I blew my cover in the eighth month of my one-year contract marriage to the CEO. While Ethan Gray was working out shirtless, glistening with sweat, I got distracted by his sculpted body. Absent-mindedly cleaning the floor, I casually tossed something in my way onto the couch. The next second, Ethan’s eyes widened in shock, time stood still, and I froze in horror. Holy crap! I had just tossed a 90-pound barbell! With one hand! My left hand! 0 Ethan Gray had been away on a business trip for over two weeks and finally returned home. Well, “home” might not be the right word – this luxurious mansion in Crescent Bay was just one of many properties he owned. The only difference was that I – his wife in name only – lived here. At that moment, he was working out in the gym, drenched in sweat. I had deliberately changed into a white dress and was slowly wiping the floor with a cloth. He glanced at me and frowned, “You don’t need to do this.” “It’s okay,” I smiled softly, lowering my head slightly. The angle of my lowered head and falling strands of hair were all carefully designed to appear delicate and lovable. “I’m too weak, so doing some housework is like exercise for me.” Since the sugar daddy rarely came home, I had to make sure he saw how hardworking and diligent I was, especially considering the $20,000 he paid me each month! Hearing my explanation, he didn’t try to dissuade me further. “Do as you wish, then.” He continued exercising while I diligently cleaned the floor. Perhaps it was too hot from the workout, so he took off his shirt. From an angle he couldn’t see, my eyes instantly bulged like saucers. That muscular upper body, with well-defined lines and muscles, sweat dripping from his neck down to his chest, abs, and those irresistible V-lines… Ahem… I shook off the inappropriate thoughts and casually tossed something on the floor onto the couch. Wait a minute! What did I just throw?! I snapped back to reality and saw what I had tossed onto the couch. My pupils dilated in shock. Holy crap! I had just tossed a 90-pound barbell! With one hand! My left hand! I was done for. My vision went black, and I don’t know how long it took before I mechanically turned my head to meet Ethan Gray’s dumbfounded face. He looked at me, then at the barbell, then back at the barbell, and finally back at me, his expression bewildered. I forced out a dry laugh, “When did the gym buy foam barbells? I’ll throw it away!” As I said this, I was about to move it. “Don’t move!” Ethan stopped me, walking over with a cold smile. “Do you think I’m blind?” He reached out with his long, strong hand and gripped the bar. Taking a deep breath, he flexed his arm muscles and lifted… But it didn’t budge… Ethan’s face darkened as he stared at me with those piercing eyes. “90 pounds, one-handed. Well done, Zoey!” I wanted to cry but had no tears. My mind raced, but my mouth moved faster than my brain. “Well, is there a possibility that… you’re just not strong enough?” What am I saying?! “No, that’s not what I meant. Let me explain…” He took a step closer, and I retreated a step, suddenly sitting on the couch. He placed his hand on the sofa, trapping me in his arms. His handsome face was cold, his thin lips barely moving, his tone seductive and ambiguous. “Whether I’m strong enough or not, you can find out for yourself.” Me: “…” Where did he learn such a cliché line? I was so embarrassed that my toes curled. He took another step closer, his hot breath on my neck. I could almost see my reflection in his pupils. Goosebumps broke out all over my body. I held back, and held back again, but finally couldn’t resist. I bent my knee, raised my leg, and used all my strength. I kicked him three meters away… “Mr. Gray!” I rushed over to help him, panicking. “Zoey!” Ethan roared in anger, clutching his stomach in pain. I swear I didn’t mean to! It was just a reflex, I swear!!! 0

Ten minutes later, Ethan was lying on the couch, and I was nervously applying ointment to him, my hands as gentle as if I were touching a cloud. Although I didn’t understand why I had to apply it to his stomach, a place he could easily reach himself. But! Looking at those well-defined abs and that smooth, tempting skin, oh my, I could rub it all night without sleep! “Put some strength into it! You need to massage out the bruise. Where’s that strength you used to kick me?” Ethan said with his eyes closed. I couldn’t help but increase the pressure. “This is my stomach, not a washboard. Why are you using so much force!” Ethan yelled again. Too light wasn’t okay, too heavy wasn’t okay either. I got angry too, “Do it yourself then!” Who does he think has no temper? He looked at me straight in the eye, expressionless, and uttered two words, “Dock pay.” “No, no, no!” I immediately put on a smile, “I’ll rub it properly. If it’s really not good enough, I’ll go take a class to learn.” Anything but docking my pay, that’s the bottom line! “Hmph.” He snorted lightly, “Come back to the family house for dinner tomorrow.” “Okay!” My eyes lit up. Originally, Ethan Gray wanted to find someone for a fake marriage to avoid his family’s pressure to get married. I signed a contract with him to pretend to be his wife for a year, with a monthly payment of $20,000. If I had to go back to the family house to deal with his family, there would be an additional bonus. $20,000 was not a small amount, but who wouldn’t want more money, right? To explain how this pie fell into my lap, we need to go back to eight months ago. It was a beautiful sunny day. I was crouching by the roadside, crying my heart out. At that moment, a shiny luxury car stopped in front of me. Ethan Gray, dressed impeccably, got out of the car and gracefully handed me a handkerchief. “Why are you crying?” I sobbed, tears rolling down like broken strings of pearls, “I’m out of money… wah wah wah…” Ethan frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, “I have a job here that pays you $20,000 a month. Want to do it?” “Yes!” I agreed almost without thinking. Ethan smiled, “You’re not going to ask what the job is? Aren’t you afraid I might be a bad person?” I glanced at his car and said softly, “Are there bad people who drive Rolls-Royces?” Then, not forgetting to flatter him, I added, “There probably aren’t bad people who look this good either, right?” In reality, I had sized him up and determined that his build posed no danger to me. No one dislikes hearing compliments. He smiled even more happily, “Very well, come with me.” I hopped into the luxury car, hit by this huge pie, and signed the contract. Later, I asked him why he chose me. Ethan recalled for a while and said, “That day, I had never seen a girl cry so heartbrokenly. You were crouching there, small and vulnerable, looking so fragile that it made people want to protect you.” Fragile meant easy to manipulate, and wanting to protect meant approachable, very suitable. I pondered for a long time and finally understood. CEO × Damsel in Distress, isn’t that a fixed pairing? So, I began to diligently play the role of a fragile flower. Of course, I didn’t dare tell Ethan that the reason I was crying so heartbrokenly that day was because I had beaten up a pervert who was harassing me. He had two broken ribs, and I was bankrupt from the compensation. Ethan kept his promise. Not only did he transfer the money on time every month, but he also let me live in his four-story villa. In just four months, when the contract ended, I would be able to run away happily with the money. Everything was going well, if only I hadn’t lifted that barbell today. 0 “August 20th.” I took a marker and drew an ‘X’ on today’s date. The circled date was the day I first met Ethan, and also… the day when the one-year contract would end.

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The Night Before Divorce Jack begged me for one last time together. I agreed, and we had a passionate night. But the next morning, as I looked down at the extra flesh between my legs, I screamed: “Ah—Jack Bennett! We’re screwed!” Our souls had somehow switched bodies! At that moment, Jack was staring at me with lust-filled eyes in my body. “It’s okay, worst case… we can do it again, maybe that’ll switch us back,” he said. The nerve of him! He had left bruises all over my body last night! And now he has the audacity to suggest doing it again? Besides, it was my first time as a man. I had no idea how to “get the job done.” Furious, I got up from the bed and slapped myself hard twice. It hurt. This wasn’t a dream! “Aria, why don’t we call off the divorce?” Jack tentatively asked. “No way!” I shouted. “You’re dead to me. I don’t want a cheating man!” After getting dressed, I went to the living room. Jack’s mom – my mother-in-law – saw me and said, “Son, you’re up! What about her?” She nodded towards the bedroom. “Still sleeping in as usual! It’s the last day, you two divorcing is for the best! Mom will find you a better girl!” My deteriorating relationship with Jack was largely due to his mom’s meddling! I snapped back irritably, “Let her sleep! What’s she got to do anyway? Are you paying her?” I was usually respectful to my mother-in-law. I had no idea she constantly badmouthed me behind my back. Mrs. Bennett’s face darkened. She jabbed my arm, “What’s gotten into you today? The girl I found for you is a hundred times better than her! Don’t be sad! Out with the old, in with the new!” Just then, Jack shuffled out in slippers. It was my first time seeing myself from someone else’s perspective. I had to admit, my face was quite alluring from this angle. “Shameless hussy!” my mother-in-law muttered under her breath. “Mom, is breakfast ready? We’ve got things to do after eating!” Jack plopped down in his usual seat, just like always. That set Mrs. Bennett off. She marched over to Jack, hands on hips. “Aria! Get up! Is that your seat? You useless woman! The Bennett family must have sinned in our past lives to be stuck with you! No breakfast for you today!” Well, the gloves were completely off now. She had always schemed against me, but at least maintained a veneer of civility before. Now she was openly hurling insults. Jack was stunned by his mother’s outburst. “Mom, no matter what, I’m still your daugh… I mean, daughter-in-law. That’s going too far!” “Aria, come here. I’ll feed you…” I beckoned to Jack. He hesitated, then shot his mother a glare before walking over. Mrs. Bennett didn’t dare stop me. She blustered, “You’re divorcing today! Why are you still coddling her? I’m telling you Jack, you’re too soft!” “Mom, eat if you want. If not, go out. I don’t want to hear all this chatter. Go gossip with Mrs. Johnson next door!” I frowned, pointing at the door. Mrs. Bennett cursed me for being ungrateful, but had no choice but to leave. Jack didn’t know what to say. He obediently sat down as I fed him breakfast. This wasn’t some cute couple’s ritual. He was using my body now, so I had to take care of myself.

We arrived at the registry office. The clerk gave us each a form to fill out. Suddenly Jack started crying, kneeling and clutching my sleeve. “Honey, I was wrong! Please give me a chance to explain! Let’s start over!” “Our souls and bodies are so perfectly matched! Why do you want to divorce me?” “Please don’t divorce me, honey~” Back in college, I was the campus beauty queen. This face could really turn on the waterworks. Several men came over, unable to bear the scene. “Hey man! Your wife is so pretty, and she knows she was wrong. Just forgive her!” “Yeah! If my wife looked like that, I wouldn’t divorce her even if she cheated on me!” “Come on beautiful, looks like your husband’s heart has softened. Get up and go home!” I wasn’t softening! I was just embarrassed! With him saying those things with my face, it made it seem like I was the one at fault! Without a word, I got up and left the registry office. “Jack, what the hell are you doing?! We agreed on the divorce!” I hissed. Jack sniffled, “I never agreed… Besides, we can’t just divorce like this now, can we?” He squeezed the two plump mounds on his chest. He had a point. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in this jerk’s body either. Jack finished groping himself, then came over and put his delicate hand on my belt. “Why don’t we… try again… Maybe it’ll work, then we can divorce after, okay?” I shoved him away. “No way!” But that night, I ate my words.

Back home, Mrs. Bennett saw us return together and her face immediately soured. “Why are you back?!” she snapped. Jack smiled sheepishly, tugging on Mrs. Bennett’s arm. “Mom, Jack’s not divorcing me. Looks like you’re stuck with me!” Mrs. Bennett nearly choked, coughing for a while before jabbing her finger at me. “Son, have you no backbone?! She’s the one who wanted the divorce! Now she says no and you just go along with it?! How did I raise such a spineless son!” I went over and put my arm around Jack’s shoulders. “Mom, I’ll have Mrs. Johnson’s son drive you back to the countryside tomorrow. Go keep Dad company. Let us newlyweds have some alone time!” Jack looked up at me, eyes rimmed with red. After much “persuasion” from Jack and me, Mrs. Bennett reluctantly packed her bags to return to her hometown.

That night, Jack dragged me to take a bubble bath together, even showing me how to wash his body. I realized there were a lot of areas men needed to pay attention to. But I hadn’t forgiven him. I was just doing this to learn how to “get the job done.” Once we finished, I could get back to my own body… Jack even put on the sexy lingerie he had bought for me years ago, his voluptuous figure on full display… “Honey~” Jack bit his lip, gazing at me seductively. But I just felt nauseous. Wasn’t this basically me doing myself? The mental barrier was hard to overcome. Jack had no such qualms. He took my hand, running it over his body, making my breathing quicken. He was guiding me just like before. I didn’t have to do much work, just enjoying the sensations. Until I woke up the next morning, feeling sticky and sore in certain places. I jolted awake in shock, hurriedly sitting up. Damn it, I was still in Jack’s body! Jack stirred awake too, barely opening his eyes. “Didn’t switch back? We’ll try harder next time…” Next time my ass! I smacked his smooth white back, instantly leaving a red handprint. He just rolled over, two adorable “bunnies” bouncing before my eyes. No wonder Jack always loved playing with them before. They were so soft and bouncy… Jack smiled, tugging my arm. “Aria, now you’ll never leave me~” I remembered his betrayal and angrily shook him off. “Don’t say that. Get up, you took yesterday off. You want to skip work again today?” Jack stood up stark naked, his milky skin glowing with a rosy tint… Damn, I never realized I was this beautiful before! My current body started reacting uncontrollably, my breathing growing rapid. Jack recklessly walked over, stroking my collarbone. “Honey… admit it, you’re captivated by your own body too.” I covered up my hardening lower region, cursing under my breath. “No wonder men always think with their lower half! Get your ass to work! Until we divorce, you’re obligated to support me!” But Jack just smirked. “Aria, you’re me now. You’re the one who has to support me~” Oh crap, that’s right! I’m Jack now, don’t I have to go to work in his place?! Jack was the company’s general manager. I had been a stay-at-home trophy wife ever since marrying him. If I don’t go to work, Jack might get fired. Then we’d both be out on the streets! Jack looked at me mischievously. “How about you wear a Bluetooth earpiece and I’ll guide you through it?” I nodded vigorously. That settled it! So I put on a suit and tie, all dressed up as I headed out. Before leaving, Jack gave me a passionate French kiss… And made plans for more “practice” that night. I looked at my own face gazing at me lovingly. Not wanting to be a smelly man forever, I stiffly nodded. Entering the company, I took the executive elevator as Jack instructed. But as soon as I got in, I saw the last person I wanted to see!

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Liam Anderson and I grew up together, and I’ve had a crush on him for ten years. I always thought that if I gave it enough time, he would eventually notice me. That is, until Liam’s birthday, when he showed up holding hands with my best friend. They kissed in front of everyone’s congratulations. Then Liam said that to him, I was just a convenient maid. Liam has always been incredibly handsome, so he’s had a constant stream of admirers and relationships since we were young. I was the only one who stayed by his side all this time. I always thought I was special to him, carefully hiding my feelings while following his every word. Liam’s friends often joked, “Liam, you’ve got yourself a loyal little sidekick.” Liam never denied it. This year, Liam turned twenty-four. One day, after he sobered up from drowning his sorrows over a breakup, I was cooking in the kitchen when Liam came up behind me and patted my head. “Amber, what would I do without you? I’d probably starve to death, right?” “You know what, maybe we should just get together,” he said casually. His offhand comment nearly stopped my heart. I froze, unable to speak. But Liam laughed first. “Just kidding. You’re not really my type.” I shooed Liam out and continued cooking alone in the kitchen. His two sentences had lifted me up, only to shatter me moments later. When I finished cooking, I left. Liam lazily said goodbye, “Come back soon, Amber.” I didn’t answer, practically fleeing from his place. When I got home, my college roommate Rachel was there, calling me over to eat some strawberries. Looking at Rachel sitting on the couch in just her pajamas, bare-faced yet still breathtakingly beautiful, I couldn’t help but feel dejected. If I were that pretty, maybe Liam would like me. Of course, Liam has always been attracted to beautiful, glamorous, dazzling girls. And me? I’m plain and ordinary, like one of the countless stars in the sky – people probably couldn’t even remember my name if they tried. Seeing me lost in thought, Rachel pinched my cheek. “What are you spacing out for? You’ve been acting weird since you came back from seeing your crush today.” “Did you two have a fight?” Rachel knew I had liked someone for a long time, so she occasionally teased me about it. I shook my head. “What crush? We’re just friends. Don’t make stuff up.” “Oh, come on. If you like him, just admit it. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. If you like him, go confess. If he doesn’t like you back, at least you can move on instead of torturing yourself like this.” She was right, but it was hard for me to do. After all, I had liked him for ten years. But this time, I silently told myself that this would be the last time. If it didn’t work out, I’d give up. On my birthday, I invited Liam out for dinner. But I didn’t expect him to come to my rented apartment while I was out. Liam and Rachel ran into each other. They chatted briefly, but to me, they looked like a perfect match – the handsome guy and the beautiful girl. I dug my nails into my palms, telling myself it was nothing. After Rachel left, Liam excitedly bumped my shoulder with his. “Wow, Amber! I can’t believe you never told me you had such a gorgeous friend.” “You never asked,” I replied. It’s true. He never cared about my studies, my life, or my friends. It was always me chasing after him. “Hey, give me her SnapChat. I’ll treat you to something nice,” he said. I shook my head, forcing myself to say, “She doesn’t like guys like you.” “Oh, come on. Just give it to me.” In the end, I gave it to him. But I thought that since Rachel had known me for so long and knew I liked Liam, she wouldn’t agree to go out with him. After that, Liam occasionally came to my rented apartment. He and Rachel didn’t talk much, and they didn’t seem very close, which put my mind at ease. I was planning to confess to Liam at his birthday party a month later. If it didn’t work out, I’d give up. But I was sure it would work. After all this time, he must have noticed me by now. I prepared for a long time, deciding what to wear to the birthday party and even revising my confession speech more than a dozen times. However, I failed to notice Rachel’s increasingly frequent late nights out and the happy smile on her face. On Liam’s birthday, he invited many friends. I wore a beautiful long dress for the occasion. Before I left, Rachel gave me a strange look.

She said something odd, too. “Why are you dressing up so fancy for his birthday? People might think it’s a proposal or something.” I heard a hint of mockery in her words, but when I turned to look at her, she was just staring at her phone. When I arrived at the private room, Liam wasn’t there yet. I knew Liam’s friends, and they sat next to me, teasing, “Amber, you’re all dressed up today. Are you going to confess to Liam?” “Good luck! If it works out, you have to treat us all to drinks!” “Sure,” I agreed with a smile. Liam arrived half an hour later. Everyone was pushing me, ready to shove me in front of Liam as soon as he opened the door. But we didn’t expect him to appear holding Rachel’s hand. The hands pushing me suddenly stopped. The atmosphere instantly became awkward. I stood there holding a bouquet of flowers, completely out of place. Rachel spoke first, “Liam, look at the flowers Amber bought for you. Thank her.” Liam tightened his grip on Rachel’s hand. “You’re so generous.” Then he turned to me and said perfunctorily, “Thanks, Amber.” For the rest of the time, I hid in a corner, staring at my out-of-place dress and feeling utterly foolish. So, the feelings that all his friends knew about – how could he not have known? So, because I wasn’t pretty enough, I was destined not to win his affection, but Rachel, whom he had only known for a short time, could. The couch beside me dipped as Rachel sat down. There was a smile on her face that didn’t reach her eyes as she apologized to me, “I’m sorry, Amber. I didn’t tell you we were together.” “But you can’t control these things. You should face reality.” I looked at her, shocked. I never expected Rachel, whom I’d known for years, to be like this. She dismissed my confusion with disdain. “Don’t you get it? He likes pretty girls.” I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t argue. For the rest of the evening, Liam blew out his candles and then hugged and kissed Rachel under the lights. At that moment, I decided I didn’t want to like Liam anymore, and I didn’t want to be friends with Rachel either. I put Liam’s house key from my pocket into Rachel’s bag. As I was about to leave, Rachel grabbed me. Her beautiful eyes were even more captivating at that moment, and she spoke with a pitiful tone, “Amber, I know you’re mad at me. But I’m sorry, you can’t force someone to like you. I’ll take good care of Liam.” For a moment, I was stunned. Not just me, but Liam’s friends were too. She was doing this on purpose, humiliating me in front of everyone. I wanted to say something, but Liam beat me to it. “What are you talking about? Amber and I are just bros. I don’t like her that way. Right, Amber?” Fighting back tears, I looked at Liam and Rachel in the silent room. “Yes, I used to like Liam. But from today on, I will never like Liam again. If I do, may I drop dead.” After I said this, Liam’s expression changed drastically. “And Rachel, I don’t want to be friends with you anymore. You disgust me.” With that, I left. But as soon as I was out the door, Liam caught up with me. His voice was cold, “Amber, apologize to Rachel.” I shook off his hand. “Apologize my ass. I was an idiot for ever liking you.” Seeing Liam’s shocked expression, I turned and left. This time, he didn’t follow. I walked down the street in my dress, shoulders hunched, sobbing uncontrollably. I cried for a long time before I noticed someone behind me. Through my tear-filled eyes, I saw a guy in a black hoodie standing not far away, watching me. He was pretty handsome. I crouched down, picked up a brick, and pointed it at him. “If you keep following me, I’ll fight you to the death.” My shout made everyone around look at me and the guy. The guy frowned slightly and walked towards me. “Wipe your tears and see who I am.” I didn’t have any tissues, and I had been sniffling back my runny nose. How could I wipe? The guy sighed and rummaged in his pocket, but came up empty.

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Zachary, my ex-boyfriend whom I once destroyed, has returned to the country with a billion-dollar fortune. But he has only one goal: to humiliate me mercilessly. However, when he finally finds me, all he sees is a small gravestone overgrown with grass. I died three years ago, just three months after our breakup. It’s been three years since I died, and I still haven’t been able to reincarnate. My soul wanders the world. I waited early at the airport exit, my transparent body giving me a significant advantage. As Zachary stepped out of the airport, screams erupted from the crowd. I stood in the spot closest to him, feeling an inexplicable ache in my chest. How wonderful, he’s still as handsome and dashing as ever. Unlike three years ago, he now exudes confidence and success, his eyes twinkling with joy. I had learned of Zachary’s imminent return from the news. Over the past three years, he had successfully built a business abroad and was now returning to expand his enterprise. Countless people cheered for him, even praising his family. Only I, his ex-girlfriend who had abandoned him in his darkest hour, was vilified on social media. Thankfully, I can’t even touch a phone now, or I’d surely try to defend myself. But what would be the point? I laughed bitterly at myself when suddenly a familiar figure appeared before me. The person ran towards Zachary, nearly tripping several times due to the crowd. Instinctively, I reached out to help, but my hands passed right through people’s bodies. I froze. So I stood still as the figure pushed through the crowd and ran up to Zachary, almost falling to her knees. “Mr. Zhou, I’m Wendy, Sophia’s friend. Could you spare some time? I have something important to tell you.” The speaker was my best friend in life, and also my brother Samuel’s true love. They were about to get married when Samuel had a car accident the day before. The hit-and-run driver was never caught. Since then, he’s been bedridden, often mentally unstable, only kept in check by medication. Mostly imported and expensive drugs. I suppose this is why Wendy is here. We’ve sold everything we could over the years, but it’s still not enough to cover the costs. I looked hopefully at Zachary, wondering if he still had a place for me in his heart. “Sophia? Who’s that?” “What? Another person trying to use my brother’s connections?” “How shameless! He doesn’t even know her.” “Hey, isn’t that name similar to his ex-girlfriend’s?” The crowd murmured, some even starting to push Wendy away. Her face turned red, but Zachary’s bodyguards were already clearing a path, shoving her aside. I wanted to comfort her, but as I reached out, I froze. Ah, even after three years as a spirit, I still haven’t learned. The truth is, I couldn’t even comfort myself. Every word he said felt like a knife to my heart. In an instant, Wendy wiped away her tears and tried to push through the crowd again. This time she wasn’t so lucky. The tall bodyguards wouldn’t let her get close. After what had just happened, more people in the crowd started to interfere. A scream made Zachary stop. All the reporters turned their cameras towards the two of them, and even the air seemed to go still. Wendy, ignoring the pain, tried to speak, but he turned and walked away. As one of the bodyguards helped her up, the main group had already walked far away. After the car had driven some distance, Zachary had Wendy brought to him. Her hair was disheveled, and there was some dirt on her face. I followed her closely, unable to hold back my tears. She used to be such a free-spirited, romantic girl. It was only for my brother that she gave up all her dignity. At this moment, I desperately hoped Zachary wouldn’t be too harsh with his words, but he didn’t grant my wish. “Please, save Samuel! I really don’t have money for the imported medicine anymore. Please, for Sophia’s sake, help us!” “Her sake? She doesn’t deserve it! Unless she comes and begs me on her knees herself!” Wendy’s eyes widened, as if she had heard something unbelievable. Her hands were shaking slightly, like she might lose control at any moment. “But Sophia, she…” “Trying to play me like three years ago? Hah, I’ll give her three days. Not a day more.” Then Zachary had his bodyguards take Wendy away. After she left, he immediately furrowed his brow. A phone call came in, the contact name reading “Darling Baby”. Rumor has it that Zachary has been keeping a beautiful petite woman by his side these three years, and they’re supposedly getting married soon. When I was with him, I once saw this caller ID, but Zachary quickly hid it away. It must have been his true love. This is for the best. Our relationship was just mutual use anyway, so I shouldn’t feel so guilty. When I first met Zachary, I was just a lowly employee at his family’s company. Beauty without the ability to protect oneself is a sin. During a team-building event, a sleazy superior dragged me into a small room. I managed to scare him off by cutting my wrist and then opened the door to escape. I ran straight into someone’s arms – it was Zachary. Later, when I woke up in the hospital, I learned that he had chased away the superior that day and offered me the position of his personal assistant, which was currently being recruited. After we got together, he told me that he thought it was better to find an assistant from someone he knew. He happened to look through my file and learned that I had a bedridden brother, which piqued his interest. Zhou Corporation was the top company in River City, with a wide range of business interests. Zachary, who had been groomed as the heir from a young age, was highly talented but didn’t like business. He preferred tinkering with electronic products. Unable to defy his father, he reluctantly became a deputy director, secretly focusing on his interests. When I first became his assistant, I was warned. His father, with a smile on his face, said words that cut to the bone. “You should do what’s appropriate for your position and be aware of your place. Otherwise, you might not even be able to keep that position. Don’t you agree?” He said this to me one afternoon in a coffee shop, and I’ve always remembered it. Zachary had been engaged since childhood, but they never got along. He often complained to me about her, and gradually I came to know her better than Zachary did. I didn’t follow his father’s advice, instead growing closer to Zachary day by day. Because my place was never meant to be here. It was about two months after Samuel’s car accident when someone approached me at my part-time job with a large sum of money. The Zhou family hadn’t fallen from grace yet, and I knew some people from when we were still wealthy. The person wanted me to steal a business secret from the Zhou family. I immediately refused. “Miss Shen, don’t you want to save your brother?” “I’ll earn the money myself.” “Haha! Maybe you could have done that before, but now only two people are left in your family. How will you earn it?” On the day of bankruptcy, my father jumped from a building and my mother committed suicide. Not long after, my brother had the car accident. Only I remained intact. Although I didn’t want to face it, it was reality. That evening, I went to Samuel’s hospital room and happened to catch him during one of his episodes. He was tightly gripping a fruit knife with both hands, and no one dared to approach him. As he was about to leave the hospital, I steeled myself and rushed to stop him, but my arm was cut with a long gash. The nurses who had been waiting for an opportunity swarmed in and gave him a sedative, finally calming him down. After my arm was bandaged, Samuel regained consciousness. Seeing the wound, he started hitting his head violently. Wendy hurried to stop him but was pushed away, tears streaming down her face. “Isn’t he taking his medication every day?” “The medicine ran out, and we don’t have money to buy more. I thought he had been doing well lately, so I figured it would be okay to stop for a few days. I never expected this to happen when I left for just a moment. I’m so sorry.” “It’s not your fault. I still have some money, take it and use it.” Wendy could have left, but she didn’t. Just for this, I already felt incredibly guilty. How could I blame her? She wiped her tears and left with the bank card I gave her. I could vaguely hear her talking to the medical staff outside. Samuel sat blankly on the bed after his outburst, his face expressionless. “It would be better if I just died.” This sentence was like a small stone thrown into water, setting off alarm bells in my mind. In this world, he was my last remaining family member. No matter what, I couldn’t let anything happen to him. I couldn’t bear the pain of losing another family member. So I agreed to that person’s request. They would arrange everything and cover all treatment costs, even bringing in a specialist from abroad. The condition was that within three months, I had to obtain that item at any cost. We quickly fell in love, always together wherever we went. During a business trip, we ran into William, who had relentlessly pursued me in school. He blocked my path, insisting on catching up. Zachary shielded me behind him, his tall figure exuding a sense of security. “Who are you?” William’s voice was almost trembling. Zachary looked back at me, then at him, and smiled. “I’m her boyfriend.” William left sheepishly, no longer as arrogant in front of Zachary. After getting rid of William, Zachary suggested we go for a walk. I was still shocked by what had just happened and nodded without thinking. The gentle breeze on my face felt refreshing, as if memories from the past were becoming clearer bit by bit. Back then, I was carefree, not having to think so much about everything like I do now. He noticed my low spirits and took great care of me throughout the journey. How wonderful it would be if we could stay in this moment forever? I knew I shouldn’t indulge in such fantasies, but my heart couldn’t help it. “Do you… like me?” This was the first time he had asked me this. Before, when we got together, a simple nod was enough. I smiled, my face stiff, then nodded heavily. ———-This is the breakpoint———- Liking someone doesn’t need a reason. I smiled from the bottom of my heart, as if I had truly fallen for him too.

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I had been with Chloe Sinclair for ten years, helping her climb the corporate ladder at her family’s company. To secure deals for her, I attended countless business dinners and client meetings. She kept delaying making our relationship public, saying she wanted to wait until her career was stable. But on the day she became CEO, she publicly announced that her childhood friend Lucas was her fiancé and set a wedding date. That same night, I was at a business dinner celebrating her promotion, trying to close a big deal for her. I ended up drinking too much and got sick. The client’s husband misunderstood the situation and had me beaten up. Limping and bruised, I brought her the signed contract. But she allowed Lucas to run over my foot with his car, then casually said, “Lucas just learned to drive. Don’t take it personally if he bumped you by accident.” The pain I had been enduring exploded as Lucas’s car crushed my foot. I doubled over in agony. Lucas feigned innocence, saying, “Zach, why did you suddenly step out?” Every cell in my body was screaming in pain. The contract I had been protecting fell to the ground. The clean white paper looked out of place next to my blood and dirt-stained clothes. Chloe walked over and picked up the contract. After glancing through it, she put it in her bag and looked down at me condescendingly. “Lucas just learned to drive. Don’t take it personally if he bumped you by accident.” I was in too much pain to speak. I reached out to her, but she made no move to help me up. It seemed Chloe’s CEO celebration party was ending, as more and more people walked out of the hall. “Isn’t that CEO Sinclair and her fiancé Lucas? Who’s that man lying on the ground?” Fiancé? Lucas? What about me? I struggled to prop myself up on my arms, wanting to ask Chloe what was going on. But my arms seemed to be broken too – I couldn’t put any weight on them. The murmurs of the crowd continued. “Isn’t that guy the model Chloe keeps around?” “Shh, keep your voice down. Rich people having boy toys is nothing unusual.” “Did Lucas’s car hit him?” Hearing this, Chloe finally reacted. She signaled her bodyguards to pull me up, then addressed the crowd: “Lucas didn’t hit him. He fell in front of the car himself.” I was lifted like a rag doll by the bodyguards. I kept replaying the word “boy toy” in my mind, feeling a bitter taste in my mouth. Chloe and I had been together for ten years. She had cried to me about her father favoring her brother for the family business, even though he was incompetent. She said her father was trying to force her to marry a much older divorced man. I felt for her and wanted to help. After graduation, I came to work for her, closing deal after deal to help her prove herself to her father and gain a foothold in the Sinclair family business. But after all I had done, I was still a nobody with no official status. And now I had the degrading label of “boy toy” who was just there for her entertainment. “What?! So he’s trying to scam them!” “He looks so young, how could he stoop so low?” Chloe’s explanation had turned everyone against me. My consciousness was fading. The last thing I heard was one of the bodyguards yelling to Chloe, “Ms. Sinclair, this guy passed out.” When I woke up, the sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose. My hand was wrapped in bandages and my leg was in a cast. The slightest movement sent waves of pain through my body. Those men who beat me up had clearly gone all out. The doctor noticed I was awake and glanced at me. “You’re up. Contact a family member to pay the bills and take care of you. The men who brought you here left right after dropping you off.” I had no money on me. Chloe had grown up in a wealthy family and seen a lot of scheming and betrayal. She lacked a sense of security. To reassure her, I had voluntarily given her control of our finances, letting her manage all the money. But now, she wouldn’t even pay for my medical bills. After the doctor left, I called Chloe, hoping to ask her to transfer some money for the hospital fees. But a man’s voice answered the phone. “Chloe’s in the shower. Talk to her assistant if you need something.” He hung up abruptly. The vague words, along with the “fiancé” from last night… A fire of anger ignited in my chest. I felt like a complete fool. Ignoring the nurse’s protests, I yanked out the IV and grabbed the crutches by the bed. I stumbled out, desperate to get to the Sinclair house and catch Chloe with her lover red-handed. I finally made it to the Sinclair house, but when I opened the door, I saw Chloe sitting with my family, looking happy and relaxed. Lucas was chatting with my mom, making her laugh. I staggered over and grabbed Lucas’s arm. I glared at Chloe and snarled, “Chloe, isn’t Lucas supposed to be your cousin? How did he become your fiancé?!” Before Chloe could respond, my mom stood up and slapped me hard across the face. She pulled Lucas away from me. “Zachary Miller, what the hell are you doing?! For years, Ms. Sinclair has given you a job, paid you well, and even sent food and gifts to our family. Instead of being grateful, you’re acting crazy now?” The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. My mom had worked as a farmer for years and had very strong hands. The slap made my head spin. I belatedly realized that Chloe had never publicly acknowledged our relationship. Chloe didn’t want to go public, and I respected her wishes as a man. When talking to my family, I just said I worked for the Sinclair company. But now, this had become a knife stabbing me in the back. My brother also stood up with a frown. “Zach, what are you doing? You’re acting like you and Chloe were dating or something. We need to know our place with families like the Sinclairs.” Chloe just sat there sipping her tea, making no move to explain things for me. Lucas put on an act of being magnanimous. “Chloe has probably been too nice to him, leading to some misunderstandings. It’s okay, Mrs. Miller.” One mouth can’t win against several. I looked at my family in despair as they all took Chloe and Lucas’s side. Chloe finally spoke up. She handed my mom a bright red invitation. “Mrs. Miller, Lucas and I are getting married next month. You’re welcome to attend. Zach has contributed a lot to the company. More than an employee, I see him as a brother. So you’re like family to me too.” My mom was overjoyed, clutching the invitation to her chest. She couldn’t stop smiling. “Oh my, Ms. Sinclair, you’re too kind. You’ve been such a blessing to our Zach. His father passed away when he was young, and I struggled to raise the two boys on my own. Life was so hard back then. But after Zach met you, our lives improved so much.” I stared at that invitation with bloodshot eyes, my chest heaving with anger. Chloe and I had been together for ten years. I cared for her, respected her, and helped her climb to the CEO position. But she had used me and tossed me aside, turning around to marry another man. What was I to Chloe Sinclair? Just a stepping stone on her path to success? A dog she could kick around? I leaned on my crutches, feeling waves of hatred and regret wash over me. In the end, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. My laughter drew everyone’s attention. My brother looked at me with disgust. My mom rushed over to try to cover my mouth. She awkwardly explained to Chloe, “My son must be excited to hear about your wedding, Ms. Sinclair.” Chloe looked at my pathetic state – one hand on a crutch, the other in a sling. “I should thank Zach too. He closed a big deal for me yesterday. You’re injured, so take some paid leave. Get well and then come to my wedding.” I stared at Chloe in disbelief. I had loved her for ten years, only to end up stabbed in the back. And now she wanted me to attend her wedding. For any man, this would be the ultimate humiliation. But my mom’s eyes lit up at the mention of paid leave. She ignored my struggles and had my brother help me out. “Thank you, Ms. Sinclair. We’ll definitely attend your wedding.” I didn’t want to go to Chloe’s wedding. But my mom threatened to hang herself to force me to go. She said, “Zachary Miller, Ms. Sinclair invited you. If you don’t go, you’re disrespecting her. Where would our family be without Ms. Sinclair? Or are you saying you actually have feelings for her? Know your place!” My brother held my mom back from finding a rope. He also complained, “Bro, are you trying to get our whole family killed?” But they had no idea that our family’s comfortable life wasn’t thanks to Chloe. It was from all the drinks I had with clients to close deals. I wanted to explain, but their eyes were full of contempt and distrust towards me. So I swallowed my words and just said, “Fine, I’ll go.” On the wedding day, I watched Chloe walk down the aisle in a white dress towards Lucas. Lucas was in the spot that that should have been mine. I pushed down the bitterness in my heart and signaled my friend Leo to play the video I had prepared. The video that was supposed to show Chloe and Lucas’s love story suddenly changed to moments between Chloe and me. There were photos of us from college, handwritten letters we had exchanged, records of our anniversary celebrations. The video caused an uproar among the guests. “Who is that guy? He doesn’t look like Lucas.” I picked up a microphone, ready to tell them everything. But as soon as I started speaking, I realized there was no sound coming from the mic. I looked over at Leo, but he avoided my gaze. Meanwhile, Chloe calmly raised her own microphone. “I’m so sorry for the confusion, everyone. The man in the video is Zachary Miller. We dated in college, but broke up due to incompatibility.” “Out of consideration for our past, I gave him a job at Sinclair Corp after graduation. But he didn’t take it seriously and kept trying to hit on wealthy clients.” “As you can see, his arm is in a sling. That’s because one of the client’s husbands had him beaten up.” As she spoke, a spotlight shone on me, nearly blinding me. My heart sank as I realized Leo had sold me out. Chloe continued relentlessly, “In fact, Mr. Jackson is here today. His wife was harassed by Zachary.” A heavyset man stood up from the audience, pointing at me and yelling, “You little punk! I warned you to stay away, but you dare show up at Ms. Sinclair’s wedding to cause trouble!” He waved his hand and several burly men came to drag me out. I struggled desperately, “Mom! Tyler! Help me!” But they turned away, pretending not to know me. One of the men knocked me to the ground. Then a barrage of fists and kicks rained down on me. I could only use my one good arm to protect my head. When the men got tired of beating me, one of them spat on me and cursed, “I hate pretty boys like you the most.” “Take a look in the mirror, you piece of trash.” “Let’s go, it’s a waste of energy beating up scum like this.” I lay on the ground like a dead dog while the wedding continued inside. I heard the officiant say, “The groom may now kiss the bride.” My face was wet with tears as I remembered Chloe scolding me for being clumsy during our first kiss, saying I had cut her lip. I’m not sure when the wedding ended, but I felt people walking past me. I grabbed a familiar ankle and looked up to meet Chloe’s cold eyes. With my last bit of strength, I croaked out, “Why?” She crouched down and pried my hand off her ankle. Without a hint of emotion, she said, “I got bored of you.” This time, I didn’t hesitate to raise my hand and signal the person who had been hiding nearby. “My dear sister, how could you not invite your brother to your wedding?”

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To marry the poor boy Felix Thompson, I nearly cut ties with my parents. For ten years together, I worked tirelessly, quitting my job to stay home and care for his bedridden mother. He was touched, whispering sweet nothings in my ear and promising he would never betray me. We became the couple everyone envied. But then his first love came back. He abandoned me time and again for her. When she complained of discomfort, He even dragged me, pregnant, out of the car on the highway. “Wait here by the road, I’ll be back for you soon,” he said. With that, he started the car to leave. But in that moment, a vehicle came speeding towards me from behind. By the time I realized what was happening, I was already lying in a pool of blood… When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Felix confessed his love to me. “Say yes, say yes!” “Wow, you have to accept!” The cheering crowd around us made me feel disoriented. The pain of my bones shattering under the car’s impact was still vivid in my mind. Felix stood before me, still with a touch of youthful innocence. He held out roses, looking at me tenderly, his ears red as blood. “Be with me, Olivia.” He offered the roses to me. But I remained motionless, my body stiff as a board. Had I been reborn? Seeing no reaction from me, Felix smiled. He assumed I was just shy. He raised his voice and asked again solemnly, “Olivia Carter, will you be my girlfriend?” Just then, a cold breeze blew past. It cleared my muddled thoughts somewhat. I looked past the crowd to see Rachel Frost, smiling smugly in the background. Only now, in this second life, did I realize Rachel had been there the day Felix confessed to me. I remembered how many times later, when I met Rachel, She would look at me with a mixture of pity and superiority. She said, “The only reason Felix confessed to you was because of me.” Later I found out it was because Rachel liked Samuel Morrison, so she pushed Felix to be with me. The goal was to cut off any hopes Samuel had for me. It wasn’t until after my death, when my soul lingered in this world, that I learned Samuel had always harbored feelings for me. He took care of my funeral, looked after my parents, and even sought revenge against Felix and Rachel… I looked at Felix, his eyes full of tender affection. He really seemed to love me deeply. Only after dying once did I realize it was all an act. How could someone fake love so convincingly? To everyone’s shock, I forcefully knocked away Felix’s roses. I enunciated each word clearly: “I don’t accept. I don’t like you, Felix Thompson.” With those words, the entire crowd fell silent. The smile on Felix’s face became strained. “You’re… joking, right?” Rachel could no longer control herself and rushed out from the crowd, pointing at me, “Stop playing hard to get. Everyone knows you like Felix!” I looked at her coldly. In my past life, Rachel and I didn’t know each other at this point. I had only heard about this first love a few times from Felix. I replied sarcastically, “Do I know you?” Rachel was stunned. I shouldn’t have known her, yet she seemed to know all about my situation. Because of Samuel, she had been stalking me on various social media platforms. I didn’t notice Felix giving Rachel an odd look. Rachel jutted out her chin, “I’m Felix’s good friend. I’ve been helping him pursue you, so of course I know you.” “Is that so? But isn’t he in love with you?” With those words, the crowd fell silent again. Felix anxiously spoke up, “No, that’s not true. I don’t like her, I like you.” Rachel pretended to be hurt, rubbing her eyes. “How can you spread such rumors? Felix and I are just good friends, nothing more.” Her affected manner made me sick. I grabbed Rachel’s left hand without warning. There was a ring-shaped tattoo on her ring finger. “Just friends? Then why do you both have matching ring tattoos?” The onlookers instinctively looked at Felix’s hand. Sure enough, he had the same ring-shaped tattoo on his ring finger. In my past life, before Rachel returned to the country, Felix’s explanation was that he simply thought the tattoo looked cool. Later when I discovered Rachel had the same one, I had a huge fight with him.

To appease me, he went to have the tattoo removed. He hugged me and said Rachel was just a first love from when he was young and foolish. He insisted I was the only one in his heart now, and Rachel was in the past. I believed him then, which led to my tragic end later. In this new life, I wouldn’t be so foolish again. Felix could no longer maintain his calm facade. He hurriedly tried to cover the tattoo, explaining to me, “No, it’s not what you think. I was young and stupid then. If it bothers you, I can have it removed…” He rubbed at the tattoo with his other hand until the skin broke and bled. “It’ll be gone soon, I promise…” I found his act pathetic. Felix’s acting skills had really improved. If I hadn’t died once before, I truly would have believed he loved me. I didn’t bother arguing further and turned to leave. But as I turned, I saw Samuel Morrison standing in the distance. His hands were in his pockets, his expression cold. He still had that rebellious look, like he didn’t care about anything in the world. Yet it was this same man who, upon hearing of my death, aged overnight. My eyes instantly welled up with tears. I ran towards him. “Sam, I’ve missed you so much.” Samuel was a bit taken aback, but still opened his arms to catch me. I buried myself in his embrace, greedily listening to his increasingly rapid heartbeat. At that moment, the world seemed to stand still. There was only Samuel and me. I didn’t hear Felix’s anguished cries, or Rachel’s jealous and resentful wails. Samuel drove me home. My parents had already prepared dinner and were waiting for me. Seeing my parents, my eyes immediately turned red. If there was anyone I truly owed an apology to in my past life, it was my parents. Seeing me cry, my parents became anxious. Mom hugged me, asking worriedly, “What’s wrong, sweetie? Did someone bully you?” Dad sat nearby, drumming his fingers on the table. I couldn’t speak through my tears. Samuel explained for me. He recounted how Felix had confessed to me today. My dad slammed the table and stood up. “I knew that boy was no good. Too scheming, not a suitable match at all.” Mom gently stroked my head, comforting me softly: “Olivia dear, don’t be sad. He’s not worth your tears.” I nodded, hugging Mom tightly. At that moment, the reality of my rebirth hit me like a tidal wave. With my parents and Samuel comforting me, my emotions gradually calmed. We all sat down at the dinner table to eat. This warm family scene made me think of the times I had cut ties with my parents in my past life. Guilt washed over me again. “Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. I was so foolish… I won’t do it again…” My parents didn’t understand what had happened, but they just kept comforting me. Before bed, I received a message from Felix. “Olivia, I’ve had the tattoo removed. Are you still angry?” Looking at the message, I suddenly remembered that at this point in my past life, Felix and I were already together. Meanwhile, Samuel had gone abroad, and Rachel had followed him. But this time, I hadn’t gotten together with Felix, and neither Samuel nor Rachel had left the country. After calming down completely, I began to review everything that had happened today. Felix’s behavior was very strange. The way he looked at me held an inexplicable possessiveness, and a hint of hidden madness. In that instant, my heart skipped a beat. He had come back too. My hands shook as I blocked and deleted Felix’s contact information. The shadow of death loomed over me at that moment. In my panic, I received a call from Samuel. I answered it urgently, as if grasping at a lifeline. “Sam…” “What’s wrong? Did Felix scare you today?” “I… yes…” “Don’t be afraid. As long as I’m here, no one can hurt you.” Samuel’s voice seemed to have a magical effect, gradually calming my heart. I fell asleep to Samuel’s gentle words. After I blocked and deleted him, Felix quieted down for a while. I didn’t see him for several days. Just as I was breathing a sigh of relief, an unexpected incident occurred. That day, I went to the hospital to buy some cold medicine. By chance, I ran into Felix’s mother who was there for a follow-up appointment. She had always been in poor health. In my past life, even with my careful care, her condition worsened year by year until she was bedridden within a few years. At this point in time, Felix’s mother could still walk, albeit with difficulty. I instinctively took a step back, hiding around the corner. Felix had just arrived at his mother’s side with a stack of test reports. I heard his mother sigh. “Ah, if I have to be hospitalized, it’ll be troublesome for you to come take care of me. What about your work? I don’t want to affect your career.” “Mom, don’t worry. I’ll have Olivia quit her job to take care of you.” “Would she be willing? I heard her family is well-off. She’s delicate, how could she take care of someone?” “Of course she would. She’s very domestic and caring.” Felix’s voice was full of certainty. I felt as if I’d been plunged into an ice bath. No wonder he kept pursuing me even though he didn’t like me. He just wanted me to take care of his mother for him. His mother’s voice continued, “But… don’t you like that Rachel girl?” I froze in place. I suddenly remembered Felix’s mother tightly grasping my hand on her deathbed, saying “I’m sorry.” My eyes suddenly welled up with tears. So Felix’s mother had known all along that I wasn’t the one her son truly loved, yet she had accepted my care without qualms. I thought Felix would immediately agree with his mother’s words. To my surprise, he quickly retorted, “Mom, please don’t say things like that anymore. I don’t want Olivia to misunderstand.” “My wife can only be her, in this life and the next. She belongs only to me.” I leaned against the wall, my fists clenched tightly. His mother still seemed a bit worried. “But what if she finds out the truth…” “Even if she knows, she won’t leave me. She loves me more than life itself.” Saying this, Felix fell silent. His mind was in turmoil. After a long while, he spoke again, “Don’t worry, she’s just playing hard to get. I’ll coax her back soon.” I couldn’t listen anymore and walked out. Seeing me, they both looked surprised. Felix’s mother hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to look at me. After his initial shock, Felix’s face lit up with undisguised joy. “You came! I knew you couldn’t stay away from me.” “I’ll be magnanimous and overlook your mistake from the other day.” I didn’t speak, just stared at him steadily. Felix began to feel uneasy under my gaze. But he didn’t want to back down. He had been mocked quite a bit lately for being rejected by me. So out of stubbornness, he deliberately hadn’t come looking for me for several days. I suddenly laughed, “Mistake? What mistake did I make, Felix Thompson?” “You deliberately hugged Samuel that day to provoke me, and you… you even blocked me.” I tilted my head, stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face. Felix’s mother, who had been pretending to be oblivious, immediately jumped up and bared her teeth at me. “What are you doing!” I shrugged, “Can’t you see? I’m slapping him.” With that, I turned and walked away coolly. It wasn’t until I had completely disappeared that Felix realized he had been slapped. 4 As I reached the hospital entrance, I ran into Rachel. I wanted to just walk past her and leave, but she grabbed my wrist. She was the epitome of the “innocent vixen” – pure-looking face but voluptuous figure, the type of girl often described online as having both innocence and sex appeal. She looked me up and down, then sneered. “You really are shameless, aren’t you? You made a big show of rejecting Felix before, and now you’re here at the hospital to see that old lady?” “What I do is none of your business.” I forcefully shook off her hand and was about to leave. But she stumbled dramatically, hitting the handrail of the stairs. This scene was all too familiar. I had experienced it in my past life too. Back then, I had been at a loss for words, only knowing how to defend myself. Of course Felix didn’t believe me. He just looked at me coldly, then gave me the silent treatment for a week. By that time, I had almost given up on our relationship. But he took the initiative to apologize, saying he shouldn’t have doubted me, and begged for my forgiveness. It wasn’t until this moment, looking at the past from a god’s-eye view, That I realized Felix’s behavior towards me was nothing more than giving me a slap followed by a sweet treat. Sure enough, Felix appeared. His face still bore the clear imprint of my hand. Rachel lay on the ground, crying silently, the perfect picture of a pitiful victim. Just as I thought Felix was going to berate me, he walked straight to my side. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” These words stunned even Rachel. For a moment, her coquettish, vulnerable facade twisted into an ugly grimace. She said in disbelief, “Felix, I’m the one who’s hurt. Can’t you see?” Felix seemed not to hear her, only looking at me with concern and a complex expression. I had no idea what game he was playing, so I just rolled my eyes and left. But Felix followed closely behind me. Rachel was still shouting in the background, but neither of us paid her any attention. At the intersection, Felix finally couldn’t hold back and grabbed my hand. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at me cautiously, “You heard what I said to my mom earlier, didn’t you? Don’t misunderstand, it was all just talk.” I didn’t answer this question. Instead, I leaned close to his ear and whispered, “You came back too, didn’t you? Don’t play dumb.” I felt his grip on my hand suddenly tighten. The streetlight above cast a flickering shadow on his face, splitting it into light and dark halves. The left side showed his cold cruelty towards me after meeting his first love again, while the right side reflected his anguish after my death. In my past life, as a disembodied spirit, I had seen him suffer immense pain upon learning of my death. But was this pain due to losing a free caretaker, or because things had spiraled out of his control? “So you… came back too.” Felix’s voice trembled. His eyes were full of painful struggle. “I knew you had come back from the moment you rejected me.” “But I didn’t dare believe it, didn’t dare think about it. I was afraid you would hate me…” “Felix Thompson, let’s end it here.” I forcefully pried his hand off me, stepping back to create some distance. Then, I secretly took out the pepper spray Samuel had given me this morning. I sprayed it directly in Felix’s face. As he cried out in pain, I turned and ran. The next day, I posted a photo on social media of Samuel and me holding hands. With the caption: “Found my soulmate, wishing to grow old together with you.” 5 My social media exploded instantly. Friends flooded the comments section: “Wonderful, a perfect match made in heaven.” “I’ve been shipping you two for ages, finally you’re together!”

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Three years after my death, my husband finally remembered me. The reason? His childhood friend Faye’s leukemia had relapsed, and she needed another bone marrow transplant. He came to the house where I used to live, intending to have me sign a donation agreement. But he found the place long abandoned. He asked the neighbors about me. “You mean Chloe? She’s been dead for years!” one replied. “I heard she was forced to donate bone marrow while she was sick. She passed away just days after returning home.” He refused to believe it, convinced the neighbors were conspiring with me to deceive him. Irritated, he snapped at them, “If you see her, tell her this: if she doesn’t show up in three days, I won’t pay another cent for that bastard child’s medical bills.” As he stormed off, the neighbor shook her head and muttered, “Poor child… he starved to death long ago.” Three years after death, my son and I were still restless spirits. Our attachments to this world were too strong, preventing us from moving on to the next life. Meanwhile, my husband Harrison had clawed his way up from the bottom of society, transforming into an enviable new business tycoon. I had betrayed him when he was at his lowest point. So he hated me. He wanted to flay me alive. Three years ago, he forced me to donate bone marrow to Faye while I was ill. Bone marrow extraction is invasive. Whether due to a procedural error or my weakened immune system, I developed a severe infection a week after the surgery. I fell into a coma with a high fever and died at home. My three-year-old son, left with no one to care for him, eventually died by my side. In those three years, Harrison never came to see us, not even a single phone call. Now, I held my son Timmy’s small hand as we floated in the air, watching Harrison kick our old front gate repeatedly. Three years without seeing each other, and he had changed so much. His eyes were cold and unfeeling. Familiar yet strange. Behind him stood Faye, wearing a mask and dressed to the nines. Her rosy cheeks and well-proportioned figure showed no signs of illness. Timmy, frightened by the loud banging, hid in my embrace. He looked up at me, his bright eyes a mix of excitement and fear. “Mommy, has Daddy finally remembered us? It’s been so long since he came to see us.” “But he looks angry. Did I do something to upset him?” “And who’s that lady standing there?” I stroked his head, my heart aching. My throat felt constricted, unable to utter a word. “Chloe, get out here now! Stop pretending to be dead!” Harrison shouted into the yard. The commotion drew the attention of Mrs. Johnson next door. She came out and asked Harrison, “Young man, who are you looking for? This house has been empty for a long time.” Harrison composed himself and asked, “Doesn’t Chloe live here? Has she moved?” Mrs. Johnson’s expression darkened. She sighed, “You mean Chloe? She died three years ago.” Harrison froze for a moment. Mrs. Johnson continued, “I heard she was forced to donate bone marrow while she was sick. She passed away just days after returning home. It’s such a tragedy.” Faye’s expression changed, her face turning pale. She protested weakly, “Ma’am, please don’t say such things. Donating bone marrow is safe; it doesn’t kill people.” “If she didn’t want to donate to me, she could have just said so. There’s no need to curse herself like this. It’s bad luck.” She spoke loudly, as if I might be eavesdropping from inside the house. Harrison, who had been in shock, suddenly relaxed upon hearing Mrs. Johnson’s words. A mocking smile appeared on his face. “Does she find it amusing to keep up this act? If she’s going to lie, she should at least make it believable. She should check if there are any cases of people dying from bone marrow donation.” Mrs. Johnson, confused by their conversation, simply repeated, “The poor thing was found dead in the house after several days…” Harrison’s face turned cold. He said to Mrs. Johnson, “I don’t know why you’re conspiring with her to deceive me, but please tell her this: if she doesn’t show up to donate bone marrow to Faye within three days, don’t blame me for cutting off the dialysis treatment for that bastard child she’s raising.” Mrs. Johnson was stunned. She shook her head and sighed, preparing to return to her own house. Harrison called out coldly behind her, “Remember! I’m only giving her three days. If she doesn’t appear, I won’t transfer a single penny for living expenses this month. Let her watch that bastard die right in front of her.” As she turned away, Mrs. Johnson’s eyes reddened. She muttered to herself, “That poor child starved to death long ago. If only I had gone to check on them, I might have been able to save him…” “Harrison, is it possible that Chloe doesn’t want to donate bone marrow to me, so she’s hiding?” Faye asked, her expression on the verge of tears. Harrison affectionately ruffled her hair. “Silly girl, it’s just a little leukemia. Even if Chloe doesn’t donate, I’ll search the whole country to find a suitable match for you.” Faye pouted, “But Chloe’s bone marrow is almost a perfect match for my body. The doctor said he’s never seen two people with such a high degree of compatibility.” Harrison glanced at the locked gate, his tone filled with determination and promise: “Then for your sake, I’ll move heaven and earth to find her!” At that moment, my heart couldn’t help but ache again. Looking at the two people standing before me, memories from years ago flooded back. Harrison and I were college classmates. Back then, he was like the morning sun piercing through a thin mist – warm and radiant. I fell for him first. We got together after graduating from college. I once saw him as my salvation, my whole world revolving around him. I followed him into his startup, sharing in the hardships. He promised to take care of me for life. At first, he really did. But ideals eventually gave way to reality. In the early days of his business, I often accompanied him to negotiate deals. That’s when I met Luke Jenkins, the heir to the Radiant Group. Luke was a spoiled rich kid who worked just for the experience. Ever since he met me, he buzzed around me like a fly, even trying to get handsy when drunk. Finally, during one incident when Luke tried to embrace me while intoxicated, Harrison smashed a wine bottle over his head. Because of this incident, we not only lost the Radiant Group contract but also had to pay all our savings to keep Luke from sending Harrison to jail. Of course, what we actually paid was far more than just money. That night, he held me in his arms and apologized. He said he was sorry, that when he succeeded one day, he would never let anyone bully me again. Indeed, after he succeeded, no one else bullied me. Only he did. I don’t want to reminisce anymore. I looked at that face, unseen for years yet colder and more unfeeling than ever. The stifling summer wind tousled his hair, deepening his already furrowed brow. He looked lost in thought. He held Faye in his arms, his gaze fixed on the waist-high weeds at the gate. The year I “betrayed” Harrison was our second year of marriage. By then, I was already over a month pregnant. But neither of us knew about it yet. At that time, Harrison’s business had started to show promise and had attracted several investors. It should have been smooth sailing, but for some reason, we suddenly hit a major setback. Even the investments we had secured were all withdrawn. The cash flow dried up, and our products started having one problem after another. We defaulted on our bank loans, and the mortgaged house, car, and factory were all about to be repossessed and auctioned off. During those days, Harrison couldn’t eat or sleep. To make matters worse, Harrison’s mother was diagnosed with cancer that year, requiring a huge sum for treatment. I pulled some strings to investigate the cause and discovered that the person sabotaging Harrison’s company was none other than Luke Jenkins, the man Harrison had hit with a wine bottle years ago. And now, he had come to me. He said he could arrange for Radiant Group’s investment arm to inject capital into Harrison’s company and even pay for his mother’s treatment. I knew he must have conditions. Would the devil do charity out of kindness? If he didn’t want my life, he must want something even more important than life itself. I asked him what was the point of doing this. Luke sneered, “I do it because I want to. What other reason do I need? I just enjoy watching you insects, furious yet helpless against me.” “Besides, I haven’t paid him back for cracking my skull open back then. It’s time for him to pay up.” I couldn’t understand Luke. He had a hundred ways to make Harrison’s life miserable, yet he chose me. Years later, I still vividly remember the scene that day. In a dimly lit private room, Luke held me on his lap. Harrison, walking in with the contract in hand, froze when he saw us. His eyes reddened as he asked hoarsely, “Why?” I told him, “You can’t give me the life I want, but Luke can…” Luke laughed loudly. His greasy hand pinched my waist. My heart felt like it was being pierced by a thousand arrows. Despite the utter humiliation, I forced a coquettish laugh and playfully dodged. “Harrison, isn’t this good? I help you get resources, you sign a contract with Radiant, it’s win-win.” Disappointment gradually filled Harrison’s eyes. But he still resolutely reached out to me: “Chloe, come here! I don’t need you to do this. Whatever life you want, I’ll work hard to give it to you in the future.” His tone was pleading, his expression so miserable. At that moment, my heart felt like it was being crushed by a thousand-pound stone, making it almost impossible to breathe. He said, “Chloe, I don’t have to sign today’s contract. Come home with me…” The once confident and proud man, who hadn’t hesitated to smash a wine bottle over the head of Radiant’s heir, was now begging so humbly. Luke laughed, triumphant and carefree. “Harrison, look at the woman you cherished. She’s no different from the rest. With just a crook of my finger, she crawled into my bed.” “So tell me, what was the point of smashing that bottle over my head back then? Haha…” Harrison ignored his words, just staring fixedly at me. I smiled, wrapping my arms around Luke’s neck, and said to Harrison, “That’s right, honey. Don’t take things so seriously. Just let it go.” I don’t remember much of what happened later that night. I only remember him signing the contract, his eyes blood-red as he said to me: “Chloe, in this life, we’ll never be done with each other!” After that, he threw himself into his work like a madman. In just a few short years, he grew his startup into a listed company, even becoming an industry leader last year. He had succeeded. And I had become the biggest stain on his life. Of course, I didn’t show up during the three-day deadline he gave. Harrison came to our little house again. Timmy excitedly circled around his father, placing his transparent little hand into Harrison’s large one hanging by his side. He turned back to me, jubilant: “Mommy, I’m finally holding hands with Daddy!” My eyes stung with unshed tears as I forced a smile for him. All these years, Harrison had believed Timmy was Luke’s child, despising him and refusing to even look at him. Although I had done a paternity test proving their biological father-son relationship, he still refused to believe it, thinking I had paid for a fake report. Ever since that night, I had lost all credibility with Harrison. I asked him for a divorce. I wanted to end this toxic relationship too. But he just glared at me viciously: “Chloe, remember, you owe me for life. I told you we’d never be done with each other.” “Divorce? Dream on!” He brought countless women home to spend the night, being intimate with them right in front of me. Whenever I tried to argue, he’d tell me to think about how dirty I was when I rolled around with Luke. This situation continued until Faye returned to the country. After she came back into his life, he cut off all contact with those other women. The two of them openly went everywhere together. Even Harrison’s business partners referred to Faye as “Mrs. Ford.” My thoughts returned to the present. I watched as Harrison stood at the gate, calling my phone. The automated voice informed him the number was no longer in service. He frowned, opening my SnapChat. The last message there was still the one he had sent three days ago, urging me to come forward and do the bone marrow matching for Faye. Of course, I hadn’t replied. He opened my photo feed, pausing when he saw a picture I had posted four years ago. It was a candid shot I had taken – him sitting on the sofa, two-year-old Timmy hugging his arm, resting his adorable little head on Harrison’s shoulder. I thought it was a beautiful moment and captured it, but the next second he had pushed Timmy away in disgust. He stared at the enlarged profile picture for a long while, then returned to the chat window to send me a message, “Chloe, you brought this on yourself. The three-day deadline is up. From today on, I won’t transfer another penny for your living expenses.” He waited for a long time, but still no reply. He then kicked the gate hard in frustration. Timmy, who had been happily circling around Harrison, was startled by this sudden action and began trembling in fear. His lip quivered as he burst into tears and ran into my arms: “Mommy, what’s wrong with Daddy? I’m scared…” I held him close, comforting him: “Don’t be afraid, Timmy. Daddy can’t hurt you anymore. Look, there are butterflies over there. Do you want to fly over and play with them for a bit?” I tried to distract him. Timmy turned his head and saw several butterflies fluttering nearby. He broke into a smile through his tears, quickly wiped his eyes, and flew towards the butterflies. After kicking the gate a couple of times, Harrison became even more agitated. He kept massaging his temples, then pulled out his phone and made a call. “Hello, is this the locksmith?” … Half an hour later. Harrison pushed open the cobweb-covered gate. The grass in the yard was even taller than at the entrance, reaching up to Harrison’s waist. The place had clearly been abandoned for a long time. He stood in the yard, hesitating to go further. He had been here twice before and should have remembered that I kept the yard well-maintained, not like the overgrown mess before him now. The first time he came was to drop off Timmy and me. Two-year-old Timmy had just been diagnosed with uremia, caused by congenital kidney underdevelopment. Disgusted by Timmy’s “bad luck,” Harrison bought this small farmhouse in a remote village and made us move here. He transferred $2,000 a month for living expenses, which included Timmy’s dialysis treatment costs. The second time he came to this little house was to forcibly take me to do bone marrow matching for his “true love” Faye. If he still remembered, he would surely recall that the yard was full of hydrangeas and roses. I had even made a swing for Timmy. While he was still lost in thought, Faye called again. Her voice sounded weak: “Harrison, have you seen Chloe? Will she come for the matching today?” Harrison reassured her: “I’ll handle this. You just focus on following the doctor’s treatment. Don’t worry.” Faye’s voice choked up: “I know Chloe probably doesn’t want to donate bone marrow to me again. I understand. She’s already saved me once; I can’t be greedy and ask her to save me a second time. I don’t blame her for hiding now, really…” It was as if she was confirming that I was deliberately hiding because I didn’t want to donate bone marrow to her. Harrison was silent for a few seconds. To my surprise, he didn’t take Faye’s side this time. He said, “It’s not like that. I haven’t been able to contact her yet. How could she know about your leukemia relapse in advance to hide?” Faye was taken aback. She quickly explained, “Harrison, you misunderstood. That’s not what I meant.” Harrison cut her off: “Faye, don’t worry. As long as Chloe is still alive in this world, I will find her. Even if she’s dead, I’ll make sure she donates bone marrow to you before she dies.” Faye seemed relieved after hearing this. After hanging up, Harrison stood in front of the house door for a long time. Although the door wasn’t locked, he still didn’t push it open. If he had opened it, he would have seen… Two body outlines drawn in white chalk. Those were the outlines the police had drawn after Timmy and I had died. But he just stood there. In the end, he retreated from the yard and bought a new lock from the locksmith to secure the gate. I noticed a strange phenomenon. As long as we followed Harrison, we could leave the place that had been constraining us.

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My wife sent me to a military training camp on a remote island, intending to turn me into a bodyguard for her ex-boyfriend. Little did I know, this “camp” was a living nightmare. Trapped on the island, I was caged like an animal, beaten mercilessly, and even forced into breeding programs. When I finally found a chance to call my wife for help, she dismissed my pleas, thinking I was exaggerating: “If you can’t handle this much, how can you protect Daniel?” Unable to bear the humiliation any longer, I made the desperate decision to end my life by jumping into the sea. Only when my wife learned of my death did she realize the gravity of her mistake. Panicked and grief-stricken, she knelt by the shore, crying and begging for me to come back – but it was too late. “Quick, strip him and take him to the breeding room. The people inside can’t wait any longer,” the man said with a lewd grin that made him look like a demon. I stood frozen, not daring to resist as they tore off my clothes. The man nodded approvingly at my submission, his hand snaking around my waist like a cold, venomous serpent. “You’re a natural breeding stud. If the boss hadn’t chosen you, I might not be able to resist tasting you myself,” he said, yanking on the iron chain around my neck and dragging my naked body out. Everyone around stared at me with malicious intent. I tried to act oblivious, mechanically following behind the man. He led me to a sealed room. The men and women inside lunged at me like wolves spotting prey, their eyes glowing with hunger. I could no longer suppress my terror. I screamed and thrashed, desperately trying to escape. But it was useless – countless filthy hands dragged me back. I don’t know how long it lasted. Eventually, I was tossed to the ground like a broken rag doll. My body was covered in bruises, not an inch of skin unharmed. I stared at the ceiling with lifeless eyes. Why? Why did I have to endure such suffering? Who could save me? Perhaps heaven heard my prayers, as I suddenly spotted a phone on the floor. My heart, which I thought had died, started beating again. If I could just call my wife Sarah, I might be saved! I crawled painfully forward, grabbed the phone, and dialed the number I knew by heart. My voice was hoarse from disuse, but the strong will to survive made me struggle to explain my situation. “Sarah, I’ve been kidnapped to a remote island. This place is hell, they-” Before I could finish, Sarah impatiently cut me off. “I’m the one who sent you there. It’s just a military training camp, isn’t it? Stay put and train well. When you come out, you’ll be Daniel’s bodyguard. I don’t trust anyone else around him, only you are suitable.” My heart, which had just started beating again, sank to the depths. It was my own wife who had sent me to this hell. And all of this was just so I could be her ex-boyfriend’s bodyguard! I desperately tried to convince myself that Sarah just didn’t know the true situation here. If she knew, she would surely rescue me. “Sarah, this place is for rich people to indulge their twisted desires. They treat people like animals here. I’ll die if I stay. Please, call the police and save me.” Sarah scoffed on the other end of the line. “James, how can you come up with such a ridiculous excuse? It’s just a bit tough at the military camp, and you’re acting like you’re dying. How are you going to protect Daniel in the future? Just stay there obediently. I specifically chose this island so you wouldn’t have a chance to escape!” I tried to explain further, but then I heard Daniel’s gentle voice in the background. The next thing I knew, the call had been disconnected. My heart shattered completely. Despite the summer heat, I felt a chill throughout my body. This was the woman I had loved deeply for years. I lost all will to live, lying on the floor like a soulless shell. When the man came back, he sneered and forced himself on me again. I lay there, unresponsive. After he finished, he spat on me in disgust. “Damn, you’re like a corpse.” I had no reaction to his curse. As they were taking me back, I gazed at the distant sea. I thought I heard a voice whispering in my ear. Come, come to the embrace of the ocean. The sea can wash away all filth and take away all sins. Somehow, I found the strength to break free from the man’s grasp and ran desperately forward. I don’t want to live like an animal anymore! I don’t want to be anyone’s plaything! Looking at the clear blue sea, I jumped in without hesitation. A faint smile of relief played on my lips. In the last second before losing consciousness, I could feel sharks tearing at my body. Perhaps it was because I had unfinished business, but when I regained awareness, I found my soul had returned to my wife Sarah’s side. I saw Sarah, who had always looked at me with disgust, now tenderly feeding Daniel fruit. “Daniel, your fans are too crazy. I can’t believe they hurt you. Don’t worry, when James comes back, I’ll have him be your bodyguard.” My heart filled with desolation. If Sarah and Daniel were strangers to me, I might have praised her for being such a considerate lover. But Sarah was my wife. I was her lawful husband. Years ago, when Sarah’s family faced a crisis, Daniel abandoned her and cut off all contact to go abroad. It was I who stayed by her side through those difficult times. For six whole years. I thought I could warm her heart. But just one month after Daniel returned, all of Sarah’s attention was focused on him. I had argued and fought about it before. All I got in return was Sarah’s cold response: “There’s nothing between us. Believe it or not.” Now, for his sake, she even sent me to that demon island. Sarah, after learning of my death, will you feel even a shred of regret? Daniel’s eyes flashed with triumph, but his tone seemed hesitant. “Sarah, James is your husband after all. He probably doesn’t want to be my bodyguard. The training must be very hard.” Sarah’s face was full of disdain. “I’ve already sent him to the island for training. Whether he wants to or not, he has to do it.” “How hard can it be in there? When he comes back, we’ll let him rest for a few days and he’ll be fine.” “Besides, he just called me. He seems to be having a great time in there!” How hard can it be? Being treated like an animal inside, chained 24 hours a day, beaten mercilessly at the slightest provocation. Even… even becoming a plaything for those people! They fed me the most potent drugs. They surrounded me, watching me writhe in agony on the ground, attacking me with the vilest language. “Say it! Say it loud, you’re a breeding pig!” “Are you mute? Just say it, and we’ll give you the antidote.” Even as a disembodied soul, remembering those hellish days made my pupils constrict and my body tremble involuntarily. Yet in Sarah’s words, a casual “let him rest for a few days” seemed like some great kindness to me. But to me, it all meant nothing now. I was completely free. Daniel asked curiously, “Sarah, what did James say when he called?” Sarah didn’t even look up, focused on peeling an apple. “He said he was being abused in there. A grown man can’t even handle this much hardship and tries to trick me with excuses. I won’t believe him.” My heart was pierced with countless needles of pain. In six years together, Sarah seemed to have never understood me. I had never lied to her. Perhaps it was because she didn’t love me, so she didn’t care how I treated her. Daniel jokingly looked at Sarah. “Sarah, what if James wants a divorce when he comes back?” Sarah’s face instantly turned cold. “He wouldn’t dare! I won’t agree even if he dies!” I didn’t understand. Sarah clearly didn’t love me, so why did she react so strongly to the mention of divorce? Shouldn’t she be eager to divorce me and marry Daniel? Daniel’s eyes flashed with a hint of malice: “Sarah, I was just asking. After all, James loves you so much. I’m afraid he might get angry when he finds out you sent him for training because of me.” Sarah snorted coldly: “So what if he knows? He stays at home all day doing nothing, almost like a useless person. Being your bodyguard is perfect for him. I wouldn’t trust anyone else.” Sarah, have you forgotten everything? I once had my own career too. When your family’s company was in trouble, I decisively gave up everything to come to your side and help you day and night. Even now, I still handle some company affairs. But in your words, I’ve become a useless person who does nothing. How absurd. All these years of dedication were just my one-sided love, it seems. Sarah carefully fed the apple to Daniel. “Next time there’s danger, let James take the hit for you. You’re an actor, your face can’t afford to be injured.” It’s always like this. Ever since Daniel came back, he’s always been Sarah’s top priority. When I was sick with a high fever and wanted her to keep me company, she said she had to attend a banquet with Daniel and had no time.

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When my childhood friend Liam first awakened his werewolf nature, his friend called me over to help him ease the symptoms. But Liam said: “I really don’t want to give her the satisfaction. We werewolves are the most loyal in love. Whoever we mark for the first time becomes our lifelong, sole mate.” “Even if Aria begs to help me when she gets here, I’ll have to resist.” But no matter how long he waited, I never showed up. He didn’t know that his brother’s bodyguard had been blowing up my phone: “Miss Aria, the young master has long considered you his only mate.” “Please, could you come and give him a kiss?” It turns out that five years ago, when I had a fatal skiing accident and fell into a ravine, his brother saved me by marking me and sharing half of his werewolf lifespan, snatching me back from the clutches of death. Late that night, I wrapped my arms around his brother’s neck and coaxed, “Declan, don’t hold back. Tell me, how many years have you been secretly in love with me?”

Liam’s family all had the werewolf gene. After turning 20, they would go into heat every full moon. Whoever they marked for the first time would become their lifelong, sole mate. I thought the person Liam wanted to mark was definitely me. But when he first awakened his werewolf nature, his friend called me over to help him ease the symptoms. Instead, I overheard Liam saying irritably outside the private room: “I really don’t want to give Aria the satisfaction.” “I want to pursue the campus beauty, but she’s not an easy girl.” “Unlike Aria, who’s like an eager puppy, always at my beck and call.” “When she gets here, even if she begs to help me, I’ll have to resist.” “I don’t want to sleep with her and end up tied to her for life, completely under her thumb.” Standing outside the room, my mind went blank. I never imagined that Liam, who had grown up with me, saw me this way. His friends, always quick to jump on the bandwagon, all laughed: “So in your eyes, she’s just a plaything.” “Why don’t I call and tell her not to come? Save her from taking advantage of you tonight and trying to climb the social ladder through your bed. To be honest, I think you get what you pay for.” But Liam stopped his friend from making the call, saying uncomfortably: “Forget it. If we tell her not to come now, what will she think?” “Even if she’s just a plaything, she’s the one I’ve spoiled since childhood. I can’t bear to hurt her feelings.” “When she gets here, I’ll see if I can resist touching her.” “There are some things I don’t want to spell out. This is a good opportunity to let her see things clearly.” At that moment, I wanted to burst in and shout at Liam: “You can’t bear to hurt my feelings, yet you compare me to an eager puppy in front of your friends, letting them mock and belittle me? You don’t deserve my infatuation!” But I held back. Why waste words on someone who doesn’t cherish me? I turned and fled the scene, telling myself not to cry. After some thought, I called his brother’s bodyguard: “Remember how you begged me to help ease Liam’s brother’s symptoms? Do you still need that now?” “Send me the address. I’ll be right there.”

Half an hour earlier, the bodyguard had called to tell me a truth Liam had deliberately concealed: “Miss Aria, do you remember five years ago when the young master took you skiing and you unfortunately fell into a ravine?” “The older young master led us on a rescue mission. We searched for three days and nights before finding you buried in the snow, frozen like an ice sculpture. You had no pulse at the time.” “The older young master told his brother that werewolves could share half their lifespan with their mate through a blood ritual on the full moon night.” “The blood ritual is another form of marking.” “Once performed, they would consider that person their lifelong, sole mate.” “But the younger master wasn’t willing to do it, yet he couldn’t bear to let you die like that. He held you and cried uncontrollably.” “In the end, it was the older master who saved you.” “You were very lucky. It happened to be a full moon night.” “To save you, the older master performed the blood ritual and shared half his lifespan with you. But in doing so, he also marked you, committing to you as his sole mate for life.” “The younger master begged his brother not to tell you about this.” “For the past five years, every full moon night, the older master has endured alone, never bothering you, and strictly forbidding anyone from revealing the blood ritual to you.” “But tonight he really can’t bear it anymore. He’s been severely injured and is fighting for his life. With the full moon, he won’t make it through without you.” “Please, could you come and help him?” At that moment, my mind went blank. I never imagined that I had actually died once five years ago. Liam, who had cherished me since childhood, wasn’t willing to sacrifice half his lifespan to save me. Instead, it was his “cold-faced” brother who had snatched me back from death’s grasp. But I still hardened my heart and told the bodyguard: “I’m sorry, but Liam needs me more tonight.” I was willing to be ungrateful just to rush over and help Liam. Only to be mocked by him as an eager puppy, a mere plaything. Yes, I was truly pathetic. I deserved to be treated so cheaply. But I won’t debase myself anymore. I wiped away my tears of hurt and humiliation, gripping my phone tightly as I told the bodyguard: “Is it too late to repay this life-saving debt now?” “If Lucas absolutely needs me tonight, I’ll go right now. I’ll give it my all!” The bodyguard wept with joy: “It’s not too late, not at all.” “Miss Aria, I’ll send you the location right away.” “If the young master wasn’t critically injured and facing a full moon night, I would never have dared to disobey his orders and reveal this to you. The family rules are very strict.” I understood. Lucas probably just wanted to save my life, nothing more. He didn’t want me clinging to him. And I just wanted to repay his kindness for saving my life. It wasn’t because Liam had broken my heart, and I was running into his brother’s arms.

But I never expected that when I rushed to the VIP ward at the hospital, I would see Fiona, the campus beauty, standing outside the room, desperate to get in: “Let me in, quick!” “Isn’t it a full moon night? How do you know Mr. Declan doesn’t need me?” “Declan, Declan, just let me in to help you, please?” I suddenly found it amusing. Liam said Fiona wasn’t an easy girl, yet here she was, offering herself to his brother. The bodyguards who had refused to let Fiona in immediately opened the door when they saw me, tears in their eyes: “Miss Aria, you’re finally here.” “Please, come in. The young master truly needs you tonight.” Envy and hatred distorted Fiona’s face. She shrieked hysterically: “Why does Aria get to go in?” “Declan got hurt so badly just to save her.” “She’s nothing but bad luck. How dare you let her in?” I froze for a moment. Saved me again? What did that mean? The ward was already in chaos. I saw Declan lying shirtless on the bed, his face flushed, short hair damp with sweat. His fingertips curled tightly from the surging heat, and the thick white bandages on his back were soaked through with bright red blood. The doctor stood nearby, shouting urgently: “For heaven’s sake, stop resisting! I’m begging you, find a woman to help you quickly. The bandages we just changed are soaked through again. How much blood do you think you have left to endure this torment?” “It’s a full moon night. The werewolf blood is raging far beyond normal levels, and your blood’s ability to clot has failed. Even the best hemostatic drugs I’ve given you aren’t working.” “We need to find a way to ease the surging heat in your body now, or you might bleed to death tonight!” “Where is this girl you say can save the young master? When will she arrive?” The bodyguards standing by the bed had already seen me. They bowed deeply to me with respect and gratitude. “Doctor, she’s here.” At these words, the man lying on the bed, enduring his private hell, suddenly opened his eyes. A pair of intimidating dark red eyes, cold yet dazzling, held back the surging, intense desire as they fell unexpectedly on my face, surprised and annoyed: “Who called her here? Take her away!” The bodyguard bowed and said: “Young master, it was me.” “I’ll accept any punishment as long as Miss Aria can help ease your symptoms tonight.” “Besides, you were injured this time trying to save Miss Aria again.” “You’ve risked your life twice to save her without taking credit. You might not feel wronged, but we truly feel it on your behalf.” I secretly observed the imposing man lying on the bed. Although Liam and I were childhood friends, I had always avoided Declan like the plague. Because he was known as the living incarnation of the Grim Reaper. Even the most arrogant troublemakers became meek in his presence. It was an absolute domination of methods and aura. I usually tried to avoid him at all costs when I saw him. Now, this man who struck fear into everyone’s hearts was clutching the bedsheets, his feet involuntarily curling as he tried to resist. Every part of his body radiated heat waves, his passionate breathing becoming more and more evident. The contrast was so strong, it was captivating. A beautiful man in repose, mesmerizing. However, “You say he was severely injured because of me again?” The bodyguard was about to speak, but Declan cut him off harshly: “Shut up! Try saying one more word!” Then he switched to a gentle yet distant tone to address me: “Aria, leave. I don’t need you here.” The bodyguard, risking his life, said: “Young master, stop pretending. You won’t win a wife by being stubborn.” “Your mouth is the toughest part of you, but your heart is as soft as putty. Whenever Miss Aria is in danger, you’d risk your life, even rush into a fire to save her. Do you think we’re blind?”

There was more than one bodyguard in the room, and they all fearlessly started to complain: “That’s right. Last month’s full moon night, who was it staring at Miss Aria’s photo on his phone screen, longing and pining until he was delirious, calling out Miss Aria’s name? I bet she was in your dreams too.” “And the full moon night before that, you parked your car outside Miss Aria’s dorm all night. How many times did you want to rush into the dorm but held yourself back at the last second? Even a ninja turtle would kneel and call you daddy.” “If we don’t say anything, Miss Aria will never know. Do you really want to endure this for the rest of your life?” “Shut up. I can endure it,” Declan said, lowering his eyes. The doctor standing nearby shouted anxiously: “Endure my ass! If you keep this up, you won’t see tomorrow’s sunrise.” “Miss, why are you just standing there? Hurry up and find a way to ease his symptoms.” The bodyguards standing by the bed all bowed deeply to me with utmost respect. But, “What should I do? I don’t know how.” The doctor, while using scissors to cut away the blood-soaked bandages, said: “Kiss him!” I blushed, my cheeks turning crimson. Standing at the head of the bed, I didn’t know how to kiss this aloof man in front of everyone. Suddenly, a bodyguard shouted: “Miss Aria, do you know how the young master got injured?” “Two days ago, there was a fire in your school’s auditorium. Weren’t you trapped inside, unable to escape? You even passed out from smoke inhalation, nearly suffocating to death.” “Let me tell you, it was the young master who rescued you from the fire.” “Because of the marking, the young master can sense when his mate is in danger.” “The young master ignored everyone’s attempts to stop him and rushed into the inferno to find you. When he carried you out, he was unfortunately struck by a falling beam, and his entire back caught fire.” “But he still endured the excruciating pain and used his last ounce of strength to carry you out of the fire, only to have his brother snatch you away.” “When the younger master saw the older master carrying you out of the fire, he immediately rushed over and took you from the older master’s arms. If he was so concerned about you, why didn’t he go in to save you himself?” What? I couldn’t believe it. Was this how Declan got hurt? I remembered waking up from my coma two days ago with Liam by my side. I had assumed Liam had saved me. The information I was receiving today was too much to process, leaving no room for bashfulness or embarrassment. Never mind, saving a life was the priority. In the heat of the moment, I leaned down towards Declan. Staring at his sensual lips, I kissed him hard. “Don’t touch me.” Declan’s tone was fierce, pushing me away, but his hands gripped the bedsheets tighter and tighter. He was trying so hard to resist that his throat bobbed up and down, his eyes red and frightening. The image of this beautiful man in repose was truly tempting. But his tone grew even colder: “Aria, do you know what you’re doing? Don’t you usually try to stay as far away from me as possible? Don’t do something you don’t like just to repay a debt. And don’t listen to their nonsense, it’s useless. Your kiss doesn’t affect me at all.” But the doctor suddenly exclaimed excitedly: “It’s working! The rate of blood loss has slowed down.” “Miss Aria, quickly, keep kissing him!” “The young master’s body is far more honest than his mouth. Kiss him hard!” The doctor’s excited words were like a harsh slap to Declan’s stubborn mouth. Declan’s face grew uncomfortable, and for a moment, he buried it in the pillow. Was he actually embarrassed? The tips of his ears were so red they could drip blood.

The bodyguards also wept with joy and encouraged me: “I knew calling Miss Aria would work.” “Miss Aria, from now on, don’t believe a word the young master says. He’s just pretending to be tough. His mouth says no, but his heart is desperate for it!” “Look at how red his ears are, and his voice is so hoarse it’s about to catch fire. The young master is just shy and doesn’t want to trouble you. After all, your heart only belongs to the younger master, right?” Declan raised his head and coldly glared at the bodyguards: “Shut up!” Unfortunately, for the sake of his life, the bodyguards collectively ignored his angry gaze. I took the opportunity to boldly turn Declan’s handsome face towards me. Holding the back of his head, I directly sealed his lips with mine. No matter how stubborn he was, I couldn’t remain unmoved by his intention to save me twice. I couldn’t let him down. The moment our lips touched, I clearly felt Declan’s whole body tremble with emotion. But he still clung to his last shred of reason: “Aria, don’t you understand? I don’t need you to repay me like this out of gratitude.” “What kind of person do you think I am? Do I need your pity?” My eyes grew moist: “Declan, I’m willing too. There’s no reluctance at all.” I took his hand and pressed it against my heart. His pupils suddenly constricted, as if he had touched something he shouldn’t have. ‘Don’t look, don’t touch’ – he tried hard to pull his hand away. But I held onto his hand, refusing to let go: “Declan, feel my heart.” “There’s truly no reluctance here. Don’t feel pressured.” Declan’s Adam’s apple bobbed faster, his restraint growing even more intense: “Don’t lie to me. I know your heart only has room for my brother, Liam.” “Earlier when the bodyguard called you, I overheard.” “You said Liam needed you more tonight.” I wanted to explain, but Declan’s phone on the bedside table suddenly rang. I glanced at the screen – it was Liam. Declan also looked at the phone and swiped to answer: “Liam, what is it?” Liam’s equally distressed voice came through the phone: “Brother, my werewolf nature awakened tonight. I feel terrible.” “And that damn Aria still hasn’t shown up.” “I thought I could resist, but I overestimated myself.” Declan glanced at me: “Aria, she…” I immediately kissed Declan’s lips, stopping the words he was about to say. Declan lost control due to my repeated initiative, his pupils contracting sharply. His large, powerful hand instinctively held the back of my head, seeming to want more. But reason quickly overpowered impulse. He pushed me away, not having time to tell me I was here. Liam’s complaints came through the phone: “Of course I know Aria is just delayed by traffic.” “She must be dying to fly over and help me ease my symptoms right now.” “Her heart must be bursting with joy.” “But something so easily obtained always feels a bit lacking.” “I really don’t want her to take advantage of my vulnerable state. Why does our werewolf love have to be imprinted with lifelong loyalty from the core?” Declan’s eyes, red and frightening, were tinged with surprise and anger: “You don’t want to be loyal to her?” “Then why have you been leading her on since childhood?” Liam spoke to his older brother without reservation: “I was young and hadn’t seen many women before.” “I didn’t know how colorful the outside world could be.” “Liam!” Declan suddenly called his brother’s name in a heavy tone: “If you don’t cherish her, don’t blame me for cherishing her instead!”

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After Sean and I were reborn, we both pretended not to know each other. He followed the most popular girl in class to attend university out of state, while I stayed in our hometown. Using the experience from his previous life, Sean quickly became a rising star in his industry and married the beauty. His life seemed perfect. I, on the other hand, stayed close to my parents and built a quiet life in our hometown. We met again at our 10-year high school reunion. With his arm around Rose, the former prom queen, and a cigar between his fingers, Sean looked at my simple attire and sneered, “Is this all you’ve accomplished in the past decade?” I remained unfazed. That is, until the fashionably late business tycoon arrived and wrapped his arm around my waist. “I apologize for our tardiness. My wife is pregnant, so I hope everyone can refrain from smoking indoors.” Sean, usually so composed and confident, visibly panicked. He finally realized that after all these years apart, I wasn’t just holding a grudge against him.

My reunion with Sean took place at our 10-year high school reunion. As I pushed open the door to the private room, I overheard someone teasing: “Sean, you dog! You even managed to snag the prom queen!” “No kidding! Look at how well Sean’s doing in the big city. How can we small-town folks compare to Mr. Big Shot here?” “But I heard you and Amber used to be an item back in the day. You two were always studying together, and everyone thought you were a couple.” At that moment, I heard a familiar voice casually reply, “We were just study buddies. It wasn’t anything serious.” I smiled wryly. After being reborn for ten years, I naturally didn’t have any emotional response. So I calmly pushed the door open. Even after a decade, I recognized Sean immediately. He was sitting on the couch, puffing on a cigar, with Rose leaning against him. Our classmates were all gathered around them. The couple was the center of attention, like stars surrounded by adoring fans. The moment I appeared, all eyes turned to me. Our class president enthusiastically called out, “Speak of the devil! Amber, look who’s here!” Sean and I locked eyes. He held Rose close, his gaze condescending as he looked me up and down, a hint of disdain in his eyes. I was dressed simply today. Thinking about my pregnancy, I hadn’t bothered with makeup. I looked a bit worn out compared to Rose. She was wearing a Chanel outfit, carrying a Hermès bag, her perfect makeup making her look like she’d been pampered all her life. I greeted everyone casually, “Long time no see.” Sean nodded slightly, his demeanor cold. Rose only offered a faint smile. I didn’t bother trying to warm up to them and instead turned to chat with some of the classmates I was closer to. “We’re just waiting for Luke now,” the class president suddenly said. “He just messaged that his flight was delayed. Told us not to wait for him.” All the classmates gathered around the dining table. They were all eager to toast Sean, praising him to the skies. After a few rounds of drinks, I excused myself to use the restroom. As I came out, I ran into Sean, his face flushed from alcohol. He sneered, “Amber, is this all you’ve amounted to in the ten years since you left me?” I remained unmoved. Instead, I suddenly remembered what had happened before our rebirth.

Before our rebirth, Sean and I had a fierce argument on the highway. After graduating from college, I had followed Sean to the big city and worked alongside him for ten whole years. Now that we had achieved some success, I wanted to return to our hometown. I was an only child, and my father had passed away last year due to a cerebral hemorrhage that wasn’t treated in time. Only my mother was left at home, and I was worried about her. Sean had promised me years ago that once we had earned enough money, we would go back. But now he kept putting it off, saying our hometown had no future and wasn’t worth returning to. He made it clear that he would never go back. At most, he said we could bring my mother to live with us in the city. But my mother had visited before and didn’t like it here. She had no friends or family around. To be honest, even after all these years, I still didn’t feel at home in this city. I finally lost my temper and told him, “If you won’t go back, I’ll go by myself!” “Why are you forcing me like this?!” Sean demanded. “What’s wrong with staying in this city? Do you want to be a small-town nobody forever? When our child is born, do you want them to start life at a disadvantage?!” I was five months pregnant at the time. It was partly because of the pregnancy that I wanted to go back even more. I knew how difficult it would be to leave a city once the child was born. Besides, our hometown wasn’t that bad. Although it wasn’t a top-tier international city, it was still considered a second-tier city. It wasn’t as hopeless as Sean made it out to be. “So according to you, everyone who stays in a small city is useless?” I asked. “Only useless people are content to vegetate in small cities, living mediocre lives without ambition,” Sean said with contempt. “I despise such people!” “In your eyes, am I that kind of person?” I asked with a cold smile. “I don’t want you to become that kind of person,” Sean said self-righteously. Then he added out of the blue, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have chosen to stay in our hometown for college with you. It wasted four whole years of my life. I should have gone to the big city with Rose early on to get a head start.” Rose had confessed to him before high school graduation, but he had rejected her. He and I had been study partners for three years and had developed feelings for each other. But ever since he accompanied me to enroll in our hometown university, he had repeated this regret countless times over the past fourteen years. At first, I thought he was just joking. Or perhaps he was indirectly telling me how much he liked me and how much he had sacrificed for me. Later, I realized he truly regretted it. So when we were reborn after the car accident, back to the day we were filling out college applications, he unhesitatingly followed Rose to an out-of-state university. I stayed in our hometown. We both knew the other had been reborn, but we tacitly agreed not to interfere with each other’s lives.

I had thought Sean and I would never cross paths again in this life. Looking at him now, it was clear he had been waiting for me on purpose. Seeing that I didn’t respond, he sneered again, “Now you finally understand that staying in our hometown couldn’t lead to any great achievements, right?” “Look at yourself, then look at our old classmates. Has anyone really made it big?” “But it’s too late for regrets now. I’m planning to marry Rose.” He took out a large diamond ring. The diamond was big, probably about five carats. The reason I could tell at a glance was that it looked slightly smaller than the one I had at home. He said, “If you hadn’t been so stubborn, this ring would have been yours.” In our previous life, when Sean and I got married, he wasn’t as wealthy as he is now, so the ring he bought was quite ordinary. His boasting now was completely undisguised. “Congratulations to you both, then,” I said indifferently. I walked past him. I could feel Sean’s gaze on my back, seemingly displeased. I didn’t know what he was unhappy about. He had chosen this path himself, and this was the life he had dreamed of in our previous life. Could it be that he would only be happy if he saw me regretting my choices? I sat back down in my chair, and suddenly my phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, I answered, “Have you landed?” “Yes, I’m on my way now,” came the reply. “If you’re tired, you don’t have to come. I can head back by myself later.” “How could I let my wife attend a reunion and go home alone? I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” I smiled and didn’t say anything more. As I put down my phone, someone approached me. “Amber.” It was Rose, who had come over with a glass of wine. “Long time no see. Let me toast to you. I should thank you,” Rose said with a smile. “I heard from Sean that if it weren’t for you being his study partner, he wouldn’t have been able to get into a good university.” “There’s no need to thank me. We just helped each other,” I replied. “Regardless, Sean’s current success is partly due to you. Let me drink to you on his behalf.” She was about to pour beer into my glass. “I don’t drink,” I refused. “Just a little bit.” She ignored my refusal and started pouring. I pushed her hand away slightly. “Ah!” Rose suddenly let out a scream. The beer had spilled on her clothes and bag. She quickly grabbed some napkins and started wiping frantically, saying, “My clothes and bag can’t get wet…” The other classmates knew her outfit was expensive and looked on nervously. After wiping for a while, Rose turned to me and said, “Amber, even if you’re jealous of me, you shouldn’t do this! Do you know how much these clothes and this bag cost? Can you afford to compensate me?!”

Before I could speak, Sean walked over and angrily rebuked me, “Amber, you’ve gone too far.” “It wasn’t intentional,” I explained. It really wasn’t on purpose. I hadn’t even pushed the beer bottle that hard, I had just tried to stop Rose from pouring. But for some reason, the beer had spilled from the bottle in her hand onto her. “I just told you that Rose and I are getting married, and you lost it?” Sean criticized me in front of everyone. The classmates around us couldn’t help but chime in— “No way? I thought Amber was pretty calm. She doesn’t seem like the type to be jealous.” “You can’t judge a book by its cover. Some people act like they don’t care, but they’re actually seething inside.” “I heard Amber and Sean used to be together, but they broke up when Sean went to college out of state. Now that Amber sees how successful Sean is, she must be regretting not leaving with him, right?” I was truly speechless. But I still patiently explained again, “I really didn’t do it on purpose. I said I don’t drink, but Rose insisted on pouring me a drink, which is why the accident happened.” “I sincerely appreciate you helping Sean study back then, and I hope you can let go of your lingering feelings,” Rose said with a seemingly sincere face. “I know you’ve never gotten over Sean.” I was stunned. I looked at Rose in confusion: “How did you come to the conclusion that I’m not over Sean? Did I say something to make you misunderstand? Or is there something wrong with my expression or the look in my eyes today?” “Amber, stop pretending,” Rose said confidently. “Sean is so successful now, you must feel regretful.” “I don’t feel regretful at all,” I said slowly and clearly. “We all chose our own paths, and I’m very satisfied with my life now.” Sean let out a cold laugh, clearly not believing me. I didn’t want to explain further. There was nothing to explain. We were no longer relevant to each other’s lives. Today’s meeting was just a coincidence. If I had known Sean would be here, I might have avoided coming. Not because I couldn’t let go of anything, but because there was no need to meet people from my past life again. People from the past life should stay in the past. “I’ll compensate you for the clothes and bag,” I said, not wanting to argue anymore. “Send me the price and your bank account number, and I’ll transfer the money to you.” “Compensate?” Sean spoke up directly. “Do you know how much Rose’s clothes and bag cost? The clothes are $15,000, the bag is $30,000, not including accessories. Let’s say $45,000 at the very least. How are you going to compensate that?” I took a deep breath. I told myself not to get angry at Sean’s condescending attitude. The doctor said pregnant women should maintain a good mood. “I’m not that petty. Just sincerely apologize to Rose, and we’ll let it go,” Sean said magnanimously. “An apology isn’t enough,” Rose quickly added. “You have to promise in front of all our classmates that you won’t have any inappropriate thoughts about Sean in the future.”

“Heh.” I laughed. I laughed out of anger. Looking at Rose’s arrogant expression, I picked up the half-empty beer bottle next to me. The doctor said pregnant women shouldn’t get angry, but they shouldn’t suppress their emotions either. So, without rushing, I poured the remaining half bottle of beer all over Rose’s clothes and bag. Rose was shocked. She looked at me in disbelief, taking a moment before she could speak, “Amber, have you gone crazy? What are you doing?!” At the same time, Sean pulled Rose behind him protectively and pushed me. Fortunately, our class president quickly shielded me and stood between us, afraid Sean might do something rash in his anger. He tried to calm the situation, “Sean, don’t get worked up.” “Amber, do you think I’m easy to bully?” Sean said menacingly. “How dare you treat Rose like this? Who do you think you are?!” “I don’t need you to give me face, and I’m not pretending to be anyone. I am who I am,” I said coldly. I added, “Since I agreed to pay for it, her clothes and bag are mine now. How I choose to ruin them is my business. What right do you have to interfere?” “Can you even afford it?” Sean asked harshly. “Give me the bank account number,” I said firmly. “Are you willing to bankrupt yourself just to prove a point? Amber, you should have gotten rid of this stubborn attitude long ago. We wouldn’t have ended up like this otherwise.” “Give me the bank account number!” I repeated, my voice a bit louder this time. “Don’t regret this,” Sean threatened. “Sean, stop wasting time with her,” Rose called out, almost bursting with anger. “If she doesn’t appreciate our kindness, just give her the account number. Let’s see if she can actually afford to pay this much!” Sean didn’t hesitate any longer and recited a string of numbers. I entered the bank account number and proceeded to transfer the money. But the system prompted me that the password was incorrect. I thought I remembered this password. I thought for a moment and entered another password. It still showed an error. I pressed my lips together. Was pregnancy brain really making me this forgetful? I suddenly couldn’t remember the correct password. Sean and Rose were waiting beside me, and our classmates were all watching this drama unfold. Seeing that I still hadn’t made the transfer, Rose laughed first: “Amber, weren’t you so proud just now? Where’s the money? I don’t see Sean’s account balance increasing by a cent.” Sean was holding his phone, and there was no notification of any incoming transfer. “I forgot the password,” I explained. I was afraid that if I entered the wrong password again, the account would be locked. “What a convenient excuse,” Rose said with extreme sarcasm. Sean laughed disdainfully. The surrounding classmates were whispering among themselves— “I thought Amber was really going to pay. I was feeling bad for her.” “Who would be that stupid? $45,000 is almost enough for a down payment on a house.” “Sean and Rose were willing to let it go, but Amber had to make things difficult for herself.” “Now she’s been slapped in the face, hasn’t she? How embarrassing!” Rose coldly asked me, “So, are you going to write an IOU? How long will it take you to pay it back? A year, two years, or a lifetime?” “Ten minutes,” I said directly. In ten minutes, Luke would definitely be here. “Stop pretending, Amber. You clearly can’t afford it,” Rose didn’t want to waste any more time with me. “Originally, a verbal apology would have been enough, but now, you’ll have to get on your knees and beg for my forgiveness.” Everyone was watching me, waiting for me to make a fool of myself. Fortunately, at that moment, the door suddenly opened, accompanied by a familiar voice: “I’m sorry I’m late.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296236”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn #校园School