Suddenly, after I got pregnant, Gabriel became incredibly attentive to me. He canceled all his social engagements and personally cooked for me. Everyone envied me for finding such a devoted husband. Until I accidentally discovered a document in his study – “Agreement for Directed Blood Donation During Pregnancy and Newborn Cord Blood Donation”. My name and ID number were clearly listed! In the beneficiary column was Aria Song, the love of his life he had kept abroad for seven years… From outside the door came his gentle, doting voice. “Don’t worry, Aria. I’m personally overseeing her. Nutrition, rest – everything is according to the highest standards. I guarantee the baby will be born healthy. Your life-saving treatment is absolutely assured!” So all those carefully prepared prenatal meals, the mountains of supplements – none of it was out of love for me. It was to raise me into a qualified “blood bank”! “Aria, don’t worry. When the baby is born, I’ll personally take it to the operating room.” “It’s an honor for her and the baby to contribute to your recovery.” Overhearing Gabriel’s phone conversation through the door, my stomach churned violently. Fighting back nausea, I opened the agreement I had found in his drawer – Agreement for Directed Blood Donation During Pregnancy and Cord Blood Donation. The agreement clearly stated: Party B, Olivia Chen, will provide 200cc of blood every 15 days during pregnancy for Miss Aria Song, who suffers from aplastic anemia. Party B will voluntarily donate the child’s cord blood after delivery for Miss Aria Song’s emergency treatment. … So all that blood the nurses had been drawing wasn’t for tests, but for Aria. And the date on this contract was the day after I found out I was pregnant. I remember Gabriel running back excitedly that day, hugging me and spinning me around. It turns out he wasn’t overjoyed, but had finally found the cure to save his true love’s life. My whole body felt drained of blood, chilled to the bone. I flipped from the first page of the agreement to the last. Supplementary terms were printed in bold black font. “If cord blood typing fails, Party B Olivia Chen must agree that when the child meets surgical conditions, they will undergo bone marrow transplant surgery for Miss Aria Song.” “As compensation, after successful surgery, Mr. Gabriel Gu will pay Miss Olivia Chen a one-time mental anguish fee of $1 million, and immediately terminate their marriage.” “Custody of the child will belong to Mr. Gabriel Gu.” My child. The child I risked my life to conceive. From before they were even born, their own father had put a price tag on them, turning them into a walking blood bag and bone marrow bank! Seven years of love, all that time he was good to me. I thought it was belated happiness. I never imagined it was actually cold-hearted calculation! “Thud.” The agreement slipped from my hands. My whole body went limp, and I had to grip the desk to keep from falling. The study door opened. Gabriel walked in carrying a bowl of bird’s nest soup. Seeing my pale face, he frowned slightly. “Olivia, why are you in the study? The doctor said you need more rest.” His voice was as gentle as ever, but I couldn’t help feeling nauseated. I had originally wanted to confront him about the agreement, but instead overheard that conversation. My heart burned with a thousand questions I wanted to ask him, but I trembled, unable to speak. His gaze followed mine to the agreement on the floor. He froze for an instant. But in just a second, his eyes returned to their usual calm, without even a hint of panic. He calmly walked over, picked up the agreement, put it back in the drawer, and locked it. The whole process was smooth and fluid, as if he was just handling an unimportant document. Then he came to stand in front of me, looking down with a tone of resignation and condescension. “You heard everything?” “Olivia, it’s not good to touch other people’s things without permission. But since you already know, I won’t hide it from you anymore.” “Aria is very ill. The doctors say this is her only chance.” “Olivia, you’ve always been kind-hearted. You’ll help me, won’t you?”

I stared into his eyes, which I once thought held the stars and sea. Now I realized they were a bottomless, icy pool. My kindness meant letting him treat my child like medical waste to save another woman? It felt like a burning coal was lodged in my throat. The searing pain left me unable to speak, only able to stare at him intently. Gabriel grew uncomfortable under my gaze. He looked away, his tone taking on a hint of barely noticeable irritation. “Don’t look at me like that.” “This won’t affect our child. The doctors have assessed it, it’s very safe.” “After it’s done, that million dollars will be enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life.” He paused, as if realizing his tone was too harsh, and softened his voice with a hint of coaxing. “Olivia, Aria is a human life too. We can’t stand by and let her die.” “You give birth to the child, get the money, we part ways amicably. It’s good for everyone.” Good for everyone? Using my child, my life, to save Aria – how is that good for everyone? If he really thought that, why did he work so hard to make it up to me all this time? In an instant, all those nights we spent in each other’s arms, him cooking for me, worrying about me – all those sweet memories of the past became carefully calculated schemes. It all became utterly disgusting! “Is that so?” I looked into his eyes, my voice hoarse and unfamiliar. “Then what if… I refuse?” The mask of tenderness Gabriel had worn for nine months shattered completely. He straightened up, looking down at me, his eyes cold as ice. “Olivia, you don’t have a choice in this matter.” “My woman and child should share my burdens.” With that, he turned to leave, stopping at the door without looking back. “Tomorrow at 9 AM, the driver will take you to the hospital. You’d better cooperate!” There is no greater sorrow than the death of one’s heart. My whole body went limp. I slid down the cold desk to the floor, unable to shed even a single tear. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I woodenly took it out. It was a bank deposit notification. $500,000. Sent by Gabriel. A down payment. He was always so thorough in everything he did. I stared at that string of numbers, suddenly laughing. So this was the marriage I had persevered in for seven years… I loved for seven years, was a fool for seven years. From now on, it was all over. From here on out, I would start planning for myself.

Early the next morning, I didn’t wait for the driver. Contrary to my usual style, I put on elaborate makeup and changed into the white dress Gabriel liked best. Seeing me come downstairs, Gabriel looked up and scanned me, his eyes filled with scrutiny and warning. I returned a docile smile, obediently sitting across from him. “Gabriel, I’ve thought it through.” My tone was calm. “You’re right. Helping Miss Aria won’t cost me anything.” “I’ll be good and do as you say.” Gabriel clearly hadn’t expected me to agree so quickly. “It’s good that you see it that way.” “I’ll have the lawyers redraft that agreement. If you cooperate, the compensation can be increased by another $500,000.” He was always so confident about me. I lowered my eyes, hiding the mockery in them. “The money’s not important. What’s important is, I have one condition.” “Go on.” I raised my head, looking straight into his eyes. “I want to meet Miss Aria.” “After all, I’m the child’s mother. I have the right to know who my child is saving.” “And… I want to see for myself what kind of woman is worth you going to such lengths for.” Gabriel’s brow furrowed, as if weighing the pros and cons. I continued to push, my voice tinged with a hint of grievance and trembling. “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything. I just… just want to let myself give up completely.” “Let me see her, and I can let go of all my fantasies about you, and calmly… complete this transaction.” Perhaps the word “transaction” pleased him. Or perhaps my current appearance, sufficiently pitiful and submissive, was enough. He was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. “Fine.” “I’ll arrange it for this afternoon.” The first step of my plan was successful. That afternoon, Gabriel personally drove me to that expensive private hospital. Compared to the ordinary single room where I had my prenatal checkups, Aria’s room was a VIP suite on the top floor, filled with sunlight, as cozy as a princess’s chamber. It seems favoritism is evident in every detail. Hiding my bitterness, I looked up. Aria was wearing pink hospital pajamas, her face pale as she leaned weakly against the headboard. Seeing Gabriel enter, her eyes lit up, her voice sweet and soft. “Gabriel, you’re here.” Her gaze fell on me, especially on my belly. That fragility instantly mixed with a barely noticeable hint of scrutiny and smugness. Gabriel walked over, tucking her blanket with practiced tenderness that could melt ice. “Aria, I brought Olivia to see you.” Only then did Aria turn her full attention to me, giving me an apologetic smile. “Mrs. Gu, hello.” “I’m so sorry that my illness has caused you so much trouble.” As she spoke, she gave a weak cough, her eyes rimming with red. “If there was any other way, I wouldn’t have agreed to Gabriel doing this.” “I hope you don’t blame him, he’s just too worried about me.” What a pitiful white lotus. In a few words, she absolved herself of all responsibility, while highlighting Gabriel’s deep love for her. I stood silently, just quietly looking at her. Then I smiled. I walked to her bedside, leaned down, and whispered so only the two of us could hear. “Miss Song, your acting is truly impressive.” “But you’d better be able to fool Gabriel for the rest of your life, and pray that I never reveal the truth.” Aria’s expression changed instantly!

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Five years ago, I lost my memory in a car accident. Lucas Lin told me he was my lover. He saved me, took care of me, and we naturally got married. For five years, I devoted myself to him, taking care of his every need. I thought I was the happiest wife in the world. But when I was about to tidy up the study, I overheard a conversation between Lucas and his childhood sweetheart. “Lucas, Aria has been so dedicated to you these past five years. She practically waits on you hand and foot! I’m getting jealous~” Lucas fondly stroked her head, “Silly girl, all that menial work is what she’s supposed to do. I’d never let you do such things.” Furious, I pushed open the door and accused Yvette of being a homewrecker. To my shock, she produced a marriage certificate with Lucas, claiming I was the one intruding on their relationship. In the ensuing scuffle, I hit my head on the bookshelf and regained my memory. It turned out I was actually the heiress of the wealthiest family in town! Looking at Lucas, who was still berating me, and the sniffling Yvette in his arms, I turned and dialed my bodyguard’s number: “Ethan, your young miss has been bullied!”

“Miss Ruan! We’ve finally contacted you! We’ve locked onto your location. I’ll be there to bring you home within three hours.” On the phone, Ethan’s voice was as steady and reassuring as ever. “Alright.” After hanging up, I rinsed the bleeding wound on my forehead with cold water. My reflection in the mirror was pale, but my eyes were no longer filled with the docility and confusion of the past five years. Instead, they were ice-cold. My name is Aria Ruan, or rather, I finally remembered that my name is Aria Ruan. The only daughter of the Ruan family. After treating my wound, I came out of the bathroom. Lucas was standing in the upstairs hallway, looking down at me condescendingly, still cradling the sniffling Yvette in his arms. “Hey, Aria, if you’re not dead, stop pretending!” His voice was full of disgust. “You could have dodged just now. Why did you deliberately hit the bookshelf? Don’t you know you scared Yvette? Come here and apologize to her right now!” These outrageously shameless words pierced my heart like a steel needle. I can’t believe I played the role of the submissive “Aria” for five years for a man like this. Countless images flooded my mind like a tidal wave. The life that belonged to “Aria Ruan” was as clear as if it had happened yesterday. Along with it came a surge of hatred. Five years ago, I woke up from a car accident with no memory. It was Lucas who held my hand and gently told me that he was my fiancé of many years, the only person I could rely on in my life. I believed him, clinging to him like a lifeline as I returned home with him. He not only erased my past but gave me a false identity, complete with a fake marriage certificate that now seems laughably absurd. For five years, I cooked and cleaned for him, managed everything at home so he could focus on his career without worry. I even ate nothing but plain noodles for a month straight to save money to buy him a nice watch. I thought my devotion would earn his cherishment. But everything that just happened made me realize that my five years of deep affection were nothing but an exciting game in their eyes. Seeing that I kept staring at him without responding, Lucas’s face flashed with inexplicable panic, but it was quickly replaced by impatience. He tossed out a sentence: “Hurry up and make dinner, Yvette’s hungry.” Then he took Yvette back to the bedroom, no longer paying attention to me. I looked down at my rough hands, hands that should have been playing the piano and painting oil paintings, now covered with calluses and small wounds. With a cold laugh, I returned to my room and locked the door. The time displayed on my phone screen showed two hours and fifteen minutes left until the three-hour deadline. Alright, I’ll play along with you a little longer! Lucas and Yvette came out of the bedroom to find an empty dining room and a cold stove. Their faces instantly darkened. “Aria! Where the hell are you? Where’s dinner?” He angrily kicked open my door. “I’m tired. I don’t feel like cooking,” I said. Lucas looked as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. “You’re tired? What could a woman who stays at home all day be tired from? Get your ass to the kitchen and make dinner!” “Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you let your ‘legal wife’ cook?” “After all, I’m just a crazy woman who stole her nest, aren’t I?” I threw Yvette’s words back at them. Lucas’s face alternated between shades of green and white. He probably never expected that I, who had always obeyed his every word, would suddenly become so sharp-tongued. Yvette crossed her arms and emerged from behind him, her voice dripping with sarcasm: “Lucas, darling, look at her attitude! What’s the big deal about asking her to cook? It’s like we owe her something.” “I think you’ve spoiled her rotten these past five years!” She turned to me, chin held high: “Aria, I suggest you remember your place. You eat our food, live in our house – isn’t doing some housework only right? Don’t be so ungrateful.” I laughed, laughed so hard tears nearly came to my eyes. “Your house?” I stood up and walked towards them step by step, my gaze fixed on Lucas. “Lucas Lin, tell me, who does this mansion really belong to?”

Lucas’s eyes darted around, unable to speak. This mansion was bought shortly after I lost my memory, using a bank card he had coaxed me into using. That card, I now realize, must have been from my Ruan family account. He used my money to buy the house, yet had the audacity to make me believe I was dependent on him for survival. “And you,” I turned to Yvette, “That new Chanel dress you’re wearing must have cost quite a bit. I wonder which card it was charged to?” Yvette’s face changed color. I took a step closer, sneering, “It was the supplementary card Lucas gave you, wasn’t it? Do you know who’s been paying off the bills on that main card every month?” Over these five years, Lucas’s career was just starting, and his income was far from enough to support such lavish spending. All the bills were paid by me. I used to think it was proof of Lucas’s love, entrusting me with his money. Now I understand I was nothing more than their human ATM. Yvette was left speechless by my questions, but after just a second, she straightened her back. Far from showing any shame, her face displayed a challenging defiance. “So what?” she shrieked, her voice shrill. “Aria, what are you getting so worked up about? If it weren’t for Lucas kindly taking you in five years ago, who knows which gutter you’d be rotting in right now!” “Every penny you’ve spent, every bite of food you’ve eaten, it’s all thanks to Lucas’s generosity! Without him, you’re nothing!” Lucas also shielded Yvette behind him, glaring at me furiously. “Aria, what’s wrong with you!” “I work my ass off outside, give you a home, let you manage the money – that’s because I trust you! Your money is my money, isn’t it? What’s wrong with using some of it to buy Yvette a dress? What right do you have to make such a fuss? Don’t forget, I’ve supported you for five years!” “Don’t think you can turn the tables just because you got a little hurt. Let me tell you, without me, you’re nothing!” “Is that so?” I looked at his face, flushed red with guilt, the last trace of attachment in my heart disappearing. I forcefully shook off his hand. “Lucas Lin, we’ll soon see who is nothing without whom.” But Lucas kept staring at me intently. “Who said you could leave me?” “So what if the marriage certificate is fake? We’ve lived together for five years, our relationship is real, isn’t it?” “Don’t worry, to the outside world, you’ll always be my wife.” “Lucas darling, sister must be in shock. We should give her some time to accept it,” Yvette interjected, seeing the situation. She curled her lips into a malicious smile, deliberately emphasizing the word “sister”. Then she turned to me, her nose in the air: “By the way, Lucas and I had quite a night yesterday. Go change the sheets and wash them, will you?” “Remember to wash them by hand. They’re silk, don’t ruin them in the washing machine.” As she spoke, she deliberately thrust out her chest, making sure I could see the love bites on her neck. Lucas also glanced at me, as if everything was perfectly normal. “Yvette’s right, you should find more things to do. Then you won’t have time for these silly thoughts.” He flashed Yvette a playful, indulgent smile: “Looks like you’re not tired yet. Let’s continue tonight.”

I watched their little back-and-forth act, feeling like I was watching two clowns putting on a desperate performance. The wall clock pointed to 7:30 PM. Ethan should arrive in about half an hour. Thinking about finally going home, I couldn’t even be bothered to get angry. I just curled my lips into a faint smile. “You want me to wash them? Sure!” With that, I yanked the filthy sheets off the bed and flung them straight into Yvette’s face. Then, taking advantage of her panicked screaming, I dragged her towards the washing machine. My actions caught Lucas off guard. He didn’t react for a moment. The next second, I roughly shoved both Yvette and the sheets into the washing machine. “Dirty things should be washed together!” “Ah! Aria, you bitch! Let go of me!” Yvette shrieked, kicking and flailing. I easily grabbed her wrist. Five years of housework had made me much stronger than this pampered woman. Lucas finally reacted, rushing over and kicking me hard in the abdomen. The force was so great it knocked me to the ground. He then fished Yvette out of the washing machine and held her in his arms. Yvette cried in his arms, looking utterly pitiful. “Lucas, darling, how could she do this to me? My wrist hurts so much…” Lucas glared at me, his eyes full of fury. “Aria, I really underestimated you!” I lay on the ground clutching my stomach, cold sweat beading on my forehead from the pain. His face contorted with rage. “Stop pretending! I just kicked you once.” Then he viciously stomped on my wrist. The bones made an ominous creaking sound under the pressure. “Ah!” The excruciating pain made me cry out involuntarily. Lucas leaned down, his eyes as sharp as knives. “Apologize to Yvette right now. Say you were wrong! Otherwise, I’ll cripple this hand of yours today!” Yvette stood to the side, still wiping her crocodile tears. “Lucas, darling, make her kneel and lick my shoes. Then I’ll forgive her.” “You heard her? Yvette’s giving you a chance.” Lucas said, pressing down even harder with his foot. I gritted my teeth, enduring the intense pain as tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Not from the pain, but from the utter absurdity of these past five years. Ethan, where are you? Your young miss is about to be bullied to death! Just then, an enraged voice rang out. “Who dares to bully our young miss!” A dozen blinding headlights suddenly illuminated the entire courtyard. A man in a black suit, tall and straight as a pine tree, stepped out of the lead car. Behind him was a row of bodyguards with stern expressions. The ferocity on Lucas’s face instantly froze, turning into shock. Ethan strode over in a few quick steps and kicked Lucas flying. Then he took off his suit jacket and gently draped it over my shoulders, covering my disheveled state. He knelt on one knee, carefully cradling my bruised hand. His eyes, as he looked at me, were filled with the tenderness of someone who had lost and regained a priceless treasure. “Young miss,” his voice trembled slightly with excitement. “I’ve come to take you home.”

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The Curator and all the experts were high-fiving and shaking hands, celebrating a major win. Only Chloe, my junior colleague, the so-called genius who claimed she could commune with the ‘spirits’ of artifacts, was clinging to my leg, her eyes red and glistening. “Harper, I know your methods are outdated, but you can’t just give up like this! The relics need you!” I coldly pulled my leg away. In my past life, every time she ‘appraised’ an artifact, she’d just light a ‘Spirit-Scent Incense’ and accurately state its age, material, and even its hidden stories. But all of that? It was data I’d pulled from sleepless nights in the lab, my own research. In the end, she framed me as a national treasure thief, and I died unjustly in prison. Now, I’ve been reborn to that exact moment: she was holding a fake legendary Dragon’s Seal, just about to light her ‘mystic incense’ to ‘read’ it. Chloe looked at me, her expression wounded. “Harper, I know they don’t understand, but you believe me, right?” The incense stick wavered in her hand, a thin trail of green smoke curling upwards. In my last life, I was completely manipulated by that innocent, pitiful act. “Chloe, are you really going to perform your little occult show in front of all these experts?” My voice was so calm, it even surprised me. She froze for a second, clearly not expecting me to say that. “Harper, I truly can sense the history of artifacts…” “Enough!” The Curator slammed his hand on the table. “What ‘sensing’? This is an artifact appraisal center, not some fortune-telling booth!” Other experts shook their heads, sighing. “Chloe, it’s good for young people to have ideas, but this method…” “It’s just ridiculous!” “We’re here for scientific research, not superstition!” Chloe’s tears finally spilled. She bit her lip, her face stubbornly defiant. “I know you don’t believe me, but I really… I really can sense it!” With that, she lit the incense stick. Pale green smoke slowly rose, filling the room with a strange, heavy scent. I stared at that incense stick, a wave of immense fury swelling inside me. In my past life, it was this very incense stick that made everyone believe in Chloe’s ‘divine power,’ making her famous overnight, while I became her stepping stone. “Experts, please observe!” Chloe closed her eyes, putting on a show of piety. “I can sense the history of this legendary Dragon’s Seal…” She began to babble, talking about emperors’ grievances and tears of blood from history. But soon, her tone shifted. She started rattling off the exact scientific data I’d spent several sleepless nights compiling. The experts in my past life listened, their jaws dropped. They actually ended up believing she could ‘read’ the artifacts. But this time, I wouldn’t let her succeed. “Chloe, are you done with your act?” I suddenly stood up. Everyone looked at me, including Liam, who was sitting next to me. “Harper, you…” Chloe opened her eyes, a flicker of panic in them. “You think lighting an incense stick will fool everyone?” I sneered. “Do you even know what’s been added to this stick?” Chloe’s face instantly went pale. “You’re lying! It’s just regular sandalwood incense!” “Regular sandalwood?” I walked over to her, snatched the still-burning stick from her hand. “Then why does it contain hallucinogenic compounds?” The conference room fell silent. The Curator frowned. “Harper, what do you mean by that?” I turned to the Curator, my voice sharp and clear. “Curator, I suggest we immediately perform a chemical analysis on this incense.” Chloe’s hands began to tremble. “Harper, why are you doing this to me? I just wanted to prove myself…” “Prove yourself?” I scoffed. “Or prove how clever your deception is?” Liam stood up, looking at me with concern. “Harper, aren’t you getting too worked up? Chloe hasn’t done anything. Don’t scare her…” I turned my head to look at him, a wave of profound disappointment washing over me. He was just like this in my past life. Even when he knew Chloe was problematic, he always used that gentle tone to make excuses for her. “Then you tell me, what’s the scientific basis for ‘Spirit-Scent Incense’ appraising artifacts?” “I didn’t… it’s just…” “Just what? Just that you think I’m being unreasonable, that I’m targeting your perfect, innocent little junior sister?” Liam’s face flushed. “Harper, don’t talk like that.” “Alright! Everyone quiet down. We’ll test the incense’s components now. Get someone from the forensics lab down here.” The Curator made the final decision.

The forensics lab colleague came in with the report. “The results are out. It’s just regular sandalwood incense, no additives.” My heart sank. Hard. Chloe immediately looked up, a triumphant glint in her eyes. “Harper, you see? I wasn’t lying. I really don’t know why you have such a prejudice against me…” The Curator cleared his throat. “Harper, your accusation just now was a bit… over the top.” “Wait.” I forced myself to stay calm. “Even if the incense is fine, it doesn’t prove she can actually ‘read’ artifacts.” Chloe bit her lip, looking wronged. “Harper, why won’t you just believe me?” She relit the sandalwood incense, and the green smoke curled up again. “I’ll demonstrate again, to prove I really can sense the history of artifacts.” The experts in the room started whispering among themselves. Some were clearly impatient with this ‘occult’ performance. “Ridiculous!” One expert directly stood up. “I don’t want to waste my time watching this trick.” “Exactly! What era is this, still doing all this superstitious stuff?” another expert echoed. Chloe’s tears streamed down her face. She spoke in a trembling voice. “This ancient jade disc… it’s crying out in pain. It’s not the real legendary Dragon’s Seal…” The conference room erupted in laughter. “She couldn’t even tell that?” “Everyone knows it’s a fake!” “You called us here just to hear this?” A few experts directly stood up, ready to leave. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This time, finally, it wouldn’t… “It’s a celadon jade from the ancient lands, hardness 6.5, density 2.95, containing tremolite 87%, actinolite 11%, and other minerals 2%.” Chloe suddenly spoke. The experts who were leaving stopped dead in their tracks. “The craftsmanship uses late ancient polishing techniques, but the carving style is clearly medieval. There’s a clear anachronism.” “The patina on the jade surface is artificially aged, using tea water and smoke treatment…” The laughter died down instantly. These data points? I’d worked until 3 AM last night in the lab to get them! I hadn’t even released them to anyone yet! “There are three tiny air bubbles inside the jade, located at the dragon head, belly, and tail, which are characteristics of modern casting techniques…” No! Impossible! The Curator, shocked, flipped open my detection report on my desk. His face instantly changed. “This… these data points are perfectly consistent! Not a single word off!” Everyone’s gaze snapped to me. “Harper, did you tell Chloe in advance?” an expert questioned. “Impossible!” I quickly defended myself. “My report was just finished last night. I haven’t shown it to anyone!” Liam looked at Chloe in astonishment, his eyes starting to show a mix of curiosity and admiration. “Chloe, you really can sense all this?” Chloe opened her eyes, tears welling up as she looked at me. “I don’t know why either. Harper, you see, it’s really talking to me. Now… do you believe me?” I felt a wave of dizziness, as if the world was spinning. History wasn’t just repeating itself; it was crashing down on me even faster. “This is incredible!” The Curator’s attitude completely shifted. “Chloe, your ability…” “It’s simply a gift!” “Our country’s artifact appraisal field is about to see a prodigy!” Praise erupted from all sides. “No!” I suddenly stood up. “She must have seen my experimental data in advance!” “Harper, what else do you have to say?” The Curator frowned. “She broke into the lab last night!” I was nearly hysterical. “She stole my data!” Chloe cried even harder. “Harper, I was in my dorm all last night. My roommates can prove it…” The Curator’s attitude completely changed. “Harper, this is getting tiresome. Chloe clearly has this talent. If you’re jealous, just say so.” “Harper, that’s enough!” Liam finally exploded. “Why are you pushing Chloe like this? Is it so hard to admit someone else is talented?” “I’m not pushing her! I’m just trying to prove…” “Prove what? Prove that you’re jealous of her talent?” That sentence hit me like a thunderbolt. Everyone looked at me with strange eyes, filled with disdain, disappointment, and the mocking gaze reserved for a clown. And Chloe, she stood there, tears in her eyes, yet unable to hide the triumphant smile playing on her lips. Just like in my past life. I closed my eyes, my fists clenched. Was I truly unable to escape this outcome?

The next day’s appraisal meeting. On the table lay a rare Renaissance landscape painting. I’d once again pulled an all-nighter, working until 3 AM, conducting a detailed age analysis and technique study on this painting. Ink composition, paper fibers, mounting process – I verified every single detail repeatedly. I was like a drowning person, clinging desperately to science as my last straw. Chloe sat across from me, holding that same sandalwood incense stick. “Harper, you didn’t get much sleep last night again, did you?” She looked at me with concern. “Your eyes are so dark.” I ignored her. The Curator pointed to the painting. “Today, we’re appraising this piece. Harper, is your report ready?” “I won’t need a paper report today. I’ve memorized everything.” I looked at Chloe. “Why don’t we let Chloe go first?” Chloe nodded, lighting the incense. Green smoke rose again. She closed her eyes, putting on that pious act. “I hear the painting’s voice…” “It says it was created by the master Leonardo da Vinci, using fine linen canvas and mineral pigments blended with linseed oil…” The pen in my hand snapped. I had just finished analyzing these data points last night! How could she possibly know! “The mountains in the painting use sfumato techniques, the trees employ atmospheric perspective – typical of da Vinci’s style…” The Curator’s eyes widened. “My god! Chloe, you can even sense the painting techniques?” Chloe opened her eyes, triumph sparkling within them. “It also told me that this painting was once cherished by a renowned 19th-century collector. That person loved it so much, they’d look at it every day…” She started fabricating poetic stories, packaging my scientific data into emotional narratives about the artifact’s ‘soul.’ Everyone listened, utterly captivated. “Chloe, your ability is truly miraculous!” Liam’s gaze softened. “I never knew you had such a gift.” I was left on the sidelines, like an irrelevant clown. An expert whispered, “Harper’s technical skills are amazing, of course, but the efficiency difference is just too much…” “Yeah, what Chloe can solve in minutes takes Harper all-nighters.” “Times are changing. We need to keep up.” My fists clenched, my chest ached as if a hole had been torn through it. Chloe, however, smiled humbly. “This is all thanks to Harper’s excellent guidance. I’m just lucky enough to understand what artifacts are saying.” “Chloe, you’re too modest!” Liam praised. “This kind of talent is one in a millennium.” I watched his gaze on Chloe soften more and more, a growing sense of dread rising within me. The scenes from my past life began to replay. The Curator stood up. “I’ve decided that from now on, Chloe will primarily handle the appraisal of important artifacts.” I snapped my head up. “Curator, I don’t think that’s appropriate…”

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The night of my engagement, I found my CEO fiancée and her eighteen-year-old assistant on the company rooftop. Seraphina calmly tightened her open, revealing nightgown, kicking a few used condoms into the corner. But before I could even react, Jace clutched his chest, crying that my footsteps had been too loud and scared him, causing his heart condition to flare up. My fiancée ordered her guards to tie me up and hang me upside down from the edge of the roof for two days and two nights. “That’ll teach you for scaring my Jace on purpose! Since we just got engaged, I’ll go easy on you this time, just a small punishment!” Jace then broke into a smile. He pushed Seraphina against the rooftop wall, kissing her wildly right in front of me, until they were breathless and flushed. He only left when he was satisfied. Before he left, he subtly tucked a sharp piece of glass beneath the rope. With each swing, the rope quickly frayed and snapped. I didn’t die from the fall, but my legs were shattered. I was confined to a wheelchair for life. Yet, on the very night I was hospitalized, I saw Jace post a photo on SnapChat. The picture showed ten condoms blown up like balloons. “Sister promised to go unprotected! She says that useless waste is done for, and tonight she wants me to give her a baby!” I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my flesh. Eight years of a relationship, and I never imagined we’d end up like this. I immediately contacted the cutting-edge neuroscience medical team I’d anonymously invested in three years ago. “Add another hundred million to the investment. Fix my legs.”

When Seraphina heard I was going to call the police, she immediately FaceTimed me, demanding answers. “Jace is just a playful kid, a little bit immature. He didn’t mean to cut the rope.” “Look, I’ll apologize for him. Let’s just drop this small matter, okay?” “I promise you, our engagement will continue. Even though you’re a cripple now, with you as my husband, nobody will dare to laugh at you!” I hung up the phone and pounded my numb legs, consumed by grief. We were childhood sweethearts; we’d been together since we were eighteen. I still remember a younger, innocent Seraphina swearing under the sun that she would love me forever, her heart never changing. But it had only been eight years, and her heart had already changed. In her eyes, Jace getting a fright was a major event, but my shattered legs she casually dismissed as “a small matter.” It turned out, love and indifference were starkly obvious. I hired the most professional legal team to gather evidence of Jace’s deliberate harm, then called the police. The lawyers quickly got back to me. Seraphina had ordered all company surveillance footage deleted the moment the incident happened. She had chosen Jace’s side once again. Her protectiveness toward him chilled me to the bone. Seraphina furiously rushed to the hospital, raising her hand and slapping me across the face. She snapped, annoyed: “Dean, you’re calling the police over such a small thing? Didn’t I already apologize for Jace?” “He’s just an eighteen-year-old kid! You’re a whole decade older than him, why are you being so petty with a child?” “Besides, you were the one who scared him first! He has a weak heart and gets easily frightened. I haven’t even tried to blame you, and you’re already turning the tables on me!” She finished speaking and sat by my hospital bed, threatening: “Our engagement just got put on the schedule. You don’t want me to unilaterally cancel it now, do you?” “Your legs are broken, and if you get dumped too, what will happen to your parents? They’re already not in the best health; if they hear this double blow of bad news, it could literally break their hearts, and something terrible might happen!” I stared hard into her eyes, unable to believe she would use my parents to threaten me, all for Jace. Five years ago, Seraphina was in a car accident. Both her kidneys were damaged, and she urgently needed a transplant. My entire family got tested for a match, and only my mother was a match. Despite her age, she immediately decided to donate a kidney to Seraphina, which is why her health has been declining ever since. At the end of the year my mother donated her kidney, Seraphina was being chased by a rival she’d angered. Both our families had just left a restaurant when a masked man with a knife rushed toward Seraphina. Her biological parents instinctively hid, but in that critical moment, my father stepped forward and took a knife for her, puncturing his lung. My parents’ health suffered because they successively saved Seraphina. They genuinely loved her and had long considered her part of our family. But Seraphina was not only ungrateful, she was using them to threaten me into withdrawing the police report. I pulled at the corner of my mouth, a bitter taste filling my heart. “Why? Seraphina, haven’t my family and I been good enough to you?”

Perhaps it was the depth of my disappointment, but my voice was trembling. Seraphina looked as if she’d heard the funniest joke, a disdainful smirk playing on her lips. “I didn’t beg you to be good to me. Wasn’t it all your voluntary effort?” “Besides, it’s not like you didn’t have ulterior motives, right? Wasn’t it because you wanted me to marry into your family and give you an heir?” I lowered my head and chuckled bitterly, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal. A moment later, I slowly spoke. “So, the vows we made when we were eighteen… have you forgotten them all?” A flicker of guilt crossed Seraphina’s eyes, but it vanished in less than a second. She arrogantly lifted her chin, irritated. “Those were childhood vows. Why are you bringing them up now?” “I know you’re resentful, but you don’t need to get lawyers involved, do you?” “Dean, you weren’t this petty before, were you? Why have you become so unreasonable now?” I closed my eyes, not wanting to continue the conversation. Seraphina scoffed. “Don’t forget to withdraw the police report. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee I won’t say things to your parents!” Only after she left did I open my eyes. But the tears, rebellious, streamed out. I buried my face in my hands, letting out cries of anguish. That night, I sent Seraphina a message. “I can withdraw the police report, but our engagement is off. We’re even from now on.” “Cancel the engagement?” Seraphina frowned, demanding, “Dean, what game are you playing now? You love me so much, how could you bear to cancel this engagement?” “Alright, you don’t have to act in front of me! I’ve already promised you that I’ll let you be my husband, and I’m not going back on my word!” Just then, her phone rang. It was the special ringtone she’d set just for Jace. She’d also arranged a special passenger seat for him, a special workstation. Her favoritism for him was everywhere. Jace’s whining voice came through the phone. “Sister, I saw a limited-edition designer couple’s diamond ring. One for each of us! Come pay for it, quick!” “Wait for me, I’m coming right away.” Her reply was swift and decisive. It was clear she truly cared for that eighteen-year-old assistant. I lowered my gaze. The silver ring on my ring finger was still the couple’s ring we had handmade together when we first got together. So many years had passed, the ring was worn and faded, but I still couldn’t bear to take it off. Seraphina’s silver ring, though, had long since disappeared. Chuckling mockingly, I took off the ring on my ring finger and threw it into the trash. It was half a month later when I was discharged from the hospital. As soon as I was wheeled out, I saw Seraphina, waiting impatiently. “I’m pregnant.” My heart seized. Even though I felt I no longer loved her, hearing this news still brought a pang of pain. After she spoke, she ordered someone to take my wheelchair, then had me moved into a black sedan. “Jace hasn’t reached the legal age for marriage, so we can’t get our license yet.” “I’ve already announced to everyone that I’m pregnant with my fiancé’s child. Today, you’re going to marry me. Once the baby is born, we’ll get a divorce.” The car door shut, and we sped towards the marriage registry. I sat in the car, clenching my fists, my knuckles white. “Seraphina, what makes you think I’d be willing to accept this child?” She replied indifferently, “Because it’s your parents’ wish. I’ve already called them, and they agree we should get married immediately.” “Oh, and of course, I told them I was pregnant with *your* child. Don’t spill the beans when you talk to them later.” “Otherwise, if they find out the golden grandchild they’ve waited so many years for isn’t happening, they might be devastated again!” I trembled with rage. She watched me, amused. “You’re getting a child handed to you for free, you should be happy!” “Besides, marrying me has been your wish for years, hasn’t it? You proposed to me so many times before, and I never agreed to get married.” If Seraphina had agreed to marry me before, I would have been ecstatic. But now, I just felt a wave of nausea. I couldn’t hold back and dry-heaved a few times in the car. Seraphina immediately covered her nose and mouth in disgust, scornfully saying, “If you’re going to throw up, get out and do it! Don’t you dare stain my car!” “This car is Jace’s favorite! I promised to give it to him once he gets his driver’s license!” Those words were like a dagger stabbing into my heart. Eight years together, and the gifts Seraphina had given me were always random souvenirs. But for Jace, she was so thoughtful and generous. In that moment, I decided I would stop deceiving myself. I let go of that eight-year relationship. Three years ago, I had secretly invested in an international medical team. Now, I took out my phone and sent a message to the team leader: “Add another hundred million to the investment. Fix my legs.” The reply came quickly: “Understood.”

The car soon arrived at the marriage registry. Seraphina ordered someone to push me to the marriage registration counter inside. She had even pre-booked the VIP channel. As soon as I was at the counter, she forced me to sign. I picked up the documents to be signed and tore them into pieces, just like our relationship, which had reached its end. “Seraphina, if you try to force me to sign, I’ll have no choice but to call the police.” Seraphina’s expression immediately turned cold. She yelled at me, “If you don’t sign, what about the baby in my belly? Do you want him to be born a bastard?” “I don’t care. You’ll sign today, whether you want to or not! Otherwise, I’ll jump from this rooftop, and it’ll be two lives lost!” This wasn’t the first time Seraphina had threatened me with suicide. In the past, whenever she pulled that stunt, I’d immediately give in to all her demands. But this time, I wouldn’t bow down to her. I looked at her coldly, calmly saying, “Your life or death has nothing to do with me. Either way, I won’t sign this.” The staff at the counter, hearing this, realized I was unwilling to register the marriage. They loudly declared, “According to Article 9, Section 2 of the Marriage Law, if both parties are not fully willing, the marriage registration authority shall not register the marriage.” “Marriage is not a game. You two should go back, discuss it thoroughly, and then come again!” I grabbed my ID back and pushed my wheelchair out. But just as I reached the lobby entrance, my wheelchair was knocked over by someone rushing in. I toppled over with the wheelchair, crashing into the glass door. A sharp pain shot through my head, and a warm liquid trickled down. I lay on the ground, unable to get up, the pain in my head making me dizzy. The person who had bumped into me rushed into Seraphina’s arms, their voice tearful. “Sister, are you going to abandon me? I don’t want you to marry anyone else. Can’t you wait for me for two more years?” Seraphina’s eyes also reddened. She hugged him tenderly, comforting him, “Okay, okay, don’t cry. I’ll wait for you.” Jace turned his head, looking at me lying on the ground, showing no intention of helping me up, nor a word of apology. “Why are you trying to steal my sister from me? You know she’s already pregnant with my child! Why are you trying to break up our family of three?” “I know you’re forcing Sister to marry you! Even if your legs are broken, you shouldn’t use Sister’s entire life to compensate for yours!” “I’d rather go to jail than let Sister marry someone like you. Go tell the police that I’m the one who hurt your legs. I’m willing to take full responsibility!” His tearful accusations immediately drew the attention of the surrounding crowd. These people stared at me with contempt, unable to resist cursing out loud. “I can’t believe a cripple like him has such a wicked mind, deliberately breaking up someone else’s family!” “Using his disability to emotionally blackmail a pregnant woman and forcing her to marry him, how shameless!” Everyone around pointed fingers at me. Jace looked at me triumphantly, a victorious smile on his lips. The two of them walked past, arm in arm, intimately, like a newlywed couple who had just registered their marriage. I endured the intense pain, lying on the ground, lowering my head, not wanting anyone to see my pathetic state. It wasn’t until a staff member noticed me that they helped me up and put me in a taxi. This incident still reached my parents’ ears. Jace had come prepared. The people who mocked me at the marriage registry were all hired by him. He’d also had someone secretly film a video and post it online, causing me to be cyberbullied. My parents brought me home, caressing my numb legs, tears streaming down their faces. “I can’t believe Seraphina could be so heartless! Dean, don’t worry, your dad and I will go abroad with you to treat your legs. You’ll definitely get better!” “As for that ungrateful snake Seraphina, ever since she started her company, your dad and I have been quietly cleaning up her messes behind the scenes.” “Since she’s the one who acted so heartlessly, it’s about time we settle accounts with her properly!” Three days later, my parents and I boarded a flight to another country. As soon as we landed, Seraphina frantically called. I answered the phone, my voice impatient. “Is there something you need?” Seraphina’s voice was anxious. She kept asking,

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In the third year of my marriage to Sarah Montgomery, I overheard her friends asking her: “Sarah, if we pretend to be you and take turns holding hands and kissing your husband, he really won’t notice?” Sarah carelessly smoothed a stray strand of hair from her temple, utterly unbothered. “He has face blindness, he won’t notice.” “But just so we’re clear, have your fun, but don’t sleep with him. I don’t want seconds; that’s just dirty.” For the past three years, the person I’d been dating, holding hands with, and kissing, was never Sarah Montgomery. Of course, I knew. I also knew that for the past three years, the one I’d been holding close in bed every night, wasn’t Sarah either. The phone rang just as I carried Chloe Miller out of the bathroom. Chloe was a clingy little siren. Taking advantage of a brief pause, I nudged her waist. “Phone.” She finally glanced at her phone, pouting, a hint of annoyance in her expression. She quickly flipped it over, then playfully leaned in to kiss my earlobe. “Hubby, I’m gonna take this call.” Chloe said, then disappeared into the balcony. I silently put on my pajamas and went downstairs, opening the car door and slipping inside. From the car’s Bluetooth, which was connected to Sarah Montgomery’s phone, came her cool voice: “Tomorrow, you switch with me.” Chloe chuckled softly. “What, only three years and you’re already having withdrawals?” Sarah paused, likely having a drink, her voice a little hoarse. “Not really. Grandpa’s birthday is tomorrow, so I need to bring him. Oh, and a reminder, it’s Ashley’s turn on Friday.” As soon as she finished, a chorus of laughter erupted. “No way, Sarah, you’re seriously that generous? You just got married and you’re already lending your husband out for us to ‘play’ with?” Sarah’s nonchalant voice came through. “It’s a blind box game. You play, you lose, you pay up. It’s just Liam Henderson; I can afford to lose him.” “But just so we’re clear, have your fun, but don’t sleep with him. I don’t want seconds; that’s just dirty.” Someone “tsk”-ed. “What are you scared of? Who would ever actually *want* him?” “Still, Liam Henderson has a great body. Sarah posted a picture of him right after he showered in the group chat, those abs, *tsk-tsk-tsk*. None of you five felt a thing?” “I kinda did.” Chloe’s sweet, flirty voice suddenly broke the silence. Sarah’s end went quiet. The silence that followed was so thick, it sent a chill down my spine. “Just for fun, I’m not a home-wrecker.” Chloe said leisurely, “But wouldn’t sleeping with him be perfect? His birthday’s in a few days, aren’t you planning to announce this whole thing then?” The raucous music on Sarah’s end drowned out Chloe’s voice. But I could still hear Jake Peterson laughing in her ear. Jake was Sarah Montgomery’s first love. I grew up alongside Sarah, watching her and Jake go from strangers to lovers. But Mr. Montgomery didn’t like him. He’d threatened that if Jake didn’t leave Sarah, the Petersons would be forced out of this state. For Jake, Sarah had no choice but to agree to an arranged marriage with me. Eighteen years of secret love, and my dream finally came true. Only now, I realized it was nothing more than a game among these rich kids from the elite circles. Jake laughed, echoing. “Right, Sarah, his birthday’s in a few days. Why don’t you give him a big present and tell him the truth?” “From the moment you two got married, you’ve been taking turns with him… When you think about it, Liam Henderson is like a shared toy, everyone gets a turn.” “Shut up.” Sarah and Chloe’s angry voices came out at the same time, and the phone line fell silent again.

Chloe spoke lazily. “After all, he’s Sarah’s husband. Provoking him like that isn’t good.” “We won’t touch him, that’s not happening.” I couldn’t make out what Sarah said, the other end was a chaotic mess, drowning out her voice. The call lasted fifteen minutes. I turned off the Bluetooth and got out of the car. That wrenching pain had long passed, now hidden beneath a calm exterior. But it was still there, tiny and persistent, like a swarm of ants gnawing away at my insides. As I walked upstairs, I ran into Chloe, who was about to leave. She seemed to be in a hurry, her buttons were misaligned, and the exposed skin of her collarbone was covered in suggestive red marks. Seeing me, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, diving into my arms and wrapping her hands around my waist. “Where did you go, hubby? I thought I lost you.” “Just went downstairs to take out the trash.” I lowered my head, my palm stroking her cheek, my fingertip tracing the mole near her eye. Sarah Montgomery also had that mole near her eye. Chloe’s amber eyes deepened as my finger slid down. The moment my fingertip touched her lip, she opened her mouth, catching it and gently biting down. Chloe had a habit, like a biting cat, determined to leave all her marks on me. Even if this territory wasn’t hers. Chloe’s breathing grew heavier, her eyes burning with unresolvable desire. She pulled me upstairs, her small body tackling me onto the bed. I suddenly pressed her hands down. “Sarah Montgomery, stop using birth control. Give me a child.” Chloe’s pupils flickered. She stared at me, a fierce glint in her eyes. That night, Chloe transformed from a docile house cat into a fierce, untamed wildcat. She was exceptionally wild. … I found out Sarah Montgomery was deceiving me a few days before our wedding, when I received an anonymous video. The video was taken in a private room at a bar, with Sarah sitting beside Jake Peterson. She proposed a blind box dating game, and a group of them drew lots, and I was the one chosen. Besides Sarah Montgomery, there were four other “players.” Chloe Miller was also chosen. “Boring.” She impatiently flipped the table, then abruptly stood up and left the private room. “You guys play if you want.” Jake Peterson laughed, smoothing things over. “It’s fine, four people can still play, but you guys need to watch your limits. For Sarah’s sake, don’t take it too far.” That’s when I realized the wedding I had anticipated for eighteen years was just the starting signal for a game. My heart clenched so tightly, I couldn’t breathe. The anonymous sender messaged me: *[It’s not too late to cancel the wedding now.]* I ignored it, sitting numbly, staring at the video all night. It was a commercial marriage alliance; our family was climbing the social ladder by marrying into the Montgomery family. I had no right to cancel the wedding. The wedding proceeded as planned the next day. But before the ceremony ended, Sarah Montgomery took a call, changed out of her wedding dress, and left. That night, it was Chloe Miller who came home. I had face blindness, but I wasn’t stupid. After secretly loving Sarah Montgomery for eighteen years, how could I not recognize her? In my world, people were only divided into three types. Men, women, and Sarah Montgomery. That night, Chloe stood with her arms crossed, looking at me with a mocking, playful smirk. I remember she seemed to want to say something that day, but before she could open her mouth, I walked over and kissed her. “Sarah Montgomery, I knew it, you’d come back.” Everything that followed seemed to fall into place naturally. Four people took turns pretending to be Sarah Montgomery. Every year for my birthday and anniversaries, I received five gifts. We were like any normal couple. Dating, holding hands, hugging, shopping, kissing. But the one who came home at night was always either Sarah Montgomery or Chloe Miller. It was too easy to tell Sarah Montgomery and Chloe Miller apart. Sarah recoiled from my touch, her eyes holding an unmistakable loathing with just a glance. Chloe, however, was always delighted. She had many tricks up her sleeve and was incredibly clingy. She’d join me for a long hike, walking twenty miles, and still have the energy to keep me up until dawn. She loved all forms of physical contact, clinging to me and calling me “hubby,” then getting so breathless from my kisses she couldn’t speak. “Baby, I really, really like you.” That word, “like,” she’d whisper it into my ear a million times a night, then playfully demand that I reciprocate. Eventually, it turned into resentment. Sometimes I’d drift off to sleep, hazy with exhaustion. In my dreams, someone would trace my features, murmuring to themselves: “Why did you marry her, even knowing she was deceiving you?” “Why don’t you divorce her? Do you love her that much?” I wanted to ask her too. Why did she go back on her word and join this game? I treated her as Sarah Montgomery’s substitute. What did she see me as? I never asked, and Chloe never answered. In my vague world, another type of person emerged: Chloe Miller.

Chloe left early the next morning. The mess in the house had been meticulously cleaned up. Sarah Montgomery called me, telling me to come downstairs. When I opened the car door, Jake Peterson was sitting next to Sarah. He gave me a provocative smile. “Excuse me, Liam Henderson, I’m also going to see Elder Montgomery. You don’t mind, do you?” Before I could reply, Sarah impatiently spoke. “Liam Henderson, get in the car.” I closed my eyes for a moment, ignoring Jake’s taunt. After getting in the car, I asked Sarah, “Didn’t you buy me breakfast?” Sarah froze for a moment. I deliberately smiled. “You forgot, when I woke up this morning, you said you were going to buy me breakfast.” I didn’t know when Chloe had left. But Sarah’s face went from pale to dark after hearing me, and Jake gasped. “You two… slept together?” His tone held an ill-concealed triumph. I didn’t answer. Instead, I feigned surprise and looked at Sarah. Sarah “hmm”-ed, her face turning even worse. She picked up a bubble tea from beside her, preparing to drink it. I added fuel to the fire, continuing: “Didn’t you say last night you were going to quit bubble tea? High sugar isn’t good for the baby, we’re supposed to be preparing for pregnancy.” *Clatter.* The bubble tea fell to the ground. Sarah’s dark eyes swirled with a chilling coldness, as if threatening to swallow me whole. Jake Peterson, however, smiled meaningfully. “Is that so? Well, I’m really looking forward to your baby.” I smiled gently, looking at Sarah. “I’m looking forward to it too. For us to have a complete family.” Sarah’s irritation was visible to the naked eye. This irritation reached its peak when Chloe Miller appeared. Chloe carried her bag, wearing an expression that seemed to relish in the unfolding drama. She was with a few other people I couldn’t distinguish. But judging by Chloe’s demeanor, they were likely the other three who’d impersonated Sarah. “Sarah Montgomery, aren’t you going to introduce us?” I intertwined my fingers with hers. “Are they your friends too?” “Chloe Miller.” Before Sarah could speak, Chloe extended her hand to me. “Nice to meet you, brother-in-law.” The words “brother-in-law” were deliberately emphasized. In bed, Chloe sometimes played games and would purposely call me “brother-in-law.” Hearing it from her now, in this setting, it carried an inexplicable intimacy. Sarah slapped my hand away, pulling Chloe outside. Jake Peterson’s triumph in his eyes became even more obvious. He smiled, looking at me. “Liam Henderson, is Sarah’s temper really bad? Only I’m close enough to her that she treats me well.” “Not that bad.” I smiled, going along with his words. “She’s been quite well-behaved lately.” Jake chuckled. The others burst into laughter too. I felt incredibly uncomfortable among this group. Just then, I received another anonymous message: *[Come to the backyard.]* I went out, half-believing, half-doubting. I hadn’t walked two steps when I heard Sarah Montgomery’s voice from behind the rockery: “He touched you? Why did he say he wanted to prepare for pregnancy?” Chloe Miller stood with her hands in her pockets, leaning lazily against a tree. “What, you’re having second thoughts?” “He’s my husband!” Sarah frustratedly grabbed her collar. “He didn’t touch me.” Chloe impatiently waved her hand away. “But what if he did? He wouldn’t even notice anyway. And even if he did, at most it’d lead to divorce, and wouldn’t that be perfect for you to be with Jake Peterson?” Sarah hesitated, then irritably picked up the bubble tea beside her. But then she seemed to think of something and tossed it into the trash. “You’re not planning to divorce her?” Chloe narrowed her eyes, her voice turning cold. “Aren’t you afraid Liam Henderson will get angry if he finds out?” “He won’t,” Sarah said with certainty. “He loves me very much, he won’t get angry. Once his birthday is over in a few days, and the game ends, I’ll properly settle down and live with him.” “In any case, you need to rein it in. Liam Henderson wants a child, and I’ll give him one, it’ll be compensation for deceiving him these past three years.” “What about Jake Peterson then?” Sarah said nothing. I lowered my gaze to my phone, where the divorce papers from my lawyer were in my inbox. Before the wedding, I had genuinely intended to live a proper life with her. I didn’t even ask for her love; simply living as respectful partners would have been enough. From the moment I learned the truth until the wedding day, I gave her countless opportunities, waiting for her to confess to me. But she never did. Three years. Whether it was with Sarah Montgomery or Chloe Miller. I was tired of this game. After dinner, Sarah Montgomery and I went home together. As I leaned over to buckle her seatbelt, my phone lit up. Sarah merely glanced at it, then pushed me away and got out of the car to answer the call.

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The summer break kicked off with a school-organized volunteer trip to an orphanage, where we’d live for a month. As a med school representative, I quickly noticed something was off with one of the orphan boys. Julian, who looked eight years old, had the bone age of a forty-two-year-old! In my previous life, I spilled the beans about his bizarre check-up results to my classmates, warning them to steer clear of the kid. But they scoffed, accusing me of being a cold-blooded monster for bullying a poor orphan. The next day, Julian vanished. Rumors flew that I’d driven him to believe he didn’t deserve to live. My classmates, furious, cornered me on the rooftop, demanding I jump to my death to atone for their accusations. The orphanage fence was old and rickety, and I ended up smashed onto the pavement below, dying instantly. Then I opened my eyes. I was back. Back to the very first day at the orphanage. This time, I decided to tell them Julian’s check-up was perfectly normal. **01** Standing at the orphanage gate, a swarm of kids rushed out to greet us. My eyes immediately locked onto him – Julian. He threw himself into Brittany, a junior from the finance department, clinging to her. “You smell so nice, big sister!” he chirped. “Unlike the other big sister over there, she smells stinky.” Julian shot me a dirty look as he finished. Last time, I’d noticed Julian’s behavior was way out of line. He’d bury his head in Brittany’s chest, acting all sweet, but then he’d deliberately touch her thigh. When I kindly warned Brittany, she snapped at me, self-righteously, “Riley, do you have any humanity left?! Or is it just that you’re so used to being groped that everyone else seems ‘dirty’ to you?!” Her words sparked a wave of laughter among the other students. The gossip spread like wildfire, painting me as a classist, snobby, cold-blooded monster. They constantly sabotaged me, even egging on the orphanage kids to torment me. “That big sister is a bad person! Don’t be like her!” The orphanage kids were young; they believed whatever the adults told them. They copied everything they heard, constantly pelting me with pebbles, sprinkling sand in my bed, and some even intentionally putting cockroaches under my covers! In the end, when I fell from the roof, it was them—the kids, egged on by my classmates—who swarmed me and pushed me over the railing! This time, I decided I wouldn’t meddle in their affairs. I clutched my bottle of disinfectant and medical equipment. “That’s the smell of alcohol, it might be a bit strong,” I told Julian, “but it helps keep everyone healthy!” Hearing me, the other kids crowded around, their big eyes wide with curiosity. “Wow, big sister, you’re so smart!” “Can this water really protect us? Can you give me some?” Seeing their innocent faces, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion. These precious little angels had been corrupted in my past life by those classmates, who were always sucking up to the powerful and stepping on the weak. This time, I vowed to protect their purity! “Of course! Every day, I’ll use this disinfectant to wash your hands and keep you safe!” As soon as I said that, the children started jumping up and down, cheering for me like I was a superhero. But Derek from the Business Management program wasn’t thrilled. He was always the center of attention, and seeing me surrounded by adoring children, his face immediately fell. He strode forward and kicked the bottle of disinfectant out of my hand. “Oh, so you think you’re some kind of savior around here, huh?” he sneered. “You’re so good at buttering up these kids. Are you from here too?” He laughed. “Seriously, Riley? You’re an orphan too? No parents?” The children instantly went quiet, their faces falling in disappointment. Being told they were “parentless”—they probably heard that a lot. But Derek just said it right to their faces. “Derek, are you insane? How can you say that in front of the kids?!” I stared at him, shocked. Before Derek could reply, Julian spoke up from the side. “Derek didn’t say anything wrong, big brother.” He giggled. “Are you really parentless, big sister? Hehe.” Brittany and Derek exchanged a look and burst into laughter. “Julian, you’re so funny!” Brittany exclaimed. “After this volunteer trip, I’m going to adopt you as my little brother!” But Julian buried his head in Brittany’s chest again. “I don’t want to! I want to be Brittany’s *baby*.” Brittany was still basking in the glow of being liked by a child. She didn’t even notice that Julian, barely eight years old, had a noticeable bulge in his crotch, pressed against her. **02** The next morning, I woke up early to draw blood for the children’s physicals. When it was Julian’s turn, he completely shut down. No matter what I said, he refused. “This woman’s a liar! She’s taking our blood to sell it! Don’t trust her, everyone!” In my previous life, Julian pulled the same trick. Back then, I just thought he was a scared kid, terrified of needles. The other kids, hyped up by his words, went wild and wouldn’t let me draw their blood either. Julian even grabbed a syringe and lunged at me. “You want my blood?! I’ll stab *you*!” The other students followed suit, grabbing syringes and trying to stab me! My body was covered in countless tiny puncture marks, nowhere untouched. The other students just stood there watching, completely unconcerned. “That’s not our problem. I’m a finance major, this isn’t my field,” one said. “Seriously? You think you’re going to be a doctor? You should just drop out and get a factory job!” another scoffed. I even tried to ask the school for help, to get out of the volunteer trip. But when my classmates found out, they cornered me. Derek viciously kicked me. “This volunteer trip is tied to all our credits! We can’t have any screw-ups!” he snarled. “If you chicken out and mess with our grades, I swear I’ll make you pay!” Brittany crouched down, her eyes narrowed menacingly. “If you don’t draw their blood and complete the check-ups, then *I’ll* be drawing *your* blood. Understand?” Her dad was a notorious figure in the city’s organized crime scene, and she’d always thrown her weight around at school. Once, a student dared to contradict her in front of everyone, and the next day, that student was found badly beaten on the outskirts of town. I knew she wasn’t kidding. In the end, I had to ask the orphanage director for help to resolve the situation. After I discovered the irregularities in Julian’s medical report, I immediately told my classmates. But they didn’t care, accusing me of deliberately targeting Julian, saying I was a cold-blooded animal! It ultimately led to my innocent death. This time, all I wanted was to protect myself. Facing Julian’s defiant glare, I stood up and addressed all the children. “Kids, this is a magic wand that can draw all the bad stuff out of your bodies!” I announced cheerfully. “Once the bad stuff is out, everyone will be super strong! Plus, I’ve got candy for all of you!” As expected, the children eagerly lined up, all wanting their blood drawn. Only Julian remained, clinging desperately to Brittany’s neck, rubbing his face against her chest. “I don’t want to, I don’t want to! No blood draw!” Derek was getting impatient. “Come on, hurry up, don’t drag it out. If you mess with our credits, I swear I won’t let you off, you brat!” Seeing there was no way out, Julian reluctantly allowed me to draw his blood. The entire time, the look in his eyes was filled with a chilling killing intent that sent shivers down my spine. After collecting all the samples, I locked myself in my private room in the dorm. I started testing each sample, one by one, until the last one was done. I looked up and realized it was late into the night. Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed past the window. I immediately tensed. The next second, the lights in my room went out, and the door creaked open. In the moonlight, I saw Julian, his face grim, staring intently at me. **03** I forced myself to stay calm. “Julian, little one, what’s wrong? Do you need something?” His hands were clasped behind his back, as if hiding something, and he stepped closer, inch by chilling inch. “Did you finish testing my blood sample?” I nodded, fighting back the rising panic. “Yes, I just finished.” He stared me down, trying to read my expression for any hint of a lie. “So, what did you find?” I swallowed hard, backing away until my spine hit the cold wall. “Julian, your check-up report… there’s a problem!” As soon as I said it, Julian lunged at me like a madman! In the nick of time, I shouted, “Your iron levels are low! A bit anemic, actually! You need to eat more, kiddo!” Julian suddenly froze. I saw him hurriedly stash something behind his back. It was a gleaming fruit knife! My shouting quickly drew the attention of my classmates in the next room. They gathered outside my door. “Riley, why’s your room dark? Oh, Julian, why are you here?” Julian instantly plastered on his usual innocent smile. “I just came to see if big sister Riley was done with her work. She must be so tired working so late!” He bounced away amidst their praises. But I knew for sure now: Julian was hiding something big. His blood oxygen levels and bone age clearly showed he wasn’t a child at all! He was a forty-year-old man! What was he doing, pretending to be a child in this orphanage? If he was just freeloading off them for food and shelter, that wouldn’t be enough to make him want me dead. Soon, a staff member came and restored the power to my room. “That’s weird. Your power lines were cut from the outside.” The staff’s words only confirmed my suspicions. Julian definitely had a bigger secret! First thing the next morning, I went to the director’s office. “Director, may I see the students’ files?” The director was surprised by my request, frowning. “What do you need them for? We usually don’t show them to outsiders, it involves the children’s privacy.” I remembered how, in my previous life, when my classmates cornered me on the rooftop, the director simply stood by his window, watching my plight, without the slightest intention of helping me. This time, I didn’t dare tell him my true suspicions. I had to lie. “My aunt and uncle don’t have kids and are looking to adopt an orphan. I wanted to see if there were any suitable children to help them find the right one.” The director finally lowered his guard, smiling as he pulled a thick binder from his drawer and handed it to me. “Oh, I see. All the children’s records are here. You can look at them in my office, but you can’t take them out. We have several well-behaved children here; take your time choosing.” I took the binder and started flipping through it. I’d reached the very last page of the thick file, but there was no information about Julian. “Director, why isn’t Julian’s information in here?” A flicker of unease crossed the director’s eyes, and his face immediately hardened. “Why do you want Julian’s file? I heard you two had some disagreements a few days ago. What’s the real reason you’re asking for his file?!” He said, and then, with a click, he locked the office door from the inside. A bad feeling instantly washed over me . Why was the director so alarmed by my question about Julian’s file? What was the director’s relationship with Julian? What secrets were they hiding? “Julian, that kid, he’s a handful sometimes, but he’s bright! You know, Director, most of the kids in the orphanage have some health issues. But Julian, he looks perfectly fine!” I rambled, trying to reassure him. The director visibly relaxed, awkwardly saying, “I was just trying to open the door for some air. How did it get locked? Guess I’m getting old.” He cleared his throat. “Julian, he was adopted once before, but the adoptive parents said he had violent outbursts, always breaking things and screaming to be brought back here. They were forced to return him. To avoid a repeat, I removed Julian’s file from the general records.” I nodded, then left the office. The next second, a dark figure slammed me into the corner. **04** Julian’s eyes were filled with murderous intent as he glared at me. “What were you doing talking to the director?! Were you investigating me?!” He barely reached my ear, but his strength was terrifying! “I just wanted my aunt to adopt you, that’s all. My aunt and uncle run a restaurant. You’d be well-fed, I promise.” I pretended to be casual. He violently flung my wrist away, his face twisted with rage. “I like it here with everyone! Just leave me alone!” he snarled. “If I catch you snooping again, you’ll regret it!” With that, he dragged me to the bathroom at the end of the hall and locked me inside one of the stalls. The bathroom was out of the way, near the staff offices, so normally no one except the director would pass by. I pulled out my phone and texted my classmates, but they all claimed to be busy, and no one was willing to come and unlock the door. I decided that if no one came by midnight, I’d have to call the police. But around eleven at night, I suddenly heard a girl crying from inside the bathroom! My blood ran cold. No way this is actually happening, right?! Then I heard words mixed with the sobs: “Waaah, why… waaah, if only I had a mommy…” I instantly realized it was one of the orphanage children crying. I whispered, “Little one, it’s big sister Riley. Can you open the door for me?” The child immediately shrieked in terror, then took a while to articulate a full sentence. “Are you really big sister Riley?” After confirming my identity, the child opened the door. The crying child was Lily, a quiet and easily overlooked little girl among the other kids. I crouched down to wipe her tears. “Tell big sister, why are you crying? Did someone hurt you?” Lily was trembling all over, just sobbing. I reached out to comfort her, but she suddenly winced, as if in pain. I lifted her shirt and discovered her body was covered in bruises and cuts! “Lily, tell big sister what happened. Big sister promises, I’ll get you out of here!” She finally started telling me her story. My tears streamed down my face, and I was shaking with fury as I listened. The moment I woke up tomorrow, I would call the police! After taking Lily back to her room, I returned to mine to gather evidence for the police report tomorrow. Passing Brittany’s room, I heard muffled moans and gasps coming from inside. “Derek, go easy!” I heard Brittany pant. “Why won’t you let me touch you?! Okay, okay, I get it, it’s just your little… thing.” I paid them no mind, rushing back to my room and locking the door. First thing the next morning, I was woken by a commotion in the courtyard. I looked out to see Brittany yelling at Derek, raging. “You scumbag! Why didn’t you tell me you were hooking up with Chloe?!” Derek and Chloe stood hand-in-hand, looking utterly bewildered. “Why do I need to tell you who I’m dating? What’s it to you?” Derek retorted. *Slap!* Brittany slapped Derek across the face, utterly distraught. “Then why did you come to my room last night and do *that* with me?! I’ll have my dad kill you!” Chloe looked shocked. “Brittany, what are you talking about? Derek was in my room all night!” **05** By now, everyone had rushed into the courtyard to watch the drama unfold. Brittany, humiliated, turned her fury on Chloe.

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For ten years since I was found and brought home, my relationship with Chloe, the fake heiress, was as close as real sisters, practically inseparable. Even my mother, Eleanor, used to say that Chloe didn’t care for her as much as I did. I once swore I’d give my life to protect our unique family of four. But then, Chloe’s sudden cerebral aneurysm ruptured, and she was on the brink of death in the ER. Yet, I refused to operate. I chose instead to practice a basic suturing technique. My boyfriend, Dylan, yelled at me, his voice raw with disbelief. “Audrey! Only your microscopic dissection technique can save your sister! All the specialists in the hospital are waiting for you! The surgical window is closing, less than an hour left! What are you still hesitating for?!” He was right. I was the only person in the country who could perform that level of surgery. But I just calmly hummed in response, continuing to tinker with the medical model. My parents, Eleanor and Richard, rushed in, tears streaming down their faces. “Audrey! That’s the sister you swore to protect with your life! How can you just stand there and watch her die?!” I gently pulled away from them and held out my right hand This hand, which had once performed countless medical miracles, was now trembling ever so slightly. “I’m sorry, Mom, Dad. This hand of mine… it’s ruined.”

The air in the room instantly froze. The expressions on their faces morphed into pure shock. They stared intently at my right hand. That slight, yet fatal, tremor was a death sentence for any top surgeon’s career. My mom’s lips trembled. “How… how can this be?” she stammered, disbelief etched across her face. “It was fine yesterday! Are you just overtired?” “It’s idiopathic tremor. The cause is unknown,” I said, pulling my hand back and sliding it into my lab coat pocket. “Maybe it’s fate.” “Fate?” My dad, Richard, frowned, his voice laced with accusation. “Audrey, don’t talk nonsense! Are you… are you still blaming us?” I didn’t answer. My gaze simply returned to the surgical simulator. Eighteen years ago, I was found in a small, forgotten town and brought back to the Stevens family. It turned out that Chloe, the precious daughter they’d raised for eighteen years, was an imposter. And I was the true heiress. My adoptive parents had died young, and my life had been incredibly difficult. When I returned to the Stevens’ home, I was sensitive and insecure. It was Chloe who gave me the most warmth. She taught me etiquette, bought me beautiful clothes, and defended me everywhere, saying we were real sisters and that I shouldn’t feel constrained. My parents also said that Chloe was their daughter too; they loved both of us like their own, equally cherished. Because Chloe’s original family background was very poor, they couldn’t bring themselves to send her away, so they decided to raise both of us. I was grateful to them, and I was grateful to Chloe. I studied hard, pushing myself to become their pride, swearing I would protect our family of four. Until now… Seeing my silence, Mom’s tears suddenly gushed out. She yelled at me, “Audrey! Are you still holding a grudge?! Just because we doted on Chloe a little more, you’re holding it against us, and now you’re going to just let her die?!” “Did you forget how much Chloe cared for you?! When you stayed up late studying, who was it that constantly made you nourishing soups?!” Her words pierced my heart, and for a fleeting second, it ached. Dylan quickly stepped forward to support my mom. “Eleanor, please don’t get upset. Audrey isn’t like that!” He then turned to me, his eyes filled with heartache. “Audrey, I know you have your grievances, but Chloe is innocent! You can’t let your personal feelings overshadow your duty as a doctor!” My dad, Richard, who was always a dignified university professor, had reddened eyes and a hoarse voice. “Audrey, even if your hand is injured, you could at least go in and guide them! Chloe is your sister, you can’t just stand by and watch her die!” But I remained unfazed, simply continuing to adjust my equipment. My mom finally broke down. She dropped to her knees with a thud, sobbing hysterically. “How could I have raised such a cold-blooded, heartless daughter?! Chloe is so kind, she always let you have your way, and now… now you’re going to force her to die?!” Her cries were piercing, as she pounded the floor, drawing curious and judgmental stares from other medical staff outside. I just smiled faintly. “Then that’s her fate, I suppose. There’s nothing I can do.” Then, I sat back down and picked up the operating stick of the surgical simulator again. On the screen, the robotic arm began its work once more. I was completely focused, as if everything outside had nothing to do with me. Seeing my cold demeanor, my dad swayed slightly. Dylan looked at me, seemingly utterly disappointed. He took a deep breath, as if making a momentous decision. “Richard, Eleanor, don’t beg her anymore.” He turned to my parents, his voice firm. “Let me do it!”

Dylan stepping forward instantly rekindled hope in my parents. “Dylan! You… do you really have confidence?” My mom, Eleanor, gripped his hand excitedly. Dylan glanced at the two elderly people on the ground, then at me, a look of profound compassion on his face. He spoke with a heavy heart, “Audrey isn’t willing to act, and I understand. After all, she carries the prestigious title of ‘The Hand of God,’ she cannot afford to fail. But I can’t just stand by and watch Chloe die!” His words, while seemingly understanding of me, subtly nailed me to the pillar of shame for “abandoning someone to die out of concern for my reputation.” The colleagues who had rushed over to see what was happening now looked at me with even greater disdain. Dylan turned back to my parents, requesting again, “Richard, Eleanor, please trust me! I’ve followed Audrey’s microscopic dissection technique in every surgery she’s done. I’ve memorized all the theory and the essence. Please allow me to combine traditional surgical methods with her theories to take a risk for Chloe!” “Good! Good boy!” My dad, Richard, was so moved that old tears streamed down his face. “Dylan, if you save Chloe, our Stevens family… half of our family fortune, it’s yours!” Upon hearing those words, I, who had been silent all this time, finally lifted my eyes. I looked at my ecstatic parents and the righteous Dylan, calculating silently in my mind. Half of the Stevens family fortune was at least a hundred million. But… I slowly stood up, looking at Dylan, and said mockingly, “You want to use my technique? Did you get my authorization?” Dylan froze for a moment, then looked at me, exasperated. “Audrey Stevens! What time is it now? You’re still arguing about this? Saving a life is what matters!” “Saving a life is one thing, patents are another,” I said, shrugging indifferently, my tone firm. “Without my authorization, if you dare to touch that scalpel, I’ll sue you until your reputation is ruined, and you’ll never wear a lab coat again for the rest of your life.” “You!” Dylan’s face turned pale with anger. My dad, Richard, was trembling all over, pointing his finger at my nose. “Audrey Stevens! You’re utterly unreasonable! For money and a patent, you’re willing to disregard your sister’s life?!” I looked at him coldly, as if he were a stranger. “Make your decision quickly. The patient can’t wait.” Time ticked by, second by second, and the murmurs around us grew louder, but I showed no sign of impatience. “Fine! I agree!” Finally, my dad gritted his teeth and accepted my terms. “As long as you authorize it, I’ll immediately hire a lawyer afterward and transfer half of all the shares in my name to you!” I smiled, pulled a voice recorder from my pocket, and pressed the record button. “Dad, please say it again. You are voluntarily granting me half of the Stevens Group’s shares as authorization fees for my patent.” My dad’s face turned purple with rage, but he humiliatingly repeated the statement. I pocketed the recorder with satisfaction, then nodded at Dylan. “Go on. I hope your hand is steadier than mine.” With that, I walked straight out of the office, ignoring the disgusted looks from my parents and Dylan’s disappointed gaze. I didn’t go home. Instead, I went to a coffee shop across from the hospital and ordered the bitterest black coffee. Through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see the lights on in the surgery ward building. They got what they wanted. And so did I.

For the next few days, I took leave. Hashtags like #TrueHeiressLetsFakeHeiressDie, #EvilSisterAudreyStevens, and #TheViperWithin took turns trending. My entire background was dug up. Netizens concocted a vulgar drama: “Country Bumpkin Heiress Returns to Rich Family, Jealously Harms Kind Sister at Every Turn.” Chloe’s social media accounts were unearthed, filled with heartwarming anecdotes of how good she was to me, accompanied by gentle captions, making me appear even more despicable. I didn’t look at my phone. I simply locked myself in my apartment, polishing an old photo frame over and over. Inside the frame was a gentle, scholarly middle-aged man – my mentor, Professor Hayes. Three days later, the news exploded: “Devoted Boyfriend Steps Up, Miraculously Saves Girlfriend’s Sister,” “A New God Is Born! Dr. Dylan Successfully Completes Ultra-Difficult Intracranial Surgery!” The reports painted Dylan as a hero. He faced the camera, saying emotionally, “I only did what I had to do. Audrey Stevens is my beloved, and her sister is my sister.” This statement made me, the actual sister, seem even more cold-hearted. Online, the condemnation against me reached its peak. Then, an even bigger piece of news broke. TheraMed Innovations, a domestic medical device giant, grandly announced a deep strategic partnership with Dr. Dylan to jointly develop and promote a改良版 (improved version) microscopic dissection technique and related surgical instruments. A week later, I received a call from the hospital director. His tone was an unrefusable command. “Audrey Stevens, tomorrow at 9 AM, the hospital is holding a city-wide neurosurgery expert consultation meeting, which will be live-streamed. As the patent holder of this technology, you must attend.” I knew it wasn’t an invitation. It was a summons. They wanted me to witness Dylan’s triumph with my own eyes. The next day, I arrived punctually at the hospital’s International Conference Center. The hall was packed with neurosurgery experts from across the city, and reporters from major media outlets, flashbulbs constantly firing. As soon as I walked in, I saw a dazzling sight. Dylan and Chloe, seated in a wheelchair, were surrounded by a group of reporters, with my parents, Eleanor and Richard, hovering around them. The true family of four. Suddenly, just a second before the meeting was about to begin, Chloe tearfully addressed the cameras. “Everyone, I’m sorry to take up your valuable time. But today, I need to reveal the truth!” Her pale face was streaked with tears, making her appear utterly fragile and instantly capturing everyone’s attention. “My aneurysm rupture wasn’t an accident! It was… it was caused by my sister, Audrey Stevens, from long-term poisoning!” The revelation hit like a bombshell! The entire room erupted, and all the cameras instantly swiveled to point at me. Chloe cried even harder, clutching my parents’ hands, sobbing, “From the day she came back to the Stevens family, she’s constantly bullied and ostracized me! I endured it, for the sake of Mom and Dad raising me, not daring to ruin our family harmony! But I never imagined she would be so cruel as to try and take my life!” Dylan gently stroked her shoulder, seemingly giving her the courage to speak the truth. He then produced several lab reports. “I didn’t dare say anything before, fearing it would harm Audrey Stevens’ reputation. But after this surgery, I obtained irrefutable evidence proving that Chloe was poisoned with a chronic neurotoxin! I can’t let her continue to harm Chloe!” The live stream exploded. The comments section scrolled wildly. The hashtag #TrueHeiressPoisonedFakeHeiress shot to the top of the trending list at rocket speed. I stood at the entrance of the conference hall, surrounded by countless eyes filled with revulsion. Reporters’ questions bombarded me. “Dr. Stevens, did you really poison your sister?” “Why would you do such a thing? Was it out of jealousy?” “Do you even have the right to be a doctor anymore?” I ignored everyone and walked towards my biological parents. I looked at them, my voice trembling slightly. “Dad, Mom.” “Do you also believe I’m that kind of person?” My question brought a momentary silence to the room. “Audrey, we gave you a chance…” My mom cried, “Chloe presented the evidence… we… we’re so disappointed in you!” My dad, Richard, turned his head away, his face etched with sorrow, unable to look at me. “See? A true monster, even her parents disown her!” “What a monster hiding in plain sight. After doing something like that, the Stevens family should never have taken her back!” “She absolutely cannot be allowed to practice medicine again!” The malicious whispers filled my ears. I stood under the spotlight, isolated and helpless, like a criminal already condemned by the whole world. Just then, several uniformed police officers entered the hall. Their expressions were serious, their voices loud. “We received a report about intentional poisoning. Who called it in?” Everyone’s eyes landed on me. Even Dylan and Chloe couldn’t help but let a smirk tug at their lips. In the police officers’ sharp gaze and the deathly silence of the entire room, I calmly raised my hand. “Officers.” “I made the call.” For a moment, time in the entire conference hall seemed to stand still. Everyone looked at me as if I were insane. Calling the police on myself? What kind of move was that?

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I could control time and space. But after 999 cycles, my fiancé still abandoned me on our wedding day, fleeing with his childhood sweetheart, Chloe, without a second thought. The first time the apocalypse hit, I used my power to trap my fiancé and me forever in the time loop of our wedding night. I just thought that way, we could be in love forever. But when I reset the loop for the 999th time with him, Liam, who was always so cold, suddenly brought a woman home. He knelt, his eyes red, begging me: “If you don’t let her stay here, I’ll choose destruction with her.” Watching them, so deeply in love it hurt, I turned and walked away in silence. Later, I let go of my obsession and tore open a time rift, granting their wish to face oblivion together. But then, his eyes bloodshot, he found me, dropping to his knees, pleading desperately. “Aurora, please, don’t let me leave. I don’t want to die!” “Aurora, your husband ran off! You should just wait here obediently for him!” Another wedding scene, another loop. This time, there was no anticipated blessing or happiness. Only Liam’s escape and his relatives and friends blocking me, trying to stop me from chasing him. “Get out of my way!” The red wedding veil shimmered in the twilight. Trapped by them, I could only watch helplessly as Liam rushed out of the mansion. Then, he tightly embraced Chloe, who was standing right by the door. “This time, I won’t let you die! I *will* keep you by my side!” Hearing Liam’s words, my face went ghostly pale, just like the sky after tomorrow’s endless darkness, destined for the destructive meteor shower. Through countless loops, this moment was supposed to be Liam holding my hand, surrounded by everyone’s blessings. But this one time, the predetermined path of fate had changed. The man by my side no longer loved me. The relatives and friends surrounding me, scolding me, had no idea that tomorrow, meteors would fall, and the world would end. I’d traded my life and health for the power of time and space, trapping Liam and me forever in this wedding night. This was the 96th loop, 96 wedding nights. I thought we would be safe, always in love, always escaping disaster. I didn’t know Liam already regretted Chloe’s appearance when she came to steal him away. This time, before he left, he whispered to me: “Aurora, this time, I don’t want to regret it.” Watching everyone leave, I sat alone in the bridal suite, staring at the increasingly red moon in the sky, and suddenly smiled. Maybe I should just “complete” their story. My phone lit up. Chloe had sent a taunting SnapChat message this time: “Liam said he’d rather die than be without me.” “He suddenly came to me today and said he loved me! That just proves he never wanted to marry you!” “Not only can you two not be together on your wedding day, you’ll never be together in this life! He and I are true love!” Finally, I tapped on the video she sent. Against an extremely dim background, Liam was holding her. The fireworks from *my* wedding exploded, and I was in the dark. In the fierce, blazing light, I clearly saw them. Locked in a desperate, burning kiss. In that instant, all the past memories and sudden, brutal loss exploded in my mind, shattering, raging. Then, my gaze instantly dimmed, like a falling star. After turning off my phone, I sat on the bed, still strewn with red dates, lotus seeds, and peanuts—a messy remnant of his family’s outdated traditions for a prosperous marriage—staring blankly. The next second, I looked up, meeting Liam’s eyes as he walked back in. “How many times have we gotten married, and you still look so unhappy? Can’t you even bother to clear this stuff off the bed?” Every breath pulled at my aching heart. Powerlessly, I tugged at the bedsheet. Some peanuts, sunflower seeds, and walnuts scattered onto the floor. “Your family said it would be lively this way, and we shouldn’t clear it for our wedding night.” He seemed to recall his recent actions; a flicker of evasion crossed his face. “Aren’t I here to spend our wedding night with you?” “You know, no matter how many times we live this night, I’ll never get tired of it.” Breaking character, he even took a red date and popped it into his mouth. A smile played on his lips, his tone confident, “And I know, you can’t leave me. Why else would you keep taking me away from the apocalypse, time and again?” I forced a smile, mumbled a vague reply, and tried to stand up. He coughed, looking at me, his eyes suddenly serious. “Aurora, will you promise me something? Look, I’m here for our wedding. Can you help me preserve Chloe’s memories too?” I froze, looking at him in disbelief. He looked utterly unconcerned. “Don’t you have that power? I asked you to help my family before, and you refused.” “Now I just want to restore Chloe’s memory. Is that too much to ask?!” In that moment, fury boiled within me. No wonder he was saying all those sweet things he hadn’t uttered in ages. It was all for his beloved Chloe. But he knew better than anyone *why* he wanted Chloe to regain her memories! It was so that in the next loop, she would remember today, remember their blossoming relationship, and he wouldn’t have to win her over again. Thinking this, I stared at him, enunciating each word slowly. “Absolutely not!” Immediately, his brief complacency exploded into towering rage. “Aurora! How dare you speak to me like that!” “I’m telling you, if you don’t restore Chloe’s memories too, don’t even *think* about marrying me again!” “Not only that, if I see Chloe doesn’t recognize me in the next loop, I’ll choose destruction with her!” Watching him, so deeply, passionately angry, I felt a fatigue and deadness I’d never experienced before. Even if time stood still, people would change. No matter how beautiful the past, it was nothing but sand slipping through my fingers. I gave a weak laugh, stood up, and forcefully yanked off the bedsheet, scattering everything. Lotus seeds and red dates crashed to the floor. My voice, too, landed flat. “Then don’t marry.” “This timeline is meaningless. We just won’t marry.” As I left, I could still hear Liam’s furious roar behind me. “Fine, Aurora! Don’t you dare cry when I die in this timeline!” I crushed the lotus seeds under my heel. My steps never faltered. No more tears. Liam. I would never cry for you again.

At the start of the new loop, I didn’t go to the wedding ceremony. Instead, I went to say goodbye to Jasper. Jasper, my only friend here who kept all his memories, and the one who gave me this looping ability. However, this time, I hadn’t even seen Jasper yet when I realized the wedding was proceeding as planned, even without me. Following the gazes of the guests, I saw Liam had clearly replaced me with Chloe, who was now wearing the wedding dress. Suddenly, I turned away in shock, only to see Jasper behind me, his eyes filled with fury. But in his familiar expression, I remembered my *first* wedding night with Liam. Back then, as Liam and I were still basking in the thrill of finally opening our wedding gifts, Jasper suddenly appeared, revealing the truth about the impending apocalypse. Before I could even believe him, he said he’d already granted me the power to reset time, then floated away. The next second, darkness tore through the sky. With a pale face, I used the method Jasper taught me, tearing open a time rift to put Liam and me into the moment we most wanted to stay in. The wedding night. It became our only time anchor point we could reset. At first, in the day-after-day loops, Liam endlessly declared his love for me, tirelessly putting the ring on my finger. It wasn’t until the thirty-sixth loop that he spotted Chloe at the wedding venue. He lied, telling me he wanted to go see old friends. I had no idea then that the “old friend” was his childhood sweetheart. Later, their connection grew more and more intense, until the last loop when Liam made me a laughingstock at our own wedding. Even more unthinkable, this loop, with me absent, Liam actually had Chloe take my place as the bride. Thinking this, I pulled back Jasper, who was about to charge forward. “No, Jasper, it’s no use. I’m tired.” He considered many possibilities, then, in a daze, asked me: “Are you planning to skip this wedding and settle the score with him next time?” My face was pale, and I shook my head. “No, I won’t take Liam into another loop again.” “I don’t love him anymore. This is the last time. I want a clean break.” The next second he heard this, Jasper took a moment to react to the news. He had tried to convince me many times that staying in this time rift was futile. Now, hearing that I’d finally come to my senses, he was slow to react. It wasn’t his fault, after all, in these 97 loops. Each time, for Liam, I had silently endured half a day’s worth of pain. Hiding it from Liam, I repeatedly reached out through the pain to accept the ring he placed on my finger. Faced with my tireless desire to restart the wedding night, he would only sneer in front of Jasper. “Who told her she loved me so much? It’s her honor that I stay in this loop with her.” Jasper was furious then, but I talked him down, foolishly celebrating Liam’s words, thinking we were luckier than other lovers, smugly believing that living like this was enough. Now I understood how utterly pathetic I had been in those countless loops. “Even if it repeats a thousand, ten thousand times, Liam will still change his mind. What good are the same time and people if true feelings can change in an instant?” Before the endless darkness descended, my eyes, resolute, stared at the sky as I murmured. “I will tear open the time rift and end this ridiculous timeline, controlled by my own obsession.” “Jasper, when it’s over, can you tell me why you chose me?”

After saying that, the sadness in my eyes was gone, and I quietly watched them complete the wedding. Even though I was prepared for Liam’s change of heart. Still, hearing their intimate voices from the bedroom, I was deeply pierced. Soft, ambiguous moans revealed them doing something explicit on the very same wedding bed Liam and I had shared. They were wrapped in a tight, passionate embrace. Liam, his back to me, held Chloe tightly. Chloe straddled Liam, her eyes meeting mine. She twisted harder, her breathing labored and seductive. “Liam, darling, this is your and Aurora’s wedding bed. Wouldn’t it be bad if Aurora saw us like this?” Liam scoffed, as if she’d made a joke. His wandering hands had already found their way to Chloe’s delicate skin. “Bad? She’s just my doormat. Does she dare get angry?” “Besides, we’ve been together so long, doing the same thing every day, looking at her face I’ve long grown tired of. If it weren’t for you, my life would be so boring.” “And so what if she gets angry? All I have to do is snap my fingers, and she’ll come running back, wagging her tail.” I gripped my hands tightly, my stomach churning with intense nausea. The countless moments from those thousands of loops transformed into a million sharp blades, tearing through the mirror of our beautiful memories, shattering it to pieces. Countless sharp fragments pierced every cell in my body. I was in unbearable pain, and in the end, all that overwhelming love turned into utter deadness. I turned around, unsure how long I stood there before my body finally moved. Slowly, I walked to the safe, taking out the time hourglass locked inside. As soon as I stood up, I met Liam’s gaze. He’d come out for a drink. He jolted, dropping the water bottle in his hand. After a moment of terror, an undisguised triumph crept onto his face. “Now you know to come back and apologize?” Seeing no reaction from me, he scanned me up and down, his eyes finally landing on the time hourglass in my hand. “Last loop you were throwing rings and yanking off bedsheets…” He looked down at me, utterly convinced he had me. “Weren’t you having a grand old time then?” I took a deep, heavy breath, my face cold as I turned to leave. But he grabbed my arm, his voice growing more arrogant. “I’m telling you, now it’s useless even if you try to make up for it with the time hourglass.” “You better quickly preserve Chloe’s memory forever, and then I’ll forgive you. Otherwise, just wait for me to leave this loop!” My body stiffened. I turned around, meeting the disdain in his eyes. I smiled. “Alright, you wait.” While he was still fantasizing about how the next loop would be filled with love for him and Chloe, I walked out the door without looking back. Darkness descended as expected. I opened the time hourglass. A terrifying cascade of black debris and a raging storm swept over everything in an instant. Liam rushed out in a panic, his voice laced with fear. “It’s just preserving someone’s memory, isn’t it? Why is the commotion so huge?!” Even as the world crumbled around us, my face was ashen. He still maintained that arrogant, superior posture. “Now do you realize how hard it is to admit you were wrong? Then why did you make me angry in the first place?” “I’m telling you, my family needs their memories preserved too, otherwise…” I said coldly, “Otherwise, what?” The disdain on his face grew. “I’ll just leave this loop, and then let’s see what you’ll do!” Suddenly, before I could even retort, Chloe burst out and smacked the hourglass from my hand, sending it crashing to the floor. In a fit of rage, I shook off her hand. “Are you crazy?!” The next second, I coughed up blood. My body couldn’t withstand such an impact. The process of mending the time rift had been violently interrupted. I collapsed instantly. Liam, however, didn’t hesitate to help Chloe up, then roared at me. “Aurora, how dare you hurt Chloe?!” “I’m telling you, if you don’t apologize, I’m leaving this loop right now. Then you’ll regret it!” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, a smile spreading on my lips. “Liam, I won’t regret it. I only hope that when this loop ends, you’re not the one filled with regret.” “What did you say?” Liam stared blankly at my lifeless expression. Chloe, who must have learned about my superpower from Liam, urged him on. “Aurora, don’t be so stubborn. If you don’t apologize, and Liam leaves you, you’ll have nowhere to cry from regret.” At this, Liam regained his smug confidence. “Exactly. Stop pretending, Aurora. Don’t forget why you created this timeline. What’s the point of your life without me?” “I’m telling you, while the time rift is open, preserve Chloe’s and my family’s memories…” “Otherwise, I’ll leave this loop right now and show you!” “What will you do then?!” He was arrogant and conceited, but he didn’t expect me to simply curl my lips. “As you wish.” “What?” Liam frowned. But I picked up the open time hourglass from the ground. The world shattered. The storm intensified dramatically the moment I picked up the hourglass. I reached out and tore open a corner of the sky. “Liam, didn’t you say you wanted to leave this loop?” “Now, the time rift is open. We’re all facing the apocalypse tomorrow, and my superpower has already been withdrawn.” “This ridiculous loop will not repeat. As you wish, face the end!” His eyes widened. The raging wind, violent and without warning. Swept over us… Liam stood frozen, slow to grasp the situation. It wasn’t until the ground beneath his feet cracked that he understood… the apocalypse had truly arrived.

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My Girlfriend’s Family Had the Most Twisted Animal Fetishes. Now, They’re Trapped in the Beast Realm. My girlfriend’s family harbored a truly disgusting obsession with animal cruelty, their methods barbaric and utterly bizarre. She’d feed hormone-inducing drugs to horses and dogs. Her mother enjoyed tormenting snakes, and her father had a depraved fondness for female monkeys. I brought them all into the Beast Realm. They were ecstatic, believing they could indulge their sadistic urges to the fullest. But then, to their horror, the small animals around them began to undergo bizarre transformations. Now, they’re destined to spend an eternity in endless despair! Cassidy Miller brought me home and showed me an animal courtship video, then told me she wanted to marry me. She said she adored animals and slid a ring onto my ring finger. She proudly showed off her years of “treasures.” “Kael, what do you think? Shocking, right?” It was more than shocking. A whole wall of photos—all evidence of her animal abuse. I stared at the wall, trembling, but she whispered from behind, wrapping her arms around me. “Don’t be scared. I’d never do that to you. After all, you’re human!” My own voice sounded cold and hoarse. “What… if I wasn’t human?” Cassidy traced my face, her other hand taking a photo from the wall. In it, she had a dog tied down, as a horse in heat mounted it… Cassidy’s chilling voice echoed in my ear. “If you weren’t human… I’d throw you into the horse stable!” Cold sweat streamed down my forehead. I suppressed the surge of excitement building inside me. Damn it! My mission was finally complete! The next day, Cassidy took me back to her hometown to meet her parents. Mrs. Miller met us at the airport. She wore horse-hair shoes, a tiger-skin vest, a rabbit-fur hat, and a necklace of unknown animal bones around her neck. A faint, metallic scent hung in the air around her. I smiled and told her she looked quite fashionable and unique. Mrs. Miller’s eyes flickered with a cold gleam, then she forced a stiff smile. “Hehe, just decorations.” Cassidy quickly changed the subject. “Honey, Dad made a lot of delicious food for you. Let’s go home quickly!” I nodded, following the mother and daughter, my eyes narrowing. Lunch was filled with dishes I’d never seen before. Mr. Miller enthusiastically piled food onto my plate. I stared at the deep-fried whole rabbit, the steamed bear paw with fur still attached, the braised snake meat… A wave of fury surged to my head. Beyond their usual games of torture and abuse, their very lifestyle – their food, clothes, shelter, everything – was derived from animals. I fought back the urge to vomit and said awkwardly, “Sir, I’m vegetarian. Cassidy knows.” Mr. Miller paused with his fork, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face, but quickly replaced it with a forced, amiable smile, pushing the vegetable dish towards me. Mrs. Miller looked annoyed, tossing her fork onto the table and leaning back in her chair. “This once is fine. But once you marry our daughter, we’ll be family, and this habit needs to change!” After lunch, her parents pulled Cassidy into a room for a whispered conversation. When they emerged, their eyes were bloodshot and menacing as they looked at me. Mrs. Miller even had an axe hidden behind her back.

My heart sank. No! I had to find a way to make them feel I was valuable, and make them willing to come back to the Beast Realm with me. At that moment, a nature documentary about exotic animals in a primeval forest was playing on TV—it was their favorite channel. I quickly pointed at the screen and cut in. “The animals back home are much rarer than these! The pythons are more beautiful, and we have rare monkey kings too.” All three faces turned to me, their eyes lighting up with excitement. Cassidy was even more eager. “Honey, I can’t wait to go to your place and meet your family!” I curved my lips into a smile. Goal achieved. Go on, go to your deaths! Cassidy didn’t know that where I lived was a secret, in another world entirely populated by beasts. My home village was called Beastkin Village. Don’t laugh, it’s literal! Our family was a rare sight in the Beast Realm—a clan of weaklings. My fox father loved me, but he was constantly worried. “If only my Kael could absorb human vitality daily, he’d surely be the most outstanding child in the Beast Realm.” My mother blamed herself too. “If only I had a little more power, our family wouldn’t be bullied so much in this Beast Realm.” Even my sister’s fiancé cheated on her constantly because of her lack of strength. So, three months ago, my grandmother, the ancient fox spirit, sacrificed herself, her very essence tearing open a rift between the human world and the Beast Realm. She told me to bring back as many humans as I could. “Kael, my dear, if our fox clan can absorb fresh human life force, we will surely rise to power, claiming our rightful place as rulers of the Beast Realm.” And so, I came to the human world with this daunting mission. But most humans were kind. I searched for a long time before finally choosing Cassidy Miller’s family. On the surface, she was a pet shop owner, but in reality, she was violent and twisted. I deliberately let her catch me in the wild. My cat-like, foxy appearance was something she found exceptionally peculiar and captivating. She locked me in a cramped cage and fed me some powder that left me weak and paralyzed. For a long time, I couldn’t process or get rid of the drug, forced to watch her atrocities. When a sick calico cat became ‘useless,’ she simply tossed it from the rooftop. Its agonizing cries echoed through the night as its bloody body lay sprawled on the concrete. Occasionally, passing cars would crush its remains, and Cassidy would snap photos, utterly satisfied. At that time, Cassidy also had a male friend named Blake, who joined her in tormenting animals. Later, when her poodle went into heat and obscenely humped Blake’s leg a few times, Cassidy saw it. Her eyes flashed with cruelty. She choked the dog, forcing it to eat a paralyzing drug, and Blake personally threw the little dog into the horse stable. The two of them laughed maniacally, watching the horse in heat mount the dog… My claws frantically scraped at the iron cage, but the drug’s effect kept me weak. I could only watch as the little dog whimpered and died. And the horse in heat didn’t escape its doom either; just because Blake said it was “a complete eyesore,” Cassidy downed the small horse with a single injection. The two of them were busy in the secret room for half the night, cruelly dismembering the horse. Foxes naturally possess an acute sense of smell, and the thick stench of blood from the secret room assaulted my nose. I absorbed the bloody aura, and my strength returned significantly. I clawed open the cage and bolted out. Cassidy clearly heard the commotion. She grabbed a dissection knife and chased after me. I stumbled, my strength failing, just as I reached the door. I was about to be discovered.

Summoning the last of my strength, I transformed into my human form. Cassidy, seeing me sprawled by the door, approached cautiously. When she saw my face, her eyes widened in shock. The greatest advantage of us foxkin is our stunning beauty, almost beyond reproach. Clearly, Cassidy wasn’t blind. Blake, seeing her embracing a man, looked stunned, his eyes filled with jealousy. My animal instincts told me he wanted me dead. And when I saw the bloody horse tail in his hand, I couldn’t help but shiver. I, too, was wondering how to kill him. Cassidy, I needed to bring back to the Beast Realm and keep around permanently so I could drain her life force. But young Blake? I could certainly bring him back for my family to enjoy. I leaned into Cassidy’s embrace, intensifying the animalistic aura she found so alluring. Foxes are naturally skilled in enchantment, and though I was young, captivating a human for a short time was no challenge. She was helping me to the car when Blake caught up. “Cassidy, you’re taking him back?” Cassidy was twisted, and with her mind clouded, lust quickly took over. “This boy looks unwell. I’m taking him back for a check-up.” Blake was infuriated but clear-headed. “Then send him to a hospital, or just call the police!” “To a hospital for what? Am I not a doctor? And are you insane? Don’t you remember what we just did? You want to call the police?” With that, Cassidy, impatient, turned and didn’t look back. Blake shouted after her, “Cassidy Miller, I think you’re slipping back into your old habits!” Cassidy rented a villa in the suburbs. As soon as I entered, I smelled an unusual scent. But inside, the decor seemed normal, except for a tightly locked basement door. She placed me on the sofa, affectionately stroking my head, her gaze growing obsessive. “What a beautiful face!” I let out a soft whimper. Her eyes darkened with increasingly intense desire, and she tugged impatiently at her skirt hem. She leaned in, her hands exploring downwards. Beast! I cursed inwardly, completely forgetting this was the result of me over-emitting my foxkin allure. After blowing some fox-specialized sedatives into her ear, Cassidy collapsed naked onto the sofa. I tossed a pillow at her. She drifted into a hazy dream, hugging and kissing it, her body movements more lewd than any animal’s. I scoffed. Taking advantage of her deep immersion in her battle with the pillow, I pushed open the basement door. The scene inside shocked me to the core, a pain so profound it stole my breath. Half-dissected living civet cats lay helplessly on the table, neither alive nor truly dead. There were also tigers tied to posts, skinned alive. On the floor lay discarded bodies of rabbits and birds. On the wall, snakes were pinned, writhing. Though I despised snakes, even I trembled with fear. Suddenly, a high-pitched cry echoed from upstairs – Cassidy was about to finish and snap out of it. I immediately returned upstairs. Once clear-headed, Cassidy opened her eyes, looking utterly sated. I clutched the blanket around me, whimpering, feigning the aftermath of being violated. “W-who are you? I’m calling the police, w-w-w…” Suddenly, a handgun was pointed at my face.

“Good boy, what’s your name?” Facing the threat, I feigned terror and told her my name was Kael. Cassidy smiled playfully, lowered the gun, then gently pulled my head to her chest. She clicked on the TV remote. She played an animal courtship video for me and slid a ring onto my ring finger. “Kael, I’m completely smitten with you. You and I, we’re like those male and female animals who’ve never met, but our hormones are destined to draw us together. Let’s get married!” But in the video, the female animal, once rejected, was being torn apart and devoured by the male. She forced me to nod. Suddenly, the villa’s front door burst open. Blake stood there, drenched in the thunder and rain. He held a knife and said he was going to chop me up. “Never seen a male fox demon before. I’m going to tear your face off and preserve it as a specimen!” Heh, he was actually right. I am a fox. Cassidy snatched the knife from him and kicked him into the wall. Blake looked incredulous. “Three years of our relationship! It means nothing compared to this fox demon you just met?!” Cassidy frowned, her eyes icy cold. “Kael has that scent I’ve always dreamed of.” Blake sneered, “Oh yeah? What scent? Fox body odor?” Hearing that, I feigned weakness and hurt, while discreetly intensifying my scent towards Cassidy. Who the hell says us foxes smell bad?! That’s too much, man! While comforting me, Cassidy delivered another kick. Blake was bleeding and was then locked in the basement. Her actions suited me perfectly. Good. After all, the males in the Beast Realm needed men too. However, the passage between the Beast Realm and the human world was closing soon. Shortly after meeting Cassidy’s family, I suggested we quickly go to my homeland to meet my parents. Cassidy, inhaling my scent daily, was impatient. But her parents were slow, preparing many things before joining us. Blake was skilled in making potions, so Cassidy brought him along, claiming he was her brother. Fearing I might be upset, she even took me to the basement to torment Blake a bit before we left, just to prove her heart was only for me. Blake cursed, but he was met with whips and insect bites. Three days later, after much prodding from me, they finally set off for my homeland. My grandmother had placed the entrance to the passage in a poisonous forest in the southwest, a place ordinary humans couldn’t approach. But I had a special potion, and I led Cassidy and the others through the forest without difficulty. Blake, half-dead from exhaustion, didn’t forget to make cynical remarks. “Heh, I’m telling you, Cassidy Miller, what kind of normal guy’s home requires trekking through mountains and over ridges? You two are probably being stalked by spirits and don’t even know it!” Hearing that, Mr. and Mrs. Miller exchanged glances, clearly suspicious. I stopped, looking distressed at the Miller family. “Mr. and Mrs. Miller, my home is indeed a bit remote. But otherwise, where would all those rare animals come from?” I pouted, feigning innocence. Mr. and Mrs. Miller nodded, understanding. Immediately, Cassidy slapped Blake across the face. “You almost got to us. You talk too much, you idiot!” At the end of the forest was an invisible wall. Beyond the wall was the Beast Realm. On the other side of the wall, several figures were faintly visible. I happily shouted, “Mr. and Mrs. Miller, look! My parents have come to meet us!” With that, I darted towards my parents, Cassidy following close behind. The humans didn’t notice, but as Blake’s foot stepped across, the passage immediately closed.

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I was the daughter of the city’s wealthiest family. But I had a secret: once a month, I’d transform into a Ragdoll cat. My dad, terrified this secret would get out, handpicked five fiancés for me. They had all grown up alongside me, a gesture of shared history. Each of them was a high-flyer, but their eyes held nothing but ambition and greed. Only Liam Hayes was different. When I, as a cat, was lost outside, he would always pick me up and bring me home, caring for me. On a day that was supposed to be special for us, I had planned to gift him a vintage piano worth millions and set our engagement date. But I transformed into a cat again. On the couch, Liam held me close, promising Chloe Miller, our housekeeper’s granddaughter: “Marrying Skylar is just a stepping stone. Once the Sutton empire is mine, the only one standing by my side will be you, Chloe. As for her… a payout will keep her quiet.” “Chloe, you’re the one for me.” The engagement party was just around the corner, and Dad asked me who I’d finally choose. The greedy glint in those men’s eyes flashed through my mind… I said, “When choosing a husband, I definitely need the one who’s the least trouble… and the most handsome. Let’s go with Julian Thorne from the Thorne family.” Dad’s teacup shattered on the floor. “Skylar! Julian Thorne was in a car accident three years ago… he’s been in a vegetative state ever since. Are you sure?” “Why?” Dad was incredulous. “Wasn’t Liam a good kid? The others are all the cream of the crop, and you…” “You know about… my situation. What would happen to the Suttons if word got out? What would I become?” Dad’s face instantly turned grave. “But Julian Thorne… he’s been like that for three years. My child, you’d be tied to a man who’s essentially gone, so young! How can I be at peace with that!” The Thorne family’s eldest son, once one of the most eligible bachelors in the city, had been in a car accident three years ago, leaving him in a medically confirmed vegetative state. Dad had picked those five back then, fearing I’d be alone someday, hoping at least one of them would genuinely care for me. But he couldn’t guard against the treacherous nature of people’s hearts. I leaned softly on Dad’s shoulder. “Dad, having you is enough. I’m fine on my own.” At least Julian wouldn’t harm me, nor would he have ulterior motives because I could turn into a cat. Dad sighed, finally giving up his objections. After Dad left, my heart felt icy. Who would’ve thought Liam, who seemed pure as driven snow, was actually calculating furiously with Chloe Miller behind my back! If he knew I could turn into a cat, he’d probably see me as a monster, or even… eagerly pack me off to some secret research lab, right? Just the thought sent a shiver down my spine. I had just returned from the company when four figures blocked me at the villa entrance. Everyone was there, except Liam. Dylan Reed, the investment banker, was the first to lose his patience, speaking with a languid drawl: “Skylar, darling, we’ve supported you for ages. How come there’s still no word on that five-million-dollar investment Mr. Sutton promised? You’re not playing dirty, are you?” Next to him, Dr. Alex Gray, still in his scrubs, hands in his pockets, chimed in: “Skylar Sutton, are you going to get me that Chief Resident title or not? Spit it out! My time is far more valuable than yours. A single wasted minute could mean a life lost, and you think you can afford that?” Ben Stone, the lawyer, adjusted his glasses. “No one understands the Suttons’ intentions better than I do. Are you trying to burn bridges now? Either sign a ten-year contract with our firm, or I can’t guarantee what the Sutton name will become.” Even Lucas Blackwood, who always prided himself on his artistic integrity, spoke up, full of indignant betrayal: “What about us? Forget us! What about Liam? He’s too pure for this world; he wouldn’t have gotten involved in this mess if your family hadn’t forced him! You have to compensate us!” In their mouths, I was an ungrateful, unforgivable liar. But which one of them wasn’t where they were today because of the Suttons? From their tuition for prestigious overseas education to their connections for high-paying jobs back home, the Suttons had paved the way for everything. And now they were turning around and accusing me? I pointed at the main door. “Done talking? If you’re so wronged, you shouldn’t have come in the first place. This is perfect, now get out! Isn’t it better for everyone to be free?” Their faces instantly twisted into ugly grimaces. I tugged at the corner of my lips, finding it somewhat amusing. “What? You’re free and not happy? Is it because you won’t have the chance to rightfully covet the Sutton fortune anymore?” “Stop pretending, you pillars of society. When you were falling over yourselves to get your foot in the Sutton door, why didn’t you show so much pride?” Dylan and the others flushed, their faces turning pale, but they stubbornly tried to argue. Alex forced out a defense. “Wh-what’s with the nasty talk! We… we’re from ordinary families, how could we dare challenge a family as wealthy as the Suttons? It was your dad who insisted on choosing us…” Ben echoed, “Exactly! What right did we have to refuse? Beggars can’t be choosers!” Their shamelessness almost made me laugh in exasperation. Before I could even process their ridiculous accusations, Liam and Chloe appeared. The moment Chloe saw me, she clutched Liam’s sleeve like a startled little bunny. Liam instinctively pulled her behind him, and the four others immediately surrounded them, as if I was about to tear Chloe apart. This scene was so familiar. Five years ago, when Chloe first came to the Suttons with her grandmother, she shyly handed me a small, carved wooden charm on a red string, saying it was a protective amulet from her village. I saw her genuine sincerity and was touched. Thinking little girls loved pretty things, I immediately gifted her a diamond bracelet in return as a welcome present. Who knew that just two days later, Liam would angrily confront me, holding that wooden charm. “Chloe said she’s had this since birth, that her mother had practically begged for it on her knees for days! And you’re trying to take it from her too?!” I was stunned, looking at Chloe, hoping she’d speak up for me. Instead, she sank to her knees, tears welling up instantly. “Liam, don’t blame Skylar! It was… it was my fault for insisting on giving it to her! Skylar is very good to me, she even gave me such a beautiful bracelet… *sob*… I’m not upset, really…” She cried and bowed her head, her forehead quickly growing red. This display of utter helplessness and false martyrdom instantly ignited the fury of those self-proclaimed knights in shining armor. “Skylar Sutton, just because you’re a Sutton, you think you can push people around like this?” “Someone gives you a heartfelt gift, and you throw money in their face?” “Don’t be scared, Chloe! We’re here, she won’t dare touch you!” From then on, whenever Chloe shed a single tear in front of me, no matter what I had or hadn’t done, Liam and the others would immediately decide it was my fault. Chloe, meanwhile, never once explained. Later, when I turned into a cat, I personally saw her casually toss that wooden charm into the trash, not caring about it at all. In front of those men, she’d lavish me, a cute little cat, with affection, but secretly, she’d pull my fur, even pinch my tail until I cried out in pain and fled. One time, I couldn’t stand it anymore and suggested to Dad that we send Chloe to school, to learn a skill. My mom passed away early, and Mrs. Miller had been with our family for nearly twenty years, taking devoted care of Dad and me. Because of Mrs. Miller, I had always shown Chloe a lot of patience. Sending her to school was truly for her own good. But Chloe immediately burst into tears and ran out. Those men instantly came running again, without bothering to understand the situation, accusing me: “Skylar Sutton! Chloe never got much schooling growing up, aren’t you just rubbing salt in her wounds?!” “She’s already so insecure and sensitive, can’t you just be nicer to her? Do you have to provoke her like this?” “How can you be so malicious! Can’t stand to see anyone do well, can you?!” They became even more convinced she was pathetically vulnerable and innocent. And I, through and through, was nothing but a spoiled, manipulative, and utterly irredeemable villain. My thoughts snapped back to the present. Looking at the faces of these five men, I felt a wave of nausea. “Take your pathetic little saint and get out!” Accusations once again rained down on me, overwhelming. “Skylar Sutton! How dare you speak like that! You’ve gone too far!” “Chloe came to see you out of kindness, don’t you know what’s good for you!” Chloe’s tears started to well up again. She peeked half her head out from behind Liam, pulling out a few crumpled bills and offering them to me. “Skylar, please don’t be angry… this is my allowance I’ve saved for ages, it’s not much… please don’t blame Liam and the others…” Again? I swatted her hand away, scattering the bills across the floor. “Cut the sickening act!” *SLAP!* Liam’s palm slammed against my cheek. My face instantly swelled, burning with stinging pain. “Skylar Sutton! Are you done with your tantrum?! Chloe was just trying to be kind! How dare you humiliate her like that?!” Liam’s tone was laced with condescending arrogance. “Skylar Sutton, if you still want to marry me, you *must* respect Chloe!” “And Dylan and the others, you need to compensate them properly!” He ticked off my supposed misdeeds on his fingers, one by one: “Dylan’s boss is constantly chewing him out these days; can’t the Suttons pull some strings for him?” “Alex can’t get promoted and is constantly bossed around by his supervisor; are you blind?” “Who even understands art these days? Lucas’s gallery is barely staying afloat. Is it so hard to buy a few paintings to help him out?” He paused, his voice turning threatening. “My orchestra has an overseas tour coming up in a few days. If you keep acting like this, don’t blame me if I don’t come back!” Dylan and the others looked profoundly touched.

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