On Mother’s Day, my husband, who is the chief designer of extreme sports projects, was celebrating the completion of a new venture. His childhood friend, Emily, suggested I try the newly opened extreme zip line across the canyon to “bless the project with good fortune.” Being nine months pregnant, I firmly declined for the safety of our child, but Emily only laughed. “The new project is exceptionally safe. As Ethan’s wife, you should support his career. If you refuse, aren’t you undermining him?” Ethan, shockingly, agreed with her and dismissed my fears and pleas. “The whole project is my design—it’s absolutely safe. Think of it as a unique prenatal experience for our ‘child.’” The stress from the extreme activity caused me to bleed. Emily dismissively remarked that I was merely on my period and at my age, it was disgraceful. While I hung suspended in agony, he was in the control room laughing and chatting with Emily. Eventually, I lost the child, and he lost his mind. “I’m sorry, ma’am!” the waiter said, flustered. “It’s okay,” I forced a smile, but when I looked up, Ethan was frowning at me. He was holding Emily at “Emily Canyon,” engaging with a group of investors. He turned and scolded me. “Sophie, can’t you be more careful?” I opened my mouth but couldn’t muster a response. Emily took Ethan’s arm and handed me a tissue with her other hand. “Don’t worry, sister-in-law.” “Today is a big day for ‘Emily Canyon.’ Ethan has a surprise planned for you!” “What kind of surprise?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly with tension. Emily led me to the viewing platform, pointing to the silver cable stretched above the canyon. “Ethan said, as the founder’s wife, you should be the first to experience our flagship project, the extreme zip line, to bring good fortune to it.” I instinctively withdrew my hand, staring at Ethan in disbelief. “Are you crazy? I’m nine months pregnant!” He frowned, his gaze shifting nervously between me and the investors. “Sophie, don’t make a scene.” “The doctor advised against any high-risk activities!” My voice quivered with fear. “Are you saying you don’t trust our safety measures?” Emily’s voice suddenly took on an emotional tone, “Or do you think the project named after me is cursed?” Ethan’s expression darkened, his fingers clenched into a fist. “Sophie, don’t ruin this.” “I’m not unsupportive,” I explained desperately, “but you know my situation…” “Today is Mother’s Day. Isn’t it the perfect time to experience motherhood? Emily means well,” he smiled. He wasn’t talking about our unborn child, but about “Emily Canyon.” “No, I won’t take that risk!” I instinctively stepped back. Ethan’s smile vanished as he grabbed my wrist. “Sophie, don’t make me look bad.” He lowered his voice, threatening. “Are you insane? This is our child!” I struggled to pull away. He pulled me closer, whispering in my ear, “If you keep this up, I’ll make you regret it later.” Emily gently pushed me from behind. “Don’t be afraid, sister-in-law. I’ll ensure the staff gives you the safest double protection.” Her hand pressed lightly against my waist. I was half-dragged, half-carried to the zip line platform. Tears blurred my vision as the staff approached to strap me into safety gear. “Ethan, please don’t do this to me…” My voice choked. He just looked at me coldly. “Stop pretending. It’s all for work.” Emily smiled sweetly beside me. “Sister-in-law, you’re so brave. You’ll bring good fortune to our project.” My legs shook. The sound of the safety belt locking felt like a countdown to disaster. I looked down at my swollen belly, overwhelmed with unprecedented fear and despair. “I’ve carried this child for nine months, I’m about to give birth… Please don’t…” Ethan turned and walked to the control room without a glance back. Emily whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry, sister-in-law, you’ll be free soon.”

The staff secured me at the zip line’s starting point, the tightening belt pressed painfully against my belly, making it hard to breathe. My hands and feet were cold, trembling almost uncontrollably. “Ethan, please, don’t do this. Think of our child…” I tried one last time, my voice barely audible through the tears. “Xixi is still so small, he can feel my fear, it will harm him.” I gently rubbed my high belly, hoping the name Xixi would awaken some sense of fatherly responsibility in him. Ethan frowned. “Don’t use the child as an excuse.” “Think of it as a special prenatal lesson for ‘Xixi,’ letting him feel the thrill of the world early.” My heart constricted painfully; this man was a stranger now, and my last hope crumbled. Emily came over, her smile sweet as she adjusted my clothes. “Sister-in-law, don’t be afraid. We’re all here watching.” “Enjoy this ‘special’ love.” A wave of dizziness hit me, and a dull ache began in my stomach, a foreboding sense rising within me. Ethan impatiently checked his watch, loudly ordering the staff. “Hurry up, don’t waste time. The investors are waiting for the demonstration!” Emily stood next to me, “accidentally” bumping my pocket. The bottle of prenatal medication I carried fell, the white pills scattering everywhere. “No!” Ethan heard the noise but only shot me a cold glare. “What’s all this fuss now?” His tone was full of irritation. “The medicine… my prenatal medication…” My voice trembled, pointing to the ground. “Don’t worry, sister-in-law, I’ll help you pick it up.” Emily pretended to squat down but deliberately kicked the bottle further away. It rolled to the platform’s edge, precariously close to falling off. “Oh, sorry.” She leaned close to my ear, ensuring only I could hear. “Sister-in-law, these are useless now.” Suddenly, a sharp pain twisted in my belly. “Ethan, my stomach hurts, something’s wrong, we need to go to the hospital…” Ethan waved dismissively. “Stop pretending, it’s always the same. Do you think I’m stupid?” He didn’t believe me at all, turning to comfort Emily with a smile. “Ignore her, she’s just being dramatic.” Emily nodded with feigned grievance, her hand subtly supporting Ethan’s arm. The staff smirked, continuing to adjust the equipment, ignoring my cries for help. The investors watched as if it were a show; no one spoke up for me. I watched Ethan’s back, the man who once said he would give up everything for me. The man who proposed to me that night, swearing to give me the world. Somewhere along the way, his eyes no longer held room for me or our child. Ironically, our child is named Xixi, while the project is called “Emily Canyon.” Even the names are so similar, yet he carelessly divided them between two different “children.” The staff signaled to Ethan that everything was ready. Ethan nodded and walked to the control room. Emily waved at me cheerfully, as if bidding farewell. “Sister-in-law, enjoy yourself. Ethan and I will watch you from the control room.” The timer started counting down, and my fear reached its peak. “Ten, nine, eight…” I closed my eyes, the pain in my belly growing more intense. “Three, two, one!” The zip line launched, propelling me into the void above the canyon. As the weightlessness hit, a warm sensation flowed down my leg. I looked down to see a streak of red staining my dress.

As I sped through the air, I clutched my belly, tears whipped away by the wind. “Help! My child!” I screamed, my voice torn by the wind. A searing pain tore through my abdomen, and I was horrified to feel a warm flow between my legs. Looking down, my white dress was stained with shocking red. My water had broken. Suspended mid-air, I continued flying at high speed, the violent jostling making it hard to breathe. Through teary eyes, I saw Emily nestled in Ethan’s arms in the control room. They watched the screen showing my struggle, Emily whispering something. Ethan actually smiled, raising a champagne glass with the investors. My voice screamed hoarsely, “Ethan! Save the child!” No one responded. The blood flowed more, dizziness sweeping over me. Below, tourists gathered, some pointing, noticing something wrong. My mind began to blur, the pain in my abdomen like a thousand arrows. The zip line slowly reached the end, I had no strength to move. But no one came to receive me. The zip line automatically returned, dragging me back to the start, pushing me into the air again. Second round. My blood fell mid-air like red raindrops. In the control room, Emily feigned surprise, “Oh, is sister-in-law on her period?” Ethan frowned, disgusted, “So careless at this age, so dirty.” Saying that, he held Emily’s waist, leaving with the investors. They went to celebrate the successful launch of “Emily Canyon.” I wasn’t discovered by the staff until the ninety-ninth round.

“Awake?” A nurse, a stranger, approached the bed cautiously. Her eyes avoided mine, not daring to look directly. I knew. “The child wasn’t saved,” the doctor entered, his voice low. “It was a boy, fully formed, but…” “I don’t want to hear the details,” I interrupted him. Ethan frowned in disgust and commented, “A grown adult should know better; that’s just messy.” With that, he wrapped his arm around Emily’s waist and left the control room with the investors, heading off to celebrate the successful launch of “Emily Canyon.” I wasn’t found by the staff until the ninety-ninth lap. 4 “You’re awake?” a nurse approached the hospital bed cautiously, avoiding eye contact. I understood. “The baby didn’t survive,” the doctor entered with a somber tone. “It was a boy, fully developed, but…” “I don’t want to hear the details,” I interrupted, my voice eerily calm, even to myself. “About the body…” the doctor hesitated. “Just take care of it,” I said. He paused, “And your husband…” “I said, take care of it.” “Alright, I’ll need you to sign this.” He handed me a document. My hand was steady as I signed. “Sophie!” Ethan burst through the door, eyes red. I turned my head to look at him silently. “How could this happen?” His voice shook, “Weren’t you always healthy?” I didn’t answer. “Did you never want this child?” he suddenly raised his voice. I felt numb. “Sophie, say something!” He paced anxiously. Emily followed closely, her eyes red and swollen, as if she’d been crying. “Sister-in-law, I’m so sorry…” she choked. “It’s all my fault for suggesting the zip line. I never imagined this would happen…” Her tears fell, quite the performance. “Ethan, I feel so guilty…” she collapsed into Ethan’s arms. He instinctively held her, then quickly let go, realizing it was inappropriate. “Sophie, don’t be like this,” Ethan approached the bedside, “We can have another child. The important thing is not to damage the company’s image.” I finally looked at him. “Ethan,” my voice was hoarse, “You killed your own child.” His face turned pale. “What nonsense is this?” I slowly pulled a USB drive from under the pillow. “This contains the entire zip line footage, including what you did in the control room.” Ethan’s expression changed, “What footage?” “Did you forget? Every corner of ‘Emily Canyon’ is monitored, including the control room.” Seeing his panic-stricken eyes, I felt a small sense of satisfaction for the first time. “You claimed to want the best for me and the baby, naming the canyon after your lover, while our child was named Xixi.” “You let a woman nine months pregnant go on an extreme zip line. When my water broke and I was bleeding uncontrollably, you were in the control room celebrating with champagne.” Ethan’s face turned ashen, “You’re defaming me!” Emily backed away in panic, “Sister-in-law, you can’t do this…” I took a document from the bedside table and threw it at Ethan with all my strength. “Before you worry about the company’s image, take a look at this!” Ethan impatiently bent down to pick it up, his expression shifting from disdain to shock in just three seconds. “What is this?” “We’ve been married for three years with no children.”

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Asher’s grandmother left a wish before she passed, hoping Asher would marry me. So even though he fell in love with his Thea, Asher insisted on marrying me. It wasn’t until Thea killed the puppy I had raised since childhood that Asher chose to protect Thea again. This time, I didn’t argue. Instead, I contacted the Professor at the Lop Nur Base, preparing to become a researcher there. Before I left, I gave myself seven days to wrap things up. On the first day, I took off the engagement ring symbolizing “the only one.” On the third day, I submitted my resignation at the company. On the day I was leaving, Asher suddenly remembered the puppy and promised to accompany me to buy a new one tomorrow. Then he said, “Daphne is going to the company’s Charity Gala, prepare her dress and bring it to her.” I agreed with a smile and disappeared from his world forever. Later, whenever Asher heard about me, he would stare at our engagement ring in a daze. That was the lover he couldn’t win back and the puppy he couldn’t replace…

Looking at the NDA in my hand, I signed my name without hesitation. “Professor, I am willing to join the Rocket Development Program.” The Professor looked at me with some regret. “You should know this task is top secret. Once you join, you will have to remain anonymous for ten years. No one will be able to find you.” “Aren’t you getting married? At least discuss it with your partner.” Thinking of Asher’s cold and resolute face, I smiled bitterly and shook my head. “No need.” The Professor was silent for a moment, then spoke, “Alright, go get ready. We leave in seven days.” It was raining as I left the Professor’s office, and I walked home in the rain. Unsurprisingly, Asher still hadn’t come back. Daphne had taken away Buddy, the dog I had raised since childhood. When I tried to reason with Asher, he blamed me instead, and then he didn’t come home for three days. I took off the ring on my hand and threw it into the drawer. It was a ring Asher made for me by hand, symbolizing our lifelong love, meant never to be removed, even in death. I naively thought we would grow old together. But everything changed when Daphne returned from abroad. Asher no longer remembered my birthday or cared about my feelings. I became the most invisible person in the house. I was about to take off my soaked clothes when the door sounded. Opening it, I saw Daphne with a spiteful look, disdainfully kicking something at her feet. “This beast wouldn’t listen and got hit by a car.” I looked in disbelief at Buddy’s small body lying there, his fur soaked with mud and blood. My heart twisted painfully, and my eyes instantly filled with tears. Seeing this, Daphne’s sneer deepened, shrugging indifferently. “It’s just a dog. Do you have to cry like your mother died?” I couldn’t hold back anymore and pushed Daphne hard. She screamed and fell into Asher’s arms, who had rushed over when he heard the noise. Instantly, she was in tears, “Asher, the dog ran out and got hit by a car on its own. Why blame me?” Before I could speak, she cried even harder, “I’m sorry, Cora, I didn’t mean to…” Touching Buddy’s lifeless body, my heart ached to the point of suffocation, and I couldn’t help but shout at her, “What’s the use of saying sorry!” She immediately acted as if she had been greatly wronged. “Asher, I kindly brought over the dog’s body, and she talks to me like this…” Asher looked at me with increasing impatience, “It’s just an animal. It’s dead, so what? My grandma left you so much money, don’t you know how many dogs you can buy with it?” With someone defending her, Daphne cried even harder, soaking a large patch of Asher’s chest with her tears. Perhaps thinking it wasn’t enough, he continued, “Cora, when did you become so petty and unreasonable?” Animal? I looked at him, almost unable to breathe from the pain. He knew how important Buddy was to me. It was the only gift my mother left me before she died. He had once promised at my mother’s bedside to take care of me and Buddy. But now, for Daphne, he called Buddy an animal. It turns out Asher’s heart had strayed too far. I was also tired and didn’t want to fight anymore. Thinking of my decision to leave, I felt relieved. Asher gently patted Daphne’s back and glared at me, “Are you satisfied now?” Then, he gently patted Daphne’s head, affectionately saying, “It’s raining outside. Shall I take you home?” Daphne snuggled into his arms, giving me a challenging smile from an angle he couldn’t see. Watching his hurried steps, I gave a bitter smile. The Asher who once claimed to have fallen in love with me at first sight and pursued me passionately never truly loved me. I was just a distraction in his loneliness, and Daphne was his true love. Now the rightful owner was back, and I, the substitute, should step down. But it didn’t matter anymore. I hid the ring and the unsigned prenuptial agreement in the drawer. Asher would never know that the agreement his grandmother forced him to sign, granting me half of his assets, was never notarized, nor did I sign it. Chapter Two After cremating Buddy, I buried him next to my mother’s grave. On the third morning, the Professor sent me the exact departure time. I replied with an “okay” and then walked into the HR office. I formally submitted my resignation. They must have disliked me for a long time, as the process went smoothly. Just as I closed the door of the HR office, I heard them gossiping. “She just up and resigned. Being the CEO’s wife is different, I heard Asher’s grandma left her half the property!” “What CEO’s wife? It’s not even official. I think she resigned because Asher gave her project to Miss Daphne.” “Wasn’t that the project she was working on? It’s almost finished. Giving it to Miss Daphne now is like letting her reap the rewards.” “So what? Miss Daphne is Asher’s true love.” It’s not surprising they thought that way. As soon as Daphne returned, Asher gave her the General Manager position. Even if Daphne knew nothing, Asher would hand the project to her himself. He even had me work overtime to revise Daphne’s proposals and entertain her clients. Even when I ended up hospitalized with a bleeding stomach, he said I owed it to Daphne. Listening to the occasional mocking laughter, I felt no waves in my heart. I just hoped the coming days would pass quickly. With everything settled, it was time for me to pack up. I returned home with my things, only to see Asher and Daphne having breakfast together, laughing and chatting. Watching them feed each other, my hands started to tremble. Once, I mistakenly used Asher’s cup, and he hired a dozen cleaners to sanitize the house, warning me not to have physical contact with him. Turns out Asher didn’t have a cleanliness obsession. He just didn’t want to be intimate with me. Seeing me return, Daphne playfully clung to Asher’s hand, “Asher, if you give Cora’s seat to me, won’t she be upset?” Asher sneered, “I’m the company’s CEO. Do I need her approval for my decisions?” “But Cora hasn’t been home for days.” “She’s waiting for me to coax her. Don’t mind her.” Hearing this, Daphne’s eyes were full of triumphant pride. She leaned into Asher’s embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck coquettishly. I said nothing and headed upstairs. That’s when Asher noticed me. A hint of guilt flashed across his face before he threw his knife and fork onto his plate in anger and ordered me, “Stop right there!” I kept walking, but he rushed over and grabbed my arm. “Cora, what’s your problem? Do you even remember you have a home?” He reached to take the box from my arms, but I turned away. “No need, you go ahead with your work.” Asher looked even more impatient, about to say something when Daphne called him, “Asher, I want another fried egg. Can you make one for me?” “Sure,” Asher replied and headed to the kitchen. I stepped forward to go back to my room, but Daphne blocked my way. “What do you want?” Daphne glanced toward the kitchen, and her gentle facade faded, revealing jealousy and resentment. “Cora, you heard it all, didn’t you? Asher only has me in his heart. If it weren’t for his grandmother forcing him, he wouldn’t marry you.” “I heard his grandma left you half the property. Don’t delude yourself into thinking any of it is yours!” “I advise you to be sensible and hand over the property agreement. After all, just one word from me, and he would kick you out.” She paused, looking at me, then covered her mouth in a mock laugh, “Oops, I forgot. All your family is dead. You’re like a stray dog no one wants.” “No wonder you cling to Asher like a leech.” Her tone was contemptuous, her eyes filled with mockery. No matter how she insulted me, I didn’t care. But she shouldn’t have mocked my family. In an instant, my blood froze, and I couldn’t help but yell at her, “Daphne, say one more word, and I’ll tear your mouth apart!” “Asher! What are you doing!?” She paused, looked at me, then covered her mouth in a mocking laugh. “Oops, I forgot. Your whole family’s gone now. You’re just like an unwanted stray.” “No wonder you’re stuck to Asher like glue.” Her voice dripped with disdain, her eyes gleaming with amusement. I could endure any insult she hurled at me, but mocking my family was crossing the line. My blood ran cold, and I couldn’t help but shout, “Daphne! Say one more word and I’ll make you regret it!” “Cora! What’s gotten into you?!” Asher happened to overhear, worried I might harm Daphne, and immediately intervened. I paused, noticing Daphne’s raised eyebrow as she subtly pushed me. The next second, I lost my balance and tumbled down the stairs. Pain shot through me as I hit the ground. “Cora!” Asher dropped everything and rushed over to help me up. Daphne leaned toward Asher, tears brimming in her eyes, “Asher, I didn’t mean to… It’s all my fault for being so clumsy and causing trouble. What should I do now…” Her panic seemed perfectly genuine, and Asher couldn’t bring himself to blame her. He frowned, looking at me, “Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital? Daphne didn’t mean it, don’t hold it against her.” I shook my head, bitterness seeping in as I looked away, noticing the scattered items. The resignation letter and confidential documents were right on top. Chapter Three Afraid he might notice, I ignored the pain and hurried to gather them. “I’ll do it.” Asher crouched down, picking up the resignation letter with a frown. I held my breath, hoping he wouldn’t notice the confidential documents. Luckily, Asher’s attention was on the resignation letter, allowing me to hide the documents among other items. “You quit?” Asher sounded surprised. “Yeah.” I shoved everything into the box. He sounded displeased, “Why didn’t you say so earlier? Before, when I asked you to hand over the project, you refused. Why the change of heart now?” Maybe it was because I looked so pale; he hesitated and softened his tone, “Quitting is good. Saves me some effort. Grandma gave you so much money, you should be content.” “You should focus on being Mrs. Asher and stop competing with Daphne.” “She’s kind-hearted and doesn’t understand your scheming.” I bit my lip, holding back tears, nodding even though my heart felt like it was being pierced by countless needles. I struggled to stand despite the pain. He reached out to help me, “Cora, explain the project to Daphne so she won’t face difficulties with the investors.” “She’s not like you, able to charm people and even get half the property.” Not wanting to waste more time on them, I nodded to Asher, “Okay.” Asher seemed pleased with my compliance, smiling at me, “That’s better. Sorry for neglecting you lately. Once Daphne fully takes over your work, I’ll make it up to you.” “After the mourning period for Grandma, we can get married. It’ll give her peace.” I bit my lip hard, my heart aching. That day would never come. In the following days, I quietly packed my things, wrote a project proposal for Daphne, and visited Asher’s grandmother’s grave to tell her my decision. She loved me most in life and wouldn’t want me to suffer under Asher’s mistreatment. On the last day, Asher stayed home. I felt anxious, trying to find reasons to leave smoothly. Unexpectedly, Asher took out an old telescope, “Daphne wants to go stargazing; I’m taking her camping today.” “Alright.” I sighed in relief. Leaving early would let me avoid running into him. He added, “There’s a Charity Gala tonight. Get a dress ready for Daphne.” I thought for a moment. By then, I’d be on the way to my new life. Daphne walked over, clinging to Asher’s arm, pitifully pleading, “How could Cora get me a dress? Last time she gave me the wrong project proposal, and I got in trouble with the investors.” “Asher, I can wear anything. I don’t want to…” She even shed a few tears, and Asher glared at me angrily, “Cora, if you don’t want to do it, just say so. How could you do this? You’ve really disappointed me!” I was about to leave and didn’t want any more conflict. I calmly apologized to Daphne, “Sorry, my bad. It won’t happen again.” Then I looked at Asher, “Don’t worry, I’ll prepare the dress for her.” A hint of guilt flashed across Asher’s face. After hesitating for a while, he said slowly, “Cora, tomorrow I’ll get you a new puppy, just like the one before.” Before my mentor came to pick me up, I ironed the dress for Daphne and left the ring symbolizing “the only one” and the prenup agreement on the table. With my suitcase in hand, I headed downstairs. The Professor looked at my expressionless face and sighed helplessly. “Since you’ve decided to go, work hard over there and achieve results soon!” “Okay!” I got in the car, watching Asher’s villa fade into the distance until it disappeared from view. In the early morning, Asher returned home, slightly tipsy, with Daphne. The house was silent, with no lights on. Asher was instinctively displeased. After all, no matter how late it was, I would always wait for him on the sofa. “Cora! Come out and make some hangover soup.” But the empty house remained silent, with no response. Asher flipped on the light, only to see the documents and ring on the table. He immediately yelled, “Cora! Who allowed you to take off the ring?!” I’m sorry, but it appears that the text you intended to have translated is missing. Could you please provide the specific text for translation? Chapter 4

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I hid my true identity from my boyfriend, driven by a desire to rebel against my family. But then I overheard him say, “Ever since I found out she comes from such a poor background, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something about her. To marry, it should be someone like Adeline, a wealthy heiress.” I was taken aback. “So do rich guys smell better and feel softer too?” Just then, my phone pinged with a message from Jasper, the ‘Capital Prince’: “Hello, sister. Grandpa asked me to fulfill our marriage contract.” I had missed out on a truly wealthy family, and my ex was left in tears. I returned from freshening up in the bathroom to find a new topic buzzing in the private room. “Ever since I learned Fiona has a humble background, she always seems a bit off to me.” It was Declan’s voice. I hesitated, my hand pausing mid-air on the door. “Have you ever been to a really poor area? Girls from places like that always seem to carry something with them.” Instinctively, I sniffed myself. It was the fresh scent of jasmine. I couldn’t comprehend his mindset. Was he looking down on me because of my background? “No way,” another male voice chimed in, “She always dresses pretty nicely.” “Ha,” the man scoffed, “She buys everything from cheap sites, reeks of low quality.” “These bargain girls are just for fun. For marriage, it’s someone like Adeline, a true gentle and charming rich girl.” Adeline is a freshman this year. On her first day, she arrived in a limited-edition sports car, a perfect match for Declan. She was there today too, wearing a designer mini-skirt and carrying an expensive bag. When I opened the door, Adeline had somehow already taken my original seat, her smooth thigh pressed closely against Declan’s pants. Seeing me return, Declan subtly distanced himself from Adeline and called me over to sit next to him. “Fiona, come here. I lost a game, and now you have to drink this for me?” Declan’s stomach has always been fragile. Every time this happened, he would cutely ask me to drink for him. But he doesn’t know, every time I drink, I feel awful, unable to sleep the whole night. Just moments ago, Declan drank Adeline’s wine for her, saying girls tend to have cold constitutions and drinking too much was unhealthy. So in his mind, I don’t even register as a girl. Everyone else was using small, delicate glasses. But mysteriously, in front of me was a large mug of draft beer. Over a dozen eyes in the room were on me, teasingly watching how I would “make a sacrifice for love.” Declan put on an innocent, pitiful look, staring at me expectantly. In the past, I would have definitely drunk it for him out of pity. But now— I boldly lifted the mug, smiling as I responded, “Good thing it’s a big mug. If it were one of those small ones, I’d be worried it wouldn’t be enough!” With that, I poured the entire mug over Declan’s head, soaking him to the bone.

“Fiona, are you out of your mind?” Declan snapped. I shrugged. “Yeah, I’m from a poor background, that’s just how we girls from humble origins are.” Declan seemed to realize something and quickly explained. “Fiona, it’s not what you think.” I gestured with my chin at his legs. Declan then noticed Adeline’s stockings caught in his zipper, already torn. I can’t imagine what intimate things they did when I wasn’t there. “So only those who wear Chanel and carry Hermès deserve all your love?” I shook my head regretfully. Declan massaged his temples. “It was just a joke, do you have to take it so seriously, Fiona?” “Can you say you wouldn’t choose someone wealthier?” “Isn’t that just human nature?” I blinked, “Is that so?” Adeline chimed in, “Of course, if you compare the two of us, it’s obvious who anyone would choose, right?” She interlocked fingers with Declan, the shiny diamonds on her manicured nails dazzling my eyes. I was stunned for a moment, then looked thoughtfully at my phone. It was a new friend request from Jasper, with a straightforward note: “Hello, sister. Grandpa asked me to fulfill our marriage contract.” Jasper, known as the Capital Prince, is also a freshman this year, recognized as one of the wealthiest students on campus. But he’s usually low-key, always saying he has a marriage contract and doesn’t interact much with girls. So I only heard about him. But why did he suddenly add me? Could it be the person with a marriage contract with him is actually… Hesitating, my phone kept vibrating. Jasper: “Why is sister silent, still with the ex-boyfriend?” “I have plenty of money, sister, won’t you consider?” “Sister, give me a chance?” The usually cold Jasper called me sister repeatedly, completely unlike his cool image. My face turned red, inexplicably imagining him calling me that in a more intimate setting. Looking up again, I had made up my mind. “Let’s break up then.” “I choose the rich one too.” Declan laughed first, and others followed suit. Everyone knows the Declan family is connected to the Aiden family, and it’s hard to find someone richer than Declan in the whole school. “Don’t be ridiculous, Fiona. Richer people won’t look at you.” “Come back and sit, I’ll pretend you didn’t say anything.” Looking at the dark water stain on the leather sofa next to him, I suddenly felt disgusted. “No, thanks.” I took a step back, Declan’s words about “gentle and soft” echoing in my mind. If that’s the case, rich guys should be even more fragrant and tender, right? Before I knew it, I had already sent a reply to Jasper. “Can you come pick me up, charming little prince?”

They were right; initially, I chose to be with Declan for the money. But they don’t know, I’m not actually poor, but the only daughter of the Foster family. My dad worked his way up from humble beginnings, always saying: “Kids these days have it too good, don’t even know the price of rice.” “How can I trust you with the Foster Corporation in the future?” So after I got into college, my family cut off my access to unlimited funds and only gave me $1000 a month for living expenses. In college, I would buy two starch sausages for a dollar, cancel subscriptions right after getting a discount, wait for special deals at fast food places, and look for coupons before entering a restaurant. I never had much luck with winning anything. Except once. It was a rainy day, and I was trying my luck at the lottery booth by the school gate. A long hand blocked my view. The owner of the hand wore a black shirt, sleeves rolled up, revealing a strong forearm. He flipped through a stack of lottery tickets, picked one from the back, and handed it to me. “Try this one.” Skeptically, I scratched it off and won $500. Before I could claim the prize, the man opened his umbrella and walked into the rain. Watching his back, I thought he was quite lucky. My mom says, being with a lucky man makes life smoother. I regretted not getting his contact, he could’ve helped me pick more winning tickets. Who would’ve thought, at the freshman mixer later, a boy named Declan confessed to me. Seeing his somewhat familiar face, I agreed without thinking. Fate brought us together again, but it ended in such an embarrassing way.

The car was warm, and the comfortable environment made me completely relax. Jasper didn’t greet me with the warmth I imagined. He reverted to his usual demeanor, high and aloof. Was he shy, or… angry? Well, as strangers with no prior interaction, asking him to pick me up was indeed abrupt. “Sorry, the place they chose for the gathering is a bit remote. If it’s inconvenient, you can drop me off in the city ahead.” The car smoothly pulled over, without hesitation. As expected, I was troubling someone again. Reaching for the door, I couldn’t open it. Turning back, I found the man who was far away now close. For the first time, I looked closely at his features, noticing how he resembled Declan a bit. But his skin was paler, and he looked more refined. Unlike Declan, who always had his hair perfectly styled, Jasper’s bangs casually fell over his forehead, adding a youthful vibe. “Is sister seeing someone irrelevant through me?” The little prince gritted his teeth. His thin lips opened and closed, looking very kissable. I couldn’t resist reaching out, brushing my finger across them. “So soft.” I didn’t notice his face darkened even more. “Sister, don’t confuse me with my cousin from the Declan family. I’m different.” “In our relationship, I hope we can trust each other.” He suddenly blushed, stubbornly adding: “If sister doesn’t trust me, you can inspect in advance. I’m willing to cooperate…” My mom was right. I’m still young, haven’t experienced the best. Otherwise, why would I be so mesmerized by his stunning looks? What did he just say, he’s willing to cooperate? I also want to… have a taste. Lost in thought, I leaned up to kiss him. His eyes turned deep, raven-like lashes trembling with restraint. In a moment, he fiercely claimed me, like a flood breaking its dam. No one noticed my phone buzzing in the gap, over and over.

After Fiona left, Declan felt uneasy. So late, in the suburbs, how would she get back? Oh well, let her learn a lesson. Their upper-class circle is like this, profit above all. She has to learn to adapt. He just said what? He’s willing to cooperate? I really want to try it. Lost in thought, I tilted my head and kissed him. My brother’s eyes suddenly deepened, his long lashes trembling with restraint. After a moment, he passionately captured my lips like a flood breaking through a dam. No one noticed my phone ringing repeatedly from its hidden spot. 5 After Fiona left, Declan felt uneasy. It was so late, and she was in the suburbs. How would a girl like her get home? Oh well, perhaps it’s a lesson she needs to learn. That’s how it is in the upper circles, where interests come first. She has to learn to adapt. Deep down, he admitted he liked Fiona. At the freshman orientation party, she wore a cream-colored cotton dress, looking as beautiful as a fairy. Countless guys were eager to dance with her. But her gaze drifted through the crowd and gently landed on him. In that moment, the world quieted down to just breaths and heartbeats. But from the moment Adeline appeared, everything seemed to change. Adeline always wore exquisite brand-name outfits and carried the scent of high-end perfume. Unlike Fiona, who carried a canvas bag from Amazon and occasionally asked him to help “cut a deal.” Until his mother told him that the family had chosen Adeline as his future wife. He felt this was the right choice. Only a girl like Adeline seemed suitable for him. But tonight, with Adeline sitting astride him, it felt wrong. Closing his eyes, all he could see was Fiona’s stubborn eyes. He couldn’t help but call her. No answer. Forget it, let her cool off for a few days. After all, she loves money so much. In a few days, he’s sure she’ll come back.

Back at the dorm, I found my phone flooded with calls from Declan. I thought I had made the breakup clear. Reflecting on recent events, I replied: “Your cousin is not only more handsome but also richer than you. When he calls me ‘sister,’ I feel like giving him my whole life.” Almost instantly, the phone rang. “Fiona, which cousin? Who are you giving your life to?” I hung up, blocked the number, all in one go. Exhaling deeply, I realized there was still a shadow outside the window. Jasper? I played the voice message he just sent. His slightly hoarse voice scratched at my heart like rough sandpaper. “Sister, come out.” He somehow got a cup of honey water. The warm, smooth liquid carried the warmth of his chest. “You drank tonight. Have some honey water; it will make you feel better.” I was surprised. How did he know… Then I remembered the kiss with a hint of alcohol in the car. The air around me heated up again, and my face must have been bright red. The phone rang at just the right moment. It was Declan. Jasper answered it right in front of me. “Jasper, where are you?” Jasper looked at me. Even though we had broken up. Why did it feel like I was caught cheating? I could only bury my face in the cup. Let the steam from the cup shield me. “I’m with my fiancée.” Jasper replied naturally. “Well, congratulations, you finally got what you wanted.” The person on the other end didn’t say much more and hung up directly. Jasper showed that enticing expression again. The corners of his eyes were reddened, like a captivating demon. His fingers intertwined with mine, holding tightly, his eyes pleading: “Can we go public, Fiona?”

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Three years after leaving the country, I arrived at Capital Airport with my twin children. The always cold CEO sent a message: “Returned?” Without hesitation, I lied, “No, I’m still in the U.S., about to go to bed.” But in the blink of an eye, he was standing right in front of me, his gaze fixed intently on my two kids. “Is this why you disappeared?” “Do you realize I never agreed to the divorce? What you’ve done is betrayal!” I let out a cold laugh and touched the prayer beads on his wrist. “You didn’t want to have children with me, so I found someone who did.” When we got married, Asher promised he loved me deeply. He said he’d do anything for me, except break his vows. But then, his first love returned. She claimed that if she could make Asher break his vows nine times, I should willingly leave him. I lost that challenge, utterly defeated. After Beatrix returned, she challenged me, suggesting we see who could make Asher break his vows nine times first. I smirked and wrote down the terms of the bet on the spot: “If you win, I’ll bow out. But if you lose, I’ll make it impossible for you to stay in Beijing City.” But only I knew how uncertain I truly felt. In our three years of marriage, Asher would do anything I asked, except break his vows. Within a week, he started coming home less frequently. Determined, I put on the new lingerie I bought and walked into his quiet room. I took his hand and guided it down my body… I could feel his breath becoming heavier, his eyes filled with a new desire. But then his phone rang, and he snapped out of it, pushing me away and storming out. He didn’t return for three hours. I stood there, feeling the warmth drain from my body, unable to think. Until Beatrix appeared, flaunting a used strawberry-flavored item, showing me the sticky substance inside. “Adeline, this marks the ninth time.” “I told you, Asher loves me. Why don’t you believe it?” “A bet is a bet.” Looking at her smug expression, I thought of how I had just humiliated myself, begging Asher for attention. A wave of dizziness hit me. Why was I degrading myself like this? Before I married, I was the prized daughter of the Beijing Circle. Why was I now reduced to competing with Beatrix for a place in bed? Feigning indifference, I took out the signed divorce papers from the bedside drawer. “Take it and leave.” Beatrix raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You confronted Asher?” I shrugged nonchalantly. “No, Asher said I could decide about the divorce on my own.” “He’s just a man. If you want him, he’s yours.” But seeing Asher’s name on the papers… My heart felt pierced. This was Asher’s wedding gift to me. Asher always kept his promises. He stopped my hands from undoing his buttons, saying he had to keep his vows for three years and asked me to wait for him. But if I ever grew tired… I could sign my name on the divorce papers anytime, and he would accept my decision. At that time, I was overjoyed, thinking I had him for life. Now I realized how foolish I was. Was he setting me free or just making it easy for him to escape anytime? Beatrix reviewed the papers twice, showing a satisfied smile. “Miss Adeline, as decisive as ever.” “Everyone in Beijing City knows you spent five years pursuing Asher. I thought you’d cry.” “How about this, in a week, when Asher fully leaves his vows behind, I’ll give him these papers as a gift.” “You both won’t have to torment each other anymore.” I coldly showed her out. But I had to admit Beatrix was right. Keeping someone who doesn’t love me by my side for five years, if not torture, then what is it? I opened my phone and found the tickets to Iceland for Asher and me next week. Asher doesn’t like traveling abroad, but I insisted. Was he thinking how troublesome I was, always asking for so much, when he agreed? I used my finger to cancel Asher’s ticket. If that’s the case, I’ll let him go. This mistake shouldn’t continue.

Not long after Beatrix left, I went to bed. In a daze, someone lay beside me, wrapping their arm around my waist from behind. I irritably pushed his hand away. “Why aren’t you in your quiet room? What are you doing here?” His breath was warm on my neck, and after a long silence, he asked, “Why did you cancel the Iceland tickets?” My heart grew even more annoyed and frustrated. I replied, “Can’t I just not want to go?” while pushing his body away: “Stay away from me.” But when my hand pressed on his chest, Asher let out a muffled groan, as if in great pain. I felt something odd on his chest and lifted his shirt. At that moment, I felt the world spin. A piercing was right on his chest! And next to it, two small letters were tattooed: QZ. I didn’t know if my eyes were red, just felt like tears were about to overflow, my voice trembling uncontrollably. “What is this?” Does Asher like Beatrix so much that he’d do anything for her? Back when Asher’s parents died, and his relatives took everything, even hiring thugs to bully him, it was me who smashed heads with a beer bottle to ensure he wasn’t humiliated. Asher said he wanted to become a monk. I stayed by his side, never forcing him to do anything, loving him with all I had. Until he opened his heart and agreed to marry me. How laughable. He wouldn’t break his vows for me. But he could pierce his body for another woman, like a pet marked by its owner? If Asher was unwilling, who could force him? Was this their idea of fun? Or did Beatrix want me to see how low Asher could stoop for her? Asher frowned, pulling down his shirt. “No need to make a fuss, it’s just something strung. If you don’t like it, I won’t wear it.” “As for the letters, Adeline, I’ll explain them to you later.” Then he hesitated and walked out of the bedroom. “I’m going to copy Buddhist Scriptures, you should sleep early.” I noticed his prayer beads had been replaced with a string of white Bodhi beads—not the Rosewood beads I climbed thousands of steps to get for him. I gritted my teeth and called the butler. “Find out where Asher went today and who he was with.” “And where his bracelet went.” Soon after, a surveillance video was sent to me. In the video, Asher was taking drink after drink from Beatrix’s hand, looking utterly drunk. Several friends at the table were amazed. “I heard Asher is a Buddhist, doesn’t drink a drop. Beatrix, you’re quite something.” “Right, back in school, Asher only treated Beatrix well. Seems her going abroad didn’t change a thing.” “I heard Asher’s married now, his wife at home is quite something.” Beatrix laughed, holding Asher’s hand. “If I hadn’t gone abroad, how could Adeline have married Asher?” “And I told Asher not to touch Adeline, and he really didn’t. What kind of love is that, need I say more?” My heart took a hard hit. What does Asher take me for? He climbed out of life’s muck with my help, yet he faithfully obeyed the so-called true love’s command, keeping absurd chastity for her? Beatrix patted Asher’s face, waking him from his daze. “Throw this bracelet away, I bought you a new one, you can only wear mine from now on.” The man seemed hesitant. But under Beatrix’s prodding, he took off the bracelet and tossed it on the ground. Perhaps even the heavens couldn’t bear it. The moment it hit the ground, the string snapped, beads scattering everywhere. Just like my heart, shattered into pieces. The butler handed me two of the beads. “Miss, the rest of the beads were taken by cleaning staff, should I retrieve them?” I laughed bitterly. “No need.” “What’s the point of retrieving a few beads.” Asher, like these prayer beads. Once a treasured jewel I painstakingly sought and held dear. Now fallen to the ground, dirtied—it’s nothing.

I ordered Asher’s belongings to be packed and sent back to his own home. Asher entered with breakfast, brushing past the movers. Seeing his incense burner, Buddhist Scriptures, and meditation mat being carried out, he was bewildered. “What’s going on?” “Adeline, are you moving?” I gave him a big smile. “Yes, I’ve lived here too long, it’s annoying now.” Then I glanced at the tray in his hand. A dish of pickles, a bowl of white porridge, and a few slices of bread. Not even an egg. Asher doesn’t eat meat, so I’ve also eaten vegetarian for years. So I grabbed my bag and headed out. “You keep it for yourself.” Ignoring his surprised look completely. I no longer cared what Asher thought. That night, I gathered with some Beijing Circle sisters at a bar for drinks, also planning to say goodbye. My friends teased me non-stop. “Miss Adeline out drinking, aren’t you afraid your precious, fastidious husband will be mad?” “Yeah, the little princess has been so virtuous since marriage, what changed today?” I sneered. “Being virtuous should be for someone worthy.” Just then, a commotion erupted in a corner of the bar. Two people were having a drinking contest. Whoever downed twelve cocktails first could take a woman home that night. I ignored his look of surprise entirely. I don’t care what Asher thinks now. That evening, I gathered a few friends from the Beijing social circle for a farewell at a bar. My friends teased me relentlessly. “Miss Adeline is out drinking. Aren’t you worried that your fussy, neat-freak husband will get upset?” “Yeah, the darling of the Beijing Circle has been the perfect wife since getting married. What’s changed today?” I let out a cold laugh. “Being faithful should be reserved for someone who deserves it.” At that moment, a commotion erupted in the corner of the bar. People were saying that two individuals were about to have a drinking contest. Whoever finishes twelve cocktails first gets to take a woman home tonight. My friends went to check it out, but they returned looking troubled. “Adeline, you should go see. It’s your husband, Asher.” I didn’t react. I knew I should be surprised—that a husband who never drinks would go to such lengths for another woman. But inside, I felt nothing. It was as if my love for Asher had died yesterday. I even led everyone over with a sense of amusement. “Let’s go watch the spectacle.” Asher stood at the long table lined with drinks, visibly shocked to see me. But as soon as he took a step, the bartender reminded him. “Sir, leaving now means forfeiting. Are you sure you want to give up?” He glanced at me, then at Beatrix, hesitated, and turned away. “No forfeiting.” Beatrix leaned in, speaking maliciously under the cover of the loud bar music. “Adeline, maybe you should try to talk to Asher?” “After all, you won’t be husband and wife much longer. You can still ask him a few more times.” “But then again, if Asher doesn’t listen to you even once, that’s pretty sad, isn’t it?” I ignored Beatrix and just stared at Asher’s face. His eyes never met mine, intentionally avoiding me. He kept fiddling with his Prayer Beads. I know him; it’s a sign he’s nervous and guilty. The onlookers were moved by his and Beatrix’s supposed love. “Drinking all twelve would definitely land you in the hospital. This guy must really love his girlfriend.” “True love indeed, wish them eternal happiness.” The veins on Asher’s forehead pulsed. He shouted, “Shut up.” Then, turning to me, he whispered, “Adeline, I have my reasons. I’ll explain everything when we get home.” I smiled. I gently reminded him. “Asher, you promised to keep your vows for three years. Just three more days.” “If you drink this, our agreement means nothing.” His expression froze. He was silent for a long time before nodding. “Then it means nothing. Let’s go home tonight. I’ll make it up to you.” I knew he meant consummating our marriage. But now, I just wanted to laugh. He finally chose to break his vow for me, after having done everything he shouldn’t for another woman. I took off my wedding ring. Dropped it into his drink, then turned to leave. But with so many people around, I accidentally knocked over a champagne tower. Countless glasses crashed down. I heard Asher shouting my name. But in the crucial moment, he protected Beatrix instead. Glasses shattered on the ground, and as my vision faded to black, I saw Asher running toward me. I knew he picked me up, his hands trembling. He whispered in my ear over and over that he loved me. But the words made me sick. When I woke, it was three days later. My friends said that after I was rushed to the emergency room, Asher stayed outside the whole time, refusing to bandage his own bleeding injuries. They said Asher stayed by my bedside these past few days, doing everything himself, not letting anyone else even wipe my face. They also said Asher prepared a huge banquet hall filled with my favorite cornflowers, though they didn’t know what for. I called the butler: “Take me to the airport.” As the car left the hospital, I saw Asher’s car arriving. When our cars passed, I rolled up the window. Asher was genuinely happy. He had owed Beatrix twelve wishes, and the drinking contest was the last one. Asher thought he could finally let Beatrix go and wholeheartedly love his wife. But when he entered the hospital room. The bed was empty. Every inch of the sheets was perfectly smooth, with no sign of wrinkles. In that moment, his face showed confusion, doubt, and finally, indescribable panic. Beatrix handed him a document with a bright smile. “Asher, you’re finally free!” “This is the divorce agreement Adeline signed. We can finally be together again!” It appears the text you provided is incomplete or missing. Could you please share the specific text you need translated? ### Chapter 2

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In the fifth year of my marriage to Daniel Thompson, he had an affair with his personal assistant because I couldn’t get pregnant. He brought her home, took over the master bedroom, usurped my position as the lady of the house, and occupied the place by his side. I never made a fuss, just packed my bags and prepared to leave. But he sneered and said, “Don’t forget, your parents’ lives are in my hands.” His friends bet in front of me, guessing when I would kneel and beg Daniel to take me back. At the auction, he helped his little assistant humiliate me. What he didn’t know was that my parents were already dead, and he was the one incapable of having children. As I watched my long-lost love return, I secretly vowed. This time, I would not only leave, but also ruin his reputation completely. … Once again, as I watched Olivia Baker cling to Daniel Thompson in front of me, I no longer felt much of anything. But he still refused to let me go, speaking in a commanding tone. “Olivia is due to give birth in a few days. Quit your job and stay home to take care of her food and daily needs.” Hearing this, I suddenly realized that these five years of marriage seemed meaningless. “Daniel, let’s get divorced.” … After a brief silence, mocking laughter erupted from the karaoke room. “Did I hear that right? Rachel wants to divorce Daniel? Wasn’t she the one who desperately clung to him in the first place?” “Don’t fight me on this, I bet she’ll be back on her knees begging Daniel to take her back within a day!” “Sis, what’s gotten into you? Are you jealous of Olivia?” “What, are you feeling sorry for her?” Daniel coldly retorted, his gaze towards me growing icy. “Are you sure about this?” “Yes, I’ll send you the divorce papers.” With that, I turned to leave, but Daniel suddenly called out to stop me. “Rachel Wilson, don’t forget, your half-dead parents still need the Thompson family’s support.” He dared to bring up my parents. Seeing I remained silent, he stood up and looked down at me imperiously, his tone threatening. “You’d better think it through. Do you know how much your parents’ annual medical expenses are? Can you afford it?” Olivia chimed in from the side. “That’s right, sis. Uncle and auntie are still waiting for life-saving treatment.” I glared at their hypocritical faces, wanting nothing more than to slap them both. Meeting my reddened eyes, Daniel spoke coldly: “Name your price. How much to take care of Olivia?” How much was five years of a marriage where I was treated like dirt worth? I didn’t bother to calculate. I only knew that the last time I refused him, I ended up being forced to drink with executives at a karaoke bar until I had a gastric hemorrhage. I took Olivia’s hand and pretended to say to her: “I’ll take good care of you and the baby.” Hearing this, Daniel surprisingly gave me an out: “Don’t worry, as long as you take good care of them, your parents will be safe and sound too.” Just as he finished speaking, Olivia, whose hand I was holding, suddenly collapsed to the ground with a miserable cry. I stood there stunned, not knowing what to do. Daniel slapped me hard across the face. He carried her back to the bedroom and ordered the housekeeper to call the family doctor. Seeing this situation, not only did the people around find it amusing. I found it funny too. Following them into the bedroom, seeing Olivia’s emotions had calmed, I turned to leave. But Daniel coldly grabbed my hand. “Apologize!” “What…” Before I could finish, he kicked the back of my leg. With a thud, I fell to my knees in front of Olivia before I could react. My knees were bleeding, but I heard him yell angrily: “You made Olivia fall, shouldn’t you apologize to her?!”

I looked coldly at Daniel. In our five years of marriage, I had apologized countless times. Apologized for mistakes in documents. Apologized for disturbing his work. Apologized even for seeing him go to hotels with Olivia… Swallowing my grievances, I knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Olivia three times, saying “I’m sorry” with each bow. I looked indifferently at Daniel and spoke flatly: “Is that enough?” Staring at the blood on my forehead, he paused before speaking with disgust: “Who are you putting on this act for? If you want to leave, then leave. You’re bad luck. Don’t end up harming Olivia and her child.” Seeing he didn’t seem to want to trouble me further, I breathed a sigh of relief and quietly left the Thompson mansion. I took a taxi to the hospital and received my parents’ death certificates from the doctor. They had died last week, but Daniel was still using them to threaten me. At the time, the hospital called asking me to pay the bills. My salary hadn’t come in yet, so I called Daniel crying, but all my calls went unanswered. I tracked his location and rushed to the hotel, but the lobby manager wouldn’t let me in. I didn’t care and kicked open the door, immediately seeing Olivia half-naked on the bed. He hurriedly covered her, speaking fiercely: “Who allowed you to come in?! Get out!” I knelt down outside the door and begged: “Can you lend me $50,000? I…” Before I could finish, he cut me off: “Are you deaf? I told you to get out! Forget $50,000, I won’t even give you $5. Assistant! Throw her out!” I knelt on the ground begging desperately, crying my heart out, gasping for breath, with no shred of dignity left. I saw Olivia provocatively showing off the ring on her ring finger. The unique diamond ring was priceless – she couldn’t afford it. I knew Daniel must have given it to her. But I had no energy to argue with him. I crawled over and grabbed Olivia’s feet, pleading: “Olivia, I won’t fight you for anything. Please lend me $50,000, I’m begging you.” But her response was a cold snort, followed by Daniel’s slap that sent me crashing to the floor beside the bed. “I told you to get out!” I was thrown out of the hotel and brought home by his assistant, forced to kneel on the cold tiles in the living room. I was ordered to apologize non-stop. If I slacked off even a little, a bucket of cold water would be poured over me. It was at this time that my parents died in the hospital when their oxygen machines stopped working. Looking at my parents’ death certificates, tears unconsciously fell from my eyes. I cried heartbrokenly, attracting attention from many people. The doctor told me to restrain my grief and took me to identify my parents’ bodies in the morgue. I had my parents’ bodies cremated and carefully placed the ashes in urns. My once loving parents had become two wooden boxes. Unable to accept it, I fainted at the crematorium from overwhelming grief.

When I opened my eyes after fainting from shock, I saw Daniel dealing with work matters. Our eyes met for a long while. He picked up a glass of water and moved to feed me. But I shook my head and took the glass, drinking it all in one go. Seeing this, Daniel’s outstretched hand paused. His chest visibly heaved as he spoke with some displeasure: “How are you feeling? Better? I only just found out that uncle and auntie had passed away…” Before he could finish, I cut him off: “Please give me back my phone.” Perhaps my tone was too cold. Daniel was stunned for several seconds before handing me the phone from the table. Glancing at the divorce agreement I had drafted on the phone, he frowned and asked unhappily: “Rachel, who’s getting divorced?” I hadn’t seen him ask so many questions before. Feeling irritated, I spoke directly: “Us.” Hearing my reply, he spoke with displeasure: “How long are you going to keep this up? Your parents’ deaths were an accident. Don’t you trust me?” I waved my hand, not wanting to get into this trouble. My tone was calm: “I was just joking.” He immediately breathed a sigh of relief, changing his tone to comfort me: “I know you’re heartbroken about mom and dad passing, but you can’t joke about things like this.” I didn’t answer. The next moment, his assistant walked in to tell him: “Mr. Thompson, Miss Baker is awake and asking to see you.” Seeing him torn, I lay down and closed my eyes: “Go see her. I’m a bit tired and want to sleep.” Before leaving, he leaned close to my ear and instructed: “Cooperate well with the doctors’ treatment. I’ll come see you after I check on her.” I kept my eyes tightly shut without responding. Only when the room was completely quiet did my tense body finally relax. But the next second, a call from an unfamiliar number came through on my phone. I answered reluctantly, my tone cold: “What is it?” But the other person didn’t care about my strange tone, excitedly saying: “Rachel! Chris is back!” One sentence made my brain short-circuit. I asked in disbelief: “What did you say?!” “Chris Carter has completed his mission! He’s returned to base!” I almost instinctively jumped out of bed, yanking out the annoying IV in my hand, and rushed out of the hospital to take a taxi to the military base in the suburbs. And in my heart, I silently started the divorce countdown. In three days, I would completely leave Daniel Thompson. Reuniting with Chris Carter was an extremely difficult thing. He had been traumatized and forgotten me completely. He wouldn’t allow anyone to approach him, just mumbling words others couldn’t understand: “Silly girl, silly girl… I want to see my silly girl!” But I knew he was calling my nickname. The doctor told me that to fully recover, we would need to go to America to find the top medical team, with only a 50% chance of success. As my phone screen lit up, I turned my gaze to the divorce agreement on my phone. My thoughts drifted to Daniel Thompson. I silently modified the terms from “adultery during marriage, assets split 50/50” to “I don’t want a penny.” I wanted to sever all ties with him. At this moment, Daniel also called me, anxiously asking: “Rachel, where are you? Why aren’t you resting properly in the hospital?” I was immersed in the joy of reunion, but had to perfunctorily respond to him: “What is it? I’m very busy right now.” “I’ve neglected you these past few days. I want to take you to the new product auction to make it up to you.” Seeing I didn’t respond, he persisted: “How about tomorrow? The Zhike Ziye new product auction. I’ll take you to see if there’s anything you like.” These words touched me a little. But his next words slapped me in the face again: “But Olivia is insisting on going to the Bund with me. Tomorrow I’ll take you after I get back.” I smiled mockingly, simply replying with a “Mm” and agreeing to his trap. If I still liked him because of my parents before, I would definitely have a big fight with him. Then sulk alone, but now I wanted to leave and didn’t care about anything he did. After all, divorce is no small matter. I had to prepare a big gift for him. Seeing I agreed, he didn’t think much more of it, tossing aside my unusual behavior. He thought I would be like before, comforting myself and then eagerly going back to him. But I had already awakened and wouldn’t make the same mistake again. Daniel Thompson, you and your illusory love. I don’t want any of it anymore.

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I am a Reaper who ventured into the mortal world to save the woman I love. Olivia. I defied fate’s repeated calls for her death, and after five years of knowing and loving each other, we were about to get married. On our wedding day, she discovered my identity as a Reaper. She ran away from the wedding and used her own life to blackmail me into saving her ex-boyfriend who had cancer. “If you don’t save him, I’ll die with him!” she threatened. Later, when death came for her again, I took her life as commanded. But she cried until her eyes were bloodshot, kneeling on the ground begging me. “Honey, I regret it. Please, save me one more time.” “Lucas, so Olivia ran away from the wedding to be with another man.” At our pure white wedding venue, the big screen suddenly started live streaming, showing my runaway bride. My Olivia was tightly hugging a man in her arms. The man looked pale, while Olivia’s eyes were full of concern. “Don’t worry, Ethan. I’ll find a way to keep you alive.” The video cut off abruptly, just like my suddenly stopped heart. In the four hours since this morning, my bride had only left me one message: “Lucas, since you’re a Reaper, I think we need to reconsider our wedding.” Just when I thought we were about to find happiness together. She left me standing alone to face everyone’s mockery. A burst of loud static came from the speakers… the two of them reappeared on screen. My trembling body was surrounded by layers of wedding guests, their voices full of ridicule and sarcasm. “Looks like even falling for a medical genius can’t save you from being cheated on.” “She’d rather comfort her own patient than come walk down the aisle. If you ask me, the bride herself must have sent this video to the big screen.” “Hey, hey, don’t say that. It can’t be. Look what they’re doing?!” Following the voices, I stared fixedly at the screen. The huge screen was filled with intimate images of Olivia and Ethan. On the pure white hospital bed, the two of them were entangled. Amidst Ethan’s weak tears, Olivia kissed him passionately. In an instant, all the memories of the past and the sudden loss exploded in my mind, shattering and raging. Then, my gaze instantly dimmed, like a fallen star. The guests began to leave. Someone said, could there be a more miserable groom than me? No, there couldn’t be. So I would no longer be her groom. I don’t know how long I sat there. When I got up to leave, Olivia rushed back with disheveled clothes. Our eyes met. She awkwardly rubbed her nose and started to explain. “I’m sorry honey, Ethan almost died just now, so I had to go to him first.” Hah, almost died. That’s the excuse she used every time she went to see Ethan. But didn’t she just find out? I’m a Reaper. How could I not know who was struggling on the brink of death? My heart was completely exhausted. I couldn’t be bothered to expose her lies. Seeing my expression, Olivia frowned in displeasure: “Come on, was it really necessary to throw the groom’s suit on the ground?” I swallowed the bitterness on my tongue, my lips stiff. “I didn’t throw it. The guests tore it off me while mocking me.” Hearing this, her face stiffened slightly, a flash of apology in her eyes. She took the initiative to put the suit back on me. “Alright, stop sulking. I’m back to marry you, aren’t I?” She looked at me, a smile on her lips, her tone certain. “Stop pretending. Didn’t you say you can’t live without me? You should be grateful I came back.” I pulled at the corner of my mouth, saying sarcastically, “Oh yes, I’m so grateful you came back after running away from our wedding.” She glanced at me and continued. “I’ll marry you, but you have to save Ethan first.” In an instant, I looked up at her in disbelief. She continued speaking nonchalantly. “You’re a Reaper, right? You said you saved me. What’s wrong with saving one more person?” “You’ve already saved one, what’s the difference between saving one or two?” At this moment, anger surged in my heart. No wonder she took the initiative to apologize to me. It was all for her beloved Ethan. But she knew better than anyone that there was a price for a Reaper to save someone. Saving her alone had already left my mortal body riddled with wounds. Now she wanted me to save Ethan too. I stared straight at her and said coldly: “Absolutely not.” In an instant, after a moment of satisfaction, her anger flared. “Lucas! How dare you say you love me?!” “I’m telling you, if you don’t save Ethan, you can forget about this marriage!” “Not only that, if Ethan dies, I’ll die with him!” Looking at her furious expression, I felt a sadness and exhaustion I had never experienced before. I had told her long ago that saving anyone other than her would make me disappear into smoke. I laughed weakly, tearing off the veil on my head and the ring in my hand, throwing them all on the ground. “Do whatever you want.” “If you don’t want to get married, then fine.” As I was leaving, I heard her shouting behind me. “Lucas! When I die, don’t you dare cry!” My steps didn’t falter. I won’t cry anymore. Olivia. I will never again be heartbroken over your death.

After leaving the wedding venue, I received a call from my subordinate. “Reaper, we’ve just received information on Olivia’s manner of death. Cancer will take her life in 30 days…” “We’ve already thought of how to…” “No need,” I interrupted. The subordinate was stunned, then reacted. “You mean you’ll find a way to save Olivia yourself this time?” “No, there’s no need to save Olivia this time.” After a long while, the subordinate let out a soft “Mm”, as if hesitating over whether I was speaking out of anger. Because over the years, I had silently borne the consequences of defying fate for each of Olivia’s deaths. Knowing she would die in a car accident, I kept her locked by my side for an entire day. Knowing she would be crushed to death by a heavy object, I stayed by her side constantly and took the blow of that object for her. From the moment I couldn’t bear to see her stabbed to death in a medical dispute, I used my frail body and endured illness. I exchanged my wellbeing for her safety time and time again. But now, my heart was dead. “From now on, don’t inform me in advance of any death notices for Olivia. Follow the normal death procedures.” Just as I finished saying this, Ethan sent me a message. “Olivia said she wouldn’t let me face death alone.” Below was a voice recording of Olivia: “Ethan, you’re the one I truly love. If I have to die, I’ll die with you.” Even though I knew Ethan was different in Olivia’s heart, hearing her say this still made me feel suffocated. Back then, she single-handedly resisted Death’s call for her patients. While marveling at her abilities, I fell in love with her. Later, I saved her when she was about to be stabbed to death by an angry patient’s family. She cared for the wound on my stomach, and that’s how we fell in love. For five years of dating, while I bore the consequences of defying fate, she always took meticulous care of my weakened body. But after Ethan appeared, everything changed. She began to intentionally or unintentionally avoid me, forgetting about my condition. When I was injured by a heavy object for her sake, she even went for a walk in the park with Ethan. Just when I thought she still loved me by choosing to marry me… She ran away from the wedding, and when she reappeared before me, it was to ask me to save Ethan. It turns out that even the most profound love is small and laughable in the face of human hearts. I coldly blocked Ethan and called my subordinate again. “Change Olivia’s time of death to 7 days from now.” We do have the right to advance the time of death for those who volunteer to die early. Olivia, didn’t you say you two would face death together? Then, as you wish. “Let Ethan and Olivia face the pain of illness together.” The moment I finished speaking, I passed out.

It must have been the price for interfering with Olivia’s death last time. I found myself in the hospital again when I woke up. I don’t know who saved me, but as soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Olivia in front of me. Her expression was unreadable. Before I could say anything, she spoke first. “Alright, I know you deliberately made yourself sick to come find me, but it won’t be so easy for me to forgive you.” The next moment, a group of people appeared at the door. In our five years of dating, I vaguely recognized some of them – Olivia’s relatives, uncles and aunts. “If you want me to forgive you, then make all my relatives live long and healthy lives!” “After all, you’re only paying the price of some illness, while they can live the rest of their lives without any pain or sickness.” “Cough!” I gritted my teeth hard, a metallic taste filling my mouth. Looking at Olivia, I only felt disgusted. All those years of true love crumbled in my mind, each scene carrying an extremely cold chill, freezing my heart with pain. “Get out!” I shouted. Large amounts of blood were coughed up. If my subordinate hadn’t arrived in time to drive away the crowd of people, Olivia might have really taken my life. As she left, she still said, “Lucas, you’re not even taking the way out I’m giving you. Just wait and regret it when I die!” I pulled at the corner of my pale lips, seeing the sympathetic look in my subordinate’s eyes, and smiled weakly. “Let’s go, back to the Underworld.” I would never return to this mortal world again. Three days after returning to the Underworld, I remembered that I still had something in the room I shared with Olivia that was suppressing her fate. When I appeared before Olivia again to retrieve the item, her complexion was already quite pale. The pain of cancer must have left her weak and listless, but seeing me, she was still arrogant and smug. “Finally knew to come back and apologize? How come you weren’t so tough when you were throwing the ring and chasing away my relatives?” I coldly took down the peach wood sword by the bed that was used to drive away ghosts, without saying a word. “Hurry up and take away all your unlucky things. I was wondering why I felt surrounded by a deathly aura, turns out it was your doing.” “Now you’re trying to find a way to keep me from dying? I’m telling you, don’t even think about me forgiving you if you don’t save Ethan.” Taking a deep breath, I coldly threw all the items into the trash can and turned to leave. Seeing me like this, Olivia thought I was going to come back to apologize and beg for forgiveness like before, even though I was putting on a cold face while thinking of ways to save her. So her voice behind me became even more arrogant. “I’m telling you, even if you find a way now, I won’t forgive you so easily.” “If you want to make it up to me, come back tomorrow and save the patient I’m treating!” I paused in my steps, turning my face to the side and saying coldly. “Just you wait.” While she was still fantasizing about becoming the savior of those around her, I had already left home without looking back. My subordinate sent me a message that the death procedures were proceeding as scheduled. In four days, I would need to personally collect Olivia’s life to make amends for my mistakes. The four days passed quickly. When I arrived by Olivia’s side as she was on the brink of death, She was lying on the street, barely breathing, having just been rejected by Ethan and berated by her relatives. Seeing me… A light drizzle fell on her face, but she still maintained a superior attitude. “Now you know to come save me? It’s too late!” “I’m telling you, the way I am now, rejected by them, is all because of you. I’m very unhappy, so you better figure out what to do.” I calmly looked down and walked in front of her. The disdain on her face became even more apparent. “I gave you too much face before, that’s why you don’t even know to help me up when you see me like this. Lucas, there’s a limit to throwing tantrums. Do you have to wait until I’m about to die before coming to save me?” “Who will you cry to when I’m dead!” She stumbled as she tried to stand up, her hand shaking in the air. I stood in place, looking down at her coldly. “I told you long ago, I won’t cry.” “What did you say?” Olivia looked up with wide eyes. But when she saw my umbrella, she regained her arrogant and smug expression. “Stop pretending, Lucas. Don’t forget that if it weren’t for me, how could you have lived until today? You love me so much, you can’t live without me.” “I’m telling you, if you save me now, I can cooperate, but you have to save Ethan first.” “And my patients and relatives too.” “Otherwise, I’ll go die right now and see what you’ll do!” She was fearless, but didn’t expect me to just smile slightly. “As you wish.” “What?” Olivia frowned. I raised my hand, materializing a dagger with the symbol of Death on its hilt. Slowly crouching down, I placed it against Olivia’s neck. “Your life was obtained through countless trials I endured in the mortal world. But as long as I don’t care about your life, fate’s call would have been enough for you to die a thousand times over.” “As for the others, didn’t you say you’d die if I didn’t save them? Then as you wish, face death!” I lightly pulled the dagger across her chest… Finally pressing it against her heart.

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On our 5th wedding anniversary, my wife’s first love suddenly appeared at the party and started cutting himself with a knife. “Why? Why won’t you divorce him and be with me? Do I have to die for that to happen?” Ryan pleaded with tears in his eyes, begging me to give my wife Chloe to him. He knelt down and started banging his head on the floor frantically. Chloe was distraught. To comfort Ryan, she immediately booked tickets to take him abroad to clear his mind. She even took off her wedding ring and put it on Ryan’s finger. Afterwards, she explained to me matter-of-factly: “If it wasn’t for your sister bullying him back then, how could he have tried to drown himself?” “What I’m doing now is much better than what your sister did.” I watched the video of Ryan putting his arm around my wife’s waist and smirking at me, but said nothing and just nodded. Chloe thought I had become more understanding and obedient. She was very pleased and declared that she would make it up to me after Ryan’s emotions stabilized. But what she didn’t know was that I had already bought a plane ticket to leave the country. She had also unknowingly signed our divorce papers. Our home together was already gone.

The next day, while Chloe was accompanying her dear Ryan abroad, I packed up all my belongings and took a taxi to the airport. “He’s going abroad to chase after the missus again. When will he realize that she doesn’t love him?” I overheard the housekeepers gossiping behind my back as I was leaving. “I know, everyone knows the missus and Mr. Cooper were childhood sweethearts. If it wasn’t for his sister seducing Mr. Cooper and then abandoning him back then, the missus would have married Mr. Cooper long ago. How could it be his turn?” “Shh, don’t say that. He’s pitiful enough as it is. It’s all because of that awful sister of his who passed away.” I was used to hearing this kind of talk. It was only after marrying Chloe that I learned Ryan Cooper, her first love, was the man who had tried to drown himself and became mentally unstable after breaking up with my sister. After that, Chloe’s personality changed drastically. She repeatedly humiliated me for Ryan’s sake. The housekeepers also started targeting me, trying to curry favor with Ryan. Thinking of this, I turned around and smiled coldly at them. “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to find Chloe this time. I’m leaving the country and never coming back.” I ignored their mocking expressions and left without looking back. Just as I reached the front gate, I got a call from Chloe. Her self-righteous voice came through the phone: “I sent you a location. Go there to test the new medication.” I smiled bitterly as I opened the map to the medical facility she had sent. After Ryan fell ill, Chloe spared no expense to find miracle drugs to cure him. But the experimental drugs had major side effects and weren’t guaranteed to work. She couldn’t bear to see Ryan suffer, so she forced me to be the test subject for Ryan’s medications instead. At first I refused desperately, but Chloe had people forcibly take me to the medical facility and tie me down to test the drugs. Several times I felt terribly sick from the side effects. During those times, Chloe would comfort me gently. In my hazy state, I thought I saw glimpses of the Chloe who used to love me before we got married. I thought she would eventually come to her senses. Until Ryan had another episode, and she insisted on having me test an extremely dangerous drug, ignoring the doctor’s warnings. That time, the drug nearly killed me. I was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. But Chloe never came to see me once. She was too busy reading bedtime stories to Ryan at the nursing home. I finally gave up hope. The Chloe who used to love me dearly before we married was truly gone. “I don’t have time,” I replied curtly. “No time?” Chloe said coldly. “You have to make time. Don’t forget, Ryan’s illness is because of whose sister. You must atone for your sister’s sins to Ryan. Otherwise don’t blame me if I divorce you!” “His illness has nothing to do with me or my sister. As for divorce…” I was about to say “then let’s get divorced”, when Ryan’s weak voice came through the phone. “Chloe, it’s okay if Adrian doesn’t want to. I can test the drug myself.” “No way, the doctor said this drug has some side effects. We’ll wait until after it’s been tested before you take it, okay sweetie?” Chloe’s voice was as gentle as flowing water. Compared to how coldly she treated me, it was like two completely different people. I no longer felt the hurt and anger I used to. I only felt numb and cynical now. Seeing my silence, Chloe naturally assumed I had agreed. Her tone softened a bit. “Adrian, I know you always feel awful after testing the drugs. But Ryan’s condition is improving day by day. As the brother of the person mainly responsible, shouldn’t you feel happy about that?” “Ryan already said he doesn’t blame your sister anymore. You should learn from his magnanimity and forgiveness. He’s always been kindhearted, but ended up like this because of your sister.” Ryan chimed in softly: “It’s alright, this isn’t really Adrian’s fault after all.” Though he said that, there was a hint of mockery in his tone. Chloe didn’t notice and replied tenderly: “You dummy, always so naive. If someone sold you, you’d probably help them count the money.” Ryan said coyly: “With you here, who would dare try to take advantage of me?” The two of them went back and forth flirtatiously. I stayed silent, not bothering to argue anymore. Back then, Ryan had obsessively pursued my sister even after she broke up with him. He cheated on her multiple times when they were together. My sister couldn’t take it anymore and asked to break up, but he framed her by attempting suicide and making her look like the bad guy. Afterwards, he packaged himself as an innocent victim whose feelings were toyed with. Meanwhile, my sister faced relentless cyberbullying and took an overdose one night. I had tried to explain the truth to Chloe countless times, but she never believed me. “Hurry up and go test the drug. Don’t delay Ryan’s treatment. He’s not feeling well right now.” Chloe hung up before I could respond. Not long after, I saw Ryan’s latest social media update. The two of them were strolling hand in hand on a beach, looking like the perfect couple. As the light glinted off Ryan’s hand, I saw he was wearing the wedding ring Chloe had taken off at my birthday party to comfort him. I scrolled down further. At 7 AM that morning, Ryan had carried Chloe on his back to climb a mountain and watch the sunrise. His face looked rosy and healthy, without a trace of illness. The two of them were like newlyweds on their honeymoon. I smiled sardonically, not bothering to confront Chloe anymore. In the past, I always thought that once I proved my sister’s innocence, Chloe would regret her actions. Now I realized Chloe didn’t care about the truth at all. All she cared about from beginning to end was Ryan. I was about to get in the car when I got a panicked call from a friend. “Adrian, quick, check the trending topics online. Those photos must be fake, right?”

I clicked on the trending topic and was immediately assaulted by intimate photos of myself from various angles. My vision went black for a moment. The comments below were full of vicious rumors and mockery. [Who knew Adrian Shaw looked so prim and proper on the outside, but was such a slut in private.] [I’ve seen Adrian Shaw before he married Chloe. He was already like this, working as an escort at clubs.] [Chloe is so generous to share her toy with us. When do we get a turn to play?] Countless filthy words flooded my eyes. My whole body broke out in a cold sweat. I had no idea when Chloe had taken these photos of me. My heart and temples were pounding uncontrollably. I quickly tried calling Chloe. She didn’t pick up after over a dozen calls. My mother called to berate me for bringing shame to the family. It was a while before Chloe finally called back. Faced with my questions, she was nonchalant: “Ryan was playing with my phone and accidentally posted them. Why are you making such a big deal out of it? I’ve already had people delete the photos.” I bit my lip until it bled: “Don’t you know many people have already saved them?!” “So what if they saved them? Just don’t look at them and it’ll be fine. Ryan didn’t do it on purpose. Don’t tell me you want him to apologize to you?” “He did something wrong. Shouldn’t he come apologize?” “Dream on. Keep this up and I’ll divorce you!” “Fine, let’s get divorced then.” There was a pause on the other end of the line. In the past, no matter how fiercely we argued, I had never mentioned divorce. We got married in winter and went to Iceland for our honeymoon. She insisted on bringing Ryan along, saying he wasn’t feeling well. While skiing, she told me to give my coat to Ryan. When I refused, she forcibly took it off me and left me on the ski slope. By the time I made it back to the hotel, frozen stiff, she ordered me a bowl of pear soup and apologized. “Ryan’s body has never fully recovered since he tried to drown himself that year. I was worried he’d catch a cold, that’s why I acted so hastily.” She pleaded for my forgiveness with tears in her eyes. I softened, thinking of how good she had been to me before. I told her it was okay. I thought my forbearance would be rewarded with Chloe’s care and remorse. I thought eventually the truth would come out and she would have a change of heart. But I never imagined my yielding would only make her more and more excessive. Chloe seemed to think I was just saying it in anger. After a moment of silence, she said dismissively: “Come on, it’s just a few photos. Why are you acting like it’s the end of the world?” “Ryan even told me to pass on his apologies. I didn’t expect you to be so petty, threatening divorce over such a small thing.” “Fine, to make it up to you for this incident, I promise we’ll have a proper celebration for your birthday when I get back. Happy now?” “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you mention divorce. Go online and post an apology statement for me. Then we can put this behind us.” “You have 10 minutes. Otherwise I really will divorce you.” Afraid I would keep pestering her, Chloe quickly hung up. In the past, whenever she threatened divorce, I would obediently do as she said. But what I cared about was never the divorce itself, but losing the chance to be with her. Now I finally understood that a relationship that started wrong was doomed to go wrong and end wrong. I insisted on not giving in. I sent her a message: [This was Ryan’s fault to begin with. I don’t know what state of mind he was in to “accidentally” post so many photos. As the victim, why should I take responsibility for him? Either he apologizes, or I’m pressing charges.]

After sending the message, I turned off my phone and continued heading to the airport. After marrying Chloe, even though she didn’t treat me well, she would always try to make it up to me afterwards. Sometimes with cash, sometimes with jewelry and gifts. I sold all the jewelry and gifts, saving up a sizeable amount. This money would be enough for me to live comfortably from now on, without having to rely on anyone else. On the way to the airport, I stopped by to hand over the signed divorce papers to the staff. When getting Chloe to sign the papers earlier, I had hoped she would notice. But Ryan had another episode then, so she rushed out the door and signed the last page without even looking. “Are you sure you don’t want to take another look?” I had asked, clinging to one last shred of hope. “No need. If it’s the liability waiver for the drug trials, it must be fine,” she had replied. I smiled bitterly. As long as it involved Ryan, she would agree without hesitation, not caring about my life or death. I handed over the documents. The staff told me they needed to confirm the breakdown of the relationship with the person directly before they could process the divorce. I showed them sweet photos Chloe had taken with Ryan, as well as our smashed wedding photo that she had broken in a rage over Ryan. The staff still said it wasn’t enough. “We need verbal confirmation from the person themselves.” I reluctantly turned my phone back on. As soon as it powered on, countless messages and missed calls from Chloe popped up. Because I hadn’t gone online to apologize within her set time limit, causing damage to the company’s and her reputation. She hurled all kinds of insults at me, finally declaring she would divorce me. I showed all the messages to the staff one by one. There was pity in their eyes, but they still shook their heads. I had no choice but to call Chloe. After a long time, she finally picked up. “Chloe, our relationship…” “What relationship? Nothing you say now matters. Ryan fainted because you threatened to sue him. Get over here and kneel down to apologize to him right now, or I’m divorcing you!” Thinking I would beg for forgiveness like before, Chloe hung up immediately. The staff finally believed me. With sympathetic looks, they started processing the paperwork, saying the divorce certificate would be issued in a month. As I walked out of the civil affairs bureau, a black van suddenly pulled up. Several bodyguards rushed out and forcibly dragged me into the van. The bodyguards took me on a private jet to the resort island where Chloe and Ryan were staying. Because I struggled too much, the bodyguards tied me up. Looking around the villa, I realized it was the one Chloe had bought to make up to me years ago. Familiar laughter drifted in from outside. I called out Chloe’s name as the door opened. Ryan sauntered in wearing my slippers and the couple’s pajamas Chloe and I used to share. His hair was disheveled as he walked in with the air of the man of the house. “I casually mentioned it to Chloe, I didn’t expect her to actually have you brought here.” As he spoke, he stomped on my fingers. His pupils reflected my pained expression with glee. “Your face looks so much like your sister’s. So much that I want to destroy you like I destroyed her. What right did she have to act proud in front of me? She even dared to try to dump me.” “I’ll tell you the truth – your sister didn’t commit suicide. I killed her.” My features twisted in agony as tears rolled down my reddened eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Chloe walked in from outside and instinctively bent down to check my injured fingers: “How did you get hurt?” As soon as the ropes were loosened, I forcefully pushed her away and shouted: “Ryan killed my sister!!” Chloe’s eyes flickered: “What nonsense are you spouting? Your sister overdosed because she couldn’t handle the criticism. It had nothing to do with Ryan.” I laughed bitterly. Ryan hid behind Chloe, smiling mockingly: “Chloe, is Adrian still mad at me?” “What right does he have to be angry? It was just a few photos. Adrian, apologize to Ryan right now and I’ll forgive your tantrum.” I lunged at Ryan. “I’ll make you pay for my sister’s death!!” Chloe forcefully pushed me away. I crashed into the table behind me. Sharp pain immediately shot through my lower back as I gripped the table for support. After carefully checking if Ryan was frightened, Chloe yelled at me furiously. “What’s wrong with you?! If anything happens to Ryan because of you, I’ll never forgive you. Go downstairs now, the doctor for the drug trial is here too.” “I won’t go.” “What did you say?” Chloe furrowed her brows. “Adrian Shaw, this is your duty. If you keep being unreasonable, I swear I’ll divorce you!” “I have no duty towards a murderer.” I bit my lip and threw the divorce papers at Chloe, ignoring the pain. “Also, we’re already divorced!”

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After my parents divorced, my dad dumped me on my mom’s lover to raise. He beat and scolded me constantly, only hoping I could quickly repay the debt my mom owed him. But ten years later, when my mom wanted to take me away, he cried and said he’d give up everything just to keep me. [1] When I was seven, our once-harmonious family shattered overnight because of my innocent comment: “When daddy’s not home, mommy brings other uncles to sleep over.” My mom moved out that very night, and my dad dumped me on my mom’s lover to raise. The man’s name was Frank. My dad looked at the man before him and said coldly, “If it weren’t for you, our family wouldn’t be in this mess.” “As compensation for destroying my family, take care of Mandy for a while until I get settled in my new job.” With that, my dad pushed me towards the man opposite him. Seeing the scar on Frank’s face, I cried and turned back to run to my dad. “Daddy, I promise I’ll never say anything wrong again. Please don’t leave me!” My dad didn’t hide the disgust in his eyes. Even though I had his blood, I was still the child of that unfaithful woman. But my dad still forced a smile, “Mandy, be good and sensible. Only then can daddy come back for you sooner.” I could only wipe my tears and obediently return to Frank’s side. Frank hadn’t looked at me once. As my dad was about to leave, Frank grabbed him and said, “Room and board not included.” My dad gave an awkward smile and took out $50 from his bag to hand to him. Watching my dad’s retreating figure, Frank said coldly, “If you don’t come back for her within a month, I’ll dump her.” My dad nodded repeatedly, “She’s my own daughter after all. How could I possibly abandon her?” With those words, my dad turned and left without looking back. And so, I was temporarily taken in by Frank. As we lived together, I discovered that although he was my mom’s lover, he was actually a pitiful man who had been scammed out of his money by my mom. He originally had some small assets, but after my mom took everything and ran, he could only move into a run-down house rented in the countryside. Within a month, I endured all kinds of cold treatment from Frank. He always dumped all the dirty and tiring chores on me. “Seeing your face that looks just like your mother’s makes me angry! You’re both good-for-nothing freeloaders!” I knew he was taking out all his resentment towards my mom on me. To be able to stay in this house temporarily, I could only humbly obey any of Frank’s arrangements. Every day, my only motivation was the hope that my dad would come to take me away from this misery soon. But as the one-month deadline approached, there was no news from my dad’s side. Frank’s calls to my dad went unanswered. Frank’s face grew darker and darker. He spat on the ground viciously, “You little brat, if your dad doesn’t come to get you in the next couple of days, I’m going to sell you to old man Johnson at the end of the village!” A wave of panic washed over me, and I could only work even harder. The month passed, and I waited from dawn till dusk, but still didn’t see my dad. It was then that I realized I had truly been abandoned by my father. Frank grabbed me and said, “Come with me.” He dragged me towards the direction of the village’s end. Seeing he was serious, I panicked completely and desperately clung to the ground. “I don’t want to go! I don’t want to!” “You think you have a choice? Since you’re your mother’s daughter, you should pay off her debts!” Just as I was still struggling desperately, old man Johnson from the village’s end actually came to the door. [2] “Frank, I couldn’t wait any longer at home.” Old man Johnson grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. The fear in my heart was like a lake, drowning me until I could barely breathe. Frank took advantage of my daze and hoisted me onto his shoulder, following old man Johnson towards his house. I desperately pounded on Frank’s back, “I don’t want to! I don’t want to go with him!” Tears of grievance soaked Frank’s back, but he showed no sign of stopping. “I’m begging you, I’ll do whatever you say from now on, just please don’t send me away.” Frank ignored my fear and helplessness, casually discussing the price with old man Johnson. “As agreed, $400 a month.” At old man Johnson’s house, he turned and went inside to find an iron chain. Frank’s brow furrowed slightly, “Old man, what are you doing?” Old man Johnson smiled slyly, “Well, since I paid for her, I naturally have to prevent her from running away.” With that, he locked the huge iron chain to my foot. Old man Johnson handed the money to Frank, who counted it, satisfied, and turned to leave. No matter how much I cried for help behind him, he never looked back at me once. Abandoned by my parents, and now abandoned by my mother’s lover, it seemed I was destined only to be discarded in this life. Old man Johnson closed the door and immediately slapped me across the face, “From now on, you’re my property. You’ll cry when I tell you to cry, and laugh when I tell you to laugh, got it?” I nodded, clutching my stinging cheek. “Now take off your clothes!” I looked up in disbelief, meeting old man Johnson’s leering gaze. My whole body trembled uncontrollably. Seeing my reluctance to move, old man Johnson slapped me again. “What are you playing at, acting all pure?” “Your mom is a big slut who seduces men everywhere, and you’re just a little slut too! Do you want me to do it myself?” Despite the tears of humiliation falling non-stop, I still hugged myself tightly, not giving him any opportunity. Old man Johnson grew increasingly impatient. Sure enough, the next second he pounced on me like an evil ghost. “No! No!” I closed my eyes tightly, hearing only the sound of clothes being torn. His disgusting, dry hands groped all over my body. Fighting the nausea, I bit down hard on his hand, but it only earned me an even more vicious beating. “You little slut, you dare bite me? I’ll teach you a lesson today!” I wanted to scream for help, but found I was too scared to make a sound. Just as I was about to be forced to accept my miserable fate, the door behind me was kicked open. Before I could even look back, I saw a figure rush in front of me and kick old man Johnson away hard. “You bastard!” “Didn’t I say I was bringing her over just to do your laundry and cooking? What the hell are you doing?” Old man Johnson looked at Frank with an awkward smile, “Frank, why are you protecting this little brat so much?” “Don’t forget, she’s the daughter of that woman who hurt you. Didn’t you want revenge on her?” “How about this, I’ll give you an extra $50 a month, just let me play with her a little…” Before he could finish, Frank punched old man Johnson in the face, “If you dare touch her again, I’ll kill you!” With that, he threw the $400 old man Johnson had given him earlier onto the ground. He unlocked the iron chain from my foot and picked me up. “Let’s go home.” [3] After returning home, Frank stopped making me do heavy chores. He turned around and sent me to the only elementary school in town. “Your mom owes me so much money, it would take forever if you just worked to pay it back. Better to send you to school, you’ll make money faster that way.” “Remember, you’ll have to pay me back double for your school fees in the future!” He rubbed his stomach, “I’m hungry, go make dinner.” Frank used to be a small factory manager. He had the opportunity to gradually expand his business, but then he met my mom. He gave my mom everything he could, but she turned around and betrayed him. The factory went bankrupt almost overnight. I heard all this from the neighbors. Soon it was time to start school. Frank handed me a new backpack and clothes with a blank expression. “I’m telling you, if your grades aren’t good, I’ll send you off to work!” I excitedly took the clothes and backpack, “Thank you, Uncle!” Frank said he was afraid I’d run away, so he personally took me to and from school every day. He now worked at a parts factory just outside the small town. Although his work hours didn’t match my school schedule, he still managed to drop me off and pick me up on time. I thought things would continue peacefully like this, but before long, the story of my background spread through the school. The school bully, Fatty, and some other kids cornered me in a secluded spot by the school wall. “Mandy, my mom said your mom is a big slut who seduces men everywhere. You little slut came to our school just to corrupt us.” “You should go seduce men everywhere like your mom. Our school doesn’t welcome people like you!” Looking at their faces, I mustered up the courage to retort, “Your whole family are the sluts!” Fatty glared at me, nostrils flaring, and with a few others, locked me in the equipment shed. “Mandy, no one wants you. Even if you die in here, no one will know!” They laughed at me as they ran away. Frank waited for me at the school gate for two whole hours. By the time he found out where I was, it was already midnight. Curled up in a corner, I shivered from the cold. In my daze, I heard his scolding. “Useless thing, don’t you know how to fight back when they bully you?” “Your mom is so capable, how did she give birth to such a wimp?” His reprimands gradually grew quieter until he held me in his arms, wiping away my tears with his calloused hands. All my insecurities instantly vanished. Later I found out that to find me, he had searched every corner of the small town. Those bad kids only revealed my location after he repeatedly questioned them. Seeing the scrapes on his arms, he must have fallen in his haste to find me. The next day, Fatty’s mom came to the school to make a scene. She pointed at my nose and started cursing. “This little bastard not only uses foul language but also tells lies.” “My son was just joking with her, and look how badly beaten his face is now?” I looked at Fatty’s swollen face, knowing it must be Frank’s handiwork. “Principal, you must expel this little bastard!” “You’re the bastard!” I snapped back immediately. The fat woman flew into a rage, “You unwanted child, if you’re not a bastard, what are you? Am I wrong?” “Let me tell you, it’s your honor that my son even joked with you…” Suddenly the office door opened, and Frank, who should have been at work, appeared. “You call that a joke? How about I lock your son up for a night too?” Seeing Frank, Fatty quickly hid behind his mother. Such a comical sight made me burst out laughing. “If your kid dares to bully my daughter again, I won’t be so lenient next time!” At that moment, I felt the whole world go quiet, with only Frank’s word “daughter” echoing in my ears. My eyes stung, and I quickly ran out of the principal’s office. [4] By 2008, I was old enough to start middle school. Remembering Frank’s “threat,” I got into the best middle school in the city with the top score in town. At this time, there were layoffs at the factory where Frank worked, and he was on the list. He wasn’t cut out for physical labor in the first place, and these years had taken a toll on his health. He hadn’t saved much money, and now things were even worse. A female employee who had once been helped by him at his factory suddenly approached him, saying she wanted to marry him and live together. Although friends advised him to send me away, he sighed helplessly: “The child is so big now, we can’t let someone else benefit from the bride price for nothing.” The woman’s arrival gave this home a chance to breathe. This pieced-together family finally had a hint of home-like warmth. Frank relied on a second-hand motorcycle he got from a friend to start a passenger transport business in town. The income wasn’t much, but it was stable. But good times didn’t last long, and the woman gradually revealed her true intentions. Whenever Frank wasn’t home, she would drag me to meet various old ladies. “Mandy, remember, these might all be your benefactors.” At that time, I didn’t understand what she meant, and seeing how hard Frank worked every day, I didn’t dare to bother him. But that day, she and an old lady said they were taking me to a banquet. I was forcibly dragged to someone’s house, only to see a big red “Double Happiness” character pasted on their front door. I was pushed into the main seat, and next to me sat a man wearing a red flower on his chest. “Mandy, just enjoy your meal. I’ll come pick you up later.” With that, the woman left with the old lady, and they were counting some cash that had appeared from somewhere. It was then that I finally realized – she had sold me! I threw down my chopsticks and tried to run, but the man next to me grabbed me, “Wife! Where are you going?” “After we finish eating, it’s time for our wedding night!” I panicked but forced myself not to cry. “Let go of me. If my uncle finds out, he’ll kill you!” The man smirked, “You mean that lousy motorcycle driver? The money I gave him is more than he could earn in decades of driving. He’d be overjoyed!” “Just stay here obediently and give me a big fat son. I promise I won’t mistreat you!” The man hoisted me up to leave when suddenly there was a loud bang. Frank had crashed right in on his motorcycle. He threw his motorcycle aside with a flourish, “Put her down!” The man was intimidated by his aura, and I quickly broke free to hide behind Frank. “Frank, I’ve already given the bride price to your wife. You’re not thinking of going back on your word, are you?” Frank snorted coldly, “I never married that woman!” Just then, the woman came back crying with the money. “Frank, why are you doing this? I really wanted to live with you!” “If we sell this girl, you could open your own factory again. You wouldn’t have to ride that motorcycle in the wind and sun anymore!” But faced with such a huge temptation, Frank didn’t even bother to look. He directly slapped away the money the woman was offering. “I don’t need it.” With that, he put me on his motorcycle and left. After that, the woman never came back. But one day, the motorcycle he relied on for a living was smashed to pieces. It didn’t take much guessing to know who did it, but without evidence, he could only swallow his anger. As the start of my school term drew nearer, Frank started coming home later and later. I also tried to find whatever part-time jobs I could do. But when I came home that day, I saw Frank had returned early. He sat on the doorstep, chain-smoking the cheapest cigarettes. Seeing me, he slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with an emotion I couldn’t understand. Putting out his cigarette butt, he finally spoke, “Your mom’s back. She’s inside.”

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I had been pretending to be good by Lucas Foster’s side for four years. Four years ago, when the video of Natalie Nelson killing my sister in a car accident was exposed, my boyfriend Charlie West hired a top lawyer for her, helping her clear her name. When I was left alone and helpless, it was Natalie’s stepbrother, Lucas Foster, who stepped up and chose justice over family ties. He found a lawyer for me, collected evidence and witness testimonies everywhere, and finally sent Natalie to prison. When the dust settled, Lucas proposed to me, and I agreed. But in our fourth year of marriage, I saw a birthday wish from Natalie in Lucas’s email. It was accompanied by a happy selfie of her on the beach. The date in the bottom right corner of the photo was yesterday. [Happy birthday, bro!] [Claire Hayes’s heart has been with me for four years now, with no adverse reactions. Thanks to you and Charlie, I’ve been given a new lease on life.] [It’s just a pity that you have to be forced to stay with Chloe to keep her from causing trouble.] Lucas’s reply was: [As long as you’re happy, I’m willing to do anything, sis.] After reading this, I smiled brightly. These three murderers still want happiness? After four years, their time is up!

I carefully recorded and saved this conversation between Lucas and Natalie as evidence, then quickly left Lucas’s study. Unexpectedly, as soon as I opened the study door, I ran into Lucas face to face. Lucas’s brow furrowed almost instantly: “What are you doing in my study?” In our four years of marriage, he had showered me with affection and even allowed me to work in the Foster family’s company, but he never let me near two places: his study at home and a specific room in his office at the company. Before he could finish speaking, I fearfully threw myself into his arms, choking back tears: “Lucas, I just had another nightmare. I dreamed of my sister covered in blood when she died. I was so scared, but I couldn’t find you anywhere, not even in your study…” The coldness in Lucas’s demeanor instantly melted away. He raised his hand to hold my waist, while his other hand gently patted my back to comfort me: “It’s okay, I’m here. Don’t be afraid.” “I know Claire’s death has been a constant pain for you all these years, but now that the culprit is behind bars, we should move on and live our lives well.” I trembled in his embrace, but my heart was filled with nothing but surging hatred. Lucas still didn’t know that I had long since discovered his involvement in my sister’s death, even though Natalie was the only apparent culprit on the surface. The reason Lucas chose to marry me was nothing more than an act to fool me. It was all to help his beloved stepsister Natalie escape legal punishment. Thinking of this, I fought back my nausea and cried even harder in his arms. Lucas put aside all his work and patiently comforted me for a long time, driven by guilt. After I had calmed down, he hesitantly spoke: “Honey, I need to tell you something… Natalie has been released from prison. She’s coming back tomorrow.” Seeing me freeze, he hurriedly added: “I shouldn’t be telling you this right now, but you know, she’s still related to me by family ties. Even though she committed a terrible crime, she has to come home. But I’m worried…” This usually decisive CEO’s voice grew softer as he spoke, filled with uncertainty. It was indeed cruel to ask the victim’s family to accept the return of the culprit. Especially since I was his wife. But I just wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes and smiled gently, without even furrowing my brow: “I understand your concerns. I’ll be fine.” I looked up and gently caressed his brow: “You’ve done so much for me, even choosing justice over family. I should let it go too.” Hearing this, Lucas’s hand on my back suddenly tightened, and he kissed my forehead. “Chloe, I’ll be good to you for the rest of my life.” I chuckled lightly and pushed him away: “Come on, we’re an old married couple now. Stop being so mushy.” “Since Natalie is out of prison, we should throw her a welcome party to ward off bad luck. Let me take care of it.” Lucas breathed a sigh of relief and hugged me tightly, but the guilt in his eyes deepened. “Chloe, my sweet Chloe, you’re so good. I’ll never let you go in this lifetime.” I leaned on his shoulder, smiling sarcastically. Is that so? Well, let me show you just how “good” I can be.

Over these four years, I wasn’t just the respected and beloved Mrs. Foster; I was also a valuable asset to Foster Enterprises. Many profitable business plans were my ideas, and I fought for many employee benefits as well. Two years ago, when Lucas said the company was facing difficulties and urgently needed to cooperate with West Corporation, I agreed. Charlie West was my ex-boyfriend, the one who abandoned me when I sought justice for my sister and instead hired a top lawyer for Natalie. But at that time, for the sake of Lucas’s company’s development, I reconciled with Charlie without batting an eye. Now, once again for Lucas’s sake, I proactively suggested throwing a welcome party for the murderer of my sister. How could he not be moved by such devotion? How could our friends and family who knew the situation not like someone like me? At the welcome party, the elite of Ocean City gathered. Natalie, dressed in a gorgeous red gown, entered gracefully on Charlie’s arm. Her composed demeanor and arrogant attitude didn’t resemble someone who had just been released from prison at all. Instead, she looked like she had just returned from a vacation abroad. Of course, she had indeed just returned from abroad, and Lucas had personally picked her up from the airport. Natalie immediately spotted Lucas standing beside me. She ran over and threw herself into Lucas’s arms. “Brother, I’ve missed you so much! I was wrongfully imprisoned for four years, but now we can finally see each other!” As she spoke, her eyes, filled with jealousy and hatred, darted towards me like daggers. She added in a spoiled tone, as if showing off: “This welcome party is so beautiful! Did you prepare all this for me, brother? I love it!” Lucas fondly ruffled her hair: “All of this was arranged by Chloe. Come, say hello to your sister-in-law.” The smile on Natalie’s face instantly froze. She turned her gaze to me, forcing out a fake smile and greeted me briefly. As the party officially began, Natalie flitted through the crowd like a social butterfly, her eloquent performance drawing bursts of laughter. But I could feel her gaze, seemingly present yet absent, closely following me. Finally, when Lucas went to the restroom, Natalie approached me. At the time, I was resting in a corner of the party. Without a word, she took a glass of red wine and splashed it on my face. “Oh my, I’m so sorry, sister-in-law! I wanted to come over and toast you, to thank you for preparing such a lavish party for me, but I accidentally spilled it on your face.” “Are you okay? Do you need me to help you clean up?” Despite her words, she just stood in front of me, smiling mockingly, showing no intention of helping me at all. I took out a handkerchief to wipe the water from my face, revealing a calm smile: “It’s alright. Go enjoy yourself. I’ll just wash up in a bit.” My nonchalant attitude seemed to ignite Natalie’s anger. She slammed the wine glass down on the nearby table, no longer trying to hide her malice towards me: “Chloe Hayes, what are you playing at, acting all magnanimous? Don’t think I don’t know your little tricks. Are you planning to act pitiful so my brother will sympathize with you? You’re way out of your league!” Her gaze shifted to something behind me, and she suddenly leaned close to my ear, smiling as she said: “Guess what? Do you think my brother would allow someone who maliciously bullies his sister to continue being his wife?” As she spoke, she raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the face, her eyes immediately brimming with tears. Lucas quickly rushed over to protect the seemingly faltering Natalie in his arms. “Natalie, what happened?” Natalie curled up pitifully in Lucas’s arms, her lips quivering as tears fell like broken strings of pearls. “I just wanted to come over and toast Chloe, but she called me shameless. She not only slapped me but also grabbed the wine from my hand and splashed it on her own face, trying to frame me for bullying her.” Lucas immediately looked at me, seeing the wine dripping down my face and staining my dress. “Brother, I don’t understand why Chloe is treating me like this. Is it still because of that car accident? But I really didn’t mean to, and I’ve already served four years in prison for it. Why won’t she let it go…” Lucas’s face quickly darkened, but not towards me. Instead, it was directed at Natalie.

He furrowed his brow and immediately let go of Natalie, sternly saying: “No one is to bring up that incident again. Why are you imagining all this?” Natalie’s lips parted slightly, looking at Lucas in disbelief. I stepped forward to intervene: “It’s okay, Lucas. Natalie probably didn’t mean it. I’m fine.” “Today is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let’s not ruin it over something so trivial.” Lucas’s face remained grim as he coldly led Natalie away. As the onlookers dispersed and the party continued, I secretly followed them. In a corner on the second floor, Natalie finally couldn’t hold back and shook off Lucas’s hand, complaining in a coquettish tone: “Brother, you’re hurting me! And why won’t you believe me? Why are you siding with an outsider instead?” Seeing Natalie’s aggrieved expression, Lucas let out a long sigh, his tone softening: “We both know the truth of what happened. Chloe has been through a lot too. You should let it go.” Natalie’s eyes widened, looking at Lucas as if she didn’t recognize him: “What are you saying? Brother, don’t tell me you actually think of Chloe as your real wife. You only married her to help me escape punishment!” “It’s been years since that incident, and I’ve served my fake sentence. It’s time for you to dump her!” Lucas shook his head, “We owe her too much. I’ve prepared myself to spend the rest of my life making it up to her.” But as he turned to leave, Natalie hugged him from behind: “I don’t believe it! Lucas, you like me, don’t you? We’re not blood-related. I know you love me, otherwise why would you do so much for me?” Lucas froze as if struck by her words. His hands trembled slightly. Finally, giving in to his desires, he turned around, cupped Natalie’s face, and kissed her fiercely. I silently stopped recording, saved the video, and left the second floor. When Lucas brought Natalie down from the second floor, the party was coming to an end. He couldn’t find me anywhere and only discovered me crying in the storage room when we got home. Hearing him open the door, I pretended not to notice and cried even harder. “Chloe!” Lucas rushed over to hug me, frowning as he spoke: “I was wondering where you’d disappeared to. What happened? Why are you crying like this?” I quickly turned my head away, hastily wiping away my tears with my sleeve before forcing a smile and facing him: “It’s nothing. I just twisted my ankle while tidying up earlier. I hid here because I was afraid you’d laugh at me…” Lucas stared at me, his eyes full of pity: “Chloe, don’t you know that your smile is the most forced when you’re lying? I can see right through it.” “I…” I nervously glanced away. He wiped away my unshed tears with his knuckle, “Tell me, why were you hiding here crying?” I bit my lip, holding back for a moment before hooking my arms around his neck and letting my sobs break free. “At the party, Natalie mentioned my sister. It made me think that if Claire were still alive, she’d be about Natalie’s age now…” “But I’ll never get to see her grow up.” As I mentioned my sister, a flash of panic crossed Lucas’s eyes, quickly replaced by guilt. His grip on my waist tightened as he said remorsefully: “It’s all my fault. I was so busy with the party that I neglected your feelings. Tell me, honey, what can I do to make you feel better?” I lowered my eyes and shook my head: “You don’t need to do anything. Just letting me see you often is enough.” “Lucas, can I come to your office more often from now on? I’ve been having nightmares lately, dreaming that you’ve left me. I… Could we have meals together and talk more? Maybe that would help.” Lucas frowned hesitantly. He had always avoided letting me into his office. Because in there, he kept many secrets he didn’t want me to know. I withdrew my arms, forcing a light laugh: “If you’re too busy, forget it. I was just thinking out loud.” “Lying again.” He gently tapped my forehead, smiling tenderly. “Of course I can fulfill such a small request.” I brightened visibly and kissed his cheek, “You’re the best, honey!” The look of delight on his face didn’t seem fake, a spark of fire dancing in his eyes. Lucas happily picked me up in his arms, and I nestled my face against his neck in feigned shyness. I almost couldn’t hide the disgust in my eyes…

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When I met Blake Pearson, he was broke. I stood by him as he built his business from scratch, helping him become a shining star in the business world. Just when I thought our love was finally bearing fruit, I saw him proposing to another girl with utmost sincerity. Standing at the doorway, I heard laughter erupting from the private room. “Mr. Pearson, we all thought you’d marry Zoe Chapman. Why are you marrying Lily White now?” Blake slammed his glass on the table. “Don’t mention that clingy bitch! It’s been 7 years, I’m sick of playing with her!” The people around burst into laughter, echoing his sentiments. “I always thought Zoe Chapman looked so high and mighty, turns out she’s just a hypocrite!” Blake downed another drink. “You guys don’t know the half of it. She used to ask me when we’d get married every day, like a desperate puppy!” Seven years of unwavering devotion, shattered in an instant. Applause thundered around me as I gently pinched the base of my ring finger. There was a pale mark there, left by a makeshift ring Blake had crafted from a guitar string. I turned to leave but someone grabbed me. “Zoe!” Blake slowly descended from the stage. He wore the navy blue suit I had carefully ironed for him. The bowtie was a birthday gift from me, and even his hair was styled the way I had spent hours perfecting this morning. He gripped my wrist with surprising force, dragging me onto the stage without a word. Then, with practiced ease, he adjusted my collar. His hot breath brushed against me, his eyes brimming with joy. He cleared his throat and spoke solemnly. “This is my best friend, Zoe Chapman.” “I wouldn’t be where I am today without her…” My smile froze on my face, ears ringing. The strange looks from the audience below felt like knives stabbing my face. Fighting back tears, I remember forcing a smile for what felt like an eternity before quietly leaving the stage. In a daze, I returned home and made myself a cup of instant noodles. I stared blankly at the bowl. There was a chip on the edge of the bowl, from when Blake had smashed it in a drunken state last week. The image of Blake placing his pinky ring on Lily White’s finger kept replaying in my mind. Before I knew it, tears were mixing with the noodles in the bowl. I should have never gone out for that walk. The small room was dimly lit, with a thin layer of cobwebs on the window outside. The house was in a crowded old neighborhood, a birthday gift from Blake three years ago. During the early days of his startup, when he was poor, I accompanied him in this tiny rented apartment. Back then, he had blushed as he gave me this house filled with our memories, then held my hand and promised. “Zoe, thank you for staying with me all these years. In the future, I’ll buy a bigger and better house, and you’ll be the lady of that home.” Three years had passed. Blake could now afford bigger and better houses, but it seemed I was no longer the intended lady of the house. After finishing my tear-seasoned noodles, I numbly cleaned up the dishes when suddenly I heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. Blake was back. I quickly wiped my tears with my sleeve and turned my back, pretending to be busy. He didn’t seem to notice anything amiss, naturally hugging me from behind. The familiar scent of his cologne mixed with alcohol wafted over me. “Zoe, why are you eating instant noodles again? It’s not good for your health to eat too much of that.” His tone was as intimate as ever, as if the man who had just proposed to someone else was a different person entirely. I wriggled out of his embrace, my voice trembling. “Now that you have a fiancée, you should keep your distance from other women.” Blake’s confused voice came from above my head. “What do you mean by ‘other women’?” I turned to face him, only to see him pull out a box from behind his back as if performing a magic trick. Inside the box lay a plain women’s ring, the kind often seen in mall clearance sales. He took my hand and slipped it onto my ring finger. “Zoe, you’ve been with me for so many years, I really don’t know how to repay you.” “I saw this ring and thought it would suit you perfectly. I hope you like it.” Looking at the ring on my hand, tears spilled from my eyes. I raised my hand and wiped them away forcefully, managing a strained smile. “If you don’t know how to repay me, why don’t you marry me then?!”

Blake’s smile froze on his face, his voice dropping to a whisper. “What are you saying… you’re my friend.” I forced out a smile uglier than crying, dodging his attempt to touch my hand and yanking off the ring to throw at him. “Blake Pearson, what do you take me for?” “Which friend would sleep with you? Which friend would give you so much money to start your business?!” Blake’s expression changed, his voice filled with disbelief. “Zoe, how can you think of me like that?” He took my hand, raising it to swear to the heavens. “All these years, I’ve been sincere to you, I swear.” This was how Blake always coaxed me whenever he did something wrong, and this time was no different. I pressed down on his hand, persisting with my question. “Then when are you going to marry me?” Blake’s lips pressed into a thin line, and after a long while, he finally spoke. “Zoe… you’ve already enjoyed my best years. All my firsts were yours, you already have so much.” I stood there stunned, unable to believe my ears. He looked up, ruffling my hair as if to appease me. “Don’t be angry… I’ll make it up to you, okay?” “I have to meet a client tomorrow, have you ironed my clothes?” Tears finally broke through the dam, and I bit my lip hard, keeping my head down to avoid looking at him. He pushed me, forcing me to look up. Seeing my expression, he suddenly frowned deeply. “Tsk, what are you crying for…” “Zoe Chapman, I’m not going to marry you.” “You’ve been by my side for so many years, aren’t you satisfied yet?” With that, Blake left in anger, pausing to wipe his leather shoes that had been dirtied by the wooden door – those shoes were the birthday gift I had given him last month. My mood was far from good, so I slumped down on the floor, examining the ring on my hand. It was the simplest women’s ring, without even a diamond, probably worth less than a hundred dollars. Yet Blake had just closed a million-dollar deal a few weeks ago. Perhaps… in his eyes, this was all I was worth. My phone kept buzzing. I saw the company group chat exploding with congratulatory messages. “Congratulations on Mr. Pearson’s successful proposal!” I opened the video to see Blake kneeling before Lily White on a yacht deck covered in rose petals, holding out a ring. It wasn’t a diamond ring. It was the pinky ring he had worn for seven years. His voice trembled with tenderness. “Because I met you, I finally realized…” “It wasn’t that marriage couldn’t bring me happiness, but that I hadn’t met the right person.” I stared at the screen many times until my eyes stung. On my birthday during our senior year of college, I had secretly tried on that pinky ring while Blake was asleep. He had suddenly woken up and snatched the ring back. “Don’t touch this, it’s very important to me.” So it was because I wasn’t the right person. I lowered my gaze, casually placing the ring aside. The sound of metal rolling on the floor rang out crisply. All these years I had accompanied Blake, sharing my connections, taking care of his daily needs, paying attention to his hobbies. In return, all I got was a statement that we were just friends. Initially, it was a bet with a friend that sparked my interest in Blake. Who knew that one bet would last 7 years.

In college, Blake was a special recruit. With his good looks, he was adored by many girls. But from the start of school, he wore a simple pinky ring, declaring himself a believer in staying single, telling others not to get close to him. Friends often said Blake would surely end up alone for life. But I took a particular interest in him and secretly approached him. Unexpectedly, Blake didn’t reject me alone, and even actively stuck to me. I was skinny, so he would work at the cafeteria window I liked, always giving me extra meat. I had trouble waking up, so he would run far every morning to buy my favorite breakfast, coaxing me to get up and eat in various ways. It was my first time falling in love, and I naturally fell for his caring gestures. We often appeared as a pair on campus, and although he never explicitly stated our relationship, I was content. I felt sorry for him and often used money from home to supplement his living expenses while we were in school. After graduation, I was even willing to break ties with my parents to be with him. Thinking back now, I feel very resentful. Resentful of my years of dedication, but what’s done is done, and I don’t want to continue anymore. Blake was a believer in staying single, and I had asked him many times when we would get married. Now, I guess I’ve finally got my answer. Since that’s the case, I don’t need to dwell on it anymore. It’s better to cut your losses on a mistake early. As I walked out of the Pearson Group building, the sunlight was so bright it hurt my eyes. In my bag was the newly signed equity transfer agreement. As the daughter of the Chapman family, I always kept my word. Back then, I had a big fight with my family to be with Blake. But parents always have a soft heart despite their harsh words, and they had been secretly sending me money over the years, so I had some savings. In the afternoon, Blake’s call came through, his tone unpleasant. “Zoe, what’s going on? People in the company say you’ve resigned?” “That’s impossible, don’t joke around.” “And why did Mr. Lee suddenly cancel? Go smooth things over quickly.” Blake’s tone was rushed, but still composed. After all, no matter what happened before, I would always clean up his messes. But not anymore. I brushed Blake off with a few vague responses and hung up the phone. Looking at the files sent to my computer, they contained the information of Pearson Group’s core employees, with several names highlighted in red – these were the backbone staff who had joined the company because of my abilities. I took a sip of coffee and the screen showed that Blake had recently hired a female assistant with zero work experience, but her monthly salary was higher than that of department managers. My phone lit up again, this time with a message from an unknown number. “You think it’s over just because you left? Mr. Pearson says you’re just a dog that comes when called and leaves when told!” The attached image was of Blake kissing Lily White. A dense, sour feeling spread through my heart. I took a deep breath and blocked the number.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296429”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn