In my last life, my sister loved her husband so much she gave him everything. While my brother-in-law was starting his business, she frantically took out loans, racking up massive debts to support his company. She was deep in debt herself. My brother-in-law praised her as the best wife in the world. To pay off her own debts, she and my mom stole my identity information to get illegal high-interest loans. Later, the debt collectors showed up at my door. All my assets were stripped bare, but it still wasn’t enough to cover the deficit. My parents blocked me and even publicly disowned me on social media. Seeing this, the debt collectors forced me into sex work to pay off the debt. I contracted an STD, and in a daze, I was hit by a car while walking at a crossroads. Reborn, I found myself back in my brother-in-law’s second year of starting his business… My brother-in-law was visibly ecstatic today. His huge financial problem was finally solved; he was grinning from ear to ear. I watched him hug my sister, spinning her around excitedly, then gently kissing her. When David looked at Scarlett and said, “Honey, I really can’t thank you enough. It’s all thanks to the loan you secured,” my heart clenched. In my previous life, Scarlett’s debt grew so huge she couldn’t pay it off. She played the victim, getting Mom to spin tall tales and make empty promises, urging me to help her get a loan. When I refused, she stole my identity to take out more illegal online loans. It wasn’t until the debt collectors found me at my workplace that the world went dark as I heard the amount. All my assets eventually went to paying it off, but it still wasn’t enough. When I begged my parents for help, I only got a lecture and then they blocked me. Seeing they couldn’t squeeze any more money out of me, the debt collectors, desperate, forced me into prostitution. To pay off the debt, I had to take clients non-stop every day. I was forced to take on clients with special fetishes that even experienced sex workers wouldn’t touch. My body was abused until there wasn’t a single good spot left. I wanted to die, but even that wasn’t an immediate escape. My brother-in-law only cared about getting the company started. He didn’t worry about subsequent funding at all. He just spent a few thousand to rent a place and buy office supplies when he first opened. My sister, with only her husband on her mind, was obsessed with the fantasy of him starting a company and striking it rich. Whenever David frowned and sighed, “Company funds are tight again!” she would keep taking out loans to support his company, burdening herself with mountains of toxic debt. This time around, someone else can be the chump in that deep pit!

My brother-in-law truly wasn’t cut out for running a company. The money Scarlett had borrowed before was nearly gone in less than six months. David had been sighing a lot lately. That day, Scarlett came home and, before even sitting down for dinner, started crying to Mom about David’s company needing money, and how she’d already poured all her savings into it. Mom, feeling sympathetic, quickly wiped away her precious daughter’s tears. “This company has been open for three years now, wasn’t everything supposed to be fine? Why is it short on cash now?” Dad chimed in, “Can’t David’s family chip in?” David looked annoyed. “My mom did say she’d support me, but Scarlett said this is ‘our’ family business, and she insists on finding the funds herself!” With that, he turned to leave, glaring at Scarlett. “I told you we shouldn’t have come!” Scarlett quickly stood up and grabbed David. “Honey, don’t be mad. Mom and Dad didn’t mean it that way, right?” She looked pleadingly at our parents. “Mom, tell Chloe. Chloe’s a government employee, everyone says she’s a shoo-in for a loan.” Mom immediately shot a glance at me. “Chloe, can you help your sister? Your brother-in-law’s company will pay you back as soon as it makes money!” I quickly interjected, “Mom, how can I? I just started my career, I barely have any assets. How much could I possibly borrow?” Scarlett nudged David, who reluctantly spoke. “Chloe, you just need to put your name on it. We’ll handle how to get the loan and the monthly interest ourselves. We’ll even give you five thousand as a finder’s fee.” Hearing that, I almost burst out laughing. Mom still acted as if I was getting such a great deal. “Chloe, look how much your sister and brother-in-law are looking out for you. You just need to get a loan, and you’ll get five thousand. Isn’t that better than your job?” The whole family nodded in agreement, as if getting a loan really wasn’t a big deal. Yeah, Mom was always like that! When Scarlett fell as a child, she’d anxiously call her ‘precious girl,’ but when I fell, she’d complain I couldn’t even walk straight. In my previous life, even though I didn’t agree to the loan, Scarlett still convinced Mom. Together, they took my ID and secured countless illegal online loans that I could never repay in my lifetime. I knew that if I refused outright now, the result would be no different from my last life. I pretended to gather my courage and spoke. “Mom, of course, I’m willing to help Scarlett and David.” Seeing Scarlett sigh in relief, I added with a worried look, “But what if they can’t pay it back? I’m still on the same household record as you. If the debt collectors come looking for us, they’ll come for our whole family. I heard those shady debt collectors can be really brutal.” Hearing this, my parents looked at Scarlett. “Loans indeed require caution. How about it, Scarlett, let’s call Eleanor over first, and we can all talk it over.”

I knew my parents’ thoughts too well. Unless it directly impacted them, they wouldn’t budge. Because Scarlett was the first child in the family, Mom already showed her favoritism. I, on the other hand, was unwanted from birth. Originally, Mom wanted to try for another child, but by then her body wouldn’t allow it. So, she expected Scarlett to marry into our family, to stay home, to stay by her side. My sister and brother-in-law’s relationship was initially disapproved of by our family. He was from out of town and from a single-parent home, with his elderly mother relying solely on him to carry on the family name. Who knew my sister would be so utterly blinded by love for her husband? She took out mountains of debt for him to start his company, telling our parents that her husband secured the investment through his own capabilities. Our parents just went along with it. Who knew that after only three years, such a massive bombshell would drop? The company turned out to be a total sham. My parents still bragged proudly to everyone outside every day about their son-in-law running a big company and making tons of money. And now, they were whining about being broke and demanding solutions. My sister was great at manipulating Mom. She didn’t directly ask for money, but rather pressured our parents to make me get a loan. In my previous life, I was just a mute, only capable of refusing. This time, with myself and my family tied together in this mess, I wondered what my parents would choose?

Scarlett’s desperate juggling of debts, robbing Peter to pay Paul, finally defaulted. Scarlett was frantic, pacing back and forth. The moment I heard the news, I rushed to her place with Mom and Dad. Entering the apartment, I saw Scarlett’s mother-in-law, Eleanor, sitting in the living room, seething with indignation. “You’ve finally arrived! Look at this huge mess Scarlett has brought upon our family! How are we going to fix this?” I walked into the bedroom to see Scarlett. Her eyes were red and swollen as she sat on the edge of the bed. Scattered glass shards lay on the floor nearby. Clearly, there had just been a fierce argument. “Scarlett, what happened? Why is there so much broken glass on the floor?” Scarlett looked at me, then glanced towards the door. “David threw it…” “Why? Because of the debt? Weren’t you doing all this for him?” “Ugh, it’s all because Mom and Dad called David’s mom over. David and I had a huge fight!” In my previous life, by this point, she would have already convinced Mom to steal my identity. Then, she would have used the borrowed money to pay off the debt. But I would be the one to suffer the bitter consequences of the unpaid debt. I turned and walked out of the room, pointing angrily at David. “David, if it weren’t for you, would Scarlett be drowning in all this toxic debt? How could you argue with her and even smash a glass?” Mom jumped up in alarm. “What toxic debt? You said the company was just having cash flow problems, David! What’s going on?” David watched Mom freak out and just threw caution to the wind. “Running a company is never smooth sailing! Scarlett voluntarily took out loans to keep my company running!” His mother, Eleanor, added fuel to the fire. “Those were all Scarlett’s unilateral, voluntary actions! They have nothing to do with my son!” “Don’t even think about it!” I shouted. “Debts incurred during marriage are considered joint marital debts, David. I don’t need to explain this, do I?” To my surprise, David didn’t flinch at all. “That’s true, but most of the debt Scarlett accumulated was before we got married. As for the post-marriage portion, half of the $300,000, my mom and I will figure it out.” I truly hadn’t realized my sister was so utterly blinded by love, borrowing money even before marriage. “Son-in-law, I need to discuss what you’ve said with Scarlett’s father! We’ll come back tomorrow!” With that, Mom gave me a look and pulled Dad out the door. She didn’t even step back into the room to see Scarlett. Mom’s reaction was both expected and unexpected. It turned out they didn’t really love me. In the face of their own interests, they loved no one.

Just as I expected, Mom didn’t go to Scarlett’s place. But her not going didn’t mean trouble wouldn’t come knocking. Scarlett had been waiting for Mom to come clean up her mess all morning, but she waited and waited, and no one showed up. She stormed into our house, burst through the door, and started sobbing the moment she saw Mom. “Mom, you have to help me! David wants to divorce me now and won’t take responsibility for my debts. If this continues, I’ll die!” Yes, you will die if you don’t pay your debts. Are you just realizing that now? In my previous life, you dumped all these debts on me. Did you ever consider if I would die? After all, she was still the precious daughter Mom had cherished for so many years. Seeing Scarlett like this, Mom’s heart softened a bit. “I do want to help you, but how much more do you need? Your father and I don’t have $300,000.” Mom must not have understood that day, thinking Scarlett only needed to cover the remaining $300,000 in debt. Scarlett stammered, “Mom, it’s not $300,000. With interest, it’s $1.3 million now!” Mom’s face turned red with agitation. “What?! $1.3 million? You borrowed this much money behind our backs?” Scarlett looked at Mom, agitated, and dared not speak, just cried. At this point, Dad finally spoke up to defuse the situation. “Scarlett, this amount is too large. Let your mother and me think of a way. You go home today, and try to stabilize David. After all, he has such a big company running, there must still be some money coming in.” Seeing that the shock to Mom and Dad was indeed too great today, Scarlett wiped away her tears and went home.

A massive debt of $1.3 million! In our small town, even if we sold our house, it wouldn’t be enough! “No way, I’m going to Scarlett’s place to talk to her mother-in-law. After all, they were married, and her son spent all that money. Now he wants to just wash his hands of it!” With that, she dragged Dad out like a whirlwind. I don’t know what Mom and Scarlett’s mother-in-law discussed, but when I got home from work, I found Mom surprisingly calm. “Mom, how was it today? Is Scarlett’s debt problem solved?” Mom glanced at me, as if she had something specific to say but then said nothing. “What good could David’s mother say? All she did was push blame!” That night, just as I fell asleep, I felt a rustling sound in my room. I jolted awake. “Who’s there?!” The person seemed startled. “Chloe, it’s Mom. I came to see if you were covered properly!” She then said, “You’re sleeping soundly, so I’ll leave,” and quietly exited. So, you finally came, Mom. My heart finally settled, and a sense of liberation washed over me. After a while, I quietly got up and crept to my parents’ bedroom door. “This vile little wretch, I don’t know where she hid her ID. I just couldn’t find it. What are we going to do?” Mom complained to Dad, agitated, “If we can’t borrow this money, Scarlett is finished! Chloe, that vile little wretch, she has no family feeling at all!”

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The day my mother took her own life, I finally decided to divorce my cancer-stricken wife, who’d stolen my mother’s life-saving money. But just as I was about to speak, a row of bullet comments suddenly popped up before my eyes. “OMG! Male lead, whatever you do, don’t get a divorce! Just hold on a few more days, and you’ll be the heir to a powerful empire!” “Don’t let the female lead’s poverty and messy appearance fool you; she’s actually worth billions! She’s just pretending to be poor to test your sincerity. She’s completely obsessed with you!” “Male lead, don’t be stupid! What’s losing a mom compared to that? You’ll have money and a beautiful wife soon enough. Marrying into that elite family is what truly matters!” I stared at the constantly flashing comments. My eyes burned as I looked at my wife, who had just returned home after stealing my mom’s life savings and abandoning her to die a tragic death. “Alright, the silent treatment is over. Take this money to save your mom. Julian has already paid off your debts.” Seraphina awkwardly handed back my bank card, her flip-flops shuffling on the floor. Instantly, the bullet comments from earlier flashed through my mind. The next second, I fixed my gaze on her eyes, trying to find some truth hidden within them. “What are you staring at? Paying back debts is just how it is. Our family is so poor; what would we have done if Julian hadn’t lent us the money?” Her brows furrowed, and her voice carried a hint of subtle annoyance. She was probably still mad that day when I chose to use the money to save my mom first. I didn’t take the card, just stared blankly at the long-overdue bank card in front of me, my eyes suddenly red. The comments said she was worth billions. Could it be true? If it was true… I couldn’t help but mock myself. Then what was my mom’s life worth? And all the hardship I endured, working eight jobs a day, killing myself to earn her medical expenses? ….. Suddenly, I felt as if a massive rock was crushing my chest. It made me feel incredibly exhausted. I remembered when we were dating, Seraphina was a scholarship student, but she was hardworking and very clingy. Even after a two-hour bus ride, she’d come to see me every weekend for a date. During graduation season, she said her family was poor and asked if I’d be willing to move in with them after we got married. I agreed, saying it was fine if we were poor; we’d work hard and earn money, supporting both our parents together. Dating, proposals, engagement—we were like countless other couples, gradually moving towards marriage. But after graduation, her family inexplicably seemed to get poorer and poorer. Seraphina frequently claimed she was being exploited by shady companies, then fired, until a top-tier graduate like her was reduced to working as a server. I never doubted any of her explanations. Instead, I’d even smile and comfort her, saying it was fine, I’d support her even if she didn’t work. Turns out, my words came true in the worst way. Seraphina was diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer. The massive medical bills instantly crushed my meager $4,000 monthly salary. The night she was diagnosed, Seraphina knelt before me and cried for the first time. Her eyes red, she firmly suggested we break up: “Liam, you’re still young. Don’t pour your time and money into my bottomless pit. Let’s break up. I’ll live as long as I can. I don’t want to be a burden to you. My heart aches for you…” She said she’d find a quiet place to end her life and just asked me to bury her. My mom was there that day too. To make her give up the idea of suicide, my mom literally dragged Seraphina and me to the courthouse to get married. Afterward, she reminded me not to be heartless. She had accepted Seraphina as her daughter-in-law, and no matter what, we had to cure her illness, even if it meant selling everything we owned. Seraphina also promised to give my mom a healthy grandchild. “Mom, thank you and Liam for not giving up on me. I swear, if I get better, I’ll take good care of you and make sure you and Liam never live a hard life again…” Because of that promise, for five years, my mom willingly worked herself to the bone to pay for her medical expenses. Seraphina’s words were accurate; the cancer did get better. But just as life began to look up, she came to my mom again, pale-faced and on her knees, begging for money. She said she’d lost $200,000 on online stock trading and needed to pay off debts. Her expression seemed genuine, as if her world had crumbled. My mom believed her. She immediately wanted to give Seraphina the $200,000 she’d just saved for her own surgery, but in her haste, she suffered a sudden heart attack. That day, I saw the so-called bullet comments for the first time. “It’s all that manipulative jerk’s fault for egging on the female lead to fake cancer! Now she’s lying about debt to steal the male lead’s mom’s life-saving money. The female lead feels terrible…” “It’s because the male lead is so pathetic and poor! If he had money, would the female lead have been tricked by the male supporting character into doing all these tests?” “Poor female lead! She didn’t want to lie! She’s felt guilty for five years because of this! She’s not asking for money; she just feels insecure!” That male supporting character… were they talking about Julian? And what was this “faking cancer” and “testing” all about? My mind was a chaotic mess, seeing the dense words before me, but my mother’s surgery couldn’t be delayed. I still struggled, begging Seraphina to give the money back: “…Sera, Mom needs surgery urgently. This money has to go to save my mom first. Please, can you give it back?” But I never expected that because of that single sentence, Seraphina would take my mother’s life-saving money and vanish. “Liam, are you saying I’m a burden? You don’t understand! I didn’t even want your money! I… I really misjudged you!” With that last accusation, Seraphina slammed the door and disappeared without a trace. I cried and begged her to return the money in countless phone calls, telling her my mom needed it to live. But then, after Julian said, “Don’t bother Sera,” I was blocked. That night, my mom took her own life behind my back.

Before she died, she said, “Mom won’t be a burden to you anymore. Leave the money for Sera to pay her debts.” In her last moments, she was still thinking of Seraphina. But what about Seraphina? Now, my mom was dead, and she was returning the money, saying it was for Mom’s treatment… My eyes welled with tears, Seraphina’s words echoed in my ears, shattering and reassembling. All I heard was impatient anger: “Julian checked, and he said your mom was fine. I already returned the money. Are you still going to be mad at me?” Seeing I wouldn’t take it, she slammed the bank card at my feet: “Liam, are you disgusted with me? I only asked for a measly two hundred grand, and this is how you truly are? I even told Julian you weren’t a gold-digger! Liam, is this what you meant by ‘I’ll support you’?!” A measly two hundred grand? Turns out… she didn’t even care about $200,000. Suddenly, I didn’t want to argue with her anymore. Thinking I was still holding a grudge, Seraphina angrily kicked over a nearby stool. “I was going to visit your mom at the hospital, but with that attitude, I’m not going!” The door slammed shut with a bang, and her furious footsteps faded into the distance. The comments were fuming, frustrated beyond belief: “The male lead’s lost his mind! He lasted five years, what’s wrong with him now? Trust me, the female lead’s definitely gone to Julian to complain.” “If the male lead didn’t lack a powerful family background, would the female lead have to test him like this? My poor female lead, a broken, crying mess after being scorned by her husband again, right?” “This pisses me off! The male supporting character will definitely take advantage of this to stir up trouble! Male lead, hurry up and go comfort her!” After seeing the comments, I did follow Seraphina downstairs. But not to comfort her. It was to verify if her “elite family” background was real. I simply couldn’t believe that my messy, home-bound, cancer-stricken wife could one day be a high-society heiress, someone utterly unreachable for a commoner like me. I wanted to see it with my own eyes… I followed Seraphina through the village food street, past the garbage heaps swarming with flies… Then I watched her walk straight towards the luxury car parked at the street corner. It was that red Ferrari, the one I always noticed whenever I drove her to the hospital, just outside the rundown neighborhood… A quick search on my phone showed it was worth 8.88 million. Back then, I’d found it odd and even joked with Seraphina that there must be a big shot in this rundown neighborhood if someone could afford a sports car. Little did I know, the owner was right beside me. So many things suddenly made sense, and a bitter taste filled my mouth. But I couldn’t dwell on it. The sports car roared past, and I instinctively flagged down a taxi to follow. The car stopped in front of an exclusive club. I looked up and saw the familiar sign for ‘The Sovereign Club’. Seraphina had come to the very club where I had worked part-time for years. Watching her casually take the elevator directly to the top-floor private suite, it hit me: the top-floor VIP client the manager always talked about—the one who dropped a fortune in one night and had to be treated like royalty—was Seraphina all along… So, the floors I meticulously scrubbed clean on my hands and knees every night were to prepare for my own wife’s arrival. I clenched my fists, my heart growing colder by the inch. Just as I was about to burst into the suite and demand a divorce from Seraphina, the manager’s surprised voice came from behind me. “Liam? Oh, perfect timing! Quick! We need a hand!” Before I could refuse, I was shoved into a mascot costume and sent into the suite, where guests were already impatiently demanding a dance. The music inside was deafening, and a group of people were having a wild time. It was stifling hot inside the costume, my vision limited. I couldn’t see who was who, only awkwardly swayed my limbs to the music. I wanted to finish and leave quickly, but then a foot suddenly kicked me. A familiar voice exploded. It was Seraphina, furious: “What the hell, can’t you dance? You stepped on my foot!”

Her angry shouts were followed by the music cutting off. Everyone seemed to turn and stare at me. Seraphina’s kick sent me stumbling back, twisting my ankle. I didn’t want to make a scene or confront her in such a humiliating state, so I bit back the pain and bowed repeatedly, apologizing profusely. But Seraphina didn’t recognize my voice. And today, she lacked the approachable demeanor she always had when pretending to be poor. “What good is bowing now? My shoes are Chanel! Do you think a pathetic pauper like you can just step on them? So goddamn disgusting!” Julian’s lazy chuckle drifted over. “What? Away from Liam, and your good patience is gone? That pathetic loser only scorned you once, and your heart’s already broken?” He continued, “Well, a bet’s a bet! Break up with him already and marry me according to our engagement! You’re a high-society heiress; stop humiliating yourself with this pretend marriage!” Julian spoke casually, but his words grated on my ears. “Male supporting character, get lost! The female lead only loves the male lead! Even if she breaks up with him, she won’t marry you! You scheming jerk!” “My heart aches for the female lead. She’s being hounded by the male supporting character because of the family engagement, and she has to fake marriage to hide it from the male lead. She’s already going through so much; male lead, can’t you be more understanding?” “Ugh, what’s wrong with a fake marriage? If it were real, the male lead might be ruined by the male supporting character’s revenge! The female lead is just protecting the male lead…” My breathing hitched. My heart plunged into an abyss. Even… even our marriage was fake? In their words, Seraphina seemed to love me beyond measure. But everything she did was based on lies and deception; there was no trust whatsoever. Even my genuine desire to marry her was part of her scam. At this point, I seriously doubted if Seraphina had even an ounce of sincerity towards me. “What pretend marriage? Liam and I are truly in love!” The woman solemnly retorted to Julian. “This time his mom was genuinely sick, so I’m not going to hold it against him. After all, I’ve pretended to be poor and sick for five years, and he never left me. This doesn’t count!” She added, “One last test! I’m definitely going to win the bet against you. Afterward, I’ll bring them back to the Vance family, and Liam won’t have to suffer another day.” The bullet comments flooded the screen, all praising how much Seraphina loved me, but I found it utterly laughable. “Sera, no matter how much you love Liam, it won’t change the fact that he’s a commoner! The Vance family will never accept him, just like you’ll always despise that stepping on your shoes!” Julian’s long fingers pointed directly at me, his tone mocking and playful. Following his hand, Seraphina finally bothered to look down at me, her gaze undisguisedly cold. “He doesn’t even compare to my Liam.” Hearing the man’s blatant contempt, I let out a bitter laugh. The bullet comments suddenly went awkward. “Female lead, shut your damn mouth! That’s your husband! Stop the abuse!” “Too late! The male lead heard everything they said, oh no!” “Holy crap! Have mercy on our female lead! Imagining from her perspective, realizing the stepping on her shoes is her Liam, she must be freaking out with guilt!” “Chill! The male lead definitely won’t expose the female lead; he spoils her so much. He’ll protect his wife’s dignity…” I sneered. No way. I wouldn’t play this ‘pretend-poor’ game with Seraphina anymore. Reaching up, I pulled off the mascot head, ready to tell her I wanted a divorce. But Seraphina turned her head, sitting back on the sofa, as if even a glance at me disgusted her. Seeing this, Julian lit a cigarette for her, then casually glanced at me, scoffing: “Fine, fine, all poor people are the same, aren’t they? Unlike your Liam, who’s so ‘noble’ in his poverty, so ‘dignified.’ So, you’ll test him one more time? I’ll be waiting for your good news.” One more test? Had they even asked me? My hand was already untying the straps of the mascot head. I was so tired; I just wanted to say my piece and be done with it. But the next second, a stack of brand-new bills exploded at my feet. It seemed Seraphina wanted to prove to Julian that poor people would do anything for money. She looked down at me, a cold sneer on her face, and commanded: “Want those bills? Get on your knees and pick them up! I’m bestowing this upon you.” As her words fell, I didn’t hesitate. Under her disdainful gaze, I slowly bent down. Seeing my action, Seraphina turned to Julian, pouting. “Tsk! See? As long as the money’s right, what dignity do these poor folks have? They’d even sell their lives for me. How disgusting, right?” But I was only bending down to take off the mascot head. Seraphina continued to mock me: “If it were my Liam, he’d never bend down. He’d never grovel for money like this. So, Liam truly loves me; whatever I say, he’ll believe—” “Believe what?” Seraphina’s words were interrupted by my calm question.

The mascot head was ripped off, sweat-soaked hair clinging to my forehead. My eyes, fixed on Seraphina, were as still as dead water. “Believe that you, the esteemed heiress of the Vance family, pretended to be poor and scammed me for five years to test my true love?” Seeing that it was me beneath the mascot head, Seraphina froze, her pupils shrinking instantly. And at that moment, I finally got a clear look at her, sitting on the sofa, clad in exquisite high-end designer clothes. She was a completely different person from the messy state she was in half an hour ago at home. The bullet comments exploded. “OMG, OMG! The male lead actually confronted the female lead! How awkward!” “No, how can this male lead be so unforgiving! The female lead lied to protect his dignity; it wasn’t what she wanted to do! Can’t the male lead be a little more understanding?” “Ahhh, this is a bloodbath! I love watching the male and female leads fight and love each other.” The moment she saw me, Seraphina stood stunned, her lips trembling. But the next words out of her mouth were still an excuse. “What pretending to be poor? Honey, I’m at work! Let’s talk about this at home…” Her aura of nobility vanished as she quickly bowed and scraped, apologizing to Julian and the other rich playboys around her. “Bosses, my apologies, I just have a little family matter to deal with.” Her performance left the rich kids looking at each other in confusion. And I was so disgusted I almost wanted to vomit. We were clearly at the point of no return, yet she still wanted to fake poverty? Was it ever going to end? Saying this, Seraphina tried to pull me out, but I violently shook her off and roared, “Seraphina, you’re still going to pretend to be poor? Do you think I’m stupid? The Ferrari, the high-end club, everything you and Julian said—I heard it all!” “Stop torturing me, okay? Let’s just break up!” My eyes were bloodshot as tears streamed down my face. I thought with everything out in the open, Seraphina would finally confess. Explain, apologize, or at least show some regret. But instead, the woman broke into hysterical sobs: “Liam! Don’t break up! I… I’m actually Julian’s escort girl!”

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Five years into my marriage, I discovered our marriage certificate was a fake. The five years I thought were sacred vows, legally, never existed. The loving husband I thought I had was legally married to someone else. I left quietly, no arguments, no accusations. But he regretted it. 0 I handed my medical report to the nurse. “Can’t I use my husband’s health insurance for payment now? Is his coverage sufficient?” The nurse took my ID, typed some information into her computer, and frowned slightly. “Ms. Maxwell, your marital status shows as ‘single.’ We need your spouse’s ID and a valid marriage certificate to open your file.” I froze. “That’s impossible. My husband and I registered five years ago.” She turned the screen toward me—my marital status in the system was indeed blank. My fingers turned icy cold. I pulled our marriage certificate from my bag. “See? This is our marriage certificate. There must be a system error.” The nurse took the document, examined it closely, and her expression subtly shifted. “Your marriage certificate… it might be problematic.” She picked up a UV pen from the desk and shone it on the official seal. A real Registrar’s Office seal would display security features under UV light. Mine showed nothing. I remembered that day, five years ago. Marcus Thorne had insisted we use some special “private appointment” channel, claiming it would expedite the process at the Registrar’s Office. Now, it all felt like a twisted joke. I stumbled out of the hospital, my head spinning. The early summer sun stung my eyes. Standing on the steps, I suddenly thought of Marcus when he was eighteen. I had just started college, and I casually mentioned craving a specialty pastry from an old bakery across town. He skipped his afternoon classes, cycled across the entire city, and bought the last box just before the shop closed. When he delivered it to my dorm, his white shirt was drenched with sweat, but he still smiled and said, “Taste it quickly, it’s best warm.” On my twenty-fifth birthday, I was pulling an all-nighter in the lab, finishing a thesis. He waited downstairs until two in the morning, holding a thermal container filled with tiramisu he’d failed five times to make. I scolded him for not going home sooner, but he kissed my fingers and said, “I have to be there for every important moment of your life.” And now, at thirty, I stood on the hospital steps, clutching that torn, fake marriage certificate. I finally understood that those sweet moments were just seeds planted for this absurd drama unfolding today. I walked out of the hospital in a daze, clutching the marriage certificate that had been declared a “forgery.” Unconsciously, I found myself in the most bustling downtown mall. I mechanically pushed open the glass doors, and the cool air washed over me. Then, I saw them. Marcus Thorne stood in front of a jewelry counter, impeccably dressed in a suit. Beside him, Scarlett Hayes was bending her head, trying on a diamond ring. “Mr. Thorne is so thoughtful for his wife,” the sales associate beamed. “This is a limited edition piece; there are only three pairs in the entire city.” Scarlett shyly pursed her lips, and when she looked up at Marcus, her eyes sparkled like stars. “Honey, do you like it?” Honey. The word was a blunt knife, slowly slicing open my heart. Even more ironic, the diamond necklace around her neck was the exact same one Marcus had given me for my birthday last month, calling it a “one-of-a-kind gift.” Now, it adorned another woman. Marcus gently stroked her long hair, his voice filled with indulgence. “If you like it, we’ll buy it.” The sales associate exclaimed enviously, “You two are truly a perfect match, made for each other!” Made for each other? What did that make me? I stood hidden behind a marble pillar, gripping my ultrasound scan tightly. A sudden sharp pain shot through my abdomen, as if the baby was weeping for this grotesque play. My nails had dug into my palms at some point, but I felt no pain. So, the happiness of these past few years, it was all a lie. Since Marcus was so desperate to keep me in the dark, I would make him truly understand the consequences of deceiving me. 0

I turned and walked away, heading straight to my mentor, Professor Davies. The lab was empty that evening, only the innermost office still had its light on. I knocked softly and heard his familiar voice. “Come in.” Professor Davies looked up from a screen full of code, his eyes widening when he saw me, drenched from head to toe. “Rain?” “Professor,” my voice was calmer than I expected, “did you say there’s still a faculty position open at Cambridge?” He rose and handed me a towel. “Dry yourself first.” Only then did I realize I was trembling. Professor Davies said, “The Cambridge faculty is very impressed with your new concept.” He paused. “But a more critical position is at ETH Zurich—they need someone to lead their newly established AI Ethics Institute.” “How soon?” I clenched my fists. Professor Davies handed me a file. “Expedited visa processing will take two weeks.” I lowered my head, thought for a moment, and then said, “Professor, is there a way for me to get a new identity?” Professor Davies pulled a passport and plane ticket from a hidden compartment in his bookshelf. “Use this identity: Lin Moran, Visiting Scholar at Zurich University.” “Thank you.” The three words felt heavy as lead when I spoke them. He shook his head. “When you cracked that encryption system at MIT all those years ago, I knew you’d go far.” As I pushed open the front door of our house, the rich scent of butter and garlic wafted out. Marcus was stirring pasta with his back to me, the sleeves of his black shirt rolled up to his elbows. He turned and smiled, a smudge of tomato sauce on the tip of his nose. “Baby, you’re back. Dinner’s almost ready.” Chilled white wine sat on the dining table. My mind, however, drifted back to that summer night. That evening, dragging my suitcase filled with things from overseas, I heard a sound in the darkness. His black Mercedes was subtly rocking in a secluded corner. I don’t remember how I was drawn to it, how I saw Marcus holding that girl’s face and kissing her. “Rain!” I still remember the look on Marcus’s face when he tumbled out of the car—a mix of panic and embarrassment, but not a trace of guilt. His explanation sounded rehearsed countless times. “She looked so much like you, I couldn’t help myself…” After that, he practically lived on my doorstep, begging for forgiveness and showing me every single message on his phone. “I’ll make her quit tomorrow. I’ll never see her again in my life.” I softened, choosing to forgive him. But three months later, at the company’s annual gala, I saw her, dressed in her assistant’s attire, adjusting his tie. Marcus said, “I told her to leave, but then she apparently got hired back as an executive assistant *on her own merit*, and I couldn’t exactly interfere with company policy, could I?” Looking back now, this absurd play had signs all along. How ridiculous. I was just the most laughable supporting character in their love story. He plated my steak, medium-rare, drizzled with black pepper sauce, accompanied by my favorite asparagus. The knife and fork were placed at the perfect angle, just like on every anniversary for the past five years. I stared at his long, slender fingers as he cut the meat. I suddenly thought of how those hands had trembled as they unbuttoned my shirt on our first night together, and how they had clutched Scarlett’s waist, pressing her against an office desk, just last night. He rose and came behind me, resting his chin on my head. “Baby, I missed you so much.” After dinner, he suddenly suggested watching a movie. He picked *Notting Hill*. When the scene with the gallery walk came on, he squeezed my fingers. “Remember? We walked like that in Boston.” Of course, I remembered. Back then, he’d cupped my face and said that “company meetings were less important than our honeymoon,” ditching a multi-million dollar contract just to be with me. Halfway through the movie, Marcus’s phone lit up. He glanced at the screen, his thumb unconsciously rubbing his left wrist watch—a habit he had when he lied. “Urgent tax reports from Finance,” he said, rising. He even thoughtfully pulled the blanket higher onto my shoulders. “You go to sleep. Don’t wait up for me.” “Go ahead,” I pulled the blanket he’d given me tighter. “I’ll just finish the ending.” The moment the front door clicked shut, I threw off the blanket and rushed into the garage. His taillights hadn’t even vanished around the corner. I started the second car he thought I didn’t know about—Scarlett’s lucky charm still hung from the rearview mirror. 0

