The ninety-ninth time my wife missed my chemotherapy, I stumbled upon a burner Ins account. **[The love bought with a kidney must surely last until death.]** The post featured a photo of a couple kissing passionately on a street in Turkey. The woman had a small, heart-shaped scar on her neck. What a coincidence. It was exactly like my wife’s. The woman who almost died for me had so easily fallen for someone else. The comments below were full of encouragement from strangers. **[So brave, brother. Wishing you two forever and always.]** **[If I were the girl, I’d be head over heels for him.]** I commented below: **[May you two burn in hell. This husband is clearing the way for you.]** A minute later, the post disappeared. No worries. I just posted on my own account. **[Three years fighting cancer, but my wife fell in love with my kidney donor.]** The post included a picture of our marriage certificate and that kissing photo. … After doing everything, I dialed my wife, Chloe Miller’s, number. “What is it?!” Her impatient voice blasted through the receiver. I suddenly remembered Chloe’s breakdown the day I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. She had held me, sobbing uncontrollably, wishing she could trade her life for my health. To find a matching kidney, she even offered 30% of her company’s shares as a gratitude fee. But once the kidney donor was found, Chloe’s heart changed. I gave a bitter laugh. “When are you scheduling the surgery?” Chloe clearly got flustered. “Alex, are you really that desperate to take Liam’s kidney?!” Her harsh interrogation left me feeling dazed. Liam Davis was the one who initially volunteered to donate. Now that he’s stolen my wife, shouldn’t he at least give me a chance to live? “Chloe, I’m so scared. Can you please beg Alex for me, so I can have a little more time to prepare?” A wronged voice chimed in, and Chloe’s tone instantly cooled. “Alex, don’t pressure him anymore. When he’s no longer scared, I’ll naturally arrange the surgery!” My heart ached. Three years ago, when Liam first approached me, offering his kidney, I thought I was saved. But he was afraid of pain, afraid of needles, afraid his weight wasn’t enough… He was afraid of too many things. Suddenly, I didn’t want his kidney anymore. I hung up the phone and pressed the power-off button. Who would have thought that same night, Chloe would storm into the hospital with Liam? “Alex! Who gave you permission to start looking for a new kidney match?!” “Where do you have the time to wait around?!” I didn’t say anything. Instead, I stared at the fresh, crimson love bite on her neck. It was so glaring. My heart felt both sour and bitter. Just as I was about to explain, Chloe continued, “I’ve already transferred that 30% of the shares to Liam.” “Don’t even think about taking it from him!” I gave a self-deprecating laugh. So, she wasn’t worried I wouldn’t find a new kidney. She was afraid Liam’s interests would be harmed. It was so laughable. I looked at Liam, wanting to ask him how much longer I had to wait. But then I caught sight of the multi-million dollar jade pendant on his neck. It was my wedding gift from Chloe, the only one in the world. I reached out, wanting to confirm it. However, before I even touched Liam, he cried out in pain and stumbled backward. “Alex, I told you I’d donate my kidney when I was ready. Why do you hate me so much?!” Liam looked at me, his face full of false victimhood. Chloe’s face instantly darkened. She tenderly pulled him into her embrace and glared at me. “Apologize!” I scoffed, pointing at Liam’s neck. “It’s tainted!” Then I looked at Chloe. “You’re the same. So dirty!” “Now get out, you and your lover!” Chloe instantly flew into a rage, raising her hand and slapping me across the face. “Alex! Your mouth is so vicious! You deserve this cancer!” I collapsed to the floor, my face etched with disbelief. I deserved it? Chloe probably forgot that a huge reason I got kidney cancer was from the insane amount of drinking I did to close deals for her company. “You go reflect on yourself. When you’ve come to your senses, come grovel and apologize to Liam!” With that, Chloe embraced Liam and left. Watching her disappear, my heart felt like a lump of cold ash. I sat there on the floor, stunned, until my attending physician, Dr. Reid, walked in. He helped me up, sighing, “Chloe has completely lost her mind.” “You’re her husband, yet she laid a hand on you for an outsider.” “It’s so damaging to your marriage.” I gave a bitter shake of my head. The moment Chloe cheated, any feelings between us died. I looked at Dr. Reid and asked, “If I don’t get a transplant, how much longer do I have?” Dr. Reid pressed his lips together, his brows furrowed. “About a month.” That’s enough. A flicker of determination flashed in my eyes, and I declared, “I’m not getting treated. I’m checking out today.” **2** After completing the discharge procedures, I returned to what used to be our home. Pushing open the front door, the lively little figure that usually greeted me wasn’t there. Could it be… even Buddy doesn’t love me anymore? A wave of sadness washed over me as I walked towards the bedroom. Passing through the living room, I heard a muffled whimper. “Buddy?” I called out tentatively, walking towards the sound. I found Buddy tied by the neck with a rope to the leg of the dining table. The rope was so tight, it made his eyeballs bulge. His snowy white fur had been shabbily shaved, and his two hind legs lay lifelessly on the floor. Burns, knife wounds, and even several gaping holes were gushing blood. My blood ran cold. I screamed, rushing to him. “Buddy!” My hands trembled uncontrollably from the shock as I tried to untie the rope. Just then, a voice came from behind me. “Alex, what are you doing back here?” I twisted my head to look. Chloe stood there, one hand intertwined with Liam’s, the other holding many baby supplies. I froze. My gaze instinctively dropped to Chloe’s abdomen. Chloe frowned. “Alex, why aren’t you at the hospital receiving treatment? What are you doing back here?!” I gave a self-deprecating laugh, my heart aching even more. “If I didn’t come back, you’d probably be due to give birth soon, wouldn’t you?” My gaze lingered on Liam meaningfully. Chloe’s face stiffened, a flicker of guilt in her eyes. “Alex, listen to me. That night…” “Enough!” I cut Chloe off directly. There was nothing to hear. It was probably just “getting carried away” after too much to drink. No wonder Chloe had found so many excuses to delay the transplant surgery; they’d already had a child! But for me, none of that mattered anymore. I looked at her. “I just want to know why Buddy is like this!” “You promised me you’d make him the happiest dog in the world.” Chloe looked at Buddy, her expression filled with shame. “Alex, actually, this is all my fault.” Liam suddenly interjected, “Buddy almost bit me that day. That’s why Chloe punished him like this.” Liam said ‘sorry,’ but his eyes were full of triumph. I couldn’t control the rage boiling within me anymore. My hand flew out, slapping him across the face. “Alex, are you crazy?! You hit Liam for a dog!” Chloe roared. I scoffed. “He’s not even worth a single hair on Buddy.” Buddy was the birthday gift my father gave me when I turned 20. And, of course, he was the only thing my father left behind. He was more important than anyone or anything else. Sensing Liam’s hostility, Buddy in my arms bared his teeth and barked at him. However, Liam immediately clutched his head and crouched down. “Chloe, my head hurts so much.” Chloe instantly panicked. “I’ll take you to the hospital, Liam.” Liam shook his head, looking wronged. “You should just let me leave this house. Alex doesn’t like me, and I’m a little scared of this dog.” “It’s okay, baby. Don’t be scared.” Chloe gently stroked Liam’s head and continued, “I’ll go deal with that little animal right now.” With that, Chloe forcibly snatched Buddy from my arms. “Chloe, you can’t do this! You know how important Buddy is to me!” My voice trembled, my eyes filled with pleading. “He’s not as important as my Liam!” Chloe held Buddy over her head. My heart leaped into my throat. As Chloe was about to throw Buddy to the ground, I threw away all my dignity and immediately knelt at Liam’s feet. “Please, tell Chloe to let my Buddy go.” “I’ll give you anything. Please.” I kept groveling, banging my head on the floor. However, Liam just said, “Chloe, hurry up!” His tone was gleeful, sending a shiver through me. The next second, Chloe violently slammed Buddy onto the floor. Warm blood splattered on my face, and my complexion instantly turned ashen. **3** “Buddy!” I scrambled to the small figure. Blood flowed across the entire floor, and Buddy didn’t make a sound. I completely broke down, holding his lifeless body and weeping. Why?! Why are you so cruel to me?! I looked at Chloe and Liam, my eyes swirling with hatred. I charged at them. However, before I could even touch their clothes, Chloe kicked me away. I slammed against the wall, blood profusely oozing from the corner of my mouth. It hurt so much. It felt as if every bone in my body had shattered. “I hate you, Chloe!” Chloe froze in place. “Alex, how could you hurt Chloe so much over a dog?” Liam grumbled. I ignored him. I forced my body up, holding Buddy, and walked towards the door. “Alex, where are you going?!” Chloe yelled. She tried to follow me, but Liam stopped her. “Chloe, Alex must be going back to the hospital.” “Don’t worry about him.” I buried Buddy in the backyard of his favorite dog park. I hoped he wouldn’t meet me again in his next life. Then, I walked towards the cemetery where my father was buried. Before leaving, I wanted to see him one last time. However, my father’s gravestone was gone. Looking at the unfamiliar name before me, my pupils constricted sharply. Arthur Davis? Who was this? My mind was in turmoil, a mix of confusion and urgency. I found the cemetery administrator, but he said, “Mr. Miller’s grave was moved a long time ago.” “Who allowed you to do that?!” I roared, enraged. The administrator looked indifferent. “Why are you getting angry at me? Mr. Miller’s daughter-in-law personally handled this.” Chloe? I was stunned. I looked at the photo of Arthur Davis on the tombstone; his features seemed a little familiar. A terrible premonition instantly crept into my heart. I rushed back to Chloe’s family home as fast as I could. “Chloe! You bastard! Where did you put my father’s ashes?!” I yelled for a long time before Liam slowly walked out, holding a broken box. “Where’s Chloe?” I asked coldly. “She went to Cloud Street to get me wontons. You know, my taste is quite…” I turned directly and walked towards the main door. “You don’t want your dad’s ashes?” My steps faltered. I turned to look at Liam. “Where is my father?” Liam didn’t answer me. Instead, he opened the box in his hand and poured the powder inside into the trash can. Watching his actions, my breath hitched. “What is that?” “Your dad, of course,” Liam said with a gleeful laugh. I felt like a lightning bolt had struck me, freezing my blood. “Chloe said your dad’s burial plot was the best feng shui spot in the entire city of A. Such a prime location naturally had to be for my family.” “But I never thought that after I just mentioned it, the very next day Chloe would have your dad’s grave dug up.” Liam was still talking, but I couldn’t listen anymore. I rushed to the trash can, knelt on the ground, and plunged my hands into it. Banana peels, leftover tea leaves, even used condoms… They were all covered with my father’s ashes. No matter what I did, I couldn’t separate them. Helplessness and despair spread through my entire body. Chloe’s voice suddenly rang out behind me. “Why are you back again?!” I turned to look at her, my eyes bloodshot. “You animal! How dare you disturb my father’s grave?!” I roared, my hands flailing wildly. In an instant, several bloody scratches appeared on her face. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” Chloe erupted in fury. Liam looked even more wronged. “Chloe, you have to help me! Alex is making me eat all that trash on the floor!” Hearing that, Chloe’s face instantly darkened. “How can you be so vicious?!” “Since it’s your idea, you can suffer it yourself.” With that, Chloe forcefully pinned me to the floor. I struggled desperately, but it was useless. All that trash, mixed with my father’s ashes, went into my stomach. After forcing the last condom into my mouth, Chloe released me. I immediately gagged, trying to force it out, but nothing came up. I hated them so much! I wanted to kill these two bastards. Then I picked up a nearby fruit knife and, without hesitation, plunged it into Chloe’s body.

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My husband, Damian, obsessed with filling our home with children, had built a private island. Not for us, but as a secret haven for scores of women, all meant to bear his heirs. And the cruelest twist? He named it after me: ‘Chloe’s Haven.’ On our wedding anniversary, he even presented it to me as a gift. But the moment six heavily pregnant women suddenly appeared, all calling me ‘Mrs. Thorne,’ I completely broke. One of them was even Skylar Hayes, my college roommate. She claimed she’d been on the island for five years. In that instant, my heart ripped to shreds. Damian rushed to hold me, his eyes overflowing with feigned concern. “Chloe, don’t cry… you always wanted our home to be lively, didn’t you? Even though you can’t get pregnant, once they give birth, you’ll be the mother of these six children. We’ll never be lonely again, Chloe Reed…” “I told you, anything you want, I’ll give it to you…” Damian stared into my eyes, his affection disturbingly deep. But after seven years of marriage, I finally saw how truly sick he was. Tears streamed down my face in utter despair, and I desperately pounded on him. “…Get them out of here… Make them leave…!” Damian choked out a weak, “Okay.” But at that moment, all I wanted was to escape him.

“…Chloe…I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” I was decisively packing my suitcase when Damian, his eyes red-rimmed, burst in and frantically pushed my luggage away. He grabbed my wrist, his voice trembling. “I’ll send them all away… just don’t leave me, Chloe, I’m begging you!” “Believe me! Those women are just tools for having children. As soon as the babies are born, I’ll send them away. We’ll go back to how we were before…” Before? I didn’t answer. I closed my suitcase, ready to leave, but Damian stubbornly refused to let go. As we struggled, his large hand cupped my face, and a torrent of panicked kisses rained down. “Chloe… tell me, what can I do to make you stay…?” “Please, just say something…” His voice cracked with a sob, his hands frantically gripping me, trying to reignite my love with passion. But he was wrong. He couldn’t keep me. Just this morning, when I saw him circling those pregnant women, kissing each of their swollen bellies… My once vibrant, beating heart had turned into a pool of stagnant water. “Damian, I’m tired…” The moment he pushed me onto the bed, I whispered, barely audible, and reached out to push him away. “Mr. Thorne…!” The door burst open with a crash. Skylar, caught off guard, stumbled into the bedroom, shattering the fragile intimacy Damian had tried to create. “Get out!” A glass cup shattered at her feet as Damian roared, his voice hoarse with rage. “Mr… Mr. Thorne, Lily and Dawn went into labor early!” Skylar stammered, trembling. At that, Damian’s expression changed instantly. He pulled away from my lips but didn’t leave right away. Instead, he grinned at me, full of excitement. He grabbed my forehead and kissed it hard. “Chloe! Our home is going to be lively now!” “I’m going to check on them. If you’re tired, rest well. I’ll be back!” He quickly got up and left, but my heart suddenly clenched in pain, and cold sweat instantly broke out on my forehead. My heart condition was flaring up again. “Damian!” I bit my lip and called out to him, my voice trembling like a leaf. But Damian didn’t seem to hear. He didn’t look back and just walked away. My lower lip was bitten through, and I curled up in pain, but then I smiled through my bloodied mouth. I smiled, and then I cried… After stumbling to take my medication, I silently wiped the blood from my mouth, called my lawyer to draft a divorce agreement, and drove to the hospital. There, I learned that the two pregnant women’s premature labor was due to an accidental overdose of oxytocin. “Mr. Thorne… it was Mrs. Thorne! We drank the soup she sent, that’s why this happened!” The two pregnant women pointed at me, accusingly, their eyes glinting with cunning calculation. I looked at Damian, not defending myself with a single word. The next second, two sharp slaps rang out. Damian’s voice was icy. “Shut up! Chloe is not someone you can slander! Now that the babies are born, you two can leave.” The two women’s screams as the bodyguards dragged them away made Skylar’s face turn pale. After Damian left to see the babies, I turned to Skylar, getting straight to the point. “You put the oxytocin in, didn’t you?” Hearing my question, Skylar’s eyes instantly reddened, and she feigned innocence. “Mrs. Thorne, what are you saying?!” She choked, her shoulders trembling, as if she had suffered some immense grievance. But after four years of college together, I knew exactly how many little tricks Skylar had up her sleeve. Too lazy to watch her act, I directly handed her an agreement. “Want to be Mrs. Thorne?” “Get Damian to sign this, and I’ll give you this position…” At the sight of ‘Divorce Agreement’ on the paper, Skylar’s tears instantly dried on her face. She bit her lip in humiliation and glared at me. “Give it? Chloe Reed, you’re truly shameless! Why would I—” I started to pull back the agreement. “Forget it, then. As long as I’m here, Damian will never get a divorce, and you’ll never get your chance…” I made to retract the agreement, but Skylar anxiously snatched it from me. After confirming the divorce agreement was legitimate, she cast an uneasy glance at me. “…I’ll help. Anyway, you can’t have kids, so it’s only right for you to make space.” My heart suddenly throbbed with a dull ache, and every breath felt heavy with pain. “Then… I wish you both well. Have plenty of children.”

Back at the ocean-view villa, I hired a professional organizer online to sort out my house in the city. Anything related to Damian, I instructed the organizer to throw it all away. The first thing was the photo album, filled with memories from when we were five until twenty-eight; The second was the school uniform button Damian had forcefully given me as a keepsake during graduation photos; The third… the fourth… Love letters, stuffed animals, luxury jewelry… everything, absolutely everything, went into the trash. I looked down at the diamond ring on my hand, took it off, and flushed it down the toilet. By the time I was deleting couple photos of Damian and me from my phone, night had fallen. That’s when he returned with the baby and Skylar. Still holding my phone, I walked downstairs and saw the housekeepers carrying boxes of baby supplies into the living room. Baby formula, bottles, baby rockers, maternity clothes… There was even maternity underwear custom-made for Skylar… The instant she saw the underwear, Skylar suddenly tiptoed to peck Damian’s chin, her face flushed. “…The baby and I thank Daddy…” The sudden kiss made my eyes darken, but Damian merely frowned and chastised her. “You’re heavily pregnant, don’t be so jumpy in the future. What if you hurt the baby…?” Seeing this, I scoffed softly, selected all photos, and deleted them. The moment I closed my phone, only a pool of stagnant water remained in my heart. When Damian turned and saw me, his eyes suddenly lit up. He carried the baby over, eager to show off. “Chloe, this little one’s eyebrows are like mine, and the mouth is like yours. Look, don’t you like him?” He had a child with another woman, yet he claimed it looked like me… How absurd was that? I remained expressionless. “No, I don’t.” Damian’s smile faltered. “It’s okay if you don’t like these two. There are four more due soon. You can pick your favorite one to raise then.” But I still didn’t speak, and the air grew instantly awkward. Just then, Skylar spoke softly. “Mr. Thorne, stop teasing Mrs. Thorne with the baby. I’ve already prepared a gift for her, she’ll definitely love it.” With that, she walked towards me, her belly protruding, and handed me a gift box. I opened it suspiciously, only to find it contained the divorce agreement, signed by Damian. My eyes suddenly felt hot. Skylar had actually done it. I should have been happy, but my heart felt a bitter ache, like a wet cotton ball was stuck in my chest. “Chloe, what gift do you like so much?” Damian suddenly leaned over, his brow furrowed. “How come I didn’t know?” He reached out to take it as he spoke, but I quickly closed the gift box. “It’s nothing.” Damian raised an eyebrow. “You have secrets from me now?” Meeting his probing gaze, I glanced at the baby in his arms, my voice cold. “Didn’t you also keep secrets from me, having children with six women before I even found out?” His face instantly changed, and he panicked again. “I only kept it a secret because I wanted to surprise you… Chloe, I never meant to hurt you…” With that, he immediately handed the baby to a housekeeper, his tone cold. “Get rid of it. Don’t let it dirty Mrs. Thorne’s eyes.” Seeing that he wasn’t joking about getting rid of the baby, I frowned and stepped forward to stop him. “They’re already born, just raise them.” Anyway, I was leaving. Nothing mattered anymore. As I turned to leave, I heard Damian’s cold voice behind me, instructing the housekeeper. “Listen to Mrs. Thorne. Keep them for now. If they survive, fine.” My steps faltered, but I said nothing, only quickened my pace upstairs. However, that night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Worried the babies might be hungry at night, I mixed some formula and decided to check on the two little ones. But as soon as I pushed open the nursery door, I was stunned by the sight before me. Skylar was trying to smother the babies with a pillow.

The babies’ weak whimpers echoed through the dark night, like ghostly wails. “Skylar! What are you doing!” My pupils constricted, and I lunged forward, snatching the pillow from Skylar’s hands, my heart surging with furious anger. “No matter how much you want to rise to the top, you can’t be so cruel as to harm children!” Discovering that both babies had been smothered to death, a wave of rage consumed me. I slapped Skylar across the face twice like a madwoman. But the next moment, Skylar collapsed to the floor, clutching her stomach in terror, screaming for mercy. “Ah—!” “Mrs. Thorne, I didn’t mean to see you smother the babies! Please, spare my life!” My head buzzed as I saw the sudden gush of thick blood beneath Skylar. Just then, the bedroom door was kicked open, and Damian rushed in. “What happened?!” “Mr. Thorne, Mrs. Thorne is too jealous! She tried to smother the babies with a pillow! When I caught her, she tried to kill me to silence me! Mr. Thorne, please save me and my baby!” Her voice was shrill, almost piercing the air. Then she frantically cowered at Damian’s feet, begging for help, a triumphant smirk in her peripheral vision as she looked at me. “Jealous?” Hearing Skylar’s words, Damian looked at me, his eyes unreadable. I met his suspicious gaze without flinching. “I didn’t—” But the next second, Damian smiled. He seemed to have heard something that genuinely delighted him, and his laughter grew louder and louder. “Chloe, I knew you still cared about me! You’re jealous of the babies, you even wanted to kill them, so you love me!” Damian pulled me into his arms, his voice overjoyed. “I’m so happy… Chloe Reed, I’m so happy!” His eyes burned with an intense heat, seemingly uncaring of the two babies’ lives, or even Skylar, who was covered in blood on the floor. Skylar was shocked by his reaction, her head snapping up to look at Damian, her eyes full of disbelief. “Mr. Thorne, Mrs. Thorne pushed me… my stomach hurts so much…” Skylar seemed to try one last desperate plea, but Damian merely gave her a cold glance and had Alfred send her to the hospital. As she was being carried away on the stretcher, her eyes burned with resentment as she looked at me. But I didn’t care. After we finalized the divorce tomorrow, those two lunatics could be locked together forever. The next day, I sent Damian to the divorce registry office. On the way, I received a text from Skylar, asking to meet. Thinking the hospital was on the way, and that she had barely saved her baby last night and probably wasn’t strong enough to cause trouble, I went. After all, we had been college roommates for four years; it was a farewell of sorts. But as I pushed open the hospital room door, I saw Skylar’s sinister grin, a terrifying, twisted smile. “Chloe Reed, this isn’t over!” I frowned, realizing her words held a hidden meaning. Just as I was about to ask what she meant, a hand clamped over my mouth and nose, and my vision went black. When I regained consciousness, I felt a violent collision in my lower body, a tearing, agonizing pain. Opening my eyes, I saw a strange man, pressing down on me, biting and tearing at my body. I was completely naked. “Get away—! Don’t touch me!” My mind instantly cleared. I frantically shoved the man off me, screaming in horror. Then, the door was kicked open again, and Damian burst in, his eyes bloodshot, with a feigning Skylar right behind him. “Mrs. Thorne, I’m so sorry! I was stupid, I couldn’t stop Mr. Thorne. He found out about you eloping with your first love!” Skylar knelt before me, putting on a dramatic show, but Damian had already pounced on the man, raining furious punches. He roared like a completely enraged lion. “Bastard! How dare you touch her! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!” “Chloe is mine! She’s mine! She’s the one I cherished, how dare you!” Skylar frantically tried to intervene. “Mr. Thorne, stop! Please, just let them be! If you kill him, Mrs. Thorne will be heartbroken!” But her words seemed designed to provoke Damian even further. He hit harder, blood splattering across his face. The man on the floor was already a limp mess. Any more, and he would die. “…Damian… stop hitting him…” Shrinking under the covers, my voice was hoarse and trembling. Hearing me, Damian’s veins-popping hand finally let go of the man. He pulled me tightly into his embrace, breathing heavily. After a long silence, I waited for his accusations, but Damian asked nothing. He picked me up, still wrapped in the blanket, and strode out. “Chloe, let’s go home…” As he spoke, Skylar, her hands clenched into fists, tried to say something, but Damian’s icy glare silenced her instantly. The car was dead silent, the ride wordless. At home, Damian ignored Skylar, carrying me directly into the bathroom. He meticulously washed every stain from my body himself, with endless patience. It seemed he hadn’t believed Skylar’s words at all. My heart quietly relaxed; I just worried Damian would make a scene and affect my divorce proceedings. After changing, I was about to go find Skylar for my revenge. But Damian gripped my hand tightly again, his voice soft. “Chloe, I have a gift for you. Come with me.” I didn’t think much of it and obediently stepped into the elevator, following him deep underground. Then, we walked into a giant, deep-sea aquarium. But the moment I saw the golden chains, my temples throbbed, and I instinctively wanted to run. However, the heavy door behind us instantly shut, and Damian scooped me up, carrying me to a bed. He started to shackle my leg with the golden chain.

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I walked away from a multi-billion-dollar inheritance, publicly severing ties with the Thorne empire. My ex-girlfriend coughed up blood, my best friend had a meltdown, but I just smiled, moving my ‘home’ under a bridge. All because, in my past life, that ex-girlfriend and ‘best friend’ had colluded, using a ‘Life-Exchange System’ to siphon away my good fortune. The better I lived, the worse my body became. The healthier and longer they lived. I inherited billions. But I contracted an incurable illness, sought doctors everywhere to no avail, and died young at 35. My ex-girlfriend and friend, meanwhile, had it easy, not only securing my inheritance but living to a ripe old age. When I opened my eyes again, I was back – three days before I was set to inherit everything. The crystal ashtray overflowed with cigarette butts. My gaze was locked on the signature line at the end of the will. My pen hovered, and a drop of ink fell, blooming into a menacing, spider-like stain. I snapped my head up, gasping for air. A sharp pain lanced through my temple, and dying memories flashed before my eyes: The acrid smell of disinfectant. I was lying in an ICU bed, tubes snaking into every part of my body. My once muscular frame was now just pale skin stretched over bones. Tiffany leaned in, her freshly manicured acrylic nails tracing the hollow of my cheek. “The doctors say your liver is still good, you know.” Her sweet voice was like a viper’s hiss. “Sterling will put it to good use.” I tried to struggle, but I couldn’t even lift a finger. The heart monitor on the screen flatlined. Sterling stood in the shadows, the cold gleam of a scalpel in his hand. One second I was in that tube-ridden ICU, the next, I was back in the Thorne family study. The ominous flatline of the heart monitor still echoed in my ears. Was this… a do-over? A second chance? “Mr. Thorne?” The lawyer adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. “Mr. Richard Thorne said once you sign, you’ll have access to the trust fund.” The reflection in his lenses hid his quick glance at the surveillance camera. My body tensed. This was… the day I inherited everything, seven years ago? Suddenly, lines of translucent text flickered into existence before my eyes. [DON’T SIGN IT! That’s the contract that killed you last time, Alex!] [The male lead’s girlfriend and friend tied him to a ‘Life-Exchange System.’ The better the protagonist lived, the worse his body became, and the healthier and longer they lived. The more miserable the protagonist was, the better his body became, and the more agonizingly they suffered.] [He’s been reborn, but is the protagonist really going to repeat his mistakes?] I stared, transfixed, at the words, my fingers trembling uncontrollably. In the reflection of my pen’s metal cap, Tiffany was in the hallway, meticulously wrapping a red string, adorned with an old copper coin, around a small wooden doll. The heavy, cloying scent of her expensive perfume wafted faintly toward me. “No rush,” I said, sliding the pen back into the lawyer’s chest pocket. “Don’t I have three days?” The ink cartridge suddenly burst, staining his three-million-dollar custom suit black. In the hallway, Tiffany gasped. The red string snapped, and the copper coin slowly rolled to my feet. I picked it up. The coin felt cold in my palm, etched with a grotesque, gaping maw. I handed the will back to the lawyer. “Let me think about it.” A life exchange, huh? This time, I’ll make sure you exchange more than you bargained for!

Tiffany practically ran to help me to my bedroom, a faint jasmine scent clinging to her. She reached out to touch my forehead, her fingertips chillingly cold, not like a living person’s. “Alex, you look terrible.” Her worried frown was Oscar-worthy. “Do you want me to call Sterling to check on you?” I shook my head weakly, observing her reaction. In my past life, it was this seemingly caring suggestion that led to weekly health check-ups, secretly accelerating the system’s siphoning of my life. “I’ve prepared a potent health tonic for you.” She hurried back with a bone china bowl, expensive slices of wild ginseng floating on the surface. “Drink it while it’s warm, it’s good for you.” [This ‘healing’ brew had a double dose of something extra.] [The harder she tries to ‘care’ for the male lead, the faster he dies.] I pretended to take a sip, letting the liquid dribble down the corner of my mouth. Tiffany quickly wiped it with a handkerchief, a flicker of excitement in her eyes, barely discernible. “Let me feed you.” She scooped a spoonful, blowing on it gently. That gesture, which once charmed me, now only revealed her calculating nature. Every spoonful meant the system would steal more of my vitality and funnel it to them. Suddenly, Tiffany’s hand trembled, and the tonic splashed onto the silk sheets. As she frantically wiped it away, I noticed a tiny cut on her left ring finger. In my last life, her hands had been flawless. “What happened to your hand?” I asked, feigning concern. She quickly hid her hand behind her back. “Just a small cut while preparing the tonic… it’s nothing.” But her voice was noticeably weaker. [The system is starting to backfire!] [Every time the male lead refuses their ‘care,’ they weaken a little.] [Spilling the tonic means a failed feeding!] I coughed violently, this time not faking it. A metallic taste flooded my throat, but the blood on my handkerchief was at least half the amount it had been at this point in my previous life. My strategy was already working. “Sleep, I’ll watch over you.” She tucked me in, her movements impossibly gentle, like someone meticulously preserving a precious artifact about to go up for auction. Once she thought I was asleep, she left the room and immediately called Sterling. “Alex just coughed up blood! Yes, exactly as predicted… Good, I’ll bring him over first thing tomorrow.” In the moonlight, her profile glowed with a sickly flush – health stolen directly from me. The next day. Tiffany insisted on taking me to Sterling’s private clinic for a check-up. “You trust Sterling, don’t you? We’ve been friends since childhood.” Sterling’s private clinic stood in the city’s most exclusive medical district, its glass facade gleaming coldly in the sun. Inside, it was furnished like a high-end club, the air a mix of antiseptic and expensive essential oils. Sterling stood behind a marble reception desk, his white lab coat spotless, but the pen clipped to his pocket was now solid gold. “Alex!” He opened his arms to greet me, and I caught the scent of his freshly applied cologne. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Sterling led me into the consultation room. “How’s your sleep lately?” Sterling’s pen scratched softly on the patient chart. “Always nightmares,” I said, staring at the imitation starry sky lamp on the ceiling. Sterling claimed it helped patients relax. “I dream of lying in an ICU, someone sticking tubes all over me.” Sterling’s pen tip paused, accidentally tearing the paper. But he quickly pasted on a professional smile. “Too much stress. Want to try my newly imported sedative?” [Alex, be careful!]

I coughed violently, looking at the deliberately faked blood streaks on my handkerchief, and hoarsely said, “Tiffany makes me health tonics every day, why is it getting worse?” “She’s just too worried about you, actually…” He suddenly lowered his voice. “Some tonics shouldn’t be mixed, or they can do more harm than good.” “Really?” I feigned surprise. “Let’s get you checked out first.” “We just got a new German-imported full-body scanner.” The exam room was intentionally set to a low temperature. I lay on the cold examination table, my peripheral vision catching Tiffany in the corner, her fingers unconsciously stroking the copper coin bracelet on her wrist. Her complexion was better than yesterday, her skin exuding a healthy glow. “Blood pressure’s a bit high, heart rate’s unstable, quite a few issues,” Sterling said, frowning at the monitor, his voice filled with concern. “You’ll need regular nutrient injections to regulate.” “Alex, as your brother, I have to be honest. Your father is getting old, the corporation needs you, but your current health…” [He’s lying! The data is all fake!] [Alex, find a way to refuse!] “It might hurt a little.” Sterling smiled, holding up the syringe, its needle gleaming coldly. “Wait.” I suddenly clutched my chest, coughing violently. “I… I can’t breathe…” Sterling immediately rushed over, anxiously steadying me. “Alex! What’s wrong?” I seized the opportunity, gripping his wrist and squeezing hard. He winced in pain and let go, the syringe clattering to the floor, the liquid spilling everywhere. “Sorry, I’m just so nervous,” I panted, apologizing, but my eyes were fixed on Sterling’s reaction. His expression twisted for a moment before quickly resuming a facade of concern, but fine beads of sweat had already broken out on his forehead. “It’s okay, we can do it another day,” he forced a smile, but couldn’t help rubbing his own chest, where a sharp pain was flaring. [Hahaha, serves him right!] [Sterling is also suffering system backlash!] [Alex, you rock!] As we left the clinic, Tiffany’s face was noticeably paler. She was clutching the wall, her steps unsteady, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. And I, though still feigning weakness, was breathing much more easily than when we arrived. That evening, I went out alone for a walk to clear my head. My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was a voice message from Tiffany, the faint clinking of glass in the background. “Alex, I’ve brewed some… bird’s nest soup for you… *cough cough*… When are you coming back?” Her coughing was three times more frequent than yesterday. I didn’t reply. Instead, I opened my stock trading app. Thorne Pharmaceuticals’ stock chart today looked like a dying snake, struggling near its rock-bottom limit – exactly what I wanted. In my past life, on this very day, my father announced my entry into the board of directors, and the stock soared 7%. [Tiffany’s tonic is going to get cold.] [Alex is playing a big game.] The cross-river bridge, after a heavy downpour, reeked of damp rust. I loosened my tie, my expensive dress shoes sinking into the muddy riverbank. Underneath the bridge, a hunched figure was rummaging through a dumpster, his movements as practiced as if he were shopping at a supermarket. “Hey, buddy, got a light?” I crouched down, pulling a crumpled pack of imported cigarettes from my suit jacket. The homeless man recoiled abruptly, his eyes, under a tangle of dreadlocks, darting like a startled animal. His left hand clutched a half-eaten piece of moldy bread, his right gripped a rusty umbrella spoke. The cigarette pack arced through the air. He instinctively snatched it. “Premium cigarettes?” His voice rasped like sandpaper on rust. “You rich kids, even your charity has to be fancy.” But his trembling fingers were already tearing open the foil impatiently. I sat directly in the mud, my expensive suit pants instantly soaking up dark stains. “Teach me,” I said, the lit cigarette flickering in the dim light. “How do you live like a human being under a bridge?”

He burst out laughing, revealing a gap where a front tooth should have been. “Mr. Thorne the big shot wants to experience life?” So he recognized me. Of course, every ad screen downtown was constantly playing our family’s pharmaceutical commercials. “I’m on the run,” I whispered, like sharing a dark secret. “Someone wants my liver, my kidneys, and this heart that’s beating too fast.” Maybe it was the cigarette, or maybe I was just too convincing. The homeless man’s eyes changed. He tossed me half a bottle of cheap whiskey he’d found, still bearing a ‘Happy Birthday’ sticker. “I can teach you,” he said, flicking the bottle neck with his grimy fingernail. “Just talk with me, and I’ll tell you.” So I learned how he’d been swindled out of his military pension by unscrupulous partners after leaving the service. How he’d had three ribs broken while trying to collect unpaid wages. And how, outside the courthouse, he’d discovered the opposing lawyer was his own brother. Every wrinkle on his face hid the city’s dirtiest secrets. He blew a smoke ring that dissolved in the river breeze. “Damn!” The homeless man’s cigarette butt fell into a puddle, sizzling. His calloused hand suddenly clapped me on the shoulder. “Kid, you should see my spot. Even debt collectors can’t find that place.” I chuckled. “Mind if I get a roommate?” [Divine teammate online!] [This homeless guy is not simple.] [Male lead found a treasure!] The sight of us, arm in arm, heading deeper into the bridge’s archway, was captured by a jogger on their morning run. In their lens, my expensive dress shoes were gone, replaced by a pair of beat-up canvas sneakers Gus had scrounged up. Their toes curled upward, making them look almost… hopeful. The next morning, the headlines exploded: /SCION OF THORNE EMPIRE SPOTTED UNDER BRIDGE WITH MYSTERY MAN!/ /BILLIONAIRE HEIR’S UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP?/ /SHOCKING DISPLAY OF… HUMANITY?/ When Tiffany called for the twelfth time, I was learning from Gus how to start a fire with old newspapers. As my phone screen lit up, the fire in the bridge arch flickered, dancing in the river breeze. Tiffany’s face on screen was deathly pale, as if all the color had been drained from her. Strands of hair clung to her forehead, and her carefully sculpted eyebrows were twisted into a mask of rage. “Alex Thorne! Have you lost your mind?!” Her voice was sharp, piercing, and in the background, I heard the sound of porcelain shattering. “Why didn’t you sign?! Do you have any idea how furious your father was this morning when he found out you hadn’t signed? He practically demolished his study!” I adjusted the angle, letting the bonfire’s glow illuminate my face. After a night under the bridge, the stubble on my chin and the soot-stained collar of my shirt created a perfect, gritty composition with the crumbling bridge wall behind me. “Tiffany, why do you look so bad?” I leaned closer to the camera, feigning concern. “Didn’t sleep well last night?” She instinctively touched her thinning hairline, then burst into a violent cough, a stark crimson stain appearing on her handkerchief. When she looked up, I saw that the capillaries in her right eye had burst, the whites now a terrifying bloodshot red – the system’s backlash was faster than I’d anticipated.

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I dedicated two years to caring for Julian, who was paralyzed. Everyone believed the first thing he’d do after standing again was marry me. Only I, on the night his surgery succeeded, asked, “Do you still want to marry me?” He hesitated. That simple answer, he never quite said it. I let out a soft laugh. “I get it.” I took off the ring and, that very night, left the place I’d called home for two years without a second thought. **1** “Do you still want to marry me?” Julian froze slightly at my words, staring at his legs for a long moment before speaking. The commotion from outside drifted in through the slightly ajar door. “The doctor said Julian’s surgery was a huge success. He’ll be back to normal in less than half a month.” “I seriously never thought he’d recover. Two years ago, he’d practically given up on himself.” “Thanks to Elara, sticking by him through thick and thin. They’re definitely getting married, right? We should start preparing wedding gifts.” … Julian heard these teasing congratulations, but he still didn’t say anything. An awkward silence hung in the air. Finally, I stood up, kneading his knees and calves like I always did. I gently offered him an out, “Is this pressure okay?” That broke the uncomfortable quiet. His tense body gradually relaxed. I softly asked again, just like I had for two years, “Are you uncomfortable?” He shook his head, then earnestly replied, “No, you’re better than any physical therapist.” I stared at my hands, massaging his legs. Honestly, when I started, I had no idea what I was doing. He couldn’t stand being touched by professional physical therapists. Whenever one arrived, he’d throw a fit and send them away. But massage was crucial for his legs, so I spent three months learning from a local wellness center owner. From experimenting with different lotions and techniques on myself, sometimes to the point of soreness, I finally cautiously began massaging his legs. The first time, I only dared to massage him when he was asleep. But he was a light sleeper, and he still caught me. He erupted, “Get out!” I didn’t leave. I followed the pressure points the wellness center owner had taught me, massaging him again. His legs couldn’t move, so he threw his pillow at my head. I didn’t flinch. He just started throwing anything he could grab within reach. Finally, a photo frame flew towards me. Inside was a picture from his college days: one hand holding a trophy, the other clenched in a fist, full of youthful vigor. When warm blood trickled down my forehead, he stared at me, struggling to get to my side, but his restricted legs made him helpless. Finally, he covered his face and suddenly sobbed. “Go. Just go. Don’t stay with me. “It’s useless. I can’t feel anything. No matter how much you massage, it’s no use.” **2** Back then, he’d completely given up on himself. I’d come over every day, rain or shine, to massage him. Until his mother found him after he’d taken sleeping pills and rushed him to the hospital. His mother was at her wit’s end with him. I knelt in front of him and said, “Look at me.” He quietly looked up. I told him, “Everything’s going to be okay. Trust me.” At that moment, I had no idea where I found that confidence. From that day on, I moved into his house. Mrs. Davies cried, thanking me over and over, saying how lucky they were to have me. She seemed to hesitate, and I knew what she wanted to ask. So I said, “As long as Julian doesn’t tell me to leave, I’ll stay by his side.” But the truth was, even if he *had* told me to leave, I still wouldn’t have gone. Another time, when the massage seemed to have no effect, he exploded. “Get out! All of you, get out!” By then, he was in a wheelchair. His entire bedroom was smashed to pieces. But at least, he finally avoided throwing things at me. After he’d finished venting, I knelt beside him. I said it again, “Julian, trust me.” That simple phrase, I said it for two whole years. Gradually, he began to feel the pressure in his legs, and then slowly, he could do some simple movements. Until yesterday’s surgery, even the doctors were amazed, saying it was a great success. If all went well, he’d be able to stand again. **3** When Mrs. Davies heard the news, she slipped a bank card into my hand. I stared at the card, feeling dazed. These past two years, I wasn’t doing it for a bank card. Julian’s friends all called me ‘sister-in-law,’ but only I knew the truth. I wasn’t a ‘sister-in-law’ at all. We never even talked about being together, let alone made things official. But at least I had Julian’s promise: “Elara, once my legs are better, we’ll get married right away.” That was during his first treatment session. The doctor had regretfully implied a bleak outlook, and I was pushing him home. He completely broke down the moment he entered the house. The golden boy, who once had it all, suddenly found his world shattered. No one could accept that. I hugged him tightly. He bit down on my shoulder. He bit so hard and deep, the marks are still on my shoulder even now. When he saw the blood, he snapped back to reality, panicked, and said, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” After he apologized, I massaged his calves like always, and that’s when he said it. No, he also asked, “Elara, do you have a crush on me?” I didn’t just nod. I looked at him and said, “Yes.” He looked at me for a long time before saying he’d marry me. But everything I did wasn’t for an equal exchange. I just wanted him to feel the same way I did, praying that one day he might love me too. At that moment, I stood up like I always did, poured the massage oil into my palms, warmed it up, and then touched his calves. I knew he was watching me. After a long silence, his voice came from above my head. “Elara, you don’t have to do these things anymore.” My hands paused, but I continued with the massage. I looked up, asking again, still holding onto a sliver of hope, “Julian, do you still want to marry me?” He looked like he wanted to speak, but he kept his mouth shut. I could only laugh at myself for being so foolishly hopeful. But the ring on my ring finger, he had put it there himself. I’d had a crush on him for so many years; how could I not be foolishly hopeful? **4** I stood up and washed the massage oil off my hands. The ring on my ring finger felt like it was digging into my heart. He spoke from outside the door, “Elara, you’re like a sister to me.” Tears splashed into the water, and I quickly wiped them away. Don’t say that. Those words were too cruel to me. When I pushed open the bathroom door and stepped out, the living room was still noisy. I looked down at Julian’s eyes, and with effort, I slipped the ring off. The fit was off, it was a size too small. I didn’t know if he was careless or if it wasn’t meant for me in the first place. But I knew I’d forced it on, even though it pinched my finger. Before, I could still lie to myself that rings were supposed to be like that. When I finally took it off, my finger felt a sense of relief. I almost regretted why I hadn’t taken it off sooner. Julian’s gaze flickered away. I held the ring out to him. “Here, take it back.” The red mark on my finger was still clear. I added, “It was a size too small.” He tried to say something, but I waved him off. Then I pushed his wheelchair towards the door.

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The night my girlfriend became a movie star, she plunged a knife into me seventeen times. I bled out completely. But then, after killing me, she took her own life. In her hand, a voice recorder, engraved with “To Julian.” It was filled with the most intense love and longing. Julian was the idealized crush of her life, the man she’d secretly adored for three years. He’d died in a car crash before she ever got the chance to confess her feelings. On the recording, she sobbed, her voice tearing her heart out, “It’s all because of you that I lost the love of my life!” When I opened my eyes again, I watched her rush towards the surging traffic, and I used every ounce of my strength to save *her* “love.” Seeing her clutch him in her arms, like he was the most precious thing in the world, I let out a bitter laugh. This time, Serena, I set you free. Just don’t you dare regret it. “Liam, thank you for supporting me all these years. I really appreciate you.” The woman before me smiled, a picture of blooming beauty. But my body went weak, and I could only cling to the tablecloth before crashing heavily to the floor. Plates and bowls clattered, shattering around me. My eyes wide with horror, I watched as the beautiful woman slowly drew a sharp knife from her clothes and walked towards me, her face alight with vicious satisfaction. In my stunned gaze, she stabbed down hard. The blade sank deep into my flesh. The pain was so intense, I wanted to scream. I wanted to demand, *Why?* Her heavily made-up face contorted into a grotesque mask. “It’s all because of you that Julian died! Why wasn’t it *you* who died instead?!” “This is what you owe Julian! You deserve to die! Because of you, I never even got the chance to confess to him!” Pain. So much pain. But I couldn’t open my mouth. All I could do was stare helplessly, watching her stab me, one knife after another, again and again. I think, I probably died then. Killed by a woman. Killed by the girlfriend I’d pampered for seven years. How pathetic. After I died, my soul floated in the air, watching Serena madly stab my lifeless body. My body was riddled with holes, blood flowing endlessly, making the scene a horrific, foul-smelling mess. She seemed to finally believe I was dead. With trembling hands, she pulled out an old high school uniform and somehow squeezed herself into it. The clothes didn’t fit her at all, and with her heavy makeup, she looked like a grotesque clown. As I watched in shock, the next second, a sharp blade plunged through her own heart. Serena fell slowly to the ground, a smile on her face, murmuring, “Julian, I’ve finally avenged you. Wait for me down there, I’ll be right there to find you!” I watched her bleed out. I watched her take her last breath. I wondered, *Julian, who is that?* I floated there for two hours, waiting for Mr. Hayes to arrive and call the police, waiting for the fully armed officers to enter the scene. Finally, from the depths of my memory, I dug up some long-forgotten past. Julian was Serena’s first love from high school. He had died seven years ago. And Serena had only agreed to be with me the month after Julian’s death. Back then, I thought she had lost her love and desperately needed a relationship to heal herself. I spent all my energy pleasing her, treating her like a precious porcelain doll, coddling and doting on her. Throughout our relationship, she never had to lift a finger at home. I thought, after all my effort, after seven years by her side, even a block of ice would have melted. But it hadn’t. A woman’s voice suddenly rang out, crying her heart out. I snapped back to reality, seeing a police officer pull a voice recorder from Serena’s embrace, his hand resting on the play button. “Liam Davies, you forced me to stay by your side, making me waste seven whole years of my youth!” “Yes, I killed you. I want you to feel how painful death is, so you understand how much I suffered! “This was all your fault! If it weren’t for you, I would never have lost Julian!” At the end of the recording, she said, “Liam Davies, I hate you! I want you to go to hell and atone to Julian!” That recording, the police and I listened to it together five times in that silent room. The silence in the room was so thick, you could hear a pin drop. I was stunned, suddenly feeling like my death was utterly worthless. What did I ever see in that psycho?

But Serena’s craziness went far beyond that. The day after Serena’s suicide, her Ins account released the audio from the voice recorder. It was a scheduled post. She must have set it up before she died. The recording, coupled with a long, melodramatic caption, was enough to completely ruin my reputation. That day, her fanatical followers flooded my private messages with unreadable, disgusting comments. Even though I was dead, even though I couldn’t reply, couldn’t clarify anything. They still relished in it, negative news covering every platform. Serena truly deserved to be a movie star; she even turned our deaths into a theatrical performance. Her fans didn’t see her as a murderer. Instead, they thought she had endured for love, lurking for years just to make me pay the price I deserved. I, the victim, was portrayed as the ultimate villain who tore apart a perfect couple and caused such a talented actress like Serena to die in the prime of her life. My entire life story was dug up and displayed for the internet to feast upon. My grave became a pilgrimage site for those rabid fans, who took pleasure in defacing it. They even tried to dig up my ashes and scatter them, only stopped by the authorities. Davies Corporation’s stock plummeted. Even worse, core secrets of Davies Corporation mysteriously appeared in the hands of rival companies. In just a few days, my family’s company was on the verge of bankruptcy. My reputation, my career, my life—all of it was completely destroyed by Serena. Even my very existence had ended at her hands. I had never so clearly understood that the woman who had slept by my side for countless days and nights only wanted to destroy me. Then, I finally remembered why Serena hated me. Seven years ago, I had stopped Serena from rushing into traffic. And because of that, Julian was hit and killed by an out-of-control car. It turned out, from that moment on, Serena had held me responsible for everything. She said I made her miss the chance to confess to Julian, the man she’d secretly adored for three years. It made no sense. Even if I hadn’t confessed to her that day, she wouldn’t have confessed to Julian either. I was just unlucky. Unlucky not just to confess to Serena the day Julian died, but to fall in love with that unhinged woman in the first place. I thought, this time, I truly regretted it. The next moment, a sharp scream jolted me back to reality. A figure slammed into me, shoving me aside, and rushed into the surging traffic. “Get lost, Liam! If anything happens to Julian, you’ll pay with your life!” I watched her clutch him tightly in her arms, like he was the most precious thing in the world, and I let out a bitter laugh, tossing the bouquet in my hand into the trash. Pay with my life for him? Julian, was he even worth it? I’d understood it perfectly after I died. There are so many women in the world; why did I have to be obsessed with just one? Especially a toxic poppy that would demand my life as payment. What a waste of time and effort.

And my current situation was perfectly clear. A bouquet, a confession, plus a car accident. Serena’s eyes were filled with disgust when she looked at me; she looked innocent and young. This couldn’t be the Serena I’d spent seven years with, who, after years in the entertainment industry, had long learned how to mask her emotions and wouldn’t be so transparently expressive. That left only one possibility. I had been reborn. And the person in front of me was Serena, seven years ago. I immediately turned around decisively, wanting to be eight hundred miles away from that psycho, but she suddenly called out to stop me. “Liam Davies, what are you doing?! Can’t you see Julian is hurt? Aren’t you going to help?” I glanced over. He was indeed badly injured. Although Julian hadn’t been dragged under the car like in my previous life, he hadn’t completely escaped either. His leg collapsed limply, like two undercooked noodles, blood soaking through his pants. Oh. Looks like he’ll be crippled. I felt a little gleeful. Help, with my own hands? Absolutely not. Out of basic human decency, I dialed 911. “911 is coming right away. Before I leave, there’s something I want to tell you.” The girl looked at me, her expression even more high-and-mighty. She seemed afraid I would come up and pull her away, instinctively clutching the person in her arms even tighter. “If it’s a confession, there’s no need. I…” I smiled, cutting her off. “It’s not a confession. It’s just a blessing.” The siren of the ambulance wailed. I met the girl’s stunned gaze and offered a smile. “Serena, I hope you and Julian find happiness.” Preferably, never separate. Serena’s face darkened. Before Serena could say anything, I turned and walked away. I needed to go home and check what exact point in time I was at now and what I could do. Now, I was sitting in a classroom again. It felt like another lifetime. I listened to the hypnotic drone of the trigonometry lesson. Everyone around me was asleep, but my eyes were wide awake. “Liam Davies, you’re doing great today! So energetic. Everyone should learn from him!” The teacher rarely praised me. But there were no sounds of appreciation from below. I could still hear the deliberately amplified sneers from the two boys next to me. “Learn what? How to be a simp chasing a goddess, or how to stay at the bottom of the class?” “Who doesn’t know what he’s like? Just because he has a few dirty bucks, why’s he acting so arrogant? Maybe when Serena gets back, he’ll be sticking to her like glue again!” I didn’t say anything, just smiled. They weren’t wrong. I did have a few dirty bucks, and I consistently held the last-place spot in class. But those weren’t my weaknesses. The stupidest thing I’d ever done in this class was falling for Serena. Now she was stuck with the hospital drama and couldn’t come back. I looked down at my phone. The media swarmed her like bloodsucking locusts. Logically, she wouldn’t be able to get away anytime soon. I was enjoying my peace. Unfortunately, I soon realized that those good days were coming to an end. While class was in session, someone knocked on the classroom door. I looked up and met the gaze of the person on the podium. Her eyes still held that familiar, high-and-mighty look. Tsk. Serena got free so quickly and came back to class. How annoying. I thought she would at least be a little wary of me. But to my surprise, Serena pointed directly at me from the stage. “I want to sit next to Liam Davies.” My smile froze. I just stared, dumbfounded.

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Six months after my death, Mom’s leukemia relapsed. My brother, Liam, came to my apartment, demanding I donate bone marrow to her. My landlady, Martha, told him, “Chloe’s already dead.” Liam scoffed, a sneer twisting his lips. “Chloe Kingston, always so dramatic! Always pulling stunts for attention. She’s just rotten to the core, nothing like Serena. You tell her to stop playing games and go donate bone marrow to Mom, or I’ll make her regret it!” Martha, her hair a wispy white, flared up in anger. She grabbed a broom and chased Liam out. “I told you, Chloe’s dead! You, her family, killed her! “Chloe’s been gone for six months now! How exactly are you going to ‘make her regret it’? “Chloe truly had the worst luck, cursed with a family like yours!” The realization that I was genuinely dead seemed to hit Liam then. His face turned ashen, and he fled in a panic. I’d been dead for six months, but I hadn’t moved on. My soul clung uncontrollably to the Kingston family. Day after day, I watched the four of them, happy as ever. Serena Davis and Ryan Thompson were getting married. The date and venue were already booked. That’s when they finally remembered me. “Is Chloe still mad? Will she come to my wedding with Ryan?” “If she doesn’t come, I won’t acknowledge her as my daughter anymore.” “See? She wasn’t raised by us; she’ll never truly be family.” “I told you back then, we shouldn’t have brought her back. Just let things be.” My dad, Robert, my mom, Vivian, and my brother, Liam, sat there, talking about my faults. I saw Serena’s eyes well up, but a tiny smirk played on her lips. She’d won. I, the real daughter, had nothing left, not even my life. The family took turns calling my phone, but it just went straight to voicemail. It had been six months; my phone battery had died ages ago. After failing to reach me, they cursed me out collectively, then dismissed me from their thoughts again. Even if they occasionally remembered me, it was only to add another insult. Mom went with Serena to try on wedding dresses. Serena’s eyes landed on a gown displayed in a glass case. “Mom, look! This dress is so beautiful.” I looked at the dress too, and for a moment, I was lost in a daze. Just then, Mom had already called a store assistant over, asking to take the dress out. “I’m so sorry, but this gown is a custom order.” Serena loved the dress and kept asking about the client who’d ordered it. Finally, the assistant checked her records: “It’s Miss Chloe Kingston. She provided the design herself, and our company helped create it.” Serena immediately covered her mouth, choked up. “Sister still can’t let go of Ryan, can she? Maybe I should just give him back to her.” Give him back to me? A bitter laugh escaped my ethereal form. Ryan and I were childhood sweethearts, once the most envied couple. But then I was recognized by the Kingstons, and I met Serena. Everyone loved Serena. My childhood sweetheart loved her too. This wedding dress… yes, I designed it for myself. Once, filled with so much love, I poured my heart into this design. I thought I’d wear it, that I’d marry Ryan. But now, that dress was something I could only ever dream of, forever out of reach.

Serena Davis always got what she wanted. “Mom decided,” Vivian declared. “This dress is yours, a wedding gift from her.” Serena feigned modesty. “Won’t Chloe be upset?” “What’s there for her to be upset about? Matters of the heart can’t be forced. It’s her own fault for being ill-tempered and malicious. Ryan not liking her is her just deserts. What does it have to do with you? She always used to bully you; giving you a wedding dress is the least she could do.” Serena happily slipped into the gown, twirling joyfully in front of the mirror. Mom watched Serena with a look of profound satisfaction. That was a look I could only ever wish for, never attain. For Serena, Mom was always hands-on, meticulous about every detail. She said she wanted her precious daughter’s big day to be perfect in every way. As for me, after being stolen as a baby, I was simply an extra person, a nuisance. I watched Mom, day and night, altering Serena’s wedding dress. Serena was a bit heavier than me, and she refused to pick another dress. Mom, who loved her daughter more than life itself, disregarded her own health, insisting on altering the gown personally. My mom, Vivian, was a highly sought-after fashion designer in the industry. Serena, year-round, pretty much wore only clothes designed by Mom. I never had that privilege. Later, I became a designer myself, designing my own clothes. No one loved me, so I learned to love myself. The night the wedding dress was finished, Mom collapsed. She was rushed to the hospital, and her condition was critical. “The patient’s leukemia has relapsed.”

Dad swayed, nearly losing his balance. “How can this be? Wasn’t she recovering well before?” “Has the patient experienced any unusual symptoms recently?” “Well, our daughter is getting married, so my wife has been busy running around. Maybe she’s just tired. Recently, she even pulled two all-nighters to alter the wedding dress for our daughter.” “Foolish! Is she trying to die? Her body just recovered; how could it withstand such strain?” “Then, Doctor, what do we do now? Please, you have to save my mother.” Serena’s eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at the doctor. The doctor’s expression turned grim. “We need to prepare for a second bone marrow transplant.” “Then quickly call Chloe Kingston to come here!” Immediately, they all remembered me again, frantically calling my phone. “Hello, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable…” Listening to the automated voice on the phone, their faces all darkened. Serena cried, “Sister must still be mad at me. I’ll go beg her. As long as she’s willing to save Mom, I’ll leave Ryan, I’ll leave the Kingston family.” “That b*tch, Chloe Kingston! Mom’s critically ill, and she still won’t answer the phone! She’s truly a malicious b*tch!” I watched Liam. My brother, with whom I shared blood, thought of me as a b*tch. Dad, Robert, sneered. “She thinks she’s got us cornered, waiting for us to beg her.” “I don’t want her bone marrow anymore, that unfilial daughter. Since she doesn’t care if I live or die, I’ll pretend I never had a daughter like her.” Mom, upon waking from her coma, also joined in, expressing her disgust and condemning me. Liam angrily punched the wall. “I’ll go find her.”

I followed Liam to the apartment where I had lived before I died. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Liam pounded on the door, his face etched with disgust and impatience. He hammered on the door for a long time, but no one answered. Just as he was about to leave, Martha, my landlady, came out. The old lady lived right across the hall; she must have heard the commotion. “Where’s Chloe Kingston?” Liam demanded. Martha paused. “Chloe? Such a sweet girl. What a pity she had such bad luck and died so young.” “Died? How could that be! “Old lady, you’re quite a joker.” Liam burst out laughing, completely disbelieving. Yes, in his eyes, I was a menace. And a menace, they say, lives a thousand years. How could I possibly die so easily? But this time, I truly was dead. “Who would joke about something like that?! Chloe really is dead.” Liam continued to scoff. “Chloe Kingston, always so dramatic! Always pulling stunts for attention. I’m her brother; I know exactly what kind of person she is. “She’s just rotten to the core, nothing like Serena. You tell her to stop playing games and go donate bone marrow to Mom, or I’ll make her regret it!” Martha, her hair a wispy white, flared up in anger. She grabbed a broom and chased Liam out. “I told you, Chloe’s dead! You, her family, killed her! “Chloe’s been gone for six months now! How exactly are you going to ‘make her regret it’? “Chloe truly had the worst luck, cursed with a family like yours!” Liam, who had been dodging, froze. “You’re not joking? Chloe Kingston is really dead? How… how can that be?” “Get out! Get out! You heartless monster!” Liam fled in a panic.

I followed Liam into his car. Liam lit a cigarette, and through the swirling smoke, I saw his face was dark with troubled thoughts. Knowing I was dead, did a tiny bit of sadness touch him? In the flickering light of the cigarette, Liam’s phone rang. He glanced down at it. The contact name read: “Serena Darling.” Huh. Serena was “Serena Darling.” And me? Oh, I was the “bane of their existence.” That was the note the entire family had for me in their phones, surprisingly consistent. Liam answered the call. Serena’s voice, slightly choked and hoarse, came through. “Brother, what did Sister say? Is she still angry? Please don’t argue with her. I’ll go apologize to her myself. Sister is stubborn. After donating bone marrow last time, she said she’d never acknowledge us again, that even if she died outside, it would be none of our business. I’m scared Sister might do something foolish.” At her words, Liam’s dark brows instantly smoothed out. “Heh! Chloe Kingston is quite impressive now, even faking her own death!” I froze right there. My brother thought I was faking my death. No investigation, no verification. Yes, they simply didn’t care about me. Always their own subjective assumptions. “Then what do we do? Mom’s body can’t wait.” “I don’t believe it. There has to be another suitable donor besides Chloe Kingston.” Yes, I was always the one who shouldn’t exist.

When Liam returned, he exaggerated my “faking my death” story, adding his own nasty twists. The whole family instantly launched into a tirade against me. “Just as I thought, an ungrateful wretch, only thinking of herself.” “How could I have given birth to such a heartless creature?” “Sister is still angry with me. I’ll go apologize, I’ll make amends.” The tirade reached its peak amidst Serena’s sobbing. They comforted Serena, while using even more vicious words to curse me. Ryan half-embraced Serena, gently patting her back to soothe her. “Serena, it’s not your fault. Kindness isn’t a reason for Chloe Kingston to bully you. A malicious person like her is destined to be disliked by everyone.” Serena quietly sobbed in Ryan’s arms. But then, I remembered some things from the past. Years ago, after Serena’s mother stole me, she dumped me in a trash can. I was picked up by human traffickers, who sold me to a couple who had been childless for years. Less than a year after adopting me, that couple had a set of boy-girl twins. After that, my once ordinary life turned into a living hell. At just three years old, I had to start learning to do chores. I also had to take care of my younger brother and sister. If anything went wrong, my father’s heavy hand was waiting for me. Simple things like eating enough and having warm clothes were luxuries for me. In those bitter days, Ryan was one of the few sources of light in my life. He would secretly slip me a protein bar on the way to school. He would tend to my wounds after my father hit me. We got into college together, and naturally, we became a couple. I dreamed of spending my whole life with him, but then he got together with Serena. “I shouldn’t have pitied her back then; she’s just a heartless, ungrateful monster.” Ryan’s harsh words pulled me back to the present. So, being with me was out of pity? When I used to tutor Ryan, he once praised me: “Chloe, you’re truly the most wonderful girl in the world.” After we both started college, there was an opportunity to study abroad for three months. The school had me in mind for it. But Ryan really wanted to go. He hugged me, begging me to give him the opportunity. When I nodded, he happily spun me around. “Chloe, don’t worry. All this hard work is so I can give you a better life in the future. I want you to walk down the aisle to me in style.” Ryan discarded his promises like trash. Only I clung to them, refusing to let go. Even when what I held in my hand had rotted away, I clutched it like a lifeline. But Ryan had long forgotten.

Dad and Liam pulled every string they had, trying to find another suitable bone marrow donor for Mom. But a suitable donor wasn’t easy to find. In just half a month, the doctor delivered an ultimatum. A suitable donor had to be found as soon as possible. Otherwise, Mom would be in grave danger. So, they started calling me again. Still no answer. They exchanged glances, realizing that besides calling me, they had no other way to reach me. Dad cleared his throat. “Do any of you have any of Chloe Kingston’s friends’ or classmates’ numbers?” All their gazes fell on Ryan. Ryan pulled out his phone and called a few classmates and friends he remembered I was close to. “Chloe Kingston? I haven’t heard from her in almost a year.” Liam’s face darkened. “That Chloe Kingston is such a freak. She doesn’t even have any close friends or classmates. Who knows where she’s hiding, completely inconsiderate. She deserves to be disliked.” A bitter taste filled my mouth. If I could, I wouldn’t want to be here either. I didn’t want to be disliked. I wanted everyone to adore me, just like Serena.

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At the wedding reception, Seraphina, in her wedding gown, walked straight to her ex-boyfriend. “Brad, I can’t marry you.” “You really think Seraphina would marry a cripple like him?” the man beside her sneered. “You’re just the Sterling family’s lapdog.” I didn’t care. I simply shrugged, slipping the ring off my finger and offering it back. Later, Seraphina begged me, claiming she loved me, that she wanted to marry me. But in this new life, the debt I owed was finally paid. I looked at her, my words measured: “Seraphina, I actually never wanted to marry you.” I didn’t use my cane for the wedding ceremony. My leg was definitely getting tired now. But what truly drained me was dealing with the scene playing out. Guests whispered around us, but my fiancée had her arm wrapped around another man. I knew him. She’d dated him for three years, and after he left, she’d cried for him night after night. And now, Brad, right in front of me, was practically shouting: “You actually thought Seraphina would marry a cripple?” “Leo, you’re just the Sterling family’s lapdog. How could Miss Seraphina marry a poor nobody like you?” “Now that I’m back, you can get lost.” I looked at Seraphina, my gaze unwavering. “Seraphina, is this what you want too?” Her eyes welled up with tears, but she looked at me with conviction and said, “Leo, I can’t marry you.” “If you felt bad, you wouldn’t be doing this on our wedding day.” She could’ve called off the engagement weeks ago. But no, she had to satisfy her first love’s pathetic ego, turning me into the biggest joke of the night. “I’m sorry, Leo. You’re really a good person. You’ll find someone who loves you.” “Who’d want him, a cripple? And look at how broke he is.” Brad spoke without filter, as if that would somehow crush me. I slipped the ring off my finger and handed it to her. “You two can keep this. Maybe for your future.” Then I walked away. But what they didn’t know was, I secretly sighed in relief. I owed her a life, and now it was paid. I was finally free.

“Leo, what the hell happened?” My best friend, Mike, was ready to fight for me. “Didn’t Miss Seraphina Sterling practically beg to marry you?” “Is she treating marriage like a game?” “You almost lost your leg for her, and she’s actually dumping you for it!” I’d handled all the wedding arrangements and procedures myself. I hadn’t slept well in days, and all I wanted was to catch up on sleep. “Just let me sleep for a bit longer.” “You’re still sleeping?” Mike ripped the blanket off me. “Your fiancée just ran off with another guy, and you’re still thinking about sleep?” “Didn’t you dislike Seraphina anyway? Shouldn’t you be throwing a party now that she’s gone?” Sleep was clearly out of the question, so I sat up, annoyed. “Well, yeah, that’s true, but didn’t *you* like her?” “Mike, you probably won’t believe me, but I actually never liked her.” One look at his face, and I knew he didn’t believe me. Honestly, if I didn’t know the truth myself, I wouldn’t have either. Because the entire city knew I was madly in love with Seraphina. And my willingness to be her obedient lapdog, all for “love,” had already become the laughingstock of our entire circle. Everyone thought my days as a simp were finally over, but who’d have thought this wedding would brand me as the ultimate laughingstock? Just then, my phone rang. It was Seraphina. I didn’t want to answer, but Mike snatched it. He answered directly, “I want to hear what this heartless woman has to say.” A groggy voice came from the other end. Seraphina sounded half-asleep. “Leo, pick me up at ten. I have a beauty appointment today.” I hadn’t even spoken yet when Mike snapped, “Miss Seraphina, why don’t you have your husband pick you up? What? Did his leg break overnight?” Seraphina seemed to wake up then and quickly mumbled, “I forgot…” I chuckled. “It’s fine, Miss Seraphina. Please don’t contact me again.” “Leo, do you really have to be so formal with me? You can’t even call me by my name anymore?” She sounded so wronged. “I know you’re mad, but I really love him. You always knew that…” “Miss Seraphina, there’s no need to discuss our relationship anymore.” With that, I hung up. And blocked her on every single platform. “Leo, you actually blocked her?” Mike’s surprise made me laugh. “Why wouldn’t I?” “Come on, you always gave in when you two argued. She’s probably waiting for you to apologize. Let’s see how long you can resist contacting her this time.” “Forever.”

“You absolute disgrace!” Mr. Sterling smashed an antique right in front of me. It shattered into pieces. I didn’t even see what it was. “You really are a menace! How could you let her behave like that?” Mr. Sterling was clearly furious, his face red and his neck veins bulging. But more than anything, he was angry that we had embarrassed the family. His words sounded like he was scolding Seraphina, but they were mostly aimed at me. Scolding me for not controlling Seraphina, and for not being able to win her over from another man. “Mr. Sterling, I’m not sure what Mr. and Mrs. Sterling meant.” In other words, Seraphina’s parents were there that day, and no one intervened. They just let me be humiliated. Why was it my fault now? “Get her back here! If she doesn’t come, tell her never to bother coming back!” Mr. Sterling yelled at his son. “This is a huge scandal. If she’s not ashamed, I am.” “That… what’s his name, Brad? Wasn’t he the one who went abroad before?” Mrs. Sterling quickly nodded. “That Brad, I don’t know what kind of spell he cast on our Sera. I’m just about to lose my mind…” She started crying. Mr. Sterling tried to comfort her while speaking to Mr. Sterling senior. “I’ll make sure to discipline her properly later.” Once we left the Sterling family mansion, Mrs. Sterling immediately stopped crying. She turned to me. “You useless thing! I entrusted my precious daughter to you, and you let her run off with another man?” “Mrs. Sterling, Seraphina has always loved Brad.” “That just proves how useless you are! I don’t care what you do, even if you have to grovel, get her to come back!” I shook my head, pulled a card from my wallet, and handed it over. “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, I’m grateful for all these years you’ve taken me in. This is the money you spent on me. I saved it for a long time. Consider it repayment for your kindness.” “Leo, what’s the meaning of this?” Mr. Sterling’s face clouded with displeasure. “Are you trying to cut ties with the Sterling family?” “No, Mr. Sterling, it’s not that. It’s just that Seraphina doesn’t want to marry me, and I don’t want to force her.” With that, I said my goodbyes and left. Cutting ties was definitely necessary, but the Sterling Corporation would still need me. I patted my leg. To save Seraphina back then, my leg was almost crippled. Now, it was almost fully recovered. I never said I’d be a cripple forever, but they seemed to take it as gospel truth. I took off my glasses and tossed them directly into a trash can. Seraphina used to say she liked quiet, bookish guys. So I’d forced myself to wear glasses, to act refined and polite, all because I owed her a life. But now, there was no need to pretend anymore. So that night, when I was drinking at a bar, Seraphina stormed over, clearly furious. “Alright, Leo, aren’t you allergic to alcohol? What on earth are you drinking?” I swirled the glass in my hand, unfazed. “Just a little something. What’s it look like? Booze.” “You took off your glasses… are you not even nearsighted?” “Miss Seraphina, I just don’t want to wear glasses. You also once said you only wanted to marry me. What’s your excuse now?” I stood up. “We’re all con artists here, so let’s not debate who’s better at it, shall we?” I hadn’t expected to see Seraphina here, and more importantly, the young woman she’d brought with her looked familiar. She just seemed completely out of place in this bar. “Leo, I thought we were still friends.” Seraphina suddenly softened her tone. “I know I was impulsive this time. Please don’t talk to me like this. Can you forgive me?” “Miss Seraphina, there’s no need for any of that between us. Let’s just live our own lives from now on.” Just then, Brad appeared. He charged at me, shouting, “What a lowlife you are! Sera doesn’t even like you, yet you’re still clinging to her!” I didn’t utter a single word of persuasion, but I certainly delivered a punch. Brad was all height and no fighting skill. How could he be a match for someone like me, who grew up in an orphanage? I knocked him to the ground, and he was still shouting, “Leo, you’re just a low-class hooligan! I’ll make sure you get kicked out of Sterling Corp!” “Oh yeah? I’m waiting.” I rolled up my sleeves after hitting him. “But Brad, if you pull that stunt again, I’ll beat you every time I see you.” Seraphina looked like she’d never seen me so arrogant before. She was terrified, helping Brad up, unable to speak. “Leo, I’m so disappointed in you! I never thought you’d be like this. You’re from the Sterling family! How can you just resort to violence at the drop of a hat? What kind of behavior is that?” Seraphina clearly still thought I was the old me, the one who’d lower his voice and constantly pamper her. She instinctively spoke from a position of moral high ground, scolding me. “Miss Seraphina, you probably don’t know me very well. This is who I really am.” Besides, there was a lot more she couldn’t accept. For example, I was adopted by the Sterlings. And she, wasn’t even the real heiress.

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On the ninety-ninth day after I died, Chloe brought her new boyfriend to visit my grave. She held a vibrant bouquet of flowers, nestled in his arms, and forced out two measly tears. The sight of it tore my heart to shreds. I immediately cursed the heavens for being so unfair. Even after death, I had to watch my wife flaunt her new love with another man. As my curses grew fouler, a voice suddenly echoed in front of me. **System:** [Ding! Congratulations, Host, for unlocking a stage quest. Complete it on time to earn three days in the mortal realm.] [Quest One: Make the new boyfriend dance wildly at your grave.] I instantly closed my eyes and blurted out: [Just let me stay dead.] **System:** [Rise, my love! Rise!] [Can you please give me some quests that are actually doable for a living person?] I snarled, my brow furrowed, teeth gritted. **System:** [Welcome to the underworld.] Oh right, I almost forgot. I was already dead. Now, I was just a wisp of a soul, drifting around the human world. [But this… this quest? Unless I can knock him out, drag him to the grave, and force him to dance…] **System:** [Where there’s a will, there’s a way.] Fine! Fine! Fine!

This was my ninety-ninth day after death, and my hundredth day since passing was just around the corner. I never imagined Chloe would find a new boyfriend so quickly. They walked hand-in-hand, like a groom and bride, slowly approaching me. For a moment, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I blinked, then blinked again. Nope, no tricks. This new guy was actually quite handsome, but nowhere near a fraction of how good I was. Pretty faces are a dime a dozen, but a truly interesting soul? That’s one in a million. Chloe stood at my grave, her eyes instantly welling up. As she placed the bouquet down, she gracefully knelt. “Liam, I’ve come to see you. Are you doing well over there? I’m doing quite well. You try to take care of yourself too. Remember to eat well, rest well, and don’t overwork yourself…” Chloe’s voice choked. If she hadn’t brought Julian today, if this wasn’t the first time she’d visited me since I died, I almost would’ve believed her. Bad woman! You promised you’d only love me for this lifetime. Look how fast you found someone new. Julian gazed at Chloe’s tearful face, his heart aching. He then pulled her into his embrace, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “This is the last time you cry for him. Don’t let me see it again, okay?” Chloe nestled obediently against him, a little bird seeking shelter, nodding her head. The two of them then walked away from my grave, side by side. A gust of wind swept by, and I shivered instantly. I didn’t know if it was real coldness hitting me or just a wave of disgust washing over my soul.

Julian, I actually knew him. He and Chloe had known each other since childhood, born in the same year, same month, same day. You could say they were childhood sweethearts, the kind that made everyone envious. They say a sudden, fated love can never truly win against a childhood sweetheart. But hey, didn’t I just prove them wrong? Chloe and Julian were as close as could be, thick as thieves, sharing everything. My appearance completely severed their connection, right when their “more than friends, less than lovers” phase was heating up. Chloe fell hard for my slicked-back hair, my skinny ripped jeans, and my designer loafers back then. Her eyes sparkling, she told me, “Liam, I’ll marry no one but you in this life!” And I believed her. After all, for years of marriage, we truly were deeply in love. Passersby would almost gag from how sweet we were. And Julian? I could see the suppressed anguish in his eyes, the resentment of someone whose cherished person was snatched away by me. Isn’t that just how love works? Totally unexpected, yet somehow, exactly what you’d expect. So when Chloe brought a new man, and that new man happened to be Julian… I admit, I totally lost it. Julian was practically cuddling with my wife right over my grave. I seriously wanted to bust out a song right there and then. “I could sing ‘I Will Always Love You’… nah, scratch that. How about ‘Since U Been Gone’? Or ‘Irreplaceable’? ‘Happy breakup, hope you find someone better!’” Clearly, they couldn’t hear me.

I floated out of the grave and followed them all the way back to what used to be our home. In just a short time, the place had undergone a complete transformation. I liked warm colors, but Chloe was the opposite; she loved black, white, and gray. Our tastes truly clashed. When we decorated our marital home, to satisfy both of us, half was my preference, half was hers. Now, the entire house was a dark, gloomy color. The balcony curtains were heavily drawn, letting in not a single ray of light. It looked incredibly depressing. The three wedding photos of us hanging on the wall were gone too. Taking the opportunity, I floated into the bedroom for a look. Ugh, seriously… everything was gone. Every single trace of me had completely vanished. I suddenly felt so helpless as a ghost, forced to witness these infuriating things. Chloe had been curled up on the sofa since they got back, looking sickly and down, her face pale. A few beads of sweat occasionally appeared on her forehead. This familiar sight immediately told me: her period had arrived. She had always been a bit delicate, and when her period came, it always hurt terribly. She’d always complain and lean into my arms, asking me to warm her belly. I instinctively floated over, wanting to warm her belly for her. Julian, I don’t know when, appeared with a warm herbal tea. “Chloe, drink this while it’s hot. You’ll feel better. What would you do without me, huh? You never know how to take care of yourself…” Julian said, his voice full of concern, as he helped her up and personally fed her the tea. I looked at my own translucent, ethereal hand floating in the air, feeling a little dazed. Had I forgotten something again? Julian kept chattering away as he tended to her. I wanted to slap him. Why was this guy so chatty? So fussy… But then I remembered, I used to say even more than him. “Chloe, your time of the month is coming up! Drink fewer cold drinks, eat fewer snacks! Especially ice cream—” I peered over the computer screen to see a petite figure sneaking away from the fridge, a chocolate ice cream in her hand. “Chloe! Put that thing back where it belongs, right now!” I couldn’t help but roar. Chloe immediately stopped, looking all pitiful, eyes glistening with tears. “You don’t love me anymore! You said you’d be good to me forever, and you won’t even let me have ice cream?” Ah, here we go again with that routine. I stared at her, not angry, but smiling instead. “Just one bite, don’t push it. You know how much it hurts you every month. I don’t want to nag, but… I’m just worried you’ll be in pain, okay? When you hurt, you cry, and when you cry, I have to comfort you, and then I worry you’ll cry your eyes out or tire yourself…” I prattled on, my words like a machine gun. See? Not one bit less than Julian.

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A year after my unnatural death, my husband brought his new girlfriend to my grave. My ghostly neighbor, a veteran resident of the cemetery, patted my shoulder, telling me that people needed to look forward. But I was trembling all over, gripped by a sudden, chilling fear. Because his new girlfriend had *my* heart. **1.** I’d been dead for a year, and Liam still made time to visit my grave every week. He brought lavish offerings, even fresh flowers. My ghostly neighbor sighed wistfully, remarking how rare it was to find such a devoted man. A hollow, bitter laugh escaped my lips. Liam’s thumb traced the contours of my photo on the tombstone, his eyes filled with a deep, consuming sorrow and longing. Who would have guessed? This man, who’d once slept clutching my tombstone, had already found a new girlfriend just a week after my death. And their relationship was thriving, intimately close. I’d even met his new girlfriend before. She was his patient, a strikingly pretty young woman. When I was alive, she seemed to visit Liam almost daily. If her heart felt off, she’d see him for a check-up. If it felt fine, she’d still find an excuse for an electrocardiogram. She was clearly smitten with Liam, and even knowing he was a married man, she kept getting closer. Once, I was using Liam’s phone to look something up, and her message popped up. “Dr. Hayes, would you mind having an extra girlfriend?” Liam snatched the phone from my hand, his face blank, and typed a quick reply: “I do.” Liam would never cheat on me. I was confident of that. From childhood, his entire focus had been on medicine. It had taken me immense effort to even get him to go out with me. During that time, I’d never seen him fall for anyone, male or female. Not even me. Liam didn’t love me; I’d always known that. He’d agreed to my proposal simply because he was used to me being by his side. And now, Liam had seamlessly transitioned to a new girlfriend. The girl stepped out of the car. Her fingernails and lips were no longer purple; it seemed her congenital heart condition had been cured. They stood before my tombstone, fingers intertwined. “Avery, I have wonderful news for you. Liam and I are getting married next month.” Serena’s voice was sickeningly sweet. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him for you.” She paused, then added, “And I hope you find happiness and peace wherever you are too.” I sat on my tombstone, my teeth grinding. Liam wasn’t the Liam I knew anymore either. He pulled a wet wipe from his pocket, lifted her hand, and carefully wiped a speck of dust from her index finger. He didn’t want even a single grain of dust from my tombstone to touch her. I pinched my arm, feeling a profound wave of pity for myself. Liam only stayed for ten minutes before they prepared to leave. As they brushed past me, I felt a familiar tremor. It wasn’t coming from *my* body. It was coming from Liam’s new girlfriend. I moved closer to her. And I heard it—that familiar heartbeat. One beat, two beats, three… My ghostly neighbor patted my shoulder, but I stood frozen in place. Because the heart beating in Liam’s new girlfriend’s chest… it was mine. **2.** I didn’t die a natural death, but only I knew that. On my way from the suburbs to the hospital, someone deliberately hit my car. I swerved to avoid the first impact but couldn’t escape the second. My bones and muscles felt like they’d been completely rearranged, and blood was everywhere. My hand trembled as I called Liam. “…Liam, I…” “I have an emergency surgery. We can talk later.” “Gotta go.” I called five or six times, but each time he hung up faster than the last. Finally, he got annoyed and just turned off his phone. I was dying. I wanted to tell him that. But in his heart, I couldn’t compare to an operation, to his passion for medicine. He was a doctor, a lifesaver. He could save everyone, but he couldn’t save me. My body was taken straight to the crematorium by the hit-and-run driver that very day. Two hours later, I was a handful of ashes. The entire process was disturbingly smooth. It was only after I died that I learned his “emergency surgery” that day was a heart transplant. And the patient was that young woman. Which meant that day, in the operating room, the beating heart Liam held in his hands… was mine. I watched his receding back. A sudden, morbid curiosity struck me. If Liam ever found out that he had personally sewn *my* heart into someone else’s chest during that surgery, would he break down? **3.** The girl had a beautiful name, Serena Dubois. She chatted animatedly with Liam, not at all like someone who would say morally outrageous things. “Liam, let me walk the rest of this path with you. Avery would surely agree.” She raised a hand to her chest, smiling triumphantly. “It’s a good thing I got this heart. Look, now I not only have a healthy body and a healthy heart, but I also have you.” Liam looked at her and smiled. I was smiling too, but it was a cold, sneering smile. Because my heart wasn’t healthy at all. I had a family history of heart disease. Only Liam knew about it, and he was the one treating me. Under his care, my heart pain went from once a week to once a year. By my calculations, Serena should be due for an attack any day now. Their car soon pulled up to the apartment complex. They went inside their home. It was a two-hundred-square-meter penthouse apartment, complete with a cat and a dog – practically my ideal, complete family. The moment the door opened, both pets swarmed them. I bit my lip, suddenly feeling incredibly devalued. When we first got married, I also wanted to adopt cats and dogs, but Liam had dismissed the idea. He’d said they were too much work, and I wouldn’t have time to care for them. Later, I found a stray cat, and he still advised against keeping it. He’d claimed the cat had feline distemper and ringworm. Yet now, Liam was staring, lost in thought, at Serena as she laughed and played with the cat and dog. Perhaps my heart sensed my emotions, because Serena suddenly clutched her chest. Her face turned a little pale. “Liam, I think I’m having trouble breathing.” Liam snapped out of his daze. He tilted his head in confusion, offering an explanation. “Could it be the shedding?” He pointed at the Ragdoll cat on the floor. I stared at him in astonishment. Liam, with his advanced degrees, was practically an expert in his field. And he had always known the symptoms of my attacks. How could he say something so unprofessional? Serena got up from the floor, moving away from the cat and taking deep breaths. But it was no use. Chest tightness was followed by a radiating pain from her heart. Serena indeed hunched over, her brow furrowed, afraid to move. She’d never experienced this kind of pain before; tears streamed down her face. She cried out in alarm, “Liam, my whole chest hurts so much right now!” “Is there something wrong with my heart?” Liam walked over unhurriedly. He reached Serena’s side and offered comfort. “It’s nothing. Don’t overthink it.” “You’re probably just having a stitch in your side. It’ll go away on its own in a bit.” I was even more shocked. The pain did disappear after a few minutes, just as Liam said, but without medication, it would return the next day. Liam couldn’t possibly not know that. A few minutes later, Serena’s pain indeed subsided. Liam handed her a small white pill. He wiped the sweat from her brow. “It’s a calming sleeping aid. You only had your heart transplant a year ago; you need more rest.” Serena took the pill and went to bed. I watched Liam stand by the floor-to-ceiling window, toying with a white pill bottle in his hand. I recognized it, even intimately. Because that pill bottle contained the medication I used for my heart condition. Liam himself had given it to me. Had he discovered that the heart beating in Serena’s chest was mine?

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Married for eight years, Julian Hayes had slept with half the entertainment industry – men and women alike. When I was eight months pregnant, his latest trophy girlfriend offended a big shot at a business dinner. To make amends, Julian kicked my swollen belly right in front of all the guests. “What are you standing there for, idiot? Go apologize to Mr. Chen. Drink with him.” I clutched my stomach, my voice trembling, “You forgot, I’m allergic to alcohol…” He sneered, grabbing my hair and forcing my head down to the floor. “A baby? Who’s to say it’s even my kid?” I was forced to my knees on the cold floor, made to drink. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my abdomen, and blood streamed down my legs. The guests around us pointed and whispered. His mistress, Vivian, nestled against him, giggling, “Mr. Hayes, look, she’s bleeding, how disgusting…” That night, I nearly bled out from complications during childbirth, almost dying on the operating table. Meanwhile, videos of him hooking up with young models were trending everywhere. I turned around and packed all my belongings. If that’s how it was, then I would leave.

I lay weakly on the VIP hospital bed. The anesthesia had just worn off, and the incision burned with a fiery pain. A nurse came in, holding the baby. She said softly, “Mrs. Hayes, it’s a boy. Would you like to see him?” I shook my head. It wasn’t that I didn’t care for the baby; I just didn’t have the strength to even look at him. After all, from now on, this child would be my only family. My phone screen lit up. A notification popped up: **[Julian Hayes, CEO of Hayes Corp., spotted entering a hotel late at night with a new companion, rumored to be the popular young star Vivian Thorne.]** In the photo, Julian had his arm around Vivian’s waist, leaning in to talk to her, his gaze so soft it could melt stone. I stared at that photo for a long time, then suddenly laughed. Eight years ago, my father had a sudden brain hemorrhage and collapsed in the company conference room. Back then, Julian held me tight, his eyes bloodshot with tears, his voice hoarse: “Claire, don’t be scared. I’ll take care of you from now on.” Thinking about it now, it felt truly ironic. Just then, the hospital room door pushed open. “Still not discharged, sister?” Vivian Thorne walked in, smiling sweetly. I ignored her. She didn’t care, simply walked over to the bassinet, and reached out to poke the baby’s face. “Julian said this baby looks just like him. That’s nice.” I looked up at her. “What are you doing here?” She smiled, pulled a document from her bag, and tossed it in front of me. “Julian sent me to get the divorce papers. Just sign them, don’t waste each other’s time.” I picked up the agreement, flipping through a couple of pages. The terms were ridiculously harsh. The child would go to him, and I wouldn’t get a single penny. “Why didn’t he come himself?” I asked. Vivian shrugged. “He’s busy. He’s taking me to a brand gala tonight.” As she spoke, she suddenly reached out and pulled open my hospital gown, exposing the still-healing incision. “Tsk, so ugly.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “No wonder Julian doesn’t want to touch you.” I gasped, a sharp pain lancing through me. Before I could react, she suddenly grabbed my hand and slapped herself hard across the face! “Ah!” She shrieked, falling to the floor. Her forehead lightly grazed the corner of the table, breaking the skin a little. Immediately, the hospital room door burst open, and Julian Hayes stormed in. “Vivian!” He scooped her up in his arms, his eyes cold as ice. “Claire Reynolds, are you insane?!” I opened my mouth, wanting to explain, but swallowed the words back. What was the point of explaining? He never believed me anyway. Vivian clung to him, weeping dramatically, “Julian, I just wanted to see the baby, and my sister suddenly attacked me…” Julian looked at me coldly. “Sign the divorce papers. I’ll send my assistant to pick them up tomorrow.” With that, he walked out, holding Vivian. At the door, he paused, and without turning his head, said, “Claire Reynolds, you disgust me.” The door slammed shut with a bang. I sat on the bed, suddenly feeling utterly exhausted. Right, it was time for me to leave.

I held the baby, sitting on the hospital bed, looking down at his sleeping face. A newborn, just three days old, his skin still wrinkled, tiny hands tightly clenched, occasionally twitching unconsciously. The nurse pushed the door open, a thermometer in her hand. “Mrs. Hayes, it’s time to take the baby’s temperature.” I nodded, carefully handing the baby over. Just then, the hospital room door suddenly burst open. Vivian Thorne walked in, high heels clicking, followed by two men in white coats. “What are you doing?” I instinctively clutched the baby tighter. Vivian smirked at me. “Sister, Julian said he wants to do a paternity test on the baby.” I shot up, the incision pain making me gasp. “Is he crazy? The baby’s only three days old!” “Exactly why we need to do it now,” Vivian walked over, reaching out to snatch the baby. “What if he’s not Julian’s?” I held the baby tightly. “Get out!” The two men immediately stepped forward. One held my shoulders, while the other forcibly took the baby from my arms. The baby woke up, wailing. “Give him back!” I struggled to reach for him but was violently shoved back onto the bed. Vivian held the baby, swinging him triumphantly. “Don’t worry, it’ll be quick.” She turned to leave, but I suddenly lunged, grabbing her wrist. “Vivian Thorne! If you dare touch my son, I swear I’ll kill you!” She cried out in pain, shaking me off. Her eyes hardened, and she suddenly raised her hand. “Ah!” She slammed the baby to the floor! Time seemed to stop. His tiny body hit the floor with a dull thud, and his cries abruptly ceased. I scrambled off the bed like a madwoman, scooping up the baby. His little face was already bruised purple, blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, his breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible. “Doctor! Doctor!” My heart seized up. I screamed hysterically, clutching the baby as I rushed out the door. The nurses in the hallway saw what happened and immediately pushed a resuscitation cart over. “Quick! The baby’s suffocating!” I was held back outside the emergency room, trembling, collapsing onto the floor. Vivian strolled over leisurely, looking down at me. “Oops, my hand slipped.” I looked up, glaring at her, wishing I could rip her face off. I screamed, “You did it on purpose!” She shrugged, then suddenly clutched her stomach. “Julian, I hurt so bad…” It was then I noticed Julian Hayes standing at the end of the hallway. He rushed over, pulling Vivian into his arms. “What’s wrong?” “Sister… she pushed me…” Vivian leaned into his embrace, her face pale. “My stomach hurts so much… our baby…” Julian’s face changed instantly. He whipped his head towards me. “Claire Reynolds! Vivian’s pregnant, do you know that?!” I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. My baby was still in the ER, and he was worried about Vivian’s fake stomachache? Just then, the emergency room door opened. The doctor walked out, took off his mask, and shook his head. “I’m sorry, we did our best…” My vision blurred, and I nearly fainted. Julian frowned. “What happened?” The doctor sighed. “The baby had a brain hemorrhage. We couldn’t save him…” Vivian suddenly shrieked, “Impossible! That baby wasn’t Julian’s anyway, serves him right for dying!” Julian’s face darkened as he looked at me. “Claire Reynolds, was that child even mine?” I stared at him, then suddenly smiled. “Does it matter if he was yours? He’s dead anyway.” Julian grabbed my collar. “Say that again?!” I looked at his enraged face and said, word for word: “Julian Hayes, your son is dead, killed by the woman you love most.” Vivian immediately burst into tears. “Julian, she’s slandering me! She clearly just couldn’t hold the baby properly…” Julian released me, turning to embrace Vivian. “Don’t worry, I believe you.” I stood by the emergency room door, watching their embracing backs, and suddenly everything felt utterly ridiculous. My child was dead, and the murderer was cuddling with my husband. The nurse carefully brought out the baby, wrapped in a white cloth. I took the tiny body, and tears finally streamed down my face. “Baby, Mama’s taking you home…” Julian looked at me coldly. “Leave the child. We need an autopsy.” I clutched the baby tighter, stepping back. “No way!” Vivian pulled on his arm. “Julian, let her go. Anyway, that child…” “Shut up!” I snapped my head up, my eyes burning with a desire to tear her apart. Vivian flinched, startled, and hid behind Julian. I clutched the baby close, retreating step by step. “Julian Hayes, from today on, we’re done. We have nothing left between us.” “See you at the courthouse at 2 PM.” With that, I turned and ran towards the elevator. As the elevator doors closed, I couldn’t hold it in anymore, collapsing to my knees. I hugged the baby’s cold body tightly, sobbing uncontrollably. Why… why did my only family leave me today?

I held the baby’s urn, waiting at the courthouse entrance for an hour. Finally, Julian Hayes’ black Maybach pulled up. As he got out, Vivian Thorne followed, intimately linking her arm through his. “Sorry, sister, Julian insisted on having afternoon tea with me, so we got a little delayed.” She smiled sweetly, her hand caressing her flat stomach. I clutched the urn in my arms, saying nothing. Julian frowned, looking at me. “You insist on getting divorced today?” I nodded, almost without hesitation. “Yes.” He sneered, striding into the courthouse. Vivian followed behind him, turning back to give me a triumphant wink. The divorce agreement was simple: I would leave with nothing, not even child support. The clerk, just doing her job, asked, “Have you settled the property division?” “Yes, she wants nothing.” Julian tapped impatiently on the table. The clerk glanced at me in surprise. I nodded. “Yes, all I want is my freedom.” The moment the pen touched the paper, Julian suddenly pressed down on my hand. “Claire Reynolds, are you sure you have no other demands?” I looked up at him. That face, which had once consumed my every thought, now felt utterly alien. “I do,” I said softly, noticing his brief flicker of impatience. “Can I have my son’s ashes?” He paused, a little incredulous. “That’s it?” I nodded. Then I looked at the clerk. “Stamp it.” The sound of the seal was faint, but I heard it clearly. As I walked out of the courthouse, Vivian suddenly shrieked, “Oh, Julian, I forgot to tell you!” She pulled an envelope from her bag. “A few days ago, my friend took some photos of sister at a hotel…” Her hand trembled, and the photos scattered across the ground. I looked down, and my blood ran cold. The photos showed me, heavily pregnant, being intimate with a strange man in a hotel. There were also photos of me getting cozy with several men, from all sorts of angles. “These are fake!” I snapped my head up, trembling with rage. “Julian Hayes, you know me! I would never do something like this!” He didn’t look at me, picking up the photos, his eyes growing colder. “Heh, no wonder you were in such a hurry to divorce. So you’ve found someone else?” “These photos are photoshopped! Vivian Thorne is framing me!” I reached out to grab them. “If you don’t believe me, I can find a professional agency to veri—” Before I could finish, Vivian suddenly lunged and grabbed my hair. “Bitch! Cheating and then accusing me of faking it?” My scalp screamed in pain as I was forced to look up, seeing no reaction from Julian. “Julian, look.” Vivian suddenly ripped open my collar. “She even has bite marks from some wild man on her collarbone!” I froze. Those were bruises from the IV drip when I was hospitalized with a fever last month. “No, that’s not…” I was about to explain, but Vivian violently shoved me. “Wow, sister, you really know how to have a good time, don’t you?” I stumbled backward, and the urn in my arms fell to the ground. *Shatter!* The wind caught the grey-white ashes, blowing them all over my face. Time seemed to stand still. I knelt on the ground blankly, futilely trying to gather the scattered ashes with my hands, large tears splashing onto the ground. “Baby… baby…” I called out, my voice trembling, but I could only watch helplessly as the wind blew away the last bit of ash. Julian Hayes stood motionless. When I looked up at him, I saw him staring intensely at the photos. “Claire Reynolds,” he said coldly. “You’re truly disgusting.” Vivian nestled against him, unable to control the smirk on her lips. I ignored him, kneeling at the courthouse entrance, my hands covered in my son’s ashes. Why… why wasn’t killing my son enough? Why wouldn’t they even leave me his ashes? As I thought this, I suddenly looked up at Julian Hayes.

“How pathetic. He didn’t even get to see the world clearly before dying at the hands of your mistress.” “And now, even his last bit of ash…” Julian’s expression wavered for a moment, but Vivian immediately grabbed his hand. “Julian, ignore her. She just wants sympathy! Those photos…” “Enough.” Julian cut her off, turning to me. “Claire Reynolds, take all your things and get out.” Vivian pouted in dissatisfaction. “Julian, don’t let her off so easy! She should pay for emotional damages!” Julian stroked her head. “Good girl. She doesn’t have any money anyway.” “And I find her money disgusting.” He cast a cold glance at me, then walked away, holding the laughing Vivian Thorne. In the bus station waiting area, I tightly clutched a ticket to a small coastal town down south. My bag contained my child’s death certificate, my divorce papers, and a tiny bit of his ashes. The broadcast announced boarding for my bus. I stood up, then suddenly heard a familiar name on the TV news. “Julian Hayes, CEO of Hayes Corp., publicly announced yesterday that he will invest fifty million dollars in children’s medical charities…” I looked up at the TV screen. Julian stood tall in a suit before the camera, with the elegantly dressed Vivian Thorne by his side. A reporter asked if this was to accumulate good karma for their upcoming child. He smiled and didn’t answer, while Vivian shyly caressed her stomach. My stomach churned, and I rushed into the restroom, dry heaving. The woman in the mirror was gaunt, with heavy dark circles under her eyes. My phone suddenly vibrated. I looked, it was an unknown number. “Hello?” “Ms. Reynolds? This is Nurse Sarah from City Hospital.” The caller lowered her voice. “Do you remember me? The nurse who was on duty that day.” My fingers tightened instantly, a little nervous. “Yes, I remember.” “I have a surveillance video here… from the hallway that day.” Her voice was trembling, but she continued, “I secretly backed it up. Ms. Thorne… she intentionally dropped the baby.” The air conditioning in the waiting area was strong, but I felt a chilling cold to my bones. “Why are you telling me this?” “My conscience couldn’t take it…” Her voice was tearful, stammering, “The baby was so pitiful… I’ve sent the video to your email.” After hanging up, I tremblingly opened my email. The video was short, only about ten seconds. In the footage, Vivian Thorne held my baby, then let go without hesitation! I quickly closed my phone, my chest heaving. Even seeing that footage again, my heart couldn’t take it. The broadcast sounded again. My bus was boarding. As I dragged my suitcase towards the gate, I hesitated for a moment, then forwarded the video to Julian Hayes’ email. No message, just a blank subject line. Let him discover the truth himself. I deleted all records, took out the SIM card, broke it, and threw it in the trash. From now on, Claire Reynolds would completely disappear.

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