I grew up showered with endless love and affection. My parents, fearing I might be taken advantage of in the future, specially arranged for three young men to be raised alongside me as potential suitors. However, these three treated me coldly, while showing great enthusiasm towards the daughter of our family’s driver. In my naivety, I believed it was because they felt a sense of distance from me due to my status. Until one fateful incident changed everything. Mia Gray and I were kidnapped together. Felix Foster, the leader of my three suitors, prioritized her safety over mine without hesitation. He coldly stated, “You were born into privilege. Someone will surely avenge you anyway. We’re not needed.” Hearing those words cut through my heart like a knife. It was then that I suddenly realized how terribly mistaken I had been all these years. Once I recovered from my injuries, I took the initiative to approach my father about marrying someone else. “Dad, I want to marry Ethan Young. I’m willing to accept the arranged marriage.” “But his face has been severely disfigured. Are you sure you’re not joking?” my father asked, concern evident in his voice.

Hearing my father’s inquiry, I could only offer a faint smile. “I’m not joking,” I replied softly. “I just suddenly realized that he’s the one I truly like.” “He’s also the one I should marry.” Seeing my determination, my father had no choice but to agree. “As long as you’re happy, I’ll support your decision,” he conceded. “I thought you were so dependent on Felix and the others that you’d choose one of them.” As my father mentioned Felix and the others, I felt a dull ache in my heart. Memories of the recent kidnapping flashed through my mind – their cold indifference as they abandoned me, then blaming me for wandering off with Mia. Perhaps I should have realized sooner that Felix and the others had long since shifted their affections towards Mia. From the very moment they arrived, in fact. Thinking about this, I forced myself to nod, fighting back the bitterness I felt. After finalizing the engagement with my father and Ethan’s family, I left the main house and headed to our villa in the countryside. As soon as my car pulled up to the entrance, I could hear deafeningly loud music blaring from inside. I frowned in annoyance. Pushing open the door, I saw that the originally elegant European-style decor had been transformed into a tacky karaoke setup. And at the center of it all, surrounded by Felix and the other two, was Mia Gray. “Miss White, you’re back,” her sickeningly sweet voice rang out, drawing Felix’s attention to me. His eyes were filled with disgust. “You dare to come back,” he sneered. I opened my mouth to speak but before I could say anything, Lucas Reed, standing beside Felix, let out a cold snort. “Of course she dares. She’s the high and mighty heiress after all. How could she possibly compare herself to us?” “Who knows, she’s probably been complaining to Mr. White about how we abandoned her these past few days!” Even William Hayes, who usually kept quiet, nodded in agreement. Seeing the three of them united in mocking me made me frown in anger. “What do you mean?” I demanded. “This is my home. Why wouldn’t I come back?” “Besides, I don’t have time to complain to my father about you.” Of course, I was also worried about upsetting my father and damaging his health. But my explanation only seemed to fuel their suspicions of guilt. “How do we know if you’re telling the truth or not?” Lucas challenged. “Now that you’re back, hurry up and apologize to Mia.” “I didn’t get a chance to deal with you properly that day because there were too many people around! If you hadn’t dragged Mia out with you, how could she have gotten kidnapped?” Lucas was the first to speak up, with the other two nodding in agreement. But it was clearly Mia who had asked me to go out that day. How had it become my fault? I couldn’t help but try to defend myself. “But that day it was clearly Mia who—” Before I could finish speaking, Mia, who had been playing the innocent bystander, suddenly fell to her knees with a loud thud. Tears immediately began streaming down her face. “Miss White! Please don’t blame Felix and the others. They’re only harsh because they were worried about me.” “It was all my fault that day. I’m to blame. I was the one who asked to go out with you, Miss White. It was all me, I’m so sorry…” she wailed. Her act instantly filled the eyes of the three men with sympathy, while their gazes towards me grew even colder. “Aria White, if you have a problem, you can take it out on me. There’s no need to keep targeting Mia behind our backs!” Felix snapped. “I’m ordering you to apologize right now! Otherwise, none of us three will ever marry you!” Felix’s cold ultimatum made my breath catch. Memories of the humiliation they put me through at my coming-of-age ceremony flashed through my mind. At that grand banquet attended by all the most prestigious families, Mia had been in charge of helping me get dressed. But just before the ceremony was about to begin, she came to me crying, saying she had ruined my gown. I lost my temper and yelled at her. She suddenly collapsed to the ground, dramatically tearing at her clothes. “Miss White, I’m so sorry! Please don’t rip my clothes off!” she cried out. At that moment, Felix and the other two walked in. Without even asking what happened, they immediately forced me to apologize. They even found some ragged clothes for me to wear, utterly humiliating me in front of everyone. When my father asked me about it afterwards, I was afraid the three would be punished, so I lied and said I had suddenly wanted to wear those clothes. Looking back now, I realize how utterly foolish I had been! But I wasn’t going to let them push me around anymore. I raised my head and glared fiercely at the three men, loudly refusing, “I won’t apologize!”

“You won’t?” “You don’t have a choice!” “Someone grab the young miss and hold her down!” Felix ordered, calling for the house security when he saw my refusal. I found myself surrounded, and shouted desperately, “Don’t you dare!” But not a single person paid any attention to me. They simply followed Felix’s orders and forcefully held me in place. I had almost forgotten – for the past few years, I had acted so dependent on these three men that everyone had come to believe all of the White family’s assets would one day belong to them. They no longer showed me any respect. My heart turned cold, and I stared at the three of them with increasing hatred. “What’s with that look? Apologize now!” Lucas demanded. “Listen here, Aria White. Don’t think we won’t dare to do anything just because you’re the young miss.” “You’re going to be relying on us three in the future!” Lucas’s contemptuous gaze swept over me as he spoke mockingly. His attitude was utterly disgusting. Who had given them the right to think this way? I couldn’t understand it at all. I tried to struggle free, but the hands holding me down only pressed harder. They forced me to kowtow to Mia, only releasing me after I hit my head on the ground with a loud thud. “This is just a small punishment for now,” Felix warned. “Be a good girl and listen to us from now on. Otherwise, you can forget about marrying any one of us!” With those threatening words, Felix and the others left, surrounding Mia like she was the center of their universe. I caught a clear glimpse of Mia’s smug, taunting expression as they walked away. I clenched my fists in fury. Just then, my phone began to ring. It was Ethan Young calling. I answered, forcing myself to calm down. “What is it?” I asked coolly. “Nothing much. Just reminding my fiancée not to forget about choosing the wedding venue and dress,” his deep voice resonated in my ear, momentarily making me forget my surroundings. By the time I came back to my senses, he had already hung up. This man sure moves fast! Left with no choice, I got up from the floor and quickly tidied myself up before heading out. I went to redesign the wedding venue I had originally prepared for the three of them long ago. But to my surprise, those shameless men actually had the nerve to show up after being notified.

“Aria White, you really have no shame! Are you that desperate to get married? We just taught you a lesson and you’re already here setting up the venue!” Lucas exclaimed, his face filled with disgust. The others wore identical expressions of contempt. I tried to keep my temper in check, wanting to explain, but before I could even open my mouth, Felix ordered the security guards who had followed them to start tearing everything down. “Get rid of all these disgusting flowers!” he commanded. “Replace them all with white roses – Mia’s favorite.” “Aria White, even if you end up marrying one of us, the wedding will be done according to Mia’s preferences. It’s the least you owe her.” As he finished speaking, the flower arch I had just had set up was kicked down with one swift motion. I was still trying to process what was happening, wondering what exactly I supposedly owed Mia. “Felix Foster! My wedding isn’t going to be with any of you three. You have no right to destroy my venue!” I finally managed to protest. “Not with us three? Who are you trying to fool? The whole city knows how desperately in love with us you are!” Lucas sneered. “Of course it’s—” I tried to explain, but was cut off by another loud crash behind me. I turned to see that the security guards had smashed the area where I had planned to display our wedding photos. The others followed suit, destroying everything else in sight. In the blink of an eye, half of the wedding venue had been wrecked. “Stop it! What gives you the right to destroy my wedding venue? Who do you think you are?” I shouted desperately. “Stop this right now!” But my pleas fell on deaf ears. They continued their destruction without slowing down at all, completely ignoring my cries even as my voice grew hoarse. I could only watch helplessly as the venue I had so carefully prepared was reduced to ruins. Meanwhile, the culprits stood before me, nodding in satisfaction. “Much better! Good riddance to all that eyesore,” Felix remarked coldly. “Let’s go, we still need to help Mia make cupcakes!” Lucas said with a grin as he led the group away. Leaving me alone, silently shedding tears amidst the wreckage. It took me a while to compose myself and get up. I didn’t have time to confront them now. The most important thing was to redecorate the wedding venue and choose a dress. Nothing else mattered. As for what they had done, I silently added it to the list of grievances in my heart. Once everything was settled, I would make sure they paid for it all. It took two more days to set up the wedding venue again. My wedding to Ethan Young was drawing near. I couldn’t control the excitement in my heart. For the first time in days, I had a genuine smile on my face as I headed out to try on wedding dresses. But when I arrived, I found Felix, Lucas, William and Mia already there. The four of them were intimately wrapped up in each other, completely ignoring my presence. And Mia was wearing the wedding dress I had carefully selected. Felix, who was standing furthest out, was the first to notice my arrival. With an impatient look, he berated me: “Why are you here? Did someone tip you off again?” “You really can’t live without us, can you? Still claiming you’re not marrying one of us three, yet this is the exact wedding dress we picked out together!” “Mia wanted to take photos with us but didn’t have anything suitable to wear, so we’re letting her borrow yours for now.” “Consider it a chance for you to make amends.” With that, he turned his attention back to Mia, joining Lucas and William in showering her with praise. Every word they spoke was laced with insults aimed at me. “Our Mia looks so beautiful in this. Much better than certain venomous-hearted people!” “It’s such a shame. If we didn’t have to marry her, I’d want the four of us to be together forever.” Lucas couldn’t help sighing, causing Mia’s eyes to well up with tears as she comforted them. “It’s alright, Lucas. No matter who marries the young miss, the four of us will always be family.” I trembled with rage at the scene before me, gritting my teeth as I spoke, “If you all love Mia so much that you’d casually take someone else’s clothes for her, fine!” “I’ll make sure everyone sees just how shameless you are!” With that, I raised my phone, ready to take a photo of them. Seeing this, Felix angrily called for security to drag me away. “She’s gone mad! This crazy woman – get her out of here now!” I was then unceremoniously thrown out, left to helplessly watch as the wedding dress I had so carefully chosen was worn by Mia Gray. And there was nothing I could do about it.

I stood outside the bridal shop for a full hour, watching them take group wedding photos with Mia. They even did an art-themed shoot, splattering paint all over the dress. With each stain, I felt a pang of regret for my past blindness. When they finally finished, they threw the ruined dress at me. “Go pick another one for yourself. Oh, and the wedding photos we’ll be displaying will be of the four of us,” Lucas taunted in my ear. But I couldn’t hear anything. All I could think was: The wedding dress is ruined. I returned home in a daze and collapsed onto my bed, unable to hold back my tears. Knock knock. A sudden knocking at the door startled me. I opened it to find my mother holding a mysterious box. “What’s this?” I asked. “Open it and see,” she replied with a secretive smile. Following her instructions, I opened the box to find a wedding dress inside. And most importantly, it was adorned with pink diamonds – my absolute favorite. I couldn’t help but caress it lovingly. My mother watched me with a pleased expression. “You know, this was sent over by Ethan. He’s really put a lot of thought into it,” she explained. “And guess what? He designed it himself!” Hearing those words made my heart skip a beat. Suddenly, I felt that my decision to marry him was the right choice after all. I tried on the wedding dress and found it fit perfectly. I could almost imagine what it would be like standing next to Ethan. This man… he certainly knows how to impress. I bit back a smile as I sent him a selfie. His reply came quickly. After that, to avoid running into Felix and the others, I didn’t leave the house at all in the days leading up to the wedding. Soon enough, the big day arrived. At 10 AM, the Young family’s motorcade paraded through the entire city announcing the joyous news, with live broadcasts on various big screens. It was clear how much Ethan valued me. Meanwhile, Felix and the others were drinking with Mia at a club, watching the broadcast with cold smirks. “I’d like to see where she finds a groom without us three,” Felix sneered. “Exactly. We need to teach her a lesson. We can always say we had urgent business if Mr. White gets angry. She’ll cover for us anyway,” Lucas added as he clinked glasses with the others. On the big screen, I was already slowly walking up to the wedding altar. I held a bouquet of Ethan’s favorite lavender, my heart fluttering nervously as I waited for his arrival. “Felix, is what you’re doing really okay?” Mia asked, blinking innocently as she held her wine glass. But inwardly, she was secretly delighted. The men, though feeling somewhat uneasy, stubbornly acted as if nothing was wrong. When it was almost time, Felix stood up first, only to find Lucas frozen in place. “What’s wrong, Lucas?” Felix asked. “Felix… it looks like Aria was telling the truth. The groom isn’t one of us…” Lucas stammered. Felix quickly looked up at the big screen. He froze when he saw the figure walking towards me. “Ethan Young!”

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My fiancée had always prided herself on her excellent memory. Yet she forgot to hold out her hand for the diamond ring during the proposal, forgot to bring her ID to get our marriage license, and on our wedding day, she forgot to show up altogether. She was too busy saving her childhood friend’s wedding next door. When my mother saw this, she had a heart attack on the spot. I begged my fiancée to come explain things at my mother’s hospital bed. Instead, she sweetly linked arms with her childhood friend’s mother, calling her “Mom” and claiming I was just a persistent suitor who wouldn’t leave her alone. Later, I handled my mother’s funeral arrangements alone and applied for an overseas work assignment. As I was packing up to leave, my fiancée returned from her honeymoon with her childhood friend, looking blissfully happy. With a smile in her eyes, she said: “Jack, how is your mother doing? Let’s set a new wedding date to make her happy.” She didn’t know that from the moment my mother died, there was no longer any possibility between us.

I was gathering all my winter clothes and neatly folding them into my suitcase. Suddenly, the front door opened and someone crept in quietly. Cold fingers covered my eyes from behind. “Guess who?” she said playfully, lowering her voice like she always did when returning from business trips to surprise me. In the past, I would have laughed and said “Of course it’s my darling” before warming her hands in mine. But now, I no longer felt that sweet affection. I wasn’t in the mood to play along. I simply removed her hands and continued packing without a word. My girlfriend Olivia looked at me in bewilderment. She clenched her fingers, then said in a coy voice: “What’s wrong, handsome? Isn’t a month of the cold shoulder enough? When you suddenly burst into the wedding, it was so awkward for everyone. I had to explain for ages.” I couldn’t help but smirk sardonically. A month ago, I had become the laughingstock of all our friends and family. Because my bride had publicly married someone else. My mother had a heart attack as a result, while Olivia had me thrown out of the venue like a beggar. Even on the day of my mother’s funeral, the villagers were still pointing and whispering mockingly: “That’s him – the one whose wife ran off on their wedding day. And he’s supposed to be so smart! Thirty years old and still can’t find a wife!” “How embarrassing. I heard he angered his mother to death. If I had such a useless son, I’d bash my head against a wall!” The damp, suffocating feeling from my mother’s burial enveloped me again. Coming back to my senses, I spoke flatly: “It’s not the cold shoulder…” I was about to say “Let’s break up” but before I could get the words out, Olivia nodded and drawled: “Oh, I see. You’re not giving me the cold shoulder, you’re picking a fight, right? Come on, didn’t I text you? Ethan’s fiancée ran off, and our families are old friends. Helping out won’t kill me.” She plopped down on the sofa and picked up a grey sweater, folding it as she frowned slightly. Her red lips pouted as she muttered: “This sweater is so ugly. You should just throw it away!” I said nothing, just staring blankly at the sparkling diamond on her ring finger. Only then did I realize what that extra cold sensation on my eyelids had been earlier. Olivia followed my gaze and quickly removed the ring, shoving it in her pocket. She stuck out her tongue with a guilty smile. “We had to make it look convincing for the act. I forgot to take it off. You jealous little thing, don’t tell me you’re upset again?” The truth was, I didn’t feel upset at all. I suddenly remembered. When I had proposed to her, getting down on one knee with a custom diamond ring, she hadn’t held out her hand. She said she didn’t like the constricting feeling of rings and would rather wait to exchange rings at the wedding. But in the end, she had eagerly worn Ethan’s ring first, even reluctant to take it off. Jealous? I would never feel jealous again. This past month, I had masochistically followed the news of Olivia and Ethan’s honeymoon travels around the world. My heart no longer stirred at all. I looked away without responding, just taking back the sweater she was folding. I said flatly: “This is a wool sweater my mom knitted for me.” Olivia’s hands were suddenly empty. She was clearly annoyed but still tried to keep her tone gentle: “By the way, how is your mother doing? After a month of rest, she must be much better now, right?” Her eyes curved into a smile as she continued: “I always thought our wedding venue was too small and shabby anyway. Let’s take this chance to set a new date and have a grand wedding. That would make your mother happy!” I knew Olivia was in a good enough mood today to have given me plenty of chances to make up. If I didn’t take them now, she would surely lose her temper. But she had forgotten. On the day we were supposed to get our marriage license, she showed up at the courthouse saying she forgot her ID, then immediately left to help Ethan try on wedding outfits since his fiancée was absent. We never actually got married, so there was no need for any wedding. Coming back to my senses, I could only smile bitterly: “There’s no need.” After being coldly rebuffed multiple times, Olivia’s face suddenly darkened. She was about to speak when her phone rang. Seeing “Ethan” on the screen, her expression softened and she answered sweetly: “I just got home. Why are you calling?” I don’t know what was said on the other end, but she wedged the phone between her ear and shoulder as she picked up a camel-colored wool coat from the rack, laughing: “Ethan, you’re terrible! I’m in the middle of smoothing things over with my boyfriend! This is the last time, okay?” I watched as she expertly slipped the ring back on, checked her makeup and clothes in the full-length mirror, then grabbed her purse to leave. With her hand on the doorknob, she seemed to suddenly remember my existence. She quickly turned back, stood on tiptoe to ruffle my hair, and said in a sticky-sweet voice: “Alright Jack, don’t be mad anymore. I bought you a little gift. I’ll bring it over tonight.” I watched her leave, then went to stand by the floor-to-ceiling windows. Through the glass, I saw a bright yellow sports car parked below, its chassis so low it seemed to hug the ground. Ethan was leaning against the car door, a glowing cigarette between his fingers. Olivia, who was usually a germaphobe, expertly took the cigarette from Ethan’s hand and got into the passenger seat with the cigarette between her lips. I stopped watching and closed the curtains. Turning around, I picked up the overseas assignment application form I had already filled out, sitting on my desk.

Running my fingers along the sharp edges of the application, I left without hesitation and took a taxi to the company. After packing all day, it was already evening. I had submitted my application for an overseas assignment through the system a couple days ago and it had been approved. Now I just needed to submit the paper form for the records. At the company, everyone was whispering and staring as I walked by. “Isn’t that the guy who crashed the CEO’s daughter’s wedding in that viral video? Didn’t he take bereavement leave and disappear for a while? How dare he show his face here again?” “I bet he’s here to quit. He’s been at the company for 10 years and is still just a team leader. I heard he applied for promotion five times and got rejected every time. What a loser.” These harsh comments used to really get me down, but now I felt nothing. After all, I had heard far worse during the time I was arranging my mother’s funeral. I kept my eyes straight ahead and knocked on my boss Tom’s office door. “Come in,” he called. Tom nodded with satisfaction when he saw the form in my hand. “Jack, when you told me a few days ago that you wanted an overseas assignment, I didn’t believe it. You always refused before, saying you didn’t want a long-distance relationship with your girlfriend. But this time you seem quite determined.” “The head office is sending someone to review the overseas assignments tomorrow. Come by the office again tomorrow to show your face, then you can leave.” “You know, we started as interns at the same time. You were always more capable than me and helped me out a lot. I’m glad you’ve finally decided to spread your wings…” I lowered my eyes. It’s true, perhaps it was just bad luck, but all the interns who started with me had become executives while I remained stagnant. Leaving the company, I looked back at the skyscraper where I had worked for the past decade. In those ten years, Olivia’s family company had grown stronger and stronger. Even their branch office buildings now reached into the clouds. But why had my relationship with Olivia crumbled so completely? My meeting with Olivia was the typical story of a poor student and a rich heiress. My father died when I was young, leaving my mother to raise me alone. Back then, I spent every spare minute outside of class working part-time jobs and tutoring to make ends meet. Until one day, when a thug not only refused to pay me for tutoring, but brought his buddies to try and take what little money I had. In my moment of despair, Olivia came to my rescue with her bodyguards. She helped me up off the ground and offered to treat me to a meal. She said her grades were bad and she was afraid of failing, so she wanted me to help her cram for finals. Of course, I knew her grades were actually excellent. This was just her way of helping me out. I was drawn to her kindness and outgoing nature, and we gradually grew closer. The day she confessed her feelings, she held my hand and proudly announced to everyone on campus: “This is my genius boyfriend!” When we graduated, I gave up the opportunity for a fully-funded overseas graduate program. When I started working, I turned down a high-paying executive job offer from a major international company. I only wanted to stay by Olivia’s side, with the simple hope of marrying her, having children, and growing old together. Until a year ago, when Olivia’s childhood friend Ethan returned from abroad. Everything changed after that. For the first time, Olivia abandoned me when I was sick, just to pick up Ethan from the airport. That night she got completely drunk at his welcome party. Lying in Ethan’s arms and refusing to leave with me, she cried: “Ethan, why did you take so long to come back?” From then on, Ethan became a constant source of arguments between us. I wanted her to maintain some boundaries, but she accused me of being too controlling and not letting her have any friends. She even sarcastically pointed out that she had known Ethan since childhood, while I was the newcomer. Then two months ago, the day Ethan sent her a wedding invitation, Olivia suddenly leaned against me and mumbled: “Jack, why don’t we get married too?” This was after rejecting my proposals 99 times. Shaking my head to clear the memories, I found my shadow stretched long and lonely in the setting sun. In this world, I no longer had any family left. After walking a few steps, night had fully fallen. I was about to take out my phone to call a taxi home when I heard a familiar laugh nearby: “Ethan, put me down! If you drop me, you’re dead!” Turning my head, I saw the entrance of a brightly-lit bar. Ethan was spinning in circles while carrying Olivia in his arms. Olivia had her arms tightly wrapped around Ethan’s neck, laughing with pure joy. A crowd of people surrounded them, cheering them on. “Keep going! Three more spins to go! Don’t forget to drink from the same glass when you stop, Ethan!” “Now that’s true love! No wonder our little princess Olivia can’t get over our Prince Ethan!” When Ethan finally set her down, Olivia was a bit dizzy but smoothly took the glass someone handed her. She and Ethan linked arms and drank together like it was the most natural thing in the world. The crowd’s cheers grew even louder as they chanted: “Kiss! Kiss!” Olivia hesitated for a moment, not moving. Ethan smiled and tried to defuse the situation: “Alright, alright. You’ve been teasing us about the honeymoon all day. My wife has been a good sport, playing along since lunchtime. Time for everyone to head home!” But the next second, Olivia grabbed Ethan’s tie and pulled him down for a kiss. Her eyes were open, gaze clear and tender. A moment later, she looked away and slowly released Ethan’s tie. Holding her head, she pretended to be drunk: “I want to go home… my head hurts…” I witnessed every bit of Olivia’s care and cautious love for Ethan. I also watched as she swayed and took out her phone to make a call. Then, my phone started ringing. From just a few meters away. When Olivia heard the ringtone, our eyes met and she instantly straightened up.

The crowd looked at us in confusion, asking Olivia: “Olivia, who’s that?” Olivia’s gaze flickered as she mumbled vaguely: “Our family driver. My mom wants me to go home for dinner with her today.” Ethan’s eyes were full of smug triumph as he said slowly and deliberately: “Oh, it’s the driver. Well, you’d better take good care of your young mistress.” In the past, I definitely would have grabbed Ethan’s collar and started a fight. Now I just found it tedious. Without even a glance at them, I turned and got into the ride share I had called earlier. Back home, my stomach cramped painfully since I hadn’t eaten all afternoon. I made myself a simple bowl of noodles. I had barely taken two bites when I heard the click of high heels outside. The next second, Olivia kicked the door open. Seeing me eating, she flew into a rage and swung her purse at my back: “Jack, how could you just walk away earlier? Do you know how embarrassing that was for me!” To my surprise, Ethan had followed her. He put his arm around Olivia’s shoulders with a concerned look, saying soothingly: “Olivia, you shouldn’t hit Jack. Didn’t we agree to talk things out calmly?” He turned to me with a smile that barely concealed his gloating. “Jack, please don’t be angry. I only followed to make sure you two didn’t fight. But you were wrong to leave Olivia alone on the street like that. She’s a woman after all.” I took another bite of noodles without looking up and replied to Olivia: “Olivia, what are you afraid of with your husband Ethan there?” Olivia’s face darkened, her chest heaving with anger: “What do you mean, my husband? Jack, there’s a limit to how jealous you can be! Those were just some acquaintances from our social circle. Ethan and I were just playing along! You think I like drinking? I only did it for your sake!” I found it absurd. She had clearly been enjoying herself with Ethan, yet now she was acting all wronged. Looking at Olivia, I set down my chopsticks and asked: “For my sake?” Olivia replied as if it were obvious: “Yes, for you! My mom only agreed to make me heir to the company if I went along with the marriage alliance with Ethan’s family! That’s how I can be with you and get you transferred to headquarters as VP. Isn’t it all for you and your career?” Ethan’s brow furrowed imperceptibly, a flash of malice in his eyes, but he played along: “Olivia’s right. You probably don’t know this, but to protect you, she’s been the one rejecting all your promotion applications these years. She’s been looking out for you!” I was stunned. A chill ran through me as I realized. So all the cold treatment I’d received over the years was Olivia’s doing. What about all those late nights I spent working on proposals? The business dinners where I drank until I got ulcers just to land contracts? The holidays I missed, barely ever seeing my mother’s face? What was the point of it all? I asked Olivia: “Is that true?” Olivia didn’t look guilty at all. If anything, she seemed to be seeking praise as she nodded: “Yes, not just to protect you, but to toughen you up. How else could you handle big responsibilities? It’s just a bit of salary anyway. You’re my husband now – you’ll have everything you want in the future.” I found it laughable. Olivia had always insisted on keeping our relationship secret. Even for the wedding, she only let me invite my closest family and friends, not wanting to make a big announcement. No one knew about our relationship. All that talk of protecting me was just empty words. It was all just to satisfy her desire to put me down and keep me wrapped around her finger. Only now did I realize that what I had thought was sweet, genuine love had never been pure. I shook my head, finally speaking the words I had been holding back: “Olivia, let’s break up.” Olivia’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her lips trembled, unable to form a single word. A gleam of joy flashed in Ethan’s eyes as he quickly scolded me: “Jack, you can’t break up with Olivia just because she’s close with me! Olivia really loves you. Even on our honeymoon, her first thought whenever she saw something interesting was to buy it for you!” He just had to bring up the honeymoon to rub salt in the wound. Ethan was truly despicable. With someone backing her up, Olivia snapped out of her shock and grew even angrier. She put her hands on her hips and snorted coldly: “Jack, you’re really pushing it now. Do you think you’ve got me all figured out? Break up? Who are you to break up with me? For the past 10 years, you’ve eaten my food, used my things, worked at the job I got you. What more do you want?” The words flowed smoothly, as if she had rehearsed them. So this was how she really felt, thinking she was the one who had sacrificed the most. In the past, I might have argued with her about who had actually given more to the relationship. But looking at her enraged face now, I suddenly smiled. “Thank you,” I said. Olivia’s anger instantly deflated, replaced by confusion. “Thank me for what?” My lips remained curved in a smile as I calmly replied: “Thank you for letting me know that in your heart, I’m just a useless freeloader.” With that, I took my empty bowl to the kitchen and washed it clean. When I came back out, Olivia was still standing in the same spot, not having moved an inch. Ethan handed her a glass of honey water, saying softly: “Olivia, drink some honey water to sober up. You always liked it before.” For the first time, Olivia absentmindedly set the glass down on the table. Her face flushed as she finally said in a quiet voice: “That’s not what I meant…” I ignored her, turning to pick up my packed suitcase and head out the door. Just as I stepped out, a glass shattered against the doorframe behind me. Sticky honey water splashed all over me. Then another box hit the ground. Two ceramic rings tumbled out.

I looked at the ceramic rings by my feet in confusion. Behind me, Olivia cried out in an aggrieved tone: “I had these rings custom made for us abroad! I was always thinking of you. Jack, why are you being so difficult? Why are you running away from home?” I could only laugh. I don’t know what she was thinking. The inside of the rings were engraved with “O&E” – clearly meant for Olivia and Ethan as a couple. Yet she had the nerve to claim they were made specially for me. I didn’t stop walking, just checked into a hotel for the night. I was leaving this city tomorrow anyway. In the morning, I got ready and went to the office. But as soon as I entered, I heard a chorus of praise. “Wow, Ms. Johnson and Mr. Parker, you two make such a perfect couple! Even wearing matching outfits. I’m swooning!” “Ms. Johnson, Mr. Parker, I’m a huge fan of you two. Could I get a photo please?” Olivia and Ethan were arm-in-arm in the center of the office, basking in everyone’s adoration. My boss Tom was bowing and scraping with a fawning smile. So they were the representatives from headquarters. Seeing me, Tom introduced: “Jack, this is our CEO Ms. Johnson from headquarters, and VP Mr. Parker. They’re here to review the overseas assignments.” Olivia deliberately turned away without looking at me, her previously upturned lips now a flat line as she asked coldly: “Who all is going on overseas assignment this time?” Tom pulled out my file along with two others, smiling: “These three.” Olivia’s expression instantly froze, her eyes filling with inky darkness. Ethan’s eyes flashed with schadenfreude as he quickly jumped in, feigning shock: “How are you running things here? Don’t you know our company strictly forbids married employees with children from taking overseas assignments? Both the applicant and approver will be punished!” Tom looked bewildered as he stammered: “But none of them are married…” Olivia’s delicate brows furrowed as she pointed at me, her red lips curving coldly: “Didn’t this person take marriage leave recently?” Tom answered honestly: “He did request marriage leave at first, but it seems there was a mistake. He changed it to bereavement leave later. His mother passed away.” Hearing this, the color drained from Olivia’s face. Her outstretched finger froze as she stared at me in disbelief. As if suddenly remembering something, her gaze flickered as she asked in a low voice: “Why didn’t you tell me… about your mother’s death…” I found it laughable. My mom had always thought highly of Olivia as a daughter-in-law. She said I was blessed beyond measure to marry Olivia and had been eagerly waiting for the day Olivia would call her “Mom.” But what my mom got instead was Olivia marrying someone else and affectionately calling another woman “Mom.” I replied flatly: “There was no need, Ms. Johnson. Does headquarters really concern itself with the family affairs of ordinary employees?” Olivia seemed to sense things spiraling out of control. She gritted her teeth, anger flaring up: “What do you mean no need? I’m her daughter-in-law after all!” “Whose daughter-in-law are you?” As everyone looked on in shock, the company doors swung open. An older woman walked in, the fine lines around her eyes radiating sharpness. Olivia’s mother, the true power behind Johnson Corp – Mrs. Johnson. Everyone snapped to attention, calling out in unison: “Madam Chairwoman!” Mrs. Johnson nodded slightly. She turned to Ethan with a smile, asking: “Ethan, I sent you two newlyweds to make an appearance at the branch offices. What’s going on here?” Remembering Olivia’s earlier outburst, everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound. Ethan’s face cycled through shades of green and white before he forced a smile: “Olivia’s friend is Jack’s wife. When she heard Jack was being sent overseas, Olivia wanted to speak up for her friend.” Hearing this, Olivia bit her lip and stayed silent, head bowed in conflict. Mrs. Johnson’s eyes flashed dangerously as she demanded: “Who dares to violate company policy? I want to see who’s so bold!” I spoke up calmly: “Madam Chairwoman, there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m not married. My ex-girlfriend and I broke up amicably a while ago.” Mrs. Johnson raised an eyebrow, looking me up and down before turning to Olivia: “I’ve seen Jack’s file. He is indeed single. Olivia, are you mistaken? He’s flying out for his assignment today. Don’t delay him.” Flying out? Olivia’s pupils suddenly constricted. She turned to see my calm expression and her heart skipped a beat. A panicked look flashed across her face as she blurted out: “Mom! It’s not a friend, it’s me! I’m Jack’s wife! How could I be mistaken? We got our marriage license on November 3rd. He must be lying. I was there with him that day!” Everyone in the office swallowed hard, not expecting to witness this kind of family drama. Olivia relaxed a bit, thinking this would be enough to prevent me from leaving. Mrs. Johnson’s brow furrowed even deeper as her gaze moved between Olivia and me. After a moment, she pronounced her judgment: “What nonsense are you spouting? Even if he was your ex-boyfriend, your household registration book has been safely in my possession this whole time. What did you use to get a marriage license?”

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Aria Collins had a secret that everyone knew – she was in love with her adoptive uncle, Ethan Foster. At eight years old, when she was nearly strangled to death by bullies at school, it was Ethan who saved her and insisted on severely punishing the wealthy troublemakers. At twelve, when she got her first period, Ethan mistakenly thought she was sick or injured. He frantically abandoned a multi-million dollar business deal to rush back and take her to the hospital, where they both awkwardly received an impromptu sex ed lesson from the doctor. At fifteen, Aria ran away from home and accepted a classmate’s confession when Ethan didn’t make it back in time for her birthday party. Ethan found her at a hotel and flew into a rage, smashing expensive decor in a frenzy. On her eighteenth birthday, Aria confessed her feelings to Ethan. He responded by darkly remaining silent. The next day, he called a press conference and publicly broadcast a video of her confession on a big screen, condemning her for disregarding moral ethics and family values. After Aria was viciously attacked on social media for three days straight, Ethan coldly sent her to a behavioral reform school. After enduring a year of hellish conditions that made her wish she was dead, Aria had barely been released when Ethan demanded she donate a kidney to his fiancée. The same Aria who had once thrown the entire Foster family into chaos over Ethan’s scandalous affairs now quietly nodded in agreement. She thought to herself, “Now we’re even.”

“I’ll do it,” Aria said softly. A glimmer of satisfaction flashed in Ethan’s eyes as he nodded approvingly. “It seems this past year has indeed taught you to be more sensible. Very well, it’s decided then.” Beside him, Sophia smiled. “Thank you, Aria.” Aria stared intently at the woman in front of her. It was because of Sophia’s instigation that she had struggled through a year of hell. And now she was expected to donate a kidney to her? She gritted her teeth, barely able to speak after a long moment. “However, I have two conditions.” Ethan’s expression immediately darkened. He instinctively moved to shield Sophia behind him. “If you have any grievances, take them out on me. Don’t hurt Sophia. And if you’re thinking I’ll marry you, forget it!” Aria let out a bitter laugh, cutting him off. “My first condition is that I want to change rooms, to the guest room on the second floor. As for the second condition…I’ll tell you in three days.” In three days was the dance competition preliminary round. The winner would get a scholarship, and Ethan was one of the judges. Ethan looked suspicious, but since Sophia’s condition was urgent, he ultimately agreed. Aria signed the donation agreement. Ethan quickly made arrangements for the surgery. But just as everything was ready, the doctor came running over with the test results. “Mr. Foster, Miss Collins has too many wounds on her body. She’s weak and severely malnourished. None of her health indicators meet the standards for surgery.” Ethan frowned, only now noticing how battered Aria’s body was. After looking her up and down, he said coldly: “I understand. You may go.” After the doctor left, he deigned to give Aria a glance. “Aria Collins, put your silly tricks away. Get your body healthy. You must have the surgery in seven days!” Aria watched Ethan walk away with his arm around Sophia. Her heart clenched painfully. He actually thought her inability to have surgery was some kind of ploy. But weren’t all these injuries inflicted because of him? The year in reform school, they made her sleep next to the toilet, eat food mixed with excrement. When they were in a bad mood, they would beat and verbally abuse her at will. Slamming her head against the wall was a common occurrence. There was hardly an uninjured spot left on her body. As soon as she got out of reform school, she was roughly shoved into a car by a group of bodyguards and taken to the hospital. Not only did she learn Ethan had a fiancée, but she was also told to donate a kidney to Sophia. In the end, it was all her fault. Aria thought that perhaps she really had been wrong. She shouldn’t have fallen in love with Ethan Foster. She took off the filthy, stinking reform uniform covered in blood stains, and changed into the clean clothes the nurse gave her. Under the scorching sun, she walked for a full three hours before reaching home. When she opened the door, she was greeted by endless coldness. The Foster family’s servants and security guards had all been replaced with new ones. Seeing her arrive, they were all startled. Then they immediately picked up weapons and aimed them at her. “Where did this beggar come from? This is the Foster residence. Go beg somewhere else.” Aria was being pushed out the door when Ethan happened to hear the commotion and poked his head out from upstairs. The head of security respectfully explained: “Young Master, it’s our fault for being careless and disturbing you and Miss Evans. We’ll get rid of this beggar right away.” With that, he shoved Aria hard. Caught off guard, Aria’s foot slipped and she tumbled down the stairs. Ethan acted as if he hadn’t seen anything, his face showing irritation at being disturbed. “Let her in. She’s a girl I adopted years ago. She’ll be living here from now on.” Ethan arranged everything for her from his lofty position, but his gaze never once landed on her. Aria silently got up from the ground and followed the servant to the guest room across the hall. This room was the farthest from Ethan’s, which was why she had asked to be moved here. After showering, Aria made a phone call. “Teacher, I agree to go abroad as a dance exchange student.”

“Aria, are you sure you want to go? Although it’s officially an exchange program for dance students, it’s actually a three-year closed training known as the ‘dance world’s reform school’! Every year people drop out because they can’t handle it.” “Once I submit your name to the school, it can’t be withdrawn. Think it over carefully.” Faced with her teacher’s questioning, Aria still nodded firmly. “Teacher, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go.” As long as she could get away from Ethan Foster, she would go through fire and water. How could it be worse than a year in prison? The teacher sighed lightly. “Alright then, you’ll leave in seven days.” Seven days? Aria was taken aback. “By the way, does your uncle know about this? He used to handle all your affairs with me. Is he going abroad with you this time?” She didn’t know how to respond to that. After a long silence, she finally replied in a low voice. “He can’t go.” Just as she finished speaking, the door was pushed open. Aria quickly hung up the phone and met Ethan’s gaze. He came in carrying a glass of warm milk and dinner, which he set down on the coffee table. “I can’t go? Go where?” Aria flipped her phone face down, startled as she stood up. But when she saw the food, she reflexively rushed over and knelt down, pouring the milk into the bowl and then dumping it all into her pocket. Then she kowtowed to Ethan three times, saying over and over: “Please don’t hit me, I haven’t eaten in a week.” Ethan was shocked by this scene, disgust evident in his voice. “Aria Collins! What are you doing now!” “If it wasn’t to get your body healthy so you can donate a kidney to Sophia as soon as possible, I absolutely wouldn’t have let you out in your current state!” “Do you want to go back in there?” Ethan stormed out, slamming the door behind him. The anger surging through him nearly broke through his self-control. Actually, the first moment he saw Aria today, his heart ached terribly. The little girl he once cherished and protected had been tortured to skin and bones, completely losing her former adorable appearance. But he couldn’t allow that kind of immoral relationship to happen, so he hardened his heart to teach her a lesson. He thought that after he married Sophia and everything was settled, she would still be his most precious girl. After Ethan left, Aria gradually came back to her senses. This wasn’t the reform school. She was back home. Aria went through her nightly routine mechanically. From time to time, the sound of a woman’s gasps and moans could be heard from the room across the hall. Without thinking, she knew how intense it must be in there. Perhaps they were deliberately letting her hear. The woman’s voice became increasingly clear. But Aria hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in so long that she fell into a deep slumber within minutes. The next morning when she woke up, she smelled the aroma of delicious food wafting up from downstairs. She had just sat down at the dining table when Sophia smiled and poured a glass of wine. Then under Aria’s gaze, she downed it in one gulp. Sophia’s body immediately began turning red at an alarming rate, breaking out in hives all over. Aria looked at her with concern. “Don’t you know you’re allergic to alcohol? I’ll go call the family doctor.” Sophia gave her an inscrutable smile, then suddenly cried out. “Ethan, help!” Ethan rushed over. Sophia’s tears immediately began falling. “Aria, I don’t know why you forced me to drink. I clearly said I’m allergic to alcohol and can’t have even a drop.” Aria opened her mouth to explain, but was angrily cut off by Ethan. “I warned you last night to keep your dirty thoughts to yourself! If anything happens to Sophia, I absolutely won’t let you off!” “Keep an eye on her until I get back!” Ethan anxiously picked Sophia up and rushed out the door. Everything happened so fast that Aria had no time to react. It wasn’t until she met Sophia’s provocative gaze that she realized she had fallen into Sophia’s trap. Sophia was certain Ethan wouldn’t listen to any of her explanations right now, and she was right. Aria’s eyes darkened, a hint of self-mockery in them. Just how confident and fearless must Sophia be to drink that glass of wine without hesitation? In the year she spent in reform school, Ethan had completely become another woman’s man. Aria no longer harbored any lingering attachment. She got up and went upstairs to pack her bags.

It took Aria all afternoon to move everything related to Ethan to the empty lot outside the villa. On top was a storybook, the first gift Ethan ever gave her. When she first came to the Foster home, she had nightmares every night. It was Ethan who cradled this storybook, reading stories to lull her to sleep. She could recite every story in it by heart. Next to it was the little bicycle Ethan gave her as an apology after making her angry. Ethan thought the bicycle took up too much space and suggested throwing it away, but she insisted on keeping it in her room. Ethan had joked, “I’ll probably have to buy another villa soon, just to store all these gifts.” Aria’s eyes reddened as she thought about it. The bicycle held too many of their memories. Ethan teaching her to ride, her never fearing falls because his hands were always there to catch her. When she was finally able to ride on the road, Ethan would drive his car slowly right next to the bike lane to protect her. At her feet was a ceramic mug Ethan had made himself, next to a portrait she had drawn of him, and beside that an unsent love letter. Eleven years of companionship had occupied most of her life. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t attached, but Aria knew that clinging on would only hurt herself in the end. She and Ethan could never be together. Thinking of this, she wiped away the tears in the corners of her eyes and tossed a lit match onto the pile. The flames grew higher and higher, the past turning to ash and scattering in the wind. Ethan, who had just returned with some soup for Sophia, happened to witness this scene. The fire blazed higher than Aria herself, as if it would consume her whole. Seeing this, Ethan rushed over and pulled Aria into his arms. “Aria Collins! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” Falling into that familiar broad chest, Aria was jolted out of her reverie. The next second, Ethan roughly pushed her away, his face cold. “You really are good at manipulation. I can’t believe I fell for your tricks again! If you continue to be so stubborn, I’ll send you right back where you came from!” As Ethan turned to leave, Aria saw his eyes were as cold as ice. Back in the villa, Aria went upstairs to practice dancing. Tomorrow was the dance competition preliminary round. To get the scholarship, she had to win first place. Ignoring the pain from her wounds, she danced gracefully in the studio. Time passed, night fell. Finishing practice, Aria collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. Her body ached all over, but she felt every second was full of hope. “I’ll take you there tomorrow.” It wasn’t until Ethan spoke that she realized someone was standing in the doorway. “I agreed to your request, but if your body can’t handle it, I’ll call it off immediately.” Aria’s eyes dimmed slightly as she nodded. Then she put the painkiller syringe she had prepared into her bag. She didn’t realize this small action would end up helping her in a big way. The next day at the competition venue, Ethan was present as a judge. Before the competition, he stood in the center of the crowd with his arm around Sophia, basking in everyone’s flattery. “My goodness! What a perfect match! Miss Evans was a dance prodigy in her youth, winning countless awards. She’s sure to take first place this time!” “Is she also competing for the exchange student spot? If so, she could just bat her eyelashes at Mr. Foster and go as a regular student. That way she wouldn’t have to suffer through being an exchange student!” “Miss Evans is too upright for such underhanded methods. If she wanted to study abroad, top schools would be fighting over her.” Sophia smiled charmingly in Ethan’s arms. Aria silently watched all of this. She had to admit, Sophia was naturally talented at dance. It was after watching one of Sophia’s classical dance performances that Ethan had first taken notice of her. The two grew closer and eventually became a couple. Ethan thought Aria’s insistence on learning dance was an attempt to emulate Sophia and win his heart. On her 18th birthday, Aria happened to choose the same classical dance piece Sophia had performed when Ethan first saw her. So Ethan flew into a rage and sent her to reform school. How laughable that such a vicious woman had made Ethan believe he’d found true love. Ten minutes before the competition, Aria secretly hid in a corner and gave herself a shot of painkillers. Then she returned to the dressing room and put on her dance costume. When it was her turn to go on stage, the medication had taken effect and she felt no pain, allowing her to give a stable performance. As the dance ended, Aria bowed and prepared to leave the stage. But a searing pain suddenly shot through her foot. The next second, she gasped and collapsed to the ground. Looking down, she saw her dance shoe had been dyed red with blood. She took it off to find a needle sticking out of the sole of her foot!

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Wendy Lee, my husband’s first love, staged a scene where she fell down the stairs and miscarried in an attempt to frame me. Just as I was about to explain, Lucas Reed swore he believed me. However, half a month later, I also miscarried. After the surgery, I stumbled to find him for comfort, but accidentally overheard his conversation with his best friend. “Lucas, you’re too cruel. That was your own child you just killed.” “She made Wendy miscarry. That would have been my son. She’s lucky I didn’t kill her!” His friend sounded worried, “What if your wife finds out later? Won’t she sue you?” Lucas sneered: “Does she have any evidence? Just a lowly orphan who thought she could be Mrs. Reed. How dare she push Wendy down the stairs! “This little lesson is just the appetizer. The real show is yet to come. Just wait and see!” I was thunderstruck. After the surgery, I dragged my exhausted body out to find Lucas. The nurse said he was in the chief’s office. Dr. Gregory Chen, the OB/GYN chief, was Lucas’s best friend. I overheard their conversation at the door. So his trust in me was fake. He was convinced that I had pushed Wendy and caused her miscarriage. To avenge Wendy, he had deliberately arranged for me to have a car accident and miscarry. And the baby in Wendy’s womb was actually his child. The marriage I thought was mutual turned out to be a joke on me alone. My heart felt pierced by countless blades, the pain making it hard to breathe. Dr. Chen asked again, “Lucas, if you love Wendy so much, why don’t you two just get married?” Yes, why? I wanted to know too. Mentioning his love, Lucas smiled and said: “I married Natalie because Wendy left. Men have needs, you know. “Now that Wendy’s back, of course I want to marry her. But at first, I thought Wendy was too delicate and didn’t want her to suffer through pregnancy and childbirth. I figured I’d have Natalie help bear a child. “Who knew Wendy wanted to have our baby herself, only to be harmed by Natalie. “If Wendy hadn’t stopped me, I would’ve sent her to meet her maker already.” … For Wendy’s sake, he actually wanted my life. But Wendy’s miscarriage had nothing to do with me. Half a month ago, Wendy had returned from abroad. She moved directly into the home I shared with Lucas. Lucas said Wendy was his childhood sweetheart and asked me to take good care of her. But a woman’s intuition told me Lucas felt differently about her. Though I was unhappy, I didn’t refuse for fear of upsetting Lucas. So I took care of everything personally, attending to her every need. But Wendy constantly mocked and provoked me. “Natalie, do you know whose baby I’m carrying? It’s Lucas’s.” “Every time Lucas went abroad, he was coming to see me. You didn’t know that, did you?” “Don’t you feel pathetic, clinging on like this?” I had heard rumors about Lucas and Wendy before. She was the one that got away, his first love. During Lucas’s most difficult years, she went abroad. I was the one who stayed by his side and helped him through it. So I didn’t believe her attempts to drive a wedge between us. Unable to provoke my anger, she resorted to more dangerous tactics. Half a month ago, she stood at the top of the stairs, grabbed my hand, and made it look like I pushed her. Then she deliberately fell backwards down the stairs. Lucas happened to witness this scene. Just as I was about to explain, he gently comforted me: “I know Natalie is the kindest girl in the world. You definitely didn’t mean to do it.” But then he turned around and arranged for someone to hit me with a car, causing my miscarriage. When I was crying my heart out over losing the baby, he hugged me tightly with red-rimmed eyes: “Childbirth is so dangerous. I just want you safe and sound. “No one is more important than you, Natalie. You are my life.” Because of those words, I felt terribly guilty. At the same time, I was grateful to have found such a good man. But it was all fake. No wonder his friends all looked down on me, repeatedly mocking me behind my back. “If Wendy hadn’t gone abroad, how could she ever have become Mrs. Reed?” “Lucas probably married her just to make Wendy jealous. She’s not even a backup, at best she’s just a tool.” Everyone knew he didn’t love me, but I believed the fake affection he put on. Fighting through the pain, I stumbled out of the hospital on unsteady feet. Numbly pulling out my phone, I dialed a number: “Professor, I accept your invitation.” I was a top graduate from an elite university. To be with Lucas all the time, I had repeatedly turned down my mentor’s invitations. I became a diligent housewife, with everything revolving around my husband. Now cruelly abandoned and trampled on. If this was the price for my poor judgment and being blinded by love, I accepted it. From now on, I would cherish myself and ride freely towards freedom.

I returned home in a daze, collapsing heavily onto the bed. Recalling the past three years, it all seemed like a dream. All that happiness turned out to be fake, all an act by Lucas. Looking back, there were signs. He never remembered our wedding anniversary. Every year on my birthday he gave the same gift. He rarely ate at home. I often waited until late at night, guarding a table full of food. Messages and calls were few and far between. Whenever I happily shared something with him, he either didn’t reply or just said “Mm”, “Oh”, “Okay”. I comforted myself that he was just too busy, explaining away all the cold treatment. But no one is busy 24 hours a day. His attitude was his answer. Yet I drowned myself in his occasional sweet words. Tears flowed freely. It hurt so much. The man I fell for at first sight, whom I loved deeply for years, turned out to be unworthy of that love. Hearing the incoming call, seeing that familiar name, I broke down sobbing. Once, getting his call or message would make me happy for hours. But now, the dream was over. As I dozed off, I was roughly yanked awake. Lucas stood by the bed demanding, “You left without a word and won’t answer your phone. What’s the problem?” I licked my dry lips and managed to say, “Phone died. What is it?” “I know you’re upset. Wendy specially arranged a party to cheer you up.” I waved my hand weakly, “I’m not feeling well. I won’t go.” “Are you embarrassed to face Wendy? She doesn’t blame you. She even wants to comfort you. I believe you didn’t mean it.” Is that so? Their conversation at the hospital echoed in my ears. “Natalie’s baby is already gone. Isn’t that enough? How do you plan to get revenge for Wendy?” “Kill the heart, not the body. Just wait and see.” Seeing I wasn’t moving, Lucas frowned impatiently, “Stop dawdling. Everyone’s waiting.” I felt utterly drained, even speaking was an effort, “Lucas, I really don’t feel well…” “Natalie Sanders, what are you being so delicate about? Don’t waste Wendy’s goodwill.” In the end, he forcibly dragged me away. Arriving at the private room, Wendy and her group of sycophants were watching me with undisguised contempt. There was disdain, scorn, mockery, and mostly indignation. Comfort me? This was clearly a pack of wolves wanting revenge for Wendy, waiting to tear me apart. I felt deep fear, clutching Lucas’s shirt with pleading eyes. “Lucas, my stomach hurts. Can you take me to the hospital?” He smirked coldly, then expressionlessly pulled my hand away. He sprawled on the couch without a word. “Sis-in-law, I know you don’t like me, but as women, I understand the pain of losing a child. “You’re just a housewife without many friends, so I wanted to throw a party to cheer you up. “Don’t refuse anymore.” Her words sounded kind and sincere, but her eyes were full of malice. I instinctively stepped back. These people were vicious. If I didn’t leave, I feared there would be no good outcome. Wendy seemed to see through my intentions. When I turned to escape, she grabbed me back. The door slammed shut and locked.

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I deliberately left the window open, letting the crime boss hear me with someone else all night long. The next morning, he asked me with a gloomy face, “Can I join in?” But I just embraced others, coldly refusing. “Don’t you like your little sister the most?” The man’s eyes turned bloodshot, but he didn’t dare to take a step closer. Only because as his woman, I had helped him expand his business for ten years. In the end, he’d rather marry a college girl than fulfill his promise to marry me. His subordinates couldn’t understand and started protesting on my behalf. “Boss, Aria has helped you build your empire. She’s a valuable asset. Didn’t you used to dote on her? Why are you marrying someone else now?” Ethan stubbed out his cigarette, fiddling with the couple’s ring he shared with Lily. “Aria? A woman with blood on her hands. Every time I think about sleeping with her, it gives me the creeps. How can she compare to my darling?” “But Aria is so clever. What if she finds out and turns against you?” Ethan frowned and sneered, “The whole city is already mine. Without her, I’m not afraid of losing anything.” Little did he know, I had heard everything from outside the door. I threw the medicine I was going to give him in the trash and sent a SnapChat to his arch-enemy Xavier. “Want Ethan’s territory and life? I’ll give them to you!”

As I was preparing to get a speedboat to leave the island, Ethan came to find me. “There’s a big shipment coming to the island the day after tomorrow. Send some men to receive it personally, and clear out your house. I need it!” He commanded sternly, but I just found it laughable. To marry Lily, he really didn’t care about my life. Even if Xavier attacked his base, he still wanted me to risk my life to bring back his little flower. He was truly lovesick. Need the house? Wasn’t it just for Lily to live in? I coldly replied with an “Oh.” Seeing my flat reaction, Ethan frowned in displeasure. “What are you sulking about now? I’m not making our relationship public because the situation is unstable. Xavier is watching closely. I can’t let the men lower their guard just because of you.” “Your most important task now is to help me fend off Xavier’s attacks.” Ethan always tried to manipulate me like this. Before, I thought this was his way of protecting me, so I worked even harder for him, fighting and scheming. But now I just found it absurd. I put the boat rental form in front of him and said flatly, “I’m not sulking. I’m used to it.” Ethan sensed something unusual. Impatience flashed in his eyes, and his signature even tore through the paper. “Aria! What’s with the attitude? I’m just asking for your house. Everything on this island is mine, including your life. Can’t I even use you anymore?” He threw the paper in my face. “From now on, don’t come to me for trivial things like going off the island for supplies. I don’t have time for you…” Knowing he misunderstood, I didn’t explain. I nodded perfunctorily and left, feeling relieved as I looked at the speedboat I was about to get. I had helped Ethan expand his business for ten years. We were childhood sweethearts, brothers who could trust each other with our lives, and even the most intimate lovers. I had always hoped to marry him, and he had hinted that once he had the whole city in his hands, he would give me what I wanted. But now I realized. That was just my own wishful thinking and his lies woven to use my feelings. Now he was going to marry someone else. That night, a team of heavily armed mercenaries escorted Lily onto the island. She was in a white dress, her naive eyes full of smug pride. “Sister has worked hard for Ethan for over ten years, with great merit.” “I’ll definitely get him to promote you, and send you some male models. We can’t let sister’s personal life suffer.” “Unlike Ethan, who can’t wait another moment. He’s marrying me tomorrow, oh my…” I tightened my grip on the gun handle, barely restraining the urge to shoot her. “Let’s go.” I coldly glanced at her and was about to leave. But Lily stopped me, taking out a diary from her bag and saying slyly: “These are the love notes Ethan wrote when he missed me all these years. It’s too heavy to carry, so I’ll trouble sister to throw it away for me.” With that, she swayed her skirt and left. Facing the cold wind blowing against the rocks, I trembled as I opened the diary. April 12, 2024, when I protected him as we broke through an encirclement, he said “Lily, if I can survive this, I’ll marry you.” August 5, 2023, when I heard he was ambushed by Xavier during a business trip. I took two machetes and single-handedly broke into the enemy camp to rescue him. He said: “Baby, you smell so good today.” January 24, 2021, when he was arrested, I decided to take the blame for him, and he said: “If it were you, I would never let you suffer like this.” Every word in the diary stabbed into my heart, as painful as if my heart was being carved out. How many times had I begged Ethan to marry me, and he always kissed my forehead and said: “Aria, wait for me.” “I have too many enemies. I’m always afraid I haven’t cleared the obstacles for you. When I have the whole city under control, I’ll marry you, okay?” But my countless urgings were only met with perfunctory responses. On SnapChat, a reply finally came. The short two words were forceful, leaving me no way to turn back. “Deal!” I still couldn’t help wanting to confirm something, so I asked: “On August 5, 2024, you ambushed Ethan, right?” The reply came instantly, each word dripping with blood: “I’m completely innocent!” “No way? So that’s why you chased me for nine blocks with two machetes? It really wasn’t me!” I laughed bitterly. So in Ethan’s eyes, I was just a clown to be toyed with at will. If so, why should I stay for them to mock?

After arranging the details with Xavier, I walked back, but overheard Ethan talking to his subordinates by the yacht. “Boss, the bride’s wedding dress has arrived. It’s the billion-dollar dress you requested from the royal auction.” “But we’re worried about Aria. If she makes a scene and exposes our location, we might all be caught…” Ethan was unconcerned: “I love Lily and will only marry her as my wife. Tomorrow’s wedding must go smoothly. I won’t allow any accidents.” “Not even Aria. I’ll make sure she stays quiet.” “And keep your men’s mouths shut. If anyone leaks even half a word, I’ll feed them to the sharks!” Although I had decided to leave, hearing the man who once loved me so deeply deceive and belittle me like this still made my heart ache. Back in my room, I packed the luggage I wanted to take. Besides ID documents, looking at the weapons all over the room, I realized Ethan had never really given me anything. He would only throw various weapons at me, telling me to protect him well. I had once asked him for dresses and jewelry, but he said: “Aria, even in a dress and necklace, you don’t look like a woman. Don’t waste them.” But Lily’s luggage had a whole truckload of jewelry and pretty clothes. Why could she wear them but not me? I searched the wardrobe and found a red dress at the bottom. I put it on with high heels and even did my makeup. Just then, Lily barged into my room. “Aria, you’ve read the diary, right? Ethan’s most beloved…” Her words stopped halfway as she saw how alluring and beautiful I looked after dressing up. She was dumbfounded. When she recovered, she frowned and sneered: “I thought you’d at least have some self-respect and leave quietly knowing Ethan doesn’t love you.” “But you’re still trying to seduce him, you shameless vixen! I’ll tear you apart!” She lunged at me to scratch my face, but her skills were so poor that I ended up slapping her instead. “Aria! How dare you hit me, Ethan will make you pay!” Lily screeched angrily. I crossed my arms and watched her jump around. “Thanks for the compliment. I’m definitely prettier than you.” A second after I spoke, she suddenly knelt down and started slapping herself: “Sister, I’m the despicable one, marrying Ethan so thoughtlessly. You can beat me to death as long as you don’t ruin the wedding!” I was confused, when suddenly a kick came flying at me. “Aria! Are you treating my words as wind in your ears? You dare bully Lily!” Ethan’s furious kick would have taken half my life if it had landed. So, what was I to him after all? A hunting dog he raised? A punching bag he could beat and scold at will after using me up? I barely dodged, but twisted my ankle in the high heels. I winced in pain, forcing myself to look at him. Ethan helped Lily up, his cold eyes looking at me. Until he saw my face clearly, his eyes lit up for a moment, but his words were still icy. “Aria, no matter how pretty you dress up, in my eyes you’re not half as good as Lily.” Lily sobbed and grabbed Ethan’s hand: “Ethan, sister forced me to tell her. I couldn’t keep the secret, I’m sorry…” Ethan held her in his arms, full of tenderness: “It’s just a small matter, no one blames you.” I smiled bitterly. He had just threatened his men with their lives to keep the wedding a secret, but when Lily blabbed to me it became a small matter. She really had no restrictions with him, so pampered. So what was I? Just a fool? “So you’re really going to marry her?” I stared hard at Ethan. I cared too much about how he would explain to me. I thought he would at least feel guilty, panic, beg me to let go of the past and give them his blessing. But Ethan just frowned slightly, unconcerned: “Yes, the wedding is tomorrow. I’ll allow you to attend, but don’t cause trouble. Aria, don’t force me to deal with you.” In an instant, my last hope for Ethan was shattered. It wasn’t the right time to marry me, just because it was me. When it came to Lily, all the dangers and threats suddenly weren’t obstacles anymore. He could even brazenly offer to let me attend their wedding. How could someone be so heartless? I held back tears, gritting my teeth: “Get out…” But Lily pushed further: “Ethan, I don’t know many people here. I want sister to be our bridesmaid, but I’m afraid of offending her…” Seeing his beloved girl plead so carefully, Ethan softened and ordered me: “Aria, since you know we’re getting married, being a bridesmaid shouldn’t be a problem, right?” “I don’t want to see you two, get out!” My anger finally exploded. I picked up a stick from the corner and chased them out. “Get out!” With a bang, I slammed the door shut and collapsed on the floor, gasping for air. A tear of despair leaked from the corner of my eye. As I was grieving, my phone suddenly lit up with a message from Xavier.

I opened it irritably, but suddenly blushed when I saw it. “The red dress suits you. You look beautiful.” “Take off those heels and apply some medicine.” I was surprised he knew my ankle was swollen. But medicine? As I was thinking, a drone flew to the window with a box attached. I opened it to find a red dress and some ointment inside. So he had discovered Ethan’s hideout long ago, but just hadn’t made a move. I really found the right ally. I had just applied the medicine according to the instructions and was about to wash up for bed when Ethan came back. He picked me up and gently placed me on the bed, holding some bruise ointment. “Be good, don’t be afraid. I’ll apply the medicine for you.” It seemed to be raining outside. Ethan was soaked, but he still dried his hands carefully before gently applying the medicine. I was very afraid of pain. When I first started fighting alongside Ethan, I would cry uncontrollably even from just a scratch. Every time I was injured, no matter how battered he was, Ethan would always stay by my side, letting me bite his arm to endure the pain. Those years were tough, but I felt secure. But it seemed that one day, he disappeared from my bedside. Later, countless times I was on the verge of death, with scars big and small, and he never spared me a glance. But now I’m not afraid of pain anymore, yet he’s rushing to take care of me. Has his conscience awakened? Ethan’s apologetic voice came: “Aria, you’ve lost weight. I’ve been neglecting you lately, I’m sorry.” “About the marriage, I was afraid you’d overthink it so I didn’t tell you. Lily saved my life and was targeted for assassination because of me. I have to protect her.” “But don’t worry, I won’t touch her. I only love you. Once I deal with Xavier, I’ll definitely divorce her and marry you properly, okay?” He massaged my ankle, while my gaze fixed on the wedding ring on his finger. I looked at Ethan, my eyes full of sorrow, and asked: “Ethan, all these years, have you ever loved me?” He was stunned for a moment, then knelt on one knee and held me in his arms, full of deep affection: “I love you, I only love you, Aria.” Then, he hand-fed me the milk he brought, his eyes full of tenderness: “Here, drink some milk and go to sleep early. You can come to the wedding tomorrow if you want, I won’t stop you.” But I tasted that the milk was laced with sleeping pills. Enough to make me sleep through the whole day tomorrow. My throat felt constricted, almost suffocating me. He was still deceiving me, just so Lily could marry him smoothly tomorrow. So this was how he planned to keep me quiet. I drank all the milk, a tear falling. My heart felt dead. But Ethan smiled, smiled so brightly, gazing at me tenderly as I closed my eyes. But he didn’t know that after years of fighting for him, I had trouble sleeping every night and had built up a tolerance to sleeping pills. After a while, Lily’s coquettish moans sounded in my ear: “Ethan, you were gone so long, I thought you were staying here!” Ethan embraced her passionately: “How could I? She’s just a human shield to take bullets for me. I’m still being watched by Xavier, so I need to keep her close to use her.” “Xavier is wary of her, so he won’t go all out against me.” Lily pouted: “Where are you touching? Naughty~” “Mm, I’m the naughtiest…” Ethan’s voice was low and husky. The sound of clothes rustling grew more intense as they kissed fervently. My heart felt like it had been stabbed, the pain tearing me apart. To Ethan, I had always submitted unconditionally. He had never been so doting and passionate with me. “Aria, can you take the blame for me?” “Aria, I’m in a firefight with Xavier, come help me.” And I would always agree to his requests, even at the cost of my life. Finally, they left, and I couldn’t sleep all night. Early in the morning, I left with my backpack. Half the island was empty, everyone preparing for the wedding. I handed the rental form to the dock guard: “I need a speedboat.” The man looked surprised: “Aria, things are tense out there. What if you get caught?” “Boss told us not to let you leave the island alone. And with you gone, who will manage things here? We’re worried something might happen.” Ethan had once promised me that as soon as he took over the city, he would marry me as Mrs. Qin. To marry him sooner, I led raids at night and handled island affairs during the day, splitting myself in two. But if Ethan truly loved me, how could he let me work so hard and ignore my efforts? He didn’t love me, so everything I did was in vain. “Does the boss know you’re leaving the island?” He was one of the few who knew our true relationship and how much Ethan valued me. Although Ethan never showed any special treatment towards me in front of his men, nor did he ever cross any lines with me. He even beat me half to death in public to establish his authority. But the man still asked repeatedly, because I was leaving on Ethan’s wedding day. He felt uneasy. “He knows. He signed the form himself.” The man hesitated, but under my urging, he still gave me the speedboat. Driving the boat, the salty cold wind blew all the way before I finally felt the reality of leaving. This counts as completely betraying Ethan, right? After all, I’m taking secrets to his archenemy Xavier. I wonder what expression he’ll have when he finds out? I can only think so maliciously. As I passed an area of sea, a huge yacht was stopped, holding a wedding ceremony on deck. A helicopter scattered rose petals from above, covering the nearby sea. The sound system was so loud I could hear it from far away. It was Ethan pouring his heart out to Lily. “Lily, you once said people in our line of work shouldn’t have loved ones. So I hid all my love for you in my heart, afraid you’d become my weakness, afraid you’d get hurt.” “But now, I want to tell you, you are my weakness, and also my armor!” “To be able to marry you, I waited 7 years, planning for so long. Now my wish has finally come true…” Yes, he loves her, so he hid it from everyone, including me. All his love for Lily now makes his promises to me in the past into a joke. I turned my head to look in the distance, glimpsing the silhouettes of a man and woman standing together on the deck, pure and romantic. Ethan’s gaze seemed to meet mine from afar. He froze: “Aria?” My heart clenched painfully. He seemed to be overwhelmed by a strong sense of unease, as if about to lose something most important. Lily held his hand, giggling and comforting him: “Ethan, you must be seeing things. Sister drank the drugged milk you gave her. She’s still sleeping now.” The doubt on Ethan’s face gradually faded, but he silently decided to comfort me well when he got back. Even if it took the rest of his life to make up for it. Little did he know, I was already driving the speedboat further and further away from him. “Mr. Ethan, do you take Miss Lily to be your lawfully wedded wife, for better or…” The priest’s solemn vows were suddenly interrupted. “Boss, something’s wrong!” A subordinate came running in panic, shouting: “Boss, Aria… Aria is gone!”

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On the third day after my brother-in-law’s death, I heard a man’s heavy breathing coming from my sister-in-law’s room. I couldn’t resist going to take a look. The door was slightly ajar. Through the gap, I saw a man in my sister-in-law’s bed. The man’s silhouette was eerily similar to my husband’s. My heart suddenly leaped into my throat. Earlier that day, my mother-in-law had suggested that my husband should father a child with my sister-in-law, to take care of her. But my husband had firmly refused. My sister-in-law also disagreed, saying she wanted to remain faithful to my late brother-in-law. How did it turn into this by nightfall? I took a few more steps forward, wanting to get a clearer look at the man’s face. But before I could get closer, the door slammed shut. I looked up to see my mother-in-law’s angry face. She snarled at me, “What are you looking at? Your sister-in-law has suffered enough. Doesn’t she deserve a chance at happiness?” My mother-in-law’s words left me bewildered. I just wanted to see who the man in the bed was. It had nothing to do with whether my sister-in-law deserved happiness or not. I said, “Mom, you’ve misunderstood.” My mother-in-law glared at me and shouted, “Misunderstood? I saw it with my own eyes. What else is there to explain? You’re just jealous of your sister-in-law because she has a man who loves her. You’re uncomfortable with that, aren’t you? Let me tell you, no matter whose child Ruby bears, it will be registered under your late brother-in-law’s name. Don’t think you can hog all the family’s assets for yourself.” My mother-in-law’s attitude towards me was terrible. Earlier in the day, she had wanted my husband to father a child with Ruby. But my husband had refused. So my mother-in-law believed I had whispered in his ear, and she resented me for it. I said, “Mom, I just thought the man in Ruby’s room looked a bit like Lucas. I wanted to get a closer look, that’s all.” As soon as I finished speaking, my mother-in-law became even angrier. She pointed at my nose and yelled, “Mia Collins, do you have any conscience? Lucas has been so good to you, and yet you still suspect him. Are you even human?” Lucas had indeed been very good to me. He was the CEO of a major corporation and was always busy, but he still made time to be with me. He would accompany me to pottery classes, leaving our marks on clay pieces like ordinary couples. He would even attend concerts of obscure singers with me. At one concert, there were barely any people, only about 80 or 90 in the audience. I casually remarked, “It would be nice if there were more people.” Lucas then called in a crowd of thousands, and the quiet concert suddenly became packed. When reporters caught Lucas there and asked why such a wealthy heir would attend the concert of an unknown singer, Lucas kissed my forehead in front of the cameras and said, “Because of my wife. Whatever she likes, I like.” Lucas’s words were reported by all major media outlets, and the unknown singer became an overnight sensation. People believed in Lucas’s taste. If a singer could capture Lucas’s interest, they must be talented. Seeing that I remained silent, my mother-in-law glared at me again and said harshly, “How did Lucas end up marrying an ingrate like you? You don’t know how to appreciate him at all. All you do is suspect him. Now get out of here!” I nodded, “Alright.” I walked towards the door. Because Lucas had refused to father a child with Ruby, he was being punished by kneeling in the courtyard. As long as Lucas was still kneeling in the courtyard, it meant I was just being paranoid. I went to the courtyard, the lights were on, but Lucas wasn’t there. Where had he gone? Just as I was feeling confused, Lucas came running back hurriedly. His clothes were wrinkled, and his face was sweaty. I even caught a whiff of perfume on him. It was Ruby’s perfume.

My heart sank again. A bad feeling crept over me. I was terrified that the man in Ruby’s room might be Lucas. Lucas ran up to me, patted my head, and said breathlessly, “Mia, why did you suddenly come out here? Go back inside, it’s cold out here.” I instinctively looked at Lucas’s knees. They were clean, with no trace of dirt or any signs of kneeling. I clenched my fists tightly and stared at Lucas, asking, “Where did you just go?” Lucas laughed nervously, stumbling over his words, “I… I just went to the bathroom.” Lucas and I had been together for 5 years. I knew his habits well. Whenever he lied, his eyes would look down at his shoes. But why was he lying to me? Could he really be the man in Ruby’s room? No, that’s impossible. Lucas loved me so much. How could 5 years of love change so suddenly? Lucas wasn’t that kind of person. He came from a wealthy family, and there were many beautiful women who wanted to get close to him. But in all our years of marriage, he had never been involved in any scandals. I trusted Lucas. But I was still anxious. I calmly said, “Lucas, you’re lying. You can’t fool me. Where did you really go just now?” Lucas was stunned for a few seconds. His brows furrowed, and his expression turned unpleasant. It seemed I had guessed correctly. He had lied to me. Lucas grabbed my shoulders and said, “Mia, you’re acting strange today. Did you hear or see something?” I removed Lucas’s hands and said angrily, “I’m just asking where you went just now. What does that have to do with whether I heard or saw anything? Why do you seem so guilty? You haven’t done anything to betray me, have you?” Lucas was visibly upset. He said with a hint of anger, “Mia, for your sake, I was punished to kneel in the courtyard and was beaten by my father. Now you’re saying these things to provoke me. Can’t you consider my feelings? Stop being so suspicious. Ruby and I are innocent. I can’t give Ruby a child. At most, I’ll just take good care of her for my brother’s sake.” I laughed coldly to myself. I hadn’t even mentioned Ruby, Lucas had brought her up himself. And his tone of voice betrayed his guilt. I smiled and said, “Lucas, I just asked where you went just now. Why are you telling me all this? Don’t you think you’re protesting too much?” Lucas frowned deeply, growing irritated. “I really went to the bathroom just now. If you don’t believe me, that’s your problem. I still need to continue my punishment. You go back upstairs.” With that, Lucas knelt down on the ground. He looked at me with impatience and anger in his eyes. I was angry too. “Lucas, you still won’t tell the truth. I can smell Ruby’s perfume on you. I smelled it.” I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to shed tears in front of Lucas. Lucas was stunned for a few seconds, a flash of guilt crossing his eyes. “We all live in the same house. We’re bound to run into each other. Of course I might accidentally pick up her scent. Stop being so suspicious.” I smiled bitterly and said, “Then why don’t I smell like her?” Lucas stood up, clearly exasperated. “Mia, can you stop making a fuss? What exactly do you want? Why won’t you believe anything I say? You used to believe everything I said. What’s wrong with you?” I thought I wouldn’t cry, but tears started falling uncontrollably. I choked out, “I just saw a man in Ruby’s room earlier. His back looked a lot like yours. Was that man you?”

As soon as I finished speaking, Lucas hugged me tightly. He whispered in my ear, “It wasn’t me. That was a man Mom found for Ruby. Mia, you have to believe me.” I pushed Lucas away and looked into his eyes, saying, “Don’t lie to me!” Lucas panicked and hurriedly said, “I’m not lying to you. It really was a man Mom found for Ruby. When Ruby gets pregnant and gives birth, they’ll say it’s my brother’s posthumous child. You can’t tell anyone about this.” Seeing that I didn’t respond, Lucas picked me up in his arms. “Mia, it’s too cold outside. Let’s talk inside.” Lucas held me tightly and carried me into the house. He threw me onto the bed and looked into my eyes, saying, “Mia, I swear, I will only love you in this lifetime. I will never betray you. You have to believe me.” Lucas’s words now were exactly the same as what he had said on our wedding day. On our wedding day, I thought his scent was sweet, and I wanted to hold him close and breathe it in. But now, his scent had changed. It had become a smell I didn’t like. After saying this, Lucas tried to kiss me. But my body instinctively resisted. In the past, I would have leaned in, but today I couldn’t do it. I turned my head away. Lucas thought I was still upset and smiled foolishly, saying, “Mia, let me comfort you to sleep. Early to bed, early to rise. You’re getting dark circles under your eyes.” Lucas held me in his arms, trying to comfort me to sleep as he usually did, telling me a bedtime story. But I had no interest in listening to stories. The smell on him was too unpleasant. It made me uncomfortable, even nauseous. I forced myself to accept Lucas, but I couldn’t accept the smell on him. I instinctively turned away, facing away from Lucas. Without Lucas near me, the air felt fresh. It smelled comfortable. Lucas said, “Mia, drink some water before you sleep.” I nodded and drank the water. After drinking, I suddenly felt very tired and sleepy. My eyelids were heavy, and I couldn’t keep them open. I quickly fell asleep. I was awakened by the sound of heavy breathing. I opened my eyes to find myself alone in bed. Lucas was gone. I heard the breathing sounds coming from upstairs again. Upstairs was Ruby’s room. I had a bad feeling. I opened the window and looked out into the courtyard. Lucas wasn’t in the courtyard. Where had he gone so late at night? I carefully went up to the second floor. I stopped outside Ruby’s room. The door was still slightly ajar. Through the gap, I saw Ruby entangled with a man. The man was still facing away from me. Ruby giggled and said, “Brother-in-law, how many sleeping pills did you give her? Will your wife suddenly wake up?” “I gave her three pills. She won’t wake up.” Hearing the man’s voice, my tears instantly fell. This voice was too familiar. It was Lucas. The man who had just been comforting me to sleep was now entangled with another woman. What an ironic scene. I thought I had found true love, a love that would last a lifetime. But in the end, I had misjudged him. My love couldn’t tolerate even a grain of sand. I didn’t want this marriage anymore. I carefully went downstairs, picked up my phone, and dialed my brother’s number. “Brother, I want a divorce.” There was silence on the phone for a few seconds, then my brother laughed and said, “My dear sister, I told you long ago that in our wealthy circles, there are no truly devoted people. A lifelong, monogamous relationship is impossible. Come to France. The estate and handsome men are all ready for you.”

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Shen had his eye on a young girl and asked me to personally handle her graduation party. “Young girls love to look beautiful. You have experience attending many banquets, so help her dress up nicely,” he said. That day, I picked out no less than a hundred dresses for Lily, but she immediately fell in love with the mermaid wedding gown Shen had designed for me years ago. “Let’s go with this one, sis. I want to wear a wedding dress for Mr. Johnson too,” Lily said playfully, looking at me. Out of selfishness, I refused her request. As a result, Lily ran to Shen in tears to complain. I was forced to endure the Johnson family’s harsh punishment, kneeling on a hard wooden floor all night. Later, to make up for his little lover, Shen auctioned off my family heirloom without warning. He sent my grandmother’s jade bracelet, which she had left me before she passed away, to the auction house. He spent a fortune on it for Lily, throwing money around carelessly. That day, all the guests who entered the venue watched with red eyes, knowing it was my most treasured possession. I begged Shen not to give the bracelet away, but he just held Lily and said mockingly: “I told you before, anything Lily wants, you have no right to compete for!” On the day of the graduation party, Lily wore my mermaid wedding dress and the jade bracelet worth over a hundred million dollars, instantly becoming the center of attention. Everyone was guessing if I would sulk alone like I had in the past. But this time, I calmly handed divorce papers to Shen’s assistant. After suing the two for theft, I left for abroad.

When Shen brought his little lover home, I wasn’t surprised. He despised the relationship between our families and hated even more that I had used family connections to secure our marriage. In seven years of marriage, Shen had brought over a hundred lovers home to provoke and humiliate me publicly. This time, the girl he brought back looked younger and more beautiful than ever before, making my heart suddenly tighten. “Lily is graduating from college in a few days and needs to prepare for the party in advance,” Shen said. “Young girls love to look beautiful. You have experience attending many banquets, so help her dress up nicely,” he ordered, raising his handsome eyebrows and holding Lily closer. I couldn’t refuse Shen’s demands, so I could only resign myself to serving each of his lovers well. “I understand,” I nodded numbly, forcing myself to swallow the bitterness in my heart as I went to pick out suitable dresses for Lily. During this time, Shen had to go to the company for something, leaving Lily alone to face me. “Oh my, these dresses are all so outdated. There’s no thought put into them at all. Rachel, you’re not deliberately being careless, are you?” Lily said with a frown, clearly intending to make things difficult for me. I was already used to how hard to please each lover was, so I calmly asked her what she liked. “I heard Mr. Johnson used to give you lots of custom-made dresses. Can I take a look?” she asked, though she didn’t wait for my opinion before heading upstairs. I couldn’t help but frown, the words to stop her caught in my throat. I saw Lily take out the mermaid wedding dress from the glass cabinet and smile smugly at me: “Let’s go with this one, sis. I want to wear a wedding dress for Mr. Johnson too.” “He said before that my looks aren’t inferior to yours. I’m sure I’ll look even better in it!” Lily looked at me with a strange hostility. The moment I saw the mermaid wedding dress, my heart skipped a beat and my hands clenched into fists. This wedding dress was personally customized for me by Shen from abroad. The labor costs alone were over a million dollars, not to mention the tens of thousands of expensive diamonds on it. “No, this one is very important to me. You can choose any of the others,” I said, my gaze heavy. Lily naturally noticed my unusual reaction. But with Shen’s favor backing her, she didn’t take my refusal seriously at all. “Mr. Johnson said that whatever I like, no one can take it from me!” Lily said, picking up the dress to leave without even bothering to give me a glance. As she turned to brush past me, I grabbed the hem of the dress and pulled it back. Lily wasn’t prepared and stumbled, her knee hitting the stair railing hard. “I said, this one is very important to me!” It wasn’t just that Shen had personally selected and designed it. More importantly, my grandmother had watched me wear it as I walked down the aisle before she passed away. Grandma said I looked beautiful in the mermaid wedding dress and hoped I would always be happy. I wouldn’t allow anyone to easily ruin this beautiful wish, no matter how many times Shen humiliated me with his lovers. This was the one thing I absolutely wouldn’t compromise on. Lily glared at me with tears in her eyes, looking like she wanted to tear me to pieces. But in my territory, Lily didn’t dare to cause too much trouble. In the end, she ran out crying. I didn’t expect Lily to be so narrow-minded. That evening, she ran to the company to complain. When Shen came back with a dark face, I was lost in thought looking at my grandmother’s belongings. I was suddenly pulled up and given a hard slap. Just like all the times before when I had angered his lovers, he gave me another warning. “Rachel, don’t you think you’re taking yourself too seriously!” “Haven’t I told you what happens when you upset them?”

My head was spinning. It took a while before I found my voice again: “I told you your lovers can have anything, except things related to my grandmother!” Shen knew my bottom line very well. He also knew I had been holding back my emotions for a long time. But he didn’t care if I was angry or not. He just wanted to make his sweetheart happy. I was dragged by Shen all the way to the study on the third floor. When I saw what was inside the sandalwood and gilt box, my heart sank. “Shen, what are you going to do?!” Shen knew exactly what he was doing as he took out the punishment book inside. The so-called punishment book was a special iron book made by the Johnson family to punish descendants who stepped out of line. The raised characters on it warned family members to obey family rules and restrain themselves. Shen had once endured this family punishment to rebel against our arranged marriage. Kneeling on the densely raised nails of the punishment book was like kneeling on needles, causing pain and fear. But back then, Shen had knelt for a full five hours. It made me want to give up my feelings for him and cancel the marriage. But the elders on both sides wouldn’t agree no matter what, determined to make this family union happen. The hatred in Shen’s eyes as he looked at me that day was intense. I never thought that just for refusing one of Lily’s requests, Shen would subject me to this family punishment. “Only by suffering a little will you learn your lesson completely,” Shen said flatly, throwing the punishment book in front of me and ordering me to kneel on it all night. The housekeeper who had followed us couldn’t bear it and quickly tried to dissuade him: “Mr. Johnson, this punishment book is like torture. Madam is delicate, won’t kneeling all night ruin her knees?” Shen furrowed his handsome brows and sneered: “She should have thought about how I would treat her when she upset Lily.” As soon as he finished speaking, he had the butler press me down to kneel on the punishment book for reflection. Before leaving, Shen made a video call to Lily, their intimate words lingering in my ears: “Does your knee still hurt where you bumped it? Don’t worry, I’ve paid her back for you…” When he turned the camera towards me, a needle-like pain shot through my knees. It was almost deep in the bone, making my scalp go numb. “Mr. Johnson, you’re so good to me. My knee doesn’t hurt anymore. You don’t believe me? Come feel it~” “I’m glad it doesn’t hurt. After all, someone else is hurting for you.” “Oh right, didn’t you say you had your eye on something else?” “It will be in your hands very soon.” Shen played with the beads in his hand, smiling meaningfully. Hearing how much Shen cared for her, Lily was so happy she could barely speak, only able to coquettishly chide him. The two flirted on the voice call in front of me for a while longer before finally closing the door. Watching Shen’s departing figure, I felt inexplicably panicked, a cold sweat breaking out on my back. Two hours later, my knees were bruised and swollen, barely able to move at all. I couldn’t imagine how Shen had endured five hours back then. The housekeeper said Shen had taken over half a month to recover. It turns out not loving someone is so obvious. What a pity I was still naive enough to think I could soften him with love back then. I was wrong about everything. I gradually came to realize this. In the end, I collapsed to the ground with a “thud” that caught the attention of the housekeeper outside the door. Anna looked at my pale face and immediately wanted to call Shen. I didn’t have time to stop her before I heard a moan of pleasure leak through the phone. Followed by an angry rebuke: “Can’t you tell I’m busy?” “Unless she kneels to death, don’t disturb me!” I gave a bitter smile, my trembling body barely able to support itself as I tried to reassure her: “I’m fine, don’t call him…” But the next second, my heavy fall betrayed my true condition.

When I woke up again, thick bandages were wrapped around my knees. Anna beside me looked like she wanted to say something but held back, her eyes red. “If you want to say something, just say it.” What else could I not bear at this point? Seeing my resigned expression, Anna held my hand sympathetically, trying hard to comfort me: “Madam, it was just a small miscarriage. You’ll have another chance in the future!” My heart skipped a beat. I instinctively touched my abdomen. After a long while, I moved my arm away. Tears unconsciously streamed down my face as I calmly instructed: “Don’t tell anyone, especially not Shen.” A few days before the graduation party, Lily finally got her hands on my mermaid wedding dress as she wished. Shen, who usually hated troublesome events, surprisingly attended a private auction that day. By the time I was invited over, the auction was nearly over. Lily was satisfied to receive my grandmother’s jade bracelet that had been passed down for generations, exclaiming: “I’ve only ever seen this on TV before. I never thought I’d be able to own such a top-tier jade bracelet. Thank you, Mr. Johnson!” Shen naturally put his arm around her shoulders, his gaze falling on the host as he smiled lightly: “Using it as your graduation gift is most fitting.” The people around admired Shen’s grand gesture, unable to help but applaud: “It’s rare to see Mr. Johnson splurge like this for his sweetheart. How extravagant!” “This display of affection, I bet someone is going to be insanely jealous!” “Hey, why does this bracelet look so familiar? Isn’t it the heirloom jade bracelet of the Johnson family’s daughter-in-law?” “Mr. Johnson, you didn’t auction off your wife’s belongings, did you?” People spoke teasingly, somewhat wanting to see some drama unfold. Shen didn’t bother to hide anything and admitted it right away. Everyone knew that was my most treasured possession, yet Shen deliberately auctioned it off in front of everyone to please his lover. I stood dazed at the doorway, watching as people continued to flatter Shen, surrounding him at the center. Lily had never seen such a grand gesture before and was instantly elated. Just then, Shen’s heavy gaze turned towards me. I bit my lip hard, my eyes reddening at the scene before me. The noisy, lively voices suddenly stopped. Everyone was looking in my direction. “Shen, why did you auction off the heirloom my grandmother left me?” “Do you hate this arranged marriage so much?” Besides that, I couldn’t think of any other reason why Shen would hate me so much. Hearing mention of old matters, Shen’s expression turned cold as he held Lily even closer. “Rachel, you should have expected this day would come when you married me.” “Just looking at you for a second after we got married made me feel sick!” After seven years, Shen once again spoke his true feelings. I smiled, feeling as if a weight had been lifted. But tears kept coming unbidden, pouring out endlessly. I begged him, almost pleading, to return the bracelet to me. I even offered divorce: “I promise you, I can divorce you and let you never see me again. Please, can you give me back my grandmother’s things?” Shen’s brows furrowed, inexplicably annoyed. The people around once again got their fill of drama, unable to help but comment: “Rachel has loved Mr. Johnson for over ten years. She even chose her university just to follow him. How can she talk about divorce so easily?” “Is this a ploy to get him back? This tactic is too old-fashioned!” “Trust me, she’ll cry and make a fuss at most. By tomorrow she’ll be begging to reconcile again!” People confidently guessed all my thoughts, as if they knew exactly what was in my mind. I couldn’t blame them for thinking this way. After all, every time Shen had a fight with one of his lovers, I was always the one to actively make peace in the end. But this time, I had no other intentions. I just wanted my things back. “Please, Shen.” I was almost about to kneel and beg him to agree, but he handed the choice to Lily instead. “I’ve said before, anything Lily wants, you have no right to compete for!” “Unless you’re willing to lower your head and beg her yourself!” Everyone’s gazes fell on Lily again, waiting for her decision. Lily just glanced at Shen before turning to me and saying: “This is the graduation gift Mr. Johnson gave me. Sis, can’t you let me have it just this once?” Lily seemed to be reminding me of the consequences of not letting her have the wedding dress last time. In an instant, I felt as if I had fallen into an ice pit. The words I wanted to say got stuck in my throat. In the end, I was mercilessly rejected by the two of them and driven out by security.

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During a layover, I was invited to a casino opening. I never expected to run into my sister Lily in this glittering den of luxury and vice. A corpulent man had his arm wrapped around her waist. Nearly everyone had gathered around them. Her fiancé Carter was showing the crowd high-definition videos of Lily on his iPad, playing them on a loop. “Lily, Zoe’s underwear is pure silk. You should consider yourself lucky she only asked you to hand wash them. How dare you refuse?” His tone was contemptuous, his gaze sharp. “Why should I have to wash her period-stained underwear?” Lily bit her lip, her body trembling with anger. “I didn’t realize you’d grown such a backbone. Maybe I need to break that stubborn spirit of yours. I have twelve videos of you here. In them, you’re begging me and calling me ‘master’, remember?” Lily clenched her fists so tightly her palms nearly bled. I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows on the top floor, observing everything happening at the gambling tables below through narrowed eyes. Since when did these lowlifes dare to bully my sister?

The pit boss noticed my dark expression and barely dared to breathe. “I’ll kick these people out right away. If you’re still not satisfied, we have other ways to make it up to you.” I smiled coldly and waved my hand dismissively. “No need. I want to see what other tricks they have up their sleeves.” Carter seemed to think he hadn’t gone far enough. He paid a hefty sum to have the video content projected onto the display screens. Suddenly, the dazzling screens around us were filled with intimate videos that made people blush. “Who would have thought the Lin family’s daughter knew so many tricks? I hear the Lin family is going downhill these days. Could it be that Lily pretends to be a rich heiress by day, but services men at night to earn pocket money? Is that how she’s managed to keep up appearances for so long?” “Tsk tsk, curves in all the right places. She was truly born for this line of work.” Countless onlookers surrounded the screens, their mouths watering as they made lewd comments. “Carter, you must be bored of this chick by now. Why not let us have a turn?” Lily’s face was flushed bright red with shame. She stared at her feet, not daring to look up. Carter swirled the red wine in his glass and smiled playfully. “Why don’t we use these videos as a wager and have a few rounds of poker?” The men around him clapped and cheered. “Carter always has the best ideas. Count me in!” “Me too!” There were six seats at the table. These men sat down with lecherous grins on their faces, their eyes undressing Lily. “This is way better than some Japanese porn video.” “An AV starring the Lin family’s daughter – now that’s premium content.” Lily’s whole body shook. She finally raised her head defiantly amidst the humiliating comments. She looked at Carter with hurt and confusion in her eyes, her voice hoarse as she questioned him. “Why are you doing this to me? I’m your fiancée!” She was trying to appeal to whatever conscience this man had left. But Carter just sneered dismissively. “If you had just washed Zoe’s underwear earlier without making a fuss, we wouldn’t be here now. You brought this on yourself by being difficult.” He then looked around at the other men. “There are twelve videos in total. When you win them, you can edit them together into a compilation. Uploading it to the dark web might even earn you back your money.” Lily’s eyes were rimmed with red, tears welling up. Zoe, standing next to Carter, couldn’t hide the glee in her eyes as she deliberately poured salt in Lily’s wounds. “Lily dear, why the long face? Carter is kindly helping increase your value. Shouldn’t you be grateful?” “The Lin family is clearly on its last legs. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a name for yourself. No matter where your family goes from now on, everyone will know who you are.” She laughed exaggeratedly as she spoke. All these years, people only knew the Lin family was wealthy. But they didn’t know how, in just twenty short years, the Lin family had managed to carve out a place for themselves amidst such treacherous waters. Back then, my mother had insisted on marrying a poor man. My grandfather couldn’t dissuade her, so he made an agreement – their firstborn child would be sent overseas to be groomed as the heir. Little did he know my mother would give birth to twins. I was sent abroad as my grandfather wished, while my mother kept my sister by her side to give my father an heir. It wasn’t until I saw my sister enduring humiliation with a face so similar to mine that I truly empathized. I let out a cold laugh, hiding the darkness in my eyes. “Since you want to play, I’ll play with you until you’ve had enough.”

After the Lin Corporation stabilized, my grandfather focused all his energy on grooming me. Who would have thought my father would be so useless, nearly squandering the family fortune in just a few short years. “Carter, please explain to everyone. It was because I loved you that I agreed to make those videos when you insisted. It’s not what they think. Tell them! Please clear my name. If you’re tired of me, I’m willing to leave. But you can’t play with my reputation like this.” Lily carefully tugged at Carter’s sleeve, but he shoved her to the ground. “Stop bothering me. If you’re so capable, why don’t you win back those videos yourself?” Lily clutched her chest in pain. The light had gone out of her eyes. “Carter, let’s start a round! Just watching that preview got me all worked up, haha!” Lily’s face turned ghostly pale. Forget about whether she could afford to play at their level. She couldn’t even keep a poker face while betting and showing her cards. She had always been a passionate and sincere girl, unable to hide her feelings. For her, playing Texas Hold’em would be no different than playing with her cards face up. Those men leaned in close, surrounding her and making crude, insulting gestures. They had nearly pushed Lily to the brink. “Look at that pitiful expression. Why don’t you come with me tonight? I’ll help you win back those videos and we can watch them together. Isn’t that better than having so many people see them?” Lecherous laughter echoed all around. Carter drummed his fingers on the table and crossed his legs. As if granting Lily a favor, he said to her: “If you’re willing to kneel down and apologize to Zoe, and promise to hand wash all her clothes, including her intimates, for a year, I’ll consider letting you off the hook tonight. How’s that sound?” Lily seemed to waver. She opened her mouth, about to agree. Carter added another condition, as if toying with Lily brought him immense pleasure. “Of course, I can’t guarantee what will happen tomorrow night.” He exchanged a look with Zoe. The two of them burst into raucous laughter. Seeing Zoe’s smug face, I suddenly remembered – she was the daughter of our former housekeeper. How dare she think she can look down on my sister Victoria! Rage bubbled up in my chest. I crushed the poker chip I had been fiddling with, snapping it in half. Pushed to her limit, Lily defiantly got up from the ground and sat down at the poker table. “I’ll play against you!” Disappointed that Lily hadn’t been crushed, Carter’s face showed his displeasure. He rapped his knuckles on the table, signaling the dealer to deal the cards. Those beastly men were all eagerly rubbing their hands together. Some were even licking their lips in anticipation. Three cards were pushed in front of Lily. She didn’t look at them, not wanting to give away her hand easily. Everyone at the table spent their days in casinos. They were experts at mind games in Texas Hold’em. “Look! The video is starting! What a body, absolutely incredible!” The next second, the screen froze on a shot of Lily’s bare back.

“Stop!” Lily’s face turned ashen. If her body was truly exposed for all to see, she would have no face left to live in this world. “The house speaks.” Carter opened with a bet of $300,000. They were all worth over a hundred million. $500,000 was nothing to them. Everyone eagerly matched the bet. Lily gritted her teeth and followed suit. The men exchanged knowing smiles, reaching an unspoken agreement. Without hesitation, they casually raised the stakes to $2 million. Just as Lily was about to match the bet, Carter spoke up again. “Lily, take a look at the scraps you have left. Do you really think you’re qualified to play with us?” Lily fidgeted anxiously in her seat. She bit her lip and said, “I’ll put up 10% of Lin Corporation’s shares as collateral. Is that enough to match the bet?” These 10% shares weren’t given by our father. They were shares I had specially bought back from minority shareholders on her 18th birthday to celebrate her coming of age. Lily had always treasured the gifts I gave her. She even carefully preserved the bowls and chopsticks I had used in display cases. I knew Lily didn’t have much pocket money, but I never imagined she had fallen to such desperate straits. If she wasn’t pushed to the brink, she would never touch those 10% shares. “What? How do you have shares in Lin Corporation?” “I own 40%, my mom owns 40%, and the rest should all be held by minority shareholders.” Zoe’s shrill voice was filled with disbelief. Only after Lily produced proof were they willing to exchange the shares for chips. I had been busy with my overseas business ventures. It wasn’t until today that I learned Lin Corporation had been taken over by this vile mother-daughter pair! Unfortunately, Lin Corporation’s market value had shrunk. Plus, the casino deliberately undervalued the shares to curry favor with Carter. Those shares were only exchanged for $10 million in chips. To make matters worse, they maliciously raised the stakes. The smiles tugging at their lips revealed their intentions. “$2 million.” “$5 million.” “$10 million!” Large beads of sweat rolled down Lily’s forehead. When it came time to show their hands, Lily’s fingers trembled so much she had to flip her cards several times before revealing them. “Straight flush.” Fortunately, Lily won this round. It was a close call, and the tension on her face eased slightly. “It’s no fun if there’s no back and forth.” In the second round, Carter continued betting. He opened with $5 million right off the bat. There were twelve rounds in total. They didn’t believe Lily could be so lucky every time. “Lily, stop putting on airs. You’re fighting a losing battle. If you insist on being stubborn, you might end up losing everything.” Zoe’s fake concern didn’t achieve the desired effect. Lily truly lived up to being my sister. The more critical the moment, the calmer she became. She stared intently at her cards, not allowing anyone to mess with her state of mind. When the betting in the second round reached its peak, the other players all folded. It wasn’t out of pity for Lily’s isolation. They simply felt it wasn’t worth spending so much just to humiliate someone. But Carter was willing to spare no expense to crush Lily. “$20 million. Are you still in?” His mocking gaze deeply wounded Lily, but at this point, she had no way out. She had no more chips in front of her. The $10 million she had just put up as collateral was all on the table. “I know the rules here.” “I want to wager all my organs.” Lily’s tone was resolute, but it made Zoe burst out laughing. “Don’t be ridiculous. Even if we chopped up all your organs and stir-fried them, they wouldn’t be worth this much.” Lily parted her dry, chapped lips and revealed the physical condition that had once made her feel inferior. “I have situs inversus. Specimens like me are extremely rare in the world. I’m willing to bet my life. If my body is used for research, it should be worth quite a bit.” The entire room was in an uproar. “Has she gone mad? Betting her life?” “Tsk tsk, the more they’re like this, the more I like it. The contrast between a chaste woman and one begging on her knees – no matter how much the next round is, I’m definitely in!” Murmurs of astonishment and lewd comments rang out. These people showed not a shred of compassion, only excitement at the prospect of corrupting an innocent woman. “Alright, have it your way.” Carter pursed his lips. As Lily signed away her life to exchange for chips, he openly flirted with Zoe. This round, only the two of them were left betting against each other. Their lives and fortunes had all been turned into cold, hard chips. When Carter finally grew bored and called for Lily to show her hand after using up all her chips, everyone held their breath. All eyes were focused on the poker table. The two of them revealed their cards almost simultaneously. “We have a winner!”

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In the eighth month of my pregnancy, I caught Lucas Reed cheating for the ninety-ninth time. He tossed shredded lingerie in my face, his smile a mix of mockery and disdain. “You’re as appetizing as a dead fish in bed. How dare you accuse me of cheating?” After a long silence, I calmly proposed divorce again. Everyone around us groaned in exasperation, while Lucas raised an eyebrow and pulled out his phone. “See? I told you she’d only suggest divorce. Pay up, ten grand each.” “Aria, if you’re going to be a doormat, at least try a new tactic. Have some self-respect.” “Haha! She’ll be begging to come back within two days, the ultimate pushover!” Lucas smirked, silently agreeing with his friends’ remarks. But they didn’t know I had already bought a one-way ticket to Germany. Since Lucas had given all his affection to his mistress, And harbored such deep hatred for me, his lawful wife, I would set him free. This time, divorce. I meant it. The air reeked of sex, making my stomach churn. I turned to leave, but Lucas suddenly called out to me. He threw a thong in my face. “Wash it before you go. You’ve been doing this for five years, should be second nature by now.” I dug my nails into my palms until blood dripped onto the floor. Only then did I slowly bend down, cradling my belly, to pick up the underwear. In six years, he had brought Ruby home to fool around ninety-nine times. And I had washed ninety-nine pairs of various underwear. I still remember the time I refused because of a fever. He forced me to kneel in the snow for a day. I was unconscious for three days and nights. The doctors issued countless critical condition notices. I had endured for six years; one more time wouldn’t matter. Bearing the mocking gazes of everyone around, I numbly scrubbed the underwear. Unexpectedly, Lucas’s hoarse voice broke the silence. “If you get on your knees and beg me now, I’ll pretend none of this ever happened.” As soon as he finished speaking, Ruby suddenly collapsed, clutching her chest and gasping for air. Ethan’s face changed instantly. He held Ruby anxiously, fumbling like a lovesick teenager. “Where’s her inhaler? The inhaler!” Lucas’s panicked expression made me momentarily dazed. Last night, when I had slipped and fallen hard, Lucas was about to leave to pick up Ruby. Even though I was lying in a pool of blood, clutching his pant leg and begging him to take me to the hospital, he stepped over me without a change in expression. Before I lost consciousness, I heard him speaking tenderly on the phone. “Just buying vanilla flavor isn’t enough. We’ll try all the flavors tonight.” I lowered my gaze, hiding the self-mockery in my eyes. While his heart and eyes were full of Ruby, I dropped the underwear and stood up to leave. But before I could reach the door, a strong hand yanked me back. “Aria, you know Ruby is allergic to perfume, yet you sprayed it on her clothes. How could you be so vicious! Take off your clothes!” My ankle slammed against the coffee table, and I turned pale from the pain. But it was nowhere near as painful as Lucas’s words. It felt as if all the blood in my body had frozen, even my vocal cords were trembling. “You… want me to take off my clothes?” “You’ve always been so cheap, why act like you have dignity now?” Lucas stood with his hands in his pockets, his eyes full of disgust and hatred. After marrying Lucas, when I begged him to have a good life together, he called me cheap. When I swallowed my pride and tried to please him in bed, I was cheap. When I brought him stomach medicine in the pouring rain, interrupting his “good time,” I was even cheaper. For six years, I couldn’t bear to hear it anymore. I dug my nails deep into my flesh, forcing words through gritted teeth. “Fine, I’ll strip.” With that, I began removing my clothes with shaking hands. My outer garment fell to the floor. Despite it being summer, goosebumps immediately rose on my exposed arms and shoulders. I reached behind to unzip my dress, the thin collar slipping down. Half of my shoulder and the curve of my chest were exposed. Immediately, lewd whistles and laughter erupted around me. I couldn’t help but tear up, but my hands didn’t stop. I gritted my teeth and continued undressing. Lucas’s gaze grew increasingly heated, his chest heaving more and more. Just as the dress was about to fall completely, he whirled around and threw his jacket over me, his face ashen, nearly grinding his back teeth to dust. “Aria Shaw, you’re truly disgusting!” I clutched the dress tightly, looking at him impassively. “Can I leave now?” “Get out! If you have the guts, go die out there!” “Lucas, I feel so awful…” Ruby moaned, and he immediately rushed to her side. I didn’t hesitate to walk towards the door, getting into the car that was already waiting outside. Even as I rushed to the airport and heard the boarding announcement, I felt dazed. I lifted my foot to walk forward, my steps getting faster and faster. Suddenly, two bodyguards appeared in front of me, blocking my way.

In the hospital, I was tightly strapped to a bed, my face streaked with tears. “Let me go!” “Lucas Reed, the baby is only eight months along. If you force me to have a C-section now, I will never forgive you!” “Lucas, let me go!” I struggled frantically against the restraints, my hair wild like a madwoman, my body shaking uncontrollably. Through a half-open door, I could hear every word of Lucas’s conversation with the doctor. “Mr. Reed, inducing labor two months early will not only cause irreversible damage to the mother, but the fetus’s immune system isn’t ready either. Ms. Sanders’ condition can wait for other options…” Lucas coldly interrupted the doctor. “Ruby can’t wait that long.” “Prepare for surgery.” As the anesthetic was injected into my arm, my body grew heavier and heavier. I was truly terrified now, my voice breaking into sobs. “Lucas, I’m begging you, don’t do this to me.” “He’s your child too…” Lucas stared at me, his gaze hard to read. He walked to my bedside, his tone softening slightly for the first time. “Ruby needs the cord blood to save her life. Besides, if you hadn’t deliberately triggered her attack, she wouldn’t be suffering like this. Bear with it, it’ll be over soon.” “Mr. Reed, Ms. Sanders has fainted.” Lucas’s face changed instantly. He strode out, leaving behind only one sentence: “Do the C-section now!” Tears fell uncontrollably as all the pent-up hatred and grievances poured out. I screamed in despair. “Lucas Reed! You monster! I hate you! I hate you!” Lucas’s figure paused for a moment, but his steps didn’t stop. My shattered heart froze completely in that moment. Cold instruments kept probing inside me. I could clearly feel something being slowly separated from my body, until I felt empty and cold. After a long while, I heard faint, panicked voices. “Doctor, the baby has no heartbeat. It’s a stillbirth…” My eyelashes fluttered slightly, and finally, only endless despair and desolation remained in my eyes. A single tear silently slid down. I seemed to have a dream, where I was back in that small alley. A frail me dragging a bloodied Lucas, hiding from those thugs. The Cinderella and Prince Charming story had descended upon Lucas and me. When we were most in love, he even knelt in front of the Reed family ancestral shrine, swearing in front of everyone that he would marry no one but me in this life. But the scene changed, and I saw the corpses of his parents and mine. Blood spread out on the ground like a long river. I helplessly listened as the traffic police ruled that my parents’ drunk driving had caused this accident. Lucas seemed to become a completely different person after that. Even though I apologized over and over, begging for his forgiveness. But four lives became an insurmountable chasm between us. On the day of his parents’ funeral, Lucas brought people to smash up the memorial hall. I collapsed on the ground in despair: “My parents also died in this accident. Isn’t that enough?” He grabbed my neck, his hands covered in wounds, his eyes bloodshot and desperate. “They deserved to die! But what about my parents! Can their deaths bring my parents back?!” But after the funeral, he still used every means to marry me. Only it was no longer out of love, but hatred. There was no wedding and no marriage certificate. I lived in the Reed house like a rat in the gutter. Until I saw Ruby again, all my strength crumbled at that moment. She looked… exactly like myself at twenty-two. A substitute carefully selected by Lucas. Later, he gave all his love to this substitute and vented all his torture on me, the original. For six years, my heart’s blood was consumed in these six years of love and hate, just as he wished.

When I woke up again, it was three days later. Lucas sat by the bed, his face expressionless as he brought over a bowl of porridge, making to feed me. I discreetly avoided him, my voice hoarse. “When will you give me the divorce papers?” He barely lifted his eyelids, his voice low. “Open your mouth.” “I’m willing to leave with nothing. The divorce papers, you…” “Ugh—” The moment he forcefully shoved the porridge down my throat, I instinctively bent over, violently retching. A lot of it splashed onto his legs. He seemed oblivious, his face ashen as he smashed the bowl on the ground, forcefully gripping my neck, his tone icy cold. “Aria Shaw, don’t play the divorce card with me. You’re destined to be trapped in the Reed family for life, struggling and atoning forever!” “If you have the guts, just die! Otherwise, you’ll never get rid of me.” He paused, his gaze falling on my flat abdomen, his eyes devoid of any warmth. “You should be grateful that this bastard was stillborn. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let it live either. Carrying the Shaw family’s bloodline only disgusts me!” I was choking, struggling to breathe, but I masochistically dug my nails into my palms, looking at him, slowly breaking into laughter. The laughter grew louder and louder, yet tears streamed down my face. So, so my six years had been this pathetic and laughable. I closed my eyes in despair, my voice trembling: “Lucas Reed, just strangle me to death.” Lucas stared at me intently, his eyes bloodshot, his grip tightening. Until a jarring phone ringtone suddenly broke the silence of the room. His whole body shuddered. He glanced at the caller ID and roughly pushed me away, leaving without looking back. I sprawled on the bed pathetically, clutching my neck and coughing violently like a drowning person, tears smearing my entire face. The next moment, Ruby sent a picture. It was a pregnancy test. It clearly showed: 4 weeks gestation, threatened miscarriage. Another message quickly followed. “On your sixth anniversary, we tried all sorts of new positions under the starry sky where you two first fell in love. This child was conceived that night.” “Aria Shaw, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave the Reed family on your own.” My hand holding the phone turned white at the knuckles. On our sixth anniversary, Lucas had disappeared until dawn before coming home. He smelled of Ruby’s perfume. I was already asleep and was roughly awakened by him. He ignored my pleas and cries, seeming to have lost all reason as he ravaged me all night. Until I started bleeding and was rushed to the hospital to save the pregnancy. And that day, Lucas had actually come to me straight from her bed. My stomach churned violently. I could no longer control myself. Ignoring my torn wounds, I rushed to the bathroom and vomited until I saw stars. I collapsed on the floor, hugging myself, breaking down in heart-wrenching sobs. Later, I lay alone in the hospital for half a month. I never saw Lucas again until the day I was discharged. Three hours before my flight to Germany, I still went back to the old mansion for my parents’ ashes. As I was driving away, suddenly, out of nowhere, Ruby rushed in front of my car. My pupils constricted as I slammed on the brakes. The tires let out a sharp screech, barely stopping an inch from her knees. Yet Ruby collapsed to the ground, covered in blood. “Ruby!” Lucas, who was behind me, saw this and his face changed. He quickly ran over to embrace the bloodied Ruby. Ruby clutched his hand tightly, blood continuously spurting from her mouth. “Lucas, don’t blame Mrs. Shaw. She definitely didn’t mean to.” I stumbled out of the car, instinctively looking towards Lucas, urgently saying: “It wasn’t me, she ran in front of…” But before I could finish, Lucas suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at me, his neck flushed red with bulging veins. The bone-deep hatred in his eyes rendered me speechless. “Aria, wasn’t killing my parents enough? Do you have to harm everyone around me?! What the hell did I do to deserve this from you?! Do you have to destroy my entire family?!” By the end, his eyes were crimson, glaring at me viciously. “Aria Shaw, you really deserve to die!” A chill inexplicably rose in my heart. The next second, he carried Ruby to the car, then sat in the driver’s seat himself. As the engine roared to life, Lucas’s eyes grew increasingly red. The next moment, he floored the accelerator, driving straight towards me.

With a sharp screech of brakes, my entire body was thrown into the air. The moment my body hit the ground, I seemed to hear my bones shattering. The pain blinded me. Every bone ached excruciatingly. “If anything happens to Ruby, you’re dead!” “Lock her in the room, don’t let anyone release her!” Throwing down these words, Lucas sped past me with the moaning Ruby. I didn’t even have the strength to struggle, helplessly allowing the bodyguards to lock me in the room. The pain made me break out in a cold sweat. I don’t know how long I lay on the ground. The will to survive told me I had to save myself. I gritted my teeth and slowly crawled up from the ground, staggering to find the first aid kit. I cleaned my wounds myself and took several painkillers. Just then, a knock sounded at the door. “Mrs. Reed, Mr. Reed instructed us to take you to the hospital to apologize to Ms. Sanders.” “Mrs. Reed?” “Mrs. Reed!” When they received no response from me, the bodyguards began forcefully twisting the doorknob. But I had already locked the door from the inside. Expressionlessly, I took out a lighter and began setting fire to this bedroom I had once lovingly decorated. The flames devoured the past, as if burning away a ridiculous dream. As the raging fire engulfed me, I closed my eyes and allowed the flames to consume me. Billowing black smoke seeped out from under the door. The door was suddenly pounded with thunderous force, but showed no signs of giving way. Amidst the chaotic footsteps and screams, I tightly hugged my parents’ ashes and jumped out the window, limping away from the villa. Until that mansion was far behind me, the explosive “BOOM” still pierced the quiet night sky. The shackles that had confined me for six years finally fell away at this moment. Just as Lucas and I’s lives would never intersect again. Check-in, ticketing, baggage drop, security… Before boarding, I took out my SIM card, snapped it in half, and casually tossed it in the trash. Then I headed towards a brand new future without looking back.

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Rachel’s mother, Olivia Clark, was critically ill. In her final moments of lucidity in the ICU, she decided to dictate her will. “Mrs. Clark, you want to make your will, correct?” the lawyer asked. “Yes, while I’m still clear-headed… I need to address the matter of my estate,” Olivia replied, her voice weak but each word pronounced clearly. Mr. Johnson, the lawyer, took out his pen and notebook, his expression turning serious behind his glasses. “Alright, Mrs. Clark, go ahead.” “Besides the house back in our hometown, I have $1.48 million in my bank account.” This statement exploded like a bomb in the hospital room. Rachel looked at her mother in disbelief. When did her mother save up $1.48 million? She was a retired senior citizen with a monthly pension of just over $2,000. “The house in our hometown will go to Tyler,” Olivia continued. Tyler, hearing this, smiled slightly, as if it was expected. The house was worth about $2 million. “As for… the savings… they’ll go to Tyler too. My old jewelry from the house will go to Rachel.” Olivia finished speaking, her voice trembling but her tone firm. 01 The air in the hospital room seemed to freeze. Rachel felt her breath stop for a moment. She stared at her mother, her ears buzzing, as if all sounds had become distant and unreal. “Mom…” Rachel’s voice was dry, barely audible. “What… what did you say?” Olivia’s gaze remained on Tyler, as if she hadn’t heard Rachel’s voice. She gently stroked her son’s hand, her eyes full of tenderness and pity. “Tyler has had it tough these years, always working hard out there, enduring a lot,” Olivia said, her voice weak but determined. “Leaving this house and the savings to him is just a small gesture from me as his mother.” Tyler, also shocked by this unexpected windfall, exclaimed excitedly, “Mom, Mom, I don’t want it… You need to live a long life, I haven’t even had the chance to be filial to you yet.” Rachel felt her heart being squeezed tightly, making it difficult to breathe. She looked at her mother’s pale face, suddenly feeling it was incredibly unfamiliar. Throughout her life, her mother’s gaze had never lingered on her for so long, let alone speak to her in such a gentle tone. “Mom, what about me?” Rachel finally couldn’t help but speak up, her voice trembling slightly. “I’m your daughter too.” Olivia finally turned to look at Rachel, but her eyes lacked the warmth Rachel had hoped for. Her gaze remained sharp, even carrying a hint of impatience. “Rachel, you’ve always been sensible, never needing me to worry about you,” Olivia said coldly. “You have a stable job, a good income, and can take care of yourself. Tyler is different, he needs this house.” Rachel felt her eyes burning, her throat as if blocked by something. She wanted to say something but found her voice choked with sobs. “Mrs. Clark, are you sure about this distribution?” Mr. Johnson pushed up his glasses, his tone calm and professional. “According to the law, children have equal inheritance rights. If you don’t have a special reason, this might cause some legal disputes.” Olivia’s eyes suddenly turned sharp as she stared at Mr. Johnson, her tone unyielding: “This is my decision. Tyler is my son, leaving the house and savings to him is only natural.” Tyler stood nearby, his face showing a complex expression. He looked at his mother, then at Rachel, seeming to want to say something, but in the end, he just lowered his head and held his mother’s hand tightly. “Mom, don’t say that,” he finally spoke, his voice a bit hoarse. “Rachel is your daughter too, I…” “Tyler, you don’t need to say anything,” Olivia interrupted him, her tone tinged with fatigue. “This is my decision, and no one can change it.” Rachel felt her heart sinking bit by bit. She looked at her mother’s familiar yet strange face, suddenly realizing that she had never truly entered her mother’s heart. Throughout her life, no matter how hard she tried, her mother’s gaze always remained on her brother. She once thought that if she was excellent enough, her mother would eventually notice her existence. But now, she finally understood that some things were destined to be unchangeable. “Mom, I understand,” Rachel finally spoke, her voice surprisingly calm even to herself. “Don’t worry, I won’t contest it.” Olivia seemed surprised by Rachel’s response, a flash of complex emotion passing through her eyes. She opened her mouth as if wanting to say something, but in the end, just let out a light sigh. “Rachel, don’t blame Mom,” her voice suddenly softened, carrying a hint of fatigue and helplessness. “Mom just… just hopes Tyler can have a better life.” Rachel didn’t answer, just nodding silently. She felt her eyes burning, but she held back her tears, refusing to let them fall. She knew that at this moment, she had to be strong. Mr. Johnson looked at Rachel, then at Olivia, and finally recorded the contents of Olivia’s will in his notebook. The atmosphere in the hospital room became heavy and oppressive, with only the ticking of medical equipment sounding particularly clear in the silence. “Mrs. Clark, I’ve recorded the contents of your will,” Mr. Johnson closed his notebook, his tone calm. “If you have no other requests, I’ll proceed with the relevant procedures as soon as possible.” Olivia nodded, a tired smile appearing on her face. “Alright, thank you for your trouble.” Tyler stood nearby, his expression a mix of joy and complexity. He looked at his mother, then at Rachel, seeming to want to say something. But in the end, he just lowered his head and held his mother’s hand tightly. “Mom, get some rest,” he said softly, his voice choked with emotion. “I’ll stay with you.” Olivia’s eyes softened, gently patting her son’s hand, a smile of contentment on her face. Rachel stood to the side, silently watching this scene. She felt as if something had sharply stabbed her heart, the pain almost making it impossible to breathe. She knew she had lost her last glimmer of hope. “Mom, I’ll go out first, you get some rest,” Rachel said softly, her voice tinged with fatigue. Olivia didn’t answer, just nodding slightly. Her gaze remained on Tyler, as if she had forgotten Rachel’s existence. Rachel turned and walked out of the hospital room, gently closing the door behind her. The lights in the corridor were harsh and cold. She leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions. 02 [Mom, why are you always like this? Tyler is your child, but am I not? Why do you always favor him? You give him whatever he wants, but what about me? I take care of you in your old age, attend to your every need. Forget about your inheritance, I can’t even get a word of concern from you!] Rachel stood in the corridor, her body trembling, tears welling up in her eyes. She wanted to rush back into the room and confront her mother. But she couldn’t… Looking at her mother sitting on the hospital bed, her heart was filled with grievance and confusion. She didn’t understand why, from childhood to adulthood, her mother always pampered Tyler while remaining cold towards her. She remembered when she and Tyler were in school together. Every morning, her mother would prepare a hearty breakfast for Tyler, while Rachel had to make do with leftover rice. Once, she couldn’t help but ask her mother: “Mom, why does Tyler get eggs and milk, while I only have steamed buns?” Her mother replied without looking up: “You’re the older sister, you should let your brother have the better things. He’s still growing and needs nutrition.” Rachel lowered her head, silently chewing on the hard bun, her heart full of grievance. When she entered junior high school, her grades were always excellent, consistently ranking in the top few of her grade. She thought that if she was outstanding enough, her mother would finally notice her. But that wasn’t the case. Once, she ran home excitedly with a perfect score test paper, wanting to share her joy with her mother. “Mom, I got a perfect score on this test!” she said excitedly. Her mother was peeling an apple for Tyler and merely grunted without looking up, then continued to hand the peeled apple to Tyler: “Tyler, eat more fruit, it’s good for you.” Rachel stood there, the test paper in her hand gradually feeling heavier. She watched her mother gently wiping Tyler’s mouth, feeling a pang in her heart. From then on, she never actively shared her grades with her mother again. 03 After graduating from high school, Rachel was admitted to a prestigious university. She thought that by leaving home, she could escape her mother’s favoritism and start a new life. But she didn’t expect that her mother’s indifference towards her wouldn’t change with distance. Every time she called home, her mother would hastily end the conversation after a few sentences, as if Rachel was just an insignificant person. As for Tyler, although his grades were poor, their mother was always concerned about him. When Tyler failed the college entrance exam, their mother pulled strings everywhere and spent a lot of money to get him into a private university. When Rachel found out, she felt even more unfair. She couldn’t understand why after trying so hard for so many years, she still couldn’t gain her mother’s approval. After graduating from university, Rachel found a good job and her life gradually stabilized. She thought she could finally escape her mother’s shadow and start an independent life. But she didn’t expect that a phone call from her mother would shatter her peace. “Rachel, your brother is getting married, and we’re short on money. Can you help him out?” Her mother’s voice came through the phone, with a pleading tone. Rachel held the phone, feeling a bitter taste in her mouth. She knew her mother would never actively reach out to her unless it was for Tyler. “Mom, I have my own life too. I can contribute some money for Tyler’s wedding, but I can’t cover it all,” Rachel tried to keep her voice calm. Her mother was silent for a moment, then said coldly: “You’re the older sister, you should help your brother more. His wedding is a big event, you can’t be so selfish.” Rachel’s heart felt like it had been pricked by a needle. She couldn’t understand why her mother always put Tyler’s needs first, while her feelings were never considered. In the end, Rachel still gave $150,000 for Tyler’s bride price and wedding expenses. But she didn’t expect that the bride would leave Tyler just a year after the marriage, complaining that he was useless and couldn’t make money. And Rachel’s $150,000 went down the drain. That was her hard-earned money, saved dollar by dollar. 04 To take care of her mother, Rachel had brought her to live with her for the past ten years. She tried her best to provide the best she could. During the most difficult times, Rachel and her husband Michael would rather live in a basement to rent a small master bedroom with good lighting and ventilation for her mother. But her mother still often complained. Rachel could only work harder, often working overtime until late at night. Whenever she opened the door, she would always see her mother sitting drowsily on the sofa. Then her mother would grumble: “You always wake me up so late… Go to sleep earlier next time, don’t disturb me…” Rachel could only apologize repeatedly. Then she would go to the kitchen to eat a quick meal before going to bed. Although work was tiring, being able to eat the meals her mother cooked still brought a sweetness to Rachel’s heart. These were the rare moments when she felt her mother’s care. But unexpectedly, a year ago, her mother suddenly fell ill. Rachel rushed to the hospital every day. The hospital corridors were filled with the smell of disinfectant. Rachel sat on a long bench outside the ward, her heart full of complex emotions. Looking at her frail mother lying on the hospital bed, Rachel felt a pang of heartache. Although her mother had always been cold towards her, seeing her mother lying on the hospital bed still made Rachel’s heart ache. “Mom, how are you feeling?” Rachel asked softly. Olivia opened her eyes, glanced at Rachel, then said flatly: “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about me.” Rachel’s heart felt like it had been pricked by a needle. She couldn’t understand why her mother was still so cold towards her even at this time. Just then, Tyler rushed to the hospital. “Mom, how are you? I heard you were sick and came back immediately!” Tyler rushed to the bedside as soon as he entered, his voice full of anxiety. Olivia’s face immediately lit up when she saw Tyler: “Tyler, you’re here? Mom’s fine, don’t worry.” Rachel stood to the side, watching her mother’s tenderness towards Tyler, feeling a pang in her heart. Olivia gently patted Tyler’s hand, her eyes full of love, as if he was her only concern. And Rachel, standing there, felt like an outsider, even her breathing seemed superfluous. Rachel quietly left the ward, standing in the corridor, tears unconsciously flowing down her face.

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