I used to be the perfect housewife, devoted to my husband Frank for seven years. I was so loyal I’d cross the street to avoid other men. But then I found out he was cheating on me. Tears streaming down my face, I confronted Frank with a list of 102 women he’d cheated with. “Why did you betray me?” I demanded. He coldly replied, “You’re too pure. There’s no passion in our life.” Later, I faked my own death to escape. Once I was free, I stopped pretending! I immediately took my Ferrari out for a spin and hired 99 male models. As I finished singing a silly song, I was passionately kissing one of the models when we locked eyes with someone at the door. I gave a flirtatious smile. “Hi there, ex-husband!” Frank leaned casually against the doorframe, saying nothing as the flickering lights cast eerie shadows. Annoyed at being stared at, I whispered in the model’s ear, taking a dig at Frank: “When someone greets you, you should respond. That’s just basic human decency.” “Otherwise, you’re not even human.” The model’s ear turned red from my warm breath. He gave Frank a challenging look. “Twinkle twinkle little star…” The next silly song I’d picked started playing. I wrapped my arms around the model, about to kiss him again. Frank finally spoke, his face dark: “Hiring male models?” “99 of them?” I turned to look at him with an innocent expression. “Is there a problem, Dr. Harrison?” Frank’s eyes grew cold, a mocking smile on his lips. “You’re really going wild, aren’t you.” The guys with Frank started teasing: “Sis, if you’d been this wild before, you and Frank wouldn’t have split up!” “Yeah, you gotta spice things up to get through the seven-year itch!” I firmly held down the model, Miles, who was getting angry and wanted to stand up. I slowly sipped my wine, lost in thought. I used to be a free-spirited woman. Years ago, I fell for Frank’s image as a selfless doctor saving lives. I went to great lengths to find out he had a pure, gentle ex who died young. For years he’d remained faithful to her memory. I knew then that he was the one. I forced myself to rein in my outgoing personality and played the perfect wife for Frank for seven years. And what did those seven years get me? Messages on his phone flirting and hooking up with countless sexy women. And his cold words to me: “No passion.” Even someone as strong as me couldn’t help but tremble remembering it. Only I knew how deeply I had loved Frank for those seven years. And only I knew that the seemingly perfect man was rotten to the core. I felt like such a fool. Miles gently held my waist and whispered: “Lily, are you that shaken?” I sighed softly, ready to rally. But then I heard Frank’s impatient mockery: “Are you two planning to get a room? This is a bar, not a hotel!” “We don’t allow indecent behavior in respectable establishments!” I emerged from Miles’ embrace and gave Frank a faint smile. “Young people date and hook up. Is there something wrong with two single people getting to know each other?” “Dr. Harrison, you’re so old-fashioned!” I watched the man’s chest heave with anger, his eyes dark. “Lily, you-!” I lifted my chin proudly and pulled out a wad of cash, stuffing it into Miles’ jacket pocket. “How about I buy you for the night, handsome?” Miles pressed his forehead to mine, his voice low: “What do you want to do?” I winked playfully, ignoring Frank as I pulled Miles towards the dance floor. “Dance with me!” The pulsing music shook the wild crowd. I smirked at Miles’ stiff movements in front of me. “You really don’t dance like someone who works here as a model.” Miles gritted his teeth and glared at me threateningly. “Lily!” “I would never come to a place like this if you hadn’t called me!” I laughed and pulled Miles closer by his shirt, lightly touching his lips. “I called you to act, but you’re taking advantage. We’re even now.” Miles’ eyes flashed red as he smacked my hand away, his mood darkening. “Lily, can’t you behave?!” “Didn’t you fake your death to get away from Frank forever? Why come to the bar he owns?” I fell silent. Seeing my reaction, Miles’ voice softened. “Do you regret it? Do you still love him?” I stiffened, my smile fading. After I left Frank, I never planned to see him again, and certainly didn’t expect to run into him here. Damn, who knew this bar was his?! I had just come out of the bathroom when I overheard Frank talking to his lowlife friends. “Bro, I found some hot new girls for you. Wanna meet them?” “You’ve been cooped up at the hospital ever since Lily disappeared. You look awful! You need some fun!” Separated by just a wall, I was shocked. Frank knew I had faked my death?! “How’s Lily been lately?” Frank inhaled deeply on his cigarette, slowly exhaling. “She went to the gym the day before yesterday and pretended to be weak to hook up with a muscular trainer. Yesterday she went to a wine tasting and ‘accidentally’ spilled wine on a sexy CEO’s shirt. Today she came to the bar and hired 99 male models to her room.” I silently listened to the lackey’s report, wanting to laugh. They really knew how to pick out the highlights. Frank suddenly chuckled coldly. “Sneaking off and faking her death, trying to make me jealous by practicing on other men-” “These little tricks aren’t enough to make me forgive and take her back.” I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly fell out of my head. What the hell kind of tricks?! It was all because Miles kept messing things up when he was with me: He was supposed to spot me at the gym but didn’t adjust the equipment. How was I supposed to lift that much?! The trainer was just laughing so hard he finally helped me! Miles suddenly complimented my white dress, making me trip and spill my wine all over the CEO. The guy came to ask for compensation! As for the models, I admit that was intentional. Miles had teased me that after faking my death, I didn’t even have a single man around! I was so annoyed listening to Frank and his crew’s delusional conversation. Where did they get the confidence?! Back in the private room, I reluctantly dismissed the 99 tall, handsome models. I calmly posted on social media, visible only to Miles: “Emergency! Need a male model wingman!” “Lily, say something.” “Do you still love him?” Miles’ low shout snapped me back to reality. I was about to speak when commotion broke out by the booths. A drunk customer was forcefully groping a sweet, innocent-looking girl and wouldn’t let go. He was shamelessly trying to feel her up. “Come on baby, let me hold you!” “Let go of me!” Beer bottles shattered on the ground as the girl cried out desperately for help. Until Frank came over and punched the guy, shielding the girl behind him. The onlookers cheered, the noise growing louder and louder. “What were you saying earlier?” Miles glared at me in annoyance. “You lose your soul as soon as you see Frank.” I lightly patted Miles’ cheek. “Tsk! We’ve been best friends for so many years and you still don’t understand my personality? Am I that kind of person? I don’t go back to exes!” Miles turned his head slightly, pressing his cheek firmly against my palm. “Then why are you still looking at him!” I laughed scornfully, leaning back against Miles with my arms crossed. “Am I looking at him?” I was actually looking at Frank’s hand resting firmly on the girl’s slim waist. And the knowing glance he exchanged with the drunk guy. He got the pretty girl and good publicity for the bar. Killing two birds with one stone. He was so calculating. It made me wonder how many times I’d been manipulated in those seven years. Disgusting. “Let’s go home.” I patted Miles’ broad shoulder, no longer wanting to get involved in Frank’s mess. Miles hesitated, his face full of restraint. “To my place?” “Uh, sure, your place works.” Miles looked increasingly uncomfortable as he waited for my decision. I narrowed my eyes and leaned close to his ear, pretending to be serious. “Of course-” “I’m going to my home, and you’re going to yours!” I quickly walked away, waving goodbye to Miles. “Goodnight Miles!” By the time Miles realized I’d tricked him, I was long gone. He unconsciously smirked, savoring the moment: “I’ll get you back for this.” Meanwhile, on the other side. Frank clinked glasses with the girl, gently calming her frightened heart. But his eyes were fixed firmly on Miles and me. Seeing us walk away one after the other, he couldn’t help but feel pleased. “Still so faithful.” “She must really love me.” On a cruise ship. “Mom, don’t worry. I’ll definitely snag a rich husband for you at this masquerade ball!” I reassured my mom on the phone as I gazed at the roaring sea. “Yeah right, with your taste in men?” “You wasted seven years being fooled, and now the neighbor’s daughter already has grandkids!” I was momentarily speechless at my mom’s scolding. “Sweetie, you and Miles have been childhood sweethearts. Our families know each other so well. Have you really never considered him? Old Mr. Young has always wanted you as a granddaughter-in-law!” I kicked at imaginary pebbles on the ground. “Mom! Stop worrying! I have my own pace!” Besides, if Miles really liked me, why hasn’t he said anything? He probably doesn’t even see me as a woman! I might as well find a boyfriend here today. Like that guy at 2 o’clock in the black mask. He looks good. His tailored suit hides an irresistibly attractive physique. “Hi, care for a drink?” I confidently walked over to greet him. The man smiled and bowed slightly, clinking his glass with mine. “Pleasure to meet you.” I downed my drink in one gulp and casually asked: “Are you here alone? May I have the honor of being your dance partner?” The man chuckled, his deep voice vibrating in my ears. I shifted back slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable chuckled, his deep. “I’d be honored, but I don’t think your boyfriend would be too happy about that.” I blinked in confusion, following the man’s gaze. Miles was frantically looking around, seeming lost. “Miles?” I apologetically excused myself from the man and ran over to chat up Miles. “Hey handsome! Wanna drink?” Miles gulped and stayed silent, shaking his head like he wanted to run away. I forcefully grabbed his neat tie, running my hands over his fit body. “Hey don’t go! Your pecs are really nice!” Miles’ breathing grew increasingly erratic from my teasing. He angrily burstratic from my te out: “Lily, how can you grope a stranger?! That’s sexual harassment!” I was stunned for a moment, then laughed: “So by that logic, if I know you then I can grope you?” “Big bro Miles~” Miles’ eyes lit up for a second when I called his name, but he stubbornly insisted: “You… you’ve got the wrong person.” I adjusted my slightly crooked mask, murmuring as I watched Miles run off: “What are you being shy for.” “Next birthday I’m definitely giving you a trophy – World’s Stubbornest Person.” The endless, calm sea always makes me feel free. I love this kind of free scenery. And I love being this free version of myself. It’s just a shame that in those seven years with Frank, I misse this free versiond out on many happy moments like this. But cutting my losses is a small consolation at least. However, turning my head to see Frank hooking up with a girl really ruined the mood. I silently vowed to pray for good luck when I got back on land. Why do I keep running into Frank’s annoying ass?!

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I led our design team, working tirelessly for my husband’s company, and finally secured a multi-million dollar brand collaboration. At the celebration party, however, my husband credited all the success to the new intern, saying her creativity was “the finishing touch.” As a reward, he publicly gifted her a limited edition designer “labubu” worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The team felt sorry for me, but when I confronted him, he pushed me away. He gave me ten dollars and said with a smirk, “At your age, you should go buy a cheap toy from a street vendor.” I finally woke up and resigned the next day, taking the entire design department with me. My husband mocked us, holding the intern, “You think you can find better jobs without any real skills? I’d like to see where you end up!” Three months later, at the industry’s largest brand bidding conference. My ex-husband took the stage with the intern, presenting our proposal and talking about future brand strategies. What he didn’t know was that I had already been hired by a top client company with a high salary, and I was the sole decision-maker for this bidding conference. “Olivia Lin, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Women who’ve lost their youth shouldn’t be jealous of young girls’ opportunities.” He said, turning away with a swagger. I looked down at the crumpled ten-dollar bill in my hand. So, in his eyes, all the hard work of my team and I was only worth a cheap toy. I smiled, but tears kept falling. I wiped my tears and returned to the table. My deputy, Jack, looked at me with concern. “Boss, are you okay?” I slammed the ten dollars on the table, my voice low but clear. “Jack, get ready.” “We’re all resigning tomorrow.” The next morning at nine. I walked into Andrew Chen’s office with resignation letters from the entire design department. He was holding Bella White, both intimately looking at the computer screen, laughing at something. Seeing us come in, he wasn’t surprised at all. He took the resignation letters and tossed them on the desk without even looking. “Olivia Lin, you really dare to make a scene.” He sneered, holding Bella tighter. “You think you can find better jobs without any real skills? I’d like to see where you end up without my platform!” Bella leaned into his arms, glancing at me timidly before flashing a smug smile. Andrew stood up and announced in front of all of us. “Well, I might as well announce something too.” “From today on, Bella White is the new Design Director of the company.” The whole office was in an uproar. An intern who had only been there for three months and could barely use design software was now the Design Director. It was the biggest joke in the industry. The members of my team had looks of absurdity and disdain on their faces. I didn’t say another word and left with my team. Walking out of the company gates, I looked back one last time at the place where I had poured eight years of my heart and soul. I felt nothing but disgust. That afternoon, I consulted a lawyer. The answer I got felt like a bucket of ice water. The legal representative of the company had always been Andrew Chen alone. I didn’t have any shares in my name. When we got married, he had promised earnestly that the company belonged to both of us, and he would give me half the shares after we succeeded. For him, I had resigned from a top internet company in the country and worked day and night by his side. Now I realized that all those promises were nothing but empty checks. Eight years of dedication might all be in vain. I sat in the coffee shop, looking out the window in despair. Just then, a call came in from an unknown number. “Hello, is this Design Director Olivia Lin?” “Yes, it is.” “Hello, I’m the project director from the brand collaboration we just signed. My name is Zhang. I’d like to discuss some detailed design specifications with you for the follow-up.” It was the client’s director. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible. “Director Zhang, I’m sorry, but I’ve already resigned from that company.” There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. “Resigne on the other end for a fewd? The whole team resigned?” “Yes.” Director Zhang’s voice suddenly became excited. “That’s great! Director Lin, to be honest, for this collaboration, we were interested in your team, not your company!” I was stunned. “We’ve internally assessed that your design concepts highly align with our brand’s future development direction. To be honest, we were worried that the personnel might change later, affecting the project quality.” “Now that you’re out, things are much easier.” Her words were like a beam of light, shining into my despair. “Director Lin, on behalf of our company, I’d like to formally invite you and your entire team.” “The salary will be double what you were getting before.” “The position is a core brand management role in our newly established group, which you’ll be directly responsible for.” “We hope you can bring your entire team to join us.” Double salary. Core position. The entire team packaged together. I suppressed my heart that was almost jumping out of my chest, my fingers tightly pinching my palm. “Director Zhang, thank you for your appreciation. It’s just that we’ve just completed the resignation process, and there are still some procedures to handle.” “No problem, we can wait. Talented people are worth waiting for.” “I’ll send the formal letter of intent to your email later. Take a look first, no need to rush with a reply.” After hanging up the phone, I looked at the sky outside the window, feeling it was brighter than ever before. My phone buzzed again, it was a WeChat message from Andrew. “Olivia, I know you’re still angry. Stop making a fuss, doesn’t our years of relationship mean more than a moment of anger?” “I know I was wrong, I shouldn’t have said that to you.” “Come back first, help Bella out, finish handing over the project. When this blows over, I’ll give you a grand apology ceremony, okay?” Looking at the words on the screen, I felt nauseous. Help Bella out. How could he say that? I turned off my phone, completely ignoring that message. The game had just begun. I used my savings to throw a grand “resignation party” for the team at the best five-star hotel in the city. Celebrating our escape from trash, welcoming new life. Everyone raised their glasses and cheered, their faces radiating relief and hope for the future. “Boss, it’s a good thing we left with you, or we’d have been infuriated to death in that company!” “Yeah, making an intern the director, has Andrew Chen lost his mind?” “He must be in a panic now!” After a few rounds of drinks, we started to review the collaboration proposal for this project. “The core design language ‘Breakthrough’, and all the VI application standards, the most detailed version is actually only in our heads,” said my deputy Jack. “I held back at the time, only submitting the basic version. Many extended applications and special scenario specifications weren’t included in the final document at all.” I nodded. “Well done. These are our real value.” The new week began. Andrew and his new “Design Director” Bella officially started interfacing with the client. Soon, they ran into trouble. The client needed a complete brand VI usage manual for subsequent material production and market promotion. They searched through all the design files but couldn’t find it. Bella, relying on her own intuition, worked overtime to produce several design drafts. The next day, they were all sent back by Director Zhang. Zhang’s email was copied to everyone, with harsh wording. “These designs completely misunderstand our brand tone. The colors, fonts, and compositions are all problematic! Are you even professionals?” Bella cried on the spot in the office. Andrew’s call quickly came to my phone. “Olivia Lin! What do you mean? You took the design source files and standard manual when you left?” His voice was full of anger. I was in my new company’s office, looking out at the river view, my tone calm. “Mr. Chen, you can eat carelessly, but you can’t speak carelessly. All the files I handed over are on record.” “As for that manual you mentioned, that’s our team’s core creative asset, a trade secret, no comment.” “You dare!” he roared in exasperation, “Don’t you believe I’ll sue you for stealing company trade secrets!” I chuckled lightly, reminding him of a fact he had overlooked. “Mr. Chen, I don’t think we ever signed a confidentiality agreement or non-compete agreement.” “Moreover, according to copyright law, the creative copyright for this proposal is in my personal hands. Are you sure you want to sue me?” On the other end of the phone, there was only heavy breathing left. He hung up. The client side pressured again. Because the design specifications couldn’t be confirmed, the entire collaboration project came to a standstill. Several channel partners who had already signed contracts began to express dissatisfaction. Andrew’s company’s reputation in the industry began to be affected. Bella was completely at a loss, crying every day and complaining to Andrew that the client was deliberately making things difficult for her. The company’s internal morale was low, and rumors were flying. Andrew was in a frenzy. He spread the word that he would spare no expense to hire top designers who could solve this brand design problem. However, a week after the news was released, no one responded. The circle was only so big, and everyone knew this project was led by me. In this situation, no one was willing to wade into these muddy waters, let alone offend me and my new employer behind me. He had pushed himself into a dead end. Just when Andrew was about to despair, a team calling themselves “Wind and Cloud Design” actively contacted him. They claimed that they had been studying my design style and were 100% confident that they could perfectly recreate a VI manual identical to the original. Bella grabbed onto this lifeline. She whispered in Andrew’s ear, saying this team must have seen that I had gone to the client’s side and came specially to help. “Honey, this shows we have more supporters! That Olivia Lin is just petty!” Andrew was convinced by her and gritted his teeth to hire this outsourcing team at three times the market price. Three days later, they delivered a seemingly flawless VI manual. Andrew immediately sent it to the client. After reviewing it, Director Zhang only replied: “We can proceed now.” Andrew and Bella were overjoyed. They thought the crisis was completely over. The next day, Andrew called a company-wide meeting. At the meeting, he singled me out by name, criticizing me for “lacking professional ethics, holding back after resigning, attempting to blackmail the company.” He was beaming, full of vigor. “This proves that the earth keeps spinning without anyone! Some people shouldn’t overestimate themselves!” “From today on, our company officially cuts ties with all resigned design department personnel, no more entanglements!” The employees below had various expressions, but no one dared to speak. I sat in the conference room of the new company, watching the video of his impassioned speech, and smiled. This was exactly what I was waiting for. I immediately had the lawyer send a lawyer’s letter to his company based on this public “cut ties” announcement. Demanding that he pay the multi-million project bonus promised earlier to the entire team, as well as severance pay for everyone. The promise in black and white, plus his public acknowledgment of “no more entanglements,” left him without even an excuse to default. To maintain the company’s reputation, he was forced to pay this huge sum. The company’s cash flow, already tense due to the project stagnation, instantly went from bad to worse. I looked at the string of zeros added to my bank card, feeling no ripples in my heart. This was all we deserved. On the same afternoon. On my desk, I received an email from the group headquarters. The sender was the secretary of the client’s big boss. I opened the email, the title clearly stated: “Notice on Appointing Ms. Olivia Lin as the Overall Responsible Person for Next Year’s Full Product Line Bidding Conference for This Brand”. Three months later. Late autumn. The industry’s largest annual brand bidding conference was held at the International Convention Center. I sat in the center of the judges’ seats, in the capacity of the client’s Brand Director. Below were top advertising companies and design teams from all over the country. My ex-husband, Andrew, and his new director Bella, also came. They walked into the venue with high spirits, their faces wearing confident smiles. Andrew soon saw me. He was stunned for a moment, then a contemptuous smile appeared on his face. He said something in a low voice to Bella beside him. I read his lips. “Look, some people can only come to such occasions to steal ideas after leaving me.” Bella covered her mouth and let out a coquettish laugh, her eyes full of superiority. They thought I was just a former employee coming to listen and learn. The client colleagues beside me and some industry peers who knew me all looked at him with eyes as if looking at a clown. But he was completely unaware. The host began to introduce today’s judges according to the procedure. “First, let’s welcome with warm applause the overall responsible person for this bidding conference, who is also our brand’s core Brand Director – Ms. Olivia Lin!” The spotlight instantly shone on me. I saw the smile on Andrew’s face freeze instantly.

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After my wife died, our entire family spoiled our son rotten. We treated him like a prince. My mom worked tirelessly for three years for the principal of the most elite high school, just so our son could get in. My dad drove Leo to and from school every single day. One rainy morning, he slipped on the way out and shattered his spine. On Leo’s 18th birthday, my sister, Skylar, painstakingly prepared a gift for him. But on her way there, she got into a car accident. I answered the FaceTime call from Skylar. Her face was a bloody mess on the screen. “Alex… I saw… I saw Seraphina…” As her phone camera moved, Seraphina, who was supposed to be dead, appeared in the frame. She looked utterly impatient after hitting someone. Next to her, a handsomely dressed man casually pulled out a wad of cash and flung it at my sister. “Seraphina, this kind of person clearly just wants to scam us. It’s more important to get to Leo’s coming-of-age party.” “If I miss Leo’s party, he’ll definitely blame me, his father.” At that instant, a cold dread washed over me, chilling me to the bone. Our son, whom our family had cherished for eighteen years, wasn’t even related to me by blood?!

“Seraphina, don’t just stand there. Ten grand is already more than enough for this lowly beggar. We need to hurry and see Leo; we can’t miss his coming-of-age party!” In the video Skylar had sent me, the man hooked his arm through Seraphina’s, about to get into the car. I recognized him. It was Victor, Seraphina’s childhood sweetheart, the one she’d grown up with! And my wife, who had been dead for eighteen years and now suddenly reappeared, didn’t even recognize the person she’d hit, lying injured on the ground—it was my sister, her own sister-in-law! She just gave Skylar a dismissive glance, then turned to comfort Victor: “Alex and I couldn’t have kids back then, so I borrowed your help to get pregnant just to make him feel better.” “You’re Leo’s biological father. He won’t blame you.” Watching the two of them, so cold and arrogant in the video, my head reeled. So, Seraphina’s death was a lie, and tricking me into raising her son was the truth! What did all our family’s sacrifices over the past eighteen years even mean? A crushing pain seized my heart, but I had no time for grief. Skylar was still barely clinging to life on the ground. I frantically rushed to the city hospital. When Skylar was wheeled into the operating room, she was still clutching Leo’s coming-of-age gift in her hand—a custom-made gaming controller. “Alex… don’t be sad. Leo… he’ll definitely side with you…” As she was pushed into surgery, I clenched the blood-stained controller so tightly my nails almost dug into my flesh! If it weren’t for delivering Leo’s gift, she wouldn’t have gotten into an accident. After three long hours of frantic rescue efforts, the operating room light finally went out. The doctor told me Skylar was out of critical condition. But her left leg had sustained a comminuted fracture, and she had a concussion. Her recovery would be long and arduous, with potential lasting complications. My knees buckled, and I nearly fell, my heart ripping apart. It took me a while to collect myself and call my parents to reassure them. I pulled out my phone and instinctively clicked on Leo’s latest update on Ins. In the photo, my son stood center stage in a sharp suit, a brilliant smile on his face. In eighteen years, I’d rarely seen Leo smile at me like that. With me, it was mostly annoyance. I’d always just told myself he was going through his rebellious phase. The last photo showed Leo intimately linking his left arm with Seraphina, who was supposed to be dead, and his right arm tightly pressed against the man from the video. The three of them smiled brilliantly at the camera, a picture of pure, unadulterated family happiness. The sight burned my eyes. Below the image was a caption. “Thanks, Mom and Dad, for my amazing coming-of-age party! This is the best gift ever! Love you guys!” And then, a follow-up: “Unlike some people’s crappy handmade junk, so cheap and tacky, it was an embarrassment.” The ‘junk’ he spoke of was the celestial model I had personally polished for three months. It lay silently in my bag now, like a silent taunt. I had painstakingly carved that celestial model from a treasured piece of rare rosewood, a leftover from before Seraphina’s “passing.” Leo had loved the stars since he was a child. I had promised him that for his 18th birthday, I’d give him a truly one-of-a-kind gift. For three months, I’d pulled countless all-nighters, my fingers raw and blistered multiple times, just to finish it before his birthday. I’d even imagined his surprised expression when he received the gift. Turns out, Leo knew everything. He knew Seraphina wasn’t dead. He knew his biological father was Victor. And my eighteen years of pouring my heart and soul into him, had been a complete and utter joke.

I suppressed the turbulent storm of emotions raging within me and called my parents, who were on their way to the hospital to see Skylar, telling them not to panic just yet. No sooner had I hung up than Seraphina’s figure appeared at the ward door. Eighteen years. The moment our eyes met, her brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in her gaze. A maelstrom of emotions churned within me. I didn’t know how to even begin speaking to her. Before I could even question why she faked her death and disappeared for eighteen years, Victor followed her in, his tone laced with mockery. “Alex, really, what are you doing here? On such an important day as Leo’s coming-of-age party? Leo was just asking about you, saying he felt unsettled without you there.” Seraphina’s face instantly darkened, and she looked at me with an accusing gaze. “Alex, what is wrong with you? How dare you miss Leo’s coming-of-age party?” “My faking my death back then was just to test your sincerity, to see if you’d take good care of Leo in my absence.” “You did well for the first eighteen years, but now it seems you haven’t taken my words to heart.” A test? My sincerity? In that moment, I felt all my strength drain away. My heart was pricked by countless steel needles, the sharp pain spreading through me. Her casual declaration of a “test” erased my eighteen years of walking on eggshells, erased all the sacrifices our entire family had made for her son. Seraphina, you’re truly heartless! Seeing my silence, Seraphina’s expression grew even uglier. “I’m taking Leo and Victor on a trip abroad tomorrow. You stay home and reflect on your mistakes.” With that, they turned and walked away, a united front, leaving me alone outside the cold hospital room, facing my sister’s closed door, a chill spreading through me. I never imagined that after eighteen years, our first reunion would be like this. I remembered when I first married her, how I’d come home dead drunk from work dinners. Even though Seraphina would complain I wasn’t ambitious enough, she’d still clumsily get up in the middle of the night to make her homemade hangover remedy, carefully blowing on it to cool it before bringing it to my lips. Her eyes red-rimmed, she’d say, “Honey, don’t push yourself so hard. From now on, I’ll shoulder this burden with you.” She once said she’d love me for an eternity and give our child the happiest home. But those sweet memories now felt like sharp knives, slicing my heart to bloody ribbons.

Not long after they left, I dialed Leo’s number with trembling hands. I wanted to ask him what was going on. Since he already knew the truth, why hadn’t he said a single word to me? Did he also think this was some kind of “test” for me? The phone rang for a long time before it was finally answered. “Hello? What do you want? I’m busy!” Leo’s voice was utterly impatient. In the background, I clearly heard Victor’s voice: “Leo, do you like this Patek Philippe watch? It perfectly suits our Leo’s status.” Seraphina’s gentle voice echoed, “Yes, Leo, wear this, and you’ll be the handsomest young man around.” So, after leaving the hospital, they had gone straight to a luxury store with Leo. Leo must have been at the hospital earlier too, or rather, he’d come with Seraphina and Victor all along. He just couldn’t be bothered to even step into the ward to take a look. On the phone, Leo responded to their every word, his tone filled with genuine intimacy, as if they were the real family. Yes, they were the real family. I was just an “outsider” who had raised their son for free for eighteen years. But I still couldn’t give up, and I spoke: “Leo, your Aunt Skylar… she got into a car accident. She’s still unconscious in the hospital. Can you come see her?” “Oh, okay.” Leo’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion, even carrying an undertone of annoyance at being disturbed. He didn’t care at all about the aunt who had doted on him since he was little, who would have plucked the stars from the sky for him if he’d asked, who loved him the most. “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up. I still have things to pick out!” Before I could say anything else, Leo abruptly hung up. The buzzing dial tone finally severed the bond between us, father and son. For eighteen years, our entire family, the Alex family, had cherished him, Leo, like the apple of our eye, sacrificing so much, giving so much for him. My mom’s presbyopia, my dad’s back injury, my sister’s severe injuries now… Who knew that all our efforts, our everything, would only nurture a cold-hearted, ungrateful viper! Since Leo didn’t value this family anymore, there was no point in us demeaning ourselves any further for an outsider. A week later, Skylar’s condition stabilized, and she was discharged from the hospital. The four of us, with no regrets, quietly left the city that held too much pain, returning to our quiet little hometown we’d left behind long ago. We had originally moved to the big city just for Leo’s schooling. Now… there was no need anymore! I never thought Seraphina would still be sending me messages at a time like this. She was publicly and lavishly throwing a grand birthday gala for Leo. The dozens of messages she sent me were still in her usual imperious, princess-like tone. She ordered me to bring the whole family to Leo’s birthday gala on time, even saying she had arranged a suit for me and that I should dress appropriately, so as not to embarrass the Seraphina family. I looked at those condescending words and found them utterly ridiculous. I casually turned off my phone and tossed it aside. At the birthday gala, Seraphina waited for a long time, but I never showed up. She clearly couldn’t bear to lose face in front of the numerous dignitaries and celebrities. “Go, bring Alex to me!” ———-此处为截断点———- Annoyed, she sent her assistant to the apartment I rented. Another hour passed, but the assistant returned alone, looking flustered.

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My husband got a racy photo from his mistress. He raced to the hotel, leaving our three-year-old son in the car. Under the scorching summer sun, the locked car became a furnace. Our son suffocated to death. When I told my husband the devastating news, he answered, panting, “Let’s just get the funeral over with. We can always have another kid.” I was sobbing, choked with grief, but he was disturbingly calm. “Chloe’s already pregnant. Once her baby is born, they’ll be our family’s heir.” “She’ll move into our house, but it won’t affect your status as Mrs. Arthur. I’ll still spend a few nights a week with you.” At his words, my heart completely died. I walked straight into my husband’s arch-rival’s office. “Interested in partnering up to take down Arthur’s empire?” I was a stay-at-home mom, not because my husband made a fortune, but because our son was often sick and needed constant care. On Leo’s third birthday, I’d decorated a private room at a local restaurant. It was all superhero-themed, just like Leo loved, even the cake was a custom flavor. Before the party even began, my husband offered to take Leo out for a stroll, giving me more time to set up. But three hours went by. My husband refused to answer my calls, and I couldn’t track his location. It wasn’t until late afternoon that the police called with the devastating news of Leo’s death. The cramped car had turned into an oven. Leo’s tiny body was already stiff and bruised. Under his small fingernails were marks from his desperate struggle to survive. “What kind of parents leave such a young child alone in a car?” “Look at that mom, all dressed up. She was probably too busy shopping or socializing to even realize her kid died in the car.” Facing the ignorant public’s accusations, I had no strength to defend myself. I collapsed beside the car, sobbing until I had no strength left. It was the female officer who gently pulled me into the patrol car. My hand trembled as I dialed my husband’s number. He answered, panting, “So he died. It’s just a funeral. We can always have another kid.” Then he hung up. I next saw my husband at the police station. Fueled by fury, I slapped him across the face, shrieked, my voice raw with anguish, “Where were you?! Why did you leave him alone in the car?! Why didn’t you answer my calls?!” I thought Arthur would be as heartbroken as I was, but he angrily pushed my hand away. “Can you stop acting like a lunatic?” Arthur went through the procedures in the interrogation room. When he signed Leo’s death certificate, his face showed absolutely no emotion. As if the person who had suffocated to death was a complete stranger, utterly unrelated to him! “Arthur, tell me what you were doing?” I clutched his hand, my voice trembling. “You said you were just taking Leo for a walk. Why was he locked in that car for over two hours?” Just thinking about it, I remembered the dashcam footage. The video showed Leo’s cries, starting strong, then gradually fading, charting every agonizing step of his journey towards death. I couldn’t help but cry again, but Arthur remained indifferent. “I was conducting business, okay? I was too busy. What was I supposed to do, I forgot.” “Enough, stop making a scene. Come home with me. You’re embarrassing our entire family.” Arthur dragged me along, showing no sign of grief even as he practically shoved me through our front door. He even flung his perfume-scented suit jacket at my face. “Get this dry-cleaned. Don’t you dare ruin it.” I stood my ground, speaking coldly. “Arthur, let’s get a divorce.” But Arthur just looked at me blankly. “What tantrum are you throwing now?” “You’re talking about divorce over an *adopted* child? Are you out of your mind, Avery?” “Let me be blunt. Chloe’s already two months pregnant. Once her baby is born, I’ll bring it home, and you’ll raise it just like you raised Leo. It’ll even call you ‘Mom’ when it grows up.”

While Arthur was in the shower, I unlocked his phone using Chloe’s birthday as the password. My heart clenched when I saw the racy photo Chloe had sent him at 1:50 PM that afternoon. So he was in such a rush to hook up with Chloe that he forgot our son in that scorching car?! *Ding-dong*. A new message arrived from Chloe. **[Arthur, you’ll come with me to my prenatal appointment tomorrow, won’t you?]** Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. With trembling hands, I blocked Chloe from Arthur’s phone. Arthur, fresh out of the shower, witnessed this. He quickly snatched the phone, pushing me away angrily. “Who gave you permission to touch my phone?!” Arthur quickly re-operated his phone. He was a tech whiz, and he easily found my block history. Without a second thought, he unblocked Chloe and sent her a voice message: “Avery just went a little crazy and blocked you. Don’t mind her. She’s just grieving for her son.” “Was Leo only *my* son?” Arthur just glanced at me, didn’t even bother to reply. He just barged past me, shouldering me aside, and walked into the room. That night, I lay awake in Leo’s room, wide eyed with grief. Arthur, meanwhile, slept soundly. The next morning, he even loudly demanded I get up and make his breakfast. My tears had long since dried, my eyes horribly swollen. My fingers scrolled through my contacts, but before I could find the person I was looking for, a trending news alert popped up on my phone: **[Arthur Enterprises CEO’s Wife, Preoccupied with Shopping and Socializing, Forgets Three-Year-Old Son in Car, Leading to Tragic Suffocation.]** I clicked on the article. It wasn’t just gossip accounts spreading rumors; even Arthur Enterprises’ official account had reposted it, implicitly confirming the story. Arthur was the one in charge of Arthur Enterprises. No one would dare do something like this without his approval. I rushed out to confront Arthur, who was eating breakfast. He just kept his head down as he answered, “You’re just a stay-at-home mom anyway. If your reputation is ruined, it’s ruined. This can’t be allowed to affect *my* reputation.” “Your reputation? What reputation?” I stormed over to him, smashing the dishes. “Breaking up with Chloe was *your* choice. Marrying me was *your* choice. Even adopting Leo was *your* decision. So why am I the one stuck bearing all the blame now?” “Before my patience completely runs out, you’d better not piss me off again.” Arthur stood up, looking down at me. “Chloe needs extra care during her early pregnancy. I’m having her move into our house. You’ll take good care of her and the baby.” Seeing my continued silence, Arthur casually added. “Even if Chloe has my baby, it won’t affect your status as Mrs. Arthur. So stop being so immature, okay?” It wasn’t comfort; it was more of a warning. But he didn’t know I didn’t care about being Mrs. Arthur. The only reason I stayed in this house was Leo. Now that he’d killed our son, there was no reason for me to stay. On my way, I scrolled through photos from years ago. Arthur was still Chloe’s boyfriend back then. She cheated on him and left the country, and only then did he get together and marry me. Arthur and I had been married for two years without children. It was my idea to adopt, and I chose Leo from a children’s home. The more I thought about it, the more miserable I felt. My eyes were still glistening with tears when I walked into Marcus Group’s office. Marcus looked at me, offering a tissue. “What, your husband treating you badly?” “I’m divorcing him.” “Interested in partnering up to crash Arthur Enterprises and absorb all their assets into your company?”

When Marcus dropped me off, we saw Arthur getting out of a car, his arm wrapped around Chloe. Before I could speak, Arthur frowned and demanded, “Now you’re not only causing trouble at home, but you’re also trying to get back with your ex, trying to make a fool of me?” Chloe deliberately stroked her belly, looking at me with a smirk. “Mr. Marcus just gave me a ride. What about you? You brought your mistress directly into our home.” “Watch your mouth!” Arthur rounded on Marcus. “It’s been five years! Haven’t you given up on my wife yet?” Marcus and I had long since lost any feelings for each other. We dated for three months and had thirty arguments. We even had a huge fight on the day we broke up. So, no, we’re not getting back together. But to provoke Arthur, Marcus deliberately put on a smug face. “You don’t appreciate Avery anyway. What’s wrong with me pursuing her?” “You wouldn’t dare!” Arthur was about to confront Marcus further, but Chloe suddenly let out a little gasp. He immediately rushed to her side, anxious. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” “My feet are a little numb, Arthur. Can you carry me inside?” Arthur didn’t even spare me a glance. He simply scooped Chloe up bridal-style, taking every step with exaggerated care. That scene couldn’t stir my heart anymore; it was already as cold as ashes. Marcus watched, then turned to remind me, “He treats you like this. Don’t you dare go soft on him now.” “Don’t worry. I’ll stick to our agreement.” After saying goodbye to Marcus, I walked inside to find the usually high-and-mighty Arthur kneeling before Chloe, massaging her swollen, pregnant calves. I tried to avoid them, but Arthur called out, “Go prepare lunch for Chloe.” I smiled, looking at him. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll *add something* to her lunch?” “Don’t you dare provoke me, or I can’t guarantee what might happen to her in this house.” With that, I went upstairs to my room. I opened my long-unused laptop. I could still access Arthur Enterprises’ financial data. I spent the entire afternoon in my room preparing for my collaboration with Marcus. I only snapped back to reality when Chloe’s voice cut through the door. “Avery, come out! My legs are aching a bit. Come massage them for me.” I didn’t respond, so she kept knocking and shouting. Only when I finally opened the door did she flash a triumphant smile. “Do you think playing dead will work if you don’t answer? You don’t run this house.” “I’m not Arthur. I won’t indulge a mistress who thinks she can do whatever she pleases.” “Oh, you’ve got some nerve. You still think Arthur loves you, don’t you?” Chloe suddenly burst out laughing. “Wanna bet?” The words were barely out of her mouth when Chloe suddenly smashed a vase beside her and flopped backward onto the floor. “Avery! Why did you hit me?!” Chloe’s trembling, sobbing voice echoed through the house, reaching Arthur, who was working downstairs, and drawing him up.

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When I gave up my law license, the legal community rejoiced.
Only Rachel Wilson, my fiancé’s ex-girlfriend and the star prosecutor, strongly objected.
At the press conference, she tearfully pleaded:
”Jennifer is one of the most promising young lawyers I’ve ever seen. I sincerely hope she can return to the courtroom.”
I blocked her number and boarded the plane, feeling nothing.
In my previous life, I defended a death row inmate.
Internet users called me an accomplice, cursing my whole family to hell.
The key evidence I submitted in court mysteriously failed. Rachel Wilson won the case.
All of this turned me from a golden girl of an elite law school to a despised “murderer’s lawyer” that everyone wanted to beat up.
Internet users sent me razor blades and dumped feces at my door.
My grandparents who raised me were surrounded and insulted by angry netizens, dying from sudden illness.
I fell into severe depression. On the day Rachel Wilson won a lifetime achievement award and kissed Ethan Cole, I hanged myself in the law firm building.
When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day the case was submitted. 0

“Ms. Shaw, that was brilliant! With this evidence, we can even overturn a death sentence! You’re truly a shining star in our field!”
As my assistant finished speaking, I gasped.
This wasn’t the altar or the noose, but my familiar office?!
I had been reborn.
Back to the morning of the case, at 10 AM when the case evidence was about to be submitted.
On the desk, my assistant had already plugged the USB drive into the computer. Seeing my horrified expression, he hurriedly comforted me,
”I’ll upload it first, Ms. Shaw. You should rest. You must be exhausted these past few days!”
I grabbed his wrist.
”Wait.”
”Bring the materials back, I’ll revise another version.”
My assistant looked confused but still followed my instructions and didn’t upload the materials.
I counted the clock on the wall…
Ten minutes later, my phone rang as expected. It was a call from the judge.
”What?! Our evidence hasn’t been submitted yet, but it’s already been fully refuted by prosecutor Rachel Wilson?”
My assistant shoved the phone in front of me, his voice shaking:
”Jennifer, look, the materials in our hands haven’t been sent out yet. How did Rachel Wilson know about them and how could she refute them point by point? Is it… is it possible that we have a mole in our team who leaked information?!”
I closed my eyes, my breathing tense:
It was the same time, the same evidence, the same case as in my previous life.
For some reason, Rachel Wilson was able to know all the evidence I had in advance,
Refuting everything and outmaneuvering me at every turn.
She even managed to achieve a spectacular reversal victory in her career when we had the trump card.
I remember that day in court, the applause for her was endless.
I frantically tried to make the evidence sources public to everyone, but still couldn’t prove my innocence.
Instead, I was expelled from the law firm for leaking confidential information and completely lost my lawyer qualification.
I thought my fiancé Ethan Cole would believe me and confided in him.
But he made our conversation public. He came out to apologize for me publicly, expressing his disgust and cutting ties with me.
He finally succeeded in eliminating me, his biggest competitor, allowing Rachel Wilson to stand on the pinnacle of the lifetime achievement award.
On stage, Rachel Wilson was radiant, smiling and saying, “Justice will never be tainted.”
Off stage, I was in despair, hanging myself at the lawyer position I loved most.
I never expected that the person I trusted most would stab me in the back so deeply.
This life, I looked at the camera on the wall and smirked,
”Check the surveillance footage for me.”
I want to see which ghost leaked the key evidence I had carefully prepared in advance. 0

My assistant rushed off with the security guard to check the surveillance footage.
I sat alone at my desk, not moving for a full five minutes:
That key piece of evidence was the core material I had spent half a year visiting multiple places and investigating.
Even if it was refuted by Rachel Wilson in advance, we absolutely cannot give up this opportunity easily.
I opened my computer and started browsing through countless interview recordings with the client.
When I opened the seventh video, I froze:
The detention center surveillance showed that in the last few months, every time I went to see the client, Rachel Wilson was also there.
Her timing was always perfect.
Just an hour after I finished meeting with the client, she would go to visit.
Why?
Rachel Wilson was from the prosecution. Unlike me as a defense lawyer, she didn’t need to contact the suspect so frequently.
Could it be that she knew in advance when I was going to see the suspect?
An even stranger point was:
In Rachel Wilson’s rebuttal document, she clearly mentioned “the climate conditions of the rainy season”.
Rachel Wilson and my fiancé grew up together in the north as childhood friends.
How could she possibly understand that unique damp texture of the south?
Inspiration struck. My whole body shook as I stared at her gentle smile on the screen.
Ethan Cole had said countless times in front of me:
”Rachel is the person I’m most grateful for in my life.”
She was Ethan Cole’s “orphanage sister” during his childhood, and also his benefactor.
Back then, Rachel Wilson sponsored Ethan Cole all the way through school.
Later, when Ethan Cole became the CEO of a multinational company, he in turn sent Rachel Wilson abroad for further studies.
After she came back, he even helped her all the way to becoming a prosecutor.
My one-sided love for Ethan Cole seemed like a joke.
Loving too humbly and fearfully, even though I was sour and choked up inside at how much he cherished Rachel Wilson, I didn’t know how to object.
My assistant sent a message:
[Ms. Shaw, I’ve checked all the surveillance footage and found no one copying the materials.]
I couldn’t figure it out:
If there was no mole in the law firm, how did Rachel Wilson know about my evidence in advance?
Gritting my teeth, this time I went all out, locking myself in the office for three full days without leaving.
Phone off, computer disconnected from the internet.
I completely scrapped the old draft, rewrote the defense plan, and retrieved over 5,000 pages of materials.
At dawn on the fourth day, I handed the evidence to my assistant:
”Use this version. Submit it immediately.”
My assistant sent a string of praise:
[This version is amazing, Jennifer my legal goddess!!]
[There’s been no new move from prosecutor Rachel Wilson’s side, not even supplementary materials submitted.]
[We’re definitely going to win this time!]
I finally felt a weight lift from my heart.
But just as I was about to take a nap on the couch, before dawn, the door was banged so hard it shook:
”Ms. Shaw, something terrible has happened!!”
”Prosecutor Rachel Wilson’s side quickly submitted a new rebuttal this morning, and even applied to change the court hearing to a live broadcast!”
The moment my assistant rushed in, my mind went blank.
I suddenly stood up, turned on my phone, and notifications from various platforms flooded in.
[Shocking! Beautiful prosecutor personally applies for live court broadcast, justice to be open and transparent!]
[Justice will not be silent, how many dirty secrets are hidden behind the death row inmate?]
Someone must have bought trending topics for Rachel Wilson.
With this series of operations, the heat directly surpassed all entertainment news that day.
Internet users cursed even more viciously than in my previous life.

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The family business crumbled, and our once-proud name faded into ruin. My ex-boyfriend, that scumbag, vanished into thin air, taking every last penny I had with him. I was Skylar, a pampered heiress who knew nothing but lavish parties and endless shopping. This disaster hit me like a lightning bolt. One minute I was drowning in luxury, the next, I was practically staring down homelessness. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I marched straight to Jasper’s doorstep and hit the doorbell. My sworn enemy, Jasper, sat across from me, legs crossed, his fingers tapping softly on the table. His expression was utterly serious. “Skylar,” he drawled, “give me one good reason why I should take you in.” My mind raced, desperately searching for an answer. “Actually,” I blurted out, a desperate plan forming, “this bankruptcy… it was just my first step to getting close to you.” A single eyebrow quirked upwards. “So… you like me?” The auction hall buzzed with anticipation. On display, a necklace named ‘Emerald City’ shimmered under the spotlights. Forty-one exquisite emeralds from Kashmir, each radiating an exotic allure, were set into its intricate design. The auctioneer raised his gavel, ready to close the bid. Without a second thought, I called out, “Five million!” A collective gasp swept through the room. Everyone knew Skylar Chen, the pampered darling of the city. My parents had left me an endless fortune when they passed, and I’d been indulged my entire life. Just as I thought it was mine, someone, completely unfazed, raised the bid to ten million. I shot an arrogant glance towards the corner. There he was: Jasper, the city’s second-richest man. His face was sculpted, his composure unshakeable, every movement exuding effortless aristocracy. I knew him, alright. But I didn’t give him a second thought. After all, I was number one on that list. The ultimate pampered heiress, a trust fund baby who burned through cash like it was kindling. Just as I was about to raise the stakes again, Alfred, my long-suffering butler, leaned in. “Miss Skylar,” he whispered, “your parents stipulated a ten-million limit for auctions.” “Damn it!” I muttered, fuming. “Am I supposed to just take this?” The entire room was buzzing, speculating on who would finally claim the necklace. If I gave up now, I’d be utterly humiliated! Alfred tried to calm me. “Miss Skylar, it’s in the will. If you don’t abide by the rules, you risk losing everything.” I gnashed my teeth in fury, shooting a venomous glare at Jasper, then grabbed my purse and stormed out. Jasper, I swore I’d get him back for this. My second run-in with him was in Australia. “I’m sorry, Miss Chen, but the island you were interested in has just been sold.” The moment I heard, I had Alfred arrange a private jet. My heels clicked a furious rhythm as I rushed in, only to find Jasper, casually seated across from the service desk, just about to sign the papers. He leaned back in his chair, a lazy, amused smirk playing on his lips as he watched me. His eyes twinkled with a hint of challenge. A fresh surge of anger ignited inside me. I strode forward, one hand on my hip, my voice echoing through the office. “Hey! Are you seriously just going around snatching everything I want?!” Alfred immediately stepped in, apologizing profusely and trying to hold me back. Jasper, completely unfazed, simply dropped a bombshell. “Your eyeliner’s crooked.” Then, he turned and sauntered away, as if he hadn’t just insulted me. My fists clenched, ready to swing, but Alfred intercepted me again. “Miss Skylar, please don’t be angry,” Alfred pleaded. “You have more than enough islands. Your parents made it clear you shouldn’t be too extravagant.” “Fine! I’ll hold back… for now!” To cool off, I drove myself to my family’s private horse ranch after returning home. It had been so long, I’d actually forgotten the way. After several wrong turns, I finally found it. Talk about ironic. On this bright, sunny afternoon, I stood by the ranch entrance, about to walk in. Then, a cold voice spoke up behind me.

I spun around. Of course. It was Jasper. We stared at each other, disbelief plastered across both our faces. Then, in perfect unison, we blurted out: “What are you doing here?!” “What do you mean, what am I doing here?!” A few seconds of awkward silence followed. My patience wore thin. I crossed my arms, chin tilted, glaring down at him with disdain. “I let you have the necklace and the island,” I snapped, “but this is *my* family’s horse ranch! We’ve owned it for years. Are you seriously going to try and snatch this too?!” A flicker of surprise crossed Jasper’s eyes. His impressive six-foot-two frame bent slightly as he curved his lips into a teasing smile. “Miss Skylar,” he said, his voice dripping with amusement, “look closely. This is *my* private horse ranch.” I followed his gaze. ‘The Jasper Estate,’ large letters declared, prominently displayed above the entrance. My world went black. Just then, Alfred came rushing up. “Miss Skylar,” he panted, “the two ranches are quite close. I was worried you might confuse them, so I hurried over. I guess I was too late.” My face burned crimson. I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. After that whole ranch debacle, I seriously suspected our family property had some bad juju. I even consulted a spiritualist. The spiritualist said the only way to banish the bad luck was to move and find a boyfriend. So, that night, I moved into a sprawling penthouse in the city center. As for the ‘boyfriend’ part, I meticulously sifted through my many admirers and picked Kyle, an earnest-looking corporate executive who seemed reliable and harmless. I chose him because he seemed safe. I had no intention of anything serious, just needed him to help get rid of this bad luck. But who knew? That jerk cheated on me on our *third day* together! My friends said they saw Kyle flirting with some girl at a bar. And the kicker? I *owned* that bar! I gnashed my teeth, ready to storm in and cause a scene, but then I forgot the color of my new car and ended up circling endlessly in the underground parking garage. “Alfred,” I called, “I just bought a new Bugatti, right? Do you remember what color it is?” “Miss Skylar,” Alfred sighed, “you have so many cars, I can barely keep track. I wasn’t even aware you’d acquired another Bugatti.” I hung up, racking my brain. Black! It was black! Then, I realized I’d forgotten my car keys. Just then, the window of another black Bugatti next to me rolled down. “Skylar?” Jasper asked, from the driver’s seat, a cigarette held delicately between his fingers as he exhaled a plume of smoke. Through the swirling smoke, I saw a beacon of hope! I practically dove into the passenger seat, barking out an address and ordering him to drive. Still seething, I snatched the half-smoked cigarette from his fingers and took a long, furious drag. He paused, surprised, then blinked and asked what was wrong. I exhaled a cloud of smoke, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. “Cheater busting,” I deadpanned. I didn’t notice his gaze linger on me for a fleeting moment. As I got out, I pulled a wad of cash from my bag and tossed it onto the seat. “I know you’re not hurting for money,” I said, “but I don’t take free rides.” Ignoring the way his eyes crinkled in amusement and a subtle smile played on his lips, I stormed into the bar, marched straight to the VIP section, and successfully busted the cheater. But soon enough, karma came knocking.

I went broke. Yep, you heard that right. I was getting a facial at a Korean beauty salon when I got the news. I nearly ripped off my mask in shock. I was the one who went broke? *Me?* Turns out, there were major management issues, basically, internal embezzlement. But whatever, even a collapsing empire has its spoils. After paying off all the workers and employee salaries, I still had enough left to live comfortably for the rest of my life. But then, the final, devastating blow came from my ex-boyfriend. Yes, Kyle, that absolute bastard! He’d transferred all my remaining money, using some genius method that a pretty, clueless mess like me would never have dreamed of. Still, it was fine. I had cars, houses, jewelry, and bags. I could sell off my assets and make a comeback. That’s what all the down-on-their-luck rich people do in movies, right? I’d be okay! It wasn’t until I actually checked that I realized Kyle, that thief, had cleaned me out! I now had fifty dollars spread across five different cards, and literally nothing but the clothes on my back. I slipped off my Patek Philippe watch and handed it to Alfred. “Alfred,” I choked out, “you’ve worked so hard all these years. This is a small token of my appreciation.” Then, I told Alfred to leave. And I left too. Walked out of that house. Overnight, the news of my bankruptcy—Skylar Chen’s downfall—spread like wildfire. Everyone knew. Everyone seemed eager to distance themselves from me. I walked the streets like a zombie, gazing at the bustling traffic and towering skyscrapers, a flood of emotions washing over me. Before, these were just insignificant things I’d barely deigned to glance at from my lofty perch. Now, standing on the ground, they felt impossibly high, unattainable. My eyes landed on a massive screen on a skyscraper, displaying the city’s wealthiest man. Jasper. His figure was imposing, like a stable mountain, perfectly complementing the city skyline behind him. “Jasper,” I murmured to myself. A brilliant idea sparked in my mind. Twenty-eight minutes later, I rang Jasper’s doorbell. Don’t ask why twenty-eight minutes. I had no money for a taxi, so I walked. It took exactly twenty-eight minutes. The moment the door opened, my heart leaped into my throat. But Jasper didn’t say a word. He just gestured for me to come in with his eyes. I swallowed hard, nervously following him inside. Then, I launched into my ‘grand plan,’ a river of compliments flowing effortlessly from me, each one more extravagant than the last. Jasper didn’t seem to be listening. He just walked straight to the kitchen. “I don’t have much food here,” he stated. “You don’t mind instant ramen, do you?” Instant ramen? That cheap, additive-filled, non-gourmet food totally beneath my dignity? I shook my head like a bobblehead. But then, my stomach let out a pathetic grumble, betraying me. Jasper shook his head, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, then deftly prepared the noodles. Before long, I’d slurped down every last drop of the broth. Jasper sat opposite me again, legs crossed, his fingers tapping softly on the table. His expression was serious. “Skylar,” he repeated, his voice firm, “give me a reason to take you in.” I forced a shaky smile. “My Lord Jasper,” I pleaded, “if you don’t help me, this poor girl’s going to be sleeping in the park tonight.” With that, I put on my most pitiful puppy-dog eyes, sniffled, and looked up, my big, watery eyes brimming with feigned injustice. “I know I’ve been difficult before,” I whimpered. “Can’t you just pity me, even a little?” Jasper was silent for a moment, then, coolly, he uttered two words: “No, I can’t.” My mind raced. I leaned closer to him. “Actually,” I confessed, “this whole bankruptcy thing… it was just my first step to getting close to you.” The words were out before I could stop them. I instantly regretted it.

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My husband cheated. The other woman was a new intern under him. He bought her a house, a car, paraded her in front of his parents, and even threw a lavish wedding. Everything but the actual marriage certificate was hers. He even had our own son, Leo, walk as their ring bearer on their wedding day. Liam called me cold, too engrossed in my career, neglecting him and our home. Even Leo echoed him, claiming I was no mother, devoid of affection. Apparently, I was destined to be a terrible wife, a horrible mother, so I graciously—or perhaps bitterly—stepped aside. Now, let’s see if this ‘perfect’ replacement truly satisfies them. Today was Liam Caldwell’s wedding day. Even Leo wasn’t home. He’d just posted on Ins five minutes ago. “Dad and Mom’s wedding, our happy family!” The post featured a photo of the three of them, beaming, a picture of pure domestic bliss. Anyone seeing it would have gushed, ‘Goals! Relationship perfection!’ But two of the three people in that photo were undeniably my husband and my child. Even through the picture, I could see the dazzling jewels Brittany Hayes wore. That necklace alone must have cost a fortune—hundreds of thousands, easily. Far better than what I got. When Liam and I married, we were fresh out of college, flat broke. We barely scraped together a few hundred dollars between us. Back then, he’d never tire of telling me, “Eleanor, just wait for me. I’ll make something of myself, I promise I’ll give you a good life.” Later, Leo was born, and his company took off. In just five short years, it successfully went public, and his net worth skyrocketed. We no longer had to fret over monthly rent, or whether we’d eat our next meal. We didn’t need to work endless side jobs just to earn a few extra bucks. But sadly, the man who once earnestly promised me a good life was gone. Now, it was Brittany Hayes who held his heart. I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh, then hailed a cab to his company. Perhaps because of the wedding, he’d given everyone at the company the day off to attend, leaving only Mr. Henderson, the building’s security guard, at the front. He seemed surprised to see me, his expression tinged with pity. Yet, he still managed to say, “Madam Caldwell, you’re here?” See? Even the security guard remembered I was Madam Caldwell. So why could Liam so openly invite the entire company to his wedding with Brittany Hayes? Why was Leo so thrilled to welcome his new mother? I smiled and nodded, saying little, just walking into the company building. When Liam first started his company, he brought me here, slinging an arm around me, gesturing grandly. “Look! This whole empire I built for you.” I stayed by his side, watching it grow from a tiny studio into an entire building. I witnessed its meteoric rise, and it, in turn, witnessed our tangled web of love, hate, and betrayal—mine, Liam’s, and Brittany’s. Soon, it would witness my death. I sat by the entrance, recalling everything from the past, my breath growing shallower. Noticing my distress, Mr. Henderson frantically dialed 911. The last thing I felt was my consciousness fading, my body slumping sideways. I tried to sit upright, to die with some grace, but the strength had long since left me. When the hospital reached Liam Caldwell, he was toasting guests with Brittany Hayes. At the mention of my name, his voice was filled with impatience. “Eleanor Vance? Her affairs have nothing to do with me. Don’t call me.” Even Leo, hearing my name, remained impassive. No questions, no curiosity, no defense.

My body lay in the hospital morgue for a full month. Finally, the hospital contacted my colleague, Sarah, who confirmed my identity. During that entire month, Liam never once inquired. He was too busy honeymooning with Brittany Hayes in the Maldives. It wasn’t until the hospital issued a final ultimatum—my body was to be cremated—that he reluctantly hurried back. My corpse, frozen solid in the freezer, was a ghostly, bruised blue, a far cry from my usual appearance. Liam took one look, then sharply averted his gaze, as if my sightless, frozen form was an insult to his perfect day. Leo hadn’t come. He probably didn’t want to see me. The staff urged him to sign the papers quickly and verify the body’s identity. Liam scrawled his name and turned to leave, but was stopped again. He still had to wait for the funeral home to transport the body. His face was a mask of sheer impatience. Of course, Brittany was already texting him, asking what time he’d be home for dinner. The morgue lights were cold and stark. As they moved my body, a beam of light caught the ring on my finger, making it sparkle for a fleeting moment. Liam noticed it. He paused, a slight frown on his face. This was the ring he’d proposed with on graduation day. Back then, we were just two poor students, worried about making ends meet after graduation. To propose to me, he worked odd jobs for three straight months just to buy that modest ring that cost him a few hundred bucks. The diamond was tiny, not very shiny, but it was the best gift I’d received in over twenty years of my life. The golden hour, a gentle breeze, and the earnest, beautiful promise of a young man: “Eleanor Vance, I love you. The wind today tells me I love you, can you hear it? I know you’re pessimistic about marriage. I know all your ideals and ambitions. But please, give me a chance—a chance to prove that our future will be forever happy and beautiful. Will you marry me?” Yet, barely a year into our marriage, the arguments began. He was consumed by his startup, I by my career. He blamed me for not being like other wives, for neglecting our home, for always being busy with work and ignoring him. He complained I was like a robot, always offering calm, rational solutions when he just needed comfort. But it was precisely my drive, my focus, my composure that had drawn him in at first. I kept thinking, just a little more time. Once I finished this project, once I had everything arranged, I’d transform into the ‘qualified wife’ he wanted. But it was too late. Brittany Hayes had appeared in his life. She was young, beautiful, and attentive enough to handle his every need. Naive enough to give him the adoring gaze he craved. Gentle enough not to argue with him after he’d endured a stressful day at work. Those were qualities I lacked. Maybe I was once young and pretty, too, but youth fades. Our love had withered. Between Liam and me, there was nothing left. Perhaps that ring brought back memories for Liam. His expression softened with a flicker of patience as he waited for the funeral home’s van to take me away. He did, in the end, accompany me for this final journey, watching as I was wheeled into the crematorium. My grave was chosen on a desolate hill north of the city—shadowed, windless, treeless, barren. Just one lonely mound. I’d told him countless times that I hated feeling trapped, that I wanted to be free like the wind. If I died, I wished for my ashes to be scattered to the wind, letting me drift one last time across this beautiful world. But on the day of my funeral, neither Liam nor Leo showed up. They were both with Brittany Hayes, going to the courthouse to finalize their marriage license. After all, I was dead. My marriage to Liam Caldwell had automatically ended. No one could hold onto the title of ‘Mrs. Caldwell’ anymore. He doted on her as if she were the most precious jewel, and Leo hovered around her, sweetly trying to win her affection. She wasn’t like me, always engrossed in work, neglecting her husband’s feelings, lacking in care for her child.

So, when Liam Caldwell stared blankly at their freshly minted marriage certificate, she gently wrapped her arms around him. “Liam,” she consoled, “Eleanor is gone. But life goes on for those of us still here. Don’t be sad. I’m sure Eleanor, watching over us, wouldn’t want to see you like this.” Even Leo chimed in, “Yeah, Dad, she’s dead. You should cherish the people who are here now. Brittany is the most important.” Liam snapped out of his daze and hugged the two of them, big and small. “You’re right,” he said, “you two are what matter most now.” He’d said those words to me once, too. After another one of our arguments, he’d stormed off in a huff, packed a bag, and left for a month-long business trip. Until I discovered I was pregnant. Then his anger vanished. He rushed to condense his work into two weeks and hurried home. When he saw me, he embraced me, then, fearing he’d hurt the baby, he held back, his face beaming like an idiot. After that, he turned down countless work opportunities, focusing entirely on staying home with me. He even bought stacks of parenting books. My morning sickness was severe, so he learned all kinds of nutritious recipes, just hoping I’d eat a little more. Every night before bed, he’d massage my legs, afraid I was uncomfortable. I was only six months pregnant, but he’d lost fifteen pounds. In my seventh month, Liam’s company ran into supplier issues, requiring his personal attention. He hesitated, worried I’d be alone. Knowing his company was his life’s blood, I urged him to go, assuring him I’d be fine. He promised to return quickly, but he left me waiting for a full two weeks, claiming the supplier issues were more complicated than expected. My belly grew larger, my movements became slow and cumbersome, and still, he didn’t return. Instead, what arrived was an intimate photo sent to my phone—my husband, Liam Caldwell, and his subordinate, Brittany Hayes, entangled in an explicit embrace. It turned out the truly “complicated” issue wasn’t the supplier at all. It was Brittany. I went into early labor, nearly losing both myself and the baby. Leo was born tiny and very weak. I hadn’t even finished my postpartum recovery when I stormed over to Liam’s company, found Brittany, and made a spectacular scene, embarrassing him utterly in front of everyone. Liam stopped me in front of the entire company. “Eleanor Vance, can’t you stop being so unreasonable? There’s nothing between her and me.” I couldn’t understand how he could be so self-righteous in front of so many people. I wanted to show them that photo, but I’d forgotten to save it, and now it had expired. I was the one who looked like a hysterical, unreasonable woman. But I didn’t care. Just like now, I collapsed at the company entrance, right during lunch hour when everyone was streaming out for their midday meal. A wife dying while her husband held a wedding was juicy enough for tabloid headlines, not to mention Liam’s rivals would be eager to exploit his misstep. In just one month, the company’s market value plummeted by a third. Liam was spinning in circles, hiring countless bots to confuse the public and suppress the news. Only then did he have time to bring Leo back to our home. The plan was to clear out my belongings and sell the house entirely. But the next day, a package arrived. “Sir, excuse me, is this Ms. Eleanor Vance’s home? This is her delivery.”

Liam probably thought I was still causing him trouble, even in death. His expression was full of annoyance. “Eleanor Vance is dead. Just throw the package wherever.” The delivery driver looked awkward, speaking with difficulty. “Sir, are you her family? Would you mind signing for it? It’s something very valuable.” Leo, hearing the commotion at the door, peeked out curiously. “Dad, what is it? I wanna see!” Liam finally signed for the package. It was a large box, about five feet tall, and surprisingly heavy. Leo eagerly urged Liam to open it, impatient to see what was inside. Once opened, it revealed a sleek, silver-gray robot. “Dad, isn’t this one of those broken scraps of metal Mom used to work on? She never let me touch them.” Leo poked around curiously. Even Liam looked bewildered, likely wondering who sent it. “Dad, I wanna play! How do you turn this robot on?” Leo’s voice snapped Liam back to reality. He looked at the instruction manual and powered on the robot. “Please enter the operating password,” a cold, mechanical voice announced. “Dad, why does this robot need a password? I wanna play, I wanna play! Come on, think of the password!” Liam’s face darkened, but he continued to try. “March 13, 1992.” That was my birthday. It was surprising he even remembered. But the expected “password correct” didn’t sound. Next, he tried Leo’s birthday, his own birthday, and our wedding anniversary. All were wrong. Liam’s face was grim. He kicked the robot to the side. Leo, startled, began to cry. Liam, however, wasn’t in the mood to comfort him. He called Mrs. Miller, the junk collector. When Mrs. Miller arrived, he had already gathered my old belongings, ready for them to be taken away. She first carried off my clothes, then my books, then my miscellaneous items. Every trace of my existence was slowly being erased. As she left, she glanced at the robot lying on the floor, but Liam called out, telling her to take that too. After Mrs. Miller left, Leo picked up a small notebook from the floor and handed it to Liam. “Dad, you dropped a notebook.” Liam was about to take it and throw it away, but for some reason, he hesitated, a strange impulse making him open it. [July 14: Today I’m getting married. We’re broke, but I believe in him, and I believe in myself. We’ll have a good life.] [December 22: Research is going well. New breakthrough. If all goes as planned, it’ll be in production within five years. One step closer to my dream.]

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My husband and I were on a business trip in Paris when he suddenly got a call from his childhood friend, Chloe Davis. She told him she was being abused by her husband. Blake booked a flight that very night, leaving me alone in Paris. Later, at the contract-signing gala, I was drugged and brutally attacked by executives from the opposing company. They dragged me into a room, assaulting me until I was left with multiple fractures and internal injuries. After 24 hours fighting for my life in the ICU, I looked at my phone. Dozens of missed calls from Blake. I called him back, only to hear his accusatory voice on the other end: “Aurora Hayes, what’s taking you so long to close a deal?” “Chloe’s been abused, she’s really unstable. I have to stay with her. Just sign the contract and come back yourself.” My voice was raw, rasped out: “I was assaulted by those bastards.” His tone immediately bristled with impatience. “It’s just a contract. What could possibly happen? Don’t start with your drama here.” “I usually tolerate it, but with Chloe like this, how dare you try to compete with her for attention!” The police sent him my injury report. But all I got back was a cold, automated reply: “I’m unavailable right now. Will contact you later.” I never thought he could be so heartless. Since the contract was signed, there was no need to keep this man around anymore.

Three months later, dragging a leg that still wasn’t quite right, I opened the door to our home. Chloe Davis stepped out of the master bedroom, wearing a silk slip. Seeing me, the smile on her face froze for a second. Then, it melted into an expression of pity: “Aurora? Why didn’t you say you were coming back?” “What are you doing here? Where’s Blake Harrison?” I cut her off, my voice hoarse from disuse. “Oh, Blake went to get me some fruit.” Chloe caressed her slightly swollen belly, her eyes deliberately sweeping over my flat stomach. “I haven’t been feeling well lately. The doctor said the pregnancy isn’t stable.” “He was worried about me being alone, so he had me move in. It’s easier for him to take care of me.” That’s when I noticed her belly. By the looks of it, she was only two or three months along. That perfectly aligned with the time I’d spent recovering abroad. Could it be… “Whose child is that?!” I demanded immediately. The moment my words left my lips, Chloe immediately dropped to her knees. “Aurora, please don’t be angry. Blake and I are just friends, don’t misunderstand.” “Blake only took me in out of kindness after I was abused and had nowhere to go. If you don’t like it, I’ll leave right now…” She spoke, her eyes reddening, as if she’d suffered the greatest injustice. Blake happened to walk in with a bag of fruit. Seeing the scene, he didn’t hesitate, rushing forward to shove me aside. “Chloe! You’re pregnant, how can you be kneeling?!” He turned his head, looking at me as if I were a hardened criminal. “Can’t you see Chloe’s pregnant?! How could you make her kneel? You’re absolutely vicious!” I hadn’t done anything. She’d knelt on her own. But in Blake’s eyes, it was all my fault. He didn’t even ask where I’d been for three months or how I was doing. “Blake, Aurora… she seems to have misunderstood us.” Chloe buried her head in his chest, her shoulders subtly shaking. Blake’s face instantly darkened. “Misunderstand? What’s there to misunderstand?” “Aurora Hayes, let me tell you, Chloe is pregnant with my child. If you dare to bully her, I swear I won’t let you off easy!” I laughed. How could a man be so self-righteous about his affair? “Blake Harrison, this is adultery. She’s the other woman—” “You have the nerve to say that!” he roared, cutting me off. “If you hadn’t been playing around abroad for three months, how would I have ever touched Chloe? She wouldn’t be pregnant with my child!” I couldn’t believe he could utter such disgusting words. He was actually pinning the blame for his infidelity on me. I’d been drugged and left for dead at a Paris client dinner, enduring hellish torment, all for his career. And he, meanwhile, had been sleeping with another woman in our home, getting her pregnant. In that moment, my disappointment in him reached its absolute peak.

Chloe cried even harder in his arms: “Blake, don’t scold Aurora. It’s all my fault…” “No, it’s not your fault. It has nothing to do with you,” Blake said, comforting her softly. I took a deep breath, pointed at Chloe, and told Blake, “Get her out of my house.” “Aurora Hayes, don’t go too far!” Blake’s anger reignited. Chloe immediately pulled on his arm. “I’ll go, I’ll leave right away. Don’t fight because of me.” She started to walk out, but suddenly her legs buckled, and she cried out, about to fall. Without thinking, Blake darted forward and caught her. His arm slammed hard into my chest, shoving me ruthlessly to the ground. My head hit the floor with a sickening thud, and the world spun. I heard Blake, holding Chloe, anxiously call out, “Chloe, are you okay? Is the baby hurt?” He didn’t even glance back at me. I lay on the cold floor, staring up at the crystal chandelier we had chosen together. Suddenly, I felt like the three months I’d spent fighting for my life in the ICU had been an absolute farce. The intense pain made my vision swim. I struggled to get up, but my bones felt shattered, leaving me utterly immobile. Blake carefully settled Chloe on the sofa, fussing over her with water and leg rubs, as if she were a precious artifact. “Blake, quickly check on Aurora. She seems to have fallen quite hard.” Chloe prompted him feebly from his embrace, her eyes casting a triumphant glance at me. Only then did Blake reluctantly walk over. “Stop faking it. Get up.” Faking it? The police in Paris sent him my injury report. It clearly stated: “Multiple fractures, ruptured organs, severe concussion.” He knew. He just didn’t care. It took all my strength to lean on the edge of the coffee table and slowly stand up. He didn’t even offer to help me. “Blake Harrison, this is my parents’ house. Please leave immediately, both of you.” Blake instantly flushed with rage. “Aurora Hayes, will you be reasonable?” “Chloe is a pregnant woman, with no family here. Where do you expect her to go? How can you be so heartless?” I looked at his face and suddenly smiled. “Yes, I am heartless.” “Not only do I want her out, I want you out too, Blake Harrison. We’re getting a divorce!” The word “divorce” hit like a bomb, freezing the air in the living room. Blake’s face turned ashen. He grabbed my wrist, his grip so strong it felt like he was trying to crush my bones. “Say that again?” “I said, we’re getting a div—” *Smack!* A stinging slap landed hard on my face. My head snapped to the side, my ears ringing. “Aurora Hayes, I’m warning you, don’t test my limits!” “Even though Chloe is pregnant with my child, you’re the only one in my heart. Once her baby is born, you can raise it.” “It’s not like you can have children anyway.”

His gaze fell to my stomach, where a life once bloomed. But to push Blake away from an oncoming car, I fell in that accident. When I woke up, the doctor told me I would never be able to have children. At the time, Blake had gently cared for me until I emerged from the shadow of losing our child. He even got a vasectomy. He told me, “Aurora, I won’t let anyone else carry my child but you.” Turns out, it was all a lie. A malicious glint flickered in Chloe’s eyes. She walked over, feigning concern as she pulled Blake’s hand away. “Blake, don’t be like that…” Her gaze, however, fell on a painting in the corner of the room. It was my father’s last work, the only keepsake my parents left me. “Oh, this painting is beautiful! Is it an original?” Chloe sounded like she’d discovered treasure, reaching out to touch it. “Don’t you dare touch it with your filthy hands!” I snapped, my voice sharp. Chloe flinched, startled by my outburst, and looked at Blake, wronged. “Blake, I… I just wanted to see it.” Blake lovingly wrapped her in his arms, then glared at me. “What’s wrong with looking at it? It’s just a worthless painting, isn’t it?” “Chloe likes it, so I’ll give it to her!” “You wouldn’t dare!” My blood boiled instantly. “Watch me.” Blake sneered, telling Chloe, “Chloe, look all you want. If you like it, take it.” With Blake’s silent permission, Chloe’s boldness grew. She walked up to the painting, extending her hand with its bright red nail polish, and lightly dragged a finger across the face of the main figure in the artwork. I watched, horrified, as a glaring white scratch appeared on the precious canvas. “No—!” That was the last memory my father left me, the most precious treasure in my world. Now, it was ruined. Ruined by the man I loved most and the woman I hated most, working together. I rushed over, kneeling before the painting, stroking the wound. Tears streamed down my face, and my heart shattered completely in that moment. “It’s just a painting. Is it really that big of a deal? I can always buy you another one.” “Buy? With what?” Seeing my endless tears, Blake lost his patience. “You’re acting crazy. Crying over a broken painting like this.” “I think you’re just intentionally trying to keep Chloe from staying here…” He checked his phone, seeing a newly received message. The next second, his face instantly turned dark. Lewd, disturbing audio blasted from his phone. He glared furiously at me, then slammed his phone down in front of me. The screen was playing a video. It was footage of me being drugged and assaulted in Paris. In the video, my clothes were disheveled, my eyes glazed over, surrounded by several men whose faces were blurred. They were touching me inappropriately, and I seemed to not resist. The video had been maliciously edited, with the beginning and end cut out, leaving only the most suggestive clips. My original struggles and screams were replaced with seductive music. My pained, distorted expressions, in the dim light, were twisted into a perverted scene of supposed pleasure. My brain buzzed, turning blank. This was my deepest nightmare, a hell I would rather die than revisit. How did Blake get this video?! “Aurora Hayes! You absolute slut, how could you do something like this behind my back?!” My lips trembled, but not a single word came out. How could I explain? Say it wasn’t real? Say I was framed? Would he believe me?

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Six years ago, I was forced to marry Lily White in place of my brother. Every night since then, I’ve had to help her bathe and put condoms on her lover. I even had to babysit their child. “I’ve decided to make things official with Quinn,” she said, nestled in Quinn’s arms, completely disregarding my discomfort. “As for you, James, you can stay here and serve our little family.” Quinn didn’t like my face, so they broke my back, leaving me unable to lift my head. He complained about my sour smell, so they threw me into a freezing pool for nights on end. It was bitterly cold, and I was numb all over by the time they fished me out. But Lily just bragged to others scornfully, “He’s like a mangy dog, impossible to get rid of.” Then I got a call from my friend. “Your father has passed away,” they said. “His last wish was for you to be free. You can finally leave now.” I remained silent on the phone for a long while before simply responding with a quiet “Mm.” It’s better that Dad is gone. At least he won’t have to suffer mentally and physically every day anymore. The air conditioner blew out a steady stream of cold air. My icy clothes clung to my skin, but they couldn’t ward off the fever burning inside me. Shaking, I crawled towards the medicine cabinet and swallowed a few cold pills before being dragged in front of Lily. “We’re out of condoms,” she said. “Go buy some more. You know Quinn’s size. I’ll only wait twenty minutes.” But the nearest store was over an hour’s walk away. In the past, I never had the option to refuse her. Even that time I went out in a blizzard and nearly froze to death, I was slapped senseless as soon as I got back through the door. Quinn deliberately wrapped his arms around her and taunted me with a coy look. “Is big brother jealous of how well sis and I fit together? I just want to make her happy.” Lily completely ignored my frostbitten hands and feet. Convinced I was deliberately causing trouble, she banished me to the basement for a whole day. My memories blurred. I slowly stood up, my eyes lifeless. “You don’t need any. I’m not going,” I said flatly. Lily’s head snapped up to look at me, as if seeing me refuse her for the first time. The next instant, her palm cracked across my cheek. My forehead slammed hard against the corner of the table, blood trickling down. “James, it seems you still don’t understand your place!” Lily’s icy voice held the mockery I knew all too well. My place? Ha! Everyone in this house knew I was nothing more than a pathetic yes-man. She bore her lover’s child but dumped it on me to raise. On my birthday, her lover humiliated me, forcing me to crawl between his legs as I knelt on the ground. Even when they pushed me down the stairs and I cracked my head open, all she said was, “Get up and clean your filthy blood. It’s disgusting to look at.” I’d endured all kinds of torment, but now she lost it over one little retort. I turned away, struggling to keep my spinning head clear. “These six years must have been hard on you too. We should…” The word “divorce” caught in my throat as she cut me off. Lily had security hold me down, her eyes cold enough to kill. “So you’ve finally snapped,” she said, her tone dripping with disdain. “If it weren’t for your ruthless scheming, you wouldn’t even have the chance to be my dog.” As I struggled, her gaze fell on my mangled left hand and she faltered slightly. The last time she was kidnapped, I had gripped the attacker’s knife with my bare hand. I ended up losing a finger. She pressed her lips together, about to say something when Quinn came over with a pitiful expression. He “accidentally” stepped on my hand. As I tried to pull away in pain, he suddenly collapsed to the ground. Lily waved for security to release me. But Quinn started pleading, “Lily, I hurt my hand!” His long fingers were barely red, but Lily cradled them tenderly. The servants accused me of being jealous of his piano skills and ability to please Lily. I let out a slow breath and closed my eyes. I was used to being wrongly blamed by now. The medicinal soup I’d carefully prepared for him had been poisoned. He vomited and had diarrhea after eating it. But Lily was convinced I did it on purpose and forced me to eat all the leftovers. Just because I was a heinous sinner who could never atone for my crimes, even in death. “James! He’ll be the child’s only father. Don’t you dare try to harm him again!” she screamed, choking me as she pinned me down to warn me before rushing Quinn to the hospital. The high fever and blood loss finally overwhelmed me. I collapsed to the floor, unconscious. But I was grateful. I was finally going to be free.

When I came to, I was still lying in the yard. I struggled to my feet and had just reached the door when someone chased me away with a mop. “No filth allowed inside! You’re bad luck. Hurry up and clean up your mess!” the housekeeper spat at me, arms crossed. Anyone in this house could step all over me. All because Lily had said if I wanted to enter this house, I could only be the lowest, dirtiest dog. I didn’t argue with them. I just limped into the basement. I had very few possessions in the tiny room. Everything fit easily into one small bag. We’d been married for six years. But aside from a few tattered clothes, I still had nothing to my name. Laughter drifted down from upstairs where Lily was. She glanced at me coldly as I came up, then ordered, “Quinn fell. Come here and kneel down so he can sit on you.” But when I remained motionless, Lily’s face darkened. “If you don’t want to do it, then get lost! This isn’t a place for you to be willful!” Just like the past six years, she showed me no kindness whatsoever. Even though she could be so gentle with Quinn. I clutched my worn backpack, my heart aching as if torn open. She looked at me impatiently, but her brow furrowed when she saw the bag I was carrying. “Where are you going?” Six years ago, when we woke up in bed together, she glared at me with the same hatred. She said I had schemed against her, and let her bodyguards break my leg. The fracture site still ached dully. I unconsciously rubbed my right leg. Lily looked at me with great displeasure and had someone snatch the bag off my back. “You thief, were you planning to steal my things and sell them?” she accused. But when the bodyguard dumped out the contents, there was nothing of value except my ID. Lily’s expression grew even uglier. “I-I wanted to go say goodbye to Dad at the hospital…” I said quietly, keeping my head down as I tried to control my fear. Before, I had merely suggested we part ways once. For that, she had me tied to a cliff face. I have a crippling fear of heights. I went from begging to sobbing hysterically, but she just watched me coldly. She still thought I was faking to trick her. I kept my head down, not daring to anger her further. Seeing me so obedient, her expression softened somewhat. But one plea from Quinn had her leaving without hesitation. I took back my backpack and silently crouched down to gather my things. She glanced back, ordering coldly, “What use is it for you to go? He’s already dead.” Quinn turned his head too, asking in confusion, “Why is big brother being so thoughtless? The living are more important than the dead!” I still didn’t leave. My phone rang again and again. I stared at the familiar name on the screen but didn’t have the courage to answer. I had planned to sneak out in the middle of the night. But I didn’t expect to find Lily sitting on the living room couch when I came up. She waved me over, gesturing to the ointment on the table in front of her. “Come here, I’ll disinfect your wounds. We don’t want them getting infected.” But I remained rooted to the spot, not moving an inch. “Thank you for your concern, Ms. White, but I have thick skin. I’m not as delicate as Mr. Sullivan.” She let out a cold laugh, mocking my presumptuousness. “James, I’ve told you before. This is your retribution.” I was about to speak when an angry roar came from upstairs. Chaos erupted in the living room.

I was dragged into the cold, dark emergency stairwell. Fists and feet rained down on my body. I could only curl up, my whole body aching terribly. “You beast! You scum!” Lily grabbed my collar, her eyes blazing with fury as if she wanted to flay me alive. “How dare you hurt Little Treasure!” My vision kept going dark from the beating. I opened my mouth but couldn’t make a sound. “I didn’t…” I managed to get out three words before she whipped me hard. She even used the whip to choke me, pinning me brutally to the ground. Her voice was hoarse but filled with a hatred that chilled me to the bone. “I was going to abort that bastard child back then. So you did this to the baby for revenge?” “Don’t think that just because you became my legal husband, I’ll go soft on you!” I saw the madness in her eyes. She truly wanted to kill me. But I had never thought our relationship would be our lifeline. I was truly sorry about what happened back then. I had been trying my best to make amends, but she never believed a word I said. Doctors rushed in and out to save the child. Finally, one stood anxiously in the doorway and called out, “The baby’s liver is failing. We need to do an immediate transplant. Do any of you match for donation?” Lily shoved me forward, her voice cold. “Use him!” I closed my eyes, a bitter smile on my lips. It seemed she had truly forgotten that I once had my liver ruptured from a beating when I rescued her from kidnappers. The bodyguards twisted my arms behind my back and took me for testing. Soon, the results confirmed I was a match for donation. I was wheeled into the operating room. As I saw the doctor inject the anesthesia, my consciousness began to slip away and my vision blurred. Actually, I had known from the beginning that she had feelings for my brother Daniel. My mother couldn’t bear to let her pampered eldest son marry into the Lin family. So she faked Daniel’s death and sent him abroad. She locked me in a room with a drunk Lily. I wanted to resist, but my father fell gravely ill just then and needed a lot of money for treatment. After that night, I tried to explain, but news came of Daniel’s death. Lily was convinced I had killed Daniel to marry into the Lin family. She agreed to marry me, but only to avenge the man she loved. Seeing me forced to compromise again and again, stripped of all dignity, made her feel vindicated. But I was coerced into giving up everything, my heart breaking a little more each day. I couldn’t believe that sweet girl who used to hide behind me and call me “big brother” could be so cruel to me now. These memories kept swirling in my mind, filling me with unbearable sadness. As tears streamed down my face, I saw Lily sitting in front of me. Her face was weary, with a hint of guilt. “Are you still in pain?” I wiped away my tears and turned to look at her expressionlessly. “I want to go see my dad.” My voice was so weak it could have been scattered by a breeze. She lowered her eyes, staring at me for a long time. Just as she was about to speak, a commotion broke out where Quinn was. Lily immediately stood up, her face full of anxiety as she hurried over. Not long after, a doctor came to check on me. “Luckily Mr. Evans was a match from before. Though he’s passed away, his liver was donated to someone in need. Your wife just signed the papers on your behalf. My condolences.” I bolted upright in bed, my whole body shaking. I clutched my chest, feeling as if my heart was being slowly torn to shreds. So Lily’s belated concern was just out of guilt. I couldn’t even protect my father’s body.

I was alone again. Once, we had a child too. I had been overjoyed, begging her endlessly to keep the baby. I would do anything for her. But on Daniel’s birthday, she drank heavily, her eyes red. I knelt on the ground pleading with her to stop drinking, but she slapped me across the face. “James, you deserve to be abandoned by everyone!” she sneered. She tumbled down the stairs deliberately, just to see me suffer. I threw myself down to cushion her fall, but still couldn’t save the baby. The blood from that night became a nightmare I could never shake. “Save the baby…” I begged, still shielding her tightly despite being badly injured. Lily looked down at me with a complex expression when she came to her senses, but ultimately decided to abort the child. Perhaps she felt someone like me didn’t deserve to be the father of her child. Lily must have seen that I wasn’t making a fuss, so she magnanimously allowed me to attend my father’s funeral. “You go to the funeral first. I’ll join you after I finish shopping with Quinn.” I didn’t nod, just leaned back in the chair exhaustedly. These past few days, she had patiently cared for the child. The three of them looked like such a close, harmonious family. She was probably only letting me off the hook today because she had checked the security footage and discovered it was the bodyguard who always beat me the hardest who had drugged the soup. I guess she wanted to make it up to me by allowing me to attend my father’s funeral. But I no longer cared about any of that. From a distance, I watched as my father’s ashes were interred in the cemetery. Unable to pay my respects in person, I could only stand far away and kowtow several times to bid him farewell. “Dad, I’m so sorry.” After leaving the cemetery, I made an excuse to get rid of the others and successfully retrieved my small backpack. My friend arrived at the Lin house as promised. “Over here!” he waved, signaling that I could jump down from the back. There were no guards here. I landed silently and was pushed into a luxury car. I looked up and met a pair of familiar eyes. Someone held me tightly. Lily, who had just sent the others home, felt her heart skip a beat for some reason. The urge to see me was overwhelming, as if she would regret it for life if she was even a second late. My father’s funeral ended quickly. By the time she arrived, she saw my mother guarding the area with some people. As she approached, she heard my mother’s furious cursing. “Where’s that little beast James? Isn’t he supposed to care about his father the most?” “This time I’ll teach him a harsh lesson. Make him know he has to side with the Fang family!” Lily stormed in angrily to confront my mother. “Repeat what you just said!” Seeing her, my mother’s expression turned panicked. She stammered out a few excuses, but Lily didn’t catch a single word clearly. Until her phone rang. “Ms. Lin, Mr. Fang has escaped! We just received an express delivery with divorce papers for you inside.”

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I was injured in an explosion while on a mission abroad, protecting my younger brother. The blast left me in a coma. My brother, grateful for my life-saving act, returned home and married my wife. When I finally regained consciousness and hurried back home, I witnessed a heartbreaking scene. My son was on his knees, sobbing, his college acceptance letter torn to shreds. My nephew was viciously beating my son’s back with a metal pipe, shouting, “Your mom’s gonna lick my boots. Who do you think you are to go to college?” Meanwhile, my wife stood by, applauding and occasionally wiping the sweat from my nephew’s brow. “You’re just like your dead father, only fit to be my stepping stone!” My eyes blazed with fury as I clenched my fists. Anyone who dared harm my son would face hell! The school gates opened. Several security guards, wielding batons, rushed to surround my son. I got out of my car and approached them. “Why is your school taking sides without investigating properly?” “Didn’t you see this child’s acceptance letter being torn up by those people?” A guard spat and sneered, “Who’d dare to mess with young master Nick? We’re doing God’s work here, teaching Mr. George’s dog a lesson on his behalf!” My face had been severely damaged and reconstructed after the incident. Even my voice had changed due to the burns. My son didn’t recognize me. Neither did my nephew, Nick. The guards exchanged glances and growled, “Beat him up! He dares to mess with Mr. George’s son!” Although I only had my fists, I’d been through hell and back these past years. Beating up a few watchdogs was child’s play! I dodged when I could and took hits when necessary, returning each with a punch that sent them flying, blood gushing from their mouths and noses. My son, seeing me surrounded by the school guards, shouted, “Come at me! Leave the kind stranger alone!” He tried to hold off some of the guards for me. When I’d finished with the ones surrounding me, I saw my son cornered by several guards and those thugs. Nick was jumping up and down, yelling, “Kill him!” I grabbed Nick by the collar, threw him to the ground, and stepped on his ribs, breaking them. Coldly, I asked, “Who do you want to kill?”

Nick didn’t have my son’s guts. He immediately started crying for his parents. I messaged my domestic contact, asking about my son’s recent situation. He replied that my wife had already arranged for a guaranteed college admission, and my son just needed to report directly when school started. I had just heard my wife helping others bully my son, and now he’s telling me she’s arranging for his guaranteed admission? I coldly asked, “Is this how you handle logistics support?” “I’m going to file a complaint against you at headquarters!” Putting down the phone, I grabbed Nick by the collar, slapped him twice, and demanded, “Why did you tear up Sam’s acceptance letter?” Nick, terrified and covered in tears and snot, stammered, “He scored 600 points higher than me. I felt humiliated and wanted to vent.” A bright red Porsche pulled up at the school gate. Nick excitedly shouted, “Mom, Mom, save me! This lunatic is beating me for no reason!” I hadn’t expected to meet my ex-wife Claire in this scenario. She was dressed garishly, dripping with jewelry. Stomping over in her ridiculous red high heels, she screeched like a fishwife, “Let go of my son!” Her son? I looked closely at Nick. No mistake, this kid had always looked like a rat. How did Nick become her son? I blocked her clawing hand with my arm, causing her to lose balance and fall. Nick muttered under his breath, “Useless.” But Sam went over to help her up. Claire pointed her fat finger at Sam’s forehead. “Can’t you just behave?” “Stop provoking your brother, okay?” “You have food to eat, school to attend, and I can live this good life now, all thanks to your uncle, right?” “And you? Every time the school calls home, it’s either about you stealing watches or tearing up his homework!” “So what if he gets back at you once?” “You’re just as useless as your dead father!” Sam stood his ground, declaring firmly, “My dad is a great hero. He’ll come back for me someday!” Claire spat, “Your deadbeat dad is long gone. Give up that pipe dream, he’s never coming back!” Enraged, I grabbed Claire’s arm, pulled her close, and slapped her twice. “You bitch, do you know who I am?” “I’ve been risking my life out there, building a fortune for you all.” “If you wanted to be a slut and find another man, fine. But why did you have to hook up with my brother and treat my son like this?” Claire looked me up and down in shock, her eyes filled with disbelief. Suddenly, her expression changed, and she started screaming, “Help! Kidnapper! Someone call the police!” “Quick, contact my husband! Someone’s trying to kidnap us!” Sam carefully examined me from all angles, tentatively calling out, “Dad?” Claire viciously kicked Sam. “What are you yelling about? Your deadbeat dad is long gone. Your father now is George.” Sam roared, “George is just using you! His whole family is using you and my dad’s identity for their own benefit!” “Do you think they really see you as a person?” Several vans pulled up outside the school, and a group of bodyguards with hostile looks surrounded me…

The school’s watchdogs had already called out the school leaders. The smug-looking principal glared fiercely at Sam: “We let you attend our school as a favor to Mr. George.” “Colluding with outsiders to beat up young master Nick.” “Who can prove that Nick tore up your acceptance letter?” “You clearly tore it up yourself and framed Nick.” “Fighting at the school gate is a serious offense.” “Not only are you not going to college this year, but your school record is now expelled, and you can’t even get your files back.” “No one will take you for a retake!” “If you still want to study, kneel down and lick the mud off young master Nick’s shoes.” “Maybe I’ll consider your sincere apology and give you a chance to retake the exam next year.” Claire, seeing that George’s bodyguards had surrounded me, shrieked: “You little bastard, didn’t you hear? Kneel down and apologize!” “Don’t forget that I still have your household registration and ID card.” “If you keep being stubborn like your dead father, I’ll make sure you can’t even find a job to support yourself.” What kind of abuse has my son endured all these years while I was fighting for my life out there? This principal deserves to die! I stepped forward, grabbed the principal’s shirt collar, and kicked the back of his knees. Forcing him to kneel in front of Sam. “You say Sam tore up his own acceptance letter?” “Dare you say that again?” “Want to bet if I can tear you up more thoroughly than that acceptance letter?” The principal, sweating profusely in pain, struggled and shouted: “Call the police! Shoot this criminal!” I gripped the principal’s throat: “Your time is running out. Think quickly about what you need to do for me to spare your miserable life!” Claire, holding her phone, incoherently called the police. My phone also received a message that my personal file had been declassified. Immediate arrangements were being made for my personal security detail. I was notified to return to headquarters to discuss arrangements for my life back in the country and settle my benefits. Right now, I just wanted to get revenge for my son. Who has time to care about benefits? Claire smiled smugly: “Everyone’s watching. He’s assaulting people for no reason. You’re all witnesses.” “Surround him well and don’t let him escape. They’ll be here to arrest him soon!” “We’re all civilized people. We didn’t hit anyone first!” I was certain Claire had recognized me. She knew that among those present, no one could beat me in a fight. Even if all the bodyguards attacked together, they might not gain the upper hand. This looked like she was trying to frame me with a crime to get me locked up, and maybe even have me killed inside through some backroom deal. I always felt this woman couldn’t be trusted, which is why I had left money for George too, hoping he could keep an eye on her. I never expected these two scumbags would hit it off and get together. Realizing I had lifted a rock only to drop it on my own feet, I clenched my fists in anger. The private high school principal struggled desperately, screaming for help. George’s bodyguards had clearly received orders. They just surrounded me without making a move. Seemingly waiting to see the show of me strangling the principal to death. Preferably for me to be shot dead on the spot. Unfortunately for them, they were going to be disappointed today. I tightened my grip on the principal’s throat. The principal’s face turned purple as he began to beg: “Please spare me, sir. Mrs. Claire has already called the police. You should run quickly.” Sam tugged at my sleeve, whispering: “Dad, revenge is a dish best served cold.” I snorted lightly: “Today, if he doesn’t lick your shoes clean, I’ll strangle him to death.” The principal began to reason with me: “Taking me hostage won’t help. You’ll be shot by snipers. They’re all professionals.” “Your best bet now is to let me go and run for it.” I increased the pressure on my hand: “Don’t worry. Even if I strangle a piece of trash like you with my bare hands, the snipers can’t do anything to me. I’m not a rookie either.” I raised my voice to threaten the principal: “Have you figured out how to save your life yet?” Piercing sirens rang out as several cars arrived. The principal croaked hoarsely, shouting with all his might: “You’re finished! With so many people here, you’re going to eat bullets. Mr. George won’t let you off!” I tightened my grip again. How could I bear to strangle him outright? He had abused my son so much; letting him die like this would be too easy. Claire immediately started screaming: “Help! Murder! The principal is about to be strangled to death by a thug! Quickly rescue the hostage and shoot the criminal!” A tall man in uniform got out of the first car and came to my side: “Captain Frank, I’m the leader of your local security team in this city. You can call me Kevin.”

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