Asher, the billionaire CEO, had yet another heated argument with the woman who had always held a special place in his heart. On the most intense day of their quarrel, Asher made a bold declaration in front of everyone: he was determined to find someone more compliant and sweet than his cherished one. The very next day, Asher approached me: “Interested in dating? I’ll pay you a hundred thousand a month.” And so, I stayed by Asher’s side, playing the role of his sweet and agreeable girlfriend. Those around us were curious to see how long this emotional gamble would last. I was waiting too. Yet, three months, then six months passed, and Asher still hadn’t ended things with me. It was on our anniversary that his beloved professed her love with a grand city-wide display of roses. Asher suggested we part ways. I quietly accepted and immediately flew overseas to pursue my research. Three months later, having successfully completed my project, I returned home. That night, Asher confronted me at the airport: “Really? I let you go, and you just left, disappearing for three months without a word?” I smiled. I’ve always been the most compliant. Since I agreed to break up, I would never look back.

Adeline opened the private room door, and I wasn’t surprised. Ever since she returned to the country these past few months, we had met quite a few times. “Asher, haven’t you had enough fun yet?” Today, Adeline was clearly not in a friendly mood. She toyed with her big, wavy hair, sitting directly across from us, her gaze mocking as it landed on me: “Dating a girl without means, is it really that fresh and interesting?” The hand on my waist tightened slightly, and Asher’s casual voice drifted over: “Fun? Our Sage is gentle and understanding, very likable. Unlike some people, always making a scene and being a nuisance.” Adeline’s face turned sour. The atmosphere was tense. Eventually, their friends stepped in to ease the situation. “Okay, okay, it’s my birthday today, give me some face. Ash, have another drink.” Asher didn’t touch his glass, his slightly raised eyebrows glanced at me. I belatedly realized, clinging to his arm, softly and sweetly pleaded: “Ash, don’t drink too much, I don’t like it when you drink too much alcohol.” “Sage, Ash is the heaviest drinker among us, don’t mind him just drinking so much, this is just the beginning…” “Alright.” With that one word, Adeline’s expression became even more dramatic. Asher smirked, his voice low: “Sorry, my Sage doesn’t want me to drink too much. I’m done for today, you guys have fun.” Under everyone’s surprised and astonished gaze, Asher took me home. As soon as we got through the door, he kissed me, tasting of alcohol. His lips and tongue coaxed mine, Asher murmured indistinctly: “Sage, you really are something.”

I am the most compliant girlfriend Asher has ever had. Initially, Asher chose me for that reason alone. Back then, Asher and Adeline had their biggest argument. The childhood sweethearts had been bickering since high school. Occasionally passing by their classroom, I could hear many rumors. One day in college, I heard gossip that they finally broke the ice and got together. But the good times didn’t last long. Adeline was spoiled from a young age, with a bad temper. Small arguments every three days, big ones every five, were routine. Asher’s patience and gentleness at the beginning eventually ran out when he discovered Adeline planned to secretly meet a foreign male friend online. Later, his friends told me they almost trashed a bar that night. In his anger, Asher made a harsh statement. “Adeline, if you want to make a scene, go ahead, but we’re done. Without you, there are plenty of sweet and compliant girls waiting for me.” The next day, Asher stopped me on my way to the lab. “You’re Sage, right?” He looked at me, a hint of lingering animosity in his eyes: “Want to date? I’ll pay you a hundred thousand a month.” I stopped, a bit confused, looking at Asher. We didn’t know each other, despite being in the same high school and then college, our only contact before was just once. Plus, my reputation at school wasn’t great. Picking up trash in high school, working every spare moment in college to earn money. People called me impoverished, some even avoided sitting near me in class, covering their noses and gossiping. I was soft-spoken and had no temper. It sounded nice to say compliant and understanding, but at the core, it was just being poor for so long that I lost a lot of things. “What?” I asked Asher uncertainly. His brow furrowed slightly: “I said, date me, you can name your price.” Actually, I heard clearly. A hundred thousand a month to buy my practically worthless affection. I didn’t hesitate, even though I knew it might just be a prank by the rich kids to pass the time, I agreed without looking back. The fear of being poor far outweighed anything else.

I had prepared myself to be played by Asher. Even his friends thought the same. They were waiting, waiting for Asher’s passing whim to end, and for him to break up with me. But a month passed, three months passed, even half a year passed. I was still by Asher’s side. “Breathe, Sage.” His lazy voice came to my ear. His warm hand slid down my waist, Asher frowned slightly: “Is that another one of your nine-dollar free shipping purchases?” “…No.” My voice paused, unconsciously trembling: “This one is from you.” During my time with Asher, in the eyes of this rich kid, all my clothes boiled down to one word. Cheap. He couldn’t even comprehend how clothes could be nine dollars with free shipping in this world. A rich kid surrounded by wealth wouldn’t understand the struggles of ordinary people. ” Tsk.” Asher sighed, then kissed my ear: “This outfit doesn’t suit you, don’t wear it next time.” “Okay.” I understood what Asher meant. No matter how good the clothes were, on me, they seemed like cheap goods. I felt a bit exhausted. The money I intended to earn from Asher was about enough, I never planned to rely on him forever. Now that I had a formal job, with more research projects ahead, I couldn’t keep playing pretend with Asher like in college. So, I asked Asher if I could stay in the dorm. Asher looked slightly surprised, disapprovingly at me: “Reason?” I couldn’t very well say I didn’t want to be a part of his and Adeline’s play anymore. “Too much research, I can’t keep up.” Asher didn’t ask further, considering it tacit approval.

I was genuinely busy. Almost living in the lab. Until Asher’s call came, I belatedly realized. His birthday was coming up. “Did you forget?” Asher’s voice on the other end was a bit deep. I didn’t dare admit it, quickly covering: “No, just finishing up a bit, I’ll be there soon.” “I’m already outside your research institute.” With that, Asher hung up. I hurriedly wrapped up with my senior, and as I left the lab, I felt a bit of low blood sugar. Almost losing my balance, my senior steadied me: “Are you okay?” “I’m fine, thank you…” “Sage!” Asher’s angry voice interrupted my conversation with my senior. I was forcibly dragged into the car by Asher. The door locked, I was met with his cold, terrifyingly angry face: “No wonder you didn’t want to live with me, you found someone new.” “No.” I shook my head, softly explaining: “I haven’t been eating well lately, just a bit of low blood sugar, my senior was just being kind helping me.” “Really?” Asher’s face didn’t look any better. Honestly, I didn’t understand why Asher was angry. He didn’t like me, if I had someone new, wouldn’t he be happier to break up with me directly? Or perhaps, his and Adeline’s play wasn’t over, and he wouldn’t allow me to bow out early. Understanding his anger, I continued: “Really, Ash, don’t be mad, there’s nothing between my senior and me.” Asher’s expression slightly softened, but he still bit into my neck, leaving a mark. It was so visible, even covered with foundation, it wasn’t hidden. By the time we arrived at the party, Asher had already dressed me up. There were many people, including Adeline. “Wow, Ash, Sage looks really pretty today, you’re so lucky.” His friends generously praised me. Asher’s mood evidently improved, holding my waist, he hummed lightly. “Our Sage, naturally the best looking.” Not at all, earlier when picking an evening gown, his brow furrowed, carefully selecting one that matched my temperament. I stayed silent, obediently smiling, quietly staying by Asher’s side. Soon, Adeline couldn’t sit still. She approached us in her heels, arrogantly handing over a gift box: “Asher, this is your birthday gift from me, carefully chosen, much better than some people’s trash.”

Actually, Adeline got it wrong. I even forgot to prepare a gift. And clearly, Asher didn’t care whether I prepared one or not. “Just put it there.” Asher indifferently glanced up. Adeline got even angrier: “Do you even know what she used to do? In high school, there was a girl who picked up trash every day, like a beggar with a stench all over, do you know who that was?” Stepping confidently in her high heels, she haughtily presented a gift box: “Asher, here’s your birthday present. I carefully selected it, and it’s definitely better than some people’s worthless offerings.” Adeline was actually mistaken. I hadn’t even bothered to prepare any worthless offerings. Clearly, Asher didn’t care whether I brought a gift or not. “Just leave it there.” Asher glanced up indifferently. Adeline’s anger flared: “Do you even know what she used to do? Back in high school, there was this girl who collected junk every day, smelling like a beggar. Do you know who it was?” My body trembled slightly. It wasn’t my fault that my family was poor. My parents left when I was in middle school, leaving only my elderly grandmother. As a high school student without any means of earning, collecting scrap to sell was my only way to make money. I never thought it was shameful, yet they used it repeatedly to humiliate me. “She’s the Sage by your side, you know!” Adeline spat furiously. “To spite me, you’ve sunk so low as to be with a girl who collects junk?” I remained silent, looking at Asher. I didn’t even know what I was hoping for. Perhaps I hoped Asher would defend my dignity a little at this moment, just like that one encounter in high school. Back then, with bloodstained pants, I was awkwardly pressed against a wall, surrounded by people pointing and laughing at me. “Poor thing, can’t even afford sanitary pads?” “Ha, a junk collector. What, never found unused ones in the trash?” I was frozen, wanting to escape but blocked at every turn. Until a young man holding a basketball approached. His large jacket covered my head, his voice lazy yet warning: “Get lost, haven’t seen a girl before, or does your family not have a mom?” The crowd dispersed. Asher didn’t look at me, just left with: “Hurry and clean up, no need to return the jacket.” The incident was small, and Asher probably forgot. But I always remembered. Now the same embarrassment reappeared, and I tightened my grip on Asher’s shirt. But Asher just coldly faced the woman: “Adeline, I’d rather be with someone who collects junk than get back with you. Don’t you think you’re pathetic?” Junk collector. Asher said I was a junk collector. No rebuttal, no defense. He silently accepted it, blatantly showing the huge gap between us to everyone. The privileged guy and the poor girl. Once upon a time, Asher was no longer the light in my memory. Or maybe, from the beginning, it was just a filter of old feelings for Asher. I couldn’t keep up the act anymore. The crowd jeered, but Adeline’s face was ghostly pale. Right. I vaguely remembered. At Asher’s last birthday party, Adeline brought eight male models to the private room out of spite, making Asher furious. Now, a year later, Asher wanted revenge. After driving Adeline away, Asher leaned over, casually lowering his voice: “Sage, where’s my birthday gift? Hmm?”

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I know my birth was a mistake. My mother stood in for a wealthy heiress. After not finding love, she orchestrated my conception and was sent to a mental hospital. Before she passed away, she held my hand and said, “Don’t be like me, Adeline. You need to live a life more brilliant than mine.” Later, as I huddled in the corner clutching expired bread, four men stormed in with eyes burning red. My financier father handed me a platinum card. “Five million a month as an allowance, but don’t expect me to call you daughter.” Three brothers blocked the door, sneering, “With your tainted blood, you think you’re fit to be part of the Thompson family?” I turned my life around, entered a talent show, and shot to fame, starring in films that grossed ten billion. During a live stream, my childhood friend declared, “Adeline deserves the best love in the world.” On a stormy day, the four men knelt outside the villa, pleading, “Adeline, come home, please look at us.” I huddled in the corner with expired bread. The room in the orphanage was very dark, and I was afraid to sleep alone. I don’t know how long it was before the door opened. A man I didn’t recognize was looking at me, followed by three older boys. One of the boys glanced at me coldly and said, “Dad, she looks just like you.” I shrank further into the corner. I recognized the man. My mom said Dad looked just like me. But I didn’t dare call him that because Mom said Dad hated me. If he saw me, he would definitely kill me. Thinking of this, I quickly lowered my head. The man in front was very tall, his leather shoes creaking on the floor. He called out to me, “Adeline?” I shook my head desperately. Mom had said never to admit to that name. The boy in the blue shirt suddenly sneered, “Dad, is she an idiot who doesn’t even know her own name?” The other two boys laughed along. They were handsome, just like Dad. One of them kicked an empty can by my feet. “Dad, it’s disgusting to see her eating garbage.” The tip of a leather shoe hit my toe, causing pain. Dad reached out and pinched my chin. His nails scratched me painfully, but I didn’t dare move. I always knew my birth was a mistake. My mother stood in for a wealthy heiress. After not finding love, she orchestrated my conception and was sent to a mental hospital. Everyone said I was illegitimate. “Her mouth and nose are just like mine,” Dad said, suddenly letting go. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers vigorously. “Filthy.” “Dad, can we go now?” one brother urged. “I have a tennis game with friends.” The boy in blue grabbed the back of my collar and lifted me up. I couldn’t make a sound as it choked me. They didn’t even let me take that leftover bread. When the car stopped in front of a white villa, I nervously pinched my palm. Just now in the car, Dad introduced these three brothers. The oldest is named Jasper, the second Declan, and the third Finn. They are my half-brothers. “Get out!” Someone pushed me, and I stumbled onto the cobblestone path. The air was filled with the scent of grass, and the fountain’s water splashed coolly on my face. “Country bumpkin,” Declan looked at me with disdain. “I heard you don’t even know how to use a toilet?” “Declan,” Jasper, the one with glasses, coughed softly, “watch what you say. After all, she was picked up from the slums.” I clutched the wrinkled corner of my clothes, feeling a bit embarrassed, and lowered my head. “Get inside,” Dad tossed the platinum card on the entryway cabinet. “Nanny Johnson, take her for a bath.” The hot water from the shower startled me. So, bathwater can be warm, and towels can be as soft as clouds. I stared at myself in the mirror, unable to resist touching the nightgown on my body. Such soft clothes… “Hey, what are you dawdling for?” Finn’s impatient voice came from outside the door. I hurried out, “Sorry, brother, it’s Adeline’s first time using a bathtub, it took too long.” The chandelier in the dining room was beautiful. I looked at the fork and knife in front of me, unsure of what to do. Do I have to use a fork and knife to eat? “Going to eat with your hands?” Finn sneered from his chair. “Well, in the orphanage, you only had expired bread, right?” Father slammed the knife and fork down heavily. “Finn, don’t talk while eating.” I mimicked their grip on the knife, but the steak slid off the plate with a “whoosh.” Sauce splattered on Declan’s white sleeve, and he jumped up as if electrocuted. “Do you know how expensive this shirt is? Figures, a country bumpkin who can’t even use utensils.” “Declan,” Jasper suddenly raised his voice, “stop it, isn’t the house noisy enough already?” I stared at the beef on my plate. It smelled so good… Suddenly, someone took my knife and fork. Jasper had somehow circled behind me. He took the knife and fork, and the steak obediently cut into small pieces. “Got it?” I was just about to say thank you when Jasper spoke again. His voice was cold, “Not knowing how to use a knife and fork is embarrassing for the Thompson family…” I felt like crying, Dad, and my brothers didn’t like me. But I held back my tears. Mom said no one likes a crying child. I chewed the meat in my mouth, unable to taste it. But the long-lost warmth in my stomach made my nose tingle; it was the first hot meal I’d had in six months.

Dad arranged for me to live in the attic. Although it only had a small window, I could see the beautiful flowers in the yard. Except for mealtime, I could only stay in the small attic. If I behaved and polished my brothers’ shoes, they occasionally took me out. Though tiring, it was much better than the orphanage. Today, they were in a good mood and willing to take me to the mall. Declan’s voice was harsh, “Adeline, if you dare touch anything, don’t expect dinner tonight.” Seeing me silent, he grabbed my ear again, “Deaf? Answer me!” I shivered, lowered my head, and whispered, “Got it, Declan.” He snorted coldly, “Don’t call me Declan, you’re just an outsider.” I sat quietly in the corner, nodding obediently, but I was starving. The smell of roasted chestnuts and meat pies made my mouth water. My stomach growled. Suddenly, I heard a “ding.” It was a piano. Before Mom passed, she taught me how to play the piano. A cleaning lady was wiping the piano bench, and I was drawn over as if by magic. I wanted to touch it, just once. I couldn’t help but play the tune Mom often played for me. I forgot what it was called. I felt like crying, unsure if the melody was too moving or if I just missed Mom. “Stupid girl!” Someone suddenly grabbed my ear, and Declan dragged me off the piano bench. “Didn’t I tell you not to wander? You dare touch things!” Many people around were discussing something. I couldn’t hear clearly. Declan yanked my hair and shoved me into the car. It hurt, but I didn’t dare cry. If I cried, there’d be no food. I was locked in the attic. The smell of food wafted from the kitchen, making me so hungry I wanted to cry. A servant secretly tossed me a bun, and I gobbled it up. I suddenly missed Mom a lot. Why did she have to leave me so soon?

The temperature dropped at night, and I had no thick clothes, so I curled up under a thin blanket. The next morning, my throat ached. Cold wind blew in through the window, and I wrapped myself tighter. I felt dizzy and didn’t leave my room all day. Half-awake, I heard someone angrily calling me. Declan kicked open my door with a “bang.” He stormed to my bed with a broken guitar. “Adeline, are you trying to get yourself killed?” I hurriedly propped myself up, not knowing why he was so angry. “Declan, what’s wrong?” “Still playing dumb?” He grabbed my collar and dragged me off the bed. My knee hit the floor hard. “The guitar has bread crumbs on it. Everyone knows you love bread.” “Yesterday when I played the guitar, I saw you hovering around. Don’t think I didn’t notice!” “How could it be such a coincidence?” He grabbed my trembling hand. “The evidence is clear, what are you pretending for?” I shook my head desperately, my voice hoarse. “It wasn’t me, I didn’t leave my room all day, I really didn’t touch the guitar…” “Yesterday, I watched you play the guitar, just admiring, not lurking.” Finn leaned against the doorframe, sneering, “Hands and feet raised in the slums are dirty. Not enough to steal, now you learn to destroy?” “Declan, isn’t your guitar limited edition? Make her pay, after all, Dad gave her the platinum card.” I argued loudly, “I didn’t steal anything, and I didn’t break the guitar. You’re framing Adeline!” Jasper’s footsteps echoed down the hallway. “Yesterday, I watched Finn play the guitar. I felt admiration, not sneaking around.” Declan leaned against the doorframe with a sneer, “People raised in poverty have sticky fingers. Stealing isn’t enough, now you’re learning to destroy things too?” “Finn, isn’t your guitar a limited edition? Make her pay for it. Anyway, Dad’s platinum card is with her.” I defended myself loudly, “I didn’t steal anything, and I didn’t break the guitar. You’re falsely accusing Adeline!” Jasper’s footsteps echoed from the hallway. I looked up, hoping for salvation, but his eyes were cold. “If something’s broken, there must be consequences. Declan, how do you suggest we handle this?” “Jasper, I really didn’t…” I reached out to tug his sleeve, but he stepped aside. Finn smirked maliciously, “Go kneel outside. You’re not allowed to get up until dinner.” I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer. I still hadn’t fulfilled what Mom asked of me. I wanted to be strong, but I couldn’t. Finn dragged me out by the arm, his nails nearly cutting into my skin, “Stop whining! You think crying will get you out of this?” I stumbled as he threw me onto the cobblestone path in front of the villa, sharp stones digging into my palms. Declan stood on the steps with his arms crossed, nudging my leg with his shoe, “Kneel properly. A child like you should follow the rules meant for you.” I bit my lip hard. The sky was gloomy, like it was about to rain. Finn cursed irritably, “Damn it, you should just kneel until you drop!” “Pretending to faint won’t work either,” Declan’s voice suddenly came from above me. He crouched down, his tone mocking, “It hurts, doesn’t it? Say ‘I’m just a worthless child,’ and I’ll plead for you.” My throat burned, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my heart, “I didn’t break the guitar…” “Ingrate!” He grabbed the back of my neck and pressed me into the ground, “Then kneel until you understand your place!”

When the raindrops hit my back, the pain seemed to disappear. The stones beneath my knees had worn through my skin, blood mixed with rainwater seeping into the soil. I stared at the spreading ripples on the ground, a buzzing in my ears. Before leaving, Finn kicked me, my forehead hit the edge of the fountain, and warm blood mixed with rainwater flowed into my eyes. As my consciousness began to fade, I heard footsteps approaching. “Adeline?” Someone was calling me. This voice… Impossible! I shook my head. It couldn’t be him. He found his family and left the orphanage before Auntie Lin adopted me. I must be delirious. I struggled to lift my head, seeing a dark figure rushing through the rain curtain. A scorching palm pressed against the back of my neck. I shivered violently; this heat was more searing than my fevered forehead. “Don’t touch me…” I shrank back instinctively, my soaked nightgown sticking to the wounds, it hurt, “My brothers said… moving will increase the punishment…” He knelt down and pulled me into his arms, his voice trembling, “How long have they made you kneel? Speak!” I blinked, rainwater trickling from my lashes into his collar. This face hadn’t changed much from my memory, the scar on his brow still there. That winter in the orphanage, when he shielded me from the falling shovel, blood also trickled down his brow like this. I wanted to say five hours, or six? But my head hurt too much to think clearly. “Ezra?” I reached out to touch his face, but my fingers flinched away as soon as they touched him, “Am I dreaming?” He clasped my wrist to his chest, his palm scorching, “I’m real, Adeline, I finally found you.” Dad walked over, frowning, “What’s going on here?” I couldn’t stop trembling. Dad had said he didn’t want outsiders to know I was his daughter. Now that Ezra found out, he must be very angry. The arms holding me tightened abruptly. I heard Ezra coldly laugh, “Mr. Thompson, what exactly did Adeline do wrong to deserve this treatment?” Finn rushed over, “Dad, this child broke my guitar. I told her to reflect here, she deserved it… Ah!” A dull thud of bone on bone. Ezra punched him in the stomach, his voice icy, “Say one more thing about her, and I’ll make sure you never play guitar again.” I cried, throwing myself at him, “Ezra, don’t fight because of me.” Declan supported the staggering Finn, “Ezra Bennett, you’re fighting over an unworthy child?” “Unworthy?” Ezra lifted me, “Finn Thompson, is this how you treat your sister?” “And she dares call herself my sister?” Finn sneered, “A child like her, letting her live with the Thompson family was already more than enough!” Ezra held me tighter, “Fine, if the Thompson family doesn’t want her, I will!”

The Bennett family villa was even bigger than the Thompson’s. I shrank behind Ezra, palms sweating. Uncle Bennett sat on the sofa, sizing me up. I instinctively hid more behind Ezra. “Dad,” Ezra stepped forward, “you promised me that as long as I was a good heir, Adeline could live here.” Uncle Bennett kept a stern face, he looked like someone who rarely smiled. No wonder Ezra doesn’t like to smile either, he’s just like his dad. My heart pounded, but Uncle Bennett didn’t say much, just arranged for someone to take me to a room. How does that saying go? You can’t judge a book by its cover. Uncle Bennett and Ezra were both very kind to me. Unlike in the Thompson family, my room in the Bennett villa was beautiful, with a large floor-to-ceiling window. The sunlight streaming in was warm, like a princess’s room in a storybook. Auntie Taylor, the housekeeper, said that as soon as Ezra returned to the Bennett family, he started setting it up for me. It’s the best-lit room in the villa, even better than Ezra’s. Uncle Bennett found out I liked playing the piano and hired a piano teacher for me. After my first piano lesson, I cried for a long time under the covers that night. It was the first time I felt loved since Mom passed away. Time flew by, and before I knew it, I was seven. I started attending the same private school as Ezra. On the first day of school, I clung tightly to Ezra’s backpack strap at the school gate. I was terrified everyone would hate me for being a lowly child. “Ezra, I don’t want to go to school. Can’t I just stay at home?” He held my shoulders, patiently explaining, “Adeline, you’re grown up now. When it’s time for school, you have to go. If anyone bullies you, just stand up for yourself. If you can’t handle it, tell me, and I’ll get back at them for you.” “You’re a princess, and being friends with a princess is their privilege.” To my surprise, my classmates were very friendly. I even made a great friend named Nora Williams. During lunch, my desk would be piled with snacks from classmates. At the orphanage, I only ate expired bread, and at the Thompson house, I often went hungry. Now I constantly received delicious foods, like I was meant to have them all along. Dad and my brothers never came to bother me again. Maybe disappearing from their lives was a good thing. Ezra said I’ve become more confident now. At my elementary school graduation, I even performed a piano solo. “Adeline!” I had just stepped off the stage when an auntie in a suit stopped me. She crouched down to meet my eyes, speaking softly, “I’m a manager from Starlight Entertainment. You can call me Auntie Green. Your performance was amazing. Are you interested in shooting commercials? Or acting in TV dramas?” I clutched the hem of my dress, stepping back. “Adeline?” Ezra quickly approached, protectively hovering by my side. Auntie Green immediately stood up, handing over a business card, “Ezra, our company is preparing a family drama. The role of the young female lead is perfect for Adeline. We can discuss the pay, and it won’t interfere with school…” In the car on the way back, I stared out the window. Ezra handed me a warm milk, “If you don’t want to go, I’ll turn her down right now.” I shook my head, asking him, “Ezra, can acting make a lot of money?” He frowned, “Why do you ask? The Bennett family isn’t short on money.” “But I want to earn my own. Auntie Taylor said my piano lessons are expensive, and the dresses you bought me cost a lot.” The car went silent for a few seconds. “Adeline,” he wiped my mouth gently, “these things are what you should have.” “I want to try. Auntie Green said acting is simple. Two days on the weekend can earn five thousand.” Ezra rubbed his temples, looking resigned, “Adeline, the entertainment industry is complicated.” “But I want to be useful.” He was silent for a long time, eventually giving in. The day the TV show aired, I sat nervously in front of the TV, palms sweating. I didn’t have many scenes, only a few. Nora messaged me non-stop, “Adeline! Check Twitter! You’re trending!” Could you please share the specific text you would like me to address? #Nation’s Sweetheart Adeline# followed by a flame icon. Opening the real-time discussion, the screen was almost completely covered with live comments. [I need all the info on my baby girl in three minutes!] [Those crying scenes were phenomenal! Our darling daughter’s acting outshines the popular starlets!] [I found out! She’s the adopted daughter of the Bennett Corporation, and she’s won international awards for piano!]

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At the wedding, Asher’s secretary called him, saying the client was behaving inappropriately with her. Fearing that Adeline might be in danger, Asher abruptly left me and the wedding. The guests laughed, eagerly waiting for me to become the subject of ridicule. Soon after, I received a message from Adeline on Snapchat, showing a picture of Asher holding her. “See? The moment I call, Asher comes running to me,” she wrote. “So what if you’re having a wedding? The person he truly cares about is always me.” At the same time, a message from Asher appeared on my phone: “Adeline is really drunk. I’ll take care of her first and then I’ll come back for the wedding.” “Our families are just forming an alliance anyway. It’s only a formality, so please bear with it.” Reading his cold words, I took a deep breath and looked at a corner of the wedding hall, grabbing the microphone from the host. “Declan, want to get married?” The man in the corner strode forward eagerly, “Yes!” A moment ago, people were just watching the drama unfold, but after hearing the deep male voice, they turned to look. He wore a perfectly tailored suit with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, striding confidently until he stood in front of me, “I, Declan, have waited all these years, and finally, the wait is over.” If the groom is gone, you simply replace him. There are plenty of men in the world. After the wedding ended and the crowd dispersed, I picked up my phone and saw that Finn had messaged me two hours ago with just a few words, “The wedding is off.” I had painstakingly prepared for this wedding for two months. How could it be canceled just because of Finn’s words? As I was looking down at my phone, a furry head rested on my shoulder. Declan hugged me from behind, “Nora, marry me, and you’ll be happy. I promise. ” Saying that, he took my phone, “Stop looking at it. You’ve been tired all day. Rest well at the hotel, and we’ll get our marriage certificate tomorrow.” I raised an eyebrow, “You’re letting me stay at a hotel?” I had no home of my own in this city. The only place I could call home was Finn’s. Luckily, I had my documents with me, so I didn’t need to go back there. Declan avoided my gaze, “We just had a wedding, but we aren’t really married yet, so we can’t stay together.” I didn’t expect him to say that, finding it amusing. Declan avoided eye contact with me, his ears turning red down to his neck. I found it interesting and reached out to touch his ear. “Don’t!” Declan quickly dodged, but his ears turned even redder, “I’ll take you to the hotel.” On the way, the car was silent except for the sound of our breathing. After arriving at the hotel, Declan’s ears returned to their normal color. “I won’t go up with you. Get some rest today.” He spoke while looking at the ground. We had known each other since we were young, and I’d rarely seen him like this, so I felt playful. I hooked my pinky around his and rubbed it with my thumb, “You too.” Declan’s face turned red, and he drove away. Watching Declan almost flee, my bad mood from the day eased. But I didn’t expect to run into Asher and Adeline as soon as I got out of the elevator. Adeline was flushed, practically clinging to Asher. Asher, supporting her, frowned upon seeing me, “What are you doing here?” I couldn’t believe Asher could act so justified. He and Adeline had come out of the same room. His once neat tie was gone, and the open collar revealed faint kiss marks. I didn’t respond and planned to walk past him. When I didn’t reply, Asher suddenly grabbed my wrist, “I’m asking you!” “Why aren’t you at home at this hour? What are you doing at the hotel?!” Seeing his angry face, I almost thought he was worried about me. Pain shot through my wrist, and I shook his hand off, “What’s it to you?!” “I’m your boyfriend, your fiancé, why wouldn’t it concern me!” The next second, Asher’s anger faded, and he sighed softly, “Nora, be good. Don’t throw a tantrum.” I laughed out of anger, “I’m throwing a tantrum?” He claims to be my boyfriend, yet he’s holding another woman. He says he’s my fiancé, but he left me at the wedding for another woman. Now, he shows up at the hotel with all these marks on him. Asher, with patience, tried to soothe me, “Didn’t I explain before I left? Even if you’re angry, you shouldn’t run away. Let’s go home.” His so-called explanation was his concern that Adeline might get drunk while entertaining clients. “Adeline is a girl hanging out with customers. I was worried she’d get drunk and something might happen, so I went to check. I’ll be back soon.” I’ve heard pet owners comfort their dogs before leaving, saying they’ll be back soon, but I’ve never heard it applied to a wedding. What am I to him? What is this wedding to him? At that thought, anger surged to my head, and I started trembling, “Get lost!” Asher’s face turned grim, and his patience ran out after my repeated refusals, “Nora, I’m telling you for the last time, come home with me!” “Adeline is drunk and has a terrible headache. Go back and make her some hangover soup.” I thought he wanted me to go home to comfort me, but it was still for Adeline. I glared at him, a thousand words stuck in my throat but unable to come out. While we were at an impasse, Adeline, who was just in a daze, spoke up, “Nora, why are you here?” One after another, they asked why I was here, not thinking they were the ones who shouldn’t be here! “Mr. Asher, don’t be so harsh. Girls don’t like that,” she giggled, “If Nora doesn’t want to go back, she must have her own reasons.” At a hotel, besides sleeping, what else could one do? Adeline said it intentionally, hinting at Asher to think otherwise. And he didn’t disappoint her scheming, glaring at me, “Who did you meet?” I shook my head, but the room card in my hand was snatched away. When I reached to grab it back, Asher, in his rage, pushed me hard. Bam—my lower back hit the door handle painfully. Holding my waist, I crouched down, still trying to catch my breath when Asher dragged me into the room, pushing doors open one by one, “Where’s your lover?! Let him get out!” The pain lingered, and I stumbled as Asher dragged me, “No! I didn’t!” He didn’t believe me, but after searching the room and finding no one else, he pushed me onto the sofa. With his hands on either side of me, his gaze was dark, “Nora, if I find out you’re cheating, just wait and see.” I was in so much pain tears welled up, but I retorted, “Ha, fine, I’ll wait!” We’d fought before, but even during our worst argument, if I pouted and teared up, Asher would give in, even if I had been harsh. But now, Asher grabbed my chin, speaking in a voice only we could hear, “Think about those paintings~” With that, he let go and left with Adeline without looking back. With a loud bang, the door closed, and I slumped to the ground, tears silently streaming down my cheeks. Because of Finn’s words. Finn is an artist, running his own art company. When we first met, he couldn’t even be called an artist, just a broke student who could paint. At that time, I had just had a falling out with my family and moved to San Francisco alone. My living expenses were running out, and my credit card was stopped. To afford food, I worked as a model. My first and last client was Finn. We never made eye contact during the process. He painted, and I earned money. After he finished, I was about to leave when I heard things being thrown in the studio. Curious, I asked, “What happened? Did I pose wrong?” Finn was startled but quickly explained he was upset because he couldn’t get the painting right. Indeed, from proportions to color composition, there were issues. I happened to be bored that day and helped him correct the painting. A week later, he excitedly told me his painting was praised by his teacher, and he wanted to treat me to a meal. From then on, we stayed in close contact, growing into a couple. I continued to help him with his paintings when he struggled, pointing out errors and correcting them, until he became known as an artist. In love, everything was romantic and meaningful. We met because of life drawing, and naturally, left behind many such artworks during our passionate moments. But now, Asher is using those tokens of our love to threaten me. The next morning, after a sleepless night, Declan arrived and noticed my dark circles. He opened his mouth several times but said nothing in the end. The journey was quiet again, but the atmosphere was different from yesterday. I was uneasy, and Declan was uneasy. The car passed by the marriage office but didn’t stop. “Aren’t we getting the certificate?” Declan pursed his lips, “We’re going to take wedding photos first, then pick out the wedding dress.” Exhaustion from the sleepless night overwhelmed me, and I didn’t question why he changed the plan. Upon arriving, Declan went to park the car. I just entered the store and saw Finn and Adeline. Adeline stood under the lights in a white wedding dress, smiling blissfully, “Asher, do I look good?” Finn, in a matching suit, stood opposite her, kissing her hand, “Beautiful.” I stood at a distance, clearly witnessing their sweet interaction. Adeline is Asher’s secretary, always calling him Mr. Asher, but just now, she called him Asher, so intimate. The exhaustion from a sleepless night hit me hard, but I didn’t dwell on why he changed his plans. Once we arrived, Declan went to park the car. As soon as I entered the store, I saw Finn and Adeline. Adeline was standing under the lights in an immaculate wedding dress, smiling blissfully. “Finn, do I look beautiful?” she asked. Asher, dressed in a matching suit, stood across from her, lowering his head to kiss her hand gently. “Very beautiful,” he replied. I watched from a distance, clearly seeing their sweet interaction. Adeline was Asher’s secretary and always called him Mr. Asher. Just now, she called him Finn so intimately. They didn’t look like they had a superior-subordinate relationship; they seemed more like a couple… They didn’t notice me. Adeline walked over to Asher, snuggling up to him. “Then let’s go with this one. Let’s take some photos.” Asher didn’t move. Just when I thought he might refuse, he spoke up, “Adeline, wait a little longer for me.” Tears welled up in Adeline’s eyes. “Finn, I’ll wait for you, but you have to tell me how long.” “Do you know how much it hurt me yesterday?” They embraced tightly, while I stood there, feeling cold all over. Even though I had suspected their hidden relationship yesterday, hearing this made me think there was more to it. The next second, Asher raised his hand to make a promise, “Adeline, once I’m completely established, I’ll marry you!” “You know marrying Nora was just a reluctant move. Everyone in the industry knows about our relationship. I’m still in my rising phase, and I need her.” Yes, everyone knows Asher’s fiancée is me. Not just because we’ve been together for a long time, but because over the years, I’ve been the one supporting Asher. An artist isn’t worth much before they become famous. For years, I worked hard alone, supporting Asher with his artistic dreams. After he gained some success, I decisively quit my job to manage his studio. The overlap in our work made many people aware of me. People are judged not by their professions but by their worth. Managing the studio inevitably brought me into contact with people with ulterior motives. Even though Asher really needed that contract, money, and fame, he would still block those who disrespected me, refusing to work with them ever again. When a female client asked him for a portrait, Finn would stubbornly say, “The only leading lady in my paintings is my girlfriend, Nora!” But when did it all change? When did Asher stop needing me, stop painting for me, and even stop allowing me into the studio? “Asher, you know I’ve only ever had you in my heart,” his words interrupted my thoughts. “From high school until now, for so long, you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.” “Look, I even have a couple’s tattoo on my chest with your birthday. You have to trust me.” The world spun around me. Asher had a half-winged butterfly and four numbers tattooed over his heart. I once curiously asked, “Why a half butterfly? What’s the meaning?” He explained it was art—”The beauty of imperfection.” He said the numbers represented the day he fell for me. I believed him. I even naively got a flower tattoo on my waist, thinking, “Butterflies always love flowers.” I stared at them unblinkingly, not noticing when Declan came in. “What are you looking at?” Declan’s voice drew Asher and Adeline’s attention. The moment Asher saw me, his face flashed with panic but quickly returned to normal. “Why did you follow me here? I told you to go home. Are you stalking me?” I stared at him steadily. Ignoring me, Asher was displeased. “I’m talking to you! When are you going home?” He came over to grab my arm, but Declan blocked him. “Dude, talk if you have something to say, but don’t lay a hand on my wife.” “Your wife?” Asher furrowed his brows. “Nora, enough with the nonsense. You don’t have to go this far to spite me by hiring someone to act.” Adeline slowly approached. “Mr. Asher, maybe Nora is just jealous. You should comfort her.” Just then, she seemed to step on her dress and suddenly fell forward, landing right in Asher’s arms. “Are you okay? Did you hurt anything?” Asher forgot to pretend in front of me, his concern glaringly obvious. I took a deep breath and couldn’t help but say, “Disgusting.” I was about to leave with Declan, but Asher stopped me. “Wait! I haven’t asked you, who is this guy?” Suddenly, he seemed to realize something. “Is this your fling from last night?!” His words became nastier, dragging Declan into it, forcing me to turn and face him. “Asher, did a donkey kick your brain? What right do you have to question me? The moment you ditched the wedding, we were done!” He seemed to find it hilarious. “Break up? Did I agree?” He said this while reaching for me again. This time, Declan didn’t hold back. As Asher reached for me, Declan grabbed his wrist, pulling him back and pinning his shoulder. “Buddy, I warned you to be respectful to my wife.” “Who the hell is your wife!” Asher’s words played right into Declan’s hands. He smiled, pulled out his phone, and showed a wedding photo of us as his screen wallpaper. “My wife. Beautiful, huh.” The next second, he turned to me, winking to reassure me. “Wife, when are we getting our marriage certificate?” Seeing Asher defeated made me feel good. “Let’s do it now!” I wasn’t lying. I had my documents with me. Declan was stunned for a second, then let out a playful whistle. Asher recognized the wedding setting, eyes wide, shouting, “Nora, who gave you permission to marry?!” I looked at him coldly. “Isn’t this perfect? Now Adeline doesn’t have to wait for you. We can all marry our first loves. It’s fair.” With that, I ignored both Asher and Declan’s shocked expressions and left without looking back. As I brushed past Adeline, I looked her up and down. “If Asher really cared, he wouldn’t have let you wear that wedding dress.” “What do you mean?” “The dress has a high neckline. It makes your big chest and short neck look bulky. If you’re taking wedding photos, you should wear something that makes you look beautiful.” Adeline looked at me deeply. After I left, Declan quickly caught up to me, wide-eyed. “What did you mean by what you said earlier? Marrying our first loves?” Meanwhile, Asher shouted from behind, “Nora, wait till those paintings spread everywhere!” I’m sorry, but it seems that the text to be translated is missing. Could you please provide the content that needs translation? A studio in San Francisco caught fire due to inadequate fire safety measures. Thankfully, there were no casualties, but renowned artist Asher’s paintings were entirely destroyed. When I saw the news, Declan was pestering me. “Come on, tell me, what did you mean by what you said that day?”

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Three months before the SATs, my mom took my sister and me to buy lucky charms. Emma immediately fell in love with a black cat charm said to bring good fortune. I chose a white cat charm that was supposed to help distinguish right from wrong. Emma, who had always been a poor student, suddenly saw her grades skyrocket. Meanwhile, my grades, which had always been excellent, began to plummet. I ultimately failed to get into any good colleges. Unwilling to accept defeat, I decided to take a gap year and retake the SATs. But the stress and endless nights of studying eventually took their toll. I died from exhaustion. In my final moments, Emma whispered in my ear: “You know, sis, the black cat doesn’t just bring good luck. It can also steal luck from others.” I died filled with resentment. But when I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day we chose our lucky charms. “The black cat is way cuter. That white cat looks as disgusting as you, sis!” Emma sneered. It was the exact same scene as before. Last time, I hadn’t dared to argue back. I had silently picked up the white cat’s cage and left. But this time was different. I grabbed Emma’s outstretched hand. With a slight smile, I said: “Oh really? Then I’ll take the black cat.” Emma’s smug grin instantly froze. She stared at me in disbelief: “How dare you talk to me like that! Do you need to be taught a lesson?” She raised her hand, about to slap me across the face. In my past life, I would have backed down to keep the peace in the family. But this time, I caught her hand mid-air and slapped her instead. Seeing Emma get hit, our mom, who had always stayed silent when I was bullied, suddenly changed her tune: “Your sister was just joking with you! Why did you hit her so hard? I swear, why did I give birth to such an ungrateful child like you!” I ignored her and calmly picked up the cage with the black cat, turning to leave. Just as I was about to walk out, Emma finally recovered from the shock of the pain. She screamed hysterically after me: “No! How am I supposed to pass the SATs without it!” I paused. So Emma had been reborn too. Emma and I were born just three minutes apart, but our personalities couldn’t have been more different. I had always been timid and afraid of conflict. Emma was domineering and loved bullying others at school. I generally tried to avoid her in daily life. But who could have guessed that everything would change three months before the SATs. Emma had spent her high school years smoking, drinking, and fighting. She cycled through boyfriends like changing clothes. She hung out with a bad crowd outside of school every day. Forget getting into a good college – she’d be lucky to get into any college at all. Mom was worried sick. She heard that the charms sold at this shop had special powers that could help with exams. That’s why she had brought us all this way to buy them. In my past life, even though my white cat was supposed to help distinguish right and wrong, it would mysteriously fall asleep during every exam. Meanwhile, Emma’s grades kept improving. Not only did she easily get into an Ivy League school, but she also caught the eye of a rich classmate who fell in love with her at first sight. I failed the SATs miserably. Unwilling to accept defeat, I decided to take a gap year and try again. But my grades kept getting worse and worse. In the end, I died from the stress one night. Just before I died, Emma told me the truth – that all my good luck had been stolen by her. Thankfully, the heavens had given me another chance. This time, I refused to repeat the same mistakes. “What are you spacing out for? Let’s go!” Emma snapped at me, her face dark with anger. I glanced at her and the drowsy black cat in her arms, raising an eyebrow: “Emma, you better take good care of it. After all, your entire future depends on this cat now.” “Mind your own business!” She slammed the car door shut with a thunderous bang. Through the window, I saw her viciously throw the white cat’s cage to the ground: “Useless thing! Just looking at you pisses me off!” Oh Emma, you’re being too hasty. The white cat may not be able to help you ace the SATs, but it could open up a whole different path for you.

As soon as we got home, Emma kicked the white cat’s cage, sending it tumbling. Watching the poor kitten struggle inside the cage, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for it: “If you don’t like it, just return it to the shop. Why take your anger out on an innocent animal?” Emma got even angrier hearing this. She grabbed the cage and stormed back to her room in a huff: “Stop pretending to be a good person!” I couldn’t bear to see the white cat being abused, so I ended up making a little bed for it. I also brought the black cat into my bedroom. Its eyes sparkled with curiosity as it looked me up and down. At first it was shy about letting me pet it, but after a while it started licking my hand affectionately. I couldn’t help but giggle at how cute it was. As the SATs drew closer, even with the black cat’s help, I didn’t dare slack off. I spent every day studying from dawn till dusk, trying to make the most of every minute. In my past life, I had always been a top student. I thought getting into an Ivy League was practically guaranteed. My teachers had even hinted that I might be the valedictorian of our school. But after getting the black cat, my mental state took a sharp turn for the worse. I fell asleep several times during exams. In the end, I bombed the SATs completely. Meanwhile, Emma, who had absorbed all my good luck, saw her grades mysteriously skyrocket even though she still hung out with her delinquent friends all day. I had thought she had finally buckled down and started studying. It wasn’t until I was on my deathbed that I learned the truth. Thinking about how all my hard work had ended up benefiting Emma made my blood boil with anger. But what upset me even more was my mom’s attitude. She clearly knew Emma was responsible for my death. Yet she still hastily buried me and moved the family to a new city with Emma. She didn’t even bother coming back to visit my grave on holidays. I finally understood that there was no real love in this family. Everyone had just been using me. Emma still disliked the white cat, but at this point it was too late to change anything. Plus, my temper had become unpredictable lately. The moment she tried to bully me, I would slam my hand on the table and threaten to fight her. She didn’t dare try to steal the cat back. At dinner, she viciously stabbed at the food in her bowl: “Some people are just born losers. Even with a lucky charm to help, they still can’t get into a good school.” I barely glanced up at her: “Eating dinner and giving a self-introduction at the same time? How efficient.” “You-!” She was so angry her face turned the color of a pig’s liver. She slammed her bowl and chopsticks onto the table with a crash. “What about me? At least I’m better than someone who can’t even fill out their exam registration correctly. Why are you even taking the SATs? Just to donate the registration fee to the government?” “Enough! We’re eating dinner, stop arguing! If you keep this up, you can both get out!” Mom suddenly slammed her hand on the table. That finally put an end to the squabble. I smirked coldly. Mom was always like this. She’d pretend not to see when Emma mocked me. But the moment I fought back even a little, she’d jump out and play peacemaker. Late that night as I was reviewing the day’s practice questions, my bedroom door was suddenly pushed open. Emma leaned against the doorframe, her face dark: “Sis, how come your black cat does nothing but eat and sleep all day? You sure it’s not just stupid? Better hope it doesn’t end up having side effects instead of helping you.” The black cat had been sleeping in its bed, but hearing Emma insult it, it suddenly leapt out. It extended its claws and viciously scratched Emma’s wrist. “Ahh!!” Emma screamed and stumbled backwards. Her arm was already streaked with blood. Blood dripped onto the floor as she grimaced in pain: “Just like its owner – an ungrateful little beast! Animals will always be animals!” I gently stroked the black cat’s head: “We don’t bother with crazy people.” The cat rolled its eyes haughtily and curled up in my lap to continue sleeping. In my past life, even though the black cat had been forced to obey Emma, their relationship had always been a bit strange. If Emma hadn’t been afraid the cat would die if she threw it, the black cat probably wouldn’t have listened to her at all. Seeing how well the black cat and I got along, Emma gritted her teeth: “As expected, lowly creatures of a feather flock together.” I rubbed my temples: “If you don’t leave now, I promise you’ll end up black and blue.” Remembering how I had beaten her up before, she got a bit scared. Using the excuse of needing to treat her injured hand, she quickly left. But before going, she couldn’t help muttering under her breath: “So what if it brings good luck? During the exam, my white cat can directly tell me which answers are right or wrong!” Little did she know, a few days later in the mock exam, she would end up dead last in the entire school.

As soon as we got home with our test results, Mom eagerly snatched my score report to examine it closely. The more she looked, the wider her eyes got. By the end, her voice had risen to a shriek: “How is this possible?! Your sister should have been first in the school!” I pushed up my glasses and stared at her expressionlessly: “Emma is first in the school. First from the bottom, that is.” Just as I finished speaking, Emma came bursting through the front door and threw herself into Mom’s arms, wailing: “Mom! How could this happen?! How?! Wasn’t the white cat supposed to tell me which answers were right? Why did I still end up last in the school?!” I couldn’t help but laugh coldly: “You’re really stupid, aren’t you? The most important part of the SAT is the essay section. Even if the white cat helped you ace the multiple choice, what good does that do if you can’t write a single coherent sentence?” In my past life, my weakness had been the multiple choice section. I always lost points I shouldn’t have there. That’s why I had chosen the white cat to help me identify the correct answers. But for Emma, who couldn’t even string a sentence together, the white cat was clearly useless. Mom didn’t have much education herself, so she couldn’t follow all this back-and-forth. She just defaulted to defending Emma as usual: “Did you steal your sister’s score? Haven’t I told you before that as the older sister, you need to let your sister win sometimes?” Right, let my sister win. Mom had been drilling this idea into my head since I was little. All the good food and drinks had to go to Emma. Emma got to wear the pretty clothes first, I only got her hand-me-downs. Emma got the beautiful princess-themed bedroom, while I was squeezed into the dark basement. In the end, I even had to give up my SAT scores and my bright future to Emma. What more did they want from me? Thinking about how I had listened to Mom in my past life, only to end up with such a miserable fate, I couldn’t help but feel like a complete fool. “What, should I give her my brain too? It’s not my fault she’s an idiot,” I shot back mercilessly. Mom was stunned for a moment, then exploded in rage: “How dare you talk back to me like that! I raised you to this age, and this is how you repay me? You’re not allowed to sleep tonight! Kneel in the living room and reflect on your mistakes!” If this was my past life, I would have been trembling in fear by now, obediently kneeling down. But I wasn’t going to be so stupid this time. I stared Mom straight in the eye: “You raised me? Have you forgotten that I’ve been working to support myself since I was 14? Your new clothes and new phone were all bought with my scholarship money!” Mom’s face paled. Knowing she was in the wrong, she could only resort to unreasonable arguments: “I’m your mother! I gave birth to you, so your money is my money! I can use it however I want!” “If you can’t accept that, then get out and live on your own!” She finished with a smug look, clearly expecting me to apologize. After all, without this home, I would end up on the streets. But she never expected me to calmly nod and say: “As it happens, the school has offered me a spot in the national math olympiad. They’re providing a dorm for me to focus on studying. Thanks for letting me leave, Mom.” “What?! You got into the national math olympiad?!” Emma, who had been watching from the sidelines, couldn’t hold back anymore. Her eyeballs looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. I waved the invitation letter in my hand: “What’s wrong, never seen one before? I suppose the only thing you’ve ever held is a report card with the lowest score in school.” This was a fatal blow to Emma. After all, if I won an award at the national math olympiad, I could get into any top university without even taking the SATs. “How did your grades improve so quickly…” Mom eyed me suspiciously. I had been waiting for her to ask this: “I have to thank you for buying me that cat. I discovered that if I imitate the cat by crawling around on the ground meowing every day, I always do well on tests the next day!” As expected, Emma’s eyes lit up when she heard this. Sure enough, the next morning, I was woken up by Mom’s shouts: “Why are you still sleeping?! Quick, come see your sister! She… has she gone crazy?”

