My husband’s mother had been out in the fields when she accidentally stepped on an old landmine from the battlefield. The community police asked me to find my retired husband, who was a bomb disposal expert, to defuse it, but I shook my head and refused. In my past life, I ran 6 miles to town to save her, dragging my husband, who was on a date with his first love, out of the restaurant, begging him to save her. She was safely rescued, but his first love was dragged into an alley by her ex-husband and beaten to death. My husband praised me for what I had done in front of others, but on the anniversary of his first love’s death, he used the very landmine he had unearthed to blow me to pieces. “Why wasn’t it you who died? Go to hell and apologize to Sarah!” This time, my husband finally had a pleasant dinner with his first love. But when he learned what had happened at home, he was driven mad with regret. ***** “Mia, don’t come any closer, stay away from me!” Hearing the familiar voice, I suddenly opened my eyes. Standing before me, my husband’s mother, Ella Clark, was crying but still insisted on pushing me away. “I’m getting on in years, and I’m not as nimble as I used to be. If this landmine goes off, I don’t want to drag any of you into it.” Upon hearing this, the police quickly pulled me back. “Mia, isn’t your husband a retired bomb disposal expert? Where is he? Get him here quickly!” Hearing the repeated urgings, I tightly clenched my hands, barely holding back tears. “He went to the town with Sarah. If I go get him, he probably won’t come back…” The neighbors who had followed the police came to a halt upon hearing this, all looking awkwardly at each other. The affair between my husband, Samuel Clark, and Sarah Harris had already caused a huge scandal in town. Today was our wedding anniversary, yet he took all the money from home, saying he needed to buy Sarah some skincare and take her to the fanciest restaurant for dinner. The atmosphere around me was heavy. A young neighbor, seeing my troubled expression, sighed, “Mia, don’t worry. We’re quick. We’ll find him and bring him back! “Take care of his mother, and leave it to us!” Without waiting for the police to speak, the group of neighbors dashed off. I lowered my gaze, finally accepting the truth of my rebirth. Of course, Ella was aware of the disgraceful things her son had done and looked at me with a face full of worry. “Mia, Samuel’s actions are my fault. I didn’t educate him properly. I’m so sorry for you. “When he comes back, I’ll make him sever all ties with that little slut!” My throat tightened with sorrow, and I couldn’t hold back the tears. Even though Sarah had dumped Samuel twice, he still wanted to drag me down with her over a made-up accusation. “How could such a man ever sever ties with Sarah?” I thought. Just as we comforted and encouraged each other, the neighbors, covered in sweat, came running back. Everyone’s eyes turned toward them. But behind them was nothing. Samuel hadn’t come. Breathless and furious, the neighbors finally spoke up. “Samuel seems to be out of his mind, shopping for skincare and clothes with that shameless Sarah at the mall!” “We tried everything to get him to listen, but the bastard just wouldn’t believe us!” “Do you know what he said? He said we were sent by Mia to try to trick him into coming back, claiming Mia wanted to save money for herself and was lying to him!” “How can there be such a son in the world? His mother stepped on a landmine, and even if he has doubts, he should come back immediately to check on her!” “And that Sarah, what a piece of work! She had the nerve to make us out to be Mia’s lovers with just a few words. It’s maddening! How can someone be so shameless?”

After venting their frustrations without holding back, the neighbors suddenly remembered that Samuel’s mother was standing right in front of them. Tears streamed down Ella’s face, her eyes clouded with sorrow. Her lips trembled for a long moment before she barely managed to speak, “Did that ungrateful man really say that? “Mia, in this life, I owe you an apology. I’ve ruined your life. I’m useless, but I’ll use this life to make it up to you.” She was so overwhelmed by the shock that she was on the verge of breaking down. Under the heavy silence of the onlookers, I gritted my teeth and said, “Ella, this isn’t your fault. It’s Samuel. He’s lost his way. I’ve never blamed you! “If it weren’t for you feeding me when I was little, I’d have starved to death long ago. I don’t want you to apologize. I want you to live a good life!” When I was very young, my parents died in a flood. I was alone. It was Ella who adopted me, giving me food and raising me until I grew up safely. Years ago, Samuel was in a relationship with Sarah. But Sarah, dissatisfied with Samuel being just a bomb disposal soldier with no future, left him a letter and ran off with a wealthy man from the town. Since then, Samuel was deeply hurt and turned to me for comfort. Ella had always liked me for being hardworking and capable, urging me to agree to marry him. I married Samuel with gratitude in my heart, but then Sarah returned. Samuel wanted a divorce, but Ella firmly opposed it. The whole town was talking about it. With Sarah’s instigation, Samuel believed it was me who was causing trouble, and he hated me for it. To get back at me, he and Sarah would go to town every day, eating and drinking without care, wasting money recklessly. My emotions were in turmoil, but I forced myself to comfort Ella. Seeing she finally calmed down, I reached out and took her rough, weathered hand. “Ella, your health isn’t good. You won’t last much longer. “Let me switch places with you, okay?” As soon as those words left my mouth, the crowd that had come to help erupted in protest. “Mia, think this through. This is a landmine left from the battlefield. If something goes wrong, even if you survive, you’ll be left crippled. Your whole future will be ruined!” “You’re so young, and you can read. Don’t risk your future like this!” Ella’s tears wouldn’t stop. “Mia, I raised you, but it’s only because your parents saved me from the flood all those years ago! “I’m old, and if I die, so be it. Don’t make things worse!” I held onto her hand, refusing to let go. “I can’t just watch you die. If you won’t switch, I’m not going anywhere. We’ll both be blown to pieces together!” After my pleading and threats, Ella finally agreed to switch places. The community police, seeing they couldn’t convince me, moved back with the crowd for safety’s sake. Back when Samuel and I were close, he’d once told me about how a teammate in his unit had to replace someone who stepped on a landmine. I carefully taught Ella the steps, moving my foot gingerly. It wasn’t easy. My legs felt like they were going to give out. But now, I was beyond caring. The only person who had ever been kind to me was Ella, and I couldn’t bear to watch her get hurt. After a long, painful silence, Ella and I successfully swapped places. She wiped her tears and looked at me, stamping her foot in frustration. “Mia, wait here. I will personally go and get that bastard back!” Seeing that I had actually swapped with Ella, the neighbors’ eyes were filled with admiration. The neighbors who had just caught their breath now spoke up again. “We’ll take you there. You need to teach Samuel a lesson. He’s gone way too far!” The group quickly helped Ella down the road, disappearing from sight. I stood in silence with the community police, waiting for what felt like an eternity before they finally came back.

However, just like last time, they still hadn’t brought Samuel back. As soon as Ella saw me, her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the ground. “Mia, I’m so sorry. That ungrateful man, he has no humanity!” Seeing Ella cry so uncontrollably, the neighbors couldn’t hold back their anger. “Samuel’s gone mad! He doesn’t even trust his own mother!” Hearing their angry complaints, I barely pieced together what had happened in town earlier. Apparently, after buying the skincare and clothes, they had gone to a restaurant. As the neighbors arrived, they were feeding each other and exchanging sweet nothings. Seeing Ella, Samuel immediately threw down his fork. “Mom, can you stop following Mia’s crazy antics? She sent someone to say you stepped on a landmine. If you really stepped on a landmine, how could you have walked all the way to town like this? “I just wanted to have a meal with Sarah. Can’t you leave me alone?” Ella was furious. She flipped the table and tried to drag Samuel back. Seeing Ella’s expression, which seemed genuine, Samuel finally started to believe a little. But just as he was about to leave, Sarah grabbed his other hand. “I know Mia doesn’t like me, can’t stand how Samuel is always with me, but Mrs. Clark, you can’t joke about things like this. “The battlefield’s been cleared so many times, how could there still be landmines?” As a result, no matter how much Ella swore and pleaded, Samuel wouldn’t believe her. Ella, enraged, tried to strike Sarah, but Samuel blocked her and walked away without sparing her a glance. Hearing this, the police’s face turned pale. At that moment, my hope was completely shattered. Our village was remote, and only Samuel had the skills to defuse bombs. If he didn’t come, I had no way out. I stood from dawn until dusk, and Ella fainted from crying several times, only to be forced back home by the neighbors to rest. In the middle of the night, I could barely feel my legs anymore. My body felt numb and heavy, and I knew I couldn’t hold on any longer. With tears in their eyes, the neighbors looked at me as I spoke in a hoarse voice, “Please, get me some paper. I want to write a farewell letter.” The police, fighting back tears, sent someone to get it, and my neighbors rushed off, also crying. Just then, a row of torches suddenly lit up in the distance. “Is this where the landmine was found? We’re a trained team, and we’ve brought in a bomb disposal expert!” Everyone rushed to greet them. I felt as though I had been given a second chance at life. My body went weak, and I nearly fell to the ground. The neighbors, concerned for my safety, rushed up from either side to support me. “Mia, hang in there. Who cares if that idiot Samuel won’t come, there is someone here who will save you!” “Mia, you’re kind and beautiful. There’s always a way out!” They had spent the whole day with me, filled with worry and fear. There was finally hope. Their faces lit up with joy. But as the team approached, everyone’s smiles froze. “Samuel?” Samuel looked at me, equally surprised. “Mia, have you lost your mind? “You’ve made such a scene just to get me back, even bringing my leader into this mess!” Beside him, Sarah, wearing new clothes, smiled provocatively. “Mia, Samuel and I really don’t have anything between us. Is this your way of getting the leader to punish him? “You can’t always be so reckless. Don’t you care about your husband’s future?” As Samuel listened to Sarah, his face twisted in anger. He reached out and grabbed me. After standing for an entire day and night, my body was completely exhausted. As Samuel suddenly grabbed me, I lost control and lurched forward. The neighbors screamed in panic, and the community police rushed forward without hesitation. At that moment, their movements seemed to slow down, and the last thing I saw was Samuel’s expression of utter disgust. In the final second, I closed my eyes, thinking, “We’ve lived two lifetimes as a married couple with hearts far apart. And today, we die together. Fate is a cruel thing.” Free Point

The explosion that everyone expected did not happen. The scene was eerily quiet. I didn’t know how long it took, but I finally mustered enough strength to open my eyes. That was when I realized that a man was holding onto my legs with all his might. My body felt numb. My upper body was leaning forward, and my legs were firmly pressed down by him, yet I was still standing there as if nothing had happened. A few military officers reacted first, hastily helping the man up. “Mr. Foster, have you gone mad? This is a real war zone, a deadly minefield!” “How could you be so reckless? If it had exploded, what would you have done?” The man, Luke Foster, was cursed out thoroughly, but he didn’t care. “Then what do you suggest I do? This is an innocent life, how could I just stand by and watch her die right in front of me?” As he spoke, everyone’s gaze turned toward Samuel. Samuel was unnerved by their stares and looked helpless. “Are you all idiots? How can you all be so manipulated by this woman? “I’ve been here before. I’ve cleaned this place. There are no landmines here! “Mia, stop acting, apologize, and explain to everyone now!” He said through gritted teeth, and Sarah, standing beside him, looked utterly innocent. “Mia, doesn’t everyone in the village know you’re jealous of me? You’re just making up excuses to get Samuel to come back! “Now that you’ve gotten what you wanted, can’t you just admit it?” I nearly died, and I was still in a daze. Seeing that I refused to speak, Sarah began to cry. “Mia, it’s my fault, is that enough to make you happy? “I shouldn’t have gone to town with Samuel, I shouldn’t have made you jealous. I’ll leave, is that okay with you?” With that, Sarah turned to walk away. Samuel clenched his fists tightly and pulled her back. “Sarah, you didn’t do anything wrong, it’s all this woman’s fault. “Mia, I married you because my mom forced me to. How long are you going to keep holding onto the title of my wife?” As he spoke, he reached out to grab me, but his hand never made contact. Instead, Luke seized his wrist. “Mr. Foster, you’ve been deceived by this scheming woman! “This woman is a master of manipulation. I’ll file for a divorce immediately. This doesn’t concern you, so just leave.” Luke’s face was cold as he gritted his teeth. “Samuel! Even if she’s not your wife, even if there’s only a one-in-a-million chance, even if this landmine is a dud, human life is at stake. You have to save her first! “Have you forgotten the values you were taught in the military?” He then shifted his gaze to Sarah. Sarah, frightened by the coldness in Luke’s eyes, took a step back and weakly collapsed into Samuel’s arms. “Samuel, I see it now. “No wonder so many people are willing to act with Mia. It’s all because of him.” Although Sarah didn’t make it explicit, everyone present understood her insinuation. A few young neighbors couldn’t hold their temper any longer and immediately spoke up for me. “Sarah, I think you’ve lost your mind. Every time you open your mouth, you spread lies.” “Mr. Foster is someone we met on our way here. This is our first time meeting him today. There’s no relationship!” “Stop dirtying everything with your own filth. If you’re trash, don’t think everyone else is too!” This statement didn’t spare Sarah any dignity, and she burst into tears right there.

Samuel was heartbroken. In front of everyone, he pulled Sarah into his arms to protect her. “Enough! Are you all done yet? “From the beginning, the only person I’ve ever loved is Sarah. If it weren’t for Mia constantly stirring things up and my mom forcing me to marry her, I never would have married her!” To defend Sarah, Samuel publicly belittled me, leaving me utterly disrespected. If this had happened before, I would have been devastated and tried to explain myself endlessly. But after narrowly escaping death twice, my mindset suddenly changed. Whether Samuel loved me or not no longer mattered. I had saved Ella with my own life, almost died at his hands, and no matter how much debt I owed, it was paid back. I remained silent while they argued loudly. Samuel was convinced I was acting. Seeing everyone standing up for me, he pointed at me, demanding that I admit my fault. “Mia, you always talk about repaying kindness. Why aren’t you doing that now? “Today, if you admit that you were just acting, I’ll consider the debt repaid. I won’t use your money again from now on. Isn’t that enough?” I listened to his words, and my heart grew colder. Samuel spent all his salary on Sarah, yet it was never enough. To provide a good life for Sarah, Samuel had begun eyeing the small savings I had slowly accumulated. I didn’t eat meat, didn’t buy vegetables, didn’t buy new clothes, and the little bit of money I saved was taken by him to spend on another woman. Naturally, I wasn’t happy. Yet every time we argued, Samuel always managed to force me into submission. “Mia, don’t forget who raised you. “You ate my family’s food, use my family’s things. Don’t you think you owe us something?” “If it weren’t for me and Ella taking care of you, do you think you’d still be alive to argue with me here?” ***** Every time he brought this up, I would be left speechless. “But Samuel, when the flood came, my parents died saving your family!” I thought.

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Before my rebirth, Lucas and I were childhood friends. He was the brightest star in my life. Ten years later, we got married in the most beautiful cathedral in the city. Everyone said we were a match made in heaven. He was the heir to the Carter Group, but he always said he wanted to pursue freedom. So, I took on all the responsibilities for him. That autumn, I was kidnapped in a setup. He rushed into an abandoned factory to save me but was forever lost in the fire. My father-in-law knelt before the memorial tablet, coldly saying, “It’s all because you insisted on taking control. You killed my son!” For three whole years, I worked tirelessly to clear my name, finally waiting for the truth to come to light. On the deck of a cruise ship, I saw Lucas. He was gently wrapping a scarf around Rachel’s neck, with a two-year-old daughter in his arms. He turned to look at me, his eyes cold: “Emily, you were just a stepping stone for me to escape my family. You were never my true love.” As a huge wave capsized the ship, I returned to ten years ago, the day he first proposed to me.

I slowly walked down the stairs, holding onto the railing. Lucas was standing at the bottom, holding a cup of milk tea. “Remember your favorite caramel macchiato? I had someone buy it from the mall across the street.” He smiled as he handed me the milk tea, his other hand holding my favorite Japanese takeout. I let him lead me to the Bentley parked at the entrance, my heart churning with indescribable emotions. His palm was warm, but this temperature felt unfamiliar to me. Among the many potential suitors, I chose Lucas not only because we grew up together. More importantly, he wasn’t as worldly and smooth as other rich kids. He was always like an unrestrained youth, with light in his eyes and dreams in his heart. “Emily, why are you so absent-minded today?” He reached out to touch my forehead, his eyes full of concern. “Lucas, tell me, will you always be this good to me?” Holding back tears, I asked him this question seriously for the first time. He was stunned for a moment, then showed an indulgent smile: “Silly girl, for the past ten years, I’ve only had eyes for you. Don’t you understand that yet?” He pulled me into his arms and whispered in my ear: “In my heart, you’ll always be the most special person.” At this moment, I suddenly had a glimmer of hope. Perhaps the 28-year-old Lucas didn’t yet know he would change his heart, didn’t yet know he would use an explosion to escape. In this do-over, do we still have a chance to rewrite the ending? As long as I don’t take on the responsibilities he doesn’t want, don’t let him fake his death to save me. I leaned on his shoulder, listening to him hum our song. Before the party started, I was touching up my makeup in the rest room when my assistant rushed in panic-stricken: “It’s terrible! Mr. Carter is beating someone downstairs!” When I reached the hall, the usually gentle and refined Lucas was gripping Ryan’s neck, his eyes terrifyingly red. “I’ll fucking teach you to dare lay a hand on her again!” He punched Ryan in the face, “If you dare touch her, I’ll make you regret being born!” Ryan was already beaten bloody, and the guests were all backing away in fear. In the corner, a girl in a champagne-colored dress was curled up on the ground, sobbing. I rushed forward to stop Lucas: “Calm down first. There are so many people watching. We can settle this privately.” When he calmed down a bit, I walked over to the girl and offered her a handkerchief. “Are you alright? Do you want to go to the upstairs rest room?” She looked up at me, her eyes misty with tears. My heart suddenly tightened. That face, that alluring tear mole, wasn’t she the woman from Lucas’s new family in my past life?

In that instant, I felt the whole world crumbling. Lucas pushed me away forcefully, so hard that I stumbled back and hit the decorative cabinet behind me, cutting a gash on my arm with the glass. “How could you talk to her like that? Do you know how scared she is right now?” He stood in front of Rachel, glaring at me fiercely. “A girl gets bullied, and not only do you not comfort her, but you question her like this? Where’s your conscience?” I bit my lip, enduring the pain in my arm. “Lucas, don’t get so agitated. There are so many people watching. We need to be reasonable.” He sneered, his eyes full of unfamiliarity. “Emily Shaw, when did you become so snobbish?” “For the sake of appearances, you don’t even have basic sympathy? I really misjudged you!” He took a deep breath: “I’ll give you one day. By tomorrow, I want to see the truth!” With that, he took off his jacket and gently draped it over Rachel’s shoulders, carefully supporting her as they left, without even a glance at me. I stood there, watching my fiancé blow up at me for another woman. The whispers of the guests around me were like countless knives, cutting into my heart. The wound on my arm stung fiercely, but I knew this wasn’t the time to treat it. I forced myself to apologize to Ryan, arranged for someone to take him to the hospital, and then retrieved the security footage to clarify the truth. After dealing with all the guests and calming everyone’s emotions, it was already late at night. I could finally check my wound. The blood had long since congealed, and my clothes were stuck to the flesh. The security footage showed that the so-called harassment was just Ryan’s sleeve accidentally brushing against Rachel as he turned around. Lucas didn’t come back all night, only sending a cold text message: “Sorry, I was impulsive.” The next morning, I had just finished processing the termination paperwork for a batch of unqualified interns. Lucas barged into the office, his face ashen: “Why did you fire Rachel? Just because of yesterday’s incident?” The employees outside all stopped their work, pricking up their ears to eavesdrop. I looked up at him: “Lucas Carter, do you defend her so much because you’ve known her for a long time?” His expression froze, then he quickly put on a gentle smile: “Emily, are you jealous?” He tried to take my hand, but I avoided it. Not long after, he came in again carrying a large bouquet of roses. “Don’t be angry anymore. Rachel is my cousin. I just sent her home last night.” “Can you let her stay for my sake?” I sneered: “So now I need your approval to deal with unqualified employees?” “Before you questioned me, I didn’t even know her name.” He frowned at me: “Emily, you’ve been well-off since childhood. How could you understand her difficulties?” “She still needs this salary to take care of her sick grandmother.” His tone was full of reproach: “You’re already so excellent. Why can’t you give her a chance? Do you have to be so ruthless?” I stared blankly at this unfamiliar man before me. So in his eyes, my excellence was an innate privilege. So my efforts should all become stepping stones for others. So my happiness should all be given to that pitiful girl.

After that argument, I took a long leave and didn’t go to the company for fifteen whole days. Partly to sulk with Lucas, and partly to think about whether I should withdraw early to avoid repeating the mistakes of my past life. During this time, Lucas avoided me, but Mrs. Carter called every day asking me to come back to the old house for dinner. After much hesitation, I finally went. As soon as Mrs. Carter saw me, she took my hand sympathetically: “Oh, Emily dear, it’s all that silly boy’s fault for not knowing better. Don’t take it to heart.” “Mommy promises you, I won’t let any improper person enter our Carter family.” “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely stand up for you!” I held the bird’s nest soup Mrs. Carter had personally stewed for me, listening to her gentle words, my heart filled with mixed emotions. Just then, Lucas walked in with Rachel, laughing and chatting. In the short half month since I’d last seen her, Rachel’s fragile aura had completely disappeared, replaced by undisguised smugness. She smiled at me sweetly: “Sister-in-law, hello. This is a handmade aromatherapy candle Lucas and I made together. It’s a bit flawed, but I still wanted to give it to you.” Lucas stood beside her, silently allowing her behavior. I held up the bird’s nest soup. Even the scalding porcelain bowl couldn’t thaw the coldness in my heart. Mrs. Carter immediately darkened her face: “How rude! Giving someone a gift, and you choose a defective one? What were you thinking?” Rachel hurriedly took off the sapphire necklace from her neck: “I’m so sorry, sister-in-law. This necklace is a royal heirloom from the British royal family. I’ll give it to you as an apology!” That necklace, called “Destiny”, was personally bought by Lucas at an auction in London last year. I had naively thought he would put it on me at our wedding. It turned out that in his heart, the real “Destiny” was Rachel. I silently looked at the necklace, not reaching out to take it. Mrs. Carter pulled Rachel away: “Girl, come with me to look at the garden. Don’t always cling to Lucas. He’s about to get married.” Lucas sat down across from me, poured himself a cup of tea, his lips curled in mockery: “Looks like you still can’t let go of your status in this family. Even if you don’t go to the company, you still come to curry favor with my mom.” “Don’t worry, the position of future Mrs. Carter belongs to no one but you. Who else could please my mom so well?” I had never seen him look at me with such cold eyes. Tears welled up in my eyes: “Lucas, you won’t even give me the most basic kindness anymore?” He glanced at me, continuing to drink his tea leisurely. After finishing his tea, he went upstairs without looking back. Late at night, I was clearing my mind in the gazebo in the backyard when I suddenly heard whispers coming from the nearby rose garden. Rachel’s coquettish voice came through: “Auntie doesn’t seem to like me very much. What should I do?” Lucas chuckled: “My mom even dislikes me. In her eyes, there’s only Emily, the perfect daughter-in-law.” “Then in your heart, who’s more important, me or her?” Rachel pressed. Lucas laughed softly: “You’re always so greedy.” Rachel clung to him persistently. “The first time I saw you, I was moved by your innocence. The next time we met, I was conquered by your passion.” “No one in this world can compare to you. Happy now?” “As for Emily, she’s just like my mom. What’s so interesting about that?” “After we’re married and someone’s helping me manage the family business, I can take you traveling around the world. Don’t be angry, okay?” Before he finished speaking, the two were already kissing. I stood in the darkness, tears silently falling, feeling utterly ridiculous. So whether in this life or the last, I was just a bargaining chip for him to gain freedom. He deceived me clear-headedly, while I foolishly believed in this dream.

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Henry brought a woman home and ordered me to cook for them. The woman giggled, nestling in his arms. “Honey, who is she?” “Her? The housekeeper,” Henry replied dismissively, looking at me. I clutched my stomach and limped into the kitchen. Henry, this will be the last meal I cook for you. After three years of marriage, Henry and I had become bitter enemies. He had someone else in his heart. I was drugged and sent to his bed, and by cruel coincidence, his true love Zoe saw us. The shock sent Zoe running out, where she was hit by a car and died. Later, when I became pregnant, Henry proposed with bloodshot eyes. On our wedding day, he gripped my throat and hissed, “Aria, you’ll spend your whole life atoning for this!” I became Mrs. Grant in name only. In our first month of marriage, Henry crushed my family’s company, forcing my parents to move to low-income housing. In the second month, I lost my first child. Henry felt a twinge of guilt but quickly found another woman to vent his frustrations, complaining about my weak body. This is our third year, and I’ve been diagnosed with lymphoma. Years of emotional suppression and stress had taken their toll. By the time the illness found me, it was already in the late stages. Looking at the diagnosis report, I felt relieved. Death would finally bring peace, wouldn’t it? Coming out of the kitchen, Henry glanced at the three dishes and soup on the table with disdain. “Is this even edible?” I remained silent, taking a bite of each dish to show him it was fine. But a sudden wave of nausea made me cover my mouth and rush to the bathroom, throwing up everything. The pain was excruciating, and my nose started to itch. Seeing the blood in the toilet, I felt dizzy. By the time I cleaned up and came out, they had already gone upstairs. This was Henry’s new girlfriend for the month, bearing a striking resemblance to Zoe. Who would have thought that it was Zoe’s family who drugged me that night? The intended target wasn’t Henry, but Zoe’s brother. Somehow, they entered the wrong room, though Henry never believed me. Taking a deep breath, I went upstairs. Laughter echoed from the master bedroom. Not wanting to disturb them, but running out of time, I had no choice but to knock. A furious shout came from inside: “Get lost!” I flinched but persisted. Henry finally snapped, flinging the door open with a menacing look in his eyes. Behind him on the king-sized bed, the woman wore only revealing lingerie, looking seductive. “Aria, do you have a death wish?” Henry snarled. I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. “Would you be sad if I died?” “You’d be better off dead! If there’s nothing else, get out of here!” I blocked the door. “There is something. Once you sign this, I’ll leave.” I handed him the divorce papers I had prepared. He barely glanced at them before throwing them back at me. The sharp edge of the paper cut my eyebrow, making me wince in pain. “Want a divorce? Keep dreaming! You haven’t finished atoning for your sins!” “Since you won’t leave, come in and watch!” He yanked me inside. Right in front of me, he tore off the woman’s last shred of modesty and started kissing her passionately. I turned away, feeling my insides churning violently. Unable to hold back any longer, I doubled over and vomited again. Henry’s brow furrowed, his actions coming to an abrupt halt. Before he could explode in anger, I covered my mouth and ran out. The salty, metallic taste in my mouth was becoming hard to disguise. If he had been more attentive, he would have noticed the blood seeping through my fingers. A loud crash from behind made me quicken my pace. Back in my room, I cleaned myself up, took my medication, and lay down. I messaged the doctor, asking to increase the dosage—I was losing control. Just as I sent it, the door was kicked open. Henry stormed in, yanking off my covers and pinning me down. “You started this fire, now you put it out!” he growled, pressing me hard against the bed. I gasped in pain. “Henry, you’re disgusting!” “Disgusting? I’ll show you what’s really disgusting!”

He was ruthless. I bit my lip, my whole body feeling like it was being torn apart. Henry seemed to notice my discomfort and coldly said, “Don’t like it?” “Henry, let go. I need to throw up.” Henry’s face darkened, his dark eyes filled with anger. Just as he was about to speak, I couldn’t hold back anymore and turned my head, vomiting again. The acidic bile made Henry recoil in disgust. He cursed, quickly getting up and slamming the door as he left. As air rushed back into my lungs, I let out a long breath. I got up and went to the bathroom, but couldn’t bring anything else up. After cleaning up, the room still reeked. I threw away the bedsheets and moved to the guest room to lie down. Pain crept in bit by bit. Henry’s face loomed large before me, and then everything went black. When I came to, I was in the hospital. The smell of disinfectant brought me back to reality. “I…” I tried to speak. “You’re awake? That’s great! I’ll go get the doctor!” The young nurse excitedly went to call the doctor. I rubbed my temples, wondering who had brought me here. It couldn’t have been Henry, and there was no one else at home. As I pondered, the doctor came in. Charles nodded at me. “It’s good you’re awake. I called you but got no answer, so I went to your house. I heard a loud thud inside, thankfully I called the police, or we might have been arranging your funeral by now.” I finally understood—it was him. “How did you know where I live?” Charles smiled. “Don’t forget, I’m your attending physician. Your address is in your file, and I needed to do follow-ups. When there was no response to the follow-up, I went to check on you. Luckily, I made it in time.” I couldn’t help but smile, touched that someone cared so much about me in my final moments. “Thank you.” “Don’t mention it. By the way, I notified your family. Henry Grant, your husband, right?” “What?!” I was shocked. If he knew I was here… Never mind, it doesn’t matter now. I don’t have many days left anyway. I lay in bed as Charles examined me, then said solemnly, “What would you like to eat? I’ll go buy it.” “Anything is fine. I don’t have much of an appetite anyway.” It was early morning, and my stomach was empty, but I didn’t feel hungry at all. Charles left, and Henry came in shortly after. Seeing me lying in bed, his anger dissipated, replaced by shock. “Aria, how… how did you end up like this?” I opened my eyes groggily, seeing Henry standing before me. I managed a smile. “You’re here.” Henry’s face was full of horror. “You… you’re really sick?” “Yes. Henry, let’s get divorced.”

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I never thought my boyfriend would go to such extremes just because I inadvertently upset his half-sister while showing our affection. During an extreme sports event, Lucas pushed me off a high platform. The head injury left me blind, but he stayed by my side, seemingly devoted. It wasn’t until the third year of my blindness that my sight finally returned. To surprise Lucas on his birthday, I deliberately told him I couldn’t make it. When I arrived at the movie theater he had rented out, filled with excitement, I was horrified to discover my intimate videos playing on the big screen. “Lucas, bro, thanks for sharing such interesting videos with us,” one of his friends said. “She can’t make it today. Don’t breathe a word of this to her, or you won’t get to see any more,” Lucas replied coldly. “Lucas, if you’re so afraid of her leaving, why did you push her off that platform back then?” “She deliberately provoked Rachel, which led to Rachel’s suicide attempt. This is just teaching her a lesson.” I fled the scene, my heart shattered. I immediately made an appointment for an abortion and agreed to go abroad to take over the family business.

The moment I left the theater, my legs gave out, and I collapsed on the ground. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. My mind was reeling from Lucas’s words and the intimate videos on the big screen. I took out my phone and called my parents overseas. “Dad, Mom, I’m ready to go abroad now.” “Mia, you’ve finally come around. We need to fly to another country for a while, and getting visas and passports will take some time. Your father and I will wait for you here in a month. That should give you enough time to settle things at home.” After hanging up, Lucas’s call came through. “Mia, my friends want to come over tonight. Let’s have a little get-together, okay?” His tone was gentle, completely different from his cold voice in the theater. “Okay…” I struggled to control my emotions, trying to sound normal. “I knew you’d understand, baby.” Lucas’s voice echoed in my mind, mockingly. Lucas and I had been classmates since high school. Back then, our grades were neck and neck. We were both rivals and teammates. In college, he fell in love with extreme sports, while I focused on my studies but still accompanied him on his adventures. He said he loved my boldness, and I loved his sincerity and courage even more. Perhaps the Lucas of the past was too dazzling, which is why I couldn’t let go for so long. But he chose to hurt me without hesitation for Rachel Sullivan. That night, Lucas brought the group from the theater back to our home. I pretended I still couldn’t see, carefully asking, “Lucas, is that you?” Lucas glanced at me, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. “It’s me, baby. I brought some friends over.” Several disgusting gazes roamed over my body. “Sister-in-law is quite a beauty,” one of them said, his tone filled with malice rather than compliment. They sat down in the living room, and I quietly sat to the side. At first, they chatted about other things, but suddenly, my intimate video was cast onto the TV screen. They boldly watched the video in front of me, but muted it so I wouldn’t notice. My hands clenched into fists, nails digging into my palms as I struggled to control my emotions. As they watched my video, they kept eyeing me lecherously, grinning. My body trembled uncontrollably. “Baby, what’s wrong?” Lucas asked. Once, when Lucas called me ‘baby,’ I would pretend to find it cheesy while secretly feeling sweet inside. Now, hearing those words only made my skin crawl. “It’s nothing, Lucas. I’m a bit tired. Can I go back to the bedroom?” Lucas studied me for a moment, seeming to sense something was off. He hesitated for a long while before letting his guard down. “Go ahead, baby. We’ll chat for a bit longer and then leave.” I nodded and made my way back to the room, holding onto whatever I could for support. Those sickening, leering gazes only disappeared after I entered the bedroom. “She’s quite a dish. Even hotter in person than in the video.” I leaned against the door, gasping for air. It felt like an invisible knife was piercing my arteries, leaving me bleeding profusely. That night, I lay quietly against the bedroom door. Lucas hugged me from behind, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Baby, are you asleep?” I didn’t respond, but my tears had already soaked the pillow. Early the next morning, Lucas left for work, and I went to the hospital alone.

“Your uterine wall is very thin. If you abort this child, there’s a high chance you won’t be able to conceive again.” I placed my hand on my belly. My nose stung with unshed tears. I’m sorry, baby. Mommy is so sorry. But I can’t keep this child. I have to do this for myself. An hour later, I was lying on the operating table. As the cold instruments entered my body, I slowly closed my eyes. When I left the hospital, there was no longer a little life growing inside me. I had originally planned to share this good news with Lucas on his birthday. But now, it seemed pointless. My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. “Baby, are you pregnant?” My heart skipped a beat. “I found your test results in a gift box at home. Baby, why didn’t you tell me earlier? Where are you now? I’ll come pick you up.” “At… at the hospital.” Soon, Lucas’s car pulled up in front of the hospital. He got out to help me. “Why did you come for a check-up alone? It’s dangerous.” “It’s fine…” Perhaps feeling guilty after learning about my pregnancy, he unexpectedly took me shopping for jewelry. Just as we entered the jewelry store, a familiar voice sounded from behind. It was Rachel Sullivan. “Sister Mia, what a coincidence!” “Rachel?” I didn’t respond. Back then, Rachel had attempted suicide just because I posted a photo on social media. If it weren’t for her suicide attempt, I would never have known she was deeply in love with Lucas. “Brother Lucas, what are you two up to? Can Rachel join?” “Sure.” Lucas was always like this. Whenever it came to Rachel, he would agree to anything. Rachel linked her arm with Lucas’s, and they walked side by side towards the counter. The sight stung my eyes. I gripped my cane tightly, my knuckles turning white. “You two make such a lovely couple,” the sales assistant said sweetly, as they often do when seeing couples. Lucas looked a bit embarrassed, finally noticing me behind him. “Please help her find a suitable bracelet.” The assistant paused but didn’t say anything. She took out a new design from the counter. “This lady has very delicate wrists. This bracelet would be perfect.” The assistant put the bracelet on my wrist. I pretended to feel it carefully. “Do you like it?” Lucas leaned down to ask. I nodded. Did I like it? How could I? “Brother Lucas, I want one too,” Rachel said, tugging at Lucas’s arm. “Please get me another one just like it,” Lucas said to the assistant. “I’m sorry, sir, but this is a limited edition. We only have one in stock.” “Brother Lucas, I really want this one.” Lucas glanced at me, then without hesitation, took the bracelet off my wrist. “Baby, let’s give this one to Rachel. We can choose another one for you.” Of course, she could have it. I’ve already given you to her anyway. Behind Lucas’s back, Rachel looked at me triumphantly, as if declaring victory. “Sister Mia, can I come home with you today? I’d love to taste your cooking.” I remained silent, waiting for Lucas’s response. “Of course you can. Mia, I know you can’t see, but Rachel doesn’t come over often. Don’t be so stingy.” He didn’t consider the danger of me cooking while blind. He only cared about what Rachel wanted. “Alright.”

Soon, I had laid out all the dishes on the table. In the living room, Lucas was watching extreme sports videos with Rachel. “Brother Lucas, when will we see you take on new extreme challenges?” “I don’t like it anymore. Haven’t since three years ago. But if Rachel wants to see, I could consider it.” Just like me, his once-favorite hobby was abandoned three years ago. Otherwise, how could he give up so easily? At the dinner table, the two chatted happily in front of me, completely ignoring my presence. Feeling unwell, I retired to the bedroom early. But I was soon awakened by Lucas’s angry shouts. “Mia Anderson! What did you put in the food?!” Lucas grabbed my neck and dragged me to the dining table. “You might be blind, but don’t you know Rachel is allergic to cilantro? Are you trying to kill her? How could you be so vicious!” Rachel looked weak at the table. In the past, I might have believed I had accidentally added her allergen. But now, I was absolutely certain I had never put cilantro in the food. “Brother Lucas, don’t blame Sister Mia. It’s my fault for being allergic to cilantro.” “I didn’t put any in!” I replied firmly. My definitive answer seemed to fuel Lucas’s rage. He flipped the table and slapped me hard across the face. “When did you learn to lie? How can you be so sure, you blind woman? Lying without even thinking it through.” With that, Lucas picked Rachel up in his arms and left our chaotic home. As they left, Rachel gave me a contemptuous look, mouthing the words, “You deserve it.” Lucas didn’t come home for many days after that. During those days, Rachel kept sending me photos of Lucas taking care of her. Her social media was also updated daily. “Being cared for like a child, so blissful.” “Even food tastes better when fed by the man you love.” I turned off my phone and burned all our photos together to ashes. It wasn’t fair that only I was trapped in memories, and it shouldn’t be. On the seventh day, Lucas returned. Seeing the house restored to order, a flash of guilt crossed his face. “Mia…” Lucas hugged me from behind once again. “I’m sorry. I know I was a bit too emotional the other day.” Lucas buried his face in the crook of my neck. Not every apology deserves forgiveness. “Lucas, do you like me?” My voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “I do.” “Then do you like Rachel?” Lucas frowned, pulling away from me. “Mia Anderson, Rachel is just my sister. Can you stop being so suspicious all the time? It’s annoying. I’m tired, you know?” “Okay.” Realizing his tone had become harsh, Lucas hugged me again to comfort me. “Mia, how about we go out for some fresh air these next few days? Let’s go camping, okay?” I nodded. Seeing my obedience, Lucas smiled with satisfaction. It’s almost over, Lucas. We’re nearly done.

Every time Lucas took me out to relax, I used to be excited for days. But this time, my heart couldn’t stir even a ripple. As we drove along, Lucas seemed very happy. I just quietly watched the changing scenery outside the window. “Lucas.” “Hmm?” Hearing me call his full name, he seemed a bit uncomfortable, furrowing his brow. “Do you still like extreme sports?” “I used to love it, but that kind of passion has an expiration date.” Does that include me too? But I never voiced that question. I should have realized earlier that he had long lost his former courage and passion. Soon, the car entered deep into the mountains. The scenery here was beautiful, but few people ventured this far, perhaps because it was too remote. Lucas didn’t let me do anything, setting everything up himself. For a moment, I thought I saw that radiant boy from the past. At night, Lucas held me as we sat under the stars. “Baby, I know you can’t see, so let me describe it to you.” Lucas described the starry sky to me, while my heart was in endless turmoil and pain. I couldn’t even tell which was the real him anymore. “Lucas, if you lost me one day, what would you do?” But this question was drowned out by the sound of a ringing phone. Seeing it was Rachel, Lucas immediately answered. “Brother Lucas, I’m so scared. Can you come and stay with me?” Lucas turned to look at me, hesitating for a few seconds. During those few seconds, I was in utter torment. I stared straight ahead, maintaining the appearance of being blind. “Rachel, wait for me. I’ll be right there,” Lucas said soothingly. “Baby…” “Go ahead.” “I knew you’d understand. Wait for me, I’ll be back soon.” Lucas left. The moment he departed, the surroundings became terrifyingly quiet. My eyes were brimming with tears. I looked up at the sky he had described. There wasn’t a single star, only a blanket of dark clouds. All the beauty was just his fabrication. How foolish had I been these three years? In his eyes, I was probably nothing more than a clown. I sat there dazed all night. At dawn, I opened my phone. The first post on social media stabbed my eyes. It was a photo of Lucas holding Rachel’s hand tightly as they slept peacefully. Their ambiguous relationship, disguised under the name of siblings, went far beyond acceptable boundaries. Everything was so sickening. As daylight broke, my tears had dried up. I stumbled down the mountain, each step feeling like it took all my strength. When I arrived home, I found Lucas and Rachel watching an extreme sports documentary in our living room. It was the documentary Lucas and I had treasured from our past. Seeing me, Lucas was startled, as if suddenly remembering something. “I’m sorry, baby. I forgot. Are you hurt?” “No,” I replied, my voice calm and indifferent. “I’m really sorry, Sister Mia. It’s all my fault. Otherwise, Brother Lucas wouldn’t have left you alone,” Rachel said. I didn’t respond, heading straight to the bedroom. “Mia Anderson, I’ve already said I forgot by accident. Why are you giving Rachel the cold shoulder? If you have any complaints, take them out on me. Don’t hurt Rachel.” A slap followed by a sweet gesture – this had become Lucas’s norm. I closed the door tightly. In the afternoon, Rachel knocked on my door. “Sister Mia, let’s go out together.” I pressed my lips together, not responding. The next moment, Lucas kicked the door open. “Mia Anderson, what do you mean by not answering? Rachel has already humbled herself to ask you. What more do you want? You don’t have the status of a princess, but you sure have the temper of one.” I was forcibly dragged out. Walking side by side on the street, the two of them chatted happily, completely ignoring me. Suddenly, we heard the screech of brakes nearby. A car came speeding straight towards us. Instinctively, I reached out to grab Lucas. But Lucas hugged Rachel and threw themselves to the side, holding her tightly in his arms. I was hit by the car and thrown several meters away. It felt like my internal organs were shattering. I lay in a pool of blood, my consciousness fading. In moments of danger, a person’s instinctive actions reveal their true feelings. I was never… his first choice. How can love be divided between two people? Seeing me close my eyes, Lucas panicked. His hands trembled as he dialed for emergency services. “Mia… hang on a little longer.”

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In the twenty-third year since I was adopted by the Lewis family, everyone assumed I would marry Adam Lewis. But he thought I was beautiful yet brainless, far inferior to the intelligent beauty he met in college. I knew he probably didn’t love me, so when he went abroad as an exchange student with his smart female classmate, I agreed to an arranged marriage with the Chen family. After I got engaged to the eldest son of the Chen family, Adam returned. When he saw me with my fiancé, he went crazy. “Melody, didn’t you promise you’d only be with me? How could you break your word?” I was just about to enter Adam’s room with a plate of cut fruit when I heard laughter from inside. “Adam, when are you going to marry Melody?” “We heard your parents are practically hounding you about it. Last time you ran out in the middle of an experiment, it was to take your mom’s marriage-pushing call, right?” “Your family is interesting, adopting an orphan and still following the old ‘child bride’ tradition… But seriously, Melody has been devoted to you, only liking you from the beginning until now. As for her looks and figure…” Another burst of laughter erupted, mixed with suggestive undertones. “She’s just the type men like, and conveniently has an empty head. You can easily manipulate her to do whatever you want in the future. How perfect!” My hand, ready to knock, froze. My heart sank. That’s right, everyone knew I liked Adam. But everyone also knew he didn’t like me. Sure enough, his voice rang out, clearly annoyed. “Whoever likes her can have her. I won’t marry her no matter what. Weren’t we going to play games? Are we still playing or not?” Adam didn’t want to discuss it, but someone always had to push the topic. “If you don’t like her, then it must be Cassy. Everyone knows our talented Cassy only smiles for you!” The teasing continued in waves. Outside the door, I stood holding the fruit, unable to move, feeling suffocated and miserable. Unlike his vehement denials when teased, Adam only chuckled lightly when Cassy was mentioned. Then came the sound of glasses clinking and chairs moving. The topic seemed to have been forcibly changed. I’m an orphan, adopted by the Lewis family when I was very young. From an early age, people joked that I was Adam’s future bride. Mom and Dad never stopped them, always smiling as they watched us, saying they were observing our compatibility. Later, when more people said it, Mom and Dad would ask me too. “Melody, would you like to marry Adam in the future?” “Yes!” After that, I followed Adam around like a little tail, but he always kept his distance. At the dinner table, he would push the food I put on his plate straight into the trash without even looking at it. When Mom and Dad asked him to pick me up from school, he ignored it. I would wait by the roadside until dark, then slowly walk home alone. When I saw him at school and greeted him, he acted as if he didn’t hear me, walking past me expressionlessly. Some people privately speculated about our relationship, but he always said he wasn’t familiar with me and not to associate us. I didn’t understand what I had done wrong to make him dislike me so much. I snapped back to reality, looking at the tightly closed study door, just like the barrier between Adam and me. He was inside, and I didn’t even dare to knock. I thought for a moment, then decided to take the cut fruit back to the kitchen, staring at the carefully arranged plate of fruit. “Well, well, what’s our little beauty hiding here for?” a frivolous voice sounded behind me, making me turn around sharply. I was startled by the voice behind me. I turned to see Paul, Adam’s friend, who was one of the people talking upstairs earlier. He leaned against the kitchen doorframe, his eyes shamelessly roaming over my body, a smile with unclear intentions on his lips. Seeing that I didn’t answer, Paul seemed to get more excited. He crossed his arms and walked a few steps closer to me, his gaze falling on me without any restraint. “But Melody, how do you have such a good figure… None of my girlfriends are as… hot as you.” The man’s slightly flirtatious comments made me frown instinctively. I was about to leave when Paul suddenly grabbed my arm. “Where are you going?”

Paul snickered and leaned in closer to me, grinning. “Little sister Melody, you’d be better off with me! How could someone like Adam ever like a pretty face with an empty head like you?” He looked me up and down, his gaze so blatant it was as if he was undressing me with his eyes. “The one standing next to him will only be someone like Cassy. That talented beauty next to Adam is what you call a perfect match. Standing next to you, it’s like a young master with his servant girl. Do you understand the difference?” The contempt in Paul’s tone was undisguised, his equally disdainful gaze falling on me. Paul’s words made my face turn pale. But it’s possible that I understood this point even more clearly than he did. I had actually seen Cassy before. Once, Mom asked me to bring something to Adam at his university. I searched all the way to Adam’s lab and saw him smiling in a way he had never shown me, listening attentively to a girl with a high ponytail opposite him. The two stood side by side, discussing complex formulas that I couldn’t understand at all. I watched them through the glass window. The two seemed to be in a world of their own, with no room for anyone else. They also looked very compatible, like formulas arranged together, always without a place for me. That day, I handed the things to Adam’s classmate without even thinking of going in. Come to think of it, I was just an adopted daughter of the Lewis family. I was already incredibly grateful that they had given me a second chance at life. How could I dare to go along with Mom and Dad’s jokes and think that I was worthy of Adam? Just as I was lost in thought, Paul suddenly let go of my arm and pulled me into his arms! “What are you doing!” I cried out, instinctively pushing him away hard. In the struggle, my elbow hit the drying rack at the edge of the sink. The plates on it fell into the sink with a loud clang. Paul’s arms were like iron clamps, gripping me so tightly that I couldn’t break free. “Let go of me!” I saw a flash of satisfaction cross Paul’s face. In my panic, I heard hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. Adam and a few other friends appeared at the kitchen door, probably alarmed by the noise. When Paul saw them, he let go of me as if he had been electrocuted. He quickly stepped back and immediately put on a surprised and angry expression, pointing at me. “Adam! Look at her!” His voice was loud, filled with accusation. “I just saw her standing here in a daze and came over to check on her out of kindness. She suddenly threw herself at me and hugged me!” He laughed coldly, his sharp gaze sweeping across my face. “What? Can’t get Adam, so you’re trying to seduce me? Want to be a daughter-in-law of the Phillips family? Melody, you’re really overestimating yourself!” “That’s not true! He was the one who…” I hurriedly tried to explain, my whole body shaking as I attempted to clarify what had just happened. But no one gave me a chance. The few friends who had come down with Adam looked back and forth between Paul and me with suggestive gazes, smiles on their faces as if they were watching a good show. They clearly believed Paul’s twisted version of events. Adam’s face was terrifyingly dark, his gaze falling on me like knives, filled with undisguised disgust and impatience. “Enough!” He harshly cut off my unfinished words. “Melody, look at yourself! Go back to your room and change your clothes! Stop embarrassing yourself here!” Embarrassing myself? I lowered my head instinctively. Only then did I realize that during the struggle, water from the sink had splashed out, soaking a large part of my chest. The thin summer fabric clung to my body when wet, clearly outlining the curves of my chest. I instinctively covered my chest with my hands, still able to hear a few laughs from around Adam. Embarrassment and overwhelming grievance instantly broke through my last line of defense. He didn’t even think about listening to my explanation. I rushed out of the kitchen, almost fleeing back to my own room.

After returning to my room, I changed my clothes as quickly as possible. At the same time, I heard the commotion outside getting quieter, as if Adam had taken his friends and left the house. I sat on the bed, tears falling uncontrollably. In high school, it was no secret that Adam and I lived under the same roof. People often joked that I was Adam’s child bride. It happened so often that Adam finally snapped, slamming down the book in his hand with a cold face. “I don’t like idiots. Stop associating us in the future.” Compared to someone like Adam who was always at the top of the class, I was indeed not very smart, always hundreds of places behind him in rankings. I knew what Adam said was true, but I still felt sad inside. Even studying hard at home in private didn’t help much, and I didn’t dare ask Mom and Dad for tutoring. Instead, it was Adam who accidentally saw me studying at home and casually tossed me his unused notes. The top student’s notes were indeed helpful. My grades improved significantly, and I attributed it all to Adam’s notes. At that time, I used my saved pocket money to prepare a beautiful notebook for Adam, secretly placing it in Adam’s desk drawer. But I never imagined that when Adam took out the box with my name on it, the notebook had turned into lingerie. I still remember Adam getting angry. In front of the whole class, with an ashen face, he threw that box along with its contents hard at me. “Melody! Can’t you have some self-respect? This is outrageous!” The box hitting me really hurt. I was slow to react, watching the bright red lingerie fall to the ground, feeling a chill from head to toe, not understanding why my gift had turned into this. Suppressed laughter and whispers immediately erupted around us. I was at a loss for words, feeling my face burn hot. Adam’s embarrassed and angry gaze made me feel even more cornered with nowhere to hide. That incident ended with me being forced to transfer schools amidst all the gossip at school. Fortunately, Mom and Dad believed me. They knew I wasn’t the kind of person who would do such a thing. Only Adam, from that day on, looked at me with nothing but cold disgust. The already thin relationship between us completely broke, becoming increasingly estranged. That night, Adam and his friends didn’t come back. Mom and Dad were out of town and hadn’t returned. I was scrolling through TikTok when I unexpectedly came across a video of Adam. On the screen, against the background of a noisy bar, the camera was focused on Adam. Someone holding a phone asked loudly, “Adam! Tell us now! Melody or Cassy, who do you choose?” In the video, Adam seemed to have had a bit to drink, but his eyes were still clear. He didn’t even hesitate for a moment, a careless smile on his lips. “Cassy.” Decisive and straightforward. The screen went dark, leaving only my pale face. From then on, I started deliberately avoiding Adam. When he came home on weekends, I would find various excuses to stay at school. Even on days when I had to go back, I tried to stay in my own room as much as possible, reducing the chances of running into him. We became like two parallel lines living under the same roof, never intersecting. But Adam changed a bit. In the past, he never cared about any of my social media posts, but these days he started frequently liking my posts on Facebook. I don’t know how many times I picked up my phone, saw the scenic photos Adam had liked, thought for a moment, and still chose to delete them. Along with the other posts Adam had liked in the past few days. It was as if doing this could really make our relationship return to something purely platonic. But no matter how much I tried to avoid him, when I received a call from Mom and Dad saying I had to come back for dinner tonight, I had no choice. “Melody, your brother has decided to go abroad as an exchange student for a while. Come back tonight, we’ll have a farewell dinner as a family.” I didn’t know how to feel. Perhaps it was relief. If he left, I wouldn’t have to hide so carefully anymore. I couldn’t refuse Mom and Dad again, so I had to go home reluctantly. But as soon as I got home and opened the door, I saw a girl with delicate features standing with Adam. When they heard the sound and looked at me, Adam hadn’t had time to retract his doting smile for her. My gaze lingered on the girl. Wasn’t it supposed to be a family dinner tonight? But why… why was Cassy here?

“You must be little sister Melody? I’ve often heard Adam mention you.” Cassy was beautiful. She took the initiative to shake my hand, then familiarly linked her arm with mine. The moment he saw me come back, the smile on Adam’s face disappeared without a trace, and he turned to enter the kitchen. Cassy was lively, talking about how she was about to go abroad with Adam as exchange students, and might even share an apartment with him in the future. “Adam is so attentive and considerate. He even suggested we live together, worried about my safety as a girl alone. Your brother is really a good man.” I forced myself to squeeze out a smile uglier than crying. “Yes, he’s very good.” Very good indeed, so good that I’ve been chasing after him since childhood, yet I can’t even touch his shadow. I was so immersed in my own thoughts that I didn’t even hear clearly what Cassy said afterwards. At that moment, I just nodded and said “good” mindlessly, not realizing that Cassy had just asked me if I thought it was good for her and Adam to be together. “Dinner’s ready.” I instinctively looked up and saw Adam, who had returned without me noticing, standing in the hallway not far away, his gaze heavy as he looked at me. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly averted my gaze. Mom and Dad’s attitude towards Cassy’s presence was lukewarm, only polite at best. Cassy kept trying to liven up the atmosphere, but neither Adam nor I said a word. Just then, a pair of chopsticks reached over, placing a glistening piece of sweet and sour ribs in my bowl. I froze, looking up at Adam. A nameless anger suddenly surged in my heart. I silently used my chopsticks to push that piece of rib he had picked for me to the side. My heart felt sour and bitter. He had always disliked me, even hated me a little. Why did he have to create this illusion of caring about me before he left? After dinner, Adam got up to send Cassy home. I returned to my room to sort out some seasonal clothes. As I passed by the living room, I heard Mom and Dad’s lowered voices coming through the slightly ajar door. “…It seems Adam really doesn’t like Melody.” It was Mom’s voice, tinged with a sigh. Dad was silent for a moment before saying, “You can’t force love. We can’t push the kids too much. We’ve always said the two of them would be together when they grow up, thinking that from childhood to adulthood…” Mom continued, “That’s true. By the way, the Chen family brought up the marriage arrangement again a few days ago. I think that Chen boy seems quite steady…” “Mm, I’ve met the Chen boy a few times. His character and abilities are not bad, and his family background is comparable. It’s just that I don’t know if Melody…” Yes, Adam doesn’t like me. Everyone knows that. Even Mom and Dad have finally given up. That’s good. I know Mom and Dad’s business hasn’t been going well lately. The Chen family is someone Mom and Dad want to partner with. If I can play a role in this, it’s a way to repay Mom and Dad for raising me. I took a deep breath and pushed open that slightly ajar door. Mom and Dad looked at me in surprise. I tugged at the corners of my mouth, putting on an obedient smile. “Dad, Mom.” “I’m willing to get engaged to the Chen family.”

The day I met Noah Chen was the same day Adam left for abroad. After that dinner, Adam and I returned to our clearly defined boundaries, though I could feel Adam looking at me several times, but when I turned around, I only saw his back. I met Noah Chen. As the only son of the Chen family, I had often heard about him. He was wild in his youth, but before he even graduated from high school, he had helped his family secure a big project. From the start of college, he had been working part-time at his family’s company while studying at a top domestic university. When Noah saw me, he couldn’t stop smiling. I’ve always felt a bit awkward around good-looking people who act unpredictably like him. So when he rested his chin on his hand and looked at me lazily, I couldn’t help but ask a question. “Why… do you want to…” Get engaged to me. Noah also smiled and gave his answer, “Because you’re beautiful!” I didn’t quite understand. If it’s just about looks, there are so many people more beautiful than me. But at that moment, what flashed through my mind were the words Adam’s friend had said. “…The type men like, and conveniently has an empty head. You can easily manipulate her to do whatever you want in the future. How perfect!” I didn’t say anything more. From the moment I agreed to Mom and Dad’s proposal, I had treated my marriage as a transaction of gratitude. So whatever Noah wanted in the future, I would go along with it. But Noah turned out to be quite different from what I had heard. Before, I had heard that Noah was flirtatious and unreliable, full of nonsense that you couldn’t tell was true or false. I agree with the part about him being full of nonsense. Otherwise, this guy wouldn’t send me a message saying he was going on a business trip and how tired he was, and then appear outside my school leaning against his car the next second. Noah always found various reasons to ask me out on dates. Today is the one-week anniversary of our engagement, today is some random holiday, today is the one-month anniversary of our first meeting… He always came up with new ideas, whether it was picking me up from school or coming to my house to pick me up, always in a high-profile manner. At first, Mom and Dad were worried that we wouldn’t get along well, but when they saw me glaring at him and then unable to hold back a smile, they started smiling along with us. And I seemed to be getting more and more used to Noah’s presence. He never joked about my looks or figure like others did. He sincerely praised my A+ grade report, and affirmed my clumsy but hardworking interest in learning to make clothes. He also didn’t spare his time, accompanying me to the library, to small diners, doing many things that Adam would find a waste of time just hearing about. And I also seemed to be more adapted to having him around, even adapted to the point where I had forgotten how long it had been since I had thought about Adam, or instinctively started to hide when I heard Mom and Dad mention Adam at home.

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At the gala, I pressed my wine glass against Lucas’s bobbing Adam’s apple. “Why so quiet now, Mr. Seasons?” I teased. Lucas tilted his head away from the brim of the glass, avoiding the spilling wine. “Please behave yourself, Ms. Wilson.” Back home, Lucas’s cyborg knelt obediently at my feet to change my shoes. I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. He immediately offered his other cheek, his puppy-like eyes reflecting the ceiling light. “Do you want symmetry, Mistress?” he asked, nuzzling my calf affectionately. His wet, red tongue circled my palm. I withdrew my hand uncomfortably. He caught my wrist and pressed me against the cabinet. “Does it have to be Lucas? Can’t it be me, Mistress?” “Even if you have my body, you’ll never have my heart!” The young man beneath me, bearing a striking resemblance to Lucas, had tears in his eyes and a defiant expression on his face. That’s right, this was Lucas’s stand-in that I had found. I had asked him to imitate Lucas’s attitude towards me for authenticity. But at that moment, I suddenly lost interest. I got up swiftly, tossed him a check, and told him not to contact me again. He scrambled to his feet, wiping his face haphazardly. The silk robe slipped from his shoulder, revealing faint pink bite marks on his collarbone. “Sister, I’ve remembered everything you taught me…” he said, his voice trembling as he knelt by the bed like a wet puppy. He seemed about to say something to make me stay. “How much do you want?” I rubbed my temples, seeing his shocked expression. He was being so clingy and refusing to leave. Could it be that he actually liked me, rather than the check not being enough? He had indeed done well in every aspect. But he had done too well, like a puppet on strings. It made it hard for me not to feel disgusted when I was sober. Not at him. But at myself, for my dark desire for Lucas. And… at Lucas, for his hot and cold treatment of me. The young man, instead of naming his price as I had expected, clutched the check from the bed and rushed out of the room. I let out a small sigh of relief. As long as he didn’t cling to me, it was fine. Emma happened to come looking for me. She first surveyed my expression. Then her eyes darted to the messy bed sheets: “Wow, Olivia, you’re ruthless. I almost drowned in that kid’s tears at the door.” I wrapped the silk robe tighter around myself: “He was trying to imitate Lucas’s cold face, and it annoyed me. But when he doesn’t imitate, he doesn’t look like him anymore. It’s frustrating.” “You were the one who insisted on finding someone who looked like Lucas in the first place,” Emma said. She suddenly leaned in and poked my waist. “What’s this? Always restless for the unattainable?” I shuddered sensitively at my lower back: “Get lost.” “Seriously,” she lit a cigarette and held it between her lips, “what do you see in Lucas? He always has that deadpan expression.” “I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “There are just a few moments when I really like him, but most of the time, he’s just… meh.” Emma suddenly slapped my thigh: “I got it! What you need is a Lucas-themed merchandise that you can beat up without talking back—” “My brother said they’re developing a cyborg project recently.” She mysteriously gave me an official website link. “Why don’t you try customizing a Lucas cyborg to bring home?” I carefully read the content on the webpage several times. Finally, I clicked the “Apply for Appointment” button. A pop-up window informed me that I didn’t have the qualification for testing. Emma scratched her head awkwardly: “Ah, maybe it’s not open to the public. Want me to put in a word with my brother?” I threw the tablet back into her arms: “And let your brother know I want to create a cyborg of his best friend?” “Wrong! It’s a 24/7 on-call youthful version of CEO Lucas!” I shook my head: “Forget it. I’ll ask someone if I can buy a test qualification.” The late-night transfer notification sounded, and I smirked at the purchase agreement. An encrypted clause flashed at the bottom of the agreement: This product is equipped with an emotional reflection system. If abnormal pain feedback is triggered, immediate destruction is recommended.

The cyborg arrived faster than I had imagined. In just a week, it was standing in my living room. I looked him up and down, legs crossed. This face was like it had been peeled right off Lucas’s. But something felt off, I couldn’t put my finger on it. I could clearly feel he was different from Lucas… “Mistress.” When he lifted his head, the third button of his white shirt popped open. Well, maybe I just liked Lucas’s face, not him as a person. This cyborg was much more pleasing to the eye than Lucas himself. “Come here,” I crooked my finger at him. He obediently crawled to my feet on his knees, his tight uniform accentuating his well-built physique. “Do you know who you are?” I lifted his chin with the tip of my shoe. “Say something nice.” “Woof.” He suddenly nuzzled my ankle, offering his neck to my palm, his warm breath tickling my wrist. “I’m Mistress’s puppy.” This kind of address was a bit embarrassing… I suddenly gripped his earlobe hard. The man before me trembled, his eyelashes quivering. I walked towards the bathroom, my silk robe trailing behind me. “Change the bed sheets to the ice silk set.” Even with the shower at full blast, it couldn’t wash away the heat in my chest. Through the frosted glass, I could see his silhouette stretching taut as he made the bed. “Does Mistress prefer to sleep on her side or back?” he asked through the door crack, his voice as sticky as melted chocolate. I yanked open the bathroom door, water droplets splashing on his face: “You talk too much. Want to come in and scrub my back?” He took half a step back and turned away. The way his ear tips flushed red was fresher than Lucas. How strange, can a cyborg feel shy? I chuckled and slammed the bathroom door shut. “Go charge yourself.” In the steamy bathroom, I could hear his muffled voice from outside: “Mistress, puppies don’t need to charge. They just need to eat.” Well, quite advanced then. After showering, it was naturally time for bed. “You can leave now.” I kicked the back of his knee while drying my hair. He unexpectedly hugged my leg and nuzzled it. “Mistress, can the puppy sleep on the carpet in Mistress’s room?” The residual water on my leg was evaporated by his body heat. I gripped the back of his neck: “Lucas himself doesn’t have such thick skin.” When he looked up, his collarbone knocked against my knee, and he suddenly let out a muffled groan. I stared blankly at the reddening skin—this cyborg was made quite realistically, it could even bruise.

Early in the morning, I smelled the aroma of breakfast. I got up and washed lazily, only to see Lucas gently holding my toothbrush by the bed. Damn, I saw a ghost first thing in the morning. Oh, no. This should be the cyborg I bought. I was a bit confused from sleep. Hmm, the little cyborg is quite considerate. He even knows how to make breakfast. I was very satisfied and decided to give him a five-star review later. As the little cyborg was putting dewy roses in a vase, the doorbell rang frantically. Emma rushed in carrying bags of stuff. “What the hell? Lucas, why are you here?” She pointed at the little cyborg and laughed uncontrollably. “And wearing a freaking pink apron? Have you gone crazy?” I couldn’t stand it anymore and interrupted her. “This is the cyborg produced by your company.” “Oh…” She carefully examined him for a full circle, “Hey, but I remember last month when I went to the factory, those cyborgs still looked like silicon dolls…” She reached out and plucked a hair from the little cyborg’s head: “Damn, no way, is it this realistic? Such a big technological progress in just a short month?” “Olivia, are you sure you didn’t bring the real Lucas here to fool me?” I’ve had enough. If I could get the real Lucas, why would I order a cyborg? “Mistress, she doesn’t seem to like your puppy.” The little cyborg crouched at my feet, covering his plucked hair with a hurt expression. Emma spat out a mouthful of tea: “Damn, Olivia, I really underestimated you. You’re into such kinky stuff in private?” “I haven’t even asked you yet, is this cyborg from your company proper?” I laughed angrily: “I haven’t input any commands yet, he came with these factory settings.” Emma awkwardly rubbed her nose: “No way, my brother can’t be this perverted…” “Oh well, forget it. Look what good stuff I brought you!” She excitedly opened up the pile of things she brought. I only took one glance and felt my face burning. I immediately averted my gaze. “What… what kind of stuff did you bring!” “Hehe, I was worried they wouldn’t be useful.” She smirked, “But since this cyborg is made so realistically, the things I brought will definitely ensure your happy life together!” I stuffed everything back into her arms. “Go, go, go, take these things and leave quickly. I don’t need that function!” “Tch.” She walked out while looking back and shouting, “I’m not laughing at you, what’s there to be embarrassed about!” The little cyborg’s wet eyes stared at me: “Mistress, the puppy can…” “Shut up, you can’t!” This face is really unfair… He tilted his face slightly upwards: “Does Mistress really not need it?” I fled back to the bedroom, leaving the little cyborg outside the door, using my cold hands to cool down my burning cheeks. I could faintly hear the little cyborg laughing downstairs. God, don’t be fooled by this cyborg!

Last time with that stand-in was considered an amicable breakup, after all, he accepted my breakup fee. So I didn’t block his contact information. Who knew I would receive a text message from him. [Can we meet? Sister, I want to have dinner with you.] Tsk, a bit troublesome. I carelessly tossed the phone onto the bed. Oh well, it’s just a meal. Let’s see what he wants to do. Seeing me dressed up, the little cyborg came forward and asked: “Is Mistress going out? The puppy can accompany Mistress.” If we ran into acquaintances outside, I wouldn’t be able to explain clearly. So I refused him and told him to take care of my garden at home. But clearly, I underestimated the little cyborg’s level of “loyalty”. When Alex carefully cut the steak and handed it to me, I saw the little cyborg’s figure flash by. He disobeyed my order? This moment of distraction was noticed by Alex. He followed my gaze: “What is Sister looking at?” “Nothing, why did you ask me out?” The young man’s beautiful almond eyes rippled with moisture: “Sister, can you not abandon me… I mean, I can pretend to be whatever you like…” “That check last time was for five million, right? Not enough?” I frowned. “I don’t want money! I just want to be with Sister!” Alex gently hooked my fingertips. “I didn’t cash that check, I can return it to Sister…” Before he could finish, someone interrupted. “Excuse me, sir, please mind your manners.” The little cyborg glanced at his face with disgust. Alex hurriedly wiped the wine splashed on his wrist watch, clearly mistaking my little cyborg for Lucas himself. “So this is why Sister doesn’t need me anymore?” The young man’s voice was filled with disappointment. “Mm.” I didn’t explain, but went along with it instead. Sorry Lucas, I’m borrowing your name for a moment! Alex’s fork clattered onto the porcelain plate. It was then that I noticed he was wearing a moon-white turtleneck sweater today, which made the bite marks on his collarbone look like red plum blossoms on snow. “Sister…” He had just opened his mouth when the little cyborg interrupted. “Do you need me to help you make an appointment with a dermatologist?” The little cyborg suddenly took out his phone, “Scar removal injection or laser?” When did this little cyborg learn to be so sarcastic? Alex’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the knife and fork. He suddenly threw his head back and gulped down half a glass of red wine. As his Adam’s apple bobbed, the wine trickled down his chin into his collar: “Sister… you clearly liked me that night.” I was poking at the salad on my plate when I heard this. I sneered: “What, are you trying to settle accounts with me now?” The little cyborg rolled his eyes and snorted coldly: “Seductive fox, always putting on an act to seduce people.” Alex was young after all, and was stung red-faced by these few words. I picked up my bag and stood up: “I’ll treat today.”

As soon as I left the restaurant, I was hit by a cold wind and shivered. He unbuttoned his coat and wrapped me in his embrace. The warm scent of sandalwood instantly filled my nostrils. I struggled to lift my head, but was pressed against his chest: “Mistress’s heart is beating so fast.” “Mistress kept staring at his neck earlier.” His canine teeth grazed my earlobe almost imperceptibly. “The puppy can be bitten too.” I shook him off and put on a cold face: “Why did you come out without permission?” The little cyborg froze in place, lowering his head and refusing to speak. I had no patience and directly opened the car door to leave. In the rearview mirror, I could still see him standing there watching me leave. His coat billowed in the wind, really looking like an abandoned large dog. In just two short days, I had already gotten used to the little cyborg’s company. That’s very bad. At night, I couldn’t sleep and remembered he hadn’t come home yet. Just as I opened the door, I saw the little cyborg curled up by the doorway with his head hanging low. “Can Mistress not abandon me…” His shirt was covered in dirt, and when he looked up, there were a few scattered rose petals in his hair. “I only have Mistress.” “Get in.” I tossed the door access card. His eyes suddenly lit up as he stumbled to his feet. Damn, I’m actually going soft on a cyborg. It must be because his face is too unfair… “Weren’t you quite capable of stalking me? Why act pitiful now?” Although I felt a bit sorry for the little cyborg, my words still came out harsh. The little cyborg grabbed my wrist and pressed it to his chest. An incredibly strong vibration transmitted from his chest cavity. I have to say, the craftsmanship of their company’s cyborgs is excellent, even recreating the heartbeat so realistically. “It hurts here, Mistress.” The little cyborg drooped his eyelids pitifully, looking like he was about to cry. Tears rolled down his lashes. “Can Mistress not hate the puppy?” My fingertips sank into his damp clothes, the pulsing under my palm growing faster. “The puppy knows he was wrong. The puppy will never do anything to make Mistress unhappy again…” His pleading eyes were filled with my reflection. He buried his face in my lap, but sneakily nuzzled into my chest. “Mistress, touch it. The puppy’s heart hurts so much.” He guided my hand inside his shirt. As my palm touched his warm skin, I suddenly withdrew my hand. He chuckled as if he had succeeded. Fine. After all, he’s just a cyborg programmed to love me. The meaning of his existence is to love me. What bad intentions could he have? I finally gave in. “Sister.” He nuzzled my nose and murmured, his wet eyelashes brushing across my face. This form of address made me shiver all over like an electric current. “The places that fake touched…” His fingers slid down from my collarbone, “Do they need to be disinfected?”

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I have a scar on my chin that extends down to my neck. It’s a remnant from a childhood accident when Lucas threw a firecracker that exploded near me. His mother dragged him to apologize, and he planted a kiss on my bandage. “Sophia, I’ll take responsibility for you,” he said solemnly. Ever since then, I’ve been terrified of firecrackers. Fortunately, Lucas, the “culprit,” would always be there to cover my ears. He promised, “Sophia, don’t be afraid. Every New Year’s Eve, I’ll be right behind you.” Years later, under a sky full of fireworks, he kissed the company’s new fireworks designer. I watched from afar, the scar on my chin burning with a dull ache. The day I discovered Lucas’s affair, I happily went to his office to bring him lunch. In the elevator, I carefully hid the pregnancy test results under the lunchbox, planning to surprise him later. When I entered his office, a well-dressed young woman was sitting there. As soon as I walked in, their intertwined hands quickly separated. “Hello, I’m Emma, the new fireworks designer. I was just discussing some details with Mr. Thompson,” she said with a smile. There was a design sketch between them, with colors so beautiful it seemed unreal. “I’ll leave you two to talk,” Emma said as she left the room. After she left, Lucas pulled me into his arms, habitually caressing the scar on my chin. “Why did you come suddenly without letting someone pick you up?” I didn’t respond. He picked up the design sketch again. “Do you like it? It’s for your 23rd birthday gift.” I love watching fireworks but I’m terrified of the explosive sounds. Lucas built an amusement park for me and even constructed a private viewing platform where I could see the best fireworks without being too close to them. Our love story was featured on the park’s website homepage, attracting many visitors. “I’ll set them off for you on your birthday, okay?” he said, kissing my forehead. “I need to go inspect the park now. You should head home first,” he added, as if on cue, there was a knock on the door. “Mr. Thompson, we need to leave now,” came a voice from outside. I let go of his hand, and Lucas called a cab for me. “Driver, could you turn around and go to Starlight Amusement Park instead?” I asked once I was in the car.

This amusement park was Lucas’s proposal gift to me. “Sophia, I’ll watch fireworks with you for the rest of our lives,” he had promised. Those words still echoed in my ears, but now all I could think of were those intertwined hands I had seen earlier. I took out a mirror from my bag, seeing the scar deeply embedded in my skin, a part of me now. I easily made my way through the employee entrance to my private viewing spot, which was messily decorated with string lights and flowers. Lucas came running from behind, out of breath. “Sophia, didn’t I tell you to go home and rest? Now you’ve seen the surprise early.” I reached out to wipe the sweat from his forehead. “Why are you in such a hurry? I just felt cooped up and wanted to take a walk.” “Alright, you go back to your work. I’m heading home,” I said. Lucas breathed a sigh of relief as he watched me walk away. What he didn’t know was that I had already seen the security guard’s large-print chat window. “Mr. Thompson, your wife is heading towards the viewing platform.” I wandered around outside for the rest of the day, timing it so I would arrive just as the fireworks show was starting. I bought a full-price ticket to enter the park. Unlike what I had seen at noon, the viewing platform was now beautifully decorated. The new fireworks designer, Emma, was standing with Lucas. They looked just like a couple celebrating their anniversary at the park. As the fireworks exploded, I covered my ears. Lucas pulled Emma into his arms and kissed her lips the next second. The two kissed passionately. The fireworks became a romantic backdrop. And so did I. “Lucas, thank you for preparing all this for me,” Emma said softly. Lucas’s face was full of tenderness. “This park was built for you. Isn’t your dream to let more people see your fireworks?” My heart sank, and the family pass card in my hand dug into my palm. Emma giggled playfully. “Wasn’t it built for Sophia?” “Look at her, does she deserve it? I have a responsibility to her. Her face was disfigured because of me, and no one else would want her besides me.” “Such beautiful fireworks should be paired with a beauty like you.” Lucas’s words felt like knives stabbing into my heart. With shaking hands, I started recording. “If Sophia knew, wouldn’t she be furious?” Emma asked. Lucas was silent for a moment, then poked Emma’s forehead. “Then let’s not let her know for now. Be careful at the company too. I can’t divorce her right now.” “The company is at a critical point, and the park needs the fairy tale story between Sophia and me.” Emma gave Lucas a satisfied kiss. “Then tonight…” Lucas smiled suggestively, picked Emma up in his arms, and walked towards the park’s hotel.

Sitting in the taxi, I played the recorded video over and over again. “Look at her, does she deserve it?” “Who else would want her besides me?” “You don’t know how disgusted I am every time I see her face.” “After slowly distancing myself from her for a few years, she’ll get tired and beg me for a divorce.” “In this love story, she can only be the one at fault.” In the hotel, Lucas was carrying Emma to the top floor. Fighting back tears, I called Lucas. “Hello? Sophia? What’s wrong?” he answered. Tears streamed down my face as I could hear Lucas’s suppressed breathing. “Sophia, go to sleep first. I had a few drinks today and I’m afraid I’ll smell of alcohol if I come back. Be good, okay?” He hurriedly hung up the phone, cutting off Emma’s coquettish voice. I cried uncontrollably. All these years, he had seen me as a burden, a flaw in his perfect reputation. The amusement park he built didn’t belong to me, the fireworks he set off didn’t belong to me. Even he had never belonged to me. I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the full-length mirror. The long scar extended from my chin to my chest. Right to my heart. Every time my heart beat, the tail of the scar moved with it. Every time in bed, Lucas would passionately kiss this scar. From top to bottom. “Is it ugly?” I had asked Lucas more than once. His response was always more intense movements. “Sophia isn’t ugly. This scar is the red thread of fate tying us together.” I thought we were in love. After that incident, Lucas followed me around for many years. Even my mom said, “Lucas is a kind-hearted, loyal boy.” In high school, many people mocked my scar as ugly. Some even gave me nasty nicknames. But Lucas never did. He would hold me in his arms when others bullied me. He would repeatedly emphasize that I was the most beautiful girl in his eyes. After getting into college, Lucas confessed to me with our acceptance letters in hand. “Lucas, my face is fine now. You don’t need to be with me out of guilt.” Actually, I felt insecure, but he pulled me into a small alley. He gently kissed the scar. “Sophia, do you really think I’ve been close to you all these years just because of guilt?” My heart sank, and I took the initiative to kiss his lips.

Lucas was handsome and had good grades. In college, he had more and more admirers. I personally saw a curvaceous junior shyly hand him a love letter. I also heard rumors about us around campus. To be worthy of him, I secretly made an appointment for plastic surgery. This scar was too long, so long that it reached my heart. When I was about to enter the operating room, Lucas rushed over and took me away. “Sophia, please don’t get plastic surgery, okay?” He said this scar was my psychological barrier. Even if it was removed, I would still be bothered by it. Only when I truly adapted to it would I have let go and forgiven him. He cried pitifully with red-rimmed eyes. I really believed that in that accident, not only was I hurt, but Lucas was too. Now I understand that Lucas wasn’t guilty at all. He needed me by his side to showcase his loyalty and devotion. I wrapped myself in a blanket, unable to sleep all night. At dawn, the door lock turned. Lucas walked to my side and tucked me in. “Did I wake you?” he asked. Lucas leaned in and kissed my forehead. I could clearly smell the shower gel on his body. There were faint red marks on his neck. All declaring their wild night. “Look what I brought back for you,” Lucas said. Lucas took out a basket of soup dumplings, my favorite. “Fresh out of the steamer. I went to queue up early in the morning.” I put one in my mouth, but the soup inside was already cold and had a fishy taste. It made me nauseous, just like Lucas. I couldn’t help but spit it out. Lucas anxiously patted my back. “Why are you feeling sick?” As if remembering something, Lucas tentatively asked, “Sophia, did you take your medicine these past few times? You’re not… pregnant, are you?” I shook my head in denial. Lucas let out a long sigh of relief. “The company isn’t stable right now. When I’m ready, we’ll have a child.” He spoke sincerely. If I hadn’t witnessed it myself yesterday, I would have been moved by the future he described.

Lucas leaned in and pecked me on the corner of my mouth. “Rest well at home. The new project has been keeping me busy lately. When it’s over, I’ll take you on a trip.” After Lucas left, I threw the basket of dumplings into the trash and wiped my mouth corner vigorously with a tissue. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. What I thought was a perfect love had ultimately turned into a bubble. I had Human Resources pull out Emma’s file. It showed that she had been interning at the company since before graduation, for a full six months now. For six whole months, the company had been their sanctuary. “Jasmine, Lucas is cheating on me,” I sent the message to my best friend, then collapsed on the sofa. Only about twenty minutes later, Jasmine appeared at my doorstep. “What happened?” she asked, panting and pouring herself a glass of water. “Who’s cheating? Your devoted husband?” I let out a cold laugh. Lucas’s act was so perfect that he not only fooled me but also the people around me. Seeing my swollen eyes, Jasmine’s shocked expression turned solemn. She pulled me into a hug. “Cry if you want to. Let it all out.” “That bastard, acting all proper usually, turns out he’s only good when he’s nailed to the wall!” I clung to Jasmine and vented my emotions. When I was tired of crying, I curled up in a corner, staring blankly. “What do you plan to do now?” Jasmine asked worriedly. “Whatever decision you make, I support you.” I touched my belly, thinking how this child came at such an inopportune time. “Jasmine, I’m pregnant.” Hearing my words, Jasmine grabbed a kitchen knife and was about to go find Lucas. I stopped her, smiling more painfully than crying. “It’s okay. Luckily, I found out early. Come with me to the hospital.” Lying on the operating table, tears flowed along my scar to my neck. I could feel the child flowing out of my body. Lucas called me the next day. “Sophia, why aren’t you at home?” “Jasmine is sick. I’m staying with her at the hospital for a few days.” Lucas casually told me to take care and hung up the phone. Jasmine came back with takeout lunch. “You’re in postpartum recovery now. Don’t cry. Eat up and get your strength back. Then we can go beat up that scumbag.” In the obstetrics ward, children’s cries filled the air. Thinking of my child who never had a chance to be born, tears fell into my soup. “It’s so bitter.”

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As my stepfather grabbed my hair and slammed my head towards the toilet, Zack appeared out of nowhere and kicked him to the ground. My teenage hero was like a gust of wind, blowing through my entire youth. Later, on the eve of confessing my feelings, I overheard his conversation with his friends. “Zack, I heard that Olivia secretly kissed you last week. Tsk tsk, you actually let that metal-mouth kiss you?” Zack’s nonchalant voice drifted from the private room: “Girls like that who are desperate for love will come running with just a crook of your finger. Besides, you have no idea how thrilling it is to get a blowjob from metal-mouth.” As my stepfather slammed my head towards the toilet, Zachary appeared out of nowhere and kicked him to the ground. My teenage hero was like a gust of fresh wind, blowing through my entire youth. Later, on the eve of confessing my feelings, I overheard his conversation with his friends. “Zach, I heard that Olivia secretly kissed you last week. Tsk tsk, you actually let that metal-mouth kiss you?” Zachary’s nonchalant voice drifted from the private room: “Girls like that who are desperate for love will come running with just a crook of your finger. Besides, you have no idea how thrilling it is to get a blowjob from metal-mouth.” I never imagined Zachary could say such things. In my heart, he was almost a heroic figure. But now, the laughter floating out of the room was so sharp and cruel. This conversation full of insults and mockery continued. Zachary’s voice came through, thick with alcohol: “Do you know how metal-mouth secretly kissed me?” He laughed crudely and lightly touched the corner of his lips: “That day I was napping on my desk, and she suddenly leaned down and kissed me right here.” Amidst the clinking of beer bottles, someone hooted: “Ooh, Olivia’s been secretly in love with you for seven years, she finally couldn’t hold back anymore.” “But Zach, you really let her kiss you?” “It’s all the same with your eyes closed.” He let out a satisfied sigh: “Her neck is sensitive though, she trembles at the slightest touch.” My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. I clutched my clothes tightly, afraid my tears would fall. This wasn’t the Zachary I knew. When my stepfather violently grabbed my hair and slammed my head towards the toilet, Zachary had grabbed the back of my stepfather’s neck with one hand and kicked him to the ground. My teenage hero had a thin frame, wearing only a school uniform. But he was left with an eternal scar above his eyebrow. I curled up in the corner, crying and apologizing to him. The setting sun slanted in, but he just raised an eyebrow at me and said carelessly: “You did nothing wrong. You don’t need to apologize to anyone.” Zachary was like a flame ignited in the snow – it only took an instant to burn through a foolish girl’s heart. But now, through the crack in the door, his voice was so clear. “Her parents don’t even want her. Girls like that who are desperate for love will come running with just a crook of your finger.” He chuckled: “Metal-mouth’s blowjobs are really something…especially when she cries and says no…tsk tsk.” The room erupted in raucous laughter. My body suddenly stiffened, and the tears I had been holding back finally fell. That’s right, I had almost forgotten. In the seventh year of my secret love for Zachary, we were still just ordinary friends. But I had kissed him anyway. And he had slept with me anyway.

From our teenage years to working as adults, Zachary had countless admirers over the years. And I was just the most unremarkable one among them all. The only thing worth celebrating was that I was quite persistent. In the seventh year of my secret love, I had at least become his ordinary friend. For me, being friends was enough. Someone as wonderful as Zachary deserved a goddess. My best friend tried to persuade me: “Olivia, are you stupid? Why waste your best years pining after just Zachary?” But she didn’t understand that falling for Zachary was the most natural thing in the world. He accompanied me through dark alleys, and from then on I was no longer afraid of stray dogs barking on the street. He got into fights with those who spread rumors about me, and after that no one in class dared call me “big boobs” or “cow” anymore. He rented an apartment with heating for me, and from then on I no longer feared my father’s fists. There was no one in the world who treated me better than Zachary. Later I would often secretly watch him play basketball in the hallway. I loved the way he tilted his head back to drink water, loved how his sweat dripped down his neck and into his collar. Love was like a raging fire, and I retreated step by step, until I was burned to ashes. Only now do I understand that the fire in a boy’s eyes is not a fixed star. Those scars he got from fighting for me, the hand warmers he secretly slipped into my desk – they were just ashes falling as shooting stars burned out. But in that moment, I truly felt like I had touched the moon. My phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Zachary. I answered, and his voice came through, slurred with alcohol: “Olivia, we agreed you’d come for my birthday today. Why aren’t you here yet?” “Everyone’s waiting for you. If you don’t come, my birthday won’t be any fun.” The drunk man whined at me: “And don’t forget to bring the scarf you knitted for me.” “I don’t care what anyone else gives me, I just want your gift.” I gave a bitter smile. Knitting a scarf as a birthday gift for your boyfriend had become popular on TikTok. At the time, Zachary had tagged me, strongly demanding that I knit one for him. “Come on Olivia, please agree? You know how much I hate the cold.” What cold could a 6-foot-tall man possibly be afraid of? I couldn’t refuse him, and it took me three months to barely manage to knit something resembling a scarf. I used to be best at handicrafts. But it had been so long since I picked up knitting needles, my technique was rusty. But he had forgotten – the video said this was for knitting a scarf for your boyfriend. And Zachary and I were just ordinary friends. I looked at the crooked, misshapen scarf in my hands. “Zachary, I have something to do, so I won’t be able to come celebrate your birthday.” “The scarf turned out really ugly, you probably wouldn’t like it anyway. I’ll just throw it away.” I hung up the phone. I had no home, no family. Back when we took the college entrance exams, I had scored over 30 points higher than him, but I willingly changed my major from fashion design to finance. All these years, I had treated wherever Zachary was as my home. But without love, this city was just too cold. I bought a plane ticket to Paris on my phone. Let’s just say that $1500 bought out my seven years of youth.

Ever since I threw away Zachary’s scarf, he never messaged me again. I knew he was angry with me. In the past, I would have coaxed him at times like this. But this time I didn’t want to bother anymore. Until our mutual friend Jack called me. “Olivia, you absolutely can’t miss this gathering. Listen, Zachary wants to introduce someone to us. As his friend, you can’t refuse to show your face, right?” Friend. Always just a friend. Even though I had secretly loved Zachary for so long, they were still certain that someone like him would never look twice at me. After a while, I reluctantly agreed. Zachary, let this be the last time I see you. I arrived early at the agreed restaurant, but the guest of honor was late to arrive. The restaurant was decorated very elegantly, with cute balloons even stuck to the walls. They had Hello Kitty designs. A shameful flutter of excitement suddenly rose in my heart. All these years, I was the only female friend Zachary had. For holidays and special occasions, he always gave me Hello Kitty gifts. He said I looked just like Hello Kitty, especially cute. But now, his whole group of friends were gathered around, and they had even queued up “Marry Me” to play. I unconsciously clenched my fists. My heart was pounding loudly. Zachary couldn’t be planning to confess to me, could he? “Sorry I’m late, everyone.” A lazy voice drifted over. I instinctively turned to look. The overhead lights shone on Zachary’s neatly trimmed hair as he greeted us, holding a girl’s hand. The girl had a face like a first love – very pretty. She shyly hid behind him. Zachary ruffled her hair and whispered something in her ear. Her face suddenly turned red, and she playfully hit Zachary. “This is my girlfriend, Tessa.” He sat down casually, pulling the girl with him. The private room immediately erupted in teasing shouts. “Ooh, so this is our little sister-in-law? She’s so cute!” I was stunned for a long time, unable to react. Belatedly, a sour feeling welled up in my nose. I was so stupid to think he was going to confess to me. I had thought that the reason Zachary hadn’t dated anyone all these years was at least partly because of me. Even if it was just a tiny part. But I had forgotten – he didn’t like me at all. Jack slammed his beer bottle on the table: “Zach, you’re not being fair! Isn’t this your high school deskmate? Come on, tell the truth, did you have a secret crush on her back then?” The teasing grew even louder. Someone switched the music from “Marry Me” to “Marry You”. Along with the music, Zachary cursed with a red face: “What are you talking about?! If I liked her in high school, why would it take until now to get her?” Someone pushed me. “Olivia, you were closest to Zachary in high school. Tell us, did he like little sis-in-law back then?” The laughter filling the room felt like shards of glass stabbing my ears. I forced my lips into a slight curve: “Is that so? I might not remember clearly. After all, Zachary and I were just ordinary friends.” It felt like a dull knife was cutting into my chest. How could I possibly not remember clearly when it came to Zachary? But back then, it wasn’t Zachary who liked Tessa, it was Tessa who liked Zachary. Unlike me, Tessa was open and direct about liking Zachary. Passing love notes, giving chocolates, causing a stir throughout the class. Zachary found her annoying and warned her off several times. In the end, when he really couldn’t stand her anymore, he used me as a shield. “Tessa, I already like someone.” The boy had one hand in his pocket as he casually put an arm around me. “Olivia isn’t even pretty, what do you like about her?” Zachary’s expression suddenly darkened: “I just like her, okay? It’s none of your business.” Tessa ran back to the classroom crying and never bothered him again after that. In that moment, I thought there must have been a grain of truth in Zachary’s joking words. Otherwise, why use me as a shield instead of someone else? But now it seems that was just thoughtless words spoken in our youth. They could be blown away by the slightest breeze. But I had foolishly taken them to heart. In the private room, they had started playing truth or dare. Zachary had lost several rounds and was drunkenly leaning against Tessa. His eyes were gentle, his expression adoring. He was just like that 17-year-old boy again. He and Tessa were whispering about something, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. I couldn’t watch anymore and fled the room like a deserter.

I hadn’t gone far from the private room when someone called out to me. “Olivia! Zach says you forgot something!” Zach. She said his name so intimately. I turned around to see Tessa, out of breath from running after me. “Here.” A dirty Hello Kitty keychain lay in her hand. “Zach said to return this to you.” She pouted: “I don’t know why a grown man would have a Hello Kitty keychain on his car keys. It’s so ugly.” She gave me a challenging smile: “But I got him a Hermès keychain instead, and he seems to really like it.” “This one is just too old and tacky.” I stared blankly at the keychain. In high school, when Zachary won an award in the physics competition, he had begged me to make him a little keychain. “Olivia, will you make me a Hello Kitty one?” “That way, when I hang it on my backpack, it’ll be like you’re with me.” Later when his career took off, the keychain moved from his backpack to his car keys. All these years, even as it got worn and damaged, he had never replaced it. But now he had taken it off his car keys. It felt like there was a hole in my heart, with the wind whistling through. I suddenly felt so tired. It was like a reminder – Olivia, your memories with him were just a huge illusion. I pressed my lips together, then suddenly smiled: “It is pretty old. If you don’t want it anymore, just throw it away.” Even though Zachary and I had never actually been together, his home was filled with traces of our life together. My toothbrush, my slippers, my makeup. He said it was more convenient that way, so I could stay over if we hung out late. But now that he had a girlfriend, I should clear out my things completely. As if I had never been part of his life at all. While packing up my things from Zachary’s place, I suddenly found a torn piece of lingerie. Black lace, very sexy. My thoughts drifted back to seven years ago. Puberty had hit me hard, bringing with it pointless mockery and insults. The thin school uniform couldn’t hide my overwhelming insecurity. My mom had run off with someone else long ago, and my so-called father did nothing but yell at me and hit me. I wore my mother’s old bras, hunched over, barely surviving amidst my classmates’ taunts. Until one day Zachary secretly slipped me a box. “I looked it up…you should wear this from now on…” The boy stared at the ground, his face red and uncomfortable. When I got home, I realized what Zachary had given me. It was a training bra. Pink, with Hello Kitty printed on it. Very cute. There was a thoughtful little note attached: “Those guys making crude jokes are disgusting. Olivia, don’t pay any attention to them.” Later when I grew up, I could no longer fit into that training bra. I kept it buried at the bottom of my closet, as if telling me I had finally escaped that damp, miserable adolescence. I grew to love beauty more, got braces, and switched to sexier lingerie. That way I could be a more suitable friend for Zachary. Until that drunken night when I mumbled to him: “Zachary, I really like you so much.” He was asleep, the sunlight shining on the scar above his eyebrow. I gently kissed it. Even now, I still hate that kiss. It broke down some barrier between Zachary and me. Things spiraled out of control after that. Zachary hadn’t actually been asleep at all. He opened his eyes, his gaze dark and intense. My heart dropped. Great, now we couldn’t even be friends anymore. But he suddenly kissed me roughly. That kiss burned away seven years of hurt and resentment, as if trying to make up for all the heartbeats we had missed. Zachary pressed me down, conquering every inch. By the end I could only curl up in his arms, crying softly. He chuckled and stroked my face, saying quietly: “Olivia, you’re so sensitive.” I thought my seven years of unrequited love had finally paid off. Blushing, I asked him: “Zachary, what are we now?” But he just raised an eyebrow carelessly: “Friends, of course.” “Though Olivia, I never realized how soft you were before.”

The memories left a bitter taste. I pressed my lips together and threw the lingerie in the trash. Just as I finished packing, the front door opened. The person who came in was drunk, stumbling towards me. It was Zachary. His face was flushed red as he slurred: “Olivia, why have you been ignoring me lately?” Zachary staggered and crashed into me, dangling a dirty keychain in front of my face. “Look, I picked up the trash you threw away.” It was snowing heavily outside. He had an intricately knit English plaid scarf around his neck. Hand-knitted, very delicate, with a little peach embroidered on it. I suddenly remembered the scarf I had knitted for Zachary. Very crude stitching, hideously ugly. But I had to admit, the scarf Tessa knitted suited him better. Zachary came closer and closer. I could clearly see the scar above his eyebrow. That was a hero’s medal. But only now did I realize that some people’s heroic dreams survive by feeding on others’ sincere hearts. “Tessa was just joking with you. She knows this keychain means a lot to me, since it was the first gift you ever gave me…” He suddenly hugged me, murmuring in my ear: “Sweet Olivia, let me hold you. I’m a bit drunk.” So what was I then? I shoved him away hard, tears falling uncontrollably: “Zachary, you have a girlfriend now. We’ve crossed a line.” He froze, then suddenly gave a mocking smile: “So what if I have a girlfriend? Does that stop you from still liking me?” In that instant, my heart turned upside down. I had always thought my feelings were so quiet and subtle. But it turns out Zachary wasn’t completely oblivious – he knew everything. He just enjoyed my affection for him. Because he knew my love came free of charge. It hurt so much. Too much. “Zachary.” I pried his fingers off one by one: “I don’t want to like you anymore.” I wiped my tears and clutched the boarding pass in my hand. “I won’t be coming back to this so-called home either.”

The boarding gate was crowded. As soon as I turned on my phone, it was flooded with missed calls from Zachary. I closed my eyes for a moment, then turned off my phone. In the past, I was always the one calling Zachary. On the rare occasions when he called me first, I would be overjoyed. Now seeing all these missed calls just irritated me. At 30,000 feet in the air, the light breaking through the clouds stung my eyes. I suddenly remembered altering Zachary’s school uniform when we were 17. He had hit a growth spurt then, and his uniform never quite fit right. After I finished the alterations, he blinked at me, his eyes crinkled with a smile: “Olivia, you were born to be a designer!” Back then he said he wanted me to be his personal designer for life. We let our imaginations run wild, with all of youth ahead of us to paint our dreams. In the blink of an eye, seven years had passed. He was still as carefree and unrestrained as before, but I had lost the courage to keep accompanying him. We had journeyed together for a while, but now I needed to look ahead. I had wanted to go to Paris for a long time. My earliest dreams were buried there. I wanted to create clothing that more girls would love. Designs that wouldn’t make them criticize their own bodies, but help them accept themselves more openly. I spent the happiest month of my life in Paris. The city was vast, with no bitter unrequited love, able to contain all my dreams and ambitions. Practice makes perfect – I quickly got the hang of design and was hired as a junior designer at a company. The design director at the company was very kind to me. Even when my designs weren’t perfect, he would patiently guide me. He was very similar to how Zachary used to be. Equally proud and willful, wild and unrestrained. But Christopher had a gentleness that Zachary lacked. These past few days I had been unsatisfied with the design sketches in my hands. I thought Christopher would make me redo them, but he snatched the sketches from me instead. The mixed-race man leaned against the doorframe, a black turtleneck sweater hugging his long neck: “Narrow this part by two inches.” Christopher’s suggestion hit the nail on the head. I jumped up and grabbed the sketches back from him. “Christopher, you’re amazing!” He snorted with laughter: “Well, the student has to have the talent to understand.” “Sometimes when you’re stuck, don’t force yourself. Want me to help you find some inspiration?” Christopher raised an eyebrow at me. “Sure.” I heard the cheerfulness in my own voice. In an old bookstore by the Seine, he gently turned the pages of a book. A bittersweet feeling welled up inside me. This scene was so beautiful, like being back at age 17 again. At 17, Zachary hated studying but often pestered me to tutor him. But he would always end up falling asleep. Now as Christopher flipped through the book pages, the way the wind ruffled his hair, even the corners of his eyes and brows – it all looked just like 17-year-old Zachary. I pressed my lips together, but Christopher tapped my head with the book. “What are you thinking about so intently?” He suddenly turned his head, his nose almost brushing my ear: “Olivia, all the clothes you design are saying the same thing.” “What’s that?” My voice was a bit hoarse. “You can’t see me.” He smiled and patted my head. An indescribable ache burst in my chest. Just as I was about to say something, my phone rang. I accidentally hit the speakerphone button. A young man’s voice filled the bookstore. “It’s raining in Paris.” It was Zachary. A random statement, but tinged with a hint of grievance. My fingers unconsciously fiddled with the edge of a book page: “How do you know it’s raining in Paris?” Mixed with the sound of rain, his low chuckle came through the receiver: “Turn around.” The stained glass windows reflected a tall figure. Zachary stood in the rain, his voice low on the other end of the phone: “Olivia, you found a new man so quickly?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296360”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic

I had been with Lucas for eight years. Every Valentine’s Day, he would surprise Olivia with a special gift, trying to win her heart. In the eighth year, he finally succeeded. I tore up the wedding invitation he handed me and walked away. Later, when he burst into the office to confront me, I was just leaving with an ultrasound report in hand. He loosened his tie and smirked, “I haven’t touched you in two months! If you’re trying to compete for attention, at least come up with a better excuse.” I slammed the pregnancy test report on the table— Four weeks pregnant, coinciding with the night he was trying on wedding suits with Olivia. He stared at the date on the report, his Adam’s apple suddenly bobbing violently. It was our eighth Valentine’s Day together. As usual, I prepared dinner, waiting for Lucas to return after his failed attempt to win Olivia’s heart. This time was different. He didn’t come back. Because this time, he succeeded. On TV, my boyfriend was holding another woman in his arms, kissing her passionately in public. Gentle, restrained. A side of him I had never seen before. The image was so clear, I could even see his eyes reddening with emotion. In my freshman year, my father became addicted to gambling, losing not only our savings but also our only house. With no other choice, we had to move back to our hometown, and I was forced to transfer schools. One day, I was cornered in an alley by a group of girls. They surrounded me, raining punches and kicks on me while hurling insults like “slut” and “shameless.” I fought back like a trapped animal, but the more I resisted, the harder they hit. Just when I was feeling desperate, a voice suddenly came from the alley entrance: “I don’t hit girls. Don’t make me intervene.” He walked over, stood in front of me, and coldly told them: “Get lost.” That’s how Lucas entered my world, dazzling my entire youth. Snapping back to reality, I stiffly put down the soup bowl in my hand. I took out my phone and opened Instagram. The trending topics already included “Popular actress Olivia and Young CEO Lucas announce happy news!” Olivia had posted a response. 【I used to belong to everyone, now I belong to you. Please sign for the rest of our lives, no returns or exchanges! @Lucas】 With this post, the topic’s popularity skyrocketed. #LucasIndustriesOlivia# #PerfectMatch# Each hashtag mercilessly trampled on my self-esteem. In the comments section, countless people were celebrating. 【Can you share more sweet moments? We want to see your love!】 【I hereby declare today as the first day of my heartbreak!】 【You deserve the best love, we’ll always support you!】 I took a deep breath, my fingertips trembling as I closed the phone. Did I not care? How could I not? But I loved Lucas, loved him to the point of self-deprecation!

I tossed and turned in bed until dawn. When I went downstairs, I saw Lucas lying on the couch. His hair was a mess, his brows furrowed, probably feeling unwell. I ignored him and went straight to the kitchen to make breakfast for myself. Just as the water in the pot started to bubble, he suddenly pressed against my back, his alcohol-laden breath hot on my neck: “Headache. Make me some hangover soup.” I dodged his chin, “Go wait on the couch.” Instead, he tightened his grip on my waist: “Let me hold you for a while.” “You stink.” I struggled free, “You need a shower.” Lucas laughed and kissed the most sensitive spot behind my ear, “Wait for me.” While he went upstairs, I threw some ginger and brown sugar into the pot. As I stirred, my nose suddenly stung. For eight years, I thought I had warmed his heart. We ate together, went shopping like a normal couple, he remembered to give me birthday gifts, and even brought flowers on Valentine’s Day. Until I saw the live broadcast yesterday—him kneeling with a diamond ring, his hands shaking as he kissed Olivia. Only then did I realize that I was just a substitute all along. “Congratulations,” I put the hangover soup on the dining table. Lucas’s hand paused as he was drying his hair: “What do you mean?” “Congratulations on getting what you wanted.” He picked up the hangover soup, indifferently saying: “You saw the TV? Olivia’s been having some trouble lately, she needs a status to clear up misunderstandings.” I tried hard to control myself, not letting tears fall. “She needs status, but what about me?” Lucas’s voice was hoarse from the hangover, “Haven’t I been good to you all these years? Letting you live in the villa, giving you a credit card to use as you please…” “Lucas, am I just a kept woman in your eyes?” I angrily questioned, “Have I ever used your card?” Lucas was stunned. Before he could reply, I continued. “I buy groceries, cook, do your laundry, clean the house. Isn’t that more than enough to cover the rent?” He paused, the alcohol slowing his reaction: “You know that’s not what I meant. Olivia needs the title of Mrs. Shen to deal with the media, we…” “I don’t want to get involved in your affairs, but we need to clear things up between us. What exactly am I to you?” Lucas drank the hangover soup in one gulp, “What do you think?” “Not a couple! Not lovers!” My voice suddenly raised, “What exactly am I?” “Emmy.” Lucas stepped forward, taking my hand. “It’s just borrowing a status to deal with the media, you know the entertainment industry is complicated…” I pulled my hand away as if burned, “Did you ever consider my feelings?” “Emma. I told you, I’m just lending Olivia a status, we can still be together like before. You’re still my girlfriend.” “Lucas, do you think I’m a fool who’s easy to fool?” His pupils suddenly contracted, the bottom of the bowl hitting the marble countertop hard, “Don’t make a fuss. “When this is over, I promise…” His phone suddenly vibrated on the coffee table, Olivia’s selfie in a bathrobe flashing on the screen the moment it lit up. “Lucas…” A coquettish voice came from the phone, “My stomach hurts so bad…” As Lucas grabbed his suit jacket from the sofa, I suddenly remembered that snowy night three years ago. Before he fell unconscious from a perforated ulcer, he gripped my hand tightly and said: “Emmy, if I die, you’ll be the only beneficiary in my will.” But now his back as he rushed to the entrance, gradually overlapped with that blue figure being pushed into the operating room. “Emmy, Olivia’s pregnant, she needs my care more.” Lucas instructed me as he put on his shoes, “Wait for me to come back…”

The next morning, I had just sat down at my desk. Little Lin from the next table leaned over, lowering her voice mysteriously: “Emmy, did you see yesterday’s trending topics? Young CEO Lucas publicly acknowledged at the press conference that the baby in Olivia’s belly is his!” Before I could speak, Ms. Zhang snorted: “Hmph, who can be sure about things in the entertainment industry? One moment they say it’s movie star Jack’s, the next they say it’s Lucas’s. It’s all a mess.” “It must be Lucas’s!” Little Lin excitedly slapped the table. “Would someone of his status casually claim a child? Lucas has been pursuing Olivia for eight consecutive years, now he’s finally gotten his wish. If you ask me, this is true love!” Ms. Zhang raised an eyebrow, a meaningful smile on her face: “If you ask me, this child could be anyone’s. I heard Olivia was working on a film with Jack recently, and they were very close on set…” “But Lucas publicly acknowledged it…” Little Lin argued unconvincingly. I listened to their discussion, feeling a mix of emotions. Olivia was indeed pregnant, but the child wasn’t Lucas’s. The baby’s father, movie star Jack, was a married man, and his wife’s family was powerful. He wouldn’t, and couldn’t, acknowledge this child. Olivia stubbornly wanted to keep the baby, but was afraid the rumors online would affect her career. Lucas… he was quite willing to be the “fall guy”. I didn’t want to hear anything more about Lucas, so I got up to get coffee. Behind me, I heard Ms. Zhang’s lowered voice: “Hey, have you noticed that every time we mention Lucas, Emmy’s expression seems off…” Just as I had a moment of peace, the manager notified me to go to the meeting room to receive clients. The moment I opened the door, I froze. “Emmy, long time no see.” The woman wore sunglasses and a baseball cap, dressed very discreetly. But I still recognized her at a glance. Olivia, the popular actress. Also the woman Lucas had been proposing to for eight years. Lucas handed water to Olivia, saying softly: “The temperature is just right, drink up.” My heart ached, as if pricked by a needle. The usually carefree Lucas had never been so attentive to me. It turns out he wasn’t incapable of being considerate, his gentleness just never belonged to me. Olivia smiled at me and said: “Emmy, Lucas and I have decided to have the wedding soon. He says if we wait too long, the baby will be too big, and he’s worried I’ll get tired. Plus, it won’t look good in a wedding dress. “We’ll plan the wedding according to Lucas’s preferences, I like whatever he likes. You know Lucas best, so having you plan the wedding will definitely be twice as efficient.” “Oh, congratulations.” I said, then turned to leave without looking back. Lucas chased after me, cornering me at the stairwell, “Olivia is pregnant, can’t you be a little more considerate of her feelings?” “Taking care of her is your business, what does it have to do with me? I’m not her mother.” Lucas frowned, “Emma…” I didn’t want to hear him ramble, so I cut him off directly, “There are so many planning companies, please, find another one, okay?” “Your company has the best reputation in the industry, I want to give Olivia a dream wedding with no regrets. Besides, Olivia is right, you know us best, I feel at ease leaving the wedding to you.” “You’re sick.” I cursed and turned to leave. I was called to the manager’s office, “You know who just came, right?” “Oh, yes.” I replied indifferently. “One is the young master of Lucas Industries, one is a popular actress. Their wedding will not only bring us a lot of profit, but also greatly improve our reputation. “They specifically requested that you plan the wedding.” “I refuse.” “You don’t have the option to refuse. Otherwise, you and your team members can all get lost.” I returned to my seat, my emotions in turmoil. I didn’t understand why Lucas was being so cruel. He didn’t come home all night, and then prepared such a huge “surprise” for me. For eight years I loved him wholeheartedly, was he so confident because he was the one being loved? I couldn’t refuse this job, I could quit and leave. But what about the other team members? Most of them had elderly parents and young children to support. They were burdened with car loans and mortgages, I couldn’t be that selfish.

In the evening, a friend invited us out for their birthday dinner. Just as I was about to enter, I heard Lucas’s cold voice coming from inside the private room: “Every Valentine’s Day she has to make a fuss.” “Ignore her, I bet within two weeks, she’ll be back crying and begging to make up.” I gripped the door handle, not pushing it open. Ryan next to me quickly explained: “Emmy, don’t listen to him, he’s drunk and talking nonsense! I’ll scold him for you!” He was about to push the door open. I held him back, shaking my head. I had loved him for eight years, giving my all, thinking even the coldest heart could be warmed. Ryan was still muttering: “They’re just chatting nonsense, you know they’re never serious…” I took a deep breath, handing the gift to Ryan: “Help me give this to Jason, wish him happy birthday, I won’t go in.” “Okay, hey…” Just as I was about to turn and leave, the door to the private room suddenly opened. Jason stood in the doorway, we both froze for a moment. He didn’t know I had already heard Lucas’s words, and pulled me in: “Emmy’s here, come on in!” This dinner was not only to celebrate Jason’s birthday, but also arranged to persuade Lucas and me to reconcile. Jason made me sit opposite Lucas: “Lucas, Emmy is so good, you’ve been together for so many years, don’t let things get so tense.” Lucas didn’t look at me once, but the veins on the back of his hand gripping the glass were bulging. Ryan quickly gave Jason a look. Before Ryan could pull me up, Lucas finally spoke: “Emma, I’ve said before, I’m just helping Olivia out, giving her the title of Mrs. Shen. We can still be like before.” “I’ll wait for you at home.” I coldly replied: “I came to celebrate Jason’s birthday, not to listen to your nonsense.” Lucas irritably took a sip of wine: “Jason is my friend, why do you need to come celebrate his birthday?” Jason couldn’t stand it anymore and directly confronted him: “Lucas, you’ve gone too far! Emmy is my friend too, I invited her here.” I looked up, meeting his gaze seriously: “Lucas, think it through. Her or me!” With that, I got up to leave. As I closed the door, I heard Ryan say: “Lucas, choose Emmy, otherwise you’ll definitely regret it.” “Shut up.” Lucas’s voice was full of anger. I didn’t look back.

That night, I had insomnia again. By the time I got to the company, the manager was pacing anxiously by my seat, muttering: “Why are you only coming now? I’ve been calling you but you didn’t answer, it’s really nerve-wracking!” I casually replied: “Sorry, my phone was on silent, I didn’t hear it.” The manager quickly pushed me towards the meeting room, not forgetting to remind me: “Young Mr. Lucas and Miss Olivia are both waiting inside, mind your attitude!” As soon as I entered, Olivia said in a coquettish voice: “Emmy, I thought you didn’t want to see me and deliberately didn’t come.” As she spoke, she leaned on Lucas’s shoulder, looking very intimate. I didn’t respond to her words, and asked directly: “Miss Olivia, Mr. Lucas, do you have any specific requirements for the wedding?” Olivia smiled and said: “I don’t have any requirements, I like whatever Lucas likes. You were together for so long, you must know his preferences better than anyone.” I closed my notebook, put down my pen, and nodded: “Indeed. Then for future details, I’ll communicate directly with Mr. Lucas, no need to trouble Miss Olivia to come again.” Olivia was stunned. Lucas frowned, speaking up for Olivia: “Emma, can’t you speak properly?” I replied indifferently: “I’m sorry, Mr. Lucas, this is how I usually speak. If you’re not satisfied, you can request a change of person.” Before Lucas could respond, several reporters suddenly rushed in from outside, holding microphones and cameras, asking a flurry of questions: “Is the news of your marriage true?” “Miss Olivia, didn’t you publicly deny your relationship with Mr. Lucas before? Saying you were just good friends.” “Miss Olivia, what made you decide to marry Mr. Lucas?” “There are rumors online that the child belongs to movie star Jack, is that true?” The reporters crowded together, surging towards Olivia and Lucas. One is pregnant, one is the man I love. I didn’t want anything to happen to them, so I had to stand in front of them, trying to block the reporters. Suddenly, a reporter rushed towards Olivia with a microphone, and Lucas immediately pulled her behind me. I was knocked off balance by the reporter, my waist hitting the corner of the table hard, the pain making me unable to straighten up. In that instant, my heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, the pain almost making it hard to breathe. Lucas’s first reaction was to protect Olivia, while I became the shield he casually pushed away. It turns out, in his heart, I was no longer the one who needed protection. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I bit my lip hard, not letting them fall. Fortunately, security quickly arrived and chased all the reporters out. Olivia wiped her tears, saying softly to me: “Thank you, Emmy.” No wonder she’s a top actress, just one sentence sounded so pitiful and touching. I forced a smile through the pain in my waist: “You are our VIP clients, this is what I should do.” The bodyguards escorted Olivia out. “Come back to me, I can give you everything except status.” Lucas said before leaving. But that push earlier had already broken my heart. I looked down at my slightly trembling hands, feeling a chill in my heart. So loving someone can be so humbling, yet so clear-headed. His gentleness, his promises, no longer belonged to me. I took a deep breath, silently telling myself: Enough, it’s really enough. I don’t want him anymore, nor do I want this feeling that only brings me pain. Working overtime until midnight, just as I left the company, a heavy rain poured down, drenching me instantly. I didn’t bother to take shelter anymore, letting the rain wash over me. As I walked, my steps gradually became heavy. I crouched down, hugging myself tightly. Amidst the sound of rain, I cried silently, my tears mixing with the raindrops. I don’t know how long it had been, but suddenly the rain above my head stopped. I looked up in confusion to see Ethan standing quietly beside me, holding a black umbrella. “Mr. Lu?” I was a bit surprised. He bent down slightly, his long fingers grasping my arm, gently pulling me up. My thin dress clung to my body, wet and disheveled, outlining a sorry figure. His gaze fell on me without avoiding it. Our eyes met. “Ethan, want to come to my place tonight?” The implications between adults were already very clear. I suddenly remembered the rumors I had heard, saying that Ethan was famously uninterested in women. I was about to explain that I was just joking: “Don’t take it seriously.” Unexpectedly, he agreed. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Ethan pulled me into his arms and kissed me fiercely. His kiss was urgent and fierce, leaving me breathless and dizzy. “There… there are cameras…” I reminded him softly, my face red. He looked up at the security camera, without a word, simply turned me around to face away from the camera, and kissed me again. When we reached the door of my apartment, he swiped the door open, then suddenly stopped his actions and looked down at me: “Emma, it’s not too late to regret now.” “Regret what?” I looked up at him, my fingers hooking his tie, pulling him closer, “Or is it you who regrets?” Ethan smiled, his arm wrapping around my waist, pulling me towards him: “Yes, I regret not making a move earlier.” Our first time, Ethan didn’t even make it to the bedroom. My back was against the wall, rubbed a bit painfully, and I couldn’t help but bite his shoulder: “Ethan, be gentler…” His hand gently stroked my back, his voice hoarse: “Emmy, I can’t hold back anymore…”

The next morning, I woke up with an aching waist. Ethan reached out to help me sit up, handing me a glass of milk. “I made noodles, I don’t know if they suit your taste. Try them later and tell me what you like to eat, I’ll cook for you.” I stared at him blankly, asking: “Why?” “Why what? Girls should be pampered and loved.” This kind of treatment was something I had never experienced in the previous eight years. Ethan handed me a bowl of soup and said: “I heard Lucas wants to give that actress a dream wedding. Have you considered getting married?” “I don’t understand what you mean.” “Let’s get married.” Ethan said directly. “Why?” I asked, puzzled. “Because I think you’re suitable, and we have good chemistry.” I couldn’t help but twitch the corners of my mouth, “Forget it, I don’t want to jump out of one pit only to fall into another deeper one.” I rejected him outright, “Let’s just consider last night as mutually beneficial, Mr. Lu. You don’t need to take it to heart.” Ethan reached out to stop me, “I heard your mother isn’t in good health, she’s always hoped for you to settle down. Do you have a more suitable marriage candidate than me? “In terms of looks, family background, and ability, how am I inferior to Lucas?” I looked up at him seriously. He wasn’t wrong. Ethan was a thousand, no, ten thousand times better than Lucas. Six months ago, I had personally planned the opening ceremony for Ethan’s branch company, and at that time I had seen his detailed profile. A diamond bachelor who had never had any scandals and was extremely capable. Moreover, he had hit my weak spot. A few days ago, my mother was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer, and her greatest wish was to see me married with children. Half an hour later, Ethan and I walked out of the civil affairs bureau. Looking at the marriage certificate in my hand, I still felt a bit dazed. “Let’s go,” I said. “Where to?” “To earn money for baby formula.” Ethan dropped me off at the company entrance, patting the top of my head, “I’ll pick you up after work tonight.”

That evening, Chloe asked me out. I sent Ethan a message. As soon as she sat down, she downed two glasses of wine: “Is Lucas sick? He’s handing out wedding invitations everywhere now, not even sparing the electronic screens on the streets, showing off his love in all sorts of ways. He’s so eager to let everyone know he’s going to be a father.” Lucas becoming an unexpected father was something everyone in our circle knew about. I held my wine glass and calmly spoke up: “I got married.” Chloe’s words came to an abrupt halt, “Are you joking?” She didn’t believe it at first, until she saw the marriage certificate, then exclaimed in surprise: “Ethan? Isn’t he rumored to be uninterested in women? Everyone was even guessing whether he was gay or not.” Remembering his vigorous performance last night, my face immediately turned red. Chloe noticed my unusual reaction, “Emmy, you didn’t…” I didn’t shy away at all, “Isn’t it normal between husband and wife?” She gave me a thumbs up, “Too amazing, you actually conquered the Ice King.” She immediately shook off her previous dejection, “This must be celebrated properly, it’s on me tonight.” On the way, I went to the restroom. I ran into Ryan. “Emmy, you’re here too. Lucas is with us, come over quickly.” I waved my hand, “Lucas and I have no relationship now, we’re strangers. Hope you have a good time.” Ryan thought I was just upset: “I know Lucas went too far with that incident, he regrets it now. When he’s drunk, he unconsciously calls out your name. “Why don’t you give Lucas a chance to apologize face to face?” Saying this, he forcefully pulled me to the door. I heard familiar voices, Jason was trying to persuade Lucas. “That’s enough, aren’t you afraid of going too far? Emmy hasn’t contacted you for so long.” “Yeah, Lucas. Emmy truly loved you. What’s so good about Olivia? She deliberately strung you along before, and now she’s even made you an unexpected father. Everyone’s laughing at you.” “Ryan just sent a message saying he saw Emmy. He’s bringing her over, when she comes, you should apologize and admit your mistake.” Lucas’s expression was cold, “Who told her to come? We’ve already broken up.” Ryan smiled awkwardly at me, I pushed open the door and entered. Everyone’s gaze turned to me at the same time. The hickeys on my neck were too obvious, Lucas stood up abruptly. “What’s that on your neck?” I curled my lips, “Mr. Lucas, we’re all adults, there’s no need to spell it out, is there?” “Emma, you’ve grown bolder, daring to find another man behind my back. Is it still comfortable to wear?” “Which law states that I must remain chaste for an ex-boyfriend who cheated?” I greeted everyone one by one, saying: “Lucas and I have no relationship anymore, and I’m already married. I appreciate your good intentions, but let’s stop here. If we say or do anything more, we can’t even be friends.” With that, I turned to leave. Behind me came the sound of something being smashed. When it was time to leave, Ethan came to pick me up. Chloe waved at me, saying: “Wishing you two an early arrival of a little one!” Ethan smiled, “Thank you.” Chloe looked shocked, whispering in my ear: “Too scary, I actually saw the Ice King smile, this is enough for me to brag about for a lifetime.” On the way back, I teased Ethan, “I’m not incapable of smiling, but I only smile at people I care about.” After saying this, he smiled at me again. I raised my face in response, “Stunningly handsome.” He asked, “With such a handsome husband, don’t you want to post on Facebook to claim your territory?” I was taken aback, “Won’t it cause you trouble?” “You’re my lawful wife, how could you cause me trouble? You bring me surprises and happiness.” After saying this, he gently kissed my forehead, and with a click, he captured this moment. We posted photos of each other on Facebook together, with the caption: 【You and me.】 My phone exploded, everyone was arguing in the comments section of my post. 【Ice King, am I seeing things?】 【Heard you got dumped? No need to Photoshop to save face, right?】 【What Photoshop? This is the real Mr. Lu, are you blind?】 Chloe retorted on my behalf. Ethan’s phone was also constantly ringing with messages and calls. He kept responding. “Yes, I finally won her over, couldn’t wait to make it official.” “We’ve already registered our marriage, the wedding is still being planned, I’ll definitely send you an invitation when the time comes.” “Thank you for your blessings, I’ll do my best.” In the end, he got fed up and simply turned off his phone. Ethan took my hand, “From now on, you’re marked as mine, you can’t run away.”

Lucas also saw my news from his friends, he came faster than I had imagined. A few minutes later, he was already standing at the door, his face looking terribly grim. “Emmy, come back with me.” “Is that how you should address her? This is my wife, you should call her Mrs. Lu.” Ethan blocked him at the door. Only then did Lucas truly look at Ethan. “So you took advantage when we were arguing? Shouldn’t I be the one demanding an explanation from you?” “Explain what? We’re already legally married, she’s my lawful wife.” Lucas laughed coldly, his gaze meeting mine from afar. “Emma, you’ve really grown bolder? You dare to go out and get married behind my back? Come back now, and I’ll pretend nothing happened.” He reached out a hand in my direction. Every time before, as long as he reached out, I would grasp his hand without hesitation. But this time, I didn’t move. “Lucas, we’ve already broken up, we’re strangers now, with no relationship whatsoever.” “Emma, we were together for eight years, you want to sever all ties with just one word? Do you have no heart?” Lucas’s eyes were bloodshot, Ethan momentarily let his guard down and was pushed aside. My hand was grabbed by him, my wrist feeling like it might snap from his grip. “Go get a divorce from him right now, didn’t you want to get married to me? After the divorce, we’ll get married immediately, and you’ll be the rightful Mrs. Shen from now on.” With my free hand, I slapped Lucas hard across the face. It took Lucas a while to react to what I had done. “Lucas, are you sick? Late-coming passion is cheaper than a dog, haven’t you heard that saying? You gave Olivia the title of Mrs. Shen as you wished, what more do you have to make a fuss about, isn’t it better if we both let go?” Ethan stepped forward, shielding me in his arms. “Lucas, if you dare to come and make trouble again, I’ll sue you for harassment. You don’t think I lack the ability to protect my own wife, do you?” I was still a bit shaken. This was a scene I had never imagined before. I thought when I left, Lucas would feel relieved, after all, he had now married his dream girl as he wished. Now putting on this act of deep affection, who was he trying to fool? “Ethan, aren’t you disgusted by the secondhand goods I’ve slept with for eight years? Does it still fit comfortably?” The hand held by Ethan suddenly went stiff and cold. Cold sweat seeped out of my palm, layer by layer. Perhaps seeing my face turn pale, Lucas laughed: “See, such a realistic thing, you two couldn’t have not thought about it, right? “Emma, come home with me. No one else will want you except me.” “Lucas.” Ethan suddenly let go of my hand. “Before, I only thought you were a fickle playboy, not a good person, but not entirely despicable. “But now I realize.” Ethan stepped forward, grabbing Lucas’s collar and slamming him against the wall. “You’re not only despicable but also scum.” With that, Ethan threw the first punch, hitting Lucas squarely. “And a useless piece of trash. I’m not like you, I like Emma for who she is.” “But Emma is no longer pure.” Ethan didn’t let him finish, landing another hard punch on his face. In the end, the scene became chaotic, but fortunately, Ethan won. “This is the first and last time. Next time, we’ll settle this in the business world.” I closed the door, leaving Lucas outside. Ethan held his face, leaning on my shoulder, “It hurts, wife, blow on it for me.” “You know it hurts, why did you fight?” “If I didn’t stop him, what if he took you away?” Ethan looked at me seriously. I stood on tiptoes, kissing his cheek, and looked at him earnestly: “We’re legally married.” Before he could reply, his kiss had already fallen.

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On the day Sophia and I got engaged, her first love committed suicide. To get revenge on me, she had me committed to a psychiatric hospital. Three years later, I escaped. I fear her, hate her, but I will never love her again. In the end, I was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. She knelt before me, crying and begging me to seek treatment. 0 The day I escaped from the psychiatric hospital, it was snowing heavily. I was wearing the standard blue and white striped hospital uniform, which looked like prison clothes. My feet were in worn-out slippers. Shivering uncontrollably, I hugged myself tightly. With a heart full of hope, I ran back home. It had been so long since I’d been back; my parents must have been worried sick. I started running, but as my feet got too cold, I had to slow down to a walk. If it weren’t for a kind stranger who gave me a ride part of the way, I might have frozen to death. When I arrived home, there wasn’t a single light on. A sense of unease slowly crept over me. But I reassured myself that it was late, and my parents and brother must be asleep. However, after knocking for a long time, there was still no answer. I finally panicked. I started shouting with my hoarse voice, “Mom, Dad, it’s me, Liam! I’m back!” Remembering that the last time I saw them was during an argument, I felt a pang of guilt. That’s right, my parents had tried to convince me not to marry Sophia. “She never loved you, can’t you see that? And she’s a rich heiress. Liam, it’s not that we don’t approve of her, we’re just afraid she’s playing with your feelings.” How could I have believed them? I had a huge fight with them and left, declaring, “From now on, I’m not your son anymore.” Could it be that my parents were still angry? Just as I was thinking this, the door next to me opened. It was Mrs. Lin. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, and the moment she saw me, tears welled up in her eyes. “Liam, why are you only back now? Your parents and your brother…” Seeing her hesitation, my head started pounding as if it had been struck, and I gradually lost my senses. Everything went black, and I passed out. 0

When I woke up, a familiar face appeared before me. It was her! It was Sophia. The one I couldn’t escape from in my dreams and thoughts. She was still as beautiful as ever, even more so than before. Her wavy hair, enchanting eyes, and that beauty mark under her eye that I once loved so desperately. But I was so frightened that I immediately shrank to the edge of the bed. I tightly closed my eyes, not daring to look at her. This face that I once loved more than life itself now terrified me to the core. “Hmph, what’s wrong? Not happy to see me?” Her voice was hoarse and alluring, with a hint of contempt. Of course. In the past, when I missed her, I would climb over the school wall just to find her. I would walk ten miles in the middle of the night just to see her face. I wasn’t afraid of pouring rain. As soon as she opened the door, I would hold her tightly. “I miss you so much.” “I just wanted to see you right away.” I used to love her to the point of madness. So now she thought I had come out just to see her. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” “Why did you escape?” I lowered my head and said cautiously, “I missed…” My voice was harsh from not speaking for so long. “You missed me, right?” “Three years, and you still haven’t learned anything.” Her tone was still as mocking as ever. I knew without looking that her brows were furrowed. I quickly shook my head. “No, no, I missed my parents and brother too much.” I looked up, my face covered in tears. “Can you tell me where they are?” Sophia was stunned. Her expression became a bit unnatural. “You should rest for now. After you’ve rested, I’ll send you back.” Back? To that hellish place. Where there were many men who would sneak onto my bed every night to molest and violate me. A mental patient who would throw hot soup in my face and call me a scumbag at the drop of a hat. And a group of people who would drag me in and beat me up from time to time. Too many to count. The horrifying memories from my mind suddenly overwhelmed me. I screamed, “No, I don’t want to go back, I don’t want to!” As I spoke, I retreated to the window. I looked at Sophia with pleading eyes. “Please, don’t send me back there, I’m begging you.” Sophia looked at me with some disgust. “Look at you now, not a bit of the obedient and sensible person you used to be.” Obedient and sensible? I used to be obedient too. But what did I get in return? When she told me to go west, I never went east. When she went to take care of her first love, Garrett, in the middle of the night, I didn’t say a word. But I endured it all, thinking I could finally get engaged to her. In the end, Garrett committed suicide. And I was the one who got hurt. I fell to my knees in front of her with a thud. “Please, Sophia, don’t send me back.” “I swear, I’ll never appear in your and Garrett’s world again to bother you.” She raised an eyebrow and looked at me, seeming to consider the sincerity of my words. But I had no reason to lie. Now, I truly didn’t love her anymore. What I had was fear, resentment, but never love again. 0

I don’t know why, but hearing me say this, Sophia seemed somewhat displeased. She waved her hand. “You should have learned your lesson after three years.” “If it weren’t for your provocation, Garrett wouldn’t have committed suicide due to depression.” “Three years was too lenient for you.” I nodded repeatedly. I was too tired to argue. At our engagement party back then, Sophia was indecisive, and after receiving Garrett’s farewell call, she broke down and left immediately. Before leaving, she slapped me hard. She angrily questioned me: “What exactly did you say to him? If it weren’t for our years of friendship, do you think you’d have a chance? Did you really think you were my husband? Let me tell you, if anything happens to Garrett, I won’t let you off!” But I didn’t do anything. Later, Garrett was rescued after a suicide attempt by slitting his wrists, and Sophia found screenshots of my provocative text messages on his phone. With those screenshots, she had me committed to a psychiatric hospital without a second thought. Even though I said a hundred times that I didn’t do it. She still looked at me with that expression of extreme disgust. “Not sending you to prison is already my mercy to you.” Her eyes were like knives, stabbing my heart again and again. She used to like me before. Before she met Garrett. She used to hate her father for having an affair and causing her mother’s death. She hated even more how her father was so good to that mistress’s child. But the moment she saw him, Sophia said to me, “I like him so much, Liam. Do you know what it feels like to have your heart skip a beat?” How could I not know? Every time I looked at her, my heart skipped a beat. Those words were enough to make me give up. But how could I let go? We had beautiful memories together and made firm promises. Not to mention that Garrett was her nominal brother. They couldn’t be together in the first place. So Garrett, who couldn’t marry her himself, wouldn’t let Sophia marry me either. Before that, Sophia had dragged me by the collar to Garrett’s hospital bed. She wanted me to kneel before him and apologize. I refused. I loved her, but as a man, I had my own dignity. This angered her. Garrett took advantage of Sophia’s absence when she went to buy porridge for him, and spoke to me with an arrogant expression. “She only loves me.” “Even if I can’t marry her, you can’t either. I’ll always be the only one in her heart. With just a crook of my finger, she’ll come running like a dog. You’re nothing but a pathetic substitute.” “You disgust me.” I was furious, and felt that Sophia’s true feelings were not worth it. “Is being the other man something to be proud of? You’re just like your mother. She stole Sophia’s father and destroyed their family. And you, having inappropriate feelings for your sister, happy to be the third wheel.” He glared at me fiercely, but suddenly changed his expression. Covering his face, he sobbed. “I know you don’t like me, Liam. I’ve wronged you. I’ll just go and die, so I won’t be an eyesore to you anymore.” I was sick of his act. He was better at pretending than any woman I’d ever met. “Then go ahead and die. This time, make sure to cut deeper.” I knew he didn’t really want to die; this was just another act. How could he give up the wealth and status he had now? But as I turned around, I met a pair of cold eyes. It was Sophia, who had returned with the porridge. She threw the porridge in my face. The scalding porridge burned my skin, causing blisters. But she didn’t care at all. “You’re so vicious, it makes me sick.” “It seems I’ve been too lenient with you before. Someone like you deserves to be sent to a psychiatric hospital.” Yes, I was sent there. Those three years not only cured my love sickness, But also gave me severe depression and insomnia. Now, just thinking about Sophia, seeing her, or having any contact with her would make me tremble uncontrollably. In severe cases, I would even pass out. 0

Sophia went to the company. I quickly found a phone and called my parents. But all that awaited me was the message that no one was answering. What had happened to my parents? Why did Mrs. Lin, the neighbor, cry? And why did Sophia seem hesitant to speak? I called my best friend next. “Hello, who is this?” Hearing his voice, I felt so moved I wanted to cry. When Sophia forcibly sent me to the psychiatric hospital, my phone was taken away. I tried to escape from that place countless times, but each time I was caught and brought back. Then they would give me stronger doses of medication. I would be in a daze for a long time before gradually regaining consciousness. I used to fantasize that Sophia would come to see me and take me out. As long as she could take me out, I would do anything she wanted, be her dog, or completely disappear from her sight. I had been tortured to the point of completely losing my sense of self. But I waited and waited, until I couldn’t wait anymore. My nose stung, and tears suddenly welled up in my eyes. My best friend Ryan was the person I missed most after my parents. “It’s me, Ryan. It’s me, Liam.” “Oh my God, Liam, you’ve finally shown up. Where have you been these three years? You don’t know how crazy your parents went looking for you.” “Later, they went to find Sophia, I don’t know what happened. When they came back, they were in a daze. Not long after, there was an accident… your whole family, your parents and your brother, they all died in that car crash.” “What?!” By the end, Ryan was choking up and could barely speak. It was like a bolt from the blue. Although I had a premonition, when the real news came, I still couldn’t accept it. Seeing that I remained silent for a long time, Ryan anxiously called my name. “Liam, don’t scare me. Where are you? What exactly happened to you?” The pain in my heart made it difficult to breathe, but at this moment, I couldn’t shed a single tear. I raised my hand and mechanically slapped my own face. Again and again. Until it was swollen and numb. “It’s all my fault. I killed my parents and brother.” I said mechanically. Endless regret overwhelmed me like a tide. But I could never bring my parents back. The one who should have died was me, so why did the retribution fall on my loved ones? Ryan said he was on a business trip out of town and told me to stay at Sophia’s house for one night. He would come to pick me up tomorrow. I agreed. I sat with my arms wrapped around myself from day to night. Not eating or drinking anything, feeling nothing. When Sophia came back, the sudden light hurt my eyes. “Why aren’t you resting? Were you waiting for me?” she asked. Her expression was unusually gentle. Sophia’s attitude towards me had never been good after that incident, and it only got worse. Only occasionally, when she was in the mood, would she show me a bit of kindness. I always gave her whatever she wanted, and even when she was in a bad mood and took it out on me, I didn’t mind. And the few times we shared a bed, she never faced me. I thought she was tired. Later, I found out that she simply didn’t want to look at my face. She would get up in the middle of the night to call Garrett. Comforting him when he was jealous. “You know I treat him as if he were you. When I’m with him, I never look at him directly.” At that moment, my heart felt like it had fallen into an ice pit. But I still believed that people’s hearts were made of flesh, and that over time, she would remember my kindness and fall in love with me again. But it was all just my wishful thinking. Sophia came closer, her breath on my face. Her voice was low in my ear, making my whole body tingle. “I’ve had a bit to drink.” She lowered her head, about to kiss me. But I quickly dodged. A flash of displeasure crossed her face. Her slender fingers gripped my chin. Forcing me to face her. “Playing hard to get, huh? Didn’t you used to beg me to kiss you?” I couldn’t bear to listen anymore. My stomach churned. I pushed her away and started dry heaving. She walked away, disappointed. “What are you pretending for? You used to do everything you could to seduce me into your bed, and now you’re rejecting me.” I smiled. “That’s right.” “But when you were with me, weren’t you always thinking of Garrett’s face?” Hearing this, her expression changed. First, she hurriedly explained, “That’s not what I meant, Liam.” Then, realizing she had misspoken, she coldened her face, “You eavesdropped on my phone call?” I patted my chest. Changing the subject. “What did you tell my parents when they came to find you back then? It led to them being in a daze and getting into a car accident.” I stared at her intently. She turned her head away. Speaking unnaturally, “I just told them you were sick and went to the hospital for treatment.” “Is that so? If that’s all, then why didn’t you let them visit me? Moreover, you knew very well that I wasn’t sick! Sophia, I loved you for ten years, starting from your freshman speech in high school. You know very well how I treated you during these ten years. If you were tired of me, I could have stopped pursuing you, but why did you have to kill my parents and my brother? He was still so young.” “If you hated me, you could have taken revenge on me. Why did you have to hurt them!” I cried out these words to her. My mind was on the verge of collapse. “I didn’t kill them! It was an accident! I know you’re heartbroken, but that’s no reason for you to go crazy at me.” “Just stay here and calm down.” “I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight.” Sophia threw out these cold words and left. What did she mean? Was she planning to sleep with me tomorrow? I let out a cold laugh. “Sophia, it’s been three years. You love Garrett so much, why haven’t you married him?” “Don’t tell me you’re still waiting for me.” “Or could it be that you actually have some feelings for me?” Sophia was stunned for a moment. She quickly denied it with a cold laugh. “Like you? How is that possible? Don’t dream on.” “It’s just that you’re not as clingy anymore, so I’m a bit less disgusted with you.” “As for you, having loved me for so long, I’m afraid getting over me won’t be so easy, will it?” I nodded, not answering. Indeed, it wasn’t easy. It was like being skinned alive. Seeing this, her expression showed a hint of satisfaction. Convinced that I still loved her. Pleased with my obedience and understanding, she nodded. She reached out her hand, patting my head as if rewarding a dog that comes when called. “If you had been this sensible earlier, I wouldn’t have sent you to the psychiatric hospital.” “If you can know your place and stop causing trouble for Garrett, I might consider keeping you by my side.” As if bestowing a favor. For the past me, staying by her side was my greatest dream. But now, it was the most terrifying curse.

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