The day my mother, Mia Hayes, was diagnosed with leukemia, my boyfriend Adam Maxwell’s childhood friend Alisha Jenner volunteered to donate bone marrow to her. But on the day of the surgery, I was hit by an out-of-control car at the hospital entrance and fell into a coma. When I woke up, the bone marrow transplant had failed, and my mother had died. Adam stayed by my side in devastation, pulling me back from despair. On the third anniversary of our marriage, which happened to be the anniversary of Mia’s death, I accidentally overheard him talking with his assistant, Eric Chapman. “Mr. Maxwell, we’ve taken care of the driver, doctor, and nurse from back then. No one will ever know about Ms. Jenner’s fake donation.” Adam sighed with relief, “Good. Charlotte’s mother’s death was ultimately Alisha’s fault, but I can’t let Charlotte destroy her.” At that moment, my world shattered. It turned out that the Jenner Group heiress’ charitable bone marrow donation, meant to boost the company’s corporate image, was a fraudulent scheme. My mother’s death was nothing but a stepping stone for Alisha’s rise. Alisha and Adam were both killers!

“Mr. Maxwell, do you intend to keep this matter hidden for the rest of your life?” Adam’s brow furrowed slightly as he replied, “This is the best solution I could think of. Now, Jenner Group has been revived from the dead. Alisha has entered the entertainment industry and become the star she always wanted to be. As for Charlotte, I’ll spend the rest of my life making amends to her.” Eric couldn’t stand his behavior and spoke urgently, “Back then, Ms. Jenner fled at the last minute because she was afraid to donate bone marrow. Mia literally died waiting on the operating table. How is that any different from deliberate murder? Mr. Maxwell, why are you doing this? After all, Ms. Hayes is your wife!” Adam closed his eyes, his brow creasing in pain. “Alisha was just too scared. She didn’t mean it. Besides, Mia’s leukemia meant she wouldn’t have lived much longer anyway. Charlotte only experienced an ordinary car accident. I’ve given her love and a family, all she wanted most!” Eric’s emotions suddenly flared up. “Mr. Maxwell, is this really what Ms. Hayes wanted? Is what she wanted, this deceptive love tainted with her mother’s blood, this marriage of atonement that feels like charity? You and I know that if Ms. Hayes discovers this, everything will be completely ruined!” Eric’s words pierced Adam’s heart. Adam choked harshly on his cigarette twice. He forcefully crushed the cigarette butt in the ashtray and impatiently warned, “Then I’ll never let her know! Keep your worthless conscience to yourself and shut your mouth! Otherwise, I’ll deal with you, too!” My whole body trembled so violently I could barely stand. Tears had smeared my face without me noticing, and the cold throughout my body was suffocating me. My mother’s death wasn’t an accident! Alisha hadn’t donated bone marrow to my mother as she had solemnly promised. And my mother, full of hope, lay on the cold operating table, never receiving the life-saving bone marrow. Instead, she received news of her daughter’s car accident and her own death. My mother and I parted hastily this way without seeing each other last time. It was a scheme personally arranged by my husband, whom I considered family. His tenderness and his devotion… It all was to save another woman in his heart. And the marriage I thought was happy was just his arrogant, condescending charity. It was absurd! That one word was enough to summarize my life these past three years. I collapsed onto the cold marble floor of the waiting room as if all my strength had been drained away. I waited until the footsteps faded into the distance before sitting quietly on the sofa. I sat there for exactly four hours. Adam finally appeared during lunch break. His expression was no different than usual as he reached for my hand. “Charlotte, you came without telling me? You should have let me know. I’m sorry you had to wait so long. Why are your hands so cold?” I looked down as he cupped my hands in his, warmth surrounding them from all sides. My heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife. “It’s just a lingering effect from the car accident years ago.” His movements paused as he pulled my hand to his cheek. “That’s my fault. I shouldn’t have sent you to get those documents alone.” I withdrew my hand and contained the hatred that nearly spilled out, saying softly, “It’s not your fault. It will get better with time. I didn’t want to disturb you since I knew you were busy. Your secretary mentioned you have another meeting soon. You should go. Oh, and please ask Eric to make me a coffee. He always makes it perfectly.” Adam had always been incredibly attentive to my needs. He gave Eric clear instructions when he left and sent me hand warmers. “Ms. Hayes, here’s your coffee and the hand warmers Mr. Maxwell requested.” I didn’t respond. I just silently got up and locked my office door. Then I turned around and gave Eric a complicated look. Eric felt uneasy under my stare and couldn’t help asking, “Ms. Hayes, is there something else you need…”

In the next instant, my sudden movement cut short his words. I slowly picked up the wedding photo of Adam and me from the desk. In the picture, we looked so happy, our smiles radiant. CRASH! Right in front of Eric, I violently smashed the frame to the ground, shattering it into pieces. “Tell me properly, Eric! How did Adam and Alisha cause my mother’s death three years ago?” The sun was setting when Adam finally finished his meetings and returned to the office. He found me napping on the couch and couldn’t resist quietly walking over to pull me into his arms. “Are you bored? My secretary told me you actually spent the whole afternoon talking with Eric. Our genius director, Charlotte, is going stir-crazy during this research trip to Northweston.” Over these past three years, I had established myself as a hot new female director in the film industry, winning numerous prestigious awards at home and abroad. I was famous for being extremely strict about scripts and actors. Even Alisha, with all her family wealth, couldn’t land a role in my films. Adam never interferes with my work and instead supports me completely. My success also adds considerable prestige to his career. Adam’s affectionate gaze swept across my face as he playfully pointed at the corner of my eye. “You haven’t been resting well, have you? Your eyes are all red from exhaustion.” I instinctively turned my head, avoiding Adam’s hand reaching toward me, forcing a slight smile. “I’ll be fine after some sleep. By the way, I have good news. You know how you’ve always wanted me to create a commercial film specifically for Alisha? I recently got an excellent script. I plan to try something different. To generate publicity, I will host a grand character reveal event before filming.” When news related to Alisha was mentioned, Adam’s superficial emotions instantly became animated. His face showed excitement, followed by confusion. “A character reveal event? Where did this idea come from? Director Hayes, you’re famous in the industry for keeping a low profile, and besides, don’t you usually think Alisha’s acting is…” I laughed mockingly to myself. Of course, I was doing this for them. Otherwise, given Alisha’s terrible acting skills—she just widened her eyes, frowned and screamed, I’d consider her out of place even as a background character. I displayed a sorrowful expression and slowly leaned into Adam’s embrace. “I’ve always owed Alisha a proper thank you. She volunteered to donate bone marrow to save my mom. Even though the outcome… well, she genuinely donated her marrow. I recently heard from a doctor friend that bone marrow transplant surgery causes significant harm to donors. I can’t be an ungrateful person.” Adam’s body tensed as he held me. My words left him speechless. As the main culprit, he was filled with nothing but guilt. He held me tighter, his warm lips lingering on my forehead. “Your mother may be gone, but you still have me. We will never be apart. I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life.” I silently hugged him back. Eric’s revelation from this afternoon flashed through my mind, and all warmth vanished from my eyes. A cold, mocking smile slowly formed on my lips as I thought, “Save these touching words for later. After you watch the role announcement event, you can tell me all about it.”

I had just arrived home when the doorbell rang urgently. The servant opened the door and saw it was Alisha. “I came specifically to thank Charlotte! Since Charlotte announced on Twitter that she’s not only choosing me for the lead role but also hosting a special launch event, I’ve been trending everywhere! All those brands and investors who looked down on me are now approaching me for collaborations.” Alisha was thanking me with her words, but her body was telling the truth as she brushed against Adam. “This is the diamond Addie gave me last month. I’m just passing along something beautiful. It’s for you, Charlotte!” I lowered my gaze to look at it. It was one of the two pieces Adam had purchased at an auction last month. In the light, the difference was noticeable. The one he had given me was more ordinary than what Alisha held. Adam’s expression beside me suddenly became tense as he carefully observed my reaction. My smile didn’t falter. I accepted the gift and played along with her act. “You’re too kind, Alisha. I always knew you were a born actress, just waiting to be discovered by someone with an eye for talent. When we get to the role announcement event, I guarantee the audience will see you in a new light.” My insincere praise made Alisha glow with delight. She completely missed the storm brewing beneath my words. However, Alisha’s arrival gave me the perfect excuse to get Adam out of the way. “I have some script issues to deal with upstairs. Adam, please entertain Alisha for me. Don’t neglect the future star of my billion-dollar movie!” Adam froze for a moment, then forced a laugh and quickly agreed. The words “billion-dollar movie” completely went to Alisha’s head. She just grabbed Adam’s arm and grinned. I turned and entered Adam’s study, hearing their laughter from downstairs. [Password incorrect. Please try again.] I stared at the message on the computer screen and shook my head mockingly. I changed my birthday to Alisha’s, and the computer unlocked instantly. It was filled with Alisha’s photos, portfolios, endorsement deals, and Maxwell Group’s sponsorship records. He even kept copies of her schedule. I’ve felt uncomfortable with Adam’s excessive attention toward Alisha these past three years. But whenever I tried to discuss it, Adam would put on a helpless act. “Alisha donated bone marrow to your mother. I’m just showing gratitude on your behalf. Charlotte, don’t overthink it.” With one mention of gratitude, all my feelings were completely shut down. He knew the whole truth, yet he deliberately put me on a moral high ground. As if the moment I criticized Alisha, I’d be disrespecting someone who saved my mother’s life, proving myself ungrateful. My memory abruptly cut off as my eyes scanned the jumbled information on the computer. “Found it!” The staff lists, event plans, chat logs, payment records, and detailed notes on where everyone involved ended up afterward are included. My three years of “ignorance” had finally caused Adam to let down all his defenses. The truth sat before me, plain as day, yet I had never questioned or touched it. I laughed bitterly as tears fell onto the desk. “Packaging a murderer as a lifesaver? Adam, you’re the real director here.”

After copying the evidence, I played it smart. I didn’t take the elevator but went down using the staircase in the corner of the villa. I found that Alisha was nestled in Adam’s arms, giggling flirtatiously. “You’re so clever, Addie. I’ve become the life-saving hero, which gives me the perfect opportunity to launch my career, and our family stocks have even risen. I don’t have to donate bone marrow to that old woman, and Charlotte will be forever grateful to me.” A devious glint flashed in Alisha’s eyes as she spoke with cold-blooded contempt. “After that old woman died, I not only had to pretend to be in pain and lie in bed for a month, but I also had to cry and kneel in front of Charlotte’s bed to apologize. No one has ever dared to treat me like this! I really gave those mother and daughter too much face! Fortunately, those paparazzi and marketing accounts were quite effective, achieving all the intended results. I guess I’ll reluctantly forgive that old woman for the suffering she caused me!” With each sentence, the guilt in Adam’s heart transformed into a sharp thorn, piercing him more painfully. As soon as the words fell, Adam abruptly pushed Alisha away from his embrace. Frowning, he lowered his voice and scolded her. “Alisha, watch your language and respect the deceased! Never bring this up again, or you won’t be welcome here anymore!” After saying this, he turned to leave. Alisha was stunned, completely surprised that Adam would reprimand her over Mia. She immediately rushed forward and hugged his waist, looking hurt. “Okay, okay, I won’t mention it again! I just missed you, that’s all. We haven’t seen each other for so long, and I have so much I want to tell you.” This time, Adam didn’t push her away. I watched them coldly, my palms already marked with blood from my own fingernails. “Mom, just hold on a little longer… Soon, I’ll tear off these two hypocritical masks at the event!” I turned around and headed down from the elevator. When I came down, Alisha was still on top of Adam, flirting and fooling around. This was definitely not the kind of distance friends should have. Seeing me arrive, Alisha put on an innocent smile instead. “Charlotte, are you done with your work?” Adam turned his head to look and immediately pushed Alisha away, explaining frantically. “Charlotte, let me explain. Alisha accidentally tripped on the corner of the table, and I was just…” I raised my hand to cut off Adam’s transparent explanation and smiled politely. “I understand. If there was really something between you two, why would I be the one marrying you? The maid says dinner is ready. Let’s eat first.” Despite my generosity, Adam’s expression remained uneasy. He kept sticking close to me during dinner, serving me food and wiping my mouth. Alisha forced a smile visible to everyone, and halfway through the meal, she found an excuse to leave. This time, Adam didn’t comfort her. I continued to play innocent, cooperating with his performance of deep affection. After all, without him, how could my grand scheme “take the world by storm” three days from now?

Three days later, Alisha’s character reveal event officially began. “Ms. Hayes, what’s the name of this new film?” “Ms. Hayes, why did you choose Alisha as the lead actress for this movie?” “Ms. Hayes, why are you making an exception for Alisha by promoting her so publicly and even livestreaming the entire event?” The currently most popular female director publicly supported an actress like this for the first time and had repeatedly stated during promotions that this would be her most proud work in her lifetime. The media and many fame-chasing social media influencers rushed to the event venue, hoping to capitalize on the massive buzz. Under the flashing lights, I smiled as I faced a barrage of questions from the crowd and calmly said, “For this film, Alisha was always the perfect lead in my mind. I can confidently say that her performance will completely change everyone’s perception of her. She’ll make her mark in film history.” My words caused a wave of murmurs and gasps from everyone present. Alisha’s arrogant expression intensified from beside me. Her recent surge in popularity had clearly gone to her head, making her think she was above everyone else. She was just waiting for the movie to be filmed and released so she could become the biggest movie star around. As soon as I finished speaking, a reporter asked, “But according to audience feedback and other directors’ opinions, Alisha might not be as talented as you claim. How would you respond to that, Ms. Hayes?” That question stirred up a storm, and countless inquiries flew at me. My expression remained unchanged as I calmly directed everyone’s attention to the big screen. “For this press conference, I specially prepared a teaser. After watching it, I believe all our media friends will have their answers.” Alisha beside me suddenly changed her expression and whispered in confusion, “Charlotte, what teaser? I’ve never heard about this!” Adam, in the audience, also gave me a puzzled look. I stepped back and tilted my head, speaking in a gentle tone. “Please enjoy, everyone. This is a movie teaser I’ve carefully prepared for a long time!” The big screen shows two people embracing tightly in a hospital room in the next second. It was Alisha and Adam! “Addie, I’m scared! Bone marrow transplants hurt so much. That old woman is going to die anyway. I don’t want to do the surgery. Can you help me? I just need to pretend I donated after the fact. We can fool everyone and boost my company’s image!”

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I, Caroline Ward, am the woman of Blake Harris, the mafia boss. After we got married, he spoiled me to the sky, flaunting our love to the media. I thought he loved me deeply. He couldn’t help but announce his love for me to the world. Until one day, I overheard a conversation between him and one of his men. “I live in both the criminal and legal worlds, with so many enemies. If I don’t make Caroline my weakness, how could Megan be safe?” I realized then that all the pain I had suffered for him was a joke… If that was the case, then I was no longer willing to be a living target for him! “Blake, you’ve gone too far! Caroline’s wounds haven’t healed, and she only had a small argument with someone, yet you’re rushing to see her? You’re putting both yourself and Caroline in danger!” It was the voice of Blake’s friend, Zachary Coleman, coming from behind the walls. I stopped in my tracks, stunned for a moment. The villa had many soundproof rooms, so unless someone was particularly agitated, one couldn’t hear anything. But after a moment, I heard the sound of something being thrown. “What do you mean, you only love Megan? Caroline has been her scapegoat all these years! You’ve never loved her. Why won’t you let her go? If it were that other woman, you’d be dead by now!” “Shut up! If I don’t make Caroline my weakness, how could Megan be safe? “I haven’t treated her badly, being my wife for so many years.” Blake’s voice was clear and deep. I leaned against the wall, struggling to process the information I had just heard. All these years, Blake loved someone else? And I had been nothing more than a scapegoat? I stumbled back to my room, my abdominal wound from trying to protect him tearing open again, bleeding through the bandage. But the pain in my body was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. The apples Blake had carefully sliced for me by the bed now felt like a cruel joke. He had treated me so well, too well, in fact. So openly, so lavishly, everyone around us envied me. Blake had many businesses along the border, managing both the legal and illegal worlds. In five years, I had been kidnapped three times for him, taken a knife for him twice, and even took a bullet for him once. I had risked my life for him, thinking he loved me deeply, but it had all been a lie… “Did you just go out?” Blake’s voice suddenly came from behind me. I turned, tears streaming down my face, meeting his eyes, which usually sparkled with affection. I had secretly rejoiced countless times, thinking how lucky I was to be married to such a handsome man. But now, in his eyes, I saw an icy coldness that cut right through. “Caroline, are you afraid of me? Where did you go just now?” He was too sharp. I barely managed to smile awkwardly. “I just woke up. When I saw you weren’t here, I got scared and didn’t know what to do.” From an ordinary student to the woman of a mafia boss, it only took one night. After my first kidnapping, I developed a lasting fear. As soon as I couldn’t see Blake, I would tremble with fear. He didn’t seem to doubt me. He gently stroked my lips and chin, his fingers tracing my jawline before they moved to my neck and down my spine. I couldn’t help but gasp. His restless hand lingered on my waist, the heat from his palm searing my skin. “Tomorrow, I’ll be gone for a day. Stay home and behave.” He kissed my lips lightly, his words warm against my ear. I shivered, gripping his shirt tightly. “Blake, my wound… my wound…” His expression changed instantly. In two quick moves, he undressed me, staring at the blood-soaked bandage with a furrowed brow. “Caroline, do you want me to die of heartache?” He carefully changed my bandages, his concern evident, no trace of pretense on his face. But the words I had just heard kept replaying in my mind. Where was he going for that day he would be gone? To see that woman, the one I had risked my life to protect?

That night, Blake held me in his arms and slept deeply. But I couldn’t sleep at all. I stayed awake all night, only closing my eyes after confirming that he had boarded his flight the next morning. The distance from the bedroom to the study wasn’t far. In his small study, everything was about me. From our first anniversary to my most recent birthday, every little thing had been neatly arranged. Anyone who saw it would be moved by the depth of his love for me. Only I knew that in the hidden compartment of a drawer, there was a diary that didn’t belong to me. Blake had told me about it when he was drunk. That night, he kept apologizing. At the time, I was so absorbed in him that I didn’t pay much attention to it. The next day, he’d forgotten all about it. I pulled open the hidden compartment and brushed the dust off the diary. The password was intricate, showing how much the owner valued it. I never imagined that my studies in cryptography would come in handy now. The password clicked open, and on the first page, Blake’s bold, strong handwriting wrote words, Megan. The next ten pages were all about how much he loved Megan. The words were careful, intense, and timid in a way I had never seen before. With me, he was always so calm and collected. I thought it was because he had matured and no longer had the fiery passion of youth. So he just didn’t love me… The last page was written in a messy scrawl. [Megan was assassinated. She was right. People like us should never have lovers! I’ll send her off!] The writing turned to yellow ink. The words became fewer and fewer. [The girl is so easy to fool.] [Today, I remembered Megan. The girl thought I was talking about her. It’s fine. Let her misunderstand. That way, Megan will be safe.] [As long as she can be my wife, even if she gets killed, she wouldn’t mind.] [I will be punished. I arranged a kidnapping. Everything was within my control. She was triggered, and for the rest of her life, she’ll never be able to leave me. I’ll spend my life making it up to her.] I pressed my eyes shut, terrified that tears would fall. It turned out the person he had always wanted to be with openly was never me. Our meeting, our love, our marriage, our happiness, from the beginning to now, was all just my Truman Show. I closed the diary carefully and placed it back where it belonged. As I stepped out of the study, I allowed the tears to fall. I curled up into a ball. Scenes from my first kidnapping flashed in my mind. At that time, Blake and I were inseparable. I had just come out of the hospital and was planning to tell him about my pregnancy. But as soon as I got into a car, I lost consciousness. Those beasts dragged me across the ground. The coldness and brutal torture made me lose the baby. When Blake rushed in and held me in his arms, all I could manage was a blurry consciousness. It was then that I developed a psychological condition. I couldn’t be away from Blake for long, and my health completely deteriorated. Blake comforted me, saying it didn’t matter if we didn’t have a child. It turned out, from the very beginning, that he never planned to have a child with me. He was the one who had crushed all possibilities. What I thought was redemption and deep affection was actually a carefully orchestrated scheme by him! The pain in my chest made it hard to breathe. I couldn’t resist the physical reaction, collapsing on the bed, convulsing. Amidst this extreme pain, I slowly became calm. Every detail of being with Blake flashed through my mind. In these five years, I had faced countless life-and-death situations. Every time, he had risked his life to save me. His care for me was real. He wasn’t worried about me dying. He was afraid that once I was gone, the danger would fall on his beloved. Shivering, I picked up my phone and checked Blake’s transaction records over the years. He had a company overseas that mainly dealt in jewelry. All the gifts he had given me in the past few years came from that company.

That company didn’t profit at all. The yearly revenue, aside from the fixed 100 million Blake sent, was supplemented by funds from the Harris Group. The company’s business was wide-ranging, and every product he had created had appeared on that woman, Megan. I found Megan’s account on Facebook. She was living comfortably in a seaside villa. In her latest update, she held hands with a man. The caption read: [My dearest you, worlds apart, yet so close.] I zoomed in on the picture. The man wore the same ruby wedding band as Megan, and there was a white mark on his wrist. Blake had once told me he didn’t like wearing rings. That was why, at our wedding, everything was there except for the rings. I really thought he didn’t like them. I made a bracelet by hand and put it on his wrist. That day, he kissed the bracelet, saying it was his amulet and that he’d never take it off. But as soon as he saw Megan, he took it off. He didn’t dislike wearing rings. He just didn’t want to wear one with me. I scrolled further. On February 14th, Blake gave Megan a sapphire necklace carved from the finest stone. That day, Blake gave me a necklace made of blue diamonds. On July 7th, Blake bought the best silk and made a full set of clothes for Megan. That day, Blake gave me a silk scarf. I flipped through the pages, burying myself in the pillow, laughing wildly in silence, my body twitching. My pulse seemed to stop in this madness. In Blake’s eyes, I was just a sidekick to Megan, a scapegoat. All the gifts he gave me were just afterthoughts prepared for Megan. Five years of love, gone in a moment. I cried the whole night. During that time, Blake sent me a message. I used to think he loved me, that he always wanted to know how I was doing. Now I realize he was just afraid that I, the scapegoat, would run away. If that was the case, how could I let him get what he wanted? The next morning, I contacted my lawyer, asking him to cancel all my identity information as quickly as possible. Blake came back in the middle of the night. As soon as he entered the house, he eagerly buried his face in my shoulder. “Caroline, did you miss me? I couldn’t sleep a wink last night without you.” The dark circles under his eyes made it seem like he hadn’t slept a bit. If this had happened before, I would’ve been deeply touched. But now, I didn’t dare to move. He didn’t love me. This pretentious look of deep affection made me sick! “Shy?” He looked down with a laugh, pulling me into his arms and with a soft moan from me. I was like his doll, not cared for, not even considered if I was asleep. Tears slipped down the corners of my eyes, quickly absorbed by the pillow, as though sadness had never been there. The next morning, as soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Blake’s grim face. Thinking about his reputation, I flinched in fear. “Your phone’s ringing. What did you cancel?” I quickly looked at my phone. It was a message from the lawyer. He had already taken care of canceling my identity, and in three hours, it would be final. I smiled awkwardly, “It’s nothing. Just an email account I used before. It had been inactive for so long, and I was worried it might be reclaimed, so I just canceled it.” “Mm.” Blake leaned closer to me, his gaze intense, gripping the back of my head as if trying to steal every breath I had until I had no strength left and collapsed in his arms. “Caroline, don’t lie to me. Don’t betray me.” I nodded desperately, tears brimming in my eyes. The terror was so intense that my fingertips grew cold. Soon! Soon, I would escape from him! Soon, Blake would never have Caroline by his side again! Just then, my phone rang, and Blake took a step back. “What? Megan’s back? Who brought her here? Wait for me. I’m going now.” Blake’s voice was dark, and he hurried out without even looking at me. I kept telling myself to breathe. Before leaving, I still had one thing to do. Even though I had canceled my identity, I didn’t want the name Caroline to be linked with Blake anymore. I steadied my emotions and received a message from the private investigator. It was a string of numbers. Megan’s phone number. “Hello, I’m Blake’s wife. Let’s meet.”

The meeting place was chosen by Megan. It was at the city’s biggest hotel. Behind a screen, I could hear heavy breathing. “Can’t you listen to me? It’s not safe with me right now.” I had seen Blake cold and gentle, as well as every other side of him. But hearing his helpless voice for the first time shook me. “I miss you so much. I’m about to get married, and you still won’t see me. Is it true that you’ve really fallen for your wife?” “Stop saying that. I’m doing this to keep you safe.” After exchanging words of affection, Blake finally left. He was always cautious, but this time, he didn’t notice that someone else had slipped behind the screen. I couldn’t see my own expression, but it was probably bitter and mocking. “Blake is gone. You’re really pathetic. But as a woman, I’m still willing to hear you out.” Megan stepped out from behind it, a smug smile on her face, her eyes full of the pride of a victor. Her skin was flushed, and her outfit was both flattering and stylish, accentuating her figure. The exposed skin on her body was smooth and flawless. I looked down at my casual clothes. Ever since I got together with Blake, I didn’t dare wear anything nice because I lacked the courage to show the scars on my body. The constant injuries made me seem so much weaker than Megan. She just stood there, scanning me from top to bottom, and it was already the greatest insult. “I’m not here to fight you over Blake. I’ve been by his side long enough. He might have feelings for me too.” After being with Blake for so many years, I learned how to use others’ power to my advantage. “You came here today to make me give up, didn’t you? I know I can’t compare to you. I just want one autograph from him to remember him by.” When I left the hotel, my steps were much lighter. Over the past couple of days, I’d tried everything to cling to Blake. At first, he went along with it, but eventually, he became impatient. But it didn’t matter. As long as my goal was achieved, I didn’t care. Two days later, Megan gave me the signature I asked for. When I saw it, I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly went to print the divorce papers. By the third day, my identity was completely erased. I gathered all the gifts Blake had given me, including that diary, and placed them in the most visible spot in the villa. These things that belonged to someone else were better off returned to their rightful owner. As for all of my belongings, they were burned to ashes the moment I stepped on the plane. In the airport lounge, I took out my phone and sent Megan a message. Just two words: [Thank you.] Just as the phone was about to turn off, Blake’s text popped up in the notification bar. [Baby, I’m almost home.] [I bought the birthday cake. It’s your favorite strawberry cake.] [Sorry, baby, Megan isn’t feeling well. She’s all alone here, so I need to go check on her…] The phone shut off completely, and the dark screen didn’t show his next words. But I didn’t need to see it. I already knew he was going to be with Megan. I crushed the SIM card and threw it in the trash. Following the boarding announcement, I stepped onto the plane. Meanwhile, in the ballroom, Megan lay softly on Blake’s chest, a faint flush on her face from the alcohol. “Blake, I’m fine. Go back to Caroline. I’m the one being selfish. I couldn’t help myself, I just missed you, so I called you.” Her eyes were full of tears. Blake’s phone lay next to them, the screen flashing dimly. It wasn’t until they left the ballroom that he noticed the dozens of missed calls on his phone. The moment he answered, his friend Zachary’s panicked voice came through, trembling. “Blake! A lawyer came to the company with the divorce papers! Caroline found out about you and Ms. Foster! “We can’t reach Caroline! We’ve tried every way, and we can’t get in touch with her!!”

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My girlfriend’s first love once saved her life, and in return, she promised to do three things for him. The first was when I proposed to her. He called her away and took her on the Ferris wheel, leaving me waiting. The second time was when I was in the hospital, sick and alone. He convinced her to go with him to see the northern lights. For eight long years, I silently watched, bearing it all. Then, at our wedding, she made a shocking confession that she hadn’t married the man she loved the most. With a gentle tone, she tried to soothe me, “Zack, after this, I’ll have nothing to do with Julian anymore. Can you forgive me just one last time?” But this time, I couldn’t take it anymore. If she hadn’t married the right person, then I wouldn’t force myself to be that person. As the priest stood at the altar, asking if I would take her as my wife, a knot tightened in my chest. My gaze instinctively moved to Victoria Hale’s first love, sitting quietly in the audience. Julian Pierce’s confident smile was like a weight on my heart, and it made everything feel colder. When Victoria finally said “I do,” I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. But just as I thought it was over, she spoke again, her voice cutting through the tension, “I have a song I’d like to sing for my groom.” The song was for me, but her eyes never left Julian’s in the crowd, and I could feel the bitterness rising in my throat. The priest handed over the stage, and Victoria began to sing. But as the music filled the air, I felt the room grow colder, like I was drowning in ice. I recognized the song right away. It was one Julian had written himself and it was called “Not Marrying the One I Love.” For eight long minutes, Victoria sang. Eight minutes that felt like an eternity, as I thought back on the eight years I’d spent loving her. From the moment I’d first fallen for her in college, to the years that followed, through graduation, my career, and everything in between. She’d always been tangled up with Julian, and I had quietly accepted it. Even when she married me for the sake of her family’s business, I endured it all. But now, as I watched my parents, their faces twisted with anger, and saw the way Victoria and Julian looked at each other, something inside me snapped. I couldn’t keep pretending it didn’t hurt. Victoria must’ve noticed the change in me, because she put the microphone down and slowly walked toward me. “Zack, I’m sorry. Julian said this is the last time. After today, I won’t have anything to do with him anymore.” Her words were like empty promises. As if I should believe that everything would magically be fine between them just because she said so. I knew what was really going on. Julian knew he could never marry Victoria, so this was his way of humiliating me. At least this wedding would be the nightmare I’d carry with me for years. Looking at the woman in front of me, pretending to be so sincere, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I took a step back, distancing myself from her, and tossed my wedding ring onto the floor. “If you didn’t marry the one you love, then go marry him. He’s right there.” My voice rang out, cutting through the room. The murmurs of the crowd swirled around us, and for a moment, Victoria’s face flickered with embarrassment. “Zack, stop this. Today’s supposed to be our wedding.” “Yeah? Well, it’s not happening. You’re free now. Go be with the person you really want,” I shot back. Then, I turned to face Julian, who was watching from the crowd. “Julian, congratulations. You won. I don’t want her anymore. I hope you two have a lifetime of happiness.” I wasn’t holding back anymore. Julian was a well-known music producer in our circle, someone who had used his connections to force his way into our lives. Now, I was going to make sure they both felt the consequences of their actions. I dropped the microphone to the floor, shrugged off my suit jacket, and walked away, pulling my parents along with me. On the drive home, my parents didn’t say a word. They didn’t scold me, not even once. My mom just pulled me close, holding me in silence, offering what little comfort she could. Loving Victoria in silence for eight years had been a pain I could never fully explain. We were from the same world, same university, same circle. If it weren’t for her family’s business crisis, Victoria would never have agreed to this marriage. I knew that. I’ll admit, I was desperate. But after two years of being with her, I honestly thought I’d won her over. Even though she’d always put Julian first, I stood by, hoping she would one day choose me. My family had never wanted to get involved with the Hale family. After all, they were the ones trying to climb the social ladder by marrying into ours. But because I insisted, my parents had reluctantly gone along with it. If I had forgiven her today, it wouldn’t just be my pride that would be shattered. It would be my family’s as well.

When my mom saw how much I was hurting, she couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “Zack, if you still want to marry her, we can put pressure on the Hale family. Victoria will definitely come and apologize.” But I knew that even without my parents intervening, Victoria would still come to apologize. She would do it because she had no choice. I shook my head slowly. “Mom, I’m sorry I’ve embarrassed you. I’m done with Victoria. It’s over. I’m the one letting her go.” Mom didn’t argue. “It’s probably for the best. A woman like that… you’re better off without her.” She didn’t say anything else. Instead, she simply ruffled my hair, offering comfort in silence. Knowing I was still struggling, my parents planned a family trip to try and take my mind off things. I selfishly picked Kanvas, where Victoria and I had once gone to see the Northern Lights. It had been one of the most beautiful moments of my life, and now, I needed that place to help me let go of everything. For a whole week, I tried to put the past eight years behind me. But when I got back home, the media storm had already started. The internet was ablaze, and it was all aimed at me. Julian’s fans had twisted my words from the wedding and spread them online, editing my statements to make them look like I had said, “If you love Julian so much, then go marry him. I’m done with you.” They didn’t know the full story or understand the scene at the wedding. But they made it sound like I was the one who had dragged Julian into the mess. What hurt more was that Victoria and her family had said nothing. They let the storm brew and only allowed the fans to continue their attack on me, without a word of defense. In just a week, rumors were so widespread that my death photo was circulating online. But I knew deep down that this kind of media frenzy didn’t just happen on its own. Someone had to be behind it, stoking the fire. Even my family’s PR team couldn’t put out the flames. And I immediately thought of Victoria. When I called her, I could hear Julian’s voice in the background. “Victoria, are you going to address all this drama online?” Her voice was as cold as ice, unaffected, like none of this had even fazed her. “Zack, if you apologize to Julian, we could still have a wedding. I’d still marry you,” she said, as if nothing had changed. The self-loathing hit me hard. Why had I even hoped she’d be different? I couldn’t help but let out a bitter, empty laugh. “Victoria, how much lower can you both go? You let this mess spin out of control online, and instead of explaining yourself, you want me to apologize?” “If it weren’t for you, Julian wouldn’t have almost lost his job. You’re the one who deserves all that hate,” she replied, still sounding so high and mighty. I didn’t waste another second and hung up the phone. Turning to my parents, I managed a dry smile. “Dad, it’s time to pull all funding from the Hale family. A woman like that doesn’t deserve any more of our energy.”

There was no deeper reason behind my words. I just wanted to see if Victoria could still demand an apology from me without my family’s financial support. As for the online rumors, I didn’t bother directly addressing them. Instead, I simply paid to have the trending topic removed. The reason behind this was simple. I wanted to see if there was someone pulling the strings behind these rumors. By the time morning came, that trending topic was back at the top of the headlines. That was when I knew. Someone was deliberately trying to bring me down. Once I had my target, everything else fell into place. It was right then that my phone began buzzing non-stop with messages from Julian. During the seven days I’d been away, he’d sent me countless photos of himself with Victoria, along with his messages. [Zachary, do you really think Vicky loves you? The only person she cares about is me.] Among the dozens of photos, one stood out, sharp and painful. It was of Victoria and Julian embracing on a mountaintop, the sunset casting a golden glow over them. My heart clenched. Victoria had once told me she didn’t like outdoor activities, but here she was, climbing the city’s tallest mountain with Julian. For a brief moment, I felt a sting. But more than that, I just thought how foolish Julian was. All the public opinion that had been focused on me was now turning in another direction. I wasn’t bothered by using Julian as a shield, whether or not he was the one behind all of this. I took those photos, along with the screenshots he’d sent, and sent them to a few marketing accounts I’d bribed. In just two hours, the narrative completely flipped. Even though Julian had spent a fortune to push his own trending topic, he couldn’t compete with the proof I held in my hands. Once that was done, my phone exploded with his messages, crude and filthy insults flooding my screen. Victoria also called me more times than I could count. It was probably more than we’d spoken in the entire three years we were together. The irony wasn’t lost on me. I pretended I didn’t see any of it. After a few days at home to clear my head, I got back in the car and headed to the office. Just as I parked, someone suddenly rushed toward me from a distance. My instincts kicked in, and I tried to retreat back into the car. But it was too late, and she was too fast. The woman came straight at me, a knife gleaming coldly in her hand. Pain exploded in my abdomen as the blade pierced deep. For a moment, everything went blurry, and I could barely stay conscious. With what little strength I had left, I grabbed her, refusing to let go. Even if I died, I wasn’t going to let her escape. In the haze of my vision, I could hear her speaking into the phone. “Julian, don’t worry. I’ve taken care of this bastard. No one will ever hurt you again.”

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At our wedding, my wife Jessica Greene suggested that her stand-in marry me, Chris Morgan, while she traveled the world with her lover, Logan Parker. Everyone thought I would be furious and cancel the wedding. Instead, I just smiled and handed her the financial report, telling her to enjoy life with her lover while I took care of the company’s small matters. My wife thought I had finally been tamed. After casually signing the contract I gave her, she promised me that when she came back, I would get a promotion and a raise. What she didn’t know was that what she signed wasn’t a financial report at all. It was the transfer of her shares and our divorce agreement. A month later, when my wife returned, eager to take back control of the company, she found that I had become the new CEO and that she had been fired. The self-proclaimed clever woman was left stunned. “Chris, the stand-in’s already changed into her wedding dress. Go on and take the vows with her. I’ve got a flight to catch, so I’ll leave you to it.” At the wedding, my CEO wife, Jessica, was wearing workout clothes. With a smile, she shoved another woman into my arms and urged me to go up and get married. It should have been a joyful day, but as I looked at the stand-in, who looked about seventy percent like Jessica, I couldn’t bring myself to smile. I had been with Jessica for seven years. When it came to our wedding, she always said she was too busy with work and didn’t have time. She kept saying, “Once the company is stable and we’re listed, we can talk about marriage.” I worked tirelessly for her, building teams, pulling in business, and sacrificing my youth and health. In the end, I helped the company go public. Finally, after all this effort, I thought our wedding day had arrived. I thought we would finally walk down the aisle together. But now, she had suddenly changed her mind and sent a stand-in to take her place. Seeing me stay silent, Jessica checked her watch, and her expression grew impatient. “Chris, it’s our big day. What are you giving me that sour face for? “If it weren’t for our seven years together, I would’ve let you go out there and make a fool of yourself with a stand-in. As it is, I’m being nice by letting you go through with this. “I don’t have time to waste with you. “Just tell me, are we getting married or not?” As soon as she finished speaking, our colleagues and friends, as if rehearsed, started pressuring me. “Chris, it’s just a different person walking down the aisle. Why make this difficult?” “Yeah, Mr. Morgan, with a wife like Ms. Greene, successful and beautiful, you won’t find better. You’re still married, whether it’s her or the stand-in.” “Besides, the stand-in looks almost identical to Ms. Greene. No one will know the difference. Why are you worried?” The guests all spoke in unison, almost scolding me as if I were the one in the wrong. It was obvious to me that from the start, I was the only one kept in the dark. And no matter how fine their words sounded, the looks in their eyes were filled with disdain and condescension. To them, I was probably just a dog on a leash owned by Jessica. After all, if Jessica truly loved me, why would she send a stand-in to marry me while she traveled the world with her lover? Instead of getting angry, I turned to look at the real culprit behind it all, Logan. Although Logan was Jessica’s lover, he had abandoned her ten years ago. Back then, Logan dumped her to flatter other rich girls. Now, seeing her become successful, he quickly came back, crying about how much he loved her over the years and claiming his departure had a hidden reason. To my surprise, Jessica not only believed him right away but also brought him into the company as an executive. To even accompany him on a trip, she casually found a substitute to cover for my carefully prepared wedding. The next moment, Logan noticed my gaze and grinned even wider. “What are you staring at? Jessica didn’t completely ditch you. She even found a stand-in to help you with the wedding. You should be grateful. “If you don’t want Jessica to go on a trip with me, just say it. Don’t act all innocent like a martyr. You think no one can see through your schemes?” I listened to Logan’s accusations, but I couldn’t help but laugh coldly inside. Logan’s tactics were as low as they were before when we worked together in the company. Since he came back to the country and Jessica brought him into the company, he had been using these twisted words to deliberately provoke me. Little by little, not only had the entire company started to gossip about me being a master of disguise, but Jessica also began to believe that I was a ruthless schemer. Logan’s taunts only seemed like straightforward honesty to her. But this time, I wasn’t going to play along with their childish game anymore. With that thought, I didn’t get angry. Instead, I smiled lightly. “How could I stop you two from going on a trip? “Ms. Greene has worked so hard for the company. Now it’s my time to give back. “As for the wedding and the company’s matters, I’ll follow Ms. Greene’s decisions. You two just go and enjoy your trip.” With that, I handed Jessica a stack of papers and smiled. “Ms. Greene, here’s this month’s financial report. If you sign it, I’ll notify the finance department to release the salaries this afternoon.” Seeing that I agreed so easily, Jessica was momentarily stunned. She stared at me for a long time before finally nodding in satisfaction, not even glancing at the papers, and just flipped to the last page, signing her name in bold strokes. “It would’ve been better if you did this earlier. You did well today. “Handle the wedding and the company matters, and when I come back from the trip, we can consider giving you a promotion and raise.” If I had heard this before, maybe I would’ve been happy, thinking Jessica finally recognized my hard work. But now, I saw clearly that she didn’t love me. She just didn’t want to handle everything herself. The company had just gone public, and everyone was swamped with work, left with countless problems. But she didn’t understand any of it. She was only looking for an excuse to go off with Logan, to relax and take a break. If she divorced me now, without me handling everything for her, how could she go out and date without worry? But when she mentioned promoting me and giving me a raise, Logan immediately furrowed his brow. “Managing the company for Jessica is already your responsibility. You don’t seriously think she’ll promote and raise your salary, do you? “If it weren’t for your incompetence and the company’s continuous decline in performance, Jessica wouldn’t be so tired that she needs to go on a trip to relax. “You agree, right, Jessica?” At that, I couldn’t help but twitch my lips. If it weren’t for Jessica insisting on bringing someone like Logan into the company and even giving him a major role as project leader, the company’s performance wouldn’t have been so bad. But Jessica didn’t hesitate for a second, immediately agreeing with Logan. “Logan’s right. I almost fell for your acting again. “A five thousand dollars salary a month? I’m not just giving it to you for free.” Hearing Jessica’s words, I couldn’t help but feel a bitter laugh rise in my chest. She actually had the nerve to bring up my salary. This company was my creation! It was because I saw how hard she worked alongside me that I transferred most of my shares to her as compensation. But after she became the CEO, she started taking advantage of everything. She became more and more demanding. All the sacrifices I made, in her eyes, became things I should have done. She even pushed me to the limit with my salary, claiming that long-time employees should set an example. Meanwhile, the new interns at the company were getting six thousand dollars a month, but I, the founder of this company, the one who built it from the ground up, was stuck with a measly five thousand. And even with that five thousand, I had to use it to cover my family’s daily expenses. By the end of the month, I couldn’t even save enough for a few packs of cigarettes. Before I could say anything, Jessica impatiently waved her hand and dragged Logan towards the door. “Alright, you handle the wedding and company matters. Logan and I have a flight to catch. “Behave yourself. When I return to the company, I might consider giving you a raise.” I watched as Jessica and Logan walked away with a cold smile. She still had no idea she wouldn’t be coming back to the company. If she had been even a little cautious just now, she would have realized that what she signed wasn’t just a financial report. It was the stock transfer agreement and the divorce papers. After the divorce, the shares she transferred, combined with the ones I originally held, now made up over 50%. In other words, I could call a shareholders’ meeting at any time, take over as CEO, and kick her out of the company. I wondered what her expression would be when she found out the company had already changed hands by the time she returned.

By the time Logan and Jessica were out of sight, I turned away and walked toward the wedding venue. Grabbing the microphone, I cleared my throat and announced. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry to announce that today’s wedding is canceled. “But don’t worry, I’ll cover the bill. Enjoy yourselves, consider it an early Christmas’ Eve dinner.” The room erupted into shocked murmurs, but it quickly returned to its lively buzz. After all, who wouldn’t enjoy a free meal and drinks? As for me, I left the event immediately and rushed back to the company to hold an urgent shareholders’ meeting. Between uncertain love and the firm grasp of stock equity, the latter felt a lot more secure. Before the meeting started, my assistant reminded me that according to protocol, I still had to give Jessica a call to inform her. I shrugged, not bothered at all. After all, the agreement was already signed. Even if she objected, it wouldn’t change a thing. But when I picked up the phone, it was Logan who picked up first, and he immediately started yelling. “Enough, Chris. You really are pathetic! “I heard from the substitute that you canceled the wedding. Do you really think that will make Jessica feel sorry for you or care about you? “I’ve already blocked your number and WhatsApp on her phone. She has no idea what’s going on. Even if you change your number, it’s pointless. “Everyone can see that I’m Jessica’s true love. You’re just a figurehead husband. Did you really think you meant something? “Get back to your work. Jessica’s happy with me now and has no time for your petty problems.” With that, he hung up. The moment the call ended, everyone in the meeting room awkwardly glanced at me. But I didn’t care one bit. Jessica’s little stunt had been the talk of the company ever since Logan joined. It was obvious he was doing it to flaunt his relationship with her. But Jessica was letting it happen, even enjoying the attention. Before all this, I had been in a secret relationship with her for seven years, and no one had ever found out. She had repeatedly insisted we keep our relationship private and that we couldn’t have any rumors spreading around, especially not because of the company. It wasn’t until our marriage was announced that everyone found out we had been together for seven years. Seven years. I had hidden it like a mouse in the shadows, afraid it might affect her career. But now? As soon as Logan arrived, she wanted to shout to the world to prove to everyone that Logan was truly her soulmate. This was the difference between love and indifference. At this point, though, I wasn’t even angry. Instead, I almost felt sorry for Jessica. If she knew that Logan had kept an important matter like the shareholder meeting from her and dismissed it as nothing more than a trivial matter, she’d probably be so furious she might strangle him on the spot. The thought made me smile bitterly as I slammed Jessica’s stock transfer document down on the table. “I’ll be straight with you. From now on, I’m the largest shareholder and the chairman of the company. “Any objections?” Hearing this, no one in the room shook their heads. In fact, some of them even had a look of excitement in their eyes. After all, none of these people were particularly close to Jessica. They were just there to make money. They also knew that the company had reached this point because I’d been the one holding it together all along. Jessica knew nothing about management, and ever since Logan joined, he’d been making reckless decisions that had caused the company’s performance to plummet month by month. They were angry but had been too scared to speak up. Now that the company was back in my hands, they all wholeheartedly supported me. After taking care of everything, I returned to my office and received a message from Logan. In the video, Jessica, who had supposedly gone on a trip, suddenly changed into a wedding dress I’d never seen before, walking down the aisle with Logan hand-in-hand. “Chris, you canceled your wedding with the stand-in. What good did it do you? You only saved your sorry reputation. “You’ve never seen Jessica in a wedding dress, have you? “You don’t really think we’re on a trip, do you? “Jessica herself said she wanted to save her first time wearing a wedding dress for me, and that we would have our wedding to make up for all the years we lost.” I watched the video, which showed Jessica and Logan wearing matching wedding bands on their ring fingers, and I couldn’t help but scoff. Jessica had told me the reason she didn’t get me a matching ring was because the diamond ring didn’t come in a couple’s version. So she didn’t forget about the ring at all, she had already given it to Logan. After that, Logan didn’t stop taunting me almost every day. “Chris, it’s pretty late. You’re still stuck at the office, aren’t you? “You must be exhausted. Want me to send you some money for a coffee? After all, Jessica just transferred a million dollars to me. Oh, poor me, I have too much money and nowhere to spend it. “Chris, did Jessica not reply to your messages again today? Well, what can I say? We’re on our honeymoon, and her eyes are only on me. She’s too busy sightseeing with me to have time for you. Don’t get jealous now.” I looked at the messages Logan sent and could only coldly smile as I saved the evidence and forwarded it to my lawyer. With these pieces of evidence, even if Jessica tried to act like a sore loser and sue me, it would only backfire on her. A month flew by in no time. After working non-stop to adjust the company’s business, I was exhausted. Finally, I could get a good night’s sleep. But just as I was drifting in and out of sleep, a slap landed across my face. “Chris, it’s already past 4 a.m., and you’re still sleeping like a dead pig? “Get up and throw your stinky clothes out. Don’t dirty my luggage.” I looked up to see Logan suddenly standing in my home, a frown forming on my face. “Are you crazy? This is my house. How did you get in?” At that moment, Jessica walked in from the living room, looking completely indifferent. “Of course, I brought him here. “From now on, this room is Logan’s. It’s closer to the company, so it’ll be more convenient for him to come to work. Do you have any objections?” I was stunned for a moment and instinctively asked, “This is my house. If I don’t live here, then where am I supposed to live?” Logan scoffed dismissively, “Who cares where you live? “Ms. Greene paid your salary. You can rent a place on your own if you want. “And your house isn’t even yours, it’s Ms. Greene’s house. And Ms. Greene’s house is my house. I can let anyone stay in my house. What, you got a problem with that?” I stared at Logan, his illogical reasoning making me laugh in anger. These two were done pretending. At that moment, I couldn’t help but show a cold smile as I grabbed Logan and Jessica’s luggage. Seeing that I was obediently following their orders, Jessica finally nodded in satisfaction. “At least you know your place. When we head back to the office…” But before she could finish, I tossed their luggage straight into the river and turned around to smile at them. “Just tossing out some trash on my way to work. Don’t mention it. “Also, we’re divorced now. This is my house. If you don’t leave, expect the police to come knocking.”

With that, I slammed the divorce agreement Jessica had signed on the table and headed straight back to the office. After all, now that the company was listed, my time was extremely valuable, and there was a mountain of work waiting for me. Plus, now that Jessica and her people had returned, I could finally notify HR to handle their termination. After I finished talking with HR and was about to head back to my office, I found Jessica and Logan already sitting inside. As soon as Logan saw me, he couldn’t help but sneer, “Oh, look who it is, Jessica’s ex-husband! “You were so tough back at the house. I thought maybe you’d turned into some big shot after a month, but you’re still just working at Jessica’s company, huh? Jessica tilted her chin up proudly, looking like a rooster strutting around. “Chris, it seems I’ve been too nice to you over the years. That’s why you’ve become so selfish and ungrateful. “Even if you used dirty tricks to get me to sign the divorce papers and took more than your fair share of our assets, so what? “Don’t forget, I’m the chairman of the company, and you’re just one of my employees. “I can fire you anytime, and if I mess with your background check a little, I guarantee you’ll never work in this industry again.” Saying that Jessica threw the pot on the table to the ground, looking at me with a mocking expression. “If you want to stay in this industry, then use your tongue to clean the floor. Maybe I’ll think about giving you a job as a janitor at the company.” Before I could respond, Logan chuckled and teased, “Jessica, you’re just too soft-hearted. “Not only do you give Chris a job, but you’re also letting him drink such expensive coffee. You really are soft on your ex-husband. “Now you’ve got me jealous.” Hearing their sarcastic insults, I just found it amusing. So much for being the company’s CEO. It looked like she and Logan had been having too much fun this past month and hadn’t paid a single bit of attention to the company. She didn’t even know she’d been kicked out of the board. I shrugged, indifferent. “Fine, if you’re so capable, go ahead and fire me.” At that, Jessica froze for a moment, then snorted dismissively. “Chris, don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. Do you really think the company can’t do without you? “Let me tell you the truth. Do you really think I gave you a month to prove yourself? “You really thought I was going to make you the vice president? No. I was just using your experience to turn around the company’s decline and fix the situation with the poor performance and stock drop. “Now that the business adjustment is done, I could replace you with a dog as the director, and it wouldn’t matter. What do you think your value is now?” Logan, standing nearby, looked extremely impatient and waved his hand dismissively. “Jessica, stop wasting your breath on him. “Talking to someone like him is just like wasting your time. Once he gets blacklisted and can’t find a job, he’ll come crawling to us, begging for help.” Hearing this, Jessica smirked, walking with an air of superiority as she ordered. “HR, prepare a termination letter!” Soon, HR came back with the letter, but instead of handing it to me, they handed it to Jessica. At this, Jessica’s face turned sour. “What’s this for? “Are you new here? Don’t you know I’m the company’s CEO?” At that moment, I looked at her with disdain, slamming the board’s appointment letter onto the table with a cold laugh. “Oh, right, you probably don’t know. “After a unanimous vote at the shareholders’ meeting, I’m the new CEO now. “And you, Jessica… from this moment on, you’re fired!”

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I’ve been with Emma Sinclair for ten years. I even tattooed her favorite flower, a gardenia, on my collarbone. She finally agreed to marry me, but she’s been keeping an 18-year-old college boy on the side. Before our wedding, she indulged the boy’s countdown to our breakup. She went bungee jumping with him, skiing, and even watched the Northern Lights in Iceland. But she doesn’t know that I don’t have much time left. I’ve booked a flight out of the country, donated all her assets, and had my tattoo removed. While she’s counting down the days to our wedding, I’m planning my escape. The day I was diagnosed with stomach cancer, Emma’s boy toy came to find me. “I know I’m the other man,” he said, his honesty terrifyingly sincere. He bit his lip, “Bro, I know you’re about to get married, but—” “Emma doesn’t love you anymore.” “I’ve been with her for a year. We’ve slept together 78 times, 53 times in hotels, 21 times at my place.” “And 4 times at your place, in your bed.” He looked at me directly, “If Emma still loved you, I wouldn’t exist.” I found it amusing. I lit a cigarette and looked at him through the smoke, “What else? Go on.” He took out his phone and played a video for me. The angle was discreet, as if secretly recorded. The boy was nestled in Emma’s arms, “Even if you’re marrying him out of responsibility, can’t you keep me too?” Emma pushed him away, tossing him a credit card, “Find a girl your own age. Being with me isn’t good for you.” “No!” He begged, holding her waist, “I’m not afraid of danger.” “Can’t you not let me go?” “Emma, I won’t be a burden to you, I promise.” Emma paused. Her gaze swept over his face, momentarily lost in thought. Then she leaned in to kiss him.

I stubbed out my cigarette. The boy had just turned eighteen, full of youth and genuinely handsome. And the moment I saw him, I knew. He looked like me. Like James Harper at eighteen. “You’re right about one thing. If Emma still loved me, you wouldn’t exist.” I stood up, my stomach actually hurting a bit. I leaned on the table for support, not letting it show. “But I advise you not to get in too deep. Emma never loved you, or me.” “She only loves the James in her memories.” The handsome, innocent James who died on the path of helping her climb to the top. “In a few years, she’ll find a new replacement. You’ll end up worse off than me.” Actually, I was lying to him. I’m about to die, how could he possibly be worse off than me? At most, he’ll just be used and discarded by Emma.

I got together with Emma when I was eighteen. I grew up without parents, and the grandmother who raised me passed away when I was fifteen. That’s when Emma appeared. She pursued me relentlessly. Throwing money around, wanting to give me the best of everything. Emma was beautiful and made me feel secure. I fell for her quickly. On my nineteenth birthday, she coaxed me into my first time. That night. From sobriety to intoxication. We became one. The next day, Emma took me to meet her group of friends. I had never been in such a setting before, so I quietly followed Emma, mimicking her greetings. Their gazes as they sized me up were full of mockery. “Emma, why did you pick up a college boy?” “He’s too naive, he’ll hold you back.” At that time, I didn’t understand what they meant by “hold you back.” I couldn’t help but protest softly, “I won’t.” “I won’t be a burden to Emma.” Definitely not. But later, as I gradually became exposed to Emma’s world, I realized what kind of life she was living. It was fraught with danger. To avoid holding Emma back, to stay by her side, I had to force myself to fit into that environment. Ten years. I dyed my hair, started smoking, got tattoos. I even ended up with countless scars. Because I was tough enough, I helped Emma climb to the position of second-in-command of the North Side gang. But Emma didn’t seem happy. Countless nights. She would curl up in my arms, her fingers tracing over my scars, then leaning in to kiss them. “James.” She buried her face in my chest, sighing, “I still prefer the you from back then.” And I would always pause, then push her away and light a cigarette. Laughing bitterly. “Emma, you’re so fucking heartless to say that.”

Emma came home in the early hours of the morning. I was lying in bed, not really asleep. Just staring into the darkness. Until Emma snuggled into my arms. “Still awake?” She leaned up to kiss me but missed. After a moment’s pause, she hugged me, suppressing her temper, “Who upset you? I’ll take care of them, okay?” “Emma.” “Hmm.” The room was so dark I couldn’t see her face. But I could smell the gardenia scent on her. “Let’s break up.” Emma’s body stiffened, then she let go and rolled away, “What’s wrong now?” She rubbed her temples impatiently, “We’re not kids anymore, why are you being so sensitive?” “Break up?” She laughed, “James, you’re not young anymore. Who would want to marry a man who smokes, drinks, has tattoos, and does dirty work?” My chest ached. I pressed hard against my heart, but couldn’t suppress the sharp pain. Last year when I had stitches in my arm, I was allergic to anesthesia. Twelve stitches, sewn without numbing, and I didn’t make a sound. But Emma’s few honest words, fueled by alcohol, brought tears to my eyes. “Emma,” I couldn’t help but want to ask her, “If I had a terminal illness, would you—” “James.” She cut me off, her brow furrowed with impatience, “Stop asking such pointless questions.” “If you really had a terminal illness, would you want me to commit suicide with you?” She rubbed her forehead, “I’m busy with the wedding and business lately. I don’t have the energy to coddle you, so stop being dramatic.” As she spoke, her phone suddenly rang. Emma irritably hung up. But the caller persisted. After a few back-and-forths, Emma got out of bed with her phone, “What is it?” The boy’s voice came through the receiver, indistinct. Emma sighed, “What a hassle.” Despite her words, she hurriedly left the room. “There’s a problem with the business, I need to go deal with it.” “Go to sleep, don’t wait up for me.”

Emma and I set our wedding date for the third of next month. It was to be a simple ceremony. I never told Emma about my illness. Terminal stage, basically incurable. I also never told Emma that I had no intention of marrying her. I could accept everything about Emma. Except for betrayal. The thought of her nestling in another man’s arms, kissing his face, searching for traces of my younger self in him, made my stomach churn. It was sickening. I’ve been with Emma since I was eighteen, a full ten years now. The doctors say I have about six months left to live. By that calculation, I’ve wasted nearly half my life on her. For the little time I have left, I just want to be James Harper. I’ve booked a flight out of the country. While I still have the strength, I want to see the world I’ve always loved but never had the chance to explore. And the flight is scheduled for the third of next month.

Early in the morning, I crossed off another day on the calendar. Ten days left until my departure. I heard the door open behind me. Emma came in, wrapped in snow and wind. She took off her coat and came to hug me. She still didn’t like my hair. Her gaze followed mine to the calendar. Emma looked at the heavily circled date and laughed softly, gently pinching my cheek, “Can’t wait to marry me, huh?” She counted the days, “Just ten more.” She buried her face in my neck, “I’ll find some time in the next couple of days to help you dye your hair back to black and get it styled, okay?” “You’ll look so handsome at the wedding.” “No need.” I stared at the calendar expressionlessly, “Not much time left.” “This hairstyle is fine as it is.” Emma was silent for a while, “Okay.” She let go and picked up her coat from the chair, “There’s a lot to do for the wedding. One of our clubs got trashed yesterday, I’ll be busy for a while, so I won’t be coming home.” Emma watched me as she spoke. As if waiting for me to give in. Waiting for me to say, okay, come with me to dye my hair, to get it styled. But I just looked back at her coldly. “Go ahead.” “After all, there’s only ten days left.” Emma said nothing, turning to step into the night. She didn’t look back.

Seven days before the wedding. I went to a tattoo parlor in the suburbs. The owner was a woman in her thirties, well-maintained but with world-weary eyes. She glanced at me, “What do you want tattooed?” I rolled up my sleeve, pointing to the “ES” on my wrist bone, then exposed the gardenia below my collarbone. “Remove them both.” The owner looked, “Removing them will be painful, and it’ll leave scars.” I smiled, “I’m not afraid.” Pain is the least of my worries now. As for scars— I have so many scars all over my body, what’s two more? Besides, in half a year, this body might just be ashes. The owner chatted with me, “Broke up?” I smiled, “Yeah, soon.” “Seven days left.” The owner clicked her tongue, “So ceremonial, even a countdown for the breakup?” Perhaps because the shop was so quiet, or maybe because I felt a connection with the owner, somehow, I felt like we were kindred spirits from the first glance. I told her about my past. Back when Emma was pursuing me, I gave her a deadline. Three hundred days. If she could persist, I’d be with her. So, every morning when Emma appeared before me, she’d count the days. “Countdown: one hundred and seventy-nine days.” “James, ninety-six days left, and you’ll be my boyfriend.” “One day left, almost-boyfriend.” … The girl who persisted through rain or shine for three hundred days to win me over. Yet in the ten years that followed. She gradually grew tired. I got along well with the owner, Lily. As she removed my tattoos, I told her the meaning behind them. The “ES” on my wrist bone was tattooed a year after Emma and I got together. I had been kidnapped by her enemies, used to threaten her. Emma came alone to save me. Knowing it was a deadly trap, she went without hesitation. That time, she nearly died. When she was discharged from the hospital, I went to a tattoo parlor and had her initials tattooed on my wrist bone. I naively thought then. I’d dedicate my life to Emma. But that night, when I proudly showed my still-red wrist to Emma, she was stunned. There was no emotion I had imagined. She frowned, first asking why, then if it hurt. Finally, she hugged me, “Don’t do this again, I don’t like it.” “I don’t like you hurting yourself.” “You’re perfect as you are, you don’t need to change. I love the clean, flawless James.” I was young then, thought she was just concerned for me. Little did I know, Emma had already spoken her true feelings. The gardenia on my chest was tattooed when Emma swore she’d marry me when she turned twenty-eight. Emma loved gardenias, loved their pure white petals. So I tattooed it on my chest. Waiting for Emma to marry me. Now, Emma has finally set the wedding date in my twenty-eighth year, she’s planning our wedding seven days from now. While I’m planning how to leave her. Though this body is already in ruins, I still don’t want to leave with any marks related to her. I pointed to the other side below my collarbone, telling Lily. “Tattoo a trumpet creeper flower here.” Emma loves gardenias. But I prefer trumpet creepers. She wants me naive and ignorant. But in the little time I have left, I want to be like the trumpet creeper, proud and climbing high walls.

It was evening when I left the tattoo parlor. Lily and I got along well, we exchanged contact information and added each other on SnapChat. On my way home, I passed a cotton candy stand. I couldn’t help but stop. The last time I had it was probably when I was a child, when my grandmother was still alive. She would take out all the change she had to buy me some when I couldn’t move from craving it so much. She always watched me eat it all, then teasingly called me a “little glutton.” Grandma always loved to watch me smile. Her wrinkles deepening on her aged face as she smiled. A cold wind blew, scattering the memories. I walked to the stand and bought a rabbit-shaped cotton candy. It was sweet. As sickeningly sweet as I remembered. Passing a street corner, I heard a boy asking loudly, “Mom, look, that guy looks so cool! But why is he eating cotton candy?” “Isn’t that for kids?” The mom laughed and explained, “Who says cotton candy is only for kids? Everyone can eat it. Having something sweet makes people happier.” I walked by quietly. Then I heard a little girl’s innocent voice, “But, even after eating such sweet cotton candy, why doesn’t the guy look happy at all?” “Mom, he looks so lonely…” The voices faded away. By the time I got home, the cotton candy was gone, leaving only sticky hands. I went in and washed my hands. Then I received a call from Emma. She sounded drunk. “James.” “Yes?” She laughed a little on the other end, “Seven days left, and you’ll be marrying me.” “Tomorrow, will you come with me to choose a wedding dress?” “You can choose, you know my size.” Emma was silent for a moment. I faintly heard a man’s voice on the other end, “Emma, I’ll go with you to try on wedding dresses. Don’t you want me to see how you look in a wedding dress?”

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To save my girlfriend, I ended up crippled. She had promised to marry me, but on our wedding day, her first love showed up to interfere. “You’re a waste of space! You think you deserve to marry Lily? She’s been taking care of you for a whole year. Isn’t that enough? Do you want her to spend her whole life looking after you?” My girlfriend, who had once promised to love me forever, now held her first love’s hand and tearfully begged me to let her go, “If only you hadn’t saved me back then, I wouldn’t be stuck in this situation. It’s all because of you. Please, let us go.” I nodded, agreeing to let go of our marriage. I told her everything would go as she wished. After receiving my consent, she smiled and said, “We may not be able to be husband and wife, but we can still be like family. I’ll never forget how you saved me.” But what she didn’t know was that I had saved her because I was bound to a True Love System. Now that she had married someone else, the system was taking everything I had given for her, starting with my healthy legs.

“Since we’re like family, why not just give the house to Lily as a wedding gift?” I was about to leave when my girlfriend’s first love, Ethan Carter, called me over. Before I could even refuse, he pulled my girlfriend, Lily Thompson, over to thank me. “Lily, let’s thank Oliver for giving us the house. From now on, we’ll treat him like a real brother.” I looked at Lily, who was awkwardly bowing, and asked, “Do you really want this house?” Lily stiffened. Before she could say anything, Ethan slapped me on the shoulder and laughed, “Come on, don’t make it awkward. We’re family. No need to split hairs. The house is for all of us. “And let’s not forget, you’ve been sick in bed for the entire year, and Lily’s been looking after you. She didn’t even ask you for any money for taking care of you. A man shouldn’t be sweating the small stuff with a woman.” I glanced at Lily. She stayed silent but nodded in agreement. She knew full well that, even though I hadn’t been working this year, I had been living off my savings. Not to mention, if it weren’t for me pushing her away back then, she would be the one in my place, with the broken legs. I still remembered that right after the accident happened, she cried in my arms, fainting several times. She said that she owed me her life and she would do anything to repay me. She even said she was willing to marry me. She made a public vow, promising that she would take care of me for the rest of her life. She said she would love me forever and never leave me. Those passionate vows still echoed in my mind, but less than a year later, she broke her promise. Not only did she want to marry someone else, but she was trying to take my money too. She grabbed my hand, pleading, “It’s just transferring the title of the house. The house is still yours. After everything we’ve been through, don’t you trust me?” The image of her gentle, kind self that I had held onto collapsed in that moment. I felt a bitter emptiness inside. I shook my head to show my rejection. “You’re going to marry someone else. If we keep talking about what we’ve been through, aren’t you worried your husband will get upset?” She nervously glanced at Ethan. But he didn’t seem bothered at all. He wrapped his arm around her and smiled, “Never mind. I’m a very generous person. I respect your past. “Why can’t you just be generous like me? Give us the house as our wedding gift. Show us what it means to be a man.” Around us, Lily’s friends started chiming in, “Lily and Ethan have already pleaded with him, and he’s still being difficult? “Exactly! He’s so petty, no wonder Lily left him. Looks like he’s not just physically disabled, but emotionally as well. I actually used to believe in their love, but now…pfft.” Hearing their gossip, her face grew momently darker. “Oliver, it’s just a house. Don’t let everyone look down on you.” When I heard her words, I couldn’t help but laugh, “Anyone who wants to be respected can give their own house. I’m sure this lovely newlywed couple will be very grateful. But I won’t stick around for this.” With that, I pushed my wheelchair and started to leave, ignoring the chilly atmosphere around us. She stopped me from leaving and was about to say something when her mother, Diana, suddenly walked over. With a serious expression, she said, “Lily, we can’t take his house.” I looked up at her, feeling touched. Diana was still as sensible as ever. Over the past year, whenever Lily had slackened in taking care of me, Diana would scold her, “Lily, the reason you can still walk and live a normal life is because of Oliver’s help. You have an obligation to take care of him.” To me, she was kind of like a mother. As she walked closer, I was about to greet her when her tone suddenly changed. She looked at me coldly and said, “Oliver, the house was left to you by your late parents. We have no right to take it.” “But the 200 thousand dollars in compensation from your car accident…surely you can give that to us, right?” The words I was about to say caught in my throat. I was stunned for a moment, unable to respond. But then again, she was Lily’s mom after all. To them, morals and promises clearly didn’t matter as much as money. Ethan smiled warmly at Diana, then turned to look at me, mocking, “That money was originally Lily’s. What right do you have to hold onto it and refuse to give it up? “I get it now. You must’ve intentionally thrown yourself in front of the car just to get 200 thousand dollars, right?” I shot him a cold stare. No one would be foolish enough to choose money over their own legs. Some of the guests couldn’t take it anymore and spoke up on my behalf, “If it weren’t for Oliver, Lily would be the one in a wheelchair right now. You’re going too far.” I thought for sure Ethan would back off, but instead, he arrogantly shot back, “What do you know? Lily’s the most popular girl on campus. Oliver’s doing all this just to try and marry her.” Lily, who had been silent up until now, shook her head and said bitterly, “Ethan, if I lost my legs, I’d be the one they’d reject.” At this, Ethan put his hands on her shoulders and said passionately, “Lily, I love you. Even if you were paralyzed, I’d never leave you. “We could’ve been together a long time ago, but it’s all Oliver’s fault. He threw himself in front of the car on purpose, using his ‘favor’ to manipulate you and tear us apart.” Moved by his words, Lily threw herself into his arms. Watching them embrace, I couldn’t help but think back to just a few days ago when she said she wanted to marry me. I was so hopeful then. Now, it all seemed so ridiculous. I didn’t want to stay any longer, so I turned around and started to leave. But just as I was halfway around in my wheelchair, Ethan grabbed me. “Oliver, you’re not going anywhere until you hand over the money.” When he said that, Lily looked at me with disappointment. After a long silence, she finally gave in and said, “We need the money for the wedding. How about you just consider it a loan? I’ll write an IOU and pay you back as soon as I save up enough.” Earlier, I was confused. If she had already decided to marry Ethan, why was she still promising to marry me? Now, seeing how determined she was to get the 200 thousand dollars, I finally understood. The whole wedding was just a scam to get money. I shook my head. “I’ll go to the bathroom first. We’ll talk after.” Ethan sneered, “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do. You’re just looking for an excuse to slip away. If you need to pee, just go. Aren’t you wearing adult diapers? No need for the bathroom.” I turned to look at Lily, and to my surprise, she’d told Ethan everything. Ethan saw my reaction and sneered even more, “What’s with the look? A cripple still worried about dignity? Don’t forget, when you first became disabled, you wet yourself in front of the whole family. It was Lily who changed your pants. “What a shame! If I’d been there, I would’ve recorded it to show everyone. A man in his thirties still wets his pants!” His mocking laughter made everyone around us stare at me in a strange way. When I first lost my legs, aside from the physical pain, the worst part was feeling completely powerless, with no dignity, at the mercy of everyone around me. I never wanted to experience that again. But Ethan wouldn’t let me leave. He grabbed my wheelchair and pulled out his phone, pointing it at me. “You either give us the money, or you piss yourself in front of everyone. Your choice.” Seeing his smug face, I couldn’t take it anymore. I raised my hand and slapped his phone out of his hand. As he bent down to pick it up, I grabbed a bowl from the table, ready to throw it at him. But before I could, Lily suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked the bowl away. She shot me a scolding look and said, “Enough. Ethan was just joking with you. If you’re not going to lend the money, fine. But why break his phone and even try to hit him? “Do you really want to ruin our relationship over 200 thousand dollars? “Don’t forget, all your parents and relatives are gone. I’m the only family you have left.” Seeing her stand in front of Ethan, glaring at me like I was her enemy, I couldn’t help but feel disgusted. It was Ethan who ruined my wedding and used my dignity to force me into giving him money, and all I did was resist. But according to her, I was the one causing trouble. I didn’t need a family like that. I shook off her hand and pushed my wheelchair away. Ethan blocked my path with a dark expression. “You’re not going anywhere unless you hand over 200 thousand dollars today!” I dialed the police on my phone and held it up to show him. “Are you sure about this? Extortion for 200 thousand dollars could land you in jail. A minimum of three years, up to ten at most. If you want to go to prison, I can make that happen.” Ethan’s face turned red with fury. He raised his fist to strike me, but Lily stepped in to stop him. I knew her intention was to protect him. After all, with so many people around, if things escalated, they’d both be in legal trouble. I pushed my wheelchair out the door. As soon as I felt the fresh air, Lily ran up and squatted down beside me, trying to explain, “Oliver, please don’t be mad at me. You can’t stay home forever, living off what little savings you have. Sooner or later, you’ll run out of money. “I don’t have another choice. I’ll have to marry someone else. That way, we can both support the family and take better care of you.” If she had said this earlier, I would’ve yelled at her. But now, I didn’t want to say another word to her. “I’m fine. You should go back inside. Don’t delay the important moment.” She was surprised when I didn’t react angrily. She looked at me with a pleased expression, then happily cupped my face in her hands. “Ethan’s just tough on the outside, but he’s soft on the inside. He didn’t mean to target you. “He even promised me he’d get you the best prosthetics from abroad. We’ll take good care of you.” She had just finished speaking when someone called her away. I nodded, watching her leave. Let her keep the prosthetics for herself. As the words “I do” echoed from inside, I heard the long-awaited system voice. “Detected that Lily has entered the wedding hall with another person. The True Love Contract is now void. In three days, everything will return to its original state.” She didn’t know that the reason I saved her was because of the True Love System. Now that she had broken the contract, the system would help me reclaim everything, including the legs I had lost.

Just the thought that in three days I’d be able to stand again made the bitterness in my heart fade a little. I sat in my electric wheelchair, slowly making my way home. It was a struggle to push open the door, and the first thing that caught my eye was the wedding congratulatory banners hanging on the wall. But seeing those banners only made me feel more ridiculous. This was the old house my parents left me, a three-bedroom apartment. I stared silently at the locked door to the master bedroom. Earlier, Lily had said she wanted to turn our master bedroom into a honeymoon suite and had moved me into the tiny nursery. At the time, I thought she was just looking for some symbolism. Since I figured I’d be moving back soon, I didn’t think much of it. But now, as I opened the door to what was supposed to be our honeymoon suite, I finally understood. There was a large wedding photo of Lily and Ethan on the wall, making it clear that this room wasn’t for me and her. It was for her and her lover. No wonder her whole family had been keeping me away from it. Sitting in my wheelchair, I slowly began gathering the wedding photos and other wedding items from the room, moving them into the living room to get rid of them. Just as I was about to finish, Lily and Ethan walked in, chatting and laughing. When they saw the mess in the house, their smiles instantly disappeared. Ethan scoffed and said, “Oliver, it’s just your legs that are hurt, not your hands. You’re home this early and still haven’t cleaned up? You’re hopeless!” Diana dropped her bag and immediately joined in. “He’s always like this, using being sick as an excuse. He’s so lazy, always expecting Lily to take care of him” Lily nervously asked her mom to stop, and only then did Diana be silent. No one knew better than them that Lily had already been tired of looking after me a long time ago. And I had already learned how to take care of myself. After that, Lily hung up her coat and said to me, “We’re all a bit tired today. You should clean up soon, or mom will keep nagging you.” I nodded. “Yeah, I was planning to tidy up all this stuff anyway.” Hearing that, everyone leaned in to take a look, and only then did they realize that the pile of things in the living room was all the stuff they’d prepared for the wedding room. Diana immediately jumped up from the couch. “The wedding stuff can’t be thrown away! It’s bad luck!” With that, she rushed over to put everything back in place. Ethan rolled his eyes and stood up with a huff. “If someone doesn’t want me here, then I don’t want to stay either!” Seeing him about to leave, Lily hurriedly stopped him and reassured him, “Oliver didn’t mean it like that… “Oliver, go apologize to Ethan right now, or I’ll break up with you!” She thought this would pressure me, but I just gave a cold smile. “Break up with me? Fine, you can move out on your own then, so I don’t have to kick you out.”

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After graduating from university, my dad transferred one million dollars to me to buy an Audi A8. I was struggling with which color to choose when my boyfriend, James Anderson suddenly commanded, “Stop thinking about the car. Let’s use that million for the down payment on our new home.” Worried that I might have objections, he added, “This is for our wedding preparations.” I didn’t respond, but turned around and immediately ordered the top-spec Audi A8. And by the way, I broke up with him. On the day I graduated from university, my dad transferred one million dollars to me. He left a note: [Congratulations on your graduation, my dear daughter. Use the money to buy an Audi A8 so it’s easier for you to drive to work.] I was overjoyed and sent several emojis, replying: [Dad! You’ll always be my hero!] [I’ll do anything in the next life just to be your daughter again!] James, curious about why I was smiling so happily at my phone, leaned over and casually asked, “What did your dad give you that has you so excited?” Without noticing his change in expression, I showed him the balance on my phone and said, “My dad gave me one million dollars as a graduation gift so I can buy an A8 and drive to work.” He suddenly snatched my phone and examined the balance several times, his face turning serious. Sweat beads formed on his forehead. His voice suddenly rose. “Your dad’s crazy! How could a girl like you get one million dollars to buy a car?” I was still immersed in my excitement over the new car and didn’t notice how odd his response was. I showed him pictures of the car in black and white, asking, “Which one do you think looks better, black or white?” To my surprise, he shot me an annoyed look and plopped down on the bed, playing with his phone as though I wasn’t there. “Do you even know anything about cars? This car will be a waste for you.” His comment made me feel uncomfortable, so I retorted, “Who says only men are supposed to drive cars?” He noticed my change in mood and realized that his words had been too harsh. He quickly stepped forward, pulled me into his arms, and gently comforted me. He said, “Baby, that’s not what I meant. This car costs at least over a million dollars. Now that we’ve both graduated, wouldn’t it be better to save that money for a house?” As he spoke, he pulled up information on several new apartment complexes nearby. I recognized them all as upscale developments, with down payments requiring over a million dollars. James lightly shook my shoulders, planting a soft kiss on my forehead as he continued speaking softly, “A car is just a tool for getting around. The cheaper ones and the expensive ones aren’t that different. But a house is something else. Remember, you’ve always talked about wanting a home with me. Why not use this money for the down payment?” Gradually, my earlier excitement started to fade. I turned and looked at James quietly. Noticing my silence, he pressed on, still trying to convince me. “We’ve both graduated now. It’s time to plan for our future. I want to give you a stable home.” As I listened to the way he spoke, as if he were thinking of me in every word, my mind felt unusually clear. The first time I dated James, I knew his family wasn’t wealthy, and I had never expected him to propose marriage or buy a house anytime soon. I instinctively pulled away from his embrace and said in a flat tone, “But I don’t want to buy a house, and I don’t want to have the pressure of a mortgage either.” The place I worked was only a ten-minute drive from my parents’ house, so honestly, there was no need to buy a house. But James was persistent, continuing his suggestion in a tone that pretended to be for my benefit, “You can put the house in my name. I’ll help you with the mortgage.” At that, I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. I had never met someone so shameless. Forget that it was before marriage. He wanted to use my parents’ money for the house down payment and then expect me to share the mortgage with him. I pushed him away. “Do you think my parents can’t afford to buy me a house?” I thought, “If I ask, my parents will buy the house outright. Why would I have to struggle with him to pay off a mortgage?” James looked at me coldly, his eyebrows twitching slightly. When we argued earlier, he had the same expression on his face. Just when I thought he was about to lose it, he suddenly flashed a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. He tried to take my hand. “Baby, don’t be mad. I’m doing this for you. “I don’t have a house. How could I possibly go to your family to ask for your hand? “I just want to give you a stable home. “Don’t you dream of having a place where after work, we can cook together and watch TV? Isn’t that the life you’ve always wanted? “I just think it’s more convenient if the house is in my name, and I’ll be able to help you with the mortgage.” He kept trying to tempt me, but I outright rejected him, saying, “I don’t want to buy a house.” Seeing that I wasn’t budging, James couldn’t hold back any longer. He snapped at me, “Natalie, what do you mean? It’s just a house! What’s the difference whether it’s in my name or yours? “I really didn’t expect you to be this kind of person, arguing with me over something as small as a house!” I gathered my things and turned to leave, but James followed me, asking me accusingly, “I’ve been with you for all these years, and now you’re turning your back on me over a house? How materialistic can you be? “It’s just putting the house in my name, why are you so angry?” He followed me all the way to the door. I couldn’t help but ask him in return, “Then if you pay the down payment for the house, would you be willing to put it in my name?” James almost instinctively retorted, “Am I crazy to buy you a house?” I laughed in disbelief, “You’re the crazy one, not me.”

I took a cab back to my parents’ house. After taking a shower, I lay in bed, reflecting on the years I had spent with James. We had been together since college, and because of his family situation, I had always taken care of the finances. Our relationship used to be harmonious, and we never fought. Today, things just didn’t go his way, and he showed his true colors. Suddenly, I felt like I didn’t know him at all, as if I had never really understood him. Just as I was about to fall asleep, James messaged me: [Sorry, baby. I was too impulsive today and didn’t consider your feelings.] Reading his message, my anger faded by half. I thought, “Maybe I have misunderstood?” But the next second, he sent me pictures of newly built developments. [Baby, check out these new developments. The locations are great. I’m just thinking about our future.] He made it sound so righteous, positioning himself on the moral high ground, as if using my parents’ money to buy a car for myself was selfish. I intentionally sent him a screenshot of an order I had placed. He got frustrated and, after a while, sent me a long voice message. “Are you crazy? Who buys a car these days? What’s the point of driving a luxury car? “How selfish are you? I’m thinking about our future, have you thought about it? “You’re a woman. What’s the point of you driving such an expensive car? Do you even know anything about cars? “Besides, your dad gives you all this money, and you can’t even plan for our future?” He sent me several voice messages. I knew that sixty seconds was the limit for a voice message, not his. I didn’t want to listen to him talk any longer, so I shot back, “Are you crazy? Why should I use my dad’s money to buy you a house? “Are you that shameless? “You’re too stupid to even live off someone properly. With a brain like yours, you should hurry up and go see a doctor!” With that, I immediately blocked and deleted him. I also froze all the cards I had given him. I took screenshots of all the bank transfers I had made to him over the years and printed them out. “Scumbag, go to hell!” I thought.

The next day, my dad was a bit surprised when he saw me come out of the bedroom. “How come you’re home? Not with your little boyfriend anymore?” I rubbed my reddened eyes, feeling a bit upset. “We broke up.” To my surprise, my dad grinned from ear to ear and immediately started planning a celebration. “Breaking up is good! I’ve never liked that guy anyway.” Hearing about the breakup, my mom came out of the kitchen. “Breaking up is a good thing. Look at you, you’ve been with him for so many years, and you’re looking worn out. Just stay home for a while, and let me take care of you.” At that moment, my eyes welled up. My voice was choked. “Okay.” Looking at my parents, who were already in their older years, I realized that no matter what I had done in the past, they always loved and supported me unconditionally. I thought, “How could I not love myself? Why should I let someone like James drain me?” To my surprise, a few days later, James suddenly called me. “Have you booked the private room?” he asked. I froze, suddenly remembering he had mentioned inviting some senior students to dinner a few days ago. “This is important for my future graduate studies. You can’t mess this up. “Don’t forget to buy the cigarettes and alcohol when you come. Get the best quality. The senior girls will be there, so make sure you have a set of SK-II for each of them. “Also, make sure the food in the private room isn’t too cheap. The quality needs to be high so I don’t lose face.” Listening to him rambling on the phone, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “What do I owe you?” These things were going to cost tens of thousands of dollars at the very least, but since it wasn’t his money, of course, he didn’t care. James nonchalantly responded, “Are you still mad? It’s been a few days now, surely you’re over it, right? “You used to always encourage me to go to grad school, right? Don’t just talk, it’s time to put some action behind those words. “Also, didn’t your dad give you a million dollars? Can’t you scrape together this small amount of money?” His attitude was so entitled that it made my heart sink. I had been planning to break up with him, but now I realized that would be too easy on him! Not only did I want him to pay back all the money I had spent on him over the years, but I also wanted him to learn the consequences of messing with me. Suppressing my disgust, I forced a smile and said to James, “No problem, I already booked the private room. Tomorrow, I won’t disappoint you.” Hearing that, James couldn’t hide his smug laughter on the other end of the line. It was as if he was saying, “What’s the big deal? No matter how much money you have, I can still control you with ease.” He added, “Since that’s settled, tomorrow I’ll bring my advisor along. You’ll need to buy him some dietary supplements, at least 50 thousand dollars or more. Anything cheaper would be too low-end.” Hearing him push further and further, I casually agreed, replying, “Sure!” Hearing me agree so easily, he didn’t suspect a thing and actually felt a sense of superiority. “Natalie, if you had listened like this earlier, it would’ve been much better.” I snorted in contempt, thinking, “Fool. He’s digging his own grave.” The next day, I canceled all my plans and stayed home watching TV dramas. At first, James sent me texts saying he had arrived at the private room, ordered the food, and asked when I would bring the gifts over. I ignored all his messages. Later, he couldn’t reach me, started to panic, and bombarded me with calls. I could barely tolerate the noise, so I finally answered. “Natalie, where are you? The seniors have all arrived. Where are the gifts?” I lay on the sofa, pretending to sound anxious. “I’m on my way, I’m stuck in traffic. You guys go ahead and eat.” Then, I hung up the phone and continued watching my drama. I went ahead and ordered several expensive bottles of wine and various cosmetics and bags, but chose cash on delivery. James waited in the private room, only to receive the payment order instead of me.

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Got married five years ago, and it took 99 requests before my husband finally agreed to a wedding ceremony. But that night, a fire broke out. I was nearly blinded by the smoke, suffered severe organ damage, and my daughter was critically burned and fell into a coma. Declan, devastated, rushed us to the hospital and ensured the arsonist was put behind bars. When I regained consciousness, I anxiously inquired about my daughter’s condition, only to accidentally overhear a conversation between the doctor and Declan in the adjacent room. “There’s still a chance to treat Ms. Cora and the child now. If you wait any longer, Ms. Cora might remain blind forever, and your daughter could die. She’s your own flesh and blood. Is risking so much worth it just for a ceremony for Adeline?” “The daughter isn’t particularly lovable, and there will be other children. If she’s blind, she won’t have to witness the wedding, which might prevent unnecessary complications.” “Adeline did me a great favor in the past. I just want to fulfill her last wish so her child won’t be labeled illegitimate. If our daughter dies and Ms. Cora goes blind, she’ll have to focus on taking care of Adeline’s child.” It turned out, an event I had longed for was so easily attainable for others. Over the years, what I thought was a happy home was actually a dark, damp prison. If that’s the case, then I should leave. 0

“Enough talk. Arrange the kidney transplant surgery as soon as possible. Adeline can’t wait any longer. I don’t want her to continue suffering. Increase the anesthesia to ensure Ms. Cora doesn’t wake up and find out.” The doctor hesitated momentarily but carefully replied, “The kidney can wait a bit longer. What if there’s a way to achieve both goals?” “But Adeline can’t wait! I can’t bear to see her undergoing dialysis frequently. That beauty-loving girl has lost all her hair.” “Then the scars from the transplant will eventually be seen. What will you say to Ms. Cora if your daughter really dies? She loves kids so much…” “Then burn that patch of skin, and she’ll think it’s from the fire. I’ll tell her medical technology was limited, and we weren’t meant to be with the child. I’ll adopt Adeline’s son to divert her attention.” I pinched my thigh hard to keep from crying and shakily took out my phone to record. The doctor listened with a slight frown, his tone mixed with reluctance: “Think about it again. Ms. Cora is already blind, and her future life will be inconvenient. If the child dies and she loses a kidney, not only will it be hard to get pregnant, but just an infection could be fatal.” Declan sighed, sounding helpless: “I’ll find the best medical team to keep her alive for the rest of her life. There’ll be children in the future. I can’t just watch Adeline’s last wish go unfulfilled.” “She saved me before. I owe her. Whatever she and her child want, I must give them. Little Cora loves me so much; she’ll surely support me.” The doctor shook his head slightly with regret. Before leaving, I heard him mutter, “As long as you don’t regret it, I hope Ms. Cora’s love won’t be exhausted.” On this side, Declan took out his phone and made a call, speaking seriously: “Compensate the arsonist nanny well and let her live in a different city or country after her release. I don’t want any news reaching Ms. Cora’s ears.” I slumped inside the ward door. Even though the physical pain was overwhelming, the heartbreak was worse, and tears flowed uncontrollably. The person who should’ve been my closest companion now seemed so unfamiliar, whether it was tears blurring my eyes or smoke from the fire. Hearing footsteps approaching outside, I shakily stood up, put away my phone, ignored the blood seeping from the scars on my body, and lay down on the bed. Thinking of my severely burned daughter, whose condition was still unknown, I felt a dull ache in my chest that wouldn’t go away. Such a beauty-loving little girl, how could she face disfigurement and pain alone? I covered my painful chest, suppressing the nausea rising in my throat, but couldn’t stop the tears soaking the sheets. That fire was orchestrated by the man I was so proud of. My daughter and I were just sacrifices paving the way for his beloved. Adeline’s last wish was paramount to him, while my daughter’s and my life meant nothing. These seven years of marriage were nothing but a joke. 0

Still engulfed in sadness, a pair of warm hands gently wiped away my tears and pulled me into an embrace. “Don’t be scared. I’m here. Is your wound still hurting? I had the doctor prepare a special painkiller for you.” “I found a top doctor who can perform skin graft surgery. You’ll get your beautiful body back. Just sleep a bit, and you’ll be as good as new.” I felt the warmth of his embrace, just like every time he comforted me when I was upset before. But now, all I felt was coldness, and the man before me seemed unfamiliar. Taking a deep breath, I looked at him earnestly: “Declan, will I really go back to how I was before? Will I see again? Where’s our Phoebe? I…” I still wanted to test the importance of my daughter and me in his heart, hoping for a bit of conscience to save us. But I was wrong. The next moment, I felt his body stiffen, and he interrupted me harshly: “Enough. You’re a mother now. We’ve been married for so long. Don’t you trust me? Do you still think you’re a beauty-loving little girl? Don’t let Phoebe learn your vanity.” Seeing my pale face, he finally realized his harsh tone. He gently stroked my hair: “Don’t worry. I’m here. I won’t abandon you. Be brave for Phoebe, alright?” Can sleeping really make everything disappear? No, waking up will only bring more sorrow and deceit. I closed my eyes, feeling his kiss on my forehead. Then, from somewhere, a needle pierced my body, and my consciousness blurred. The bright lights above shone, causing my already blurry eyes discomfort. At that moment, I could only feel the blood leaving my body, the cold machines working inside, and the smell of burning flesh entering my nose. Beside me seemed to be another person undergoing surgery, radiating happiness. I knew that was Adeline, the next owner of my kidney. Tears involuntarily flowed again. The surgery went well. My waist and abdomen were wrapped in heavy bandages, just like the heavy barriers in our relationship. “Cora, you’re really brave. Tell me what you want, and I’ll make it happen. Be careful of wound infection.” “Our Phoebe would be proud of her mom if she knew. By the way, I adopted a child named Milo. He’s a little man too. We’ll always be here with you, giving you strength.” Now, he couldn’t wait to announce Milo’s identity in front of me. The happiness surrounding him was probably because they were reunited as a family. Once, I’d have thought he was a reliable husband, felt happiness in the family. But now, I only sensed his uncertain tone and that coldness. Turns out, love and indifference are so obvious. I was not just blind but also blind in heart, ignoring the deceit. 0

Maybe the medication hadn’t worn off. I drifted into a deep sleep as soon as I closed my eyes. When I woke again, I was alone. I got up, enduring the excruciating pain in my abdomen, to find my daughter’s ward. But the laughter from the next ward caught my attention. In the blur, I saw Declan affectionately holding a boy, gently caressing the face of a woman on the bed. “Adeline, everything’s over. You’ll soon be fine. Milo and I will protect you. Don’t worry; I’ll treat him as my own.” “I’ve invited your favorite designer from Country A to design your wedding dress. The jewelry I ventured to Africa for will be yours. I’ll give you the best of everything.” “You said you like a seaside villa. I bought one for you and your son. Later, I’ll take Milo to the amusement park. Don’t worry; we’ll bring back your favorite Dorayaki…” He meticulously planned their future, so tenderly and lovingly. Turns out he wasn’t a dull man. In these seven years, on every anniversary, he wasn’t home, nor did he prepare gifts, but he remembered everything about Adeline and Milo. I once cried and argued, but he said long-married couples didn’t need so many ceremonies. Even the most important wedding in life, he kept delaying. I just wasn’t worthy. He wasn’t busy but took the time to go to the amusement park. Once on Phoebe’s birthday, she asked him to join, but he claimed no interest. He was with someone else. The three of them, close and planning their future, even sneaked kisses when the child wasn’t looking. Adeline blushed and playfully scolded him. Each scene stabbed my heart. Without lingering, I called my mentor to help treat me and my child and to train me in acupuncture and traditional medicine. My mentor was overjoyed, repeatedly saying “good,” and began preparing to welcome me. I also bought two tickets for the wedding day, as a final farewell. As I walked, I finally found my daughter’s ward. Even with my blurred vision, I could see the girl wrapped in bandages, quietly lying on the bed. Her breathing was weak as if she might vanish at any moment. At that moment, I gently held Phoebe’s hand and finally couldn’t hold back, bursting into tears. I didn’t linger. I turned around and called my mentor, asking him to help treat my child and me, and to pass on his acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine skills. My mentor was thrilled and immediately agreed, starting to make arrangements for my arrival. I also purchased two plane tickets for the day of the wedding, intending them as a final farewell. While making calls and searching, I eventually located my child’s hospital room. Even though my vision was still blurry, I could make out the girl lying quietly on the bed, her body wrapped in bandages. Her breathing was weak, as if she might vanish at any moment. At that moment, I gently held Phoebe’s hand and finally couldn’t hold back my tears. A pair of hands appeared on my shoulders, gently embracing me, wiping my tears, and trembling uncontrollably. “Lydia, don’t be too upset. It’s not good for your eyes to cry; it breaks my heart. Phoebe might not make it, so let’s make her last moments happy, okay? Don’t cry and make her sad.” “And you just had surgery. The doctor said the recovery isn’t going well, and it might be difficult to have children in the future. Don’t worry, I won’t abandon you. We adopted Milo, didn’t we? We still have a child…” “Let’s think of him as staying with us in place of Phoebe. She would find peace knowing that…” As he spoke, his voice began to tremble, tears sliding down my neck as if he was enduring immense pain. If I weren’t aware of the truth, I might have thought he was empathetic and understanding. But I know this is all a web of lies around me. The one losing a kidney, going blind, and possibly dying is me. I’m the one about to lose a child and be forced to accept my husband’s lover’s child. What did I do wrong to deserve such deceit? 0

After a long silence, my tears had dried. Declan spoke carefully, “Lydia, you can’t attend the wedding this time. We’ll have plenty of chances in the future. Let Adeline attend the wedding in your place, okay?” “She won’t interfere with our relationship. Her health is poor, and who knows how long she has left. She just hopes for a wedding, to give the child a status, to fulfill this wish, okay?” He tightly held my hand, revealing his current anxiety. He had spoken, how could I refuse? After all, he’s denied me 99 times before; what’s one more time? I smiled and nodded, agreeing, “She has done you a favor; you should repay her. We’ll talk about our wedding later. I just want to wait for Phoebe to wake up now.” Declan seemed ready to persuade me further but didn’t expect me to agree so readily. He was momentarily stunned, then grasped my hand and praised me happily, his joy evident. Just then, he received a notification on his phone. “Why did you buy a plane ticket for a few days later? Your eyes haven’t recovered yet, can you see? Is there an emergency? If not, I’ll go with you, why didn’t you say anything?” When we were dating, he linked our information, saying he wanted to ensure my safety. But he never used this software. I always informed him of my whereabouts to give him a sense of security. I didn’t expect the first time he’d use this software would be under such circumstances, and I felt bitter inside. I didn’t look at him, denying it, “I was thinking of buying them for a honeymoon trip after the wedding. Now they won’t be used, and I haven’t had time to cancel them yet. We’ll talk about it later.” He listened with slight regret, then kissed my forehead to comfort me, “In the future, we’ll have plenty of time to travel as a family of three. Just focus on recovering, no need to rush.” I instinctively tightened my grip on my daughter’s hand, then loosened it, suppressing the overwhelming sense of pain inside. After exchanging a few words, he received a call and hurriedly left the room. I knew it was Adeline feeling unwell again. I didn’t try to stop him. His heart was long gone from me; there was no need to suffer further. At this moment, a small, soft hand moved, and a hoarse voice spoke, “Mom, were you crying? Phoebe will blow, and the pain will fly away.” “Where’s Dad? I miss him. Mom, can you find Dad for me?” I bit down on the soft flesh inside my mouth, controlling my voice so my daughter wouldn’t notice, and gently said, “Phoebe is the bravest. Does it still hurt? I’ll go find Dad now, okay? Don’t move, or you won’t look nice.” My daughter nodded obediently, looking forward to seeing her father. I gathered my courage again to find Declan. Even if I were heartless and could let go of everything, I couldn’t take away my child’s hope for a father’s love. Let her see him one last time, let her give up. 0 I straightened my numb body, noticing the bandage around my waist was stained with blood, and there were faint traces on the ground. But I couldn’t care about that. I went to Adeline’s hospital room.

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I married Declan ten years ago, and now his old flame has come back into the picture. She is gentle and considerate, even after spending a decade in a hospital bed to save Declan’s mother. Despite the years, she still enchants everyone in Declan’s family. My husband speaks with her as if they were childhood sweethearts, as if they shared innocent memories together. My mother-in-law treats her like a savior and even said in front of me, “I wish I had a daughter-in-law like you.” And how about me? I wasn’t sad or upset; I felt relieved. Finally, the tedious narrative I’d endured for ten years was reaching its conclusion. So when my mother-in-law stood before me, holding two eggs and glaring at me to make an egg pudding for her ideal daughter-in-law, Adeline, I didn’t even flinch. I just quietly tended to my wildflowers. “How can you be so inconsiderate? Adeline saved my life!” “Oh! Then perhaps you should be the one who’s considerate!” I casually replied to my “very considerate” mother-in-law. Ten years ago, when Declan’s family was struggling, she pleaded with my father for a family alliance to save them. I followed my father’s wishes and married him. Later, when she was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer, Adeline donated part of her liver, coinciding with my marriage into Declan’s family. I provided the funds, hired caregivers, and took care of everything. Even when Adeline fell into a coma due to complications from the surgery, I covered the ICU expenses for nearly a decade! I’ve asked myself, regarding my role as a daughter-in-law to Declan’s family, I have no regrets. And now they look down on me? I glanced at the lucky charm peeking out of her pocket and felt nothing but disdain. The day after Adeline woke up, my mother-in-law brought her home, saying hospital food wasn’t good enough and that she’d be better cared for at home. Over the next month, the caregiver I hired stopped coming to my room and became her servant instead. What disgusted me the most was Declan visiting her room as well. My mother-in-law allowed it because I couldn’t have children. She called me barren and watched as Declan’s family lineage seemed in jeopardy. In this critical moment, Adeline was seen as their lifeline, the hope they desperately clung to. If that’s the case, I have nothing more to say. I’m about to return to reality anyway. Before entering this story, the system told me I could choose a role. If I lived by that role’s rules for ten years, I would receive half the bonus meant for that character. I gladly accepted. So, without hesitation, I followed my father’s advice and married Declan. This way, I’d earn more money. I figured, in less than half a month, my dream would come true. “Can’t have children, and you still pick and choose what work you’ll do?” No matter how sharp-tongued my mother-in-law is, she can’t hide her greed for that lucky charm. Then she stopped hiding it altogether and flaunted it. “Adeline is pregnant with my son’s child! Look at you, such a failure! You can’t even have a baby!” I couldn’t help but laugh at her outrageous words. Living in my house, using my caregiver, sleeping with my husband, and now carrying a child to fight me for family assets, and I have to pay for a caregiver to care for the homewrecker? I stared speechlessly at my daydreaming mother-in-law. “What are you looking at? The previous caregiver left because of you. You won’t pay for a new one and won’t care for the pregnant woman. What do you plan to do in this house?” “Yeah, I really don’t want to do anything.” For such a ridiculous mother-in-law, wasting even a word on her feels like a waste of breath. Did Auntie Iris leave because of me? Auntie Iris worked here for four or five years. I gave her bonuses during holidays and saved her the best food and drinks. She didn’t leave because she was ungrateful. I appreciated her diligent and efficient work. Why would I send her away? Even though I’m leaving soon, I refuse to swallow this bitter pill. No matter what, I was your daughter-in-law for ten years. Ten years! And you still wrong me?

Half a month ago, I heard Auntie Iris quietly sobbing in the kitchen. I was truly surprised because Auntie Iris was usually cheerful, optimistic, and sociable. I couldn’t imagine what had upset her so. I hadn’t even asked when my mother-in-law came out with Adeline from a room, standing on the second floor, looking down. “I told you not to put soy sauce in the egg pudding! Are you trying to harm her?” Her words practically crushed Auntie Iris. “It’s okay, Genevieve~” Adeline softly looped her arm through Genevieve’s, “My sister likes soy sauce in her egg pudding. Maybe Auntie Iris is just used to making it that way. I don’t mind having it with soy sauce too; I actually like it.” I wanted to gag. Look at her, just like a manipulative character from a palace drama. Genevieve smiled kindly and patted her hand, comforting her. “Don’t pretend you don’t want what you can’t have. You dare touch our Declan family heir!” I was so fed up with her nonsense that I didn’t even want to respond. I just took Auntie Iris’s hand and hugged her. “I’m sorry, Aunt Iris, for the trouble. I’ll pay your full salary for this month, plus half a year’s as a bonus, and you can work for my friend instead.” Aunt Iris looked tearfully at me, wanting to speak but holding back. I waved her off, understanding everything. How could I not understand? Later, Genevieve, seeing I ignored her, brought out her son Declan to confront me. Declan, without a word, launched into his usual routine, questioning me right away. I’ve had enough. Ten years, and he’s always been like this! Every time, without knowing the full story, he’d blame me, say I was wrong. Whenever I tried to have a proper conversation, he’d side with his mother and their family, treating me like I was invisible, just a figment of air in an unknown world. Even if I were an ancient turtle, I’d still be fed up! I stormed up to the second floor, ready to confront that manipulative woman. But before I could reach her, Declan blocked me. I hadn’t even raised my hand when he grabbed and held it tight. After struggling fiercely, I lost my balance and tumbled down the stairs. The outcome was worse than before. I broke my right leg, had multiple bruises, and although I didn’t bleed much, I’d still need a hundred days of rest, confined to a wheelchair. Genevieve, despite my condition, still wanted me to deliver egg pudding to Adeline. I quickly contacted the system, asking if it had any medicine to heal my leg fast. I didn’t want to return just to lie around.

“Did you forget, Master? You exchanged all your points for potions for Adeline. You don’t have enough points left to exchange for medicine.” Ah! I slapped my forehead, suddenly realizing my oversight. From the day I married Declan, I prepared to leave him. Because I never forgot my goal: money! But I overlooked the fact that I’m human. Humans have emotions, and even if I were an ice shard buried in the Arctic’s frigid pool, I’d still be moved by the ten years of shared experiences. Yet, in the end, I didn’t attain enlightenment. Instead, I became a resentful woman blaming the world and myself. I asked myself, I did want to leave him with a child or two, so he wouldn’t be too lonely after I left. So over the years, I took traditional medicine, consulted doctors, both traditional and modern. I even tried IVF several times, and of course, miscarried many times. But I never gave up. I heard he had a childhood sweetheart, an unrelated sister, who was perfect for him. She was the one who sacrificed her own body part to save his mother and fell into a deep sleep for ten years. I cried. It was straight out of a novel, and yet I ran into it. What a coincidence. Since this lifelong regret weighed so heavily, I’ll fulfill their wish. The system, seeing I hadn’t responded for a while, said, “Master, the Declan family fortune is ten billion. Including your share from your own family, it totals twenty billion. Hold on just a few more days, and you’ll be free to enjoy life!” Is this suggesting I go back to recover? “Nora, don’t push your luck!” Before that voice faded, another arose. Declan kicked open the door, looking furious, ready to settle the score with me. What a twist of fate. Since this lifelong regret weighs so heavily, let me fulfill your wishes. The system noticed I hadn’t responded for a while and said, “Master, Declan’s family fortune is a billion. Plus your share from the main family, it’s a total of two billion. Just hang in there for a few more days, and you can have your freedom!” Does this mean I should go back and heal? “Nora, don’t push your luck!” These words had barely left my mouth when another voice interrupted. Declan stormed through the door, looking furious and ready to confront me. “You chased away the aunt who was taking care of Adeline; fine, I’ll just hire another. You want to make a big deal out of hitting Adeline, I won’t say anything because I’m here to protect her from harm. But now, you’re even disregarding my mother. What kind of daughter-in-law are you?” Inside, I felt nothing. This scene had replayed countless times over my ten-year marriage: I just send off the old witch, and her son bursts through the door, cursing. Declan saw my indifference and, in a rage, grabbed my neck and yelled, spraying spit all over my face, “You fell down the stairs and startled Adeline, shouldn’t you apologize?” “Did we ask you to work yourself to the bone, to say three simple words: I’m sorry?” “At most, we asked you to bring a bowl of egg custard. And you can’t even do that???” Oh, so that’s what this is about! I coughed, my face flushed red, and Declan seemed to realize something and let go of his grip, deflating like a balloon. We had argued before, but this was the first time he’d gotten physical. I wiped my face with my sleeve, looked up at my husband of ten years, and said each word clearly, “I! Do! Not! Want! To!” “You did it on purpose!” Declan blurted out. He looked at me, “You intentionally drove away the aunt, fell down the stairs, upset my mom, and now you want to make my mom, me, Adeline, and her unborn child miserable.” I smiled bitterly. Living over thirty years, marrying into their family opened my eyes to a whole new world. Many suffer from delusions, but among those with persecution delusions, aside from Genevieve, Declan is quite a rising star. “Nora, Adeline is such an obedient and sensible girl, yet you can’t leave her alone. We’ve been married for ten years! Ten years! Have you forgotten what my mom taught you?” He’s still trying to persuade me! I opened my mouth, then closed it, and the breath I was holding finally escaped. I realized that explaining was unnecessary. “Yes, mutual respect can’t compete with a childhood sweetheart.” Especially when she’s the old flame. I huffed, turned my attention to my wildflowers, and said no more. He seemed to understand, taking my words as jealousy bubbling to the surface, and did not respond, “The lady is ill, very ill, and not fit to go out. Let’s wait until she’s better to meet others.”

His subtext was clear: since you don’t want us to be happy, we won’t let you be happy either. But my subtext was: Whether it’s good or bad, it will pass because I’m leaving you all! The system told me, just three more days, and when the contract expires, I can return to the real world and enjoy myself. After this, no matter how Declan or Genevieve talks about me, thinks of me, treats me, or tortures me, it has nothing to do with me. Except… my father… I still can’t let go… Ten years ago, I married Declan. To make sure I wouldn’t be mistreated, my father gave me a dowry of five billion, a car, a house, fearing that I would be bullied or looked down upon by Declan’s family. In the end, he even assigned me a bodyguard who had been with him for years. Every few days, he wanted to know if I was doing well, and every two weeks, he sent someone to bring me back to my family home for a few days. Even the traditional Chinese doctor he found to fulfill my wish of getting pregnant was personally selected after he visited all the major hospitals and clinics in New York City. Later, my father saw how painful IVF was for me. Fearing that Declan’s family would scold me for being unworthy, he even started visiting orphanages, hoping I would adopt a few children instead of suffering unnecessarily. But I refused. Because I knew with Genevieve’s personality, she would never accept a non-biological child as an elite successor for Declan’s family. And my husband Declan, being a mama’s boy, would definitely comply with his high and mighty mother’s wishes without question. I was completely alone, outnumbered and outmatched. It’s quite laughable. I took the bowl of thick herbal medicine Beatrix handed me, and the strong smell made me cough. It tasted as awful as ever. I looked at her. “They can’t stop me!” Beatrix’s words answered my current doubts. After all, Declan had gone to great lengths to trap me. “Miss! Sir said if you want a divorce, I can take you away right now!” Beatrix lowered her head, paused, then continued with a heavy tone, “Sir said if you don’t want a divorce, I can take you to live on an estate in the suburbs, far away from them.” “You can adopt a little miss and a little master, plant a whole garden of flowers and grass, have cats and dogs…” My eyes lit up. Beatrix reminded me of something I had forgotten. Adeline was allergic to pollen, so the day before she moved in, Genevieve stood upstairs giving orders, while Declan humbly obeyed. The flowers and plants I had planted in the backyard garden were pulled out one by one by Declan and sent to the waste disposal site. Yes, my flowers were trash, and so was I.

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My new wife is excessively supporting her brother financially. I earn $40,000 a month, but she gives $35,000 to her brother, leaving us with only $5,000 for rent and groceries. After eight months, I couldn’t take it anymore and lied to her, saying I’d been fired. To my surprise, she immediately asked for a divorce. I thought she was joking until the next day when I overheard her in the bathroom, painting her nails and talking to her brother on speakerphone: “He got fired after just eight months, what a loser.” “But we managed to get $280,000 from him, plus a $200,000 betrothal gift, enough for us to go back and get married.” Get married? Aren’t they supposed to be siblings? 0 Hearing her phone conversation felt like a lightning bolt striking my brain. They’re planning to get married? How can siblings get married? The shocking realization overwhelmed me. I fought the urge to confront her and kept eavesdropping outside the door. She was still in there, talking leisurely, unaware that I was home. “Making $480,000 in eight months, not bad. We didn’t lose out.” “Yes, it’s a pity he got fired. Otherwise, with such a high salary, we could have stuck it out for two or three years, made a couple of million, and then moved to another city. Maybe even buy a car and a house.” “I’m sorry, honey. Pretending to like someone you don’t must be hard, but it’s the easiest way for us to make money.” “It’s not hard, babe. As long as we can earn enough to have a good life, I’m fine. Once he agrees to divorce, I’ll find a way to get some assets, hehe.” “Honey, you’re working so hard, mwah mwah, I miss you. Come make me feel good.” “Oh, stop it, after all that yesterday you still want more…” As ridiculous as it sounds, I finally understood their real relationship. The one on the phone is my wife, Fiona Adams, and on the other end is her so-called brother, Lachlan Adams. We hadn’t known each other long before Fiona pursued me aggressively. In hindsight, it was just because my high salary met their goals. I admit Fiona is stunning, so when she said she needed a $200,000 betrothal gift for her brother’s wedding, I willingly paid. But after the wedding, she took $35,000 of my $40,000 salary each month for Lachlan, saying it was a tradition from her hometown to help her brother for two years so they wouldn’t have to worry about him later. Thinking it was just two years, I gritted my teeth and bore it. When my company went public, as a veteran employee, I was awarded $20 million in stock options, and my annual salary jumped to $1 million. I rushed home eager to share the news with Fiona, only to receive a bank transfer notification for $35,000 to Lachlan at the door. On a whim, I decided to joke with her that I got fired. But when Fiona heard I was fired, the usually gentle woman suddenly changed, tossed her spoon aside, and asked for a divorce. I thought she was joking, so I pretended to feel guilty and said: “I’m sorry, babe. I can’t give you a good life. If you really want a divorce, I won’t blame you.” “If you want a divorce, let’s go to the county courthouse when it opens this afternoon.” I thought she would comfort me, but instead, she dragged me to the courthouse. Just as we arrived, her brother-in-law Lachlan showed up and pushed me aside. I had no idea what I did to offend him. His glare felt like he wanted to eat me alive: “Nolan Brooks, divorcing my sister won’t be that easy. You promised to support me for two years. If you divorce her today, 70% of your assets go to her.” Seeing this unfold, I realized Fiona was serious about the divorce. I felt a mix of emotions. Despite being overly supportive of her brother, she was a near-perfect wife otherwise. She was elegant, cooked well, and even prepared my bathwater every night. Marrying her felt like my greatest happiness. I had asked her a few times about supporting her brother financially. She didn’t work, but fortunately, my salary in New York City wasn’t low, a full $40,000 a month. Yet, the moment my salary hit the account, $35,000 would be transferred to Lachlan. The remaining $5,000 was for rent, utilities, and meals. Life was tight. Whenever I suggested using some savings, she’d laugh and say savings were for emergencies and shouldn’t be touched lightly. Occasionally, looking at a table full of plain dishes, I’d get upset. But whenever I brought it up, she’d tear up, saying how hard it was raising her brother alone after their parents died. I’d soften up, feeling too sorry to press the issue, and eventually stopped mentioning it. Lachlan always called me brother-in-law, and whatever I said, he’d follow. He seemed so well-behaved that I decided to help him out, thinking two years would pass quickly. But with just one joke, I discovered everything was fake. From Fiona and his conversation, it was clear they weren’t siblings but lovers! 0

They were scamming by marrying fools like me, then draining their finances. In just eight months, they managed to scam $480,000 including the betrothal gift. Thinking about them calling each other siblings in front of me while doing who-knows-what behind my back made me sick. I was trembling with rage, realizing they even wanted 70% of my savings. They took me for a total fool. If I hadn’t forgotten a document and returned home just in time to overhear their call, I’d have been utterly duped. I had intended to show Fiona the shareholders’ agreement in a couple of days and try to win her back. After all, though we’d only been married eight months, how could there be no feelings at all? But I felt as if my heart, like a fallen leaf, was filled with disappointment. Anger surged from within, and I clenched my fists, wanting to expose their scheme right then and there. Calm down! Knowing it’s a scam, I can’t let them off easily. They must pay. To avoid alerting her that I knew everything, I quietly backed away from the door, closing it as if I’d never been there. I hid in the stairwell, and soon Fiona, wearing a short skirt and stockings, came out. She went downstairs and got into a taxi—I could guess where she was going. If only I had been prepared, I would have followed her. Fiona didn’t return until ten at night, now wearing a tracksuit instead of her earlier attire. When she opened the door, she saw me watching TV in the living room. I hadn’t agreed to the divorce yesterday, so she seemed a bit uneasy. After a moment, she slowly approached me, asking, “Nolan, have you thought about the divorce yet?” I looked up at her, the love bite behind her ear making me nauseous. “You really want a divorce? Just because I got fired?” Fiona’s eyes welled up with tears: “I don’t really want a divorce, but you know I don’t work, and my brother isn’t settled, we need money. Now that you’re unemployed with no income, what can I do? If there was another way, I wouldn’t…” “I didn’t get fired.” I cut her off before she could finish. Her face was a mix of confusion and surprise when I said I wasn’t fired. She sat next to me, leaning in, her scent faintly present. Ha, this must be the perfume she wears for her brother-husband. How disgusting. Seeing me silent, Fiona panicked. After all, not everyone makes a salary of $40,000 a month. Who knows how long it would take to find another fool like me? And not every sucker would earn such a high salary. “Hahaha.” “No worries, babe. I get it, I really do. I was just joking with you. How could someone as capable as your husband get fired?” I wrapped my arm around Fiona’s waist, pulling her close. She didn’t resist, snuggling in even closer, though her eyes lacked any genuine emotion. “Babe, I know it’s tough raising Lachlan alone. I understand your need for money.” “I wasn’t fired, just teasing you. The company decided to raise my salary starting this month, and I’ll get an extra $40,000 or $50,000 in bonuses at the end of the year. I thought since Lachlan is smart, why not set him up with a company so he can learn to earn too? That’d ease your burden.” “We won’t get divorced. I’ll always take care of you, okay?” Then I kissed her on the lips. Come on, someone else’s wife—why not kiss her? It’s a bit thrilling, actually. Fiona bashfully responded, and as I kissed her more deeply, she responded earnestly with her tongue until we both struggled for breath, finally pulling apart. Her face flushed, she looked at me earnestly, asking, “Is that true, babe?” “But starting a company for Lachlan, he doesn’t know how.” “What if he loses money?” “We’re not getting a divorce. I’ll always take care of you, okay?” With those words, I leaned in and kissed her. Just kidding, right? Not kissing someone else’s wife when you have the chance? There’s a certain thrill to it. Fiona Adams responded bashfully. Seeing how serious I was, she extended her tongue to meet mine. We only pulled away when we were both out of breath. Her face flushed, she looked at me earnestly and asked, “Honey, do you mean it?” “But Lachlan doesn’t know how to run a company.” “What if it loses money?” “Are you really going to give him so much money to start a company?” Fiona hadn’t expected that not only was I not fired, but my income had also increased, with a year-end bonus that was beyond her imagination. She was even more surprised when I suggested starting a company for her brother Lachlan; she seemed very excited. I gently patted her hand and said softly, “Of course, it’s true. You’re my wife, and Lachlan is your brother. We’re family, after all.” “If I don’t treat you well, who will I treat well, silly? Don’t mention divorce again. Everything I have is yours.” Fiona was touched by my words and embraced me. I thought to myself, “You think you can take my money that easily? I’ll make sure to get it all back with interest.” Pushing that thought aside, I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. Tonight, let’s make this night unforgettable with Lachlan’s wife. “Stop it, I haven’t showered yet… Mmm…” …… A year ago, I first met Fiona Adams at a coffee shop near my office. Just like in many romantic dramas, she accidentally knocked over my coffee, spilling it all over me. She apologized profusely, trying to clean the coffee stains, and that’s when I noticed her. Her looks and style were exactly what I liked, like the girl next door. She insisted on adding me on WeChat, claiming she wanted to reimburse me for the laundry. I thought it was just a typical encounter. About three days after the café meeting, I saw her again near the office. This time, she was in professional attire, sitting dejectedly by the flower bed with her resume in hand. A cleaning lady passed by with a heavy-looking trash cart. Fiona didn’t hesitate to help, despite the dirt. At that moment, I was moved by her kindness, and something stirred in my heart. So, I started chatting with her on WeChat. As we talked more, we grew closer. She seemed perfect to me; we even shared the same taste in food. Even our hobbies were the same, which made me fall into her trap. I started pursuing her relentlessly. Unfortunately, what I thought was true love turned out to be a scam. There’s no such thing as a perfect lover. Had I not pretended to have been fired on a whim, I might never have discovered the true relationship between her and her brother. I might have ended up bankrupt, with them taking my money and eloping. Thankfully, I realized everything in time. Not only did I uncover their scheme, but if I played my cards right, I might even reclaim the money they swindled from me. When Lachlan Adams heard I was funding his company, he dropped all demands for a divorce and splitting assets at the county courthouse, affectionately calling me “brother-in-law.” Through his narrow eyes, I could see his disdain and contempt for me. Since we were starting a company, the location had to be prime. As the boss, Lachlan needed a secretary, right? I used my connections to find an office in a prime location and hired a drama school graduate as his secretary. Once everything was set up, I called Lachlan and Fiona over to show them the place and introduce the secretary. Through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, you could see the cityscape. The secretary, Daphne Harper, was wearing a professional top and a pencil skirt, with black stockings and high heels, which caught Lachlan’s eye. “So, Lachlan, are you satisfied with this place?” “Yes, brother-in-law, I’m very satisfied!” Lachlan couldn’t care less about the environment, his eyes glued to Daphne Harper. “Alright, Daphne, why don’t you fetch us some champagne? Let’s celebrate. Come, have a seat.” I invited them to the sofa. Lachlan and Fiona were already dreaming about the company’s future, grinning widely. Daphne Harper walked in with a tray, swaying her slim waist. As she passed by Lachlan, I gave her a look. “Oh no!” Daphne pretended to twist her ankle, spilling champagne all over Lachlan. “Sorry, Mr. Adams, I’ll clean it up right away.” She bent down to wipe the wine off Lachlan’s clothes, her wide neckline revealing a hint of skin. She was a campus beauty, not only pretty but also with an incredible figure. Her sultry eyes locked with Lachlan’s as she wiped, slowly moving the towel from his chest down to his thigh. “Mmm…” Lachlan seemed to be enjoying it. Fiona sat beside him, her face dark with anger. I chuckled, “Daphne, you should be more careful.” “Lachlan doesn’t have a girlfriend yet, right? And Daphne, you’re single too, right?” “You two make a handsome pair. If you get along, you could develop something.” Just as I finished, Fiona suddenly stood up, knocking her teacup to the ground, shattering it. She charged at them like an angry lioness. “Honey, what’s wrong?” I feigned ignorance and asked in surprise.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295817”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance