To save my childhood sweetheart, Serena, who suffered from congenital heart disease, my wife Valerie tricked me into signing an organ donation agreement. Then, she found a semi-truck and had me run over right outside the hospital. As I was barely clinging to life, Valerie coolly removed my heart. When my body was wheeled out of the operating room, Serena rushed to my side like a madwoman. She saw the gaping, unstitched void in my chest and screamed, tears streaming down her face: “I’m so sorry… I was too late… If there’s a next life, I won’t let you suffer like this again…” Her tears landed exactly where my heart used to be, and I even felt a strange warmth. She spun around and stormed into the operating room. When she emerged, Valerie and Dylan Hayes were lying in pools of blood. Then, she slit her own wrist, taking her life for me. Before she died, she ordered them to bury us together. When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn. Valerie, dressed in a wedding gown and holding a bouquet, was proposing to me. I immediately flung the bouquet in her face, then turned and embraced Serena in the crowd. But after just a year and a half of marriage, she changed. Valerie and Dylan Hayes became inseparable, openly letting him move into our home. She even let him drive over my cat—my beloved cat that I’d raised for seven years—claiming its incessant meowing was disturbing his sleep. I couldn’t believe this was the woman who had loved me so fiercely in my last life. My eyes burning, I demanded, “What the hell is wrong with you?” But Valerie’s eyes were glacial. “Nothing. Just fell out of love.”

After burying my cat, I stopped by a copy shop on the way back and printed two copies of a divorce agreement. As soon as I got home, the housekeeper came up to me. “Sir, the madam has been busy in the kitchen all morning. She’s probably trying to apologize to you. She really cares about you.” I could only force a hollow smile. Clutching the divorce papers, I walked towards the kitchen. Valerie was packing up the food she’d just made. The kitchen was a disaster zone. When she saw me, she immediately stopped, pulling off her apron as she headed for the door. “I’m going to change. Help me pack this up. Eat whatever else is on the table, and then come with me to bring food to Dylan.” So, all that effort was just to make a meal for Dylan. Of course. Knowing Valerie, she would never cook personally just to apologize to me. I reached out and stopped her hurried exit, handing her the divorce agreement. “Sign this.” She frowned, staring at me. Her hand already flipped to the last page, where she scribbled her name. She casually stuffed the papers back into my chest, then rushed off, saying, “Hurry up. I’ll be down in two minutes.” I scoffed. She had signed the divorce papers, so I was free to leave. As I was about to head out, Valerie, already changed, ran down the stairs. She saw me by the front door, without the lunchbox she’d prepared, and immediately blew up. “Caleb Reed! I’m stressed out of my mind, and all I asked you to do was put the lunchbox in a bag! Why are you just standing there like an idiot?!” “Dylan works hard overseeing the site. He only gets a short break to eat. Are you going to take responsibility if he misses his meal?” She stormed into the kitchen, packed the lunchbox in two swift movements, then grabbed it and strode back to me, shoving it into my arms. The steaming hot container made me flinch, but before I could react, she dragged me out the door. After tossing me into the car, she stomped on the gas, and the car sped off. When we arrived at the construction site, Valerie was wiping Dylan’s sweat and fanning him. They looked so intimate, truly like an affectionate couple. Even I, her actual husband, was green with envy. Valerie insisted on dragging me along, no doubt just to mess with me. I was almost gone anyway, so I didn’t care anymore. “Look out!” A startled cry rang out. Valerie, beside me, reacted first, but she shoved me aside. As I fell, I saw Dylan embracing Valerie, leaping away. A steel beam crashed down exactly where we had been standing, sending up a cloud of dust. I scrambled to my feet and rushed over. Valerie pushed Dylan off her, her hands flying to her lower abdomen in a panic. “My baby!” Dylan scrambled back to Valerie’s side, carefully helping her up, his eyes overflowing with urgency. I stood there, stunned, staring at Valerie’s belly. “You… you’re having a baby?” Valerie was pregnant? But the last time we were intimate was a year ago. So… she loved Dylan enough to have his child?

The car keys Valerie threw at me hit my forehead, giving me my answer. “What else? You think it’s yours?” Maybe it was my imagination, but as the heavy keys struck my head, I distinctly saw a flicker of something in Valerie’s eyes. But her voice remained icy. “What are you waiting for? Get in the car! Take me to the hospital!” Stunned, I unconsciously obeyed, starting the car and speeding towards the hospital. It wasn’t until I went to pick up Valerie’s lab results that a passing nurse gasped, looking at my head. “Your head is bleeding!” I reached up and touched it, realizing the blood from the gash on my forehead had already coagulated. After cleaning the wound, I returned to Valerie’s exam room with the results. Just outside the door, I overheard the doctor’s caution: “Ms. Thorne, it’s a miracle your baby is alright this time. Please be extremely careful from now on.” “This pregnancy was conceived through IVF, and with unstable implantation, the risk of miscarriage is very high.” IVF? Why IVF? I was a bit confused. Valerie and Dylan’s relationship was almost public. Was IVF really necessary? As I was pondering, Valerie walked out of the room and bumped into me. I looked steadily into her eyes and asked, “What’s this about IVF?” She froze for a second, her gaze darting away. Even her words were stuttering. “Wh-what IVF? There’s no such thing!” Her reaction was exactly like someone caught in a lie. My brows furrowed. Could it be… this child… A sudden pang in my chest. I stared at her, my voice rising unconsciously. “Valerie! What’s going on with the IVF?!” Under my direct gaze, Valerie’s shoulders began to tremble. Her breathing grew rapid, as if she was about to break and tell me the truth… “Valerie, is the baby okay?” Dylan’s concerned voice suddenly broke through, making her jump. She immediately shoved me away and yelled, “Mind your own business! Caleb Reed, don’t you dare try to hurt Dylan and my baby!” Her words hit me like a bucket of ice water. All my desperate hopes crumbled. Indeed, this was her and Dylan’s child. How they conceived it was their business. I scoffed, a self-deprecating smile on my face, and handed the car keys back to Valerie. “I guess I was meddling.” “If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave. I won’t disturb you resting up for the baby.” I turned to leave, but Dylan clapped his hands. “Caleb, I still have to learn from your acting skills!” “I knew you took a long time getting the lab results. Turns out you were staging a scene.” “It’s just a small cut, why wrap it up like that? All to make Valerie feel sorry for you, right?” Valerie finally noticed the gauze on my forehead. A fleeting look of concern crossed her eyes. She reached out, as if to check my injury, but then grabbed my arm instead. “I can’t drive. Dylan can’t drive. You’re taking us home.” “And make dinner. Then bake a cake. It’s Dylan’s birthday tonight.” It hit me then. Today was Dylan’s birthday, but it was also mine. Even though I was five years older than Dylan, our birthdays were on the same day, same month. In my last life, when I was with Serena Vance, she never celebrated my birthday. Only Valerie Thorne did. But the Valerie Thorne in this life had completely forgotten about me. I looked into her eyes, my voice firm. “No.” This was the first time I had ever refused Valerie. In my last life, she avenged me after my death, and insisted on being buried with me. From the moment I was reborn, I had decided to love her with everything I had. But now, I was truly exhausted. Dylan gently tugged Valerie’s sleeve. “Caleb doesn’t want to, forget it. No cake, no big deal. It’ll just be an incomplete birthday.” “Enough! You don’t have the right to refuse!” Without giving me a chance to argue, Valerie dragged Dylan and me into the car. Back at the mansion, seeing me methodically start on the cake, Valerie finally looked satisfied and left the kitchen. I remembered the first time I made her a cake. Her eyes were full of stars as she watched my every move. Sure enough, anything, given enough time, becomes tiresome. I sighed softly and opened the oven, ready to take out the baked cake base. “Not ready yet? I’m starving, man.” Dylan’s voice came from behind me. I ignored him, but the next second, a strong push came from behind, and I stumbled forward uncontrollably. In my panic, my hand landed squarely on the scorching hot oven rack. “Ah!” A burning pain shot through my palm. I struggled to pull my hand away, tearing off a piece of skin that sizzled in the oven. Dylan immediately tapped the oven with his finger, then clutched his hand and sank to the floor. “Caleb! I’m sorry!” “What happened?!” Valerie rushed into the kitchen, asking anxiously. I clutched my wrist, my palm trembling slightly. I expected Valerie to go to Dylan first. But a familiar scent filled the air, and she actually ran straight to me, grabbing my wrist. Seeing my horribly mangled hand, her eyes filled with concern. “How did this happen…” She urgently looked up at me, meeting my confused gaze, and her eyes instantly filled with panic. “Caleb, I know you’re upset about making my cake, but I was just trying to help you get the cake base. You didn’t have to try and ruin my hand…” Dylan’s tearful voice drifted over. Valerie immediately dropped my hand, turned to help Dylan up, and glared at me, her voice unnatural: “Caleb Reed! Do you really have to be so vicious? You’d hurt yourself just to frame him? You don’t need to go this far…”

I scoffed, my gaze locked on Valerie’s eyes. “There’s a security camera in the kitchen. Just check it yourself and you’ll know…” “No need for that.” She cut me off directly, refusing to back down. “Dylan wouldn’t lie.” Her words were a dagger plunged into my heart. With every beat, the pain intensified. Clearly, the Valerie Thorne of now wouldn’t feel anxious for me. But the next second, she suddenly placed a first-aid kit in front of me. “Handle it yourself. Once the cake is done, get out. Go to the hospital or wherever you want, I don’t care.” With that, she turned and pulled Dylan away, gently applying medicine to him in the living room. I endured the excruciating pain in my hand and finished the final step of the cake. Consider it the last thing I’d ever do for Valerie. After tidying the kitchen and setting the cake out, I walked straight to the door. She didn’t spare me a single glance until I closed the door behind me. The night wind was a bit chilly, but at that moment, I felt completely light. Walking to the hospital alone, I saw a figure running towards me from a distance. When they got closer, I realized it was Serena Vance. Breathless, she grabbed my wrist, carefully examining the injury on my hand, and her eyes instantly welled up. “Caleb, you’re so badly hurt. Did she bully you?” “She already has you this life, why isn’t she cherishing you properly?! Just wait, I’m going to kill her!” I coldly shook off her hand. “It’s none of your business.” But she looked at me stubbornly, tears streaming from her red eyes. Her expression seemed genuine. I stood there, stunned. The person who hurt me most in my last life was now weeping for me in this one. And the person who loved me fiercely in my last life was now the source of all my suffering. Serena’s hand trembled as she pulled a share transfer agreement from her bag and presented it to me. “Last life… I did a lot of things to hurt you. This… this is a birthday gift, and my apology.” “I owe you… too much… Can you forgive me?” After my rebirth, I had cut all ties with Serena Vance, but she had continued to pester me. From small things like clothes and accessories to big things like houses and cars, she gave me so much, eventually running her family’s fortune into the ground. I sighed softly. “I can’t forgive you.” “I won’t take these things. It wasn’t easy for your parents to build this company. Don’t let it fall apart in your hands.” Serena was now crying tears streaming down her face. She stubbornly grabbed my hand, choking out, “But… if I don’t have you, what’s the point of having any of this…” Her words were drowned out by the wail of an ambulance. A stretcher was then pushed out of the ambulance and rushed towards the hospital entrance. “Make way! Make way!” “Caleb Reed! What grudge do we have?! Why would you poison me?!” It wasn’t until Dylan Hayes’s voice rang out that I realized the person on the gurney was him. The next second, a slap landed on my face. I turned my head to see Valerie, her eyes red, rushing to my side. She forcefully pulled Serena Vance’s hand from mine and roared, “Caleb Reed, you’re becoming more and more irrational!” Before I could reply, she had already grabbed Serena and chased after Dylan, who had disappeared into the hospital. I gently touched my still-stinging cheek, letting out a bitter laugh. I turned and walked in the opposite direction from her. Perhaps, leaving such an impression on Valerie’s mind in the end wasn’t so bad. I picked up my phone and booked a flight to Europe for tomorrow. I planned to find a hotel for the night, pick up the divorce papers tomorrow morning, and then head straight to the airport. But as I was walking, Valerie’s call suddenly came through. My hand trembled, and I accidentally answered. Her urgent voice blasted through the phone. “Caleb Reed! Dylan’s heart condition flared up because of the poison you gave him! Get to the hospital immediately and get a match for him!” Alarm bells blared in my mind. Painful memories from my previous life, right before my death, flooded back. A hint of terror colored my voice, trembling as I spoke. “No, I won’t go.”

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My intention in marrying Julian Thorne wasn’t pure. Yes, I liked him, but more importantly, he was the world’s leading cardiothoracic surgeon. So, I used every trick in the book to lure him, to make him forget Seraphina, the woman who truly held his heart, and willingly marry me. After we got married, he was like a devout believer. He held my hand and promised to personally perform my heart transplant surgery, to give me a second chance at life. Just when I thought he had fallen in love with me, Seraphina got into a car accident. He rushed off to operate on her, completely forgetting that today was the day he was supposed to perform my heart transplant. I was already prepped, sedated, and had been lying on the operating table, waiting for him for what felt like forever. The waiting room light outside the operating theater went out. I lay on the cold gurney, feeling the warmth of life draining from my fingertips, little by little. The familiar, agonizing pain in my chest intensified, each breath feeling like glass shards scraping my windpipe. The head nurse walked over, her face etched with professional pity. “Mrs. Thorne, Dr. Thorne had a more urgent emergency surgery come up. Your procedure will have to be postponed.” I nodded, unable to utter a single word. The heart meant for me, chilling in its preservation box, had only a few hours of viability left. And my life? Only a few hours remained, too. My phone vibrated. It was my brother, Liam. He immediately roared into the phone, “Chloe! Where is that bastard, Julian Thorne? I just got word, the donor family has signed, and the heart is on its way!” I opened my mouth, but the sound that came out was hoarse and dry. “Liam, he… he went to save someone.” A deathly silence hung on the line, then an even louder roar. “Save someone? Who is he saving? That woman, Seraphina Dubois?! Does he have any idea how much money our family spent, how many connections we pulled to find that perfect match for this heart?! This is your life!” Liam’s voice trembled with fury. I knew every word he said was true. To keep me alive, our family had poured almost everything we had into this. Julian Thorne had said that with a perfectly matched heart, he was ninety-nine percent sure he could save me. I once thought he was the light in my life. Now, I knew he was also the devil who personally pushed me into the abyss. “Mrs. Thorne, do you need a sedative?” The head nurse looked at me with concern. I shook my head, my vision starting to dim. The door to the operating room, usually a symbol of hope, now seemed like the entrance to hell—cold and despairing. On the TV at the end of the hallway, an urgent news bulletin flashed. “Renowned pianist Miss Seraphina Dubois was involved in a serious car accident this afternoon. Her condition is critical, and she has been rushed to Metropolitan Hospital for emergency surgery. The lead surgeon is none other than her fiancé, the internationally acclaimed cardiothoracic specialist, Dr. Julian Thorne…” Fiancé? The ink on my marriage certificate hadn’t even dried. It turned out that in his heart, I didn’t even deserve the title of his wife. A bitter, metallic taste filled my throat, and I violently coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining the pristine white sheet. Liam burst into the room to this exact scene. His eyes were bloodshot, like a furious lion. “Where is Julian Thorne?” I weakly pointed to the television. Liam slammed his fist into the wall, plaster flaking down. He stared at me, asking each word deliberately, “What did he say to you before he left?” I recalled Julian’s departure. He’d received a call, his face instantly changed, and he’d grabbed his jacket, bolting out the door without even a backward glance. Only a chilling sentence hung in the air from the doorway. “Wait for me to come back.”

I didn’t wait for Julian Thorne to return. Instead, his mother, my mother-in-law, arrived. She wore an expensive designer suit and a massive diamond ring the size of a pigeon’s egg. Her face was etched with undisguised contempt. “Chloe Maxwell, where’s my son?” She stood imperiously beside my bed, as if scrutinizing a soiled object. “He… he’s in surgery.” “Hmph, at least you have some self-awareness.” She sneered. “Seraphina is a million times more important than you are. It’s only right that Julian went to save her. Someone like you, on the verge of death, shouldn’t drag him down.” The pain in my chest was nothing compared to the agony her words inflicted. I looked at this elegant, imposing woman and suddenly felt ridiculous. It was she who had approached my family, claiming to admire me, hoping I would marry Julian. She’d said she would cherish me like her own daughter. All that warmth, all that affection, had been a lie. “Today was the day of my heart transplant surgery,” I stated calmly, simply stating a fact. “So what?” Eleanor Thorne rolled her eyes, her tone incredibly sharp. “It’s just a heart. If it’s gone, find another. Seraphina is an internationally renowned pianist! If her hands were crippled, that would be a loss to the entire world!” She paused, her gaze turning even more malicious. “Ultimately, you’re just bad luck. If it weren’t for you, Julian would have married Seraphina ages ago. You should just die now and stop occupying the Mrs. Thorne position, you’re an eyesore.” I closed my eyes, refusing to look at her ugly face any longer. Liam pushed the door open, entering just as she finished speaking. His body radiated a terrifying aura of rage as he slowly advanced toward Eleanor. “Say that again.” Eleanor flinched back, startled by his intensity, but quickly straightened her posture. “Did I say something wrong? This sickly girl is clearly not good enough for my son! If you know what’s good for you, sign the divorce papers now and stop delaying my son and Seraphina’s perfect future!” “Smack!” A crisp slap echoed through the hospital room. Liam had put all his strength into it; Eleanor’s face instantly swelled, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. She clutched her cheek, screaming in disbelief, “You dared to hit me! You uncultured brute!” “I’m hitting you, you disrespectful hag!” Liam was furious. “Is my sister’s life worth nothing in your eyes?! Your family didn’t contribute a single penny for that heart, and now you speak so lightly of it!” “You… you’re talking nonsense! What money?!” “That heart cost the Maxwell family thirty million dollars! We bought it from an overseas channel to give my sister a chance to live!” Liam’s voice was filled with a mix of tears and fury. “Now, that chance has been personally destroyed by your son!” Eleanor’s face instantly turned ashen.

Julian Thorne returned late that night. He took off his blood-stained surgical scrubs, his face showing a hint of fatigue, but a triumphant joy was unmistakable in his eyes. “Seraphina’s surgery was a success.” He walked to my bedside, his tone flat, as if merely discussing an insignificant matter. He noticed my pale face and the dried pool of blood on the bedside table. His brow furrowed slightly. “What happened?” “Julian Thorne, let’s get a divorce.” I used every ounce of my strength to utter those words. He froze, seemingly taken aback by my bluntness. “Chloe, don’t be ridiculous.” He reached out to touch my forehead, but I turned my head, avoiding his touch. “I’m not being ridiculous.” I looked at him, my eyes icy cold. “That heart is no longer viable. I don’t have much time left. I don’t want to be Mrs. Thorne when I die.” His face finally darkened. “Just because I didn’t operate on you?” He looked directly at me, his gaze tinged with scrutiny and impatience. “Seraphina’s condition was more urgent than yours. I’m a doctor; I had to make the optimal choice.” “Optimal choice?” I laughed, tears streaming down my face. “So, my life isn’t a life, is that it?” “Chloe, can’t you be more rational?” He raised his voice. “A heart can be found again. If anything happened to Seraphina’s hands, her entire career would be ruined.” He was the epitome of male arrogance, always so full of himself. Liam walked in from outside, a file in his hand. He threw it directly into Julian’s face. “Julian Thorne, this is the heart’s purchase contract and transfer records. Thirty million, not a penny less. Either you pay up, or we’ll see you in court.” Julian looked at the contract, his pupils contracting sharply. He turned to me, his eyes filled with shock and inquiry. “You bought it?” I didn’t answer him. Yes, he had always assumed this heart was a free resource, obtained through his connections and reputation. He reveled in the glory of being a savior, never realizing the immense sacrifice my family had made behind the scenes. “The money, I’ll pay.” Julian’s voice turned cold. “But the divorce, I won’t agree to it.” He looked at me, his gaze deepening. “Chloe, you are my wife. That will never change.” He turned and left, his back resolute. But in his eyes, I caught a fleeting glimpse not of love, but of calculation. My heart sank completely. He didn’t want a divorce because he loved me; he wanted it because I was still useful to him. But what use could I possibly be? I was a woman on the verge of death. The next day, a nurse secretly slipped me a note. On it, only one line was written: Seraphina’s car accident was fake.

My world completely crumbled at that moment. Fake? The accident that cost me my chance at life, the one he rushed to so selflessly, was fake? I clutched the note, my knuckles white from the force. The agonizing chest pain returned, more violent than ever before. I felt like a fish thrown onto shore, gasping for air, but only inhaling despair. Liam rushed in. Seeing my state, he immediately pressed the emergency call button. Doctors and nurses swarmed into the room, connecting various instruments to me. Through my blurry vision, I saw Liam’s bloodshot eyes. “Chloe, hang in there! Your brother’s here!” I grabbed his hand, using my last ounce of strength to press the note into his palm. “Investigate…” One word, and all my energy was gone. I drifted into unconsciousness. When I woke up again, I was in the ICU. Julian Thorne was sitting by my bedside, holding my hand. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked utterly exhausted. Seeing me awake, a flicker of joy crossed his face. “Chloe, you’re awake.” His voice was hoarse, tinged with a hint of lingering fear. If he wasn’t acting, I almost would have believed he genuinely cared. I pulled my hand away, looking at him coldly. “Julian Thorne, you sicken me.” His body stiffened, the expression on his face frozen. “Chloe, I know you’re still angry.” He took a deep breath, attempting to explain. “This time was my fault. I promise, I’ll find you a new heart source as quickly as possible. I will save you.” I looked at him and suddenly laughed. “You save me? How will you save me? By fabricating another lie, by making me wait in vain again?” His face turned grim. “Chloe, what on earth are you talking about?” “Seraphina’s car accident was fake,” I stated, each word clear and deliberate. His pupils abruptly constricted, a flicker of panic in his eyes, quickly masked. “Who told you that? Don’t listen to their nonsense.” “Whether it’s nonsense or not, you know perfectly well.” I stared into his eyes, not missing any subtle change in his expression. “Julian Thorne, what exactly are you after?” He fell silent. After a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice low and dangerous. “Chloe, some things, you don’t need to know.” He stood up, looking down at me, his gaze as cold as a surgical scalpel. “You just need to remember, you are my wife. Without my permission, you can’t go anywhere, and you certainly cannot die.” He leaned closer, whispering in my ear. His tone wasn’t a lover’s murmur; it was a demon’s pronouncement. A chill ran through me. I finally understood. He wasn’t trying to save me; he was trying to imprison me. This man was a madman.

Liam arrived. He brought the answers I craved. “Seraphina never had a car accident. That day, she just fainted from low blood sugar. The reason Julian rushed over so desperately was because a senior elder in Seraphina’s family had a sudden heart attack and specifically requested him to perform the surgery.” Liam’s voice was filled with anger and disdain. “That elder is the head of the Dubois family, and also the target Julian has been trying to curry favor with.” So, for his career, for currying favor with the powerful, he had unhesitatingly sacrificed me. How ridiculous. I once thought that marrying a doctor would bring me closer to health. But I never imagined that he would be the one to personally push me toward death. “Chloe, let’s go.” Liam’s eyes were filled with an unbearable heartache. “We’ll go abroad. Your brother has already arranged for the best medical team. We won’t beg him anymore!” I nodded, tears silently tracing paths down my face. But we had underestimated Julian Thorne’s shamelessness. As we prepared to leave, he appeared with a group of bodyguards, blocking the hospital room door. “Julian Thorne, what is the meaning of this?” Liam shielded me behind him, glaring at Julian. Julian didn’t look at Liam; his gaze fell directly on me. “Chloe, I told you, without my permission, you’re not going anywhere.” His voice was calm, but the obsession and madness in his eyes were chilling. “Julian Thorne, this is unlawful imprisonment!” Liam trembled with rage. “I am her husband. I have the right to decide her treatment plan.” Julian’s lips curved into a cold smile. “Mr. Maxwell, if you continue to obstruct me, I won’t hesitate to have security escort you out.” The bodyguards behind him took a collective step forward, their presence intimidating. I pulled back the impulsive Liam, looking at Julian, and asked, word by word, “What exactly do you want?” He slowly walked toward me, raising his hand, his cold fingertips brushing my cheek. “I don’t want anything.” His voice was eerily gentle. “I just want you to live, well, and by my side.” I looked into his bottomless eyes, and a terrifying thought surged through my mind. He didn’t want me to live. He wanted me to be unable to live, and unable to die. “You’re insane!” I pushed him away with all my might. But he used my momentum, grabbing my wrist, his grip so strong it felt like my bones would shatter. “Chloe, don’t force my hand.” His voice turned chilling. “I have many ways to make you compliant. You wouldn’t want to find out.” Liam could no longer hold back and threw a punch. The room instantly erupted into chaos. Bodyguards and Liam’s people started to brawl. Julian clutched me tightly, dragging me into his embrace. I struggled desperately, but it was no use. In despair, I saw Liam get hit from behind, collapsing slowly. “Liam!” I let out a piercing shriek, and my vision went black. I lost consciousness again. I was taken back to our matrimonial home by Julian Thorne. Here, it wasn’t so much a home as a luxurious cage, built with money and power.

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On the eve of our wedding, I discovered a message my fiancé had sent to his ex-girlfriend. “Sophie, we missed our chance after all.” I confronted him with his phone, giving him two choices. Either delete it, or cancel the wedding. He ultimately chose the former, but didn’t smile once on our wedding day. Even later during the delivery, there wasn’t a hint of anticipation in his eyes. Until he received a phone call and suddenly stood up. “Ethan, my parents are forcing me to marry a 50-year-old pig. Please help me…” His grip loosened, leaving only his retreating back. My weak voice called out from behind: “Ethan, if you take one step out that door, our child will never call you dad.” He paused, but still left. That day, I had an emotional breakdown. The delivery was difficult and I nearly died. 0 The baby was eventually born. I didn’t die either, but lost several liters of blood. Family members crowded around the newborn, while I stared at the empty doorway. Ethan never came back. At that moment I regretted it, regretted giving him two choices back then. First, because I couldn’t let go of our years together. Second, because I was already pregnant then. So I took a gamble, betting he would forget her and have a change of heart. At first I thought I had won, since he deleted all her contact information in front of me. But with each passing day, I felt my odds of winning slipping away. On our wedding day, he was distracted and even put the ring on backwards. Later, he smiled less and stopped sharing his daily life with me. Waking up at midnight, his side of the bed was always cold. His texts always said he was too busy. He’d rather sleep on the couch in his office two miles away than come home and breathe the same air as me. I should have understood earlier. Once when he finally came home after two weeks, I grabbed his hand and said seriously: “If you don’t want this anymore, we can divorce. I can raise the child on my own.” Even though I was the one suggesting separation, my voice trembled badly. I was afraid, afraid he would easily say okay. But he just fell silent for a while, then patted my head: “Don’t overthink things, I’m just a bit tired.” “You’re also anxious because of the pregnancy. It’ll be better after these few months.” Then he picked up his bag and left again. He stayed home for less than three minutes. Watching his resolute back, my stomach churned violently. I hugged the toilet and vomited for a long time, until tears rolled down my face. Now, looking at the empty doorway. I suddenly felt relieved. I finally saw clearly, it wasn’t too late for everything. Ethan came back the next day. Behind him was a petite girl in a wedding dress. He let go of the girl’s hand, leaving her to the side. Then he went to the incubator, using his finger to tease the little baby inside. When he turned his head, he met my cold face, and the smile froze on his lips. He walked up to me, gripping my hand tightly: “About yesterday, I was too impulsive, but don’t misunderstand my relationship with Sophie.” He beckoned, and the girl obediently came over, reciting to me as if reading from a script: “I only know Ethan in this city, and only he could help me.” “I’m sorry, sister-in-law. I didn’t know you were in labor, otherwise I would have rather married that pig than…” “Don’t talk nonsense.” Ethan instinctively interrupted. “You deserve better.” Watching their back-and-forth, I smiled self-mockingly. Before I could speak, my father rushed in with a thermos and slapped him. “You dare come back? Yesterday you abandoned my daughter, causing her difficult labor and massive blood loss. If anything had happened to her, our family would never forgive you!” Ethan frowned, his gaze towards me turning cold. “But she’s fine now, isn’t she?” “Besides, I’ve already apologized.” The implication was that he had already given me a way out. I and my family shouldn’t embarrass him. Especially in front of his ex-girlfriend. I had imagined Ethan’s reaction when he came back – remorseful confession or material compensation. But I never expected this. He showed not a shred of remorse towards me. Whether I almost died from blood loss didn’t matter at all. After Ethan said this, I asked him to leave. He nodded, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. “I’ll come see the child in a few days. I’m busy these days.” I didn’t say anything, just turned to look at the happy family of three in the next bed. Ethan followed my gaze, panic flashing across his cold face. But I didn’t say anything, just softly hummed and turned away. He breathed a sigh of relief, taking Sophie’s hand as he strode out. The moment they stepped out, the baby burst into loud cries. I cradled him in my arms, gently rocking. “Baby doesn’t like daddy either, right?” “Since we don’t like him, let’s not see him again, okay?”

