When I learned that my husband had gone to deliver a coat to his young assistant, ignoring me as I lay unconscious in the hospital, I proposed a divorce. Mark agreed instantly: “What’s there to worry about? She’s a woman who married far from home, she’ll comfort herself.” “She’ll change her mind in a couple of days. I’ll give her the cold shoulder for a while, then magnanimously forgive her. Let’s see if she dares to make a fuss again.” That same day, he posted a photo on social media of him and his young assistant holding hands across a dinner table. The caption read: Two people in one house, three meals for four seasons, for the rest of our lives, you and I are each other’s only one. As I looked at the final date on the calendar, I dialed my brother’s number. “James, can you buy me a ticket home?” “Really? That’s great! You’ve finally decided to give up on that jerk! Wait there, I’ll come pick you up myself!” The young man’s voice on the other end of the phone was filled with excitement. After hanging up, Mark came in from outside, reeking of strong perfume. The red marks on his neck stung my eyes. “Who was that on the phone?” Mark asked casually, his gaze still glued to his own phone, not even looking at me. “My brother.” The shrill ringtone of his phone completely drowned out my voice. Mark quickly answered the call, and a girl’s sweet voice came through: “Mark, thank you for bringing the clothes the other day. If it weren’t for you, I would have definitely embarrassed myself. I really don’t know what I would have done otherwise.” Seeming to feel it was inappropriate, Mark lowered the volume somewhat guiltily, got up and went into the study. I smiled sarcastically to myself. We were already in the divorce cooling-off period, what was I expecting? I silently made myself a bowl of noodles, ate it without a sound, and then went back to the bedroom to pack my luggage. It was an hour later when Mark finished his lovey-dovey phone call with the girl. As usual, he sat at the dining table with a magazine, waiting for me to serve him a hot breakfast. But this time, after waiting for a while without even a cup of hot milk appearing, he finally impatiently turned half his attention to me. “It’s not like I didn’t accompany you for a check-up, right? Insomnia isn’t a serious illness.” “Just take the medicine the doctor prescribed on time and you’ll be fine. Why are you being so dramatic?” “Besides, I’ve already agreed to the divorce, what more do you want? Why are you showing this sour face every day? Who’s it for?” I stopped what I was doing and looked impassively at this man who was once my intimate bedmate. That day after he left, I had fainted at the hospital. If it weren’t for the doctors’ timely rescue, I might have already been sent to the crematorium. After that, neither I nor the doctors could get through to Mark’s phone. When we finally got through, we heard a girl’s sweet laughter and Mark’s impatient rebuke: “It’s just some medical fees, can’t you figure it out yourself?” In the end, I had to borrow the money from a friend. When I was discharged yesterday, I found out that he had actually gone to deliver a coat to his young assistant who was wearing a mini skirt to a business dinner. Just because she said she was cold. I immediately proposed divorce to Mark. “Once we get the divorce certificate, you won’t have to see it even if you want to.” I thought Mark would be happy with my distant attitude, since he had been wanting me to stop meddling in his affairs. Unexpectedly, he seemed to have stepped on a hedgehog, slamming the magazine on the table and shouting: “You’d better not regret this!” With that, he stormed out, slamming the door. Bang! The loud noise didn’t cause the slightest ripple in my emotions. I couldn’t be bothered to ponder his behavior and emotions, I just went about my own business. After sending out the revised proposal that the client needed, I contentedly poured myself a cup of hot milk. Just as I was about to find a movie to watch while taking a bath to pass the time, a message popped up. It was from Mark. “Morning Star Club, drunk, come pick me up by car.” I was about to close the page when a second message popped up. “You’re still my wife in name, this is your duty.” I gripped my phone tightly, took several deep breaths, and finally prepared myself mentally before going out. All this was for a smooth divorce, I’ll endure it! When I found the private room at the club according to the information on my phone, I could hear Mark’s hearty laughter and Olivia’s coquettish giggles from inside. The sounds turned into swords, stabbing into my heart one by one. I gritted my teeth to steady my expression and pushed open the door of the private room. The laughter inside came to an abrupt halt.

When Mark saw me, his expression was bewildered, his brows furrowed tightly. “Are you stalking me?” Mark’s immediate accusation made the expressions of those present quite awkward. I opened the message page: “This is the address you gave me.” Olivia immediately hugged Mark’s arm, cooing softly: “Mr. Mark, I was worried about you going back alone, so I asked your wife to come pick you up. I hope I didn’t do the wrong thing with good intentions?” Mark’s expression softened. Looking at Olivia’s anxious expression, he smiled indulgently. Seeing Olivia’s challenging glance at me from a hidden angle, and Mark’s tacit approval, I felt no ripples at all, just nodded faintly, my attitude cold and distant. Perhaps accustomed to my previous hysterical shouting and arguing, this silence now made Mark uncomfortable. He rarely pulled his arm out of Olivia’s embrace, explaining in a gentle tone: “Rachel, we’re just entertaining. Everyone here is a client or employee.” I handed him the pure milk I had grabbed on my way out: “I know.” Perhaps my arrival had ruined the atmosphere, and everyone soon left in twos and threes. After carefully arranging for Olivia to take a taxi and giving her numerous instructions, Mark finally got into the car, sitting in the passenger seat. I silently started the car, while he dozed off in the passenger seat. Neither of us spoke. When I parked the car in the underground garage, I got out first and walked towards the elevator. As I reached the corner, Mark suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me into his arms. The next second, a car sped past me. For a moment, my heart raced. “Can’t you watch where you’re going? What if you got hurt?” Mark’s tone was urgent as he held my hand tightly, keeping me on the inside of the path. Scenes from our honeymoon phase suddenly flashed before my eyes. He used to hold me like this, protecting me. But at some point, such gestures had disappeared. I had even forgotten that I was once cherished like this. Fortunately, the elevator wasn’t far. As he pressed the floor button, I discreetly pulled my hand back. Mark glanced at me, seeming to want to say something, but ultimately made no further move. But the next morning, he surprisingly offered to drive me to work. “I’ll take you.” I yawned and agreed. I hadn’t slept well last night, drifting in and out of sleep, so it was a good chance to catch up on some rest. However, as soon as I opened the car door, I saw glittering decorations, cute stickers, and pink car ornaments and figurines. There was even a custom pillow on the passenger seat with a photo of Mark and Olivia making heart shapes together. This was a blatant declaration of ownership. “I never thought the car of a tough CEO would one day have such girly elements.” The sarcasm in my words made Mark’s face flash with embarrassment: “Olivia is just a young girl, let her be, don’t fuss over it too much.” I pointed at the pillow: “Is she a young girl who takes couple photos with you?” But what I really wanted to ask about was the photo of them holding hands over a candlelit dinner that Mark had posted on social media the day we applied for divorce. I still remembered the caption: Two people in one house, three meals for four seasons, for the rest of our lives, you and I are each other’s only one.

My words made Mark’s face flash with discomfort. I suddenly deflated. Whether it was out of revenge, showing off, or whatever other reason, Mark’s heart had strayed, and that was that. I gave up questioning and silently sat in the back seat, closing my eyes to avoid looking at all the girly decorations in the car. Perhaps feeling guilty and awkward about the atmosphere, Mark handed me a piece of bread. “Eat something.” My gaze fell on where he had taken the bread from. It was filled with various cookies and candies, and even spicy snacks with a strong smell. “How rare, your obsession with cleanliness seems to have improved?” I admit I was feeling jealous. I often had to carry bread or cookies with me due to my busy schedule and inability to eat regular meals. Once when I was so hungry that my stomach was cramping and my whole body was shaking with pain. I had just taken out my only piece of bread, enduring the discomfort, when Mark snatched it and threw it out the window. That day, Mark had sternly warned me that he wouldn’t allow me to eat anything in his car, not even drink water. I never thought that what he once forbade me to do, he now indulged another woman to do. The loved one can always be infinitely indulged. My sarcastic remark made Mark’s face turn ugly. But I didn’t care about him. I turned my head and closed my eyes, pretending to doze off. As soon as we arrived at the company, I hurriedly got out of the car. Taking advantage of the time he was parking, I rushed into the elevator first and returned to my workstation ahead of him. Countless emails were waiting to be processed, and I was so busy I didn’t even have a chance to lift my head. Of course, I didn’t want to stay in Mark’s company, but I’m the kind of person who always sees things through to the end, and there was still some work I hadn’t finished. If I was going to resign, I’d have to wait until I finished the current work. I was so busy that it was already 4 PM, and I didn’t even have time to order lunch. It wasn’t until my stomach started cramping that I suddenly realized I hadn’t eaten for a long time. I quickly went to get a cup of hot water, returned to my workstation to nibble on some bread, and continued working. Just then, the security guard came in carrying two large bags of snacks, milk tea, and small cakes. “These are afternoon snacks Mr. Mark ordered for everyone, come and share.” The security guard’s voice made everyone cheer, and a group of people immediately rushed over. “Mr. Mark is awesome! It’s my favorite pearl milk tea!” “Ah, there’s no mango…” “Tsk, be grateful for what you get. Don’t you know Olivia is allergic to mangoes?” The people around immediately made meaningful “oh” sounds, and those who loved gossip had already turned their gazes towards me. A new intern, quick to speak, said: “I heard Mr. Mark is getting divorced. Is he going to marry Olivia? He’s so doting!” Someone immediately pulled her: “Shut up, Rachel is still here.” The intern’s face immediately showed a trace of embarrassment. An old hand brought a milk tea and a piece of cake and placed them in front of me, saying awkwardly: “The kids are just joking, don’t mind them.” I looked at the durian cake on the table and pushed it away slightly: “Sorry, I’m allergic to durian. You can have this one.” The person’s face showed an awkward expression. Actually, everyone knew I was allergic to durian, because Mark had used such tactics on me before. Back then, to prove his love for me, he would order my favorite matcha cakes for the office every day, and wouldn’t allow anything durian-related in the office because of my allergy. He would even order meals delivered to everyone’s workstation when I was too busy to eat, and sit in front of me to make sure I finished eating. Now, it was just a different person. Because Olivia was allergic to mangoes, even anything mango-related was not allowed in the company. The grand gestures he could give me, he now gave to another woman. The office never lacked gossip. Just as many people used to ship Mark and me, now they shipped him and Olivia. I didn’t feel uncomfortable because of this. Work was too complicated, and I couldn’t spare any extra energy for irrelevant people.

The project in my hands was nearing its end, and communication with the client was becoming more frequent. The plan might need to be revised two or three times in an hour. I had been working overtime for almost a week, and today we finally reached the crucial point. As long as we got through this, the project would be completed. I stretched lazily, deciding to go out and treat myself to a good meal tonight. But as I stretched, I bumped into someone, scaring me so much that I let out a cry. When I looked back, it was Mark. When did he start standing behind me? “Still working overtime?” Mark didn’t seem to care about my pale face from the fright, and asked naturally. I didn’t know why he suddenly came to find me, so I could only try to calm down and say: “Mr. Mark, is there anything I can help you with?” A trace of displeasure flashed across Mark’s face. He wasn’t used to my distance. But he still patiently said: “Why don’t you hand over your clients and projects to Olivia? She needs the practice.” A chill crept into my heart. Even though I knew Mark was outrageous, I didn’t think he could be this outrageous. Seeing my silence, Mark stepped forward, placing both hands on my shoulders, and said: “There are always some rumors in the company. She’s just a young girl, how can she bear all this? With this project in hand, those who question her will shut up. You’re a senior, it’s right to help juniors.” I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly and roll my eyes. Mark knew very well how many nights I had stayed up for this project, even to the point of cardiac arrest and being rushed to the hospital for rescue. But as soon as I entered the hospital doors, he was taken away by a light phone call from Olivia. My life wasn’t even as important as Olivia’s coat. And now, this project that I had desperately worked on until the end, he casually wanted to give to Olivia with just a few words. He considered Olivia, strived to protect her reputation, but never considered whether all this was fair to me. “Fine, let her come to take over tomorrow.” It’s just right to submit my resignation letter as well. I’ve done my duty to this company. As for what happens afterwards, with Mark’s interference, I couldn’t control it even if I wanted to. It’s better to let go generously. It seemed that he hadn’t expected me to be so agreeable. Mark was stunned for a moment. But then he was overjoyed and hugged me: “I was wrong in the past. I always thought you were petty and stubborn. I didn’t expect you to be so understanding today. Let’s go to that revolving restaurant by the river for dinner. You’ve wanted to go there for a long time, right?” The revolving restaurant by the river? That three-star French restaurant? I once wanted to spend our wedding anniversary there, but now all of this is meaningless. Mark put his arm around my shoulders, his tone much gentler: “We’ve been married for many years, what obstacle can’t we overcome? Control your temper a bit. In a few days, we’ll withdraw the divorce application, and then I’ll accompany you back to your parents’ home. You haven’t been back for many years, right? This time, we’ll stay for a few days.” I listened to Mark painting this rosy picture for me, remaining silent. He seemed to think I had agreed to everything, and continued to talk enthusiastically. Even after I had saved my files and gotten into the car with him, he didn’t stop talking. Sitting in the back seat, I was scrolling through my social media feed when I saw a photo Olivia had posted. She was wearing an evening gown, sitting in a spacious open-air restaurant, elegantly eating a candlelit dinner. The date showed it was an hour ago. Looking at the river in the background, I couldn’t help but smile sarcastically. So she had already enjoyed it, and Mark was considerate enough to rush from one scene to arrange the next with me after finishing the previous one. He didn’t even bother to change the location.

We ended up not having this meal. When we were going downstairs, Mark received a call from Olivia. He looked at me with difficulty, and I pretended not to know it was Olivia, waving my hand generously: “I’m very tired, you go ahead with your business.” Mark couldn’t ask for more. He called a taxi for me, repeatedly instructing the driver, acting as if he was very concerned. But as soon as the car left, I saw in the rearview mirror that he immediately turned around and headed straight for the underground parking lot. When people are speechless, they really can’t help but laugh. As I laughed, I felt something cool on my face. As the wind blew, the chill was carried into my heart. Forget it, tomorrow is the last day. After tomorrow, once we get the divorce certificate, Mark and I will be complete strangers. I returned home, poured myself a glass of wine, and had a small drink to celebrate my freedom in advance. When I was slightly tipsy, I saw a shooting star streak across the sky. I couldn’t help but stand up, leaning on the railing and leaning forward. I wanted to chase that moment of brilliance. Maybe my movement was too fast, or maybe I appeared too unsteady. I only had time to hear an urgent “What are you doing?” before my body was forcefully pulled back. The next second, I fell into a fragrant embrace. “Don’t you know this is very dangerous!” Mark’s voice was full of concern, but the smell on him made me want to vomit. I pointed to the sky outside and said: “Shooting star…” Shooting star! On the day we fell in love, there was a meteor shower in the sky, beautiful and romantic. He had promised to accompany me to watch the meteor shower every year, no matter where it was or when. He said he would put down everything in his hands to accompany me. But year after year, he stood me up every time. What I cared about wasn’t the meteor shower, what I cared about was the future he had promised back then. Mark let out a long sigh and said irritably: “It’s just a shooting star, isn’t it? I’ll take you to see a meteor shower another day. Don’t joke with your safety again.” Just a shooting star… That wasn’t a shooting star, that was your promise, and you just brushed it off so lightly. “Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary, let’s spend it together. I’ll come pick you up.” Mark said to himself, he didn’t ask for my opinion, he was just informing me. I looked at his empty ring finger, the mark from the wedding ring was almost gone, showing it had been taken off for a long time. I didn’t know he had been so biased for so long. “Okay.” I didn’t object, just treating it as a proper end to this marriage. Maybe to make up for me, this time the restaurant was set at the same place as last time. When I arrived, I saw that the reserved seat at the restaurant was actually the same table where Olivia had sat before. I felt uncomfortable immediately and quickly asked the waiter to change to another table. However, from afternoon to evening, from evening to midnight, my phone was almost out of battery, and Mark still hadn’t come. I was so hungry that my stomach hurt, so I had to ask the restaurant to serve me a small cake first. With something to eat, the cramping in my stomach got a bit better. I called Mark, but no one answered. A surge of anger welled up in me. Mark was indeed still incorrigible, making promises casually and never keeping them. Only I fell for it every time, foolishly waiting again and again! What a waste of my time! I opened my contact list intending to urge him, but I saw that the group chat had exploded. Ten minutes ago, an anonymous email was sent to everyone in the company. It was full of scenes of Olivia and Mark going out together, many shots taken from angles that made it look like Olivia was seducing Mark, while he remained unmoved. The email title was even more explosive: Assistant seduces married man, uses body to get projects, despicable and shameful! After these ambiguous photos, there were scenes of me handing over the project to Olivia. I looked haggard, while Olivia was glowing. Every word seemed to be defending me. But every word also directed all the public opinion towards me. I had just put down my phone when Mark stormed in. He grabbed my wrist, aggressive and fierce, his face contorted as he said: “Rachel! If you didn’t want to give up that project, you should have just said so! I didn’t expect you to be so vicious, saying one thing to my face and doing another behind my back! I can’t believe you would stoop so low as to spread false rumors!” “You’re a woman too, don’t you feel guilty using such tactics?” “How disgusting can you be!”

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Before deciding to remarry, I had transferred the property rights of my house to my daughter as a guarantee for her future. Little did I know that when this news reached the ears of my future mother-in-law, she would lose control and make a scene, unreasonably forcing my daughter to return the property. Faced with this unreasonable entanglement, I helplessly dialed Mark’s number, thinking he would support me and help solve the problem. But to my surprise, he instead took their side and tried to persuade me. “Rachel, girls will eventually get married. If you give the house to her, isn’t it like handing it over to your future son-in-law? In my opinion, it’s better to take the house back.” Hearing this, I immediately decided to break off the engagement with him, while also feeling a surge of determination to teach them a lesson. “Rachel, don’t forget to invite us to your wedding!” During lunch break, my colleagues teased me as they ate. Amidst their laughter, a blush crept across my face, and I shyly covered my mouth. “Don’t worry, once the wedding date is set, I’ll definitely send invitations to everyone. You all must come!” I replied with a smile, feeling a wave of sweetness in my heart. As a woman who had been single for ten years, the longing for love had been quietly growing within me. Last year, through a mutual friend’s introduction, I met my current boyfriend, Mark. After spending some time together, we felt very compatible and started thinking about marriage. Just as I was immersed in these beautiful thoughts, my phone suddenly rang. “Mom, Mark’s mother has been yelling at me outside our door. I’m too scared to go out. Please come back quickly!” My daughter’s urgent voice made me jump out of my chair. “Lily, don’t be afraid. Mom will be right back. Just wait for me at home!” After hurriedly instructing my daughter, I put down my lunch box and rushed to hail a taxi to get home. The journey was smooth, and I arrived at my doorstep twenty minutes later. As my daughter had said, as soon as I reached the staircase, I heard a string of insults. Linda, Mark’s mother, was standing at my door, unreasonably berating my daughter. “What are you doing, Linda? Why are you suddenly here yelling at my daughter for no reason?” My appearance made Linda shut her mouth immediately. Hearing my voice, my daughter quickly opened the door and threw herself into my arms, crying about what had just happened. “Mom, you’re finally back. She’s been shouting at the door, and even when the neighbors tried to persuade her to leave, she wouldn’t listen…” I comforted my daughter while glaring at Linda.

I couldn’t help but gently stroke my daughter’s head, feeling sorry for her, while my good impression of Linda instantly vanished. However, before I could speak, Linda seemed to find new energy and angrily accused: “You little girl, how dare you tell such blatant lies? If it weren’t for you making me suffer, why would I, at my age, come here in this scorching sun to make a fool of myself?” Linda’s words made my mind a mess. She said she had suffered? But my daughter Lily had always been well-behaved and sensible. Even when I was hesitant about remarrying, she gave her full support with both hands. She had always been extremely respectful to Linda, truly loving the house and its crow. Therefore, I couldn’t believe Linda’s current claims no matter what. “You say you’ve suffered? What exactly have you suffered?” I questioned. “When has Lily ever not greeted you with a smile when she sees you?” After comforting my daughter and sending her to the bedroom, I turned to confront Linda. To my surprise, as soon as I finished speaking, she suddenly slapped her thigh and sat down on the ground with a thud. “This is outrageous!” Linda wailed, acting like a shrew. “Is this how you talk to your future mother-in-law? Does Mark know you’re treating me like this?” The Mark she mentioned is my fiancé, her son. Faced with her unreasonable behavior, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes internally. “Linda, what exactly do you want?” I asked calmly. “If you keep making a scene like this, you’ll only embarrass yourself.” Having experienced a failed marriage before, I was no longer the young girl who easily panicked. Seeing that I wasn’t moved, Linda gradually calmed down. She pushed herself up and stood again. “Fine, since you asked, I’ll tell you straight. “She said firmly, “Why did you suddenly transfer the house to your daughter? It must be because this little brat whispered in your ear, making you do this. At such a young age, she’s already so calculating. She’ll definitely not turn out well when she grows up.” “Slap!” Hearing Linda maliciously slandering my daughter, I could no longer tolerate it. I swung my hand and gave her a resounding slap. “This house is mine!” I shouted angrily. “It’s perfectly reasonable for me to transfer my house to my own daughter! You have no right to interfere!” I finally understood why her attitude towards my daughter had suddenly changed. It turned out that she had learned about me transferring the house to Lily. Although this matter didn’t need to be kept secret, there was no need to specifically announce it either. What I didn’t expect was that I had just completed the transfer yesterday, and she had already found out about it today.

“What do you mean your house? If you marry Mark, this house should rightfully belong to my grandson Tom. Now you’ve transferred the house to your daughter, what kind of behavior is this? Let me tell you, if you still want to enter our family, you’d better transfer the house back quickly.” Linda’s words made me feel utterly absurd. Although Tom is Mark’s son from his previous marriage, I’m not his birth mother. What does it have to do with them if I transfer my own house to my daughter? I patiently said to Linda, “Linda, I can’t reason with you. Since you’re being so persistent, let’s call Mark to deal with this matter.” Not wanting to waste any more words with her, I directly dialed Mark’s number: “Mark, your mother is making a scene at my place for no reason. Come over quickly and resolve this, so everyone can have some peace.” After receiving the call, Mark agreed to come over without hesitation. His voice was like a reassuring pill, instantly calming me down a bit. In fact, for someone like me who is nearly forty, Linda’s opinions and actions don’t really matter at all. If she supports my marriage to Mark, that would naturally be icing on the cake; if she doesn’t support it, it won’t affect me in any way. After all, it’s Mark and I who will be living our lives together. As long as he is reasonable and stands by my side, our relationship won’t change. In the year and more that I’ve been in a relationship with Mark, we’ve barely had any arguments, let alone any major conflicts. Our life together has been plain and warm, making me feel incredibly comfortable. Three months ago, when Mark proposed to me, I was both surprised and worried. On one hand, I longed to welcome new happiness; on the other hand, I was worried that my daughter might have a hard time accepting it. Teenagers are always particularly sensitive inside, and I was afraid that my decision would hurt her. However, while I was hesitating, my daughter took the initiative to tell me that she supported my remarriage and hoped I could find a happy home. Hearing her say this, I felt both moved and heartbroken. Because when she was very young, I had divorced her father, so she had always been more sensible than children her age. This made me feel like I owed her something.

Especially since my daughter was so understanding, it also made me want to make it up to her even more in the future. To reassure Lily and provide a guarantee for her future life, after much consideration, I decided to transfer the property under my name to my daughter before I remarried. This way, not only could I give my daughter enough security, but also let her know that even if I start a new family, she will always be the most important person in my heart. As I was thinking about this, suddenly an urgent voice came, The next second, Mark walked up to me, panting heavily. Seeing him drenched in sweat, my heart inevitably softened a bit. Yes, this matter was originally caused by Linda’s fuss, and it had nothing to do with Mark. Perhaps he knew nothing about this incident, and I shouldn’t lose my temper at him. Instead, I should have a good talk with him, so as not to hurt our relationship because of this incident. “Rachel, what’s wrong? What happened? Why did my mom suddenly come here to make a scene?” Mark looked at the somewhat messy floor, then at Linda’s fierce expression, and seemed at a loss for a moment. Seeing his appearance, I also confirmed my guess that Mark really didn’t know about this incident. Realizing this, my attitude also softened a bit. Just as I was about to explain the cause and effect of this incident to him, Linda, who was standing aside, spoke first. “Son, you’re finally here. You don’t know how much your mother has suffered here!” After seeing her son arrive, Linda seemed to have found her backbone. She grabbed Mark’s sleeve and started crying and complaining like a fountain. At this, I was naturally speechless. After all, when I was young, I had also fought with a nasty mother-in-law, so how could I not see through her tricks? However, since she wanted to play the victim first and make false accusations, I didn’t want to stop her. Justice is in people’s hearts. After she finished speaking, Mark would naturally understand who was right and who was wrong. At that time, I would just listen to his final decision. Linda went on complaining for more than ten minutes. When she said that I had slapped her for insulting Lily, Mark gave her a reproachful look and patted my shoulder as if to comfort me. Just when I thought Mark was a reasonable person who knew right from wrong, something unexpected happened again. I clearly saw that when Linda said she came to my house to make a scene because I had transferred the house to my daughter, Mark’s expression was stunned for a moment, and then turned into shock. “Rachel, is what my mom said true? Did you really transfer the house to your daughter?” Mark suddenly gripped my shoulders and started questioning me urgently.

Seeing Mark’s sudden change in attitude, while feeling suspicious in my heart, I also became more guarded towards him. “Yes, I transferred my house to my daughter. Is there a problem?” I took two steps back, distancing myself from Mark, and then questioned him, “Rachel Zhou, why didn’t you discuss such a big matter with me? Don’t you know that this house is not just your house!!” After hearing my answer, Mark went crazy, He grabbed his hair while looking at me angrily. “Yes, son, look at how scheming this woman is. If it weren’t for your second aunt seeing her at the property registration office, we probably wouldn’t have known how long this woman was planning to keep it from us!!” Linda, as if not wanting to miss out on the drama, started rambling again. “Mark, what do you mean? This house is something I worked hard to buy on my own. How could it have anything to do with anyone else?” I stared at Mark unyieldingly, stating the most objective fact. Seeing my attitude so firm, without any sign of being intimidated or wanting to back down, Mark suddenly changed his tune. “Rachel, that’s not what I meant. Please don’t misunderstand. I just think that after we get married, we’ll all be family. Why transfer the house out and make things so clear-cut?” If it were before, I might have thought there was no need to make things so clear-cut. But looking at the current situation, this matter probably wasn’t as simple as I thought. Mark didn’t seem to be as reliable as he had shown me. After all, I’m a woman who has been through a lot, I’m no longer a young girl in her early twenties who can be easily deceived. Judging from the attitude of this mother and son towards this house, I’m afraid they had ulterior motives towards me from the very beginning. “So what do you think I should do? Have I disappointed you by doing this?” I didn’t rush to expose Mark’s thoughts, but deliberately asked him back. Sure enough, after I said this, Mark seemed to have found a lifeline and nodded frantically. “Yes, Rachel, I just feel that your actions have really hurt me and made it difficult for me to accept.” Lowering my eyes as I listened to Mark’s words, I continued: “Then how can I make up for the hurt I’ve caused you?” Hearing me say this, Mark suddenly became energetic. I saw a flash of light in his eyes, and he deliberately pondered before slowly opening his mouth. “Rachel, I think you should transfer the house back. After all, Lily is your daughter, she won’t mind these things.” Listening to Mark’s words, I couldn’t help but laugh coldly in my heart. His true intentions were really showing on his face now. “After I transfer the house back, the next step would be to transfer it to Tom’s name, for him to use as a marital home when he gets married in the future, right?” I deliberately continued along with Mark’s words, essentially tearing off this window paper completely. “Yes, yes, Rachel. I didn’t expect that you, looking so plain, would actually be quite smart,” Halfway through his sentence, Mark suddenly realized something was wrong and covered his mouth. After a few seconds of silence, he started explaining urgently. “Rachel, it’s not what you think. Let me explain. I really didn’t mean it like that. Don’t let this ruin our relationship.”

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Every year, my sister-in-law’s family of three would expect a free ride back home for Christmas in my car. This year, when I asked her to chip in for gas, she turned around and posted about me online. “Help! My sister-in-law is demanding gas money, what should I do?” “Hey everyone, do you have to pay when riding in your brother’s car?” When some commenters called her a “freeloader”, she retaliated by reporting my car as “stolen property”. She nearly got me fired from my job. My in-laws said I was being petty and told me to apologize to my sister-in-law. I exploded and flipped over the Christmas dinner table. Did they really think I was such a pushover? Just after Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law Sophia sent a message asking for another free ride. “Hey Lily, we’ll be riding with you guys again this year. When are you leaving?” “Eric said you’re departing on the 23rd, I wanted to check if that works for you.” Seeing this message, I felt a wave of irritation. The thought of giving them another free ride this year made me wish the car would break down. I replied curtly: “Why don’t you just buy plane tickets? It only takes two hours.” Sophia sensed my reluctance and quickly tried to smooth things over: “It’s so hard to get tickets during the holidays. I’m really sorry to trouble you, sis.” I scoffed internally. Before Sophia got married, it wasn’t a big deal to bring her along. But after she got married, her family of three plus several large suitcases crowded the car so much that I barely had room for my own luggage. To make matters worse, her husband had no sense of social graces. He’d be glued to his phone the whole ride, only looking up to complain or ask for bathroom breaks. They treated us like free chauffeurs and their kid was a nightmare, leaving dirty footprints all over the back of the front seats. During rest stops, they’d shamelessly ask me to buy snacks and drinks for their child. And of course, they conveniently ignored all the gas and toll costs for the trip. I’m not totally against giving them rides, but once or twice is enough. Doing it every single year, and acting so entitled about it? My money doesn’t grow on trees, you know?

When my husband Eric got home from work, he cautiously asked: “Honey, did you have a fight with Sophia?” I glared at him, feeling even more annoyed. Although we didn’t live with his parents, having a tattletale sister-in-law was still frustrating. These siblings may each have their own families now, but they still couldn’t get their priorities straight. I sat on the couch with my arms crossed: “Every year we drive back for Christmas, and your sister’s family always expects a free ride. Can’t they just buy their own plane tickets?” Eric scratched his head and tried to placate me: “Honey, you know how hard it is to get tickets around the holidays!” “Be the bigger person, it’s not a big deal to bring them along.” Just then, my coworkers were sharing links in our work group chat to help each other score plane tickets. “Help a colleague out! My kid’s chances of getting home depend on you guys.” “Just need two more people, thanks everyone!” … I opened a private chat with a coworker heading to roughly the same destination as us: “Hey John, did you manage to get tickets back home?” John quickly replied: “Got them, Lily! Tickets were easy to get this year, they even added two new flight routes to my hometown.” “I’m so jealous you can drive back, Lily.” I opened the airline booking app and searched for tickets to my in-laws’ place. There were seven flight options, with three still having available seats. I immediately took screenshots and sent them to Sophia, telling her to buy tickets right away. “These flights still have seats available, you can buy tickets now.” “Three tickets together cost less than the gas for driving, and it’s safer too.” The last time we drove back, her son accidentally bumped his head on the car door and got a huge lump. It scared me to death. If anything serious had happened, selling my car wouldn’t have been enough to cover it. I’ve always suggested she take a plane with her child for convenience and safety, but she never listens. After some thought, I forwarded an article about child car safety awareness. The post emphasized that children must use car seats when riding in vehicles. I kindly reminded her: “Sophia, I don’t have a car seat. It’s fine for adults, but really dangerous for kids.” Sophia didn’t reply, and I wasn’t sure if she’d seen my message. Then I received a $50 transfer from her, labeled “gas money”. I replied with a “?” Sophia still didn’t respond, but she posted a screenshot of our chat in the family group. “Having to pay gas money to ride in my own brother’s car, I’ve really learned something new.” “Sis-in-law, don’t be so petty, I’ve paid for the gas.” “Calculating everything so precisely between family members, haha!” That “haha” stung my eyes. I was about to type a response when Eric came out of the shower. He wrapped his arms around me and started groping my waist: “What are you looking at, sweetie?” I angrily pushed him away and showed him what his dear sister had said. “Look at what your sister is saying. How am I being calculating?” “I’m just being considerate. If anything happened, your whole family would tear me apart.” “Besides, we’ve been married for five years and they’ve gotten free rides every single year without contributing a penny. Why should they?” The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I stood up and started counting off grievances on my fingers. But Eric just frowned and looked at me with disdain. “Why can’t you be more generous? Why are you always nitpicking about these little things?” “Are we really so hard up for a few bucks in gas money?” “How are we supposed to face my parents when we get back if you act like this?” Seeing his aggressive expression, I was stunned. So in the eyes of his whole family, I was just a petty shrew? It wasn’t enough that his sister’s family took advantage of me, I was supposed to bow and scrape to her, always at her beck and call? I reminded him: “This car was a wedding gift from my parents. It’s not your family’s public property.” As soon as I said that, he exploded. He angrily threw his towel at me, his face contorted with a rage I’d never seen before. I dodged the towel, but he lunged forward and grabbed my arm, snarling: “How long are you going to harp on about that stupid car? Do you look down on me?” I was just trying to remind him that the car belonged to our little family unit, and I had the right to decide who could use it. But he took offense again, thinking I was looking down on him. Having such an immature and sensitive husband was exhausting. When we were dating, I was attracted to his ambition and didn’t pay attention to his family background. My parents gave me enough confidence that I wouldn’t have to tiptoe around as a daughter-in-law. But after marriage, his true nature was gradually revealed. His paranoia and sensitivity left me constantly having to defend myself. Seeing his enraged expression, it seemed like he might hit me at any moment. I was frightened and quickly shook my head: “No, you’re overthinking it. I’m just stating facts.” Just then, a shrill phone ringtone broke the tension. He let go of me and answered the call: “Hello, Mom. We’re driving back on the 23rd.” “No, no, that was just a joke. How could we ask Sophia for gas money?” “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” After hanging up, he coldly looked at me: “Lily, behave yourself when we go back for Christmas. Don’t cause trouble.”

The next day at work, my boss called me into his office. “Lily, have you met with anyone unusual recently?” I was confused. As a low-level employee, who could I possibly meet? But I answered honestly: “Just a few clients to discuss next quarter’s collaboration.” My boss poured me a cup of water and gently reminded me: “Well… did they give you any gifts?” I suddenly realized what he was getting at. In our line of work, improper relationships with clients were strictly forbidden. Getting caught taking bribes would be career suicide. I immediately stood up to defend myself: “Boss, all my client meetings are on camera. I can prove my innocence!” Seeing how agitated I was, my boss quickly told me to sit down. That’s when I learned someone had anonymously reported me for taking bribes, even claiming my recent promotion involved some shady dealings. The whistleblower seemed very familiar with my financial situation, specifically mentioning my $40,000 Mercedes. “How could a low-level civil servant afford such an expensive car?” “I have evidence of her accepting bribes. I hope the leadership will thoroughly investigate this bad apple.” The evidence was a blurry video taken in a hotel. In the video, I was seen taking a delivery at a hotel room door. The packaging was from a luxury brand. The whistleblower zoomed in on the packaging. I watched the video a few times before remembering what had happened. I was on a business trip in my aunt’s city a while back. She was in a rush to catch a flight abroad, so she had someone deliver a gift to me. That scarf is still hanging in my closet. How did this turn into a bribery accusation? Although I had evidence to clear my name, my boss decided to put me on leave for a while due to the bad optics. “Why don’t you use up your annual leave? Come back when this blows over.” “Don’t overthink it. Just relax and maybe start trying for a baby.” My boss patted my shoulder, seeing how dejected I looked. It sounded nice, but it was basically a temporary suspension. If I got pregnant during this time, I might as well not come back. After working here for so long, I understood the office politics. I felt utterly disheartened, both about my family and my career. To make matters worse, Sophia was still stirring up trouble in the family group chat. She shared a video about a college student being asked to pay for gas when riding in his uncle’s car during the holidays. The comments section was full of freeloaders supporting the student: “I give my uncle a couple hundred when I ride with him, he won’t take more than that.” “My uncle leaves me $10 for a haircut after Christmas.” “Make sure to tell your mom about this.” “I can totally relate, my sister would kill me for this.” But there were a few comments calling out the poster as a “freeloader”. … Combined with the $50 she sent me earlier, it was clearly a dig at me as the “aunt” in this scenario. In the family group chat, my mother-in-law was the first to attack: “What’s this nonsense about paying to ride in your uncle’s car? Where’s the logic in that?” My husband’s aunt chimed in: “It’s just a car ride, why be so petty? What, does the car not use gas when they’re not in it?” Sophia played the innocent victim: “Maybe it’s because we ride with them too often and my sister-in-law is upset.” My mother-in-law immediately retorted: “Even if you rode with them every day, your sister-in-law has no right to complain. Are you not family anymore?” They didn’t mention me by name, but everyone knew they were talking about me. I was beyond frustrated and typed out: “So just because someone calls you ‘aunt’, they’re entitled to free rides?” “Freeloading and feeling righteous about it, what kind of upbringing is that?” “When parents lack social graces, children learn by example.” I don’t know the full context of that video, but judging by the poster’s reaction, they had probably never offered to pay before. In these situations, it’s usually about the relationship between the older generation, not the kids. The poster’s mom and uncle/aunt likely don’t have a great relationship. Otherwise, why would the aunt give her nephew such a hard time? From the aunt’s perspective, I could understand her frustration. Both the older and younger generations seemed to think she should be a free chauffeur, and asking for gas money made her the bad guy. The kids were unhappy, the adults were clueless, and everyone felt entitled. How many times can so-called family ties withstand this kind of strain? Seeing me push back so hard, Sophia replied sarcastically: “Oh, having a car makes you so great? Now you’re lecturing us on manners?” “It’s just a stolen car anyway, what are you so proud of?” My eyes caught the words “stolen car” and something clicked in my mind. I seized on her words and demanded: “What do you mean by that? What ‘stolen car’?” “My parents bought me this car as a wedding gift. Watch your mouth!” Provoked by me, Sophia didn’t hold back anymore and started ranting. “Your parents are just ordinary workers, where did they get that kind of money?” “You have an older brother, why would they buy you a car?” “That car was obviously a gift from someone else. You must have done a lot of ‘favors’ to get it!” Seeing her so brazenly admit to the accusations, I was furious. To become a civil servant, I had locked myself at home for three solid months studying, barely leaving the house. After getting the job, I worked diligently and cautiously, terrified of making any mistakes. To double-check accounts, I practically lived at the office. Among the new hires in my cohort, I worked the most overtime and was the only one without connections. After six months, my performance spoke for itself and I was promoted without question. All my financial transactions and personal interactions could withstand scrutiny. Now just because I didn’t want to be taken advantage of, she was trying to smear my reputation. With this accusation, my record would be tarnished and I’d never be promoted again. I was shaking with rage and lashed out: “My parents bought me a car because they love me. If your parents don’t love you, take it up with them!” “This year I’d rather wreck my car than give you freeloaders a ride.” “Get lost, moochers!”

When I got home, I was so angry I couldn’t sleep. I thought about driving the car back to my parents’ house and just taking a plane to my in-laws’. But when I got to the garage, it was empty. Eric hemmed and hawed, saying a good friend had borrowed the car to impress a date. “My buddy’s a great driver, nothing will happen.” “He’s just taking it out for dinner with a girl, it’ll be back soon.” I felt a stab of pain in my chest. How many times had this happened? Five years ago when Eric and I got married, my parents gave me a $40,000 Mercedes as a wedding gift. From then on, it seemed like the car became public property. Whenever Sophia’s family had even a minor issue, they’d come borrow the car. During holiday visits to the in-laws, any relative could order Eric to be their chauffeur. For weddings, funerals, or other big events, friends and family would ask to borrow our car. I didn’t want to make a fuss, so I kept quiet. But the car would always come back filthy. Traffic tickets, toll fees, gas – we had to pay for it all out of pocket. A few times, someone even threw up in the car. I’d gag while paying to have it cleaned. Halfway through cleaning once, the car wash guy found used condoms in the back seat. I checked the dashcam footage and nearly threw up. On the car mats I’d carefully chosen, Eric’s cousin was going at it with some strange woman. I lost it and cursed out his cousin in the family group chat. Eric’s aunt accused me of being petty, saying young couples need their romance and I was making a big deal out of nothing. I laughed coldly and posted screenshots from the video in the chat. “Auntie, look closely before you speak. That’s not your daughter-in-law in there.” “If you want to fool around, get a hotel room. Do you have to be so disgusting in my car?” In the end, the cousin and his wife nearly divorced over this, and Eric blamed me. “Look what you’ve done, making such a big deal out of nothing!” “Now my cousin’s family is falling apart. Are you happy?” That Christmas was a disaster, with relatives gossiping and laughing at us. What annoyed me most was that the cousin and his wife didn’t end up divorcing. His wife even passive-aggressively attacked me in the group chat: “Some people get a little money and look down on everyone else.” “Doing such awful things, it’s karma that you can’t have children.” I was about to fire back at her when Eric jumped in to defend me. “No one’s borrowing our car anymore, so don’t even ask.” “Every time you borrow it with a full tank and return it empty. We’re not suckers.” One time his cousin borrowed the car to go party and returned it with barely any gas left. I was in a rush to go out and didn’t notice the fuel gauge. I ran out of gas halfway and was stranded on the highway for hours. The car blocking traffic caused a huge jam, and I missed an important contract meeting. When I finally made it back to the office, my boss chewed me out. After that, I strictly forbade Eric from lending out the car behind my back. I even threatened divorce over it. But people treated it like background noise, still secretly borrowing the car. Now Sophia wanted another free ride, and all the old resentments came flooding back. I was firmly against it. As a result, she nearly got me fired. Not only that, she seemed determined to ruin my reputation and get me kicked out of the civil service altogether.

After I spoke up in the family group chat, Sophia quieted down for a while. I went ahead and bought two plane tickets, saying we wouldn’t be driving back this year and everyone should fly. My mother-in-law called me, hinting none too subtly about having children. In our five years of marriage, I’d been too focused on work to think about kids. Eric and I had agreed before marriage to wait until my career was stable before discussing children. The workplace is already challenging for women, and pregnancy is an unavoidable hurdle. Many capable women enter the workforce with the potential to climb the ladder into leadership or even higher decision-making roles. But because of childbirth, they’re forced to give up promotion opportunities. I didn’t want that. I wanted to reach the top, to make all my years of hard study worthwhile. With Sophia’s stunt, it felt like all my efforts had been reduced to a joke. My mother-in-law was very direct: “You’ve been married for five years now. If you don’t have a child soon, where will my son show his face?” “People in the neighborhood are calling him infertile. You may not care about face, but I do!” I couldn’t help but wonder if she and Sophia had planned this together. One tries to get me fired, then the other pushes for a baby. Back and forth until I’m a full-time homemaker preparing for pregnancy, completely removed from my career. Even my boss was tentatively asking if I was planning to have a child. I was at my wit’s end, wondering if I’d been cursed. What on earth had possessed me to marry into this family? I snapped and cursed at my mother-in-law: “Nag nag nag, is nagging all it takes to have a baby?” “If you’re such an expert, why don’t you go work at a fertility clinic? Apparently you can make babies just by talking!” It was the first time I’d ever talked back to her like that. She immediately burst into tears. She called her son right away, saying I was bullying her and had cursed her to die. She even claimed I looked down on their family for being poor and said they weren’t good enough for me. I listened to her twisting my words, feeling a surge of satisfaction. You didn’t expect this, did you? Your son was standing right next to me the whole time. What a brilliant performance! Eric’s face cycled through various shades as he placated his mom and hung up. I’m sure being called “infertile” by his own mother didn’t feel great. But he’s so obsessed with saving face that he refuses to get checked at the hospital, insisting the problem must be with me. I’m happy to play dumb. After all, I don’t want kids anyway.

On December 23rd, I was ready to leave with my suitcase when Eric just stood there not moving. I urged him: “Hurry up, we need to queue for security checks at the airport.” That’s when he finally told me he’d lost his ID. “Not sure when I lost it, but I can’t find it anywhere.” “Let’s just drive back instead.” I put down my suitcase and stared at him expressionlessly. He avoided my gaze, looking guilty. After sharing a bed for over five years, how could I not know what he was up to? But the flight was leaving in an hour, and it would take about 30 minutes to drive from our place to the airport. There definitely wasn’t time to get a temporary ID. And that’s not even counting traffic jams and queuing time. I said coldly: “You did this on purpose, didn’t you? You’re that desperate to drive back?” He gave up the act and sat down, dangling the car keys: “We have a car, why not use it? Everyone in the neighborhood envies my Mercedes. It’ll be convenient for visiting relatives during the holiday too.” I was about to explode when my phone rang. Sophia’s family was already waiting downstairs, urging us to hurry up and leave. Looking at my shameless husband, I felt utterly disappointed in this family. Eric grabbed the suitcase and pushed me towards the door: “Let’s go, we’ll hit traffic if we wait any longer.” Once in the car, Sophia apologized and voluntarily offered another $50 for gas. Seeing my sour expression, she even bought me an energy drink. “I’m really sorry, sis. We just couldn’t get tickets.” Her husband snorted and plopped down, immediately starting to scroll through TikTok. That’s when I realized that after our big fight, she’d found out all the tickets were sold out. She’d tried several scalpers but couldn’t score any. She even looked into rideshares, but when people heard it was a family of three with lots of luggage, they quoted her a private car price. She balked at the cost and crawled back to ask me for a ride. I was furious at how these siblings had manipulated me, just praying nothing else would go wrong on the trip. Next time this happens, I swear I’ll sell the car. Then no one can covet it. We soon got on the highway, and Sophia’s son started whining in the backseat. “Mommy, I need to pee! I need to pee!”

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I held back my anger and called her, wanting my daughter to see her one last time. “Jack, are you sick? Ethan is ill and needs me. If you’re going to be like this, we should just divorce.” As she wished, after the divorce, she regretted it and knelt before me begging for forgiveness… “Daddy, save me, save Emily, I’m scared…” I was speeding down the road, my mind filled with Emily’s desperate voice. Today was her fifth birthday. My wife Sarah had taken our daughter to a summer resort to play. I was originally supposed to go too, but was discouraged by Sarah’s coldness. “Jack, I want to spend Emily’s birthday alone with her. If you go, I won’t go.” Sarah, who had previously been cold towards Emily, making such a request angered me. But Emily’s hopeful eyes made me nod in agreement. Now, hearing the fear in her trembling voice, I regretted it. “Daddy, Mom left with Ethan and Uncle Mark. I don’t know what to do alone…” “Emily, be good. Daddy’s here. Run towards the place with the police badge, the uncles there will take care of you.” Hearing that Sarah had left Emily alone, my heart filled with bitterness. Although anxious, I could only comfort her on the phone. Just then, heart-wrenching cries mixed with the roars of wild beasts came through. I suddenly remembered there were black bears kept at the resort. I tried to keep my voice steady as I called Emily’s name on the phone, while reassuring myself everything was fine. When I arrived at the resort, I saw a crowd gathered in a circle. “This poor little girl, how could she have gone to the bear enclosure alone? This is too cruel…” One sentence made my suspended heart plummet to rock bottom. I collapsed on the ground, weakly raising my hand to cover my chest. I struggled to crawl forward, seeing the phone watch on her small hand, and completely broke down. Using all my strength to stand up. I saw the girl’s white tulle dress had turned blood red. It was the one I had put on her myself this morning. Before leaving, she had hugged my neck and said in her sweet voice: “Daddy, tonight Emily will blow out the candles with you. You have to give Emily a teddy bear, okay?” After saying this, Emily stole a kiss on my cheek. Seeing her mischievous look, the frustration in my heart disappeared. But now she was lying on the ground like a lifeless doll. A piece of flesh had been torn from her face, with only a bit of skin still connecting it. Her limbs were twisted, and much of her hair was gone. Even the delicate skin on her body had been clawed open by sharp talons. This horrific sight made it hard for me to breathe, and my body began to sway. I took out my phone to call 911, but couldn’t aim at the screen for a long time. The feeling of helplessness made me break down. I knelt on the ground begging the onlookers. “Please help me call 911, save my daughter…” Hearing the ambulance was on its way, my panic subsided a bit. I turned to pick her up, but the bite marks on her body left me at a loss where to touch. I could only carefully kneel beside her, softly calling her name in a choked voice. “Dad… hurts… I… Mom…” Emily’s painful mumbling with closed eyes was her response to me. Thank goodness, she was still conscious. I understood her broken words – she wanted her mom. Seeing my daughter so fragile and miserable, hatred grew in my heart. But not wanting to disappoint her, as she was being sent into the emergency room, I called Sarah.

“Sarah, come to the city hospital.” I said, tightly gripping my hands to hold back the anger in my heart. Sarah was choked by my cold voice, then exploded in anger. “Jack, are you sick? Not having a good meeting, but monitoring me instead?” She’s at the hospital too? “Downstairs in the emergency room. Emily is seriously injured and wants to see you.” “Heh, Jack, you really are sick. You’d make up any lie to keep me from accompanying Ethan. He has no mother and is autistic. Now that he’s sick, if I don’t stay with him, he’ll be scared. Can’t you be more generous?” Sarah’s continued outburst made me look towards the emergency room, feeling sad for my Emily. Ever since Mark brought Ethan back to the country three years ago, my daughter had lost her mother’s love. And our marriage had reached a freezing point. To prevent Emily from growing up in a single-parent family, I endured the frustration in my heart and played the role of a good husband. Even so, I still couldn’t win back Sarah’s heart. Sarah was originally my secretary. After repeated collaborations, I developed different feelings for her. After I confessed to her, she looked surprised. I thought she would refuse me, but unexpectedly she walked straight to my side and nestled into my arms. “I like you too.” After getting together, she didn’t want to hear the company employees gossiping, so she quit her job to stay at home. At first, we lived very happily and comfortably, and soon had Emily. I thought I was the happiest man in the world. Successful career, beautiful wife, adorable daughter – a perfect life. But all this disappeared the moment Mark returned to the country. Only endless arguments remained. “I’m not coming home tonight, I need to stay at the hospital to take care of Ethan…” “Enough! Today is Emily’s birthday. You only have eyes for Ethan. What about my Emily?” Hearing her words of concern for Ethan, my rationality completely disappeared. She worried Ethan would be scared, but didn’t think about how terrified Emily would be after being abandoned. But Sarah’s next words further confirmed my intention to divorce. “Doesn’t Emily have you? She’s just a little girl, how delicate can she be?” Hearing the call disconnect, I raised my phone high in anger: “Fuck!” Just as I was about to throw it down, the emergency room door opened. The doctor appeared before me looking exhausted, wearing a blood-stained surgical gown. His heavy expression made my heart tremble. With a choked voice, I begged. “Doctor, no matter how expensive the medicine is, I can afford it. Please don’t give up!” “The child has multiple organ failure. Besides the external injuries, the internal ones are worse. Only one rib is still connected, and she had brain swelling when brought in…” “I’m sorry, my condolences.” The doctor patted my shoulder in comfort, letting me go see Emily one last time. I don’t know how I walked to Emily’s side. The wounds on her face had been sutured by the doctor, but she was so swollen I couldn’t recognize the little girl from this morning. “Emily, are you mad at Daddy for being late, so you’re pretending to sleep? Wake up quickly, or I’ll tickle you…” “Emily, my baby, please wake up. Daddy is begging you. It’s Daddy’s fault for handing you over to her.” “Does it hurt a lot? Daddy will blow on it. Wake up and blow out the candles…” “Emily, my Emily…” Sorrowful cries echoed through the room. The nurse stood to the side wiping tears, not disturbing me. I sat like this holding Emily’s dislocated hand until evening. Only when the doctor forcibly sent Emily to the morgue were we separated.

I stood in the hallway watching Emily slowly disappear from my sight. My heart felt like a piece of flesh had been carved out, making it hard to breathe. Thinking of how Emily had looked forward to blowing out birthday candles with me, I prepared to go home and get the cake to accompany Emily. Unexpectedly, just as I reached the lobby, I saw Sarah struggling to carry Ethan, following behind Mark. Even so, her face still wore an expression of deep maternal love. Watching them walk further away, I quickly followed. I had originally thought to let Sarah go see Emily first, so Emily wouldn’t have any regrets. But just as I reached outside the hospital room, I heard the conversation inside. “Do you think Emily’s injuries are serious? If not serious, will Jack still not divorce?” Sarah chuckled lightly, leaning against Mark in her red dress, tapping his nose with her finger. “Look at how cowardly you are. As long as there’s a threat to Emily, he’ll definitely propose divorce himself. Then we can split half his assets. If once isn’t enough, we’ll do it twice. As for Emily, she’s just one of my children. As long as it’s not life-threatening, I can accept her getting a bit hurt.” Only then did I realize they had deliberately abandoned Emily. Six months after Mark returned, Sarah had proposed divorce to me. At the time, I made her back off by offering to leave with nothing. She promised not to mention divorce again before Emily turned 18. Her only request was to let Mark work at my company, and as a vice president position. These past two years, whenever she came home, I turned a blind eye. But why suddenly make things difficult for Emily now? The next second, Sarah’s hand caressed her belly, and Mark proudly placed his hand there too. “Auntie, when can we leave the hospital? I feel suffocated here.” “Be patient a little longer, sweetie. Once Auntie has resolved everything, our family of four will leave.” Sarah’s voice was full of tenderness, stunning me. Shameless, and unworthy of being a mother. Killing my daughter for her own selfish interests, unforgivable. I kicked the door open forcefully. The loud noise made the three people in the room stand up. Seeing me walk in, panic appeared on Sarah’s face. Mark hid behind her, not daring to come out. “You… why did you come here instead of taking care of Emily? Are you even a man?” Sarah stuttered, shouting out of guilt. I didn’t give them a pleasant expression either, coldly raising my palm. Feeling the pain in my hand and Sarah’s flushed cheek, I felt it wasn’t enough. I wanted to kill them, to make them pay for my child’s death. But that wasn’t enough. I wanted to torture them, to make them lose everything. Sarah looked at me in disbelief, her eyes full of hatred. “Jack, are you sick? How dare you hit me.” “Why? Because you’re a heartless mother who abandoned my daughter at the resort to have a child with another man, causing her tragic death. Even if you all died, it wouldn’t be enough to quell the hatred in my heart.” Sarah’s face turned pale. She took a step back looking at my flushed face.

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When my best friend, a doctor, diagnosed me with cancer, my life fell apart. My wife, Emily, drained our savings, sold our house, and even took out a loan with a sky-high interest rate—all to save me. I was deeply moved by her unwavering love and sacrifice. After I was discharged from the hospital, I worked three jobs to pay off the debt, but the interest kept piling up. Soon, loan sharks were breathing down my neck. One day, while running for my life, I accidentally stumbled toward our old house—the one we had sold. But just as I was about to leave, I heard voices inside. Voices I recognized. It was Emily. And my best friend, Nathan . “That idiot still thinks he actually has cancer,” Nathan said, followed by a burst of laughter. How could it be Emily’s voice? And… my best friend, Nathan? This house was supposed to be sold. Their conversation hit me like a freight train. “That idiot still thinks he actually has cancer,” Emily said with a laugh. “What if he finds out? Are you sure he didn’t suspect anything?” Nathan asked. “Please. Lincoln? He’s so clueless it’s almost cute. Now that his money and the house are ours, even if he finds out, what can he do? The loan sharks I introduced him to aren’t exactly the forgiving type. He’ll be too busy running for his life to worry about us.” “Oh, Emily, you’re brilliant,” Nathan said, laughing. I clenched my fists as rage boiled inside me. These two snakes! Just as I was about to kick the door open, a shadow loomed behind me. It was the loan sharks. “No… no, please—” Before I could finish, several burly men grabbed me, covering my mouth and dragging me to a van parked outside. When the blindfold came off, my eyes stung under the harsh fluorescent lights. I barely had time to adjust before a deep, cold voice spoke near my ear. “If you can’t pay back the money, don’t blame us for taking your organs instead.” Panic surged through me. I tried to scream, but my mouth was gagged. The icy blade of a knife pressed against my skin, and white-hot pain shot through me. My body trembled violently, but I couldn’t make a sound. The world around me blurred, the pain faded, and everything went dark. So this is how it ends, I thought. How unfair. Why do the wicked always seem to thrive while the good are left to suffer? My consciousness slipped away. Suddenly, I jolted awake. Opening my eyes, I found myself in a familiar place—the hospital room where I had been “diagnosed.”

“Lincoln, based on the results, it’s clear you have cancer,” Nathan, my trusted friend, said as he glanced at my medical file. “No… that’s impossible…” Emily gasped, covering her mouth in shock. “Nathan, you’re Lincoln’s best friend. Please, you have to do whatever it takes to save him!” Emily pleaded. “Thankfully, it was caught early,” Nathan replied. “There’s still hope, but the treatment will be expensive. You’ll need to prepare yourselves.” “Even if it costs us everything, I’ll make sure Lincoln gets the care he needs,” Emily said firmly, her voice filled with determination. The scene felt eerily familiar. This was exactly what had happened before. Nathan, sitting at his desk, delivering his grim diagnosis. Emily standing by my side, her unwavering support bringing me to tears. Last time, I had been overwhelmed with gratitude. I had handed Emily the bank card that held all my life savings, trusting her completely. But this time, things were different. The memories of that night—of their betrayal—echoed in my mind. Nathan’s voice pulled me back to the present. “Lincoln, are you okay? You seem a bit shaken. Don’t worry, with treatment, your chances of recovery are good. For now, Emily can take care of the initial payment.” I stood up abruptly. “I’m not paying a dime,” I said flatly. “What are you talking about?” Emily grabbed my arm. “Lincoln, are you crazy? This is your life we’re talking about!” Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and patted her hand gently. “I’m not refusing treatment,” I said calmly. “But all our savings are in fixed-term accounts. I can’t withdraw them immediately. I’ll need to speak to the bank tomorrow.” Emily’s eyes flickered, and she exchanged a quick glance with Nathan. “Fine,” she said after a pause. “We’ll wait for you to sort it out.” “Just don’t take too long,” Nathan added with a reassuring smile. “Time is of the essence, after all.” I nodded, suppressing the storm of emotions brewing inside me.

The next morning, I went to a different hospital and underwent a thorough check-up from head to toe. The results? I was perfectly healthy, not a single sign of illness. Staring at the test results in my hands, I felt the fire of rage burning so fiercely in my chest it threatened to consume me whole. So it was all true—my beloved wife and my most trusted friend had conspired to deceive me. I wanted nothing more than to confront them immediately, to demand answers. But as my fury subsided and my rationality took over, I realized that acting on impulse would be the worst possible move. If I stormed into the hospital and confronted them with the test results, they could easily dismiss it as a “mistake” or a “misdiagnosis.” The memory of the knife cutting into my flesh in my last life was still vivid in my mind. The cold, sharp pain was etched into my brain, as clear and real as if it had happened yesterday. This time, I wasn’t going to let them off the hook so easily. If fate had given me another chance, I wasn’t going to waste it. Reckless revenge wouldn’t do justice—I needed a plan, something meticulous and foolproof. When I got back home, Emily rushed to greet me. “Did you get the money? Nathan and I already agreed we need to head to the hospital today to pay for your treatment and pick up the medication.” She couldn’t even wait another second. Feigning regret and shame, I put on my best “guilty husband” face and sighed. “Emily… I wasn’t being honest with you yesterday. The truth is, I invested all our savings. And… I lost everything. There’s nothing left.” I buried my face in my hands, pretending to be overwhelmed with remorse. “What did you just say?” Emily shot up from the couch, her disbelief turning into anger. “It’s true. Look for yourself.” I pulled out my phone, opened my banking app, and held it up for her to see. The balance was zero. Of course, I had withdrawn the money earlier that morning and invested it in a new restaurant. The restaurant’s owner was someone I had gotten to know in my previous life while working as a delivery driver. He was a man of great integrity and exceptional culinary skill. I knew his restaurant would thrive and bring in substantial profits before long. But Emily didn’t need to know any of that. “Lincoln! What kind of person does that? How could you gamble away all of our money without even asking me?” Emily shouted, pointing her finger at me accusingly. “I’m sorry, Emily. I really am. Maybe… maybe we should just forget about the treatment.” I lowered my head, pretending to be utterly defeated. At the mention of “not getting treatment,” Emily’s fiery demeanor instantly deflated like a popped balloon. Her tone shifted to forced concern. “No, we can’t just give up on your treatment. It’s life or death, Lincoln. I’ll figure something out.” Of course, she wouldn’t let me stop treatment. If I didn’t take the medication or go through with the procedures and still stayed healthy, their entire scheme would crumble in an instant. “I’m so sorry for putting you through this, Emily. From now on, I’ll do whatever you say.” I squeezed her hand and looked at her with what I hoped was an expression of pure devotion, suppressing the nausea rising in my chest. “Fine, fine. I’ll think of something,” she muttered, pulling her hand away and heading out the door. I watched her leave, curiosity sparking in my mind. What exactly was she planning?

It wasn’t until late evening that Emily returned home. “Lincoln, I’ve thought it through.” She hesitated for a moment, then continued, “We should sell the house. I found a buyer who’s willing to pay in full immediately. That way, we’ll have the money for your treatment.” “No way!” I blurted out, rejecting the idea on the spot. In my previous life, Nathan had prescribed me outrageously expensive medications. Within days, all of our savings were gone. Desperate, Emily had suggested selling the house, claiming she had already found a buyer who could pay in cash. Back then, overwhelmed by the pressure to fund my treatment, I had blindly followed her lead. I even felt grateful to her for being willing to make such a sacrifice for me. We sold the house in record time, and I moved into a tiny, dingy basement apartment she had supposedly rented for us. Emily, on the other hand, claimed she was staying with a friend and never came back. I never saw a penny from the sale. Emily told me all the proceeds had gone toward paying for my medication. In reality, the entire house sale was nothing but a scam. “You can’t be serious, Lincoln. If you don’t get treatment, you’re going to die!” Emily snapped, trying to scare me into submission. My mind raced as I searched for a way to buy time. I sat down next to her and gently placed my arm around her shoulders. “Emily, it’s just… it’s cancer. Even if we spend all the money, there’s no guarantee the treatment will work. If the worst happens, and I don’t make it, I’d feel terrible leaving you with nothing.” “What are you trying to say?” she asked impatiently, pulling away slightly. “I want to leave the house to you. Next month, let’s go to the courthouse and transfer the deed into your name. That way, no matter what happens to me, you’ll at least have the house to fall back on.” In my last life, the buyer had been someone I didn’t recognize—clearly not a close friend or relative of Emily’s. If I suggested transferring the house directly to her, it would minimize her risk and make her more inclined to agree. I was betting that she’d see the logic in my proposal and take the bait. Sure enough, a flicker of surprise and greed flashed across her face. “Lincoln, you…” “This way, even if the treatment doesn’t work, you won’t be left with nothing,” I added, my voice full of fake sincerity. Emily’s eyes darted back and forth as she weighed her options. Finally, unable to resist the temptation, she nodded. “Alright. Let’s do it your way.” Just as I’d expected, she couldn’t resist the offer.

After calming Emily down, it didn’t take long for Nathan to grow impatient and show up at my door himself. “Lincoln, I noticed Emily hasn’t come by the hospital to handle the payments. Is everything okay? You know your condition can’t wait—it’s critical.” Feigning gratitude, I poured him a glass of water. “Thanks for checking in, Nathan. You know how tight things have been for us. It’s hard to scrape together such a large sum of money right now.” “No matter how hard it is, you’ve got to prioritize your life. And besides…” Nathan paused, his tone becoming calculated. “Even if you don’t have savings, your house would fetch a good price on the market, wouldn’t it?” Blunt. No attempt to hide his intentions. I nodded, pretending to take the bait. “Emily and I already talked about it. I’ve decided to leave the house to her. Next month, we’ll transfer the ownership. That way, if… well, if I don’t make it, at least she’ll have something to fall back on.” “Oh? Is that so?” Nathan’s expression froze for a moment. His eyes flicked to Emily, who immediately avoided his gaze. The tension in the room thickened as the silence hung between us. It was clear that Nathan hadn’t expected this turn of events. After an awkward pause, Nathan forced a smile and stood up. “Well, it’s getting late. I should get going. Lincoln, you really need to start your treatment as soon as possible. Delaying it could be life-threatening. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” His words were polite, but I wasn’t about to let him leave without taking advantage of the situation. “Actually, there is something.” Nathan froze mid-step, turning back to face me. His surprise was evident. “Oh? What is it?” I hesitated, clasping my hands nervously and biting my lip as if unsure whether to speak. “Nathan, you know… with my condition, I can’t work anymore. Things have been really tight at home. Could you… could you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back as soon as I can. But if it’s too much trouble, I understand.” Nathan’s face twisted through a series of emotions—shock, annoyance, and something akin to panic. Before he could respond, I wiped at my eyes as if fighting back tears. “I hate to ask, but I’m desperate. If it weren’t for Emily and how tough things are, I’d never put you in this position.” Emily, standing beside me, tugged hard at my sleeve, clearly signaling for me to stop. Taking the cue, I quickly added, “I’m sorry, Nathan. That was inappropriate of me. Forget I said anything.” But to Nathan, it probably looked like we were playing a coordinated act. His jaw clenched as he pulled out his phone. “Come on, Lincoln. We’re friends. Don’t say it like that. I should’ve thought of this sooner.” The notification of the deposit came through on my phone moments later. I raised my eyebrows in mock surprise. Though it wasn’t a significant amount, it was satisfying to bleed him a little. I kept my tone genuine. “Nathan, thank you so much. It means the world to me that you’d do this. Emily, why don’t you walk Nathan out? It’s the least we can do.” Emily didn’t protest, and the two of them headed downstairs together. Quietly, I followed behind. I’d set the stage for them. Now it was time to enjoy the show.

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The day I stood by Ethan Quinn as he claimed his inheritance from the Quinn family, he made the entire city of Riverton stop and watch. Ethan had bought out every major ad space in the city to propose to me, declaring to the world that I was the only woman he would ever love. People envied me. They said I had married for love. And for a while, I believed it too. But less than a year later, Ethan swallowed up my family’s wealth and waltzed in with his “true love,” Lydia, by his side. He locked me in a basement, leaving me at the mercy of Lydia’s endless humiliation. It wasn’t until the moment I died in that cold, damp darkness that I realized—the love Ethan had proclaimed for me was nothing but a lie. A carefully planned deception from the start. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of Ethan’s grand proposal. “Willow,” Ethan said, kneeling before me. I was surrounded by a sea of flowers, our closest friends, and nearly every influential figure in Riverton. The proposal was nothing short of extravagant. Ethan had spared no expense. This wasn’t just a private moment; it was a city-wide broadcast. Every screen in Riverton was tuned into this “romantic spectacle.” I looked at Ethan, my chest tightening as memories flooded back—memories of suffocating darkness, the metallic stench of damp air, and Lydia’s cruel laughter. The pain from that nightmare felt all too real. My body trembled at the memory, and I couldn’t stop myself from shivering. Ethan’s voice broke through my thoughts, his eyes red with emotion as he spoke. “Willow, I’ve loved you my entire life. You’ve been my light, my only salvation. You stayed with me through the darkest times, when no one else would. You are my happiness, my everything. Please, marry me.” My past and present collided in that instant. I snapped back to reality, stepping away from him as he stared at me in shock. “Ethan,” I said, cutting him off mid-sentence. The surprise on his face was evident as I continued, “We’re not right for each other.” I turned to the lighting technician and signaled for them to stop the romantic effects. Then, I bowed slightly to the gathered crowd, apologizing for the disruption. Facing the live broadcast, I smiled politely and said, “Ethan, I’ve always thought of you as a friend. I’ve never felt anything romantic toward you.” Ethan Quinn wasn’t just any man. He was the illegitimate son of Harold Quinn, the patriarch of the powerful Quinn family. His mother had clawed her way into a life of luxury by giving birth to Ethan after a single night with Harold. But she was never satisfied, always scheming for a way to replace Harold’s wife and claim the family’s fortune. When we were children, Ethan’s mother orchestrated a fake kidnapping to force the Quinn family to acknowledge her son. But her plan backfired. The criminals she hired turned on her, cutting her out of the deal and planning to kill Ethan to keep the ransom money for themselves. It was my father who saved Ethan that day. Risking his own life, my father pulled Ethan out of that nightmare. My parents and I stayed by Ethan’s side, nursing him back to health. For two weeks, we barely left his bedside. Out of pity, my father intervened and convinced the Quinn family to take Ethan in. That’s how Ethan and I grew up together. I thought the bond we formed through those harrowing events would last a lifetime. I stood by Ethan as he fought his way into the Quinn family, earning their respect and ultimately inheriting the family fortune. I believed our love was inevitable, forged through shared struggles and strengthened by time. But I was wrong. Ethan wasn’t my soulmate. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The man I gave my heart to would later destroy my family and claim everything we owned. I still remember that day, one year after our marriage, when Ethan revealed his true colors. He had seized control of both the Quinn and Linwood family assets, solidifying himself as the most powerful man in Riverton. Standing beside him was Lydia, the woman he truly loved. “Willow,” he said, cold and detached. “If your parents hadn’t meddled in my life, I wouldn’t have suffered all those years in the Quinn family.” His words were like knives, cutting into my heart. “To get back at you, I’ve been planning this for years. Look at you now—you’re no longer the Linwood heiress. You’re nothing more than a useless pawn under my control. Do you regret saving me back then?” He gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his venomous gaze. “And just so you know,” he added, his voice dripping with malice, “it was me who set your parents up. The charges that sent them to prison? All my doing. They’ll live out the rest of their days rotting behind bars. You can thank me for that.”

Ethan’s eyes glinted with malice, like a snake tightening around my neck, suffocating me. Beside him, Lydia twisted the knife deeper into my wounds. “I’m already carrying Ethan’s child,” she said, her voice dripping with smugness. “The two of you have been married for years, and yet… no baby, Willow.” “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll let you in on a little secret.” Lydia’s grin widened, her tone as sweet as arsenic. “It’s because Ethan’s been drugging your food. You’re barren now. A hen that can’t lay eggs. Isn’t that hilarious?” I stared at Ethan—the man I used to share my life with, whose every touch once felt tender—and then at Lydia, whose flat stomach now carried his child. Hate surged through me, so fierce and hot that I thought it might burn me alive. I clenched my teeth so hard I thought they might shatter. “I’ll make sure you both pay for this,” I spat, my voice trembling with rage. But Ethan only laughed as if my words were a joke. Without another word, he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me like a ragdoll to the basement. Ethan knew I was scared of the dark. And so, he locked me in a pitch-black basement, where the damp air clung to my skin and the silence was broken only by the occasional drip of water. Standing in the doorway, he sneered down at me. “From now on, this is where you’ll stay. Take your time reflecting on all the terrible things you’ve done to me.” I’ve been afraid of the dark for as long as I can remember. The moment the door slammed shut, the fear wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket. My chest heaved, and I clawed at the walls, desperate to find something—anything—to hold on to. When the door opened again, I rushed forward, throwing myself at Ethan’s feet. “Please,” I sobbed, clutching at the hem of his pants. “Don’t leave me here. I’ll do anything. Just don’t leave me in the dark.” I begged with every ounce of dignity I had left, lowering myself to a level I never thought possible. Ethan’s only response was laughter—cold, heartless laughter that echoed off the damp walls. “Oh, did I forget to mention something?” he said, crouching down so his face was level with mine. The dim light from the hallway cast shadows over his sharp features, making him look almost inhuman. “Willow,” he drawled, his voice sickeningly soft, “do you remember that time you were locked in the equipment room overnight as a child?” My entire body froze. “That was me,” he said casually. Ice shot through my veins as he continued, his tone almost conversational. “I planned it all. Timed it down to the minute. And then, when I showed up the next morning to ‘rescue’ you…” He smiled, as if savoring the memory. “You thought I was your savior. You fell for me completely after that, didn’t you?” I couldn’t breathe. “You were so easy to manipulate,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery. “And look at you now. Everything you are, everything you’ve done—it’s all because I made you believe in me. I’ve had you wrapped around my finger this whole time.” The weight of his words crushed me, like a boulder pressing down on my chest. I let go of his pants and scrambled backward, away from him, as though the darkness behind me was less terrifying than the man in front of me. He straightened, his shadow stretching long against the walls. “To me, you’ve always been nothing more than a toy. Something I could control, something I could break,” he said. And then, he turned and left, slamming the door behind him. Now, back in the present, I stood in front of Ethan as he tried desperately to save face. His expression shifted between anger and forced composure, the weight of the crowd’s murmurs pressing down on him. People in the audience were whispering to one another, casting glances at me and then back at Ethan. “Did he do something to upset her?” “Why would she humiliate him like this? He’s nothing without her family’s support.” “Isn’t her family the most powerful in Riverton? If she’s mad at him, he’s finished.” The Linwood name carried weight in this city. As the only daughter of the Linwood family, I had been spoiled and protected my entire life. Everyone in Riverton knew that Ethan’s rise to power had been made possible only because of me. Without the Linwoods, he was nothing. Ethan must have realized this as well. Though his face had darkened, he quickly plastered on a smile and stepped forward, reaching for my hand. “Willow,” he said, his voice soft and full of concern. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” I stepped back, dodging his touch. “I don’t understand,” Ethan said, his forced smile faltering. “You told me once that if I ever proposed, you wanted the whole world to witness it. You wanted everyone to see how happy you were. That’s all I wanted to do—make you happy.” He paused, his voice growing quieter. “If I did something wrong… tell me. I’ll fix it.”

Ethan Quinn remained every bit the perfect boyfriend—patient, charming, and composed. Even after I publicly humiliated him, he kept his head low and tried to appease me, his voice soft and apologetic. The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, and it didn’t take long for people to start blaming me. “Willow really doesn’t know how good she has it. Ethan’s proposal was so heartfelt—what more could she possibly want? If I had someone like Ethan, I’d cherish him forever.” “Exactly! Ethan treats her like a queen. Everyone knows he’d do anything for her. And on top of that, they’ve been childhood friends! Honestly, Willow’s just lucky to have him.” “Maybe she’s fallen for someone else? Why else would she reject him?” “Last week, I saw them on a date. They looked so happy—what could’ve happened?” “Look at Ethan! He’s about to cry. I think Willow’s being completely unreasonable.” The whispers surrounded me like a swarm of bees, but one voice, in particular, cut through the noise. It was a voice I could never forget, one that was burned into my soul after years of torment. I turned, scanning the crowd, and found her—Lydia Wright. She stood quietly among the onlookers, her appearance modest and unassuming. But the jealousy in her eyes was unmistakable, burning so fiercely that it nearly betrayed her facade of innocence. Ignoring Ethan, I walked straight past him and stopped in front of Lydia. Under the confused stares of the crowd, I slipped the engagement ring off my finger and tossed it at her feet. “If you think Ethan is so perfect, then why don’t you take him? You two seem like a match made in heaven.” The diamond caught the sunlight as it arced through the air, landing with a sharp clink on the ground. Lydia’s face flushed bright red, her composure cracking under the weight of my words. I smiled at her, a sharp, knowing smile. In my previous life, Lydia had boasted endlessly about her “unbreakable bond” with Ethan. She once told me, with a smirk on her face: “I’ve loved Ethan since high school.” “I wrote him 99 love letters, each one carefully written by hand. And do you know what he did with them? He kept every single one. He carried them with him everywhere, tucked safely in his briefcase. You never even noticed, did you?” “On the back of the letters, Ethan marked the dates. He always planned to marry me—on the day your family fell from grace.” Now, I looked her dead in the eye and asked, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Didn’t you say you’ve loved Ethan since high school?” Lydia’s face paled. “And didn’t you write him 99 love letters?” I continued, my tone dripping with mockery. “How many was it again? 99, right?” Lydia’s embarrassment turned to rage. She pointed a trembling finger at me and shouted, “Don’t think you can just throw around your status as the Linwood heiress to bully people!” Someone from the crowd stepped forward, touching my arm lightly. “Willow, is there some kind of misunderstanding here?” Ethan rushed over as well, his expression frantic. “Willow, are you rejecting me because of these baseless rumors? That’s all they are—rumors!” He turned toward the crowd, desperate to clear his name. “I don’t even know her! She’s lying. Don’t believe a word she says.” Ethan’s devotion to me was no secret. Everyone in Riverton knew the stories. When I had a high fever that wouldn’t break, Ethan stayed by my bedside for days, barely sleeping until I recovered. When I woke up and casually mentioned craving a bowl of clam chowder from a restaurant in a distant city, Ethan chartered a plane that very day to bring it to me, still warm. On my 18th birthday, someone had made an inappropriate comment toward me at the party. Ethan didn’t hesitate to start a fight right then and there, risking not only his place in the Quinn family but also nearly getting arrested. He told me once, “Willow, I would give my life for you.” To him, I was more important than anything—even himself. Or so he said. But what the world didn’t know, what I hadn’t known until it was too late, was that Ethan’s love was a lie. And so, on the day he proposed, the day he claimed to love me in front of the entire city, I didn’t just reject him—I humiliated him. When he tried to explain himself, insisting that he and Lydia had no connection, I responded by slapping him across the face. The sharp crack of my palm against his cheek silenced the crowd. I didn’t hold back—I put every ounce of anger, betrayal, and hatred into that slap. But even that wasn’t enough. Not compared to the pain he had inflicted on me and my family in my previous life. “You say you have nothing to do with her?” I said, my voice cold and unwavering.

I shook my stinging hand, the sharp pain grounding me as I walked to an unassuming corner of the floral stage. There, I picked up Ethan’s plain, seemingly ordinary briefcase. The live broadcast of this entire debacle was still rolling. Ethan didn’t understand what I was doing. Instead, he hurried after me, his face swollen red from the slap but still managing to look concerned. “Willow, does your hand hurt?” he asked, his tone soft and full of worry. “If I’ve upset you, just tell me,” he continued, his voice trembling with sincerity. “Honestly, if one slap makes you feel better, it’s worth it.” Even now, he kept up his act. But in the next moment, I unzipped his briefcase. Guided by the memory of Lydia’s smug boasts, I found the hidden compartment. Inside, just as she’d described, I pulled out dozens of folded letters. And then I turned to face Ethan. The change in his expression was instant. His ever-gentle, composed mask cracked, his features twisting into something stiff and unnatural. He reached out instinctively, his hand moving toward mine, desperate to snatch the letters away. I sidestepped, and with a single look, my security team stepped forward, forming a wall between us. They pushed Ethan back, keeping him out of reach. Calmly, I unfolded the first letter, holding it up for everyone to see. And then, I read it aloud. “‘Sunny today. I saw you having breakfast with that tramp again. You even took out the trash for her. Ethan, you’re so much better than that. You’re a king, so why lower yourself to be with someone like her? You belong with me.’” The crowd gasped. This was one of Lydia Wright’s so-called love letters. I moved on to the next one. My voice rang clear, cutting through the silence. “‘Ethan, it’s been 1,000 days since I fell in love with you. I dreamed about you again last night. Don’t think it’s improper—how could it be, when it’s you? Please, leave that worthless woman and come to me.’” The words were raw, obsessive, every sentence dripping with malice toward me and longing for Ethan. By the tenth letter, the tone had shifted. “‘Ethan, you kissed me today. I couldn’t believe it. Even if you didn’t say you love me, I’ll take it as a sign that you do.’” The truth was unraveling before everyone’s eyes. Lydia had once bragged to me about their college affair, about how they’d been inseparable. And now, as I read these letters, the puzzle pieces fell into place. The signs had always been there. I had just been too blind in my so-called love to see them. Lydia, unable to hold back anymore, lunged toward me like a wild animal, her hand outstretched to grab the letters. But the crowd recoiled from her, parting like the sea, leaving her isolated and exposed. Ethan’s face had gone pale, his lips pressed into a thin line. I flipped to the back of one of the letters, revealing more incriminating words scrawled in Ethan’s handwriting. “‘Day one with Lydia. For the first time, I feel like I understand what love is. Lydia, wait for me. I’ll take down the Quinn family and the Linwood family. The countdown to marrying you has begun.’” The crowd gasped again, louder this time. I didn’t stop. I read the next one. “‘Lydia, I drugged Willow today. She’ll never be able to have my child. Don’t worry—her body isn’t worthy of carrying my bloodline.’” Even now, my nerves, dulled by hatred and determination, trembled with cold fury. I let the stack of letters fall from my hands, scattering them at Ethan’s feet. The crowd whispered in disbelief. I stared at him, my voice icy and sharp. “Well, Ethan? Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Ethan’s eyes locked on mine, wide with shock and disbelief. For the first time, his mask of calm was completely shattered. “Willow,” he stammered, his voice cracking. “It’s not what it looks like.” He stepped forward, his expression carefully shifting into one of pain and remorse. “Please, believe me,” he said, his voice low and shaky. “It’s really not what you think.” He paused dramatically, taking a deep breath. “I admit it,” he said, his voice trembling just enough to sound sincere. “I made a mistake—a mistake that any man could make.” The crowd murmured again, some buying into his act, others still horrified by the letters. “I don’t love her,” Ethan continued, casting a quick glance at Lydia, whose face was now beet-red with humiliation. “She pursued me relentlessly, and I… I was weak. I gave in. But it didn’t mean anything—it never did.” The man who once told me he loved Lydia more than life itself, the man who spent years plotting his rise to power for her, now discarded her in the face of public scrutiny. She was nothing more than collateral damage to him. “It was her,” Ethan said, his voice growing firmer. “She seduced me.”

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I financially supported the person I’d secretly been in love with for years. But her heart belonged to someone else—a man who had been dead for years. When she was happy, she went to his grave. When she was sad, she went to his grave. No matter how big or small the occasion, if I couldn’t find her, I knew she was at the cemetery. I tolerated it all because she said yes to my proposal. But on the day of our engagement party, she ran. I found her again at the cemetery, crying her heart out in front of his grave. “I’m sorry, Alex,” she sobbed. “He forced me to say yes. Whether you’re alive or dead, I’ll always love you and only you.” I stood there, empty and defeated. My hand loosened, and the engagement ring slipped from my grasp, disappearing into the grass. When she returned to the villa that evening, her things were already packed and waiting by the door. The butler greeted her coldly, his expression devoid of sympathy. “Mr. Hayes said you should leave by tonight.” The engagement party began, but one of the main characters was conspicuously absent. A bodyguard hurried over to my side and leaned in to whisper, “Sir, Miss White is at the Bayside Cemetery again.” Five years ago, the White family went bankrupt, and I stepped in to clean up the mess. The once-untouchable socialite, Sophia White, became my kept lover. She hated me for it. She hated me for ruining her pride. Hated me for tarnishing her purity. Hated me for tearing her apart from the man she called her “one true love,” even though he had been gone for years. In the years we’d been together, I’d lost count of how many times I had found her at that cemetery. And there she was again, drunk and sprawled over Alex’s tombstone. “I’m sorry, Alex… I’m so sorry. I don’t want to get married…” “But what can I do? My parents begged me, forced me. They made me say yes to him. I’m sorry, Alex. I love you. I’ve only ever loved you. I’ve never felt anything for him. Please don’t hate me.” I walked up behind her, my footsteps quiet on the damp grass. “Not even a little?” I asked softly, my voice almost drowned out by the wind. Sophia froze. Slowly, she turned to face me, her tear-streaked face twisting with anger. “This is all your fault!” she yelled. “It’s your fault I betrayed him!” She threw herself at me, pounding her fists against my chest in a weak, drunken rage. I grunted, grabbing her wrists tightly as my vision blurred with emotion. “Tell me you don’t mean it,” I demanded, my voice hoarse. “Five years together—day and night. Not once? Not even for a moment?” She looked up at me, her eyes sharp and defiant, her voice unwavering. “I hate you. Every time you touch me, I feel disgusted.” “I’ve never loved you—not even for a second.”

Her words were like a blade, slicing through the fantasies I’d built over five long years. I thought it didn’t matter that she had her ghost. After all, he was dead. I thought that time would change things. That if I treated her well enough, if I gave her everything she wanted, she’d eventually fall for me. Over the years, I gave her everything. When she wanted to break into the entertainment industry, I handed her the best resources. When she offended a powerful director, I personally smoothed things over. When the White family fell from grace and she was mocked at parties, I stood by her side and promised her no one would ever hurt her again. But none of it mattered. All my love, my devotion—it had earned me nothing but her hatred and contempt. I stared at her face, twisted in anger, and finally realized how pathetic I was. My so-called love was a joke. I let out a soft, bitter laugh as the engagement ring slipped from my fingers, vanishing into the grass. The party went on without her, and by the time she returned to the scene, the bride had already been replaced. That night, Sophia called me. “Darling, I drank too much at the club,” she said sweetly, her voice soft and sugary. “Come pick me up, okay?” She spoke as though nothing had happened, as though she hadn’t just escaped from our engagement party. As though she hadn’t cried over another man that same morning. I paused, the phone cold against my ear. For the first time, I didn’t immediately agree. “I’ll send a driver,” I said flatly. “I don’t want a driver!” she snapped, her voice suddenly sharp. Then, after a beat of silence, she chuckled softly, her tone shifting back to a playful purr. “Please, darling? I don’t want anyone else. If you don’t come, I won’t leave.” “Come on,” she whispered, her voice dripping with drunken seduction. “Please?” I stayed silent for a long moment before finally relenting. When I arrived at the club, the scene was all too familiar. Sophia was draped across the lap of some fresh-faced boy, her arms looped around his neck like a scarf. When she saw me, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, her eyes locking onto mine with a smirk. Her gaze seemed to say, What are you going to do about it? In the past, I might’ve dragged her out of there, warned her not to pull a stunt like that again. But tonight, I simply looked at her, my expression calm. “Are you coming or not?” I asked. Sophia blinked, momentarily caught off guard by my lack of reaction. Then she laughed and stumbled to her feet, her movements unsteady in her high heels. “Of course I’m coming,” she said, her words slurring slightly. “My husband came all this way to get me.” She took two steps before tripping, and I caught her easily, steadying her against my chest. She wrapped her arms around my neck, nuzzling against me like a cat finally returning to its owner. “You caught me,” she murmured. “You still love me.” She laughed softly, her voice light and carefree, as though she hadn’t just torn my heart to pieces.

Sophia White had lived a life of luxury—until her family went bankrupt. She’d never experienced hardship before, which is probably why she couldn’t understand or care about anyone else’s struggles. After a drunken night out, I brought her back to the apartment I’d put under her name. In the elevator, she leaned her entire body against me, her balance gone. I steadied her with a firm grip on her waist. “Stand up straight,” I told her. But she didn’t move, her warm fingers tracing the line of my jaw as she leaned in closer. The elevator doors slid open, and in that split second, I made a decision. I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her off the ground, carrying her out with hurried steps. She laughed softly, her breath warm against my neck. She knew. She always knew. I could never resist her. Sophia had mastered the art of manipulation—push me away with one hand, then pull me back with the other. She wielded it like a weapon, and I fell for it every time. Later that night, I woke up to find her lying peacefully beside me. I didn’t wake her. Instead, I quietly got dressed and left the bedroom. This apartment was the first gift I’d ever given her. After her family sold off everything they owned to pay off debts, this was the first property under her name. She loved it. She’d personally hired the designer and overseen every detail of the renovation, refusing to let anyone else interfere. There were four rooms in total: a bedroom, a study, a dance studio, and one last room across from the master bedroom. That door had always been off-limits. Out of respect, I’d never tried to enter it. But tonight, standing in front of that door, something inside me snapped. I placed my hand on the doorknob, turned it, and pushed it open. The room was filled with photos. Everywhere I looked, there were pictures of Sophia and Alex—her “true love.” Memories of their time together, pieces of a life they’d shared, remnants of a man who had been dead for years. I stared at it all, and then I laughed. How foolish I had been to think I could ever replace Alex in her heart. Sophia had always been cruel in the way only the privileged could be. Raised in comfort, she took everyone’s kindness for granted, as if it were her birthright. She never cared about the sacrifices I made for her. But here, in this room, she had preserved every tiny thing Alex had ever done for her—every memory, no matter how small. Even the time he’d picked up her pencil in high school had been enshrined in her mind. She remembered everything about him. But everything I had done? None of it mattered. Because I wasn’t Alex. Sophia wasn’t the biggest name in the entertainment industry, but after years of me backing her, she had carved out a place for herself. When I walked into my office the next morning, the head of PR handed me a draft of an article that hadn’t yet gone viral. It was gossip about a rising star who had been publicly dumped at her engagement party. The piece didn’t name names, but anyone with a brain could tell it was about Sophia. The article twisted the truth, making it seem like she had been humiliated when, in reality, she was the one who ran away. The head of PR hesitated. “Sir, should we issue a warning to the press?” Before I could answer, my phone buzzed with a message from Sophia. “Why did you leave without saying anything?” “Are you still mad at me?” “I’m sorry, okay? I know I was too impulsive this time.” “I’m heading out of town for a shoot. I’ll make it up to you when I get back.” I turned off my phone and looked at the PR director. “Leave it,” I said coldly. “Don’t bother with her anymore.” That night, I returned to the villa. The butler greeted me at the door. When I started heading upstairs, a thought struck me, and I turned back. “Pack up all of Miss White’s belongings and move them out,” I said. The butler hesitated. “Did you two have another argument?” Sophia and I fought often enough that it wasn’t unusual. Sometimes it was over her drinking, other times because I’d caught her sneaking off to the cemetery again. Whenever we fought, she’d storm off to the apartment I’d given her, only to come back a few days later once she’d cooled down. But this time was different. I didn’t look back as I climbed the stairs. “Don’t let her into the villa again,” I said. For the next four or five days, Sophia bombarded me with messages. This had never happened before. In the past, I was always the one to apologize first. Always the one to give in, because I loved her and couldn’t bear to lose her. But this time, she must have sensed something had changed. She called me several times, but I didn’t pick up. On the eighth day after Sophia left, a typhoon hit the region, bringing heavy rain and chaos. That afternoon, I received a call from Sophia’s assistant. “Mr. Hayes,” she said, her voice trembling. “Miss White went into the mountains with the crew to film, but there was a landslide. Her car got separated from the others, and we haven’t been able to contact her.” “When did this happen?” I demanded. “They entered the mountains yesterday, and now…” The assistant’s voice broke into sobs. I hung up and immediately called my aide, asking him to book me a flight. I knew Sophia had been filming in a nearby city, closer to the coast. My hands shook as I gripped my phone, dread pooling in my chest. “Sir,” my aide said, returning with bad news. “All flights have been grounded because of the typhoon.” I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “Contact the local rescue team,” I said. “We’ll drive there.” After four hours on the road, we arrived in the middle of the night. With no time to rest, I joined the rescue team immediately. The rain was relentless, turning the mountain roads into dangerous pits of mud. At one point, our vehicle got stuck, and I climbed out, drenched in rain, to help push it free. By the time we reached the landslide site, it was nearly impossible to see anything. The rain and darkness made the search almost futile. We searched until dawn, but there was no sign of Sophia. At 8 a.m., the rain finally stopped. Exhausted, I sat on a boulder overlooking the mud-covered slope. The thought of Sophia buried beneath all that debris was like a knife to my chest. As rescue crews prepared to bring in excavation equipment, a man approached me and tapped my shoulder. “Someone has been trying to call you,” he said. “Your phone’s been off.” My phone had died the night before. I borrowed his and called my aide immediately. “Sir,” my aide said, his voice urgent, “Miss White has been found!” “The crew canceled the shoot after checking the weather forecast. She’s been at the hotel with her assistant the whole time.” I hung up, my grip tightening on the phone. The mountain was silent except for the distant sound of digging. And I stood there, drenched and exhausted, feeling like the biggest fool in the world. 5 I spent two days in the hospital after coming down from the mountain. During that time, Sophia White lingered outside my room, demanding to see me. My aide, Jack, made sure she didn’t get in. But on the day of my discharge, she slipped past him and barged in. Jack glanced at me with a helpless expression, unsure of what to do. “It’s fine,” I said. “Leave us.” Sophia smugly tilted her chin at him as if she’d won some great victory. The door closed behind him, and the second we were alone, her demeanor changed completely. She threw herself into my lap, her voice soft and pleading. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to lie to you.” “I just missed you so much,” she continued, looking up at me with wide, tearful eyes. “You wouldn’t answer my calls or texts, and I didn’t know what else to do. That’s why I lied. I was desperate.” She reached out to touch my face, her voice trembling. “Please forgive me this once, okay? I promise I’ll never lie to you again. I’ll listen to everything you say from now on. Don’t stay mad at me, okay?” I sighed and pressed my fingers to my temple, the exhaustion weighing heavily on me. “Are you done?” I asked flatly. Sophia froze, her big, beautiful eyes suddenly filled with panic. “Go back,” I said, looking away from her. “Don’t you have a shoot today?” “But you—” She reached out, her hand trembling as she tried to touch my face again. Smack. Her pale hand turned red where I’d slapped it away. Sophia stared at me in shock, her eyes immediately welling up with tears. She’d never been treated like this before. “You still haven’t forgiven me!” she cried, her voice breaking. I leaned back against the couch, my energy completely drained. “Does it even matter?” I asked, my voice hollow. “Does my forgiveness mean anything to you?” “You only care about Alex,” I continued bitterly. “Nothing else matters. Nothing I do matters. So what difference does it make if I forgive you or not?” Her expression shifted from confusion to disbelief, as though she were looking at a stranger. After a long silence, she suddenly stood up, a bitter smile curling her lips. “Of course nothing else matters,” she said, her tone sharp and cold. “You think I’d be with you if Alex were still alive?” she spat, her eyes blazing with fury. “No one in this world can compare to him. Not you, not anyone. You’re not even worthy of saying his name!” Her face twisted with rage, her eyes bloodshot. This was the real Sophia—the one who emerged every time Alex was mentioned. The sweet, playful Sophia who called me “husband” and acted coy was just a mask. But when it came to Alex, she’d rip herself apart, exposing the raw, ugly truth beneath. I couldn’t take it anymore. “Get out,” I said, my voice rising. She flinched, startled by the force of my tone. “I said get out! Right now!” I’d never yelled at her like that before. Never once raised my voice, no matter what she did. For a moment, she seemed too stunned to react. Then, as the reality of my words sank in, tears spilled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, hugging herself as she sank to the floor. “I didn’t mean to say those things. I couldn’t help it. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” She looked up at me, her face streaked with tears, and crawled forward on her knees. “Please,” she begged, grabbing my hand with trembling fingers. “I’ll change. I promise I’ll change. Just give me one more chance.” I slowly pulled my hand away, closing my eyes as a wave of bitterness washed over me. “It’s over,” I said softly. She froze, her sobs cutting off mid-breath. I opened my eyes and repeated, “We’re done. I don’t want you anymore.”

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The night my son had a high fever, I overheard Jack flirting with his secretary, Scarlett, in Spanish on the phone. Jack’s lips curved into a smirk as he said, “Emma’s had a kid. She’s not as tight as you are. Don’t worry, she’s busy taking care of Tommy’s fever. She won’t notice I’m gone.” Scarlett’s coquettish voice came through the speakerphone, “Where should I wait for you, Mr. Harrison?” Jack glanced at me, “The usual hotel. I’ll make sure you’re satisfied tonight.” I held my son close, my fingers 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 stroked 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 have an affair with Scarlett in bed? I held back my anger, “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 fallen unconscious from the fever, I hesitated for a moment before calling Jack’s brother, “Daniel, Tommy has a high fever that won’t break. Jack said he has an urgent matter 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 the phone, tears welling in my eyes. I was once the daughter of a wealthy family in New York, growing up alongside the two brothers of the city’s wealthiest family. Both brothers had deep feelings for me. Jack was lively and outgoing, while Daniel was calm and reserved. In my youth, I was captivated by Jack’s sweet talk and went on a private island vacation 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, Daniel arrived. The headlights of his Bentley cut through the thick darkness of the night. 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 felt relieved at last. I went out to the corridor and gratefully looked at Daniel, “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would have done without you tonight.” He replied softly, “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.” Under the dim light, his cold, handsome features softened with a touch of tenderness. Suddenly, my eyes welled up with tears. “Why are you crying?” Daniel 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. Daniel frowned deeply, “Jack, what nonsense are you talking about? Tommy was burning up so badly 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?” Scarlett, following behind Jack, her face still flushed with passion, chimed in, “Mr. Harrison recently closed a big deal with Spanish clients. He’s been busy with the contract signing these past few days. Isn’t Mr. Harrison working hard to provide a better life for Tommy and you, Emma?” No one responded to her. Jack pulled me into his arms, looking at Daniel 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 Emma alone. You understand the concept of avoiding suspicion, don’t you?” I struggled out of his grip, 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?” Scarlett 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.” Scarlett smiled seductively, “Yes, yes, of course. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Mr. Harrison.” 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 be having an affair. 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 his vacations, he would turn off his phone to spend time with me wholeheartedly. He even hired a specialist to give prenatal education classes for our baby. So apart from that perfume, I couldn’t find any evidence of Jack’s infidelity. Looking back now, Jack had mastered the art of “counter-surveillance,” keeping everything perfectly hidden. If it weren’t for overhearing him flirting with Scarlett in Spanish tonight, I might have continued to be deceived, constantly reflecting on what I had done wrong, wondering if my postpartum recovery wasn’t good enough, unable to give him ultimate 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 grow up in a broken family 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 plentiful, 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 Scarlett, I didn’t bring up divorce. But I never expected that my forbearance wouldn’t awaken Jack’s conscience. Instead, it invited Scarlett’s provocation. On Sunday night, Jack actually had Scarlett move into our villa. This was our marital home, where he once stood at the front door, smiling and vowing to love only me for the rest of his life. But now, for another woman, he had forgotten all those vows. As he helped Scarlett carry her suitcase into the guest room, he said to our housekeeper, “Mrs. Johnson, please make some Sichuan dishes tonight. My secretary loves spicy food.” I stood on the second floor, coldly watching them, “Tommy just recovered from his illness. He can’t eat spicy food.” Jack’s eyes flashed with guilt, “Oh right, my son was sick recently. Mrs. Johnson, could you also make some seafood porridge?” Perhaps he knew this situation was inappropriate. That night, he came to my bedroom to explain, “Emma, listen to me. The reason I let Scarlett stay at our house is because this Spanish business is urgent. It’s not unprecedented for a personal secretary to temporarily stay at the CEO’s home. Please 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, you’re so good. Once I’m done with this busy period, I’ll take you and Tommy to Lake Tahoe 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, Scarlett was busy in the kitchen, wearing a tight-fitting nightgown that accentuated her slim waist and shapely buttocks. Moments later, she brought milk and sandwiches to the dining table. Jack’s eyes kept lingering on Scarlett. He took a bite of the sandwich, “This is really good. The cheese is melted perfectly.” I looked at the sandwich, feeling no appetite at all. “Tommy, try Aunt Scarlett’s cooking. Is it good?” Scarlett 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, picking Tommy up and patting his back to help him breathe. His coughing got worse. 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 have an anaphylactic reaction!” Standing in front of the emergency room, Jack’s face was grim. Scarlett’s face was pale, her eyes red. 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.” Scarlett’s tears fell, “It’s all my fault. Emma must be angry with me. Mr. Harrison, I should move back to my apartment.” Jack frowned, “Move back? What for? This wasn’t intentional. You didn’t mean to harm Tommy. Just stay here.” I stared at him in disbelief. Two weeks after the sandwich incident, Jack suddenly called me into his study. Scarlett was there, wiping her tears pitifully. Jack looked at me unhappily, “Emma, can you stop making things difficult for Scarlett?” I laughed bitterly, “When did I ever make things difficult for her?” Jack tapped the desk, “You and Mrs. Smith cleaned the guest room where Scarlett is staying, right?” I nodded. His eyes were full of anger, “The window in Scarlett’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 make such bland dishes. She’s not used to it and has lost weight. And can you stop letting Tommy bother her all the time? We don’t want another incident like last time where he ends up in the emergency room!” The truth was, Scarlett had specifically requested a well-ventilated room. The truth was, I had asked Mrs. Johnson to prepare two different flavors for each meal. The truth was, Scarlett 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 blamed me! I silently looked at Jack, not defending myself at all. After all, no matter what “grievances” Scarlett 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. Suddenly, Scarlett looked at me timidly, “Emma, I’d like to speak with you alone.” The study door was closed, and Scarlett 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?” Scarlett 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 want Jack to stop hiding me under the guise of a secretary. Emma, are you willing to give him to me?” So everything had been her machination behind the scenes. For this wealth and status, she had repeatedly distorted facts, played mind games, pretended to be pitiful, and even tried to harm my son with peanut butter. Looking at her confident smile, I felt both ironic and pitiful. 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, slipping one into the documents Jack was to sign the next day. Early the next morning, I took Tommy on a flight back to my parents’ home in New York. As I left, I smiled at Jack and Scarlett. By the time he discovers the signed divorce papers, I should have already arrived at the New York airport.

“Emma? Why didn’t you tell me you and Tommy were coming back? I could have asked our housekeeper to prepare a table of your favorite dishes,” my mother said with a surprised look as she saw Tommy and me. Our housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, took Tommy back to the bedroom. I sat down next to my mother, tears suddenly streaming down my face, “Mom, I’m divorcing 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 on that island vacation with him alone, I tried to persuade you for so long, but you wouldn’t listen. You even snuck out with fake IDs. Sigh, we wanted you to marry his brother Daniel back then, 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 patting my head. “He and his secretary…” I choked up, unable to continue. “Emma, men who crave novelty never end up well,” my mother said with a cold smile. At 10 PM, I lay in my childhood bedroom, lost in thought. In our teenage years, Jack was always the one with witty words to make people laugh, while Daniel was like a gentle and silent shadow. I was too young then, always captivated by Jack’s grand promises and sweet talk, forgetting to pay attention to the one who consistently took action. I remember one snowy night in New York when I was playing chess with the two brothers at their house until late. Jack looked at the dancing snowflakes outside the window and yawned, “It’s snowing heavily today, so cold outside — Emma, since our houses are close, could you just wrap your scarf tightly and go home by yourself?” Before I could respond, Daniel 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, Daniel stood there looking at me, his eyes full of endless cherishment and tenderness. My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively avoided Daniel’s gaze, rushing towards the gate of my family’s house in a few quick steps. I also recalled the incident during the island vacation with Jack. Unknowingly, I drank the glass of spiked wine Jack handed me, falling drunk into his arms, leading to a night of passion. Afterwards, he apologized pitifully, “Emma, I love you so much that I resorted to this. I just wanted to make you mine before anyone else could. I know my brother has feelings for you too, and I was so afraid he would steal you away.” When the doctor diagnosed me as one month pregnant, Jack caressed my belly with a joyful expression, “That night’s effort wasn’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, at that time, the aunts and sisters around me 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 Daniel stood in the crowd, his expression solemn as he gazed at me from afar. After that, Daniel never got involved with any other woman. He immersed himself in his archaeology career, using his skilled hands to restore many precious and rare artifacts. 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 picked up the phone, his voice hoarse, “Emma, you want to divorce me?!”

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That summer when I was 18, Ryan took my virginity. I endured the pain, but secretly felt happy all night long, thinking my six years of secret love had finally come to fruition. Until the next day, when I overheard his friends teasing him: “Not bad, you scored with the class beauty.” I felt embarrassed and was about to quietly leave. Then I heard Ryan’s casual reply: “I want to pursue the school beauty, but I’m afraid she’ll think I’m too inexperienced. “So I’m using Mia to practice my skills first.” I didn’t say anything. At the last moment before the deadline, I silently changed my college application from New York to Florida. Ryan’s words hit me like a bolt from the blue, completely catching me off guard. My mind went blank instantly. On such a hot summer afternoon, I felt chills all over my body. The conversation in the classroom continued. The others seemed stunned for a moment before speaking again. “As expected of Ryan, even the class beauty is just practice for him.” “Doesn’t that make her like, you know, a maid for ‘special services’ in those old wealthy families?” Ryan laughed carelessly: “Don’t talk nonsense. It’s not like she’s losing out.” Someone immediately agreed. “That’s right, the class beauty has gotten a bit thin. Compared to the school beauty, her figure is…” Ryan irritably threw a book at him, interrupting his comment. “It was just a moment of impulse. The mood was right, and she seemed to be struggling to hold back too…” The others exchanged knowing looks and teased him: “Who would’ve thought the class beauty was the sultry type.” “Tsk tsk, it’s our Ryan’s irresistible charm. Might as well eat the meat right in front of you.” “The class beauty has been chasing after Ryan for so many years. I guess she finally got her wish. She probably wanted to jump him long ago.” The laughter in the room grew noticeably louder. I bit my lip hard, my hands clenched into tight fists. It took all my strength to keep steady and not collapse at the classroom door. Footsteps approached from the end of the hallway. I snapped back to my senses and fled the scene in a panic. In my confusion, I hid in a bathroom stall.

Tears of heartbreak and humiliation were already flowing freely. Ryan’s words echoed in my mind over and over, nearly destroying all of my self-esteem. If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I never would have believed that he was the same person who had been so passionately intimate with me just last night. So it turns out you can do such intimate things even without love. Even in the most passionate, irrational moments, it’s possible to lie and deceive. What I foolishly thought was the culmination of our relationship was nothing more than a joke to others. The more I cried, the more upset I became. But I didn’t dare make any loud sounds. My body kept shaking uncontrollably. After a long while. My phone buzzed with a message notification. It was from Ryan. [Take a cab home yourself. My class is having a party tonight, so it’s not convenient for me to take you.] I didn’t reply. He added another message. [Remember to buy the morning-after pill yourself. I’m too busy today. Make sure to take it, be good.] I stared at these two messages for a long time, speechless. Last night, from dusk till dawn, Ryan had worn me out over and over again. Before falling asleep exhausted in each other’s arms, he had whispered twice: “I wasn’t fully prepared for our first time. I’ll definitely buy you the pill tomorrow.” He even reminded me that girls need to protect themselves, and that I must take the morning-after pill or it could be very harmful to my body. At the time, I thought he was being so responsible towards me. I thought I had finally found my happiness. But now… In an instant, I sobered up considerably. I pinched my palm hard, forcing myself to stop crying. I wiped away my tears, composed myself, and left the bathroom. Too embarrassed to go to the pharmacy, I just ordered the pill online. After the delivery driver left it at the door, I waited a long time before I dared to sneak out and retrieve it. After swallowing the pill with tears in my eyes, I seemed to lose all my strength. I just sat numbly on the carpet, staring blankly. Ever since Ryan’s family moved in next door, I had followed him around like a little puppy for ten years. I had never imagined what a world without him would be like. I didn’t dare to imagine it. But from now on, I would be alone. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, lights came on one after another, then gradually went out. I don’t know how much time passed before my best friend Lily video called me. “Mia, why didn’t you come to our class party with Ryan tonight? “That Claire from the liberal arts class showed up instead. She’s been clinging to Ryan while you’re not here. The two of them are being so gross.” Lily turned the camera to show me.

In a dark corner of the private room, Ryan and Claire, the school beauty, were sitting very close together. Claire was wearing a crop top and tight jeans tonight, showing off her slim waist and long legs. The two of them were clearly separated from the rest of the group. Even when they talked, it looked like they were whispering sweet nothings to each other. The flirtatious atmosphere was palpable even through the screen. My chest tightened uncontrollably. Ryan had just said this afternoon that he wanted to pursue her. It seems he had already succeeded by evening. Claire drew a “Truth or Dare” card that required her to do push-ups with a guy on top. She had to choose a male participant. Unsurprisingly, Ryan immediately volunteered. Everyone started cheering and teasing them. Claire’s face turned red as she obediently lay down on the sofa. Ryan positioned himself above her and easily did dozens of push-ups. He was very restrained the whole time, carefully avoiding touching Claire’s body. Until the very last one, whether he finally lost his strength or did it on purpose. He couldn’t hold himself up and collapsed directly on top of Claire. The screams around them grew even louder, nearly taking the roof off. Ryan and Claire’s faces turned even redder. Amid the crowd’s frenzied cheering, Ryan simply lowered his head and kissed Claire. The two of them made out passionately, oblivious to everyone else. It went on for a full three minutes before they reluctantly separated. During those endless three minutes, I stared at the screen unblinkingly, so shocked I almost forgot to breathe. My heart felt like it was being torn apart. I wanted to cry, but I had cried too much earlier without drinking water, so I had no tears left. “Tsk tsk tsk, Mia did you see that clearly? They were French kissing with tongue and everything. He’s totally into her.” Lily sighed as she turned the camera and left the private room. She found a quiet corner and earnestly advised me: “Mia, don’t blame me. If I didn’t let you see it with your own eyes, you wouldn’t give up on him.” My throat was dry and the sounds I made were barely audible. “Mm, I don’t blame you.” I only blame myself for being so stupid for so many years. I thought that since I was always allowed to follow Ryan around, that position by his side would always be mine. “I just can’t stand Ryan. What gives him the right to string you along for years, knowing you like him, pretending to be an innocent boy while watching you fall deeper and deeper. “Now you’ve seen it clearly. I really hope you’ll seriously reconsider. Don’t let him waste another four years of your life in college…” “I won’t, Lily.” I interrupted her, stating calmly. “I won’t give myself another chance. “Lily, I’ve decided. I’m going to college in Florida with you. “But you have to promise to keep it a secret for now.”

After saying that, to prevent myself from hesitating again, I opened my laptop in front of her. Without any hesitation, at the last minute before the deadline, I changed my first choice to that famous university in Florida. Lily was of course overjoyed. She had been begging me to apply to the same school for a long time. But when we first started high school, I had already made a promise with Ryan that we would work hard together and go to his dream school in New York after the SATs. That’s where his favorite aerospace program was. So even though I didn’t particularly like the cold North, and didn’t have much interest in that engineering-focused school, for all three years of high school, I still made it my goal. After being neighbors for so many years, both sets of parents were happy for us to go to the same college. Everyone, including me, thought that Ryan and I would naturally become a couple after we became adults. But now, I couldn’t find any reason to go to New York anymore. Or rather, after today, if I still clung to Ryan like before. I would despise myself. Now I just wanted to hide far away. It didn’t matter where, as long as Ryan wasn’t there. If he was in the North, then I would go South.

Before bed, I filled the entire bathtub, wanting to thoroughly wash myself clean. But when I took off my clothes, the bruises on my skin were still very visible. Memories of last night came flooding back uncontrollably. The scorching heat of the young man’s skin as we embraced tightly, the burning breath in my ear as we made love, the lingering warmth still seemed to surround me. I shook my head vigorously, trying to get rid of these wild thoughts. I found the roughest loofah and scrubbed my skin over and over again, only stopping when my whole body turned red. Clumsily trying to erase this most shameful memory of my life. As a result, I was in so much pain that I couldn’t sleep well all night. Ryan indeed didn’t send any more messages. Breaking the habit we’d had for six years, ever since we got phones, of saying goodnight to each other without fail. This was for the best. It would have happened sooner or later anyway. Might as well start detoxing from tonight. I dozed off fitfully until nearly dawn. The next morning while I was still sound asleep, I suddenly felt someone plant a light kiss on my forehead in my dream.

I woke up with a start. But what I saw when I opened my eyes was a familiar chin and Adam’s apple. The scent enveloping me from above was Ryan’s favorite cedar fragrance, along with a faint, unfamiliar hint of lemon. I had almost forgotten, Ryan still knew the passcode to my front door. Seeing that I was awake, Ryan simply moved lower, chuckling as he tried to kiss my lips. I hurriedly turned my head to avoid it. I pushed him away and retreated to the other side of the bed. Ryan was stunned for a moment, then laughed at me: “Why so shy now? Hmm?” I didn’t say anything, just pulled the covers over my head. Ryan scolded me while trying to pull off my blanket. “Mia, you’ve gotten bold, huh? You didn’t even say goodnight to me last night, and you dared to turn off your phone and go to sleep. “Now you’re hiding from me?” He deftly slipped under my covers. Before I could react, he had wrapped me in his arms. “Be good, how many times have I told you not to skip breakfast. “I went for a 30-minute run specially to get you those crab roe buns you love. I queued for ages. “Do you want to get up and eat now, or do you want to… be eaten first…” His breath was very close to me, and his hands started roaming. Fully awake now, I struggled desperately. But at 5’3″, I was no match for a 6’2″ man. I really couldn’t understand what he was thinking. He already had Claire, why was he still messing with me? After struggling hard for a while, I was panting heavily. I hadn’t broken free, but was held even tighter. “What are you throwing a tantrum about now? “Are you angry? Just because I didn’t take you to the party last night? Such a trivial thing?” I didn’t say anything. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, laughing out loud. “Let me guess, your good friend Lily tattled to you? “It was just a game, is that worth being jealous over? “Why are you still like before, getting all sulky whenever I get a little close to other girls.” I was furious beyond words, with no idea where to even begin. Remembering what I learned during freshman orientation, I suddenly raised my knee and kicked him between the legs, then quickly ran off the bed while he was in pain. “Mia!” Ryan gritted his teeth, his face turning red. I hurriedly threw on a shirt over my pajamas and rushed to the living room. I didn’t want to be in the same room as him, especially not my bedroom. Not long after, Ryan also came out, looking both angry and helpless. After a long while, he seemed to suddenly remember something and casually asked: “By the way, you took the pill yesterday, right?” “Don’t cause any trouble. We can’t explain it to our parents.” Ryan walked to the dining table and picked up a soy milk, handing it to me. “Be good, eat something before you get angry. Your stomach isn’t great to begin with.” I didn’t say anything, nor did I take it. Ryan’s hand holding the soy milk hovered in the air for a long time before he finally lost patience. “What exactly is the matter? “Mia, even if you’re throwing a tantrum, there should be a reason and a limit, right?” I coldly replied: “I’m not worthy.” Ryan got angry too, slamming the soy milk down hard on the coffee table. He used too much force. The plastic cup cracked and all the soy milk instantly spilled onto the carpet. “What do you mean? “Who do you think you are, Mia? “We just slept together once by mutual consent, and now you want to control me? Don’t you know how suffocating that is?” His tone was unprecedentedly fierce. In an instant, tears streamed down my face without any buildup. Yesterday’s humiliation and grievances all came rushing back. Ryan seemed unprepared for my sudden intense crying and was at a loss for what to do. He apologized regretfully: “I’m sorry, I drank too much last night. I spoke impulsively just now.” Ryan crouched down beside me as he spoke, reaching out to wipe away my tears, but I dodged him again. He was stunned, his hand frozen in midair. Just as he was about to continue comforting me, his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at it once, his expression changing drastically. He immediately got up to leave. “I have an urgent matter to attend to. Calm down by yourself first. “We’re in college now. You can’t always act like a child. Who else could put up with that in the future?”

Less than half an hour after he left, Lily sent me a screenshot. It was Claire’s social media post. [Claire: Just said I was hungry, and a loving breakfast magically appeared! Feels like my crush and I are moving towards each other~] The photo showed packaging identical to the crab roe buns on my dining table. I didn’t reply. I just silently wiped away my tears and crouched down to carefully clean up the soy milk Ryan had spilled. After trying for a long time, I sadly discovered that the stain had seeped deep into the wool carpet and couldn’t be removed no matter what. In a fit of anger, I simply threw out the entire carpet. It was the one Ryan and his parents had carefully chosen and carried back for me after an entire afternoon of shopping during their trip to Nepal anyway. While I was at it, I gathered up all of Ryan’s things left at my place, as well as all the big and small gifts he had ever given me. I even collected all our photos together. It took me all day to pack everything up and throw it away. I guess he wouldn’t want these old things anymore either. After Ryan left that day, there was no news from him for several days in a row. I suppose things were going well with the school beauty. Or maybe he was waiting for me to give in first. In the past, I had always been the one to make up first after every cold war, without exception. But this time I didn’t reach out to him. There was no need to reach out anymore. I blocked his SnapChat and phone number, changed my home’s door passcode, and deleted all my social media accounts. After doing all this, I called my parents who were away on business trips. I told them I wanted to visit my aunt in America during the summer break. My plan was to spend the summer there, then go straight down south with Lily to start college when the break was over. Except for Lily, no one else knew I had applied to a school in Florida. This plan should perfectly avoid any chance of running into Ryan. Mom still teased me on the phone, “Oh my, are you and Ryan going on vacation together?” I made up an excuse to deny it, not wanting to explain too much. I just told her I wanted to spend time with my aunt and grandmother. I begged Dad to buy me a ticket on the soonest flight. I was planning to fly out that very night. As I was leaving, I unfortunately ran into Ryan’s mom at the entrance of our building. She warmly greeted me: “Mia, why are you alone here? Didn’t Ryan come to pick you up? “Didn’t he say he was taking you skiing in New Zealand? Go and have a great time, Auntie fully supports you two.” I was a bit confused. During our intense SAT prep period, I had indeed mentioned to Ryan that I wanted to go skiing in New Zealand to experience winter in the Southern Hemisphere. But given our current situation, how could we possibly go on a trip together? However, I was running out of time, so I just hastily made some vague replies before leaving. But what I didn’t expect was that at the airport, I actually ran into Ryan.

He was with a group of friends. Claire was there too. Ryan was carrying a woman’s handbag in one hand, his other arm around Claire’s waist. They were walking at the back of the group. From time to time Claire would turn her head to say something to him, and Ryan would always cooperate, patiently bending down to listen. Not like with me. Ryan had always been a head taller than me since we were kids, and he kept getting taller. When I was with him, I always had to jump up and down and lift my head to talk to him. It turns out he will lower his head for someone he truly cares about. I took a deep breath. Telling myself I must have some dignity. Whatever he does has nothing to do with me anymore. If I keep overthinking, I’ll slap myself. But there seemed to be only one path to the departure gates. I could only follow far behind them. Finally, we reached a fork in the path. Ryan seemed to be getting a bit distracted. He made several phone calls that didn’t go through, then fiddled with his phone for a while. In the end, he borrowed a friend’s phone and walked to a nearby restroom with a gloomy expression. Not long after, my phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number. “Mia, you’re really angry this time, huh? You won’t reach out to me unless I contact you first? “You even blocked me? “If you have the guts, then just keep not contacting me. Let’s see who will take care of you when you’re all alone in an unfamiliar place in New York.” Ryan’s tone was harsh as he berated me nonstop. I didn’t say anything. There was really no way to respond to that. But Ryan seemed to get even angrier. “I won’t say much more. Hurry up and add me back on SnapChat. “I’m about to go abroad with some friends for a couple days, so I might not be reachable by phone. Don’t worry and cry.”

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My brother claimed his IQ was 180 and no woman was worthy of bearing his children. So after kicking his wife out, He boasted that without a woman, he as a man could still get pregnant. And he guaranteed it would be a boy. At first I didn’t believe him. But unexpectedly, after just a few days my brother’s belly swelled up, and miraculously there was even fetal movement. But common sense told me men can’t get pregnant. To find out if he had some serious illness, I forcibly dragged him to the hospital for an examination. Unexpectedly, the ultrasound showed my brother’s belly was full of octopus tentacles attached to it. To save his life, I begged the doctor to perform emergency surgery. But he hated me for killing the child given to him by the gods. My mom even said I was jealous of my brother and demonizing her grandson. In a fit of rage, I was hacked to death by my brother and mother. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the time when my brother was pregnant. “I’m warning you, your brother is pregnant now, there will be a lot of expenses in the future. You must hand over all the money you earn to me for safekeeping,” my mom ordered me imperiously with her hands on her hips. “Did you hear me? Are you deaf?” Seeing no reaction from me, my mom reached out and pinched my arm. “Speak up, don’t pretend to be mute!” The pain brought me back to reality, dispelling my previous daze. My thoughts were suddenly pulled back to the present. Looking at my mom cursing in front of me, I felt a bit confused. Wasn’t I dead? How did I end up here? The scene before me was so real that for a moment I couldn’t tell if this was reality or a hallucination before death. I quickly scanned the living room. At this moment, my brother was lying on his side on the sofa, leisurely eating from a box of cherries while watching our mom scold me. His smug expression reminded me of how crazily he laughed when hacking me to death in my previous life. It sent chills down my spine. “Have you looked enough? Has this month’s salary been paid?” My mom only cared about money when she opened her mouth. She completely failed to notice the goosebumps that had risen on my skin from fear. Looking at my arm that she had just pinched, now bruised purple and painful, I realized I had been reborn. Seeing my mom constantly pressuring me for money, I readily took out my bank card. After all, this was the crucial moment of my brother’s self-destruction. I should play my part too. Whatever they wanted, I would give. “Mom, you don’t need to tell me. Since finding out about my brother’s pregnancy, I’ve already saved money for my nephew on this card. Now that my brother needs nutrition, you can use this money to buy supplements. Whatever my brother likes to eat, just buy it. Don’t hold back on my account.” My mom started to feel confused, after all in the past I would always argue with her at least a bit. But seeing the bank card I held out with both hands, she didn’t think too much. My mom smiled as she took it, “That’s more like it.” “The money you earn should be spent on family. Besides, that’s your own nephew.” “Of course!” I smiled and agreed! My brother was also very satisfied with my response. He said, “Sister, you should have had this realization earlier. Don’t worry, you don’t need to get married in the future. When this child grows up, I’ll have him support you in your old age.” I secretly sneered inside. Support me in my old age? Have a belly full of octopuses support me? Just thinking about it made my scalp tingle. I wouldn’t dare! I waved my hands repeatedly to refuse, “No need, brother. It doesn’t matter if my nephew supports me or not. As long as he supports you and mom, that’s enough. I don’t want the child to have too much burden when he grows up.” Seeing how sensible I was, my mom and brother looked gratified. Their gazes towards me held a hint of kindness.

In my previous life, my brother got a pregnancy secret recipe from a so-called master, saying men could also get pregnant and give birth. At first I thought it was just a joke. But unexpectedly, three days later, my brother came home whistling cheerfully. As soon as he got back, he said he had found a master. The master had even cast a fortune for him, saying he was destined to be an emperor in this life. The child he would bear would be blessed with gold and silver, and he himself would have great fortune and longevity. The master also said this child must be born from his belly for him and the child to have this good fortune. For this, he even spent thousands of yuan to get the pregnancy secret recipe from the master. As he spoke, my brother took out a package of sticky brownish stuff and started chewing it. I didn’t know what it was, I only knew the wind was a bit strong at the time. When a gust of wind blew by, I could smell the odor of rotting raw meat. I almost vomited. My mom also covered her nose and mouth, listening in bewilderment. Although she was uneducated, it was the first time she had heard of men being able to get pregnant. Watching him swallow it, my mom worriedly spoke up. “Son, won’t eating this stuff give you a stomachache?” My brother didn’t waste a bit, just focused on licking the sticky stuff left on the paper wrapper. Seeing him so absorbed, my mom’s heart tightened again. “Son, you haven’t been scammed, have you?” “Mom, you can rest assured, I guarantee I haven’t. The master is truly divine!” My brother licked up the last bit with a satisfied look. Then he put his arm around my mom’s shoulders, “Mom, your son can have a child without relying on a woman, and it will even be a boy. Aren’t you happy?” “A boy?” When my mom heard “boy”, her previously worried expression instantly turned joyful. “Son, are you telling the truth?” “Mom, it’s absolutely true. You just wait to hold your chubby grandson!” “The master also said as long as I take this secret recipe on schedule, I can naturally get pregnant in a few days, and successfully give birth in two months.” Although my mom was excited, she was still half skeptical. But I didn’t believe a word of it. A man getting pregnant? That would only happen if pigs could climb trees. But three days later, my brother actually did get pregnant. And his belly kept getting bigger. Miraculously, there was even fetal movement in his round belly. My mom was overjoyed! She prayed to the ancestors and gods. Thinking about how their combined intelligence was just 250, I kept trying to reason with them, saying it was physically impossible for a man to get pregnant and give birth. There must be something bad growing in my brother’s belly. If it wasn’t removed, it could be life-threatening. But my brother thought I was just being alarmist and cursing him. My mom said I was just jealous and couldn’t stand to see my brother doing well. They firmly believed the fetus in my brother’s belly was human. Faced with my pig-brained brother and uneducated mother, I forcibly dragged my brother to get examined. After a series of tests by the doctor, My guess was indeed confirmed. Under the ultrasound, countless octopus-like tentacles were attached to my brother’s belly. They varied in size, and each one was very strong. The doctor was horrified at the sight. The fat in my brother’s belly had been consumed by the octopuses, making his belly skin very thin. If not careful, it could be torn by the tentacles. If emergency surgery wasn’t performed quickly to remove the octopuses, they would move to other parts of the body and continue feeding. The end result would be my brother reduced to a skeleton. To save his life, I begged the doctor to arrange surgery for him immediately. Unexpectedly, not only were he and my mom not grateful to me, they even started hating me. My brother said I had cut off his path to fortune, that this was a divine child given to him by the heavens. My mom went further, saying I was jealous of my brother and had colluded with the doctor to put on this act. Killing her grandson and demonizing him. At the time, the doctors at the hospital all felt sorry for me, having to take care of two mentally ill people alone. They suggested that after my brother recovered, I should take him and my mom to a psychiatric hospital to get their brains checked. Finally back home, I busied myself taking care of them. I didn’t get a single kind word or look from my mom and brother. Instead, I was hacked to death and dismembered by them in the kitchen. “I finally got the master to help me get pregnant, and it’s all ruined by you, you bitch. I’ll send you to apologize to my son right now.” My brother’s eyes were red with killing intent as he stabbed me harder and harder. My mom didn’t even blink. She said it didn’t matter if I died since I was just a girl, I couldn’t support her in old age or carry on the family line anyway. Then she helped my brother deliver the fatal blow. Afterwards, to destroy the evidence, my mom and brother dismembered me together. Thinking of everything from my previous life, I felt I was somewhat to blame. After all, some people’s brains just aren’t normal. You try your best to save them, but they think you’re trying to harm them. Living again, I will no longer be a busybody caring about things that don’t concern me.

This life, I chose to watch coldly from the sidelines as they self-destructed together. Until they worked themselves to death. When necessary, I would even lend them a helping hand. “Brother, what are you saying? I’m your sister. Never mind whether my nephew supports me in old age or not. Just sharing the same surname with him means I’ll be his servant for life.” After saying this, I thoughtfully massaged my brother’s swollen legs from the pregnancy. “Brother, you’re truly our family’s great contributor. Our ancestors would be so happy to know our family produced a man who could get pregnant.” “After all, this is our family’s purest bloodline!” “That’s right! Not just the purest bloodline, if it inherits my high IQ it will be incredibly impressive.” My brother was quite confident. I laid on the flattery thick, making my brother and mom beam with joy. “Oh my, you’re absolutely right. When I was pregnant with your brother, I always dreamed of dragons and phoenixes and such. I knew this child would be special! See, it’s come true now. Your brother is so capable, actually pregnant with a divine child.” “Unlike that jinx who came into our family for three years and couldn’t even lay an egg.” The “jinx” my mom was referring to was actually my sister-in-law. My brother had been married before, but divorced. It wasn’t that my sister-in-law was bad, or that she was lazy. It was that my brother looked down on all women from the bottom of his heart. He claimed his IQ was 180, that no woman in the world was worthy of him or fit to bear his children. Especially my sister-in-law who hadn’t gotten pregnant in three years of marriage. My mom saw her as a thorn in her side. She would make sarcastic remarks at the slightest provocation, calling my sister-in-law a hen that couldn’t lay eggs. My brother was even worse. It was clearly his own problem, but he blamed the inability to have children all on my sister-in-law. He smoked, drank, and fooled around. His body was already ruined. To have a child sooner, my sister-in-law told him to quit these bad habits and then go to the hospital together for a checkup. But unexpectedly, he stomped on her stomach with his foot. “Your belly is useless, and you blame me?” “I’m warning you, I’ll play however I want. I don’t need you to teach me!” “A woman like you not being able to have my child means you’re not worthy.” When he got carried away with the insults, he even extended it to all women, “I’m warning you, not being able to have children is always you women’s problem. It has nothing to do with us men.” Seeing my sister-in-law groaning in pain on the ground, I kindly tried to persuade him that he should listen to her and go for a checkup. But I got beaten up along with her. My mom even said I deserved it. She said I was helping an outsider speak against my own brother. Because of this, I was often verbally abused by my mom. While my brother would beat my sister-in-law every few days. My sister-in-law was in tears, often complaining to me, but I was powerless to help. After all, in this family that favored boys over girls, I really had no say. Let alone her being my mom’s daughter-in-law, even I as the biological daughter was often mocked and ridiculed by my mom. In my mom’s eyes, only my brother who crawled out of her belly existed. I didn’t deserve to exist.

From childhood to adulthood, no matter whether it was my brother or I who was wrong, I was always the one who got beaten. She was just that biased. My brother never studied hard since he was young, but my mom sold everything to send him to expensive private schools. While I was ordered to drop out. Fortunately, my dad was still alive then and he treated me well, so I was able to continue schooling. Then I finally made it through to university graduation. Just as I started working, my mom and brother began to squeeze me dry. My meager intern salary was sucked up by them like leeches. I didn’t even get a single kind word or look from them. Although I sympathized with my sister-in-law, I was really powerless to help. Later, my sister-in-law became discouraged. My mom and brother also found her annoying, so they kicked her out with divorce papers. “Mom, why bring up that jinx out of nowhere? It’s bad luck!” “Alright, I won’t mention her anymore, I won’t!” Listening to their conversation on the side, I could only force a smile. After massaging for a while, I diligently went to the kitchen to make soup for my brother. But my mom took one look and said it was too bland. She jabbed my head hard, “How can such bland soup be good for pregnancy? Are you trying to abuse your nephew before he’s even born?” Then she cursed as she dumped it out and made a new pot, adding a large amount of supplements. Damn, I was so speechless I nearly died. I turned around and rolled my eyes. I had already added plenty of supplements to that soup. She still said it was bland? Hah~ If she wants my brother to die sooner, then I’ll just let her add whatever she wants. I put on a smile, “Yes, yes, mom, you’re right. This soup is a bit bland. So mom, you can take over making the soup!” Over the next few days, under my mom’s attentive care, my brother’s belly grew increasingly round. The octopus fetus inside his belly, having absorbed enough nutrients, moved more vigorously. It would even show through my brother’s belly skin from time to time. Because of this, my brother was often tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He still didn’t think to go to the hospital to get checked. He just kept spending large sums of money drinking the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine bought from that so-called master. Originally over 130 pounds, he had been fattened up by my mom. After drinking my mom’s heavily supplemented soups and that so-called master’s pregnancy-stabilizing medicine, my brother looked like a withered tree. His pale, sallow face looked like a dying person’s. But my experienced mom still hadn’t realized the seriousness of the situation. She held my brother’s hand with immense concern. “Pregnancy is always this uncomfortable. When I was pregnant with you, it was much harder than this. Just hang in there a bit longer, it’ll be better once the baby is born!” My brother had become gentler in temperament since getting pregnant. He had also gotten used to life as a “pregnant woman”. “I know, mom. For my son, it’s fine if I suffer a bit. But don’t forget what you said – once I give birth to your grandson, when the demolition money for the old house comes through, it all has to be given to me.” My mom rubbed my brother’s belly, bending down to whisper to it. “Don’t worry, it’s all yours. Mom will give it all to you. Oh, my precious grandson!” At this moment, another bump rose on my brother’s belly, clearly visible. My mom thought it was the baby’s hand. She grinned from ear to ear, “Oh my, it moved, it moved! My dear grandson!” Watching their excited expressions from the side, I really couldn’t help but mock them. How could people these days be so crazy, not even able to tell the difference between a baby’s hand and an octopus tentacle. They’ve truly lived in vain.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295485”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring #魔幻Magic #校园School #惊悚Thriller