The day I urgently needed a kidney transplant, my wife postponed my surgery to pick up her first love from the airport. To avoid me ruining their reunion, my son yelled that they shouldn’t save his fake dad, and my wife reported me for marital rape. When I was released from prison, she looked at me with disgust: “I bet you faked being sick just to prevent him from coming back, didn’t you?” “If you really want to die, I’ll save you then.” Watching Lily and her perfect little family walk away, my heart finally died. Later, as she wished, I really did die on the operating table. But why did my wife and son dig up half the city’s graves looking for my ashes? Upon my release from prison, I made my first call to Lily. “Lily, it’s snowing outside. Can you come pick me up?” “Ahem…” The cheerful voices on the other end of the line suddenly went quiet when they realized it was me. “You’re out so soon?” “I’m busy. Just take a cab yourself.” The call abruptly ended. I huddled behind a tree, hugging myself tightly. I watched silently as my son happily surrounded Lily and her first love, Jack. So this was what she meant by being busy? Seeing the three of them walking away happily, I wanted to step forward. But my feet seemed rooted to the spot. Even after they were long gone, I still couldn’t take that step. Three years ago, when Lily and I first got together, her first love Jack had insisted on going abroad for a promotion. Seeing the woman I admired left alone with her two-year-old son, I finally gathered the courage to confess my feelings. To my surprise, she agreed. After we got married, I became a stay-at-home husband to take care of Lily and Tommy. I thought our married life would always be this peaceful and uneventful. But Jack’s sudden return shattered that tranquility. Unfortunately, that day I had a kidney attack and was admitted to the hospital. The lead surgeon was none other than my wife, Lily, known as a medical genius. Just as I had been given anesthesia and my side was cut open, Lily received news of Jack’s return. She left. She just abandoned me and left. I lay helplessly on the operating table, watching her leave. Just like now, I didn’t know how to ask her to stay. Clutching my painful incision, I had to walk to the hospital because I couldn’t afford a cab. In prison, rapists were the most despised, so I was often tormented. With each step, I felt like my kidneys were bouncing around inside me. Finally, just as I was about to collapse, I reached the hospital. “Dr. Rose, there’s a patient here! Come quickly!” Dr. Rose? It must be Lily. But she’s with Jack, would she come to save me? I gripped the bed sheets tightly, my Adam’s apple bobbing painfully. I didn’t dare open my eyes, but I hoped she would really come. “Dr. Rose, here’s the patient’s examination report. His kidney has ruptured. We need to notify the family immediately to prepare for surgery.” Lily rushed over, her voice turning cold when she saw it was me. “No need.” The nurse looked confused. “I am the family.” Hearing this, the nurse brightened up. “Then what are we waiting for? The kidney donor will be here soon. Let’s prepare for surgery, Dr. Rose.” Hearing the nurse’s words, Lily remained unmoved. Instead, she kicked the hospital bed. “Had enough pretending? Get up already.” Lily kicked hard. Lying on the bed, I felt my kidneys violently shaking along with it. Just as I was about to speak, I coughed up blood. A flash of surprise crossed Lily’s eyes, quickly replaced by a cold sneer. “Quite the convincing act.” “Come on, is this all because I was busy and didn’t pick you up? Is such a small matter worth making such a big fuss?” Faced with Lily’s questioning, I choked out, “I’m not pretending, Lily. I really feel terrible.” In prison, inmates used me as their punching bag. Whenever they were dissatisfied, they would grab me and beat me. So the pain I’m feeling now is real, not an act. Hearing this, the nurse became anxious. “Dr. Rose, this is the patient’s medical record. Mr. Foster’s condition is extremely urgent. If we don’t treat him soon, his life could be in danger.” Seeing the nurse repeatedly speaking up for me, Lily grew impatient. “It’s bad enough that he’s trying to fool me, but now you’re in on it too?” “Do you not want your performance bonus this month?” Lily crossed her arms, her brows furrowed. “I’ll count to three. If you don’t get up…” Before she could finish, Tommy called. “Mom! Dad’s gone!” “What?!”

Tommy’s voice on the phone sounded panicked and urgent. Lily visibly panicked and was about to rush out the next second. It was the nurse who grabbed her hand for me. “Dr. Rose, where are you going? The patient urgently needs surgery, you can’t leave!” Lily violently shook off the nurse’s hand, completely losing her patience. She pointed at me, her tone ice-cold. “Jack is missing, and you’re still playing these stupid games with me.” “Adam Foster, I’m warning you, if anything happens to Jack, I won’t let you off the hook!” With that, Lily turned and left. I lay on the hospital bed, tears finally streaming down my face. I couldn’t hold back anymore. It had been three years. Jack was the one who abandoned Lily first. Why was he still more important to her than me? Even my son called him “Dad” at every turn. Why? Why was this happening? No, he’s not my son. I’m just a stepfather. Jack is his biological father. But Jack had never raised him for a single day. I was the one who watched him grow up from his first words. I was the one who saw him go from crawling to walking with a baby walker. Why did my wife and son abandon me as soon as Jack came back? Have they forgotten that it was Jack who abandoned them first? My brow furrowed deeply, my heart feeling like it was being stabbed by needles, unable to breathe. The hospital bed was so cold, just like the cement floor in prison. When I coughed up blood, Lily didn’t even spare me a glance. But as soon as she heard Jack’s name, her expression changed completely. I took a deep breath. But the pain in my heart continued to spread. Before I knew it, a large amount of blood gushed from the corner of my mouth. The nurse called Lily. “Dr. Rose, please come back quickly! The patient’s condition is out of control!” “Dr. Rose!” The nurse was frantic. But Lily hung up the phone without a care. I opened my mouth, my face deathly pale. “Give it to me.” Taking the phone, I dialed that number once again. Lily had already abandoned me once for Jack. Was she really going to leave me alone on the operating table again? I couldn’t believe she could be so cruel. “What do you want now? Adam Foster, are you never going to stop?” Faced with Lily’s accusations, the words I had prepared were scattered again. I clenched my fist. “Lily, I’m begging you, you’re the only one who can perform this surgery.” “I’m begging you to save me, please? I’ll really die without it.” “For the sake of our three years of marriage, where I’ve been nothing but devoted to you, please save me?” My voice choked up again towards the end. There was a pause on the other end of the line. A glimmer of hope rekindled in my previously gloomy heart. I knew Lily wouldn’t really be so heartless as to watch me die. I knew she had seen all my dedication over these three years. Just as I was about to speak again, I heard Tommy’s voice from the other end. “Mom! We found Dad, but he’s unconscious. Is Dad going to die?” Hearing my son’s voice, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Yes, Dad is going to die…” I listened to the sound of Lily running through the phone. Her voice was harsh. “How can you be so vicious? What did Jack ever do to you to deserve such a curse?” My voice was a bit hoarse. “Lily, I didn’t… I was talking about myself. I really am about to die.” I wanted to say more, but Lily cut me off sharply. “Enough! Adam Foster, I’ve tolerated you for far too long!” “If you keep playing these stupid games and targeting Jack, we’re getting a divorce!”

Divorce? The word “divorce” shattered what little rationality I had left. I stared at the phone in shock. All the memories from before flashed before my eyes. When Jack abandoned Lily and Tommy, I drove sixteen hours to pick them up, just to give them a place to stay. Later, when we got married, Lily hugged me and cried, promising to live a good life together. She said meeting me was her greatest fortune, and she would never leave me. But now she wanted to divorce me for Jack? I coughed, blood gushing from my lungs and blurring my vision. I clutched my kidney, my forehead covered in beads of sweat. The pain from my injuries in prison had numbed me. I had completely forgotten that I was still a kidney patient. Now that I was out, it seemed like the pain in my kidneys had come back tenfold, a hundredfold. “It hurts… it hurts so much… cough cough…” “Nurse, I think I can’t breathe. Am I dying?” The nurse was alarmed and quickly called for other doctors. “The patient is showing symptoms of late-stage kidney failure, with respiratory difficulties. We need help here!” I was rushed to the operating room. Without Lily, the medical genius, to perform the surgery, all the hospital could do was help me clear the inflammation. Just as I was about to be pushed into the operating room, Lily appeared. “Help! Someone help! We have a person who’s fainted here!” Lily pushed Jack into the operating room ahead of me. The nurse hurried forward to stop her. “Dr. Rose, this is Mr. Foster’s operating room. He urgently needs to have his inflammation cleared. You can’t do this!” Before the nurse could finish, Lily had already put on her white coat and closed the door of the operating room. This was the last available operating room; all the others were unfortunately occupied. I could only lie on the stretcher, the cold wind in the hospital corridor making my head spin. As my vision blurred, I could hear the cries of adults and children from inside the operating room. “Jack, you’ve already abandoned me once. Are you going to abandon me again?” “Wake up, please. It’s Lily. Please wake up and look at me, okay?” “Dad, don’t leave me. Dad…” I don’t know how much time passed before the green light above the operating room lit up. Jack was wheeled out. “Sorry, Adam. I just tripped and scraped my foot a bit. You don’t mind, do you?” I ignored Jack and struggled to lift my head to look at Lily. “Can you save me now?” Lily looked at me with disgust. “Save you? Aren’t you fine now?” “I think you just pretended to be sick because you didn’t want him to come back, didn’t you?” “If you really want to die, then I’ll save you.” In the end, Lily’s tone was full of contempt. I clutched my chest, gasping for air, tears falling uncontrollably. “Lily Rose, how can you be so heartless after all we’ve been through as husband and wife?” “I’m just asking you this one time to save me. Can’t you grant me this one request?” “Slap!” I held my swollen cheek in disbelief, staring at Lily. “Husband and wife? If Jack hadn’t gone abroad back then, do you think you would have had the chance to marry me?”

For a moment, I didn’t know what to do. Lily had never spoken to me like this before, let alone hit me in front of so many people. My kidney hurt so much, but my heart hurt even more. A crowd of onlookers gathered around us. Not far away, a doctor came running with a box. “Make way! Make way! The kidney donor is here!” “Dr. Rose, the patient’s condition is critical. What are you waiting for?” Lily looked at the box in the doctor’s hands, her expression somewhat dazed. “Is this really the kidney donor?” I nodded. “Lily, I really wasn’t lying to you.” “I’m in so much pain right now, I feel terrible. You’re the only one who can perform the surgery for me.” Lily’s eyes trembled as she saw my pained expression. Just as she was about to check my injuries, Jack let out a hiss of pain. “What’s wrong, Jack?” “It’s nothing, nothing.” “Let me see!” Lily crouched down to carefully examine Jack’s ankle. “It’s all bruised. Why didn’t you tell me?” Lily’s tone was reproachful but full of concern. As long as Jack was around, I would always be the loser. Everyone around us was criticizing Lily for being heartless and unfaithful. But she didn’t seem to care. “Lily, I’m begging you, please save me. I’m really about to die.” Lily forcefully pried open my white-knuckled fingers that were gripping her sleeve. “I want to see if you’ll really die without me. If you don’t die, then let’s get a divorce!” Watching Lily walk away with Jack and Tommy, I felt like my heart had been completely hollowed out. My hands still retained Lily’s warmth. The scent of her perfume lingered around me, but I felt suffocated. “Lily… why won’t you believe me?” I was pushed into the operating room. Without Lily performing the kidney transplant surgery, it was like a race against the Grim Reaper. Whoever could outrun time would win. I lay weakly on the operating table. The surgical lights made it hard for me to open my eyes. In my hazy vision, I saw my reflection, so thin that I could barely recognize myself. Everyone was preparing to save my life. But I felt so cold, constantly curling up my body. My lips, cracked from dehydration, suddenly felt smooth as if moistened. A sweet, metallic taste exploded in my mouth. “Doctor, the patient’s blood system is having problems. We need to transplant the kidney now!” The nurse took out the kidney donor. A foul smell permeated the operating room. “How is this possible?” “The kidney is rotten!” I suddenly woke up from my near-unconscious state. Even the only kidney donor was gone? I laughed bitterly. The blood in my body seemed to flow out uncontrollably. The nurse wanted to seek help from other hospitals for a kidney donor, but I stopped her. “Cough cough… don’t, don’t waste your efforts on me.” “I know I don’t have much time left. Can you help me with one thing?” “Before I die, I want to divorce my wife, Lily Rose. And after I’m gone, please help me bury my ashes. Don’t tell Lily where they are.” The nurse nodded. I struggled to pick up a pen and scrawled three words on the divorce agreement. “Adam Foster.” … In an instant, my soul was pulled away by some force. Just as they pronounced me dead, the door of the operating room was suddenly pushed open. Everyone was stunned. “Dr. Rose?” I floated in mid-air, feeling a bit confused. It made sense though. Lily must have gotten the news so quickly because she came to mock me. From the operating room door to the hospital bed, Lily’s few steps seemed particularly heavy. She trembled as she pulled back the white sheet covering my body. Instead of the expected mockery, I heard a choked sob. “How did this happen? How did Adam die?”

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My wife, Evelyn, is a ballet dancer. To maintain her figure, she never wanted to have children. But suddenly, she told me she was pregnant with boy and girl twins. I was overjoyed and moved to tears. Unexpectedly, her brother was diagnosed with uremia. Following her mother’s advice, Evelyn insisted on having an abortion to donate a kidney to save her brother. To keep the babies, I volunteered to donate my kidney to my brother-in-law. However, she turned around and sold our house to compensate her brother: “Honey, my brother is the only son in our family. He just had surgery and needs more money. Please understand.” Meanwhile, I was suffering from unbearable pain due to a post-surgery infection, with no money to buy medication. On my deathbed, I discovered my wife cheating with the attending physician: “Baby, he’s finally dead. Everything we planned was worth it.” “Honey, I have great news for you today. Do you want to hear it?” Evelyn, my wife, held a report in her hand, smiling at me. “I’m pregnant! Three months along, and it’s boy and girl twins!” Before me stood my wife’s graceful figure, smiling as she covered her belly, inviting me to feel the babies inside. But I was stunned. How could this be our old home? In my previous life, I had donated a kidney to my brother-in-law and contracted a serious infection. Fearing I would burden Evelyn and our twins, I gave her all our assets and rented a small apartment, planning to die alone. When I ran out of money for anti-rejection drugs and went to the hospital for cheap painkillers, I discovered my pregnant wife cheating with my attending physician. As I stood there shocked, I overheard them plotting my death. Just as I was about to confront the adulterous couple, I was hit by a car and died instantly. Remembering all this, I snapped back to reality. Evelyn looked at me puzzled and hugged my arm, saying, “What’s wrong, honey? Are you shocked by my surprise? I know you’re overjoyed. I can finally give you children!” In my previous life, I was indeed overjoyed, even moved to tears. I took meticulous care of my wife every day, fearing the slightest mishap. I took her to the best hospitals for check-ups, hired the most expensive nanny to care for her, and took her wherever she wanted to go, afraid she might be unhappy. But in this life, hearing this news, I couldn’t help but sneer. I looked at my wife’s slightly swollen belly indifferently and said coldly, “Is that so? Honey, three months along, boy and girl twins? But I remember neither of our families has a history of twins.” Her expression changed slightly, but she quickly smiled and said coyly, “It’s all because you’re so healthy that we’re having twins.” Hearing her words, I sensed something was off. Could the children be her ex-boyfriend’s? In my previous life, I believed until my death that the children were mine. But now, her expression made me doubt. Seeing my suspicious look, she immediately became upset and started throwing a tantrum: “What’s wrong, James? I gave up the chance to study abroad to marry you, and now you doubt me like this?” I smiled and comforted her as I used to, but in my heart, I already had my answer. The next day, I took the medical report I had found in my wife’s bag the night before to a doctor friend. He looked at it, puzzled: “Brother, this clearly shows just one baby, almost four months along. Where did you get twins from?” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. I was out of town on a business trip three months ago, so how could this be possible? Indeed, Evelyn, even the children were a lie. This time, I want to see what game you’re playing, Evelyn Song.

When I returned home, my wife was wearing a tight short skirt and high heels, with exquisite makeup, about to go out. “Honey, aren’t you pregnant? Why are you going out so late? Did something happen?” I asked, looking at her glamorous appearance. She looked at me impatiently and said, “So what if I’m pregnant? Can’t I go out drinking and dancing? Besides, someone invited me, and I couldn’t refuse.” In my previous life, she loved drinking and dancing. Before her pregnancy, I didn’t stop her and even thoughtfully followed her, always ready to pick her up no matter how late it was. After she became pregnant, I didn’t let her go drinking and dancing, watching over her constantly, afraid something might happen to her. This time, I just smiled faintly and said, “Well, honey, be safe and have fun.” This time, I turned off my phone and didn’t prepare her usual hangover soup that she liked to drink after a night out. When I woke up, I was greeted by a slap from my mother-in-law. Evelyn looked at me angrily: “James Wilson, why didn’t you come to pick me up last night? Do you know how long I waited for you?” She threw her purse at my face in anger. My mother-in-law also looked at me fiercely: “James, my daughter is pregnant, and you still take her to bars? You scumbag.” Apparently, at three in the morning, Evelyn got tired of partying at the bar and called me to pick her up. In the past, I would have been waiting outside the bar with soup, ready to embrace her and take her home as soon as she came out, giving her the hangover soup. After waiting for a long time and unable to reach me, she had to call her ex-boyfriend, but he hung up after one ring. She had no choice but to call her mother to pick her up. Feeling the stinging pain on my cheek, I looked at my wife on the couch and couldn’t help but laugh coldly: “Mom, Evelyn loves partying and drinking. I’ve tried to persuade her, but she doesn’t listen. She says she has friends outside and can’t refuse. Besides, didn’t you say I should listen to Evelyn in everything?” “Honey, I was too tired recently. There’s a good project worth $3 million, so I didn’t hear the phone.” As soon as I said this, Evelyn, who had been throwing a tantrum, immediately stopped.

My mother-in-law’s eyes lit up when she heard this: “Three million dollars? That’s perfect. Your brother is about to get married and wants to buy a house. Since you’re his sister and brother-in-law and have money, your father and I plan to pay a down payment of $100,000. The rest of the loan, $1.4 million, you two can pay. It’s a way to help your brother.” My wife nodded in agreement: “Mom’s right. James earns a lot anyway, so we can take on the loan. My brother is the only son in our family, the one to carry on the family name. Mom, just call us when it’s time to buy the house.” Watching the two of them playing off each other, ready to saddle me with over a million dollars in debt, I smiled faintly: “I’m afraid not, Mom. The company’s project needs investment, so I’ve put our money into it. I don’t think we have enough to help with my brother-in-law’s loan.” Hearing this, my wife’s expression changed slightly. She looked at me and said: “What? You invested the money without telling me? That’s all my money!” “Well, James Wilson, you’ve grown quite bold. Now you’re making such big decisions without telling me? I’m the head of this family.” I laughed coldly. All her money? She does work, dancing for a living, but all that money goes to buying luxury goods. I pay for all the household expenses. She said she didn’t want to do housework, so I hired a housekeeper. When she wanted to travel abroad, I immediately arranged all-inclusive services for her. She even required me to pay for her mother’s entire family, including her brother’s tuition and living expenses, as well as the daily expenses of the whole family. I used to think it was fine, as long as my wife was happy. After all, a happy wife means a happy life, right? But in my previous life, just before I died, I accidentally discovered that my wife had been sending the money I worked so hard for to support her ex-boyfriend’s graduate studies abroad. Meanwhile, I was drinking and socializing every day, just to provide her with a better living environment, even developing a gastric ulcer that put me in the hospital. At that time, she only sent a caregiver to check on me once and then left, saying: “It’s just a gastric ulcer. Besides, making money and supporting the family is what you’re supposed to do. It’s just a minor illness, you won’t die.” Yet she turned around and used the money I earned to buy her ex-boyfriend a watch worth tens of thousands of dollars. How ridiculous. I never thought I’d have to support her ex-boyfriend too. Did she really think of me as nothing but a cash cow to milk dry? She even flew abroad to celebrate her birthday with her ex-boyfriend while I was on a business trip, posting on social media: “You are the love of my life.” She confronted me aggressively: “James Wilson, how dare you? That’s so much money. Don’t you know the two children in my belly need to live? You… you…” My mother-in-law, hearing that I had invested the money, immediately pointed at me and started cursing: “Oh my goodness, you used to say how good you’d be to my daughter, how you’d take care of our whole family. Now you won’t even take on a loan for her brother? It’s laughable. If my daughter weren’t pregnant now, I’d definitely make her divorce you.” I smiled and took out my phone, showing a pre-prepared program: “Honey, don’t worry. The company’s investment has already received double the profit, at least several million dollars. Look, I have so much money here.” Evelyn immediately took my phone to look. Seeing that the invested money had doubled, her expression changed instantly as she hugged me: “You naughty boy, why didn’t you say so earlier? You made me worry for nothing.” I handed her a bag she had been wanting and smiled: “This is a gift for you, to thank you for enduring the hardships of pregnancy.” I also gave my mother-in-law a handbag, saying: “Mom, I’ve remembered everything you said. This is a token of my appreciation.” My mother-in-law saw that the bag was worth tens of thousands of dollars and immediately beamed with joy. Little did they know, I had already installed voice recorders and trackers in these bags, and surveillance cameras in the house.

Sure enough, as soon as I left for work, my beautiful wife immediately called a man: “Oh, come quickly! I have some great news to tell you. And the baby misses you too.” Not long after, the door opened, and Ryan embraced Evelyn, kissing her: “Baby, what’s the good news? Tell me quickly.” Evelyn, held in the man’s arms, smiled broadly: “You don’t know, that doormat of mine, his investment has doubled. We can make another big score!” Hearing this, Ryan immediately said excitedly: “Really? Then get your mom to tell him your brother has uremia. I have connections here, we can trick him into giving up his kidney, and we can even sell it for some money. Once he’s dead, all the assets will be ours.” Evelyn smiled, covering her belly: “Alright, that doormat is so annoying, always not letting me go out and play. You’re the best, you understand me the most.” Ryan heard this and smiled, hugging Evelyn: “Baby, after all, you married that fool to support my studies abroad. You’ve suffered such a great injustice, I’ll definitely be devoted to you.” Hearing their conversation through the surveillance, I was stunned. The kidney donation in my previous life was fake, it was all a scam by her family to get my kidney. So I had been played for a fool by her entire family. Knowing the truth, I couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. I had given my all, only to be considered a doormat. The child I thought was mine turned out to be her ex-boyfriend’s. I never thought even the uremia was a lie, just waiting for me to fall into their trap. The two in the video were entangled together, but I just laughed coldly. Since that’s how it is, don’t blame me for being too ruthless.

When I got home that evening, I received a call from the hospital. When I arrived at the hospital, Evelyn was sitting up with a rosy complexion. Mrs. Song and Zack were sitting in chairs, with Ryan standing nearby. The atmosphere was tense. As soon as I arrived, Evelyn covered her belly and started crying: “Mom, what’s happening to our family? Dad died early, leaving just my brother and the three of us. My brother is the only son of our Song family, and now he has uremia.” Beside her, my brother-in-law Zack was crying, but his eyes couldn’t hide his smugness. “Yes, sis, brother-in-law, mom, what should I do? I’m about to get married, what am I going to do now?” My mother-in-law was crying, her face full of tears. I suppressed my anger, looking at the family putting on an act before me: “What should we do? Mom, Zack, what can we do now that he’s sick?” Suddenly, my mother-in-law knelt before Evelyn: “The doctor said you’re the most suitable. Please, Evelyn, I only have one son. Just donate one kidney to your brother, just one, okay? Mom is begging you.” In my previous life, hearing this, I immediately pulled my wife aside and said: “Honey, you’ve just gotten pregnant, and it’s twins. You need to think this through carefully.” My wife pushed me away and cried to her mother: “Mom, I agree. Zack is our family’s treasure. I can live without children, but our Song family can’t be without its only son. He’s the one to carry on our family line.” In this life, my wife reacted the same way, crying and saying she was willing to abort the babies and donate a kidney to Zack. Everyone was waiting for me to step up like in my previous life, willing to donate a kidney for the sake of the children and my wife. But to their disappointment, I directly hugged my wife and said to my mother-in-law: “I think my wife is right. We can have more children, but Zack’s life is irreplaceable. I support my wife’s decision to give up the babies to save Zack. I’ll take good care of her, don’t worry. Honey, I won’t look down on you for having only one kidney.” As soon as I finished speaking, my mother-in-law was stunned. My wife, hearing my words, couldn’t help but blurt out: “Honey, that’s not right, you shouldn’t…” Ryan, standing nearby, also looked at me in disbelief: “You… how can you let your wife abort the babies to save her brother?” I put on a pained expression, my voice tinged with helplessness: “You don’t understand. My wife values her mother’s family very highly. If she’s willing to abort the babies and donate a kidney, what can I do? Besides, I support all of my wife’s decisions. We can always have more children, right, honey? When is Zack’s surgery? I need to request time off to take care of you.” My wife, Evelyn, was shocked by my words. She couldn’t help but ask: “I’m going to have an abortion, honey. An abortion, do you understand? Our children will be gone.” I nodded and said: “I understand. Honey, you’re so brave to do this for your brother. It’s truly admirable.” These children aren’t even mine, why should I care so much? Besides, would Evelyn really be willing to abort the children she had with her ex-boyfriend? My mother-in-law and Zack hadn’t expected me to actually agree, and they were also stunned. Unexpectedly, the next second, Zack fainted and fell to the ground.

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In our neighboring town, there was a peculiar phenomenon – the production of so-called “vase maidens”. These women, seemingly living inside ornate vases, were known for their extraordinary beauty, especially their delicate, alluring lips. Men from outside the town would spend their last penny to marry one and bring her home. My father, Jack, had always been envious. He finally borrowed money to marry one himself. But late one night, I discovered the terrifying secret behind these vase maidens. The town was buzzing with excitement that day. Tom Short, who had been single for decades, was grinning from ear to ear as he carried a vase maiden out of a wedding carriage. Everyone craned their necks to get a better look. The vase was about waist-high, adorned with intricate, lifelike patterns that seemed to shimmer and move. From the top of the vase emerged a woman’s neck, slender and pale. Her face was covered by a bridal veil, obscuring her features, but her exquisite lips were visible, slightly parted to reveal perfect white teeth. Several men nearby were practically drooling, their eyes filled with envy and jealousy. I unconsciously touched the scar on my right cheek. If I hadn’t been scalded by hot water as a child, would I have been as beautiful as her? “That Tom Short is one lucky bastard,” someone muttered. “He looks like a potato, but he managed to snag a vase maiden.” “I heard these vase maidens prefer shorter men,” another chimed in. My father’s interest was immediately piqued. “Why’s that?” he asked, his own lack of height suddenly seeming like an advantage. The crowd burst into laughter. “Makes it easier to take care of them, doesn’t it?” Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’m going to borrow money and get one tomorrow.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. My father was notorious in our town for never paying his debts. He still owed money for drinks all over town. Who would lend him anything? But to my surprise, the very next day, my father brought home a vase maiden of his own. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful, with skin like porcelain and eyes like works of art. Beneath her high, straight nose were lips so luscious they seemed to beg for a kiss. Even I, another woman, couldn’t help but feel my heart flutter at the sight of her. I could only imagine how men must feel. My father was completely smitten, holding the vase and staring at the woman with such intensity that he was practically drooling. The woman, too, was looking at my father with bright, inquisitive eyes, seeming to grow fonder with each passing moment. I was utterly confused. My father was well into his forties, dark-skinned and far from handsome. Years of smoking and drinking had left him with bad breath and blackened teeth. How could this vase maiden possibly like him? Then the vase maiden noticed me standing in the doorway and let out a startled cry. “Who is that? She looks terrifying!” The scar on my right cheek was uneven and ugly, like a twisted vine clinging to my face. My father rushed to comfort her. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. This is my daughter, Lily. Rose, this is your new stepdaughter.” Rose glared at my father, clearly displeased. “Stepdaughter? I’m still a young virgin! How could I possibly have a daughter this old? Besides, I’m probably not much older than her.” She glanced at the scar on my face, her expression full of disdain. My father chuckled nervously. “Well, then, she can just call you by your name. I’ll treat you like my own daughter.” “Oh, stop it,” Rose giggled coyly. My father, unable to contain himself any longer, carried Rose off to the bedroom. For a moment, I could have sworn I saw the patterns on Rose’s vase move. Soon, the sounds of my father’s pleasure echoed from the room. For the next few days, my father barely left the bedroom, not even coming out to eat. One day, I went to call him for dinner. When he emerged, his steps were unsteady, but his face wore a satisfied smile. Rose looked even more radiant, her little mouth like a ripe cherry, juicy and inviting. I’m not sure if it was my imagination, but the patterns on Rose’s vase seemed more vibrant and lush than before. As my father carried her out, Rose pouted, saying she wasn’t satisfied yet. “Be patient, darling. We’ll eat and then go back to the room,” my father said, placing Rose on a chair and attentively offering her a piece of meat. This meat had cost us a month’s worth of food rations. But Rose flew into a rage. “Have you gone senile? Do you think I eat this pig slop like you do? I wasn’t satisfied earlier, and if you can’t provide for me properly, you should send me back home right now!” I was puzzled. Rose had been in the room with my father the whole time, and I hadn’t seen him bring any food in. My father looked embarrassed and tried to soothe her. “I’ve been feeling a bit weak lately. I’ll eat some supplements tomorrow, I promise I’ll satisfy you then.” But Rose wouldn’t let it go, insisting she was hungry and wanted to eat now. Just then, there was a loud banging on our front door. Several menacing-looking men barged in.

I recognized the leader – it was Mike Bull, a notorious loan shark from town. He had once crippled a villager who couldn’t repay his debt. “Jack Smith, your loan is due today. Pay up, with interest,” Mike growled. I was shocked. Had my father really taken out a high-interest loan to marry Rose? My father stammered, and Mike threatened to take one of his legs as payment. Terrified, my father pointed at me with a shaking finger. “This is my daughter. Take her as payment.” But Mike wasn’t interested in me, saying I was too ugly. “But she’s healthy!” my father insisted. “You could sell any part of her body and clear my debt!” I felt my eyes burning with angry tears. I knew my father was a beast, but I never imagined he’d stoop this low, trading his daughter’s life for his own safety. Mike reconsidered, eyeing me like a piece of merchandise. Just as he was about to drag me away, Rose’s voice came from inside the room. “Who’s making all that noise out there, disturbing my beauty sleep?” Mike turned and saw Rose in the room. His eyes nearly popped out of his head. “A vase maiden! You old dog, you know how to live it up, don’t you?” One of Mike’s men whispered in his ear, “Boss, I heard these vase maidens are made from young virgins. They might not have bodies, but those lips, man…” The man grew more excited as he spoke, rubbing his hands together and eager to get a closer look. I thought my father would refuse, but to my horror, he offered Rose as a bargaining chip. He said if they went in to “appreciate” the vase maiden, he could have a few more days to repay the debt. Mike agreed immediately, grinning as he and his men entered Rose’s room. They didn’t come out until the next morning, looking thoroughly satisfied. I had expected Rose to be devastated by the violation, but to my surprise, she wore a content smile, with traces of fluid still visible at the corners of her mouth. I felt a chill run down my spine. For the next few days, Mike and his men didn’t come back to collect the debt. As I passed by Rose’s room, I heard her throwing a tantrum inside. “They say men in their forties are like wolves, but how did I end up with such a wimp? If I had known, I would have married someone strong like Mike Bull. Send me back right now, I can’t stand another minute here!” I was stunned by what I heard. Rose wasn’t disgusted by the men who had abused her, but rather longed for their strength? When she first arrived, she had seemed pleased with my father, but now she was full of contempt. It seemed she didn’t care for my father as a person, but wanted something from him. Curious, I peeked through a crack in the door. What I saw left me shocked. The woman who had been so vibrant and alluring that morning now had dull, lifeless skin. Her once luscious red lips were now dry and thin, as if all the moisture had been sucked out of them. Even stranger, the lifelike patterns on her vase now looked wilted, like plants that hadn’t been watered. What secret was this woman hiding? To please Rose, my father actually invited Mike back. Mike was delighted, of course, and stayed in Rose’s room for three days and nights. But when he emerged, I was horrified by his appearance. The once strong and robust man was now skin and bones, with sunken eyes and protruding cheekbones. He looked so frail that a gust of wind could have knocked him over. I watched as he stumbled out of our house. When he reached the river, he lost his footing and fell in. By the time they fished him out, he had already drowned. That night, Rose forced my father to find her another strong man. Remembering Mike’s transformation, my curiosity got the better of me. I snuck around to the back of Rose’s room and peered through a gap in the window. What I saw inside made my eyes widen in shock and horror.

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For a week straight, my roommate dreamed of having passionate encounters with a mysterious man. We joked that her destined soulmate was on his way. The next day, she died. That night, I dreamed of a man climbing into my bed. On a weekend morning, Rachel, my roommate, teasingly asked Emma, our other roommate, “You were up to no good again last night, weren’t you? I heard you moaning all night long.” Emma’s face turned bright red, and she lowered her head, stammering. “Well… it was just a dream. I can’t control that, you know.” Then she looked up and whispered to us, “To be honest, I’ve been dreaming about this guy for a whole week now.” This revelation instantly sparked our gossip-loving souls. “Really? Is he handsome? Do you know him?” we asked eagerly. “He’s incredibly hot,” Emma replied. “Six feet tall, with a six-pack, and he’s amazing in bed.” “Ooh!” We wiggled our fingers at her teasingly. “This might be your destined soulmate,” Rachel said, putting her arm around Emma’s shoulders. “Have you thought about trying to find him?” Emma shook her head and pulled away. “Stop it, you guys. I’m not talking about this anymore. I’m leaving.” With that, she grabbed her bag and skipped out of the room. There were only three of us in our dorm room. Rachel left in the afternoon for a club activity. Bored, I went out on a date with my boyfriend, Jack. On our way, I told Jack about Emma’s dreams. His face suddenly changed. “What soulmate? This is a evil spirit coming to claim her life. If she dreams about him for seven consecutive nights, she’ll die for sure!” I was startled by his reaction and looked up at him, confused. “But she’s already been dreaming about him for seven nights.” His face turned grim, and he sighed. “Then there’s no hope for her.” I was completely bewildered by his words. Just then, I received a call from Rachel. Her voice was trembling on the other end of the line. “Lily, Emma is dead.” I felt a chill run through my entire body.

When we arrived at the scene, Emma’s body had already been taken away. Rachel stood nearby, covering her mouth, her eyes filled with terror. According to witnesses, Emma seemed to be talking to someone on the street, even though there was no one visibly near her. Then, at a red light, she suddenly ran into the middle of the road like a madwoman. A truck couldn’t stop in time and hit her. The scene was horrific. I covered my mouth, tears streaming down my face, unable to believe that my roommate, who had been joking with us just this morning, was now gone. When I turned around, Rachel was looking in my direction, her eyes full of sorrow. I walked over and hugged her, trying to comfort her. She hesitated for a moment before hugging me back. Jack’s expression was very strange. He stared intently in my direction, his eyebrows furrowed. After saying goodbye to Jack, Rachel and I returned to our dorm room, feeling lost and dejected. Looking at Emma’s empty bed made us feel awful. “Lily,” Rachel said, her voice trembling as she stared at the ceiling, “do you think Emma’s death could be related to those dreams she was having?” I shuddered, remembering what Jack had told me. A chill ran down my spine. “Don’t think like that,” I said, forcing a smile. “It was just an accident.” I pulled my curtains closed, but Jack’s words kept echoing in my mind. The more I thought about it, the more scared I became. I sent him a message on SnapChat. “Babe, how did you know something would happen to Emma?” “She was haunted by an evil spirit,” he replied. “The guy in her dreams was a male ghost sucking her life force. When a person’s energy is drained to a certain point, they fall under the ghost’s influence.” My heart skipped a beat. If anyone else had said something so bizarre, I wouldn’t have believed it. But Jack’s family had a history of dealing with the supernatural, and he knew a lot about ghosts and spirits. Besides, he wouldn’t scare me with something like this for no reason. I started to panic. “What should I do? Will it come after me next?” “Don’t worry, that evil spirit was probably only targeting your roommate. It shouldn’t bother you.” Hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief and put down my phone. Soon after, I felt drowsy. As I was drifting off to sleep, I suddenly heard the creaking sound of someone climbing the ladder to my bed. I was startled awake. Who would be climbing up to my bed in the middle of the night? I turned my head and saw a naked man smiling as he climbed onto my bed. In that instant, I felt as if my blood had frozen. The man looked very young and extremely handsome, with a perfect six-pack. Then I remembered – this was exactly how Emma had described the man in her dreams! Recalling Emma’s terrible fate, my eyes widened in terror. No matter how handsome he was, he was still a deadly evil spirit. I tried desperately to struggle, but I couldn’t move a single finger. I suddenly realized I was experiencing sleep paralysis. All I could do was watch helplessly with wide eyes as he slowly began to remove my clothes. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Just as he was about to succeed, my phone suddenly emitted a blinding white light. The man let out a painful scream, jumping off the bed and clutching his hand in agony. He shot me a hateful glance before disappearing into thin air. I felt an immense sense of relief, gasping for air. Everything around me started to blur, and then everything went black. I’m not sure if I fell asleep or passed out.

I don’t know how much time had passed when I suddenly woke up, sitting bolt upright, my body covered in cold sweat. I touched my body nervously, relieved to find everything intact. Then a burnt smell hit my nostrils. Looking down, I saw that my phone case had been scorched. Inside, there used to be a talisman that Jack had given me, but now it had been reduced to ashes. It seems that the talisman had saved me last night. That evil spirit had indeed come after me. Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief and go seek Jack’s help, I heard a thumping sound coming from right next to me, behind my curtain. I froze, swallowing hard. What could be making that noise by my bed? Slowly, I pulled back the curtain. My blood ran cold at what I saw. A face with bulging eyes and a purple-blue complexion was inches from mine. My head felt like it had been hit with a hammer. I screamed and recoiled. I recognized the face – it was Rachel. I was so terrified that I burst into tears. Rachel had hanged herself from the railing of my bed. She had tied the rope to my bed frame and was dangling in a grotesquely contorted position. My bed wasn’t very high; her toes could almost touch the ground. It seemed impossible for someone to hang themselves at this height. But she was dead, her face blue-purple, eyes bulging, tongue protruding. It must have been that evil spirit’s doing. I jumped out of bed like a madwoman, wailing and scrambling to call the dorm supervisor. When Mrs. Johnson heard that another student in my room had died, she nearly fainted from shock. But when I brought her to our room, Rachel’s body, which had been hanging from my bed, was gone. Mrs. Johnson visibly relaxed, frowning at me. “Young lady, do you think it’s funny to play such pranks?” I stared at her in horror, pointing at my bed. “Mrs. Johnson, I’m not lying. I saw her hanging there with my own eyes just now.” Mrs. Johnson looked at me sympathetically, thinking I was hallucinating due to the trauma of Emma’s death. She sighed and turned to leave. Gathering my courage, I walked over to Rachel’s bed and pulled back the curtain. She wasn’t there. What I had seen earlier was definitely not a hallucination. Rachel was dead too, and I would be next! Terrified out of my wits, I fled the dorm and arranged to meet Jack somewhere.

When Jack saw me, he was shocked. I stood in the sunlight, drenched in cold sweat despite the heat, wrapped up tightly in layers of clothes. Passersby stared at me as if I were mentally ill. Jack’s lips trembled slightly as he slowly approached me. I grabbed his hand like a drowning person clutching at a lifeline. “Babe, please help me,” I pleaded. “Rachel is dead too. I’m next…” Before I could finish, I froze. Jack wasn’t looking at me, but frowning at something behind me. “You bastard, get off her!” he shouted. “Who… who are you talking to?” I stammered. Jack’s face was filled with anger as he pulled out a talisman from his pocket. “Don’t move, darling. That ghost is on your back.” I started shaking uncontrollably, making strange choking sounds. I felt as if a pair of icy hands were caressing my body. Jack gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and suddenly threw the talisman. I thought I heard a faint scream, and it felt like something had been lifted off my body. I threw myself into Jack’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Jack sighed and stroked my body, trying to comfort me. We went to a coffee shop. I stared out the window, looking almost catatonic. Jack lowered his head, deep in thought. After a long silence, I was the first to speak. “Darling, is there any hope for me?” Jack took a sip of coffee, his expression grim. “I didn’t expect this thing to be so powerful. If it had been a few days ago, I could have dealt with it. But now that it has absorbed the life force of two people, I’m no match for it.” I panicked instantly. “Does that mean I can only wait for death?” Jack grasped my hand, his eyes full of tenderness. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely save you.” “Do you still have the amulet I gave you last time?” I paused for a moment, then pulled out a wooden amulet from around my neck. “It’s here.” He took the amulet and muttered a few words. “Every night before you go to sleep, bite your finger and drop some blood on it,” he instructed. “This way, the ghost won’t dare to approach you.” “After some time, when the ghost realizes it can’t harm you, it will give up and leave. Then you’ll be safe.” I nodded vigorously, holding his hand tightly. “Darling, can I stay at your place for a while?” Jack shook his head, his eyes filled with a hint of sadness. “You must stay in the dorm. The girls’ dormitory has strong yin energy, especially after two recent deaths. The negative energy there is intense. Only in that environment can the amulet work most effectively.” I swallowed hard and nodded in agreement.

That night, I returned alone to the empty dorm room, feeling terrified. But for the sake of my life, I followed Jack’s instructions. I bit my finger hard and let the blood drip onto the amulet on my chest. At midnight, a gust of cold wind suddenly blew open the door of the dorm room. I shuddered. It was back. I squeezed my eyes shut and remained motionless. I felt a chill on my face, as if something was pressed against it. My teeth chattered, and my body was drenched in cold sweat. The entity lingered around me for a while, then seemed to realize it couldn’t harm me and left. I felt as if something had been drained from my body. I gasped for air, lacking the strength to even move a finger. An overwhelming fatigue hit me. My mind became foggy, and I slowly lost consciousness. In my hazy state, I heard someone calling my name. The voice sounded familiar. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a face covered in blood and mangled flesh. I nearly fainted on the spot. The face looked as if it had been hastily pieced together, with features misplaced and distorted. A strong smell of blood assaulted my nostrils, nearly making me vomit. “Lily, don’t be afraid. It’s me, Emma.” I huddled in my blanket, trembling. Actually, I had recognized her earlier. She was Emma, who had been crushed by the truck. The male ghost who wanted to take my life was at least somewhat presentable, but Emma’s face was utterly horrifying. “Lily, I know I look terrifying now, but don’t be afraid. I’m not here to harm you. I’m here to help you.” “Don’t trust your boyfriend. He’s trying to hurt you. That male ghost was summoned by him.” “Whatever you do, don’t trust him, or you’ll die.” With that, the smell of blood outside my blanket dissipated. I peeked out, but there was no one there. I rubbed my head, my thoughts in chaos. What did Emma mean? Jack was trying to hurt me? But he had saved me so many times. Now, not only was the old ghost still around, but a new one had appeared. I couldn’t trust the words of a ghost. If it weren’t for Jack repeatedly saving me, I would have fallen victim long ago. Besides, we had been together for a long time, and our relationship had always been good. I had no reason to distrust him. But I couldn’t help but wonder why Emma, who had been on good terms with me when she was alive, would try to drive a wedge between Jack and me. I shook my head, trying to stop my wild thoughts. According to Jack, I should be safe during the day. I didn’t want to stay in this eerie dorm room for a minute longer than necessary. I only felt a sense of safety when I was with Jack. I ran out of the dorm, intending to meet up with him. As I was passing under an overpass, a female Taoist suddenly grabbed my arm. She was heavily covered, giving off a mysterious aura. Her small eyes darted over me. “Young lady, are you being haunted by an evil spirit?” she asked. I was startled and covered my mouth. How did she know? The Taoist woman looked down and made some calculations, then looked even more shocked. “This is… a soul-stealing spell. Oh no, you might not live past tomorrow!” “What did you say?” I stumbled back two steps in horror. “What soul-stealing spell? I’m being haunted by a male ghost.” The Taoist shook her head. “That’s a minor issue, just a demonic seduction. At worst, you’d lose your life. But this soul-stealing spell is several times more vicious.” “Once the spell is complete, your soul will be scattered to the winds.” “Young lady, let me ask you, where did you get that thing around your neck?” I looked down at the amulet on my neck. “This was given to me by my boyfriend. He said it would protect me.” She paused, then shook her head. “This isn’t a protective amulet at all. On the contrary, it’s a spirit-attracting charm. Wearing this will draw evil spirits towards you from miles around.” “If I’m not mistaken, you probably have more than one evil spirit around you now, don’t you?” I stood there, dumbfounded. She was right. Last night, Emma’s ghost had also appeared at my bedside. “Young lady, take my advice. Your boyfriend is not a good person.” For a moment, I couldn’t believe it. Since I had known Jack, our relationship had always been good. I couldn’t imagine why he would want to harm me. But this Taoist woman’s words were surprisingly consistent with what Emma had said last night, which made me doubt my previously firm belief. I clutched my head in pain. Just as I was about to ask the Taoist how to break the spell, I heard Jack’s voice behind me.

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Upon learning of her first love’s death, my wife, with whom I was on our honeymoon, leaped from the cruise ship, ending her life. It was then that I realized she had never truly let go of Lucas Graham. Reborn into our youth, she decisively let go of my hand and strode towards her first love. I watched them leave, then turned away. From that moment on, our lives became two parallel lines, never to intersect. Ten years later, we met again at a gala in Bay City. She had become a new socialite, affectionately clinging to Lucas Graham’s arm as they made their entrance. Seeing me crash the gala looking for someone, she couldn’t help but advise me. “Why do you have to be so obsessed with me? Even if you waited for me for ten years, I still wouldn’t fall in love with you.” I ignored her and pulled my son out from the corner where he was sneaking cake. Her eyes suddenly reddened, and she gripped my hand tightly. “Are you trying to make me jealous on purpose? Didn’t you say you’d only love me in this lifetime?” 0

I never imagined I’d cross paths with Emma Sullivan again in this lifetime. At a high-society gala in Bay City, she stood arm-in-arm with Lucas Graham amidst the crowd, her smile elegant and refined, no trace of the girl she once was. The people surrounding them wore ingratiating smiles, their tones flattering. “Miss Sullivan, you’re truly as capable as any man! To secure a provincial-level project at such a young age, your future is limitless!” “And this must be your partner? What a handsome couple you make, enough to make anyone envious!” Lucas gazed at Emma lovingly and said softly, “We’re planning to get married at the end of the year. Everyone’s welcome to attend the wedding if you’re free.” Another round of congratulations followed, and someone asked, “I heard you’ve been together for ten years. Why are you only getting married now?” I was curious about this too. In my previous life, Emma loved Lucas so much she was willing to die with him. After my rebirth, she immediately broke up with me. I thought they would get married right after graduation, but I didn’t expect them to still be unmarried now. Hearing this question, Emma’s face momentarily stiffened, almost imperceptibly. She quickly covered it with a smile. “We wanted to establish our careers first, then start a family. I want to give Lucas the best life possible.” She looked at Lucas, her eyes overflowing with tender affection. In my previous life, when she was with me, I proposed several times. It wasn’t until her family pressured her that Emma reluctantly agreed to be with me. Apparently, the difference between love and indifference can be this obvious. I was about to turn and leave when I caught sight of a small figure from the corner of my eye. My body instinctively followed. “Crash!” Champagne spilled all over the floor, and the waiter holding the tray looked at me with displeasure. “Where did you come from? Are you blind?” His voice was loud enough to attract the attention of those around us. Seeing my face, Emma was startled. “Jack Thompson, what are you doing here?” I apologized to the waiter and explained, “I’m here to find someone.” Someone curiously asked Emma, “Miss Sullivan, do you know him?” Emma’s hand tightened on her champagne glass, her gaze becoming heavy. “Yes, an ex-boyfriend.” Someone nearby blurted out, “You’ve been together for ten years, I thought you were each other’s first love.” Lucas’s smile faded slightly. He took Emma’s hand and said casually, “We were young then, had a little fight and separated briefly. Who hasn’t taken a wrong turn when they were young?” Emma remained silent, her gaze passing over me to the waiter. “Put the damages on my tab. Let him go.” She stood there, her expression calm. Apart from the initial moment of recognition, she didn’t spare me a single extra glance. It seemed she wanted to draw a clear line between us in front of Lucas, distancing herself from this ‘wrong turn’ in her past. The waiter hurriedly pushed me towards the exit. “Miss Sullivan is being kind, cleaning up your mess. But there won’t be a next time.” He glanced at my wrinkled pajamas with disdain. “This isn’t a place for you. Get out quickly.” I shook off his hand and explained politely, “I’m here to find someone. Once I do, I’ll leave on my own.” The waiter scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I’ve seen plenty of people like you trying to rub shoulders with the elite. Do you even have the right to be at a gala like this? If you don’t leave now, I’m calling security!” “Wait,” Emma’s voice came from behind him. She picked up her dress, looked at me, and sighed resignedly. “He’s here to see me. Let me talk to him.” Lucas stood beside her, putting his arm around her shoulder possessively. “Jack, Emma and I are about to get married. I think anyone with a shred of shame wouldn’t come looking for an ex at a time like this.” Emma’s face darkened slightly, and she couldn’t help but advise me. “Why do you have to be so obsessed with me? Even if you waited for me for ten years, I still wouldn’t fall in love with you.” “My relationship with you was just a mistake. Now that I have a chance to correct that mistake, I hope you can let go of the past soon.” Lucas looked me up and down, his eyes filled with mockery. “I can understand why you came to find Emma. After all, times have changed. She’s now a well-known entrepreneur, and there’s no shortage of people trying to curry favor with her.” Perhaps my wrinkled pajamas gave him confidence. Lucas spoke arrogantly. “You graduated from a good university, how did you end up like this? If I were you, I wouldn’t have the face to go out in public!” Emma frowned, took out her phone, her tone tinged with impatience. “If you feel I wronged you when we broke up, I can give you some breakup money now.” “Is fifty thousand dollars enough?” Her fingers moved on the screen for a moment, then suddenly froze. “You deleted me from your friends list?” 0

I was a bit puzzled, not understanding why her reaction was so strong. Isn’t it normal to delete an ex after breaking up? Moreover, I have someone at home who gets jealous easily. If she knew I still had my ex-girlfriend’s contact information, who knows what kind of fuss she’d kick up. “Wasn’t it you who said you hoped I wouldn’t come looking for you after we broke up?” I asked. Emma’s face turned cold. She looked like she wanted to say something but held back. My tone was flat as I added, “And the breakup money isn’t necessary. I don’t need it.” After these repeated setbacks, Emma’s expression worsened. She said coldly, “Why are you still pretending in front of me? If I didn’t see how down and out you are now, I wouldn’t even bother saying a word to you.” Lucas gently comforted her. “Emma, you’re just too kind-hearted. In my opinion, why bother with a man like this? Look at his shabby appearance, he’s just a hopeless case!” His tone was contemptuous, seemingly forgetting that ten years ago, he was in an even worse state than me. In my previous life, the reason Emma’s family didn’t approve of her being with Lucas was because he was an uneducated, lawbreaking hooligan. The first time I met Emma in college, she had just bailed Lucas out of the police station and was being forced by her family to break up with him. During Emma’s most depressed period, I was the one who stayed by her side, helping her get through it. She loved photography, so I used the money I had originally planned for starting a business to buy her expensive equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars. In scorching summers and freezing winters, I carried equipment weighing dozens of pounds, following her around, just hoping to see a genuine smile on her face. Who would have thought that it was Emma who confessed to me first? I knew about her past with Lucas, and I had seen her occasionally staring at their photos in her album. So when Emma confessed, I very seriously asked her. Had she really gotten over Lucas? At that time, she hugged me tightly and said firmly, “That’s all in the past. I’ve long since realized who truly cares for me. Jack, I love you. Let’s be together.” We dated for seven years. Even her best friend couldn’t help but be surprised. “She liked Lucas so much, I thought you two wouldn’t last long.” But what no one knew was that Emma had rejected my proposals countless times in private. “Jack, I’m against marriage. Isn’t it good for us to just stay like this forever?” It wasn’t until Emma’s parents started pressuring her about marriage that she agreed to get married. During our honeymoon, when news of Lucas’s accidental car crash came, she jumped off the cruise ship, leaving only a suicide note. In the note, it was full of her love for Lucas, without a single word left for me. At the end, she wrote in blood, “Lucas, all I ever wanted in this life was to be your bride. Now, I’m coming to find you.” My love for her also turned to ashes at that moment. So when Emma wanted to break up with me after my rebirth, I didn’t stop her. Because I knew it was unstoppable. Watching them get back together, I deleted all of Emma’s contact information, thinking there would be no chance to meet again in this life. But I didn’t expect to encounter her here. I wanted to leave, but Lucas wouldn’t let it go, insisting on humiliating me in front of everyone. “You’ve really gone to great lengths to hook up with Emma. Looking at how you’re dressed, I bet you don’t even have a job to make ends meet.” “How about this, I’ll introduce you to work as a waiter here. If you learn to serve people well, you could make five figures a month.” Someone nearby, wanting to please him, added with a grin, “This is a hotel in the prime location of Bay City. Being able to work here would be extremely fortunate for you. Hurry up and thank Mr. Graham!” Surrounded by people and unable to leave, I said helplessly, “Thank you, but I already have a job.” “It’s photography.” As soon as the word ‘photography’ came out, Emma immediately looked at me. Her eyes flashed with complexity, and her lips moved a few times. She turned her head away, not looking at me, her tone cold. “How much can you earn from photography? You can’t make a living from a hobby. Given that we all know each other, I can arrange a job for you.” I was stunned, immediately realizing she had misunderstood. 0

My love for photography wasn’t because I still had lingering feelings for Emma. In fact, when I saw that suicide note in my previous life, I had already completely given up on her. It’s just that when I was reborn, I found that all the money had already been spent on photography equipment. I couldn’t sell it on second-hand platforms, so I had no choice but to pick it up and use it myself. As a result, I really fell in love with photography. In this life, it’s not to please others, but just for myself. I politely declined Emma’s offer again, my tone courteous but distant. “My hobby is enough to cover my living expenses. Thank you for your concern.” Seeing that I didn’t appreciate her kindness, Emma’s face flashed with anger. “You’re not taking the opportunity I’m giving you. Don’t come crying to me for help later!” I didn’t say anything, nor did I tell her. Now, my photography works are exclusively supplied to several national-level publications, as well as top international journals. The various copyright fees, when added up, are not lower than Emma’s income. But if I said that, she would probably think I was bragging. After all, in these wrinkled pajamas, I did look quite shabby. It was all because of my son. He insisted on playing with me in the sandbox, and when I turned around, he had slipped downstairs again. I didn’t have time to change clothes before I chased after him. Just as I was looking for an excuse to leave, the waiter from earlier seemed to have discovered something. He pointed at my clothes and said, “Balenciaga? Where did you pick up this shirt? You’re not a cleaner here who stole it from a guest’s room, are you?” I couldn’t help but frown. “Can’t this shirt be my own?” Lucas sneered, mocking, “Your own? Can you afford it? What rich person would dress so casually and run around like you?” He dramatically covered his nose. “It’s so dirty, you probably put it on without even washing it after stealing it.” Emma looked at me, her brows furrowed so tightly they could kill a fly. “Jack, have you really sunk so low? Do you still want to be stubborn?” I didn’t want to deal with them anymore and directly said to the waiter, “If you really think I stole something, you can call the police right now.” I knew he saw Lucas’s dissatisfaction with me and wanted to step on me to please him. Sure enough, his aggressive attitude immediately deflated, and he muttered, “If it weren’t for the VIP guest at the hotel today, and we’re afraid of disturbing them with people like you, I would have called the police already.” Lucas’s eyes lit up, and he quickly chimed in. “It must be the young lady from the Lawrence family, right? I heard she and her family are vacationing in Bay City and staying at this hotel.” Emma nodded, her eyes revealing a hint of anticipation. “If only we could get the Lawrence family’s support for the project our company is working on.” The words “young lady from the Lawrence family” were like throwing gasoline on a fire, immediately sparking a wave of discussion. “Isn’t the reason we came to this gala today to meet Miss Lawrence? This entire building belongs to her family.” “I heard she got married and had a child in her early twenties. I wonder which family’s son she married into.” As everyone was discussing, the hotel manager came running in, sweating profusely, with a team of people behind him. “Has anyone seen a seven-year-old boy, about this tall?” The manager wiped his sweat, his eyes anxiously searching the hall. Someone quick-witted, seeing such a commotion, immediately guessed what was happening. “Is it the young master of the Lawrence family? I heard he’s just seven years old this year.” The gala attendees became enthusiastic, hurriedly searching everywhere. After all, if they found the child, there would be a chance to establish a connection with the Lawrence family. Emma and Lucas also joined the search, no longer paying attention to me. Looking at the chaotic hall, I walked straight to the dessert area. Sure enough, I found my son under the table, his face smeared with cream. I extended my hand with a stern face. “Come here.” My son was startled and clung to the table leg, refusing to let go. “No.” Just as I was about to pull him over, Lucas appeared out of nowhere, righteously blocking my way. “Jack Thompson, what are you doing!” “Even if you want to curry favor with the Lawrence family, you shouldn’t lay hands on a child!” Emma rushed over at the news, her eyes full of disappointment as she looked at me. “Jack, I never thought you’d do something like this for fame and fortune.” The waiter grabbed the manager and tattled. “It’s this man, he suddenly barged into the gala and even stole clothes from other guests!” The manager’s face immediately darkened, and he called for security. “Arrest this thief and send him straight to the police station! If he scares the young master, you’ll all lose your jobs!” A hint of a triumphant smile flashed in Lucas’s eyes. He bent down and put on a kind face for the Lawrence family’s young master. “Come here to uncle, uncle will protect you.” My son ignored him completely. To everyone’s astonishment, he cautiously reached out to hold my hand. “Dad, I know I was wrong.”

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On the eve of the annual company party, my husband Lucas said he had a surprise for me, a top-tier lawyer. However, the next day, he publicly increased the marketing manager’s bonus fivefold. For me, he only said, “Keep up the good work next year.” When I questioned this, Lucas brushed it off carelessly: “Your courtroom performance is indeed impressive, but without Bella’s promotion, you wouldn’t have become a star lawyer.” “Besides, we’re married. What’s mine is yours. Why fuss over a little bonus?” Everyone was waiting for a show, but I didn’t make a scene. Instead, I remained silent until the end of the party. The next day, I personally placed my resignation letter on Lucas’s desk. “You might as well add my salary to Bella’s. Consider it a wedding gift for you two.” Lucas cursed me for being petty, swearing I’d end up begging on the streets without him. But he forgot that as an experienced top-tier lawyer like me, prestigious law firms would be lining up to hire me! “I don’t want to talk to you anymore!” Lucas loosened his tie and tossed his jacket onto the sofa, his face cold and refusing to communicate. I rubbed my temples, feeling utterly exhausted. Since we got off work, Lucas and I had been arguing about today’s law firm annual party. I couldn’t understand why he downplayed my achievements, nor why he excessively praised Bella, a newcomer who had just joined the firm. Lucas, however, thought I was being petty, fighting with Bella over such small favors. As we argued, neither of us was willing to back down, and the atmosphere grew tense. Just then, Lucas’s phone buzzed with a message. He pulled it out, looked at it, and his face twisted with annoyance. “There’s an urgent matter at the firm that needs my attention. Sarah, I don’t want to argue with you about this. Take care of yourself, and don’t forget to prepare and send me the case analysis for tomorrow’s work.” “If you continue being so petty, I can’t help you. We’ve been married for five years, and you’re hung up on this small amount of money. I’m so disappointed in you.” “I’m being petty?” I felt helpless. Lucas always changed the subject during arguments, never directly addressing an issue. Whenever Bella was mentioned, he always had a bunch of excuses about being busy. Most often, he would use the fact that we were married to tell me not to be so calculative. For the next half hour, I was speechless. Lucas, complaining about working all day, specifically took a shower before returning to the bedroom to change clothes. During this time, we didn’t speak, falling into a cold war. But life can’t go on like this. Someone has to make the first move. “Honey…” After pondering for a moment, I was about to take the initiative to make peace when I inadvertently noticed something strange. Lucas was secretly stuffing something into his suit pants. As I got closer, I was shocked to see it was a pair of black stockings! And I didn’t own that type… The words I was about to say got stuck in my throat. I couldn’t speak them, nor could I swallow them back. My heart sank. I couldn’t help but think about how Lucas had changed towards me over the past six months. He always had work to discuss, was always on business trips, became increasingly impatient with me, and we hadn’t even been intimate for a long time. At this moment, I finally realized he was having an affair. After a moment’s hesitation, I instinctively wanted to stop him, but then I paused. I suppressed the anger in my heart, thinking I might as well use this incident to divorce him directly. After all, my marriage to Lucas had long been a facade. Thinking this, I quietly left the bedroom and sat on the sofa, waiting. Lucas came out not long after, looking slightly nervous. “Sarah, did you call me just now?” Hearing this, I looked up, perfectly feigning a confused expression. “No.” Seeing no unusual reaction from me, Lucas visibly relaxed, his face turning cold again. “I need to go back to the firm now. We’ll talk about the year-end bonus when I get back. I might not be able to come home tonight.” Then, without waiting for my response, he hurriedly left. A few minutes later, estimating the time it would take him to drive out of the neighborhood, I got dressed, went downstairs, and took a taxi to follow him. From the moment Lucas left home, he wasn’t heading in the direction of the law firm!

In the taxi, I let out a cold laugh as I saw his car finally stop in front of a hotel. Although I couldn’t go up to the hotel, I could get into his car. I unlocked the car, played back the driving recorder, and heard Lucas calling a woman just after he got in the car, addressing her as “baby” right off the bat. “Hello? Bella? Are you there yet? I’m almost there… It’s just that Sarah again. I don’t know what’s wrong with her these past few months, always looking for reasons to argue.” I frowned, but Lucas’s next words were even more hurtful. “She should think about who got her where she is today. Now she dares to argue with me over the year-end bonus. She’s really gone too far. It’s making me so angry. I need your kiss, baby…” My blood boiled as I realized the person on the other end of the line was Bella. No wonder her contributions were the greatest this year and her bonus was doubled. It turns out she had been doing “overtime” after work. Lucas, how could you do this to me? Six months ago, when Bella joined the firm, it was strange enough that she was promoted to team leader with just a few years of experience after graduation. Despite her mediocre abilities, Lucas always assigned her the best resources, causing quite a stir among other colleagues. Later, Bella leveraged these resources to become the marketing manager in just six months. That’s when I started to become suspicious. On the other hand, Lucas’s care for her in daily life was meticulous. At most dinners and social events, I often couldn’t sit next to Lucas, but Bella was always by his side. I had voiced my objections before, but Lucas always said she was his junior from college, and it was only right to look after her. For the past six months, every time Lucas didn’t let me accompany him to a social event or business trip, he was probably fooling around with Bella. Finally, I returned home in a daze. Sitting on the sofa, I rubbed my face. Suspecting and actually discovering are two different feelings. At least I had truly loved Lucas. Now, seeing and hearing it with my own eyes and ears, I still felt heartbroken. The TV at home was broadcasting local news about someone killing for revenge for their mother. I had no interest in watching and tossed and turned half the night before finally falling asleep on the sofa. The entire dream was filled with memories of Lucas and me. We met in the workplace after graduation. I was immediately drawn to Lucas’s efficient and decisive work style. I actively pursued him, and after we got together, Lucas directly opened a law firm for me. I was very grateful for his recognition and worked tirelessly for the firm. This went on for six years. Later, Lucas proposed to me, and both sets of parents were very pleased. But I never imagined that now, as the firm has grown bigger and stronger, he would already be cheating before we even reached the seven-year itch. A night of chaotic dreams led to me being late for work the next day. For this, Lucas mercilessly scolded me in front of all the senior staff during the morning meeting. “Sarah! What’s wrong with you? We had a few words yesterday, and now you dare to be late? Let me tell you, you’ve lost your perfect attendance bonus for this month! Reflect on yourself!” Faced with the sympathetic or indifferent gazes of everyone, I just nodded, not saying much. This reaction made Lucas think I had a bad attitude. After everyone else left, he sat down in the boss’s chair, folded his arms, and spoke to me coldly. “Sarah, let me tell you, don’t use your home attitude at the company! Do you think you can give me attitude in front of everyone just because you’re my wife?! I’ve always kept personal and professional lives separate!” Keeping personal and professional lives separate… I mulled over these words, finding them laughable. He keeps personal and professional lives separate with me, but last night in the car, he was all sweet talk with Bella, saying all sorts of nice things. My indifference made Lucas feel disrespected. He became furious, stood up, and slammed the table. “Sarah! What are you trying to do? Have you gone mad?!” I ignored his roar, turned around, and left the office. I went straight downstairs to HR and submitted my resignation.

“Ms. Johnson… are you sure you want to resign?” “Yes, I’m sure.” The HR staff was very surprised and repeatedly asked me. Although I had never made my relationship with Lucas public, over the years, my colleagues had all guessed it. The HR staff clearly didn’t want to get involved in our “domestic affairs” and immediately showed a troubled expression, trying to deflect. “This… this is such a big decision, I can’t make it on my own. Why don’t you go talk to Mr. Wilson about it? Ask for his opinion first.” My position was considered a pillar of the company, and logically, it indeed needed Lucas’s signature. “No need to ask. Just handle it as a regular procedure,” I said softly but firmly, not sounding like an impulsive decision made in anger. The HR staff looked at me for a while and could only agree with a bitter smile, telling me to come back in the afternoon to pick up the report. Just as I left HR, I was called to Lucas’s office again. When I went in, I saw Bella was also there. Seeing me come in, she smiled insincerely and said, “Sister Sarah is here.” “Good timing. Did you see the news yesterday about the person who killed for revenge for their mother? The case has now fallen to our firm. Bella fought for it for you. Sarah, if you handle this well, you could make a big name for yourself.” Lucas called me in, reluctantly showing some goodwill, then arrogantly “entrusted me with an important task” – to defend the killer from last night’s news. I had looked at that case this morning. As things stand, online public opinion has already pushed this case to a critical point. Lucas wasn’t wrong; if handled well, it could indeed make me famous. But I only felt that Bella had ulterior motives. This kind of case is a hot potato. No matter how you defend it, you’ll end up being criticized in the end. The law is unfeeling, but morality is emotional. The outcome of this incident, good or bad, would affect one’s career. It’s like inviting trouble for no reason. Thinking of this, I refused on the spot. “I still have several ongoing cases that aren’t finished yet. Adding a new one would be too much. I can’t take it. Please assign someone else.” “Sarah, Ms. Big Shot Lawyer, what’s wrong? You’ve had some success these past few years and now you’re looking down on this kind of case? You don’t even seize opportunities when they’re right in front of you. What are you thinking?” Lucas’s face showed mockery, his words extremely unpleasant. Bella, seeing this, also pretended to persuade me: “Sister Sarah, if this case is handled well, it will only benefit our firm. You should think twice about it, for Mr. Wilson’s sake and the firm’s long-term development.” “Since this case has come to us, and I’ve worked hard to secure it, it’s only right that someone from the company should take it on. As things stand, you’re the most suitable person for this kind of case, Sister Sarah.” I frowned, ignoring her moral coercion. Just as I was about to speak, Lucas’s phone rang. “Hello? Little Li? What’s the matter? Huh? Who? Who wants to resign?!” Lucas was stunned for a few seconds, his expression becoming extremely unpleasant in the course of a few sentences. He hung up the phone and looked at me in disbelief. “Sarah, you want to resign?! Just because I scolded you a bit this morning?!” He stood up and raged at me, his whole body fuming. I remained outwardly calm, leaning on the desk and slowly moving closer, pulling at the corners of my mouth as I spoke calmly. “Lucas, not only am I resigning, but I also want a divorce.”

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On the eve of the annual company party, my wife said she had a surprise for me, a top-tier lawyer. However, the next day, she publicly quintupled the bonus for the marketing manager. For me, she only said, “Keep up the good work next year.” When I questioned this, my wife dismissed it casually: “Your cases were indeed well-handled, but without Charlie’s promotion, you wouldn’t have become a star lawyer.” “Besides, we’re married. What’s mine is yours. Why fuss over a little bonus?” Everyone was waiting for a scene, but I didn’t make one. Instead, I remained silent until the end of the party. The next day, I personally placed my resignation letter on my wife’s desk. “You might as well add my salary to Charlie’s. Consider it a wedding gift for you two.” My wife angrily called me petty and cursed that I’d only end up unemployed. But she forgot that as an experienced top-tier lawyer like me, there were plenty of prestigious law firms eager to hire me. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore!” Grace threw her bag onto the sofa, her face cold and refusing to communicate. I rubbed my temples, feeling utterly exhausted. Since we left work, Grace and I had been arguing about what happened at the law firm’s annual party today. I couldn’t understand why she downplayed my achievements, nor could I comprehend the point of excessively praising Charlie, a newcomer who had just joined the firm. Grace, however, thought I was being petty, fighting over such small favors with Charlie. As the argument went on, neither of us was willing to back down, and the atmosphere suddenly turned cold. At that moment, Grace’s phone buzzed with a message notification. She took out her phone, and after looking at it, her face showed obvious annoyance. “There’s an urgent matter at the firm that needs my attention. Lucas, I don’t want to argue with you about this. You’d better shape up, and don’t forget to prepare and send me the case analysis for tomorrow’s work.” “If you continue being so petty, I can’t help you. We’ve been married for five years, and you’re hung up on this little money. I’m so disappointed in you.” “I’m being petty?” I felt utterly powerless. Grace always changed the subject during arguments, never directly addressing an issue. Every time Charlie was mentioned, she had a bunch of excuses about being busy. Most often, she would use the fact that we’re married as a reason to tell me not to be so calculative. For the next few minutes, I had nothing to say. Grace complained that she had worked all day, so she specifically took a shower before returning to the bedroom to change clothes. During this time, we didn’t speak, falling into a cold war. But life can’t go on like this; someone has to make the first move. “Honey…” After pondering for a moment, I was about to take the initiative to make peace when I inadvertently noticed something strange. Grace was secretly stuffing something into her pants. As I got closer, I was shocked to see it was a pair of black stockings! The words I was about to say got stuck in my throat. I couldn’t say them, nor could I swallow them back. My heart suddenly sank. I couldn’t help but think about how Grace’s attitude towards me had changed over the past six months. She always had work to discuss, was always on business trips, and her attitude towards me became increasingly impatient. We hadn’t even had any intimate moments as a couple for a long time. At this moment, I finally realized she was having an affair. After a moment of hesitation, I instinctively wanted to stop her, but then I paused. I suppressed the anger in my heart, thinking that I might as well use this incident to divorce her directly, since my marriage with Grace had long been just a facade. Thinking this, I quietly retreated from the bedroom and sat directly on the sofa, waiting. Grace came out not long after, looking slightly nervous. “Lucas, did you call me just now?” Hearing this, I looked up and perfectly feigned a confused expression. “No, I didn’t.” Seeing that I showed no signs of suspicion, Grace visibly relaxed, her face turning cold again. “I need to go back to the firm now. We’ll talk about the year-end bonus when I get back. I might not be able to come home tonight.” Then, without waiting for my response, she hurriedly left. A few minutes later, after calculating the time it would take her to drive out of the neighborhood, I got dressed, went downstairs, and took a taxi to follow her. From the moment Grace left home, she wasn’t heading in the direction of the law firm!

I let out a cold laugh in the car when I saw her car finally stop in front of a hotel. Although I couldn’t go up to the hotel, I could get into her car. I unlocked the car, played back the dashcam footage, and heard Grace calling a man on her way there, addressing him as “baby” right from the start. “Hello? Charlie? Are you there yet? I’m almost there… It’s just that Lucas again. I don’t know what’s gotten into him these past few months, always looking for reasons to argue.” I frowned, but Grace’s next words were even more hurtful. “He should remember who got him where he is today. Now he dares to argue with me over the year-end bonus. He’s really crossing the line. It’s driving me crazy. I want your kiss, baby…” My blood boiled as I realized the person on the other end of the call was Charlie. No wonder his contributions were the greatest this year and his bonus was doubled. Apparently, he had been doing “overtime” after work. Grace, how could you do this to me? Six months ago, when Charlie joined the firm, it was already strange enough that he was parachuted in as a team leader with just a few years of experience after graduation. Moreover, his abilities were mediocre, yet Grace always assigned him the best resources, causing quite a stir among other colleagues in the company. Later, Charlie leveraged these resources to climb to the position of marketing manager in just half a year. From that point on, I began to have suspicions. On the other hand, Grace’s care for him in daily life was meticulous. During meals and business entertainment, I often couldn’t even sit next to Grace, but Charlie was always by her side. I had raised objections before, but Grace always said he was her junior from university, and it was only right to look after him. For the past six months, every time Grace had a business dinner or trip that I couldn’t accompany her on, she was probably fooling around with Charlie. Finally, I returned home in a daze. Sitting on the sofa, I rubbed my face. Suspecting and actually discovering are two different feelings. At least I had truly loved Grace. Now, having seen and heard it with my own eyes and ears, I still felt heartbroken. The TV at home was broadcasting local news about someone who killed for revenge for their mother. I had no interest in watching it and tossed and turned half the night before finally falling asleep on the sofa. The entire dream was filled with memories of my past with Grace. We met in the workplace after graduation. I was impressed by Grace’s capable and decisive nature at first sight and promptly began pursuing her. After we got together, Grace directly opened a law firm for me. I was very grateful for her recognition and worked tirelessly for the firm. This went on for six years. Later, I proposed to Grace, and both our parents were very pleased. But I never imagined that now, as the firm has grown bigger and stronger, she would already be having an affair before we even reached the seven-year itch. A night of chaotic dreams led to me being late for work the next day. In response, Grace mercilessly reprimanded me in front of all the executives during the morning meeting. “Lucas! What’s wrong with you? We just had a few words yesterday, and now you dare to be late? Let me tell you, you’ve lost your perfect attendance bonus for this month! Reflect on yourself!” Faced with the sympathetic or indifferent gazes of everyone, I just nodded, without saying much. However, this reaction made Grace think I had a bad attitude. After everyone else had left, she sat down in the boss’s chair, folded her arms, and coldly spoke to me. “Lucas, let me tell you, don’t use that attitude from home here in the company! Do you think you can give me the cold shoulder in front of everyone just because you’re my husband?! I’ve always kept our personal and professional lives separate!” Keeping personal and professional lives separate… I chewed on these words repeatedly, finding them laughable. She keeps things separate with me, but last night in the car, she was all sweet talk and coquettish with Charlie, saying all sorts of nice things. My indifference made Grace feel disrespected. She became furious, stood up, and slammed the desk. “Lucas! What are you trying to do? Are you rebelling?” I ignored her outburst and directly turned to leave the office. I went straight downstairs to the HR department to submit my resignation.

“Mr. Lin… Are you sure you want to resign?” “Yes, I’m sure.” The HR person was very surprised and repeatedly asked me. Although I had never publicly disclosed my relationship with Grace, over the years, my colleagues had all guessed it. The HR person clearly didn’t want to get involved in our “domestic affairs” at this moment and immediately showed a troubled expression, trying to deflect. “This… This is such a big decision, I can’t make it on my own. Why don’t you go talk to Ms. Gu first? See what she thinks.” My position was considered a key player in the company, and logically, it did require Grace’s signature. “No need to ask. Just handle it as a regular procedure,” I said softly but firmly, not sounding like an impulsive decision made in anger. The HR person looked at me for a while and could only agree with a bitter smile, telling me to come back in the afternoon to pick up the report. Just as I left the HR office, I was called to Grace’s office again. When I went in, I saw Charlie was also there. Seeing me come in, he smiled insincerely and said, “Brother Lucas is here.” “Good timing. Did you see the news yesterday about the person who killed for revenge for their mother? The case has now fallen to our firm. It was Charlie who secured it for you, Lucas. If you handle this case well, you could make a big name for yourself.” Grace called me in, reluctantly showing some goodwill, and then arrogantly “entrusted me with an important task” – to defend the killer from last night’s news. I had looked at that case this morning. As things stood, online public opinion had already pushed this case to a critical point. Grace wasn’t wrong; if handled well, it could indeed make me famous. However, I felt that Charlie had ulterior motives. This kind of case was a hot potato. No matter how it was defended, it would end up being criticized. The law is impartial, but morality is emotional. The outcome of this incident, good or bad, would affect one’s career. It was like unnecessarily inviting trouble. Thinking of this, I refused on the spot. “I still have several cases unfinished. Adding a new one would be too much to handle. I can’t take it. Please assign someone else.” “Lucas, Mr. Big Shot Lawyer, what’s wrong? Have you become too good for these kinds of cases after achieving some success in recent years? You’re not even seizing opportunities when they present themselves. What are you thinking?” Grace’s face showed mockery, her words extremely unpleasant. Charlie, seeing this, also pretended to persuade me: “Brother Lucas, if this case is handled well, it will only benefit our firm. Think it over. We need to consider the long-term development of Ms. Gu and the firm.” “Since this case has come to us, and I’ve worked hard to secure it, logically, the company needs someone to take it on. Currently, it seems you’re the most suitable person for this case, Brother Lucas.” I frowned, ignoring his moral coercion. Just as I was about to speak, Grace’s phone rang. “Hello? Little Li? What’s the matter? Huh? Who? Who wants to resign?!” Grace was stunned for a few seconds, and in the course of a few sentences, her expression became extremely unpleasant. After hanging up the phone, she looked at me in disbelief. “Lucas, you want to resign?! Just because I said a few words to you this morning?!” She stood up and flew into a rage at me, her whole body fuming. I remained outwardly calm, leaning on the desk and slowly moving closer, pulling the corners of my mouth into a cold smile as I spoke calmly. “Grace, not only am I resigning, but I also want a divorce.”

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I never thought my wife Emily would drug me just to help her crush Jack secure a position in our company. Her actions made me miss an important meeting with a major client, losing us the contract and damaging my reputation in the industry. All my hard work ended up benefiting her precious Jack. “Since you’re so keen on helping this freeloader steal what’s rightfully mine, I wish you both a happy life together!” I spat out, handing in my resignation and throwing the divorce papers at her before walking away. Emily always thought she was capable enough to make it big without me. But she forgot that without my help, she wouldn’t have even gotten into this company in the first place. Not to mention that her dear Jack’s investment portfolio was full of holes. With their half-baked skills, they were bound to end up with nothing! I woke up groggy and disoriented, calling out, “Emily?” But there was no response. It felt like I had been sleeping for ages, and my head was pounding. I checked my phone and broke into a cold sweat – it was already 11 AM, and I had a meeting with our big client, Mr. Anderson, at 10 AM to discuss a deal. I quickly got ready and rushed to the meeting venue, trying to call both Emily and Mr. Anderson repeatedly, but neither answered. When I finally arrived, I found Emily chatting and laughing with Mr. Anderson. Seeing me, Emily smiled and said, “Mr. Anderson, I’m so sorry you had to witness this. My husband can’t even remember such an important appointment. He’s clearly not capable of handling such a big account.” Mr. Anderson looked me up and down, grunted, and said nothing more. I tried to explain, but Emily pulled me outside the room. She coldly asked, “What are you doing here?” Confused, I replied, “I’m here for the meeting, of course!” Emily sneered, “How come you’re awake now?” Suddenly, I remembered the glass of milk she had given me last night. It had tasted strange, but thinking it was a rare gesture of care from her, I had drunk half of it despite the odd flavor. Now I realized… that strange taste must have been sleeping pills! “You drugged me!” I exclaimed. Emily looked at me with disgust, “Not as stupid as I thought.” “Why would you do this? This deal is crucial for the company. How does this benefit anyone – the company, you, or me?” “Benefits?” Emily tilted her head and smiled maliciously. “Of course there are benefits.” I was about to press further when Jack’s voice came from behind, “Emily, I’ve printed out the contract. Should I give it to Mr. Anderson now?” Jack looked at Emily tenderly, then pretended to just notice me, feigning surprise, “Oh, Lucas is here too? I thought we wouldn’t see you today.” He turned to Emily with a pitiful look, “Emily, now that Lucas is here, are you going to let him steal my deal?” Anger surged through me. What did he mean by me stealing his deal? I had been working on this account all along. Now, because Emily had drugged me and made me late, it had suddenly become his? Before I could argue, Emily was already comforting Jack, stroking his head with a tenderness I hadn’t seen in years. “Don’t worry, Jack. What’s yours will always be yours.” Emily glanced at me, “Whoever closes this deal becomes the Director. Now, you should address Jack as Director, Deputy Director Lucas.” “Have you lost your mind? Is this the benefit you were talking about? Helping Jack secure his position in the company?” “What else?” Emily replied. She then turned away from me in disgust, went back into the room, and handed the contract to Mr. Anderson. “Mr. Anderson, please sign here. I’m confident your assets will double under Jack’s management!” I stared at her in shock, “Emily, are you crazy? It’s impossible for investments to double in just six months!” Jack scoffed, “Lucas, just because you can’t do it doesn’t mean others can’t.” I looked at Mr. Anderson earnestly, “Mr. Anderson, we’ve known each other for a long time. You know my capabilities. I admit the investment climate has been good lately, but doubling assets in such a short time is just a pipe dream!”

Seeing Mr. Anderson hesitate, Emily glared at me and said to him, “Mr. Anderson, I can’t bear to see you being deceived any longer!” “All the investment plans Lucas previously provided to you were plagiarized from Jack! As his wife, I’ve tried to talk him out of it countless times, but he never listened. I couldn’t stand by anymore, which is why I’m using my own reputation as a guarantee for you to sign with Jack today!” “Emily! Do you realize what you’re saying?” I was stunned. Jack stepped forward, tightly holding Emily’s hand. “Emily, thank you. Without you, I don’t know how much longer I would have been plagiarized!” I was so angry I couldn’t speak. Emily was willing to slander me like this for Jack’s sake. Didn’t she know this would ruin me? Was Jack really that important to her? Seeing Mr. Anderson still hesitating, Emily continued, “We can offer you a better deal. If you sign the contract now, we’ll reduce the service fee by 10% compared to before!” Mr. Anderson no longer hesitated and quickly signed the contract. He then looked at me apologetically, “Lucas, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but… even your wife is saying this.” Watching Mr. Anderson leave, I turned to Emily, “Why are you doing this?” Emily held Jack’s hand tightly, “For Jack, of course! And for the company!” “You’ve been in the Deputy Director position for so many years without advancing. Doesn’t that prove you’re not capable enough?” “Now that there’s an opportunity, you’re trying to snatch it based on seniority. But isn’t Jack more suitable? If you were capable, you would have been promoted long ago!” I stared at her intently, “Do you know what impact your words today will have on me?” “You won’t be able to work in this industry anymore? It’s not like you were doing that well anyway. What’s wrong with paving the way for Jack?” I watched her constantly mentioning Jack’s name, looking at him with adoration, and felt like I didn’t know her anymore. No, perhaps this was how she had always been. I first met her in college. On the basketball court, she was bringing water to Jack, but he mocked her for bringing the cheapest mineral water. As Jack left with water from a rich girl, Emily cried on the spot. I handed her a tissue then. Her eyes were watery and clear, seeming to look right into one’s soul. Later, when Jack tried to trick her into taking out a predatory student loan to buy him a phone, I stopped her and explained the rights and wrongs to her in detail. I believed she wasn’t inherently bad, just a naive girl. I couldn’t stand by and watch her future be ruined. After understanding, she thanked me gratefully, and we became closer, until Jack started dating a rich girl. That day, Emily drank a lot and even tried to cut her wrists. I saved her and comforted her constantly. She grabbed my hand and asked, “Lucas, do you think no one loves me?” Listening to her tragic childhood story – an abusive father, a weak mother, a poor family – and watching her cry with tears in her eyes, I felt pity in my heart. To give her hope to live on, I held her hand and made a lifelong promise. “I will love you.” But now it seems she only agreed to be with me because she couldn’t have Jack. Now, after I’ve helped her achieve success, Jack is back in her life, and she thinks all that happened before doesn’t matter anymore. I should have seen this clearly long ago. My heart ached as I watched Emily clutching the contract defensively. I said, “Don’t worry, I won’t try to take this contract.” I don’t know if it was the effect of the sleeping pills, but I felt so tired, wanting to lie down right there, almost overwhelmed by despair.

Back at the company, I silently deleted all the investment plans and formatted my computer. The market changes rapidly. Although the market situation has been improving recently, this is only temporary, mainly due to the country’s expansionary fiscal policy. Once the market cools down, the overall market growth will become steady, but some aggressive investors will suffer huge losses. Among these people, Jack would obviously be included. He barely got his college degree, and in the three years he’s worked at the company, he hasn’t successfully completed a single project. If it weren’t for Emily begging me to clean up his messes time and time again, he wouldn’t have lasted here. But he’s incredibly full of himself, thinking that every failure was due to me sabotaging him, believing his skills are superior. His investment strategies have always been aggressive, sometimes as reckless as a gambler. The investment portfolio in the contract isn’t the optimal market portfolio at all, but rather a few stocks he blindly chose because they were performing well. But industry insiders know that these stocks will soon fall. After returning to the company, Emily eagerly took Jack to the boss’s office, demanding a promotion for him. The boss looked at me awkwardly, “But… Lucas, haven’t you been following up on this account all along?” Before I could speak, Emily jumped in, “Boss, this kind of thing should go to the most capable person, and Jack is much more capable than Lucas!” Seeing the boss’s hesitation, Emily used her trick again: “Boss, all the investment plans Lucas previously provided to Mr. Anderson were plagiarized from Jack!” The boss looked at me in surprise, “How… how is that possible!” “Boss, I’m Lucas’s wife. How could I lie about him?” I laughed coldly, “I’ve been working at this company for five years and have been cooperating with Mr. Anderson for five years. Jack has only been here for three years.” “How could I have plagiarized Jack’s plans for the first two years?” Emily was suddenly at a loss for words, stammering and unable to explain. Seeing the boss wavering, Jack stepped forward and said: “Boss, Lucas really did plagiarize my plans. He’s been suppressing my performance all these years, which is why I haven’t been able to get promoted. But every time, he would clean up my messes because he was afraid the company would fire me and he’d have no one to provide him with plans.” The boss looked at me in shock, even more hesitant. Jack seized the opportunity and said, “Boss, if you give me the Director position, I won’t take any commission from Mr. Anderson’s account this time. It will all go to the company!” The boss was immediately convinced and decided, “Alright, then Jack is promoted to Director!” He then looked at me guiltily, wanting to say some words of comfort, but I took off my work badge and said calmly, “No need for comfort. I quit.” Emily exploded upon hearing this, “Quit? How can you quit! What about me and Jack if you quit!” So she did know about Jack’s amateur skills. But how could she think that Jack could take the money and the promotion, while I was left with nothing? What was I in her eyes? What about the seven years we’ve been together? Was I just a fool to her? I forced a smile, “Emily, I don’t care anymore. Let’s get divorced!”

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“Dr. Lewis, I want these dolphins,” Lydia Graham said with poised confidence, tapping the glass of the observation tank. “Graham Corporation is constructing a marine park, and these dolphins will be our star attractions.” Lydia is the childhood friend of my fiancé, Declan Reed. She had just returned from abroad and was determined to claim the dolphins my grandfather had left me. “Let her have them,” Declan said gently from behind her. His gentle tone was once enough to make me agree to marry him without a second thought, but now it felt like a sharp betrayal. “No way.” As a researcher at the biological institute, I firmly rejected the proposal, though I felt a powerful force behind me. As I fell into the shark tank, I saw Lydia retract the hand that had pushed me. And Declan, who had once promised to protect me forever, stood silently by her side. In the blood-red water, the sharks began to close in on me. Before I lost consciousness, my grandfather’s last words echoed in my mind: “These dolphins are my final gift to you…”

The harsh smell of disinfectant made me frown. When I opened my eyes, the only sound in the room was the steady beeping of the monitor. I touched the bruise on my neck, and the door opened, revealing Declan’s tall figure silhouetted by the light behind him. His face showed no emotion, and his deep-set eyes held a cold detachment. “You’re awake?” He walked steadily to the bed, his voice low. I frowned at him, my throat burning painfully. He helped me sit up. “It’s fortunate the sharks had just been fed and you weren’t injured or bleeding, or the consequences would have been unimaginable.” I took the water he handed me and drained the glass. “Graham Corporation’s marine park is a major project. Why oppose Lydia?” His long fingers tapped the bed rail, each tap echoing like a judgement in my heart. I argued, “Are you here to lecture me? You know the bond I’ve had with the dolphins over the years—they’re my grandfather’s legacy—” “Grandfather has passed away,” he interrupted, shaking his head. “Nora, when will you grow up? Not all persistence is worthwhile.” I looked at the cold man before me, memories of our meeting, romance, and his proposal flashing before my eyes. At our engagement party, my grandfather had clasped his hand, moved, entrusting him to protect me for life. But now it felt like I was meeting him for the first time. “Declan, you’re here,” Lydia entered in high heels, the scent of Chanel quickly filling the room. She linked arms with Declan affectionately, glanced at me, and smiled elegantly. “I was going to bring Dr. Lewis some supplements, but you beat me to it.” I stared at her. “Miss Graham, you probably came to confirm whether the sharks had finished me off, right?” She chuckled lightly, “Dr. Lewis, you’re joking. Yesterday, I think you just accidentally slipped, right? After all… the institute’s surveillance didn’t capture anything.” “Lydia,” Declan called her softly, ostensibly to stop her, but I detected a hint of indulgence in his voice. “Declan, I’m just worried about her.” She playfully swayed his arm, then turned to me. “I’ve already negotiated with the board about the dolphins. You know, my father dotes on me; I get whatever I want.” I clenched the sheet, my knuckles turning white. As Lydia said this, Declan not only failed to stop her but gently tidied her hair that had become tousled from leaning on his arm. I recalled how yesterday afternoon, when I accidentally spilled coffee, he had stepped back with a frown, looking cold and distant. “My father wants to see you; it’s been years since he last did,” Lydia said naturally, as if she were the one engaged to Declan. Before they left, Lydia added, “Dr. Lewis, some things are just not meant for you. Rest well.” She left in high heels, and Declan opened the door for her, his hand naturally protecting her back, afraid she might bump into something. Once, such gestures used to be for me. “Nora,” he glanced back at me, eyes flickering, “stop being so stubborn.” Stubborn? I smiled bitterly. So in his eyes, my guarding of my grandfather’s legacy was mere stubbornness. A year ago, when he proposed, he said he loved my resilience and effort the most. What did that mean now? Why did he change after Lydia returned? After they left, I wiped away my tears and took out a mask and hat from my bag.

As night deepened, I avoided the watchful eyes of his assistant at the hospital, dragging my still-recovering body to the research institute. I used my ID badge to open the door. Moonlight spilled through the glass dome of the observation pool, the water shimmering with a gentle glow. I sat by the pool, lightly tapping the surface. A mother and calf dolphin emerged from the water, their familiar chirping sounds echoing under the moonlight. I softly called, “Luna, Cosmo.” These were the names my grandfather gave them—Luna, elegant and gentle as the moon, Cosmo, lively and bright like the stars. Hearing my call, Luna gently nudged my hand with her snout, while little Cosmo playfully surfaced, flicking water with his tail, splashing me. “Mischievous,” I laughed softly, wiping away the droplets. Six years ago, when I first arrived at the institute, my grandfather had just rescued this dolphin pair. At that time, the mother dolphin was barely alive, and the calf, just born, was so weak it nearly didn’t survive. Grandfather and I took turns caring for them day and night, checking their condition every two hours. During those days, I often fell asleep by the observation pool. Every time, Luna would swim over, gently waking me with her sounds, as if reminding me to rest. Slowly, Cosmo grew up, clinging to me like a child. Every time I visited, he would show off a new trick. Flipping, blowing bubbles, swimming with me on his back—whatever I taught, he learned. Grandfather always said he and I were kindred spirits. On his deathbed, he made me promise to protect them. “You guys…” I caressed the smooth dorsal fin of the calf dolphin, choking up. Sensing my sorrow, the little one rested his head in my palm, emitting a low chirp. The mother dolphin swam closer, her dark eyes gleaming with intelligence in the moonlight. I remembered my grandfather saying dolphins were the most empathetic creatures in the world, capable of sensing human emotions and choosing trustworthy people. “But now…” My tears fell into the water, creating ripples. “How can I protect you?” Luna suddenly made a series of clear sounds, diving underwater. When she surfaced, she held something in her mouth. It was a small pearl, glowing softly under the moonlight. I was stunned. In six years, I had never seen this pearl. At that moment, my grandfather’s dying words echoed again. With trembling hands, I took the pearl, my heart racing. Just as I was about to examine it closely, a blinding flashlight beam hit me from behind.

“Nora Lewis! You’ve been suspended, and you still trespass into the institute. Are you trying to steal something?” A guard’s voice behind me was jarringly loud. I was momentarily stunned, the pearl slipping from my fingers, caught deftly by Luna, who quickly submerged. “What? Suspended?” “Playing innocent? The foundation issued a suspension notice this afternoon!” I was dragged out by two guards, looking back to see Cosmo leaping anxiously from the water, chirping frantically. Luna floated silently, tears seemingly glistening in her obsidian eyes. “I never received any suspension notice!” I struggled to stay. No one responded as I was forcibly pushed out of the institute’s door, the cold wind biting through my thin lab coat, still clutching my work ID. This badge, which had accompanied me for six years, now felt like the most ironic thing. The next morning, I went straight to the Graham Foundation. Opening the office door, I was hit by the scent of perfume. Lydia Graham was elegantly stirring her coffee, with Declan sitting beside her, naturally affectionate. “Dr. Lewis, you found out so quickly?” Lydia chuckled, “I was going to let you rest a bit before telling you.” “Why?” I glared at her, “There’s never been a problem with my research work!” “Is that so?” She raised an eyebrow, “Unfortunately, the foundation’s expert group doesn’t think so. They say your dolphin behavior research report has serious falsification issues.” “That’s impossible!” “Declan,” Lydia leaned playfully toward him, “tell us, how flawed is Dr. Lewis’s report?” Declan spoke in a businesslike tone, “According to the expert group’s opinion, the recent report you submitted, regarding the emotional interaction between the dolphin mother and calf, clearly violates scientific principles. As the project leader, I agreed with the expert group’s suspension suggestion.” I stared at him in disbelief, “Declan Reed, you know those data are real! You’ve seen Luna and Cosmo…” “Enough!” He suddenly raised his voice, “Please address me as Mr. Reed in a professional setting. And stop using such emotionally charged names for the test subjects. It’s unprofessional.” Lydia covered her mouth, giggling, “Dr. Lewis, do you think you’re part of that dolphin family? How…ridiculous.” I looked at him in disbelief. “Declan Reed, you know the data is real! You’ve seen Luna and Cosmo…” “Enough!” he suddenly raised his voice. “Please call me Mr. Reed at work. Also, stop using those sentimental names for the research subjects. It’s unprofessional.” Lydia Graham chuckled, covering her mouth. “Miss Lewis, do you really consider those dolphins your family? That’s… just absurd.” “They are my family,” I said, my eyes welling up with emotion. “At least they won’t betray me.” “See, that’s your problem,” she said, shaking her head. “Researchers can’t be objective if they’re so emotionally involved. Declan’s right, it’s unprofessional.” Declan stood up and adjusted his suit. “Nora, I hope you can stay rational. There’s still a chance for you to return.” “You can’t do this!” I tried to keep my voice steady, fighting back tears. Lydia elegantly placed her coffee cup on the table. “Why not? My dad is the foundation’s chairman.” Just as I was about to respond, my phone buzzed. It was a colleague from the dolphin research team. “Nora! Where are you?” Her voice was frantic. “The dolphins are missing this morning, and no one informed us…” My hand shook violently, and I nearly dropped the phone. I could still hear Cosmo’s cheerful chirps from last night and remember Luna’s gentle gaze. “This is retaliation…” I looked up to see a glint of satisfaction in Lydia’s eyes. A thought struck me. I immediately reached into my bag for a fruit knife. Pressing the cold blade against my neck, a bead of blood surfaced. “Take me to them.”

Declan Reed rose sharply, his voice wavering for the first time, “Nora, are you out of your mind? Put the knife down!” Lydia’s smile faltered. “Whether I’m crazy or not doesn’t matter,” I said with a bitter smile, applying slight pressure with the knife, a red line appearing on my neck. “What matters is, I want to see them now.” “You…” Lydia stood, ready to call security. I interrupted her, “I wonder if Miss Graham’s father would enjoy seeing his precious daughter in the headlines, forcing a young researcher to the brink of death?” Declan’s gaze darkened as he looked at the blood on my neck. “Nora, stop. I’ll take you.” “Declan!” Lydia looked at him in disbelief. Lydia wanted to say more, but a stern look from him silenced her. We got into his car. I sat in the backseat, never lowering the knife. In the rearview mirror, I saw Declan’s tense jawline. Once, I had secretly admired his profile countless times. But now, those tender memories felt like a dream, crushed under Lydia’s high heels. The car drove towards a private villa in the suburbs, with Declan at the wheel. My hand grew colder as my heart pounded wildly. Grandpa once said these dolphins were his last gift to me. Whether for the bond over the years or for Grandpa, I had to do this. The Graham’s private aquarium was in the villa’s basement. As the elevator descended, I clenched my hands, trying to muster more courage. When the doors opened, a pungent medicinal smell hit me. It was overpowering, far beyond normal disinfection needs. My heart sank. The dimly lit observation pool cast an eerie atmosphere over the space. At a glance, I saw Luna floating on the water. Her once graceful body was rigidly bent, her dorsal fin and tail had large abrasions, as if she’d been violently dragged. She was dead. Tortured to death, even. Little Cosmo weakly clung to his mother, emitting intermittent chirps filled with fear and sorrow. My blood boiled, and I nearly broke into tears. “Sorry, there was a bit of an accident during the transfer,” Lydia said dismissively. “This big dolphin was too uncooperative, kept struggling.”

“What have you done to them?!” I shouted at her. “Nothing much,” she said, adjusting her hair indifferently. “Just injected some sedatives. Who knew it was so fragile…” “Sedatives?” I rushed to the poolside, noticing several needle marks on Luna. “How much did you use?!” “Does it matter?” Lydia said impatiently. “They’re just two…” I turned abruptly, “They are living beings! This is murder!” I wanted to grab Lydia for questioning, but Declan stepped in front of her first. “Nora,” Declan’s voice was chillingly calm, “you’re too emotional. Lydia meant well; she hired the most professional team to handle it. No one wanted this accident.” Looking at him in his suit made me feel sick. “Meant well? By overdosing Luna with sedatives? Declan Reed, for the first time, I see you have no humanity.” Before I could finish, I saw Cosmo suddenly thrashing violently. It desperately rammed into the pool wall, its eyes filled with pain, as if trying to tell me something. “What’s wrong with it?” Lydia frowned, “Is it going to die too?” I trembled, rushing forward to hold it. In that instant, I saw it had a pearl in its mouth. Forcing myself to remain calm, I said, “I’m taking it with me.” “No way!” Lydia shrieked. I pulled the fruit knife from my pocket, pressing it to my heart. “Are you sure you want to stop me?” Declan’s face changed, “You’re insane!” “Yeah, I’m insane.” I took off the diamond ring on my ring finger and threw it forcefully to the ground, looking Declan in the eye, “From today, you and I have nothing to do with each other!”

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In the second year following my divorce, I unexpectedly encountered my ex-wife, Cora, at City Hall. She was accompanied by our daughter and her childhood friend, Logan. They really looked like the perfect family. My daughter ran excitedly to me, wrapping her arms around my leg. “Daddy, Sweetie really misses you.” I gently disengaged her hold and turned to Cora. “Are you here for your marriage certificate? Congratulations and best wishes!” Her smile was awkward. “Actually, I’m here for a divorce.” Then she quickly asked, “Are you getting married?” I waved the document I held. “No, I’m just getting a single status certificate.” 1. I didn’t expect to see Cora again, especially not at City Hall. I had just collected my new single status certificate when I saw Cora walking towards me, her head down. She looked surprised, staring blankly at me. “How have you been over these two years?” I wasn’t one for small talk with my ex, especially given the metaphorical shadow of betrayal that still lingered. I brushed her off as I headed toward the exit. “Not too bad.” She hastened to catch up, gripping my arm. “Are you getting married?” What was her interest in my marital status? Seeing my impatience, Cora released my sleeve and attempted to make conversation. “It’s been two years since we last saw each other.” Indeed, the last time we met was two years ago, here. That day marked the end of our three-year marriage. I negotiated custody of my daughter and left with nothing but the divorce papers. At the entrance, she asked, “When will you come back to pick up your things?” I glanced at the sky and then at her. “How about now?” I took only the key to the old house and the sole photo I had with my father. As I was leaving, Cora, holding our daughter’s hand, stopped me. “Leave the key.” I didn’t stop unlocking the door, replying quietly, “It’s on the table.” Her voice was filled with frustration from behind. “You wanted the divorce. Logan has no family or friends, and he’s depressed. What’s wrong with me spending more time with him? Why do you have an issue with him?” “Even Sweetie knows to give more companionship and warmth.” I glanced back to see my daughter nodding earnestly, while Cora looked at me with disappointment. Under their accusatory stares, I quickly rolled my wheelchair away. Logan had no family or friends, but I had only her and our daughter. I looked at the photo with my father. Now, there was no need to worry about Logan. My wife and daughter were no longer mine. 2. Logan was Cora’s childhood friend; they grew up together. Logan’s father was the Johnson family’s chauffeur. When Cora was seven, she accidentally started the car, and the driver saved her at the cost of his life. Since then, as a repayment for the life-saving debt, Logan became like another child to the Johnson family, eating and living with Cora. During their teenage years, emotions ran high, and the handsome boy and pretty girl became an acknowledged couple, exploring young love. Afterward, Logan was sent to study in India. For years, they maintained contact online, sharing their innermost thoughts. This continued until COVID-19 struck, affecting the real economy, and the Johnson family fell into debt. Around this time, I rescued Cora from a dangerous situation involving some thugs. I stood by Cora through the economic downturn, welcoming a recovery and the birth of our daughter. On our daughter’s second birthday party, Logan suddenly appeared. He looked deeply into Cora’s eyes, expressing how much he missed her and recounting his struggles with COVID-19 and the difficulty of returning home. This day also marked our third wedding anniversary. Cora sobbed in Logan’s arms. What followed was a familiar tragedy. Everything that was mine became his. Cora took Logan for a full medical check-up; his post-COVID symptoms weren’t resolved, and he was diagnosed with severe depression. Cora noticed the scars on Logan’s wrist by accident. “Declan, the doctor said people with self-harming behavior shouldn’t be left alone. They need love and warmth.” Unwilling to give up, I asked, “So?” “He has no other family. I want to bring him home for convenience in taking care of him.” “I have no other family either.” Hearing this, Cora’s face instantly changed. “How can you be so selfish? He’s a patient who needs companionship, and you’re not sick.” She almost said that if I didn’t agree to let Logan live with us, I was unforgivably evil. Seeing this, I didn’t insist further. For months, I was busy with work at the company, while Cora took care of Logan and our daughter at home. I felt like an outsider. One day, while working, a tire fell from a height and struck my leg. As I sat in the ambulance, only one thought crossed my mind: “Finally, I need someone to take care of me.” 3. My injury was sudden but not fatal. Cora didn’t set aside much time for me. By the time I was discharged, she had only visited symbolically twice, each time not exceeding half an hour. My injury wasn’t severe, just a fractured leg. But it takes 100 days for bones and tendons to heal. So I began recuperating under the same roof as Logan. The difference was he stayed in the room next to the master bedroom upstairs, and I stayed in the guest room downstairs. Cora said climbing stairs would be inconvenient with my injured leg. “Declan, you don’t mind, do you? His room is closer, making it easier for me to take care of him. You won’t have to climb up and down.” “I don’t mind.” Out of basic human decency, saving a life is more virtuous than building a seven-story pagoda. As long as you don’t end up in each other’s beds, I don’t mind. Logan would come downstairs to see me every day, especially when Cora was around. One day, while discussing his condition, Logan mentioned gaining weight from the steroids. He seemed down, capturing Cora’s already limited attention. Like a whirlwind, she took Logan and Sweetie out for some exercise. They were a picture-perfect family of three. At dinner, I couldn’t bring myself to eat the take-out Cora had packed for me. It was all Logan’s favorite foods, none of which I could eat. Cora’s face was radiant with pleasure. “Declan, why aren’t you eating? Logan picked this Sichuan restaurant, and it’s really good.” “The doctor advised me against spicy food.” Cora hesitated for a moment. “I just wanted Logan to eat more and recover quickly. You just have a fracture. Eating a little shouldn’t be a problem, right?” I squeezed my chopsticks, glancing at Logan’s provoking expression. “Yeah, it’s fine.” 4. Out of sheer stubbornness, I ate the heavily spiced meal. Even though I guzzled water afterward, my wound still got infected, leading to a high fever. This time, Cora accompanied me to the hospital. I hadn’t even cooled down when Logan came in after me. His depression had flared up, and he had slit his wrists. When Cora rushed to Logan’s VIP room, she forgot to take Sweetie. Half-conscious, I heard my daughter’s sweet, childish voice making a wish. At first, it comforted me—whatever Cora was, my daughter was still mine. “I wish my daddy would die from the fever so Uncle Logan could be my dad.” When someone teased her about why she wanted a new dad, she said, “Uncle Logan is clean, handsome, and smells nice.” My daughter, whom I had cherished, thought I was dirty and smelly and wanted someone else as her dad. While Cora and our daughter accompanied Logan in his VIP room, I was left with a nurse aide in an ordinary ward. From doctors and nurses to family members of other patients, everyone thought they were a family of three. Logan sent me a photo with a taunting remark, “You’re just a greasy mechanic. How can you compete with me?” In the photo, Cora wore a nightgown, curled up in Logan’s arms, sleeping soundly. On the other side, Sweetie was sleeping with her little butt sticking up. I stared at the photo all night, repeatedly confirming it was taken on the bed I had scoured the city to buy for our wedding. Morning came, and with it, a realization. Before I could suggest a divorce, Cora came to me first. Logan’s mom had somehow found out about him and went to the hospital asking for child support. Logan had a breakdown from the stress, so Cora came to me filled with rage. I picked up the evidence she had thrown in my face, the printed chat records of my payments to Logan’s mom. “You knew Logan needed peace. Why did you bring that woman here? Now he wants to commit suicide. Are you happy?” Cora was emotional, hitting my fractured leg as she spoke. “I was just taking care of him and wasn’t going to divorce you. Can’t you understand?” I knew arguing was pointless; she wouldn’t believe me. I took out the printed divorce papers. “Let’s divorce. That way, you can always take care of him.” 5. City Hall is never short on business; people often come in pairs. Cora stood facing me from two meters away. She said, “I tried to find you later, but I couldn’t get in touch.” When we divorced, I only took my father’s photo and the key to the old house. When she was looking for me, I was probably recuperating at the old house. It was only a half-hour drive away, a place she never wanted to step into. Even the photo, if she looked closely, she could recognize it. “Do you need something?” Cora looked at me, hesitating. Finally, she murmured, “Sweetie misses her dad. She says she wants her dad.” I replied indifferently, “Doesn’t she already have a dad? The dad she hoped for—Uncle Logan.” Initially, hearing my daughter wish for my death was like my heart being torn apart. But two years later, I’ve come to terms with it. I didn’t want to reminisce with my ex-wife, especially since I was in a hurry to get to the relocation office. I glanced at my watch. “I’m pressed for time…” Before I could say goodbye, a pink little missile shot over, hugging my leg tightly. “Daddy, you’re here! Sweetie really, really missed you.” It was our daughter. I looked down at her and saw my reflection in her face. I pinched her cheek, slowly moving my leg away. Logan was trailing behind, looking much more haggard than two years ago, but his mouth was still foul. “You’re like a haunting spirit, drawn here by the stench.” From his tone, he thought I was here to cause trouble. Honestly, if I had known they were registering their marriage today, I would’ve postponed picking up the compensation to avoid this. “Congratulations, finally tying the knot.” All three of them stared at me; Cora’s expression was complicated, Sweetie looked confused, and Jasper’s face was nearly etched with resentment. I was utterly confused. Cora bit her lip, holding Sweetie’s hand, and then looked up to meet my eyes. “Do you really not know, or are you pretending…?” Sweetie, being young, chimed in, “Dad, it’s not…” Cora interrupted her, “I’m here for a divorce today.” My mind went blank. I wondered why it took them so long to register if they finally got together. It turns out they were already married. And now, they were splitting up. What happened over these past two years? Sweetie saw my shock and tugged on my sleeve, pouting. “Dad, come home with Mom and me.” I snapped out of it, patted Sweetie’s head but didn’t answer her. After all, she was a daughter I truly loved; I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her. Perhaps my silence gave Cora some hope. “Declan, we…”

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