It was Christmas Eve morning, and I was still at work. Rachel called to say our daughter Emily had a fever and told me to come home quickly. When I got home, Emily was already unconscious and convulsing from the high fever. But Rachel was nowhere to be found. I rushed Emily to the hospital for emergency treatment, but it was too late. I called Rachel, and she said: “Derek was lonely spending Christmas alone, so I’m keeping him company for dinner. Just give Emily some medicine.” I wanted to tell her about Emily’s death, but she hung up before I could. It wasn’t until I saw Rachel again at Emily’s viewing that I realized the truth. She was flirting with Derek, showing no signs of grief for our daughter. Worse still, behind the viewing room, she shamelessly took off her clothes in front of Derek. Emily’s photo was displayed at the front of the viewing room. It was Christmas Day, a time for family reunions, but I had lost my daughter. As I lit a candle for Emily, Rachel walked in arm-in-arm with Derek. They were standing very close, and I finally got a good look at her outfit. She wore a short red dress with a plunging neckline that revealed her lacy underwear when she bent over. Over it was a bright red fur coat, making her look like she was dressed for a cocktail party. This outfit was completely inappropriate for a funeral – she was treating Emily’s viewing like a social event. Derek whispered something in her ear, making Rachel giggle coyly. When she saw me, Rachel rolled her eyes. “Jack, you’ve really outdone yourself! Using such a low trick to lure me home on Christmas!” Faced with her accusation, my already frozen heart began to crack. Our daughter was dead, and not only did this mother not know, she didn’t even believe what I was saying. I felt all the strength leave my body as I slowly sat down. My eyes were dry and sore, the pain of losing Emily making me wilt. “I’m talking to you! Cat got your tongue? What are you sulking about? So I didn’t come home last night, why the attitude?” I looked up at her, no longer wanting to say a word. “Rachel, let’s get a divorce.” I never thought Rachel and I would end up divorcing. But Emily’s death made me realize the marriage I’d been desperately clinging to had lost all meaning. “Divorce? Jack, you’ve really gotten bold, daring to threaten me with divorce!” Rachel didn’t believe it. After all, it was common knowledge how desperately I loved her. She looked around, seeing that no other mourners had arrived yet. To her, this confirmed it was just my clumsy ruse. “Emily just had a fever, and you’re lying about her being dead? Isn’t this supposed to be a funeral? How come no one’s here? It’s obvious you’re tricking me.” Hearing her mention Emily made my dead heart ache again. Emily shouldn’t have died. She was only three, but the delay in treatment due to being left alone proved fatal. Now Rachel had the nerve to ask about it. Seeing I wouldn’t respond, Rachel lost her patience. She kicked my shin with her sharp stiletto. “I’m talking to you!” “Are you blaming me for not taking care of Emily? Derek was lonely on Christmas, try to understand.” “We’re together all year round, missing one day won’t hurt. I’m back now, can you stop making a fuss?” Rachel justified herself word for word, but there was no excuse for abandoning our daughter. Hearing her words, my heart felt like a suddenly exposed wasteland. “Derek was lonely? Can you get your priorities straight? Was Christmas dinner more important than Emily’s illness?” “Let’s not say anything else. We have to get divorced.”

Rachel thought she was placating me, but I was beyond consolation. Seeing me mention divorce again, she angrily stomped her foot. “Are you done yet? How long are you going to go on about this little thing?” “Jack, you’ve always been petty, but Derek was all alone on Christmas with no one to keep him company. How can you have no sympathy?” As she finished speaking, Derek, who had been silent until now, cleared his throat and put on an apologetic expression. “Jack, I’m new in town and only know Rachel. Don’t make such a big deal out of this. Rachel and I have known each other longer than you two have.” Though he seemed to be speaking up for Rachel, every word emphasized how important he was. His challenging gaze seemed to say, “See, your wife left even her child behind to spend Christmas with me.” Standing so close together, it was as if I was the outsider. This wasn’t the first time she’d neglected our family for Derek. But before it had always been small things – if she wanted to go out, I’d take time off work. Because I loved her, I was willing to be understanding. But this time was different. Emily had lost her life because of it. All along, for the sake of our family, I had been patient, always thinking Rachel would feel my love. But I never expected her to go even further. This time, I couldn’t tolerate it any longer. “Yes, you’ve known each other longer. You two can be together from now on.” “This is Emily’s funeral. Don’t flirt here, it’ll taint Emily’s journey to the afterlife.” Hearing me say this, Rachel got anxious. “What are you talking about? Derek and I are ancient history. Can’t you be a little more open-minded?” “That’s right, Jack. If I really wanted to break you up, you wouldn’t have gotten married in the first place. Don’t be so small-minded.” Derek chimed in from the side. Hearing this, I could no longer contain the fire in my heart. “Go to hell!” I couldn’t hold back anymore. I stood up abruptly and punched Derek hard in the face. I put all my strength into that punch, knocking him to the ground with a bloody nose. “How dare you say that to my face! If it weren’t for you, my daughter wouldn’t be dead!” As I raised my foot to kick Derek, Rachel forcefully pushed me aside. “Jack, you’ve gone too far!” “I thought you were just incompetent, but I never imagined you’d be so petty and violent. If anything happens to Derek, I won’t let you off easy!” I glared at her with bloodshot eyes and shouted: “Shut up! You heartless woman! Emily was so young, how could you be so cruel!” Rachel clicked her tongue impatiently. “You’re not going to let this go, are you? Fine, I admit I was wrong. I’ll apologize to Emily.” “Is she in the hospital? It was just a fever, what’s the big deal? The hospital must be overcharging, trying to milk us for money.” “Get rid of this viewing room quickly. It’s Christmas Day, setting this up is so unlucky and deliberately upsetting. It’s really inauspicious.” Even now she still thought I was tricking her. I broke down and shouted at her: “Apologize? It’s too late! Emily’s in heaven now, you can’t find her. Someone like you belongs in hell!” Rachel’s lips parted slightly as she blinked: “You’re not done tricking me, are you? How could she die from a fever?” “Have you been watching too many soap operas, using our daughter’s health to lure me home? Acting like those shrewish women who cry and make scenes!” I walked towards her step by step. She kept backing away, her lips quivering, unable to speak. “Emily is dead. She lost consciousness from the fever and died soon after reaching the hospital!” “You left her alone at home for Derek. She was only three years old! Rachel, I really want to strangle you right now!” I clenched my fists, my temples throbbing as I shouted: “I want to strangle you, do you understand? Pay for my daughter’s life!”

Rachel was frightened by my demeanor. After backing up several more steps, she pointed at me with her sharp nails. “Jack, I can’t believe how low you’ve sunk! You’re still hung up on Derek and me, and now you’re stooping to this level!” “You think I’d believe Emily is dead just because you say so? You’re just using our daughter to scare me. This is all you’re capable of.” At this point, Derek got up from the ground and slowly walked to Rachel’s side, putting his arm around her shoulders to comfort her softly. “Rachel, don’t get upset. How could Emily die? It was just a fever. Jack is just speaking out of anger.” After soothing Rachel, Derek frowned at me: “Jack, no matter how angry you are, you shouldn’t curse your daughter like this. What kind of father are you?” I laughed as if I’d heard a joke, laughing until tears came to my eyes. How I wished I was making it up, how I wished my precious daughter was still alive. This couple before me – the man without morals, the woman debased – they were the executioners who caused Emily’s death. Now they were turning the tables on me, criticizing me instead. “How ridiculous. Rachel, did you know Emily’s fever reached 104°F? Did you know she was convulsing and foaming at the mouth?” I pointed at Derek and walked towards her step by step. “For this man, you abandoned our daughter. Rachel, are you even human?” I grabbed her, my hands gripping her arms tightly as I roared. “It’s all because of you! My daughter is dead! Give Emily back to me, give me back my daughter!” Rachel screamed in terror, hiding behind Derek. But her words were still venomous, still thinking I was tricking her. “Jack, I may not have loved you all these years, but I gave you a child. You can’t say you’ve lost out!” “Now you’re saying such cursed things, showing how utterly graceless you are!” I no longer had the energy to argue with her. My only hope was to get divorced as soon as possible. “Rachel, Emily really is dead. I can’t forgive you. We must get divorced.” “I don’t believe a word you’re saying. Where is Emily now? I want to find her!” I looked at her and pointed to the small crystal coffin inside. Rachel’s gaze followed where I was pointing, her eyes glazing over for a moment. Because the body was covered with a white cloth, she couldn’t see who was underneath. “Jack!” She screamed and rushed in front of me, raising her hand to slap me. I easily dodged it. She stood there yelling inelegantly. “Emily is your daughter after all. How can you curse her like this! You came prepared, even having a coffin ready. How long do you plan to keep tricking me!” “Believe it or not, it’s up to you.” I looked at her coldly: “It’s still early. More people will be coming later. You’d better not make a scene. Let Emily pass on peacefully.” Rachel was about to say something else, but Derek pulled her aside. The two of them whispered for a while, though I don’t know what they said. But the anger disappeared from Rachel’s face, replaced by an air of nonchalance. She pulled Derek to the rest area in the back. The two were inseparable, no longer trying to hide it in front of me. If this had happened earlier, I definitely would have flown into a rage and beaten that bastard to a pulp. But now I had sobered up, calmed down. My heart was dead, so I no longer cared.

Soon, a few of my friends arrived. I already felt bad about holding a funeral during the holidays and inconveniencing others. It wouldn’t be appropriate for Rachel to be absent, so I went to the back rest area to find her. Before I could push open the door, I heard laughter from inside. “What was your husband thinking, joking about something like this? Pretty funny.” It was Derek’s voice. Rachel laughed lightly: “He thinks he can manipulate me using our daughter. Ridiculous. Who does he think he is?” “Your idea is good. When everyone arrives later, I’ll expose his true colors. If he wants a divorce, fine. I’m not the one who’ll be embarrassed.” Though she spoke confidently, no one paid attention to her words. Everyone thought she had gone mad. Finally, Rachel shouted angrily and strode quickly towards Emily’s small coffin. “None of you believe me, right? I’ll show you right now if Jack is lying or not!” She walked very fast. Before I could react, she had already yanked off the white cloth covering Emily. “Look carefully at who’s really lying here…” After pulling back the cloth, Emily’s slightly yellowed face was exposed before Rachel’s eyes. “Emily?” She froze, her lips trembling involuntarily. “Emily, are you helping your dad trick mommy too?” Emily didn’t answer her. “Emily, get up now and stop playing around. Lying isn’t what good children do!” Emily still didn’t answer, remaining asleep. The air around grew quiet. The entire viewing room was so silent you could hear everyone’s breathing clearly. “Emily? Emily!” Rachel panicked and reached out to try to pull Emily up. I ran over and pushed her away with one shove. “Don’t touch my daughter.” Her hand hung in mid-air, visibly trembling. I looked at her coldly, without a trace of warmth. “You don’t deserve to.” Rachel slowly lowered her hand but didn’t move away, just standing there motionless. Derek came over and touched her, but she still had no reaction. After a long while, she suddenly covered her face, crouched down on the ground and broke down crying.

“It’s not possible, this can’t be Emily. She just had a fever, why is she dead? Why!” I watched her expressionlessly, watched her cry until she could barely breathe. What was she crying for? Did she regret it? Probably not. These few tears were just crocodile tears, thinking they could fool me. “Rachel, are you satisfied now? Emily really is dead. No one tricked you. She really died!” I let out an angry roar, startling Rachel’s body into a shudder. Derek immediately went over to put his arm around her shoulders: “Jack, Rachel is heartbroken too. Don’t talk to her like that. She is Emily’s mother after all.” I slowly stood up, my tone as cold as ice. “If she were a real mother, she wouldn’t have abandoned her own daughter for an outsider.” “What right do you have to say these things to me? Who started all this?” With each word I spoke, my heart ached. I held back my tears and also held back from killing him. “This is Emily’s viewing. Please leave. You’re not welcome here.” I stared at Emily’s sleeping face, my voice somewhat distant. “You two dogs get out of here. Don’t taint my daughter’s journey to the afterlife.” Rachel’s body suddenly jolted. She looked up at me pitifully. “I’m sorry Jack, I didn’t know, I really didn’t know…” I sighed. “Whether you knew or not doesn’t matter anymore. Now I just want a divorce.” I mentioned divorce again. This time Rachel didn’t have her previous arrogance. She lowered her head, her body curling inward. “Believe me, I really didn’t mean for this to happen. Emily was my daughter too, how could I hurt her?” “This was an accident that none of us expected. But you can’t divorce me because of this. Don’t I deserve a chance to make amends?” She clung tightly to my arm, pressing close to me. “Emily is gone, but we’re still young. We can have more children.” “We’ve had a good relationship all these years. This time was my careless mistake. I won’t do it again, really, I’ll definitely change!” A few tears fell on my arm as she spoke. Rachel looked very pitiful. This was her most skillful move. Every time she cried pitifully like this, I would comfort her no matter what, willing to give her even my life. But now this trick didn’t work anymore. “Rachel, I loved you, but that’s not an excuse for you to trample on me again and again.” “I could tolerate you not loving me, but I can’t tolerate you not loving Emily.” “Seeing you reminds me of Emily, and I can’t help but hate you!” “Jack, do we really have to divorce? Is this such a big deal? Just because Emily is gone, does our family have to fall apart?” I angrily slapped her across the face: “Yes! It’s because Emily died!” “You think her death doesn’t matter? Then why don’t you die? Go die!” The viewing room was empty except for the echo of my voice. How could she not care at all? Her own daughter died, and she wanted to just brush it off. Rachel was startled by me. The pained expression disappeared from her face, replaced by a sour and vicious look. “I see you’ve wanted to divorce me for a long time, haven’t you? You’re just using our daughter as an excuse! Did you cheat on me? Did you betray me?” For a cheater to brazenly accuse me of infidelity, I had to admire her nerve. “Rachel, you really have no shame. Which one of us cheated?” There was a flash of guilt in her eyes, but then she jutted out her chin and said: “Anyway, I won’t agree to a divorce.” I nodded: “Alright, you won’t divorce? Then don’t blame me for not saving face for you.” Under everyone’s gaze, I opened my phone and played the video I had recorded earlier outside the door. There was an uproar among the onlookers. “Oh my god, that’s in the funeral home!” “Jesus Christ, she’s so shameless, doing that with a man behind her daughter’s viewing room… I can’t even say it out loud!” Their scandal was finally exposed. Rachel stood frozen like she’d been struck by lightning. Derek came forward and grabbed my collar, his face menacing. “Jack! You despicable bastard, secretly recording us. You’re disgusting!” I laughed at him. “I’m disgusting? Derek, look closely. The woman you’re screwing is my lawful wife. You’re destroying my marriage. Which one of us is really disgusting?” I deliberately used crude language. Because in my eyes, this pair were no longer human. They were animals, beasts that could go into heat anytime, anywhere. Looking back at Rachel, she was completely dumbfounded. With her scandal exposed, she had lost all face. “Rachel, don’t blame me. You two really went too far. What do you have to say for yourself now?” Everyone was whispering, some even taking out their phones as if wanting to shove them in Derek’s face to take photos. At this moment, Rachel’s parents who had rushed over after hearing the news burst in. Having lost their granddaughter, they were only briefly surprised and saddened before reverting to their usual haughty demeanor. “Jack, you want to divorce our Rachel?” I nodded and told them all the shameful things Rachel had done. Unexpectedly, her parents spoke righteously. “The child is gone, so we have to look to the future. Life must go on. Ten years of marriage…” “Stop!” I interrupted her mother’s long speech: “She’s been cheating with Derek for a long time. This directly led to Emily’s death.” “How do you expect me to move on? Forgive Rachel’s infidelity? Or not care about my daughter’s life and death?” “I can move on too, but definitely not with Rachel. We’re done. If she doesn’t agree, I’ll file for divorce in court directly.” “What?” Rachel’s parents got so agitated they nearly jumped up, pointing at my nose and cursing loudly. “Jack, our Rachel married you at such a young age, gave you a child, took care of you. We treated you like our own son!” “Now you say you want a divorce just like that? Is this how a person behaves?” “All these years, your job only earned a pittance each month. If it weren’t for our Rachel, your family of three would have starved long ago!” “Our daughter is the one who suffered. She hasn’t even complained, what right do you have to ask for a divorce?” “I see this is all your scheme! Emily was probably killed by you, but you’re blaming it on Rachel. You just want to divorce her, don’t you?” Rachel immediately chimed in, as if finally having someone to back her up. “That’s right, Jack. This is all your scheme. Emily just had a fever, why would she die? You’re despicable!” Looking at Rachel and her parents’ ugly faces, I really felt I had been completely wrong.

Marrying her in the first place was a mistake. I can’t believe it’s taken me until now to wake up. Her parents never approved of me from the start. They thought my job wasn’t good enough, that I didn’t earn much. Rachel was beautiful and well-educated – she could have found a rich guy. It was only after I repeatedly promised to treat her well for life, even kneeling down to them and promising all our money would be managed by Rachel, that they agreed. Seeing my resolute attitude, Rachel’s mother grabbed the cowering Derek. “This was all caused by you. You need to take responsibility for our Rachel!” Forced into marriage in front of everyone, Derek finally snapped and shoved Rachel’s mother away. “What responsibility should I take? It was your daughter who seduced me!” “I was minding my own business. She kept calling and texting me, even coming to my house. She’s so cheap, only your daughter would do something like that!” “She threw herself at me. Someone so worthless, only your daughter is capable of that!” Everyone present, including me, was stunned. I always thought it takes two to tango in these situations. But hearing Derek say this, it seemed it was all Rachel actively pursuing him. Rachel’s mother couldn’t stand losing face and started hitting and kicking Derek. Rachel, on the other hand, seemed to have her soul sucked out after Derek said those things, her eyes hollow. “Derek, what did you say? Say it again!” With things escalated to this point, it was impossible for Derek to get away unscathed. But as a scumbag, he had to try to clear himself as much as possible. So he looked at Rachel contemptuously: “What I said wasn’t true?” “Look at yourself. You’re not young anymore and you have a kid. Did you really think I liked you? If it weren’t for…” Suddenly he stopped talking. But I keenly caught a hint of something unusual. For what? According to Derek, as a woman, Rachel had nothing to attract him. So what he coveted was… Thinking of this, a seemingly absurd yet very possible hypothesis suddenly appeared in my mind. I called over the funeral home staff and had Rachel’s family and Derek all thrown out. Then I told the funeral home not to cremate Emily today, as I had suspicions about the cause of my daughter’s death. I found a friend who works in the justice system. He said if I suspected Emily’s death was unnatural, I could request an autopsy. Although I hoped Emily could ascend to heaven soon, once the seed of doubt was planted, it couldn’t be removed. During the wait for the autopsy, I proposed divorce to Rachel again. She cried and made a scene, but when I took out the video, she finally shut up. To avoid more people seeing it and for the sake of her future, she had no choice but to agree. The divorce papers were signed. All assets went to me. Rachel left with nothing. This must have been the most tragic Christmas I’ve experienced in my 30 years of life. My daughter died, and I got divorced. A true case of family destroyed. The house was cold and empty, without a trace of joy. I was entirely enveloped in the pain of losing my daughter. After divorcing me, Rachel immediately threw herself into Derek’s arms. Even though they had torn each other apart, even though Derek had said she was worthless. But now she had no other choice. She could only stick with Derek for the time being. A few days later, I received a call from the autopsy team. They found traces of a substance similar to poison in Emily’s body. It wasn’t available domestically and must have been obtained from abroad. For adults, taking it in controlled doses could treat erectile dysfunction and heart disease. But for children, it was essentially poison. How did Emily end up taking this medicine? Soon, I thought of Derek’s unfinished sentence. It must have been him! But where was the evidence?

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During the experiment to extract the anti-cancer drug, both my wife and her first love, Finn Carter, were exposed to contamination. Despite the danger, my wife chose to give the protective gear and the anti-cancer drug to Finn Carter. I pleaded desperately from behind the glass door, but she shut it firmly, meeting my eyes with a cold stare. “Finn has always been frail, and his immunity is too weak. Besides, this experiment was originally our research. Finn is merely an innocent participant, and I must prioritize his safety. You wait.” Afterwards, my wife pinned all the blame on me, quickly closed the laboratory to destroy any evidence, and even replaced my research results with Finn Carter’s name. Together, they used the findings to save more than a dozen cancer patients and were hailed as promising young talents. Yet they still waited for me to admit my mistakes and beg for the drug. What she didn’t know was that I had been diagnosed with cancer six months prior. The contamination from this experiment accelerated my decline, and the anti-cancer drug no longer had any effect on me. After enduring hours of agony, I watched helplessly as my skin turned black and sank in. I was rushed to the hospital, where I was kept alive through round-the-clock emergency care for a week. In the end, only my eyes could move, and I stared past the tubes invading my body towards the door. No one came; my wife didn’t even see me one last time. As the machine emitted a long, continuous beep, a tear slipped down my cheek. The hospital finally issued my death certificate. My soul left my body, and all the pain finally ceased. Suddenly, my soul was inexplicably drawn to my wife, Eloise Carter. She was gently blowing on the soup in a spoon, tenderly feeding it to Finn Carter. Finn coughed weakly a few times and then smiled. “You’ve taken care of me for so long. Jasper didn’t have protective gear and didn’t take the anti-cancer drug in time. Could he be in danger?” Eloise’s smile froze instantly, and she snorted dismissively. “Jasper’s health has always been robust. At the time of the incident, he was even trying to grab the protective gear from you. You’re too kind, Finn, worrying about him. The anti-cancer drug is effective if taken within two weeks. Feeling unwell is normal. He’s just claiming he’s dying out of jealousy. How unlucky! I’ll think about giving him the drug once he realizes his mistake.” I laughed at myself bitterly, but my heart, though no longer beating, still ached. This was the wife I cherished and loved with all my heart. Finn took the drug in time and snatched my protective gear, so his health was never at risk. Yet, I endured the agony of infection and the cold tubes piercing my skin alone. I still had to suffer Eloise’s sarcasm and doubt. Despair made even my soul tremble. Seeing Eloise’s smile felt like acid eating away at me, full of blisters. I had never seen such a warm, patient smile before. Eloise, you don’t need to give me the drug anymore. I no longer need it. There was a knock on the door of the VIP room, and a group entered. Eloise instinctively frowned, not wanting Finn’s rest disturbed, which is why she booked the best VIP room. The leader of the group, with tears in their eyes, held a banner. “Professor Carter, thank you. Your new anti-cancer drug saved our families from the brink of collapse. The first batch of patients who took your drug has shown positive results, with cancer cells ceasing to multiply and gradually decreasing!” Eloise and I were both professors at prestigious institutions in our country, both driven by the loss of family members to cancer. So, we dedicated our lives to anti-cancer drug research. Hearing this, Eloise smiled and quickly pulled Finn Carter over. “It’s not just my work; it’s also Finn’s…” Before she could finish, an older person interrupted. With a smile, they took Finn’s hand. “You must be Professor Carter’s husband, Professor Jasper. Thank you so much. We heard you’ve both been researching anti-cancer drugs to benefit patients. Truly good people!” Finn’s face turned extremely pale. Eloise couldn’t stand Finn being wronged and immediately changed her expression. “What are you talking about! All the data and publication credits go to me and Finn. It has nothing to do with Jasper. He’s just a fame-seeker. Without his interference, the experiment would’ve succeeded long ago.” I looked at Eloise with disappointment. She knew how much effort I put into the experiment. But just for Finn’s feelings and future, Eloise denied all my efforts and handed my hard work to Finn. I felt like my chest was being torn by a blunt knife, painfully unbearable. After the awkward moment, they started praising Finn and Eloise, belittling me in various ways. Both of them enjoyed my honor with a clear conscience. I quietly listened to the abuse and doubt directed at me until a nurse came into the room. “Is there any family for Jasper Carter? Mr. Carter was confirmed dead at 13:18. Family, please sign the document.” The room fell silent, as if a pin drop could be heard. Eloise was stunned, then reacted with a sneer. “Jasper? He’s too stubborn to die. Your hospital must have made a mistake with the name. I don’t have time to deal with this; believe it or not, I’ll file a complaint!” The young nurse was somewhat intimidated, doubting herself. She looked at the name on the death certificate and the spouse information with Eloise’s name. She wanted to say something but, faced with Eloise’s impatient gaze, the nurse apologized and left. After all, if it were truly her husband’s death, even the same name would be checked immediately. Eloise’s indifferent attitude made her miss the chance to learn about my death. Others also found excuses to leave, seeing her coldness toward her husband while wholeheartedly caring for another man. Their admiration turned to disdain. Finn tugged on Eloise’s sleeve, looking down. “Eloise, could Jasper have asked the nurse to lie to get you to see him? Maybe you should go see him. I’m fine.” A flicker of hesitation appeared in Eloise’s eyes. Finn struggled to get up, but as soon as he stood, he staggered backward. Eloise’s face was full of worry, and her tone was reproachful. “You’re like this, and you still care about that liar’s feelings? We could have reconciled six months ago, but he tricked me with cancer. He never tells the truth; I’ve had enough. This time, I’m going to teach him a good lesson!” I felt like I was being tortured in a frying pan. My already fragile soul grew even fainter. Eloise and Finn were each other’s first love, sharing the same aspirations and hobbies. But Finn wanted to develop abroad, even cutting off contact for years. Eloise’s family kept urging her to marry. In their third year apart, I met Eloise. For her, I was willing to marry into her family. I took care of her parents with all my heart, loved Eloise without reservation, handed over my salary every month, and signed a prenuptial agreement. Yet, she always felt I was beneath her and had ulterior motives, believing my love was all a scheme. Until six months ago, when I was diagnosed with cancer, Finn suddenly returned to the country, and Eloise filed for divorce. But then her parents forced her to stay and take care of me. Even she felt a twinge of pity, accompanying me for checkups. My report was switched by Finn, and no matter how much I explained, Eloise refused to believe me. Thinking of the past, my chest hurt. After that, I lost weight rapidly, my hair kept falling out, and my regular checkups showed increasingly grim results. Yet, all of this was seen by Eloise as me using old tricks. She was a renowned cancer expert, dedicating her life to anti-cancer drug research. Yet, she couldn’t see her husband suffering from cancer. Even in the late stages, she turned a blind eye. I bit my hand until it was bloody, and Eloise would only lightly say, “Done acting? Next time, are you planning to hold a funeral for yourself?” I stumbled and curled up on the ground. Eloise, oh Eloise. This time, you really are going to attend my funeral. Finn licked his chapped lips, “Eloise, I want an orange.” Eloise immediately nodded, “Okay, wait for me.” She ran downstairs without even putting on a coat, and I followed her, running alongside. Seeing her hair soaked with sweat, I instinctively wanted to wipe it for her. When my hand passed through her forehead, I realized with a delayed reaction. I was already dead. I chuckled bitterly, watching Eloise carefully pick oranges, frowning. “How do I choose sweet oranges? Finn doesn’t like sour ones.” I knew how to pick oranges because I took care of all the meals and chores meticulously. Eloise liked oranges, so I would always pick them carefully. But when I was sick and wanted Eloise to peel an orange for me, she would scold me for a long time. Let alone spend time picking them for me. She always said her time was precious, and wasting a minute would delay the research progress. But Finn was always her exception. Eloise pressed her head, took out her phone, and removed me from the blacklist. She was surprised that I, who always treated her like my life, hadn’t left any message or call. Eloise called, but there was no answer. She was furious, “He’s got some nerve, not answering my call! I was going to let him pick oranges for Finn, and then I’d consider giving him the drug. Looks like I’m still too kind to him!” Eloise said this and headed back to the hospital with the oranges. I floated in place, feeling heartbroken. I wanted to leave, but fate tormented me. I couldn’t break away from Eloise. — But Finn Carter was always the exception for her. Eloise Carter rubbed her temples, took out her phone, and unblocked me. She was somewhat surprised that I, who always treated her as the most important person, hadn’t sent any messages or calls. Eloise dialed my number, but I didn’t pick up. She was furious, “You’ve grown bold enough not to answer my calls! I was going to have you pick oranges for Finn Carter and was even considering giving you the medicine. I guess I’ve been too good to you!” With that, Eloise grabbed the oranges and headed to the hospital. I lingered nearby, my heart aching as if pierced by knives. I wanted to leave, but fate was cruel, tethering me to Eloise. I could only watch as she carefully peeled the oranges and fed them to Finn Carter with a fork. Finn Carter accepted Eloise’s care as if it were a given but spat it out the next moment. “So sour, Eloise.” Eloise immediately threw the oranges away, her tone irritable. “It’s all Jasper Carter’s fault. If he’d answered the phone, he wouldn’t have picked sour ones. I don’t know why he dared not to answer my call!” A calculating look flashed in Finn Carter’s eyes. “Maybe he’s upset? Eloise, let’s leave the hospital first. Then we can go see Jasper Carter, and I’ll explain.” Eloise sighed, looking at Finn Carter with a pained expression. By now, I was numb with pain, my eyes hollow as I watched everything unfold. Eloise helped Finn Carter into the hallway, where they ran into my attending physician. The doctor hurried over, “Professor Carter, why haven’t you signed your husband’s death certificate? Our hospital doesn’t make mistakes. You should go see your husband one last time. Otherwise, the medical school staff will soon take Mr. Carter’s body for an autopsy.” Eloise’s face turned grim, and she instinctively clenched her fists. “How long are you going to keep this up? How much did Jasper Carter pay you all? Our school’s people performing an autopsy on Jasper Carter’s body? Hmph, you really know how to fabricate lies.” The doctor was a bit confused, unsure if Eloise had been too overwhelmed and was mentally disturbed. He softened his tone, “Mr. Carter signed an organ donation agreement before he died. He donated them freely to your medical school for research. Did you not know?” The day I was diagnosed with cancer, I thought long and hard. I even considered discussing it with Eloise, but she just brushed it off back then. “Do whatever you want with your body, at least I won’t have to take care of your corpse.” Every word was like a needle piercing my heart. Even in death, I didn’t want to trouble her one bit. In hindsight, it seems like the best decision I ever made. Eloise suddenly felt a pang of fear and unease creeping in, spreading anxiety. Finn Carter suddenly spoke up, “Eloise, you forgot Jasper Carter has many students who respect him. They probably teamed up to deceive you. Otherwise, why donate to your school specifically? Isn’t it just to avoid outsiders exposing the truth?” Eloise’s pale face gradually calmed down, even though her earlier worry wasn’t fake. Anger suppressed her reason, the feeling of being fooled made the always proud Eloise’s chest heave with rage. “If you all want to play along with Jasper Carter, I don’t have the time! You want an autopsy? Hurry up!” Eloise quickly signed her name, then threw it on the ground, stepping over it with her high heels, trampling on my sincerity along with it. Even though I already knew the answer, Eloise’s indifference was still unbearable. Eloise left with Finn Carter without looking back, but Eloise, you only needed to glance sideways to see my body being wheeled out by the staff. You only had to look at that death certificate to notice something amiss, but your eyes were only for Finn Carter. Eloise cared for Finn Carter for a few days; Finn slept in my bed, wore my pajamas. And I could only squat helplessly in the corner, enduring the torment. Until the medical school leaders kept urging Eloise to return to campus. After hanging up the phone, Eloise looked annoyed. Her tone softened, “Finn Carter, get some rest, I have to return to school. Who knows where Jasper Carter is! Never home, never at school, everything falls on me!” Finn Carter laughed with a hint of something, “Alright, I’ll wait for you to come back.” Eloise went to school and looked for me everywhere, but everyone gave her strange looks. This made Eloise even more restless until my student, Xiaoyan, walked up to her. “Aren’t you looking for Professor Carter? He’s inside, go on in.” Eloise snorted, “So this is where you’re hiding! Jasper Carter, I’ve had enough of your tricks. Get out here and admit your mistake, or I’ll throw the medicine away instead of giving it to you!” But inside was only a cold mortuary table and a white sheet, the color slowly drained from Eloise’s face. Her legs felt as heavy as lead, trembling as she slowly lifted the white sheet. I’m sorry, but I need the entire text to provide a translation that meets your needs. Please share the complete text so I can assist you better.

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Jack and I were high school sweethearts. We weathered hardships together and enjoyed luxury side by side. We built our company from the ground up, and I thought we were not just spouses, but inseparable allies. Until I accidentally discovered his will. “I bequeath all my assets to Lily Chen.” Lily was Jack’s childhood friend. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. I was dying anyway, so what did it matter who he left his money to? Discovering Jack’s will caught me off guard. A few years ago, he had a near-fatal skiing accident in the mountains. Shaken by the experience, he had a lawyer draw up a will. I knew about this but wasn’t privy to its contents. He only had me as family, so who else could he leave everything to? The letter from Mr. Anderson, the lawyer, felt like a slap in the face. Wills need to be authenticated every few years while the person is still alive to ensure legality. I thought Jack and I had no secrets, so I opened the envelope for him. The contents stabbed at my heart. “I, Jack Foster, in the event of my untimely death, leave all my assets to Lily Chen.” Lily was Jack’s childhood friend; they grew up together. She had married an abusive man at her parents’ insistence, who frequently beat and berated her. Jack helped her divorce the scumbag and rented an apartment for her. I felt sorry for her and often looked after her. Sometimes Lily would call Jack in the middle of the night after having nightmares, and he’d rush over to comfort her. When Lily burned herself while cooking, he wouldn’t let her near the kitchen again and hired a personal chef to take care of her meals 365 days a year. I could tolerate all of this, but Jack’s will was something I couldn’t accept. Everything we owned now was created through our joint efforts. From a small, rundown grocery store to a nationwide, household-name brand. I stood by him as we went from eating steamed bread with water to dining in high-end restaurants. And in the end, he wanted to give it all to someone else. Just because Lily was a pitiful woman? I didn’t call Jack to question his reasons. After years of marriage, his explanation didn’t matter to me; only the result was important. And this result shattered the dream I’d held for years. Jack and I split the company’s assets equally, but I firmly believed in one principle: Where the money goes, so does the love. I didn’t care about Jack’s portion; money wasn’t that important to me anymore. This just proved that Jack didn’t love me at all. He didn’t care if the company would split after his death because of his actions, or if my interests would be harmed. I laughed at myself sarcastically and put the envelope back exactly as I’d found it.

“Emma, I’m not coming home tonight. Lily has a stomachache, so I’m taking her to the hospital,” Jack’s voice message came through just as I finished my check-up and was waiting for results in the hallway. I’d been having severe headaches for the past few days. I had planned to wait for Jack to return from his business trip before going to the hospital, but then I discovered that will. I kept my face expressionless, suppressing the turmoil inside as I replied with a simple “okay.” Thinking back, it seemed Jack hadn’t accompanied me to the hospital since we first started dating. He disliked the smell of antiseptic, finding it irritating, so I stopped asking him to come to avoid making him uncomfortable. Apparently, he could tolerate it after all. My head started to throb even more as I desperately tried not to think about him. The private hospital was efficient, and the doctor called me in to hear the results. Her expression wasn’t good. “Ms. Reed, the CT results aren’t very promising,” she said, getting straight to the point. I didn’t react much, just staring blankly as I listened. “There’s a tumor in your brain, but we can’t determine if it’s benign or malignant yet.” “However, if you undergo treatment promptly, there’s still a chance for a full recovery.” The doctor chose her words carefully, trying to console me gently. I found myself smirking, finding it oddly amusing as I propped my chin on my hand. “Doctor, am I dying?” The doctor, probably thinking I was in shock, became flustered. “If it’s benign, it shouldn’t be a major problem. You should consider follow-up treatment.” My mind was already elsewhere. I waved my hand dismissively. “I’ll think about it.”

I returned home without turning on the lights and collapsed on the sofa, scrolling through social media. Work complaints, daily life with spouses and kids, travel photos… I saw Lily’s latest post from half an hour ago. “Ate something too cold and now my stomach hurts. Never again! (crying emoji)” My finger hovered over that post for a long time before I finally broke down in tears. I had a deep-seated fear of anything cold – ice, winter, snow – everything frigid. That year when Jack went skiing, he was on an advanced slope. Given his skills, he shouldn’t have had any problems. But that day, my heart was racing with a bad feeling. Even though I was a beginner and couldn’t ski, I made my way down step by step. Jack’s binding came loose, and I watched helplessly as he lost control and tumbled towards the trees beside the slope. Without thinking, I threw away my poles and skis and rushed towards him. The snow was deep, up to my knees, and each step drained my energy. “Jack! Jack!” I called out his name, but there was no response. At the bottom of a huge rock, Jack lay unconscious, his breathing shallow. Using my limited first-aid knowledge, I found that his left thigh was broken, and he had several fractured ribs. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. The advanced slope was sparsely populated, and most skiers were moving too fast for me to ask for help. I took off my gloves, but my phone had no signal. But my husband was dying in my arms, and I couldn’t afford to wait. Jack wasn’t too heavy, but at over six feet tall, he wasn’t exactly light either. I struggled to support him by his arm, using all my strength to move. After a few steps, I tripped over a small rock, cutting my cheek. There was no time to feel the pain; I dragged Jack forward again. Our combined weight made the snow reach up to my hips, the bone-chilling cold invading every inch of my skin. But I couldn’t stop. I managed to move Jack onto the ski slope, nearly getting run over by someone skiing down. That person clearly noticed something was wrong with us but couldn’t stop. I had used up all my strength, and hypothermia was setting in. I could barely stay conscious, only hoping that person would be kind enough to notify the staff to rescue us. As I was about to close my eyes, I looked at Jack’s pained face and prayed that my love would be safe.

“Ma’am, you’ve just woken up. Try not to get too excited,” the nurse cautioned. Ignoring the IV in the back of my hand, I grabbed the nurse and asked about Jack. “Where’s my husband?” “His condition was more serious than yours. He’s been transferred to a hospital in the city for treatment.” The nurse reassured me that someone would be taking care of Jack, but she hesitated before leaving. “Ma’am, there’s something else. You need to prepare yourself.” “What is it?” I asked anxiously, worried that Jack’s injuries might be worse than I thought. “You were pregnant, but… we couldn’t save the baby.” “You were in the snow for too long, and it damaged your body, so…” “It might affect your ability to conceive in the future…” What? My mind went blank. My hand instinctively moved to my stomach. The flat abdomen showed no sign that a child had ever been there. Only a vague pain reminded me that what the nurse said was true. “How can this be…” I mumbled. It was our seventh year of marriage, our careers had stabilized, and we had just started talking about having a child. The nurse’s words hit me like a thunderbolt. Thinking of Jack still in the hospital fighting for his life, a dull pain spread from my heart throughout my body. “You’re still young. It’s not impossible,” the nurse tried to comfort me. I shook my head, silently suppressing my emotions and refusing to let the tears fall. In my twenty-some years of life, I had experienced countless setbacks and hardships, but never had I felt pain so intense that I couldn’t express it. Like a wooden doll, I quietly accepted treatment, took medicine, received IVs, until the doctor informed me I could be discharged. The hospital where Jack was staying had called me a few days ago to say he was out of danger and conscious. I didn’t go to see him immediately. Only after I had chewed and digested the pain alone did I walk into Jack’s hospital room with a bouquet of flowers. Lily was feeding him, the two of them sitting close together. Jack didn’t know I had also been in the hospital, but he didn’t reproach me for not coming to see him right away. “Emma, you’re here.” “Mm, are you feeling better?” “Don’t worry, sis-in-law. I’m taking good care of Jack,” Lily chimed in. At that time, I was too distracted to face Jack and was almost grateful for Lily’s presence. Later, I locked the hospital’s test results in a safe. I couldn’t bear to throw them away. I might never be able to have my own child again. That was my first and last child. No one else knew about it except me.

I dozed off on the sofa and woke up the next morning. It was the pain that woke me. The medicine the doctor prescribed was on the coffee table, but I had no intention of taking it. Jack had spent the night at the hospital and hadn’t returned yet. Usually, I would have called him to ask what was going on, but today I didn’t feel like it. With little life left, I didn’t want to endure the pain of treatment. I chose to enjoy life in the time I had left. I had worked alongside Jack for over a decade; it was time to rest. Maybe I’d go to a tropical country without winter, feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. As for my marriage to Jack, I didn’t want to make things too difficult. Not just because of our decade-long relationship, but also because I didn’t want to affect the company’s stock price. After all, we had built it from scratch, and I couldn’t bear to destroy it. I notified my lawyer to draft divorce papers and also made a will, leaving all my assets to a children’s foundation in the country I planned to visit. Life is short. I wasn’t afraid of death, but I feared dying without dignity. “Ms. Reed, can you come to the company? Mr. Foster and Director Thompson are arguing and about to come to blows.” Director Thompson was a veteran in the company, one of its key figures. Jack and I wouldn’t offend him lightly. How did it come to this? I had to put aside my plans and rush to the company. “What’s going on?” I arrived to find Jack and Director Thompson glaring at each other, with Lily sitting next to Jack, looking wronged. “Ms. Reed, please be the judge here,” Director Thompson angrily demanded, pointing at Lily. “Why is an outsider allowed to enter the company freely and go through the documents on my desk?” Lily, being called out, shrank back timidly. “Jack asked me to get some files,” she said. “And you could find them yourself? Should I call the police right now?” Director Thompson’s position was high, and many of the documents were trade secrets. Lily wasn’t a company employee, so she was clearly in the wrong. “Jack, what do you have to say?” I didn’t rush to pacify Director Thompson, instead looking at Jack. “I’ve already apologized for Lily. She’s never worked in an office before and doesn’t understand many things.” Jack was clearly favoring Lily, shielding her. I nodded, understanding the situation. I pulled Director Thompson aside to the stairwell and spoke quietly. “Please come with me for a moment. I have something to discuss.” Director Thompson had worked with me for many years and would at least hear me out. “I want to discuss something with you.” Looking through the glass window from the 60th floor, I surveyed what Jack and I had built over more than a decade. “I want to sell my shares to you at a low price.” “The condition is that you can’t disclose this to anyone until I allow it.” Director Thompson was shocked and quickly refused. “Ms. Reed, what are you doing? Just because I argued with Mr. Foster doesn’t mean you need to…” “I’m serious,” I interrupted. Selling the company shares to outsiders would be too obvious. It was better to hand them over to Director Thompson. Jack didn’t care anyway, so I didn’t need to consider his feelings anymore. With Director Thompson in charge, the company could continue to thrive. “Please don’t dwell on today’s incident.” Maybe Lily’s behavior was inappropriate, maybe she had always had designs on Jack, maybe… But at this moment, I hated Jack more. He didn’t deserve to inherit my legacy, nor did he have the right to let another woman possess what was mine.

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My wife was cyberbullied during a live stream and committed suicide by slitting her wrists, unable to bear the humiliation. Before she died, she left a message asking me to avenge her. I endured years of hardship and finally managed to ruin the reputation of the female streamer from back then. As I pushed the female streamer off a high-rise building and was being taken away by the police, I saw my supposedly dead wife step out of a Bentley in the crowd, smiling at me. “Thank you for getting rid of my biggest obstacle.” I was stunned as I looked at the man in the car who bore a resemblance to the female streamer. I realized I had been used. After being locked up, I was subjected to inhumane torture. In just one month, I died from exhaustion. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day my wife attempted suicide. I rushed in, bursting through the door, startling Isabella who was about to end her life. The prop knife in her hand only left a shallow scratch on her wrist before she dropped it on the floor. “Isabella, what are you doing?” I tried my best to look shocked as I pulled the panicked Isabella into my arms. My eyes secretly scanned the mini camera on the wall, and a smirk of satisfaction tugged at the corner of my lips. After being reborn to this day, the first thing I did was install this surveillance camera. Isabella in my arms also came to her senses and buried her face in my shoulder, crying her heart out. “Ryan, just let me die. I’ve been cyberbullied for being vain and money-hungry. I don’t have the courage to live anymore.” She lifted her tear-stained face from my embrace, a pitiful expression appearing on that face that used to melt my heart, making it hard for anyone to refuse her. Thinking back to my previous life, I was deceived by her fragile exterior. Back then, there were plenty of rich heirs pursuing her, but she insisted on staying with me. How could she possibly be the vain and greedy woman that Autumn, the female streamer, described? Autumn wasn’t just a well-known online streamer, she was also the heir to the Wilson Group. To avenge Isabella, I quit my high-paying job and endured years of hardship at Wilson Group, finally succeeding in attracting Autumn’s attention. During that time, I used Autumn’s trust in me to secretly bring down the Wilson Group. On the day Autumn and I were to be married, I pushed her off the hotel rooftop. But what I never expected was that when the police were taking me away, I saw Isabella, who should have been dead for years, step out of a familiar Bentley. I immediately recognized the man in the car as Autumn’s brother, Chris. “Thank you for getting rid of my biggest obstacle.” “Now I can marry into the Wilson family and become the young Mrs. Wilson without anyone opposing.” Isabella’s elegant and luxurious appearance dazzled my eyes. Later in the detention center, I was subjected to inhuman abuse and torture. In just one month, I died there under mysterious circumstances. After death, in spirit form, I learned that the mastermind behind it all was actually Isabella. She had bribed people there to silence me. I could never understand why Isabella, if she was so vain, would insist on marrying a poor guy like me. The resentment in my heart was like an endless night, enveloping me and dragging me into a dark, bottomless abyss. Perhaps my obsession was too strong, and I was actually reborn to the day Isabella attempted suicide. Since she wanted to die so badly, I decided to lend her a helping hand.

Having made up my mind, I gently pushed Isabella away. Pretending not to see the prop knife on the floor, I turned and went to the kitchen to pour her a glass of warm milk. “Isabella, don’t say such silly things. Here, drink some milk to calm your nerves.” “Don’t worry, I know you better than anyone. I believe in you.” After crying for a while, Isabella’s mouth was dry. Without thinking, she drank the entire glass of milk. After finishing, she used the excuse of being tired to send me out. But what she didn’t know was that I had put a large dose of sleeping pills in the milk. What was about to happen would be beyond her control. I sat in the living room, silently watching the clock on the wall. As time ticked by minute by minute, second by second, the doorbell finally rang as expected. “Ryan, where’s my sister?” The visitor was Isabella’s sister, Megan. As soon as she came in, she slapped me across the face. To ensure the plan could proceed smoothly, I suppressed the anger in my heart and swallowed this bitter pill. I pointed towards the bedroom and followed behind Megan as she entered. As soon as we walked in, we saw Isabella lying motionless on the bed, with a deep, bone-deep wound on her wrist. The bright red bloodstains had soaked the bedding, looking shocking and eerie under the glare of the white light. Megan threw herself onto Isabella, wailing for a while. Noticing my approach, she suddenly stood up and raised her hand, bringing it down hard on my face. Slap! My head was knocked to the side, half of my face burning hot, and my eardrum ringing from the blow. “Useless! You can’t even protect your own wife.” “Ryan, are you even a man? My sister’s life was taken by cyberbullying and public opinion. If you don’t avenge her, I won’t acknowledge you as my brother-in-law!” The emotionally charged Megan cried as she threw a suicide note in my face. I looked down, and sure enough, it was the same as in my previous life. Isabella wanted me to avenge her. “Sis, don’t worry. I will avenge Isabella. But now, let’s take her to the hospital for emergency treatment.” I pinched my thigh hard, squeezing out two tears of sorrow. Pretending to be anxious, I came to the bedside and reached out to check Isabella’s cut, making a show of dialing for an ambulance. Megan was startled and quickly hung up my phone. “I’ve already checked. Isabella has no pulse. According to our hometown customs, we need to dress her in funeral clothes immediately.” She hurriedly pushed me out the door, telling me to go buy a set of funeral clothes right away. At the same time, she craned her neck, blocking my view of Isabella. I could only comply, walking out a couple of steps before turning back. I raised my hand with a confused look, “Sis, what’s this thing on my hand?” “Huh? Let me see.” Megan didn’t expect me to suddenly turn back, and a flash of panic quickly crossed her eyes. She frowned and tore off a strangely colored tape from my hand. Her uneasy eyes darted around, and her expression became increasingly uncomfortable. It looked a bit like… I suspiciously peeked into the room and widened my eyes, “Sis, am I seeing things? The cut on Isabella’s wrist seems to have disappeared.” Reminded by me, Megan’s face turned pale, and she instinctively closed the door. “You, you’re seeing things. Don’t waste time, go buy the funeral clothes quickly.” Hearing her panicked voice coming through the door crack, I smirked and responded, turning to leave. After leaving, I followed Megan’s instructions and bought a set of funeral clothes from a funeral home. But I didn’t rush back. Instead, I found a bubble tea shop, sipping on a drink while opening the surveillance camera feed on my phone. In the surveillance feed, Megan patted Isabella, trying to wake her up. But Isabella showed no response. Frustrated, Megan cursed under her breath, picked up the prop knife from the floor, and forcefully cut Isabella’s wrist. A deep wound immediately appeared on her fair wrist, blood flowing from the cut and dripping onto the floor, forming a small pool of blood. “Does it have to be this realistic? It looks just like the real thing.” Megan was shocked by the scene before her. She stood there, holding the prop knife, not knowing what to do. Seeing that it was about right, I quickly brought the funeral clothes back. “Sis, why is there so much blood?” “It seems Isabella really can’t be saved.” I pointed at the pool of blood on the floor in horror, catching a glimpse of Isabella on the bed. Her face was pale, her brows furrowed, as if she was showing signs of waking up. In the heat of the moment, I didn’t wait for Megan to explain and started helping Isabella change into the funeral clothes. As I changed her, I cried, even pressing hard on Isabella’s wound, making her bleed faster. “This, how would I know? Look at you, your rough hands are pressing on Isabella’s wound.” “Forget it, you’re too emotional. Let me do it.” With that, Megan unceremoniously pushed me out. She closed the door, not letting me in, saying she was worried I would have an emotional breakdown. In fact, I knew she was afraid the fake wound on Isabella’s wrist would be exposed. Too bad, before I left, I had already replaced the prop knife with a real one. I have to say, Megan was just all breasts and no brains. Stupid! I leaned against the door, listening to the movements inside. Hearing that she had finished changing clothes and was about to open the door, I quickly moved away and pretended to make a phone call. “Hello, is this the funeral home? My wife has passed away. Can you send someone to take her away?”

As soon as Megan came out, she heard this and immediately panicked. She snatched my phone away and scolded, “According to our hometown customs, Isabella’s body needs to be buried.” “Besides, even though Isabella is your wife, the fact is you failed to protect her. You don’t have the right to make decisions about her funeral arrangements.” She suddenly became assertive, calling to arrange a hearse, willing to pay thousands more in transport fees rather than let Isabella be taken by the crematorium. “Sis, what era are we living in? Our hometown is so far from here, the body will start to decompose before we get there.” Knowing I was in the wrong, I lowered my head and tried to negotiate with Megan. But she ignored me completely, sitting alone in the living room informing relatives back home about the death. Taking advantage of this moment, I quietly opened the surveillance feed and saw a horrifying scene. Isabella had woken up in the room. She dragged her weak body, trying to turn the doorknob, but due to excessive blood loss, she collapsed on the floor before she could reach it, unable to get up again. Lying on the floor, barely clinging to life, she struggled to open her phone. My heart was in my throat. If she contacted Megan at this moment, wouldn’t my entire plan be ruined? Fortunately, it was just a false alarm. Isabella operated her phone for a few moments before passing out from exhaustion. By now, I was already sweating profusely with anxiety. After some hesitation, I decided to make the first move. “Sis, I hear something from the room. Could it be that Isabella isn’t dead?” I rushed into the room in one swift move, quickly pocketing Isabella’s phone. Megan hurriedly hung up the phone and followed closely behind. Looking flustered, she forcefully pushed me aside from behind. “Sis, why is Isabella lying on the floor? Could it be that she’s not dead and was trying to call for help?” I excitedly grabbed Megan, looking at her with hopeful eyes. Megan was stunned by this bizarre scene. After a moment of bewilderment, her eyes darted around as she casually said, “What nonsense are you talking about? I put her on the floor earlier to make it easier to change her clothes.” “Oh, my poor sister!” Perhaps realizing that she hadn’t managed her expression well, Megan immediately put on a grief-stricken face and threw herself onto Isabella’s body, crying her eyes out. It wasn’t until the hearse arrived that she got up from Isabella’s body. The hearse drove to a construction section ahead, where the road was blocked and they couldn’t proceed. We asked the construction team and were told the road would be closed for two days. “Sis, let’s cremate her after all. This is the only road to the highway. If we wait for two days, the body will start to decompose.” I smiled gratefully at the foreman, my old classmate. Turning back to the car, I discussed with Megan. Hearing that the body might decompose, the driver quickly refunded our money and kicked us out of the car. Megan looked uncomfortable but insisted on carrying Isabella over the construction site herself. The crucial point was that she wouldn’t let me help, insisting on doing it alone. My old classmate had piled up the road section into a small mountain of steel pipes in advance. Megan, being a woman, didn’t have enough strength and fell several times, causing Isabella on her back to fall off. The back of Isabella’s head hit the steel pipes hard, bleeding profusely. “Miss, can a corpse still bleed?” A worker raised doubts, his eyes full of suspicion as he looked at Megan. But Megan was now drenched in sweat, afraid they would discover Isabella was faking. She recklessly dragged Isabella across, stumbling and falling all the way. The sound of the back of her head hitting the steel bars made my heart tremble. “Sis, Isabella can still bleed so much. Could it be that she’s not dead?” “Shouldn’t we take her to the hospital for emergency treatment?” I deliberately shouted loudly in front of the workers. This irritated the already anxious Megan, causing her to lose her patience. She turned back and yelled at me, “I said she’s dead, so she’s dead! Can’t you understand?” The atmosphere became extremely tense. I stopped talking. When we reached the burial pit, Isabella’s face had turned unusually pale. I knew her time was running out. Megan also noticed her abnormal complexion and started to feel uneasy. But because I was present, she still insisted on having relatives bury Isabella. However, an unexpected event occurred at this moment. Several luxury cars suddenly stopped around the burial pit, and someone I never expected stepped out. “Stop!”

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My husband, a hotel reviewer, sent intimate videos to female clients during work. “Babe, which hotel tonight?” “Your place, handsome~” Staring at their chat history, I picked up the lace lingerie that didn’t belong to me and confronted him. With his neck covered in hickeys, he scoffed, “After ten years of marriage, you suspect me of cheating?” “It’s just a tactic to entertain clients,” he said dismissively. I listened to his explanation quietly, without comment. Later, I ran into him at a hotel, my belly swollen with pregnancy. This time, he froze for a moment, his eyes bloodshot as he gripped my chin, “Tell me! Whose child is it?” I smiled, removing his hand, and pretended to be a stranger, “It’s none of this gentleman’s business, is it?” (1) This was the 99th time Jack Gordon failed to report his schedule to me. I had been staking out the airport for a month. At 3:30 AM, he finally got off the plane but headed straight for the Rose Hotel across from the airport. I followed him to the hotel entrance. Emma Rose, his female client, was waiting for him. As soon as they met, they started kissing passionately. Emma clung to his waist, her black lace strap slipping off to reveal her pale skin. She wrapped her arms around Jack’s neck and purred, “Honey, do I taste better than that old hag of yours?” “She’s dry as a bone. You’re much more delicious,” Jack teased, squeezing her waist, completely oblivious to my presence behind them. “Ten years of marriage and not even a hint of pregnancy. She’s just getting older and uglier.” I clenched my fists, the hot water bottle I’d prepared for him in my coat now half cold. Jack let go of Emma and unwrapped the scarf from his neck, putting it around her instead. “This scarf? That old hag gathered wool from the prairie herself to make it. Spent countless nights on it. I couldn’t bear to use it, so I’m giving it to you.” Emma pouted, “I don’t want it. Just thinking about her making it makes me feel dirty.” The scarf was carelessly tossed near the trash can, mixing with food scraps. Jack’s eyes swept over the scarf, a hint of disgust in his gaze. “Fine, I’ll buy you a new one next time, much prettier than what she made. Looking at this scarf now makes me sick!” The stench of rotting food wafted over, and he covered his nose in disgust, keeping his distance. Emma clung to his arm as they entered the hotel. “Well, you can warm me up in bed later. I heard this Rose Hotel symbolizes staying with your soulmate forever.” Jack held her hand tightly. “I want to be with you forever and always.” His words floated into my ears, leaving a hollow in my heart. They went into the hotel and got a room. In the middle of the night, I dragged my exhausted body home. Jack had posted on social media: “Checking in on the wife.” The post included a review of the Rose Hotel. But reflected in the computer screen was a woman covered in hickeys. (2) My fingertips instantly went numb as I realized what a hypocrite Jack truly was. Jack came home the next day, carrying a box with an expensive lipstick. “Honey, I’m back. I brought you a gift,” he said cheerfully, pushing the box into my hands. “Open it and see if it’s the shade you like.” I opened the lipstick. The bright red color didn’t suit me at all. I had told him countless times that I hated this shade. “Do you like it, honey?” Jack leaned in with a smile, the bright red lipstick marks on his neck stinging my eyes. Seems like someone else’s trash. My lips stiffened as I put the lipstick away and pointed at his neck. “Where’s the scarf I made you?” “Ah…” Jack stumbled over his words for a moment. “Since you made it yourself, I couldn’t bear to use it. I put it in my suitcase, but it got lost during the flight.” Liar! I dug my nails into my palms. That scarf had probably ended up in a landfill by now! “Honey, I really didn’t mean to lose it,” Jack nuzzled my shoulder like a puppy. “Please forgive me.” “Okay.” I agreed. After all, when you’ve been disappointed enough times, you stop caring. “Thank you, honey!” He kissed me happily, then wagged his tail as he went into the kitchen. “To make it up to you, I’ll make you breakfast!” This was the first breakfast Jack had made in our ten years of marriage. (3) At the dining table. Jack enthusiastically put cilantro in my bowl. “I remember, sweetie. You love cilantro and hate celery, so I made a big plate of cilantro. Eat up!” He got it wrong. Jack had mixed it up. The cilantro in my bowl made me want to throw up. I put down my chopsticks and looked him straight in the eye. “Jack, you got it wrong. I hate cilantro and love celery.” Jack’s smile froze. He peeled some shrimp and put it in my bowl. “I read online that shrimp peeled by your lover is a unique sign of love. Come on, don’t be mad.” “Jack, I’m allergic to seafood.” The air stood still for two seconds. Jack’s eyes flickered with emotion. “Lily, there’s a limit to how much you can sulk, you know?” “It’s just a stupid scarf. It’s not worth much anyway.” It wasn’t just a stupid scarf. It was wool I had gathered from a 1,200-mile journey to the prairie, processed and knitted over an entire year. “Jack, you know the story behind that scarf,” I said, holding back the pain. He had seen everything I did. When he first got the scarf, he almost kissed it: “Honey, I’ll cherish this gift from you forever. I’ll never throw it away!” But he was the first to discard it. “So what?” Jack said disdainfully. He put on his coat and walked to the door. “In a few years, it would’ve just been an old rag anyway.” He left without a second thought. I opened our couple’s location-sharing app. He was driving towards the Rose Hotel from last night. So that’s why he left in such a hurry. His little mistress was waiting for him. I laughed bitterly, my heart growing cold. Then, Jack sent another message. In the video, Jack was passionately kissing Emma’s neck, carrying her to the bed. He quickly deleted the video and sent a picture instead: [I remember you studied art. Can you draw a portrait using “Emma Rose” as the name?] The woman in the picture was young and pretty, with round cheeks that exuded innocence and childlike charm. I remembered Jack saying he liked this type of woman, and that I wasn’t his type. [If I see the finished product before I get off work, I might consider making dinner tonight.] In ten years of marriage, I always cooked. Now, making one meal became a condition for drawing a portrait of his mistress. I found it laughable. A moment later, Jack sent another message: [Did you see the video I accidentally sent earlier?] Yes, I saw it clear as day! I opened my local storage and, like a masochist, watched the entire three-hour video. In the end, I couldn’t help but rush to the bathroom to throw up the bitter water in my stomach. It was disgusting! My tears fell one by one. Jack’s voice from the video kept echoing in my ears: “I’ve been disgusted by that old hag for ages! Having to pretend I like her, I feel like puking every time I see her!” “Making her cook every day, she doesn’t even know how to take care of herself. Now she doesn’t have half your beauty!” “And she’s all dried up now, bone-dry every day. How can that compare to how wet and juicy you are, always keeping me satisfied?” After throwing up, I wiped away my tears. I went to the studio. Every painting there was of him; I rarely painted subjects I liked anymore. I’ll pick up the brush for him one last time, then leave him. (4) I’m good at oil painting, but not very skilled at name sketches. After drawing for half a day, I finally finished the draft. Jack came home from work. “Does this look like her?” Jack seemed unsatisfied with my drawing and casually tore it from the easel. It was the one I was most satisfied with, among the pile of discarded drafts on the floor. “Lily, you can draw me so well. Why can’t you do the same for Emma?” Jack frowned. “No dinner until you draw it properly.” I gripped the pencil tightly, tears welling up in my eyes. “Is she that important to you?” Jack sighed and came to my side, squeezing my shoulders. “Honey, what are you thinking? She’s my client, of course I have to treat her well.” “Honey, I know you’ve been upset lately. Didn’t I promise you could taste my cooking once you finished the drawing?” “I’m sorry I mixed up your tastes this morning. Look, I bought a bunch of celery on my way home, just to cook for you.” “Is that so…” I mumbled, my eyes dimming. “Jack, do you know I’m good at oil painting, not name sketches?” “Isn’t it all the same? You have an art background, you can draw anything,” Jack gripped my hands tightly, asking with expectation, “Honey, I know you can do it, right?” I pulled my hands away without answering. He whispered a warning in my ear: “Lily, I’ve been patient with you for a long time. Why do you always make me angry?” I stayed up for three nights, revising and redrawing until Jack was finally satisfied. That night, Jack made a table full of dishes, filling my bowl with celery. “Honey, you’ve finally become the obedient Lily again. I don’t know what was wrong with you these past few days, always disobeying. Now that I’ve starved you for three days, you’re back to your old self.” Recently, Jack had been coming home late with a neck full of hickeys, rejecting one drawing after another. He hadn’t given me a single bite to eat, locking me in the studio. I survived only by drinking tap water from the studio sink. I ate without tasting anything and silently returned to my room, opening my phone. A message from Charlie popped up. He was the assistant to the investor of the largest exhibition hall in South City. [Ms. Summer, our investor really admires your work and hopes you can bring your paintings to the exhibition.] The message was from three days ago. South City was my hometown, over a thousand kilometers away. My heart stirred, and I replied with a simple “okay.” As I put down my phone, Jack hugged me from behind. “Honey, why are you ignoring me? I’ve been begging you so humbly, even setting aside my male pride.” The only time Jack had ever begged me was with threatening words. I don’t know how many fights we’ve had. Every time, he dealt with it by giving me the silent treatment. I had begged him countless times. The worst time, he made me kneel. I knelt for a day, my kneecaps swollen, before he finally opened the door, acting like a different person as he helped me up. I pried Jack’s fingers off me one by one and turned my back to him to sleep. “Lily, you’re going too far,” Jack said, his face dark. “Anyone can play the silent treatment game. You’ll end up kneeling and begging me again.” He took the blanket and went to sleep in the study. His bag was left on the bedside table. I rummaged through it and found a lace lingerie that wasn’t mine and a phone. I tried to enter the password. It opened; Jack hadn’t changed it. The phone’s wallpaper had long been changed to a photo of him and Emma. He was so sure I wouldn’t check his phone. Unfortunately, he had betrayed my trust. I opened WeChat and scrolled through the chat history. [Babe, which hotel tonight?] [Your place, handsome~] [No way, that old hag is still at home. I’m sick of her. The bed she sleeps in is disgusting.] [Then I’ll punish you to do the positions from the video.] One intimate chat after another, one suggestive video after another. I couldn’t even imagine how many positions they had tried in bed. I opened the notes app, where Jack had written his diary: [The old hag isn’t behaving at all. Making such a fuss about drawing a portrait for my baby. I’ll show her by starving her for three days!] [I think making her kneel was too light a punishment. She needs something harsher!] [She’s learned to give me the silent treatment, huh? She can’t live without me anyway. I’ll make her crawl back and apologize!] I clenched my fists, picked up the lace lingerie, went to the study, and knocked on the door. “Let’s get a divorce, Jack.” Instantly, the door swung open. (5) In the living room. I placed the phone and lace lingerie on the coffee table. “After ten years of marriage, you suspect me of cheating?” “It’s just a tactic to entertain clients.” Jack scoffed, his neck covered in hickeys, as he picked up the lace lingerie and rubbed it between his fingers. “It’s just some women’s clothing and some chat messages. Don’t you trust me at all?” “Honey, I’m just trying to earn some extra money for our family. Can’t you be more understanding?” Understanding? The dirty tactics listed in his notes stabbed deep into my heart. The endless stream of chat messages made me sick to my stomach! “Jack, I can’t be understanding. I can’t accept seeing my beloved sending one suggestive video after another to his female clients. I can’t bear to see my beloved trying positions with his female client that I’ve never even seen. Most of all, I can’t accept that my sincere love isn’t reciprocated!” I stared into his eyes and said, word by word: “Jack, you starved me for three days, made me kneel, then acted nice to me again. I’ve had enough of this life. Let’s end it!”

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In the seventh year of loving Aiden Blackwood, I suddenly let go of my obsession. During our last breakup, he said, “Don’t be so blindly devoted to one person. It’s kind of scary.” “While you’re still young, try dating more people.” I smiled and replied, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.” After the breakup, Aiden’s life went on as usual. The first month, he never mentioned me. The second month, he started to feel uneasy. The third month, when he stood dejectedly outside my house late at night, I had just calmed Ethan down in bed. The man, no longer angry, deliberately carried me to the floor-to-ceiling window. Kissing me with barely concealed jealousy, he asked, “Look how pitiful he is. Do you want to go down and see him?” 0 When Aiden looked at that young, fresh-faced girl for the third time, I gazed at those eyes that had once captivated my entire adolescence. Suddenly, I let go of my obsession. He looked at every girl with deep affection. And I was just the most insignificant one. “Hazel,” Aiden leaned forward to extinguish his cigarette and looked at me. “Actually, when I agreed to be with you that day…” “It was just a moment of weakness.” “But I tried, and found that it still doesn’t work.” He raised his hand and cupped my face. His fingertips gently brushed my slightly reddened eyes, his actions gentle, his voice even gentler. “I can’t like you the way I like a woman.” “That time I kissed you when I was drunk was just an accident.” I pushed his hand away. “Aiden, if you want to say something, just say it directly.” He leaned back on the sofa, his expression casual and indifferent. “Let’s just go back to being good friends.” “That’s the most comfortable, don’t you think?” I looked at him and smiled slightly, “After today, okay?” Today was a bit special. But Aiden had probably long forgotten. He frowned and reluctantly agreed, “Fine.” 0

When I returned from the restroom, Aiden was exchanging SnapChat contacts with that pretty girl. He still remembered he had a girlfriend. Even though his eyes were burning with desire when looking at the girl, He still restrained himself from going further. But for the rest of the time, he was distracted every minute and every second. The SnapChat notification sound went off every few seconds. And he would reply immediately. I remembered the pitiful few chat records between us over the years. Large patches of green interspersed with small blocks of white. The longest time, it took him a month to remember to reply to me. It turns out the difference between liking and not liking is so obvious. Just past midnight, Aiden got up eagerly, “It’s late, let’s call it a night.” I also stood up, “Wait a moment.” Our friends were curious and stopped in their tracks. I walked in front of Aiden and looked at him calmly. “Aiden.” “I won’t wait for you anymore.” He looked as if he had heard something very funny. He shrugged and laughed, “I don’t think I ever asked you to wait.” Then he turned to everyone else, “Right, guys?” 0

Indeed, he had never asked me to wait. It was me who always followed behind him. When he was in a relationship, I would stay away. When he broke up and needed me, I was always there. Even his friends couldn’t stand it anymore. “Haze, even a backup plan isn’t as pathetic as you. Is it worth it?” “He’s just using you for entertainment, to fill the void between relationships.” But I acted as if I had never been hurt. Never thought about giving up. So now when I seriously said I wouldn’t wait for him anymore, Not a single person believed me. Aiden ruffled my hair. “Haze,” he called me like he used to when we were just friends. “It’s about time.” “Being so blindly devoted to one person is scary, you know?” Aiden smiled, his deep eyes filled with the charm of spring blossoms. At that moment, I suddenly understood. The opposite of gentleness is actually the most heartless promiscuity. “While you’re still young, go date more people.” “You’re not ugly, why hang onto one tree?” I thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.” He probably didn’t expect me to agree so readily. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled, “Good luck, try a few.” 0

Aiden quickly got a new girlfriend. They hit it off and things progressed rapidly. On the third day, the girl had already moved into his house to live with him. Our mutual friends felt it was unfair to me. “Aiden is really cruel, how is this any different from a seamless transition?” “Haze, if you’re sad, just cry it out. Don’t keep it bottled up inside.” “I don’t think they’ll last long. In a few days when they break up, he’ll realize you’re the best.” “But this time, don’t make up with him so quickly. Give him the cold shoulder for a while.” I sighed and looked at the people in front of me, “We won’t be getting back together.” “Don’t joke, Haze. You can’t do it.” “Yeah, you don’t have to pretend to be strong in front of us.” My friends looked at me with pity and sympathy. I smiled and didn’t argue further. On Aiden’s day off, I went to his house. His new girlfriend opened the door. The girl looked at me curiously, “Who are you looking for?” “Is Aiden here? I came to get something.” “What do you want to get?” “A little storage jar with a bunny on it.” “I’ll help you look for it.” “It’s long gone.” Aiden’s voice suddenly came from behind. He had come downstairs at some point, probably just woken up, wearing a robe, his face still showing signs of sleepiness. The girl ran over to him with a coquettish laugh. He casually put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. Then he glanced at me with a half-smile, “What, you want to take back something you’ve given away?” “Where did you throw it? I’ll go look.” “Who remembers?” Aiden lit a cigarette, “Maybe it fell and broke.” “If not, I can buy you a new one to make up for it?” I glanced at them. The girl, as if marking her territory, was hanging all over him. Aiden seemed to be enjoying it. “Forget it.” “It’s not worth much anyway. I don’t want it anymore.” I turned to leave. “Haze.” But Aiden suddenly spoke up. I paused for a moment. But I didn’t stop, nor did I look back. 0

The first month after the breakup, I started trying to accept new relationships. Friends introduced me to two guys, but after brief interactions, nothing came of it. This left me feeling a bit defeated and slightly depressed. The second month after the breakup, my best friend invited me out to cheer up. After hanging out with some high school classmates and friends, She took me to a nightclub. The little dress I was wearing was something my best friend had forced me to change into. Drunk and dizzy, I was dragged onto the dance floor. She took a short video and posted it on Instagram. “Our little Haze has grown into a beautiful, sexy woman! PS: This beauty is single and ready to mingle! Guys, come and get her!” After posting, she tossed her phone aside and came to dance with me. Completely unaware that her Instagram was blowing up. Until the excited crowd suddenly began to stir. The girl classmate next to me pinched my arm and silently screamed: “Haze, Haze, who’s that guy?” “Ah! How lucky am I to see such a perfect specimen!” I looked over with my drunk, blurry eyes. In the dazzling lights, a tall, imposing man in a black business suit was striding towards us with long legs. Although I couldn’t see his face clearly, just his physique was enough to make one want to scream. “It’s Ethan Sterling! Am I seeing things? The genius campus heartthrob from high school, Ethan Sterling?” I couldn’t help but snicker, “Ethan Sterling? How could a good student like him come to a place like a nightclub!” “You must be seeing things.” I pushed away my classmate’s hand and turned to hug my best friend and continue dancing. But my arm was firmly gripped by someone: “Hazel.” The alcohol made my reactions a bit slow. My gaze fixed blankly on that incredibly beautiful hand. The fingers were so long, the knuckles distinct, with faint blue veins visible on the back of the hand. Indescribably sexy. An expensive steel watch adorned his slender wrist. My gaze slowly moved upward, finally settling on that handsome, noble face. I froze. “Ethan Sterling, is it really you?” “Come with me.” His expression was extremely serious, so serious that one didn’t dare to resist at all. I was pulled out of the dance floor, looking back at my best friend for help. But she was cowering behind others, not daring to take a step forward. Ethan pulled me to an empty corridor. I had just steadied myself when he pinned me against the wall. “Hazel.” He cupped my face and, catching me completely off guard, kissed me decisively. “If you’re willing to consider strangers you’ve just met, then can you… try being with me?” 0

Maybe it was the alcohol making me confused. Maybe it was this deep kiss leaving me breathless. My mind was in chaos, jumbled and then blank. Finally, as the long kiss ended, I leaned weakly against Ethan’s chest. “But…” “But what?” “Weren’t you and Aiden good friends before?” Ethan looked down at me, Raising his hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “So what? Is it illegal?” “Of course not…” “So, are you willing?” “You’ve already kissed me, and now you’re asking if I’m willing?” I widened my eyes, with quite a fierce demeanor. Ethan suddenly smiled. “Hazel.” His fingertips brushed my cheek, then settled on the corner of my lips. “We know each other well, that’s better than strangers, right?” My brain was burning hot, and I actually thought Ethan made a lot of sense. Rather than facing a completely strange man, it was better to choose him. Not only did we know each other well, but he was also good-looking. It seemed like a win-win situation. “Then… shall we give it a try?” The smile in Ethan’s eyes deepened. He lowered his head and kissed me again: “I’ll do my best to ensure your satisfaction.” 0

Somehow, the news of my two failed blind dates reached Aiden’s ears. Someone mentioned it when they were drinking: “Last time I went out for dinner, I saw Haze with her boyfriend.” “What boyfriend? They just had two meals together, it’s already over.” “That’s right, Haze’s heart and mind are all filled with Aiden, how could she really date someone else?” Aiden casually took a sip of his drink, his voice indifferent: “She’s just stubborn, you guys aren’t meeting her for the first time.” “But come to think of it, Aiden, Haze hasn’t contacted you for a month or two, that’s a bit unusual.” “Isn’t she always like this? When I’m dating someone else, she becomes as quiet as if she’s dead.” Aiden put down his glass, but inexplicably felt a bit irritated. He had been single for seven or eight days, but there was still no news from Hazel. Last night at 3 AM, he posted on Instagram saying he was in a bad mood and wanted to drink. Hazel didn’t comment or contact him. “It’s no fun with just us guys drinking, why don’t we call Haze over?” “Why call her? She can’t even drink.” Aiden said, but then changed his tone. “It’s fine to call her. I also want to ask her what kind of taste she has, dating such losers.” His friend laughed and dialed the number. But after two calls, both were hung up. “At this hour, could she be on a date with a man?” Aiden’s expression remained unchanged, but the smile at the corner of his lips faded. He picked up his phone with a cold face and directly dialed a string of numbers. It was only when the call connected that he suddenly realized. At some point, he had memorized Hazel’s phone number by heart. The phone rang for a long time with no answer. Just as he was about to hang up in frustration, the other end suddenly picked up. “Hello, who is this?” A soft female voice answered, but it was hoarse and slightly breathless. It was hard not to think too much. Aiden’s face suddenly changed: “Hazel, what are you doing?”

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I had devoted myself wholeheartedly to my in-laws for five years, earning their wholehearted support to marry their only son. Alexander was a spoiled playboy, so I stepped up as the CEO of Hughes Corporation in his place. Under my leadership, the company flourished. At a celebration for a major project, Alexander showed up with his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Scarlett. “Marrying a commoner like you was just settling. Now that Scarlett and I have rekindled our relationship, the mother of my child deserves to run Hughes Corp. You’re fired, so get lost.” I glanced at my in-laws, who seemed hesitant to speak. With a sigh, I said, “You don’t have the authority to fire me. I’ll give you one last chance – have her terminate the pregnancy and cut ties with her. Then we can still be a family.” Everyone laughed, thinking I was delusional for trying to cling to my position. I just smiled calmly. “You’re right, I do have the qualifications to keep this job.” After I spoke, the ballroom full of socialites fell silent for a moment. Then the guests erupted in chatter. “Mrs. Hughes must have lost her mind. Without the Hughes family, she’d be nothing. What nonsense is she spouting?” “We shouldn’t even call her Mrs. Hughes anymore. She’s just a cast-off wife now, back to being a nobody.” “Olivia, why don’t you just accept it gracefully? The child was never going to have your surname anyway. Since you’re not the birth mother, what does it matter? Just be happy to play stepmom.” Amidst the mockery, Alexander frowned at me with his usual air of superiority. “Olivia, don’t try to act tough. You don’t have that privilege anymore! Without me, you’re nothing.” Looking at his handsome, aristocratic face, I recalled our years of passion and intimacy. My heart ached despite everything. “Three years of marriage, and you toss me aside so easily. You even want to force me out of the company. Have you thought about how to explain this to your parents?” Alexander’s expression turned cold, disgust flashing in his eyes. “If you hadn’t shamelessly sucked up to my parents back then, do you think you could have married me? But we’re from different worlds. I can’t stand being with you anymore. What right do you have to be CEO of Hughes Corp? My parents will take my side, of course.” “Is that so?” I folded my arms, my tone neutral. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Seeing my confidence, the guests were taken aback. “Does Mrs. Hughes have some kind of trump card up her sleeve?” “Come to think of it, Hughes Corp was just a regular company before. In the three years since she took over, its value has multiplied several times over.” “That’s right, not to mention this billion-dollar project. Even if the company did nothing else, they could coast on this success for years.” As praise for me started to spread, Scarlett couldn’t stay calm any longer. She snorted derisively. “No matter how capable you are, you’re still just an employee. Once you’re fired, you’re worth less than dirt. Know your place – you’re not like us who were born lucky!” I ignored Scarlett’s acidic remarks and asked Alexander seriously, “Is that how you see it too?” Perhaps recalling my intense work ethic, Alexander’s gaze held a hint of pity. “Firing you is my decision, and it’s final. Look, I’ll give you $100,000 for a clean break.” I found it absurd. “You think $100,000 covers three years of my life? Just this billion-dollar project alone is worth 100 times that.” Alexander scoffed dismissively. “You think that’s unfair? But what right do you have to talk about fairness? Olivia, you should remember you never signed a contract. So even if I kick you out without a cent, that’s my prerogative. If you’re smart, you’ll take the money and leave quietly.” At these words, everyone turned to look at me. Their gazes – sympathetic, surprised, gloating – nearly overwhelmed me. I could only shake my head ruefully. Back then, I thought I was working for my own family’s company, so I hadn’t insisted on a contract. I never imagined Alexander would want Scarlett to replace me. Scarlett was his first love. Years ago, when Hughes Corp was struggling, she had ruthlessly abandoned him. She’d been silent all these years, but now that I’d put the company on the right track, she came running back. It was clear she was here to reap the benefits. I despised how Alexander could be so blind, treating me so cruelly for a woman who once abandoned him! Anger welled up inside me, and I spoke in a cold, stern voice. “Alexander, you don’t have the authority to fire me! “I’m giving you one chance. If you have her terminate the pregnancy and devote yourself to me from now on, we can still be a family. But this is your only chance!” Alexander stared at me in disbelief, then pointed at me furiously. “Who do you think you are to order me around? Scarlett is carrying the Hughes heir. From now on, I’ll devote myself to loving her. As for you, even if you beg on your knees, you’re still fired! Get out!” People shook their heads, laughing at my audacity. But I didn’t care, because they were all wrong. I never make empty threats. I had enough leverage to give Alexander this ultimatum. If I hadn’t promised his parents I would love and tolerate him, he would have lost his chance the moment he cheated. I looked at him steadily. “So you’re saying you want to fire me and divorce me for this homewrecker?” “Olivia, you bitch, watch your filthy mouth!” Scarlett immediately flew into a rage, cursing at me. “The unwanted one is the real homewrecker. Are you brain-dead? Don’t you understand even this basic logic?” Alexander unhesitatingly put his arm around her. “That’s right, Olivia. I don’t want you anymore. Without your connection to me, you have no right to be CEO of Hughes Corp. Scarlett, our child, and I are a family now.” “What a pity.” I sighed softly. “Alexander, you’ve missed your last chance.” Alexander’s expression gradually turned cold, looking at me with utter disgust. “Stop putting on airs. You think you’re still the almighty CEO of Hughes Corp? Without me, you have nothing. Who cares about your so-called chance!”

Scarlett went further, jabbing her finger at my forehead imperiously. “Are you a dog, just barking nonsense? While your brain still works, hurry up and hand over the project. I’ll be in charge of Hughes Corp from now on!” I swatted her hand away without hesitation. “You think just any stray cat or dog can handle this project?” “Olivia, have you completely lost your mind?” Alexander shoved me roughly, then held Scarlett’s hand tenderly. “Does it hurt, darling?” Scarlett gritted her teeth. “Alex, since she refuses to back down gracefully, don’t be polite anymore.” Alexander nodded gravely, looking at me with contempt. “It doesn’t matter if you cooperate with the handover or not. If someone like you could handle this project, of course a brilliant overseas graduate like Scarlett can too. Besides, my father will help Scarlett.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “What makes you so confident your father will accept her?” Alexander looked at me like I was an idiot, his hand resting lightly on Scarlett’s belly. “Scarlett is the mother of my child, the mother of the future Hughes heir. Just based on that alone, you’ve already lost completely.” Seeing his arrogant, self-righteous attitude, I couldn’t help but warn him kindly: “Being with her doesn’t guarantee your child will have the right to the Hughes name.” “You’re right!” Scarlett laughed triumphantly. “Alex loves me so much, he’s already agreed our first child will take my surname, Evans. See the difference? This is what happens when you’re loved versus unwanted. You’ve sucked up for years, but you still can’t compare to a single hair on my head!” The guests couldn’t help but laugh too. “Olivia thought everyone was like her, desperately trying to marry into money, with children who could only take the man’s name?” “The Hughes and Evans families are equally matched. The child’s surname is open for discussion.” “Mr. Hughes only has this one son. Of course he’ll let him do as he pleases.” Alexander looked at me with disdain, announcing rudely: “Olivia, no matter how much you cling on, it’s useless. You’re fired. From now on, Scarlett will be CEO of Hughes Corp.” I laughed coldly, completely unfazed. “I told you, you don’t have the authority to fire me.” Hearing this, everyone reacted as if they’d heard a joke, pointing and whispering about me. Scarlett didn’t bother hiding her mockery and contempt. “You stupid bitch, stop putting on a brave face. You’ve offended Hughes Corp. Not only are you fired, but no one in this industry will dare hire you again. Your good days are over!” People were shaking their heads, saying I was foolish. I could have gotten compensation before, but now I’d lost everything and ruined my future prospects too. But I didn’t care. Instead, I stood tall with complete confidence. I looked around at each guest in turn. “Do you really think someone with my abilities deserves to be fired?” Everyone attending this celebration had deep business ties with Hughes Corp. Alexander had always been a spoiled playboy, only interested in enjoying life, with zero interest in management. Previously, Mr. Hughes ran the company, then handed it over to me. The guests didn’t know Alexander well, but they’d all dealt with me personally. Some had companies on the brink of bankruptcy, but I saw potential in their projects. Through collaboration, I’d given them a lifeline. Afterwards, they’d gratefully said I was like a parent giving them a second chance at life. Some had initially been prejudiced against me as a trophy wife who married into money. But after working together repeatedly, they came to respect me wholeheartedly and became close friends. As for those who actively tried to curry favor with me and maintain good relationships, they were too numerous to count. But now, they were all either avoiding my gaze or openly showing contempt in their eyes. “Olivia, it’s no use looking at me. If you’d agreed to part ways amicably with Hughes Corp earlier, I might have considered taking you in, thrown you a bone.” “Your abilities are decent, but you’ve burned your bridges. There’s plenty of talent out there, we don’t need to offend Hughes Corp for your sake. Who do you think you are?” “You’ll never work in this industry again. Next time, remember to keep your head down. If not, go find another man to suck up to. After all, that’s your real expertise!” By the end, waves of unrestrained laughter echoed through the ballroom. The very people who once put me on a pedestal were now kicking me while I was down. This scene reminded me of what Mr. Hughes said when I first took over the company. He said when things are going well, everyone around you seems nice. But once you fall into hardship, it’s a different story. Looking at these fickle, hypocritical faces, I truly understood what he meant. Too bad for them, I wasn’t going to play along. I stopped giving them any attention and spoke firmly: “I’ll say it again – no one here has the authority to fire me!” “You gold-digging parasite, how shameless can you be?” Scarlett gnashed her teeth, shouting at me uncontrollably. “Alex has abandoned you. You don’t belong in high society anymore!” But I treated her outburst like a dog’s barking. Instead, I calmly took a glass of champagne, swirled it gently, and began to sip. Perhaps because I looked so composed, the crowd’s expressions turned uncertain. They started to wonder if I really did have an ace up my sleeve. In the huge venue, not a single person dared to force me out. But Alexander didn’t believe for a second that I could turn the tables. He glared at me impatiently, repeatedly glancing towards the entrance. Suddenly his eyes lit up. “Mom, Dad, you’re finally here!” “Olivia, you said no one here could fire you. But surely my father has that authority, right?” Alexander smugly took his father’s arm as he spoke arrogantly. He wasn’t wrong. Although I was CEO of Hughes Corp, I still worked for Mr. Hughes as the Chairman. He did have the power to decide whether I stayed or left. “Dad, I know Olivia is good at sucking up and you like her. But I’m miserable with her. I only love Scarlett, and she’s already pregnant with my child. Please give us your blessing!” “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Hughes.” Scarlett put away her arrogant expression, smiling demurely. Mr. Hughes had never liked Scarlett, especially since she’d dumped Alexander before. But now, looking at her pregnant belly, Mr. Hughes held his tongue and said nothing. Mrs. Hughes seemed to want to speak but hesitated, asking Scarlett: “Are you… really carrying Alexander’s child? Are you feeling alright?” “I was fine until Olivia upset me so much my stomach started hurting.” Seeing Mrs. Hughes’s concern, Scarlett immediately took advantage, complaining coquettishly. Hearing this, Mr. Hughes looked at me gravely, his eyes full of complex emotions. The guests had wavered a bit due to my confident attitude earlier. But seeing Mr. and Mrs. Hughes’s care for Alexander and Scarlett, they no longer doubted. They were convinced I had just been bluffing. Countless scornful gazes stabbed at me like knives. Alexander’s lips curled in a smug smile, certain of his victory. “Mom, Dad, I want to divorce Olivia. I know you like having someone fuss over you and massage your feet, but you can just hire some attentive housekeepers for that. Normal women don’t do such undignified things. Once you get to know Scarlett better, I’m sure you’ll love her.” The disgust in Alexander’s eyes was undisguised. Hearing that I’d even massaged feet, the crowd stepped back, acting like they couldn’t get away fast enough, as if I were something filthy. Seeing I had no chance of a comeback, Scarlett laughed gleefully. “So what’s the use of sucking up? Without status or leverage to back it up, you end up with nothing in the end!” Mr. and Mrs. Hughes were about to speak, but I waved them off. Alexander looked at this in surprise, then immediately berated me angrily. “You used to not dare breathe if Mom and Dad told you not to, but now you dare stop them from speaking! Since you’ve given up hope with me, are you trying to burn all your bridges? You really are rotten to the core! “Mom, Dad, how can you bear to see me with such a vicious person? I want a divorce. Please agree.” Scarlett immediately chimed in: “Father, Mother, you wouldn’t want your first grandchild to be born out of wedlock, would you? As soon as Alex divorces, I’ll marry him right away.” Mr. and Mrs. Hughes looked steadily at me, then at Alexander and Scarlett’s tightly clasped hands. They let out a long sigh. “What a pity. It seems you’re not meant to be family after all. We can’t force it.” “Alexander, do as you wish.” Alexander was overjoyed and immediately had someone bring the divorce papers. “Olivia, you could have gotten compensation, but you were too greedy. Once you sign this, we’ll have no connection, and you’ll no longer be CEO of Hughes Corp. You brought this on yourself!” Around me, the guests’ mocking laughter filled the air as Alexander impatiently urged me to hurry up. At this point, I decisively signed the divorce agreement. “Now that we have no more ties, it’s time to let you know where my confidence comes from.” I tossed down the pen and spoke to Alexander word by word. Alexander ignored what I said. He picked up the divorce agreement and carefully checked my signature. 2 After confirming I hadn’t played any tricks, he sighed in relief and smiled happily. “Scarlett, I’m finally free. I can marry you now.” Scarlett couldn’t hide her excitement either. “Alex, I’ve been waiting for this day for so long! But before that, we should deal with this pest first. She’s still trying to act tough.” Saying this, Scarlett snuggled up to Alexander, looking at me with amusement. “Go ahead and say whatever you want. I can’t wait to see how you’ll eat your words!” Alexander also snorted coldly. “Olivia, you have 30 seconds. If you’re still putting on an act, we’ll have to ask you to leave. After all, today’s celebration is for the CEO of Hughes Corp – that’s Scarlett now. This has nothing to do with you anymore.” Everyone looked at me like I was a clown, certain I was just bluffing. But I didn’t speak. Instead, I turned to look at Mr. and Mrs. Hughes. Oh, I can’t call them that anymore. “Mom, Dad, why don’t you explain instead?” Alexander glared at me angrily. “Shut up! I’ve already divorced you. How dare someone like you still call them Mom and Dad?” Scarlett softly comforted him while calling for security. “There’s no need to listen to this madwoman’s ravings. Just throw her out.” “Wait!”

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Emma, my wife of ten years, suddenly posted on Instagram during her business trip abroad. In the photo, she was sporting a visible baby bump, coyly nestling in the arms of a blonde man. Beside them stood two identical boys. The caption read: “For you, I’d give up the whole world.” Shocked, I called Emma. As soon as she picked up, her impatient voice came through, “Don’t call me unless it’s urgent. How many times do I have to tell you I’m busy? Can’t you understand that?” She hung up a second later. I stared at the photo of the two children, my hand unconsciously moving to my abdomen, where a deep scar remained. So this was why she insisted on us being child-free and wouldn’t let me treat my injury. Looking at the woman I had loved for over twenty years, I broke down in tears. After ninety-nine unanswered calls, Ms. Wilson, my assistant, came to see me. I promptly asked her to call Emma, telling her I was hospitalized. Ms. Wilson looked at me quizzically, but a second later, the call connected. “Hello, Wilson. What’s up?” Emma’s cheerful voice came through the phone. I could imagine her smiling, lazily draping her legs over that Frenchman. “Mrs. Hamilton, Mr. James has been hospitalized. When do you think you can return? The company needs you,” Ms. Wilson said. Emma paused, her tone changing, “He’s sick again? What can he do right? He’s utterly useless.” “I know. Arlo and Cyril are turning ten. I’ll be back in two days after spending some time with them.” After hanging up, Ms. Wilson looked at me awkwardly, stammering, “Mr. James, about this…” I waved her off, “You can go back to the office now.” Three days later, Emma returned. I sat haggard on the sofa, the coffee table littered with empty bottles. She bounced over excitedly, hugging my neck and planting a kiss, “Darling, Wilson said you were sick. Are you better now? Did you miss me?” “I’m not leaving for a while this time. You can take a few days off from work to rest and recover.” She took out a watch, “Look, I bought this gift especially for you. I had our names engraved on it. The moving hands represent my never-ending love for you.” If it weren’t for the pungent cologne on her, I might have believed her. After all, she constantly professed her love and affection for me. So much so that she was tightly embracing that French man right before boarding the plane, leaving her drenched in his cologne. I gazed at Emma desolately, my eyes finally resting on her slightly protruding belly. With a hoarse voice, I asked, “Are you pregnant?” Emma froze, blurting out, “No!” I smiled bitterly, “I saw your Instagram post. Does the ‘whole world’ you’re willing to give up include me?” Emma paused, immediately took out her phone, and opened Instagram. Her expression changed several times. After a moment, she slowly took off her clothes, undoing the belly band, “James, since Hamilton has already posted about me on Instagram, I won’t hide it from you anymore.” “They are my husband and children abroad. They are also my family.” I looked at her in astonishment. Her face was calm and natural, without a trace of shame or remorse. I sat up straight, glaring at Emma, “Do you know what you’re saying? Husband and children? What am I then?” Emma took my hand, carefully putting the watch on my wrist. She spoke casually, “They are my family abroad, it has nothing to do with you. Hamilton’s home is in France, he won’t come to China. It doesn’t affect your position at all.” “He runs his trading company, you do your tech research and production. You two don’t conflict.” “Besides, I’m doing this for our family. Look at you, your health isn’t good, you can’t have children. The Hamilton Group is such a big company, it needs an heir, right? Hamilton is tall, handsome, and a graduate from a prestigious university. There’s nothing wrong with me giving the Hamilton family an excellent heir.” I stared at Emma in shock. If she wasn’t standing right in front of me, I would have thought someone had replaced her personality. In the twenty years I’ve known her, I never knew her values were so warped. Had she been poisoned by some ‘advanced culture’? My chest heaved violently. The scar on my abdomen, where I had taken a bullet for her, still ached on rainy days. And now she was so casually dismissing me. On our wedding night, her vow to remain child-free to spare me from surgery still echoed in my ears. How could she now speak so righteously about an heir?

Just as I was about to question her, the phone suddenly rang. Emma glanced at it and immediately stood up, “I’m tired from the flight. I’ll sleep in the other room tonight. You should rest early too.” She patted my shoulder, “Honey, I know it’s hard for you to accept right now, but we’ve known each other for twenty years, been married for ten. We’ve been through so much together. I do love you, please try to understand me.” I desperately grabbed Emma’s hand, “Let’s have our own child. We can terminate this pregnancy, okay?” Emma froze for a moment, then angrily shook off my hand, “James, I never knew you could be so cruel. He’s already six months along, moving in my belly. How can you bear to terminate him? He’s a living being too.” Emma finished speaking, and the phone rang again. Emma glared at me as she answered the call. A childish voice came through, “Mommy, Arlo took Cyril’s ice cream again. Daddy said to call you.” Emma’s face visibly brightened, her voice softening, “Cyril, be good. When Mommy comes, I’ll buy you more ice cream, okay?” A man’s deep voice sounded nearby, “Darling, it’s fine. They just miss you so much, and so do I. What should we do? We’ve only been apart for a day.” The man’s voice was light-hearted yet helpless. Emma glanced at me and walked towards the bedroom. Although she lowered her voice, I could still hear her, “Alright, alright, big baby. Didn’t I say I’d come to be with you all in a week at most?” “Ham, don’t post on my Instagram next time… Okay, okay, I’m not blaming you. Just remember to block certain people next time. Mmhmm, love you too.” I collapsed onto the sofa, my heart feeling as if it was being pricked by countless fine needles. It wasn’t intensely painful, but it spread an unbearable, suffocating feeling throughout my body. Emma and I had grown up as childhood sweethearts, recognized by everyone as the perfect couple. When I was twenty-two, just back from abroad, Emma’s parents suddenly died in a car accident. The company was left leaderless, and Emma’s uncles and cousins began eyeing the Hamilton Group greedily. Within a month, the company faced a cash flow crisis, and half the clients had left. At that time, Emma hugged me fearfully, “James, what should I do? What can I do?” At that critical moment, I got down on one knee and proposed to Emma in front of the entire company. I promised never to take a single share of the Hamilton Group, and that our children would take the Hamilton surname. My father was furious, threatening to disown me. He didn’t even attend our wedding. Within six months of our marriage, I stabilized the company, suppressed several ambitious relatives, and fired her uncle. Little did we know that her uncle, harboring resentment, colluded with her eldest uncle to hire an assassin to kill Emma. When the gun went off, I shielded Emma. The bullet passed through my abdomen, damaging my pancreas and leaving me infertile. That day, Emma held me, crying uncontrollably, swearing she would love only me for the rest of her life, never to leave or betray me. Later, her uncle was sent to prison, and her eldest uncle resigned voluntarily. From then on, we had full control of Hamilton Group. Emma, your vows still echo. How could you do this to me? What does your love mean? Sympathy? Exploitation?

I fell asleep in the living room without realizing it. When I opened my eyes again, it was already bright outside. I suddenly felt dizzy and congested, probably from the cold night air. Emma suddenly opened the door, happily talking on the phone, “Yes, yes, follow the location I sent. Four people for cleaning, as soon as possible. Yes, I have relatives arriving this morning. I can pay extra.” I looked at Emma confused. Relatives? Most of her relatives were estranged, and my side of the family had cut ties. A bad feeling rose in my heart. I shook my head. It couldn’t be. She said yesterday that the blonde man wouldn’t come to China. She promised me it wouldn’t disturb our life. Seeing Emma bustling about happily, I couldn’t help but ask, “Emma, who’s coming?” Emma seemed to just remember my presence. She smiled awkwardly, came over, and said softly, “James, I’m sorry. Hamilton suddenly decided to bring the kids overnight. He only told me after they were already on the plane. I couldn’t stop them.” “Hamilton is impulsive and emotional. Please don’t be angry.” She hugged me briefly, patting my back, “Don’t worry, they’ll only stay for two days at most. I’ll send them back right away, okay?” “Don’t be upset. Look, I still need to prepare the room and get things ready for the kids. There’s so much to do…” “Oh, right, Hamilton mentioned wanting to try some Chinese specialty liquors. Could you go to the supermarket and buy a few kinds? He also wants to try some local specialties. Please buy those too. I’m too busy to go myself. For pajamas and toiletries, just choose the best ones.” As Emma spoke, she started directing the cleaners to tidy our bedroom, changing the sheets and carpet. Watching her instruct the cleaners to move my things to the downstairs guest room, I couldn’t hold back my anger anymore and shouted, “Emma, what do you mean? Letting him stay in our bedroom?” Emma didn’t even pause, “You can sleep anywhere. The master bedroom is spacious, and Hamilton is bringing two children. They’ll be more comfortable there.” I asked coldly, “You mean I should sleep downstairs while my wife accompanies her lover and illegitimate children right above me?” Emma froze for a moment, then angrily retorted, “James, how can a grown man be so petty? What do you mean by lover and illegitimate children? I’ve told you, they are my family too. Hamilton flew all the way here overnight. He’s accepted you.” “He’s not even jealous about you being here. Why are you fussing over a room? When did you become so narrow-minded and small?” I was stunned for a moment. So this is how she saw me. Two men, and she couldn’t distinguish between us. So when her lover comes, I should be considerate and buy food and drinks for him, otherwise I’m narrow-minded and small? Anger erupted. I smashed the vase on the coffee table, “Emma, you’re cheating on me and calling me narrow-minded? Then tell me, what’s not narrow-minded?” “A threesome? He takes the first half of the night, I take the second? Or I get odd days, he gets even days, and you flip a coin on Sundays?” Seeing me red-faced and furiously pointing at her, Emma threw down the towel in her hand, equally enraged, “James, you’re despicable. How did you become so filthy and dirty-minded? I work hard for this family, and all you can think about is that kind of thing? Are you even human?” We erupted into our first fierce argument since marriage, arguing as if the sky was falling.

Suddenly, Emma stopped. Following her gaze, I saw a tall, handsome blonde man standing at the door with two identical little boys. This was my first time seeing Hamilton in person. Just as I had seen in the Instagram post, he was handsome and sunny, exuding an aura of overwhelming masculinity. And me… Red-eyed, disheveled hair, a thin frame wrapped in wrinkled clothes after a night of drinking. I was truly outclassed. Hamilton stood at the door, shrugging helplessly with his hands spread, “Emma, I really didn’t know I would cause you trouble. I’m so sorry.” He turned to leave, pulling the two children with him. Emma panicked and ran over, hugging him from behind, “Hamilton, I won’t let you leave!” Hamilton turned around, embracing her in his broad chest, gently kissing her forehead, “Emma, have I put you in a difficult position?” “But the kids really missed you. They insisted on coming to find you. Arlo hurt his head, and I couldn’t console him.” Only then did Emma notice that one of the little boys had a bandage on his head, looking at her pitifully, “Mommy, my brother hit me.” Emma immediately hugged him lovingly, “Baby, I’m sorry. Mommy wasn’t there to take care of you.” Emma picked up the child and enthusiastically welcomed them in. Hamilton saw me, his blue eyes filled with nonchalant amusement, “James, I’m sorry for the intrusion. This is a gift I brought you from France.” He took out a rolled-up painting and slowly opened it. It revealed a lush green meadow with a towering tree casting a dense shade. A thin, weak donkey lay under the green canopy. My pupils dilated suddenly. I didn’t expect a foreigner to be so insidious. This was blatant provocation and mockery. Emma put down the child and said happily, “Hamilton, you’re so thoughtful to bring a gift.” She rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek. “You Chinese value human relationships. Your family is naturally my family,” Hamilton said with a light laugh, wrapping his arm around her waist and quickly kissing Emma. Right in front of me, they showed me what a real French kiss looked like. A full five minutes later, Emma, red-faced, finally stood up straight from Hamilton’s embrace. She impatiently criticized me, “Look at Hamilton. Why can’t you learn from him? He’s so attentive and considerate in everything.” I laughed coldly, raising the painting in my hand and slowly tearing it from the middle, then tearing it again. Emma’s pupils suddenly dilated, her face gradually turning ugly. An unclear meaning also appeared on Hamilton’s face. Emma suddenly rushed over and slapped me across the face, “James, how dare you insult Hamilton like this? What position are you putting me in?” “Hamilton generously brought you a gift, and you tear it up in front of him? Do you have any manners left as a man? You’ve disappointed me so much!” I looked straight at Emma, pointing at Hamilton, “Emma, since everyone’s here today, let’s settle this. Do you want him or me?” “If you want me, send your lover and illegitimate children back to France right now, and never see them again.” Emma coldly looked at me, “What if I choose Hamilton?” I was stunned for a moment. After a long while, I said, “Then let’s get divorced. I’ll let you two be together.” Emma stared at me, her head held high, “James, do you have to make a scene? Do you have to force Hamilton and the children away?” I stared at her coldly, not wanting to explain or accuse anymore. The air was silent. Emma took a deep breath, turned and pulled out a blue marriage certificate from her bag, placing it in front of my eyes, “Hamilton isn’t a third party. He’s my legal husband abroad. If anyone should leave, it’s you.”

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I’m a Blind Girl, But I Never Imagined I Was the Long-lost Billionaire’s Daughter My brothers found me begging on the streets. They brought me home, promising to take good care of me. But on the very first day, the fake daughter attempted suicide. Everyone rushed to her side, taking her to the hospital, leaving me alone at home. After that, the fake daughter kept having accidents, and all evidence pointed to me. Everyone despised me. Until one day, I was kidnapped. The kidnapper called my oldest brother, demanding a ten-million-dollar ransom. He scoffed on the other end of the line: “Lily, what are you up to now? I don’t have time for your games.” At that moment, I felt utterly hopeless. But when I climbed to the rooftop, the kidnapper panicked. “Girl, you’re going to off yourself? Hey, have you considered my feelings?” When I woke up, I found myself tied to a chair. Being blind, I couldn’t see anything, but I could smell the damp, musty air around me. I tried to move my limbs, and the chair creaked. Then, I heard footsteps. “Awake?” It was a deep male voice, sounding young but dangerous. I didn’t dare move or respond. He didn’t bother with small talk. A hand gripped my neck, forcing my head up. I tilted my head back but had no idea where he was, my gaze vacant. After a moment, he asked, “Blind?” I closed my eyes and let out a soft “Mm-hmm.” His grip loosened, and after a pause, he said, “Blind or not, don’t expect any pity from me. I’m going to call your family now. You’d better do as I say, or I’ll kill you!” I nodded obediently and said, “Okay.” I don’t know what he did next, but I assume he took my phone, unlocked it with facial recognition, and called the top contact in my list. After a brief dial tone, I heard my oldest brother’s voice. He sounded casual and slightly annoyed: “Hello? What is it now?” Kidnapper: “Is this Alexander James? I’ve got your sister. You have two days to get a million dollars, or I’ll kill her!” Alexander was silent for two seconds, then scoffed: “Nice act. Tell her that it’s Rosalie’s birthday tonight. If she doesn’t come back, she shouldn’t bother coming back at all.” Then he hung up. The kidnapper seemed incredulous and asked me, “Who’s Rosalie?” I was at a loss for words, unsure how to explain. Rosalie James was the adopted daughter of the James family. When I was very young, I was kidnapped by my family’s enemies and sold to human traffickers. My mother was devastated by the loss of her daughter and became mentally unstable. To comfort her, my father adopted Rosalie from an orphanage and changed her birthday to match mine, convincing my mother that she was me. Over time, everyone seemed to accept that she was me, the pampered little princess of the James family. It wasn’t until my parents passed away that my father, on his deathbed, told my brothers to find me. The day I returned home, my brothers surrounded me, calling me “Rosalie” over and over. My birth name was Lily, and Rosalie’s name was given to her by my father, meaning that seeing her would remind him of me. When Rosalie found out about this, she attempted suicide in a moment of despair. After that, no one dared to call me “Rosalie” anymore. My second brother gave me a new name, Lily James. He said, “You’re so small and thin, let’s call you Lily. It’s pretty and easy to remember.” What he didn’t know was that I was small because of malnutrition from a young age, and thin because I had rarely eaten a full meal. During those years away from home, I was sold to human traffickers. They said I had a nice voice, so they blinded me and taught me to sing begging songs. I only got to eat when I earned money. But my brothers didn’t care about any of this. They only cared about whether Rosalie would feel hurt.

The kidnapper still wouldn’t give up. He called two or three more times, but my oldest brother kept hanging up. He didn’t even get a chance to show Alexander the photos of me being kidnapped. On the last call, Alexander finally exploded, yelling into the phone: “Lily, what are you playing at? I don’t have time for your games!” Then he not only hung up but also blocked my number. The room fell into a deathly silence, and the smell of cheap tobacco slowly wafted into my nostrils. He must have been frustrated, smoking and questioning his life choices. After a long while, I calmly asked, “Are you going to kill me?” He slowly said, “Huh?” Then he started trying to reassure me: “Girl, don’t rush. You’ve got several other contacts. I’ll call them one by one. Someone’s bound to pay the ransom, right?” I gave a bitter smile. Would they? My contacts were only my brothers, and they were probably all gathered around Rosalie right now, celebrating her birthday. No one would care about my life or death. Sure enough, when he called my second brother, William immediately questioned me: “Lily, it’s one thing to be rebellious normally, but today is Rosalie’s birthday. Can’t you let her have this day? Do you have to fight for attention right now?” “Who’s Rosalie? Her or me?” For the first time, I fought back: “Is there a possibility that today is my birthday too?” William was silent for a long time. In the background, I could hear the “Happy Birthday” song and the sound of people laughing and cheering. Rosalie’s voice was particularly sweet: “William! Come cut the cake!” He seemed to snap back to reality and lowered his voice: “Lily, stop this nonsense. Come back quickly, don’t ruin everyone’s mood.” Then he hurriedly hung up. At that moment, I felt utterly pointless. If I had known it would be like this, why did they even bother bringing me back? It would have been better if they had let me die out there, pretending I never existed. Wouldn’t that make them happier? The kidnapper was still making calls, but I stopped him. “Don’t bother, no one will pay the ransom. Just let me go, and I’ll transfer you my savings.” When I first came home, Alexander gave me a card. He said Rosalie got $2 million in pocket money every month, so I should have the same. He’d been transferring money to me monthly. I had never seen so much money before and didn’t know how to spend it, so I just saved it all. The card was linked to online banking, so I gave the kidnapper the password and told him to transfer it himself. He was quite principled and immediately untied me, letting me go. Before I left, he suddenly asked, “Girl, do you want me to take you home? Will you be okay on your own?” I waved him off with a smile, saying, “No need, I have somewhere to go.”

I left and felt my way up to the rooftop. The wind was strong up there, making me sway. I slowly walked forward, the wind getting stronger with each step, until my foot hit a low wall. I crouched down to feel it, and after touching the top of the wall, I managed to sit on it with great effort. The street must be right below, right? I couldn’t see, but I hoped I wouldn’t land on anyone if I jumped. As I clasped my hands together and said a silent prayer, a familiar male voice came from behind me. “Girl, you’re going to off yourself? Hey, have you considered my feelings?” The kidnapper’s voice sounded a bit nervous. It made sense. He had my phone and had made ransom calls to my brothers. If I died, they might really think he killed me when the ransom failed. Well, since I was going to die anyway, I might as well do one last good deed. I sighed and said to him, “Brother, can you bring me my phone? I’ll record a message as a suicide note. That way, my death won’t be connected to you.” He sighed too: “Girl, it’s not just that. There’s also a daily transfer limit on your bank card. It’s only ten thousand a day. Why don’t you come down, and tomorrow we can go to the bank together to withdraw the money?” I remained sitting on the edge of the rooftop, not moving. The kidnapper’s voice softened, as if coaxing a child: “Girl, help me out one last time, okay?” After a moment of standoff, the kidnapper moved behind me, gave me a quick chop to the neck, and then grabbed my waist to pull me back. Halfway through, I covered my neck and said to him, “Brother, I was about to come down anyway. You didn’t need to hit me, it hurts.” “Oh, you didn’t pass out?” He apologized: “Sorry, girl. I saw on TV that people always pass out when you do that.” “Watch less TV.” “Got it.” I was taken back to the kidnapper’s place, but this time he didn’t tie me up. He even got me a towel to put on my neck. The kidnapper’s name was Jack Wilson, a very ordinary name that matched his simple personality. I wondered how he ever got the courage to attempt a kidnapping. After he finished tending to my neck, he asked what I wanted to eat. I thought for a moment and said, “I’d like some cake.” I had only eaten cake once before, on the day I first returned home. My brothers had prepared a welcome cake for me. But that cake had only been cut once before the housekeeper let out a scream, and then everyone rushed upstairs. I couldn’t see, but from their conversation, I learned that Rosalie had attempted suicide, and there was blood everywhere. Alexander carried her into the ambulance, with everyone else following closely behind. I wanted to go too, but William stopped me. He said, “Rosalie is afraid of you. She was shaking just looking at you. You’d better stay home.” So I was left alone in the empty house. I ate a few bites of the cake, but perhaps because I had been used to eating stale food and had never had cream before, I suddenly felt sick from eating too much. I threw up terribly but managed to clean everything up before everyone returned, not wanting them to notice. They were my family, and I didn’t want to worry them. Nor did I want them to think I was a burden. I carefully maintained my relationship with everyone like this, trying to fit in. But in the end, I realized that no matter how well-behaved and understanding I was, it couldn’t compare to a single tear from Rosalie. I was really tired.

Jack went out to buy me a cake, reminding me not to wander off before he left. With nothing else to do, and not wanting to eat his cake for free, I felt my way around the room and made the bed. When he returned, there was a hint of surprise in his voice: “You can do housework?” “A little bit. I can manage by feeling around,” I smiled and asked, “Impressive, right?” As I smiled, I lowered my head, and the corners of my mouth slowly turned down. Actually, I knew I wasn’t just keeping busy; I was deliberately trying to please. Over the years, I had grown accustomed to smiling at everyone. I tried to do whatever I could, humbly pleasing everyone. Afraid of causing trouble for others, afraid of being disliked, afraid of being abandoned again… Just like a stray dog that had been taken in, carefully observing the owner’s expression every day, not daring to eat even an extra bite of food. Thinking that this way, I could hold onto a bit of warmth. I lowered my eyes, not saying a word. Jack seemed to notice my low mood and pushed a piece of cut cake towards my hand. “Girl, eat some cake. Don’t think too much. Those brothers of yours are sick in the head. If I had a sister like you, I’d cherish you more than anything.” I suddenly froze. The soft cream slowly melted in my mouth, but I couldn’t taste any sweetness. Tears fell from the corners of my eyes, sliding down my cheeks and past my lips. They were salty. At that moment, even I was shocked. I was actually crying. Before, I didn’t cry when the traffickers beat me, I didn’t cry when I couldn’t beg for money and had nothing to eat, and I didn’t even cry when my brothers abandoned me. But now I was crying because of a kind word from a stranger. I really was useless. I bit my lip, trying to hold back, but the tears were like a broken dam, unstoppable. “Hey, girl, why are you crying?” A rough hand brushed across my cheek, and I instinctively flinched, saying, “Don’t hit me.” The hand froze instantly, then moved away. I wiped my tears and explained with a smile, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I just remembered some bad things.” Perhaps because I had cried, the atmosphere became particularly heavy. For some reason, I suddenly asked, “Brother, if I pay you, can you be my brother for a day? Just one day.” Before Jack could respond, my phone rang. I fumbled to answer it, and my third brother Christopher’s cold voice came through: “Lily! Where the hell are you? Do you know Rosalie has been waiting for you all day? Why do you always have to cause trouble for us?” “I’m not coming back,” I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice calm. “I won’t bother you anymore from now on.” “You think you’re all grown up now, huh? If it weren’t for Dad’s dying wish, do you think anyone would want to take care of you? I’ll give you one hour. If you’re not back by then, I’ll tell Alexander to cut off your allowance!” I wanted to argue back, but I couldn’t help but burst into tears. Just as I didn’t know how to respond, someone took the phone from me. Jack’s angry voice came from beside me: “Didn’t you hear her say she’s not coming back? What’s with all the questions? Go to hell!” Hearing a man’s voice, Christopher was stunned for a moment, then his tone became somewhat anxious: “Who are you? Why are you with my sister? What have you done to her?” Jack’s tone was hostile: “Who I am is none of your business! And she’s not your sister anymore. Don’t call again! Get lost!” The call ended, and the person beside me sighed, handing me a pack of tissues. “You don’t even know how to argue, just crying. It’s okay, I told him off for you.” Something ruffled the top of my head, very gently, like petting a cat. “Girl, from now on, I’m your brother.”

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That was the year Connor Hayes loved me the most. Late one night during study hall, I got locked in the pitch-black dorm building. He stood outside my window and sang songs all night to comfort me. Later, on our engagement day, he abandoned me and rented a bar to host a private concert for his childhood sweetheart, Madison Carter. He even sang the love song he’d written just for me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to that night when I was trapped. I poured a basin of cold water down from the window. “Shut up! Your singing is awful.” Today was supposed to be my engagement day with Connor. We’d invited only our closest friends and family. I smiled faintly, squeezed into a too-tight dress and uncomfortable heels, and rushed around for two hours straight. Despite downing countless glasses of champagne, I hadn’t even had a chance to take a sip of water. I overheard someone whispering, “Jeez, the ceremony’s almost over, and still no sign of the groom. I feel so embarrassed for the Fosters.” “Well, he is a celebrity. It’s normal for her to be the one making all the sacrifices.” “But this is just disrespectful. Who misses their own engagement party?” They were right. This was an engagement party without a groom because Connor never showed up at all. Fighting the churning in my stomach, palms slick with sweat, I kept calling Connor again and again. Usually, even if he had work, he’d have his manager contact me beforehand. Instead of being completely silent all day like he was today. More than anything, I was terrified something had happened to him. When it was all over, my parents couldn’t hide their disappointment. My family had always cared deeply about reputation, which was precisely why they never approved of my marriage to Connor. “I honestly don’t understand what you’re thinking, choosing someone like him. You’ve embarrassed the entire Foster family.” Before leaving, my mother squeezed my hand and said with painful sincerity, “Amelia, you’re the only one who truly knows how this relationship feels. It’s not too late to walk away.” My eyes welled up with tears, but I smiled faintly. “Mom, Dad, Connor just had an emergency. I’ll bring him home another day, and you can scold him all you want.” After the last guest left, I called Connor’s manager while absently stuffing leftover food into my mouth. The call went unanswered and disconnected again. I took a deep breath, staring blankly at the dark phone screen, my heart sinking heavily. My best friend, Ella Reed, stormed over and thrust her phone into my hands. “Look at this.”

It was a recording of a live stream. In the dimly lit center stage, Connor sang with deep emotion while the otherwise empty booths held only one person, someone I knew all too well. Ella’s voice crackled with fury, her hair practically standing on end with anger. “This livestream is trending everywhere. Now the whole world knows your fiancé has another girlfriend. “Amelia, we should go there right now.” “Ella.” I interrupted her abruptly, my eyes fixed on the replaying video, my voice barely above a whisper. “Did you know? “I was the first person to ever hear this song.” That was why I’d been able to overlook Connor’s screw-ups time and time again because he swore he wrote this song just for me. Back when he was a nobody, he told me I was the only listener he ever wanted to keep. Ella fell silent, gently taking back the phone I’d been clutching too tightly. “So what are you going to do now? The engagement party’s over. Are you planning to walk down the aisle alone at the wedding too?” She shook my shoulders in frustration. “Wake up! How long are you going to keep performing this one-woman show?” I didn’t answer. I just forced myself to stand. The day’s anxiety finally ebbed away, leaving only one thought. “At least he wasn’t hurt or in danger.” Wrapped in a cocoon of exhaustion and discomfort, I had no room for other emotions. I closed my eyes to steady myself, then sent Connor a simple message. [What time will you be home?]

It was already late by the time I finished handling everything. I was packing my clothes backstage when a hotel employee hurried over and handed me a gift with a card. He explained that a gentleman had left it along with a plastic bag containing stomach medicine. I glanced at it. The card on the gift said “Happy Engagement” and was signed simply with “Mr. Blake.” I froze for a few seconds, my throat tightening as my stomach seemed to clench in response. Before I could process this, Ella rolled down her car window and called for me. “Going to confront Connor?” I closed the car door and shook my head. “Go home.” From booking the venue to arranging the catering, I handled everything myself. Now, I just didn’t have the energy for a confrontation. I swallowed a stomach pill and drifted into an uneasy sleep. It was nearly ten when I got home. The apartment was completely dark. Clearly, no one had been back. I poured myself a glass of wine, sat by the window, and waited with uncharacteristic patience, minute by dragging minute. We’d moved in two years ago. Back then, Connor had just gained some recognition with his new album. Persistent stalker fans kept showing up at our door, forcing us to relocate to this more private, upscale, clean, and orderly neighborhood. Even the people here kept a cold, polite distance from each other. Nothing like the cozy place we’d once created together. And the apartment wasn’t the only thing we couldn’t go back to.

At two in the morning, the sound of someone entering the door code finally broke the silence. Connor was visibly startled when he saw me sitting by the window, dropping what he was holding. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?” He knew my habits well. Usually, even when he came home late, I’d only wait until midnight before giving up, not like tonight. I set down my wine glasses, walked past him, and switched on the living room light. Instantly, the quiet space became as bright as day. Connor loosened his tie, carelessly tossed his suit jacket on the sofa, and strode over to embrace me. For a moment, I felt disoriented. Even the engagement suit he wore today, I was the one who had chosen it. Yet he’d worn it while running to someone else. “Tired?” he asked placatingly, treating serious matters with his usual casual air. I quietly inhaled the alcohol on him and raised my hands to push him away. Connor didn’t let go, explaining with complete confidence, “I had a last-minute emergency today. I didn’t mean to skip it. Besides, our families have already met. These ceremonies don’t really matter, right? “It’s late. Let’s not fight, okay?” When I remained silent, he suddenly remembered something and turned to pick up the paper bag he’d dropped. “I brought you a little cake from that place you mentioned you wanted to try. I stood in line specially for you.” He affectionately took my hand. But when he opened the box, the cake was completely smashed, its filling spilled throughout. Only then did I let out a bitter laugh. Connor, seeing my expression soften, immediately relaxed. “It’s okay. I’ll get you another one later.” Then I asked quietly, “Does she like this bakery too?” Connor froze. “Who?” I looked him in the eyes. “Madison.” “You… found out?” Connor’s voice instantly dropped, then sharpened with irritation. “Her mother passed away recently, and she was really upset today. I was worried something might happen to her, so I went to keep her company. You know she doesn’t have many relatives. We grew up…” I calmly finished his sentence. “You grew up together, practically like siblings.” Connor choked and then continued, after a moment, “I’ve already had the trending topic removed, and we’ll release a statement tomorrow.” I just said, “Oh,” and slowly started clearing the cake off the table. “Maybe you should just issue a statement saying you’re single.” He frowned, genuinely confused, “What do you mean?” “Connor.” The bitterness I’d been holding back finally reached my eyes. I blinked, trying hard not to lose composure, but my voice trembled uncontrollably. “I’m allergic to mango.”

It took Connor a moment to process what I’d said. Then, he became flustered. “I’m sorry. I completely forgot.” He took the fork from my hand and shoved the entire cake into the trash can as if venting his frustration. “Madison mentioned this flavor was good. That was why I specially…” I interrupted him abruptly, my voice drained, “I’m not interested in things other people like.” The engagement ring felt suffocating on my finger. I thought, “So this is how heartbreak travels, starting at the fingertips.” I twisted the ring until my finger turned red before finally managing to pull it off. Then, I casually dropped it into the wine glass on the table. Connor grabbed my wrist, his brow furrowed. “You’re upset over this?” He sighed with exasperation. “You know how packed my schedule is every day. It’s perfectly normal to forget little details sometimes. “You’re not seriously going to hold this against me, are you?” I thought, “You’ve forgotten far too much. It was like talking to a brick wall.” Connor started to say something else when his phone rang. I saw the name lighting up his screen with perfect clarity. After a moment’s hesitation, he released my hand. “You need to calm down. We’ll talk when you’re thinking straight.” Then he grabbed his coat and left. I stood motionless for a while, then started messaging Ella before heading to the bedroom to pack. From graduation until now, we’d accumulated countless shared memories. Most of our everyday items came in matching pairs: couple’s slippers, gaming consoles, throw pillows… Even the paintings on the wall were custom-made from our photos. Traces of our life together surrounded me completely. Facing the overwhelming mess, I took a deep breath and packed only a few clothes and valuables. It wasn’t until I was sitting in a late-night taxi, the night wind blowing against my face, that the day finally seemed to end. The alcohol amplified my emotions as I leaned dizzily against the window. From school uniforms to wedding dresses, our once-enviable young love. My thoughts drifted back to graduation year. The night Connor rushed to my house clutching his college acceptance letter, he was eager to tell the whole world we’d be together for many more years, long enough to grow numb, long enough for one to propose engagement out of fear of losing the relationship. In the end, it became a joke. My chest ached so intensely I could barely breathe. Suddenly, I opened my eyes in the darkness, hearing someone desperately calling my name. “Amelia, come to the window.”

My legs had lost feeling from being curled up too long. The slightest movement nearly sent me tumbling off the bed. In the moonlight, the school uniform on his body felt both intimately familiar and utterly foreign. I tugged at the collar, stunned for a long while, struggling to accept the impossible truth that I seemed to have truly returned to the past. “Amelia…” The calling voice faded in and out. I closed my eyes, steadied myself, and slowly moved to the window. The man below, separated by just an hour in my time but now ten years younger, suddenly appeared, momentarily disorienting me. The dormitory was on the second floor. Seeing me appear, Connor looked up and waved. “You begged me to come, remember? “How is it? Scared of being all alone in there?” He wore that cocky smile, his tone distinctly more arrogant than I remembered. Under the streetlight, his eyes looked sincere and bright, like freshly polished glass. I stared down at him, my breathing unconsciously quickening. My fingertips silently traced where the ring had been, but there was no mark, no indentation from years of wear. Everything was brand new. “The teachers are all in a meeting. I specifically skipped class to come keep you company. “If you hadn’t kept calling, I wouldn’t have bothered coming. “Want to hear a song?” ***** Too many years had passed. I’d almost forgotten. So many things I thought were gifts had actually been things I’d begged for from the start. Connor had a naturally good voice. After graduation, he signed with a company smoothly. During countless nights when I couldn’t see him, I fell asleep listening to his songs. Now, they sounded more like an enchanting curse. After so long, complex emotions tangled in my chest, leaving me utterly speechless. Perhaps thinking I was entranced, Connor sang with increasing enthusiasm. The streetlight hit him like a spotlight, creating a stage seemingly just for me. Then my phone rang unexpectedly. I snapped back to reality. On the other end was an anxious male voice accompanied by hurried footsteps. “I’m almost there, Amelia. Just wait for me. The dorm building lost power for maintenance. How did you get locked in?” I pulled the phone away to check the caller ID: Class President Logan Blake. I had no memory of him appearing during this night the first time around. The call fell silent for a long moment. Finally, breathing heavily, Logan asked, “Amelia, are you afraid of the dark?” Connor’s singing continued below. I stepped away from the window, turned the faucet on full blast, watched the basin slowly fill under the moonlight, and asked softly, “Logan, are you afraid of ghosts?” “What?” I chuckled softly, suddenly threw open the window, lifted that basin of freezing water, and mercilessly dumped it down. The singing below abruptly drowned in spluttering silence. I looked down, my slightly trembling fingers bracing the windowsill, and sneered at the drenched figure below, “Shut up! Your singing is awful.”

By the time Logan arrived to rescue me, Connor was long gone from downstairs. The next day, during the break period, Connor was called to the office for skipping evening study. With Logan vouching for me, not only did I avoid a scolding, but the homeroom teacher patted my shoulder sympathetically, comforting me by saying I must have been frightened and that it was the dorm manager’s mistake. Instead, it was Madison who walked over and blocked my path. “Connor got in trouble because of you, and here you are acting like nothing happened. You should tell the teacher the truth.” “Are you sure you want me to tell the truth?” I stared directly into her eyes, emphasizing each word, “Because we can start with exactly how I got locked in the dormitory.” Madison nervously released my arm. My past self would have been incredibly moved, rushing into the office without a second thought, eager to face punishment alongside Connor. So much so that in the many arguments and silent treatments years later, I would always be the first to back down because of his appearance that night. Now, it felt like another lifetime entirely. It was my affection that had given Connor too many free passes. Noticing my unusual demeanor, Madison softened her voice. “I was just worried. You know, we grew up together…” I frowned in irritation, having no patience for their oft-repeated childhood bond. Looking around, I realized Logan was nowhere in sight. Someone burst through the classroom door, shouting, “Connor fainted, and they took him to the infirmary!” “Probably fainted from getting chewed out.” “I heard he has a fever.” ***** Everyone started talking at once. My heart instinctively tightened, then I inwardly mocked myself. I thought, “Amelia, you really never learn, do you? Some habits needed to change starting now. This second chance wasn’t meant for me to make the same mistakes all over again.” Madison rushed out, pulling me along. She ran so fast that we accidentally bumped into someone at the infirmary corner. I rubbed my sore nose and crouched down to help Logan pick up the scattered papers. “Did you come to see Connor?” A voice sounded beside my ear. “Um…” I hesitated briefly. “Sort of.” Even though I was dragged here, I was partly responsible. Connor peeked his head out from the doorway, looking weak and sick, his voice feeble. “I knew you’d worry about me.” I glanced up at him. Connor’s lips were pale, his fever making it difficult to keep his eyes open, yet he still insisted on walking toward me while leaning against the wall. I looked down indifferently, quickly scanning the papers in my hands. The next second, I froze abruptly. Noticing my reaction, Logan took the papers from me. “Thank you.” I thought, “Maybe it was my imagination, but his voice seemed colder than before.” Connor reached for me, his voice hoarse. “Help me up. I can barely stand.” I hastily pushed his hand away, completely ignoring his shocked expression, and instead grabbed Logan’s sleeve, calling out instinctively, “Logan!” He slowly looked down at me. “Is there something else?” I thought, “Were you at my engagement party?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296203”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance