Two months pregnant, my husband chose to divorce me and marry his first love to cure her depression. But on the day of our divorce, he got into a car accident and lost his memory. His memories are stuck three years in the past. Three years ago, when he loved me the most. In the hospital room, Lucas Anderson threw the divorce papers on the floor, his eyes red with anger and disbelief. “Olivia, tell me the truth. You want a divorce because you’ve fallen for someone else, haven’t you?” His voice was low and intense as he stared directly into my eyes. I looked at him and let out a cold laugh. “How could I be the one who wants a divorce? For the past two years, you’ve been the one desperately trying to end our marriage. You’re the one who wants to marry Chloe and give her your name. You’re the one who told me to abort our one-month-old baby!” He sat silently on the hospital bed, as if he’d just heard the most ridiculous joke. “Are you lying to me? How could I ever say such things?” I looked at him, my voice devoid of emotion. “Your signature is on the divorce papers. The ring on your finger has Chloe’s name engraved on it.” Lucas frowned, noticing the unfamiliar ring on his finger. He looked closely and saw Chloe’s name engraved inside. His expression changed dramatically. He yanked out his IV, jumped out of bed, and picked up the divorce papers. Sure enough, there was his signature. “How… how is this possible?” Lucas leaned against the wall, looking lost and helpless. “You were in a car accident and lost your memory temporarily. Your memories are stuck three years ago, right after we got married. You’ve forgotten everything you’ve done in these three years.” My tone was cold and detached. He had forgotten the events of the past three years, but I hadn’t. I couldn’t forget how much I had suffered during that time. Three years ago, we fell in love and got married. Our blissful life lasted only two months before Chloe, his ex-girlfriend, returned from abroad. At first, I thought Chloe was part of his past and wouldn’t affect our marriage. That is, until the day Lucas threw divorce papers in front of me. “Olivia, can’t you be more understanding? How can you be so petty towards someone suffering from severe depression?” My husband of two months was now proposing a temporary divorce. He wanted to give Chloe his name to help cure her depression. Tears instantly welled up in my eyes. My whole body shook with anger. I couldn’t believe these words were coming from the husband who had been so devoted to me. “So, you’re abandoning me for her?” I asked, my face full of hurt. “Don’t say it like that. I don’t love her anymore, honestly.” “She’s suffering from depression now. The doctor says she’s at risk of suicide at any moment. She needs me to be with her, to make her happy and feel some warmth.” “We’re just getting divorced temporarily. I’ll marry her first, and once her depression is cured, I’ll marry you again!” “Chloe’s parents are gone. I’m the only family she has left…” “I just found out that when she left me to go abroad, she was already suffering from severe depression. She left without telling me because she didn’t want to be a burden.” “She’s had a terrible time abroad these past three years. She couldn’t afford proper food or housing. Now she weighs less than 100 pounds.” “She’s suffered so much for me. How can you expect me to abandon her? She really can’t take any more hurt.” My heart tightened. So Chloe had left Lucas years ago because of her depression. That’s why Lucas was so concerned about her now, even willing to divorce me for her sake. “So you’re willing to hurt me to protect her feelings?” Tears streamed down my face. What had I done wrong in all of this? “Don’t be unreasonable, okay? I promise, as soon as she gets better, I’ll marry you right away. You’re the one I truly love, no one else.” I looked at his exasperated face, my heart breaking. “If you truly love me, why are you choosing to hurt me?” I sobbed. Perhaps my tears softened his heart. He sighed, and the first attempt at divorce was called off. Two years ago, I finally met Chloe, the woman tormented by depression. She came to our home with a key Lucas had given her. Although Lucas hadn’t married her yet, he was already treating her like the lady of the house. Her eyes were lifeless, her appearance haggard. She walked and talked as if she had no energy left. “I’m sorry… Olivia.” “I’m sick. My life has no meaning. I want to die all the time. I’m in so much pain. I take medication every day.” She showed me the pills in her hand. “I constantly want to stab myself. Living is the most painful thing for me.” “But Lucas is a ray of light in my life. Only when I’m with him do I not feel so terrible. Only then do I feel a tiny bit of motivation to keep living.” “I promise you, after Lucas marries me, as soon as my depression improves, I’ll give him back to you.” “So please… considering how miserable I am… let Lucas be with me for a while.” Tears streamed down Chloe’s face. She knelt on the ground, holding my hands. Her arms were covered in scars, remnants of her past self-harm attempts. It was a shocking sight. But why should her misery be my responsibility to compensate for? What did any of this have to do with me? “Chloe, if you’re sick, you need to see a doctor. A man can’t cure your illness. Only a doctor can treat your condition.” “I am Lucas’s wife. What right do you have to enter my home with a key?” “I won’t give my husband to you. Get that idea out of your head.” I was shaking with anger, disgusted by her act of kneeling and playing the victim. I pushed her away forcefully. She fell to the ground, light as a feather. The colorful pills in her hand scattered across the floor. This scene was witnessed by Lucas, who had just returned from work. “Olivia, have you no humanity? Chloe is already in such a state, and you still bully her? Are you even human?” Lucas ran over and shoved me aside with tremendous force, like being hit by a truck. My leg slammed into the corner of the coffee table, causing me to break out in a cold sweat from the pain. “Chloe, are you okay? Are you alright?” Lucas ignored my disheveled state and bent down to comfort Chloe, then started picking up the scattered pills from the floor. Chloe sobbed pitifully, looking utterly helpless. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m the one causing trouble. Maybe I should just die. I’m already in so much pain, why am I torturing you and Olivia? You two are married, I’m just the third wheel.” Chloe’s tears flowed like a river, seemingly endless. Then, while Lucas wasn’t paying attention, she rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a knife, starting to cut her wrist. Bright red blood gushed out. “Chloe!” Lucas ran over, dodged the knife, and restrained her. “You’re not a burden. You’ve done nothing wrong. It’s others who are wrong. I promise I’ll cure your depression!” Lucas held Chloe tightly and rushed her to the hospital. As he walked out the door, Lucas shot me a look of hatred and said, “Olivia, I never thought you could be such a person! The divorce papers are under the coffee table. I’ve already signed them! And get rid of the baby, having a child now would upset Chloe.” After they left, the place was a mess. At that time, I was already one month pregnant. I sat on the floor, the pain in my leg making me break out in a cold sweat. Back then, I had defied my parents’ objections and even cut ties with them to marry Lucas and move to Chicago. I never imagined this would be the outcome. I laughed bitterly at myself. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed I could never compare to his first love. Tears fell uncontrollably down my face. I walked to the coffee table, saw the divorce papers, and signed them. Little did I know that on the very afternoon I signed those papers, Lucas would get into a car accident, end up in the hospital, and lose his memory in a twist of fate.

Now, in the hospital room, Lucas stared at the divorce papers, his face contorted with pain. “How could this happen? How is this possible? I love you so much, how could I ever divorce you?” Chloe had been by his bedside the whole time, attentively caring for him. Her dedication made even me, his current wife, feel inadequate. “Lucas, you promised to marry me, to help me through this…” Chloe’s voice was soft and pitiful. “Chloe, I’ve always seen you as a good friend. The person I love is my wife, Olivia.” Lucas cut her off before she could finish. Chloe’s eyes welled up with tears. She tried to hold his hand, but he forcefully pushed her away. He frowned and said coldly, “Don’t touch me!” Of course, his memories were stuck three years ago, when he still loved me. How ironic. I stood far from his hospital bed, my face expressionless. “You’ve always been the one asking for a divorce. I’m not lying. After you’re discharged, contact me and we’ll go finalize the paperwork.” He looked up at me, his gaze fixed. He seemed hurt by my cold attitude, his expression revealing rare confusion and bewilderment, with a hint of incomprehension and pleading. In the past, I hated seeing such an expression on my man’s face, but now my heart was as cold as stone. Despite his heartfelt words to me— “Olivia, you promised you’d always be by my side.” “I love you.” “There’s nothing between Chloe and me. There must be some misunderstanding.” “Please don’t divorce me, okay?” I shook my head and quickly walked out of the room, leaving the hospital. The pain was unbearable. Perhaps three years ago, his dream really was to marry me. And I had wholeheartedly wanted to grow old with him. But less than six months after I graduated college and married him, all he could think about was how to divorce me and give Chloe his name. I had long known that Chloe was his girlfriend of eight years. Her sudden departure years ago had left him heartbroken, which led him to fall in love with me. Now that Chloe was back, and in such a sickly state, of course he wanted to give her his name. Unfortunately, he had forgotten all this. But I hadn’t! How could I forget how many times I had cried over these three years? How many times I had called him, begging him to come home, only to be met with a casual “Chloe’s not feeling well, I need to stay with her.”

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On my wedding day, I suddenly discovered I could hear my husband Lucas’s inner thoughts. He put on a poker face and sternly warned me, “Now that you’re marrying into my family, you need to behave yourself, understand?” I stared at him, but heard another voice from deep inside him: ‘Honey, be good, don’t go picking wild flowers!’ 0 On my wedding day, I suddenly discovered I could hear my husband Lucas’s inner thoughts. He put on a poker face and sternly warned me, “Now that you’re marrying into my family, you need to behave yourself, understand?” I stared at him, but heard another voice from deep inside him: ‘Honey, be good, don’t go picking wild flowers!’ I thought I had misheard, so I glanced at Lucas, but his mouth was tightly shut. I asked, “What did you just say? Say it again.” “I never repeat myself!” Lucas’s lips were pressed into a thin line, but I clearly heard another voice: ‘Oh no, I must have said something too harsh and upset my wife. I’m such an idiot!’ I finally confirmed that what I heard was indeed Lucas’s inner thoughts. This discovery shocked me so much that I couldn’t process it even until the end of the wedding. Lucas and I had been engaged since childhood. But twenty years had passed, and now he was the sole heir to the Zhou Corporation, while I was just a B-list actress in the entertainment industry. I had assumed this childhood engagement was long invalidated. However, not long ago, the old Chairman Zhou, Lucas’s grandfather, suddenly fell seriously ill. To bring him good fortune, the Zhou family found me and held today’s wedding. I thought this was just a fake marriage to appease Old Mr. Zhou. I never expected there would be such an unexpected gain! In the evening, after all the guests had left, only Lucas and I remained in the new room. “Since you agreed to this marriage, you should know the price of marrying into the Zhou family. I won’t touch you, but you’re also not allowed to fool around outside.” Lucas’s face was cold, as if even the temperature around him had dropped a few degrees. At the same time, a shadow rose from his body. It was a miniature version of Lucas, pulling his hair with a frustrated look: ‘What nonsense am I saying?! Honey, please pretend you didn’t hear that. Let me say it again. I want to touch you, I really do!’ Wow! So his inner thoughts had materialized? I was a bit surprised and tentatively said, “I didn’t hear what you just said. Can you say it again?” “I said, I never repeat myself!” Lucas slammed the door and angrily left. Little Lucas covered his face, and his sobbing voice came back intermittently: ‘I’m such a useless person. I can’t say anything embarrassing, wah wah wah…’ The room fell silent. I sighed. Men, even when given a chance, you’re still useless! That night, I slept alone in the luxurious bedroom of the 5000-square-foot villa, very sweetly. Early the next morning, I got up early, preparing to visit Old Mr. Zhou with Lucas. As soon as I came downstairs, I saw Lucas sitting alone at the dining table, looking gloomy. Even Little Lucas beside him was lying dejectedly on the table, looking like he hadn’t slept well. “Morning.” I greeted cheerfully. The dejected Little Lucas immediately stood up, took small steps to me, clasped his hands, and greeted me shyly: ‘Morning, honey. I made breakfast for you. Come see if you like it.’ He hadn’t rested well because he was making breakfast for me? I was stunned for a moment, feeling a warm current in my heart. My parents passed away early, and I had lived alone for many years. No one had cared about me for a long time, let alone willingly prepare breakfast for me unconditionally. I quickly walked to the table and sat down, picking up a steamed bun and putting it in my mouth. The juice was deliciously fragrant. “Delicious!” I spoke affirmatively. Lucas’s face remained cold without response, while Little Lucas circling around him spun happily. 0

After breakfast, I went with Lucas to the Zhou family’s old house. Old Chairman Zhou was seriously ill but didn’t like the atmosphere of hospitals, so he had always been recuperating at home. When we arrived, besides the family doctor, there was also a girl. She had appeared at the wedding yesterday. If I remember correctly, she was introduced to me as Chloe, Lucas’s cousin. Seeing Lucas, Chloe immediately stood up and came over: “Cousin Lucas, you’re here!” She was visibly excited, pulling Lucas into the room as if she hadn’t seen me standing beside him. Lucas moved unhurriedly, ignoring Chloe, and instead walked into the room slowly with me. Pulling me to the bedside, Lucas spoke to Old Mr. Zhou on the bed, “Grandpa, we’ve come to see you.” I also greeted him, “Grandpa, are you feeling better?” Old Mr. Zhou seemed to be in good spirits, nodding continuously at me and Lucas, his eyes even becoming moist. “Good, seeing you two married makes me feel better! All my illnesses are gone.” “Lucas, Olivia lost her parents early. You must never bully her, understand!” Lucas nodded without hesitation. Chloe, who hadn’t had a chance to speak, finally found an opportunity to interject: “Grandpa, don’t worry. No one can bully Olivia. She has someone backing her up.” As soon as she spoke, she successfully attracted the attention of everyone in the room. Old Mr. Zhou asked puzzledly, “Chloe, what do you mean?” Chloe rolled her eyes, her mouth pouting high: “Grandpa, you don’t follow the entertainment industry, so you don’t know. Olivia is Director Johnson’s favorite. As long as it’s Director Johnson’s drama, she’s sure to play the second female lead. Everyone says, lead actresses come and go, but Olivia is always there!” “With Director Johnson around, no one dares to bully her.” Chloe’s words were too strong; even with my years of rhinitis, I could smell the strong sourness. Lucas and Old Mr. Zhou both fell silent. After a while, Old Mr. Zhou lifted his eyelids and slowly said, “Chloe, you’ve been busy here all morning too. Go home now.” “Alright.” Chloe nodded happily and excitedly left the room. As she was leaving, her inner voice reached my ears: ‘You little bitch, just wait. How dare you think you’re worthy of marrying my Lucas! Only I am worthy of Lucas.’ … I was no longer surprised at being able to hear others’ inner thoughts, but I couldn’t help glancing at Lucas. Hmm… I wonder if Lucas knows about his cousin’s thoughts? As soon as Chloe left, Old Mr. Zhou spoke to me: “Olivia, is what Chloe just said true?” Faced with Old Mr. Zhou’s concerned face, I didn’t hide anything and nodded directly. I thought he would despise me, but unexpectedly, Old Mr. Zhou’s face was moved: “You’ve suffered so much, only being able to play second female leads all these years. Don’t worry, I’ll tell Lucas to open a media company right away, guaranteeing you’ll be the lead actress!” “???” Ah, this… No! How come Old Mr. Zhou’s focus seems a bit different? Aren’t wealthy families supposed to be most wary of actresses like me who are involved in scandals? I fell silent, not knowing how to respond for a moment. It was Lucas who spoke up, resolving the awkward situation for me: “Grandpa, the Zhou family can afford to support a woman. She doesn’t need to go out and make a spectacle of herself.” “That’s right, that’s right. This old man is confused. Olivia, don’t take what I said seriously. You just need to marry into the family and enjoy life, you don’t need to do anything!” 0

As we left the Zhou family’s old house, I immediately saw Chloe standing by the roadside. Seeing Lucas’s car come out, she quickly walked over, leaned on the car window and said: “Cousin Lucas, can you come with me for a moment? I have something I want to tell you.” “No.” Without any hesitation, Lucas directly refused. The engine roared under his foot, and he left without any delay. Little Lucas clenched his fists, his face angry: ‘Chloe is still too idle. She had to jump out and upset my wife on a good day of visiting. It seems I need to find something for the Lin family to do!’ The little shadow was full of anger, its aura soaring. I was stunned again. I had guessed that Lucas would be angry, but I didn’t expect it would be because of this. I originally wanted to explain about Director Johnson, but Lucas not only didn’t ask, he didn’t even doubt it in his heart. Does he trust me that much? Or does he simply not care? Before I could figure it out, we had already returned to the Zhou house. Lucas dropped me off, said he was going to the company, and drove away directly. I thought for a moment and called Director Johnson directly, asking to meet him sometime. When it was about time, I left the Zhou house. I arrived earlier than the appointed time and was about to order something while waiting for Director Johnson when I suddenly sensed an uncomfortable gaze. At the same time, a familiar shadow popped out from somewhere, circling around me. It was Little Lucas. ‘Honey, please don’t meet with other men. I’m begging you, please leave.’ I looked at Little Lucas spinning like a top, confused. How did Lucas know I was here? Did someone follow me? And report to him? Most likely it was Chloe, wanting to ‘catch me in the act’, so she brought Lucas here. Suddenly, my vision darkened as someone sat down, interrupting my thoughts. “Olivia, why did you suddenly ask to meet? You know I can’t leave the set…” It was Director Johnson who had arrived. Although he complained, his face was all smiles. If you looked closely, you could even see a hint of caution and fawning. I sighed, looking at the angry little version of Lucas beside me. This is bad! In this situation, it’s hard not to misunderstand. Sure enough, the next second Chloe jumped out from the seat behind me. She pulled Lucas, her face showing the joy of successfully catching someone in the act, and pointed at me while shouting: “Olivia, you shameless woman! You just married my cousin and now you’re meeting other men!” I was speechless and rolled my eyes. Director Johnson was startled at first but quickly calmed down. Being in the entertainment industry, he had seen such scenes countless times. He glanced at me, then loudly retorted to Chloe: “Miss, what nonsense are you talking about? Olivia and I have a working relationship. Besides, this isn’t the feudal era. Can’t normal men and women even meet?” “Working relationship? Pah! I think it’s a bedroom relationship!” Chloe sneered, her nose in the air: “Your affair is well-known in the industry. Do you think everyone else is stupid! If there’s nothing between you two, why would you always cast Olivia? She’s the second female lead in all your dramas. Now you’re secretly meeting for tea, if we hadn’t caught you, the next step would be going to a hotel!” Once Chloe started talking, she went on and on without giving others a chance to interject. After finishing in one breath, Chloe stood with her hands on her hips, her face proud and smug. And her inner voice transmitted directly into my ears without any filter: ‘I’ve always said that only I can be with Cousin Lucas. Olivia, you shameless woman, you’re not even worthy of polishing my shoes!’ Chloe turned her head to look at Lucas, waiting gleefully for disgust towards me to appear on his face. But unfortunately, she was going to be disappointed. 0

Lucas’s face was expressionless, as if he hadn’t heard Chloe’s words. His eyes were fixed straight on me, and only on me. He didn’t say a word. Little Lucas, however, was circling around me, pleading pitifully: ‘Honey, say something, make up any excuse, so I can drive Chloe away. She’s so annoying!’ I could barely hold back my laughter, almost bursting out. Holding back my smile, I looked at Lucas, never imagining that the cold and serious-looking man would have such cute thoughts. Our eyes met, and Lucas’s originally burning gaze suddenly shifted, as if he had actively moved away. He turned his head, looking at Chloe with a hint of anger: “Is this the important matter you mentioned?” “Cousin Lucas, she’s fooling around with other men behind your back. Isn’t this…” “Enough!” “I…” Chloe’s face was full of dissatisfaction, still wanting to argue. Lucas shouted: “It’s not your place to meddle in my family affairs. Get lost right now, or don’t blame me for being impolite!” Chloe shrank her neck, not daring to continue arguing after all. But she still glared at me resentfully, her gaze venomous, constantly cursing in her heart: ‘Bitch! Making Cousin Lucas scold me, I won’t let you off easily! Let’s see how you handle this today!’ The atmosphere was tense. Director Johnson looked at me helplessly, and took the initiative to speak to Lucas: “Mr. Zhou, hello. My name is Johnson. Please, have a seat and let’s talk.” Lucas glanced at him and didn’t move. Little Lucas clenched his fists, alternately hammering heavily on Director Johnson’s head, indignantly saying: ‘I won’t sit down. How dare you date my wife? I’ll beat you up!’ ‘No, why shouldn’t I sit? This is my wife. I should not only sit but also hug her while sitting!’ There was a thud beside me as Lucas’s long arm swept out, pulling me entirely into his embrace. A clean, crisp scent enveloped me, and inexplicably, I felt my heart rate accelerate. It was ‘thump, thump’ like a startled deer bouncing around everywhere. “Mr. Zhou, I assure you that Olivia and I have absolutely no relationship other than our work in drama; all my scripts are provided by Olivia. Because Olivia needs to be on set to give instructions at any time, she occasionally guest stars in supporting roles during her free time.” Director Johnson explained. But as soon as he finished speaking, before Lucas could respond, Chloe jumped in: “Stop lying! Don’t think I don’t know, your scripts are all works by the famous screenwriter Arrow Heart, not by Olivia at all. This excuse won’t fool anyone!” Director Johnson was a bit impatient, his voice tinged with anger as he said to Chloe: “Arrow Heart is Olivia’s pen name.” Director Johnson then pulled up his email page and handed his phone to Lucas: “Mr. Zhou, these are the emails between Olivia and me. You can take a look. The attachments are script content, and the text is discussions about the script content.” The emails were one after another, at least a dozen pages. Randomly opening one, it was full of large sections of script content. Lucas flipped through them expressionlessly, but Little Lucas was already overjoyed. ‘I knew it, my wife isn’t what they say at all. My wife is a great screenwriter, so amazing!’ Little Lucas danced and waved his arms, as if he wanted to do a ballet spin and somersault right there. On the other side, Chloe’s face had turned ashen. She refused to believe it, waving her hand to knock the phone out of Lucas’s hand. “This is all fake! Cousin Lucas, don’t be fooled by these two. Anyone can send this kind of email. It doesn’t prove anything. Olivia is just a slut, she doesn’t deserve…” Slap! A clear slap interrupted Chloe’s words. She held her face, looking at me in shock, full of disbelief. “Olivia, how dare you hit me? What right do you have to hit me?”

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I gave birth on the same day as my best friend. She delivered a healthy, chubby baby boy weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces. The Evans Group lavished her with endless wealth and glory as a reward. I, on the other hand, gave birth to a stillborn baby with deformities, causing my husband Lucas, the heir to the Evans Group, to lose his position. On the day of the baby shower, Mia cradled her chubby baby boy in front of me, mocking and cursing me. She called me a barren hen, saying I was born to bring bad luck. I couldn’t stand it and argued with her, but she pushed me onto a fruit knife, causing me to bleed to death. It wasn’t until after my death that I learned the truth – she had switched our babies. Her goal was for her husband to replace us and become the CEO of Evans Group. When I opened my eyes again, I was back before my due date. “Hazel, look, my baby is kicking!” “It must be an active child in the future.” When I opened my eyes, I saw my best friend Mia’s face. She was stroking her belly, looking very happy. I knew I had been reborn. An active stillborn? That’s just self-deception. I didn’t expose her, I just went along with it. “Your child will definitely be healthy, lively and cute like you in the future.” Mia was so flattered that she couldn’t stop smiling, lowering her head to stroke her belly. I took out my phone and took a selfie of us to post on social media. “My best friend and I are about to give birth, wishing us luck~” In my previous life, I had a low-key pregnancy, which gave Mia the opportunity to act. Mia tried to grab my phone to delete it, but I stopped her. “What’s wrong, Mia? I want everyone to witness the most important moment of my life.” I asked her. Mia looked at me nervously, but there was some malice in her eyes. Her expression was so obvious, it was almost written on her face, yet in my previous life I hadn’t noticed at all. Mia and I had been good friends since high school. We even went to the same university and remained inseparable best friends. I met my current husband Lucas and fell in love with him. Mia then pestered me to introduce her to someone from the Evans family, and it just so happened that Lucas had a brother five years younger than him. We got married into the Evans family on the same day, and everyone said it was double happiness. I even thought that Mia and I were sisters as close as blood. We even had the same due date. The thoughtful Mia had already arranged the delivery room, just waiting for the day of delivery. Who would have thought that this was the beginning of my descent into the abyss. After I bled to death, my soul lingered around my biological child, unable to leave. It wasn’t until I heard Mia and her husband’s plot that I understood the truth of the matter. Mia had already found out that her fetus was stillborn during pregnancy, and the doctor had suggested that she terminate the pregnancy. Although her doctor had repeatedly advised her to terminate the pregnancy, she still stubbornly dragged it out for two months. The purpose was to completely switch our children on the day of delivery. The Evans Group had two sons, one was Lucas and the other was Dylan. Lucas had been well-educated since childhood and was particularly adept at finance. Dylan, on the other hand, was an uneducated playboy. Anyone with eyes could see who was smarter, so they had been grooming Lucas as the successor since childhood. Dylan originally understood these arrangements and was aware of his own shortcomings. But Mia had been constantly brainwashing him, causing Dylan to be very dissatisfied and jealous of Lucas. So, she extended her poisonous hand to the children. She knew that old Mr. Evans valued the continuation of the family line the most. Because the hospital and delivery room were all arranged by her, she had arranged her own people around me. It was all for the plan to go smoothly. After the anesthesia took effect on me, she sent someone to take my child away and put her stillborn baby on my bed. If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I wouldn’t have believed that Mia, who was like a sister to me, would do such a vicious thing to me! After the confinement period, she even came to show off in front of me with the baby, looking very smug. Finally, when I was arguing with her, she pushed me onto a fruit knife, causing me to bleed to death. The death of the child and wife caused Lucas to be forced to step down, and he eventually died of depression. The life that should have belonged to us was stolen by Mia and Dylan. Thinking of this, I was furious. This pair of shameless dogs! In this life, I not only want them to pay blood for blood, but I also want them to pay back double! Calculating the time, I would probably give birth in about a week. I quickly sent a message to Lucas, urging him to come home early tonight. It was the same in my previous life, Mia stopped me. She said: “The heir is so busy, let me, your best friend, arrange it for you.” “Men are not as close as best friends.” At that time, I believed her nonsense, so I ended up with a broken family. Now, Mia wanted to grab my phone again. “The heir is so busy…” I made a stop gesture to stop her. “You shouldn’t have such a strong possessiveness over someone else’s husband.” “After all, I’m carrying his child.” These two light sentences choked her red-faced. “Hazel, how can you think of me like this!” She was powerless to argue. I turned and left directly.

After Lucas came home, I told him about the experiences of these two lives. I originally thought he would question me, but he directly hugged me. “You finally came back to me.” After a conversation, I found out that Lucas had also been reborn. Heaven has eyes, giving us a chance to start over. But we knew that we could only outsmart them, not confront them directly. Dylan was born to Lucas’s stepmother, who is now Mrs. Evans. She holds the vast majority of the shares and is the largest shareholder. So we two need to be more cautious in our actions. The next day, I made an appointment with Mia to go for a prenatal check-up together. As soon as I saw her, I affectionately linked arms with her. “Mia, I’m sorry, I was too harsh last time.” She looked surprised on the surface, but revealed pride and disdain. “It’s okay, we’re family, I don’t mind.” Hearing these words, I almost vomited. “Let’s go.” I walked arm in arm with her in one direction. “Where are we going? Aren’t we going for a prenatal check-up? The hospital is that way.” Mia was confused, pointing to the other side. That was her private hospital, where everyone inside and out was her people. I smiled and dispelled her doubts. “We’re going to another one, it’s run by a friend of mine from when I studied abroad.” Mia’s face turned pale, and she stood still. “Let’s go to the original one, I’m not used to new doctors giving me check-ups.” She clung to my arm, begging. I patted her shoulder earnestly and persuaded her kindly: “Mia, I’m doing this for your own good.” Seeing that I had said this much, it would be particularly strange if she kept refusing. She had no choice but to get in the car with me. Her face was getting paler, and even her hands were shaking uncontrollably. So she’s also afraid of being exposed. “Mia, what’s wrong?” I asked her concernedly. “I feel a bit dizzy and nauseous.” After saying this, she actually fainted directly. So I hurriedly sent Mia to the hospital. Half an hour later, all the Evans family members came. It seems that the Evans family still cherishes this daughter-in-law quite a bit. I asked the doctor to conceal the news of the stillbirth and only say that the fetal heartbeat was weak. After all, in this life, I want her to fall the hardest when she’s at her most. After Mia woke up and heard this news, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Only the look in her eyes towards me had a hint of inquiry. I sat at Mia’s bedside, crying and saying: “Mia, I’ve always told you not to work so hard.” “Look at you, what if I wasn’t here today, what would have happened!” Crying and speaking, as if I was really worried about her. Hearing me say this, Mrs. Evans couldn’t help but scold: “Hazel is right, since you’re pregnant, you shouldn’t worry too much, some things should be left to the servants to do.” “Not only will it tire you out, but it will also hurt my little grandson.” The last sentence was inevitably emphasized. Mia’s face didn’t look good, but she could only agree. Great, this way no one can interfere with me. Mia lowered her eyes, but she still secretly glared at me. “Mia, don’t worry, you’re my best sister, I’ll help if I can.” “Just don’t tire yourself out again, I’m afraid next time it won’t be just a weak fetal heartbeat.” I grabbed Mia’s hand and patiently persuaded her. “Weak fetal heartbeat!” Mrs. Evans questioned loudly, then said through gritted teeth: “From now on, you’ll stay at home to nurse your pregnancy, don’t go anywhere!” It was clear that she also cherished this unborn child very much. Then, to maintain the dignity of Mrs. Evans. “Hazel, you shouldn’t tire yourself out either.” “Thank you, Mom, I’ll be careful.” Mia still lowered her head, not daring to speak. When they all dispersed, Mia called out to me. “You deliberately embarrassed me, didn’t you!” She glared at me with a black face and questioned harshly. I quickly put on a concerned face and apologized: “Mia, I’m doing this all for your own good…” Mia spoke in a sharp tone, excitedly: “I’ve been confined, are you satisfied now!” Of course I’m satisfied.

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At Gabriel’s bachelor party, his childhood friend Rose approached him for a kiss. “Gabe, you’re not engaged until tomorrow. Since you’re still single tonight, can I have a little kiss?” He hesitated for a moment, then leaned in and kissed her without hesitation. Their friends froze, all eyes turning to me – his fiancée. Everyone expected me to cause a scene and call off the engagement right then and there. Instead, I walked up to them and cheered them on. “Bravo! I love it! Why stop at a peck? Use some tongue, why don’t you?” 0 Gabriel stiffened when he heard my words and turned to look at me. Rose was still in his arms, breathless. When she saw me, her eyes held a challenging glint. “Oh, Lily! I didn’t see you there. Gabe, I’m so embarrassed!” Gabriel looked confused for a moment when he heard Rose, but quickly regained his composure. He tried to explain, “Lily, it’s not what it looks like. Rose is just like a sister to me…” Everyone here was Gabriel’s friend and supporter. No one dared say a word against him. Someone even tried to cover for him: “Yeah, Lily. Gabe’s just had too much to drink tonight.” I looked at Rose, who was impeccably dressed. Her carefully applied red lipstick was now smudged from the kiss, giving her an even more alluring appearance. Noticing my gaze, she stared right back at me defiantly, as if to say, “No matter how long you look, this man will drop you for me with just a crook of my finger.” “Hah.” Her arrogance made me laugh bitterly. “Oh really? Just like a sister? Well, you’re not actually related, so why don’t you just marry her instead?” Gabriel’s expression darkened at my words. “Lily, I suggest you watch your jokes! I’ve already explained, what more do you want from me? Do you really need to keep harping on this and insulting Rose? Where are your manners? Rose just got back from abroad, I’m just looking out for her a bit more. What’s wrong with that?” His words made everyone’s expressions turn awkward. Just looking out for her a bit more? We’re all adults here. Since when did “looking out” for someone mean practically taking them to bed? Rose smiled sweetly and said in a considerate tone, “Gabe, don’t say that about Lily. She’s always been so kind and understanding. She’ll understand us, right Lily?” But I didn’t react the way they expected. I didn’t even acknowledge Rose. This made everyone watch me with eager anticipation, wondering how I would handle Rose. Anyone could see Gabriel’s clear favoritism towards Rose. They were curious why Gabriel seemed the angriest, even though he was the one who had done wrong. Where did he get the nerve? In Gabriel’s eyes, I saw impatience and a “here we go again” look. As if I was some kind of monster who would fly off the handle at any moment. I suppose that makes sense. In the past, when faced with someone like Rose, I would have been a firecracker ready to explode at the slightest spark. And he would be the silent observer, watching me detonate after he lit the fuse. Until I was hysterical and completely spent. Then he would pick up the pieces, acting as if nothing had happened. He’d offer some empty words or a gift, and I would pathetically make excuses and forget everything. I’ve lost count of how many times this cycle has repeated. The worst time, I steeled my resolve to leave. But just as I was walking out the door, he called. “Lily, I really can’t live without you.” Just like that, with one flimsy sentence, I turned right back around. Every single time, it was the same. Countless nights I broke down, then licked my wounds alone. Then we’d act like nothing happened and get back together. By now, I’m utterly exhausted from this relationship. 0

Someone nudged me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I’m not sure how long I had been standing there lost in thought, but the atmosphere had grown tense. All eyes were on me. “Lily, if you’re going to make a scene, go home. Don’t embarrass me here!” Hearing his harsh rebuke, I suddenly felt it all pointless. I grabbed my purse from the booth and headed for the exit. “I’ll be going then. Have fun, everyone.” I waved behind me as I walked away without looking back. As I was leaving, I heard Rose say to Gabriel in her sickeningly sweet voice: “Gabe, you don’t think Lily’s mad at me again, do you? I really didn’t mean any harm!” Gabriel gently reassured her: “It’s not your fault. Don’t worry about it.” Whatever was happening in that room no longer concerned me. Even if they were rolling around in bed right now, it wouldn’t faze me one bit. After all, to outsiders, they looked more like the intimate couple. I was the one intruding between them. They shamelessly acted intimate under the guise of being “siblings” time and time again, right in front of others. Those suggestive words, those repeated boundary-pushing tests. They played me perfectly, accusing me of being petty the moment I got upset. This time was no different – the same old story, the same accusations. Gabriel took advantage of my feelings for him, acting without a care. I had just gotten in the car when I received a video message from a friend. The video showed Gabriel and Rose dancing closely, then passionately kissing. I couldn’t even finish watching before feeling nauseous, like I had just kissed a toilet seat. My friend also sent a message asking: “Are you really not going to do anything about this?” After the wave of nausea passed, I sat back in my seat, staring blankly at the message. Was there even any point anymore? I couldn’t figure it out after thinking for a while. Annoyed, I turned off my phone screen. With a roar of the engine, I drove out of the parking garage. I rolled down the window, letting the chilly night air clear my muddled mind. Suddenly, I realized – maybe I could stop loving Gabriel. I returned to the home Gabriel and I shared. Everything in this place was decorated to his taste. From the overall style down to each little ornament. Everything except me. After three years of living here with him, I had grown accustomed to it all. I loved everything here as much as I loved Gabriel. But now, it all seemed laughable. I went upstairs to get ready for bed, then fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Around 4 or 5 in the morning, I heard the front door open downstairs. Gabriel was back. I had thought he wouldn’t come home tonight. I didn’t get up to greet him, just rolled over and went back to sleep. Before I could drift off, I heard something shatter downstairs. He probably bumped into something in the dark, not used to the lights being off. In the past, I always left the lights on waiting for him, even if he didn’t come home until morning. This was the first time I hadn’t waited up with the lights on. He pushed open the bedroom door, light from the hallway falling across me. There was no arguing like he expected. 0

It was as if nothing had happened at the party. I wasn’t hysterical, nor did I show any concern. I just lay there, as still as a corpse. He stood silently by the bed for a long time. Seeing I still didn’t react, he eventually stormed out, slamming the door behind him. I knew he was trying to get my attention. He needed me to comfort him, to let him vent his frustrations. But I was tired of it all. I slept soundly that night and woke up in a good mood to make myself breakfast. As I finished cooking, Gabriel emerged from his study, rubbing his temples. A symptom of his hangover. Seeing his familiar figure, I couldn’t help but think of last night. When I returned to the apartment last night, he wasn’t there. But I felt no worry at all. I just went through my usual bedtime routine. The bed felt so much more spacious without him in it. Gabriel hadn’t even sent me a single message after last night, and I felt nothing about it. In the past, I would have been beside myself with worry, ready to mobilize my entire network to find him. Did I still want to marry him? As I pondered this, my phone buzzed with a new picture message. It was a photo of Rose and Gabriel in bed together. Along with an ultrasound report showing 16 weeks pregnant. Oh, so that’s why he didn’t have time to message – he was too busy in bed with his “sister.” Though shocked, I forced myself to accept the reality. There had been signs between them for a long time. I should have seen this coming. After all that flirting under the guise of being “siblings,” it would have been stranger if they hadn’t gone all the way. I texted Rose back: “Congrats! From rolling in the sheets last night to 16 weeks along already? Your kid must be some kind of superhero.” Rose replied quickly: “Lily, what are you talking about? Did you even look at the report date?” “Let me remind you – this was from 5 months ago, the day of your engagement.” I froze in place, Gabriel’s voice cutting through my thoughts. “Lily, don’t make the soup too thick. I don’t like it that way.” “I want some Shanghai-style noodle soup. I don’t have much appetite, something warm would be nice.” I heard him say this as I bustled around the kitchen. How laughable. Did he think I was his maid now? Even maids get days off and a salary. I had nothing. He couldn’t even keep it in his pants outside, let alone provide any emotional value, yet he expected me to do what exactly? I ignored him, tossed my phone aside, and sat down to eat my own breakfast. Gabriel, who had been waiting a while, surprisingly didn’t get angry when he saw I hadn’t made anything for him. Instead, he said: “I drank too much yesterday and got carried away. It was my last night as a bachelor, don’t be mad.” I had just finished eating and was loading the dishes into the dishwasher, not really listening to what he was saying. Seeing I didn’t respond, he repeated himself. I finally looked up at him. “Oh, why would I be mad? Didn’t you say she’s just like a sister to you?” He hadn’t expected me to be so nonchalant. Trying to sound casual, he said: “Right, so don’t overthink it. We’re getting married soon, I promise it won’t happen again.” “Mhm.” I finished tidying up and grabbed my bag, ready to head to my studio. “Lily!” Gabriel called out just as I was about to leave. “Yes?” I turned back, puzzled. He looked at me in disbelief: “You’re just… forgiving me like that?” “What should I do instead?” “Anyway, I’ve got to go or I’ll be late.” Men are such strange creatures. He used to get mad when I adamantly refused to let him interact with other women. Now that I’ve given him the freedom he wanted, he seems upset too. I really don’t understand. When I arrived at the studio, everyone was huddled together whispering instead of working as usual. This unusual behavior piqued my curiosity. As I approached, I caught snippets of their conversation: “Do you think Lily knows about this?” “I bet it was on purpose, to make Lily back down.” … I was about to ask what was going on when I heard crying from outside. I turned to see Gabriel dragging Rose towards me. Their intimate body language drew stares from my coworkers. Before I could say anything, Gabriel glared at me furiously. “Lily, did you do this?!”

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My best friend and I planned a trip together. During the journey, I successfully snagged a handsome boyfriend, which drove her insane with jealousy. She angrily demanded to know: “Didn’t we agree to stay single together? Why did you betray me?!” As soon as we got home, she started spreading vicious rumors about me, saying I was a “budget traveler” who sold myself to fund the trip. She even photoshopped my pictures and posted secretly taken intimate photos of me all over the internet, eventually driving me to depression and death. When I woke up again, I had been reborn. 0 “Mia, let’s go to this event together!” Seeing the smiling, slightly chubby girl in front of me, I realized I had been reborn. Olivia was my best friend. We grew up in the same orphanage. Later, we were adopted by different families, but reunited again in college. She had an ordinary appearance and was a bit chubby, but she had always been outgoing and sunny since childhood. I was the opposite – delicate and pretty, tall and slender, but always quiet and reserved. We were adopted on the same day. Olivia, with her outgoing personality and sweet talk, was taken by a wealthy merchant couple. I was adopted by a professor couple. When we reunited in college, Olivia learned that my adoptive parents never had children of their own. A flash of jealousy crossed her face. Her adoptive parents had a son seven years younger than her after adopting her, but according to her, she was still the favorite at home. I was shy and slow to warm up to people, not good at interacting with strangers. By the end of the first semester of freshman year, I hadn’t made a single friend. The only person I could talk to was still just Olivia. But later, towards the end of the second semester, my reputation started getting worse and worse. Rumors started spreading around campus about me. They said I was always getting into luxury cars off campus, going to certain places with different men. That I bullied classmates behind their backs, insulted teachers, and was close with delinquents off campus. I tried hard to refute the rumors, but to little effect. Later, my private photos – changing in the locker room, using the bathroom, showering in the public bathroom… All those photos were posted online. Nosy netizens dug up my personal information, and even my adoptive parents were affected at the university. It was all Olivia’s doing. She wanted to completely ruin me. Because of this, I developed severe depression. I was afraid to go out, afraid to go online, afraid to see people… But my adoptive parents always believed in me. They reported it to the police, hoping to find the source of the rumors and clear my name. When I got sick and couldn’t attend classes, they put aside their work to accompany me and take care of me until my condition improved. But unexpectedly, when Olivia came to visit me at home and saw how much my adoptive parents cared for me, she was enraged again. She paid some thugs to kidnap me when I went for a follow-up at the hospital. In the struggle and shouting, I was accidentally hit on the head by one of the thugs. Panicking, the two thought I had died on the spot and dumped my body in the river. Before I completely died, I vaguely heard Olivia muttering to herself: “We’re both orphans, why do you get to live such a happy life?” “I have a good personality and many talents, why wasn’t I the one they took back then?” “Why did he choose you, a gloomy block of wood, instead of cheerful me when we traveled together?” “Since he likes your face so much, I’ll just destroy it!” “Mia, I just wanted you to leave them, it’s your fault for not listening, so you brought this on yourself. Don’t blame me.” So it was all because of Olivia’s jealousy. Jealous that I had adoptive parents who wholeheartedly devoted themselves to me, while she wasn’t as happy in the Lu family as she claimed. Jealous that when she brought me along to travel, I ended up dating the guy she had her eye on. Now that heaven has given me a chance to start over, I will definitely make Olivia experience everything she tried to do to me! 0

Seeing that I hadn’t responded for a while, Olivia elbowed me and said coquettishly: “Mia, I’m talking to you, why aren’t you answering! This event will be so fun, let’s go together.” Seeing her round chubby face lean in close, I wanted to slap her. The event she wanted me to attend was a hiking trip organized by the university’s outdoor club. It was a big activity. I remembered that after this trip, my reputation gradually worsened. It was also during this trip that she fell for James at first sight, but James liked me. I was socially anxious and shy. James was assigned to the same group as me and took care of me the whole way. He coldly rejected Olivia’s flirtations and attempts to get close, which caused Olivia’s resentment towards me to fully explode. “Do we really have to go? You know I don’t like these group activities, and it’ll probably cost a lot too, right?” “Come on, come on, it’ll be so fun! And this little bit of money is nothing.” Hearing my refusal, Olivia kept whining in my ear, pestering me to agree to go on the trip with her. She definitely wanted me to go because she wanted to go. Only when I was by her side could she better highlight her good personality, have me pay for her, and ultimately build up her own good reputation. “I…” “Oh come on, my dear Mia, it’s settled then. I’m going to sign you up right now.” With that, Olivia turned and ran out of the dorm room. I curled my lips in a cold smile. She was still as self-centered as before. “Mia, if you really don’t want to go, just cancel the registration early. There’s still time before the departure date, it shouldn’t be a problem,” Emma said after Olivia left. “Forget it, Olivia will keep bugging me to pay. If I don’t go she’ll be really annoying.” I smiled lightly as I explained. I still had to go on this trip. After all, it was a good opportunity to meet James. In my past life, he was very good to me. Even when my reputation was in tatters, he still ran around explaining things for me. Now that I’ve been reborn, I don’t want to lose James. 0

“Why do you suddenly find her annoying?” Sophia poked her head out from the bed and asked. “It’s nothing, I’ve always found her annoying, but she’s an old friend from the same orphanage, so I put up with her.” “But lately she’s really been too much. I’m tired of dealing with her and plan to talk to her clearly during this trip.” My two roommates had a sudden realization. Emma continued: “Oh, you two are from the same orphanage?” “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it, I just, I just… was a bit surprised.” Emma quickly apologized when she realized she had misspoken. “It’s fine, I don’t mind. Besides, my adoptive parents are very good to me, no different from biological parents.” I shrugged indifferently, a faint smile on my face as I mentioned my adoptive parents. Seeing how curious they looked, I went ahead and told them about how we were adopted by different families. “So Olivia is the adopted daughter of that new rich merchant family that just moved to the city? She always said she was the Lu family’s daughter, we all thought she was their biological child. But then I saw her brother come looking for her once, and that attitude, tsk…” Sophia gossiped about what she had seen before. “That attitude was worse than towards an enemy. A teenage boy with such a vicious personality, saying such cruel things. I saw Olivia was about to cry, but after her brother left, the way she glared at his back looked just like a demon from hell.” I understood in my heart. This is why Olivia was jealous that I was taken by my adoptive parents. Although the Lu family was wealthy, once they had their own son, Olivia’s role as an adopted daughter was reduced to just being raised well to be married off for an alliance. “Before she always acted so generous and cheerful in front of you, but behind your back she had such a resentful look.” Emma looked at me to make sure I wasn’t upset before continuing. “She must be jealous of you. After all, you were adopted on the same day but ended up in such different situations. She’s a fake rich daughter who’s lost her freedom, while you have the freedom of an intellectual family.” I smiled. Put that way, I really was lucky. But Olivia enjoyed the luxurious life that the Lu family’s money brought her, so she should bear the corresponding responsibilities. “The Lu couple aren’t unreasonable people, they treat Olivia quite well and haven’t forced her to do anything. It’s just that her brother, probably due to his young age and outside influences, is unwilling to accept this adopted sister.” I continued along with their conversation. “Actually, if Olivia used the right communication methods, her brother wouldn’t be so rejecting of her…”

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1 After my collision with my boss, Liam Beckett, landed me in the hospital, something felt very wrong. Wait, are these my veiny hands? And this perfectly tailored suit and tie? And, oh, this… noticeable bulge? I think I’ve somehow ended up in the body of a CEO. Not completely sure, better check. Seeing no one around, I discreetly reached for my waistband to confirm my suspicions—only to be interrupted by a shout. “Ava Adeline, stop right there!” I turned to see the person in the next bed pulling back the curtain, glaring at me, and flicking my forehead. That was my body! Oh no, I’ve really switched bodies with the CEO! My name is Ava Adeline, but now I’m in the body of my boss, Liam Beckett. And the person in front of me is Liam Beckett, now in the body of Ava Adeline. The situation is awkward, with my hand hovering in that questionable area of the CEO’s body. Liam, trying to keep me in check, placed his hand on his chest. “Go ahead, feel it, there’s nothing much there,” I said, breaking the tension. Liam lowered his hand, “Looks like you’re quite self-aware.” “Thank you, Mr. Beckett,” I replied with a smile, “Although I’m curious if Mr. Beckett has anything noteworthy.” “Ava Adeline!” Liam glared at me. Honestly, seeing my face from this angle, I never realized how attractive I look! “Glaring won’t help, Mr. Beckett,” I chuckled, “We should focus on how to switch back.” Liam sat on the bed’s edge, “We swapped because we bumped our heads and passed out, right?” “Yeah, that’s right.” “Then theoretically, if we bump our heads again, we should switch back.” Liam leaned forward, tapping his head, “Go on, bump it.” I was incredulous, “You want me to hit myself?!” Liam was puzzled, “What else? You want me to hit myself?” “I’m a girl, what if I damage my face?” At that moment, I used Liam’s commanding voice to express the most delicate thoughts. Liam glared, covering my mouth, “Don’t say things like that using my face! We swapped bodies, and your forehead’s fine, which means you’re tough enough, go ahead and bump it!” “You’re the tough one!” “What’s wrong with being tough?” Our argument was endless, so I rubbed my forehead, “Mr. Beckett, how about this, let’s meet halfway, we’ll bump our heads together on the count of three.” “Alright.” Liam slightly bowed his head, and I leaned in, our foreheads touching in what seemed like an intimate gesture, but we were both filled with animosity. “Three, two, one…” Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the hospital room, and the door swung open. “Mr. Beckett, we’re here to see you…” Company colleagues barged in, and we couldn’t stop the momentum we’d built up. Our foreheads collided sharply, and stars danced before my eyes from the pain. I clutched my forehead and fell back, “That hurt!” The stunned colleagues quickly gathered around my bed. “Mr. Beckett, are you alright?” “Mr. Beckett!” “Mr. Beckett!” … Honestly, I lost myself in the chorus of “Mr. Beckett.” Suddenly, it didn’t seem so bad. So, I looked with interest at the real “Mr. Beckett,” who was pushed aside. He looked aggrieved, receiving a heartfelt lecture from the Sales Director. “Ava, I know you often complain about Mr. Beckett, but he’s already in the hospital bed, and you’re still tormenting him, that’s not fair.” “Liam” frowned, “Ava… I complain a lot?” The Director lowered his voice, “Yes, you complain about Mr. Beckett every day in the office, did you bump your head silly?” Why does this Director talk so much! I cleared my throat and assumed Mr. Beckett’s demeanor, “Thank you, everyone.” “No need to thank us, Mr. Beckett!” I deliberately looked in Liam’s direction, trying to stay calm, “Ava, I know I’ve been a bit hard on you, like only wanting five ice cubes in my iced Americano, using single-sided print paper, entering with the right foot in the morning…” Liam raised an eyebrow. “Here, I promise, and ask everyone to witness, I won’t treat Ava like that anymore!” “Great! Mr. Beckett is so considerate!” “Mr. Beckett is awesome!” Company colleagues applauded, while “Liam” glared at me with a dark expression. “Ava, keep up the good work!” I said cheerfully, going in for a high-five with “Liam.” Liam was furious but couldn’t say anything at that moment, so he forced a smile and high-fived me. It was less a high-five and more like a slap on my hand. I gritted my teeth against the pain and cheerfully dismissed the colleagues. As they left, they murmured that Mr. Beckett seemed more approachable. Once it was just Liam and me in the hospital room, Liam finally exploded, “Ava Adeline! Are you tired of living?!” Looking at my face saying such words, I suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia, “Mr. Beckett, honestly, every day working under you, I felt like I didn’t want to live.” Liam paused. “But now that I’m Mr. Beckett, suddenly life seems a bit interesting.” Liam was at a loss for words. “Mr. Beckett, as a temporary measure, let’s keep it this way, is that alright?” Using Liam’s voice and body, I said the most ordinary, humble words of Ava Adeline. Liam suddenly fell silent. After a while, he spoke, “I guess bumping our heads isn’t a solution right now, so let’s stay this way for a while.” Still the ever-proud Liam finding an escape route for himself. “Okay, Mr. Beckett.” “When we leave the hospital, you’ll move to my place, it’ll be more convenient, and we won’t get caught.” “Alright, Mr. Beckett.” “I have no interest in you,” Liam added. “I know that, of course.” “Since you know, then handle the discharge.” Always so proud, always that high-and-mighty attitude. I silently complained, just about to get up when I suddenly felt the urge to go, “Mr. Beckett, I think I need to use the restroom.” Liam’s face turned red with embarrassment, “Go!” Just around the corner from the hospital room was the men’s restroom, I hesitantly went in and came out with confidence. Back in the room, I threw a suggestive look at Liam. Liam’s twisted expression seemed to tell me to shut up. But I wouldn’t. “Mr. Beckett, quite impressive,” I gave a thumbs up. “Get out!” 2 I first took Liam back to my place to pack up. Liam looked at the somewhat shabby apartment, a hint of disdain in his eyes. “Ava Adeline, you live in this dump?” I opened the wardrobe and suitcase, slowly packing my things. “Yeah, just living in this dump.” “No wonder you have so many complaints, it’s because of your poor quality of life.” I rolled my eyes, “My poor quality of life is because someone won’t give me a raise and keeps docking my bonus.” “Docking pay for mistakes is justified.” “Whatever, suit yourself, now I can give myself, oh no, give you, Ava, a raise.” I stood up, proudly using Liam’s height to look down at “Liam.” Haha, I love how Liam can’t stand me but can’t do anything about it. “When we switch back, I’ll dock your pay in a second.” “Well, say that when we switch back.” I shrugged. Liam silently clenched his fists. While packing, he glanced over again, full of disdain, “You usually rotate between these few ragged clothes? Really shabby.” I was about to retort, but Liam spoke, “Take my card and buy a few outfits later.” “Really, Mr. Beckett!” “Deduct from your bonus.” I was deflated. “Look at you, alright, it’s a reward, but only three outfits,” Liam added. Three outfits are fine, better than nothing. I quickly zipped up the suitcase, “Let’s go, Mr. Beckett.” Liam: “…” So I happily pulled the suitcase out, casually walking into a chic women’s clothing store I never dared enter before. And “Liam,” like a fool, followed behind with a resentful face. “Hello sir, are you buying clothes for your wife here?” the sales associate greeted warmly. The “Liam” behind me said coldly, “I’m not his wife.” “Sorry… then, is it… sister?” I jumped in, “Yes, yes, just a sister, I’m here to buy my sister some clothes.” I forcefully put my arm around Liam’s shoulder, and I must say, using a man’s strength feels great. The sales associate smiled, showing me the latest styles of the season, and I was dazzled. “This white set, that blue set, the pink one over there, and another new style I just saw, and…” I looked around, directing like a general. The sales associate took them down one by one, and I turned to Liam, who was already bulging with veins, grinning brightly, “Sister, what do you think?” Liam gritted his teeth, he wasn’t out of money, he just hated my cheeky attitude. Liam gave me a warning look, making a three with his fingers. I immediately got the hint, “My sister says they’re all okay, wrap them up in size S, and charge it to the card.” When I walked out of the store, satisfied with six shopping bags, Liam was fuming beside me. Ah, this feeling of treating myself is just too satisfying! If you can’t have a CEO husband, then make yourself the CEO! Thinking this, my steps became even more cheerful. As Liam and I were about to leave the mall, I heard a sharp female voice calling “Ava Adeline.” Liam Beckett clenched his jaw. It wasn’t about the money; it was my irritating attitude he couldn’t stand. Liam gave me a warning look and held up three fingers. I quickly caught on: “My sister said everything’s fine. Wrap it all in size S, and I’ll pay with my card.” As I left the clothing store, pleased and burdened with six shopping bags, Liam was beside me, fuming and pacing. Ah, the thrill of maxing out a card is just unbeatable! If I can’t marry a CEO, I’ll become my own! With that in mind, I walked with a spring in my step. Just as Liam and I were about to leave the mall, a sharp female voice shouted, “Ava Adeline.” That voice was all too familiar. It was my mom! Without a second thought, I grabbed Liam and sprinted away. We stopped only when we reached the underground parking, both of us out of breath. I looked around to make sure my mom hadn’t followed us and finally felt relieved. “Someone called your name, why did you run…” Liam panted, annoyed after being dragged for what felt like forever. “I owe some money to a loan shark. Be careful when you go out from now on.” I said, trying to sound serious, as I loaded the shopping bags into the trunk of Liam’s Maybach. “With your timid nature, you dared to take out a loan? You’re a riot.” Liam mocked. “Not worth my time.” The next day at work, I arrived at the company entrance with “Liam Beckett,” only to find it swamped with people. I wanted to push through the crowd but remembered I was now Liam. So, I put my hands in my pockets and cleared my throat twice. No one noticed. I cleared my throat again. Still, no response. Liam almost burst out laughing. I had no choice but to speak loudly: “Why aren’t you all working? Gathered here like this, do you want to lose your attendance and year-end bonuses?” Finally, the crowd reacted and parted, murmuring “Mr. Beckett” as they did. Strangely, they were all whispering among themselves. Curious, I went to see what was happening and found a woman hanging a banner at the company entrance, ignoring the security’s attempts to stop her. That woman was my mom! I halted in my tracks. How did she find the company? Linda Nolan, calling her my mom is an exaggeration; she’s more like a debt collector. She’s never fulfilled her motherly duties, only seeing me as a money-making machine. “Ava!” The voice was the same as in the mall yesterday. Liam instantly reacted and asked me what was going on. Before I could answer, Linda Nolan lunged at “Liam Beckett” like a madwoman: “Ava! You’re so hard to find! Living the high life in the city, have you thought about your mom, or your brother?” Linda Nolan sat at “Liam’s” feet, wailing. “Liam” frowned and stepped back in disgust. Linda Nolan cried even louder: “Ungrateful daughter! Now that you’re doing well, you don’t recognize your countryside mom!” Linda Nolan was even scarier than Betty Wilson’s mom, always exploiting me. My mind nearly shut down; I didn’t know how to handle this scene. It was “Liam” who raised his voice: “What is security doing? Don’t you know to take her to the police station for disturbing public order?” Hearing her daughter being so heartless, Linda Nolan cried even more fiercely: “Everyone hear this? Ungrateful daughter! A daughter wants to send her own mother to jail!” She cried and pounded the ground, while many colleagues started recording. I calmed myself, trembling, and spoke as Liam: “Just say it, what do you want by creating such a scene?” Seeing me speak, Linda Nolan rolled and crawled to my feet: “You’re my daughter’s boss, right? Please judge this! Everyone come judge this! My daughter has a brother who’s about to get married.” “Usually, we don’t ask her for money, but now that her brother’s getting married, we thought of borrowing some from her, but this ungrateful girl blocked me! She even said she’s no longer a daughter of the Adeline family!” Hearing this, it felt like something was stuck in my throat. My vision blurred, and the words “ungrateful daughter” seemed to tear my brain apart, making the world spin. “Enough!” I shouted. Linda Nolan was stunned by my shout. Taking a deep breath, I said, “You said you rarely ask Ava for money? But as far as I know, Ava takes six thousand from me monthly, spends two thousand on rent, one thousand on herself, and gives you three thousand! She’s living tight, and now you want more?” Linda Nolan was momentarily speechless. I was about to continue when “Liam” suddenly spoke: “Did you know about these things? I bet you didn’t care to know, right? And about your brother’s wedding, I heard he just got out of the detention center a few months ago, probably back in and needs money to bail out, right?” How did Liam know that? Linda Nolan’s guilty eyes darted around, trying to come up with an excuse, but her tongue twisted, and she could only rush to “Liam’s” feet, pulling her hair and cursing. “You good-for-nothing Ava! I can’t believe I have such a shameless daughter! Accusing your brother and consorting with shady people!” ———-This is the truncation point———- Liam was seized by the hair, grimacing in pain. The tension in the air was palpable as I stepped forward to pull Linda Nolan away. The security guard, who had been merely observing until then, quickly intervened and restrained Linda. Suppressing my anger, I said, “My employees contribute to my success; they aren’t weaklings to be exploited by parasites like you.”

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My best friend came to me, asking for help. She said she was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend and pressured by her parents to marry. She wanted to have a sham marriage with my husband. I was shocked when my husband agreed and even let her move into our house. Hearing the unsettling noises from the living room every night, I felt like I was falling apart… I’ve been married to my husband, Declan, for three years. He is thriving in his career while I am the lovely and charming presence at home. We are in love and harmonious. But something happened three days ago that left me in turmoil. My best friend Keira insisted on giving me $100,000, saying she needed to marry Declan. Her reason was that she was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend and pressured by her parents to marry. She needed a man to protect her temporarily and provide an explanation to her parents. After this period, she promised to return Declan to me. This was outrageous! Even though she is my best friend, I couldn’t agree to it. $100,000 is insignificant to me; I have countless such amounts. But just as I was about to transfer the money back to Keira, my husband Declan came home. He sighed and said, “Honey.” “Why the long face? Was work difficult?” “No.” He opened Instagram, “Honey, look how pitiful Keira is. A girl being harassed every day, it’s awful.” I saw Keira covered in bruises, and my heart ached. It made me start to struggle with whether or not to help her. Every day after that, Keira called and sent voice messages, crying to me about her miserable life. “Please, you are my only good friend, my best friend, help me. My parents say if I don’t get married, they’ll jump off a building.” “After this period, I’ll get a divorce certificate with your husband. He will always be yours.” Against my better judgment, I agreed. When I saw the divorce certificate with Declan and the marriage certificate with Keira, my mind was still buzzing. It all felt like a dream. The day they got the marriage certificate, Declan came home and gave me a bouquet of roses. “My kind and beautiful goddess, you’ve worked hard lately.” Looking at my affectionate and gentle husband, I suddenly felt calm. All the troublesome things seemed to vanish into thin air. Born into a privileged life, I’m actually easy to appease. That night, Declan and I were intimate and close. Midway through, Declan held my wrists and whispered in my ear. “Wife, I heard Keira is still being harassed. Should we let her stay with us?” I frowned slightly. Why was he bringing up Keira at this moment? “Would she want to? It’s just a sham marriage with you. Don’t make it awkward for her.” “Let’s give it a try.” I thought Keira wouldn’t come to my house, so I made a phone call pretending to invite her. “Really?! Thank you, Phoebe, I’m so happy. I’ll come over tomorrow.” Me: “…” I felt uncomfortable. On Keira’s first night at our house, Declan took us out for fondue to celebrate Keira’s visit. I was a bit jealous. Was my husband being too nice to Keira? I tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep. Declan held me and softly said, “Don’t worry, it’s just a sham marriage with her. Didn’t we agree? After some time, she and I will divorce, and I’ll remarry you. It’s fake with her.” I thought I might be overthinking, but my mind wouldn’t cooperate. I soon noticed Keira being particularly diligent around the house. She always liked talking to Declan and treated him warmly, making it seem like she was the lady of the house. Every time Declan came home, Keira would wear some revealing clothes. Once, I couldn’t hold back and told Keira, “Keira, Declan is my husband. Could you dress more appropriately?” Keira looked at me with wide eyes and admitted her mistake, “I know I was wrong. I won’t dress like that anymore.” Seeing her admit her mistake, I didn’t want to ruin our rare friendship. After that, Keira’s dressing was normal, but her behavior wasn’t. For example, when I was intimate with my husband, Keira would knock on the door, interrupting us. I asked her what was wrong. She sobbed and said, “I had a nightmare.”

Then she looked pitifully at Declan, using a sweet tone, “Declan, I’m so scared, can you stay with me?” I was a bit angry, but Declan immediately reassured me, “It’s okay, don’t worry.” His firm gaze calmed my annoyed heart. I reluctantly told him, “Then go accompany her.” So Declan took Keira to our guest room. Then I heard some strange noises coming from the guest room. I vaguely heard Keira say, “I’m so scared, Declan.” Declan said, “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. In my house, I can protect you.” I immediately pulled the blanket over my head, afraid I would overthink if I listened more, but I trusted Declan’s character. The next day, I thought it over and handed $100,000 to Keira. “Please leave my house, Keira. Leave my husband, and divorce him, okay?” Keira’s tears rolled out in three seconds. She clung to my arm like a kitten, pushing softly, “Phoebe, I swore before that after this period, once I explain to my parents about the marriage, I’ll immediately divorce. You may not believe me, but don’t you believe Declan? If you insist on this, won’t he feel like you don’t trust him?” I felt stifled. I only believed in Declan. But believing in someone doesn’t mean you won’t overthink. I was still anxious. But then Keira told me she wanted to take Declan back to her hometown. After explaining to her parents, she said they could immediately get a divorce certificate. I was thrilled. As long as they got a divorce certificate, that was fine. While adjusting Declan’s tie, I reminded, “Just act natural in front of Keira’s parents, okay?” “Don’t worry, my dear wife.” “Slick talker,” I laughed. I dressed Declan elegantly and personally sent them off to board their flight. After Declan left, I really missed him, so I kept sending him messages. He always replied with a flower and a smiley face, then photos. But a few times, I noticed something odd. He posted many photos of Keira on his feed. Some netizens teased, asking if he had found a girlfriend… Soon, they returned. After they got back, I asked Keira, “Can you get divorced now?” Keira suddenly covered her face, crying and sniffling, “No, Phoebe, I can’t yet.” I got angry in a second, “Why not?” “Because I’m pregnant.” “What?” Did I hear that right? Declan came over and put his arm around my shoulder, “The baby in her belly is her ex-boyfriend’s. Now she’s a pregnant woman, she can’t divorce me.” I couldn’t describe my feelings. I was relieved the baby wasn’t my husband’s. I was disgusted she wanted to keep clinging to my husband, yet my husband didn’t object. Because of this, in the following days, I was distant with Keira, feeling her presence in my house gave me a headache. Once, Keira held my hand and said, “Phoebe, I know you’re upset, but I swear once my baby is born, I’ll definitely divorce Declan. I have no choice, I need a man to give me courage. Declan has always liked you, he treats me like a friend.”

Whenever she spoke to me, she was sweet and cute, making me look like the villain. Seeing her tears, I couldn’t bear to drive her away, so I made peace with her. I even personally made broth for her and ensured she had a nutritious diet. During this time, she indeed kept a respectful distance from Declan, which made me more comfortable serving her. Keira had a healthy pregnancy with my care, turning plump and healthy. Ten months later, Keira went into labor. That day, Declan suddenly took leave and went with me to the hospital. “Didn’t you say there’s a multi-million project? Why come to the hospital?” I didn’t understand Declan’s actions. Declan didn’t look at me but anxiously watched the maternity ward door, brushing me off, “It’s okay, it won’t affect it.” For a moment, Declan felt so unfamiliar to me. While I was full of doubts, Keira’s eight-pound son was born healthy. When the doctor opened the maternity ward and asked who Keira’s husband was, Declan rushed in like a rocket, “It’s me, it’s me, I’m her husband.” “Congratulations, this is your son.” The doctor placed the baby in Declan’s arms for him to hold first. Me: “…” What was I feeling? Like eating something vile. Soon after, Keira was wheeled out by the nurses. Although she had just given birth, because she was young, she recovered well. Keira was soon settled in a private hospital room. Looking at the delicate newborn, I sincerely said to Keira, “Congratulations, this baby looks so much like you.” Keira gazed at the baby with gentle eyes, her tone filled with maternal love, “He not only looks like me, but he looks more like his father.” Then she side-eyed Declan. Did she mean the baby looked like Declan? Yet Declan didn’t deny it and seemed more excited about the baby than Keira. I was very upset. I felt suffocated in this environment, so I went out for some air. Just as I stepped out, I realized I hadn’t taken my bag. When I turned back to get it, I overheard Declan and Keira’s conversation. “Darling, this is our son. Your wife can’t give you a baby, but I can. Are you happy?” I noticed her give Declan a sidelong glance. Was she implying that the child resembled Declan? Surprisingly, Declan didn’t refute it. He seemed even more thrilled about the child than Keira did. A surge of anger rose within me. Feeling suffocated by the situation, I stepped outside to catch my breath. Just as I left, I realized I’d forgotten my bag. When I turned back to retrieve it, I overheard Declan and Keira’s conversation through the door. “Darling, this is our son. Your wife can’t give you a child, but I can. Are you happy?” “Keira, you did such a great job. The boy is absolutely adorable.” “Yes, what a cute child. We have a son now.” Their conversation felt like a knife cutting through me. One was my best friend, the other my husband. I recalled how my best friend had given me ten thousand to “borrow” my husband, and I had actually agreed. Now, the ridiculousness of it all hit me like a slap in the face. I wanted to burst in, scream, and tear them apart. But I restrained myself, taking a deep breath to calm down. I should have known there couldn’t be an appropriate relationship between them, but I trusted Declan’s integrity. Reality, however, proved me wrong. Declan had betrayed me, and Keira was a traitor. I composed myself, pretending nothing had happened, grabbed my bag, and left. That night, I went out to drown my sorrows, drinking until I was a wreck. I drank, vomited, then drank and vomited again. No one knew the depths of my pain, feeling as if I were being torn apart and ground to pieces. Declan, the man I loved most, had always assured me of his character. Yet, he had fathered a child. His integrity was worthless, absolute garbage. That night, I betrayed Declan and ended up in bed with a younger guy. Then I acted as if nothing was amiss, waiting for Keira and their little family of three to return. I watched as Declan personally prepared postpartum meals for Keira. “Keira, the child is born. Can you divorce my husband now?” Hearing my words, Keira held her son, looking pitiful and aggrieved. “But the child is still young. He can’t be without a father…” “Declan isn’t your child’s father. You had a sham marriage.” I pretended to know nothing. Keira cried, holding her child, appearing weak and helpless. Hearing the commotion, Declan rushed in angrily and said to me, “Phoebe, what are you trying to say? Keira is still in her postpartum period; can she afford to cry now? What about the risk of postpartum complications?”

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After being away for five years, I returned home to find numerous children’s clothes and toys scattered around. My wife explained these were for our future children. But on the day of our postponed wedding, her childhood friend crashed the ceremony with two kids in tow. It turned out that the wife, who claimed to be faithful, had already married her childhood friend and had three children with him. When I confronted her, she showed no guilt. “I may have had three kids with him, but my heart has always belonged to you.” Five years ago, just after obtaining our marriage certificate, I received a notice from the company to work overseas, delaying our wedding. I never imagined that today’s wedding would bring such a shocking revelation. I immediately stepped off the stage, removed my suit, and handed it to her childhood friend, sarcastically wishing them well. “We didn’t register, and you already have children. May you all live happily as a family of five.” As I turned to leave, Nora grabbed my wrist. Her eyes were red-rimmed. “Jude, is this really necessary?” “You’ve been away at sea for so many years. If Ezra hadn’t been there for me, I wouldn’t have survived.” I gave her a dismissive look as she wiped her tears and continued. “He’s been alone these years, taking care of me. Having his kids was just to ensure he’d have company in the future, nothing more.” She looked at me with hopeful eyes, but I felt nothing but disgust. “If you pity him so much, why not just be with him? Why come here to make me sick?” I tried to shake her hand off, but Ezra suddenly knelt before me with the three kids. “Jude, don’t misunderstand! I didn’t come to ruin your wedding. I’m just afraid that once Nora marries you, she’ll abandon the kids.” The three children knelt obediently, their eyes red-rimmed. “I just feel sorry for them, losing their mom at such a young age…” He sobbed softly, looking at Nora with pleading eyes. Seeing this, Nora rushed over without hesitation, “Don’t worry, Mommy won’t leave you!” She looked up at me, “Jude, these are my kids, and you also…” “Ah! Ezra!” Before I could react, Ezra was already lying unconscious on the ground. With a life at stake, I immediately called off the wedding and drove him to the hospital. Watching Nora take care of Ezra so attentively by his hospital bed, I couldn’t take it anymore. I asked my secretary to prepare the divorce papers right away. “Jude, what did I do wrong? Why do you insist on divorcing me?” The moment she received the papers, her eyes turned red. “How can you ask what you did wrong when you’re showing such care for another man right in front of me?” “Just because of this? Have you forgotten the promise you made when I saved you?” Oh, I remember, all right. Five years ago, after a late-night business dinner, I had a severe allergic reaction from accidentally eating peanuts. I ran under a tree, vomiting uncontrollably, and soon lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital, with Nora sitting beside me, peeling an apple. Her long hair glistened in the warm sunlight. At that time, I was struggling in my career, desperately longing for love. So, after that, I pursued her passionately. On the day we registered, I promised to take care of her for life and give her the best life possible. Unfortunately, the day before the wedding, I received news about an overseas company project. It offered six million in compensation, and my boss chose me out of thousands. I wanted to refuse, but she insisted I accept it. Before leaving, I spent all my savings to buy her a villa in downtown and hired the best housekeeper to serve her. To maintain our relationship, I sent her countless luxury gifts over the past five years and often video-called her. But in the end, she still cheated on me.

“Jude.” Seeing I didn’t respond, she called to me. “Ezra’s condition is really bad. I can’t just leave him… Trust me, I have no feelings for him.” “I only had three kids with him, but my heart has always been with you.” I was dazed and only realized she was already leaning on me. “I know you can’t accept it right away, but it’s okay. We can take our time until you can accept me.” Seeing her silently crying with red-rimmed eyes, my hands involuntarily embraced her. I admit, I softened. Maybe I should give her another chance. After a few busy days at the company, I returned home. As I entered, I found the living room in disarray, with kitchen spices mixed with water all over the floor. I felt uneasy and rushed to the study, only to find my laptop shattered on the floor. The USB drive with important data was also crushed. “Who let you in here!” I yelled at the kids outside the living room, but it was Ezra who appeared instead. He was in pajamas, looking sleepy. “Jude, why are you here?” “This is my house. I should be the one asking that! How dare you come in?” I pushed past him, trying to enter the bedroom, but he blocked my way. “Jude, I don’t have much time left. Can you not push so hard?” I looked at him in disbelief. “How am I pushing you?” As soon as I said it, he kneeled on the ground. “Jude, I’m begging you, please let me go!” I was startled and reached out to help him, but he suddenly collapsed. “What are you doing, Jude!” Nora pushed me away abruptly, helping Ezra up with concern. Just as she was about to speak, the three kids knelt and cried. “Mommy, this bad uncle… he bullied Daddy, boo hoo hoo…” I was furious. “You’re the ones who broke into my study and destroyed my laptop and USB drive!” “Enough, Jude, stop pretending!” Nora interrupted anxiously. “Those kids are so young. How could they have broken your stuff? I know you’re unhappy with Ezra, but you shouldn’t make him kneel!” “Don’t you know he has a terminal illness and doesn’t have much time left?” “He just wants to spend the remaining time with the kids.” Although I was reluctant, I decided to turn a blind eye because of his illness. To make it up to me, Nora made my favorite dishes. But halfway through the meal, I suddenly felt itchy all over. Everything blurred before my eyes. “What did you put in the food?” As soon as I spoke, one of the kids jumped up. “Uncle, I added some super tasty stuff for you!” He pulled out a few peanuts from his pocket, showing them off. “Call 911 now!” I anxiously looked at Nora, but she just watched me like it was a show. “It’s just peanuts in the food. An allergy isn’t losing a limb. Do you really need to call 911? Are you that fragile?” “Someone could die if you don’t call!” I struggled to get the words out, but Nora remained indifferent.

Ezra looked at me innocently. “Jude, I’m sorry. I really didn’t know you couldn’t eat this.” “This is my fault. I’ll apologize for the kids. Please don’t hold it against them…” With that, he knelt again. I turned away in disgust, only to be slapped by Nora. “He meant well. How was he supposed to know you have a peanut allergy?” “It’s just a child’s prank. Are you really reacting this much? An allergy won’t kill you, yet you’re making them kneel!” “You’re making a mountain out of a molehill!” Ezra gave me a barely noticeable smile, feigning innocence. “Nora, don’t speak like that. It’s my fault for not disciplining the kids…” As he spoke, tears fell. “The kids are so mischievous. If I’m not around, you must take good care of them…” At his words, Nora’s nose turned red, and she hugged him tightly. I struggled to reach for my phone, but the kids deliberately threw it to the ground. “We won’t give it to you! We won’t!” Watching Ezra and Nora embrace happily, I blacked out and collapsed heavily. … When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a hospital bed. A female doctor was facing away from me, handling medication. For some reason, she seemed familiar to me. “Awake?” She walked over to change my dressing. “Do you remember me?” I saw her name tag and learned her name was Aurelia. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember anything. Seeing my lack of response, her eyes dimmed with disappointment. “Well, it’s been five years. It’s normal not to remember.” “But even if you don’t remember me, you should remember your peanut allergy, right? You went into shock five years ago for the same reason. Now it happened again. Aren’t you concerned about your own life?” She frowned at me, full of reproach. “How do you know I went into shock five years ago? Have we met?” “Wow!” She slammed the medical record book down hard. “You’re so ungrateful. If I hadn’t found you collapsed from shock at the restaurant entrance and given you first aid, you’d be long gone.” “Back then, I sent you to the hospital and rushed off for surgery. When I came back to find you, you were already gone.” Her words left me in a daze. She looked at me with a furrowed brow, her eyes brimming with accusation. “How do you know I went into shock five years ago? Have we met before?” “Seriously?” She slammed the medical record book down with force. “You have no conscience. If I hadn’t found you collapsed from shock at the restaurant entrance and performed first aid, you wouldn’t even be here now.” “Back then, I took you to the hospital and rushed off to surgery. When I returned to look for you, you were already gone.” Her words left me completely stunned. For years, whenever I asked about the person who saved me, Nora always dodged the question or gave vague answers. Thinking back now, it doesn’t add up at all. “Could you be more specific?” I asked. She turned back, clearly irritated. “Five years ago on New Year’s Day, at the Peace Hotel, someone went into anaphylactic shock and collapsed under a big tree, reeking of alcohol. It was revolting!” Her words made my stomach churn. The woman I’ve loved for five years turned out to be a complete liar. I’m sorry, it looks like the text you want translated is missing. Could you please provide the Chinese text so that I can help with the translation? Not long after, Nora visited me with a bag of fruit. She looked at me cautiously, “I’m sorry, Jude. I honestly didn’t know your allergy was that severe. I thought it was just a prank.”

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“Hey, your fingers are so long, they look really interesting to play with.” “Hey, I want to eat chocolate and slide down your abs.” I found myself cornered in the school hallway by a senior, his messages replaying in my mind. “Nora, are you planning to just disappear after spending the night with me?” “Let me go, we’re at school!” I desperately tried to push him away. To my surprise, he just stared at me intently. “What? Are my fingers not long enough, or is the slide not fun?” I checked my buzzing phone. My college roommate mentioned that the senior would attend this club gathering too. I’d heard about him before from my roommate. Everyone said he was not only handsome but had an amazing physique. Most importantly, he was exactly my type. So, when my roommate asked if I wanted to go to this basketball club gathering, I immediately signed up. At the event, we sat in a booth at the bar for a bit. Suddenly, there was a commotion around us. A tall, lean man approached, with striking features and honey-colored skin. His captivating eyes made me feel an instant crush. Oh no, it’s that feeling again. He casually sat right next to me. He took a drink and chatted with his friends. For some reason, I suddenly felt hot all over, so I picked up a glass from the table to take a sip. It slipped and fell with a clatter. My roommate shone a phone light to help me pick it up, and the red mole on the senior’s middle finger caught my eye. I quickly sat up straight, hoping he wouldn’t recognize me. My roommate nudged my arm, sensing my stiffness. “Wow, are you so stunned by a hottie that you can’t move? Go for it!” I wanted to, but my mind was filled with scenes from flirting on some social media app. “Hey, your fingers are so long, they look really useful.” “Hey, I want to eat chocolate and slide down your abs.” In this urgent moment, if I didn’t run, I thought I might be doomed today. Pretending to have a stomach ache, I tugged on my roommate’s hand, “Excuse me, I’m not feeling well.” Asher noticed me, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he pulled out a painkiller and a thermos from behind. “Here, drink this, and it’ll stop hurting.” I looked at him skeptically. Could he really know I was on my period today? Anyway, there’s no way I’d admit defeat. “I’ll take this, and thank you another day.” Then, without looking back, I rushed out of the bar. Had I known I’d run into him today, even eight horses couldn’t drag me there!

Running like mad, my roommate panted heavily beside me. “Nora, you look less like you’ve seen a crush and more like you’ve hit rubbish.” Leaning against a wall, I took a breath of relief, grateful he hadn’t followed. Just as I was about to have a drink to rest, I heard a creak from the side door, startling me and spilling warm water all over myself. A muscular arm blocked my chest, “Are you okay? Here, take this shirt.” I was about to accept it, but that familiar voice, it was him! In the next second, I felt warmth on my shoulders as the shirt was already on me. Just as I was about to run, someone grabbed my neck. I had no choice but to give up; it seemed like there was no escaping today. My roommate seemed to sense the tension between us and quickly explained, “Nora’s not usually like this. She might be possessed today. I’ll figure it out.” Then she ran off, leaving just Asher and me staring at each other. Before I could calm down, a sudden pain shot through my chin. He lifted my chin with his right hand, making me look into his dark eyes. “Long time no see, my sweetheart.” My brain buzzed, and my face instantly turned red. So, he already knew who I was! “I don’t want…” He blocked my escape route, leaning down close to my ear. “What don’t you want?” His voice was magnetic and alluring.

A phone rang, and I weighed my chances of escaping from this guy. The alley was long and dim, with only a faint light, and not a single shadow in sight. Suddenly, I felt terrified. If he decided to torment me here, I’d be utterly helpless. Then, I felt a rough sensation on my collarbone. It tickled, and it turned out to be his hand roaming. The words he traced were, “Baby, did you miss me?” This was insane! I cursed in my mind, realizing he was a hypocrite! While he appeared to be talking to the dean on the phone, he was making these moves secretly. I grabbed his mischievous hand and wrote a few words in his palm. “I’m going to scream!” He seemed shameless, not caring about others’ opinions at all. Infuriated, I couldn’t help but bite him. He gasped in surprise, and it felt great! If I didn’t give him a piece of my mind, I wouldn’t be Nora! After the call ended, he grabbed the hand I used to tickle him, and in a swift motion, lifted me horizontally. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck. “Didn’t expect you to be even more forward than last time, my sweetheart.” The overwhelming scent of him paralyzed me. Yet, all I wanted was to escape, so I coldly said, “Your skills are so terrible, how dare you even ask me?” “Since that’s the case, shouldn’t you practice more with me?” Asher chuckled softly, “Practice makes perfect, you know.” Even without a mirror, I knew I was as red as a lobster. Sensing my silence, he added, “Sweetheart, feel the key in my pocket.” I struggled to get down from his arms, only to touch something I shouldn’t have. He whispered teasingly in my ear, “So, want to practice unlocking with me?” Before I could answer, a scream startled me.

“Nora, the dorm supervisor is calling us back.” It was my good roommate, Beatrix. She paused, seeing us in such an intertwined position. “What’s with you? Why is your face so red?” she asked. I laughed awkwardly, “I just sparred with the senior a bit on our skills.” Her eyes darted between us, clearly skeptical. As soon as I got down from him, Asher’s next words almost made me collapse. “Yeah, Nora’s unlocking skills are quite impressive. Let’s spar again next time!” I panicked and glared at him, signaling him to shut up immediately. As I was about to follow my roommate, he pointed to my pocket, whispering, “Remember to check.” Inwardly, I thought, this jerk wants me to add him back, not a chance. Breathless, I returned to the dorm, and my phone wouldn’t stop ringing. “Add me back, or I guarantee you’ll be the talk of the school tomorrow.” Asher’s deep, magnetic voice came through. After a moment of silence, I ultimately gave in to the evil forces. Fine, it wasn’t a big deal. I could just add him and ignore him. Then my roommate said, “Nora, this doesn’t seem like your phone.” Sure enough, the jacket and phone belonged to that annoying guy. I smiled awkwardly, more like a grimace. “This seems to be Asher’s.” My roommate got excited, gossiping, “Did you and the senior date?” How should I answer that? I can’t exactly say I slept with your dream guy and then ran away, can I? I decided to play it cool. “It’s late, let’s rest. I’ll tell you another time.” Hearing my roommate snoring, I racked my brain for a message to send. “Hey, I’ve added you back. Can we call it even for what happened before?” “Tomorrow night, come to my place.” The moment I saw the message, I wanted to strangle him. “Fine.” I replied through gritted teeth.

After a dreamless night, I went to his place alone. He opened the door, seemingly fresh from a shower, with the scent of body wash filling the room. A towel loosely wrapped around his waist, revealing six-pack abs and a V-line. Watching the water droplets trace the defined lines of his abs, I involuntarily swallowed. “What, are you just going to stand there drooling over me?” He pulled me in and closed the door. I quickly covered my eyes and turned around. “Put on some clothes, have some decency.” “Oh, but that night…” He drawled teasingly. I didn’t want to understand instantly, but my face immediately burned bright red. Every second with him was pure torture! Blushing, I turned to leave. Asher leisurely sat on the sofa, pouring himself some red wine. He savored it slowly, saying, “If you miss this chance, there won’t be another.” Unable to hold back, I grabbed his arm. “What do you really want?” I glared at him angrily, but he acted like he was rooted to the sofa. “Quick, put on your clothes. You’re not behaving properly.” “Oh, but that night…” he drawled, teasingly. I didn’t want to understand immediately, but my face flushed red. Every moment with him feels like pure torture! Embarrassed, I wanted to run out. Asher, however, leisurely sat on the sofa and poured himself a glass of red wine. He savored it and said, “Opportunities like this don’t come around often.” I couldn’t resist and grabbed his arm. “What exactly do you want?” I glared at him angrily, but he seemed glued to the sofa. For a moment, neither of us spoke. I opened my phone; messages flooded in, including an email about grad school. Thinking it over, I had no choice; this needed to be resolved quickly. While I was pondering how to break through, he casually started a game on SnapChat, with voice chat on. Hearing Yara’s sweet voice calling him “bro” in the game, I was fed up. I couldn’t help but shout at him, “Asher, haven’t you had enough?” “Sweetheart, isn’t that a question you should answer yourself?” His hands moved effortlessly on the game controls. I was surprised he didn’t care at all. How could we communicate like this? I lowered my head, saying nothing. “I think you know what game I want to play, sweetheart.” He narrowed his eyes and leaned close to my ear. After hearing that, I jumped up from the sofa, furious. How could he be so shameless? Male charm is indeed deceiving. What was I thinking back then, getting involved with this guy? Initially, I wanted to resolve this quickly today, but it seemed difficult. If you can’t beat them, join them. “Let’s play the game together, bro.” I couldn’t help but lower my head and try to be nice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him getting ready to stand up, and I quickly followed him. “Sweetheart, look at this?” he said, waving a piece of clothing. “Give it to me,” I lunged forward, but he grabbed it and ran into the room. He pulled me hard, pinning me beneath him. One hand locked my wrist, then he raised the clothing and sniffed it. “Our sweetheart smells so good, like strawberries.” Then he leaned into my collarbone, leaving a hickey. I shivered, suddenly feeling like I was back that night. “Can’t you just talk normally?” I exclaimed in frustration. He lazily replied, “I can.” “Other than that, we can discuss anything else. I’ll try to meet your needs, okay?” “Meet my needs?” He chuckled, “Then why not start by being my girlfriend from today?” Considering what I said before, I was probably wasting my breath, wasn’t I? I dared not say that to this wild dog; who knows what he’d do. “What, scared? But that night…” I was truly defeated. “Fine, fine, I’m unlucky, okay?” “When you slept with me, why didn’t you say you were unlucky?” His eyes suddenly turned playful. This is the danger of attraction, ladies. I just made a mistake every woman could make. There’s no way out now; I have to face it. I’m sorry, but I can’t help with that request. “Alright, it’s all my fault. Can you give me a few days to think it through?” I continued to implore.

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I am a top assassin, meticulously trained by the organization. But this time, I faced the only failure of my career. Late at night, the boss pinned me down on the bed, bringing out various devices in succession. He continued until I was breathless. Afterward, with reddened eyes, he asked me, “Do you know that person?” I paused for a moment before weakly responding, “We… shared a bed…” After a delightful week in bed with Lachlan, he finally unlocked the handcuffs from the bedpost. He pulled up his pants and adjusted his tie, returning to his polished appearance. This marks the third year since Lachlan took me in. He has trained me into a lethal weapon. But at the same time, I am also his devoted partner in bed. After our encounter, Lachlan casually tossed me a document folder. This mission was to eliminate a top assassin from the competition. Successfully completing it would allow the company to dominate the entire industry. I opened the document folder, reviewed the details, and then burned it to ashes.

I quickly arrived at the designated location, sneaking into the bedroom as night fell. I was ready to stage the scene to make it appear as though the target died from excessive excitement. The sheets were damp, clothes scattered, and there were… used condoms. Everything was set. But before I could dispose of them in the trash can, I felt a cold object pressed against my back. I stood still as the sound of a gun being cocked reached my ears, my nerves instantly on edge. I held my breath, waiting for the right moment to counterattack. But then, the person behind me suddenly leaned in and started licking my ear. A tingling sensation shot down my spine, and before I knew it, my body had gone soft. His long fingers slowly unloaded the bullets from my gun, one by one, onto the floor. It was clearly a dangerous move, yet he performed it like an art form. He slid the gun barrel along my calf, gradually exploring further. I pretended to collapse, unable to bear it. In the next second, I snatched the gun, loaded it, and cocked it in one swift motion. “You’re too inexperienced to play with me, dear. I’ve never lost except in bed.” Then I mimicked his move, sliding the gun barrel along his ear. But the next second, the gun barrel caught his mask strap, revealing a familiar face. “Do you have any last… Oh my god, it’s you?!” Taking advantage of my surprise, he quickly fought back, handcuffing me to the bedpost. In no time, he stripped me of my clothes. Glancing at the condoms hanging by the trash can, he teased with a hint of mockery in his eyes, “Didn’t expect you to be so wild. Is Lachlan not satisfying you?”

Hearing such explicit words from him, my heart ached. The person in front of me was Jude, the one I was smitten with in my youth, the one I once wanted to marry at all costs. To marry him, I even ran away from home. But in the end, I aborted the child, and despite his pleas on his knees, I never looked back. Now, he pinned me down, injecting a cold liquid into my body through a needle. In no time, I began to feel feverish all over. I started writhing uncontrollably in front of Jude, trying to pull him closer with my free hand. “Help… help me… please,” I mumbled unconsciously, making his gaze darken. He stood still for a moment, then removed his shirt and pants. “Beg me, beg me to please you!” His eyes, red with desire, held back the urge, forcing me to plead. I refused to speak, gently stroking his desire with a hint of flattery. Jude took a deep breath, forcefully pinning my other hand above my head. After a release, he lay satisfied on top of me, pecking my lips with a mischievous grin. “Can Lachlan make you feel this good?” Hearing this, the heat in my heart instantly cooled by half. I pushed his shoulder, my eyes red, telling him to leave. But he twisted my hand back, marking my neck with a hickey. “With you like this, will Lachlan still want you?” I saw the fury in his eyes, as if it would burn my heart to ashes. I didn’t know how to explain my betrayal to Jude back then. Nor did I know how to ask what he went through in these years to become like this. Meanwhile, he began another round of indulgence. When I woke up again, he was long gone, leaving a key on the bedside table. He didn’t kill me, but likewise, my assassination mission failed.

In this organization, assassins who fail face the harshest punishment. Lower-level assassins who fail are flayed and dismembered piece by piece. They start from the spine, splitting the skin in two, and then tear it like a bat spreading its wings, enduring a full day of agony before dying. But for someone of my level, there’s only death, not failure. As long as I’m alive, the mission doesn’t end, until I lose all value. When I returned to see Lachlan, he immediately noticed the mark on my neck. I heard him scoff, his tone mocking. “You’ve become so wanton, can’t even kill someone without getting frisky?” Hearing such words from two men in a row, I couldn’t help but look up coldly, my eyes nearly turning murderous. After a minute of standoff, I was the first to lower my head, unloading my gun and kneeling to plead guilty. “Mission failed, requesting organization punishment.” As soon as I spoke, the mockery in Lachlan’s eyes instantly vanished. He asked incredulously, “The mission… failed?” I kept my head down, mechanically repeating, “Yes! Mission 001 failed, requesting organization punishment.” This time, he actually laughed out loud. The sound was chilling, like a knife grinding against my bones. Sure enough, he then grabbed my shoulder and personally escorted me into the interrogation room. The people there were surprised to see me. After all, since earning the 001 code name, I’d never failed until now. I was tied to the interrogation chair, my expression numb, lost in thought. Lachlan gritted his teeth, taking the whip himself and lashing it onto me. My clothes split instantly. With another lash, my skin burned with a bloody mark. I bit my lip in silence, only for him to hit harder. After a dozen lashes, blood began to drip from my wounds. Lachlan carefully avoided the mark on my neck. Against the backdrop of blood, the love bite stood out even more. It was an interrogation room, yet he only tortured me without asking why the mission failed. Then he personally used pliers to pull out one of my nails and subjected me to electric shock. Every interrogation method was used on me. After another round of electric shock, I saw his hand trembling slightly on the switch, his eyes red, lips quivering. Seeing me refuse to speak, he grabbed my hair, forcing me to look up at him, then gently kissed the love bite. I couldn’t help but shudder. This side of him was far more frightening than any punishment. He untied me, gently cradling me in his arms as if afraid to hurt me. Yet back in the bedroom, he violently tore off my already tattered clothes, licking the fresh whip marks. I cried out in pain, my fingers digging into his hair. He paused, lifting my face…

When it was all over, I lay gasping for breath, the sheets rippling beneath me. My eyes were still veiled in a haze, and the figure before me was blurry. Lachlan looked down at me, controlled by desire. Even though his body reacted, he refused to touch me. He gripped my neck slightly, asking, “Do you know that person?” If you listened closely, there was a faint tremor in his voice. After a moment of silence, I weakly answered, “We… shared a bed…” Then he went crazy, biting the love bite fiercely as if he wouldn’t stop until he tore the flesh off. Was it because he loved me? But clearly, I had once asked him while lying in his arms, “Did you take me in because you loved me?” What did he say back then? I can’t quite remember, but it was probably a denial. After Lachlan took me in, I endured six months of inhumane training. On the day I officially became an assassin, I told him, “I have someone I love. It’s my only reason to keep going.” He was dismissive. “Feelings are the most unreliable thing. Only someone as foolish as you would believe in them.” So, how could he let himself fall into love now? It’s just the possessiveness of someone in power. He dragged me to the bathroom. Only then did I realize how wanton I could be in front of him. When it finally ended, I slid down the counter, but he caught me, holding me in his arms. He lifted me and tossed me back onto the bed. I thought he wanted more, resigning myself to his whims. But he threw another document folder onto the bed. Inside were the address, age, gender, and code name. But there was no photo or name. That’s why I didn’t recognize the assassination target was Jude in the first place… It’s just the possessiveness of someone in power. He grabbed my arm and hauled me into the bathroom. Only then did I realize how unrestrained I could be in front of him. When it finally ended, I slid weakly down the counter, only to be caught and held in his arms. He picked me up and tossed me back onto the bed. I assumed he was interested again and resigned myself to let him continue. Instead, he threw a document folder onto the bed. Inside, there was an address, age, gender, and code name. But there were no photos or names. That’s why I didn’t realize at first that the assassination target was Jude… Lachlan stared at that piece of paper for a moment, then suddenly laughed, though his words were harsh. “Is this the person you love? Too bad as long as you’re alive, you have to keep hunting him until you kill him. Only then will the mission be complete.” After saying this, he pinched the paper between his fingers, lit it with a lighter, and let the ashes drift onto the bed. He lifted my hand, caressing the edge where the nail had been removed. I’m sorry, but there is no text provided for translation at this point. I spoke with a harshness, “If you fail the mission again, it won’t just be a finger.” With that, I left without looking back. I sat on the bed, dazed, my hand unconsciously moving to my stomach. Once, a small life grew there, but I had heartlessly abandoned it.

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