Day one after the breakup. My boyfriend posted a photo with his mistress on Instagram, announcing their engagement. Everyone in our group chat went crazy, tagging me repeatedly. I silently added my ex-boyfriend’s cousin to the group and explained, “Let me introduce you to my real boyfriend.” My boyfriend wanted to sleep with me, but after I refused, he immediately found a so-called true love and got engaged. He happily posted a photo with his new girlfriend on Instagram: “I’m getting married.” The picture showed their intertwined hands and a large bouquet of roses. Our group chat on SnapChat exploded instantly. Everyone who got the first-hand gossip started tagging me frantically. “Congratulations, Sarah! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and many children!” “Sarah, when’s the wedding? Tell us the date quickly!” My boyfriend laughed and explained to everyone that they had the wrong person, and the one he was marrying wasn’t me. Then, he added his new girlfriend “Candy” to the group chat. As soon as she joined, Candy sent a cute emoji and then shyly sent a voice message, “Hi everyone, I’m Kyle’s wife. I hope you all can come to our wedding. We’ve set the date for January 23rd.” The once lively crowd was stunned. Listening to Candy’s sickeningly sweet voice message made me want to throw up. Candy started greeting everyone in the group, asking them to call her “sister-in-law” and demanding red envelopes. Most people sent her $50, but she scoffed at them. She giggled and said to everyone, “I heard from my husband that you’re all rich kids. Usually, you send four-figure red envelopes in the group. Why only three figures for me? Do you look down on me?” With this statement, everyone fell silent. I was a bit shocked. Did she think rich kids’ money grew on trees? What gave her the right to demand money from people she’d just met? Kyle, seeing the awkward situation, quickly tried to smooth things over, “My wife is just joking, don’t mind her.” No one in the group spoke up anymore. I felt disgusted. I couldn’t believe this jerk had stooped so low after our breakup, marrying any gold digger he could find. Shame on him! I immediately blocked him across all platforms. Goodbye and good riddance! That night, feeling down, I went to a bar with my best friend for some drinks. While drinking, I kept hearing them chattering about one-night stands, which made me feel a bit curious. Because of my strict upbringing… my mom said if I wasn’t a virgin when I got married, my husband would despise me for life. So even though I’m twenty-five now, I’m still a virgin. I stumbled to the restroom, feeling dizzy. On the way, two drunk guys tried to hit on me, but I refused. However, these two drunks wouldn’t take no for an answer and kept trying to make me drink with them. I wanted to run, but they held me back. In an instant, all those gruesome news stories flashed through my mind. My heart raced, and I thought about smashing them with a bottle to sober them up, but I knew I couldn’t overpower them. Just as I looked up, I saw a familiar face walking towards me. Lucas Land? Isn’t that Kyle’s cousin?

I never expected to see Lucas Land here. He was wearing a tailored casual suit, drinking wine with a friend. His beautiful, long fingers held a wine glass as he smiled and chatted with the person across from him. Looking at his handsome, chiseled face, my heart couldn’t help but race. No one knew that Lucas Land had been my secret crush during college. Just then, my arm was suddenly pulled hard, immediately snapping me back to reality from my daydream. “Cousin!” I shouted towards Lucas, trying to suppress my embarrassment. Lucas paused slightly, looked up, but didn’t seem to notice anything and went back to drinking his wine. Damn, I was to his left rear, and there was a table of drinkers blocking his view. It would be hard for Lucas to spot me from where he was sitting. These two drunks clearly realized I had seen someone I knew, and their grip on my arm tightened. I struggled hard, raising my voice in desperation, “Brother, help me!” This time, many people heard me and looked our way. Lucas finally saw me too. He seemed to be stunned for a moment, then put down his wine glass, stood up, and strode towards us with his long legs. Soon, he stood in front of me, looking at the two drunks holding me with an expressionless face and a cold voice, “This is my friend. Please let her go.” The two drunks looked at his expensive outfit and aristocratic air, glanced at each other, and sheepishly let go of me before slinking away without a word. “Alright, go home now,” Lucas glanced at me casually after helping me out, turning to leave. Seeing my crush about to leave, I don’t know if it was the alcohol hitting me suddenly, but I boldly grabbed his arm. “Brother, can you take me home?” I clung to his arm shamelessly, my voice soft and pleading. He frowned slightly, his handsome brows knitting together. “You should call Kyle to pick you up.” “We’ve already broken up. He has a new girlfriend and won’t come to pick me up anymore,” I said. At that moment, his eyes seemed to darken a bit. In my hazy state, I couldn’t see clearly, but I felt like I might be drunk. Not wanting him to leave, I stumbled and fell into his arms, then clung to him and wouldn’t let go. His embrace had a nice scent, mixed with a hint of red wine, which I found intoxicating. I suddenly remembered feeling unwell a while ago and going to a Chinese medicine clinic for acupuncture. It was him who did the acupuncture for me. I don’t know if it was because he didn’t often interact with women, but his ears were very red at the time, which was incredibly cute. So, I grew bolder and whispered in his ear, “Brother, I’m not feeling well again. Can you take me home for some acupuncture?” Instantly, his ears turned red again. After a moment, he said in a low, husky voice, “Sarah, sober up. Do you know what you’re saying?” “I’m an adult,” I clung to him tightly, mumbling, “I’ll take responsibility for what I say.” His breathing hitched slightly, and he took my hand, leading me towards the exit. I followed him home, and before we entered, he asked me seriously once more if I wanted to go in. I looked at him with a red face, not saying a word, and directly pushed the door open, answering him with my actions.

Lucas helped me to the couch, then poured me a glass of water. After that, he sat down across from me. I picked up the glass and took a sip. It was sweet honey water. In an instant, my heart felt as if it had been dipped in honey, and I was secretly happy at how thoughtful he was. Thinking this, I remembered that jerk Kyle. That guy hadn’t even poured me a glass of plain water before. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe I had been bottling things up for too long, but I couldn’t help but start complaining to Lucas about Kyle’s various jerk behaviors. Actually, I didn’t like Kyle that much. Being with him wasn’t really my true desire. But some things, I could only keep to myself, unable to confide in others. The more I talked, the more upset I felt. Gradually, as the alcohol took effect, I stopped talking about Kyle and turned my chatterbox tendencies towards Lucas instead. He was the campus celebrity at our school, excelling in all areas – academics, sports, looks – the perfect package. He was always the academic star of the medical school, truly a golden boy. Back then, most of the girls at our school had a crush on Lucas at some point, and I was just one of the countless grains of rice in that pile of admirers. I even told him about my secret crush on him in college, how I often went to watch him play basketball. Not content with just that, I boldly complained to him, accusing him of never talking to me back then. He looked at me helplessly, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to say something, but my chatter blocked him. I rambled on, starting to talk about my past ‘glorious deeds’ of being infatuated with him. Once, he had a basketball game, and I wanted to get there early to grab a good spot to watch. I was so eager that I skipped breakfast. But halfway through the game, I got so excited that I embarrassingly fainted due to low blood sugar. When I woke up, I found myself lying in the infirmary. I felt utterly mortified and ran straight back to my dorm, hardly leaving my room for several days after that. After that, I never had the courage to go watch Lucas play basketball again. Lucas was about to graduate then and was very busy every day. But I never imagined that the next time we’d meet would be at Kyle’s family gathering for relatives. It was then that I found out Lucas was actually Kyle’s cousin. Seeing him again, I was extremely nervous, but Lucas was particularly cold towards me, sometimes even deliberately ignoring my existence. I didn’t know what I had done to offend him, but I vaguely felt that he didn’t like me, and for a long time, I was secretly heartbroken about it. As I said this, looking at Lucas’s attentive expression, I suddenly felt incredibly wronged and couldn’t help but start crying. Lucas panicked immediately. He sat down beside me, awkwardly patting my back to comfort me. But I felt even more upset and, unable to control myself, suddenly hugged his waist and buried my face in his chest. His body stiffened for a moment, then he hugged me tightly, as if wanting to meld me into his body. His chin gently nuzzled the top of my head. “Sarah.” He suddenly called my name softly. “Mm.” I responded with a nasal tone. “Did you really break up with Kyle?” he asked me, his deep, magnetic voice seemingly suppressing some unknown emotion. “Of course it’s true. He introduced his new girlfriend in the group chat today. I have nothing to do with him anymore.” As soon as I finished speaking, he suddenly lowered his head and tenderly kissed the tears at the corner of my eye. My face instantly heated up. Lucas continued kissing me while carrying me to the bedroom. I unconsciously wrapped my arms around his neck, and he gently covered me…

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After my rebirth, I found myself pinned beneath Zack once again. In my previous life, Zack had drunkenly slept with me, leading to a forced marriage after the media exposed us. But after the wedding, he viciously berated me: “You schemed your way into marrying me and drove Susie away. Are you satisfied now?” Only then did I realize he had always loved Susie, the poor student he’d been sponsoring. To get revenge on me, he bankrupted my family and ruined us completely. This time, I firmly pushed him away and went to open the door. “I’m in the wrong room. My boyfriend is across the hall.” A moment later, the door opposite opened. Jason, Zack’s business rival, stood in the doorway. I threw myself into his arms. “Honey, I missed you so much!” Zack’s face darkened. At the same time, I slammed the door shut. Enveloped in the heavy scent of alcohol, I was pinned beneath Zack. Just like in my previous life, he was passionate, his ragged breathing hot against my temple as he murmured longingly: “Susie…” I jolted, suddenly snapping back to awareness. In my past life, I had secretly loved Zack. When he drunkenly pressed me down that night, my heart had been filled more with joy and anticipation than fear. Hearing him call out my name so tenderly, I thought Zack must have feelings for me too. But on our wedding night, after I had prepared so carefully, he kicked me out of the master bedroom. Only then did I realize the “Susie” he spoke of wasn’t me at all. The one he loved had always been Susie Zhao, the poor student he sponsored – not me, Sophia Su. How foolish I was to accept that sham of a marriage just because of one reckless night. I thought it was a romantic union, but I had no idea the hell that awaited me. Zack took brutal revenge on me, destroying my family and ruining us completely. The feeling of being pinned down by that despicable man was vivid in my mind. It was as if countless greasy hands were still roaming over my body. In my past life, I had been tortured to death by those men. Humiliation and shame enveloped me as I violently shoved the man on top of me away. Zack froze in shock. I didn’t even spare him a glance as I stumbled towards the door. As I grasped the handle, he called out my name from behind. “Sophia—” So he did know who I was after all. He knew, yet he still went along with the charade, blaming everything on me after we married. How absurd. I didn’t even turn around, coldly tossing out as I opened the door: “I’m in the wrong room. My boyfriend is across the hall.” A moment later, the opposite door opened. Jason, Zack’s business rival, stood in the doorway. Sensing footsteps behind me, I gritted my teeth and threw myself into his arms. Then I squeezed out the most affected voice I could muster: “Honey, I missed you so much!” “Sophia.” Zack’s voice came through gritted teeth. Still clinging to Jason, I sneaked a glance back. Zack’s face had darkened. At the same time, I slammed the door shut. As it closed, Zack’s furious voice squeezed through the gap. “You’ll regret this!” I certainly wouldn’t regret it. In my past life, I had done more than enough to regret. This time, I absolutely would not make the same mistakes.

Just as I closed the door, a commotion of footsteps sounded from around the corner of the hallway. I suddenly realized something and frowned, instinctively pushing Jason into his room. Sure enough, the footsteps soon stopped outside the door. “It’s this room, right?” “Yes, hurry and knock!” It was those reporters. In my previous life, photos of Zack and I sleeping together had been exposed by these unscrupulous media vultures. Under pressure from all sides, Zack had been forced to marry me. At the time, I had been overjoyed, completely oblivious to his reluctance. It wasn’t until after the wedding that he berated me to my face, torturing me with his cold demeanor. Not only that, but Zack had schemed to destroy my family’s company. After we went bankrupt, my father committed suicide by jumping off a building, unable to bear the pressure. My mother followed soon after by slitting her wrists. I became an orphan overnight, then was sold off to rich businessmen to pay off debts. Used by countless men. That time was like hell on earth. Even now, the memory made my whole body tremble uncontrollably. I was treated like a toy, an ornament, subjected to their endless abuse. I still remember when they first took me. I was still naive then, my voice shaking as I warned them: “My husband is Zack Williams. If he finds out how you’re treating me—” Before I could finish, the leering man opposite burst into laughter. Then he slapped my face again and again, telling me the cruel truth. “Zack Williams? Don’t be so naive. He’s the one who sold you to us.” I knew Zack had always loved Susie, but I never imagined he could be so heartless towards me. Thankfully now, I had a chance to redo everything. I had avoided the reporters and hadn’t slept with Zack. Clutching my chest in lingering fear, the joy of my rebirth made me momentarily forget where I was, until the man before me spoke teasingly. “Boyfriend?” I froze, then looked up. Jason was raising an eyebrow at me. This was the first time I’d observed him up close. His looks were completely different from Zack’s pretty-boy features – harder, colder, with thick brows and eyes so dark they gleamed. No wonder he made countless girls in the city swoon. But now wasn’t the time to be starstruck. Hearing the door across the hall open, I quickly lowered my voice and pleaded: “Can you help me? Just pretend to be my boyfriend in front of Zack for a few days. I’m leaving the country soon, you can say you dumped me after that.” Jason’s expression remained neutral the whole time. After I finished, he just glanced at the door with a half-smile. “What if I say no?” My heart leapt into my throat. I knew this was no joking matter. If Jason opened the door now and revealed what he’d seen, I would be doomed to repeat my past life’s tragedy. At that thought, I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, there was a hint of desperation in my gaze. “What will it take for you to agree? I’ll accept any condition.” Perhaps it was the gravity of my tone, but Jason paused for a moment. Then he strode further into the room. “I never thought I’d see the day the high and mighty Sophia Su would stoop to begging.” My heart loosened a bit, sensing there was hope. I hurriedly followed him. By now Jason had walked over to sit by the window, dramatically picking up a glass of red wine from the table. “I suppose I could help you, but you’ll have to do something for me in return.” I nodded without hesitation: “Of course, what is it?” He gripped the rim of the glass, tapping it lightly with his finger. “I haven’t decided yet. Let’s just say you’ll owe me one, to be determined later.” Jason proved true to his word. Those reporters didn’t manage to get any useful information from the room across the hall, but they stubbornly refused to leave the hotel lobby. Jason snuck me out through the service elevator and we slipped away unnoticed through the parking garage.

I hadn’t expected the news to still break. Someone had photographed Zack and I entering the hotel together from behind. Combined with Zack’s state when he opened the door, the reporters were convinced he must have been on a date. But the mystery woman had only been captured in a blurry shot from behind before vanishing. The love lives of the city’s most eligible bachelors were always hot gossip. In less than a day, news of Zack’s secret lover spread like wildfire. Meanwhile, he was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. The next day at breakfast, my parents scrolled through their phones and asked me: “Is it true Zack’s dating someone?” I played dumb: “No idea, we haven’t been in touch lately.” I scrolled through my own phone for a while, only relaxing after confirming Zack hadn’t revealed my name to the cameras. Just then, a SnapChat notification from him popped up on my screen. “Come see me at the hospital.” His tone brooked no argument as usual. My instinct was to refuse, but after thinking it over, I decided against it. If I angered him, he might leak my name to the media and cause a whole new mess. That afternoon, I got ready and headed to the hospital. Pushing open the door, I found Zack recklessly working on his laptop in bed. Seeing me enter, he immediately closed the computer and pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose. His face was pale as he coldly demanded: “When did you start liking Jason?” Not waiting for my answer, he launched into a barrage of questions: “Do you have any idea what kind of person Jason is? Everyone in our circles says he’s gay, always surrounded by male escorts. You—” “I’ve liked him since we were kids,” I said softly, cutting him off. I forced myself to ignore the look of shock on Zack’s face. Though they ran in the same social circles, Zack and Jason were well-known rivals. Zack was the typical golden boy – excelling at everything, always perfect. In contrast, Jason was a rebellious troublemaker. Yet from childhood through adulthood, Jason had always outperformed Zack academically. Even after starting their own businesses, the two remained competitors in the same industry. The one I had liked since childhood was actually Zack. When I was little, my parents were always busy with work. We had just moved to the city from out of state, and I wasn’t familiar with the area yet. One day I snuck out of our gated community to play, but accidentally got lost. I couldn’t find my way home even as it got dark, and ended up crying by the roadside. That day, Zack appeared before me like an angel, gently wiping away my tears with a tissue. “Don’t be scared, I’ll take you home.” He held my small hand in his, and truly did bring me back to my front door. From then on, I became Zack’s little shadow. My childhood crush gradually became a habit, and I secretly loved him all these years. Hearing my answer now, Zack’s expression grew increasingly ugly. “Sophia, this isn’t a joke. Of all people, why would you like that plague—” Just then, three polite knocks sounded at the door. It was Susie. Seeing me, her expression didn’t change at all as she set down the thermos she’d brought on a nearby table. “I saw the news that you were hospitalized and rushed over. This is soup I made myself, it’s very good for you. Drink it while it’s hot.” Susie spoke unhurriedly, her voice soft and pleasant, a smile ever-present on her face. This caring image was something any man would love. Seeing her, Zack’s expression softened. “You didn’t need to go to the trouble of making it yourself.” Susie sat down beside him, inadvertently squeezing me to the side. I took the hint and quietly left the hospital room. In this life, I hoped those two would end up locked together.

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After I donated my corneas to my son who was about to go blind, he mixed up my identity with Lily Brooks, my husband’s first love, due to memory confusion. Devastating news struck, and I was in so much pain that I didn’t want to wake up. But while I was semi-conscious, I overheard a conversation between my son and husband. “Dad, this way, Aunt Lily can stay with me forever!” “Yes, that’s my good boy! You acted so well!” The doctor who performed my surgery couldn’t bear to watch anymore. “Young master’s eyes were perfectly fine. You tricked your wife into donating her corneas to Miss Brooks. If she finds out, I’m afraid…” “There’s nothing to be afraid of. She loves me and Charlie so much. Besides, she’s an orphan. Where could she go without us?” “Lily has no one here, and she’s about to go blind. I can’t waste another minute!” I lay in bed, tears of despair soaking my pillow. They only cared about protecting Lily. But they didn’t know that because of the surgery, I was dying.

When I woke up, Lucas Carter, who was supposed to be by my bedside, was nowhere to be found. After returning home alone under the sympathetic gaze of the medical staff, I saw Lucas enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner with Lily Brooks. Seeing me return, Lucas hurriedly stood up. “Honey, you’re back.” “Why didn’t you tell me you were discharged? I could have picked you up.” “You’ve been through such a major surgery. It must have been tough. Charlie and I will take good care of you from now on!” His gaze was as gentle as ever, but I suddenly felt completely drained. Behind his mask of pretense was nothing but false sincerity. I ignored him and looked at Lily, who was acting like the lady of the house. “Why is she here?” Lucas coughed and explained. “Of course, it’s for Charlie. He only remembers Lily now. The doctor said they should spend more time together. It’s good for his recovery.” Charlie came forward and punched me, showing his loyalty. “Bad woman, how dare you bully my mom!” I bit my lip, feeling my blood run cold instantly. The pain of being betrayed by my dearest loved ones almost made me lose my balance. Before the surgery, the doctor had warned me. My body wasn’t suitable for this kind of surgery. Forcing it would only shorten my lifespan. But Charlie was so young. I couldn’t bear to watch him go blind. A pair of corneas was the last gift I, as a mother, could give him. But my wholehearted devotion was repaid with betrayal after betrayal! Everything was just a trap they set for me for Lily’s sake! Seeing the situation, Lily came forward to mediate, twisting her body. “Charlie, that’s enough. We shouldn’t hit people.” I looked at her smug eyes, trembling with anger. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Lucas quickly handed me a package from the side. “Honey, this is the discharge gift I prepared for you.” I looked down. Inside was a set of revealing lingerie. Lucas’s face instantly turned ugly as he tried to explain that he had grabbed the wrong package. But I never wore such things. He knew very well who it was bought for. I laughed bitterly and threw the clothes in his face before turning to go back to my room. But the sounds of laughter and joy outside were so loud they made my eardrums hurt. I had completely become an outsider in this family. But not long after, Charlie knocked on my door. He walked into my room without any courtesy and commanded me. “My toy is broken. Sew it for me!”

He was holding a rabbit plush toy that I had once sewn for him stitch by stitch. But now, the rabbit’s entire body had been maliciously cut beyond recognition. I looked at Charlie with trembling hands. Was this still the child I had nearly given my life to birth? But he wasn’t like this before. He used to sweetly call me “Mom” and was sensible enough to help with housework. But I don’t know when it started. He began to despise my increasingly haggard appearance from taking care of him. He pointed at my nose, “You’re so ugly now, no wonder Dad doesn’t want to come home to see you!” My heart was painfully stabbed, and a bucket of cold water was thrown in my face. Charlie held the bucket, impatiently glaring at me. “What are you staring at? Hurry up and sew it!” I looked at him deeply and calmly told him. “Go ask Lily to sew it for you.” With that, I walked towards the balcony to find new clothes. But the next second, I heard a click as the balcony door was locked. I was shocked and desperately pounded on the door, shouting. “Charlie, open the door!” But Charlie just snorted coldly, then directly pulled the curtains shut, ignoring my desperate cries for help. The night wind was bitterly cold, and my wet clothes clung to my body, making me shiver. My heart also turned completely cold. I curled up in the corner, seeking a bit of warmth. But at this moment, I heard a woman’s moan. “Oh, you naughty boy. Do you really like this outfit that much?” “Olivia is right next door. Aren’t you afraid she’ll come out and see us?” Lucas panted and teased. “Don’t worry, with Charlie keeping her busy, she won’t have time to bother us.” “Besides, we’ve been apart for so many years. Don’t you miss me?” The sounds of passion filled my ears, and I finally couldn’t control myself and vomited a mouthful of blood. That night, they were on fire in the room. While I was on the balcony, chilled to the bone by the cold wind. It wasn’t until noon the next day, when I was about to become dehydrated, that Lucas found me. He hurriedly took off his coat to wrap around my nearly lifeless body, and for the first time, he put on a serious face for Charlie. “Charlie, who told you to do this?” Charlie pouted, “She deserved it for not helping me sew my doll.” “But you can’t do that!” Charlie snorted and carelessly pulled Lily’s hand to run away. Lucas sighed and held my hand to comfort me. “Olivia, Charlie thinks Lily is you now. Everything he does is because he loves you.” “You need to understand him. Besides, I’ll always be on your side.” His eyes were deep and sincere, as if he still loved me very much. If I could ignore the fresh red marks on his neck, I might have believed him. I turned away, not wanting to look at him anymore. Seeing my attitude, Lucas also became angry. “Olivia Johnson, it’s getting old if you keep acting like this.” I laughed, “Is that so? Then I’ll just keep acting till the end.” “Unbelievable!” Lucas slammed the door hard as he left. The noise made my temples throb with pain. I lay on the couch, taking a long while to recover before getting up to go to the hospital. I needed to buy medicine.

The artificial eye was still a foreign object to me, causing excruciating pain every few days. The doctor told me there was a special medicine that might stabilize my condition. Otherwise, at this rate, I wouldn’t live past six months. But I had long since become a stay-at-home wife for love, with almost all financial power in Lucas’s hands. But I didn’t want to die yet. So I opened my phone and called him. But it was always busy. Until the last time, he hung up directly. I laughed and told the doctor to forget it. Leaving the hospital, my phone died, and the sky started pouring rain. My artificial eye had limited vision in the rain. But I could vaguely make out the father and son celebrating Lily’s birthday at a dessert shop. They were smearing cream on each other’s faces, looking as happy as in a romantic drama. But they usually hated sweets. As the rain trickled down my hair, I laughed bitterly, again and again. It turns out they didn’t dislike sweets. They just needed someone who could make them eat sweets. The continuous exposure to cold made me develop a high fever as soon as I got home. The artificial eye was still a foreign object, often making it difficult for me to sleep at night. But now, because of the fever, I dozed off in a daze. I hadn’t slept long before someone woke me up. Lucas brought me a small cake. “Here, Charlie and I brought you a strawberry cake. Wasn’t it your favorite before?” The old trick of giving a sweet after a slap. I looked into his eyes and said calmly. “That was before. I don’t like it anymore.” Lucas frowned. “Olivia Johnson, what exactly do you want to say?” I told him. “Lucas Carter, give me $300,000.” Surprised by my sudden request, Lucas was clearly bewildered. But before I could respond, Lily chimed in playfully. “I know why. There’s a new designer bag that costs exactly $300,000! Olivia must want to buy a bag!” “Throwing such a tantrum just for a bag, Olivia, you’re being so unreasonable.” Lucas’s eyes were full of mockery. “So you’ve been acting up all this time just to buy a bag. Olivia Johnson, I didn’t know you’ve become so vain and materialistic.” Charlie also chimed in. “That’s right, why should such a gold-digger stay in our house!” The three of them righteously accused me, and I laughed self-mockingly. Yes, a bag. They only knew that $300,000 was the price of a bag. But they didn’t know that $300,000 was also the price of my life. Lily walked up with a smile, stirring up more trouble. “Oh, don’t say that. Olivia is an orphan, with no mother to teach her. It’s normal to have some bad habits.” At the mention of my mother, my brain couldn’t even think before I instinctively slapped her. Lily wailed and fell into Lucas’s arms. Lucas was instantly enraged and pointed at my nose, cursing fiercely. “Olivia Johnson, apologize!” “Otherwise, you can forget about getting this money!” My heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, making it difficult to breathe. Enduring the high fever, I propped myself up and looked at this man I had loved for seven years. Over the years, his appearance had barely changed, but his heart had become completely unrecognizable. In an instant, I didn’t want the money anymore. I didn’t want him or Charlie either.

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My nine fiancés all jumped to their deaths after wearing the antique watch my mother gave them at their engagement parties. No matter how the watch was dismantled, nothing unusual could be found. The police repeatedly took my mother in for questioning but could never find any problems. After the news broke, my mother’s watch went viral online. Countless people wanted to buy the same model to investigate, but it was priceless and unavailable. As a result, I was branded as cursed and had to move away from my mother. Two years later, when I got engaged to my tenth fiancé, I saw that familiar watch on his wrist again as we exchanged rings. When I took my ninth fiancé, Lucas, to the engagement party, I repeatedly told him not to wear the watch my mother had given him. But Lucas pinched my waist dismissively, “Honey, why are you so nervous? It’s just a watch.” “If I don’t wear it because of some imaginary superstition, wouldn’t that make a bad impression on your mom?” With that, he ignored my protests and immediately put on the watch my mother had given him. I trembled all over and quietly counted down three numbers, “Three, two, one…” As the last number ended, the watch had made a full rotation. Lucas, who had just been boasting that he was fine, suddenly turned pale. The next second, he rushed to the window and jumped straight down, Splattering into a bloody mess in front of everyone’s eyes. Everyone ran downstairs, frantically taking photos and fighting over the watch. After experiencing eight deaths, I was almost numb to such scenes. But Lucas’s departure still pierced my already battered heart once again. I turned back to look at my mother, who remained calm, and asked shakily, “You promised me you wouldn’t give Lucas that watch!” “It’s been nine times now. I’m your daughter! Do you know what people are saying about me out there?” Hearing this, my mother raised her lip corner disdainfully. Her makeup had gotten thicker in recent years. When she laughed, a lot of powder would be squeezed off by her wrinkles, Making her appearance in my eyes increasingly terrifying. “Lucas came to ask me for the watch himself. It has nothing to do with me.” “But his fate wasn’t strong enough to withstand my watch. His death was his own choice.” The police quickly arrived and once again took the life-taking watch away for research. They were excited, “The Lu family knows a lot about mysticism. Maybe this time we can really find out something.” Everyone was waiting for an answer, wanting justice for them. The Lu family also started a live stream online, with hundreds of thousands of viewers watching the watch examination. The mechanical watch was no different from ordinary watches, except that it would only rotate once before breaking down. The Lu family speculated from various angles and searched through all the ancient books they had brought. But after three full hours, they still came up empty-handed. The internet exploded, “Nine lives have been lost and they still can’t figure it out. What kind of watch is this mysterious?” “Yeah, I just hope their daughter stops dating and hurting others. One dies after another, who can bear that?” Looking at these comments, the tears I had been holding back for so long Finally flowed out uncontrollably. My mother had somehow come up behind me, “Are you going to keep being angry with me?” Seeing that I didn’t respond, she slammed the dinner on the ground with a sullen face. “You don’t even eat when dinner goes bad. Did Lucas affect you that much?” I gave her a bitter smile, “Mom, aren’t you afraid after taking so many lives?” “Why does that watch make them commit suicide?” Hearing this, my mother frowned, “Their deaths have nothing to do with me. The watch is normal, so of course I’m not afraid.” My tears flowed again as I turned away, not wanting to hear any more. Then I left home with my already packed luggage, without looking back. “Mom, I just want to live a normal life, but you keep hiding things from me.” “Since that’s the case, you might as well pretend you don’t have a daughter from now on.”

I returned to the city where I worked with my luggage, becoming increasingly quiet and withdrawn. My mother and I fell into a cold war after that day. Apart from asking if I was coming home for the holidays, she never talked to me again. I forced myself to focus all my energy on work. In my spare time, I dedicated myself to studying that mechanical watch. This was one I had secretly taken from my mother’s antique shop before I left. I stared blankly at these utterly ordinary parts after dismantling it. Why did this watch take Lucas and the others’ lives? For many days, I was in a daze. My colleagues noticed and started discussing privately whether I had gone crazy. Even the supervisor dug up the old news and wanted to fire me for being unlucky. At the critical moment, my partner Frank stood up for me. “She performs excellently at work and just likes to study watches. Why fire her for that?” “Besides, it’s been a year. Isn’t it cruel to keep bringing up her trauma?” Frank went directly to the manager and tried his best to keep me on. Afterwards, our relationship grew closer. We naturally got together. A year later, he proposed to me. I accepted and chose a wedding venue, but had trouble inviting guests. Looking at the long-silent chat box with my mother, I was very conflicted about whether to invite her. My father had passed away when I was very young, and my mother had raised me single-handedly with great hardship. Before I started dating, she was just a normal, good mother. Gentle and caring, pouring all her love into me. To say I only had hatred left for her would be a lie. But the tragic deaths of my previous nine fiancés were still vivid in my mind. I really couldn’t bear to let Frank take the risk. In the end, I chose to skip inviting her. I thought this would settle the matter and break my curse of being unlucky in love. Unexpectedly, Frank secretly brought my mother over the day before the wedding without telling me. “Honey, you’ve been so distracted these past few days. I guessed you must be missing your mom.” “Don’t worry, I won’t wear anything she gives me. Nothing will happen.” Frank looked at me lovingly and planted a kiss on my forehead. Hearing his promise, I relaxed. I turned to face my mother. After two years apart, she looked even more haggard. “Rachel, congratulations on your wedding.” My mother said, then took out a gold necklace and put it on me. She seemed to have returned to that loving mother from before. The last bit of defense in my heart was completely shattered. I buried myself in her embrace, choking out the word “Mom.” Frank, seeing this, smiled with satisfaction. Then he sincerely promised my mother, “Mom, don’t worry, I will definitely treat Rachel well.” “We’ll also come back to visit you often in the future and take care of you in your old age.” My mother’s body stiffened, and she looked at him with a complex expression for a long time. It wasn’t until I shook her that my mother reacted and said “Mm” to Frank.

The next day, at the wedding venue. Frank and I smoothly went through all the ceremonies. But just as the host asked my mother if she had anything to say to us, She took out that watch and looked at Frank, “Are you willing to wear this watch?” Frank instinctively looked at me, about to refuse. But the uninformed host started to egg him on, “Come on, groom, just wear it. It’s the elder’s heartfelt gift.” I immediately scolded him, “Shut up! He can’t take that watch!” Then I glared angrily at my mother, “It’s my wedding day. Can you stop causing trouble?” “If you really want to give someone a watch, then let me wear it. We can talk about this after the wedding!” For a moment, the atmosphere between us became tense. The crowd below started discussing, mostly those who didn’t know the situation. “It’s just a watch, what’s the big deal about wearing it?” “Yeah, this bride is so disrespectful. How can she treat her mother-in-law like this?” Frank hesitated for a while, then came over to pull me. “Honey, why don’t I just wear it? I don’t want to make you and your mom unhappy.” Tears burst from my eyes, “No, you’re not allowed to wear it. Otherwise, I won’t go through with this wedding.” No one wanted to break the curse of that mechanical watch more than I did. I really didn’t want to bear the weight of another life. Frank sighed, his brows furrowed deeply, seeming to be weighing his options. Seeing this, my mother stood up with a pale face, grabbed Frank’s hand and fastened the watch on him in one swift motion. The action was so fast that no one had time to react. I immediately hugged Frank tightly, my other hand trying to pull off the watch. But it was all too late. After the watch rotated once, Frank broke free from me and rushed outside like a madman in front of everyone at the venue. He crashed through the glass doors of the hall and leaped down from the eighth floor. Dying in exactly the same way as the previous nine. Frank’s mother let out a heart-wrenching scream. She ran downstairs trembling and knelt beside Frank, wailing loudly. “My son, how could you suddenly become like this? How can mother go on living without you?” I followed her down, my emotions on the verge of collapse. Just as I was about to reach out to help her up, I was pulled away by other members of the Fu family. “Don’t touch my aunt! You vixen, we’ve found out about you.” “You’re that cursed star of misfortune. Any man who dates you dies. Stay away from our Fu family!” These elders who had been so kind to me before now looked at me as if they wanted to eat me alive. A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. Looking at Frank’s lifeless face, I wished I could die in his place. Without him, I might have long lost hope for life. It was Frank who told me over and over again that what happened before had nothing to do with me, redeeming me. But now… he had died because of me. Moreover, all of this could have been prevented! I hated myself. Why didn’t I stop him when he contacted my mother? Why didn’t I hold him tighter when he broke free from me just now? Coming back to my senses, I tore off the gold necklace around my neck and threw it violently at my mother. She still had that calm and indifferent expression, just like the previous nine times. Even with Frank’s body right in front of her, there wasn’t a hint of guilt on her face. “Get out! I don’t want to see you. Why don’t you go die?” “They’re right, you’re a vixen, a star of misfortune. Nothing good will ever come from meeting you!” I clenched my fists and lunged at my mother, wanting to end it all with her like a madwoman. But she still had no reaction, “Calm down. His death has nothing to do with me.” Hearing this, Frank’s mother immediately pulled me away and started fighting with my mother herself. “Nothing to do with you? My son was so good to you, perfectly healthy. How could he suddenly commit suicide after wearing the watch you gave him?” “I don’t care what kind of sorcery you used. Today I’m going to die with you!” It wasn’t until the police arrived that this farce was finally quelled. They also learned about the previous nine cases and took it more seriously. “Ms. Su, we require you to choose someone to wear this watch again at the scene.” My mother, looking disheveled from the fight, swept a hateful glance around. “Fine, who’s willing to wear it?” Everyone took a few steps back. After all, no one wanted to gamble with their life. Lucas’s mother coldly pushed me forward. “Of course it should be her!” “You mother and daughter are both a curse. Even if you die, it wouldn’t be a pity!”

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The scholarship student I had been supporting claimed she was pregnant with my father’s child. She arrogantly declared, “From now on, I’m your stepmother. You’d better serve me well, or I’ll kick you out of the family.” I was shocked speechless. After all, my father had been dead for nearly twenty years. Seeing my stubborn refusal to accept this, the scholarship student became furious. She immediately called my “father” to come over. She clung to my “father’s” arm, saying I was bullying her. Then she knelt down in front of me with a pitiful expression, apologizing. “Even if you don’t like me, the three sons in my belly are innocent. They can’t be without a father.” I snorted coldly and nodded, accepting the marriage between the scholarship student and my “father”. But there was one thing I didn’t tell the scholarship student. The man she was clinging to was only my stepfather, not my biological father. I heard that some new handbags had arrived at the boutique. Since I had some free time and enjoyed shopping, I declined the sales assistant’s offer to bring the bags to me for selection. Instead, I decided to go to the boutique myself. When I arrived, the familiar sales assistant, Christine, had an indescribable expression on her face. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke up: “Miss… Miss Clarke, just now… just now… Your stepmother came by. She was looking at the bags and is now waiting for you in the VIP room.” My stepmother? I was stunned for a moment. “Since when did I have a stepmother?” Before Christine could continue, the door of the VIP room swung open, and several people walked out in a grand manner. I recognized all of them – they were my college classmates. However, we weren’t close friends. Except for Hannah Wilson, who came out last. She was the scholarship student I had been supporting. As for the others, I only knew their names. Hannah’s demeanor was completely different from her previous meek attitude. She looked at me arrogantly: “I am your stepmother now. We’ve divided up all the bags you had reserved. Consider it a welcome gift from you, the stepdaughter, to me, your stepmother.” I gently pinched the palm of my hand. The pain told me that this wasn’t some bizarre dream, but a real scene unfolding before me. “Hannah Wilson, have you gone mad? I’m Emily Clarke, the one who sponsored your scholarship. I’m not your stepdaughter or anything like that.” “Did… did studying law mess up your brain? We have a psychiatric hospital in the family. Do you want me to send you there for a check-up?” Hearing me say this, Hannah’s face turned red with anger. However, she didn’t come towards me. Instead, she hid behind the other classmates and shouted: “I’ve been with your father for over a year now. I’m carrying triplet sons in my belly, and I’ll be marrying your father soon. Tell me, if I’m not your stepmother, then what am I?” Looking at Hannah’s serious expression, I was even more shocked. Because my father had passed away shortly after I was born due to illness. And my mother had also been gone for several years. Who on earth was Hannah? How could she be pregnant with the child of my father who had been dead for twenty years? This wasn’t even a secret. Didn’t Hannah know about it? I was too shocked to speak, but Hannah seemed very pleased with herself: “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Weren’t you just bragging about how I’ve gone mad?” “I advise you to start sucking up to me quickly. Otherwise, once I give birth to these three sons, I’ll throw you out on the street.” “After all, I’m carrying sons, which is completely different from a useless girl like you. The only reason you’re living such a luxurious life now is because you’re the only child of the Clarke family. Once my sons are born, a useless girl like you will have to step aside.”

The classmates immediately chimed in one after another. “Hurry up and buy that bag for Hannah, or you might not even get a meal at home in the future.” “Quickly pack up everything Hannah looked at earlier, then pay for it all.” “In my opinion, you might as well just hand over your black card to Hannah. After all, you’re family now, it’s much easier to let Hannah choose what she likes herself.” … Seeing them about to snatch the card from my bag, I finally snapped back to reality: “Wait a minute, my father has been dead for twenty years. How can you claim to be pregnant with his child? Show me some proof!” Upon hearing me mention that my father was dead, Hannah’s face changed instantly, and she started cursing at me loudly. Her shouting was giving me a splitting headache, and I couldn’t help but raise my voice: “If you have the guts, call my father here right now to confront me face to face! If he personally admits it, forget about the bags and the card, I’ll give you all the family assets!” Hannah hesitated slightly. But she still took out her phone and walked aside to make a call, then turned back and glared at me smugly: “Just you wait, your dad happens to be nearby. He’ll be here in less than half an hour.” We all went into the VIP room to wait. Not long after, the door was pushed open, and Hannah immediately called out excitedly, “Uncle Robert!” I looked towards the sound and saw a familiar figure appear in the doorway. I unconsciously called out, “Dad?” Hearing this “Dad”, the smile on Hannah’s face became even more arrogant. She immediately changed her demeanor, walking to Robert Thompson’s side with a pitiful look: “Uncle Robert, you’ve finally arrived. I and the three babies in my belly almost couldn’t see you again.” Robert Thompson didn’t even glance at me. Instead, he anxiously looked Hannah up and down. Only after confirming she was alright did he breathe a sigh of relief: “What happened? Didn’t you say on the phone earlier that you fell here and almost had a miscarriage?” Hannah’s tears instantly streamed down her face: “I almost did have a miscarriage! After Emily found out about us, she went crazy. If it weren’t for these classmates protecting me, I really would have lost my life.” I frowned and glanced at the surveillance cameras around: “Just now, I only—” Before I could finish speaking, Hannah suddenly walked in front of me and knelt down heavily: “Emily, I understand why you hate me. You look down on someone like me who crawled out of a poor mountain village. Although you sponsored my scholarship, it was only to make others think you were kind-hearted. You never truly wanted to help me.” “I also know that now that I’m with your father, you must think I’m a gold digger who’s just after money. But I truly love Uncle Robert. Love knows no age difference.” Originally, Robert Thompson wanted to take Hannah to live in that suburban apartment, but Hannah firmly refused. While she claimed that being with Robert wasn’t about the money, she insisted on moving into my mansion. Her excuse was that she wanted to build a relationship with me. What I didn’t expect was that after Hannah moved in, she completely changed into a different person. Whenever Robert wasn’t home, she shamelessly revealed her true colors. “Emily Clarke, I’m carrying three heirs to the Clarke family in my belly, and you’re feeding me this garbage food?” “I clearly said I wanted to eat sea cucumber, yet you made a bowl of noodles. What’s that supposed to mean?” “I know you used to give me that scholarship handout, but now I’m your stepmother. If it weren’t for my kindness, you would have been kicked out of this house long ago.”

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One month after my death, my once-loving husband welcomed my sister-in-law into our home – the same woman who had run me over. He cooed to her, “Maggie occupied your rightful place for far too long. She should have died earlier. If it weren’t for my social status, you wouldn’t have had to suffer all these years.” My beloved son chose to reconcile unconditionally with them in court. He embraced his aunt, claiming he had always seen her as his birth mother. Watching from above, I nearly fainted from anger once again. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself reborn. My reborn husband pushed me aside and tightly embraced my sister-in-law: “In this life, I will never let you go again.” I turned away expressionlessly, seeking out his ill-fated brother instead. … “Ethan, this is your brother’s engagement party. Where are you taking your sister-in-law?” “Olivia, isn’t Ethan your fiancé? Quick, go after them and see what’s happening!” Amidst the buzzing gossip around me, I found myself inexplicably pushed to follow them. Confused, I ran to the alley entrance, where I saw Ethan holding his soon-to-be sister-in-law, Olivia, tightly in his arms. He said passionately: “Olivia, I love you. I won’t let you marry my brother.” “Thank God we’ve been given another chance. Trust me, I’ll give you a life beyond your wildest dreams.” Everything before me reminded me that this was reality. I had been reborn, back to the day of Olivia’s engagement. In my previous life, Ethan and I were seen as the perfect couple. Not only did Ethan hold a high position, but he also treasured his wife like a precious jewel. Everyone who saw us would sigh, “That’s the love of the older generation.” But only I knew that he had always been cold and indifferent towards me. I thought that’s how all marriages ended up, that we had simply worn into familial affection. So for decades, I served the family diligently, tending to his difficult mother and caring for our young child. But I never imagined that just a month after Olivia ran me over, he would ostentatiously marry her. It turned out that the perfect marriage I saw was merely a compromise Ethan made for his reputation. Looking at the passionate couple before me, I sneered and turned away. After Ethan’s dramatic gesture at the engagement party, gossip spread like wildfire through the town. The other protagonist, however, was overlooked. When I found him, he had already returned home. Despite being the one whose engagement was disrupted, his face was remarkably calm. “Ethan, your wife and my fiancé have run off together. Will you marry me instead?” I ran up to him, my palms sweating. Ethan looked at me, suddenly dumbstruck, and stammered, “Is that possible?” Then, as if afraid I might change my mind, he grabbed my hand: “You said it yourself, no taking it back, okay?” Walking home, I still felt like I was in a dream. Until Jack jumped in front of me, blocking my path. “Maggie, let’s break off our engagement.” Jack looked at me coldly. Before I could react, he glanced at the villagers watching nearby and raised his voice. “I’m about to get a big promotion. We’re not a good match anymore.” The town had implemented a special development measure, and our community had one promotion spot available. In my previous life, Jack had been the only one from our community to get promoted, riding the wave of the times and soaring to success. The surrounding crowd started to murmur. “Has the promotion spot already been decided?” “The Jack family is going to make it big now.” The flattery from those around greatly pleased Jack. “Let me tell you, don’t think you can cling to me just because I’m successful. In this life, I’ll only love Olivia…” I laughed bitterly, nodding to interrupt him. “Fine, let’s break off the engagement then.” Hearing my answer, Jack was stunned for a moment: “You said it yourself. Don’t come crawling back later wanting to change your mind. I won’t allow it.” Jack snorted lightly and walked away haughtily. Looking at Jack’s arrogant back, I suddenly remembered how in my previous life, when Jack faced public scrutiny for moving on too quickly after my death, he hastily called a press conference. Facing the cameras, he cried profusely: “Maggie’s only dying wish was for me to take care of her lonely sister-in-law.” “No matter what people think of me, I don’t care. I’ll fulfill Maggie’s wish until my dying day.” Even after I had died, I still had to pay the price to maintain his reputation. Seeing that I had truly agreed to break off the engagement, the villagers suddenly surrounded me. “Maggie, you’re such a fool. It’s not easy to find someone with Jack’s prospects.” “You and Jack have been engaged since childhood. How can a young woman just break off an engagement like that?” “If you ask me, a woman who can’t keep her man in check is just incompetent.” Seeing everyone’s heated discussion, I calmly said: “My engagement was with the Jack family, not just Jack himself.” The surroundings suddenly fell silent. An older woman stepped forward and asked me, “Maggie, what do you mean by that?” “Since it’s an engagement with the Jack family, marrying Jack’s older brother Ethan is the same thing.” The crowd suddenly erupted. “This is outrageous! People will spit on you if word gets out.” I interrupted them. “That day, everyone saw Jack run off with Olivia to break the engagement.” “Ethan and I are also following our parents’ wishes and the matchmaker’s arrangement.” As I spoke, I pretended to wipe away a tear. Seeing me looking pitiful, those around sighed. “Although Ethan is from the first wife, he’s still part of the Jack family.” “But with Ethan’s circumstances, Maggie will have a hard life if she goes with him.” “I don’t care about those things. Today, everyone can bear witness. Jack is the one who changed his mind and broke the engagement. From now on, we have no connection.” When I returned home, my parents had already heard the rumors about Jack and Olivia. My mother couldn’t stop crying, while my father sat on the bed smoking his pipe and sighing. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have agreed to your childhood engagement with the Jack family.” I hurried to comfort them. When they heard my decision to be with Ethan, my parents were shocked.

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At 17, I took in three young boys. As adults, they each took something from me. One took my kidney, another my uterus, and the third drained half my blood. All because their dream girl was gravely ill and urgently needed these three things. “Zoe, you can live without those organs, but Rosie will die if she’s not treated,” they said. What they didn’t know was that all my organs had been damaged in an explosion years ago. These three parts combined were enough to cost me my life. I lay pale and weak on the hospital bed after having half my blood drained. Lucas rushed in to take the blood bag, then turned back halfway to toss a black credit card at me. “Use this card for anything you need. I’ll compensate you double once Rosie recovers,” he said before leaving without looking back. This was the third time. I trembled as I tried to get out of bed. But as soon as my feet touched the ground, I blacked out from blood loss and fell. At the same time, sharp pain shot through two wounds on my abdomen. I took a few deep breaths and shakily pulled open my hospital gown. There were two freshly stitched incisions on my abdomen. One on my lower belly where my uterus had been removed. Another on my side where a kidney had been taken. And the people who took my organs were the children I had raised with my own hands. I leaned against the wall, shaking as I slowly made my way to the door. As soon as I opened it, I heard Lucas’s voice from next door. “Don’t worry Rosie, I’ll cure you no matter what. Leaving you back then was unavoidable, but I’ll make it up to you tenfold from now on.” “Tch, taking all the credit for yourself? Have some shame! I’m the one who begged Zoe on my knees for that kidney!” “Enough, let’s focus. Lucas, hurry and give Rosie the blood transfusion.” I froze, a bitter taste filling my mouth. The three speakers were the children I had raised. Rosie and I were separated by just one wall. But since I was brought to the hospital, they had only visited me three times. Once to take my kidney, once for my uterus, and once to drain my blood. Ignoring the pain, I took out my phone to message Quinn. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m leaving.” Quinn replied quickly: “It’s about time! You raised them to adulthood, you don’t owe anyone anything anymore. I’m buying a plane ticket now, wait for me!” She was right, I no longer owed anyone anything. Six years ago, I found Lucas on a rainy night. He was hiding by a dumpster, injured. I didn’t mind the dirt and held my umbrella over him. “Where’s your family, kid?” I asked. Lucas looked up with clear eyes. “My parents died long ago. My grandma who loved me most is gone too.” Seeing the injuries all over him, I asked if he wanted to come with me. Later I learned that Lucas’s grandmother had died in an explosion. His relatives mistreated him, leaving him hungry, cold, and beaten. A week after taking in Lucas, I took in two brothers. Their parents had also died in an explosion. Their relatives had stolen all their assets and repeatedly tried to kill them. With three teenage boys in the house, expenses multiplied. While my peers were preparing for college entrance exams, I decisively dropped out of school and worked six jobs a day to support them. When Quinn found out, she rushed over and jabbed a finger at my forehead in frustration. “Have you lost your mind?! Dropping out for three strangers? You’re working to put them through school, but what about your future? Is someone forcing you to do this?” I shook my head, silently looking at the calluses on my hands. “No one’s forcing me. This is what I want.”

Quinn said I had an overdeveloped sense of morality and that I’d regret it someday. But for all her scolding, she would still secretly slip me money. Later on, Quinn often called them three ungrateful brats. Back then, I would still defend them. Now I see Quinn wasn’t wrong – they really were ungrateful brats. But if I could go back six years, I would still take them in without hesitation. I snapped out of my thoughts and held onto the wall as I walked into the hallway. But the next moment, I saw Sean coming out of the room next door. He was one of the two brothers I had taken in. The skinny teenager had grown taller than me as an adult. Sean frowned when he saw me out of bed. “Where are you going?” “It’s boring in the room. I wanted to take a walk.” I tried to brush past him, but he grabbed my wrist tightly. “Rosie isn’t fully recovered yet. Don’t think about running off.” My heart felt like it had been doused with ice water. I tried to shake him off, but I was too weak. “Sean, let go of me, damn it!” As we struggled, Rosie’s voice came from the next room. “Is that Zoe outside? Let her in.” “I owe my recovery all to her. I want to thank Zoe in person.” Sean forcefully dragged me into the room. The movement pulled at my wounds, and my face went deathly pale. But Sean didn’t notice anything wrong. As soon as we entered, he rushed straight to the bed. He didn’t look at me once. There were three men in the room – all the boys I had raised. Now these three men were hovering around Rosie. Lucas was feeding her ginseng soup. When he saw me, he didn’t even pause. Rosie waved her hands saying she didn’t want more, but her eyes gleamed with triumph as she looked at me. “Zoe, please tell them to stop. I’ve said I don’t want ginseng, but they insist on feeding me.” “Just one more sip. You just had surgery and a major blood transfusion. You need to replenish your strength,” Lucas coaxed, giving her a few more spoonfuls. My throat felt like it was on fire. The bitterness in my heart threatened to overwhelm me. Rosie looked nothing like a sick person. Her face was rosy, her eyes bright. She looked healthier than me. “If you don’t want it, just pour it out,” I said flatly, wanting to leave as soon as possible. To my surprise, Rosie burst into tears at my words. “Zoe, do you hate me? I know I owe my life to you. But if you don’t like it, I won’t get treatment.” Lucas and Sean rushed to comfort her. Henry, the other brother, pointed at me angrily. “Zoe, you’ve gone too far! Rosie just wanted to apologize. Why have you been glaring since you came in?” I wasn’t glaring. My wounds had reopened. The sharp pain was consuming me, not to mention I had just lost half my blood. A nurse walked in at that moment. She was startled to see me and quickly helped me to a chair. “Miss, are you feeling unwell? Even your lips are white.” My heart felt like it was being stabbed by countless needles. A stranger could see something was wrong, but they couldn’t. They all stood by Rosie’s bed scolding me. I couldn’t stay any longer. I thanked the nurse and left.

I had barely reached the lobby when Henry caught up and grabbed my shoulder roughly. “Zoe! Rosie just had surgery. The doctor said she needs rest.” “We’ve been trying so hard to cheer her up these past days. Then you come and make her cry!” “Come back with me and apologize to her!” How absurd. They only saw that Rosie had surgery. But I had organs forcibly removed – the damage to my body was far worse! They couldn’t see any of that. I pushed him away and walked towards the exit. Henry wouldn’t let me leave. He forcefully grabbed my clothes. There was a loud ripping sound. My clothes were torn open in public, exposing my entire upper body. Everyone in the busy lobby turned to look. Henry froze for a moment, then quickly took off his jacket to cover me. “Zoe, I didn’t mean to…” Before Henry could finish, I raised a trembling hand and slapped him. I held back tears, my face flushed with humiliation. “Henry, I don’t owe you three anything anymore. Don’t contact me again.” I left without looking back. Henry was about to chase after me, but he got a phone call and ran upstairs in a panic instead. The old door creaked as it opened. I was finally home. I collapsed exhaustedly onto the couch. But the next moment, a wave of nausea hit and I coughed violently, spitting up blood. I stared blankly at the blood on the floor, then cleaned it up as if nothing had happened. I knew I was dying. Eight years ago, I was caught in a fuel tanker explosion that killed many people. Though I survived, my internal organs were severely damaged. The doctors said my organs would never fully recover. Since then, I couldn’t do any heavy work. Even walking too fast left me breathless. Only Quinn knew about this. So when she found out I was working six jobs for three strangers, even she couldn’t understand what I was thinking. Just then, Quinn called. “Zoe, you’re so inconsiderate! You didn’t even come pick me up! Never mind, I’m out of the airport now. I’m coming to find you – are you still living in that old house where you raised those three ungrateful brats?” “Yes, I’m so sorry Quinn. I’ve been too busy with work to get away.” I lied to Quinn. She still didn’t know what I’d been through at the hospital. After hanging up, I got up to pack my bags. But the next moment, I heard a key turning in the lock outside. I froze. Besides me, only those three had keys to this old house. The door opened. Lucas entered first, pausing when he saw my packed suitcase on the floor. Sean pushed past him and came up to me, pulling me towards the door. He looked very anxious. “Rosie’s condition suddenly worsened. She needs your blood. Come to the hospital with me, quick!” I yanked my hand away forcefully and slapped him, my hand shaking. “Sean! I’m a person too! Have you ever thought that I need blood as well?!” Sean suddenly knelt before me, like he used to when begging for favors. “Please sis, save her one more time. Blood can be replenished, but if Rosie isn’t treated, she really will die.” “No need to beg her. She’s probably hoping Rosie dies soon,” Henry said coldly as he walked in. “Zoe, I’ll give you two choices. Either you walk to my car yourself, or I’ll tie you up and carry you there.” Seeing I didn’t respond, Henry’s expression darkened as he advanced towards me. Lucas stood blocking the doorway – my only escape route. How ironic. The three boys I raised with my own hands were now forcing me into a corner. “What if I say no?” I asked. “You don’t have the right to refuse.” My heart turned to ice. I stripped naked in front of them, revealing my mutilated body. My arms were bruised from blood draws. There were two incisions on my waist and abdomen. I pointed at these wounds and shouted: “This is my body!” “You’ve already taken two organs from me and drained half my blood!” “Now you want more of my blood – are you trying to kill me right in front of you?!” The three grown men froze, averting their eyes. Finally, Henry approached me. “You won’t die, but Rosie will die right now if we don’t save her. I’m sorry Zoe, but we’ll make it up to you a thousand times over when this is all over.” Henry helped me dress, then forcibly carried me to the car. At the hospital, I was back in the familiar room. Blood flowed steadily from my body into an empty bag. My lips had turned white, but the bag was only a quarter full. “Should we continue?” the doctor asked hesitantly, knowing I had given blood earlier that day. Lucas looked at me, conflicted. “Just a bit more.” “No! Draw two-thirds. This amount is too little, it won’t be enough for Rosie,” Henry insisted, staring at the blood bag. How nice. I truly don’t owe you anything anymore. I closed my eyes with a bitter smile. The next moment, Quinn burst into the room like a madwoman, but was held back by security. “You animals!” she screamed. “Zoe’s organs were damaged 8 years ago! Drawing her blood is killing her!”

Everyone in the room was stunned by Quinn’s outburst. Sean hesitated, then moved to turn off the blood drawing machine. Henry grabbed his brother’s hand, glaring. “Get that crazy woman out of here!” “You three ungrateful bastards can go to hell!” Quinn yelled as security dragged her out. Her shouts echoed down the hallway. Henry watched the blood bag intently. When it was two-thirds full, he suddenly stopped the doctor. “Draw 50 more milliliters.” What little blood I had left was drained out. I finally couldn’t hold on and passed out. When I came to, Lucas was by my bedside. Seeing I was awake, he offered me a bowl of ginseng soup. “You just gave blood. Drink this to replenish your strength.” I knocked it away. The next second, Henry grabbed my jaw and forced the soup down my throat. “Cough cough cough!” I hunched over the bed, coughing violently. Each cough pulled at the wounds on my abdomen and waist. “Brother, don’t be so rough with Zoe,” Sean said, gently patting my back. His voice held worry. “Was what that woman said true?” Before Sean could finish, Henry let out a cold laugh. “She used to carry cement bags at construction sites without breaking a sweat. Now she’s acting all delicate?” “Besides, her kidney and uterus were transplanted into Rosie just fine. How could they be damaged?” I coughed until I cried. Quinn was right. These three really were ungrateful brats. Just then, a nurse informed them that Rosie had been saved. The three of them immediately ran to the next room. Lucas was the last to leave. He cast a worried glance at me, but still abandoned me to go. After they left, I coughed up blood all over the floor. I knew I was dying. My organs were already severely damaged. Now I was missing two organs and had lost most of my blood. Death wasn’t far off. But I felt a sense of release. I lay back in bed, stroking the ring I always wore on my right hand. I should have died in that explosion years ago. A fuel tanker was heading straight for me. If not for a couple pushing me out of the way, I would have perished in the inferno. The husband managed to escape, but his wife wasn’t so lucky. She was caught in the blast and died in the fire. There was a second explosion. The man and I were trapped in a corner, along with an elderly woman. The escape route was narrow. The man and the old woman told me to go first. One out of kindness. One out of longing for his wife. I had just crawled out of the corner and was reaching back to help the old woman. Then the fuel tanker exploded a third time. The man and old woman couldn’t escape in time. They both died in the flames. That couple were Sean and Henry’s parents. And that old woman was Lucas’s beloved grandmother. If not for saving me: Sean and Henry would be rich kids, fretting over whether to buy a sports car or designer watch. Lucas would have the grandmother who loved him most in the world. But because of me: Sean and Henry lost their parents and were ostracized by relatives. Lucas was kicked around by family members, going hungry and cold every day. Out of guilt, I took them in and gave up my education to support them with all I had. Now they had taken three parts of my body. And I was dying. I felt I no longer owed them anything.

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“Boss, I’m pregnant.” My hand jerked, causing the pen to leave a long streak across the A4 paper. “What did you say?” Alexander’s Perspective I, Alexander, am a CEO worth billions. One minute ago, my assistant submitted her resignation, citing pregnancy as the reason. She wanted to go home and have her baby. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. How could she be pregnant? Was it because I wasn’t giving her enough work? She was practically tied to me 24/7. Apart from eating and sleeping, we were hardly ever apart. Where on earth did she find the time to get pregnant? I gazed out of the floor-to-ceiling window at the bustling city below, lost in thought. Where had things gone wrong? “Boss?” My assistant called out, pushing the resignation letter towards me again, clearly waiting for my final response. Of course, I didn’t want to accept it! I had gone to great lengths to get her as my assistant in the first place! Now, there were even rumors circulating that I was a harsh boss who had driven away 11 assistants in a row. But… I glanced at my capable assistant, her face etched with determination. I had no doubt that if I didn’t agree now, she might whip out a labor law book and slap it in my face the next second! “Ahem…” I cleared my throat, trying to appear unperturbed. “Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider? Our company offers excellent maternity benefits.” My assistant touched her still-flat belly, smiling as she declined, “No, thank you. I want to relax and take care of myself during the pregnancy. After all, this is my first child.” My heart ached, but I maintained my composure. “Very well, I respect your decision.” As I watched her leave, my facade of calm crumbled. I cursed under my breath, tossing the pen aside and leaning back in my chair, rubbing my temples in frustration. Damn it! I’ve been outplayed! Olivia’s Perspective I, Olivia, am a working-class hero who sells her soul to capitalism daily for mere scraps. Ten minutes ago, I handed my resignation letter to my boss. He seemed reluctant to let me go. This was within my expectations. After all, assistants like me – available 24/7, always rushing to meet his unreasonable demands, occasionally covering up his mistakes, working 365 days a year, even sending emails while on an IV drip with a 104°F fever – are hard to come by these days. But life can’t just be about work! When I came across several news stories about young workers my age dying from overwork and stress, I had an epiphany! You can always make money, but only if you’re alive to do so! After my insistence, my boss finally nodded and told me to inform HR and complete the handover before leaving. The moment I stepped out of the CEO’s office, even the air felt freer! … After completing the handover and signing the resignation documents as quickly as possible, HR handed me a thick envelope. Huh? I’d never heard of our company having any sort of graduation gift culture for departing employees. Besides, the envelope was so thick, it didn’t seem like just a farewell letter… “This is specially arranged by the CEO for you,” the HR lady said as she pushed the envelope towards me. I could see envy and… curiosity? in her eyes. “The CEO also asked me to tell you to take care of yourself and the baby.” ???? Bro? Don’t say it like that! It’s easy for people to misunderstand! The money felt like it was burning a hole in my hand. The HR lady’s eyes were clearly saying, “I never thought you and the CEO had that kind of relationship!” Miss! It’s not what you think! Alexander’s Perspective I’m Alexander. On the first day after Olivia left, I missed her… On the second day after Olivia left, I missed her even more… Does the new assistant who replaced Olivia have any brains at all? Why can’t she even make a decent cup of coffee? When I asked her to coordinate my outfit for the evening gala, she brought me a red suit, a black shirt, and a hot pink tie… Has her sense of style been flushed down the toilet? I’m going to a gala, not some eyesore competition! Don’t tell me it’s because she’s new and needs time to learn. Olivia was new once too, but she never made such basic mistakes! I cancelled the gala and didn’t even bother with the driver. Instead, I drove aimlessly through the city alone. I needed some time to myself… Without realizing it, I found myself outside Olivia’s apartment complex. She probably doesn’t know that I actually own the apartment she’s renting. I wonder how she’s doing now, if her partner is treating her well… As if the heavens had heard my thoughts, Olivia suddenly appeared in my line of sight! It looked like she had just returned from shopping, carrying several full bags. She seemed to be struggling, stopping every few steps to rest. The bag on her shoulder kept slipping off, and she had to keep adjusting it. Where was her partner? Why wasn’t he helping her? Letting a pregnant woman go out alone and carry so many heavy things? Damn it! What a jerk! Olivia’s Perspective Life without work is so great! It’s been ages since I’ve been able to sleep in without phone calls, emails, or work on my mind. I’ve rarely spent much time in this apartment before, so it lacks a homey feel. I don’t plan on starting a new job right away, so I’ve begun to decorate the place. The sofa cushions are too hard and need to be replaced with softer ones; the fridge is empty except for some bottled water, so it needs to be stocked; the kitchen doesn’t even have basic seasonings, which won’t do; also, there are no books or snacks in the cupboards, all of which need to be remedied! I went to the supermarket and before I knew it, I had bought a ton of stuff. Looking at the four full shopping bags that came from one overflowing cart, I took a deep breath and picked them up. They’re so damn heavy… The supermarket is two bus stops away from my place, so walking back is out of the question; the bus would be too crowded at this rush hour, and I’d be inconveniencing others with all these bags; as for a shared bike… I don’t think my skills are up to carrying this much stuff. In the end, I bit the bullet and decided to splurge on a taxi. However, the security at my complex is quite strict, and outside vehicles aren’t allowed in. The taxi could only drop me off at the entrance, leaving me to walk the rest of the way… I watched as the driver helped me unload the four shopping bags from the trunk, and I let out a heavy sigh. At times like these, it would be nice to have a boyfriend to help carry things… It’s all because of that damn job that took up all my personal time! Heartless capitalists!

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I stared at my baby brother Lucas, who was just learning to speak. I knew that not far away, there were child traffickers waiting for their chance. Hearing the piercing cry of a child, I felt disoriented. “You deaf girl! Take your brother out to play!” my mom Karen yelled. My lips trembled as I pinched myself hard. The pain made me shudder. Mom impatiently pushed me, her familiar curses filling the air. “I really gave birth to a useless girl. Always pretending to be dead when there’s work to do.” Suddenly, I snapped back to reality. Turning my head, I saw my small reflection in the glass window. I had been given a second chance at life! Glancing at the calendar on the wall, I instantly realized what day it was. I carried Lucas out, trying to organize my thoughts. Loan sharks, debt collection, falling from a building. I bit my lip and looked at Lucas, who was curiously looking around. Did I hate him? Of course, I did. In those few seconds of falling from the high-rise, I had cursed this family with all the malice I could muster. I was supposed to get married in just a few days, finally escaping this suffocating quagmire. Instead, I died in an abandoned factory, becoming nothing but rotting flesh for flies and ants. I took a deep breath. The overwhelming resentment made black thorns grow in my heart, my eyes gradually turning frantic. I remembered this day very clearly. It was on this day that we encountered child traffickers. I went to buy Lucas an ice cream, but he was lured away by someone with a lollipop. I was terrified, but I was smart enough to ask adults around for help. In the end, Lucas was saved, but he was traumatized and cried non-stop when we got home. Lucas was already two and a half years old, but he had been spoiled rotten by our mom. He would cry and throw tantrums at the slightest dissatisfaction, speaking one word at a time. “…Hit…Me…Hurt…” Mom’s eyes widened in anger. She grabbed a belt and beat me half to death. “You little beast, he’s your brother! How dare you hit him! Why don’t you just die!” I curled up, crying out, “I didn’t! It was bad people, bad people tried to grab him!” “You little beast, still lying! You’re the worst thing in our family. How did I give birth to such an ungrateful creature?” I cried until my voice was hoarse, crawling to the edge of the bed. “Lucas, Lucas, tell mom I didn’t hit you!” But Lucas seemed amused by the scene and started giggling. Lucas suddenly laughed as if he had seen something interesting. The child’s innocent laughter overlapped with my dark memories. My whole body tensed up. The sudden fear almost made me throw him away. I trembled all over. I didn’t know if it was because of hatred or excitement. — The ice cream stand was just around the corner. Two men wearing old-fashioned hats were crouching not far away. Once again, I stood at this crossroads of fate. Sure enough, Lucas spoke up. “Ice… eat… eat.” I lowered my head. “Does Lucas want ice cream?” Lucas nodded. I felt my blood boiling, turning my brain into mush. I walked towards the ice cream stand. Lucas was left behind. I couldn’t see him, but I could clearly feel his small figure. Gradually shrinking, blurring, falling into a haze. I took the ice cream from the vendor, shuddering at its cold touch. If Lucas disappeared… I wouldn’t have to live like a dog in this family anymore. I wouldn’t have to support a family of bloodsuckers. I wouldn’t be chased by debt collectors to the point of jumping off a building. I should have had a great life. I stared at the ice cream, unconsciously gripping it tightly, my eyes as red as blood. “Hey, hey, girl, you haven’t paid yet!” the vendor called out. The scorching July sun shone on me. But I felt like I had fallen into an ice pit. I threw away the ice cream and ran back like a madwoman.

Lucas was gone! My mind went blank, as if a heavy snow had fallen. Stumbling, I found the bicycle repairman and cried out, “Bad people, they took my brother!” With the memory of my previous life, I led people directly to the alley entrance. The repairman and onlookers subdued the kidnappers, and I took Lucas back. As soon as I removed the cotton cloth stuffed in his mouth, he burst into earth-shattering cries. Holding him, I was also in tears. I wanted to change my miserable life. But the awakening of female consciousness should not come at the cost of sacrificing humanity. This time, I didn’t run home immediately like I did in my previous life. I wiped away my tears and went to the police station with the repairman and others. I was very calm when giving my statement, focusing on comforting my crying brother throughout. When the statement was done, Lucas had cried himself to sleep. I asked the repairman to take us home. The repairman praised me the whole way. “Oh, you little girl, you’re so brave. You’re made for great things.” “If it weren’t for you today, your brother would have suffered.” “These damn child traffickers are worse than animals.” I smiled awkwardly, choosing to remain silent. Little did he know, I had almost become an accomplice to these inhuman creatures. Back home, Mom started yelling before she even saw us. “You useless girl, coming back so late. Were you slacking off? Come here and wash the clothes right now.” She hadn’t finished scolding when she saw the sleeping Lucas in my arms. She rushed over with an “Oh my!” “What happened to Lucas?” She was anxious and heartbroken. “Did you, you little brat…” “Mom, you’re disturbing Lucas,” I said. Sure enough, Mom shut up immediately. She glared at me fiercely. I ignored her and carried Lucas into the room. If I didn’t know how to handle her by now, I would have lived these two lives in vain. The repairman would help me sort out the rest. But I needed to think carefully about what to do next. During dinner, Mom scolded me for being a jinx, saying I shouldn’t have taken Lucas there. I ignored her words, focusing on eating. Lucas sat in Mom’s lap, letting her feed him, showing none of his usual tantrums. He ate whatever she fed him, being so obedient that Mom could hardly believe it. After dinner, I cleaned up the messy table as usual. Lucas, who never wanted to move and always demanded to be carried, came over and looked up at me. “…Sis…Sis…” Mom happened to pass by and exclaimed with delight, “Lucas can call people now?” Since Lucas learned to speak, he had never called anyone Mom or Dad. He rarely spoke because whenever he wanted something, crying was enough. I didn’t expect his first time calling someone would be dedicated to me, the “useless girl.” The joy on Mom’s face instantly disappeared. She spat at me. “You useless girl, always teaching my darling bad things. Stay away from your brother in the future, you hear me?” I carried the bowls into the kitchen, the corner of my lips curling up. “Okay.” When it was time to sleep, Lucas started fussing again. “…Sis…Sis…Want…” He cried his heart out. Mom was heartbroken and angrily questioned me. “What kind of spell did you cast on him? Why does he only want you?” I looked innocent. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because he was scared earlier today, and I happened to be by his side.” Lucas would cry if he was away from me. Despite her extreme reluctance, Mom had no choice but to compromise. The plan was successful. Lucas and I faced each other. Mom had once worried that her only precious son might have some intellectual disability because he started speaking late. But I knew he was actually very smart. When he was little, he loved to snatch my things. A stone, a wildflower, a card, no matter how well I hid them, he could always find them. If I didn’t give them to him, he would cry and make a scene in front of Mom. Invariably, I would end up being beaten severely, kneeling on the ground apologizing, and handing those little things to him. I slightly narrowed my eyes, watching Lucas’s ingratiating face. Before dinner, I changed his diaper. I moved very slowly, brainwashing him for an hour. “See, today you didn’t listen to your sister and stay put, so bad people caught you.” “If you dare not listen to your sister again in the future, bad people will beat you to death.” My tone was gloomy, unable to suppress the hatred mixed in. “Just like… how Mom beats your sister, they won’t stop, they’ll keep beating and beating…” Living beings instinctively fear dangerous things, and with the addition of force, they choose to submit. Young ones are the same. He seemed to sense the genuine malice in my words. His eyes darted around, and he reached out for me to hold him. From tonight, when he cried and insisted on sleeping with me as I had instructed. I understood.

My life would change completely. In a different way. “Lucas, what did your sister tell you?” He had just started first grade and was dejected as he returned the broken water gun to someone else. I was very stern: “Lucas, apologize.” Lucas was very unwilling, even looking at me with some hatred. But I didn’t back down. With my height advantage and adult presence, I forced him to finally speak up. I went to his classmate, gritted my teeth, and took out all the pocket money I had saved from selling bottles. “I’m sorry, we’ll buy you a new one.” I patted the chubby kid’s head and said softly: “Sister will buy you candy. Please forgive Lucas, and can you play with him in the future?” The chubby kid hesitated but nodded. Lucas grumbled unhappily: “Who cares about playing with them.” This little brat. With Mom as a strong negative influence. I spent five whole years and still couldn’t correct many of Lucas’s bad habits. When I first started educating him, I encountered many obstacles. Lucas and I agreed that if he made a mistake, he would have to eat bitter melon. Every time I forced it to his mouth, Lucas would scream and yell, attracting Mom. But he never dared to say it was my fault. Before he was three years old, I had imprinted in his DNA that he must absolutely obey his sister’s words. Just like a baby elephant tied with a rope, even when it grows up and can easily break free from the rope. It doesn’t have this awareness, and I don’t allow such things to happen. Over these five years, I constantly reminded myself. Never let Lucas become like he was in my previous life. On the way home, I remained silent. Lucas glanced at my expression. “Sis, the backpack is so heavy.” After Mom discovered that I could teach Lucas to speak, she very reluctantly handed him over to me to take care of. But she still constantly reminded him, instilling the idea that everything of his sister’s belonged to him, and that his sister was just a lowly girl. But she acted too late. When it comes to brainwashing, how could an ignorant illiterate like her compare to me? The child I had already set on the right path couldn’t be ruined by her again. Seeing that I wasn’t responding to him, Lucas became anxious and ran in front of me. “Sis, I was wrong. Don’t be angry. Don’t make me eat bitter melon.” If it were Mom, she would definitely say: “It’s all those little bastards’ fault. My darling is always right. Mom will buy you cake, and we won’t play with them anymore.” I looked at him coldly. “What did you do wrong?” “I shouldn’t have snatched the toy from Chubby just because they wouldn’t play with me.” I gave him a light tap on the head and said sternly: “Remember this, be kind to others, and also—” I suddenly raised my voice: “Never be greedy for things that don’t belong to you, do you hear me!” In my previous life, Lucas ended up in trouble because he was greedy for enjoyment and too vain. After Lucas became sensible, I rarely scolded him harshly anymore. He was startled by me and stood at attention, trembling as he repeated: “Don’t be greedy for things that don’t belong to me.” “I remember, Sis.” As time passed, Lucas entered middle school. One night, Dad came home drunk again. He often did this, so at home, Mom was the one who called the shots. “I and some friends… are planning to… open a brick factory,” I heard Dad say as I was going to get water for washing feet. My hand shook, and some water splashed onto my shoes. This brick factory was my lifelong nightmare. Dad was fooled and lost everything. From that moment on, I fell into another hell. “You’re a woman, what money could you possibly spend?” “Hurry up and give me five thousand dollars. Didn’t you earn quite a bit? What’s wrong with contributing to the family?” “What do you mean you have no money? You’re just selfish, watching your parents starve outside while you eat and drink well.” “Your brother is in a relationship. Buy him a house.” “If you don’t help your brother pay off his debts, you’re ruining his life!” From age fifteen to thirty-five, I supported these bloodsuckers for twenty whole years. They clung to me tightly, sucking the marrow from my bones, draining every drop of my blood. During those twenty dark years. They were happy, enjoying themselves. With vicious smiles, they watched me struggle desperately in the quagmire. I trembled all over, my face pale, as the long-absent feeling of panic engulfed me. Lucas passed by: “Sis, what’s wrong?” I suddenly came to my senses, as if grasping at a lifeline. “Lucas, Dad’s business will fail. Mom listens to you the most, quickly stop them.” Lucas listened to me very well, and there was another reason— I could “predict” things. Over the years, I had foreseen many big and small family matters in advance, so Lucas had a mysterious reverence for me. Lucas frowned: “Sis, how should I say this? They won’t listen to me about this kind of thing.” I dragged him into the room. “Lucas, listen, Dad will not only lose everything, but he’ll also end up with a crippled leg.” I was almost hysterical: “Go quickly, use whatever method you can.” “We must not let Dad get involved in this!” My expression was too ferocious, scaring Lucas stiff, but he had no choice but to go. I slid down against the door, covered in cold sweat.

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My cousin Sophia, who I grew up with, slept with my husband Alexander and got pregnant. Am I angry? Not at all. In fact, I want to pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Because I orchestrated this whole thing. Sophia has always liked to take what’s mine. So I’m giving her Alexander, that scumbag. To help Sophia succeed, I put in quite a bit of effort behind the scenes. After all, Alexander was supposedly so devoted and faithful. Sophia sat across from me, tears streaming down her face as she confessed how much she loved my husband and how sorry she was. “Olivia, I’ve wronged you terribly. You can yell at me all you want, but I’m pregnant now. For the sake of the baby, can you please let us be together?” I stared at the pregnancy test results on the table, not saying a word. Sophia got up and crouched in front of me, clutching my arm as she continued to plead. “Olivia, I never meant to steal your husband. I just couldn’t control my feelings for him. I was planning to leave, I swear.” “I never thought I’d get pregnant. I don’t know how things ended up like this.” Sophia’s face was pale as she cried, her pupils trembling. I helped her back into the chair and handed her a glass of warm water. I had worked so hard to get to this point. Nothing could go wrong with the baby Sophia was carrying. I collected myself and asked in a tone of disbelief, “When did this start between you two?” I stood up and laughed coldly. “Well done, both of you. One claims to love me so much, the other is my closest cousin. I never expected you’d stab me in the back like this.” Sophia grabbed my arm, trying to say more. “I can’t stand to look at you right now. Move out,” I said. Sophia lowered her head without arguing. “Alright, I’ll go.” I quickly packed a small suitcase and left, checking into a hotel near my office. I ordered an extravagant meal I usually couldn’t afford, opened a bottle of wine, and sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows, raising my glass to the night sky. To be honest, I wasn’t angry or shocked at all about Sophia’s pregnancy. Because I had planned the whole thing. I wanted them to go to hell together.

When I was a sophomore in high school, my parents died in a car accident. My grandparents were in poor health, so as a minor, my aunt and uncle became my guardians. Those years of living under their roof were a nightmare I can’t shake. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have rushed into marriage so young, desperate for a family of my own, only to fall from one pit into an even deeper one. My aunt and uncle took control of my parents’ compensation money, claiming they were just “safeguarding” it until I came of age. But they quickly used it to buy a new house. Despite how big the new house was, there wasn’t a single bedroom for me. For those two years, I had to sleep on the couch, going to bed last and waking up first, with no privacy or dignity. I transferred to Sophia’s high school. She turned the other students against me, saying I was ungrateful – that her parents had kindly taken me in, feeding and clothing me, but I showed no appreciation and even tried to steal her things. What others didn’t know was that everything I used was Sophia’s hand-me-downs. I had no money to buy anything new, and my aunt and uncle never bought me anything either. My reputation at school got worse and worse. No one wanted to be my friend. I got nasty nicknames, was mysteriously locked in bathroom stalls, found chalk dust in my water bottle, had homework disappear. I went to the teachers, but they said I should be grateful anyone was willing to take me in. That I wasn’t like other kids and had no right to complain. After that, I threw myself into studying. I was desperate to escape, working myself to the bone to get into a good college. But when I succeeded, my aunt and uncle told me there was no money for tuition – apparently I had used up all my parents’ compensation during high school. Yet somehow Sophia was able to attend an expensive private university and even go to grad school. I wonder how much of that money was actually spent on me.

I woke up with a hangover headache. After a shower, I saw dozens of SnapChat messages from Sophia. I muted the conversation without reading them. Checking the date, I realized Alexander was due back from his business trip in three days. He hadn’t sent me a single message since yesterday. I wasn’t sure if he knew about Sophia’s pregnancy yet, but either way, I couldn’t act rashly. The more calm I remained, the more frantic they would become. I went to work as usual for the next few days, ignoring all calls and messages. On the third day, Alexander showed up at my office, saying he wanted to talk. “Let’s go home and talk together,” I said, closing my eyes to rest in the passenger seat, not giving him a chance to speak. At home, Sophia and I sat facing each other at the dining table, with Alexander next to me. “We’ll get rid of the baby tomorrow. I’ll give you $20,000,” he said. Sophia’s tears started falling again as she asked in disbelief, “You don’t want our baby?” “It’s an illegitimate child that should never have existed. My children will only be born from my wife,” Alexander replied coldly. I had guessed Alexander wouldn’t divorce me at this critical point in his career. At his young age, he was already an associate professor at a prestigious university and on track for a full professorship. Sophia’s face turned ashen. She stood up from her chair, her voice full of resentment. “So if your wife can’t have children, you’d never divorce her? You’d stay childless forever?” Alexander looked at Sophia in surprise, then turned to look at me. I pretended to be flustered and yelled at Sophia, “What nonsense are you spouting?” “Olivia, you’ve never shown Alexander your medical reports, have you?” Sophia turned to Alexander. “You two have been married for so long – haven’t you wondered why you don’t have kids yet?” Sophia went to her room and came back with a medical report, throwing it on the table. It had my name on it, with a clear diagnosis: Infertile. Alexander stared at the report for a long time without speaking. Finally, he only said to Sophia, “Don’t get rid of the baby for now.” Then he went to his study. Sophia had a victorious look on her face. “Olivia, I didn’t want things to turn out this way. But you brought this on yourself by being so stubborn. If you had just gracefully stepped aside, I could have given you some compensation, sister to sister.” Watching Sophia’s retreating back, I smiled to myself. Sophia, since you love taking what’s mine so much, as your sister I naturally want to indulge you. I just hope you can handle it this time.

From the moment Sophia first laid eyes on Alexander, I knew she would fall for him. But getting Alexander to accept Sophia took quite a bit of effort on my part. Alexander was never an ordinary man who thought with his lower half. On the contrary, he was very principled. Even after we got married, there were plenty of women throwing themselves at him, trying to replace me. But he never gave me any reason to worry in that department. He would firmly reject those women with ill intentions. “I’m sorry, I’m married and very much in love with my wife,” he’d say. He would openly talk about me in public or during his lectures. His students praised him for being handsome and devoted, the ideal man in many female students’ eyes. My friends and coworkers who met him envied my good taste in finding such a perfect husband. I used to believe that too. I met Alexander when I was a senior in college, during my internship. One day, an important work task wasn’t completed because a coworker didn’t do her part. She told our boss it was because I hadn’t properly communicated with her. But I had talked to her, right at her desk, and even reminded her later. Since it was just a verbal exchange, I had no proof. So I ended up taking the blame. Because of this incident, my chance at a full-time offer was delayed and I lost out on a bonus. I had worked overtime for a month on this project, and in the end all I got was unfair blame. I sat on some steps, sobbing, as the rain poured down harder and harder, soaking me through. That’s when I met Alexander. He gave me his umbrella and a pack of tissues, without saying a word, then left in the rain himself. Later I ran into him at the company again and learned he was one of the shareholders. I was too intimidated to approach him, but he greeted me first. To thank him, I invited him to dinner and told him about that day’s incident. He advised me that in the workplace, all important matters should be documented in email. After that, my full-time offer wasn’t delayed and I received my bonus as normal. I suspected it was his doing. As we got to know each other, I discovered he was very knowledgeable. No matter what questions I had, he always gave the most reasonable advice. I started secretly visiting his university to see him. He took me to try all sorts of delicious food. It was the most peaceful time I’d had since my parents passed away. After graduation, we started dating, and got married six months later. He was a wonderful husband – he would drive me to and from work, prepare surprises for holidays, take on household chores, maintain appropriate distance from other women, didn’t smoke or drink, had no bad habits at all. When I told him about my high school experiences, this 30-year-old man’s eyes reddened. He held me close and said, “It’s all in the past now. I’ll make up for everything you’ve lost.” If I hadn’t discovered that secret, I might have remained trapped in the dream he wove for me.

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