My sister is dead. Torn into pieces, flushed down the drain. The police searched for three days and only found a snippet of her pinky finger – Still wearing the strawberry hair tie I gave her for her birthday. No one in our family seemed sad, except for me. Mom made me a strawberry cake, and Dad put an arm around my shoulder, whispering, “Don’t be scared, we’re here for you.” But just a week ago, they’d twisted my hair and cursed me, calling me a “worthless freeloader,” Saying they should have just dumped me somewhere and left me to rot. As the funeral incense burned late into the night, my phone suddenly vibrated. It was a timed message. Sender: My Sister. “Sis, I found out Mom and Dad’s secret, they’re not even—” It poured rain at Lily’s funeral. I stood under a black umbrella, watching the small casket slowly lowered into the earth, and couldn’t stop the tears. It felt like just days ago, Lily and I were playing games together, those moments still so vivid. Now, she was gone, separated by life and death. I wished so badly that this was all a terrible dream. “My deepest condolences,” the relatives recited their platitudes mechanically, like NPCs completing a quest. I turned to look at Mom and Dad standing next to me. Mom wore a black suit, her makeup so perfect it looked like she was going to a gala; Dad stared blankly at the tombstone, his eyes hollow, as if looking at an ordinary rock. There wasn’t a trace of grief on their faces. Ding-dong, my phone buzzed. It was Lily’s timed text message. “Sis, I found out Mom and Dad’s secret, they’re not even—” The message cut off abruptly right there. I felt a chill crawl over me and looked up, only to find Mom and Dad staring intently at me. I stood frozen, afraid to move.

Mom walked over, took my hand, and gave me a dazzling smile: “Don’t be sad, Chloe. When we get home, Mom will make you a strawberry cake, your favorite, remember?” I froze. Strawberry cake? Mom hadn’t made me any desserts since I was ten. She always said sweets would make people stupid, and I needed to keep my mind sharp to get into a good university. Dad, too, was unusually affectionate, putting an arm around my shoulder and softly saying, “Tonight, Dad will play games with you. We can even play all night, no problem.” A shiver ran down my spine. My dad was a stern man. Growing up, the most common phrase he ever said to me was “Go study.” He even threw my secretly bought game console out of the window when I was in middle school, shattering it. On the way home, I sat in the backseat, looking at Mom and Dad’s backs in the front, feeling an indescribable creepiness. They were acting too strangely today, so strangely… they didn’t seem like themselves. A week ago, they were pointing fingers at me and yelling: “You good-for-nothing! If you don’t get into a good university, get out! If we hadn’t had to raise you, we’d be living in a mansion by now!” And now, they were being so kind it sent shivers down my spine.

Back home, Mom really started making the strawberry cake. I stood at the kitchen doorway, watching her hum a tune as she stirred the batter, my hands trembling involuntarily. “Mom, aren’t you sad? Lily… she was buried today,” I cautiously asked. Mom paused her movements for a second, then turned her head, her face still wearing that unnatural smile: “Sad about what? She just went ahead of us, that’s all. Come, taste this cream, is it sweet enough?” She held out a spoon with cream on it towards my mouth, her eyes disturbingly eager. I instinctively took a step back. “I’m not hungry yet… I’ll just go back to my room first.” I practically fled upstairs, only to bump into Dad at the staircase landing. In his hand was the Candyland board game I loved to play when I was little – he’d thrown that game into the trash when I was eight because he said it would distract me from studying. “How about we play this tonight?” Dad’s voice was unfamiliar in its tenderness, “Just like when you were a kid.” My heart was pounding hard. Something was wrong, everything was wrong. I forced a nod, hurried into my room, locked the door, and leaned against it, gasping for breath.

It was too bizarre. What was going on with Mom and Dad? And that text message from Lily, Mom and Dad’s secret, what could it be? That sentence, “they’re not even—” Not even what? A pile of mysteries swirled around me, making me toss and turn, unable to sleep. When the clock struck 1:17 AM, I couldn’t take it anymore. I carefully slipped out from under my covers, planning to go to Lily’s room to see if I could find any clues. The hallway was pitch black. I crept along the wall, holding my breath as I passed Mom and Dad’s room. No light seeped from under their door, and I could hear their steady breathing, so they must have been asleep. Lily’s room was at the end of the hallway. A thin layer of dust had settled on the doorknob; no one had gone in since the funeral. When I turned the knob, the metal made a faint scratching sound, piercingly loud in the silence. “Lily, it’s me…” I whispered, as if she could still hear me. The room remained exactly as Lily had left it that day. The bed was neatly made, and her unfinished math homework was spread out on her desk. I opened the drawer of her nightstand and my fingers brushed against a hardcover notebook – Lily’s diary. I opened to the first page, dated three months ago. “May 12th, Sunny. Saw that man in black again after school today. He was standing under the sycamore tree by the school gate, wearing sunglasses, but I could feel him watching me. This is the third time…” A man in black? Lily had never mentioned this. Could he have killed her? I flipped to the next page. “May 15th, Cloudy. I told Mom and Dad someone was following me, but they just said I was imagining things. But tonight, when I got up to use the restroom, I saw the kitchen light on. Dad was standing there… What was he eating? Something red, dripping liquid… I quietly slipped back to my room, pretending I hadn’t seen anything.” A shiver ran down my back. I remembered a metallic smell in the kitchen that morning. Mom had said she accidentally cut her finger. The next few pages were torn out. I quickly flipped through until I saw the entry from a week ago. “June 3rd, Rainy. I know. They’re not human. Last night, I pretended to be asleep and heard strange noises coming from their room. I peeked through the keyhole… Oh my god, what was that? Dad’s face… melting like wax and reforming… Mom said, ‘There’s not much time left, we can’t show any flaws.’ What are they talking about? Tomorrow, I need to ask Chloe for help…” Reading this, my throat tightened, and my fingertips went cold. Mom and Dad weren’t human. Then what were these things I’d been living with for the past few days? Monsters? Why were they being so nice to me now? I trembled as I turned to the last page. There were only a few shaky lines, as if written in a hurry: “If you see this, the rules are still in effect. Remember these three, and never break them, no matter what happens: 1. After midnight, if ‘Mom and Dad’ come to tell you to go to sleep, do not look at their feet. If they are standing side-by-side in black slippers, immediately close your eyes and count to 100. Those are not the real Mom and Dad. 2. Every morning, you must check the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. If you find meat wrapped in red cling film, immediately sprinkle salt on it and then tell Mom, ‘Today’s milk is spoiled.’ Do not ask where the meat came from. 3. The family photo in the living room must always show 4 people. If it turns into 3 or 5, find the person who is extra or missing from the photo before sunset.” Just as I was about to look for other clues, a faint sound suddenly came from behind me.

Click. I slammed the diary shut and spun around to face the door. I had locked it just moments ago, but now it was ajar. “Chloe?” Mom’s voice drifted from outside, impossibly soft, “What are you doing in Lily’s room so late?” My heart pounded like a drum. I slowly looked up and saw Mom and Dad standing in the doorway. Mom wore a white nightgown, Dad blue striped pajamas. Their faces looked eerily pale in the dim light of the hallway lamp. “I… I just…” My voice caught in my throat. My gaze uncontrollably dropped downwards – two pairs of black slippers, standing side-by-side on the threshold, toes pointing directly at me. The diary slipped from my trembling hand. “It’s time for bed, Chloe.” Dad said, his lips stretched into an arc, but his eyes held no trace of a smile, “You have school tomorrow.” They both took a step forward simultaneously, their movements so synchronized it was like they were one person. I suddenly noticed that their eyelids didn’t blink, and their chests didn’t rise and fall with breath. The first rule from the diary flashed in my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut and began counting silently in my head: 1, 2, 3… “Chloe.” Mom’s voice was suddenly right beside me. I smelled a strange, metallic sweetness, “Why aren’t you looking at Mom?” Icy fingers brushed my cheek, sticky and cold. I gritted my teeth and continued counting: …54, 55, 56… “She found out.” Dad’s voice came from the other direction, his tone as flat as if discussing the weather, “Should we start over?” “Not yet,” Mom’s reply carried a strange, eerie laugh, “Let’s wait a bit longer.” My counting was interrupted. I opened my eyes just a slit – and saw their feet. Above the black slippers, their pale ankles each had a ring of stitches, looking like they’d been severed and sewn back on. “Go back to your room, Chloe.” They said in unison, their voices resonating eerily in the air, “Now.” I stumbled out of the room, my heart threatening to burst through my chest. The hallway walls seemed to breathe, and a family photo in the darkness seemed to watch me. I instinctively glanced at the closest one – in the photo, Lily stood on the far end, and where I should be, there was a blurry, unrecognizable figure. After rushing into my own room and locking the door, I slid to the floor, my back against the door. Lily was dead. I had to survive.

That night, I slept restlessly, constantly feeling like someone was watching me in the dark. Early in the morning, a series of knocks woke me from my sleep. Thump. Thump. Thump. “Chloe? Breakfast is ready.” Mom’s voice came through the door, “Mom made your favorite omelet.” I stared at the doorknob, hesitating whether to open the door. Last night’s experience felt like a nightmare, but the crumpled diary page in my pocket proved it wasn’t an illusion. “Coming!” I tried to make my voice sound normal, while quickly stuffing the diary page under my bedsheet. The moment I pushed the door open, a sweet aroma wafted towards me. Mom stood in the hallway, wearing a sunflower-print apron, smiling at me. Sunlight slanted in from the window behind her, casting a golden glow around her, making it look like an ordinary morning. If only I hadn’t noticed the unnatural angle of her left pinky finger – that finger had been perfectly fine yesterday. “Hurry and get ready.” She reached out to touch my head, but I instinctively tilted my head away. Her smile froze for a second, then quickly returned, “What’s wrong? Not feeling well?” “No, I’m fine, just… didn’t sleep well.” I lowered my head and squeezed past her, deliberately avoiding physical contact. In the kitchen, two omelets steamed on gold-rimmed white porcelain plates. I stared at them, suddenly remembering the second rule from the diary. While Mom turned to pour milk, I quickly pulled open the bottom shelf of the refrigerator— Red cling film, like a block of solidified blood under the cold light. Something on the surface of the irregularly wrapped meat glinted faintly. I leaned in closer and almost screamed: it was a half-missing fingernail embedded in the meat.

“What are you looking for?” Mom’s voice suddenly exploded in my ear. I slammed the refrigerator door shut and bumped into her shoulder as I turned around. “I… I wanted to get some ketchup…” My voice was trembling. Mom tilted her head, watching me, her pupils an unnatural gray in the sunlight. She slowly held up the glass of milk in her hand: “Drink your milk first. Fresh milk today.” The second rule from the diary flashed in my mind: If you find meat wrapped in red cling film, tell Mom, “Today’s milk is spoiled.” “Today’s milk… is spoiled.” I struggled to force out the words. Mom’s lips twitched. For a moment, her entire face distorted like a TV screen with bad reception, then it snapped back to normal. “How can that be?” She placed the milk glass in front of me, some milky white residue floating on the surface of the liquid, “Dad just bought it.” I stared at the glass, my stomach churning with nausea. Across the dining table, Lily’s seat was empty, but the tableware was neatly set, as if waiting for her to sit down at any moment. “I need to use the restroom!” I pushed my chair back and dashed towards the hallway. Behind me, Dad called out: “Eat it while it’s hot, Chloe.” As soon as the bathroom door locked, I stuck my fingers down my throat to try and gag. Even though I hadn’t eaten anything, the violent retching made me feel a little better. When I looked up, I noticed finger marks on the mirror. Leaning closer, I saw three shaky words: “Look at the photo.”

The family photo in the living room. The third rule from the diary. I wiped the saliva from my mouth and tiptoed through the hallway. The living room was eerily quiet, sunlight filtering through the sheer curtains, casting dappled shadows on the floor. The huge family photo hung above the TV: four people – Dad, Mom, me, and Lily – all smiling brightly in the picture. I counted: 1, 2, 3, 4. The number was correct. Just as I let out a sigh of relief, I caught a glimpse of something moving at the edge of the photo. Focusing my eyes, I saw that “my” face in the picture was slowly blurring. It wasn’t fading, but rather like an invisible eraser was wiping it away, bit by bit. Even more terrifying, Lily, who had been smiling on the far edge, was slowly shifting towards the center, filling the blank space left by “my” disappearance. In the blink of an eye, there were only three people left in the photo. My knees went weak, and I had to lean against the wall for support. Just then, the sound of porcelain shattering came from the kitchen. I quickly ran out, “What happened?” “Nothing, your mom just accidentally dropped a plate. No worries, sometimes a little breakage can clear the way for good things, right?” Dad said, setting muffins on the table, his face perfectly serene. It was too bizarre. Before, if I just used a little too much dish soap when washing dishes, Dad would yell at me, saying I was trying to poison the family and kill everyone. Now, he wasn’t even angry about a broken plate. As the muffins were placed on the table, I noticed Dad’s hands – long, clean, without a single wrinkle or blemish. This wasn’t right. Dad should be fifty-two this year, but these hands looked no older than thirty. “Is it not good?” Dad asked. “It’s nothing.” I lowered my head, cutting a muffin, “It’s just… you’ve both been so nice to me lately.” Mom and Dad exchanged a look. I’d seen that look too many times – like a silent conversation, a code I didn’t understand. “We’ve always loved you, Chloe.” Mom said, her hand covering mine, “We’ve just… learned to express it better lately.” Dad echoed her, “That’s right, Chloe, Mom and Dad are the best in the world to you.” Bang, bang, bang, a violent knocking at the front door interrupted our conversation.

��I’ll get it,” I started to stand up, but Mom’s hand suddenly clamped onto my wrist, her grip so strong it hurt. Her expression turned unusually serious, her lips barely moving: “He’s here.” “Who?” “Him.” Dad repeated, his eyes wide with apparent fear, “The one you created.” An icy chill crept up from my feet. The one I created? The floodgates of memory swung open. The novel I wrote a month ago, the serial killer character I named Caleb. The person outside seemed to have tired of knocking and stopped. Just as I let out a breath of relief, the sound of a hammer smashing the door exploded through the quiet house. I jumped, nearly knocking over my orange juice. Mom and Dad’s expressions froze. Mom’s hand was still gripping my wrist, but its warmth was rapidly draining away. “Don’t open the door.” Dad said, his voice suddenly mechanical, “Remember, this isn’t real.” The doorbell rang again, three sharp, urgent rings, like a warning. I tore myself free from Mom’s hand and walked towards the foyer. Through the peephole, a tall figure stood on the porch, a black trench coat, holding something – a toolbox? I squinted, adjusting the angle to try and see his face. In that second, he looked up. Bloodshot eyes stared directly into the peephole, as if he could see me through that tiny hole. A crescent-shaped scar above his right eyebrow – exactly as I’d described it in my novel. My breath hitched, blood roaring in my ears. “I know you’re in there, little writer.” His voice was low and pleasant, “Are your parents doing well? I’d very much like to meet you.” I stumbled backward, bumping into something hard. Turning, I saw Dad – no, not Dad. This person’s features looked like they were made of wax, slowly melting in high heat, only two black holes where his eyes should be. “Wake up.” The wax-like Dad said, his voice coming from a distant place, “You are sleeping. The real us… we’re not like this.” Behind me, I heard the lock turning on the front door. I looked back and saw the doorknob slowly pressing down on its own. “Run!” Mom’s voice suddenly shrieked from the kitchen, sharp and inhuman, “Upstairs! Lock the door!” My legs finally found their sensation, and I dashed for the stairs. In the mirror in the upstairs hallway, I saw the front door open, and the corner of a black trench coat flash. Then, the mirror suddenly cracked, and at the center of the spiderweb-like fractures, a line of blood-red text appeared: “Final rule: Escape the novel world.”

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Once again, I was beaten bloody by my unpredictable wife, Gwen. As I lay there, on the verge of being beaten to death, my adopted daughter didn’t shield me as she usually did. Instead, she sat nearby, casually counting money with a smirk on her face. It was the money I had saved for a house, penny by penny, from sweeping streets and collecting garbage. “Mom, don’t kill him yet,” she said. “While it’s still dark, let’s dump him on the road. If this cripple gets run over by a car, we might be able to scam some money.” The mother and daughter dragged me by my crippled right leg and threw me onto the road. As I lay dying, I desperately tried to crawl away. But my father, George, and my brother, William, came and dragged me back to the middle of the road. Through my blurry vision, I saw my adopted daughter hugging my father and brother, unable to contain her laughter. “Dad, once the cripple is dead, we can finally acknowledge our true relationship!” I widened my eyes in disbelief. Could it be that the abandoned child I had raised with such difficulty was actually the illegitimate daughter of one of them? Before I could understand the truth, a speeding truck ran me over. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day I found my adopted daughter.

“Waa! Waa!” The familiar cry of an infant felt like a blunt knife scraping against my nerves. I coldly looked towards the bundle in the corner. In my previous life, I had picked up this ungrateful child because I felt sorry for her. To buy her formula, I walked 10 miles to the city. Because she wanted pizza, I worked through a three-day fever with my body shaking from chills. When she had diarrhea, I carried her through flood waters to the hospital. I slipped and broke my right leg, leaving me with a lifelong limp, but I had no regrets. I raised her with countless drops of blood and sweat. In the end, she pushed me into hell with her own hands. I stared at the bundle in the corner of the alley, my nails digging deep into my palms, almost drawing blood. Resisting the urge to strangle the little ingrate, I quickly ran back home with my backpack. I took a bite of the hard bread. Even though it scratched my throat, it tasted sweeter than honey. In this life, I hadn’t yet been hit by Gwen with a beer bottle, losing three teeth. I wouldn’t speak with a lisp or spill food while eating porridge. My elbow hadn’t been shattered, causing my hand to shake uncontrollably when holding things. My right leg was fine too. I wouldn’t have to crawl like a dog, dragging a crippled leg to pick up fallen bread from the ground. “Creak!” The door to the west room opened, and William came out rubbing his eyes. Seeing me eating, his eyes immediately widened. His voice rose, “Brother! How come you’ve come back empty-handed!” I slowly and deliberately spread a generous amount of lard on the bread. Life in the countryside was hard. I never dared to eat such good things as lard, saving it all for William and our father, George. All because of our grandfather’s instructions. He said that my father and brother had always been weak, and as the eldest grandson, I should take care of them more. So I worked like a tireless ox. In the countryside, I rushed to do all the dirty and tiring work for George and William. Under the scorching sun, I went to dry grain and weed for William. At night, I forced my aching back to carry manure for George. My hands were always covered in blisters. I was grateful if I could sleep four or five hours a day. I was always afraid they might catch a cold or get sick from the wind and rain. But in return, I was schemed against for a lifetime. I tilted my head back and took a big bite of the lard-covered bread. The rich oily fragrance slid down my dry throat. “I just went out to weed, of course I came back empty-handed,” I said, glancing at him inconspicuously and sneering. “What, did you expect me to bring back something dirty and unsavory? I can’t do that kind of profiteering!” William frowned angrily, rushed out, pulling back the curtain. There was a “clang” from the yard. William had kicked over the vegetable washing basin, shouting for dad.

George and William whispered for a while. Then they hurriedly left the house. Not long after, they started shouting dramatically in the yard. “Oh my! Whose child is this?” My father held the bundle with a pitying look. “Oh, poor baby! How could you be abandoned here?” He heard my footsteps and immediately turned to look at me. His eyes were so “kind” and “righteous” that he looked like a saint incarnate. “Lucas, come quick and see how pitiful this child is. We can’t just stand by and do nothing!” George rushed over in three quick steps and tried to shove the bundle into my arms, muttering, “Hurry and take the child to the village clinic.” “I don’t know how long this child has been abandoned. I see hoof prints on its body. Quick, go check if there’s anything wrong.” I glanced down. The bastard child born of an affair. Its face was purple-red, its cries weak, as if it might die at any moment. I desperately suppressed the cold laughter in my heart. In my previous life, George had persuaded me with this “saintly” face. He earnestly persuaded me to give up my chance to return to the city. To be stuck in this backwater village for a lifetime. For this bastard child, born of either him or William with some loose woman. My whole life was ruined! I suddenly stepped back, avoiding his hand, and spoke calmly. “Dad, my bones ache all over. I don’t want to go out.” George’s face immediately changed. “Lucas! How can you be so heartless?” he said, gritting his teeth and suppressing his anger, as if I were some unfilial son. “This child will die if no one takes care of it! Can you bear that?” “How have I taught you all this time? You must have a conscience in everything you do.” “Good deeds will be rewarded, and turning a blind eye to someone in need will have consequences!” William quickly joined in, pretending to persuade me. “Brother, don’t you always say you’re tired? Just bear with it for a bit. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda…” Ha! So he knew I was exhausted every day from working for him? I looked at George and William’s hypocritical, self-righteous faces and suddenly laughed. “Brother, you’re so kind. Why don’t you take the child to the clinic yourself?” “The money is in the drawer. You can’t just stand by and do nothing.” “I’m aching all over from working for you. If I faint while carrying the child and accidentally drop it, now that would really be a sin!” The cries of the little bastard in the bundle were growing weaker. My father and brother glared at me. They looked like they wanted to devour me alive. My father’s face turned iron-gray, his fingers tightly pinching the bundle. As if he wanted to strangle the child inside. William panicked too, like a chicken with its throat squeezed. “Brother! What are you saying! Dad’s old, and I’ve always been weak. How could we handle the back and forth?” I clenched my fists and leaned against the doorframe, sneering. “We’re all born of the same parents. So I’m the only one with thick skin and a cheap life, is that it?” “All the dirty and tiring work has always fallen to me.” “You two get to be kind-hearted living Buddhas, while I’m destined to be a beast of burden?” George trembled with anger. All traces of kindness and civility had vanished. He looked like he wanted to tear me apart. “Lucas Young! You ungrateful wretch!” “Do you think you can start complaining now that you might get to return to the city?” “If you don’t take care of this child today, I’ll go around the village shouting, let everyone know you turned a blind eye to someone in need!” I stared at him and spoke slowly and deliberately. “Do whatever you want.” This life, no one will use “conscience” to pressure me again!

In my previous life, I listened to their devilish words. I took that little bastard to the clinic. Right after, I was pointed at and gossiped about. They spread rumors that I, a young man, was suddenly carrying a child for no reason. It was almost certain that the child was mine, born of an affair with some woman. George and William spread rumors about me everywhere. It was just when they were selecting young people to return to the city. A young person’s moral conduct was an especially important selection criterion. Because of these baseless rumors, my chance to return to the city was revoked. This time, I absolutely won’t have anything to do with that little bastard! Unexpectedly, though I didn’t look for trouble, trouble found me. Just as I was packing to return to the city, the yard gate was suddenly kicked open from outside. Gwen stood at the door holding the blood-covered little bastard, cursing loudly. “Lucas Young! You shameless scoundrel!” “You sweet-talked me into bed and got me pregnant!” “Now you want to go back to the city, so you abandoned your son, not caring if he lives or dies. How can you be so vicious!” My blood instantly froze. In my previous life, it was this crazy woman who made me live worse than death for twenty years! I walked out of the house. Half the village had already gathered at the door. Gwen, who had beaten me for half my life, stood guarding the door, cursing loudly. Back then, because I adopted that bastard, my reputation was ruined and I couldn’t return to the city. George decided to have me marry Gwen, a widow in the village who was over ten years older than me. I didn’t want to. George acted like the family patriarch. He said with my reputation as a scoundrel, I couldn’t marry a girl from a decent family anymore. Marrying Gwen would at least give the child a mother, so he wouldn’t be bullied as a single parent child. He tol a singled me not to only think of myself, but to the child’s welfare. Later he simply sent the bride price to Gwen on his own. He forced me to marry Gwen. Although Gwen was older, she treated the child I had adopted very well, like a real mother! As time passed, I resigned myself to my fate. I planned to settle down, raise the child, and live my life with Gwen. Just because I helped a young widow whose husband had died young carry two bags of grain while she was pregnant with her late husband’s child, I was beaten. Gwen dragged me to the yard, grabbed my hair and smashed my head against the millstone. In front of the neighbors, she cursed and spat at me. “Lucas Young, you’re really shameless! I didn’t look down on you for being a scoundrel when I married into your family!” “You ungrateful bastard! You dare to steal women from me! Is that little slut pregnant with your child?” Faced with Gwen’s hysterical behavior… I desperately tried to explain that I just saw someone in need and wanted to help, as we’re all neighbors. But she didn’t believe me at all. She insisted I couldn’t change my scoundrel ways, that I was seducing young wives! She even picked up a stick and beat my right leg, crippling me for life. Not a single relative or neighbor was willing to help. They despised me even more for being no good. I had been unfaithful before marriage, having an illegitimate child with some loose woman. After marriage, I still wasn’t an upright person. They all felt that a dirty scoundrel like me who fooled around deserved to be beaten. At the time, George and William were watching from the side. Neither of them came to pull Gwen away. At the time, I thought they were just scared by the crazed Gwen. I was even afraid my blood would splatter on them. Now that I think about it, it’s really laughable. Every time George and William came to see me, Gwen would find an excuse to beat me viciously. Whenever I really couldn’t take it anymore and wanted to divorce Gwen, George and William would always persuade me: “For the sake of how good she is to the child, just endure it. It’ll get better with time. The child can’t be without a mother!” I believed these words, swallowed my tears and pain, gritted my teeth, and continued living with Gwen. As my adopted daughter grew up, she looked more and more like Gwen, but I didn’t think much of it. I just thought that after being raised for so long, it was natural for a child to resemble their adoptive parents. I thought it was because the child was close to her parents.

Gwen’s ability to turn black into white… Made me suffer for a lifetime. I didn’t expect that in this life, she would directly throw mud at me. The villagers watching couldn’t help but point at me and criticize. Their spit nearly drowned me. “Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. This man’s heart is really vicious!” “The child was crying and almost dying at the clinic, yet he still has the nerve to pack his bags!” “Ptui! Scoundrel! You deserve to be condemned!” “I just heard at the clinic that this child’s ears were trampled deaf by either sheep or donkey hooves. Who knows if his brain was damaged too!” “To have such a father, what terrible luck!” The accusations from all sides made my head buzz. Memories of a lifetime of being unable to hold my head high, always inferior to others, flooded back. I tasted blood in my throat. The words “scoundrel” and “scum” kept drilling into my brain. George rushed over and slapped me hard across the face. He still smelled of the clean soap I had risked my life to buy for him, working in the mountains breaking rocks and pulling carts like a donkey. He pointed at my face and cursed righteously. “How could I have given birth to such a shameless son!” Blood dripped from my split lip onto the snow. My face stung and burned. George leaned back, as if he had suffered a great injustice. “It’s all my fault as a father for not teaching you well. How could you do such a despicable thing!” “Our Young family has been upright for generations. Now we can’t even face our ancestors underground!” The uncles and aunts tried to persuade him. “You can’t control grown children! How can you watch over him all the time!” “When a boy grows up, if he wants to fool around, how can you as a father stop him? You can’t tie him to your waist.” William quickly chimed in, adding fuel to the fire. “Brother, even if you really want to return to the city, you can’t mistreat the child like this!” “I’ve always told you to be upright and responsible, but you just wouldn’t listen…” The corner of a brand new dress shirt peeked out from under his coat. It was the shirt I had exchanged thirty work points for, just so I could return to the city looking presentable. He had stolen it and was wearing it himself. But never mind, I stole something of his too! William deliberately lifted the blanket, exposing the child’s festering ears. The crowd instantly exploded. Several strong men looked like they wanted to beat me with sticks. Someone spat in my face. I immediately dropped to the ground and started rolling around. Like a mad dog, I bit anyone who tried to pull me away. “Gwen! You say I had an affair with you! What proof do you have?” Gwen snorted coldly and pulled out a pair of men’s underwear from her labor reform cloth bag. “You scoundrel! Do you dare say these aren’t yours!” “And you have a birthmark on your left buttock!” The crowd’s curses became even more vicious. The village chief was so angry he stamped his feet. “You’ve completely ruined our village’s reputation! You still want to return to the city? Keep dreaming!” “We’d rather give the spot to William than to scum like you!” The smiles on William and George’s faces were barely concealed. I got up from the ground, wiped the blood from my face. I tore open the pocket of my clothes and took something out, holding it up. “What a coincidence, I have some evidence too.”

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My sister Emily is dead. Someone threw her into a den of beggars, where she was abused to death by more than a dozen vagrants. The person responsible for this is Olivia Johnson, the wife of Alexander Thompson. All because my sister accidentally overheard one of her secrets. Before marrying Alexander, Olivia had an illegitimate child with another man. My sister begged Olivia on her knees, pleading that she had no parents and only a younger sister still in school who needed care. She even offered to have her tongue cut out if it meant sparing her life. But Olivia still had her dragged away. I clutched the friendship bracelet in my palm tightly. Sisters united, we were. Our family was poor, and our parents passed away early. Emily became a hostess at a high-end nightclub, using the money she earned to support my education and raise me. She always held me close and said, “Don’t be afraid, Lily. Your big sister will always protect you.” Now my world has crumbled. I’ve lost my sister. And I’ve come to hate Olivia Johnson. I’m planning my revenge. Olivia made me lose the person I loved most, so I’ll make her lose the person she loves most. Of course, the person Olivia loves most is her husband, Alexander Thompson! If she loses him, she’ll probably go insane. The thought alone excites me. I picked up a photo of Alexander Thompson. In Oceanville, Thompson Corp has always been the dominant force. In the picture, Alexander looks young and handsome. His status, power, and position make him particularly charming and alluring. The key is, he’s also a good husband. Married for three years, he an he and Olivia have been deeply in love, with no other women on the side. I laughed out loud. Is that really true? I gently traced Alexander’s handsome face in the photo. Olivia, what do you think? If I try to seduce your husband, will he take the bait?

I entered the Thompson mansion, becoming one of their maids. In the evening, I went to Alexander and Olivia’s master bedroom to make their bed. Just then, two bright headlights shone through the sparkling floor-to-ceiling windows. I knew Alexander was back. I reached out to turn off the wall lamp in the room. As darkness fell, I heard a “click” – the door was pushed open. Alexander had returned. He walked over and suddenly embraced me from behind. The man had been drinking. His slightly tipsy voice was low, mellow, and magnetic as he softly called out right next to my ear, “Honey~” I wanted to laugh. What a good husband indeed! But then, what about my sister’s life? I squirmed a little, my delicate body wriggling in his arms like a small water snake. Alexander’s large hand fell on my waist and pinched it, saying with a hint of confusion, “Why is your waist so slim today? So thin and soft.” I heard his breathing quicken. Soon, his hand slipped under the hem of my clothes, kneading gently as he said in a husky voice, “So big~” I smirked inwardly. Do you like it, Alexander? Years ago, when my sister and I went to Heavenly Paradise, Madame Rose had her eye on me immediately. With my delicate figure, slim waist, and ample bosom, she said I was blessed by the heavens, born to please men. If I was willing, the position of the top hostess at Heavenly Paradise would be mine. It was my sister who protected me. She corrected Madame Rose, saying that her little Lily was meant for studying, destined to live an upright life. I knew I was alluring. In college, those rich kids and campus heartthrobs would follow me with just a crook of my finger. Sister, I don’t want to live an upright life anymore. I just want to drag them all to hell with me! Alexander’s body was pressed tightly against mine. I could feel his scorching body heat and the iron-hard thing in his pants. I immediately began my performance. I struggled to turn around, my hands pressing against his chest as I called out timidly, “Sir, please don’t!” Hearing my voice, Alexander froze. “Who are you?” I reached out and turned on the wall lamp with a “click.” My watery eyes, like those of a startled fawn, looked up at him. “Sir, you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not your wife. I’m Lily, the maid here!” Alexander stared at my face, frozen in place. Just then, “click, click, click,” the sound of Olivia’s high heels suddenly echoed from outside.

Olivia was coming! I was truly excited, but my doe-like eyes were filled with panic. My small hands pushed against Alexander’s arms. “The madam is coming, sir. Please remove your hand…” Only then did Alexander realize his hand was still inside my clothes, cupping my soft, ample flesh. He quickly withdrew his hand. “I’m sorry, I thought you were my wife.” As he said this, he turned to leave. But I grabbed his arm, continuing to feign panic. “The madam doesn’t allow us maids to get close to you, sir. If she sees us alone together, she’ll surely be angry. What should we do now?” Soon, with a “click,” the door opened and Olivia walked in. Olivia was a beautiful woman with red lips and curly hair. She looked up and saw Alexander sitting at the desk. She curved her red lips into a sweet smile and said, “Honey, you’re back?” Olivia only saw her husband sitting in the chair. She certainly couldn’t see where I was at that moment. Earlier, I had pulled Alexander over, made him sit down, and then I crawled under the desk. The space under the desk was too narrow. Alexander’s long legs, wrapped in black trousers, were spread apart, and I was crouching between them. Alexander lowered his handsome gaze to look at me. I tilted up my exquisitely beautiful face, looking back at him with incredibly innocent, pure eyes. I shook my head pitifully at him, begging him not to expose me. I knew this look of mine was the most alluring – a mix of purity and seduction that was irresistible to men. Sure enough, Alexander played along. He nodded at Olivia, “Honey, I just got back.” Olivia didn’t come closer. Instead, she opened a package containing a sexy lingerie set. She held it against herself, looking at Alexander provocatively. “Honey, do you like it?” Alexander raised his head to look at Olivia. I knew Olivia was quite experienced. Before marrying Alexander, she had dated several well-endowed, skilled lovers and even got pregnant, giving birth to a son. Later, when the Thompson and Johnson families arranged their marriage, those boyfriends and her illegitimate child were all “taken care of.” How much blood was shed for this marriage of hers? I curved my red lips. Olivia might be experienced, but wasn’t I too? Alexander’s crotch was right in front of me, its outline clear and massive. To be fair, Alexander was even younger and more handsome than in his photos. He was well-endowed, making Olivia’s ex-boyfriends pale in comparison. No wonder she, a former wild girl, was now so devoted to him. I immediately pretended to accidentally bring my small face close to him. My innocent, soft face, looking almost childlike, barely touched the man’s swollen black trousers. Through the thin fabric, I exhaled softly. This kind of teasing – what man could resist it? Alexander tensed up. I saw that part of him grow even larger. Soon, I heard him say to Olivia, “I like it.” The words “I like it” were said extremely perfunctorily. After saying this, his gaze fell on my face. I knew I had succeeded. I had drawn his attention away from Olivia. I played innocent, my doe eyes darting around in fear, my small face quickly retreating. But as I pulled back, my red lips “accidentally” brushed against him. Alexander shuddered. I was overjoyed inside. Alexander, how does it feel to be unfaithful with me? Olivia, oblivious, said happily, “Honey, then I’ll go take a shower and put it on for you to see.” Alexander’s voice was very hoarse. “Okay.” Olivia walked towards the bathroom. I felt a bit urgent. How could we let Olivia leave like this? She should come and see what her good husband was hiding between his legs, see how her good husband was trembling with excitement for another woman. That would be truly thrilling. I deliberately knocked my hand against the table, making a “thud” sound. Olivia’s footsteps immediately stopped at the bathroom door, her sharp eyes darting towards where I was.

Olivia quickly turned back. “Honey, what was that sound?” Hidden under the desk, I saw Olivia’s diamond-studded stilettos approaching step by step. My eyes gleamed with excitement. Thump. Alexander deliberately knocked some files off the table, then bent down to pick them up. “It’s nothing, just some files falling.” Olivia walked over. She was wearing a red dress and leaned against Alexander. She noticed the swollen area on Alexander and reached out with her small hand, painted with bright red nail polish, to stroke it from top to bottom. “Honey, why are you so excited already?” I wanted to hear what Alexander would say. Alexander looked at Olivia. “Baby, it’s all because that nightgown was too sexy. I’m already captivated by you.” Hah. I laughed inwardly. Men’s mouths, full of lies. But I was laughing on the inside. The one who actually laughed out loud was Olivia. She laughed with joy and rewarded Alexander with a kiss on his thin lips. “Wait for me, honey~” Olivia entered the bathroom. I didn’t stop Olivia. The noise I made earlier was just to tease her. This was only the beginning; I’d let her see even more exciting things later. Alexander immediately stood up, distancing himself from me. I stood up as well. Alexander turned his back to me, his handsome figure taut with annoyance. “Get out! Don’t ever come into this…” Before he could finish saying “room,” I had already turned and run away. Alexander watched my figure, running like a little rabbit, and smiled a bit helplessly. … That night, Alexander, fresh from the shower and wearing a black silk robe, leaned against the headboard. Olivia, wearing that sexy lingerie, straddled his muscular waist. The atmosphere was intimate. Olivia wiggled a bit, her eyes seductive. “Honey, do I look good?” Alexander’s desire had reached its peak. His clean, long hands gripped Olivia’s waist. Soon, he let out a meaningful chuckle. “Honey, have you gained weight recently?” Olivia pouted her red lips. “No, I haven’t.” Alexander’s hand slipped under her clothes. Olivia was also well-endowed, but Alexander had touched better today. He narrowed his eyes and applied some force. Olivia felt like he was on drugs tonight. She melted like water on top of him, moaning softly, “Ah, it hurts. Be gentle, honey~” Alexander’s eyes, full of desire, stared at her. “Would being gentle satisfy you?” Olivia kissed his thin lips. Alexander’s hand fell on her shoulder, pushing her down, indicating he wanted her to pleasure him. Olivia gave him a coquettish look, then buried her head… The room was full of spring passion. What they didn’t know was that at this moment, a pair of eyes was peeking through the door crack. This person was me. I stood outside, watching this live erotic show, watching Alexander touch Olivia with the hands that had just touched me. Alexander, are you comparing my body to Olivia’s in your mind? Do you prefer me? Now, are you imagining Olivia as me? I clutched the friendship bracelet tightly in my hand. You two are so loving and intimate, but did you hear my sister’s heart-wrenching cries that night? I went to see my sister for the last time. Her body was tortured beyond recognition, covered in cigarette burn scars, her body broken. Madame Rose told me to accept my fate, saying that in your eyes, our lives were as worthless as grass. I refuse to accept this fate! If heaven is unjust, then I will become the devil rising from hell. Evil will be met with evil! Alexander, Olivia, let the game begin! … The next morning. I was working in the living room when Olivia stormed in with a group of people. “Catch Lily!” Two maids grabbed me, one on each side. I was startled and looked at Olivia fearfully. “Madam, what have I done wrong?” Olivia looked down at me coldly and sneered, “Lily, I’ve seen many women try to seduce my husband. Did you think you could get away with it right under my nose?” My heart skipped a beat. Had I been exposed before the game even began?

I quickly explained in panic, “Madam, I didn’t, I didn’t try to seduce the sir!” Olivia snorted coldly and pulled out a long hair. “This hair was found on my husband’s trousers. Don’t try to deny it.” I became more flustered. “Madam, that hair isn’t mine. You’ve misunderstood.” Olivia glared at my face viciously, then came to my waist and pinched the soft flesh hard. “You little slut, you think you’re a match for me?” My face turned pale with pain. Just then, from the corner of my eye, I saw Alexander approaching. My eyelashes trembled, and large tears began to fall. I pleaded pitifully, “Madam, it really wasn’t me. Please, forgive me.” Olivia pinched my waist hard twice more. “You like seducing men, don’t you? Come on, strip her clothes off and throw her out on the street!” The maids started pulling at my clothes. I cried helplessly, “No, please don’t.” At that moment, Alexander strode over. “Stop!” The maids immediately stopped. My legs gave way, and I collapsed onto the carpet. My small face was covered in tears. I hugged my exposed shoulders and looked up at Alexander with a tear-stained face. Without looking in a mirror, I knew how pitiful and alluring I looked to men in this state. Alexander looked at Olivia and spoke up for me. “She didn’t try to seduce me.” Olivia held up the long hair. “Honey, this was found on your trousers. How can you still defend this little slut?” Alexander took the hair and held it up to the sunlight. The hair had a reddish tint, while my hair was black. Alexander angrily said, “Look for yourself. This hair isn’t Lily’s!” Olivia was dumbfounded. Just then, a maid in her fifties ran out in panic. “Madam, that hair is mine. It must have fallen on the sir’s clothes when I was tidying them. At my age, I would never try to seduce the sir!” It turned out to be a misunderstanding. Olivia stood there, frozen. Alexander looked at Olivia. “Olivia, apologize to Lily!” Olivia’s face turned ugly. She stamped her foot in anger. “Honey, how can you ask me to apologize to a lowly maid?” I couldn’t help but curve my lips. Actually, I had planted that hair there! Olivia, are you surprised? Shocked? I knew exactly how to provoke Olivia. I decided to teach her another lesson. I reached out my small hand, like a pitiful little cat, and timidly grabbed Alexander’s trousers. Playing the role of a master manipulator, I sobbed, “Sir, please don’t argue with the madam because of me. It’s all my fault.” Women have an innate ability to detect manipulation, and recognizing my act, Olivia exploded in anger. “Lily, shut up!” Alexander’s tone became cold and hard. “Olivia, don’t make me say it a third time. Apologize!” Olivia was fuming but had to swallow her pride. She lowered her noble head. “Lily, I’m sorry.” I shook my head pitifully. “No, madam. You’re not wrong. It’s all my fault.” Olivia: “…” Her gaze could kill now. … I returned to my room and sat on the bed. Then, with a “click,” the door opened and someone came in. I knew he would follow me in. It was Alexander! I looked at him with my watery doe eyes and shrank back a little. “Sir, please don’t come near me. If the madam finds out, she’ll beat me again~” Alexander reassured me, “She won’t beat you anymore.” I looked doubtful. “Really?” Alexander: “I promise.” I immediately gave him a sweet smile. “You’re so kind, sir~” Alexander put a tube of ointment on the bedside table. “Apply some of this yourself.” He turned to leave. I called out to stop him. “Sir.” Alexander turned to look at me. I said, “Sir, I can’t reach. Could you help me apply the ointment?” In front of him, I reached down and lifted the hem of my clothes, revealing my soft, pale waist.

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The first time I noticed something was off was when I smelled an unfamiliar body wash scent on her. We always use the same brand and fragrance at home. So that day when she came home and leaned in to kiss me, I immediately sensed something wasn’t right. “Did you shower somewhere else today?” I asked casually. “A bird pooped on my head. I didn’t want to stink up the house, so I showered at school before coming home,” she replied smoothly. I smiled and let my gaze drift quickly over her face. She was too calm. So I joked, “Good thing it didn’t happen back in our hometown. There, you’d have to collect rice from a hundred families to make a ‘hundred family meal’ to ward off the bad luck.” That evening, before my shower, I pulled out the clothes she had tossed in the washing machine. I sniffed them carefully but couldn’t detect any scent other than body wash. How could a woman go from morning to night, interacting with so many people, without picking up any traces of perfume, sweat or food smells? I examined her clothes meticulously. The average adult woman sheds about 50 hairs a day, mostly on the back. But this shirt didn’t have a single hair on it! It was as clean as if she had just put it on before coming home. That night, Olivia was especially affectionate, clinging to me and initiating intimacy. I felt nauseous the whole time. I have mild germaphobia, and even though there was still uncertainty, the whole process felt like swallowing a dead fly. “Honey, you don’t seem very into it tonight,” Olivia curled up in my arms afterwards. “Did you hear something upsetting during a therapy session again?”

I’m a hypnotherapist. Many people think we’re like clear mountain springs – tranquil and pure. In reality, we deal with people’s psychological issues every day. As they say, ‘When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back.’ The monsters in our clients’ minds often project onto us, creating new monsters within ourselves. Most of the time we can self-regulate. When we can’t, we turn to colleagues for help. “It was a case of chronic infidelity,” I made up a story. “The wife is notoriously promiscuous. She used to cheat discreetly, but after her husband found out, she started brazenly bringing men home.” “The husband, my client, loves his wife deeply and doesn’t want a divorce. He’s suffering terribly.” I rolled over with a frown. “Why are you women so unfaithful?” “That’s totally unfair! You can’t lump all women together like that,” Olivia pinched my waist playfully. “Not all women are unfaithful. It depends on their moral standards.” “Some women have no moral bottom line and sleep around. Others, like your wife, have very high standards. I’m your first and I’ll be your last, for life.” I couldn’t detect anything amiss from her micro-expressions. But that was normal. It would be abnormal if I could. As an associate professor of mathematics, she’s far more intelligent than me.

Olivia and I met in college. We both did our bachelor’s and master’s degrees consecutively – me in psychology, her in math. Everyone said we were a power couple when we started dating, a collision of two rational minds. We got married right after finishing our master’s degrees, to no one’s surprise. She became a lecturer at the university, teaching undergrads while pursuing her PhD. With my advisor’s support and my parents’ financial help, I opened my own psychological counseling practice. I majored in applied psychology, with hypnotherapy as my specialty. Psychology got a late start in the US. In the early days, people were more skeptical than accepting of psychology, let alone hypnosis. They thought the whole field was a scam. My practice struggled at first, but slowly improved. After successfully handling a few big cases, I gained some renown in the industry.

Fame may seem intangible, but it brings very real benefits. The revenue of my practice skyrocketed. There’s a saying: “A man’s confidence and status come from money.” Because I was earning more, my position at home also rose. I felt more secure and was almost certain Olivia wouldn’t cheat. But reality slapped me hard in the face… The day after I first noticed something off, I picked her up from work and hugged her as usual. The seed of doubt had been planted in my mind about her clothes. Seeing her suspiciously clean outfit again, I slipped a lighter into her coat pocket without hesitation. Then I pretended nothing had happened and cheerfully took her out to dinner. During the meal, she went to the bathroom once for a full ten minutes. When she came back, she looked uneasy. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Nothing, just some work stuff,” she replied. “Do you need to go back to campus?” “No, I’ll deal with it tomorrow.” We were both putting on an act – me playing the clueless husband, her selling the ‘stressed about work’ story. When we got home, she took off her coat and grabbed her phone to shower. I felt in her coat pocket – the lighter was gone. Classic guilty behavior. I tiptoed to the bathroom door. First I heard the ‘ding’ of an incoming SnapChat message, then her lowered voice, sounding annoyed: “Who else would it be? No need to explain! … I’m at home, we’ll talk tomorrow!” My heart sank. Before we got married, we had both expressed the same view: “Zero tolerance for cheating, no compromises.” I backed away, poured myself a drink, and sat on the couch pondering my next move… We don’t have kids, so divorce would only involve dividing assets. Apart from our fixed assets – house, car, collectibles and savings – Olivia manages all our joint finances. She handles the stocks, funds and insurance policies. All the linked bank cards are with her. I hardly ever ask about it… “Honey, what made you decide to have a drink tonight?” Olivia came out of the bathroom, toweling her hair. “Just to set the mood,” I raised my glass in her direction, with a hint of invitation. “I saw you go straight to shower when you got home, so I thought you… Or am I wrong?” “You’re right,” she straddled my lap and kissed me, arms around my neck. Two people with zero interest, both pretending to be in the mood. I still felt sick to my stomach, like I’d swallowed a dead fly, but I kept reminding myself: “Don’t let her realize I know.” I’ve seen many divorces. No matter how passionate the couple once was, few remain civil when it comes to dividing assets. Most turn ugly. I didn’t want to see her ugly side, nor did I want her to see mine. So the best approach was to “elegantly calculate everything in advance.” I’m a selfish person. I don’t want years of hard work to benefit someone else.

The next day, I did two things. First, “I went to a law firm and hired a lawyer to advise me on next steps.” The lawyer first affirmed my actions from the night before – don’t confront her yet. Get everything prepared before showing your hand. You want to catch her off guard. He was slightly concerned about the lighter: “You were a bit rash there. Given your wife’s intelligence, she’ll quickly suspect you planted it.” I replied, “She has no proof. I bought that lighter recently when getting cigarettes. It’s not my usual brand.” The lawyer told me to be careful not to slip up, then recommended “three steps plus one additional suggestion.” “Step 1: Collect evidence of her infidelity.” “Step 2: Apply to the court for asset protection based on the evidence.” I don’t need to compile a detailed list of assets. Just provide leads on the assets and apply for court protection. The court can then take protective measures. “Step 3: File for divorce, request dissolution of the marriage. The judge will determine how to divide marital assets based on the evidence.” Additional suggestion: “If Olivia purchased any high-value items for her lover during the marriage, like a house or car, that’s considered misappropriation of marital assets. I can legally reclaim those.” “The second thing I did was hire a private investigator to gather evidence of Olivia’s affair.” This person is technically called a ‘private investigator’, though less politely they’re known as ‘paparazzi’. They often help dig up celebrity gossip too. My requirements were: “A. I want to know who the other man is and how long it’s been going on.” “B. Dating photos that prove their relationship, like kissing or entering a hotel.” “C. I want to know if Olivia has given him any expensive gifts, like a house or car.” The PI readily agreed, though his fee wasn’t cheap.

The PI’s efficiency puts soap opera plot lines to shame. Those TV wives who spend ages trying to catch cheating husbands should just hire a PI without hesitation. Just four days after I hired him, the PI had already identified the other man. Someone familiar. His name is Jake. A golden boy who made it out of his small town. During college, he interned at my practice as a senior. After graduating, he worked for me for another six months. I even wrote him a recommendation letter for his current job… Who would have thought? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! I almost laughed out loud. Two weeks ago at an industry gathering, he clinked glasses with me and casually asked how I’d handle it if my wife cheated. I thought it was an odd question at the time. Turns out it was his subtle way of declaring war. I’m sure Olivia sensed his intentions too. That’s why when I put the lighter in her pocket, she never suspected me. “When did they start?” I asked the PI. “Not sure yet, but they’ve been living together for 2 years. Here’s their address…” I looked at the address on the notepad. It was an apartment complex not far from the university, also close to Jake’s workplace. Convenient for both of them. “Did they buy or rent?” “Bought. In Jake’s name.” I didn’t need to ask who paid for it. Jake only has a bachelor’s degree and has been working less than 5 years. He’s not well-known in the field yet, with a monthly salary of just over $1000. Back in his hometown, the whole village would be eager to help out their college graduate. Plus he has a good-for-nothing brother who always needs support… But that apartment complex, even at prices from 3 years ago, would cost at least $200,000 for 800 square feet! I sighed. Olivia is usually so frugal, she won’t even buy me a $1000 watch. But for her lover, she easily shells out over $200,000 for an apartment! “Don’t be too heartbroken, man!” the PI consoled me. “Women are like that, thinking with their lower half.” “That guy isn’t as good-looking as you, and his vibe is way off. Your wife just got bored and wanted some excitement.” I smiled wryly.

Olivia’s choice of Jake was partly about “boredom and excitement”, but more about psychological needs. They both grew up in small towns, fighting their way to the big city. There’s a sense of kindred spirits there. Olivia sees a bit of herself in Jake. Olivia and I come from very different backgrounds. As she puts it, she struggled for 20 years just to have the chance to drink coffee with me at Starbucks. Between us, even though she now has high social status, there’s still deep-rooted insecurity. Whenever we go somewhere fancy, she can’t help but feel nervous, always observing others first. But with Jake, given her absolute advantage in economic and social status, she must feel much more relaxed and empowered. Plus, in their hometown there’s a backwards notion that a woman’s success isn’t just about how much she earns or achieves, but how many men she can attract. We discussed this topic back in college. Olivia vehemently criticized that view. Unfortunately, ideas ingrained over many years become part of one’s core. They can’t be easily erased just by adopting the right values. As for Jake, I won’t speculate on whether he truly loves Olivia. In the adult world, relationships are often just about mutual benefit. When Jake interned with me years ago, he repeatedly expressed envy of my background, career and marriage. So from my perspective, by being with Olivia, he gains material support. Emotionally, he probably feels like he’s finally surpassed me in something. “Here are their photos, boss. This is all we’ve got so far,” the PI handed me several pictures. “Do you want to go to court now, or wait a few more days?” I looked at the photos of them coming and going together, feeling conflicted. Past vows of eternal love, no match for the passage of time. “Christmas is in a couple days,” the PI glanced at my expression cautiously. “Maybe you want to think it over some more?” “In my line of work, you see a lot of dirty business,” the PI said. “To be honest, women who never stray in their whole lives are pretty rare.” For a moment I wavered, but finally just said, “Keep a close eye on them for me.”

Christmas came quickly. Olivia showed up at my office with a huge bouquet of red roses, which was highly unusual for her. The young staff at the office teased us as usual, giving envious looks, posting in the work SnapChat group about being “fed dog food” (seeing a sickeningly sweet couple)… I left work early, browsed the mall a bit, bought a pair of shoes and a necklace for her. Then we went for a Western dinner. I actually cherished the whole process, knowing it might be our last holiday together. But unexpectedly, halfway through dinner, Olivia got a call saying she had to leave. She said her coworker had a fight with her boyfriend. They got into a physical altercation on the street and were now at the hospital. The police were taking statements. She had to go check on them. I know most of Olivia’s close coworkers who would call her for something like this. I picked up my coat and said “I’ll come with you”, but Olivia stopped me. She told me to enjoy my meal, saying the people involved didn’t want too many others to know. She promised to call me after playing peacemaker. I understood immediately, reminded of those palace dramas on TV! The favored concubines always like to flaunt their status in front of the empress, not knowing how they’ll end up dead. “Alright, you go ahead,” I sat back down. “I’ll finish dinner and then hang out at a bar for a bit.” Olivia smiled at me, leaned down to cup my face, and touched her forehead to mine affectionately. “Don’t flirt with any floozies,” she said in her usual doting tone. I made a sound of agreement. Keeping up the act, I teased back, “You never know! Better hurry back if you’re gonna be jealous.” Olivia pinched my nose and turned to leave. Watching her walk away, I called the PI: “Where are you? Olivia just left.” The PI said he was tailing Jake, then gave me an address. From our restaurant to Jake’s location, even with Christmas traffic, should take about 40 minutes by car. But an hour passed. The PI messaged that Olivia still hadn’t arrived. I almost thought Olivia had a fourth lover on the side. Or maybe a coworker really did end up in the hospital. But 20 minutes later, the PI said Olivia had arrived…

That night, I met some friends at a bar. Surrounded by the noisy crowd, all I could picture was those two in bed together. I got home at midnight. Olivia wasn’t back yet. I went into the study and reached for the computer. Before I even touched it, I knew why Olivia had taken twice as long to reach Jake after leaving the restaurant. She’d come home first. Someone had used my computer. Everyone has their own computer habits. My left and right eyes have different degrees of nearsightedness, plus my right eye has astigmatism. So I keep the computer slightly tilted on the desk. Olivia knows this house too well. So well that she forgot to pay attention to these details. The computer use history had been cleared. Apart from some cutting-edge academic materials, the most important thing on my computer was the paper I was currently writing. Something Jake could directly use. Once published in an academic journal, the paper would boost my industry ranking. I don’t want to assume the worst intentions from Olivia and Jake, but I have to prepare for the worst case scenario. Although I only started writing that paper recently, I had been preparing for three years, analyzing thousands of cases and investing huge amounts of time and energy. [Stealing my academic work is even more despicable than stealing my woman!]

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I died during the cooling-off period of my ninth divorce from Olivia Reed. My soul hovered above the VIP hospital room, watching her spend millions on her childhood sweetheart’s scribble of a painting. She looked at my body, riddled with tubes, her voice ice-cold: “Adam Carter, stop pretending. Ethan’s auction is waiting for me.” “Sign this debt transfer document, and we’re done.” I couldn’t answer, so she took it as resistance. She pulled out her final trump card: “If you don’t wake up right now, I’ll cut off all expenses for that burden!” “Do you want her to starve to death?!” Just then, my daughter’s pale soul appeared beside me. She looked up at me, her hollow eyes full of confusion: “Daddy, why did Mommy call Emily a ‘burden’?” “Daddy… I’m so hungry.” 0 Today was the last day of the cooling-off period for my ninth divorce from Olivia Reed, and it became my death anniversary. My soul floated above the hospital room, watching Olivia bring her childhood sweetheart, Ethan Brooks, to stand by my hospital bed. “Adam Carter, stop pretending. The auction is about to start,” she said, standing at a distance and slamming a document on the bedside table. Pretending? I wish I could pretend, but how could a brain-dead person pretend? Olivia continued, “Ethan has been preparing for this comeback exhibition for five years. I can’t let his hard work go to waste.” “Your company shares are the only assets that can be quickly liquidated.” “Sign this debt transfer document, transfer the shares to me, and we’re done.” Done? I looked at her cold profile, feeling absurd. Our marriage, our daughter, the countless nights we spent together – in her eyes, was it just a debt relationship that could be easily settled? Of course, I couldn’t answer her. My “silence” in her eyes was a silent protest. She lost patience, taking off the sunglasses that covered half her face, her beautiful almond eyes full of disgust. “Adam Carter, my patience has limits! You think lying here will leave me with no options?” Just then, the attending physician walked in with a nurse. He glanced at the weakly fluctuating line on the ECG and sighed, “Ms. Reed, prepare yourself.” “What?” Olivia’s body suddenly stiffened. But immediately, she let out a cold laugh. “Prepare? He’s just using this method to force me. I’ve seen this trick many times.” The doctor frowned, “Ms. Reed, Mr. Carter suffered severe brain damage from a car accident a week ago. He’s… brain dead.” “Do you know what you’re saying…” “Is that so?” Ethan stepped forward, interrupting the flustered Olivia. Gently holding Olivia’s shoulders, he said, “Olivia, don’t get upset.” Ethan’s voice was gentle, like a spring breeze in April. “Olivia, he must still resent you and doesn’t want to see me succeed.” “Now he’s pretending to be dead, determined not to help me, wanting to see us fail.” Olivia’s momentary hesitation was pulled back to reality by Ethan’s light words. The guilt in her eyes turned to anger. “What right does he have to resent us? Everything he has now, I gave him! Helping you is his duty!” Ethan held Olivia’s hand, feigning magnanimity, “Olivia, let it go.” “If Adam is unwilling, don’t force him.” “I’ll just cancel the exhibition, I’m just afraid… there might not be another chance.” Olivia gripped his hand tightly, her voice trembling, “No! I won’t let you say such things!” “I won’t let your hard work go to waste!” “Adam Carter must sign!” I wanted to rush down and tear apart their hypocritical faces. But I was just an empty soul, unable to do anything. After comforting Ethan, Olivia let go of his hand, rushed to my hospital bed in a few steps, and stared intently at my lifeless face. My face was colorless, eyes tightly closed, lips a deathly blue-purple. Anyone could see this was a body that would never wake up. But Olivia didn’t believe it. She leaned down, speaking into my ear word by word. “Adam Carter, stop pretending. Your acting has really improved.” “I’ll count to three. If you don’t get up, I’ll immediately cut off all of Emily’s expenses!” Emily! My daughter, Emily Carter! That was our daughter, the child she carried for ten months! How could she, how dare she, use our daughter’s survival to threaten me! “One.” “Two.” “Three!” Seeing no reaction from me, Olivia’s last patience disappeared. She straightened up, a cruel smile appearing on her face. “Good, very good. Adam Carter, you forced me to do this.” She took out her phone, issuing a final ultimatum to my body. “That burden won’t survive a day without my money. Do you want her to die with you?!” Just then, Ethan stepped forward again, grabbing Olivia’s hand, saying, “Olivia, don’t rush. I’ve already taken care of Emily.” Olivia was stunned, “Taken care of?” Ethan nodded, “Yes, I was worried you’d be distracted, so I took the liberty of finding a better environment for her.” “I found someone trustworthy and settled her in a very safe place, absolutely no one will disturb her.” “So, you don’t need to worry about Adam using the child to blackmail us.” Olivia looked at Ethan gratefully, then took his arm and left without looking back. “Adam Carter, I’ll give you one day to think it over. Either sign, or wait to bury that burden!” That was her last words to me. The door of the hospital room closed with a “click”, shutting out everything outside. Only my cold body remained, and my soul trembling with anger. Car accident? What a ridiculous cause of death. I didn’t die by accident… Just a week ago, when Ethan first forced me to sign that debt transfer document, I tore it to pieces in front of him. I told him that even if I burned my possessions, I would never use them for someone like him. So that night, as I was driving home, the brakes failed. In the last moment of consciousness, I saw a familiar black car flash by in the rearview mirror, with Ethan at the wheel. I didn’t die in an accident at all, I was murdered by my wife’s childhood sweetheart! Looking at my own tragically dead body, the past six years flashed before my eyes. Six years ago, I was a poor boy who had just graduated from a music college, making a living by performing in various bars. Except for a decent-looking face and a passionate heart, I had nothing. It was then that Olivia Reed found me. At that time, she was the only daughter of the top wealthy Reed family in the city. After listening to me play an entire original piece, she handed me a business card. “You’re very talented, but your style is too sad,” she said, her voice pleasant like a mountain spring. “I know someone, his name is Ethan Brooks, he’s a painter.” “An accident injured his hand, and he can no longer paint.” “He once said that if he were to make music, his style would definitely be warm, like the afternoon sun on a spring day.” She paused, pushing a check in front of me. “I want you to write songs for him, to be his musical substitute.” “You need to change your style, play the warmth he imagines.” “After it’s done, another zero will be added to the end of the number on this check.” I looked at the astronomical figure on the check, then at my worn-out sneakers, and my heart wavered. I needed money; my sister was seriously ill in the hospital, urgently needing a large sum for surgery. So I became Ethan Brooks’ musical substitute. I forced myself to write those warm, sunny tunes. I studied Ethan’s paintings, imagining what kind of person he was, trying to depict his painted world with musical notes. At first, Olivia was very picky with me. “Wrong! The emotion here is too shallow!” “You don’t understand him at all! This is just a poor imitation!” “You’ll never be him!”

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After learning that I voluntarily gave up my promotion opportunity to her beloved junior colleague, my wife, who had always been adamant about not having children, surprisingly agreed to have a baby with me. When the junior colleague found out, he became insanely jealous and threatened to resign, even picking up a scalpel to harm himself. My wife panicked and, to appease him, not only gave him my bonus but also moved out of our home to accompany him on a month-long world tour. Afterwards, my wife acted completely indifferent. “Lucas and I have been busy attending medical conferences. Unlike you, who’s been sitting around doing nothing and jumping to malicious conclusions!” “You’re the one with the dirty mind. People with rotten hearts see everything as filthy!” I clutched the pregnancy test report that her junior colleague had sent me earlier, feeling no anger, just a slight smile. Seeing that I didn’t argue, my wife looked satisfied and promised with a smile that she’d give me a big, chubby son later, fulfilling my wish to become a father. But she didn’t know that we had no future together. Not long ago, she had unknowingly signed our divorce papers with her own hand. 0

It had been a month since I last saw my wife, Olivia. As she and Lucas arrived at the hospital entrance, their colleagues immediately greeted them warmly: “Dr. Jiang, Dr. Chen, welcome back from your conference!” Watching this scene, I couldn’t help but feel a bitter laugh rising in my throat. Conference? They had actually been on a global tour! Throughout the past month, Lucas had constantly sent me photos of him and Olivia on their travels. They watched sunsets on beaches, saw the Northern Lights in the Arctic, and even took cheesy couple photos at the Eiffel Tower. Along with the pictures, Lucas would send me voice messages, gloating about how much more Olivia favored him and telling me to back off. At first, it felt like my heart was being ripped out. Now, I just felt numb and somewhat amused by the absurdity of it all. I had originally planned to return some things to Olivia’s office. Since she was back, I might as well give them to her in person. I approached them, looking directly at Olivia. “Dr. Jiang, I have something for you.” Lucas smirked and said, “Jack, are you bringing a gift for Olivia? How thoughtful.” Immediately, our colleagues turned to me with mocking looks. “A gift? Does Jack even know his place?” “As if he has a chance with Dr. Jiang. Talk about delusional!” I ignored their jeers. After all these years, I was used to it. Olivia and I had been secretly married for seven years, but she always refused to make our relationship public. She never posted photos of us together on social media or mentioned me in any of her updates. Even at the hospital, she insisted on maintaining a professional distance, making me call her “Dr. Jiang” and treating me coldly and strictly at work. Our colleagues had no idea about our relationship. When I sent Olivia flowers for our anniversary, they assumed I was just trying to curry favor with her. They mocked and isolated me, thinking they were pleasing Olivia by doing so. And Olivia? She just watched it all happen, letting me bear the brunt of their disdain. Snapping back to the present, Olivia also assumed I was bringing a gift and coldly said, “Jack, it’s work hours. If you have this much free time, you should focus on your job instead.” “Actually, this is work-related,” I replied. I handed her my white coat and ID badge, which I had already removed. Olivia froze for a moment, confused. “Jack, what’s the meaning of this?” I was equally puzzled. I had resigned, so naturally, I needed to return these items. In fact, I had wanted to quit a month ago, but I had patients under my care that I needed to see through to recovery. Just yesterday, after my last patient was discharged, I immediately went through the resignation process with HR. I had even sent Olivia an online resignation request, which she had approved. But now, why did she look so clueless? It dawned on me that she probably hadn’t even read my message before approving it. I was about to explain about my resignation when Lucas interrupted. “Jack, are you quitting?” He tugged at Olivia’s sleeve, his eyes reddening. “Olivia, Jack must be upset about the promotion incident. That’s why he’s resigning.” “Maybe I should give the promotion back to Jack. He has more experience and would be better suited for the Chief of Surgery position.” Olivia’s face immediately softened with concern. She patted Lucas’s shoulder gently. “Lucas, don’t put yourself down like that.” “You’re so talented. Jack can’t even compare to you. You absolutely deserve to be Chief of Surgery!” She then turned to me with a cold glare. “Jack, stop trying to use your seniority! If we’re going by that logic, even the old guard dog at the gate has been here longer than you!” I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Olivia really had a talent for twisting the truth. The reality was that Lucas lacked the necessary skills and was only hired because of Olivia’s special treatment. Since joining, he had made frequent mistakes, lacking even basic diagnostic skills and nearly killing patients by prescribing the wrong medications multiple times. Each time, I had to clean up his messes. Despite all this, Olivia still insisted that Lucas was brilliant and told me to learn from him. A month ago, she even wanted me to give up my promotion opportunity to Lucas. When I refused, she gave me the cold shoulder. Not wanting to upset her further, I eventually gave in. But she still wasn’t satisfied and accused me of throwing my weight around. I let out a cold laugh. “You’re right. I can’t compare to Lucas. The hospital is all yours now.” Olivia raised her chin haughtily. “Good that you know your place. By the way, Lucas has been busy traveling lately. You’ll take over his surgeries and research reports, won’t you?” In the past, Olivia had always exploited me like this, claiming it was to “train” me. If it weren’t for her deliberately holding me back, I would have been promoted to Chief of Surgery long ago. Moreover, my skills were far from lacking. She didn’t know that many hospitals had tried to recruit me, but I had turned them all down to stay by her side. Now that I think about it, it really wasn’t worth it. So this time, I firmly refused. “I have no obligation to cover for Lucas. Besides, I’ve already—” Before I could say “resigned,” Lucas tugged at Olivia’s sleeve again, whispering, “Olivia, I’ll do it myself. Jack’s probably just jealous that we went on the trip together…” Olivia’s eyes immediately turned cold. She pulled me aside and hissed, “Jack, are you done with this childish behavior? Lucas and I were busy attending medical conferences. Unlike you, who’s been sitting around doing nothing and jumping to ridiculous conclusions!” Conclusions? It seems she had told this lie so many times that she started believing it herself. I gripped my phone tightly, the screen still showing the private message Lucas had sent me just half an hour ago. It was Olivia’s pregnancy test report! So this was their idea of “attending conferences” and “working.” This time, I didn’t confront Olivia hysterically about her lies like I used to. In the past, whenever I questioned her, she would accuse me of being paranoid, and if she couldn’t argue her way out, she’d give me the silent treatment indefinitely. It was all so tiresome. Thinking about this, I simply smiled. “You misunderstood. I refused because I’m not feeling well.” Hearing this, Olivia’s expression changed, her tone softening slightly. “Not feeling well? Are you sick?” Just as she was about to reach out to me in concern, Lucas suddenly clutched his chest, dramatically exclaiming that he felt dizzy and his chest hurt. Olivia immediately turned her attention to Lucas, running towards him. “Lucas, are you okay? Don’t scare me like that…” Of course, when it came to choosing between Lucas and me, Olivia would always pick Lucas. I had no interest in watching their melodramatic performance, so I turned to leave. As I took the elevator down to the parking garage, I noticed a brand new Mercedes parked next to my car. I recognized it immediately—it was the car Olivia had bought for Lucas!

This Mercedes was Olivia’s gift to Lucas for his promotion. She had always been generous with Lucas, sparing no expense, while being incredibly stingy with me. My old Honda was falling apart, with peeling paint and tires that had been patched up multiple times. It often stalled on me. When I mentioned wanting to get a new car, Olivia told me not to be so materialistic and to learn to be content with what I had. On my birthdays, she would only give me a brief verbal congratulation, sometimes a handwritten card. While I tried not to mind, I couldn’t help feeling envious when I saw other people’s social media posts about the lavish gifts their partners gave them. So, on my 35th birthday, I finally worked up the courage to ask Olivia for a proper gift. She got annoyed. “Jack, we’ve been married for so long. Do we really need to fuss over these trivial things?” If I had truly fussed over every little thing, we would have separated long ago. Over the years, I had given up promising career opportunities and high-paying jobs to stay and work by Olivia’s side. My base salary was the bare minimum, while my workload was the heaviest. Olivia always found reasons to dock my pay. If I entered the hospital with my left foot first, she’d claim it affected the feng shui and deduct money. When Lucas threatened to quit, she’d somehow twist it to be my fault and use my bonus to placate him. Looking back, I realize all that money she held back from me went to spoiling Lucas. The reason Olivia treated me so dismissively was simply that she thought I would never leave her. But this time, I was truly exhausted. It was time to end this miserable marriage. Snapping out of my thoughts, I drove to a law firm to draft divorce papers. Afterwards, I went home to pack a few things before heading to my apartment. I had originally planned to add Olivia’s name to the apartment deed. But when I bought it, I had a sudden change of heart and got it notarized as pre-marital property, as a sort of insurance policy. Now, I’m grateful I made that decision. Otherwise, I’d have nowhere to go after moving out. Arriving at the apartment, I entered the passcode to open the door. To my surprise, the lock flashed red and emitted a harsh beeping sound. The password was wrong! I tried several more times, but none worked. A sense of unease grew in my chest. I quickly called a locksmith to force the door open. When the door swung open, I was completely stunned. The sharp smell of cigarettes hit me, and the floor was littered with cigarette butts and scattered clothes. My beloved minimalist Italian decor had been replaced with a moody blue color scheme. The walls, once covered with photos of Olivia and me, were now plastered with pictures of her and Lucas. Then I remembered—Olivia knew the apartment’s passcode too. Since getting together with Olivia, I had kept nothing from her. But while I gave her my whole heart, she had been using this place as a love nest with Lucas behind my back. Looking at the apartment filled with traces of their life together, I felt sick to my stomach. There was no way I could live here anymore. Using what little savings I had left, I rented a small studio to stay in temporarily. Then I immediately listed the apartment for sale at a low price. Soon, someone contacted me wanting to rent the place. After signing the contract, I sent them the passcode. The new tenant moved in quickly. Just as I finished dealing with all this and was about to rest, my phone rang. I answered, and Olivia’s voice came through. She feigned innocence: “Jack, did you change the apartment passcode? And why is someone saying you sold the place to them?” I didn’t bother hiding it. “Yes, I sold it.” There was a pause on the other end, then Olivia’s voice came back shocked and angry. “You sold it? How could you make such a big decision without consulting me?” I coldly retorted, “The apartment was mine. I had every right to sell it.” “Besides, why are you so worked up about me selling my own apartment?” Olivia was at a loss for words. In the past, I never would have confronted her like this. I always said that what was mine was hers, and she had gotten used to taking advantage of that, claiming everything of mine as her own. Thinking we were family, I didn’t mind. I never expected my sincerity would be met with such entitlement. She never treated me like a husband, so why should I treat her like a wife? Hearing my uncharacteristically harsh tone, Olivia thought I was still upset about her breaking promises. Her voice softened a bit. “Jack, I know you’re still angry that I stood you up, but there were reasons for that.” “I promise, once things settle down, I’ll step back from work and give you a son. Wouldn’t that make you happy?” “But first, you need to get the apartment back from the tenant.” “I forgot to tell you, when Lucas first came to me, he had nothing. I felt bad for him, so I let him stay at your apartment since it was empty anyway. I didn’t expect you’d sell it.” “Now because of you, Lucas has nowhere to live. Jack, stop being difficult and get the apartment back. I’ll keep my promise to you eventually…” There she went again. Whenever Olivia couldn’t argue her way out, she’d make empty promises to try and get me to give in. But after all these years, I was tired of her false promises. Thinking of this, I coldly said, “Fine, I’ll get it back. But Lucas needs to pay rent first.” Olivia angrily berated me. “Money, money, money. Is that all you care about?” “Lucas came to the big city alone with nothing. They say an older sister is like a mother, and as his mentor, I’m practically his mother. It’s only right that I look after him.” “And you? Not only do you refuse to help, but you’re kicking him while he’s down. When did you become so cold-hearted?” I laughed bitterly to myself. Olivia certainly had taken good care of Lucas—she even “took care” of having his child. Besides, Lucas was the one freeloading. How had this become my fault? Seeing my silence, Olivia thought she had me cornered and pressed on, “Jack, if you don’t agree, I’m really going to get angry!” In the past, whenever Olivia got angry, I would immediately apologize and sweet-talk her, even if I had to go against my conscience. But now, I was so done with her that I couldn’t care less if she got upset. Thinking this, I enunciated each word clearly: “Olivia, Lucas’s difficulties are not my doing. I have no obligation to pay for his problems.” With that, I hung up the phone. After settling into my new place, I took the divorce papers and drove back to Olivia’s and my home, intending to have her sign them. As I approached the front door, I heard laughter coming from inside.

As soon as I entered, I saw Olivia and Lucas’s matching shoes in the entryway. His black leather shoes next to her white stilettos—they looked perfectly coordinated. Actually, long ago, I had suggested to Olivia that we could be like other couples, wearing matching outfits and using couple items. But she had dismissed the idea, saying we were too old for such childish things and it would be embarrassing. Yet now, she was clearly enjoying it. It seems Olivia hadn’t disliked couple items—she just disliked the idea of doing it with me. In the living room, our wedding photo had been deliberately defaced. Someone had scribbled over my eyes in the picture and drawn a large X across my face. Before I could process this, I heard playful laughter coming from the kitchen. “Lucas, just stand there and be good. I promise this porridge will be perfect for your taste.” “Really? Then I can’t wait to try it~” In the kitchen, Olivia had her hair tied up, exposing her slender neck as Lucas leaned in close to help her tie on an apron. Halfway through cooking, she didn’t forget to scoop up a spoonful for Lucas to taste. The two flirted and joked around, completely at ease with each other. I felt like an intruder in my own home. Just then, Lucas noticed me. “Jack! What are you doing here?” “But it’s good timing. Olivia just made some delicious rice porridge. Would you like a bowl?” As he spoke, Lucas was about to go to the kitchen to get me some porridge, acting every bit the host. Olivia quickly stopped him, giving me a cold look. “Lucas, that porridge was made specially for you. There’s none for certain others.” “By the way, Jack, isn’t it still work hours? Why are you home?” “This counts as skipping work. That’s a $200 deduction. Make sure you report it to HR later!” After all this time, Olivia still didn’t know I had resigned? But I couldn’t be bothered to explain. The resignation had been approved; she’d find out sooner or later. I had more important matters to deal with. “I came to see you. I need you to sign something.” I took out the divorce papers and handed them to Olivia. Seeing this, Lucas immediately chimed in with fake concern: “Olivia, Jack must be here to apologize about the phone call earlier. Look, he even brought you a gift! I wonder if it’s a car or a house this time?” Hearing this, Olivia’s expression softened. She also assumed these were some sort of gift to make amends, and signed without even looking. It made sense. In the past, I often placated her this way. Whenever Olivia was unhappy, I would secretly buy her jewelry or a car to cheer her up. But this time, she was in for a disappointment. “You’ve misunderstood. These are div—” Before I could finish, Olivia haughtily cut me off. “Jack, just because I accepted your gift doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you.” “If you want my forgiveness, you need to apologize to Lucas first.” “Also, since you sold the apartment, Lucas has nowhere to stay. He’ll have to move in with us for a while. You’ll need to give up the master bedroom for him…” “No problem,” I replied. Seeing me so agreeable, Olivia looked pleased. “Jack, if only you had been this understanding from the start.” I coldly interrupted her: “It’s not just the room. I’m giving you up too.” With that, I turned to leave. Lucas’s eyes immediately welled up with tears as he stammered, “Jack must be mad at me. Olivia, I should go. I don’t want to cause problems between you two.” “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine even if I have to sleep under a bridge…” Every time Lucas played the victim, Olivia would melt with sympathy. She immediately glared at me and snapped, “Jack, what’s the big deal about giving up a room? If you don’t want to, then don’t. Why are you being so passive-aggressive?” “Besides, Lucas is already in such a difficult situation. Do you really want him sleeping on the streets? If you keep acting like this, I swear I’ll divorce you!” Lucas quickly tried to mediate, while subtly fanning the flames. “Jack, you should apologize to Olivia. What if she really divorces you? What about your job?” “The job market is tough these days, and you’re not exactly young anymore. Without Olivia, what kind of work could you even find?” Olivia snorted, also using my job as a threat. “That’s right, Jack. You’d better apologize to me and Lucas right now. Otherwise, I’ll divorce you and leave you with nothing!” Olivia was certain I wouldn’t dare leave her. She was trying to use this to force me to give in. But I just laughed and tossed the divorce papers at her. “No need for all that. We’re already divorced.”

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I knelt on the floor, my fingertips touching the cold tiles as I scrubbed at invisible stains. “A blind man, good for nothing but eating,” my mother-in-law’s acidic voice pierced my ears. “Hurry up, you can’t even clean the floor properly. What use are you?” I gripped the rag tightly, enduring it all. “Mom, I’m sorry,” Claire’s voice chimed in, full of impatience. “Why are you bothering with this? We could just hire a maid.” “I don’t like strangers in the house,” my mother-in-law replied coldly. “Besides, James isn’t doing anything else. A little exercise is good for him.” “Whatever you say,” Claire sighed. I heard the sound of her bedroom door closing. The last glimmer of light in my heart extinguished. She hadn’t said a single word in my defense. I felt my way to standing, picking up the bucket of dirty water to empty it. Suddenly, a foot shot out, tripping me hard. There was a loud splash as the icy, foul-smelling water drenched me. I lay sprawled on the floor, utterly humiliated. My mother-in-law stood nearby, her tone mocking: “Useless as always. Can’t even do a simple task.” Claire came out after hearing the commotion but showed no concern for me. I silently crawled to my feet, feeling my way around to clean up the mess. Afterwards, I retreated to the kitchen. As I closed the door, I could clearly hear an argument breaking out. “The company has to be mine. Don’t even think about interfering!” Claire shouted heatedly. “I gave birth to you, raised you. How can the company not include me?” my mother-in-law fired back. “I have my own plans. You’ll get your share,” Claire conceded reluctantly. I numbly picked up a knife, feeling my way around the cutting board. The cold blade sliced my fingertip, drawing blood, but I felt no pain. Claire pushed open the door and took the knife from my hand. “Honey, why are you cooking when you’re sick?” Her voice was suddenly sweet. “Let Mom handle it next time. I want fish for dinner tonight.” Claire gently stroked my hair. I froze, bitterness spreading through me. She hadn’t even noticed my injured hand. “I made your favorite, stir-fried peppers and pork,” I said, my voice shaking. Her hand that had been caressing my face suddenly withdrew. Her tone turned icy. “Who likes that? James, do you not love me anymore? You won’t even make what I want to eat.” Alarm bells went off in my head. I was afraid Claire would stop caring about me because of this. I frantically tried to grab her hand, my arms flailing in the air. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” I couldn’t catch her, so I fell to my knees, begging her not to leave. “You’re acting like a lunatic now.” Claire’s voice was filled with undisguised disgust. I knelt on the floor, listening to her departing footsteps. Suddenly I remembered how she used to snuggle in my arms, saying happily: “James, you have to make me stir-fried peppers and pork for the rest of our lives.” I wished so badly that I could regain my sight right now. Then Claire wouldn’t despise me anymore. At dinnertime, Claire’s family was gathered happily in the living room. They seemed to be expecting dinner guests tonight. But none of this had anything to do with me. I huddled alone in my room, silently eating leftovers. They said a blind man like me would be an embarrassment at the table. A familiar voice that sent chills down my spine suddenly rang out by the door. “Have you started eating? I guess I came at a bad time.” My body instantly stiffened. That fear spread from my core to every inch of me. It was my half-brother, Ethan – my father’s illegitimate son. The cheerful chatter in the living room came to an abrupt halt. Claire jumped to her feet, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. “Ethan! You’re here!” The undisguised joy in her voice was a stark contrast to how she spoke to me. Even my usually critical in-laws’ tones became warm and welcoming. “Ethan’s here, come in and sit down!” It was as if Ethan was the true master of this house. Ethan laughed, “I saw the flowers in the yard and picked one for you.” Those were the jasmine flowers I had planted. Claire said she loved the scent of jasmine. I used to pick them one by one, drying them into tea cakes to brew her favorite floral tea. “Oh, you,” Claire’s voice was coy and flirtatious. “You didn’t have to bring anything.” I stood in the doorway of my room, completely out of place in this home. Claire noticed me and her tone instantly dropped to freezing. “James, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and welcome your brother!” My feet felt nailed to the floor, anger and resentment churning in my chest. I couldn’t accept Claire telling me to welcome the man who had ruined my once-happy life. It was because of Ethan and his mother’s interference that my own mother couldn’t accept the reality. Her heart condition relapsed, and her health deteriorated from then on. Ethan spoke up in false concern, “Claire, don’t be like that. He’s my brother after all, and he’s still unwell. How can I let him wait on me?” “Ethan, you’re too kind,” my mother-in-law immediately chimed in. “A blind man, clumsy as he is, what can he do anyway?” “James, if you don’t go now, I’m really going to be angry,” Claire threatened. My throat tightened as I desperately held back tears. I reminded myself this blindness was only temporary. Afraid of upsetting Claire, I felt my way to the kitchen and grabbed a clean set of dishes. I walked over to Ethan and gently set them down beside him. Ethan looked at me and sneered, “My brother is still so capable.” I was in no mood to respond to him. A familiar scent had caught my attention. It was Claire’s favorite perfume, with its cool, woody notes. But it was coming from Ethan. I whirled towards Claire, grabbing her wrist. “Why does he smell like your perfume?” The room fell deathly silent. “James!” Claire yelled at me. “You’re being paranoid again! Can’t you act normal for once? It’s exhausting being with you!” Ethan sighed, adding fuel to the fire. “Claire, don’t be angry. James has always been like this, prone to overthinking. Now that he’s sick, it’s normal for him to be sensitive and suspicious.” But my instincts told me this wasn’t just my imagination. At the same time, I prayed that I really was overthinking things. Claire, I only wish you wouldn’t choose Ethan. Claire’s voice was full of disgust. “I don’t want to argue with you. There’s an urgent project at work. I need to go on a business trip.” I reached out, trying to grab her, but only grasped air. “Claire…” I was at a loss. It was my blindness that made her despise me so much. I had to win back Claire’s heart, which meant I needed to regain my sight. When she returned from her trip, I wanted to surprise her with a husband who could see again, who was healthy. Claire left on her business trip the next day. I immediately contacted my childhood friend to arrange a corneal transplant. Luckily, my surgery was successful. When the bandages came off, the light stung my eyes and brought tears. My mind was filled with thoughts of how to win Claire back, of the happy life we would have together. But fate had other plans. Before I could fully take in the world around me, my phone buzzed with a message. It was from Ethan: “Too bad you’re blind, little brother. Otherwise you’d be able to see your woman in my bed right now.” A photo was attached to the message. Claire lay on her side in bed, hair disheveled, covered by a sheet that revealed only her shoulder, marked with kiss marks. The implications of the photo were crystal clear. The background was the master bedroom of Ethan’s apartment. That bed – I had gone with Claire to pick it out. She said it was a gift for a friend. My heart ached so badly I could hardly breathe. Just then, my assistant called. “Mr. Song, Mrs. Song has ordered the preparation of CEO appointment documents.” Hearing those words, the world was no longer dark, but my heart felt colder than when I was blind. “I’m coming back now.” I locked myself in my office for five days and nights. The desk was piled high with documents, the floor littered with coffee cups and cigarette butts. On the fifth day, my mother-in-law called. “James! I see you’ve grown too big for your britches. Where the hell have you been?” I hung up without a word. Immediately after, Claire’s number lit up my screen. “James, have you lost your mind? What are you playing at now?” Her voice was shrill and grating. “Oh right, you’re not capable of running the company now. Just transfer all the stocks to me.” “Otherwise don’t even think about coming back to this family!” I replied calmly, “Alright.” My calm demeanor caught her off guard. “What do you mean?” “I’m staying at my friend’s place to clear my head. I won’t be coming back for a while.” On the other end of the line, I could almost hear her sigh of relief. “You… you understand then.” Her tone shifted to one of command. “Since you’re free anyway, Ethan’s been so busy he hasn’t eaten dinner yet. Go bring him something to eat.” I arrived outside the CEO’s office. The door was ajar, and Ethan’s voice drifted out. “Claire, don’t blame James. He’s become sensitive and paranoid since losing his sight.” “Once I take over the company, you won’t have to work so hard anymore.” As I listened to Ethan’s voice, my blood suddenly ran cold. After hitting me, the driver had rolled down his window to make a phone call. It was this very voice. I pushed open the door. Seeing me enter, Ethan didn’t realize I had regained my sight. He smirked provocatively, wrapping his arm around Claire’s waist and kissing her shamelessly. Claire showed no shame in doing this in front of me. Perhaps they had done this countless times before in my presence. They were so engrossed in their kiss that Ethan only noticed my empty hands when he finally looked up. He released Claire, frowning in displeasure. “Where’s the food?” “James, I’m warning you, stop playing games. Otherwise Claire really will leave you.” I grabbed the glass from the desk and smashed it against his head. Blood trickled down from Ethan’s temple. Claire screamed. Ethan was stunned too, clutching his head and staring at me in disbelief. “You can see?!” “Security! Get this madman out of here!” he shouted towards the door, while shielding Claire behind him. “Claire, you go out first!” Two security guards rushed in. Having not exercised in a long time, I was quickly overpowered. In the chaos, I lunged at Ethan, grabbing a shard of glass and pressing it against his carotid artery. “Nobody move!” The guards froze. Ethan’s face turned ashen. “James, let go of me!” I ignored him, my gaze fixed on Claire who was making a call outside. After a moment, Claire walked up to me and played a video. “James, look at this.” On the screen, my mother with her heart condition was strapped to a bungee jumping platform. “If you let go of Ethan now, I’ll have them stop the machine.” With each rise of the platform, my mother’s face grew paler as she clutched her chest in pain. “Let go. Kneel down.” Claire’s voice was ice cold, devoid of any emotion. A searing pain shot through my chest. I coughed up blood. I released Ethan and fell to my knees. Claire put away her phone with satisfaction and took Ethan’s arm. “Take him away.” I was brought to an auction hall. Claire stood on the stage. “The position of CEO of Song Corporation, starting bid one million dollars.” She smiled, looking down at my disheveled form like I was a dog.

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In the operating room, my surgeon husband and his mistress nurse abandoned a patient for forty minutes, leading to the patient’s death. Afterward, my husband demanded I sign a medical malpractice waiver. That’s when I realized he thought my own mother was on the operating table. I silently pushed the waiver back to him. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to sign this. The deceased’s son should sign it.” “Sign this.” Dr. Victor Thorne slammed the document onto my desk. His face showed no remorse, only impatience. I glanced at the paper. “Medical Malpractice Waiver” read the title. I was confused. Then Tiffany Davis, standing next to Victor, spoke up, her voice dripping with sickly sweetness. “Dr. Hayes, my condolences. Victor did his best, but your mother just didn’t make it…” She pretended to look sad, lowering her head, but her hand clutched Victor’s arm tightly. I froze, instinctively looking at Victor. “What happened? It was just a thyroidectomy, right?” Victor scoffed. Tiffany immediately chimed in, her tone falsely understanding. “Dr. Hayes, you’re a doctor too. How can you say something so unprofessional? There are always complications during surgery. Your mother was old, in poor health… You can’t blame Victor. He’s probably more heartbroken than you are.” He’s more heartbroken than *me*? I frowned, staring at Victor. —And why wouldn’t he be? My gaze seemed to offend him. Victor roughly shoved the waiver back in front of me. “Cut the crap, Amelia! Sign this now and hand it to Director Miller yourself! Also, tomorrow morning at eight, the moment our cooling-off period is over, we’re going straight to the courthouse to get divorced!” He paused, then pulled Tiffany closer, flaunting her. “And, Tiffany and I are getting married tomorrow. Your mom’s funeral is just too much of a downer, so I won’t be going.” With that, Victor didn’t even spare me another glance. He walked away, arm around a smug-looking Tiffany. My mom’s funeral? My eyes fell back to the “Medical Malpractice Waiver.” The patient’s name seemed to be a printer error, with some ink bleed, making it barely legible. I could just make out “M. Thorne.” “Due to insufficient care by the family, the patient died from postoperative complications. The hospital and lead surgeon, Dr. Victor Thorne, bear no responsibility…” I read each line, feeling nothing but a sickening sense of absurdity. Victor only had one surgery scheduled today. The patient was his own mother, Martha Thorne.

The unsettling feeling inside me grew stronger. I went straight to the monitoring room to review the surveillance footage of that surgery. The recording showed Victor and Tiffany arriving late. The patient was already anesthetized, her face covered with a sterile drape, when they strolled into the operating room as if nothing were wrong, taking their sweet time. Victor was the lead surgeon, and Tiffany was the instrument nurse. But those two had no focus on the surgery at all. Their flirtatious glances never stopped. Nurse Jenkins cleared her throat, beginning to verify the patient’s information. “October 17th, OR 1, first surgery, patient verification. Patient Martha—” “Alright, alright, don’t waste time. What does the patient’s name have to do with the surgery? It’s just one thyroidectomy today, can’t get it wrong.” Victor cut Nurse Jenkins off and immediately started the surgery. Tiffany gave Nurse Jenkins a slight, smug bump, signaling her to move away from Victor’s side. Nurse Jenkins, already annoyed with Victor, just stepped aside. Soon after the surgery began, Tiffany absentmindedly handed over the wrong size clamp when passing a vascular forceps. Nurse Jenkins immediately spoke up. “Tiffany, that’s the wrong one.” But instead of admitting her mistake, Tiffany rolled her eyes at the experienced nurse. “Oh, who cares if it’s wrong? Why are you so loud? You startled me!” “This is an operating room! It’s a matter of life and death! You’re wrong, and you’re still arguing?” Tiffany was so flustered, her eyes welled up. Victor instantly bristled. He slammed his scalpel down into the tray with a loud *clank*, pointing at Nurse Jenkins’s nose and yelling, “I’m the surgeon, and I didn’t say anything! Who are you to boss anyone around here?!” After yelling, Victor grabbed Tiffany’s arm. The two of them stomped out of the operating room, leaving the patient mid-surgery, abandoned on the operating table! Chaos erupted in the operating room. A young nurse quickly ran after them. Nurse Jenkins, meanwhile, directed the others to continue the surgery while making a call to report the situation to a superior. I fast-forwarded the recording. It took a full forty minutes for Victor and Tiffany, the two culprits, to reappear on screen. Their faces showed no urgency at all. Instead, they had an arrogant, exasperated expression, as if we had to beg them to return. It was at that moment that the heart monitor’s waveform grew weaker and weaker, finally emitting a piercing “beep—” and flattening into a straight line. The shrill alarm echoed throughout the operating room. Victor shuffled over to the operating table, pretending to press the patient’s chest a few times, just going through the motions. “Alright, can’t save her.” From start to finish, he didn’t even bother to lift the drape covering the patient’s face to take a look! There wasn’t a single shred of guilt in his eyes! Even if he didn’t know it was his own mother lying there, such disregard for life and utter irresponsibility made my blood boil, and my stomach churned with disgust! As I unlocked the monitoring room door and stepped out, I bumped into Sarah Olsen, a new nurse from our department, in the hallway. The moment she saw me, she rushed over, her face a mix of cautiousness and eagerness to show concern. “Dr… Dr. Hayes… about your aunt… my condolences…” “It was my mother-in-law who passed away,” I calmly corrected her. “Not my mom. But thank you anyway.” “Oh?!” Sarah’s eyes widened, her face flushing with embarrassment. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Dr. Hayes! I misunderstood. When your aunt came to see you that day, she said she was your mother, so I just assumed…” Of course, I knew my mother-in-law, Martha Thorne, had made a scene when she came to the hospital last time. I wasn’t surprised she’d become gossip fodder for the younger nurses. I shook my head, indicating I didn’t mind. Sarah still looked regretful. “Yesterday, when I was scheduling surgeries, I even specifically told Dr. Thorne that today’s patient was Dr. Hayes’s mom. He heard me and agreed readily… Sigh, how could an accident happen?” “What did you say?!” I cut her off. “You told Victor that my mom was on the operating table?!” Sarah jumped, stammering, “Y-yes…” Sarah was new and had no idea Victor and I were married, nor did she know that my mother-in-law was Victor’s actual mother. She looked at me with confusion. I took a deep breath, utterly flabbergasted. No wonder! No wonder that scum, Victor, was forcing me to sign a waiver for *his own mother*! No wonder he could cruelly say my mom’s funeral was “a downer”! Because he always thought it was my mom lying on that operating table! Suddenly, my heart lurched. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Victor, before entering the operating room, already “knew” my mom was inside! So, those forty minutes he and Tiffany were gone… was it truly a spur of the moment fit of pique, or was it deliberate? Medical accident, and intentional killing, are two entirely different things.

The next morning, I went to the courthouse and finalized my divorce with Victor. Victor clung to Tiffany the whole time, openly affectionate. As soon as the divorce certificate was issued, he loudly declared they were going to get their marriage license. I didn’t waste another word on him. I drove straight back to the hospital; patients were waiting. After two surgeries, I stepped out of the operating room, only to be cornered by Victor. “Amelia! What the hell do you want?! Why didn’t you sign that damn waiver?! You got me reamed out by Director Miller! All my bonuses are gone! Are you happy now?!” “Victor,” I said, looking at his pathetic display, my heart calm. “It wasn’t appropriate for me to sign that waiver.” “Not appropriate for you?! I think you did it on purpose! You just want to screw me over! Surgery always has risks! If you’re so filial, why didn’t you operate on your own mom yourself?!” “Surgical risks?” I scoffed. “Was it a surgical risk, or was it the lead surgeon leaving with his little nurse for a full forty minutes in the middle of the surgery? Victor, should I pull up the surveillance footage and post it online, so everyone can learn about your ‘surgical risks’?” “You—you really did it on purpose!” He jumped. “Just because your mom died on my operating table, you had to get revenge! You just want to ruin me!” “I’m telling you, Amelia! You owe me this month’s bonus! And that waiver! You need to go right now! Immediately! Sign it for me! Do you hear me?! Director Miller is waiting!” “First, Victor, we’re divorced. You have no right to lay your hands on me. Second, only the deceased’s direct next of kin can sign a waiver like that. We’re divorced, so I can’t sign it.” “Are you out of your mind, Amelia?!” He couldn’t believe his ears. “What does our divorce have to do with your mom?” “You’re the one who’s out of their mind.” I stared into his stupid, angry eyes, pushing the waiver back to him. “We’re divorced, so your mother has absolutely nothing to do with me. That waiver? The deceased’s son should sign it.” I paused, looking at his bewildered face, enunciating each word with a touch of malicious satisfaction: “Victor, do you still not know the name of the patient who died on your operating table yesterday?” “Her name was Martha Thorne.” “Your own mother.”

Victor froze for a moment, then, like a lit firecracker, his voice suddenly shot up in volume. “Amelia! You actually dare to curse my mom to death?!” Victor, this man, was vain, arrogant, disloyal, and unfaithful—his flaws were countless. His only redeeming quality was his filial piety towards his mother. He was genuinely filial. Out of his twelve thousand dollar monthly salary, he’d send eleven thousand to his mom, give me one thousand, then eat and live off me, claiming he was supporting me. Then, as if to prove his accusation, he shoved his phone in front of my face. “See for yourself! This is the death registry list!” he roared. “Open your damn eyes and see who’s on it!” On that list, a name was crudely circled in red marker, standing out like a sore thumb—Eleanor Hayes. Eleanor Hayes… that was my mother’s name. Even the ID number after it was indeed my mother’s information. How was that possible? This morning, just a few hours ago, when I left for work, my mom had just made me my favorite pan-fried buns. They were hot, with thin skin, generous filling, and delicious soup. She even watched me eat, congratulating me on finally escaping the hellhole that was Victor. She was so happy she wanted to go downstairs and light some fireworks to celebrate my new beginning. I knew my face must have turned incredibly pale and stiff right then. Victor clearly noticed my distraught appearance and misinterpreted my reaction. “Nothing to say now, huh?! Amelia, to spite me, you’re actually neglecting your own mother’s funeral arrangements? The person is dead, and you’re still calmly working here? Do you have no conscience?! If your patients knew, who would dare to put their lives in the hands of someone as cold-blooded as you?!” Even though I knew there was a high chance of a mistake, I nervously pulled out my phone and dialed my mom’s number. The phone rang with a “Doo—doo—” but there was no answer for a long time. Victor stood across from me, a smirk on his face, enjoying the show. “Still putting on an act?” he said coldly, his voice full of schadenfreude. “Hurry up and sign that waiver, then go to the morgue to find your mom’s body, hahahaha!” Victor laughed and walked away. I ignored him, continuing to dial my mom’s number over and over. Just as I was about to give up and rush out of my office to drive home and check, the call finally connected. “Hello?” A voice I knew better than my own filled my ear. It was my mom’s voice! It really was my mom! In that instant, my nerves, stretched to their breaking point, suddenly relaxed. I almost cried out, “Mom! Why did it take you so long to answer?! You scared me half to death, do you know that?! I called so many times! Where were you?!” “I was looking for my insurance card!” my mom complained on the other end. “I was rummaging through everything. My phone was charging in the living room, so I didn’t hear it. I remember having it when I went to your hospital last time, how could it just disappear? It’s so strange…” I let out a long sigh of relief, leaning back in my chair, feeling all the strength drain from my body. Listening to my mom’s rambling, I suddenly remembered the scene half a month ago when my mother-in-law, Martha Thorne, came to see me. Half a month ago, I’d been working non-stop at the hospital for over a week. Going home was out of the question; even getting a decent sleep in the on-call room felt like a luxury.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296982”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

For her first birthday after marriage, Riley had saved every spare penny from her part-time delivery job for six months to buy her husband, Julian, a tie. It was a beautiful light smoke-gray, absolutely perfect. She planned to hide it at the bottom of the closet and surprise him when he came home that night. But instead, at the very bottom of the closet, she found a marriage certificate. The photo on the certificate was still a picture of her and Julian. But his name had an extra initial in front: J. Julian. And the woman’s name was Chloe, her twin sister. Sounds came from outside, Julian seemed to be back. Someone else was with him, probably his assistant. Riley hid in the closet and listened to their conversation. “Mr. Fuentes, the handbag Miss Chloe liked while shopping today? I’ve already arranged to have it delivered to her home. We told her she was a lucky winner chosen during the mall’s anniversary sale, and the bag was her prize.” Julian nodded. “Well done.” “Mr. Fuentes, I don’t quite understand. If you like Miss Chloe so much, why not just reveal your identity and confess directly? Why go undercover and pursue her twin sister first?” Julian’s voice sounded a little desolate. “Chloe has rejected me ninety-nine times, but I can’t let her go. I will only ever love her. As for Riley… she looks eighty percent like Chloe. I just wanted to use her to take the wedding photo on the marriage certificate. Chloe’s ID was used for the actual registration.” “You truly are devoted to Miss Chloe. Even after being rejected so many times, you still find a way to be with her.” Julian’s voice turned dark. “Even if I can’t win her heart, I won’t let her marry another man. She can only be mine!” “So, you disguised your identity to make it easier to escape later?” “Exactly,” Julian said. “I’ll accrue massive debts under the name Julian, so Riley will have no choice but to let go.” That night, Riley stayed in the closet, not coming out. She clutched the marriage certificate, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. So, she was just a tool, used by Julian in his ruthless pursuit. From the very beginning, he had only loved Chloe. All that talk about him being a slave to the corporate grind earning only four thousand a month, or not being able to afford a proper wedding ceremony or flowers – it was all a lie! He was the heir to the colossal Fuentes Group empire, wealthy beyond imagination. What couldn’t he afford? He hid his identity and skipped the wedding because she wasn’t the woman he truly wanted to marry! She wasn’t worthy! The next morning, Riley went straight to the department store and returned the tie. Then, she bought a plane ticket. The staff member asked her, “Ma’am, where would you like to fly?” Riley handed her all the refund money. “See how far this can get me. Just pick the furthest destination possible.” Soon, she received a text message confirming her ticket. Seven days later, her flight would depart for Nigeria. She looked it up on the map. It was a small country in Africa. Perfect. Africa was far enough. When she got home, the lights were off. Julian didn’t seem to be awake yet. Just as she was about to unlock the door with her key, she heard a sound from inside. Julian was holding a woman’s hair tie, kissing it frantically against his lips. “Chloe… Chloe… good girl, I love you…” At the same time, his hand moved rhythmically below, until he found his release. Round after round, he seemed tireless, continuing for a full three hours. Riley waited outside the door for three hours. Only when the sounds completely ceased did she push the door open and step inside. Julian saw her, and the intoxicated look on his face instantly morphed into indifference. “Where have you been? Why weren’t you home all morning?” Riley opened a window to air out the room, letting the heavy, cloying scent of stale desire dissipate. She and Julian had been “married” for over half a year, but Julian had never touched her. Several times, she had tried to be intimate, but Julian would merely push her away gently. “I’m exhausted from work. I don’t have the energy for anything else. You should rest. I’ll sleep on the couch.” At first, she genuinely believed he was just a corporate drone overworked by a soulless company, so she didn’t mind and even felt bad for him. But now that the truth was out, she finally understood the reason for his coldness all these years. It was all just an excuse. Riley said, “The supermarket on the west side of town had a sale on groceries this morning, so I went to queue for it.” Julian looked at her empty hands, puzzled. “Then where are the groceries?” **Chapter 2** Riley said, “I accidentally tripped on the way back. The groceries were crushed, so I threw them away.” Julian simply hummed in response, saying nothing else. Riley asked, “Aren’t you going to ask if I got hurt when I fell?” Julian snapped, “So, did you get hurt?” “No, I’ll just take care of it myself.” Julian frowned, a hint of impatience in his voice. “I’m already incredibly busy and tired. Don’t keep testing if I still love you. It’s really annoying.” Riley let out a bitter laugh. A woman’s intuition is rarely wrong. Ever since they got married, she had constantly doubted whether he truly loved her. So, she would often test him. But now she understood: if she doubted, it meant he didn’t love her. Riley said, “Don’t worry, I won’t do these pointless tests anymore.” Julian’s expression finally softened. “Good. Just remember that. Don’t keep bothering me.” I will remember. Because in seven days, I’ll be gone from your world forever. You don’t need to cook up some massive debt to drive me away. I’ll leave on my own. I won’t cling to you. “Julian, tomorrow’s the weekend. Will you come shopping with me? I want to buy my father a birthday gift.” Julian frowned irritably. “No time. I have to work overtime.” “Chloe will be there too.” As expected, at the mention of Chloe’s name, Julian conceded. “Since it’s for my father-in-law’s gift, then as a son-in-law, I suppose I should make an appearance.” Saturday morning, she and Julian went to the department store. Chloe waved at them from a distance. “Sister, brother-in-law, we’re over here—!” Julian immediately turned his back, not letting Chloe or their parents see his face. He whispered to Riley, “You go ahead and shop. I’m going to the restroom.” Then he hurried away. Chloe quickly ran over, affectionately linking her arm through Riley’s. “Sister, why did brother-in-law run off again? Since you two got married, Mom and Dad and I still haven’t seen what he looks like.” Riley offered a faint smile and said, “You’ll see him eventually.” When I’m gone, he’ll definitely take you by force, bring you home, and lock you up. Then, even if you don’t want to see him, he’ll force you to. As for these in-laws, he’ll probably be eager to claim them as his own. Chloe linked her arm through their father’s, coaxing, “Dad, what gift do you want? I’ll buy it for you! I’ve been making money tutoring lately!” Their mother quickly interjected, “You’re still in school, where would you get the money? Your thoughtfulness is enough. Let your sister buy it.” After that, her mother specifically turned to Riley. “Your sister has been tutoring lately and her little face has gotten so thin from exhaustion. As the older sister, you should feel for her. The money for your father’s gift should come from you.” Riley actually wanted to ask. If Chloe was tired from tutoring, was she not tired from working as a delivery driver? And she was only born one minute before her sister. Did that mean she had to tolerate and support everything about her sister? Why? Her father saw that she didn’t immediately answer and instantly rebuked her. “It’s just a bit of your money, and you’re acting so unwilling. How much did I spend raising you? You can’t even bear to buy a gift. You’re truly selfish, a heartless ingrate!” Chloe feigned concern, crying, “Oh, Mom and Dad, don’t talk about Sister like that. Sister didn’t say she wouldn’t buy it. Come on, let’s go pick out a gift! Sister is the most filial. As long as Dad likes it, she’ll definitely buy it, right, Sister?” Her father glared fiercely at Riley, but when he turned to Chloe, his expression immediately softened into a doting smile. “Our Chloe is the most filial and sensible one.” “Dad, when I start working, I’ll buy you anything you want!” “Oh, my sweet girl, Dad doesn’t need you to buy gifts. As long as you’re healthy and happy, that’s enough. Just buy things for yourself with your money.” Her father, mother, and Chloe walked ahead, browsing and picking things out, like a happy family of three. Riley walked behind them, ignored by everyone, spoken to by no one, as if she were merely an attendant responsible for paying today. Her father picked out a watch and gestured to her. “Riley, I think this one’s good.” Riley glanced at the price. A Tudor watch. While not an excessively luxurious brand, even the lowest-end model cost at least twenty to thirty thousand. Almost all her money had gone towards buying the plane ticket; she didn’t have much cash left. She said, “Dad, why don’t you look at something else? There are plenty of other stores ahead…” “Just say you don’t want to buy it! What kind of excuse is that? I like this one. Are you buying it or not?!” Chloe started to tear up. “Dad, maybe I can get another part-time job and save up to buy it for you…” Just then, the manager of the watch store walked out with a beaming smile. “You must be Miss Chloe, correct?” Chloe nodded. “Yes, but how do you know me?” The manager was overly flattering. “Your friend just instructed us that anything in our mall today, anything you and your family like, you can take with you. He’ll take care of the bill! Sir, you like this watch, right? I’ll have someone wrap it up for you immediately!” **Chapter 3** Her parents’ eyes lit up with surprise. “Chloe, when did you get such a rich friend?” Chloe’s face flushed. “I… I don’t know either.” Just then, a commotion erupted downstairs. It turned out the mall’s entire security team had been deployed, clearing the entire place in moments. The entire mall was now serving only the Miller family. A man who looked like an assistant approached, speaking to Chloe with great respect and politeness. “Miss Chloe, my master has instructed that today, you should simply browse with Mr. and Mrs. Miller. Just tell me what you like, and I’ll carry it for you.” Chloe asked, “Sir, please, what is your master’s name?” The assistant smiled. “Apologies, Miss Chloe, but my master said it’s not yet convenient for you to know his true identity. Once he handles a few matters, he will naturally come to meet you.” Riley watched from the side, a subtle ache in her heart. Handle a few matters? It was probably about divorcing her. No, that wasn’t right. They hadn’t even truly registered their marriage. The registration was done with Chloe. Even their “marriage” was a sham. He just needed to “dispose” of her, then he could reveal his true identity and, with the actual marriage certificate, present himself to his in-laws. Chloe nodded, seemingly understanding, yet not. “Oh, okay. If it’s inconvenient for him, then I won’t ask.” The assistant added, “Mr. and Mrs. Miller can also choose freely. Our master said that since you are Miss Chloe’s parents, you are also his elders, and it is right for him to show you respect.” Her father pointed to a watch in the nearby store. “Even something this expensive?” “Of course.” With a wave of the assistant’s hand, the watch store manager immediately ordered, “Hurry, wrap up all the watches in our store! Mr. Miller can wear a different one every day!” Her mother also became excited, asking, “Chloe, I also need a handbag to match my outfits…” Upon hearing this, the assistant immediately said, “Ma’am, I’ve arranged for all brands of handbags in the mall today to be delivered to your home. You can take your time choosing.” “All of them? How much would that cost?!” “Money is no object. If you like the bags, keep them. If not, just throw them away.” “Oh, we couldn’t possibly!” “My master and Miss Chloe are friends. As long as Miss Chloe is happy, he is happy.” Chloe acted coy, asking, “Sir, is there anything I can do for this friend? I can’t just take so many valuable things for free.” The assistant said, “Miss Chloe, you are truly just as our master described: pure of heart and untouched by greed. How about this? Please give me your hair clip. I’ll pass it on to my master as your thank-you gift.” Chloe nodded, took off the hair clip from her head, and handed it to the assistant. She said, “This way, it’s a fair exchange. I can accept the gifts with a clear conscience.” Fair exchange? Julian was spending a fortune, and she was returning a cheap trinket from a street vendor. Was that considered a fair exchange? It just goes to show, when someone’s adored like that, they act like they own the world. Whether it was a hair tie or a hair clip, as long as it belonged to Chloe, Julian treated it like a priceless treasure. Chloe leaned playfully against Riley, cooing, “Sister, I’ve already bought Mom and Dad gifts. What about you?” Riley had noticed a scarf in the distance. The price was reasonable, and the pattern was beautiful. It was a branded item, over three thousand, and she had enough money to pay for it. “Dad, do you like that scarf?” Before her father could speak, the assistant said with a strained smile, “Miss Riley, our master said that everything in this mall today already belongs to Miss Chloe, including that scarf.” Riley chuckled, but it was humorless. “Your master isn’t leaving me even one item?” “That’s right. He only cares about Miss Chloe being happy. Everyone else, he can’t be bothered with.” Great. “Can’t be bothered with,” indeed. Julian, you certainly draw a clear line between those you favor and those you don’t! When it was time to leave, the assistant respectfully ushered her parents and Chloe into a car and drove them home. When it was Riley’s turn, the assistant held out a hand to block her. “I’m sorry, Miss Riley, but there’s no more room in the car. You’ll have to find your own way back.” Chloe murmured, “Sir, let Sister come in. She can squeeze in with me.” “Miss Chloe, my master instructed that no one is to make you uncomfortable. If you’re squeezed, he’ll punish me when we get back.” Chloe nodded regretfully. “Oh, alright then. Sister, I guess you’ll have to take the bus then~” Riley stood rooted to the spot, watching their car drive away. Besides the assistant personally driving her parents and Chloe, there was a line of black sedans following behind, at least twenty or thirty of them, all carrying the bodyguards who had just cleared the mall. Every car had empty seats, but without Julian’s permission, no one dared to give her a ride. Riley let out a bitter laugh. Oh well. She’d be leaving soon anyway, so what was the point of dwelling on it? She turned and started walking towards the bus stop. But suddenly, several figures rushed out from behind her, clamping their hands over her mouth and nose. “What are you doing— mmmph…” **Chapter 4** When Riley woke up, she didn’t know how much time had passed. She had been taken to a desolate forest, where the roars of wild animals echoed around her. Several men stood before her. The scarred leader raised a hand and slapped her across the face, asking fiercely, “You’re Julian’s wife, aren’t you?” Riley looked up, frowning. “Who are you?” “Let me tell you, that Julian kid owes us a huge sum of money, and you’re going to pay it back for him!” Riley chuckled. Massive debts. So this was where that was leading. The scarred man slapped her again. “What are you laughing at?! Didn’t you hear me?! You’re his wife, you have to pay his debt! Otherwise, we’ll sell you to the lowest-class brothel, where you’ll wish for death but never find it!” What was she laughing at? Julian, oh Julian, to force me to leave, you’re actually making the act this realistic? I know you couldn’t wait. You used me to take wedding photos, and you registered the marriage with Chloe’s ID. My usefulness has run out. You’re desperate to kick me out so you can rightfully be with Chloe! If that’s the case, I’ll grant your wish. She chuckled softly and asked, “Are you also going to say that if I leave Julian and have no more ties to him, I won’t have to pay his debt?” The scarred man was stunned by the question, but still said, “Exactly! As long as you have nothing to do with him, we naturally won’t come looking for you for the debt.” “Good,” Riley said coldly. “Go back and tell him that from today, from this very moment, I, Riley Miller, have absolutely nothing to do with him! May God strike me down if I go back on my word!” … When Riley returned home, it was already midnight. Julian still had a sour expression. “Didn’t you ask me to go pick out a gift with you? I went to the restroom for a minute, and you were gone. Where did you go?” Riley looked at him talking to himself and just wanted to laugh. “You know exactly where I was, don’t you?” Julian still insisted, “I can’t read your mind, how would I possibly know?” There were no buses at midnight. She had walked all the way back from the forest. Her feet were blistered from the walk. Julian frowned. “How did you get into this state?” Riley said, “None of your business. Go about your own.” “I’m your husband. If you’re hurt, I should at least ask.” Riley looked up. “Are you my husband?” “…” You’re not my husband. You’re Chloe’s. She took a deep breath, shaking her head with a faint smile. “Julian, someone kidnapped me today and said you owe a lot of money, and I have to pay it back for you.” Julian admitted it quickly. “I do owe a lot of money. I don’t want to drag you down, so… perhaps we should separate.” “Alright,” Riley readily agreed. “I told the kidnappers I’d cut ties with you. I hope they won’t come looking for me anymore.” Julian said, “Don’t worry, they won’t.” But no sooner had he spoken than the front door was kicked open from outside. Over a dozen men in black stormed in, quickly pinning Riley to the ground. “Don’t move! This is a robbery!” A robber pressed a gun against the back of Riley’s head and shouted fiercely at Julian, “You! Find all the bank cards in the house and tell me the passwords, or I’ll blow your wife’s brains out!” Julian’s expression turned cold. “Alright, I’ll get them.” But the next second, his phone rang. The moment he saw the caller ID, he almost erupted with joy. “Chloe! You finally called me on your own!” On the other end of the line, Chloe still maintained a haughty tone. “…The library suddenly had a power outage, and I’m scared of the dark. Can you come pick me up?” “Okay, I’ll be right there.” With that, he turned and walked away. Even the robbers were stunned. “Stop! Are you going to call the police? If you take one more step outside, I’ll shoot immediately!” Bang— A gunshot rang out. Julian seemed not to have heard it at all, vanishing from sight in an instant. **Chapter 5** When Riley woke up again, she was in a hospital. Outside her door, a young nurse was whispering. “Did you see that guy in the VIP room? He’s so handsome!” “And he’s incredibly sweet to his girlfriend. She just twisted her ankle in the dark, and he’s called in all the famous doctors from the whole city!” “But I think his girlfriend treats him pretty badly, ordering him around like he’s her personal servant, yet he seems happy about it.” “Sigh, that girl has such good fortune, unlike this one in room 502, who almost died and has no one even visiting her…” Riley felt an intense pain in her shoulder, making her hiss. The robber’s aim must have been bad; it didn’t hit a vital organ, so she was lucky to survive. She got out of bed and struggled to the door. She happened to see Julian passing by, supporting Chloe. Chloe pushed him away in disgust. “Don’t touch me. I can walk on my own.” “No, your ankle is newly twisted. I’m worried.” With that, he scooped Chloe up into his arms and quickly walked away. Chloe’s face turned red, and she playfully punched his chest with a small fist in his arms. “What are you doing? I only asked you to pick me up. I haven’t agreed to be your girlfriend yet.” “You’ll agree eventually, because you’re already my wi—” Chloe blinked. “Your what?” Julian chuckled. “Nothing. I meant, you’ll always be mine. You can’t escape.” Riley retreated back into her hospital room, tears silently streaming down her face. In the afternoon, Julian finally came to visit. He stood, looking down at her. “I heard from the doctor. You weren’t hit in a vital spot. You’ll be fine after some rest.” Riley just hummed in response. “Last night, I had some urgent work. I couldn’t not go.” “I know,” Riley said coldly. “I want to sleep for a bit. You can go.” Julian didn’t waste a second, immediately turning and leaving. Urgent work? What kind of urgent work could be more important than a person’s life? Julian’s excuse was too flimsy, but Riley was too tired to care. She opened her phone and checked the calendar. Only three days left until her departure. In her current state, she definitely couldn’t get to the airport on her own. She needed someone to help. So, she called her best friend, Harper. Harper readily agreed. “Don’t worry, I’ll take you when the time comes.” That afternoon, her father called her. “Your sister won an award in her aerobics competition this time. Come back for dinner with us.” Riley said, “Dad, I’m injured. I’m still in the hospital…” “You’re not dead, are you? What’s a little injury? You have to come back tonight, or I’ll have no daughter!” That evening, Riley dragged her weakened body back home. Her mother had prepared a huge table full of dishes. Her father had called friends and relatives, and dozens of people filled the house, making it lively and boisterous. Chloe, dressed in a pure white dress, looked like a little princess. She was receiving praises and compliments from everyone. “Did Chloe win first prize in her aerobics competition?” Her father laughed heartily. “Even though it was just a participation award, Chloe worked very hard. Unlike her sister, who, despite being a twin, is so unremarkable. She’s truly an embarrassment to me.” Riley stood by, silent as a wooden statue. She was the one who had gotten into an Ivy League school, while her sister only got into a community college. But their family was struggling financially and couldn’t afford for both of them to go to college. Her parents said that since she was the older sister, she should go directly to work and give the opportunity to study to her younger sister. Riley agreed. She worked hard, earning money, and almost all her wages went to Chloe as pocket money. Yet, she still couldn’t earn a single word of praise from her parents. It was as if her being an older sister meant it was her natural duty to always defer to and uplift her sister. While she was lost in thought, a loud, clear voice rang out from the doorway. “Mr. Julian Fuentes, CEO of the Fuentes Group, sends his congratulations and gifts to Miss Chloe Miller on her award—!” **Chapter 6** Max, the assistant, entered with a team of people, each carrying priceless gifts. A complete set of emerald jewelry from the British Royal Collection; An entire season’s worth of haute couture gowns, hand-stitched by renowned designers; A famous calligrapher’s special inscription for Chloe, “Ode to Chloe’s Unique Spirit,” in elegant brushstrokes; And countless antique vases, coral, and agate. Finally, Max personally presented a set of keys. He said, “Mr. Fuentes has purchased a private jet and a private yacht for Miss Chloe. Both are adorned with Miss Chloe’s photos and are exclusively for her use.” All the relatives and friends were stunned. “The Fuentes Group? Isn’t that the largest publicly traded company in the city?” “Oh my goodness, the CEO of the Fuentes Group personally sending gifts to Chloe? Chloe is going to be the CEO’s wife one day!” Immediately, everyone in the room began to fawn over Chloe. They competed to heap even more compliments on her. Chloe’s face flushed as she shyly said, “Auntie, don’t talk nonsense. I don’t even know the Fuentes CEO.” Her aunt chuckled. “You don’t know him, and he’s sending you all these gifts? He definitely likes you.” Another older woman chimed in, “Yes, Chloe. When you become the CEO’s wife, don’t forget to help your cousins out.” “Oh, nothing’s set in stone yet…” Max, the assistant, stood nearby and announced loudly for all to hear, “Miss Chloe, Mr. Fuentes asked me to tell you: if you simply nod your head, tomorrow he will arrive with flowers and the most lavish, fairy-tale wedding to take you home!” … Riley stood alone in the corner, feeling utterly disgusted. She went outside for some fresh air. She didn’t know how long she stood there, chilled to the point of numbness. Suddenly, Chloe’s voice came from behind her. “Sister, it must be painful for you to see everyone liking me and revolving around me, isn’t it?” Everyone else was inside; currently, only the two sisters were in the yard. Chloe had shed her “good girl” facade, and her smile turned malicious. “But there’s nothing you can do. I’m just more likable than you. Not only Mom and Dad like me…” She leaned closer to Riley’s ear. “Even your husband is my simp.” Riley hadn’t intended to argue with her, until she heard that last sentence. “…You know Julian’s true identity?” “Of course. He’s the CEO of the Fuentes Group! If I can marry him, I’ll be the envied Mrs. Fuentes! But I know that to make a man devoted, you can’t make it too easy for him. So I’ve been rejecting him, but every now and then, I give him a little hope. This push and pull makes him utterly obsessed with me…” Chloe held Riley’s hand and continued, “Oh, by the way, Sister, you didn’t know this, did you? When we were little, Mom and Dad thought you stole money and beat you terribly, and from then on, they hated you. That money was actually stolen by me, and I secretly put it in your backpack…” That stealing incident was the root cause of her parents’ change in attitude. Her parents found the money in her backpack, and no matter how she tried to explain, they were convinced she stole it. From then on, they started to detest her and instead pampered and adored Chloe. So, everything, absolutely everything, had been Chloe’s doing! The long-suppressed anger finally erupted in an instant. Riley raised her hand to slap her. But before her hand could land, Chloe herself collapsed to the ground. She clutched her face, crying, “Sister, it’s all my fault! I’ll never do it again, boo hoo hoo…” Her cries drew everyone from inside. Her mother clutched Chloe, glaring furiously at Riley. Her father directly laid hands on her. Slap! Slap! Slap! He slapped Riley three times. “You’re out of your mind! How dare you lay a hand on my daughter?!” Riley demanded sharply, “Am I not your daughter too?!” “I don’t have a daughter as rotten to the core as you! You’re inherently wicked! I wish I’d strangled you at birth. I only consider myself to have given birth to one child, Chloe!” Slap! Her father delivered another slap, making Riley’s ears ring. He pointed furiously towards the door. “Get out! From now on, I have no daughter like you!” Riley scrambled up from the ground, wiped the blood from the corner of her lip, and sneered. “Even if you weren’t kicking me out, I wouldn’t want to stay here anymore. This place makes me sick!” Turning to leave, she collided head-on with a sharply dressed Julian, who was just arriving. She sneered. “So, you’re finally willing to show your true face?” **Chapter 7** Julian coldly glanced at her and asked, “Which hand did you use to hit Chloe?” “I didn’t even touch her! She fell down herself! Ah—!” Julian grabbed her throat, grinding his teeth, eyes wide with fury. “How dare you touch Chloe! You’re asking to die!” The men in black behind him quickly moved, several burly figures pinning her down tightly and dragging her into a car. The vehicle bumped along for a long time until she was taken to a desolate, uninhabited area. A sharp pain shot through her knee as she was kicked, forcing her to her knees. A pair of black leather shoes appeared in her line of sight. Julian looked down at her from above, like a devil from hell. “I was going to leave you one hand, but since you won’t talk, you won’t need either!” Riley’s hands were pinned to the ground by the men in black, and a thick, long steel nail was immediately driven into her palm. “Ah!” Then, the other side. Excruciating pain flooded her senses, and Riley nearly fainted from it. Julian said, “Riley, you two are twins, but it’s always been you, the older sister, who received all the parents’ affection. Chloe has always tolerated and yielded to you since childhood, so why do you still bully her?!” Riley endured the intense pain, twisting her lips. “I bullied her? Is that what she told you?” “Riley, Chloe is my bottom line.” “So, what then, Mr. Fuentes? Are you planning to get revenge for her?” Julian said, “I never explained my identity to you before, so you probably don’t know my temper. Riley, all the suffering Chloe has endured since childhood, you’ll have to repay tenfold, a hundredfold!” Before leaving, he instructed the men in black: “Don’t touch her face, but I don’t want to see an inch of good skin anywhere else.” “Yes, sir!” Not touching her face—was it because her face looked almost identical to Chloe’s? Julian, oh Julian, when you find out about her schemes, will you still love her so blindly? A searing, tearing pain simultaneously erupted from every part of her body. The men in black held glowing red branding irons, pressing them fiercely onto every inch of her skin. The excruciating agony made her instinctively writhe and roll. But with her hands nailed to the ground, she had no escape. … Riley didn’t know how long she had been unconscious. She was woken by a villager who happened to be passing by. He said, “It’s been raining for two days and two nights now. How did you end up lying here, covered in injuries?” So, two days and two nights had already passed. Today must be her flight day. Seven days went by so fast. The kind villager handed her his phone. “Do you want to call your family?” Family? She shook her head with a bitter smile. “I don’t have a family anymore.” She called Harper. Harper immediately drove over when she heard Riley was in that remote place. But Riley’s condition still made her gasp in shock. She was covered in injuries—burns, whip marks, stab wounds, all overlapping. Because she had been soaked in the rain, all her wounds had reopened, and blood stained the ground. Harper immediately burst into tears. “Riley, who did this?! I’m going to call the police right now and have them arrested!” “No need,” Riley said. “My boarding time is almost here. Please take me to the airport.” “But your injuries…” Riley didn’t want to go to the hospital. She knew her injuries were severe and the hospital would surely require her to be admitted. But she didn’t want to wait another moment. The people in this land disgusted her; she didn’t want to stay here for another second. Harper had no choice but to go to a pharmacy herself, buy some medications, and roughly treat Riley’s wounds. When they reached the airport, there were only 10 minutes left before the gate closed. Harper was practically crying the whole way. She pushed Riley in a wheelchair, choked up. “Riley, go. Go to a new place and start over.” Riley nodded with difficulty. “Harper, thank you for bringing me.” The moment she boarded the plane, she transferred all the remaining money in her account to Harper. Then she broke her SIM card in half and threw it, along with her phone, into a trash can. Goodbye, Julian. Goodbye, everyone who hated me. Because I, too, hate you all very, very much! **Chapter 8** At the hospital. Chloe lay in her hospital bed, and Julian sat by her side, peeling an apple for her. He was skilled, the apple peel coming off in one continuous strand.

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I had dedicated years to figure skating, and to repay the immense sponsorship from the Harrington family, I married Julian Harrington. In our seven years of marriage, he’d taken on dozens of women, even setting them up in the same exclusive community. His twisted excuse? It made it easier for me, his legitimate wife, to ‘manage’ them. I became adept at handling the women he grew tired of, all while maintaining my grueling training schedule. Just as I was on the brink of winning the Grand Slam, a teammate accidentally grazed my neck with her skate blade during a competition. Streams of blood dripped onto the ice, freezing into crimson streaks. Julian merely glanced at me. “If you’re not dead, then get back on the ice and win!” Only later did I discover she was Julian’s new favorite. This was her twisted display of power, his warning. When I regained consciousness, I stared at the familiar room, yet couldn’t recall where I was. All I knew was that my debt was paid. I could finally leave…

“You’re finally awake! I’ll call the family doctor!” Julian’s sister, Elara Harrington, immediately sprang from the chair, rushing out to usher a team of doctors into my room. “Skylar Xu is our Harrington family’s treasure! Make sure you check her thoroughly!” I lay there like a fish on a chopping block, pinned to the bed, letting them poke and prod. Just answering a few robotic questions confirmed I was mostly fine. As they left, I overheard someone sigh softly: “Treasure? More like a cash cow, if you ask me.” I looked down at the countless scars, old and new, etched onto my body from years of intense training. Even if they saw them, they never once asked if I was in pain or if I was tired. The only thing they ever cared about was whether my performance on the ice could generate more income for the Harrington family. “Elara, I’ve done everything you asked. Can I leave now?” She stared at me, surprised. “Why the sudden urge to leave?” My gaze dimmed as I shifted my eyes from her face to the window. Soon, her secretary rushed in, breathless, reporting everything that had happened during the competition. Listening to him, she took a deep breath, her voice low and stern as she gave an order: “Bring Julian to me!” The usually decisive businesswoman, after hearing the full story, seemed to feel a pang of compassion. Pity, regret, and a touch of helplessness mingled in her gaze as she looked at me. “I’m so sorry, Sky. I thought he’d settle down once he’d had his fun. I never imagined he’d let some outside woman hurt you…” I shook my head. “It’s fine. It was my obligation to repay their kindness. Once it’s fully paid, please let me go.” My phone rang at an inconvenient moment. I answered, and a voice, arrogant yet deceptively sweet, came through the line: “Skylar Xu, you’re 27 now. It’s time for you to step down.” “You should thank me. That cut was merciful; I didn’t aim for your face, but it’s enough to end your glory days.” “Whether it’s the Ice Princess or Julian Harrington’s wife, that position will finally be mine!” As soon as she finished speaking, she let out a delicate giggle and quickly hung up. I lifted my head and met Elara’s gaze. The unspoken understanding between adults kept us silent. Recalling Tiffany’s words, I almost wanted to laugh. Did she really think being Julian’s wife was as glamorous as it seemed? Learning how to discreetly handle the women Julian grew bored of. Knowing how to deal with those who would threaten suicide to demand legitimacy. These were my mandatory lessons. From clumsy fear and cluelessness at the start, I had evolved into someone who handled it with practiced ease. Outsiders only saw my calm exterior, unaware it was the result of five years of emotional attrition. Five years that had mercilessly tortured a vibrant, beating heart until it barely clung to life. Perhaps it was a woman’s empathy, but Elara didn’t try to persuade me to stay. She sighed deeply. “The doctor said you injured your head, and it might cause stress-induced memory loss.” “You need to avoid strenuous exercise and excessive fatigue for a while.” “Once you’ve recovered, I’ll help you get a divorce and send you abroad.” “As for Celeste Johnson, I don’t want to hear that name from outsiders ever again.” She was warning me, subtly telling me not to leak the old scandal. I softly replied, “I know.” My family was poor when I was little, but I was discovered to have a talent for figure skating. The Harrington family covered the substantial cost. The price of accepting their sponsorship was marrying Julian Harrington. To win the Grand Slam and help launch Harrington Sports’ brand. Originally, this kind of good fortune wouldn’t have fallen to me. Julian Harrington had a long-term girlfriend, Celeste Johnson, who he’d grown up with. But then Celeste cheated on him with Julian’s brother-in-law. Elara caught them in bed. She didn’t want this incident to ruin the relationship between her and her brother. So she found some random excuse to divorce and sent Celeste abroad. To completely sever this toxic connection, she even went as far as to drug Julian and me, ensuring we ended up in bed. Unexpectedly, Julian agreed to marry me without any fuss. When we first got married, I had just graduated, at an age when my heart was easily stirred. Plus, I’d secretly admired Julian for a long time, so marrying him felt like a dream. During that time, besides training, I would carefully inquire about Julian’s preferences. I knew the staff looked down on me, thinking a country girl like me wasn’t worthy of their young master. But I liked Julian. Even enduring their cold stares and impatience, I’d brazenly ask them to teach me how to make Julian’s favorite dishes and his preferred soups. I meticulously remembered he disliked spicy food, loved sweets, preferred plain, understated clothes that made him seem composed. Even for water, he liked… What temperature was it again? I suddenly couldn’t recall. I shook my head, but it didn’t help; instead, it triggered a headache, making me gasp. Elara looked worried and asked, “Are you okay?” “I’m fine. I’ll only stay for one more week at most.” Because in one week, I would be joining Team E, becoming their youngest-ever head coach for figure skating. She nodded her agreement. Before sleeping that night, I felt a faint blank spot in my memory, specifically about Julian. I tried hard to recall it, but it wouldn’t come back. Instead, it only brought on palpitations. It didn’t matter. Let it be forgotten. From the moment he started bringing various women home, being intimate with them right in front of me. Whispering sweet nothings, entwined with them on the very bed we shared on our wedding night. I should have given up on him then, instead of lowering my standards, endlessly tolerating him. He knew I was allergic to smoke, yet after every session, he’d light a cigarette and blow the smoke in my face. He’d mock me in a contemptuous tone: “The moment you worked so hard to climb into my bed, and said all those bad things about Celeste in front of my sister, you should have foreseen this outcome.” “Skylar Xu got rid of Celeste Johnson, taking her place like a homewrecker. So you should know that after marriage, there will be other ‘Skylars’ who will get rid of you in the same way.” “Do their actions on my body look familiar to you?” “Are they just like the night you begged me for intimacy?” “If so, you’re practically their mentor.” He suddenly leaned close, the smoke from his nostrils stinging my eyes, making tears stream down my face. He clasped the back of my neck, a warning in his grip. “No matter how many I’ve slept with, none of them feel like you did that night.” “Why don’t you personally teach them a few tricks, so they can please me better?” “Or perhaps…” He narrowed his eyes, looking at me like a predator about to bite my neck. His gaze sent a shiver down my spine, an indescribable emotion swelling within me. His hand expertly found my sensitive spots, leaving me utterly paralyzed. “Is your body’s sensitivity and softness the result of all that scandalous figure skating practice?” I stared at him, wide-eyed in disbelief, unable to believe those words came from his mouth. In that moment, the romanticized image of him I’d held since childhood shattered into a million pieces. I saw the ugliest, most primitive state of a man in him: vulgar and perverse. I couldn’t bear it any longer. Tears welled in my eyes, my nails digging into his arm. “Julian Harrington, you can say whatever you want about me, but don’t you dare desecrate the sport of figure skating…” Amidst a whirlwind of thoughts, my pillow grew damp, my wet hair sticking to my cheeks. It was itchy, and a little painful. Drowsiness prevented me from discerning whether the pain came from my face or from the depths of my heart… I just felt certain memories drifting further and further away…

Julian returned the next day around noon, bringing Tiffany along. The staff were all discussing it: “The young master has so many women outside, but this is the first time he’s brought one home.” “Looks like the Lady Harrington position is about to change hands.” They never bothered to hide their discussions from me, nor did they ever show me the respect I deserved. Tiffany overheard their words and shot me a challenging look across the room. It was as if she was saying, ‘You can’t even control the staff, how could you ever hope to keep Julian’s heart? The position of Lady Harrington will definitely be mine!’ I pursed my lips, a soft laugh escaping my nostrils involuntarily. How to keep Julian’s heart? His heart was as hard as stone; no matter how sincerely I treated him, it wouldn’t stir him in the slightest. He’d even think I was trying to flatter him or grab his attention. It would only make him despise me more. Julian pulled out a chair at the dining table and said, “Get me a glass of water.” The staff didn’t budge. For five years, they’d silently agreed that serving Julian was my job. Just a little longer, I told myself. Five more days, and I’d be free. I picked a clean glass and poured him some water, handing it to him. He frowned slightly, took a sip, and set it down. “Are you trying to scald me with this temperature?” “I only drink water at 55 degrees. You’ve never messed up before. What’s wrong today?” Before he could finish, I reached for the glass, but he pressed my hand down. “New tactics now? Trying to provoke me, get my attention?” “Are you jealous?” I calmly met his cold gaze, speaking with detached composure. “I forgot.” A flicker of surprise crossed his face at my reaction. After all, I used to be obedient to his every word, quick to explain if I fell short. My indifference today piqued his suspicion. But he said nothing more. At the dinner table, he proposed that I retire. The Harrington family’s club was planning to sign Tiffany. He wanted me to coach her. I had thought that by winning the Grand Slam and making my name known worldwide, Providing free advertising for the Harrington brand, and helping Julian expand his business empire, That would be enough. Now, even my life after retirement—was that to be invaded and exploited too? It turns out that in his eyes, I had always been an inexhaustible, free resource. “My contract with the Harrington family is almost up. As for a club coach, I can recommend someone to you.” Thinking back, this was the first time I had ever refused Julian’s demand. As I expected, he flew into a rage. “So, you think your wings have grown strong enough to leave the Harrington family, huh, Skylar Xu? I’m telling you, don’t even think about it!” “You would never have achieved what you have today without the Harrington family!” With that, he abruptly stood up and went upstairs with Tiffany. I silently bowed my head, picking at my rice, tears steadily falling into it. He wasn’t wrong, but my contributions to the Harrington family over the years had long exceeded the amount of their sponsorship. I wanted to leave. I wanted my own life, my own plans. To no longer be a puppet subservient to the Harrington family. Heading upstairs to pack my bags, I passed Julian’s door and heard quite a commotion inside. “Julian, please divorce Skylar, okay?” “Anything she can give you, I can give you too. Anything she can’t, I have it all.” “Touch my skin, isn’t it softer and firmer than hers?” If I had known it was going to be such a disgusting conversation, I would never have stopped. Just as I was about to leave, Julian’s sharp voice cut through the air. “I will not divorce her! Get rid of those inappropriate thoughts of yours.” “Do your job, become the next Skylar Xu, and don’t waste my investment in you.” Why wouldn’t he divorce me? There was no love left between us, only hatred. Perhaps this was his revenge, for me occupying Celeste’s place. To bind me in this marriage and torture me for the rest of my life. At that thought, my head felt like it was splitting open, the pain radiating from my scalp to the tip of my nose, half my face going numb. I lay rigidly on the bed, taking half an hour to recover. When the pain finally subsided, the blank space in my brain, that missing memory, began to expand. I felt like I had forgotten something, but I just couldn’t recall what. The following days, I was busy with preparations to go abroad. As the contract still had a few days left, I had to follow Julian’s instructions, spending my free time training Tiffany. The day I received my passport, I was called to the training rink. Tiffany, wearing my competition outfit, paraded in front of me, tossing her head as she said, “Julian said your support team and costume designers are all mine now.” I just softly said, “Oh.” Suddenly, she lay down on the ground, placing her arm near my skate, and with her other hand, grabbed my clothes. I momentarily lost my balance, and the tip of my blade carved a shocking gash on her arm. “Skylar Xu!” Julian strode quickly towards us, roughly pushing me to the ground. He bent down, picked Tiffany up, and placed her on the mat. Then he told someone to call the team doctor and dragged me into an empty changing room. “Are you insane! If you want to hurt someone, can’t you find a place without cameras?” “If this gets out, accusing you of bullying a teammate and intentional injury, what about your reputation? What about the Harrington family’s standing?” His actions lately, I understood them less and less. His words contained no reproach for me harming his new favorite; instead, he seemed to be considering my welfare. I was about to reply when he bent down and picked up a piece of paper from behind me. “What is this?” He leaned closer to read it. “An offer from Team E?” My heart instantly clenched, sweat breaking out on my palms. I took a steady breath, then calmly pulled the offer letter from his hand. “Didn’t I say I’d recommend a coach last time? Many people want to join Harrington Sports, so I had them submit their resumes for screening.” His expression visibly relaxed, then turned stern again. “When did I agree to let you leave?” “Here’s the new contract, another ten years.” He tossed a stack of documents into my lap. I pretended to agree, but secretly, I deliberately misspelled my name on the contract, like random scribbles. I also slipped a divorce agreement among the papers, watching him sign them all. The huge weight on my heart finally lifted.

The day before I left, Celeste Johnson returned to the country. She hadn’t changed at all, still as arrogant as before, tossing her jacket onto me. “Are you enjoying your role as Lady Harrington?” “I know you had a crush on Julian back then. My five years away gave you a five-year trial.” “So, you should probably be kneeling and thanking me.” “Still, Julian never forgot me, did he?” I released my grip, and her jacket dropped straight to the floor. I stepped over it. “Was cheating fun? What do you think Julian’s reaction will be when he finds out the truth?” She hadn’t expected me to know about it and, enraged, raised her hand and slapped me. It was too fast; I couldn’t dodge. When I registered it, my face was stinging. Seeing Julian approach, Celeste began to play the victim, clinging to his arm and whining, “Julian, I’m back now. It’s time for this stand-in to leave, isn’t it?” I held back my tears, turning to go upstairs and change my flight. I’d leave tonight. Julian sensed something was wrong. He paced outside my room, wanting to explain but unsure what to say. When he finally twisted the doorknob and saw the empty room, he froze. Realizing what had happened, he roared, “Where’s Skylar Xu?!” Just then, Elara returned from her office, her brows furrowed in confusion at her brother’s frantic demeanor. “Didn’t she tell you? She’s becoming the head coach of Team E’s figure skating team tomorrow.” It was as if a light bulb went off in his head, finally understanding the source of his deep-seated unease all this time. But he simply couldn’t accept the fact that I had truly left. “Impossible! We signed a renewal contract just two days ago! If she just leaves like this, I can pursue legal action!” The undisguised fury in Julian’s eyes was fully directed at Elara. It was the first time Elara had ever seen her brother speak to her in such a tone. His strong, hot hand gripped her shoulder, his gaze sharp, radiating an intense pressure. Elara had a fiery temper herself. After their parents died, she truly became like a mother to her younger brother. As the elder, she wouldn’t tolerate her brother treating her this way. She raised her hand and slapped him directly. “You can’t even keep your own wife in line, and now you’re coming to me asking where she is?” “That contract isn’t valid.” Julian rubbed his stinging cheek, a bewildered look on his face. “What do you mean, not valid?” Elara sighed, a helpless expression washing over her face. “She intentionally misspelled her own name. Her message was crystal clear.” “For all these years, the revenue she brought to the corporation has long surpassed the Harrington family’s initial kindness.”

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