The 23rd floor of the office building was brightly lit. Through the blinds, I saw Scarlett wearing a nightgown identical to mine, twirling the leftover pasta with a fork. He laughed, leaning in to bite the other end, and as their lips met, she deliberately smeared sauce on his tie. “You’re awful~” Scarlett’s voice drifted through the barely closed window. “Didn’t *your wife* keep you satisfied?” He lifted her onto the desk, piled high with documents. “We’re the real deal, baby.” *The real deal*, huh? Just as that phrase struck me, “Marcus,” she drew out his name, her fingertip tracing the sauce stain on his tie. “Where’s my lucky charm? You promised it to me today.” My heart instantly stopped when Marcus pulled a velvet box from his inner suit pocket. It was the consecrated charm, one I had literally *begged on my knees* to get for him after his car accident, pleading for hours at a spiritual sanctuary until my knees were bruised. The spiritual guide had said its vibrant red color was supposed to ward off bad luck. “It’s beautiful~” Scarlett held the bead up to the light, the red glow reflecting on her face like blood. “You giving me this… won’t Rain be upset?” “Why would she be upset? I’ll just say I lost it on a business trip,” Marcus knelt to tie the red string around her wrist, his movements practiced, as if he’d done it a thousand times. “If she complains, I’ll just tell her to go kneel and get another one.” I bit down on my lower lip until I tasted blood. Scarlett suddenly tugged on his tie. “I want you to thread it yourself.” She conjured a fine needle and red thread. “Just like she did for you back then.” As the needle pierced Marcus’s fingertip, a spasm twisted in my stomach. In my sophomore year, he’d broken his leg playing basketball. I’d stayed up all night in his hospital room, using embroidery thread to weave a bracelet from the special wooden beads my grandfather had given me. The thread was too thick for the holes, so I used a strand of my hair to guide it, pricking my fingertips until they were dotted with blood. Now, he held the needle, and a drop of blood rolled onto Scarlett’s foot. She laughed sweetly, licking away the blood, her red tongue like a venomous snake’s. I took one last look at the entwined figures, then turned and walked toward the elevator. My pale face reflected in the mirror. As my car pulled out of the garage, the lights on the 23rd floor were still bright. I rolled down the window, and the night wind rushed in, blowing away the fake marriage certificate. At four in the morning, I stood by the villa’s floor-to-ceiling window, looking at a message Marcus had sent on my phone: “Urgent situation with the company’s Riverbend City project. I need to handle it personally. Can’t be with you for the next couple of days, baby. Get some rest.” I stared at the message for a long time, my finger hovering over the screen, eventually replying with just “Okay.” Two days later, Marcus returned, travel-worn, his suitcase filled with so-called “Riverbend City specialties”—even though the exquisitely packaged pastries clearly bore the logo of a famous bakery right here in our city. “I brought you a gift.” He smiled, pushing a blue velvet box toward me. Inside was a diamond necklace, the pendant shaped like a tiny computer. I let him put it on me. “There’s a surprise tonight,” he kissed my forehead. Marcus had booked out the entire Contemporary Art Museum. In the center of the exhibition hall hung a massive digital oil painting: my neural network algorithm diagram, published in an international journal, which he’d had someone render into art. The surrounding walls were adorned with my academic achievements from over the years; every title page of every paper was framed like a masterpiece. “Mr. Thorne is truly a model husband!” Mr. Collins exclaimed, raising his champagne glass. “My wife’s partner doesn’t even know what her thesis was about.” “Rain loves these things,” Marcus said, his arm around my waist, his fingers gently caressing my side. “I want to celebrate every important moment of her life in a special way.” His voice was so tender it almost made me believe that what I’d seen in his office that night was just a nightmare. Until my lower leg began to ache faintly, protesting from standing too long, my old injury flaring up. “Tired?” He noticed my stiffness and immediately waved for his assistant. “Go get her spare flats from my car, they’re in the grey storage box in the trunk.” Ben hurried off, and Marcus continued to chat and laugh with the guests. 0 Twenty minutes later, the art museum’s glass doors were pushed open, and a damp gust of wind, carrying rain, swept into the hall. Scarlett stood in the doorway, soaked through, water dripping from her hair. She held a shoe box, looking timidly at Marcus. “Mr. Thorne, the shoes you asked for…” I recognized the diamond-studded high heels she wore—Marcus had custom-ordered them from Italy last month, claiming they were a gift for a client’s wife. Marcus’s smile froze on his face. Scarlett stumbled toward me, leaving a winding trail of water behind her. “Rain,” she handed me the shoe box. “I’m so sorry, I was just nearby…” “Thank you.” I took the shoe box and calmly headed to the restroom.

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The first time I caught Derek Hayes cheating, he cried, swore on everything, and begged for my forgiveness. I caved, but what waited for me was his second affair. That time, he dragged my family into it, playing the victim, and I had no choice but to let it go. By the third time I caught him, Derek didn’t even bother to put on an act. He just smirked, completely at ease, “If you don’t like it, go find someone yourself!” So, I found a young male model and didn’t come home all night. Derek finally panicked. It was the night of my fifth wedding anniversary with Derek. I walked into the house and saw a woman’s purse on the living room sofa. Derek was nowhere in sight. My gut told me Derek was cheating again. I headed straight upstairs, and Mrs. Davis, our housekeeper, scurried after me. “Mrs. Wallace! Mrs. Wallace! Mr. Hayes is in a meeting upstairs!” I kicked open the study door. Sure enough, Derek, supposedly “in a meeting,” was standing at the desk. But beneath him was another woman, Amber Reed, his secretary. The air hung heavy with a sickening, messy scent. “What are you doing back so early?” Derek touched his nose, his voice sharp, slowly moving away from Amber. I was so enraged I laughed. “Do you even know what day it is?” Before Derek could speak, Amber, clearly annoyed by my interruption, cut in, “What’s wrong, sis? Isn’t it just your wedding anniversary today? Mr. Hayes remembers! He even had me prepare a gift.” She pulled down her bodycon skirt, which Derek had wrinkled, and swayed her hips as she walked towards me. With a flick of her hand through her long hair, she took off the necklace from her neck and dangled it in front of me. “Look, it’s Van Cleef & Arpels’ new collection, costs a fortune!” I snatched the necklace from her hand. While she was rolling her eyes and admiring her nails, I slapped her across the face. “How dare you hit me!” “I’ll take the necklace. And that slap? It’s to tell you, don’t just take what’s not yours!” “Serena Wallace! What are you doing?!” Derek rushed forward, shielding Amber behind him, squeezing my wrist until it bruised. He looked at me and then, unexpectedly, smiled. “We were just having some fun. Is that really worth this kind of outburst?” “I provide for you every month, food, clothes… what more could you possibly want?” “If you don’t like it, go find someone yourself!” I wrenched my hand free and slapped him again, leaving his face ashen. “Fine! I will! And I don’t need your reminder!” Downstairs, Mrs. Davis nervously approached me. “Mrs. Wallace, Mr. Hayes truly cares about you. Look at this table, it’s all for your anniversary…” On the dining table, a perfectly cooked Wellington beef, Bordeaux red wine, and candles flickering gently. Everything felt like a cruel joke. Without hesitation, I grabbed Amber’s purse and swept everything off the table. The crashing and shattering sounds were the perfect soundtrack for this anniversary.

This wasn’t Derek’s first time cheating. And he never doubted I’d make up with him. The first time I found out was in the car. I found a woman’s lipstick in the passenger seat. He tried everything to cover it up with lies, but he didn’t fool me. Finally, Derek confessed, claiming it was someone a client forced on him, and he had to play along to secure a deal. To beg for my forgiveness, Derek, running a 102-degree fever, knelt all night in the pouring rain outside the villa, swearing he’d never do it again. It wasn’t until he collapsed in the rain and our driver took him to the hospital that I finally gave in. I hadn’t forgiven him; I just felt sorry for him. Unexpectedly, less than six months later, I found a used condom under his office desk. I didn’t say a word that time. I just smiled, grabbed my bag, and left. Derek was both ashamed and furious. He immediately called my parents. As the CEO of a major company, Derek was someone my financially dependent parents and sister couldn’t afford to cross. He knew he wouldn’t have to say much; others would naturally “reason” with me on his behalf. Sure enough, the night I moved back in with my parents, my dad literally threw my bags out. “We know what happened, but the Hayes family has been nothing but generous to us! If you break up with Derek, who’s going to get your brother-in-law that job? Who’s going to cover your mom’s medical bills? And all my friends, they only kiss up to me because of Derek! You’d really just throw all that away?” “Exactly! You can’t be so selfish! If you ask me, you’re just not capable enough to keep a man’s heart!” My mom chimed in viciously. “Sis, maybe you should just have a kid like I did. You know, a baby really makes a man settle down!” My sister pretended to offer kind advice. I tried to argue with them, but not only did no one speak up for me, my mom even pulled her classic ‘heart attack’ move, clutching her chest and collapsing to the floor. “You get back to Derek right now and apologize! Or I’ll die right here in front of you!” Completely broken, I returned to Derek. Derek was overjoyed and gave me a large sum of money as an apology. But from that moment on, my heart turned to ashes.

This time, I didn’t go back to my parents’ place. I went straight to a high-end club and booked a private room. People say the best way to forget someone is to meet someone new. I took the black card Derek gave me, waved my hand, and told the manager to send a few male models over. Five minutes later, several young, muscular men, all over 6 feet tall, entered the room. Each one was tall and toned, and as they sat beside me, their raw masculine energy filled the air. We played games, chugging an entire case of foreign liquor. Finally, I swayed an empty bottle, tipsily asking them, “Each of you, tell me one good thing about me. The one who says the most will stay with me tonight.” The male models were instantly hyped. Finn, a red-haired guy, spoke first. “You’re gorgeous, sis! Beautiful skin, stunning and those long legs…” “Your personality is amazing, sis, you’re so cool and sweet at the same time, I love that!” “Your style, sis, it’s just so tasteful…” Perhaps it was the sudden rush of emotions from being drunk, but listening to them babble, I suddenly smashed the wine bottle to the floor. A loud *CRASH* echoed, startling everyone. I covered my face and started crying. “If I’m so great, why does he keep cheating on me?! Why?!” “What did I do wrong…” The young models were all taken aback, exchanging bewildered glances, speechless. Then, a male model who had been standing silently by the door spoke. “When you use someone else’s mistakes as a mirror, all you’ll see is a distorted version of yourself.” “True worth is never about who loved or betrayed you, but how you choose to love yourself.” At his words, I stopped crying and looked up. This male model seemed unfamiliar. He had sharp, striking features and dressed impeccably, with the best aura among all the models there. He looked like someone who could help me forget Derek. I wiped my tears and, choked up, reached out to him. “What’s all that philosophical mumbo jumbo? Come on, sleep with me.”

After being with Julian Carter, I gradually understood why Derek always cheated. The vibrant, youthful body and just the right amount of emotional intimacy – I had no reason not to like it. After that night, hooked on the thrill, I stayed at Julian’s place for several days straight. If I hadn’t run into Derek and Amber at the mall, I might have completely forgotten I was still a married woman. “Serena Wallace?” I heard someone call my name while I was picking out clothes at The Grand Pavilion Mall. I looked up, meeting Derek’s confused gaze. “What are you doing here?” How annoying. Amber was clinging to Derek’s arm, pouting. “Oh, wow, I didn’t realize you came to places this high-end now, sis.” In the past, I’d been with Derek through his struggles, knowing how hard he worked to start his business, so I never splurged. No wonder Derek’s friends used to say I was tacky and stingy, not classy enough. I wasn’t annoyed. I just tossed the men’s clothing I was holding onto the counter and waved to Liam, the sales associate. “Excuse me, could you bag these up for me? Mr. Hayes will be paying.” Liam, the SA, eagerly brought over the POS machine. I looked at Derek and Amber and said, “Well, I just realized something. If I don’t spend my own husband’s money, some random gold-digger will spend it for me.” “So I might as well be the one to spend it!” “Mr. Hayes, look at her! Is she saying *I’m* some ‘random nobody’?” Amber whined, shaking Derek’s arm. Derek, surprisingly, ignored her. Instead, he asked hesitantly, “Why are you buying so many men’s clothes?” “None of your business. From now on, I won’t meddle in your affairs, and you won’t meddle in mine!” I smiled, snatched his card, swiped it on the POS machine, grabbed the clothes, and walked away. “Serena Wallace, wait.” Derek quickly caught up to me, his voice dark. “I know you’ve been staying with your parents lately. Stay there as long as you want, but I’ll just say this: my mom is still waiting for a grandchild. If you don’t have one, plenty of other people will.” “So I advise you to know when to quit, before things get messy!” I nodded, feigning innocence. “I never said I wouldn’t have a baby. It just might not be yours. Would you like that?” “What do you mean?!” Derek was furious. “Isn’t it obvious? I found a man!” I left Derek standing there, walking away without a backward glance.

That night, Derek lay in bed, the memory of Serena’s words from earlier swirling in his mind. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Amber heard the movement and whined, “Mr. Hayes, are you going to let me sleep or not? We have work tomorrow!” Derek mumbled, “Don’t you think Serena’s been acting a little strange? She rarely went out alone before, never really shopped, and she barely ever wore makeup…” Amber’s hand became restless, stroking down from Derek’s chest, her voice casual. “Has she gotten lonely because you’re always out? Started sneaking around?” For some reason, Derek suddenly erupted in an unprovoked rage, grabbing Amber’s wrist. “What the hell did you just say?!” Amber’s hand hurt so much tears welled up. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hayes, I was wrong! Serena wouldn’t possibly cheat!” Derek scoffed, “Watch your mouth! Know your place!” After making Amber leave, Derek was completely unable to sleep. He smoked a cigarette on the sprawling balcony, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, dialed his in-laws’ number. The line rang busy for a while before his mother-in-law finally picked up. “Derek? So late, what’s wrong?” “Mom, tell Serena to come home tomorrow. I want to take her to see my parents.” “Serena? She’s not with you? She hasn’t been back here for days!” Derek’s mind exploded with a sudden *buzz*.

Being young is great, though it’s almost too much for me to handle. Julian Carter was thrilled with the clothes I bought him, saying he wanted to thank me properly. So… He kept me busy for most of the night, until the first hint of dawn appeared, and still he wouldn’t let me sleep. I clutched the sheets, drenched in sweat. “I really can’t anymore…” “Almost there.” Julian kissed me. “You paid me, so I have to work hard, right?” I was about to say he didn’t have to work *that* hard when my phone rang. It was Derek. I hesitated about answering, but Julian just pressed the screen off. “Serena, focus. Otherwise… I might never finish.” So I had no choice but to respond to his kisses with full attention. My phone screen went dark and lit up again, dark and lit up. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and answered. As Julian gave one last powerful thrust, almost on purpose, he let out a satisfied sigh right next to the phone. Derek, sensitive to the abnormality, his voice icy, “Serena Wallace, where are you?!” “I…” Julian covered my mouth, and I couldn’t speak. “Speak up!” Julian snatched the phone, his voice sharp. “Serena’s with me. Do you have a problem with that?” “Who the hell are you?!” Derek roared, enraged. “The other man, ever heard of it?” Julian scoffed, laughing. Derek cursed and threatened Julian, promising to make him pay. Even if Julian was brave, he was still just a male model. I didn’t want him caught up in my mess with Derek, so I quickly took the phone back. “What’s wrong, didn’t you yourself tell me to go find someone? Now that I actually did, Mr. Hayes isn’t happy?” “Serena Wallace, come home right now. We need to talk.” Derek’s tone was somewhat defeated. “Home? You mean your love nest with Amber Reed? Sorry, I find it dirty.” I intentionally emphasized the word “dirty.” Then I hung up, lay back without another word. Julian came to hug me. “What’s wrong? Hearing his voice upset you?” “No, I’m worried he’ll retaliate against you.” I sighed. “It won’t come to that. He can’t touch me.” Julian held me close. The pleasant scent of pine wood emanated from him, and I felt completely safe. I stopped worrying about any consequences and fell into a deep sleep. The next morning, I timed it so I would arrive home after Derek had left for work, intending to pick up some clothes. But Derek hadn’t left. He was lying on the sofa. The moment I walked in, he sat up, his eyes swirling with an emotion I couldn’t decipher. “Serena, that male model… what exactly does he have that I don’t?” I put my bag down and sat across from Derek. After more than a week apart, Derek seemed to have grown a few shades paler.

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I was the human shield, personally chosen by *him*, the unhinged prince of the underworld, to protect his precious childhood sweetheart. Five years into our marriage, I was captured for the nineteenth time by one of his former business associates. Caleb Thorne led his men to rescue me. He’d barely been negotiating with the associate for two minutes when his childhood sweetheart, Seraphina Hayes, called. “Caleb, my friends and I made a bet. I’ll give my first kiss to the first man who comes for me. I hope that man is you.” “Are you coming or not?” The moment Caleb rushed off, a pair of iron fists smashed my ribs. An immense wave of pain swallowed me whole. Just like the previous eighteen times, his men took over the associate’s demands, then sent me to the hospital. In the car, I heard them complaining, wondering when I’d stop upsetting Seraphina. Saving me every time was such a hassle, they said. I didn’t even have the strength to cry. The mission to save the ruthless crime lord failed. The system was about to forcibly erase my memories. Caleb Thorne, I won’t bother you ever again.

The doctor’s warning was grim. “Ms. Vance, your last shattered rib fracture was already life-threatening. Now, your rib cage has been crushed again.” “If you don’t rest properly, even the slightest mistake could lead to a massive hemorrhage. You could bleed out and die instantly!” I listened, then spoke with extreme calm. “Understood.” The doctor shook his head and left. The system’s voice chimed in. “Mission failed. All memories, including yours, will be forcibly erased.” “Or do you want to try again, take on a different identity to save him?” I refused. “Erase them.” “Erasure protocol initiating. Everyone’s memories of you will be retained for a final 48 hours.” In my previous life, I was in a vegetative state until I died of old age. After transmigrating, I cherished my family, friends, and lover even more, becoming the irreplaceable good daughter, best friend, and wife in their hearts. And I loved Caleb Thorne without reservation. But all those beautiful memories were about to vanish, all because the mission failed. On a whim, I opened Seraphina Hayes’ social media account and found a video she’d uploaded. The house in the video was the one Caleb bought for our wedding. On screen, Seraphina was making a special lunch in her custom-made, exquisite kitchen. Her pale neck bore several soft pink adhesive bandages, and a sparkling diamond ring on her finger flashed frequently on camera. She patiently and meticulously explained the cooking steps, her voice so gentle it seemed to embrace everything. “My boyfriend proposed last night! This diamond ring is from him, and the bandages are to cover…” “He’s very possessive, and pretty intense in… *that* department.” Seraphina flashed a blissful smile. “I didn’t realize he’d waited for me for so long.” A tall, imposing silhouette of a man appeared in the video. He ripped off the bandages from Seraphina’s neck, revealing the intimate marks beneath for all to see. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.” The video abruptly cut off. The comment section exploded with screams: [This official announcement video is too explicit!] [Our goddess has been chasing this mysterious guy for ages, so glad they’re finally together today! Goddess, update more about mysterious bro in the future.] Seraphina picked out comments mentioning Caleb Thorne to reply: “My fiancé’s job is special, so he can’t show his face. Knowing he loves me is enough.” A moment later, Seraphina uploaded another video. In it, Seraphina got splashed with oil while cooking. The man leaned his arrogant head down and sucked her wound. “I can’t stand to see you hurt. From now on, let the maids do all this.” “Okay, I’ll do whatever you say.” The camera didn’t show either of their faces, but the gasps and heavy breathing still gave away their actions. [These two are just too sweet!] But then someone questioned: [How come that voice sounds like Caleb Thorne, the underworld prince from that infamous Dark Web list a while ago?] That comment only appeared for a second before it was forcibly deleted. My head spun, and before I could think much, I fell into a deep sleep. In my dream, I remembered finding a pile of used pink adhesive bandages in the study. I thought they were trash, so I threw them into the bin. But Caleb Thorne was furious, ordering me to pick up all 99 bandages from the trash, not missing a single one. I only found 96, so he confined me for three days. I developed claustrophobia after being held captive by his associate. In the dark room, I pounded on the walls relentlessly, only to hear his gentle voice on the phone. “Seraphina, don’t be angry. I’ll have all 100 soon. As for Elara Vance, I’ll teach her a good lesson.” Caleb’s chillingly cold voice startled me awake. I opened my eyes, blinded by the reflection of a diamond ring. I turned to see Seraphina Hayes, dressed in a pristine white dress, chugging down a bowl of nourishing broth. The maid stammered, “Ms. Vance, Ms. Hayes said she’s been feeling a bit weak lately and needed some blood nourishment, so she took the broth.” “Oh, I’m so sorry, big sister. I’ve been using up too much energy in bed lately, so I accidentally finished it all.” Though Seraphina’s words were apologetic, her face was clearly smug. “You won’t blame me, will you, big sister?” Seraphina deliberately scraped her ring hard against my skin. I cried out in pain and slapped her hand away. Caleb Thorne walked in just as Seraphina stumbled to the floor, meekly apologizing to me. “Elara Vance, you’re lying in bed and still can’t keep the peace? Seraphina went out of her way to visit you!” The maid started to say something, but Seraphina was quicker, collapsing into Caleb’s arms. “Caleb, it’s all my fault. I felt dizzy walking into the room and saw the nourishing broth, so I drank a bit too much. I didn’t mean to finish it… big sister just got a little upset with me, don’t be angry…” Her eyes reddened with remorse, and Caleb’s heart ached. “How many good things has Seraphina given you? It’s just a bowl of broth, why are you being so petty?” Good things? Caleb meant the dirty, ruined hand-me-downs Seraphina had tossed aside for me? Caleb turned and instructed the maid: “Seraphina’s been feeling weak lately, always saying she has no energy. Since your broth suits her taste, you’ll come to the villa specifically to make broth for Seraphina from now on. As for Elara…” “She needs to watch what she eats!”

The maid obediently left. Caleb looked at Seraphina, his cold demeanor from earlier completely gone as he pulled her into his embrace. “Last night you kept complaining about your back hurting, but today you’re apologizing to someone and it’s suddenly fine?” Seraphina blushed and playfully punched Caleb’s chest. “How can that be the same? Last night was… in bed.” They treated me like air, flirting shamelessly as if I weren’t even there. I thought I’d feel sadness or anger, but now, everything had turned to numbness. Perhaps it was the system’s forced memory erasure taking effect, but I couldn’t even recall what it felt like for Caleb to love me. Soon after, the doctor came to examine me. Caleb’s men kept rushing him. “It’s just a broken rib, right? How serious can it be? I don’t want to be stuck here babysitting you all day.” So, after receiving the doctor’s assurance that I was “barely fit for discharge,” they drove me back to my residence and dumped me there. Scenes like this played out countless times every day. Caleb’s men only saw me as a tool, a human shield for Seraphina. I took my own medicine back at the villa. My stomach ached dully with hunger, but the villa was empty. Even the maid who was supposed to cook for me was gone. Caleb called, his voice cold as he announced: “That maid you picked out for yourself was attentive, but she didn’t do a thing for Seraphina. You’re forbidden from having a maid for three months. That’ll teach you a lesson!” “Seraphina hasn’t been feeling well lately, so I called your family doctor over to her place. It’s just a minor injury for you, I’m sure you’ll recover with some rest.” He didn’t leave anyone to take care of me. Did he expect a freshly discharged patient to fend for herself? I gave a bitter laugh. “Okay.” “After this week, I’ll send the doctor back.” “Okay.” The voice on the other end paused, sounding deeply annoyed. “Are you done yet? How long are you going to keep making a fuss over a bowl of nourishing broth?” “You promised before we got married that you’d be Seraphina’s human shield willingly. You’ve been ‘Mrs. Thorne’ for a few years now, but you really think you’re my wife? Stop dreaming. Seraphina is my true princess.” I nodded blankly. “Okay, I know.” He seemed surprised for a moment, then sounded satisfied. “That’s more like it. If you need anything, just tell the butler.” A woman’s voice quickly drowned out his brief gentleness. “Caleb, I’ve been waiting for you for ages.” Caleb hung up without hesitation. The countdown now showed 24 hours remaining. I found some food the maid had left in the fridge. For some reason, the electricity and water were cut off. The food was clearly on the verge of spoiling, and I couldn’t heat anything, but I was so hungry my stomach hurt. I wolfed it down. Seraphina Hayes’ latest video popped up automatically on my phone. I meant to swipe it away but accidentally tapped on it. The video’s background seemed to be a high-end restaurant. This time, Seraphina had not only several adhesive bandages on her neck but also on her arms and waist. Seraphina closed her eyes, making a wish in front of a cake. Suddenly, violin music began to play. The camera panned to the side, revealing huge bouquets of roses. Nestled within the roses was luxurious, high-end jewelry. Seraphina cried tears of joy, happily throwing herself into Caleb Thorne’s arms. Caleb gently smiled, wiping away her tears, and personally placed the necklace around her neck. The comments brimmed with envy: [Mysterious bro is so handsome! Goddess and him, forever together!] Seraphina replied in the comments: “My fiancé is the most handsome man in the world. He wants to give me nothing but the best.” “He waited for me for a long time, and last week, I finally decided to marry him.” “We’re holding our wedding ceremony next month, and we’ll be live-streaming it for everyone.” The screen’s light shone on my face. As I ate, my stomach twisted in excruciating pain. I suddenly caught sight of Seraphina’s message at the bottom of the bowl. [Elara Vance, I deliberately had the maid cut off your water and electricity, and left spoiled food in the fridge. You didn’t eat it, did you?] My stomach had been messed up from being starved for days during my captivity by Caleb’s associate, making me unable to eat anything unclean. My stomach instantly churned, and I threw up. Just then, Caleb Thorne called. I opened my mouth to ask for help, but was met with a furious torrent of scolding. “Elara Vance, for a bowl of nourishing broth and a few maids, you actually posted Seraphina’s info on the dark web’s infamous list!” “If Seraphina loses even a single strand of hair, I swear I’ll make your life a living hell!” I clutched my lower abdomen, shaking my head. “It wasn’t me, Caleb. My stomach hurts, can you come—” “It’s not you *again*? Besides you, who else has that travel photo of Seraphina? It was a photo of you and Seraphina together, and you cunningly cropped yourself out, leaving only her!” “And you’ve been to the restaurant Seraphina and I ate at today. Who else would expose her location?” “I even saw you following Seraphina’s social media account.” Caleb’s voice dripped with blatant disgust. I even suspected that if I appeared before him, he’d force me to kneel and kowtow to Seraphina. Just last month, Seraphina said she was scared of thunder and wanted me to stay with her. The moment I approached her bed, she deliberately kicked me off. That day, I was made to humiliate myself until my lips were split and bleeding before Seraphina finally, softly, said it was ‘okay’. Today, Caleb once again pinned the blame on me without a second thought. My forehead was sweating with pain, but I desperately tried to explain, “I really didn’t…” On the other end of the phone, Seraphina shrieked in terror, “Caleb, I’m so scared, is someone coming to kill me?” The call disconnected. My face pale, I dialed 911. The next moment, Caleb’s men kicked open the door. But they weren’t there to save me. Instead, they dragged me up. “It’s your turn again today to take the fall for Seraphina.” An ambulance siren wailed outside. I struggled desperately. “I don’t feel well, I need to go to the hospital.” The men exchanged glances and burst into laughter. “This Elara Vance really is just as Seraphina said—she’s faking it.”

Caleb’s men forcibly seated me on the restaurant’s top-floor open-air terrace, making me eat alone. “Didn’t you say you were hungry? Seraphina specially ordered all of this for you.” Caleb said coldly, then went into the safe room with Seraphina, his voice full of doting affection. “Don’t be scared, no one can hurt you.” Caleb held her in his arms, gently comforting her. Seraphina seemed as fragile as a baby bird. “Caleb, will big sister Elara blame me if she finds out I’m using her as a human shield?” “She wouldn’t dare. You even personally ordered her meal. You haven’t done anything wrong to her.” Seraphina’s voice grew even softer. “But won’t you think I’m too selfish? I’m afraid you’ll dislike me…” “Never. You’re the kindest woman I’ve ever met. I’ll love you forever, and be with you my entire life.” Through the constant gnawing pain in my stomach, I heard their intertwined gasps and heavy breathing. I couldn’t ignore it, even if I tried. Looking at the exquisite meal in front of me, I didn’t dare touch my fork. From time to time, Seraphina’s sweet laughter drifted to my ears. “Caleb, don’t do that. Big sister is still outside, and she is your wife, in name at least.” Caleb’s voice was dismissive as he pulled off Seraphina’s clothes. “This was always a fake marriage, meant to protect you. She’s ungrateful enough to try and harm you. What she’s getting now is a bargain!” I couldn’t tell if it was from stomach pain or heartbreak, but tears dripped onto the back of my hand. I just felt pathetic and ridiculous. Time passed, minute by agonizing minute. I endured it, half-conscious, half-delirious, until the sounds from the safe room finally ceased. I asked in a hoarse whisper, “It’s past midnight. Can you take me to the hospital?” One of the men looked uncomfortable, hesitating for a moment, about to agree. Caleb suddenly kicked open the safe room door and grabbed my hair. “Who told you to leave your seat? Are you in cahoots with someone, deliberately trying to harm Seraphina!” Half an hour ago, Seraphina had inexplicably disappeared. I shook my head blankly. “I’ve been right here the whole time. I didn’t leave. Your men can vouch for me…” But his men said, “She went to the restroom halfway through.” I sharply lifted my head, unable to understand why he was lying. Caleb’s eyes flashed with cold malice, asking almost savagely, “Who did you send a message to?” “I didn’t. It wasn’t me.” He kicked my lower abdomen. A fierce wave of pain made me curl up on the ground. “Still faking it? Seraphina just went to the restroom too. If you don’t tell the truth, don’t blame me for getting rough!” Just then, his phone rang. After answering, Caleb strode out. “Found Seraphina. Bring Elara Vance.” Caleb thought the driver was too slow, so he took the wheel himself, speeding like a madman, yelling Seraphina’s name. My hands and feet were bound. I was tossed around, repeatedly hitting the floor of the car, crying out in pain, but he didn’t even glance at me. When we arrived at the abandoned factory, Seraphina was tied to a pillar, trembling with fear. “Caleb, I’m so scared! Save me!” Caleb’s expression instantly changed, turning to his former associate with furious eyes. “Anyone you want me to deal with, I’ll agree. I can even hand over my wife to you as a hostage.” The associate smiled, satisfied. “No problem.” As I was shoved towards the associate, Caleb held Seraphina, his face beaming with the joy of finding something lost and precious. The associate immediately slapped me. My head snapped to the side, and all I saw was Caleb walking away with Seraphina. It was like this again. He didn’t look back, not even once. The associate savored the expression on my face, then walked over and brutally ground his leather shoe onto my hand. He then ordered his men to mercilessly break both my legs. I screamed in agonizing pain. “Just kill me!” But the associate just laughed. “You’re a hostage. If you die, what will I use to control Caleb Thorne?” “Caleb Thorne even handed his wife over to me. It seems he’s not without weaknesses.” I quickly said, “You’re wrong. He doesn’t care if I live or die.” But the associate showed me a contract Caleb Thorne had signed. “Stop acting. He agreed to my cooperation for you. With you in my hands, he’ll have to listen.” The associate held me captive, ensuring I wouldn’t die, yet constantly making me scream in agony. Eventually, I was numb, my throat hoarse. He then plunged a dagger through my shoulder blade, recording the scene and sending it to Caleb Thorne. A day and a night later, Caleb finally sent a voice message. “Don’t hurt my wife. I’ll do anything.” But in the background, I heard Seraphina Hayes’ sweet laughter. A chill instantly permeated my heart. If he truly cared about me, why didn’t he come to save me? The associate, having received a reply, became even more excited, carving countless cuts into my body to threaten Caleb Thorne. “If you don’t come now, your wife will bleed to death.” My body was slowly losing strength, but I smiled. I looked at the countdown, which showed three hours remaining. Caleb Thorne, I’ll soon forget you completely. But then, an alarm blared at the associate’s villa. Caleb Thorne’s men flooded in, apprehending the associate and handing him over to the police. “Where’s Elara Vance? Where is she?” Was Caleb Thorne here to save me? Before I could even feel happy, I heard them discussing: “Caleb Thorne truly went berserk for his beloved. He wasn’t even going to bother, but when he heard the associate touched Seraphina’s face, he set up the whole scheme to kill everyone, just to get revenge for her.”

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That day, when they drugged me with the most potent aphrodisiac, I bought every single antidote on the market, desperately trying to delay the inevitable. It wasn’t until I heard the breathless moans and cries from next door, echoing nine times over, that I finally allowed myself to pass out, knowing I was safe. In my previous life, to cure Julian Hayes’s hereditary fertility disorder, the Hayes family had sought out eighteen women, each said to possess a rare, innate allure, capable of facilitating a cure. They were all fed the most potent aphrodisiacs. Whoever could conceive a child with Julian would become the Lady of the Hayes family. I was a siren of unparalleled allure, my very essence radiating irresistible charm, chosen at first glance. That night, Julian, also drugged, his eyes blazing, tormented me again and again. A month later, I was pregnant with the Hayes family heir. But Julian suddenly threw me into a squalid alleyway, ignoring my pleas, ordering the men there to take turns humiliating me. “Serena is already pregnant with my child! If you hadn’t interfered, she would be my wife!” “You filthy whore, used by everyone, you think you’re fit to be Lady Hayes? You like men so much? Today, you’ll get more than enough!” I was trapped in that squalid alleyway, my body wasting away until my insides ruptured, and I died a gruesome death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I was drugged. This time, no matter how their love burned or their hatred raged, it had nothing to do with me.

