The day Chloe’s wedding to Julian was supposed to happen, my love jumped from the eighteenth floor. I opened his studio, and it was filled with countless portraits of Seraphina. The strokes were wild and frenzied, almost deranged, yet they pulsed with his overwhelming affection. My friend Maya said, “Julian loved Seraphina for ten years. She was his only light.” When I opened my eyes again, I saw Julian, cornered by the school bully Jax in our classroom. I quietly closed the door. Later, he knocked on my window in the pouring rain, his voice hoarse and desperate. “Chloe, are you… are you giving up on me?” Astrophysics professor Julian recently discovered a new asteroid. During his interview, his exceptionally striking appearance made him an instant trending topic. The public’s focus quickly shifted from the asteroid to his almost otherworldly face. When news broke that the asteroid was named after his beloved, netizens instantly erupted. While praising their picture-perfect romance, everyone started digging to find out who “R.a.n.” was. I hugged my phone, biting back a triumphant grin. At the end of the video, the reporter chuckled, asking, “Professor Julian, is there anything you’d like to say to your beloved, R.a.n.?” Julian froze, his eyes, dark as midnight, trembling slightly. “Happy wedding.” His tone was calm, yet it held an almost imperceptible edge of despair, on the brink of shattering. I instantly stiffened. Happy wedding? What did that even mean? “Oh, come on!” Maya, beside me, playfully nudged me. “Chloe, your Professor Julian seems so stoic, but he’s actually quite the romantic, huh? Celebrating your wedding anniversary like it’s your actual wedding day.” Was that it? Looking at Julian’s seemingly tender eyes in the video, my cheeks instantly flushed. I had been with Julian for ten years. I’d seen him transform from a sullen, almost lifeless boy to the composed, refined professor he was now. Ten years ago, he transferred to my school and became my deskmate. The boy had porcelain skin and features that seemed painted, but he looked at me with pure annoyance. And now, he was naming an asteroid after me, and his usually cold, aloof eyes softened with fondness and tenderness whenever he spoke of his beloved. Today was our one-year wedding anniversary. I cradled my stomach, curled up on the sofa. I planned to tell him the news about my pregnancy the moment he walked through the door. However… The news I received instead was Julian’s death. He had jumped from the eighteenth floor. Clutched tightly in his hand was a single note. “Death is merely a return to the cosmos. Billions of years from now, we will reunite among the stars.”

Accompanied by Maya, I arranged Julian’s funeral. He had left a will, stating that all his assets were to be donated after his death. For some reason, I was eerily calm these past few days. Seeing Maya’s eyes swollen from crying, gritting her teeth at Julian’s memorial picture, yet still trying to comfort me, I almost wanted to laugh. After the funeral, I received a call from his lawyer. “Mrs. Julian, Mr. Julian owned a villa not included in the donation… You can come arrange for its transfer whenever you have time.” The villa was in the suburbs, south of the city. I pushed open the front door, speechless at the sight before me. The main hall was filled with portraits. The strokes were wild and frenzied, almost deranged, like rough sketches from a beginner. But the person in the portraits came alive, made vivid by the overflowing, intense affection captured within them. It was Seraphina, our high school’s ‘It Girl’. Ten years. I had never once heard her name from Julian’s lips. I had no idea his feelings for her were hidden so deeply. I stumbled forward a few steps, steadying myself against a table. Neatly arranged on the table were several amber pieces. Each encased a small fruit candy, a dried flower, and a fragment of a glitter nail. The amber was smooth and rounded, clearly often handled and cherished. Things Seraphina had carelessly discarded, he treated as precious treasures. My wedding ring, which I had personally chosen for him, lay discarded nearby in a dried-up paint palette. My heart clenched with sharp, shooting pains, and tears welled uncontrollably in my eyes. Sitting down, I masochistically opened the notebook on the table. It was a chronicle of Julian’s ten-year unrequited love. On his first day of transfer, he received a fruit candy from Seraphina, the girl who sat in front of him, along with a friendly smile. It was as if a ray of sunshine had pierced his shadowed, inner world. For the gloomy boy, who had suffered domestic abuse and bullying, it was the first pure act of kindness he had ever received. He fell for her then and there. He wanted to lock her away, to possess her, to make her smile only for him. But he couldn’t bear to drag such a bright, vibrant girl into his darkness. R.a.n. wasn’t Chloe. It was Seraphina. It was his wedding gift to her. I flipped through the entire notebook. There were only a few brief mentions of me. “My new deskmate is too nosy, annoying. … Married. A bit regretful, but I must be responsible for her.” All the breakfasts I brought him when he had low blood sugar, the bullies I chased away for him, the time I dragged him by the hand out of the fire his deranged, abusive father started, all these years of my companionship and comfort… he didn’t mention a single one. The only thing he couldn’t forget was Seraphina’s vibrant smile from all those years ago. Each word was a slow, agonizing slice to my heart. I clenched my fists, breathing deeply. The crisp, clean scent of pine, his scent, still seemed to linger in the air. I felt nauseous. Some people are just inherently vile, unworthy of salvation. I pressed my palm to my stomach. He didn’t deserve me bearing his child. Just as I was about to stand, I heard a sound from the doorway. Two figures pushed the door open and stepped inside.

It was Julian’s best friend, Liam, and Seraphina. Liam’s eyes were red-rimmed, his voice hoarse. “This villa… Julian left it for you. You were once his only light. Back then, he was so depressed he almost didn’t make it. It was looking at your photos that helped him get back on his feet.” Seraphina stood blankly, her eyes misted over. “After he received his full scholarship, he didn’t even need to attend classes anymore, but he came every day just to get another glimpse of you…” Liam’s voice trailed off as he finally spotted me behind the bookshelf. He froze. Then, with a disgusted frown, he asked, “What are you doing here?” He strode forward and shoved me hard. “Get out! Don’t you dare defile the only peaceful place Julian had! If you hadn’t clung to him so relentlessly, he wouldn’t have ended up like this!” I stumbled from his push, and a dull ache spread in my lower abdomen. I steadied myself, then swung my hand back and slapped him hard across the face. “What does that have to do with me?! I never forced him to date me, or to marry me! He missed out on Seraphina because he was a spineless, pathetic coward!” Seraphina’s teary voice suddenly cut in. “He… didn’t receive the love letter I sent him?” Liam and I both froze. “What did you say?” “Before the college entrance exam, I put a love letter on his desk, but I never heard back from him…” Her voice was laced with a bitter laugh, and when she looked up again, her eyes held a hint of resentment. “It was you, wasn’t it?” She stared at me, her gaze piercing. “You were jealous of me, so you threw away the letter? You made us miss out on ten whole years… and now he’s gone, and we’re separated by death…” I knew nothing about this. But Liam believed her. “You evil bitch!” He gritted his teeth and lunged at me. My stomach hit the corner of the table with a sickening thud. A searing pain ripped through me, and blood slowly began to seep out. My vision blurred, and I collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. When I opened my eyes again, I was holding a textbook, dressed in my school uniform, standing outside the janitor’s closet.

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I was obsessed with Liam for two years after we got married. He hated me. How much did he hate me? I was in a car accident, fractured multiple bones, and ended up staying in their hospital for half a year. He, a prominent orthopedic surgeon, never visited me once. No one liked me. Everyone said I was the one who drove Sierra away, that I was a heartless monster. Right after the accident, when I couldn’t move, everyone around him felt relieved for him. “Liam, you’re finally free for a while.” When it was time for me to be discharged, his friends all breathed a sigh of relief on his behalf. “Chloe’s getting out. She’s going to torment Liam again.” True to their word, the first thing I did after being discharged was find Liam. But it wasn’t to cling to him anymore. Instead, I handed him a document. “Liam, this is what you wanted.” “What?” I smiled softly. “Open it and see for yourself… Liam, I don’t want the house, I don’t want the car. I wish you even greater success in the future. I hope our paths never cross again.” After handing over the divorce papers, I stepped back and melted into the crowd.

“Nurse, what’s going on with the patient in the next bed? No one’s come to see her.” “Hmph, maybe she did too many rotten things. Everyone’s probably staying away from her.” Even while I was in a coma, I could hear conversations from outside. But in that dark world of unconsciousness, I struggled with every fiber of my being to wake up, yet I couldn’t. Finally, after countless attempts, a cup from the next bed clattered to the floor, the sound jolting me awake. “Oh my, dear, you’re awake!” Mrs. Stone gasped. I stared at the ceiling, unable to move a muscle. “Honey, I’m so sorry, did I scare you awake by dropping the cup?” No, I should have thanked her for dropping the cup. It was the shock that finally allowed me to open my eyes. No one knew how terrified, how utterly helpless I felt in that dark, comatose world.

Word of my awakening quickly reached the doctors. They came to examine me, saying it was a good sign that I’d finally woken up. But among all the doctors in their white coats, I didn’t see Liam. I hadn’t heard his voice while I was comatose. And he hadn’t shown up since I woke. “Where’s Liam?” A few doctors exchanged glances. “Dr. Ryan… he’s in surgery right now. He can’t come over.” “Oh.” “How’s my body doing?” “When the accident happened, you landed on the back of your head, resulting in significant bruising in your brain, which was the cause of your coma. You also suffered a fractured right hand, a severe fracture in your left thigh, and several other fractures and soft tissue contusions. In short, your injuries were very serious. As of yesterday, you had been unconscious for forty days. Thankfully, you were brought to the hospital quickly. The blood clots in your brain are slowly reabsorbing, and your fractures have been surgically repaired and casted. They’re healing well.”

Dinner time arrived. Mrs. Stone, from the next bed, fed her husband while turning to ask me, “Little girl, who is this Dr. Ryan you keep talking about? Is he someone very important to you?” He… he’s my husband. What kind of surgery takes eight hours? And he can’t even spare a moment to see his wife after she wakes up? I shook my head. “Just an acquaintance.” “Oh, I see.” “What about your family?” Only one caregiver was looking after me. During my coma, she was the one who bathed me, changed my catheter… she did everything. I doubt anyone in the entire hospital was worse off than me. I concocted a reason. “They’re all in another city, and it’s hard for them to travel.” My parents divorced when I was in middle school because my dad cheated. I was put in my dad’s custody. My mom was devastated and moved overseas. My dad is a businessman, constantly flying between cities. Other than making sure my allowance card was loaded, he never had time to care for me. Oh, right, three years ago, he had a little brother with his new wife.

I was the one who pursued Liam. Or maybe not ‘pursued’ in the sense that he eventually came to love me back. It’s just, even after we married, he was always cold to me. He treated me with less than a third of the tenderness he showed Sierra. Maybe, if Sierra hadn’t left, he would have married her instead. “Oh no, why is the blood flowing backward?” Ms. Davies, the caregiver who brought me my meal, exclaimed. I turned my head and saw that the IV line in the back of my hand was completely filled with blood. The caregiver immediately pressed the call button. The nurse who came in was Megan, my former high school classmate. The impatience was written all over her face. She roughly ripped off the tape on my hand and pulled out the needle. It was true; back then, almost everyone in our class secretly called me a home-wrecker, malicious, and a ruthless climber. She replaced the line and left. Ms. Davies and Mrs. Stone both looked upset. The caregiver picked up my meal, ready to feed me, and said, “Maybe she’s just in a bad mood.” “No, I noticed it. She’s just… really rude to this girl. When our old man needs medicine, she’s perfectly fine.” I didn’t say anything, just told her, “Could you please buy me a small table? I’ll put my food on it and eat by myself.” My right hand was still in a cast, so only my left hand could move. Before, if Megan had treated me like that, I would have torn into her. But now, I just felt too exhausted to argue about anything.

Liam walked in when I was clumsily trying to eat, wrapped up like a mummy. Eating with my left hand felt so awkward. When he entered, my spoon, halfway to my mouth, froze in mid-air. I must have looked utterly pathetic in that moment. He glanced at me, then turned his gaze to Mr. Stone in the next bed. “What’s the situation?” …He was here to see the patient next to me. I lowered my head, mechanically shoveling food into my mouth, my whole body feeling numb. “Doctor, you’re here! My husband suddenly has terrible elbow pain.” Liam gently loosened Mr. Stone’s cast. “Is that better?” “Much better, it doesn’t hurt as much.” Mrs. Stone asked, puzzled, “Did they change doctors? Wasn’t it Dr. Evans before?” “He has a family emergency, so I’m covering for him for two days.” “Oh, I see. You look so young, doctor, and you’re already working at City General. That’s incredible!” “Do you have a girlfriend?” Liam sidestepped Mrs. Stone’s question. “The cast was too tight before, compressing the elbow, which caused the pain. If this happens again, call a doctor immediately.” After he finished tending to Mr. Stone, he seemed to linger. I just kept my head down, mechanically eating. Then, a pair of white shoes appeared by my bed. A nurse rushed over. “Dr. Ryan, ER!” The white shoes that had appeared in my peripheral vision vanished again. I looked out into the darkness and sniffed.

From then on, Liam never visited me again. Dr. Evans returned, so Liam didn’t need to cover for him anymore. Mr. Stone, me, and the other patients on this ward were all Dr. Evans’s patients. I heard there was a multi-car pile-up that night, with many injured. I also heard Liam went to another state for a medical exchange. When he returned, there was a major fire in the city, and the hospital was overflowing. Later, I heard he was dispatched overseas for further study. In short, he was always busy. The bed next to mine saw a constant rotation of patients. Once I could get out of bed, I pushed myself through physical therapy. I was determined to stand up again, to be a normal person. No matter how painful the rehabilitation, I gritted my teeth and persevered in that therapy room, just like the other patients. Of course, during this time, I became the laughingstock of my old social circle. The untouchable ice queen, bedridden after an accident, unable to care for herself, needing everything done for her. Before, we were all medical students from a top university. But during my internship year, I injured my finger and couldn’t be a surgeon. I gave up on that career. Several of my former classmates got jobs at City General. But no one felt sorry for me. They only thought it was my karma. After all, everyone believed I had霸道地逼走了 Sierra, forcing her to go abroad.

“You’re completely back to normal. That’s amazing.” Four months later, when I walked a stretch of road without any aids, my physical therapist clapped. “Thank you for your dedication.” “It’s your incredible willpower. Honestly, your comminuted thigh fracture was extremely severe, but you’re the only person I’ve seen who never uttered a single word of pain throughout the entire long process.” I smiled and said nothing. I was discharged. I completed the paperwork and took a taxi from the hospital. It had been almost half a year since I’d been back. I paused for a moment, my finger touching the fingerprint lock. The door opened to a faint smell of dust. Just as I’d guessed, Liam rarely came back either. I tidied the sofa and opened the comforting chicken and rice soup I’d bought downstairs. I’d only taken two spoonfuls when my phone vibrated again. I looked at the messages in the group chat and fell silent. “Chloe’s discharged.” “Whoa, already out? Wasn’t she badly injured?” “She’s going to come back and cling to Liam again. Liam must have owed her something in a past life to be tormented by her like this.” “Stop it, she’s still in this group. If she sees it, watch out for revenge.” “Shoot, wrong group!” The messages in the chat were quickly deleted. I turned off my phone and continued eating my soup. I slept alone that night; Liam didn’t come home. The next morning, I lifted my stiff hand, rubbing my eyes. After a moment, I got up and dressed. I grabbed the things from the coffee table and headed out. Just before closing the door, I paused for a second, taking one last look at the three-bedroom apartment I had meticulously designed. *Slam.* The door closed as I left. In the orthopedic ward hallway, I saw Liam. They had just finished their morning meeting, and a group of doctors in white coats were coming out of the conference room.

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My parents are famous, but I can only see them on TV. They rush to the frontlines of war, claiming the environment is dangerous, and left me with my grandmother in the countryside. But later, they adopted their colleague’s daughter. They kept her by their side, compensating her for everything they owed me. She became their precious one, able to stay with Mom and Dad without the barrier of a cold screen. When they finally remembered me, I had already forgotten my feelings for them after a high fever. 0 I fell ill. It wasn’t serious, but it lasted for a long time. It all started with a bet between me and my adoptive sister. We were competing to see who could climb to the top of the mountain first. The winner would get our parents to attend their parent-teacher conference. When I finally reached the summit, exerting all my strength against the morning breeze and dew, I saw my parents and adoptive sister, the three of them smiling as they set up a tent to capture the sunrise. Seeing me arrive, Sophia grinned and said, “I only said we’d race to see who gets here first. I never specified how we’d get here.” She continued, “Emma, don’t you get it? To reach the same destination, you have to rely on your own two feet, but I have our parents to lift me up. You were destined to lose from the start.” My parents stood behind her, holding cameras. Upon hearing our conversation and realizing what had happened, they looked a bit embarrassed and were about to invite me to watch the sunrise with them. But I had already turned to leave without a second glance. “Let her go!” I heard Mom’s angry voice from behind. “Why can’t she be more understanding like Sophia? If she knew how to be close to her parents, instead of always having that cold, sullen face, we wouldn’t ignore her!” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but find it somewhat amusing. My parents always said I never knew how to soften my attitude, never knew how to be affectionate and please them. But in the fifteen years of my life that they were absent, I couldn’t even see them, let alone be close to them. How could I know how to do something no one ever taught me? After returning home, I fell ill. Although I had only been exposed to a bit of wind and dew, I developed a high fever and felt weak and dizzy. Before completely passing out, I called an ambulance for myself. Then I sank into darkness. In my unconscious state, I saw my childhood again. When I was very young, I could only see my parents on television, and that was the only place I could see them. They were nationally renowned journalists, college sweethearts with shared ideals. After graduation, they chased their common dream, running to the frontlines of various important news events. Later, they even volunteered to go abroad to war zones, living and eating with refugees devastated by war. Before they left, they took a photo. In the picture, I was still a baby, held in the arms of a smiling man and woman, the three of us nestled together happily as a family. At that time, I didn’t know that this would be the last time in my life that I would be embraced by my parents. It was also this moment that made the child in me regret and beat my chest countless times. I hated myself for not being more precocious – so that I could have known what it felt like to be in my parents’ arms. It must have been an experience worth remembering for a lifetime. But there are no “what ifs” in life. Communication wasn’t as advanced in those days, so I was left with my grandmother who lived alone in the countryside. The old lady wasn’t very good at using the mobile phone my parents had left her. At the beginning of each month, she would walk over ten miles to the post office in town, leaning on her cane, to see if there was any mail for us. When I got a bit older, she would take me with her. Before each trip, I would always put on my best clothes that I usually saved for special occasions, and wear two flowers on the neat braids Grandma had done for me. I thought my parents could see me through the letters, so I had to dress up beautifully to see them. But I never received any letters. It wasn’t until third grade, when my language teacher assigned us to write a letter to our mothers, that I suddenly realized letters were only sent one way. My parents wouldn’t suddenly appear in the post office to hear me tell them how much I missed them. Fortunately, even without letters, there was still television. My parents had been abroad for many years and hadn’t come home for the Spring Festival for seven or eight years. Occasionally, they would ask someone to bring some appliances to Grandma’s house in the old village. When that 45-inch color TV was installed in the house, it drew many villagers to come and watch. Grandma didn’t mind, inviting everyone in to watch TV together. After the antenna was set up and the TV turned on, it happened to be the evening news. After the well-dressed anchor said a few words, the scene changed, and a couple in plain clothes appeared on the screen, holding microphones. At that moment, my eyes lit up. The people in the news were my parents. They were standing in front of the smoke of war, briefly introducing the local situation and calling on the whole society to lend a hand to these refugees who had suffered undeserved disasters. I looked at their faces, much more weathered than in the photos, and walked dazedly to the TV. “Dad, Mom…” I looked up, calling out to them loudly, but got no response. 0

From then on, watching the news became my unwavering hobby. They weren’t on the news every day, but whenever they were, I would always have a good dream that night. In my dreams, my parents would take me with them, and I could go on adventures with them. They would hold me in their arms, ruffle my hair, and call me “baby.” Later, when I entered junior high school, I went to study in town. By that time, mobile phones had started to become more common. One day after school, I found that old mobile phone that hadn’t been turned on for a long time in the drawer of Grandma’s bedside table. I charged it up again and when I found the number with my parents’ names in the contacts, my heart started pounding uncontrollably. The call didn’t go through; the phone had been out of service for a long time. Later, I saved up money for a long time, reciting that number representing my parents every day. Finally, on my birthday, I gave ten dollars to the owner of the small shop at the entrance and borrowed her phone to dial that number. The phone rang for a long time, and just when I thought no one would answer, that gentle male voice that had been lingering in my dreams day and night sounded. “Dad!” I exclaimed his name excitedly, telling him I was his baby. But he was silent for a long time, as if he couldn’t remember that he had a baby back in his hometown. When he spoke again, his voice was a bit hurried. He said, “Baby, Dad’s busy with work. I’ll contact you later. Be good and listen to your grandmother back home.” He hung up without waiting for my reply. I held the phone, warmed by the heat from my ear, feeling a bit disappointed. This was the first time I had spoken to my father in my memory. A child’s intuition is actually keen, and on that day, I suddenly realized something. My parents didn’t necessarily miss me as much as I missed them. From then on, I still couldn’t break the habit of waiting for the news in front of the TV, but I was no longer as excited as before when waiting. Once, I had fantasized that I was a loved child, thinking that Mom and Dad also wanted to see me through the screen. But now, I finally understood that they probably didn’t love me. To them, I was a strange existence that hadn’t left much impression due to the long separation. 0

The turning point came when I was in high school. At that time, I was buried in my studies every day, hoping to enter the news industry for college. High school required boarding, so naturally, I no longer had the chance to watch the news every day. One day after self-study, I saw Grandma standing at the classroom door, leaning on her cane. She had even put on new clothes for the occasion. As soon as she saw me, she excitedly said, “Baby, your parents are back. Let’s go meet them.” At that moment, the books in my hands fell to the ground, and the whole world was filled with a ringing sound. I was going to see my parents. They were finally no longer just cold images existing on the screen. I could throw myself into their arms and act spoiled, or hold their hands, sit beside them, and show them all the awards I had received over the years. I grew up in the countryside and didn’t have any special talents. These certificates praising me for being top of the class every year were the only things I could proudly show them. I wanted to know if they would be proud of me. I hurriedly followed Grandma to the bus station. While waiting, I fixed my hair countless times. I also quietly bought a pack of wet wipes to clean my face. Using the reflection from the steel armrests of the station seats, I kept adjusting my appearance over and over, constantly regretting that I should have washed my hair before coming out. I was afraid that my first impression on them would be bad, but then I thought that since they were my parents, they shouldn’t mind. By then I had entered puberty, and my vague sense of self-esteem had already taken root. I thought, since my parents had neglected me so much when I was little, when I met them, I should also act a bit reserved. That way, we’d be even. Grandma and I ended up not being able to wait for my parents. After sitting at the station until late at night, my dad’s friend came to find Grandma. He said my dad had called him, saying they had landed in the capital and would only stay for a week. After finishing their handover, they would set off again, so there was no need to come back to the old home. They told us not to wait anymore. I listened to this news in a daze, my head buzzing. I felt they would indeed do something like this. I just felt a bit of contempt for them in my heart. I thought, Grandma is old, and even I know to be filial to her, but they let their own parents’ expectations fall through time and time again. Perhaps they weren’t as wonderful as I had imagined. Perhaps… they weren’t even as good as me. After returning home, I developed a high fever. During my illness, I learned from my uncle who came to visit me about the reason for their return to the country this time. The war zone they had been in was completely destroyed by artillery fire. The attack came too suddenly, and the journalists were slow to evacuate. Many people were injured. My parents, in order to record the city under artillery fire in the first place, forcibly delayed until the last moment. Their best friend – the photographer who had followed them through life and death – also lost his life because of this. Bearing the life and expectations of their friend, they were even more unwilling to stop. After returning to the country for recuperation, they quickly geared up to return to the front lines of the war. As if to express their guilt, they had someone buy new phones for Grandma and me. They even took the initiative to call me. But we were indeed strangers, and after exchanging a few pleasantries on the phone, we had nothing more to say. Before hanging up, Dad told me to study hard, saying that Mom and Dad were waiting for me at the front. But my attention was all on the clear voice of a little girl calling “Dad!” from their end of the phone. Yes, they had adopted their colleague’s daughter. That girl, five months younger than me, was very pitiful. Her name was Sophia. Her mother had passed away when she was very young, and now she had lost her father too. My parents took her in. War is cruel and dangerous, yet they kept Sophia by their side.

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After crossing into another world, I stayed by Zane Blackwood’s side for ten years. But in ten attempts to bear his child, each time the baby died because he was protecting his true love. The first time, just as the egg was born, he heard his beloved Ruby was under attack. Without a word, he transformed and ran off wildly. Leaving me alone to watch over the lifeless embryo. The second time, Ruby complained of feeling cold, so he gave away the heated stone bed meant for incubating our egg. Later, he became the most revered Serpent King of the tribe and promised I would be his most honored queen. He swore he would give me a child. But this tenth time, even though the egg had already cracked open, Zane held Ruby in his arms. She was under the influence of an aphrodisiac, and he solemnly vowed: “Aria, wait for me for three days. Once the poison is cured, I’ll return to continue incubating our egg.” I had already waited ten years. But these three days, I was no longer willing to wait. Later I heard that the Serpent King went mad searching every corner of the beast tribe lands. His scales fell off, his eyes turned blood-red, striking terror into all creatures. But he could not find me anywhere.

When Zane left holding Ruby with her flushed cheeks, I didn’t try to stop him. After all, this was already the tenth time he had abandoned our egg midway through incubation for Ruby’s sake. I was long used to scenes like this. It’s just that this time, our hatchling had already broken through its shell. Its fragile body was still covered in blood from hatching, its temperature slowly dropping… Yet Zane didn’t even spare a backward glance. In the cold wind, I sat alone in our nest. Only my friend Lily the rabbit secretly slipped me a seed: “Aria, this is a seed of the Forget-Me-Not flower,” Lily said in a low voice. “Plant it, and in seven days it will mature. If you eat it, you can conceal your aura and forget everything from your past.” I looked down at the unremarkable seed in my hand, feeling like a thousand-pound stone was pressing down on my heart. But in the end, I nodded. Then Lily left too. Inside the incubation cave, only I remained, holding the now stiff and cold hatchling, silently waiting for three days. Zane had lied to me. He never came back. I smiled faintly and tossed the cracked eggshell into the fire pit. The last glimmer of hope in my eyes extinguished along with the flames. That evening, a heavy snow began to fall in the valley. The cold wind gusted into the cave, stinging my cheeks. I buried the hatchling’s body along with the seed in the soil. My fingers were frozen red, tears crystallizing into ice. When I looked up again, I saw Zane watching me from afar, snow piling up on his shoulders. I thought I must be seeing things. But in the next instant, Zane strode through the wind and snow, pulling me into his embrace. I was immediately enveloped by his familiar scent of winter pine, reminding me of our first meeting ten years ago: Back then he was just a small emerald snake, nearly dead from a wolf’s bite. It was me, newly arrived in this world, who cut out half of my own beast core to feed him. From then on, Zane and I carried the same winter pine scent. No matter how far apart, Zane could always find me by following that scent. “Aria, I’m back,” he said. “I’m sorry, Ruby’s poison came on so suddenly, I had no choice but to stay with her,” Zane nuzzled my cheek, his voice impossibly gentle. “Don’t be angry. In just three short days, I missed you and our child terribly.” The child he claimed to think of constantly – its corpse was already cold. Zane pressed his forehead to mine, his breath warm, his gaze reverent. But he was clearly wrapped in an aura of lust, his fingertips still stained with Ruby’s rouge. Yet here he was, cradling my ice-cold ankles, bending to kiss them inch by inch: “Aria, trust me one last time. Ruby lost a fox tail because of me years ago and can never take human form again. I owe her, I have to repay that debt…” Zane had always been gentle with me, which only made it more painful when he hurt me. His voice lowered, tinged with careful hesitation: “Aria… Ruby is pregnant with my child.” “I plan to marry her and let her give birth to the baby.”

Zane’s words pierced my heart like a blade: “Aria, after Ruby has the baby, I’ll separate from her.” “It’s the only way I can make amends to her.” Zane’s gaze held a hint of uncertainty, as if testing my reaction. But how could Zane not know that years ago, I had cut out half my own beast core to save him? For ten years since then, I too had been unable to take human form. Who would repay the debt of my kindness? The pain in my chest felt like it would split me open. Zane’s thumb brushed my cheek as he cradled my face like a precious treasure: “…Aria, don’t cry.” Oh, so I was crying? “…Alright then. Go ahead and marry her.” I sighed softly. Zane froze for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes – guilt, helplessness, “Aria, this is Ruby’s first time being a mother. You have more experience, so I was hoping you could give her some advice.” I had been a mother so many times, yet not a single one of my offspring had survived. I closed my eyes briefly, only saying “Okay.” Ruby truly lived up to her fox heritage, naturally alluring and seductive. She clung affectionately to Zane’s arm, yet her eyes held an air of innocence, giving her a unique charm: “Big sister Aria, you have so many nice things here!” She liked this and wanted that, sweeping up all the items in the cave for herself. All the precious herbs and beautiful furs I had prepared for the baby were claimed by her: “Hehe, big sister Aria, it’s not like you’ll be using any of this stuff anyway, right? So why don’t you just give it all to me?” Ruby rummaged around, smiling sweetly as she spoke. Lily couldn’t stand it anymore. She started to speak up, but before she could say a word, Zane’s iron-like tail slammed her against the wall. Blood immediately spurted from her mouth! If I hadn’t stopped him, Zane would have crushed Lily’s beast core right then and there. “Oh my,” Ruby immediately put on an insincere smile: “Big sister, don’t be mad, I was just joking. Oh? What’s this?” Ruby pulled out a necklace inlaid with snake scales, her eyes lighting up. “Big sister Aria, can I borrow this to wear for a bit?” Years ago, before Zane became the Serpent King, his only wedding gift to me was a necklace made from the hardest scale on his body. Now, even this one symbol of our love, Ruby wanted to take away. I held the still-bleeding Lily, feeling cold all over, my nails digging into my palms. But Zane’s face was full of indulgence as he lightly tapped Ruby’s nose: “Of course. Whatever you want.” All the hurt and anger I had been holding back instantly evaporated. Who could defy the Serpent King’s beloved? The tribespeople gathered at the cave entrance, whispering amongst themselves. Their gazes toward me were full of sympathy and pity. The wedding day arrived. The tribe was decorated with lanterns and festive decorations. The ceremony was far grander than my wedding to Zane had been all those years ago. Ruby wore a dazzling gown, the snake scale necklace glittering at her throat. I turned away dejectedly, only wanting to leave this heartbreaking place. Where I had planted the seed, tender shoots had emerged. As if my lost child was greeting me. I had just reached out my hand, not even touching the leaves, when a foot stomped down hard: It was Zane’s personal guard in his icy armor. “Aria Winters, how dare you openly try to harm the Serpent Queen?!”

Ruby lay on the soft furs, her face pale, her fox eyes tinged red with distress. “Zane, my love…” she choked out, grasping Zane’s hand. “It hurts so much… Will the baby and I… make it?” Zane gripped her hand tightly, his eyes full of concern. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll save you no matter what.” Only then did he turn to look at me, his gaze as cold as ice. “Ruby was poisoned. That’s why she fell off the cliff on our wedding day, almost losing the baby.” Zane’s voice was slow and deliberate, chillingly cold. “The poison… was on the snake scale necklace you gave her!” The air seemed to freeze instantly. Zane threw the necklace at my face, cutting a bloody gash. I stared at Ruby in disbelief, but the guard’s foot pressed down harder on my back, forcing me to the ground. Ruby’s hand gently caressed her belly as she gave a sad, helpless smile: “Sister Aria, I know you don’t like me, but… the baby is innocent…” “The antidote!” Zane’s tail slammed the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. His massive serpent shadow loomed in the daylight. “I don’t have it.” I bit my lip hard, my eyes bloodshot. He stared at me, his tone ice cold: “No antidote? Then give Ruby the other half of your beast core. That will save her too.” My whole body shook. My beast core? I only had half a beast core left inside me, barely keeping me alive. If I cut it out again… “Zane, have you gone mad?” I stared at him in disbelief, my heart clenching painfully. I had carried his children ten times, given up half my beast core for him. Now he wanted me to cut myself open again to save his new love?! My nails dug into my palms as I trembled violently. “Aria, this isn’t a request.” Zane looked at me, his tone frosty, his gaze like he was looking at an unrepentant criminal – full of righteous pity. The guards immediately dragged out a small figure. She was pinned to the ground by the snake tribe guards, a cloth stuffed in her mouth, her eyes wide with panic. “Aria! Mmph mmph!” “Lily!” I desperately tried to go to her but was held back firmly by the guards, unable to move. Zane slowly turned, looking down at me coldly: “Either give up your beast core, or she dies. I’ll count to three.” It felt like my heart was being ripped to shreds. Tears welled up in my eyes. “Three.” “Two.” Seeing I wouldn’t speak, Zane’s blade sliced off half of Lily’s ear. “Ahhh!” He raised his hand again. I laughed bitterly in despair. Zane was willing to kill my best friend for the one he loved. “Fine.” I slowly closed my eyes, my nails digging into my palms as I said softly, “I’ll do it.” “Mmph?!” Surprisingly, Lily had the strongest reaction. She shook her head frantically, tears and blood streaming down her face. Zane’s gaze finally softened for an instant, while Ruby covered her mouth, a hint of a smile showing. The blade pressed against my chest, its sharp edge slowly cutting into my skin. The searing pain nearly made me collapse. The beast core inside me was slowly carved out, blood pooling on the ground. The air filled with the scent of winter pine mixed with the metallic tang of blood, so strong it was nauseating. Finally, the dull, lightless half of my beast core fell from my body into Zane’s palm. I collapsed to the ground, blood dripping from my body onto the cold stone floor. And Zane… he was still tightly holding Ruby in his arms. Ruby cradled the half beast core, letting out a soft laugh. “Thank you, sister Aria.” Her smile was gentle, like a mockery of me. In utter despair, I slowly closed my eyes, letting the blood flow from my fingertips. Fading into unconsciousness.

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Six years after we broke up, I found myself in his emergency room. “I’m pregnant. The baby is yours.” His face went ashen. “Pregnant with a six-year-old? What are you even talking about?” The atmosphere instantly became unbearably awkward. “So, you’re not going to acknowledge it?” “You think I’d just step up and be a stand-in dad?” he shot back. I fell silent for a few seconds. “Fine. Then I’ll find a father for him myself.” Nine months later. He clutched the chief surgeon’s arm, his voice rough with desperation. “Please, man, I’m begging you. Make the incision as neat as possible. She’s obsessed with how things look.” I went for a pre-marital health check with my blind date. Turns out, I was pregnant. The wedding was off. Mrs. Gable, the matchmaker, stormed over to my place and reamed my mom out. “You told me your girl was a good, wholesome catch! A good, wholesome catch who’s two months pregnant?!” “You’ve completely ruined my reputation!” “Don’t ever call me again! Bad luck!” … My mom got an earful, then I got an earful from my mom. “Who’s the father?” “…” I just clammed up. “Skylar Hayes, you’re twenty-eight, not eight! Are you still messing around out there? Do you have any common sense?” “Are you trying to kill me, your mother, with stress?” “Whatever.” I turned and went upstairs, locking the door behind me.

I lay on my bed, racking my brain. My period had definitely been three weeks late. And lately, I’d been feeling a bit off my food. My cycle was usually all over the place, impossible to track, mostly thanks to my late nights. I just thought this time was the same. It never crossed my mind that I was pregnant. And the father? None other than my ex-boyfriend from six years ago. Two months back, I went to a class reunion. He showed up really late and was completely wasted. I was the one who took him home. When we got to his place, I practically had to carry him inside. When I left, I stumbled out, practically crawling. The taxi driver must’ve thought something was seriously wrong with me. He kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror, not daring to say a word. … After a few days of thinking at home, I still went to Liam’s hospital. I waited in line, paid the fees, got the tests done, and finally, report in hand, headed to his department. “Consultations are over for the morning. Come back this afternoon.” I’d barely stepped in when he dismissed me without even looking up. He must’ve sensed I hadn’t left, because he suddenly looked up and saw me. His gaze snapped, his pupils shrinking. He looked utterly shocked, like someone seeing a long-lost friend. What an act. How could he have mistaken me for someone else at the reunion? “Skylar?” He parted his lips. Before he could finish, I neatly placed the report in front of him. “I’m pregnant. The baby is yours,” I stated, getting straight to the point. He glanced down at the report, his face grave. I could almost feel his fear. “What baby is six years overdue?” His long fingers tapped the report. “Did you lose your memory? We broke up six years ago.” His words slammed me into silence, my face burning with humiliation. “You’re not going to acknowledge it?” I asked through gritted teeth. He looked up at me, his expression unreadable. “Skylar, if you regret something, you should act like it. What… you think I’d be foolish enough to fall for that?” He didn’t look at the report again, burying his head in a patient file, clearly done with me. “You—!” I almost blurted out a string of curses. I never imagined he wouldn’t just deny it, but accuse me of regretting our breakup! A jerk like him? Skylar Hayes would never regret a thing in her life. Even if… I did regret it, I absolutely couldn’t let him see it! I forced myself to calm down for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to say. “Don’t you think the baby’s eyes look exactly like yours?” He still lowered his head for a quick glance at the report, then sighed. Right? He finally admitted it? “It’s a ten-week ultrasound scan. Tell me, where exactly are its eyes?” In that instant, I realized my mistake. Forget it. You can’t wake up someone who doesn’t want to be a father. “Fine. Then I’ll find a father for him myself.” I tossed out the words and turned, walking out of his office.

Liam was a year older than me, the brilliant, untouchable legend of the medical school. He was incredibly hard to get. I practically worshipped the ground he walked on for four whole years, and finally, just a few months before graduation, I managed to win him over. Everyone said Liam only got with me because I was so ridiculously dramatic and wouldn’t leave him alone. “Otherwise, why would the esteemed A-list genius fall for someone like Skylar Hayes, who’s both chubby and plain, from the History department?” “Her stomach? When she ate, she looked five months pregnant.” They didn’t know that to chase Liam, I’d lost thirty pounds, dropping from 120 to 90. I deleted all my food delivery apps, munched on apples in the mornings, and cucumbers at night. I ate like that for months. I was so starved, I swear I could have eaten a housefly. I did get skinny, but my period became severely irregular, and my sleep was completely messed up. All of it, just for Liam to give me an extra glance. One day, I was running on the track, trailing behind him, and he turned around to look at me. He stared for a long, long time. My entire face flushed crimson. He liked me. He just had to. I nervously walked over, rehearsing my opening line— “Are you Skylar’s sister?” His words hit me like a bucket of ice water, drenching me from head to toe. I was furious, but also found it strangely funny. “I… guess so.” He fell silent for a moment, then handed me a bottle of water. “Then go tell her to stop bothering me.” I took the water he offered. It was the first time I’d been so close to him. His eyelashes were so long, his nose so sharp. And his voice, so gentle when he spoke. But his words were so cold. “Alright.” I swallowed my hurt. After that, we often bumped into each other on the track. After our tenth encounter, he asked for my SnapChat. That was the first time I felt like losing those thirty pounds was totally worth it! Because, my entire life, no one had ever asked for my SnapChat, except for people handing out flyers on the street. I asked him to a movie. He didn’t refuse. I suggested we date. He didn’t refuse. Even when I broke up with him, he didn’t refuse. It was me, actually, who cried for a day and a night straight in my dorm. My roommate asked, “Is a breakup really that sad?” I sobbed, “It’s alright.” “It’s like seeing an old friend off. You just have to cry a little.”

He was like a still, lifeless pond. So calm it terrified me. I only heard that afterward, his friends never dared to mention my name in front of him. He’d flip out if they did. I get it. A big shot like him, brought low by something so trivial? He must’ve been furious. But to say he hated me? I probably wasn’t even worth his hatred. After graduation, I moved back to my hometown city for work. My salary was $4500 a month, and my mom arranged ten blind dates for me a year. I’d gone on over a hundred, big and small, and I was completely numb to it all. Which is why this time, when Mrs. Gable introduced us, we settled on the wedding plans less than a month after meeting. He was a thirty-year-old elementary school teacher from a small town, stable job, parents lived in the countryside, and he had a younger brother in high school. “A guy with his conditions isn’t easy to find. How much could his brother’s high school and college cost anyway?” “You’re twenty-eight, if you don’t get married soon, you’ll only be looking at divorced guys.” “And these divorced guys with kids, if they knew you had a sister like that at home, they’d probably be even harder to snag.” … My mom sat at the table, nodding meekly, her voice low. “Make sure you ask them clearly, they don’t mind our family, right?” “Tell them not to worry, Skylar’s sister won’t be a burden. We’re still young, we can still work…” Every time I saw my mom like that, it just annoyed me. I felt like a bargain-bin item, clearly priced and ready to be sold off. My mom fawningly saw Mrs. Gable out, stuffing a big red envelope into her hand as she left. Everything was ready. Then, that thing happened to me. My mom was so mad she didn’t speak to me for days. But anger aside, within a few days, she showed up in the city with a cardboard box of eggs. Her coat was wrapped around the box, and inside were bags of rice. My mom’s hair was a mess, but not a single egg was broken. “Did you go to the hospital for a check-up?” My mom carefully placed the eggs in the fridge, then turned to ask me. “Check-up for what?” I fiddled with my phone. “No.” “To see what the baby looks like, of course! You, this child, why are you so careless?” My mom started pulling me towards the door. “What’s there to see?” I pulled away. “You really don’t plan on keeping it?” My mom looked at me worriedly. The atmosphere grew awkward. I fell silent. It wasn’t that I didn’t want it; it was that *he* didn’t want it. “You’re not getting any younger. If you don’t keep this one, what if it’s hard to have another later?” “You’ve been going on blind dates anyway. Find that boy, and your dad and I can meet him. If he’s decent, just go ahead and get married.” Get married? She was really dreaming big, dreaming beautiful. “Just leave it alone. I’ll go to the hospital for the procedure in a couple of days.” I brushed my mom off. My mom heard my resolute tone and wanted to persuade me again. “Don’t be impulsive. That’s a life,” my mom insisted as I closed the door. “Is that how you had Lily back then?” I blurted out. “…” My mom instantly clammed up. Her eyes looked deeply hurt. Lily was my younger sister. And my mom’s absolute Achilles’ heel. She was ten years old this year, couldn’t speak, and had epilepsy. After I’d driven her away like that, my chest felt tight. Every time I said those things, I felt like I was retaliating, but then quickly regretted it. I picked up my phone, booked an appointment, and headed to the hospital. On the way, I even seriously considered my mom’s words, “What if you just get married?” I wondered, if I married Liam, would I be willing? How could I not be willing? That was once my dream. Passing the emergency department on the first floor, I instantly spotted Liam. A group of nurses and doctors were frantically working on a newly arrived patient. He was in his white coat, having just inserted a breathing tube, and even his profile view made my breath catch. So I thought, even if I could go back in time, I still wouldn’t have been able to push him away that night at the reunion. The moment I saw him, he saw me too. He only gave me a hurried glance for a second before looking away, continuing the resuscitation. He was so busy. I didn’t dare to disturb him, so I just sat on a chair outside, waiting. I’d made up my mind. Even if he rejected me again, I had to get answers. Why had he acted so passionately towards me at the reunion that night, only to deny it afterward? Even if he didn’t acknowledge it, he should at least come with me for the procedure… I didn’t have the money. In the ten minutes I waited for him, I thought of so many possibilities. Each one, I planned out my escape route. But everything crumbled when I opened my Ins, and saw his latest post… “Liam Miller: Six pounds, six ounces. Mother and son are doing well.” My heart lurched violently, as if all the strength had been drained from me. He was married, and he had a child. Born today. No wonder he didn’t acknowledge what happened that night. No wonder he didn’t want the baby.

I found it somewhat laughable. That night, he was drunk, his eyes red, and he asked me, “Are you Skylar Hayes?” I hesitated. “Yes.” But he deflated, looking at me. “No, you’re not.” “Then tell me, what do you want with her?” I asked, smiling. “To collect a debt.” A debt? My smile froze. “What kind of debt?” “An emotional one.” He looked pale and helpless, then added coldly, “No one messes with Liam Miller and gets away with it.” Hearing him talk about an emotional debt, I suddenly lost myself. The next second, he kissed me. I didn’t push him away. Of course, losing control later was partly due to my own indulgence. In the heat of the moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, he still loved me. I don’t know how I ended up in the gynecology department. The whole process was a blur. I just heard the doctor say that my HCG levels were low, my uterine lining was thin, and there was a high risk of miscarriage. The doctor wanted to prescribe me shots to sustain the pregnancy, but I refused. Thinking of Liam’s Ins post, what was there to sustain anymore…? I took a car and went home, crestfallen. My phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number. “Where are you?” It was Liam. He hadn’t called in six years, but I still recognized his voice immediately. Aloof, cool. “In the car,” I adjusted my breathing, trying to calm down. “You were looking for me just now? What for?” His tone was still arrogant. I paused for a second. “Uh, it’s nothing now.” He was silent on the other end for a while. “Still not giving up? We have no future.” “…Alright, then. I’m hanging up.” I moved to end the call abruptly. But he wouldn’t let me. “I heard from your doctor. Your condition isn’t great. You should still come back for those shots. I’ll talk to the doctor for you. As acquaintances, that’s all I can do.” *Slam!* I hung up the phone. Jerk! Who needed his help? But he sent another text message, furiously asking, “Skylar, why have you become so rude now?” I was livid with indignation. “What do you consider polite? Instead of lecturing me, you should go home and change more diapers!” “?” He sent a single question mark. I couldn’t be bothered to reply. Did he think I was still the Skylar he could manipulate from back then? Back then, if he posted something, I’d meticulously analyze it for ages; When chatting with him, I never dared let his reply be the last; I racked my brain for topics, only for his replies to always be: “Sleeping.” “Going to shower.” “Talk later.” “…” Back home, I lay on my bed, pulled out our old photos, cut them all to shreds, and flushed his face down the toilet. You bastard, go to hell! But tears still streamed down my face, despite myself.

The next morning, I woke up and went back to work. The company transferred me to the marketing department. “Marketing involves visiting stores. It’s tiring, but if you do well, you can earn over ten thousand a month,” the marketing manager told me, painting a rosy picture. The truth was, a colleague in marketing had gone on maternity leave, and they needed a replacement. In their eyes, an older, unmarried woman like me, who didn’t even have a boyfriend, was the ideal candidate for this kind of job. Otherwise, anyone else might turn out to be a ‘mine’ waiting to explode. “Are there any subsidies?” In the adult world, I didn’t believe in rosy pictures; I only cared about money. “Daily transportation and living allowance of $80. If you perform well, your phone bill will be reimbursed too.” “Deal.” $80 a day, $2400 a month. Sending this extra $2400 back to my mom might slow down the rate at which her gray hairs appeared. So, I went from a regular office worker to a small sales manager, constantly rushing between major supermarkets, clocking in, checking merchandise, compiling sales figures… Every day I came home, I was too exhausted to speak. While using the restroom, I noticed a tiny bit of blood. I remembered the doctor’s words and sighed inwardly. The baby was probably gone. But I was sadder than I expected. I didn’t sleep a wink that night. After another weekend, I went to the hospital to book an appointment for a check-up. This time, it was a female doctor named Dr. Avery Stone, quite pretty. “You know Liam Miller? Why didn’t you say so?” Dr. Stone’s sudden warmth made me a bit uncomfortable. “Sort of.” “So, did he have a girlfriend back in school? What type was she?” I froze. Her questions were a bit beyond the patient-doctor relationship. I think I understood: she was interested in Liam. But Liam already had a child; didn’t she know? Could Liam be lying to his colleagues, pretending to be single? What a jerk. “His college girlfriend was very ordinary,” I answered truthfully. “Do you have a picture? I want to see.” She was really persistent. I looked directly at her, letting her look at me for two seconds. Why look at a picture? The person herself is right in front of you. She seemed to forget I was there for a check-up. The thought of Liam, with a family, still pretending to be single at the reunion, and now portraying himself as single at the hospital, made me furious. “Is he married?” I subtly reminded her. “Married?” She was clearly shocked. “I haven’t heard anything about that.” This… “Why would you say that?” Her expression was a bit unnatural. She seemed to think I was lying, and I felt a headache coming on. “Maybe his Ins account was hacked?” I had no choice but to show her the post. She looked at the post, her face paling in shock. “Dr. Miller has a child?” Just as she finished— “Step outside for a moment.” A cold voice sounded behind me. I jumped. Liam?! Oh no, he’ll be furious that I exposed his secret. “Liam, what are you doing here…?” Dr. Stone stood up, a little flustered. I turned around and saw him in his white coat. He looked as dashing as ever, but his face was incredibly dark. “Hurry up, I don’t have time…” He sounded annoyed. I thought about it. Why should I be scared of him? He was the one in the wrong. So I bravely followed him out. He led me to his office. After we entered, he locked the door. My hand went to my arm, a little nervous. “Just talk. Why are you locking the door?” I looked at the lock, feeling a bad premonition. “Don’t want to be disturbed,” he tossed out, then sat down in his office chair. Huh! Still so arrogant, exactly like six years ago. “So, say it.” In that enclosed room, I actually didn’t dare to look at him. “Are you going around telling everyone I have a child?” He lifted his eyes, squinting at me. It made me break out in a cold sweat. “Not ‘everywhere’… I just stated the facts. Besides, Dr. Stone is a really nice person, you shouldn’t lie to people.” He didn’t say a word, his gaze sweeping over my stomach. Why was he looking at my stomach? I quickly pulled my shirt down further. “Heh…” He let out a cold laugh. “Are you really clinging to me? What, your blind date didn’t meet your standards?” Me: ? When did I cling to him? The baby I was talking about wasn’t this baby. Was he crazy? “Don’t flatter yourself,” I said, exasperated. “Skylar, I know you too well. Do you look any different now than you did when you were chasing me back then?” He looked at me, amused. I admit, his words stung. “And?” “Impossible. Your little tricks only worked on the old me. Do you really think, after six years, I’d still fall for them?” He scoffed. “I heard you’re getting married soon. Don’t bother me anymore. Do you want me to give you a wedding gift?” Married? He thought I was looking for a wedding gift? He really got to me. “You actually think you’re as handsome as you were back then? You’re old now, you’ve got wrinkles! Do you really think I’d be interested in a used, old man like you?” I rattled it off in one breath. His smile froze, his face turning even darker. “Skylar, reverse psychology won’t work on me,” he said, getting up and calmly taking off his white coat. “We broke up. Even if we hadn’t, I wouldn’t spoil you rotten.” The atmosphere instantly turned to an impasse. I laughed. When had he ever spoiled me? What a big softie act. “Liam, you’ve got guts.” I smiled, walking towards the door. At the doorway, I remembered something, turned back around. “You’ve got guts, don’t you get drunk and hold onto me, crying and calling my name. That would make me misunderstand you still can’t forget me.” “And your ‘seed’,” I pointed at my stomach. “It’s gone.” He stood there, as if he’d taken a heavy blow. Seeing him upset made me feel incredibly good. After closing the door, I went back to the gynecology department.

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I am the luckiest man in the world. I have the most perfect wife, Princess Aria of the Eastern Sea. Six hundred years ago, I willingly took a magical potion to bear a child, not wanting my beloved wife to endure the pain of childbirth. Little did I know that my child would turn out to be an extraordinary golden dragon, a species thought to be extinct for millennia. Yet, on the day of his birth, I raised my sword and severed his head, kicking it around like a ball. My wife clutched our child’s lifeless body, her eyes red from crying, begging me to stop. I turned and plunged my sword into the chests of my in-laws. Blood stained my white robes, but I felt nothing. I didn’t stop until I had slaughtered the entire Eastern Sea clan, only halting when my sword’s edge had become blunt. Then, holding the golden dragon’s head, I sat in a pool of blood, waiting for divine punishment to arrive. 0 It’s rare for a man to give birth, let alone to the world’s only golden dragon. On the day my child was born, golden light filled the sky, celestial music played, and the entire palace was filled with the fragrance of flowers. The Eastern Sea rejoiced. The bloodline of the ancient golden dragons, extinct for tens of thousands of years, had reappeared. The entire realm was in a frenzy. The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas and fairies from all directions rushed to celebrate. But as they entered the Eastern Sea, they were greeted by the thick smell of blood. Red everywhere, ironically fitting for such a joyous occasion. However, the hosts of this celebration were now lying neatly in pools of blood. I stared blankly at everything before me, picked up the golden dragon’s head, and kicked it to the feet of the newcomers. I spoke softly, “Are you looking for him?” Seeing the severed head of the golden dragon, shock filled everyone’s eyes. “This… this is a golden dragon, how could you!” “What are you doing? Even tigers don’t eat their cubs, this is your child!” “Ah! Brother, I told you we shouldn’t have kept that mysterious black snake! Look what’s happened now!” “You’re nothing but a lowly black snake. If Aria hadn’t taken a liking to you, you wouldn’t have these good days. My brother kindly let you marry into the Eastern Sea, and you killed his entire family. You’re utterly heartless!” The speakers were King Neptune and King Poseidon, the good brothers of my father-in-law. I laughed coldly. Yes, I had married into the Eastern Sea, wedded to Aria, the most beautiful woman in all the realms. I was the luckiest man in the world. King Triton had no son, so he treated me like his own. He even publicly promised that my child would be the next Dragon King of the Eastern Sea! I was once the object of everyone’s envy. They all wondered how I deserved such fortune. A mere lowly black snake, gaining the favor of the most beautiful woman, who rejected the Prince of the Northern Sea for me. And King Triton handed over the Eastern Sea’s legacy to me. 0

I had asked myself many times, what did I do to deserve this? I remember back then, I was just a black snake with unknown parentage, weak in magic, surviving by scavenging behind greater monsters. One day, I found a beautiful woman on the beach. I simply did a good deed, saved her, and she wanted to marry me in return. I refused multiple times, knowing my lowly birth made me unworthy of such a beauty. Moreover, I lived in a place surrounded by powerful monsters. An innocent man with a precious treasure invites disaster. But she repeatedly expressed her love for me, saying she didn’t care about status or position, and that she had a magical treasure that could hide our presence from the monsters. Looking at her otherworldly beauty, I nodded. We spent a happy time in the mountains. I picked fruits, hunted, and collected seashells to make toys for her. She always looked at me with starry eyes, praising my abilities. I was immersed in happiness, but every time I woke up at midnight, I would be terrified, fearing it was all just a dream. Only when I felt the soft, fragrant body in my arms did I dare believe it was all real! Later, the royal carriage of the Eastern Sea came to my poor, rough mountain cave. Only then did I learn she was Princess Aria. I followed her back to the Dragon Palace. I thought King Triton would oppose our union, but to my surprise, he took an immediate liking to me. He said seeing me was like seeing his own child. He told me that Aria’s brothers had all died young, and from now on, I would be their son. Aria and the Eastern Sea were entrusted to me. I promised nervously that I would treat Aria well. Knowing Aria wanted children, I volunteered to take the magical potion to spare her the pain of childbirth. Who knew this pregnancy would last three hundred years? When my child was finally born… Golden light appeared in the sky above the Eastern Sea, celestial music played, and the entire palace was filled with fragrance! My child turned out to be an ancient golden dragon. The golden dragon bloodline had been extinct for tens of thousands of years. When my child was born, he became the world’s only golden dragon. I carefully examined the dragon egg. Its seven-colored shell sparkled with golden light. A faint dragon’s cry came from inside. My wife Aria hugged me, shedding tears of happiness. To avoid tiring my wife, I volunteered to continue the task of incubating the egg, which took another three hundred years. Today was the day the golden dragon would hatch. I had waited six hundred years for this day. Deities from all over the realm would come to the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace to witness the birth of the golden dragon. My wife Aria had been busy since before dawn, brewing medicine for me. I had been taking this medicine for six hundred years! She brought the carefully brewed medicine to my bedside: “My dear, you’ve suffered so much. You took the potion to bear a child for me, ruining your health. I don’t know how to make it up to you!” I took the medicine and put it aside, holding her hand: “Thank you, Aria. But this medicine is so bitter. Can I skip it today?” She reached out her jade-like fingers and clung to me, like a bewitching morning glory vine entangling me. “My love, you can’t skip it. I spent three hours brewing this medicine. It’s my heartfelt care for you. If you take your medicine regularly and get better, you can better accompany me and our child!” Her soft waist leaned into my embrace as she coaxed me, then held the medicine to my lips. I reluctantly drank the medicine, and she took out an almond candy: “I know you don’t like bitter tastes, so I prepared this almond candy specially for you. How is it? Not bitter anymore, right?” I looked at my wife’s face in my arms. She was still as beautiful and gentle as ever. Like clouds on the horizon, dazzling yet distant. She was the rare sweetness in my bitter life. I, on the other hand, had become gaunt and increasingly emaciated due to childbearing. I looked at my pale fingers, remembering the days I used to hunt in the mountains. I could hardly believe I had once been so vibrant. Soon, this cloud in my arms drifted away. She took the medicine pot to the small kitchen. She didn’t forget to turn back and say to me: “My dear, let Lily help you get dressed. It would be impolite if you’re not ready when the guests arrive!” I watched my wife leave, the warmth from her body still lingering in my arms. I grasped at the air but caught nothing. I dared not think, if only she had stayed in my arms a little longer. If only she had been willing to let me skip the medicine just this once, would I… would I… I dared not think, nor did I want to. Just then, my wife’s personal maid Lily entered the room. “My lord, the Dragon Queen specially ordered this crystal crown to be made for you. Please wear it today!” She carefully helped me dress. I stared at my gaunt face and hair that had turned white overnight due to the potion, feeling dazed. Lily’s voice brought me back: “This crystal crown is a rare treasure in all the realms. Wearing it protects you from blades and fire!” I looked at the glittering crystal crown in the mirror: “Oh, is that so? Perfect!” Perfect for my killing spree! “Hmm? What did you say?” “I said such a crown is fitting for such a joyous day!” Such a joyous day, of course, needs to be marked with blood! “Indeed! Even when the princes were alive, they never wore such a fine crown!” Is that so? Why don’t I send you all to reunite with them in the underworld? 0

When I finished dressing and went out, my wife Aria had already changed into her golden thread dress and nine-dragon phoenix crown, making her even more dazzling and unparalleled in beauty. She reached out her hand to hold mine. I withdrew my hand without changing my expression. She frowned slightly and pouted: “What’s wrong, my dear?” I smiled: “My hand is bony. I’m afraid it would be uncomfortable for you to hold.” “In all the heavens and earth, I only want to hold your hand!” When King Triton and Queen Marina arrived, they saw Aria and me hand in hand, talking and laughing happily. The maid Lily couldn’t help but tease: “Your Majesty, look how loving the Prince Consort and Princess are! You are truly blessed!” King Triton, holding the seven-colored dragon egg, smiled so hard his beard quivered. “It’s all thanks to Aria’s good judgment, finding us such a wonderful son-in-law. How else could we have a golden dragon born to us?” My wife Aria blushed and leaned into my embrace: “Father, what are you saying? It’s embarrassing!” Queen Marina smiled brightly beside them: “Child, why are you so shy now? Wasn’t it you who cried and insisted you would marry no one but him?” King Triton placed his hand on my shoulder and solemnly put the dragon egg in my hands: “The future of the dragon clan is entrusted to you!” I looked at my wife’s blushing face and felt a surge of anger rising. I strongly resisted the urge to crush the dragon egg and accepted it: “Please rest assured!” Rest assured! I will surely bury the filthy future of the dragon clan with my own hands! Queen Marina looked at me lovingly: “Don’t worry, everything is prepared. The auspicious time is almost here. You are the great benefactor of our Eastern Sea. The child should see you first when it hatches!” I pretended to decline: “Not at all. I’m lucky to have married a fairy like Aria. Anything I do for her is worth it!” “It doesn’t matter who the child sees first. I won’t compete with Aria.” Aria took my hand and smiled: “No, I want you to compete!” Everyone laughed and crowded around us, the family of five, as we headed to the main hall. In the center of the great hall was a giant seashell cradle. A dreamcatcher hung above it, and incense burned around it. Everyone’s expectant gazes turned to me: “Prince Consort, quickly place the young prince on it!” I gently placed the dragon egg on it, and a bell chimed. A crack appeared on the seven-colored eggshell. Everyone held their breath, staring at the dragon egg. Soon, seven-colored golden light shone through the crack. The dragon child had broken through its shell! “A golden dragon, it really is a golden dragon!” Amidst Chancellor Sheldon’s exclamation, everyone knelt before this little creature. How adorable. Though a golden dragon, it was so tiny. At this moment, it was holding its belly and laughing at me. I couldn’t help but reach out to touch the little one’s dragon horns. Its little claws eagerly grasped my fingertip and called me: “Daddy!” The warm, soft touch made me lose myself for a moment. This was the child I had waited 600 years for! I shed tears of emotion, then decisively cut off his head with the silver snake sword hidden in my sleeve! It happened so suddenly that no one had time to react. My wife Aria, who had been watching our intimate interaction with a happy face, looked at the scene before her in disbelief. She rushed towards me like a madwoman: “Have you gone crazy? What are you doing? This is the child we waited 600 years for!” Unfortunately, her hand hadn’t even touched my sleeve before she collapsed to the ground, her body weak. I had secretly put anesthetic powder in the incense. Soon, everyone in the palace fell down. “Son-in-law, son-in-law, what’s wrong with you? I’m Triton, your father-in-law! Have you been bewitched by something? Wake up!” Hearing King Triton’s voice, I turned and emotionlessly plunged my sword into the bodies of my dear father-in-law and mother-in-law. They struggled desperately, splattering blood on my face. How dirty! My wife opened her mouth in horror: “No, no! What are you doing? You’re not my husband. You must be possessed!” I walked to her side and examined this face that once made me fall deeply in love: “My lady, I know you’re in pain. Just wait a little longer. But first, give me your eyes!” I cruelly gouged out her eyeballs with my sword. Soon, those eyes seemed to have a life of their own and burrowed into my body. My black, lifeless eyes turned golden, with golden spiritual energy overflowing from the sockets. I then peeled off all the scales from her body, as easily as scaling a fish. Those scales, unsurprisingly, also entered my body. Immense spiritual power awakened in me. I no longer looked weak and powerless. I then cut off her dragon horns and pressed them onto my head. Now I looked like a true dragon. “You, you did this to become a dragon? If you wanted to become a dragon, there were other ways. Why did you have to kill my entire family!” “Were all our past feelings fake? You once swore in public that you loved me most, and if you betrayed me, you’d be struck by lightning!” I stopped in my tracks, turned to look at her, and shed a tear. She showed a joyful expression, thinking I would have a change of heart. But I only said: “Then let’s wait for divine punishment. I’m willing to bear it!” Then I resolutely left. Nothing could stop my steps of revenge. I slaughtered the entire Eastern Sea. The royal physician who diagnosed me, the maid Lily who helped me dress, the guard who taught me martial arts… Yesterday, they stood beside me, congratulating me on becoming a father. Today, they became vengeful spirits under my sword! I kept cutting, kept cutting, until even the blade of the silver snake sword was bent. I checked again and again to make sure there were no survivors in the Eastern Sea except for Aria. Knowing my sins were grave, I threw down the sword, picked up the golden dragon’s head. I sat in the pool of blood, waiting silently for divine punishment to arrive. When relatives and friends of the Eastern Sea arrived for the celebration, they saw this sea of red. The expressions on their faces were truly a spectacle! 0 “Heavens, what have you done? What you’re holding is a golden dragon!” “Why? Why did you do this?” “Of course, it was for the Eastern Sea, for the future of the Eastern Sea. I had to eliminate this evil!” Aria struggled to get up: “What nonsense are you talking about? Killing the entire Eastern Sea clan for the sake of the Eastern Sea?” I snorted coldly, looking at Aria on the ground, and kicked the golden dragon’s head over: “What your family did ten thousand years ago, you know better than anyone!” “With people like you in charge of the Eastern Sea, how can there be a future?” I looked at everyone and spoke again: “I am guilty and willing to be punished, but the sins of the Eastern Sea people should also be accounted for!”

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The Prince of the Eagle Clan and the Prince of the Merfolk have come of age. As human princesses, my sister and I are to be married off to form alliances. My sister Willow chose the handsome and gentle Merfolk prince. I married the fierce-looking Eagle prince. A year later, I returned to my homeland triumphantly riding on Hawk’s back. Willow, however, looked pale and frightened as she glanced at Finn. When Willow and I were alone, I saw the wounds on her body. Just as I was about to help her seek revenge, Willow suddenly plunged a dagger into my body. When I opened my eyes again, Willow and I had returned to the day we were choosing our husbands. Before Willow could speak, Hawk eagerly said he wanted to marry her. Willow looked surprised and delighted, hastily agreeing. I raised an eyebrow and smiled. It seems we’ve both returned. Me? I’m an expert at taming beasts! “Aria, Willow, the two princes have arrived. Mind your manners!” a familiar voice called out. I was momentarily confused, then looked towards the cold expression of our father on his throne. In an instant, I understood – I had been reborn! My sister Willow was sitting beside me, muttering to herself. “We’re back! We’re really back! It wasn’t a lie after all!” I calmly picked up the teacup in front of me and took a small sip. How interesting. It seems I have this ungrateful sister to thank for this second chance at life. Willow leaned in close to whisper to me. “Sister, this time I will win Hawk’s love and enjoy all the glory. While you? You’ll be stuck living among stinking fish!” In my past life, Willow had tearfully shown me her injuries, claiming Finn was cruel and violent. She said she was covered in wounds and feared for her life. After all, she was my sister. Out of kindness, I had offered to help “tame” Finn for her. But as I turned away, Willow stabbed me in the back. I looked at her in shock as she pulled out the knife, her face twisted with hatred. She stabbed me again and again, finally slashing across my eyes. I let out an agonized scream. Willow just laughed, grabbing my chin and sneering: “Aria, why should you always be on top? Why should your life be better than mine? Even in death, I want you to suffer horribly.” The feeling of my eyeballs rupturing still lingered. I blinked and looked at Willow. Willow was grinning triumphantly, about to speak again when Hawk and Finn entered together, just like in my past life. Our father then gave his opening speech: “Princes, Aria and Willow are my most exceptional daughters. I will not arrange their marriages for them. Young people should decide such matters for themselves!” As soon as Father finished speaking, Willow eagerly stood up. But before she could say anything, Hawk spoke up, very different from his cold demeanor in my past life: “Princess Willow is beautiful and virtuous. I, Hawk, humbly request Princess Willow’s hand in marriage from Your Majesty!” Willow froze for a moment, then couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face. Seeing Father look her way, Willow quickly curtsied. “Father, I also favor the Eagle Prince and am willing to marry him! Besides, my sister is delicate and frail. The Eagle Clan rules the skies and requires great strength. I fear my sister may not be able to handle such a demanding life!” Willow spoke excitedly, not noticing Hawk’s twitching lips as she called me weak and frail. Father nodded approvingly, agreeing with Willow. “Such grace and consideration! Truly befitting a princess!” You senile old fool, isn’t that basically insulting Finn by implying he’s weak? However, Finn still stood there smiling gently as always, though his teeth seemed to gleam a bit brighter. I had to admit, the Merfolk were renowned for their beauty. Finn’s face was truly captivating. When he smiled warmly, it was as if he could steal your soul away. No wonder Willow had fallen for him at first sight in my past life, eagerly choosing Finn before either prince could speak. On the way back to my chambers, Willow caught up to me. “Sister, the Merfolk Prince is so incredibly handsome. You’re so lucky! Though I wonder how long your frail body will last in his bed?” The malice in Willow’s eyes was almost palpable. She seemed eager to see me suffer a miserable fate. I replied with feigned confusion: “Sister, the Merfolk Prince seems very gentle. It’s the Eagle Prince who looks fierce. You should take care to protect yourself!” I truly hoped my sister would protect herself well. It would be a shame if she didn’t survive long enough for me to get my revenge! In my past life, I had married Hawk. He took me to the eagle’s nest high in the mountains. Before I could recover from the dizzying flight, I was overwhelmed by altitude sickness. I was violently ill, my head spinning. To make matters worse, the eagles relieved themselves right off the edge of the cliff. I nearly tumbled off to my death. At first, I couldn’t adapt to the eagle clan’s ways at all. But beast-men aren’t known for being gentle or considerate. The eagles were volatile and quick to anger, especially Hawk as their leader. I suffered greatly in those early days. It took half a year before I grew accustomed to the physical effects of living at such high altitudes. Only then could I begin the process of taming Hawk bit by bit. Long before I knew I would marry into a beast clan, I had begun studying their habits and weaknesses. Whether eagle or merfolk, I needed to know my enemy to survive comfortably. If Willow thought Hawk had a good temperament just because she saw me riding on his back when I returned home, she was in for quite a surprise. Her days would certainly be… eventful. Ever since the great war a thousand years ago, the royal families ruling the sea, land and sky were required to intermarry every hundred years. Though the eagle and merfolk clans were powerful, they had very small populations and struggled to reproduce. Humans may be physically weaker, but we are extremely fertile. The beast clans coveted this trait, which is why they demanded marriages with the human royal family. But since humans have much shorter lifespans than the beast clans, they always wait for the beast princes to come of age before arranging the marriages. This generation, it was Willow’s and my turn. In my past life, I had managed to tame Hawk. This time… well, aren’t merfolk beasts too? Taming beasts is my specialty!

Willow gave me a meaningful look before walking away. Soon, the day arrived for Willow and I to be married. Though we called it a wedding, it really just involved us walking out of the palace gates in red bridal gowns. The rest of the journey would be handled by our respective husbands-to-be. In my past life, as soon as we exited the gates, Hawk had grabbed me and taken flight. By the time we reached the eagle’s nest, I felt like my soul had been scattered to the winds. Then came the suffocating altitude sickness! Now, Willow and I walked along the palace pathway with our future husbands at our sides. Willow suddenly turned to Finn and said sweetly: “Brother-in-law, you must take good ‘care’ of my sister!” Finn blinked at her words, then replied gently: “Of course!” Willow beamed with satisfaction. Well, I couldn’t let that pass unremarked. I looked at Hawk and said: “Brother-in-law, I’ll be very upset if my sister isn’t… happy!” Willow was still smiling smugly, completely missing how Hawk’s body instinctively trembled when I addressed him. “Don’t worry, Princess. I will take good care of the Second Princess,” Hawk replied. Hearing this, Willow looked even more pleased as she strode ahead of me towards the palace gates. By the time I reached the outer gates, Willow and Hawk had already disappeared. I hope my sister’s beautiful black hair has a safe journey! Finn and I took a carriage towards the nearest coastline. Inside the carriage, Finn gazed at me tenderly. Predators are driven by hunger and lust. I was feeling a bit… restless. I shifted closer to Finn, taking his hand in mine. “Husband, you must behave yourself from now on!” If he misbehaves, I might get even more excited. Finn’s usually smiling eyes widened in surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected me to act this way. Then his smile broadened, revealing sharp fangs. “My lady, I’m thirsty. You know merfolk can’t be away from water for long!” As he spoke, Finn’s handsome face drew closer to my neck, burying his head there as if in an intimate embrace. I wrapped my arms around Finn. “Thirsty? Let me help you with that!” When I felt a slight pain on my neck, Finn’s body suddenly trembled. He jerked his head up, glaring at me furiously. I raised my hand to his lips, letting drops of blue liquid fall. “Drink up. Your own venom shouldn’t kill you, right?” Finn yanked out the dagger hidden behind his back and tossed it aside. Scales appeared around his ears as his teeth grew even sharper. He was transforming in his anger! Finn’s slender hand suddenly gripped my throat tightly. A wicked smirk played across his lips. “My lady, perhaps I should find out if your blood tastes sweeter?” I managed a strained smile and rasped out: “Go ahead!” There was a sudden squelching sound of a blade piercing flesh. Finn clutched his partially transformed tail in agony. A dagger was firmly embedded in it. I rubbed my sore neck. “My apologies. I prefer blades and always carry a few on me!” Finn held his wounded tail, his fake smile completely gone. The merfolk’s weakness lies in their tails, especially when on land. A wounded tail saps much of their strength. The scales on a merfolk’s tail are extremely tough. Ordinary human weapons can’t easily penetrate them. But everyone has their vulnerable spots! If my aim had been off by even an inch, I might have lost any chance at future “happiness”. “Finn, you won’t dare kill me outright. And if you try to torture me, well, remember I am your mate now.” I glanced meaningfully at his injured lower half. “It would be quite unfortunate if I were to… slip up one day!” Finn stared at me expressionlessly, then resumed his gentle demeanor. The carriage moved swiftly. Soon Finn and I arrived at the coast. After swallowing a water-breathing pearl, I unhesitatingly jumped into the sea with Finn. Perhaps due to the blood from Finn’s wound, we didn’t encounter a single fish on the way to the merfolk palace. The beast clans were incredibly efficient. As soon as Finn and I reached the merfolk palace, the bonding ceremony began. A new water-breathing pearl was hung around my neck. With that, the ceremony concluded. Three days after the bonding, I was to return home and present this new pearl to my father.

But I never expected Willow to return as well, riding on Hawk’s back. Willow clung to Hawk’s arm. Though her face was somewhat pale, she still lifted her chin haughtily when she saw me, deliberately showing off some faint marks on her neck. “Sister, Hawk truly cherishes me so much. We’re blissfully happy now. I think I’ll soon be carrying the next little prince or princess of the Eagle Clan!” Then Willow made a show of looking behind me. “Oh my! Sister, did you come back alone? Where is your husband? Didn’t he accompany you?” Of course, your brother-in-law is recuperating from his injuries! “Sister, you and your husband seem so close. I’m truly, deeply envious!” Willow took my words as genuine jealousy. She turned to Hawk and cooed: “Darling, I’ll give you a child very soon!” Beast-men place great importance on offspring. Hearing Willow say this, Hawk’s gaze towards her grew even warmer. I was rather curious how Willow planned to lay an egg! In my past life, Hawk couldn’t even look at me without his legs going weak, let alone consummate our marriage. I’d never witnessed the egg-laying process. How intriguing! “Sister, when the little eagle prince or princess is ready to hatch, be sure to invite me to watch. I’m so curious how humans lay eggs!” Willow glared at me angrily. “Aria, I swear I’ll have a better life than you this time!” I handed the water-breathing pearl to Father, intending to leave immediately. But thinking of Willow left me feeling unsettled. So I changed course and went to find Hawk instead. When Hawk saw me, he instinctively took half a step back. I mentally rolled my eyes. Just because I plucked all his feathers once, was that any reason to be so afraid of me? “It’s been a while, brother-in-law!” Hawk steadied himself, seemingly remembering this wasn’t his past life. He put on an intimidating front. “Princess Aria, we just saw each other today!” I sat down in a chair, popping a grape into my mouth. “Hawk, the grapes you picked from South Mountain were much sweeter.” Hawk’s expression changed drastically. His pupils dilated as he stared at me. “You… you…” When I returned to the Merfolk, Finn’s wound had almost completely healed. What disappointing news. Fortunately, within three days I received some good news. Willow had fallen from the eagle’s nest. Though Hawk managed to save her in time, she still broke her leg! Trading all his feathers for one of her legs seemed like a fair exchange! I was in a good mood and decided to seek out my absent merfolk husband. I called for a servant girl. “Where is His Highness?” Without even looking up, the girl replied curtly, “Don’t know!” Her tone was full of impatience. How delightful! That evening, as I was enjoying some fish soup, Finn stormed in angrily. He knocked the bowl out of my hands. “Aria, you truly have a heart of venom! Using my clan’s servant girl to make soup – are human princesses really so delicate that my merfolk can’t afford to keep you?” I ladled myself another bowl of soup. “What are you talking about, Your Highness? How could I possibly cook a merfolk servant? This is just ordinary fish. See for yourself!” Finn’s anger subsided slightly as he frowned. “Where is Snow Grace? Why haven’t I seen her?” Ah, so that servant was called Snow Grace. I pointed to a bloodied, lifeless body in the corner. “Snow Grace is right there! You misunderstood me, Your Highness. I don’t eat fish that have gained sentience. It’s unsanitary!” Finn stared at me in disbelief. He suddenly stood up, then immediately collapsed to the ground. I set down my soup and walked over to Finn, clearly seeing the fear growing in his eyes. “I hadn’t planned to kill that servant girl. But she called me a lowly human and spat at me. It would have been remiss not to kill her.” Ever since my mother died, I knew that only by being strong could one avoid being manipulated. Only by inspiring fear could one gain respect. This palace was filled with an incense of my own making. The antidote was hidden in the fish soup. “Your Highness, I’ve heard that every member of the Merfolk has a heart scale. They’re incredibly precious. Is it true that possessing a merfolk’s heart scale allows one to control them?”

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My best friend and I were transported to a tribe of shapeshifters. She became the substitute for the aloof Raptor Priest’s idealized love, While I ended up as the devoted pet of a possessive Snake King with two formidable appendages. We used our modern knowledge to greatly improve the tribe’s infrastructure. But the tribe’s holy woman branded us as heretics and brutally murdered us. Beheaded and torn apart, our bodies were left in pieces. When I opened my eyes again, I immediately grabbed my backpack and knocked on my friend’s door, “Ready to die?” “Let’s die together.” After our demise, both our husbands went mad. 0 When the Raptor Priest returned, Lily and I were figuring out what to do with our last box of supplies. She carefully sorted through the items at the bottom of the box. From small bottles of hot sauce to folding tents, everything was precious. Over the years, we had unknowingly accumulated a small warehouse through our efforts to modernize the tribe. She crouched on the ground, examining each item with interest. As I stood beside her, I felt both envious and proud. Suddenly, an urgent announcement came from outside: “The High Priest has returned to the tribe!” Lily jumped up in an instant. Without hesitation, she shoved me along with the packages under the bed: “Hide well and don’t make a sound!” Her strength was frightening. She handed me a three-kilogram pot as if it weighed nothing more than a feather. “If that priestess makes a move first, use this to bash her!” Just as she finished speaking, the door was kicked open with a loud bang by the Raptor Priest. Although “priest” was a civilized title, the man before us was still very much a predator. His height nearly blocked out the light from outside, his body covered in sleek muscles. One look down from him was enough to make one’s heart tremble. Lily, who had just been engrossed in sorting supplies, now raised her head with tears in her eyes, looking so helpless she seemed about to shatter: “Why didn’t you send word of your return so I could welcome you properly?…” She choked back a sob, her voice filled with resentment. The Raptor Priest’s gaze shifted, his voice like a crack in a glacier: “Where have you hidden Sophia?” “Sophia is missing?!” Lily’s face was full of shock, not looking like an act at all. “How many times have I told you, she is the holy woman guided by the gods. My intimate rituals with her are destined by fate.” His patience was like thin ice. Before he finished speaking, his eyes had already turned gloomy, making one’s scalp tingle: “You meet her in private once, and she vanishes without a trace. Now you’re still trying to put on an act for me?” “I really don’t know. She called me over, saying she wanted to talk…” Lily’s voice trembled softly as she reached out to grasp the hem of the Raptor Priest’s robe, only to be coldly shaken off. The force was too strong, instantly leaving a red mark on Lily’s wrist. She shivered, tears streaming down her face. Seeing the mark, the priest paused for a moment before turning to leave: “Without my orders, don’t take half a step out of this room!” After he spoke, the hem of his robe disappeared through the doorway. Lily was left wailing and pleading: “My lord, please stay… don’t go…” Her sorrowful voice lingered in the air as I stared wide-eyed from under the bed. Lily’s acting skills had improved. As soon as the man’s figure turned out of sight, Lily immediately locked the door, wiped her face, and said: “You can come out now. The show has begun.” “Sophia’s started making trouble. After messing with the priest, it’ll be your snake’s turn.” “I think so too.” I crawled out and looked back at the spoils of war scattered on the floor. Lily and I exchanged glances, and I cleared my throat: “Ready to die?” Lily nodded without hesitation: “We must die to teach those men a lesson.” 0

Lily and I were both transported to this world. Her identity here was the substitute for Callum’s idealized love – the holy priestess Sophia. In this savage tribe of shapeshifters, the priest held an exalted position blessed with divine power. Callum was handsome and revered by everyone in the tribe. Unfortunately, his heart was always fixated on the priestess Sophia. No matter how beautiful, a cold butt that can’t be warmed is useless. As expected of best friends, my situation was even worse than hers. When we first arrived, not understanding the situation, a row of naked men knelt before us begging to be chosen. I just had to pick the most dangerous-looking one. With a low, icy voice and a dangerous aura. Everyone in the tribe feared the Snake King’s venom, and even more so his ruthless cruelty. It wasn’t until the man was in bed that I realized how powerful those two appendages of his were. To protect myself, I became the Snake King Liam’s devoted pet. As long as he was happy, I suffered a little less. In our previous life, Lily and I relied on our modern knowledge to greatly improve the tribe. We built bridges and roads, constructed houses and wove cloth, and even dug a simple well. But while our men were away, Sophia needed only one word to turn us into sacrificial offerings on the altar. The two of us were tied to pillars, watching helplessly as Sophia, wearing a pristine white robe and an angelic smile, raised a dagger to my face. Slice by slice, slice by slice. My blood stained the altar red. I was beheaded, my body torn to pieces. With a final burst of flame, Sophia burned our very souls. “What did she actually talk to you about?” “How would I know? I never went to meet her.” Lily gritted her teeth. “Living a second time, I’m not that stupid.” I sighed, rubbing my forehead. “Callum may be cold, but even if Sophia causes trouble, he’ll just be distant for a few days. At worst, he might send you away.” I laughed coldly, though my heart was pounding: “But that snake of mine…” Lily shuddered along with me: “Your psycho snake is truly terrifying. He might really flay you alive.” “It’s not just ‘might’.” I trembled, recalling the rumors about the Snake King: Apparently, to extract information, Liam once cut off a prisoner’s ears and then skinned the shapeshifter alive. The screams echoed endlessly, scaring the enemy into fleeing in all directions. It became a legend that established his reputation. Unfortunately, such a “god of death” had never stayed for me. His heart and eyes were also fixed on the woman who had doomed Lily and me — Sophia. Thinking about having to die, I also needed to plan my escape luggage. As soon as I entered the door, I was grabbed by the waist and pinned against the wall in a dizzying motion. A voice that made my heart race sounded: “Where have you been?”

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My ex-fiancé Ethan Parker embezzled $3 million from my personal investment fund. Even worse, I discovered he had been having an affair with his assistant Olivia Wilson for months, plotting to steal all my assets! Four years of love turned out to be nothing but an elaborate scam! “Where’s my money?” I kicked open the door to his office. “Oh, that,” Ethan said casually. “Olivia’s new project needed some startup capital, so I borrowed it temporarily.” “Borrowed? Is $3 million just pocket change to you?” “Aren’t we family? Why be so particular about money?” He had the audacity to act righteous. “Family? Does family sleep with someone else behind your back?” I threw the hotel photos of him and Olivia on the desk. Ethan’s face turned pale, but he quickly regained composure. “There’s nothing to explain. Olivia and I just have a work relationship.” “Does a work relationship require sharing a bed?” Looking at this man I once loved deeply, anger boiled inside me like lava. Four years of tenderness and care, all just an act! He treated me like an ATM, using my love as a bargaining chip!

It was an ordinary Tuesday until I noticed something unusual in the studio’s account. Three million dollars, gone. “Lucy!” I called out. Lucy Liu hurried in, looking flustered. “Yes, Ms. Green…” “Where’s the $3 million from the Starlight Design Fund?” I slammed the bank statement on the desk. “It… it was approved for transfer by Mr. Parker.” Lucy was trembling as she spoke. “He approved what? That was my dedicated design project fund!” My voice rose several octaves. “Mr. Parker said it was a temporary loan…” “Temporary loan?” I stood up abruptly. “What right does he have to touch my money?” Lucy took half a step back in fear. “Ms. Green, I was just following Mr. Parker’s instructions…” “Get out!” Ethan Parker, my fiancé, was also the general manager of Inspired Creations Advertising. We had been dating for four years and were supposed to get married next month. Now it seemed that wedding needed to be reconsidered. I stormed straight to his office. Ethan was organizing some files. When he saw me burst in, the pen in his hand fell to the floor. “Where’s my money?” I walked up to his desk, both hands on the surface. “What money?” His gaze shifted. “Don’t play dumb! The $3 million from the Starlight Design Fund!” My voice was so loud the next office could probably hear. Ethan stood up, adjusting his tie. “Lower your voice. What will the colleagues think?” “I want everyone to hear!” I pointed at him. “What did you do with my money without my permission?” “Oh, that money.” Ethan said nonchalantly. “Olivia’s new project needed some startup funds, so I borrowed it temporarily. I’ll return it this week.” “Borrowed?” I sneered. “Is $3 million just pocket change to you?” “We’re getting married soon. Why be so particular?” Ethan was getting impatient. “Don’t you trust me?” “Married?” My voice got even louder. “Does being married mean you can take each other’s money as you please?” Just then, Olivia knocked and entered. She was the studio’s assistant designer, admittedly quite attractive, with a very approachable demeanor. “What’s going on? I could hear arguing from the hallway.” Olivia pretended to look concerned. “Perfect timing, Olivia.” Ethan immediately changed his attitude. “Explain to Rachel why your project needs that startup capital.” Olivia immediately put on a pitiful expression, her eyes reddening. “Ms. Green, it’s all my fault for not being capable enough. The project ran into difficulties.” “If we didn’t urgently need these funds, I wouldn’t have troubled Mr. Parker…” “You troubled him?” I stared at Olivia. “Did you know that was my personal fund?” “I… I didn’t know.” Olivia lowered her head. “I thought it was the studio’s working capital. I’m really sorry!” “If sorry was enough, we wouldn’t need contracts, would we?” My voice was cold as ice. Ethan suddenly slammed the table: “Enough, Rachel! Olivia has apologized. What more do you want?” “What do I want?” I turned to him. “I want my money, right now!” “I don’t have it now!” Ethan shouted back. “The funds have already been invested in the project. We have to wait until this week to recover them!” “This week? What if the project fails?” “It won’t fail.” Olivia hurriedly said. “I guarantee the project will succeed.” “You guarantee?” I looked at her. “What can you use as collateral?” Olivia opened her mouth but couldn’t say a word. “It must be repaid this week,” I pointed at Ethan. “Not a penny less!” I left, but turned back at the door. “Oh, and in the future, you’d better get my permission before touching my money!”

Back in my office, Lucy carefully brought in some tea. “Ms. Green, should I look into the specific flow of that fund?” “Do it. As detailed as possible.” Two days later, Lucy brought a stack of photos, her hands trembling. “Ms. Green, take a look at this.” In the photos, Ethan and Olivia were coming out of a high-end French restaurant. Olivia was helping Ethan adjust his shirt collar. They were laughing happily, and Ethan’s hand was on Olivia’s shoulder. “When was this taken?” I picked up the photo to examine closely. “Last night at 9:20 PM.” Lucy pulled out her phone. “I followed them until 10:30 PM before they left separately.” I clearly remembered that last night when I texted Ethan, he said he was working late on files and his phone was about to die. “Anything else?” Lucy took out another stack of documents: “This is Mr. Parker’s schedule for the past week.” I flipped through page by page, getting angrier with each one. The schedule said he was meeting important clients, but the actual locations all matched Olivia’s activity tracks. “This bastard!” I threw the documents on the table. “Ms. Green, there’s something even worse.” Lucy played a recording on her phone. “I recorded this in the break room yesterday.” Olivia’s voice came through the recording: “Mr. Parker looked so handsome in that navy suit last night, much more manly than usual.” Another female voice asked: “What’s really going on between you two?” Olivia gave a light laugh: “You know.” I smashed the water glass on the floor, shattering it to pieces. “Keep investigating! I want to know their every move!” The next day, I decided to test Olivia myself. I cornered her in the design department’s break room. “How was the French dinner yesterday?” I asked deliberately. Olivia was making coffee. Hearing this, her hand shook, spilling coffee grounds all over the table. “What… what French dinner?” She nervously cleaned up the mess. “Don’t pretend.” I walked closer to her. “That place by the river last night. Pretty good, wasn’t it?” Olivia’s face turned pale instantly, then she forced a smile. “Oh, that. It was nice. Mr. Parker said he enjoyed it too.” As soon as she finished speaking, she realized she had slipped up and immediately shut her mouth. “Is that so?” I stared into her eyes. “Didn’t Ethan say he was working late last night?” “I… I…” Olivia stammered. “Maybe I remembered wrong.” “Remembered wrong?” I sneered. “Or have you gotten so used to your dates that you forgot to keep them secret?” “Ms. Green, you’ve misunderstood!” Olivia was sweating profusely. “Mr. Parker and I really just have a work relationship!” “Work?” I took out my phone and showed her the photo Lucy sent me. “Is this work too?” In the photo, Ethan and Olivia were laughing and chatting in the restaurant. Olivia was intimately wiping the corner of Ethan’s mouth. Olivia’s face went completely white when she saw the photo. “This… this is…” “What is this?” I held the phone in front of her face. “Care to explain?” Olivia opened her mouth but couldn’t say a word. Just then, Ethan pushed open the door: “What are you two talking about?” “About your date.” I showed him the phone directly. “Care to explain?” Ethan’s face changed when he saw the photo. But he quickly regained composure. “What’s there to explain?” He even acted righteous. “Olivia and I were discussing the project over dinner. Is there a problem?” “Does discussing a project require feeding each other?” I pointed at the photo. “Is this what you call discussing a project?” “That was… that was an accident.” Olivia started to panic. “We were talking about the design plan, and I had papers in my hand, so…” “So you fed him by accident?” I sneered. “Olivia Wilson, do you think I’m an idiot?” “Rachel, you’re overthinking this.” Ethan started to act gentle. “Olivia and I really just have a work relationship.” “Is that so?” I took out another photo. “Then how do you explain this?”

In the second photo, Ethan’s arm was around Olivia’s waist as they stood at the entrance of a boutique hotel. This time Olivia was completely speechless. “I can explain!” Ethan suddenly spoke up. “Olivia had too much to drink that day, so I sent her back to the hotel!” “Sent her back to the hotel?” I laughed. “Did you send her to her room?” “No!” Ethan waved his hands frantically. “Just to the lobby!” “Really?” I took out my phone and played a recording. It was the voice of the hotel receptionist: “Room 312, two guests, check-in time 10:15 PM, check-out time 10 AM the next day.” The room fell dead silent. “Anything else you want to explain?” I looked at both of them. Ethan and Olivia exchanged a glance, neither daring to speak. “Very well.” I put away my phone. “Since you’re not saying anything, I’ll take that as an admission.” With that, I left them standing there staring at each other. A week later, it was the studio’s annual design exhibition. The exhibition was held at the downtown art gallery, with over 500 attendees, all important figures in the fashion world. I sat in the VIP section, with Ethan next to me, wearing exquisite makeup and the dress I had personally designed. “This year’s Best Creative Award goes to our assistant designer, Olivia Wilson!” the host announced. The audience applauded as Olivia walked onto the stage, beaming. She looked especially beautiful today, wearing a white evening gown with flawless makeup. “Thank you everyone!” Olivia took the microphone. “This year our design department has achieved great results…” She started playing a PowerPoint presentation. The first part showed normal design works. I was about to applaud when suddenly the tone changed dramatically. My early failed design cases appeared on the big screen. A huge meme was added, with the word “FAILURE” written prominently. The whole room burst into laughter. “Haha, Rachel’s design back then was really ugly!” “How much did that exhibition cost again? $500,000?” “It’s still hilarious to think about now!” The murmurs in the audience grew louder. Everyone was looking at me, some snickering, some pointing and whispering. I sat there, expressionless, watching my past failures being displayed as a joke on the big screen. Even worse, Olivia on stage pretended to be flustered: “Oh! I’m so sorry, Ms. Green! This was an old template that wasn’t deleted properly! I’m really sorry!” But while she apologized, her face showed a hint of smugness. It was clearly intentional. Ethan not only didn’t stop it, but laughed along. He covered his mouth, laughing so hard he was bent over, almost to tears. “Ethan, you find this amusing too?” I turned to look at him. “No, I just…” Ethan was still laughing. “Just remembered that project from back then…” People in the audience started commenting loudly: “Rachel’s work quality has really declined these past few years!” “I heard she’s lost quite a few projects!” “She’s just riding on her past reputation now!” “If it weren’t for her dad’s connections, she would’ve gone bankrupt long ago!”

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Iris was pregnant, and the father of her child was my legal husband, Julian Thorne. On our seventh wedding anniversary, Serena Hastings leaned into Julian’s embrace, triumphantly announcing the news to all our guests. I, Iris Thorne, the rightful Mrs. Thorne, became a colossal joke. Julian warned me to keep my schemes in check and to wholeheartedly serve Serena during her pregnancy. He showed no regard for my dignity. I stared at the tall man before me, a wave of desolation washing over my heart. It has to end, I thought. When I decided to leave, Julian casually made a bet with his friends: “If Iris isn’t back, begging to come home within 24 hours, how about that prime development property downtown? It’s yours.” “24 hours? No way, eight is plenty! Everyone knows Iris can’t live without Mr. Thorne,” someone scoffed. Laughter erupted. Outside, a Jaguar sat parked in the dark night. The man inside wore sunglasses, his expression unreadable. This time, I was truly leaving. My suitcase had been packed for ages, holding only a few changes of clothes. After marrying Julian, all the jewelry gifted by his family, those precious pieces, had been meticulously kept in the master bedroom’s jewelry box. I didn’t take a single one. As I dragged my suitcase, about to step out of the villa door, I heard Serena’s sickly sweet voice. “Iris, just walking out like that wouldn’t be very nice, would it?” I paused, wondering what game Serena was playing. “The Thornes are a powerful family, a massive empire. Who knows what precious valuables you’ve stuffed into that suitcase.” I calmly replied, “I haven’t taken anything from the Thorne family. This is just some of my clothes.” Serena clacked towards me in her high heels, stopped right in front of me, and looked down her nose, dramatically saying, “Clothes? Are clothes even yours? You’re a freeloader with no job, living off him!” Her cruel words flooded my ears. I bit down hard on my lip, quickly tasting the metallic tang of blood. Serena was right. I didn’t have a job. Seven years ago, when Julian and I got married, I had just graduated from college. But Julian had said he didn’t like high-powered career women who were never home. He preferred a devoted wife, someone who’d make a warm home for him. So, I decisively gave up the offer from an internationally renowned design firm, trapping myself within the four walls of the kitchen. “Fine.” I pushed my suitcase forward. Serena was still relentless. “What about what you’re wearing?” I froze. What I was wearing? “Julian, make her leave the clothes! She can’t take anything that isn’t hers.” Serena pulled Julian in front of me, waiting for him to speak and back her up. “Iris, strip.” Numbly, I took off my jacket and tossed it to the ground. Finally, I gave one last, heavy look at the husband I’d been married to for seven years, then turned and walked away without a backward glance. A familiar license plate came into view. I quickened my pace, when suddenly a large hand, like a vice, clamped onto my wrist. It was Julian. “Iris, even like this, you’re still dead set on leaving?” My wrist throbbed from his grip. I ignored Julian’s words and instead asked him, “Julian, do you still remember our child?” Julian’s grip on my wrist loosened.

In the second year of our marriage, I unexpectedly found out I was pregnant. When I had my check-up at the hospital, the doctor said I was exactly three months along. Overjoyed by the news, I couldn’t wait to share it with Julian immediately. At the time, Julian was on a business trip abroad. I planned to keep the news a surprise and tell him when he returned home. The day Julian came back, it was pouring rain. I warned him to be careful and to come home right after his plane landed. I’d given Maria, the housemaid, the day off. I curled up alone on the couch, stroking my belly, imagining how delighted Julian would be. But Julian never came home. Because Serena was afraid of thunder, Julian stayed with her all night. Meanwhile, I slipped on a spilled glass of water and fell heavily to the ground. A warm gush between my legs sent me into a panic. Fighting the sharp pains in my stomach, I dragged myself to reach for my phone on the table. Dots of blood stained the floor. I called Julian’s phone repeatedly, but it just rang unanswered. I prayed that my baby inside would be strong, just a little stronger, strong enough to hold on until I could get to the hospital. I gritted my teeth and, with my last ounce of strength, dialed 911. I woke up in the hospital. Julian told me the baby was gone. I furiously gripped his collar, asking why he didn’t come home? Why didn’t he answer his phone? Serena rushed over, tears in her eyes, begging for my forgiveness. She said she was scared of thunder, so she’d messaged Julian, pleading with him to come stay with her. My child, this baby who had only been in my womb for three months, died that thundering, rainy night.

“Julian, what does any of this matter? Even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire, I’m still leaving,” I said with absolute resolve. “Fine.” Julian’s eyes held a dark shadow. I hadn’t walked two steps before a sharp pain flared in my neck, and I lost consciousness. Julian had me locked away. Someone delivered my meals every day. I didn’t understand what Julian was playing at. Two weeks into my confinement, I was taken to the hospital. I was strapped to a gurney and brought into an operating room. A second before the anesthesia took effect, I heard the doctor sigh, “Uterine cancer, needs a hysterectomy. Poor thing.” My uterus was removed. Julian sat by my hospital bed, holding a bowl of soup Maria had made, ready to feed me. I turned my head away. “Iris, you just had surgery. Don’t play around with your health,” Julian’s chilling voice rang out. Surgery? If it weren’t for you and Serena, I wouldn’t have needed this surgery. Serena’s pregnancy wasn’t going well. She’d heard about some supposedly powerful fortuneteller from somewhere and dragged Julian to see him. The fortuneteller told them that my future child would bring her bad luck, and if I had any chance of getting pregnant, not only would Serena’s baby not survive, but it would also harm the mother. Then, they gave Julian the birth details of this “woman,” which matched mine exactly. So, they fabricated a “uterine cancer” diagnosis for me. “Iris, after you’re discharged, you’ll still be Mrs. Thorne. Serena’s child will call you Mommy,” Julian said, as if to himself. As if that could somehow erase the harm they had inflicted upon me. “Iris, I’ll compensate you.” As he said this, Julian’s phone rang. It was Serena calling him. “Julian, I hurt my hand! Hurry and come here!” her anxious voice came through the receiver. I grabbed Julian’s hand and said, “The only compensation I want is for you to refuse Serena.” Serena kept urging him over the phone. Julian pried my hand open. He said, word for word, “Don’t be ungrateful. Know your place. What do you have that can compare to Serena?” Then he turned and left without a backward glance. The empty hospital room was left with just me. Compared to Serena’s injured hand – a matter Julian treated as monumental – my uterus being removed seemed utterly trivial. I, Iris, was completely insignificant to Julian. Serena posted sweet photos of herself and Julian on Ins. The caption read: “I jokingly said my hand was hurt, and someone rushed right over to see me. I’m so happy!” I coldly ‘liked’ her post, then shared it with the comment, “Wishing you both happiness.” After a period of observation in the hospital, I was again confined to Julian’s villa. Why do I say confined? Because on the day I was discharged, Julian sent two burly bodyguards. Seeing the strong men, whose wrists were as thick as my calves, I had no choice but to push down my thoughts and temporarily return home.

Back at the villa, I was assigned to the guest room. This villa was Julian’s and my marital home. Every corner had been decorated by my own hands. The plush ornaments on the sofa, the exquisite stone sculptures on the display cabinet, the fresh flowers in the floor vase… But now, they were all gone. Alfred, the butler, told me it was at Miss Hastings’ request. Serena had moved into Julian’s and my marital bedroom. “Iris, you’re finally home! This is wonderful!” Serena came down from the second floor, eagerly rushing to my side. “Finally, I’m not the only one in this house. You can keep me company now!” I wasn’t used to feigning civility with Serena. I pulled my hand from her grasp and said nothing. Julian followed her down from the second floor. He was displeased with my cold attitude and was about to scold me when Serena gently stopped him. She sweetly said, “Iris, please don’t be mad at me. I really didn’t want to do this, but I’m so uncomfortable with my pregnancy that I have to trouble you to take care of me for a while.” I was confused. Take care of her? Me, take care of Serena? I thought Julian had just said it offhand, but I hadn’t expected him to actually mean turning me into her personal attendant. “Where’s the housemaid?” I demanded of Julian. “Serena doesn’t like outsiders,” Julian said, knowing he was in the wrong, but not wanting to lose face. After all, in front of me, Julian always had to be superior. “Serena’s pregnancy is hard on her. As Mrs. Thorne, it’s only right that you take care of her,” Julian added. Mrs. Thorne. It seemed that as long as I had those three words, as long as I had that title, it could somehow compensate for all the hurt Julian had inflicted on me. I had no heart to argue with them anymore. I just wanted to go back to my room and get some sleep. Watching my back as I walked towards the guest room, Julian’s heart inexplicably trembled. Iris had lost more weight. After all, she’d had surgery. He instructed Alfred to make some of my favorite dishes for dinner. Seeing Julian staring blankly at Iris’s retreating figure, a venomous glint flashed in Serena’s eyes. Without a housemaid, and with bodyguards supervising me 24/7, I was trapped in the villa, becoming Serena’s personal servant. During this time, I had kept in touch with Liam Carter. Liam had repeatedly tried to find ways to help me escape Julian. But given that I was under strict surveillance, Liam’s plan had to be put on hold for now. Liam, despite the time difference, consistently stayed up to chat with me. He was incredibly thoughtful, always sensing my low moods and finding ways to cheer me up. “Iris, what are you looking at?” Julian stood at the doorway, his voice low and heavy. I jumped, instinctively turning off my phone. I had been so engrossed in my chat with Liam that I hadn’t even noticed Julian opening the door. “You should knock before entering someone’s room,” I frowned. “This is my home. Why would I knock?” Julian said imperiously. Using his height advantage, he snatched my phone, trying to unlock it. “What’s the password?” Julian asked. He was so arrogant and self-centered. I didn’t have the energy to fight him for my phone. “My birthday.” Julian repeatedly entered the password, but the phone kept rejecting it, until the security system issued a warning. He sheepishly tossed the phone onto the bed. Seven years of marriage, and Julian knew nothing about my birthday. Yet, every year, I prepared for his birthday in advance, sending blessings and gifts right on time. “Don’t chat with irrelevant people.” Julian threw out this remark, then stormed out, slamming the door so hard it shook the house.

During my boring confinement in the villa, I used drawing to pass the time. Honestly, I’d always had a regret: not pursuing my passion for design further. So, during my seven years at home, whenever my hands itched, I’d sketch out design drafts. Liam sent me a set of photos. They were the winning designs from an emerging talent competition three years ago, and my work was clearly among them. A designer’s work is their heart and soul. I’d recognize a design that came from my hands even if it was reduced to ashes. Yet, the design that was clearly mine was credited to Serena Hastings. My mind instantly went blank, and a terrifying thought emerged. The information I asked Liam to check quickly arrived. It confirmed my suspicions. Serena had stolen my work to enter the competition. Three years ago, I had mysteriously lost a portfolio of my sketches. I searched high and low for half a month but found nothing and eventually gave up. And Serena was the new designer who had suddenly risen to prominence three years ago. Looking through her work from these past few years, almost all of it bore the shadow of my sketches; some were even direct copies. The thought of Serena using my hard work, wearing the crown of praise, and proudly flaunting her career success to me, made me tremble with rage. I found Serena and confronted her. Serena didn’t flinch. She placed a hand on her slightly bulging belly and said indifferently, “So what if I stole it? What if I didn’t? You were never going to use it anyway. Isn’t it a good deed to help someone else succeed?” I didn’t know how low this woman’s shamelessness could go. Serena kept shattering my perception of her. Watching me so enraged I could barely stand, Serena studied me with interest, then slowly delivered another blow: “And I didn’t steal this sketch, Julian gave it to me.” Julian gave it to Serena? The memory of Julian’s feigned concern when I was looking for my sketches made my stomach churn. Suddenly, Serena leaned close to my ear and whispered, “You should have gone to hell with your damn mother.” My mother was my raw nerve. Especially with Serena involved; if it weren’t for her back then, I wouldn’t have missed seeing my mother one last time. Burning with fury, I slapped Serena across the face. To my surprise, Serena stumbled and fell to the ground with my slap. I stared in shock at Serena, clutching her stomach on the floor, and then incredulously at my own hand. I could swear that slap was not hard enough to make Serena fall like that. Hearing the commotion, the bodyguards outside quickly rushed in to check. Julian was also alarmed and hurried upstairs. Julian pushed open the door and saw Serena, her cheek slightly swollen, lying pale on the floor, while I stood perfectly fine beside her. Without a word, he slapped me. It was a powerful slap. I guessed Julian put all his strength into it. My face snapped to the side, and my lower back hit the wooden sofa armrest hard. Sharp pain spread across my face and down my back. Julian hadn’t expected to lose control of his strength. Seeing the blood-tinged corner of my mouth, his eyes flickered. Serena noticed Julian’s hesitation and immediately began to whimper, crying out that Iris shouldn’t hit her, even if it was just for the baby’s sake. Julian stopped bothering with me, scooped Serena up, and rushed downstairs. Within moments, the room, which had just been full of people, was empty again, leaving only me. Looking at my high, swollen face in the mirror, I thought of the year my mother died. Counting today’s slap, Julian had hit me twice. The first time was that year. Back then, Serena was often unwell, running to the hospital every few days. Julian was frantic with worry. Serena told Julian she had a dream: if Iris went to a temple to pray for her, it would help her ward off a supposed curse for the year. She badgered Julian into sending me to that temple. The ritual required 49 days of continuous prayer. Normally, I might not have refused, but at the time, my mother was gravely ill—a situation where every visit counted. I pleaded with Julian to wait until my mother’s condition stabilized before sending me to pray, but he refused. Julian only said he would take care of my mother, completely disregarding a daughter’s wish to be by her dying parent’s side. Disheartened, I left for the temple. When the 49 days of prayer ended, I never got to see my mother one last time. At the funeral, Serena feigned an apology to me. My patience finally snapped. I grabbed the cup of hot water by my hand and violently threw it at her. The moment the water splashed on Serena, Julian’s hand was already raised high. He chastised me, saying I was mad with grief, treating Serena’s genuine kindness like trash. The memory overlapped with the present. I looked at the haggard woman in the mirror, my eyes filled with cold determination. The bodyguards guarding the villa were all called to the hospital to watch over a supposedly traumatized Serena. I left the house that held so much of my pain, without any resistance. As the plane soared through the clear blue sky, I quietly said goodbye to everything there. Goodbye. Never again. Julian had soothed Serena, and now he sat wearily on a bench in the hospital corridor. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw my face, red and swollen where I’d clutched it.

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