Everyone said James was cold and aloof, but he chased after me like a loyal dog for ten years. When I was pushed into a sea of flames, he didn’t hesitate to throw away his multi-million dollar fortune to follow me. After being reborn, I decided to stop being the bad woman who kept him on a leash and to wholeheartedly treat him well. Unfortunately, it seems he was reborn too. “Zoe, do you still want to treat me like a dog as you did in your past life, hmm?” He cornered me, forcing me to sign divorce papers. He said he would never want me again in this life. Never. When I was eleven, someone deliberately broke five of my fingers. From that moment on, I swore I would become someone standing at the top of this world. By any means necessary. Later, I did many bad things, and finally, someone took revenge by pushing me into a sea of fire. As the flames engulfed me, I thought of nothing. But then a figure in white rushed into my view and held me tight. It was James, my husband, the man who loved me to death, the man who had never had a single blemish in his life except for me. As we turned to ashes together, I thought: If there’s a next life, I’ll fucking give him my heart and soul, and only be good to him.

“This is the divorce agreement.” “Sign it.” The lamplight flickered, making my thoughts blur. The man standing opposite me lowered his eyes, hiding the coldness in them. “James.” “Don’t do this.” I tried to grab his hand. His veins pulsed as he quickly pulled away. This was one hour and forty-one minutes into my rebirth. I suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of relief. James had finally discovered that I was a bad woman who had cheated him out of his money and feelings. He didn’t want me anymore.

I sat in the cake shop, looking through the thin glass at two figures moving in the teaching building across the street. James surely didn’t know I was secretly watching him. Watching him solve problems for that girl, while she was almost brushing against his clothes. Yes, in this life, James should know who is kind and who is innocent. But I still rested my chin on my hand and sent a message to that girl. “Mia, why are you seducing your brother-in-law?”

Mia is my sister. To be precise, she’s the real daughter, and I’m the fake one. When I was twelve, Mrs. Zhou picked me up on a stormy day. Everyone thought it was a coincidence. But it wasn’t. To ensure Mrs. Zhou would find me looking pitiful and helpless on that rainy day, I deliberately broke my own leg. I wanted wealth and glory, to be above everyone else, to never taste that bone-deep humiliation again. Mia was found by the Zhou family when she was sixteen. She was always kind, innocent, and pure. The things I had to break my bones to get, she got without doing anything. I hated her. I wondered why she didn’t have to fall into the mud and taste pain.

I’m just that kind of vicious, bad woman. So I suffered greatly in my past life. Perhaps Mia really was as those people described her. She was “a girl like a goddess,” so I offended the divine. In this life, the only person who loved me has abandoned me too. I curled up on the sofa, staring at the divorce agreement on the coffee table. “James, are you coming home tonight?” This message in my phone had gone unanswered for four whole hours. James had a cold personality; his friends always joked that he was a big ice cube. But in my past life, I never felt that way. I thought he was my dog. He’d come at the scent of me, always nuzzling me, always wanting to hold my hand the moment mine was empty. Let alone not replying to messages, for every word I said, he’d respond with ten. But now… A message popped up, and I thought it was from him, hurrying to look. But it wasn’t his. It was from Mia, a text and an attached picture. “Sis, I didn’t mean to seduce your husband.” “I want to help you manage Dad’s business, so James is just introducing me to some people.” In the photo, the girl smiled sweetly, standing next to him. They looked like a perfect couple.

I called James more than a dozen times. He didn’t answer any of them, and eventually just blocked me. Actually, James was most ignorant about human relationships; he was just focused on academics. In my past life, to snatch some of Dad’s company shares from Mia’s hands, I asked him to help me win over people from those pharmaceutical companies. He did it without any complaint. I never considered that he was a professor at a prestigious university, so aloof, how he had to lower himself to beg those people for favors. I only remember one thing from my past life. I had secured a deal, got drunk, and called him to pick me up. In a private room full of important figures, I leaned against the sofa, watching that slender figure in white approach me, and called out “Here boy, here boy…” As if calling a dog. The highly respected medical professor, a man who had never lowered his chin before, Being teased like this in public, I must have felt quite smug at the time. …Everyone thought he would storm out. But what did James do then? He walked step by step to me. Then, very naturally, he knelt down and held my ankle. Closing the dangling high heel. Looking up, his brow bone like a gentle fresco. “It’s getting cold tonight, don’t catch a chill.” “Zoe.”

Zoe. He liked to call me that. But after being reborn, he hadn’t called me that once. … I’m a light sleeper, so I woke up when he came home. I lay there, wanting to see what he would do when he saw me completely defenseless, But nothing. He walked past me, not even willing to cover me with a blanket. I sat up and threw the divorce papers at his back. The man paused slightly, the line of his back attractively eye-catching. “Don’t damage it.” “If I have to draw up another one, you might not get as much.” In the faint moonlight, I sat there watching him speak calmly. A cloud of darkness hid in his eyes, mixed with obscure coldness. “I won’t sign it.” I stared at him hard. He seemed to have expected this, nodding, “Fine, then we’ll go to court.” “James, you fucking bastard.” I lunged at him to grab him, but he subdued me easily. That crescent of moonlight curved, and I was pinned to the sofa. His hand gripped my neck, not gently at all, So I bit the base of his thumb, but he didn’t seem to feel the pain. But at some point, he suddenly let go. A gentle touch brushed my cheek. “So you can cry too.” He left this cold and ambiguous sentence. Leaving me alone in the living room, I pressed my eyes hard. As if this would stop the tears from spilling out. “Don’t leave me.” This sentence, I had sworn when I was ten years old, To never say out loud again.

I wouldn’t sign the divorce papers. The next day, James withdrew from all collaborations related to me. The James family had a considerable part of their business in the medical industry, and he was a top scholar in this field. I admit, in my past life, I married him because I saw the benefits. I knew he didn’t want me anymore. But when I learned that he had transferred all projects to collaborate with Mia instead, My heart inexplicably ached for a moment. But I felt this was right. In my past life, he saw clearly, Mia was so pure and clean, unlike me. I was used to using dirty methods to achieve my goals. But his withdrawal from collaboration was like sounding an alarm for the industry, Suddenly, I found myself isolated and helpless. … I prepared to try and please James again. “James, are you at the university?” “I made some food for lunch, can I bring it to you?” I didn’t dare hope he still had feelings for me, but I truly hoped he could remember our past and not be so ruthless. I stared at the phone in my hand that showed no response, feeling my face was thick as hell. After yesterday’s fight, when it came to real interests, I still had to beg. I prepared to make some good dishes and bring them to him personally. Then I discovered a problem. I had no idea what James liked to eat. On the contrary, he probably knew by heart what I liked and disliked. After all, James the professor’s most obsessive thing in the past life was feeding me all sorts of delicious food. I’m not actually that picky, but I liked to act spoiled in front of him, “James, this noodle is too hard.” “James, who are you making such soft noodles for?” “James, I don’t like spicy food.” “James, when did you start cooking so blandly?” He only got angry with me once about this. His dark eyes stared at me intently, his tone icy and serious. “Zoe, do you think I’ll always stand on your side?” I looked down at my manicure for a while, then said to him: “Then get lost.” That was my answer, and he really left. In the sub-zero weather, he went out without even putting on his coat, probably furious. I sent him a message around dusk. “James, I miss you.” Within fifteen minutes, the front door opened. I was suddenly pulled into his embrace, mixed with the crisp cold from outside. His high nose bridge pressed against the crook of my neck, and I heard him say: “Yes, I will always stand on your side.” …You see, for the me in my past life, training Professor James was even simpler than training a dog. … After cutting my hand and drawing blood for the third time, staring at the unidentifiable substance bubbling in the pot, I finally snapped out of my memories, Realizing I was not a cooking talent. I switched to ordering takeout from Lin Chuan Pavilion instead. Then transferred it to our own thermal food container. Anyway… I probably couldn’t tell the difference between homemade and takeout. …Probably.

“I’m sorry, sis.” “I didn’t know you were bringing lunch for Professor James too.” “He’s already eating the food I made…” Mia stood in front of me, visibly panicked and flustered. “Call him brother-in-law.” I smiled at her, seeing her small hands hidden in her sleeves tighten a bit. … “James.” I stood in front of the man who was eating with his head down. He ignored me, so I took the chopsticks from his hand. Swapping the lunch box in front of him for mine. He looked down at the dishes before him for a moment. His deep dark eyes finally focused on me. “Look.” I held out my hand with band-aids to him. “To make food for you, I got three cuts.” “I cooked for a long time, will you eat mine instead?” I met his gaze, very calm. But so calm it seemed like it was about to shatter. Finally, he sighed. “Zoe. Your dishes look exactly the same as Lin Chuan Pavilion’s.” “Did you steal their recipes?” “…” I pretended not to understand the sarcasm in his words. Might as well go all in. “James, just say whether you’ll eat it or not!” It seemed that many times, when I got angry, he would soften and coax me. I was used to this, but I forgot, this wasn’t the me and him from the past life anymore. But he still lowered his head and ate the seafood porridge in front of him spoonful by spoonful. Very obedient, just like the James in my past life who would do whatever I told him to. After finishing, he looked at me bending down to clean up the lunch boxes for the first time. “Zoe.” He called my name, like a clear mountain stream, “I’m allergic to seafood.” “After two lifetimes, you still can’t remember.” I was suddenly shocked and looked up at him. His wrist, already pale to the point where blue veins were visible, had now broken out in red rashes. He just showed it to me like that. “Is torturing me to death the only thing that will make you happy?”

James had a severe seafood allergy. From his wrist starting to redden to uncontrollable coughing, and finally difficulty breathing, it only took about thirty minutes. “How could you let him touch even a bit of seafood?” “The doctor said if Professor James had been brought in any later, he really could have died!” “Sis, how could you not know about this? Why don’t you know even this?” Outside the hospital room, Mia looked at me with red eyes, her voice already tinged with tears. She liked James, I knew. Otherwise, in my past life, I wouldn’t have given James a second glance. “Well…” “He knew and still ate it himself…” I weakly tried to defend myself, and just then, the hospital room door opened. The nurse nodded, saying the patient was awake. I looked through the slightly open door. James was sitting up in bed, looking at me. Probably having heard every word of my feeble excuse just now. His eyes were so empty, devoid of everything, not even disappointment, just a void. Mia rushed to his bedside. “Professor James! How are you?” I followed, but the man who hadn’t spoken for a while suddenly coughed. “Zoe.” His voice was extremely low, his ink-black eyes staring straight at me. My heart skipped a beat, and I unconsciously walked towards him. “Can you never appear in front of me again?” …

This was James’s request. I don’t know why my reaction was even bigger than his. I stormed out of the hospital room, slamming the door behind me. Yes, I schemed endlessly, I was heartless, I was rotten to the core. But he… couldn’t he still stand by my side? Couldn’t he… no matter what kind of person I was, just stand by my side? … He wanted Mia, not me anymore. When I got home, I happened to see the stuffed toy lying on the sofa. It was a limited edition flying dragon he had won for me before we got married. He just treated it as an ordinary gift to give me. At that time, I didn’t know that to catch this dragon, he had gone to five malls, emptied four claw machines. In the end, he got this dragon for me at a bar. That day he was very drunk, his earlobes were flushed red. Dizzy from the alcohol, he took out this dragon from behind his back. “Zoe.” He called me. “Can you look at me?” He hid behind that dragon, using its paw to wave at me. “Can you let me stay by your side?” “Even if.” “Even if…” That was an extremely light sigh hidden beside me. Throwing away all the dignity of being James. “Even as a backup is fine.” … The fact proves that reminiscing late at night really does make one’s anger turn inward. When I walked to James’s hospital room door in the dead of night, that’s what I was thinking. The night was extremely quiet, the curtains barely drawn. I stood by his bed, looking down at the man who seemed uneasy even in his sleep. James’s face, no wonder it had the capital to make the girls in his department think of him day and night. High nose bridge, eyebrows like pines, always a person of lofty ideals and integrity. How did he… Get entangled with me for most of his life. I unconsciously leaned closer, and suddenly fell into a pair of eyes as cold as a deep pool. The man had woken up at some point, leaning against the headboard looking at me. His eyes were so cold, cold enough that I instinctively took half a step back. “You…” “Finally sick of me, huh?” I sniffled. I don’t know why, in the hazy moonlight. I suddenly pulled up the corners of my mouth and said such a self-deprecating thing to him. “Are you surprised?” He said this, enunciating extremely clearly. “Shouldn’t I be sick of you?” I felt the black edge on him magnify. He sat up straight, serious enough to break one’s heart. “You’re so selfish, utilitarian, so fond of using underhanded means.” “Shouldn’t I be sick of you, Zoe.”

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My sister Lily had a medical checkup at my friend’s hospital, and the results showed severe kidney failure. My friend said only I was a suitable tissue match. On New Year’s Eve, I told my family that I was the one who was sick. Their reaction was to avoid me like the plague. “You’re sick yourself, and you want to harm your sister?” “It’s a kidney transplant, the risk is huge. How can you be so selfish?” Lily leaned into Mom’s arms, crying pitifully. I smiled bitterly, thinking they had finally shown their true colors. I threw down the test results and left this home without a shred of attachment. 0 When I first learned about the successful tissue match, my own test results also came out – I was ten weeks pregnant. I was about to go shopping for New Year’s supplies with my husband when my friend stopped me. She said that if I wanted to donate a kidney to my sister Lily, for the sake of my health, I would have to give up this child. To be honest, I hesitated. This child was something my husband and I had been hoping for for so long. How could I bear to give it up? Then I thought of Lily. She was different from me. Lily had grown up pampered and spoiled by our parents. They treasured her beyond measure. If anything happened to her, our parents would probably be devastated. After much hesitation, I still decided to go back home before New Year’s Eve. As soon as I entered the door, I heard laughter inside. Everyone was gathered together preparing for the New Year. Besides my sister Lily and her fiancé, there was also my aunt’s family. They were chatting and laughing happily, the atmosphere of family reunion showcasing the festivity of the New Year. I really didn’t want to break this harmonious and warm scene. The moment they saw me, the whole house went quiet, and everyone’s smiles froze. At this point, Mom seemed to suddenly remember something. She got up with a laugh and walked towards me, pulling me to join them with feigned affection. “We were just about to call you. Look at you coming back on your own. You must be missing Mom’s cooking. Come, have a taste.” Unfortunately, no matter how much she tried to appear warm and caring, her actions and tone were full of distance and politeness. I pretended to look weak and raised my hand to touch the arm that was loosely supporting me, gently holding it. “I’m sick, Mom.” I felt Mom’s body stiffen. The next second, she wanted to pull her hand away from my grip, but then she held back. “…Well, if you’re sick, you should eat more. Once you’re full, all illnesses will be gone.” She didn’t even ask what illness I had, brushing me off while trying to pull her hand away. My aunt frowned with disgust and said, “Did you come back just to make everyone uncomfortable?” I didn’t take her words to heart at all and sat down in the chair that had just been pulled out. “I have severe kidney failure.” 0

Mom’s hand trembled as she repeated her actions, and an eerie silence fell over the dining room. Soon, her eyes reddened, and she sat down beside me, starting to wipe her tears. My father, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. “If you’re sick, go see a doctor. What’s the use of coming back to tell us?” His eyes were full of disdain. “You’re a grown-up now, but you still don’t know how to handle things. Don’t scare others into getting sick after you’ve recovered.” Mom wiped away tears that no longer existed. “Yes, listen to your father.” Lily put on her professional smile and poured me a drink as if nothing was wrong. “Sister, try this good wine your brother-in-law brought back.” My aunt muttered in disgust, “Don’t tell me you came back to borrow money! How unlucky!” After that, everyone fell silent again. I coldly looked at everyone. “I didn’t come back to borrow money from you.” I looked at Lily. “I wanted to ask my sister if she could donate a kidney to me.” The table went quiet again. It seemed like a century had passed before I heard Dad slam the table hard. “Nonsense!” His face turned red with anger. “It’s New Year’s Eve! What nonsense are you talking about!” “Don’t you know how risky a kidney transplant is?” I squeezed out a bitter smile. “It’s risky, but it could save my life. Isn’t it worth it?” He was stunned for a moment, then said firmly and resolutely, “It’s impossible. I won’t agree to it. Even a one in ten thousand risk is unacceptable.” Although I already knew the answer in my heart, I still wanted to hear it with my own ears before giving up. I turned my gaze to Mom. Mom was crying harder than before. I looked at her full of expectation, thinking that maybe she would comfort me like she comforted my sister. But even though she was shedding hot tears, her words were ice-cold and cutting. “Life and death are destined, child. You… just accept your fate.” Her tone was full of sadness. “You’re sick yourself, and you want to harm your sister. You’re killing me!” “Do you want me to lose two children at once? Ah! How can you be so cruel!” Hearing this, I finally woke up. Mom’s tears were never for me. I lost interest and stopped looking at her, turning my gaze back to Lily. But now her eyes were full of anger. “Emma, are you crazy? Do you have to make trouble on New Year’s Eve?” She stood up as she spoke, her hands on the edge of the table, clearly angered by me. “You’ve always resented Mom and Dad for losing you, haven’t you? You think they’ve mistreated you? That’s why you’ve been causing trouble for the family since you came back, you can’t stand to see us happy.” She cried, tears streaming down her face. “I’m about to get married, how can you be so selfish and vicious?” Mom and she cried in each other’s arms, while others looked at me with vicious and resentful eyes. “I’m telling you, I won’t donate. I’m selfish, don’t blame Mom and Dad.” Lily raised her head, looking like she was making a great sacrifice. The others didn’t speak for a long time, so long that Mom’s face looked like she had never cried at all. I stared at the people in front of me and said, “You really won’t donate to me?” Lily tidied her hair and said firmly, “No! Absolutely not!” “Think whatever you want, but don’t take it out on Mom and Dad. They’re innocent.” I sneered, wondering how I had become such a villain. They sat together as a family, and Mom started crying again. My aunt comforted her in a low voice. “What sin have I committed to deserve this!” I coldly watched her pretending to be sincere. “Indeed, it’s not worth it for an ungrateful person like me.” Dad angrily stood up. “We shouldn’t have found you back in the first place, you ungrateful wretch.” I questioned him. “Then why did you bring me back? For your face?” He slapped me, and my face immediately turned red and stinging. “Get out!” Dad took some cash and threw it at me. This New Year’s red envelope was probably prepared for my sister’s fiancé, their golden son-in-law. My sister’s fiancé was a great help to our family business. How could Mom and Dad sacrifice their precious daughter for me? “The Thompson family doesn’t have a daughter like you.” I steadied myself and asked again. “Are you severing ties with me?” Mom looked at me but didn’t say anything. Everyone was looking at Dad. “That’s right, I’m severing ties with you. I believe that since we found you and brought you back, we haven’t mistreated you in any way.” “We’ve fed you well, clothed you warmly, but you… you’re ungrateful. Now you even want to ruin your sister’s bright future.” Fed well? Clothed warmly? I smiled bitterly. More like not starved to death, not frozen to death. “Then I can’t let you down.” I stared hard at my father. “Dad, you have to keep your word.” Father eagerly expressed, “I keep my word. From today on, you are no longer Robert Thompson’s daughter! You have no connection with the Thompson family anymore.” I couldn’t be more clear-headed. “Fine, from now on, we’ll go our separate ways.” Lily hugged Mom and said with a sob, “Get out quickly, you unlucky thing.” I laughed suddenly, took out my test results, and mixed them with the money around. “I won’t take this money. You might need it more than I do.” Walking out the door, the festive atmosphere of the New Year was on everyone’s face! Breathing in the fresh air outside, I felt alive again. Since I came back, I’ve been trying to please everyone in the family, but except for the initial joy they showed in front of the media when they first found me, they’ve been ignoring me ever since. I thought they cared about their reputation. But they weren’t like that with Lily. Lily was the daughter they carefully nurtured, their pride and joy. And I was just a child who grew up in the gutter, dispensable to them. 0

On New Year’s Eve, Lily sent me a reposted article with the title: “The Daughter Found After Great Effort Turns Out to Be Unfilial!” As I clicked in to read, a chill ran from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head. It was a press conference, and those cold words pierced my eyes one by one. [Emma Thompson, an ungrateful wretch who insults her parents! Misbehaving. Using the Thompson family name to borrow and lend money outside… has severed ties with the Thompson family.] I couldn’t believe they would twist the facts like this just to sever ties with me. Something flowed from my eyes, and my vision began to blur. With each line I read, my heart ached more. Mark came over, took away my phone, and gently pulled me into his arms, comforting me softly. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll handle this.” “It’s not worth it.” My emotions gradually stabilized under his comfort. Yes, it’s not worth it. This report gave them another wave of attention. Dad would never miss an opportunity to boost his reputation. But soon the heat died down, replaced by news of a product defect in Dad’s company. Public opinion began to shift in another direction. I found it ironic when I occasionally saw it. I knew it was Mark’s doing. Mom and Dad probably never imagined that the poor boy they once looked down on had become someone far beyond their reach. I closed my laptop and walked out of the office, thinking that I would be working from home soon. Catching a glimpse of Lily’s face on a roadside billboard, I suddenly realized how much time had passed. I thought they probably hadn’t seen that test result, otherwise my surroundings wouldn’t be so quiet. Mom and Dad should be preparing for Lily’s national speech now. They wouldn’t want to miss such a good opportunity to gain attention. But it’s just a matter of days now. That day when I went to my friend’s hospital for a checkup, I happened to run into Lily getting her physical exam results, and my friend Rachel was in charge of her. Seeing her hesitation, I thought something had happened again. Back in school, she had been bullied by Lily, and my experience was similar. Those memories were a nightmare that could never be shaken off. That’s why I knew Lily’s test results before she did. “I may not have such a noble character, but I can’t be as cold-blooded as her either.” I looked at her with a smile, wondering why Rachel couldn’t be my sister. “You should tell Lily first, let your family be prepared,” “So far, only you meet the requirements, but you can’t be so hasty.” I nodded, knowing she had her own motives, but so did I. Why do people who have bullied others live so comfortably, as if their past actions have nothing to do with them? It can even become a topic of conversation with their friends. Only the bullied remain stuck in that moment forever. I returned home to find many people there, all dressed uniformly. My husband met my puzzled gaze and said softly, “Your father’s family is coming over.” I thought he was being a bit too dramatic and laughed, calling him childish. But he neither agreed nor disagreed.

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After our parents’ divorce, my sister Chloe was desperate to stay with our lenient dad, while our strict mom took me away. Two years later, both our parents found new partners, but Chloe regretted her choice. Our stepmom was open-minded, taking Chloe to get tattoos and dye her hair, which led to Chloe being cyberbullied. Our stepdad, on the other hand, was a “gentleman” who molded me into a well-mannered young lady and helped me marry a “quality” man. Chloe, forced to drop out of school, accused me of stealing mom away from her and poisoned my drink. So in this new life, Chloe resolutely chose to go with mom. But her life was completely ruined by our stepdad. 0 “Mom, I want to go with you! Please take me!” Chloe’s loud voice rang out as I woke up in bed. The stomach pain from the poison in my previous life was gone. I realized I had been reborn. Reborn to the day our parents finalized their divorce. I got up and walked to the living room. Sure enough, I saw our worried parents sitting on the couch, while Chloe was on her knees, tugging at mom’s sleeve and begging. “Please, mom, let Emma go with dad. I promise I’ll be good!” Then she turned and gave me a venomous look. As expected, Chloe had been reborn too. Her goal in doing this was to avoid the stepmom who would marry our dad two years later. Seeing me come out, dad’s gaze fell on me. He asked gently, “Emma, do you want to go with dad?” Memories suddenly flashed back to my previous life. On the same day, unlike Chloe, I was very upset about our parents’ divorce. Rather than choosing who to go with, I hoped more that they wouldn’t separate, and that we could continue living happily as a family of four. So I couldn’t make a choice at all. But Chloe was clever. She had always been afraid of our strict mom and knew that with her poor grades, she would inevitably be criticized if she went with mom. So she quickly grabbed dad’s hand. This way, I passively ended up with mom. Despite this, I still didn’t give up, privately trying to persuade our parents to reconcile. Unexpectedly, years later, I learned a shocking secret. The reason for our parents’ divorce was actually because of mom. Mom had fallen in love with a colleague behind dad’s back. 0

Facing this choice again, I was much more clear-headed. Since mom had betrayed dad, why should I try to reconcile them? Moreover, didn’t Chloe want to go with mom and welcome that kind stepdad two years later? I smiled slightly. I said to dad, “Dad, I’ll go with you.” Chloe, standing next to mom, curled her lips in satisfaction. Indeed, although mom was strict, she was a top student back in the day. Following her, she would, like in my previous life, work with our stepdad to mold Chloe into a well-mannered, universally praised young lady. As for me, I could only follow my stepmom and have my reputation ruined. But I accepted all of this willingly. Soon, our parents’ divorce proceedings were completed. Mom got the house as she wished, while dad drove me, with two suitcases, to the other side of the city. Jack, my dad, was a free-spirited person. After mom’s affair, he never showed any negative emotions in front of me and Chloe. Just like now, even though he had lost the house, he was excitedly arranging my room in the newly rented apartment. “Emma, dad will give you a good life.” I suddenly felt a lump in my throat. After all, I knew that right now, mom was dating that man in what used to be our family home. I’m sure Chloe, locked in her room studying, was still in the dark about it. I smiled at dad. I said, “Dad, Emma will make you proud too.” Compared to living in a family where I would be constantly slut-shamed, having a kind dad and an open-minded stepmom should make it pretty hard not to make them proud, right? 0

Two years passed quickly. This year, mom first announced her new relationship on Instagram. At the same time, she also proudly showed off her wedding ring, sweetly writing: “First year with Mr. Chen.” Yes, this man named Daniel Chen was mom’s affair partner from back then. However, she had left a long enough gap, so friends and family all congratulated her after the announcement. Including my sister Chloe. Chloe shared mom’s post, writing proudly: “Uncle Daniel is so nice, in a few days I’ll be calling him dad.” I couldn’t help but sneer. Uncle Daniel was indeed very nice. He had a respectable job, and people’s evaluation of him was always that of a righteous and steady gentleman. His students often praised him online. In my previous life, when I first met my stepdad, he showed a very likable and friendly demeanor, and interacted with me very appropriately. Of course, he would also gently guide me to change my bad habits, acting every bit the good teacher and helpful friend. How could such a good man not raise a well-mannered young lady? Chloe was overjoyed and specifically sent me a message to show off. “Sis, you know about Uncle Daniel, right? He even helps me with my homework. My final exam ranking has risen to the top ten in the class. You’re probably still around twentieth, aren’t you?” “Oh, by the way, the other day I saw dad dating a woman. People say when you get a stepmom, you get a stepdad too. Are you scared?” I coldly looked at the text she sent. In the end, I still didn’t tell her – Your beloved and admired Uncle Daniel is actually a habitual sexual harasser of students. So do you think he’ll spare you? 0

In my previous life, I met a senior student. Coincidentally, the senior knew my stepdad Daniel. The senior told me that stepdad was her high school math teacher. But in her senior year, he mysteriously resigned. “Do you know what everyone was saying about him?” she asked. I nervously asked the senior, “What?” So the senior lowered her voice: “He harassed female students and was fired.” At that time, I was so shocked I couldn’t even speak. This matter weighed on my mind, making me feel suffocated every day. Finally one day, I decided to talk to mom about it. Unexpectedly, mom didn’t take my side. She immediately called stepdad over. Stepdad pointed at my nose and scolded me for having ulterior motives. “Emma, haven’t I been good to you these past few years? Is this how you repay me? Do you have a conscience?” I shook my head helplessly: “I don’t have bad intentions, I just think mom and I have the right to know the truth.” Hearing this, stepdad smashed the teacup on the coffee table with a “bang”. Blood seeped from his fist as he gritted his teeth and said to me: “The truth? The truth is that I was falsely accused back then! I voluntarily resigned to clear my name, otherwise how could I still be a professor now?” After he finished, he took a deep breath and looked at mom: “It seems your daughter has never considered me family. I think it’s time to reconsider our relationship.” That day, mom slapped me twice. Stepdad slammed the door as he left, and mom cried all night in the living room. I didn’t know what I had done wrong. But mom still said those words that made me feel like I had fallen into an ice pit: “Emma, apologize to your stepdad, or don’t come back to this home!” I looked at mom in disbelief, crying as I returned to school that night. With the help of my senior, I contacted the victim of the sexual harassment incident from years ago. In the end, it was verified that it had indeed happened. My stepdad Daniel Chen was truly a hypocrite with the face of a gentleman. The reason he acted so righteous in front of people was nothing more than to win a good reputation. In Chloe’s eyes, I was receiving a quality education from a distinguished professor and strict mother, walking upright and sitting properly, which is why I could marry a good man. But she didn’t know. During the seven years of living with my stepdad, I had to endure almost daily slut-shaming from him and mom. Now, Chloe, are you about to experience it too? 0

I met Aunt Holly. Dad sat nervously and shyly beside her as he introduced her to me: “Emma, this is your Aunt Holly. We just met recently. You’re grown up now, and dad doesn’t want to hide this from you.” I looked at this fashionably dressed woman in front of me. In my previous life, I had only met her a handful of times. Apart from seeing her once at her and dad’s wedding, most of the time my stepdad wouldn’t let me see her. The reason was very bizarre. Stepdad said with disgust: “That woman doesn’t look like a good person. Our Emma should have less contact with her.” But on my birthday, Aunt Holly waited for me at the school gate and gave me a set of branded cosmetics. I remember it clearly, Aunt Holly with her big wavy hair and thick red lips, patted my head and said: “Emma has grown into a young lady. Take Auntie’s gift, I hope you’ll become even more beautiful in the future.” That day was also the happiest day of my 18 years as a girl. Unfortunately, when I got home, this set of cosmetics was discovered by my stepdad. He said: “Wearing makeup at such a young age, are you trying to attract men’s attention?” The psychological shadow from my previous life still made me afraid. But Aunt Holly seemed to sense my emotions. She spoke first, warm and sincere: “Emma, you’re so pretty. Auntie likes you, do you like Auntie?” Me: “…” Dad laughed sheepishly and patted Aunt Holly: “What are you doing? You’ll scare my Emma. She’s slow to warm up to people, we need to take it slow.” After saying that, dad stroked my head and gave me a reassuring look. Actually, I could see that dad had been watching my reactions the whole time. But dad is human too, he needs companionship and love. And Aunt Holly is not a bad person. So the next second, I smiled at Aunt Holly and said: “Auntie, you’re very pretty too. I like you.” I saw that dad and Auntie were both stunned. Dad’s eyes turned red, and he lowered his head to eat a couple bites of food. Aunt Holly, overwhelmed with emotion, took out an exquisite box from her bag. “Emma, I won’t say those polite words for our first meeting. This is a gift Auntie prepared for you, do you like it?” I took it and opened it. What met my eyes was actually – a set of lingerie. I held back my sobs. Memories suddenly flashed back to my previous life, the third day after stepdad came to our home. At 13, I was just beginning to develop as a girl. Not thinking much of it, I hung my freshly washed underwear on the balcony. But stepdad suddenly came to me with a dark face. He threw the underwear at me: “Emma, I’ve only been living with you for a few days, shouldn’t you be more careful?” 0

To others and Chloe, it seemed I had lucked out with a once-in-a-century good stepdad. He always looked at me with righteousness, never overstepping as a stepdad, and worked hard to strictly educate me for my future. But if they knew that I could never appear at home with exposed wrists and ankles, what would they think? Even more terrifying was that mom was lovesick. Stepdad’s voice caught mom’s attention. She came out of the room, and the first thing she saw was the underwear on me. Stepdad pointed at me, as if he had found backup: “Emma is not a little girl anymore, how can she still be so careless? Hanging such private clothing openly on the balcony, what will others think of me? I’m a professor!” I was bewildered as I processed stepdad’s words, momentarily speechless. And I thought mom would help me. She definitely wouldn’t blame me. Unexpectedly, after hearing stepdad’s words, mom also turned her resentful gaze towards me. Then, she launched her first humiliation against me. “Emma, put away your dirty things!” “Is this how I taught you? If I see you displaying these things again, don’t blame me for getting physical!” I stammered, wanting to speak, but didn’t know how to defend myself. I was just a 13-year-old girl! What kind of things are these things? Now that I have a stepdad, do I not even have the right to wear underwear? Am I that indecent? That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I even started to be brainwashed, wondering if I had really crossed a line? So from then on, I avoided public areas when drying my clothes. I thought, this way stepdad and mom wouldn’t be uncomfortable, right? But it wasn’t like that. Similar things kept happening over the next ten years. When I had my period and went to the bathroom frequently, stepdad saw the tissues I threw in the trash can and made a fuss, calling my mom to look. He accused me: “Who told you to put these things here? What will I think when I see them? Emma, you really have no manners!” Mom chimed in: “You’re a girl! Girls should know how to respect themselves. Your uncle is a professor, isn’t it disgusting for him to see these things?!” I talked back at the time: “Mom, you’re a woman too, and so is uncle’s mother. Tell me, what does this have to do with self-respect?” The next second, a loud slap landed on my face. This slap was actually from stepdad. I covered my face, tears gushing out. Mom just watched, unmoved.

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On Ethan’s birthday night, I was lured into his bed with a glass of wine. After a wild night, I thought we could finally go public with our relationship. But then I overheard his friend apologizing. “Ethan, I’m sorry, but I have to tell the truth. The drug in Mia’s drink last night, it wasn’t me who put it there.” “I know,” Ethan replied lazily, completely unconcerned. “Aren’t I pursuing Zoe? That little brat actually said my skills in bed were terrible.” “Oh, so you used Mia for practice,” his friend teased. “How was it? Who’s better, Mia or Zoe?” Ethan seemed to reminisce, narrowing his eyes as he thought for a moment. “I still prefer them younger.” I stood outside the room, unable to hold back any longer. I pushed open the door and slapped Ethan hard across the face. He didn’t dodge, leaning casually on the sofa. He touched his cheek with his tongue, smiling faintly. “Heard it all? Good, saves me from wasting more time.” I stared at him intently, my whole body shaking uncontrollably. “Mia, all these years, I really tried, but I realized we’re truly better off as siblings.” “Drugging your ‘sister’ and tricking her into bed,” I laughed coldly, using all my strength not to let tears fall. “Ethan, is this how you treat a sister?” Ethan raised an eyebrow carelessly: “How would I know we’re not compatible if we didn’t sleep together?” “Don’t worry, as long as I’m around as your brother, no one will dare bully you.” “No need,” I forcefully suppressed all my anger and pain, slowly unclenching my fists, trying to smile naturally. “Don’t let your dear Zoe misunderstand.” With that, I turned and left, struggling to maintain my last shred of dignity.

Back home, I soaked in the bathtub for over two hours, until my skin was slightly swollen before I got out. When I went to the walk-in closet to change, seeing half the closet filled with clothes, bags, and jewelry Ethan had given me, I called the owner of a luxury consignment store without hesitation. Ethan and I had practically grown up together. Over the years, he would give me gifts for my birthday and various holidays, big and small, each one expensive. Mrs. Parker had even mentioned wanting me as a daughter-in-law years ago. Because of this, I had devoted all my attention to Ethan for so many years. I thought he must have liked me too. But in the end, I was just deluding myself. From jewelry worth hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, down to the lingerie Ethan had given me last Valentine’s Day. Anything that could be resold, I had the consignment store owner pack up and take away. What couldn’t be resold, I threw away as trash. After doing all this, I booked a flight for a business trip that evening. As I finished packing and was about to leave, I saw Zoe’s announcement on social media. Two intertwined hands, with a pair of simple band rings that were all too familiar. Those rings – I had helped Ethan pick them out. At the time, I was overjoyed, thinking Ethan was going to propose to me and give them to me. Now it just seemed laughable! Looking at the constant stream of congratulatory messages mentioning @Ethan and @Zoe, calling Zoe “sister-in-law” over and over. I’d be lying if I said my heart didn’t ache. After all, for so many years, I had been eagerly waiting for Ethan to propose to me, to marry him and become his wife. Suddenly, Zoe tagged me: “@Mia Johnson, Mia, are you free tonight? Want to come hang out?” The group chat suddenly went quiet. After a long while, Ethan chimed in, tagging me: “If you truly wish us well, then come. Otherwise, don’t bother showing up and upsetting Zoe.” “Ethan, how can you say that about Mia? She’s not that kind of person,” Zoe protested. “Babe, she’s not as open-minded and reasonable as you. She’s quite petty!” Ethan replied. Watching Ethan and Zoe flirt shamelessly in the group chat, I smiled. Forcing back the tears welling up in my eyes, I left the group chat and blocked both Ethan and Zoe on all platforms.

I’m a wedding planner, fairly well-known in the industry. This time, my business trip was to Newport, Rhode Island, one of the wealthiest areas in the country. The bride was my college classmate, and like the groom, came from an extremely wealthy Newport family. The bride and groom personally came to pick me up at the airport. The next two weeks were a whirlwind of busy work. I was so exhausted that I would fall asleep as soon as I got back to the hotel each night. On the wedding day, all the big shots from the East Coast gathered at the venue. I was responsible for on-site execution and supervision, ensuring everything went according to plan, running around like crazy. At one point, I accidentally stepped on someone’s foot and nearly fell. Luckily, the person caught me in time. “I’m so sorry, are you okay?” I quickly apologized. “I think ‘thank you’ would be more appropriate,” a low, magnetic male voice sounded above my head. I looked up to see a mature, handsome face suddenly filling my vision. The man smiled at me, his eyes deep and sparkling like stars. The scene felt oddly familiar. “Mia, the bride is ready to enter,” my assistant suddenly reminded me. “Okay,” I responded, then said another quick “thank you” to the man before hurrying off.

After the wedding, I slept for a day and a night straight. In the evening, my classmate came knocking, inviting me to join her, her husband, and some friends for a party. I got dressed up and went out. “Do you know Jack Collins?” my classmate asked. I shook my head. She looked surprised. “The heir to the biggest family business conglomerate in New England? You don’t know him?” I was also surprised: “I really don’t.” “But he says he knows you!” “He’s my husband’s friend. Like my husband, he basically grew up abroad and just recently came back to take over the family business.” I was even more surprised: “Did he say how he knows me?” My classmate shook her head. At the venue, after introductions from my classmate and her husband, I finally realized who Jack Collins was. He was the man whose foot I had stepped on at the wedding, the one who told me to say thank you. “Mr. Collins, it’s an honor to meet you!” I said politely. “How can it be an honor when you don’t even know me?” he replied. “…” I imperceptibly raised an eyebrow, then tactfully turned away with my drink. Afterwards, I constantly felt two burning gazes fixed on me, unwilling to move away. My classmate finished socializing and came over to tease me: “I bet Jack Collins has taken a liking to you.” Hearing this, I casually glanced over at Jack Collins. To my surprise, he happened to be looking my way too. Our eyes met, and I suddenly felt my breath catch, an inexplicable sense of embarrassment washing over me. I forced myself to control my emotions, raising my glass in a distant toast to Jack Collins. But he ignored me, turning his head away. I: “…” How ungentlemanly. I drank quite a bit that night, almost to the point of drunkenness. When Jack Collins was about to leave, my classmate stopped him, supporting my unsteady steps as she brought me in front of him. “Mr. Collins, we can’t get a car home. Would you mind giving Mia a ride?” she asked. I mumbled “No need.” My classmate quickly said “Yes, please,” then smiled at Jack Collins and added, “I’d feel uneasy letting anyone else take such a beautiful girl home.” Jack Collins’ face was expressionless as he looked me over coolly, then said in a deep voice, “Alright, help Miss Johnson into my car then.”

The road from the party venue to the hotel wasn’t great, with quite a few bumps. My stomach was already feeling awful, and after all the jostling, I felt like I was going to be sick. “Stop the car,” Jack Collins suddenly ordered. Hearing this, the driver immediately pulled over to the side of the road. The car hadn’t even come to a complete stop when I turned to push open the door. But before I could open it, Jack Collins yanked me back. “Urgh—” Caught off guard, I fell into Jack Collins’ arms and immediately threw up. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I vomited all over Jack Collins’ chest. The confined space of the car was instantly filled with an acrid smell. Jack Collins’ long eyebrows furrowed slightly as he looked down at me with dark eyes, ordering in a low voice, “Keep driving.” “Yes, sir,” the driver responded, holding his breath as he pulled back onto the road. After I finished throwing up, I was so embarrassed I wanted to disappear on the spot. Thank goodness the car lights weren’t on. I snuck a glance up at Jack Collins. He had his eyes closed, leaning back against the seat, completely motionless as if asleep. The streetlights flickered through the windows, dancing across his chiseled, handsome face. He had a high, straight nose and thin, sexy lips. His eyebrows were long and sharp like swords, his eyelashes thick and dark like brushes. Few men had eyelashes as lush as his. Staring at the face before me, I felt like I had seen it somewhere before. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Collins! Why don’t you drop me off here and head home? I’ll transfer you money for cleaning the car and your clothes.” “What, you make a mess of me and don’t plan to take responsibility?” Jack Collins spoke, his voice low and unreadable. I: “…”

When Jack Collins stood at the door of my hotel room, I still couldn’t believe he had demanded to come up to shower. My hand shook slightly as I took out the keycard to open the door. While I was still hesitating whether to let Jack Collins in, his large hand reached out and grasped mine. The next second, there was a “beep” and the door opened. I was still in a daze when Jack Collins pushed past me into the room, heading straight for the bathroom. Hearing the bathroom door slam shut, I finally let out a sigh of relief. The sound of running water soon came from the shower. I took the opportunity to quickly change my clothes. I had just finished undressing when Jack Collins called out from the bathroom. “Where are the towels?” Huh?! I looked around. Both towels were lying on the nearby sofa, used earlier before I went out. It was already past midnight, obviously too late to call room service to bring up more. “They’re out here, I’ll bring them to you,” I called back. I hurriedly grabbed the towels to take to the bathroom, then realized I wasn’t wearing anything myself. Not wanting to keep Jack Collins waiting, I quickly threw on a loose maxi dress, then went to knock on the bathroom door. “I’ve hung the towel on the doorknob, you can—” get it yourself. “Click!” “Ah!” Before I could finish speaking, the bathroom door suddenly opened from the inside. Then a muscular arm reached out, precisely grabbing my hand holding the towel, and yanked me into the bathroom. I was pushed up against the bathroom door. The man’s body was dripping wet, but burning hot. I only dared to take one glance before my cheeks felt like they were on fire. “Empty handed on purpose?” Jack Collins asked, one hand gripping my waist, the other lifting the hem of my dress. His voice was dark and sexy enough to drive anyone crazy. I didn’t know where to look, so I closed my eyes and turned my head away, my voice shaking as I answered, “Mr. Collins, you misunderstand, I—” “Mmph!” Before I could explain, Jack Collins sealed my lips with his own.

My mind went completely blank, unable to process what was happening. Before I could fully react, Jack Collins’ lips and tongue had already begun moving lower. I opened my eyes, looking down at the man buried in my chest, and tried to push him away with all my strength. “Jack… Mr. Collins…” My voice shook even more than before: “If you touch me, you have to take responsibility.” Hearing this, Jack Collins stopped all movement and looked up at me. Our eyes met, and in the flickering fire of his gaze, I seemed to see his determination. The next second, the loose dress slipped off my body to pool at my feet as he buried his head even deeper. My body began to tremble uncontrollably. I grabbed his short black hair with one hand, trying to push him away with the other. My voice sounded like I was crying and laughing at the same time as I kept calling his name, saying “No.” But Jack Collins was relentless. Just when I thought my legs would give out, he finally supported me and lifted his head. In the bright light, the moisture glistening on his lips looked dazzling and incredibly alluring. “Did that feel good?” he asked. He stood up, pressing tightly against me as he leaned down to kiss me again. My whole body had gone soft, my breathing completely erratic. Thinking of what his mouth had just done, I instinctively turned my head away. But he just laughed: “Disgusted by your own taste?” I ignored him. He forcefully turned my face back and pried open my lips. “You’ve had your pleasure, now it’s my turn!” Somehow we had moved from the bathroom to the bed. The phone I had tossed on the bed suddenly started ringing incessantly, but we were too caught up in each other to pay any attention. Until the call was accidentally answered and put on speakerphone. “Mia Johnson, how dare you block me!” an angry voice demanded. That all too familiar voice made my whole body instantly freeze up. “Ouch~” “Mia, baby, relax!” Jack Collins caressed my face, but increased his intensity. Suddenly turning somewhat fierce. I couldn’t hold back the sounds escaping my throat. “Mia Johnson, what are you doing? Are you actually in bed with another man—” Just as Ethan’s shout was about to finish, Jack Collins, without stopping his movements, reached out to grab the phone. With a low, mocking laugh, he cut Ethan off. “Parker, how old are you? If you want milk, go find your mom. Stop harassing my girlfriend, she’s really busy right now.”

Ethan listened to the dial tone coming from the phone, taking it away from his ear to see the screen had gone black. He suddenly exploded in rage, hurling his friend’s phone across the room. With a loud crash, the phone screen instantly shattered into a spiderweb pattern. Everyone in the private room looked at each other in shock, not daring to make a sound. Zoe carefully moved closer, placing her hand on Ethan’s leg. “Ethan—” “Get lost!” Ethan roared. “Ah!” Zoe cried out as Ethan flung her away, sending her tumbling off the sofa. “Ethan… what happened?” one of his friends ventured to ask. Ethan swept his murderous gaze over them, gritting out, “Where did Mia Johnson go? Does anyone know?” “I think Newport, Rhode Island.” “That super high-profile wedding for the Newport heir that’s been all over social media lately – I think Mia Johnson planned it.” “Ethan, how come you weren’t invited to the Newport heir’s wedding?” Ethan ground his back teeth, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room one by one. The next second, he abruptly stood up and strode towards the door. “Ethan, where are you going?” Zoe quickly scrambled after him, grabbing his arm. Ethan looked down, seeing the ring Mia had picked out still on Zoe’s right ring finger. He roughly grabbed her hand and forcefully yanked the ring off. No matter how Zoe cried and struggled, it was useless. “Our relationship ends here. Don’t ever show your face in front of me again, and don’t you dare try to mess with Mia, or you know what will happen,” Ethan snarled. With that, he shoved Zoe away again and stormed out.

When I woke up, it was already late morning. The sound of running water came from the bathroom. I got out of bed, wincing at the soreness. I opened the curtains to bright sunlight streaming in. I sat down at the desk, lit a cigarette, then took out my checkbook. As Jack Collins came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, I was carefully filling out a check. For $100,000. He walked over just as I finished writing it. I tore out the check and held it out to him. Jack Collins glanced at the check with lowered eyes, the corner of his mouth curling in an ambiguous smile. “Is this to buy me for one time, or for the whole night?” I shook my head, not quite daring to look at him. Before he pulled me into the bathroom last night, I hadn’t thought his physique or stamina was anything special. He was tall, but looked a bit thin. But after last night, I realized how terribly wrong I’d been. The clearly defined six-pack abs and V-line in front of me now were a strong assault on my visual senses. And the lingering ache between my legs was an even clearer testament to his impressive stamina. Apart from finishing quickly the first time due to pent-up desire, every time after that had me begging for mercy. “This is for cleaning the car and your clothes,” I said with a light laugh, mustering up the courage to look at him. “As for you, I can’t afford to buy you.” Jack Collins’ dark eyes gazed at me without any emotion. He didn’t take the check from my hand, but instead plucked the cigarette from my mouth and took a long drag. “Too light. Don’t smoke these anymore.” After one puff, he stubbed out the cigarette in the water glass on the desk, then came around to stand in front of me. He bent down slightly and lifted me onto the desk, then pulled my legs to wrap around his narrow waist. As he leaned in, I placed my hands on his chest to stop him. “Jack, shouldn’t you be leaving?” Jack Collins ignored my protests, removing my hands and cupping the back of my head. Completely changing the subject, he asked, “Why do you smoke? Too much stress, or feeling down?” I looked at him, opening and closing my mouth, suddenly at a loss for words. “Whether it’s stress or feeling down, I can help you deal with it from now on.” With that, he leaned in to kiss me. I turned my head away. “We’re both adults, it was just a fling. Don’t tell me Mr. Collins has gotten addicted?” Jack Collins pressed his forehead against mine. “What, didn’t I satisfy you last night? Left you unsatisfied?” I laughed helplessly: “Jack, don’t you understand? I don’t like the feeling of sex without love.” “Who says I don’t love you?” “Knock knock—” “Knock knock—” Just as Jack Collins finished speaking and I thought I must have heard wrong, staring at him in shock with wide eyes, loud banging came from the door.

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Five Years of Marriage, I Suddenly Called My Wife by Her Full Name I’ve been married to Sarah Mitchell for five years. Today, I suddenly started calling her by her full name. I also stopped caring about our daughter’s health. Sarah and Emma were stunned and asked why I had suddenly become so cold. I just smiled and said, “It’s nothing. You’re overthinking it.” They believed me and immediately started discussing their plans to go out with Mark the next day. They didn’t know that I had initially stayed with them only to complete a mission from headquarters. As long as I made Sarah fall in love with me, I could get $50 million. However, I ended up falling in love first. But now, I don’t want to continue anymore. I made a phone call: “Mission terminated. I don’t want the money anymore.” A voice came from the other end: “Are you sure about this? She might have already fallen in love with you. We’re talking about $50 million here.” “I’m sure,” I replied. “Alright. I’ve bought you a ticket to Norway. From now on, all your information in the city will be erased.” “In just half a month, you’ll be able to leave.” After the call, I dumped all the food into the trash can. That’s when Sarah and Emma returned home. As soon as they got home, Sarah tossed me a piece of clothing: “This is for you.” In the past, I would have been happy that they thought of me even when they went out without me. But now, looking at the clothes in my hand, I felt a bitter taste in my mouth. Still hoping against hope, I asked, “Did you buy this especially for me?” Sarah glanced at me, frowning: “Who else would I buy it for? Come on, is it because we didn’t take you out today? We’ll bring you along next time, okay?” Emma made a face at me: “Daddy’s a miser! Emma doesn’t want to go out with Daddy anymore.” Emma was still eating candy she had brought back from outside. Worried she might get a toothache, I took the candy from her hand: “Emma, you can’t eat any more candy. Your teeth might hurt tonight.” To my surprise, as soon as I took the candy, Emma reacted violently. She glared at me, pointing her little finger and shouting: “I don’t want you to be my daddy anymore, you’re a bad daddy!” She turned to Sarah and said: “Mommy, can you let Uncle Mark be my daddy instead?” Sarah looked at me and just said to Emma: “We can’t do that, honey. He’s your daddy.” Emma burst into tears and ran over to me, hitting and kicking: “Bad daddy, I don’t want this bad daddy. Daddy, why don’t you just die? If you die, I can let Uncle Mark be my daddy.” Emma’s words shocked me. I knew she liked Mark, but I never imagined she would want me to die so Mark could be her father. My heart was pierced once again. I took a deep breath and, for the first time, didn’t crouch down to comfort Emma. I firmly pulled her away and gave mother and daughter a cold look. After going upstairs, I opened my phone. The screen was still on Mark’s social media post from half an hour ago. The post showed a picture of the exact clothes Sarah had just said she bought especially for me. He had captioned it: “Bought the wrong size. Shame to throw it away.” So he thought it was a waste to throw away, so he gave it to me instead. Because I’m only worthy of wearing what he doesn’t want, is that it? A bitter smile crossed my lips as I started packing my clothes. Sarah thought I didn’t know about her and Mark, but six months ago, when she first cheated, Mark had sent me a message. After that, every time Sarah cheated, Mark would send a message taunting me. Each time, I endured it for the sake of our daughter. But later I discovered that even Emma was on Mark’s side. So since they’ve betrayed me, I don’t want them anymore either. There’s only one day left before I leave. I’ve prepared everything, just waiting for the time to come so I can fake my death and leave. When the time comes, headquarters will prepare a body that looks exactly like me. And I will be completely free. But on this day, someone suddenly came to our house. Seeing Mark next to Sarah, I didn’t know what expression to make anymore. He was holding a dog in his arms. When the dog saw me, it started barking loudly. As it moved, dog hair flew everywhere. I felt my nose start to itch and quickly covered it, stepping back half a step. Seeing my reaction, Mark turned to Sarah with a troubled look: “Sarah, I think I should go back. It seems Jason doesn’t welcome me.” Sarah frowned, looking at me with displeasure: “Jason Carter, Mark hurt his foot and has no one to take care of him at home, so I invited him to stay with us for a while. He’s a guest, don’t be so rude.” Emma chimed in: “Bad daddy! Uncle Mark, you can stay in daddy’s room, it’s the biggest!” Mark smiled: “Thank you, Emma, but your dad doesn’t seem to like me. I should go back.” He turned to leave, but Emma quickly grabbed him and glared at me: “Bad daddy, if you don’t want Uncle Mark to stay with us, you should get out!” Mark’s dog was still barking furiously. This season was when animals shed the most. Dog hair was flying everywhere. I couldn’t help but sneeze repeatedly, feeling my body start to itch. I said nothing, just moved aside half a step to let them in. Only then were Sarah and Emma satisfied. The two of them carefully helped Mark inside. Due to my dog hair allergy, my body had already broken out in red spots. I quickly went back to my room to take allergy medication. There was only one pill left. Just as I was about to take it, Mark came over and deliberately bumped into me. The pill fell to the ground, and Mark stepped on it. “Move your foot,” I said. Mark looked at me challengingly, his eyes full of smugness. I was having difficulty breathing and was about to forcefully move his foot. At that moment, Mark let out a cry and deliberately fell to the ground. The next second, Sarah and Emma came running over. They helped Mark up, looking concerned. Mark looked at me with a hurt expression: “Jason, I know you don’t like me, and I’ll leave. But did you have to push me?” Hearing this, Emma ran over and started hitting me with her little hands: “Bad daddy, you deliberately hurt Uncle Mark. Why are you so mean?” Sarah also looked at me accusingly: “Jason Carter, I never thought you’d be this kind of person. Mark’s foot is already injured, why would you do this to him? Let me tell you, this is my house. If you’re not happy with the friends I bring home, then please leave immediately!” By this point, I was in so much discomfort that I didn’t even know how to refute. I looked at the pill on the ground, now broken in half by Mark’s foot, and quickly went to pick it up. But Sarah stepped on it again. She looked at me coldly: “Jason Carter, apologize to Mark.” I was shaking all over from discomfort, no longer caring about anything. In a hoarse voice, I said, “I’m sorry.” Only then did Sarah move her foot. They thoughtfully helped Mark sit on the sofa. I looked at the even more broken pill, and like a pathetic dog, picked it up. After swallowing it down with some water, I finally felt a bit better. I sat weakly in a chair. Looking at the happy scene of the three of them, I quietly comforted myself. “Jason Carter, it’s okay. You’re leaving tomorrow anyway.” Suddenly, I heard Sarah’s voice: “Leaving? Where are you going?” Looking at Sarah, I forced a smile: “It’s nothing.” Sarah then noticed the red spots on my neck: “What happened to your neck?” I laughed weakly: “Don’t you know I’m allergic to dog hair?” Sarah froze, suddenly remembering the dog Mark had brought. She hurriedly tried to explain: “I’m sorry, I forgot.” “It’s fine.” After all, in Sarah’s eyes, nothing I did could compare to Mark. It’s normal that she forgot about my dog allergy. I stood up, and Sarah grabbed my hand in a panic: “Where are you going?” I pulled my hand away, saying coldly: “I don’t feel well. I want to rest in my room.” Sarah then said: “Okay, get some rest.” For once, forgetting about my dog allergy made her feel a bit guilty. I laughed bitterly inside, no longer looking at her. As I passed through the living room, Mark gave me a smug look. I ignored him too. Back in my room, I gathered all the photos of me with Sarah and Emma. Looking at the stack of photos in my hand, I felt no attachment as I threw them all into the trash can. When I went downstairs to take out the trash, Sarah asked: “Didn’t I tell you to rest in your room? What are you doing?” “Nothing, just throwing out some trash.” Sarah made a sound of acknowledgment: “Alright, since you seem fine now, we’re heading back to the old house. You come with us. Mark’s foot is injured, so you can drive.” Not wanting to cause any more trouble before I left, I said flatly: “Okay.” At the old house, Sarah was called away by her father, while Mark was chatting and laughing with Sarah’s grandmother. The old lady had mobility issues and was already in a wheelchair. Mark was pushing her outside. I called out to him: “Your own leg is injured. It might be dangerous to push the old lady.” Mark sneered: “Jason Carter, are you jealous because you see me getting along well with the old lady?” The grandmother also glanced at me. She had never been satisfied with me as her granddaughter’s husband, so she never had a good attitude towards me. She patted Mark’s hand: “Little Mark, don’t mind him. Push me out for a walk.” Mark shot me a smug look. I sighed and didn’t stop them anymore. When I went outside, I found Mark pushing the grandmother by the pool for a walk. Emma was playing with them nearby. I turned my head, not wanting to look anymore, but the next second, I heard a splash from the distance. Somehow, the grandmother had fallen into the pool. Mark was standing nearby, looking helpless. Without thinking, I quickly jumped in. The old lady was quite heavy, and due to drowning, she was struggling fiercely. I couldn’t pull her up alone. I quickly shouted at Mark to call for help. Only then did he react and find the house staff to help. After we rescued the old lady, they hurriedly sent her to the hospital. I was soaking wet, and no one paid any attention to me. At the hospital, Sarah was fuming: “Who pushed grandmother out there?!” Seeing me arrive, Mark pointed at me: “It was him! Sarah, I said we shouldn’t take the old lady out, but he wouldn’t listen!” Sarah looked at me with a furrowed brow: “Jason Carter, is what he’s saying true?” I was disgusted by Mark’s behavior and shook my head: “No, it wasn’t me.” But at that moment, Emma shouted: “Mommy, daddy is lying. It was him who pushed great-grandma out! If it wasn’t for him, great-grandma wouldn’t be hurt!” I looked at Emma in shock. I really didn’t expect that at a time like this, she would lie for Mark’s sake. I was more than a little disappointed in her. I wondered how this daughter, whom I had always taught to be honest and trustworthy, could become a child full of lies after knowing Mark for just half a year. I looked steadily at Sarah: “I didn’t do it. They’re lying. It was Mark who pushed the old lady out.” Mark’s eyes flashed with panic, but he still said: “Sarah, my leg is injured. How could I push the old lady? Jason, if you don’t like me, that’s fine, but why are you falsely accusing me?” With these words, Sarah immediately became furious. She walked over and slapped me across the face. “Jason Carter, I never thought you’d be so petty, and now you’re full of lies. You’d better pray that grandmother is okay, or I won’t let you off!” Mark looked at me, his eyes flashing with malice. “Sarah, if we don’t teach him a lesson, he’ll keep doing this. Why don’t you let me talk to him? I’ll make him understand what he should and shouldn’t do.” Just then, the grandmother woke up. Sarah hurried to check on her, agreeing without a second thought. Mark and I returned home together, and he shoved me into a room. Then he threw his dog in there too. I huddled in the corner while Mark stood at the door, smiling: “I heard you’re allergic to dog hair. Since Sarah left you with me, why don’t you enjoy this for a while?” With that, he closed the door. I shouted at Emma, who was by the door: “Emma, quick, open the door for daddy.” But Emma yelled back: “I won’t! You’re a bad daddy. You should be locked up!” “Uncle Mark, let’s go. Don’t bother with him.” “Okay.” Their voices gradually faded away. The room was left with just me and the dog. The dog bared its teeth, looking like it might pounce on me any second. I quickly ran to the window and opened it, trying to breathe in some fresh air. Then, as if sensing something, the dog kept coming closer to me. Red spots started appearing on my body again. This time, I didn’t have a single allergy pill with me. I was in such discomfort that I kept scratching, and in the midst of my movements, the dog suddenly lunged at me. I instinctively grabbed a nearby vase and hit it. The dog was struck on the head and fell to the ground, convulsing. The dog was dead. I took out my phone to call Sarah, wanting her to come back and open the door. Before I could speak, Sarah said coldly from the other end: “Jason Carter, thankfully grandmother is fine. You better reflect on your actions. Don’t call me again!” With that, she hung up. I looked at the ended call, forcing a smile. The door was locked from the outside and I couldn’t get out. The only option now was to jump from the window. It was only the second floor, which wasn’t a big deal for me. After jumping down, I found that Mark and Emma had disappeared somewhere. I returned to my own room, took the suitcase I had already packed, and took one last look at this home where I had lived for several years. I once thought this home was my warmest haven. I even thought that even without the $50 million, it would be okay because I had the person I loved. But now I realize that this home means nothing to me. I no longer lingered. I called headquarters: “The body can be placed now.” When Sarah returns home, all she’ll see is a “me” who died from a dog hair allergy.

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I never imagined my wife Olivia’s job as a sleep therapist would lead to such a shocking discovery. She helps insomniacs fall asleep through voice or video chat services. At first, I didn’t understand and thought the job was ridiculous. After all, I’m well-off enough that she doesn’t need to work. I tried to talk her out of it, but she got furious. She accused me of trying to hold back her career and insulting her dreams. Her parents are both teachers, and she was known as the ice queen back in college. I trusted her not to do anything inappropriate. I chalked it up to her pride and stopped questioning it. That is, until I came across a certain video… One evening, I was lounging on the couch scrolling through my phone as usual. As I was swiping, a video in a local group suddenly caught my eye – “Sexy Married Woman”. The video showed a couple getting intimate, even more explicit than what I normally watch. But their faces weren’t visible. It got me all hot and bothered. Too bad my wife wasn’t home. I left a comment saying the woman was such a tease. The screen was filled with flashes of pale skin as the camera shook violently. It was charged with desire and pheromones. The woman called out “Master” in a husky voice, clearly trying to please. That voice sounded exactly like my wife’s when she’s doing her sleep therapy sessions! It was uncanny how similar they were. My heart dropped. It felt like a knife was hanging over my head. I quickly brought the phone closer and listened over and over again. No way, it couldn’t be! My wife was supposed to be on a trip right now. I even paid for it myself. There are plenty of women with similar voices and bodies. Plus, videos online are often fake. My wife was never this wild in bed. But that voice kept pounding in my ears, stabbing at my nerves. I desperately tried to reassure myself. But another voice kept whispering: “What if?” I spent the next hour frantically examining the video. I slowed it down to a crawl, analyzing it frame by frame. My heart was racing as I stared at the screen. The image was still shaky, never revealing the woman’s face. Some details of her body were blurry too. But suddenly, a detail caught my eye like a sword piercing my heart. The woman’s hand lifted slightly. As she made a flirtatious gesture, I saw a flash of silver on her wrist. It was a silver bracelet, simple yet unique in design, with a soft, mellow glow. It was the custom gift I had made for our 5th wedding anniversary. It was her. Olivia. My wife of 5 years was cheating on me.

In that moment, my sanity crumbled. Every nerve felt like it was on fire. A deafening ringing in my ears made it impossible to think. Every inch of my anger was mixed with humiliation – I’d been made a cuckold! I scoured the video but still couldn’t make out the other man’s face. But the evidence of my wife’s infidelity was irrefutable. How else could I explain her wanton, debauched behavior in the video? That enthusiastic, frenzied performance. I had to find this man. I decided to start by contacting the person who posted the video. I created a new account and sent him a friend request. Luckily, he accepted quickly. To avoid suspicion, I pretended to be a sleazy guy thinking with his lower half. I eagerly asked: “Bro, where’d you get this video? It’s got me all worked up, I can’t take it.” He was silent for a few seconds, seemingly testing me: “Why do you want to know?” I could tell he was wary, so I gritted my teeth and sent a big cash gift, saying: “Come on man, this sexy lady’s got me going crazy. I can’t help myself, please!” After getting the money, he loosened up and became friendly: “Well since you’re so sincere, I’d hate to leave a brother hanging.” Then he sent me several more videos, each one more explicit and graphic than the last. The man and woman’s faces were still hidden, but the body, the movements… every detail confirmed it was my wife. My mind went blank, filled with endless humiliation. It felt like countless little people were mocking me. I felt both ridiculous and pathetic. In all our years of marriage, my wife had never been this passionate with me. She was always cold in bed, hardly ever initiating. Whenever I tried to initiate, she’d always say she was too tired or change the subject. Even when she agreed, she’d just lie there like a dead fish in our dark bedroom. I always thought she was just shy or not that interested in sex. But now, the truth before my eyes told me otherwise – she wasn’t frigid or reserved. She just couldn’t let loose with me. With another man, she could be this uninhibited, like a completely different person. I silently lit a cigarette, trying to calm myself down. Even though it was all hard to accept, the most important thing now was finding out who the other man was.

The man in the videos never showed his face, but I should be grateful my wife was only cheating with one guy. The only clue was a distinctive tattoo on the man’s arm in all the videos. I asked him: “Bro, how’d you get these videos?” He vaguely replied: “Special channels, don’t ask too many questions. Just enjoy, man.” I wanted to probe further, but he was clearly getting suspicious, his words guarded. I had to play dumb: “Next time you get good stuff like this, hook a brother up. I’ll make it worth your while.” I logged off and collapsed in my chair, completely drained. I decisively tossed my wedding ring in the trash. This marriage was over. No man could continue living under a cloud of infidelity like this. But before divorcing, there were some accounts to settle. All these years, I’d given my all to her and her family, never shortchanging them. I never imagined this is how she’d repay me. We met in college. She came from a poor family, both parents were teachers, and she had a good-for-nothing brother. Back then she was known as the campus ice queen. She’d even rejected the advances of a rich guy. That’s actually why I pursued her – I admired that she didn’t care about money. I thought an educated family would be easy to get along with. But on my first visit to her home, her mother immediately demanded a $40,000 bride price. The greed in her eyes made it seem like a business transaction, not marrying off a daughter. I hesitated, and her mom immediately changed her tune, kicking me out. She went on and on: “My daughter is highly educated and beautiful. We have suitors lined up. If you can’t afford the bride price, don’t waste her time.” I thought I was a decent catch – I had a car, an apartment, and a sizable inheritance from my parents. I assumed I’d be their ideal son-in-law. But reality slapped me in the face. Her mother’s greed made me want to back out. But then Olivia showed up at my place crying. The usually cold girl’s breakdown that day softened my heart. She said her mom didn’t mean it, that her dad had accidentally hit someone with his car recently and the victim was demanding $40,000. Their family just didn’t have the money. If I didn’t marry her, she’d have to marry some 40-year-old guy. Her tears made my heart ache, and I finally bit the bullet and paid the $40,000 bride price. But that $40,000 was just the beginning. After we got married, my mother-in-law and good-for-nothing brother-in-law kept finding excuses to borrow money from me. They said it was borrowing, but never paid back. And my brother-in-law was useless – drinking, gambling, whoring, he did it all. I was constantly cleaning up his messes. With no other choice, I arranged for him to work under me at my company. Better to keep an eye on him than let him cause trouble elsewhere. I’d had enough of this life long ago. But every time my wife would beg me with tears in her eyes, and I’d soften and give in. I admit I was whipped, but ultimately it was because I loved her and felt bad for her. Now, it was all going to end. I’d settle accounts for everything they owed me. I contacted a lawyer to draft divorce papers. Just as I finished, I heard the sound of a key in the front door. She was back.

As soon as the door opened, I smelled an unfamiliar perfume on her. Faint, but unmistakable. Like marking territory. I took her luggage from her. Feigning calm, I smiled and asked: “How was your trip?” I watched her face closely, looking for any trace of guilt or unease. Her eyes flickered for a moment. She mumbled a few vague words, not at all like someone just back from vacation. I remembered something she’d said before leaving: “Don’t worry about me, I’ll make sure to relax and enjoy myself.” Thinking back now, it was quite telling. I felt a wave of bitter mockery. I’d been so naive before, missing such obvious signs. I was already glowing green. While she was in the shower, I secretly went through her bag. Unsurprisingly, there was an opened box of condoms. Even though I was prepared, it was still hard to process. Next, I took out her phone. I scoured her contact list and chat history but found nothing suspicious. I hesitated for a moment, then tried switching accounts. Sure enough, there was a hidden account – her work account as a sleep therapist. This account had a contact pinned at the top labeled “Hubby”. I clicked to view his profile, but there were no photos. Clearly he was using an alternate account too. I frantically scrolled through their chat history, trying to figure out when they’d started hooking up. The filthy messages on screen were like knives stabbing my heart. I couldn’t believe these words came from my usually cold wife’s mouth. Every line felt like it was mocking me. “Be gentle tonight, you hurt me last time. I almost got caught.” “Good thing I pretended to be drunk, or we would’ve been busted.” “Next time let’s do something even more thrilling. Video call me while you’re next to your wife.” “Hehe, you’re so bad.” I nearly threw up. My blood was boiling, and it took all my willpower not to rush over and slap her. I vaguely recalled a night a few weeks back when my wife came home very late. Her hair was messy, her face flushed, her voice soft and breathy. She stumbled in and collapsed on top of me. I could feel she wasn’t wearing a bra, and I was secretly thrilled my wife was being so forward. But she pushed me away, saying she’d been drinking and felt awful. I rushed to make her a hangover soup, but by the time it was ready she’d fallen asleep. Now I realized how foolish I’d been. Olivia does her sleep therapy work every night. Who knew she was actually getting therapy in bed. I wanted to make this pair of adulterers pay. I kept searching her bag and found a bottle of lube. Damn, things must get pretty wild if they need that stuff. I dumped out the lube and replaced it with super glue. You like playing risky games? I’ll make sure you two are inseparable from now on. I quickly jotted down the man’s account info, but found this alternate account didn’t allow friend requests.

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When the true heiress returned, the whole family surrounded her, crying. Her body was covered in bruises, driven to bipolar disorder by my parents’ beatings. To take revenge, she deliberately smashed my gifts and tore my clothes. She even threw herself into the arms of thugs, falsely accusing me of drugging her. I hated her with every fiber of my being, until the day our house caught fire. She broke down the door and carried me out of the flames. But my brother, who had always favored me, reached out and pushed us both back into the inferno. Only then did I realize that he had been the one sowing discord between us all along. When I opened my eyes again, it was the first day of the true heiress’s homecoming. —- “Scarlett, I’m so sorry,” Chloe whispered as we lay trapped in the burning room, the flames closing in around us. As we faced our impending doom, pushed into the fire by my own brother, we finally set aside our differences and confessed the mistakes we had made. So many misunderstandings had led us to this tragic end. “If only we had tried to understand each other from the beginning,” Chloe said softly, “maybe we could have been real sisters.” The burning rafters collapsed, and a sharp piece of metal pierced my brain. In my final moments, I heard my mother’s voice, “Even if we bring Chloe back, we’ll still love you just as much, okay?” When I opened my eyes again, Mom was gently wiping away my tears, her eyes filled with guilt. Chloe? She wasn’t dead? I looked down at myself, realizing there were no flames. Somehow, I had traveled back in time to the day Chloe was brought back to our family. Seeing my troubled expression, Dad squeezed my hand reassuringly. “Come on, we’re going to pick up Chloe this afternoon. No more tantrums, alright?” In my previous life, I couldn’t accept that I wasn’t their biological daughter. I had thrown a huge fit with Mom and Dad. Blake, my brother, had taken advantage of the situation to drive a wedge between Chloe and me, deliberately provoking us both. Remembering all this, I wiped away my tears. “I want to go with you to pick up Chloe this afternoon!” Mom was surprised but smiled. “It’s a long way to that rural area. Why do you want to come?” “If the mix-up hadn’t happened, I would have been living her life. If you want me to accept Chloe, you should let me see how she’s been living with my own eyes.” Seeing my serious expression, Dad exchanged a glance with Mom. Then he laughed and patted my head. “That’s my girl. Alright, you can come with us.” Blake couldn’t make it back from his out-of-town job, so Mom and Dad took only me on the bumpy drive to the countryside. When we arrived at the village, there was only one narrow road for cars. Chloe stood at her front door, with Trisha and Derek – my biological parents – beside her. Trisha grinned widely when she saw our fancy car. “Sister, Chloe hasn’t suffered a bit with us. If you want to take her, you’ll need to compensate us properly.” Mom clearly didn’t want to linger. She took out an envelope of money and asked how much they wanted. “Not much, not much,” Derek said with a sleazy smile. “Just $80,000.” Mom’s hand paused. While that was a small sum for our family, it was an outrageous amount given the local living conditions. Even $20,000 would have been generous for raising a child here. But wanting to resolve things quickly, Mom just frowned slightly and continued reaching for the money. At that moment, I rushed forward and hugged Chloe tightly. She was covered in injuries and pushed me away in pain. Chloe pushed hard enough to make me fall onto the muddy ground with a thud. Everyone froze. The sleeve I had grabbed tore, revealing the skin underneath. Her body was covered in bruises, blue and purple, with fresh bloody wounds on her hands. Derek, realizing things were going south, angrily raised his hand to strike Chloe’s face. “You little brat! Can’t even do this one thing right. I’ve wasted all that food on you!” Chloe screamed and crouched down, covering her head. “Daddy, I’m sorry!” While everyone was still in shock, I rushed forward to shield Chloe with my body. Derek, in a rage, slapped me hard across the face. Just two blows were enough to make me cry from the pain. “Try touching my daughter again!” Dad roared, kicking Derek away just as he was about to land another blow. “It’s okay, sweetie. Mom will take you both to the hospital right away,” Mom said, pulling us close. I immediately buried my face in her embrace, crying and tattling. “Chloe’s hurt even worse! Her wounds are infected!” Mom cursed angrily, “And you dare ask for $80,000? Just wait, I’m calling the police right now!” “It’s a misunderstanding!” Trisha hurriedly tried to explain, but Mom shouted her down. “What misunderstanding? We saw it with our own eyes! You think you can take advantage of us?” After alerting the police, Mom immediately took Chloe and me to the hospital. The doctor said Chloe had severe bipolar disorder. In my previous life, Mom and Dad had brought Chloe straight home. I had run away in anger, meeting her later than Blake did. He had Chloe wear my new dress and deliberately invited my boyfriend over. When I came home to find them all getting along, I angrily flipped the table. Chloe, already on edge from coming home, had an episode due to my provocation. She tore the dress and smashed the tea set my boyfriend had brought for me. Mom, feeling guilty towards Chloe and not wanting to discipline her right away, had scolded me harshly and forced me to apologize to Chloe. That was when our enmity began. “Mom, we don’t have clothes for Chloe at home, right? I’ll go buy her some,” I said, deliberately choosing not to return home with Chloe, as Blake would have wanted. “Chloe, you can borrow my clothes when we get home. Everything except a few new pieces is fine to wear. If you’re not sure, just ask Blake.” Chloe, who had been wearing only a jacket since her clothes were torn, nodded gratefully at my thoughtfulness. Then I called Dominic. “Did Blake invite you over to our house?” “Yeah,” Dominic drawled. “He just hung up, and now you’re calling. What, eager to see me?” “Cut it out. Get over here quick, I’ll wait for you on the way.” In my past life, Dominic had warned me more than once to be wary of Blake, saying you can never truly know what’s in someone’s heart. But I thought we were family, and Blake had always looked out for me, so I hadn’t taken Dominic’s words seriously. Looking back now, I could see how calculated Blake’s every move had been. As soon as we opened the door at home, I saw Chloe arranging clothes as Blake had instructed, her bare back exposed by the dress facing the door. Leaving Dominic behind, I walked straight to Chloe and grabbed her wrist. “Who told you to wear this?” Seeing my anger, Blake’s lips curved into a smile. He thought I would argue with Chloe as he had planned, ultimately bringing Mom’s rebuke upon myself. But to his surprise, I took off my jacket and draped it over Chloe’s shoulders. Then I strode over to Blake. “Didn’t I tell you this was for my gala next week? With all those clothes, you just had to pick this one?” Blake’s smug expression froze. Before he could respond, Chloe played along, blinking innocently. “I said it looked expensive and refused several times, but Blake insisted. Scarlett, you should really scold him.” Taking the cue, I threw my bag onto the sofa in feigned anger. “What’s the meaning of this, Blake? You think I’m not good enough for this dress, so you have to make Chloe wear it?” Both girls stared at him with wide eyes. Realizing the situation was slipping out of his control, Blake quickly tried to explain. “Of course not,” he said seriously. “I just thought the dress was too revealing for the gala. I was planning to buy Scarlett a new one and let Chloe use this one for now.” I raised an eyebrow, studying him. “So where’s this new dress you bought?” Blake gritted his teeth and took out his phone, transferring me $1,000. As he looked up to speak again, I linked my arm with his. “Brother dear,” I said sweetly, “Chloe just came back and will be living and eating with me. Surely you don’t expect me to cover all the expenses?” Blake’s face darkened further. He had thought buying a dress would be enough, but now he was faced with another unexpected demand. “That’s right,” Dominic chimed in. “Didn’t you make a lot of money recently, Blake? Since Chloe just came back, you should give her at least $50,000 for living expenses. We wouldn’t want people thinking you look down on your sister from the countryside, would we?” The room fell silent. Blake turned his head to find my starry-eyed gaze on one side and Chloe’s pitiful, wronged expression on the other. In front of him, Dominic smiled provokingly. Forced into a corner, Blake could barely hold his phone steady. He let out a few dry laughs, but then he directly placed a bank card in my hand. “I see what’s going on. You’re all ganging up to test me,” he said, his brow furrowing for just a moment before he quickly hid his emotions. He pulled me into a hug. “Don’t worry, Scarlett and Chloe are both my precious sisters. If you need money, just say so. I’ve texted you the PIN. Take Chloe shopping for a phone and clothes, okay?” After hugging me, he gently patted Chloe’s head. These simple gestures were enough to dispel Chloe’s slight dissatisfaction, making her blush. “You’re not angry anymore, are you, Scarlett? I really didn’t mean any harm.” Seeing my frown, Blake apologized again with a face full of remorse. What an actor. I swallowed my disgust and gave him a sweet smile. The more someone acts like this, the more I want to see how ugly their death will be when they finally break. Because Chloe had grown up in the countryside, her education couldn’t compare to ours. Unfortunately, she couldn’t attend the same university as me. But she seemed to get along well at her school. She came home and told me about a boy in her class who was very nice to her. “His name is Adam. He saves seats for me and even stands up for me when others bully me.” I knew about this. He would go on to give her many luxury gifts and eventually confess his feelings. It was all arranged by Blake long ago. He knew Chloe came from the countryside with limited experience, and that a few small kindnesses could easily win her heart. He had specifically sent Adam to be by her side, slowly capturing her affections before tricking her into losing her virginity at a bar. Then he would blame it all on me. When it happened before, Mom had been furious, beating my legs with a stick. Dad was disappointed in me too, cutting off all my allowance and doting on Chloe even more. It was because of this incident that Chloe and I had completely fallen out in my past life. I was convinced she had orchestrated the whole sickening play to steal the love that should have been mine. But looking back now, it was clear that Blake had been the one to invite me to that bar. “You say Adam wants to invite you to a bar?” This time, I made sure to correct Chloe’s views on love early on, so she wasn’t head over heels for Adam. “Yeah, I’ve told him several times that I don’t really like those places, but he says there’s a gathering this time.” Chloe looked troubled. I chuckled softly and pulled her into my room. “Then go. I’ll come with you.” After helping her with her makeup, I instructed her, “I’ll be at the same bar. If anything happens, message me right away.” The place Adam invited Chloe to was a very seedy establishment, frequented by lowlifes. It was clearly the same group of people who had taken advantage of Chloe in my past life. Watching Chloe being plied with drink after drink, I messaged her to go to the bathroom. Then I switched clothes with her. Pretending to be drunk, I returned to the table. Because Chloe and I looked very similar and the bar was dimly lit, Adam didn’t notice anything amiss. “Chloe, stop drinking. Let me help you go rest,” Adam said, picking me up when I didn’t respond. The other thugs followed him upstairs. “This is the Task family’s little girl. I wonder how much her parents will pay to cover up this scandal.” “Bro! Stop talking and let’s get on with it. I can’t wait to taste her.” The moment I felt hands on my clothes, I grabbed Adam’s hand and broke his fingers. “You know I’m the Task family’s daughter and you still dare to try this?” Adam screamed in pain, finally realizing who I was. His face turned deathly pale. “Scarlett! Why are you here?!” Seeing my gleeful smile, he shouted even louder. “What are you waiting for? We’re in too deep now. Knock her out and let’s continue—” Before he could finish, I grabbed his head and smashed it against the wall. At that moment, the door creaked open. Dominic entered with the bar owner and ten bouncers, his face dark with anger. “Fuck! You guys—” Adam crawled up from the floor, his face covered in blood, and immediately noticed Dominic adjusting his ring. Dominic flexed his fingers. “You know there are no cameras here. Whatever happens, it’ll be your word against ours.” Compared to offending the Shao family, crossing the Task family suddenly seemed insignificant. Adam didn’t hesitate for a second. He wiped the blood from his nose and said ingratiatingly, “Mr. Shao, I was just drunk, you see.” “Oh?” Dominic’s voice grew heavier. Adam panicked and immediately sold out the mastermind. “It was all Blake’s idea! If it weren’t for him, I’d never dare mess with Miss Task!” Dominic smiled slightly and turned towards the door. “Well, Blake? What do you say?” While I was dealing with Adam, I had instructed Chloe to hide in a crowded corner. I told her to watch the entrance and start recording video as soon as Blake came in. Although she didn’t understand why I wanted her to do this, she obediently followed my instructions, honestly filming all of Blake’s actions as he entered the bar. This included footage of him slipping something into my bag. Blake gritted out a response. “Mr. Shao, you’ve misunderstood.” Adam hadn’t expected Blake to be there either. After a moment of shock, he shouted even louder. “It was you! You told me to get close to Chloe! You said if I could make her lose her virginity, you’d give me $100,000! Now you’re trying to pin all the blame on me?!” “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Blake raised his voice, his expression already showing signs of panic. Then he tried to look hurt and angry. “I’m so sorry, Chloe, Scarlett, that you had to go through this. I’ll have these lunatics arrested right away!” Adam became even more frantic. As the bouncers dragged him away, he kept shouting, “It was you! Blake, you’re trying to hurt your own sister. You’ll get what’s coming to you!” But I pretended not to hear, instead taking Blake’s hand with feigned innocence. “How could I ever doubt you, brother? Even though you suddenly messaged me to come to this bar and put something in my bag, I’m sure you’d never hurt me.” Blake’s smile was on the verge of collapse, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down repeatedly. “So,” I smiled even more brightly, “what exactly did you put in my bag, brother?” ———-This is the breakpoint———- It was a hormone-laden contraceptive pill that would cause physical reactions if taken in large quantities.

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My Sister Wants to Kill Me The moment my mother stepped forward to help my sister, I gave up struggling. Later, she underwent extensive plastic surgery to look exactly like me, sitting in my bedroom waiting for my husband to return. My parents hoped she would live happily ever after with my husband and enjoy a life of luxury. I laughed at their ignorance, not knowing how dangerous the man before them truly was. Today is the day Alexander Thorne returns from his business trip abroad. He’s been gone for over two months, and I’ve been dead for a week. My sister Natalie Reed nervously stands up when she sees Alexander enter the room. “Alex, have you had dinner? I asked the cook to make your favorite pumpkin soup.” This should be their first time meeting. Yet Alexander doesn’t seem to notice his wife has been replaced. I have to admit, Natalie did an impressive job of making herself look exactly like me from head to toe. Alexander hands his suitcase to the servant and rubs his temples. “I’ll have a bowl.” Natalie smiles softly, perfectly mimicking my mannerisms from the secretly recorded videos. She follows Alexander into the dining room. “Mrs. Wilson, please bring a bowl of pumpkin soup for Mr. Thorne.” Alexander turns and glances at Natalie when he hears this. We have many servants, but I’m still in the habit of doing many things myself. After all, I don’t have much else to do at home. Even though I’ve been in the city for almost two years, I’m still not comfortable ordering people around. Before marrying Alexander, I always lived in my hometown. Originally, Natalie was supposed to marry Alexander. The Thorne and Reed families used to be close for generations. The Thornes were the second most powerful family in the city, with no one daring to claim first place. The grandfathers of both families saw that they had a grandson and granddaughter of the right age, so they arranged a marriage between them. Twenty years ago, after both grandfathers passed away, the Thorne family fell victim to business sabotage. Alexander’s father brought up the marriage agreement again, hoping the Reed family would help save them. But by then, my father had already been won over by other powerful families. He decided to take advantage of the situation to carve up the Thorne empire, no longer caring about their past friendship. The Thorne Group went bankrupt. Alexander’s father died of depression, and his mother disappeared from the city with her son and the butler. Two years ago, Alexander returned from abroad with the Cloud Summit Group, devastating several major powers in the city. Not a single person who had taken advantage of the Thorne family’s downfall back then escaped. They either ended up drowning in debt with no way to recover, or were caught for their crimes and sent to prison. Family ruin became the norm. People in the business world were relieved this was happening domestically. They had heard rumors about how ruthless Alexander could be in less regulated foreign markets. When the Reed Group was on the brink of bankruptcy, my father remembered the old marriage agreement. Natalie was afraid Alexander would torture her to death out of revenge, so she cried and made a scene at home, insisting that I return from our hometown to marry him in her place. Business families tend to be somewhat superstitious, and my father was especially so. On the day Natalie was born, my father successfully signed a major deal that elevated the Reed Group to new heights. But on the day I was born, a project he had just acquired ran into problems, and the Reed Group lost half its assets. He firmly believed Natalie brought him good fortune, while I brought him misfortune. If it weren’t for my grandfather using his last dying breath to protect me, I probably would have been drowned in a chamber pot as an infant. So my father told everyone I was sickly and sent abroad to recuperate. In reality, I was abandoned in the countryside and randomly given to a blind widow surnamed Mendez to raise. My sister was named Natalie, with our parents wishing her peace and health. I was named Evelyn, with my father hoping for my early demise so I wouldn’t affect the Reed family’s fortunes. My grandmother felt sorry for me and secretly changed my name to Evelyn when registering me. Though I escaped an early death, I still ended up dying in the prime of my youth.

Natalie snapped back to reality and said softly, “I’ve been feeling dizzy these past couple days. I’m afraid I might drop the bowl.” Alexander stared at her intently for a few moments. I saw a flash of panic in Natalie’s eyes. How ironic. That night when she stabbed my heart with a dagger, she was so afraid I wouldn’t die that she even twisted it a few times to make sure. Natalie nervously changed her words, “I’ll go get it for you.” Alexander looked away and walked towards the dining room. “No need. If you’re not feeling well, get more rest.” I was stunned for a moment. In our two years of marriage, I had never heard him tell me to rest more. Now that I’m dead, I finally hear these rare words of concern. It’s also strange – my weak constitution that had plagued me since childhood rarely bothered me after those first few months in the Thorne household. I was hardly ever unwell in the past year. After all, we had shared a bed for two years. I gathered my courage and floated to his ear, calling his name. I wanted to ask him to go to the Reed house and bring me back. My grandmother had passed away. There was no one left in this world that I cared about. Although I died with regrets, living had also felt tiring. The freezer was too cold. I had always been prone to chills. I wanted to find a sunny place to stay. Besides, when I died, I heard them planning to cut me open to make it easier to dispose of my body in pieces later. Just hearing about it terrified me. If I was going to end up dismembered, I would have rather been drowned as a baby. At least then I could have kept my body intact. Even being cremated would be better – at least I would be whole when I died. Unfortunately, he had no reaction at all. He simply picked up his bowl and started eating. “I heard you’ve been going out a lot recently?” Hearing his question, my eyes lit up. Other than the Reed family, I didn’t know anyone else in the city. On my wedding day, my parents had told me that if I didn’t want my grandmother to run out of money for medical treatment, I should do my best to please Alexander. As long as the Reed Group remained stable, my grandmother’s medication would never stop. They said a married daughter was like spilled water – I shouldn’t come back in the future. So after marrying into the Thorne family, apart from occasional trips to the supermarket or walks, I hardly had any contact with the outside world. No wonder Alexander found it strange. Natalie obediently replied, “The weather has been changing a lot lately between morning and evening. My parents both got sick, so I went back to check on them.” At the mention of our parents, I was reminded of the scene when she tried to kill me. I had fought back desperately to protect myself. My mother, worried I would hurt Natalie, rushed forward with my father to pin me down. In that moment, I suddenly lost all strength in my body and allowed the dagger to pierce my heart. Alexander didn’t say anything, only responding flatly, “It must be boring staying at home all the time. It’s good to go out for a change.” I felt somewhat discouraged. How could someone as cautious and suspicious as Alexander not notice anything amiss? He even said things he had never said to me before. On our wedding day, my parents had smiled ingratiatingly at Alexander. They said my marriage to the Thorne family was to atone for the Reed family’s sins. He could take out his anger on me however he wanted. I would endure any beating or scolding – my life and death were in his hands. The Reed family would not object. Alexander didn’t actually use me as a punching bag, but he didn’t seem to like going out. So apart from our activities in bed, we hardly had any other interaction in our daily lives. After finishing the soup, they returned to the bedroom together. Natalie sat on the bed expectantly, watching Alexander finish washing up. Alexander leaned down towards her. His phone rang. After hanging up, he started changing clothes. I wasn’t surprised. He was most likely going to the company to deal with an urgent matter. A flash of dissatisfaction appeared on Natalie’s face, but she quickly replaced it with a smile when Alexander turned his head. “Your perfume is too strong. It was better before.” Natalie stared at Alexander’s retreating back in confusion, then quickly raised her arm to sniff. She found she couldn’t smell anything.

Natalie hurriedly called Mrs. Wilson to the bedroom. “Mrs. Wilson, can you smell any perfume on me?” Mrs. Wilson leaned in and sniffed Natalie’s arm and neck. “I don’t smell anything, just a bit of shampoo scent in your hair.” Natalie frowned, pacing back and forth before asking, “When you used to serve that dead girl, what did she smell like?” Mrs. Wilson thought for a moment. “I don’t think she had any particular scent. That poor thing didn’t know how to enjoy life. She had a whole cabinet full of perfumes but I never saw her use any. She didn’t have any feminine fragrance at all!” Mrs. Wilson was sent to the Thorne house by my mother six months ago. She said since I still hadn’t gotten pregnant, she was sending Mrs. Wilson, who was skilled at making medicinal dishes, to help improve my health. The change in the Reed family’s attitude towards me had made me happy for quite a while. Even though Mrs. Wilson never actually cooked a meal for me after she arrived, it still made me hopeful about my parents’ love. But later I realized that from the moment Mrs. Wilson appeared before me, it was the first step in the Reed family’s plan to help Natalie replace me. Mrs. Wilson came to the Thorne house to observe my living habits and secretly record videos for Natalie to imitate me. Hearing Mrs. Wilson’s mockery of me, Natalie’s lips curled into a smile. “Not only was she poor, she was also short-lived.” Mrs. Wilson looked confused. “Short-lived?” Natalie’s smile froze on her face, but she quickly recited her prepared lines, “She was always very weak. The old widow who took care of her was always saying she needed to take her to the doctor, hoping our parents would give more living expenses.” “All they did was ask our family for money. It was just a beggar raising another beggar! You could tell that dead girl had never seen the world. She did everything herself, which made it awkward for me to order the servants around.” I angrily rushed over and tried to punch and kick her, but my fists and feet passed right through her body with no effect. The Reed family only gave money for those first few years. They never gave another cent after that. It was all my grandmother scraping by collecting recyclables to provide for my food and clothing. When they needed someone to take my place, that’s when they finally remembered me. Mrs. Wilson started giving Natalie advice, “Why don’t you wash your hair a few more times with the shampoo in the bathroom? Maybe the scent from the shampoo you used at home hasn’t completely faded yet.” “Evelyn Reed didn’t care about these things. She just used whatever the Thorne household provided. She wasn’t as particular as you.” Natalie pressed her lips together in annoyance. “I’ve been using it every day! How has it not washed out yet? I’ll wash it again later.” After sending Mrs. Wilson away, Natalie made a phone call. “Master Shen, have you contained Evelyn Reed’s wandering soul like I asked?” I leaned in close to the phone to hear the response. “Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ve used my magic to trap her soul on the spirit altar. She doesn’t even have a chance at reincarnation!” Spirit altar… yeah right. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as I floated around the room a few times. Although I don’t know why I’m bound to stay by her side, a truly capable master wouldn’t speak so obsequiously. He’s clearly just afraid of losing business.

Alexander didn’t return home for several days. Natalie waited until 8 PM. Looking at the table full of his favorite dishes, I licked my lips. To say Alexander and I had nothing in common wasn’t entirely accurate. When it came to food, our tastes were surprisingly similar. Natalie ate some vegetables and a piece of meat before putting down her chopsticks. She had always been very strict about managing her figure. Her total daily food intake was barely equivalent to one of my meals. Not only did she have specific requirements for cooking methods, she also strictly controlled her last meal of the day to be before 6 PM. My grandmother used to say being able to eat was a blessing, so I never deprived myself. Mrs. Zhang’s mouth-watering chicken was first-class! Just looking at it made my mouth water. I had to say Natalie was missing out. Alexander also stopped eating and looked at Natalie. “The food doesn’t suit your taste?” Natalie smiled serenely. “I haven’t had much of an appetite lately.” Alexander stared at her for a good while before saying, “The butler said your appetite was even better than usual while I was abroad. How come you suddenly can’t eat now that I’m back?” Natalie looked at Alexander’s expressionless face and shook her head repeatedly. “My appetite hasn’t been good these past few days. I might have caught a summer cold.” Alexander lowered his gaze. After a moment, he said, “First dizziness, now loss of appetite. I’ll take you for a check-up tomorrow.” Natalie instinctively wanted to refuse, but ended up smiling and agreeing. I knew she thought as long as they didn’t go to the plastic surgery department for an examination, she had nothing to fear. After all, only the three of them knew about my disappearance.

The Cloud Summit Group owns a hospital. I used to come here when I was sick to avoid spending money, conveniently charging it to Alexander’s account. The fact that Alexander was accompanying Natalie for the check-up nearly made my jaw drop. The hospital director handed the report to Alexander, saying, “Mr. Thorne, this is the full body examination report. Mrs. Thorne is in very good health.” “I remember when she came for her first check-up two years ago, her body was lacking in various vitamins. But this examination shows that problem is gone now. It seems the madam has been taking her supplements regularly.” Back then, I had just married into the family and was falling ill every few days. The director had suggested I get a full body check-up. My poor health was due to malnutrition. The hospital had prescribed a bunch of supplements to improve my constitution. But medicine is partly toxic, so after taking them for half a year and feeling much better, I stopped continuing. I wasn’t sure if the medicine actually worked, since they were now examining the well-fed Natalie. Alexander took the report and flipped through it casually. His hand suddenly paused on one page. Just as I was about to float over to take a peek, he quickly flipped to the back. After finishing, he asked, “Aren’t these recent symptoms typical of pregnancy?” I nearly choked on my saliva. Although his suspicion wasn’t directed at me, he knew I took contraceptives after every time. Besides, with my issues of cold constitution and weak blood, how could I possibly get pregnant? The director shook his head. “The weather has been hot lately. Many people are suffering from summer heat exhaustion. I’ve prescribed some Huoxiang Zhengqi water. Mrs. Thorne should feel better after drinking one box.” Alexander lowered his eyes, looking at the report in his hands without saying anything.

Meanwhile, Natalie saw Alexander talking to the director and felt a bit uneasy. She hurried over with the medicine the nurse had retrieved, interrupting, “Alex, is there something wrong with my health?” The director repeated what he had just said. Natalie relaxed upon hearing this. Just then, Natalie received a call from the Reed family asking her to come home for dinner. Seeing this, Alexander said he would accompany her. I floated along and got in the car with them. Since Alexander’s return this time, I felt his attitude towards Natalie impersonating me was a bit strange. For such a businessman who never did anything without profit, I couldn’t help but suspect he had some other motive. This was Alexander’s first time visiting the Reed house. My parents’ faces lit up with joy when they saw him. Their tone was full of fawning and flattery. As they sat in the living room, I was bound to stay within Natalie’s vicinity and couldn’t go too far. My mother held Natalie’s hand, examining her closely while quietly asking if she was eating well at the Thorne house and how she was sleeping. I didn’t want to watch her doting on Natalie. My gaze kept drifting towards the storage room in the backyard of the villa. That day, they had given all the household staff time off. After luring me there to kill me, they directly hid me in the freezer they had prepared in advance. I wanted to go see if I was still there. It was rare for Alexander to visit. If only he could take me away with him. At this moment, my mother gave my father a look. He immediately made an excuse to take Alexander to the study for tea and chess. I followed the mother and daughter to the bedroom. My mother spoke in a low, grave voice, “Your father and I cut that girl into pieces last night.”

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My 10-year-old son reported me for watching obscene videos. He pointed at me angrily and said, “Mom’s life with you must be miserable!” What he didn’t know was that this video was captured by the hidden camera I had installed in the bedroom. The pixelated protagonists were my wife and her lover. After the police arrived, my wife also rushed home. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she said, “Honey, I never thought you were this kind of person!” I let out a cold laugh and said, “Since the police are here, let’s talk about the divorce.” “Dad, why are you watching this kind of video?!” A voice suddenly sounded behind me, and I whipped my head around. Ten-year-old Liam glared at me angrily, “If I hadn’t snuck in quietly, I wouldn’t have known you were watching this kind of video!” I quickly closed the video and was about to explain, but he took out his phone and dialed 911 right in front of me. “Son, you’ve misunderstood. It’s not what you think.” He gritted his teeth and said, “Mom’s life with you must be miserable!” Hearing these words, I felt as if I had fallen into an icy pit. Aria and I had known each other for three years and been married for twelve. From the beginning, we had agreed to be a DINK (Double Income, No Kids) family. It wasn’t until her belly gradually swelled that she came clean with me. “Honey, I’m sorry. I changed my mind. I want to have a child of my own, so I… tampered with the protection.” When both sets of parents found out about this news, they all pressured me to keep the child. After Liam was born, I slowly began to experience the feeling of being a parent. For this son, I can say I held nothing back. Now, he wouldn’t even give me a chance to explain. Seeing this scene, besides anger at my wife’s infidelity, I felt more heartbroken. “Ding dong—” The doorbell rang abruptly. Liam hurried to open the door and pointed at me angrily, “Officer, I want to report my dad for watching that kind of video!” The two police officers who came looked at me and said, “As a parent, you’re not setting a good example for your child. Instead, you’re making the child warn you.” Before I could speak, Aria rushed home in a hurry. Seeing her return, Liam went forward and hugged her arm, “Mom, Dad was secretly watching that kind of video!” Aria looked at me with disappointment all over her face, “Honey, have I not been good enough that you had to watch those videos?” She’s such a good actress! When we first got together, Aria told me she liked buying bags. She said she wanted to fill a whole closet with bags. To fulfill her wish, I worked like crazy. My colleagues joked that I was working harder than a workhorse. After Liam was born, I quit my stable job against my parents’ wishes and started a business with a friend. In the early stages of the startup, we had cash flow problems. Aria sent me a link to a handbag. [Honey, I want this.] I tried to appease her: [Once this project is secured, I’ll buy it for you.] [Caleb Frost, you can’t even afford a bag. You’re so useless!] That night, to secure the project, I drank with the client bottle after bottle until I was nauseous and vomiting. When I finally bought that bag, wanting to surprise her, she didn’t even glance at it. She said, “That bag is already out of style. Honey, I want this one. I know you’re so good, you’ll definitely buy it for me.” Only when I bought bags for Aria would she say such sweet words to me. They were the most insincere words, but I had been fooled by her for so many years. Thinking of this, I trembled with anger. “Officer, please check my dad’s phone quickly.” Liam urged from the side. I laughed coldly and said, “Aria Sinclair, do you think I should let the police see the video?”

In all these years of marriage, I had rarely called her by her name. Aria looked at me coldly, a hint of mockery at the corner of her mouth. “Caleb Frost, you dare to do it but not admit it? Did I make you watch that kind of video?” Since she said that, I didn’t need to consider her face anymore. “Officers, there’s a child here. Why don’t we move to the bedroom?” Aria muttered, “You didn’t think about the child when you were watching it.” At that time, I was so overwhelmed with anger that I hadn’t noticed Liam coming in and opening the door. As soon as we entered the bedroom, Aria crossed her arms and said in a disgusted tone, “Caleb Frost, you watch these videos behind my back. Have you also been seeing other women behind my back?” I was stunned for a few seconds, not expecting her to turn the tables on me. Originally, I had pixelated the faces of Aria and her lover out of consideration for our marriage. Now it seemed there was no need for that at all. I opened the computer and asked Aria again, “Are you sure you want me to play it?” She frowned impatiently, “You’re so indecisive. How did I ever fall for a man like you!” I smiled and clicked play. The moment the faces appeared, Aria lunged forward like a madwoman to shut off the computer. The two police officers beside us were at a loss for words, “What’s going on here?” I looked at the guilty-looking Aria and slowly said, “What I was watching wasn’t obscene videos, but videos of my wife cheating with another man.” As soon as I finished speaking, Aria screamed, “Caleb Frost, shut up!” I spoke calmly, “Since the police are here, let’s talk about the divorce.” “Divorce?! You want to divorce me?” Aria looked at me in disbelief. When I first got together with Aria, I would rush to do part-time jobs after work. I finally bought her the bag she had always wanted but couldn’t afford. The moment she got the bag, she looked at it in disbelief, “This bag is so expensive, can it be returned?” At that time, I only thought her expression was cute and wanted to be even better to her. Now I just felt utterly disgusted. The two police officers were caught in the middle and looked a bit uncomfortable, “This is a family matter between you two. Try not to say these things in front of the child.” Seeing the police leave, Liam looked confused, “Mom, why wasn’t Dad arrested?” Aria glared at me fiercely, “Son, if Dad and Mom get divorced, who do you want to live with?” Without thinking, Liam blurted out, “Of course with Mom!” Hearing this answer, Aria seemed to have gained the upper hand. I only asked one question, “Do you like him?” Hearing this, Aria’s face turned shy, “Jasper is a thousand times better than you. What can you do besides give me money?” I was almost laughed with anger. If I didn’t work, who would support the daily expenses of this family? Which of Aria’s bags didn’t start at over a thousand dollars? Which of Liam’s school fees, extracurricular classes, and tuition fees didn’t start at over ten thousand? I took a deep breath, “Let’s get divorced. You leave with nothing.” “What?!” Aria shrieked, “Caleb Frost, what gives you the right to make me leave with nothing?” I sneered, “Aria Sinclair, you cheated first. Since you don’t want my money and only want that man’s love, I’ll grant your wish.” Aria was speechless for a moment, “Fine, let’s divorce. Caleb Frost, don’t regret it!” Seeing Aria and me at daggers drawn, Liam actually reached out to push me. “Don’t bully my mom!” At this moment, something broke in my heart. As a man, not only had my wife cheated, but my son didn’t understand me either. The happy family I had always believed in was nothing but an illusion. After saying this, Aria ran to the bedroom to pack her things. I watched her stuffing those bags into her suitcase, afraid of leaving even one behind. Take them, take as many as you can. The more you take now, the more you’ll have to return.

Not long after Aria left with Liam, my parents called. As soon as I answered, my mom started persuading me, “Caleb, Aria brought Liam to our place. There’s no grudge between husband and wife that can’t be resolved overnight. Just talk it out.” I was a bit surprised. She didn’t go to find that lover Jasper but went to my parents instead. I spoke firmly, “Mom, we must get divorced. Aria admitted herself that she only loves my money, not me as a person.” “Caleb Frost, you’re talking nonsense!” Aria’s voice came through the receiver, “Caleb Frost, are you even a man? I ruined my figure to give you a child, and it hasn’t even recovered properly yet!” Back when Aria was pregnant with Liam, she had severe morning sickness. I saw it with my own eyes and felt the pain in my heart. As long as she said a word, I never said no. In the middle of the night, if she wanted grapes, even if it was pouring rain outside, I would brave the storm to go from door to door looking for them. But what did I get in return? “Aria Sinclair, don’t forget I have the video.” After saying this, I heard my mom’s voice on the other end of the phone. “Aria, wake up!” I hung up the phone and found a reliable lawyer through a contact. Aria had cheated during our marriage, so the marital property should be equally divided, but personal property couldn’t be divided by the other party. After marrying me, Aria became a full-time housewife. In all these years, I could count on my fingers the number of times she cooked. Sometimes when I came home late from business dinners, she would look at me with disgust, “You stink of alcohol. You’re not allowed in the bedroom tonight!” She was used to enjoying life without working for it, used to being pampered. Well, the taste of hitting rock bottom would surely be unforgettable for her. The next day, when I went to get the divorce agreement, I received a call from Aria’s mother. “Caleb Frost, you’ve upset Aria so much she’s in the hospital. If you’re still a man, come to the hospital and see her!” Of course I would go. This good show couldn’t go on without me. I slowly walked into the hospital room. Aria was leaning against the headboard, surrounded by three elders, looking pale. Seeing me arrive, my mom came over and reproached me, “Caleb, quickly apologize to Aria.” Mrs. Sinclair looked at me with hatred in her eyes. I let out a light sneer, “I’ve already drafted the divorce agreement.” Mrs. Sinclair snatched it first, and when she saw the property division, she shouted at the top of her lungs, “Caleb Frost, you’re not human! How dare you make Aria leave with nothing!” “Leave with nothing?” My mom frowned slightly, “Caleb, what exactly happened between you and Aria?” I looked coldly at Aria, “You won’t say it? Do you want me to show them the video?” Aria’s lips quivered, “I’m pregnant.” This sentence was like a stone thrown into a calm lake. Mrs. Sinclair seemed to have found her backbone and started questioning me, “You, Caleb Frost! Aria is pregnant with your child, and this is how you treat her? Are you even human?!” My parents also joined in. “Caleb, pregnancy is no small matter. Your father and I have also quarreled for so many years.” “You said you wanted to be childless before. If it weren’t for Aria, we wouldn’t have a grandson. You can’t divorce.” No wonder Aria went to my parents first. So this was what she was waiting for. I took out my phone, found the video, and prepared to play it. Afraid my parents would be shocked, I planned to just let them hear the audio. The next second, Aria said, “I’m pregnant, but the child isn’t Caleb’s.” [Truncation point] “Aria, what are you saying!” Mrs. Sinclair pushed Aria, “If the child isn’t Caleb’s, whose could it be?”

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After fourteen years of marriage, Liam betrayed me. I was pushed down the stairs by his mistress and died. Then, I was reborn eighteen years in the past. In a small alley, Liam was being trampled in dirty water by some thugs. Seeing me pass by, he begged for my help. Liam had an affair. When I found out, I was holding a pregnancy test with two lines. I had accompanied him step by step from the bottom to the top. In our toughest times, we only had ten dollars in our pockets. On the day he proposed, he swore to the heavens that if he ever betrayed me, he would find a cliff and jump off. On our wedding day, Liam cried like a child, saying how fortunate he was to have me as his companion. Fourteen years of marriage, two seven-year itches. In the photo, the child was smiling brightly. Liam was holding him, his eyes gentle. Everything was as I had imagined. Except the main character wasn’t me. When I was young, I traveled frequently for work, which damaged my health. For this child, I took countless medicines and injections. When the pain was unbearable, Liam would hold me, his eyes full of concern, telling me over and over: “We don’t need a child, I only need you.” But at that time, I always thought love could overcome all difficulties. I never imagined this day would come. Out of a woman’s intuition, I checked his suit. On the collar of the suit, there was a barely visible lipstick mark. I held the suit, stunned for a long time. Actually, there had been signs all along, but I never thought Liam would betray me, so I subconsciously ignored them. In a daze, I heard a voice behind me. “Nora, I have a dinner tonight. You should go to bed early.” Liam quickly kissed my forehead, took the suit from my hands, and hurriedly left. I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but the door had already closed. I only heard the sound of the car engine. It seemed that this had become the norm between us for some time now. Once, we had endless topics to talk about. Now, when we face each other, there’s only silence. The next day, I went to the company alone. The company was called Promise, named after me, Nora. The receptionist had changed, and they didn’t recognize me anymore. They asked for my appointment number in a businesslike manner. After some awkwardness, an old employee of the company saw me and took me upstairs. The office door wasn’t closed. The new secretary was helping Liam tie his tie. The young girl wasn’t very old and seemed clumsy while tying the knot. Liam didn’t mind, just lowered his head and looked at her with a smile. I was lost in thought, remembering when the company was just starting and urgently needed funding. We spent all our savings to buy Liam’s first suit. Back then, I was just as clumsy tying his tie, and Liam would look at me with the same gentle smile. I got annoyed and pulled the tie too tight, making him yelp. It all seemed so close, yet it had been over a decade. When did things change? I pushed the door open with a creak. Liam looked up and saw me, seeming a bit flustered: “Nora, why did you come to the company today?” “No reason, I just missed you,” I said softly, stepping forward to carefully tie his tie. He wanted to say more, but his team was calling him for a meeting. Before leaving, Liam specially turned up the air conditioning and prepared a blanket and snacks for me. He was so thoughtful, he loved me, but this didn’t prevent him from having an affair. The young girl was more impatient than I had imagined. Liam had barely left when she started probing me intentionally. I just leaned back on the sofa, looking at her carefully. When we first got together, I joked with Liam: If he ever had an affair in the future, he must bring the person to me so I could check them out. I never thought this joke would come true. He broke his vow, and now I wanted to see. The young girl’s features were somewhat similar to my younger self – the same big eyes, a bun hairstyle, with an air of innocence. I touched the fine lines around my eyes, feeling a bit sentimental. The young girl was young and impetuous, her tone becoming aggressive. She was young and didn’t know that in the circle of wealthy wives, there were many ways to torment people without making a sound. But I didn’t bother to do that. At this moment, I only felt utterly exhausted. I regretted coming here today. It all felt so pointless.

As I turned to leave, she grabbed my arm. I had no intention of tangling with her, but as we struggled, we had already reached the stairway. She flashed an extremely innocent smile. Before I could react, we both fell. As we fell together, I saw Liam grab the other person’s hand. I tumbled down the stairs heavily. I tried to protect my abdomen, but it was all in vain. Something was flowing out of my body, blood everywhere. Liam stumbled down the stairs after me, holding me in panic like a child, no longer showing any of his usual calm composure: “Nora, ambulance, Nora, please don’t sleep, ambulance” I gradually lost consciousness. When I woke up again, I was back to when I was 18 years old. In a small alley, on a rainy day, a young man was being pushed into a puddle of dirty water. I looked over belatedly and met Liam’s eyes. His eyes were full of hatred and unwillingness, like a wolf cub. This was my first meeting with Liam. Later, when we talked about this first encounter, Liam would always look at me with tender eyes: “You were clearly terrified, but you still trembled as you stood in front of me.” “I thought then, how could there be such a foolish person in this world!” I would get annoyed and try to hit him, and he would just look at me with a smile as I fussed. But at this moment, I stared steadily at the young man lying injured on the ground. “If you don’t want to die, get lost,” the thug with dyed hair said menacingly, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. I took the lollipop out of my mouth and asked calmly: “Can I watch? I’ve never seen someone being beaten up before.” The man seemed a bit surprised, looked at me, and laughed: “Interested?” I nodded, and he had his men throw Liam back into the mud puddle, tormenting him over and over. Liam lay on the ground like a lifeless object. I just watched expressionlessly. I had originally thought I might get some satisfaction from this. But there was nothing – no excitement, no sadness, no anger, like an ancient well that had been still for ten thousand years. I shrugged, “Boring,” and turned to leave. Behind me, Liam’s suppressed cries of pain continued. But all of this had nothing to do with me anymore. If the story had developed as before, Liam would have originally chosen me as his deskmate. And thus began our ill-fated relationship. But now… I looked up at Liam who was entering the classroom door. The young man was thin, wearing a slightly yellowed school uniform. Backlit by the sun, his expression was unclear. At this moment, he was leaning against the podium with his hands in his pockets, looking at me with a half-smile. I lowered my head and continued to focus on the problems on the paper. The questions weren’t difficult, but it still took some time to pick it up again after so long. A loud thud sounded beside me as Liam dropped his desk next to mine. He spoke in a mocking tone, arms crossed: “Hello, new deskmate.” I glanced at him indifferently, not wanting to engage. But he persisted, seeming determined to get to the bottom of that day’s incident. Annoyed by his questions, I finally replied: “There’s no reason. I just don’t like you.” “Why don’t you like me?” I slammed my pen on the desk and glared at him fiercely: “Phoenix eyes, passionate; thin lips, fickle; thick eyebrows, promiscuous.” “I’ve studied physiognomy. You’re naturally a heartless, unfaithful person. I can’t stand it, okay?” Liam was clearly stunned for a moment. When he tried to speak again, I had already put on my earphones. But my heart was in turmoil. I wasn’t as indifferent as I thought I was. After being together for over a decade, Liam’s betrayal had left a hole in my heart, filled with nothing but pitch-black hatred. But the 18-year-old Liam knew nothing of this. The young Liam had a vindictive personality. He resented me for laughing at him that day, so he started opposing me in everything. Young people have their own ways of tormenting others, yet leaving no evidence. He knew I was terrified of insects, so he would catch them and hide them in corners. When the insects crawled out during class, I would be on edge the whole time. At those times, Liam’s phoenix eyes would be full of mirth, taking pleasure in my panic and distress.

He still hung out with those thugs from outside school, his brow bone still bruised. I heard that he had beaten those guys who bullied him very badly, breaking several of their ribs and costing a lot in compensation. Liam’s parents had divorced when he was young. He was given to his mother, who had remarried and had a new child, so no one really cared about him. He was never one to follow rules, and not wanting to go home, he often wandered outside. Moreover, his stepfather liked to get violent when drunk, which was why Liam’s face was often bruised. Liam was very resistant to this part of his past. Even after being together for over a decade, I still knew very little about it. The young Liam was actually a very difficult person to get along with, solitary and obsessive. The teachers treated him like an invisible person, assuming he would just fend for himself. Back then, as class monitor, I was too responsible and always thought I could save everyone. I talked to Liam over and over, trying to open up his tightly locked heart. And after learning about his family situation, I tried to help him every day. I told him the world outside was vast, and this small county town shouldn’t trap us for life. I shared my dreams with him, gazed at the starry sky together, telling him that even in darkness, we should look up at the stars. Every day I was like a broken record in his ear, talking and talking until he got annoyed and coldly asked if I knew no shame. After hitting so many walls, I privately swore several times that I wouldn’t bother with him anymore, but I still kept trying. Finally one day he opened a book. Liam was very smart, and after finding something he liked in books, his grades started to improve rapidly. Later Liam said it was me who saved him from the mire. Starting over this time, I just wanted to watch how he would rot and stink in the mud. When the midterm exam results came out, Liam was still undisputedly in last place. Liam and I both used the college entrance exam as a springboard to reach places we had never imagined before. But now, how fate would develop, I no longer knew. Liam had disappeared after the midterm exam results came out. As class monitor, the teacher asked me to go to his home to inquire about the situation. I had originally planned to go after school, but I was delayed by a problem, so it was already getting dark when I went. His house wasn’t far from mine, on the edge of the village, with its own small courtyard. I really didn’t want to make this trip, just going through the motions. After a long time, I reached the door and was about to knock when I heard the sound of things crashing inside, and also… Listening carefully, I heard Liam’s whimpers. I quickly found a corner to hide myself and peeked through the cracks in the door. A middle-aged man, reeking of alcohol, red-faced, was beating Liam with a stick, not holding back. He was muttering something, getting angrier and angrier, hitting harder and harder. In the end, he even tried to strangle Liam. Liam struggled desperately. At 18, the young man already had some strength, and for a moment the man couldn’t subdue him. The man became enraged and shouted something. A middle-aged woman ran out from the inner room. Though older, you could tell she had been a beauty when young. Liam’s eyes were very much like hers. “Hold him down.” The man had completely lost his reason, his eyes full of bloodshot. The woman hesitated, her body trembling constantly, but she still went forward. The moment she approached, I noticed Liam stopped all struggle. He just lay quietly on the ground, looking up at the starry sky, a strange smile on his lips, as if he was going to some sweet rendezvous. A sudden pain gripped my heart. Liam had always told me that life was too bitter, and I always thought it was just young people’s affectation. I never imagined that for him, life really was this bitter. The moment his mother stepped forward, he had already lost all will to live. The gears of fate had started turning again when I came to the past. I still hated him, the hole in my heart now cold and empty. It had brought me here to see how I would choose?

The moment I pushed the door open, all movement stopped. The man looked at me with murderous intent, as if he wanted to silence me too. But standing here now was the 36-year-old Nora, who had been through all sorts of situations in life. “Stop now, and I’ll pretend I saw nothing,” I said coldly. The man still wanted to move, but I stared straight at him: “Liam is your son. If he dies, no one will investigate. But if I’m harmed, my father will level this village.” The bloodlust in the man’s eyes completely dissipated. He asked hoarsely what I wanted to do. “He’s under my care now,” I said, pointing at Liam lying lifelessly on the ground. The young man seemed to have become a skeleton, as if he had already died just now. I used a lot of strength to drag him out of the small courtyard. Throughout, Liam had no reaction at all. In the moonlight, I looked down at him for a long time, then cleanly and decisively slapped him: “There’s nothing easier in this world than dying. If you really don’t want to live, there’s a river right there.” I grabbed his collar and continued fiercely: “Liam, you owe me too much. This life is no longer your own.” Liam suddenly looked up at me. Our eyes met, and finally, there was emotion in his. Perhaps it would take a long time to fully understand, but at least for now, he wouldn’t take his own life. I turned and left decisively, feeling completely lost. By chance, I had saved the person I should have hated the most. The web of fate had woven us two together, getting tighter and tighter, more and more entangled. After that day, Liam seemed to suddenly change his ways, studying day and night. Almost every monthly exam, his ranking would jump up several dozen places. He became even more silent, hiding in corners, as if he didn’t exist. One day I was doing problems late and took a shortcut home, but unexpectedly encountered the group that had surrounded Liam that day. The leader was very interested in me and insisted on having me drink with him. We reached a stalemate. It was getting dark, and it started to rain. Summer clothes were thin and transparent, clinging to the body when wet, inevitably revealing curves. The group laughed lewdly. During the standoff, unexpectedly, Liam kicked the leader to the ground. He had several people behind him, and it quickly developed into a brawl between two groups. I stood in the corner watching Liam. He fought viciously, aiming for vital points with every strike, like an untamed beast. I called the police. When they arrived, Liam was already covered in injuries, but his expression remained defiant. He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, got on the police car nonchalantly, and even whistled at me before leaving. Liam was detained for several days before being released. I heard his stepfather had slapped him hard in public. When he returned, there was still a visible handprint on his cheek. Many classmates were whispering about it, but Liam just silently continued to do problems. From then on, every day when I went home, Liam would quietly follow behind me, leaving only after seeing me safely home. He didn’t say anything, and I pretended not to notice. After the college entrance exam, Liam followed me and got into the same university. I wanted to get rid of him, but unexpectedly, he never left. He was like a shadow behind me, stubbornly following, impossible to shake off or escape. ———-This is the breakpoint———- The whole university knew that Liam was Nora’s number one admirer.

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