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When we got our marriage license, Lucas told me he didn’t know how to love, so for five years of marriage, he gave me sex and desire. It was an arranged marriage, and I knew I couldn’t be greedy. I thought that was enough. Until our anniversary night. I broke his bedroom rule and secretly removed my blindfold for the first time. But I accidentally saw the name tattooed on his lower back. At that moment, I realized. Lucas wasn’t incapable of love; he had just hidden it away, saving it for my sister. We had a huge fight, wishing each other dead. Who would have thought those words would come true, as we both died in a car crash off a cliff. Before dying, Lucas looked at me, his face covered in blood, and begged: “Aria, if there’s a next life, let’s not be husband and wife, okay?” I stared at him, laughing miserably like a madwoman. When I opened my eyes again, I saw Lucas kneeling with his back straight: “Uncle, Aunt, I can’t marry Aria. I’m in love with Rose.” I was stunned. But I quickly accepted it. As it happened, I didn’t want to choose him this time either.

“Are you sure you want to marry Zachary?” Lucas’s mother asked, somewhat reluctantly. I calmly exchanged marriage documents with her, and after confirming that Zachary’s name was on them, I smiled gently: “I’m sure, Aunt.” Lucas’s mother tried to persuade me again: “The fortune teller said Zachary won’t live past thirty. You…” “Aria, even if Lucas doesn’t agree to the arranged marriage, you don’t have to choose a husband from the Lu family.” In my previous life, Zachary did indeed die at thirty. His mother fainted from crying, and his father aged years in a single night. Everyone lamented his passing. He was brilliant, becoming the head of the Lu family at such a young age. His frail body housed the most determined heart. Before he died, I had intended to see him one last time. But I heard him say: “I like Aria Young.” “She doesn’t need to know anything I’ve done. I just want her to be happy.” He said not all love needs to be spoken, not all love requires reciprocation. So much so that year after year, except for his assistant, no one knew. He hid his love so deep that I never noticed a hint of it until the last moment he left this world full of regret. So, even if it was just for that “like.” I wanted to help him, at least not let him die with regrets again. After a long pause, I smiled and gently patted the back of her hand. I reassured her: “Aunt, Zachary will live to be a hundred years old.”

After Lucas’s mother left, my mother also came to ask me: “You’re not just angry at Lucas, are you?” She knew how much I liked Lucas. Childhood sweethearts, when I first fell in love, I couldn’t see any other boy. I thought he felt the same way, but I never imagined it was just my one-sided love all along. In my previous life, when Lucas and I got our marriage license, he told me: “I’ve lived in calculations since childhood. I don’t understand love and can’t love, but I’ll give you everything I can.” For five years of marriage, we were known in our circle as a talented and beautiful couple, a loving husband and wife. So to maintain this marriage, I was willing to teach Lucas how to love me. I could even indulge his occasional willfulness. Even his bedroom quirks, I could endure. In my previous life, before we went to bed, Lucas would always hand me a blindfold or use a tie to cover my eyes. He said: “Aria’s eyes are too beautiful. I’m afraid I’ll lose control and hurt you.” Each time, I would blush to the tips of my ears. Later, there were once or twice when he forgot to cover my eyes. I was delighted to see his passionate expression, but he just coaxed me to change positions, then lovingly kissed my back bit by bit. We almost never faced each other. I thought it was just Lucas’s habit. Until our fifth anniversary. For the first time, I secretly removed the blindfold, only to accidentally discover the name tattooed on his lower back. Humiliation and betrayal washed over me simultaneously. At that moment, I felt like I had fallen into an ice pit. I went crazy, smashing everything in the bedroom, grabbing an ashtray and throwing it at Lucas. I hurled all sorts of vicious words at him, wishing he would die. Cursing him to go to hell. But this time around, I didn’t want to do anything. I just wanted to stay away from him. Thinking carefully. Lucas did treat me well. He just didn’t love me.

The engagement party was set for next month. Lucas’s mother said the Lu family would handle everything, and I just needed to wait patiently. She gave me the chance to change my mind at any time. I smiled helplessly and replied: “That wouldn’t be fair to Zachary.” He’s just sick. I sent a message to the research institute’s assistant, asking them to prepare experimental equipment for me. In my previous life, after Zachary had his heart transplant, I locked myself in the lab for a while to research antibacterial drugs. Later, when the drug was ready for production, he had already died from infection. I hope we’ll be in time this time. Suddenly, Lucas sent me a message: “Come to the Nine Nights Club. I have something to discuss with you.” I refused directly. After Lucas was reborn, the first thing he did was come to my house to cancel our engagement and confess his love for my adopted sister, Rose. To make Rose happy, he set off fireworks all night. The topic about them had been trending at number one for a while. Everyone was saying they were a perfect match. Some paparazzi had recorded a video of them walking on the beach. Rose seemed to get tired and asked Lucas to carry her on his back. I thought he would refuse. But he didn’t. He smiled indulgently, knelt on one knee, gently rubbed her ankle first, and then carried her on his back. His movements were smooth and tender. Some netizens commented: “Young Master Lu really loves Rose to death.” During this time, he had been by Rose’s side, dutifully pleasing her, spoiling her like a little princess. He was trying hard to make up for the regrets of his past life, wanting to live a different life. I didn’t object, as long as it didn’t involve me. But in the end, I still went to the Nine Nights Club, though not because of Lucas. I wanted to see Zachary. His assistant called me back: “Miss Young, Mr. Lu is at Nine Nights for a business meeting. If you have urgent matters, you can come directly.” I frowned instinctively and couldn’t help but joke: “He’s still drinking when he’s sick? Is he afraid he’s not dying fast enough?” The assistant on the other end immediately muted himself. After a moment of silence, only a very light cough came through. Finally, the assistant hurriedly left a private room number and hung up.

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Even past sixty, my mother-in-law was naturally pregnant due to her fertile health. I suggested she consider terminating the pregnancy and perhaps get a tubal ligation. She wasn’t happy with my suggestion, but I respected her decision. Unexpectedly, her nine daughters were against it. They gave her sleeping pills and took her for an abortion that very night. The next day, they blamed me entirely, claiming I couldn’t accept the child. In her fury, my mother-in-law killed me. When I opened my eyes, I found myself back on the day she announced her pregnancy. I looked at the excited sisters-in-law chatting around me and the bashful mother-in-law on the sofa. It hit me instantly—I had been reborn. It was the very day my mother-in-law called the family together to announce her pregnancy. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude that I clasped my hands in thanks. “Thank you, heavens, for granting me another life!” Some sharp-eyed sisters-in-law noticed and frowned, asking, “Nora, what’s wrong with you? Acting all strange? It’s your turn to share your thoughts!” Everyone turned to me, some even hinting at me to stick to what we had agreed on the day before. In my past life, it was the same. The nine sisters-in-law were all afraid of their mother, so they begged me to be the “bad guy,” to convince her to have an abortion and get a tubal ligation. They reasoned that since I was the only daughter-in-law and favored by my mother-in-law, I was the best one to speak up. Wanting to consider her health and not make them uncomfortable, I agreed. Little did I know, they turned on me. I could only watch helplessly as my mother-in-law attacked me with a kitchen knife, while they remained indifferent. After burying me in the backyard, they deceived my husband, saying I ran away after a fight with my mother-in-law. Thinking about my tragic end in the previous life sent shivers down my spine. Someone else can be the “bad guy” this time! I let out a cold snort, and with a stern face, I said, “I have no opinion. Whether to keep the baby or not is Mom’s decision.” With that, I got up and went into the bedroom. My mother-in-law was overjoyed. “My daughter-in-law is still the best. Educated people are different. I have the freedom to give birth if I want, and the baby has the right to be born too.” “Alright, meeting adjourned!” Soon, the nine sisters-in-law rushed into my room. As soon as they entered, they angrily complained, “Nora, what’s going on with you? We agreed yesterday that you’d convince Mom to handle the baby. Why did you suddenly change your mind? We didn’t expect you to be so two-faced.” Seventh Sister and Eighth Sister chimed in, “Nora, do you realize how serious this is? Mom is so old. Who’s going to care for the baby? And Big Sister already has a grandchild. Does it make sense to have another sibling? If word gets out, won’t people laugh at us?” I put down the clothes in my hands and sneered, “You’re her daughters, you tell her! I’m an outsider and just the daughter-in-law. What right do I have to dictate to my mother-in-law?” Hearing this, they immediately shouted at me, “Now you say you’re an outsider? When Dad and Mom wanted to transfer the house to you, why didn’t you say you were an outsider?” “Nora, if you don’t want to say something, then you take care of the baby when it’s born! Anyway, you’re young and have plenty of energy. Plus, we’re daughters, always outsiders. You’re the real mistress of this house.”

I let out a snort, looking at Seventh Sister, Eighth Sister, and Ninth Sister. “Aren’t you all unmarried? You’re part of this family too! Anyway, you don’t work, just stay home and take care of the baby, help out your parents, isn’t it your duty?” As soon as I said this, the three of them immediately glared. “Why should we? We don’t know how to take care of a baby! And even if it has to be done, it shouldn’t fall on us.” First Sister frowned upon hearing this. “If it’s to be done, start with Second Sister, don’t count me in! I still have to babysit my grandson!” After saying this, she walked out without looking back. Second Sister and Third Sister, who are twins, exchanged a glance, then held their heads, feigning headaches. “Ah, time spares no one. I’ve been having random headaches since last month, I don’t know why?” With that, they both held their heads and quickly slipped away. Fourth Sister, Fifth Sister, and Sixth Sister didn’t bother explaining, simply saying, “We’re not dealing with it,” and left. Seventh Sister, Eighth Sister, and Ninth Sister were left, seeing their sisters leaving one by one, they became anxious. They exchanged glances and, understanding each other, turned their attention to me. “Nora, we’re ordering you as your sisters to tell Mom to handle the baby. Otherwise, I’ll make my brother divorce you!” I couldn’t even be bothered to respond, my face full of indifference. “Fine, divorce then, find your brother right now. If I, Nora, say a single word of refusal, then I’m not human!” “Why don’t you say it? Aren’t you afraid of offending Mom and Dad, fearing they won’t leave you an inheritance? I’m telling the truth now, I’m afraid too. So don’t use me as a pawn, I’m not falling for it!” Hearing this, their anger was palpable, Ninth Sister gritted her teeth and said, “Good for you, Nora, you finally spoke the truth! I’m going to tell Mom and Dad you’re after their inheritance.” I snorted, “Are Mom and Dad fools? Can’t they tell who’s eyeing it? I have my own house and car, and my beauty salon, why would I need their peanuts? But some people stay home all day, don’t work, just mooch off their parents!” My words instantly infuriated them. “Nora, whether we work or not is none of your business! Did we spend your money? Our parents haven’t said anything, why do you get to yap?” “Whether you’ve spent or not, you know in your hearts. With your parents’ monthly pension of over five thousand, can you really live off that? You frequently ask my husband for money, isn’t that spending my money? And those two cars I bought, who’s driving them every day? Who gets free maintenance at my salon every week, isn’t that money too?” They were speechless at my retorts, but their faces showed increasing anger. I couldn’t be bothered to deal with them, so I packed my suitcase into the car. Then, I went to my mother-in-law’s room and told her, “Mom, from today, Ethan and I are moving out. Once you have the baby, this house will be too small, and we won’t fit. Also, if it’s a son, the second floor will be perfect for him in the future, as his elder siblings, we certainly won’t compete with him.” My mother-in-law was all smiles upon hearing this. “Great, great! Everything will be as you say. You think things through so well, we as parents are truly happy from the bottom of our hearts.” But Seventh Sister, Eighth Sister, and Ninth Sister were not happy about it. “Mom, you can’t let her leave, it’s clear she doesn’t want to help you with the baby, she’s trying to escape! And if she leaves, who’s going to pay the nanny? Who’s going to do the housework? We don’t agree, no way. Unless she compensates us five thousand a month, we won’t let her leave.” After Ninth Sister said this, Seventh Sister and Eighth Sister kept nodding. “Yes, Ninth Sister is right, if she doesn’t compensate us, she can’t leave this house.” Seeing their calculating faces, I said nothing and slammed the door, leaving.

When my husband found out I finally decided to move out, he was even more excited than I was. Being oppressed by his sisters since childhood, he had longed to move out. If it weren’t for me being an only daughter, always longing for sibling companionship, he wouldn’t have put up with me to continue living there. When my husband came back from work to our newly renovated home, he was so excited that he stripped naked and ran around the house. “This is great! My ears can finally have some peace!” Then he looked at me with joy. “Honey, how did you suddenly come to this decision? Before, even when Eighth Sister and Ninth Sister made you cry, you never thought of moving out. Why so sudden today?” Looking at my earnest and adorable husband, Ethan, I burst into tears. In the previous life, he got into a car accident while looking for me, became comatose, and remained in that state until he passed away. His parents and sisters initially cared for him, but over time, they saw him as a burden and dumped him in a small village to fend for himself. Seeing me cry so sadly, he got angry. “Honey, did those three bully you again? I’m going to find them now.” I quickly stopped my irrational husband and explained, “No, no, no, don’t get upset, I was just heartbroken seeing you like that! I also regret not moving out sooner.” “Oh, so that’s it, you scared me.” After saying that, he excitedly got up to organize his gaming room, saying as he did so, “Honey, do you know how long I’ve waited for this day? I just want the two of us to be together quietly, without anyone disturbing us.” “Hey, babe, are those three bothering you again? I’ll go have a word with them.” I quickly stopped my husband, who seemed ready to lose his temper, and explained: “No, no, no, don’t get upset. I just felt bad seeing you so stressed earlier! I also regret not moving out sooner.” “Oh, so that’s what it is. You startled me for a moment.” With that, he got up, visibly relieved, and started to tidy up his game room. As he cleaned, he said: “You know how long I’ve waited for this day? I just want to be with you, peacefully, without anyone disturbing us.” “Growing up, there were many kids at home, and I was the only boy, so I became the target of their teasing. My parents were too busy to notice. Honestly, having many siblings isn’t always a blessing. It really depends on the personality. If someone has a selfish nature, even siblings will try to exploit you, always taking without giving.” “You know, I’ve been working for almost six years, and I haven’t saved a single penny. As soon as I get paid, my sisters take it all and think it’s perfectly normal.” “Sigh! I really have no one to confide in! We’re going to have kids in the future, and there are expenses everywhere. How can we keep living like this with them constantly taking advantage?” … My husband went on, and tears were already streaming down my face. Finally, I couldn’t hold back anymore and interrupted him, my voice choked with emotion. “I’m sorry, honey. I shouldn’t have insisted we live with them from the start.” Ethan smiled, “Silly girl, there’s no need to apologize. You just wanted everyone to get along.” Suddenly, I made up my mind, stood up, walked over to him, and said seriously: “Honey, from now on, let’s focus on our own little family and not worry about others. It might be difficult considering your family, but can you promise to always be on my side no matter what I do?” “Of course! I’ll always be on your side. You’re the one who’ll be with me for the rest of my life. I’ll do my duty to my parents. As for my sisters, I think I’ve done enough. We’ll do what’s necessary, but I can’t do more than that.” So, my husband and I reached an agreement. From now on, our little family is the most important. Everyone and everything else can step aside. I didn’t expect them to shamelessly contact me the next day. Just after noon, I had left the beauty salon and was about to head home for lunch when my phone buzzed with a series of messages. [Ninth Sister: Nora, why didn’t the cook show up today? Are you trying to starve us?] [Eighth Sister: Nora, are you out of your mind? Even if we don’t eat, are you going to ignore Mom and Dad? Mom’s pregnant. How’s she supposed to cook for us?] [Seventh Sister: Sis-in-law, isn’t this too extreme? We’re family, do you have to be so harsh?] I couldn’t be bothered to reply and directly blocked all three of them. About half an hour later, my husband’s phone suddenly received a payment request from Ninth Sister. Then she sent another message: [Ethan, we just had lunch at DineWell with Mom, Dad, Seventh Sister, and Eighth Sister. The bill is 1386. Pay up.] My husband frowned, handed me the phone, and said helplessly: “What should we do? Maybe we should just send it to them?” “No way. Don’t bother! They’re all over thirty and can’t even cook? If they dared to eat out, they must have counted on you to cave in and pay. What about tomorrow? The day after? Are you going to pay every day? What did we agree on yesterday? Did you forget?” He sighed, “How can they keep asking me for money like this?” “Because you always give in!” Without another word, I blocked Seventh Sister, Eighth Sister, and Ninth Sister from his SnapChat too. In less than five minutes, my husband’s phone rang. He saw it was Ninth Sister. After taking a deep breath, he answered, but before he could speak, Ninth Sister started yelling. “Ethan, are you crazy? You dared to block me? I’m telling you to send the money right now, or else…” Before she could finish, Eighth Sister grabbed the phone. “Ethan, we’re family. Don’t let Nora, that outsider, get between us. Be sensible and send the money. Can you really stand to see us sent to the police station by the restaurant?” Before Ethan could respond, I grabbed the phone. “If you can’t pay, you deserve to be sent to the police station. We have one thing to say: no money!” With that, I hung up. After hanging up, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Speaking my mind felt so liberating. Even in the afternoon at the salon, I was in a great mood, feeling like everything was perfect. But just as I was enjoying myself, my husband came to the salon with a gloomy face. “Babe, my parents want us to go home right now!” Ha! I laughed coldly. What’s meant to happen will happen, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon! “Fine, let’s head back then!” As soon as we walked in, my father-in-law, with a frown, laid into us, “You just moved out, and now you act like you’re not part of this family? Do you have any idea? If I hadn’t run into someone I know and borrowed money, your mom, your sister, and I would’ve ended up at the police station.”

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I had been dating Zachary Xavier for three years before I found out he came from a wealthy family when we got married. But Zachary’s brothers all said I was just after his money, and urged him to control my finances. Zachary actually believed them. After we got married, he not only wouldn’t let me work, but also only gave me $100 a month for expenses. He said it was enough. It really was enough. I not only went shopping every day, but could also afford luxury skincare and designer bags. He grew suspicious and demanded to know where I was getting money from. I put on an innocent face: “Honey, it’s from the allowance you give me every month!” He got angry: “I only give you $100 a month, what can you even do with that?” So he did know that $100 a month wasn’t enough for anything. But it didn’t matter. He gave me $100 each month. His good brothers each gave me $100,000 every month. I had just gotten back from shopping. As soon as I walked in, I saw Zachary sitting on the couch. He looked up and asked, “Where did you go?” I waved the shopping bags in my hand. “I went shopping and bought some things.” He frowned. “Why are you shopping again? The housekeeper said you just bought a bunch of stuff yesterday.” “I’m starting to think Peter and the others were right, you really are materialistic and just after money…” His words suddenly trailed off as his gaze fell on the Gucci bag I was holding. This was a luxury brand where even a single item cost thousands of dollars. “Zoe Sullivan, you actually bought Gucci? Where did you get the money to buy Gucci?” I put on an innocent face, “Honey, from the allowance you give me every month.” He got angry. “Do I not know how much I give you each month?” “$100 a month, what can you even do with that?” I looked at him: “Honey, didn’t you say before that $100 a month was enough?” “If you think $100 a month is too little, why did you just say I was materialistic and only after money?” Zachary was at a loss for words as he realized how contradictory his two statements were. Suddenly, his phone rang. Zachary glanced at me before hurriedly answering the call and walking out. I went back to our room. Zachary’s good friend Peter had sent me a message. [Zoe, did you like the things you bought today?] [Do you need more money?] I hadn’t had a chance to reply before Peter retracted the message asking [Do you need more money?] The next second, I got a notification that $200,000 had been deposited into my bank account. Well, a real man never asks a woman if she has enough money. In this regard, Zachary’s good friends were much better than him.

Zachary and I were college sweethearts. We dated for three years in college. When I first met Zachary, he was working part-time at the library. He always seemed to be short on money when we were dating. It wasn’t until after graduation when we started talking about marriage that I found out Zachary came from a wealthy family. The first time I met his parents, I was very nervous. Because I knew rich families usually had high standards for their daughters-in-law. At least not someone from a modest background like me. But to my surprise, Zachary’s parents were very pleased with me. Because when Zachary was in college, they had only given him a very small allowance each month to teach him independence. They never expected that even with such limited means, there would be a girl willing to date Zachary. They felt I wasn’t after Zachary for his money, which made them very happy. Dating for three years, not only did I end up marrying my boyfriend, but I also found out he came from a wealthy family. And his parents approved of me too. At the time, I felt like all the good fortune in the world had fallen into my lap. Until right before the wedding, when I accidentally overheard a conversation between Zachary and his friends.

Those three were his childhood friends who had grown up with him. One was Peter Collins, who had taken over his family’s company right after graduation and was very successful. One was James Scott, who came from an artistic family and was a famous painter himself. The last one was Samuel Moore, who came from a politically connected family and was now a prominent lawyer. “Zachary, is this the girlfriend you dated for three years in college?” “She looks like she’s from a modest background. Are you sure she’s not just after your money?” The one speaking was Peter. Zachary was stunned for a while before responding. “Peter, that’s not something to joke about.” “You know my parents only gave me $100 a month in college. How could she possibly be after my money?” But then James quietly said: “Zachary, didn’t you appear in the newspapers a few times before?” “What if she knew about your background in advance and pursued you on purpose?” “James, how can you go along with Peter’s nonsense?” “Zoe’s not that kind of person.” James smiled and didn’t say anything more. “Zachary, you have to be careful.” “You know that for families like ours, what we fear most are disputes over assets.” “If you end up divorcing after two years because you’re not compatible, she’d be entitled to half your assets.” “I suggest you be cautious and have a prenup drawn up, control her finances and such.” “You know my dad made that mistake years ago and lost tens of millions…” Samuel, true to his lawyer nature, couldn’t stop talking about calculations and precautions. I didn’t listen any further. After all, as Zachary’s friends, I could understand them reminding him to be cautious. But I believed Zachary knew what kind of person I was. However, the next day, Zachary handed me a prenuptial agreement.

I looked at the agreement, my eyes full of disbelief. “Zachary, what does this mean?” “You don’t trust me?” Zachary probably didn’t realize I had already overheard their conversation, so he casually made up an excuse. “Zoe, it’s not that I don’t trust you.” “This is just a formality in our family, a prenup is necessary.” I countered. “If you trust me, why is a prenup necessary?” “Zachary, we’ve been together for three years, not three months, and certainly not three days.” “After three years, you still don’t trust me? If that’s the case, we might as well not get married.” With that, I angrily threw the agreement on the table and ran out. That night, Zachary found me and sincerely apologized, admitting he had been foolish. He promised not to bring up the prenup again. And I softened and forgave him. I thought this was just a small hiccup before the wedding, but I didn’t realize it was only the beginning.

After we got married. Zachary used the excuse that my health wasn’t good to make me quit my job. As luck would have it, the company I worked for was struggling financially at the time, on the verge of bankruptcy, and had been behind on our salaries for several months. After getting my back pay, I voluntarily resigned, planning to take a break before looking for a new job. But I never imagined. After I quit, I was never able to go back to work. First, Zachary was strongly against it, believing that being a full-time housewife was a good choice for me. I couldn’t believe Zachary would have such an idea. “Zachary, you know.” “I never wanted to be a full-time housewife, I want to have my own career.” But Zachary said. “Even if you have your own career, isn’t the end result just to make money?” “The Xavier family is already wealthy enough.” I was speechless and decided to go out and look for a job directly. But I sent out hundreds of resumes. Not a single company responded. “Zoe, don’t waste your energy, you won’t be able to find a job in this city.” Looking at Zachary’s confident expression, I seemed to know the answer.

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Six years into our marriage, my usually quiet and reserved husband suddenly started acting strange. Every day, he would spend an hour grooming himself, two hours working out, and three hours bringing me lunch, all while warily eyeing every young man who passed by. I couldn’t understand what had gotten into him until I stumbled upon his diary. “She left the house without her wedding ring today. Was it mere forgetfulness or a deliberate act? I can’t figure it out. I’m too afraid to ask. I’m losing my mind…” “She liked that male intern’s post again. Is she trying to drive me insane? It’s all because of that shameless man…” “I’m aging, rotting, becoming ugly in the mirror. No, I must make my appearance more perfect. It’s the only way to keep her from leaving me.” “I feel so helpless, so desperate. I’m five years older than her. I’m not young anymore. As I age and lose my looks, her love for me will fade. This is my fate…” Adrian and I have been married for six years, and we’ve never had a fight. At least, not in front of others. In everyone’s eyes, he’s handsome, successful in his career, gentle and accommodating towards me, respectful and polite. He’s the epitome of the perfect husband. But only I know the suffocating nature hidden within this perfection. During lunch break, a colleague leaned against the pantry counter, vividly complaining about getting home late last night. She described how her husband sulked, how much effort it took to appease him, and how she ended up being banned from wearing short skirts. As she finished her story, she suddenly turned to me with a challenging smile in her eyes. “Olivia, Mr. Adrian is so stern in business. He must be an incredibly possessive and jealous husband in private, right?” I lowered my eyes and smiled without answering, a hint of bitterness rising in my heart. It was quite the opposite, actually. For the past six years, Adrian had been so honest and reserved, like a programmed robot. He never got jealous, never questioned who I was hanging out with, never cared what time I came home, and never even touched my phone. Colleagues often say that love always comes with possessiveness, and without possessiveness, there is no love. So, perhaps Adrian… had never loved me? Was I the only one who had fallen into this marriage? My fingertips unconsciously tightened around the warm glass in my hand. The glass contained the brown sugar water Adrian had prepared for me before leaving this morning. He had silently placed the cup in my handbag before turning and entering the closet. Recently, he seemed particularly concerned about his appearance, even using the cologne he used to hate. Thinking about this, I suddenly had some not-so-good thoughts. On a whim, I opened the home surveillance camera feed. On the screen, Adrian was working out directly in front of the camera. He was shirtless, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he moved. His perfect muscle lines looked particularly sexy in the sunlight, with beads of sweat rippling across his abs as he exerted himself. His low-rise workout pants hung loosely on his hipbones, sliding down slightly with his movements before he casually pulled them back up. Every move seemed like a dangerous invitation, extremely seductive. My throat tightened, and my fingertip hovered over the zoom button for a moment before finally pressing it. However, the next second, the screen suddenly switched, and my boss’s video call abruptly popped up. All my amorous fantasies were instantly shattered. I quickly closed my eyes, my fingers pressing against the desk, almost crushing the mouse.

My boss’s call was to notify us about a dinner gathering tonight. Thinking about the man at home, I instinctively reached for the wedding ring on my ring finger, only to find it missing. I was stunned for a moment before remembering what had happened two nights ago with Adrian. I had taken off my wedding ring and placed it on the bedside table to avoid hurting him during our intimate moment, and I had forgotten to put it back on for the past two days. As soon as my colleagues received the message from the boss, they all started notifying their families. After a moment’s hesitation, I also walked to the corridor to call Adrian. As usual, Adrian answered immediately. His voice was low and sexy, with a hint of allure: “Olivia.” My face inexplicably heated up: “Adrian, I have to go out for dinner with my colleagues tonight. I might be home late.” After I finished speaking, the other end of the phone suddenly fell into dead silence. Adrian didn’t make a sound; even his breathing seemed to have been cut off. Sensing something unusual, I called out softly: “Adrian?” “I’m listening.” Adrian came back to his senses, his voice sounding as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper, the end of his words trembling imperceptibly: “Do you… really have to go?” I was about to say “yes,” but he interrupted me with a trembling voice. “Will you come back tonight? Olivia, will you… will you come back?” I nodded in confusion: “Of course I’ll come back.” “Really?!” His volume suddenly increased, then abruptly fell silent. Only erratic breathing could be heard through the receiver. “No, I… I mean, I’ll wait for you to come home. You can come back whenever you want, as long as you come back. I’ll always be at home waiting for you…” I sensed something odd about him, so I added another reminder: “Remember to leave the light on for me.” This time he didn’t hesitate, answering promptly as if afraid I might change my mind: “Okay.”

Our boss is notorious for being a penny-pincher. The department dinner was arranged at a small and messy outdoor food stall. By the time the dinner finally ended, my exposed neck, calves, and wrists were covered in red, itchy mosquito bites. Enduring the physical discomfort, I sent several drunk colleagues home one by one. When I finally pushed open our front door, it was already 10 PM. It was drizzling outside. The sensor light in the entryway lit up, revealing an empty living room—Adrian wasn’t home again. I took out my phone to check the time, just about to give him a call when suddenly the door behind me was pushed open. Adrian appeared in the doorway, soaking wet from head to toe. Water droplets fell from his messy hair tips, forming small puddles on the floor. His usually crisp white shirt clung to his body, outlining his toned waistline, while his suit jacket and tie were nowhere to be seen. He no longer had the dignity and composure of his usual self, looking more like a miserable, broken stray dog. After a few seconds of eye contact, Adrian spoke first, his tone eerily calm. “You’re back?” I nodded, quickly pulling him inside: “Where have you been? How did you get so wet? Come in quickly…” Adrian moved mechanically, his gaze slowly sweeping over my eyebrows, eyes, nose, and lips. Finally, it settled on my neck. Then, he suddenly froze. I caught a whiff of a familiar greasy smell on him, very similar to the scent from the food stall where we had dinner tonight. “Adrian, did you go to pick me up? I’m so sorry, you couldn’t find me because I was…” “I don’t want to know!” He abruptly cut me off, his voice intense and sharp, frantically avoiding my gaze: “I mean, I didn’t go to pick you up. I just… just went for a walk.” I awkwardly licked the corner of my mouth: “I see. Well, Adrian, tonight I…” Adrian’s eyelashes trembled violently: “Enough, I’m… I’m tired! I need to take a shower, need to shower…” With that, he hurriedly rushed into the bathroom, as if escaping from something, his retreating figure frantic and panicked.

I stood stunned in the living room for a moment. I could clearly hear that besides the pitter-patter of water in the bathroom. There seemed to be a few muffled, desperate sobs. Worried about Adrian, I walked over and knocked on the door. “Adrian, what’s wrong? Are you crying? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?” After a moment of dead silence, his calm voice came through: “You heard wrong. I’m fine.” Hearing him say he was fine, I returned to the sofa, reassured, to continue watching my drama series. Adrian came out after his shower. He stood silently in front of the full-length mirror not far from me. Carefully matching his clothes and tie. Hearing the movement, I glanced at him instinctively: “Aren’t you off work tomorrow? Why bother with a tie? It’s such a hassle and a waste…” Upon hearing this, Adrian’s fingers suddenly froze in mid-air, his knuckles turning an unnatural white. I rubbed my eyes: “This tie style is a bit outdated. I’ll go pick a new one for you this weekend.” Adrian didn’t say anything, slowly lowering his hand. The tie slipped from his grasp, falling silently to the floor. “Is it just… the tie that’s outdated?” he murmured, his voice barely audible. I leaned closer to him, catching a whiff of his pleasant, faint cologne: “Adrian, what are you saying?” Adrian suddenly turned around, his bathrobe stirring up a damp breeze. I was startled. I could now clearly see his reddened eyes. His tightly bitten lower lip. And the somewhat inappropriate lace pajamas he was wearing – the ones I had deliberately bought for him when we first got married. He had refused to wear them back then, but now… As I had imagined, a straightlaced man wearing such clothes indeed had an impact. My breathing became irregular, and I struggled to look away: “Haha, well, you’re certainly still young at heart…” However, as soon as I said this, Adrian seemed to have been struck, shuddering violently: “Young…?” I nodded with a red face, taking the initiative to hook my fingers with his: “Well, it’s getting late, shall we…” Adrian froze for a few seconds, then jerked away from me as if electrified. He bit his lip, his voice choked. “I… I need to handle something in the study. You should go to bed early.”

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Billionaire’s daughter was attacked. My husband, trying to show off for his old flame, intentionally made me miss the best time to create a profile of the suspect. When I arrived, the victim’s family accused me of being unprofessional. Realizing my husband’s true nature, I immediately withdrew from the case. “If you want this case so badly, it’s all yours.” Colleagues urged me to endure, saying this case was a golden opportunity to make a name for myself. But no one knew that only I could create the most accurate portrait of the suspect. My Junior Sister’s sketch was too subjective. Without my investigation, they’d never catch the suspect, and she’d bear the responsibility. My husband’s blind trust in her would only harm her in the end. A major case occurred in our city. The victim woke up in the hospital and needed me for Profiling. Upon my arrival, my subordinate husband said the victim had been moved to the office, so I rushed there. Only to find out the victim hadn’t been moved at all. I hurried back to the hospital room, only to find the victim’s mother, Mr. Carter, furious outside the room. Seeing me, she rushed over, pointing angrily. “Your supervisor said you had experience, so I agreed to let you profile my daughter. Who knew you’d be so irresponsible, even arriving late!” I was confused, seeing my husband approach. “Nora, what’s wrong with you?” “The victim woke up, and you didn’t hurry over. Everyone’s here except you. Don’t you have any professional ethics for such a big matter?” I was speechless. What did I hear? No professional ethics? Wasn’t it him who said the victim was moved and asked me to go to the office? Jasper didn’t give me a chance to explain. “Look at your reckless behavior. How can you be the leader of the Profiling group, even being late for such an important task? What else can you do?” “The victim only has half an hour for Profiling. Luckily, Phoebe was there, or you’d be in big trouble today. You better thank her later.” That’s what Jasper had been droning on about. It was for this. This nationwide sensation, involving the Billionaire’s daughter, could elevate someone to great heights. Everyone at the office was eager to get involved. Mr. Carter and the senior leaders specifically wanted me to do the Profiling. When the news came out, Jasper was indignant. “Why do you love the limelight so much, even taking opportunities from newcomers?” “Didn’t you claim you don’t like fame and fortune? How did Mr. Carter speak for you? Did you do something shady?” I couldn’t believe those words came from my husband. I was heartbroken. I didn’t think about who he was standing up for. Now everything is clear. Jasper schemed to make me miss the Profiling so Phoebe could shine. At this moment, the hospital room door opened, and Phoebe came out. Mr. Carter glared at me and quickly asked about the situation. “Your daughter remembers clearly. I sketched the suspect’s appearance based on her description. I’m sure with the suspect’s look, the case will be solved soon.” Phoebe said as she walked, stopping in front of me. “Sister Wang, is something more important than this case? How can you lack professional ethics?” I watched her act quietly. Don’t you know why I was late? Phoebe apologized to Mr. Carter with a face full of pretense. “Sorry, Mr. Carter. I saw Sister Wang wasn’t coming for a long time and was afraid of delaying the case. So, I did the Profiling without authorization. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come.” My husband immediately patted her shoulder in comfort, ignoring that I was there. “Mr. Carter wouldn’t blame you. You’re capable, so what about rank? If someone hadn’t been negligent, you wouldn’t have had to do the Profiling.” Chapter Two Their intimate interaction was unbearable. Phoebe joined right after graduation and initially followed me. I treated her like a younger sister, but she never wanted to learn. She relied on others, especially my husband, whom she was close to. She caused troubles, and Jasper always covered for her. I advised him, but Jasper said I was an old-fashioned jealous of the newcomer. “Wasn’t everyone once a clueless newcomer? Why can’t you see newcomers doing well?” At that moment, I had a suspicion. Now I see it clearly. I nodded coldly, “You’re right. This case should be Phoebe’s, and she should be the Profiling group leader.” I placed the leader’s badge around her neck. She pretended to refuse. “No, no, I’m not qualified to be the leader.” “Why not! If you hadn’t shown your skills and professionalism today, the case would’ve been delayed. Who else should be the leader?” Jasper, ignoring my presence, hugged her warmly. “Phoebe, you’ve finally come through the clouds to see the moon. Congratulations.” Phoebe smiled brightly, looking at the badge, then glanced at me with disdain. “Now you’re just an irrelevant bystander. Why are you still here?” Jasper pulled her past me, ignoring that I was his wife. As she passed, Phoebe bumped me provocatively. I didn’t care. With her sketch, they’ll never catch the suspect. If I hadn’t read the Case File and analyzed the situation thoroughly. I concluded that in such a setting, the Billionaire’s daughter couldn’t have seen the suspect’s face. A sketch based on her description wasn’t realistic. Such cases are rare here; I’ve only encountered them abroad. For this Profiling, only I can accurately draw the suspect’s portrait nationwide. What Phoebe did was superficial. If they search for the suspect based on her sketch, it’s a waste of police resources and will never solve the case. Her mistake for fame and fortune will have consequences, and I’ll watch her downfall. Back at the office, Jasper reluctantly let go of her hand and stood in front of me. No longer gentle, now cold. “I told you not to overreach. You didn’t listen.” “Now you’ve offended the leaders and Mr. Carter. You might even face punishment.” “I’ll say it now, you’ll amount to nothing in this life.” Just like before. He never appreciated me, thought I didn’t care for the family, and wasn’t exceptional. He didn’t understand my importance in solving cases. Entering the office, I saw Phoebe messing with my Case File. “Since Nora handed the case to me, give me the case materials.” Colleagues focused on their work but listened intently. A newbie taking the Profiling leader’s job is disgraceful. And the leaders approved it. The sneaky sympathetic looks from others. I offended Mr. Carter today, likely hindering my promotion. I didn’t say much, organized the messed-up Case File, and handed her a stack of documents. She raised an eyebrow smugly, but I tossed it at her before she could reach. Her face darkened. Chapter Three Jasper saw this scene and yelled before entering. “Nora, what are you doing! Bullying one person?” I smirked, who dares bully his Junior Sister? “I’m curious. She hasn’t seen the case materials. How did she do the Profiling? If they catch the suspect, fine, but if not…” I paused, seeing her panic. “There’s no room for incompetent people. I suggest you learn some skills. Stepping on others to rise is disgusting.” The words caused a stir. “No wonder she was transferred as a newbie, came through connections.” “She hadn’t seen the case materials before the Profiling?” I didn’t listen further and left. Jasper shouted behind me. “You’re just a bully with no professional ethics. You don’t deserve to be a Profiler.” I ignored him and left. In the elevator, I couldn’t hold back my tears. I switched my major to obscure psychology to be with him. He grew up with a divorced mother, always longing for a family. I gave him security, against my parents’ wishes. Switched majors to work with him back home. The first year, his mom faced a home invasion, nearly stabbed. When she feared the perpetrator’s return, I worked tirelessly, not missing a clue. When he knew, moved to tears, he proposed, promising to protect me forever. I cried with joy, marrying him the next day. Until Phoebe joined. She doubted my analysis for Jasper’s mom’s case, thinking I didn’t ask enough for good Profiling. But Jasper’s mom was too traumatized to recall that night. Privately, she often felt watched, a severe PTSD symptom. I secretly arranged therapy for her. But she eventually took her own life. Phoebe claimed I caused her death. At first, Jasper didn’t believe it. Until a fight revealed he thought I was his mom’s killer. I realized he no longer trusted me. She always questioned my case analysis for Jasper’s mother, saying I didn’t ask enough questions and didn’t properly profile the situation. But Jasper’s mother was too traumatized to relive that night. She confided in me more than once about feeling constantly watched—a severe post-traumatic stress reaction. I secretly arranged psychological treatment for her, but unfortunately, she later took her own life. Phoebe blamed me for her death. Initially, Jasper didn’t believe it, but during an argument, he accused me of being responsible for his mother’s death. That was when I realized he no longer trusted me. Her death weighed heavily on me, and during that time, I couldn’t profile anymore and missed a promotion opportunity. Later, I discovered it was Phoebe who had secretly intimidated Jasper’s mother, warning her that if she couldn’t identify the perpetrator, he would continue to retaliate. As soon as I learned the truth, I told Jasper, but he didn’t believe me, thinking I was trying to blame Phoebe, telling me to learn from Phoebe’s supposed patience. Well, he never wanted to trust me even a little. Since then, he’s been convinced my actions were linked to his mother’s death, no matter how I explained. I shrugged it off and prepared to take a cab home. Then I saw an old man shivering in the cold, selling roasted chestnuts from a basket. I approached him and learned that his son and daughter-in-law were gone, leaving him to care for his grandson while he himself was ill and unable to afford surgery. I bought the rest of his chestnuts and urged him to go home quickly. The old man was moved to tears, thanking me and saying, “You’re a good child, thank you so much; I’ve met a kind person today.” His sincerity touched me. Just moments ago, I had been called worthless and unfit to be a profiler. Carrying the bags of roasted chestnuts, I turned around and saw Jasper and some colleagues heading out for dinner. Phoebe looked at the items in my hands and teased Jasper with a smile. “Ms. Wilson even bought roasted chestnuts for Jasper since she knows he hasn’t eaten.” “Jasper, don’t be upset. Look, Ms. Wilson has a bad temper, but I won’t mind, so don’t get mad at her on my behalf.” I glanced at Phoebe indifferently and didn’t respond. But Jasper seemed to believe I was trying to make amends, raising his head high. “I don’t like roasted chestnuts at all. I’ve been too good to her, and she doesn’t respect others, thinking she can push anyone around. ” The more he spoke, the angrier he got, stepping forward to grab the roasted chestnuts from my hand. “Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and apologize to Phoebe in front of everyone!” I sidestepped him, ignoring his surprised expression, and walked straight past him. Chapter 4 Amidst everyone’s surprised looks, I walked directly to another male colleague. “These roasted chestnuts are still hot. Could you please share them with the colleagues on duty?” Jasper and he have always been rivals. Jasper never let me talk to him. I don’t know what grudge they have. Actually, Officer Milo is excellent at his job and gets along well with almost everyone at work. Jasper was about to ask me angrily when I turned and walked away. But I hadn’t gone far when he grabbed my arm. “Enough already? Talking to Milo right in front of me? Do you think I owe you something?” “You think you’re untouchable now, daring to embarrass me in front of everyone. You’re selfish.” Is this as far as it gets? Feeling embarrassed already? So what am I today? I didn’t want to see Jasper’s twisted, ugly face. It was truly disgusting. I cut him off, “If you can’t stand it, let’s get a divorce.” He stood there stunned, incredulous, and asked, “What did you say? ” I calmly repeated, “Let’s get a divorce!” “Are you crazy? I was just standing for justice, helping Phoebe with a word, and you want a divorce? Do you take marriage as a joke?” “You have no professional ethics, you’re jealous of others, and I haven’t even said anything about you, but you dare to talk about divorce.” “I’ve just spoiled you too much.” Seeing us at daggers drawn, Phoebe quickly came over to intervene. “Ms. Wilson, don’t be impulsive. Jasper is such a good person. How can you embarrass him in public?” “If you really mind me, even though I love it here, I can resign and leave. ” I looked at the two of them pretending to be sincere. I just found it amusing. “No need for you, Junior Sister, to leave. The one who should leave is me.” Jasper’s brow furrowed, knowing I wasn’t joking. Once I made up my mind, nothing could change it. “I really misjudged you, thinking you would always be by my side. I didn’t expect you to be so treacherous.” “Despite me helping you with case reviews every time, do you think you could be a profiler without my help?” Phoebe’s eyes darted between us, seeing her opportunity, she immediately seized it. ” Jasper, even if Ms. Wilson turns a blind eye to your contributions, I will never forget the favor you did for me. I will never let you down; you are my role model.” Her words were so convincing that the onlooking colleagues almost believed her. At that moment, Jasper’s phone rang. It was the Chief’s urgent call. Jasper, holding in his anger, saw it was the Chief calling and immediately boasted loudly. “Open your eyes wide, it’s the Chief calling, maybe the case is solved.” “Just stick to your useless job!” He proudly put the call on speaker, smiling ingratiatingly, about to speak, when the other side cut in with a scolding. “Jasper, get back here now!” “And where’s Phoebe? Not answering the phone! Both of you get back here!” “What kind of profiling did she do? The person arrested following her profiling isn’t the perpetrator! The real culprit just checked into the hospital!” It seems there’s no content provided here for translation. Could you supply the text you need translated? Chapter 5 “How is this possible!” Jasper looked at Phoebe with panic in his eyes. The Chief didn’t bother to argue and directly ordered, “You two hurry back and explain yourselves!” Even after the call ended, Jasper remained in a daze.

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On the day of Ethan’s engagement to my sister, I sat in the front row of the audience. When he saw me, he inexplicably let out a sigh of relief. “Olivia, have you finally had enough? If you apologize to me, I’ll…” All the guests were terrified, not knowing who he was talking to. Because I was already dead. Today was the seventh day after my death. 0 The day before I died, Ethan broke up with me. Because he was going to get engaged to my sister. I gathered my courage and asked him, “Ethan, can you not marry her?” Ethan’s dark eyebrows furrowed, his expression very displeased, his large hand gripping my waist tightly. “Olivia, if you need money just say so. This act is nauseating.” “Don’t forget why you exist.” “You like money that much? You like stealing from others? How cheap can you be?” My expression became dejected. I hadn’t forgotten. My existence was because my sister Sophia had a heart condition and couldn’t do strenuous activities. But my parents didn’t want to miss this opportunity to climb the social ladder through Ethan. So they made me, the “debt collector,” replace my sister in “serving” Ethan. Yes, that’s right, serve. A completely unequal term. But when there’s such a huge disparity in wealth and power, when even my birth parents don’t treat me as a person, concepts like human rights and women’s rights all become meaningless. “Your sister will recover and be discharged from the hospital soon. She can get engaged and married.” “You fake, get lost quickly. Don’t dream of stealing your sister’s golden goose.” “Look at your sister’s fate, and look at yours. How dare you even think you deserve this?” My mother’s cursing voice echoed in my ears. My heart ached dully. I gave a faint smile and hugged Ethan’s neck tightly. “Mm, I am a bit short on money. Give me another 500,000 then.” The dim light hid the tears in my eyes. No one believed that I, the substitute, truly loved Ethan. “Watching you get engaged, I want to turn over a new leaf too.” “Consider this money as a dowry for my years of companionship.” 0

The day I died. Ethan really had a bad temper. After hearing me say I wanted to marry someone else, he immediately turned cold, got up and left, leaving me feeling empty inside and out. Afterwards, he gave me two options: “Take back what you just said, or get out.” He often made me choose before, usually between “apologize or get out.” I usually chose the first option. After all, when he said get out, he really meant stand outside the door all night. But this time, I decisively chose the second option. Before pretending to cheerfully jump out of bed to pack my luggage, I kissed Ethan’s lips lingeringly, forcing a bright smile. “Ethan, thank you for taking care of me these three years. Goodbye.” Aside from the things Ethan had given me, I really didn’t have many personal belongings. After all… someone without a home to return to doesn’t dare to have too many possessions. By the time I finished packing, it was almost dawn. I pulled my suitcase, tiptoeing out of the bedroom. Ethan was already dressed in his loungewear, waiting for me in the living room. He tossed me a 500,000 breakup check, his expression more grim than I’d ever seen. His eyes trembled, his thin lips parting, surprisingly speaking once more: “Olivia, if you apologize to me now, you can still change your mind.” “Didn’t you want money? I’ll give it to you.” The effect of these words was no different than a meteor striking Earth, shocking me so much I almost dropped my suitcase. Ethan, the young master of the Xing family. It was always others bowing and scraping, offering every opportunity to beg for his mercy. When had he ever taken the initiative to give someone a way out, letting them back down? But no matter how great an honor, I never intended to take this way out, Ethan. “Brother-in-law, I wish you and my sister a happy marriage.” Offering sincere blessings, I turned around with a smile. Then, tears streamed down my face. My fingers gripped the suitcase handle tightly, turning white. I laughed through my tears. It’s fine. I may have lost my love, but I gained 500,000. It’s enough for Grandma Rose’s surgery. She can live healthily for a long time. Live for a long time. 0

I died. The soup of forgetfulness was a bit bland. “No green onions, it doesn’t taste good, Grandma Meng.” I looked up at the Goddess of Forgetfulness, forcing a pale smile. “Grandma, have you seen my Grandma Rose? She should be just ahead of me, about half an hour.” “You could… learn from her…” Two streams of bloody tears flowed down my cheeks as I smiled mournfully, my heart breaking. “The soup she makes is the best-tasting in the world.” “She’s also the only person in the world who truly cares for me.” “It’s my fault I couldn’t save her, but why, Grandma? I was just one step away, just one step…” Grandma Meng’s pitch-black eyes stared at me silently. Then she stroked my head. Though her touch was icy, I felt a warmth flow into me. “Child, you did your best.” A white light flashed before my eyes, and when I opened them again, I had returned to the mortal world. I became an earth-bound spirit, confined within a five-meter radius of Ethan. 0

The first day after death. I floated in the air, watching Ethan work with nothing better to do. Ethan was still handsome, his suit jacket draped over the chair back, white shirt sleeves rolled up to reveal half of his muscular forearms. The cufflinks were ones I had picked out. But what use was it? No matter how well I served him, I was still just a substitute for my sister. After all, just look – what kind of life did my sister have, and what kind of life did I have? To Ethan, my sister was his only childhood sweetheart, the delicate princess he had protected as they grew up. How could he bear to let her do these trivial, housekeeper-like chores? He had no qualms about ordering me around, this debt collector that my parents didn’t love. But Ethan seemed to be waiting for some news today. He kept not receiving it. He frequently picked up his phone, unlocked it, checked it, then angrily tossed it aside. Especially as it got close to the end of the workday, his face was so dark it could almost drip ink. How strange. But to be fair, without me reminding him every day to eat on time, pay attention to the weather, share trivial matters. He really didn’t have many messages. I guess I used to be such a chatterbox. No wonder he found me annoying.

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