

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I used to think Ethan was my entire world. During that kidnapping, I nearly lost my life just to keep him safe. When he burst in with the police and held my battered body while sobbing uncontrollably, I thought it was all worth it. “Serena, I’ll never let you suffer again.” “Marry me. I’ll spend my whole life making it up to you.” I touched my belly where the baby had just been discovered, thinking my suffering had finally come to an end. On our wedding day, I walked toward him in my white gown, step by step. Just as we were about to exchange rings, my stepsister Claire suddenly burst in like a madwoman, pointing at my belly and shouting: “Don’t marry her! That baby isn’t even yours!” She pointed at the kidnapper being dragged in, screaming hysterically: “This whole kidnapping was staged by her! She’s been sleeping with this man all along!” The kidnapper grinned, revealing yellowed teeth: “That’s right. This woman promised me five hundred thousand after she married into the Hayes family.” I couldn’t defend myself. I could only stare at Ethan. I knew he would believe me. But he just took a step back, creating distance between us. He looked at me with terrifyingly unfamiliar eyes. “Serena,” he said, “I never thought you were this kind of person. This baby cannot stay.”

I heard every word clearly, yet it was as if I understood nothing. “Cannot stay?” I tore off my veil and looked at him. This face had been pressed against my ear just two nights ago. His warm breath on my neck, promising we’d weather all storms together, that he’d never let me down. That was only a day ago. “Ethan.” I called his name, my voice dry and unfamiliar. He didn’t respond, but Vivian laughed, her voice sharp like nails scraping glass. “Why play dumb, Serena? Wasn’t Ethan clear enough?” Her gaze fell on my abdomen with mockery. “Who knows which kidnapper’s bastard that is?” Pain twisted through my chest, hatred surging, but before I could speak, my father’s vicious slap struck my face. The entire hall fell deathly silent. “Disgraceful creature! I raised you for twenty-six years, and this is how you repay me?” My ears rang as my stepmother Michelle pretended to intervene. “Honey, it’s my fault for not teaching Serena properly…” “But if word of this gets out, where will you put your face? How can you hold your head up in front of Ethan?” Then Ethan sighed softly. That sigh was full of exhaustion and disappointment. “I was drunk that night.” He looked at me with complicated eyes. “When I woke up, you were lying next to me… I always thought I’d lost control while drunk and ruined your innocence.” “I thought what was done was done, so I should take responsibility.” He smiled bitterly. “Only now do I realize it was all calculated by you.” I froze, my throat blocked by something. Calculated? He was so drunk when he barged into my room. I pushed him, begged him, and he covered my mouth, saying “Don’t be afraid, Serena, I’ll marry you.” I believed him. I’d followed him since college, watching him pitch projects. Watching him close his first million-dollar deal with such high spirits. I thought what he said was real. “Ethan.” Ignoring the pain in my abdomen, I stepped forward. “Say that again. That night—I calculated it?” He didn’t answer, just turned his face away. I stared at his profile, my heart feeling like it was being gripped and twisted inch by inch. Vivian spoke again, her voice even louder. “Why bother, Serena? Only you two know what happened that night.” “Ethan is kindhearted and was deceived by you for so long. Now that he won’t expose you, are you going to force him to spell out your shame?” The guests murmured. Some laughed, some shook their heads, others whispered. “Pregnant before marriage—clearly a character problem.” “The Mitchell family’s reputation is ruined. How can they do business with Hayes Corporation now?” “Guards.” Ethan suddenly spoke. Two security men in black suits stepped forward. My heart tightened. I stepped back. “Ethan, what are you doing?” He still wouldn’t look at me, just waved his hand. In an instant, I was pinned down. I desperately clawed at the carpet, my nails splitting, but couldn’t break free. Vivian approached with a glass of red wine laced with drugs, smiling as she leaned to my ear. “Serena, drink it. Once you drink it, you’ll be clean.” “Get away!” I struggled desperately but was held tighter. The guard gripped my jaw, fingers digging into my cheeks, forcing my mouth open. Liquid poured in, choking me breathless. Then I felt warmth flowing from deep in my abdomen, running down my legs. That was my baby. The baby I’d desperately protected even when kidnapped. The guards released me. I collapsed on the cold tile floor. All the red decorations in the hall became blurry shadows. I heard Ethan’s voice, distant, as if through a layer of mist. “Take her to her room…” Darkness rushed in from all sides. Before consciousness faded, I had only one thought. I’m done. Done with the man who swore he’d never let me down. Done with the CEO position I’d saved for him—he could forget about keeping it too.

In my hazy consciousness, I drifted back to the time when Hayes Corporation was targeted by business rivals. The whole city knew. Ethan was taken in for investigation. The entire corporation was in turmoil. I went to find him. He looked haggard, dark circles under his eyes. “Serena, they want to take away my inheritance rights.” I’d never seen him like this. That young man who spoke so eloquently on stage with such confidence looked like his spine had been removed. “I’ll ask Michelle. She can help you.” I gripped his hand. “Before my mother died, she said if I ever needed help, I should ask her.” That was the only support my mother left me. I used it for him. After it was resolved, he held my hand, his fingers trembling. He said then that in this life, I was the only one, and he’d never betray me. I believed him. When I opened my eyes again, I saw dusty curtains and the cold air conditioning vent. My abdomen ached like flesh being carved out. I looked down. Flat and empty. Nothing left. Even this room was in the most remote corner of the Hayes estate. Ms. Smith’s voice trembled as she told me. “After you fainted, Ethan said your behavior was improper and you weren’t fit to be the CEO’s wife.” “He announced he was with Vivian.” I listened as if hearing about someone else. “Mr. Mitchell said from now on, you’re no longer his daughter.” “He said you disgraced the Mitchell family and he can no longer be Hayes Corporation’s supplier.” I paused for a moment, then wanted to laugh. That father who only had eyes for Michelle and Claire—how could he want a daughter who disgraced him? After my mother died, even the household staff took cues from Michelle. They wouldn’t even turn on the radiator in my room. I shivered under blankets in winter. Ethan brought me a hand warmer. That was the first warmth I’d received since my mother left. Later he came often, bringing food, coffee, books I loved. Michelle’s people didn’t dare stop him, so I looked forward to his visits every day. With him backing me up, he was the only light in those dark days. Now, the light was extinguished. The door opened. Ethan walked in. Dark gray suit, impeccably styled hair. Same face, yet unbearably unfamiliar. “Serena.” His voice was gentle as yesterday. “About yesterday—I had no choice. All those guests were there. I had to give them an explanation.” “Hayes Corporation is publicly traded. If this kind of negative news spreads, the stock price will be affected. I couldn’t give the board ammunition against me.” I looked at him. Two nights ago he’d whispered in my ear about weathering storms together. One day later, the boat had already sunk. “From now on you’ll stay in this room. Though it’s not an official position, I won’t mistreat you.” “But there’s one thing,” he paused. “Vivian is my fiancée now. She deserves proper respect. When you see her, be polite.” I watched his mouth open and close. Every word was clear. Yet every word was incomprehensible. “Ethan, that year your company was targeted—who saved your inheritance rights?” His expression stiffened. “I begged Michelle for an entire afternoon to secure your CEO position today.” “Now that you’re successful, you’re going to wrong me for Claire’s sake?” He stood up, turning his back to me. “Serena, don’t blame me. After all, you… had the character problem first.” All the blood in my body rushed to my head. When he covered my mouth, why didn’t he mention character problems? When he knelt before me promising to marry me, why didn’t he mention character problems? He personally aborted my baby, then told me to have breakfast with my stepsister. And now he says I have character problems? I grabbed the glass beside me and hurled it at him. “Get out!” The glass shattered at his feet, fragments flying. He didn’t turn back, just walked out. As the door closed, I heard him making a call. “Send security. Watch her twenty-four hours.” My chest heaved violently. My abdomen cramped and ached. But the worst pain wasn’t there. It was my chest. The place that once held him was now empty, with only cold wind pouring in.

Just past seven in the morning, I was violently dragged from bed. “Vivian wants you to have breakfast with her at eight. Ms. Mitchell, don’t make this difficult for us.” Two maids dragged me along without explanation. I wore only pajamas. Cold seeped from my feet straight into my bones. All the way, I was shoved into the main dining room. The central air was turned up high. Vivian reclined on the sofa without even lifting her eyelids. “Well, Serena finally decided to show up.” She sipped her coffee. “Breakfast at eight, and it’s already fifteen minutes past. Is Serena deliberately trying to embarrass me?” I stood there, trembling all over—whether from cold or hatred, I couldn’t tell. “Claire, are you worthy?” I stared at her. “My mother was the original wife of the company founder. Mitchell blood runs in my veins.” “You’re just a daughter brought by a stepmother. You think you can make me follow your rules?” Her expression changed. “That makes no sense, Serena.” She approached and suddenly slapped me across the face. “I’m Ethan’s fiancée. If you don’t come, you’re disrespecting Ethan!” In that instant, humiliation mixed with hatred surged up. I raised my hand and slapped her back. But I was shoved hard from behind and nearly fell. Ethan had appeared, his face full of anger. “What are you doing!” Vivian threw herself into his arms, tears in her eyes. “Ethan, Serena came late today. I only said a few words.” “She cursed at me and hit me…” Ethan sighed, suppressing his anger. “Serena, I told you yesterday to be polite to Vivian.” “You came late and raised your hand. You should accept punishment.” I laughed softly. “Ethan, dream on!” His expression darkened. “Guards, take her to the courtyard. Make her stand for two full hours.” Two security men stepped forward, dragging me out. I used my eyes to stop Ms. Smith from rushing out. I saw her slip out the side door when no one was looking. She understood what I meant. The December wind cut like knives. The stone courtyard was bone-chillingly cold. I stood there. My vision began to darken. When I woke again, I was lying on the cold bed. Voices drifted from outside the window. “Vivian,” it was Ethan’s voice, somewhat helpless. “You went too far today. Besides, at the wedding, I only asked you to arrange for her to make some mistakes.” “So I could naturally establish our relationship. But you brought in the kidnappers—how do we deal with that?” My fingers clenched tight. So that was it. From the beginning, he never intended to marry me. “I didn’t arrange for that kidnapper! Serena had an affair with him. I only found out later!” “Ethan, think about it,” Vivian’s voice was pitifully aggrieved. “I’m just a stepdaughter. How would I dare do such a thing? It was Serena herself who was improper, but she’s blaming me…” Ethan was silent for a moment, then his voice softened. “Fine, don’t cry. I believe you.” “Ethan…” Vivian sobbed. “You know I only have you. If even you don’t believe me, I might as well die…” “What nonsense?” Ethan coaxed her in a low voice. “While I’m here, no one can bully you.” The footsteps gradually faded. I lay in the darkness, motionless. So from the very beginning, Ethan wanted to be with her. And he—the man who said he’d never betray me—didn’t even ask before believing her. Slandering my reputation, killing my child. Hatred burned from my chest, making my whole body tremble. In the dark room, I told myself over and over. Serena, you have to survive. Survive and walk out this door. Make them return everything they owe me, piece by piece.

Two days later, Vivian barged in with two maids. In her hand was an old phone containing all the photos and videos of my child. “Serena, you hid this quite well.” She waved the phone screen. That smile made all the blood in my body run cold. I shot to my feet. “Give it back!” “Give it back?” She smashed the phone on the floor. “This kind of unlucky thing doesn’t deserve to stay in the estate.” The screen shattered. I lunged forward but was pinned down by the maids. Vivian stepped on it, grinding her high heel into it. “Improper things should be completely deleted.” Right in front of me, she pulled out the SIM card and threw both card and phone into the fireplace. The only proof in this world that my child had existed was gone. “Claire!” I broke free from the maids and lunged at her, but she kicked me in the chest. I fell hard to the floor. “What are you doing, Serena?” She looked down at me. “It’s just an unborn baby. The person’s gone—why keep mementos? Aren’t you afraid of bad luck?” She turned to leave, then looked back with a smile. “Oh, by the way, Ethan said this side building will have electronic locks installed.” “Serena, stay put and don’t embarrass yourself by going out.” I lay on the floor, watching the last bit of firelight in the fireplace. Ashes floated up, settling everywhere. From that day on, I became quiet. I didn’t step out of the building once. Ethan came to see me a few times, standing at the door, watching from afar. “Good that you’ve come around. Stay here obediently from now on. I won’t mistreat you.” I lowered my eyes without responding. He thought I’d resigned myself to fate, not knowing I was just waiting. As year-end approached, the company grew busier. The subordinates were cheerful. “Ethan is so happy. Since old Mr. Hayes had his incident, he hasn’t been invited to the board’s annual gala.” “This time the board must be remembering our Ethan again.” That evening, Ethan came. “Feeling better?” “Mm.” He was silent for a moment, then stepped closer. “There’s the board’s annual gala at year-end. Given your current situation, bringing you would embarrass me. You don’t need to come.” I nodded. He seemed relieved, taking another step forward. He raised his hand as if to touch my face, but it fell empty. He stiffened for a moment. After a long while, he sighed. “It’s good you understand… Serena, I won’t mistreat you.” Won’t mistreat me? I concealed the coldness in my eyes. But my baby can never come back. On the day of the gala, I changed into the suit my mother left me. Step by step, I walked down the stairs to the estate entrance. A black car was already waiting. Ethan was helping Vivian into it. She wore a haute couture evening gown, covered in jewelry, smiling proudly. Seeing me, her smile froze, then she shrieked. “What is Serena doing out here in this freezing weather?” Ethan turned around, anger rising in his eyes. “What are you doing? I told you yesterday—do you want to embarrass me in front of the board? Get back inside!” Vivian sneered. “Serena heard him. Ethan said you don’t need to come, to avoid being laughed at.” I stood still. Ethan stepped forward, about to scold again. A black business van pulled up from the corner. Someone got out holding a phone. A businesslike voice cut through the morning silence. “Ms. Mitchell, Mr. Miller said to ask you to proceed immediately to headquarters for the annual gala.” Ethan’s hand froze in midair. Vivian’s smile gradually disappeared. I stood at the bottom of the steps, morning light falling on my shoulders. Ethan slowly turned to look at me. In his eyes was shock, and a trace of undisguised fear. He was afraid of me meeting Mr. Miller. After all, Mr. Miller was his biggest investor. One word could decide how long he’d keep his CEO position.

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At the wedding, the bouquet I tossed was snatched by Chloe, Liam’s childhood friend. She raised an eyebrow at Liam. “Liam, I’m giving you one chance. Choose me, and leave with me!” The groomsmen cheered, pushing Liam towards Chloe. “Chloe just confessed! Come on, tell us, who are you going to marry?” “Liam, what are you shy about? You two were sleeping in the same bed at the bachelor party last night.” Liam laughed and lightly kicked a groomsman. “Cut it out, guys. My fiancée is right here.” Chloe shrugged. “I’m just kidding. If I really wanted you, no one else would stand a chance at being your wife.” Liam then turned to me, lightly tapped my nose, and said casually: “Stella, they’re just joking. Let’s continue the wedding.” I brushed his hand away and took the microphone from the MC. “Anyone else want to steal this man? Step forward. I’m out.” The rowdy groomsmen instantly froze. Guests began to whisper. Liam grabbed my wrist, his face falling. “Chloe was just kidding. Are you really that upset?” “Please don’t make a scene. This is the dream wedding you’ve been looking forward to.” “Grandma Helen is still waiting to see our wedding video.” Last night, Grandma Helen had a rare moment of clarity. She tremblingly held our hands together. He knelt by Grandma Helen’s hospital bed, promising to cherish me forever. Yet, he turned around and spent the night messing around with Chloe at the bachelor party. My eyes burned red, and I questioned him loudly. “Sleeping in the same bed was a joke too?” My voice echoed through the venue. Gossipy glances darted between Liam and Chloe. A flicker of embarrassment and annoyance crossed Liam’s face. He snatched the microphone from my hand and warned in a low voice: “Shut up. Are you trying to ruin this wedding?” Chloe took the microphone, her tone playful. “Forget sleeping in the same bed, we bathed naked together when we were three. Isn’t it a bit late for the bride to get jealous now?” She lightly brushed over the inappropriate comment. I, on the other hand, was made out to be the unreasonable one. Mrs. Miller, Liam’s mother, chuckled and put her arm around Chloe’s shoulder. She cast a contemptuous glance at me. “Actually, Chloe is the daughter-in-law I always wanted. She’s a suitable match from a good family and carries herself with grace. Unlike some people, who throw tantrums regardless of the occasion and have no upbringing…” “Mom!” Liam sharply cut her off. “Don’t say such things.” He nervously studied my expression, his eyes filled with guilt. My face went pale, a sour ache spreading in my chest. Ten years ago, my parents were celebrating their wedding anniversary by the ocean when they encountered Liam, who was being swept away by a rip current. They tragically lost their lives trying to save him. If they were still alive, there’s no way they would let me be treated like this. Chloe crossed her arms and pursed her lips at me. “Are you actually crying? Tsk, if I really wanted Liam, you wouldn’t have stood a chance.” “Fine, fine, it’s all my fault. I’ll leave, alright?” Liam’s expression changed. He rushed after her, grabbed her by the waist, and frowned at me, his voice laced with reproach. “Chloe flew all the way from abroad specifically for our wedding. If you don’t appreciate it, fine. But what does it mean to drive her away like this?” Meeting Chloe’s defiant smile, I suddenly felt utterly disheartened. I took off the wedding ring from my ring finger and threw it. “She doesn’t have to leave. I will. You want to crash the wedding? Here’s the wedding ring.” Liam clutched the ring tightly, his eyes blazing with anger. “Stella, you’re so generous! Believe me, if you dare to leave today, this wedding can have a new bride in an instant!”

“Let her go!” “I’ll wait for her to come crying back to me.” I gathered my skirt and ran out of the banquet hall without looking back. Liam’s angry roar was left far behind me. I hailed a taxi. The driver looked at me several times in the rearview mirror, then cautiously spoke. “Miss, where to?” I sat in the back, the anger churning in my chest now replaced by a vast emptiness. Where could I go? Soon after my parents passed away, Grandma Helen, distraught and confused, was in a car accident. The other party demanded exorbitant compensation, forcing me to sell off our property. That day, it was pouring rain, and I couldn’t find a taxi. It was Liam, on his motorcycle, who sped me to the hospital. He took off his helmet with one hand, revealing a rebellious grin. “Just use it, no password needed.” Before I could react, he shoved the card into my hand and turned to leave. By the time I’d handled everything and wanted to repay him, but couldn’t reach him, he suddenly reappeared. He affectionately wrapped an arm around my shoulder and winked at a girl who was confessing her feelings to him. “Can’t do that, I already have a girlfriend. My girlfriend gets jealous, you know.” In the sunlight, his blond hair gleamed, and just like that, he forcefully entered my world. For three years, I chased him to repay the debt, becoming known to everyone as his clingy girlfriend. When he got injured racing in the suburbs, I was the first one there. When he broke his leg skiing, I brought him meals from the cafeteria every day. Just as the money was almost repaid, Grandma Helen went missing. That night, the city up north experienced its heaviest snowfall in a decade, with snow piled above the knees. Security cameras showed Grandma Helen had left the house wearing only a thin sweater. The police checked hundreds of cameras but found no trace of her. I was frantic. It was Liam who mobilized thousands of people for a city-wide search. Time ticked by. As I fell in the snow for the ninth time, he reached out his hand to me. “Grandma Helen has been found. I’ve had her taken to the hospital. She’s okay.” I collapsed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. He awkwardly wiped my tears, pretending to sound relaxed. “It’s no big deal for a girlfriend to hug me.” For the first time, I didn’t object to that title. “Miss, are you alright?” The driver handed me a few tissues. Only then did I realize I was drenched in tears. “Just keep driving forward for now.” The car started, and the scenery on both sides rapidly blurred past. Last night, Liam confessed to me by Grandma Helen’s hospital bed. “Actually, the person your parents saved by the ocean ten years ago was me.” “My family offered a twenty-million-dollar thank-you payment, but your Grandma Helen refused. She said life cannot be measured by money, and your parents acted heroically.” “Stella, fate pushed me towards you. I will carry your parents’ love and cherish you for a lifetime.” But less than a day later, everything had changed. My heart felt constricted by a vice, a pain that tightened with every beat. My phone kept ringing. It was a video Ethan, the best man, had posted in the SnapChat group. The screen showed Chloe, in a gold gown, arm in arm with Liam. They were both smiling and toasting the guests. “Someone ditched, so Chloe had to step in temporarily.” “Who wouldn’t say they’re a perfect match? Why don’t you two just get married and make someone else furious?” I pressed the power button, and my cold face was reflected in the phone screen. “Driver, to Parkside Villas.” There was something I had to find out.

After getting out of the car, I headed straight for the gaming room. Liam had a box hidden in there. One time, I caught him carefully putting photos into it. I insisted on seeing them, but he just smiled and hugged me. “It’ll be a surprise for our wedding.” So I had always been looking forward to it, imagining what might be inside. A four-digit combination lock. I tried Liam’s birthday, our anniversary, my birthday. None of them worked. With trembling fingers, I entered Chloe’s birthday. The lock clicked open. Inside were three thick photo albums, ten sports car keys, and a dark green velvet box. I opened the albums to find photos of Chloe from childhood to adulthood. On the back of a picture showing the young woman, helmet in hand, standing triumphantly on a podium, Liam had written: *Love of my life, may you sparkle.* The date was July 5, 2016. The day my parents died. “So you finally saw it.” Liam’s hoarse voice came from behind me. “I did like Chloe, but that was all in the past.” “That day, I wanted to confess to her, but she openly hugged everyone and said we were all just friends.” “I never got to give her the necklace, and I never sent her the sports cars I bought her every year after that…” “So,” I interrupted him, choked up. “That day, you failed to confess, got drunk on the beach, and were swept away by the waves.” “And my parents lost their lives because of that!” I was trembling, crying uncontrollably, all because of this absurd, ridiculous reason. I had lost my parents, and then he had deceived me for eight years! “It wasn’t a coincidence at all, was it? You transferred schools because of guilt, you deliberately appeared in front of me, you intentionally made me owe you $200,000, making me chase you for three years!” “Liam, was it fun playing me for a fool?” “No, Stella, it’s not like that…” Liam’s eyes were panicked. He reached out to wipe my tears, but sensing my resistance, he withdrew his hand, trembling. He pulled out a lighter and flicked it on. “Chloe and I are innocent; nothing happened between us. If you’re so bothered, then I’ll–” The lighter was tossed into the box. Flames gradually engulfed the thick photo albums. “If you still mind, I’ll never contact her again, okay?” He took out his phone, opened SnapChat, and blocked and deleted Chloe right in front of me. But the next second, Chloe’s call came in. Liam hesitated for two seconds, then answered. “Just this one last time, I’ll make a clean break with her.” Three minutes later, Liam returned, fuming. “Did you upload the video of Chloe snatching the bouquet? Now everyone online is calling her a manipulative tomboy. How dare you cyberbully her!” “Don’t you know she has a very important World Challenge Race tomorrow? She can’t have any scandals!” Hearing such a clumsy accusation, I only found it laughable. “Are the netizens wrong? She snatched the bride’s bouquet and proposed to the groom…” “I told you it was a joke! How could you ruin her career over such a small thing?” “Stella, I never thought you’d be this kind of person.” Liam looked at me with disappointment. “I had someone use AI face swap to switch your faces. Now, issue an apology statement, say you slandered Chloe out of jealousy, just to calm public opinion.” At the peak of my anger, I surprisingly calmed down. “No, this has nothing to do with me.” “Stella!” Liam suddenly hugged me, snatching my phone from my pocket. I struggled to get it back, but he picked me up, carried me over his shoulder, and locked me in the storage room. Through the door, his voice was muffled. “I’ve cleared your phone’s photo album for now, so you don’t accidentally post old pictures and cause misunderstandings.” “Just cool down for the night. Tomorrow, Maria will let you out. After I accompany Chloe to her race, I’ll come back and we’ll get married.”

The light in the storage room was broken, and there were no windows. I waited until dawn. When Maria opened the door, she was startled by my red-rimmed eyes. “Ma’am, are you alright?” I shook my head, my voice dry. “Maria, where’s my phone?” Maria pointed to the table. “Mr. Miller asked me to make you breakfast last night before he rushed to catch his flight. He said you shouldn’t look at your phone for a few days…” Seeing my phone tossed on the sofa, I walked directly past the coffee table to get it. As soon as I turned it on, the screen was filled with missed calls and messages. I clicked on a link my college roommate sent. The top trending topic was Liam’s post of a marriage certificate and a childhood photo. “Childhood sweethearts, wishes fulfilled. @RacerChloe.” The comments section was full of blessings. “The heir to a family fortune and the most beautiful racer’s perfect love story, and they’re childhood sweethearts! We’re shipping them like crazy!” “Good luck winning the championship and making everyone proud!” The second trending topic was a female teacher admitting to AI face-swapping out of jealousy. In the video, my face and Chloe’s had been swapped. It showed *me* snatching the bouquet and proposing to Liam. “How shameless! This person was still face-swapping to slander the bride yesterday, almost getting her disqualified by the organizers!” “I’m going to puke! Does someone like this even deserve to be a teacher? Which school is this? Don’t corrupt the students!” My mind buzzed. I felt dizzy and almost lost my footing. A call came from the Dean’s office. “Ms. Stella, you’ve interfered in another’s relationship and caused a negative public impact. The school has decided to terminate your employment.” “I didn’t…” The call was cut off. I was about to call back to explain when Liam’s call came in. “How could you use my verified social media account to twist the truth? Do you know I was fired from school?” “Isn’t that perfect?” Liam’s hoarse voice held a hint of laziness. “I can afford to support you. Being Mrs. Miller is much more comfortable than being Ms. Stella.” “Besides, you’re 26 now. We should have a baby, shouldn’t we?” I was shaking with rage, my chest heaving violently. It took me a long time to find my voice. “Liam, you make me sick!” I hung up on him immediately. The tears I had been holding back streamed down my face. Then, a call came from the hospital. When I rushed to the hospital, Grandma Helen had already been wheeled into surgery. The doctor held out a critical condition notice for me to sign. “The patient’s extreme emotional fluctuations caused a ruptured brain aneurysm and shock. A special inhibitor injection costs half a million dollars. Do you authorize its use?” “The golden window is only three minutes. If you wish to proceed, please make the payment as soon as possible.” “Yes!” I didn’t hesitate. “Whatever it takes to save Grandma Helen, no matter the cost!” My hands were trembling uncontrollably. After signing the consent form, I ran wildly towards the payment counter. “Payment failed.” Online banking had large transaction limits. I frantically rummaged through my purse, trying several times to open the metal clasp. My hand shook, and my bank card fell to the floor as I tried to pull it out. “The password is 062746.” My voice was trembling as I handed over the card. “Payment failed.” “Ma’am, this card has been frozen.” I froze, realizing it was the supplementary card Liam had given me. When had he canceled that card? Without time to think, I quickly pulled out my salary card and repeated the password. The nurse, however, looked troubled. “Ma’am, this card has insufficient balance.” “How is that possible!” My head swam. My four years of post-graduation salary, over $100,000, were all on that card. My phone rang. It was Liam. “I spent too much celebrating Chloe’s championship and got restricted. I just used your card to buy a handbag.” “Just consider it your gift to Chloe…” “Liam, that’s Grandma Helen’s life-saving money!” I screamed, breaking down, my heart pounding against my ribs. Liam scoffed. “So petty. I’ll repay you tenfold when I get back. Gotta go.” The nurse shook her head at me sympathetically. “Please accept our condolences.” All the strength drained from my body instantly. I watched helplessly as Grandma Helen, covered by a white sheet, was wheeled out of the operating room. … “Liam, are you sure you’re not coming to my victory party?” Chloe playfully punched Liam’s chest. “That’s not cool.” Liam didn’t dodge. He just smiled and raised an eyebrow. “I had someone use AI face swap and posted our fake marriage certificate online just so you could compete smoothly. Isn’t that enough?” “My girl at home is still mad. I need to get back quickly and pacify her, or if my wife leaves me, I’ll be lost.” “I have a flight tonight. I can still make it back for our five-year anniversary tomorrow. Perfect for us to officially get married.” But when he rushed home, He pushed open the door, and the flowers in his hand suddenly dropped to the floor.

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In the fourth year of being Liam’s secret lover, he found his fated mate. At the party, I heard his friend ask him: “Liam, now that you’ve found your fated mate, what about Aria? Don’t you have any feelings for her at all?” Liam chuckled softly, his tone casual. “Her? She’s great as a bed partner.” “As for other feelings… none. After all, we’re just too familiar with each other. There’s no excitement left.” “But I’m planning to transfer her to the guard squad. Best to keep her far away from me, so Chloe doesn’t get jealous.” So all along, he only saw me as a bed partner. But when I truly left him and went to a new pack thousands of miles away. He followed me, begging me to look back at him just once. Aria POV The 99th time I had sex with my childhood friend Liam, he was still incredibly wild. The next morning, I was covered in kiss marks. Just moving slightly made my lower abdomen throb. The intimate atmosphere still lingered in the room. Liam’s slender hand wrapped around me as he said casually, “Tomorrow, dress formally and come with me to the 18th birthday celebration for those young pups.” Hearing this, I lifted my head in shock, my voice full of hope. “Are you finally going to… make our relationship public?” The pack held an annual celebration for members turning 18. Because 18 was a very important day for werewolves. Most of them would awaken their wolves on this day and find the mate the Moon Goddess had arranged for them. Every year’s celebration was hosted by the Alpha and Luna. Or handed over to the Alpha’s heir and his mate. Liam raised an eyebrow and glanced at me sideways. “Make what public? My fated mate might be among them. I might not be able to take care of everyone, so I’m asking you to help me maintain order at the event.” Each word fell on my ears like thunder. My heart nearly stopped beating. My entire mind went blank. “You still haven’t given up searching for your fated mate? Then what am I to you?” Liam had already gotten up to get dressed. He glanced at me lazily. “You? You’re my partner in everything. We eat together, game together, train together, and we’re also bed partners who satisfy each other’s desires.” A chill spread through my body. The color slowly drained from my face. My lips trembled lightly. Seeing my expression, the smile on Liam’s face gradually faded. He slowly leaned closer to me. “Wait, Aria, you didn’t think we’ve been mates all these years, did you?” His playful tone pierced through my heart like a sharp blade. I forced down the stinging sensation in my nose. My voice became broken and out of tune. “How, how could I? I’ll go take a shower first.” I got up in a panic and walked unsteadily into the bathroom. As soon as the door closed, I felt all my strength drain away. I collapsed to the floor. Those words still echoed in my ears. I looked at the dense kiss marks Liam had left all over my body. Tears fell like rain. We’d known each other for over twenty years and grew up together. We’d drunk from the same glass of milk and flipped through the same comic books. Even at eighteen, because neither of us had found our fated mates, we drunkenly slept together. Once led to a second time, and a third time… At night our bodies were incredibly compatible. During the day, we did all the intimate things that only mates would do. Holding hands while walking in the forest, kissing when the new year arrived and promising to stay together next year… Even things that should have been handled by his mate had all been handled by me over the years. I always thought we were together, just that we hadn’t performed the official marking ceremony yet. Now Liam was telling me we weren’t mates? So this was why he refused to mark me… The pain made it impossible to breathe. I turned the water to maximum with trembling hands before I dared to cry out loud. I don’t know how long it was before my tears dried up and I finally pulled myself together enough to come out. Liam had already changed clothes and was sitting on the sofa making a phone call. “Set up a few more chairs in the dining room tomorrow. There are many young ladies and lads turning 18 this year. For the cake, get blackberry honey cake and prepare plenty of it. They’ll love it. For flowers, get moonflowers and night glow grass. Send me pictures after you’ve decorated. Then prepare a dozen formal outfits for me to choose from when I get back.” He was making such detailed and careful arrangements for his potentially appearing fated mate. Yet he didn’t care about me right beside him. The light in my eyes dimmed. The heart pain that had just stopped for a moment surged up again. It hurt so much I couldn’t hold my phone. With a bang, Liam turned around at the sound and smiled. “Done showering? Then let’s go home. Get ready… maybe that fated mate of yours who never showed up is among these guys too.” He picked up his jacket and got up to leave. Before walking out the door, he turned back to look at me once more. His eyes carried a silver light, letting me know his wolf was in control of his body at this moment. “Ari, I’ve always considered you my best friend. Don’t show me that deathly expression in the future, or I’ll think you’ve fallen in love with me. I know you inside and out, and with just one look you instantly know what I’m thinking. Don’t you think living like that is too boring? If we actually got together, it would feel like life reached its end point right away.” The voice gradually faded with the footsteps but kept echoing in my heart. I sat on the cold bed, then laughed and laughed until I cried. So all these years, this was what Liam had been thinking. I sat alone until late into the night before going downstairs to check out of the room. It was pouring rain outside, but I walked through it as if I couldn’t feel it, returning home in a daze. Seeing me drenched like a drowned rat, my parents quickly brought dry towels, their voices full of concern. “It’s raining so hard. Why didn’t you use an umbrella?” They were always like this, still treating me like a fragile little pup. But in reality, I’d had my wolf for years and hadn’t been sick in a long time. I looked at my parents numbly, my eyes lifeless, my voice hoarse. “I’m fine.” My father, William, the current Alpha’s beta, rubbed my head. “Tomorrow is the pack celebration. Get ready. Maybe your fated mate will appear at the celebration.” I hummed in response and returned to my bedroom, throwing away everything related to Liam. The thick albums of photos I’d carefully preserved for over a decade, the various necklaces he’d given me, dresses, hand-carved statues… All of it was now thrown into the trash. “Aria, all these nice things, you don’t want them anymore?” My friend Davies, who had come to invite me out, asked in surprise. Seeing the regret in Davies’ eyes, I nodded lightly, my voice flat. “I don’t want them anymore.” Not just these things. This relationship, and Liam himself—I didn’t want any of it anymore.

The next day, I was woken up by messages from Liam. He sent dozens of messages asking when I’d come over. My heart felt bitter. Liam, do you realize how cruel you’re being? With trembling hands, I simply replied: “Not feeling well today. Not going.” Soon after, my parents came knocking on my door. “Aria, even if you’re having a fight with Liam, you can’t act up at a time like this. Hurry up and change clothes to go to Liam’s house. You don’t know—Liam found his fated mate early! She’s a very smart girl. She didn’t need to receive the Moon Goddess’s blessing and help at the celebration. She awakened her wolf on her own.” “That’s right, Aria. Since Liam has found his fated mate, this year’s celebration will be assisted by her and Luna Eleanor. But she hasn’t learned how to do it yet. You need to go quickly and teach her the important things. We can’t let the pack celebration be ruined.” When I wouldn’t go, Liam actually went straight to my parents! Hearing their earnest persuasion, I could only hold back my tears and went downstairs to wash up. The two houses were close. Ten minutes later, I stood at the Alpha’s front door and opened the shoe cabinet. It was empty. I couldn’t see my favorite fuzzy slippers. I searched up and down several times before finally finding the slippers in the trash bin outside the door. Besides the shoes, there was also a water cup, toothbrush, towel, pajamas… All belonging to me. “Aria, Liam threw all these away. Please use shoe covers instead.” Looking at the trash bin, I was silent for a long time. Because Alpha Benjamin and my father beta William were close, I came over to visit almost every day and occasionally stayed overnight. Liam had specially prepared a bedroom for me and bought many daily necessities, specifically choosing styles I liked. He said this was my home and I shouldn’t be shy about it. We hid from both families, hugging and kissing at the doorway, holding hands under the dinner table, being intimate and tender in the study. Now that he’d found his fated mate, he threw away everything related to me. It took me a long time to calm down before I changed into the shoe covers. As soon as I entered, I saw Liam peeling fruit for a woman. The two of them were laughing and talking. He sat on the sofa wearing a custom satin formal outfit. His hair had been carefully styled and he wore cologne. He carried the mature handsomeness unique to Alphas. I’d often heard the pack say he looked good, that he’d be handsome even in a burlap sack, and if he dressed up more, more girls would definitely want to sleep with him. But Liam was naturally wild and unrestrained. Usually he just wore ordinary t-shirts and dress shirts. He didn’t like to dress up. So even in front of his fated mate, he would display himself like a peacock? I also knew that woman. I was the beta’s daughter and had received training from the pack’s elite warriors since childhood. So I was occasionally commissioned to go to the school and teach students some necessary combat skills. This girl was named Chloe, a school director’s daughter. She was smart and learned combat techniques quickly. I forced myself to greet them despite my sadness. The man who had been intimate with me in bed yesterday now acted like he didn’t know me. He only glanced at me once before shifting his gaze back to focus on Chloe. They chatted about hobbies, weather, work, jewelry brands, childhood stories, and school days. Watching Liam constantly finding topics and talking eloquently, I lowered my eyes in self-mockery. So in front of someone he liked, he could be this proactive. “I never thought my fated mate would be you. Many young ladies in the pack have a crush on you and fantasize about marrying you.” Hearing Chloe’s laughing teasing, I watched Liam’s reddening ears and smiled silently. So this was the charm of a fated mate? Even someone like Liam would blush. While I was lost in thought, I suddenly heard my own name. “You’re Aria, right? I took your combat class. I heard you and Liam have a very good relationship.” I froze slightly. When I looked up, I saw Chloe’s probing gaze. Before I could speak, Alpha Benjamin and Luna Eleanor cheerfully chimed in. “Pretty good indeed. The two have been inseparable since childhood. Originally we planned to let Aria and Liam…” Halfway through, Liam’s face darkened. He directly interrupted them. “Mom, Dad, don’t talk nonsense. I’d like anyone before I’d like Aria.” I lowered my eyes to hide the loss in them and forced out a smile. “Me too. I’d be with anyone before I’d be with Liam.” Hearing this, Liam’s expression froze for a moment before quickly returning to normal. He put his hand on my shoulder, looking unconcerned. “Exactly! Aria and I are just like Dad and beta William.” For a moment, the atmosphere in the living room relaxed considerably. I laughed along and vaguely heard Liam’s relieved whispered thanks. “Not bad. You even help me smooth things over now. Thanks.” I said nothing, just imperceptibly shifted a few steps to the side, distancing myself from him. Smooth things over? No. I meant what I said.

Near evening, we prepared to attend the evening celebration. Moonclaw Pack was a very large pack with extensive territory. The celebration was on the other side of the forest. Driving there would take a full half hour, so my father arranged vehicles for us. Liam, Chloe, and I—three young people—rode in one car. Throughout the journey, Liam, sitting in the middle, took meticulous care of Chloe. He adjusted the air conditioning temperature, got a blanket, helped her get water and unscrewed the bottle cap. I sat on the left, watching the two of them chat animatedly, silently turning to look at the scenery outside the window. Halfway there, a torrential rain started pouring from the sky. The road surface had poor lighting, and the car ahead turned on its high beams. James, who was driving, was blinded and couldn’t dodge in time. He crashed straight into it. The instant the danger occurred, Liam instinctively protected Chloe in his arms. Bang— The car window glass shattered and flew everywhere. I, sitting on the inside, was hit and covered in blood. Intense pain spread throughout my body. I felt like my whole body was falling apart. In my hazy consciousness, I saw the right car door open. Liam anxiously carried Chloe out of the car. It was as if he’d forgotten there was another person in the car. He paid no attention at all. The healer who rushed over urgently suggested taking the more seriously injured person for treatment first. But between me lying in a pool of blood and Chloe, who was frightened and disoriented in his arms, Liam only hesitated for a few seconds before still choosing to take Chloe to the hospital first. Watching that figure move farther and farther away, the focus in my eyes slowly dispersed. I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. So this was the relationship between fated mates. More important than my twenty-plus years of connection with him. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find someone who loved me, and the person I loved didn’t love me at all. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier. That continuous tormenting pain dissipated like mist. My wolf anxiously called out to me in my mind. But my eyes went dark and I completely lost consciousness. I don’t know how long it was before I heard noisy voices. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw my mother patting her chest, her voice full of worry and relief. “Thank the Moon Goddess, Aria, you finally woke up. Luckily your wolf contacted me in time, so we could rush back to save you. Three of you were in one car. How come that girl only scraped her hand while you were hurt so badly?” My father also breathed a sigh of relief and picked up a water glass for a drink. “That’s naturally because of Liam’s protection. After all, they’re fated mates. The pull of destiny can’t be changed. Plus Chloe is strong too, which is good for the pack. I really hope she’ll become a Luna like Eleanor in the future.” I listened quietly. When they finished talking, I spoke in a hoarse voice. “Dad, Mom, I want to leave the pack.” Father froze for a moment, but he didn’t get angry at my words. Werewolves valued loyalty. My father was Alpha Benjamin’s beta and had deep loyalty to the Alpha and the pack. But at the same time, he also loved his daughter—me. “Sweetheart, why? What happened?” Tears immediately welled up in my eyes. I hugged my mother and told them everything about Liam and me. After hearing everything, Father couldn’t believe such things had happened. “How could he do such a thing? We all know we must remain loyal to our mates… He dared to treat you like this! I’m going to find him…” “No, Dad, don’t go. I don’t want others to know this happened.” Mom held me. “My daughter, how could you experience something like this?” “Mom, I want to leave here.” I didn’t want to make things difficult for them. If it were an ordinary werewolf who had played with my feelings, my father would definitely beat them up. But Liam was the Alpha’s son, the next Alpha. They couldn’t betray the Alpha and the pack for me. “Maybe if I leave here, I can find my fated mate and forget Liam.” I couldn’t. I was deceiving myself. Even if I met my fated mate and was drawn to him by destiny, I could never forget Liam. He and I grew up together. I’d admired him from a very young age. “Baby, listen to me.” Mother held me. “I won’t abandon you. We can tell Alpha Benjamin you don’t want to see Liam and have him transfer us to other positions…” “No, Mom. As long as I’m still in the pack, I’ll always see him. Liam is the next Alpha. We can’t possibly never see him. Mom, let me leave alone.” “Aria.” My father stood up. His eyes held sadness and determination. “If we leave, it doesn’t necessarily mean betraying the pack. Liam found his fated mate. Soon he’ll be crowned as the new Alpha with that woman as Luna. They’ll appoint a new beta. At that time, my mission will be over. You remember, Alpha King once invited me to be a trainer at the kingdom’s school… Alpha William will agree.” I hesitated for a while, then nodded in agreement. Father and Mother went to discuss this matter with the Alpha and Luna. The injuries on my body had mostly healed. Thanks to my wolf, she was always working hard to heal me. I left the hospital just in time to catch the end of the celebration. Surrounded by young werewolves, Liam was holding a large bouquet of roses and confessing to Chloe. “Chloe, my fated mate, I’ve searched for you for many years. Are you willing to come to my side, become my mate, and belong only to me?” After hearing Chloe say “I do,” I smiled softly and turned to leave the celebration venue. The moment I turned around, enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd of onlookers. Hearing the sound, Liam turned his head and saw my lonely, solitary figure. The smile on his face froze. An odd feeling arose in his heart. This slight discomfort only lasted an instant before being quickly drowned by overwhelming joy. He reached out his hand, openly and generously. He pulled Chloe into his arms.

That night, my parents came to see me at the hospital. They also handled my discharge procedures. Luna Eleanor personally rushed over to express her apology to me. “Dear, I didn’t know this would happen. In fact, we truly expected you to become Liam’s mate more.” She held my hand. “Even if you can’t be together, you shouldn’t have been hurt by him.” I was very grateful for this. “Can’t you really stay? You could become captain of the guard squad. Your abilities are sufficient for this position.” “No.” I shook my head. “Liam and I were once secret lovers. If Chloe finds out about this, she’ll be angry too. I must leave here. You know that.” I didn’t want to become a third party. Luna Eleanor sighed and eventually nodded. She could understand what I meant. If it were her, she also couldn’t accept Alpha Benjamin keeping some lover around him. “I’ll personally write a letter to the Luna Queen to express your wishes.” After saying this, Luna Eleanor looked at me with guilt. I knew she wouldn’t reveal what Liam had done to me. That was fine. I wouldn’t resent her for it. Luna Eleanor had just left when Liam arrived with Chloe. “Aria, I have good news for you. In a while, Chloe and I will hold our marking ceremony. You’re the first person I’m telling.” Looking at their tightly clasped hands, I nodded, my tone flat. “Congratulations.” Chloe’s eyes overflowed with happiness. She smiled shyly. “Thank you for your blessing. Beta William said you were seriously hurt. Are you feeling better now? I brought fish soup. Have some.” As she spoke, she had Liam hurry and serve the soup. Seeing him obediently comply, I was stunned for a moment before reacting. “Thank you, but I don’t need the fish soup.” Hearing this, Liam’s face immediately turned cold. He looked at me with displeasure. “This is soup Chloe personally cooked. I didn’t want to give it to you in the first place. Chloe was concerned about your injury, so I reluctantly agreed to bring you a serving. How can you be so ungrateful?” As he spoke, he poured a bowl and shoved it into my hands, insisting I drink it right now. I tried to explain, but he grabbed my wrist. In the struggle, the bowl was knocked over and hot soup spilled all over my wound. “Ah!” The pain made cold sweat break out on my forehead. My whole face crumpled. I was as pale as paper. Chloe was startled and pulled out tissues to help wipe it, her face full of guilt. Liam was afraid she’d get burned, so he quickly protected her behind him. “Chloe, this has nothing to do with you. She’s been rough and tough since childhood. It’s not a big deal. Don’t blame yourself.” My hand holding the tissue trembled several times. My heart constricted. The next second, my father pushed the door open. Seeing my wound starting to bleed again, he was so frightened he quickly called for a nurse. My mother was heartbroken, but she still patiently put away the fish soup and explained to Chloe. “Chloe, Aria is allergic to seafood. She can’t have fish soup. We appreciate your thoughtfulness. Thank you.” Liam stood frozen in place, his expression becoming unnatural. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Looking at the gauze stained red with blood, my heart was full of bitterness. Before, he always remembered my dietary restrictions. Every time we went to a restaurant, he would emphasize repeatedly to the servers: no peanut butter, no seafood. But now with Chloe, his heart and eyes were full of her. Naturally he wouldn’t remember such small things. A person’s heart is only so big. It can only hold one person. The one they love most. After a long silence, I smiled and answered him. “You didn’t give me a chance to speak.” The hospital room fell into dead silence. Chloe looked like she was about to cry from guilt. Liam felt sorry for her. Without saying anything, he left with her. I originally thought the wound suddenly bled because it hadn’t fully healed yet and had been pulled open. But when the healer came to examine me, they told me there seemed to be some silver seeping into the wound, which caused the bleeding again. I was stunned for a moment but ultimately only told the healer it was an accident. Even though I had my suspicions. After applying more herbal medicine and the wound healed again, I went home with my parents. The kingdom school had already sent Father an invitation. Alpha Benjamin and Luna Eleanor also agreed to let our family leave. They had already chosen a new beta and gamma for Liam. Upon receiving the notice, the family immediately started packing. My parents couldn’t spare the time, so they prepared a generous gift and had me make a trip to the Alpha’s house. As soon as I entered, Luna Eleanor pulled me aside again and kept apologizing. “Ari, I’m so sorry. After all these years of connection between you and Liam, in such a dangerous situation like the car accident, he only protected Chloe and ignored you, causing you such serious injury. I feel terrible about it. We’ll definitely make him apologize to you.” I shook my head and gently comforted them. “Chloe is Liam’s fated mate. He searched for her for so long. It’s right that he focused on protecting her. I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.” I didn’t tell them about the “silver” matter. Seeing I didn’t take it to heart, Alpha Benjamin and Luna Eleanor finally let go of their guilt. The three of us exchanged pleasantries for a while before I brought up the real business, telling them the specific timeline for our family’s departure. Alpha Benjamin sighed. “So soon?” I apologetically answered, “I think perhaps leaving Liam as soon as possible is the best choice for all of us.” Longtime old friends were leaving. Alpha Benjamin and Luna Eleanor felt sad, their voices full of reluctance. “Perhaps in the future, you can still come back to visit.” I smiled. My voice was especially clear in the quiet living room. “Once I leave this time, I won’t come back again.” Liam, who had just returned, pushed open the door and frowned as he looked over. “Who’s not coming back?”

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My boyfriend Noah is the Alpha heir of Red Rock pack, and also my brother Daniel’s friend. Noah and I have been secretly dating for seven years, and not even Daniel knows. But one time after getting drunk, Noah ran his calloused hand through my hair and said in a joking tone, “Emma, let me find you a better man. Can you stop clinging to me from now on?” My eyelashes trembled slightly, but my expression remained calm as I quietly agreed. Only because in my previous life, I didn’t agree to his proposal and insisted on marrying him. After marriage, he ignored me and deliberately gave me the cold shoulder. Even when I hemorrhaged during a difficult childbirth, he was with his first love Sofia watching the Northern Lights in the Arctic. That’s when I realized that true feelings can change in an instant, and love cannot be forced. When I agreed, Noah froze. He clearly hadn’t expected me to answer so readily. The lights in the private room flickered. He wore a loose black T-shirt that showed off his sexy collarbone, but his eyes were clear, showing no sign of drunkenness. I sat up straight, and when I looked at him, the corner of my mouth held its usual faint smile, except the smile didn’t reach my eyes. Noah abandoned his earlier languid manner. His brows furrowed and his expression turned unusually serious. “Emma, did you hear what I just said?” I nodded. “I heard you, Noah.” In the past, if he had said something like that, I would have pretended to be angry, cut him off, and told him not to say such things. But now, my expression remained indifferent, completely unmoved, as if I’d heard something trivial. “Emma, you…” Before he could finish, Daniel, who had gone out for air, walked back in. Daniel and Noah had been friends since childhood. Because my father and Daniel’s father were Noah’s father’s Beta, we’d known each other since we were young. At this moment, when Daniel saw Noah, he broke into a playful smile. “Noah, guess who I just saw outside?” Without waiting for an answer, Daniel continued, “I saw Sofia. She seems drunk, and some guys with bad intentions were dragging her toward the back alley…” Before he finished speaking, Noah jumped up and rushed out of the private room. Soon after, there were sounds of commotion and shattering glass from outside. I sat in my seat, calmly peeling an orange from the fruit plate. Noah liked eating fruit but hated peeling it, so I always carefully peeled it and placed it in his palm. Whenever Daniel saw this, he would tease, “You’re so good to Noah. I’ve never seen you treat me this well. Don’t tell me you like him?” Several times, I almost revealed my relationship with Noah. But he would always put his arm around my shoulder and speak first. “Maybe to Emma, I’m more like a real brother than you. A sister caring for her brother—you got a problem with that?” Gradually, I understood what he meant. He didn’t want others to know about our relationship, so I stopped talking about it. Now, Daniel stood at the door watching. When he turned back and saw me still eating fruit, he raised an eyebrow and teased, “Emma, Noah’s fighting with someone. Aren’t you going to help?” I swallowed the last piece of orange in my mouth and shook my head. “That’s their business. Why would I get involved?” Hearing this, Daniel clicked his tongue but said nothing more and walked out to help. I sat in the private room for a long time, until the noise outside died down, then got up and walked out. As soon as I stepped out of the room, I immediately saw the woman Noah was holding tightly in his arms. That was his first love, and also his obsession he couldn’t let go of—Sofia. Sofia was also Noah’s fated mate. When they were dating, their love was passionate. Everyone around them thought they would end up together, but in the end, Sofia broke up with Noah. At that time, Noah got drunk and leaned sadly on my shoulder. The person I’d secretly loved for so long was so close to me. In that moment, I heard my own heartbeat drumming like thunder. And now, Sofia, who had just been rescued by Noah, was drunk and leaning softly against him like she had no bones. The corners of her eyes were red, crying like rain on pear blossoms. Not only did Noah not push her away, he held her tightly. His bright black eyes showed some anger, along with heartache he himself hadn’t noticed. Seeing this, Daniel came over and lowered his voice, raising his eyebrow. “Emma, looking at Noah’s attitude, do you think he’s going to get back together with Sofia?” His voice was neither loud nor soft, but enough for Noah to hear. Hearing this, Noah suddenly looked up. When he saw me standing not far away, a trace of guilt flashed in his eyes, barely noticeable. He explained, “I haven’t thought about getting back together with her. She’s just drunk, and I’m helping her out.” I smiled and shook my head, my gaze falling on Sofia’s pitifully vulnerable face. “Noah, I understand. Sofia seems really drunk. You should take her home first.” Noah seemed dissatisfied with how I addressed him and frowned slightly, but he didn’t refuse my suggestion. As he left with Sofia, he didn’t forget to remind Daniel, “You guys should head back early too. Don’t wander around outside.”

Watching their departing figures, a needle-like pain shot through my heart, yet I also felt it was incredibly ironic and laughable. My lifelong dream had been to marry Noah. Because I liked Noah, when I met my fated mate, I firmly rejected him. All these years, I stayed by Noah’s side. I thought that after such a long time together, I could eventually touch Noah’s heart. In my previous life, I married Noah as I wished, but I didn’t get the happiness I wanted. On my birthday, I wanted him to spend a simple birthday with me. But he said on the phone, “I’m in a meeting. Can you stop bothering me?” Then I saw photos of him and Sofia skiing in the snowy mountains on her social media. When I had an acute stomach ulcer and wanted him to go to the hospital with me for an examination. He said impatiently, “I’m not a doctor. If you’re in pain, go to the hospital. Why are you looking for me?” Then I saw him accompanying Sofia to the hospital for a minor cold. Later, when I was preparing a surprise for our wedding anniversary, I got into a car accident on the way back, which caused a miscarriage. The doctor called him urgently, wanting him to come to the hospital to sign for the surgery. But he said coldly on the other end of the phone, “Is she dead? If she’s not dead, don’t call me.” As his words fell, Sofia’s excited voice came through. “Noah, look, such beautiful Northern Lights. This trip was really worth it.” The moment the phone hung up, blood gushed from my wound. The pool of blood beneath me was shocking. Remembering the heart-wrenching pain before I died in my previous life, I almost couldn’t breathe. I covered my aching heart and smiled palely. Noah, since you think my love is a burden, I won’t love you anymore. That night, Daniel and I didn’t stay long and went home early. The next day when I woke up, I groggily reached for my phone to check the time. But Sofia’s message was right in front of my eyes. She sent me a photo of Noah sleeping on her couch and said, “Noah stayed at my place to keep me company last night.” Seeing her message, I wasn’t moved at all and just replied with “oh.” When I didn’t respond further, she wouldn’t give up. Soon she sent me another photo. This time it was a photo of breakfast. She said, “Noah made me breakfast himself. He even made cute heart-shaped fried eggs for me.” When Noah was with me, he never went into the kitchen. He said he was tired from working hard outside, and when he came home, he should enjoy himself and not treat himself poorly. So to take care of his stomach, I specially enrolled in cooking classes. As long as I was there, he could eat hot, delicious meals. But after learning what he did for Sofia, I realized how ridiculous everything I’d done was. I glanced at the message, didn’t reply, and put down my phone to continue eating breakfast. Five minutes passed, and Noah suddenly messaged me. He didn’t mention last night, but asked on his own, “The pasta you made for me last time was pretty good. Make some more for me today. I’ll wait for you at the company.” “Oh right, remember not to add salad dressing.” Seeing this message, my expression darkened. Noah didn’t have a habit of avoiding salad dressing. In fact, he especially liked it. I thought about it and replied “okay.” After sending the message, I decisively opened a food delivery app and randomly ordered a home-style meal to be delivered to his company.

In the evening, after finishing work, Daniel and I went out to eat together. We had just arrived at the restaurant we’d reserved when we saw Noah and Sofia walk in with bright smiles, arm in arm. When they saw us, Noah instinctively let go of her hand and walked toward us. Sofia’s expression changed slightly. She walked over with a smile. “What a coincidence! But we came late and there are no empty seats. You don’t mind if we share a table with you, right?” Without waiting for our answer, Noah sat down beside me on his own. Seeing this, Daniel’s eyes widened immediately. He quickly stood up to switch seats with Noah. “What’s wrong with you? Is it appropriate for me to sit with Sofia?” Noah was pushed into the seat across from me. His eyes showed some displeasure, as if he was waiting for me to say something. I avoided his gaze and handed the menu to Sofia. “Sofia, you order what you want to eat. Daniel and I already ordered.” Sofia smiled and took the menu, then looked at Noah with forced naturalness. “Noah, Emma’s cooking is really delicious. It tastes so much better than what you can buy outside.” Her words confirmed my guess. The food Noah asked me to make was for Sofia. I smiled and said nothing. Daniel responded with satisfaction mixed with playfulness. “She wanted to learn cooking for some reason a while back. She’s always been afraid of hardship and exhaustion since childhood. I thought she’d definitely give up in a few days, but she actually stuck with it.” “Now she can make anything. Her future boyfriend will be so lucky.” Noah’s eyes had been smiling, but after hearing this, the smile faded. He leisurely took a sip of tea and said indifferently, “Emma wants to date?” I looked at him with confusion. Remembering what he said in the private room that day, I nodded slightly. “I really should date. Noah, if you have anyone to recommend, please introduce them to me.” “You finally have this awareness!” Daniel was more excited than anyone. “I’ve tried to set you up several times before, but you never agreed. Now that you finally want to date, I’ll do my best to find you a good man!” After he said this, Noah’s lips tightened, and he stared at me without blinking, as if trying to read something from my face. Sofia noticed his emotional change and smiled. “Emma is so lucky to have such a good brother like Daniel to support her. I’m envious just watching. But I think Noah is pretty good. How about…” “Don’t talk nonsense. Emma is my sister.” Before Daniel could say anything, Noah frowned and interrupted her, his words carrying reproach, but his expression showed helplessness. Regarding Noah’s words, I nodded in agreement. “Right. I see Noah as a brother. Sofia, don’t make jokes like that anymore.” “And I think you and Noah are more compatible.” Noah’s face darkened instantly, his eyes tinged with anger. He laughed bitterly. “Is that so? Then I’ll introduce someone to you. Do you want to make time to meet them?” “Sure, then thank you.” I smiled brightly and agreed readily.

Over the next few days, I didn’t contact Noah, and he didn’t contact me either. Instead, Sofia came looking for me. When she came, both Daniel and I were at my place. “So, what do you want?” Faced with Daniel’s question, Sofia looked at me with feigned embarrassment. “Daniel, you know that Noah and I were each other’s first love, and I’m his fated mate. Although we’ve been on and off for several years, we still have feelings for each other.” “Breaking up with him after our fight was my fault. This time I want to confess to him and get back together. Can you help me?” If I hadn’t experienced my previous life, I would have loudly told them that Noah liked me. But precisely because I’d lived through that past life, I clearly understood that Noah had her in his heart. They were the ones truly meant for each other. “Sure, that’s easy! We’ve all seen what’s between you and Noah. He obviously hasn’t let you go. If you confess, it’ll definitely work!” Daniel gave his objective assessment. A smile appeared at the corner of Sofia’s mouth. When she looked at me, her eyes held a determined gleam. I was indifferent and didn’t take it to heart. Two days later, Daniel and Noah’s friends had planned how to set up the confession scene. They arranged for everyone to go to Moonlight Plaza to watch the New Moon Festival’s wizard performance. When we arrived at the destination, there was a large crowd. I didn’t like crowded places, so I thought I’d wait on the side. But Sofia wouldn’t let me go. As the crowd surged, she pulled me into the throng. Soon, we made it to the front row where we could clearly see the performance. As the wizard performance began, magical sparks flew everywhere. Sofia, standing close, was startled by the flying sparks and instinctively moved toward Noah. Noah saw she was genuinely frightened. A smile appeared in his eyes as he tightly held her hand. In that moment, I remembered the early days after our marriage in my previous life. At that time, I was full of hope for marriage. I personally handled all the big and small matters at home, wanting him to feel the warmth of home. But once, when he got drunk and I went to pick him up. I heard him complaining to Sofia, saying groggily, “I feel like I didn’t marry a wife, but got myself a mom. She manages everything about me. So annoying.” “You’re better. You do everything with proper boundaries and don’t make me feel suffocated.” Suddenly, perhaps because the plaza was close to the forest, a crazed tiger jumped out. The surrounding crowd screamed and scattered. This successfully pulled me back from my thoughts. But it was too late. The tiger had already run to my side. I was about to pull Daniel back when someone pushed me hard. Before I could react, I had already crossed the safety barrier. Shouts and scolding voices gathered around me. Just then, an agile figure ran through the chaotic crowd. In that moment, I felt a glimmer of hope, imagining Noah running toward me. But in the next second, he ran toward Sofia, who had also crossed the barrier, without hesitation and held her protectively in his arms. Emma, what exactly are you hoping for? I wanted to laugh but couldn’t. I only felt the irony. Fortunately, Daniel ran over in time and helped me, with my twisted ankle, slowly retreat from the area. After Noah protected Sofia, he subdued the crazed tiger. When he was dealing with the wolf council personnel who arrived, Daniel and I emerged from the crowd. Daniel said, “The confession scene is ready. Let’s go watch the excitement.” He pulled me to the plaza entrance. Noah’s friends had hung heart-shaped colored lights on the Destiny Tree at the entrance, mixed with evidence of Noah and Sofia’s past relationship. There were love letters Sofia had written, photos they’d taken together… Sofia held Noah’s favorite pink roses and passionately declared her love for him. Noah looked at the scene before him, dumbfounded. A breeze happened to blow by, stirring ripples in my calm heart. I thought the wind was bearing witness to their love. Hearing the noise around me, I also started clapping and shouting, “Say yes, say yes!” Hearing my voice, Noah looked at me with complete shock. “Emma, are you crazy? I’m your boyfriend!”

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I’ve been able to see people’s souls since I was a child, and I could even hear them speak. Because of my special ability, my parents loathed me and favored my adoptive sister, Shanna. Later, Shanna landed herself a billionaire. But on the eve of their wedding, Shanna’s fiancé was in a car accident and became a vegetable. Shanna didn’t hesitate to cancel the marriage: “Want me to wait on a vegetable hand and foot? In my dreams! I’m not wasting my whole life on a useless person. I’d rather die than marry him!” Just then. I saw Ethan Ford’s soul. His face was deathly pale, and his eyes were full of hatred as he looked at my adoptive sister: “She’s so heartless! The doctor clearly said I’d wake up within six months.” “If someone’s willing to take care of me voluntarily, once I wake up, I’ll give her two hundred million first thing, just to piss off that bitch!” My eyes lit up, and I timidly raised my hand: “How about… I marry you?” I really wanted that two hundred million. I thought my adoptive sister Shanna would try to stop me. After all, since we were kids. Her greatest pleasure was opposing me and then enjoying watching me suffer. But unexpectedly, this time. She snorted with laughter and casually shoved me forward: “You’re just a nuisance at home anyway. Going to wait on him hand and foot is perfect for you.” “Look at you acting like you’ve never seen a man before, throwing yourself at even a vegetable. How pathetic.” I kept my head down and didn’t talk back. Being able to escape this family and earn two hundred million in the process? I couldn’t wait to succeed in my pursuit. But Ethan’s soul. Was so angry it floated behind Shanna, throwing punches at her constantly: “Shanna! You used to tell me your sister Rose was always bullying you—turns out it was all lies.” “You’re the one who’s been bullying Rose this whole time. I can’t believe I was played like a fool by you, you bitch!” His resentment was heavy. Even the surrounding air seemed to drop a few degrees. I quietly shrank my neck and walked up to Mrs. Ford on my own: “I’m the biological daughter of the family. If you don’t mind, Mrs. Ford, I’m willing to marry Ethan in my sister’s place.” Mrs. Ford’s worried expression cleared immediately. After Ethan’s accident, they publicly stated he would recover quickly. If he got jilted at this critical moment. Not only would they become a laughingstock, but people would lose confidence in the Ford family, affecting their stock price. And I had clearly become the Ford family’s lifeline. Mrs. Ford grabbed my hand excitedly: “You’re really willing?” “However, Ethan is unconscious right now and can’t get a marriage license or have a wedding with you.” “As long as you take good care of him and fulfill your duties as a wife, when he wakes up, the position of the Ford family’s daughter-in-law will be yours.” I nodded obediently: “I’m very good at taking care of people. I’ve been caring for my paralyzed grandparents since I was little.” The soul frowned and floated to my side. He looked me up and down, and a wave of cold air made my spine shiver. I pretended not to know of his existence and tried hard to sell myself. “I can cook, I can help people turn over and bathe, and I’m very patient…” My parents chimed in eagerly: “That’s right, our Rose is born to serve others.” “Having her take care of Ethan is perfect. As her parents, we approve of this marriage. You should take her with you right away.” My parents acted like they were throwing out garbage. They couldn’t wait to kick me out the door. Behind the door came Shanna’s shrill mocking laughter: “A freak and a vegetable, two half-dead wastes—a perfect match.” The soul kept shaking his head: “Shanna is too vicious… So all her previous kindness and innocence was an act.” “I must have been blind. When I wake up, I’ll give Rose two hundred million immediately, just to piss Shanna off!” Watching the soul float through the wall. I prayed silently in my heart. That two hundred million you promised—you better keep your word.

Half an hour later, I saw Ethan himself in the special care ward. He was thin, covered in tubes, relying on machines to maintain his vital signs. Mrs. Ford wiped her tears sadly: “He has a brain injury. Although the surgery was successful, he still needs time to recover.” “At the shortest, six months; at the longest, three years… We want to maintain the Ford family’s dignity, but we also want to find him a companion.” “Shanna should think about it—we can afford professional nurses, so why would we need her to do menial work?” What Mrs. Ford meant was. For a vegetative patient to wake up, they need strong emotional companionship. Ideally, someone should talk to him every day, keeping his brain actively thinking, which helps faster recovery. But Ethan’s critical condition couldn’t be shown to outsiders. And she was busy stabilizing the company. Shanna would have been the best choice. But unexpectedly, this important task ultimately fell to me. The soul stood by the hospital bed, his face ashen: “I also thought Shanna would stick by me through thick and thin, but she completely broke my heart.” “I just want to find someone reliable to read me financial news every day. Why is that so hard? I don’t know if Rose can handle it…” After listening to him ramble for a while, I understood. His body and consciousness were separated, which is why I could see his soul. When he woke up, his soul would naturally return to his body. After thinking it over. I laid out my plan: “I plan to report news to Ethan every day, then continuously play movies and music for him.” “I’ll describe the weather to him each day and try to let him smell various scents to strengthen his perception of the outside world.” “As for bathing and such… If Mrs. Ford doesn’t mind, let me do it too. That way I can become more familiar with Ethan.” Both Mrs. Ford and the soul thought I was making empty promises. They didn’t believe I could be so thorough, thoughtful, and patient. But the next day, they were impressed. When Mrs. Ford came to the ward. I had just finished shaving Ethan’s beard, making him look much more refreshed. A newly released movie was playing on TV, and I would explain scenes to him from time to time. At the same time, I was holding a tablet, regularly reading financial news aloud. Next to Ethan’s head was fruit tea I had made myself, its fragrance masking the smell of disinfectant. I had even set up my own bed in the ward. So I could stay with Ethan twenty-four hours a day. Mrs. Ford was deeply moved: “Actually, you can sleep at the Ford house at night.” I smiled and told Mrs. Ford. As long as I didn’t have to live in my original home, I was happy anywhere. “Besides, staying here strengthens my emotional connection with Ethan, which is good for waking him up.” After I spoke. I sneaked a glance at the soul. His expression had improved considerably. “Shanna’s too spoiled. Even if she came, she couldn’t take care of me properly.” “But this Rose seems quite reliable. I guess this is a blessing in disguise.” It seemed I had passed Ethan’s own evaluation. That made the next steps much easier.

I began closely monitoring the soul’s movements. Perhaps straying too far would affect the soul’s return to the body. He generally just stayed in the ward, only going out for a walk when the weather was nice. The last time he took the risk to float that far was to see Shanna. Now that his heart was dead. He had become obedient. When I took care of Ethan. The soul would ramble on beside me: “How does Rose know I love opera? Looks like she did her homework. Not bad.” “Why doesn’t she also find out that my favorite fruit is durian? Making me smell apples every day—I’m sick of it.” The next day I brought in a big durian and opened it in front of him: “Ethan, guess how many sections of fruit our durian has?” I had gotten bolder. I would manipulate Ethan’s fingers. Sometimes making a six, sometimes making an eight. The soul would protest at first: “Stop it! No one’s ever dared treat me like this in my whole life. You think I’m your toy?” Later he got used to it. He would roll his eyes while secretly smiling. Smelling the durian fragrance filling the ward. The soul’s eyes gleamed brightly, his will to survive growing stronger: “I’m craving this so much… I have to wake up quickly so I can enjoy it with Rose.” After the soul spoke. The wavy line on the heart monitor showed subtle fluctuations. I also started eating the durian with gusto: “You know, thanks to you, this is my first time eating durian.” “Back home, I could only eat rotten apples and oranges.” The soul froze. I had gotten used to looking at Ethan’s face. I opened my heart and confided in him like a friend: “Your mom thinks I’m working so hard and gave me a hundred thousand dollars. Actually, at home I had to take care of three people—Mom, Dad, and Shanna. Before, I also had to add Grandpa and Grandma.” “Now I’m here and only have to take care of you. It’s actually much easier.” The soul floated to my side, gazing at me deeply without saying a word. That day I calmly talked about many things. Like how my parents abused me, how Shanna had been bullying me all along. After pouring out all my grievances, I felt refreshed. But the soul’s eyes had turned red. “Are Rose’s parents sick? Why don’t they cherish such a good biological daughter, but instead dote on a spoiled adoptive daughter?” “When I wake up, I must teach that family a good lesson for Rose.” I was a bit touched. Though the teaching part could be skipped. As long as the two hundred million came through successfully, I’d be grateful. After that day. The soul and I became much closer. I still pretended not to know of his existence, but I fulfilled his every wish. He also stayed by my side constantly, watching everything I did. After continuing like this for four months. One day while I was manipulating Ethan’s fingers again. Ethan’s finger. Actually moved on its own! The soul was shocked: “My nerves and muscles seem to be responding to external stimuli!” “Looks like the brain nerves are recovering well. Will I be able to return to my body soon?” I joyfully notified Mrs. Ford. The good news spread quickly. Not only did a large group of experts come to consult on Ethan’s case. But Shanna also burst into the ward. She glanced disdainfully at the vegetable on the bed and roughly dragged me outside: “I heard Ethan is about to wake up?” Seeing I didn’t respond. Shanna slapped me across the face: “You really think you’ve landed the Ford family? How dare you give me attitude.” The soul was so angry he gritted his teeth. “Rose, are you stupid? Fight back! I’ve got your back!” “You won’t fight back? Then I’ll do it for you!” But the fists he threw. Aside from stirring up gusts of cold wind, had no destructive power. Shanna poked my nose and warned me: “If Ethan really wakes up, you better get lost. I’ll make Ethan believe I’ve been the one taking care of him all along.” “After all, I’m the woman Ethan loves. Even when he wakes up, he’ll only marry me!”

The soul reacted faster than I did: “As long as my brain can retain the soul’s memories, I definitely won’t marry you!” After saying this, he paused again: “But speaking of which… when I wake up, will I retain these memories? What if I forget everything?” “Can the soul’s consciousness perfectly merge with the body’s consciousness? I didn’t even consider this…” “Oh no, what if I forget and really think Shanna was the one taking care of me? What do I do then?” I rubbed my cheek, equally anxious. Who Ethan married didn’t really matter. The key issue was—if Shanna stole my credit, wouldn’t my two hundred million go down the drain? The soul quickly slapped his forehead: “I almost forgot about my mom. My mom has seen Shanna’s true nature. She won’t let me marry Shanna again.” “Right, right. As long as my mom’s around, she can prove that Rose was the one taking care of me all along.” But unexpectedly. Shanna refused to give up and immediately went to find Mrs. Ford. She brazenly declared: “You know Ethan’s personality. Once he’s set on me, he’ll definitely marry me.” “When he wakes up, you can’t force him to marry a woman he doesn’t even know, right?” “He survived this disaster. As his mother, you should fully support him, not interfere in his marriage!” Mrs. Ford was actually swayed by this argument. She consulted with me awkwardly: “Ethan doesn’t know who took care of him anyway.” “I’ll just say it was Shanna. They were in love to begin with, so it’ll be natural for them to get married and everyone will be happy.” “I’ll give you generous compensation. As long as you don’t say anything, no one will know you were the one who took care of Ethan.” Seeing me nod compliantly. The soul kept whispering in my ear: “Rose, can you have some backbone? Why are you handing over your credit to someone else?” I wanted to. But I had been submissive my whole life. With no background, no connections, no confidence—what could I fight with? The soul was frustrated: “Forget it, I can’t count on anyone. I better work hard and try to retain these memories myself!” After Shanna convinced Mrs. Ford. To be extra safe, she released news to the media early: “Under my devoted care, Ethan is finally about to wake up!” “We’ll soon get our marriage license and have our wedding. I’ll officially become Mrs. Ford very soon. Thank you all for your blessings.” Everyone outside believed. It was Shanna’s devoted companionship that created a miracle for Ethan. As more and more experts intervened, plus Ethan’s own strong will. In less than six months, Ethan’s indicators showed. His brain had completely recovered and he could wake up at any moment. And the soul was increasingly reluctant to part with me: “Rose, I hope I can remember everything from this time when I wake up.” “God bless, I don’t want to forget all the good things you’ve done for me, and I definitely don’t want to mistake Shanna for my benefactor.” I hoped for the same. But this was all beyond my control. This day when I woke up. I didn’t see the soul. I immediately realized: Ethan was about to wake up! I immediately called Mrs. Ford and the experts. Shanna also rushed over with the media. Under countless expectant gazes. The experts performed pre-awakening medical procedures. With a beep. The vegetative Ethan actually slowly opened his eyes. Everyone held their breath, not daring to disturb him easily. Ethan lifted his finger slightly, then swallowed with difficulty. He squinted at the ceiling, seemingly trying hard to remember something. At this moment. I could only pray that Ethan still retained the soul’s memories and clearly remembered who had been taking care of him. But if he had forgotten… Then I had not only wasted half a year of effort but also handed everything over to Shanna on a silver platter. Shanna couldn’t hold back and anxiously rushed to the bedside: “Ethan, you’re finally awake! I’m Shanna, the one you love most!” “For the past six months, I’ve been carefully taking care of you, waiting on you hand and foot, never leaving your side.” “You must know, you must remember, right?” Seeing Ethan’s confused expression. My heart sank. Could it be… he really forgot everything? My parents whispered mockingly in my ear: “Stop dreaming. Mrs. Ford already said, as long as Ethan doesn’t remember, Shanna will be the one who took care of him.” “Get lost now. Don’t ruin Shanna’s moment.” Seeing Ethan staring deeply at Shanna. Disappointment filled my chest. I hung my head in dejection, about to leave. The next second, Ethan suddenly spoke, asking coldly: “It was really you taking care of me?”

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My foster sister Sienna became jealous. On SAT exam day, she drugged me unconscious and abandoned me on a deserted island six thousand miles away. When my boyfriend found me, I already had a child with a local fisherman. He risked his life trying to take me away, but the other fishermen beat him to death with clubs. Grief-stricken and desperate, I tried drowning myself in the sea several times. The fisherman husband saved me each time, until finally he grew impatient and pulled off his hood, revealing my boyfriend’s face. I stared at him in shock, then pointed trembling at the hood on the ground. “Didn’t you die trying to save me?” He sat down and methodically burned the hood. “I brought you here to make you give up your Ivy League recommendation spot for Sienna.” “Because I felt guilty about you, I hid it from Sienna and pretended to be a fisherman, giving you a child.” “This fake death was supposed to make you give up on leaving. I didn’t expect you to keep trying to kill yourself.” “Since you know now, I don’t need to pretend anymore. You’re on the island, she’s on the mainland.” “If you can accept it, we’ll continue like this.”

The man before me gradually merged with the boy in my memory. He’d shed his youthfulness and grown much more composed. I stared at his face, feeling dazed. I’d been on this island for seven whole years. “So you destroyed me for that mistress’s daughter.” He frowned, instinctively defending her. “What mistress’s daughter? Sienna suffered so much growing up.” “What her mother did has nothing to do with her.” “Jasmine, do you know how much it hurts Sienna every time you say that?” I didn’t know. All I knew was that Sienna destroyed my family. She was supposedly my foster sister. But really, she was my dad’s illegitimate daughter. She was even born in the same month as me. She could always play the victim. She stole money from home and framed me for it. Made my dad beat me senseless. Bribed someone during the exam to frame me for cheating. Then spread the news afterward. Made the whole grade call me “Miss Cheater.” Cornered me in the bathroom with several people and threw dirty water on me. Took photos of me soaking wet and humiliated, spreading them throughout the school. Only my boyfriend Sebastian stood up for me. I transferred schools later just to escape her. But now. She hadn’t just taken my home. She’d also conspired with Sebastian. Sent me to a deserted island and destroyed my entire life. I looked up, holding back tears. “Why?” He froze, then smiled lightly. “When you dragged me along to confront your dad’s mistress, I fell for her the moment I saw her.” “After you left, she came to find me. The little girl held back tears and called me brother. My heart melted completely.” His expression grew tender. “Later, before you transferred, she played tricks on you a few times and asked me for help.” “I couldn’t bear to disappoint her, so I didn’t refuse.” I felt thunderstruck, my pupils contracting sharply. So he’d been behind everything. Sebastian and I had grown up together. He’d always been so good to me. I’d never considered anyone else. He was my only choice. At eight, little him saved me from human traffickers and took several beatings. At fourteen, he secretly beat up all the boys who bullied me until their bones broke, getting hurt himself and not daring to go home. At sixteen, he confessed to me for the first time, promising we’d go to the same university. And at seventeen, he casually changed his heart. Became her accomplice. And pushed me into the abyss. I collapsed to the floor, enduring the wrenching pain in my heart. He crouched down and wiped my tears. “You don’t need to worry about anything staying here. Your mom died of illness last year.” “Your dad married Sienna’s mom. She has high academic achievements now, doting parents, and me. She’s living happily.” I stood up in disbelief. “What did you say! How could my mom have died? She was so young, how is that possible?!” His expression didn’t change, his voice slightly hoarse. “Your mom was good to me, Jasmine. I had no choice either.” “Cancer took her.” Seeing me frozen, he came over and gently embraced me. “Jasmine, you were my first love. You have a place in my heart.” “We have a child now. Will you be good?” His voice carried a coaxing tone. “Be obedient, and I’ll come visit you often.” “Tomorrow is my and Sienna’s wedding anniversary. She’s been begging me to take her on a romantic getaway at sea.” “Everyone on the island works for the Hayes family. They’ll help me take care of you.” I stood there like a wooden statue, not responding. My mother’s gentle smile floated before my eyes. She’d been dignified her whole life. When she found out her husband was cheating, she hadn’t even blamed Sienna. How could she possibly have died of cancer? Did Uncle know? Thinking of that man, I closed my eyes. A gust of wind swept through the window, knocking a few withered leaves from the tree by the door. I silently clenched my fists. He would never have stood by and watched Mom get bullied.

After Sebastian came clean, he stopped wearing fisherman’s clothes. He changed into a black trench coat. Sebastian had always been good-looking. High-bridged nose, beautiful eyes like a painting. Many girls had pursued him. In the past, for every love letter he received, he’d give me ten gifts. He said: “I’ll only ever love Jasmine in this lifetime. For every time someone else shows interest, I’ll be ten times better to her.” The last time, he planted a gardenia tree for me. I stared blankly for a while. He straightened his collar, smiling at his lit phone screen. On the wallpaper was their wedding photo. The woman wore a diamond-studded wedding dress and the blue Heart of the Ocean necklace. I remembered he’d told me before. If we ended up together in the future, got married. He’d take me around the world for wedding photos. Personally put the veil on my head. Hold my hand and kiss by the sea. I’d blushed from imagining it. I used to love watching Titanic. Would cry over the beautiful love between the leads. Back then Sebastian walked by, glanced at it, and frantically helped wipe my tears. “Why do girls like these things?” “Fine, for your eighteenth birthday, I’ll get you an identical one.” He truly hadn’t forgotten that vow. Only the person standing beside him wasn’t me. I looked again at the woman’s wedding dress. Then looked down at the rough burlap I was wearing. On the island, I only had two shapeless burlap shirts. Life was very hard. The so-called husband only showed a bit of warmth when pinning me down at night. In seven years, when he said he was going fishing, he’d leave for two or three months. But I didn’t care. Because I’d never considered him a husband. To me he was just a human trafficker. Until last month, when I finally saw a familiar figure by the sea. But Sebastian hadn’t come to take me away. He even wanted me to stay here. To be kept by him for life. Pretending to be a fisherman for seven years—it must have been hard on him. My heart throbbed with wave after wave of stabbing pain. I could barely breathe. A child’s excited shouts came through the phone. “Daddy! The house you bought me, Mommy finished decorating it!” “It’s so pretty! Like a castle!” “Mommy said you’ve prepared lots of houses like this for me all over the world!” The woman laughed and pushed the child away. “Go on, go play. Your dad and I need to talk.” He looked at the phone with an indulgent smile on his face. “Baby, I’m coming back soon.” “Mm, I know. You bought the lingerie already? Miss me that much?” “Then don’t sleep tonight. Begging won’t help.” Looking back and seeing me, he froze for an instant. He quickly hung up, glanced at the child sleeping on the bed. Walked over and patted my head, his voice softening. “I have to go. Take care of the baby. She’s only two, she can’t be without her mom.” He took my hand and put a ring on my finger. “If you want a wedding ceremony, we’ll have one next month.” I silently collected the hood ashes from the floor. My voice was emotionless. “Fine.” My heart grew cold. Voices came from outside the window. “Sienna she…” The other person paused for a few seconds. Sebastian immediately strode over, asking nervously: “What happened to her? Is something wrong?!” Before he finished speaking, an arrogant female voice rang out at the door. “Honey, did you miss me?”

The woman wore a white dress with red flowers on thin straps. Her makeup was exquisite, bright and beautiful. She rushed into Sebastian’s arms. The moment she hugged him, she saw me standing behind him. My expression didn’t change. I didn’t move either. The woman’s perfume hit me head-on. She released her hands from around the man’s back. Step by step, she walked up to me. “This lady looks so familiar.” She smiled and lifted my chin, leaning in close. “Can’t hide that beauty. No wonder he’s been keeping you hidden.” The next instant. A slap landed on my face. “How was sleeping with my man, sweetheart?” Sebastian instinctively frowned, pulling her from behind. But she shook him off. “He disappears for months at a time. You’ve got some skills, don’t you?” “Hooking him so he can’t bear to leave you.” She crouched down to look at me. “I thought you were living it up with savages on a deserted island. Turns out you stole my man.” “If I hadn’t been monitoring his movements every month, I wouldn’t have known what you’ve been up to.” I raised my head and looked straight at her. “You’ll get what’s coming to you.” She acted like she’d heard the biggest joke. “You seduced my husband, and I’m the one who’ll get what’s coming?” “When I was pregnant, he still had to visit you from time to time.” “You know I’ve never been generous. Not throwing you into the sea is me being good to you.” I laughed mockingly. The next second I lunged at her and pushed. “I’m talking about you stealing my life!” “My recommendation spot!” “Stop playing dumb!” She couldn’t keep her balance and fell backward, screaming. Then landed in Sebastian’s arms. He held Sienna tightly, comforting her softly. “Are you okay, honey? Does it hurt anywhere?” He lifted his foot and kicked me hard in the stomach. Veins bulged on his forehead, his tone impatient. “Jasmine! Can you have some conscience? You’ve had it so good on this island, you didn’t have to marry a fisherman, didn’t get beaten, had food and drink, even had a child.” “How can you be so unreasonable and dare to lay hands on her?!” “Looks like I’ve been too good to you!” I clutched my stomach, curling up in pain. He carried Sienna and kicked the door open. And I lay on the floor, watching their retreating backs. Suppressing the nausea rising in my heart. In this place. Was the child some kind of blessing to me? In seven years I got pregnant three times, miscarried twice. The first time was Sebastian’s first year pretending to be a fisherman. He came back after three months at sea and forced himself on me at night. I didn’t know I was pregnant and was still diving for kelp in the sea. I ended up hemorrhaging severely, nearly died. He found an island doctor to see me, only saying: “It’s fine, you’re still young.” The second time was winter of the second year. He’d been drinking, too rough and urgent. I bled for two months. And he frowned, saying I was too delicate. The third time was three years ago. After pinning me down that time, he disappeared for half a year. When he came back, he only saw me holding the premature baby. How much I suffered. Did he ever care? I looked out the window. A group of men in black guarded the door, discussing quietly. “This is Mr. Hayes’s mistress. She’s got some nerve.” “Exactly. Got caught and still dared to lay hands on Sienna.” “Never seen Mr. Hayes treat any other woman well. What’s special about this one?” “Heard she’s a beautiful scholar.” “Can she be more of a scholar than Sienna? Besides, on this deserted island, what good is being a scholar!” “At most she’s just a beauty, good in bed, made Mr. Hayes make an exception to keep her.” The physical pain hadn’t eased. I crawled up and grabbed Sebastian’s forgotten phone. I crouched down, hands trembling as I dialed. The call connected. I grabbed onto it like a lifeline. “Uncle, my mom is dead. I’m in this place. Save me!” Without waiting for a response, I immediately hung up. Quickly navigated the phone to send my location. Then deleted all traces. Put the phone back where it was, then sat against the wall. Though I called him uncle. I’d always hoped. If only Mom had married him instead. He was a student Mom had sponsored, climbed up from the bottom. Pursued my mom his whole life. But never got to protect her. Footsteps approached outside the door. My nerves immediately tensed. The moment he stepped in. The phone I’d put back suddenly started ringing frantically.

The phone’s ringtone was my favorite love song. I felt dazed. When we were sixteen, we sat at the same desk. Phone hidden in our pockets, one earbud each. I felt him secretly hold my hand, my heart pounding. But now, I looked around. Seven years in a deserted island grass hut, youth already exhausted. Patience also exhausted. He walked over. I nervously clutched my hem. He didn’t even look, just hung up directly. “Secretary Davis, cancel all my appointments.” “Unless it’s a life-or-death emergency, don’t disturb me.” Someone outside immediately acknowledged. He crouched down, eyes bloodshot. Fingers threaded through my hair, yanking backward. Sebastian delivered a resounding slap to my face. I felt a burning pain and fell to the ground. My ears rang, a metallic taste in my throat. The physical pain was nothing compared to the humiliation. His voice contained fury. “Do you know what you’ve done?!” I raised my head, meeting his eyes. Enunciating each word clearly. “I don’t know!” He kicked and shattered a nearby clay pot. Exhaled deeply. “Go kneel and apologize to her now. For old times’ sake, I can forgive you.” “Otherwise you can join her child in death!” I struggled to grit out: “I barely used any force!” “Stop blaming everything on me!” He laughed coldly, stood up and clapped his hands. A group immediately entered and surrounded me. He stepped back two paces, looking at me coldly. “I used to remember how much I liked you, didn’t want to be harsh.” “Since you refuse to repent, maybe I really need to teach you a lesson.” Two or three bodyguards dragged me up, holding me firmly. Dragged me out the door. The beach was empty, the sun brutal. He directed people to set up a long pole. His secretary handed him a bundle of rope. I realized what was happening and began struggling violently. The abdominal pain hadn’t passed. Moments later I was out of strength. I looked up to see him approach and embrace me. What looked like a hug. Rough rope bound my hands tightly. I already felt uncomfortable. I looked up at him. “Sebastian, from childhood until now, I never wronged you.” “I don’t love you anymore. Whatever happens between you and Sienna has nothing to do with me.” “But you can’t do this to me.” He laughed coldly. “So you can do this to her?” “Jasmine, why do you always act so superior around her?” “Back then she was just a pitiful girl. Now she’s just a wife throwing a little tantrum.” “Where exactly do you think you’re better than her?” “Stop always acting like being the legitimate wife’s daughter makes you special.” “To her, you’re the third party.” After tying me up, he unhurriedly returned to the hut. The August sun on the deserted island was extremely glaring. My clothes left my arms and legs completely exposed. Soon everything went black. Severe headache, I started feeling nauseous. I had severe hypoglycemia. Sebastian knew. He used to always carry colorful candies of different flavors. Would pull one out from time to time and stuff it in my mouth. Asking with a light laugh if it was sweet. But now, thirty feet away, he was spoon-feeding Sienna sugar water. I don’t know how long passed. My skin burned from the sun. Breathing grew weaker and weaker. Before I fainted. I felt a violent wind. Then heard Sebastian’s bodyguards shouting at the sky in panic. “What is that thing?!” Sebastian’s expression changed. He strode over in big steps. Crouched down and grabbed my chin. “What’s your relationship with Vincent Shaw?”

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