Ethan never came until the day I was discharged. He only sent his assistant midway to deliver some care products. When he came, he was also carrying a bunch of luxury shopping bags filled with women’s clothes and dresses. “Did you come to deliver these to me on your way?” The assistant hesitated, but still nodded. “Then please continue on your way and throw them in the trash.” He threw away the things, and also relayed my words verbatim. My phone immediately lit up with a bunch of chat records between him and Sophie. The records were all transfer receipts, indicating he was just shopping for her. But he forgot that Sophie was the girl who had stayed with him through his early poverty-stricken entrepreneurial days. He also forgot that the phone number he had deleted in front of me years ago rang promptly on the day I gave birth. How hard they must have worked to put on act after act for me. Carrying bags big and small back home, a woman threw herself into my arms. “Ethan, you’re five minutes late from work today, I missed you so much.” Seeing the girl’s face instantly turn red, her whole body awkward in front of me. I smiled and ignored her, but she didn’t even dare enter the door anymore. The pouring rain outside drenched her, until the returning man hurriedly shielded her in his arms. Those broad shoulders were full of a sense of security. From the upstairs window, I traced the man’s silhouette, once having been moved by it too. Soon after, the door was flung open violently. I lowered my head to fiddle with the baby’s fingers, not even raising my head: “Are you here to question me? There are cameras in the house, I don’t want to waste energy explaining.” A light chuckle came from above, as Ethan produced a cake from behind his back. “I know you’re not that heartless.” “Honey, did you forget today is your birthday?” I finally looked up, surprised at the cake in front of me. Complicated emotions welled up inside. Until at the dining table, he suddenly spoke: “Sophie has nowhere to go recently, she’s staying at our house for a while.” I finally understood what drug was in the cake. Seeing I didn’t speak, he added: “She’s very attentive, she can also help you take care of the child, share some of the burden.” At that moment, I suddenly didn’t want to ask anymore. Didn’t want to ask why he, worth millions, wouldn’t buy her a new house. Didn’t want to ask why she needed to help when we already had three nannies. “I see.” I put down my chopsticks and turned to go upstairs. As he said, Sophie tried very hard to help me. Every morning she would bring me a warm glass of milk. But I didn’t drink a single sip, and though Ethan said nothing on the surface, I could see the disappointment in his eyes. This disappointed gaze filled every moment of life, after all, since Sophie moved in, he came home every day. Sophie taught him how to mix formula and control water temperature. He learned very seriously, his eyes full of joy when she approved. I stepped forward to take it, but Ethan immediately snatched it back. “Olivia, go rest. We’ve got this.” “You’re a pampered lady, how would you know how to do these things? Sophie is different from you, she’s helped her mom with chores since childhood, she’s more efficient than you.” The servants all stared at me pointedly, seeming to worry I would get angry. I forcefully suppressed the violent heaving in my chest, trying to keep my tone calm: “Ethan, I am his mother.” He froze, then handed the bottle back to me. I took it, but Sophie bumped into me, spilling the scalding milk onto the child. The tiny arm instantly turned red, erupting in earth-shattering cries. I hurriedly stepped forward with a cloth to wipe it, but was directly pushed away by him. His voice filled with warning: “Get out.” He carefully picked up the child, while Sophie took ointment to apply on the baby. The happy family of three, while I was like a nanny who had made a mistake. I ran out crying with red eyes, Ethan only glanced before lowering his head. Afterwards, the nursery was either occupied by the two of them, or guarded by the nanny. “Mr. Gu instructed to let Madam stay away.” I stepped back a few paces, smiling as I returned to my room. Then smashed everything I could smash.

Ethan rushed home upon hearing the news, staring blankly at the mess on the floor. “Olivia, what are you throwing a tantrum about again? The baby is still sleeping, don’t scare him.” At that moment, the long-suppressed emotions finally erupted. I suddenly rushed over, grabbing Ethan’s collar. “Throwing a tantrum? Bringing another woman home and flirting with her right under my nose, who’s really gone crazy!” “Ethan, that’s the child I painstakingly gave birth to, who could care for him more than me!” Surprise flashed in Ethan’s eyes, he had never seen me like this before. Never seen me angry, much less cry. Even on the eve of our wedding when I saw that message, I had only reddened eyes. The air fell silent, until a cry came from the child. I let go of his collar, messily wiping the tears from the corners of my eyes. He sighed, taking out a handkerchief to gently wipe away my tears. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have treated you like this.” I yanked away the handkerchief, unceremoniously throwing it to the ground. Then I shoved him away, diving straight into bed, covering my face as I cried until I couldn’t breathe. He sighed, gently patting my back through the blanket. “Don’t be angry anymore, okay? I was wrong.” “I was just worried about the child, I didn’t mean anything else.” After a long while, I lifted the covers, the light in my eyes mostly scattered. I looked at my now-flat belly and asked him: “Ethan, if I hadn’t been pregnant back then, would you still have chosen me?” He froze, then sighed again, somewhat helplessly: “Olivia, stop clinging to things from the past.” No answer was the best answer. His answer was that without the child, he would never have chosen me. Olivia, why bother humiliating yourself further at this point. I pushed away his hand at my waist, telling him to get out. He froze, then smiled, not coming home that night. Early the next morning, he and Sophie entered the house one after another. I sat at the dining table, pushing a divorce agreement in front of him. The man and woman opposite both froze. “Sophie, go upstairs first, I need to speak to my wife alone.” After she obediently went upstairs, Ethan looked at me, his gaze complex. “Olivia, I’ve already coaxed you, you’ve vented your anger, why are you still throwing a tantrum?” I sneered, just as he had laughed at me yesterday. Ethan frowned. Then he sighed helplessly. “It’s because of Sophie, right? I understand.” “Since you can’t accept her, I’ll send her away.” He compromised, but I didn’t miss the unwillingness in his eyes. I understood his reason for resisting divorce – not because he loved me, but because of that prenuptial agreement. When I married him, I was a famous socialite in high society, while he was just a small business owner whose company had recently gone public. To prevent him from coveting assets, my father had specially drawn up a prenuptial agreement biased in my favor. According to the agreement, if I unilaterally filed for divorce, all property would belong to me. Faced with such an unequal treaty, Ethan had signed without hesitation. At the time I thought it was because he loved me deeply. Now I realize it was just because he was certain I would never leave him. Thinking of this, I picked up the pen and unhesitatingly signed my name. Ethan’s pupils flashed violently. “Sign it, be quick about it.” In the end he still picked up the pen, signing his own name. The once flowing signature was now crooked from hesitation. With the documents signed, he grabbed my hand. “There’s still a three-month waiting period, do I still have a chance?” I pulled my hand away, not answering. That night I drank bottle after bottle with a friend. “If you want to cry, just cry.” She gently patted my head, but I immediately shook my head. “Can’t cry.” “Finally ending a terrible relationship, I should be happy.” “Cheers.” Maybe I was too drunk, I didn’t notice a tear had already slid down the corner of my eye. That night I sat on the doorstep for a long time, only going in after the alcohol had worn off. I didn’t want him to see me so heartbroken, still for his sake. A man walked out from behind, draping his jacket over my shoulders. “I’ve already sent her away.” The wind blew past us, but still couldn’t stir up a single word.

Waking up in the morning, he was tightly hugging my waist, his long-absent breath tickling my neck. I shifted an inch towards the edge of the bed, and he followed an inch. Ethan really wanted to win me back, he was proving it with actions. He turned down a lot of work, making time to accompany me and the child. In the nursery, he shook a little bell to soothe the crying baby. “Baby, say dad, come on.” Mentioning the word dad, he deliberately turned his head to look at me leaning against the doorway. But the moment our eyes met, I coldly turned away without a glance. The bell sound behind me stopped. Ethan thought I was angry, but I was just afraid. Afraid of indulging in this sweetness again, afraid of falling back into this terrible marriage. Until late at night I heard him on the phone with his secretary by the window. “How’s the project going? It needs to be fast.” That moment I finally woke up, Ethan was proud. His concessions were rarely for love, mostly for profit. So all his kindness now was just because he couldn’t bear to part with these hard-earned achievements. From that day on, all his gentleness seemed laughable to me. I was determined not to give him another chance, but he still refused to give up. Until one day, Sophie burst in again. She had only a few scraps of cloth left on her body, her neck covered in red marks, her skin full of bruises. Ethan immediately dropped the milk bottle and rushed out, taking her into his arms. The usually gentle girl now seemed to have gone mad, pounding his chest. “It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t dumped me for your career back then, how could I have ended up like this!” “They… they were angry I ran away from the marriage, they found a group of people to humiliate me… I, I don’t want to live anymore!” Saying this, she shoved him away, crashing into the doorpost, blood flowing freely. Ethan frantically picked her up and rushed towards the door. As he stepped over the threshold, I reminded him: “Do you know what you’ll lose if you leave?” Wife, child, and years of hard work. But Ethan didn’t pause for even a step this time, going straight to the car. I stood in the wind and rain, feeling like the biggest joke in the world. From that day on, Ethan stayed by her side day and night. Three months flew by, and I sent him a time, reminding him to go get the divorce certificate. The message quickly showed as read, but there was no reply. Later, he only hurried over when the civil affairs bureau was about to close. After not seeing him for days, he looked much more haggard, with dark circles under his eyes. I looked at the two divorce certificates in my hand, finally feeling relieved. When I looked up at Ethan, he was lowering his eyes, clearly depressed. The sky suddenly began pouring rain, I turned back to look at him: “Did you bring an umbrella? I’ll walk you out?” We were husband and wife after all, might as well part on good terms. But Ethan shook his head, his gaze fixed on a woman running towards him in the distance. Sophie held her slightly swollen belly, her eyes full of smugness. They walked arm in arm back into the civil affairs bureau. Only after their silhouettes had completely disappeared did I turn back to find the umbrella above my head had somehow tilted off course. I took off my soaked outer coat and called my father, asking him to arrange for me to go abroad to clear my head. Soon WeChat pushed a contact who said he would take me traveling the world. Before boarding the plane, a message from Ethan popped up on my phone. [I’m sorry, but I owe her too much.] After reading this, I blocked him. Hugging the child tightly in my arms, I looked out the window at my freedom.

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The third year of my marriage to Jack. His widowed ex-sister-in-law Sophia, who was the same age as him, had returned from abroad. At midnight, she sent Jack a message: “I’m so scared being alone.” Concerned, I replied on Jack’s behalf: “Jack’s busy. I’ll come over instead.” Just because of this, Jack flew into a rage. “She’s just my ex-sister-in-law. How dare you try to go threaten her? You’re acting like a complete shrew!” Sophia stood to the side with tears in her eyes: “Jack, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me.” Jack grabbed Sophia’s hand and left. That night, I saw Sophia post a photo on social media showing Jack’s back as he cooked in the kitchen. In all our years of marriage, Jack had never cooked for me. But none of that matters anymore. A man can’t eat from two homes. 1 I was pregnant, only two months along. I had told Jack yesterday that I had something very important to tell him, and asked if he could come home early tonight. I waited until 9 PM, then checked Sophia’s social media. Caption: Good person, good cook. Two photos – one of a meal with three dishes and soup, one showing Jack’s profile as he cooked in the kitchen. Jack didn’t get home until 10 PM, reeking of Sophia’s perfume. The scent was overwhelming for me in my pregnant state. Jack loosened his tie wearily, clearly having forgotten what I told him this morning: “Go run me a bath.” I looked at him coldly. “You smell lovely. No need to bathe, no one will mind.” Jack hated strong perfumes. When we went out, I never wore anything too pungent. We didn’t keep fruits he disliked in the house. We didn’t even have curtains in colors he didn’t like. For years, I had been accommodating him. He had come to take it for granted. Jack saw that I was still sitting on the couch and hadn’t moved. He pulled a black velvet box from his pocket. Inside lay a pair of sparkling diamond earrings. “I’m sorry I broke our plans. Here’s my apology gift.” The black velvet box gave off the same perfume scent. It even had a black hair caught in it. “Beat me then give me a treat?” Jack’s face froze, then he snapped the box shut and threw it at my feet. “Lucy, enough already. I’m exhausted today. Besides, whatever news you have, couldn’t you have just told me over the phone?! And now you’re turning your nose up at diamond earrings. Don’t forget, back when you were working part-time jobs, you couldn’t even afford $200 shoes!” I stared at him in disbelief. I never imagined my imperfect past would become the knife he used to stab me today. I choked up: “Don’t I have the right to say no?” Jack stormed off to take a shower. At 11 PM, we lay in bed with enough space for two people between us. At 3 AM, Jack’s phone rang. His gentle, melodious voice said to the caller: “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. I’ll keep talking to you.” Ten minutes later, I heard Jack getting up quietly. He even checked himself in the mirror before leaving. At 8 AM, Jack returned with breakfast, once again smelling of Sophia’s perfume. “Wake up, I bought breakfast.” Seeing his attempt to cover things up, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. People really do laugh when they’re at a loss for words. “Since Sophia came back, you’ve become so diligent.” At this, Jack slammed down his chopsticks. “Lucy, you’re becoming more and more paranoid. Sophia is my ex-sister-in-law. My brother died young, so of course I should take care of her. As a woman, don’t you think you’re being too narrow-minded? Your jealousy is getting out of hand.” Exposed and embarrassed, he lashed out angrily. I never used to mind him and Sophia. But now they seemed to be acting like I was dead. “Am I wrong? Since Sophia came back, you’ve even started cooking.” As soon as I finished speaking, Sophia called again. The house was very quiet. I could clearly hear Sophia on the phone saying she was so clumsy, she had cut her hand. Jack anxiously said: “What fruit do you want to eat? Wait for me to come over and cut it for you. You shouldn’t do it yourself.” I started dry heaving from morning sickness. Sophia’s voice on the other end was on the verge of tears: “Does your wife dislike me? Does she think a widow is bad luck?” Jack reassured her, then after hanging up berated me as I vomited in the bathroom. “You know my sister-in-law is sensitive right now. Why are you pretending to throw up? Lucy, do you have any compassion at all?!” 2 My face was deathly pale in the mirror. Jack was still raging in the living room. I have no compassion? Then who will have compassion for me? I walked out leaning against the wall. My voice was weak: “I really don’t feel well. I really am throwing up. I don’t need to play those kinds of petty games to provoke Sophia.” Jack finally calmed down a bit, his gaze falling on my face to confirm I wasn’t lying. He pulled out another diamond necklace, this time without any woman’s hair on it. “You didn’t like the diamond earrings, but you must like this necklace. I just hope you’ll stop targeting Sophia. She’s pitiful enough as it is.” I recognized this necklace. It had appeared on Sophia’s social media before. Her caption then was: Looks so cheap. Don’t like it. Anyone want it? I laughed bitterly and stepped back. “I don’t want someone else’s leftovers.” Jack’s hand holding the necklace hung in midair. His brows furrowed deeply, then he threw the necklace on the ground. “How else am I supposed to appease you? You don’t want the earrings or the necklace. When did you become so picky? Ever since Sophia came back, you’ve been suspicious every day, always comparing yourself to her. What right do you have to compare yourself to Sophia? You threatened her in the middle of the night, but Sophia still told me not to be mad at you. You’ve clearly been deeply hurt by your dysfunctional family. You’re jealous of anyone better than you!” My body swayed. I had once cried in this man’s arms, telling him how my mother favored boys over girls, how cold-blooded she was. He held me tight and said he would protect me for life, healing my childhood wounds with love. My heart ached terribly, as if stabbed. “Is this how you see me? I’ve never threatened Sophia…” “Enough. You say one thing and do another. It all comes down to your insecurity acting up.” I was insecure, which is why I always strived to grow. Until I met Jack, a man who said he would heal me with love. So I gave up my high-paying job to become a housewife, longing to bear his child. The survival instinct of the baby in my womb was influencing me. My brain kept sending signals to keep the child. But the man before me made me increasingly clearheaded. “If that’s how you want to belittle me, I have nothing more to say.” Grief beyond words. As I turned away, Sophia called as if right on cue. “Don’t worry, Fluffy probably just ate something bad. I’ll take him to the vet right away.” Meanwhile, my vomiting was getting worse. I could barely breathe. “Jack, I don’t feel well. Can you…” “No! Lucy, Sophia’s dog is in danger right now. Stop pretending to be sick. I don’t have time for you!” Jack slammed the door as he left, just as I collapsed from low blood sugar. Using my last bit of strength, I called 91

When I woke up in the hospital the next day, the doctor confirmed I was fine and discharged me. On the way home, I saw Sophia and Jack. Jack was walking a dog while Sophia clung to his arm, looking like a newlywed couple. “Jack, from now on you’re Fluffy’s daddy.” “Sure thing, Fluffy’s mommy.” I touched my belly that wasn’t showing yet and laughed bitterly: “How ironic. Let’s just get divorced then.” 3 Two days later was Jack’s mother Laura’s birthday. In the car. “We still need to pick up Sophia. Don’t make a sour face. She’s our sister-in-law, you need to learn to respect her.” I didn’t look at him, silently accepting everything. When we saw Sophia, I realized her dress matched Jack’s tie perfectly. They were wearing couple’s outfits. “Lucy, I get carsick. Can I sit in the front?” Sophia asked with a smile, but her eyes looked expectantly at Jack. Jack opened the front passenger door. “Lucy, hurry up and move. You should take care of your sister-in-law.” I didn’t move. Sophia tugged Jack’s pinky and said softly: “It’s okay, Lucy’s just like that. Let’s just let her be.” We? So I was the third wheel now. “No way, the front seat should be for my sister-in-law.” Jack looked relieved. Sophia sat in the front. “Oh no, I can’t figure out this seatbelt.” Jack immediately helped her pull out the seatbelt. As he leaned in, their faces were extremely close. Sophia deliberately brushed her lips against Jack’s neck. Jack’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. His ears were red when he pulled away. There were only four people at Laura’s birthday dinner. Laura didn’t like big crowds since her eldest son’s accidental death. Laura didn’t like me much, preferring the more ingratiating Sophia. Now that Sophia was widowed, she felt even more sympathetic. “Let mom take a good look at you. You’ve suffered since James passed. I specifically told Jack to take care of you. Has he been doing a good job?” Sophia smiled bitterly, hesitating to speak. “Jack’s been great, it’s just…” Anyone could tell what she was implying – that I was jealous and mean to her. Laura was displeased and scolded me to my face. “I didn’t agree to you marrying into the family from the start. But Jack liked you, so I had no choice. I said back then that you came from a humble background and wouldn’t be presentable. Now it’s all come true.” “I’ll say this even if it makes you angry – if you and Jack really can’t make it work, you might as well step aside. I think Sophia and Jack are much more compatible.” I replied calmly: “What a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing as you, mom.”

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In my poorest year, a fleeting thought flashed through my mind: [Lucas Gray, the heir to the Gray Empire, is looking for a lover who can’t hear his secrets.] A lightbulb went off in my head. I decided to pretend to be deaf and mute to seduce Lucas. No matter what scandalous things he whispered in bed, I remained impassive. Until his first love returned from abroad, and Lucas slapped a check for ten million dollars on the table in front of me. “You should move out for this month,” he said. I blurted out, “Sure thing, boss!” I grabbed the check and was about to leave when I realized I’d blown my cover. Another thought popped into my head: [LOL, this woman is so honest. Actually, the male lead has known her secret for a long time!] I froze on the spot, my mind going blank. Then I heard Lucas chuckle softly. “What’s wrong? Can’t keep up the act anymore, little deaf girl? And here I thought you could endure anything.” 0 Who would have thought a CEO would fancy a deaf girl? Well, apparently mine did! In fact, he wouldn’t have it any other way! Being his “deaf” sugar baby was quite convenient. I could appear anywhere without raising suspicion. Whether it was during confidential business discussions or industry gossip sessions, absolute secrecy was guaranteed. Plus, I didn’t have to listen to my sugar daddy’s endless chatter or insults. I could do whatever I wanted, even deliberately annoying him for fun if I felt like it. After all, I was “deaf.” I couldn’t hear what he was saying, right? Except I wasn’t really deaf. I was faking it. The only downside was sometimes… like now. Listening to Lucas’s words that were more explicit than an R-rated movie, I could only pretend not to hear and look at him with doe eyes. Pretending he was a perfect gentleman. In reality, I was cursing him as a pervert in my mind. Wait! I suddenly realized, maybe his ex-girlfriend ran away because of this! Lucas gently tapped me with his large hand. He used sign language to ask if I was hurt and if he should be gentler. But what he was actually saying out loud was utterly filthy. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes internally. What a fake gentleman. But on the surface, I looked at him pitifully, trying hard not to make a sound. The next day, I slept until the afternoon. 0

As I came downstairs, I heard Lucas talking to his friend in the living room. When they saw me, his friend’s voice suddenly stopped, and his gaze fell on me before turning back to Lucas. “She can’t hear,” Lucas said, waving me over. Gossip? My eyes lit up, and I casually sat down next to Lucas. His friend glanced at me and spoke to Lucas. “Chloe’s back. What are you going to do about her?” Chloe? She’s back?! Could this be Lucas’s ex-girlfriend? Everyone in their social circle knew there was a name that couldn’t be mentioned in front of Lucas. It was his Achilles’ heel, something no one dared to touch. Even after being by Lucas’s side for so long, I had never heard anyone mention her. I only knew that I was chosen from among the many women vying for Lucas’s attention because I somewhat resembled her. In my mind, a woman who could be so cherished by someone like Lucas, the heir to the Gray Empire, to the point where he would seek out a lookalike, must be his true love! I’d seen this plot in countless cheesy romance dramas. The protagonist finds a lookalike of his true love, then when the real deal comes back, I turn into the evil substitute. In the end, the male lead discovers my wicked nature, throws me out onto the streets, and lives happily ever after with his true love… Wait a minute… This plot development seems a bit off. As it stands now, I’ve somehow become the obstacle to the main couple’s happiness! No, no, I think I’ve skipped some steps here. My mind raced, and suddenly it hit me! Of course! Usually, the arrogant CEO hands me a check and tells me to get lost. Then the evil substitute refuses to leave, leading to the subsequent drama. Thinking about how generous Lucas had always been, I couldn’t help but smile. Don’t worry, I’ll leave promptly, quickly, at a speed of 800 meters per second, rolling out of the main couple’s world! Perhaps seeing my schadenfreude expression, Lucas tapped my shoulder, snapping me out of my reverie. He used sign language to ask what was wrong. Of course, I maintained my professional attitude and signed back. Just happy looking at you. Then I excused myself to get them some water. Lucas’s friend watched me leave and spoke again: “Are you really going to let Chloe see her?” Lucas sighed. I didn’t hear what else they said as I hurried towards the kitchen. I was afraid if I stayed a second longer, I wouldn’t be able to hold back my laughter. Don’t worry, I won’t let the “true love” see me! 0

That night, Lucas looked like he wanted to say something several times but held back. I was so anxious I almost wanted to prompt him myself. To be honest, I was quite reluctant to leave this pampered life as a sugar baby. After all, I’d gotten used to having everything handed to me on a silver platter and didn’t want to work hard again. But I also didn’t want to end up thrown out onto the streets. It was better to leave gracefully on my own terms. At the dinner table, I chewed my food in tiny bites, trying to make each mouthful last as long as possible. Just waiting for Lucas to speak up. Suddenly! Lucas took out a check from his pocket and placed it on the table. My eyes lit up, staring intently at the numbers on the check. Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands, millions! Fifty million dollars! Enough for my mom and me to live on for the rest of our lives! I stared at the check, swallowing hard, completely oblivious to Lucas starting to speak. “Take this money…” Before Lucas could finish, I snatched the check with lightning speed and clutched it to my chest. The enormous sum had gone to my head. I jumped up and blurted out, “Thanks, boss!” As soon as I said it, cold sweat broke out all over my body. I’m screwed! Suddenly, a thought popped into my head, just like the fleeting one from years ago. [Warning! This woman’s been exposed! The male lead knows she’s been lying to him all this time. He definitely won’t let her off easy! I wonder if she has a backup plan. If not, she’s in big trouble!] Backup plan? What backup plan? My mind went blank as I looked up to meet Lucas’s amused gaze. He was fiddling with his custom cufflinks, his long fingers casting delicate shadows in the lamplight. “What’s wrong? Can’t keep up the act anymore, little deaf girl? And here I thought you could endure anything.” Lucas suddenly moved closer, the scent of his cedar cologne mixed with whiskey washing over me. “But you should know, I hate being lied to more than anything.” My throat tightened as I saw the words [She’s done for!] flashing repeatedly in my mind. This damn inner voice! I couldn’t help but recall how I had met Lucas by chance. The doctor said only hospitals abroad could possibly treat my mother’s illness, but the exorbitant fees forced me to scramble for money. I worked five jobs a day, but it still wasn’t enough to send my mother abroad for treatment. Until one day, that thought popped into my head. It said Lucas Gray, the heir to the Gray Empire, was looking for a lover who couldn’t hear his secrets. So I pretended to be deaf and mute and stayed by Lucas’s side for two years. Lucas grabbed my chin in one swift motion. “Mr. Gray, you must be joking,” I forced a smile, my nails digging into my palms. “Of course I’ll take the check you’ve given me. As for the rest…” Before I could finish, he gripped my chin, not forcefully but with an undeniable air of authority. Lucas’s thumb traced over my lips, where he had left bite marks the night before. “When you’re pretending to be deaf and mute, you always use that fake smile to deceive people. But do you know? Every time you pretend not to hear, I want to pin you in front of a mirror and make you see how your ears turn red.” Hot blood rushed to my earlobes, and I suddenly felt a chill run down my neck. Lucas had known about my act all along! For two years, I had diligently forced myself to remain silent no matter how Lucas tormented me in bed. But I had forgotten about the most instinctive human physiological response—when he whispered “Olivia, don’t hide” in my ear. My tense back, my trembling fingers, had long since betrayed my secret to this man who had seen it all. If this man had discovered my deception so early on, then every time after that… he had been deliberately toying with me! Seeing my indignant expression, Lucas suddenly seemed amused. “Don’t you have anything to explain? Hmm? Little deaf girl?” Lucas stood up, forcing me to sit on the table. I looked at Lucas, getting more and more irritated. What else could I say! He’s the client, I’m the service provider! I did the job I was paid for! He’s just a client who was fooled and moved by my acting skills! I’m not angry at all, waaah! But the urgent matter at hand was to protect this fifty million dollars. This was what I deserved! “I… thank you, boss? Boss is so generous?” Lucas was on the verge of laughing angrily. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. “Since you can’t keep up the act anymore, you should pay some price, little deaf girl.” I knew this wasn’t good. “Lucas Gray! You want me to pay with my body! I don’t agree! This is an unfair clause!” A voice in my head screamed [This isn’t right, shouldn’t the male lead kick this woman out? What’s going on! Looks like we’re about to hit the paywall?!] Lucas threw me onto the large bed covered with silk sheets, then pressed down on top of me and lifted my nightgown. There was still a vase of blue roses I had arranged last week on the bedside table, now overshadowed by his silhouette. “Olivia, do you know that every time you pretend to be innocent, it makes me want to completely tear apart your disguise?” Lucas seemed to have unlocked a new world, directly unleashing his dominant side. He forced me to scream loudly all night long. Before going to sleep, Lucas said he had to go to the office to deal with an urgent matter. As he left, he tossed me one of his white dress shirts, the collar still warm from his body heat. 0

What urgent matter! He’s probably going to pick up his true love! Looking at the thoughts racing through my head, I grew increasingly frustrated. All this [The female lead is back, the sweet and gentle female lead baby is finally back.] And [This woman shouldn’t take away any more of the female lead’s affection, the female lead has suffered enough, other women should stay away!] And [The male lead can only belong to the female lead.] Who said I wanted to stay anyway! I was just about to stand up from the bathtub when my legs gave out, and I fell to my knees with a splash. Escape plan, to be continued tomorrow. The next day, Lucas was indeed not at home. I was preparing to quickly pack my things and run away with the money when I ran into Lucas, who had just returned. I looked at Lucas, then at my suitcase, and smiled awkwardly. “Are you… going out?” Lucas asked with a hint of a smile. I chuckled nervously. “What a coincidence, right?” Lucas walked past me and sat on the sofa. His voice was neither cold nor warm as he spoke. “I heard from my assistant that someone booked a flight to Germany at 8 PM tonight. I came back to see if this little money-grubber had emptied my house.” I dragged my suitcase over to Lucas and stood in front of him. “Lucas Gray, you’re spying on me!” Lucas looked up at me and smiled. “Spying?” He suddenly stood up and came closer, the tip of his shoe grazing the zipper of my suitcase by my feet. “Little deaf girl, you’ve been by my side for two years and know the location of every camera in the garage like the back of your hand. Now you’re talking about spying?” I stubbornly backed away, my lower back hitting the carved screen in the entryway. Lucas’s fingers traced my burning earlobe, suddenly pulling out the check I had hidden in my sleeve—he had swiped it without me noticing! “Thinking of running away with fifty million?” He waved the check, making a rustling sound. “Olivia, have you forgotten? The confidentiality agreement you signed states that if you leave without permission…” My heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, I noticed a blue ribbon peeking out of the inner pocket of his suit jacket. It was a little trinket I had stuffed into his pocket last week when we were picking out ties—he had called it “childish” but hadn’t thrown it away. “Stop!” I suddenly made a time-out gesture with my hands, raising my voice and signing, “I-I just remembered, I left some soup simmering in the kitchen!” Lucas raised an eyebrow as he watched me scramble towards the kitchen, my suitcase still tilted in the entryway. Just as I grabbed the microwave door handle, I heard a suppressed chuckle from behind. I turned to see him shaking his head at my suitcase. A half-capped lipstick had fallen out, drawing a crooked red line on the beige carpet. “The soup is on the third shelf of the fridge,” he suddenly said. “Also—” He pulled out a gold-embossed invitation from his inner suit pocket, “Tonight at 7 PM, charity gala at the Gray Trade Center. Chloe specifically asked to meet you.” Chloe! What! His true love wants to meet me! Wait, bro! You’re taking me, the substitute, to meet the real deal! Is this right? Is this okay?! Has the plot advanced already? Am I still destined to face retribution?

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I am the top engineer at the National Deep Sea Technology Center and the only person in the world with deep-sea rescue experience. When my sister’s submarine had an accident and was trapped 10,000 meters deep in the ocean, I hung up her distress call. Then, without any rush, I went to the police station to turn myself in, claiming I had leaked confidential research information. A few minutes later, my father called in a rage, “Your sister’s life is hanging by a thread, where the hell are you?” “I order you to go to the accident site immediately to save her, or you won’t see a penny of the Land family fortune!” I calmly pulled the covers over myself and said into the phone, “No time. Don’t disturb my sleep.” When the rescue team captain came to find me, I was shaken awake from my deep sleep. “Engineer Snow! There’s been an accident!” “Your sister Stella’s ‘Deep Diver’ has lost contact at a depth of 10,900 meters in the Mariana Trench!” “They encountered an unknown underwater earthquake, all communications are down, and the chances of survival… are slim!” I opened my eyes groggily and looked at the person who had come. “So?” I asked indifferently. The captain was taken aback, seemingly not expecting this reaction from me. She urgently said, “We need you!” “You’re the only person in the world with successful rescue experience at depths of 10,000 meters. You’re their only hope of survival!” I calmly lay back down, turned over intending to continue sleeping, “Sorry, can’t help.” “What?” “I said, I can’t help,” I repeated, my tone as calm as if the person trapped at the bottom of the sea was my enemy. “Lucy Snow! Are you insane? Your sister is down there! Along with twenty other research team members! They only have enough oxygen to last 72 hours at most!” “My husband, Charlie Zhou,” I interrupted her, “He was the chief commander of the last rescue operation. In terms of experience, he’s more seasoned than me. You should go find him.” Captain Li looked at me in disbelief and yanked me up, yelling, “What the hell are you talking about? Of course we contacted Commander Zhou! But he’s not even in the country!” I chuckled lightly. “I know.” With that, I pulled the covers over my head and ignored her. She could only stamp her foot and storm out of the detention room, cursing under her breath. The world was quiet again. A few minutes later, a distinctive ringtone stubbornly rang out. It was my father, Harrison Land. I answered. “Lucy Snow! Why are you refusing to help with the rescue? Your sister is still down there!” As soon as he spoke, it was a barrage of accusations, his voice full of suppressed anger. “Dad, I just said, find Charlie. He’s more professional.” “I can’t reach him! His satellite phone is turned off!” Harrison’s voice grew increasingly anxious. I chuckled lightly, responding to him in a relaxed tone, “Oh, that’s normal.” “Because right now, he’s on the ‘Deep Diver’.” On the other end of the phone, Harrison’s breath caught sharply. Then came a thunderous rage: “What nonsense are you spouting! Charlie was personally assigned by me to go to the Arctic for the ‘Aurora Project’ last month! He won’t be back for another month! How could he possibly be on the ‘Deep Diver’!” “Is that so?” I feigned surprise, “Then maybe I remembered wrong.” “You…” I didn’t wait for him to finish before hanging up the phone. The next second, the phone immediately rang again. This time it was my stepmother, Fiona Woods. Her voice was thick with tears, sounding almost broken. “Lucy, please, I’m begging you, just go save your sister…” I leaned back in the chair, closed my eyes, and quietly listened to her performance. “Moreover, more than half of the twenty researchers on the submarine are students you personally mentored! How can you bear to watch them die at the bottom of the sea, 10,000 meters deep?” “Can you really be so heartless?”

I laughed. Of course I could be that heartless. An hour later, my father and stepmother found where I was being detained. I calmly watched the emergency rescue news of the “Deep Diver” being broadcast live on the wall-mounted TV through the cold iron bars. In the news, the host was dramatically introducing the list of missing personnel, portraying them as heroes who had sacrificed themselves for the country. The atmosphere was perfectly set. I raised my handcuffed hands and shrugged helplessly at them outside the iron bars. “As you can see, I’m in no position to help anyone right now.” “I’ve been detained for allegedly leaking core technology secrets of the ‘Deep Diver’.” Fiona’s expression transformed from shock to bewilderment to venom in a matter of seconds. Her well-maintained face twisted with anger as she accused in a shrill voice: “It was you! Lucy Snow! You did this on purpose!” “You’re jealous of your sister! You’re jealous that she became the chief designer of the ‘Deep Diver’ at such a young age!” “If you can’t have it, you want to destroy her! What a vicious heart you have!” Each of her accusations matched word for word with the media press releases from my previous life. It seems they had prepared this script long ago. My father, Harrison Land, was much calmer than her. He was anxious, but still maintained the dignity of a director. He stared at me intently: “What’s really going on?” “Not sure,” I leaned against the wall, my posture lazy, “Last night, the disciplinary department burst into my workshop, saying someone had reported me by name for selling the structural diagrams and underwater sonar identification codes of the ‘Deep Diver’ to foreign agencies.” Harrison’s face instantly turned ashen. He knew this was a frame-up, yet didn’t utter a single word of concern. Half of the core technology of the ‘Deep Diver’ came from my research results. How could I possibly leak my own life’s work? “Damn it!” He growled lowly, immediately pulling out his phone, “I’ll find someone right away, use every connection, and definitely get you out on bail within the day!” “Don’t waste your effort,” I flatly refused. “What do you mean?” “Before the official investigation results come out, if I leave here, it will only confirm the charges.” I looked at him, my gaze calm yet sharp, “Dad, you and I both know that once this charge is confirmed, my life is over.” Harrison’s movements froze. Of course he understood. I slowly asked him a question, “Dad, if today, only one of me and Stella could live.” “Who would you choose?” He opened his mouth, but couldn’t make a sound. Just then, Harrison’s phone rang. He grabbed onto it like a lifeline and immediately answered. The call was from the Arctic Research Center. “Director Land, we’ve just managed to contact Commander Zhou!” Harrison’s eyes instantly lit up. “That’s great! What did he say? Does he have a solution?” “Commander Zhou said he has already interrupted his Arctic mission and is trying to remotely connect to the ‘Deep Diver’s’ operating system using a backup channel! But…” “But what?” “But the submarine’s physical interface is locked, and the remote signal can’t fully access it! Someone must pilot a rescue vessel, reach the accident site in the deep sea, and perform a physical connection to have any chance of restarting the system!” “And this physical connection operation can only be completed by Engineer Lucy Snow!”

The phone was on speaker, and every word came through clearly to my ears. Harrison hung up the phone and looked at me with bloodshot eyes, his voice hoarse: “Lucy Snow, did you hear that? Now it’s not just about saving your sister, it’s about completing Charlie’s rescue plan! This is an order!” I lazily yawned, not even bothering to respond to him. Just then, there was a commotion outside the detention center. Several parents of the missing students, having somehow gotten wind of the news, had rushed here as well. As soon as they saw me, they fell to their knees in unison with a thud. “Professor Snow! Please! Please save our children!” “Yes, Professor Snow, we only have one daughter, she can’t die!” Cries and pleas rang out in a chorus. I looked down at them from above, my gaze as cold as ice. “What does their life or death have to do with me?” One sentence silenced all the crying. They looked at me in disbelief, as if looking at a monster. One of the mothers reacted, immediately pulling out her phone from her pocket, opening a screenshot of a transfer record, and holding it up in front of me. “How can it not be related to you! This is the record of my daughter paying you ‘research fees’!” “She said you stipulated that every month, we had to transfer $5,000 to this account, otherwise you wouldn’t let her participate in projects or graduate!” “Our children’s futures are in your hands, how can you stand by and watch them die!” Others also took out their phones, one transfer record after another, like heavy hammers, striking at me. “Yes! Our family paid too!” “We all paid! For two whole years!” Harrison, seeing those records, trembled with anger, pointing at my nose, his voice quavering. “You… you ungrateful daughter!” “Not only are you cold-blooded and heartless, but you’ve also done such despicable things as corruption and extorting students!” “You’ve completely disgraced our Land family!” He shouted in rage, as if I had really committed some unforgivable crime. But he and I both knew the truth. That receiving account didn’t belong to me at all. It belonged to his precious daughter, Stella. No matter how they begged, cursed, or even threatened to die, I had no reaction. I was like an outsider, coldly watching this farce unfold. Time ticked by second by second, and the golden window for rescuing the “Deep Diver” was rapidly closing. The online public opinion had completely exploded. #Chief Engineer Lucy Snow Refuses Rescue# #Lucy Snow Suspected of Leaking Secrets, Detained# #Lucy Snow Extorts Students# One glaring topic after another was pushed to the top of trending searches. My name, in just a few short hours, had become synonymous with cold-bloodedness, greed, and shamelessness. Just then, in the live rescue broadcast, a weak and intermittent electrical sound suddenly came through. It was Stella. “Sis… sis… can you hear me…” She seemed to be using all her strength, her voice full of fear of death and a desire for life. “Sis… I believe in you… I know you’ll save me…” “Ever since we were little… you’ve always been the sister I admired most… you won’t abandon me, right?”

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It was the first week of school when our homeroom teacher burst in, excitement bubbling in her voice. “Our class has been chosen for a groundbreaking ‘Self-Identity Transformation Experiment’ in partnership with the school counseling center!” The whole class crowdfunded plastic surgery for the poor class beauty, $100 per person. I refused. The next day, my desk was doused with soy milk, and the school network was filled with posts exposing my cold-blooded selfishness. They called me ugly, poor, and mean-spirited. They even dug up my mom’s workplace and posted notes at her office door, cursing her for raising a heartless daughter. But no one knew that the class beauty who claimed her family couldn’t afford plastic surgery. Her dad was the director of the plastic surgery hospital that ruined my face. It was the first week of school. The homeroom teacher burst in, excitedly announcing: “The school and psychological center are jointly launching a ‘Self-Identity Transformation Experiment,’ and our class is the first pilot group!” The class erupted in applause. I didn’t join in, just chewed on my pen tip silently. She continued, “As you all know, our classmate Olivia Shaw has been struggling with severe appearance anxiety. The counselors have suggested she undergo cosmetic surgery to boost her self-esteem. We’ll be starting a class fundraiser to help make her dream come true!” I looked up at Olivia. She stood at the front, wearing our school uniform with perfectly applied makeup, her head bowed demurely. “I… I don’t want to trouble anyone… it’s just…” “Don’t say another word!” A boy slammed his hand on his desk. “You’re the prettiest girl in our class. If you get this surgery, our school’s enrollment will double!” Someone else chimed in, “He’s right! Donating to Olivia is an investment in our school’s future!” Olivia shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. “I just hope that even if I leave this place one day, I can be remembered by the world in my best form.” Her words sent a wave of emotion through the classroom. Our teacher pulled up a PowerPoint slide. “For this ‘Beauty Boost’ campaign, we suggest a donation of $100 per person. It’s voluntary, but we hope everyone will do their best to support Olivia.” I glanced at my phone: $4.25 in my account. So, I spoke up quietly, “I won’t be donating.” The air in the room seemed to freeze. Then someone let out a cold laugh. “Tch, figures.” “Seriously? Not donating is one thing, but that attitude? Didn’t you hear how gently Olivia phrased it?” “Didn’t she just buy that $150 skincare set? With her skin, a $5 moisturizer would do the job.” “Look at her eyes, always staring at Olivia. Jealous of her small face and high nose, perhaps?” “Does she think we’re all idiots, falling for Olivia’s act? Is she the only ‘smart’ one here?” Olivia spoke up softly, “She’s… not a bad person. I understand… maybe her family situation…” “Her family situation is way better than yours!” Someone stood up, slamming their desk. “Doesn’t her mom drop her off in a car every day? What about you? Two bus transfers!” I opened my mouth, but my throat felt blocked. Not a word came out. The entire class was staring at me. Olivia looked at me and suddenly said, “It’s… okay if she doesn’t want to donate. I don’t mind.” In that moment, I was utterly defeated. Because not only was she the class’s protected “angel,” now she was playing the “magnanimous goddess” role too. I was about to speak when someone at the front stuck a QR code on the blackboard. “Let’s vote on whether Rachel should donate or not.” I had barely scanned the code when my screen displayed: Current voting results: Support Rachel Chen donating: 94 votes Support Rachel Chen’s free choice: 1 vote My hands were shaking. “The votes are in. Still not going to chip in?” Someone tossed an A4 paper at me. It read: “Help Olivia’s Dream Come True, $100 per person, SnapPay only.” “Don’t talk about it being voluntary. This isn’t about morals, it’s about class unity!” “If you really don’t want to, you can get out of this class!” Gritting my teeth, I said coldly, “Her dad owns a plastic surgery clinic. If she really wants surgery, doesn’t she have the equipment at home?” The room fell silent for two seconds before erupting into even louder laughter. “Haha, are you crazy? If Olivia’s family really owned a hospital, would I be killing myself trying to get into an Ivy League?” “You think just because her family can afford a house in this small town, they own a hospital? Why not say her dad’s the chief surgeon and her mom’s the head nurse?” “Give it up. Don’t go around spreading lies and smearing others just because you’re insecure about your looks!” Olivia didn’t say a word, just looked at me. I remembered that look. A year ago, her father had me sign a contract for “double eyelid surgery only, no other procedures.” I signed, but on the day of the surgery, while I was unconscious, they altered my nose, my chin, my whole face. When I woke up, I cried and tore at the bandages. The doctor said, “It’s just a bit of technical instability. Go home, apply the medicine, it’ll get better slowly.” It took me a whole year of being disfigured before I dared to go out without makeup. And she used my ruined face for marketing, made promotional videos, and even claimed she was “born with poor facial structure, became beautiful through hard work.” Now she was turning the whole class into her second experimental ground. I stared at her, my voice low and trembling: “I won’t donate. Dream on.” 0

She looked up at me, tears in her eyes. “I know you’ve never liked me, but I really didn’t mean to embarrass you like this.” Our teacher sighed. “Rachel, don’t be so selfish. Is it right to stop the whole class’s plan just because you disagree?” The class chimed in. “That’s right! You’re the only one making us all look bad!” “Is this how your parents taught you to be so cold-hearted?” “If you really won’t donate, just drop out. We don’t want you in this class!” Someone splashed water on my shoes, while others threw paper balls at my back. I clenched my fists, my nails almost digging into my palms. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a payment notification. It was a SnapChat from my mom. [Rachel, your teacher called and told me everything. I’ve been working overtime, here’s the $100. Don’t let your classmates give you a hard time…] My hand shook, and I almost dropped my phone. After Mom transferred the $100, I didn’t donate right away. I sat at my desk, biting my lip so hard my fingers trembled too much to even tap the screen properly. The class group chat was still buzzing: [Everyone’s donated. How many more times does Rachel want to make Olivia cry before she’s satisfied?] [Some families aren’t poor, they’re just heartless.] Before I could reply, another message popped up on my phone. It was from my mom’s coworker: [Rachel, your mom collapsed at the office. She’s been taken to the hospital by ambulance.] I froze. The next second, I ran out of the classroom like a madwoman. I could hear someone sneer, “She’s putting on another show. Making it life-or-death over a simple donation.” I couldn’t care less. For the first time in my life, I splurged on a taxi and rushed straight to the city hospital. My mom was lying in the emergency room, her face pale, the back of her hand bruised from the IV. The doctor spoke coldly, “Your mother fainted due to long-term sleep deprivation, low blood sugar, and extreme fatigue.” I remembered how she’d been working until 1 or 2 AM these past few days, rushing to two part-time jobs during the day, not even eating breakfast. Standing by her bedside, my heart felt like it was being torn apart. The nurse handed me the bill. I looked at the amount and bit my lip, not making a sound. I had less than $20 left on my phone, but our homeroom teacher was tagging me in the class group: [Rachel, Olivia’s cosmetic surgery fund is just waiting on you now. Everyone’s waiting for you to chip in.] [We know your family isn’t well-off, but even Yolanda’s family donated, and her dad just lost his job last year.] [Do you want us to crowdfund your share? Don’t be so disheartening.] I replied: [My mom fainted and is in the hospital. I really can’t afford this right now.] Olivia replied instantly: [It’s okay… if Rachel is really struggling, let’s just forget about it. I don’t blame her…] She said she didn’t blame me, but the whole class exploded. [Olivia, don’t be too kind. She can afford lipstick, perfume, and skincare, her family has a car, and she’s claiming hardship? Isn’t that laughable?] [Didn’t her mom drop her off at school in a car the other day? What was it, a blue Volkswagen?] [Her mom fainting means she doesn’t have to donate? Why not say her grandma fell or her grandpa’s in the hospital too?] [Besides, Olivia didn’t force you to donate, she just cried. If you don’t donate, it’s because your heart is too hard!] My fingers kept shaking. I was about to reply “I really can’t afford it” when I saw a new hot post pinned to the top of the school forum: “You cried so I must pay? How vicious can a ‘poor’ girl be?” The cover was a photo of me biting my lip and crying at the classroom door that day. The first comment under the title was: [Saying her mom fainted and is in the hospital, probably another old trick. I bet tomorrow she’ll be posting her own donation QR code.] 0

The next morning, before I even entered the classroom, someone dumped a bucket of soy milk all over me at the entrance of the teaching building. “Oops, sorry! My bad!” The boy who threw the cup laughed and walked away. I stood there, soaked from head to toe, the soy milk dripping from my hair onto my uniform, leaving sticky yellow stains on the white collar. I stood frozen, my face burning with shame. Olivia walked up to me and stood in front of me, her voice soft: “Rachel, you can’t keep making everyone think you’re putting on a pity show to clear your name. You’ll really be misunderstood this way.” I finally snapped, my voice hoarse and trembling: “Clear my name? When your dad ruined my face, did I even ask him to take responsibility?” She blinked: “What are you talking about? Didn’t you voluntarily sign up for the trial? You signed the contract yourself.” “Didn’t you say ‘I can endure pain for beauty’? How come now that you’re disfigured, you want to blame others?” She paused, then lowered her voice: “Rachel, I advise you not to say anything rash. The statute of limitations on my dad’s case has passed. If you really make a big fuss, it’ll only make your mom’s work situation more difficult.” “Also,” she smiled, “do you have any evidence for what you’re saying now?” I was stunned. She wasn’t wrong. I had no evidence. The trial contract I signed back then was taken away, and my mom had thrown away the copy as waste paper. I was only a freshman then, and after being disfigured, I only knew how to cry. I had no idea what to keep as evidence. I couldn’t even remember clearly what I had signed. And now, she stood brazenly in front of me, saying: “Without evidence, anything you say is just slander.” My whole body went cold, my teeth chattering. She turned and walked into the classroom with a smile. Classmates crowded around her, offering breakfast, hot water bottles, pink face masks, saying: “Olivia, you’re really too kind.” “Don’t let her get to you, she’s just trying to ride your coattails.” “Don’t worry, we all support you getting plastic surgery to live your best life. You deserve better.” And I, like a madwoman, was nailed to the corridor. My vision started to blur. That night, I couldn’t sleep. Not because I had been doused with soy milk during the day, not because my mother was still lying in the hospital on an IV drip, but because Olivia had posted a new article on the school’s public account: “The Pursuit of Beauty is Never a Sin” She said she was a “patient with congenital facial structure imbalance” and had developed an eating disorder in middle school due to her facial issues. She said she could only fall asleep at 4 AM because “appearance anxiety has seeped into my bones.” Finally, she wrote: “Some people think I don’t deserve plastic surgery, that this is all an act. But I just want to stop being scared of my reflection in the mirror. I hope the next time I sit on the operating table, I’ll wake up with a smile.” There were over a thousand comments below, all praising her for being “brave,” “real,” and “beautifully powerful.” As for me, after being scolded for three whole days, I didn’t even have a single comment defending me. This donation storm, wrapped in the guise of “beauty,” had already become one-sided in public opinion. I sat on a long bench in the hospital corridor, took out my phone, and opened the official website of that plastic surgery hospital. The procedure Olivia said she wanted was the hospital’s newly launched “Full Face Dynamic 3D Fusion Surgery.” The introduction read: “Jointly developed by Shaw Hospital and overseas experts” and “Creating an Asian-adapted facial proportion model.” I recognized it immediately. This was the same procedure the doctor had mentioned to me before my double eyelid surgery. Fighting back tears, I dialed the consumer protection hotline and the city’s medical regulatory hotline. I reported the hospital’s name, saying they exaggerated their advertising, failed to disclose experimental procedures, and refused to provide complete medical records after disfiguring me. The person on the other end said they would file the complaint for investigation. After hanging up, for the first time, I felt a tiny bit of victory, no matter how small. But this small sense of victory turned into hell the next morning. 0

Hot post on the school forum: “Shocking! Girl refuses to crowdfund, reports Olivia’s plastic surgery hospital, even writes to school authorities slandering her father as a quack doctor” The post included a photo of my silhouette making a phone call in the hospital corridor late at night. There was also a secretly taken photo of me queuing in the cafeteria, with large red text: [This is Rachel Chen. Jealous that everyone likes Olivia, she reported her family’s hospital just because Olivia is prettier than her.] The post had thousands of comments. [Wow, how vicious can she be?] [Can’t get surgery herself so she wants to ruin someone else’s face? Does she even qualify as human?] [What did Olivia ever do to her? This girl must be a psycho!] By noon, as I was walking into the teaching building, I heard people scrolling through their phones and pointing at me: “Is she the one who reported the Shaw family hospital?” “I bet she’s mentally ill. If Olivia’s face is considered ugly, she might as well apply for a job at a haunted house.” “Write a sob story, make a fuss, and now she wants to play the victim of public opinion, huh?” I bit my lip and rushed into the classroom. As soon as I sat down, our homeroom teacher came in with several printed papers in her hand. “Rachel Chen, come to the office.” I stood up, my legs shaking. In the office, the dean of students had a grim expression: “Rachel Chen, your unauthorized report of Shaw Hospital has caused extremely negative impact on the school’s image. Now parents and outside media are demanding an explanation from the school.” The homeroom teacher also advised: “We’re not saying you can’t defend your rights, but doing it this way will only make the whole class resent you.” I looked up: “Weren’t they already resenting me?” The dean’s eyes turned cold: “Olivia just gave us the screenshot of the threatening message you sent her father last night. Do you want to take a look yourself?” I took it. The photo indeed showed a message I supposedly sent to the Shaw Hospital’s official account from a burner account: “Don’t think you can keep this under wraps forever. I still remember how you ruined my face back then.” “No matter how rich your dad is, I’ll make sure he’s exposed to the light of day.” At the bottom of the message was a red box noting: “Verbal threats, malicious false reporting.” My mind exploded. I never sent these words. My report was through the hotline, through official channels. I never privately messaged them. This burner account wasn’t mine! I was about to defend myself when the dean coldly handed me another paper: “Take a look at this.” I took it and saw it was a joint letter. “We, the classmates of Rachel Chen, strongly condemn Rachel Chen for long-term spreading of false rumors about Olivia and her family both inside and outside the class, seriously disrupting class unity, and even attempting to smear the plastic surgery hospital through online means. We believe her behavior is extremely vicious and implore the school to take disciplinary action.” At the bottom, over thirty names were densely packed, each signature clear and neat. I felt like I had fallen into an ice pit. I couldn’t even see the words clearly anymore. The dean spoke coldly: “You must write an explanation now, publicly apologize to your classmates, and promise not to make malicious comments again.” I looked up, my eyes red, and asked hoarsely: “What if I don’t apologize?” He raised his head: “Then please cooperate with the school disciplinary process. We will also suggest you take a leave of absence to reflect at home for a while.” I stood up, clenching my fists, and said word by word: “I will never apologize for something I didn’t do.” “You can punish me, even expel me. But let me tell you this” “Olivia is not the good person you think she is. Her father’s hospital has problems, and so does she. You can cover it up for now, but you can’t hide it forever.” I turned and walked out of the office. Behind me came the sound of the dean angrily slamming his desk. But I wasn’t afraid anymore. I opened my phone and dialed a number. It was the young assistant who had been responsible for filming pre-op videos at the plastic surgery hospital that year. I still had her phone number, and I still had the voice message she sent me when she secretly shared “screenshots of the surgical process” with me. Now, it was time to bring them out.

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My sister-in-law claimed to be a “prophet” and after a few accurate “predictions”, the whole family believed her without question. She said my savings would be stolen in a month, so my husband convinced me to transfer all my money. She said housing prices would plummet within six months, so my husband and mother-in-law forced me to sell the house my parents left me. When I was about to give birth, she even said the child in my belly was illegitimate and would bring disaster to the whole family! On a freezing winter night, my husband and mother-in-law kicked me out of the house without a second thought. In the end, my child and I died together. When I opened my eyes again, I heard my sister-in-law say: “Next month, all of my sister-in-law’s savings will be stolen. We must get her to hand over the money now.” 1 I looked at my sister-in-law’s pretentious expression, wishing I could tear her face off. But remembering I was three months pregnant, I held back. “That’s my own hard-earned money. It’s none of your business,” I said coolly. Margaret immediately narrowed her eyes and pointed at my nose, scolding, “What do you mean your money? You married into our Wilson family – your person, your money, it all belongs to my son!” “An orphan like you should be grateful to marry my son. How dare you talk back?” “It’s bad luck for a woman to manage money. Hurry up and hand it over!” I sat down and took a sip of water, replying calmly, “Aren’t you already in charge of most of Jack’s salary?” Margaret was speechless for a moment. My husband Jack quickly tried to smooth things over. “Sophia, Mom and Vanessa mean well. We’re all family, how could we harm you?” I looked at his hypocritical face, feeling nauseous. Family? I was the one being schemed against by this whole family! After I died, my soul floated in the air and saw many things. Only then did I realize Jack and Vanessa had been having an affair for a long time, with Margaret’s knowledge. The so-called “prophecies” were just an elaborate act they put on together to swindle my money and house. Thinking of my unborn child, thinking of how I died miserably on that snowy night, an overwhelming hatred nearly drowned me. In this life, I would make them pay blood for blood! “Sister, are you stupid?” Vanessa frowned and scolded when she saw I wasn’t moved. “We’re trying to help you out of kindness, but you’d rather be scammed than trust your own family!” Margaret put her hands on her hips, her expression even more sour and vicious: “Haven’t you learned your lesson? Last time Vanessa said you’d have a bloody disaster on your anniversary, you didn’t listen. What happened? You got hit by a car, didn’t you!” Yes, I was hit by a car. Multiple fractures all over my body, half dead, lying in the hospital for three months. Only after death did I realize it was all their plan. The pain of betrayal washed over me again. I clenched my fists tightly. I looked straight at Vanessa. “Sister, since you’re so prophetic, why don’t you tell me exactly how my money will be stolen? Give me some details so I can be prepared.” Vanessa clearly hadn’t expected me to ask this. Her face froze instantly. After stammering for a while, she became angry out of embarrassment. “I’m trying to help you. What kind of attitude is this?” “Then wait until you have a specific ‘prophecy’ before talking to me again.” “How dare you!” Margaret jumped up and down in anger. “Don’t think you’re so great just because you can earn a bit of money!” “If it weren’t for my son giving you the chance to go out and work, if it weren’t for Vanessa and me taking care of the house, how could you make any money?” “Your money should be ours. You should hand it over without us even having to ask!” I laughed bitterly at this shameless logic. “Which household bill – water, electricity, gas, daily expenses – haven’t I paid for? Has a single cent of Jack’s salary been used for the family?” “As his wife, I’ve never spent a penny of his money. But Vanessa, even the money for your underwear was paid by Jack, wasn’t it?” I had always been mild-mannered. No one expected me to bring this up so directly. Vanessa’s face instantly turned pale. Jack looked so embarrassed he wanted to find a hole to crawl into. Margaret suddenly came forward and shoved me hard. My lower back hit the corner of the table. I broke out in a cold sweat from the pain, but not a single person came to check on me. “What’s wrong with Jack helping his widowed sister-in-law?” Margaret sneered. “Don’t think you can ride roughshod over me and your sister-in-law just because you’re pregnant. If you give birth to a girl, I’ll throw her in the sewer right away. We don’t need that kind of bad luck in the family!” My anger instantly shot to the top of my head. I grabbed the glass of water on the table and smashed it at Margaret’s feet. “If anything happens to my child, you’ll be the first one I take down with me!” We had a huge argument, with Jack eventually coming out to smooth things over and make peace. That night, Jack walked into the bedroom with a bottle of red wine, pretending to comfort me and urging me to drink. I stared at him steadily. “Can pregnant women drink alcohol?” Jack’s expression froze for a moment before he quickly started making excuses with a smile: “This is imported non-alcoholic wine, basically fancy grape juice. It’s good for blood circulation and calming nerves. It’s good for pregnant women.” I didn’t expose him. I obediently drank that glass of cheap wine laced with drugs, pretending to pass out on the bed. Jack immediately used my fingerprint to unlock my phone. Margaret and Vanessa poked their heads in. Greedy expressions of triumph spread across all three of their faces. “I’ve already arranged it with Old Liu. Tomorrow he’ll show her my big gold bracelet.” “I’ve ordered the latest designer bag. Just waiting to pay the final installment.” “Once she has no money left, she’ll have to obey us and be our housekeeper!” I lay there with my eyes closed, listening to their ugly whispers, laughing coldly in my heart. Jack saw the balance in my account and his eyes widened: “Why is there no money at all?!” “And there’s a 200,000 dollar debt to the bank!” 2 Margaret and Vanessa’s faces instantly turned white. They jumped up and down anxiously. “My big gold bracelet!” “My bag! How will I pay the final installment!” “Where’s the money?!” Jack’s eyes were bloodshot. Like a wild beast gone mad, he pounced on me and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me violently. “Where’s my money? What did you do with the money?!” He started frantically ransacking the room, throwing my clothes, jewelry, and personal belongings everywhere. The whole room looked like it had been looted. I had already transferred the money and taken out a $200,000 loan on top of that. I wanted to make Vanessa’s “prophecy” come true. I collapsed on the floor, hugging my head and crying regretfully: “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have doubted Vanessa… I was scammed…” “Now I even owe the bank 200,000. What should we do…” I looked up with tearful eyes, helplessly looking at them: “Aren’t we family? Margaret, didn’t you say my money is your money? Now that I’m in debt, this debt… shouldn’t it be our debt too?” Vanessa was the first to jump out: “I don’t have any money!” Jack shrugged: “All my salary goes to Mom. I don’t have any money.” Margaret folded her arms across her chest, looking at me with a harsh expression: “You jinx! You were stupid enough to get scammed, why should we pay your debts? Dream on! Our Wilson family doesn’t need a daughter-in-law like you who brings bad luck!” “I don’t care if you have to sell your blood or your body or your organs. Pay off the debt yourself.” “If debt collectors come harassing us, I’ll be the first to push you out to pay them off.” “You hear me?!” They stormed out, slamming the door behind them. A few days later, Vanessa came to find me again with her “good intentions”. “Sophia, my eyelid has been twitching these past few days. I foresee that your house… will lose a lot of value within six months.” As soon as she finished speaking, Margaret and Jack started pressuring me in unison to sell the house my parents had left me before marriage. I flatly refused: “Not selling.” Margaret smashed a cup and started cursing: “Are you deaf? When I tell you to sell, you sell. Who are you to refuse?” “This house should have belonged to our Wilson family in the first place. How dare you act like you’re in charge?” While Margaret played the bad cop, Vanessa played good cop: “Sophia, I’m really doing this for your own good. Have you forgotten what happened with the money last time?” Before I could respond, Margaret said smugly: “It’s too late to refuse. I’ve already collected the deposit.” “The buyers are at the door.” She opened the door directly and brought in two people to view the house. “Don’t come in!” I blocked the doorway. Margaret immediately sat down on the floor and started wailing and making a scene: “Oh heavens! My daughter-in-law is trying to beat this old woman to death! Come quick, look! She’s abusing me!” “This ungrateful wretch, taking advantage of her pregnancy, not giving me food to eat or a place to sleep. Now she wants to kick me out. I can’t go on living!” Onlookers who didn’t know the truth started pointing fingers at me. “She’s pregnant herself but still so hot-tempered. Aren’t you afraid of karma affecting your child? What a vicious heart!” “Look at her. She must be a tyrant at home. Marrying a daughter-in-law like this is really bad luck for eight generations.” Jack grabbed my arm, looking impatient: “Stop blocking the way. Mom’s already taken the money. Just let them take a look.” “Don’t make a scene in the doorway and embarrass yourself.” I didn’t budge. Vanessa pretended to persuade me, her eyes full of vicious calculation: “Sophia, don’t be stubborn. You’ll cry when the house price drops. Haven’t you experienced the consequences of not listening to my prophecies?” 3 I had indeed experienced it. In my previous life, just because she said my child was a harbinger of disaster, I was kicked out of the house by them. On a snowy night below -30°C, I was wearing only a thin nightgown. The child in my belly seemed to feel the bone-chilling cold too, kicking me desperately. I felt like the cold would freeze both me and my baby to death. I knocked on the door frantically. My nails broke, my palms bled. I cried and begged them to open the door. But through the doorway camera, I heard the happy laughter of the whole family inside. “Let her freeze to death out there!” “Better if it’s two lives lost. Save us the bad luck!” That’s how I was frozen to death in endless cold and despair. “I know what you’re up to. The house – I will never sell!” I looked coldly at Margaret. Margaret felt guilty under my gaze, but still bristled up. She started yelling without thinking: “You really don’t care about your family at all, do you?” “Where will we get money if we don’t sell the house? My ten big gold necklaces, your sister-in-law’s bag, and the money Jack lost in stocks – how will we make that up?” After she finished speaking, she realized she had let something slip. Vanessa quickly tried to smooth things over: “Mom’s just talking nonsense because she’s upset. Sophia, it’s mainly because of my prophecy. You can’t not listen!” They had planned this long ago. Before I could respond, they directly took out my property deed and tried to hand it to the two house viewers. I rushed over to stop them. Margaret shoved me hard. I fell onto some broken glass. Multiple cuts instantly appeared on my body. A sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen. I clutched my belly, looking at Jack in pain. Jack scolded his mom: “Mom, you’ve gone too far.” I thought Jack still had a shred of conscience at that moment. But after steadying Margaret, he frowned at me instead: “Don’t fight with your mom. After they finish viewing the house, I’ll take you to the hospital.” My heart died completely in that moment. I turned to the couple who had been frightened by the scene. “If you dare buy this house, I’ll die right here today. Two lives lost.” The two of them shouted about bad luck, took back their deposit, and ran away. I took out my phone myself and called 91 Margaret was still holding onto the property deed and refusing to return it. I gave Jack an ultimatum. “Give me back the property deed. Otherwise, we’re getting divorced.” “According to marriage law, this is my premarital property. All of you, get out of here!”

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I used to think his love was the most beautiful thing in the world. Until it became the knife that carved scars into my flesh and soul. Four years ago, when Lucas fell into a family scandal, I took two million dollars from his cousin and spoke ill of him in front of reporters. Four years later, I was kicked out by his cousin. I knelt at Lucas’s doorstep, my face ruined beyond recognition even with a mask on. Lucas, impeccably dressed in a suit, carefully supported Jasmine, who was pregnant. Jasmine stared at my face and suddenly felt nauseous. “Honey, she’s disgusting.” Lucas comforted her, rubbing her back, while looking at me with disdain. “Didn’t my cousin give you money? Couldn’t you afford a piece of cloth to cover that ruined face?” I instinctively wanted to lower my head, but he grabbed my mask and yanked it down violently. The scabs tore open, blood trickling down my chin. I trembled in pain. He took out a hundred-dollar bill, slapped my painfully sore face with it, then stuffed it into my chest. “Enough to buy some disinfectant. Clean up that rotten face. You made my wife sick. Can you afford to compensate her?” I fought back tears. That two million dollars – I had anonymously hired a top lawyer to clear his name of all accusations. In return, his cousin poured boiling water on my face. Now, my burns were infected, and I could go into shock at any moment. As Lucas was about to leave, I crawled to his side on all fours, clutching his pant leg. Under his icy gaze, I struggled to speak. “Lucas, please, save my grandma. She has terminal lung cancer. She needs money for treatment.” Trembling, I pulled out a brand new designer box from my pocket. Inside was a scarf I had saved up for a long time to buy. Dark gray, his favorite color. I held the box with both hands, as if cradling the last flicker of hope. “Please, for old times’ sake. For how good my grandma was to you.” “She made dumplings for you so many times, always talking about how much you loved them. Please lend me money to save her. This is a small token of my appreciation.” I could barely continue, tears welling up in my eyes, but I held them back fiercely. Jasmine glanced at it and covered her mouth, laughing. “Even my dog wouldn’t wear that brand.” Lucas extended two fingers, contemptuously pinching a corner of the scarf. “You want me to lend you money to save that old hag?” He sneered. “Where was she when you took money to slander me back then? What kind of person could she be to raise a granddaughter who would sell anything for money?” Blood rushed to my head instantly. My whole body shook violently, fists clenched tight. Lucas watched my anger, a flash of excitement in his eyes. He relished the feeling of being able to ignite me so easily, then crush me into the mud just as effortlessly. He carelessly tossed the scarf to the ground. “Want to borrow money to save that old waste?” He looked down at me condescendingly. “Sure.” I suddenly looked up, with a hint of disbelieving hope. But when I saw the undisguised hatred in his eyes, my heart sank again. Jasmine seemed surprised, tugging at Lucas’s sleeve coquettishly. “Honey, don’t.” Lucas gave her an indulgent smile. “Be good, I’ll let you and the baby see something interesting in a moment.” He turned to me and said slowly, “Kneel here and say loudly, ‘My grandma Rose is an old bitch. She deserves cancer.’” He paused, savoring my face that had turned as white as paper. “Say it from the bottom of your heart, as genuinely as when you accused me in front of reporters back then. Say it once, and I’ll give you a hundred thousand. How about that?” Jasmine giggled beside him. “Say it quickly, or your grandma will die.” The world seemed to fall silent instantly. I looked at the disgust in his eyes for me, and suddenly flashed back to the image of him looking at me with eyes full of love. I couldn’t help but take two steps back. Anger, despair, and guilt towards my grandma rushed to my head at this moment. “Impossible.” I squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth. Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Then get lost.” I was on the verge of collapse. The image of my grandma’s haggard, desperate face and the doctor’s cold bill of payment involuntarily flashed before my eyes. In the end, the desire for grandma to live on crushed my last bit of dignity. I opened my mouth: “My grandma Rose… is… is an old bitch…” The moment these words came out, I heard the sound of my heart breaking. Lucas’s eyes suddenly flickered. He remembered when he was bullied by his cousin as a child, it was grandma who chased him away with a rolling pin for half a street to protect him. She always hid shrimp, his favorite, in the dumplings. But this hint of wavering disappeared in an instant. “Wait,” Lucas suddenly interrupted me and dialed a number. “How can there be a good show without an audience?” My heart instantly sank into an ice cave, an ominous premonition rising from the bottom of my heart. In less than five minutes, several cars stopped by the roadside. The car doors opened, and a group of reporters carrying cameras swarmed in with excitement on their faces. My pupils constricted violently. They were the same people I had spoken ill of Lucas to years ago. “Oh my God, Miss Zoe, what happened to your face?” The reporters snapped furiously at my face. I instinctively wanted to put on my mask, only to find that Lucas had already stepped on it. “Miss Zoe, are you kneeling here to repent?” “We heard you were abandoned by your sugar daddy? Now you’re back looking for Mr. Lucas?” I felt as if I had been stripped naked and thrown into a busy market. The immense shame and fear made my whole body rigid. Lucas watched this scene with satisfaction and slowly opened his mouth: “Face the camera with your ruined face and say it properly.” Some reporters started live streaming, focusing on my face. Tens of thousands of viewers instantly flooded into the live stream. “She doesn’t even care about her face for money, now pretending to be filial?” “Like grandmother, like granddaughter. They’re all scum.” “Her face is karma! Go die already.” I stared blankly at these vile words in front of me and opened my mouth again: “My grandma Rose is an old bitch.” Just as I was about to say the next sentence like a walking corpse, my vision suddenly went black and I fell forward. Lucas instinctively wanted to support me but deliberately stopped. At this moment, my phone rang. “Miss Zoe, we’ve stopped your grandmother’s painkillers. She was just rolling in bed in pain. When are you coming to pay?” Lucas snatched the phone from me, put it on speaker, and sneered at the receiver: “Tell that old hag her granddaughter is calling her an old bitch right now.” Jasmine clapped her hands and laughed beside him: “Nurse, you must let her grandma hear this!” I anxiously grabbed the phone back, about to say something, when I heard a long beep from inside. “I’m sorry, Ms. Zoe. Your grandmother has passed away.” I stood there stunned, the phone falling to the ground with a thud. Lucas’s gaze swept over my old phone that had just fallen at his feet. Covered in cracks, it looked jarring. He raised his foot and kicked it hard. With a crack, the phone hit the corner of the wall, the battery flew out, and the screen shattered completely. “No!” I let out a heartbroken roar. It contained voice messages my grandma had recorded one by one, full of her concern and advice for me. Almost with my last breath, I crawled on all fours towards the pile of debris in the corner. “Grandma!” I cried out, tears mixed with blood flowing down my face. I frantically scrabbled with both hands, trying to pick up those pieces. The sharp glass shards instantly cut my fingers, but I didn’t even notice. The reporters were even more excited to record this scene, their cameras precisely aimed at my distorted, anguished face. The barrage of comments in the live stream went crazy: “She deserves it.” “She even cursed her own grandmother. Asking for money? I think she’s just putting on a show.” Suddenly, a cold sneer came from above, piercing my collapsed nerves. Lucas looked down at me with bloodshot eyes, a flash of extremely complex emotions in his eyes – shock, hatred, and a hint of heartache he didn’t even notice himself. Jasmine leaned forward, frowning: “Honey, has she gone mad? Crying like this over a broken phone? Could it be that she has some scandalous photos with a sugar daddy in there?” Lucas’s gaze turned cold. “Look at yourself now. You’re crawling around like a mad dog for a broken phone?” He raised his foot, carelessly nudging the pile of debris with his toe. “If your grandma knew you were just cursing her, do you think she’d die again in her grave?” “Shut up!” I suddenly raised my head, my bloodshot eyes glaring fiercely at Lucas. He stared at the intense hatred and despair in my eyes, stunned for a moment. Jasmine pointed at my nose: “What are you yelling for? Your grandma, that old hag, raised a granddaughter as cheap as you. She deserved to die.” My grandma’s painful gasps before she died, the irreparable phone, the humiliation I suffered today, everything made my sanity snap completely. With a loud slap, a resounding slap landed on Jasmine’s face, instantly leaving a red handprint. She covered her face, staring at me in disbelief. “Honey, she hit me!”

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Zachary Shaw insisted I take care of his adopted sister Lily when she caught a cold. I refused, so he threw our son Alex out on the street to force me to comply. After I moved in, Alex and I were crammed into the attic, overrun with rats and mosquitoes. Zachary meticulously listed Lily’s preferences to me: “Lily doesn’t eat cilantro, so don’t put any in her food. Cut hard foods into small pieces – her stomach is sensitive.” “Don’t give her anything spicy, cold, or sour when she has a cold. She’s good at using me as an excuse to trick people, so be careful.” I silently noted it all down, agreeing to leave once Lily recovered. He halfheartedly agreed, but then turned around and bet Lily how long I would last. “This obedient dog will come running back as soon as I call.” Little did he know, when I said I was leaving, I meant never coming back. 0 “Zachary, I’m leaving once she’s better,” I said firmly. Zachary seemed taken aback for a moment. After a pause, he replied impatiently, “No one’s stopping you. Just don’t bother Lily.” He took Lily upstairs, leaving Alex and me busy in the kitchen. Perhaps as punishment, at lunch Zachary made me feed Lily. I carefully followed her preferences, alternating between spoonfuls of rice and soup. “Waaah Zach, it’s so hot!” Lily cried, ducking into Zachary’s arms. Before I could react, the bowl of soup was thrown at me. “Aria Montgomery, you knew the soup was scalding hot but still fed it to Lily. Are you trying to kill her?” Zachary snapped. I didn’t explain, but Zachary acted strangely. “Give this bowl of soup to Alex,” he ordered. He personally ladled out a bowl and handed it to our son. Before it could cool, Zachary had someone force it down Alex’s throat. I watched Alex’s face turn red, suddenly remembering the soup contained shrimp. “Zachary, stop! Alex is allergic to shrimp!” I cried. He acted like he couldn’t hear me, forcing bowl after bowl until Alex collapsed on the table, struggling to breathe. I tried to take Alex to the hospital, but Zachary had his men hold me back. “Make another batch of soup for Lily. You can leave once it’s cooled down.” I knew I couldn’t resist. Otherwise, my son’s life would be in Zachary’s hands. I obediently made four dishes and a soup, frantically fanning it to cool it faster. Lily waved her hand dismissively, complaining that dust had fallen in the soup. Over and over, I made batch after batch. She was finally satisfied and let me go. I grabbed Alex and called an Uber outside, telling the driver to get to the hospital as fast as possible. But we were still too late. Alex’s esophagus was severely damaged and required hospitalization. Before I could get Alex settled, Zachary called demanding I return. When I refused, he sent men to forcibly bring me back from the hospital. “Lily says she wasted the soup you made, so she specially made a new batch. Don’t be ungrateful.” I glanced at the still-steaming soup in the kitchen. “What do you mean?” Lily pulled me into the kitchen with fake sincerity. “Sis, I was careless earlier and Alex ended up in the hospital because of me. To make up for it, I made you a special batch. You absolutely can’t say Lily’s cooking is bad.” She stuck out her tongue playfully, giving me no chance to refuse. As soon as I touched the edge of the bowl, my hand jerked back. Lily immediately put on a pitiful act, blocking Zachary’s view. Then she pushed the bowl to the floor. “Ow! It hurts, Zach…” Before I could react, Zachary shoved me to the ground. “Aria Montgomery, what did you do to Lily?” I didn’t see any injuries on Lily, if only Zachary had looked closer. But he didn’t. My palm was embedded with shards, instantly staining the tiles red. I looked up to see Zachary already carrying Lily upstairs. Nestled in his arms, Lily flashed a smug smile. 0

Back in my room, I bandaged my hand, listening to Zachary’s voice in the hallway. “Our Lily is the best, isn’t she? Just put on some medicine and you’ll be all better. Be good, okay?” “I promise, tomorrow I’ll bring you everything you like.” In seven years of marriage, Zachary had never been so deferential. In the past when I was hurt or had cramps, he either ignored me or accused me of overreacting. My heart felt like it was being repeatedly squeezed, aching to the core. A phone call interrupted my thoughts. I glanced at the caller ID. As soon as Sophia heard my voice, she nearly cried with relief. “Aria, why did you take so long to answer? Don’t you know how worried I was?” I glossed over recent events, making an excuse that I was going to Paris to see her in three days. Sophia seemed to suddenly realize something, about to ask if I was being mistreated. The next second, Zachary barged in with a bottle of medicine. I quickly hung up. He tossed the items on the bed, his tone hostile: “I brought you medicine. Bandage yourself up quickly and go clean. Don’t hurt Lily.” I didn’t take it, just staring blankly at the bottle. Clearly Zachary had just opened it to apply medicine on Lily. But he forgot I’m allergic to erythromycin. Last time he carelessly applied it on me without checking, causing an allergic reaction that put me in the hospital. That night Zachary never came home. It was a neighbor who noticed something was wrong and called for help. The next day I saw on Lily’s social media that she and Zachary were embracing and passionately kissing amidst cheers from a crowd. “What are you doing? Does it hurt that much? Let me…” I deftly avoided his outstretched hand. He awkwardly froze mid-air, his low voice tinged with displeasure. “Aria Montgomery, you’ve had your tantrum. I’m giving you a way out, so don’t be stubborn.” “You’re a grown woman but can’t control your temper. Who are you trying to impress with that sour face?” But I wasn’t throwing a tantrum or losing my temper. “I heard you say three days earlier…” he began. I cut him off: “Sophia said she’s coming to see me in three days. It won’t interfere with you accompanying Lily.” Noticing my aloofness, a complex emotion flashed in Zachary’s eyes. I ignored him, suddenly remembering Alex left at the hospital. But I stood up too quickly, aggravating my wound. I couldn’t help but hiss in pain. Zachary pushed me back onto the bed, finally showing a hint of reluctance. “I’ve already arranged for someone to look after Alex. He can be discharged in a few days.” In the past, I would have just taken this as something he should do. But now it’s different. “Thank you,” I said softly. Zachary froze for a moment when he heard those two words, his expression a bit unnatural. “It’s fine, you can go now. Lily will be looking for you soon.” As he finished speaking, Lily appeared in the doorway wearing an ill-fitting dress. It was the custom-made dress Zachary had specially ordered for me when we got married. Afraid of dirtying it, I never wore it again after the wedding. Zachary’s face stiffened, his tone turning reproachful. “This was custom-made for Aria. Why are you wearing it?” Lily looked utterly dejected, reaching back to grab the zipper. But she couldn’t reach it. Her face instantly flushed red, tears welling up in her eyes. “Zach, don’t you remember? This is what you brought when you came to see me last time. You even said once I wore it, I’d be the lady of the Shaw family.” Ignoring my presence, Zachary wiped away her tears and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry Lily, it’s my fault. If you like it, I’ll have a hundred made for you.” Seeing Lily beam with joy, Zachary pulled her close and showered her with kisses. Then he took her back to the bedroom. The vows of the past were still fresh in my mind. But today I realized one person’s heart could be divided between two. 0

Before my hand had healed, I was rushing back and forth to the hospital. Seeing the bandage on my hand, Alex gently blew on it to make it feel better. My heart melted and I could no longer hold back my tears. Hot tears fell on Alex’s face as he looked up and said softly: “Mommy, please don’t leave me, okay?” My heart skipped a beat as I pulled him into my arms. “Mommy’s not leaving you. It’s just that if you stay with me, life will be very difficult from now on…” “I only want Mommy.” Hearing my son’s answer, a weight lifted from my heart. After a week of staying at the hospital, Alex was finally discharged and allowed to go home. During this time, I stayed with Alex while also arranging plans with Sophia. I sent Zachary a message. Lily’s cold was better and no longer needed my care. A minute after sending it, Zachary called. “Aria Montgomery, I order you to be here in 30 minutes. Otherwise I won’t hesitate to repeat what happened to Alex last time.” Remembering Alex’s flushed face, my heart trembled. “I’ve already made myself clear, Zachary. You promised to let me leave once Lily recovered.” He scoffed, his tone harsh: “Who says Lily is better? Until the doctor declares her fully recovered, you’re not going anywhere without my permission.” He added “I’ve already sent security to pick you up” before abruptly hanging up. I clearly heard Lily’s coquettish voice in the background. In the past, Zachary hated anyone interrupting his phone calls. When he had conference calls, I was never allowed to enter the room. Even if I had just showered and was freezing cold. When he chatted with friends, I wasn’t allowed to make a sound. Even if I was injured and needed his care. But now because of Lily, he had truly become someone I didn’t recognize. The memories flashed by in an instant. Alex and I got out of the car to see Zachary directing the servants to busily prepare. Seeing me, he tossed what he was holding to me. It was a guest list and menu. “Tomorrow is Lily’s birthday. I promised her a big celebration. Invite everyone on that list.” “Also, Lily says your cooking is good. You’ll make all the food tomorrow.” He commanded me like he would a servant. But after we married, even when my mother-in-law ordered me, Zachary would stand in front to protect me. Never letting me step foot in the kitchen. How laughable that he had forgotten his past promises, yet still presumed to have me handle everything alone. “Zachary, I refuse. This is not my responsibility and you have no right to order me around.” I turned to leave with Alex, but was stopped by security. “Sorry ma’am, you can’t leave without Mr. Shaw’s permission.” I calmly looked up at the guards blocking my way. They were all hired by me back when I worried about Zachary’s safety. I never imagined they would now only listen to him. “Fine, I’ll stay,” I paused for a second before stating my condition: “But after Lily’s birthday tomorrow, I’m leaving.” Zachary’s expression darkened slightly. After a long moment, he spoke: “I agree. But to prevent you from leaving on your own, I’ll look after our son for now.” With that, the guards took Alex away, completely ignoring my protests. “Aria Montgomery, you’d better not pull any tricks at Lily’s birthday.” “Be sensible and handle everything properly. Stop thinking about leaving. If Lily’s in a good mood, I might even give you some money to leave.” I said nothing, staring intently in the direction the guards had taken Alex. Zachary wasn’t wrong. With Alex here, I couldn’t leave either. I just never expected that this meeting today would be our final goodbye.

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