Just as I was about to shove a handful of antidotes into my mouth, the doctor’s grip tightened like a vise on my wrist. “Miss Anya, if you keep taking these, you’ll die!” Remembering the tragedy of my previous life, I gritted my teeth, yanked my hand free, and swallowed the pills. The liquid burned my throat, my stomach churned, threatening to spill its contents, but I managed to regain a sliver of clarity. The next second, the door burst open. Several men in black suits stormed in. Before I could even struggle, they forcibly carried me away. The doctor desperately tried to stop them, but his voice faded into the distance. A bucket of ice water splashed over me, jolting me awake. I opened my eyes to find myself thrown into a secret room. The air was thick with the sweet, cloying scent of aphrodisiacs. Women lay sprawled on the floor, faces flushed, clothes disheveled. Their faces were crimson, contorted in helpless agony. Before I could react, a bowl of aphrodisiac, ten times the normal concentration, was forcefully poured down my throat. The next second, my body erupted. My lower abdomen burned, and a fiery desire surged through every limb, making me want to throw myself onto the nearest man. I tried to scream, but when I opened my mouth, I spewed out a mouthful of blood. Blood mixed with saliva splattered onto the floor. I heard the women around me screaming, wailing: “Please let me go! I can’t take it anymore!” “Didn’t Anya already sleep with Julian Hayes?! Why are you still doing this to us?!” I bit down hard on my tongue, just barely keeping control, and pulled out the last antidote hidden in my pocket, swallowing it whole. The violent clash of chemicals instantly made me vomit blood. Nosebleeds and tears streamed down my face simultaneously. My stomach felt like it was tearing apart, and I writhed on the floor in agony. My cries startled the other women. Their swollen, bloodshot eyes stared at me in disbelief: “Why is Anya here? Who’s in the CEO’s room, then?” My nails dug deep into my thigh, and I forced myself to shout: “Call a doctor! People are going to die like this!” Just then, Serena, in a red dress, walked over, leaning on Julian Hayes. Her face was flushed, a look of satisfied bliss on her features. Julian’s gaze swept over the women writhing in pain, their clothes torn, and his face instantly darkened. Serena covered her mouth, feigning horror: “Oh my god, what happened to them? Who gave them such a strong dose? That’s too cruel.” Before I could speak, Julian kicked me hard. “You shameless whore! To steal Serena’s place, you actually went after all these women! Do you think doing this will make you a Hayes family wife?” A gush of blood surged up, and my teeth mixed with bloody foam fell onto the floor. The pain made my vision go black. “Julian… it wasn’t me, it was her…” Before I could finish, Julian kicked me again, heavily, right in my lower abdomen. I curled up in pain, cold sweat instantly drenching my clothes. He looked down at me, his voice like ice: “You think you’re the boss just because you were raised as Julian’s childhood fiancée? Do you really think I don’t know about all your little tricks against Serena?” He straightened up, his eyes cold, and embraced Serena as he walked out the door. “Since you made these women suffer so much, you can personally take care of them!” The door clicked shut, locking us inside, like a death knell isolating us from the outside world. The air was hot and suffocating. I lay sprawled on the floor, my limbs still trembling, but I heard rustling sounds nearby. The women, their eyes vacant, faces flushed, moved like a pack of wild animals. Their bodies were covered in scratches and tearing wounds, yet they seemed to feel no pain, lunging at me like mad. As I tried to move, my hair was yanked back hard. “It’s all you! You turned us into this!” Sharp nails dug into my shoulder. I didn’t even have the strength to struggle. Someone tore at my clothes, someone else clawed at my back, leaving bleeding welts that stung fiercely. I tried to scream, but before I could open my mouth, someone forced my head down and slammed it against the wall. “Thud——” My forehead hit hard. My vision went black for a moment, and blood streamed down my face, into my mouth. With a sharp rip, someone picked up a broken piece of porcelain and slashed it hard across my leg. My skin tore open instantly, and agonizing pain shot through my bones. I was on the verge of passing out. “Drink! Drink all the dregs! You put us through this, why should you be clear-headed?!” They forcefully pinched my chin, shoving the bowl of leftover sludge—mixed with dust, medicine, and vomit—into my mouth, choking me until snot and tears streamed down my face. I nearly suffocated. I was pressed onto the ground, convulsing all over, my consciousness slowly scattering. When the women finally collapsed from exhaustion, I too lay motionless on the floor. After a long time, the door finally opened. A cold draft swept in. Julian Hayes’s leather shoes stepped through my blood, approaching step by step. I lay on the floor, uttering low, hoarse whimpers of pain. Julian looked down at me, his voice cold: “This is the first time, consider it punishment for you making Serena lose her position as Lady Hayes. If you dare to bully Serena again, I’ll make your life a living hell!” My body trembled. I looked at him, my face covered in blood. So, I wasn’t the only one who had been reborn. I hadn’t even done anything, yet he claimed I had harmed Serena. Julian said coldly: “Anya, you betrayed me first, you’ve already lost the right to stand by my side. Only a kind girl like Serena deserves to be Lady Hayes.” I trembled, blood oozing from my lips every time I spoke. “I didn’t betray you, and I didn’t harm her, nor did I want to disturb you two. I took so many antidotes precisely because I didn’t want you to be drawn to my aura. Why, why are you still doing this to me?” His expression froze for a moment, but the next second, the light in his eyes turned into bone-deep disgust. “Stop acting, Anya.” “If you truly didn’t want to touch me, would you have given yourself and those women ten times the dose of the aphrodisiac? If not to seduce me, then what was it for?” “You just want to climb up, to snatch the Lady Hayes position. I’ve seen this act too many times before!” I grabbed his pant leg, begging for a moment’s reprieve. But he scoffed coldly, pulled his foot away, and kicked me hard, sending me tumbling into the stained medicine and vomit. My head hit the tiled floor with a heavy thud, and a streak of blood flowed from the corner of my eye. “Want to prove you weren’t trying to compete with Serena? Fine, go find my mom right now and tell her you want to break off the engagement.” “Then, be a good Hayes family servant. If you dare to harbor any improper thoughts again, I’ll immediately send you and your entire village to mine in Africa! Do you hear me?”

My vision blurred, whether from sweat or tears, I couldn’t tell. “Julian… your Hayes family’s hereditary fertility disorder… your father came to our village, knelt in the rain for three days and three nights, before my parents finally agreed to let me go. That’s how I came to your family…” My voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, yet I stubbornly uttered the question: “Now, how dare you… threaten my entire village?” Julian scoffed as if he’d heard a joke, looking down at me with cold disdain: “You dare bring that up? That ‘siren bloodline’ of yours, it was all a scam from beginning to end.” “If it weren’t for the stories you spun, do you think an unsophisticated village girl like you, not even fit for inspection, could enter my home? Serena, she made me a normal man, and now she’s pregnant with my child. What are you, anyway?” He finished speaking, then turned, wrapped an arm around Serena’s waist, and left without a backward glance. “Serena is the wife I want, no one can shake her position!” I lay on the floor, covered in blood. The aphrodisiac’s effects still hadn’t worn off, my body felt like it was on fire, convulsing and burning in waves. Mrs. Hayes rushed over. When she saw me in this state, her face turned pale: “Quick! Take her to the hospital, she’s fading fast!” After consulting, the doctors looked grim: “This type of aphrodisiac… can only be detoxified through intimacy. Otherwise, the only option is a complete blood transfusion, but the hospital’s blood supply is currently insufficient. If Miss Anya’s condition isn’t treated immediately, she might literally explode from within.” “What do you mean, ‘explode from within’?!” Mrs. Hayes almost screamed. A bodyguard explained: “This is a new formula brought back from overseas, there’s no antidote. It can only be counteracted by a man… otherwise, the blood throughout her body will burn her internal organs.” “Absurd! This is insane. His father worked so hard to bring this daughter-in-law home, how can he treat her so badly!” Mrs. Hayes panicked and immediately called Julian, but he didn’t answer even after a dozen calls. I lay there on an IV drip, feeling cold all over. Finally, on the third sedative injection, the call connected. Mrs. Hayes roared: “Are you insane?! Anya is the daughter-in-law your father brought home! If you don’t come back and help her, she’ll die!” “I’m warning you, she is the daughter-in-law the Hayes family has acknowledged! Come back immediately!” A soft chuckle came from the other end of the line. Julian’s voice was utterly chilling: “She’s got some nerve, even going to you? Fine, I’ll handle it.” The moment he hung up, my heart felt like it was being torn apart. Mrs. Hayes grasped my hand: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here. I’ll see justice for you. I’ll make him marry you, and treat you well.” But I gently closed my eyes, my nails digging deep into my palms. “Auntie, when you came to the village, you said that once the Hayes family had a child, you would let me go back.” “Now, Serena is pregnant… I’m no longer useful. Can you… let me go?” Mrs. Hayes froze, then her face darkened. She quietly instructed a bodyguard: “Go investigate.” Then, she gently patted my hand, but her voice was soft and gentle: “The Hayes family’s children have always come from your village for generations. Your family has blessed the Hayes. We brought you into our home, hoping you would live a stable and happy life. Those other women were just extra insurance.” “Julian used to follow you around every day, calling you ‘Sister Anya,’ always thinking of you for anything good. Later, he begged to get engaged to you. He liked you for over ten years, how did he suddenly become like this…?” As I listened, tears finally streamed down my face. When he was twenty, Julian booked out the entire city’s fireworks display to propose to me. The night I said yes, he held me and cried all night. The boy who once swore to cherish me forever, threatening to be torn into a thousand pieces if he ever betrayed me, had now, for another woman, personally pushed me into a living hell. My voice was hoarse, almost inaudible: “Auntie… please, let me go…” Mrs. Hayes looked at me, silent for a long time, then finally sighed and nodded. “My dear child, I know you’ve been wronged. I will send you back safely, exactly as you came. Julian wronged you, I will retrieve his assets for you.” “You are a good child I watched grow up. Even if you’re not my biological daughter, I treat you as my own.” Before leaving, Mrs. Hayes gently stroked my hair: “My dear child, hold on. I’ll find a solution.” After she left, only a young assistant remained with me. I lay on the hospital bed, the drug’s effects still lingering. My body felt scorched, my internal organs twisted and ached, my blood boiling in my veins. I bit down on the blanket to stifle my cries, but a low moan still escaped my throat. My fingertips trembled from the pain. The young assistant paced nervously. Just as my consciousness wavered and I was about to pass out, the door opened. I struggled to lift my eyes. Entering were five bodyguards in black suits. “Miss Anya,” the leader said coldly, “Mr. Hayes said there are two antidotes here.” “One, is us.” My mind exploded with a loud buzz. I instinctively tried to prop myself up, but the moment I moved, agonizing pain surged through me, and I nearly collapsed back onto the bed. “What does Julian Hayes take me for?!” My voice was hoarse beyond recognition, yet every word was clear.

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The day the zombie horde hit, I ripped up my assignment slip, refusing to evacuate Sector C. I clung to life until dawn the next day, listening as Landon blared across the comms, announcing that Seraphina had found a new oasis. Her discovery, he claimed, was humanity’s last hope. Only then did I let out a sigh of relief. As the undead tore through the door, I detonated all the explosives. In my previous life, Landon rigged the draw, using my ‘good luck’ ability to smoothly find the oasis and become the leader. He swore that if I succeeded, he’d dismiss his 999 lovers. I believed him. When I lit the signal fire, what arrived wasn’t his reinforcement, but betrayal. “Seraphina has no powers; she needs my protection more. I just want her and her child to be respected by everyone in this apocalypse. But you, you even want to steal this small credit.” “She got a fever from being scared by zombies while looking for you. I’ll make you feel her pain a thousandfold.” He chained me to a car and dragged me until I was ripped apart by zombies. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the zombie horde erupted. This time, I’d let them have their savior fantasy.

“Aurora! Get in the car!” “Any later, and the horde will completely surround us!” I looked into the distance; the energy shield on the outskirts of Zone C was weakening. Zach was practically in tears. “Sis! You’re the only one in the entire base with powers! Don’t you get it? You’re our only ace, our last hope! If you’re gone, there’s nothing left!” I was about to speak. The safe house’s steel door was violently kicked open. Landon’s elite guard roughly grabbed my arms, dragging me out without a word. Zach screamed hysterically behind me. “Let her go! Aurora is pregnant, you animals! You’ll make her miscarry! You base lapdogs!” They finally shoved me into the base’s main plaza. A pre-battle rally was taking place here. In the center of the plaza, a dozen people were already kneeling. These were the unlucky souls accused of various crimes. Some were charged with hoarding canned food, others framed for trying to steal a vehicle to escape. Then, the enforcement squad stepped out. They carried a large wooden bucket, going to each person, prying open their jaws. Spoonful after spoonful of black-green liquid was forcibly poured down their throats. That bucket contained the base’s failed purified, contaminated water, full of radiation. The entire plaza was instantly drowned in screams and retching. A man beside me convulsed violently, foaming at the mouth. “We just wanted to save more food for our kids… Why are you doing this to us?!” I wasn’t spared either. A full spoon of the toxic waste water was poured into me, and my stomach cramped in agony. Blood gushed from my lower body. I let out a muffled groan of pain, which startled those around me. “That’s Aurora! The leader’s wife! She got dosed too?” “Isn’t she our hero of Zone C? She led a team yesterday to retrieve medical supplies! What the hell is going on?” The intense pain blurred my vision, and I crumpled to the ground. “Medic! Call a medic, fast! Someone’s going to die!” Just then, the noisy crowd parted automatically. Seraphina, dressed in a brand-new white combat uniform, looked too clean for this apocalypse. She intimately linked arms with Landon, a saintly yet pitying smile on her face. Landon’s gaze swept over us, groaning in pain on the ground, his face grim. Seraphina dramatically covered her mouth. “Oh my goodness, why is everyone collapsing? Who could be so cruel as to destabilize our morale at such a critical moment, with the zombie horde surrounding us?” Before she finished speaking, Landon’s face was filled with fury, and he delivered a vicious kick to my stomach. “You wicked woman!” He roared at me, “The moment I was out of the base, you dared to incite unrest and stir up dissent!” “You’re so consumed by jealousy that you’d try to steal Seraphina’s credit for finding the oasis!” That kick left me unable to even cry out. I looked at Seraphina’s smug, triumphant face behind him. Gritting my teeth, I squeezed out a few words from my throat. “I didn’t… It was her…” “Still trying to lie your way out of it?” Landon roared. “This isn’t the first time you’ve been so unscrupulous for credit! This time, I will absolutely not spare you!” 2 He pointed at the struggling survivors on the ground and ordered them. “Each of you give her one taser shock. After you’re done, I’ll personally send you to the oasis, and your food and medicine will be doubled.” The elite guard dragged me up from the ground, completely disregarding that I had miscarried. The survivors who had been forced to drink the irradiated water looked at me, their eyes filled with reluctance. A middle-aged man, Mr. Miller, walked forward, crying, and pulled the trigger through tears. “I’m sorry, Captain Aurora… I still have two kids at home…” One person, two people… Blue electric arcs flashed again and again, scorching the remnants of my child. Only after everyone had tasered me and left did Landon finally take the water Seraphina offered, pulling her towards me. He looked at me, covered in dirt, my cheeks bruised, a flicker of something complex in his eyes. But the next moment, he coldly lifted my chin. “Don’t blame me for making them do it. I had to teach you a lesson, to make you understand what happens if you dare to be jealous, if you dare to harm anyone again.” “Otherwise, you’ll try to steal Seraphina’s credit again.” I trembled all over, looking up at him. So, I wasn’t the only one reborn. No wonder they found the oasis without my ‘good luck’. No wonder he said it wasn’t the “first time” I’d done this. Because in the previous life, he had also unjustly condemned me for Seraphina’s sake. My eyes reddened, and I wiped away my tears. “Aurora, playing victim won’t work anymore. No matter how capable you are, it’s useless.” “I’ve already had the medical team give Seraphina the highest-grade genetic enhancer. Her powers are sure to upgrade and help me become the leader.” I gave a bitter laugh, clutching my constantly throbbing abdomen. “I already paved the way for you. But why did you make them poison me? Why did you have to destroy Zone C and kill my teammates…?” He paused, his brows furrowed. “Don’t talk nonsense. You clearly led your team’s breakthrough attempt yesterday and failed, leading to everyone being wiped out.” Cold sweat streamed down my face from the pain. I grabbed his pant leg, trying to make him look at Zach, our scout, who was still alive in the surveillance feed. His face was filled with disgust, and he impatiently kicked my hand away. “Stop the act. If you want to prove you weren’t trying to harm Seraphina, then tomorrow during the base-wide broadcast, you can personally admit that you were incompetent and failed in your reconnaissance, and that you begged Seraphina to share some of her credit with you.” “Then, hand over all your commendations and supplies to her and her unborn child, and serve as her loyal second-in-command from now on.” “If you dare to play any more tricks, or even touch a single hair on her head, this time I won’t just deal with you and your useless team—Zach, the one you care about most, won’t get a single dose of anti-infection medicine either.” My eyes widened, staring at Landon in disbelief: “Landon, you bastard! Zach was scratched by a zombie while covering me, he’s a hero of the base! How can you use his life to threaten me?!” Landon’s face was full of impatience. “As long as you obediently serve Seraphina’s team and take good care of them in the future, I won’t touch him.” With that, he put his arm around Seraphina, preparing to leave. “Seraphina, thank you for finding hope for the base. I’m going to reward you handsomely.” I watched their retreating backs, my lower body constantly oozing warm blood from the miscarriage. Dr. Anya Sharma, a researcher who treated me like her own daughter, rushed over, her face turning ashen at my injuries. “Get her to medical treatment immediately! If anything happens to Aurora, I won’t let any of you off the hook!” I was sent to the medical bay, but the healing medic never arrived. Dr. Anya was furious, demanding to know where the medical team assigned to me had gone. 3. The assistant, Cassidy, replied apologetically. “Dr. Sharma, all the healing medics in the entire base have been called to Captain Seraphina’s room by the General Commander. Miss Seraphina scratched her finger while testing a weapon, and Commander Landon is afraid something might happen to her, so he ordered all healing medics to stand by.” “Right now, there are no healing medics in the entire base.” Dr. Anya was so enraged she kept calling. “This is insane! His own wife is critically injured, yet he’s called all the medics away for some mistress, completely disregarding her life!” After the comms operator made the twentieth call, Landon finally answered. “Is Aurora throwing another tantrum, trying to get you to back her up?” Dr. Anya shouted, agitated, “Aurora is bleeding internally and on the verge of unconsciousness! Several of our brothers are barely holding on! And you took her healing medics away?! Are you trying to kill the base’s elite unit?!” Landon sneered, “Did Aurora tell you to call me? Her check-up was fine; why is she faking critical injury now?” “Alright, alright, I still have a victory banquet to host for Seraphina and her team. Doesn’t she want healing medics? I’ll send someone over.” Dr. Anya hung up the phone, gripping my hand tightly. “Don’t be afraid, Aurora, the healing medics will be here soon.” I felt my life force gradually fading. I remembered how, in my previous life, my teammates were also stabbed in the back by Landon’s forces, devoured alive by zombies. Trembling all over, I clutched Dr. Anya’s hand, speaking with difficulty. “Dr. Sharma, you promised me you’d treat me like your own granddaughter. If Landon didn’t treat me well, you’d help me leave him.” “I just want to save Zach’s life, and then live.” Dr. Anya was in tears, repeating, “Landon, after you saved him, he loved you so much. It’s all Seraphina’s fault, that bitch. If she hadn’t suddenly appeared, you two wouldn’t be like this now.” I gave a wretched smile. How could a life-and-death partner, who once fought alongside me, become like this? The man who, after repelling the zombies, blushed and vowed to face life and death with me, promising to be torn to shreds and never find peace if he ever betrayed me. Now, for another woman, he abandoned me without a thought. “Please, Dr. Sharma.” I gnashed out each word. Listening to my plea, Dr. Anya finally nodded. “Tomorrow, I’ll announce that you are the only ability user in Zone C. As for that ungrateful beast, I won’t assist him anymore!” Dr. Anya immediately left to handle the matter. I lay on the medical bed, the sharp pain in my abdomen surging like a tide. Cassidy, the assistant Dr. Anya left behind, anxiously kept hoping for the healing medics sent by Landon to arrive. Finally, someone came. But it wasn’t a healing medic; it was a logistics grunt. Seeing the bloody mess in the medical bay, he handed over a few rolls of bandages and a bottle of expired antiseptic. “General Commander Landon said it’s just a minor injury, nothing life-threatening. He told you to deal with it yourselves and stop bothering him with such disgusting matters.” Cassidy cried and smashed the box. “Captain Aurora, I’m taking you and the brothers to another base right now. You have to hold on.” My vision went black, and I finally lost consciousness. I woke up again, startled by a bucket of icy snow water suddenly being poured over me. Before me was Landon’s face, filled with disgust. “You’re awake, stop faking it.” He looked down at me. “You know I’m about to announce the oasis and Seraphina’s achievements, yet you’re making a fuss about going to my enemy’s base? Are you hoping everyone will think Seraphina is bullying you?” Seraphina clutched a report, tears streaming down her face, standing behind him, looking utterly pathetic. “Sister Aurora, I know you hate me. But it’s one thing to get revenge on me, why do you have to make Dr. Sharma steal my credit?” 4. “That assistant, before she was dragged away, was still shouting that I was a bitch, saying I wasn’t worthy of being the savior’s partner…” I opened my mouth, but not a single word came out of my throat. I could only shake my head with all my might, trembling as I pleaded, “I… I didn’t… Send me to the medical bay… My team… they’re barely holding on…” “You’re lying again!” Landon frowned impatiently. “Dr. Sharma gathered her old subordinates overnight and even found the base’s records officer. Wasn’t it you instigating her from behind? Do you think by stealing Seraphina’s credit, you can secure your position as the base’s second-in-command?” Seraphina curled into his arms, crying and pleading, “Sister Aurora, I beg you, don’t separate Landon and me… If you insist on taking my credit, I’ll just run out of the base alone and die in the zombie horde!” She made a motion to run, and Landon quickly held her tightly. He was furious, and he kicked my stomach again. “How many times have I warned you not to bully Seraphina, but you just won’t listen! Since that’s the case, I’ll have to use some special methods.” He abruptly turned, coldly ordering his elite guard. “She’s forcing Seraphina to rush into the zombie horde, so she should pay the price. Go, shut down Dr. Sharma’s lab’s purification system and throw her out of the research facility!” “Landon!” I shrieked, tearing my throat. “You’re insane! That’s Dr. Sharma! Her research is for all of humanity!!” “So what!” Landon sneered, “To get you into the command structure, she forced me to marry you. Now you’re a captain, and I even gave you your own unit. If you couldn’t find the oasis, that’s your own uselessness. I’ve repaid my debt, I owe you nothing more!” “Do it!” I frantically lunged at the elite guard, trying to stop them, but was brutally kicked to the ground. The wound on my abdomen, which had barely stopped bleeding, burst open from the violent impact, gushing like a broken dam, instantly staining the floor beneath me crimson. I screamed in agony, my throat raw, curling into a ball. Landon was about to drag me further, but suddenly he saw the pools of scarlet, and his face paled. He instinctively stopped, turning to Seraphina and demanding, “What’s going on?! I told you to take care of her and her pregnancy, why is she still bleeding?!” Seraphina’s face subtly changed. But her eyes darted around, and she quickly squeezed out tears. “I’ve always taken good care of Sister Aurora… This is the medical report they gave her yesterday.” She handed over the report, her voice choked. “The report says she only has superficial wounds, and her physical functions and the baby are completely normal.” Landon snatched the report, merely glancing at it, and believed her. The next second, he furiously lifted me from the ground and violently slammed me onto the cold, hard metal floor. My head hit the ground hard, and blood instantly spurted out. “You dared to lie to me!” He roared, “To make me soften, you’d even fake a miscarriage?! How disgusting, how vile are you?!” “You think I’ll fall for it this time? Dream on!” He raised his leg, kicking my abdomen mercilessly, blow after blow. Blood and screams splattered with each impact. “Ah… No… Please no…” I begged, almost tearing my throat, my body growing colder and colder. Until I had no strength left to even beg, only able to curl up in my own pool of blood. He shook off his blood-stained boots and turned to Seraphina, his face full of apology. “I’m sorry, Seraphina, for making you smell this disgusting odor. I’ll deal with her now. Once she’s handled, I’ll take you to the oasis to see the scenery, as compensation for me misunderstanding you, alright?” Seraphina, however, shook her head, tears welling in her eyes, her voice sounding utterly pathetic. “Forget it. Sister Aurora hates me so much; what if she comes up with a new way to deal with me the moment you take me away?” “Perhaps I should just leave with my team instead, and let her have the credit.” She spoke cautiously, sounding incredibly wronged, but perfectly hitting Landon’s anger button. His face instantly turned as dark as night, his voice gentle but chillingly menacing: “Don’t worry, I won’t give her any more chances to harm you.” 5. He waved his hand: “Lock her in the underground bunker outside the base. Once I officially announce Seraphina as the discoverer of the oasis tomorrow, then release her.”

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（ succubus ： Succubus is a spiritual demon that exists in European and Middle Eastern mythology and is said to invade male (female) dreams at night to draw strength and satisfy their own needs, causing the affected male to gradually weaken and even die. ） My Demon Husband Married My Sister! Undercover for three years, I finally came home. Pushing open the door, I saw my demon husband with a baby in his arms and a toddler by his side. “Say Mommy.” He pushed the baby towards me. I froze. But then my in-laws pulled out my heavily pregnant sister. “Julian’s reached adulthood, he has to reproduce, or his body will literally tear itself apart! You can’t expect us to lose our son, can you?!” In our meticulously decorated wedding home, I watched them intimately intertwine right in front of me, a disgusting mess left on the floor. “Julian, do you like me or my sister?” My sister’s syrupy voice rose and fell. “Of course, it’s you, my little devil! Your sister is frigid, utterly boring!” Julian’s tone was dismissive. I clapped a hand over my mouth, fleeing out the door, only to be struck by an oncoming car. When I woke again, the doctor looked troubled. “Ms. Hayes, your account is empty. If you can’t pay by 5 PM this afternoon, you’ll have to be discharged.” My sister walked in, carrying a sad, crumpled fruit basket, a massive, fiery diamond necklace glittering on her neck. “Sister, take care of yourself. I’ll look after Julian for you. Our children are your children.” My heart completely froze over. Turning away, I called the gang leader who had taken me in for the past three years. “Godfather, my sister and my husband are getting married. Could you bring some gifts… the kind from *our* world?”

“Hello, Mommy!” The moment the child’s voice chirped, my mind went blank with a loud buzz, like someone had slammed a bat over my head. I stood in the doorway, my hand still on the doorknob, unable to let go, completely frozen. Three years undercover, I had finally completed my mission and returned home. I opened the door with a heart full of joy, only to see this scene. The house was festively decorated, a red “Welcome Home” banner hanging in the center of the living room, the floor covered with balloons and streamers. On the sofa sat Julian Thorne, my demon husband, but he was holding a tiny, pink baby boy in his arms, and a little girl, about two years old, was clinging to his hand. I was utterly speechless. From the bedroom door, my mother-in-law, Eleanor, smiled, leading out a heavily pregnant woman—my own sister, Willow Hayes. “Why are you just standing there? Come quickly, listen! Your son is kicking Mommy’s tummy. This six or seven-month-old is just so restless.” I stood my ground, my voice stuck in my throat, barely managing a sound after a long moment: “Mom, what is going on?” Eleanor shot me a sidelong glance, a smile in her eyes, then took my hand and led me to the children. “Come on, say Mommy.” “Mommy!” The children’s voices were clear and joyful, but they made my scalp tingle. I yanked my hand away from Eleanor, seeing the intimate glances between Julian and Willow. I looked at Eleanor in disbelief. “You know, when an incubus reaches adulthood, he *has* to reproduce, or his body will explode from within. And you haven’t been back for three years. We couldn’t just stand by and watch Julian die, could we?” Eleanor’s expression was righteous, as if *I* were the one who had done something wrong. Willow leaned against Julian’s arm, soft as a boneless doll, her large belly prominent, her face glowing. “Sister, Julian and I didn’t dare to tell you… but he was truly on the verge of not being able to hold on.” My whole body went cold, as if a blunt object had crushed my heart. Three years undercover, I walked a tightrope, risking my life, taking bullets and blows for the boss, until I finally turned that criminal kingpin around. I fought tooth and nail just to return early and spend my life with my husband. But now, my husband was entangled with my own sister, had children with her, and was making them call *me* Mommy? Julian saw the look on my face and carefully helped Willow up. He walked towards me, his seductive demon aura brushing my nose, still as alluring as ever. “Look at you, getting angry again. Don’t be so serious. Your sister has the same genes as you; even a paternity test wouldn’t show a difference. Isn’t it basically your child? You wouldn’t really be heartless enough to watch me explode and die, would you?” He spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, as if the children had just appeared out of thin air and I hadn’t been cheated on. I just wanted to throw up. “Oh, who are you making that gloomy face for?” Eleanor’s expression suddenly turned cold. “Three years, not a single word. If your sister hadn’t held this family together, do you think you’d still have a home to come back to?” “Your sister not only fulfilled your filial duties, she even took care of the children for you, arranging everything perfectly. And what do you do? You come back acting like a wronged wife catching her husband cheating. Can’t you have a little conscience?” “They’re about to get married, really. Why come back and stir up trouble?” Married? My mind went blank, yet suddenly, I understood everything. Willow’s face was like a peach blossom as she stepped forward, excitedly taking my hand. “Sister, you’ll bless us, won’t you?” “Tomorrow, Julian and I are getting married. Guess what role we’ve specially arranged for you?” I said nothing, my fingers trembling. “You’re the one who’ll give the bride away!” She excitedly raised my hand as if announcing a lottery win. “When you personally give me to Julian, the effect will be truly stunning. You know, you were once the one he cared about most. That’s what makes it so touching~” She squeezed my hand hard, her nails digging deep into my skin, her eyes full of provocation: “How memorable! You, crying tears of joy as you hand me over to him in front of everyone. The whole crowd will be weeping! The emotional arc complete, a perfect ending to the story! Don’t you agree, Sister?” Seeing my silence, Eleanor pinched my arm hard. “Like a statue! Learn from your sister! Your sister is so good, she didn’t even mind that you, his *actual* wife, are still alive and well, yet here you are, acting all high and mighty?” My sister “thoughtfully” slipped a script into my hand: “Don’t worry, I’ve written the script for you. Just read it on stage. The first line is: ‘Today, I give my dearest sister to the man I love most…’” I could barely breathe. Willow continued to ramble on, oblivious: “Oh, by the way, Sister, you know how to take photos, right? Tomorrow morning, you can come help us with our wedding photos first. These are the most touching moments, the greatest witness to our love! If you post them online, you might even ride our coattails and go viral! I’ve even thought of the title: ‘How *Liberated* is a Woman Who Gives Her Own Husband Away?’” I stood there stiffly, my heart feeling like it was being carved out inch by agonizing inch.

The next day, I was still lost in sleep when a large hand roughly pulled me up. Before I could even open my eyes, a heavy slap landed squarely on my face. Eleanor’s voice boomed in my ear: “Still sleeping? You think you’re the bride today? Grab the camera and get to work!” I stared blankly at the camera, which was bigger than my head. Without a word, I was dragged to the wedding venue. Aside from Julian and Willow, there were only a few women in designer clothes taking pictures. “Oh, isn’t that Scarlett Hayes? Personally taking wedding photos of her husband and sister, tsk tsk tsk, even more outlandish than a TV show.” They looked at me with disdain. Willow feigned annoyance: “Girls, don’t talk nonsense. She’s my most sensible and wonderful sister~ She even came back to bless us, and volunteered to be the photographer.” I watched them burst into fits of laughter, and I bit down on my teeth, forcing back the humiliation as I pressed the shutter. Suddenly, a stiletto heel kicked my knee without warning. The searing pain made me fall to my knees with a thud. The sound of my knee crunching echoed up my spine, and I trembled with agony. “Kneel to take pictures; it makes legs look longer. Don’t you even know that? Useless.” One woman flipped through my photos, sneering: “Tsk tsk tsk, I bet she still hates them. Is she deliberately trying to make these look like a horror movie?” Willow lowered her gaze and smiled, her eyes cold, then said sweetly, “Sister wouldn’t be so petty, would she~” Before I could say anything, a hand roughly grabbed my hair, and several slaps rained down. My cheeks burned with pain. “Who are you trying to jinx with these pictures? Our Willow is the bride today! You pathetic bitch, you couldn’t keep your man, and now you’re trying to sabotage us?” “We were shocked when she came back, thought she was going to crash the wedding. Turns out she’s just here to take pictures. Vile to her core.” They laughed, doubling over, then grabbed my right hand and twisted it back hard, forcing the camera onto my arm, making me hold it high. “If these pictures aren’t perfect today, don’t even think about walking out that door!” They stomped on my left hand, grinding it against the floor until my nails broke, bleeding profusely. But they still weren’t satisfied, and they climbed onto my back, riding me like livestock. Unable to bear the weight, my hand slipped, and the camera crashed to the floor with a bang, splitting in two. In a haze of pain, I saw Julian rush towards me. I actually thought he might show a shred of his old affection, but instead, he kicked me hard in the stomach: “Are you insane?! That camera cost me twenty thousand! Pay me back!” Immediately, a metallic taste filled my throat, and my stomach pain made me curl up on the floor. I struggled to stay conscious, staring in disbelief as he snatched my phone. After a few taps, he threw it at my face like trash. Willow strolled over, looking down at me sprawled on the floor. “Sister, do you know how hard it was for our family these three years you were gone? I held this house together. I helped you so much, how could you harbor such resentment?” “You were never supposed to come back. Why didn’t you just die out there?” I gasped for air, glaring at the sister I had once loved more than anything. Our parents died when we were young, and I had always looked after her like my own daughter, only to raise such a monster! Willow raised an eyebrow, smiling sweetly at her friends. They understood, grabbing my hair and dragging me to a room upstairs. The moment I was thrown into the elevator, Willow turned back, her smile cold and malicious. “Girls, we need to teach her a lesson, so she never dares to bother Willow again.” The mean girls dragged me into the room, tore off my clothes, pinched my chin, slapped me while taking pictures, and even stomped on my palms with their stiletto heels. I struggled in agony, but my old injuries made me too weak to resist. “Do you know where your sister and husband are right now? Right next door, in that room~ They said they needed to warm up for their big day today, know what I mean?” They roughly forced me to my knees outside the room door. “Can you hear it? Your sister is enjoying herself for you, isn’t this the ‘reunion’ you always dreamed of?” Soft moans emanated from the room, my sister’s syrupy voice rising and falling. “Julian, do you like me or my sister?” “Of course, it’s you, my little devil! Your sister is frigid, utterly boring!” Julian’s tone was dismissive. I never imagined the man I had given my heart to for so many years saw me this way. The last shred of hope shattered in my heart. I knelt in despair, tears streaming from my eyes. After their ‘joyful’ session, everyone left, leaving the room a disgusting mess, reeking of their ‘joy.’ Before Julian left, he didn’t forget to warn me: “You still have to give Willow away later. If you look like this, do you want to embarrass her?” I gave up completely. My hands shaking, I dialed that familiar number. “Godfather, my sister and my husband are getting married today. Please bring some… gifts from *our* world.” I covered my mouth, my eyes filled only with hatred. I staggered out of the hotel, and just as I stepped through the main entrance, the world spun, and a blinding white light rushed towards me. “CRASH!”

When I opened my eyes again, my nose was hit with the pungent smell of iodine and disinfectant. “Teacher, bed 38 is awake.” Several doctors in white coats gathered around. “Ms. Hayes, you were seriously injured in the car accident. Since we couldn’t reach any family members, we had to perform surgery. The surgery fee is two hundred thousand. Please pay as soon as possible.” The attending physician shoved the bill in front of me. I struggled to lift my hand, which was riddled with IVs, my fingers stiff as I reached for the bag on the nightstand. Opening my phone and swiping to my banking app, the cold numbers on the screen slapped me in the face. Balance: $28.10. My breathing hitched. My chest felt like it had been ripped open—where was my thirty million?! My trembling fingers furiously tapped through my account history, and then the monstrous transfer message popped up: “Transfer successful, amount: $30,000,000. Recipient: Julian Thorne.” My mind exploded with a buzzing sound. I suddenly remembered Julian had used my phone when he demanded I pay for the camera! Just as I was reeling from the shock, the hospital room door was violently pushed open. “Oh, so Sister actually woke up.” Willow walked in, arm-in-arm with Julian, holding a sad, crumpled fruit basket. “Sister, we came to see you. Good thing you’re not dead, didn’t waste the money on this fruit basket.” Her fingertip deliberately traced her neck, and only then did I notice the fiery diamond necklace on her throat. I had seen such diamonds at auctions; a single one could cost over a million. The one on her neck was at least ten million. The doctor, sensing trouble, stepped in front of me: “Excuse me, please don’t upset the patient.” “Upset her?” Julian scoffed. “She’s my wife. If I tell her to die, she’ll have to do it with a smile!” The doctor’s hand visibly paused. He looked at Julian suspiciously. “You’re the patient’s husband? Then you need to pay the two hundred thousand medical fees by 5 PM this afternoon, otherwise, we’ll have to discharge her.” “Two hundred thousand?!” Julian’s eyes bulged as if he wanted to eat someone alive. “Do you think I’m an ATM? She’s not worth that much even if you sold her! Maybe we should sell her organs to make up the difference—perfect, we still need some funds for our wedding.” Hearing that, I instantly got so angry I almost choked. Thankfully, the doctor spoke my mind: “Your wife is in this condition, do you have any humanity?!” But Julian ignored him. He violently yanked out the IV drip from my hand. Blood spurted out, staining the bedsheets red, and I gasped in pain. “Don’t put on a sob story for me. Get out of the hospital. You have something important to do today: give Willow away.” I froze, fury practically burning in my eyes: “Are you insane?! I’m injured like this, and you’re still talking about the wedding?” “You just got hit by a car, didn’t you? You ruined Willow’s once-in-a-lifetime wedding. You owe her at least fifty million!” I seriously wondered if I was still conscious. A man who wouldn’t even pay two hundred thousand was demanding fifty million? “I’m done with this nonsense. Where’s my thirty million? You said twenty thousand to replace the camera, what about the rest?!” Julian yelled back at me, his neck stiff, like a madman: “Do you understand marital property? What’s wrong with me taking it? Willow needs a necklace, shouldn’t you, as her sister, buy it for her?” I stared deadly at the necklace, my teeth grinding. I had lived a life on the edge, walking a tightrope, every penny I saved through sheer grit, only for it to become *their* dowry?! “Alright, stop wasting time.” He grabbed my arm and dragged me out. “Get changed and go to the wedding venue.” I was pulled out of the hospital room, my wounds still bleeding, but my heart ached even more. The wedding venue was packed with guests. The moment I stepped into the hall, all eyes swiveled towards me. “Tsk, she actually had the nerve to show up? Her husband is marrying her sister, and she’s the one giving the bride away.” “Whose fault is that? She disappeared for three years, and now her husband gets someone else pregnant, *then* she decides to come back.” I stood my ground, veins throbbing with anger, my nails almost digging into my palms, fighting the urge to kill. This show wasn’t over yet!

I was forcibly stuffed into a heavy red gown, my unmasked injuries visible, my leg still not healed, forcing me to hunch over. I leaned on Willow’s arm, leading her step-by-step towards the man in the sharp suit. The emcee, microphone in hand, excitedly announced: “Next, let’s invite the bride’s sister to offer her blessings to the happy couple!” The entire hall suddenly fell silent. All cameras, lights, and eyes swiveled to me. I looked at the crowd and smiled, a smile that made blood seep from the corner of my lips. “Thank you all for coming despite your busy schedules.” I paused, my voice ice-cold. “Today is a joyous day for my husband and my own sister. Come on, give a round of applause for this shameless, despicable pair!” A stir went through the crowd. Some people laughed out loud, as if I wasn’t an injured person, but part of the opening act. Julian’s face instantly twisted. He lunged forward and slapped me across the face. “SMACK!” The blow made me see stars, and my mouth was filled with the taste of blood. He leaned in and roared: “Are you insane?! Where’s the script Willow gave you? Do you want to ruin us?!” Willow stood to the side, wiping away tears: “Sister, why are you humiliating me?” I spat out a mouthful of blood and laughed like a madwoman. “You tore my life apart first, and now you’re playing the victim? You want to put on a show? I’ll play along until the very end.” I pulled out my phone, tapped the screen twice, and coldly watched the two of them. Julian narrowed his eyes: “What trick are you playing?” He looked around, saw nothing happen, and then he smiled, a cold, vicious smile. He leaned down close to me, grabbed my collar, and dragged me to the edge of the stage. “You think you can threaten me? A helpless orphan dares to challenge me?” “I’m telling you.” Before he could finish, he swung a punch at my face. Before I could react, he kicked me in the stomach again, the pain so intense I could barely breathe. “You want sympathy, don’t you? Then cry! If you don’t publicly kneel and kowtow forty-nine times to Willow and pay fifty million, I’ll make sure no one claims your body tomorrow!” Julian snarled, kicking me again. Just then. “BANG!” A deafening gunshot ripped through the wedding hall’s commotion. The main doors were kicked open, and a swarm of men in black suits flooded in, the atmosphere instantly freezing, like Death himself had arrived. The man leading them was tall and imposing, dressed in a dark black trench coat, his steps calm, yet each one radiated lethal intent. Seeing him, the entire hall erupted almost immediately. Silas Blackwood! The most untouchable man in South City, the living Grim Reaper of the underworld, a name that struck terror into hearts!

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Liam Cross forced me into a revealing bunny costume for our university farewell gala. He swore it was just a costume party. The moment I stepped inside, the room exploded with cruel laughter. “Wow, the valedictorian? More like the queen of kink, wouldn’t you say?” Professor Sterling, Liam’s mother, sneered, her voice dripping with disgust. “Summer Reed, you have absolutely no shame. Wearing this to such a formal event? Do you even deserve my son?!” My body trembled, tears blurring my vision. I looked at Liam, desperate for an explanation, for him to stand up for me. Instead, he scoffed, pulling Sophia Cross, who stood beside him, into his arms. Right in front of everyone, he kissed her passionately, then turned to me, his words like daggers. “Summer Reed, if you hadn’t taken Scarlett’s spot all those years ago, she wouldn’t have died in that car accident on her way to that other university!” “But heaven was kind enough to send me her sister, Sophia. She’s my true love!” “And you, you’re destined to be a pathetic orphan forever. Get out!” I fought to control my shaking body, feigning composure as I turned to leave. But inside, a burning resolve hardened my heart. If their love was so earth-shattering, then I’d make sure it shattered them both. 0

Months ago, I pulled countless all-nighters, coding for Liam. I helped him win the University Startup Challenge, along with a $1,000,000 prize. That allowed him to establish himself in the metropolitan hub even before graduation. He held me close, tracing my features repeatedly, murmuring sweet nothings. “Summer, we’ll get married right after graduation. I’ll give you the grandest wedding imaginable.” For those words, I turned down a $1,000,000 offer. And I willingly became pregnant with his child. But now I understood. All his kindness, every sweet gesture, had concealed a monstrous hatred. My legs swayed, the world blurring around me. I just wanted to escape, to walk away, step by agonizing step. But Liam wouldn’t let up. His mocking voice followed me. “I bet a million dollars she won’t even make it through the night. She’ll come crawling back, begging for my forgiveness, like a desperate alley cat.” The words hit me like a tidal wave, and the crowd’s laughter crashed down. My head swam. The baby inside me seemed to sense my distress, and a faint ache started in my belly. Clutching my stomach, I stumbled towards the staircase. Suddenly, someone grabbed me from behind. It was Sophia. She hugged me, her voice tearful, calling out to Liam. “Liam, my love, Summer didn’t mean it. Please, just let her go.” “You can’t just send her away. She’s pregnant and won’t find a job. Let her stay, even as a maid!” Her words sounded like a plea, but they carried a stinging, unbearable humiliation. I used every ounce of strength to push her away. A wicked, barely hidden smirk flashed across her lips as she abruptly shoved me forward, then dramatically fell backward herself. Caught off guard, I lost my balance and tumbled down the stairs. A tearing pain erupted in my abdomen. Warm blood instantly gushed down my thighs, staining the white fur of my bunny costume crimson. “My baby!” I shrieked. Liam’s face instantly paled, his chest visibly heaving. He instinctively lunged forward, reaching out to help me up. But Sophia’s whimpering voice cut him off, perfectly timed. “Summer, I really didn’t mean any harm! Why did you push me?!” She sobbed, but her eyes held a triumphant, wicked glint directed at me. “No… no, that’s not it…” I tried to explain, but the pain made coherent words impossible. Liam frowned, looking at me, a flicker of something complex in his eyes. Ultimately, he turned, helping Sophia to her feet instead. He swept a cold glance over me, his voice icy, filled with profound disgust. “Disgusting. This is what you get for hurting others. You owe us so much. Consider this child your atonement.” With that, he helped Sophia walk away, not looking back. I had no sin, so how could there be atonement! His idealized Scarlett – I’d never even met her. How could I have intentionally harmed her? I lay on the cold ground, trembling, blood spreading beneath me. Watching them leave, my heart hurt more than my body. The crowd gathered around me like spectators at a morbid show, no one offering a hand. I had to save my baby. Ignoring everything else, I bit down hard and struggled to my feet. Still in the bunny costume, covered in blood, I staggered onto the street. No driver dared to pick me up. Step by painful step, I finally reached the hospital. The surgery lasted three hours. When I woke, I heard what felt like a miracle. 0

“The baby is safe.” The doctor looked at me deeply, unable to resist a warning. “The fetus has been temporarily saved. Please be more careful in the future. Don’t harm the baby inside you.” The story was too long, I didn’t know how to refute it. I could only bow my head, stroking my belly, tears falling endlessly. Baby, from now on, Mommy will protect you no matter what! If I was going to leave, I was going to leave completely. I would take all my things with me. Back at the mansion, I ignored my physical discomfort and started packing. But I ran into Professor Sterling, who was about to leave. Seeing me, she raised her hand and slapped me across the face. “You brat, why haven’t you left yet? Are you still trying to seduce my son?!” I couldn’t imagine how she became a professor; she lacked any sense of decency. I gritted my teeth and explained that I was just there to pack my things and would leave completely in a moment. She still looked at me with disgust. “Someone like you doesn’t even qualify to be a maid here. I’m warning you, don’t try to seduce my son again, or you’ll regret it!” I had just packed a few simple clothes when the villa door swung open. Liam walked in, arm around Sophia. His eyes immediately fell on my slightly swollen belly, and a flicker of delight crossed his face. A mocking smile played on his lips. “I knew you’d come back,” he sneered. “Since the baby’s still there, you can stay as a maid. Take care of Sophia.” “And at my wedding with Sophia in three days, I’ll even let you be a bridesmaid. Consider it your indirect marriage to me.” I froze. Three days from now. That was supposed to be *our* wedding. He’d promised me countless times, a grand wedding. To love me forever, to build a happy family with our child. But now, the villain’s true face was finally revealed. And the bride had been replaced by Sophia. “Liam, my love, you’re so good to me,” Sophia simpered. “Even though Summer accidentally caused my sister’s death, you still let her be our bridesmaid.” “It’s just a shame about Scarlett, she didn’t even get to have a baby for you before she left.” She started crying as she spoke, but her eyes held a triumphant smirk directed at me. Liam’s face suddenly changed. He quickly pulled Sophia into his embrace, gently stroking her head. “Sophia, don’t be so sad. I’ll give all my love to you, to make up for her.” He glanced at me, hesitated for a moment, then finally made up his mind. “Yes, I can’t let Scarlett down.” The words had barely left his lips when he forcefully dragged me out of the room and shoved me into the mansion’s sauna. He tied me to a chair. “Liam Cross, you’re insane!” I suddenly understood his intention and struggled desperately. But I couldn’t fight his strength. He cranked up the heat and locked the door. His voice was cold as death, like a grim reaper’s judgment. “You can atone for your sins in here. Tomorrow morning, if the baby’s still alive, I’ll let you go. I guess Scarlett wouldn’t mind then.” With that, he seemed to not want to see me anymore and walked away with Sophia. The temperature in the sauna began to rise rapidly. In moments, my breathing became incredibly difficult. 0

“Liam Cross! Let me out!” I screamed desperately, but there was no response from outside. Time ticked by, second by agonizing second, and my body began to show signs of dehydration. The baby in my belly also squirmed uneasily, as if protesting the terrifying environment. “Baby, I’m sorry. Mommy is so sorry.” I looked down at my belly, tears mixing with sweat, streaming down my face. The high heat made me dizzy, and I started to hallucinate. I saw the first time Liam and I cooked together, my finger accidentally burned. He was so anxious he nearly cried, carefully applied aloe vera, then carried me to the sofa. He pretended to be angry, but his voice was gentle. “You’re not allowed in the kitchen again. If you’re hungry, just call your husband!” Whenever my period pain made me curl up in bed, he would clumsily brew ginger tea with brown sugar. He’d drop three drops on the back of his hand to test the temperature before personally feeding it to me. I looked into his loving eyes, thinking he would never change, not in three lifetimes. But now, he had tied me in this scorching room, abandoning me and our baby to die. Suffocating heat, unbearable pressure. I felt my consciousness slowly peeling away, the cramping in my lower abdomen growing increasingly intense. I curled up in the corner, using my last ounce of strength to protect my belly. Don’t be scared, baby. Mommy’s here… The next morning, when Liam opened the sauna door. What he saw was me, passed out, lying in a pool of blood. He rushed over, immediately picking me up. “Summer! Summer!” Through a haze, I heard the ambulance sirens. When my consciousness cleared, I was lying in the guest room bed, an IV drip in my arm. Liam sat nearby, focused on typing code on his laptop. “The baby…” My voice was hoarse, like a broken bellows. Hearing my faint whisper, he quickly leaned closer, his gaze slightly evasive. “The baby… it’s gone.” “You’ve paid your debt to Scarlett. From now on, just stay here in the mansion and be a good housekeeper.” He picked up a bowl of soup, scooped out a small spoonful. After blowing on it a few times, he brought it to my lips. “This is a restorative broth. I made it myself to help you recover. Drink it.” My chest constricted with pain. I pushed him away. “I owe Scarlett nothing! There were only two spots that year, but I was the top honors graduate in the entire state!” “That last spot was clearly stolen by you. The one who killed Scarlett should be you!” Liam’s movements stiffened. A flicker of panic crossed his face. But quickly, that panic was replaced by enraged shame. “Slam!” He shot up, a resounding slap landing hard on my face. My cheek instantly swelled, blood oozing from the corner of my mouth. “Summer Reed, what are you talking about?!” He roared at me, his face contorted in a sneer. “If it weren’t for you, I would have been with Scarlett years ago!” “You manipulative woman, you still refuse to admit your fault! You’re beyond hope!” I stopped arguing, only offering a faint, mocking laugh, reminding him. “Your true love is calling. Go answer it.” Liam glanced at his phone, then, as if trying to escape something, stormed out, slamming the door. I hadn’t eaten in days. That night, I was ravenous and had to use the wall for support to go downstairs to find food. But as soon as I reached the second floor, I heard sounds of intimacy coming from Liam’s room. 0

That had been our room. Now, the door was wide open, their entwined bodies clearly visible. “Liam, my love, gently. It’s only just three months. Look how impatient you are!” Her voice was brazen and grating, like a dull knife twisting viciously in my heart. My baby had just been lost, and Liam was already in the mood to carouse with his mistress, having the time of his life! And Sophia was already three months pregnant. I remembered vividly how overjoyed he was when I first became pregnant. He would lay his head on my belly every day, clumsily talking to the baby, reading stories. He imagined everything about our baby’s birth, promising to give our child the best future. He had loved our child so much. That tenderness and affection felt like it happened just yesterday. But now, our child was gone. And he didn’t show even a hint of sorrow. He was celebrating with his mistress. A wave of nausea washed over me. I didn’t hesitate any longer. I forced myself to pack my bags, and amidst their unrestrained moans, I left the mansion for good. In these past few years, I had poured all my energy into Liam. I seemed to have forgotten how brilliant I once was. I needed a job to support myself. And I needed a job to prove that I, Summer Reed, hadn’t been broken. I had just suffered a miscarriage, my body still recovering, but the very next day, I endured the pain to look for work. I chose a well-known tech company. With my professional skills and qualifications, I should easily get an offer. However, fate always seemed to enjoy playing cruel jokes on me. At the interview, I ran into Liam and Sophia again. “It’s okay, their loss if it doesn’t work out this time. I’ll arrange a few better ones for you!” Liam was with Sophia, a tender smile on his face, seemingly comforting her. “Summer?” He looked up and suddenly saw me, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, quickly turning to anger. “Why didn’t you come home last night? You just lost the baby and you’re already out running wild? Do you have no shame at all?” His voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for everyone nearby to hear. In an instant, countless scornful, mocking gazes fell upon me. I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “I’ve already moved out. We have nothing to do with each other anymore.” Sophia, standing beside him, immediately put on her innocent, pitiful act, her eyes slightly red as she said to me. “Summer, can you please give me a chance? This job is really important to me.” “How can you intentionally compete with me over what happened yesterday?!” “Please, you took my sister’s spot in college back then. Can’t you just let me have this now?” As she spoke, a hint of malice flashed in her eyes, then she burst into tears and threw herself into Liam’s arms. Liam, hearing her words, immediately believed Sophia. He thought I was deliberately coming to this company to compete with her for revenge. He pointed at me, his voice filled with even more disgust. “Summer Reed, you really are shameless! You’d stoop to such despicable tactics!” I stared at Liam, my voice cold. “If we’re talking despicable, tricking me into getting pregnant right after graduation, and making me give up a million-dollar job offer – that’s truly despicable, isn’t it?!” He gritted his teeth in rage, about to retort, when the interviewer called my name. I walked into the interview room without looking back. The process was exceptionally smooth. My professional skills and project experience received high praise from the interviewers. My hiring was practically a certainty. Just as the interviewer was about to announce the result, Sophia and Liam suddenly burst in. 0

Sophia, tears streaming down her face, pointed at me, her voice choked with sobs. “Interviewer, she… she has a very questionable personal life! She had a miscarriage during the day, and was out partying at night!” As she spoke, she pulled out her phone. She played the video of me in the bunny costume, publicly humiliated in front of everyone. “Someone like this would seriously damage the company’s image. She’s completely unsuitable for this job!” Liam chimed in from the side. “She’s a promiscuous woman, and she even caused the death of my fiancée. How can someone like that be trusted with such an important position?” The interviewer’s face instantly turned ashen, their appreciative gaze wavering. “No, that’s not true!” I tried to explain, but the interviewer no longer wished to hear it. Finally, they just shook their head, looking regretful. “We’re very sorry, Ms. Reed, but we’ll need to reconsider.” I clenched my fists, blood oozing from my palms. I knew what those words meant. Tears I could no longer control spilled down my face as I walked out of the building. Standing under the scorching afternoon sun, I felt utterly cold. I refused to give up, and went to several more well-known tech companies. But in every interview, I noticed strange looks from the interviewers, and ultimately, all my applications were politely rejected. It wasn’t until that evening that I discovered my bunny costume video had gone viral online. All sorts of offensive titles and malicious comments surged towards me like a tide. “Is this woman crazy?” “Disrespectful to her mentors, she deserves to be humiliated and abandoned.” “Doesn’t look like a decent woman.” My phone vibrated ceaselessly with rejection calls from various companies. Even some companies that had previously expressed interest cancelled my interviews. I stared at the overwhelming torrent of insults on my phone screen, listening to the harsh sounds of rejection in my ear, utterly speechless. A rush of hot blood surged to my head, my vision went black, and I passed out completely. When I woke again, I found myself back in the guest room bed at Liam Cross’s mansion. “Summer, you’re awake.” Sophia pushed open the door. Liam followed behind her, holding a bowl of dark herbal soup. Seeing I was awake, a hint of triumph appeared on his face. “Sophia was kind enough to see you collapse on the street, that’s why I brought you back. You should thank her properly.” Thank her? Thank her for pushing me back into this abyss of no return? I just wanted to escape this hellhole quickly. I struggled to get out of bed, but Liam pushed me back down. “Do you really want to leave this house so badly?” “It’s not too late to go after you’ve recovered.” He pointed to the dark, murky soup in the bowl, saying Sophia had personally brewed it for me to help regulate my body. Ignoring my resistance, he pinched my chin and forcibly poured it down my throat. As the soup went down, a strange numbing sensation quickly spread through my limbs. Sophia walked to the bedside, leaning closer. “Sister Summer, just rest well.” Then, in a voice only we two could hear, she whispered in my ear. “Tomorrow, I’ve prepared another big show for you.” An alarm blared in my heart. I wanted to escape. But I found myself unable to move, even my eyelids felt heavy as lead. Soon, I fell into a deep, heavy sleep. The next morning, I was jolted awake by a violent crash as the door burst open. Liam’s eyes were bloodshot, like an enraged lion. He grabbed me off the bed, slammed me onto the floor, and started slapping my face relentlessly. “You wretch! You venomous viper!” He gripped my collar, roaring, his face twisted in a sneer. “My mother… my mother suffocated to death last night! You were the only one home! It must have been you!” I was disoriented from the fall, and the lingering effects of the medicine made my head throb. Professor Sterling… dead? 0 “It wasn’t me…” I weakly protested. “You’re still acting!” Liam slapped my face again, the hatred in his eyes practically devouring me.

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On the day we were supposed to get married at the registry office, my girlfriend Sophia had me kicked out and went in with her childhood sweetheart instead. She looked at me nonchalantly and said, “Lucas’s child needs to be registered. Once we divorce, I’ll marry you.” Everyone thought that I, being so devoted to her, would willingly wait another month for her. After all, I had already waited seven years. But that very night, I accepted my family’s arrangement for an international marriage and disappeared from her world. Three years later, I returned to the country with my wife to pay respects to our ancestors. My wife had some urgent business to attend to, so she asked the local branch of our company to arrange someone to pick me up. Unexpectedly, I ran into Sophia, whom I hadn’t seen in three years. “You’ve played around long enough. It’s time to come back,” she said. “Lucas’s child is about to start kindergarten. You’ll be responsible for dropping her off and picking her up.”

In the arrival hall, I saw someone holding a sign with my English name. As I approached, I was surprised to find it was Sophia, my ex-girlfriend whom I hadn’t seen in three years. She was there with Lucas and a few of our old friends, all craning their necks and looking expectantly towards the gate. “Sophia, isn’t that your doormat, Jack?” one of them said. Sophia, looking surprised to see me, quickly composed herself and said casually, “See? I told you he’d come crawling back.” The group snickered and turned to me. “Jack disappeared without a word back then. Now that he sees Sophia’s doing well, he’s probably been crying himself to sleep every night with regret!” “But Jack, if you wanted to pretend to bump into her, why did you just throw on some casual clothes? Couldn’t you have dressed up a bit?” “Don’t tell me you can’t even afford decent clothes without Sophia? Man, you must be in bad shape!” In the past, whenever I went to meet Sophia, I would always choose my most flattering clothes, presenting my best self to her. But now, there was no need for that anymore. My wife is pregnant, and I need to take care of her, so I dress for comfort. These casual clothes were just something I quickly changed into on the way to drop my wife off at the hospital. Hearing their comments, I realized they only knew my English name and didn’t know that I was the person they were supposed to pick up. Seeing that I remained silent, someone who used to be closer to me tried to smooth things over: “Jack, it’s good that you’re back. Actually, Sophia has been looking for you all these years… asking around for news about you!” Sophia’s smile froze, but she quickly regained her composure and said nonchalantly: “Lucas’s child is about to start kindergarten. From now on, you’ll be responsible for drop-offs and pick-ups.” Sophia was still as arrogant and presumptuous as ever. But I was no longer the boy who always tolerated her behavior. Seeing her again, all I felt was annoyance. Not wanting to waste time with them, I was about to reveal my identity when Lucas spoke up: “Jack, don’t blame Sophia. She’s doing this for your own good. After disappearing for three years, who knows what you’ve been up to?” “Looking at your shabby state now, you couldn’t even handle being her personal assistant if she offered.” “Don’t worry, no one will look down on you for helping me take care of my daughter.” Three years hadn’t changed Lucas; he was still as condescending as ever, still able to make me frown in disgust. Sophia, misinterpreting my expression as jealousy, flashed a hint of smugness in her eyes. “Alright, enough with the fuss. You can’t afford to be picky when you’re down on your luck,” she said. “Just focus on taking care of the child and stop causing trouble. Know your place.” “Don’t worry, we still have a room for assistants at my place.” As soon as she finished speaking, the people around us burst into malicious laughter. “Jack, see how good Sophia is to you? She’s worried you might be suffering out there, so she’s arranged food and lodging for you.” “It’s just helping Lucas with the kid, isn’t that much better than your current miserable life? Hurry up and thank Sophia.” Lucas straightened his clothes and said pompously, “Jack, don’t worry. If my daughter misbehaves, I’ll discipline her myself. I won’t let you suffer any grievances.” Sophia snorted and glanced at me. “What grievances could he have? He disappeared over a trivial matter back then. Now that he can’t make it on his own and has come back, it’s only right that he suffers a bit.” Hearing this, my heart skipped a beat. Even now, she still thought that getting married to Lucas was just a trivial matter? It seems the Sophia who once loved me was long gone. She was no longer the girl who, despite being injured herself, only cared about my wounds. She was no longer the young woman who, with nothing to her name, loudly proclaimed her love for me and promised me everything. And she was certainly not the successful woman who was willing to cook for me with her own hands. But it’s fine. It’s all in the past now, no need to bring it up. After all, I’m about to have a second child with my wife.

Suppressing my thoughts, I didn’t want to argue with them here. It was pointless. I looked at Sophia and said calmly, “Weren’t you here to pick me up? Let’s go.” The scene fell silent for a moment, and then they exchanged glances before bursting into laughter. Lucas sneered coldly, “Wait for you? Who do you think you are?” He pointed at the sign, “Look carefully. We’re waiting for Helina. Do you know who that is?” Of course I knew. It was my English name. “Helina is the husband of the Gu family, the legitimate spouse of CEO Gu,” someone explained. “CEO Gu is a force to be reckoned with in the business world, but she’s also quite the romantic. They say she refused to marry for years, just waiting for Helina.” “Everyone in the circle knows that if you want to get on CEO Gu’s good side, it’s better to please her husband!” Hearing their chatter, a smile of happiness spread across my face. In our three years of marriage, Amelia’s business had grown exponentially, and her reputation as a doting wife had spread just as far. Lucas, always trying to one-up me, couldn’t resist showing off: “To win her husband’s heart, CEO Gu once bid on a ‘True Love Eternal’ watch at Christie’s, worth 20 million… dollars.” “CEO Gu’s husband is the envy of men worldwide.” He paused, then pointed at my wrist and exclaimed, “It’s that one!” The scene suddenly fell silent as everyone looked at my watch. Sophia abruptly grabbed my hand, examined it for a moment, then said mockingly: “It’s quite an exquisite fake! Which delivery guy bought it for you? Giving a counterfeit as a gift, how trashy.” “Garbage.” I yanked my hand away from her, smirking as I gently caressed the watch. Seeing my happy expression, Sophia’s pupils constricted. She suddenly grabbed my wrist again and roughly wiped the watch. I hadn’t expected this to happen and was caught off guard. Lucas stepped forward to examine the watch, taking it from Sophia’s hand to play with. “It is indeed more exquisite than the fake I bought, but I’d never wear it out. It’d be embarrassing.” “The counterfeits abroad are really something else. It feels quite nice.” “Or are you saying, Jack, that you’re Helina? That you’re the legendary husband of CEO Gu?!” With that, the people around burst into laughter. After all, it was too absurd for them to believe. Amelia Gu was a world-renowned financial genius, cold and ruthless in the business world, decisive in her actions. While just three years ago, I was still hanging out with this group, a loser whose wedding was cancelled by Sophia. It seemed impossible no matter how you looked at it. Lucas twirled the watch around his finger. “Jack, let me have this watch. I’ll pay double for it.” Afraid he might drop it, I quickly said, “Give me back the watch. Amelia gave it to me…” Before I could finish, Sophia slapped me so hard that blood appeared at the corner of my mouth. “Shut up!”

Sophia looked at me with some irritation and said, “Jack, you have no right to speak CEO Gu’s name. How dare you spread rumors about having a relationship with her? Are you trying to get me killed?” Sophia’s girlfriends also looked at me with righteous indignation. “Jack, do you know how hard we worked to get this opportunity to pick up CEO Gu’s husband today?” “Sophia’s company was acquired by CEO Gu last year. We all depend on CEO Gu for our livelihoods now. Only by pleasing CEO Gu’s husband can Sophia’s position be secure.” “Now you’re here spreading rumors about having a connection with CEO Gu. Are you trying to ruin Sophia?” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and slowly turned my head, meeting Sophia’s gaze. Perhaps my look was too intimidating, as Sophia frowned, a flash of panic crossing her eyes. Seeing Sophia’s strange look at me, Lucas glared at me venomously, pointing at my nose and cursing, “Jack, you ungrateful bastard. Sophia has already agreed to take you in, don’t you dare be so ungrateful and push your luck.” “Even if you hold a grudge against Sophia, you can’t use this method to get revenge on her.” Hearing this, I felt like I was back three years ago. No matter what I did, Lucas would always misinterpret my intentions and explain them to Sophia. At first, Sophia would scold Lucas. But later, she would follow Lucas’s lead and blame me. Just like now, Sophia scolded me with a tone of disappointment: “Jealous fool.” But this time, she didn’t continue berating me as she used to. After a moment of silence, Sophia took out a check for $200,000 and placed it in front of me. “For old times’ sake, I won’t do anything to you.” “Take the money and buy yourself some decent clothes. If you don’t like taking care of kids, I’ll help you find a respectable job in a few days.” “Don’t worry, since CEO Gu acquired the company, this amount of money is nothing to me now.” Sophia’s patronizing attitude made me sick. Seems like she’s been doing well lately. Under everyone’s surprised gaze, I pushed away Sophia’s hand holding the check, retrieved my watch from Lucas’s hand, and said with a smile: “No need, Ms. Song. I don’t accept things from strangers.”

Ignoring Sophia’s face, which had turned the color of pig liver, I turned to leave. But before I could take a few steps, Sophia grabbed me and coldly questioned: “Jack, you won’t even take my money? What do you mean? I’m a stranger?” I replied: “Since we’ve broken up, it’s better not to have any contact. It might lead to misunderstandings.” I thought of my slightly jealous wife. Sophia, however, glanced at Lucas with a knowing look. “The company is hosting a banquet for CEO Gu in three days. I was planning to bring you along to broaden your horizons.” “But you’ll need to buy some proper clothes, so you don’t embarrass yourself…” Before she could finish, I directly declined: “Really, there’s no need. Thank you.” Hearing my rejection again, Sophia became somewhat annoyed. Her hand, still holding out the check to me, froze in mid-air, her teeth audibly grinding. “Jack, you’ve really grown some backbone. I guess it’s true that poverty breeds insolence.” “If you don’t want to go, then forget it. I’ll take Lucas instead!” Hearing that Sophia wanted to bring him to the banquet, Lucas’s eyes lit up, and he quickly said: “Sophia, I’ll definitely perform well. I won’t embarrass you at all.” Not wanting to entangle with them any further, I turned and strode away, leaving one last sentence: “I hope you’ll still be this confident three days from now.” Quickly leaving the arrival hall and breathing in the fresh air, the nausea in my stomach finally subsided. Three years ago, my family had arranged for me to go abroad for a blind date. Defying my parents’ pressure, I begged my girlfriend of seven years, Sophia, to marry me, planning to present them with a fait accompli. Sophia agreed. But unexpectedly, at the door of the registry office, I not only waited for Sophia but also her longtime crush, Lucas. “Lucas’s child needs to be registered, so I need to marry him first.” “After a month, when we get the divorce certificate, I’ll marry you right away.” “It’s just for the child, don’t overthink it.” Watching Sophia walk into the registry office hand in hand with Lucas, I was completely heartbroken. That night, I flew abroad for the arranged blind date. A month later, I held a wedding and married Amelia. A year later, we had our first child. Recently, Amelia became pregnant with our second child. If it weren’t for accompanying Amelia to pay respects to our ancestors, I wouldn’t have returned to the country at all. Let alone run into Sophia.

Three days later, I dressed casually and arrived alone at the banquet venue. The moment Sophia saw me, her eyes lit up, and a smug smile played on her lips. “You said you wouldn’t come, but your actions speak louder than words.” “But if you want to win me back, you need to at least please me. For an occasion like this, you must dress appropriately to match my status.” I ignored her sudden bout of narcissism and tried to walk past her to my seat. After just a couple of steps, an irritated Sophia grabbed me. “Jack, I’m talking to you. Are you listening?” “Our seats are here. Where are you going?” I shook off her hand and calmly said: “That’s your seat. My seat is over there.” Following my gaze, Sophia looked towards the main table, her face turning extremely unpleasant. Lucas shot me a venomous look and pointed at my watch, shouting: “Jack, how did you sneak in here? Are you here to cause trouble? How… how dare you wear that watch?” His voice was loud, immediately attracting everyone’s attention. “Isn’t that watch the ‘True Love Eternal’ that CEO Gu bought for her husband at a high price? Today is the first time CEO Gu is appearing with her husband. How dare you?” “Did you sneak in? Are you trying to embarrass us in front of CEO Gu?” “Ms. Song, is this your friend?” Seeing that I hadn’t even glanced at her, Sophia tightened her sleeves and said calmly: “No.” Hearing Sophia’s words, Lucas’s expression brightened, and he looked at me haughtily: “Take off the watch and get out!” I looked at him with amusement and sneered: “Are you sure you want me to leave?” Lucas lost face and his eyes turned vicious as he shouted: “Stop pretending! Take off the watch now!” As he said this, he reached out to grab my wrist. I pushed away his approaching hand, stepping back to avoid him. Unexpectedly, someone tripped me from behind. I was stunned by the sudden fall. Lucas stepped on my hand and forcibly yanked the watch off my wrist. “This piece of trash, and you treat it like a treasure.” My arm ached from being stepped on, and my wrist was raw and bleeding. Yet I could only stare blankly at the now broken watch. “Pick him up and throw him out!” Lucas commanded arrogantly. People immediately surrounded me. Seeing them about to grab my arms and legs, I struggled and hurriedly said: “Stop! I’m Amelia’s…” “Slap!” Before I could finish, Lucas slapped me across the face. “Are you going to spread rumors about being CEO Gu’s lover again? You’re not worthy!” Not satisfied, Lucas backhanded me with another slap. I hadn’t planned to settle scores with him on this trip back. Because there was no need. But now, I will definitely make him pay. Sophia crouched in front of me, trying to touch the wound on my wrist, but I instinctively recoiled. She looked at me coldly: “Jack, have you had enough?” “You came here today wearing that watch and dressed like this just because you saw I’ve become successful and can’t let me go, right? You want to make me jealous?” “If you beg me, I’ll agree to take you back.” I let out a cold laugh and looked at her, saying: “Sophia, you’re finished!” Sophia frowned, about to speak, when she noticed the venue had suddenly grown quiet. The guests at the banquet began tidying themselves up and moving towards the main entrance. Sophia quickly pulled me up and whispered: “CEO Gu is here. Behave yourself!” “Don’t worry, Lucas and I are already divorced.” How absurd. I rubbed my hand that was nearly broken from being stepped on, feeling nothing but disgust for the woman in front of me. What does it matter to me whether you’re divorced or not? At that moment, Amelia entered, carrying our daughter, surrounded by a crowd of admirers. Once in the hall, our daughter fussed to be put down from the woman’s arms.

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