To help my wife, Chloe, settle the crushing debts from her disastrous investments, I agreed to her unthinkable proposal: to sell my kidney. But on the day of the surgery, our six-year-old son, Leo, raced to the clinic by himself, frantically calling his mother for help. Chloe’s voice was strained. “Daddy’s just giving up one kidney, Leo. It’ll buy Mommy peace for the rest of her life. If he doesn’t, Mommy’s life is ruined.” Leo still objected, but Chloe simply hung up. Turning away, she anxiously walked towards a high-end private room nearby, gazing at her pale first love, Ryan, soothing him in a low voice. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “The kidney source is here. You’ll be fine soon.” “Don’t blame yourself. I chose to lie to him. He’s still young anyway; one less kidney won’t matter.” Later, Chloe’s first love had a successful surgery. Chloe was in high spirits, uncharacteristically suggesting a trip, a ‘honeymoon’ for me, her, and Leo. But she didn’t know. I was already dead. Because on the day of the kidney removal, I couldn’t afford the crucial post-operative antibiotics, and the wound infection claimed my life. And Leo? He had completely given up on her.

When I opened my eyes again, a strange lightness washed over me. All the pain was gone. I thought I’d pulled through the surgery, but then Leo’s childlike wail echoed in my ears. “Daddy, what’s wrong? Get up!” I turned towards the sound and saw my six-year-old son kneeling beside the clinic bed, sobbing his heart out. Before him, lying on the bed, was ‘me,’ pale and lifeless. It dawned on me. Oh. I hadn’t pulled through. I was dead. Of course. I had the surgery done at some cheap, rundown clinic because we had no money. There were no antibiotics, no painkillers after the procedure. So, once the anesthesia wore off, after the kidney was removed, the agony was unbearable. I knew then, with terrifying clarity, that I was dying. But I quickly accepted the reality. I didn’t even feel sad. Our family was deep in debt. We desperately needed money. If my death could bring peace to Chloe and Leo for the rest of their lives, then it was worth it. Just as I thought this, a man in a white coat entered through the doorway. He tossed a card onto the floor in front of Leo, his voice impatient. “Stop that bawling, you’re a real jinx! Here, take this five hundred thousand. Now grab your dad’s body and get out.” With that, he turned to retrieve the fresh kidney, soaking in a solution, from a cooler nearby. Leo’s eyes blazed red. He rushed forward. “That’s my daddy’s! You can’t take it!” Leo tried to grab it back, but the man merely kicked him in the chest. Leo slammed hard against the wall, his face paling with pain. My heart ached terribly. I had thought my timid, crybaby son would give up. But to my surprise, he sobbed, then hysterically rushed forward again. The man snapped his fingers, and three men instantly appeared from outside the door, grabbing Leo and pinning him to the ground. They held him fast, even as he screamed and thrashed. The man sneered, “Your daddy’s? We already bought it for five hundred thousand. Don’t cause trouble, kid. Take the money and leave. This kidney was bought for a huge price. If anything goes wrong, you won’t get a dime, and your daddy will have died for nothing.” Leo was pinned to the ground, crying helplessly. “I don’t want the money! I want Daddy! I’ll give you back the money! Just give Daddy back to me…” But no one listened. The man, clutching the organ transport cooler, hurried away. Only after the sound of a car engine faded outside the door was Leo released. Perhaps he was too exhausted from crying, for he was reduced to mere sobs. He picked up his phone and called Chloe again and again. After the usual unanswered calls, he finally, despairingly, picked up the bank card from the floor. His small shoulders somehow bore my body. “Daddy, I’m taking you home.” How Leo, with his tiny, frail body, managed to get me home, I don’t know. My spirit, uncontrolled, simply followed the man into the car. All the way, the man protected my kidney with extreme care. He buckled it into the passenger seat and constantly glanced over at it. Only when the car stopped in front of a luxurious private hospital did he finally relax, bowing and scraping as he handed the cooler to a woman waiting at the entrance. When I saw her face, one I knew intimately, I was stunned. It was Chloe, my wife, the one who had suggested I sell my kidney to pay off her debts. Before I could wonder why the man was giving her the kidney, Chloe carefully accepted it. “The remaining five million has already been transferred to you.” Without a single word about me, she turned and hurried into the hospital. I stood there, frozen, unable to process it. Chloe had recently lost everything in a disastrous investment, ending up millions in debt. I’d sold our house to help her pay off debts, and Leo had even sold his beloved action figures, but there was still a massive amount unpaid. Where did she get five million from? I hadn’t found an answer yet when Chloe strode quickly into the hospital, anxiously handing the kidney to a doctor. Before she could speak, a nurse rushed over. “Ms. Chloe, your boyfriend absolutely refuses the surgery. Please, go talk to him!” A flicker of tension crossed Chloe’s face, but it quickly vanished. As usual, she calmly instructed the doctor to arrange the surgery immediately, then, her heels clicking, she hurried away. I dazedly followed her, eventually stopping with her in front of a high-end private room. My breath hitched when I saw the young man lying on the bed. It was Ryan, Chloe’s first love. They’d dated for a while, but Chloe’s family disapproved of Ryan. In a fit of anger, he’d left the country and hadn’t been heard from for years. Later, the Xu family fell on hard times, and Chloe was forced into an arranged meeting with me. We logically married and had a child. After Leo was born, I once saw Chloe secretly weeping over Ryan’s picture. That’s when I learned she had a “first love.” But I didn’t care. After all those years of marriage, we were like family, our bond as deep as blood. But I never imagined… Chloe suggested I sell my kidney just to give it to him? Ryan, his face pale, looked at her. “Chloe, maybe we should just forget it. You’re already married anyway. I feel like there’s no point in living.” Chloe quickly stepped forward and took Ryan’s hand. Her voice, when she spoke, was so gentle it felt alien to me. “I was forced to marry him back then. You’ve always been the one in my heart. If you die, *I’m* the one who won’t be able to live.” “Promise me, you’ll be a good boy and have the surgery, okay? Your blood type is rare; it took me so long to find this kidney for you.” Ryan shook his head. “I know this is your husband’s kidney. You should give it back to him. I don’t want you two to have problems because of me.” Chloe’s voice turned pleading. “Ryan, don’t overthink it. Just listen to me this one time.” Ryan was stubborn. “What if your husband gets angry with you? What if he finds out you lied to him and hits you? Then I wouldn’t even be able to help you. Do you want me to just stand by and watch him bully you?” “He won’t,” Chloe shook her head. “He loves me very much.” “…” They looked like a pair of tragic, star-crossed lovers. One after another, the pieces of information clicked, and the truth began to form. After Ryan returned to the country, he discovered he had end-stage uremia and needed a kidney transplant to survive. But his blood type was rare, and a matching kidney was incredibly hard to find. For months, Chloe had been tirelessly searching for a match, all to no avail. Ryan grew weaker by the day. Until finally, Chloe secretly did a tissue match between me and Ryan. When she found we were a match, she set her sights on me. All that talk about failed investments, about being hounded by creditors – it was all a lie. I gave a bitter laugh. Chloe was right. I loved her very much. When I heard about her bankruptcy, my first instinct was to stand by her. I sold everything I could, scrambled for money everywhere. When it wasn’t enough, I even sold my blood, juggling five different jobs a day. Anything that paid, I did it. I felt that as a man, I should shoulder the responsibility of my family. Until a week ago, Chloe suggested I sell one of my kidneys. At first, I refused. But the very next day, Chloe was dragged away by creditors, who threatened her with unspeakable violence. After I rescued Chloe, she stood on the balcony late that night, saying she couldn’t take it anymore, that she wanted to end it all. I finally gave in and agreed. Back then, I was filled with terror for her and a heartbreaking pity that I couldn’t do more to help. But I never imagined… It was all a lie. Chloe, usually so impatient, coaxed him for nearly half an hour. Finally, Ryan agreed to the surgery. As he was about to enter the operating room, Chloe’s gaze never left him. I’d never seen such a worried look on her face before. Before my kidney surgery, she was supposed to be with me, but after a phone call, she rushed off. I walked into that clinic alone, and those cold instruments stole my life. It turns out, love and not loving are so painfully clear. As Chloe waited anxiously outside the operating room, her phone rang again. My name, ‘Liam,’ flashed across the screen. This time, she didn’t hang up. After two seconds of silence, her finger moved to the “answer” button.

“Mommy, Daddy he…” As soon as she answered, Leo’s tearful voice came through. But before he could finish, Chloe interrupted him coolly. “Leo, Mommy really can’t help it. Please stop calling. Daddy is pitiful, but Mommy is working hard too, earning money, trying to pay off the family debts, and buy you new action figures.” Chloe said these words without a hint of shame, her face perfectly composed. Before, I used to pity her. Now, I just felt utterly foolish. I’d been married for eight years, and I never knew the person sharing my bed was such a masterful actress. Leo cried. “I don’t want action figures! I don’t want anything! Mommy, just come home!” Chloe sounded annoyed. “Leo, why are you being so unreasonable? Do you want to see Mommy get beaten to death by creditors because she can’t pay her debts?” “I don’t want to…” “Then be a good boy. Daddy will wake up in a couple of hours. Take good care of him. I can’t come home tonight. Tell Daddy for me.” Just as she finished speaking, a doctor emerged from the operating room. Chloe didn’t wait to hear what else Leo had to say. She hurriedly hung up and rushed to the doctor. Upon learning the surgery was a success, she let out a sigh of profound relief. She fussed over Ryan, taking care of his every need. Fearing muscle atrophy from his long confinement, the impatient Chloe spent forty minutes massaging Ryan’s legs. Worried the IV fluid was too cold, she personally warmed the tube with her hands. When Ryan complained his little toe was cramping, the usually fastidious Chloe didn’t hesitate, gently massaging it for him. In my memory, she had always been careless. She couldn’t even take proper care of Leo; she once almost fed our son laundry detergent instead of formula. This was the first time I had ever seen her so meticulous. Those in love always recover quickly. In less than two days, Ryan was able to get out of bed and walk around. Chloe, seeing the good weather, took him to a nearby park. During their rest, Chloe left for two minutes. When she returned, her hands were behind her back, and she smiled mysteriously. “To reward brave little Ryan for completing his surgery, Big Sister Chloe has a gift for him.” With that, she presented the items she’d been hiding behind her back to Ryan, like she was showing off a prize. They were samples of wedding dresses and suits. Ryan’s eyes widened in surprise. Chloe winked playfully. “I specially picked out the most expensive package. Once you’ve fully recovered at the end of this month, we’ll go take our wedding photos. What do you think?” Ryan was about to nod, then seemed to remember something. His eyes flickered, and his gaze darkened. “Aren’t you afraid Liam will find out?” At the mention of my name, the smile on Chloe’s face froze. “Let’s not mention anyone else right now.” “Besides, I’m already married to him. It’s just taking wedding photos. Surely he won’t make a big fuss over such a small thing.” Ryan’s lips curved into a smile. “Chloe, you’ve done so much for me. I’m really touched.” He stood up, gazing at Chloe with an alluring intensity, slowly leaning closer. The air crackled with an unspoken tension, an almost palpable heat that made my heart race. I understood what they were about to do next. My heart throbbed, a dull ache like a knife twisting inside me. “Mommy!” Just then, Leo’s voice came from nearby. Chloe snapped back to reality, hastily pulling away from Ryan, casting a guilty glance in the direction of the voice. Seeing Leo, my heart felt tightly squeezed. His clothes were stained and tattered, his beautiful eyes swollen like walnuts, veined with angry red. My death had clearly been a massive shock to him. He wasn’t focused on Chloe and Ryan’s actions just now. When he saw Chloe, he rushed into her arms, his voice hoarse and dry. “Mommy, I finally found you.” “Daddy’s dead. He bled a lot. He won’t move, and he won’t talk to me…” He wanted to cry, but his tears had run dry. In the end, only a hoarse, ugly sound escaped him. Hearing his words, Chloe paused. Ryan, beside them, laughed. “Leo, is it? Don’t worry too much. Your dad just had surgery and was given anesthesia, so he can’t move. He’s probably just too tired to talk. He’s not dead.” Then, he patted Leo’s head. “What a cute little boy.” Leo dodged his hand, looking at him blankly. A child might not understand all the nuances, but with Chloe and Ryan together here, Leo clearly sensed something was wrong. He pointed at Ryan, angrily asking Chloe, “Mommy, who is he? Why are you with him?” Chloe gave a forced laugh. “He’s Mommy’s friend.” Leo challenged her. “So, Mommy’s been with him all these days? Does Mommy spend so much time with a friend?” Chloe was speechless. Ryan struggled to take a couple of steps, gasping for breath. “Chloe, maybe you should go back with the child first. Liam really needs someone to take care of him.” Leo was too young to catch the hidden meaning. Hearing this, he hastily grabbed Chloe’s hand. “Mommy, come back with me to see Daddy, Daddy…” Before Leo could finish, Chloe pulled her hand away. “No, Leo. Mommy’s friend still needs care. You go back by yourself for now.” “Mommy will give you money. You can buy the action figures you like, okay?” With that, Chloe, just like she used to dismiss Leo, pulled out a card from her bag and offered it to him. Leo froze. “Mommy, didn’t we run out of money?” Chloe’s hand, poised to offer the card, froze mid-air. Leo looked at her with an unfamiliar gaze, slowly stepping back. Perhaps it was then that he noticed Chloe, who had been dressing more simply for months, was now in a vibrant, glamorous dress, looking so radiant he barely recognized her. He also saw Chloe supporting Ryan, and beside them, a thick wedding photo album. “Mommy, do you not love Daddy and me anymore?” After a long moment, Leo asked, his voice strained. Chloe fell silent for a moment, as if she wanted to say something. But Leo seemed to understand everything. He turned and ran, sprinting away, as if he couldn’t bear to hear that terrible final answer. Chloe instinctively wanted to chase after him, but Ryan held her wrist. “Don’t worry, Chloe. He’s young; if you explain it to him later, he’ll understand.” Chloe pressed her lips together. Finally, looking at the struggling Ryan, she didn’t pursue Leo. Perhaps fearing Leo would tell me, Chloe made time to call me several times when she got back. But each time, the calls went unanswered, automatically hanging up. She frowned slightly, typing out a message: “Leo must have told you everything, but it’s not what you think. Please pick up, let’s talk properly.” I didn’t know what she wanted to talk about. Perhaps even she didn’t know, because after typing the message, she deleted it, word by word. After a long silence, she returned to Ryan’s room. “I need to go home tomorrow. You rest well here for now.”

