This time, the dusty grey rat on the conveyor belt once again invaded my vision. It was scampering excitedly along the rotating sushi track. I didn’t scream on the spot like in my previous life, nor did I whip out my phone to take photos, or immediately dial the food safety complaint hotline. I simply calmly averted my gaze, reaching out to tuck my daughter Stephanie’s jacket more snugly around her. I asked her softly, “Stephanie, the pizza place next door has your favorite durian pizza. Should we go get some?” After all, in my previous life, seeing this rat was precisely why I complained on the spot, drawing in reporters and blowing the incident out of proportion. In the end, the owner of that restaurant—who was also my husband Kimi’s “first love,” Olivia Hayes—ended up with her shop shut down and her reputation ruined. She accrued millions in debt and attempted suicide multiple times. Kimi hated me for it. He believed I had destroyed Olivia’s life. He quietly bought a dozen large accidental death insurance policies for me, then, on a rainy night, engineered a “brake failure” accident. So, in this new life, it was just a rat. How could it be more important than my daughter’s life and mine? … 1 Hearing me mention pizza, Stephanie’s eyes lit up. She immediately nodded, saying yes. I took her hand and stood up. Just then, I met Kimi’s furrowed brow. “Why on earth would you want pizza when we’re here?” He put down his chopsticks, his voice tinged with impatience. “Olivia made these hand-rolls herself. The ingredients are all fresh. So many people would queue for these, and you just don’t appreciate it?” Liv. He used the affectionate nickname. As if Olivia was his wife. And I was just an inconvenient outsider. In my previous life, hearing those words would have made me explode on the spot. But now, I simply pulled at the corner of my mouth, offering a faint smile. “My stomach suddenly feels a bit off; I can’t eat anything cold or raw. I’ll take Stephanie next door for something warm. You take your time.” I didn’t look at his face, which had instantly darkened. I took Stephanie’s hand and turned to leave. As I turned, I caught a glimpse of the rat from the corner of my eye. It had already climbed onto a plate of black truffle caviar hand-rolls. Its pointy snout gnawed at the caviar on the sushi, leaving a small, dark brown pellet of rat droppings, the size of a grain of rice. And that plate of sushi, along with the conveyor belt, slowly rotated right in front of Kimi. I watched Kimi reach out, take that plate of hand-rolls, and pop them into his mouth, one after another. He even smiled at Olivia, who was walking over, praising her. “Still, your flavor is spot on, Liv. Even more authentic than what I had in Japan.” Olivia, wearing a fitted dress, swayed her hips gracefully, reaching out to refill Kimi’s barley tea. Her fingertips brushed against his hand, intentionally or not, the unspoken intimacy almost overflowing from her eyes. In my previous life, my mind was solely focused on saving that rat, on reporting this unsanitary restaurant. I hadn’t even noticed their blatant, heedless gestures. Thinking back now, how ridiculous I must have seemed then. The life or death of a rat, the hygiene of a restaurant—how could those compare to the nauseating actions of this man and woman before me? Stephanie, clutching her newly bought durian pizza, took a big bite. She mumbled, “Mommy, isn’t Daddy eating with us?” I stroked her head. “Daddy has his favorite food. We’ll just enjoy ours.” By the time we got home, it was already dark. Kimi came in clutching his stomach, his face as white as paper. The moment he kicked off his shoes, he bolted into the bathroom. A violent retching followed. I leaned against the doorframe, listening to the commotion from the bathroom. My heart held not a single ripple of emotion. In my previous life, I would have frantically searched for medicine, poured him water, and tearfully asked if he had eaten something bad. But now, I simply turned and went back to the room. After finishing Stephanie’s bedtime story, I slowly, casually asked him, “Do you need to go to the hospital?” He stumbled out of the bathroom, leaning against the wall, his forehead covered in cold sweat. Hearing my question, his face instantly darkened. “Go to the hospital for what? I just caught a chill tonight, my stomach’s a bit off. Don’t make such a big deal out of it.” I raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. But he seemed to be poked on a raw nerve, his voice growing more agitated. “I know what you’re thinking. You just can’t stand me praising Liv, can you? Her restaurant is spotless, the ingredients are all freshly sourced that day. How could I possibly get food poisoning? Don’t put your jealousy on full display; it’s not a good look.” The exact same words as in my previous life. Back then, because of his words, I argued with him all night. In the end, he slammed the door and left, going to Olivia’s restaurant to be with her. I tugged at the corner of my mouth. “Fine, if you say it’s clean, it’s clean. If you’re really in too much pain, remember to call 911. Stephanie and I are going to bed.” I turned and went back to the room, locking the door. Behind me, I heard his frustrated curses. But I didn’t even bat an eyelid. I took out my phone and sent a message to the divorce lawyer I had consulted before: “Hello, I’d like to inquire how to maximize my share of marital assets and child custody when there’s no clear evidence of the other party’s fault.” The next morning, I was woken by screams from the living room. Kimi was writhing on the sofa, clutching his stomach, his face ghostly pale. My mother-in-law was patting his back, pacing anxiously. Seeing me come out, she immediately shrieked, “Where have you been? Can’t you see Kimi is suffering like this? Hurry up and take him to the hospital!” I glanced at the clock on the wall, unhurriedly changing my shoes. “Stephanie has a parent-teacher conference today; I can’t miss it. Mom, if you’re in a hurry, call 911 first.” “When can’t a parent-teacher conference be held? Is Kimi’s life more important, or a parent-teacher conference?” My mother-in-law stomped her foot, cursing at me. I ignored her, bent down to stroke Stephanie’s head, and took her out the door. The parent-teacher conference actually ended in an hour. But I didn’t go home. Nor did I go to the hospital. I took Stephanie to the mall, bought her new dresses and new toys. I also picked out two outfits I liked for myself. We found a dessert shop and enjoyed a beautiful little cake with Stephanie. On my phone, my mother-in-law’s calls came in one after another. I silenced them all. It wasn’t until evening that I feigned panic and answered her call. She chewed me out, then told me to hurry to the hospital. Unflustered, I took Stephanie for a little more shopping, bought her another new dress, and seeing that it was getting dark, hailed a taxi to the hospital. When we arrived at the hospital, Kimi had just finished having his stomach pumped. He lay in the hospital bed, his face ashen. The doctor said it was severe food poisoning. Any later, and he would have suffered a perforated stomach. My mother-in-law rushed at me the moment I entered, ready to make a scene. I listened, offering no rebuttal, until the night nurse told us to be quiet, and she finally subsided. “The doctor said it was food poisoning. Mom, weren’t you asking yesterday what he had eaten out?” I sat in a chair by the hospital bed, slowly peeling an apple, my voice calm. “Yesterday, we only went to Olivia’s sushi restaurant. Besides that, he didn’t eat anything else.” My mother-in-law exploded instantly, turning to go find Olivia and settle the score. But Kimi, lying in the hospital bed, suddenly spoke, his voice weak but firm. “Don’t you dare! It has nothing to do with Liv! I just kicked off my blankets and caught a chill last night. It has nothing to do with her restaurant!” My hand, peeling the apple, paused. I couldn’t help but smile. It had come to this, and he was still defending his “first love.” How could I have been so blind in my previous life? This man’s heart had never truly been with me or this family. I placed the peeled apple on the bedside table and stood up. “If you say it has nothing to do with her, then it has nothing to do with her. Stephanie and I are going home now. You get well.” As I walked out of the hospital room, I heard my mother-in-law inside, calling Kimi foolish. But Kimi was still defending Olivia. I shook my head, finding it utterly laughable. Kimi was discharged from the hospital after three days. Right after his discharge, he had to attend the company’s ten-year anniversary department dinner. In the department chat group, the manager had just asked where they should go for dinner. Kimi immediately sent a message, recommending Olivia’s sushi restaurant. He even vouched for it, proudly declaring it was owned by his childhood friend, that the hygiene was absolutely guaranteed, the ingredients fresh, and the taste first-class. All the negative reviews online were just malicious smears from competitors. The colleagues in the group quickly agreed, saying they had heard about the place and would love to try it. Only one colleague quietly mentioned that someone had previously had issues after eating there, suggesting it wasn’t very clean. Kimi immediately replied, snapping back at them, saying they were believing rumors, and if they didn’t know, they shouldn’t spread misinformation. The group instantly fell silent. I looked at my phone screen, unable to stop a wry smile. In my previous life, it was because I reported that restaurant that Kimi lost face at the company and grew to hate me even more. This time, I wanted to see what kind of outcome he would face, bringing the entire department there himself. On the day of the dinner, I specifically wore comfortable flats and brought a bottle of warm water for myself. I dropped Stephanie off at my best friend’s place first. When I arrived at the sushi restaurant, most of my colleagues were already there. Kimi stood at the entrance, chatting animatedly with Olivia. Olivia was giggling, her hand occasionally resting on Kimi’s arm. Seeing me enter, Kimi’s face stiffened for a moment, then quickly returned to normal. It was as if the food poisoning incident had never happened. I ignored them, finding a corner seat furthest from the conveyor belt. I didn’t touch anything in the restaurant, drinking only the water I’d brought. A colleague next to me asked curiously, “Why aren’t you eating? Kimi said the hand-rolls here are especially delicious.” I smiled. “I’m allergic to raw fish; I can’t eat it. You all go ahead.” The colleague said “Oh” and didn’t ask further, turning to grab sushi from the conveyor belt. I sat in the corner, watching the lively scene unfold. I suddenly remembered my previous life. After I reported the restaurant, Olivia went completely bankrupt. Kimi wanted to drain our life savings to cover her debts. I fiercely refused. The news spread through the company. These colleagues secretly gossiped about me, calling me cold-hearted and ruthless, saying I had ruined a young woman’s life over a trivial matter. Back then, I had secretly grieved over those words for a long time. But now, I watched as the rat, fatter and larger than last time, scurried through the gaps in the conveyor belt, occasionally crawling out to nibble at the sushi on the plates, leaving behind a few droppings. I watched them eagerly grab the sushi that the rat had defiled, stuffing it into their mouths bite by bite. My heart felt not a single ripple of emotion. Kimi kept recommending dishes to everyone, especially the black truffle caviar hand-rolls. He insisted it was the restaurant’s signature dish and a must-try. Just then, the department manager walked in. Kimi immediately went to greet him enthusiastically, leading the manager to the main seat directly facing the conveyor belt. He then turned and presented the manager with the black truffle caviar hand-roll that had just rotated in front of him. “Manager Thomas, please try this. It’s our signature dish, personally made by Liv.” The manager smiled and nodded, picking one up and popping it into his mouth. Just as he was about to praise it, his eyes suddenly fixed on the conveyor belt. He paused, rubbed his eyes, thinking he had misseen. Kimi’s continuous praises still echoed in his ears, about how fresh the hand-rolls were, how authentic the taste. But the manager watched, wide-eyed, as that dusty gray rat crawled out from the gap in the conveyor belt, climbed onto an identical plate of black truffle caviar hand-rolls, took two bites of the caviar, then, with a flick of its rear, left behind a small, dark brown pellet of rat droppings. And that plate of sushi, along with the conveyor belt, slowly rotated right in front of him. The manager looked down at the half-eaten hand-roll in his hand, then at the rat and its droppings on the conveyor belt. His face instantly flushed crimson. He abruptly stood up from his seat, his voice trembling. “R-rat! There’s a rat here!” The entire private room fell silent instantly. Everyone followed his pointing finger. Just in time to see that plump rat, stuck in the gap of the conveyor belt, baring its teeth and nibbling at the sushi, oblivious to its surroundings. After a few seconds of silence, screams erupted one after another. Some female colleagues, terrified of rats, immediately crouched on the floor, their faces pale. Colleagues who had just eaten sushi rushed to the restroom, covering their mouths and vomiting. “The one I just ate, was it climbed on by a rat too?” “Oh my god, that’s disgusting! Kimi, didn’t you say this place was clean?” “This rat is almost as big as a cat! How long has it been living here?” The murmurs, accusations, and screams blended together. The scene instantly spiraled out of control. All the customers in the restaurant gathered around. Some took out their phones to take photos and videos. Some immediately called 911 and the health department. Others directly called reporters. When Olivia squeezed through the crowd, her face was as white as paper. Looking at the scene before her, her legs buckled, and she almost fainted. Kimi was also stunned. He never expected that the restaurant he had proudly vouched for would erupt in such a huge scandal, right in front of all his department colleagues. He instinctively supported the almost-fainting Olivia, still trying to explain. “No, everyone, listen to me, this must be an accident, Liv’s restaurant has always been very clean…” But no one listened to his explanations. The fire department soon arrived. They pried open the entire conveyor belt of the sushi restaurant. That plump rat scurried out, followed by several small rats, causing another round of screams from the crowd. The reporters’ cameras were zoomed in very close, capturing everything clearly. That same evening, the incident became a trending topic. I stood outside the crowd, watching the two people in disarray inside, then calmly turned and left. The table I had personally overturned in my previous life. This time, they overturned it themselves. Good.

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1 I was the specific arrangement the Scanlon family made for Julian Scanlon. From a childhood companion for studies, to a playmate in our teens, to an intimate relationship in adulthood, my role kept shifting. When Julian announced he was getting married, everyone around us fell silent. Yet, someone still couldn’t help but ask about my future. “What about Audrey?” He merely offered a faint smile, his tone casual as he replied, “Audrey? We’ve always been this way. She’ll continue to be with me.” In his eyes, I was probably just a mistress on standby, an awkward fixture. But what he didn’t know was that his mother and I had a long-standing agreement. As soon as he solidly walked down the aisle, I would receive a fifty-million-dollar compensation, and from then on, I would disappear from his world. By then, with mountains and oceans between us, Julian and I would never cross paths again. … Marriage was a hassle. Choosing diamond rings, trying on wedding gowns, picking bouquets. Julian insisted I come along. His fiancée, Karin Miller, was trying on rings, and he pointed to a particular design through the glass. “Audrey, you try this one. If it fits, I’ll buy it for you.” Everyone’s eyes landed on me, filled with blatant scorn and mockery. Karin’s friend casually spoke up beside her, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, “In old times, she’d just be a lady’s maid warming the bed.” Julian merely smiled as if he’d heard a joke, offering no defense. After the rings were chosen, out of respect, he still had to accompany his fiancée to dinner. Karin gave me a dirty look, half-covering her mouth. “Disgusting.” Julian, ever so nonchalant, said, “Karin, if I’m not mistaken, ours is a loveless business arrangement, isn’t it?” Karin crumpled the napkin in her hand. “Julian Scanlon, even if it’s a business arrangement, it’s still a legal marriage, right? You parade your mistress around every day, and even when we’re picking out wedding rings, you bring her along and want to buy her a ring! You’ve embarrassed me enough. What’s wrong with me saying a few words?” Karin’s voice wasn’t quiet, and others in the restaurant were already glancing our way. Since Julian had announced his marriage but refused to break up with me, I was well familiar with those stares. But each time, each and every time, my face still burned with shame. “Alright,” Julian’s expression softened. “Why such a fit?” “I’ll have Audrey apologize to you. Will that be enough?” He turned to me. “Go pour her some tea, and say you’re sorry again.” “After all, you’ll have plenty of chances to interact in the future.” My hands were clenched so tightly my knuckles turned white. Julian always treated me like his possession, uncaring of my likes or dislikes, uncaring of my dignity. Seeing me motionless, Julian softened his tone. “Audrey, be a good girl.” I looked at him. “I can do as you say, but when you get back, you have to return my documents.” “I am not your prisoner.” Julian nodded dismissively, as if I were a pet throwing a tantrum. Hot tea slowly poured into the cup. Just as it was about to overflow, Karin picked it up, then, with a flick of her wrist, spilled the tea onto my arm. The tea was scalding. My skin quickly turned bright red, the pain making my hand tremble uncontrollably. Karin’s eyes were devoid of emotion. She reached out, her sharp nails digging into my burn. “Miss Scanlon, you haven’t apologized yet.” The people beside her also started pushing me. “You’re fine being his mistress, but too proud to apologize?” I lowered my eyes, my tongue tasting bitter. “I’m sorry, Miss Miller.” “Louder. I can’t hear you.” My stomach felt twisted into a knot. “I’m sorry, Miss Miller, I apologize to you.” Julian didn’t even lift an eyelid. “Feeling better?” “Karin, when we marry, you will be my only wife.” “Audrey’s presence won’t affect our relationship at all. Why get angry over her? She’s not worth it.” “Worst case, I’ll just make sure she doesn’t get in your way as much.” I stood to the side, my hand still trembling involuntarily. 2 Julian went back on his word again. I held out my hand. “My passport, my ID. Give them back.” He stared at me for a moment, then suddenly chuckled, burying his face in the crook of my neck, the vibration of his chest resonating against me. “Audrey, why are you still so naive?” “When did I ever say I’d give them back? If I give them back, what if you run off again?” He hugged me. “You’re mine.” All I felt was a sudden rush of hot and cold, something threatening to burst from my body, making me hate him so much my pores felt like they were bleeding. I learned about Julian’s engagement from the news. I suggested we break up. Julian stroked my head. “When did I say I was breaking up with you?” I stood barefoot on the floor, momentarily blank. “What do you mean? You want me to be your mistress?” “What’s the big deal? Once Karin gets pregnant and has the baby, we’ll be just like before.” He spoke as if it were common sense, but I couldn’t accept it. I secretly took my documents and left, but I was barely halfway there when Julian caught me and dragged me back. The day I was brought back to the Scanlon estate, Julian’s mother slapped me. “I told you to watch over Julian, not to make him go crazy over you!” “Do you have any idea he skipped his own engagement party to look for you?” “I’m warning you, his marriage is very important. Don’t cause any more trouble. Let Julian finish his wedding properly.” Perhaps seeing that I truly had no designs on the title of Mrs. Scanlon, she calmed her emotions. “Once he’s married, you’ll be free.” Freedom. That’s why I first became Julian’s playmate. The Scanlon heir was born with a silver spoon, but his temper was unpredictable. Other families would always bring their children over to introduce them, but Julian showed no interest until he saw me, just after I’d been bullied, at the Hayes estate. I sat in the garden mud, my dress dirty, my pigtails pulled loose, constantly wiping away tears. Julian watched me for a long time, until his family found him. He pointed at me. “I want to play with her.” When I was little, I used to think Julian was a prince from a fairy tale. Because of a single word from him, the Hayes family packed me up and sent me to the Scanlons. I finally had my own room. My older siblings no longer rode on my back, demanding I bark like a dog. When I returned to the Hayes estate, they no longer called me a bastard or a wild child. I had loved Julian. Everyone said I was Julian’s servant, that the Hayes family sold their daughter for profit. He would gently hug me. “Audrey is my treasure.” When our first love blossomed, he leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Audrey, I love you more than anyone in the world.” Until I saw Julian holding someone else in his arms, the lingering scent of intimacy still in the room. He said, “Audrey, she’s very pretty, and she has a great body. I quite like her.” “But I still like you best, Audrey.” I looked at the scratch marks on Julian’s neck, barely able to breathe, only able to continuously back away. “Don’t touch me, don’t touch me.” “Julian Scanlon, I’m breaking up with you.” Seeing me huddled up, Julian seemed helpless. “Alright, whatever you say, we’ll break up.” “Once I’m tired of playing with her, we’ll get back together.” I kept insisting on leaving. Julian’s mother found me. She brought her ceramic cup to her lips, taking a sip. “Julian is very fond of you. If you leave, he’ll be infatuated with you forever? I won’t let that happen.” “You, on the other hand, just stay by his side. I’ll pay you monthly. Consider it your compensation for your efforts.” “You’re a smart girl. You know there’s no benefit in going against us.” “It’s a very good deal.” The cup clinked against the saucer, a crisp sound, like something shattering inside me. A deal. I laughed through my tears. This was the true nature of my relationship with Julian. Everyone around me kept reminding me to obey him, to stay with him. It was because I was just a toy Julian and his family had found for him. And I, once so naive, had believed it was love. 3 I understood my place. Women came and went in Julian’s life. Just as he said, when he was with someone else, we’d break up. When he broke up with them, we’d get back together. He even leaned on my shoulder once and asked, “Audrey, your colleague is quite pretty. Can you give me her contact info?” At first, it was hard to get used to. My heart still ached. But slowly, it got better. So much better that I no longer had nightmares. I thought it couldn’t get any worse, but then a colleague jokingly asked me, “Audrey Hayes, your rich boyfriend is getting married, right?” My mind went blank for a second. I chose to run away. When Julian first dragged me back, I refused to eat or drink. The most I said to him was, “Let me go.” He acted like he didn’t hear me, continuing to talk to himself. “Audrey, how about you be my bridesmaid at the wedding? It’ll be like we’re getting married too.” I stared at him in disbelief. “Julian Scanlon, I’m not that low. I’m not going to be a mistress during a marriage!” “It’s just a marriage. For people like us, marriage is just a means to an end.” My emotions were running so high that I didn’t even notice blood trickling down my leg. I was pregnant. Julian took my hand, kissed it, his expression tender and loving, but his words were cruel. “Audrey, abort the baby.” “Both families have agreed; the child can only be mine and Karin’s.” “If you have him, he’ll just be illegitimate.” “Audrey. You’re also illegitimate. You should know that an illegitimate child won’t be acknowledged. Both families won’t make life easy for the child.” I gently curved my eyes. “Julian Scanlon, just an hour or two ago, you were telling me it’s just a marriage, that it wouldn’t affect anything.” “Now, while the child is still in my belly, he’s already being called illegitimate. Is this what you meant by ‘no impact’?” Julian’s eyes lost their warmth. “Audrey, be a good girl.” “If you like children, once Karin’s and my child is born, I can send him to you to raise.” “He’d be my child too; it’s all the same.” A wave of nausea churned in my stomach. I turned my head away, no longer looking at him. The moment the cold instrument entered my body, tears still silently streamed from the corners of my eyes, soaking into my hair. I just suddenly remembered. From the moment Julian brought me back to the Scanlon estate, my childhood, teenage years, and young adulthood were almost exclusively intertwined with Julian. When someone called me a motherless child, only allowed to stay with the Scanlons, Julian would warn them one by one. He would crouch in front of me. “Audrey, wherever I am, that’s your home.” When Julian wasn’t yet so callous, he would lie in my arms, pressing his ear to my belly. “Audrey, in a few years, we’ll get married.” “I hope our child is a girl who looks like you. Then, we’ll be a happy family of three.” It felt like a dream. These memories flashed through my mind like a slideshow. I pushed away Julian, who was still buried against me, laughing. Meeting my eyes, as still and silent as dead water, the playful ease drained from Julian’s face. He looked helpless. “Alright, here.” “But Audrey, don’t run off again.” His voice was low, like a lover’s whisper. “You know, wherever you go, I can bring you home.” Julian’s phone vibrated. Karin’s voice came through. “Julian, my mom says she wants you to move in soon. She says we need to cultivate our relationship.” I walked around him, not pausing for a second. 4 Two months before the wedding, I saw their wedding attire. My gaze fell on the wedding dress, pearls embroidered all over the skirt, and embroidery on the cinched sheer fabric. It was a design I had originally sketched for Julian and me. Later, Karin saw the sketch at Julian’s place. “I didn’t realize you had a shred of decency left.” “It’s quite beautiful. I’ll find someone to custom make it.” Julian didn’t explain anything. He just smiled. “As long as you like it.” “What are you doing?” I snapped back to reality. Perhaps thinking I was up to no good, Karin’s friend grabbed my wrist fiercely. In the struggle, her ring caught on a piece of fabric. Thud. Rip— As she and I fell to the ground, a section of the dress was torn. Hearing the commotion, people gathered around. Karin’s friend, feeling guilty, pointed at me and yelled at Karin. “Karin, I saw her here alone, and I just knew she was up to no good.” Karin raised her hand to slap me. I blocked her arm, pushing her back a step. “Julian Scanlon!” Karin’s eyes were red with fury. Julian caught Karin from behind, steadying her. He let out a tsk, then pried my fingers open, one by one. This allowed Karin’s slap to land squarely on my face, hitting me so hard my vision blurred and my ears rang. I turned my head away from the blow. He looked at my swollen cheek. “Audrey, I know you’re not happy about my marriage, but there’s no need to resort to these dirty tricks.” “What good does this little scene do anyway?” “The bride won’t be changed to you.” He sighed, a hint of disappointment in his voice. “You just stay home for a while. When you learn to be more sensible, I’ll take you out again.” Karin seemed satisfied with this outcome. She leaned into Julian’s arms. “Julian Scanlon, my foot hurts. Can you take me to get it checked?” He carried Karin out, and I was finally able to move under the bodyguards’ watchful eyes. Before leaving, a sales assistant quietly asked me, “Ma’am, why didn’t you explain?” “I saw it; it was the other lady who…” I smiled, shaking my head at her. What was there to explain? I didn’t care about Julian’s opinion. If he could let me go sooner, that would be even better. Between waking and sleeping, I felt someone applying ointment to my injury. As if sensing my struggle, he leaned down and blew gently. “Audrey, it doesn’t hurt.” I woke up. Julian was on the phone, his back to me. His voice was casual. “Karin, enough already.” “That little act your friend pulled today, do you think no one saw through it? I even wondered why you suddenly changed your tune, insisting I bring Audrey along.” “I played along. You got your physical strike, and I made my stance clear in front of all those people.” “You said I wasn’t giving you respect; I did. I let you vent, made you happy.” “I also promised you wouldn’t see her before the wedding. All the grand display you wanted, I gave you. Aren’t people outside saying you’re an expert at managing your husband now?” “You will be my only wife. I can satisfy any reasonable request you have, so just take it easy, alright?” Under the covers, my nails dug deep into my flesh, turning my palms white. 5 I was confined to the house. But my phone constantly received anonymous photos. Julian had been quite busy lately, preparing for the wedding, going on dates with Karin. When I saw the latest photos, the cold casing of my phone pressed against my palm, chilling me to the core. It was a photo of Julian and Karin kissing at the scenic overlook on the hill behind the Scanlon family villa. It was a place Julian had built when I was twelve. Back then, I was still insecure, preferring to be alone or hide where no one could find me. Until one time, I fell asleep while hiding. It was Julian’s voice, calling my name as he frantically searched the hill, that woke me up. When Julian found me, he was still a child himself, but he draped his jacket over me. He didn’t scold me, only gently tidied my sleep-mussed hair. “Audrey, if you like it here, I’ll fix it up.” And so, he had someone fix the overlook. From then on, through changing seasons, I spent a lot of time there. Julian, with my permission, would sometimes come with me, sitting quietly. He said, “Audrey, when we’re old and gray, we’ll still sit here together.” The scenery remained, but the person beside him had changed. The night before Julian’s wedding, he came back to see me. “Audrey, after the wedding, I’ll live with Karin for a while. Once things are settled, I’ll come back to be with you.” When he mentioned Karin, his gaze, once indifferent, had softened. I wasn’t surprised; Karin was inherently his type. I nodded indifferently. He smiled faintly, praising me for being understanding. The wedding was grand. Julian’s mother’s car was parked nearby. Through the car window, I watched them exchange rings, say their vows, and kiss under a shower of petals. It was exactly like the wedding I had imagined when I first fell in love. Karin held Julian’s arm, and many people gathered around, cheering and shouting. Julian’s mother also smiled with relief. She turned to me. “I was worried before the wedding that if you left, Julian would throw a tantrum and refuse to marry.” “Now it seems he really likes Karin.” “If Julian tries to find you again, we’ll stop him.” “Besides, Karin is pregnant. He should know better now.” “The money, the plane ticket, your things are all here.” “You can go.” I remained silent, taking one last look at this city. The sky was clear and bright, a truly beautiful day. I didn’t look back, closing my eyes. In my heart, I said goodbye to Julian.

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My husband Wesley said in an interview that he had already distributed all his assets. The host joked that he must have left a fortune for his son and wife. He smiled gently and softly denied it: “I only left them enough money to live on.” “As for the rest of my assets, I’ve given everything to my adopted daughter Michelle.” “This is the promise I made with her mother. I vowed at her grave that I would let her live a carefree life.” I froze while cooking for the two children, my eyes suddenly lifting to the TV screen. The host spoke again: “Does your wife know about this?” He paused slightly, but his smile didn’t change. “She won’t object. She’s been good to Michelle all these years—better than a qualified nanny.” I took off my apron and walked out of the kitchen, carrying my son Willett, who had been picking up toys for Michelle, back to his room. Six years. I’d had enough too. Since he didn’t plan to leave anything for Willett and me, whoever wanted to be this nanny could have the job.

The interview had two parts. The other was at home. When Wesley brought the reporters home, I had just gotten Willett to sleep. He paid no attention to me. After taking off his coat and shaking off the cold, he picked up Michelle, who was watching TV. He affectionately pinched her chubby cheeks. “Did Mommy bully you today?” This was his daily routine question. I used to think he was joking, but today I heard a different meaning in it. He was afraid that when he wasn’t around, I would bully his beloved first love Lester’s daughter. “Mr. Wesley is so good to his adopted daughter. Miss Lester must be very happy in heaven,” the host said. Wesley’s lips curved slightly. I stood to the side and coughed twice. The atmosphere froze for a few seconds. The host belatedly realized those words were inappropriate. “Mrs. Wesley…” “Lena, did you wash Michelle’s school uniform clean?” He interrupted the host, habitually ordering me around. “I don’t trust the nanny’s washing. You must hand-wash it yourself.” Michelle was used to it. She walked on her short legs and stuffed all the dirty clothes she’d changed out of today into my arms. Wesley urged, “Hurry up.” Everyone’s eyes looked me over with contempt, scorn, and disdain. In that instant, I even felt kinship with a stray dog on the street. In Wesley’s eyes, perhaps I had always been just a servant more useful than an ordinary nanny. I hung my head in embarrassment, unable to suppress the sourness rising in my throat. I took a deep breath and loosened my fingers. Several dirty children’s clothes dropped to the floor. “Wesley, I won’t wash them. I’m your wife, not a nanny.” He slowly furrowed his brow and glanced at me indifferently. “Lena, what do you mean?” “I saw your interview today.” I gathered my courage and met his eyes. “You gave all our shared assets to someone else’s child. Why?” Wesley’s gaze suddenly sharpened, his voice turning cold. “What do you mean ‘someone else’s child’?” He covered Michelle’s ears as he spoke. “Michelle is my child.” “Lena, when I brought her home to raise, I gave you a choice. You chose to take care of her yourself!” I looked at the man in front of me, feeling my heart turn cold. Five years ago, I was near my due date. But he disappeared for seven days and nights. Because I couldn’t find him, I went into early labor, causing our son to be born half a month premature. Wesley only showed up after I’d given birth. At that moment, I’d just breathed a sigh of relief, wanting to show him our son. But he beat me to it, holding out a bundle to me first. “Lester died in childbirth. She entrusted her child to me. From now on, this child will be our adopted daughter.” My face grew paler and paler. Wesley only paused when I struggled to sit up. “If you can’t accept this, we can also divorce.” “I’ll give you and the child monthly support payments. Nothing more than that.” That was the choice he gave me back then. Swallow my disgust and raise his first love’s child, or leave with my premature son with nothing. I wasn’t willing to accept it. I’d married him five years ago, risked half my life to give birth to a child—why should I get nothing? So I endured it. But five years had passed, and he hadn’t shown me or our son a trace of compassion. His deep affection and love seemed to have died with Lester. The only remaining warmth was reserved for Lester’s child. I suddenly felt that all my years of persistence had been like performing a ridiculous comedy for him. Ten years of love and hate seemed to vanish in his accusations that never held any trust. I calmly met his gaze. “Now I want to choose again. This time, I choose to leave with my son.”

Wesley looked at me, a contemptuous sneer escaping his lips. “Leave? Lena, if you leave me, can you even support yourself and the child? Go back to your room. Stop embarrassing me in front of all these people.” With that, he gave the servants a look. Several people rushed over, grabbed my arms without a word, and pushed me toward the bedroom. The door was locked from the outside. The room’s soundproofing wasn’t great. I could still hear their discussion. “I really don’t know what Mrs. Wesley is making a fuss about. She has such a good life, but she has to make Mr. Wesley lose face in front of reporters.” “Isn’t it just raising a dead woman’s child? She’s a parasite living off her husband’s money. Can’t she just endure it?” Parasite? When I got together with Wesley, he was still a poor guy. I gave him all my savings to start his business. I stayed up all night drinking and socializing for his company to close the first big deal. And I chose to step back and become his support when he was too busy to manage his life. But now, in everyone’s eyes, I’d become a parasite dependent on him. I slid down against the door and sat on the floor. The noise outside gradually stopped. Wesley opened the door, and his step inside kicked me in the waist. It didn’t hurt, but it was like giving me an outlet. Tears welled up in my eyes. Just as I was about to cry my heart out, a piece of clothing covered my head. “Don’t cry. Lena, I remember you’re good at mending. Help me fix this garment.” I pulled the clothes off my head. It was a white women’s blouse with slight wear at the cuffs. My tears froze in my eyes. Now I couldn’t cry anymore. A huge sense of humiliation hit me head-on. I was so angry I wanted to laugh. I recognized this garment. There were two walk-in closets in this house. One held clothes for me and the two children. The other held clothes for Wesley and Lester. Lester was dead, yet Wesley insisted on letting someone who didn’t exist in this world leave traces in his life. I took a deep breath and threw the clothes heavily to the ground. “Wesley, I’m not joking with you. I’ve had enough of this life. Let’s divorce.” I said it with certainty, but Wesley acted like he hadn’t heard. He unbuttoned his shirt and spread his arms. “Come help me change. Hurry up. I just promised Michelle I’d tell her a bedtime story.” I walked up to him but didn’t move. I just repeated very softly. “I’m leaving with the child.” This time, he finally looked at me properly. The undisguised contempt in his eyes hurt me all over. “Just tell me what you want to buy this time. Lena, I’ve told you countless times—if you want something in the future, just tell me directly. Don’t play these ridiculous roundabout games.” As he spoke, he pulled out a card and stuffed it into my collar. “This should be enough for you to spend for a while.” With that, he changed his clothes himself, pushed past me, and went to Michelle’s bedroom. The bank card hit the floor with a clack. I stared at it for a long time before laughing at myself. So in his eyes, I really was no different from a nanny who needed to be paid off with money. I wiped away the tears about to fall, turned around, and went to Willett’s room. He was awake, staring blankly at nothing. Hearing me open the door, he turned his head, his mouth pouting pitifully. “Mom, did you fight with Dad again?” I shook my head. “Not really, but Mom wants to separate from Dad. Will you come with me?” My son’s eyes lit up. “Really?” “Mom, I’m just like you. I’m not happy here at all.” “Every time Michelle gets upset, Dad scowls and scolds me. If Michelle and I want the same thing, Dad will only buy it for Michelle. The toys I play with now, the books I read—they’re all things Michelle didn’t want and threw to me.” He counted on his fingers, his lowered voice somewhat excited. “If we leave here, will my things be only mine from now on?” My eyes grew intensely sore. My son should have been cherished by everyone, but he’d been forced to live in Wesley’s favoritism all along. He wasn’t happy. The last reason I had for maintaining this marriage was gone. This divorce—Wesley and I were definitely going through with it.

After discussing the terms of the divorce agreement with my lawyer, I slept in Willett’s room. I’d barely closed my eyes when the door was violently pushed open. Wesley, his face pale, forcefully pulled me from the bed. “Michelle has a high fever. What do I do?” This was one of his rare moments of panic. I instinctively glanced at Willett, who was sleeping soundly, and tiptoed out. After making sure Willett’s door was firmly closed, I turned to Wesley. “Physical cooling, call the nanny, go to the hospital.” “Why are you calling me? I’m not a doctor.” Impatience surfaced in his eyes, but for Michelle’s sake, he had to endure it. “Lena, you raised Michelle. No one understands her condition better than you.” “She’s burning up really badly right now.” “Can you not be so cold-blooded?” The description “cold-blooded” rolled through my mind. I laughed coldly. If I were truly cold-blooded, his beloved Michelle would have died three years ago. Perhaps taking after her mother, Michelle had an allergic constitution. Children are greedy. She ate a few lemon candies when the adults weren’t paying attention. The red rash almost instantly crawled across her skin. Soon her fair face turned blue and purple. I checked the home surveillance from time to time. When I saw Michelle collapsed on the floor, gasping in pain, I nearly went crazy with fear. I ran more than a dozen red lights and even crashed into a guardrail on the way. Dragging my bloody body home, I gave her allergy medicine and called an ambulance before passing out from the pain. The hospital ambulance took both of us away. I had a severe concussion and three broken ribs. It took a month before I could get out of bed. And during that month, Wesley never came to see me once. Later I broke down and demanded to know why. Wesley glanced at me indifferently. “You didn’t die, did you?” “You’re a grown woman who can’t even drive properly. Whose fault is it when something happens?” “Michelle’s condition was more serious. She hasn’t been able to eat properly for days.” “By the way, hurry up and get discharged. Michelle says she wants to eat your cooking.” He was always like this. When he needed me, I could be a doctor, a cook, a nanny for his household. Just never his respected and beloved wife. I said nothing and walked into Michelle’s room. Her face was flushed red with fever. I took off her clothes and wiped her palms and neck with alcohol, then found fever medicine and fed it to her. The fever subsided quickly. The moment she opened her eyes, Wesley pushed me aside and picked up Michelle. “You scared Daddy to death.” “Do you still feel bad?” Michelle’s gaze was still somewhat dazed, but she instinctively hugged Wesley’s neck. In her sweet voice: “Daddy, thank you for taking care of me. You worked hard.” “Not hard at all. As long as you’re healthy, I’ll do anything.” I stood to the side, smiling until tears fell. Hearing my voice, the father and daughter turned to look at me. I stared at Michelle. “Michelle, I’m the one who took care of you. What did he work hard at?” “These five years, I’ve cared for and loved you like a daughter. What did he work hard at?” “Working hard at missing the mother who died giving birth to you?” Wesley’s expression cracked inch by inch. The anger on his face could almost burn down the entire world. “Lena, have you lost your mind?” He covered Michelle’s ears and glared at me furiously. I calmed down and tugged at the corner of my mouth. “I’ve just thought things through.” “Wesley, someone will deliver the divorce papers to your office.”

Leaving that room that made me sick, my heart suddenly felt lighter. Actually, I’d had enough years ago. I started packing overnight. Wesley was truly angry. After coaxing Michelle to sleep, he went straight back to his room. He habitually ignored me, just as he had throughout these years of marriage. I’d also gotten used to his indifference. After packing my and my son’s belongings, I went to the study. When the company was first established, I held quite a few initial shares. Even though Wesley had deliberately diluted them later, the shares I held were enough to overturn the balance of power in the company. After taking out what belonged to me, I found a drawer full of letters. I randomly opened one. They were all letters he’d written to Lester. In every letter, he mentioned my son and me. Seeing the content inside, I finally understood the reason for his favoritism. “I’m raising our daughter very well. Don’t worry, I won’t let Lena and her son bully our daughter.” “Michelle can say ‘mama’ now. Every night I hold up your photo and tell her you’re her real mother.” “Lena is just a live-in nanny taking care of her.” Every sentence, every word was like a blade stabbing into my heart. The fact that Michelle was his biological daughter made my stomach churn. I felt so sick I bent over and dry-heaved. Through thick and thin together until now, I’d given everything. Ten years of marriage, but it was full of lies. Suppressing intense nausea, I photographed all the letters that could serve as evidence. Then I tore them up one by one. As shredded paper scattered across the floor, Wesley pushed the door open. His expression changed, but it all turned into the annoyance and disgust that settled between his brows. “Lena, where are your manners?” “Who told you to touch my things?” I looked at him calmly. His frown deepened. “What are you looking at? Why aren’t you going to take care of Michelle?” In my hand, I still clutched the last letter he’d written yesterday. In that letter, he’d even arranged to be buried with Lester after death. Smiling, I slowly and firmly tore the last letter into pieces before his eyes. “Wesley, I wish you and Lester happiness and harmony in your future days. May your family of three be blissful forever.” “I’ll fulfill your perfect love story. I wish you an early reunion.”

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At the wedding ceremony, the officiant asked my wife Oliver to give her marriage vows. I never expected her to slap herself in front of everyone. “This slap is for blaming myself for choosing wrong. Three years ago, I listened to my parents and stayed in the country, missing out on my true love!” I looked at my parents’ slightly angry faces and shook my head to stop them. Unexpectedly, she slapped herself again. “The second slap is for blaming myself for personally killing my own unborn child!” My whole body stiffened. I’d been with Oliver for three years, and we’d never had a child. So she’d been pregnant with another man’s baby? “The third slap is to apologize to my parents. Dad, Mom, Marcus, I’m sorry. The wedding will be postponed. Today, I’m going to the airport to pick up Hernandez.” That day, I became the laughingstock of Seattle’s entire elite circle. The next day, I called a press conference and announced two things: First, I was publicly auctioning off my marriage to the highest bidder. Second, I would launch a full-scale commercial assault on the Oliver Group until it went bankrupt.

As soon as I finished the announcement, the reporters below erupted in chaos! “Mr. Marcus, yesterday Miss Oliver said your wedding would be postponed. Now you’re auctioning off your marriage and openly targeting the Oliver Group’s assets. Does this mean you’re completely breaking ties with Miss Oliver?” “Mr. Marcus, I heard Miss Oliver pursued you for three whole years, and you observed her for three years as well. Can you really bear to let her go now?” I suddenly gripped the microphone tighter in my hand. After a long pause, I adjusted my breathing and responded: “From now on, Oliver and I can only be enemies. There’s no affection left between us!” I looked down at my phone. An unknown number had sent me a video. In the video, Oliver’s hand was removing Hernandez’s last piece of clothing. And on her wrist, she was still wearing the latest Patek Philippe watch—the birthday gift I’d given her. I looked up, a cold smile tugging at the corner of my mouth, and pointed my phone toward the reporters. “You’ve all worked hard today. I want to give you a big gift.” Oliver’s cheating video was recorded by dozens of media outlets. Three hours later, it exploded across all of Seattle. [Oliver Family Elite Scandal! Abandons Newlywed Husband for Secret Lover, Explicit Video Leaked!] [Shocking! Oliver Abandons Wealthy Husband, Late-Night Hotel Rendezvous with Lover, Private Photos All Exposed!] I was reading gossip while peeling fruit when Oliver showed up at my door with Hernandez. She swept everything off the table with one swipe, then grabbed my throat and demanded I apologize to Hernandez! “Marcus, I only delayed the wedding a few days, and you exposed my video with Hernandez.” “He’s just a recent college graduate. How can he handle all this abuse?” I took a deep breath. “You publicly abandoned me on our wedding day. Did you ever think about how I could handle that?” Her hand tightened around my throat. I was suffocating, my face turning red. “You’re just an illegitimate son the Williams family doesn’t even want. What do you need dignity for!” My heart suddenly plummeted into an abyss. When we first got together, she’d said my status wasn’t respected, but she would help me become a big player in Seattle. Now, she was using what I cared about most to stab me in the heart! If that’s how it is, then prepare to face the revenge of this unwanted bastard! Before I lost consciousness, I closed my eyes and plunged the fruit knife in my hand deep into Hernandez’s right palm. “Oliver, I’ve never been your plaything to summon and dismiss at will.” “Oliver, blood!” Hernandez screamed and lunged forward. “You, you dare hurt Hernandez, you maniac!” I grabbed Hernandez’s hand, brandishing the bloody blade, tracing it across his face. “If you want to fight me, you should weigh whether you’re up to it.” “Slap…” A heavy blow struck my cheek, burning with pain. “Hernandez is the person I treasure most. You can hurt me, but if you dare touch him, I’ll make your whole family pay!” I froze. The strength I’d been faking since yesterday shattered like spider silk. On rainy days, when my stepmother Tillman and my brother Theo locked me outside in the rain, she’d held me and said the same thing. She’d said, Marcus is the person I love most. If any of you bully him again, I’ll make the Williams family disappear from Seattle. How ridiculous! I took out my phone and called my secretary. “Spread the word—whoever can bankrupt the Oliver Group, I’ll marry them!”

I’d adjusted my emotions. My voice was calm, but my face was filled with determination. I turned to look at Oliver and sneered: “The humiliation I suffered—your entire family will pay for it!” Her face turned pale, then red, then pale again. “Don’t be afraid, Oliver. He’s just a bastard. How could he possibly have that kind of power!” Hernandez said, holding Oliver’s arm. I gave a cold laugh and walked step by step toward Hernandez: “The revenge that belongs to you is coming soon too.” “I want to see how long your true love can last in the face of profit and money!” I had the butler escort them both out. I walked to the desk by the floor-to-ceiling window and issued an order—short-sell all Oliver Group stock. I stared at the constantly changing numbers and stock trend charts on the screen, the corner of my mouth turning up. The humiliation I suffered at the wedding was finally being avenged, sweet and complete, in this moment. In just three hours, Oliver Group’s stock had dropped three points. But it wasn’t enough! My phone vibrated at that moment. “Marcus, stop this right now. If you want to die, don’t drag the entire Williams family down with you.” It was my father, Johnson. “Being abandoned by Oliver just means you’re incompetent. Come home right now and apologize to Mr. Keane with me.” Faced with my father’s fury, I remained calm and said flatly: “It should be Mr. Keane apologizing to me!” “Are you insane? From tomorrow on, you’re no longer the company’s general manager. Your brother Javier will take over.” As soon as I hung up, my phone vibrated again. It was a familiar string of numbers. I didn’t answer, just let it ring. After calling dozens of times, it finally went quiet. Then several long voice messages popped up on my screen. [What happened at the wedding was my fault, but Father has already punished me. You shouldn’t auction off your marriage out of spite. You’re publicly embarrassing our family. My parents are very angry now. Come to our villa immediately and apologize to them!] [We can let the stock shorting slide for now. At worst, we’ll just harvest another round of retail investors. But tomorrow you must clarify the video of me and Hernandez in front of reporters and play the part of a loving husband with me.] I blocked Oliver’s Twitter directly. I didn’t want to hear her speak anymore. Early the next morning, Oliver blocked me at my door. “Why didn’t you answer the phone yesterday? My parents are very angry. If you don’t apologize, they have plenty of ways to punish you.” “I know what I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have abandoned you at the wedding. But, but you can’t be this unreasonable either.” “Oliver, what about the child?” “The child?” She was instantly speechless. On the wedding day, she’d personally admitted she had an unborn child, but she’d never mentioned it to me. “That was all in the past. You shouldn’t keep bringing it up!” I threw the abortion report in her face. “The abortion date was during our passionate romance!” She froze in place. Who was it that three years ago firmly chose to stay in the country, saying her heart was one hundred percent mine? And who was it that promised in front of both sets of parents that our wedding would be the grandest and most luxurious in Seattle, then turned around and abandoned the wedding, making me a laughingstock? She’d been flip-flopping between two relationships, and now she was accusing me of being unreasonable, accusing me of not letting go of the past. Looking at her face, embarrassed because her lies had been exposed, I called my assistant again. “Continue shorting Oliver Group stock.” “Continue spreading Hernandez’s dirt all over the internet!” “Miss Oliver, please come to the office immediately. Something’s happened!” The assistant stammered. On the way to the office, my assistant sent me a message: Big trouble, be careful! When I reached the company entrance, a large group of reporters was blocking the main gate, surrounding someone in the middle. I couldn’t see clearly! I’d barely moved forward two steps when someone grabbed my legs.

I looked down to see Hernandez had already fallen to his knees before me. “Mr. Marcus, I know you have great power and influence, but if you must kill someone, kill me. I beg you to spare Oliver and her parents. They’re old and can’t withstand this torment.” As he spoke, he picked up a bottle of poison and tried to pour it into his mouth, his eyes filled with the stubbornness of someone ready to die. “Mr. Marcus, if my life can calm your anger, then I… I’ll have died for a worthy cause.” His words were vicious and calculated. I was using my power to kill a male homewrecker because a woman had rejected me. And he was being noble, willing to die to protect the Oliver family and the Oliver Group’s assets. As soon as he finished speaking, I was surrounded by reporters. “Mr. Marcus, are you really planning to force Miss Oliver and Hernandez to death?” “Mr. Marcus, murder is a crime. After you poison Hernandez, will you turn yourself in, or will you use your connections to get yourself off the hook?” I frowned, gathered my thoughts, and said word by word: “I never intended to kill him. And I didn’t give him that poison!” Hernandez suddenly leaned close to me and said in a voice only we could hear: “Marcus, you’ll never win against me.” Then he forcibly shoved the entire bottle of poison into my hand, gripped my hand, and poured it down his own throat. “Ahh…” The surrounding reporters quickly recorded me murdering someone in the street. Suddenly, the medicine bottle was snatched from my hand. A hard slap struck my face, and then I was pushed to the ground. Oliver’s eyes were filled with surging hatred. “How can you be so vicious? Hernandez already got me pregnant. Can’t you tolerate them at all?” I stood there stunned. Pregnant? So they’d already conceived a child together this early. Hernandez’s suicide was reported by media outlets everywhere. Countless netizens thought I was being ruthless and unforgiving, saying I deserved to be abandoned. My social media was also overrun by haters. Some people even started a petition to remove me from my position as general manager of Williams Group. This had not only Hernandez’s handiwork behind it, but also Theo’s and Tillman’s. “Secretary Brown, suppress all the negative news about me and buy some positive PR pieces.” “Mr. Marcus… sir…” “The board just issued a notice removing you from your position as general manager and prohibiting you from using any company resources.” “I see.” Oliver Group’s stock price rose again. I threw my phone. Just as I was at my wit’s end, Oliver came looking for me. “I’ve already had people delete the negative news about you online.” “Marcus, as long as you beg me, I can also get Johnson to restore your position as general manager. I know that all along, you’ve worked toward becoming the person in power at Williams Group.” I raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at her fake expression, and slowly spoke: “Oh? You’re that kind?” “What price do I need to pay?” I stood up, staring at her with amusement. “Do I need to give up my position as husband and acknowledge your affair with Hernandez?” “Or broadcast an apology online, admitting I shouldn’t have relentlessly pursued your family?” She shook her head and smiled. “Neither!” “Next week is Mr. James’s 80th birthday. I want you to introduce Hernandez to him.” I laughed. “Pfft.” “Mr. James’s birthday only invites Seattle’s top elite power holders. He doesn’t qualify.” Oliver leaned down and patted my shoulder. “Everyone knows you’re best at winning his favor. I believe you can do it.” “If can get Mr. James’s favor, Hernandez will have a place in Seattle.” “And if I refuse?” She smiled, took out her phone, and made a call. “Secretary Brown, keep releasing Marcus’s dirt. Some of the risqué photos from when we were dating can also be posted online.” Oliver made the call while watching my reaction. “Until he has no chance of recovery.” I said nothing, just stood there quietly, maintaining a faint smile at the corner of my mouth. After a long while, I finally said: “Fine, I agree.” “You should have agreed earlier. Don’t worry, once this is done, I’ll remove your dirt. The wedding date I promised you will also proceed as scheduled.”

On the day of Mr. James’s 80th birthday, I brought Hernandez with me. He just glanced at Hernandez indifferently, then pulled me aside to chat. “Marcus, come sit with me.” Hernandez glared at me resentfully, then consciously walked away. The host’s voice rang out: “Let’s give a warm round of applause to celebrate Mr. James’s 80th birthday.” Suddenly, countless old photos appeared on the big screen. They showed a woman and a man in intimate poses. Everyone recognized the man—it was my father, Johnson. And the woman in the photos was my mother, Lavinia. The caption read: Homewrecker schemes to seduce married man, attempting to steal his place. I was dazed by these old photos, still unable to react when my true identity was exposed next. [Shocking Secret: Williams Group Leader Is Actually the Son of a Homewrecker.] [Williams Group Heir’s Background Exposed: Child Left Behind by Mistress Who Climbed the Social Ladder.] Everyone’s eyes turned toward me simultaneously. “So Marcus is the son of a mistress!” A voice from the crowd struck like thunder, exploding in the banquet hall. All the world’s malice surged toward me in that moment. “No wonder the Oliver family rejected him. Who would dare marry the son of a homewrecker!” “He looks like a male escort. Whoever marries him will be unlucky.” I felt a buzzing in my ears. I’d only told one person about my mother—Oliver. This was my weakness, my untouchable pain. I clenched my fists, forced myself to walk toward Oliver, and slapped her across the face. “You… are shameless!” “Marcus, this is a misunderstanding. Let me explain…” “I will never forgive you. Oliver, even if it costs me my life, I’ll drag you down with me!” I slowly raised my eyes, my gaze sweeping across Hernandez’s smug face. Then I addressed the guests, my voice ice-cold: “Today, at Mr. James’s birthday celebration, I publicly auction off my marriage to the highest bidder!” I glanced at Oliver and continued, “The requirement is: bankrupt the Oliver family.” Another wave of mockery washed over me like a flood. [He’s lost it! Who would marry an illegitimate son? We wouldn’t take him for free!] [Can’t be the elite heir anymore, so now he’s become an auction item?] I gripped my hands, my fingertips turning white, enduring wave after wave of ridicule. Time passed minute by minute, and my hope gradually faded. [Isn’t this just humiliating himself? Get lost…] [Don’t dirty our place. Get out!] “Who says no one wants him!” A cold voice drifted out. “Mr. Marcus, I’ll marry you.”

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Twenty years into our marriage. The chat thread between my husband Ethan Moore and me had been reduced to nothing but cold numbers. The screen was filled with nothing but 1s and 2s. Me: “Working late in the lab tonight?” Him: “1” — meaning yes. Me: “Coming home tonight?” Him: “2” — meaning no. I’d brainwash myself with the same mantras: he’s a genius physicist, he’s busy, his career is important. On our anniversary, I bought lingerie and asked if he’d be coming home that night. This time, he didn’t reply with a number. Instead, he sent a 60-second voice message. I clicked play. A woman’s voice came through: “Once I’m done feeding Professor Moore, I’ll send him home.” “You take care of his daily needs, I take care of his physical desires. Our division of labor is crystal clear.” My hand trembled as I exited the app and drove to the lab. Through the crack in the door, I saw Ethan working himself like a machine on top of a woman. Heavy breathing, low moans — like knives carving into my eardrums. I stood outside in silence for what felt like an eternity before finally knocking.

When Ethan emerged, his expression was calm. Not a trace of embarrassment at being caught in the act. His dark eyes settled on my face. After a moment’s pause, he spoke deliberately: “Let’s talk about this at home.” His slender hand reached toward me. I didn’t move. For the past twenty years, whether it was dates, confessions, proposals, or even the pathetically rare sex we had — I’d initiated all of it. “Fiona?” For once, he used my nickname, but his head was still tilted to the side, his gaze directed behind him. Looking at that woman whose face he was carefully blocking with his body, shielding her from view. My nose stung. I forced a dry laugh: “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Only then did he turn his head. The look in his eyes now held guilt and pleading. “Fiona, can we just go home first? Please?” Without waiting for a response, he grabbed my collar and roughly pulled me aside. Then he turned back and gently instructed the woman: “You should go. Quickly!” The clicking of high heels drew closer and closer. Ethan’s gaze followed her retreating figure, growing more distant. He watched her so intently that he didn’t even notice the cut on my cheek from where I’d been scraped against a nail on the wall. Ethan hadn’t always been this cold to me. During those college years when his condition improved, he’d acted like a normal person, caring about my joys and sorrows. After we married, he’d cancel urgent meetings and experiments on nights when I had my period, using his burning palms to warm my stomach. He’d clumsily write me love letters by hand before my birthday, trying to make up for the regrets of our youth. But those warm, sweet memories couldn’t compete with the pain on my face right now. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced them back. Taking a deep breath, I shook off his hand: “Stop looking. She’s gone.” His body stiffened. He hesitated, not daring to turn around. This time I didn’t wait for him. I headed to the car first. We arrived home close to 11 PM. The moment I changed out of my shoes, hands lifted me from behind and placed me on the sofa. I turned to see Ethan retrieving the first aid kit, kneeling before me. The concern in his eyes didn’t seem fake. “I’m sorry…” I didn’t respond, letting him carefully treat my wound while his neck was still covered in hickeys. Just like years ago when we exchanged wedding rings, when he’d publicly vowed to love me forever. The same posture. The same eyes. But everything had changed. Blood-stained cotton balls fell into the trash. As Ethan closed the first aid kit, I held out my hand to him: “Your phone.” He didn’t move, but the concern in his eyes faded, replaced by barely suppressed impatience. “Don’t make trouble for her. I’ll end things with her.”

I bit down hard and laughed. This man’s earlier concern, his kneeling — it was all for this moment. So I wouldn’t make trouble for the woman who held his heart. How could I possibly listen? Brushing past him, I grabbed his phone from the table. The lock screen showed that woman’s shy, smiling face. The password was still my birthday. But the pinned chat on his SnapChat had been changed to this woman named Chloe. Their chat thread was incredibly active. He replied to her every message instantly. But my chat with him was a wasteland. The last message was from half a month ago. “Coming home for dinner?” He hadn’t replied. The next day after work, he’d sent a dismissive: “Too busy, forgot.” I knew he had a national-level project underway, so I’d been understanding, not making a fuss, racking my brains to make him nutritious, healthy meals. But I never imagined that all the care I gave him, he’d spent on someone else. Even his “busy” was just being busy screwing someone in the lab. [Your wife hasn’t seen you in half a month. Are you coming home tonight?] [Bored with her. Not going.] The hand gripping the phone trembled slightly. Twenty years. The best years of a woman’s youth. I’d spent it all on this man, and all I got in return was “bored with her.” Those words blurred through my tears into an indistinct mess. I bit my lip, forcing my eyes open wide, reading word by word. Reading how this rigid man who’d lecture about physics even during sex had dressed up in costumes to play elaborate roleplay games for this woman. Reading how at the science award ceremony I’d begged him multiple times to take me to — events he’d always refused — he’d brought her instead, letting her accept congratulations in my place, under my name. Reading how when Chloe asked him “Do you like your wife or me?” he’d replied without hesitation: “She’s old now, loose down there too. Can’t compare to you.” Turning the entire first half of my life — spent devotedly helping him ascend to greatness — into one massive joke. My eyes burned. I returned the phone to Ethan. The more I read, the more I felt like a complete fool. “Fiona, I’m a man. I have needs and desires. Things with her got out of hand, we couldn’t help ourselves.” “I hope you can understand and not make a scene. Let’s just end this here, okay?” His voice remained gentle. Even his lies sounded so convincing. But I stubbornly wanted answers. I pointed at the pinned profile picture, my voice hoarse: “Of all people to cheat with, why her? Why the woman who killed your parents?” I raised my voice, grabbing his collar, my words tearing through the air: “Have you forgotten how your parents could have lived, but she ran them over again and again, grinding them into pulp?” Ethan turned his face away. After a long pause, he finally spoke: “She was young then. It wasn’t intentional.” “And my parents shouldn’t have been out that late at night. They brought it on themselves…” I carefully savored those two sentences. And couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Laughing at my own blindness. When Ethan’s parents died and his relatives refused to take him in, Chloe — afraid he’d press charges — had systematically driven him insane. She’d made him crawl on the ground and drink urine, bark like a dog, spreading videos of it everywhere. His miserable state was burned into my memory for twenty years. Even after he recovered, I’d kept track of Chloe’s whereabouts. But I never anticipated this. Not only had Ethan forgiven his parents’ murderer first, he’d climbed into bed with her. During every night he’d lied about working late, he’d tried every position with her. He said they couldn’t help themselves, overcome by passion. So what were my meddling twenty years worth? Thunder rumbled as his phone rang simultaneously. Ethan didn’t even glance at me before answering. “Ethan, my thesis data got rejected. If I miss tonight’s deadline, my entire project is ruined…” Chloe’s voice was sweet and cloying. The man’s throat bobbed as he immediately rushed to the entrance to change shoes, not forgetting to coo at her: “Don’t worry, baby. I’m coming right now.” He responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if I didn’t exist. I whirled around and blocked his path: “You’re not going!” Ethan frowned, irritation rising in his eyes. “Fiona! This is about Chloe’s future. She’s not useless like you. Get out of my way!” The word “useless” nailed me in place. I forgot how to react. Ethan’s patience completely evaporated. He grabbed my collar and shoved me aside. My wound struck the corner of a cabinet. I hissed in pain. Instinctively, I called out: “Ethan, it hurts…” The only response was the earth-shattering slam of the door.

Liquid dripped down my face. I didn’t bother with it. Like a walking corpse, I pulled out tonight’s lunch box of food I’d lovingly prepared. Opened the lid, grabbed my fork, and mechanically stuffed the still-warm food into my mouth, chewing as if punishing myself. But thinking about how this lunch box had also been at the lab tonight made my mouth, my stomach, churn with revulsion — like I’d swallowed countless needles. I rushed to the bathroom and retched into the toilet. As tears streamed from my eyes, the doorbell rang. It was Ethan’s supervisor. “Fiona, Ethan’s at City General Hospital. Get here quick!” Instinctively, I asked: “What happened? Is he okay?” Before he could answer, a strange woman’s sobbing voice came through the phone: “If it weren’t for helping me get that corporate data, you wouldn’t have been forced to drink so much you got gastric bleeding!” “I’ll go heat up some milk for you right now…” Ethan’s weak voice protested: “Don’t… just stay with me. Let her do that kind of grunt work.” “Is that… appropriate?” “Why wouldn’t it be? Taking care of people is her only talent. Remember this — your hands are meant for writing papers, conducting experiments, winning awards. They shouldn’t be wasted in a kitchen…” My throat felt like it had been scraped raw, like a fire burning it over and over. I stared at my gaunt, withered reflection in the mirror. Suddenly I understood. In this genius physicist’s eyes, I — his wife — was only fit for menial labor. Only fit to serve. Elevate his mistress to the clouds. Reduce his wife to a maid. What a perfect arrangement. “Fiona, Ethan’s bleeding quite a bit. When are you coming?” I wiped away my tears and spoke slowly into the still-connected call: “Boss, I won’t be coming to the hospital. But feel free to invite me to the public denouncement when his affair with Miss Chloe gets exposed!” I hung up. My heart felt no better. I drifted ghost-like to the bedroom, gazing at the bright moon hanging high. Suddenly, I laughed softly. Ethan had probably long forgotten that back then, I’d been the top student at our university besides him. He’d already been specially recruited by the National Physics Research Institute. For my sake, he’d secretly torn up that offer letter, insisting on going to another city with me for college. I’d gotten angry at him for the first time: “Are you crazy? How can you waste your talent like this?” He’d stubbornly shaken his head, his eyes redder than blood. “Wherever you go, I go. Without you, I don’t want anything!” He’d even taken that offer letter covered in tape and knelt at my parents’ door, kowtowing repeatedly. “Uncle, Aunt, please believe me. Fiona is my entire life.” “I’d rather die than let her down.” When Ethan was serious, stars would appear in his eyes. And I’d naturally believed him completely. When he said forever, I thought he meant forever. Later, I gave up my studies, became a homemaker, lost myself in his ever-ascending career, becoming increasingly marked by domestic mundanity. I earned no praise, only insults calling me “useless.” Life really is full of reversals. Just like tonight — I’d gone to the lab to tell him he was going to be a father. What should have been a surprise turned into a nightmare.

The next day, when I returned home from the lawyer’s office, my parents suddenly called. Their tone was unusually stern. “Fiona! Tell us the truth. Did you do something to betray Ethan?” I was stunned. I didn’t know how to explain that Ethan had cheated and I wanted a divorce. After a few seconds of stunned silence, I chose to deflect. “Mom, Dad, nothing like that happened…” My mother’s heavy breathing came through the phone. “Our house got splashed with red paint by some woman named Chloe. She says you’re shameless, that you seduce her husband every night!” “What’s going on? The neighbors are all pointing fingers at us, saying you couldn’t control yourself, that while Ethan was working late, you were out there sleeping around…” My hot-tempered father snatched the phone away, shouting at the top of his lungs: “Are you really that cheap? That desperate? Because of you, people are talking behind our backs. Your mother’s fainted several times… If you don’t fix this, we’re cutting you off!” Bang! The call disconnected. Almost simultaneously, a soft laugh came from the bedroom. The door opened. Chloe stood inside. She looked younger than her profile picture, with luminously pale skin and bright eyes. In her hands were the shredded pieces of my pregnancy test results. “Like the gift I sent your parents?” She smiled sweetly. But it made my blood run cold. I pulled out my phone to call the police while demanding: “How did you get in here?” She slapped the phone out of my hand. Shaking her head with a mocking laugh: “Stupid! Your husband gave me the key, obviously.” I stood frozen, my entire body shaking with rage. She looked at me, tilting her head with a smile. “Can’t handle this already?” “What if I told you I don’t just have your house key — I also have his project authorship rights and his research institute paycard? What would you do then?” I took a breath, forcing down the fury rising in my chest. “You saw it yourself. I’m carrying his child. I’m his legitimate wife. He won’t destroy his academic career and future for you!” She froze for a second. Then burst out laughing. “Really?” She suddenly stood up, slowly walking toward me, her eyes dropping to my still-flat stomach. Lips curling, her voice drawling slowly: “You think having a baby will tie him down? Just like you thought spending twenty years with him would guarantee you his whole life?” “Stupid! So stupid!” She threw her head back, laughing wildly. Her voice was shrill and piercing. Then I watched as her hands slowly moved to her own stomach. Her clothes were thin. Thin enough that I could clearly see her swollen belly. Chloe glanced at my stunned expression, her face unable to hide her gloating. “Fourteen weeks along. Ethan said once he finishes this current project, he’ll tell you he wants a divorce. He’s even reported it to his superiors.” “If I were you, I’d spread my legs and find another man…” Fourteen weeks… Fourteen weeks ago, she’d already had a key to my home. She’d probably been in my marital bed, on the sofa, even in the shower — in every corner of our shared home. He’d mounted this woman, taking her again and again. The clinking sounds of lab equipment bottles came crashing back into my ears. Boom! My carefully maintained composure shattered under the weight of my rage. I grabbed the ashtray from the table and hurled it at her. Ahhh! She couldn’t dodge in time. It hit her squarely, blood streaming from her forehead. The suffocating pressure I’d been holding back, mixed with fury over my parents being terrorized, formed a tidal wave. I didn’t stop. Instead, I lunged at her like a madwoman. Straddling her body, I grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the table. Bang! Her piercing screams were music to my ears in that deadly silent space. The blood spurred me into deeper frenzy. I tore at her scalp while cursing at the top of my lungs: “Bitch! Whore! Husband-stealing slut! Why don’t you just die! I’ll kill you!” I’d lost all reason. Completely consumed by rage. Chloe’s face was covered in blood. Her forehead crimson, her nose crimson, her mouth crimson. She screamed until her voice went hoarse. But I showed no mercy, clawing at her face, biting her ear, kicking her stomach with my feet. She shrieked as blood seeped from between her legs in a spreading stain. I stared at the bright red beneath her, pausing for a few seconds. Just those few seconds — and my lower abdomen took a brutal kick. Pain exploded across my belly. My entire body flew backward. Splurch! Flesh pierced through. The tip of an umbrella protruding from the entryway plunged deep into my body. No! I heard Ethan’s terrified scream.

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I am the purest-blooded elite mermaid. My tears turn into priceless pearls, and my heart’s blood can bring the dead back to life. When Ethan Hunt went bankrupt, drowned in debt, and was being hunted by his enemies, I pulled him from the edge of the cross-sea bridge where he stood drenched in blood, ready to end it all. I thought he was useless, but my heart softened anyway. I forced myself to cry an entire bag of top-grade pearls to fill the hole of his debts. When signing the master-servant agreement, I warned Ethan: “You’re not worthy of me. You’re just a dog I’m keeping, my accessory.” Ethan was the perfect loyal dog — putting on my shoes, feeding me, handling everything personally. When I said one, he never dared say two. Even though I was different from others, he spoiled me into the most envied woman in the entire city. Everyone said Ethan loved me like his own life. I believed it too. Until he drained half my heart’s blood to save a low-grade koi mate with genetic defects. She was his first love, the one he couldn’t have in his youth. That same day, I dragged my weakened body into Lyra’s hospital room and smashed everything she had related to Ethan. I thought Ethan would kneel on the ground like before, begging for my forgiveness, worried about my pale face. But that night, during my scale-shedding period when I was at my weakest and most vulnerable, he brought in a group of men to violate me repeatedly. Ethan wrapped his arm around Lyra’s waist, looking down at my disheveled state like I was garbage: “Didn’t Lyra speak the truth? You’re cold-blooded by nature. What kind of mermaid throws pearls at people to attach herself to them?” “Didn’t you mock Lyra for being a low-grade mate? Well, now that you’ve been passed around by men and lost all your scales, you’re just a defective product that can’t see the light of day either!”

When I pushed open the hospital room door, Lyra was leaning in Ethan’s arms, taking small sips of medicine brewed from my heart’s blood. They both stared at me in shock. “Vesper, what are you doing here?” Ethan frowned, but his hand gently pressed on Lyra’s back, helping her breathe easier. Lyra licked the blood-colored residue from the corner of her mouth and laughed: “Sorry, my body is too weak. I borrowed Ethan for a bit, and borrowed some of your blood too. You don’t mind, do you?” I clutched the pregnancy test report I’d just gotten from the hospital, my mind exploding with a buzzing sound. “Ethan, didn’t you promise me that if I donated blood once, you’d send her abroad?” Ethan looked up at me, his tone calm: “Vesper, Lyra has genetic defects. Sending her abroad would be like killing her. I can’t do something so heartless.” “So you were heartless enough to drain half my heart’s blood on our tenth anniversary to be with your first love?” I grabbed the fruit basket from the table and hurled it. Apples rolled everywhere. I roared my questions: “Ethan, when you were dirt poor and being stepped on by everyone, who supported you? Don’t forget that you got where you are today because of whose tears and scales!” Mentioning the past, all the grievances came flooding back like a torrent. Back then, I was the hottest elite mate in the underground black market. All the powerful families in the capital wanted to claim me. After following Ethan, I spent six full years in a narrow, damp basement. When he made his comeback, many people bullied him for his past bankruptcy, deliberately forcing drinks on him at business dinners, even making him kneel. I blocked for him time and time again, shielding him from malicious provocations, lowering myself, using my mermaid song to win him investments. The young man’s eyes reddened with emotion back then. In an era when mates had no human rights, he defied everyone’s opinions to build me the city’s most luxurious temperature-controlled pool. He solemnly promised: “From now on, this is our secret love base. Only you have the privilege to enter! My life, Ethan Hunt’s life, belongs to Vesper for all eternity!” His eyes were so sincere and passionate then. But now when I looked up, I saw only Ethan’s annoyed expression: “What’s the point of rehashing old stories over and over? Lyra’s body is weak, she can’t be without me. And it’s just a little blood. You have such strong recovery ability — when did you become so selfish?” I was selfish? Tears welled up in my eyes, but because of extreme anger, I forced them back, refusing to let them turn into pearls. Ethan froze, seeming to realize his words were too harsh. He sighed helplessly and walked over, reaching out to touch my hair. “How could I possibly not want you? But Lyra is my first love. I can’t bear to see her suffer.” “If you really don’t like her, I promise that after she recovers, she’ll never appear in front of you again, okay?” His expression was sincere. Exactly like the young man ten years ago when he begged me to save him. My dormant heart wavered slightly. Just as I was about to speak, I inadvertently glimpsed the bright red contract totem beneath his shirt collar, at his collarbone. It was a soul-binding mate contract. Identical to the one showing on Lyra’s neck. I shoved Ethan away, asking in disbelief: “You signed a soul contract with her?” Ethan froze, his brow furrowing slightly, but he still nodded. Lyra suddenly threw off the covers crying and rushed to kneel before me: “Blame me if you want! I was the one who begged Mr. Hunt to sign it! I can’t survive without a contract!”

“Silly girl, signing a contract isn’t a one-person decision. How can I blame you?” Ethan tenderly pulled Lyra up from the floor and held her tightly in his arms, then looked at me firmly: “I was the one who initiated the contract with Lyra. Her body has flaws, she’s different from you. Without a master’s protection, she’d be bullied by other mates.” My lips parted as I watched the man I loved most protect another woman like a rare treasure. Years ago, Ethan refused to sign a contract with me, using his rising career as an excuse, saying he was afraid people would use it as a weakness against him. I understood how difficult things were for him and waited year after year. I thought he just wasn’t ready. But now, to protect another woman, he could hand over his soul without hesitation, then turn and look at me with cold eyes. The contract I’d begged him for countless times, he easily gave to someone else. The tightly wound string in my heart finally snapped. I removed the diamond ring from my ring finger and hurled it at Ethan. The sharp edge of the ring cut a bloody line across his face. I ground my teeth viciously: “Ethan, you violated our vows today — cheating and giving the contract to someone else…” “Since you won’t give me an answer, I’ll show you both my attitude with actions!” Ethan touched the blood on his face, clearly thinking I was joking, and snorted dismissively: “Enough, Vesper. Stop making a scene. I still need to accompany Lyra to the Vesper gala to give her face. Be good and go home. I’ll come back tonight to explain.” I stared hard at their intimate backs, slowly tearing the pregnancy report in my pocket to pieces and throwing it in the trash. Leaving the hospital, I called Kyle, the capital’s golden boy: “I’m allowing you to pursue me now, but I have one condition — I need you to help me destroy someone!” Even after ten years, I was still the object of every man’s pursuit. The most perfect elite mermaid in the eyes of the powerful. With just one sentence, countless men scrambled to please me. That very night, I received a bloody koi scale. In the surveillance video, Lyra was surrounded by a group of men in black, pinned to the ground, as they forcibly plucked her most prized natal golden scale. “Why? Why are you doing this to me!” “Ethan will kill you all, kill every last one of you!” Her furious curses turned into blood-curdling screams as the pliers came down. “Why? Because you offended the golden boy’s sweetheart.” The video faded to black amid mocking laughter. At the same time, the villa door was kicked open. Ethan, wearing a haute couture suit and originally holding roses to appease me, approached me with murderous intent. “Still angry about what happened during the day?” He originally wanted to control his temper. He tossed the flowers on the table, his voice carrying helplessness and condescension: “You’re an elite mate — why get angry with a defective product?” “I’m only with her because I pity her. If you don’t like it, I won’t let her appear in front of you anymore, okay?” For once, he lowered his head, thinking this would appease me. I laughed too, laughing until tears nearly came: “You’re absolutely right — a defective mate really isn’t worth getting angry over!” Ethan froze, seemingly not expecting me to be so agreeable. I then threw the bloody golden scale in front of Ethan, smiling sweetly at him: “Enjoy a good look at your poor little thing’s natal scale.” Ethan’s eyes widened as he stared at the bloody scale. When it registered, he grabbed my collar, his eyes bloodshot: “Vesper, you actually dared to touch her? You’re looking for death!” I smiled provocatively, meeting his eyes without backing down: “I also have the video. Want to hear her screams? I said it before — neither of you cheating bastards will have it easy!” A crisp sound echoed through the entire living room. My face burned with pain, the force whipping my head to the side, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of my mouth. I covered my face, looking at Ethan in disbelief. Since his comeback, countless low-grade mates had tried to climb into his bed. The bold ones would provoke me directly to my face. In my volatile temper, I’d taught them lessons and ruined faces. But Ethan had always turned a blind eye, even helping me hand over the knife. This was the first time he’d raised his hand against me for another woman. “You’d better start praying Lyra’s okay, or I won’t be polite to you!” Ethan glared at me like I was an enemy, then stormed out angrily. I stood there alone, the servants’ sighing and mocking gazes hurting more than the slap on my face. In just one night, news of rising business star Ethan Hunt storming the black market in a fury to save his beloved made it to the top of trending topics nationwide. [Oh my god, isn’t this just like the domineering CEO heroically saving the beauty in novels? I’m dying from this ship!] [But isn’t this unfair to Vesper? She stayed with Ethan for ten years.] [If you can’t manage your man, who else can you blame? Besides, wasn’t she always proud of being Ethan’s only sweetheart? Getting a slap in the face now, isn’t she?] However much I’d once prided myself on Ethan’s favoritism, I was now equally humiliated. The entire city knew that the once most noble elite mermaid had lost to a genetically defective reject.

Next week was my scale-shedding period. A mermaid’s scale-shedding period is like a human woman’s childbirth — excruciatingly painful, accompanied by intense mating urges. Every time this happened, Ethan would take time off in advance to come home, staying by my side every moment, giving me the most expensive suppressants. But this time, to punish me, he confiscated all my suppressants and even bribed the servants to secretly add catalyzing drugs to my drinking water. That night, desire and skinning, bone-extracting pain came in waves like the tide. I rolled on the bed, my hands grasping unconsciously in the air, Ethan’s once-gentle face flashing frequently in my mind. “Vesper, don’t be afraid. I’m here.” Past whispers echoed in my ears, but reality was a cold, empty room. I bit my lip until it bled, desperately banging my head against the nightstand, trying to use physical pain to suppress the restlessness inside. I stumbled out of the room and desperately pleaded with the butler: “Give me a suppressant, just one!” The butler looked at me coldly, his eyes full of disdain: “Mr. Hunt said that since you hurt Miss Lyra’s natal scale, you need to properly learn your place!” “Only if you’re willing to kneel and kowtow an apology to Miss Lyra and record a video will you get a suppressant.” My heart sank. The hand clutching the butler’s trouser leg suddenly released. The pain hit again. This time I clenched my teeth, my nails digging deep into my palms, stubbornly refusing to make another sound. My phone screen lit up. Lyra had updated her social media. She wore Ethan’s oversized shirt, her neck covered in intimate kiss marks, lying contentedly in Ethan’s arms, her eyes full of satisfaction. Her hand gently wrapped around Ethan’s neck as she faced the camera smugly, with the caption: [Who understands the happiness of having your master stay by your side during a mate’s heat? Thank you for Ethan’s favoritism.] Below were unanimous blessings and people from the social circle mocking me. My heart completely died. I curled up on the cold floor, staring at the ceiling. The physical pain wasn’t half of what my heart felt. In my daze, I had a dream. I dreamed of the day Ethan had just paid off his debts. We were strolling on the street when I casually admired a wedding dress in a shop window. Unfortunately, mates had low status. The law prohibited mates from wearing wedding dresses or legally marrying humans. Yet the impoverished Ethan emptied his pockets of the few hundred dollars he had left and bought a cheap white veil, risking arrest by the patrol, and put the veil on me in the city’s most crowded square. He cupped my face, his eyes burning with love: “I don’t care about mate or human — I only know that what others have, my Vesper must have too!” “In this life, I, Ethan Hunt, will marry no one but you! When I make money, I’ll buy you the most expensive wedding dress in the world!” My dormant heart felt like it would leap from my chest in that instant. But heavy footsteps pulled me back to reality. Looking up, I saw Ethan’s cold face. Seeing me disheveled and drenched in cold sweat, his brow furrowed slightly, a trace of barely noticeable heartache flashing in his eyes. His cold fingers traced across my face. Controlled by the drugs, I instinctively sought that coolness, nuzzling his palm like a begging dog. Seeing my docile appearance, satisfaction flashed in his eyes. “Look at you — why be so stubborn? An apology is just one sentence. As long as you lower your head, I’ll still spoil you like before.” Consciousness briefly cleared in that instant. I violently pushed him away and spat bloody saliva on his face. “Want me to apologize to a homewrecker defect? Ethan, over my dead body!” Ethan’s eyes darkened instantly, the muscles in his face twitching. He couldn’t bear to hear me insult Lyra even once. I thought he’d fly into a rage like a few days ago. But unexpectedly, he suddenly smiled, forcibly pulling me into his arms and gently patting my back: “If you don’t want to apologize, then don’t. You’re not wrong anyway — she really is a defect.” “You must be starving, right? Come, I’ll take you somewhere nice.”

He carefully took my hand, draped a coat over me, gentle just like ten years ago. I felt momentarily disoriented. My body’s weakness made me unconsciously grip his sleeve. “When we first met, you were so proud, refusing to lower your head even slightly. Back then I swore I’d never let you suffer any grievance in this lifetime.” He rambled on the whole way. The car played the songs we used to love, his eyes full of nostalgia for the past. I leaned against the car window, watching the night scenery fly past outside, a ridiculous hope sprouting in my heart. Maybe he was just temporarily confused by Lyra. Maybe he still loved me. The car stopped at the underground mate black market where I used to be kept. Walking into the deepest private room, an overwhelmingly nauseating smell of aphrodisiacs rushed into my nostrils. My head instantly became dizzy, the restlessness inside ignited by this smell. I saw that in the dim lighting, many people seemed to be around, all staring at me and quietly laughing. I tried to control my staggering steps, wanting to escape, but accidentally stumbled into Ethan’s cold embrace. “Vesper, you don’t need to suppress your instincts.” “You’ve been holding back these past few days, right? Today your husband will fill you up all at once, okay?” A seductive voice whispered in my ear. The young man’s innocent face from ten years ago appeared before me. The drugs and instinct completely controlled my brain. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe. Just as I was about to touch his lips, a piercing mocking laugh rang out. My spine instantly turned ice-cold, as if plunging into a frozen abyss. There were more than just the two of us in this room! “Everyone see that? What elite noble mermaid — when she’s in heat, she’s just as cheap!” Ethan’s contemptuous voice exploded overhead. He violently pushed me away like discarding a dirty rag. The black cloth behind was suddenly pulled back, harsh lights blazing on. A group of pot-bellied, greedy-eyed men surrounded me, their gazes nakedly scanning my body. Lyra sat on the central sofa, holding a phone livestreaming, the camera locked on me as she laughed provocatively and maliciously: “Worthy of being an elite mate — her heat is really different! Perfect for giving our nationwide audience an eye-opening experience!” “Shut up!” I rushed at her like a madwoman, shoving Lyra, trying to grab the phone. But the next second, my hair was violently yanked by a tremendous force, my entire body pressed hard against the floor. Before my eyes were a pair of expensive red-soled leather shoes. Ethan’s voice came from above, ice-cold and piercing, carrying a lofty judgment: “You shouldn’t have — absolutely shouldn’t have — bullied Lyra. Today I’ll let you know that without me, you’re worth less than a low-grade mate!” I gritted my teeth unwillingly, my hands supporting myself as I tried to stand. Before I could steady myself, Ethan backhanded me with a heavy slap. I flew out like a kite with a broken string, my stomach slamming hard into the edge of a hard marble table. Pain. Tearing pain. Pain so intense that tears instantly welled up, but the moment they fell, they turned into muddy pearls, hitting the floor with crisp sounds. I curled up on the ground, my whole body trembling violently, even breathing becoming torture. The men’s gazes fell on me, naked desire crawling over my entire body like maggots. Some even started unbuckling their belts, walking toward me. Ethan slowly walked up to me, looking down from above. Those eyes once full of love were now cold as if looking at a corpse. “Vesper, didn’t you keep calling Lyra a defect?” He crouched down, forcibly gripping my chin, his lips curled in a playful yet cruel smile. “So after being passed around by all these men, what does that make you? Guess whether you can still maintain your elite nobility?” My stomach sent piercing pain. That terrifying feeling of life slipping away instantly drowned me. I desperately gripped his suit sleeve, my nails nearly breaking: “Ethan, I’m pregnant… you can’t do this to me…” He looked down at me, his eyes full of disgust and mockery: “Vesper, to gain sympathy, you’d stoop to this kind of lie? You think I’d believe you? Disgusting!” “I’m not lying… it’s true…” The pain in my stomach intensified wave after wave. Warm blood snaked down from the base of my thighs, staining my white dress red. I couldn’t hold on anymore. My hand clutching his sleeve fell limply as I collapsed to the floor. “Vesper, stop pretending.” Ethan sneered, disgustedly brushing off his sleeve as he turned to leave. “If I’d known you were this kind of scheming liar, I’d never have touched you, even if it meant death. Have your fun with her, boys. Just leave her breathing.” The blood kept flowing, more and more, pooling into an alarmingly dark red puddle on the floor. The heavy smell of blood overpowered the aphrodisiacs in the room. He seemed to sense something was wrong and looked back in annoyance. When his gaze touched the expanding crimson beneath me, his pupils suddenly contracted.

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On our fifth anniversary, I found an old phone in my husband Ethan Lloyd’s safe. The password was his first love’s birthday. Inside were records of all their sweet moments together. Yet in his current photo gallery, there wasn’t a single picture of me. “Lily, is it fun snooping through other people’s privacy?” I turned to see Ethan standing in the doorway. I didn’t yell or make a scene. I simply said calmly, “Let’s get a divorce.” Right in front of me, Ethan factory reset the phone, his expression utterly indifferent. “There. Happy now?” he asked. “Still want that divorce?” I nodded seriously. “Yes.” “Enough. Stop making a scene.” Ethan frowned, clearly impatient. “Be good. Once the project wraps up at the end of the year, I’ll make time to take you skiing in Hokkaido, okay?” When I didn’t respond for a long while, Ethan’s lips curved into his usual careless smile as he tapped my forehead with his fingertip. “I’m not lying this time. I mean it.” I almost wanted to laugh. “Not lying this time.” So he knew he’d lied to me countless times before. He’d promised that Hokkaido ski trip years ago, postponing it year after year. For our usual movie dates, I was always the one waiting alone at the theater entrance until showtime. When he said he’d pick me up, I’d stand there soaked by the rain, never seeing his car. Ethan always broke his promises to me. So now, saying this like it was some kind of favor, some reward. “No need,” I said, taking a deep breath before repeating firmly, “Ethan, I want a divorce.” This time, the man’s expression turned cold, his patience completely exhausted. “Lily, you’re being completely unreasonable.” “Go to Hokkaido or don’t—I’ve already given you the chance.” “Don’t come crying to me later about how I didn’t keep my word.” With that, he grabbed his coat from the sofa and turned to leave. He didn’t even touch the dinner I’d carefully prepared to his taste. I remained silent too. For the first time, I didn’t try to make him stay, not even for one more minute. Ethan paused at the door, glancing back at me. I had already sat down and begun eating quietly by myself. He slammed the door. Like he was venting some fury. My heart had long since stopped hurting—only a barren wasteland remained. I used to think that someone as superior as Ethan would never stoop to mundane domesticity. But it turned out he would cook for the girl he loved. Just to earn one compliment from her. The cuts on his hands, the burns from hot water—they all became badges of love. He’d even said such childish things: “Cooking for someone you like really does feel so happy.” “I want to cook for Claire for the rest of my life, fatten her up so no one else will try to steal her from me.” Reading those records made me realize for the first time how much of a joke I was. The next day, I met my lawyer best friend at a café and asked her to draft a divorce agreement. “What happened with you two? Why is it this serious this time?” My friend looked shocked. She knew better than anyone how much I loved Ethan. In past arguments, we’d have a cold war at most. “I’m really tired,” I said, looking out at the traffic. “You know what? She came back.” Just that one pronoun, and my friend understood. Claire Bennett. Ethan’s unforgettable first love. That name was like a tiny needle lodged in my heart. Never drawing blood, but causing pain from time to time. I’d never even seen her in person, yet her existence had affected me for five whole years. Ethan said personal space was important, but he and Claire had shared a music account. Ethan didn’t like his life being public, but his old social media was filled with traces of that girl. The art exhibitions he took me to featured Claire’s favorite painters. He complained that shopping with me wasted time, yet he’d once browsed every antique market in the city with her. Two years of dating, three years of marriage—Ethan had never truly removed her from his heart. And I was more like companionship during his single period. A habit. A second choice. “Alright, leave the divorce agreement to me—I won’t let you get the short end of the stick!” My friend said worriedly, “But Lily, have you really made up your mind?” “I told you from the start—this man isn’t right for you. He hasn’t cleared his heart, and being with him means you’re just hurting yourself.” “But you had to go and fall for him anyway, wouldn’t listen no matter what I said.” I lowered my eyes, stirring the coffee in my cup. “Some lessons have to be learned the hard way.”

The sky was heavy and gray. Rain started pouring without warning. My friend’s husband came to pick her up. “Didn’t I tell you not to come?” “How could I let you get caught in the rain? Lily, come with us—I’ll drop you off first.” I smiled and shook my head. “You two go ahead. I’ll sit here a bit longer.” I used to envy their genuine care and consideration for each other. Why were Ethan and I also married, yet there was always an invisible wall between us? Why? The answer was simple. He just didn’t love me enough. Yet I’d deceived myself for so long, thinking he simply didn’t know how to love. When the rain lightened, I got up to leave. I happened to see a familiar Audi pull over by the curb. The woman in the passenger seat wore a cream-colored dress, with slightly curled hair and a gentle demeanor. Ethan got out from the other side, walking this way. It seemed he was passing by and wanted to grab coffee. Seeing me, he remained expressionless, only raising an eyebrow slightly. He probably expected me to greet him first, but I just looked down at the rideshare app on my phone. Maybe I was distracted—I accidentally missed a step and twisted my ankle. Ethan glanced over again, frowning but saying nothing. He went into the café and ignored me. I endured the pain in my ankle and continued waiting for my ride. Soon, Ethan came out carrying two takeaway coffees. “Let’s go.” “Isn’t this what you wanted—for me to give you a ride?” His tone carried cold impatience. “…I didn’t.” Ethan didn’t bother arguing and simply pulled me into the car. Then he handed me one of the coffees. I didn’t take it, so he just set it aside. The entire ride was silent. The atmosphere in the car was stifling. Claire suddenly pressed her hand to her forehead. “Ethan, I think my blood sugar’s dropping. Do you have any candy?” Ethan naturally reached into the glove compartment and handed her a chocolate. “I’ve reminded you so many times, but you never learn.” Claire took it with a soft laugh. “I get too busy and forget. Good thing you’re here.” They naturally started chatting about old times—mutual acquaintances, shared experiences. Their words carried an effortless understanding. And I sat in the back seat like an out-of-place audience member. The scenery outside flew backward. We passed Fairview Park, where the giant Ferris wheel slowly turned. My first date with Ethan had been here. Legend said couples who kissed at the top would be happy forever. I’d stolen a kiss from him then. He’d stared at me for a long while. I thought it was one of our few shared sweet memories. Later I learned that Ethan’s biggest regret was never bringing Claire here to ride that Ferris wheel. Fragments of the past flashed through my drowsy mind. Mostly my one-sided expectations and his dismissiveness. I closed my eyes and fell asleep. When I opened them again, the car had stopped outside our building. Claire had gotten out at some point. Ethan unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to look at my swollen ankle, his brow furrowed. “Lily,” his voice was low, “does it have to be like this?” I looked up, confused. “If you wanted me to pick you up, you could’ve just said so. Did you really have to use such a stupid method to get my attention?” His tone was steady but carried barely detectable irritation. I didn’t know what he was irritated about. Perhaps he was annoyed that I’d interrupted his alone time with his first love. “Ethan, you’re overthinking it.” “I didn’t ask you to drive me.” He probably thought I was being stubborn and scoffed. “Oh? So what’s your plan—crawl home like this?” “I can call a cab.” I looked at him. “Ethan, I don’t need you to survive.” “I used to cling to you because I loved you. That doesn’t mean I’m helpless without you.” “Leave? Lily, try leaving and see if I’ll come begging for you back.” The man’s eyes darkened again. I had no desire to waste more words on him. Anyway, once the divorce papers reached his hands, he’d know this time I wasn’t making a scene—I was serious.

I pushed the car door open, trying to get out myself. But he got out first and scooped me up in his arms. His movements weren’t gentle, but he didn’t let me fall either. Inside, he found the medicine kit and awkwardly sprayed medication on my ankle, his expression still cold. “Don’t do this again.” I silently watched him complete this task. Ethan was always like this—giving me a slap, then a piece of candy. Hot and cold, making me second-guess myself countless times. Did he have even a shred of genuine feeling for me? Agonizing over whether someone loves you is truly stupid, yet I’d been stupid for five years. It was time to wake up. Too tired to keep guessing his thoughts, I casually said thanks. Ethan stood in front of the sofa, motionless. “Anything else?” Ethan pressed his lips together. “Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?” I shook my head calmly. Actually, I’d already checked Claire’s social media. Yesterday she’d posted on Twitter—a photo of a plane landing. The caption read “Waiting for you.” I’d scrolled through all the comments but didn’t see any trace of Ethan liking or commenting. But I knew he would go. And indeed, that’s what happened. “I’m really tired. I want to sleep.” I stood up. “I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight.” Ethan grabbed my wrist. “Lily!” Unusually, he took the initiative to explain. “Claire and I aren’t what you think.” “I picked her up this time because she just got back and isn’t familiar with the area. I was just helping out.” I made a sound of acknowledgment. “As you should.” Ethan studied my face, as if trying to find some trace of insincerity. “Lily, she and I ended a long time ago. We’re just ordinary friends now.” I nodded disinterestedly. “Got it.” Ethan pulled me into his arms, for once taking the initiative to kiss me. His burning body heat transmitted through our clothes—a warmth I’d once craved most. He knew I liked physical intimacy and thought one kiss could placate me. But I turned my head away. Ethan was clearly stunned. He completely hadn’t expected me to refuse. His expression darkened. “Lily, my patience has limits too. You’d better not push it too far.” That night we slept in separate rooms. Ethan left me the master bedroom and took the guest room himself. When I woke the next morning, the house was quiet—he’d already left. My expression remained neutral as I went to the company and submitted my resignation. If I was going to leave, I’d do it completely. I’d only stayed at this company because of Ethan anyway, to work alongside him, to have more time together. But at work, he’d hidden our marriage, saying it wouldn’t look good. Not only that, he deliberately kept his distance from me. When subordinates needed to accompany him on business trips, he never chose me. In meetings, he treated me like I was invisible. Even when I completed a major project independently, I never earned his praise. This cold attitude made colleagues think Ethan must have something against me. Or that I’d offended him privately. HR was one of the few people at the company who knew about my relationship with Ethan. “You’re leaving?” “Ethan only said to demote you, he didn’t say anything about resignation…” I froze. “Demotion?” HR nodded, looking at me with sympathy. “Your position was taken by someone parachuted in from abroad. Ethan specifically arranged it.” I felt a chill spreading through my heart. I heard my own trembling voice: “Her name—is it Claire Bennett?” “Yes, that’s the name.” I could barely stand and steadied myself against the desk. Even though I was leaving anyway, hearing this news still felt like an earth-shattering defeat. At the company, Ethan had never given me any special treatment. I’d climbed to the director position through my own abilities, step by step. And he just handed it to her.

Tonight was the company anniversary with a gala event. Before officially resigning, I still attended. At least I needed to claim my year-end bonus. In front of everyone, Ethan publicly announced Claire Bennett’s hiring on stage. He even specifically told everyone to take good care of the new colleague. People whispered: “Oh my God, is this really something our stone-faced Ethan would say?” I sat in the audience listening, dutifully applauding. Ethan’s gaze drifted toward me, as if observing my reaction. The next second, Claire beside him wobbled in her heels, and he immediately turned to steady her. Halfway through the banquet, I went to the terrace for air and heard Ethan talking with his friend. “What, another cold war with Lily?” He swirled his wine glass carelessly. “Yeah.” His friend sighed. “When will you ever take the initiative to apologize and comfort her? Girls like her are rare.” “I know.” “Then why’d you bring Claire here to humiliate Lily? This will only worsen things between you two. What if Lily really can’t take it anymore and leaves?” “She won’t.” Ethan paused, then continued with certainty, “Lily will never leave me.” He was still that confident. Thinking I’d give in like every time before. I was about to turn and leave when Claire’s voice sounded behind me. “What a coincidence. Want to have a drink together?” Claire naturally walked to my side, her tone intimate as if we were old friends. “I forgot to greet you last time. You’re Lily, right?” “Sorry for taking your position as soon as I arrived.” The remark carried a double meaning. I caught the provocation in her words and asked coldly, “Claire, are we close?” She smiled even more brightly. “I don’t know much about you, but you must know quite a bit about me, right?” I knew she must have seen my visitor record in the logs. Seeing that I still wouldn’t take the bait or show the fury she’d imagined, Claire grew unhappy and simply poured the wine in her glass onto herself, letting out a cry. The aloof man nearby immediately changed expression and rushed over. “Lily, what are you doing?” I clenched my fist but didn’t explain. I just threw the wine in my glass at his face. Amid the gasps around us, I laughed coldly. “This is what I did.” A waiter quickly brought towels. Ethan wiped the wine from his face, those eyes dark as a frozen pond watching me with inscrutable meaning. In the end, he said nothing and left the banquet with Claire. I watched their retreating figures and simply pulled out my phone to send a message. “My resignation letter and divorce papers are both on your desk.” “Remember to sign.” After sending it, I blocked and deleted his number. I went home to grab the luggage I’d already packed, discovering two tickets to Hokkaido. Did Ethan actually think that while I’d been packing these days, I was looking forward to going to see snow with him? Expressionless, I tore the ticket with my name on it in half. Without looking back, I left the city.

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Ever since I caught Lucas cheating on me. The first thing he did every day when he came home was get pressed down on the sofa by me, pants pulled down, while I frantically sprayed high-concentration alcohol on his privates for disinfection. Lucas, feeling guilty, would always cooperate gently with reddened eyes, coaxing me tenderly not to make a fuss. But today he came home a full two hours late. The moment I smelled the perfume on him, I went crazy again, desperately tearing at his belt. “Last time you came back half an hour late, you’d slept with one woman! Today you’re two hours late—tell me! Did you sleep with four women out there?” After apologizing to me for the 29th time and being pushed away again, he finally broke down and roared at me. “Enough! I have a high fever and I’m dying, and you don’t even ask! How much longer are you going to act crazy every single day?” “So I got drunk and slept with someone once—do you think you’re so clean yourself?” “You were dragged into that alley at sixteen and stripped naked and violated! Sophia, a paranoid crazy woman like you deserves it!” The alcohol bottle dropped to the floor, the pungent smell choking away my voice. Looking at his disgusted eyes, I suddenly felt tired. Fine. This relationship full of holes—I don’t want it anymore.

The living room was deathly silent. The door wasn’t fully closed. The two buddies who’d brought Lucas home stood awkwardly behind him, trying to smooth things over with embarrassed expressions. “Lucas is really delirious from the fever today. He didn’t mean to snap at you.” “Besides, you torture him with alcohol every day—who could stand that? Just let it go.” “Yeah, that drunken incident… he cut it off completely a long time ago.” At the mention of that incident, violent nausea surged in my stomach. When I was sixteen, I was dragged into a pitch-black alley by my stepbrother and some of his lowlife friends. When my clothes were being torn, it was eighteen-year-old Lucas who drove them away with reddened eyes, smashing them with bricks. He took off his school uniform jacket and wrapped it tightly around my trembling body. He cried even louder than I did while holding me. He said, “Sophia, don’t be afraid. If anyone dares touch you, I’ll kill them.” Because of that nightmare, after marriage I was extremely resistant to intimacy. Being touched made my whole body tremble. Back then, Lucas would always hold me over and over, gently kissing my forehead. “Don’t be afraid, Sophia. It’s okay. No matter how long it takes, I’m willing to wait for you.” I always thought he was my salvation, pulling me out of hell. Until six months ago when his stomach problems flared up, and I went to the rescue station late at night to bring him medicine. I saw with my own eyes as he pressed the new psychological counselor onto the sofa, kissing her frantically. He was buried in the woman’s neck, panting heavily, his movements showing a fervor and loss of control he’d never shown with me. The woman’s black lace lingerie was brazenly hanging on his rescue uniform—the one that symbolized honor. When I caught them in the act, he knelt down with reddened eyes, swearing he was just drunk and mistook her for someone else. Twelve whole years. I always thought he was my salvation, pulling me out of hell. I never expected that the person who pulled me from the abyss had pushed me into another one. As my thoughts returned to the present, Lucas seemed to sober up a bit too. He stepped forward, trying to grab my hand. “Sophia, I’m sorry. I was so angry I spoke nonsense. I really do have a fever, my head hurts so much…” He approached softly, his face full of remorse. I stepped back, avoiding his outstretched hand. “Go rest.” Lucas’s hand froze in mid-air. His brow furrowed tightly. He seemed anxious and wanted to come closer. “Sophia, let me explain…” “I’m tired.” I cut him off, turned and walked into the guest bedroom, locking the door behind me. Through the door, I heard his two buddies help him into the master bedroom, quietly reassuring him that since there was no fight, it was all settled. Settled? I leaned against the door and slowly slid down to sit on the floor. It wasn’t settled. It was just that this book torn to shreds—I didn’t want to turn its pages anymore.

Early the next morning, while Lucas was still unconscious, I left with an insulated food container. Even though this marriage was riddled with holes, I still went to City Central Hospital. My mother-in-law had been hospitalized for severe kidney failure for half a year, relying entirely on my round-the-clock care. Consider it one last act of filial duty, a way to draw a final line under twelve years of feelings. When I pushed open the hospital room door, my mother-in-law was praising me to the family member of another patient. “I’ve been sick and it’s all thanks to Sophia. She’s been more devoted than my own daughter would be.” Seeing me arrive, she beamed with joy and quickly told me to sit down and rest. I ladled out the fish soup I’d been simmering all night and placed it in her hands. “Martha, Lucas had a fever last night. I need to go back and check on him in a bit.” My mother-in-law, Martha, was holding the bowl, drinking soup, when the phone propped on the small table for watching videos suddenly rang. It was a SnapChat video call notification. The name “Bella” flashed on the screen. My mother-in-law’s hands were covered in soup, making it inconvenient to pick up, so she gestured with her chin. “Sophia dear, help me answer it.” Without thinking much, I reached out and swiped the green answer button. When I saw that familiar young face, my expression froze. It was the woman who had been naked and entwined with Lucas six months ago after he got drunk—Bella White. In the video, she was holding a little boy who looked about three years old. The boy called sweetly toward the camera: “Grandma! Look at the car Daddy bought me!” Bella, on the other hand, spoke with a coquettish complaint toward the screen. “Martha, Lucas drank too much here last night and got a fever, so I let him sleep in a bit longer.” “That crazy woman didn’t go nuts and torment him again because Lucas came home late, did she?” The air in the hospital room became deathly silent in that instant. My mother-in-law was so startled she trembled, and the scalding fish soup splashed all over the blanket. “Soph… Sophia! Let me explain!” Ignoring her burns, she lunged forward trying to grab the phone. I stepped back, staring fixedly at the child on the screen who bore such a striking resemblance to Lucas. I felt cold all over, trembling. “Cousin? This is the cousin you told me about?” Caught red-handed, my mother-in-law sighed and simply stopped pretending. She grabbed my hand, speaking earnestly, her face full of pity and helplessness. “Sophia, don’t blame Lucas for keeping this from you. Bella has been so accommodating these four years, never once asking for status.” Four years ago? My head buzzed, my insides twisting together so painfully I couldn’t breathe. So this woman’s existence… wasn’t just a drunken accident from six months ago? My mother-in-law gently patted the back of my hand, speaking softly and persuasively. “I’ve watched you grow up, and I do care about you. But you have to think about Lucas too.” “You went through that kind of trauma. You won’t let him touch you even once every ten days or half a month. He’s a hot-blooded, normal man.” “You can’t expect him to be a monk his whole life because of your little problem, can you?” “Bella said the child can still call you Auntie. You’re still the legitimate wife of the family.” “Nothing changes. Bella will never disturb you two. Isn’t that good?” My legs gave out instantly, and I collapsed into the chair behind me. I didn’t catch another word my mother-in-law said after that. Memories and reality tore at each other in my head, literally ripping me in half. Four years. Every time Lucas went on a rescue mission to another city, he would stay on voice calls with me all night. He said he knew I had no sense of security, that I was afraid of the dark, and that hearing his breathing would help me sleep. Once he was in danger at a disaster site. Even risking his life to dig out a backup battery, he still had to report to me all night. But I never imagined that what I thought was ultimate devotion was just a scam. Every all-night phone call he made to comfort me—was Bella White lying beside him? Was that child even sleeping next to him? While lying together with another woman and child, he coaxed me—the clueless fool—on the phone. A tremendous sense of absurdity drowned me. I stood up, no longer acknowledging my mother-in-law, and stumbled out of the hospital room. Since the “perfect ending” in everyone’s eyes didn’t include me, then I’d just give up my position as wife.

The next day, I took leave and packed my things at home. There wasn’t much. Taking a few changes of clothes and documents was enough. The doorbell suddenly rang. Thinking it was the courier delivering the divorce agreement via express, I opened the door and froze. Standing outside was Bella White. She wore a pure white cashmere coat, holding the hand of the boy from the video. I gripped the doorknob so tightly my knuckles turned white. “Sophia, won’t you invite me in to sit?” The woman looked at my pale face, unconcealed triumph on her own. “We didn’t make things clear in the video earlier, so I specially brought Harrison to see you.” She deliberately pushed the child forward, her movements full of showing off. “Harrison’s about to start kindergarten. Lucas feels bad that the child doesn’t have a complete family.” “He said Harrison is the eldest son of the family. He wants me to bring the child and officially move in here.” Looking at that child who resembled Lucas seventy percent, my stomach churned violently. “Get out!” Red-eyed, I pointed toward the elevator, roaring. “Take your bastard and get out of my house!” I was about to slam the door shut, not wanting to look at them another second. But Bella suddenly reached out her hand, jamming it firmly in the doorway. She leaned close to my ear, lowering her voice, letting out a contemptuous laugh. “Sophia, why are you acting so high and mighty? Do you think Lucas really loves you?” “He told me himself—every time he lies in the same bed with you, he has to take sleeping pills just to suppress his nausea.” “Every time he touches you, his mind is full of images of those thugs riding on top of you back then.” She stared into my eyes, closing in step by step. “He also said you’re so dirty. He can only release himself with me. Because only a clean body like mine makes him feel anything.” The thread I’d been desperately holding onto in my mind completely snapped in that second. The nightmare from when I was sixteen—I’d spent twelve whole years trying to heal from it. And he actually turned it into pillow talk, sharing it with his mistress! “How dare you bring that up—!” I screamed out of control, raising my hand and using every ounce of strength in my body. I slapped Bella hard across the face. “Smack!” An extremely crisp sound. Bella staggered from the blow, her forehead hitting hard against the corner of the entryway shoe cabinet. Blood immediately flowed down. The child beside her burst into wailing tears. Bella covered her bleeding forehead, scrambling backward on all fours. “Crazy woman! You’re a psycho! Just you wait!” She scooped up the child and stumbled into the elevator. I slid down the doorframe powerlessly, collapsing to the floor. Closing my eyes, I felt some coolness seep into my hair. After making up my mind, I pulled out the ultrasound report I’d been anticipating for half a year from under the table and tore it to shreds. What was supposed to be a surprise gift for Lucas now felt like a slap across my face, burning with pain. Half an hour later, the lawyer delivered the documents. I signed them and placed the divorce agreement right in the center of the table. Outside, pouring rain began to fall, thunder rumbling. I pulled my suitcase, preparing to leave. Just then—BANG! Lucas kicked the door open from outside. Before I could react, veins bulging on his forehead, he rushed up and grabbed me by the throat. “Sophia! Where did you take Harrison?!”

I was being choked, unable to breathe, desperately slapping at his hands: “Cough… what Harrison…” Lucas furiously flung me aside and kicked the table over with one foot. “Bella already told me! You attacked her like a madwoman this afternoon!” “She just took the child to the pharmacy to bandage her wound, and when she turned around, Harrison was gone!” “Besides you, who else would kidnap a three-year-old child?!” I coughed violently, looking at the enraged man before me in disbelief. “I haven’t even left the house! Lucas, are you insane?!” “You’re the one who’s insane!” Lucas was so frantic his eyes were bloodshot, pointing at my nose and roaring. “You’ve been spraying me with alcohol every day for half a year—your mind is already twisted! Now you won’t even spare an innocent child!” “Call back whoever you hired right now!” I gritted my teeth and stepped back: “I told you I haven’t seen him! If you can’t stand it, then get a divorce!” I turned to grab the divorce agreement on the table. “Don’t even think about going anywhere until you tell me where the child is!” Lucas suddenly grabbed my collar from behind. A ripping sound. The tremendous force directly tore my shirt dress, buttons scattering across the floor. My naked body was exposed to the air. Before I could react, he seized my wrist and dragged me toward the bathroom like hauling a criminal. “Lucas, what are you doing! Let me go!” I screamed in terror. The hands of those men in the alley when I was sixteen and Lucas’s hands completely overlapped in this moment. “If you won’t hand over the child, I have to make you wake up today!” He kicked open the bathroom door and threw me bodily into the ice-cold bathtub. “SPLASH—” He turned on the showerhead, and icy, bone-chilling cold water came pouring down on my head. “Cough cough… help…” I struggled violently, choking on water, trying to climb out of the tub. Lucas pulled his belt from his waist, twisted my hands behind my back, and tied them tightly to the metal handrail of the bathtub. I twisted my body frantically, trembling violently in the ice water. Lucas turned around and pulled out that large container of high-concentration disinfectant alcohol from under the sink. He unscrewed the cap and poured the pungent alcohol directly over me from above. “Don’t you love tormenting people with alcohol? Talk! Where is the child!” The intense alcohol fumes instantly robbed me of oxygen, my eyes stinging with pain. But Lucas didn’t care at all. He pressed my head forcefully into the disinfectant water in the bathtub. I choked until I could only make a few garbled sounds, my stomach cramping violently. “It hurts…” Before I finished speaking, my lower abdomen suddenly sent out an extremely sharp, knife-like pain. Then a warm liquid flowed down my inner thigh. That warmth merged into the icy bathwater, instantly blooming into a shocking red. I stared blankly at the blood blossoming in the water, forgetting to struggle. Just then, the phone he’d tossed on the sink counter rang. After seeing the caller ID, he paused before answering. On the other end, a police officer’s voice came through, tinged with some exasperation: “Is this Mr. Lucas? The child isn’t missing!” “The little guy ran to the top floor of the mall to play on the slide by himself. When we found him, he was eating ice cream.” “Parents don’t watch their own kid properly, then claim it’s a deliberate kidnapping and murder plot. Isn’t this a waste of police resources?” In an instant, only the sound of water from the showerhead remained in the bathroom. CLANG. Lucas’s phone and the alcohol container both crashed to the floor simultaneously. He whipped around, his face instantly turning deathly pale!

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When Caleb’s Omega lover got pregnant for the third time, my reaction was calm. I even had the mood to admire the matching couple rings they wore. Caleb frowned, coldly blocking Isabella protectively. “I know I promised you I wouldn’t have children with other women.” “But if Bella loses this baby, she’ll lose her ability to have children completely. So this child must stay. If she gets hurt, I won’t let you off.” After saying that, he took two steps back. He probably thought I’d fly into hysterics and fight with him like before. But this time, I didn’t. He didn’t know that this time, I came to divorce him. I raised an eyebrow, glancing at the brand-new ring on Isabella’s hand. It was obviously a matching set with the one Caleb wore. As for our wedding rings, he hadn’t worn his in a long time. “The ring is flashy, but the style’s a bit tacky.” If she hadn’t deliberately sent me the pregnancy test results, I wouldn’t have even known she was pregnant again. Over these past few years, I’d gotten used to her provocations. When Caleb first started his affair, he still remembered to take her far away, worried I might notice. Later, he stopped caring about such things. I could suffer from his infidelity and our mate bond at any time, anywhere. The first time I learned of Isabella’s existence, I felt like I’d been torn in half alive, my heart twisting in excruciating pain. When I traced the clues to their secret apartment, Caleb wasn’t the least bit surprised by my arrival. My eyes bloodshot, I grabbed a kettle and hurled it at Caleb’s head. But being an Alpha’s son, Caleb remained completely unharmed. He didn’t even dodge. He let the kettle hit his head and fall to the ground, shattering. He looked at me with helpless eyes, but every word protected her. “Honey, you haven’t changed at all—always flying off the handle so easily. But I really do like her. Don’t touch her, and we can talk about anything. Was one throw enough? Want to throw a couple more to vent?” Back then, I felt like my whole world had collapsed. For many nights in a row, I was mentally unstable, even hallucinating, tormenting myself until I was haggard. But now, I felt nothing at all. Caleb paused. After a long moment, he stared at me with a half-smile. “Honey, changing strategies? But you know, even if you try to stop us, it won’t end well for you.” He was right. I completely agreed and nodded. “I won’t stop you. Do whatever you want.” Seeing I wasn’t crying or making a scene, Caleb finally relaxed. A trace of guilt flickered in his eyes. “Use my card. Buy whatever you want.” With that, he left with Isabella in his arms, as if afraid of tiring her out. Watching their retreating figures, I felt only dazed. The physical and emotional pain had become numb from habit. I remembered at one party, I confronted Caleb with evidence in front of all our friends. I wanted him to admit his mistake, to come back to me. Who knew he would openly introduce Isabella’s identity in front of everyone instead. When someone badmouthed Isabella, he pulled out their teeth. When someone harassed Isabella and called her a homewrecker, he broke their leg. No one dared disrespect Isabella anymore. I practically screamed myself hoarse in breakdown. “Caleb, what am I to you?! Didn’t you say you’d love me forever? We’re getting divorced!” Caleb chuckled softly and kissed my lips. “Darling, I never said I stopped loving you. It’s just that, well, after so much time, I got a bit bored. I promise you’ll always be my mate. As for divorce… if you divorce me, where can you even go?” All my words got stuck in my throat. Yes, where could someone like me go—someone who’d lost her wolf and had no family left? I endured the pain. Until I learned Isabella was pregnant. That’s when I completely lost it. Before Caleb was acknowledged by Shadow Fang Pack, he still couldn’t shift properly. But I inherited my parents’ talent and mastered shifting early on. Everyone said I would become the strongest warrior in the pack. Until I turned sixteen, when a Rogue set his sights on Caleb. To protect him, I fought that Rogue for a day and a night. My wolf suffered severe injuries, and my body became extremely weak. The doctor determined I’d almost completely lost my ability to have children. Originally, neither of us cared much about this. Until Luna Evelyn found Caleb and brought him back as Shadow Fang Pack’s Alpha heir. For an Alpha heir to be unable to have his own offspring was something the Pack couldn’t accept. The Alpha might revoke his position because of it. This was something Luna Evelyn couldn’t accept. She urged Caleb to abandon me and find his true mate. Caleb didn’t give in. He married me and announced to everyone that I was his only mate. He even challenged everyone who gossiped about me, using his fists to shut them up. Everyone knew Caleb loved me. I thought so too. So when I found out Isabella was pregnant, I confronted her, slapped her twice, dragged her to the hospital, and made her abort the child. When Caleb found out, he had someone bring over my grandmother’s only photo and burned it in front of me. In that moment, I felt like I’d died. My heart felt like it was being pricked by countless tiny needles. Every beat brought stabbing pain like bleeding. My face went deathly pale as I asked him if he’d gone mad. When he was down and out, wasn’t it my grandmother who gave him food and shelter so he could survive to this day? Before she died, my grandmother treated him like her own grandson, splitting her life savings in half—one half for me, one half for him to start his business. She believed he would make me happy. But she never imagined that ten years later, Caleb would burn her only photograph. I laughed twice, full of sarcasm, coughing up blood from my throat. Caleb remained unmoved, still absentmindedly smoking his cigarette on the sofa. “Honey, you were the one who attacked her first.” “I warned you, but you just wouldn’t listen.” After that day, Caleb never came home. For several weeks straight, he stayed by Isabella’s side, making her happy. I withered like a dying flower in this home we’d decorated together. Seeing posts on social media about Caleb renting out an entire amusement park for Isabella, I went out and bought a bottle of poison. Then I sat in the bathtub and drank the entire bottle. Life drained from me bit by bit. Sounds around me grew distant. Bone-chilling cold slowly consumed me. I felt only relief as I slowly closed my eyes.

But I didn’t die. When I opened my eyes again, Caleb’s eyes were bloodshot as he kept vigil by my bed. He held me tightly in his arms and swore to me. “Honey, you scared me to death.” “I won’t get anyone pregnant again. I promise.” But once someone breaks a promise for the first time, they’ll break it countless times for the rest of their life. The second time Isabella got pregnant, Caleb smoked all night. I knew he was conflicted. He felt sorry for Isabella, but he was also bound by his promise to me. Isabella came to my door. Before I could say anything, she collapsed on her own. The baby was gone. That was the first time I saw Caleb completely lose control in rage. He grabbed my neck, demanding I pay with my life. “I already promised you! I was going to make her abort the baby. Why couldn’t you just leave her alone?!” That was the second time I came close to death. My lungs felt like they were about to explode. Air was gradually stripped away. Just when I thought I was going to die, I was tossed aside like a rag doll. Looking at his undisguised disgust, all my explanations got stuck in my throat, choking me until I felt sick and miserable. Caleb moved out of the home we’d decorated together. After that, whenever I needed to reach him, I had to get Isabella’s permission before he’d answer my calls. Two months later, I was diagnosed as pregnant. The doctor said it was a miracle, probably my only chance in life to have a child. I sent Caleb a message, but Isabella showed up instead. Isabella came to my home to confront me. “You think having this baby will make Cal come back to you?” “Don’t be stupid. Do you know what Cal said in my bed last night? He said seeing your old hag face makes him want to vomit. If you hadn’t saved him back then, he would’ve dumped you ages ago.” She deliberately had an affair with Caleb not far away. The pain of my mate’s betrayal tortured me until I could barely breathe. In the end, I miscarried. Looking at the blood beneath me, I collapsed on the cold floor. I called Caleb. The phone rang until it automatically disconnected. No one answered. The tenth call connected. On the other end came the sounds of a man and woman panting. Caleb said, “Ignore her.” Then he hung up. The ambulance came very slowly. The blood had already grown cold. The baby was gone. I lay in the hospital bed, numbly staring at the ceiling, not understanding why Caleb and I had become like this. I thought, maybe this is for the best. Maybe the child knew it shouldn’t come into this world. Coming here would only mean facing parents who constantly fought. That’s fine. Forget it. Let it be. From that day on, I seemed to stop loving Caleb. Now, watching their figures together, my heart remained completely still. Even the pain had gone numb. My phone screen lit up with a message from Liam. That special notification interrupted my memories. I opened it. “Yes, the divorce papers are ready. I’ll give them to him tomorrow.” “Come pick me up the day after.”

I cleaned out the old belongings in the house, packing and throwing away everything unimportant. That evening, Caleb came home for once. In the end, the divorce papers I’d prepared didn’t get used. Caleb presented his own divorce agreement first. “Honey, Bella feels insecure. She doesn’t want the child born as an illegitimate child.” “Let’s divorce first. I’ll register the child’s birth, then we’ll remarry.” No wonder. An hour ago, Isabella sent me a message telling me to wait for a surprise. She was trying to provoke me into fighting with Caleb again. Too bad I didn’t love him anymore. Even fighting felt like a waste of energy. I calmly scanned through the terms in the agreement. Very generous and fair. Almost all of Caleb’s assets were split fifty-fifty with me. Without any hesitation, I signed my name. After signing, I drank the lukewarm water on the table and got up to return to my room. Caleb hadn’t expected me to be so decisive. Surprise flashed through his eyes. He stood up and instinctively grabbed my wrist. “What’s wrong with you?” I turned back, looking at him with distant, indifferent eyes. “What’s wrong? Is there something else?” Caleb glanced uneasily at my bedroom, pondered for a while, then walked in anyway. He removed all the sharp objects from my room. He was about to call for a caretaker. Turned out he was afraid I’d kill myself. I laughed out loud. “No need for all this trouble. I won’t kill myself.” His phone rang. Isabella was urging him home. He nodded perfunctorily at me and hurried outside impatiently. Early the next morning, Caleb urged me downstairs to go to City Hall for the divorce certificate. On the passenger seat lay Isabella’s brightly colored wool shawl that she often used. It was Isabella’s aesthetic style. I tactfully went to the back seat. He froze for a moment, then instinctively asked. “Why aren’t you sitting in front?” I looked out the window at the constantly retreating scenery, answering absentmindedly. “Isn’t that where Isabella’s stuff is?” Caleb fell silent. He observed my expression through the rearview mirror several times, opening his mouth repeatedly without making a sound. After registering our information, the staff told us to wait for notification. I breathed a sigh of relief. Caleb stood in place, his expression somewhat complex, his eyes churning with emotions I couldn’t understand. “I’ll take you home.” I was about to refuse. Isabella appeared from nowhere, jumping up to kiss Caleb’s cheek. Caleb hastily steadied her. “Be careful of the baby!” As soon as Isabella appeared, all his attention fell on her. He didn’t even notice when I left.

That evening, all my luggage was packed. After confirming tomorrow’s flight time with that person, I was about to sleep when the doorbell rang. It was Isabella again. Caleb had social obligations tonight, so she came here to assert her presence. Not wanting trouble, I pretended not to hear and continued sleeping. At two in the morning, a basin of cold water woke me up. I opened my eyes to find Caleb standing by my bed, looking at me as if he wanted to kill someone. He roughly yanked me out of bed. My wrist twisted at a strange angle. I cried out in pain. “Caleb, what are you doing?!” He gripped my chin viciously, angry flames seeming to burn in his eyes. “Lily, you have the nerve to ask me?!” “Didn’t I warn you that if anything happens to Bella’s baby, I won’t let you off?” An ominous premonition rose in my heart. “What happened to her?” Caleb sneered. “Playing dumb? She fell at your place. If you didn’t push her, who did?” My face went pale. Isabella’s previous taunting words suddenly flashed through my mind. “So what if my framing tactics are crude? As long as Cal loves me, he’ll believe me and take my side. Methods don’t matter—as long as they work.” A bitter smile curved my lips. “If I said I didn’t push her, would you believe me?” Caleb didn’t answer, but his actions gave me his answer. He had someone bring a cane and ordered them to strip off all my clothes and tie me up. Then he had those powerful wolf warriors whip my abdomen again and again. To make Isabella happy, he took out his phone and video-called her right in front of me. The camera pointed at me. Isabella’s delicate voice came from the phone. “Cal, you have to stand up for me. You don’t know—that old hag kept cursing at me, calling me a homewrecker, shameless. Then she tried to push me. Good thing our baby is strong, or she would’ve killed it!” Caleb coaxed her tenderly while the blows grew harder. Searing pain spread from my abdomen. My stomach became a bloody mess. My face was deathly pale. Tears of humiliation and pain fell together. Caleb’s brow furrowed. His eye twitched sharply. A flash of reluctance quickly passed through his eyes before he looked away. “I still need to accompany Bella. I’ll leave the rest to you.” I numbly endured the mocking and lecherous gazes of those wolf warriors. Some took advantage of the chaos to grope me. “This is Caleb’s wife. Are you crazy?” That person casually groped me again. “Look at this woman’s body—you’re telling me you have no reaction?” “Besides, Caleb’s wife is that one now. When he said to leave it to us, wasn’t that tacit permission for us to do what we want with her?” “Anyway, if something happens to this vicious woman, Caleb won’t blame us. You all know how much he dotes on that Omega.” Those few sentences silenced everyone else. Their hands grew more brazen. I screamed shrilly, my eyes nearly bloodshot. “Let go of me!” At the critical moment, a “bang” sounded. Several wolf warriors standing in front of me collapsed. Terror completely overwhelmed me. I shook uncontrollably. The newcomer gently pulled me into his arms. “I’m late, Lily.” …… After coaxing Isabella to sleep, Caleb was exhausted. The doctor said Isabella’s baby wasn’t actually in much danger, but for the child’s sake, he could only go along with Isabella’s wishes. He was getting older too. He wanted a child of his own. Once Isabella gave birth this time, he’d take the child and send her away. After playing around for so many years, it was time to settle down. Just as he left the hospital room, he ran into a top obstetrics specialist. “Caleb? I didn’t catch you last time, but I wanted to tell you—Lily had such a hard time getting pregnant. You were too careless… While you’re still young, you should focus on conditioning her body. Maybe a miracle will happen again.” Caleb froze. “What child?” The specialist said strangely, “Lily didn’t tell you last time? I even told her to be careful, but who knew she still couldn’t keep it… Her face was drained of color from crying…” The man’s body swayed. His face turned white as a corpse.

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When Elias ran away from our wedding for the seventh time to be with his childhood sweetheart Rebecca, his father, Dubois Pack Alpha Hector, offered me ten million dollars as an apology. Elias just scoffed: “Dad, she’s not worth that much money. That money would be better invested in Rebecca’s art gallery.” Alpha Hector looked at me awkwardly. But I wasn’t angry at all. After all, I’d already collected compensation like this six times. This time, I wanted something new. I pointed at Elias’s most despised younger brother Leo and said: “Give him to me instead. I’ll marry him!” Elias seemed to have forgotten that my parents were witches who had done the Dubois Pack a great favor. We had an agreement—only the werewolf who married me would be qualified to become the Dubois Pack’s Alpha heir. Seeing I wasn’t joking, everyone was shocked. After all, this wasn’t the first time Elias had run away from our wedding. Before, when “Clara Gets Abandoned” was trending all over social media and I was the laughingstock for half a year, I’d never once mentioned calling off the engagement. Alpha Hector hurried to reassure me. “Elias is just confused right now. Just wait a little longer…” He called Elias again, but before he could say much, he was cut off. “You don’t need to lie to me. No matter how angry Clara gets, she’d never say she won’t marry me. Besides, I’m not breaking up with her. I’ll be back after spending some time with Rebecca.” Rebecca’s coquettish voice came from nearby. “Elias, I’m just helping you test her. If she’s still willing to marry you after being stood up so many times, that proves her feelings for you are real!” Listening to them flirt so shamelessly, I pulled at the corner of my mouth. “You’re really that confident I’ll keep waiting for you?” As if he hadn’t expected me to be listening too, Elias’s tone faltered. When he spoke again, his voice had softened. “Clara, you know what Rebecca’s like. She’s depended on me since we were kids and can’t accept me getting married yet. Can we just postpone the wedding a bit longer? Once I get her settled down, we’ll hold it again.” Postponed six times already—wasn’t that enough? When Rebecca first found out Elias and I were together, she immediately came to make a scene. Elias had kept a straight face and told me in front of her that he only saw her as a sister. But later, for the sake of this “sister,” he turned me into the entire pack’s laughingstock. Alpha Hector was furious with disappointment. “The wedding starts in three hours. I’ve already booked you a flight. Get back here right now! There are reporters everywhere waiting to watch this spectacle. Have you even thought about Clara’s situation?” “I…” Elias’s voice carried obvious hesitation, and my heart unconsciously trembled along with it. But the next second, Rebecca clung to him coquettishly. “Elias, I already bought the movie tickets. If you leave, I’ll just get another guy to go with me. Plenty of guys are chasing me anyway!” “No way!” Elias snapped with irritated urgency. When he spoke to me again, his words were full of helplessness. “Clara, I really can’t get away. Besides, you’ve handled this so many times before. This little thing won’t be hard for you.” He made it sound so casual, as if the humiliation and mockery I endured in front of the cameras was just a trivial matter. A dull, suffocating pain spread through my chest. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Do whatever you want.” Whether he came back or not didn’t matter anymore. Eager to keep Rebecca company, Elias didn’t notice anything wrong with my emotions. “Be good, don’t be mad. I even got you a gift.” A photo popped up on my phone. A necklace dangling from his fingers. Another hand-me-down from Rebecca. I’d become her trash bin. I still remembered the first gift Elias ever gave me—a red ladies’ watch. Although red was my least favorite color, because it came from him, I treasured it. Until one day when I took it in for repairs and traced the serial number back to its previous owner—Rebecca. When I confronted him, Elias showed not a trace of guilt. “I’m not good at picking gifts. Rebecca was just helping out. Don’t be so petty.” He claimed he wasn’t good at picking gifts, yet everyone in the city knew. Every year on Rebecca’s birthday, Elias would rent out the most expensive observation deck in the pack and set off grand fireworks visible throughout the entire city for her. Jewelry that only appeared at auctions would be laid out like water before Rebecca for her to choose from. Yet the thought he put into me wasn’t even one ten-thousandth of what he gave Rebecca. Even now, he couldn’t be bothered to buy something new to appease me. Rebecca acted as if she hadn’t caught the sarcasm in my words and laughed cheerfully. “I picked out the gift Elias is giving you! Do you like it?”

Rebecca laughed proudly and urged Elias to hang up. Alpha Hector looked ashamed. He didn’t have the face to keep persuading me to wait for Elias to come around. “Are you sure about choosing Leo? His background…” I cut him off and looked straight into Leo’s eyes, which were churning with dark undercurrents. I took a deep breath. “I choose him.” My mother once mentioned she’d seen Leo at a high-end private auction. This illegitimate son wasn’t as simple as Alpha Hector imagined. Between love and profit, I had to grab hold of one. The groom’s suit needed to be remade, so Leo and I set our wedding date for one week later. Alpha Hector’s expression was complicated as he let out a long sigh. “On your wedding day, I’ll announce the change in the Dubois Pack’s Alpha heir.” With a new groom, naturally everything else had to change too. When I went to the jewelry store to select new wedding rings, I unexpectedly ran into Elias and Rebecca, who had just returned. When our eyes met, Elias’s expression went cold. “Clara, you really have some nerve, getting Dad to freeze my bank accounts.” “What I hate most in this life is people forcing me to do things. Don’t think just because I came back that I’ll marry you.” His eyes showed a trace of annoyance. “Did you specifically find out my schedule to ambush me here?” Rebecca pushed him and said coquettishly. “Clara’s devoted to you—what kind of attitude is that?” Rebecca linked her arm through his without any restraint, raising her eyebrows with a cheerful smile toward me. “That’s just how he is. Don’t take it to heart. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely train Elias properly before handing him over to you.” Elias let her press tightly against him, his expression full of indulgence. But before, when I’d gone shopping with him and just wanted to hold his hand, he would subtly pull away. “So many people are watching. It’s kind of awkward.” Turned out, he was only uncomfortable with my affection. I took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in my heart. “Don’t worry. I won’t force you to marry me.” Elias froze, his brow just beginning to furrow when the clerk walked over. “Miss Clara, the wedding rings you selected have been wrapped.” Elias scoffed and raised an eyebrow. “Already picking out wedding rings, but you still say you don’t want to marry me?” He grabbed my hand. “Put it on. Let me see if it fits.” His words suddenly stopped as his gaze fell on the fading ring mark at the base of my finger. His voice caught. “Where’s the ring I gave you before?” “I threw it away.” My tone was flat. The day I decided to switch grooms, I threw it away. That was the first gift Elias ever gave me, with both our initials engraved inside the band. The usually rebellious Elias had rarely blushed as he shoved it into my hand. “I carved this myself. If you lose it, you’ll have hell to pay.” But later, he was the one who lost it first. When I dug his broken ring out of the trash, Elias awkwardly rubbed his nose. “Rebecca got drunk and insisted on taking it off to look at it. Somehow it ended up like this. Just throw it away. I’ll make a new one.” But I waited forever, and he never made a new one.

Elias frowned hard, his gaze irritably landing on my empty hand. “Can you stop making a scene? I said I’d marry you, so I will. There’s no need for these games of playing hard to get.” Rebecca tugged at his sleeve, pouting coquettishly. “Elias, this is the newest limited edition! I tried so hard to get it but couldn’t!” Elias’s tight frown relaxed as he handed her the ring box. “Then try it on?” Rebecca’s eyes lit up as she moved to open it and put it on. I grabbed Rebecca’s wrist, my voice turning cold. “Hasn’t anyone told you not to touch other people’s things?” Before I even applied pressure, Rebecca started crying out in pain with reddened eyes. Elias panicked and grabbed my wrist, flinging my hand away. He used too much force—the sharp pain made my vision go black. Rebecca accused me with red eyes. “I just wanted to look at it. Why are you being so rough?” Elias’s heart ached as he shouted at me. “You made her cry! Clara, aren’t you going too far?” He completely failed to notice my face, pale from the pain. It was always like this. As long as Rebecca frowned or shed a tear, he would stand firmly on her side without fail. Suppressing the sourness in my heart, I reached out. “That’s my wedding ring. Give it back!” Elias’s face darkened as he shoved the ring box into Rebecca’s hand. “This style isn’t suitable for a wedding ring. Pick another one.” What wasn’t suitable? It was just another excuse to make me yield to Rebecca. And besides, I wasn’t marrying him anymore, so why should he decide what was suitable? Just as I was about to tell Elias about the change in marriage partners, he scooped Rebecca up and impatiently cut me off. “I don’t want to hear your excuses! If you target Rebecca again, I’ll have to seriously reconsider our relationship.” Watching his resolute departing back, I laughed self-mockingly. Elias, there’s no need. I’ve already made the decision for you. During the wedding preparations, the news was full of scandals about Elias and Rebecca traveling together. Everyone was curious about my reaction. People in the pack had already started taking bets on whether I’d marry Elias no matter how many times he abandoned me. I heard that when Rebecca found out the two families were holding the wedding again, she bet everything she had, counting on making a fortune. But this time, she was probably going to lose everything. On the wedding day, I’d barely woken up when my assistant called in a panic. “Miss Clara, this is terrible! Elias brought people to tear down the wedding venue!” First he ran away from his own wedding, and now he wanted to interfere with me marrying someone else? Suppressing my anger, I rushed to the hotel to find Elias directing people to move the flower arrangements. Before I could speak, he launched into a barrage of questions. “Didn’t I say we’re not getting married for now? What are you doing, forcing me into marriage by acting first and asking later? Last time with the ring, Rebecca was very upset. Until she agrees, the wedding’s off.” I stopped the workers who were about to leave, my voice cold: “Put everything back.” Elias’s face darkened. “Don’t you dare! Don’t forget, I’m the Dubois Pack’s Alpha heir. Even after you marry in, you’ll have to watch my mood.” Alpha heir? Ha, Elias, not for much longer. Just as I was about to call Alpha Hector to have them removed, Rebecca pushed through the door wearing a wedding dress. She lifted her skirt and twirled, acting coquettish toward Elias. “I just said it looked nice, and you insisted I try it on. Now that I have, if you dare say I look ugly, you’ll never hear the end of it!” Then, as if just noticing me, she said with surprise. “Clara, what are you doing here?” I actually heard a trace of accusation in her words and responded sarcastically. “Do I need to notify you when I come to my own wedding venue? Are you going to take that wedding dress off yourself, or should I get someone to help you?” Elias’s face darkened as he shielded Rebecca behind him. “Clara, don’t go too far!” Wrecking my wedding venue, wearing my wedding dress that took two years to make—and I was the one going too far? Looking at the security guards by the door, I ordered directly. “Throw these two out!” Elias grabbed my wrist, anger rising in his eyes. “Not even married yet and already acting like the Dubois Pack’s Luna?” He flung my hand away forcefully. “Tear everything here down and burn it. Teach her a lesson!” To make amends, Alpha Hector had taken the initiative to provide staff for the wedding venue. These people didn’t yet know about the heir change, so they immediately began following Elias’s orders. Seeing a worker carry a portrait out of a room, I shot to my feet. “Put that painting down!”

The noblewoman in the painting looked at me gently, like a silent comfort. My nose tingled, and I nearly burst into tears. My mother died young, leaving only this portrait she’d painted of herself before passing. She said she hoped to watch me find a good match and live a smooth life through the painting’s eyes. This was my most precious possession, and naturally Elias knew it too. After a moment’s hesitation, he pointed toward the hallway. “Put the painting outside first.” Rebecca’s eyes flashed as she quickly stepped forward and snatched the portrait from the worker’s hands. “Elias is right. Such a valuable thing should definitely be handled carefully.” She said “handled carefully,” but as she passed by, she deliberately dropped a lit lighter. Flames rapidly licked at the fragile canvas, my mother’s image fragmenting in an instant. My eyes nearly split with rage as I lunged forward, but caught only a handful of ashes. “I’m so sorry, Clara. The frame was too heavy and I couldn’t hold it.” Hearing Rebecca’s fake apology, I finally lost control and slapped her hard. Rebecca screamed, and I gritted my teeth and landed several more slaps. The next moment, a sharp pain suddenly shot through my scalp. Elias yanked me away with a dark expression. “Clara, have you lost your mind? It’s just a broken painting, and you actually dare lay hands on Rebecca!” Just a broken painting? I looked at him in disbelief, my heart feeling like someone had viciously chiseled into it. He knew perfectly well this was my mother’s portrait! Elias also realized what he’d said, his lips moving. Just as he was about to speak, Rebecca covered her face and started crying. “Elias, is my face disfigured? If my face is ruined, I don’t want to live anymore!” Elias held her with heartache, coaxing her with soft words. Rebecca wouldn’t let it go. “Elias, why won’t you stand up for me? Do you even care about me anymore? My parents are both gone. If you don’t care about me, I might as well die!” She started climbing toward the window, frightening everyone into rushing to stop her. Seeing the scene descend into chaos, Elias gritted his teeth and ordered coldly. “Slash Clara’s face! When Rebecca’s face heals, then you can treat hers!” The staff were afraid of making things worse and tried to dissuade him. Elias said coldly. “So what if we offend the witch family backing Clara? I’m the Dubois Pack’s Alpha heir. You think Dad would punish me over a witch?” Seeing the others still didn’t dare act, he decided to do it himself. As he gripped my chin, Elias avoided my gaze. “If you hadn’t hurt Rebecca first, it wouldn’t have come to this.” I looked at the faint finger marks on Rebecca’s face and swallowed the metallic taste in my mouth, laughing through my tears. “Elias, the biggest mistake I ever made in this life was being with you!” Hearing the hatred in my words, his hand trembled, cutting a small gash at the corner of my eyebrow. Warm blood dripped onto his fingers, and Elias’s movements froze abruptly. Rebecca shrieked. “Elias, are you feeling sorry for her? Are you abandoning me?” Elias’s face twitched as his grip on the knife tightened. “Clara, don’t blame me.” As the cold blade approached again, the door was kicked open with a bang. The knife stopped right in front of my eyelid. Watching Leo grip Elias’s wrist in an iron hold, Elias’s expression turned murderous. “You?” “How dare a bastard who can’t see the light of day try to stop me?” The man laughed softly and, under Elias’s shocked and furious gaze, swept me up in his arms. “If you hurt my wife again, I guarantee I’ll make you wish you were dead!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “383306”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster