My family has a tradition: everyone, regardless of gender, must hide their identity and never reveal their family background. Only the first descendant to conceive a child earns the right to return home and take over the family business. I was the first in the entire family to get pregnant. The moment I found out, I was so excited I ran home without even putting on my coat. With this child, I could finally stop hiding our poverty from my husband, Ethan Moore. And his struggling little company wouldn’t have to worry about next month’s rent anymore. But when I got home and opened the door, I found my husband kissing another woman on the sofa. Ethan held the half-dressed woman and looked at me. “Blair’s back. Let’s get a divorce.” I shoved the pregnancy test back into my pocket. What he didn’t know was that his poor wife who’d suffered alongside him had a world behind her that he could never reach in his lifetime. Fine. I’ll keep the child and leave the father. Goodbye forever. 0

“The divorce agreement is on the table. There’s a pen next to it.” Ethan’s tone was flat. Blair slowly straightened her clothes, her neck covered with intense kiss marks. She sat in my usual spot, glanced at me, and curved her lips slightly without saying a word. As if she were the mistress of this house. I walked over and picked up the agreement. Three pages, densely written. The house goes to Ethan. Company shares go to Ethan. Savings go to Ethan. The car goes to Ethan. I get nothing. “I leave with nothing?” Ethan finally looked at me. “The agreement includes compensation. Thirty thousand dollars. That’s not nothing.” Thirty thousand. I’d been married to this man for three years. Ten thousand per year. Blair set down her teacup. “Vivian, with thirty thousand you can rent a nice studio apartment.” I stared at her. “When did you get back?” “Yesterday.” Blair tilted her head. “Ethan picked me up from the airport. He waited four hours—my flight was delayed.” Yesterday. Yesterday Ethan told me he had to work late at the company. Blair stood up and walked to Ethan’s side, naturally linking her arm through his. “Ethan said you’re a good person and wouldn’t make things difficult for me.” Ethan didn’t pull away from her touch. The phone in my pocket pressed against the pregnancy test, jabbing painfully into my thigh. I’d planned to come home and tell him—Ethan, we’re having a baby. You won’t have to lose sleep over rent anymore, won’t have to grovel and drink with clients until you get stomach bleeding. I thought today would be our best day. “Where’s the pen?” Ethan pointed to the coffee table. I crouched down to get the pen. From this angle, I could see Blair’s hand resting on Ethan’s waist. When I uncapped the pen, the pregnancy test nearly slipped out of my pocket. I quickly pressed it back in. “Sign on the last page. Date it today.” Ethan’s voice came from above. I signed my name. Vivian Stone. Put down the pen and stood up. “Fine. The agreement needs to be filed at the courthouse to take effect.” “Tomorrow morning at nine. I’ll come find you.” After speaking, Ethan picked up his phone and unlocked it right in front of me, scrolling to his contacts. He changed my label from “My Darling Wife” to Vivian Stone. Then he closed his phone and put it back in his pocket. Blair leaned on his shoulder. “Ethan, I want to eat your spaghetti.” “Alright, I’ll make it right now.” Ethan actually turned and went into the kitchen. Three years, and he’d never cooked for me once. I’d asked him if he could cook. He said no, said he couldn’t even fry an egg without burning it. Now he tied his apron with more practiced ease than tying his shoelaces. Blair shrugged at me. “Vivian, don’t just stand there. Hurry and take whatever you need. Tomorrow I’m having people come redecorate. I looked at your clothes—they’re all pretty worn. Don’t bother taking them. They’re too shabby even for cleaning rags.” I went back to the bedroom and grabbed my important documents and a cloth bag containing a few things I’d brought from home when I got married—things that had nothing to do with Ethan. When I came out and passed the kitchen, Ethan was cutting tomatoes. The knife thumped against the cutting board. He didn’t look up. I changed my shoes at the door. Blair followed and leaned against the doorframe. “Vivian, I don’t know if I should say this.” “Go ahead.” “When Ethan’s with me, he never sighs. In these three years with you, I’ve heard him sigh so many times on the phone.” She lowered her head, her voice soft. “Maybe you two really aren’t compatible.” I looked at her. Ethan sighed because of broken funding chains, clients backing out, the company nearly collapsing. Every crisis, I’d been the one supporting him from behind. After he sighed, the next day he’d wake up and the problem would be solved. He thought it was luck. “You’re right,” I bent down to tie my shoelaces. “We’re not compatible.” The moment the door closed, Blair’s voice came from inside. “Ethan, let’s change the door lock code. I want to set it to our anniversary.” 0

I moved into a studio apartment near the university that rented for three hundred dollars a month. Next door was a restaurant. Cooking oil fumes seeped in through the window cracks. I sat on the hard bed and stared at the pregnancy test for a long time. Two bright pink lines, piercingly clear. My phone rang. Ethan. “Vivian Stone, you still haven’t canceled that company credit card.” “I’ll take care of it tomorrow when we go to the courthouse.” “Fine.” I was about to hang up when Blair’s voice came from his end. “Ethan, does she still have the company access card? I saw it in her bag last time.” Ethan paused. “Bring the access card too.” “What else?” “That’s it for now.” He hung up. The phone screen glowed, showing three years of chat history with Ethan. His first message to me was: Miss Stone, thank you for helping me out today. That day he’d been negotiating with a client who suddenly raised the price. He was sweating profusely. I happened to be there and discreetly helped him reorganize the contract terms. The other party signed on the spot. Ethan didn’t know that client was already connected to my family. He only knew his wife worked as a supermarket cashier making thirty-five hundred dollars a month. For three years of marriage, I’d maintained that persona. The next morning, Ethan’s mother called. “Vivian, have you finished packing?” “I’m packing.” “Don’t bother with those clothes of yours—they’re nothing special anyway. Also, those pickles you used to make, Blair said they’re pretty good. She wants the recipe.” I’d made pickles for three years. Ethan ate them every day. My mother-in-law had never praised them once. “I’m not giving it to her.” “What kind of attitude is that?” Her mother-in-law immediately changed her tone. “You’re already divorced and you’re still being petty? Blair’s family has real status. She’s doing you a favor by asking for your pickle recipe.” “What status?” “Blair’s parents run an import-export company in New York. Not everyone’s a supermarket cashier like you.” Her mother-in-law lowered her voice. “Vivian, I’ll be honest with you. I was never really satisfied when Ethan married you in the first place. You’ve been hardworking these three years, I’ll give you that. But people move up in the world. Ethan’s company is growing now. You can’t keep up.” “Blair and Ethan were college classmates. They’re a perfect match. Now that she’s back, don’t stand in the way.” Last year when Ethan nearly went bankrupt over a bad debt and couldn’t even pay employee salaries, I used my family’s connections to recover that bad debt. Ethan thought the debtor had a sudden attack of conscience and repaid voluntarily. He was so happy when he came home that day. He hugged me and said, “Honey, we’re so lucky.” “I’m not giving her the pickle recipe. Do you have anything else to ask?” My mother-in-law hung up angrily. Half an hour later, Ethan sent a message: My mom says you had a bad attitude. We’re already divorced—don’t make this uglier than it needs to be. I didn’t reply. I turned my phone face-down on the bed and touched my stomach. In three months, I’d start showing. By then I’d return to the family as the only heir who’d successfully conceived, and take over everything. Ethan’s company that he’d worked so hard to build was worth three million. In front of the Stone family, that wasn’t even pocket change. That afternoon I went to the hospital to register for prenatal care. While waiting in the queue, my phone rang again. Blair, calling from Ethan’s phone. “Vivian, sorry to bother you. I found a bottle of folic acid in your old bedroom. I wanted to ask if it’s yours or if it was left by the previous tenants?” Folic acid. That was what I’d been taking while trying to conceive. I gripped my phone tightly. “Throw it away. It’s expired.” “Okay. By the way, Ethan asked me to ask you—when are you canceling the credit card?” “Tomorrow.” “Great, bye then.” She hung up. My hand was trembling. Not from anger, but from fear. Blair had found the folic acid. “Will she figure it out?” I stared at my phone, talking to myself. No one answered. 0

The day my prenatal test results came back, I sat on a bench in the hospital corridor in a daze. The doctor said everything was normal, the baby was healthy, and told me to watch my nutrition and rest. The baby is healthy. I repeated those words three times. “Vivian?” I looked up. Blair stood at the end of the corridor holding a bag of fruit. She smiled and walked over. “What a coincidence! You’re at this hospital too?” “What are you doing here?” “Visiting a friend.” She sat down next to me and casually glanced at my hands. I turned the test results face-down, but her eyes had already caught something. “Obstetrics?” Blair’s tone changed, no longer that sweet enthusiasm. She stared straight at my face. “Vivian, you’re not…” “It’s none of your business.” “Pregnant?” I stood up. “Blair, this isn’t your concern.” “Of course it’s my concern.” She stood up too. “If it’s Ethan’s child, then it is my business.” People were passing back and forth in the corridor. She lowered her voice and moved closer. “Vivian, are you planning to hide this from everyone and have the baby? And then what, use the child to threaten Ethan?” “I don’t need to threaten anyone.” “But Ethan won’t want this child.” Blair’s tone was certain. “He said his child should be born into a complete family. The family he’s chosen doesn’t include you.” “He told you that?” “He tells me everything.” Blair pulled out her phone and played a voice message. Ethan’s voice came from the phone: Blair, once I get through this busy period, we’ll have a wedding ceremony. We’ll deal with the future later. Just settle in for now. “Did you hear that? He’s already planning our wedding. If you show up pregnant now, everyone will think you’re being clingy and desperate.” I took a deep breath. Blair watched my reaction, as if confirming something. “Vivian, I have a suggestion. Get rid of the baby, and we’ll go our separate ways. I won’t tell Ethan, and I won’t tell anyone.” “Or else?” “Or else I’ll tell him. What do you think he’ll do when he finds out?” She pulled an envelope from her bag and handed it to me. “What’s this?” “Open it.” Inside the envelope was an ultrasound report with Blair’s name at the top, dated two weeks ago. It clearly stated: Intrauterine early pregnancy, 7 weeks. “I’m pregnant too.” Blair put away her smile and looked at me seriously. “Ethan already knows. He’s thrilled. He bought a ton of pregnancy supplies.” “So you understand now? His first child can only be born to me.” I stared at that ultrasound report. Seven weeks pregnant. Blair had only returned to the country yesterday. Seven weeks ago she was abroad, but this ultrasound had the stamp of the city’s maternal and child health hospital. The timeline didn’t match. But I said nothing. Now wasn’t the time to expose her. “Think about it.” Blair patted my shoulder. “Before things get messy.” She turned and left. I clutched that ultrasound report. You say you’re pregnant too. Seven weeks ago you were abroad, but the ultrasound has this city’s stamp. “Blair, what the hell are you?” 0

The next day at ten a.m., Ethan appeared at the door of my studio apartment. “I know.” He stood outside, his expression complicated—not angry, more like a kind of patronizing helplessness. “Know what?” “That you’re pregnant. Blair told me.” She hadn’t kept her promise after all. Ethan walked in and looked around the room—less than a hundred square feet—and frowned. “Vivian Stone, what are you planning to do with this child?” “Have it.” “Have it and then what?” His voice rose slightly. “You make thirty-five hundred a month. You can barely support yourself.” “You don’t need to worry about me.” “I’m worried about myself.” Ethan sat on the only plastic chair, hands clasped. “Blair’s pregnant too. You know that, right? She’s further along than you—already seven weeks.” “She showed me the ultrasound.” “Right.” Ethan nodded. “Let me be clear. My first child should be with Blair. Yours… isn’t appropriate.” “Ethan Moore, are you sure you want me to abort your child?” “We’re already divorced. Even if you have this child, it’ll be a single-parent family. That’s not good for anyone.” He stood up. “Get an abortion. I’ll pay for the procedure and nutrition costs. Is fifty thousand enough?” The door was pushed open from outside. My mother-in-law. She walked in carrying a plastic bag and looked around. “This is where you’re living?” My mother-in-law put the plastic bag on the table. “There’s twenty thousand dollars in there for the abortion. Plus the thirty thousand from Ethan, that’s fifty total. Enough for you to start over.” “I told you, I’m keeping the child.” My mother-in-law’s face darkened. “Vivian, don’t be ungrateful. You know what Blair’s family is like. She’s Ethan’s legitimate wife. You’re carrying a bastard…” “This isn’t a bastard. It’s Ethan Moore’s child.” “If my son doesn’t acknowledge it, then it isn’t.” My mother-in-law’s voice rose. “You think getting pregnant means you can latch onto our family?” “Vivian Stone, I’ll say this one last time.” Ethan didn’t look up from his phone. “Get rid of the child and we’ll part on good terms. If you don’t, I’ll go to court and apply for a paternity test and fight for custody. I have a house and a company. You have nothing. The court will award me the child.” “And then I’ll let Blair raise this child.” Let Blair raise my child. That sentence was like a knife, stabbing precisely into me. My mother-in-law pushed me. “Did you hear? Don’t think pregnancy gives you leverage. You’re nothing in front of us.” Ethan’s phone screen lit up. A message from Blair popped up. I glimpsed a line of text: [Ethan, is it handled? I bought your favorite cheesecake.] Ethan replied, locked the screen, looked up at me, waiting for my answer. My mother-in-law stood beside him with her arms crossed, like a supervisor. I touched my stomach. This child was the Stone family heir, the child my entire family had waited over a decade for. Ethan wanted to fight for custody? He had no idea who he was challenging. I took out my phone and found a number I hadn’t called in three years. I dialed. It was answered after one ring. “Dad, come pick me up. I’m pregnant.” Ethan and my mother-in-law both looked at me. My father’s voice came through the phone, very calm, but every word carried undeniable weight. “Give me twenty minutes.” I hung up. Ethan frowned. “Who did you call?” “My father.” My mother-in-law laughed mockingly. “Your father? Didn’t you say your father was a farmer in the countryside? Calling some old farmer to back you up?” I put my phone back in my pocket. “Ethan Moore, you just said you want to fight for custody.” “That’s right.” “Fine. Then wait.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “386463”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

On our fifth wedding anniversary, I once again received a family photo of my husband, my son, and her. I looked at the radiant smiles of that family of three in the picture. At that moment, I suddenly let go of the obsession I’d held for five years. “Mrs. Harrison, the five-year term is up. Can I leave now?” On the other end of the line was my mother-in-law in name only, who was also my employer. “Are you sure about this? If you leave now, you won’t get the child or the money. Why can’t you hold on a bit longer?” “No, school starts soon. Divorce is complicated enough as it is!” “Fine. Give me ten days. I’ll help you handle all the paperwork. You’ll get every penny of what the contract promised!” With Mrs. Harrison’s words, a bitter smile crossed my face. As the clock struck twelve, I blew out the candles on my cake. Late that night, I sat on the couch binge-watching shows. Ever since I’d had Ethan as my son, I’d been working like a nanny, exhausted day after day. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d watched a series. I never imagined that in just a few short years, my favorite actor had filmed so many TV shows. I really wanted to catch up on all of them during this time. But even such a small wish was hard to fulfill. My phone rang, piercing the silence. “Sophia, get to the hospital right now. Our son is sick and getting an IV. He’s crying for you!” Zachary didn’t say which hospital the child was at, and when I called back, no one answered. Thinking that he was my biological son after all, I searched hospital after hospital through the night. I searched all night long, and only found out through Autumn’s social media that my son was actually at the Harrison family’s private hospital. I didn’t dare delay and rushed to the hospital immediately. Last night while looking for the child, the first place I’d thought of was the Harrison family’s private hospital. I’d run over to ask, but they said they’d never seen Ethan. And today was the same. “That’s impossible. My son is right here. How could you not know him? Let me in!” The hospital nurses kept blocking me, and finally they called security. Three or four large men pinned me firmly to the ground. A young, pretty nurse frowned with disgust in her eyes. “We already told you he’s not here. Can you please stop disturbing their family of three? You’re so annoying!” As I was being dragged out, I happened to see Zachary and Autumn walking out of a hospital room, carrying Ethan. The three of them really did look more like a family. Just like the countless times they’d appeared together on public websites participating in variety shows. And that young nurse was apparently a fan of this family of three. Just like that, I was thrown out of Harrison Hospital. The last thing I saw was my biological son in Zachary’s arms, planting a kiss on Autumn’s face and calling her “Mom.” The rough concrete scraped my knees and wrists raw, leaving me disheveled. When I limped home, I was greeted by yet another picture-perfect family scene. “Autumn’s cooking is still the best. Even ordinary scrambled eggs taste better than what that woman makes. She tricks me with fake eggs every day. I’m so sick of it!” “If you like it, have some more. Whenever you want it in the future, Mom will make it for you!” “Okay!” My son, whom I’d carried for ten months and given birth to, was clinging to someone else and calling her Mom. And my husband sat nearby, his usually stern face showing a rare gentle expression. The man who was normally ice-cold to me was now so tender. If this had been before, seeing this scene would have made me frantic with worry. Because Ethan would get diarrhea from eating eggs, yet he insisted on seeing eggs at every breakfast. I would use other ingredients to substitute for eggs. But suddenly I realized that my heart wasn’t anxious at all. It was filled only with bitter relief. I let out a rueful laugh. At least in ten more days, it would all be over.

Though my laugh was very soft, it still startled the family of three inside. When Autumn saw it was me, she immediately assumed the demeanor of the lady of the house. “You’re finally back. Where have you been all night? Don’t you know how pitiful little Ethan was, crying because he couldn’t find you?” “Hurry up and make him some porridge. He’s been craving it all night and kept praising it to me!” Before I could open my mouth to speak, Ethan threw an apple at me. The apple hit my injured leg, making me gasp in pain. “I don’t want her porridge! Who knows where she was last night, not even caring about her own son!” Beside him, Zachary’s face darkened. Seeing my disheveled appearance, anger flashed across his face. “Where the hell did you run off to yesterday? The child was seriously ill in the hospital. I called you and said he wanted porridge. How could you have no reaction at all? Do you even deserve to be called a mother?” I didn’t respond to their accusations, only asked coldly in return, “Which hospital was the child at yesterday?” Zachary sneered and raised an eyebrow at me, as if looking at an idiot, his tone full of self-righteousness. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know which hospital your son was in. I clearly sent you a message yesterday!” Zachary had indeed sent me a message, but he quickly recalled it. I had no idea where the child was. I held up my phone. Our chat window was filled with glaring green screens, each message followed by a conspicuous red exclamation mark. Zachary looked confused and instinctively pulled out his own phone, but couldn’t find our chat. Just as he was frowning in puzzlement, Autumn beside him suddenly burst into tears. “I’m so sorry, Zachary. I didn’t know this would happen. Last night while I was helping Ethan fall asleep, your phone kept going off.” “I was afraid it would disturb you two, so I blocked her. I’m the one who recalled that message, because Ethan said he didn’t want to see his mom!” Zachary’s frown deepened. He seemed somewhat displeased with Autumn. But Ethan wouldn’t allow Autumn to be scolded by his father. He jumped up from the couch like a hero, standing in front of Autumn. “Dad, what are you trying to do? Don’t yell at Autumn! Mom isn’t completely innocent either.” “Even if she couldn’t reach you, I was only at our family’s private hospital. Was it really that hard to come and check?”

Zachary found this reasonable and turned to glare at me, but I cut him off first. “No need to say all that. I went to no less than thirty hospitals looking for you last night. Every hospital has a record of my inquiries. You can go check for yourselves.” “And the first place I went was Harrison Private Hospital. But your father once gave an order that anyone or anything related to me is absolutely forbidden from entering Harrison Private Hospital!” “I went there this morning too. I was dragged away right in front of your family of three. Ethan, you don’t need to pretend you don’t know anything. I saw you!” Zachary frowned slightly, turning to look at Ethan with some confusion. Ethan’s expression turned panicked. When their family of three had left, he had turned his head and seen me. He had watched with his own eyes as his biological mother was beaten bloody by a group of security guards and dragged out like a dog, yet he hadn’t made a sound. He’d even kissed Autumn right in front of me. When I was thrown out earlier, I’d still been thinking that maybe it was just my imagination, that the child hadn’t seen me. But seeing this scene now, I was completely heartbroken. Perhaps I really shouldn’t have appeared here at all. Zachary was very displeased about this. He wouldn’t allow a child raised by his family to be labeled as someone who abused his biological mother. After all, this was his designated heir. “Ethan, did you see your mother?” Ethan had always been most afraid of Zachary, but he had a solution. Using Autumn’s usual trick. “Oh no, Dad, my stomach is starting to hurt again. I feel terrible!” He clutched his stomach, hunching over, though being so young, he couldn’t help but steal glances at his father while putting on the act. Such crude acting, yet these two adults both believed it. Autumn cried inconsolably beside them. Anyone who didn’t know better would think I was bullying their family of three. “Zachary, stop it. The child is so young and he’s sick. It’s perfectly normal that his eyes were blurry and he didn’t see Sophia clearly!” “Besides, the child was calling for his mom all night. Have you forgotten how pitiful he was?” Hearing this, Zachary sighed and picked up the child to leave. Autumn, following close behind, shot me a challenging look before smiling and catching up with the father and son. I let out a bitter laugh and returned to my room, gritting my teeth as I peeled off the clothes stuck to my wounds. The instant the fabric tore away, the barely clotted wounds began bleeding again. The pain was bone-deep and piercing, yet I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Because on my way home, I’d received a message from Mrs. Harrison asking me to fill out various application forms. After simply treating my wounds, I immediately filled out the application forms and sent them to Mrs. Harrison, then let out a breath. It would finally be over soon. Since I hadn’t slept all last night, I was now completely exhausted. I collapsed on the bed and fell into a deep sleep. Perhaps because I was about to leave, I actually dreamed of the year I first met Zachary. Everyone thought I was the one who had broken up Zachary and Autumn. In truth, Zachary and I had known each other since we were twelve years old.

I was born in a remote area. My parents didn’t want me to go to school and wanted me to drop out and work to support my younger brother. I refused, so my parents forcibly dragged me back home. It just so happened that Zachary’s parents were conducting a charitable outreach activity and came to our mountain village. Zachary got lost and accidentally saw me chained up in my family’s cattle shed. In a moment of kindness, he saved me. From that moment on, my heart was completely occupied by Zachary. My life seemed to have light, a direction to move forward. From then on, I became everyone’s known lapdog for Zachary. Later, I received sponsorship from the Harrison family. I successfully left the mountains and carved out a world of my own. When I learned that Zachary had fallen into a life crisis after a breakup, I came to his side without hesitation. Mrs. Harrison knew my background and identity, which was why she signed a five-year agreement with me. As long as I could help her son regain control of the company and drive out the Harrison family’s illegitimate child. Mrs. Harrison would give me fifty million dollars and send me abroad to study. I agreed to these terms, not only for my own future, but also for the hero who had appeared in my life as a child. Later, although I never officially married Zachary, I did have a child with him. And Mrs. Harrison seemed to care more and more about me, as if I really were the daughter-in-law of the Harrison family. Mrs. Harrison even began to think I would marry Zachary and then carefully nurture their family’s future heir. Zachary also gradually changed from being cold to me at first to becoming doting. I thought we would continue like this for a long, long time. Until Autumn returned to the country. Everything seemed to change. Zachary gave all his care to Autumn. Even the child I’d carried for ten months and given birth to began calling Autumn “Mom.” And I seemed out of place in this family, like an outsider. Actually, the contract had long since expired. I was just clinging to that unrealistic beautiful dream in my heart. Now the dream was over, and I should return to my own world. In the evening, the father and son came home for once. But the house was unusually cold and quiet today. Zachary had always hated having too many strangers around, so the household chores were usually my responsibility. No matter how late the father and son came home, there would always be a light left on for them, and the table would have a late-night meal prepared. But today the house was pitch dark, and there were no sumptuous dishes on the table. Seeing this scene, Zachary’s heart suddenly seized. For some reason, a feeling of panic welled up in his chest. Ethan pouted. “Dad, why isn’t there any food today?” Hearing this, Zachary frowned, patted Ethan’s little head, and said gently, “It’s okay. I’ll have your mom make some right away.” “Sophia!” Zachary called out, but the room answered him only with dead silence. He strode quickly to my bedroom and raised his hand, pounding heavily on the door. Seeing that the door was locked from inside, he seemed to relax and let out a sigh of relief. “Sophia, are you in there?!” Zachary’s voice had clearly softened a few degrees.

Zachary had a bad stomach, so I always made light, bland meals for him. Our son Ethan was very sensitive to food and would have allergic reactions easily, so I was always extra careful when cooking. Seeing that I wasn’t responding from inside the room, Zachary seemed to get anxious. “Can you stop making a scene? I called you all day today and you didn’t answer. I sent someone to the house to find you, and you wouldn’t open the door. What exactly do you mean by this?” Ever since this house had only me left in it, I’d always had trouble sleeping at night. I would wear headphones and listen to music to fall asleep. I truly hadn’t heard the commotion when this father-son duo came home. Never having been ignored before, Zachary was completely angry. He found the spare house key to unlock the door, then kicked it open with one foot. The violent noise made the nightstand in the room shake. The medical books piled high on top fell all over the floor. One book happened to land by the headboard, and only then did I slowly wake up a bit, sitting up with drowsy eyes. Ever since I’d given birth to the child years ago, Zachary had been unwilling to stay in the same bedroom as me. What was going on today? Why had he suddenly come here? “Do you need something?” I asked softly. Hearing such a calm question, Zachary was instantly speechless. Hearing his son still crying and making a fuss outside, he said irritably, “Our son is hungry. Aren’t you going to come out and make food?” “I don’t think so. It’s too late and I’m very tired. If you want to eat, restaurants outside serve food twenty-four hours a day.” Zachary froze. If this had been before, if I’d heard that he and the child wanted to eat, I would have been overjoyed. But today I’d just refused them so bluntly? “Our son is sick, and you want him to eat outside fast food? What kind of mother are you?” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. “Didn’t you say I’m not fit to be the child’s mother? That I give him the wrong medicine, make a big fuss over small things, and that even the food I make might be poisoned!” “Besides, Ethan also said today that my cooking tastes terrible. Since you all don’t like my food, why should I exhaust myself making it?” Zachary stood frozen in place. These words did sound very familiar. Before, Autumn had fed Ethan fried chicken, which gave him diarrhea. I’d urgently made him throw it up and brought him medicine to take. But Ethan had knocked it to the floor, saying I wasn’t a doctor and shouldn’t randomly give him medicine. Zachary was silent for a long time before speaking. “Enough. I’m the child’s father, and I also run a pharmaceutical company. Medicine has side effects. How can you just give it to a child casually?” “I think you’ve gone crazy with wanting to do medical research, haven’t you? Using your own son as a lab rat for experiments. I’m warning you, stop bringing your food in front of our son!” “Making a big deal out of nothing. Ethan is a boy. You’ll ruin him acting like this!” That was the first time Zachary had blamed me.

Zachary stood by my bed, frozen for a long time. “Do you have to be so passive-aggressive? We’re family. Is it necessary to be so petty about everything?” “I’m not family with you people. In all those family reality shows and family gathering photos, the woman by your side has never been me!” “Even in your spouse column, my name has never appeared. What kind of family is this? At most, I’m just a nanny!” Zachary looked somewhat bewildered, a flash of panic in his eyes. Then, as if he’d figured something out, he said: “Sophia, I already told you that Autumn and I have no relationship. We’re just friends. Do you have to be so petty?” “Besides, we haven’t even gotten our marriage certificate yet. What right do you have to restrict my freedom!” “If you want to marry me, you can just say so. There’s no need to talk in circles. And I never said I wouldn’t marry you. Do you really need to put on such a show?” Hearing these words, I wanted to laugh, but today I really didn’t want to argue with this man anymore about these things. “Who you marry has nothing to do with me, as long as you don’t marry me. I never thought about restricting you. After all, I have no right to. Now can you leave? I need to rest!” Zachary listened to me using his own words against him and stood frozen in place. For the first time, I, who had always been obedient to him, was being so sharp-tongued. It stuck in his throat. Although he’d never said he would marry me, he did want to give his son a family. And over all these years, I had always stayed within bounds. Zachary had been thinking that in another two years, he’d go get the marriage certificate. But my words today seemed to turn Zachary’s plan into wishful thinking. For a moment, he flew into a rage from embarrassment. “Fine! This is what you said. Don’t come begging me to marry you later!” With that, Zachary slammed the door hard. Outside, Ethan had cried himself hoarse. Zachary thought that since I had taken care of this child for so many years, I couldn’t possibly ignore him completely. So Zachary left his son on the couch and went back to his own room to sleep. Before long, Ethan’s voice gradually weakened. The next day, when I went out. I happened to run into Zachary anxiously carrying Ethan in his arms. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at me. “You didn’t check on Ethan at all last night?!” I was somewhat speechless. “Didn’t I already tell you that?” Zachary gritted his teeth. Not having time to think much, he carried the child and left without another word. The child’s gastroenteritis hadn’t been effectively relieved and had instead caused a fever. But the company needed Zachary to rush over to handle things, so he had no choice but to call me. I didn’t want to answer, so Zachary just kept calling relentlessly. I simply blocked his number.

I had been out handling my affairs for going abroad, but there was one thing I still couldn’t let go of. After getting into graduate school, I met a very good mentor. This mentor had dedicated his life to researching medicine for children with cerebral palsy. I followed this mentor down the same path, but after getting together with Zachary, I gradually abandoned this experiment. And this experiment was directly declared dead in the water after my professor passed away. But even so, the rough prototype of this new drug had still been developed by my professor. And this experimental result ultimately remained in my hands with the help of my professor’s son. Before passing away, my professor had always hoped I could return to this experiment, but unfortunately, I let him down. Now that I’d decided to study abroad, I wanted to restart this project. But when I tried to restart the project, I discovered that someone had beaten me to it. I spent three full days running around before learning that this project had somehow fallen into Zachary’s hands not long ago. The development of this new drug was my professor’s life’s work. Thinking of this, I didn’t dare delay and immediately ran to the company, wanting to ask Zachary about it. Who knew that right at the entrance of Harrison Group, I would run into a group of reporters interviewing Zachary and Autumn. “This special medicine specifically for children with cerebral palsy is the result of five years of persistence I maintained abroad. I’ve brought it back this time hoping to benefit newborns everywhere.” “Harrison Group is very honored to welcome back this top student in pharmaceutical research to continue benefiting newborns.” Autumn stood before numerous media outlets with a brilliant smile, brazenly claiming this project as her own. And Zachary beside her was helping to coordinate, the two of them interacting with such intimacy that no one would believe they had no relationship. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I was clearly the lead on this project. Without my signature, who could have taken it away? Unless Zachary had schemed against me. There was a period when Zachary had me sign various agreements, saying he wanted to plan ahead for marriage and needed to sort out finances in advance. I wasn’t with Zachary for money to begin with, so of course I wouldn’t refuse to sign. But while reviewing the contracts, Ethan had been shouting and making a fuss beside me, insisting on going out to play. In my flustered state, I’d hastily signed those documents. At this moment, I couldn’t think about anything else. I just wanted to reclaim my professor’s project. But before I could take two steps, I was grabbed by the bodyguards beside Zachary. Clearly Zachary had already guessed I would come looking for him and had prepared for it in advance. After everything below was mostly resolved, Zachary finally saw me, restrained, in his office. “So you finally came. I really didn’t expect that worthless project to be more important to you than your biological son. Your son was so sick, yet you didn’t come to the hospital even once!” “Now this broken project appears and you show up immediately. Didn’t you say you had such backbone? Didn’t you dare to block me? If you’re so capable, don’t come back!”

I glared at Zachary through gritted teeth. I never imagined this man would take the project and rush to launch it, all just to force me to show up. “Zachary, have you lost your mind? That new drug hasn’t undergone clinical trials yet. And many of the ingredients and dosages are still uncertain. Rushing it to market like this could kill people!” “Enough!” Zachary’s face was full of impatient reproach. “Don’t think you’re the only top student from medical school. I already had Autumn look at that drug!” “Autumn also had people test it. That drug has absolutely no problems. It just needs clinical trials. And we’ve already had people conduct clinical testing without any issues!” “I really didn’t expect you to be so selfish. When my company was on the brink of collapse, I never saw you bring out this drug!” “You just watched me struggling there. All these years you’ve said you love me, but you’ve never once considered my needs!” “Now you go to the hospital right away and take good care of our son. That’s the only use you have left. If you can’t even take care of him properly, get the hell out of here!” I struggled to move forward, but the two bodyguards behind me gripped my arms tightly. I used so much force that I even heard the sound of bones grinding together. “Zachary, that drug can’t go to market. It can’t undergo clinical testing. That drug has problems. It will kill people!” “Autumn’s credentials are fake. She made it all up while she was abroad!” “Shut up!” When Zachary heard me talk about Autumn this way, he became furious. Without a word, he stepped forward and slapped me across the face. “You have no right to slander Autumn. When I was at my most difficult, Autumn knew to introduce me to domestic pharmaceutical experts. But what about you?” “You clearly had such a good project in your hands, yet you weren’t willing to think of me at all. Now you even dare to slander Autumn. Who gave you the nerve?” After taking that slap, I couldn’t help but laugh. Back when the company had problems, I had no choice but to seek out my professor, who was seriously ill, hoping the professor could help Harrison Group get through the crisis. At that time, my professor was gravely ill and couldn’t appear in person. That credit was brazenly stolen by Autumn. After my professor passed away, the matter was completely swept under the rug. Even though I’d explained many times, he never believed me. As for Autumn’s fake credentials, a simple investigation would reveal the truth. When Autumn first entered the company, I was a bit worried and asked a former classmate to help investigate, which was how I discovered the truth. I had reminded Zachary about it many times, but he refused to believe me. He attributed all my actions to jealousy and insisted on bringing Autumn into the company’s core despite everyone’s opposition. For all these days, I’d been keeping a close eye on Autumn, afraid she would bring trouble to the company. But this slap had finally woken me up completely. “You’re right. You’re not worthy of my love at all. Since you’re so eager to die, suit yourself!” With that, I completely stopped resisting. The bodyguards on either side, seeing I was no longer struggling, slowly released their grip. At this moment, Zachary felt somewhat panicked. He had a feeling something was about to leave him completely, but his control over me made him dismiss the thought.

“Enough, stop making a scene. You’ve been away from the lab for so many years. Just because you can’t do something doesn’t mean Autumn can’t.” “This project can immediately establish Autumn’s reputation domestically and take the company to the next level. I don’t want to hear any negative comments about Autumn from the outside world.” “Otherwise, you can forget about ever seeing our son again.” I smiled, my eyes and tone full of mockery. “No need. Starting today, I don’t want to see either you or that son of yours. You three enjoy your family life together!” After speaking, I staggered out of the office. Behind me, Zachary flew into a rage, scattering everything on his desk across the floor. “Fine, Sophia Reed! If you’ve got the guts, don’t come back! Even if you kneel before me like a dog in the future, I won’t spare you a glance!” “Go put up a sign outside the company: No dogs or Sophia allowed!” Hearing this, I only smiled lightly. When I walked out of the company, I happened to see someone putting up a sign. Even more ridiculous, the sign had my photo on it. Looking at those nearly humiliating words, I pulled out my phone and decisively chose to report it. Good thing the paperwork would be ready today, and I could leave for good. Zachary, we’ll never see each other again. Not wanting to be entangled with Zachary anymore, I packed my things and went to a nearby hotel. I still needed to explain to my former fellow students about my professor’s research being stolen. But by unfortunate coincidence, the place where they’d arranged to meet was where I ran into Zachary again. I’d chosen a high-end teahouse, and coincidentally, Zachary was there today to discuss business for producing the new drug. By sheer bad luck, the three of us ran right into each other. Seeing me, Zachary instinctively wanted to step forward, but was held tightly by Autumn at his side. “Sophia, are you here looking for Zachary?” “I’m not trying to lecture you, Sophia. I know this project means a lot to you. But you should also care more about Zachary.” “The company’s projects haven’t been doing well lately. You should at least consider your husband. And you moved out without a word. Ethan hasn’t had anyone to take care of him these past two days!” “That poor child is still in the hospital. As his mother, how can you not go visit him?” “If I weren’t still going over regularly to bring him food, who knows how thin the child would have gotten?” “Autumn regularly going to bring Ethan food. I knew about that.” Ever since I’d moved out, Zachary had been deliberately showing off, sending me photos of the three of them living in harmony every time. But with just one glance at those meals, I could tell Ethan absolutely couldn’t eat them. Although Ethan’s stomach was weak, after so many years of careful management it had recovered. If he weren’t constantly eating these things, how could he still be in the hospital now? “Is that so? Well, you’d better put in the extra effort, since you’re about to marry into the family!” Hearing me say this, Zachary became even more furious. “Sophia Reed, you’re something else. When we get engaged, you’d better not forget to come celebrate with us!” “No need. We’re not that close!” After speaking, I left without looking back. But afterward, I took note of their business partners and sent them a report on the drug testing anomalies. After doing all this, Mrs. Harrison’s call finally came. “Sophia, are you really unwilling to stay?” I shook my head. “Mrs. Harrison, there’s no need. This place never belonged to me anyway.” Mrs. Harrison was silent on the other end of the phone for a long time, then let out a long sigh. “Have a safe journey.” My fifty million dollars and plane ticket finally arrived. Standing at the airport, I let out a long breath and received another call from Zachary. “Did you contact my business partners behind my back? Does seeing me do well make you so uncomfortable? You don’t care about our son or our home anymore?” “I don’t want them anymore. I’m giving you everything. The project, you, the child. They all belong to someone else now. You got what you wanted!” With that, a relaxed smile crossed my face. I pulled my suitcase and boarded the plane.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “386462”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

After getting back together, Ashton Blackwood spent one hundred million to buy his first love’s virginity. When I went to confront him, I found them tangled together, naked, in our marital bedroom. Right in front of me, Ashton calmly dressed Vivian, whose skin was still marked with traces of their intimacy, his movements gentle—almost tender. He said, “Be understanding and gracious. Vivian once saved my life. I still can’t forget her.” He was certain that, this time too, I—Seraphina—would swallow my pride and endure it. But faced with Vivian’s taunting smile, I was tired. I took out the divorce agreement. “Let’s get divorced. I really don’t want you anymore.” Seraphina’s POV I dated Ashton for four years. The moment I discovered his affair, I didn’t hesitate to break up with him. The first day after our breakup fight, Ashton knelt outside my apartment building for a full day and night, trying to win me back. I ignored him completely. A week after the breakup, Ashton learned to bake my favorite strawberry mousse himself. I fed it to the dog without even looking at it. A month after the breakup, Ashton bid on my favorite antique piano at auction. I donated it to a children’s home on the spot. After that, Ashton publicly announced that he was transferring all his shares to my name. If he ever wronged me again, he’d be left with nothing. After a whole year of going back and forth, I was moved. I agreed to get back together with him. On our wedding day, Ashton rented every billboard in the city, displaying our photos on rotation, announcing our wedding of the century in the most high-profile way. He kissed me under the fireworks. “Everything I have is yours now, Seraphina. You’re my everything. From now on, I’ll never let you go.” In that moment, I truly believed he would love me like his own life and never betray me again. Until that charity gala night. Ashton brought me to the event, but during the auction segment, he saw a girl in a white dress with a pale face. She was brought on stage by the host as a “special auction item.” Dinner with the highest bidder. With just one glance, Ashton’s expression changed completely. “Ten million.” “Twenty million.” “Fifty million.” The gavel rose and fell. Ashton’s bids grew more frantic each time, every raise of his paddle carrying absolute determination. The numbers climbed to absurd heights. Even the auctioneer started sweating. “One hundred million! Sold!” The final strike of the gavel. Ashton won the “dinner rights” at an astronomical price. The entire venue erupted. Before the applause even stopped, Ashton was already striding onto the stage. Under everyone’s gaze, he took off his suit jacket and draped it over the girl’s trembling shoulders. “Mr. Blackwood?” The gala host approached in surprise. Ashton ignored him. He grabbed the girl’s wrist, his voice low. “What are you doing here? Do you know what this so-called dinner right actually means?” “I…” Tears instantly welled up in the girl’s eyes. She looked pitiful. “I need money. They said if someone was willing to bid on my dinner rights, I’d get one-tenth of the auction price. My mom is sick and hospitalized. I need a lot of money. I had no choice…” Ashton’s thumb gently wiped away her tears, the gesture painfully tender. “How much do you need?” The girl named a figure. Without a word, Ashton signed a check and handed it to her. The gala host, reading the room well, immediately stepped forward to smooth things over. “Mr. Blackwood, what is your relationship with this young lady…?” “She’s the daughter of an old friend.” Ashton said, his gaze never leaving the girl. “Her father saved my life.” I stood frozen in place, nearly crushing the pearl clutch in my hands. I recognized her, of course. A year ago, I broke up with Ashton because of her. Under the host’s subtly changed expression, Ashton finally looked at me. “Seraphina, don’t misunderstand.” He quickly turned and came down from the stage to my side. “Her father died saving me years ago. Now her mother is sick and hospitalized and needs money. I can’t let her go down the wrong path for money. You know what this dinner right really means.” Those words were like a key, unlocking the floodgates of my memory. A year ago, when I discovered those intimate text messages on Ashton’s phone, he said the same thing. “Seraphina, let me explain. Her father died saving me. I’m only taking care of her to repay that debt.” But later, when I caught them in bed together, he had another righteous explanation. “Seraphina, listen to me. I was drugged last night. I thought she was you.” And now, hearing his excuses that barely differed from a year ago, I couldn’t help but laugh. “A year ago, you took care of her in every way, saying it was to repay a debt. Later, when you were in bed together, you said you’d been drugged and mistook her for me. Now you’ve spent a hundred million on dinner rights with her, saying you don’t want her to go down the wrong path for money.” My heart felt like it was being carved with a knife, my voice trembling. “Ashton, how many more reasons and excuses do you have?” Ashton hadn’t expected me to question him publicly. His face immediately darkened. “Seraphina, that’s enough. Don’t make a scene here.” “A scene?” I laughed. “Ashton, am I the one making a scene?” Behind him, the girl timidly tugged at his sleeve, her voice barely a whisper. “Mr. Blackwood, please don’t fight with Ms. Hart because of me…” Ashton stepped forward, shielding her behind him, his gaze falling on me. “We’ll talk about this at home.” I watched him protect another woman and found the whole situation absurdly laughable. “Ashton, do you remember what you said to me before?” He said he would cut all ties with this girl. He would never wrong me for another woman again. Ashton’s expression flickered. He was about to speak when I turned and left. “Seraphina!” He called after me. I didn’t look back, just walked quickly away from this suffocating gala. Ashton instinctively moved to chase after me, but the girl gently held him back. “Mr. Blackwood, Ms. Hart seems really angry… It’s all my fault…” He paused mid-step, turning back to look at her.

Seraphina’s POV After leaving the charity auction, I drove aimlessly. When I came back to my senses, I’d stopped by the lake near the university district. The lake surface glittered with fragmented silver light under the moon. This was where Ashton and I had our first date, first held hands, first kissed. Ashton and I first met at a party. At the time, I’d rejected the advances of a man in our circle, and he publicly dumped a drink over me and verbally humiliated me. Everyone knew I was the adopted fake heiress of the Hart family. With the return of the real heiress, I’d fallen out of favor. When no one was willing to speak up for me, Ashton stepped forward and punched the man to the ground, forcing him to apologize to me. From that moment on, I fell helplessly for him. And Ashton seemed to like me too. He pursued me actively. After we got together, he treated me incredibly well. My friends all envied me. If only there had been no Vivian… Vivian appeared two years ago. Ashton said that when he was a teenager, his family’s enemies came for revenge. Vivian’s father had taken a fatal knife blow meant for him. He owed the family a life, so he had to take responsibility for taking care of her. At the time, I thought it was right to repay kindness. But then Ashton started frequently taking Vivian’s calls, even during our dates. He remembered all of Vivian’s preferences. He knew she was allergic to mangoes, knew she was afraid of the dark, would take care of her during her period. “Her father died for me.” Whenever I showed even a hint of insecurity, Ashton would explain it this way. “Seraphina, I have to repay this debt.” Back then, I naively believed that Ashton’s special treatment of Vivian was purely because she was his savior’s daughter. Despite my misgivings, I endured it. Until a year ago, when I saw Vivian running out of Ashton’s bedroom wearing my pajamas. Even then, Ashton claimed he’d been drugged and mistook Vivian for me. I thought after that, I’d never cry over Ashton again. But now, the tears still wouldn’t stop. My phone vibrated in my bag again and again. All calls from Ashton. I didn’t answer. Finally, I just turned it off. At one in the morning, I finally returned to the villa. The massive house was empty. The festive wedding decorations in the bridal suite hadn’t been taken down yet. They looked particularly glaring now. I took a shower, buried myself in the blankets, and fell into an exhausted sleep. The next morning, I was woken by my phone ringing. I groggily answered. Before I could speak, my best friend Lily’s urgent voice exploded through the line. “Seraphina! Have you seen the news? Look now! Right now!” “What news…” My voice was hoarse. “Ashton and that Vivian! They’re trending!” I was instantly awake. I hung up and opened social media. No need to search. The top trending topic was #Blackwood CEO Spends Fortune on Mystery Woman’s Dinner Rights#. I clicked in. Nine photos arranged in a grid. The first three were from last night’s charity auction. The rest were candid shots from various angles. In the photos, Ashton and Vivian shared dinner at an upscale restaurant. After they left the restaurant, they got into Ashton’s car together. The car stopped at a five-star hotel entrance. Ashton and Vivian walked in side by side, eventually entering a hotel suite together. The caption was suggestive and detailed. “Blackwood Group CEO Ashton Blackwood spent one hundred million to win the ‘dinner rights’ of mystery woman Vivian. The two shared a romantic dinner before entering a hotel together, not leaving until this morning. Reportedly, Ashton and his wife Seraphina Hart were recently married, having held a high-profile wedding of the century. The vows are still ringing in our ears.” The comment section had exploded. “One hundred million! Just for dinner? Only an idiot would believe that! This is obviously ‘dinner’ turning into ‘all night’!” “This Vivian’s got something. She can make Mr. Blackwood throw money around like that and publicly slap his legitimate wife in the face.” “Ashton is so handsome though. Spending a fortune just for one dinner? Why do I find this kind of sweet?” “Am I the only one who feels bad for his wife? She was there last night, right? Watching her own husband bid frantically for another woman. What kind of hellish scene is that? Their wedding billboards aren’t even down yet…”

Seraphina’s POV When Ashton came home, I was sitting in the dining room eating breakfast. On the tablet to my left was the entertainment news about him and Vivian. “Seraphina, it’s all false reporting. Don’t believe what these journalists write.” A flicker of panic crossed his eyes as he stepped forward. “Last night, Vivian was too upset about her mother’s illness. I only took her out to eat. She got drunk, so I had to get her a hotel room.” I ate my eggs and smiled slightly. “You got her a hotel room, but forgot to leave yourself? You slept in the hotel with her all night?” Ashton’s expression stiffened, guilt flashing by. “Last night she kept crying and vomiting. I had no choice but to stay and take care of her. But I really didn’t touch her. Nothing happened between us.” I looked at the fresh kiss mark barely hidden beneath his collar. My stomach churned, nausea rising. “Ashton,” I put down my knife and fork, closing my eyes. “Make her leave. Send her back to the countryside, or another city, or anywhere abroad. I don’t want to see her again.” He was silent for a few seconds, impatience creeping into his expression. “She only has her mother left. Her mother is seriously ill and needs surgery. If I make her leave now, it’s like sending her to her death.” “Then let’s get divorced.” I looked up. “Since you can’t send her away, let’s get divorced.” “Seraphina, you’ve pulled this stunt before. It won’t work twice.” Ashton’s eyes darkened. “The first time you made a scene about breaking up, I was willing to humor you and let you throw your tantrum. But now we’re married. Do you think the position of Mrs. Blackwood is something you can take or leave as you please?” His tall figure loomed over me with oppressive pressure, his tone ice-cold. “The Hart family raised you for years. They won’t pass up your value. Without me, you’re nothing but a bargaining chip for the Hart family to trade for profit. They could marry you off to someone else at any time.” Those words were like a blade, stabbing straight into my heart. “Be realistic. Stop threatening divorce at every turn, because this time, I might not humor you.” Then he made another declaration, firm and final. “Vivian needs money and a job. Starting tomorrow, she’ll join the company as my personal assistant.” My last shred of rationality completely crumbled. I raised my hand and delivered a resounding slap across his face. “Ashton, you disgust me.” He turned his head, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek. When he turned back, his eyes were ice-cold. “It seems we both need to cool down. I’ll stay at the company for the next few days. I won’t be coming back.” With those words, he turned and left without hesitation. My chest felt like it had been brutally carved open, a gaping wound. I laughed softly. After a moment, I picked up my phone from the table and made a call, my heart turning to ash. “Prepare divorce papers for me. I want a divorce.” For several days in a row, Ashton didn’t come home. But an unfamiliar number I didn’t recognize sent me photos almost daily. In the photos, Ashton brought Vivian to yacht parties, accompanied Vivian to the hospital to visit her seriously ill mother, and at business receptions, held her waist while introducing her to everyone. Unable to bear it any longer, I drove straight to Blackwood Group. Ignoring the reception desk’s attempts to stop me, I swiped my card and entered the executive elevator. In the office area, Vivian was talking with someone. Hearing footsteps, she looked up. “Mrs. Blackwood?” I didn’t pause. I walked right up to her and slapped her across the face. The crisp sound exploded in the quiet air. “Miss Vivian, Ashton wants to repay his debt and keep you by his side. I have nothing to say about that.” I said coldly. “But we both know exactly what you’re thinking. As long as I haven’t signed divorce papers, you’re nothing but a homewrecker.” Vivian covered her rapidly swelling cheek, tears welling in her eyes. “Mrs. Blackwood, you misunderstand me. I really didn’t…” “Seraphina!”

Seraphina’s POV Ashton’s voice came from the end of the hallway. He strode over quickly, pulling Vivian behind him and completely shielding her with his body. His gaze fell on me like a frozen pond. “Seraphina, know your place. Don’t bully people.” Anger simmered in his eyes. “Do I need to remind you how you were publicly drenched in alcohol at that party years ago? How people bullied you and said those horrible things?” Something squeezed my heart viciously. That party years ago. He was the one who came to my rescue, stomping on that man and forcing him to apologize to me. But now, this same person was digging up my most shameful past. He once pulled me out of that humiliating situation. Now he was laying it bare before everyone. Ashton’s tone was harsh. “It seems I’ve spoiled and indulged you too much all these years. You’ve forgotten that you’re just the Hart family’s fallen-from-grace fake heiress who once endured endless bullying and ridicule from others.” “Go home.” He commanded, brooking no argument. “Go home and accept your punishment.” I couldn’t believe it. I pointed at Vivian, whom he was protecting behind him. “You want me to accept punishment for this woman?” “I just want you to understand. Don’t forget what you went through. And don’t think that sitting in the position of Mrs. Blackwood means you can abuse your power and do whatever you want.” Nearby, Vivian tugged at his sleeve, her voice fragile and uncertain. “Mr. Blackwood, forget it. Punishment is too severe. Please don’t fight with Mrs. Blackwood because of me. I’m fine already… See, my face doesn’t even hurt anymore.” “She must accept this punishment.” Looking back at me, his expression grew dark and oppressive again. “As Mrs. Blackwood, you should be tolerant, generous, and dignified. Not run to the company like a madwoman and hit people.” I’m like a madwoman? I was so shocked I almost laughed. I pressed my lips together. “What if I refuse to accept this punishment?” His presence was intimidating. “Seraphina Hart, I’m not negotiating with you.” The atmosphere was nearly frozen. Just as we reached a stalemate, suddenly Vivian let out a weak moan. Her body swayed and she fell backward softly. “Vivian!” Ashton’s expression changed. He reached out to catch her. Vivian leaned in his arms, unconscious. Ashton swept her up into his arms. When he looked at me again, his eyes were filled with barely suppressed fury. “You’d better pray nothing’s wrong with her. Otherwise, I won’t forgive you.” He didn’t spare me another glance. Carrying Vivian, he strode quickly toward the elevator. I stood there, feeling eyes on me from all directions. My heart felt like it had been stabbed and twisted repeatedly with a knife. The last bit of light in my heart went out. I took the elevator downstairs. As soon as I walked out of the company entrance, two bodyguards in black suits grabbed me from either side. “Mrs. Blackwood, our apologies. Mr. Blackwood ordered us to take you to the basement for punishment.” I struggled, but it was futile. I was shoved into a car. The car drove toward the suburbs, finally stopping in front of the Blackwood family estate. The bodyguards dragged me out and pushed me into the basement. “Accept it, Mrs. Blackwood.” I straightened my spine. “I did nothing wrong. I won’t kneel!” The two bodyguards exchanged a glance. Then one of them kicked the back of my knee directly. Caught off guard, my legs gave out and I crashed heavily to my knees. Searing pain shot through my kneecaps. I gasped. I struggled to stand, but the two bodyguards pressed down hard on my shoulders, forcing me back down. “Mr. Blackwood ordered that you must kneel for a full twenty-four hours before you can get up.” The Blackwood family’s punishment. Kneeling in the basement, atoning for a full twenty-four hours. But on our wedding night, Ashton held me in his arms and said he’d never let me suffer this kind of humiliation. Ashton, your words truly can’t be trusted. Not a single one. But I was too foolish before. I believed him again and again. I’ll never love him again.

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After my mother-in-law retired, she fell into an online romance, insisting she’d found her second chance at love. I’d worked at the Anti-Fraud Center for years. I recognized this scam pattern immediately. So in my previous life, when my mother-in-law was about to wire three hundred thousand dollars of her retirement savings to support her boyfriend’s “business venture,” I stepped in to stop her. Her boyfriend quickly blocked her, and she had a complete breakdown,pointing at me and screaming: “You think everyone’s like you, eyeing my three hundred thousand in retirement savings!” My usually reasonable husband, Nathan Williams, turned cold toward me too: “Mom’s been single for years. It’s normal for her to find a boyfriend.” My mother-in-law posted my intervention video online. The internet tore me apart, saying I wanted to steal my mother-in-law’s money. Depressed, I died in a car accident. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my mother-in-law held her phone, ready to transfer the money. This time, I didn’t stop her: “Linda, is three hundred thousand enough? If not, I can help you scrape together more.”

“None of you better even think about my money. I’m absolutely giving this three hundred thousand to support my boyfriend’s business.” When Linda May’s voice rang in my ears again, I instantly realized I’d been reborn. In my previous life, after my mother-in-law announced her online romance, she spent every day calling him “baby” and “sweetheart.” Before long, she couldn’t wait to pull out three hundred thousand to support her boyfriend’s business venture. Working at the Anti-Fraud Center, I immediately recognized this as a scam. My mother-in-law was over sixty, a rural woman with limited education. Besides money, what else could this person possibly want from her? When I discovered the three hundred thousand had already been transferred, I nearly fainted. I worked through the night, getting colleagues to help freeze the scammer’s account. After that, I pulled strings and called in countless favors to recover the money from the account. But once the money was recovered, my mother-in-law could no longer contact her boyfriend. She flew into a rage: “This is all your fault! If you hadn’t insisted Raymond was a scammer, I would’ve made who knows how many more hundreds of thousands by now. Now he’s blocked me!” She maliciously edited surveillance footage of me trying to warn her and posted it online, claiming I was preventing older women from pursuing happiness. I never imagined a good deed would destroy my entire life. Fortunately, fate gave me a second chance. “Mia Johnson, are you deaf? Can’t you hear me talking to you?” I snapped back to reality and pretended to look apologetic: “Linda, is three hundred thousand enough? Let me have Nathan scrape together more.” Linda scrutinized me for a few moments before pursing her lips. “Nathan’s my son, of course he’ll support me. What about you—how much are you planning to contribute?” I froze. From her tone, Nathan’s contribution apparently didn’t count. I needed to chip in money too. I pointed at Nathan, who stood silently nearby. “Nathan and I are family. What he gives represents both of us.” Linda swatted my hand away, her cloudy old eyes widening: “You married into this family to serve us! Nathan’s money has nothing to do with you!” So marrying in meant I’d been sold to the Williams family? If Nathan hadn’t gotten on his knees before my parents, begging them to let their daughter marry him, I never would have married down. I’d genuinely considered myself part of this family. But them? This time, I wouldn’t be so foolish. I didn’t argue with Linda. Instead, I looked dejected: “Linda, I’ll be honest with you. My parents need money for surgery recently.” “I’ve already taken out one loan. If I apply for another, the bank probably won’t approve it.” When Linda heard I was giving money to my family, she immediately started cursing. “Look at you! You haven’t brought much money into this house, but you’re giving it all to outsiders!” Her words got increasingly ugly, dragging my parents into it too, her face full of disgust. In my previous life, my parents already had high blood pressure. To clear my name, they’d rushed around speaking up for me. Finally, while arguing with Linda to defend me, they got so worked up that they both passed away. Thinking about it, I clenched my fists, my resolve hardening. This time, I would make this family pay a terrible price. “Linda, that’s not fair. When Nathan was unemployed, wasn’t I the one supporting the household? Why don’t you mention that?!” Seeing the topic shift toward him, Nathan stammered: “Linda, three hundred thousand isn’t a small amount. Who would…”

Linda put her hands on her hips and yelled at him: “What do you mean? You think your mother can be scammed?” Recently, to secure Linda’s retirement savings, her online boyfriend had gone all out. Various anniversary transfers and birthday gifts. That gold necklace alone was worth at least ten thousand dollars. Seeing Linda throw a tantrum, Nathan looked to me for help. “Mia, why don’t you check in the system at work? Then we can all feel reassured.” I sneered internally. In my previous life, Nathan had also tried to smooth things over like this when the money was being transferred. But after I recovered the money, he stood on Linda’s side. “Mia, Mom just wants to find someone to talk to. Why are you making such a big deal out of it!” Starting over, I wouldn’t be so stupid. “Nathan, that’s not necessary. I trust Linda’s judgment.” “And if we make money, our whole family will have a better life!” Linda immediately nodded smugly. “That’s right, Nathan. Why don’t you come to the bank with me and transfer a hundred thousand?” Nathan’s eyes also showed a hint of greed. But he was still uneasy. “Linda, all my money went to the mortgage. I don’t have any…” Before he could finish, I quickly interrupted. “Nathan, money’s not a problem. We can take out a mortgage on our house.” “I can get a clean divorce first, with the debt under my name. Once the money comes through, we can remarry.” “That way the bank won’t have any issues.” Linda’s expression finally improved. “Alright, let’s do it your way!” Probably afraid this money-making opportunity would slip away, Linda dragged Nathan and me to the Registry Office first thing the next morning. After completing the paperwork, I used work as an excuse to leave early. Looking at the divorce certificate in my hands, I couldn’t help but laugh. From now on, whatever happened to this family had nothing to do with me. Living under the same roof with these people—even one more day felt suffocating. Linda pointed at my retreating figure and cursed: “Look at what you married! She’s useless every single day!” “Good riddance. I didn’t even know she’d been quietly taking so much money home to her family until yesterday.” I hadn’t been at work long when my phone rang. Nathan’s anxious voice came through. “Mia, this bank account is showing as abnormal. Can you check it out?” I gripped my phone and answered crisply. “Sure, I’ll check for you.” Five minutes later, I called back, my tone certain. “Nathan, I looked into it. The account is fine, no problems at all.” Nathan’s voice clearly dropped. “Really no problems? But the bank is showing a warning…” “It’s probably a system error. Large transfers often trigger risk controls. Just go ahead and transfer it.” The line went silent for a few seconds. “Really? Let me think about it…” I deliberately sighed. “What, you don’t even trust me?” “I’ve worked at the Anti-Fraud Center for years. Can’t I tell if someone’s a scammer?”

I was about to add a few more reassuring words when Linda’s furious cursing came through the phone. “Stop being so paranoid! She already said it’s fine. Why are you asking so many questions!” “This kind of money-making opportunity—people are fighting over it. If you keep hesitating, you won’t even get scraps!” Imagining Nathan cowering on the other end, unable to speak up, a mocking smile crossed my lips. “That’s right, Nathan. Just listen to Linda. Opportunities don’t wait.” Two days after the money was transferred, Linda received a deposit of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. In the following days, she went around the neighborhood endlessly sharing her investment wisdom. She even claimed that anyone who wanted to make money could come to her for advice—five thousand dollars per consultation. The neighborhood was full of retired folks with pensions and nothing to do. “Linda, you really made three hundred fifty thousand? That’s not pocket change!” “What kind of business is this? Can you bring me in on it?” “Of course!” She patted her chest, guaranteeing everyone they wouldn’t lose money. Watching one consultation fee after another roll in, Linda’s smile never faded. Nathan became even more arrogant, completely reclaiming his masculine pride. “Mia, I told you that you don’t have your priorities straight, always supporting your family.” “Now you’ve missed out on such a great opportunity to get rich. Being jealous won’t help.” I watched their smug displays, secretly sneering inside. That three hundred fifty thousand was just bait the scammer threw out to hook bigger fish. Just wait—this was only the beginning. The happier they were now, the more miserable they’d be when they lost everything. From that day on, I never returned to that house. I used the excuse of caring for my sick mother to move back to my parents’ home. Seeing my parents again, I couldn’t help but throw myself into their arms and cry. Seeing me return alone, my mom looked worried. “Mia, be honest with us. You and Nathan…” I wiped my tears and said: “We’re divorced.” After I spoke, I felt anxious, but I saw her breathe a sigh of relief. “Good. Your father said all along that boy wasn’t good enough for you.” “I’ll have your aunt set you up with some better prospects.” Her words made me laugh, and the depression and grievance I’d been carrying lifted considerably. During my time at my parents’ house, I completely avoided the Williams family’s troubles and focused on spending time with my parents. Linda was too absorbed in her get-rich-quick dream to bother with me. But calculating the timeline, it was almost time for the scammer to close the net. Sure enough, within two days, I received frantic calls from Nathan. When I didn’t answer, message after message flooded in. “Mia, you knew all along, didn’t you? That person was a scammer!” “Now the bank’s coming to collect debt every day. This is all your fault. You have to take responsibility!” Seeing his crazed state, I simply changed my social media accounts and contact information. My phone finally fell silent. The next news I heard about Linda came when I was leaving work and two old ladies downstairs were gossiping. When I heard the total amount collected, I couldn’t help but gasp. I knew Linda would scam money from people, but I didn’t expect her to raise an amount that could lead to a life sentence. Linda’s online boyfriend had vanished without a trace. The mortgage on the house worth hundreds of thousands, the loan sharks, and all those retirees’ pension money—all gone. Now they couldn’t even go home. Every day, people demanding their money back blocked the door. “At her age, falling for an online romance. Does she really think anyone would be interested in an old lady?” “What about her son and daughter-in-law? Why aren’t they doing anything?” “Oh my, her son can’t even take care of himself. I heard he borrowed from loan sharks and got one of his legs broken.” I was munching on sunflower seeds, enjoying the gossip, when I caught sight of two familiar figures.

I quickly dialed the police. “Hello, I’ve spotted suspicious individuals from a wanted notice.” Seeing me, Linda lunged forward viciously, her nails scratching several bloody marks on my skin. “You bitch! You knew that account had problems all along, didn’t you? You tricked us into taking out loans! How did our family end up with a daughter-in-law like you!” I gripped her hands tightly, struggling to speak. “I have… nothing to do with your family anymore!” Just then, my parents suddenly appeared and kicked the thrashing Linda away. “Let go of my daughter!” Linda collapsed on the ground in pain, rolling around and wailing loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear, drawing a crowd of onlookers. “Help! Someone’s trying to kill me!” “She said the account had no problems. Now something’s happened, and she’s working with the scammer!” ” You married into this family! You’re one of us, whether you like it or not!” “You have to pay our debts!” Many neighbors stood around with folded arms, watching the show. Some eyes darted between Linda and me, seemingly speculating about something. “Mia, let’s talk this through. Don’t make such a scene in public. Let’s go inside and discuss this.” Nathan, who’d been silent the whole time, finally spoke. His words seemed to give me an out, but he was actually desperate to pin the scam on me. Waves of contemptuous voices rang out. “Could what the old lady and her son are saying be true?” “The Johnson family’s daughter works at the Anti-Fraud Center. If everything was fine, why would her mother-in-law get scammed out of so much money?” “She’s been staying at her parents’ house lately. Who knows if it’s out of guilt!” I steadied myself with my parents’ support and clenched my fists. In my previous life, Linda had done the same thing—shamelessly slandering and spreading rumors, ultimately dragging me into the abyss. This time, I would never repeat that mistake. I looked at Linda still throwing her tantrum on the ground and sneered: “Do you have any evidence for what you’re saying?” “I moved out simply because Nathan and I got divorced. That’s all!” Clearly not expecting such a firm, decisive response, Linda’s face turned alternately pale and flushed, her neck stiff as she shouted: “I have evidence!”

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Three years after my husband Garrett’s death, I treated my mother-in-law, Martha, who had Alzheimer’s, as if she were my own mother, caring for her with complete devotion. Even when she forced me to sleep standing up, drink dirty water from the toilet, and even defecate in my food bowl. This led me to develop severe depression. My mental state deteriorated rapidly, and I attempted suicide several times without success. Just as I reached the depths of despair, early one morning I suddenly heard Martha quietly opening the door to leave. Afraid something might happen, I instinctively followed her out and saw her slip a box into the hands of a pregnant woman. What shocked me even more was that my dead husband’s voice came through the phone the pregnant woman was holding! “Martha, did you give Susanna the depression-inducing drugs or not? Why hasn’t anything happened to her yet?” Martha replied, “Don’t worry! I used a very large dose this time!” Garrett said with disgust: “She can’t even give me a son, and she dared to humiliate Renee in public. I’m being more than merciful just drugging her into depression.” So the three years of hellish torment… Were all just my mother-in-law pretending to be crazy and senile, performing an act to drive me to death so Garrett could marry this woman called Renee! Then there’s no need for me to tell them that this Renee is actually an AIDS-infected pregnant woman my mentor just took on as a patient! And Garrett, who never liked using condoms, most likely won’t have much longer to live either.

I whipped around to look at the pregnant woman who had turned to face me, clenching my fists, my face pale as death. The voice on the phone continued. Garrett laughed coldly, his tone contemptuous: “Once Susanna is officially diagnosed with depression, I can bring Renee and my grandson home to see you. After all, who would believe the words of a crazy person like Susanna?” “When the time comes, let her make whatever scene she wants, get her fired from the hospital too — perfect excuse to kick her out and get revenge for Renee!” I nearly lost my footing, my legs going weak as I almost collapsed to the ground. Back then I was still a medical resident, and that pregnant woman was the first patient I ever received. Because she concealed her STD, I came into direct contact with her blood. I cried in the hallway, terrified, and it was Garrett who firmly wiped away the tears on my face. He took me for comprehensive testing, then publicly warned Renee Foster that he’d see her in court. How did this become me humiliating her? I couldn’t hear what else was said on the other end. Renee Foster inadvertently turned her head and saw me. Her expression changed instantly. Even my mother-in-law froze for a moment. Seeing my approaching steps, she panicked and tried to stop me. But I shoved her aside and lunged for Renee Foster’s phone. At that moment, Renee Foster let out a scream, and tears immediately began streaming down her face: “Don’t come near me! My baby! Garrett, help!” And I hadn’t even touched her yet. Both Garrett on the other end of the phone and my mother-in-law behind me became frantic. A slap came from behind. I took the full force of my mother-in-law’s blow. The hit made everything go black, and I nearly fell to my knees in front of them. But this time I didn’t indulge my mother-in-law anymore. I slapped her right back. The old woman looked at me in disbelief, then immediately sat on the ground and began wailing. By now it was fully light out, and many residents in the complex stuck their heads out to see what was happening. But I couldn’t care about any of that. I snatched Renee Foster’s phone and was just about to speak. When I heard Garrett’s furious voice explode from the phone: “Susanna! How dare you touch my mother and Renee! Just you wait!” Even now, caught red-handed by me, he showed not a trace of guilt. His heart was full of concern for others. A heart dies in an instant. I hung up the call and shoved the phone back into Renee Foster’s hands. At the same time, before I could even turn around, a tremendous force came from behind — a kick sent me flying. “Susanna! If you’re angry, come at me! Why would you hurt a delicate young woman like Renee?” “Bullying the weak, attacking a pregnant woman — have you no shame?” “You lunatic, apologize to Renee and her unborn child right now!” My forehead struck a nearby tree. Blood covered my eyes, but compared to the tearing pain in my chest, it was nothing. Garrett carefully helped Renee Foster to her feet. She collapsed in his arms, crying pitifully: “Garrett, why would Susanna hit me? You two have been separated for years — legally you could already be divorced. I’m not a homewrecker. We’re true love!” I laughed bitterly. Perhaps even this little performance was calculated in advance. Paving the way to establish me as a lunatic. Then Garrett could legitimately swap out his wife. He could dream on! The delicate, pitiful young woman in Garrett’s eyes had long ago contracted AIDS from years of promiscuity. And now she was pregnant with Garrett’s child. Which meant Garrett hadn’t used protection. In that instant, I understood what it meant for the person who betrayed and schemed against me to finally reap what they sowed — they should swallow ten thousand needles. I just needed to give things a little push at the right moment.

In my moment of distraction, hearing my scornful laughter, Garrett’s face flooded with extreme mockery: “All these years, you never learned how to soften toward me.” “Your cold face won’t attract my attention — it only makes me think you’re ungrateful and even more disgusting!” As he spoke, he straightened up and asked Renee Foster in a gentle, caring voice: “Where did she touch you? Let me help you get even, okay?” At that moment, my mother-in-law, who had been wailing and complaining to neighbors about how I abused her, finally found her opportunity. No longer pretending to be demented, she grabbed my hair in one swift motion. And slammed it hard against the tree trunk! Searing pain overwhelmed my consciousness. A bloody wound quickly appeared on my head. I instinctively looked around for help. But Garrett just held Renee Foster and watched coldly. My consciousness gradually faded. Garrett only cared about Renee Foster’s unharmed belly. He couldn’t be bothered to care about me, who was nearly dying. The difference between Garrett’s love and lack of love was too obvious. We met at the hospital. I was a resident doctor with no rights, and he was a low-level pharmaceutical rep. When my attending physician made me cry, when I couldn’t answer questions during rounds, when I’d been working for twenty-four hours straight without sleep — It was him. Despite his own exhaustion and countless rejections, he persisted. He saw my abilities and my worth. He never stopped encouraging me, comforting me, coaxing me to dry my tears. He even transferred a major deal he’d worked hard to secure into my name so I could successfully convert to a permanent position. Back then, watching him always standing by my side, shielding me from trouble… My young heart couldn’t help but fall in love with him. Many people gossiped behind my back, saying I’d sold myself just to stay at the hospital. He felt terrible for me then, and in a rare moment of fury for my sake, he checked surveillance footage and tracked down the rumors. In front of everyone, he proved my innocence and affirmed my medical skills. Then he knelt before me and proposed, swearing he would only love me for the rest of his life. Garrett gave me the most grand and brilliant love in this world. Unfortunately, love is fleeting. After I gave birth to our daughter Lily, my mother-in-law gradually began showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. I was as busy as a spinning top, so naturally I refused Garrett’s demand for a second child. After he brought it up several times and I still wouldn’t budge, his attitude gradually grew cold. Even worse, when Lily cried at night and disturbed his sleep, he changed like a different person, roaring that he wanted to kill her. Though we still slept in the same bed, we gradually went from sleeping in each other’s arms to maintaining strict boundaries. Until I caught him in bed with a new medical resident. Garrett ground my face under his foot. In the middle of the night, I could never understand why he had changed this way. Fortunately, after I made a scene, he seemed to restrain himself. He started coming home on time and stopped demanding a second child. Except for still not liking our daughter, everything seemed to return to normal. Until a car accident completely shattered the peace I’d worked so hard to maintain. But today I learned that all of it was just an act Garrett put on to get rid of me! At this thought, grievance wrapped around my neck like a rope, tightening relentlessly. The sourness in my chest wouldn’t stop. I could never continue living with such a rotten person after suffering such grievances. And I absolutely couldn’t let my daughter follow in my footsteps with such a rotten father! I don’t know how long passed. I was woken by someone patting me.

I opened my eyes groggily. The wound on my head felt like it was tearing me apart. Renee Foster’s cloying voice kept drilling into my ears: “Garrett, you know a pure girl like me never wanted to be the other woman. The son I’m carrying is your family’s eldest grandson.” Garrett laughed softly: “She’s just a jealous shrew throwing a tantrum, playing hard to get. You just got caught in the crossfire this time.” “Susanna loves me so much — she’s endured even my mother treating her that way. How could she bear to be angry with me?” I snapped fully awake, nausea surging to my throat. I almost vomited right there on the spot. Feeling utterly disgusted, I finally saw clearly that the person who’d been patting me was actually my four-year-old daughter Lily. In the freezing winter, my four-year-old child wore only pajamas, shivering from the cold. Tears and snot stuck to her face. Seeing me wake up, she burst into loud sobs. And her biological father Garrett stood behind her, watching her tears with cold eyes. I struggled to raise my arms and pulled her into my embrace. Renee Foster saw this and covered her nose with contempt, fanning the air in front of her. She turned her head and whined coquettishly to Garrett: “Garrett, what’s that smell? Even our dog wouldn’t pee randomly like that. My morning sickness is coming back — it’s so disgusting!” Garrett’s expression darkened, but he said to me: “Since you’re awake, why are you curled up there playing dead? Getting hit twice and you can’t even hold your bladder, making such a mess on the ground.” “Hurry up and clean the floor. It’s disgusting.” “Don’t cause trouble for the property management.” His disgust was completely unconcealed. But I was already dizzy from the pain, with no strength left to curse at them. Seeing me ignore them, Garrett walked over and dragged Lily out of my arms: “Susanna, this is just a small punishment. If you hadn’t dared to hit Renee, you could still be taking care of my mother!” I couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. What royal throne was their family inheriting that serving the old lady was some kind of honor bestowed upon me? I shakily stood up, shielding my daughter behind me, glaring at them with hatred: “Garrett, you show no remorse! How could you use depression drugs to harm me?” “If you want a new wife, you could’ve just told me directly. We could divorce!” “Better than going through all this trouble, even faking your death to deceive me!” Garrett’s eyebrows twitched. He couldn’t help but look at my tear-stained face. Renee Foster immediately noticed his hesitation and nestled fearfully into his arms: “Susanna, what are you talking about? You’re the one who’s been badmouthing the child’s father all this time. How can you blame us?” “We’re willing to raise her. Why don’t we let the child choose who she wants to be with!” The moment of softness Garrett had inadvertently shown vanished completely. He gritted his teeth and forced my daughter to choose. Lily became even more frightened, cowering behind me, not daring to move. Garrett’s iron grip was about to close around Lily’s neck. I blocked her, but he didn’t reduce his force. “Susanna, is this how you raise a child? She won’t even acknowledge her own father!” With that, he completely tore away my last shred of dignity. I couldn’t hear his words anymore. I just felt a chill all over my body and instinctively tried to cover myself, but it was all in vain. More and more eyes fixed on me, making me feel utterly humiliated. I wanted to crouch down and curl up. Renee Foster suddenly screamed: “Susanna! There’s a child here! Even if you want to seize this opportunity to seduce men, you can’t just lie down like that!” “You don’t care about your daughter’s upbringing, but I have to think about my son’s prenatal education!”

I stared at her in disbelief. Like a madwoman, I tried to struggle up from the ground, but blood loss and the depression drugs made my vision go black. I had no strength in my limbs. Then I heard Renee Foster continue saying to Garrett: “Garrett, you should stay back. The neighborhood bus won’t wait — out in public with no clothes on!” Garrett’s merciless gaze reflected in my eyes. His contemptuous voice rang out: “Susanna, you stand on your high horse judging me for having an affair, but aren’t you out there messing around too?” Renee Foster walked to his side, giggling: “Who would take damaged goods with baggage? There must be other conditions.” “Susanna, you didn’t agree to give away such a young child too, did you?” “Garrett, what kind of good child could a mother like that raise? Why not send her to my relatives in the countryside?” “Their son happens to be simple-minded. They’re looking for a child bride to grow up with him. Perfect — we can exchange her for some startup capital for our son!” I don’t know where the strength came from, but I lunged forward recklessly and grabbed her throat. “You’re a slut yourself, so you think everyone else is as filthy as you?” “If you dare sell my daughter as a child bride… I’ll kill you! I swear I’ll kill you!” Garrett quickly reacted and shoved me away. “Susanna! You dare hit someone right in front of me?” “What did Renee say that was wrong? You did it but won’t own up to it — have you no shame?” Blood covered my eyes. I stared at them both with blood-red eyes filled with hatred. Under my gaze, Garrett frowned deeply, his eyes surging with stormy rage, absolutely furious. “In that case, we’ll do as Renee says! Give me the child!” I watched Garrett’s condescending attitude and knew he was truly capable of this. Sure enough, a van soon pulled up behind us. Several burly men got out and asked directly: “Which little girl are you selling? We need to inspect the goods!” Following Renee Foster’s pointing finger, their gazes locked onto my daughter behind me. I tried my best to block them, but my strength was nothing compared to theirs. I glared at Garrett with blood-red eyes: “You’re not human! Garrett, you bastard!” “Do you think you’ve found true love?” “A cheap whore with AIDS and an idiot too stupid for words — a perfect match made in hell!” A bloody tear rolled down my cheek: “Garrett, if you sell my child, you’ll never have a second healthy child.” “Because you won’t live that long. You deserve this. This is exactly what you deserve.” No matter how I struggled, I couldn’t pull away the hands on my daughter. I could only watch helplessly as she was tied up with rope and gagged! Just as she was about to be dragged into the pitch-black van! Garrett, whom I’d knocked against the tree, initially looked furious. But soon he clutched his chest. “Pfft — ” He spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground!

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I bought a secondhand laptop online. The moment I turned it on, my heart stopped. The wallpaper was a photo of my fiancé, Lachlan… with another woman. I couldn’t move. Before I could stop myself, I opened the folders. Video after video filled the screen—Lachlan and that same woman. Just as I grabbed my phone to confront him, it rang. “I’m so sorry! I accidentally shipped you my boyfriend’s laptop!” “There are important files on it—please don’t open anything! I’ll send you a replacement right away!” Her voice was soft. Sweet… and way too familiar. And in that moment, something inside me shattered. The man I had loved for years… Lachlan had been cheating on me this whole time. After hanging up, I forced myself to calm down, my fingers trembling as I moved the mouse. Apart from that wallpaper, the desktop was suspiciously clean—just one folder labeled “My Treasure.” Lachlan had once created a folder with that exact name for me, filled with photos of us from childhood to now. My heart pounded wildly as an absurd thought exploded in my mind. Was Lachlan cheating on me? The thought only lingered for a second before I crushed it. Because I knew perfectly well that even if every man in the world cheated, Lachlan would be the exception. After all, we were childhood sweethearts who grew up together in the same neighborhood, watched over by everyone. He loved me—loved me enough to remember my period every month and have hot milk ready in advance. Loved me enough that the passwords to his phone, computer, and all his social media accounts were my birthday. Besides, our wedding was only two weeks away. This had to be a misunderstanding. I took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress the inexplicable panic rising in my chest. Double-click. The folder opened. What appeared before my eyes were intimate photos of Lachlan with an unfamiliar girl. All the blood in my body seemed to freeze instantly, like lightning striking me, the shock making every organ in my body ache. I looked through them one by one. Every single photo mocked my self-deception. Lachlan really was cheating. And I had been lost in the joy of soon becoming his bride. How ridiculous. I don’t know how long I sat there in a daze before I finally calmed down. The first thing I did was open my phone and book a flight to Paris in seven days. That was the dream destination I had once given up to be with Lachlan. Now, I was going to pick up my paintbrush again and pursue the artistic dream that had been shelved by love for too long. Next, I packaged all those disgraceful photos from the computer and sent them to my best friend, Zoey. Zoey’s call came through immediately, her voice full of shock and fury: “Harper! That bastard! Just wait—I’m getting people together right now to destroy him!” I interrupted her, my voice terrifyingly calm: “No need. Saturday, at our families’ engagement party, I’ll handle it myself. I need your help with something. I’m going to give Lachlan a big gift.” Just as I finished speaking, Lachlan’s voice suddenly sounded behind me, his tone light and tender: “Harper, guess what I brought you?” He was carrying cream puffs from my favorite shop. When he saw my face, the smile on his face instantly froze. “Harper? What’s wrong? Why are your eyes so red?” He dropped the bags and quickly walked over, reaching out to hug me. I instinctively dodged. I opened my mouth, my voice sounding dry and unlike my own: “Lachlan, you…” Just as I was about to tear away this layer of false warmth, his phone rang abruptly. Lachlan instinctively glanced at the caller ID, and his expression changed instantly. He quickly pressed silent and flipped the phone face-down on the table, his movements so fast it seemed like he was hiding something. “A… telemarketer,” he explained, his tone somewhat unnatural. But I had seen it. The moment the screen lit up, the caller ID showed “Quinn.” Watching him panic while trying to maintain composure, I found it unbearably ironic. I looked up at him and asked softly, “Lachlan, do you love me?” He looked stunned by my question, then laughed and affectionately tapped my nose. “Silly girl, why ask that? If I don’t love you, who would I love?” I stared into his eyes, asking word by word: “What about Tara Quinn? Do you love her too?” Tara Quinn—that was the seller’s name.

The doting smile on Lachlan’s face crumbled inch by inch. He stared at me blankly. After a few seconds, he finally found his voice, tinged with disbelief. “Harper, what are you talking about? Where did you hear that name?” Within just one second, that familiar face had taken on an expression of hurt and helplessness. He reached out to touch my face, his voice low and aggrieved: “Harper, Tara Quinn is a new intern in my department. There was a problem with a project today, and I just helped her out.” The wounded look of being falsely accused was perfectly calibrated. If I hadn’t seen those photos with my own eyes, I would have thought I was being unreasonable. He tried to pull me into his arms, his voice softening even more, as if coaxing a child throwing a tantrum. “Is the wedding stress getting to you?” “Don’t overthink it. After fifteen years together, don’t you trust me?” I looked at his face, so close to mine, yet instinctively pushed him away. This action made the hurt in his eyes deepen. His voice carried a barely perceptible tremor: “Harper, what’s wrong with you? Did someone say something to you?” Just as I was about to pull out that laptop and throw all the sordid evidence in his face, his phone—still face-down on the table—vibrated again. This time it wasn’t a call, but a message. He instinctively reached for it, but I was faster, catching a glimpse of the calendar reminder that popped up on the screen. [Today at 5 PM: Pick up Devotion.] My heart clenched suddenly. Devotion was the name of the first painting I’d ever sold. That year, when I had just started college, my work was hung in the school gallery with no buyers. Finally, a mysterious buyer purchased it. Much later, I learned that buyer was Lachlan. He hung the painting in our future marital home, pointing at my messy signature on it and saying: “For the rest of my life, I’ll marry no one but you.” That painting was the beginning of our love, the unique, devoted love he promised me. Seeing that I’d noticed the reminder, a flash of annoyance crossed Lachlan’s face, which then softened into helpless tenderness. He handed me his phone and opened the note for that reminder. It read: Harper’s wedding ring—inspired by the painting, named with love. He sighed and gently hugged me from behind, his chin resting on my shoulder. “I wanted to surprise you the day before the wedding, but you discovered it early.” “I found a designer in France and had the compositional elements of Devotion made into a ring. Harper, our rings are one-of-a-kind in the whole world.” His voice carried a smile, warm breath falling on my ear. “Don’t be angry anymore, okay? I admit, that Tara Quinn pestered me with some talk, but I rejected her.” “In my world, besides you, there’s no room for anyone else.” He paused and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m going out to pick up the ring. It’s too cold outside—stay home and wait for me. I’ll be back soon to keep you company.” I pulled my hand back, my voice eerily calm: “Go ahead.” As soon as Lachlan left, I grabbed my phone to check the transaction records on the secondhand platform. The seller’s name was Tara Quinn, and the address was a high-end apartment complex in the western part of the city. Once, Lachlan had pointed at a billboard for that place and said to me: “Harper, I bought you a small place there. You can paint there in peace from now on!” I had been so happy then, thinking it was another testament to our love. Now, it had become the cruelest irony. I opened a rideshare app and entered the address. Half an hour later, the car stopped at the entrance to the complex. I immediately spotted Lachlan’s familiar black Range Rover. I didn’t go in, just stood in the shadows across the street. Before long, the building door opened. Lachlan walked out with a petite figure. I recognized her immediately as the girl from the photos—Tara Quinn. Tara clung intimately to his arm, practically hanging on him. She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. And Lachlan looked down at her with a hint of indulgent affection at the corner of his mouth—the same way he’d looked at me for the past fifteen years. My hands and feet went ice cold, yet I instinctively raised my phone’s camera and pointed it at them.

My stomach churned violently, worse than when I’d first seen those photos. Tara tilted her face up, seeking a kiss. Lachlan didn’t push her away—he just smiled helplessly and tapped her forehead with his finger. “Stop it. What if someone sees?” Tara shook his arm insistently, her voice coquettish: “So what if they see? Your fiancée loves you so much that even if she found out, she’d just assume I seduced you.” Lachlan’s face hardened, his voice cold with warning: “I told you clearly before we got together—I have my responsibilities and my boundaries. Harper is the person I’m going to marry. That will never change.” Tara pouted and pulled an exquisite velvet box from her purse, holding it out to Lachlan. “Okay, okay, don’t be mad. I promise I won’t make a scene in front of her. Look what I got you!” “Can we call our rings Devotion too?” Lachlan’s expression stiffened for a moment. He looked at Tara, and finally smiled: “You little vixen.” I watched him accept that ring and slide it onto his ring finger. The design of that ring was seventy to eighty percent similar to the wedding ring he’d just described to me—the one supposedly inspired by my painting. The last trace of warmth I’d felt for these fifteen years completely dissipated. I recorded this final scene, put away my phone, turned around, and hailed a cab. Back home, I didn’t turn on the lights. In the darkness, I sat on the sofa, replaying that video over and over. Watching the hesitation that flashed across Lachlan’s face when he put on that ring, followed by his eventual surrender. None of it was an accident. That laptop, that wallpaper—all of it was a trap Tara had carefully designed. Just waiting for me, the legitimate fiancée, to personally uncover my husband’s other face. She’d succeeded. My world, along with those fifteen years of love, shattered completely. After sending this video to Zoey as well, I acted as if nothing had happened, quietly waiting for the day of the engagement party. Lachlan was probably feeling guilty—he became even more attentive and considerate toward me. The more he acted this way, the more disgusted I felt. The night before the engagement party, Lachlan excitedly brought over an exquisite gift box, his face wearing a tender smile. “Harper, come quick! Look at the dress I had custom-made for you. You’ll look absolutely beautiful wearing it at tomorrow’s engagement.” He opened the box like presenting a treasure. Inside was a champagne-colored mermaid gown. The hem was studded with tiny crystals that sparkled gently under the light. Then he knelt on one knee and opened a velvet box. Inside lay a diamond ring with an intricate design. The lines winding around the band were the composition from my painting Devotion. He looked up at me, his eyes brimming with love: “Harper, this is our Devotion. It will be like my love for you—eternal and unchanging.” “After tomorrow, you’ll be my wife. Harper, I’ve waited so long for this day.” His voice carried a barely perceptible nervousness, his fingertips trembling slightly. I looked at myself reflected in his eyes—the girl who had once been full of joy and hope for the future now felt only a barren coldness. I didn’t extend my hand. I just quietly watched him, watched the anticipation in his eyes gradually freeze and finally turn into unease. He asked tentatively, “Harper? Don’t you like it?” I slowly shook my head, my voice flat: “I like it. It’s beautiful.” He visibly relaxed and tried to take my hand to put the ring on me. But I gently moved away, taking the ring box from his hand. Looking at those winding lines, I suddenly smiled. “What if tomorrow… I ran away from the wedding? What would you do?”

“What are you talking about, silly?” Lachlan laughed and ruffled my hair: “If you ran, I’d turn the whole earth upside down to find you and lock you by my side.” I lowered my eyelids, hiding the mockery in my eyes: “Lachlan, if… if I did something to hurt you, would you forgive me?” The smile faded from Lachlan’s face. He cupped my face, forcing me to meet his eyes, his expression frighteningly serious. “Don’t say things like that.” His thumb caressed my cheek, his voice low: “Harper, between us, there’s no ‘hurting’ and no ‘forgiving.’” “You would never do anything to hurt me, just like I would never betray you.” He said it with such certainty, such apparent sincerity. I almost laughed out loud. Was this certainty based on his trust in me, or his confidence in his own acting skills? I said nothing more, letting him hold me in his arms, feeling that false yet familiar warmth. On the day of the engagement, before leaving, I took out my phone and sent Zoey a final message: “Proceed as planned.” The banquet hall was lively and warm. Both our parents and several close elders were there. Lachlan’s mother held my hand, beaming: “Harper is getting more beautiful every day. Our Lachlan marrying you is a blessing from eight lifetimes of good karma.” I smiled, playing the role of a bride-to-be immersed in happiness. Lachlan sat beside me, considerately serving me food, occasionally whispering sweet nothings in my ear. We looked so intimate that everyone envied us. Halfway through the dinner, Lachlan’s father cleared his throat and stood up, preparing to announce our official wedding date. Just as everyone’s attention focused on him, Lachlan’s phone vibrated. He picked it up, glanced at it, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Then he gave me a reassuring smile and lowered his voice: “Something urgent at the office. I’ll step out to take this call. Be right back.” He got up and hurried out. The moment the private room door closed, I stood up. Under everyone’s bewildered gazes, I walked to the front of the room and connected my phone to the huge screen that had been prepared to show our sweet memories. Zoey’s carefully edited video began to play. The entire room fell deathly silent. I heard Lachlan’s mother gasp, saw the shock drain all color from my parents’ faces. I picked up the microphone, my voice ringing clearly through the room: “I’m sorry, everyone. This engagement party is canceled.” With that, I put down the microphone and, under everyone’s stares, turned and walked out of that suffocating banquet hall. Lachlan was leaning against the window at the end of the corridor, softly coaxing Tara on the phone. “Okay, okay, it’s just a stomachache. As soon as the engagement party ends, I’ll come keep you company. Don’t cry, my baby.” Before he could hang up, a resounding slap landed hard across his face. Lachlan was stunned. He covered his face, looking up in disbelief. The next second, his father pointed at him, trembling with rage: “You disgraceful bastard! Get in there right now and see what you’ve done!”

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My best friend, Sophia, had just escaped an abusive marriage. After the divorce, she walked away with nothing. I took her in and let her move into my place. I traveled with her to help her heal, supported her through therapy, and bought her expensive jewelry and clothes. My boyfriend, Ethan, kept frowning. “Charlotte, we’re getting married soon. How can you spend all your money on Sophia?” For once, I snapped at him. “She’s my best friend. She’s at her lowest right now—how can you be so heartless?” Later, I had to leave for a business trip to the UK. Before I left, I asked Ethan to take care of her. But three months later, when I came home dragging my suitcase— I saw Sophia lying on the couch in a nearly sheer dress, while Ethan was giving her a massage. My blood ran cold. Looks like… he took very good care of her. The room fell into a moment of deathly silence. Only the laughter from a variety show on TV filled the air. Sophia was the first to react. She scrambled up from the couch and walked toward me, her face pale. “Charlotte… when did you get back? Why didn’t you tell us ahead of time? I… I could have picked you up.” Ethan stood quietly behind her, saying nothing. Sophia’s smile looked forced. “You must be tired. Let me get you some water.” She turned around frantically, grabbed a glass from the coffee table, and in her flustered state, knocked over the water pitcher, spilling water all over the floor. Ethan frowned and pulled out tissues to clean up. “Stop making things worse. You don’t know how to do this kind of thing anyway.” Though his tone was scolding, the intimacy in his words was unmistakable. The last trace of hope in my heart vanished completely. My hand gripped the handle of my bag unconsciously, leaving a deep mark on my palm. “When did this start?” Sophia froze and instinctively turned to look at Ethan. He remained calm, sweeping his arm to shield her behind him. “It has nothing to do with her. It’s my fault.” His tone was flat, as if he were talking about the weather. Ethan had an aloof personality—decisive and cold in business, composed and self-controlled. People always said he was unapproachable, that only with Charlotte Smith would he ever show emotion. I used to think I was his only exception. Until this moment, when he stood on the opposite side from me, using the calmest, coldest words to completely shut me out. Sophia looked panicked. “No… Charlotte, let me explain. We’re not…” I stood there quietly as she stammered but couldn’t come up with any explanation. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Can’t even come up with a decent excuse?” Sophia’s face went even paler. Ethan held her trembling hands and said in a low voice, “It’s okay. I’ll handle this, all right?” He stepped forward and took my luggage. “Charlotte, let’s go outside and talk.” I looked at his face. In just three months, it had become so unfamiliar. Fighting back the sting in my eyes, my voice trembled slightly. “Ethan, this is my home. You’re telling me to leave?” He fell silent for a moment, his voice carrying a hint of pleading. “Charlotte, I’m asking you as a favor. She caught a cold yesterday and isn’t feeling well. Let her rest early, okay?” I pressed my hand hard against my chest. There was no visible wound, yet the pain felt fatal. Ethan picked up his coat from the back of the chair and spoke gently to Sophia. “Be good and go to sleep. Leave the rest to me. I’ll bring you pizza when I come back.” I rushed out the door before they could see the tears streaming down my face. In the hotel suite, Ethan sat politely and distantly on the far couch. He quietly smoked two cigarettes before speaking in a low voice. “This is my fault. Whatever compensation you want, I’ll give it to you.” “I was the one who fell first. Don’t blame her.” I dug my fingers into my palm and took a deep breath. “Why?” Ethan lit another cigarette and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Charlotte, you’re smart, calm, and capable. But Sophia is different. Without me, she can’t survive.” Through the dim red glow of his cigarette, I saw his face and found it utterly ridiculous. Before, as my best friend, Sophia was someone Ethan looked down on completely. He said she was dramatic and out of touch with society, a parasite living off others at home, a clinging vine that could only survive by latching onto someone else. Three months ago, when I had to go to England for business, I begged him repeatedly before he reluctantly agreed to help her occasionally when she needed it. Back then, he had been unusually childish, biting my face fiercely. “Charlotte, I’m not even married to you yet, and I already have to deal with your family affairs. You’re leaving me with this mess—you’d better compensate me well.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his lips, promising him that once I finished the project in England, we would get married. Now, in just three months, everything had changed.

Ethan stood up, pressed his lips together, and his expression grew complex. “I’ve wronged you. For the projects we’ve collaborated on before, I’ll give you 20% of the profits. If you need my help in the future, just ask.” “I only have one request—you’re very important to Sophia. She doesn’t want to lose you as a friend.” I looked up at him as if I’d heard the biggest joke in the world. Even my tears came out from laughing. Three months ago, I had used this very reason to ask him to take care of my best friend. Three months later, I had become the one being asked. I heard my voice trembling slightly. “Ethan, don’t you two think you’ve gone too far?” “What makes you think I, Charlotte, deserve to be trampled on by you? I’ll expose everything you’ve done to the public. If you dare do it, you should dare own it.” Ethan took a step back and narrowed his eyes slightly. “Charlotte, don’t throw a tantrum. You built everything from nothing and got to where you are today through hard work. Don’t destroy yourself over a momentary impulse.” His voice carried a hint of warning, making me shiver. Ethan looked down at me from above, completely adopting the posture of someone in power. People often said Ethan was cold and ruthless. I never agreed. But now I suddenly realized the rumors were true. He had simply given his tenderness to me before, and now he’d given it to someone else. “I’m going back. Without me, she won’t sleep well at night.” “I’ll take her away tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience tonight.” The door closed, and I finally collapsed onto the pillow, sobbing uncontrollably. Outside the window was the bustling city landscape. I had rushed home after a long journey, only to be placed in this cold hotel. A few hundred meters away, the two most important people in my life were being intimate in my home, in my bed. How ironic. The next day, I covered my swollen eyes with sunglasses and parked my car outside a dessert shop. Sophia wore her work uniform. When she saw me, her eyes lit up at first, then she lowered her head dejectedly. She brought me coffee and sat down across from me. Her smile was forced as she spoke carefully. “Charlotte, I know you’re angry with me. I’m sorry. I know you’ve been good to me. All these years, thanks to you…” “Look, I’m working now. Everything I owe you, I’ll definitely pay back…” I couldn’t help but sneer as I looked at her. She was just a baker, yet she wore jewelry worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. “Pay me back? With your current job?” Sophia froze. She had gotten married right after graduation and became a housewife. Her former husband had treated her decently, indulging her every whim. Combined with my unconditional support, Sophia’s life had been smooth sailing. Until six months ago, when her husband cheated with his secretary. Within two months, he had divided their assets and kicked her out. If I hadn’t arrived in time, she might have starved on the streets. She wanted to start a new life, but years of being disconnected from society made it hard for her to handle ordinary jobs. Fortunately, as a housewife she had enjoyed studying baking, so she applied to be a baker at this dessert shop. I said nothing, just gestured with my hand. The shop manager walked over respectfully and stood before me. “Ms. Smith, you’re here.” Sophia’s face went white, her eyes widening. I removed my sunglasses and spoke coolly. “After your divorce, you had a breakdown until you said you wanted to work and start a new life.” “Sophia, you’re not stupid. Why didn’t you wonder why you kept getting rejected everywhere, but then this dessert shop just happened to hire you—a baker with zero work experience?” “I gave you everything I had. Is this how you repay me?” Sophia’s eyelashes trembled as tears fell. Her voice shook badly. “I didn’t know… I didn’t know…” She suddenly grabbed my hand. “But he’s good to me. He loves me. Charlotte, you’re so capable—you’ll be fine without anyone. But I can’t.” “You said before that you’d share everything you have with me. I don’t want anything else anymore. I just want him, okay?” I looked at her quietly. We’d known each other since we were three—twenty-five years of friendship. In this moment, it became unrecognizable. “Since childhood, I’ve given you whatever you wanted.” “But Sophia, taking without asking—that’s stealing.”

When Ethan arrived, he saw Sophia nearly kneeling at my feet, crying hysterically. His expression changed. He strode over quickly and without a word pulled her up and shielded her behind him. His face was iron as he looked at me, almost grinding his teeth. “Charlotte, I told you if you have a problem, come at me. Don’t make things difficult for her.” “How much has she spent of your money all these years? Name your price. I’ll settle it all at once.” I looked at him and laughed coldly. “Mr. Hayes, you really are wealthy and generous. Unfortunately, what you two owe me can never be repaid in this lifetime.” Ethan’s face changed. He opened his mouth to retort, but then Sophia suddenly shouted, “Enough!” Her body trembled slightly, yet she lifted her head to look at me. “Charlotte, you owe me this. I don’t care if you resent me or hate me—I won’t give up. From now on, between you and me, we’re even.” She took off her work apron and took Ethan’s hand. The two of them left without looking back. I sat by the window. Outside, two girls in school uniforms passed by sharing an ice cream cone, laughing and chatting happily. Something felt cool on my face. I reached up and realized I was crying without knowing when it had started. Sophia and I met when we were three and had been inseparable from elementary school through college. Ever since I could remember, my parents had been in constant fights. They never divorced because they couldn’t agree on terms. Neither wanted to be burdened with me. Every time they smashed the house to pieces, Sophia would quietly push open the door to help me clean up the mess, then pull me away without a word and make me sit at her family’s dinner table. The year I graduated, Sophia sold her gold bracelet to scrape together my tuition. She licked her ice cream carelessly. “Hey, my grades aren’t great, but yours are so good—it’d be such a waste if you didn’t go to school.” “Don’t cry, Charlotte. I could tell long ago that you’re exceptional. When you get rich someday, just remember to buy me ten gold bracelets.” In my teenage years, Sophia was my first hero, the most important person in my life. When I got home, all traces of them were gone. I stared at the empty house in a daze. When I bought this place, I had set aside a room for Sophia. Back then, Ethan had been a bit unhappy about it. I just smiled and said it was my promise. At her wedding, I was the only bridesmaid. After catching the bouquet, I made her a promise: As long as I was here, she would always have a home to return to. But now, the one without a home was me. Ethan’s things were still in the house, things he hadn’t taken with him. Our competition certificates from college. Photos from our trips together. Matching toothbrushes in the bathroom. The blanket left on the couch and the unfinished book on the coffee table. When I closed my eyes, I could almost see how the two of them had rolled around on this couch together. I covered my mouth and rushed to the bathroom to dry heave, as if trying to empty my insides. Looking up at myself in the mirror, I looked haggard and unfamiliar. Ethan was my college classmate and teammate in entrepreneurship competitions. The day he confessed, his usually cold face was unusually flushed. “Charlotte, you’re the smartest and strongest girl I’ve ever met. Give me a chance to take care of you.” After graduation, I gained experience at a listed company, then quickly seized opportunities to start my own business. Ethan had helped me tremendously. He was my comrade-in-arms, my intimate lover. Because of him, I tried hard to move past my childhood trauma and attempted to accept and build a family. I had truly planned to spend my life with him. I looked at the face in the mirror and slowly clenched my fist. They had once been my reason for living, the goal I fought for with everything I had. Yet they had dealt me the most fatal blow. Why? So I took out my phone and dialed a number I hadn’t contacted in a long time.

Three days after making that call, Ethan stormed into my office in a rage. He slammed the door with earth-shattering force. “Charlotte, did you go to Sophia’s parents?” “Her mother called last night and scolded her for a full hour, saying she’s ungrateful, saying she’s wronged you. Sophia cried on the phone until she nearly fainted. Are you satisfied now?” I laughed lightly. “You two dare to do it but are afraid of others knowing?” Yet my heart ached sharply. I had always remembered how good the Morrison family had been to me. Over the years, I’d earned money and paid them back ten, even a hundred times over. Mrs. Morrison had apologized to me on the phone, her voice trembling with anxiety. But the person who should apologize most had said nothing. Ethan took a deep breath and suddenly calmed down. “Charlotte, I’m giving you one last chance. Apologize to Sophia right now, and I can pretend this never happened.” I felt like I’d heard the world’s biggest joke. “Apologize? I’m not the one who should be apologizing.” His face went cold. “Starting today, I’m terminating all cooperation with you. The East District project you’re pushing forward—the partner happens to be my contact. You know that without me, that project won’t go through.” “I’m giving you three days to think about it. Charlotte, you’ve been smart your whole life. Don’t be stupid now.” I watched his retreating figure, and the last trace of warmth in my heart vanished without a trace. When Ethan was good to someone, he’d offer them all the treasures in the world. But once he turned his back, he was truly ruthless. He did exactly what he said. Overnight, all partners withdrew their funding. The project stalled. The entire company was in turmoil. But I didn’t beg him. Ten years ago, I had no parents and clawed my way to success on my own. Ten years later, I could still carve out a bloody path forward. A month later, I received a message from Sophia. [Charlotte, Ethan and I are getting married next month. You’re the most important person in my life. I hope to have your blessing. I know I’ve wronged you, but I’m begging you, one last time, okay?] I glanced at it and continued with my meeting without replying. On the wedding day, I still showed up on time. Sophia stood beside Ethan like a delicate bird, her eyes full of sweet happiness. When they saw me, both their faces changed color. The hall full of guests suddenly fell silent. My relationship with Ethan over the years had never been a secret. In just six months, the bride had changed. Ethan instinctively moved in front of her, his eyes guarded. Sophia looked at me, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Charlotte… I…” I looked at the two of them and smiled softly. “Don’t be nervous. I promised I wouldn’t miss each other’s most important moments.” “So today, I came to give you a wedding gift.” Behind me, the large screen playing sweet wedding vlogs suddenly went black.

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During college. Ethan brought breakfast every day—two portions. One was for me, and one was for my roommate and best friend, Lily. But the breakfast he brought me was always just a slice of toast. Lily’s breakfast was a croissant with eggs and cheese, paired with a yogurt cup. Even on my birthday, the gifts he prepared came in pairs. My birthday gift was a simple greeting card. Lily’s were concert tickets, a Hermès bag, a couture dress, and a diamond ring. Finally, on our graduation trip, the three of us arrived at the station. The two of them smoothly scanned their QR codes and passed through. I was stopped outside. Ethan slapped his forehead in annoyance and gave an apologetic, sheepish smile. “I only remembered to book Lily’s ticket. I forgot yours.” “Look, we’ve already gone through, so don’t waste money. Next time I’ll take you on a trip, just the two of us.” Lily patted her chest and assured me. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t cheat.” Watching their backs as they walked away shoulder to shoulder, laughing and talking, I smiled bitterly. Not wanting to deceive myself anymore, I turned around and bought a ticket home. “Dad, you asked me to get married as soon as I graduated… I agree!” “That intern you asked me to recommend, Ethan… cancel his position!”

On the way home, Ethan kept sending me messages apologizing. “Aria, I really didn’t mean to.” “Who told you that a few days ago when I was halfway through buying the tickets, that troublemaker Lily got drunk outside?” “If I hadn’t gone to get her, and something happened to her, you definitely would have resented me.” I remembered a few days ago, I was on the phone with him in the dorm. Just as we were getting to the sweet part, the call suddenly cut off. I sent him countless question marks, but they sank like stones in the sea. Vaguely uneasy, I didn’t even bother putting on shoes and ran toward his dorm. On the way, a stone scraped off a large piece of skin from my foot, but I still limped forward through the pain. Instead, I came face to face with him, his expression dark, carrying a completely wasted Lily in his arms. He just brushed past me like that. The cold wind cut through my nightgown, making me shiver. Afterward, Lily took the iodine he’d given me and gently cleaned my wound. “Aria, he was just afraid I’d be in danger outside and make you worry.” “To be honest, this guy was doing it for you!” I opened my mouth several times, wanting to ask her. Why did you call him when you were drunk? Why, when you were in danger, did he ignore my existence? But I still couldn’t ask. Lily’s message popped up at that moment. “Didn’t you tell me you wanted to marry him after graduation?” “Think of these few days as me doing a deep investigation for you.” “How about that? Pretty big sacrifice on my part, right?” I stared at these lines of text—they were so glaring. Just yesterday, I had crawled into her bed, hugged her, and fantasized about the future. “Lily, you and Ethan are both important people in my life.” “After graduation, I’m going to marry him. You have to be my maid of honor!” Lily’s body stiffened in my arms, then relaxed. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely appear at the same wedding as you.” My eyes gradually moistened, tears slowly falling one by one. I didn’t reply individually. I just typed word by word in our group chat of three. “Hope you guys have fun!”

After I got home, my father looked behind me and his expression darkened. “Weren’t you traveling with Lily? Where is she?” I forced a smile and stepped forward, linking my arm through his and acting cute. “I suddenly missed you, so I came back. Let her go have fun by herself!” His expression softened slightly, but his tone remained stern. “Aria, after all, Lily is the housekeeper’s daughter.” “The reason the Morgan family has supported her through college is so she can take care of you.” “If she can’t do that, I don’t mind cutting off her living expenses!” The smile disappeared from my face. My heart felt like it was being stabbed with needles. Lily had been brought into the Morgan household by Helen when she was seven. I remember her thin, frail body standing there timidly, like a stray kitten. When I learned that she’d been abused by her biological father and sometimes went days without a proper meal. As an only child, I treated her like a real sister. She had been part of nearly my entire life up to this point. Even though I knew Ethan’s feelings for me were slowly shifting. Even now, I didn’t believe she would betray me. My sad eyes dodged my father’s gaze in panic. I quickly put down my backpack to cover it up. “Okay, okay, I’m hungry!” My father’s instructing voice sounded behind me. “Tomorrow, meet with the heir of the Pierce family!” “If it goes well, we can start preparing for the wedding!” My whole body stiffened. After a long pause, I responded. “Okay!” I made plans with Nathan Pierce at a stylish café. I scrolled through my phone listlessly, waiting for him. Lily’s social media feed kept updating. They first went to the seaside to feed seagulls, then went to a church, and next were planning to climb a mountain. This was the detailed itinerary I’d spent a month preparing in advance. I had been so full of anticipation, but ultimately it came to nothing. As bitterness filled my heart, Lily video-called me. She excitedly introduced me to the beauty of the coastal city and kept praising Ethan. “I’m doing an inspection for you. So far, not bad.” “When I got tired walking, he carried me on his back. When I pouted, a cold drink appeared at my lips. He even knew to hold an umbrella to keep me from getting sunburned…” My perfunctory smile disappeared. My gaze fixed on her neck. Those red marks were like knives stabbing my eyes painfully. Perhaps seeing my expression was off, she unnaturally adjusted her collar. “Today… there’s a bit of wind, you know!” Before she could finish, a figure rushed over and hugged her. “I told you not to sleep naked with the AC on last night. You’re going to catch a cold, aren’t you?” “You’re not getting any more tonight…” Lily’s face showed panic. The video suddenly cut off. But I still recognized it… That was Ethan’s voice. My mind went blank. My hand froze in the air, not knowing where to put it. I desperately called Ethan, but no one answered. Until I was soaked in cold sweat and slowly regained consciousness. Only then did Ethan video-call me back. His eyes were full of tenderness, completely normal. “I was concentrating on picking out a gift for you. My phone was in my pocket and I didn’t hear it.” “Do you miss me? We’ll be back in a few days…” But through the video, I saw Lily hiding not far away. The jacket she was wearing was the Valentine’s Day gift I had dragged her along to pick out for Ethan. My heart felt like someone had punched it hard. My face went pale and I couldn’t breathe. I hung up the video in a panic. A cup of hot water was placed in front of me. It was Nathan Pierce. I forced a smile that looked worse than crying. “It’s an arranged marriage anyway. Nothing to talk about.” “If you have no objections, let’s prepare for the wedding!”

I was distracted and out of it all afternoon. I made an excuse about not feeling well and left in a hurry. On the way back. I looked at both their profile pictures and suddenly realized they looked like couple avatars. My hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. After hesitating for a long time, I chose to block and delete them both. I didn’t expect that the next day, Ethan and Lily would appear before me, travel-worn. Ethan scolded me with a dark expression. “Just because you blocked us, Lily was worried you’d misunderstand and rushed back overnight.” “How old are you, still playing the blocking game!” Looking at his familiar yet strange face, I felt dazed. In four years of college, Ethan had never once gotten angry with me. I always joked that he was mature beyond his years. Now I finally understood. Only when facing Lily would he lose control of his emotions. Lily cautiously stepped forward, took my hand, and explained. “Aria, did you misunderstand something? There’s nothing between Ethan and me.” My gaze touched her wrist—she was wearing the Cartier bracelet Ethan had me accompany him to carefully select not long ago. I had been full of anticipation, thinking he’d finally set his heart on me. Now it looked so ironic and glaring. I looked at the red marks on her neck that hadn’t yet faded and sneered. “Doing an inspection for me? Did you inspect his body while you were at it?” Lily’s face instantly went deathly pale. She unconsciously let go of my hand. Ethan supported her with concern. “Aria Morgan, how did you become so bitter and mean?” I could no longer control the anger in my heart and roared at them. “Then what do you want me to do?” “When I clearly see my boyfriend sleeping with my best friend, should I still act like a fool and let you play me?” “You’ve already had sex, so why won’t you admit it?” Ethan stepped forward and confronted me with his head held high. “Yes, I’ve been with Lily behind your back for two years now…” Lily frantically covered his mouth. “Don’t say it!” “Aria won’t be able to handle it…” He tightly gripped Lily’s hand and looked at me with blazing eyes. “Aria, you’re boring, dull, plain-looking, sensitive, and suspicious.” “If you hadn’t shamelessly clung to me, if Lily hadn’t been afraid of hurting you, I would have broken up with you long ago.” Hearing his vicious words, my whole body trembled. I still remembered our first meeting. I had fallen into the artificial lake trying to save a stray cat. He happened to pass by and jumped in to pull me out. His starry eyes looked at me and smiled. “How can there be such a silly girl? How interesting!” The resentment in my heart gushed out. I pointed at the door and screamed at them. “Get out! Both of you, get out of my house!” Instead of getting angry, Ethan laughed, crossing his arms and looking at me coldly. “Is this your house?” “This is Lily’s house. You’re the one who should get out!” I stared at Lily in shock. “What is he talking about?” Lily’s eyes darted away as she stood between us, looking at me pleadingly. “Aria…” “How about… you go to the maid’s room to cool off for a bit?” Ethan stepped forward and hugged her, reproaching her with displeasure. “You’re just too kind-hearted.” “She’s just a housekeeper’s daughter. Does the Morgan heiress need to speak to her so humbly?” Suddenly understanding, I laughed. “Helen!” Helen was Lily’s mother.

Seeing me call out her mother, Lily instantly panicked. Helen came out, her gaze wandering between us before finally settling on me. She stepped forward respectfully. I looked at Ethan and snorted coldly. “Explain to him who the Morgan heir really is.” Without hesitation, Helen answered. “Of course it’s you…” Lily suddenly raised her voice to interrupt her, then fell to her knees with a thud in front of me, her face already drenched with tears. “We’ve grown up together. Why make things so ugly?” “Is it my fault that Ethan fell in love with me?” “I’m kneeling before you now, isn’t that enough?” Helen’s brows furrowed tightly, her hands unconsciously clenching. Without any warning, she pressed me hard to the ground. “Of course it’s because you’re ungrateful, daring to make the Morgan heir kneel!” I looked at her in disbelief, but the sharp pain in my knees reminded me this was no illusion. Lily secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Ethan couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. “Aria, don’t think that just because you have the Morgan surname you can pretend to be the real heiress.” “Lily, as the Morgan family’s only daughter, not only treats you like a real sister, but has also paid for your tuition and expenses from childhood to now.” “You should be grateful!” He walked up to me, crouched down, and lowered his voice. “I received the notice to join Morgan Corporation a few days ago. Lily arranged it for me.” “If you stop making a scene, I promise you that after Lily and I get married, I’ll keep you on the side.” “Except for the title of wife, I can give you everything!” Enduring the pain, I raised my eyes to look at him. This was the man I’d loved for four years? I remember when we first got together, he held me and solemnly promised. “Aria, after graduation I’ll work hard to give you a beautiful future!” Now, for the sake of the so-called Morgan heiress, he was ruthlessly abandoning me. I slapped him hard across the face. “In your dreams!” Ethan’s expression instantly darkened. As if he’d already made himself the master of the Morgan household, he turned to look at Helen. “Helen, right?” “Although she and your family’s heir are as close as sisters, you can’t blur the line between master and servant!” “If you don’t give her a small punishment to make her recognize her place, she’ll continue to hurt Lily without restraint in the future.” Lily’s face showed conflict. She stepped forward and grabbed his arm. “That’s not necessary…” Ethan patted her hand and gently reassured her. “The Morgan family will be yours in the future. You’re too kind-hearted. I’m teaching you how to manage a household.” Watching the two of them showing off, I just felt disgusted. “Don’t believe your own act.” “Lily, you know exactly what your real identity is!” The hesitation in her eyes disappeared. She looked at me with venom and unwillingness. She shouted harshly at Helen. “What are you standing there for?” “Take her to the courtyard and make her kneel. Don’t let her get up until she apologizes to me.” Helen wanted to stop her, but in the end, her eyes darkened and she called over the servants. Under her authority, the servants hesitantly came forward and pressed me down on the hard floor of the courtyard. Lily walked over and patted my face. Her eyes held a calculating look I’d never seen before. “Aria, look. Now I’m the one in charge of the Morgan family.” “Tell me, if I killed you here, based on all our years of friendship, would Uncle Morgan adopt me as his goddaughter?” “Then I’d really be the Morgan heiress, wouldn’t I?” The scorching sun burned my skin. My knees felt like they were kneeling on hot coals. I glared at her furiously. “Lily, you wouldn’t dare!” She slapped me hard across the face. “I’ve had enough of being given handouts by you.” “We’re both human beings. You just happen to have a powerful father. I’m not willing to accept this. I’m not willing…” She slapped me crazily and viciously, one slap after another. As if she wanted to beat me to death right there. As I grew dizzy, I seemed to hear Nathan Pierce’s voice. “What are you doing?” Then came Lily’s scream.

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After arguing with my wife Charlotte, I just got out of the car to pick up a package. When I came back, my son Drake was gone. From that day on, I searched for Drake like a madman, living in guilt every single day. Charlotte pointed at my head and cursed: “Why don’t you just die? If we can’t find our child, we’re getting divorced!” From that day on, for four whole years, I gave up my career and life, searching for my child across the country 99 times, but every attempt ended in failure. Self-inflicted scars covered my entire body. I developed severe depression. Until the 100th time, I swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills. As I lay dying, I heard Charlotte talking with her childhood sweetheart Brown: “Charlotte, you’ve messed with him enough. When are you planning to tell William that the child was never lost? I can’t wait to see his expression.” Charlotte laughed and said unhurriedly: “No rush. This is what he gets for forcing me to abort our baby.” So four years of inhuman torture was just her way of punishing me. As she wished, this time I really died.

To be closer to Drake, I died in his nursery. Charlotte opened the bedroom door and found me absent, assuming I hadn’t come home yet. She turned and pulled Brown onto our bed together. Her tone was indifferent: “He probably believed some scammer again and ran off to the middle of nowhere.” Brown laughed loudly. “It’s not the first time. I’ve never seen anyone so stupid—he believes whatever scammers tell him.” “I remember once he ran into the mountains and almost didn’t make it back. When the police arrived, he was disheveled, holding a knife and going crazy. Three men were lying on the ground. I have no idea what happened.” As soon as he finished speaking, the temperature around Charlotte suddenly dropped. She pushed him away coldly. Brown realized he’d said the wrong thing and immediately circled her neck ingratiatingly, pressing his lips to her neck. “I won’t talk about it anymore, Charlotte. It’s been so long since we’ve been intimate.” Charlotte wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed his lips, and a wicked smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. “Don’t think I’m jealous. I just find him stupid.” “Back then, if he hadn’t been so controlling, I would never have divorced him.” “But he has a life on his hands. He deserves this suffering. He can’t blame anyone else.” With that, their clothes scattered across the floor. On this bed where we had made love countless times, the two of them became entangled passionately. I thought after death, people wouldn’t feel pain anymore, but my heart felt like it was being pierced by a thousand needles. Back then, she was the one who knelt before me, holding me and refusing to let go. “William, don’t leave me. I was drunk that day and mistook him for you. I’ll take care of the baby. Please believe me.” But I didn’t forgive her. I insisted on divorce. Charlotte went crazy, dragging Brown to apologize to me, then went to get an abortion herself. My heart softened. After struggling for months, I finally forgave her. The price was being fooled like an idiot for four years. The ambiguous moaning continued until midnight. The breathless Charlotte finally seemed to remember me, frowning toward the door. “Where the hell did William go? He didn’t even send a message about not coming home.” She called me. After a few seconds of silence, my phone suddenly rang in the house. Charlotte’s whole body stiffened as she looked sharply toward Drake’s nursery.

A flash of glee crossed Brown’s lips as he pretended to be nervous: “When did William come back? Did he hear us already?” Charlotte quickly put on her clothes and walked toward the nursery. I followed behind them, coldly watching Charlotte hesitate to push open the door. Finally, with a creak. After pushing open the door, she walked to the bedside. I was covered with a blanket, my whole body curled up inside. Charlotte’s face alternated between pale and flushed. She thought I was deliberately ignoring her. “William, since you know, I have nothing left to hide.” “Yes, I took Drake away, but you were wrong first.” She glanced at me, her tone pausing: “As long as you don’t cause trouble, we can keep living like this.” After she finished, the air was silent for dozens of seconds. Charlotte’s face looked ugly. She sneered. “You’re playing dead with me? Fine, let’s see how long you can keep this up!” I coldly watched her curse at me in exasperation, my heart completely unmoved. I was even curious what expression she’d have when she saw my corpse. Charlotte soon slammed the door and left, but before long she returned, holding a four-year-old child by the hand. My eyes immediately widened. I recognized this was my child Drake. His eyes looked exactly like mine. Tears immediately burst from my eyes. I rushed over wanting to hold him, but futilely passed through his body. Charlotte’s voice was somewhat triumphant as she threw the child onto the bed. “I’ve been keeping him at my mom’s place all this time. Now I’ve brought him back. Are you satisfied?” With that, she and Brown left the house again. Bastard, this bastard! Leaving such a small child here alone! In the pitch-black room, Drake cried in fear. My heart felt like it was being cut by knives. I tried to comfort him despite my grief. “Drake, don’t cry, Drake, I’m here…” But I was too foolish. How could a person hear a ghost’s voice? Drake curled up beside me and cried himself to sleep. I looked at Drake with overwhelming love, tears falling in sorrow. He must be so scared and hungry. Even his sleeping face showed pain. Like this, I stayed by his side all night until the next day when he groggily sat up. His childish voice was filled with panic. “Grandma, where are you? I’m hungry…” He rubbed his swollen eyes and carefully glanced at my corpse beside him. After hesitating for a long time, he said softly: “Can you get up and find me something to eat?” “I’ll be good. Just a little bit will be enough.” After a long silence, he dejectedly got out of bed. Then he picked up a bottle from the floor. I instantly broke down—it was my sleeping pills. There seemed to be a few pills remaining inside. My heart immediately jumped to my throat. But Drake was overjoyed. “Candy!” He poured some into his hand and looked back at me. Ingratiatingly, he said: “I’ll only eat three pieces. I’m so hungry.” With that, he impatiently put them in his mouth. “No!” I screamed shrilly, rushing over to stop him, but it was completely useless. The next second, with a bang, Charlotte pushed open the door. The moment she saw what Drake was doing, her eyes nearly split with rage. She rushed over and tried to force it out of Drake’s mouth. “Spit it out, spit it out quickly!” Drake was so frightened he burst into tears. “Don’t hit me, I won’t do it again, Mommy, I’ll never do it again.” Only after she’d gotten everything out did Charlotte’s deathly pale face slightly ease. She looked at me, her eyes full of disgust. But before she could speak, Brown first accused me: “William, you’re being so irresponsible. The child is so small—you could have killed him.” “I know you resent Charlotte for deliberately taking the child away, but you can’t take it all out on Drake!” He brazenly humiliated me while Charlotte coldly looked on. But if they looked closer, they’d see my skin was dry and waxy yellow, my body already faintly giving off a foul smell. But I was disappointed in the end. After standing for a full three minutes, Charlotte still picked up Drake and left. She took Drake to lunch, but remained distracted the whole time. Charlotte opened her phone. It had been almost two days since I’d last spoken to her. For some reason, she was unusually anxious. Because I never gave her the silent treatment. Because I’d once told her: “When something happens, don’t run away. I like to solve things directly.” Even when I caught her cheating, even though I was devastated, I still didn’t retreat. Charlotte’s mind suddenly buzzed as she realized something might have really happened to me. She stood up abruptly, muttering to herself: “Something’s wrong. He’s not right.” With that, she turned to rush back home.

But Brown suddenly said: “I saw William get up to eat yesterday.” Charlotte paused and slowly turned around. She repeated: “He got up yesterday?” Brown nodded, his expression somewhat awkward. “Yeah, I talked to him but he ignored me and even told me to get out…” Charlotte’s face immediately became extremely ugly. She sneered twice and sat back down. “I knew it. He’s faking it. Looks like he was just pretending to love Drake all along. He almost killed Drake!” I floated above, smiling bitterly. I wasn’t faking illness—I was really dead. Watching the triumphant smile on Brown’s lips, I really wanted to know if he could still smile when the truth came out. I floated back home and stayed with my corpse for a few more hours. My phone suddenly made a sound. It was my mother. Not having received a message from me for two days, she must have sensed something was wrong. She called three times in a row before the ringing finally stopped. Sure enough, within half an hour, she rushed over. Breathing rapidly, face tense, she came in and went straight to the bedroom. “William, William?” Not finding anyone, she went to the guest room, finally entering the nursery. “Ah! William!” A shrill scream pierced the sky. The rest of the scene was too painful for me to watch. Mom cried inconsolably, holding me and rocking back and forth. “How could you bear to leave me alone! How am I supposed to live!” Several hours later, Mom took me away. When the door opened again, it was Charlotte reeking of alcohol. She pushed away Brown who was supporting her and headed straight for the nursery. “William, how long are you going to keep playing dead!” As her words fell, she froze in place. The bed was empty. I was already dead. Her heart spasmed twice. She sneered: “Can’t keep it up anymore? Now you’ve learned to run away from home! Then get lost and never come back.” She returned to the living room and plopped down. Brown curled his lip in disgust: “Walking away is one thing, but making the house smell so bad—it really makes me want to vomit.” Charlotte seemed not to hear. Something occurred to her and she walked to the bedroom, yanking open the closet. All my clothes inside were untouched. She instantly felt relieved. “I thought you had some backbone, but you didn’t even take your clothes. You just want me to come begging, don’t you? Keep dreaming.” She relaxed and even let Brown move in. “Since he doesn’t care, let’s see how long he can hold out.” I looked on coldly, my soul floating in the room. Over the next few days, Charlotte lived it up, taking Brown to all kinds of public venues. But she didn’t become happier—instead, she grew increasingly gloomy. Finally, on the seventh day of my disappearance, she couldn’t hold out anymore. She brought Drake back. She opened my Twitter and ordered Drake to call for daddy. Drake was frightened and didn’t speak. Charlotte’s face darkened as she roared: “Call him! Are you deaf? I told you to call for daddy! Do you hear me!” Drake’s fear reached its peak. He burst into tears with a wail. I was filled with rage, wishing I could flay her alive. Drake was only a four-year-old child. To torture me, she would do anything! “Daddy, daddy, daddy…” Charlotte got what she wanted and sent the voice message. “William, do you still want your child or not? Are you just going to let him cry like this as his father?” Brown came over and hugged her, his voice gentle: “Don’t be angry, Charlotte. Since he’s so heartless, why do you still care about him? This kind of person doesn’t deserve to be a father.” Charlotte was silent for a long time. She looked at her phone, which still showed no response. She couldn’t hold back anymore and directly called me. Once, twice, three times—nothing changed. Still no answer. With a bang, Charlotte smashed her phone.

Brown was frightened, not understanding why she was so angry. He just said with a trembling voice: “Charlotte, the child’s here. Don’t be angry. At worst, divorce him. Why make yourself suffer?” The word “divorce” seemed to sting Charlotte. Her eyes turned bloodshot. She suddenly laughed. “Divorce? Wouldn’t that just let him off easy?” She took a deep breath, picked up the phone with its screen shattered to pieces, and called my mom. After a long ring, my mom answered in the last second. Before she could speak, Charlotte said urgently: “Mom, where did William go? I want to talk to him.” Mom’s voice was hoarse, each word seeming to burst from her throat one by one. “You bastard, you’ll never see him again in this life. Are you satisfied now?” Charlotte was stunned, not understanding what she meant, but before she could speak, the call was disconnected. Charlotte’s face flushed red. She cursed and opened my chat window, typing viciously: “William, you don’t want to live like this anymore, right? Fine, I’ll grant your wish. Get your ass back here and I’ll divorce you!” Still no reply. Hearing she wanted a divorce, Brown was so happy he couldn’t contain himself. He immediately ran to the bedroom to look for documents. But just as he ran out, he saw Charlotte pick up the still-sobbing Drake. She rushed out the door. “Charlotte, where are you going? Charlotte!” Charlotte didn’t look back as she floored the accelerator. I floated to the back seat to accompany Drake, my heart filled with hatred. “Bitch, driving so fast—where are you going? Aren’t you afraid of an accident? Aren’t you worried about Drake getting hurt!” But soon I knew her destination. Charlotte stood breathlessly at my family’s door, pounding on it viciously. “William, open the door! I know you’re in there! Don’t be a coward—if you have something to say, say it to my face!” With a creak, the door slowly opened from inside. Charlotte’s angry expression hadn’t faded when her whole body froze in horrified shock.

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To earn some extra money for the household, I secretly opened an online sex toy shop without telling my wife Victoria. I hoped that once I made enough money, I could surprise her. Especially on Valentine’s Day, I had dozens of pre-orders lined up. I packed and shipped everything early, but I never expected the first order’s delivery address to be my own home. I was stunned. After checking the phone number and name repeatedly, I confirmed it was an order placed by Victoria! But Victoria was away on a business trip. She’d already been gone for a week. Worried about a mix-up, I called Victoria after careful consideration, deliberately using a video call. Three seconds later, Victoria answered right on time. The screen showed her inspecting a factory. The garment workshop was full of people, and the noise was constant. “What’s wrong, honey? Do you miss me? You’re calling me so early!” Victoria’s sweet smile instantly dispelled the dark clouds in my heart. I went along with what she said, deliberately walking outside so she wouldn’t see the shop I’d secretly opened. “Yeah, I miss you.” “Then say you miss me! It’s Valentine’s Day today. Shouldn’t you show me something?” “Of course I will.” I smiled, hung up the phone, and transferred $5,000 to Victoria to express my love. She quickly accepted it and replied with a kiss emoji, saying her flight would land tonight and she’d come home. After the transfer, I got even more orders. They kept popping up, and business was booming. I didn’t think much of the first order. I marked it as out of stock and contacted the buyer for a refund, thinking it was just a mix-up. But an hour later, another order came to my home address. The recipient was still Victoria, with the same phone number. She’d ordered several more items—things that rarely sold in my shop. They were more discreet and more expensive. At first, I got excited, thinking I’d landed a big order. But after I saw the address clearly, I felt uneasy. I thought Victoria had discovered I was running a sex toy shop and was deliberately placing orders to tease me. But when I called her again, it kept showing no one was answering. I had no choice but to mark it as out of stock for a refund and bury myself in other orders. But another hour later, another order came from the same address! This time was even more outrageous. She ordered fifteen bottles of liquid products and specifically noted that they should be delivered upstairs, with an additional tip promised. The tip wasn’t small either. As soon as the order appeared, several delivery drivers spotted it because she’d also selected express one-on-one delivery. Soon, several delivery drivers arrived at my online shop, urging me to pack and ship quickly. “Boss, hurry up! This is one-on-one express delivery, and the price is good! If I take this order, it’s worth more than two hours of my regular work.” I looked troubled and was about to mark it as out of stock when the delivery driver noticed. “Hey! Don’t mark it out of stock. No matter what you’re missing, you need to wait until I deliver it before you communicate with the buyer. I finally got such a good order.” “But I really don’t have enough stock!” “Well, there’s nothing we can do about that. You can refund the difference to them later! It’s fine. I’ve taken many orders like this. I know how it works.” Seeing the delivery driver was determined to deliver this order, I had no choice but to prepare the goods. As I packed the goods and handed them to the delivery driver, an idea suddenly came to mind. “how about this… I’ll give you another tip. You just need to help me with one thing after you deliver the goods!”

The delivery driver paused and looked at me thoughtfully. “Do what? Tell me first.” I smiled awkwardly and made up a lie on the spot. “To be honest, this address belongs to my friend’s house. I think he’s messing with me, deliberately causing me trouble! I want to ask you for a favor. After you deliver the goods, just secretly take a photo of the person who signs for it.” “No way! What if I get caught? The buyer will grab me and won’t let me leave. Wouldn’t that delay my work?” “It’s okay. You don’t have to photograph their face. Or you can just look and send me a message.” The delivery driver hesitated, then made an “OK” gesture at me. I nodded in agreement, and he immediately left with the goods, laughing as he walked, sharing with Victoria how much he was earning today. Twenty minutes later, the delivery driver privately messaged me with a line of text that startled me. “Signed for. There’s a woman there, looks about thirty years old! Dressed pretty sexy. She tipped me $200.” Someone was actually home? And it was a woman! My alarm bells went off immediately. Could Victoria have come home early without telling me? I had just lied to Victoria saying I needed to work overtime for a promotional sale and wouldn’t be done until at least midnight. Could she have taken advantage of this window to come home? But why would she order these things? An uneasy premonition spread through me. Faced with order after order popping up, I no longer felt any joy. I could only pack goods numbly like a robot. The questions in my mind confused me one after another. I was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, eagerly pressing the delivery driver for what happened next. “Didn’t you take a photo? Did you see anyone else in the room?” “I took a few photos, just a bit blurry, but you can still see them! I think there was a man in the room too, because there was a pair of men’s leather shoes in the living room. I photographed those too. I’ll send them to you.” “Ding dong” several times, and I received three photos from the delivery driver. The first two were photos of a woman wearing a short skirt and black stockings. Her face wasn’t visible, but her figure looked exactly like Victoria. Those black stockings were torn in several places. Even though the photos were blurry, I could see it clearly, as if something intense had happened in the room. The last photo showed the men’s leather shoes, neatly placed in my entryway. They looked expensive—a brand I’d never worn. The size and style clearly wouldn’t fit me. So… Victoria brought another man home? My head heated up, and my heart exploded. Combined with all the items Victoria had ordered, I was about to lose it completely! But then the delivery driver added another comment that made me even angrier. “Oh, by the way, when I went to deliver, I ran into another delivery driver. They seemed to have delivered sexy lingerie, and there was a large bouquet of red roses at the door. Looks like this woman is pretty popular.” I collapsed, slumping in my chair for a long time, unable to recover. With trembling hands, I thanked the delivery driver and added another $100 to the agreed tip as thanks. Now I completely lost my motivation to prepare and pack goods. I wanted nothing more than to grab my car keys and rush home. But soon more delivery drivers came, all urging me to process orders. After all, on a special day like this, suddenly closing the shop or marking everything out of stock would affect all three parties.

I had no choice but to grit my teeth and continue, numbly preparing goods, packing, and shipping like a robot. I stayed busy for five hours straight. When I saw the online shop’s revenue dozens of times higher than usual, I didn’t feel that rush of excitement. I just felt heavy inside, as if a needle was stuck in my heart. During those five hours, Victoria didn’t call me back. She didn’t even send me a single message. When I finally sat down to catch my breath after finishing, my phone received another order. I opened it. It was my home address again, Victoria’s name and phone number again! This time she ordered some mechanical items—very wild and very private, and quite expensive. I really couldn’t understand what she was up to. Why would she order these things! Half a day had passed, and she still hadn’t had enough? This was getting ridiculously crazy! Now I wasn’t just in a state of collapse—I’d turned completely angry. I wanted nothing more than to grab a steel pipe, break down my door, and see what the hell was going on. Unwilling to give up, I called Victoria several more times, but still no one answered. That’s when I realized I might have been blocked. Soon after, that delivery driver came again, grinning from ear to ear. “Boss, you’re really lucky! Your friend keeps giving you business, literally throwing money at you! I got this order again—another $200 tip!” I couldn’t even force a smile. My hands were trembling. The delivery driver, still oblivious, kept urging me. “Hurry, boss! Won’t you do this money-making business? But is your friend playing too wild? Can they handle this all day?” I was confused too. It seemed I was the one who couldn’t handle it. I didn’t want to look at the shop anymore. I just wanted to rush home as fast as possible. Just then, the delivery driver suddenly gave a low cry. “Hey, boss! Your friend contacted me and asked me to help bring something.” “What thing?” “A suitcase. She specifically noted it should be red, 12 inches.” Didn’t she bring a suitcase when she went on her business trip? Why buy another one? What game was she playing? What suspense was she selling! Furious, I pinched myself hard to stay calm. I temporarily dismissed the idea of going home to look, wanting to see what Victoria was really up to. So I took out another $1,000 as a tip and basically hired the delivery driver for the rest of his day, hoping he’d help me see clearly when he delivered again. “Just do what she says. Buy whatever she wants. The tip won’t be small anyway. I have another favor to ask. After you deliver the goods, don’t leave right away. Stay downstairs or in the stairwell and help me see what she’s really doing.” The delivery driver hesitated, as if he’d seen murder in my eyes, and suddenly panicked. “You’re not going to do anything illegal, are you? Don’t drag me into trouble!” I shook my head. I had no choice but to tell the truth. “I’ll be honest with you! That’s my house. The person placing the order is my wife. I have to watch the shop right now and can’t go there. I can only ask you to help me see what she’s doing at home. Please!” “I’m willing to add another $200—$1,200 total as a tip. Don’t take any more orders after this. Just help me see clearly, okay?”

“Alright… but let me be clear upfront. I’m only responsible for helping you look. I’m not involved in anything else, and nothing has anything to do with me! You need to record a video promising me that no matter what happens, it won’t implicate me.” “I promise! I promise!” After some hesitation, the delivery driver agreed. After recording a video of my promise, he took the goods and left. Twenty minutes later, the delivery driver reached my apartment complex and messaged me. “I’m here. I’m going upstairs now.” A minute later, he sent me a photo of my front door, saying there was another bouquet of flowers at my door. I opened the image. Sure enough, there were now two bouquets at my door—clearly expensive. On Valentine’s Day, they were definitely high-quality, premium flowers, with prices doubled or tripled. But Victoria didn’t care at all. She just left them at the door without bringing them inside. I asked the delivery driver to check if there were any notes on the flowers or any other gifts. The delivery driver looked all around, even checked the garbage bag at the door, but found no trace of anything. Before the delivery driver knocked to deliver the goods, I video-called him, telling him to act natural holding his phone, mute it, and let me see the scene to see who was actually inside. The delivery driver did as I asked, pointing the camera at my front door. The moment the door opened, my heart jumped to my throat, as if it was about to burst out of my chest! I was incredibly nervous, covering my chest and taking deep breaths. Sure enough, I saw someone in my home, and there was a pair of men’s leather shoes in the entryway. Soon, a familiar figure walked out from inside. But I couldn’t see her face. The delivery driver was also nervous, not daring to raise the camera. I could only hear a woman’s gentle voice. “You’re a bit late this time, but it’s okay. I’ll still give you a good review. By the way, did you bring what I asked you to get?” I was shocked… The voice was identical to Victoria’s! Now I completely lost control. I slammed my fist hard on the table and continued listening to her conversation with the delivery driver. “I brought it. I bought a 12-inch red suitcase like you said, and the things you ordered on the platform—I brought everything.” “Good. Wait a moment. I’ll get your tip.” “Okay. This stuff is kind of heavy. Let me help you carry it inside.” To let me see clearly, the delivery driver deliberately held his phone upright against his chest. I could clearly see the furnishings and layout inside—it was definitely my home, exactly the same! As soon as he entered, I could see our wedding photo hanging in the living room. Absolutely no mistake. Victoria’s clothes were scattered on the sofa, along with a strange man’s suit jacket and pants. Through a crack in the half-open bedroom door, I could vaguely see a shirtless man moving around inside. A minute later, Victoria finally came out, handing several hundred dollars in tips to the delivery driver, telling him not to talk about this. The delivery driver accepted the money with both hands and bowed to Victoria in thanks. As he bent down, the phone camera captured Victoria’s face, and I saw it crystal clear! This was definitely Victoria! At that moment, my heart shattered like debris. I had to accept the fact that Victoria was cheating. At midnight, I returned home exhausted. I’d already drunk two bottles on the way. Dizzy and disoriented, I opened the door, planning to confront Victoria and ask for a divorce. But when I entered, there was no one home. It was completely quiet all around, with no trace left behind. Just as I was puzzled, the door opened shortly after. It was Victoria, pulling her suitcase, walking in exhausted. She said she’d just gotten off the plane and took a cab home. As for what happened during the day, she acted as if nothing had occurred. I was about to question her, but when I saw the suitcase behind her clearly, I broke out in a cold sweat…

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