I was at my private research facility on a remote island, finally making a breakthrough. I couldn’t wait to share the good news with my wife. But right then, her new male assistant showed up, bringing his entire family to the island. I didn’t think much of it, figuring they’d just come to the wrong place. I stayed focused on my experiment. Yet, his family just barged straight into the lab. Blake, in his ridiculous beach shorts, spotted me and immediately started barking orders. “Hey, are you the receptionist here? Got any common sense?” “Don’t you know I’m here for a vacation today? Hurry up and grab our luggage!” Watching him turn off the main experimental switch, mistaking it for an AC remote, made a bitter laugh bubble up my throat. “You’re Chloe’s… husband? Don’t you know this is her lab?” “You’re here causing trouble. Aren’t you afraid she’ll get mad?” If Chloe found out that her decade-long experiment, something she’d poured her heart and soul into, was just destroyed by some fake “Mr. Blake,” Would she still want this imposter?

The words barely left my mouth when Blake, the self-proclaimed “Mr. Blake,” started cackling. He eyed me up and down, his gaze full of scorn and contempt. “Afraid she’ll get mad? I’m the *future* Mr. Blake!” “You, a mere receptionist, are trying to tell me what to do?” “Forget about some broken machine. Even if I set this entire island on fire, she wouldn’t bat an eye!” Next to him, a young woman, flamboyantly dressed and looking utterly frivolous, aggressively kicked a suitcase towards my feet. The hard corner of the case slammed into my ankle, sending a searing pain shooting through me. “Hey! I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?” She pointed her chin at me, her face full of impatience. “My future sister-in-law adores my brother too much to get mad over a broken machine!” “Say one more useless word, and I’ll make you vanish from this island!” I was wearing the simplest, most basic white anti-static work uniform. For convenience, my hair was just casually pulled back. My face, due to long nights of experimental work, showed signs of exhaustion. This appearance certainly clashed with the vibe of a luxurious private island retreat. I stared at the energy module’s master switch that he’d just pressed, my heart sinking inch by inch. Chloe and I had poured twelve years of our lives into this project. It wasn’t just about Sterling Corp.’s multi-billion dollar industrial blueprint; it was *our* shared dream, something we’d worked on since college. Now, twelve years of our blood, sweat, and tears might be ruined in an instant, all because of some idiot’s clueless actions. I forced down the fury boiling inside me, my voice dangerously cold. “This is your last warning. Take your hand off that switch immediately, and get your people off this island!” “Oh, still trying to act tough with us?” Blake’s mother, Karen, pointed a finger at my nose and yelled: “Blake, why waste your breath on this kind of lowly servant! An insolent lapdog who doesn’t know his place!” “Just tell Chloe to fire him! People like him should be kicked out on their ass!” Egging on by his mother, Blake grew even more arrogant. Not only did he not release the switch, he pressed it down even harder. “I’m not taking it off. What are you going to do about it?” “Let me tell you, from today onwards, I’m the man of the house here!” “You’d better wise up, or you’ll have a world of pain coming your way!” The words hadn’t fully left his mouth when the alarm lights at the top of the lab began to flash frantically. A piercing siren immediately blared across the entire island. I watched, horrified, as the core temperature reading on the main control screen shot up like a rocket. I didn’t have time to argue with these fools. I spun around and sprinted towards the backup coolant storage room. A few more minutes, and this entire lab, along with the island, would explode violently due to core overheating! “Shut up! What a terrible place!” Skylar, annoyed by the screeching alarm, kicked a nearby instrument with full force. A loud “BANG!” echoed, followed by the sound of shattering metal and sparking electricity. My blood surged, and I almost coughed up a mouthful of it. That was a superconducting data analyzer custom-made in Germany, worth thirty million dollars! It contained all our experimental data from the past decade! I glared at them, my eyes burning. “All of you, you will pay for what you’ve done today!”

Blake flinched, startled by the murderous glint in my eyes, but quickly regained his arrogant smirk. “Pay? What can a poor grunt like you make us pay?” “Let me tell you, when my girlfriend gets here, you’ll be the first one she deals with!” He seemed to have blind confidence in Chloe. I couldn’t be bothered with him anymore. Saving the experimental data was my top priority now. I rushed into the storage room, quickly put on a heavy, insulated hazmat suit, and, cradling a heavy backup coolant tank, stumbled towards the core reactor. Through the thick observation window, I could see the device inside already emitting a blinding red glow. “Bro, look at him! He’s dressed like a clown, so hilarious!” Skylar laughed from outside, her face full of mockery. Karen immediately pulled out her phone, snapping pictures of me to post on Ins, with the caption: [My future daughter-in-law’s private island, even the staff are so unique, how cute~] They had no idea they were standing on the brink of disaster, thinking they were watching a comedy show. I gritted my teeth and opened the valve to the emergency injection port. High-pressure liquid nitrogen instantly jetted out, the powerful recoil slamming me hard against the wall. My internal organs felt like they’d shifted, my throat burned, and a mouthful of blood surged up. But I dared not let go. I clung to the coolant tank, pouring the cooling liquid onto the rapidly heating device. The alarm finally began to subside, and the temperature curve on the screen slowly started to drop. Yet, despite all this, the twelve-year experiment was ultimately ruined. I collapsed onto the ground like a ragdoll, not even having the strength to stand. The visor of my hazmat suit was covered in a mixture of blood and sweat, blurring my vision. I struggled to reach for my satellite phone. I had to report the situation to Chloe immediately. But as I stretched out my hand, a foot clad in a polished leather shoe slammed down hard on it. Blake looked down at me, his face full of disgust. “Who are you trying to fool, playing dead? You made such a huge ruckus, it ruined my good mood!” “Get up now and make us some food! I want Australian lobster, Kobe beef.” “And open a bottle of ’82 Lafite for me!” Listening to his shameless demands, I just felt a profound absurdity. Lobster and steak? Why not dinosaur eggs while he’s at it? “Get lost,” I rasped, forcing the word through clenched teeth. “You dare curse at me?” Blake shrieked, enraged. “Skylar, drag him out! Let him know who the real boss is here!” Skylar grinned maliciously and stepped forward, grabbing a fistful of my hair, yanking me hard towards the exit. A searing pain ripped through my scalp. My body scraped against the rough floor, every raw wound burning. I fought with all my might, grabbing the corner of a nearby lab table, refusing to be dragged away. “Let go of me! I am Chloe’s legitimate husband! If you dare touch me, you’ll regret it!” Blake’s family stared at me, frozen for a few seconds, then erupted into thunderous laughter. “Hahahaha! He says *he’s* Mr. Blake?” Skylar laughed so hard tears streamed down her face. She pointed at me and said to Blake: “Bro, has this guy watched too many sci-fi movies? Is his brain broken? Is he desperate to marry into a rich family?” Karen looked at me like I was a lunatic, spitting in disgust. “You, with that pathetic look? Wearing a shabby work uniform, hair like a bird’s nest.” “And your face looks like a ghost! How dare you pretend to be Mr. Blake?” “Before you lie, why don’t you go take a good look at yourself in the mirror?”

Blake’s face, however, suddenly darkened. He hated anyone eyeing what he considered his, especially when he was about to “make things official” with Chloe. “I thought you were someone important. Turns out you’re just some gold-digger trying to climb the ladder!” “You’ve got some nerve, impersonating Mr. Blake and causing trouble here!” He grabbed my already messy hair, yanking my head back violently, forcing me to look up. Then, he raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face. The sharp crack echoed through the lab. “You home-wrecker! Today, I’m going to teach you a good lesson on Chloe’s behalf, so you know what pipe dreams are!” I was already weak, and that slap sent me sprawling to the ground, stars bursting in my vision, my ears ringing. “Hit him! This shameless man deserves to be beaten to death!” Karen shrieked, lunging at me, her long nails savagely raking across my face. Instantly, several burning red gashes appeared. Skylar, grinning viciously, kicked me in the abdomen. “Still daring to impersonate my future sister-in-law’s husband!” “Let me tell you, my future sister-in-law got tired of that emotionless block of wood long ago! My brother is the one she truly cares about!” “Trash like you isn’t even worthy of shining my brother’s shoes!” I was surrounded by their family, beaten and kicked, completely defenseless. The agonizing pain in my abdomen made me curl into a ball. My head slammed against the metal floor, and my consciousness began to fade. I desperately wanted to explain, to call for help, but only broken whimpers escaped my throat. In their eyes, I, the legitimate husband, was the shameless, opportunistic third party. Just as I thought I was going to be beaten to death right there, a loud roar grew closer and closer. A black helicopter hovered over the lab. The hatch opened, and Chloe’s figure swiftly slid down a rope ladder. Blake’s family immediately stopped their assault, their faces lighting up as if they’d seen a savior. They rushed forward excitedly. “Chloe, you’re finally here!” Blake was the first to throw himself into her arms, pointing at my barely conscious form on the ground, his voice choked with feigned tears. “This crazy man somehow sneaked onto the island, claiming he’s your husband.” “He even tried to hit us! Look at my wrist, it’s all red!” Chloe patted his back reassuringly, then her gaze swept over the messy lab. When she saw the smashed analyzer and the smoking control console, her brows furrowed tightly. Her eyes landed on me, and her expression was like she was looking at an annoying piece of trash. She didn’t even bother to distinguish who I was. “What happened?” she demanded. I lay curled on the ground, covered in injuries, my blood-stained face swollen beyond recognition. I lifted my head, wanting her to see who I was. But she just impatiently averted her gaze. Seeing this, Blake immediately seized the opportunity, adding fuel to the fire: “Chloe, don’t even ask! It was him. He pressed some button, and everything started blaring and making noise.” “He also attacked us like a mad dog! I think he has mental issues!” Chloe clearly had no interest in discerning the truth. “He’s just an employee. Why bother with him?” She waved her hand at the two black-suited bodyguards behind her, her voice icy. “He can’t even look after a lab. Drag him out and throw him into the sea to feed the fish.” “I don’t want any irrelevant people dirtying my space.” I stared in disbelief at the woman I had loved for twelve years, the woman I had given everything to. We had been married for twelve years, and she didn’t even recognize me! Now, she was gently embracing another man, condemning me to death with the most brutal words, delivered so casually. Tears, unbidden, streamed down my face. It turned out, in her heart, I was worse than trash. The bodyguards acknowledged her command, their faces emotionless, and lifted my lifeless body, dragging me outside. My feet left a long, bloody trail on the ground. At that very moment, three heavy helicopters, painted in military camouflage, landed on the island, their deafening roar filling the air. Skylar, who had never seen such a spectacle, gasped repeatedly. “Oh my God! Who is that? Is that a military helicopter? The display is too grand!” Blake gasped, “No! Look at that emblem… It’s Aegis Tech!” “They’re the only ones in the country who developed the sixth-generation lithography machine! Their chairman, doesn’t he ever show his face?” Chloe also stopped, her face changing. Seeing the middle-aged man descending from the central helicopter via rope ladder, she immediately abandoned Blake and hurried forward. Her face was etched with the humblest smile she could manage. “Dad! What brings you here? How did you…” Before Chloe could finish her sentence, Mr. Sterling delivered a powerful kick to her chest. Chloe coughed up a mouthful of blood, stumbling back several steps. “Dad, you… what are you doing?!”

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An hour left until the concert, and the top trending topic across all social media was singular: **Sera Hayes’ Proposal to Alex Thorne.** This proposal, a monumental PR project for my company this half-year, was also meant to be the glorious culmination of Sera Hayes’ and my long-term relationship. Yet, here I was, backstage in the fire exit stairwell, stumbling upon Sera locked in a passionate, desperate kiss with her boy toy, Liam Reed. “Alex, listen to me… I can explain…” “Explain?” I scoffed, a chilling sneer on my face. “Explain why you’re cheating on me with another man right before our engagement ceremony?” “This proposal is being livestreamed across the entire internet. Tens of thousands of fans, countless media outlets, all waiting.” I slapped the engagement ring box down in front of her. “After the final song tonight, you either propose to me on that stage, or your career is shattered, and your reputation utterly ruined.” She clenched her fists, knuckles white, before finally picking up the box. From between gritted teeth, she squeezed out one word: “Fine.” Eventually, the spotlight found me. Sera, dressed in a stunning bridal gown, took out the ring. A stunned silence fell over the crowd. But then, she bypassed me entirely, extending the ring towards Liam, who sat in the VIP section, his face pale. “Alex, thank you for elevating me to the stars,” her voice, amplified by the microphone, echoed through the entire venue. “But tonight, I want to chase my Moon.” The entire arena erupted in gasps and shouts. I had become the most ridiculous prop in her very own proposal ceremony. The moment she walked towards her ‘Moon,’ my heart turned to ash.

“Mr. Thorne,” Chloe Green, my assistant, spoke, her voice hoarse, as she handed me a tablet. “You… you should really see this.” The screen was inundated with news about last night’s concert. This proposal was supposed to be the ultimate triumph for both our careers and our love. I’d poured in hundreds of millions, partnered with dozens of brands. All Sera had to do was propose to me in front of tens of thousands of fans, and the commercial value of our power couple image would have been limitless. All the pieces were in place, everything was meticulously planned and ready to go. But now, photos of Sera and Liam Reed embracing on stage were being magnified endlessly, with blindingly harsh headlines screaming: **A-Lister Defies the Corporate Machine for Love.** And my own bewildered retreat from the stage had been turned into countless mocking memes. My company’s stock plummeted by three billion dollars. I calmly scrolled through the headlines, page after page. Until I saw Sera Hayes’ latest personal statement. In the statement, she thanked everyone. Everyone, except me. She dismissed me, dismissed the company, as merely “an unpleasant past collaboration,” and declared she would seek her freedom at any cost. Freedom. I stared at those two words and suddenly, I laughed. “Notify PR: No comment, no explanations. Notify Legal: Prepare to activate the most severe breach of contract recovery clauses.” My assistant froze. “Mr. Thorne, shouldn’t we… shouldn’t we issue a statement to clarify things first? Public opinion is incredibly unfavorable right now.” “Clarify?” I walked up to him, pointing at Sera’s sugary-sweet face on the screen. “There’s nothing to clarify with a liar.” I rubbed my temples, then slumped into the sofa. The five years with Sera flashed before my eyes, frame by agonizing frame. Five years ago, she clutched a worn-out guitar, singing an obscure folk song that no one cared about. There were only a sparse handful of people in the audience. Only I heard a spark of raw talent in her music and decided to give her a chance. I signed her, set up a small studio. Back then, we had nothing. To save money, we slept on the floor in this cramped three-hundred-square-foot office, surviving on instant ramen and dreaming the most distant dreams. She said, “Alex, when I make it big, the first thing I’ll do is marry you!” I laughed back, “When you make it big, first, pay back the company’s startup funds.” She teasingly called me materialistic, but her eyes were full of bright ambition. To produce her first album, I sold the only property my parents had left me. To secure her an opening slot at a music festival, I drank with investors until I ended up in the ER with a bleeding stomach, my assistant rushing me there in the dead of night. When she arrived at the hospital, her eyes were blazing red. She gripped my hand and said, “Alex, I’ll never let you suffer like this again.” Looking at her then, I felt it was all worth it. Every single sacrifice. I thought we were bound by destiny, each other’s only support. I poured all my resources and heart into paving her way to stardom, every single step. I taught her how to face the cameras, how to handle the media, how to package herself into the perfect idol for her fans. She learned quickly, and she succeeded. So she became bigger and bigger, and we moved into the most luxurious office building downtown. Our little studio grew into a full-fledged company. But our relationship, too, subtly shifted. She started complaining about my controlling nature, saying my schedule was too packed, leaving her no time to create, longing for some “purity.” Liam Reed, a younger man she called her “junior,” appeared around this time. He became the embodiment of her so-called “purity.” I confronted her about it once, just a month before the concert. “Sera, we’re business partners, and we’re lovers. I don’t want anything jeopardizing the foundation of our partnership,” I said, cutting straight to the chase. She sat opposite me, scrolling dismissively on her phone. “You’re overthinking it. Liam is just a friend, someone I can talk music with.” “I’m the one handling all your music,” I reminded her. She snapped her head up, a look of pure loathing and defiance in her eyes that I’d never seen before. “That’s different! That’s commercial! That’s a product! Don’t you get it? All you understand is business!” “With Liam, I feel like a living, breathing person, not just a commodity in your hands!” That was the first time I realized she was no longer the Sera Hayes who’d fought by my side. She was just a successful product I had created. And now, this product had developed its own thoughts and wanted to break free from me. I chose to handle it with a cold shoulder back then. I thought it was just her ego inflating from fame, that once the concert concluded smoothly, and our relationship was solidified by a grand proposal ceremony, everything would go back to normal. I was wrong. I was wrong to treat her like a controllable pawn, ignoring the most uncontrollable betrayal of human nature.

The office door was thrown open without warning. Sera Hayes, wearing sunglasses and a hat, dressed entirely in black, strode directly in. Liam Reed trailed dutifully behind her. “Mr. Thorne,” Chloe Green, my assistant, startled, sprang to his feet, instinctively stepping in front of me. “Leave us,” I said, looking at Sera, my voice utterly flat, devoid of any emotion. My assistant gave me a worried glance but still retreated, closing the door behind him. Only the three of us remained in the office. “What are you doing here?” I asked. Sera took off her sunglasses. Her eyes had a network of red veins, but her face was perfectly calm. “To discuss terminating my contract,” she said, pulling Liam down onto the sofa opposite me and tossing a document onto the table. “I hope we can part ways amicably. It’ll be better for the company, and for you.” “Amicable parting?” I laughed as if she’d told the biggest joke. “Sera Hayes, you call last night’s meticulously planned betrayal ‘amicable’?” “You didn’t just ruin a proposal. You destroyed a commercial project worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the core of our company’s plans for the second half of the year. You know that better than anyone!” She scoffed, leaning back, an expression of unreasonable defiance on her face. “Business, business, your mind is always on business! I’m sick of it! I’m not your money-making tool!” Liam tried to come to her rescue. “Mr. Thorne, don’t blame Sera… it’s all my fault, we truly love each other…” “You shut up,” I said, sweeping a cold glance over him. “You don’t get a say here!” Liam’s face paled, and he said no more. This scene completely enraged Sera. She shot up, glaring at me. “Alex Thorne! That’s enough! You’re always so high and mighty! Who do you think you are? My savior?” “I’m telling you, every day I spent with you suffocated me! You sold your house, you drank with people until you bled—that wasn’t for me, that was for your ambition! For your investment! I was just your most successful investment case!” Every word she spoke twisted the knife, hitting every one of my raw nerves, brazenly. “So, five years of our relationship—that was an investment too? Me eating instant ramen and sleeping on the floor with you—an investment? Me staying up all night outside the ER—was that an investment too?!” I lifted my head, meeting her gaze, asking each word slowly, deliberately. She stuttered for a moment, avoiding my gaze. I smiled, but my eyes burned, tears threatening to fall. “Sera Hayes, I’ll ask you just one thing,” I took a deep breath. “What exactly were these five years to you?” She was silent for a moment, a look of hardened resolve appearing on her face. “Consider it… paid back.” She paused, then a mocking smile twisted her lips. “Oh, right, I forgot to tell you.” She reached out and put her arm around Liam’s shoulder, her palm gently resting on her still-flat stomach. “I’m pregnant. I have to be responsible for him, and for our child.” Pregnant. So that was it. The last thread of my sanity, snapped. It turned out, I had simply set the stage for a cheating lover and his bastard child.

That afternoon, I sat in my office, watching the projection screen. Sera Hayes’ press conference began on time. She looked thinner, her face pale and somewhat gaunt, her eyes bloodshot. Liam Reed sat beside her, head bowed the entire time, looking meek and innocent. “First, I want to apologize to everyone who cares about me.” Sera’s voice, hoarse as if she’d just been crying, came through the microphone. She began to speak of her pure love for music, how she was swept up by the torrent of commercialism, and how she struggled painfully against it. She spoke of Liam’s appearance, how he was like a ray of light, illuminating her dark world. Not a single word about anything I had done for her. She only referred to me, her fiancé of five years, soon to be her husband, as “my former agency” and “the shackles of capital.” “I admit, Mr. Thorne is an excellent businessman. He single-handedly brought me to where I am today, and for that, I am grateful.” Then, her tone shifted, filled with grievance and accusation. “However, he controlled my work, my social interactions, even my thoughts! Who I met, what I said, what I wore—everything had to be approved by him!” “I was just his creation, a soulless puppet!” Liam, his face streaked with tears, sobbed into the camera, “It’s not Mr. Thorne’s fault… it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have appeared… Sera, I’m sorry…” The flashbulbs in the audience exploded, reporters frantically snapping photos. In the livestream comments, her fans were going wild. [Sister has suffered too much! We won’t let you be wronged again!] [My heart aches for her! So she’s been living under such oppression all this time!] [That Alex Thorne is truly evil! Get out of the entertainment industry!] [Support Sera’s solo career! Pursue true music!] Finally, Sera Hayes announced that she would be establishing her own studio, completely severing ties with my company. “I will make the music I truly want to make, in my own way. It might be difficult, but I have Liam, and our child.” “That’s enough.” The press conference ended, and online public opinion completely exploded. I became public enemy number one. The company phones were ringing off the hook. Several younger artists I had personally groomed even subtly hinted through their agents that they wanted to terminate their contracts, fearing they’d be dragged down by me, the “evil capitalist.” They were all quick to kick me while I was down. The ancients were certainly wise. I looked at that hypocritical face on the screen, my heart devoid of any warmth, only a chilling hatred remained. I wiped away the tears I hadn’t realized were falling and called for my assistant. “Notify Legal: All core personnel, first conference room, five minutes.” My assistant looked at me, his eyes full of worry. “Mr. Thorne…” I forced a smile, calm and resolute. “Notify Legal: All core personnel, first conference room, five minutes.” “I want her utterly ruined!”

“Mr. Thorne.” The Legal Director, Mr. Davies, quickly assembled his team. I wasted no words, directly tossing a document I’d prepared onto the conference table. All eyes in the room focused on me. “Within thirty minutes, I need three things simultaneously published across all online platforms.” “First, issue a cease and desist letter. Publicly expose Sera Hayes’ severe violation of her non-compete clause and her malicious manipulation of public opinion to attack the company during her contract period. From this moment on, freeze all commercial activities and copyright revenues associated with that stage name.” Mr. Davies’ eyes lit up. When I first signed Sera Hayes, she was an unknown nobody named “Sarah Miller.” I insisted on keeping full ownership and commercial rights to the stage name “Sera Hayes” firmly with the company precisely to prevent a situation like this from ever happening. “Second, contact all our partner music platforms and media channels. Release this audio file publicly at the same time.” I plugged a USB drive into the conference room computer and opened a folder. Inside were hundreds of audio files, recordings of her every studio session over the past five years. I randomly clicked one open, and shrill, off-key vocals instantly filled the entire conference room. It was a raw, unedited vocal track straight from the recording studio. A young lawyer couldn’t help but frown. “I want everyone to hear these audio files.” My voice grew colder. “Third, contact the financial media and major gossip bloggers we work with. Release this financial report.” From her vocal and etiquette training fees before her debut, to the production, promotion, and PR costs of every album, to the marketing expenses for every trending topic she ever had, and every haute couture gown she wore. Over these five years, the company had invested over nine figures into her. “Let these people see clearly who the ungrateful viper really is.” The team swiftly mobilized. Thirty minutes later, the hashtag **#SeraHayesGetOutofEntertainment** shot to the top of the trending topics. Immediately after, a compilation video of Sera Hayes’ hundreds of raw practice tracks spread like wildfire online. Countless music critics and popular music influencers reposted it, decrying her lack of talent given her fame. [WTF! This is Sera Hayes? Am I deaf or is she crazy?] [OMG, my ears miscarried! Calling this KTV level is being too generous!] [Now I finally understand why she only half-sings at concerts. Shout out to the million-dollar sound engineer, you earned your pay!] [Alex Thorne is truly something else, to make *this* level of talent a star!] Public opinion instantly flipped. Finally, a well-known gossip blogger on Ins released the studio’s financial reports from the past few years. The headline was bold and capitalized, clearly stating that Sera Hayes had cost the company a staggering nine hundred million dollars over five years! [LOL, oppressed by capital? She was clearly capital’s pampered daughter!] [Nine figures… so this is how A-listers are made. I get it now.] [Every penny she spent was earned by Alex, right? This isn’t just ingratitude, she’s an ungrateful viper!] The phone on my desk began to vibrate frantically, “Sera Hayes” flashing across the screen. I didn’t answer. All I wanted was for her and her boy toy to end up begging on the streets.

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Our anniversary. Brandon, my husband, cleared his schedule. He was taking me on a trip. We were just about to board the plane when he suddenly got a call. His mom was sick. “Babe, I’m so sorry. My mom’s not feeling well, I need to go back and check on her. I can’t go with you this time.” I felt a pang of disappointment, but his mom’s health was more important. I agreed. After he left, I tore up my ticket. I was heading back to check on my mother-in-law, who’d been dead for three months. What new ‘discomfort’ was she experiencing now? I followed his car all the way to our front door. I didn’t rush out. Instead, I pulled out my phone. And there it was: The nanny’s daughter, flaunting on SnapChat. [Your generous favoritism is the best 21st birthday gift!] The picture showed her in a white chiffon dress, nestled in a man’s arms. That man? My ‘dutiful’ husband. I flexed my wrists, then pushed open the front door. The instant I stepped into the foyer, I saw a dozen guys and girls were already crammed into the huge living room. Balloons strung across the walls. A group started chanting: “Kiss! Kiss!” “Kiss! Kiss!” … I don’t know how many times they chanted it, but then Brandon wrapped his arm around Tiffany’s waist and laid a deep French kiss on her. The crowd erupted. When they finally broke apart, Brandon lingered, tracing Tiffany’s lips, only to look up and see me, somehow having squeezed to the front of the crowd. His eyes went wide with terror. He instinctively tried to push Tiffany away. But I was faster. I raised my hand and landed two sharp slaps across his face. The sudden silence in the room was deafening. Tiffany spun around, saw me, and shrieked, scrambling behind Brandon, clutching his arm. I watched him, a cold smile playing on my lips. “When exactly did you get yourself a new mother?” Brandon’s eyes darted frantically, desperate to explain, when a short-haired girl shoved me. “Who are *you*? Barging into someone’s house and hitting people? Are you insane? Apologize to Tiffany’s boyfriend, *now*!” Her words opened the floodgates. Others chimed in: “Hitting people randomly like that? What gives you the right? An apology is the least of it, she should be reported to the police.” “I agree. The police should check if she has a record. She can hit someone now, who knows what she’ll do next?” “How did a lunatic crash such a nice birthday party? And daring to hit people? Do you even know who you just hit?” I gave a sweet smile to the people talking, then turned back to Brandon. “Do *you* also think I shouldn’t have hit you?” Brandon licked his lips, about to speak, but Tiffany tugged his sleeve, shaking her head subtly. I saw all their little maneuvers. I truly wanted to see what kind of game they were playing. Brandon glared at me, his face contorted in anger. “Ashley, what drama are you pulling *now*? It’s Tiffany’s birthday. Whatever you have to say, say it later. Don’t make a scene and ruin Tiffany’s birthday. Just get out!” He was clearly afraid his side chick would lose face in front of his friends. I scoffed, my gaze cool and indifferent. “Brandon, where exactly do you want me to ‘get out’ to? Or are you just afraid someone might find out about your little dirty secrets?” The next second, Tiffany began to quietly sob. “Sister Ashley, I know you’ve always had a crush on Brandon, and it upsets you to see him with me. But feelings have to be mutual, and Brandon loves me. We’ve been together for two years. He promised to marry me after I graduate. I beg you, please stop clinging to him.” Brandon hadn’t expected Tiffany to say that. His face cycled through different emotions, stealing glances at me from the corner of his eye. Tiffany’s words stunned me. Brandon and I had been married for only two years and one month. They’d been together for two years. That meant he cheated on me just one month after we got married. And he brought Tiffany and her mother into our house under the guise of hiring a nanny. I’d been played for a fool for two whole years. The short-haired girl spoke again. “Oh, I get it! You’re the nanny from Tiffany’s house who has a crush on her boyfriend! I can’t believe how shameless you are, trying to steal someone’s boyfriend in public!” I was inexplicably labeled ‘the nanny.’ That really made me laugh. “Tiffany, still living in a fantasy world? Who do you think you are, to have *me* as your nanny?”

The words were barely out of my mouth when a splash of alcohol hit my face. Chelsea, holding the glass, smirked triumphantly. “I think *you’re* the one who needs a reality check! We all know who Tiffany is. Her mom runs a huge enterprise, and her boyfriend is a company CEO. This whole villa belongs to *her*. As for you, tsk, tsk, look at the cheap rags you’re wearing, no brand at all. You’re only fit for cleaning and serving others, a low-class job.” Cheap rags? My clothes didn’t have brands because they were all custom-designed by a renowned haute couture artist. Other girls behind her also started defending Tiffany. “Exactly! Why don’t you hurry up and apologize to Tiffany, or you’ll lose even this job.” Then, a guy spoke up, his tone flippant. “Hey, lady, why don’t you look at yourself? How old are you, still trying to snatch a guy from our goddess Tiffany? If you’re so desperate for a man, I could help you out. I’ve never tried a thirty-something woman before. Is two hundred a night enough?” The others burst into laughter. I wiped the alcohol from my face, my eyes fixed on Brandon as I spoke slowly. “Brandon, I’m your wife. Are you just going to stand there and watch them insult me, help your side chick do this? I’m telling you, you’re going to regret this!” Brandon’s face was utterly cold. “Tiffany is my girlfriend. This is all your own fault.” His words were deliberately ambiguous. Seeing so many of her friends backing her, and Brandon standing by her side, Tiffany straightened up, her voice growing bolder. “Sister Ashley, I call you ‘sister’ because you’re older than me, but don’t forget your place. You can cause a scene whenever you want, even today, if you want to embarrass me, fine. But Brandon is a man, and with so many people watching, how could you slap a CEO of a major corporation in public? Did you even think about his feelings?” She then turned to Brandon, her voice softening. “Brandon, even though I’m young, I know how to stand by my man, to make sure you look good in public, unlike Sister Ashley…” Her words were a masterclass in manipulation, playing directly into his ego and pathetic insecurities. I scoffed. “You know, I almost forgot. I only slapped *him*, not *you*!” The next second, I grabbed her hair and landed two brutal slaps across her pale cheek. Tiffany shrieked and burst into tears, clutching her face. “Ashley, you dare hit me? I’ll make you pay for this!” “Still yapping?” I raised my hand to hit her again, but Brandon caught my wrist, pushing hard. His strength sent me stumbling backward, knocking over a champagne tower. I fell to the ground, my hand landing on shattered glass. Brandon didn’t even look at me. Instead, he pulled Tiffany into his arms and snapped, “Ashley, apologize to Tiffany!” I stared at my bleeding palm. I bit back the pain, slowly pulling out the glass shards. Two years of marriage, just like these glass fragments in my hand, piercing and hurting me. Tiffany, nestled in his arms, smirked triumphantly at me. The pain in my palm made my voice drop several degrees. “Brandon, in *my* home, you throw a birthday party for your side chick, you openly cheat on me right in front of my face, and then you tell *me* to apologize to her? Are you out of your mind? Or do you just think I’m a pushover, Ashley? Don’t forget, I’m your *legal wife*. I can dress you in designer labels and shower you with luxuries, and I can just as easily strip you bare and leave you with nothing!”

My words made Brandon’s eyes flicker. But Tiffany spoke first. “Sister Ashley, Brandon worked hard and has an exceptional mind to grow his company this big. He achieved financial freedom through his own ability. Don’t act like you helped him that much.” I paused, taken aback. Exceptional mind? Ability? Financial freedom? He couldn’t even grasp the basics of a business plan, how did *he* suddenly become a genius? When he first started his business, I gave him a million dollars from my family. Then I got a few multi-million dollar projects from my dad for him to work on. To avoid hurting his ego, even the core department heads of his company were managers I pulled straight from my father’s company. He was the only one who swelled with pride, convinced he was a talent, wondering why elite professionals from various fields would join his fledgling little company – he believed it was because they saw his capability. If I hadn’t been pulling the strings behind the scenes, how could he have transformed a small startup into a major company on the verge of going public in just two short years? Other friends who overheard our conversation started whispering. “That woman just said this is *her* house, and Tiffany is the side chick. Do you think she’s telling the truth?” “I think it’s possible. I always said Tiffany’s boyfriend is so much older than her, maybe she got scammed!” “But, Tiffany’s boyfriend is protecting her so much. If it were a real wife catching a side chick, the cheating guy wouldn’t dare act like this, right?” “Grab your popcorn, let’s see how this plays out.” Chelsea couldn’t stand it anymore. She shouted, “Stop guessing wildly! This *is* Tiffany’s house. I’ve been here many times. I’ve personally seen Tiffany and her boyfriend sleep in the master bedroom, and I’ve met her mother – *that’s* a true socialite!” My heart sank. The thought of them rolling around on *my* bed made me sick to my stomach. Tiffany twirled the diamond ring on her finger and spoke again. “This is *my* house. Everyone here can testify. I think *you’re* the one who should leave. Brandon, I don’t want to see her. Can you make her leave?” Brandon nodded. “This is your home. Whatever makes you happy, Tiffany.” Chelsea yanked my hair and started dragging me out. “Lady, you need to know your place. Who openly tries to steal someone else’s boyfriend like this? You’re so pathetic.” Then, she yelled to the others, “Do you guys want to see what this bitch looks like stripped bare? It’ll really get justice for Tiffany!” My pupils contracted. I instinctively crossed my arms over my chest. Some of the guys couldn’t hold back. They reached out and started tearing at my clothes. I struggled with all my might, screaming Brandon’s name, hoping he would stop them, save me. Brandon frowned, about to raise his hand to intervene, but Tiffany pulled him back. “Brandon, don’t worry. My friends know what they’re doing. They just want to stand up for me. Besides, this way, won’t you have more leverage over her?” Brandon looked enlightened, pinching her cheek. Both of them watched as my clothes were torn, leaving me exposed. “Let go of me! This is illegal!” Chelsea raised her hand and slapped me. “We’re just getting rid of pests for the people! Besides, you love stealing men, right? We have so many guys here, you should be happy!” As her words fell, I felt countless hands on me… Just as despair washed over me, a voice echoed from the doorway. “How’s my little princess’s birthday going? Mommy’s gift has arrived.”

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I clutched my agonizing stomach, curled up in the passenger seat on the way to the hospital for an abnormal fetal heartbeat. Julian’s first love, Celeste, insisted on driving to an isolated trail, only for their tire to get punctured. I tried to stop Julian, who was frantic and about to turn the car around, suggesting we call roadside assistance. Instead, he slapped me hard across the face. Usually so composed, his voice raw with fury, he roared at me, “Willow, are you even human? Celeste is stranded out there, terrified, in a place she doesn’t know, and you’re still making a scene?” “Let me tell you this! I care about Celeste more than my own life. Not a single strand of her hair can be harmed!” With that, he shoved me out of the car and sped away without a backward glance. I stood by the roadside under a blazing 104-degree Fahrenheit sun, trying to flag down a car, my consciousness already fading. If this was how it was going to be, then this baby had no future. Let him and his obsession be together forever.

The 104-degree sun was scorching me, my vision blurring. Julian slammed on the brakes, instantly spinning the car around and speeding off towards the isolated trail. On the road, passersby cast looks of pity or scorn, some pointing, some shaking their heads in dismay. But I felt nothing. I simply held my stomach, wracked with cramps, my nails digging deep into my palms. How ironic, that the man who had just sped away was the same man I’d been married to for three years. Two hours later, Julian’s SnapChat voice message finally came through. His voice was breathless, frantic. “Willow, Celeste has claustrophobia! She’ll have a meltdown alone on that mountain!” “Just take a taxi to the hospital yourself. Celeste needs me more.” Just then, Julian’s SnapChat group chat exploded. “Julian’s a true hero, abandoning his wife for Celeste!” “Don’t talk nonsense, I’m just saving someone.” “Besides, what’s a little pregnancy complication? Celeste is actually trapped on the mountain!” I looked down at my phone, my fingertips trembling. Under the 104-degree sun, sweat mixed with tears as it streamed down my face. The baby in my womb stirred restlessly. Seeing that I didn’t reply, Julian sent another voice message. “It’s just an abnormal fetal heartbeat, Willow. Don’t be so dramatic. I’ll come to the hospital to be with you after I’ve rescued her.” *Be with you.* He had said those words to me countless times before. Once, they sounded like pure bliss. Now, they were a cruel mockery. I bit back the pain and replied, my voice raspy. “Congratulations, Mr. Hayes. You played the hero again.” Not long after, Julian sent another voice message, his tone laced with impatience. In the background, I could hear Celeste’s delicate sobs. “Willow, can’t you be more understanding? I told you, Celeste is in danger right now!” I didn’t argue. I just clenched my phone tighter. Julian’s Ins feed updated. The photo showed Julian tightly holding Celeste, whose neck was covered in suggestive hickeys, her face flushed. The caption read: “Important people are always worth rushing to.” I scoffed inwardly, casually tapped ‘like’, and commented: *Such a perfect match.* My phone instantly vibrated, Julian’s voice roaring with furious embarrassment. “Willow, don’t use your petty mind to speculate about others! Celeste saved my life!” In the background, Celeste let out a perfectly timed, terrified shriek. Julian immediately soothed her with gentle words, then abruptly hung up, only throwing out a hurried, “Remember to get all your tests done. I’ll pick you up after I drop Celeste home.” With that, he hung up without hesitation. I turned off the screen and looked out the window. The sun was still scorching, but my heart felt like an ice cavern. I leaned against the wall and slowly stood up. The cramps in my abdomen suddenly became excruciatingly clear. As I walked into the operating room, the nurse asked in surprise, “Where’s her family?” I stared at the stark white ceiling and replied, “Dead.”

At six in the morning, my phone blared, shattering the silence. It was Julian’s parents. The moment I answered, their curses rained down on me. “Willow! The hospital said you didn’t even get your prenatal check-up! Are you deliberately trying to kill my grandchild?” “If Julian hadn’t insisted on marrying you, how could our family possibly accept an ill-mannered daughter-in-law like you?!” The receiver was filled with their insults. I looked at the ultrasound photos taped to the wall. I’d taken them all alone during my check-ups; Julian was always “working late.” Every appointment he promised to accompany me to was canceled because of one of Celeste’s “emergencies.” This house once held all my dreams for the future. I’d bought it with the salary I earned working until the early hours in the design studio. But now, every piece of furniture seemed to mock my foolishness. My nails dug deeper into my palms as I spoke calmly. “Did Julian tell you what happened yesterday?” The other end of the line fell silent. “Wh-what? Julian said he had an urgent meeting.” I chuckled softly. “You won’t need to prepare a baby shower. He abandoned me under a 104-degree sun yesterday, with an abnormal fetal heartbeat, just to go find Celeste.” “Nonsense!” Julian’s mother’s voice suddenly rose. “My son is the most responsible person! You’re definitely being unreasonable!” I put the phone on speaker and played the recording from the emergency room yesterday. The doctor’s anxious voice echoed through the room: “The pregnant woman’s heart rate is too fast, the fetus is hypoxic. Where is her family?” Before they could respond, I hung up for the first time. My phone began to vibrate wildly. Looking at Julian’s mother’s caller ID, I dragged her straight to the blacklist. I used to work tirelessly to gain their approval, acting like a doormat, doing whatever they wanted. Now, it just seemed laughable. I gazed at the light blue paint in the nursery. I had painted it myself, staying up for seven consecutive nights. Julian had said he wanted a starry ceiling, so I spent an entire night squatting, drawing a galaxy. Julian’s Ins photo, which I’d seen earlier, flashed in my mind. How ironic and mocking it all seemed now. I forcefully tore down the “Expectant Father’s Guide” from the wall. I shredded it and threw it into the trash can. SnapChat messages kept popping up. They were all from my best friends, asking about my check-up results. I replied to each one, telling them not to worry. Just as I was about to turn off my phone, Celeste’s Ins updated. “The one who loves you will always be by your side.” She posted a nine-picture spread, each one a photo of Julian passionately kissing her.

Soon, Celeste’s Ins post was flooded with blessings. Some busybodies even screenshotted it and sent it to the group chat. I mechanically sent a thumbs-up emoji. The next second, Celeste sent me a picture on SnapChat. Julian was lying shirtless on the bed, Celeste’s hair sprawled across his chest. The photo angle was tricky, perfectly capturing her triumphant smile. She sent a fake sympathetic message: “Willow, Julian is still resting. He was with me all night and didn’t get any sleep.” Followed by a provocative tongue-out emoji. Then another message came: “Oh, and by the way, I heard yesterday was your check-up day? I’m so sorry about the emergency, I didn’t mean to call Julian away.” “Also, Julian is still sleeping, I don’t want to disturb him right now.” My vision blurred. The baby in my belly seemed to sense my emotions, kicking restlessly. My phone vibrated again, this time with a video. In the footage, Julian’s back was to the camera, his back covered in suggestive scratch marks, Celeste’s long hair scattered all over him. I impatiently interrupted her performance: “Celeste, being a home-wrecker and being so high-profile? Are you afraid people won’t know how despicable you are?” The feigned apology on Celeste’s face vanished, replaced by a mocking message. “Willow, the baby in your belly was just an accident. Do you really think it can compare to Julian and my decade-long relationship?” She was right. I truly couldn’t compare. When I was left waiting for a taxi under the 104-degree sun, when I waited alone in the check-up room, I should have understood. I didn’t want to deal with Celeste anymore. Just as I was about to turn off my phone, Julian’s call came in. The moment I answered, he started yelling and blaming me without understanding anything. “Willow, what the hell is wrong with you?! I told you, Celeste has claustrophobia! What kind of nonsense are you pulling?!” In the background, Celeste immediately began to cry plaintively. “Julian, it’s all my fault. If only I hadn’t wandered off, this wouldn’t have…” Julian immediately soothed her gently, then turned and roared at me, “Willow, even if we’re married, I’ll do whatever I want! Going to find Celeste was my decision and my freedom!” Julian’s voice was filled with disgust. I calmly repeated his words: “You’re right. You can do whatever you want. I shouldn’t have an opinion.” The other end of the line suddenly went quiet. A moment later, Julian seemed to realize something, and his tone softened: “I broke my promise by not going to your check-up. I’ll go with you another day, and I’ll compensate you.” “As long as you don’t interfere with Celeste and me anymore.” “Okay,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face. He hung up, relieved. Of course, I wouldn’t interfere anymore. After all, I had already signed the divorce papers.

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My father, Declan Hamilton, turned fifty this Christmas. He has two daughters—my older sister Ariana Hamilton and me, Ashley Hamilton. He dotes on Ariana endlessly but treats me like a stray dog, subjecting me to constant abuse. I always thought he despised me because I was his illegitimate daughter, until a paternity test proved I was indeed his biological child. He forced drugs down my throat, making me foam at the mouth like a rabid animal, my limbs convulsing in agony. I cried out to my mother, Monica Hamilton, for help. Heartbroken, she demanded to know why Declan was treating me this way. But he simply pulled out Ariana’s test results. After one glance, Monica kicked me in the stomach so hard I couldn’t stop vomiting. My aunt Emma Lawson felt sorry for me and wanted to take me away. But Declan showed her that same report. After reading it, her face went pale, and she jumped off a building that very day. Declan’s boss, Vincent Murray, accidentally witnessed everything and secretly slipped me some money, telling me to run. Just three more days, and I’ll escape this hell! But I’ve always been curious—what exactly was written on Ariana’s test results? “You bitch, let’s see if you ever dare do this again!” Declan roared as I cowered at his feet, trembling all over. He slashed my face with scissors just because I’d secretly used Ariana’s makeup. Blood blurred my vision as my heart pounded violently. I wanted to tell him I was his daughter, not some toy he could trample on at will. I begged him to stop hitting me. But when I looked up at him, there wasn’t a trace of mercy in his eyes—only deep disgust. Why? Wasn’t I his daughter? Ever since Declan brought Ariana back from Emma’s house where she’d been raised, he became a completely different person. Every day he prepared lavish meals for Ariana while I crouched in the corner, eating their leftovers. They threw Ariana a birthday party at a five-star hotel while I hid in the basement, gnawing on dry spaghetti and watching her laugh happily through the crack under the door. She had her own private dressing room filled with designer cosmetics Declan bought her. Meanwhile, I was beaten until my bones broke just for secretly using Monica’s old lipstick. That day I was beaten so badly my limbs were twisted, and I could only crawl on the ground, my eyes filled with resentment. Could there be something wrong with my identity? I thought I wasn’t Declan’s biological daughter. So Ariana secretly took me to get a paternity test. The results confirmed I was indeed Declan and Monica’s biological daughter. Then why did he despise me so much? Just as I was about to check Ariana’s test results, Declan appeared. Seeing his cold stare, I instinctively tried to flee but was kicked to the ground. “Bitch, trying to run?” He clutched the test report in one hand while whipping me with a belt in the other. Lash after lash fell as I rolled on the ground in pain while Ariana clapped and laughed beside him. Once I was completely unable to resist, he pried open my mouth and forced down some burning liquid. I foamed at the mouth like a dog, my limbs convulsing as my abdomen felt like it was on fire. When Monica came home and saw me writhing in agony on the floor, she immediately confronted Declan. “Ashley is your daughter! How can you treat her like this?” Declan sneered and handed Ariana’s test results to her, then leaned down to whisper something. Monica’s face went white. She stopped questioning him and instead lifted her high heel, stomping on my abdomen over and over. I convulsed in pain, clutching my bleeding stomach with both hands. As Monica stomped on me, she cursed, “Little bitch! I can see you don’t want to stay in this house anymore. Once I crush your belly, let’s see if you still dare think such thoughts!” From then on, every day became a nightmare of Declan and Monica’s joint abuse. Each time I’d kneel on the ground covered in bruises, wiping away blood while enviously watching them cuddle with Ariana as they watched movies. I was their daughter—so why did they treat me this way after Ariana came back? During those years of beatings from Declan and Monica, I once sought help from community workers. Initially, they sympathized with me and even visited our home, trying to correct Declan and Monica’s behavior. The workers said, “What kind of parents are you? The child hasn’t done anything wrong and you’re still beating her.” Declan and Monica remained silent, simply showing them Ariana’s test results. After reading it, the workers’ expressions changed completely, and they immediately turned on me with harsh words. “She deserves to be beaten to death—she’s nothing but a slut!” And so I endured abuse until high school graduation, my entire body covered in scars. Every cry for help fell on deaf ears. Trembling, I asked Declan, “I’m about to start college. Can you please tell me what I did wrong?” He looked at me with a cold smile, not a trace of warmth in his eyes. “Your very existence is a mistake!” With that, he slapped me hard and grabbed my hair for another vicious beating. Fortunately, Emma, who hadn’t shown up in ages, arrived just in time, and I barely escaped with my life. She held my bloodied body in her arms and angrily scolded Declan, “I’ll pay for Ashley’s tuition. You’re never to touch her again!” Warmth flooded my heart, but seeing Declan’s next move, my entire body froze. He was about to pull out Ariana’s test results again.

I trembled all over, curled up in Emma’s warm embrace, fear nearly suffocating me. Declan’s fingers had already reached into his suit pocket, where he kept Ariana’s paternity test report! Anyone who tried to help me would instantly turn into a demon and push me into eternal damnation the moment they saw that report. Fear drove me to break free from Emma’s embrace. “No! Don’t take that out!” I gripped his wrist desperately. “I’ll never run away again…” Before I could finish speaking, a sharp slap landed across my face. The taste of blood immediately filled my mouth, but I couldn’t care about the pain—I just desperately clung to Declan’s legs. Declan remained unmoved by my pleas. “Emma, read this first, then decide whether you want to take Ashley away.” I could only kneel and turn to Emma, kowtowing in desperation. “Please, Aunt Emma, take me away now.” My tears fell in despair. I knew better than anyone that once Emma saw that paper, she would definitely have Declan kill me. Thinking I was just scared, Emma frowned and pulled me into her arms with concern. “It’s okay, Ashley. I’ll take you away after I read it.” But the more I begged, the more curious she became. Eventually, Emma still let go of her embrace and walked toward the paternity report. The moment Emma looked at the paternity report, I still held onto a sliver of hope. Emma had raised Ariana for so many years—she must know whose child Ariana was. She would never abandon me. However, I was ultimately too naive. Emma staggered backward, slipped, and stepped on my bloodied hand. “Impossible…” her voice trembled, barely coherent. She suddenly looked up at me, and this time, there was no previous compassion in her eyes—only bone-chilling coldness. She said, “You’re right, Ashley deserves to die. She doesn’t deserve to live!” It was over. Everything was over. I closed my eyes in despair, waiting only for the next wave of pain to arrive. But aside from Emma’s cold words, nothing happened. Could it be that she was just talking, and still had a bit of feeling for me in her heart? Just as I opened my eyes in wild joy, Emma had already rushed out the door. I saw her eyes filled with terror. What was she afraid of? Before I could figure out the reason, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps in the hallway, followed by the dull thud of something heavy hitting the ground, mixed with neighbors’ screams. What happened? Did someone jump from the building? My whole body turned ice cold, as if I had fallen into a frozen abyss. Declan walked to the window and glanced down, a cold smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he stared coldly at my disheveled state. I crawled toward the window in disbelief, only to see a bloody, mangled figure lying below. A crowd of onlookers had already gathered around. The moment I recognized that face, it was like thunder exploding in my mind. It was Emma who had jumped. After seeing the paternity report, she chose suicide. “Your aunt died because of you—this is all your fault!” Declan coldly dropped this statement and left, leaving me alone to scream in endless agony. What exactly was in Ariana’s paternity report? It made Emma choose death over facing the truth, and made everyone who knew want me to disappear immediately! The unknown truth filled me with terror. I comforted myself over and over—I would soon be able to go to college and escape this hell! Just then, the doorbell rang. Declan opened the door, and a group of police officers poured in. The lead officer showed his badge and said calmly to Declan, “Regarding the woman’s jumping incident, Mr. Hamilton, please bring your daughter with you to the police station.”

Facing the police, Declan remained as cold and indifferent as ever. He answered every question with calm composure, showing no emotion whatsoever. The investigation lasted the entire day, and ultimately the police closed the case, ruling Emma’s death a suicide. Afterward, the officers noticed the injuries covering my body and immediately demanded sternly: “Mr. Declan Hamilton, your actions constitute domestic violence. I have the authority to arrest you!” Declan let out a cold laugh that made my entire body tremble. Seeing my terrified expression, the officer grew even more furious, suddenly standing up and shouting at Declan: “I’m arresting you right now on charges of domestic abuse!” Then he gently took my arm and softly comforted me, saying it was all over. I forced a grateful smile, but didn’t dare relax for a moment, keeping my eyes fixed on Declan’s every move. Declan glanced at me sideways, his eyes full of contempt. He said: “Officer, this is merely a family dispute. Perhaps you should review this medical report before making your decision?” He pulled out Ariana’s paternity test results. Like a desperate rabid dog, I collapsed at Declan’s feet, my nails digging desperately into the back of his hand. The moment the officer’s fingers touched the paper, I heard a drowning-like gurgling sound escape from my throat. I was suffocating. I wished I could die right then and there. They would surely abandon me, condemn me, all because of Ariana’s test results. “Please…” I clutched desperately at the hem of the officer’s uniform. Declan released his grip on my hair, and I crashed onto the table like a broken rag doll. Sure enough, the officer’s eyes widened instantly, his face changing color dramatically. He looked at Declan in shock, while Declan responded with complete seriousness: “Family dispute. Minor matter.” The officer sighed deeply and spoke the words that filled me with despair: “You two go home. For family disputes, we recommend internal mediation. As for Ashley’s injuries, they were caused by accidental bumps and falls.” He too released the hand that had been ready to save me. Tears of despair slid down my cheeks as I completely lost strength and collapsed to the floor. A look of satisfaction crossed Declan’s face as he kicked at my head with the tip of his shoe and spat. He said: “Let’s go, Ashley. Time to resolve our family dispute.” I cried and screamed as Declan dragged me out of the police station by my hair. Just as I was struggling and wailing, a strange man appeared. I lifted my tear-stained face and looked up at the newcomer in confusion. It was Vincent, Declan’s boss and the owner of the pharmaceutical company. Having learned that Declan hadn’t come to work today due to the investigation, he had personally come to the police station. Seeing me lying disheveled on the ground, Vincent reached out his hand, wanting to wipe the blood from my face. Seeing this, Declan stepped on my face and ground his heel against it repeatedly. He said: “This slut wants to find another man to be her daddy. We already destroyed her uterus long ago. Don’t touch her, sir. I’d hate for her to dirty your hands.” Vincent gasped in shock, then bent down and whispered a few words in my ear that only we could hear. My face instantly lit up with hope, and I nodded carefully. After being dragged home covered in injuries, before I could even tend to my wounds, Declan burst through the door and stared at me intensely: “What did he say to you?” Seeing me shake my head frantically, Declan immediately pulled out his belt and began beating me savagely. I was beaten bloody, but still refused to speak. Only when the belt broke from his violent strikes did he finally stop. Watching Declan’s retreating figure, I let out a long breath. Vincent had said he was willing to fund my college education and help me escape this hellish family, on the condition that I couldn’t tell Declan and Monica about it. We agreed to meet in three days. Just three more days, and I could finally escape this place! When I woke up again, my body still ached terribly, but hope had ignited in my heart—the force that would keep me alive. Just then, I noticed the light was still on in Declan’s study, and I heard a voice from inside that was both strange and familiar. “Ashley is your daughter. If you can’t raise her properly, just let me raise her instead.” It was Vincent’s voice! My whole body stiffened, terrified that the hope I’d barely managed to kindle would instantly be extinguished. I quietly hid on the balcony outside the study, peering through the glass into the room. I spied secretly, and my blood instantly turned to ice. I saw Ariana’s paternity test results! Finally, I understood why Declan hated me so much!

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On my wedding day, I, Claire Garrett, jumped from the thirty-eighth floor of a hotel. After I started dating my first love, Adam Morris, my good friend Aurora Holmes approached me, claiming she had bound herself to a romance system that would make all my boyfriends fall in love with her and then abandon me. I thought she was just joking and didn’t believe her at all. But within days, Adam actually came clean, saying he had fallen in love with Aurora and wanted to break up with me. From then on, I never told anyone about my relationships. But Aurora seemed to have surveillance on me—no matter who I dated, she always found out immediately, and those men would leave me within days, turning to her embrace instead. Heartbroken and discouraged, I returned to my hometown, far from Aurora, ready to start fresh. Through my parents’ introduction, I got engaged to someone from a blind date, thinking I could finally escape her shadow. However, on my wedding day, my fiancé publicly confessed his love to Aurora and announced he would marry her instead. My parents were so enraged they vomited blood on the spot and died after being rushed to the hospital. Aurora, wearing the ring that should have been mine, said smugly, “Such an excellent man—you don’t deserve him! Now he’s mine, and it’s time for you to exit the stage.” Unable to bear the blow, I climbed to the hotel rooftop and jumped. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to before Aurora mentioned binding the system. ***** “Claire, how are things going with that guy lately?” The familiar voice rang in my ears. I snapped my eyes open to see Aurora leaning close, her face full of curiosity. Instinctively, I pushed her away, unable to suppress the hatred in my eyes. Aurora said, “Why are you pushing me? I’m just asking. This is your first time dating—I need to test him for you.” First time? I had clearly dated several times, but she had ruined every single relationship. I quickly pulled out my phone to check the time, finally realizing I had been reborn. Seeing my lack of response, Aurora brushed the dust off her clothes and sat back down beside me, her expression mysterious, as if preparing to say something. My heart immediately started racing because I knew what she was about to say—about binding that romance system. Sure enough, she began with a hint of guilt, her eyes reddening, “Claire, there’s something I have to tell you. Last night I accidentally bound myself to a romance system. It says all your boyfriends will fall in love with me and then break up with you. I don’t want this either, but the system told me that if I unbind it, I’ll die. You’re my best friend—you wouldn’t want to see me die, would you?” In my previous life, I thought she was just joking. A romance system? I’d only seen those in novels—how could they exist in reality? Besides, emotions are so complex—how could they be controlled by a system? If all the men I dated fell in love with Aurora, it only meant I had poor judgment and encountered nothing but jerks. Seeing my indifference, Aurora said she would let me witness it firsthand in a few days. I didn’t take it seriously. A few days later, Adam actually sought me out, saying he had fallen in love with Aurora and wanted to break up with me. I was shocked and began to wonder if what Aurora said was true. I suffered for a long time. After that, I never told anyone about my relationships—except for me and my partner, no one knew we were dating. But the result was the same. They all eventually left me, with only one reason—they had fallen in love with Aurora. This time, I had to believe that the system really existed. And I was completely powerless against Aurora. In despair, I returned to my hometown, completely cutting ties with Aurora. I deleted all contact information and prepared to marry someone my parents had introduced me to. But even so, Aurora still wouldn’t let me go. She suddenly appeared at my wedding, ruined everything, and even caused my parents’ deaths. I lost everything and didn’t know how to fight against that system, so I chose to end it all. Perhaps God saw that I died too unjustly and gave me a chance to start over. This time, I’m determined to figure out what Aurora’s damned system really is!

I took several deep breaths, forcing myself to calm down, and stared coldly at Aurora. “What system? You’ve been reading too many novels, haven’t you? Aurora, I never thought you’d be this kind of person—stealing my boyfriend!” People around us heard our argument and turned to look at me, their gazes toward Aurora filled with disdain. “No, I didn’t! I really didn’t mean to—I was being controlled! Please believe me!” Aurora’s eyes welled up with tears as she kept defending herself. I immediately cut her off: “Enough! I was so wrong about you! From now on, I’m pretending I never had a friend like you!” With that, I turned and walked away without looking back, pulling out my phone as I went and deleting Aurora’s contact information without hesitation. This time, I decisively cut all ties with her. She’d never again know who I was dating, and she’d never get another chance to use whatever so-called “system” on me. When I got home, Adam was busy in the kitchen. We’d met at work. Since this was my first relationship, I’d been extra cautious, spending a long time getting to know him before deciding to truly start this relationship. I’d always thought he was sincere and reliable. Maybe I’d misjudged him. But now that I’d cut contact with Aurora, perhaps this time the tragedy from my past life wouldn’t repeat itself. However, just a few days later, when Adam and I went shopping at the mall, we ran into Aurora there. I instinctively wanted to pull Adam away from her, but Aurora approached us directly. She asked, “Is this your boyfriend, Claire? You fell out with me over him? You like him that much?” I remained expressionless, saying nothing, but cold sweat broke out on my back. I could clearly sense that Adam’s expression had already changed. I said, “Let’s go. I don’t want to talk to her.” I tried to pull Adam away, but he suddenly shook off my hand: “Claire, let’s break up.” My eyes widened, filled more with fear than anything else—fear that the scene from my past life would play out again. I asked, “Why are you suddenly breaking up with me? This is completely out of nowhere!” He said, “I don’t like you anymore. I’ve discovered I’m in love with Aurora—it was love at first sight.” Aurora wore a triumphant smile on her face while pretending to decline: “Don’t say that. I’m Claire’s best friend—we can’t do this.” Adam left the mall after saying that, while I stood there as if nailed to the spot, unable to move. Aurora leaned close to my ear and whispered, “I told you I have a system. Now do you believe me?” I clenched my teeth, still remaining silent. Seeing the fear in my heart, Aurora smiled even more smugly. After returning home, I immediately searched online for information about “systems.” Without exception, all the results showed that “systems” only existed in novels—they were fictional concepts that didn’t exist in reality. Unwilling to give up, I posted on forums asking for help, only to be met with countless mockeries. Internet users laughed at me for being mentally unclear after a breakup, saying that instead of admitting my own lack of charm, I was blaming Aurora. I searched for information all night until my stomach started growling, making me realize I hadn’t eaten all day. The breakup didn’t make me sad—instead, it filled me with deep fear of that unknown “system.” I ordered takeout. But when the delivery person appeared, a bold idea suddenly flashed through my mind.

The next morning, I immediately went downstairs to find the security guard, Damian Stewart. Damian had lost his wife over ten years ago and had been desperately looking for a companion ever since. He was always hitting on the middle-aged women doing their morning exercises in the community. But these women had children, grandchildren, and retirement pensions—they couldn’t care less about some old doorman living on welfare benefits and found him quite annoying. I walked up to him and handed him a pack of cigarettes. “Damian, want me to set you up with a girlfriend?” His eyes immediately lit up. “Yes! Who are you going to introduce me to?” I smiled slightly and pointed to myself. “What do you think of me?” Damian burst out laughing. “You’re pulling my leg, right? Come on, get going. Don’t interfere with my work.” I kept smiling. “I’m not joking at all. I really like men like you—you make me feel so secure. I’ve always preferred older men since I was little.” I forced myself to say these words despite feeling sick. Since Aurora could steal all my boyfriends with her system, I wanted to see if she’d want this man too. Men are always confident. Hearing my words, Damian’s face showed a hint of smugness. “Really? You’re not lying to me, are you?” I said, “Of course it’s true. My parents have been pressuring me to get married. Why don’t we give it a try?” Damian and I exchanged contact information. He even tried to get closer to me, but I cleverly dodged him by saying I was rushing to work. Damian sent me quite a few messages, and I replied to each one, letting him bask in the illusion of romance. At work, I couldn’t focus on anything my boss said. My mind was completely occupied with one thought: “Aurora, please don’t let me down.” Finally, it was time to get off work. I had just walked out of the company entrance when Aurora came charging out from some corner and slapped me hard across the face. She screamed, “Claire, are you insane? Why are you dating that old man! Is there something wrong with your brain!” She was completely worked up, straddling me and pinning me down so I couldn’t get up. I quickly covered my face with my hands, but inside I felt absolutely thrilled. “What business is it of yours who I date? I just like older men. What are you going to do about it?” My coworkers who were leaving at the same time saw me getting beaten and immediately called the police for help. When the police arrived, they listened to our account of what happened. Although they found it puzzling that I was dating an old man, it wasn’t illegal after all, so there wasn’t much they could say. They could only turn to criticize Aurora for getting physical. The officer said, “What does her dating life have to do with you? How could you hit her!” Aurora certainly couldn’t tell the police about her system, so she could only stammer out excuses: “I was just worried about her. She’s so young but wants to date an old man. As her friend, I just wanted to talk some sense into her.” I said, “I cut ties with her long ago, officer. She stole my boyfriend before, so we haven’t been friends for a while. And she just hit me—I’m dizzy, nauseous, and even my teeth feel loose. I want her to go to jail!” There were security cameras at the company entrance, so Aurora couldn’t deny anything. Faced with the possibility of prison time, she finally got scared and started begging me for forgiveness in a humble tone. Seeing her like this now, I felt incredibly satisfied. Finally, there was a day when she had to beg me. But I had no intention of forgiving her—I almost wished the police would lock her up for life. Soon, the police took her away. Before leaving, Aurora dropped her submissive act and glared at me viciously. “Don’t think you can escape me. I’m telling you, I have a system, and you can’t get away.” The police told me she would be detained for fifteen days, but that was far from enough. After all, my life and work were here. I couldn’t abandon everything and run away because of some illusory system. Fifteen days passed quickly, and Aurora was released. Shortly after, I received a message from her: [Finding that old man to spite me was completely pointless. Your sick mother is dying, and her biggest wish before she passes is to see you get married. If she knew you deliberately found an old man, she’d probably die even faster.] Aurora was right. My mom Hannah Garrett was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and this year her condition deteriorated rapidly. The doctor said she had at most two more years to live. Her greatest wish was to see me get married, but she also didn’t want me to just marry any random guy. If she knew I had found an old man, she’d probably drop dead from shock on the spot. Aurora knew exactly where to hit me where it hurt, so she used this to blackmail me. Before long, Hannah called me, demanding to know if I was really dating an old man. I said, “Mom, it’s absolutely not true. Even if I never get married, I wouldn’t date an old man. You know what kind of person I am, right? Don’t let anyone fool you. Without any evidence, just a few words got you all worked up.” Aurora indeed had no evidence, and based solely on her word, Hannah was quickly reassured by me. I took the opportunity to tell her about Aurora stealing my boyfriend, and she immediately deleted Aurora’s contact information, firmly taking my side. That said, I also understood that I wasn’t getting any younger, my career was stable now, and it really was time to consider marriage. Work kept me too busy to actively meet men. I also couldn’t spend my whole life avoiding romance and marriage just to guard against Aurora. So I walked into a matchmaking agency and found a consultant named Emily Bryant. I explained my requirements in detail and asked her to help me find a suitable match. Emily was very efficient and quickly found me a suitable candidate named Brian Walsh. Due to our busy work schedules, we first added each other on WhatsApp and started communicating online. Actually, I had another consideration. I wanted to see if Aurora’s so-called “system” would still work if I didn’t meet Brian in person and only communicated through the internet. We chatted for nearly a month, and Brian never showed any unusual reactions. So I decided to arrange a time for our first in-person meeting. We arranged to meet at a park, where Emily and Brian had already arrived before me. I had just exited the subway station when I heard Aurora’s voice behind me. How did I keep running into her everywhere? I asked with a darkened expression, “What are you doing here?” She said, “I know you’re on a blind date today, so I came specifically to watch. Didn’t I tell you before that I have a system? No matter who you date, I’ll know about it. Why won’t you believe me?” I said, “Don’t tell me you’re going to claim that Brian has already fallen in love with you?” Aurora nodded, “Otherwise, why would I come today? I’m here to make you give up completely. Stop trying to compete with me from now on—you’re not qualified!” I suddenly became curious about her motivation and asked, “What’s your purpose in not letting me get married? How does it benefit you if I don’t get married or date anyone?” Aurora’s eyes instantly turned crazy, “You actually have the nerve to ask? If it weren’t for you, I would have married Derek and had children long ago. If I can’t have happiness, why should you get to have it!” I finally understood why she hated me. But I didn’t have time to argue with her. The meeting time with Emily was approaching, and being late for a first date wouldn’t look good. Seeing me turn to leave, Aurora hurriedly followed. However, when she saw clearly who was sitting on the bench, her expression changed dramatically, and she suddenly grabbed my throat. She roared, “Claire! You set me up! You bitch! I’m going to kill you!”

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My name is Stella Richards, and I have a mother, Jane Richards, who’s obsessed with haggling. She haggles when shopping at the supermarket, haggles when paying my tuition, and basically haggles over anything that costs money. Until my brother Kevin Richards was kidnapped, and the kidnapper Paul Watson called demanding a ransom of five hundred thousand dollars. Jane, as usual, calmly started haggling with Paul: “Five hundred thousand is too expensive! How about thirty-eight thousand?” I tried to reason with Jane: “This is a matter of life and death—stop haggling!” But she scolded me: “Stella, you have no sense of frugality!” She went back and forth with Paul for three hours, and incredibly, Paul actually agreed. Watching Jane’s smug satisfaction, I stopped trying to persuade her. Later, Kevin was indeed released by Paul. Except when he came back, his body had been dismembered. ***** “What did you say? You kidnapped my son?” The sudden phone call made Jane gasp in shock, and she asked again in disbelief. Paul’s voice on the other end was ice-cold: “Your son is in our hands now. If you can’t come up with five hundred thousand dollars in ransom within forty-eight hours, you can start planning his funeral!” Jane gasped again when she heard “five hundred thousand dollars”: “Five hundred thousand? Why don’t you just rob a bank! Where am I supposed to get five hundred thousand dollars?” Paul said impatiently: “I don’t care how you get it—sell your car, sell your house, whatever. Just get the money to me within forty-eight hours!” After saying this, he seemed to kick Kevin hard. Kevin’s tearful cries for help came through the phone: “Mom, you have to save me! They really have knives!” Before he could finish, Kevin’s mouth was covered. Paul continued coldly: “You heard that, right? Your son is in our hands. No ransom and…” Before he could finish, Jane suddenly interrupted: “Five hundred thousand in ransom is too expensive!” Paul was stunned: “What did you say?” Jane said matter-of-factly: “I said five hundred thousand is too expensive. I want to haggle!” My vision went dark—I knew Jane’s haggling habit was kicking in again. She’s just someone who loves to haggle. She haggles when shopping at the supermarket, haggles when paying mine and Kevin’s tuition, and now that Kevin’s been kidnapped, she’s still thinking about haggling! Paul probably thought this request was absolutely ridiculous and hung up directly. But Jane looked dissatisfied: “Cheap bastard! It’s just haggling, and he hangs up on me!” I couldn’t help but try to reason with her: “Mom, Kevin’s been kidnapped, and you’re still haggling with the kidnapper. Aren’t you afraid he’ll hurt Kevin?” Jane said dismissively: “That’s all just to scare people. Kidnappers only care about money—they wouldn’t dare actually kill anyone! Besides, he’s asking for five hundred thousand right off the bat. Where would our family get that kind of money? Should we really sell the house for him? In his dreams. I’m going to haggle, and I want to see just how shameless this kidnapper is!” Her words made my vision blur. I knew Jane too well—she’s stubborn, won’t listen to reason, and haggling is a lifelong habit she’s stuck to.

I still remember the scene when Jane suddenly tried to haggle with my teacher Amber Jansen while paying my school fees. At the time, Amber told Jane that the total fees came to two hundred and thirty-four dollars. Jane stared at Amber for a few seconds, then suddenly spoke up: “Can’t you make it any cheaper?” Amber’s reaction was just like the kidnapper’s earlier—completely bewildered: “What did you say?” Jane said bluntly: “I said can’t you make it cheaper? Two hundred and thirty-four dollars is too much. I’ll give you two hundred dollars instead.” After saying this, she rummaged through her purse, pulled out two hundred dollars, and handed it directly to Amber. But Amber got flustered: “This is tuition! How can you haggle with me over this? Every payment has to be recorded!” Jane’s face darkened: “Recording it is your business. I’m only short thirty-four dollars. Why are you making such a fuss?” I was still young at the time, but I’d already noticed that quite a few parents around us who’d overheard Jane and Amber’s conversation were whispering among themselves and looking our way. Feeling embarrassed, I quickly tugged at Jane: “Mom, just stop haggling and give her the rest of the money.” But Jane suddenly started shrieking: “What? All you know is how to waste money—you have no sense of thrift! Do you know how much I could buy with thirty-four dollars? And you want to just hand it over to her? Are you stupid? Are you in cahoots with Amber?” As she spoke, she pointed at my nose and scolded: “You’re just Amber’s accomplice, aren’t you!” That day, Jane spent over an hour pointing at me and Amber, berating us both. No matter how much Amber tried to reason with her, she wouldn’t budge. In the end, Amber had no choice but to reluctantly pay the thirty-four dollars out of her own pocket. On the way home, Jane said to me triumphantly: “See that? That’s my unbeatable haggling skills!” But she didn’t care that from then on, I was ostracized by teachers and classmates alike—she only cared about how satisfying her haggling victory had been. Similar incidents happened many more times after that. Haggling seemed to become Jane’s instinct—whenever money was involved, she had to haggle. But I never expected that even when Kevin was kidnapped, she’d still think about haggling! Although Kevin was usually a good-for-nothing who showed me no respect, he was still my brother—a living, breathing human being. Thinking of Kevin’s agonized screams before Paul hung up, I decided to try reasoning with Jane one more time: “Mom, I’m begging you, please listen to me. Kevin’s life is in the kidnappers’ hands right now—we can only do what they demand. Selling the house isn’t ideal, but no matter what, Kevin’s life is more important than anything else!”

Despite my earnest attempts to reason with her, Jane angrily told me to shut up. She said, “I’m your mother, and I have more experience than you. Do you think you know better than me how to handle this kind of situation? The experts all say we live in a society governed by law—who would dare act so recklessly?” I replied, “Yes, we live under the rule of law, but the kidnappers still took Kevin.” Jane glared at me fiercely: “Enough! Keep your mouth shut! You’re a spoiled girl who’s never even learned to bargain in your entire life, and you dare criticize me! I’ll show you in a moment whether I can negotiate with these kidnappers!” With that, she immediately called Paul back. The phone was answered instantly: “Have you made up your mind?” Jane curled her lip: “Made up my mind about what? I’m here to negotiate!” Paul on the other end seemed to curse: “Are you out of your mind? We have your son, and you still dare to bargain with me? I could kill him right now—believe it or not!” Jane remained expressionless: “You don’t need to threaten me. I’m not easily intimidated. I’ve dealt with people like you before, and I always succeed in getting the price down.” Paul laughed angrily: “Fine, go ahead and negotiate. I’d like to see how low you can go!” Paul’s anger didn’t affect Jane in the slightest. She even said somewhat smugly: “See? I told you there’s nothing that can’t be negotiated! As long as I’m paying money, I have the right to bargain! “Look, you’re so young to be out here kidnapping people—you probably don’t know how tough things are these days! You open your mouth asking for five hundred thousand dollars—do you think we run a bank? Where would we get that kind of money for you! “If you ask me, you’re just too greedy. Didn’t you research our family’s situation before kidnapping Kevin? We’re just an ordinary family—how could we possibly come up with five hundred thousand dollars just like that?” Paul was practically spitting blood with rage on the other end, probably unable to comprehend Jane’s logic: “Cut the crap! Of course I did my research! You have a house, don’t you? Won’t you even sell your house to save your own son?” Jane frowned: “Of course we have a house, but where would we live if we sold it? You’re being ridiculous—this could be solved by simply lowering the ransom, but you insist on making me sell the house! Let me tell you, selling the house is out of the question. We need to keep money to buy Kevin a new house when he gets married. If we sell now, we’d have to rent and save up all over again. “Please be understanding, won’t you? I work so hard—my face is covered with wrinkles from all the worry. How about this—I’ve calculated it, and five hundred thousand is an unlucky number. I’ll give you thirty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight dollars instead. Doesn’t that sound much better?” Paul shrieked in fury: “I’ve kidnapped your son, and you only want to give me thirty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight dollars to buy back his life?” Jane persisted: “That’s my final offer. We can be friends, can’t we!” I listened from the side, terrified. In the end, Jane actually went back and forth with Paul for a full three hours. Both of them were parched, and Jane was about to take a sip of water to continue negotiating when Paul’s voice came through hoarse: “Fine. That price.” Jane was overjoyed: “You said it! Quick, send me the account number—I’ll transfer the money right now!” Paul rattled off a string of numbers, and Jane immediately signaled to me to transfer money to that account. Paul suddenly added ominously: “Your bargaining skills are really something. I’ll be sending you a gift later—I hope you like it.” Jane completely missed the chill in his words and said happily: “Wonderful! Now hurry up and send my son back home—I’m still waiting to have dinner with him!” With that, they hung up. Paul said Kevin would be home before eight o’clock tonight. That evening, the moment Jane opened the door, she completely broke down.

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I, Delilah Garrett, and my husband Nathan Simmons encountered mechanical failure during our flight and were forced to make an emergency landing. When I opened my eyes again, we had somehow returned to the time before we ever met. In my previous life, we were married for ten years, yet he consistently refused to share a bed with me, and in later years, he wouldn’t even come home. I later discovered that he had long been living with his first love, Riley Morris, building a family with her—they even had grandchildren. After my rebirth, I decided to completely sever ties with him and choose an entirely different life. Seven years later, he became a financial mogul and married Riley. Yet I was invited to sit in the audience, applauding for him. When he saw me, he couldn’t help but mock: “What’s wrong? Can’t find anyone else who wants you besides me? Why don’t you beg me—I might reluctantly keep you as my mistress.” I scoffed, linking my arm through his uncle Marshal Simmons’ arm and showing him the large diamond ring on my finger. His face instantly turned ashen, his eyes bloodshot. “Didn’t you say I was the love of your life, that you only wanted to be with me?” ***** Actually, I never expected that my reunion with Nathan would be at his wedding. When my assistant hurriedly pulled me from my studio, I remembered this event, hastily got ready, and rushed to the venue. Their ceremony was nearly over when I arrived. I sat in a corner, applauding for them, genuinely wishing them happiness as they finally became husband and wife. After the ceremony, Nathan held Riley’s hand as they stood at the center of the reception, accepting everyone’s congratulations. “Nathan, you’re incredible! In just a few years, you’ve become CEO of the family’s subsidiary, and now you’ve married the mayor’s daughter—success in both career and love!” “Exactly! Now so many people want your help, they can’t even get a meeting with you!” “Nathan, for old times’ sake as classmates, help us make some money!” Suddenly, someone in the crowd spoke up: “By the way, you really didn’t invite Delilah?” Hearing my name, Nathan’s expression stiffened, and the atmosphere immediately became awkward. The others didn’t dare speak, only the questioner remained oblivious. “You two were the top talents in the art department back then, your romance was known throughout the school. Every time we saw your artwork, it was like witnessing your love story. “Now…” Seeing Nathan’s increasingly dark expression, Riley quickly interrupted with a smile: “We’ve moved past all that, and Nathan doesn’t paint anymore anyway.” The atmosphere relaxed somewhat, and the topic of me was tactfully dropped. I knew he was right—we did indeed use our artwork to display our love for everyone to see. In my previous life, we studied under the same professor. The day we transformed from rivals to lovers, his eyes sparkled as he told me: “I don’t like anyone but you.” I believed him until the very end of my life, only to discover he had been lying from the very beginning. Lost in thought, I sensed someone’s gaze on me. “Look, isn’t that person Delilah?” “She’s dressed so plainly—couldn’t she have worn something more formal?” “She probably can’t afford it. It’s sad that she’s not doing well and doesn’t ask us for help. Should we introduce her to someone? But how did she even get in here?” Several people approached, looking me up and down with mockery in their eyes. I ignored them, simply wiping away traces of dessert from the corner of my mouth, remaining composed. Nathan’s gaze stayed fixed on me, his lips pressed tightly together. I smiled and greeted them: “Hello, congratulations to you both.” He spoke coolly: “I never expected that after all this time, you haven’t changed a bit—still so sloppy. Don’t tell me you’re still painting those worthless scraps of paper.” Riley stared at me coldly, then linked her arm through Nathan’s. “Nathan, don’t say that. Delilah is just passionate about art. “I know you artists are all like this, but Delilah, your outfit is too casual—this isn’t your best dress, is it? “As your friend, I could lend you something.” At his words, the people around us couldn’t help but cover their mouths and snicker. After all, Riley was dressed in an exquisite gown with impeccable makeup and a stunning figure, radiating elegance and sophistication from head to toe. Meanwhile, I had been busy preparing for my art exhibition and hadn’t slept for three straight days, leaving me looking utterly exhausted. The clothes I wore were just something I’d grabbed randomly, with no thought put into them. From head to toe, my outfit screamed financial struggle. Compared to her, I did look rather disheveled. I replied calmly, “No need. I’m just sitting here for a moment.” If it weren’t for my husband Marshal from this lifetime saying he’d come pick me up later, I probably would have left the congratulatory gift and departed long ago. During this rare moment of leisure, my stomach chose that exact time to growl. Just as I scooped up a spoonful of cake and brought it to my mouth, Nathan pulled out a bank card from his wallet and tossed it in front of me. He said, “This is a card I just got. There’s $150,000 on it—consider it helping out an old classmate. From now on, don’t dress like this when you go out claiming to be my ex-girlfriend. It’s bad luck. Even though we’ve broken up, you don’t have to live this miserably, do you? Why not just live a decent life?” The rich cake nearly choked me. Seven years without seeing each other, and just because I dressed simply, Nathan interpreted it as me still being hung up on him. But in my previous life, we went from love to mutual disgust. During our student days, we both loved painting, but after graduation, we disagreed on life directions. He was eager to make money and wanted me to join him in copying famous works to sell to middle-class families who couldn’t afford originals, hoping to quickly save up money to start a company. I refused to do this, wanting only to create original art. But in relationships, someone always has to compromise. Because I loved him, I chose to give in and follow his plan. Everything progressed smoothly as he predicted. He used the initial savings to start his company and gradually expanded it. As for me, after losing my creative freedom, I was gradually marginalized and eventually became a full-time housewife confined to the home. Later, as I grew older, I became too lonely at home and longed for a child. But when I lay on the bed in a slip nightgown trying to get close to him, he threw me out along with the bedsheets. He said, “I told you I don’t want kids right now—this is the time to focus on my career. Besides, we’ve been married so long, and you’re still pulling this act. Don’t you find it disgusting?” But I was only thirty years old. I couldn’t believe I had truly lost my appeal, especially since I’d received frequent confessions during college. But when I stood in front of the mirror and carefully examined my appearance, I realized I no longer recognized my former self. The woman in the mirror was overweight, dull, completely lacking the youthful beauty I once had. From that day on, we started sleeping in separate rooms, and I completely gave up on the idea of having children. I thought I would spend the rest of my life with him in this peaceful manner, even if it was just mutual respect. But at age sixty, I witnessed Nathan and Riley walking hand in hand down the street, with a young man beside them affectionately calling them “Mom and Dad.” In that moment, I stood frozen, tears streaming down my face, unable to say a word or dare to confront them. Because I had spent my entire life depending on Nathan, I had long lost the ability to survive independently. After returning home, Nathan noticed my dejection and decided to take me abroad to lift my spirits. I have to admit, when I learned about the plane accident, I felt incredibly relieved inside—not a trace of fear, only liberation. Now that we’ve both been reborn, we’ve tacitly stayed away from each other, with no old feelings remaining. I handed the bank card back to Nathan: “Thank you for your concern, but I’m not short on money.”

Nathan didn’t reach for the money, his eyes burning with rage. “What are you acting all high and mighty for? This hundred and fifty thousand dollars is just meal money to me, but for you, it’s probably several Christmases’ worth of expenses.” Someone chuckled softly. “If she’s careful, it could last ten Christmases!” “You say you’re living so miserably, yet you still came to the wedding. Aren’t you just here to mooch some good stuff?” “Exactly, stop pretending. You’re not thinking this hundred and fifty thousand is too little and wanting more, are you? You should know your place.” Riley listened with delight on the sidelines, chiming in with fake concern: “Don’t be like that. She’s my friend after all, and I invited her here. If I’d known she was struggling this much, I should have helped her. “Oh right, would you like to work as a housekeeper at my place? We still need someone to tend the garden. Ten thousand dollars a month – that’s pretty good pay for ordinary people.” As she spoke, she grabbed my hand. “Delilah, don’t refuse me out of pride. People have to make a living, and we all understand your situation.” I sighed, really wanting to leave immediately. I finally understood Riley’s purpose in inviting me here. She just wanted to show off – to flaunt that she’d finally stolen Nathan completely, to show off her superior family background compared to mine. I pulled my hand back and smiled in response: “No need, I have money.” Riley maintained her polite smile, though her eyes were full of mockery. “You’re not still hoping to make a living from painting, are you? You really are something – you were always so prideful in school, and you’re still the same now. “Whatever, if you really can’t get by, come find me.” She put on an understanding act, even lowering her head to dab at nonexistent tears. Nathan frowned, looking at Riley with eyes full of sympathy. Then he glared at me fiercely. “People like you are just worthless. Others try to help you out of kindness and you don’t appreciate it. You deserve to be poor your whole life!” With that, he pulled Riley away with large strides. I scoffed softly and immediately texted Marshal: [When will you arrive? Your nephew and his wife are really annoying.] Marshal replied quickly: [Did they bully you? Wait for me, fifteen more minutes.] I knew him – when he said fifteen minutes, he’d be there in ten. I patiently sat to the side, planning to eat while waiting. People around me started discussing other things. “When is the real head of The Simmons family arriving? Didn’t they say he’d come to the wedding?” “You mean Nathan’s uncle Marshal? I heard Nathan say he’s coming later.” The crowd immediately became restless. One girl spoke up: “You actually have news? Do you know what time he’s arriving? What does he look like?” Another responded: “Don’t even think about it. He got married over a year ago, but his wife has never been willing to show her face. Look how Marshal mentions his wife everywhere he goes, as if he’s afraid people don’t know he’s married. You can tell he really loves his wife. “I wonder who’s that lucky.” The girl’s mood instantly deflated. I was listening intently when suddenly, footsteps slowly approached me. A male classmate I hadn’t seen in ages, wearing an expensive suit and holding a wine glass, sat beside me and deliberately leaned closer. He said: “I can see you’re quite attractive. Drink this glass, and how about we go upstairs and have some fun?” Upstairs were the guests’ rooms. I frowned and didn’t respond, feeling even more irritated. But he persisted, directly putting his arm around my shoulder while trying to coax me and force me to drink. I grabbed his wine glass and poured the wine over his head. He shot up abruptly, his chair making a sharp scraping sound that echoed throughout the banquet hall. Instantly, everyone’s eyes turned toward us. Feeling embarrassed, he glared at me with vicious eyes. “Don’t be ungrateful! My willingness to keep you is your good fortune!” His gaze was contemptuous, as if certain I wouldn’t dare do anything to him. But I wasn’t the Delilah from my past life. I delivered a sharp slap and warned coldly: “I should be the one saying that. Don’t be ungrateful.” The man said: “You…” “Delilah! Who gave you permission to cause trouble at my wedding!” Nathan strode over, grabbing my hand with an icy expression. “Security! Come throw her out!” I stared at him and asked softly: “Are you sure you want security to throw me out?” Nathan didn’t understand the meaning behind my words and mocked: “What, did you realize no one else wants you besides me? Why don’t you beg me, and I’ll reluctantly keep you. “Why bother harassing male classmates?” His words made me nauseous, and I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. Suddenly, a phone rang. After he answered, his expression changed dramatically. I guessed Marshal had arrived. The next second, he hurriedly shoved me under the table, warning in a low voice: “If you still want me to keep you, hide obediently. My uncle is here.” I was somewhat confused – what did this matter? Though I hadn’t expected him to fear Marshal to this extent. Looking at the ring in my hand that I hadn’t had time to put on before leaving, I still crawled under the table. Rather than let him discover it later and get angry, I might as well create a distraction. I decisively crawled under the table, pulled the diamond ring from my pocket and put it on, sighing. Footsteps sounded outside, and Marshal’s deep voice rang out: “Where’s my wife?” Nathan was stunned. Marshal continued asking: “She’s your college classmate. Haven’t you seen her?” Nathan was momentarily speechless, unsure how to begin. I lifted the tablecloth in front of me and looked directly into Marshal’s captivating eyes. “Hi, darling.” Nathan’s face went pale with shock as he rushed over to my table in a few quick steps, positioning himself between Marshal and me. He said, “Delilah, have you lost your mind? How many times have I told you—I’m married now, and whatever we had is long over. You actually hid here and are now ruining my reputation in front of Uncle Marshal!” With that, he reached out to drag me away. But another hand moved faster. Marshal remained composed, his tone calm: “Darling, what are you doing here?” Only I understood that he was jealous because of Nathan’s words. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I placed my hand in his and let him pull me out from under the table, smiling as I explained, “You misunderstood. I’ll explain everything when we get home, okay?” Nathan watched as Marshal pulled me into his embrace, his expression shifting from confusion to shock, then to anger: “You actually got involved with Uncle Marshal! Do you know he has a wife? Delilah, after leaving me, you became someone’s mistress!” I sighed softly, marveling at Nathan’s stupidity. I raised my hand with Marshal’s, both wearing our rings, making sure they could see clearly: “You should recognize this ring, shouldn’t you? There’s only one pair like this in the world, and no one else can wear it but me, dear nephew.” Marshal chimed in from beside me: “Nathan, call her Aunt Delilah.” Nathan’s face flushed red, unable to utter a word. The surrounding guests, however, began to stir. “My God, she’s actually Mrs. Simmons.” “They’ve been married for a year, and she’s never made a public appearance. We’re actually seeing her today.” Those who had been mocking me moments before instantly turned pale, then approached me with fawning smiles. “Mr. Simmons, Mrs. Simmons, hello. I’m Mrs. Simmons’ college classmate. Here’s my business card, please take it.” I glanced sideways but didn’t acknowledge them. Seeing this, others feared being left out and rushed forward to curry favor with me. I frowned, which Marshal immediately noticed. He coldly surveyed the crowd pressing around us: “Back off. I have no interest in any of you.” Then, looking at my slightly weary appearance, his tone filled with concern: “You’ve been busy with the art exhibition again, so busy you forgot to rest? Take a good break these next few days. I’ll have my assistant handle the wrap-up.” I nodded in agreement. After all, if the work could be completed easily, I was too lazy to handle it myself. Riley emerged in a different gown, looking bewildered. When she saw me arm-in-arm with Marshal, her expression immediately changed. She instantly understood what was happening and smiled as she spoke: “So you’re Aunt Delilah! I’m sorry for the poor hospitality…” I could tell she was trying to make up for her earlier rudeness. The guests watching the drama began whispering among themselves. “She was mocking her just moments ago, and now she’s all smiles. Truly worthy of being the mayor’s daughter—she really knows how to handle people.” “Delilah is Marshal’s wife—she has everything she could want. Nathan was trying to brush her off with a bank card earlier. How ridiculous.” “Didn’t Riley just ask Delilah to clean her garden? Turns out Delilah owns an art gallery. I remember that sold-out exhibition recently—I think she’s the one who organized it.” Every word reached Marshal’s ears, and his expression grew cold: “You all did these things?” Riley’s face went white as she hastily explained: “I meant no harm, really. I just thought Aunt Delilah wasn’t doing well and wanted to help her.” Nathan quickly chimed in: “Right, we were just trying to help her back then.” “I don’t believe it.” Marshal’s tone was light but decisive: “Nathan, I think you’re really asking for trouble. I need to reconsider who should be CEO of the subsidiary.” Nathan’s face instantly turned ashen. He opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word. I remained silent, thinking that since today was his wedding day after all, I didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere. But he kept causing me trouble again and again. After Marshal finished speaking, he wanted to take me home to rest. We had just turned around when we heard Riley shout loudly: “Delilah has a questionable personal life! Uncle Marshal, don’t let her deceive you!”

I turned around to see Riley standing with her arms crossed, watching us with a composed expression. I didn’t understand—Nathan had already been dismissed, so shouldn’t she be trying to curry favor with us? Yet here she was, spreading rumors in public. Marshal couldn’t be bothered with her and just wanted to get me to the car first. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle what she said,” he told me. I shook my head, gently pulling free from his grip, and looked directly at Riley. “I’d love to hear how exactly my private life is inappropriate.” Riley’s smile deepened. “I have evidence of you being involved with two men simultaneously, and you’re still in contact with them. Are you sure you want me to make this public? You might want to be careful about your position.” I shrugged, finding it somewhat amusing, and waited for her next move. Seeing that Marshal’s expression remained unchanged, Riley’s face darkened, and she directly projected her evidence onto the venue’s large screen. The screen at the center of the banquet hall instantly switched from playing Riley and Nathan’s romantic highlights to “evidence of my inappropriate behavior.” The first set of images showed me during my graduate studies in France, frequently interacting with a man named Alan. Although the photos didn’t capture his face clearly, we were often seen cooking together in the same house and going out. Even after two Christmases, he was still spending the night at my apartment. Anyone would assume we were in a relationship based on these scenes. Next, she displayed chat records between me and another man, Aiden, on social media. We shared daily life updates and even scheduled gaming sessions together. And on the very night I was sharing a room with Alan, Aiden confessed his feelings to me in the game. The entire venue erupted in gasps. “Oh my God, one after another—how shameless!” “Mr. Simmons was actually deceived by this kind of woman!” Riley watched the crowd’s reaction, her smile growing even wider. Then she showed my multiple travel records to France, even including images of me meeting with some man at that little cottage. The chat records kept scrolling and updating continuously. Finally, a woman couldn’t hold back and spoke up: “Mr. Simmons, you can actually tolerate this kind of thing? This woman has gone too far!” I remained calm, turned to look at Marshal beside me, who appeared slightly embarrassed, and asked with a smile, “She’s asking you—can you put up with it?” Marshal resumed his cold expression, glanced at me, and spoke slowly: “Those men—they’re all me. Anything more than that is a private matter between my wife and me, which you have no right to know. Riley, I don’t care what channels you used to get this information, but don’t let me catch you doing it again.” The entire venue fell silent. “I thought we’d see them fighting, but they’re actually so sweet together.” “I get the feeling Mr. Simmons went through great lengths to win back his wife.” “Now I finally understand why he’s always showing off. If I had worked so hard to win back my wife, I’d be bragging too.” “Young couples’ business—we wouldn’t understand.” Nathan went from shock to anticipation, and now his face was deathly pale. He rushed forward, his voice hoarse as he shouted: “Delilah, didn’t you say you only liked me, that you only wanted to be with me!”

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When I learned that my boyfriend Luca Ross was trapped in a house fire, I immediately rushed back to save him. After struggling to carry him out, I discovered it was just a mannequin. Laughter echoed from the house next door. A man said, “That idiot Chloe Roberts fell for it again.” Through the half-open window, I saw Luca lounging on the couch, playing on his phone, completely unharmed. The man continued, “That’s the 47th time we’ve gotten revenge on her. Once we hit 50, we can call it quits.” Another man chimed in, “She deserves it! She stole Ruby Mitchell’s scholarship. Ruby’s the girl Luca actually likes, so we decided to have Luca date her as revenge 50 times. Too bad there won’t be any fun left after the revenge is over.” I bent over, gasping for air. So the relationship I’d been so carefully nurturing was nothing but a game to them. ***** I stood outside the door, my whole body trembling uncontrollably. Both arms bore burn marks from the fire, too painful to move properly. I stared at the mannequin on the ground while mocking laughter continued to drift from the room. One man laughed, “Think she’ll go back to save him a second time? After all, what she carried out was just a dummy.” Another man replied, “Of course she will. Remember when we tricked her into thinking Luca was trapped at school? She smashed open every locked room. Ended up paying eighty thousand dollars in damages, just finished paying it off.” The first man laughed, “Exactly. A poor girl trying to play hero – how ridiculous.” Luca casually interrupted them, “Alright, I already called the fire department to put out the fire. Don’t actually kill her – we’re not done playing yet.” The words “not done playing” echoed in my ears like a curse, making me nearly lose my balance. It wasn’t until the paramedics lifted me onto a stretcher and put an oxygen mask over my face that I snapped back to reality. When my arm brushed against the stretcher’s edge, sharp pain shot through me, making me curl up instinctively. The attentive paramedic noticed and bent down to ask if I was in pain. Like I’d found an outlet for my emotions, my eyes immediately welled up with tears. I said, “I hurt so much.” Not just physically, but emotionally – my whole body ached unbearably. I spoke softly, yet it felt like I’d used every ounce of my strength. As consciousness faded, I closed my eyes. In my dreams, I returned to when I first met Luca. He appeared in my life like an angel, giving me love and teaching me what love meant. Luca, a privileged rich kid, not only sympathized with my orphaned background but also protected my fragile heart. I worked hard to maintain the balance in our relationship. Until sophomore year, when I ended up owing the school eighty thousand dollars trying to save him. My stubborn pride kept me from telling him about it. Eventually, he found me collapsed in the hospital from exhaustion after working three jobs a day. Luca cried heartbrokenly. His tears tore at my heart. He paid off that eighty thousand dollars for me and said he’d marry no one but me in this lifetime. Back then, my heart was full of sweetness, thinking God had finally decided to bless this unfortunate soul. But when I opened my tear-filled eyes, only my good friend Eliana Walker was there – no sign of Luca anywhere. Seeing me awake, she finally couldn’t hold back her tears. Eliana said, “Your injuries need at least two weeks to heal. Was it worth it for Luca?” I forced a smile and grabbed her hand. I said, “After two weeks, help me buy a train ticket. Anywhere will do.” As long as I could get away from Luca.

After the doctor’s examination, he confirmed I only had superficial injuries, and the hospital discharged me quickly. I immediately took a taxi back to the company to resign. The manager looked at me with a troubled expression, constantly trying to persuade me to stay. Seeing my firm attitude, he could only sigh. At that moment, Luca called, his tone somewhat cold. “You want to resign?” he asked. I was somewhat surprised. “How did you know?” Looking at the manager pressing his forehead, I understood immediately. “This company belongs to your family, doesn’t it?” I asked. I clenched my fists tightly, my mind in complete chaos. This explained all the difficulties I’d encountered at the company. No wonder I was always assigned all the dirty and exhausting work. No wonder I’d completed several major projects and consistently ranked first in performance, yet never received any bonuses. No wonder everyone looked at me with contempt and excluded me from every activity. I should have gotten used to being isolated all these years. I was honest and just wanted a job so I could pay off my debts and then switch companies. But thinking that all of this was Luca’s arrangement made me feel cold all over, almost unable to breathe. Seeing my silence, Luca let out a cold laugh. “I know I shouldn’t have hidden this from you initially, but you never wanted to let me help you. I could only do this behind the scenes. This isn’t my fault,” he said. I couldn’t help but question him, “So everyone in the company knows I got in through my connection with you. Have you ever thought about what kind of life I’ve been living at the company?” Luca avoided my question, clearly acknowledging it. “I’ll just explain things for you at the company. It’s not a big deal,” he said. “You don’t need to explain anything. I’m resigning,” I insisted. Luca grew somewhat impatient, his voice getting louder. “Do you really have to obsess over that bit of pride that nobody cares about? If it weren’t for me, how could you possibly be living such a good life now?” he said. At that moment, a sweet woman’s voice came through the phone, asking when he could finish the call. Luca said hastily, “Alright. I’ll come find you later.” The call ended abruptly. I didn’t take his words to heart and decisively returned to my desk to pack up my things before leaving the company. As I walked into the alley I had to pass through to get home, a blonde man suddenly appeared before me. He whistled and said, “Hey beautiful, where are you headed?” I recognized that voice. He was one of the people who had mocked me before. I gripped my bag tightly and turned to run back. But after just a few steps, I stopped immediately. I was blocked from both front and back. Before I could react, a hand suddenly grabbed my hair and yanked it back hard. Sleazy laughter came from above my head. A man said, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll all take good ‘care’ of you.” At the front of the alley, dim lighting illuminated a man wearing a mask. The alcohol on his breath made my head ache. His hands roamed over my body, then tightly embraced my waist. “Your waist is so soft,” he said with a laugh. I suppressed the urge to vomit and lifted my foot to kick hard upward. “Get away from me!” I roared. The masked man groaned and released my waist. Seeing me struggle, the blonde man used his other hand to grab my throat directly, shouting at the man on the ground, “Hurry up and strip off her clothes, then take some photos.” After the masked man recovered, he slapped me hard across the face. “How dare you kick me!” he said. The two of them pressed me against the wall together. I watched as my clothes were stripped down to just my underwear, tears streaming down uncontrollably. “Ah!” A scream rang out. The force holding me down suddenly disappeared. I opened my eyes to see a jacket thrown over me, covering me up. After hearing the sound of fists hitting flesh, I heard Luca say coldly, “Get lost!” I crouched against the wall. Luca pulled aside the jacket and helped me put my clothes back on with his head down. When he looked up, his eyes were red. “I’m sorry, I came too late,” he said. Luca tried to pick me up, but I pushed him away. I supported myself against the wall, stood up shakily, and slowly walked forward. Luca remained silent, just following behind me. As I walked, I fainted. I don’t know how much time passed before I groggily woke up to hear Luca arguing with someone. “Can’t you ask for my opinion before you take action? She’s my woman, at least,” he said. A man said, “We knew she yelled at you this afternoon, so we thought we’d have some fun with her. What’s wrong? You’re not actually falling for her, are you?” Luca’s voice suddenly got louder, “How is that possible? She’s the person I hate most in this lifetime.” Then I heard a “bang,” like he’d punched the wall. Luca continued, “Anyway, you’re not allowed to act recklessly anymore. Follow my orders.” After saying this, he suddenly walked in. I didn’t have time to close my eyes and made eye contact with him. I saw his face instantly turn pale. “Did you hear everything?” Luca asked.

“What?” I feigned confusion. Luca breathed a sigh of relief. After that, I became cold and distant, turning over to get up. I said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head home now.” Luca grabbed my hand and pressed down on my shoulder, making me lie back down. He said, “This is my bedroom. You should rest here.” Of course I knew this was Luca’s bedroom, because there was still a photo of him and Ruby on the nightstand. They were both wearing high school uniforms, smiling so brightly, so radiantly. Luca and I had been together for five years, and forget about taking photos together—whenever I wanted to take a picture of him as a keepsake, he would immediately snatch my phone away and angrily shout, “Don’t you dare take photos from now on. I hate having my picture taken.” Luca followed my gaze and immediately rushed forward to flip the photo face down on the table, then frantically explained, “This girl is Ruby. She’s your college classmate and also my cousin. Don’t overthink it.” “Okay.” I responded dismissively. Luca froze, unable to help asking, “Don’t you have anything else you want to know?” I looked up, staring at him intently, my clenched fingers digging into my palms as a trace of indescribable hope flashed through my heart. I asked, “Is there anything you want to explain?” Luca opened his mouth, a hint of irritation crossing his expression. We both knew something had changed between us, right after that fire that was meant to torment me. I was being too compliant. If this were before, I would have kept asking Luca why he took photos with her but not with me. Luca would probably have gotten into a big fight with me. The end result would have been no photo taken, me crying heartbrokenly, and him leaving the house in an irritated mood. A silence spread between us. Then, a woman’s voice came from nearby, breaking the quiet: “Luca, I heard Chloe came to your place, so I came to check on things.” I hadn’t expected to see Ruby again at Luca’s house. She was even more beautiful than when I’d seen her in college, dressed head to toe in luxury brands, with dimples when she smiled. Without even looking at myself, I knew I looked far more disheveled than her, covered in injuries. I forced a smile and said, “Ruby, long time no see.” Before Ruby could say anything, Luca grabbed her hand and led her outside. The soundproofing in this room wasn’t very good. I heard Luca ask in a low voice, “What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you two not to meet?” Ruby’s aggrieved voice came from outside: “But you haven’t talked to me for twenty-four hours. I heard them say you brought her to your house. You never used to bring her here, and didn’t you say before that only I could sleep in your bed?” I froze, unable to believe my ears. The stinging sensation in my eyes couldn’t help but well up as I covered my mouth with trembling hands. I heard Luca quietly scold, “Keep your voice down. What if she hears us?” Ruby paused, and though her voice became quieter, it sounded even more aggrieved: “You’re actually getting angry at me because of her.” Their conversation was so quiet, so quiet that I had to strain to hear it. But the sound of Luca kissing her was loud. Luca said, “Be good, just wait a little longer for me, okay?” Ruby sniffled, and after a moment of silence said, “In a few days, I’m having my birthday party on a cruise ship. You have to stay with me the whole time, and make her come too. I want to break her heart badly on that cruise, make her watch with her own eyes as the person she likes gets close to me. Finally, I’ll say the ship is in trouble and put her on a small boat I’ve prepared.” Luca’s voice turned somewhat cold: “What are you trying to do?” Ruby snorted coldly and said, “I want her to completely cut ties with us and drift away alone.” “She could get hurt that way.” Ruby grew anxious and questioned him: “Didn’t you say you’d do anything for me? What do you mean now? Besides, she can swim—what are you afraid of?” “Fine, I promise you. Don’t be mad.” Luca coaxed her gently. I heard their footsteps getting closer and immediately returned to bed, lying down. The door opened, and Ruby came in with a bright smile on her face, jogging over to check on me with concern. Then she said eagerly: “Chloe, I’m having my birthday party on a cruise ship in three days. Will you come?” Luca stood nearby without saying a word, his face dark. I smiled and said: “Sure, after all, we haven’t seen each other in a long time.” So you want me to disappear in front of you both? I’ll make it happen. The three days passed faster than I expected. Ruby’s birthday party was grand, with all kinds of people gathered on the cruise ship. Just as she said, she made a dazzling entrance, arm in arm with Luca, walking out slowly amid everyone’s praise of “they’re such a perfect match.” All the contemptuous looks fell on me, and mocking laughter came from around me. I ignored it, just getting a bit impatient from waiting. The party was proceeding normally when suddenly someone shouted: “Fire!” People on the cruise ship began running everywhere. I was pushed onto the deck by the crowd. Ruby immediately rushed over and grabbed my hand, saying urgently: “Chloe, jump onto that boat first.” Looking at the small boat specially prepared for me, I jumped down without hesitation. After a moment of dizziness, I heard laughter from the ship above. Someone shouted: “Look everyone, that idiot Chloe actually jumped!” I raised my head and looked at them quietly. The ship’s edge was crowded with people, each wearing the same mocking expression. Ruby slowly raised a pair of scissors and, amid everyone’s jeering and under my gaze, cut the rope connecting the small boat to the cruise ship. She said: “Idiot, drift away by yourself.” As soon as she finished speaking, I saw Luca running frantically from behind. He pushed everyone aside and desperately tried to grab the falling rope, but missed. Luca roared: “Are you all insane? Chloe will really die this way! There’s a bomb on that boat!” Hearing his words, I turned to look at the countdown displayed on the bomb and smiled. The sea breeze tousled my hair. Looking at Luca’s anxious expression at this moment, I found it ridiculous. After being deceived by him for so long, I could finally play him for once. I smiled and said: “Luca, are you satisfied with this forty-seventh revenge?” The sea breeze carried away most of my voice, but I knew Luca definitely heard me. He stood there stunned. Taking advantage of his daze, I walked toward the cabin without hesitation. With a bang, flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the surroundings. I whispered: “Goodbye, Luca.”

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I never expected that when my grandfather asked me to choose one of the Johnson brothers for marriage, I would pick Ethan, Caleb’s older brother. Everyone knew I had been Caleb’s shadow since childhood. I once made myself deathly ill, begging to marry him with my life. I smiled bitterly, remembering my past life. On our wedding day, Caleb ran away with Lily, the girl my family had been supporting, declaring he would marry no one but her. I stood there in the wedding dress I had dreamed of for so long, utterly humiliated. Only then did I realize he had agreed to marry me just to get revenge at the wedding. After being reborn, I started avoiding him at every turn. Later, when his brother Ethan held me in his arms and kissed me until my lips were swollen, Caleb, who had always looked down on me, suddenly lost control of his emotions. **** After setting the wedding date, I started preparing things we’d need for the ceremony. I didn’t expect to run into Caleb and his friends at the mall. “Coming out to play and still keeping such a close eye on her. Caleb, you’re watching your woman way too tightly,” his friend teased, causing Caleb to frown in annoyance. “She’s not my woman. Say that again and I’ll sew your mouth shut.” Caleb spotted me from afar and walked over, clearly displeased. “Aria, when will you give it a rest? Why do you have to follow me everywhere I go?” “You forced the elders to tie us together. Now everyone knows you’re marrying into the Johnson family. Are you satisfied now?” I stayed silent for a moment, my expression calm. “I’m not trying to tie myself to you. You’ve misunderstood.” His emotions suddenly flared up as he gripped my wrist tightly, causing pain. “Then why are you here? Aren’t you just stalking me?” I shook off his hand, instinctively rubbing my reddened wrist as I explained: “I’m here to prepare things for the wedding. I didn’t expect to run into you.” Seeing our unhappy expressions, his friends quickly gathered around. “Preparing for the wedding? Caleb, marrying her sure is convenient – you don’t have to prepare anything yourself.” Caleb glared at the speaker without responding. “Aria, don’t think that just because our families arranged this marriage, you can use these tactics to get me.” “Even if you get my body, you’ll never have my heart. I despise manipulative, vicious women like you the most.” His eyes were cold, his voice suppressing anger. But I felt nothing, only wanting to escape this troublesome situation. I looked up and met his gaze calmly: “Who wants your heart? Don’t flatter yourself. I won’t be marrying you either.” Hearing this, Caleb’s face immediately fell. “How can you still deny it at this point? You’ve always used every trick to force me to marry you. Now that you’ve finally succeeded, you’re saying you won’t marry me…” His friend bumped his shoulder: “Caleb, can’t you tell? The little lady is just mad at you. She’s saying that out of anger.” “She’s personally out choosing things for the wedding. How can she be happy when you’re being so cold and sarcastic to her?” Caleb’s expression finally softened a bit. He stared at me with a complex look, finally forcing out a sentence after a long pause. “I’ll show up for the wedding on time, but like I said, don’t expect me to ever like you.” Suddenly there was a sound of something dropping behind us. Caleb and I turned to see Lily standing there in shock, wearing a cute sundress. She was the foster child my family had been supporting. With poor health, she was a frequent hospital patient. My mother felt bad about her poor living conditions and took her in to live with us. She was now dressed up like a delicate doll, with fluttering eyelashes over watery eyes. Caleb immediately let go of me and rushed over to her. “Lily, let me explain. It’s not what you think.” Lily covered her face and ran off, not giving him a chance to explain. Everyone dispersed unhappily after Lily left. Before leaving, Caleb threatened me harshly. “If Lily gets upset over this, I won’t let you off easy.” I laughed mockingly, for a moment doubting if the childhood friend I grew up with had been possessed by someone else.

After that whole scene, I lost interest in continuing to shop and went home early. It wasn’t until evening that Caleb brought Lily back. He was carrying bags of things, with his driver following behind carrying several boxes. The boxes were filled with expensive fruits and imported snacks. It was clear Caleb had bought a lot to appease Lily. When they came in, I was curled up on the couch watching TV. I deliberately didn’t look Caleb’s way, but he came over on his own. At first he didn’t speak, just pursing his lips as if waiting for my reaction. But I kept my eyes fixed on the TV, not even glancing his way. “Aria, you clearly saw me bring in all these things. Why didn’t you come help?” I gave him an indifferent look: “Why should I help you? The stuff wasn’t bought for me. What does it have to do with me?” His expression darkened: “If you want something just say so. If word gets out that my fiancée is so desperate for a few trinkets, people will laugh at me.” Caleb completely ignored what I’d said at the mall. I couldn’t be bothered to keep emphasizing to him that I wouldn’t marry him. He’d understand completely on the wedding day. Caleb casually picked up a box of blueberries and tossed it next to me. Due to the force, the box bounced off the couch and fell to the floor. “A reward for you. Don’t say I mistreat you.” I looked down at the box of blueberries, but had no desire to pick it up. Because if I did, I’d be like a begging dog, eagerly accepting Caleb’s handouts. I don’t need that kind of charity. I curled my lips in a cold smile: “You’re quite at home in my house. Don’t you have any sense of being a guest? Don’t embarrass your family’s upbringing.” We’d grown up together and were certainly familiar with each other’s homes. I’d never said such insulting words before. Caleb’s face turned red with anger. He looked at me like he wanted to eat me alive. My parents weren’t home yet, and the staff were busy with their own tasks. Only Caleb, Lily and I were left in the living room. Caleb acted like I didn’t exist, pressing Lily against the wall and giving her a quick kiss. He murmured: “Lily, in the future if anything upsets you, just tell me directly. Don’t let it hurt your health.” Lily’s coquettish voice reached my ears. “I know. Caleb always treats me the best.” As Lily responded to him, the two started kissing passionately, their intimate sounds making one blush. I turned off the TV and walked around the couch, deliberately taking a path farther from them to reach the stairs, intending to return to my room. When I was halfway up the stairs, Caleb suddenly opened his eyes, remembering there was another person present. He instinctively pushed Lily away. Lily didn’t notice his change, just reluctantly ending the kiss. Finally Lily looked up at me, her eyes full of provocation and disdain, as if showing off her victory. Back in my room, I received a message from Lily. [Sister, even though Caleb promised you a wedding, the title of Mrs. Johnson will only ever be mine.] [Aria, whatever outcome you got in your past life, you’ll get the same this life. You can’t beat me.]

Seeing this message, my heart suddenly skipped a beat. So I wasn’t the only one who had been reborn. In my past life, after Caleb accepted the engagement, I thought he had been moved by my sincerity. After all, I had chased after him for over a decade. Even a rock should have been warmed up by now, right? I never expected that he only accepted the marriage to thoroughly humiliate me at the wedding. In front of all the guests, he tightly held Lily’s hand. He announced to everyone that he could never marry me, that Lily was the only one he loved and would marry in this life. I was utterly humiliated, standing alone in my wedding dress, trapped in awkward emotions. Everyone in our social circle knew how much I liked him. I had even made myself deathly ill, just to get my parents to agree to an engagement with the Johnson family. I had lowered myself so much, shaming myself and my parents, only to be repaid with Caleb’s revenge. He resented me for using my family’s status to force an engagement, making him and Lily separate. I also passed away from illness. I never want to experience that kind of suffering again. So after being reborn, I gave up on Caleb and chose his brother Ethan instead. But I never expected that this time, my marriage to Ethan would proceed so smoothly. There were no obstacles. I just had to wait patiently for the wedding next month to arrive on schedule. In my past life, Ethan had always worked abroad and never married. Everyone thought he had some unspeakable issue. Even my grandfather asked me to confirm again when he heard I decided to marry Ethan. Was I really sure I wanted to marry Ethan? I nodded. Even if he had some physical problem, so what? If I had to choose between them, a life of mutual respect was far better than one full of scars. The next day, I went to the jeweler to pick up the wedding rings for Ethan and me. But the staff informed me that the rings had already been taken by Mr. Caleb Johnson. This jewelry store was under the Johnson Group. If Caleb wanted to take them, the staff couldn’t stop him. Out of all the couples’ rings, he just had to take my wedding rings. Anger suddenly flared up inside me, because those rings were my own design. Since childhood, I’d had a dream of wearing rings I designed myself at my wedding to the man I loved. In the past, I thought the man wearing the matching ring would be Caleb. But now that the groom had changed, I’d torn up that old design and made a new one specially for Ethan. Yet Caleb had snatched them away. Just as I was about to call Caleb to demand an explanation, I suddenly saw Lily’s new post on social media. [A one-of-a-kind ring from my beloved.] The photo showed her and Caleb wearing the rings I had designed. People flooded the comments with congratulations. My eyes unconsciously welled up with tears. Even if the arranged marriage had once troubled Caleb, I had already backed out in time and given him his freedom. Why did he have to keep humiliating me, and even let Lily take my wedding rings? I couldn’t wait another second. I didn’t want to argue with Caleb over the phone. So I took a cab straight to Caleb’s office. Caleb wasn’t in his office. But Lily was there. When she saw me, her eyes showed no surprise. As if she had expected I would come demand an explanation. Lily kept fiddling with the ring on her finger, occasionally pouting. “Sister, what do you think of the ring Caleb gave me?” She shook her head as she spoke. “I think it’s ugly as sin, but since Caleb gave it to me, I love it.” “I love anything he gives me.” Hearing her words, I couldn’t help but clench my fists. “Sister, do you think if I wear this ring to your wedding, I’ll steal your spotlight?” “After all, the diamond Caleb gave me is definitely bigger than whatever ring you’ll have.” Something snapped in my mind. I rushed forward to grab the ring from her hand. So Lily and I ended up in a tussle. The moment I got the ring off her finger, I felt a sharp blow to my waist. Someone kicked me hard, sending me sprawling on the ground in pain so intense I could barely breathe. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes as I stubbornly turned my head, gritting my teeth as I glared at the petite woman now cradled in Caleb’s arms. “You crazy woman, how dare you lay hands on Lily? Don’t you know her health is fragile?” The pain spreading up from my waist was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. Caleb didn’t bother scolding me further, focused on comforting the distraught Lily. “Caleb, I can’t believe it. If you hadn’t arrived in time, would my sister have beaten me to death?” His gaze fell on Lily as he gently wiped away her tears, his movements tender and attentive. Caleb’s brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes rimmed with red. “Lily, don’t worry. I won’t let that crazy woman near you alone again.” “I won’t allow anyone to hurt you. Even if it’s the Wilson family’s daughter, I’ll turn against them if they so much as touch a hair on your head.” Caleb really went to extremes for Lily’s sake. Many people at Johnson Group knew me, including his secretary. The secretary helped me up, but Caleb angrily berated her. “Who said you could help her? Go to accounting and get your final paycheck. Don’t come in tomorrow.” The secretary stood there stunned before reluctantly leaving the office. I clutched my waist, my face flushed red. Just thinking about this humiliating situation made me want to cry. I laughed mockingly at myself. Each laugh blurred my vision a little more with unshed tears. He fired his secretary who helped me without a second thought. Did Caleb really hate me to this extent? “Crazy woman, you still have the nerve to laugh?” Caleb demanded: “I told you I would never like you. So why do you keep hurting the person I love?” I stubbornly refused to back down: “Are you blind? She’s the one who stole my things!” Caleb hesitated for a moment, but after glancing at Lily’s pitiful expression, he impatiently scolded me: “It’s just a ring. It was meant for me anyway. What’s wrong with her having it since it was meant for me!” I sneered: “You must not have a mirror, or even a puddle to look in. Check yourself – your ego is way too big!” I almost blurted out that the ring was meant for Ethan. But I suddenly remembered Ethan would be back tonight. I would thoroughly humiliate Caleb at the family dinner. I pressed a hand to my waist, each step difficult and painful. His voice came from behind me: “Come to the family dinner on your own tonight. I don’t have time to pick you up.” I left the office without looking back, a faint smile still on my lips. Laughing at his conceit, and even more at my own pathetic state. It’s fine. I don’t need him to pick me up. He’ll understand soon enough that my life will have nothing to do with him from now on.

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