Ryan nodded. “I’ll come with you. Let’s make things clear.” Chloe seemed about to refuse, but Ryan continued, “After all, this kidney came from Liam. Even if he doesn’t know now, I want to thank him.” After a few seconds, Chloe gave a very slight nod. That night, I watched Chloe constantly checking her phone, even opening our old chat history. It struck me that she was waiting for a message from me, and I was surprised. All these years, she had been aloof; I was always the one clinging to her. But every time I shared something about my life, she either didn’t reply or just gave a faint “Mm.” Our last message, too, had been from me. It was a photo of a beautiful diamond ring. I had told her: “I feel like this suits you perfectly. I can’t imagine how beautiful you’d look wearing it.” Thinking about it, Chloe now finally replied, “It is very beautiful.” Perhaps she expected me to reply as usual, because the next morning, Chloe woke up and immediately grabbed her phone, opening our chat window. Still, there was no reply. Chloe seemed a little annoyed. On the way back with Ryan, she was distracted even when he spoke to her. Ryan squeezed her hand reassuringly. “It’s okay.” Chloe frowned, growing even angrier. “Whatever. So what if we divorce? We were just set up anyway; it’s not like we were deeply in love.” Ryan told her not to say things in anger, but Chloe remained silent. The car soon pulled up in front of the building where we rented an apartment. The house I’d worked so hard to buy had been sold to help Chloe pay her debts, and we were now living in a dilapidated resettlement house. As she got out of the car, Chloe spotted something in the trash can and frowned slightly. It was her usual set of bedding. She visibly grew angrier, her face dark as she went upstairs. “Liam, aren’t you going too far?” As soon as she walked in, she angrily yelled. Leo emerged from the adjacent bedroom. He seemed even smaller, thinner, and his eyes were still red and swollen. Seeing Leo, Chloe’s anger subsided a bit. “Leo, where’s your dad?” Leo merely glanced at her blandly, saying nothing, and then tossed her cosmetics from the house into the trash can. Chloe frowned, a hint of unease on her face. “Leo, I’m asking you a question.” Ryan walked over, gently soothing. “Chloe, don’t be angry. Let me talk to the child. I’ve been through this phase, I know how to communicate.” Chloe usually wasn’t very concerned about Leo, so she believed Ryan and nodded. Ryan walked up to Leo, crouching down. He smiled. “Leo, I know you’re very angry, but you have to trust Mommy. Don’t be angry with Mommy and Uncle, okay? I believe in you. You’re a little man who can handle his emotions.” He reached out and gently rubbed Leo’s shoulder. But I noticed a cruel glint flash in his eyes as he subtly, harshly, pinched Leo’s shoulder. Leo flinched in pain and shoved Ryan away. Ryan lost his balance, tumbling to the floor, clutching the area where he’d had surgery, his face contorted in agony. “Leo, what are you doing?” In a fit of rage, Chloe not only called Leo by his full name, but she rushed forward and roughly pushed him away. Leo’s head hit the nearby table with a dull thud. Chloe didn’t even glance at him, frantically helping Ryan up. Ignoring Leo’s stunned, numb gaze, she yelled, “Who taught you to be so rude? Was it your dad? Where is he? Tell him to come out!” Just as she finished speaking, the front door opened. A man in a black suit entered, carrying an urn. He surveyed the room and asked, “Who are Liam’s family? This is Liam’s ashes. Please sign for them.” The side of the urn with my black and white photo faced Chloe directly. Chloe froze, staring blankly at Leo.

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The news hit me like a train wreck: my first love had died in a car crash. And then, at my own engagement party, my fiancée slit her wrists, giving up on everything. It was then, and only then, that I finally understood: her heart had always belonged to Julian. I was reborn, back to the very day of our engagement. But she never showed up. Instead, she booked a billion-dollar luxury yacht and married Julian. I watched their wedding trending across every major news headline, then turned and walked away. Six years later, I returned to the country with my wife. At an exclusive high-society gala, I unexpectedly ran into Chloe again. By now, she was the heiress to a massive business empire, celebrated as an outstanding female executive. She was clinging intimately to Julian, chatting with the guests, radiating success. When I pushed through the crowd, looking for someone, her brows furrowed in annoyance. “Six years, and you still haven’t given up on me? Even if you offered to be my assistant and polish my shoes, my feelings for you wouldn’t change.” I ignored her, reaching under a long table to pull out my daughter, who was secretly stuffing her face with cake. Suddenly, Chloe’s eyes widened, turning red. Her voice trembled as she accused me, “How could you marry someone else and have a child? Didn’t you say you’d only marry me?!”

I never thought I’d run into Chloe again, not at a gala on my very first day back in the country. She was dazzling, draped around Julian, her gaze soft and affectionate. Amidst the clinking glasses and flowing conversations, guests showered them with compliments. “Ms. Davies and her husband have been married for years, yet they seem even more in love than when they first tied the knot.” “Mr. Julian is truly blessed. Ms. Davies threw this party tonight to welcome the Princess Royal of the East Coast elite. Her business ventures are about to take off like a rocket!” Chloe smiled, looking tenderly at Julian. “Marrying Julian is the greatest blessing of my life. His touring art exhibition is coming up in a few days; I hope everyone can come show their support.” At the mention of the art exhibition, someone in the crowd asked, puzzled, “Ms. Davies, you’ve been married for six years, but why has Mr. Julian never held an exhibition before?” Julian cared so much about his art. How could he not have held an exhibition for six years? It was a question I’d always wondered myself. In my past life, Chloe loved Julian so fiercely she was willing to die for him. Even after I was reborn, she defied her powerful family, the Davies, just to marry him. Julian’s pleasant smile faltered instantly when he heard the question. “Painting is quite draining, and Chloe is simply worried I might strain my eyes.” The men in the room listened, both envious and praising Chloe as the perfect wife. In my past life, after I married Chloe, I wanted to hold a design exhibition. But Chloe’s mother scolded me, accusing me of trying to steal the spotlight. She constantly felt I wasn’t good enough for Chloe and repeatedly tried to get her to divorce me. After Chloe became the group heiress, her mother actually had a lawyer draft divorce papers. Now, Chloe handled Julian’s art exhibition entirely herself, with him not lifting a finger. It turned out, in my last life, I was the one who was never truly loved. I let out a soft, bitter laugh, shaking my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a figure beneath the long table, ready to follow them. But then I bumped into a waiter carrying a tray of red wine. Glass shattered everywhere, and wine splattered all over me. “Watch where you’re going! That was for the Princess Royal’s husband!” “If the gentleman complains, you’ll be out of a job!” The waiter’s loud scolding immediately drew everyone’s attention. I looked up and explained, “It’s fine, I didn’t really like that wine anyway.” Chloe looked over, startled. “Alex, what are you doing here?” Others quickly chimed in, “Who is this?” Chloe’s tone was dismissive. “Just a university classmate. He was totally obsessed with me back then; the whole school knew he wanted to marry me. After graduation, he still spent all his energy trying to chase me down.” “But my heart has always belonged only to Julian.” Hearing this, everyone’s gazes and voices filled with mocking amusement. Chloe gripped her wine glass, her voice stern. “Please, don’t spread rumors! I don’t want my husband to misunderstand!” Julian wrapped an arm around Chloe’s shoulders, his voice soft. “Oh, darling, don’t be upset. Mr. Alex must just be terribly infatuated to follow you all the way here.” Chloe’s brow furrowed. She turned to someone beside her. “Take him out. I’ll handle this.” With that, she leaned in and kissed Julian’s cheek, her eyes filled with sweet affection, not even sparing me a glance. “It’s only because Ms. Davies is so kind, otherwise, you’d be in serious trouble.” “Get out of here. This isn’t a place for someone like you.” I struggled to break free from their grip. “I’m here looking for someone.” The staff smirked, looking at my rough linen clothes with blatant disdain. “We’ve seen plenty of men like you, trying to win Ms. Davies’ favor with pathetic infatuation. Don’t waste your breath.” They finished speaking, then forcibly shoved me out the door. “Stop.” Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from behind me.

Chloe walked over, instructing the staff, “He’s here for me. You can go.” She approached me, her tone sharp with warning. “This is a reception for the Princess Royal of the East Coast elite. Don’t make a scene here!” “No matter how much you adore me, you shouldn’t be here.” “I’m going to make things perfectly clear to you today!” She leaned into Julian’s embrace, her eyes overflowing with tender affection for him, but when she faced me, her voice was ice cold. “In this lifetime, I only love Julian. No matter what you do, I will never like you. Just give up!” Julian’s face lit up with a smug grin. “Mr. Alex, I’ve seen desperate people, but I’ve never seen anyone as shameless as you.” “If word of your behavior gets out, what woman would ever agree to marry you?” He was practically oozing mockery. “Still, Chloe is so exceptional, I can understand why you can’t forget her. After all, she’s the heir to a huge conglomerate now, and there are always men trying to curry favor with her.” He glanced at my rough linen clothes, his expression even more contemptuous. “You’re thirty years old and still so unkempt. What woman would ever look at you?” With that, he took off the gold watch from his wrist and tossed it at me. “I’m a charitable man. Consider this watch my gift to you. Go buy some decent clothes.” I glanced down at my clothes. I’d rushed out of the house and hadn’t changed, but what I found comfortable and practical, they saw as a disgrace. Seeing my silence, Chloe’s brow furrowed. She then pulled off the ruby pendant from her neck, her voice laced with impatience and warning. “And this pendant, it should be enough for you to live on. Just stop coming to find me.” When I remained unmoved, her face instantly darkened, and her voice held a touch of anger. “Alex, what do you mean? You don’t want my things?” What a joke. I was already married. I shouldn’t accept anything from another woman, especially not jewelry. Besides, my wife was the Princess Royal of the East Coast elite. Taking these cheap trinkets from Chloe would be a direct slap in her face. I said calmly, “Didn’t you say you didn’t want me to take your things anymore?” Chloe’s face turned even colder. “You…” She pointed at me, but ultimately said nothing. I politely refused. “I don’t need any of these.” My refusal again made Chloe’s expression turn even worse. She gripped the pendant tightly in her hand, veins bulging. “If I wasn’t looking at you as an old university classmate, seeing you in such a pathetic state, do you think I’d bother with you?” “Alright, alright, don’t get angry.” Julian wrapped an arm around her waist, gently comforting her. “Darling, you’re just too sentimental. Since Mr. Alex is so ungrateful, just let him figure things out for himself.” “Look, Mr. Alex has a pretty face. I’m sure he’ll find a way to survive. We don’t need to worry about him.” Every word Julian spoke was meant to imply I was a frivolous man. But I remembered all his disgraceful past actions perfectly well.

In my previous life, Chloe didn’t marry Julian, not just because of family status, but because Julian used to be a kept man, supported by some rich socialite. Mr. Davies Sr. had declared that if Chloe insisted on marrying him, she would be stripped of her heir status and thrown out of the Davies family. Chloe was willing to give up everything for Julian. Her mother became so ill with rage she had to be hospitalized. But Julian wasn’t willing to live a life of poverty. He turned around and became the trophy husband of a wealthy foreign woman. Chloe was consumed by grief and illness. If I hadn’t stayed by her side, caring for her and helping her through those painful days, she probably would have died. Afterwards, she developed a habit of heavy drinking at social events, and I would always be there to help her finish glass after glass of hard liquor, which eventually ruined my stomach. She loved skiing, so I’d accompany her, even if it meant tumbling down snowy slopes and injuring myself; I’d always insist on staying by her side. Later, she said she was willing to marry me, swearing she would love me for a lifetime. I asked her if she still thought of Julian. After all, her home still contained all of Julian’s things, untouched. I’d seen her more than once, holed up in that room, drinking miserably. She looked at me, her voice firm. “Now, my heart is only for you. You are the one I want to marry. From the moment Julian trampled on my true feelings, we had no relationship whatsoever.” “I will love you well and stay by your side forever.” I thought my sincerity had won Chloe’s true heart. But after six years together, not only did I give up my beloved design career, I became a house husband. Chloe even kept delaying our wedding. I asked her repeatedly, only to be verbally abused by her mother, who claimed Chloe was at a critical stage in her career and that I wasn’t supporting her, constantly bringing up the wedding. Because of this, the entire East Coast elite circles laughed at me, saying I was nothing more than a glorified house husband in the Davies family. I got angry again and again. Chloe, just to calm me down, agreed to get engaged first. But at our engagement party, I accidentally overheard her conversation with her mother. That’s when I realized she didn’t want to marry me at all. Even the wedding suit she’d had designed was custom-tailored to Julian’s exact measurements. I had a huge fight with her. Right then, news broke that Julian had died in a car accident. Chloe stood there, stunned and silent, then eventually slit her wrists. Before dying, she calmly looked at me, weeping and kneeling before her. “From beginning to end, Julian was the only one in my heart. He was my truest love. Everything before was a lie.” “If he’s gone, I won’t live either.” Tears streamed down her face. “Julian, I’m coming to marry you now.” In that moment, my heart turned to ash. So, when I was reborn back to the engagement party, and Chloe didn’t show up, I wasn’t surprised at all. Media headlines reported that she’d spent a billion dollars on a luxury yacht to marry Julian, their wedding becoming a top trending topic. And I simply turned and walked away. I never thought I’d see her here, in this life. I was about to leave, but Julian still wanted to humiliate me further. “Mr. Alex, if you really don’t want these designer things, how about you come work as a security guard at our company?” “Our security guards get to see celebrities and important figures every day, it’s quite prestigious.” “If you give up trying to seduce Chloe, I might even promote you to head of security.” As soon as he finished speaking, people around him immediately chimed in. “A security guard job at Davies Group is a great gig! Why aren’t you kneeling and thanking Mr. Julian?” “Mr. Julian is truly benevolent. If anyone tried to seduce my wife, I’d tear them apart.” Seeing their taunts and sneers, a flicker of anger flashed in my eyes. “I’m already married, and I have absolutely no inappropriate thoughts about Chloe.” “Stop spreading fabricated rumors!” Chloe scoffed. “Alex, do you think saying that will make me regret anything?” “Using marriage to make me jealous? You’re not even worthy.” After leaving Chloe, I went abroad. I met the Princess Royal of the East Coast elite while rescuing a stray cat. Over time, she fell for me. She pursued me for two years before I finally agreed to be with her. After we married, I discovered she was the Princess Royal, a radiant beauty with countless admirers. But she earnestly and seriously told me that I was the only one she truly loved. When our daughter, Lily, was born, Chloe almost had a difficult labor. She immediately called her lawyer on the spot to change all beneficiaries of her assets to my name. The entire East Coast elite circles gossiped that the Princess Royal was madly in love with her husband. But to reduce unnecessary disruptions, most people hadn’t actually met me. Yet now Chloe thought I was using my marriage to make her jealous? She still believed I was in love with her. Since she didn’t believe me, I couldn’t be bothered to explain. After all, I had no one with me right now who could verify my identity. My daughter, Lily, heard there was cake at the party and secretly snuck out. I was so worried I didn’t even change, just rushed out in my comfortable linen clothes to find her. I tried to go around the crowd, but the previous waiter stopped me. “His clothes… they look like a luxury haute couture piece.” “Only two were ever released globally. One is owned by the British Royal Family, and the other belongs to the Princess Royal’s husband.” “What audacity! How dare you steal something belonging to the Princess Royal’s husband!” “These clothes are mine.” Julian scoffed when he heard me. “How could *you* afford haute couture? You didn’t steal those clothes, did you, just to come here and try to win Chloe’s favor?” Chloe looked at me, her face full of disdain. “Don’t dream! I only love Julian.”

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After Six Years of Marriage, My Husband Still Cheated For the sake of our five-year-old daughter, to mend our crumbling family, I sent Olivia, my husband’s beloved mistress, back to her hometown. I gave money to Olivia’s husband and advised him, “Your son is still young. He can’t be without a mother.” Two days later, on our sixth anniversary, I painstakingly prepared a video of our memories. I hoped it would remind him of our happiness together and stop him from destroying everything with his own hands. Jack arrived as promised. I thought this was the beginning of his change of heart. But to my horror, he brought bodyguards who forced my grandmother to kneel and apologize to Olivia’s photo. He announced on the spot that my grandmother’s company was bankrupt. He roughly snatched our crying daughter from my arms and tossed her to the bodyguards. “Emily, I gave you a good life, and you forgot your place?” he sneered. “You dare to touch my woman? I think you’ve had it too easy.” Jack’s eyes were bloodshot with disgust as he said this. I stared at him for a long time. Four years of dating, six years of marriage. We had spent the most beautiful decade together, from high school to work, from school uniforms to wedding dresses. We were one of the few campus couples who made it, but now, things had come to this. I looked at our daughter, her little face turning purple as the bodyguard covered her mouth to stifle her cries. But Jack seemed blind to this, his eyes full of dark storms as he questioned me: “Tell me, where did you send her?” My heart was filled with sorrow. I wanted to rush over and take back our daughter, to pull my grandmother away from here. But I didn’t dare, I couldn’t. My impulsive act of sending Olivia away had already caused my grandmother to lose her peace. “Let go of our daughter and let my grandmother stand up. Then I’ll tell you,” I said. Jack raised an eyebrow. He slapped me hard, knocking me to the ground. He elegantly crouched down, grabbed my hair, and yanked it back, forcing me to look up at him. “Emily, haven’t you realized your situation yet?” He contemptuously patted my face with the back of his hand. It didn’t hurt, but it was extremely humiliating. “You think I can’t find out if you don’t tell me? I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself. Don’t be ungrateful.” He stepped on my knee-length hair, which I had kept long for him, twisting it hard. It felt like my scalp was about to be torn off. I trembled in pain, a great fear dragging me into an abyss. I couldn’t accept this. I tried to break free from his trampling, shouting with all my might: “How dare you make my grandmother kneel to that homewrecker!” “That’s the grandmother who raised me! How dare you!” Jack said nothing, just raised his other foot and stepped on my neck, with enough force to seem like he wanted to break it. My face turned purple, my neck hurt so much I couldn’t make a sound, but I still stubbornly stared at Jack. I watched the waves rolling in his eyes, about to lose all reason. My grandmother and daughter struggled and cried out to save me, but were pinned down by the bodyguards. Grandma Rose kowtowed to Jack until her head was bleeding, begging him to spare my life. “Daddy! Daddy! Lily will be good, Daddy, don’t hit Mommy!” our daughter cried. Jack didn’t respond or move, just enjoying watching us cry and struggle in his hands. I finally believed that he would make our family suffer a fate worse than death for the sake of his mistress. Just as I was about to suffocate and faint, Jack kicked me away. I clutched my neck, gasping for air, and vomited bile. The feeling of near-death lingered. I couldn’t help but think of our ten years together – the beautiful, youthful, brilliant, happy times. His gentle caresses, his fascinated gazes, all flashed through my mind. My emotions reached a breaking point, and I couldn’t help but burst into tears. I regretted not seeing through him, regretted that my impulsiveness had cost my grandmother her life’s work in an instant. Even more, I felt sorry for myself. Jack looked down at me coldly, as if watching a madwoman he didn’t know. The impatience in his eyes grew. He turned and grabbed our daughter’s neck, lifting her off the ground, his eyes full of reckless madness. “Don’t test my patience. Where is my Olivia?!” Jack left, taking our daughter with him. He finally got the answer he wanted and rushed out the door. I saw the relaxed and joyful expression on his face. The man I had loved for ten years had now completely transferred his affections to the point of madness. I crawled over to my grandmother, and we hugged each other, silently weeping. “I’m sorry, I should have listened to you. I’m so sorry…” I kept apologizing to her. Grandma Rose stroked my swollen face, her eyes full of pain: “Don’t cry, Emily. You’ve been through so much.” “I still have some savings. Once we find Lily, we’ll go abroad to live.” My grandmother’s aged voice was full of reluctance. After sending Grandma Rose home in a car, I sat numbly in the messy living room. The carefully prepared cake was scattered on the floor like garbage. On the screen, the video I had edited with such hope was still playing. We were two top students who fell in love in our senior year of high school, married in our senior year of college, and I gave birth to our lovely daughter right after graduation. Jack’s family was powerful and wealthy. My family’s modest wealth couldn’t compare. My grandmother had never imagined I could marry the heir to the Qin family. She had once stayed up all night worrying, afraid I would be mistreated in Jack’s family. Back then, I had laughed confidently: “Don’t worry, Grandma! Jack loves me more than life itself. How could he let anyone bully me!”

On my birthdays, he would take me to the amusement park, dress up as Nick the fox, my favorite character, and dance the silliest dances with me. He would cut ties with friends who made crude jokes about me and ask his long-estranged mother to ruin their companies. When I was studying for my master’s degree abroad, he would finish work and fly over with our daughter, still a toddler then, in the middle of the night to see me. He once said, “Emily, my father and grandfather were both serial cheaters. Because of them, I was abused since childhood. Don’t worry, I will never become such a scumbag. I will love you and our daughter well. You are the best treasures God has given me.” Jack was a person with high emotional walls. He only revealed his true self to those he trusted. I thought that person would always be me. I thought we could travel the world together after our daughter grew up, to see the most romantic scenery. I thought I would have many more chances to hear him say “I love you.” I thought we still had many, many “later”s. It was precisely because of all my expectations that I noticed his subtle changes, but I didn’t want to believe it. Olivia was a girl from a small town who applied for a cleaning job at Jack’s company. The first time I saw her was when her father brought her brother to cry and make a scene in front of the company, forcing her to give them money. I saw Jack ask his secretary to help Olivia resolve the situation. At the time, I was glad he had helped this poor girl and praised him for it. Little did I know that soon after, Olivia, whose qualifications and abilities were far below standard, became Jack’s personal assistant, a new position created specifically for her. To help Olivia realize her dream of going to college, he personally took care of everything. When Olivia was mocked for not knowing how to shoot an arrow, he held her in his arms and taught her personally. He even forced a male executive who had pressured Olivia to drink at a business dinner to kneel and apologize, then drink ten cases of alcohol, landing him in the ICU with alcohol poisoning. Jack had taken all the love he had withdrawn from me and given it to Olivia. Everyone in the company knew that the CEO’s kindness to the little cleaner had long exceeded normal boundaries. Only I, the CEO’s lawful wife, remained completely unaware. On his birthday, when he said he had to work late and couldn’t come home, I personally made him a birthday cake. I brought our daughter to surprise him at the office, only to find Jack eating cake off Olivia’s body. I quickly turned around to block our daughter’s view and sent her to wait in the lounge. With my suspicions confirmed, I shouted at him, which was rare for me. He sent Olivia away and lounged lazily on the sofa. He made no attempt to explain the large red marks on his neck and collarbone, just glanced at me contemptuously. “Using our daughter to fight for attention? You don’t deserve to be a mother,” he sneered. I trembled with anger. “Why?” I asked. He just smiled. “Olivia is right. You’re a rich lady with status and money. She’s only taking my love, it won’t affect you, will it?” “Besides, when I still found you fresh and exciting, didn’t I love you the same way?” In that moment, it felt like a steel needle had pierced my heart. The sharp pain forced me to face reality. What he loved was nothing more than the thrill of falling in love with different women. And I, his wife of ten years, had become an old toy that no longer held any charm. The idea of divorce lingered in my mind for a long time. But seeing our daughter’s eyes full of hope for her father to come home, I had someone send Olivia back to her hometown. The result was predictably disastrous. After ten years of love, I was nothing more than a piece of gum to Jack, carelessly spat out when the flavor was gone. Ten years as a clown in a supporting role was enough. Grandma Rose said she needed at most five days. Fearing Jack would still target us in the country, we had to go abroad. While Grandma Rose had people looking for our daughter, I found a lawyer to file for divorce. The lawyers I found all backed away when they heard it was a divorce case against Jack. “Mrs. Qin, I hope you won’t laugh, but we have no chance of winning against Qin Corporation’s legal team,” one said apologetically. Hearing their reluctant tone, I understood. If they lost the case and offended Jack, they wouldn’t have a good outcome. I thought about asking my closest friends for help, but considering Jack’s methods, I gave up on the idea. He valued Olivia so much; once he found her, it shouldn’t be difficult for me to bring up divorce.

During this waiting period, I started packing things for myself and our daughter. Documents and clothes, along with Lily’s favorite white bunny plush. I didn’t want anything else. Including the photo album that recorded our family’s happiness. After packing, I sat numbly on the sofa, staring at our wedding photo. What was once the most beautiful memory had now become the deadliest poison. The more I remembered, the more heart-wrenching pain it brought me. Tears flowed down my pale face time and time again. I don’t know how long it lasted. Outside, the lights had come on, while I sat alone in darkness. Click. The sound of the door opening startled me from my sorrow. It was Jack, half-embracing, half-carrying Olivia in. To my surprise, our daughter Lily followed behind. The little girl was carrying several large shopping bags full of luxury goods, panting from the effort. I was about to rush over to take away those things and let her rest. But Olivia blocked my way. “Sister Emily, hello, nice to meet you,” she said. She smiled, but her eyes were full of mockery. I looked down at the hand she extended. On her ring finger was a pink diamond ring that dazzled my eyes. It was the engagement ring Jack had spent three years designing as a gift for our tenth anniversary of being together. Jack saw me staring at the diamond ring: “My family has never lacked money because of you. Who are you putting on this stingy act for?” “Olivia, don’t mind her. You’re being so forgiving, and she’s still acting up.” Jack grabbed Olivia’s hand and pulled her back into his arms. “Jack, don’t say that. Sister Emily just loves you too much, that’s why she dislikes me,” Olivia said. She seemed to be mediating, but her eyes were red as if she was deeply wronged. Jack looked ready to scold me, but I didn’t want to argue with them. “Lily, do you want to leave with Mommy?” I reached out to stroke my daughter’s messy short hair. My daughter slapped my hand away and ran to hug Olivia: “No! I want to play with Sister Olivia. I want Daddy!” I froze. “Lily, I’m Mommy. Didn’t you say you loved Mommy the most?” My daughter turned her head away, refusing to look at me, her little hands tightly hugging Olivia. Jack sneered, “Go with you? How would a housewife like you survive out there? Relying on your grandmother? How many years does she have left?” I didn’t want to argue with him. I just wanted to take our daughter and leave. “Lily Qin! Come here!” I tried hard not to let my voice shake, not wanting to show weakness in front of Jack. “Daddy, let me take your surname. I don’t want Mom’s surname anymore…” Our daughter cried and ran to hug Jack’s leg. I found it ironic. Back then, Jack had insisted on giving our daughter my surname to express his love for me, and also because childbirth was so dangerous. But now, this surname that had been nurtured with love had become a burden. My daughter’s words pierced my heart like an icicle. My voice trembled: “Fine, as you wish.” “Jack, let’s divorce. You can have custody of our daughter.” I threw the divorce agreement in front of Jack. “Sign it.” Jack didn’t even look at me properly. He gazed at Olivia with gentle eyes. “You won. Do as you like tonight,” he said intimately, lightly tapping Olivia’s cute nose, his tone ambiguous. They had actually bet on whether I would ask for a divorce, using it for their dirty games. “Jack! I’m talking to you!” I shouted, unable to contain myself any longer. Jack’s lips curled into a smile as he looked me up and down meaningfully. In his eyes was something I had never seen before… contempt?

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After my brother’s death, my parents forced me to undergo plastic surgery to look like him and live his life. “Your brother was a genius. His fiancée and research project can’t just disappear. You have to take over,” they insisted. “You’ve never amounted to anything anyway. Living his life is a windfall for you!” They seemed to forget that I had my own name and life. My personal records were erased, yet my parents felt completely justified. “If you’re a good son, you’ll understand our position.” “We’re doing this for your own good. Don’t be ungrateful.” Everyone thought I would break down and run away. Instead, I laughed. “He was a genius? Fine, I’ll take his place.” Later, wearing my brother’s face, I signed a high-stakes agreement with his former rival and even conducted more daring experiments in his name. “Son, don’t do anything rash. It could ruin our family…” my parents pleaded. I looked at them calmly. “I understand now.” I gripped the will my brother left behind and silently fed it into the paper shredder.

The face in the mirror was both familiar and strange. It was Liam’s face. My twin brother’s face. Three months ago, Liam had jumped from the roof of his research lab without leaving a word. A week ago, I removed the last bandage from my face, becoming him. “Perfect. Looks just like him,” my father, Frank, said excitedly behind me. My mother fussed with the ill-fitting suit I wore. Her voice trembled with barely contained excitement. “Liam, don’t be nervous. Rachel will be here soon.” My name is Lucas, not Liam. But now, no one remembers Lucas anymore. My identity, my education records, every trace of my existence had been quietly erased a week ago. “She’s here,” my father announced as the sound of high heels echoed from outside. A woman in a Chanel suit walked in. When she saw my face, her eyes instantly welled up with tears. This was Rachel, my brother’s fiancée, a woman as outstanding in family background as she was in beauty. “Liam…” she whispered, throwing herself into my arms. Her body shook slightly. I could smell her expensive perfume. My body stiffened, unsure how to respond. My father immediately stepped forward, patting my back with satisfaction. “Rachel, dear, you see? Liam is fine. He just had a little accident, hurt his brain, forgot some things. But he’s all better now.” “Your engagement, his project, everything can continue as planned.” Rachel lifted her tear-stained face, examining me closely. “Really… you remember everything now?” My mother pinched my arm hard. Suppressing the pain, I mimicked my brother’s smile – warm yet distant. “Rachel, it’s been a while.” Rachel’s eyes flickered for a moment, then broke into a smile. “I knew you wouldn’t leave me.” My parents exchanged relieved glances. They took Rachel to the study, discussing how to restart my brother’s “Genesis” project. I stood alone in the spacious living room, surrounded by Liam’s trophies and awards on the walls. He had always been a genius, the pride of our parents. And I? I was the twin of a genius, the shadow no one cared about in his brilliant light. We had the same face, but walked completely different paths in life. He was the star, I was utterly ordinary. I thought we would continue like this forever. Until he decisively jumped from the research building he had built with his own hands. My parents’ world collapsed. Then, they placed that fallen sky on my shoulders. My phone vibrated. It was a message from my only friend. “Lucas, where have you disappeared to?” I stared at those two words – my name – and slowly typed a reply. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Then, I blocked him. From today on, Lucas no longer exists in this world. There is only Liam.

I was “escorted” to my brother’s company, to the core lab of the “Genesis” project. Everything here bore Liam’s mark. The employees looked at me with relief, as if they had survived a disaster. “Mr. Lane, you’re finally back!” “With you here for the project, we have our cornerstone again!” My father, Frank, stood beside me, basking in these compliments as if I really were his resurrected genius son. “Liam’s just recovered. Please bear with him,” he said, pushing me towards the main console. “Son, go on. Show everyone what you’ve got.” I stared at the complex data streams before me, my mind blank. I had majored in history in college. I knew nothing about quantum physics. Just then, the lab door was kicked open. A man in a black jacket strode in, followed by several aggressive-looking board members. The man was tall, with sharp features and a rebellious smirk. Sean Frost. My brother’s biggest rival in life, and the only madman in the industry who could compete with him. “Liam Lane, heard you’ve come back from the dead. I’m here to pay my respects to the deceased,” Sean’s gaze fell on my face like a knife. My father’s face darkened. “Sean! Watch your words!” Sean sneered, ignoring him completely, and walked straight up to me. He reached out and roughly grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up. “Let me see. Did the fall fry your brain, or just give you a new set of balls?” His fingers were cold, his grip strong. Rachel immediately rushed over, slapping his hand away. “Sean! Don’t go too far!” Sean glanced at her, his eyes ambiguous. “Rachel, no need to be so formal between us, right?” Rachel’s face paled for a moment, but she quickly regained composure. “Please show some respect.” My father was shaking with anger, pointing at Sean. “You… you! Security!” “Dad.” I suddenly spoke up. My voice wasn’t loud, but it silenced everyone. I gently pushed away Rachel’s protective hand and calmly met Sean’s gaze. “Mr. Frost, it’s been a while.” My parents were stunned. Sean raised an eyebrow, seeming surprised. “Oh? You still recognize me?” He leaned in close, lowering his voice so only I could hear. “When Liam hit the ground, his head splattered like a rotten melon. Yours… seems stitched up quite nicely.” My heart clenched violently. He straightened up, his voice returning to normal. “Your ‘Genesis’ project is nothing but a scam. I’m here today to expose you!” He threw a document onto the main console. “This is a joint agreement between me and the board. Either you produce results within three months to prove your theory, or you and your family get the hell out of this building!” My father clutched his chest, coughing violently. “You… you’re taking advantage of our misfortune!” “Dad, don’t get excited.” I steadied him, but my eyes never left Sean. I smiled and picked up the agreement. “Alright, I’ll sign it.”

The news that I had signed the high-stakes agreement spread like wildfire through the company. Everyone thought I had gone mad. My father was so angry his blood pressure spiked, and he was admitted to the hospital that night. In the hospital room, he pointed at my nose and cursed. “Ungrateful child! Are you trying to drive our family to ruin?” “Even your brother wouldn’t dare sign such an agreement with Sean when he was alive. Who do you think you are!” My mother wiped her tears beside him. “Liam, tell mom the truth. Did you really… hurt your brain? We can beg Sean to withdraw the agreement…” “Beg?” I let out a cold laugh. “When did you ever see Liam Lane beg anyone?” That sentence left them speechless. Liam was a genius, a prodigy. He had his pride. He never bowed his head. My mother stared at me blankly, a hint of confusion in her eyes. “You… you just now, you really looked like your brother.” My father fell silent too. Just then, Rachel walked in carrying a fruit basket. Seeing the tense atmosphere in the room, she spoke up tactfully. “Uncle, Aunt, don’t blame Liam. I believe in him. He must have his own plans.” She walked to my side and linked her arm with mine, her posture intimate. “Liam, I’ll always support you.” That night, I returned to my brother’s spacious apartment. Rachel followed me in, saying it was to “take better care of me”. She hugged me from behind, her warm breath on my neck. “Liam, it’s been so long… since you held me.” Her hands began to wander inappropriately over my body. I suddenly grabbed her wrist. “I’m tired.” Rachel’s body stiffened. She looked up, her eyes filled with a mix of inquiry and dissatisfaction. “You weren’t like this before.” I broke free from her embrace and walked straight to the study. “I have a lot of project work to deal with.” I closed the study door, shutting her out. Leaning against the door, I waited until I heard no more movement outside before letting out a sigh of relief. I turned on my brother’s computer. It was full of data on the “Genesis” project, dense and overwhelming, like an insurmountable mountain. I couldn’t understand any of it. But I knew my brother’s secret must be hidden in here somewhere. I tried several passwords my brother commonly used, but they all showed errors. I stared at the login screen with my brother’s confident photo, suddenly remembering something. Many years ago, when we brothers were still close, he had once pointed at the night sky and said to me. “Lucas, look. That dimmest star, one day, I’ll make it shine brighter than the sun.” That was a secret between us. I typed the name of that star into the password field. “Nyx”. The computer screen lit up, entering the desktop. But what I saw wasn’t research data for “Genesis”. It was an encrypted video file and a hidden folder. The folder was named “Thief”.

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When I married Blake, everyone said I’d married up. After all, he was the sole heir to the billion-dollar Chen family fortune. But three years into our marriage, my mother-in-law, Evelyn, only allowed me to have a daughter. She never permitted me to have a son. It wasn’t until Blake’s ex-girlfriend showed up with a little boy that I understood why. That boy was supposed to be the Chen family’s “true heir.” To make way for his illegitimate son, Blake tried to force me into a divorce using a fake medical report claiming I was infertile. Heartbroken, I prepared to leave with my daughter. But to everyone’s surprise, Evelyn tore up the divorce papers in front of everyone and slapped Blake hard across the face. “My real son died years ago,” she declared coldly. “You’re just an adopted child I brought in. I’ve kept this secret for years, hoping my granddaughter could grow up happily!” Blake broke down on the spot, still believing his mother was just angry. “Mom! I’m the son you’ve raised for over twenty years!” Evelyn held my daughter close, her eyes ice-cold as she stared at Blake. “The Chen family’s billion-dollar fortune will only go to the true heir. As for you, an outsider, you have no right to call me mother anymore.”

It was Emma’s third birthday party. I wore a cream-colored dress, smiling as I greeted the guests. Blake seemed unusually happy too, dressed in a dark suit that showed a completely different side of him. “Honey, did you really prepare a surprise for Emma?” I tugged at his sleeve, my eyes full of anticipation. He gently caressed my cheek. “You’ll see soon enough.” My heart raced. In four years of marriage, he’d never been this mysterious. I crouched down to hug Emma as she ran around. “Sweetie, Daddy says he has a big surprise for you.” “Really?” Emma clapped her hands, jumping with excitement. In the grand hall, guests held champagne flutes while Evelyn sat at the main table. Suddenly, the ballroom doors swung open. Blake walked in, holding hands with a woman. It was Vanessa, his ex-girlfriend. Beside her was a little boy, about five or six years old, who bore a striking resemblance to Blake. My mind went blank. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Blake took the microphone, walking to the front. “On my daughter’s birthday, I have an announcement to make.” My heart was about to burst out of my chest. Something wasn’t right. “This is Vanessa, my first love. And this boy is my biological son.” The room erupted into chaos. I stood there, my mind completely blank. “Blake, what are you saying?” I rushed forward, my voice trembling. He smirked and pulled out a report from his pocket, throwing it in my face. “Take a look at this.” With shaking hands, I picked up the report. It was a medical diagnosis stating: Natalie, congenital fallopian tube malformation, unable to conceive naturally. “This is impossible!” I cried out. “Impossible? The evidence is right here.” Blake pointed at our confused daughter. “And her? Where did you pick up this bastard child?” Guests began to whisper. “I always thought Emma didn’t look like Mr. Chen at all.” “Oh my God, Natalie actually…” “Poor Mr. Chen…” Their judgmental looks cut into me like knives. Emma ran over and hugged my leg. “Mommy, what are they saying?” I crouched down to hug her, tears streaming down my face. Blake threw another document at me. “Divorce papers. Sign them and leave with Emma. Don’t take anything else.” “You’re insane! Emma is your daughter!” “My daughter?” He laughed maniacally. “How can an infertile woman have a daughter? Sign it, before I make you.” I looked towards Evelyn in the crowd. “Mom, say something!” But Evelyn remained seated, her face expressionless, her eyes lingering on Blake for a long time. My heart sank completely. Even Evelyn didn’t believe me.

My hand trembled as I held the pen. The divorce papers felt like a branding iron. If I signed them, I’d lose everything. Four years of marriage, a child, all reduced to nothing. “Sign it!” Blake sneered, urging me on. “What are you waiting for?” The guests formed a circle around us, watching like it was a show. Some whispered among themselves. “Always said she wasn’t good enough for Mr. Chen.” “Now the truth’s out. The child isn’t even his.” “How shameless, lying for all these years.” Each word cut into my heart like a knife. I gritted my teeth, the pen shaking as it neared the paper. Suddenly, a hand snatched the papers away. Rip! The papers were torn to shreds, fluttering to the ground. I froze. It was Evelyn. She stood in front of me, her face expressionless, her eyes cold and sharp. “Mom?” Blake stared at her in shock. Slap! A resounding slap landed on Blake’s face. The room fell silent. Everyone stared wide-eyed. Evelyn’s voice was ice-cold. “My granddaughter. How dare you question her?” Blake held his cheek, disbelieving. “Mom, you hit me? For a bastard child?” A warmth surged through me. Evelyn was standing up for me. She believed me. But her next words sent a chill down my spine. “Take the young madam and Miss Emma back to the old house,” she ordered her bodyguards. “No one is to see them without my permission.” What? The bodyguards approached me, their movements gentle but leaving no room for refusal. “Madam, please.” I was lifted up, holding a frightened Emma in my arms. “Mommy, where are we going?” Emma asked softly. I couldn’t speak. Looking back, I saw Blake glaring at me venomously. Vanessa stood nearby with the boy, a smug smile on her face. The guests continued to gossip. “What is the old madam thinking?” “Locking Natalie away?” “Could she actually be innocent?” My mind was in chaos. What was Evelyn’s intention? Did she believe me, or was she just protecting the Chen family’s reputation? The car started moving. Through the window, I watched the hotel grow distant. It held four years of memories, now all turned into a nightmare. Emma leaned against me, her little hands clutching my clothes tightly. “Mommy, I’m scared.” I stroked her hair gently. “Don’t be afraid, Mommy’s here.” But I had no idea what would happen next. That slap from Evelyn, what was it really for? Did she truly believe Emma was her granddaughter? Or did she have other motives? The car pulled into the old Chen family mansion. This grand, traditional house was once my safe haven. Now it felt like a prison. The bodyguard respectfully opened the door for me. “Madam, the old madam is waiting for you in the study.” I got out of the car, holding Emma. The night wind was cold, making me shiver. I wasn’t sure if it was the weather or fear. The light in the study was on. Evelyn stood by the window, her back to me. “Mom,” I called softly. She turned around, her face unreadable. “Sit.” I sat down with Emma, my heart pounding. “Natalie, do you find today’s events strange?” Evelyn asked. I nodded. “Did you look at that medical report?” “I did,” I said quietly. “But I really don’t know…” “I know,” Evelyn interrupted me. “Because that report is fake.” What? I looked up sharply. Evelyn’s expression suddenly became complex. “Natalie, it’s time I told you some things.”

She walked to the desk and pulled out a yellowed file from a deep drawer. Opening the folder, there was an old photograph inside. The man in the photo bore a slight resemblance to Blake, but his eyes were much kinder. “This is my real son, Ryan,” Evelyn said. What? I stared, wide-eyed. “Twenty years ago, he was killed by business rivals. To stabilize the company, I adopted Blake from an orphanage and fabricated his identity.” My mind was reeling. Blake wasn’t her real son? “But Mom, what does this have to do with me?” I asked, confused. Evelyn didn’t answer directly. Instead, she took off a phoenix jade pendant from around her neck. The pendant was smooth as water, exquisitely carved, gleaming softly in the lamplight. “This is the Chen family’s blood heirloom. Only a female descendant of the Chen family can activate it.” I was even more puzzled. “Activate?” “This pendant contains the key to a Swiss bank account. Half of the Chen family’s assets are there.” Her words sent a shock through me. “But I’m not part of the Chen family.” Evelyn looked at Emma in my arms, her gaze softening. “But Emma is.” My blood froze. “What do you mean?” “Natalie, I must tell you the truth. Before Ryan’s car accident, I had his sperm frozen.” Oh God. I hugged Emma tighter. “You mean…” “Emma is my real granddaughter. She’s Ryan’s daughter.” Boom! I felt like the whole world was spinning. Emma wasn’t Blake’s daughter? She was the daughter of Evelyn’s deceased son? “So you had me marry Blake just to…” “To allow my true granddaughter to be born,” Evelyn nodded. “I needed a healthy woman to carry the pregnancy. You were suitable.” My shock turned to anger. “So I was just a tool? A surrogate?” “Natalie, listen to me…” “No!” I stood up. “You’ve all been lying to me! I thought I was part of this family, but I’m just an outsider!” Emma was frightened by my outburst and started crying. Evelyn came over, trying to take Emma. “Don’t touch her!” I stepped back. “Since you’ve got what you wanted, why not let us leave?” “Because Emma needs the Chen family’s protection,” Evelyn said gravely. “The people who killed Ryan are still alive. If they discover Emma’s existence, they’ll come after her.” My anger instantly turned to fear. “Who are these people?” “The masterminds behind that business war twenty years ago. They’ve been searching for the Chen family’s core assets all this time.” Evelyn walked to the window, her silhouette looking old and tired. “I pretended to believe in Blake to protect Emma. If outsiders knew her true identity, her life would be in danger.” I felt dizzy. “So what do we do now?” “I’ll drive Blake out of the Chen family. Today’s events might mean he’s figured something out.” Evelyn turned around, her eyes flashing coldly. “He’s no longer useful, but it’s best if you take action yourself.” “You need to grow, to have the ability to protect your daughter.” I looked at her, suddenly understanding something. “You slapping him today, tearing up the divorce papers, it wasn’t to protect me. It was to protect Emma.” Evelyn didn’t deny it. “Natalie, I don’t expect you to forgive me. But Emma is innocent. She needs the Chen family’s protection.” I looked down at my daughter in my arms. She was sleeping peacefully, her little cheeks rosy. This child wasn’t Blake’s daughter after all. She was another man’s daughter. A man I’d never met. “I want to see Ryan’s photos,” I said softly. Evelyn nodded and took out an album from a drawer. Opening the first page, I saw a kind-looking, handsome man. He was holding a baby, smiling brightly. “This is Ryan as a child with his father,” Evelyn said. I continued flipping through. The photos showed the man growing from a baby to a young adult, his eyes always warm. “What kind of person was he?” “Kind, intelligent, responsible,” Evelyn’s voice was nostalgic. “If he were still alive, the Chen family wouldn’t be like this now.” I closed the album, my emotions a mix of confusion and sadness.

That afternoon, Evelyn handed me the evidence. A thick stack of documents recording Blake’s underhanded moves in the company over the years. Transfers, project approvals, each one traceable. “He’s been pushing an overseas mining project recently,” Evelyn pointed to one page. “On the surface, it’s a normal investment, but he’s actually trying to move company funds overseas.” I flipped through the documents, my fingers trembling slightly. This man’s ambitions were greater than I’d imagined. “I’ve given you access to the CEO’s office,” Evelyn handed me a card. “He’s working late tonight. Go see what you can find.” At 8 PM, I arrived at the company. The elevator went straight to the top floor. I swiped the card to enter the CEO’s office, my heart racing. Low voices came from inside. I held my breath and pressed my ear to the door. “Is everything arranged for the DNA report?” Blake asked. “Don’t worry, it’s all taken care of at the hospital,” Vanessa replied smugly. “Once the report comes out, the old lady will have to acknowledge my son’s status.” My blood froze for a moment. So Vanessa’s son wasn’t Blake’s at all! “Does that kid really look like me?” Blake asked. “The features don’t match, but the build is similar. Besides, the old lady’s eyesight isn’t great.” Vanessa laughed confidently. “Once she accepts her grandson, won’t the Chen family fortune be ours?” Blake laughed. “You’re so clever.” I quietly took out a mini camera from my bag and aimed it through the crack in the door. In the lens, the two embraced, Blake’s hands roaming over Vanessa’s body. “Once the old lady dies, we can be together openly,” Vanessa purred. “She’s so healthy, who knows how long we’ll have to wait,” Blake said impatiently. Just then, Blake’s phone rang. “Hello, Lawyer Wang,” he answered. I pricked up my ears to listen carefully. “Did you get Evelyn’s medical report?” Blake walked to the window. “What? Nothing wrong with her health?” My heart tightened. “Then create a problem. Find some doctors to certify she has symptoms of dementia.” Blake’s voice was terrifyingly cold. “Yes, say she’s mentally unfit to manage the company.” Oh God! This beast was planning to frame Evelyn!

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The day I went into premature labor, James was celebrating his first love’s birthday. After I almost died from hemorrhaging, he coldly said: “Let’s get divorced. Since we lost the baby, there’s no point in staying together.” He didn’t know our child was in the NICU under observation. Three years later. James stared at the son holding my hand. He panicked. The day I found out I was pregnant, I was excitedly planning to go home and tell James. However, when I eagerly pushed open the door, I saw James tenderly embracing Sophia and whispering to her. The man who was always cold and distant with me was now smiling in a way I’d never seen before. They sat side by side on the couch I had carefully chosen for our home. Their tightly clasped hands made my excitement feel like the cruelest joke. I froze in place, my elbow accidentally hitting the doorframe. The loud thud finally made the two engrossed in conversation notice my presence. They turned to look at me simultaneously, both their expressions changing. Sophia instinctively pulled her hand from James’ grasp. She stood up from the couch, her intertwined fingers betraying her panic and unease. However, I only gave her hesitant face a brief glance. Looking away, I calmly gazed at James. The man now had his arms crossed, looking at me with an unpleasant expression. “You shouldn’t be home now.” I silently laughed to myself. Right. Normally at this time, I should be at the office handling work for him. But today, halfway through work, I suddenly felt short of breath and nauseous. After enduring it for a while with no relief, my lower abdomen started cramping. Not daring to delay, I immediately had my assistant take me to the hospital. After a series of examinations, the doctor told me I was already two months pregnant. Because of my poor health and overwork, I was now showing signs of threatened miscarriage. It took quite a bit of effort at the hospital to stabilize the pregnancy. Looking at the “2 months pregnant” on the report, I finally felt belated happiness. My first thought was to tell James this news. Because I knew he had always wanted a child. But I never expected Sophia would be back. The woman James had loved since childhood. The woman who…had married someone else but remained an indelible obsession in James’ heart.

I closed the bedroom door and calmly walked over to them. Sophia grabbed my hand, tearfully trying to explain. “Lily, I just got divorced. James was only comforting me, don’t misunderstand.” I silently let her hold my hand, my gaze lowering slightly to her snow-white arm. So she was divorced. No wonder. No wonder James had been leaving early and coming home late lately, too busy to even care about his own company. I let out a soft laugh, feeling indescribably desolate inside. In two years of marriage, James had never taken a day off work to spend time with me. But it turns out it wasn’t because he was a workaholic by nature, just that I wasn’t worth him pausing for. These two years, to have more time with him, I had voluntarily taken on the company’s business. I accompanied him working overtime, attended social events with him. I was even pregnant now and nearly miscarried because I was so busy with work. And now, he was with Sophia while I endured the pain of medical exams alone. He had even brought her back to our marital home, openly holding hands with her. I felt like crying, but also felt I deserved this. Who told me to marry him knowing he always liked Sophia? Who told me to…start liking him ten years ago? Taking a deep breath, I felt my lower abdomen start to cramp again. Silently clutching the test results in my pocket, I forced a smile at Sophia. “It’s fine, I don’t misunderstand.” Turning around, I handed the test results to James. James looked at me with dark eyes, but didn’t reach out to take it. I shrugged, feigning nonchalance: “You’re going to be a father.” James’ eyes flickered, and he finally took the thin A4 paper. He quickly scanned the test results. After a while, he calmly looked up and said to me without any emotion: “Go tell Grandpa the good news tomorrow. Don’t go to the office these next few months, just stay home and take care of the pregnancy.” Sophia also leaned over to look at the test results. Then, she put on an expression of pleasant surprise and looked at me with shining eyes. “Lily, you’re going to be a mom?! Congratulations!” I didn’t miss how she deliberately omitted James’ role. But seeing James’ indulgent look, I could only swallow my words. I smiled at her and softly said: “Thank you.”

The next day, I went with James to see his grandfather and tell him about my pregnancy. For the next period of time, I stayed home to take care of the pregnancy. During my pregnancy, I didn’t see Sophia again. James also didn’t mention her in front of me, so I deluded myself into ignoring his gentle eyes when he made phone calls on the balcony every night. My body had many health issues from birth, so this pregnancy was not stable. By seven months, my whole body had lost weight except for my belly. That day, I wanted to bring coffee to James who was working in the study. But when I waddled to the study door with my big belly, I heard his pleasant voice saying tenderly: “What do you want for your birthday? Shall I take you to the South Islands?” My hand holding the coffee shook, and the cup fell to the floor. There was a loud crash as the ceramic mug shattered. James finally looked up, his lips tightening slightly when he saw me standing in the doorway. After softly reassuring Sophia, he hung up the phone and quickly walked over to me. He held my arm, carefully leading me around the spilled coffee and ceramic shards. Bringing me to sit on the couch in the study, he asked in a low voice: “Are you hurt?” I instinctively shook my head, but thinking of the phone call I just overheard, I couldn’t help grabbing his sleeve. “You just…” I bit my lip, hesitating before asking. “Who were you just on the phone with?” James’ brows furrowed instantly. But very quickly, he relaxed again and looked into my eyes, saying very frankly: “Sophia.” “It’s her birthday next Wednesday, I was asking if she wanted any gifts.” My suspicions were confirmed, and for a moment I felt short of breath. Perhaps due to pregnancy hormones, I clearly felt my emotions spiraling out of control. Gripping his arm tighter, I said softly: “Can you not spend her birthday with her? I…I’m a bit scared being home alone.” But as soon as I finished speaking, James’ face changed instantly. He pried my hand off his arm without mercy, his gaze cold and gloomy as he said: “Lily, you’ve crossed the line.”

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Five years ago, I fell into a deep coma after a car accident that killed both my parents. When I finally woke up, I discovered that the person responsible for the accident was the one closest to me. By then, my daughter was living in squalor, eating leftovers, and being bullied by the household staff. My husband had long since found a new love and was tormenting me day and night, trying to force me to hand over the family business. Watching them act like a happy family of three, I secretly contacted my childhood friend, Ethan Brooks, the heir to a powerful family in the city! On the day of my ex-husband’s wedding, I showed up with Ethan and my daughter, shocking the entire city… I had been in a coma for five years, one month, and three days. While I was still unconscious, I vaguely sensed someone entering the room. From the sound, I realized it was my daughter, Lily. Lily held my hand and called out, “Mommy, I wish you could wake up and play with me. All the other kids have their moms with them.” Just as I wanted to open my eyes and tell her, “Mommy misses you too, Lily, my sweet girl,” the door was kicked open. “You little brat, who told you to come here? What, you think you can wake this worthless woman up?” a woman’s voice snarled. The woman grabbed Lily’s ear and berated her. I recognized the voice—it was Rachel Cole, the daughter of Mr. Cole, our former household manager. She used to be one of my closest friends, but before the accident, I discovered that she had been conspiring with her father to harm me. Lily broke free from Rachel’s grip and bit her arm before standing protectively in front of my bed. “You bad woman, don’t come near my mommy!” Rachel shoved Lily to the ground and slapped her repeatedly. “You little brat, how dare you bite me! I’ll beat you to death!” Lily wailed, her cries piercing my ears and stimulating my nerves. “Mommy, save me! Waaah!” “Mommy, this bad woman is going to kill me! If Lily dies, I’ll never see you again!” I struggled desperately to open my eyes. In my mind, I saw myself getting up and rushing over to save my Lily. But my body wouldn’t obey, lying motionless on the bed as if trapped in an endless nightmare. I was frantic with worry. When Rachel tired of hitting Lily, she called Mrs. Wilson to drag her out. “Mrs. Wilson, throw this little brat in the dog kennel and don’t feed her for three days!” Mrs. Wilson nodded and dragged my daughter away. The room suddenly fell silent. But I was still fighting to open my eyes, trying to regain control of my body. Rachel slowly approached me. I could feel her footsteps getting closer. When she leaned in, she placed a hand on my face, her voice dripping with sarcasm and contempt. “Well, well, Miss Shaw, you’re quite the survivor. Five years as a vegetable, and not only are you not dead, but your skin is even more radiant!” Suddenly, Rachel’s hands wrapped around my throat, her face twisted with rage. “Why were you born beautiful, with flawless skin and a privileged background? Why am I just a servant’s daughter, plain-looking and unwanted? Ah, I’ll strangle you to death!” Rachel squeezed my throat. I felt my breathing becoming labored. I wanted to struggle, but as the air in my lungs was nearly depleted, my consciousness began to fade. Just as I thought Rachel would choke me to death, a familiar voice stopped her. “What are you doing?” It was my husband, Derek Grant. He had arrived! Rachel abruptly stopped, her expression and voice suddenly turning gentle. “I saw that Olivia looked pitiful lying here, so I came to check on her and see if there was anything I could do to help!” Derek’s voice softened. “Rachel, don’t do anything rash right now. After all, she’s still the heir to Shaw Enterprises.” Rachel walked over and clung to Derek’s arm. “I’ll do whatever you say, darling!” As soon as she finished speaking, Rachel kissed Derek’s lips. Derek pushed her against the wall. “You’re very sexy today, and quite forward!” Rachel giggled seductively. “Of course. We’ve tried the kitchen, bathroom, and balcony, but never in front of your wife. Derek, don’t talk, just kiss me…” Derek’s breathing grew heavy as he embraced Rachel and began kissing her passionately…

Then came the rustling sound of clothes falling to the floor, mixed with their sounds of pleasure. The room was filled with their passion, but my heart sank to the depths. I couldn’t believe that my husband had betrayed me, and even more unbelievable was that the object of his betrayal was the daughter of our family’s servant. At this moment, I couldn’t help but wonder if Derek was involved in the car accident five years ago that had claimed my parents’ lives and left me paralyzed in bed. Remembering the tragic state of my parents when they died, my heart felt like it was being stabbed. The pain was so intense that I could barely breathe, and tears began to flow from the corners of my eyes. Fortunately, they didn’t notice my reaction. Apparently feeling uncomfortable, Derek picked up Rachel. “Let’s go to the bedroom next door. Tonight, you’d better perform well!” After they left, I suddenly opened my eyes, gasping for air. My consciousness had finally regained control of my body. As the cold air filled my lungs, my mind gradually awakened. I tried to lift my arm. Although my eyes were open and I could see everything in the room, my arms didn’t quite obey me. They would lift halfway and then fall back down. After several attempts, my arms, which had been paralyzed for five years, finally regained some mobility. Unfortunately, my neck could only maintain a tilted angle and couldn’t turn, while my legs remained completely numb. I slapped my legs, but I couldn’t feel any pain. I realized that even though I had woken up, I might be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I forced myself to calm down quickly and analyze my current situation. If Derek and Rachel found out I had recovered, they would undoubtedly try to force me to hand over the Shaw family business and then kill me by any means necessary. For now, my priorities were: first, not to let Rachel and the others discover that I had regained consciousness; second, to find a way to contact Ethan, the only person I could trust now. Ethan and I grew up together in the city. His family was in the medical business, while ours was in construction. Although our families were in different industries, our parents were close friends and even arranged for us to be married when we were children. But I couldn’t stand his spoiled, arrogant rich kid attitude, even though he had the face of a male celebrity. I just didn’t think he was my type. Of course, he seemed to feel the same way about me. Later, I fell in love with Derek Grant, who had nothing but was hardworking and ambitious—the typical rags-to-riches story. Now, I admit I misjudged him. If I could choose again, I would never pick this ungrateful beast. Otherwise, my parents wouldn’t have died in that car crash. Otherwise, my daughter wouldn’t be suffering abuse. And I wouldn’t have become a coma patient, lying motionless in bed, at the mercy of others! The more I thought about it, the more angry I became. Using my arms to support myself on the bed, I rolled onto the floor and crawled to a hidden compartment at the foot of the bed. I quickly retrieved an old phone I had discarded and plugged it into the charger. Just as I was about to climb back into bed, I suddenly heard voices from downstairs. I heard Lily’s cries for help, and I immediately crawled towards the door. “Lily!” I crawled to the top of the stairs and saw Mrs. Wilson holding Lily down on her hands and knees, while a chubby little boy clapped his hands excitedly nearby. Afraid of being discovered and killed by Rachel, I could only cover my mouth and watch helplessly. After my daughter was forced onto her hands and knees, the chubby boy climbed onto her back. “Lily is our family’s little wild dog, haha, this is so fun! Giddy up, giddy up!” I guessed this chubby boy was the illegitimate son of Rachel and Derek. Sure enough, Mrs. Wilson said, “Young master, you play with this little brat for now. I’ll go make you something delicious to eat!” The chubby boy climbed and hit my daughter’s back. I wanted nothing more than to rush over and slap him hard. After Mrs. Wilson left, Lily angrily threw the chubby boy off her back. “You’re just a pig head! If you bully me again, when my mom wakes up, she won’t let you off easy!” The chubby boy got up, glaring at my daughter angrily. He raised his hand, about to slap her! “Stop!” I couldn’t bear it any longer and shouted in anger. But when the chubby boy saw my fierce expression as I lay on the ground, he froze in terror.

“You’re… you’re a ghost!” The chubby boy fainted from fright. Lily ran up the stairs step by step and threw herself into my arms. “Mommy, you’re finally awake!” Tears streamed down my face as I stroked my daughter’s cheek. “From now on, Mommy’s here. No one will dare bully you again!” Lily said obediently, “Mommy, let me help you back to your room!” Knowing this wasn’t a safe place to stay, I quickly moved back to my room with Lily’s help. After lying down, I looked at Lily seriously. “Lily, remember what Mommy says. Don’t trust anyone in this house. Wait for Mommy to rescue you.” Lily nodded obediently. “Mommy, I know. Everyone here is bad. Even Daddy doesn’t feed me!” My daughter’s casual remark broke my heart, and I clenched my fists tightly! During the five years I was in a coma, my Lily must have suffered so much. Derek, that beast, didn’t even take care of his own daughter. He was worse than an animal! I stroked my daughter’s hair, comforting her before sending her back. I instructed her to pretend she didn’t know I had woken up. “Mommy, Lily is a little scared!” I looked into her eyes and said, “Lily, after Mommy avenges your grandparents, we’ll never be separated again!” Lily hugged me before reluctantly returning to her room. I picked up the phone on the bedside table and dialed a familiar number from memory. A very lazy voice came from the other end of the line. “Hello, who is this?” I tried to control my emotions as I called out, “Ethan, it’s me!” Ethan Brooks was my childhood friend who grew up with me in the city. We were so close that we used to share candy apples. Perhaps because we were too familiar with each other, having grown up together, I only felt a sibling or close friend relationship with him, not romantic love. When I first fell for Derek, Ethan warned me that Derek wasn’t a good man and urged me to reconsider carefully. Even then, he had seen through Derek’s character, but I wouldn’t listen. Even when my parents objected to him, I didn’t care. I was determined to marry Derek! So I, the heiress of Shaw Enterprises, married Derek Grant, who was just a low-level employee at the time. After we married, Derek was devoted to me. But I never imagined that he was secretly conspiring with the household manager to harm my parents, intending to seize Shaw Enterprises and even kill me! Now that I think about it, I was truly blind. I didn’t cherish the good man in front of me and instead chose a complete wolf in sheep’s clothing. Ethan’s voice immediately became excited. “Olivia, you’ve finally contacted me!” I took a deep breath. “Ethan, the ones who killed my parents are likely Derek and Rachel. Can you help me investigate and gather evidence against them… I want them to pay for their crimes in blood!” Before Ethan could respond, I heard footsteps outside. My heart sank—someone was coming! I quickly hid the phone under my pillow. My legs still hadn’t regained feeling. If Rachel and the others found out, I would surely die. Rachel pushed the door open, followed by Mr. Cole and the chubby boy who had seen me earlier. Mrs. Wilson came in from outside carrying a basin of cold water. Rachel gave her a look, and she slowly approached me. Rachel pretended to be gentle and asked, “Sister Olivia, are you awake?” I closed my eyes and remained motionless. Rachel waved her hand, and Mrs. Wilson lifted the basin of water and poured it over me…

The cold water splashed on my face, and I almost couldn’t help but open my eyes. Seeing that I still didn’t move, Rachel turned to look at the chubby boy. “Feixiang! You’re being naughty again. How could this useless woman possibly wake up!” The chubby boy shouted, “Mommy, if you don’t believe me, you can ask Lily. She saw it too!” Rachel glanced at me before preparing to take Mr. Cole and the others to find Lily. I wasn’t sure if Lily had returned to her kennel, and if they went now, she would inevitably suffer a beating. No, I had to buy Lily some time! I suddenly opened my eyes, my body involuntarily convulsing. Mr. Cole and the others, who were about to turn around, saw me open my eyes and were too shocked to speak. “She’s awake, she’s awake!” Mr. Cole pointed at me, his emotions running high. Rachel hadn’t reacted yet and teased Mr. Cole, “Dad, why are you being as mischievous as a child? This stinking woman has been paralyzed for five years. How could she possibly…” Rachel suddenly turned around, her eyes widening as they met mine. “How is this possible? This can’t be! Quick, go call Derek!” Soon after, I was helped into a wheelchair by Mrs. Wilson. Derek, still wearing his pajamas and looking half-asleep, was called by Mrs. Wilson. Derek pretended to caress my hand affectionately. “Olivia, you’re really awake. That’s wonderful!” I secretly pulled my hand away, my head deliberately tilted. I pointed at Derek, unable to speak, making only “mmm” sounds. If I didn’t do this, Derek’s cautious nature would surely keep me under strict surveillance. The reason I pretended to be unable to speak was to make them lower their guard. Derek and the others exchanged glances before understanding my condition. Although I had woken up and opened my eyes, and my arms had regained mobility, my speech function and legs hadn’t recovered. I was basically in a semi-paralyzed state. Derek and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Rachel also pretended to hold my hand. “Sister Olivia, don’t worry. As long as the Shaw family has food to eat, you’ll have food to eat. We’ll take good care of you!” At this moment, Mr. Cole inappropriately asked Derek, “Derek, now that Olivia has woken up, will you and Rachel still get married tomorrow?” Derek glanced at him, then looked at me and said, “Olivia, you won’t blame me for marrying Rachel, will you? Don’t worry, we’ll all be family from now on. Even if I marry Rachel, I definitely won’t abandon you!” I secretly scoffed. The Qing Dynasty fell over a hundred years ago. What, are you trying to bring back polygamy here? Seeing my expression, Derek changed his tone. “I’ve already drafted our divorce agreement. As for some property division issues, as long as you sign this agreement, you can find someone you love after you recover.” I laughed coldly in my heart. What exactly did this beast take me for? Did he think I would go along with his schemes, without principles or bottom line like him? Rachel added a comment that made me even angrier. “Sister Olivia, why don’t you just transfer Shaw Enterprises to our Derek? After all, we’re family. We’ll ensure that you and your daughter live in luxury for the rest of your lives!” I coldly watched them perform like clowns in front of me. If I’m not mistaken, these lowly servants and ordinary people wouldn’t have today’s wealth and status without my support. These ungrateful wretches, they’re finally showing their true colors, aren’t they? If I really handed Shaw Enterprises over to them, what awaited me would surely be a miserable fate. I probably wouldn’t live long enough to follow my parents! I’m not afraid of death, but what about my daughter if I die! If I die, won’t this vast family fortune fall entirely into Derek’s hands? In the future, he’ll live in my house, spend my money, and enjoy life with other women? Even if I’m in the underworld, seeing this beast living so comfortably would make me angry enough to crawl out of my grave. I didn’t respond to them. Derek and the others probably didn’t know what to do with me. After Mrs. Wilson changed my bedding, they all went back to sleep. I secretly wiped away cold sweat. Fortunately, while they were calling Derek, I had hidden the phone in a secret compartment in the headboard. If Mrs. Wilson had found the phone, I would have been completely exposed. If they knew I had contacted Ethan, I probably wouldn’t survive the night. Lying in bed, I thought about my next move. But before I could figure it all out, something happened to Lily!

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Quinn has skin hunger syndrome but never touches me.
He says it’s because he loves me too much to hurt me.
I believed him.
But in private, he embraces his true love without hesitation, saying,
”The sorcerer said that without that pearl, she’s no different from ordinary people. Why should I care about her?”
”She’s just a fox spirit. Isn’t it disgusting to touch her? My skin hunger can only be satisfied by our dear Sophia.”
Everyone thought I would continue to endure, just because he is my immortal love I’ve searched for over a thousand years.
But I acted out of character, not crying or making a fuss.
On the eve of his wedding, I vowed never to see him again in this life and returned to my magical realm.
Who knew that a year later, he would travel thousands of miles to my realm, kneeling and begging me to return to his side.
”Quinn, I don’t want children anymore. Please, just hold me.” With the rapid development of modern technology, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has become scarce.
No new magical creatures have been born since the founding of the country.
So now magical beings are in decline, with only a few thousand-year-old great spirits still existing in the world.
But I had no awareness of shouldering the mission of reviving our kind, indulging in love instead.
I wanted to be with my immortal love Lucas forever, just because I had waited for him for a thousand years.
For him, I cut off contact with my clan, willing to become an ordinary person mingling in modern society.
He never touched me, but he told me he wanted to have a child.
To fulfill his wish to be a father, I disregarded the reproductive barrier between humans and magical beings. I found a witch doctor and exchanged half of my remaining soul to get a body that could conceive offspring with humans.
Because I loved him.

The morning I learned online that he was about to marry Sophia, I hurriedly left my rented apartment, wanting to find him for an explanation.
He had just promised me not long ago.
As long as I was willing to give up my soul pearl to save Sophia, he would marry me.
The vow of “Willing to get my true love, never to part till old age” was still ringing in my ears.
Although I had lost all my magical powers, my physical skills remained.
I effortlessly dodged through the crowd, shuttling between high-rise buildings to his villa.
Standing at the door, I had just pushed it open a crack when I saw him holding Sophia in his arms, pinching her face with an affectionate expression.
”Alright, still throwing a tantrum? I’ve said that my wife can only be our dear Sophia.”
”She’s just a useless creature who can’t even have children. She doesn’t even have a modern identity. Who would marry her?”
Sophia pushed away his hand and pouted, “Who knows if that witch will whisper sweet nothings in your ear and make you change your mind?”
”After all, someone used her to get rid of all the competitors and climb to this position.”
The man who used to forbid everyone from discussing this matter, and would become furious if anyone mentioned it, was now not angry at all.
He coaxed gently, “I used her for the sake of us and our child.”
”That Quinn is so stupid. I casually said I would marry her, and she foolishly handed over her soul pearl.”
”The sorcerer said that without that pearl, she’s no different from ordinary people. Why should I care about her?”
”She’s just a fox spirit. Isn’t it disgusting to touch her? My skin hunger can only be satisfied by our dear Sophia.” As he spoke, he hugged her tightly, his hands roaming inappropriately.
Seeing his shameless behavior, Sophia giggled coyly, “Lucas, you’re so bad.”
I was certain Lucas knew I was there because he was looking directly into my eyes as he said it, the corners of his mouth curling into a malicious arc.
He was deliberately saying it for me to hear, revealing his true colors to me.

I could no longer bear to hear the sounds of the couple’s flirting and playing.
So, it turns out he never touched me because I was a magical being.
He found me disgusting.
If that’s the case, why didn’t he just say so? No matter how painful it would be, I wouldn’t have humiliated myself. I would have left.
I wandered away in a daze, bumping into a maid.
I looked up at the newcomer.
It was Sophia’s personal maid, who was also her good friend.
She was holding a snow-white cat, with a haughty expression.
When she saw it was me, she looked at me with disdain and sneered, “Oh, it’s Miss Quinn. Sorry, I bumped into you.”
After saying that, she nodded perfunctorily at me.
In the past, as Lucas’s vice president, I had schemed for him and acted as his pawn to clear obstacles for him.
Now that he was firmly seated in a high position, these two roles of mine were not of much use to him anymore.
So he suggested removing my position, letting me stay by his side to bear children for him.
Out of trust in him, I agreed.
So, in the eyes of most people, I was just a nameless orphan girl of unknown origin.
Except for my former subordinates, not many people respected me.
Moreover, to satisfy his desire to be a father, I disregarded the reproductive barrier between humans and magical beings. I found a witch doctor and endured a year of soul-stripping pain, only succeeding today.
Originally, I wanted to tell him this good news this morning.
I was too emotionally confused to care about her rudeness.
I tried to walk past her.
But she didn’t intend to let me go, blocking my path.
She held up the cat in her hands and brought it close to my face, her eyes flashing with malice.
”Don’t go, Miss Fox. Look, this is the pet Mr. Lucas gave to our dear Sophia.”
”I specially brought it out for a walk today.”
I knew what she meant. She just wanted to show off Lucas’s love for Sophia and make me see the situation clearly.
This kind of inexplicable malice from humans is sometimes truly incomprehensible to magical beings.
If I didn’t go along with her, I was afraid she would pester me for a long time.
I prepared to humor her and praise the cat a few times before leaving.
Just as I was about to open my mouth to look at the cat, I froze.

The kitten opened its round, big eyes and affectionately reached out its chubby paw towards me.
Perhaps it sensed that we were both feline creatures.
The red silk ribbon fluttering around its neck caught all my attention.
That ribbon was the one I had given to Lucas.
A thousand years ago, Lucas’s previous life, Luke, had saved me when I was on the verge of death, being hunted by spirit hunters.
At that time, I was a little fox who had just started cultivating and couldn’t transform into human form yet.
And he was just a sickly scholar.
Unlike the stories in novels where fox spirits repay kindness, I ended up causing his death.
In my memory, the meandering blood flowed from under him, staining the blood-red ribbon.
This ribbon, for me, was filled with warm and painful memories of the past, and also contained half of my soul.
The scene of the couple’s wanton mockery flashed through my mind again.
My nails were almost embedded in my palms, but I felt nothing.
He could use and humiliate me, he could marry someone else.
But he actually casually gave away the ribbon I had cherished for a thousand years!
He clearly knew what it meant to me!
My eyes gradually became deep and dark, as if they could suck people into hell.
The maid saw that I wasn’t speaking and secretly felt proud. She said as if unintentionally, “This ribbon, Mr. Lucas used to wear it every day, but he gave it to Sophia as soon as she asked.”
”You can see that Sophia is not like some…”
Before she could finish speaking, I calmly reached out my hand.
Then.
I grabbed her neck.
Too noisy, I didn’t like it.
I casually picked her up by the collar, ignoring her struggles, and threw her into the pool like throwing away garbage.
It didn’t matter if someone discovered it, there were no cameras here anyway.
The little cat in front of me seemed not to understand what had happened and came to my feet on all fours, rubbing against the hem of my skirt as if seeking attention.
I looked at it for a moment, silently picked it up, and left.

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I didn’t refuse when my husband proposed an unusual arrangement for our marriage. He wanted to split everything 50/50, from living expenses to having children. He even insisted I give birth to quadruplets – two boys and two girls. I agreed to his unreasonable demands for one simple reason: I’m a seahorse humanoid. Not only can I get pregnant, but I can also make men pregnant. The day before we got our marriage license, my boyfriend Ryan suddenly handed me a contract. “Let’s split everything 50/50 after we get married,” he said. “We’ll each pay half for the house, car, and daily expenses. We’ll even alternate days for housework.” “We’ll split all living costs, including raising kids. I won’t buy an engagement ring, and you don’t need to bring any dowry. We’ll just get the license, no ceremony.” I took the paper and skimmed it. It detailed the 50/50 arrangement, from major purchases like a house down to toothpaste. Even for having children, it clearly stated we should have four – preferably two boys and two girls, each of us raising two. This way, it would be fair for both of us. I frowned slightly at the paper, but before I could speak, Ryan continued: “Samantha, this is for your own good. Your family is well-off, but I’m an orphan. I don’t want people to think I’m with you for your family’s money.” “When couples keep finances clear, life goes more smoothly.” Ryan looked sincere, as if this decision was unavoidable. “I’m not disagreeing, but isn’t having four children at once a bit difficult?” I asked. Hearing my partial agreement, Ryan smiled. “I’ve already looked into it. With fertility drugs, multiple pregnancies are possible. If we don’t get four, we can try again. If we get more than four, we can reduce the number.” He talked about terminating pregnancies as casually as buying groceries. I was still concerned. “But carrying so many babies is really hard on the body. This 50/50 split doesn’t seem fair at all.” “Samantha, that’s not right. Don’t all women have children? Even without me, you’d be having kids for someone else,” Ryan argued. “I’m already being generous by proposing to split things. Many men expect the woman to have all the children and pay all the expenses, even for raising kids.” His face was flushed, as if I was getting some great deal. I made a troubled face. Seeing that being forceful wasn’t working, Ryan switched to an emotional appeal. He took my hand tenderly. “Samantha, don’t worry, I absolutely won’t let you suffer. Once you’re pregnant, I’ll take great care of you.” “You know how much I love you. If I could carry the babies myself, I definitely wouldn’t let you go through this.” Hearing this, I suddenly looked up. “What if you could get pregnant? Would you be willing to carry half the babies?” Ryan was stunned for a few seconds, then laughed. “If I could get pregnant, of course you’d carry two and I’d carry two.” I nodded. “Okay, then add that to the contract. For however many children I carry, you have to carry the same number.” Ryan thought I was just being childish, but he actually added it to the end of the contract. We signed two copies. After signing, I suddenly became cheerful. “Ryan, we agreed, okay? When the time comes, we’ll each carry our own babies. No one can terminate the pregnancies.” Ryan clapped and laughed loudly. “Samantha, you’re so cute. I’m a man, how could men possibly get pregnant?” How could they not? We male seahorse humanoids get pregnant. As times have changed, we’ve evolved. Now we can not only make men pregnant, but also get pregnant ourselves. So I thought Ryan was a genius for coming up with the idea to each carry half the babies. My parents originally didn’t like me marrying a human, thinking we wouldn’t have enough children with a human. But this was great – now we could have even more kids.

As agreed, we only got the marriage license without a ceremony. So the next day after getting licensed, Ryan helped me move all my things into our new house. The first thing Ryan did after we moved in was give me two small pills. “What are these?” I asked. “They’re fertility drugs. Baby, didn’t you forget we’re aiming for quadruplets?” I hadn’t forgotten, I just didn’t think Ryan would be in such a rush. I hesitated, “Isn’t it too much pressure to have kids right away?” After all, Ryan and I had just gotten married. We’d bought the car and house in cash, using up all my savings. Moreover, he wanted multiple babies, which would be extra taxing on the body. We seahorse humanoids get pregnant easily. Four babies in one pregnancy is no problem – we could even handle ten. But for humans, carrying so many would likely cause issues. Ryan patted his chest reassuringly. “It’s no problem, Samantha. It’s better to have kids early. If you wait until you’re older, it’ll be harder to recover after giving birth.” “But we can’t take care of them now – we both have to work. Who would watch the babies?” I pointed out. Ryan was an orphan; his parents had passed away when he was 18. According to him, we’d each take care of two children. He had no parents to help, so it would be hard to even rest after giving birth. I was about to try persuading him to reconsider. Ryan’s face darkened. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you? We’ll have to face these issues sooner or later. If you can’t solve them now, how will you solve them in the future?” Faced with his aggressive tone, I narrowed my eyes and agreed decisively: “Fine! Let’s do it then.” Hearing my words, Ryan became all smiles. He held out the pills. “Then take these, wife.” I didn’t take them. “I won’t take those. I’ve heard these drugs have side effects. I’ll ask my mom to prescribe something healthier.” My parents are both doctors, which Ryan knew. He thought for a moment. “That’s fine if you don’t take them, but you’ll have to pay me back for these pills I bought you.” His attitude made me uncomfortable. Even in our seahorse clan, there were no male seahorses who nitpicked like this. But thinking about how he was willing to carry four babies for me, I held back and asked the price, then transferred the money to him. I thought that would be the end of it, but Ryan started calculating other expenses with me. “Honey, you haven’t paid me for moving today.” I was surprised. “You want money for moving too?” Ryan acted like it was obvious: “You have so much stuff, hiring movers would cost at least $1000. I put in all that effort, so $500 should be enough.” He acted like I was getting a great deal, which both angered and amused me. I crossed my arms. “Is there anything else? Just tell me all at once instead of asking bit by bit.” Seeing how understanding I was, Ryan looked pleased. He opened his laptop and typed up an itemized list of expenses for me. As expected of an accountant, the list was shockingly detailed. He even calculated the cost of the A4 paper I was holding to two decimal places. I looked through it item by item, finally stopping at one charge in disbelief: “Ryan, are you that desperate for money? You’re charging me for making babies?” Ryan chuckled. “I’m putting in more effort for that, you know. Hiring someone outside would cost hundreds. I’m only charging you $5 – that’s a bargain.” “Of course, if you put in the effort, I’d pay you too.” Ryan was very handsome – I’d fallen for him at first sight. But even the most attractive face becomes disgusting when filled with calculation. I took out my phone and transferred the total amount. Ryan grinned so widely his eyes nearly disappeared. He kissed my cheek. “You’re the best, honey.” Then he started getting handsy with me. “Now I can provide my services.” I stopped him. “We’ve settled your accounts. Shouldn’t we settle mine now?”

Ryan froze. “What do you need to settle?” I grinned. “You broke one of my glass bottles while moving today. That bottle cost $2000, but $1000 is fine.” “What kind of glass bottle costs that much?” “It was handmade in Italy. If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you the receipt.” I found the receipt – it actually cost $2300. Ryan pouted, clearly unwilling to pay. “Honey, we’re family now. Do we really need to be so exact? I didn’t know the bottle was so expensive.” How ridiculous. He didn’t think we were family when he was charging me for paper, but now we’re suddenly family. I quoted his words back to him: “Honey, this is for your own good. When accounts are clear, life goes more smoothly.” Faced with my firm attitude, Ryan reluctantly transferred the money. Not only had he not made money, he’d lost quite a bit. I took the money, then climbed onto Ryan’s lap with a flirtatious smile. “Now you can service me, honey.” Ryan had just lost money and clearly wasn’t in the mood. But he couldn’t resist my persistent advances for long. Just as he was about to go further, I stopped him again. “Wait.” Ryan was confused. “Wait for what? You’re not going to charge me too, are you?” Look at this man. He was the one who first suggested charging for this, yet he got all sensitive when it was turned back on him. I’m not as petty as he is. I took out a small capsule. “Take this.” “What is it?” “Didn’t you agree to split the baby-carrying with me? This will let you get pregnant.” Ryan was impatient and started kissing me again. “Don’t joke around, honey. There’s no such thing as a pill to make men pregnant. Let’s get to business.” The more eager he was, the more I refused to let him touch me. Ryan had no choice but to swallow the capsule. “There, happy now?” His kisses landed on my body. “I know you’re upset about me suggesting we split everything. I’ll go along with you today, but don’t joke around with cold medicine in the future.” So Ryan thought I was just messing with him. He didn’t know that tiny capsule was our seahorse pregnancy sac. Once he swallowed it, the sac would implant in his belly and grow like a woman’s uterus. Two months later, I still hadn’t gotten my period. When I told Ryan I might be pregnant, he was so excited he started jumping around. He grabbed my hand, insisting we go to the hospital for a check-up. “Honey, my parents said if I’m pregnant, we should go to their hospital for discounted check-ups,” I said. According to our agreement, we’d split prenatal care costs. Hearing there was a discount, Ryan was even happier. When we got to my parents’ hospital and Ryan learned my parents were the directors, his jaw dropped in shock. “Samantha, didn’t you say your parents were doctors and you had a bunch of siblings, with you being the only girl?” I nodded. My parents were doctors, but they’d become so successful they’d opened their own hospital. And it was true we had a lot of kids in the family. Seahorses can have many offspring. I’m called Samantha because I’m my parents’ 39th child. The 38 before me are all brothers who don’t work. Ryan had always assumed my family must be poor after having so many boys. He thought I was the type to support my brothers, and would use his money to help my family. That’s why he insisted on splitting everything – he wanted to distance himself from my birth family. Seeing such a big enterprise, he looked regretful. “Why didn’t you tell me your family was so rich?” “You never asked.” I took Ryan straight to the OB/GYN department. My dad was an obstetrics specialist. We did an ultrasound. It didn’t take long for my dad to confirm. “You’re pregnant.” “How many?” Ryan asked eagerly. “Four.” Ryan asked again: “Boys or girls?” My dad shook his head. “It’s too early to tell.” Even though we didn’t know the genders, Ryan was overjoyed. He hugged me tightly. “You’re amazing, honey! It would be great if it’s two boys and two girls.” I nodded, then reminded him: “Honey, let my dad check you too. Didn’t you say your stomach hasn’t been feeling well lately?” Ryan had been feeling nauseous and having acid reflux the past few days. Learning my dad could check stomach issues too, Ryan lay down on the exam table. My dad pressed on his belly for a while, then gave his diagnosis. “Hmm, also four.”

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The year Gabriel Grant loved me the most. During evening study hall, I was accidentally locked in the pitch-black dormitory building. He stood outside the window, singing all night to comfort me. Later, on the day we were supposed to celebrate our anniversary. He abandoned me and rented out a bar. For a private concert dedicated to his childhood friend. Singing the love song he once wrote only for me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in that night when I was trapped. A bucket of cold water poured down from the window. “Shut up, you sound terrible.” Today was supposed to be the day Gabriel Grant and I celebrated our anniversary. We had invited only our closest friends and family. I forced a smile on my face, wearing an uncomfortably tight dress and high heels. After bustling about for two hours and downing countless glasses of champagne, I didn’t even have time to drink water. Someone whispered quietly: “Tsk, the party’s almost over and the boyfriend is still nowhere to be seen. I feel so embarrassed for Chloe.” “Well, he is a big star now. It’s normal for her to put up with this.” “But this is too much. Who doesn’t show up to their own anniversary party?” They were right. This was a celebration without the other half of the couple. Because Gabriel Grant never showed up from beginning to end. I tried hard to suppress the churning in my stomach, my palms sweating as I kept calling Gabriel. Usually, even if he had a schedule, his manager would contact me in advance. But not today. There had been no word from him all day. More than anything else, I was worried something had happened to him. When it was over, my parents didn’t look too happy. Our family had always cared about face, so they never approved of my relationship with Gabriel from the start. “I really don’t know what you’re thinking, choosing someone like him. You’ve embarrassed our entire family.” Before leaving, my mom held my hand and said earnestly: “Chloe, you know best about your own feelings. It’s not too late to turn back now.” My eyes were moist, but I forced a smile. “Mom, Dad, Gabriel just had something urgent come up. I’ll bring him home another day, and you can scold him then.” After all the guests had left. I called Gabriel’s manager while stuffing leftover food into my mouth. Until the call was disconnected again due to no answer. I took a deep breath, staring blankly at the dark phone screen, my heart sinking heavily. My best friend Jenny Johnson walked over angrily and handed me her phone. “Look at this.”

It was a recorded livestream. In the dim stage light, Gabriel was singing passionately, while only one person’s silhouette could be seen in the empty VIP seats. And it was someone I knew all too well. Jenny’s tone was harsh, her hair almost crackling with anger: “This livestream has already topped the trending list. Now the whole world knows your boyfriend has a girlfriend.” “Chloe Adams, let’s go right now—” “Jenny.” I suddenly interrupted her, my gaze fixed on the screen that was replaying the loop, and said softly: “You know what?” “I was the first person to hear this song years ago.” That’s why I could overlook Gabriel’s repeated mistakes. Because he said this song was written for me. In those years when he was still unknown, he said I was the only listener he wanted to keep. Jenny fell silent for a moment, then took back the phone I was gripping tightly. “So what are you going to do now? The party’s over. Are you going to walk down the aisle alone next time too?” She shook my shoulders angrily: “Wake up! How long are you going to keep up this one-woman show?” I didn’t answer her, just forced myself to stand up. The anxiety that had been building all day finally subsided, leaving only one thought in my mind: At least nothing bad had happened to him. Wrapped in fatigue and discomfort, there was no room for excess emotions. I closed my eyes to calm myself, then sent Gabriel a final message: “What time are you coming home?”

It was already late by the time I finished dealing with the aftermath. I was packing up my clothes backstage. A hotel staff member caught up with me and handed me a thick envelope, saying it was left by a gentleman, along with a plastic bag containing a box of stomach medicine. I casually flipped through it. The envelope said “Happy Anniversary,” stuffed with thick wads of cash, signed only with the name Hughes. I froze for a few seconds, my throat tightening and my stomach suddenly aching as if in response. Before I could think too much about it, Jenny lowered the car window and called for me to get in. “Are you going to find Gabriel?” I closed the car door and shook my head: “Home.” From booking the hotel to everything else, I had been handling it all alone. At this point, I really didn’t have the energy left to go pick a fight. I swallowed a stomach pill and closed my eyes, feeling dizzy and heavy. It was almost ten when I got home. The whole apartment was dark. Clearly, no one had been back. I poured myself a glass of wine, sat by the window, and waited patiently second by second. I had never been this patient before. We moved in here two years ago. At that time, Gabriel had gained some fame with his new album. He often had obsessive fans secretly showing up at our door, so we were forced to move to this high-end neighborhood with better privacy. Clean, orderly, with a cold distance between people. So different from the cozy little nest we once furnished together. It wasn’t just the house we couldn’t go back to.

At two in the morning. The sound of someone entering the passcode finally came from outside the door. Gabriel was clearly startled to see me sitting by the window. The things in his hand fell to the ground with a thud. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?” He knew that in the past, even if he came home late, I would only wait until midnight. Not like today. I put down my wine glass and walked past him to turn on the living room lights. In an instant, the quiet space was as bright as day. Gabriel loosened his tie and casually tossed his suit jacket on the sofa, taking large strides towards me, wanting to hug me. I had a moment of dizziness. Even this suit he was supposed to wear to our anniversary was chosen by me. Yet he wore it to rush to someone else. “Are you tired?” he asked me coaxingly, bringing up the serious topic lightly. I quietly sniffed the alcohol on him and raised my hand to push him away. Gabriel didn’t let go, explaining with complete nonchalance: “I had something urgent come up today. I didn’t mean to miss it. Besides, our families have already met, so these formalities don’t really matter, right?” “It’s so late, can we not fight about this?” Seeing that I didn’t say anything, he suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to pick up the paper bag he had dropped on the ground earlier. “I brought you a small cake. Last time you said this place was really popular and you wanted to try it. I specially went to queue up for it.” He took my hand affectionately. When the box was opened, the cake had been smashed beyond recognition, with most of the fruit filling spilled out. It was only at this moment that I let out a small laugh. Gabriel saw my expression soften and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s okay, I’ll buy you another one another day.” But I suddenly asked him: “Does she like this place too?” Gabriel froze for a few seconds. “Who?” I looked up and stared into his eyes: “Zoe Quinn.” “You… know?” Gabriel’s voice instantly lowered, then became irritated: “Her mom passed away recently. She was really emotional today, and I was afraid something might happen to her, so I went to keep her company. You know she doesn’t have many relatives. We grew up—” I calmly finished his sentence: “Together, almost like siblings.” Gabriel choked, then continued after a while: “I’ve already had someone take down the trending topic. We’ll release a statement tomorrow.” I said “Oh,” and slowly started cleaning up the cake on the table. “Why don’t you just release a statement saying you’re single?” He frowned in confusion: “What do you mean?” “Gabriel.” The long-delayed sense of bitterness finally began to occupy my eyes. I blinked, trying to prevent myself from losing composure, but my voice still trembled uncontrollably. “I’m allergic to mangoes.”

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