My best friend’s brother has returned from abroad, and word is, he brought back a sister-in-law for her. The next day, my friend invited me over to meet her brother. When I realized who the man in front of me was, my legs felt weak. Because three years ago, I broke up with him. Fiona insisted I come to her house for dinner. Her brother had just come back from abroad, and she was adamant I meet him. When I arrived after work, the dim streetlight cast a long shadow of a man. You could tell he was handsome. But, unfortunately, not someone for me. Fiona mentioned her brother had returned with a sister-in-law. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and was 185cm tall—quite striking. “Brother!” Fiona shouted, and the man turned around. I was stunned for a moment: “He’s your brother?!” “Fiona, I just remembered I have something urgent to do, I have to go.” I swallowed nervously, trying to leave in haste. Fiona pulled me back: “Adeline! Why are you leaving? My brother is treating us to a feast!” Before I could refuse, the man had already approached. I grew more anxious, unconsciously gripping Fiona’s hand tightly. Fiona patted my hand to reassure me: “My brother is intimidating, right? I’m quite scared of him myself, that’s why I wanted you to come with me.” No wonder she’s my best friend, a champion at setting me up for forty years. Fiona dragged me along, eagerly introducing me to her brother: “Brother, this is Adeline, my best friend! Treat her just like a real sister from now on.” “Adeline, this is my brother, Declan.” After saying this, she looked behind Declan a few times: “Where’s my sister-in-law?” Declan ignored Fiona’s question, chuckled a few times, and stared at me: “Real sister?” His words made the atmosphere slightly tense. Fiona laughed to ease the tension: “Brother, what’s with you? Adeline and I are so close, can’t she be your sister too? Besides, Adeline doesn’t even mind.” She nudged my shoulder: “Right, Adeline?” Please don’t involve me, my legs felt weak. I hastily nodded. Declan chuckled softly. “If being my sister doesn’t interest you, what would you prefer? To be Fiona’s sister-in-law?” he raised an eyebrow, his tone casual. But his words made my heart skip a beat. I couldn’t muster a reply. However, Fiona was straightforward: “Brother! Show some decency! Don’t I already have a sister-in-law? You player!” Declan clicked his tongue: “That makes me a player? Then some people must be players to the extreme.” I didn’t dare speak until the three of us got in the car. Declan was indeed good-looking, a classic kind of handsome. When you saw him, you couldn’t possibly find him unattractive. Our eyes met in the rearview mirror, I was startled and immediately closed my eyes. I heard him laugh softly. My face turned red. Declan lowered the car window, and Fiona asked him, puzzled, what he was doing. He simply said: “My sister’s face is flushed, opening the window to cool her down.” My face turned even redder. Fiona glanced at me and even praised him for being more considerate. A dozen minutes later, the car stopped at a private restaurant’s parking lot. Declan got out and opened the door for me, looking at me with a half-smile: “Watch your head, sis.” As luck would have it, I did bump my head, but Declan’s hand was there to cushion it. Fiona sighed seriously: “My sister-in-law must be amazing to have trained my brother to be like this, I should thank her profusely in the future.” Declan glanced back at me, his gaze carrying some deeper meaning. I quietly swallowed and whispered: “Fiona, that’s not necessary.”

Declan ordered a variety of dishes, leaving Fiona astonished. “Brother, why did you order everything that Adeline likes?” “Oh, really? I ordered according to your sister-in-law’s taste.” Declan lounged lazily in his chair, hands folded, exuding an indescribable nobility. My heart skipped a few beats. “Adeline, my sister-in-law’s taste is really similar to yours, you two might even become good friends.” When all the dishes were served, Declan’s phone rang. When I looked at him, his eyes were full of tenderness as he looked at the caller ID, and I was taken aback. “It’s your sister-in-law calling, I’ll take it outside.” Looking at the table full of dishes, I suddenly lost my appetite. So Declan really has a girlfriend, and her taste is really the same as mine. I silently scorned myself, what was I getting all worked up about earlier? “What’s on your mind, sis?” Declan raised an eyebrow, adding a piece of braised pork to my plate. He seemed to genuinely treat me as his sister, using that term naturally. The atmosphere was slightly awkward, especially since Fiona went to the bathroom. I picked out the braised pork from my plate: “Sorry, brother, I don’t like this anymore.” My hand trembled a bit, but I tried hard to suppress it. He just chuckled softly and didn’t respond. The atmosphere remained tense, and internally, I was calling out for Fiona. “Oh, I forgot your taste changes quickly, after all, it’s only been a few days, and you already like pretty boys.” Fortunately, Fiona pushed the door open and came back in. In front of my best friend, I pretended to be calm, acting like nothing happened. But Declan wouldn’t let it go. He clapped his hands and asked the waiter to change the dishes. Fiona hadn’t had a chance to eat much: “Brother, why change the dishes? These are delicious!” Declan looked at me with a cold expression. “Adeline said she doesn’t like them.” His voice was pleasant, especially when he called my full name. Soon, the table was filled with green vegetables. Declan was definitely doing it on purpose. “Brother, how can you eat so much green!” Fiona complained quietly. Declan replied with a completely unrelated comment: “You think it’s too much green too?” This meal was so uncomfortable for me. On the way back, as I looked at Declan’s profile, I remembered the first time I met him. In my sophomore year, I was dumped by my ex-boyfriend. It was raining that day, and I gave my only umbrella to my ex. He and his new girlfriend were using my umbrella, while I got soaked. He had pursued me for almost a year, and we were together for only a few months before he cheated. Later, I heard from others that he never stopped having girlfriends even when he was pursuing me. When you’re down, it seems like everything goes wrong. Getting wet was one thing, but I slipped on the wet ground. Feeling wronged, tears mixed with rain streaming down my face. The street was empty, so I just cried out loud. In the midst of my sorrow, suddenly there was an umbrella over my head. I looked up, and though my vision was blurry, it was unmistakably a handsome man, mature and steady. “Take it.” He handed me the umbrella, I was a bit stunned. He stood for a moment, then impatiently shoved the umbrella into my hand. Holding it, I felt like the umbrella was hotter than his fingers. It had the Rolls-Royce logo. He turned away into the rain. A moment later, he returned, silently picking me up in his arms. His voice was low and nice: “Didn’t you know your leg is hurt?” My body was stiff, and so was his. It was the first time my heart raced like that. I never thought I would find a sense of security in a man other than my dad. I’m not very daring, but the bravest thing I did was ask Declan for his contact info. Under the pretense of returning his umbrella, I invited him to a meal, and he treated me back. I felt bad and invited him again. He remembered my taste, even set aside a day to go shopping with me. He was gentle and thoughtful, caring for me in every way. It was thanks to Fiona that we finally broke through that barrier. She took me to a bar, and I got drunk. The next day, I woke up with Declan lying next to me. He said: “Adeline, come home with me.”

In my senior year, I was struggling with my thesis and worried about meeting Declan’s parents. But in the end, I never got the chance. I saw him in a restaurant, smiling at a woman, cutting steak for her, his every gesture filled with affection. I had already been through this once. I knew what it meant, I was cheated on again. To save face, I spent 200 bucks to hire an underclassman to pretend to be my boyfriend. That day I calmly broke up with him. I thought Declan would try to keep me. Turns out, he didn’t love me anymore. He was so calm, he didn’t even take my words seriously. He asked: “Adeline, what do you mean?” “It means nothing, I don’t love you anymore.” Why could he move on so quickly, and I couldn’t? In the end, Declan smiled faintly. “Adeline, you’re doing great.” After that, I didn’t see him for three years. —— “We’re here.” My memories were cut short, and I got out of the car with Fiona. How could Declan still have the nerve to be sarcastic with me? He was the one who betrayed me first! I didn’t expose him, already giving him enough face. But I was still a bit sad. Declan was the most intense light in my otherwise dull youth. “Adeline, why do you seem off? Did my brother steal your soul?” Fiona was excited: “It’s such a pity, if I didn’t have a sister-in-law, I would’ve set you two up.” “Did you know? My brother is so devoted, he’s been with my sister-in-law for over three years now.” In stark contrast to Fiona’s joy, my heart felt cold at that moment. I couldn’t quite describe the feeling. Was I mad at Declan for betraying me? Not really. Just a bit resentful. Seeing I was down, Fiona quickly arranged a gathering to cheer me up. I almost never attended such chaotic events. But thinking of Declan, I gritted my teeth and went. Fiona, being the little rich girl she is, gathered a room full of men. Some were up-and-coming celebs. These young boys kept calling me: “Sis.” Who could resist that? In the latter part, I got a bit tipsy and grabbed Fiona’s hand, asking what her sister-in-law was like. I can’t really put the feeling into words. Am I angry with Declan for betraying me? Not exactly. It’s more of a lingering resentment. Fiona noticed I wasn’t in the best of moods and immediately organized a get-together with some friends to lift my spirits. I almost never attend these chaotic gatherings. But thinking of Declan, I decided to grit my teeth and go. Fiona, true to her little rich girl style, had filled the room with guys. Some of them were even up-and-coming celebs. These young men kept calling me “sis.” Who could resist that? Later on, feeling a bit tipsy, I clung to Fiona’s hand and asked her what her sister-in-law was like. “Is your sister-in-law prettier than me?” “Does she have a better figure than me? A bigger chest?” Fiona shouted, “No! Definitely not!”

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Declan returned from abroad, bringing back his first love. “Adeline, Fiona is pregnant with my child. I can only ask you to bear with this for now.” Overnight, I became the laughingstock of the circle. Late at night, my fiancé’s Uncle Milo held me tightly in his arms, his movements forceful. “Compared to that loser, who can make you happier?” “Adeline, don’t move. Declan is just outside the door. Do you want me to call him in?” The room was a mess. Milo pressed me against the cold window glass. His hot breath against my ear, enveloping me in his presence. “Please, don’t…” I pleaded softly, only to hear him scoff. “Don’t what? Stop?” He chuckled, pinning my wrists above my head with one hand. His actions grew more intense. “What do you want to ask me for?” Of course, I knew. “Uncle Milo, Fiona is three months pregnant. Declan and I have to cancel our engagement.” Declan’s voice came from outside the door. “Adeline’s design project will be handled by Fiona and me. It won’t affect the company.” My blood froze as I stared at the door. He had said Cora only needed help with her pregnancy and divorce. But now… Milo leisurely looked at me, “Did you hear that?” “He’s not only canceling your engagement but also taking your project to benefit Cora.” Milo narrowed his eyes and continued. “Be with me, Adeline. I’ll give you everything you want.” Saying this, he pushed forward with such force I almost fell to the ground. “Milo, don’t. We’ll be discovered.” Milo chuckled, “Wouldn’t it be perfect if we were? I’ll marry you, make you Declan’s Aunt Adeline.” I, always timid and cowardly. Silently reached out, wrapping my arms around Milo’s neck. He immediately sensed it, his eyes darkened as he bit my lips like a predator savoring its prey. Satisfied, he coldly said to the person outside, “I need to rest. Talk tomorrow.” The bell at my ankle chimed, making a crisp and pleasant sound. I cried the whole night. Milo tormented me fiercely, “Are you crying because of him or me?” I didn’t answer, which only spurred him into more madness. Until the sky began to lighten. He finally wiped away the tears from the corner of my eyes with tenderness. “Good girl, Adeline. I won’t let the alliance between our families fall through. You’re still the Sullivan Family’s daughter-in-law.” I looked at him in a daze. This man, indeed, knew what I was worried about. The Harper Family was weak. My engagement to Declan wasn’t just for love but for other purposes too. Milo’s fingers twirled my hair. “Your fiancé, from now on, is me.” I was beyond shocked. Anger and humiliation surged in my heart: “Milo, are you crazy?” Everyone in the circle knew Milo was a madman. Ruthless, with a strange personality. But I didn’t expect him to be this insane.

I didn’t go looking for Cora, but she came to me. She looked gentle and demure, no wonder Declan liked her. He probably thought I was too bright and flamboyant. “I heard Asher almost gave up his life to marry you back then.” I looked at her face, silent. When Declan pursued me, he was all high-profile and flamboyant, eager to let the world know he liked me. To get Mr. Sullivan to agree to our marriage. He jumped into an icy lake in winter to show his determination, injuring his little finger from the frostbite. He said it was a badge of love. Said that as long as his finger hurt, it would remind him to love me for a lifetime. “But in the end, he still chose me.” Cora raised her eyebrows, looking smug, “Our child is already three months old.” “Back then, we were too young to know what we wanted.” “Just like me, I left him and went abroad to marry someone else. Fortunately, in the end, we got back together…” She glanced at me as she spoke. Her eyes were full of smiles. My heart felt like it was being pricked by thousands of needles. It started to hurt sharply, suffocatingly. When Declan brought Cora back that day. He once vowed in front of me, “It wasn’t my will to be with her.” “If she weren’t pregnant, I would’ve kicked her out long ago.” Later, I found out. During his time in the States, he was always entangled with Cora. They indulged themselves in my bridal chamber, with Cora gasping in his arms, playfully. “Asher, I can’t take it anymore.” Declan teased her, “If it weren’t for you seducing…” That’s when I realized. I was the fool kept in the dark the whole time. Under pressure, Declan promised me. “Adeline, once Fiona gives birth, I’ll send her away. Aren’t you afraid of getting out of shape from pregnancy?” “Why don’t you raise Cora’s child?” I stayed silent. But when Cora heard Declan’s idea, she accidentally fell. Everyone said I couldn’t tolerate her. Declan also wanted to break off our engagement without a word. “Adeline Harper, you malicious woman!” … Before Cora left, she taunted. “Adeline Harper, you can’t beat me. Asher doesn’t love you. He loves me now.” I pretended to stay composed and ignored her. But the pain in my heart was so intense, it made sweat bead on my forehead. I lay at home for two days. When I woke up, I decided to talk things over with Declan. Our engagement involved both families’ reputation.

Declan took Cora to “The Nightfall.” It’s Milo’s private establishment. No matter who you are, you need a reservation to enter. I had no choice but to face Milo. “So, now you remember me?” He lounged lazily on the sofa, swirling the red wine in his hand. Milo was exceptionally handsome. Even with such an annoying expression on his face, he still looked good. I sulked and didn’t answer. Seeing my silence, he got a bit annoyed. “What do you want?” “To go to ‘The Nightfall’ to find Declan.” Upon hearing this, Milo downed his wine in one go. He grabbed my neck, pulling me into his embrace. His cool lips carried the scent of wine. Overwhelming me. His fiery kiss was like a flame, forcefully igniting me. “Adeline Harper, you still dare think of him? Did you forget what you promised me when you slept with me?!” My heart trembled, my cheeks instantly burning. The day Declan proposed breaking off the engagement, I went to a bar to drink away my sorrows and was drugged. In my stupor, I mistook Milo for Declan and slept with him. He was furious then. “Adeline Harper, look carefully. I’m not Declan.” I felt so awful, I couldn’t care less. I directly pounced on him. Swallowing all his words, I clung to him, wanting more several times over. Until the next morning. Seeing his face, I was suddenly aware. Oh my god, I actually slept with my fiancé’s Uncle Milo. He rested against the bed, half-dressed. “What, scared now that it’s over?” Swallowing hard, I shook my head, then fiercely nodded. “I warn you, I won’t be the third wheel. Break up with Declan tomorrow, got it?” I agreed like a pecking chick. Then turned and ran. Now, he was looking at me with a leisurely gaze. His narrow, beautiful eyes carried a smile not reaching the bottom, “Running after sleeping with someone, you’re something else.”

Milo kept his word. That night, he took me to ‘The Nightfall’s masquerade party. I wore a mask and a deep red gown, standing in the corner. No one recognized me. But I recognized Declan and Cora. Milo stood by my side, noticing my gaze, he spoke through gritted teeth, “What? Feeling sad?” I shook my head. “Declan, that bastard, isn’t worth my sadness.” “So obedient?” Milo leaned down, his breath hot against my ear. “Then I should reward you.” Saying this, he lowered his head and kissed my lips, his tongue prying open my teeth, plundering freely. I was kissed until my head spun, my whole body going limp in his arms. How was this rewarding me? It was clearly rewarding himself. Until Declan walked over, “Uncle?” Milo released me, and I clung to him, half my face hiding in his neck, breathing lightly. “So boring, even with a mask you can recognize me?” Milo laughed. At six-foot-three, he was hard not to recognize. Cora looked me up and down, her gaze unfriendly: “And who is this?” Milo ignored her. But Cora continued, “Uncle Milo, aren’t you afraid this woman might have ulterior motives? What if she’s trying to get into your bed to scam you?” I was speechless; this manipulative woman should just shut up if she can’t speak properly. Milo chuckled, his fingers brushing the back of my neck: “I actually hope she wants to get into my bed.” Hearing this, everyone turned to look at me. “How dull, can you still recognize me even with a mask on?” Milo chuckled. Standing at six foot three, he’s hard to miss. Cora gave me a scrutinizing look. “And who might this be?” Milo dismissed her with a smirk. But Cora pressed on, “Uncle Milo, aren’t you concerned something might be off about this woman? What if she’s just trying to climb into your bed and swindle you?” I was left speechless. This manipulative woman should just keep quiet if she can’t say anything sensible. Milo let out a mocking laugh, his fingers lightly touching the back of my neck. “I actually hope she’s interested in getting into my bed.” Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at me. Who hasn’t heard of the notorious heir of the Sullivan Family, known for his ruthless demeanor and lack of interest in women? Who could possibly make him want someone to share his bed? Cora forced an awkward smile. “Which family’s lady is Uncle Milo’s companion? Do I know her?” Milo raised an eyebrow, “You’re not worthy of knowing.” Cora’s expression turned sour as she glanced at Declan, “Asher, look at your uncle…” Declan, merely a powerless playboy within the Sullivan Family, took Cora’s hand and kissed it gently. “Uncle Milo’s always been like this, don’t take it to heart.” Watching Declan’s gentle gesture stirred a twinge of jealousy in me. So, he could be tender too. Noticing my gaze, Milo suddenly pinched my waist and bit softly on my neck. I let out a surprised yelp.

Declan stared at my partially hidden face, his eyes growing sharper. “That voice…” He murmured, reaching to remove my mask. Instinctively, I stepped back, my heart racing with countless thoughts flashing through my mind. Milo grabbed Declan’s wrist with such force that his knuckles turned white. “Rude.” The word was as cold as ice. Declan struggled in disbelief, but he couldn’t move. “Uncle, who is she?” Milo raised an eyebrow and replied with a hint of mischief, “Of course, she’s your Aunt Adeline.” Declan’s face turned pale, hesitating to speak. An indescribable feeling spread within him. The woman in Uncle Milo’s arms felt eerily familiar. The answer hovered on the tip of his tongue. But he dared not believe it. … Milo released him and instead held my hand, gently pressing it to his lips. The gesture was intensely intimate. My face flushed, and I tried to pull away, but he playfully bit my finger. “Don’t hide.” There was laughter in his eyes, clearly intentional. “Uncle Milo, is your date someone I know?” Declan asked again, unwilling to give up. Milo raised an eyebrow, “Perhaps.” I stiffened slightly, looking at Milo with pleading eyes. This man always had an unpredictable nature, and revealing my identity at a time like this… What of the Harper Family’s reputation? Please don’t… Milo slightly curled his lips, leaning closer to me, “Call me ‘husband,’ and I’ll help you.” This guy was truly wicked. The atmosphere felt tense, and Milo suddenly chuckled softly. “Let’s go, it’s dreadfully boring here.” I followed him, letting him lead me through the crowd. Behind us was Declan’s gaze, intense enough to burn right through me. 6 Milo took me to the suite on the top floor of “The Nightfall.” In the center of the room was a massive round bed, next to a floor-to-ceiling window offering a view of the entire cityscape of Kyoto. “What’s the matter? Are you scared?” Milo raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes. I quietly replied, “No.” Milo leisurely unfastened his tie, revealing a striking collarbone. “Where did the courage to bring me to ‘The Nightfall’ go?” “I just wanted to clear things up with Declan.” I turned my face away. “Is that so?” Milo walked towards me. “I’m sorry then, that you couldn’t clear things up.” He feigned regret with a slight pout. Suddenly, he bit my lip fiercely. “Liar, you clearly can’t forget.” I hadn’t expected him to hold such a grudge. “The ruthless heir is actually jealous?” I teased him with a smile. Not afraid at all. “Yes, jealous.” … Milo emerged from the shower, bare-chested. Water droplets trickled down his toned body, accentuating his perfect muscles. Noticing my gaze, he smirked lightly. “Seen enough?” I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist, pulling me into his embrace. “You said you liked it, why not touch?” Milo guided my hand to his strong chest. “I…” I swallowed hard. Was I really supposed to touch? Before I could respond, Milo leaned down to kiss me. He pressed me against the wall, his hands firmly on my waist, his breath hot. “Compared to that loser, who makes you happier?” I closed my eyes, not wanting to answer. Milo’s kisses traveled from my lips to my ear, “Not answering? Fine, I’ll just have to show you.” His lips trailed down my neck. My legs went weak, barely able to stand. “Aren’t I much better than him? I’m bigger…” I hurriedly covered his mouth, “Stop it!” Milo looked at me, amused, and suddenly scooped me up, carrying me to the bed. Water droplets from his hair dripped onto my face. “Adeline, you can’t escape.” He kissed me forcefully, but then there was a loud knocking on the door. “Adeline Harper, I know you’re in there.” I’m sorry, but it seems there’s no actual Chinese text provided for translation. Could you please provide the text you’d like translated? 7. The noise outside suddenly grew louder, mixed with the slurred speech of someone drunk. It was Declan. I tensed up. How did he find this place?

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Husband’s childhood friend has an unusual obsession: she enjoys raising other people’s sons. When my son Asher was just a month old, crying every night, she would sleep on the floor of my bedroom, soothing him night after night. By the time Asher was three months, he always needed to be held. She was exhausted, her muscles strained, yet she never put him down. When Asher turned one and called out “Mom,” she broke down in my husband’s arms: “That’s my son, my life. It hurts to hear him call me mom. Do you know how hard this is for me?” I witnessed it all but said nothing. Because I already knew. My husband, behind my back, had used my body to carry their child. They waited for him to grow up, succeed, and then planned to claim him as their own. And planned to leave me with nothing. But when they came to claim him, I revealed a paternity test. “Nora, can you call Asher out? I brought him a toy car from abroad.” Ever since I gave birth to Asher, my husband’s childhood friend frequently visited our home. She always brought expensive gifts. For Asher’s first month, she spent a fortune on a gold necklace for him. She even bought an apartment in our neighborhood to be close to Asher and secretly meet with my husband. I pretended not to know, as usual, and called my son out. Asher was thrilled to see the new toy. But he didn’t grab it immediately. Instead, he looked at me eagerly, waiting for my nod before politely thanking her, “Thank you, godmother.” Lydia was not pleased. She joked, “Asher, who treats you better, your godmother or your mom?” Asher didn’t hesitate, “Mom is better.” Lydia’s face turned pale, and she pinched my husband’s hand hard. My husband quickly picked up Asher and said to me, “Nora, Lydia and I will take the child out to play. You should rest at home.” His other hand comfortingly wrapped around Lydia’s shoulder, as if telling her to bear with it. I didn’t stop them, just smiled and reminded them, “Be safe.” The three of them turned and left, holding Asher between them, looking like a family of three. I watched their backs, recalling four years ago. During a company health check, I fell unconscious for a day after a gastroscopy. They said it was due to an overdose of anesthesia. Soon after, I found out I was pregnant. But this child had nothing to do with me. He was my husband and Lydia’s IVF child. That’s when I overheard that Finn married me not out of love. He didn’t want Lydia to suffer the pains of childbirth, so I was to surrogate for them. Afraid Asher would suffer in my womb, Lydia bought a lot of supplements from the start of my pregnancy. I accepted them all without hesitation. I also demanded an elective C-section, the best postpartum care, and three nannies. To appease me, Finn and Lydia spent hundreds of thousands by the time Asher was a month old. After confinement, Lydia replaced the nanny, staying until Asher could crawl before reluctantly leaving. I wasn’t angry; I actually welcomed her. Who wouldn’t like someone who gives you money and watches your kid for free? And since I didn’t have to exert effort, I returned to work right after my maternity leave. Colleagues complimented my glow, saying I looked younger than before pregnancy. I remained tight-lipped, only saying my husband was considerate. That evening, Finn returned with Asher, and Lydia reluctantly said her goodbyes at the door. “Asher, godmother is leaving. If you miss me, come downstairs to play.” Being young, Asher grew fond of her over the afternoon. Holding the Haagen-Dazs ice cream Lydia bought, he sweetly kissed her cheek, “Goodnight godmother, Asher likes you best.” Lydia’s love brimmed over at his words, and my husband was all smiles. I chuckled to myself. I’m also starting to like your godmother. Though it’s more like fondness for a perfect nanny. I turned back to my room, continuing with my project proposal. Chapter Two By the time I was promoted to director, Asher had started school. Seeing me busy with work, Lydia offered to quit her job and handle Asher’s drop-offs and pick-ups. She pampered Asher daily. If he scraped his knee playing soccer, she’d make a fuss and rush him to the hospital. This went on for years. On Asher’s 12th birthday, Lydia asked him what wish he had, promising to make it come true. Asher glanced at me and said, “Godmother, I want to go to Cambridge.” My heart ached. Had I not married Finn early, I too had a chance to go to Cambridge. I had only casually mentioned it to Asher, and he remembered. Lydia was overjoyed, “My son is ambitious. Godmother will send you to the best international school. With Asher’s intelligence and diligence, you’ll surely get into Cambridge.” She then gave my husband a meaningful look, “One day, your dad’s business will be yours to inherit.” I was intrigued. Inherit his dad’s business? Finn’s company now makes less than three million annually. He squanders his eight-figure savings partying with Lydia. This money, I’ll help him plan well. The next day, I brought out the admission brochure for the best international high school in the capital. “Honey, Lydia, this is the school Asher chose. There are 10 spots annually for direct admission to Oxford and Cambridge. But since we’re not local, there’s a 5-million admission fee. Should we send Asher?” Lydia was thrilled, “Direct entry to Cambridge?! Five million is nothing, worth every penny!” She was ready to sell her apartment, “Selling my place, I can get at least three million.” Finn stopped her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder affectionately, “I know you love Asher, you’ve given so much. You don’t work, you shouldn’t pay. I’ll handle it.” He even guilt-tripped, “Son, you mustn’t be ungrateful to your godmother.” Asher nodded sensibly. I internally laughed, then displayed a worried expression, “But I heard class placement depends on asset proof. If we spend so much and get a bad class, won’t it affect his studies?” Finn assured confidently, “Asher will be in the best. I’ll prepare the materials tomorrow.” Before bed, I even saw them encouraging each other on Snapchat. Tough days now don’t matter, once Asher is successful, finding a million-dollar job won’t be hard. Once Asher graduates, they’ll reveal themselves, and the three will immigrate to the UK, counting money at home. As for me, losing my son and home, I’d have nowhere to cry. Lydia’s hatred for me nearly spilled from the screen, “Asher’s heart is with that woman! Competing with me for my son? Is she better for Asher than me?! Just wait, I’ll see how she begs me later.” I thought, just wait. Who begs whom remains to be seen. Finn acted swiftly, transferring all assets to Asher, including real estate and stocks. He even sold his company, using cash to buy properties, acquiring many buildings and shops. When he handed me the asset documents, I found an extra ten million. Not sure where he borrowed it from. The day we sent Asher to the capital for school, Lydia clung to Asher at the airport, “Asher, grow up soon. Godmother has a surprise for you.” Seeing their touching scene, I couldn’t help but anticipate. A surprise? What surprise? Could it be better than the one I prepared for you? Chapter Three Asher did well, getting into Cambridge. For years, Lydia acted more eager than me. When Asher studied abroad, she insisted on following. Asher often complained to me about Lydia’s over-attentiveness. With her care, I had more time for my career. I started a business, surpassing Finn’s previous company, with an annual turnover over a billion. During Asher’s breaks, I brought him to the company to familiarize him with operations, preparing him for future responsibilities. Finn and Lydia were pleased. Secretly mocking me for handing over my assets to their biological son. Who would have thought, a year after Asher went abroad, he had a car accident, injuring his eyes. He was left blind. The doctor said corneas wouldn’t be found soon, advising us to wait. I was frantic, booking the earliest flight, cursing Lydia inwardly. Had she not insisted on racing with Asher, he wouldn’t have faced this tragedy. But when Finn and I arrived, we found Asher at home, and Lydia’s eyes wrapped in thick bandages. I was speechless with shock. Finn was distraught, trembling, hugging her despite my presence, “You gave your corneas?! How could you be so foolish!” The surgery was at a black clinic. One misstep and both Lydia and my son could have died. I was terrified, “Are you crazy?! Asher was lucky to be fine!” But Lydia seemed genuinely crazed. Repeatedly asking who was the best for Asher, who deserved to be his mother. Asher was scared senseless by her mania. A sedative finally calmed the situation. Years later, Asher graduated, getting into Harvard for his PhD. Finn held a graduation party for him. At the peak of the ceremony, Lydia barged in. Blind, in a wheelchair pushed by Finn’s mother, she cried before Asher. “Asher, I’m your biological mother. I’ve sacrificed so much for you. You can’t not acknowledge me!” Lydia appeared to have truly lost her mind. She repeatedly demanded to know who was best for Asher and who truly deserved to be his mother. Asher was paralyzed with fear by her frenzied behavior. Ultimately, they had to administer a sedative to calm her. Years later, Asher graduated and was accepted into a PhD program at Harvard. Finn organized a special graduation party for him. At the ceremony’s most anticipated moment, Lydia barged in. She was blind, sitting in a wheelchair pushed by Finn’s Mother, weeping as she approached Asher. “Asher, I’m your biological mother. I’ve sacrificed so much for you. You can’t ignore me!” Finn quickly stood up to confirm, “Asher, it’s true. Your Aunt Lydia is your real mother.” After he spoke, the room fell into a stunned silence. “What is happening? How can a child someone carried for nine months be hers?” “Exactly, a woman sacrifices so much to have a baby, and she just claims it’s hers? How shameless.” “What’s the story here? Did Finn cheat? Poor Nora.” I looked at Lydia, who once loved wearing Louis Vuitton and sipping coffee outside the company. Now, she looked pitiful, drab, and in a wheelchair. I smiled slightly, “You can’t just say that. Everyone knows I was the one pregnant with Asher. I still have the stretch marks to prove it. How can you claim Asher is your child?” Lydia, clearly not in a stable mental state, smugly declared, “Do you remember when you were unconscious in the hospital? That’s when they transferred the embryo from me to you.” I remained calm and continued to ask, “Why did you do it? You can have children. Why make someone else have your baby?” “Childbirth is so painful, and it makes you ugly. You get unsightly stretch marks. I wanted to avoid all that. I told Finn, and he said I didn’t have to give birth. Once you had the baby and raised him, they’d push you aside, and I’d take him back. After all, I’m his real mom by blood!” When she finished, the room erupted with shock. “This is unbelievable! She’s awful, using someone else’s body to bear her child.” “No wonder she’s so good to Asher. He’s her son after all!” “Finn is despicable, using someone like that.” Lydia added, “To be honest, I was the one who made Finn marry you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even have been qualified to enter the Finn family!” With that, Lydia lifted her chin arrogantly. I couldn’t help but smile. “But… I have a DNA test proving Asher is my biological son!” I’m sorry, but it looks like the text you wanted translated is missing. Could you please provide the specific Chinese text for translation? Chapter 4 I blinked, then gestured to draw attention. The Paternity Test report for Asher and me appeared on the large screen in the venue. Everyone present leaned forward, eyes wide, scrutinizing the test results.

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James’s first love was diagnosed with a terminal illness and didn’t have much time left. Just as we were about to board a plane for a family vacation, James received the news and immediately abandoned his family, leaving them with me while he rushed to be by his ex’s side. Furious, I suggested we break up. He retorted, “She’s dying. Is it too much to ask that I help her complete her bucket list?” Later, after fulfilling his ex’s last wishes, he knocked on my door and asked if I was still angry. The little munchkin behind me mimicked my response in a cute voice: “Go cool off somewhere else!” James had always been attentive to detail, while I tended to be more carefree. During our three-year relationship, he pampered me like a child. He remembered my menstrual cycle, all my food allergies, would warm my cold feet on his thighs when we slept in winter, and in summer, he’d drowsily cover me with a blanket in the middle of the night to prevent me from catching a chill. Our friends, seeing how he’d hold my hand even when crossing the street, urged us to get married and have kids soon, telling us to stop showing off and experience the hardships of married life. James would laugh and pull me close. “Even if we get married and have kids, Sophia won’t suffer one bit. We’ll book the best private hospital and the best postpartum care center.” During a long weekend, James wanted to introduce me to his family and had arranged an international family trip. They say that traveling together before marriage is the best test for a relationship. All flaws are magnified during a trip, and you’ll know if you can make it work after just one try. I was even more nervous about being tested along with his whole family. But James assured me that I didn’t need to worry about anything, just focus on looking beautiful, and he would take care of everything else. Only then did I feel at ease. The night before our departure, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I thought he was worried about overlooking something in the arrangements, so I gently patted him, but he said nothing, just let out a long sigh. At the airport, after meeting up with all his family members, he still seemed distracted, checking his phone every few minutes. James’s sister and brother-in-law had already gone through the boarding gate with their little daughter. I tugged on James’s sleeve, signaling him to show our tickets. Instead, he pulled me aside. “I’m sorry, Sophia. I can’t go. Please take care of my family for me.” Even as his running figure disappeared from view, I couldn’t process what had just happened. For the past three years, no matter when I messaged James, he always replied instantly. But this time, he didn’t answer my calls or respond to my messages. He didn’t even offer a proper explanation. What was going on? I was so angry that tears welled up in my eyes. “Ma’am, the boarding gate is about to close. Please board quickly.” This was James’s parents’ first trip abroad, and his sister had a three-year-old child with her. I couldn’t imagine how panicked this family would be in a foreign country, so I had no choice but to go ahead and board. As I walked across the jet bridge, my phone buzzed. I thought it was James, but when I opened it, I saw it was a message from my best friend, Olivia. “Did you know James’s first love, Nora, is back in the country? I heard she has a terminal illness and came back for treatment.” “Hey, I’m just gossiping with you. James is so good to you, whether she’s back or not shouldn’t affect your relationship.” Reading these lines, I took a deep breath, my hand trembling slightly. Thinking back on James’s recent strange behavior, everything suddenly made sense. My boyfriend, who had always showered me with affection, had abandoned his entire family and left them with me, all for his first love. James, who was usually so meticulous in his interactions with others, had done something so outrageous. I couldn’t help but steady myself against the nearby handrail, suddenly feeling dizzy. Once on the plane, faced with James’s waiting family, I hurriedly made up an excuse, saying James had an urgent matter at work. His mother seemed displeased. “Sophia, dear, why didn’t you try to persuade our James to stay? It’s a holiday, and we finally got to go on a trip together. He works too hard.” “If James isn’t going, what’s the point of us going?” I was taken aback. James probably couldn’t face me, not even offering an explanation, let alone giving me a chance to persuade him. The cabin door had already closed, and nearby passengers, hearing their conversation, began to whisper worriedly, concerned it might delay the takeoff. “When we finally get to go on a trip, we should try to overcome any obstacles and enjoy ourselves as much as possible.” I said this to James’s mother, but I was also saying it to myself.

Back in my seat, I couldn’t help but tear up. All of James’s past kindnesses now seemed distorted, unable to withstand scrutiny. Faced with his entire family, I still had to make excuses for him and comfort them. What sin had I committed to deserve such torment? “Miss, do you know the passenger who was supposed to sit next to you? They checked in but didn’t board. Our plane is about to take off…” A pleasant male voice sounded beside me. I looked up with teary eyes at him, suddenly feeling emotionally overwhelmed. “He… left.” The flight attendant panicked and hurriedly offered me tissues. “Left?” “Yes, he… just left.” My anger, grievance, and heartache completely overflowed at that moment. “I’m… so sorry for your loss. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” The flight attendant looked at me with sympathy and surprise. Only then did I realize how ugly my crying must have been, leading him to misunderstand the situation entirely. The flight attendant was exceptionally attentive to us throughout the flight, giving James’s father an extra meal and even gifting James’s little niece with an airline mascot toy. As we were disembarking, I wanted to thank the flight attendant, but seeing him coldly refuse a female passenger who asked for a photo with him, I just quietly followed the crowd off the plane. I might as well consider James dead. Thinking this way, I actually felt a bit better.

Leading this big family through immigration, with the elderly complaining about the long wait and the little one crying from hunger, was overwhelming. All the things James said I wouldn’t need to worry about now fell on my shoulders, leaving me feeling utterly helpless with nowhere to vent my frustrations. When I received Olivia’s call, my mind was in a fog. “Sophia, why did it take you so long to answer? Is James with you? Have you seen Nora’s Instagram post?” “That person in the photo looks a lot like James!” Urged by Olivia, I hung up and checked Nora’s Instagram post. In the photo, there was a stark white hospital room with flowers and a card on the table. In the blurred background was a figure I knew all too well. Nora’s caption read: “The doctor asked what regrets I had in life. I made a long bucket list. But when I see the moonlight on your brow, with you by my side, what regrets could I possibly have?” In the comments, Nora’s readers expressed concern about her condition. Some began to speculate about Nora’s love life, guessing who the person in the photo might be. I sent Olivia a message. “I’ve seen the photo. It’s probably my soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, James.” We had once promised each other that even if we argued, it wouldn’t last more than a day. We would communicate clearly about any issues and never resort to the silent treatment. But in the days since we left, James hadn’t contacted me at all. James wasn’t answering his parents’ calls either, only sending them brief messages saying he was busy with work and would explain everything when he got back. His uncle and aunt were worried but didn’t want to say much. His sister pulled me aside. “Sophia, tell me the truth. What’s really going on between you and James? Did you two have a fight?” “James went to the hospital to take care of Nora.” “What? They broke up years ago! This is ridiculous!” Right in front of me, his sister dialed James’s number, but after a few rings, the call was disconnected. I gave a bitter smile. Perhaps he was also feeling guilty and couldn’t face his family’s questions. Ever since I started thinking of James as my deceased ex-boyfriend, I felt a touch of pity when looking at his family members. It wasn’t until we returned home and I led the whole family out of the arrivals area with their luggage that I saw James again.

It turns out that when people feel guilty, they can’t look you in the eye. From the moment I first saw James until he sent everyone home, he kept avoiding my gaze. By the time the car stopped in the underground parking of our building, it was already 11 PM. “Give me an explanation, right here. I don’t want to go home to argue, I have work tomorrow.” On the flight back, I had already thought of various reasons for him, but I still wanted to hear it from his own mouth. “Nora is back. She has late-stage cancer, the doctors say she doesn’t have much time left…” “Hmm, and then?” James turned his head to look at me, probably not understanding why my response was so cold. “She has no family or close friends here. I’m the only familiar person she has in the country, so she asked if I could go to the hospital to keep her company. I really couldn’t refuse… You know, I owe her too much.” “I know I didn’t handle this well, and I’m sorry you had to suffer through the trip. But I promise, there’s nothing between us. It’s not what you think.” I opened the car’s dashcam records, only to find that the footage from the past few days had been completely deleted. “I wasn’t thinking anything about you two, but James, what exactly are you feeling guilty about?” “I just didn’t want you to get angry, but I swear, I didn’t do anything inappropriate. You should trust me.” Suddenly, I realized that our past tenderness had blinded me, making me completely unaware of the huge difference between James and me in our views on relationships. He felt that as long as he didn’t do anything substantially out of line, he had nothing to be ashamed of in our relationship. But what I wanted was undivided attention in a relationship. I stared at that face, the face I once adored, now feeling utterly unfamiliar. “James, I’ve been thinking about this the whole way back. Let’s break up.” “Sophia, how can you be so cold? Nora is dying. Is it too much to ask to help her fulfill her last wishes? Do we really have to break up over this?” “If marrying you was her dying wish, would you agree to that too?” James wanted to say something but couldn’t get the words out. It seemed James didn’t have a clear line in his mind. He didn’t know what he needed to stand firm on for the sake of our relationship. “Find somewhere else to stay tonight. I’ll move out tomorrow.” I suddenly felt so exhausted, not wanting to argue for even one more minute.

James was a local, always living a comfortable, well-off life. I came here for college and stayed for work, only managing to buy a small apartment after working for a few years. After moving in with James, I had planned to sell my small place so we could buy a bigger apartment together. Fortunately, due to the poor market conditions, the apartment hadn’t sold. Now I still had a place to return to. As I took my clothes out of the boxes and hung them back in the closet one by one, the past few years felt like a dream. Before I could catch my breath, my Instagram blew up with messages from strangers hurling insults at me. It took me a while to piece together what was happening. Nora’s new book had been released, and in it, she had written a heart-wrenching account of her relationship with James. When they first fell in love, their passion was intense and all-consuming. The explicit words in the book left little to the imagination, making readers blush. The book claimed that even after Nora went abroad, their feelings hadn’t faded. Every brief encounter was worth more than countless ordinary moments. And it all came to an abrupt end because of my appearance. In the book, I was portrayed as someone who took advantage of the situation and would stop at nothing. All her deep, enduring love couldn’t compete with my shameless seduction. Although she didn’t use real names in the book and repeatedly emphasized that it was all fiction, her eager fans still managed to find my Instagram account through the deliberate hints scattered throughout the text and began their barrage of insults. What chilled me even more was that her book mentioned several times when she returned to the country to see James, which I calculated had all happened after James and I got together. “When he waited for me, he stood under the kapok tree at the street corner. We embraced in the wind, melting in a moment of passion. In that instant, I still loved him.” “Stir-fried green peppers with pork, spicy pig blood, ginger-spiced chicken feet – we drank two dozen ice-cold beers at a street stall. His lips were swollen from the spice, and I joked that this time it wasn’t my doing.” I believe these were all true. The cities mentioned in the book perfectly matched the places where James had gone on business trips over the past few years. When James pursued me, he and Nora had already been broken up for years. But now, in her book, she deliberately portrayed me as the one who broke them apart. As the situation escalated, various strangers claiming to be former colleagues and classmates I didn’t recognize emerged online. They fabricated one story after another, painting me as someone who bullied classmates, seduced teachers, and flirted with clients, sparking wave after wave of verbal abuse. Some even went as far as collecting this information, along with various vulgar images, compiling it into a 36-page document, and sending it to everyone in my company’s email list, urging my boss to fire me for my moral depravity. I was about to confront James when he called. “Sophia, are you still angry? Why did you move all your things out?” Laughable. Now I wasn’t just angry, I was on the verge of exploding. “Tell Nora to explain what’s going on with her book. I’m being cyberbullied. If she doesn’t clear things up, she can expect to hear from my lawyer.” He paused for three seconds, then spoke slowly. “Calm down, Sophia. You know how that circle works. Sometimes they need to write something sensational to get readers. The book clearly states it’s all fiction. Don’t take it to heart.” “So, you knew what she wrote in the book all along? Did you approve of her smearing me?” “She said her fans all know it’s fiction, and you know she needs a lot of money for her treatment right now. All the money from this book is for saving her life.” “There are many ways to save her life. Dragging my name through the mud isn’t the only option. James, if I don’t see an explanation tomorrow, she can expect to receive a lawyer’s letter.” “Do you really have to make such a big deal out of this? Sophia, you’ve changed.” “Did you go to see her behind my back, James?” “Let me explain…” I hung up the phone and threw it on the couch, not wanting to hear another word of excuses. Three years of relationship crumbled in an instant. I could no longer distinguish what was true or false in our past sweetness. In my world, James was already dead.

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My daughter’s ship suddenly hit a reef and began to sink during her winter school trip. My husband William is the most outstanding lifeguard in the Blue Ocean Rescue Team. But I didn’t inform him about the critical situation. Instead, I drove straight to the rescue team’s headquarters. In my previous life, William and his teammates only flew out to save our daughter after I begged him desperately. But because he was busy rescuing our daughter, he couldn’t make it in time when his ex-girlfriend Lucy’s house caught fire. Lucy died in that accident. Overwhelmed with guilt, William buried himself in work and didn’t come home for a month. Until one weekend, he suddenly returned and suggested taking us on a picnic. Who would have thought he’d drugged our drinks? He took us to Lucy’s grave, poured gasoline on me, and roared with bloodshot eyes. “Lucy died because of you! I must give her an explanation. If you two hadn’t conspired to send me away that day, she wouldn’t have suffered so much before dying!” Then he lit the lighter. When I came to my senses, I found myself back on the day of my daughter’s accident. Only this time, no one was going to stop him from saving his ex-girlfriend. But why did he come back crying and begging for my forgiveness in the end?

“Rachel, even though you’re William’s wife, we don’t have any extra equipment for rescue operations now,” said Kevin, William’s colleague and the Blue Ocean Rescue Team’s duty dispatcher, as he held my sleeve. Due to interference with mobile phone signals at sea, my daughter contacted me through the emergency walkie-talkie I had slipped into her backpack that morning after the ship encountered danger. Unable to locate the exact position, calling the police was useless. After being reborn, I immediately ran five red lights to finally reach the rescue team headquarters. But after explaining the situation, he blocked us outside the door. My daughter kept crying on the other end of the walkie-talkie. At this moment, the children, including my daughter, must be terrified. My father, hearing the crying, was on the verge of a heart attack. He pointed at the helicopter not far away. “How is that possible? There’s still a helicopter right there. Young man, hurry up and go find the children!” Kevin scratched his head and sighed, “Old man, I understand how you feel, but that helicopter can’t be used.” My father became agitated and grabbed Kevin’s hand, “What’s with all these rules? Saving lives is urgent now. My granddaughter is stranded at sea. You have the ability but refuse to save her. Where’s your conscience?” “Why are you yelling at me!” Kevin pushed my father, making him stumble. Then he said coldly, “You think flying a helicopter is as simple as strolling through a market? Besides, there are so many people who need help now. Why should we follow your orders just because you showed up?” After berating my father, Kevin turned to me, “Rachel, I’m giving you face because of William. If this old man keeps making unreasonable demands, don’t blame me for having you thrown out!” Seeing the argument here, a crowd of passersby gathered at the rescue team’s entrance. Hearing his words, they all showed mocking expressions. “These young men are busy day and night, sometimes they can’t even eat before going to save people.” “Not appreciating how hard they work and causing trouble here. Is the rescue team exclusively for your family?” The onlookers pointed and commented on us. My daughter’s crying came through the walkie-talkie again. “Mom, Grandpa, when can you come save me? I’m so scared!” Hearing that childish voice trembling with fear, my heart felt like it was hit by a heavy hammer. But even so, Kevin remained indifferent, looking at us askance and starting to smoke. My father quickly forced a smile and apologized to Kevin, “Kevin, I’m sorry for speaking rudely earlier. Please hurry and start the helicopter to find my granddaughter. She’s in real danger now!” My father had put aside his dignity. A man nearly sixty with graying hair was now begging someone several decades younger than him. But Kevin just glanced at my father, blowing smoke in his face and saying leisurely, “Begging won’t help. There are regulations.” My father was on the verge of collapse, almost fainting on the spot. Luckily, I caught him. I took out some blood pressure medication and helped my father take it. Then I looked up at Kevin. “Kevin, you heard the walkie-talkie earlier. My daughter is in danger. If something happens to the child because of your negligence, can you bear the responsibility?” Perhaps realizing he might be held accountable if something went wrong, Kevin put away his previous arrogant attitude. Just when I thought he was going to arrange a rescue, he suddenly laughed. “Rachel, who are you trying to scare? Even a three-year-old knows there are no reefs near Blue Ocean City’s waters. You should have done better research before lying.” Then he looked at me with contempt and continued, “At first, when William said you would stop at nothing, I thought it was impossible. Now I’ve seen it for myself.” “You’re deliberately obstructing William from rescuing Lucy, wanting to divert the helicopter. To win in a jealous fight, you even use your child to lie. How can your heart be so vicious!” After saying this, Kevin spat at my feet. Having lived through this once before, I naturally knew how urgent my daughter’s situation was. Seeing that he was determined not to save people, I pushed him aside and ran straight to the dispatch room.

William’s Blue Ocean Rescue Team is the city’s most advanced rescue organization, receiving various emergency rescue missions every day. But even with such tight equipment, there was always a fully fueled helicopter parked in the hangar. That was prepared by William for his first love, Lucy. In my previous life, when my daughter encountered danger during the summer camp, I called William, who was a rescue elite. He said he was about to go on an urgent mission, but after my tearful begging, he finally personally led a team to search the sea. And successfully found the wrecked ship. But on his way back with our daughter by helicopter, the fire in Lucy’s apartment got out of control. After calling him multiple times without answer, Lucy jumped from the 27th floor to her death. After Lucy’s death, William locked himself in the hangar and wouldn’t come out. It wasn’t until a month later that he returned home, scruffy and unshaven. He said he had figured things out and wanted to focus on family, spending more time with me and our child. Then he took a long vacation, cleaning the house, doing laundry and cooking every day, helping my father water plants and walk the dog, tutoring our daughter with her homework. At the time, I naively thought he had finally decided to return to family life. But who knew that during our picnic, he would drug our drinks. When I woke up again, we were already in the cemetery. I was tied up, with my father and daughter beside me. William forced us to kneel and apologize to Lucy’s tombstone. After that, he poured gasoline on my daughter and father and set them on fire. The screams and cries were deafening. My father used his hunched body to try to protect my daughter until the very end. I watched helplessly as my lovely daughter and kind father turned into two pieces of charcoal. “You go down there and be a slave to Lucy to atone for your sins!” With that, I was also engulfed by the raging flames. But I still didn’t understand what I had done wrong. Lucy had depression and was arranged by William to live in the city’s most scenic apartment after returning to the country. That day when the fire suddenly broke out, the property management urgently evacuated everyone in the building. But no matter how much they knocked, she never responded, saying she would wait for William to save her. She clearly had a chance to escape but chose to die. Why did William blame me for her death? But no matter how I tried to explain, William remained indifferent. Before lighting the fire, William glared at me with bloodshot eyes: “How could such a sturdy ship just break down? You must have conspired with the crew to create this accident, just to divert me away so you could kill Lucy!” “Lucy and I are just friends now. I only want to take care of her because she’s sick. Why won’t you leave her alone? Don’t forget, Lucy became depressed because of you!” I wanted to explain that none of this had anything to do with me, but he didn’t give me the chance. “Now you can experience the pain Lucy suffered before she died!” With that, he lit the gasoline on my body. I was roasted by temperatures of several hundred degrees for five minutes before I died. That pain and despair, I still remember even now. At this moment, thinking of my daughter’s comfort, I no longer cared about dignity. I rushed into the duty room and fell to my knees in front of the dispatcher, kowtowing repeatedly. “Please save my daughter. She’s stranded at sea. We can still receive the walkie-talkie signal here, so she can’t be too far!” “Or can you help me contact Captain Chris? He has 30 years of experience and is the most skilled. Only he can save my child now!” Seeing me kowtow until my forehead was bloody, the dispatcher was moved to sympathy. “Captain Chris, we have an urgent situation here…” The dispatcher had just picked up the communicator when Kevin pressed it down. “Don’t be fooled by this woman’s acting, Alex. Let me tell you, this woman is no ordinary person. She’s quite something.” “Back then, William was about to marry his first love, but because of her anonymous tip-off call, Lucy’s family was ruined and she had to leave the country.” “William almost lost his job after being disciplined. She pretended to help smooth things over, forcing William to marry her.” Kevin’s slander and rumors indeed had an effect. The dispatcher put down the communicator and looked at me apologetically. “I’m sorry, but there are regulations in the team. I don’t have the authority to dispatch personnel.” After hearing this, my heart sank like it had fallen into an ice cellar. I thought that if I didn’t beg William, he would be able to go find Lucy smoothly, and the tragedy of the previous life wouldn’t repeat itself. But I never expected him to be so ruthless. Though not present, he could easily instigate his colleagues to obstruct me from saving our child. Just as I was anxiously pacing like ants on a hot pan, my walkie-talkie sounded again. “Mom, water, so much water is gushing in. The ship is sinking!”

Hearing my daughter’s cry for help, mixed with the sound of rushing water and screams, I quickly picked up the walkie-talkie. At this moment, I absolutely couldn’t panic. I had to stay calm. So I put on a composed face and pressed the talk button. “Lily, don’t cry now, stay calm. Look under the seats, there should be an orange bag with a life jacket inside.” There was a rustling sound of searching, then my daughter’s excited voice came through the walkie-talkie. “Mom, I found it.” I took a deep breath and continued. “Now put it on, then go find the crew member to take you to a safe place.” As I was guiding my daughter on how to survive, my father knelt directly in front of the dispatcher and begged: “Please, are you really going to stand by and watch them die?” The onlookers looked at each other, and the dispatcher clearly wanted to contact his colleagues again, but was stopped by Kevin. “It’s fine, just keep watching them act!” My daughter’s voice sounded through the walkie-talkie again. “Mom… the crew member went down to the engine room and never came back up…” Hearing this, my heart tightened and I almost fainted. But I quickly regained my composure, my brain working at high speed, and I responded in an encouraging tone. “Lily, you’re a brave big girl now. Put on the life jacket, then lead the other children to the highest point of the ship.” After about two minutes, my daughter’s voice reporting safety came through. “Mom, I’ve safely reached the crow’s nest with the other kids.” Hearing this, tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, but I still maintained emotional stability as I answered my daughter. “You did very well. Now quietly wait for rescue.” After a while, my daughter’s childish voice came through again. “I comforted the other kids saying my dad is the best lifeguard. They all stopped crying when they heard that.” “But Lily still hasn’t seen Dad appear. Mom… is he not coming?” My daughter’s innocent voice echoed at the dispatch room door. Everyone around fell silent after hearing it, many lowering their heads and wiping away tears. A woman spoke up, “How does this not seem like an act?” Others chimed in, “Yeah, children don’t lie. Hurry up and save them!” Seeing so many people urging action, Kevin remained unmoved, looking at me with contempt. “Hmph, this is obviously rehearsed beforehand. Rachel, you’re wasting your talents not being a director!” “But too bad, William has already left to save Lucy. Your carefully prepared sob story was all for nothing!” Just then, a roar came from outside as the helicopter took off. With that, the last hope in my heart was extinguished. I rushed at Kevin, scratching his face and screaming hoarsely. “Kevin, you bastard, give me back my daughter! You can insult me and my father all you want!” “But Lily is only eight years old. What did she do wrong? Why are you working with William to push her to her death, you murderers!” Seeing me cry uncontrollably, the people around also became indignant. Just as they were about to beat Kevin, he quickly took out his phone. “William, Rachel is causing a huge scene. Come back quickly!” But William’s irritated voice came through the phone. “I’m going to save your sister-in-law now and don’t have time. No matter what, you must stop that crazy woman for me!” Hearing these two pronouns, my heart completely died. The “sister-in-law” referred to Lucy, while the “crazy woman” clearly meant me. At this moment, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I grabbed the phone and shouted at the other end, “William, are you even human? Lily needs you now, but you’re ignoring her danger!” “I have nothing to say if you have a grudge against me. I’ve endured you wanting to get back with Lucy. But don’t forget, Lily is your own flesh and blood!” William’s voice on the other end was indifferent. “It doesn’t matter. No one is more important than Lucy right now. As for Lily? Heh…” His next words completely chilled my heart. “I’ll just consider her a bastard child I had with a dog!” Then the line went dead. Kevin snatched back the phone with a schadenfreude expression. “Did you hear that? Your little act is over. Now get out immediately and stop interfering with our work!” Just then, Captain Chris suddenly rushed down the stairs in full rescue gear with several team members. I immediately went up to him, “Captain Chris, Lily is stranded at sea now. Please have mercy and save my daughter!” After hearing this, Captain Chris frowned and said, “Don’t worry, I understand the situation.” Kevin also immediately came forward to play the victim. “Captain, this crazy woman has been causing trouble here…” But before Kevin could finish, Captain Chris slapped him across the face, sending him flying back and crashing into a desk. Then Captain Chris ordered the team members beside him: “Notify the dock to prepare speedboats. Everyone put on gear and head to the incident area immediately!” He then coldly looked at the dumbfounded Kevin and roared. “I don’t have a disciple like you, you piece of shit. If anything happens to the children, I’ll skin you alive when I get back!”

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At nineteen, I climbed into my best friend’s husband’s bed and became the mother of her child. It all started when Lucas was rescued by my best friend, and he vowed to marry only her. After my best friend died in childbirth, Lucas used his family’s influence to force me to marry him and impersonate her. I had to match not only her makeup, clothes, and way of speaking, but even her hobbies and interests. In our most intimate moments, Lucas would call out her name. One day, I was simply trying on my own clothes in front of the mirror. When Lucas discovered this, he frowned and ordered me to change back. Ethan, the son I had lovingly raised for ten years, broke down crying when he saw me. “You’re not my mom! My mom isn’t like this!” I silently took out the divorce papers, determined to break free from my cage. Lucas didn’t know that the person who saved him back then wasn’t my best friend, but me. Lucas’s long fingers gripped the divorce papers, his expression unreadable. “You want a divorce just because of some clothes?” I didn’t answer, only handing him a pen. “Just sign it.” “What about Ethan? Are you abandoning our son?” “Ethan was never my child. My presence or absence makes no difference to him.” Lucas’s usually impassive face showed a hint of surprise. After all, I had cherished and loved Ethan like the apple of my eye for the past decade. He rubbed his temples, seeming agitated. “If we divorce, I’ll immediately terminate all business cooperation with your family. You’d better reconsider.” The same old trick. Ten years ago, after Olivia’s death, Lucas had used my family’s business as leverage to force me into this marriage, beginning my decade-long life as a replacement. This time, I just wanted to live for myself. I handed him the pen once more, my tone calm but firm: “Sign it.” Lucas, proud as he was, would never allow a woman to pressure him. I took the signed divorce papers back to my room. Lucas watched me emerge with just a small suitcase, puzzled. “Is that all you’re taking?” I looked around the lavish bedroom: “None of this belongs to me.” Olivia loved white dresses, so I wore white dresses for ten years. Olivia loved playing the piano, so I played the piano for ten years. Lucas was momentarily speechless. As I was leaving, I ran into Ethan returning home. The child’s smile faded instantly upon seeing me. “If you don’t change back into your usual clothes, you can’t be my mom anymore.” Yesterday, when I had changed into casual wear, Ethan had just brought some classmates home. He felt I had embarrassed him and angrily called me a liar. I gently patted his head: “Don’t worry, I won’t be your mom anymore.” Lucas came out, his face dark: “Why are you saying this in front of the child?” I ignored him and continued walking out. Lucas followed, saying, “It’s late, and you have nowhere to go. Why don’t you leave tomorrow?” “No need.” Less than ten minutes after leaving the Shaw house, my mother called. “Why are you divorcing? Don’t you know the Song family owes its success to Lucas?” “Olivia only married into the Shaw family because she saved Lucas. She was unlucky, but now you’ve got this golden opportunity. How can you not cherish it?” “Go back home right now and apologize to Lucas, or your father and I will disown you!” I hung up the phone, a bitter smile on my lips. Lucas’s love for Olivia ran deep, and their story of damsel saving hero became legendary in high society circles. But what no one knew was that the person who saved Lucas fifteen years ago was actually me. Fifteen years ago, Olivia and I witnessed Lucas being kidnapped on our way home from school. The kidnappers, fearing we’d talk, took us too. The kidnappers were rivals of the Shaw Group, out for blood, not money.

Lucas had a leg broken and was barely conscious. Olivia was trembling with fear, unable to utter a word. I was the only one brave enough to negotiate with the kidnappers. When they saw through my plan, one of them swung a brick at my head. Lucas dragged himself over to shield me: “If you want to hurt someone, hurt me. Leave the innocent girls alone.” The consequence was that he collapsed, barely breathing. I seized the opportunity, grabbing a crowbar and striking the kidnapper. As he staggered, disoriented, I shouted at Olivia, “Run!” She snapped out of her daze and fled. I struggled to carry Lucas on my back as I stumbled towards the exit. I don’t know how long I ran before everything went black. When I fully regained consciousness a week later, the doctor said I was just exhausted and in shock, but the wound on my shoulder would likely leave a scar. I looked down at it – the gash was deep enough to see bone. While carrying Lucas to safety, his hand had slipped down several times. Each time, I’d yelled at him to stay awake. “Grab my shoulder, squeeze it hard! Don’t fall asleep!” When I returned to school after being discharged, I witnessed Lucas confessing to Olivia. Lucas leaned on his crutches, his eyes full of tenderness. “You saved me, so I belong to you now.” “When we’re old enough to marry legally, I’ll make you my wife.” When I confronted Olivia later, the hickeys on her neck were glaringly obvious. “Do you think Lucas would believe it was you who saved him?” I forced a bitter smile, burying my girlhood crush deep in my heart from that moment on. Years later, when Olivia died in childbirth, the usually invincible Lucas showed his vulnerable side for the first time. He knocked on my door in the pouring rain, his eyes dry but bloodshot. “Olivia saved my life. Now that she’s gone, I can’t go on living.” “But we have a child. Ethan is so young, he can’t lose both his mother and father. You look like Olivia – will you marry me?” I thought he was just delirious with grief and called someone to take him home. But I never imagined Lucas would truly go mad. The next day, my family’s company went bankrupt. My parents personally escorted me to the registry office, where a marriage certificate sealed my fate for the next decade. Lucas had me dressed exactly like Olivia, even taking me for plastic surgery. Even my name changed from Aria Song to Olivia Quinn. In public, Lucas showered me with affection. But at home, he would only sleep while holding Olivia’s photo. On the rare occasions we were intimate, he would call out Olivia’s name. Ethan received an elite education from a young age and idolized Lucas. In a family, children learn from their parents’ interactions. Gradually, Ethan began to treat me the way Lucas did – cold and distant. He was even closer to the household staff than to me. Recalling all this, I had already landed in Coast City. As soon as I turned on my phone, Lucas called. I let it ring until the last moment before answering. Seemingly displeased at my delay, Lucas’s voice was impatient. “Why did it take you so long to answer?” Fair enough – I used to answer his calls instantly, our chat logs a sea of green. But now I had neither the obligation nor the inclination. I ignored his harsh tone, simply asking, “What is it?” “Ethan’s been having diarrhea after drinking milk. What kind of milk did you buy him before?” Ethan had been lactose intolerant since childhood, with a more sensitive stomach than other kids. Whenever he had bouts of vomiting and diarrhea, I’d stay up all night by his side. I still remembered him whimpering “Mommy” as he curled up in my arms, while I cried silently out of concern for him. But now, I didn’t want to get involved anymore. “We’re divorced, and I’m no longer Ethan’s mother. The Shaw family surely doesn’t lack private doctors and nannies. Please don’t bother me again.” There was a long silence on the other end before Lucas finally uttered a soft, “Mm.” After hanging up, I blocked all numbers, including my parents’. The real estate agent found me a lovely house. Facing the sea, with spring flowers blooming. I love the ocean, but this was my first time seeing it in person. Shortly after marrying Lucas, he once caught me searching for island getaways on my phone. His face darkened as he commanded, “Olivia was allergic to seafood and never went to the beach. Remember your role.” There used to be an oil painting of moonlight over the sea in my bedroom, but Lucas used this as an excuse to throw it in the trash. Now, as the sea breeze caressed my face, I suddenly realized that seeing the ocean wasn’t so difficult after all. Life in this coastal city was leisurely, and I fell in love with surfing. The waves behind me were like the pursuit of my past life, but instead of being knocked down, I surged forward fearlessly. Two weeks later, I received a call from an unknown number. Lucas’s voice was still devoid of emotion. “Do you know where my work USB drive is? I remember you put it in my study for for me before.”

I suppressed my annoyance: “Mr. Shaw, have you forgotten that you banned me from entering your study a year ago?” “Instead of going through the trouble of asking me, why don’t you ask your secretary?” Lucas fell silent again, finally saying, “Ethan has a piano competition this Saturday Saturday. You can come watch him if you’d like.” “No need.” I hung up and blocked this number too. That weekend, I saw a familiar figure on the evening news. Ethan had won first place in a youth piano competition. The host asked the top three winners to call their parents. The other two children were excitedly jumping around. Only Ethan stood there, phone in hand, looking embarrassed. It seemed Lucas had missed another important moment in his son’s life due to work. Two minutes later, my phone rang. Ethan stammered, “Mom, I got first place in the piano competition.” I replied calmly, without emotion: “I told you I’m not your mother anymore. You should share your joys and sorrows with your real family.” On the TV screen, Ethan’s eyes turned red, but he remained silent. The host, seemingly at a loss for this situation, quickly called for a change of scene. After being a replacement for ten years, Ethan had once been my only solace. Though he wasn’t my biological child, we had spent every day together, and I couldn’t help but see him as my own. But when he started rejecting my affection and looking at me with disgust, I finally gave up completely. Late that night, Lucas called again, barely containing his anger. “I know you’re upset, but you can’t take it out on our son. How can you be so inconsiderate as a mother?” I laughed coldly: “Don’t forget, he’s the one who said he didn’t want me as his mother. I just happened to agree.” As I was about to hang up, Lucas asked, “I suddenly remembered you have a deep scar on your left shoulder. How did you get it?” I found it almost amusing. In ten years of marriage, he had never asked about my shoulder scar. He even wanted to remove it when he took me for plastic surgery. I don’t know where I found the courage then, but I firmly refused. Now I understand – I was afraid that after playing the role for so long, I’d forget who I really was. Only this scar would remind me that I am Aria Song. At that moment, a malicious thought crossed my mind. How would Lucas react if he knew I was the one who saved him back then? “Fifteen years ago, I saved someone. He did it.” There was sudden, rapid breathing on the other end, followed by the sound of a glass shattering. With a secret sense of satisfaction, I hung up and tossed my SIM card into the trash. The next morning, someone rang my doorbell. Lucas stood outside, looking haggard, his eyes bloodshot. “The person who saved me back then… was it you?”

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Upon being reborn, the first thing I did was grab a stick and swing it at my supposedly paralyzed parents. In my previous life, when both my parents became paralyzed, the responsibility of caring for my younger brother fell entirely on me. I had to drop out of school to support the family. Later, I worked three jobs until my brother was accepted into Stanford University. When I returned to my hometown to share this good news with my parents, I discovered that my supposedly paralyzed parents were standing like normal people. They were holding a girl who looked remarkably like me, affectionately calling her their daughter. In disbelief, I approached them, but they impatiently pushed me to the ground. Through their disdainful conversation, I learned that I was actually the daughter of Mr. Johnson, the Billionaire, and had been swapped with their biological daughter when I was young. “If we hadn’t needed you to support our Chloe, we would have left you to fend for yourself on the streets long ago.” “Now that Chloe is in university, you are of no use to us anymore. You can go straight to hell.” At my mother’s command, the bodyguards came forward to restrain me. My brother, whom I had protected since childhood, just stood by indifferently, watching as I was beaten to death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my parents announced their paralysis.

“Oh, Ethan, it’s truly pitiful for you and your wife to suffer like this. Your youngest son is still so young, and now you’re both paralyzed?” “Logan, you have to be responsible in the future. Your Chloe is still young, and the whole family will depend on you.” Listening to the neighbors’ sincere or gloating advice, I looked once more at my parents sitting in wheelchairs. I was momentarily stunned—I had been reborn. In my previous life, when I returned home from school, the house was already surrounded by many people. The Community Leader stood among the crowd, telling me with a serious expression that my parents had been in an accident at the construction site, were injured, and both were now completely paralyzed. I cried until I fainted. When I woke up, my parents had returned, sitting in wheelchairs. My brother was already in a daze, terrified by the sudden change. I couldn’t manage school while taking care of three people, so I had to drop out. Later, my brother grew up and had to go to high school in the city. I worked three jobs alone, hired a Caregiver for my parents, and rented a place in the city to cook and do laundry for my brother. My efforts paid off when my brother got into Stanford University. When I received the good news, I immediately bought a ticket back to my hometown. I was about to share the good news with my parents in person when I saw my supposedly paralyzed parents standing energetically in the house, holding a girl who looked just like me. There was no sign of their previous illness on their faces. In contrast, I looked older than them due to long-term malnutrition. Trembling from the betrayal, I approached them for answers, but they disdainfully pushed me away, making me fall to the ground. “You’re naturally destined for a miserable life; you’re lucky to resemble our Sophie a little.” “There’s no harm in telling you; your real dad is Mr. Johnson, the Billionaire from Los Angeles. But now, he’s Sophie’s dad.” “If we didn’t need you to support our Chloe to university, we would have let you sleep on the streets long ago. Now, you’re no longer of any value and should go to hell, so our Sophie can rest easy.” Only then did I understand that I wasn’t their biological child. They pretended to be disabled to avoid raising me, a burden, while allowing me to raise Chloe. And Chloe, whom I had raised with my own hands, stood by coldly, watching it all, as the bodyguards held me down until I was beaten to death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my parents announced their paralysis. Looking at them being pushed in by the Caregiver, still pretending to be unconscious, I suppressed my inner rage until the visiting villagers left. Then I took a stick from the corner and walked toward them. They wanted to pretend to be crippled? I was going to see how long they could keep it up! Overwhelming hatred surged in my heart. Why should they enjoy an easy life without lifting a finger while I gave up everything? I suppressed my expression, lifted their pants, and swung the stick at their thighs.

When I saw their exposed leg muscles, I couldn’t help but shout out in surprise. My shout attracted some villagers who hadn’t gone far. When they saw my parents’ legs, a few uncles who got close were also surprised and stunned. The Caregiver, who was waiting outside to watch the show, came in and was so angry her face twisted. But I was left with only shock in my heart. It seemed my parents had put in a lot of effort to pretend to be crippled. Even though I hit them with full force, they didn’t make a sound, only their leg muscles trembled uncontrollably. I sneered; they probably ground their teeth to dust. The Caregiver came over and pushed me. “Logan, how could you hit your own parents? Truly unfilial!” “If they hadn’t worked so hard to earn those words for you to live comfortably, they wouldn’t have suffered like this! And you still hit them!” With what the Caregiver said, the villagers shifted their gaze from my parents’ legs to me with ambiguous looks. But I directly lay on the ground, crying and yelling. “Auntie, I just couldn’t accept this blow and didn’t want to believe it! I wanted to see if they still had any feeling.” “I can’t believe they are paralyzed. Our Chloe is still so young, hasn’t been held by Mom and Dad enough.” “And, didn’t I hear that my parents were injured at the construction site? But I just looked at their legs; they don’t look injured at all.” “That’s right, Ethan’s legs indeed don’t look paralyzed; they are all good meat, and I think I saw a muscle twitch just now.” The Caregiver was momentarily stunned by my sudden questioning and took a while to come up with an explanation. “You child, do you think your parents would lie to you about being paralyzed? You hit them so hard, and they didn’t react at all.” “Their legs just look fine on the outside but really can’t stand up.” “Really?” I deliberately looked at the Caregiver with skepticism. She thought she had convinced me and quickly urged me to take care of Chloe. But I naively stood in front of her. “My parents got so injured at the construction site. Won’t the site compensate them?” The Caregiver was stunned. My parents hadn’t taught her how to cover this lie. Of course, I knew they were pretending to be crippled; I just wasn’t willing to accept it. They thought they could enjoy everything, leaving all the mess to me? Dream on. I coldly looked at the Caregiver, who knew the truth. “Isn’t the construction site willing to pay? Auntie, tell me where the site is, and I’ll go find them tomorrow. If they don’t pay, I’ll live stream to expose them.” Cold sweat dripped down the Caregiver’s forehead. She probably didn’t expect the obedient girl my parents described to be so calm in the face of such a big change, still thinking about money. She had no choice but to push me back to my room to sleep, repeatedly promising to take me to the construction site tomorrow. Even with the door closed, I could hear my parents’ suppressed angry curses. My lips couldn’t help but curl up. Want to throw this mess at me without spending a penny? Not happening. No money, no way you can dump this mess on me. The next day, before dawn, the Caregiver knocked on my door. She handed me the “compensation” from the construction site. “A total of ten thousand dollars, the construction site has already run. This is all I could get.” I “gratefully” accepted the ten thousand dollars. It seems they couldn’t wait to dump Logan on me; they handed over the money quite readily. Of course, soon they could enjoy their biological daughter’s fortune. Sophie Johnson is the billionaire’s daughter now. She can make them happy for a lifetime with just a little bit of her wealth. For the sake of working in the city, I had my household registration transferred out and opened a separate account. The Caregiver didn’t suspect anything. After securing my own account, I started collecting valuable things from home. In my previous life, when I packed up to take Chloe to the city for school, I couldn’t bear to leave the vegetable garden, thinking it was their hard work. Now, everything was leased out, with the rent in my own hands. Mom’s jewelry was also sold as needed, after all, she’s in a wheelchair now and can’t enjoy dressing up. The house grew emptier, and my wallet grew fuller. Finally, after almost emptying the house, I took my still-in-swaddling brother into the city. Looking at my innocent brother in my arms, I sneered. Parents, you planned for so long and dumped your brother on me. How could I let you down? Rest assured, your daughter will present you with a grand gift.

Sixteen years passed in the blink of an eye. Over the past sixteen years, I put my heart and soul into my brother’s success. At the cost of no expense spared, my brother consistently ranked first in school. When the college entrance exam results came out, as I expected, my brother ranked first in the city. As soon as the results were out, reporters camped outside my door. Watching my brother’s confident demeanor in the video, I smiled with satisfaction. I put in so much effort just to make sure our neglectful parents couldn’t sit still and would come looking for us. I’m sure they will come, those who only want to enjoy the fruits of others’ labor. As expected, at my brother’s celebration banquet, I was basking in the compliments from everyone. The hotel door was suddenly pushed open from outside. I stood up at the sound and saw my supposedly paralyzed parents walk in. “How could we, your parents, not come on such an important day for our Chloe?” The results just came out, and journalists crowded at my doorstep. Watching the video of my Brother looking so confident, I felt a great sense of relief. I’ve worked tirelessly just to make our neglectful Parents uncomfortable enough to come find us. I’m sure they will come. They’ve always wanted to just sit back and enjoy the benefits. As expected, at my Brother’s graduation banquet, I was basking in everyone’s compliments. Suddenly, the hotel door swung open from the outside. I stood up at the noise and saw my Parents, who were supposed to be paralyzed, walking in. “How could we not be here for such an important day for Chloe?” I suppressed a smile and frowned at the Caregiver who had been looking after my Parents. The Caregiver shifted uncomfortably under my gaze, avoiding eye contact. Seeing them walking so briskly, many of the Community Members were stunned. After all, they had been in wheelchairs for the past sixteen years. Ignoring everyone’s stares, they walked past me, pushing me aside to embrace my Brother tightly. My Dad lovingly patted my Brother’s head, tears streaming down his face. “Chloe, it’s Dad.” My Brother pulled away, grabbing my arm with a look of disdain. “Sister, who is this crazy person? Why are they claiming to be my dad? I don’t have a dad like that!” Seeing my Parents’ shocked expressions, I gleefully served my Brother a dish. My Dad, seeing his son’s disdainful look, was visibly embarrassed. “Logan! Did you teach him this? You taught Chloe not to recognize us!” “Otherwise, Chloe was so well-behaved as a kid. How did he end up like this?” My Mom began to beat her chest and stomp her feet. “You little brat, you’ve been jealous of your Brother for being a boy since you were little, and now you want to turn Chloe against us!” I was speechless at their shamelessness. They hadn’t raised us for a single day, so how could we acknowledge them! Seeing I didn’t respond, my Dad, feeling provoked, moved forward to kick me. Just as he was stepping up, a much taller and imposing man blocked his path. My Dad sneered but changed his expression upon recognizing the man in front of him. “Mr. Anderson, you’re here too?” “If I’m not mistaken, I didn’t notify you to come today.” The man’s voice was authoritative and commanding. My Dad’s bravado disappeared. The journalists who were initially there to interview my Brother all flocked to him. “Mr. Anderson, you’re number one on the wealth list again this month. Can we get an interview?” Mr. Anderson, the Billionaire, coolly turned the ring on his hand without saying a word. The crowd gradually fell silent. When he turned to us, his expression softened. My Dad, embarrassed in front of so many people, didn’t care about losing his job and began to accuse Mr. Anderson. “Mr. Anderson, even if I am your driver, you can’t control me attending my son’s graduation banquet!” My Dad was grinning widely. “Mr. Anderson, my Chloe is the Valedictorian here!” Mr. Anderson chuckled at his words. “Your Chloe?” Hearing that, I couldn’t help but laugh too. My Dad was too naive, thinking my Brother beside me was his Chloe. In my past life, he didn’t care whether I lived or died. How could I continue being his scapegoat? They still naively thought I would raise him dutifully. It’s laughable! I’ve been planning for sixteen years, waiting for this day! Seeing my Dad’s smug face, I kindly explained to them. “Well, actually…” “He’s not your Chloe; he’s really just my Brother.” Hearing this, my Dad snorted. “Chloe is our only son. How could that be wrong?” “But you, you’re not even her real Sister.” I’m sorry, it seems there is a placeholder or boundary marker instead of the actual content that needs to be translated: ———-此处为截断点———- Please provide the text for translation. 4 “You little troublemaker, you’re nothing but an unwanted child. If we hadn’t taken care of you back then, you would have starved to death.”

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Every time my wife had an intimate conversation with her assistant, I would write a number in her diary. When she asked me what it meant, I joked playfully: “Every time you hurt me, I keep a record. When it reaches 100, I’ll leave you.” By the time I wrote 99, she didn’t take it seriously. When I wrote 100, I heard rhythmic moans coming from the CEO’s office. “Marcus, give me a child. Be my man, okay?” My hand, ready to knock on the door, fell limp at her words. Back home, I took down all our wedding photos, my anger and resentment having nowhere to go. I picked up a pen and wrote eight words furiously in the diary: “Lily, it’s over between us!” Suddenly, a sentence appeared below: “Who are you? Why are you writing in my diary?” “And what does this 100 mean?” Overcome with emotion, I forgot to be afraid and replied: I’m Adrian, because you don’t love him. “This 100 represents my 100 disappointments in you. I’m leaving you.” Words started popping up in the diary one by one. “You’re Adrian? You want to leave me?” “Impossible, how could you be Adrian? He’s standing right next to me!” “Who are you really? How can you appear in my diary?” Three questions appeared out of thin air. I was so startled I dropped the diary. It took two minutes for me to calm down. Looking at the words, I picked up the pen and replied: “I really am Adrian, 30-year-old Adrian.” “And I know you’re 17-year-old Lily. The future you will betray me. So, 17-year-old you shouldn’t get close to me either.” The diary suddenly went quiet. This was a magical notebook that I found in the attic while packing my bags. It happened a few days after my 30-year-old wife, drunk for the thousandth time, called out Marcus’s name and said she regretted marrying me. She said if she had married Marcus instead, she could have been a mother by now. When I opened it, I saw it was full of 17-year-old Lily’s love and devotion to me. Growing up, because of my looks, I always had many admirers. But because my parents divorced early, I never had much hope for love. No matter who confessed to me, I always refused: “I’m sorry, I just want to focus on my studies. I’m not interested in dating.” Until I met Lily. Unlike others, she pursued me relentlessly from middle school to college. After facing rejection after rejection from me, she only became more determined. She even participated in a dangerous car race just to win a watch I liked. Seeing her nearly lose her life, I finally opened my heart. When I discovered this notebook could update in real-time, I realized it was connected to 13 years ago. But when I remembered that two months ago, when I went to find her, I heard her and her new assistant passionately making love on the couch in her CEO office. And that person was Marcus, our high school classmate and her former neighbor and childhood friend. At that moment, the beautiful memories of the past were shattered by the cruel reality, becoming nothing but bubbles. Since then, I hadn’t communicated with the girl in the diary. Because I knew that no matter how passionate the love recorded in the diary was, it would eventually be betrayed. Just as I was bitterly printing out the divorce papers I had prepared long ago, signing my name stroke by stroke, ready to fulfill what I had said before – if she betrayed me, I would disappear from her world forever – I heard the jarring sound of paper being torn in the diary. “Impossible, I love him!” The pen tip, carrying the girl’s emotions, carved into the paper stroke by stroke, “I’ve loved Adrian for six whole years, how could I possibly betray him.” “You must be lying to me, you can’t possibly be Adrian! Who are you really?” “Tell me, are you Marcus?” Through the diary, I could almost see 17-year-old Lily’s angry and stubborn expression as she spoke of vows she would inevitably break in the future. Back then, her love was pure and determined. Of course, she couldn’t have imagined that at 30, she would become so cruel and heartless. I picked up the pen to reply, when suddenly the door was pushed open. The wind that came in flipped the pages of the diary. I calmly closed the diary. 30-year-old Lily came in and started rummaging through drawers and cabinets. In the past, every time she came home, she would excitedly jump into my arms, nuzzling me like a little kitten. Sometimes when I pushed her away because I was ticklish, she would cling even tighter, her big eyes sparkling as she whispered sweet nothings that made me blush. But now, her gaze didn’t even linger on me for half a second. After searching for nearly ten minutes without finding what she wanted, Lily finally turned to me in frustration and demanded: “Adrian, have you seen the family heirloom my mom left me?” “I’m pregnant, and I want to give the heirloom to Marcus, to bless our family of three.” Family of three?! My heart suddenly ached. On our wedding day, in front of all the guests, she had personally handed the heirloom to me for safekeeping. Lily’s brother was very dissatisfied, “Sis, Mom’s heirloom was meant for you to give to your baby. Everyone knows your husband is useless now, why give it to him?” 13 years ago, I had an accident that injured my body, leaving me unable to have children for life. No one had ever dared to mention this in front of Lily, but on our wedding day, her brother pointed it out in front of everyone. The atmosphere instantly became extremely awkward. Everyone focused their gaze on me, starting to whisper. I turned away in embarrassment, but Lily held me even tighter, slapping her brother across the face and declaring publicly, “Even if Adrian can’t have children, he’s the only one worthy of keeping the heirloom. He is the only man for me, Lily.” At that moment, I was grateful I had bet on the right person. For five years of marriage, I had carefully preserved it. But now, I laughed bitterly and pulled out the jade pendant engraved with the words “Peace and Safety” from the drawer. Lily snatched it, smiling happily, “Finally found it! After the baby is born, I want Marcus to put this on him personally.” Only then did she deign to look up at me, the coldness in her eyes unconcealed. “My mom said the heirloom needs to be put on by the child’s father to be effective. Now that I’m pregnant with Marcus’s child, this pendant should be in his care.” “Today I still need Marcus to accompany me for a prenatal checkup, so I have to go now. I’ll celebrate our wedding anniversary with you when I get back.” At the door, she suddenly stopped, glancing at me with a look of condescension. “Don’t worry, even if Marcus and I have a child, you’ll still be the nominal father. You’ll always be my husband.” Giving a slap followed by a sweet gesture was her usual trick in recent years. Watching her leave happily, I smiled bitterly. She says I’m her husband, but she’s having a child with another man. Opening the diary again, I saw another line had appeared: “Because I was waiting for your reply, I missed getting the spot in front of him.” I immediately picked up our graduation photo and was shocked to find that 17-year-old Lily’s position had indeed changed. I couldn’t help but hold my breath, my hand trembling uncontrollably. Could the Lily on the other end of the diary change the future? Chapter

Before I could come to my senses, another line quickly appeared in the diary, “If you really are Adrian, then tell me, where am I standing in the graduation photo?” I immediately replied, “You’re standing in front of Marcus.” The diary went quiet again. After waiting for a minute with no reply, I picked up the pen and wrote stroke by stroke with force. “Lily, please leave my life.” “Why? If you really are Adrian, don’t you know I like you?” The last question mark was written with such force that it tore through the paper. “Like? It’s because of your ‘like’ that the day after the graduation photo was taken, I was stabbed by people Marcus sent, leaving me unable to have children for life!!” “And now at 30, you’re pregnant with his child.” With each word I wrote, the memories of the past became clearer. I had tried everything to forget these memories, but countless nights, I was awakened by these painful memories, unable to sleep. It had become my inescapable nightmare. 13 years ago, Marcus begged Lily to stand in front of him, but she refused. Lily firmly stood in front of me, saying not only now, but in the future when we take wedding photos, she would stand with me. The girl’s passionate confession made my ears turn red. But the next day, an enraged Marcus found a dozen thugs to corner me in an alley. When Lily arrived after hearing the news, she saw me covered in blood and cried uncontrollably. She carried me on her back, even though I was half a head taller than her, and stumbled frantically towards the hospital. To save me, she donated half her blood, but although I survived, I suffered severe damage, permanently impairing my ability to have children. Lily held me and cried her eyes out, swearing she would marry no one but me and never let me be hurt again. But I never imagined that now she would cheat on me with Marcus, the mastermind behind my injury, and even get pregnant with his child. “Lily, promise me, if you like me, leave my life.” “As far away as possible! Can you do that?” “I’m begging you!” After waiting for a long time without a reply, I collapsed on the sofa with the diary, unknowingly falling asleep. In my dream, I saw 17-year-old Lily running desperately in a dark alley. Her face was panicked and anxious. A strong wind blew a flower pot off the balcony, jolting me awake to see that night had fallen outside. 30-year-old Lily hadn’t returned all night, not even a phone call or a text message. But Marcus’s social media was updated every ten minutes, a total of 30 posts. The first one was Lily putting the family heirloom around his neck. The second was Lily and him flipping through a dictionary, choosing a name for the baby. The third was him lying on Lily’s belly, happily listening to the baby’s movements. …… Each post had likes and blessings from friends in the comments. “Congratulations to Lily for finally becoming a mother.” “I told you Lily wouldn’t stay faithful to Adrian, but you didn’t believe me.” “How could Adrian ever be good enough for our Lily? Marcus and our Lily are truly a perfect match, made for each other.” Lily had liked every post. Perhaps deep down, she felt the same way. Exiting the social media app, I lay on the sofa feeling dizzy and drowsy. In my dream, 17-year-old Lily finally ran out of the alley. What met her eyes was me being pinned down and beaten by a group of thugs, with 17-year-old Marcus pulling out a knife, about to stab me. “Adrian!” The next second, Lily’s eyes turned red, and she rushed forward like a madwoman. Her thin body trembled uncontrollably, but she still picked up a brick from the roadside with all her might and started smashing the lead thug’s head again and again. The other thugs swarmed her, stabbing her dozens of times. Lily paid no attention, tightly gripping the blood-stained brick, using her last ounce of strength to smash the lead thug’s head open, screaming at the others with a ferocious expression. “Come on if you’re not afraid to die!” Those thugs were intimidated by her do-or-die attitude and fled in panic. Only when their figures had completely disappeared into the alley did Lily collapse powerlessly in front of me, shaking uncontrollably. When our eyes met, she smiled proudly, “Adrian, I told you I’d give my life for you, now do you believe me?” “Lily! I don’t need this!” “Leave me!” I shouted her name in anger, instantly waking up, tears already overflowing. Looking at myself in the mirror, with bulging veins and goosebumps all over my body, I didn’t know if it was from fear or cold. Looking down at the diary in my arms, I felt my mind was in a fog, unable to distinguish if this was a dream or a memory. Pulling up my shirt, I suddenly froze, quickly feeling my lower abdomen with my hand. Chapter

The scar that had been with me for 13 years was gone. Tears burst forth. Opening the diary again, I saw several more lines had appeared, but this time they were crooked, as if I could see the weakness of the person writing. “Adrian, I saved you.” After calming down, I calmly replied with one sentence. “This is what you should have done.” If it weren’t for her ‘like’. If it weren’t for her ‘like’ that she would inevitably betray in the future. How would I have been targeted by Marcus, losing my dignity as a man? Yet at 30, she had a child with the mastermind who hurt me, hurting me again. The words in the diary appeared staggeringly, the strokes not very clear, as if written with great effort. “Adrian, I’m willing to do anything for you, tell me what else you need me to do?” After 17-year-old Lily wrote down the last question mark, I replied, “I’ve already said, leave my life.” “Completely disappear from my sight, don’t use your love now as a weapon to hurt me in the future.” Once, when everyone mocked me for not being a man, it was Lily who firmly held my hand, gently soothing my shattered self-esteem. It was because of her love that I was not afraid of any mockery, ridicule, or vicious curses. So when she let go of my hand and stood among those who mocked me, I was instantly on the verge of collapse, even considering ending my life. It turns out that being hurt by the one you love is a thousand times more painful than physical disability. You could say, the more she loved me before, the more pain she caused me later. This heart of mine, already hurt by her, will no longer beat. The sound of forceful writing suddenly came through, each word sinking into the paper, almost piercing through it. “That’s impossible!” “Adrian, do you know? Every time there’s an extracurricular activity, you always like to stand under the second basketball hoop on the playground to play ball. I deliberately take a 5-minute detour every day just to see you once. Just seeing you makes me feel so happy.” “Once during a basketball game, I heard you were injured. I was so anxious that I skipped class for the first time to buy medicine for you, afraid you’d suffer for even a second more…” “And…” I interrupted, “I know, I know all of this you’re saying.” “There was also once… when I fell in the bathroom, you brought me medicine, blushing.” The diary suddenly paused for ten seconds before replying, “You know all this? How do you know?” “Since you know everything, why do you say I’ll betray you?” There was a sentence she didn’t write, but I’m sure I know she was muttering to herself, how could I betray you when I love you so much. I could imagine the shock and confusion on 17-year-old Lily’s face right now. “I know these things because the future you told me. You told me everything one by one, and said you deeply regretted doing these things.” Lily had said that she should have listened to advice back then and not married a man like me who couldn’t give her “happiness”, resulting in her enduring five years of humiliation. She had also said that she should have just let me starve to death back then, saving me too early led to me not only being ungrateful for her great kindness but even becoming more and more arrogant. She always boasted about her “great achievements”, and then did whatever she wanted in our marriage, until now having a child with someone else. Tears fell on the diary, blurring the words. Afraid of damaging the diary and not being able to change the past, I hurriedly tried to wipe it off, but I used too much force and accidentally tore the paper in half. In my panic, I suddenly found that everything in front of me had changed into a hospital ward. In front of me was a 17-year-old girl with thick bandages wrapped around her abdomen. Her face was pale, her brows furrowed in pain from the wound. 17-year-old Lily covered the blood-stained bandage with one hand, struggling to write a reply with the other, muttering under her breath. “Adrian, don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you until I become your wife…” She looked serious and determined, as if doing something of utmost importance. Just as she wrote this, 17-year-old Lily seemed to sense something. Her hand suddenly stopped, and when she looked up, our eyes met. “Adrian?” At that moment, those clear eyes like spring water, which had long disappeared from my memory, appeared in front of me again. Her slightly dry lips parted, but before she could speak, a sudden burst of phone ringing came through. Looking around, I saw the house was in a mess. All done by 30-year-old Lily. The phone rang sharply. It was a call from 30-year-old Lily, her tone commanding, “Come to the coffee shop downstairs from the company right away, Marcus and I have something to tell you in person.” At the same time, several lines appeared in the diary. “Trust me, okay? I would never do such a thing.” “I like you so much that even if you want to take my life, you can.” A girl’s affection, as pure and beautiful as cherry blossoms. Always feeling that vows would become the most beautiful flowers, as long as they stayed by their loved one’s side, they would never wither. I gripped the pen tightly in my hand, my eyes downcast. Fine. Since you don’t believe me, I’ll let 30-year-old you tell you yourself.

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Three minutes before my personal training session ended, a female trainee unexpectedly clasped my hand and placed it on her waist, murmuring softly to me. “Coach, I prefer it when you help me correct my posture like this.” In the next moment, she tore her collar, fled the training room in tears, and accused me of harassment during a live stream. Within half an hour, I was labeled as the despised Beastly Coach. My fiancée refused to believe I’d do such a thing and vowed to gather evidence to clear my name. However, after I was fired and everyone turned against me, I accidentally overheard her speaking to her best friend. “Adeline, you framed Jasper to ensure Finn could become a manager. Aren’t you afraid he’ll find out and call off the engagement?” “Finn is struggling alone in this city; he needs this opportunity. As for Jasper, I’ll support him for life as compensation.” Upon hearing my fiancée’s words, I promptly canceled our wedding banquet. Narrative shift: It wasn’t until the shareholder fiancée helped her junior rise to manager that she remembered her fiancé, accused of harassing a trainee, had not reached out for a long time. She called her secretary, “I’ve been busy supporting Finn. Jasper hasn’t caused any trouble, right?” The secretary, trembling, replied, “Haven’t you heard? Jasper was beaten up during a live stream by the husband of the woman he allegedly harassed. His father suffered a heart attack and passed away due to the stress, and unable to endure the rumors, he took his own life.” The fiancée’s face turned ashen as she finally grasped the extent of the harm she had inflicted on me. Back then, to secure a better future for her junior, she orchestrated a false accusation against me. Within less than half an hour, I was branded as the despised Beastly Coach. I sought solace from my fiancée but happened to overhear her talking to her best friend. “Adeline, you framed Jasper to ensure Finn could become a manager. Aren’t you afraid he’ll find out and call off the engagement?” “Finn is struggling alone in this city; he needs this opportunity. As for Jasper, I’ll support him for life as compensation.”

“I’m sorry, everyone. I know Jasper can be a bit of a flirt, but I never imagined he’d do something like this! However, he’s still my fiancé, so I apologize on his behalf. Please forgive him this time!” Adeline’s words nailed me to the pillar of shame. I looked at her in disbelief: “Why are you apologizing? I didn’t harass anyone!” She smiled apologetically, then pulled me aside and replied impatiently. “I know you’re innocent, but if you don’t apologize, they’ll beat you up!” “I’m just worried you’ll get hurt!” With that, she pushed me, “Finn encountered a difficult trainee, go check it out.” “I’m not going.” I was stunned by her audacity, doing everything possible to harm me while claiming it was for my good, then expecting me to clean up Finn’s mess! Adeline grabbed my wrist, “Jasper, your father’s heart surgery can’t wait. If you agree, I’ll find a top specialist for him.” “You’re using my dad to threaten me?” Adeline averted her gaze guiltily. I took a deep breath: “Fine, I’ll go.” As soon as I was pushed into the separate training room, the door was locked from the outside. Finn’s voice came through: “Adeline, is Jasper okay? The woman inside has rabies.” Adeline replied disdainfully, “What are you afraid of? She won’t bite to kill.” The next instant, a shadow lunged at me! I sidestepped, and the woman bit my arm, shooting sharp pain through me. I flung her off, but she kept attacking like a rabid dog, blood drooling from her mouth. I pinned her hands and pressed her to the ground. “Boom!” The training room door was kicked open. I turned around in surprise, only to see numerous cameras pointed at me. A reporter screamed, “Look! This pervert even assaults rabies patients!” “Everyone, beat this scum to death!”

“Step aside!” Adeline pushed through the crowd and dragged me away from the rabid woman by my collar. Her eyes were red as she looked at me, “My fiancé may be unreliable, but he’s resigned and made amends. I’m begging for your forgiveness.” As soon as she finished, a burly man rushed out of the crowd and punched me in the face! I staggered back several steps, crashing into a rack, with equipment falling and hitting me. I barely managed to protect my head, but blood oozed from various places on my body. “Bastard! Touch my wife, and you’re dead!” I instinctively wanted to fight back, but Adeline held me down, her nails digging into my flesh. “Don’t make trouble. Harassing someone’s wife means you have to let them vent.” “Don’t forget, your dad’s specialist hasn’t been found yet. If things get out of hand, what if the specialist refuses to save your dad?” Hearing her threat, I collapsed, letting the man’s fists pummel me. Only when I felt close to death did he finally stop. And Finn leaned in, whispering with a smile. “Jasper, you know, because the higher-ups think you’re better than me, they wouldn’t let me take over as manager. So Adeline set this up for your ‘graceful’ resignation.” Even though I already knew, hearing it from Finn still made my heart ache. I said nothing, and Finn pretended to help me up. “Jasper, Adeline is so good to you, how could you cheat on her?” Adeline looked at me affectionately, “I believe he just lost his way for a moment. Let’s do this, I’ll call some friends to talk some sense into him.” I wanted to refuse, but Adeline quickly called some of Finn’s usual colleagues to drag me into a restaurant. The owner saw me, full of disdain. “Get out! We don’t welcome harassers here!” Adeline smiled at the owner, but her gaze towards me was chillingly cold. “Owner, he doesn’t need to sit at the table, just let him squat and eat with the dog.” My expression changed, and when I looked down, I saw a giant Tibetan Mastiff lying on the ground. Two years ago, I was almost bitten by a Tibetan Mastiff while saving Adeline, leaving an indelible scar and fear. But now, she wanted me to stay with a Tibetan Mastiff, knowing my fear? “Adeline, don’t do this to me, please.” I looked at her pleadingly, but she turned away. “Jasper, eating with the dog was the netizens’ suggestion. Once they see you’ve atoned, they’ll stop condemning you. As long as you behave, I’ll marry you and take good care of your dad.” She waved her hand, and Finn’s colleagues bound me next to the Tibetan Mastiff. The Tibetan Mastiff watched me intently, its foul-smelling drool seemingly dripping onto me. Beside me, Finn started a live stream, the streaming room’s name glaringly conspicuous. [Harasser atones by allowing a Tibetan Mastiff to bite!] He pointed the camera at me, signaling the owner to release the extra chains. The Tibetan Mastiff, free of restraints, charged straight at me.

My screams mingled with the Tibetan Mastiff’s growls. My wrists were chafed and bleeding from the ropes, but the area I could escape to was smaller than the Mastiff’s chain length. “Please, pull him away!” My pleas for mercy were drowned in Finn and the others’ laughter. Finn held up his phone, loudly reading the streaming room’s comments. “Hahaha, look at him, even worse than a dog!” “Harassers should be bitten to death!” I stumbled and fell. The next second, the Mastiff was on top of me, its hot breath on my thigh, just like when I saved Adeline two years ago. I completely broke down, blacking out. When I woke up, Finn had put away his phone, and the owner had chained the Mastiff again. Amid Finn and the others’ jeers, I staggered to my feet. As I passed Finn, Adeline shoved me. My forehead hit the table corner hard, blood streaming down my face. Finn looked at Adeline with fake gratitude, “Adeline, Jasper won’t hurt me, you don’t need to be so cautious.” Adeline frowned, “You’re the most important, nothing can go wrong.” Even though I’d decided to give up on Adeline, my heart still ached uncontrollably. I stood up to leave, but Adeline forcefully pushed me back onto the table. “Finn wants to have a meal with you. Stay and eat before you go.” Finn, under the guise of apologizing, kept stuffing food into my mouth. The dishes were spicy, greasy, and tasted strange. Almost ten minutes passed, and the bleeding from my forehead hadn’t stopped, my whole body was in pain. After the meal, as Adeline was about to take me away, Finn suddenly fell to the ground. He raised his scraped, slightly bleeding hand, looking pained. “Jasper, I’m sorry. I’ll never compete for Adeline’s attention again. Can you stop tripping me?” Adeline, distressed, helped Finn up and slapped me hard, “Get out of here yourself. I’ll take Finn to the hospital and deal with you later!” She left with Finn, ignoring my bleeding state. I endured the weakness from blood loss and stood up, but the restaurant owner grabbed me. “You can’t leave, harasser! You haven’t compensated for my losses.” I looked at my haggard, weak reflection in the lens, and before I could say anything, my phone suddenly rang. The restaurant owner eyed me suspiciously, then let go, “Take the call first.” I whispered my thanks and answered the phone, hearing an anxious voice on the other end. “Mr. Jasper, your father just had a heart attack and passed away after seeing the live stream about you online. Please, accept our condolences.” She left with Finn, ignoring me even as I was bleeding heavily. Despite feeling weak from the blood loss, I managed to stand up. The Restaurant Owner grabbed my arm. “You can’t leave, Harasser! You haven’t compensated me for my losses.” I caught a glimpse of my weary reflection in the camera. Before I could respond, my phone rang. The Restaurant Owner gave me a suspicious look and released his grip, “Answer your call first.” I thanked him softly and picked up the phone. A frantic voice came through on the other end. “Mr. Walker, your father just saw the Internet live stream about you and suffered a heart attack. He passed away. I’m so sorry for your loss.” My mind went blank from the shock; it was so overwhelming that I couldn’t even cry. “Finish your call and compensate me quickly!” I snapped back to reality. Forcing a smile, I looked at the Restaurant Owner. “The money is at my house. Come with me, and we can live stream the whole thing. I promise I won’t do anything to you.” The Restaurant Owner agreed and took out a first-aid kit to bandage my wounds. I gazed at him, feeling a complex mix of emotions. Once we reached my home, I went straight to my study and wrote a will. I had caused the death of my father, the person most important to me, yet I couldn’t even avenge him. I handed all the cash to the Restaurant Owner. “This is the compensation. My will is in the study.” The live stream continued, filled with comments cursing me. In front of the live stream camera, I climbed onto the balcony of the room I shared with Adeline. Below was a man-made lake. I smiled at the camera. “You only see what you want to see. I didn’t threaten the customer, yet you destroyed my family.” “Today, I die to prove my innocence.” “And all of you are the true culprits.” After speaking, I saw the Restaurant Owner rushing toward me. I gave a bitter smile and then jumped resolutely. At that moment, Adeline was at the hospital with Finn, who only had minor injuries. She was planning to comfort me while Finn applied medicine. But as soon as she picked up her phone, the message on the screen froze her in place. [The male coach accused of harassing a female student committed suicide today, claiming everyone is the murderer.] I’m sorry, but it looks like you’ve provided a template with instructions and placeholders for text. However, there isn’t any specific Chinese text included for translation. Could you please provide the exact text you’d like translated? 4 The screen kept replaying the final scene of my suicide in the Streaming Room, and she began to tremble. Finn came over and saw me in the act of suicide, his expression full of mixed emotions.

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Managing the restaurant for thirty years, I finally had the chance to hand it over to my son and see my grandson start kindergarten. I eagerly asked my husband, “Do you remember the island road trip we talked about thirty years ago?” My husband frowned and shook his head, “Adeline, you’re a grandmother now, and you’re still thinking about having fun. Aren’t you embarrassed?” My son and daughter-in-law also objected, “Mom, how can we run the business without you in the kitchen? Stop dreaming.” But that night, I unexpectedly saw an RV reservation on my husband’s phone. It was booked for five people: my husband, son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and his childhood friend Nora. They were leaving the day after tomorrow. I felt a chill run through me. Before they left, my son reminded me, “Mom, the restaurant relies on you. We’ll bring you some local treats when we return.” Watching them leave with laughter, I turned around, sold the house, and bought a second-hand RV for myself. From then on, I set off on my own journey, free to go wherever I wanted. 0

After closing the restaurant, the sunset’s afterglow streamed through the glass windows, casting a warm glow on the tables and chairs. I wiped the last table with a cloth, my movements familiar but numb. Thirty years, every day the same. I heard footsteps at the door as my husband, Asher, walked in. He was looking down at his phone, slightly frowning, as if dealing with something important. “Why are you back so early today?” I asked casually, not pausing my work. “Finn said he’s ready to take over the restaurant. We’re having dinner at home to celebrate,” Asher said without emotion. My heart skipped a beat, feeling both anticipation and something else. At dinner, my son Finn was exceptionally excited, raising his glass. “Dad, Mom, the restaurant is in my hands now! You two can just relax!” I looked at Asher and mustered the courage to speak. “Asher, since Finn’s taking over, what about that island road trip we talked about thirty years ago? Is it still on?” The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Asher’s brows immediately furrowed, his face showing clear displeasure. “Adeline, you’re a grandmother now, why are you still acting like a child, always thinking about playing?” His tone carried the usual disdain and reproach, “The restaurant just got handed over to Finn. Shouldn’t you help him keep an eye on the kitchen? Be sensible.” My daughter-in-law chimed in immediately, “Yeah, Mom, we can’t do without you in the kitchen.” Finn put down his chopsticks, slightly impatient, “Mom, stop meddling.” “What’s so great about a road trip? It’s costly and tiring. Enjoy peace at home and help me with the kitchen, that’s better than anything.” Their words easily shattered my hopes. I lowered my head, looking at the cold rice in my bowl. Thirty years of dedication seemed only to earn the judgment to “be sensible” and “don’t cause trouble.” The promise of a distant journey was nothing more than an untimely joke to them. 0

A crisp doorbell broke the stalemate. Asher immediately stood, a warm smile on his face, quickly greeting the guest. “Nora, what brings you here? Come in, come in!” A well-dressed figure appeared at the door, accompanied by a sweet perfume. Nora, Asher’s childhood friend, always delicate and in need of care. She held a beautifully wrapped gift box, her face showing the perfect amount of surprise. “Asher, I heard Finn is taking over the restaurant, so I came to congratulate him.” Her gaze lightly swept over me, her smile sweet, with a hint of superiority in her eyes. “Adeline, you’re so lucky. Finn is so capable, you can enjoy life at home now.” Asher laughed heartily, “Isn’t that right?” Nora giggled, “Adeline’s cooking is the best. Finn must learn from her.” “Unlike me, clumsy and only busy outside, clueless about kitchen work.” With a few words, she lightly positioned me as just a cook. Finn enthusiastically welcomed, “Aunt Nora, have a seat! Try this fish my mom made; it’s her specialty.” My daughter-in-law also offered tea, “Aunt Nora, have some tea. My mom made it herself.” The whole family surrounded Nora, chatting happily. I stood aside, feeling like an out-of-place servant. Nora suddenly turned to Asher, speaking coquettishly. “Asher, remember to take me on the road trip next week!” “I’ve never been in an RV. I’m so excited just thinking about it!” Asher looked at her indulgently, “Don’t worry, your spot is reserved.” He turned to me, his tone turning stiff. “Adeline, we’re going out next week for about a week.” “The house and restaurant are in your hands, especially the kitchen. Make sure nothing goes wrong.” I was stunned, my heart like being gripped by an invisible hand. The island road trip? They were going to fulfill the promise I’d waited thirty years for, but without me. “What about me?” I blurted out, my voice dry. Asher frowned, “What would you do there? Someone has to watch the house, right?” “Besides, you get carsick so easily, you’d just suffer.” Nora chimed in, “Yes, Adeline, staying home and enjoying yourself is much better. Road trips are exhausting.” My son and daughter-in-law echoed, as if not taking me along was perfectly reasonable. I watched their joyful demeanor, my throat felt stuffed with cotton, unable to utter a word. 0

After dinner, I quietly cleaned up the mess. In the living room, I heard my grandson, Milo, whining with childishness. “Grandma Nora, are we really going on a big RV trip next week? That’s awesome!” Nora’s voice was so gentle it could melt, “Yes, Milo, are you happy?” “Happy! It’s more fun than going to the market with Grandma!” Nora looked up at me as I came out of the kitchen, her smile unchanged. “Adeline, look how much Milo is looking forward to this trip.” “Take care of yourself at home while we’re gone.” Asher sat on the couch, browsing travel guides without lifting his head. “Adeline, pack our luggage these days, especially the documents, don’t lose them.” “Finn and the others are young, inexperienced, help them pack too.” His tone was matter-of-fact, as if I was their free servant. Thirty years of marriage couldn’t compare to Nora’s coquettishness. The promise of an island road trip turned into a joke. In the days that followed, I moved like a lifeless shell, preparing their travel items according to Asher’s instructions. Buying various daily necessities, checking documents, arranging restaurant affairs… I was like a tireless spinning top, never stopping. Watching them excitedly discuss the trip details, my heart twisted like a knife. They were immersed in anticipation for the journey, sharing the surprises Nora brought. Meanwhile, I, the mistress of this restaurant, the mistress of this house, felt like an outsider. In the evening, after seeing off the last table of guests, I began cleaning. Asher leaned against the doorframe, looking at his phone, suddenly spoke. “Adeline, could you make some braised beef tonight?” His tone was casual, as if he was asking for something insignificant. Braised beef at this hour meant I wouldn’t have any rest tonight. But he wouldn’t care. “Make sure it’s ready by morning, Milo…” He quickly corrected himself, “Milo loves your cooking, so he’ll eat well on the road.” I took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in my throat, “Got it.” 0

The day of departure, dawn was just breaking. I showed up in the kitchen as usual. I opened the fridge, taking out the carefully marinated braised beef. The meat was firm, the sauce rich, a recipe I had perfected through countless trials. I packed them neatly into containers, along with some snacks they liked for the road. Oil pastries, mung bean cakes, all handmade by me. Asher put on the freshly ironed shirt, tying his tie in the mirror. “Adeline, the trash downstairs is full, could you take it out?” He asked without looking up. I nodded, picking up the heavy, full trash bag and heading out. Just as I reached the stairs, Asher’s call came through. “Oh, and Nora said she’s driving over to pick us up. Parking is tight around here, could you go down to the alley and hold a spot for her?” With the phone to my ear, the chilly early spring wind made me shiver. “Alright,” I replied dryly. I stood in the cold, windy alley for nearly half an hour, my hands and feet numb. Nora’s car finally arrived with headlights on. She rolled down the window, her makeup flawless, smile bright. “Oh, Adeline, you’ve been amazing! Parking here is a nightmare!” I forced a stiff smile, watching her expertly park in the spot I had saved with effort. “Asher, Finn, Phoebe, are you all ready?” Her voice was clear, filled with laughter. “Grandma Nora!” Milo immediately ran over. Nora bent down, hugging Milo, affectionately nuzzling his cheek. “Sweet Milo, Grandma brought you lots of treats.” Asher immediately approached, his face openly gentle. Finn and Phoebe also gathered around, warmly greeting her. “Aunt Nora, do you need anything else?” I managed a stiff smile as I watched her expertly park the car into the spot I struggled with. “Asher, Finn, Phoebe, are you all ready?” Her voice was clear and cheerful. “Nora!” Milo immediately rushed over to her. Nora bent down, picking up Milo and affectionately rubbing his cheek. “Good boy, Milo. Grandma brought you lots of treats.” Asher immediately approached, his face showing open gentleness. Finn and Phoebe also gathered around, exchanging warm greetings. “Aunt Nora, do you think we need anything else?” “No need, everything’s ready. Let’s go!” The family surrounded Nora, chatting and laughing as they headed out. Asher lingered behind, pausing as he passed by me. He looked me up and down, frowning slightly. “Adeline, look at your clothes, they’re covered in oil stains.” “Always so sloppy, no femininity at all.” He sighed, his tone filled with helplessness and comparison. I was freezing and just wanted to go into the kitchen to warm my hands with a hot drink. Maybe my hands were numb with cold, but I accidentally knocked over the kettle on the stove! Boiling water splashed onto my hand, and an excruciating pain hit me, making me scream. My hand rapidly swelled and reddened, burning with pain. Hearing the noise, Asher walked over with a frown, glancing at my hand. “What happened? So clumsy! Can’t handle such a small thing!” His voice was full of disgust and impatience, with not a hint of concern. “Quick, rinse it with cold water! Don’t waste time, we need to leave!” Finn and his wife stood at the door with Milo, looking impatient. Milo pouted, “Grandma is so clumsy, now we’re going to be late.” No one asked if I was in pain. No one offered to take me to the hospital. Their only concern was that I wouldn’t delay their trip with Nora. Asher waved his hand irritably, “Alright, alright, take care of it yourself, we’re leaving!” With that, he led his son and family out without looking back. They rolled their luggage, chatting and laughing as they left. I looked up, watching the five of them. Asher walked closely with Nora, talking quietly, intimately. Finn and Phoebe were arm in arm, all smiles. Milo hopped along, holding Nora’s hand. The sun shone on them, creating a scene of perfect happiness. Except it didn’t include me. I felt like an old, forgotten object in the corner, watching someone else’s joy. The RV engine started, slowly driving out of view. The dining room returned to silence, only the hum of the exhaust fan remained. The air was filled with the aroma of food mixed with lingering tobacco and Nora’s strong perfume. In that moment, my heart was completely dead. I turned, walked into the kitchen, and took off my apron, folding it neatly. I no longer needed his promises for my island trip. I should take a journey of my own. 0

Sunlight streamed through the restaurant’s glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor. The lingering smell of cooking oil seemed to fade a bit. This place had once been where I poured my sweat and soul. Now, it felt cold and unfamiliar. My phone screen lit up, showing a call from “Finn.” The ringtone kept ringing, over and over. I picked up the phone, looking at the familiar name, and swiped to silence it. The screen went dark, and the world returned to peace. I opened my laptop, starting to search for second-hand RVs. Different brands, various configurations, with prices all over the place. Some RVs looked cozy and comfortable, others rugged and off-road. Imagining myself driving one on endless highways, a long-lost excitement stirred in me. The phone vibrated again, this time it was “Phoebe.” I glanced at it, ignored it, and continued browsing RV forums. I read about road trip tips, modification experiences, and precautions from fellow travelers. A whole new world was slowly opening up to me. The phone rang persistently again. The caller ID showed “Asher.” After a moment’s hesitation, I answered. His slightly impatient voice came through the receiver. “Adeline, where did you go? Why isn’t anyone answering the restaurant phone?” “Did you count the new batch of seafood in the freezer? Where’s the receipt?” He ordered me around as usual, just like countless times over the past thirty years. “Also, Old Wang said the air conditioner in his reserved room is broken, get someone to fix it.” “Did you hear me? I’m talking to you!” I held the phone, slowly exhaling three words. “I’m not there.” I hung up before he could react. Almost immediately, Finn’s call came through again. I answered once more. “Mom! What’s going on? Dad said you’re not at the restaurant? Where did you go?” His voice was anxious, with a hint of blame. “The exhaust fan in the kitchen seems off, you should check it out!” “And the payment for Zhang’s order needs settling, the receipt’s in your drawer, right?” He fired off questions rapidly, laying out what I should do. I’m sorry, but it looks like the text for translation is missing. Please provide the text you’d like me to translate.

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