The day I was diagnosed with a terminal illness, my wife Emily was at the hospital taking care of her first love. The woman I had cherished for ten years was now cooking and caring for another man. She was even willing to risk her career to have his child. On the day she asked for a divorce, she questioned if I was afraid of dying a miserable death. I calmly replied, “Then let me die a miserable death.” What she didn’t know was that I was already dying. The day after Ryan Thompson returned to the country, the news reported that my wife Emily had suddenly left the international stage and rushed to the hospital. I sat on the couch, clutching a medical diagnosis report in my hand. I had originally planned to tell Emily about my condition today. But I never expected Ryan to come back. Emily’s decade-long obsession finally had an outlet. With one last hope, I dialed her number. But I couldn’t get through. After the long busy signal, the call was disconnected. I didn’t give up and kept calling. Twice… three times… five times… Finally, on the seventh try, the call connected. “Jack! Why don’t you just put a tracker on me! Please, give me some space, will you?” “You’re like a leech stuck to me every day. Don’t you have your own life?” “Stop calling me. I’ll contact you later.” Emily’s voice on the other end was anxious but quiet. The surroundings seemed silent. She must have already arrived at the hospital. “Can you come home for a moment? I have something important to tell you.” As soon as those words left my mouth, I regretted them. Sure enough, Emily’s patience on the other end had reached its limit. “Ryan is in the hospital. He just got back and doesn’t know anyone here. Can you stop causing trouble? Can’t whatever you have to say wait?” As soon as she finished speaking, a nurse could be heard calling out on the other end. “Is Ryan Thompson’s family here?” “Yes, I’m coming right away.” Then, the mechanical tone of the call being hung up sounded. The phone slipped from my palm as I leaned back on the couch, powerless. Tears gradually blurred my vision. In five years of marriage, she had never shown such anxious emotions for me. My devotion had become a huge joke. She watched me like an indifferent bystander, trapped in the dream I had woven, unwilling to wake up. I was wrong. I thought if I just stayed by her side… Her heart would eventually settle. I took a photo of the medical report lying next to me and sent it to her. “Emily, I’ve been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Can you come back and stay with me?” She quickly replied. “Jack, when will you ever stop? How can you be so selfish at a time like this? Ryan and I are just good friends now. He’s in the hospital with a stomach ulcer and needs someone with him. We were classmates after all, don’t you have any compassion?” Her words were full of impatience, making me seem petty. At the same time, a text from my doctor popped up. “If you choose conservative treatment, you can have family members accompany you for hospital admission in these last two months.” Family members? She seems more like Ryan’s family now. I collected myself and replied: “Thank you doctor, but there’s no point. I won’t be seeking treatment.” It was a double entendre, also telling myself. Everything I had done for her was meaningless now too. We had known each other for ten years and been married for five. These last two months would belong only to me. Suddenly, an intense wave of pain washed over me like a tide. The uncontrollable pain engulfed all my thoughts, making each breath feel like a blade piercing my brain. With difficulty, I took out some pills from my suit pocket and swallowed them. Then I dozed off on the couch, drifting into a hazy sleep. In my dream, I saw 17-year-old Emily. She had argued with her family about persisting with dance and ran out into the pouring rain. We ended up sitting under the same awning to escape the rain. At that time, my parents had just died in a car accident. When she learned of my situation, she put on a brave smile to comfort me. It was at that moment her appearance shone into my heart like a gentle moonbeam. Only I didn’t know then that her heart already belonged to someone else. Later, I became her shadow. I witnessed her subtle, shy crush in high school from afar. After graduation, she confessed and was rejected. Ryan went abroad to study, and I accompanied her as she drank herself into oblivion. We spent an less-than-ideal night together. It was then that Emily began to hate me.

I especially remember that drunken morning. Her tear-stained eyes were full of disgust and hatred towards me. It turned out she had promised Ryan she would wait for him. And after that night, she felt she was no longer worthy. She blamed me for ruining her future with Ryan. Later, she had a falling out with her family over college applications, so I used my parents’ compensation money to support her dream. But that was far from enough. I gave up my own dream of painting and changed my major to finance instead. As soon as I entered university, I desperately started looking for part-time jobs. Sometimes two bread rolls and a glass of water was my entire meal. But I was happy, because Emily was well taken care of. She achieved her dream and became the center of attention at school. As time passed, after so many years together, she no longer despised me as much. But she still didn’t love me. After graduating, Ryan didn’t return. That day, Emily got drunk again. I carefully helped her home and was about to leave after helping her clean up. But she looked at me with hazy eyes, her expression numb. “Jack, let’s get married.” I knew it was just drunk talk. But I still couldn’t refuse her request and agreed. “Okay, let’s get married.” The next afternoon, Emily appeared before me. Holding our household registration booklet. Skipping dating and proposals, just like that, we got married. Her face was expressionless, as if completing a most ordinary task. I thought my waiting had finally gained meaning. But I didn’t realize this was her way of closing the chapter on her youth. Much later I found out that morning she had tattooed an “R.T.” on her shoulder. Not for Jack Wilson, but for Ryan Thompson. On our wedding day, she sent Ryan a photo of the tattoo. “Even if we can never meet again, I can still feel you by my side.” “Goodbye, my youth.” After marriage, she was often away from home, but I didn’t mind. Because no matter how long it took, she would always come back. I just needed to wait like I had for the past few years. That was what I was best at. Snippets of our time together flashed before my eyes like a film, finally fading into a white light. When I came to, I found my soul floating in mid-air. Outside it was bright daylight. The digital clock on the wall told me it was already the next day. While “my” body lay on the couch, face unnaturally pale. I had died before the two months the doctor predicted, so quietly. So what I just saw wasn’t a dream, but the flashbacks before death. The phone rang. It was Emily calling. But now I was just a soul, unable to answer her call. A minute later, her text came through. “I’m waiting for you at the courthouse. Hurry up. Ryan needs someone with him.” “Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind. I gave you a chance.” About 15 minutes later, the phone rang again. But still no one answered. My soul couldn’t leave this room, only float in the air silently watching the phone ring over and over. I felt a bit dejected. During my school years I was busy with part-time jobs. After graduation I was busy with work. My whole life revolved around Emily. If no one discovered my body, I’d probably rot here. The last shred of dignity as an adult was gone too. Emily would probably be even more disgusted when she saw my body. Fortunately, the landlord came by in the afternoon to read the electricity meter and found me on the couch. The moment my soul floated out of the house, it was pulled by a powerful force. When I came to my senses, I was already floating in mid-air not far from Emily. She sat beside Ryan’s bed, peeling an apple for him. But her technique was clumsy, nearly cutting herself several times. Ryan watched her with gentle eyes. “Jack didn’t show up today?” Her hand paused briefly as she replied, “Don’t worry about him. I’ll contact a lawyer for a contested divorce once you’re discharged.” I smiled bitterly. It seems she truly had no feelings for me all these years. Then Ryan asked, “Since you and Jack are getting divorced, can I ask you for a favor?” She looked up at Ryan with a coquettish gaze, pouting in displeasure, “Do we need to use such formal words between us? It’s too distant. If it weren’t for you, I probably would have died in that fire long ago.” I was stunned. What fire? Seeing her reaction, Ryan reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately. “It’s been so many years, how have you not forgotten? Even if I hadn’t saved you, the firefighters would have rescued you.” “It’s not the same.” “Come on, tell me, what is it?” Ryan seemed to steel himself, looking at her intently. “Can you… have a child for me?”

Hearing those words, I sharply inhaled. Because I knew Emily had dedicated everything to dance. I had brought up having children a few times after marriage, but was always firmly rejected. The impact on her figure and career after pregnancy was too risky for her to take. Sure enough, Emily frowned slightly. “Why?” Ryan lowered his gaze, his eyes a bit forlorn. “I’ve been so busy with work abroad all these years, and have decided to dedicate my life to scientific research. My family doesn’t want our lineage to end, so they came up with this idea. I know it’s an unreasonable request, but I don’t want to have a child with just anyone.” “Emily, if I hadn’t gone abroad that year, maybe we would already be married with kids by now.” The words were ambiguous, inviting speculation. Sure enough, a hint of hesitation flashed in Emily’s eyes. Her movements became careless, and she accidentally cut her finger with the fruit knife. She hurriedly grabbed a tissue to press on it, making an excuse to find a nurse and left the room. I floated in the hospital room, scrutinizing Ryan with my gaze. I didn’t believe a word he said. As far as I knew, Ryan had an older brother who was already married with children. The excuse of continuing the family line was too flimsy. The phone rang and he smiled slightly seeing the caller ID. “Honey, I’m fine.” “I haven’t finished things here yet, I’ll probably have to stay a few more months. I’ll come back to see you once she agrees.” “Be good, I miss you too.” As soon as he hung up, Emily walked back in. She seemed to have made some kind of decision, taking a few steps closer. “Ryan, I understand your dedication to your dreams. I’m willing to have your child, but we need to wait until I’ve finalized the divorce, okay?” A gentle smile returned to Ryan’s handsome face. “Of course.” I froze for a moment, feeling awful. So the child I had begged for, Ryan could get with just a few words. She was even willing to risk her career for him. Thankfully, we didn’t have children together. Otherwise, how pitiful would a child be with parents like this. “I can be discharged in a couple days. Once the paperwork is done I’ll move in with you.” Emily looked confused. “What do you mean move in together?” Ryan teased her, “Didn’t you agree to have my child? How are you going to do that if I don’t move in? You can’t make a baby by yourself, you know.” Her face flushed with embarrassment. After a moment’s hesitation she spoke, “We don’t have to live together. We can do IVF at a hospital.” Ryan paused, his words considerate, “I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to. But a child conceived naturally is generally healthier than one through IVF. For the baby’s sake, please think about it some more.” Her expression was complex as she picked up her phone to call me again. Still no answer. I had never gone so many days without contacting her. Faced with a request from the man she had loved for years, she instinctively felt guilty towards me. Perhaps remembering our days and nights together all these years made her unable to make an immediate decision. When she got home, she didn’t immediately notice anything amiss in the house. It wasn’t until she opened the fridge and found her favorite juice missing that she realized the reminder note on the fridge was from a week ago. “Honey, they’re out of the lime juice you like. I got you orange juice instead. If you don’t finish it in a couple days, remember to throw it out.” I floated in the air, back in our familiar home. This place once held all my love, and witnessed every sleepless night. Emily took out an unopened bottle of orange juice and took a sip before setting it down. Seems she didn’t like the taste. She turned and walked into the bedroom, only noticing something was wrong when she opened the closet. The men’s pajamas that usually hung next to her silk nightgown were gone. She turned and went into the study, finding that my Lego sets had disappeared too. That was the only gift Emily ever gave me. I treasured it dearly. She paused, disbelief in her eyes, then started searching the house for any traces of me. But I didn’t have many belongings to begin with. Everything had already been moved to the rental apartment. Half an hour later, she finally accepted the fact that I had truly left. She picked up her phone and dialed my number one more time. This time the call finally went through. She frowned instinctively and commanded: “Jack, I don’t care what game you’re playing, but my patience has limits. If you don’t show up by tomorrow, I’m getting a lawyer for a contested divorce.” The other end was silent for a few seconds before speaking. “Hello, this is the police station. Your husband Jack Wilson passed away in a rental apartment a few days ago. Please come to the station to claim the body.”

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After Getting a Fat Severance Package, I Told My Ex-Boss to Get Lost! Because I’m the Company’s Landlord! My boyfriend was smitten by the daughter of the company’s vice president, and I lost in love. What’s worse than losing in love is that I was fired from the company I had worked for five years, for a fabricated reason. After receiving a generous severance package and my termination letter, I packed my things and left with my head held high. Not only did they lay off their top performer, but they also fired the landlord of their office building. This crappy company can keep whoever they want, but they’re doomed to fail sooner or later! After discussing the severance amount with HR, I received a payment notification on my phone within 10 minutes. I swear, this was the fastest payment I’ve ever received since joining the company. Previously, getting a payment approved required a string of approvals, with at least eight people in the finance department alone. Even the fastest payment would take a day or two. The young HR girl ran all the way to hand me my termination letter. I looked at the reason for termination: personal reasons, voluntary resignation. Not bad. The handover was already completed, so I started packing up the things on my desk. “Knock, knock, knock.” Someone knocked on the door, and before I could say “come in,” Chloe walked in, wearing a crisp white suit, looking graceful and charming. “Sister Lydia, packing up? Make sure you don’t take any company documents home with you!” she said with a smirk. I ignored her. I was leaving anyway, and I didn’t want to cause trouble. But some people just can’t help being nasty. “Sister Lydia, when I first came here, you blocked my probation. Who would have thought that you’d be leaving before me today? Your project is now mine. People should really know their place. And Ryan, he chose me over you. Men, you know, they always prefer young and beautiful women. You’re old now, with no money or power. How can you compete with someone young, beautiful, and from a prestigious family like me?” There was no need to hold back anymore. It’s not good for the mammary glands to keep things bottled up, as my doctor told me during my physical exam. I glanced up at the surveillance camera above. Good, it was off. When the company required the cameras to be on, I had dinner with the IT guys. The main topic of discussion was “technology should not be used for evil.” One of the IT guys almost broke up with his girlfriend because he kept having dinner with me. In the end, we compromised. When I was in the office, the camera would be off; when I wasn’t, it would be on. I thought it was good enough for preventing theft. I walked up to Chloe and lifted her chin with my finger, examining her for a moment. Full of collagen, skin as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Youth is truly wonderful! She seemed a bit nervous but thought I wouldn’t do anything to her in the office. “You can kneel down and beg me, and I might consider giving you a position in the project,” she said smugly. She had just been promoted to project manager ten minutes ago, according to the HR notification. Chloe held her head high like a little swan. I used all my strength and slapped her hard across the face. The sound was loud, and even my hand hurt. Chloe was stunned at first, then started screaming. I grabbed her hair, avoiding the camera, and dragged her to the office area, throwing her onto the coffee table. There were some things on the table that crashed to the floor when she landed. The entire hall fell silent, not even a photo was taken. Everyone was too shocked. “Chloe, you stole my boyfriend. It’s my fault for not seeing through people, and it’s shameful to be a third wheel. Your ability to steal him is your ‘talent,’ and I don’t care about that rotten cucumber anymore. But the A8 project was something I fought for, and I did all the planning. How dare you remove my name and put yours on it? Open any page, do you even know what the initials HHY stand for? Your dad is one of the company’s bosses, he’s so rich, he could open a company for you to play with, give you a project to do. Why do you have to make things difficult for a hardworking employee like me? How many times did I go to the client for this project? How many times did I visit the site? How many extra hours did I work? Where were you during that time? Shopping for clothes or dating my boyfriend? How dare you steal it? Couldn’t you at least be low-key about it? Why did you have to flaunt it in front of me? I’m already leaving, making room for you. What more do you want? Why do you have to be so disgusting? Huh?” Chloe had just crawled up from the coffee table, with five clear finger marks on her face and a bruise on her forehead. Her hair was a mess. Faced with my accusations, she seemed to have a mental freeze, unable to utter a word in response. I took a wet wipe and carefully cleaned my hands, saying with disgust, “Take some time to take care of your hair, it’s so oily. Don’t show up in front of me again, or I’ll teach you a lesson every time I see you.” Then I put on a smile and said to the colleagues who had just recovered from the shock, “I’ve been happy to know all of you during my years at JoySpace. You’ve been great partners. Thank you all. I’m leaving today, and I’ve ordered some afternoon tea with cakes and milk tea for everyone. I hope you all enjoy it. Until we meet again.” With that, I turned around gracefully and quickly left. Outside the company’s entrance, I took a photo and posted it on Instagram along with a photo of my old work badge: “After five years of weathering storms together, allow me to dock my ship today and bid farewell to JoySpace. Grateful for the encounters, no regrets for the prime of my youth. From today on, I’m both unemployed and single. Let me rest for a month, and I’ll be in touch after that.” After posting, I saw that I had been removed from various company group chats. I could almost see Chloe’s phone burning up. At least it saved me the trouble. I took a cab back to the home I used to share with Ryan. This apartment was bought by my family when I graduated. At the time, to avoid making Ryan uncomfortable, I always said it was rented and only charged him a symbolic amount of rent. Ryan knew the rental prices in this area, yet he accepted that arrangement without question. It was all my fault for being young and unable to distinguish between good and bad people. I contacted a familiar renovation company, sent them a renovation plan, and asked them to renovate according to that plan and then help me rent it out. After dealing with these matters, I quickly bought a plane ticket and escaped. Every day, I went to the seaside to space out, and surprisingly, I didn’t feel bored. I played around for a month. When I left, the grass was just sprouting new green; when I came back, flowers were blooming everywhere, and spring had returned to the earth. In a few days, it would be my best friend’s birthday, and I needed to choose a gift. I went to a jewelry store. I didn’t recognize the saleswoman on duty today, but when she saw me come in, she stood at a comfortable distance, warm but not overly eager, making me feel at ease. I was in the middle of choosing when other customers came in. I told the saleswoman to attend to them. But those two people came straight towards me. I looked up and laughed. What a coincidence! It was Chloe, with Ryan following behind. They were carrying shopping bags, apparently having been out for a while. When Ryan and I were together, he hated shopping, saying it was a waste of time. Now that he’s with someone else, he seems to have adapted well. “Sister Lydia, long time no see. I thought you were hiding because you were fired and felt ashamed. Didn’t expect to run into you here,” Chloe said with a smirk. Chloe was as brainless as ever, saying things that made people want to punch her. “I didn’t steal someone’s boyfriend or project. I didn’t do anything shameful, so why should I hide?” I looked Chloe up and down. “You, on the other hand, don’t look too well. Done too many shady things? Can’t sleep at night? But I guess you wouldn’t, you don’t have a conscience.” Watching Chloe’s face change colors like a chameleon made me feel even better. I couldn’t be bothered with them anymore and went back to choosing jewelry. Finally, I found a chain I liked. “Miss, could you please bring that chain over for me to look at?” I asked the saleswoman. The saleswoman brought it out, but before I could take a closer look, Chloe snatched it away. “Sister Lydia, the cheapest jewelry here costs over ten thousand dollars, and some pieces go for hundreds of thousands. Can you afford it? Don’t bite off more than you can chew,” Chloe said mockingly. After saying this, Chloe picked up the bracelet, examined it, and said to the saleswoman, “Wrap it up, I’ll take it.” “But…” The saleswoman looked troubled. “It’s fine, give it to her. I’ll look at something else,” I said calmly. For the next half hour, Chloe followed me around, snatching up whatever I showed interest in. Ryan whispered something to Chloe, but she only became more aggressive, and Ryan didn’t dare say anything more. After a full round, I couldn’t find anything suitable, so I said to the saleswoman, “Bring out that new ruby necklace you’ve got.” The saleswoman went to the safe and brought out a box. When she opened it, I felt my eyes light up. It was a ruby necklace. The gemstone was of high purity and perfectly cut, shimmering beautifully under the light. “This is nice, give me—” Before I could finish, Chloe quickly interrupted. “I’ll take this one,” she said. I finally couldn’t hold back anymore. “Chloe, are you sick? You want everything I look at. Are you brainless or blind? Can’t you choose for yourself?” I snapped. “I have money, I can afford it. I’ll compete with you, what can you do about it?” she retorted. “This necklace is new and quite expensive. Is it worth spending so much just to compete with me?” I tried to reason with her. “Money can’t buy happiness, but I’m happy to spend it. Jealous? Too bad you can’t afford it. Wrap it up, I’ll take it with the others,” Chloe said, staring at the necklace, clearly in love with it. “Ma’am, I should inform you that all our items are final sale, no returns or exchanges. Would you like to reconsider?” the saleswoman cautioned. Chloe hesitated for a moment upon hearing this. “Yeah, Chloe, it’s quite expensive. Think it through. Don’t regret it once you leave the store, there’s no going back,” I chimed in. My advice seemed to strengthen Chloe’s resolve. “Nonsense, it’s just a few pieces of jewelry. Who do you think I am? Ryan, pay for it,” she demanded. Ryan was taken aback and hesitated, his face turning sour. “What’s wrong? Is your phone out of battery?” Chloe asked, staring intently at Ryan. “I brought my card, let’s use that,” Ryan said, handing his card to the saleswoman. Then came the awkward moment. “I’m sorry, sir, but the balance is insufficient,” the saleswoman said, handing the card back with both hands. “How much is it in total?” Ryan asked. “669,000 dollars,” the saleswoman replied. Ryan unconsciously took a step back, his face turning bright red in disbelief. “That much?” he muttered under his breath. “Yeah, it’s quite expensive. If you don’t have enough money, don’t buy it. It’s not something you can eat or drink, so why bother?” I quickly added salt to the wound. Chloe walked over, handed over her own credit card, and took Ryan’s card from his hand, giving both to the saleswoman. “Charge the rest to my card,” she said. Ryan received a bank notification. I glanced at it and saw that his balance was down to just $5.19. After the transaction, Chloe took the bags and left with her head held high. The saleswoman stood there, looking guilty. “Everything you liked was bought by someone else. I’m so sorry,” she apologized sincerely. It wasn’t her fault, but her sincere apology showed she had potential as an employee. “It’s alright. Could you please wrap up that one for me?” I pointed to a bracelet I had spotted earlier but deliberately hadn’t looked at. The saleswoman happily went to wrap it up, looking relieved. After leaving the jewelry counter, I called my friend. “Chloe just bought nearly $700,000 worth of jewelry from your store, even taking that new ruby necklace. How are you going to thank me?” I joked. My friend laughed heartily on the other end of the phone. “Really? That’s fantastic! We should celebrate with a big meal. But thank you? Did you forget you’re also a shareholder?”

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On the day my boyfriend of three years proposed to me, his long-lost first love, who was presumed dead in a plane crash, suddenly came back to life. I followed him as he ran to the stairwell, watching them embrace each other emotionally. They were both crying and snotting, and only after regaining their composure did they notice me standing behind them. Sean looked extremely embarrassed. Coco stared at me in shock, unable to utter a word. I caught a glimpse of panic flashing across her face. Her reaction was understandable, given how strikingly similar we looked. The engagement ring on my finger, as big as a pigeon egg, hadn’t even had time to warm up. Though it pained me a little, I took it off and strode towards Sean: “Here, give it back to you. Give it to its rightful owner.” I didn’t love Sean. Our relationship was a mutually beneficial transaction. We had agreed that he would give me $5,000 a month as pocket money, and I would accompany him to complete the hundred things he had once promised to do with Coco. After finishing, he would give me an additional $500,000. I wanted to settle down in New York and end my nomadic life of being constantly exploited by landlords, so we reached an agreement. In these three years, he took me to see snow on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, ride horses on the grasslands, and wait for the Buddha’s halo on the Golden Summit of Mount Emei. I experienced all the love he had for Coco. So this live scene in front of me was very touching, even more intense than watching a Korean drama couple. I thoughtfully put the ring on Coco’s finger – not too big, not too small, just right! I guessed he was nervous that Coco might misunderstand his relationship with me. Thinking of the $500,000 that was about to be mine, I very considerately explained on his behalf: “Miss Lu, I’ve often heard about you from Mr. Shaw. He loves you very much. We’re just friends, and we’ve never done anything inappropriate. It’s wonderful that you’ve returned safely. I sincerely wish you both happiness.” To avoid further misunderstanding, I hurriedly returned to Sean’s mansion to pack my things, intending to move out immediately. After packing everything into my suitcase, the door to the living room suddenly opened. Oh no! The person who came in was actually Coco! It’s inevitable to feel guilty when a stand-in meets the real deal. She stared at me, her surprised eyes brimming with tears: “You two are living together?” Coco looked so pitiful on the verge of tears that even I couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. I showed rare gentleness, taking her hand: “Of course not. It’s just that his housekeeper had some business to attend to, so I came over to help for a few days. I’m leaving right away.” Seeing my packed belongings, she finally relaxed and revealed a sweet smile. The car I called had already arrived. I hurriedly loaded my things into the car, eager to leave even if it meant taking a night bus. Coco very kindly came out to see me off. Just as I was about to make my getaway, she suddenly brought out a stack of photos from the master bedroom – pictures of Sean and me on our travels. If she hadn’t taken them out, I would have completely forgotten about them. “Miss Snow, don’t you want these photos?” she asked, examining me with bright, innocent eyes. “No, I don’t need them.” As soon as I finished speaking, she suddenly threw the photos into the trash can. I was stunned for a moment. It wasn’t that I cared about the photos, but it felt strange to see pictures of myself in the garbage. I instinctively glanced inside and noticed a photo of Coco and Sean mixed in. I kindly reminded her, knowing how much Sean treasured that photo. Coco’s face turned pale. She hurriedly fished that photo out of the trash can and lovingly wiped it clean. “We probably look too alike. I didn’t notice,” she explained awkwardly. I thought she must have felt uncomfortable seeing so many photos of Sean and me together. As a fellow woman, I understood her feelings. Coco enthusiastically saw me off to the car, hesitating before finally speaking: “Miss Snow, could you please delete Sean from your contacts?” My heart skipped a beat. Deleting him wasn’t the point. The point was, who would pay me if I deleted him? My $500,000 was still unsettled. “But Mr. Shaw and I still have some financial matters to settle,” I replied in a very official tone. “Sean has already discussed this with me. Let’s add each other on SnapChat. I’ll help him transfer the $500,000 to you.” Can such good things really happen? My eyes lit up, and I immediately took out my phone to add Coco on SnapChat. Then, right in front of her, I blocked and deleted Sean. Even a second of hesitation would be disrespectful to money. …… The first thing I did after moving was to buy a British Shorthair blue cat. I had wanted to keep a cat for a long time, but Sean wouldn’t let me. Funny enough, the reason was that Coco was allergic to cat hair. Coco kept her word. As soon as I moved into my new place, I received a bank transfer notification. The weight on my chest finally lifted, and I immediately called my best friend, asking her to come out and party tonight. The nightclub lights were flashing, and loud electronic music filled my ears. I excitedly patted Lisa’s shoulder: “Drink as much as you want, Miss Emma is footing the bill tonight.” Lisa looked at me with a worried expression: “Emma, is this really how it ends between you two?” Before I could answer, my phone rang. It was an unknown number. “Who is it?” “You’re quite pragmatic, aren’t you? Just got the money and immediately blocked and deleted me?” Sean’s sarcastic voice came through the phone. “No, no, no, that’s not it,” I patiently explained. “I blocked and deleted you before I even got the money.” He was so angry he was speechless, gritting his teeth as he said: “You’ve got some nerve. You haven’t had a job in three years. Can you even find work now? Don’t come begging me if you starve.” “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely spend that $500,000 wisely.” I resolutely hung up the phone after saying that, and then blocked this number too. This man is really ridiculous. …… I bought an RV with cash, leaving me with very little money. I decided to start my own business. As for the capital for the business, my gaze fell on the luxury goods on the shelf. These were all bought by Sean when I was his stand-in. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to use them now, so I might as well sell them. Every little bit helps. There were too many items to carry conveniently, so I packed them all into a large woven bag and lugged it into the mall. I remembered there was a second-hand luxury consignment store here. Panting, I reached the fourth floor, only to see Coco and Sean walking hand in hand out of the elevator. I held my breath and quickly hid in a cosmetics store. The sales assistant looked at me disdainfully and said haughtily: “Ma’am, this is a high-end skincare brand store. Please don’t bring your garbage in here.” I unzipped the woven bag a little, letting her peek inside, then walked out with an unperturbed stride, leaving her utterly shocked. I finally reached a luxury goods recycling store on the fifth floor. Under the watchful eyes of the staff, I took out the items one by one, filling up the glass counters.

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At our wedding, his fake innocent sister-in-law wore a white dress and clung tightly to his arm, looking more like the bride than I did. “She’s been spoiled since childhood. What’s wrong with siblings being close? Just bear with it,” he said. Bear with it? You really think I love you that much? As I flipped through our wedding photos, my heart grew colder with each image. On our wedding day, Emma, my sister-in-law, wore a white low-cut Vivienne Westwood gown that celebrities wear on red carpets. She even decorated her hair with a white silk ribbon. In the group photo, Jack looked tall and handsome, while Emma clung to him like a delicate bird. He wore a golden tie, and she had a golden wrist corsage. We stood on either side of him, but she held his arm tightly, looking more like the bride than I did. As I recalled the wedding, more and more strange things surfaced. For instance, our wedding was planned rather hastily, but Emma, who was supposed to be studying abroad, immediately postponed her exams to attend our wedding. At the time, I was touched by their close sibling relationship and encouraged Jack to spend time with her. They indeed talked a lot. Every day after she returned, she was busy discussing various wedding details with Jack. For the hotel decorations, I preferred blue, but Emma said it was too plain. In the end, Jack changed it to gold, which Emma liked. Jack’s suit was originally from the same collection as my father’s, meant to complement each other. Emma didn’t like it and insisted on changing it to gray. When my father saw Jack’s suit on the day, his face darkened for a while. I had to console him. My husband and I took her along to choose rings. At first, I liked a large diamond ring worth $17,000, but Jack persuaded me, “Lily, a big ring won’t look good. Let’s choose another one. I think the one on Emma’s hand looks nice.” Emma was wearing a small, delicate diamond ring. The diamond wasn’t large, but it had a unique design. Hearing Jack say this, she whined loudly: “Brother! You can’t be biased. I chose this, and you can only buy it for your wife. I won’t allow it!” Yes, she called me “sister-in-law” when Jack was around. When he wasn’t, she called me “Lily.” In the end, Jack bought a pair of rings, one for me and one for Emma. When paying, Jack told me, “Lily, I only have enough money in my card for one ring. Can you cover the other one for now? I’ll pay you back when we get home. Emma has been spoiled since childhood, and I don’t want her to be upset.” I understood and happily continued shopping at other stores. He never paid me back. Although I didn’t care about those few thousand dollars, now that I think about it, his money went to buy a diamond ring for his sister. I bought my own ring. Also, while other friends gave us household items as wedding gifts, like bedding sets, decorations, and small appliances, her gift was specifically for Jack. I called my best friend, barely containing my anger. When she arrived, I was sitting next to the unopened gift box, staring at it with a ashen face. Katie comfortingly hugged me, then went to find scissors. We opened the gift box to find a pair of luxury brand underwear. “They’re both adults. Doesn’t she know better?” Katie trembled with anger. “I heard she was raised by Jack when she was little,” I laughed bitterly. “Sibling love?” “Do you remember the wedding game at the door?” Katie asked me. Katie told me that they had prepared many questions, from the hotel entrance to the bedroom door. The groom could take a step towards the bride for each correct answer, but had to give out red envelopes full of cash for wrong answers. The bridesmaids were on my side, asking questions about my hobbies, living habits, and who would manage the money after marriage. Then, she heard Emma ask: “Where does Emma like to go when she’s unhappy?” “Where does Emma like to hide her gifts?” “What were the three wishes brother promised Emma when he was 17?” The bridesmaids were stunned, but Jack answered all of them correctly. The wedding game between the bride and groom had turned into a game of truth or dare between these two, reminiscing about their past. Finally, at the bedroom door, Emma asked: “Last question! In the future, will brother love Emma more or Lily more?” Jack grinned stupidly, scratching his head: “I love you both!” All the bridesmaids were shocked, but they didn’t tell me about this incident, not wanting to upset me. After hearing this, I angrily threw the gift box off the bed.

After the wedding, Jack and I were supposed to go on our honeymoon. Emma wanted to come along and mentioned it at the evening banquet. I firmly refused. She put down her bowl with a dark face, and Jack quickly tried to smooth things over, coaxing and persuading her. After a while, she cheered up. But she was an adult, not a three-year-old child. I thought the matter was settled, but at midnight on our wedding night, she came knocking on our door with red eyes. Seeing her like this, Jack gave me a look and took her outside to talk. I was exhausted and fell asleep waiting for Jack on the bed. The next morning when I woke up, Jack wasn’t there. Confused, I opened my phone and saw a message from Jack: “I’m comforting Emma. You sleep first.” Where did they go to comfort her all night? I called him: “Jack, did you forget we have a 10 AM flight? Don’t you want to go on our honeymoon?” Jack hesitated for a long time before asking: “Lily, can Emma come with us?” As if he could see my expression through the phone, he quickly added: “Emma travels every year, but this year she didn’t go because of our wedding. She’s quite upset. She also put a lot of effort into our wedding preparations and even broke up with her boyfriend to come back. I want to take her out to cheer her up.” All the unpleasant details from the wedding rushed to my mind, and I exploded over the phone: “Jack, are you out of your mind? This is our honeymoon. Do you know what a honeymoon is? If you want to go with her, then go. We don’t need to continue this marriage!” I threw my phone and lay on the couch, fuming. Soon after, Jack came back, patting my back and apologizing: “I’m sorry, Lily. I didn’t think it through. She’s been the most spoiled at home since childhood. When she cries, I don’t know what to do, so I said I’d take her along. I know I was wrong now. Let’s leave right away. I’ve packed your luggage for you.” Jack was always good at coaxing me. But now, seeing him coax me reminds me of how he coaxes Emma. It’s disgusting. But the flights and hotels were already booked, and it would be troublesome to change now. He apologized so sincerely and knew he was wrong. Under his act of playing dumb and making me laugh, I forgave him, and we boarded the honeymoon flight just in time. Before turning off my phone, I checked Emma’s Instagram. It was quiet and calm, so I assumed Jack had handled the situation. I asked him: “So, how did you explain not taking her along in the end?” Jack smiled sheepishly and said: “I promised her that when we get back, I’ll take her to Disneyland separately.” Separately? Disneyland? Seeing my suddenly dejected face, he asked confusedly: “What’s wrong, Lily? Are you unhappy again? But by then, we’ll have finished our honeymoon, right?” “…” Going out alone together, first with me, then with her, is that it? I started to doubt my choices. I drank orange juice and sulked the whole way, enduring for two hours until we finally arrived in Miami. The sea breeze finally improved my mood a little. Miami was my favorite city. When Jack and I were dating, he told me: “Lily, I want to take you to the seaside, to an island. We’ll hold hands and walk on the sand, and I’ll say my vows to you against the backdrop of the sunset over the ocean.” After all, it was my honeymoon. I shouldn’t let an unpleasant person ruin it. So when we got off the plane, I took the initiative to hold Jack’s hand. But he didn’t respond. I looked at him. He was staring at his phone with a furrowed brow: “Lily, we have to go back. Emma is in the hospital.” His expression was serious and anxious. I glanced at his phone, which showed his chat with Emma. “Brother, I’m in the hospital.” “Brother abandoned Emma.” Then there was a crying emoji and a picture of a medical record. Suppressing my anger, I asked Jack: “What’s wrong with her? Can your parents take care of her? Do you really have to go back?” Jack stared at the medical record for a long time before saying: “It’s asthma. Emma has had asthma since childhood. She has attacks during season changes and when she’s under stress…” “Asthma is a chronic condition. She’ll be fine staying in the hospital. We can visit her when we get back and bring her some gifts. What do you think?” Jack looked at me. That look made me feel like I was the evil supporting character in a novel. He said: “Lily, we’re married now, which means we’re family. Whatever opinions you had about Emma before, that’s in the past. If you really treated Emma like your own sister, would you say something like this?” I was speechless, never expecting him to say such a thing. I’m not an only child. I have an older brother and a younger sister. Especially my brother, who loves sports and is always getting injured. Once, he even broke his leg playing soccer and was hospitalized, but he never said we had to go back to see him. My sister is even more independent, doing her master’s degree in a big city, handling her own housing, medical care, internships, and studies. She often has minor illnesses, and I just send her some money and remind her to take care of herself. How come when it comes to Emma, it becomes a matter of me not accepting her or not treating her like family? Moreover, if I didn’t consider her family, would I have paid tens of thousands of dollars for her tuition and living expenses to study abroad? Even her frequent travels were funded by me. I remembered now that the phrase “not treating Emma like a real sister” had been mentioned by him several times before the wedding. It was always when she wanted to interfere with wedding details, and I disagreed. Like when she wanted to wear that dress that looked like a light wedding gown. At the time, Katie mentioned that standing next to the groom like that, unfamiliar guests might misunderstand. So I asked Jack: “Can Emma change that dress? It seems a bit eye-catching.” I don’t know how they communicated in their video call, but after a while, Jack came to me and said: “Emma chose that dress a long time ago, and it’s already been altered. If you ask her to change now, she won’t have a suitable dress to wear. Think about it, if it were your own sister, would you have the heart to let her not have a proper dress to wear?” I thought it made sense, so I didn’t say anything more. Now that I think about it, I was really stupid. My sister tried on more than a dozen dresses for my wedding, asking me each time: “Sis, is this dress too eye-catching? Does it match your wedding gown?” My real sister would always consider my feelings. Not expect me to always consider her feelings.

Jack still took the next flight, rushing back without stopping. Before leaving, he promised me that once he saw Emma was fine, he would come back to continue our honeymoon. I treated it as nonsense. I stayed in Miami because I like this city. I’m usually very busy with work, so I wanted to stay and play for a few more days now that I had the chance. Not to wait for this ridiculous honeymoon. When Katie heard that Jack had left me to go back and accompany Emma, her jaw nearly hit the floor: “Does he have any shame left?” I shrugged. “Does he know what he’s doing? Emma is clearly doing this on purpose. All she knows is how to cling to him and act coy. In a few days, she’ll probably be living with you two!” “You had so many great guys interested in you, why did you choose Jack? What were you thinking?” Seeing my expression, she wisely shut her mouth. Jack and I met through a friend’s introduction. At that time, I had just gone through a breakup and was single. Jack was very considerate and humorous. We got together quickly, and then naturally got engaged and married, all within less than a year. “At least she’ll be going back to school soon. Once she’s abroad, she shouldn’t be able to cause much trouble,” I said tiredly. “Are you deluding yourself, Lily? When she goes to school, does that mean she’ll never come back? And have you forgotten? She’s failed so many courses, she’s about to be expelled. She’s using your money to live it up and still causing you trouble. Can you really tolerate this?” Katie said irritably. “Maybe in a few years, she’ll have her own boyfriend and won’t be so clingy with Jack anymore,” I comforted myself. Katie opened Instagram and showed me a post. It was Jack and Emma, both wearing Mickey Mouse ears, posing together at Disneyland. Emma made a sweet heart sign at the camera. “To the best brother in the world.” The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. All my self-comforting words had just slapped me in the face. I couldn’t even find words to save face in front of Katie. Although I wasn’t intentionally waiting here for Jack to come back and continue our honeymoon, he had said he would come back to find me. Now, without a word, he had taken Emma, who was “hospitalized with asthma,” to Disneyland? Katie, seeing my expression, knew I was really angry this time: “We all advised you not to get the marriage certificate so quickly. You see, we weren’t wrong. Now you need to think carefully about whether you want to spend the rest of your life with someone who doesn’t put you first.” I opened my own phone and, sure enough, I couldn’t see this Disneyland post. It seems they didn’t handle it well, but rather agreed to hide their Instagram posts from me. “Lily, if you’re just trying to avoid Ryan, you really need to reconsider,” Katie said. The name “Ryan” made me shudder. “Don’t mention him,” I said. “Jack might not be a good person, but that doesn’t mean I have to choose Ryan. Can’t I just live my own life?” I sent Jack a message: “It’s over. Let’s go our separate ways. We don’t need to get the marriage certificate. We’re done.” After sending this message, my mind suddenly cleared. I wanted to settle down quickly and thought Jack was reliable, so I didn’t care about money issues. After all, my family is wealthy, we have multiple properties, and I can earn money myself. So, I paid for the marital home, the wedding, and all the big and small matters in his family. That’s why when we were buying rings, he so naturally asked me to pay. He was used to me being a cash cow for everything. I thought, we’re family now, no need to be so calculative. Now I see, how dare they keep asking me for money time and time again? So, I added another message: “I’ll send you an itemized bill. Once you’ve paid it back, we’re even.”

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During Memorial Day weekend, Lucas suggested our family take a road trip to Yellowstone National Park. I said it was too dangerous to go to such a remote area without a professional guide, and we should go somewhere else. Mom thought I was ruining Lucas’s excitement. She slapped me across the face and told me to go if I wanted, or get lost if I didn’t. In the end, our family still hit the road. That night, we encountered someone blocking our car. I warned Dad not to open the door, but he called me selfish and forced me to open it. Outside was a bear-man, and it immediately clamped its jaws on my arm. Instead of saving me, Mom pushed me out with all her might. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Lucas suggested going to the wilderness. I warned them again, but Mom still told me to get lost. Alright, that’s exactly what I was waiting for. “Wash my clothes and iron them properly when they’re dry,” Lucas said as he walked past me, kicking my basin with his foot. Water splashed onto my feet, making me shiver from the cold. That’s when I truly felt that I had been reborn. Lucas walked into the living room where Mom and Dad were sitting on the couch watching TV. He plopped down casually and suggested, “Dad, let’s drive to Yellowstone for Memorial Day. My classmate went during spring break and said it was amazing.” “We already promised Grandma we’d visit her in the countryside this year,” Dad said with a troubled expression. “What’s fun about the countryside? Come on, Dad. We just got a new car, and we’ve never taken a road trip before,” Lucas whined to Dad. I watched this scene, feeling a bit dazed. It was the same in my previous life. Lucas pestered Dad about going to Yellowstone because his deskmate had gone during spring break and bragged about it every day. As Dad was hesitating, Mom came out of the bedroom. She had a face mask on and frowned when she saw I hadn’t finished washing the clothes. “Aria, you’ve been washing these two pieces of clothing all morning. When are you planning to do the dishes?” Hearing this, I quickly sped up, hung up the clothes after washing them, and then went to the kitchen. Mom thought doing housework would ruin her hands, so she never did any. Dad was afraid of trouble and good at using technology. So we had a dishwasher and a washing machine, but as long as I was home, I wasn’t allowed to use them. When I finished washing the dishes and came out, Mom and Dad had already agreed to the plan of driving to Yellowstone. Lucas was excitedly browsing items to buy on his phone. Seeing this, I asked, “Where are we going for Memorial Day?” Mom said, “Yellowstone. You’re lucky. If it weren’t for Lucas, you wouldn’t get to go to such a nice place.” I kindly reminded them, “I read online that it’s best to avoid such remote areas. Even experienced explorers can get into trouble.” Lucas immediately became unhappy. “Mom, look at her. She’s always ruining the mood.” Sure enough, just like in my previous life, Mom raised her hand and slapped me. “You think you’re so smart? Go if you want, if not, then get lost.” My face stung from the slap. I held my cheek and thought for a few seconds. Then I started to act crazy. I swept everything off the coffee table with one hand, sending glass cups crashing to the floor. “I’ve had enough! You tell me to go, but I won’t!” I had always been the obedient punching bag at home, so this outburst startled all three of them. Taking advantage of their shock, I ran back to my room to grab my backpack and headed for the door. As I reached it, Mom finally reacted, her voice loud. “Aria, if you have the guts to leave, don’t come back!” I didn’t look back, slamming the door shut with a thunderous bang. Once outside, I couldn’t help but smile. After this scene, even if I wanted to go, Mom and Dad probably wouldn’t let me anymore.

Luckily, our high school required students to live on campus. It was Sunday, the day to return to school. I stayed out until 5 PM before going back. Lucas and I went to the same school. During evening study hall, I went to find him to ask for this week’s allowance. When I got to his classroom, Lucas was bragging to his classmates about going to Yellowstone for Memorial Day. “My parents have already bought everything. I’ll take photos for you guys. This time I’m going further than Tim.” Tim was Lucas’s deskmate, who supposedly went to Yellowstone this month. Hearing this, Tim said, “You can’t go further than me. My dad said we reached the boundary. Going any further would be dangerous.” Lucas raised his chin arrogantly, “That’s because your dad’s not capable. My dad used to be in the army. He can kill a wolf with his bare hands.” I remembered from my previous life that we drove to a place in Yellowstone where there was a sign warning that going further would be very dangerous. Dad was hesitant and didn’t want to continue. But Lucas wasn’t happy and said his classmate had gone that far, so he had to go further. So Mom pressured Dad to keep driving. Dad drove for a while but then couldn’t find the way back. We had entered in the afternoon, but by nightfall, we still didn’t know how to get back to the main road. That’s when we saw someone waving at our car. Dad, who had been looking for a way out all afternoon, felt hopeful and stopped in front of the person. The person started knocking on our windows. Mom and I were sitting in the back, and Dad said to me, “This must be a local. Aria, open the door for the man. We can give him a ride and he can show us the way out.” I remembered reading in a book that if you encounter someone waving in a remote area, you should never stop. Because in this situation, there are only two possibilities. One is that it’s a real person, but in a place with nothing around, a real person you encounter is either a robber or a fugitive. The other possibility is that it’s a bear-man, which are very clever and can mimic human actions. The person outside kept knocking on the window but didn’t speak. I felt the second possibility was more likely. I told Dad about this and said, “Let’s just drive away.” Usually, whatever I said, Lucas would argue against it. This time was no exception. Lucas said, “Aria, do you have some kind of paranoia? There aren’t that many bad people in the world.” Mom poked my head with her fingernail, “You think you’re so smart after reading a few books? You think you have better judgment than us two adults?” Dad also frowned in the front seat, “Just open the door when I tell you to. Why so much nonsense? Open it quickly.” I didn’t want to. Mom reached over me, cursing as she opened the door herself. The moment the door opened, a furry big head thrust in. My arm suddenly hurt terribly as it effortlessly dragged me out. Up close, I saw it was indeed a bear-man. “Dad, Mom, save me!” The bear had my arm clamped tightly in its jaws. The pain made my whole body tremble, but I still struggled desperately. But how could human strength resist a bear? Amidst my screams, Mom quickly closed the door. The bear threw me straight up into the air, and I fell vertically to the ground. I felt like all my bones were shattered and my nerves severed. The bear bit open my stomach with one bite. Mom and Dad drove away.

Thinking of this, I felt as if I could still feel the bear-man tearing at my flesh. My legs trembled slightly. Until someone tapped me on the shoulder, I was finally freed from the terror. Looking up, I met Lucas’s sullen face. “What do you want?” I held out my hand, “Give me this week’s allowance.” Lucas and I were only a year apart, but we were well-known throughout the school. I was in the top ten of my grade, while Lucas was dead last in his. Every pair of Lucas’s shoes cost over a thousand dollars, and all his clothes under the school uniform were designer brands. Meanwhile, I wore the same pair of shoes all year round and only had four outfits to rotate. At first, Mom and Dad said they’d give us each fifty dollars a week for living expenses. But fifty dollars wasn’t enough to live on at our school, so I skipped dinner every day, ate just an egg and a glass of milk for breakfast, and two steamed buns with some chili sauce for lunch. Lucas lived much better than me, ordering stir-fry dishes in the cafeteria every day. When I saw this and asked Mom about it, she scolded me, “You don’t focus on your studies, always comparing yourself to your brother. How could I possibly give him money?” I asked her, “Then why does Lucas eat stir-fry dishes in the cafeteria every day?” “His friends must be treating him,” Mom sneered. “Your brother has many friends, unlike you who doesn’t have a single one.” I felt so wronged at the time. Was it that I didn’t want to make friends? It was that I had no time to make friends. Whether it was holidays or weekends, I always had endless housework to do. I barely had time to do my homework. Later I found out that Mom really hadn’t given Lucas extra money. She had just pre-loaded five thousand dollars onto his meal card, and would reload it whenever it ran out. Lucas said, “Mom and Dad didn’t give you any.” I asked, “Then what am I supposed to eat?” Lucas sneered, “How should I know? That’s what you get for talking back to Mom!” I knew it would be like this. It was the same before. Whenever I did something that made Mom unhappy, she would directly cut off my living expenses. Sometimes she even threatened not to let me go to school. I always thought Mom wouldn’t be so heartless and always held onto a glimmer of hope for her. So every time I would compromise and do whatever she told me to do. But what did I get in return? She pushed me out of the car without hesitation and didn’t even look back as they drove away. After I died, Mom stared out the car window for a long time. But she said to Dad, “It’s good that she’s dead. Now no one will say our Lucas isn’t as good as his sister.” That’s when I realized my family had no feelings for me. Whether I ranked first or was obedient, Mom only cared about Lucas. Seeing Lucas’s smug expression, I felt a bit disgusted but still asked him for money, “If they won’t give it to me, you give it to me.” Lucas’s face changed immediately, “Why should I?” “If you don’t give it to me, I’ll tell Mom about you chasing that girl in your class.” Lucas had been pursuing a girl in his class, and everyone knew about it. But the girl wasn’t blind and wasn’t interested in a mama’s boy like him. After my experience in my previous life, I realized that Mom wasn’t just favoring her son over her daughter – she hated all females. She didn’t just dislike me; she disliked all girls who appeared around Lucas. Once before, when another girl was pursuing Lucas and the family found out about it, Mom went to the school and hit that girl, calling her nasty names to her face. When Lucas heard this, he immediately became anxious. He grabbed my collar and raised his fist at me, “Aria, who gave you permission to talk to me like that? Say it again and I’ll beat you to death!” I looked at him fearlessly, “You’re already threatening to beat me to death, so I might as well tell. Besides, Mom calls me every day to ask about you anyway.” Lucas’s expression changed, and he finally let go of me, blurting out a curse. In the end, he took out fifty dollars from his pocket and threw it on the ground. I said coldly, “I want a hundred.” Lucas cursed at me under his breath and took out another fifty. He pointed at my face and warned, “Don’t you dare say a word more.” Although I had a hundred dollars now, I still didn’t dare spend it carelessly. But life was a bit better than before. At least I dared to order a plate of potato strips for lunch. I remembered that in my previous life, school continued until the Monday of the following week, and we started the holiday on the 30th. When Mom and Dad found out about this, they specially took two days off in advance and picked us up from school on the afternoon of the 29th to drive straight to Wyoming. This week, Mom hadn’t called me to ask about her son’s situation. I thought that no matter what, she wouldn’t take me along. But on the afternoon of the 29th, the teacher called me over and said my parents were waiting for me at the gate. I reluctantly and slowly went out of the school gate. This time, Mom was sitting in the front passenger seat, and Lucas was in the back. “Aria, what are you dawdling for? Get in the car quickly. We’ll hit traffic soon,” Dad shouted at me. I opened the car door and got in, “Didn’t you say you weren’t taking me?” Dad said, “We’re a family. We should do everything together.” But Mom sneered beside him, “You treat her like family, but does she treat you like family?” I expressed my thoughts again, “I don’t want to go.” Mom got annoyed and bared her teeth at me, “Don’t push your luck. Go when I tell you to go. Say another word and I’ll hit you.” When Mom said she would hit someone, she really would. I once had three ribs broken by her. So every time she bared her teeth, my whole heart would tremble. I didn’t dare say anything more. Lucas let out a nasty laugh beside me. The car quickly left the school, getting further and further away as we looked back. We were about to get on the highway. I thought and thought, and finally came up with an idea. “Ouch, ouch!” I clutched my stomach and started yelling, “Ah! My stomach hurts!”

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As I walked out of the office, I could feel the shocked stares of my colleagues burning into my back. But I didn’t care. I had bigger plans. What James didn’t know was that I had been secretly recording our conversations for months. I had evidence of his embezzlement, his affairs, and his illegal business practices. I had already sent copies to the board of directors and the authorities. As I stepped into the elevator, my phone buzzed. It was a message from the head of HR: “Emily, the board wants to see you immediately. Don’t leave the building.” I smiled to myself. The game was just beginning. As soon as I finished speaking, Mia rushed to interject. “Emily, how can you resign over such a small matter?” she said, her voice dripping with fake concern. “You’ve been with the company for so long, and James has always treated you so well. If you resign at this critical moment, what will everyone think of him?” “James, please, talk some sense into Emily,” Mia pleaded, turning to him with wide eyes. James might have intended to persuade me earlier, but after hearing Mia’s words, his anger flared up. “What’s there to persuade? If she wants to leave, let her leave. I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. I don’t care what anyone says,” he snapped. He snatched my resignation letter, signed it hastily, and then threw it in my face. The onlooking colleagues watched me, waiting for the drama to unfold. But instead of arguing as I used to, I remained calm, picking up the resignation letter from the floor. “I’ll finish handing over my work before I leave,” I said quietly. “No need for handover. If you want to leave, leave now,” James barked, pointing at the door. Then, as if remembering something, he added coldly, “Voluntary resignation means no compensation.” Seeing this, colleagues who were close to me tried to persuade me to apologize and not act on impulse. They all knew that I had helped James build this company from scratch. When the company was short on funds, I drank until I vomited blood to secure investments. When projects were behind schedule, I led the team in working three days straight without sleep. I had poured my heart and soul into every aspect of the business. Leaving now meant giving up everything. But my mind was made up. After thanking them, I packed my things and turned to leave. Before I left, I clearly saw a flicker of complexity in James’s eyes. I knew he thought I wouldn’t leave. We had argued many times before because of Mia, with the worst incident being when James publicly berated me and gave my entire year’s bonus to her. I was so angry that I threatened to quit, but when it came time to leave, I swallowed my pride. I went back to him, speaking softly as if nothing had happened, and continued working as usual, pretending the incident never occurred. He thought I would convince myself to stay this time too. But what he didn’t know was that my patience with him had finally run out. Just as I walked out of the company, a text message came through. I opened it to see a transfer from my friend, Sophie. Earlier that morning, when James said the company wasn’t doing well and wanted to cut my salary, my first reaction was to worry about his stress. I immediately contacted Sophie to borrow half a million dollars. I had originally intended to give it to him, but then I accidentally saw Mia’s Instagram post. That’s when I finally understood James’s intentions. Surprisingly, I felt unexpectedly calm at that moment, neither sad nor jealous to the point of madness. Perhaps because it had happened too many times. James had done so many outrageous things for Mia that I could hardly tell who his girlfriend was anymore – me or Mia. I returned the money to Sophie, thanked her, and walked to the parking garage. I found my old car that I had been driving for ten years, its paint chipped in several places. Next to it was parked a brand new Porsche, the one James had just given to Mia today. There were many empty spaces in the garage, yet she chose to park right here. It was clearly a provocation towards me. I had been with James for ten years, yet I didn’t compare to Mia who had only been with the company for ten months. I laughed bitterly at myself. Without further hesitation, I started the engine and left the company I had worked at for years. However, just as I exited the company gates, someone rear-ended me. I got out of the car, only to see James and Mia emerging from the car behind. “Emily, why did you stop so suddenly? I didn’t have time to react,” Mia said, walking up to inspect her car’s dented front with a pained expression. “What a shame, James picked this out so carefully for me.” James’s face grew increasingly dark. “Emily, I saw you staring at Mia’s car in the garage earlier. Tell me the truth, was this intentional? Did you know Mia was behind you and deliberately brake to get revenge?” he accused. I almost laughed at the absurdity of his accusation. It was always like this. He would push all the blame onto me without distinguishing right from wrong. Mia sighed. “Let it go, James. We shouldn’t blame Emily,” she said with feigned generosity. “She lost her job because of me, so it’s natural for her to be angry at me.” “In the end, it’s all my fault. If only I had been more careful,” she added, letting out a regretful sigh. It was an obvious act. But James couldn’t see through it. He gently rubbed her shoulder, saying indulgently, “It has nothing to do with you. Don’t take everything on yourself.” Then he turned to me and flicked my forehead hard. “Emily, can’t you learn from Mia?” he scolded. “She knows how to be humble. You’ve worked for so many years, why are you still so petty and immature?” I stumbled from his push, and when I regained my balance, I found the situation somewhat amusing. For the past year, it had been Mia constantly stealing my achievements, playing mind games, and pinning blame on me. Now suddenly, she was humble and responsible, while I was petty and immature. Knowing that further conversation would be futile, I didn’t bother saying anything more and turned to leave. But James blocked my path again. I thought he was going to endlessly defend Mia again, but to my surprise, he pulled me aside. He spoke to me in a serious tone. “Emily, I have high expectations for you, that’s why I’m so strict with you,” he said. “Why can’t you understand my good intentions?” Hearing his gentle words, I was momentarily confused. However, I soon understood his intentions. James patted my shoulder. “I’ll withdraw your resignation letter. Think about apologizing to Mia,” he said. “Also, you’re fully responsible for this rear-end collision. Transfer whatever amount is necessary to Mia for repairs.” I finally understood. I looked up at Mia. She had probably known what James was going to say all along. Her face was full of smugness as she rolled her eyes at me provocatively. I let out a derisive laugh. “I won’t pay for anything. If you want to know who’s responsible for the rear-end collision, check for yourself. If you really can’t figure it out, call the police,” I said firmly. “I have other matters to attend to. I’m leaving now.” I turned and walked away. James’s face darkened behind me, his voice turning cold: “I’ve already given you a chance. Don’t regret it!” Regret? I won’t regret it. I got back into my car and sent a message to Sophie. “I’ve resigned. I can start working at your company tomorrow.” 截断点

In less than a second, Sophie called back, her voice filled with excitement. “Are you serious?” She sounded a bit unsure and asked, “What about James?” Sophie and James had started their businesses around the same time. Compared to James, who had started from scratch, Sophie’s company had more resources and offered more attractive benefits. Sophie was in desperate need of skilled technicians, so she had promised me higher shares and profits to entice me to help them out. Even after learning about my relationship with James, she had made an exception and offered me a part-time position. But for James’s sake, I had unhesitatingly refused. Back when I was at my lowest point, lying in the snow and nearly freezing to death, it was James who had dragged me into a police station and saved my life. I was deeply grateful to him, so I abandoned everything and devoted myself wholeheartedly to the business, doing everything I could to help James’s company grow step by step. But now it seemed that he didn’t care at all. Besides, after all these years, I had more than repaid my debt of gratitude to him. There was no need for me to keep compromising myself anymore. “No need to worry about him. I can make my own decisions,” I told Sophie. After chatting with her for a bit longer and confirming the time to sign the contract, I drove home to pack my things. Although I had bought this house outright, it was filled with memories of James and me. I no longer wanted to live here. I started by clearing out under the bed and found many scattered drawings. The drawings depicted a young man in various poses – smiling, looking melancholic, peeling an apple with his head down, and applying makeup in front of a mirror. They were all of James, each expression vivid and full of life. I had drawn these sketches of him. He used to love it when I drew quick sketches of him, treating each one as a treasure, framing them and keeping them safe. But ever since Mia appeared, he started to become impatient. He complained that drawing was old-fashioned and a waste of time, saying it was better to just use a camera. He no longer liked me drawing him. Even these drawings had been carelessly thrown under the bed. The paper had turned yellow and old, the portraits faded. I let out a bitter laugh. I took them to the bathroom sink, lit a corner, and watched as the flames consumed the drawings completely, leaving nothing but ashes. Just like our love, which had been unknowingly burned to nothing. After this, I cleared out everything else that could be thrown away. I didn’t have many possessions, but the room still looked noticeably emptier and more spacious. I threw myself onto the couch and took out my phone to look for rental apartments near Sophie’s company. But as soon as I opened my phone, I saw that Mia had posted a picture in the company chat group. It was a photo of her and James together. The background was an arcade, with Mia holding many stuffed animals and smiling at the camera. James was beside her, looking at her with a doting and satisfied smile. I hadn’t seen him smile like that in a long time. I had once taken him to an arcade too, but as soon as we entered and exchanged our coins for game tokens, he turned and left. He accused me of being childish, saying he was too busy to waste time on such boring activities. He had no time for me. But he had time for Mia. I let out a derisive laugh. It wasn’t that he found it childish; he just found me bothersome. In the group chat, many colleagues were quick to flatter Mia, praising her beauty and saying she looked like an angel. Some even complimented the photographer’s skills, and a few jokingly asked if there was good news coming soon for the couple. Of course, they all knew I was James’s girlfriend. But they dared to make such jokes only because James had never tried to hide his intimacy with Mia at work. In the past, I would have gotten angry and called James to tell him to be more discreet. But now, I felt completely calm. I pretended not to see it and continued with what I was doing. However, when I checked again two minutes later, I found that several messages in the group had been deleted, including the earliest photo Mia had posted. I had thought James wouldn’t be back until late at night. But to my surprise, he soon walked into the living room, talking on the phone with Mia, his expression gentle. Seeing me, his face showed a moment of guilt before quickly turning stern. He deliberately walked past me and into the bedroom. I knew he was waiting for me to coax him. Every time we had an unpleasant encounter at work, I would always find ways to apologize to him, begging for his forgiveness. Even when he was the one at fault, I would swallow my pride and admit to being wrong. In the past, I thought this was what I should do, whether it was to repay his kindness or to maintain our relationship. I thought I should always pacify him. But now I just found it tedious. I lowered my head and continued with what I was doing. After a while, he came out of the room with a gloomy face. “Did you see the messages in the group chat?” he asked. “What messages?” I feigned ignorance. I didn’t look up, but I could sense him seemingly relieved: “Nothing, just some work-related messages sent to the wrong group.” I found it amusing but didn’t bother to expose him. I just wondered how many things between him and Mia he had hidden from me. “Mia’s car has been repaired. What about yours?” James asked again. I knew this was his signal of offering me a way out. In the past, I would have thought he had forgiven me and would have eagerly tried to please him. But now, I didn’t even look up as I replied flatly, “It’s just an old car, not worth repairing.” James frowned. “What do you mean by that?” I looked up at him, puzzled, not understanding what he was dissatisfied about. This car had been scratched many times before, and when I said I wanted to repair it, he always said the same thing. I thought he was going to get angry again, but to my surprise, he let out a sigh. “I know you’re still upset about the company issue, but Mia has been doing really well at work lately. I gave her the car to retain her as a talented employee,” he explained. Hearing him say this, I almost laughed. Mia had been hired by James as an exception, bypassing normal procedures. Her work ability was terrible, and she had made countless mistakes. From serving plain water to clients during meetings while getting milk tea for herself, to accidentally sending out the company’s cost sheet instead of the quote sheet to partners, causing the company to lose hundreds of thousands – the list of her blunders was endless. Keeping her was worse than keeping a dog. If I didn’t know the company’s situation so well, I might have actually believed James’s words. I didn’t say anything, and James continued, “You’re my girlfriend, and when we get married in the future, won’t the company be yours too? Why do you have to fuss over salary amounts? Why do you have to compete with her?” “Emily, everything I do is for the company. I don’t want other colleagues to think I’m favoring you.” I knew clearly that these were just excuses. In the company, all the colleagues knew how James treated me and Mia differently. A project that I had spent three sleepless nights completing, he would suddenly hand over to Mia on a whim, and with just a PowerPoint presentation, it would become Mia’s achievement. A client I had spent days negotiating with, just about to sign the contract, he would use my name to take Mia out for a meal with them, and suddenly the contract would become Mia’s accomplishment. There were countless such incidents. Over time, other colleagues only felt that James favored Mia more. They even thought James didn’t like me. Because of this, I endured a lot of cold shoulders and bullying at work. He saw it but pretended not to notice. I didn’t want to explain. Any explanation would just be seen as an excuse by him anyway. “Oh,” I responded indifferently. “You don’t need to tell me these things. I have nothing to do with the company anymore. Do whatever you think is best.” James didn’t say anything. Finally, he sighed and hugged me from behind. “Actually, I have my own reasons. I want you to take a break for a while. You can think about our wedding plans,” he said. “When do you want to get married?” he asked with a smile. But I had brought up marriage many times before. Each time, he complained that marriage meant no freedom and brushed it off, saying we’d talk about it later. Every time we had a fight, he would use marriage to pacify me. Sometimes, I felt less like his girlfriend and more like a dog he was toying with. I didn’t say anything. James ruffled my hair as if he were playing with a dog. “Don’t be angry anymore. Can you smile for me?” he coaxed. As he said this, he leaned in to kiss me, as if deliberately trying to please me. I smelled Mia’s perfume on him again. A wave of nausea hit me. I pushed him away, frowning in disgust as I wiped my fingers with a wet wipe.

James stood there, stunned. “You’re disgusted by me?” he asked, incredulous. “I have to go out later tonight. I’m going to change clothes first,” I said flatly. I turned to go back to the bedroom. James tried to follow, but I closed and locked the door without hesitation. “Fine! Emily, don’t regret this!” James seemed truly angry now. After spitting out these harsh words, he kicked the door hard and stormed off. When I came out of the room, the living room was empty. James had posted a message in the company group chat, saying he wanted to treat everyone to dinner and asking who wanted to join. Everyone remained silent. Only Mia sent three “excited” emojis in quick succession. I knew James was deliberately trying to provoke me. This had happened many times before. Every time, it was the same – other colleagues were reluctant to participate, with only Mia showing enthusiasm. In the past, I would have been jealous and insisted on going along, only to be mocked by them. Now, I couldn’t be bothered. I changed my clothes and went to see the apartment I was planning to rent. After confirming everything was okay, I paid the deposit right away. Then I contacted a real estate agent to help me sell the current house. However, although I had bought this house and had personally overseen all the renovations, I had put James’s name on the property deed. Back then, James and I barely had any money between us. To give James a sense of security, I had used up all my savings to buy this house. Now that the company had grown to its current scale, I guessed this house probably didn’t even catch James’s eye anymore. The agent told me that if I wanted to sell the house, James would need to be present. If he couldn’t make it, he would at least need to sign a power of attorney. I had no choice but to message him again. But when I sent the message, a red exclamation mark appeared in the chat window. He had blocked me. It had been like this before too. When we fought to the point where it seemed irreconcilable, James would angrily block me. Worried about his safety, I would sometimes borrow someone else’s phone and humbly call him, begging him to add me back. And he would ask me from the other end of the line, in a high and mighty tone, if I had realized my mistakes. Now that I think about it, I can’t count how many times I said things against my will just to appease him. After some thought, I still decided to call him. “Come back tonight. There’s something I need to discuss with you,” I said. “What is it? I’m very busy,” James replied, his voice cold. I pressed my lips together. “We’ll talk when you get back.” James let out a cold laugh. “You push me away when you want to, and now you expect me to come back just because you say so? Emily, do I owe you something? Is this how you apologize?” “Have I been too good to you lately? Have you forgotten how to apologize properly?” he taunted. Hearing his sarcastic tone, I still lowered my voice as I used to: “I’m sorry. I was wrong.” After all, I had already apologized insincerely so many times, once more wouldn’t hurt. Moreover, this apology would get me a house. Even though the house was mine, if James really wanted to make trouble and refused to sign, I wouldn’t be able to sell it. Even with proof of my investment, I would still have to go to court. James could afford to make a fuss, but I couldn’t. Sure enough, after hearing my apology, James’s tone became more pleasant. He magnanimously said, “Wait for me then.” With that, he hung up the phone. My inner calm remained unbroken. I listed the house on a website, deliberately lowering the price considerably to sell it quickly. After doing all this, I contacted Sophie and signed the contract. Sophie was extremely excited, repeatedly asking me if she was dreaming. She even specially arranged a celebratory dinner for me. I had planned to go home early, but then I thought that James probably wouldn’t be back for a while anyway. There wasn’t much to do if I went back too early, so I agreed. After a few drinks, when I went to the restroom, I heard a familiar voice coming from the adjacent private room. I instinctively stopped in my tracks. Through the slightly open door, I saw Mia nestled in James’s arms. I don’t know what they said, but James’s previously cold face broke into a smile. Seizing this opportunity, Mia quickly leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

James was momentarily stunned, but he didn’t push her away. “James, when are you going to break up with Emily?” Mia asked, her voice filled with feigned innocence. “I can’t wait to be with you anymore. Do you know how heartbroken I feel every day seeing you with her?” “Or do you still prefer Emily over me?” James moved his lips, seemingly wanting to say something. In the end, he hugged Mia back, patting her back gently as if comforting a child. “How could she compare to you in my heart?” he said softly. “It’s just that now that the company has grown, if I break up with her and get together with you, I’m afraid people will gossip. It might affect you negatively.” “Just wait a little longer.” “It won’t be too long.” “I knew it! I knew you loved me the most, James,” Mia exclaimed, her voice syrupy sweet. Their intimate embrace looked exactly like that of a couple. I couldn’t help but laugh derisively, recalling the conversation I had overheard in the private room that day. In the past, during our worst fights, he had threatened me with breakup too. But I couldn’t bear to let him go. Each time, I would be the first to try to persuade him, speaking softly, and once even kneeling down to beg him pitifully. Because I thought breaking up wasn’t what he truly wanted; it was just his trump card, his way of giving me a chance to back down. It wasn’t until later that I realized the truth. He probably had been planning to break up for a long time, which was why he kept bringing it up at every opportunity. But it’s fine now. After all, I had made up my mind to break up long ago too. Even if he hadn’t brought it up now, I would have. Seeing that I remained silent, James thought I was scared. His tone softened considerably. “You’ve been acting mysteriously these past few days. I guess you’ve been preparing for our wedding, right?” he said. “I know you don’t want to break up either.” “If you apologize to Mia now…” Before James could finish, I interrupted him calmly. “No need. I agree to break up.”

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“Get off me, you’ve had your fun,” Lucas said as I was lying on top of him, nibbling his ear. His girlfriend, Sophia Snow, was standing at his bedroom door, watching us. I didn’t respond to him. Instead, I moved my lips from his ear to his Adam’s apple. I felt Lucas’s large hand on my waist, and the next second, he flipped me off the bed. And that’s how I ended up in the hospital. After Lucas threw me off the bed, my fragile head hit the floor of his bedroom, causing it to bleed. When Sophia turned on the bedroom light, I was lying on the floor, unable to move. “Aria, stop pretending. Get up and get out,” Lucas said coldly. He wasn’t going to coddle me; he just found me annoying. “Lucas, she’s bleeding!” Sophia quickly came to my side, trying to stop the bleeding. Thank goodness for Sophia. Otherwise, Lucas would have let me lie there until I died. Lucas sighed softly and sat up in bed. Then came the sound of slippers touching the floor. He picked me up and carried me out of the room. What a mess. Lucas had to help me, the troublemaker, even though he had a cold and fever. But Lucas’s embrace was genuinely warm, accompanied by a faint scent of mint. I passed out in his arms. When I regained consciousness, I was already in the hospital. I was surrounded by the smell of disinfectant, and there were low whispers in the hospital room. “Uncle, I asked Aria to take care of you. How did she end up in the hospital herself?” It was my best friend, Haley Davis. It was thanks to her that Lucas had thrown me off the bed. Lucas was Haley’s uncle. After I expressed my feelings for Lucas, Haley had been trying to set us up whenever she could. Lucas spoke up. Due to his cold, his voice was a bit hoarse, showing no emotional fluctuations. “Ask her when she wakes up.” Well, I guess I shouldn’t wake up then. “Aria, I saw your eyelashes move.” Lucas was really something else. I couldn’t keep pretending anymore. I pretended to just wake up, opening my eyes groggily. In the hospital room, besides Haley and Lucas who were talking quietly, Sophia was also there. Haley leaned close to my face. “What happened, Aria?” Her long eyelashes were almost brushing against my face. I used my hand that wasn’t connected to the IV to push her face away slightly. “Haley, who are these people?” I asked. Haley was always easy to fool. All the brains in their family seemed to have gone to Lucas. She put her hand on my forehead. “Sweetie, are you okay? This is my uncle.” I pushed her hand away and smiled at Lucas. “Hello, Uncle.” Then I shifted my gaze to Sophia’s face. Sophia was beautiful, fair-skinned and pretty, with the most alluring eyes. “And this must be Auntie. Hello, Auntie.” Lucas just looked at me with an amused expression. I realized how stupid I was. Why was I pretending to have amnesia in front of this old wolf? Haley, however, was all flustered. “Aria, you haven’t gone stupid, have you? I’m going to call the doctor to check.” “I’ll go with Haley,” Sophia said, following Haley’s steps out. Perhaps she sensed that Lucas wanted to scold me and kindly left us some privacy. “Aria, stop bothering me. I don’t have time to play your games,” Lucas said once everyone had left the room. He didn’t give me any mental preparation, just blurted it out. His words fell on my ears, stinging painfully. “Then what about when you were nice to me before?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Because you’re Haley’s friend.” When Haley returned with the doctor, only I was left in the room. I had thrown a tantrum and chased Lucas out. Only the doctor came back with Haley. Sophia had left with Lucas. Come to think of it, I had only met Sophia three times. The first time was at a bar. I hadn’t seen Lucas for a long time and wanted to secretly take a look at him. I was all disguised, hiding in a corner, and Sophia was sitting obediently next to Lucas. The second time was last night when I was kissing Lucas on his bed, and she was watching from the doorway. The third time was just now, when she was standing behind Lucas. If I were in his shoes, I would choose Sophia too. Pretty and obedient, unlike me who always goes against Lucas’s wishes. He tells me not to do something, and I insist on doing it. He tells me to stay away from him, and I haven’t listened once in all these years. But who am I kidding? I was never even an option for Lucas. “Doctor, please check her quickly,” Haley urged the doctor to examine me. I held her hand. “Haley, I’m fine now.” The doctor spoke up, “You saying you’re fine doesn’t count. I have to say it.” After cooperating with the doctor’s examination, the doctor concluded, “She’s fine now. Just rest and avoid strenuous activities. You can be discharged.” Haley breathed a sigh of relief. After the doctor left, she leaned in close to me and asked, “You were pretending just now. You really scared me.” “Mm-hmm.” “Then why did you stop pretending?” “Couldn’t fool him anyway.” I knew I couldn’t deceive Lucas, but the events of last night were still vivid in my mind, and I just didn’t know how to face it. “Tell me about your heroic deed last night!” It was hardly heroic. Thinking about it now, it was quite laughable. Haley had brought me the intel that Lucas was sick, and I exchanged a hotpot dinner for Lucas’s house key from her. I wanted to take advantage of the situation and create the image of a caring girlfriend. I made it smoothly into Lucas’s house without any obstacles. I made some cold medicine and snuck into his room. I stood by Lucas’s bed, wanting to wake him up, but the medicine was too hot, so I thought I’d let him sleep a bit longer. Lucas is handsome, with distinct features and sharp angles. I love his high, straight nose the most. Heaven knows, I just wanted to see if he was really asleep. I reached out and poked his cheek. It was soft, different from the impression he usually gives me. He’s always polite and distant, not as human as this. I couldn’t resist leaning closer, wanting to kiss his cheek. “Aria, don’t you dare,” he warned. If Lucas was going to say that, then I really wanted to test where his bottom line was. I climbed onto his bed, leaning down to kiss his lips, but he dodged. We were at a stalemate. The door wasn’t closed, and I vaguely heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. “Lucas…” It must be Sophia, right? At this hour, the only person who could have Lucas’s house key and open his door should be her. I smirked at him. “Uncle, your girlfriend is here.” Lucas didn’t say anything, just turned his face away from me. He was giving me a chance to get off on my own. I couldn’t just do as he wished. I changed my target to his ear. I lay down and kissed his ear. “Get off me, you’ve had your fun,” he said. Sophia was already outside the bedroom door. I switched from kissing his ear to kissing his Adam’s apple. That’s when Lucas flipped me off the bed. My head was bleeding, and the cold medicine I had made for him was still steaming. “Oh, Aria, your… although the ending was a bit tragic, the process wasn’t bad!” Haley scratched her head, pondering for a while, and could only come up with this comment. I pouted, trying to squeeze out a couple of tears, but in vain. I was just heartbroken; I couldn’t cry. “Aria, how did you end up in the hospital?” Before I could wallow in my sorrow, my mom rushed in after hearing the news. “Let Mom take a look!” My mom pushed Haley aside and sat next to me, cradling my head and examining it. “Mom, I’m fine now. The doctor said I can be discharged,” I said. Mrs. Sullivan, spoiled by my dad, had no common sense in life and was handling me roughly, causing me pain. “Then you’re coming home to stay with Mom!” she insisted. I dodged her hands, agreeing repeatedly, “Okay, okay, okay.” Having hit a wall with Lucas, I needed to recharge in my mother’s embrace. Haley, in order to freeload a meal at my house, escorted me all the way to my bedroom. After settling in, she lay down beside me of her own accord. “Aria, did my uncle say something to you?” Her fingers were twirling the ends of my hair, tugging gently. Haley’s question made me feel extremely wronged. I pouted, and tears rolled down the corners of my eyes. “He told me to stop bothering him, said I was annoying. He’s never said that to me before.” Haley frantically searched for tissues to wipe my tears. “Did we go too far? After all, he already has a girlfriend.” “He never admitted it. The thing about Sophia being his girlfriend was what your mom said, not Lucas,” I argued.

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Day one after the breakup. My boyfriend posted a photo with his mistress on Instagram, announcing their engagement. Everyone in our group chat went crazy, tagging me repeatedly. I silently added my ex-boyfriend’s cousin to the group and explained, “Let me introduce you to my real boyfriend.” My boyfriend wanted to sleep with me, but after I refused, he immediately found a so-called true love and got engaged. He happily posted a photo with his new girlfriend on Instagram: “I’m getting married.” The picture showed their intertwined hands and a large bouquet of roses. Our group chat on SnapChat exploded instantly. Everyone who got the first-hand gossip started tagging me frantically. “Congratulations, Sarah! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and many children!” “Sarah, when’s the wedding? Tell us the date quickly!” My boyfriend laughed and explained to everyone that they had the wrong person, and the one he was marrying wasn’t me. Then, he added his new girlfriend “Candy” to the group chat. As soon as she joined, Candy sent a cute emoji and then shyly sent a voice message, “Hi everyone, I’m Kyle’s wife. I hope you all can come to our wedding. We’ve set the date for January 23rd.” The once lively crowd was stunned. Listening to Candy’s sickeningly sweet voice message made me want to throw up. Candy started greeting everyone in the group, asking them to call her “sister-in-law” and demanding red envelopes. Most people sent her $50, but she scoffed at them. She giggled and said to everyone, “I heard from my husband that you’re all rich kids. Usually, you send four-figure red envelopes in the group. Why only three figures for me? Do you look down on me?” With this statement, everyone fell silent. I was a bit shocked. Did she think rich kids’ money grew on trees? What gave her the right to demand money from people she’d just met? Kyle, seeing the awkward situation, quickly tried to smooth things over, “My wife is just joking, don’t mind her.” No one in the group spoke up anymore. I felt disgusted. I couldn’t believe this jerk had stooped so low after our breakup, marrying any gold digger he could find. Shame on him! I immediately blocked him across all platforms. Goodbye and good riddance! That night, feeling down, I went to a bar with my best friend for some drinks. While drinking, I kept hearing them chattering about one-night stands, which made me feel a bit curious. Because of my strict upbringing… my mom said if I wasn’t a virgin when I got married, my husband would despise me for life. So even though I’m twenty-five now, I’m still a virgin. I stumbled to the restroom, feeling dizzy. On the way, two drunk guys tried to hit on me, but I refused. However, these two drunks wouldn’t take no for an answer and kept trying to make me drink with them. I wanted to run, but they held me back. In an instant, all those gruesome news stories flashed through my mind. My heart raced, and I thought about smashing them with a bottle to sober them up, but I knew I couldn’t overpower them. Just as I looked up, I saw a familiar face walking towards me. Lucas Land? Isn’t that Kyle’s cousin?

I never expected to see Lucas Land here. He was wearing a tailored casual suit, drinking wine with a friend. His beautiful, long fingers held a wine glass as he smiled and chatted with the person across from him. Looking at his handsome, chiseled face, my heart couldn’t help but race. No one knew that Lucas Land had been my secret crush during college. Just then, my arm was suddenly pulled hard, immediately snapping me back to reality from my daydream. “Cousin!” I shouted towards Lucas, trying to suppress my embarrassment. Lucas paused slightly, looked up, but didn’t seem to notice anything and went back to drinking his wine. Damn, I was to his left rear, and there was a table of drinkers blocking his view. It would be hard for Lucas to spot me from where he was sitting. These two drunks clearly realized I had seen someone I knew, and their grip on my arm tightened. I struggled hard, raising my voice in desperation, “Brother, help me!” This time, many people heard me and looked our way. Lucas finally saw me too. He seemed to be stunned for a moment, then put down his wine glass, stood up, and strode towards us with his long legs. Soon, he stood in front of me, looking at the two drunks holding me with an expressionless face and a cold voice, “This is my friend. Please let her go.” The two drunks looked at his expensive outfit and aristocratic air, glanced at each other, and sheepishly let go of me before slinking away without a word. “Alright, go home now,” Lucas glanced at me casually after helping me out, turning to leave. Seeing my crush about to leave, I don’t know if it was the alcohol hitting me suddenly, but I boldly grabbed his arm. “Brother, can you take me home?” I clung to his arm shamelessly, my voice soft and pleading. He frowned slightly, his handsome brows knitting together. “You should call Kyle to pick you up.” “We’ve already broken up. He has a new girlfriend and won’t come to pick me up anymore,” I said. At that moment, his eyes seemed to darken a bit. In my hazy state, I couldn’t see clearly, but I felt like I might be drunk. Not wanting him to leave, I stumbled and fell into his arms, then clung to him and wouldn’t let go. His embrace had a nice scent, mixed with a hint of red wine, which I found intoxicating. I suddenly remembered feeling unwell a while ago and going to a Chinese medicine clinic for acupuncture. It was him who did the acupuncture for me. I don’t know if it was because he didn’t often interact with women, but his ears were very red at the time, which was incredibly cute. So, I grew bolder and whispered in his ear, “Brother, I’m not feeling well again. Can you take me home for some acupuncture?” Instantly, his ears turned red again. After a moment, he said in a low, husky voice, “Sarah, sober up. Do you know what you’re saying?” “I’m an adult,” I clung to him tightly, mumbling, “I’ll take responsibility for what I say.” His breathing hitched slightly, and he took my hand, leading me towards the exit. I followed him home, and before we entered, he asked me seriously once more if I wanted to go in. I looked at him with a red face, not saying a word, and directly pushed the door open, answering him with my actions.

Lucas helped me to the couch, then poured me a glass of water. After that, he sat down across from me. I picked up the glass and took a sip. It was sweet honey water. In an instant, my heart felt as if it had been dipped in honey, and I was secretly happy at how thoughtful he was. Thinking this, I remembered that jerk Kyle. That guy hadn’t even poured me a glass of plain water before. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe I had been bottling things up for too long, but I couldn’t help but start complaining to Lucas about Kyle’s various jerk behaviors. Actually, I didn’t like Kyle that much. Being with him wasn’t really my true desire. But some things, I could only keep to myself, unable to confide in others. The more I talked, the more upset I felt. Gradually, as the alcohol took effect, I stopped talking about Kyle and turned my chatterbox tendencies towards Lucas instead. He was the campus celebrity at our school, excelling in all areas – academics, sports, looks – the perfect package. He was always the academic star of the medical school, truly a golden boy. Back then, most of the girls at our school had a crush on Lucas at some point, and I was just one of the countless grains of rice in that pile of admirers. I even told him about my secret crush on him in college, how I often went to watch him play basketball. Not content with just that, I boldly complained to him, accusing him of never talking to me back then. He looked at me helplessly, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to say something, but my chatter blocked him. I rambled on, starting to talk about my past ‘glorious deeds’ of being infatuated with him. Once, he had a basketball game, and I wanted to get there early to grab a good spot to watch. I was so eager that I skipped breakfast. But halfway through the game, I got so excited that I embarrassingly fainted due to low blood sugar. When I woke up, I found myself lying in the infirmary. I felt utterly mortified and ran straight back to my dorm, hardly leaving my room for several days after that. After that, I never had the courage to go watch Lucas play basketball again. Lucas was about to graduate then and was very busy every day. But I never imagined that the next time we’d meet would be at Kyle’s family gathering for relatives. It was then that I found out Lucas was actually Kyle’s cousin. Seeing him again, I was extremely nervous, but Lucas was particularly cold towards me, sometimes even deliberately ignoring my existence. I didn’t know what I had done to offend him, but I vaguely felt that he didn’t like me, and for a long time, I was secretly heartbroken about it. As I said this, looking at Lucas’s attentive expression, I suddenly felt incredibly wronged and couldn’t help but start crying. Lucas panicked immediately. He sat down beside me, awkwardly patting my back to comfort me. But I felt even more upset and, unable to control myself, suddenly hugged his waist and buried my face in his chest. His body stiffened for a moment, then he hugged me tightly, as if wanting to meld me into his body. His chin gently nuzzled the top of my head. “Sarah.” He suddenly called my name softly. “Mm.” I responded with a nasal tone. “Did you really break up with Kyle?” he asked me, his deep, magnetic voice seemingly suppressing some unknown emotion. “Of course it’s true. He introduced his new girlfriend in the group chat today. I have nothing to do with him anymore.” As soon as I finished speaking, he suddenly lowered his head and tenderly kissed the tears at the corner of my eye. My face instantly heated up. Lucas continued kissing me while carrying me to the bedroom. I unconsciously wrapped my arms around his neck, and he gently covered me…

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After my rebirth, I found myself pinned beneath Zack once again. In my previous life, Zack had drunkenly slept with me, leading to a forced marriage after the media exposed us. But after the wedding, he viciously berated me: “You schemed your way into marrying me and drove Susie away. Are you satisfied now?” Only then did I realize he had always loved Susie, the poor student he’d been sponsoring. To get revenge on me, he bankrupted my family and ruined us completely. This time, I firmly pushed him away and went to open the door. “I’m in the wrong room. My boyfriend is across the hall.” A moment later, the door opposite opened. Jason, Zack’s business rival, stood in the doorway. I threw myself into his arms. “Honey, I missed you so much!” Zack’s face darkened. At the same time, I slammed the door shut. Enveloped in the heavy scent of alcohol, I was pinned beneath Zack. Just like in my previous life, he was passionate, his ragged breathing hot against my temple as he murmured longingly: “Susie…” I jolted, suddenly snapping back to awareness. In my past life, I had secretly loved Zack. When he drunkenly pressed me down that night, my heart had been filled more with joy and anticipation than fear. Hearing him call out my name so tenderly, I thought Zack must have feelings for me too. But on our wedding night, after I had prepared so carefully, he kicked me out of the master bedroom. Only then did I realize the “Susie” he spoke of wasn’t me at all. The one he loved had always been Susie Zhao, the poor student he sponsored – not me, Sophia Su. How foolish I was to accept that sham of a marriage just because of one reckless night. I thought it was a romantic union, but I had no idea the hell that awaited me. Zack took brutal revenge on me, destroying my family and ruining us completely. The feeling of being pinned down by that despicable man was vivid in my mind. It was as if countless greasy hands were still roaming over my body. In my past life, I had been tortured to death by those men. Humiliation and shame enveloped me as I violently shoved the man on top of me away. Zack froze in shock. I didn’t even spare him a glance as I stumbled towards the door. As I grasped the handle, he called out my name from behind. “Sophia—” So he did know who I was after all. He knew, yet he still went along with the charade, blaming everything on me after we married. How absurd. I didn’t even turn around, coldly tossing out as I opened the door: “I’m in the wrong room. My boyfriend is across the hall.” A moment later, the opposite door opened. Jason, Zack’s business rival, stood in the doorway. Sensing footsteps behind me, I gritted my teeth and threw myself into his arms. Then I squeezed out the most affected voice I could muster: “Honey, I missed you so much!” “Sophia.” Zack’s voice came through gritted teeth. Still clinging to Jason, I sneaked a glance back. Zack’s face had darkened. At the same time, I slammed the door shut. As it closed, Zack’s furious voice squeezed through the gap. “You’ll regret this!” I certainly wouldn’t regret it. In my past life, I had done more than enough to regret. This time, I absolutely would not make the same mistakes.

Just as I closed the door, a commotion of footsteps sounded from around the corner of the hallway. I suddenly realized something and frowned, instinctively pushing Jason into his room. Sure enough, the footsteps soon stopped outside the door. “It’s this room, right?” “Yes, hurry and knock!” It was those reporters. In my previous life, photos of Zack and I sleeping together had been exposed by these unscrupulous media vultures. Under pressure from all sides, Zack had been forced to marry me. At the time, I had been overjoyed, completely oblivious to his reluctance. It wasn’t until after the wedding that he berated me to my face, torturing me with his cold demeanor. Not only that, but Zack had schemed to destroy my family’s company. After we went bankrupt, my father committed suicide by jumping off a building, unable to bear the pressure. My mother followed soon after by slitting her wrists. I became an orphan overnight, then was sold off to rich businessmen to pay off debts. Used by countless men. That time was like hell on earth. Even now, the memory made my whole body tremble uncontrollably. I was treated like a toy, an ornament, subjected to their endless abuse. I still remember when they first took me. I was still naive then, my voice shaking as I warned them: “My husband is Zack Williams. If he finds out how you’re treating me—” Before I could finish, the leering man opposite burst into laughter. Then he slapped my face again and again, telling me the cruel truth. “Zack Williams? Don’t be so naive. He’s the one who sold you to us.” I knew Zack had always loved Susie, but I never imagined he could be so heartless towards me. Thankfully now, I had a chance to redo everything. I had avoided the reporters and hadn’t slept with Zack. Clutching my chest in lingering fear, the joy of my rebirth made me momentarily forget where I was, until the man before me spoke teasingly. “Boyfriend?” I froze, then looked up. Jason was raising an eyebrow at me. This was the first time I’d observed him up close. His looks were completely different from Zack’s pretty-boy features – harder, colder, with thick brows and eyes so dark they gleamed. No wonder he made countless girls in the city swoon. But now wasn’t the time to be starstruck. Hearing the door across the hall open, I quickly lowered my voice and pleaded: “Can you help me? Just pretend to be my boyfriend in front of Zack for a few days. I’m leaving the country soon, you can say you dumped me after that.” Jason’s expression remained neutral the whole time. After I finished, he just glanced at the door with a half-smile. “What if I say no?” My heart leapt into my throat. I knew this was no joking matter. If Jason opened the door now and revealed what he’d seen, I would be doomed to repeat my past life’s tragedy. At that thought, I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, there was a hint of desperation in my gaze. “What will it take for you to agree? I’ll accept any condition.” Perhaps it was the gravity of my tone, but Jason paused for a moment. Then he strode further into the room. “I never thought I’d see the day the high and mighty Sophia Su would stoop to begging.” My heart loosened a bit, sensing there was hope. I hurriedly followed him. By now Jason had walked over to sit by the window, dramatically picking up a glass of red wine from the table. “I suppose I could help you, but you’ll have to do something for me in return.” I nodded without hesitation: “Of course, what is it?” He gripped the rim of the glass, tapping it lightly with his finger. “I haven’t decided yet. Let’s just say you’ll owe me one, to be determined later.” Jason proved true to his word. Those reporters didn’t manage to get any useful information from the room across the hall, but they stubbornly refused to leave the hotel lobby. Jason snuck me out through the service elevator and we slipped away unnoticed through the parking garage.

I hadn’t expected the news to still break. Someone had photographed Zack and I entering the hotel together from behind. Combined with Zack’s state when he opened the door, the reporters were convinced he must have been on a date. But the mystery woman had only been captured in a blurry shot from behind before vanishing. The love lives of the city’s most eligible bachelors were always hot gossip. In less than a day, news of Zack’s secret lover spread like wildfire. Meanwhile, he was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. The next day at breakfast, my parents scrolled through their phones and asked me: “Is it true Zack’s dating someone?” I played dumb: “No idea, we haven’t been in touch lately.” I scrolled through my own phone for a while, only relaxing after confirming Zack hadn’t revealed my name to the cameras. Just then, a SnapChat notification from him popped up on my screen. “Come see me at the hospital.” His tone brooked no argument as usual. My instinct was to refuse, but after thinking it over, I decided against it. If I angered him, he might leak my name to the media and cause a whole new mess. That afternoon, I got ready and headed to the hospital. Pushing open the door, I found Zack recklessly working on his laptop in bed. Seeing me enter, he immediately closed the computer and pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose. His face was pale as he coldly demanded: “When did you start liking Jason?” Not waiting for my answer, he launched into a barrage of questions: “Do you have any idea what kind of person Jason is? Everyone in our circles says he’s gay, always surrounded by male escorts. You—” “I’ve liked him since we were kids,” I said softly, cutting him off. I forced myself to ignore the look of shock on Zack’s face. Though they ran in the same social circles, Zack and Jason were well-known rivals. Zack was the typical golden boy – excelling at everything, always perfect. In contrast, Jason was a rebellious troublemaker. Yet from childhood through adulthood, Jason had always outperformed Zack academically. Even after starting their own businesses, the two remained competitors in the same industry. The one I had liked since childhood was actually Zack. When I was little, my parents were always busy with work. We had just moved to the city from out of state, and I wasn’t familiar with the area yet. One day I snuck out of our gated community to play, but accidentally got lost. I couldn’t find my way home even as it got dark, and ended up crying by the roadside. That day, Zack appeared before me like an angel, gently wiping away my tears with a tissue. “Don’t be scared, I’ll take you home.” He held my small hand in his, and truly did bring me back to my front door. From then on, I became Zack’s little shadow. My childhood crush gradually became a habit, and I secretly loved him all these years. Hearing my answer now, Zack’s expression grew increasingly ugly. “Sophia, this isn’t a joke. Of all people, why would you like that plague—” Just then, three polite knocks sounded at the door. It was Susie. Seeing me, her expression didn’t change at all as she set down the thermos she’d brought on a nearby table. “I saw the news that you were hospitalized and rushed over. This is soup I made myself, it’s very good for you. Drink it while it’s hot.” Susie spoke unhurriedly, her voice soft and pleasant, a smile ever-present on her face. This caring image was something any man would love. Seeing her, Zack’s expression softened. “You didn’t need to go to the trouble of making it yourself.” Susie sat down beside him, inadvertently squeezing me to the side. I took the hint and quietly left the hospital room. In this life, I hoped those two would end up locked together.

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After I donated my corneas to my son who was about to go blind, he mixed up my identity with Lily Brooks, my husband’s first love, due to memory confusion. Devastating news struck, and I was in so much pain that I didn’t want to wake up. But while I was semi-conscious, I overheard a conversation between my son and husband. “Dad, this way, Aunt Lily can stay with me forever!” “Yes, that’s my good boy! You acted so well!” The doctor who performed my surgery couldn’t bear to watch anymore. “Young master’s eyes were perfectly fine. You tricked your wife into donating her corneas to Miss Brooks. If she finds out, I’m afraid…” “There’s nothing to be afraid of. She loves me and Charlie so much. Besides, she’s an orphan. Where could she go without us?” “Lily has no one here, and she’s about to go blind. I can’t waste another minute!” I lay in bed, tears of despair soaking my pillow. They only cared about protecting Lily. But they didn’t know that because of the surgery, I was dying.

When I woke up, Lucas Carter, who was supposed to be by my bedside, was nowhere to be found. After returning home alone under the sympathetic gaze of the medical staff, I saw Lucas enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner with Lily Brooks. Seeing me return, Lucas hurriedly stood up. “Honey, you’re back.” “Why didn’t you tell me you were discharged? I could have picked you up.” “You’ve been through such a major surgery. It must have been tough. Charlie and I will take good care of you from now on!” His gaze was as gentle as ever, but I suddenly felt completely drained. Behind his mask of pretense was nothing but false sincerity. I ignored him and looked at Lily, who was acting like the lady of the house. “Why is she here?” Lucas coughed and explained. “Of course, it’s for Charlie. He only remembers Lily now. The doctor said they should spend more time together. It’s good for his recovery.” Charlie came forward and punched me, showing his loyalty. “Bad woman, how dare you bully my mom!” I bit my lip, feeling my blood run cold instantly. The pain of being betrayed by my dearest loved ones almost made me lose my balance. Before the surgery, the doctor had warned me. My body wasn’t suitable for this kind of surgery. Forcing it would only shorten my lifespan. But Charlie was so young. I couldn’t bear to watch him go blind. A pair of corneas was the last gift I, as a mother, could give him. But my wholehearted devotion was repaid with betrayal after betrayal! Everything was just a trap they set for me for Lily’s sake! Seeing the situation, Lily came forward to mediate, twisting her body. “Charlie, that’s enough. We shouldn’t hit people.” I looked at her smug eyes, trembling with anger. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Lucas quickly handed me a package from the side. “Honey, this is the discharge gift I prepared for you.” I looked down. Inside was a set of revealing lingerie. Lucas’s face instantly turned ugly as he tried to explain that he had grabbed the wrong package. But I never wore such things. He knew very well who it was bought for. I laughed bitterly and threw the clothes in his face before turning to go back to my room. But the sounds of laughter and joy outside were so loud they made my eardrums hurt. I had completely become an outsider in this family. But not long after, Charlie knocked on my door. He walked into my room without any courtesy and commanded me. “My toy is broken. Sew it for me!”

He was holding a rabbit plush toy that I had once sewn for him stitch by stitch. But now, the rabbit’s entire body had been maliciously cut beyond recognition. I looked at Charlie with trembling hands. Was this still the child I had nearly given my life to birth? But he wasn’t like this before. He used to sweetly call me “Mom” and was sensible enough to help with housework. But I don’t know when it started. He began to despise my increasingly haggard appearance from taking care of him. He pointed at my nose, “You’re so ugly now, no wonder Dad doesn’t want to come home to see you!” My heart was painfully stabbed, and a bucket of cold water was thrown in my face. Charlie held the bucket, impatiently glaring at me. “What are you staring at? Hurry up and sew it!” I looked at him deeply and calmly told him. “Go ask Lily to sew it for you.” With that, I walked towards the balcony to find new clothes. But the next second, I heard a click as the balcony door was locked. I was shocked and desperately pounded on the door, shouting. “Charlie, open the door!” But Charlie just snorted coldly, then directly pulled the curtains shut, ignoring my desperate cries for help. The night wind was bitterly cold, and my wet clothes clung to my body, making me shiver. My heart also turned completely cold. I curled up in the corner, seeking a bit of warmth. But at this moment, I heard a woman’s moan. “Oh, you naughty boy. Do you really like this outfit that much?” “Olivia is right next door. Aren’t you afraid she’ll come out and see us?” Lucas panted and teased. “Don’t worry, with Charlie keeping her busy, she won’t have time to bother us.” “Besides, we’ve been apart for so many years. Don’t you miss me?” The sounds of passion filled my ears, and I finally couldn’t control myself and vomited a mouthful of blood. That night, they were on fire in the room. While I was on the balcony, chilled to the bone by the cold wind. It wasn’t until noon the next day, when I was about to become dehydrated, that Lucas found me. He hurriedly took off his coat to wrap around my nearly lifeless body, and for the first time, he put on a serious face for Charlie. “Charlie, who told you to do this?” Charlie pouted, “She deserved it for not helping me sew my doll.” “But you can’t do that!” Charlie snorted and carelessly pulled Lily’s hand to run away. Lucas sighed and held my hand to comfort me. “Olivia, Charlie thinks Lily is you now. Everything he does is because he loves you.” “You need to understand him. Besides, I’ll always be on your side.” His eyes were deep and sincere, as if he still loved me very much. If I could ignore the fresh red marks on his neck, I might have believed him. I turned away, not wanting to look at him anymore. Seeing my attitude, Lucas also became angry. “Olivia Johnson, it’s getting old if you keep acting like this.” I laughed, “Is that so? Then I’ll just keep acting till the end.” “Unbelievable!” Lucas slammed the door hard as he left. The noise made my temples throb with pain. I lay on the couch, taking a long while to recover before getting up to go to the hospital. I needed to buy medicine.

The artificial eye was still a foreign object to me, causing excruciating pain every few days. The doctor told me there was a special medicine that might stabilize my condition. Otherwise, at this rate, I wouldn’t live past six months. But I had long since become a stay-at-home wife for love, with almost all financial power in Lucas’s hands. But I didn’t want to die yet. So I opened my phone and called him. But it was always busy. Until the last time, he hung up directly. I laughed and told the doctor to forget it. Leaving the hospital, my phone died, and the sky started pouring rain. My artificial eye had limited vision in the rain. But I could vaguely make out the father and son celebrating Lily’s birthday at a dessert shop. They were smearing cream on each other’s faces, looking as happy as in a romantic drama. But they usually hated sweets. As the rain trickled down my hair, I laughed bitterly, again and again. It turns out they didn’t dislike sweets. They just needed someone who could make them eat sweets. The continuous exposure to cold made me develop a high fever as soon as I got home. The artificial eye was still a foreign object, often making it difficult for me to sleep at night. But now, because of the fever, I dozed off in a daze. I hadn’t slept long before someone woke me up. Lucas brought me a small cake. “Here, Charlie and I brought you a strawberry cake. Wasn’t it your favorite before?” The old trick of giving a sweet after a slap. I looked into his eyes and said calmly. “That was before. I don’t like it anymore.” Lucas frowned. “Olivia Johnson, what exactly do you want to say?” I told him. “Lucas Carter, give me $300,000.” Surprised by my sudden request, Lucas was clearly bewildered. But before I could respond, Lily chimed in playfully. “I know why. There’s a new designer bag that costs exactly $300,000! Olivia must want to buy a bag!” “Throwing such a tantrum just for a bag, Olivia, you’re being so unreasonable.” Lucas’s eyes were full of mockery. “So you’ve been acting up all this time just to buy a bag. Olivia Johnson, I didn’t know you’ve become so vain and materialistic.” Charlie also chimed in. “That’s right, why should such a gold-digger stay in our house!” The three of them righteously accused me, and I laughed self-mockingly. Yes, a bag. They only knew that $300,000 was the price of a bag. But they didn’t know that $300,000 was also the price of my life. Lily walked up with a smile, stirring up more trouble. “Oh, don’t say that. Olivia is an orphan, with no mother to teach her. It’s normal to have some bad habits.” At the mention of my mother, my brain couldn’t even think before I instinctively slapped her. Lily wailed and fell into Lucas’s arms. Lucas was instantly enraged and pointed at my nose, cursing fiercely. “Olivia Johnson, apologize!” “Otherwise, you can forget about getting this money!” My heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, making it difficult to breathe. Enduring the high fever, I propped myself up and looked at this man I had loved for seven years. Over the years, his appearance had barely changed, but his heart had become completely unrecognizable. In an instant, I didn’t want the money anymore. I didn’t want him or Charlie either.

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