Ethan pressed me against the corner of the sofa, his eyes blazing red: “Emily, I’m asking you for the last time, do you want to be with me or not?” I opened my mouth but couldn’t speak, too many worries preventing me from answering. He slowly released me and stepped back, his reddened eyes full of disappointment. I quickly grabbed his hand to stop him from leaving, whispering: “Can you give me some more time to think about it?” “Emily, you’re really going to be the death of me.” I found him on a rainy day. He was soaked to the bone, hiding alone behind a pillar on the sidewalk, curled up in a ball and shivering uncontrollably. “Are you okay?” I asked. He looked up at me briefly, then quickly lowered his head again, turning away as if he didn’t want to talk. I went into a convenience store, bought some hot food and water, and sat by the window to eat it all at once. Hot food on a rainy day always brings comfort. When I came out, he was still in the same position, looking like he might be washed away by the heavy rain at any moment. Unable to bear it, I went back and bought another portion of food, placing it in his arms. “Eat this, it’s still hot.” After a few seconds of hesitation, he shakily took the food and stuffed it all into his mouth, finishing everything including the soup in just three minutes. After eating, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and softly said, “Thank you.” Seeing him like this, I thought he might be a runaway kid. I couldn’t do much more, so I left my umbrella and turned to leave. Just as I stepped into the rain, my sleeve was tugged. I turned to find the young man who had been crouching there following me. With hesitation but also a hint of desperate courage, he asked: “Can you take me home with you?” Out of selfishness, I agreed. After all, in my final days, I wanted someone to keep me company. Just having someone there would be enough.

Two months ago, when I received my leukemia diagnosis, I didn’t feel much sadness. If anything, I felt relieved that I could finally leave this miserable world with a legitimate reason. But in these last days, I wanted to be selfish for once and do all those things I had only ever written down in my notebook. I wanted to see the breathtaking sunrise over the mountains and the endless expanse of the ocean. Perhaps the heavens didn’t want me to be too lonely in my final days and sent me a companion. After entering my apartment, I told him to quickly take a shower. In this weather, catching a cold would be miserable. I gave him my largest T-shirt and pants, but they were still a bit short on him. It would have to do for now. I planned to take him shopping for suitable clothes tomorrow. After his shower, he looked damp and vulnerable, his doe-like eyes darting around, clearly wary of his surroundings. It stirred a strange protective instinct in me. I handed him a glass of warm water and brought out some instant noodles I had just prepared. “Eat this to warm up your stomach, you got pretty soaked in the rain earlier.” “By the way, I’m Emily. What’s your name?” “I’m Ethan, miss,” the young man replied, his voice low and somewhat muffled, as if speaking from inside a glass dome. After he finished eating, I took the bowl to clean up. When I came back, he had already fallen asleep on the table, his arms wrapped around his neck in an awkward position. Not wanting to wake him, I draped a blanket over his shoulders and turned up the temperature on the living room heater. … The next morning, I woke up with a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop. The medicine I took last night didn’t seem to have any effect. I finally managed to stop the bleeding, but my whole body felt boneless. I collapsed on the floor with a loud thud. There was frantic knocking at the door. “Emily? Are you okay?” It had been so long since anyone cared about me that I felt a bit uncomfortable. I didn’t want to open the door and let him see me in such a pale and haggard state. I suppressed the taste of blood in my throat and steadied my voice to tell him I was fine. “I just tripped and fell.” I applied some light makeup to look more lively. Ethan was sitting obediently in the living room waiting for me, still wearing the clothes from last night, looking a bit comical. I stared at him, the corners of my eyes lifting slightly as I smiled. Seeing me trying to hold back laughter, he looked down at his clothes and pouted in disappointment. “Mine aren’t dry yet, I can’t wear them.” “Alright, let’s go out and buy you some new ones now.” I took him to the mall to buy a few sets of clothes. I had to admit, the young man was very handsome with his pale skin, doe-like eyes, and a smile as bright as the stars. No wonder he was hard to refuse. We also went to the supermarket to buy some ingredients. I planned to make hot pot for dinner, something I had been craving for a long time but never had anyone to share it with. Now that I finally had the chance, I was determined to enjoy it to the fullest. During dinner, Ethan and I both had our mouths and throats burning from the spice. We kept drinking ice water to try to cool down, but the fire only seemed to spread to our ears, tormenting us to no end. He was drinking water but still managed to tease me. “Emily, you’re such a wimp.” “You’re not doing much better yourself,” I retorted. Looking at each other’s disheveled state, we couldn’t help but burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the room. It seemed that because of his arrival, my final days had gained a glimmer of hope.

Sometimes we would choose a classic movie and sprawl out on the sofa in all sorts of positions to watch it. Seeing the characters in a scenic location, I leaned on the sofa armrest and asked Ethan: “Should we go on a trip? We could see the unique culture and watch the sunrise over the mountains.” “Sure,” he agreed without hesitation. On the day of departure, the sky was clear, as if giving our journey a beautiful omen. We were seated next to a young couple who assumed Ethan and I were also on our honeymoon. They kept enthusiastically sharing their travel tips with us. “We’re not actually—” I started to explain, but was interrupted. Seeing their enthusiasm, I gave up trying to correct them. Let them think we were a couple, it didn’t matter. I turned to look at Ethan and saw the tips of his ears turning red as he pretended to look elsewhere. I decided to tease him a bit, moving closer and resting my head on his shoulder. He stiffened, his back going straight as he awkwardly asked, “Emily?” “Don’t move, boyfriend. I’m tired,” I said playfully. I had intended to just see his flustered reaction, but I actually fell asleep, missing the blush that spread across his face. When I woke up, I was still in the same position, but now there was a blanket draped over me. Ethan had his eyes closed, already asleep. The woman next to us noticed I was awake and whispered teasingly: “After you fell asleep, your boyfriend didn’t dare move an inch. He kept looking at you like he wanted to drink in the sight. He even asked the flight attendant for a blanket when he was worried you might be cold.” I was stunned for a moment, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. I hadn’t made a mistake in taking him in.

When we arrived at our destination, neither Ethan nor I experienced any altitude sickness. We moved our luggage to the guesthouse, but the front desk told us that due to an error, the two rooms we had booked were no longer available. They only had one room left and offered to refund us and pay a penalty fee. I thought about finding another hotel, but everywhere nearby was fully booked. We had no choice but to make do. Ethan said he could sleep on the floor. It was my first time sharing a room with a guy, and we both tactfully avoided mentioning it. After showering, I hid under the covers with only my eyes peeking out, blinking rapidly. Hearing the water running in the bathroom, my imagination started to wander. A young, fit body… something I had never experienced. I muttered to myself: “Emily, get it together. You can’t do something like that.” But another voice in my head chimed in: “Well, it’s not entirely out of the question…” In the end, I did nothing and just lay there obediently, but I couldn’t fall asleep. I decided to chat with him instead. “Ethan, are you asleep?” “No, can’t you sleep, Emily?” “I just want to talk for a bit.” Ethan told me that one day he had a big argument with his parents over something trivial. He was so angry that he stormed out and didn’t come home all night. His parents were worried and went out looking for him by car, but they encountered a drunk driver. The two cars collided, and tragedy struck. “If I hadn’t argued with them that day, if I hadn’t left, would everything be different? Would I still have a family?” It turned out that the day I found him was the seventh day after his parents’ passing. He had planned to end his life that day but unexpectedly met me instead. Muffled sobs came from under the bed, breaking my heart. I rolled to the edge of the bed and gently stroked his head, taking his hand in mine as I shared my own story with him. My dad and mom were only 18 when they had me, having just graduated from high school. When my mom was discovered to be pregnant, she was locked up at home. My grandmother brought over a dozen relatives to demand an explanation from my dad’s family. If they didn’t agree to marriage, they threatened to report my dad for rape. In the end, the two families decided to have the baby first and get married later. My parents only got their marriage certificate when I was four years old. Less than a year later, they were already at each other’s throats, insisting on divorce. Neither of them wanted to take me, seeing me as a burden. It was my grandmother who couldn’t bear to see this and took me back to the countryside, raising me to adulthood. By the time I finally made something of myself and earned some money, my grandmother was no longer around to enjoy it, having gone to a faraway place. Ethan squeezed my hand and said softly: “Everything will be alright.” “It definitely will be.” We were like two wounded animals licking each other’s wounds. Though they couldn’t be fully healed, at least they didn’t hurt as much anymore. Suddenly, I felt like I had a reason to keep living.

I always thought I slept quite gracefully, but I ended up embarrassing myself completely in front of Ethan. I woke up next to Ethan, opening my eyes to see his face up close, my hand resting on his firm waist, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing. Afraid of an awkward awakening, I tried to sneak back to my own bed, but as soon as I moved, he pulled me back into his arms. “Emily, let’s sleep a bit longer.” I felt a rush of heat to my face, my heart pounding. This kid really knew how to charm. “Are you awake?” I asked. There was no response. Ethan looked even more innocent when asleep, like a baby, making me want to kiss him. And I actually did. His lips were soft like jelly. I kept it brief, feeling guilty for stealing a kiss. But suddenly Ethan deepened the kiss, our breaths intertwining as we greedily savored each other’s taste. Throughout the whole process, he never opened his eyes. After the kiss, he rolled over to face the other way, as if he had fallen back asleep. If it weren’t for the redness spreading from his ears to his neck, I would have thought he was just dreaming. Cheeky brat, kissing me and then pretending to be asleep. I went to the bathroom feeling shy and annoyed, stomping my feet loudly to make sure he heard. In the time it took to brush my teeth, a metallic taste filled my mouth and my nose started bleeding profusely. I kept trying to wipe it away, staining my fingers red. Looking at myself in the mirror, I suddenly felt overwhelmed with sadness, almost losing myself in despair. I couldn’t let this ruin things for him. If only I could live… It seemed I wasn’t as unafraid of death as I thought. Once you have someone to care about, you become terrified of leaving. I flushed the bloodied tissues down the toilet and cleaned myself up. When I came out, Ethan was making the bed, neatly folding the pajamas I had tossed aside. I walked past him and poured myself a glass of warm water, swallowing a handful of pills in one go. Seeing me take medicine, he asked with concern: “Emily, what’s wrong?” “It’s nothing, just some vitamins. I’ll give you a few later too.” “Let’s go out after you’re done getting ready.” … After leaving the room, Ethan tried to bring up what happened that morning, but I kept brushing it off. He seemed annoyed but didn’t dare express it, not understanding why my attitude had suddenly changed so much. He tried to hold my hand several times but gave up disappointedly each time, like a Samoyed that hadn’t received its treat. I kept reminding myself not to soften, it would only hurt both of us. The sky here was truly blue, making me feel completely relaxed. We rented a vintage car and drove along the lake road towards a scenic town. Walking on this flower-lined street felt like it could heal everything. There were too many people coming and going, including children running around. “Emily, watch out!” Ethan suddenly pulled me into his arms, shielding me in his small space.

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On Christmas Eve, Jack asked me, Emily, who had just won a silver award in the city’s fashion design competition, to design a wedding dress in the most popular 90s style. I thought Jack wanted to give me a surprise on Christmas, perhaps to officially confirm our relationship. So from conceptualization to fabric selection to cutting and sewing, I put my heart and soul into every step. However, on Christmas Day, Jack announced in front of everyone that this dress was a special Christmas gift prepared for his dream girl, Olivia. Even the position I had worked so hard for at the fashion company, Jack took it upon himself to give it to Olivia, who had just returned to the city. I had accompanied Jack for eight years, giving up many opportunities for development, but I couldn’t even keep an official status or even my beloved job position. I decisively decided to respond to that invitation letter from another well-known fashion company that I had been keeping at the bottom of my drawer. [A week later, I reported to the new company.]

Three days later, I received a reply. Looking at the words on the letter that read “We warmly welcome talented designers like you to join us, and look forward to creating brilliance together!”, I couldn’t help but shed tears. I was finally no longer a woman who could only depend on others, I finally had a dream to fight for. Eight years ago, to repay Jack for saving me in an accident, even without a promise, I silently stayed by his side to support his career. Jack was a business elite, and our life together was harmonious and happy. I gave up my own design dreams for him, thinking we could walk through the long years together. But who knew, after Olivia appeared, everything changed. He not only didn’t give me a clear future, but even my position at the fashion company was easily handed over to Olivia who had just returned. Jack walked into the room with Lily, and I hurriedly hid the letter. “What are you looking at?” Jack asked, noticing my reddened eyes. I forced a smile, “It’s a greeting letter from a friend.” “Are you still angry about the job position?” Jack frowned slightly. Lily, though young, already knew how to read the room. Hearing Jack say this, she looked at me with dissatisfaction, “Mom, don’t be so petty, Dad is just thinking about work.” Six years ago, I had been weak after a serious illness. So Jack left Lily in the care of his parents, who weren’t very warm towards me and had been instilling some unfavorable ideas about me in Lily since she was young. So Lily became cold towards me like Jack, only showing warmth when facing Olivia. Jack sighed and gently patted my shoulder, “Lily, go out for a moment.” After Lily left, Jack continued, “Emily, I hope you can understand my decision. Olivia has been through a lot of difficulties outside, she needs this position more to start anew. I’ve known her for a long time, it’s only right to help her.” I lowered my head slightly, avoiding his gaze, “I understand.” My attitude was as calm as water, leaving no room for criticism. Jack looked at me, wanting to say something but holding back, and finally left the room. In the evening, Jack brought Olivia home for dinner. At the dinner table, Jack, who was usually serious, was chatting and laughing with Olivia, as if they were the real family. I silently ate my dinner, unable to blend into their joyful atmosphere, and not wanting to. I remembered Christmas Eve, when I was full of expectations that Jack would give me a special promise. I was so nervous that I couldn’t sleep all night, constantly imagining how I would look standing beside him in a beautiful dress. When Jack first gave me the dress design task, my heart was full of sweetness, and I even added my own carefully designed unique embroidery to the details of the dress. But when I saw Olivia wearing that dress, I was full of shock and anger. That day, Jack and Olivia looked like a perfect couple leaning on each other, and the imported pearl necklace Jack gave her shone softly under the lights, piercing my heart. Colleagues from the company gathered around them, whispering. “The manager really put his heart into it for Miss Olivia, they’re truly a perfect match.” “It seems the manager still can’t forget Miss Olivia, Emily is just a substitute when Miss Olivia wasn’t around.” “That’s right, if it wasn’t for Emily solving a lot of the manager’s life troubles, he would have ignored her long ago. How could she compare to Miss Olivia’s talent and charm!” Those harsh words reached my ears, and tears welled up in my eyes, but my daughter beside me didn’t notice my sadness at all. Suddenly, the spotlight focused on me and my daughter. Jack smiled and waved to Lily, “Come on, didn’t you prepare a gift for Aunt Olivia long ago? Go ahead!” Hearing this, I reached out to hold back Lily, who was eager to run over, “Lily, did you know all along that this dress Mom made was for Aunt Olivia? Did you also know that Dad gave Mom’s job to her?” “Yes!” Lily nodded without hesitation. My nails dug deep into my palm as I tried to stay calm, “Then why didn’t you tell Mom?” Jack kept urging, and Lily forcefully shook off my hand, running happily towards Olivia. I was taken aback by Lily’s action and almost fell. I smiled bitterly, regretting that only now did I see clearly my position in their hearts. At this moment, my only thought was that I no longer wanted this man or this daughter.

Three days later, I received a reply. Looking at the words on the letter that read “We warmly welcome talented designers like you to join us, and look forward to creating brilliance together!”, I couldn’t help but shed tears. I was finally no longer a woman who could only depend on others, I finally had a dream to fight for. Eight years ago, to repay Jack for saving me in an accident, even without a promise, I silently stayed by his side to support his career. Jack was a business elite, and our life together was harmonious and happy. I gave up my own design dreams for him, thinking we could walk through the long years together. But who knew, after Olivia appeared, everything changed. He not only didn’t give me a clear future, but even my position at the fashion company was easily handed over to Olivia who had just returned. Jack walked into the room with Lily, and I hurriedly hid the letter. “What are you looking at?” Jack asked, noticing my reddened eyes. I forced a smile, “It’s a greeting letter from a friend.” “Are you still angry about the job position?” Jack frowned slightly. Lily, though young, already knew how to read the room. Hearing Jack say this, she looked at me with dissatisfaction, “Mom, don’t be so petty, Dad is just thinking about work.” Six years ago, I had been weak after a serious illness. So Jack left Lily in the care of his parents, who weren’t very warm towards me and had been instilling some unfavorable ideas about me in Lily since she was young. So Lily became cold towards me like Jack, only showing warmth when facing Olivia. Jack sighed and gently patted my shoulder, “Lily, go out for a moment.” After Lily left, Jack continued, “Emily, I hope you can understand my decision. Olivia has been through a lot of difficulties outside, she needs this position more to start anew. I’ve known her for a long time, it’s only right to help her.” I lowered my head slightly, avoiding his gaze, “I understand.” My attitude was as calm as water, leaving no room for criticism. Jack looked at me, wanting to say something but holding back, and finally left the room. In the evening, Jack brought Olivia home for dinner. At the dinner table, Jack, who was usually serious, was chatting and laughing with Olivia, as if they were the real family. I silently ate my dinner, unable to blend into their joyful atmosphere, and not wanting to. I remembered Christmas Eve, when I was full of expectations that Jack would give me a special promise. I was so nervous that I couldn’t sleep all night, constantly imagining how I would look standing beside him in a beautiful dress. When Jack first gave me the dress design task, my heart was full of sweetness, and I even added my own carefully designed unique embroidery to the details of the dress. But when I saw Olivia wearing that dress, I was full of shock and anger. That day, Jack and Olivia looked like a perfect couple leaning on each other, and the imported pearl necklace Jack gave her shone softly under the lights, piercing my heart. Colleagues from the company gathered around them, whispering. “The manager really put his heart into it for Miss Olivia, they’re truly a perfect match.” “It seems the manager still can’t forget Miss Olivia, Emily is just a substitute when Miss Olivia wasn’t around.” “That’s right, if it wasn’t for Emily solving a lot of the manager’s life troubles, he would have ignored her long ago. How could she compare to Miss Olivia’s talent and charm!” Those harsh words reached my ears, and tears welled up in my eyes, but my daughter beside me didn’t notice my sadness at all. Suddenly, the spotlight focused on me and my daughter. Jack smiled and waved to Lily, “Come on, didn’t you prepare a gift for Aunt Olivia long ago? Go ahead!” Hearing this, I reached out to hold back Lily, who was eager to run over, “Lily, did you know all along that this dress Mom made was for Aunt Olivia? Did you also know that Dad gave Mom’s job to her?” “Yes!” Lily nodded without hesitation. My nails dug deep into my palm as I tried to stay calm, “Then why didn’t you tell Mom?” Jack kept urging, and Lily forcefully shook off my hand, running happily towards Olivia. I was taken aback by Lily’s action and almost fell. I smiled bitterly, regretting that only now did I see clearly my position in their hearts. At this moment, my only thought was that I no longer wanted this man or this daughter.

Seeing that I was particularly cold tonight, Olivia pretended to be pitiful, pouting and tears welling up in her eyes, “Emily, are you still blaming me for taking your job? I’ll tell the company right now to give the position back to you!” Hearing this, Jack immediately put on a stern face, “What nonsense are you talking about? This position is what I fought for you, how can you say you don’t want it just like that? Emily won’t blame you, it’s just a position. She’s been focusing on family these past few years, work isn’t that important to her.” I couldn’t help but mock myself in my heart, oh Jack, for whom I’ve sacrificed so much, what have you ever fought for me in these eight years? What makes you think I’m willing to be a housewife forever? Lily didn’t even look at me, “Aunt Olivia, my mom only knows how to clean the house, she can’t do anything else. Not like you, you’re so talented. I love the painting you taught me last time! You’re amazing!” Olivia’s cheeks flushed red from the praise of the father and daughter. After dinner, Jack turned to me and said coldly, “You’re a mother now, be sensible. Go clean up the kitchen and wash some fruit for Olivia to eat.” I silently got up and went to the kitchen, not missing the flash of smugness in Olivia’s eyes. Jack was a bit surprised by my compliance, he pursed his lips, but ultimately said nothing. I washed the dishes with ice-cold water in the kitchen, while occasional laughter from Olivia and Lily came from the living room. It doesn’t matter anymore, I’m leaving this place soon anyway. The next day, I got up early and went to the bus station to buy a ticket to Ocean City. Only when the ticket was in my bag did my heart finally settle down a bit. I don’t want to have any more entanglements with the people here, nor do I want to fall into a loveless life again. In this last month, I just want to live as usual, doing what I should do. On my way home, I met Mrs. Lee from downstairs. She looked at me with surprise, “Emily? Didn’t you go to Lily’s school for the parent-child activity? You should go quickly, Lily said this activity requires parents to participate, she must have forgotten to tell you.” I agreed and immediately changed course to Lily’s school. At the school, the children were performing their talents. Lily was also on stage showcasing her dance, I watched with my own eyes as she perfectly completed her performance. I smiled and prepared to go up to congratulate her, but found that she ran straight into Olivia’s arms. Jack stood beside them, putting his jacket on Lily. I don’t know what Lily whispered in Olivia’s ear, but Olivia kissed Lily’s forehead. Then, Olivia and Lily looked at Jack with pitiful eyes at the same time, and Jack bent down with a doting and helpless expression to kiss Lily’s cheek. Olivia and Lily’s smiles were dazzlingly bright. I suddenly felt ridiculous for rushing to school to participate in the activity, the three of them were the real family, and I was just an outsider in their happy life. Jack ruffled Lily’s hair, then ruffled Olivia’s, and inadvertently looked up to meet my gaze. He immediately took his hand off Olivia’s head, scratching his head awkwardly, wanting to say something but holding back. I heard Lily say, “Aunt Olivia, I invited you to participate in the activity without telling Mom, don’t let it slip.” “Shut up!” Jack scolded. At this moment, the three of them realized my arrival. Olivia stood up, about to speak. Lily’s teacher walked over, “Lily’s mom? Didn’t you say you couldn’t come today because you had something to do? It’s good that you’re here, by the way, Lily won a silver award in the school painting competition last time. Come with me to get her artwork and certificate.” I waved to the three of them casually, pretending to be relaxed, and followed the teacher to the office to get the certificate. “Your family is so happy!” the teacher exclaimed. Lily’s artwork depicted the Christmas gathering scene, with two adults and a child standing intimately under the lights, Olivia wearing a beautiful dress, Jack holding Olivia’s arm, looking so happy that it made people envious. I wiped away the tears from the corner of my eye, thanked the teacher, and went straight home. It doesn’t matter, I’ll give my place to Olivia. Three more days, and I’ll be free. Back home, I started packing my luggage. Clothes, daily necessities, the design sketches I drew in my spare time over these eight years…

When Jack brought Olivia home, I had just finished packing. Olivia had tears in her eyes, looking pitiful and saying, “Emily, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. I rarely participate in such activities, so I begged Jack to take me. I’ll tell the company right now to give the position back to you!” Hearing Olivia say this, Lily quickly explained, “Mom, it’s not like that, it was me who wanted Aunt Olivia to accompany me, it’s all my fault, don’t be angry with Aunt Olivia.” This was the first time Lily had lowered her head and admitted her mistake in front of me, the first time she said so much to explain. Jack stepped forward, pulled me into the room, and hugged me tightly. “Emily, today’s incident is my fault, blame me if you want to blame someone.” How ridiculous, because Olivia participated in Lily’s activity, the three of them are vying to take responsibility, as if I’m an unreasonable person, as if they are the real family, and I’m just an outsider. I broke free from Jack’s embrace and looked straight into his eyes. Jack was still explaining, “Emily, Olivia has had a hard life, she’s been through a lot to get where she is now, she needs this position more to prove herself. I grew up with her, helping her is a matter of sentiment.” Jack was known for being calm and rational at the company, never saying a word more than necessary. But now, for Olivia’s sake, he was willing to explain to me so patiently. “Then why are so many of my design sketches missing?” I asked calmly. Jack was at a loss for words for a moment, then explained in a low voice, “I saw you had drawn a lot before, and that day when you weren’t around, Olivia came to the house and saw them, she really liked them, so I gave them to her for study and reference.” I understood in my heart, but couldn’t even muster any anger, “No wonder Olivia’s design works submitted when she joined the company looked familiar.” Jack suddenly looked ashamed, he hadn’t expected that I knew everything. Even when he belittled me in front of Olivia to protect her face, I knew. Jack stubbornly deceived himself, believing that Olivia’s success was entirely due to her own efforts and perseverance, not mentioning his help at all, and pretending not to know about plagiarizing my works. He only saw Olivia’s hardships, but was unwilling to mention the shortcuts she took. “Emily, I’ve always known you have talent, I hope you can be magnanimous about this incident, Olivia… really needs this opportunity.” There was a flash of struggle and pain in Jack’s eyes, but he was still speaking for Olivia. “Alright. As you wish, I’ll give it all to her.” The position, the works, you, our daughter, I’ll give it all to her.

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This was the fifth year of Ethan’s torment. The heiress of River City’s most prominent family had chosen him, a chauffeur’s son, as her fake boyfriend to avoid an arranged marriage. Rather than being her boyfriend, he was more like a toy she had casually picked up. She deliberately made him wait outside in the pouring rain all night, forced him to buy alcohol for her and her lover, and mocked him mercilessly when he was nearly in tears with worry. But because of love, he never thought of leaving her. Until the day the young miss used his sister’s life as a bargaining chip in her games. That day, he made up his mind to disappear from her world. Soon, rumors spread throughout River City that the once-proud heiress had gone completely mad trying to find him. Summer rain nights are always humid and sticky. Ethan had been standing in front of Olivia’s door for nearly three hours. The rain had long since soaked through his clothes and hair, but the items in his arms remained clean, in stark contrast to his disheveled appearance. For the first time, Ethan felt that summer could be this cold, chilling him to the bone and making his heart ache with bitterness. Two hours earlier, Ethan had suddenly received a message from Olivia, the cold words like frost. “I want cake. Bring it to me within thirty minutes.” Nothing but a command, without any other words. Ethan wasn’t angry; instead, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes as he immediately set off for South Street to fulfill her order. After buying the strawberry cake, Ethan even bought a bouquet of jasmine flowers. Although it wasn’t cheap for a poor boy saving money for his sister’s medical treatment, it was worth it for Olivia. “Olivia, I’m already at your door.” Ethan’s voice message was full of anticipation. He waited nervously at the door for a while, but the door before him never opened. Ethan thought Olivia might be asleep; she often slept at odd hours. So he stood at the door, waiting patiently. As dark clouds covered the quiet night sky, threatening to bring a downpour, the flowers in his hands gradually lost their vitality. Yet he still couldn’t get any response from Olivia or hear the crisp sound of the door opening. Wait a little longer, Ethan consoled himself. Raindrops began to fall steadily, creating beautiful ripples on the ground. Ethan couldn’t help but call Olivia, and after a long while, she finally answered. “What are you doing? Don’t you know you’re disturbing my movie?” Her tone was full of impatience. Seeing her unfriendly attitude, Ethan cautiously asked, “Didn’t you say you wanted strawberry cake? I’ve already bought it and I’m at your door, but I haven’t heard from you… Is there something urgent?” Olivia was silent for a few seconds, and there seemed to be some giggling from the other end of the line. “Nothing urgent, I was just having fun and forgot about you. Since you’ve already bought the cake, go buy a bottle of wine and bring it over.” Ethan was about to speak, but the call was disconnected. Olivia loved to drink, especially the special cocktail from that restaurant in the north of the city, which wasn’t easy to buy without connections. Ethan hardly hesitated and didn’t think much of it, immediately setting off to buy wine for Olivia, even though his clothes were soaked by the heavy rain. He had no complaints. The journey wasn’t easy. He stumbled into the restaurant, dripping wet, and was mocked by the wealthy diners for a long time. Fortunately, Ethan arrived just in time and managed to buy the last bottle of special cocktail before closing time, using Olivia’s name. By the time he rushed back to Olivia’s house in the pouring rain, it was almost midnight, and he was soaked to the bone. But the cake, wine, and even the flowers didn’t have a single drop of rain on them. Ethan had just put on a pleasing smile and was about to step in when he saw that the person opening the door wasn’t Olivia, but a face he despised. Nathan. “He’s really obedient, isn’t he? Olivia, you’ve trained your dog well.” Instantly, laughter erupted from the living room. “Miss, we’ve heard that this little pet of yours is very well-trained, and seeing it today, it’s indeed true.” “That’s right, remember our deal? That club of yours is mine now.” The group laughed together, looking very pleased with themselves. “Ethan, are you a dog? You’re so obedient. We left you outside for so long and you didn’t even get angry. You even went all the way to buy wine and bring it back. You’re really worthless, aren’t you? And you made me lose my favorite sports car to someone else. How embarrassing!” Olivia slowly walked into Ethan’s line of sight, her proud expression mixed with a hint of anger. This wasn’t the first time such a scene had occurred, but Ethan still handed her the items with a bitter smile, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying. “Eat it quickly, before it’s not fresh anymore.” Olivia snorted coldly, with a sarcastic smile at the corner of her eye, and knocked over the cake with one sweep. “Useless thing, it’s been hours, how am I supposed to eat it now?” The cake and flowers were mixed together, now all smeared on Ethan’s face, wet and sticky. “Don’t be angry, Olivia. This kind of trash isn’t worth your attention.” Olivia’s slender waist was held in Nathan’s arms as he patiently coaxed her. “A chauffeur’s son is indeed a lowly creature. I really don’t know what Olivia saw in you.” Olivia’s lips curled slightly, looking at Ethan with a half-smile. “He can’t even compare to your little toe. You don’t need to lower yourself to his level.” Ethan had long known that Olivia didn’t like him that much, but seeing this scene and hearing her cold words, his heart ached intensely. Ethan was seventeen when he came to the Thompson family. His mother had passed away then, and his father, in poor health, could only work as a driver to make ends meet. He also had a younger sister with leukemia, and life was very difficult. He could never forget the first time he saw Olivia at seventeen. Such a bright and charming girl appeared before his eyes, as beautiful as an oil painting, making him fall hopelessly in love. Due to the difference in their status, he only dared to bury this feeling deep in his heart, letting it grow wildly. Until the year his father also passed away, which was also the year Olivia was forced by her family to marry Nathan. To rebel against her parents, she deliberately confessed to him. For Ethan, who had just lost his family, this was like a warm ray of sunshine, making him deeply immersed in it, craving this warmth. Even though Ethan knew from the beginning that this was just Olivia’s means to defy her family and avoid the arranged marriage, he was still as happy as a child receiving a beloved gift. During their five years of dating, Ethan gave his heart and soul to her, wanting to melt her icy exterior and enter her heart, making her fall in love with him. But he never expected Nathan to appear at this time. He was Olivia’s legitimate fiancé, an arrogant and disrespectful young master. Whenever attending important banquets, Olivia always brought Nathan by her side. When many people inquired about their relationship, Olivia’s answer was always the same. “Nathan is my fiancé, we have a very good relationship.” Olivia’s eyes sparkled with laughter, looking at Ethan with a challenging gaze. Faced with such situations, Ethan could only swallow his grievances, his heart sinking into an endless sea, feeling extremely bitter. But he loved Olivia too much. As long as she kept him by her side for one more day, he would wholeheartedly be good to her. Ethan let out a long sigh, enduring the pain in his heart, and mustered up the courage to try and pull Olivia back. “Olivia, your stomach isn’t feeling well. Don’t drink alcohol. Let me make you some porridge.” As soon as he finished speaking, jeers erupted from the crowd. “What porridge? You’re just a chauffeur’s son. Olivia only keeps you as a boyfriend to play with, like a pet. Don’t try to act all high and mighty here!” “You don’t really think you’re the master, do you? Her real fiancé is right here. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” Olivia didn’t refute. Her beautiful eyes flashed with coldness as she shook off Ethan’s hand. “Who do you think you are to tell me what to do? Get out of here, don’t ruin the mood between me and Nathan.” Ethan pressed his lips together, unable to say anything. He turned around silently and left. After returning home, he was about to eat something to fill his stomach and warm up his rain-soaked body when he found that the chicken soup he had prepared for his sister in the afternoon had long since gone cold. Ethan’s eyes welled up with tears, his nose stinging. For Olivia’s sake, he had forgotten to visit his sister today. Emily suffered from severe leukemia. Her greatest wish was to see her brother and Olivia finally together, happy and content. But Olivia disliked him, and by extension, didn’t care for Emily. Ethan absent-mindedly reheated the soup. He understood that he was just a stopgap measure, a joke. Ethan could endure the torment and pain Olivia gave him, but he didn’t want Olivia to despise his sister or do anything to harm her. After all, she was his only family left. So he decided to tell his sister that he and Olivia wouldn’t have a future together. Ethan rode his bike to the hospital, only to find the room empty. He thought the medical staff might have taken his sister to the bathroom, so he turned to look for her. Little did he know, his sister had already been dragged into the abyss by a group of demons. “Olivia, it’s boring with just us drinking. We’ve played the same games over and over.” “Yeah, don’t you often go to that club? The games there must be exciting. Teach us how to play.” Olivia and Nathan often threw parties at the villa, usually lasting from morning till night. After playing for so long, they naturally felt bored. A few playful young masters started looking for more exciting entertainment. “Are you sure? Don’t be sore losers when the time comes,” Olivia glanced at those who spoke, with a half-smile curling her lips. Hearing this, Nathan revealed a faint smile: “Olivia, don’t underestimate them. They might play even more intensely than us!” Olivia nodded and led everyone to a secret room filled with divine statues, as solemn and sacred as a church. “This is a secret base that I begged our family’s old man to build for a long time. You guys are in for a treat today.” Olivia held a wine glass, her red lips alluring, proudly introducing the place to everyone. “This is contraband, Olivia. You’re really daring.” “What’s the big deal? Name one young master from a rich family who doesn’t touch this stuff nowadays?” Several people gathered around the table, carefully examining the tools on it – syringes, surrounded by “magical elixirs” that would let them experience an extreme high. “Don’t worry, these doses won’t get you addicted, but……” Olivia picked up a syringe from the table and scanned the room: “If anyone dares to talk, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” “Relax, Olivia. With me here, they wouldn’t dare,” Nathan put his arm around Olivia’s shoulders, his expression carrying a warning as he looked at everyone present. Everyone immediately understood, and for a moment, no one dared to speak. “Miss, Mr. Ethan’s sister is here. She says she has something to give you.” The butler knocked on the door, and everyone felt their fun was being spoiled. “These siblings are really like ghosts that won’t go away. They’re both such pests!” “Just send her away. Don’t let her ruin our fun.” Nathan’s eyes held a playful glint: “Sending her away is no fun. Since Ethan treasures his sister so much, he probably wouldn’t mind letting her join our game.” The crowd egged them on, and Olivia just slightly tilted her head, resting it on her hand, silently agreeing to his idea. “Bring her in.” Emily passed through the dark staircase, timidly hugging the doll in her arms, her eyes full of fear. “Little Emily, do you like feeling happy? Light and floating, like flying in the sky.” Olivia pretended to be gentle, stroking Emily’s hair. “I like it!” “Then let’s play a game together.” Olivia led her to a chair and pressed a mechanism. Soon, Emily’s hands were locked to the chair, unable to move. “How long do you think this little girl can last? Ten minutes?” “That’s too little! Kids have good bodies, it should be at least half an hour!” Everyone laughed, carelessly joking about it. “Since that’s the case, why don’t we make a bet? Let’s see how long she can hold out.” The one who said this was Nathan. Everyone placed their bets, taking out checkbooks and writing numbers. Whoever guessed closest would get all the checks on the table! Emily was trembling, cautiously opening her mouth. “Sister, what game do you want me to play? My brother is waiting for me to go home.” Olivia frowned slightly, curled her lips, and deliberately coaxed her: “Don’t you want me and your brother to take you to the amusement park together? If you complete this game, I’ll agree to it.” Emily’s eyes lit up. How could she distinguish between true and false intentions? She nodded resolutely. Olivia sneered, beckoning Nathan to take the syringe and mercilessly inject it into Emily’s body. “Sister! It hurts, it’s so cold!” Emily cried out, struggling constantly. “You little bitch, don’t give up so easily. This is just the beginning.” Nathan held her down tightly, letting the drug enter Emily’s body, watching her tear-filled eyes with great satisfaction. “Sister……” Emily looked to Olivia for help, but she just silently played with her soft hair. Gradually, Emily’s consciousness became more and more blurred, and her limbs stopped struggling. There wasn’t the excitement everyone had expected, so they found it boring and left in droves with their favorite drugs and syringes, without anyone checking Emily’s condition. Shortly after everyone left, Emily kept coughing, her lips turning whiter and whiter, finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. She weakly called for help in the empty secret room: “Help… save me… Sister… Brother…” There was no response. Finally, Emily’s hand slowly fell, and she stopped breathing.

On his way to the bathroom, Ethan met Emily’s caregiver, which confused him. “Mrs. Chen, isn’t Emily with you?” “No, she said she was going to find you this afternoon. I even sent her to the villa gate. I think she brought some kind of gift.” Ethan’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He hadn’t seen his sister in the villa just now. Cold sweat broke out all over his body as alarm bells rang in his head. He hurriedly rushed back to the Thompson house. It was already late at night. As soon as Ethan entered, he almost bumped into the butler who had just finished cleaning up after the party. “Ethan, why are you in such a hurry? Did something happen?” The butler steadied Ethan’s body, asking with concern. Ethan was almost in tears with anxiety. “Mr. Chen, have you seen Emily? When I went to the hospital to find her, the doctor told me Olivia had taken her away.” “This is not good! Come with me!” Hearing this, the butler immediately realized something was wrong. He had only seen Emily come in, not go out, and quickly led Ethan to search. The secret room wasn’t locked because no one dared to come here except Olivia. The two quickly passed through the dark staircase. “Emily!” The scene before his eyes almost made Ethan faint. Under the dim light, Emily’s small body was slumped over, lifeless. The butler’s heart sank, and he immediately went forward to check. His fingers trembled as he placed them under Emily’s nose, then he collapsed to the ground in shock. Emily…… was dead? 2. Emily’s body was covered in bruises, with needle marks left behind. Her face was pale, and her body was cold. The gift she had brought was carelessly thrown on the ground, trampled and covered in dirt. “Don’t scare me, Emily!” Ethan immediately rushed over to hug his sister. Seeing the girl’s ashen face and rigid body, his heart felt as if it had been buried in an icy wasteland, completely frozen. “Emily, wake up, open your eyes and look at me. I’m your brother! Who did this to you?” Ethan’s tears fell like broken strings of pearls, rolling down one by one in grief. He couldn’t believe his sister was gone. He called her name over and over, unable to accept this cruel reality. “Emily, I’ll call a doctor. Just wait a little longer, it’ll be okay soon.” “Emily, are you in pain? Let brother blow on it, and it won’t hurt anymore.” Seeing Ethan about to go mad, the butler quickly had someone hold him back. “Ethan! Calm down. Emily is gone. Let her rest in peace.” Forced to let go of his sister, Ethan kept mumbling “It’s not possible.” He couldn’t believe his sister would leave him so easily. Just yesterday she was such a lively little girl, how could she become a cold corpse today? Who had taken her life? “Mr. Chen, you must know what happened. Tell me who killed her. This is very important to me. She was my only family left!” Ethan spoke each word with extreme pain, his saliva mixed with tears smeared all over his face. The butler couldn’t bear it and had someone retrieve the surveillance footage. Olivia was crazy. She had specially installed cameras in this secret room just to watch everyone’s expressions as they took the drugs. The course of events was cruelly presented to Ethan. He stared blankly, his eyes filled with despair and numbness, as if struck by lightning. “Why! Why did you do this to Emily!” He cried out in anguish, feeling hatred towards Olivia for the first time – extreme hatred. He had long known about Olivia’s bad habits, with drug use being one of them. He had never dared to question it, but that was his sister! How could these people treat a human life as a game! Divine statues hung on the walls, yet these people were committing demonic acts. How ironic! He held his sister’s lifeless body, his eyes bloodshot, bloodshot veins spreading in his eyes. He had cried for so long that his tears had dried up. “Revenge! I want revenge! I want these beasts to die a horrible death!”

Ethan wanted to copy the surveillance footage to report to the police and seek justice for his sister, but Mr. Chen refused. “Ethan! You don’t have the power to fight against them! Besides, I’m part of the Thompson family… I’m sorry.” The butler sighed repeatedly, feeling helpless despite his wishes. Ethan’s heart felt like it had sunk into an icy abyss, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. A strong sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart, almost making him want to kill all these people! To accompany his sister in death! What kind of status did the Thompson family have? They were well-known throughout River City, with power that could overshadow everything. Anyone in their eyes was just an ant crawling at their feet. It was just an insignificant girl who died, why would they face any consequences? Thinking of this, Ethan’s heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. He hated his own powerlessness, hated his cowardice that gave them the power to hurt Emily. After the cremation, Ethan looked at the box in his arms. His sister, who once smiled brightly at him while holding a candied haw, now lived only in his memories forever. Five days later, Ethan returned to Olivia’s villa like a wandering soul from a mass grave. He forced himself to endure the discomfort in his heart and pushed open this heavy door. Ethan was enveloped in an aura of despair, completely at odds with the lively atmosphere. “Isn’t this Ethan? Why do you look so miserable after not seeing you for a few days? Did Olivia torment you again?” Laughter erupted from the living room as scorching gazes suddenly fell on Ethan. “I don’t have time to deal with him. I’m busy going on a date with Nathan!” Olivia snorted coldly, leaning into Nathan’s arms, her coquettish voice inviting pity. “You have the nerve to come back. You really are the Thompson family’s dog. Your skin is so thick.” Nathan was angered by the sight of him and walked over, looking at him with disdain. “Excuse me.” Ethan moved his dry lips, indifferently uttering two words as he walked past Nathan, who was blocking the doorway. In the past, he could only swallow his grievances and suffer alone in response to Nathan’s provocations. But now, there was only desolation left in his heart. “What? Are you angry? Nathan and I just like to play some intimate games. You surely won’t mind, right?” Olivia crossed her legs, swinging them back and forth, staring at Ethan carelessly. Hearing this, Ethan’s bloodshot eyes glared fiercely at Nathan and Olivia. “Playing games?” Ethan laughed maniacally, then pointed at everyone present and asked hatefully: “Is everything just a game in your eyes?” “Even my sister’s life was just a game to you!” Ethan’s words were filled with blood and tears, his voice hoarse as if he was about to cough up blood. He wished he could tear apart everyone before him. “Oh, so you found out.” Olivia snorted with laughter, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I just wanted to make her happy too. After all, poor people like you must live very bitter lives.” The others were only stunned for a moment. Hearing Olivia say this, they quickly resumed their laughter, obviously not taking Ethan’s words seriously. “That’s right! She should be grateful!” “Hey Ethan, did your sister share with you how good it felt?” Ethan stared at the group with bloodshot eyes, shouting with all his might: “Do you know how old my sister was? She had leukemia and was already very weak! Yet you made her take drugs and left her there without checking on her. You beasts!” The game they spoke of so casually had cost him the last person in this world who truly cherished him. Everyone seemed to have never seen Ethan rebel like this before, and they were all slightly shocked for a moment. Olivia’s face turned ugly, having lost face. She coldly said, her voice as if laced with ice: “What are you raving about? Your sister, like you, was just a dog of our family. Whatever I wanted her to do, she had to do it.” Hearing Olivia say this, Nathan also sneered. “That’s right, Ethan. Is your sister so precious? Can’t she even make us happy? Can’t she even take a joke?” Hearing these words, Ethan’s anger surged, and he could no longer control his emotions. He shouted hysterically once again. “My sister was a living, breathing person! Not a chip for your entertainment! You murderers should all go down and keep my sister company!”

Murderers? Olivia laughed mockingly. No one had ever dared to call her that before. Olivia’s beautiful eyes darkened like a deep swamp, bottomless. “So what? Are you going to report me? Or kill me? Ethan, know your place. Don’t try to challenge my bottom line.” Ethan suddenly laughed, tears rushing down uncontrollably. “Bottom line? When you trampled on my bottom line, did you ever think about how humiliated I felt!” “These five years, how I’ve endured all the insults, what you’ve done to us siblings, you know better than anyone. If being loved by you means being toyed with, mocked, at the cost of my family’s life, then this kind of love disgusts me to the extreme!” Olivia seemed to see him like this for the first time. Her brows furrowed, not knowing what to say for a moment. At this time, Nathan walked over to Ethan’s side with a mocking expression. “Ethan, I’m half responsible for this too. Don’t blame Olivia. Why don’t I go apologize to your sister?” “After all, your poor sister was struggling so painfully yesterday. You don’t know how heart-wrenching her cries were, like she was between life and death. It was quite a spectacle! It would be a shame if she didn’t become an actress.” His light tone seemed to not take human life seriously at all, and there was even a hint of pride. Ethan felt his head buzzing. He grabbed Nathan’s collar and gave him a hard punch! Nathan’s howl of pain instantly sobered everyone up. He covered his face, his eyes immediately reddening, his face turning ashen. The people around were in an uproar. “Ethan actually dared to hit Nathan. I see he really doesn’t know his place anymore. He’s out of control!” “Olivia, Young Master Nathan has never suffered such a big grievance since childhood. This time you can’t protect Ethan anymore.” Olivia stood not far away, coldly watching this scene. After who knows how long, she slowly walked over in her high heels. Looking at Ethan, she laughed lightly, but that laugh was bone-chillingly cold. The next second, she kicked Ethan in the stomach. His body, already weak, was caught off guard and fell to the ground. “Who told you to touch him? Don’t you know our relationship? Am I giving you too much face?” Olivia stepped on Ethan’s face, her heel scraping across his face, leaving a not-so-light wound. Seeing this, others rushed forward to pin down the struggling Ethan. Ethan’s face was humiliatingly pressed against the ground, unable to move at all. He could only lift his face, watching helplessly as Olivia looked down at him. That once bright girl now seemed like a ripe fruit, her heart beginning to rot, the core growing darker and darker. “You and your sister were just dogs of our Thompson family. Whatever I told you to do, you had to do it. Let alone playing with me, even if I told you to crawl and bark like dogs, you’d have to do it immediately. Do you understand?” Ethan was in heart-wrenching pain, but suddenly burst into laughter. He stared blankly at the white ceiling, his voice hoarse as he said word by word: “Olivia, I never want to see you again in this life.” “Let’s break up.”

Olivia, the person he loved, cherished, and loved for so many years, in the end, even cost him the life of his only relative. The huge blow completely awakened him. They were never from the same world. After saying he wanted to break up, Ethan dragged his painful body and struggled to get up, stumbling a few times. Without even packing his belongings, he turned and left without looking back. “Ethan! You dare!” For some reason, hearing these words made Olivia feel very uncomfortable. She felt gloomy and instinctively called out to stop him. “Don’t forget who you’ve been living off these years! You’re nothing without me!” Olivia’s threats and warnings didn’t stop Ethan’s steps. He left the villa without any hesitation, decisively. From then on, Olivia really never saw Ethan again. Olivia very much disliked the feeling of things slipping out of her control. The person who used to follow her every command had now disappeared without a trace. She was extremely displeased. Her mind kept replaying the day he left, his back looking so lonely yet determined, as if he really wanted to never see her again in this life. Afterwards, Olivia kept attending various parties, using strong alcohol and drugs, but she just couldn’t get Ethan’s figure out of her mind. Seeing her absent-minded appearance, Nathan bought many gifts trying to make her smile, but she remained unmoved. “I feel so bad. Quickly make me something to eat and bring it over.” Olivia lay panting by the bed, her arm still pierced with the syringe she had just used. The servants didn’t dare to neglect her and hurriedly cooked some porridge to bring over. The moment it entered her mouth, Olivia smashed the bowl to pieces. “Are you all useless! You can’t even make a decent meal!” “Get out, all of you!” The drug-addled Olivia had a volatile temper. The servants were all frightened into silence and hurriedly left the room, pushing and shoving each other. “Ethan, Ethan!” Olivia mumbled, smashing things around the bed to pieces. Seeing that Ethan didn’t respond, she angrily stormed into Ethan’s room barefoot. The room was empty, the bed sheets neat, even covered with a thin layer of dust, obviously uninhabited for days. It was then that Olivia woke up from her dazed state. They had broken up. She irritably ran a hand through her hair, sitting on Ethan’s bed and lighting a cigarette. All their past moments together swirled in her mind. Olivia firmly believed that in a few days, Ethan would definitely come back begging for her forgiveness. “It was just a game, why is he taking it so seriously? It’s not like anything happened to his sister.” Olivia couldn’t understand. Was this Ethan’s new tactic to make her love him? Or was it because Nathan’s provocation went too far and Ethan was jealous? Thinking of this, Olivia frowned impatiently and sent a message to her personal assistant. [Go buy some things Ethan likes.] [Alright, what does Mr. Ethan like?] Olivia was stunned. She seemed to have never understood him. She became more irritated and threw her phone far away. Never mind, Ethan would come back to find her no matter what. These gifts didn’t matter. However, what Olivia didn’t expect was that for several days in a row, Ethan had no news at all. No one, not even herself, could find him. He had vanished from this world. “Miss, you can’t continue injecting anymore.” The private doctor came to the villa to check Olivia’s physical condition and earnestly reminded her. Olivia nodded nonchalantly, but didn’t take it to heart at all. She had been dreaming of Ethan these past few days, but couldn’t bring herself to go find him. She could only relieve her restless emotions by taking drugs, which led to an overdose. Olivia remembered that every time she was in a bad mood and took drugs, Ethan would thoughtfully prepare food for her and stay by her side. Now that he was gone, it felt like a piece was missing from her life. Olivia casually dismissed the doctor, ignoring his advice and continuing to indulge in a life of debauchery. Soon, her body couldn’t take it anymore.

Olivia woke up in the middle of the night, her chest hurting badly. She tried to call a doctor but found her phone was dead. She could only drag herself to find suppressants, but the pain and burning sensation made it difficult to move. If only Ethan were here, he would surely rush over to take care of her, staying by her side every step of the way. Ethan was always the first person to truly care about her. “Ethan, don’t go.” Olivia curled up on the floor, her face pale and her breathing weak, but she still mumbled Ethan’s name. When Mr. Chen found Olivia, he was startled and hurriedly called Dr. Zhou. When Olivia woke up, she saw the empty room, with servants and the doctor looking at her with worried faces. She still didn’t see the person she wanted to see most. In the past, when things like this happened, let alone fainting, even if she just had a headache, Ethan would be by her side taking meticulous care of her. But since Ethan had decisively broken up with her, he had truly vanished from Olivia’s world without a trace. For some reason, a surge of indescribable anger suddenly welled up in Olivia’s heart. Her eyes darkened, and the atmosphere in the entire villa turned bone-chillingly cold. Everyone lowered their heads in silence. “Bring Ethan to me, no matter where he is. I want to see him immediately. Tell him the Thompson family has lost something and suspects he took it.” No one dared to disobey her order. Ethan was thus forcibly brought away by Olivia’s people. When he arrived at the villa, Ethan was tightly holding Emily’s urn. His face was ashen, with no light in his eyes. “I thought you had a backbone and they couldn’t bring you back.” As soon as he entered, Olivia sneered at him sarcastically. Nathan was also sitting by the bed, looking at him arrogantly. “Didn’t you say something was lost? Check then.” Ethan mechanically raised his arms to let the bodyguards search him. Throughout the process, his expression remained blank. He didn’t even lift his head, just silently watching Olivia’s bodyguards open his suitcase and search, finally finding nothing. Olivia had deliberately called Nathan over to provoke Ethan, but his demeanor showed no sign of caring. The two were like strangers who had never met before. Could it be that he really didn’t care about her anymore, didn’t love her anymore? Was he really leaving her? Olivia didn’t believe it. She thought Ethan surely couldn’t live without her. Seeing him about to turn and leave, a surge of anger and indescribable panic suddenly swept over her. Seeing this, Nathan’s eyes flashed with a cold light as he called out to Ethan. “You rude thing, don’t you even know how to say hello?” Nathan narrowed his eyes, staring at him resentfully, as if trying to see through him. He had been with Olivia for so long, but had never seen her care about someone so much, and that person was actually Ethan! The thought that he couldn’t even compare to a chauffeur’s son made Nathan furious. He didn’t attack Ethan directly, but just smiled slightly: “Poor people like you would never admit to stealing. Who knows, maybe it’s hidden somewhere inconspicuous, like the box you’re holding.” Hearing this, Ethan finally seemed to come alive. He tightly hugged the box, glaring angrily at him. “Don’t you dare touch it!” Nathan raised an eyebrow. Sure enough, this box was Ethan’s weak point. He felt increasingly smug in his heart and was determined to find out what Ethan was treasuring so much. Seeing Ethan refuse to let go, Nathan directly reached out to snatch it. With a crash, the urn in his arms fell to the ground, instantly shattering. Along with it, Ethan’s heart shattered into pieces. The air was terrifyingly quiet. After a long while, Nathan covered his nose and glanced at Ethan disdainfully. “Are you so poor that you can’t even afford flour? I thought it was something valuable!” Ethan looked at the ashes scattered on the floor, his pupils shaking. “No!” He fell to his knees, frantically trying to gather the ashes on the ground with his hands. “No, it’s all mine, it’s all mine.” Ethan had no container to put it in. He could only use his clothes to protect his sister’s soul, desperately trying to gather it up with his hands. He didn’t even dare to cry, fearing his tears would wet the ashes and prevent his sister from resting in peace. Seeing him like this, Nathan suddenly became interested. He liked seeing Ethan devastated, in pain, and helpless. “Ethan.” Nathan disregarded everything and directly stepped on the pile of ashes, swaggering over. He bent down and whispered in his ear: “Oops, I seem to have dirtied it. I’m so sorry! Do you need me to compensate you?” The little bit of ashes that had just been gathered up were now filthy beyond recognition. Ethan’s eyes were bloodshot, almost bursting. He could no longer maintain his rationality. That was his deceased sister! It was his only reason for living in this world! Ethan suddenly stood up and used all his strength to kick Nathan down. He viciously punched his face, with a ferocity that seemed intent on killing him. This still wasn’t enough to vent Ethan’s inner rage. He kicked Nathan’s stomach hard, wishing he could make him pay with his life for his sister! “Help… help… this madman wants to kill me.” Nathan was beaten to within an inch of his life and could only desperately slap at Ethan’s movements, crying out loudly for help. “What are you all standing there for? Are you waiting for someone to die?” Olivia was also frightened and screamed for the bodyguards to pull Ethan away. Ethan was thrown heavily to the ground, cradling the scattered ashes on the floor, crying heart-rendingly. Nathan barely escaped with his life, lying on the floor gasping for breath like he had just survived a great calamity, his face still showing traces of fear.

“Olivia, he wanted to kill me… We can’t keep this dog around anymore, or he’ll surely take revenge on us one day!” Nathan, a grown man, was now shedding tears in fright as he cowered behind Olivia. “Olivia, I just spilled some cheap flour, and he wanted to kill me for it. If we don’t deal with him, where will you put your face in the future?” Olivia comforted Nathan while looking down at his face covered in bloody marks, her heart filled with anger. It was just some flour, yet Ethan dared to hit Nathan. Wasn’t this deliberately opposing her? Could it be that Ethan knew she had fallen ill because of him, and that’s why he dared to be so reckless? Olivia’s expression instantly turned vicious. She gave a look to her bodyguard, then turned to face him with a terrifying expression. “You treasure it so much, it must be because you can’t afford to eat, right? Don’t worry, you won’t waste it if you eat it.” As soon as Olivia finished speaking, Ethan’s heart stopped. His pupils dilated as he shook his head desperately, “Are you crazy?” He tried to scoop up the ashes on the ground, wanting to escape this hell. But the next second, the bodyguards firmly restrained him, rendering him immobile. “Olivia, you’ll face retribution for this. Do you know what this is? This is……” Before Ethan could finish speaking, the bodyguards grabbed a handful of ashes and stuffed it directly into his mouth. Ethan clenched his teeth tightly, desperately trying to dodge. “Get away! I won’t eat it!” This was Emily’s ashes. How could they dare to do such a rebellious thing! Why did his sister have to suffer such torment even after death? “If you want to eat, I’ll feed you until you’re full! Hold him down properly!” Seeing Ethan resist so fiercely, Nathan grabbed his chin and forcefully poured it in. Ethan wanted to bite his tongue to avoid swallowing it directly, but the large amount of powder choked him into a coughing fit. The gray-white ashes covered his entire face, looking quite ridiculous. Gradually, Ethan stopped struggling. Tears slid into his sideburns as his hands fell limp. His eyes were filled with deathly stillness. Olivia was startled by Ethan’s expression and panicked for a moment. “Stop! I don’t want him to die yet.” She called for Nathan to stop, a flash of complex emotions crossing her eyes. Nathan’s eyes were bloodshot, showing no intention of stopping: “He wanted to kill me. I won’t let him off easily!” “Enough! Nathan, if you kill him, no one will clean up this mess for you!” Olivia scolded angrily, signaling the bodyguards to let go of Ethan and stop Nathan’s actions. Hearing this, Nathan was indignant. Not killing Ethan left him unsatisfied, but seeing Olivia’s cold expression, he didn’t dare to act rashly. “This can’t end like this! I’m going to report him to the police!” Nathan quickly picked up his phone, but it was knocked away by Olivia the next second. “I think you’ve gone mad too. With Ethan in this state, if our drug use gets exposed, what then? I have the Thompson family to protect me, but what about you? The Ji family has more than just you as a son.” Olivia frowned, threatening him. She wasn’t concerned about Nathan’s life or death; she just didn’t want Ethan to go to jail. She didn’t want Ethan to leave her. “Then what should I do? Olivia, are you just going to watch me get beaten up for nothing?” Nathan pretended to be pitiful, tears streaming down his face, but only irritated Olivia. “Just have Ethan kneel down and apologize to you. Don’t keep harping on it. I don’t like you like this.” After saying this, the bodyguards immediately pressed Ethan down. Ethan’s proud spirit had long been crushed. Like a walking corpse, he knelt in front of Nathan. “Kowtow! Don’t you even know how to apologize?” Nathan was dissatisfied but didn’t dare to vent. He temporarily couldn’t afford to offend the Thompson family. Ethan was forced to bow his head, heavily kowtowing on the ground. Once. Twice. Until Nathan revealed a triumphant smile, he was finally pulled up and thrown aside like garbage. He got up and desperately tried to induce vomiting, powder mixed with bloody saliva hanging on his lips. Olivia, already nauseated from her illness, now felt her stomach churning at the sight. “Get him out of here! Can’t you see the young miss is disgusted? A bunch of useless things!” “No! No, I haven’t taken her home yet!”

Ethan wanted to take the scattered ashes on the ground with him, using all his strength to resist the bodyguards. The bodyguards’ strong arms restrained him, rendering all his struggling useless. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as his sister’s ashes were swept away like garbage. The floor was left without a speck of dust. The last glimmer of hope in his heart was also severed. He hung his head, laughing self-mockingly, his eyes filled with deathly stillness. His only relative had left him too, in such a humiliating and painful way. He didn’t understand why he was still alive. It would be better if he were dead, Ethan thought. His laughter grew more and more frenzied, already in utter despair, startling everyone. “Olivia, you won’t die a good death!” As soon as the words left his mouth, he fainted. Olivia didn’t know what had come over her, but she suddenly felt a twinge in her chest. There was even a moment of reluctance. It was just flour, right? Was it that important? Had Ethan really become so poor he couldn’t afford food? “Go buy him a few more and send them over. Also, buy some daily necessities for him.” Olivia instructed the butler. Ethan suddenly opened his eyes, as if waking from a nightmare. He also wished that everything just now had been a nightmare. If he opened his eyes, he would still see his sister smiling at him, the family sitting together for a meal. But this was something he couldn’t even hope for in his dreams anymore. Soon, Ethan fully woke up and found several similar boxes not far in front of him. “It’s just a box. I had people buy many. See if you like any of them.” “I also had people buy a lot of food for you. You don’t need to treasure that cheap flour so much anymore.” Olivia tried hard to suppress her pride and dissatisfaction, speaking softly and gently: Ethan lifted his eyelids to look at the person in front of him, feeling only hatred and ridicule. “Let me go.” Seeing his cold and distant demeanor, Olivia felt she was losing face and instantly dropped her smile. “Ethan! Don’t be ungrateful. This is my charity to you. You should be thanking me.” Olivia’s eyes flickered. Suddenly remembering something, she raised her chin and said arrogantly and haughtily. “Don’t forget, your sister still needs your meager salary to pay for medical expenses. If you continue to be so unresponsive and throw tantrums with me, I’ll make sure you can never save your sister’s life.” “Of course, if you choose to come back now! I’ll pretend none of this ever happened!” Hearing this, Ethan pulled a sarcastic expression. He slowly lifted his eyelids, staring at Olivia until she felt uneasy. She still dared to mention Emily in front of him! Then again, she never valued the lives of these ants. “Mm.” Ethan nodded. He stayed not because of love or hatred, but to take away his sister’s belongings. He absolutely wouldn’t allow his sister’s things to remain in such a filthy place.

Olivia was both delighted and very surprised, not understanding why Ethan had suddenly changed his mind. But the urgent matter was to keep Ethan. He couldn’t leave her again. Ethan went to Emily’s former room, tears streaming uncontrollably. He quickly packed up all her things, moving like a walking corpse towards the villa’s main door. Emily’s innocent smiling face still lingered in his mind. Now he could only look at these cold photos to remember her. “Ethan, what do you mean by this!” “I’m telling you, if you leave, I’ll never forgive you in this life!” In Olivia’s view, what Ethan feared most was being abandoned by her, being disliked by her. As long as she used these threats, he would surely turn back and stay. Ethan didn’t hear Olivia’s words at all. His eyes and heart were filled only with his sister’s belongings. His footsteps didn’t pause for a moment as he was about to leave without looking back. Watching his retreating figure, Olivia panicked. At this moment, she finally realized that all the things she had done – the threats, the coaxing – were just to keep Ethan by her side. Perhaps unknowingly, Ethan had already become the most important person in her life, the person she couldn’t do without on her life’s journey. She had fallen in love with Ethan long ago, but just never wanted to admit it. The high and mighty heiress of River City falling for a poor boy – she was afraid of being laughed at, so she kept hurting him again and again. But she never thought Ethan would leave her. She was afraid, and she absolutely wouldn’t allow it. “Quick, stop him! I don’t care what methods you use, you must bring him back!” Having received the order, several servants and bodyguards immediately chased after Ethan to block his path. Olivia followed closely behind, coming to Ethan’s side and hugging him tightly. “Ethan, don’t you want to stay here with me? Don’t you love me anymore? Why do you have to leave?” “Are these things very important to you? They’re just a few old photos. If you like, we can go take new ones together.” Olivia glanced at those photos from the corner of her eye. They were already covered in dust, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit disgusted. She forced herself to touch them with her delicate hands. But Ethan held onto the photos tightly, afraid Olivia would snatch them away. In the chaos of the struggle, the photo was torn from the middle, separating him and his sister, dividing the living and the dead. He looked at the torn photo paper, crying like a child, but his cries were so mournful. He couldn’t protect his sister, and now he couldn’t even protect her photo. He was truly a useless brother. Olivia was also stunned, not expecting it to turn out like this. She stiffly pulled at her lips. “What are you crying about! What do you want me to do for you to come back? I’ll have someone bring glue to stick it back together, okay? Stop making a fuss! My patience has limits too!” No matter what Olivia said, Ethan ignored her. He took the torn photo and dragged his heavy body towards the exit. Ethan’s repeated refusals finally angered Olivia completely. She, the noble young miss, everyone’s darling, didn’t lack just one person, did she? She wanted to see how long Ethan could remain so proud! Three days. Five days. A week. Half a month passed… Ethan truly vanished like smoke, never appearing in any place Olivia could see again. She felt empty inside, never having felt so powerless before. She knew Ethan was like this because they had toyed with his sister. Since that was the case, she would make everyone apologize. In any case, Ethan must return to her side. Olivia disregarded everyone’s objections and forced Nathan and the others to go apologize to Ethan. In front of Ethan’s door, Olivia took a deep breath and knocked. They knocked for a long time but received no response, just like how Ethan could never knock open her door before. Olivia suddenly had a bad feeling. She pushed Nathan. “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and kick the door open!” As soon as the door opened, the house was empty. Everything was gone. “Olivia, the place is deserted. Why did you drag us here? Are we supposed to apologize to thin air?” “Yeah, it’s not like we forced her to take it. Why should we apologize?” “Olivia, are you high? He’s just a chauffeur’s son. Didn’t you hate him the most? Why are you suddenly so concerned about him?” “Shut up, all of you!” Olivia’s gaze was terrifyingly cold, as if she would kill someone the next second. Everyone was scared into silence. Olivia stumbled out of Ethan’s house looking like she had gone mad. Her eyes were blank as she kept mumbling, “It’s not possible, it can’t be, it won’t be…” The rain poured down on her, extinguishing the last bit of hope in her heart. She leaned against the car door, at a loss, her face full of panic. Mr. Chen’s words kept echoing in her ears. Emily… was dead. A few minutes ago, Olivia had called the butler. “Mr. Chen! Where’s Emily? Bring her to me.” Olivia knew Ethan cared most about Emily and wanted to use this to threaten him. To her surprise, the butler was silent for a long time, stammering and unable to speak. Olivia grew increasingly irritated, stamping her foot angrily: “What are you mumbling about? I told you to bring Emily here!” On the other end, the butler let out a heavy sigh and finally made up his mind to speak. “Miss, Emily is no longer with us.”

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My childhood friend said he was under too much pressure from studying for his graduate school entrance exam. He coaxed me into having sex with him. After that, he became insatiable and entangled with me for an entire year. I found him too straightforward, so I laughed softly and said, “When pursuing a girl, remember to send flowers.” He kissed me repeatedly and murmured in agreement. Until the day the most beautiful girl in our department confessed to him, my childhood friend asked to meet me. “Help me choose a bouquet later. You girls have similar tastes.” “I’m sure Sophia will like whatever you pick.” Turns out, he knew that a confession should start with a bouquet of flowers. When I heard Jack say he accepted Sophia’s confession, the air around me seemed to freeze. Whenever he mentioned Sophia, he couldn’t hide the smile on his face. I’ve known him for many years, but this was the first time I’d seen this expression. I mumbled my responses, afraid that if I said too much, he would notice the strange tone in my voice. “Emily, are you about to cry?” he asked teasingly, deliberately raising his voice. My hands trembled slightly as I clutched the hem of my shirt. Jack knew me very well. He could even capture my emotions from the slightest facial expression. In front of him, I couldn’t lie. But I still tried to be stubborn this time. “I’m just tired from all the stress lately.” “That’s perfect then. Come with me to the flower shop to choose a bouquet. It’ll help you relax.” Hearing him say “relax” still touched a nerve in my heart. Every time Jack coaxed me into spending the night, he would use this as an excuse. He couldn’t hide the joy in his voice: “You’re both girls, so I’m sure Sophia will like whatever you pick.” Sophia was the most beautiful girl in our department, pretty and pursued by many. But I never knew Jack was interested in her too. So what was I… “Jack, what about me?” I asked, biting my lip. He was silent for a few seconds, his face darkening. When he spoke, his expression was serious: “Emily, don’t tell me you took this seriously.” “You’re a friend I grew up with. Wasn’t this just about mutual benefits?” His tone was calm, but his words cut deep. I had taught him to give flowers when dating a girl. In the past, he always forgot. It turns out, those who truly care don’t need to be taught. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, smiling mischievously: “You’ve lived in my house for so many years, people see you as my sister.” “Who could accept being with their own sister? If I did that, would I even be human?” These words were like a bucket of ice water, leaving me feeling cold. I stared at the ground, not letting my tears fall. “The exam is coming up soon. I need to do more practice questions.” With that, I hurriedly returned to my dorm.

I thought Jack saw me as his girlfriend. We rode Ferris wheels together, watched sunsets together. He took me to Norway to see the Northern Lights. He would also passionately kiss me at the moment the sun rose. Saying all sorts of romantic vows. Jack said I was his sister. But every time he took me out overnight, in the heat of the moment, he would call me “wife.” It turns out, in Jack’s eyes, this was just a game. From beginning to end, I was the only one who fell for it. The sound of the phone interrupted my thoughts. “Emily, have you been crying?” Aunt Sarah noticed something was off. I immediately snapped out of my memories. My reflection in the mirror showed a tear-stained face. I quickly wiped it clean. “I’m just under a lot of pressure lately and caught a bit of a cold.” She finally relaxed: “Remember to take your medicine. If you’re really not feeling well, have that Jack boy take you to the hospital.” I agreed to everything she said. Mentioning Jack, Aunt Sarah seemed to remember something: “Oh, Emily, have you told him about going abroad after your exams next month? He’s not going to be reluctant to let you go again, is he?” The year my parents passed away, Aunt Sarah had planned to take me abroad. It was Jack who tugged at my clothes, begging me to stay. He said they had many rooms in their house, and I could live in any of them. His home would be my home. He was willing to be my family. I was moved by those words and refused Aunt Sarah’s offer. Now, considering my future, Aunt Sarah once again invited me to go abroad and develop my career with her. I had planned to tell Jack about this today. I had even written a full page of thoughts a week ago. Planning to give it to him today along with my decision. “Don’t worry, Aunt Sarah. We’ve all grown up now. We won’t be as stubborn as we were when we were kids.” “What about you, Emily? Will you miss him?” Every time I chat with Aunt Sarah, I always end up mentioning Jack without realizing it. How could she not see through the signs of a young girl’s first love? Aunt Sarah has been developing her career abroad for many years, and our relatives have always kept their distance from me as an orphan. Once I leave this time, I probably won’t come back. Thinking that time can wash away everything, I felt more at peace: “I’ve already contacted a famous art teacher abroad. Apart from studying, I’ll be able to keep you company.”

While I was doing practice questions, my roommate suddenly exclaimed, “Emily, quick, look at the campus social media!” Before I could react, the content on her phone was already in front of my eyes. In the video, Jack was kneeling on one knee with a bouquet of flowers: “How could I let a girl confess first? Sophia, will you be my girlfriend?” He looked nervous and shy, causing the people around to scream, calling him a true romantic. But just last night, he had used the excuse of dinner to ask me out, pinning me against the hotel door for a deep kiss. Promising to send me flowers. Now it seems, all of that was just empty promises after he was satisfied. “Sigh, I thought Jack liked you before,” my roommate pulled her chair next to mine, looking regretful. “He always called you whenever he went out, prepared gifts for you on holidays and birthdays. Now you’re telling me I was wrong about their relationship?” I forced a smile, holding back the tears that were about to fall. My fingertips dug into my palms. If my flesh hurt, maybe my heart wouldn’t hurt as much. In the evening, while buying food at the cafeteria, I happened to run into the couple holding hands. I instinctively lowered my head, wanting to get away from them quickly. “Emily, why are you running so fast?” Jack grabbed my collar, pulling me back. “Why didn’t you reply to the message I sent you this afternoon? I was just about to look for you.” He looked particularly handsome today, even his hair was impeccably styled. When he looked at the girl beside him, his eyes were full of light. “This is my girlfriend, Sophia. Call her sister-in-law.” Over the years, I had grown used to him introducing me to others as his sister without blood ties. But I couldn’t bring myself to call her “sister-in-law.” Seeing no reaction from me, Jack suddenly raised his hand to pinch my face: “What are you spacing out for? Are you not giving your brother face?” Our eyes met, and he saw the humiliated tears in mine. Jack’s hand froze. The look he gave me was a bit flustered. Before, when a classmate from another class confessed to me, I didn’t know how to respond. Jack had just returned from playing basketball and saw the scene. He put his hand on my neck and pinched my face. What did he say back then? “What are you spacing out for, Emily? Do you need me to reject him for you?” The boy asked him what right he had to decide for me, what business was it of his. “What business? He chuckled lowly, “We live together.” “I have quite a few photos of Emily drooling in her sleep on my phone. Want to see?” The night after chasing that boy away, Jack used the excuse of reviewing lessons. He pressed me onto the bed and kissed me all night. He pinched the necklace on my neck, warning me in my ear, “Emily, we grew up together.” “I won’t allow you to be distracted from me.”

“It’s okay, Jack. We’re all classmates. If she can’t say it, let it be,” Sophia tugged at his sleeve. Jack finally returned to normal, letting out a long breath: “I was too hasty. We’ll wait for her to say it in the future.” I pursed my lips, tightening my grip on the lunch box. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back first.” In my heart, I thought silently. Jack, there won’t be a future. Sophia’s voice came from behind: “Come sing karaoke with us later. It’s Jack’s treat. You’re his sister, it wouldn’t be right if you didn’t come, right?” I thought Sophia invited me to learn more about Jack. I didn’t expect my thoughts to be so simple. Jack was chatting with others, and Sophia sat down next to me. From the moment we entered the private room, she had been very enthusiastic towards me. “Emily, I heard you and Jack are childhood friends. You two make such a good-looking pair, why didn’t you consider getting together?” She even linked arms with me, making it impossible for me to avoid the topic. “Jack has always seen me as a sister. He wouldn’t be with his sister.” I wanted to dispel Sophia’s concerns, after all, they had just gotten together and lacked a sense of security based on trust. But she persisted, her tone somewhat provocative: “Are you saying you have unrequited love for my boyfriend?” “Ah, no…” I opened my mouth, but didn’t know how to refute for a moment. “Jack, that necklace on your neck looks pretty nice.” Jack had already sat down next to Sophia, handing her a piece of fruit. “Oh, this is something my parents got from a temple when I was little. They said it could bring protection.” “You like it?” Sophia stopped his motion as he was about to take it off, nestling coquettishly in his arms: “I just thought Emily’s necklace looked like a couple’s set with yours. But never mind, she must wear it every day because she likes it…” Jack looked at me, his gaze sweeping across my neck. “Emily, give me your necklace.” Without waiting for my reaction, he reached out to take it off. “We’re all family now. Since Sophia likes it, consider it your welcoming gift to her.” I instinctively leaned back, avoiding his hand that was about to touch me. He was stunned for a moment, but his eyes quickly filled with anger: “Are you being disobedient? Don’t forget, this belongs to our family. I have the right to take it back.” The noise around us suddenly stopped. Everyone turned their gaze towards me. “Jack, what are you saying? That necklace was from when Emily had a high fever for three days, and you cried and begged your parents to take you to the temple to get it for her.” The person speaking was a friend who grew up with us. Jack seemed to suddenly realize something and instinctively withdrew his hand. “I just thought we’ve all grown up now and don’t need its protection to be okay. Never mind… I was wrong. If you like it, keep it.” “No need. I’ll give it back to you now,” I pulled off the protection necklace from my neck. “Now I don’t owe you anything anymore.” He stared at the necklace in his hand, frozen in place.

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After Sophie became a top celebrity, she started acting like a diva, clashing with fans, and getting cozy with her male co-star. I was supposed to be her secret lover and manager, yet I heard her tell others: “Charlie should thank himself for discovering me.” “Without me, he’d still be working on some assembly line, seemingly innocent but actually shrewd.” She forgot how I drank until I had a stomach ulcer to get her roles, forgot her vow to love me for a lifetime. It’s fine. If an artist doesn’t behave, I’ll just find a new one. While I was discussing Sophie’s new drama with Director Thomas, my assistant Sarah called me. “Charlie, there’s a problem with Sophie. It’s already trending.” I quickly checked my phone during the break. Seeing the trending news, my mind went blank. Sophie had gone and lashed out at fans again. The reason was that fans felt her new drama’s styling was too sloppy, different from the grand publicity. They said they would collectively demand an explanation from the production team. Sophie exploded at these comments. “You all mind your own business. I chose the styling team myself, and I think it’s beautiful!” Not satisfied with just that, she added another comment. “Stop guessing, I posted this myself. Go to sleep!” These two sentences solidly angered the fans. One fan club leader posted a long article saying they would unstan, and disbanded several fan groups. I sighed and called Sarah back. “Contact them, first take down the trending topic, then have the PR team come up with a plan.” Sarah said they were already implementing the contingency PR plan, but Sophie found out about it and wouldn’t let PR compromise. No amount of coaxing worked, so now things were at a standstill. I looked up and sighed, “I’ll head over once I’m done here.” Sophie had become a hot actress due to two dramas, and after winning Best Actress at the TV Golden Awards, she became an A-list star at just 25. As her star shone brighter, she grew more distant from me. Her temper got worse, she often wouldn’t answer my calls, and she started taking on jobs and commercial deals on her own, going through her own studio’s accounts. We were supposed to be secret lovers, but she deliberately avoided me. I’m not stupid, how could I not sense her distancing herself from me? Despite this, as soon as I finished the meeting, I drove straight to the set to find Sophie. Sarah saw me arrive and looked relieved, immediately leading me towards Sophie’s trailer. “It’s good you’re here, Charlie. Sophie listens to you the most.” I gave a bitter smile. Just as we were about to reach the trailer, Sarah got a phone call and walked to the side to answer it. I was about to open the door when I heard voices talking inside. “I heard your manager has only managed you as an artist.” “He doesn’t have much experience, huh.” It was a man’s voice. Then came Sophie’s pleasant voice. “Charlie just got lucky in discovering me.” “Without me, he’d just be a factory worker.” The man laughed. “He really is lucky, managing just one artist and she becomes a top star.” I felt a chill down my spine. In the industry, I had the title of golden manager, but I had also heard many people sourly say I was just lucky, managing only one artist who became a top female star. When others said this, I didn’t mind, because only Sophie and I knew the hardships we went through together. Back then, I had just started trying to make it in the entertainment industry, and Sophie had only played two small supporting roles in her two years in the business. To save money, we lived in a basement. I drank until I had a stomach ulcer to get her roles. She was suspended by wires for hours to perform well. I really never imagined that Sophie would talk about me like this behind my back. I yanked open the door.

The two people inside looked at the door in horror. The man was Jason, the male lead of this drama. A newly popular male star who had just become famous from one drama. Sophie looked displeased, frowning as she shouted at me, “What are you doing? Don’t you know how to knock?” Jason, on the other hand, looked a bit uneasy and quickly stood up. “Mr. Zhou, you two talk. I’ll go first.” He opened the door and hurriedly left. Sophie scrolled through her phone, not looking at me at all. “Sarah told me about the incident caused by you clashing with fans. First, follow the PR plan, take down the trending topic, don’t let it continue to have an impact.” She leaned back in her chair carelessly: “How is it me clashing with fans? Am I wrong? They’re always criticizing me, and now they’re collectively demanding an explanation from the production team. They think too highly of themselves.” “I, Sophie, have achieved my current success on my own, not because of these fans.” I suppressed my emotions, “You need to cherish your reputation. This incident does you no good.” “We should consider the fans’ suggestions when appropriate. To be honest, the styling for this drama really isn’t that good…” Sophie’s expression changed. She gave a cold laugh. “It’s just because I took on this drama myself that you’re unhappy, right? Now you’re even picking on the styling!” “Besides, I’ve reached this status now. Why should I still be constrained by fans?” “So what if it’s trending? It just adds some buzz for my new drama.” This drama was indeed taken on by Sophie. At the time, I didn’t agree to it because the production team was rather rough. But Sophie wanted to do it, especially after hearing the male lead was Jason. She directly signed the contract through her personal studio. Thinking of this, I also felt angry, “The fans are constraining you? When fans asked the company to set up a studio for you, how come you listened so obediently then, saying we should follow the fans’ suggestions? Now when fans give you styling suggestions, it becomes them constraining you?” That time when fans collectively demanded Sophie set up a personal studio, faced with Sophie’s pitiful little face, I agreed. Do you know what that means? It means Sophie can do whatever she wants. Because of our relationship, my company doesn’t even have a contract with her. “Shouldn’t I have set up a studio? Am I supposed to be your cash cow forever?” “Charlie, don’t imagine you can control me forever. You wouldn’t be where you are today without me.” These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over me, chilling me to the bone. What I thought was our struggle together, the efforts I made for her, in her eyes were just me using her as a cash cow, just me getting lucky. At this moment, Sophie’s phone rang. From the corner of my eye, I saw the contact name was William. A well-reputed manager in the industry. Sophie saw my expression but still answered the call. “Brother William…” After a brief conversation, Sophie hung up. “William wants me to join his Golden Harmony Media as a partner.” Sophie said, looking quite proud. Seeing that I didn’t speak, Sophie said arrogantly: “I haven’t agreed yet.” I looked at her, speechless for a moment. Yeah, from the moment she wanted to open a personal studio, she was probably preparing to leave me. What does she mean by not agreeing yet? Is it that they haven’t finalized the deal, or is she trying to get me to give her more benefits? “Well, think it over carefully then.” I turned and walked out. I ran into Sarah who was about to come in. Seeing her questioning expression, I said flatly, “Let her be.” “Don’t take down the trending topic either. She thinks it’s good publicity for this drama, so let it be.”

I immediately contacted Golden Harmony Media. William and I had some history. Because I had given him some resources before, he was still quite polite to me. “Mr. Zhou, please don’t blame me for poaching your talent.” “Sophie said she was planning to end her cooperation with you, said her current contract is with her studio, and told me not to contact you.” “Sophie actually reached out to me first. She’s so popular that I was really excited, so I offered to let her join Golden Harmony as a partner, negotiating to give her some luxury brand resources.” So Sophie had contacted Golden Harmony herself. I laughed. She wanted to set up a studio, I gave in. She wanted to take on roles herself, I gave in. Now she’s changing managers without a word to me. What does she take me for? I naively thought Sophie’s personal studio was just a name, but now it seems she had long planned to get rid of me. Like tossing away a used rag. Sophie hadn’t contacted me for several days, and I hadn’t contacted her either. I should be thinking about my next steps. One day, just as I arrived at the gym, I received a call from Sophie. “Charlie, I’ve been hit. Come quickly!” She said with a crying voice. My heart raced. Without thinking much, I rushed out wearing just my gym tank top. On the way, I called assistant Sarah, but couldn’t get through. I became even more anxious. When I reached the place she told me, I kicked open the room door and rushed in, “Sophie, where are you?” As a result, I was sprayed in the face with snow spray and confetti. A group of crew members from the drama swarmed over, letting out cheers. “Sophie won!” I saw Sophie standing in the middle, smiling. “What’s going on?” I stared at her and asked. “It’s like this, Mr. Zhou. Today is Sophie’s birthday celebration from the crew. We played a dare game, and Sophie and I competed. Sophie won this time.” Jason walked over with a big smile and said, “Mr. Zhou, you’re so good to Sophie, coming so quickly. But you probably don’t know, I taught Sophie some powerful self-defense moves, hands-on. No one would dare hit her.” I didn’t say anything, just looked at Sophie who was acting like nothing had happened. Under my burning gaze, she reluctantly said, “You won’t be angry, right?” Then she looked me up and down, her expression displeased, “What are you wearing? It’s embarrassing.” When she called, I was changing clothes at the gym, so I was wearing a sports tank top and shorts, with only one slipper on – the other had fallen off while running. And my face and body were covered in confetti and snow spray, looking both disheveled and ridiculous. It was already autumn outside, and I only realized how cold it was in these clothes. Faced with Sophie’s disdainful look, I felt even colder inside. I turned and left, ignoring the others’ calls to stay. Sarah chased after me, “Charlie, I’m sorry. Sophie wouldn’t let me answer your calls…” I waved my hand, “Go back.” I just wanted to get back to my car quickly. I hadn’t noticed earlier how far the entrance was. I walked quickly with my head down, enduring people’s strange looks. Just as I was about to reach the entrance, someone called out to me. “Mr. Zhou, wait a moment.” I turned back to look. It was a female actress with a cameo role in this drama. Her name was Anna, a little-known actress. With a manager’s keen eye, I had noticed her the first time I saw her. Her looks were quite distinctive, with beautiful eyes, but unfortunately she was signed to a small company and couldn’t get any decent roles. “Anna.” Her eyes lit up, “Mr. Zhou, you actually know me!” I didn’t say anything. She handed me a few bags, “These are clothes and shoes I bought for my brother, planning to mail to him today. Don’t mind, just put them on. It’s quite cold outside.” Seeing my slight hesitation, she smiled brightly: “My brother is about your height, you should be able to wear them. They’re not brand name clothes, don’t mind.” I took them and said thanks, then opened my phone, “Thank you, add me, I’ll transfer you the money when I get back.” Anna wasn’t a coy girl. She immediately took out her phone and added me. As I drove back, Sophie called. “Can’t you take a joke? You left right away, where does that leave my face?”

I took a deep breath, “Sophie, what do you think our relationship is now?” She hesitantly replied, “Just this kind of relationship, why are you asking?” “Are we manager and artist, or boyfriend and girlfriend? Whichever it is, your attitude towards me is very poor. Why?” Sophie was silent for a moment, then said, “Let’s just be friends for now.” “I only want to focus on my career right now, I don’t want love to take up too much time.” I laughed. She once vowed to love me for a lifetime. We had gone through thick and thin together, and even dreamed of retiring from the entertainment circle before we turned 35. Now our relationship could just be friends. “I understand what you mean. Then let’s end it here.” “I’ll have the lawyer quickly sort out our business entanglements.” I sensed Sophie was a bit surprised by my calmness. “Don’t regret it!” “I couldn’t be happier!” She hung up the phone. I felt a sense of lightness, but also felt a bit cold. As expected, I had caught a cold from the chill. People are more vulnerable when sick. I couldn’t help but think of my past with Sophie. Her round face, big eyes, a look that made people happy at first sight. I remember the first time I met her. I was knocking on the doors of various film and TV companies with the copyrights of a few unpopular novels I had bought, and happened to meet Sophie who was working as an extra. I told her, “Your eyes are big, and your smile is especially sweet. You’re particularly suited to act in sweet dramas.” She said she had no manager, no company, and could only work as an extra playing maids. I said I could be her manager. The two of us worked our way up together. Later, I used the copyright of a novel to exchange for a pretty good supporting role for her. Sophie thought it was all due to her own efforts, that I was riding on her coattails. In reality, I have a keen eye for scripts. The reason Sophie could become famous was because of the dramas I chose for her. She became famous because of me. Since that’s the case, why shouldn’t I go make someone else famous? Besides, I already have some resources now, it would be much easier than before.

I had the company post a recruitment notice for new artists. Quite a few people came for interviews. There were plenty of people who wanted to act and become famous. After all, I was also a well-known manager. I personally interviewed everyone who came. I was quite picky when it came to selecting people. Better to have no one than the wrong one. After interviewing an artist, I saw over a dozen missed calls on my phone. They were all from Sophie. Her voice was mixed with anger, “You’re recruiting new people?” I found it a bit funny. Isn’t that a silly question? How else would I continue working if I didn’t find new artists? These past few days, I had the lawyer divide up the interests with Sophie. The lawyer said every time he went to have Sophie sign, she was fuming, as if she had suffered a great loss. She didn’t lose out. If she had, she definitely wouldn’t have signed. So I didn’t understand. I hadn’t shortchanged her, she clearly wanted to separate from me too. Where was all this anger coming from?

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The night my son’s high fever wouldn’t break, I overheard Jack flirting with his secretary Lily in Spanish on the phone. Jack’s lips curved into a smirk. “Emma’s had a child. She’s not as tight as you are. Don’t worry, she’s busy taking care of Tommy’s fever and won’t pay attention to me.” Lily’s seductive voice came through the speakerphone. “Where would you like me to wait for you, Mr. Zhou?” Jack glanced at me. “The usual hotel. I’ll make sure to satisfy you tonight.” I held our son close, my fingertips trembling with heartache. Jack didn’t know that I had minored in Spanish in college. I understood every word he said to his secretary tonight. Jack put on his coat, turning to leave. I touched Tommy’s feverish little face, looking at Jack anxiously. “Jack, could you please take Tommy and me to the hospital first?” Jack frowned. “There’s an urgent matter at the company. I can’t delay.” Urgent matter? Urgent to get in bed with Lily? I tried to hold back. “Tommy’s fever is so high, he could have a seizure at any moment. What urgent matter could be more important than our son’s life?” Before I could finish, he had already slammed the door shut. Looking at my son who had passed out from the fever, I hesitated but finally called Jack’s brother. “Michael, Tommy has a high fever that won’t break. Jack said he has urgent business at the company tonight. Could you take us to the hospital?” A steady male voice came from the other end of the line. “Of course, I’ll be right there.” I hung up, tears welling in my eyes. I was once the daughter of a wealthy family, growing up alongside the two brothers of the city’s wealthiest family. Both of them had deep feelings for me. Jack was lively and outgoing, while Michael was calm and reserved. In my youth, I was captivated by Jack’s sweet words and went on an island vacation alone with him. I often wonder now, if I hadn’t drunk that spiked wine he gave me, would my life be completely different from what it is now? In less than twenty minutes, Michael arrived. The headlights of his Bentley cut through the thick darkness. He drove steadily, and I could smell the familiar scent of his cologne, a fragrance both silent and domineering. When Tommy’s fever finally broke after receiving IV fluids in a private hospital room, I finally felt relieved. I went to the hallway and gratefully looked at Michael. “Thank you so much. I’m so glad you were here tonight.” He said quietly, “It’s my duty to take care of my nephew. I’ve sent a message to my brother. He’ll be here soon to take you both home.” In the dim light, his cold, handsome features softened slightly. Suddenly, my eyes welled up with tears. “Why are you crying?” Michael raised his hand to wipe away the tears on my face, but then, as if realizing something, he quickly withdrew his hand. I shook my head, covering my face. Suddenly, a cold laugh came from behind us. Jack strode towards us. “Emma, Tommy’s fever has broken. Instead of taking our son home to rest, you’re here getting cozy with my brother in the hallway. Hm? What’s this about? Tired of the younger brother and want to play with the older one now?” My face turned pale. Michael frowned deeply. “Jack, what nonsense are you spouting? Tommy’s fever was so high he passed out. Instead of taking your son to the hospital first, you rushed off to the company. What could possibly be more important than your child?” Lily followed behind Jack, her face still flushed with passion. “Mr. Zhou had a big deal with Spanish clients a few days ago. He’s been busy with the contract signing these days. Mr. Zhou works hard to provide a better life for Tommy and his wife, doesn’t he?” No one responded to her. Jack pulled me into his arms, looking at Michael provocatively. “Brother, thank you for tonight. I’m taking my wife and son home now. In the future, unless it’s absolutely necessary, you shouldn’t meet with Emma alone. You should understand the meaning of ‘avoiding suspicion’, right?” I struggled out of his embrace, my eyes red. “Jack, the doctor said if we had brought Tommy in any later, the fever could have damaged his brain. Can you stop throwing dirt on your brother and me?” Lily blinked and giggled. Jack suddenly glared at her. “What are you laughing at? Go home now. Don’t be late for work tomorrow morning, or I’ll dock your attendance bonus.” Lily smiled seductively. “Yes, yes, yes. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Mr. Zhou.” As she brushed past me, I caught a whiff of her strong rose perfume. My face immediately changed.

When I was two months pregnant, I had smelled this same scent on Jack’s shirt. Perhaps it was a woman’s keen sixth sense, but even then, I felt that Jack might have another woman outside. But Jack was extremely attentive to me at that time. He always informed me about his business dinners, never stayed out all night, and frequently gave me expensive gifts. During holidays, he would turn off his phone to spend time with me wholeheartedly. He even hired specialists to give prenatal education classes for the baby in my belly. So apart from that perfume, I couldn’t find any evidence of Jack’s infidelity. Looking back now, Jack had perfected the art of “counter-surveillance”. He had kept everything hidden perfectly. If it weren’t for overhearing him flirting with Lily in Spanish tonight, I might have continued to be deceived, constantly reflecting on what I had done wrong, whether my postpartum recovery wasn’t good enough, unable to give him extreme pleasure at night, causing his mood swings! After returning home, I looked at Tommy’s adorable sleeping face, tears streaming down uncontrollably. Tommy is only three years old this year. I don’t want him to live in a broken home at such a young age, nor do I want his childhood to lack a father’s companionship. I’m really afraid that when he grows up, he might say something like “I don’t need a lot of money, I just want a lot of love.” In wealthy families, pearls and gold may be as common as dirt, but love and companionship are especially precious. So even though I knew Jack had betrayed me and was having an affair with his young and beautiful secretary Lily, I didn’t bring up divorce. But I never expected that my endurance wouldn’t awaken Jack’s conscience. Instead, it invited Lily’s provocation. On Sunday night, Jack actually moved Lily into our villa. This was our marital home. He once stood at the front door of this villa, smiling and swearing to me that he would love only me for the rest of his life. But now, for another woman, he had forgotten all his vows. As he helped Lily bring her suitcase into the guest room, he said to the housekeeper, “Mrs. Johnson, please make some Sichuan dishes tonight. My secretary loves spicy food.” I stood on the second floor, coldly watching them. “Tommy has just recovered from his illness. He can’t eat spicy food.” Jack’s eyes flashed with guilt. “Oh right, my son had a fever recently. Mrs. Johnson, please make some seafood porridge as well.” Perhaps he also knew this was inappropriate. That night, he came to my bedroom to explain, “Emma, listen to me. The reason I let Lily stay at our home is because this Spanish business is urgent. It’s not unprecedented for a personal secretary to temporarily stay at the CEO’s home. Try to understand, this is all for work.” I smiled faintly. “Mm, I understand. Work is important.” Seeing that I wasn’t arguing or making a fuss, Jack kissed my forehead with satisfaction. “Emma is so good. Once I’m done with this busy period, I’ll take you and Tommy to the lake resort for a few days.” I watched his back as he left, then took out a tissue to wipe the spot he had kissed. The kiss of an unfaithful person is truly dirty.

Early the next morning, Lily was busy in the kitchen wearing a tight-fitting nightgown that accentuated her slim waist and shapely bottom. A moment later, she brought milk and sandwiches to the dining table. Jack’s eyes kept lingering on Lily. He took a bite of the sandwich. “This is really good. The cheese is melted just right.” I looked at the sandwich, feeling no appetite at all. “Tommy, try Aunt Lily’s cooking. Is it good?” Lily smiled, pointing at the sandwich in front of Tommy. Before I could stop him, Tommy had already grabbed the sandwich and taken a big bite. Suddenly, he started coughing violently, his cheeks turning bright red. “Baby, what’s wrong!” I panicked and picked Tommy up, patting his back to help him breathe. He coughed even harder. I grabbed the sandwich he had eaten and looked at it, only to find it was spread with a large amount of peanut butter! I couldn’t help but scream, “Call 911 quick! Tommy is allergic to peanuts! He can’t eat anything with peanuts in it! He’ll swell up if he eats it!” Standing in front of the emergency room, Jack’s face was grim. Lily’s face turned pale, her eyes reddening. She said softly, “Emma, I… I really didn’t know Tommy was allergic to peanuts.” I sighed. “From now on, let’s leave the cooking to Mrs. Johnson.” Lily’s tears fell. “It’s all my fault. Emma must be angry with me. Jack, I should move back to my apartment.” Jack frowned. “Move? Why? This wasn’t intentional. You didn’t mean to harm Tommy. Just stay.” I stared at him in disbelief. Two weeks after the sandwich incident, Jack suddenly called me into his study. Lily was wiping her tears pitifully. Jack looked at me unhappily. “Emma, can you stop giving Lily a hard time?” I laughed bitterly. “When did I ever give her a hard time?” Jack tapped the desk. “You and Mrs. Smith cleaned the guest room where Lily is staying, right?” I nodded. His eyes were full of anger. “The window in Lily’s room won’t close properly, and the draft is giving her headaches. She likes spicy food, but when I’m not home, you always have Mrs. Johnson cook such bland food. She’s not used to it and has lost weight. Also, can you stop letting Tommy disturb her all the time? We don’t want another incident like last time where he ate the wrong thing and ended up in the ER!” It was Lily who specifically requested a well-ventilated guest room. I had Mrs. Johnson prepare two different flavors for each meal. It was Lily who often wanted to play with Tommy, and I was afraid she might unintentionally harm him, so I kept Tommy away from her. Now she had turned everything around and was blaming me! I silently looked at Jack, not saying a word to defend myself. After all, no matter what “grievances” Lily suffered, Jack was willing to stand up for her. No matter what mistakes she made, Jack was happy to find excuses and cover for her. My expression darkened. Lily suddenly looked at me timidly. “Emma, I’d like to talk to you alone.” The study door was closed. Lily sat on the desk, her eyes seductive. “Emma, let’s be frank. I’m pregnant with Jack’s child.” My expression remained calm. “What do you want?” Lily smiled charmingly. “I want the position of the mistress of the house. I hope my child will be an only child, with no one to compete for the family fortune. I hope Jack won’t hide me under the guise of a secretary anymore. Emma, are you willing to give him to me?” So it was her pulling the strings behind the scenes all along. For this wealth and status, she had repeatedly twisted facts, played mind games, and pretended to be pitiful. She even tried to use peanut butter to threaten my son’s life. Looking at her confident smile, I felt both irony and pity. Men love the feeling of “stealing”. Having an affair with a mistress under the pressure of the original wife is an intense stimulation for men. If the original wife lets go, the man will quickly lose interest. By then, even a passionate rose-like mistress will become a boring mosquito bite. That night, I prepared two copies of divorce papers and slipped one into the documents Jack needed to sign the next day. Early the next morning, I took Tommy on a flight back to my parents’ home in the city. As I left, I smiled at Jack and Lily. By the time he discovers the signed divorce papers, I should have already arrived at the city airport.

“Emma? Why didn’t you tell me you and Tommy were coming back? I could have had Mrs. Wilson prepare a table of your favorite dishes,” my mother said with surprise as she looked at Tommy and me. Mrs. Wilson took Tommy back to the bedroom. I sat down next to my mother, tears suddenly streaming down my face. “Mom, I’ve divorced Jack.” My mother’s expression changed slightly. “He wronged you, didn’t he? Your father and I never approved of Jack. When you insisted on going to that island vacation with him alone, I tried to persuade you for so long, but you wouldn’t listen. You even stole your documents and ran away. Sigh, we originally wanted you to marry his brother Michael, but then Tommy came along…” I sniffled and interrupted her. “If it weren’t for Tommy, I would have cut ties with him long ago.” My mother sighed, lovingly stroking my head. “He and his secretary…” I choked up, unable to continue. “Emma, men who chase novelty never end up well,” my mother said with a cold laugh. At 10 PM, I lay in my childhood bedroom, lost in thought. In our youth, Jack was always quick-witted and knew how to make people laugh, while Michael was like a gentle and silent shadow. I was too young then, always distracted by Jack’s grand promises and sweet words, forgetting to pay attention to the one who always did practical things. I remember one snowy night in the city when I was playing chess with the two brothers at their home until late. Jack looked at the dancing snowflakes outside the window and yawned. “It’s snowing heavily today, it’s so cold outside — Emma, since our two families’ villas are close by, why don’t you just wrap your scarf tightly and go home by yourself?” Before I could say anything, Michael silently stood up, put on his coat, ready to brave the snow to send me home. Under the dim streetlight shrouded by wind and snow, Michael stood there looking at me, his eyes full of endless cherishment and tenderness. My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively avoided Michael’s gaze, rushing towards the gate of my family’s house in a few quick steps. I also recalled what happened during the island vacation with Jack. Without my knowledge, I drank the glass of spiked wine Jack handed me, falling drunk into his arms for a night of passion. Afterwards, he apologized pitifully: “Emma, I love you so much that I resorted to this. I did it to get ahead because I know my brother has feelings for you too. I was so afraid he would steal you away.” When the doctor diagnosed me as one month pregnant, Jack touched my belly with a joyful face. “That night’s efforts weren’t in vain after all. Now that you’re carrying my child, I can rightfully marry you.” I lowered my gaze, hesitating for a long time before deciding not to tell him about my application to study oil painting abroad. The next day, I quietly canceled that application. After all, the aunts and sisters around me at that time were all women who sacrificed themselves for love and family. I thought my sacrifice was also necessary. Later, when I married Jack while carrying our one-month-old child, everyone was smiling and applauding in congratulations. Only Michael stood in the crowd, his expression solemn as he gazed at me from afar. After that, Michael never got involved with other women. He immersed himself in his archaeological career, using his skilled hands to restore many precious and rare cultural relics. I took a deep breath and covered my face with my hands. Perhaps I had loved the wrong person from the very beginning? When I woke up again, I found that Jack had called me twenty-six times. What was he in such a hurry for? I rubbed my temples and called him back. “Hmm?” Jack quickly answered the phone, his voice hoarse: “Emma, you want to divorce me?!”

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I Got Transported into a Novel Good news: I became the female lead. Bad news: It’s not a proper novel! It’s the kind of book you read under the covers late at night, feeling all hot and bothered. When I was reading it before, I thought, “Huh, is that all you’ve got?” Now, I just want to call the police. Looking at the pure yet seductive face in the mirror, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Even though I was smiling bitterly, the tear mole at the corner of my eye was dazzling, and my misty eyes gave off a flirtatious feeling. This was my face, but not entirely. Because my face could never be this hot. I got transported into a novel. Into an novel in Nifty where the female lead shares my name. I remember my best friend sending me a link, telling me to read and memorize the whole thing. I hid under the covers, reading it with a flushed face, unable to stop. In just thirty chapters, it combined elements of love triangles, forceful seduction, captivity, and more. It was a five-star masterpiece in terms of excitement. Watching a character with the same name as me being tossed around by three men like a pancake… Besides feeling deeply ashamed, I also felt a pain in my waist and weakness in my legs. The original female lead cried until her voice was hoarse, but still couldn’t escape her fate. If I had known that sharing a name meant getting transported, I would have memorized the whole thing no matter what. I had only read half of it when things started getting intense. As excited as I was when reading it then, I regret it just as much now. I like reading novel in Niftys, but I don’t want to actually experience them! Although my eyes might look mischievous, my heart is pure. I consider myself to have very proper values. Trembling, I posted online for help: [What do you do when you get transported into an novel in Nifty as the female lead? Urgent, please respond.] [Let go of those male leads, I’ll take care of them!] [Just lie back and enjoy it!] +99 This comment quickly received countless likes. Damn it! Do they even know that the male leads the author wrote are all exceptionally gifted in certain areas, and they’re all above the law? She really dared to write it that way. If it were really happening to me, I would refuse. At this moment, a voice suddenly rang in my head: [Detecting rebellious consciousness. Mission issued: Avoid any negative contact with any male lead for 99 days to choose to leave this world on your own.] Great! As long as I guard my own garden and survive for 99 days, I can return to reality. So easy! While I was lost in thought, a voice came: “Sophia, come down for dinner.” “Oh, coming,” I responded, then quickly covered my mouth, unable to believe that a human could make such an abstract sound. Coquettish and soft, it sounded indecent as soon as it came out. Even I couldn’t help but have naughty thoughts when I heard it. No wonder the book described that as soon as the female lead’s voice came out, it made people want to pin her down and do unspeakable things. Holy cow! Isn’t this killing power a bit too much? Soon, I went downstairs. The food on the dining table was more sumptuous than a holiday feast. A haggard but still beautiful woman frantically winked at me, “Sophia, your big brother is back, hurry and greet him.” I looked across the three-meter-long dining table, and my heart skipped a beat. Help! The first big gun was already in position!

A black suit wrapped around the man’s lean body. He had excellent bone structure, young and handsome. It’s just that his face always carried impatience and ferocity, making people afraid to approach him easily. That face, that waist, just sitting there, his sex appeal was already maxed out. My eyes sparkled. With that high, straight nose, I could tell he was very skilled at certain activities. Thinking of this, I suddenly broke out in a cold sweat on my back, almost bewitched by the male lead’s beauty. I secretly warned myself: Stupid, keep your legs together and guard your own garden! This was the female lead’s first man, the domineering CEO, Liam. In the book, the female lead’s mother Yvonne married into a wealthy family with her daughter from her previous marriage, Sophia. Liam was her stepbrother, the actual power holder of the family. Liam hated the mother and daughter, and with just one word, he made their life in the wealthy family worse than that of the housemaids. Yvonne was afraid of him. The female lead was also afraid. I was even more afraid. I had read the original novel and knew that this man was cold-blooded and cruel, and loved to torture people. And he had many little hobbies, dragging the female lead to various places to do all sorts of things. I immediately felt my legs go weak. I opened my mouth, but remembering my coquettish voice, I quickly closed it. Then, taking a deep breath, I called out clearly: “Big brother.” Liam frowned, looking at me with surprise. The bitch’s daughter, quite brave today. Her previous weakness and pitiful act was obviously all fake. Liam’s lips curled into a mocking smile, and he responded coldly: “Mm.” Yvonne saw that I had received a response from Liam and became excited, urging me again: “Sophia, didn’t you have something to say to your big brother?” I looked confused. Except for the juicy parts that I read word by word, I skimmed through all the other plots. How would I know what she’s talking about? I didn’t make a sound. The air suddenly became quiet. It was Liam who broke the silence, “What is it?” Yvonne looked at me with disappointment, “It’s about Sophia’s birthday. We want to hold a party at home and invite some celebrity friends to attend. It would also let everyone know that Sophia is your sister.” “Bang.” Liam put down his chopsticks heavily on the table, his gaze fierce. After so many years, this bitch still hasn’t given up. Back then, when his mother’s body was barely cold, his father had eagerly brought this pair of mother and daughter back. If it weren’t for his swift seizure of power, who knows how happy the three of them would be now. Now, even his arrogant father didn’t dare to speak loudly to him, yet this bitch and little bitch still wanted to use him to increase their status. Dream on. Low pressure permeated the air, and no one dared to speak, silent as cicadas in winter. Only I, with my suspended heart finally settling down. I remembered this plot. It was at the birthday party that the female lead was taken advantage of by her scheming stepbrother. And from then on, things became not suitable for children. I clenched my fists, refusing to engage in any naughty business, starting with me!

Liam didn’t even eat anymore, he just stood up directly. He happened to see my curled lips, my tender face blushing and shy, as beautiful as a peach blossom. His breath hitched. Why did the little bitch look so different today? So tempting. Liam: “Sophia, come upstairs with me.” “Huh? Oh.” Yvonne came over and gave me a push. I stood up reluctantly. Following Liam into a room, it wasn’t until the door was closed that I belatedly realized this was his bedroom. “Kneel down.” Me: “???” What kind of breed of psycho are you? My shocked expression made his brow furrow even deeper. “I don’t want to say it twice.” His low voice gave me an extremely strong sense of oppression. I started to shake, it was this body’s instinctive reaction. I frowned, why am I so scared? My knees already wanted to kneel, but there was still a bit of backbone supporting me to stand in place. I sincerely asked: “Why?” “A few days of not seeing me, and you dare to defy me?” Liam said while starting to unbuckle his belt. Wait, why are you unbuckling your belt?! I was so scared that I collapsed on the ground, immediately kneeling straight. “No, brother, what are you doing? I’m kneeling, I’m kneeling for you, isn’t that enough?” Liam smiled sarcastically, his eyes full of deep malice. “Go to the bed and bend over, stick your butt up high.” I looked at him vigilantly, putting on a brave face but inwardly terrified: “What do you want to do? I’m not even 18 yet, you know about the ten-year prison sentence, right?” Is he trying to do me early? Liam had already taken off his belt. Hearing this, he was stunned. “What are you thinking? You think I want to do you? You’re not worthy.” “Then why are you taking off your pants?” “Shut up.” Are you blind? He only unbuckled his belt, he didn’t take off his pants. “Hurry up, don’t force me to kill you.” “Then you swear first, absolutely not to do anything naughty to me.” Liam’s face turned black as the bottom of a pot. Suddenly, he smiled wickedly, snapping the belt in his hand through the air, making a whooshing sound. “You’re really asking for death.” I let out a scream, almost forgetting that the male leads were all above the law. He really dared to kill me. My body moved uncontrollably, crawling to the bedside in a few moves, trembling as I bent over. “Is… is this okay?” I was so embarrassed that my face turned red enough to drip blood. It’s just that my voice was soft and tender, sounding extremely pitiful. Liam subconsciously wanted to hold me in his arms and comfort me gently. Liam’s hand holding the belt paused. He suppressed the unusual feeling in his heart, but the belt still swung out, though the force was unintentionally much lighter. With a “smack”, a huge tearing sensation came from my buttocks. I cried out in pain, tears bursting from my eyes. He… he actually spanked my butt with a belt? This scene wasn’t in the original novel, was it?

This body was delicate, soft, and sensitive. I collapsed on the ground in pain. I bit my lip and whimpered, my eyes full of tears, like a begonia flower ravaged by a violent storm, shattered on the ground. Wuwuwu, my precious butt was about to split open. I raised my head angrily, just in time to see the middle of Liam’s suit pants, where the sensation was quite obvious. My whimpering became a bit quieter, afraid of angering him again. Being spanked with a belt was better than being threatened with a gun. Liam’s hand trembled. What the hell? The young girl’s fair skin had a faint pink color, her amorous peach blossom eyes, the tears about to fall accusing him of his cruelty, her delicate nose, her pink lips, making her look alluring and ready to be plucked. It was as if she was inviting him to taste her, to enjoy her… In the past, he had punished the little bit… Sophia like this too. He hated them for intruding into his home, treating her as a toy to vent his anger on, even beating her until she was covered in wounds, never feeling an ounce of pity for her. Why were such criminal thoughts popping up in his head today? No wonder her behavior and manners were all so strange today, acting as if he wanted to force himself on her. Playing hard to get? Hmph, as expected of the bitch’s daughter. Just like her shameless mother, at such a young age she already knows how to seduce men. Acting like a prostitute. “Get out!” I heard it like heavenly music, scrambling to get up and leave. “Stop!” I had just touched the doorknob when my hand froze. What now, you lunatic? I quickly covered my butt that had been shattered into four pieces, shrinking myself into a small ball, my expression evasive. Another hit would really shatter me. This posture, in Liam’s eyes, suddenly made him feel as if something had hit his heart, as if he had done something unforgivable to her. “Whose idea was the birthday party?” “I’m sorry, don’t hit me, I don’t know, it wasn’t me.” Liam: “…” This scared? He couldn’t help but soften his tone, “You want to have a birthday party?” I shook my head like a rattle drum, “No, I don’t want to.” The novel in Nifty plot started from the birthday party. I absolutely don’t want any birthday party. I want to survive. I rushed over and knelt on the ground, tightly hugging Liam’s legs, “Brother, please believe me, I really don’t want a birthday party. I’m just a stupid fool who can’t be presented in public. Please don’t throw one for me.” Liam only felt a tickle at the root of his leg, and his heart trembled a bit, “What did you call me?” I looked up, saying with utmost sincerity: “Brother, I’ve always thought of you as my real brother. Please, you must believe me.” If he’s my real brother, he can’t have designs on me. I hope this law-abiding citizen’s morals haven’t completely degraded. The girl’s hands were soft, such a small bundle. Liam’s heart softened. “Alright, no party.”

I returned to my room, and Yvonne came. “Darling, did he agree?” I shook my head. She was obviously a bit disappointed, but didn’t say anything. “Sigh, it’s mom’s fault for being useless. Liam won’t give us any benefits, but luckily there are many top-tier rich young masters at your school.” “My baby is so beautiful, you’ll definitely find someone stronger than the Liam family. Oh right, you’ve been chasing the Young Master Sean for quite some time now, haven’t you succeeded yet?” I perfunctorily said: “Almost.” Then I tried hard to recall the plot. The female lead was currently attending a certain noble school. That was where Yvonne had knelt for a day and night before Liam finally relented and let her in. That school was full of rich kids and socialites. In Yvonne’s words, if you just marry any man from there, you can lie flat for the rest of your life. But— At school, there were two more big guns. Is this school really necessary to attend? After Yvonne left, I looked in the mirror. A crimson mark spanned across my entire butt. My precious butt was burning with pain. When I was reading it before, it was just text. When I saw the female lead crying and saying it hurt when the male leads did this or that to her, I thought she was crying because of some kind of kink. I didn’t expect it to really hurt! Too delicate. Just one hit with a belt and it hurts like this. If I were to be… wouldn’t I lose my life? I became even more determined to survive, wishing I could forge a stainless steel chastity belt and weld it onto myself. There was a knock at the door. “Who is it?” After about a minute, the person simply answered with one word, “Me.” I immediately went on high alert. “I’m already asleep, come back tomorrow.” The doorknob turned, and Liam’s gloomy face appeared at the door. I quickly covered myself with the blanket. The movement was too big, causing the fabric of my pants to rub against the wound. I unconsciously let out a moan. How to put it? That sound was very soul-stirring. I wished I could rip out my throat. I closed my eyes directly and played dead. After all, no man likes a woman who lies in bed like a dead fish. The voice sounded by my ear: “Does it still hurt a lot?” I didn’t dare to open my eyes, only begging him to leave quickly. “Let me check it for you.” Please, that’s my butt, what are you checking?! I opened my eyes, just in time to meet Liam’s gaze. “Why aren’t you pretending anymore?” I said softly: “You’re going to look at my butt.” “What did you say?” Liam’s face flashed with unnaturalness.

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I Made a Bet to Win Over the Cold CEO “You’re too rich. Being with you makes me feel insecure.” Later, I heard that Alexander Stone locked himself at home for a week, drinking himself into oblivion. After he sobered up, he forbade everyone in the company from mentioning my name. My friends warned me to be careful, saying Alexander must hate me now. Until we met again at a party, he coldly pinned me against the wall: “I didn’t know the daughter of the richest man in the city could feel insecure about money. Was I really that easy to fool?” When my best friend Emma Sullivan came to pick me up, she was fully disguised. Mask on, hat pulled low. As if she was terrified someone might recognize her. I found it ridiculous. As soon as I got in the car, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I slapped her on the back. “What’s wrong with you? Are you a celebrity or am I? Who are you hiding from?” Emma yanked off her mask and slapped me back. “Idiot, Alexander Stone hates your guts now. I have to be careful not to get caught in the crossfire,” she muttered. “I don’t want to get into trouble because of you.” Me: … I leaned back in my seat, trying to look cool. But inside, I was nervous. “It can’t be that bad, right?” “He must have forgotten about me by now.” Emma’s eyes widened. “What are you thinking?” “The day you broke up with Alexander, he got drunk out of his mind. Then he locked himself at home for a week. No one could get him to come out.” “Think about it – a workaholic like him, staying home for a whole week? He must have been truly heartbroken.” I shifted uncomfortably. “What happened after that?” “After he finally came out, he forbade anyone from mentioning your name. No one dares to bring you up now.” Emma tried to reason with me. “I know your parents’ company is expanding to New York and you’ll have to live in the same city as him, but I advise you not to come.” “I’m worried you’ll get into trouble.” I fell silent. Alexander Stone. Does he really hate me that much? Surely not. I said weakly, “It’s been three months. He’s probably forgotten about me by now.” Emma laughed. “Even if you turned to ashes, he wouldn’t forget you.”

Of course Alexander wouldn’t forget me. Because I got together with him for a bet. At the time, I was in New York for a magazine photo shoot and met up with my best friend Emma for dinner. That night, she took me to a party. There, I ran into an old friend I hadn’t seen in ages – Jack Harrison. He teased me for being single. I joked that he was an empty nester. Jack stomped his foot in annoyance and pointed to a man at the center of the party, surrounded by layers of people. “I’m not an empty nester, he is!” Then he grinned mischievously. “If you can win him over, I’ll give you $100 million, straight up.” My eyes lit up. Money handed to me on a silver platter? I’d be a fool not to take it. “Deal.” I happened to need some funds to open my own studio. And here was an easy target. It took me three weeks. Relentless pursuit. I finally got him. Once the money was in place, I made up some excuse and broke up with him. Alexander was in the kitchen warming up milk for me. I stood at the door with my suitcase and left him with these words: “You’re too rich.” “Being with you makes me feel insecure.” Before Alexander could turn around, I was already at the front door, closing it behind me. By the time he realized what was happening and came after me, I was already in the car, ready to fly to Europe for a film shoot. That shoot lasted three months. Three months. I was sure he would have forgotten about me by then.

I always felt that Alexander didn’t love me that much. He was always so indifferent. Everything he did was with a sense of detachment. It seemed like nothing was a big deal to him. Even when I asked if we could kiss, He just gave me a faint “Mm.” Mm? That’s it? Our first kiss was initiated by me too. The key is, I was a complete novice. I had no experience at all. I just rubbed against his lips for a while, not knowing how to proceed. When I was about to give up and pull away, Alexander finally grabbed the back of my head. “Kiss like this.” Even when kissing, he showed no emotional fluctuations. He was always so indifferent. Even in bed. It was always the same boring position. Like an old prude. Not only was there no passion, He was also incredibly old-fashioned. He would lecture me for half an hour if I wore something too revealing for a photo shoot. In the end, he made me put on a shawl. Sitting in the passenger seat, I told Emma about all my experiences over the years. After hearing it all, she was so surprised her mouth hung open. “What? He doesn’t move in bed?” “Then why don’t you move?” Me: … She sure has a way of understanding things. Emma was like an innocent, curious child. “I’m just saying, maybe you should teach him some stuff in that department. After all, you’ve watched tons of movies.” Me: … Where did that rumor come from?

The second night after I returned from Europe, I finally got over my jet lag. Not long after I woke up, I was dragged to attend a party. They said I was there to make up the numbers. But as soon as I stepped in with my left foot, someone pulled me backstage. I couldn’t even see the person’s face clearly before being dragged to a corner backstage. “Mr. Security Guard, I just happened to step in with my left foot. You don’t have to lock me up just because of that, right?” “Mr. Security Guard…” I had barely finished speaking when I saw the person’s face clearly. Alexander Stone pointed at his own face and laughed sarcastically. “Me, a security guard?” I immediately laughed it off. “Oh no, handsome stranger, who are you?” Alexander smirked. The next second, his face turned cold as he pinned me against the wall. “I really had no idea that the daughter of the richest man in Los Angeles would feel insecure about money.” “Lily James, was I really that easy to fool?” I had imagined hundreds of possible scenarios for our reunion. But I never imagined it would be like this. I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Handsome stranger, who are you?”

Alexander laughed angrily. He was truly laughing out of anger. I could even hear the sound of his teeth grinding. “Lily, do you really think I’m that easy to fool?” My back went cold, but I stubbornly kept up the act. “Handsome stranger, if you want an autograph, I can go outside and sign one for you?” “How about a personalized one?” Alexander wasn’t buying it and didn’t play along. He stepped closer to me, backing me into a corner. My dress for tonight had a large open back, and I didn’t want to touch the cold wall, so I stopped moving. At the same time, Alexander’s large hand landed on my waist. He gently caressed it, and I suddenly realized. This was the move he most often did when we were flirting. My waist is a very sensitive spot. I wanted to dodge, but his other hand trapped me. “Lily, still saying you don’t know me?” I stubbornly insisted. It was the kind of stubborn that would make even a rock give up. My ears were burning red, and my legs felt weak. “I really don’t know you.” “Handsome stranger, you’re crossing a line here.” Alexander lightly pinched the soft flesh at my waist. “Want to see how red your face is, hmm?” Alexander clearly had no intention of letting me go. The scorching heat on my waist was impossible to ignore. “This is a public place, what are you trying to do?!” He lowered his head, his thin lips approaching. “What do you think?”

I felt that the Alexander in front of me wasn’t like the Alexander I knew. He was too smooth. So smooth that I could barely handle it. Back when I was relentlessly pursuing him and finally got him, Any physical contact only happened if I initiated it first. Kisses, hugs, and such – if I didn’t make the first move, he wouldn’t budge. At first, I wanted to say he was too conservative when I broke up with him. But thinking it might hurt his self-esteem, I made up that random excuse about feeling insecure instead. I never thought he’d remember it until now! And even corner me at a party hall three months later. … I pointed behind Alexander and said, “Oh, Mrs. Stone, what are you doing here?” Seizing the opportunity, I pushed Alexander away and prepared to escape. But to my surprise, Alexander didn’t even turn around. He caught me and pulled me back. “Hasn’t anyone told you that trick is outdated?” “Did you go to Europe and fall behind the times?” Alexander teased me mercilessly. I lowered my head in defeat. The next second, I was lifted off the ground, my feet dangling in the air. Me: … How could anyone attack with their armpit?! I never imagined Alexander would suddenly tuck me under his arm and walk out of the party. How could someone in a suit just carry a beautiful girl out like this, tucked under his arm?! I covered my face with both hands. Trying not to let people recognize me. But I still heard some comments. “Wow, carrying a woman under his arm, that’s a first for me.” “I have to say, it looks pretty cool.” I went from covering my face with my hands to covering it with my arms. Wishing I could shrink myself. Not letting anyone see me. In my heart, I cursed Alexander to high heaven. Alexander carried me quickly all the way. He rushed straight to the entrance. The moment he put me down, I finally took a deep breath. I had never felt any path was so long before. As soon as my feet touched the ground, my mouth started running. “Alexander Stone, are you crazy? Would it kill you to carry me like a princess? You’ve done it plenty of times before, why did you have to use that method today of all days?!” “Alexander Stone, I’ve lost all face!” I was so angry I was jumping up and down. Alexander just smiled without saying a word. After I finished ranting, he slowly said, “What’s our relationship? I never carry strange women.” I was at a loss for words. Damn it. In a moment of excitement, I forgot I was still acting. My toes curled. Suddenly, things got awkward. The next second, it got even more awkward. “Yo! Lily, I’ve been looking for you everywhere, and here you are flirting with a handsome guy…” Emma came running towards me, but as soon as she saw Alexander’s face clearly, she did a 180-degree turn on the spot. “Sorry, I mistook you for someone else. Who are you guys?” Her retreating back was full of cold indifference. The corner of my mouth twitched. What’s the meaning of this? Afraid Alexander would give me trouble, and not wanting to get involved! Alexander laughed coldly, “You’ve done a good job keeping it secret, haven’t you? Handsome guy?” “I heard there was a bet involved, is that right?” He approached step by step, and I retreated step by step. I waved my hands in denial, “Not much, really not much.” Alexander knew exactly what was going on. “$100 million? Opened a studio? You calculated it all so well. After being together for two months, you broke up without any consideration for my feelings.” My eyes darted around, not daring to look at him. Alexander was still approaching me. “The money they gave you, I’ll double it…” Before he could finish, my eyes lit up. “Okay!”

Alexander left, furious with me. Just because I interrupted him And said “okay” without even thinking. He said I was something else. I thought so too. No one can resist money. Even the daughter of the richest man. Two hundred million dollars. That would make my dad overjoyed. But tonight’s Alexander was a bit unforgettable. Three months later, he’s still so handsome. Tonight, his aggressive approach really made my heart race. I almost couldn’t keep it together. Is this relationship really so hard for him to forget? I covered my unusually fast-beating heart, forcing myself to sleep.

My agent got me an endorsement deal for a luxury jewelry brand. She kept going on about how lucky I was on the way there. “Two hundred million dollars! This endorsement fee is like a gift from heaven!” “You haven’t had any endorsements for so long, and now you get a big one. Your beauty will be on the big screens now!” “When the investor arrives later, you need to smile more. Cheer up for me!” I was still drowsy, not fully awake yet. I had no idea what she was talking about. Endorsement? Just do it, I thought. But soon, I didn’t think that way anymore. When Alexander Stone stood in front of me, I was completely dumbfounded. He walked towards me step by step. “Two hundred million, is that enough?” I couldn’t smile. No wonder my agent was so excited this morning. Turns out someone had sent her money. Two hundred million. This guy just handed it over like that? My agent’s eyes kept darting between Alexander and me. “Do you two… know each other?” Neither Alexander nor I answered. After we started shooting, I thought everything would be fine once we entered the studio. But then I saw Alexander holding a camera. I really wanted to jump up and down in frustration. Alexander just familiarized himself with the camera, then looked at me with a slight raise of his eyebrow. “I’ll photograph you. The photography fee is separate.” “It’s a good deal for you.” Me: … This is all your territory, how can I refuse? Now I understood what it meant to be on a sinking ship. Alexander asked all the staff in the studio to leave. Leaving only him and me. All the hair on my body stood on end, and I entered a state of alert. He tucked my stray hair behind my ear. “Cooperate a bit.” “Lily.”

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I was once the girlfriend of Alexander Thompson, a billionaire tycoon. However, my scheming cousin Chloe Sanders interfered, constantly fabricating lies about me. Alexander believed her, grew to despise me, and ended up marrying my cousin instead. Later, Chloe even had me kidnapped and taken to the Caribbean. I suffered terrible torture and died without closure. When I opened my eyes again, I had been given a second chance at life. I returned to the day Chloe had a miscarriage due to her affair. Alexander once asked me why I was so cruel to my own cousin. He said that to prevent Chloe from contacting him, I went as far as luring her to a hotel and hiring someone to rape her. He claimed that to seize Chloe’s villa, I forged her signature to sell the house and maxed out his credit card. I explained myself time and time again, but Alexander wouldn’t believe me. He didn’t believe me because Chloe repeatedly used my name to create these misunderstandings. Alexander said he was too disappointed in me. And I, too, was utterly disappointed in Alexander. I swore I would have my revenge. The phone rang. I looked at the familiar name on the caller ID and a cold smile curved my lips. “Emma Sullivan, you bitch! What the hell have you done?” Alexander’s voice was hysterical, as if he wanted to tear me to pieces. “Alexander, what do you mean?” I pretended to be clueless. “Your cousin is missing! She hasn’t been home for two days! You must have taken her!” Alexander roared, “Where is she now?” I laughed. “Alexander, you’re wrongly accusing me.” I deliberately added a hint of grievance to my voice, “How could I do such a thing? I’m so kind-hearted, and my cousin loves me so much. She would definitely understand me.” Alexander fell silent. “Alexander, I want to talk to you,” I continued, “There’s a misunderstanding between us, and I hope we can clear it up.” “Misunderstanding? How long are you going to keep leeching off your cousin?” Alexander’s anger intensified. “I’m not,” I replied calmly, “Alexander, come and see me. Let’s talk face to face.” “You…” Alexander wanted to say more, but I had already hung up. I looked at myself in the mirror, the familiar face filled with determination. “Chloe Sanders, your good days are coming to an end.”

After I hung up on him, Alexander’s anger escalated. He decided to storm into my house with his bodyguards. “Where the hell is Chloe?” He glared at me fiercely, “Hand her over!” I looked at him as if he were a ridiculous clown throwing a tantrum. “Alexander, what’s wrong with you?” I replied coldly, “This is my house. Please leave.” Of course, Alexander refused to leave. Not only did he stay, but he also commanded his bodyguards to turn the house upside down. “Emma, I know you hate me, and I hate you too, but Chloe is innocent. You can’t do this to her!” Alexander said through gritted teeth, “Give me Chloe, and you can do whatever you want with me.” “Alexander, are you done with this nonsense?” I couldn’t bear it anymore, “I don’t know where Chloe is, and I haven’t done anything to her!” “You dare to deny it!” Alexander waved his hand, and several bodyguards rushed towards me, ready to use force. “What are you doing?” I shouted angrily, “Alexander, you’re trespassing and attempting assault. Aren’t you afraid I’ll call the police?” “Call the police?” Alexander sneered, “What am I afraid of? You kidnapped Chloe, and I’m trying to find her. Who do you think the police will side with, you or me?” “You…” I was shaking with anger. “Wreck it!” Alexander ordered, “Until Chloe appears!” The bodyguards swarmed in and started smashing everything in sight. Furniture, electronics, decorations – everything was shattered to pieces. I looked at the devastated home, feeling a mix of emotions. Oh, Alexander, how could I have ever loved such a scumbag? “Emma Sullivan, I’m asking you one last time.” Alexander looked down at me condescendingly, “Where have you hidden Chloe?” “And I’m answering you for the last time.” I raised my head, looking straight into Alexander’s eyes, “I don’t know where Chloe is, and I don’t know what she’s done.” “Fine, fine.” Alexander repeated the word twice, “Emma Sullivan, you’ll regret this.” With that, he left with his bodyguards.

I looked at the mess around me and sighed deeply. When Michael Foster came back and saw this scene, he was stunned. “Emma, what… what happened here?” “Alexander was here,” I answered bitterly, “He couldn’t find Chloe, so he trashed the place.” “What?” Michael was furious, “What right does he have to do this?” I smiled wryly, “Michael, I’m sorry. I’ve dragged you into this mess again.” “This isn’t your fault,” Michael shook his head, “Alexander is the one who’s gone too far.” “But this is still related to me,” I said softly, “Michael, you said you’d help me, right?” “Yes,” Michael answered firmly, “I’ll help you until we expose Chloe’s true colors.” “Thank you, Michael.” I was deeply moved. “But we need to be prepared,” Michael continued, “I know Alexander well. He’s never one to give up easily. He didn’t find Chloe this time, but he’ll be back.” “I know,” I nodded, “I’ll be ready.” However, I still underestimated Alexander. Not only did he not let me off, but he also escalated his actions. First, he called Michael, badmouthing me and trying to drive a wedge between us. “Michael Foster, your wife is quite a piece of work,” Alexander sneered, “She’s not only scheming but also extremely vicious. You’d better watch out.” “Alexander, stop talking nonsense,” Michael rebuked, “Emma is my wife. I know her better than you do.” “Haha, you know her?” Alexander laughed, “Then do you know that she forged Chloe’s signature to sell her villa just to seize it for herself?” “What did you say?” Michael was stunned. “Michael Foster, you don’t know Emma Sullivan at all,” Alexander continued to add fuel to the fire, “She’s a viper, willing to do anything to achieve her goals, even if it means hurting others. You’d better divorce her as soon as possible.” With that, Alexander hung up the phone. Michael immediately told me about this conversation. “Emma, is what Alexander said true?” “No,” I shook my head, “I did sell the house, but I didn’t forge Chloe’s signature.” “Then you…” Michael looked at me hesitantly. “Chloe suggested it herself,” I explained, “She knew she had done something wrong and wanted to make amends, so she was willing to transfer the house to my name.” “Oh, I see,” Michael breathed a sigh of relief, “Then I’m relieved.” However, Alexander’s offensive had only just begun.

He not only slandered me in front of Michael but also defamed me in public. He called in several social media influencers to live stream my “crimes.” “Everyone, look closely. This is the woman who not only kidnapped her own cousin but also sold her cousin’s house!” “Oh my God, how can there be such a vicious woman!” “This is absolutely despicable!” The comments were filled with abuse and curses directed at me. “Today, we’re going to expose this woman’s true face and make her face the consequences she deserves!” Alexander stood in front of the camera, looking righteous. “First, we need to find this woman, and then we’ll take her to the police station!” Under his instigation, the audience’s emotions were stirred up. They clamored to find me immediately and send me to prison. Alexander, along with his bodyguards and the influencers, marched towards my house in a grand procession. “This time, I’m going to expose your true colors in front of everyone!”

Michael saw those live streams. In the streams, I appeared expressionless and silent, seemingly indifferent to everything. “Emma, why aren’t you defending yourself?” Michael looked at me, his eyes full of disappointment, “Did you really do those things?” “Michael, believe me,” I said softly, “I didn’t kidnap Chloe, nor did I forge her signature. I…” “Then why aren’t you saying anything?” Michael suddenly raised his voice, “Why are you letting them slander you?” “I…” I hesitated, not knowing how to explain. “Do you know how much pressure I’m under right now?” Michael growled, “Everyone is cursing at me, saying I’m blind, that I’ve let a wolf into our home, that I shouldn’t have married a woman like you!” “Michael, I’m sorry,” I lowered my head, filled with guilt. “Do you know what people are saying about me?” Michael’s expression became more and more pained, “They’re saying I deserve to be a cuckold!” “No, it’s not like that!” I shook my head frantically, “Michael, you have to believe me. I really didn’t do those things…” “Believe you?” Michael laughed coldly, “Emma Sullivan, how can I believe you?” “I…” I hesitated, not knowing how to explain. “Do you know that I’m now doubting myself, wondering if I was blind to marry a woman like you?” Michael’s voice was full of anger and disappointment. “Michael, I…” I tried to explain but didn’t know what to say. “Emma Sullivan, I’m very disappointed in you,” Michael closed his eyes, “Really disappointed.” “Michael, I…” I looked at him, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. “Don’t say my name,” Michael suddenly opened his eyes and slapped me across the face, “It disgusts me.” I held my cheek, staring at him in shock. “Emma Sullivan, let’s get a divorce,” Michael said coldly, “You can spend the rest of your life clinging to your secrets and fighting with Alexander.” As he spoke, he took off his wedding ring and threw it at me. The ring hit my chest. It hurt. My heart hurt even more. I watched helplessly as Michael turned and walked out the door. “Michael, don’t go!” I cried out, chasing after him. But I only chased thin air. Michael was gone. “Michael…” I fell to my knees, tears flowing endlessly.

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I found myself trapped in a flood with Sophia Hart, my husband’s first love. My husband, Lucas Reed, a usually calm and steady firefighter, was unusually anxious at this moment. He told me, “There’s not enough room on the boat. You can swim, Ava, but Sophia can’t. I have to save her first.” In a moment of desperation, he forcibly broke my fingers and pushed me into the raging floodwaters. After years of marriage, he didn’t even know I couldn’t swim. The flash flood swept through like a fierce beast. Sophia and I struggled with all our might and finally managed to climb onto a precarious boulder. I turned to Sophia, trying to comfort her, “Don’t be afraid, Sophia. Lucas will definitely come to rescue us.” Sophia just glanced at me contemptuously, a cold smile curling her lips. “Of course he’ll come to save me. As for you… well, that’s another story.” My heart sank, but I still tried to maintain my composure, unwilling to show weakness in front of her. “We’re married. Of course he’ll save me.” Soon, we heard rescue calls in the distance. It was Lucas! He was maneuvering a rescue boat, struggling to get closer to us. A glimmer of hope rose in my heart, until he spoke, “Ava, Sophia can’t swim. There’s not enough room on the rescue boat. You’ll have to find your own way.” “What? I…” Before I could finish, he cut me off. “Jump down and swim to that big rock. Wait for the next wave of rescuers.” Lucas’s tone was uncompromising, as if I were just an insignificant burden. “But I’m pregnant, Lucas. I can’t…” I pleaded, my hands gripping the edge of the rescue boat tightly. “That’s exactly why the boat is unstable!” He yanked hard, almost pulling me into the water. “Didn’t you swim back to shore alone last time? It’s the same this time.” “That was in shallow water, and…” Before I could finish, a sharp pain shot through my fingers. He had forcibly broken my fingers and pushed me into the cold flood waters. “Lucas!” I struggled in the water, shouting his name, but all I got in response was his resolute back and Sophia’s smug smile. “Ava Wilson, you’re always so redundant,” his voice drifted with the wind. I swam desperately towards the big rock, but my body felt heavier and heavier, and my consciousness began to blur. I recalled the moments I shared with Lucas, all those sweet memories and promises, now shattered like bubbles. “Why… why are you doing this to me?” Finally, I gave up struggling and let myself sink into the water. In the last moment before losing consciousness, I took one last look in the direction Lucas had gone, my heart filled with bitterness and resentment.

My soul seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, floating in this cold world. Suddenly, an anxious voice came through the walkie-talkie, “Captain Reed, we still haven’t found Ms. Wilson. Should we continue searching?” Lucas’s cold voice clearly reached my ears through the device: “No need. She might have been taken away by another rescue team. We’re short-handed and can’t waste time.” I was stunned, a chill running through my heart. This was the man I loved deeply, showing no concern for my life or death. The subordinate seemed to want to say something more, but was cut off by Lucas, “Execute the order. Don’t mention this again!” I silently followed him to the hospital. Through the window of the ward, I saw Lucas. He was tenderly watching over Sophia’s bedside, his eyes filled with a gentleness I had never seen before. Sophia sobbed, her voice weak and fearful, “Lucas, I was so scared. I thought I’d never see you again.” Lucas gently patted the back of her hand, his voice dripping with tenderness, “Don’t be afraid, Sophia. I’ll always be by your side, protecting you.” I stood by, watching this scene, my heart breaking. So, his love for me was nothing but an elaborately woven lie. My tears fell silently, unnoticed by anyone. I could only watch helplessly, listening to their conversation, feeling that tenderness that didn’t belong to me. “Lucas, I know I’m willful, but I was really terrified this time,” Sophia’s voice had a hint of coquettishness. Lucas chuckled, his eyes full of doting affection, “Whether you’re willful or coquettish, I love it all. As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.” Listening to these words, my heart was filled with bitterness and despair. I closed my eyes, letting the memories of Lucas and me flood my mind. We once had an engagement. I thought it was the beginning of happiness, but I didn’t realize it was the prologue to his coldness. “Lucas, do you remember the day we got engaged?” I asked softly, as if he could hear me, “You said you’d love me forever, but now?” I recalled the complex look he gave me after his brother, Leo, became a vegetative patient. “Lucas, why didn’t you believe me?” These words I could never say out loud, as they had long been drowned in his cold silence. That night, his tenderness when he was drunk made me mistakenly believe it was a true revelation of his inner feelings. “Ava, I’m sorry…” His slurred words, thinking back now, were nothing but an illusion caused by alcohol. A month ago, I went for a prenatal check-up full of anticipation. The sound of the baby’s heartbeat excited me beyond words. I wanted to share this good news with him immediately, but accidentally saw his intimate photo with Sophia on Instagram, with a short but piercing caption – “Finally found you”. At that moment, my heart shattered. “Lucas Reed, how could you do this to me?” I sat alone on the sofa, from dusk to midnight, and then to dawn. Finally, he came back, reeking of alcohol, stumbling. “Lucas, you know I’m pregnant! You and Sophia…” I tried to grasp the last thread of hope, but was ruthlessly pushed away. “Enough, Ava Wilson.” His voice was cold and resolute, “You don’t need to know about me and Sophia.” I was stunned. “Lucas Reed, I understand now. I’ve always been just a substitute for Sophia.” That night, I was completely awakened. I realized that no matter how hard I tried, I could never enter his heart. All his tenderness and care were reserved only for Sophia. “I give up, Lucas Reed,” I said silently in my heart, “I’ll leave and no longer interfere with your pursuit of your true love.” Now, my soul floats in the air, watching him take meticulous care of Sophia. My heart has frozen to the extreme. 4 That cruise party was the biggest turning point in my life. That night, Leo and I accidentally fell into the water. I desperately grabbed onto a piece of driftwood, while Leo… he struggled in the water, gradually drifting away. When I was finally rescued and learned that Leo had become a vegetative patient, my heart shattered. What was even harder to accept was that Lucas actually believed I intentionally didn’t save Leo, just because I “could swim”. The way he looked at me was full of coldness and misunderstanding. “Ava Wilson, why didn’t you save him?” His accusation was like a knife, stabbing deep into my heart. I tried to explain, but each time I opened my mouth, I was cut off by his coldness. Days passed, and I thought time would wash away everything, until that night when he suddenly proposed to me, reeking of alcohol. At that moment, I almost thought we could go back to how we were before. “Ava, marry me,” his voice echoed in my ears, with a hint of tenderness that was hard to detect. But after marriage, his attitude took a sharp turn, becoming as cold as a stranger. After I became pregnant, I was full of anticipation to share this joy with him. However, when I asked him to accompany me for a prenatal check-up, he refused without hesitation. “I don’t have time. Go by yourself,” his tone showed no hesitation or concern. On the day of the check-up, I sat alone on a bench in the hospital, my heart a mix of emotions. When the doctor told me the baby was healthy, I almost laughed through my tears. I couldn’t wait to share this good news with him, but then I saw his intimate photo with Sophia on his Instagram. At that moment, my heart completely froze. “So, I’m not even qualified to be a substitute,” I murmured, tears falling silently. Back home, I waited for him, wanting to get to the bottom of this. When he finally appeared before me, I gathered my courage to confront him, “Lucas, why are you treating me like this when I’m pregnant?” He glanced at me, his eyes showing no guilt or tenderness, only coldness and annoyance. “Ava Wilson, that’s enough. Stop making a fuss,” he pushed me away forcefully, turned around and went back to the room, leaving me alone in the empty living room. I recalled how tenderly he cared for Sophia, in stark contrast to his coldness towards me. “Lucas Reed,” I said softly to myself, “Perhaps if I die, I won’t be an obstacle between you two anymore.”

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