The Annual Pack Hunt. My father pulled the trigger on his bow and hit a stranger who’d just crashed through the treeline. She dropped to her knees and claimed to be his long-lost daughter. “Dad,” she choked out, tears streaming. “Eighteen years ago, you traveled to Silver Lake Pack and stayed with my grandfather’s family. You and my mother… you fell for each other.” “You promised you’d come back for her. You said you’d marry her. But you never did. You married someone else instead. How could you do that to her?” She pulled out one of his old Pack insignias—as proof. The crowd erupted. In my past life, my father caved under the pressure of the Pack’s disgrace. He acknowledged her on the spot. But when we got home, his health tanked fast. Within days, he was dead. I knew something was wrong. I went to my husband, Beta Liam, to help me investigate. That’s when the knife went into my chest. I stared up at him in disbelief as he held Snow close, his face ice-cold, barking orders to his men. “Tell the pack Alpha Marcus took his own life out of guilt. So did his daughter!” “Now the whole Pack is ours. All that planning for this little recognition scam finally paid off.” It hit me like a freight train. Liam had been sleeping with Snow all along. The entire recognition scheme was his play—so he could seize control. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the Hunt. My father’s arrow had just struck Snow as she came barreling out of the forest. I reborn?!

Snow clutched her shoulder where the arrow had pierced, trembling as she knelt in the dirt. “Alpha King,” she gasped, voice shaking. “I know trespassing on Hunt grounds is punishable by death. But this was my mother’s dying wish. Even if it costs me my life, I have to give her relics to my father!” She coughed up blood and collapsed. Chaos. The Alpha King’s expression darkened. “Alpha Marcus. Do you have anything to say?” My father stammered, his face white. He was terrified. He was certain he’d never been with another woman besides my late mother. But eighteen years ago, when he traveled through Southern territories, he had stayed overnight at a farmer’s house during a storm. That night, the host got him drunk. He blacked out. So he couldn’t be 100% sure nothing happened. His hesitation made him look guilty. Luna Thorne from another pack who was the rival of my pack said, “Well, well, Mia,” she sneered. “Your father loves to brag about being the Alpha King’s right hand. Turns out he’s just another scumbag who ruins women and abandons his kids.” “Poor girl. If she dies, your father will have killed his own daughter with his own hands.” I shot her a cold look. “The facts aren’t settled yet, Luna Thorne. I’d watch your tongue if I were you.” Then I turned to Liam, who was kneeling beside Snow, concern and affection pouring out of him so thick it made me sick. How had I been so blind? My father opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. “Dad.” Every eye turned to me. I ignored them all and started walking toward my father. Liam grabbed my wrist hard. “Mia. You’re standing before the Alpha King. What the hell do you think you’re doing?” “Snow is bleeding out and you want to cause a scene?” My wrist throbbed under his grip, but I didn’t flinch. I locked eyes with my father. “Dad, even though Snow has your old insignia, that’s not enough proof. I think we should perform the Blood Chalice Ritual in front of the King. That’s the only way to know for sure.” The moment I said it, Snow—who’d just “regained consciousness”—let out a sob. “Sister,” she whimpered. “Are you saying you don’t trust me? Or do you just not want me to take your place as the Alpha’s daughter?” “If that’s the case, I’d rather die right now than be seen as some gold-digging fraud!” She started coughing violently, blood pouring from her shoulder wound. The Healer tried to approach, but she screamed and shoved him away. “Stay back! If no one here believes me, just let me die… let me—” Liam lunged forward and held her down. “Snow, don’t. You can’t punish yourself for someone else’s mistakes.” “If something happens to you, the people who wronged you will get away with it!” Then he whipped around to glare at me, his voice a low snarl. “Your father is the one who screwed up. Are you really going to drive Snow to her death?” Other Pack members chimed in, voices rising. “Alpha Marcus, you made the mistake. Now you need to fix it, not run from it.” “Exactly. Snow’s been through hell just to find you. The least you can do is treat her right.” My father was sweating bullets under the pressure. I turned to the Alpha King. “My Alpha King, I’m not trying to help my father escape responsibility. I just—” “Mia.” My father’s voice cut through. “Stop.” He looked at the Alpha King. “Snow may very well be my daughter. I’ll take her back to the Pack House and care for her. Once I’ve sorted out the truth, I’ll give you and Snow a full explanation.”

Liam and Snow both exhaled in relief. I stepped forward and grabbed my father’s sleeve. “Dad, you can’t do this! If you bring her into the Pack House without proof and it turns out she’s not your daughter—” “Enough!” Snow’s face went pale as she cut me off. “Mia, my family may not be as wealthy as yours, but I won’t stand here and let you humiliate me like this!” Her eyes flashed with something dark. Then, without hesitation, she reached up and yanked the arrow out of her own shoulder. Blood sprayed. Gasps erupted from the crowd. “Is Mia seriously going to keep pushing until someone dies?” “Alpha Marcus already admitted it. Why is she still making a scene?” “I always thought the Alpha’s daughter was supposed to be classy and kind. Turns out she’s just a vicious bitch. Thank God my son didn’t mate with her.” Liam’s face went white. He forgot all sense of decorum and pressed his hands directly over Snow’s wound, shouting for the Healer. Through the crowd, Snow’s eyes met mine—smug, victorious. At the same moment, the Alpha King’s voice rang out, cold and sharp. “Alpha Marcus. Is this how you raise your daughter?” My father’s forehead was slick with sweat. “I failed to teach her properly. I beg your forgiveness.” The next second, a stinging slap cracked across my face. Pain exploded across my cheek. I stumbled back, nearly falling. No one helped me. They just watched. My father’s eyes flickered with regret, but with the Alpha King watching, all he could do was glare at me. “You disgrace. Apologize to the Alpha King. Now.” Liam looked at me like I was poison. “Mia, you disappoint me.” “Last time you killed that Omega in the Pack House, I thought it was an accident. Now I see the truth. You’re just cruel. You always have been.” His words reignited the crowd’s fury. “Wait—she killed an Omega?” “Alpha King, only you can give Snow justice now!” With one sentence, Liam had painted me as a murderer in everyone’s eyes. I knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted to shut me up and defend Snow at the same time. I forced myself to stand tall despite the pain and looked each of them in the eye. “My father did stay at a farmhouse in the Southern territories eighteen years ago. But he was blackout drunk that night.” “So isn’t it possible these so-called ‘relics’ weren’t given to Snow’s mother willingly? What if she stole them?” “And if Snow’s mother really had a relationship with my father, why didn’t she come? Why wait eighteen years and send her daughter into a hunting ground to risk her life?” My words hung in the air. For a moment, no one had a comeback. Then Liam sneered. “Mia, I didn’t want to embarrass your father. But since you insist on making a fool of yourself, I’ll stop holding back.” He looked down at Snow, his voice softening. “Snow. Show them the last piece of evidence.” Snow nodded and pulled a letter from her sleeve. “This is the letter Alpha Marcus left my mother before he left. He told her to wait for him. That he’d come back and make it official.” “But she waited eighteen years. And he never came. She died waiting.” Liam took the letter and held it up for everyone to see. It was my father’s handwriting.

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The bedroom smelled like betrayal. Sex and stale smoke. Liam didn’t panic. He just sat there, arm around Bella, checking his watch like I was late for an appointment. “If you’re going to vomit, do it outside,” he said. “I’ll call the cleaners.” I stood frozen in the doorway of what was supposed to be our wedding suite. The man who swore to protect me was looking at me like I was a glitch in his software. Red lipstick. Black lace. The sheets we picked out together. “Get out, Sarah.” My legs wouldn’t move. Bella giggled. Twenty-two years old, influencer-perfect, wrapped in my fiancé like a designer accessory. The next morning, I heard him muttering in the kitchen. Not to himself. To *It*. “Algorithm, suspend the Sarah Protocol.” His voice was cold, mechanical. “Pause it for a year. I want to focus on Bella. Full optimization.” A voice materialized in my head—robotic, inevitable, like an automated message you can’t skip. **[REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGED. WARNING: SUSPENSION WILL RESULT IN PERMANENT DATA LOSS FOR SUBJECT.]** He didn’t care. He didn’t know that “data loss” meant my love. The Interface turned to me. An invisible prompt waiting for a command. **[DO YOU ACCEPT TERMINATION?]** I was frying eggs when it happened. My hand slipped. Hot oil splashed across my palm. I gasped. “Is breakfast ready yet? You’re being so slow…” Liam was urging me on, because his little secretary had already arrived at her workstation, waiting for the loving breakfast he had made with his own hands. But how could the busy President Carter have time? I, his actual girlfriend, had somehow become a helper for their love affair. I felt resentful, tears hitting the floor. With a spatula, I cut the fried eggs into pieces, turned off the heat, dumped out the water, and slammed the kitchen door. The man in the living room holding a jewelry box startled, frowning at me. “What’s your problem?!” My throat felt dry. After a long while, I choked out: “I burned myself.” He impatiently dropped what he was holding and came over perfunctorily. “Such a small injury, stop being so dramatic!” As he spoke, he pulled burn ointment from the drawer, his movements irritable. I watched his fingers moving in circles, suddenly remembering the video my friend had sent me. Bella had frowned from the pain of a blood draw, and he had been so heartbroken he cried, kissing her hand in public to comfort her, not caring about the onlookers. But my casual complaint had become a burden in his eyes. “Done! If you don’t want to make breakfast, then don’t. Don’t hurt yourself trying to win sympathy, Sarah. I’m busy!” I lowered my head and pressed my lips together. Busy caring about Bella’s menstrual cycle timing, busy discussing wedding details, busy transferring most of his assets before I found out. Indeed, very busy. The door slammed. The air still carried traces of Bella’s perfume. Liam’s phone on the table buzzed. I looked up, and the Chat contact name “Sweetheart” pierced my heart like a thorn. He found it troublesome and never gave me a contact name. Once, when I changed my username, he didn’t message me for three days. When I finally got angry, he replied matter-of-factly: “You changed your name, so I couldn’t find you!” Back then, I was madly in love with him, truly blaming all the problems on myself, trying to please and apologize. From then on, I kept the same name and profile picture for many years. But now it seemed his bottom line was only set for me. The phone buzzed again. Possessed, I picked it up. The password was easy to guess—Bella’s birthday. It used to be mine, then he changed it to hers. Even Liam’s habit with lovers was the same. “Honey! Have you arrived yet? I’m starving to death!” Three angry emojis in a row. “Also, tell Sarah not to toast the bread too long! It hurts my throat when I eat it!” She added another line, and my eyes grew hot. With trembling hands, I scrolled up. Every complaint and grumble from Bella had a reply. “The weather’s bad today.” Liam replied: “Having me who loves you is enough.” “Met a cute cat downstairs.” Liam replied: “How cute? Cuter than you?” Those simple sweet nothings were pipe dreams for me—after all, nowadays even a reply from him felt like charity. The Algorithm saw I hadn’t spoken for a long time, just kept crying, and prompted again. **[Does the conquest target agree to terminate the relationship? Once…]** “Agree!” My response was firm. I was too tired of living like this. I didn’t want to consider everything for Liam anymore, having to mind his schedule even when getting angry. Didn’t want to be what others called a desperate woman who couldn’t keep her man but refused to leave. Even more, didn’t want to become Liam’s last resort after he’d had his fill of fun. He was supposed to be conquering me, but in the end, I’d become the pathetic one. **[Conquest target agrees. All feelings will be purged within seven days.]** My chest ached, and I collapsed to the floor. The sound of the door opening. Liam grabbed his phone from the table. His eyes fell on the emojis, smiling sweetly, but he didn’t spare a single glance for me curled up on the floor.

When I woke up again, it was already dark. I looked up at the photo in the corner and felt surprisingly little emotion. The fried eggs in the pot had swollen from soaking, just like my relationship with Liam—unrecognizable. The first day I met Liam, a Algorithm appeared in my mind. It told me that the nervous boy in front of me, who was trembling when he spoke, wanted to successfully conquer me. I didn’t understand and asked what “conquest” meant. **[Conquest means making you fall in love with him!]** The Algorithm’s response scared me terribly, so I knocked the candy out of the boy’s hand, scattering it on the ground, and fled in panic. My mother fell in love with my father, but in the end, he beat her so badly in domestic violence that he broke three of her ribs. I just wanted to live safely. Loving someone was too dangerous for me. But Liam did everything possible to resolve all my concerns. When my parents’ divorce got violent, he kicked down the door and took me away from that suffocating home. When classmates bullied me, he took a stick and fought a gang of thugs alone, getting beaten until his head bled. Later, I was dumped at my grandmother’s place in the countryside, almost forced to marry an old bachelor. Liam drove a broken biker and brought me out from the mountains. So falling in love with him seemed to become natural. And he continued to be good to me year after year. He took care of all three meals a day and all the housework. He used his meager wages to support us both. When a crooked boss scammed him out of every penny, he would only hide outside and cry, never bringing any negative emotions to me. I became a useless person who couldn’t do anything as long as Liam was around. Everyone said that Sarah meeting Liam was the luck of several lifetimes. I believed this in my heart too. Until Bella appeared. She was twenty-two then, fresh out of college, lively and bright. Liam and I had already stumbled our way to twenty-seven. We had lost the vitality of youth. All our love was hidden in the thick clothes prepared when it got cold. I thought gentle warmth was happiness, but I forgot. When Liam and I first fell in love, we loved intensely too. He started habitually going on business trips, forgetting our anniversaries. His bag had cute sticky notes and plush toys. When I found them while cleaning, he dismissively threw them in the trash, muttering in annoyance. “That new secretary really doesn’t know the rules. I’ll fire her tomorrow…” But Bella stayed by his side just fine for three years, and the things he’d thrown in the trash, he secretly retrieved late at night. Later, his favoritism became more and more obvious. On Valentine’s Day, the bracelet he gave me was a free gift that came with Bella’s present. Intimate photos posted on social media: “Little troublemaker insisted I post this. Guess I’m learning to document life like young people!” The tone was indulgent. Many mutual friends replied below. “Liam, you’re not old at all! An age gap is perfect!” “She makes trouble, he smiles—I ship it!!” … Only one comment stood out awkwardly: “Did you block Sarah from seeing this?” Three minutes later when I refreshed, I could no longer see that post. There was even a period when he put me on his blacklist, only removing me when he needed me. I confronted him, crying until I was hoarse. He just replied impatiently: “I’m really busy lately. Weiwei told me to block people unrelated to work. It improves efficiency!” Seeing my red eyes, he sighed heavily and transferred me 100,000 yuan. “Is this compensation enough?” The door slammed. I collapsed on the sofa. The transfer notification on my phone burned my heart. Liam, when have I ever been with you for money? But that question fell in the empty house with no answer.

Three days later, I was already frequently forgetting about Liam. Bella had added me on WeChat at some point, and her feed full of wedding preparations looked exactly like showing off. **[Today my honey showed me the wedding dress he designed himself. It’s really beautiful!]** I looked at the picture. That wedding dress was Liam’s graduation project from his design school days, created during the most passionate time of our love. That wedding dress that embodied all our feelings ended up being worn by the mistress. How ridiculous. I actually laughed, my heart still aching densely, just not as heart-wrenchingly as before. I couldn’t help but feel grateful that the Algorithm could control my emotions. But even so, the bitterness and joy that Liam had brought me in those memories still made me choke up. A moment later, another social media update popped up. **[Wedding gift! Making you both a husband and a father at the same time!]** The ultrasound image clearly showed that Bella was already three months pregnant. That barely-formed fetus was like a harsh slap across my face. The calm I’d achieved through self-comfort instantly crumbled. I clenched my phone screen tightly, my right hand trembling, wanting to look closer, to see more clearly. But tears poured out uncontrollably. Through my blurred vision, I broke down sobbing. No wonder! No wonder Liam suddenly requested to temporarily terminate the conquest relationship. No wonder he’d been secretly transferring assets. My stomach suddenly churned. I rushed to the sink and dry-heaved, but nothing came up. After a long while, I looked at my wretched self in the mirror—face pale white, hair plastered to my face, swollen eyes no longer looking like they once did. Why? Why should I suffer alone? I picked up my phone and, without hesitation, screenshot that social media post and sent it to the alumni group chat. **[Congratulations, Boss Carter, on becoming a father.]** The tone was flat, but it shocked the group into instant silence. I didn’t know what waves that message caused, but I figured it must have had quite an impact on Bella. Otherwise, Liam wouldn’t have rushed over from the company in just half an hour, seething with rage. “Sarah, what do you mean by this?” “How is Weiwei supposed to hold her head up after you posted that photo in the group?! A girl’s reputation is so important! Why are you so vicious?!” He slapped our photo, shattering it. I looked at the man’s twisted face and couldn’t find a trace of how he used to be. “Don’t most people in that group already know about your relationship?” “What are you still pretending for?” I picked up the fallen photo, glanced at it, felt annoyed, and tore it to shreds right in front of Liam. His surging anger stopped for a moment. Suddenly, he slapped the scraps out of my hands. “What are you doing?!” He glared at me, his eyes full of incomprehension. “I’ll handle this. Why do you have to make such a scene?!” My chest ached terribly. His “handling” meant giving the wedding he’d promised me to Bella, or using the wedding dress he’d designed for me as a love token for his mistress? I couldn’t even ask. After a long while, I looked up at him. “Do you still love me?” He froze, his fingertips curling, hesitation flashing in his eyes. I waved my hand: “Never mind. If you don’t love me, then you don’t. Soon, I won’t love you either.” As I said this, I looked down, the pain in my chest reaching its peak. Tears pooled in my eyes. I took a sharp breath to keep them from falling. “Sarah, you’re not a twenty-year-old girl anymore. This tantrum will only make me annoyed!” His tone was cold and hard, as if certain I was just being stubborn. He probably never knew that the Algorithm agreed to his request because I had agreed too. Our relationship—he was the one who gave it up first.

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Holly’s crush had been coughing nonstop. Hearing that, according to an old folk remedy, snake gall could ease coughing, she had people cut the snake from my waist in half and extract the gall. My cultivation—the power I had accumulated over tens of thousands of years—vanished in an instant. I stared at her, cradling what remained of the snake in my arms. “You know what I am. Once the snake disappears, I’ll disappear too!” However, Holly just laughed and skinned the snake right in front of me. “Only Madam Anna would believe something like that. Don’t try to fool me. It’s just a snake. I’ll get you another one.” Overnight, my hair turned completely gray. I rushed to visit Madam Anna with my snake in a sealed jar. “I’ve saved the Summers from the last disaster. I’ve repaid the favor of saving me one hundred years ago. Now my body is ruined. I can’t protect you now. So, I’m leaving…” Some smoke came from my snake like it was disintegrating. The doctor shook his head. “They destroyed its core. They know how to kill a snake for good. Sorry I can’t save it now.” Then I put the two halves of my snake back into the jar. I could feel every sensation my snake endured. The pain still tore through my back, as if I myself had been cut in half. Madam Anna supported me and kept blaming Holly. “I’ve told her many times. You’re connected to the snake. How could she dare cut it open just for the gall?” I moved forward in great pain, with numb legs. Holly definitely knew I could feel what the snake was feeling. But she still cut my snake in half without hesitation. Seeing me fall to the ground, she actually rolled her eyes and said, “Keep pretending. You used the whole connected-to-snake thing to fool Madam Anna. She might buy it, but I won’t! You’re definitely not some supernatural being!” Then, she asked them to dig the gall out of my snake. She said nothing, seeing me on the ground in great pain, and threw the body of my snake back to me. “Since you claim the snake contains all your cultivation. It must be nutritious. If it can stop Ted from coughing, I’ll get you a new one so that you can fool Madam Anna more.” Suddenly, the butler came to the veterinary hospital. He gave me a cardboard box, saying Holly asked him to deliver this to me. In unbearable pain, I opened the box, only to find an eagle flying out. It seemed to have smelled my snake, and then flew straight to the jar. I covered the jar with my body, and tried to cast a spell. But nothing happened. Only then did I remember that all my cultivation was already gone. So I had to protect the jar with my body. Everyone knew the natural enemy of snakes was eagles, including Holly. Though I had already been in human shape, the fear was still in my bones. The eagle kept pecking me until Madam Anna had her guards kill it. I almost fainted on the ground. Then the respected Madam Anna knelt in front of me all of a sudden. “Tony, I really didn’t expect Holly to do such outrageous things to you.” “Since you’re our family Guardian, I’ll find you a good place to cultivate, and protect you until you regain all your power. Please forgive Holly this time, and keep guarding us for the sake of my mother.” I didn’t know what to say. About one hundred years ago, Madam Anna’s mother saved me from an eagle. She took me back home, and bound up my wound. To repay her kindness, after I cultivated and became an immortal, I came to her and promised to guard her family. To save Holly, I forcibly transformed into human shape, however, my cultivation stayed with my snake form. But now… My snake was destroyed by Holly. My cultivation had all gone. I couldn’t protect the Summers anymore. Looking at Madam Anna kneeling in front of me, I felt more determined. “I did promise your mother to protect the Summers. But now I really lost all my cultivation. I’m no longer a Guardian.” “I’ve saved the Summers from so many disasters. And I’ve sacrificed my cultivation to save Holly. I think we’re pretty much even now. Just let me go.”

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At the party, my fiancée’s male best friend, Bryan Stone, switches out my glass of milk with lube. I catch the taste immediately but it’s too late, I’ve already swallowed it down. My stomach burns like acid, and Bryan’s laughing so hard he can barely breathe. “That’s lube, dumbass! Can’t you even tell? God!” Mira Sinclair, my fiancée, watches me double over in pain, and I can see the disgust written all over her face, like I’m the one embarrassing her right now. I tell Bryan to apologize but he just grins at me. “What, you can’t even take a joke? Come on, Ryder, don’t be such a bummer.” I grab the bottle and dump the rest over his head. Half a second later, Mira’s hand cracks across my face. I walk out of the banquet hall and pull out my phone. “Marry me in three days. You in?” *** The second I pour the lube over Bryan’s head, the entire room goes silent, and every single person turns to look at Mira. Everyone knows Bryan is Mira’s precious male best friend, and nobody dares mess with him. Not even me. Lube drips down Bryan’s face, and he starts frantically wiping at it. “Mira! What’s Ryder’s problem? He can’t even take a fucking joke!” Before I can say anything, Mira slaps me hard across the face. The sound echoes through the silent room, and I can tell she put everything she had into it. Her cocktail ring splits my lip open, and blood runs down from the corner of my mouth, but she just stares at me with ice-cold contempt. “Ryder Blackwell, what the fuck is wrong with you?” She spins around to help Bryan wipe the liquid from his hair and completely ignores my bleeding lip. My stomach churns violently, and that slick, oily feeling replays in my mind. I can’t help it, I start to gag. Mira’s face hardens even more. “If you’re gonna puke, do it outside. Don’t make everyone sick.” I grab a glass of water off the table and chug the whole thing. The nausea finally backs off a little. Bryan keeps wiping himself down while pointing at me accusingly. “Mira, I was just messing around with Ryder. He didn’t have to do this. Does he hate me or something? Why’s he targeting me?” Mira keeps soothing him while she helps clean him up. “It’s Ryder’s fault. All of it.” That gentle tone in her voice hits me hard because I haven’t heard her use it in months. At least not with me. Once Mira finishes helping Bryan, she turns back to face me, and her voice drops to pure ice. “Apologize to Bryan!” I stubbornly wipe the blood from my mouth and refuse to back down. “Mira, do you even hear yourself right now? I’m the one who got tricked into drinking lube, and when I push back just a little bit, you can’t handle it?” I stare into Mira’s eyes and catch a flash of guilt, but it disappears in a second because Bryan’s already tearing up and throwing a fit. “I’ve never been humiliated like this in my entire life! In front of all these people too, I can’t show my face anywhere now!” His voice gets louder and more dramatic. “Mira, maybe we shouldn’t be friends anymore. Your fiancé clearly hates me.” He turns like he’s about to leave, and Mira panics, grabbing his arm hard. She shouts at me, “Apologize. Now!” I see the steel in Mira’s eyes, and I know if I don’t apologize, I’m not getting out of here. The lube’s still churning in my stomach, but I swallow down the nausea and force out the words. “I’m sorry.” Mira’s expression finally softens, and she turns to comfort Bryan. “It’s okay now, it’s okay. He was wrong. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.” I have no idea what she means by making it up to him, but the smug look in Bryan’s eyes tells me it’s nothing good. The music starts up again, and Mira and Bryan are back spinning around the dance floor, leaving me alone at the table thinking about what kind of marriage I’m about to walk into. Suddenly, a sharp pain rips through my stomach. I’ve had stomach problems since I was a kid, and the lube must have triggered it, because now it feels like knives are tearing through my insides. I try to stand up and call for help but my voice gets swallowed by the music, and nobody hears me. “Mira… Mira.” I reach my hand toward her direction, begging her to see me and take me to the hospital. She doesn’t notice, but Bryan does, and he smoothly shifts his body to block her view of me completely. With no other option, I struggle through the pain and manage to call an ambulance with trembling fingers. As I’m fighting my way toward the door, I see Bryan lean in and kiss Mira on the lips. My heart turns to ice. The heartbreak cuts deeper than any stomach pain. Looks like there’s no point in having that wedding in three days.

At the hospital, the doctor pumps my stomach and finds it’s not just the prank lube—Bryan had also added paint. They have to pump me three times to get it all out. My already weak stomach is absolutely destroyed after all that. Late into the night, even breathing sends burning pain through my chest. When I can’t take it anymore, I ask Mira to come take care of me for a bit. I call her three times and she doesn’t pick up once, but then I see Bryan’s social media post. They’ve moved the party to my villa, and they’re tearing the place apart. In the video, my personal belongings are scattered all over the floor, and my collectible figures have been tossed in the trash. Even worse, I spot my first award-winning robot design from college, and the head’s been ripped off the body, both pieces lying broken under a table corner. Meanwhile, Mira and Bryan are drinking from each other’s glasses and making out while everyone around them cheers and whistles. I can’t let it go, so I call Mira again. This time, she actually picks up, but her voice is dripping with irritation. “Jeez, Ryder, do you know what time it is? What do you want now?” “Mira, I… I’m not doing well. I just had my stomach pumped, and I’m in a lot of pain. Can you come see me? Just for a little bit?” My voice sounds pathetic even to my own ears. I can tell Mira hears the pain in my voice, and she’s hesitating, but then, Bryan cuts in from the background. “Mira, come on! I just peeled some grapes for you.” Whatever hesitation she had vanishes instantly, and her voice turns cold and annoyed. “Your stomach hurts? Go see a doctor. I’m busy right now, so stop calling me all the time. Take some medicine and leave me alone.” My throat feels like someone stuffed cotton in it, and I can’t get a single word out. Bryan grabs the phone, and his voice is pure provocation. “Ryder, you sound like shit. Still crawling back from death’s door?” I can hear the smug satisfaction in his tone. “Bryan, get the fuck out of my apartment and fix all my collectibles!” “Those robot parts of yours? I had the cleaning staff sweep them up. They’re probably at the bottom of some dumpster by now. Trash belongs where trash belongs, right?” “Those were my babies! You broke them and just threw them away?” My stomach cramps up hard, and I double over, cold sweat breaking out across my forehead. “Come on Ryder, quit the drama. This is Mira’s bachelorette party, and she’s got a surprise planned for me, so stop killing the vibe. She doesn’t have time for you anyway, she’s busy with the champagne tower.” “And those toys of yours? Mira said we could do whatever we wanted with them, so we took them apart and tossed everything. Must be nice being rich enough to own all those collector’s editions. Too bad they’re scrap metal in a dumpster now. Anyway, good luck with that.” I’m furious and panicking at the same time, and my stomach twists so bad I can’t even find the words to fight back. At some point, he hangs up. I take whatever the nurse gives me and pass out. When I wake up, sunlight’s streaming through the windows and there’s a text from Bryan with a photo attached. Blood-stained sheets. “Mira’s surprise? Turns out it was her. LOL.” That’s the wedding suite I set up for Mira. I picked out every piece of furniture, every decoration. She told me she loved pink, so I turned the whole villa into a pink castle. Back in college, when I won that robotics competition, she hugged my project and cried. Happy tears. I don’t know when she changed, when she became someone I don’t recognize. Maybe it started when Bryan showed up. Maybe before. My phone rings. The bridal shop calls. “Mr. Blackwell, your custom wedding dress and rings are ready for pickup.” “Just throw them out. Don’t want it anymore.”

When I get home from the hospital the next day, I’m expecting the place to still be trashed. But when I push the door open, everything’s been cleaned up. Except all my collectible figures and wall art are gone, completely cleared out. Mira’s in the kitchen making breakfast like nothing happened. “You’re back? I had something come up yesterday so I couldn’t visit. How’s your stomach feeling?” “Bryan’s just being immature. He was joking around with you.” I know the difference between a joke and a grown man being deliberately cruel. “He did it on purpose and made my stomach condition worse. Do you even realize I can only eat liquids right now?” Mira frowns and I can already see the impatience on her face. “Enough! Bryan just likes to have fun, why are you being so petty?” I freeze and my stomach starts aching again. “Fine, let’s say that was a joke. What about everything in my room? Did you forget that robot model was from our first competition together? The painting on the wall was a birthday gift from my mom before she died.” My voice shakes. “Were those all jokes too?” Mira slams the dishes down hard and the crash echoes through the kitchen. “That’s all ancient history. You were hoarding all that junk and taking up space. You should be thanking Bryan for cleaning it out. And that worthless painting? Something from a dead person hanging in our house all this time gives me the creeps.” The words hit me like a knife to the chest and the pain in my stomach surges up instantly. I grab the doorframe and double over, cold sweat running down my temples. “Mira,” I force out through clenched teeth, my voice barely audible, “that was my mom.” She acts like she doesn’t even see me struggling, and her voice is full of disgust. “So what if it was your mom? She’s gone, what’s the point of keeping all that garbage? Bryan was trying to help this household, and here you are making a big deal out of it.” “That was my stuff. What gives him the right to throw it away?” I can’t hold it back anymore, and the words come out choked with tears. “You’re being completely unreasonable!” Mira’s face flushes red and she points at the door. “Bryan was nice enough to help clean up your place, and instead of being grateful, you’re standing here complaining! I swear, that stomach pain has made you lose your mind!” While she’s talking, I hear the door lock click. Even the fingerprint reader now recognizes Bryan’s print. “Hey, stomach feeling better already? Guess I didn’t use enough lube after all.” “Bryan!” I lunge forward to grab his arm but Mira blocks me. “What the hell are you doing!” She shoves me backward and I stumble into the wall. The pain in my stomach mixes with the pain in my back, and my vision goes dark for a second. “Bryan was trying to help! Don’t be crazy!” I stare at her and suddenly, I’m laughing, even though tears are streaming down my face. All those years together, everything we had, she’s throwing it away like garbage. “Forget about him, I made your favorite shrimp bisque.” Mira pulls Bryan away and they sit down at my new dining table to eat breakfast. She even pours me a bowl but her tone is still cold. “You should have some too. It’ll help settle your stomach.” She sets the bowl on the table like I’m some guest in my own home. But she’s forgotten that I’ve been severely allergic to shellfish for years. Back in college, the first thing she ever cooked for me was shrimp bisque. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings so I had a bowl. I went into anaphylactic shock right there and almost didn’t make it. She was terrified and swore she’d never forget about my allergy again. But today, because Bryan loves it, she’s forgotten everything about us. I watch the soup slowly cool down and my heart goes cold right along with it.

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I poured all the freshly boiled herbal medicine into the toilet. With a whoosh, it was all gone. Mom rushed in, trembling with anger, and slapped me hard across the face. “Fiona! We bought the medicine with the money that your father earned from selling his blood! Are you crazy?” My face burned with pain. I clenched my teeth and didn’t cry. I had to act worse, so that when I died, they wouldn’t be too sad. This morning, I saw the ultrasound report. It was twins. How nice. Our family could only afford two kids, not three. I was the extra one. “The medicine is too bitter! I hate it! I hate you two!” I shouted, shoved Dad away, and crawled into bed. Under the blanket, I pressed my hand over my mouth so I wouldn’t make a sound. It hurt again. Something inside me was biting and chewing, and I couldn’t stop it. It was okay. Ferryman had already come once. In a few days, they would be able to raise those two little babies. “Good night, Dad, Mom. This is the last time I make you angry.” *** The bathroom was full of the smell of herbal medicine, bitter and astringent. The dark liquid ran down the white porcelain and was finally swept away by the water. Mom stood at the door, breathing heavily, still holding the empty bowl. “Fiona, do you know how much this bowl of medicine costs?” I lowered my head and looked at the hole in the toe of my shoe. I’d worn these shoes for three years. My big toe always poked through. “Two hundred.” Mom slammed the bowl to the ground. The bowl broke, and one piece cut across my calf. Blood seeped out, warm and sticky, but I barely noticed. Nothing could compare to the agony twisting inside my stomach. “Your father works at the construction site and even sells blood, all just to keep you alive!” Mom rushed over and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me. She was five months pregnant. Her belly bulged, trembling under that old sweater from anger. “I’m not drinking it!” I lifted my head and tried to make my eyes look fierce. “It tastes awful, like pee!” Mom slapped me again. This time she slapped me on the other side of my face. Both sides were swollen now, perfectly symmetrical. “You heartless ingrate!” The door was pushed open. Dad came back. He was wearing dusty work clothes, holding two steamed buns. When he saw the spilled medicine and broken pieces on the floor, he froze. His eyes were bloodshot. “Bella, what happened?” Dad’s voice was hoarse, completely drained. “She poured the medicine away.” Mom burst into tears and pointed at the toilet. “Freshly boiled, all poured away. She said it tasted awful.” Dad walked over. The smell of sweat and cement rushed into my nose. That smell reminded us of his fighting desperately for this family. He looked at me. His gaze went from fatigue, to disappointment, and finally to anger. “Fiona, I was drawn 400 cc today.” He rolled up his sleeve. There was a bandage in the crook of his arm, needle marks everywhere, bruised blue and purple. “In exchange for this batch of medicine.” He squatted down so his eyes were level with mine. “You poured it away?” I looked at his bruises, my heart twisting in pain. I wanted to ask him to stop selling blood, because the doctor said I was about to die soon, and no medicine could save me. I wanted to tell them that they had to save money for the two new babies. But I couldn’t say that. If I said it, they would go borrow money again, beg people again, sell their lives again. I had to be a bad, ungrateful child. “Yeah, I did.” I lifted my chin stubbornly. “I don’t wanna take the medicine bought with blood-selling money. TV says selling blood isn’t allowed.” Dad raised his hand. That hand was rough, full of calluses and dirt. I closed my eyes and waited. But the slap never came. Instead, he punched the wall beside me. Bang! A bloody mark was left on the wall. “Get lost.” He pointed at my room. “Get back to your room! Don’t let me see you.” I turned around and ran into the storage room that was less than five square meters. That was my bedroom. I closed the door and slid down against it. My stomach churned violently. I coughed up blood into my palm and quickly wiped it away with my sleeve. I couldn’t let them see. Outside the door came Mom’s sobbing and Dad’s heavy sigh. “This child is ruined. We can’t raise her right.” “We still got two babies on the way. Gotta educate them properly. Can’t raise another kid like her.” I curled up under the blanket, tears flowing into my mouth. It was salty. That was exactly what I wanted. I wanted them to hate me and despise me. And when I died, they wouldn’t be sorry. In the corner stood a tall uncle in a black suit, his face pale, holding a notebook. He was the Ferryman, guiding souls to the other side. Only I could see him. “Fiona, three days left.” “I know.” I pulled the blanket over my head. “Can you make it faster? I wanna leave tonight.” “No. The time hasn’t come yet.” Ferryman closed his notebook and disappeared into the corner of the wall. The pain gnawed at my stomach again. I bit the corner of my pillow and swallowed my sobs. Three days left. In these three days, I had to make them completely give up on me.

The next morning at breakfast, there were only two steamed buns on the table, a plate of pickles, and two bowls of steamed egg custard. I quickly finished the bowl in front of me and then stared at Mom’s bowl. “I want more!” Ever since my illness was diagnosed, all the family’s money had gone to buy medicine for me. Our food got worse and worse, and any good food was saved for me and my pregnant mom. Dad stopped eating and frowned at me. “Your mom is carrying your younger brother. She needs the nutrition.” “I want more!” I stood up and reached out to grab that bowl. “Fiona!” Dad shouted. I ignored him and stuck my hand straight into the bowl, grabbing a handful of egg and stuffing it into my mouth. It was hot, very hot. But I chewed desperately, smacking my lips, oil dripping all over my mouth. Then I deliberately tried to knock the bowl over. Mom reacted quickly and caught the bowl, but the soup spilled all over the table, and she burst into tears from anger. Dad stood up and grabbed me by the collar. “You think we won’t hit you?” “Hit me then!” I kicked my legs and spat the egg scraps in my mouth onto his face. “Beat me to death and you won’t have to spend money on my medicine! Perfect, you can raise those two little brats!” Dad’s hands were shaking. He threw me back onto the chair. The chair overturned. I fell to the ground, my tailbone aching terribly. But I quickly got up, dusted myself off, slung on my backpack, and ran out. “Fine! I’ll go buy snacks at school!” Dad shouted behind me, “Stop! Where did you get the money?” The moment the door closed, I heard the sound of bowls and plates shattering, and Dad’s desperate roar. “This must be punishment for something I did in the past. What kind of sin did I commit?” I actually had no money. In my pocket was only that crumpled photocopy of the diagnosis report. The last time at the hospital, I secretly took it from the doctor’s desk. It said late stage and already metastasized. I tore it up and threw it into the trash. Ferryman appeared again, floating beside me. “Why bother doing this? Making them hate you, you won’t feel at peace when you go.” “What’s the use of peace?” I kicked a small stone on the roadside. “If they love me, they’ll cry sadly when I die.” “If they hate me, when I die they’ll just curse me and then go on with their lives.” When I passed by a bun shop, I wanted to eat one, but I couldn’t. If I ate, I’d keep vomiting. I walked to the school gate but didn’t go in. I didn’t want to study anymore. I wouldn’t be able to take exams anyway. I sat on a park bench all day, watching other kids run around, watching other parents wipe their children’s sweat and feed them water. It seemed so nice. In the future, my younger brother and sister could live like that too. When I got home in the evening, there was a thick stack of money on the table. It was Dad’s wages for the day, and borrowed money. Dad said while smoking, “We’ll go to a big hospital tomorrow. Let’s get you checked again. Even if we have to sell the house, we’ll treat you.” Panic shot through me. I couldn’t go—if I did, the money would be wasted. That money should be used on my little brother and sister, for their milk, their survival. I walked to the table and grabbed the stack of money. “What are you doing?” Mom looked at me warily. “I want a new phone. Everyone in my class has one except me.” “Are you crazy?” Dad crushed out his cigarette and rushed over to grab the money. “This is life-saving money!” “I don’t want treatment! It won’t work anyway!” I hugged the money tightly and ran toward the door. “I just want a phone! I wanna play games!” “Fiona!” Dad caught up and kicked the back of my knee. I fell to the ground. My knee hit the floor hard. The money was scattered everywhere. Dad pinned me down and slapped me. This was the first time he’d ever hit me this hard. “I’ll beat the crap out of you, you ungrateful brat! I sell blood and risk my life, and you just wanna play games?” “Do you know your mother won’t even buy herself a new piece of clothing?” It hurt, but I laughed out loud. “Hahahaha! That’s because you’re useless!” “Why have children if you’re so poor? You give birth to us just to suffer!” Dad stopped. He looked at me, his voice trembling. “What did you say?” “I said you’re useless. You deserve to be poor!” Dad slowly straightened up—then, in that single moment, he seemed to age ten years. His back bent, his shoulders sagging under an invisible weight. “Fine. From today on, you’re not my daughter!” He bent down and picked up the money one bill at a time, wiping each one clean. Mom sat on the sofa, holding her belly, her eyes hollow. She didn’t even have the strength to curse me anymore. I struggled up, limped back to my room and then closed the door. I took out a hundred-dollar bill hidden in my sleeve. I’d secretly slipped it in during the chaos. I pressed it under my pillow. This was the meeting gift I left for my brother and sister. It wasn’t much, but I did my best. Ferryman stood at the bedside and looked at me. “Two days left.” “Alright.” I curled up and gently rubbed my knee. That kick really hurt. But I was okay with it. This way, you wouldn’t feel sorry for me two days later.

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Ten years ago, I caught my wife Emily Taylor making out with my adopted brother Jason Lewis. I completely lost control, slapped them both, and trashed the entire room. Faced with my breakdown, my wife didn’t explain anything. She just calmly watched me go crazy. That very night, she had me restrained and sent to prison. Before I was taken away, she prepared all my favorite dishes and spoke gently. “Thomas, Jason was frightened by you. I have to lock you up and you need to calm down. I’ll coax him first, and once he’s settled, I’ll come get you.” But I actually stayed in prison for ten years. Ten years later, when I was released, I went to a small town. I kept a low profile and worked as a server in a small restaurant. Until I saw my ex-wife Emily again. She was dressed head to toe in luxury brands, with exquisite makeup. When she saw me, she froze, then grabbed my hand with reddened eyes. “Thomas, you’re out! Why didn’t you tell me?” “It’s been so many years… How are you?” I gave a bitter smile and touched my head through my hat. I had no hair left. Ten years of torment had long given me cancer. Actually, I only had one month left to live. *** I didn’t answer her. I just tugged my padded jacket sleeve down, trying to hide the needle marks lining my arm. Emily was about to speak again when the boss shouted from over there. “Thomas, what are you doing? Go clear that table!” I responded briefly and hurried away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Emily try to call out to me, but after opening her mouth, she never made a sound. I served her dishes. She only ordered a braised fish, a bowl of spicy lamb soup, and a pot of wine. I frowned. She was allergic to fish and hated the smell of lamb, yet these were exactly my two favorite dishes. Unfortunately, because of stomach cancer, I hadn’t eaten them for many years. With a blank expression, I set the dishes in front of her. “Ma’am, all your dishes are here. Please enjoy.” After saying that, I turned to leave, but Emily grabbed my sleeve. “Thomas, all of these are for you. Sit down and have a drink with me, okay?” I froze where I stood, remembering how, before sending me to prison, she had prepared my favorite dishes just like this, followed immediately by ten years of hell. When she saw me stay silent, she continued, “Please, let’s talk.” I sighed and finally sat down across from Emily. She poured me a glass of wine. “Thomas, when you were released, I was going to pick you up. But when I got there, I couldn’t find you.” “I asked around in the prison about you, but they all said that you were dead.” I didn’t touch the wine or the food. “Not dead. Sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Emily.” Unexpectedly, Emily suddenly became emotional and leaned in to grab my hand. “Thomas, I admit I wronged you back then. Come back with me, okay? I’ll make it up to you!” “In three days it’s your dad’s sixtieth birthday. Come back with me. I’ll explain everything for you.” Back then, just to make my adopted brother Jason happy, and also out of fear that I would expose the scandal, Emily fabricated evidence that I had taken bribes at the company, condemning me to ten unjust years in prison. And my parents, without bothering to find out the truth, cut off all ties with me on the spot and cursed me as a parasite of society. Hearing Emily’s words, the pain and despair of those years surged back once again. I forced myself to suppress the overwhelming agony, but my body still trembled uncontrollably. “Explain? How are you gonna do that?” “Tell them all those shameless things between you and Jason?” Because I was emotionally agitated, my voice rose a little. In an instant, the surrounding curious and gossiping gazes all turned toward us. I abruptly stood up and walked away.

I thought I would never see Emily again. After all, how much genuine remorse could there be from someone who personally sent me to hell? But early the next morning, just as I arrived at work, I saw her already waiting at the entrance. When she saw me, she hurried over and said, “Thomas, you used to be a top engineer. Now you’re stuck in a restaurant like this. Can you really accept this?” I sneered and said, “Wasn’t my life already destroyed by you? And now you say this? Don’t you find it disgusting?” After hearing my words, Emily choked for a moment, panic flashing across her face. Just as she was about to explain, I went inside. Emily didn’t leave. She ordered a plate of food and a pot of tea and stayed in the restaurant all day. I ignored her and stayed busy as usual. Near the end of my shift, my stomach suddenly twisted in pain, and I felt like throwing up. I forced myself to endure the pain, staggering back a step, and accidentally knocked over a glass of red wine on a customer’s table. The wine spilled all over him. The man froze for a moment. Before I could even apologize, he slapped me hard. “Damn it, are you blind? This outfit is a luxury brand. Can you afford to pay for it?” The more he spoke, the more agitated he became. Ignoring my apologies, he kicked me hard in the stomach, sending me crashing to the ground. Then he picked up the red wine from the table and poured it over my head. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. With a retch, I vomited blood. The bright red liquid mixed with the red wine, soaking me in a bloody mess. Still not satisfied, the man lifted his foot to kick me again, but someone shoved him aside. Emily, her eyes blazing red, stood firmly in front of me and roared. “Don’t you touch him again!” The man was about to curse, but when he saw the look in Emily’s bloodshot eyes, a trace of fear flashed across his face. After muttering a couple of more curses, he quickly fled the restaurant. Emily carefully helped me up, her face full of concern. “Thomas, all this blood…” I looked at the red stains covering my clothes and said in a flustered voice, “It’s just some red wine.” After saying that, I pushed Emily away and fled. The next day, I resigned from my job. I had only taken the job to earn money for chemotherapy and medicine. Now that I was going to die anyway, there was no need to keep working. What’s more, my greatest wish now was to stay as far away from Emily and the others as possible. At the very least, I wanted to die in peace. There were no formal procedures for resigning. I just needed to tell the boss, settle my wages, and I could leave. As soon as I walked out of the restaurant, I remembered that my last checkup report was still at the hospital. I decided to go get it and buy some painkillers. But just after I picked up the report at the hospital, I saw a familiar figure. It was my adopted brother, Jason. And standing beside him were Emily and my biological parents. Jason was the first to see me. He froze in place, and after a long moment, spoke in disbelief. “Thomas? You’re not dead?” I glanced at the medicine he was carrying. It was from the obstetrics building, and on the bag was written the pregnant woman’s name. It was Emily. Only then did I notice that, though not obvious, Emily’s lower abdomen was indeed slightly rounded. Even after ten years, seeing this with my own eyes still felt like a piece of my heart being torn out alive. I gave a self-mocking smile. “Still alive. Disappointed?”

At those words, I saw a flash of malice on Jason’s face, but he still put on a wronged expression as he spoke. “Thomas, I know you hate that I married Emily.” “But you already divorced her, and ten years ago you did something wrong and went to prison. You can’t expect her to wait for you forever, right?” Emily also spoke up. “Mom and Dad are both here. Just apologize. Tomorrow is Dad’s birthday. They’ll forgive you.” I sneered. It was clearly their fault. Why should I be the one apologizing? I said bluntly, “You all know very well what the truth was ten years ago. Why should I apologize?” At that moment, my parents finally noticed me. They looked much older. Not yet sixty, yet their hair was almost completely white, their backs already hunched. When they saw me, they froze as well. My mom reacted first, frowning as she spoke. “Why have you gotten so thin? Did you smoke or something?” “You did something wrong ten years ago. After getting out of prison you didn’t come look for us? Clearly you’re guilty!” I was stunned, and it took me a long moment to understand what she meant. How ridiculous. Ten years without seeing me, they didn’t ask how I’d been at all. Her first reaction was suspicion that I had caught bad habits. That was the image I had in their eyes! I laughed until tears came out. Seeing me laugh, my dad frowned too. “Your mom’s right. You’re abnormally thin.” As he spoke, without any explanation, he grabbed me and dragged me toward the hospital’s testing area. “Come with me for a urine test!” His voice was loud, instantly drawing a crowd. In the scuffle, my dad shoved me to the ground. My head hit the corner of a nearby table, blood streaming down my forehead. Because I was emotionally agitated, my stomach started hurting again. Cold sweat quickly soaked through my clothes. At that moment, Emily spoke again. Her tone was gentle, laced with worry. “Thomas, I didn’t notice yesterday. You’re really too thin now. I also think you should do the test.” “At worst, we’ll take you to rehab. It’s not too late.” Jason also put on a show of concern. “Thomas, I know you’re miserable, but you can’t keep making more mistakes!” They were still so condescending. Why? I hadn’t done anything wrong. Why did they always think I did something wrong? Why did I have to pay for their imagination? My dad reached out to grab me again. I pushed his hand away and struggled to get up from the ground. “No need. I’ll go myself.” With that, I limped into the urine testing room. Of course the results were normal. A trace of awkwardness flashed across my parents’ faces, but they didn’t apologize. They only glanced at me and spoke stiffly. “Forget it. Come home. Tomorrow is your dad’s sixtieth birthday. Remember to come.” I took a step back, widening the distance between us. “You were right back then. I’m not your son. We already cut ties long ago.” “I won’t be attending the sixtieth birthday. Happy birthday in advance, sir.” After saying that, I bowed to them. Ignoring their curses and attempts to stop me, I turned and left the hospital.

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My older brother, Carl Jackson, killed eight members of the Parker family in a car accident. The only survivor, Victor Parker, canceled his engagement to me that very day in revenge, drove my family’s company into bankruptcy within a week, and left us facing compensation claims totaling 900 million. My brother was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. Unable to withstand the pressure, my parents jumped from the company building and died instantly. Yet on the day of their funeral, Victor forcibly married my sister-in-law, Anna Smith. “You guys owe me this! You Jacksons will never be able to repay this—ever.” I was sold off to settle the debts. Over those six years, I was forced to undergo countless abortions. I was treated as less than human, summoned and discarded whenever they pleased. Six years later, after I finally paid off all the debts and came to the Parker residence, hoping Victor would show mercy and give Anna her freedom. At the office door, I overheard a phone call between Victor and his friend. “Back then, you tampered with Carl’s car and made him kill your entire family for you.” “You became the head of the Parker family, and married Anna you’d long dreamed of. You’ve gotten everything you wanted. Why won’t you let Iris go?” “You grew up together, after all. Do you really have to be this heartless?” Victor’s voice was cold as ice. “If it weren’t for her, Anna and I would’ve married long ago.” “She went to every possible length, using every dirty trick just to be with me. Everything she’s suffering now is nothing but the consequences of her own actions!” My breath caught, and I barely managed to pull back my hand from the door. Tears fell in heavy drops as I was about to turn and leave, when a sharp, wary voice called out from inside the room. “Who’s there?” The door flew open. Victor scanned the surroundings with a guarded gaze. Only after confirming no one was there did he slam the door shut. Crouched behind the wall, I covered my mouth, barely daring to breathe. Victor and I grew up together. Since childhood, he took care of me even more than my own brother did. I spent every birthday with him, and every birthday gift from him was exactly what I wanted most. If I hadn’t heard the truth with my own ears, I would never have believed that the gentle, considerate childhood friend in my memories was the mastermind behind that accident. It was all for revenge against me, all for the position of heir. So many lives were destroyed by him! And I endured all the humiliation just to stay alive and atone for this devil! My nails dug into my flesh. I held back my tears in case they heard me. Only by summoning all my strength did I manage to stay on my feet and leave. When I reached the company entrance, I was stopped by a familiar, gentle voice. “Iris? Is it you?” My sister-in-law, Anna, was dressed in elegant designer clothes. Years had passed, yet time had left no trace on her beautiful face. Her gaze was pure, but when she took my hand, a flash of disdain flickered past. “You finally come back. Why didn’t you even tell me? Victor said you were sick and recovering abroad all this time. Are you feeling better now?” Hearing that, my heart clenched painfully. For six years, I had been treated as a sex slave, living with no dignity at all. But he told Anna I was recovering from illness abroad? “These past years must have been hard for you, right?” “After what happened back then, Victor said he would only let the Jackson family go if I agreed to marry him. I really had no choice.” “You… still blame me?” Anna seemed pretty sincere. I wavered. She’s completely powerless. Even if she found out the truth, what could she do? I was just about to speak, to tell her I had indeed been recovering abroad. But from behind me came a voice, icy to the bone. “Who allowed you to come here?”

Victor stood in front of Anna protectively, his face full of vigilance. When he looked at me, his disgust was undisguised. “I’ll leave right away.” Fear overwhelmed the hatred in my heart. I didn’t even dare meet his eyes. Instinctively, I wanted to escape. “Stop.” “Why does Anna look so unwell? What did you just say to her?” Anna’s face had been rosy just moments ago, but now she frowned a little. She faked an uncomfortable look. Then she shook her head, as if to cover something up. “Victor, it has nothing to do with her. Seeing her just reminded me of those painful things from back then, and I feel the baby just kicked me.” I looked at her belly and was totally stunned. Victor shot me a vicious glare. “Iris! Your brother killed almost my entire family. If you had any sense, you’d stay far away. Why come here to provoke Anna?” “Don’t tell me you still wanna marry me. Let me tell you, it’s impossible in this lifetime!” Victor’s ferocious look and words stabbed into my heart like a long thorn. Fortunately, my heart was already numb with pain. “I didn’t.” I rushed to deny it. But he pressed closer step by step. “Then why are you here?” “I’m warning you. Don’t ever appear in front of Anna again. If anything happens to the child in her belly, I’ll make you pay with your life!” After saying that, Victor anxiously took Anna to the hospital for a checkup. I watched the man who once held me like I was fragile treasure now leave, Anna at his side, not so much as a backward glance. Suddenly, I felt like crying. If only I hadn’t clung so desperately back then, insisting on marrying Victor… If only I had realized sooner that he was just treating me as his sister, and that the one he truly loved was Anna… Perhaps none of this tragedy would have happened. I would still have parents who loved me, and a brother who cherished me. But no matter how much I regretted it, there was no chance to start over. Like a walking corpse, I returned to my tiny rented room. Blood from my nose soaked the crumpled, late-stage cancer diagnosis I was holding. Originally, this was meant to be my moral bargaining chip to save Anna. Now, it was no longer needed. Large tears rolled down. I was someone who had endured being violated by more than a dozen people on this bed without shedding a single tear. Now I was crying so hard that I could barely breathe. Believing I was about to die, I hurriedly wiped away the blood and tears, trembling fingers to call my brother in prison. After a series of transfers, I finally heard a beep. “Carl, I won’t be able to wait for the day you’re released.” “I saved up some money for you. It’s not much. After you get out, use it to rent a place, find a job, and live well.” “And, Mom and Dad’s deaths aren’t your fault. I’m so sorry.” I didn’t dare hear Carl’s voice. After finishing, I hurriedly hung up. In that instant, the phone slipped from my hand. I lost consciousness as soon as the phone hit the ground.

When I opened my eyes, I was already lying in a hospital ward. Hearing that I had woken up, the doctor hurried over and scolded me. “You’re not taking care of yourself at all! Refusing chemotherapy—and not even taking your medication?” “Life is so precious, yet you treat yourself like this? What about everyone who loves you—your family, your friends?” I forced a smile. But it looked worse than crying. “Doc…” Before I could say anything, my phone suddenly rang. It was from the prison. Seeing more than thirty missed calls, a strong sense of unease surged in my chest. “Iris Jackson, your brother Carl hanged himself with bedsheets in a blind spot of the surveillance camera in the cell restroom. Despite emergency medical treatment, he was pronounced dead at 10:03 a.m. today.” I didn’t hear the rest clearly. It felt as if I were being sunk into the deep sea, everything muffled and distant. Ignoring the doctor’s well-meaning advice, I dragged my unsteady body to the funeral home. I stared at the black-and-white photo made from a screenshot of my brother’s wedding picture taken years ago. I cried until I completely lost control. News of Carl’s death spread quickly, and some relatives who had long cut off contact also came to pay their respects. Anna came as well. She walked in holding a wreath, dressed in mourning clothes. The relatives all praised her for being affectionate and loyal, saying that even after so many years of divorce, she still came to see my brother. But I looked at her coldly, my eyes red. “Please leave.” Anna staggered back a few steps in disbelief. Then her tears poured out. “Iris! How dare you talk to Anna like that? You better apologize to her now!” My uncle Aaron Jackson slammed his cane hard against the floor. The others also looked at me angrily. “Yeah, Iris. How can you be so ungrateful? Your brother committed such a grave mistake back then, and Anna was the one who handled your parents’ funerals and all the mess alone!” “And you? You just disappeared back then. Now you come back pretending to be a good sister?” “I heard you took the money and ran off overseas to live it up. Why are you back at this moment? You wanna take advantage of Anna cuz she’s living a good life now?” “Absolutely outrageous!” “I think the one who should get out is you!” My heart hurt so much as if it had been stabbed. “That’s not true, I didn’t!” I was sold by Victor to creditors to pay off debts. For these past years, I repaid the company’s debts by serving them as a slave! I wasn’t ungrateful at all. “It was Victor! He lied to all of you!” “I never went abroad. I’m not like that!” Aunt Zara rolled her eyes at me. Just as she was about to scold me, Anna stopped her. “Please, uncles and aunts, don’t say any more. Iris is Carl’s sister. I did fail to take good care of her.” “She went abroad because she was sick. On a day like today, she must be heartbroken. So I totally understand why she doesn’t wanna see me.” Anna’s sensible, pitiful demeanor only made the surrounding relatives feel more indignant on her behalf. “Sick? I think that’s just an excuse she made up.” “Something happens to the family and she gets sick? How could there be such a coincidence?” “Anna, don’t speak up for this ungrateful wretch. Her parents and brother treated her so well when they were alive, but look at what she did. I still can’t believe she actually ran away at that time!” I laughed. When my family fell apart and my parents were scrambling everywhere to borrow money, they shut their doors and refused to see us. Now, each and every one of them had become deeply affectionate, righteous people. “Uncle Aaron, you don’t get to condemn me. When your factory ran into trouble, my parents paid the twenty million of breach-of-contract fees without hesitation. But when my family had problems, why wouldn’t you even lend us one million?” “And Aunt Zara, when you were sick, my mother stayed in the hospital to care for you. She lost ten pounds in one month. But when my father jumped from the building, you stood by making snide remarks, asking her to follow him in death! If it weren’t for you, my mother wouldn’t have jumped so resolutely!” “Who are the ungrateful wretches here? How dare you two lecture me?” A surge of anger rushed to my head, and blood immediately gushed from my nose. I pressed hard against it, but the blood kept pouring out uncontrollably. Anna walked toward me, reaching out anxiously to support me. I shoved her away with one push. My limbs were clearly weak, and I had almost no strength left. Yet Anna fell straight backward in front of me. “Ah!” Her eyes were filled with terror as her hand reached down toward her lower body. A pool of blood had already spread across the floor. “My baby… No! My baby!” Everyone panicked. Some rushed to call Victor, others hurried to call an ambulance. I leaned against the wall, feeling really dizzy. As I watched them send Anna into the ambulance, I completely lost consciousness as well.

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On Christmas Eve, several of my colleagues received flowers from their boyfriends. Mia, wanting to tease me, said, “Ella’s boyfriend has a PhD in Art. No wonder he knows how to do romance better than any of us!” Two years ago, Noah gave me a bouquet of 999 deep red roses that made everyone envious. Last year, he gave me a photo frame inlaid with countless tiny diamonds forming the words “I Love You.” When it came to gifting occasions, Noah had never let me down. But this year, my phone stayed silent all night. Worried that something might have happened to Noah, I took early annual leave and flew to Engisland to check on him. But when I braved the wind and snow and arrived at the lobby of his building, I saw him standing by a Christmas tree, kissing another girl. *** When I clearly saw that guy’s face and confirmed it was Noah, I completely froze. Noah gently lifted the girl into his arms, coaxing her as she wrote a wish on the ribbon. “Baby, tomorrow is Christmas.” “Santa Claus will grant all your wishes.” The girl’s eyes sparkled as she wrapped her arms around Noah’s neck and said, “Will he really grant all my wishes?” Noah blinked, his hand lightly patting the girl’s bottom. “Of course.” The gesture is intimate enough to hurt. Almost instinctively, I hid in a nearby corner, as if I was the third one between them. Tears spilled out uncontrollably. It was eight years of long-distance love, and this was the first time I had ever checked up on him. Her voice is soft as she gives Noah’s chest a playful tap. “Come on, put me down.” Noah supported her waist with one hand and pressed the back of her neck with the other, forcing her to bend down for a kiss. I collapsed as I unlocked my phone, taking several deep breaths to steady myself. As long as Noah didn’t lie, as long as he admitted the girl was just someone he was fooling around with, I could deceive myself and forgive him. I could pretend I knew nothing. “Noah, who are you with?” A familiar ringtone sounded not far away. The girl pouted and questioned Noah, “Your phone’s been ringing all night. Which lover of you is it?” She turned her head away in anger. Noah immediately raised three fingers. “Chloe, you’re the only one I love. There’s no one else, I swear. “For you, I even abandoned my fiancée and stayed with you here for six years.” I had been with Noah for eight years, yet he had been with another woman for six of them. I laughed at myself as I collapsed weakly onto the ground. Mia sent a message out of concern. “Ella, did you arrive safely in Engisland?” “Enjoy your time, but don’t forget to return early to take care of work matters.” Tears fell in large drops. My colleagues knew I was coming to see my boyfriend, so they prepared a date outfit for me and gave me a delicate couple’s bracelet as a gift. We all thought Noah would be overjoyed to see me. The voices behind me gradually faded away. I peeked out and saw the girl linking her arm with Noah’s, looking sweet, as they went upstairs. Suddenly, she leapt onto Noah’s back, light and lively like a little sparrow. “Come on. Practice carrying me into the wedding room in advance.” Wedding room? Had Noah even thought about marrying her? Then what about the eight passionate years between Noah and me? And the promise he personally made to marry me? I booked a hotel room facing Noah’s apartment. Whenever I draw the curtains, I can see him and his girlfriend going about their daily lives. After a simple investigation, I learned the girl’s name was Chloe Carter, Noah’s student. On campus, they maintained a distant teacher-student relationship. But no one knew that outside of school, they lived together and were deeply in love. The school might not intervene in a teacher-student relationship on paper, but Noah juggling two relationships, with Chloe knowingly becoming the other woman, would certainly face condemnation.

I stood by the window, torturing myself. I watched Noah gently peel her clothes away, watched him press soft kisses to her lips. Two shadows entwined on the wall, intimate and twisting, illuminated by the dim yellow light that flickered through the night. It felt as if my heart were being sliced apart. The pain was so intense I could barely breathe. It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that Noah finally replied to my message. “I was working overtime in the studio tonight to rush a client’s draft. So sorry, honey. I even forgot to say Merry Christmas to you.” He transferred the money to me, noting it as a voluntary gift. I stared at the glaring, cold numbers, my chest aching all over with a thousand tiny pains. In the past, whenever there was a holiday, no matter where he was in the world, Noah would fly back to my side. I used to laugh and tease him for not being able to live without me. And he would act spoiled, nuzzling into the hollow of my neck. “I’m your husband-to-be so of course I can’t live without you. When I finish my studies, I’ll come back to marry you.” “We’ll never be separate again.” Five years ago, Noah completed his PhD. When I asked about his return date, he said he was not sure. A friend had invited him to open an art studio there, and he couldn’t leave for the time being. Three years ago, I heard rumors that the studio had moved back and asked him when he would return to marry me. He hesitated and told me he had been hired as an instructor at an Art School in Engisland. The wedding date was postponed again and again, and I grew sensitive and anxious. I started to wonder if Noah was with someone else there. To ease my doubts, he would report in with a video call every week without fail. But now, when I scrolled through our chat history, his last reply was from half a month ago. After that came my long, one-sided monologue. I didn’t accept the transfer and started typing. “I’ll come find you tomorrow and spend Christmas together.” My phone said he was typing. But no reply came for a long time. It wasn’t until three hours later that he sent a cute emoji with a message. “I hate to see you worn out from the long trip, don’t come over—let’s video call instead.” Noah clearly could have confessed, yet he still said nothing about it. Perhaps, in his heart, I had long since stopped mattering. I gave Noah no time to think. At dawn, I knocked on his door. When he opened it, he seemed still very sleepy. He thought I was delivering newspapers and turned sideways, pointing at the coffee table. “Just put it there.” I followed the direction he pointed, and a girl’s pink lace nightgown lay casually on the sofa—rumpled and in utter disarray. Sour bile surged in my stomach, and my eyes burned with pain. “Noah…” When he heard my voice, his back stiffened instantly and his eyes snapped fully awake. He cried out in shock. “Ella?” “Yes, it’s me.” The bedroom door suddenly clicked open from the inside, and the girl came out wearing only her underwear, rubbing her sleepy eyes. “So noisy…” Noah’s face changed drastically. He hurriedly took off his coat and wrapped it around her, explaining guiltily. “Ella, she’s my student. She had a fight with her boyfriend yesterday and they were talking about breaking up.” “I was worried something might happen to her, so I let her stay for one night.” The girl’s face was pale as she bit her lower lip and looked at me timidly. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Ella…” I nodded, unable to force even the slightest smile. Noah personally cooked a big meal for me. After eight years, he had finally learned to wash clothes and cook for a woman. But that woman wasn’t me. After the meal, Chloe stood up, saying she needed to go to class. Noah picked up his car keys, preparing to drive her. Suppressing my grievance and anger, I smiled and took his arm. “Take me to the school as well. I’d like to have a look.”

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15 years ago, the body of a victim who had been tortured and murdered appeared in my room. My parents chose justice over family and accused me of murder. My twin brother, Calum West, cried as he tried to convince me to turn myself in. My wife, Wendy Fisher, who was a company CEO, immediately wanted to divorce me. I was sentenced to prison. The victim’s family members paid other inmates to make me lose my voice and break my limbs. The torture followed me through every one of those fifteen years. On the day of my release, my ex-wife and brother came to pick me up wearing wedding rings. Calum said emotionally, “Welcome back, James. Now that you’ve done your time, we’ll take care of you from now on.” The prison guard next to me said earnestly, “Look at how well your brother and his wife are treating you. This is your chance to turn over a new leaf.” I sneered. “But I’m not the murderer from 15 years ago. It was my twin brother, Calum West,” I said inwardly. *** The journalists who came with my brother, Calum West, surrounded me. Cameras of all sizes were aimed at me. “Mr. West, you murdered someone ruthlessly and also tortured the victim’s body, but were only sentenced to prison for 15 years. Is this because of your sister-in-law, Ms. Fisher’s wealth and power?” “What do you have to say about the victim’s family members saying that they want to kill you?” “Did you ever regret what you did during the past 15 years?” They got so close to me that their microphones were practically in my face. The journalists crowding around me immediately reminded me of the living hell that I had been through over the past 15 years in prison. I subconsciously put my hands on my head and started backing away. But my crippled leg caused me to trip and fall over. “Please… please don’t hit me…” Amid the commotion, my ex-wife, Wendy Fisher, pushed through the crowd and stood between those journalists and me. “What my husband’s brother committed was not intentional murder, and he’s done his time. There were no under-the-table dealings. If you keep on harassing James, then my lawyer will be in touch with every single one of you!” shouted Wendy. Only after hearing her threat did the journalist disperse. Only then did Calum rush forward. He reached out his hand with a concerned look on his face. “Are you alright, James? It was a good thing that I asked Wendy to come along. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know the journalists would be here as well.” Wendy wrapped her arms around Calum’s other hand and said softly, “It wasn’t your fault. There’s no need for you to feel sorry.” I swatted his hand away and struggled to climb off the ground. I tried my best to straighten my back, which had been curved by years of submission. “Drop the act already.” Calum was the only person that I didn’t want to show my weak side to. I dragged my cripple leg and walked stubbornly towards the car. Calum quickly got into the backseat as well. He deliberately showed me the wedding ring on his finger. He sounded apologetic, but he still couldn’t hide the proud look in his eyes. “James, Wendy and I got married 15 years ago. Back when you committed murder and were sentenced to prison, I had poor health. So in order to take care of me, she proposed to me.” With that said, he pretended to be surprised and gasped. Then he smiled apologetically. “Don’t worry, James. Wendy and I have already talked about it. You’ll still be living in the villa. After all, you’ve been behind bars for 15 years. Even if you are a talented person, it’ll still be quite hard for you to survive by yourself.” “Calum!” Wendy interrupted Calum’s nonstop ranting. She looked at me from the rearview mirror, and her voice softened. “James only just got out of prison. Let him get some rest.” Calum nodded sulkily. I turned and looked at the scenery that was speeding past outside the window. My thoughts seemed to have drifted to what happened 15 years ago. Back then, I was a top venture capitalist in the industry. Countless investors would line up outside my office, money in hand, all eager for a seat at my table. The money Wendy used to start her company, along with all the follow-up funding, was provided by me. She once grabbed my hand tightly with a grateful look in her eyes and promised me that she would protect me for as long as she lived. Neither would she let me suffer any grievance. But 15 years of imprisonment caused my talent to wither away. It just numbed me. The world I once belonged to no longer had a place for me. After the car came to a halt, I looked at the building in front of me in a little bit of a daze. The house that Calum was talking about just now was actually the house that Wendy and I lived in after we got married. Our parents walked over to greet us, but all their attention was on Calum. I stood at the side and watched as the three of them interacted warmly with each other. It was as if I were just an outsider. Wendy walked over with my luggage in her hand. “Mom, Dad. James’s back.” The smile on their faces disappeared. When they turned to look at me, both of them frowned almost at the same time. My father’s face became disgusted. “Wendy, I thought I already told you not to bring a freak who tortures other people’s bodies back home!” My mother nodded in agreement. “You’re dad’s right, Wendy. His presence is only making the air in the house foul.” My heart ached at those words. Ever since I was born, my parents had always favored my brother. I always thought that they loved me as well, but realization dawned on me 15 years ago. It seemed that everything had only been my imagination. Calum grabbed our parents and said, “Mom, Dad, James has been in prison for 15 years. Can’t you be nicer to him for my sake?” Our parents snorted and didn’t say any more. The dinner finished very quickly. I was arranged to stay in a storage room. I remained silent when I saw the so-called bed, which was only a plank of wood with no mattress. In the middle of the night, I lay on the plank of wood and didn’t feel sleepy at all. In prison, the other inmates took shifts keeping watch over me, making sure I never slept. The moment I closed my eyes, the beating started. Knock. Knock. Knock. The sudden knocking made me jump. It took me a while to realize that I was no longer in prison. Listening to the knocking of the door, I slowly got out of bed. I clenched my fists when I saw who was standing at the door. “What are you doing here?”

Wendy looked worried. “I came to check on you. After all, you only just got out of prison.” “Get lost! I don’t need you to pretend that you care about me!” I said in a cold voice. She looked at me helplessly. There was a flash of indulgence in her eyes. It was the exact same look from 16 years ago. Back then, I saw Calum lying on her bed naked. The sight almost drove me crazy. But all she did was pull Calum behind her and allowed me to vent my anger however I pleased. Only when I became tired did she speak up. “Calum and I were just drunk. Nothing happened between us. It’s not what you think.” That face in my memories slowly overlapped with the look on her face right now. She reached out, grabbed my wrist, and slowly rubbed my skin. Her touch gave me goosebumps. “Don’t touch me!” I struggled to break free but couldn’t. “James, you’re the one that I’ve always loved. The only reason I married Calum is help you take care of your family. Calum and I aren’t really a thing…” I sneered and interrupted. “What? Are you taking care of my family in bed? Calum did say before dinner that you had an abortion for him.” Wendy desperately wanted to pull me into her arms. “It’s not what you think, James! I’ve always been waiting for you over the past 15 years. I said I’ll always protect you.” I pushed her away forcefully and took a couple of steps back. “Don’t you find my current state disgusting? Are you planning on dating both Calum and me?” Wendy looked hurt. “James…” “What are you doing?” Calum’s sharp voice echoed in the corridor. He looked infuriated. Our parents stood by him and looked at me with eyes full of disgust. Wendy quickly walked over and wrapped her arms around his to comfort him. Calum suddenly walked up to me and slapped me hard across the face. “James, I’ve brought you home out of kindness. But you start flirting with Wendy as soon as you come back? She’s my wife now! Have you no shame?” I swallowed the blood in my mouth and snorted. “I didn’t do anything.” Seeing that he didn’t believe me, I curved my lips and said meaningfully, “Even if I did do something, I got that from you.” “Back when I first brought Wendy home, didn’t you sneak into her room wearing my pajamas?” Calum loved to take things that I liked ever since we were little. He even tried to flirt with Wendy openly back when I first brought her home. Back then, Wendy chose me and turned him down. Even when our parents were pretending nothing had happened, Wendy still stood firmly by my side. However, it was a pity that Wendy gradually began to favor Calum as well during the three years that we were married. My father slapped me hard across the face. “Why are you still talking about such nonsense? Even Wendy said that it was a misunderstanding. Why do you keep bringing it up?” My mother hugged Calum to comfort him. She then complained to Wendy, “He’s a murderer. Can’t you just give him some money and send him off? Why did you have to bring him home and cause all this chaos?” I covered my face and chuckled. My voice was hoarse. “Murderer? But I’m not the one who’s murdered someone.”

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It was the first year of Gabriel Anderson and Serena Lynch’s “business marriage.” Gabriel had jumped from a third-story balcony, breaking his leg just to prove a point. Clutching his parents’ hands, he’d hissed through the pain, “I will only ever love Chloe Shaw. No one else.” Meanwhile, Serena, my supposed best friend, spent the entire night crying with me. “Don’t worry, Chloe,” she whispered, never leaving my side. “Once we take control of our family companies, I’ll give him back to you. I’ll keep an eye on him for you—I won’t let him hurt you.” Everyone said I was the luckiest girl alive. I had a boyfriend who would die for me and a best friend who treated me like a sister. But that was five years ago. Now, in the fifth year of their engagement, I stood in our living room and handed Gabriel Serena’s positive pregnancy test. “We’re done,” I said. Gabriel didn’t flinch. He let out a dry, mocking laugh. “Serena is my fiancée, Chloe. Isn’t it normal for her to be pregnant?” Before I could react, he grabbed my hand and snapped my ring finger. I gasped in agony as he ripped the engagement ring off and tossed it into the trash. “Stop using these pathetic ‘breakup’ stunts to get my attention,” he sneered. “It’s getting old.” I looked down at my hand, trembling as I pulled it away from his grip. The pain was blinding, but I didn’t scream. For five years, I had screamed. I had cried until my throat was raw. Yet all my pain did was fuel the fire between him and Serena. Every tear I shed only drew them closer together. I looked up, my voice steadier than I expected. “Gabriel, you told me to wait. I waited five years for… this.” “I’m done wasting my life on you. It’s over.” He didn’t even look at me. He walked casually into the living room and saw my packed suitcases. Leaning back against the sofa, he gave me a look of pure derision. “Quite the performance. But let’s be real—everything in those bags was bought with my money. It’s a bit tacky to take them, don’t you think?” He tilted his head, his eyes cold. “Be honest, Chloe. Can you even survive a day without me?” He was certain I’d stay. He was used to me folding, used to me accepting his excuses. He always claimed he “owed” Serena. He acted as if keeping her in our lives was some great sacrifice on her part. And so, time after time, he lowered his bottom line for her. “Serena is only doing this ‘fake’ engagement so we can be together,” he used to say. “She’s giving up her best years for us. We can’t be cruel to her.” But that “kindness” turned into passionate hugs, then gentle kisses, and eventually, her in his bed. Whenever I found the photos—the ones that felt like a serrated knife to my chest—he would come crawling back. Once, he even knelt at my feet, pressing a blade to his own stomach until he bled. “I just wanted to show her what it felt like to be loved, Chloe. I was just compensating her. I swear, it’s the last time. Please, don’t think I’m dirty.” I believed him. I let his blood stain my dress and I forgave him. But then came the videos. Each one worse than the last. I had reached my limit. I had fought him, hit him, and even sent him to the hospital once in a fit of rage. I had said “it’s over” a thousand times. And over those five years, his reaction had shifted from desperate terror to cold indifference. I walked to the suitcase, opened it, and pulled out only my passport and legal documents. “Your things? You can keep them. I don’t want a single reminder of you.” I looked him dead in the eye. “And Gabriel? There isn’t a person on this earth I can’t live without. Especially not you.”

Gabriel’s smug grin vanished instantly. Just then, the front door swung open. Gabriel’s cold expression shifted in a heartbeat as he deliberately shoved past me, his shoulder slamming into mine. He rushed to the door to catch Serena Lynch. “Serena? What are you doing here?” His voice was thick with worry. “This place is a mess—be careful, you might get hurt.” Serena reached out, looking like she wanted to help me, but she stumbled. Gabriel caught her hand immediately. They stood there, fingers interlaced right in front of me, their matching engagement rings on full display. When Serena noticed me staring, she pulled her hand away with a practiced look of panic. “Today was my prenatal checkup… I’m so sorry, Chloe. Did I interrupt? I’ll tell Gabe to come see you after we’re finished today.” Gabriel grabbed her hand back and kissed her knuckles. “Why are you even explaining yourself to her? She’s like a rabid dog lately, biting anyone who gets close. I don’t even want to see her face. Let her rot here.” His gaze flicked to me out of the corner of his eye. Seeing no reaction from me, he slammed the door and walked away. My broken finger was still throbbing with a dull, rhythmic ache. I grabbed my documents and headed to the hospital. As soon as I stepped into the lobby, I saw them again. Gabriel—a man so obsessed with cleanliness he used to avoid public benches—was kneeling on the floor, gently massaging Serena’s calves. He looked like he was handling a priceless artifact. I had no desire to watch. I turned toward the orthopedic wing, but Serena was waiting for me in the hallway. When she saw me, a flicker of hesitation crossed her face, quickly replaced by a look of firm resolve. “Chloe,” she started, blocking my path. “I think it’s best if you don’t see Gabe while I’m pregnant. The baby needs his father’s full attention. You love Gabe so much. I’m sure you wouldn’t want anything to happen to his child, right?” Then, she pulled out a thick stack of cash. In front of the crowded hallway, she shoved the money into my arms. “Take this. Consider it… compensation.” She didn’t lower her voice. I felt the weight of a dozen judgmental stares. I even heard someone whisper “mistress” under their breath. Serena flinched at the murmurs, lowering her voice to a theatrical whisper. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for them to hear.” She grabbed my hand, just like she used to in college when she wanted a favor. “Please… just stay away from Gabe for a while. The baby needs a father.” In the middle of the crowd’s insults, I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. “Serena, aren’t you tired of playing the victim? You stole him. Just enjoy the prize and shut up.” Heavy footsteps thundered behind me. Serena collapsed onto the floor, tears streaming down her face instantly. “Chloe, I’m sorry! I said the wrong thing!” Gabriel rushed over, hauling her up. When he looked at me, his eyes were filled with pure loathing. “Chloe Shaw, are you a literal animal? Putting your hands on a pregnant woman? Get on your knees and apologize to Serena right now. Or I promise you—this time, I won’t let you off easy.”

This was the thousandth time. The thousandth time Gabriel Anderson blindly took Serena’s side without a second thought. If this had been a year ago, I would have fought tooth and nail, arguing until I proved my innocence. But now? I just felt an all-consuming exhaustion. Serena knew me well. Before I could even speak, she reached out and timidly tugged on Gabriel’s sleeve. “Don’t talk to Chloe like that, Gabe. It was my fault… I just tripped.” Predictably, her “defense” only made Gabriel’s eyes turn colder. “You don’t need to cover for her, Serena. We both know exactly what kind of person she is.” He looked at me, his voice dropping to a threat. “Chloe, if you want to walk out of this hospital in one piece, you’d better apologize to Serena right now.” I was done with the drama. I pointed to the security camera on the wall. “The truth is right there. Watch the footage yourself.” I tried to step past him, but a hand suddenly clamped onto the back of my head. Gabriel yanked my hair back with such force that I was forced to look him in the eyes. “You think you can just hurt Serena and walk away?” he hissed. Serena’s tears started flowing instantly. “Gabe, stop! What are you doing? I told you, I fell! Let her go!” My scalp felt like it was being torn open. I winced, but Gabriel—the same man who used to panic if I so much as got a paper cut—looked at me with nothing but disgust. “Stop acting,” he mocked. “You aren’t a pampered princess like Serena. You expect me to believe this actually hurts?” I struggled to break his grip, but he moved faster, slamming his foot into the back of my knee. I hit the floor hard. “Apologize.” Looking up at his face, I felt a strange sense of vertigo. I remembered him at eighteen—wild, reckless, and in trouble. I had taken a literal knife for him back then. He had held me, his eyes bloodshot and his voice breaking, promising that he would never let anyone hurt me again. And now, every bit of pain I felt came directly from him. I closed my eyes and took a jagged breath. “I will not apologize for something I didn’t do.” “Gabe, please, just let it go…” Serena sobbed, trying to help me up, but Gabriel pulled her back behind him. Then came the slap. He didn’t hold back. The force of it sent my head snapping to the side. The hallway went silent. Serena stopped crying, her eyes wide with shock as she lunged forward to shield me. “Gabe! Stop it!” Gabriel ignored her struggle and pulled her into a protective embrace. He glanced at the red, swelling mark on my face without a shred of remorse. “I’m warning you for the last time,” he said. “We owe Serena for the mess this relationship has caused her. If you’re angry, take it out on me. But if you touch her again, I will make you pay for it a thousand times over.” I forced myself up from the floor, my legs shaking. Then, I hauled off and slapped him back—hard. “You already gave her your body and your soul as payment, Gabriel,” I spat. “What exactly do I still owe her?” He stumbled back, stunned. “Chloe Shaw!” I didn’t stay for the rest of his roar. I turned and walked away. That night, I checked into a hotel, staring at the ceiling until dawn. My phone buzzed in the dark. A message from Serena: “I’m so sorry, Chloe. I had no idea Gabe would get that worked up. I scolded him for it, so please don’t be mad, okay?” I didn’t reply. I just turned the phone off. The next morning, I took a taxi straight to the airport. I called a senior from my university days. “Evan Carlson, I’ve arrived at the airport. I’ll be back in Rivercliff soon.” After years of being Gabriel’s shadow, I was finally going back to the research project I had abandoned for him. I used to be the top of my class, a girl with a brilliant future—a future I had set on fire to keep Gabriel warm. But as I approached the boarding gate, three men in black suits blocked my path. They didn’t ask questions; they forced me into a car and drove me straight to the Anderson estate. Gabriel’s mother sat in the drawing room, looking down at me with practiced elegance. “Miss Shaw, I used to think you were a sensible girl,” she said coldly. “But I never imagined you’d have the audacity to lay a hand on Serena. When you do something wrong, you have to face the consequences.”

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