My wife’s first love had an accident, and she insisted it was my fault. Even when I swore on my life, my wife still resolutely sent me to an illegal mining camp for reflection. There, I endured countless humiliations and ended up battered and broken. Three years later, my wife finally remembered me. But I had already died two years ago… Three years ago, Dahlia sent me to an illegal mining camp for reflection and atonement, accusing me of attempted murder. No matter how I explained or even knelt down and begged her with evidence, she was convinced that I had deliberately tried to kill her first love, Jack, out of jealousy. Life in the illegal mining camp was not easy, especially with Dahlia arranging people to ‘take care’ of me day and night. I died not long after being locked up in there. When Dahlia appeared in the mining camp with her bodyguards to visit me, frowning and with a cold gaze, I had already been dead for two and a half years. “Whether he agrees or not, even if you have to tie him up, make him sign the organ donation consent form!” she said coldly. The visiting room was warm, but as her cold words came out, the temperature seemed to drop to the depths of winter. She looked around with disgust and impatiently instructed her bodyguard, “Why hasn’t he come out yet? Hurry up and bring him to see me…” After waiting for a long time, the bodyguard finally appeared at the door with someone. But the person who appeared wasn’t me, it was the foreman of the mining camp. “Miss Dahlia, sorry to keep you waiting, but…” the foreman said hesitantly. “But what?” Dahlia’s face instantly darkened. The foreman quickly said, “But Quentin probably can’t come to see you.” “He doesn’t want to see me? Huh, what does he mean?” she sneered. “Is he enjoying his time here? Three meals a day without worrying, and he can hide from me? Tell him, as long as he voluntarily donates a kidney, he can stay here as long as he wants, even until he dies!” She instructed the foreman to relay the message to me with disgust and impatience, trying to lure me out. But she couldn’t see that I was floating above her at that moment, looking at her with a bitter expression. The foreman didn’t move, and Dahlia, seeing his evasive gaze, immediately frowned with cold eyes. “What? Quentin doesn’t want to see me that much…” The foreman quickly shook his head, “No, it’s not that. He’s not here anymore, how can he come to see you?” That’s right! Except for my soul that no one could see, my body was no longer here. On the first day after I died, they found my death too horrific and threw me out. Now my corpse had probably been digested into fertilizer by some wild dog. Dahlia obviously didn’t believe the foreman’s words. She had her bodyguards watch the foreman while she began to search the mining camp, room by room. She went from the dormitory to the rest area, then to the kitchen, and even carefully checked all the personnel lists, but couldn’t find any trace of me. Dahlia’s face grew increasingly grim, barely suppressing her anger as she questioned the foreman. “I said no one was allowed to let him out, and you dared to treat my words as wind in your ears?” The foreman had taken her money and could be said to be her most loyal dog, so how could he have let me out? Back then, when I was tortured by the people Dahlia arranged until I was a mess, kneeling and begging him to let me out to see a doctor, he never softened. Even when I kowtowed to him until I was bleeding profusely, he never relented. Dahlia sat down coldly and ordered the foreman to bring me to her within five minutes. The foreman, pushed to his limits, sighed and told the truth. “Miss Dahlia, let me tell you the truth. Quentin… he’s long dead!” “He died horribly, not a single part of his body was intact. The walls and floor were covered in blood from him banging his head and scratching with his fingernails that had been torn off.” “On the first day after he died, we threw his corpse out to feed the dogs…” But Dahlia didn’t believe it at all, her face growing increasingly impatient. “Tell me, what good things did Quentin promise you that you dare to disobey my words?” “He crippled Jack for life, does he think he can escape the consequences?” “I think you and he are in cahoots to deceive me!” The foreman hurriedly explained, “No, no… Miss Dahlia, you’re giving me too much credit. How dare I deceive you? You’re my god, my meal ticket!” Fearing she wouldn’t believe him, the foreman quickly pulled out a photo and placed it on the table. “This is the photo I took at the time. Please don’t let it get out…” Dahlia cast a doubtful glance at him, her pupils suddenly contracting as her gaze fell on the photo. In the photo was a human figure whose features were indistinguishable. His body was painfully twisted into an exaggerated arc, covered in bloody marks and bruises, with gashes dripping with fresh blood occupying the entire face. There wasn’t a single good spot on the skin, covered in black and purple scabs. The fingernails looked as if they had been forcibly pulled out, connected to the inner nerves, a bloody mess. From the state of it, the figure had long been dead beyond death. Dahlia froze for a moment, involuntarily widening her eyes. But soon, she let out a cold laugh, “The makeup is really good, at first glance it really looks like Quentin.” “But do you take me for a fool? How could he suffer such severe injuries here when all he does is eat, drink, and work in the mine?” “Besides, if he was nearly dead, why didn’t he go to the hospital? It’s obviously fake!” My heart ached with bitterness. It was she who arranged people to ‘take care’ of me and wouldn’t let me out, otherwise how would I have died so painfully here? After that last brutal beating, I really couldn’t take it anymore. I knelt on the ground, begging the foreman to call her. But she just coldly said, “If you want to die, die quickly. Don’t disgust me!” Even though Dahlia no longer cared about me, the will to survive still made me want to desperately stay alive. I kowtowed to the foreman, the floor resounding with “bang bang” as I hit my head, the blood and dust mixing into a dark black bloody paste, dripping down drop by drop. The foreman, unable to bear it any longer, couldn’t help but say to me, “It’s not that I won’t let you out, but what’s the use?” “Do you have money? The nearest hospital is hundreds of miles away, how would you get there? Not to mention all your ID documents are with your wife.” “Just endure it. If you make it through, it’s fate. If you don’t make it… well, that’s fate too. Remember in your next life, find a good girl…” The foreman’s words made me smile bitterly. I collapsed on the ground like a deflated balloon. Forcibly swallowing the blood that kept welling up in my mouth, I wanted to walk back to the dormitory to rest properly. But at that moment, even rest became a luxury for me. Ten minutes later, the foreman ordered people to pull me off the blood-stained bed and throw me into the coal mine. In the end, I fell there forever… Dahlia glanced at the foreman’s helpless face and snorted coldly. “Enough, stop pretending!” “Hurry up and get Quentin to come out. As long as he’s willing to donate a kidney, I’ll let him leave here right now, and I’ll give him another 200,000 dollars.” I floated numbly in mid-air, but my heart felt as cold as if blown by the winter wind. So my kidney was only worth 200,000 dollars, not even as expensive as a piece of clothing she bought for Jack. Not to mention the millions Dahlia spent without blinking an eye to buy a concept supercar specially for him. Those were in the billions. So, her coldness was only for me. All her love was spent on Jack. The foreman continued to explain patiently, but Dahlia was convinced that we were colluding to deceive her. “Didn’t you say he was already dead? Where’s the body? Where’s the tombstone? What can a single photo prove!” “I’m telling you, if you don’t hand him over today, I’ll make you wish you were dead!” With no other choice, the foreman could only grit his teeth and lead her to a wasteland outside. Pointing to a small mound overgrown with weeds, he said with a complex expression that they had thrown me there at the time. Dahlia’s face darkened as she coldly ordered her bodyguards. “Dig! If he’s alive, I want to see him. If he’s dead, I want to see the body!” Digging up someone’s grave is no less than murder and arson in the eyes of others. But Dahlia showed no sympathy, coldly watching as the bodyguards gradually dug open my grave. I looked at her painfully, never imagining she would hate me to this extent. Perhaps feeling guilty, the foreman kept clasping his hands and muttering, seemingly afraid my ghost would come after him. But soon, he was pulled by the bodyguards to the dug-up mound. It was empty inside, with nothing. “Where’s the person? Where are the bones? Didn’t you tell me Quentin was in there?” “There’s nothing but soil. Don’t tell me you pointed to the wrong place!” Dahlia’s tone was like a volcano suppressed to the extreme, ready to erupt at the slightest touch. The foreman widened his eyes, looking at the empty pit with disbelief. “I… I saw wild dogs wanting to eat his corpse at the time, and couldn’t bear it, so I buried him. How could this be possible…” I was also a bit confused. But Dahlia had long lost her patience and interrupted him with a cold laugh. “So, next you’re going to say his corpse was eaten by wild dogs?” “Good, good! It’s the first time in so many years that someone has fooled me so thoroughly!” “Quentin, and you too! Good! Very good!” The foreman hurriedly tried to explain, but at this moment, Dahlia’s phone rang. When she saw the name on it, the iciness on her face disappeared, replaced by sickening tenderness. “Jack, how are you feeling today? Don’t worry, I’ll definitely make Quentin willingly donate his kidney!” It’s him! The culprit who got me thrown into the mining camp and died miserably here, Jack! On the other end of the phone, Jack’s voice sounded very weak. “Dahlia, you don’t have to beg Quentin. My illness…” Dahlia hurriedly interrupted him, seemingly unable to bear hearing more, “Don’t talk nonsense, I promised you I would save you!” “If it weren’t for you donating a kidney to me back then, I might have died long ago, causing your other kidney to also…” “Besides, since his kidney can match, even if I have to search to the ends of the earth, I’ll find him!” I couldn’t help but frown. When did Jack become the one who saved Dahlia? The other end was silent for a moment before asking with some confusion about what had happened. Dahlia told him in detail about my disappearance. The next second, something shocking happened. Jack said in surprise, “That’s impossible. Quentin called me today saying he was going abroad.” “Oh, and he said he left something for you in the old house. You’ll understand once you see it.” Seen me? He’s just a liar! I anxiously shouted at Dahlia, don’t believe him, he’s just a liar. But I couldn’t make a sound. Even when I floated in front of her and waved frantically, she didn’t notice at all. After hanging up the phone, Dahlia’s gaze turned cold again. She coldly glanced at the foreman and turned to leave directly. Half an hour later, Dahlia arrived at the old house where we used to live. Two bedrooms and one living room, this was our love nest when we were dating, and also the place where our past happiness was stored. Without any hesitation, Dahlia walked in with a cold face. On the coffee table in the living room, she saw a letter placed on top. There was only one sentence, which made her angrily tear the letter to pieces. “Dahlia, you’ll never find me!”

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My sister was diagnosed with leukemia during a routine hospital check-up, and my bone marrow was a perfect match. Driven by a moment of irrationality, I lied to my family, claiming that I was the one who was sick. They all immediately rejected the idea. “Donating bone marrow is risky; we can’t let your sister take that risk.” “You fell ill on your own; don’t drag your sister down. Life and death are determined by fate; you must accept it.” My sister, citing her plans to become pregnant, firmly refused to help. The fragile threads of our family ties were finally severed. In that moment of clarity, I left the medical report behind and walked away from home for good. When I learned that my bone marrow was a match, I had just discovered I was pregnant. My mentor called me aside with a grave expression. He explained that if I wanted to donate bone marrow to my sister, Emily Johnson, I would likely have to terminate the pregnancy. He urged me to consider it carefully and discuss it with my husband. I was indeed torn. I had been taking herbal medicines and preparing for this pregnancy for a long time. My husband was so thrilled upon hearing of my pregnancy that he wanted to announce it to the world. How could I possibly consider ending it? However, Emily Johnson was only twenty-nine. Unlike me, she was our parents’ cherished daughter, raised with them. If anything were to happen to her, my parents would be devastated. After an afternoon of inner turmoil, I decided to visit home after work.

When I arrived, the family was joyfully having dinner. Besides Emily’s family, my brother Ethan Johnson and his girlfriend were there too. They were clinking glasses, clearly celebrating something. My presence shattered the warm atmosphere. The dining room fell silent, and everyone awkwardly set down their glasses. Only my mom awkwardly laughed and pretended to warmly invite me to join them. “We thought you were busy, so we didn’t call you. But it turns out you’re the lucky one; come sit and eat with us.” Despite her words, the politeness and distance in her actions were unmistakable. Suddenly, I felt like playing along. I did something out of character and gently took the hand that was lightly supporting my arm. “Mom, I’m sick.” Mom’s hand stiffened, but she let me hold it. “Uh, well, if you’re sick, eat more, and you’ll get better.” She was dismissive, not even asking what was wrong, and used the excuse of moving a chair to withdraw her hand. Ethan frowned. “Nora, did you come back just to bring bad luck? Every time something good happens, you ruin it.” “Today, Emily got a spot for an overseas tour. Don’t tell me you did this on purpose.” I ignored him and sat in the chair Mom had pulled out for me. “I have leukemia.” Ethan stopped talking. Mom’s hand trembled as she handed me chopsticks, and they fell to the floor. The dining room was silent. Mom’s eyes turned red, and she started to wipe her tears. Finally, Dad, who had been silent, spoke up. “We need to inform your in-laws; their family can afford the treatment.” He looked at me disapprovingly. “Stay calm in the face of things. Don’t be reckless, or you’ll give your mom a hypertension attack.” Mom wiped her face and started putting food on my plate. “Your dad’s right, eat first, and then we’ll talk about big matters.” Emily also added food to my plate, smiling like a cheerful little girl. “Yeah, you’re too worried, that’s why you’re sick. Eat more and smile, and everything will be fine.” I didn’t pick up my chopsticks, my gaze sweeping over each of them. “I’m not here to ask for money for treatment.” “I just want to ask if my sister can donate bone marrow to me.” The dining room went silent again. After a long pause, Dad slammed his chopsticks on the table. “That’s ridiculous!” He furrowed his brows tightly. “Don’t you know donating bone marrow is risky?” I gave a bitter smile. “Isn’t it worth taking a small risk to save my life?” Dad stubbornly turned his face aside. “We can’t let your sister take that risk. A one percent risk is a hundred percent when it happens to Emily.” I wasn’t surprised by Dad’s answer. As the middle child who was fostered elsewhere, Dad wasn’t welcoming of my birth nor my return. But at least Mom and Emily were somewhat friendly to me. I turned my gaze to Mom. Mom was already in tears. I looked at her hopefully, thinking we might break the previous estrangement and she’d hug me like she did my sister. But instead, she said something even more heartless while crying. “Honey, life and death are matters of fate. You must accept it even if you’re unwilling!” She clutched her chest, her voice sorrowful. “You got sick on your own; don’t drag your sister down. If I lose both of you, how would I live?” At that moment, I finally realized that Mom wasn’t afraid of losing two daughters. She was just afraid of losing my sister. I lost interest and turned my gaze to Emily, the main person involved. Since I was brought back home, Emily had been somewhat friendly to me. Although she often said grandiose things, that was probably because she was raised in a sheltered environment. At least she would scold Ethan when he bullied me. I still held onto a sliver of hope. However, Emily’s attitude was completely different today. Her eyes were full of anger as she glared at me. “Nora, you’re doing this on purpose!” She stood up emotionally, as if she had tolerated me for a long time. “I’ve wanted to say this for a long time. You always felt that our parents wronged you by sending you away. So, you return with a sullen face, eager to upset everyone.” “You pretend to be cowering as if you suffered greatly outside. Don’t think we don’t know. You just want to make our parents feel guilty.” She was so angry that her chest heaved violently, as if she suffered a huge injustice. After a moment, she managed to suppress her sobs. “But everything has a limit. We’ve tolerated the small stuff, but now you’re talking about donating bone marrow so casually. You just want to put our parents in a dilemma.” “If they refuse, you accuse them of being heartless. If they agree, they face losing two daughters.” “Why are you so malicious, always ruining our happiness?” Emily said as she hugged Mom. Hearing her words, Mom finally began to cry. “Emily, stop talking. It’s all your dad’s fault, insisting on having both a son and a daughter. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have…” She didn’t finish, but everyone knew what she meant. She was implying that they wouldn’t have had me. Ethan stood up too. They both stood by Mom’s side, looking at me with identical resentment. Emily lifted her chin, looking righteous. “Nora, I won’t let you hurt Mom and Dad. I won’t donate bone marrow to you.” She proudly protected Mom. “This has nothing to do with Mom and Dad. If this gets out, don’t say they are heartless. It’s my selfishness. I can’t let Mom lose two daughters.” “It’s my decision, and I’ll take the blame!” Emily’s expression was so determined it seemed like she was about to sacrifice herself heroically. I twisted the medical report in my pocket and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. After a moment, I stared at Emily and asked slowly, “Are you sure you won’t donate no matter what?” Emily gently wiped Mom’s tears, looking even more like she was about to sacrifice herself. “I absolutely won’t donate!” she said. “If you want to blame someone, blame me, not our parents. I’m preparing for pregnancy, and I can’t risk my child’s life for yours.” I laughed until tears came, then looked at her with pity. Then I softly said, “You’re right. How can you save someone by killing your own child?” Emily didn’t understand, comforting Mom with her head down. On the other side, Mom was already crying so hard she was gasping for breath. She nestled in her children’s arms as if she were the one with leukemia. She weakly soothed her chest. “It’s all your fault, Old Wen. You insisted on having both a son and a daughter!” Father, annoyed by the scolding, slammed the table and stood up. He walked over to me and pulled out a large red envelope from his pocket, tossing it in front of me like he was shooing away a beggar. “Whether it’s real or fake illness, take the money and get lost.” “If you upset your mom, don’t blame me for disowning you!” The red envelope was beautifully wrapped, clearly prepared with care. When I picked it up and looked closely, it even had beautiful handwritten words. [Wishing my beloved daughter a successful performance and lots of fun.] I laughed at myself, then looked up and asked. “Won’t giving me this money for treatment delay your daughter’s fun overseas?” Dad looked at me with disdain, his tone devoid of any warmth. “Don’t get sarcastic with me. You’re not aware of your own limitations, insisting on fairness. I don’t mind falling out with you.” “I didn’t want to have you, but I entrusted someone to raise you, never lacking food or clothing. You should be content, not constantly finding fault.” He turned his face away decisively. “I always listened to your mom and endured you. But since you were unreasonable first, don’t blame me for not recognizing you as my daughter.” He finally issued an eviction order. The dining room fell silent again. They silently cleared a path for me to leave, and everyone quietly watched. “I never wanted to have you, but I still made sure you were raised without lacking the basics. You should be grateful and stop causing trouble.” He turned his head away decisively. “I’ve always listened to your mom and put up with you patiently. Today you were out of line first, so don’t blame me for cutting ties with you as my daughter.” He finally told me to leave. The dining room fell silent. Everyone quietly made way for me to leave, watching me as if waiting for a troublesome burden to exit. At that moment, everything became clear to me. No matter how much I humbled myself, I would never belong to this family. And honestly, I didn’t want to. When I looked up again, I was done being cautious. I thoughtfully considered the red envelope in my hand and slowly stood up. With my high heels, I was as tall as my dad now. I wasn’t the little girl who eagerly awaited seeing him once a month anymore. I looked him straight in the eye and quietly asked, “If you always say you didn’t want me, then why was I even born?” “Was it because you couldn’t control yourself, or am I not really your child?” Dad’s eyes widened in shock, his lips trembling as he delayed raising his hand to strike me. I stepped aside, causing him to stumble. Then I pointed my chin at mom. “And you. Stop pretending to cry. Why weren’t you more decisive when you didn’t want me?” “Was it because dad forced himself on you when you got pregnant? Couldn’t you fight back at your weight?” Mom finally stopped sobbing. Her act of guilt couldn’t hold up any longer. Her fingers shook with anger as she pointed at me. “…How can children from the same mother be so different?” Emily Johnson, angry at seeing her dear mom insulted, threw herself into her arms, crying. Ethan Johnson seemed ready to hit me, lunging to grab my wrist. Their boyfriends and girlfriends joined in to break up the chaos. The dining room descended into disorder. As I was pulled around, I took a solid slap from dad. My face jerked sideways, and warm blood trickled from my nose. “Get out!” Dad shouted loudly. “From now on, we’re cutting ties. The Wilson family has no ungrateful child like you!” My hand instinctively reached for my abdomen. Everything was fine there. Only then did I clearly recognize the strange connection I had already formed with the little life inside me. Since that was what I wanted, I wouldn’t let it down. So I raised my face and stared at him intently. “Fine, you said it. I’m no longer a daughter of the Wilson family.” Dad looked at me with disgust, his face stern. “That’s right, I said it. My words are like nails!” I wiped my face harshly. “Great! From now on, our lives are separate. Whoever seeks help from the other is a fool.” Dad stiffened his neck, not saying a word. Emily Johnson cried out. “Yes! Whoever seeks help is a coward, cursed to suffer a terrible fate!” “Just leave already! Or do you want to drive my mom to death?” I smiled with satisfaction, casually taking the medical report from my pocket and tossing it onto the red envelope. “Very well, Emily Johnson, remember what you said today.”

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Everyone knows Wesley is with me just to spite his true love. Though we’ve been married for five years, he seems like a considerate husband in public. In private, however, he’s extremely cold, constantly asking for a divorce. Later, his true love, Lydia, returned from abroad due to illness. Wesley took care of her tirelessly and threatened me repeatedly: “Lydia’s heart is fragile. If you show up and upset her, I’ll kill you!” Finally, when he asked for a divorce for the hundredth time, I agreed. But Wesley didn’t know I was already pregnant with his child. On the way to finalize the divorce, I got into a car accident, and both my life and my child’s were lost. Wesley didn’t get to divorce me but instead received the news that Lydia had matched with a heart donor. He eagerly returned to Johns Hopkins Hospital, personally performed the procedure, and transplanted the heart into Lydia. Only afterward did he remember the divorce but could never reach me again… As my soul ascended, the unbearable pain finally vanished completely. I floated above, watching the smoking car in the heavy rain. The driver’s seat was severely deformed from the impact, and the person inside was already dislocated all over. Today was our five-year wedding anniversary, also the hundredth time Wesley asked for a divorce. In the past, I begged not to divorce to maintain our fragile relationship. But this time, I agreed. Our relationship was never good over these five years, but he was still somewhat considerate. Until a month ago, his unattainable true love, Lydia, returned from abroad due to illness. Wesley never came home again and stayed by her side day and night at the hospital. Everyone knew he married me back then just to spite Lydia. But, being secretly in love with him for years, I willingly became his bride despite knowing this harsh truth. I never expected… Thoughts returned. The ambulance from Johns Hopkins Hospital finally arrived. The doctors took away my bloody body, and my soul followed involuntarily. Wesley works at Johns Hopkins Hospital; he’s a renowned cardiology specialist in America. Yet, as the wife of a top doctor, I had to see a family doctor for any discomfort. Because on our wedding day, Wesley coldly told me, “I don’t want to see you at work.” “Don’t bother me with trivial matters.” So, he didn’t even know I was pregnant. Thinking of this, I touched my flat stomach, where a once lively life was now completely gone due to the accident. Tears fell like broken beads as a dense pain spread through my heart. That was the child I had been longing for over five years… My bloody body wasn’t sent to the morgue but was taken to the operating room on the fifth floor. Just then, the operating room door opened. Two people walked in one after the other. “Lydia, transplanting a heart without family consent is illegal…” The speaker was Nolan, Wesley’s student. Lydia snorted coldly, walking to my cold body with crossed arms. She glanced down at me, quickly turning her head away, unable to hide the disgust in her eyes. “I’ve waited so long to match with a heart donor. How could I let this opportunity slip?” She turned her head indifferently towards Nolan, saying, “Call Wesley back.” “I want him to personally transplant the heart for my surgery.” Nolan hesitated, looking at her. But Lydia wasn’t in a hurry. She pulled out a bank card from her bag and handed it to Nolan. “There’s fifty thousand in the card. Keep this a secret, and the money is yours.” “Even if the family comes looking afterward, I have ways to deal with it.” Tempted by money and Lydia’s assurance, Nolan took the card and dialed Wesley’s phone. After a series of mechanical rings, Wesley’s voice echoed in the operating room. “What’s up?” Nolan paused, glancing at Lydia before slowly answering: “Dr. Wesley, we found a matching heart donor for Ms. Lydia.” “The body is in the operating room; you should come back.” Hearing this, the once indifferent Wesley sounded like he had won a grand prize, unable to hide his excitement. “Really?! I’ll be right back!” “Lydia finally doesn’t have to worry about this anymore…” Wesley’s extremely excited voice stabbed into my heart like a sharp blade. Tearfully, I looked at my body on the operating table. If Wesley knew it was me who died, would he still be this happy?

In less than half an hour, Wesley returned. He hugged Lydia, who was waiting in the corridor, gasping and saying happily: “Lydia, you’re finally saved.” Lydia couldn’t help but tear up, leaning into his arms and sobbing softly: “Wes, without you, I’d rather give up this heart…” Hearing this, Wesley hugged Lydia tighter, kissing her forehead and promising, “Don’t worry, I’ll divorce Phoebe.” “I only married her to spite you.” Hearing this come from Wesley’s mouth, my heart couldn’t help but ache. So, he loves Lydia that much. So, five years of companionship still couldn’t melt this iceberg. No one cared about my heartache. At this point, Wesley had comforted Lydia and was ready to start the surgery. For Wesley, a heart transplant was a trivial task. But seeing the bloody corpse on the operating table, Wesley couldn’t help but frown: “Nolan, why wasn’t it processed before being brought here?” Nolan was startled, too nervous to meet Wesley’s eyes. He lowered his head and said softly, “Finding a suitable heart for Ms. Lydia is really rare.” “And isn’t it to ensure the heart’s freshness?” Hearing this, Wesley said no more, reaching for the scalpel Nolan handed him. Just as Wesley was about to cut, he paused. Following his gaze, I saw he was looking at my hand, where a diamond ring stained with crimson blood sat on my left ring finger. I had designed this ring myself, and we made a matching one for Wesley when we married. But he disdainfully locked it away and never took it out again. “Dr. Wesley, what’s wrong?” Nolan asked, puzzled. Wesley shook his head, his voice tinged with regret. “She’s pitiful too; her husband must be quite sad, right?” He said as he made the incision, opening my chest. Nolan stood beside him, passing tools and responding: “Yes, it’s quite pitiful. After the examination, this lady was found to be two months pregnant.” This time Wesley didn’t reply, but the atmosphere in the operating room grew heavier. I thought of last winter when I fell seriously ill, too weak to get out of bed. Wesley was at home but was too busy with work. I burned with fever all night and was nearly at death’s door when taken to the hospital. But when I woke, the first thing Wesley did was blame me. “You’re an adult. Don’t you know to take medicine when sick?!” He looked at me fiercely, full of anger, “Or are you trying to attract my attention with this?” I was too weak to argue, even though he had told me not to bother him. I listened, yet why was he still angry? Wesley could feel sympathy for a stranger, but why was he so cold to me, his wife of five years?

The heart was successfully transplanted, beating again after six hours. But this time, in Lydia’s body. Wesley exited the operating room and immediately went to Lydia’s ward. Seeing her in good condition, he finally sighed in relief. After checking on Lydia, Wesley returned to his office. Sitting on his chair, he took out his phone, finding no messages. In the past, I would send him over a hundred messages daily, sharing everything about my day. But today was unusually quiet. Wesley stared at the phone for a while, finally opening his contacts and finding my name. He hesitated before dialing. The mechanical ringtone rang repeatedly before automatically disconnecting. No one answered. Eventually, Wesley lost patience. He opened Snapchat and clicked on our chat, unhappily sending two voice messages. “Phoebe, you agreed to divorce, so why aren’t you showing up?” “Don’t think these games will change my mind about the divorce!” I watched his disgruntled expression, smiling bitterly and murmuring, “Wesley, if you disliked me so much, why marry me in the first place?” But it’s okay. I’m gone now. Wesley will no longer be bothered by me. His messages went unanswered, and I vanished without a trace. But he didn’t look for me, convinced I was throwing a tantrum, unwilling to divorce, hiding somewhere. But I wasn’t hiding. My body lay in the morgue at the hospital where he worked. No one claimed me because I was an orphan. I observed his indignant look, managed a wry smile, and whispered, “Wesley, if you disliked me so much, why did you marry me in the first place?” But it doesn’t matter now because I am already gone. Wesley will never be bothered by me again. Just as I faded away quietly, Wesley’s news vanished without a trace. He never searched for me, assuming I was merely sulking and hiding to avoid a divorce. But I didn’t hide. My body is lying in the morgue of the hospital where he works. No one came to claim me because I am an orphan. Back then, I worked my way from the orphanage to gain admission to a top design school, one of my life’s notable achievements. The other was marrying Wesley. During college, Wesley was not only the most handsome guy in the medical school but also the top student, the dream man in the hearts of many girls. However, back then, Wesley only had eyes for Lydia. Even I, at a neighboring campus, knew about their romantic love story. The first time I saw him was at a joint party between our schools. In the crowd, Wesley stood out in his luxurious, custom-made suit, shining like a star. Later, when a drunk guy harassed me, Wesley stepped in to rescue me. For the first time, my quiet heart felt like it was fluttering with excitement. Yet, I understood that Wesley and I were worlds apart, and he had a girlfriend, so I kept my feelings hidden deep within. It’s amusing how those who strive from humble beginnings often fantasize about unattainable things. I thought that would be my only connection to Wesley. Until he and Lydia fell out, and I happened to deliver custom buttons to his friend. On a perfectly sunny day, he casually looked at me and said, “Do you want to marry me?”

“Phoebe still isn’t answering her phone?” In the ward, Lydia looked pale as she gazed at Wesley. The next second, her eyes reddened, and tears fell as she asked sadly, “Wesley, you’ve been married to her for five years. Did you really never have feelings for her?” “Her disappearance—is it a lie? You never wanted to marry me.” “You’re still blaming me for leaving you back then!” Lydia cried hysterically at the end. Over these days, my emotions inexplicably stabilized, and I calmly watched them from the window. I guessed Wesley would comfort her tenderly. Sure enough, the next moment, he frowned, stood up, and hugged Lydia tightly. “Phoebe agreed to divorce me. I don’t know why she suddenly disappeared.” He patted Lydia’s back to comfort her, then softly said, “But don’t worry, I will divorce her.” “And I’ll marry you.” Just then, urgent footsteps sounded. Two police officers in uniform burst into the ward. Wesley was startled, “Is there something wrong?” Before the police could answer, the door was pushed open again. Nolan appeared, gasping for breath, looking at Wesley with trembling eyes: “Dr. Wesley… Ms. Phoebe is dead…” Hearing this, Wesley froze and looked at Nolan in confusion, “Who did you say died?” “Mr. Wesley, we’re here to inform you of this.” The police naturally took over, sighed, and handed a phone with a video to Wesley: “A week ago, in the morning, your wife Phoebe was in a car accident with a bus.” “The scene was tragic; she… died instantly.” “We sent the body to your hospital, but no one claimed it…” The video played on the phone, and I clearly saw Wesley’s face turn pale. For the first time, I saw such an expression on his face. The ward became deathly silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Until Nolan walked to the dazed Wesley, placed a hand on his shoulder: “Dr. Wesley, it seems… you personally examined the body that day, and it was Ms. Phoebe.” “She was pregnant for two months when she died… Her body is still in the morgue…” With a loud thud, the phone fell to the ground. Wesley’s pupils contracted, looking at Nolan in disbelief, “You said that person was Phoebe?” This time Nolan didn’t speak. He looked red-eyed and conflicted. I guess his feelings are complicated, considering he and Lydia took my heart without anyone’s permission. I used to be friendly to Nolan. Without waiting for any response, Wesley suddenly dashed out of the ward like a madman, and Nolan quickly followed. Leaving Lydia looking helpless. The elevator was stuck at the top floor and wouldn’t come down. Wesley chose to take the stairs from the sixteenth floor, running so fast he even stumbled and fell down the stairs. “Dr. Wesley!!!” Nolan hurriedly went to help Wesley up but was pushed away. Wesley hit his forehead, which started bleeding, but he quickly got up and rushed to the morgue on the second basement floor.

I followed them, watching everything coldly. I didn’t understand why Wesley, who clearly disliked me, became so agitated when hearing of my death. Soon Wesley reached the morgue door. He suddenly became calm and slowly walked to a row of cabinets, stopping in front of them. Nolan, who caught up, hesitated several times before finally pointing to one in the middle: “Dr. Wesley… Ms. Phoebe’s… body is here.” I floated beside Wesley, watching him as his hand shook violently on the handle. But he didn’t pull it out immediately, just stood there staring. I looked at his bloodless face and couldn’t help but mock: “What? Are you so happy about my death that you don’t know what to do?” After all, with me dead, no one would annoy him anymore. He could marry Lydia without any obstacles, and the lovers would finally be together. Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but curse. “Wesley! I was with you for five years, longer than you were with Lydia!” “If you don’t shed a tear when you see me, I’ll haunt you as a ghost forever!” I shouted loudly in his ear, but obviously, Wesley couldn’t hear me. With a “click,” the freezer opened. Amidst a burst of cold air, my shattered body finally appeared before Wesley’s eyes. The sight made even Nolan gasp. Wesley suddenly collapsed to his knees, staring at my body, unable to stop shivering, as tears flowed down his face like a flood. I was taken aback. I never imagined Wesley could be this kind of person. Even after my death, he’s still putting on a pathetic display of devotion for others? As I was processing this, Wesley’s trembling hand moved toward my head but stopped just short of touching it. Watching him, I sighed in resignation. It’s no wonder; my skull was completely shattered, and even though it was pieced back together, it still looked uneven and gruesome. Naturally, he couldn’t bring himself to touch it. But then, a heart-wrenching scream tore through the silence of the morgue. “Phoebe!!!” Wesley shouted, clutching me tightly, repeatedly saying, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” My heart skipped a beat, and my eyes inexplicably stung, “Your acting is surprisingly convincing. How did I never notice this talent before?” Seeing the situation, Nolan hurriedly crouched down to pull Wesley, who was overwhelmed with emotion, away. “Dr. Carter! Ms. Taylor’s body was painstakingly restored to this state, you mustn’t touch it!” With all his strength, Nolan managed to pry Wesley away from my body, and sure enough, when I looked again, my once-intact body had fallen apart. Wesley’s eyes filled with tears as he murmured to the person in the freezer, “This can’t be real… you’re just trying to trick me, right?” “I know you always liked using little tricks to get my attention, but Phoebe, could you not joke with me like this?” “Please wake up! Wake up…” Wesley cried desperately, curling up in Nolan’s arms, clutching his shirt as if he might pass out at any moment. Seeing this, Nolan’s eyes turned red, but he still calmly told Wesley: “Ms. Taylor is already gone!” “Dr. Carter… please accept it…” “Impossible!” Wesley shouted, suddenly pushing Nolan away, “She loved me so much, how could she bear to leave me?” “She can’t be dead… this must be a dream…” He said, collapsing to his knees before me, gently lifting my left hand. “Phoebe, wake up.” “I won’t mention divorce again, we’ll live happily from now on.” “I’m begging you…”

Overwhelmed by his emotions, Wesley eventually fainted. I drifted into his hospital room, sitting on a distant sofa, quietly watching him. Strangely, I felt a sense of satisfaction. After the car accident, I wished he would quickly find me and take me home. But when I saw him cut out my heart to put into Lydia’s body, and later act so indifferent to my disappearance. For the first time, I understood what it meant to feel “like a dead heart.” People often say that if you raise a dog long enough, you develop feelings for it, but Wesley truly had no heart for me. Of course, he didn’t love me, so his indifference made sense. Lost in thought, Lydia entered the hospital room, looking worn out and tense, still in her hospital gown as she sat by the bed. Wesley soon woke up. “Wes! You’re finally awake.” Lydia said excitedly, throwing herself onto Wesley, choking up, “I know her sudden death is hard for you to accept.” “But if you think about it, it’s a good thing! There will be no more obstacles between us.” “My illness is cured because of Phoebe’s death, you should be happy for me!” Wesley didn’t respond to Lydia, suddenly pushing her away, getting out of bed, and stumbling toward the door. Seeing this, Lydia quickly got up and grabbed Wesley, crying and asking, “Where are you going?!” “I’m going home…” he mumbled, walking out on his own, muttering, “Phoebe is waiting for me at home.” “If I don’t go back soon, she’ll definitely get mad, and then she won’t talk to me.” Hearing his words, Lydia’s face turned pale, and she let go of Wesley’s hand in shock. … By the time Wesley got home, it was already dark. When he opened the door, he was no longer greeted by a smiling face but by a cold, silent house. I took a deep breath and followed him inside. The home we had lived in for five years looked the same as it did before I left. Everything seemed unchanged. But somehow, everything felt different. Wesley stood at the entrance like a hollow shell, staring at the living room for a long time before forcing a smile at the empty house, saying, “Phoebe, I’m home.” But sadly, no one would ever answer him again. Seeing this, I rolled my eyes: “All those times when I cooked for you and waited at home, you never acted like this.” “What a fake!” Of course, Wesley couldn’t hear my complaints. After standing there dazed for a while, he slowly walked into the living room. In the center of the coffee table, there was still a pregnancy test report lying quietly. I admit, when we first separated, I couldn’t be so calm about it, but I really didn’t have any expectations for him anymore. I just thought he should know about the pregnancy. Wesley slumped on the sofa, confusedly reaching for the report. When he saw the words on it, he unexpectedly covered his face and cried. “I really am a jerk!” His tears quickly soaked the report, and his sorrow echoed through the quiet night.

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On the eve of our wedding, during a romantic getaway, Caleb Shaw fell in love at first sight with the owner of a local bed and breakfast. He stubbornly believed she was the reincarnation of his deceased first love, a gift from heaven for his pitiful soul. In a fit of rage, I broke up with him, only to encounter a landslide on my way down the mountain. Caleb came to my rescue and ended up injuring his leg. Just like that, the rift between us disappeared, and we entered into marriage. It wasn’t until my later years, when I was diagnosed with cancer and discovered that our vast household couldn’t even afford my medical bills, that I learned the truth. All these years, Caleb had been secretly supporting that bed and breakfast owner from years ago. Even my children agreed with his actions. So, I died of anger. When I opened my eyes again, faced with Caleb’s confession, I shouted at him, slamming my hand on the table: “I support your brave pursuit of love!” The crowd, who had been drinking and chatting merrily, all stopped what they were doing when they heard my loud declaration of support. As curious gazes turned towards us, the usually cool and collected Caleb had somehow turned pale, grabbing my wrist and warning me with his eyes to stop making a scene. In my past life, I would have backed down at the first sign of his anger, always afraid of upsetting him. But now, I only wanted to expose the hypocritical face behind his mask! With this thought, I turned to meet Caleb’s disapproving eyes, twisted my hand to grasp his wrist, and walked towards the “main character” surrounded by the crowd. That is, Tara Swan, the owner of this bed and breakfast and the object of Caleb’s love at first sight. “Aria!” Sensing my next move, he growled at me with furrowed brows. But I showed no signs of stopping. Losing face, Caleb angrily shook off my hand: “This trip was meant to test our relationship. I’ve only experienced a feeling of attraction, I haven’t done anything to betray you. Why are you being so aggressive?” As he finished speaking, the crowd let out a collective sigh. At this moment, Tara, dressed in a white dress, slowly stepped forward from the crowd, stopping about three feet away from me. She first observed Caleb for a moment, then noticed his expensive watch peeking out from under his sleeve. Her gaze then shifted to me, looking me up and down. After a long while, she burst out laughing: “So this is a breakup trip.” “Miss Winters, you won’t even share a room with your boyfriend on a trip, and now you’re trying to control your boyfriend’s heart. Don’t you think you’re being too controlling?” She subtly pulled Caleb to her side. Seeing that Caleb had no intention of arguing, I smirked and pulled out the wedding photos stored on my phone. Smiling, I pushed the now ashen-faced Caleb towards Tara. “You’re right, I think I’m being too controlling too.” Then I turned to Caleb and raised my voice: “You should cherish this fate! Don’t miss out again!” “I’ll be waiting for your wedding invitation. Don’t worry, I won’t cling to you. I’ll explain about our engagement to my parents!” With that, I pretended to wipe away non-existent tears from the corner of my eyes, feigning heartbreak. In contrast, Caleb was now staring dazedly at the confused Tara in front of him. “Lena…” As Caleb’s hoarse voice rang out, the whole scene erupted. Even Tara blushed and lowered her head shyly, but her body leaned in closer. Some people said Tara was being treated as a substitute, while others said Caleb had actually called out “Tara”. So, being the kind person I am, I turned back once more. Under Tara’s confused and smug gaze, I kindly said, “Oh, by the way, my ex-fiancé once had a first love named Lena Swann. Come to think of it, your names sound very similar!” Slap! As I turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of Tara angrily slapping Caleb. How satisfying! In my past life, after Caleb confessed his infidelity to me, Tara was also present. But I didn’t react like I did today. Instead, I was immersed in the pain of betrayal. It was my departure that gave him and Tara the opportunity to interact. From that day on, Caleb stubbornly believed that Tara was the reincarnation of Lena. Faced with my persuasion and anger, he would always look at me coldly, and finally say calmly: “Aria, you really can’t compare to Lena’s gentleness and understanding.” “Over the years, I’ve more than repaid the kindness the Winters family has shown me, and I married you as you wished. But now, my Lena is right in front of me. Why can’t you let me go and pursue my happiness?” Just like that, a honeymoon that started sweetly turned into a bitter separation. I had never seen him so cold before, and in my anger, I broke up with him, choosing to end this journey alone. But I never expected to encounter a landslide. Nor did I expect Caleb to come to my rescue, injuring his leg in the process. I thought there was still love between us, until our later years, that is, the thirtieth year of our marriage, when I was diagnosed with cancer. Caleb said he couldn’t afford the treatment, and our children used the company’s cash flow as an excuse to refuse to pay for my treatment. Disheartened, I accidentally discovered that over the years, all our assets had been transferred to the same account. And that account belonged to Tara Swan, the woman Caleb had fallen in love with years ago. Only then did I realize how foolish I had been all these years. Our children all knew about Tara’s existence, and even chose one holiday each year to visit her. In the moment before I died of anger, Caleb, his hair now gray, personally removed my oxygen tube, his smile vicious: “If it wasn’t for your parents threatening me with the failed project back then, how could I have let go of Tara? This is all your karma!” My children stood coldly by, watching silently before leaving. Thinking back now, perhaps I had already lost myself in my past life, which led to my death from anger. Ding dong! The vibration of my phone in my pocket pulled me back to reality. I looked at the landslide alert on the push notification, my eyes darkening slightly. After that unpleasant parting, Caleb seemed to have disappeared, nowhere to be seen in the entire scenic area. On the contrary, all the tourists in the bed and breakfast knew about the drama that day, and when they looked at me, there was always a hint of sympathy in their eyes. But I felt fortunate. Everything had been stopped at a critical point, and there would be no more life after marriage where I could only ask Caleb for money, no more pain of being coldly watched by the children I had painstakingly raised. For me, these were all good things. Looking at the azure sky outside the window, I was humming a tune and about to go out. As I opened the door, I ran into Caleb and Tara coming out of the opposite room. “Why are you wearing such a short skirt? Change it,” the man frowned and ordered instinctively, making Tara, who was still smiling, immediately frown. Perhaps realizing the change in his identity, Caleb awkwardly lit a cigarette. He pulled Tara’s jacket up a bit and explained coldly, “Tara and I are still getting to know each other, it’s nothing.” Hearing this, Tara looked at Caleb with some resentment, but after catching his eye, she quickly put on a smile as if nothing had happened. I didn’t want to bother with this flirtation between them, but as I turned to leave, Caleb grabbed me forcefully. He blew smoke rings towards my face, softening his voice: “Aria, stop making a fuss. I just wanted to find that feeling from the past.” “When the trip is over, we’ll go back and get married.” Hearing his ridiculous words, I violently shook off his hand and pointed at the hickey on his exposed collarbone, sneering, “Caleb Shaw, you dared to confess to me that you’ve changed your heart, why don’t you dare admit what you and Tara did in bed?” “You disgust me!” Caleb’s smoking motion paused slightly, he opened his mouth as if to say something to me, but was interrupted by the commotion in the distance. We saw Tara, dressed provocatively, drinking and chatting happily with those tourists. The next second, the possessiveness in Caleb’s eyes surfaced, and he rushed past me straight towards Tara. This was the first time he had abandoned me. Since he found the Winters family at eighteen and successfully moved into the Winters’ house, he had never abandoned me. At that time, I, just coming of age, often liked to use my spoiled rich girl temper to make things difficult for him, but every time he was like a wooden block, never getting angry. He said: “Aria, you just don’t know how to get along with people.” I thought he was the one who understood me. So, I fell head over heels for him. Even though I’ve lived another life, even though I shared a bed with him for over thirty years in my past life, I still felt a bit lost at this moment. But this sense of loss was quickly diluted. At three in the morning, while I was still drinking in the small bar, I heard the sound of an ambulance. After asking around, I found out that inside lay Tara and a man. “Don’t know what conflict these two had, they ran up to the snow mountain, and on their way down, they both took a tumble. That’s why they’re in the hospital now.” A tumble. It was as if some important information flashed through my brain, making me follow them to the hospital involuntarily. But it would have been better if I hadn’t gone. This visit actually allowed me to know the answer to the question that puzzled me most in my past life! As the sky began to lighten slightly, many of the onlookers who had come to see what was happening dispersed. I found Caleb’s attending physician, claiming to be his fiancée. Seeing my anxious appearance, he shook his head regretfully: “Your fiancé’s leg was crushed too severely by a heavy object. Even if he wakes up, I’m afraid he’ll be left with a permanent disability!” It was as if my brain had been hit hard with a club, with only a constant buzzing sound in my ears. After a long while, after composing myself, I tentatively asked, “A disability? Like a limp?” The doctor nodded. At that moment, the last wall in my heart completely collapsed. I checked the calendar and found that in two days, it would be the day I left after arguing with Caleb in my past life. So, when he came to save me, his leg was already injured? But why did he do this! At this moment, I really wanted to rush into the ward, grab his collar, and question him properly. But what’s the use of that? This hasn’t happened in this life, and even if I said it, he would only think I was crazy. I don’t know how I walked out of the hospital. The various incidents of Caleb protecting me under him when the landslide collapsed in my past life played like a slideshow in my mind. I once asked him, do you regret saving me? But he held my hand, his eyes full of tenderness: “I’ve never regretted any decision involving you.” I tilted my head back to force back the tears, took off the ring that already had marks, and threw it into the sewer. As the ring made a series of clanging sounds as it hit the ground, I slowly released my nails that were deeply embedded in my palm… After leaving the hospital, I still pretended I didn’t know anything, seriously playing the role of a woman hurt in a relationship. I spent my days either drunk in the bar or lying in my room sleeping. During this time, I didn’t forget to bombard Caleb with text messages, creating the illusion that I was heartbroken and about to leave. [Caleb, can you not leave me? I can’t live without you.] [Caleb Shaw, if you don’t come and comfort me, I’m going home by myself!] … Watching the identical messages from my past life being sent one by one, I expressionlessly began to pack my luggage. Replicating the exact scene of leaving from my past life. Sure enough, Caleb got anxious. I opened the surveillance camera I had installed before leaving, and saw Caleb pushing his wheelchair upstairs, anxiously asking Tara to open my room. But when he saw my tidy room, there was no trace of anxiety on his face, instead, there was even a hint of relief. Could I have guessed wrong? Just as I was pondering, Caleb received a phone call, and his face immediately became serious, pushing his wheelchair out. Seeing this, I suddenly remembered Caleb’s resentment towards me in my past life. I hurriedly called my assistant, and after investigation, found out that his project had indeed incurred losses. As for that phone call, it should be from my parents’ people who learned about his change of heart, threatening him out of fear that I would be upset. Ding dong. Caleb was trying to crack the password to open my location. My heart trembled, looking at my position 800 meters away from the landslide site, I felt a bit more at ease. Soon after, Caleb rushed over. But the moment he got out of the car, the landslide collapsed. “Aria!” “Where are you, don’t scare me, Aria!” Caleb was stunned for only a second before he started shouting my name at the top of his lungs. As the rescue team arrived, more and more people gathered, and my baseball cap that I had placed in advance was spotted by the sharp-eyed Caleb. He ignored the dissuasion of the people around him and rushed in: “That’s my fiancée’s hat, I have to save her!” In the chaos, no one noticed his limp. He was seen hugging my hat, constantly moving stones, and even took time to answer a phone call, crying out in grief: “Uncle, Aunt, Aria encountered a landslide, I’m afraid I can’t fulfill what you asked me to do…” I clearly saw the smirk on his face after he succeeded. So, standing in the crowd, I called out: “Caleb Shaw, I’m here!” Hearing this, Caleb turned to look at me almost mechanically, his lips trembling in disbelief as he opened his mouth: “How are you…”

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On the first day of school, my roommate claimed to be the Princess of the Wolf Pack, carefree and rebellious. When she arrived, she was wearing full sable fur. I only took one look and immediately knew it was fake. It was obviously a rabbit fur. “Talia Coffey, what was that look you gave me just now? Get down on your knees!” She was holding a toad and claiming it was a golden toad that the Wolf Pack Leader had worked for a long time to obtain for her. Without thinking, I snatched the toad and shoved it into her mouth. “I’ll teach you some respect! You’re the Princess of the Wolf Pack? Then who am I?!” “Hello, everyone. I’m Jayla Farley, the Princess of the Wolf Pack.” My roommate made a dramatic entrance, wearing full sable fur, her makeup meticulously applied as if she looked down on everyone around her. “Princess of the Wolf Pack?! The legendary ancient tribe? I’ve heard their stories! They disappeared, but their legend still remains strong,” one of the other roommates said, eyes wide with surprise. She hopped over to Jayla, staring at her in awe. “Is that real sable fur you’re wearing? It’s so cool! I’ve never seen anything like it! I heard you guys always wear sable furs.” Jayla puffed up even more, her nose practically pointing at the ceiling. “Of course, this is a rare sable fur. My father hunted for a month to get it for me, and my mother sewed it by hand.” I glanced at her and rolled my eyes internally. She was really something. That wasn’t a sable fur. It was clearly a rabbit fur. “What’s your name?” No one responded, so I turned around to realize she was asking me. I pointed to myself. “Me?” “Yes, you. What’s your name?” I didn’t feel like causing trouble, so I casually answered, “Talia.” I was the only princess of the Wolf Pack on the grasslands. On the day of my coming-of-age ceremony, I personally hunted a sable and made myself a sable fur garment. Since then, I have become a legend. But I didn’t realize my story had turned into this, that my sable fur was a gift from my parents, and someone else was pretending to be me. Still, I didn’t want to cause any conflict. I was here to quietly spend four peaceful years. “Talia,” she repeated my name and then shoved our roommate, Riley Howard, aside and walked toward me. “What was that look? Are you questioning me? Kneel down!” Hearing that, I furrowed my brow. It was the first time someone had told me to kneel. I stared at her and replied, “First, you’re wearing rabbit fur. Second, you’re not a Princess of the Wolf Pack, so stop pretending. Third, don’t mess with me.” I warned her and turned to grab my things, but she took a toad out of her bag and shoved it in my face, shouting, “Golden toad! Spit on her! Poison her! She didn’t show me respect! Poison her now!” I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the sight of the toad. “Get that thing away from me!” “It’s a golden toad, not just any toad! My father got this for me! Kneel down!” she yelled. I had enough. In a flash, I snatched the toad from her hand and kicked her hard enough that she fell to her knees in front of me. I stuffed the toad into her mouth. “I’ll show you who’s in charge! You’re the Princess of the Wolf Pack? Then who am I?”

The situation quickly turned chaotic. Jayla screamed at the top of her lungs, and the toad in her hand kept jumping uncontrollably. Riley, my roommate, was so scared that she screamed, too, shouting down the hallway, “Someone, help! She’s bullying Jayla!” It might have been an accident, but I accidentally squeezed the toad in my hand to death. Feeling bored and thinking Jayla had been punished enough, I took the toad from her mouth and threw it in her face. “Stay away from me! I can’t stand this disgusting thing.” Jayla kept crying nonstop, and someone heard the noise and rushed in. They saw Jayla kneeling in front of me, crying, while I looked down at her coldly. “What’s going on here? Are you bullying her?” I glanced at the person who entered and calmly replied, “Are you blind? You can’t even tell right from wrong, and you’re accusing me of bullying her.” The person froze, completely speechless, startled by my response. Everyone around us started whispering, but I ignored them and went back to packing my things. My father and mother had told me when I came here not to cause trouble. But if anyone bullied me, they would step in and deal with it. Still, I didn’t want to drag them into a public scene, so I decided to spare Jayla for now. The others eventually grew bored, and after comforting Jayla for a while, they dispersed. I finished packing and left. What I didn’t know was that they had teamed up and started spreading rumors in a live stream. I was talking with my father and mother, who had come to visit me today, and the principal, Gerald Leach, who knew who they were, was graciously hosting them. I walked in, and Gerald stood up. “Talia, is everything ready now?” I nodded. “How’s everything going? If anything’s bothering you, feel free to let me know.” Gerald seemed genuinely concerned. My family had invested heavily in the school, and we were almost the largest shareholders. “It’s fine,” I replied, sitting next to my parents. My parents laughed. “Who could possibly bully her? With her temper, she’s the one who’d be doing the bullying, not the other way around. Talia, don’t get physical with anyone. No one can handle your moves.” Everyone laughed, and I, feeling a bit bored, took out my phone. To my surprise, I ended up on a live stream, Jayla’s. She and Riley were both crying, and the entire dorm seemed like it was in chaos. “Hello, everyone. I’m Princess of the Wolf Pack, Jayla. I just moved into my dorm today, and I can’t believe I ran into a bully. She looked down on me, mocked and didn’t believe my identity, and even insulted me.” Jayla cried as she spoke, “My father and mother told me to focus on my studies, and I didn’t want any trouble, but I just couldn’t take it anymore. “She kicked me as soon as she arrived, and then said… she said the sable fur I’m wearing is rabbit fur! This was a gift from my father after he hunted it for me as a coming-of-age present! And she killed my golden toad!”

Many people in the chat were furious on her behalf, some immediately cursing me out. “Who is she? What right does she have to bully Princess of the Wolf Pack? You should show her who’s boss! Beat her up!” “Exactly! I can’t stand bullies, especially when they target someone like Princess of the Wolf Pack. She picked the wrong person to mess with. Someone’s definitely going to take care of her!” Riley kept adding fuel to the fire. “Yeah, guys, she was so rude! Probably some country bumpkin who just got here. She killed Princess Jayla’s toad and insulted her…” More and more people were jumping to Jayla’s defense, even suggesting that they should destroy my things and see how arrogant I was then. I clenched my fists, watching as people in the livestream started rummaging through my belongings. “Talia, what’s wrong? Are you angry?” My mother placed her hand on my shoulder and spoke. I shook my head. “Mom, I’m fine. But something comes up. I’ll go handle it.” I smiled, gently pulled her hand away, and walked out. On the livestream, Jayla and Riley were still going through my things, throwing everything on the floor. They even pulled out my sable fur coat and held it in their hands. “You said mine was rabbit fur, but mine is genuine sable fur! I bet this is the rabbit fur you’re talking about! Just look at the quality. It’s obviously a cheap knockoff.” Jayla sneered, and many people in the live stream agreed with her. “Yeah, this looks like a rabbit fur for sure. No way sable fur is this shiny, probably just some rabbit fur with a little oil on it.” “Maybe it’s not even a rabbit fur. It could be fake…” Jayla scoffed, tossing my sable fur coat on the floor and stomping on it. “This is a knockoff. I could buy her ten of these! A country bumpkin dares to mess with me!” My coat was being stomped on, and my fists were clenching tighter with every second. They had tossed out all my things, including the gifts my parents had given me. They were ruining everything, things that were worth a fortune, things they could never afford to pay. Soon, they pulled out a photo of me with my parents. I froze. In the picture, the three of us were smiling brightly, dressed in matching sable fur coats, looking strong and dignified. Jayla paused and then sneered, “You look pretty imposing. Where was this taken? Was it some kind of photoshoot? Did you copy the Wolf Pack’s style?” Someone in the comments trembled and wrote: [I’ve seen the Wolf Pack Leader and his wife before! This is them!]

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Bethany Wilcox, the girl who constantly boasted about her wealth, came to my company for an interview. Despite giving a disastrous performance, she somehow triumphed over all the candidates from prestigious universities and secured the position. “Oops, sorry, I wasn’t prepared well. Let’s do it again.” The interviewers exchanged awkward smiles, frozen on their faces. And so, her exclusive interview dragged on from morning till night. When the lights dimmed, the interviewers, finally relieved, each wore a long face and announced that everyone in the company had to stay for overtime. That evening, the wealthy girl posted a video. In the video, she said, “The first day of inheriting the family business started with an interview where I hid my identity.” I quickly called my mom. “Spill it. Do you have an illegitimate daughter, or am I not your child?” Today, the company had an interview session. Although all the candidates had finished and left, the interview wasn’t over yet. “The interviews are done, so why haven’t our superiors come out yet?” An employee, desperate to get a signature from the superiors, was pacing anxiously. “Shh, be quiet. The future female heir of our company is still in there,” someone whispered. “What?” another person asked. “She came for the interview. She posted a video yesterday.” Everyone perked up, exchanging whispers. The gossip group chat was buzzing with excitement. I opened the video through a link shared in the group chat. [What should I wear to the interview tomorrow?] In her video, the spacious walk-in closet looked strangely familiar, and in the corner, there was a sexy nightgown given to me by my best friend! I quickly called my butler, Kevin O’Conner. “Kevin, is everything alright at home?” “Uh, Ms. Stoddard, everything, everything is fine,” Kevin said, his usual calm tone faltering. I could tell he was holding something back. A chill ran down my spine. I had a bad feeling something was wrong at home. “Ms. Stoddard, how is your mother’s health? When will you be back?” “She’s still undergoing treatment. I’m not sure when I’ll return.” After high school, I received an elite education abroad. Half a year ago, my mother fell seriously ill, so I brought her overseas for treatment. Now that her health was under control and I had finished my studies, I had returned as per her wishes to take over the family business. To understand the situation of my company, I secretly returned to my home country and, relying on my own abilities, applied for a job at my company. I never expected to find myself in a “true or false daughter” drama. Looking at the clothes and accessories strewn across the floor, I felt my anger rise. I was eager to find out who was behind this mess. That evening, the imposter updated her video. [The first day of inheriting the company, starting with an interview where I hid my identity.]

The next day, someone in the gossip group posted a photo of her commuting to work. Bethany, donning oversized sunglasses and toting a Hermes bag, strode out of the car with an air of arrogance after the driver opened the door for her. The car was mine, and so was the bag. Bethany was shorter than me, and from the slightly loose suit she was wearing, it was clear that the suit belonged to me as well. Before she even reached the elevator, the fashionable employees in the gossip group had already stripped her down, analyzing her from head to toe. “Daughters from wealthy families really are different. The clothes she wears could buy a whole house.” “I envy her so much, and I’d love to be friends with a rich woman like her.” “Who wouldn’t want to latch onto someone like that?” But soon, their opinions changed. On her first day at work, Bethany took the team leader, Brad Williamson’s seat. She claimed that the background of Brad’s seat looked better for shooting videos. Brad’s smile went from flattering to fake. On her second day, Bethany took credit for a colleague’s report. On her third day, she inexplicably scolded a colleague. In the videos she posted every day, her superiors were eager to give her the best spot; she wrote amazing reports in minutes and criticized her colleagues for being useless… She portrayed herself as a workplace elite. Her colleagues became her comparison group, and her fans started calling us “Waste No. 1”, “Waste No. 2″… Watching her superiors fawn over her while her colleagues dared not speak out, I was thoroughly disappointed with the company’s management. I had filled pages in my little notebook with notes.

Soon, the time for the department product presentation arrived. I worked overtime for several days to prepare the PowerPoint for the product introduction. Just as I was about to present, Bethany came toward me, holding her phone and live-streaming. “Aaliyah Stoddard, what are you doing standing here? Don’t you see the superiors don’t have water? Go get some!” she said. Bethany casually flicked her hair, her gaze drifting. A hint of guilt flashed in her eyes. “Such a lack of awareness.” “Fans, I have to be strict. These employees are so lazy.” I squinted, pretending to be dismissed by her. I glanced at her livestream, where a group of fans were praising her as an excellent, independent woman. I couldn’t help but sneer, standing outside the door but not leaving. Bethany had deliberately tried to get rid of me, and I knew she was up to something. She stepped onto the stage, opened the PowerPoint, and began presenting with a serious expression. “Hello, everyone. I’m Bethany, the presenter for this product. “I’m new, so the PowerPoint isn’t perfect. Please guide me.” Hearing this, my teammates exchanged glances and looked at me with a gloating expression. I folded my arms and glared at them. The intimidation in my eyes made them shrink back. I had to admit, Bethany’s voice was sweet, and she read through the slides word for word. The entire room applauded her. She stood there proudly, like a rooster, with a smirk on her face as she winked at the phone in her hand. “Excuse me, what’s the design concept behind this product?” A sudden voice interrupted, and the applause ceased instantly. No one expected someone to ask a question. Bethany froze on the spot. All eyes turned to me. “Uh, the concept… well, it’s… it’s all about increasing profits, yes, profits,” she stammered, her face turning red. The room fell silent for three seconds, and then the department manager stepped in to smooth things over. “It all comes down to one thing. It’s all for the company!” he said, and everyone clapped in agreement. I felt like I had swallowed a fly. I did not expect the marketing manager could be so lacking in principles. It seemed clear the company had a long way to go. I sighed in frustration. It was after this incident that Bethany became my enemy. “I ordered coffee and desserts for everyone,” Bethany said. Sensing her colleagues’ dissatisfaction, she began buying food for everyone more frequently. “Thanks, young lady!” one colleague said. “Shh, don’t say that. I don’t want to expose my identity,” Bethany whispered. Slowly, she won over my colleagues with her sugary tactics. “Oops, Aaliyah, I forgot you were still here. I didn’t get anything for you,” she said, with clumsy acting. However, her poor acting had the most obvious effect. As a result, I was isolated by everyone.

The second half of the year’s product sales conference was about to begin. Brad assigned me to handle the service work. “Isn’t service work just being a waiter? “Hah, I was just joking. Aaliyah, you need to prepare well. You must handle the service properly.” Bethany covered her mouth and exchanged glances with her colleagues. Upon watching the chaotic team atmosphere, my patience was running thin. Brad, powerless against the undisciplined culprit, had no choice but to wait until Bethany finished her performance before continuing, his face expressionless. “This time, the president of Virex Global Group, Damian Caldwell, will be attending in person. Everyone needs to be on their best behavior.” “Mr. Caldwell, really?” “Mr. Caldwell is a golden bachelor, the heartthrob of the finance world!” Brad’s words were like a drop of water in a hot pan. All the female colleagues began chattering, their faces filled with admiration and anticipation. Bethany looked as though she was deep in thought. I couldn’t help but feel helpless, thinking to myself, “Why did this troublemaker have to show up?” The company placed great importance on the product sales conference. In order to secure Damian’s investment, the department had been working overtime for a week to ensure everything would be flawless. On the day of the event, Bethany, who wasn’t originally involved in the reception, showed up at the venue early. “Brad, Aaliyah comes from an ordinary family. She’s never seen such a big event. “I’ll handle the reception for her,” she suggested. “No, this reception is too important. It’s going to decide next year’s orders. You have no experience!” Brad immediately shook his head, refusing. “It’s fine if something goes wrong. I’ll take responsibility. Brad, don’t forget, and I’m going to be the company’s heir,” she said with an air of certainty and subtle threat. Under Bethany’s determined, almost menacing gaze, Brad finally relented. It worked out perfectly for me. I wasn’t in any rush to face Damian. As the largest investor, Damian made his grand entrance last. Damian had a tall, lean figure and sharp features. It seemed as though he carried the wind with him, walking into the venue amidst compliments from others. Bethany’s face flushed crimson, her eyes dreamy, as she stepped forward to greet him. Damian, however, walked straight past her, his eyes scanning the room. “Dear Damian, I’m Bethany. I’ll be your host today,” she introduced herself. “Are all your company’s employees this familiar with everyone?” Damian replied with a sharp tone. “Well then, tell me about the design concept of this product, its application scenarios, market predictions…” “Uh… I…” Bethany couldn’t help but scratch her head, her gaze darting around, silently pleading for help. After all these years, Damian’s tongue was still as sharp as ever. Unable to contain myself, I let out a laugh. Hearing my laugh, Damian turned his gaze toward me and flashed a rare smile. Bethany, on the other hand, turned beet red, and her heart raced, thinking Damian was joking with her. “Damian, you’re so naughty! My father is the boss of Stod Group, and I’ve heard from him that our families are old friends.” Damian suddenly turned his head toward her, his cold, appraising gaze freezing her in place. Bethany took a step back, visibly startled by his scrutiny. “Sorry, but my Caldwell family is not acquainted with the Wilcox family.” The Caldwell family had ties to the Stoddard family, not the Wilcox family. Without the Stoddard family, no one would even know who my father was. The employees around us were all awkwardly blushing, and Brad looked like he was about to lose his mind. “Mr. Caldwell, my apologies for not welcoming you properly. I’m Steve McLean, the company’s vice president,” he hurriedly stepped forward. “Bethany, don’t just stand there! Apologize to Mr. Caldwell; he’s just messing with you,” he said, exasperated. “Uncle Steve,” Bethany muttered, twisting her hands and sneaking glances at Damian. The other company executives around us exchanged amused glances. I thought to myself, “With such an unrefined leader at Stod Group, it’s no wonder the company is on the decline.” I clenched my fists. Stod Group was founded by my grandfather and has been the pride and hard work of the Stoddard family for three generations. Now, only my mother and I remain of the Stoddard family, and I will not allow anyone to ruin Stod Group.

The product sales conference turned out to be passable but far from perfect. Damian raised an eyebrow at me, and I nodded in response. We agreed to meet later at the café downstairs. “Why did you come over today?” “You’ve been gone for so long, and now that you’re back, you don’t even say a word. I had no choice but to come see you myself.” “Don’t you miss me?” he teased, a playful grin on his face as he threw flirtatious glances at me. “What’s going on with Bethany?” “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her soon!” We hadn’t had a good conversation in a long time, and neither of us noticed the pair of angry eyes watching us from outside the café. When I returned to the office, I noticed that my colleagues were looking at me strangely. “Hmph, some people really don’t know their place. How dare she set her sights on Mr. Caldwell?” “Right! She’s trying to hook up with Mr. Caldwell during a company event and ruining the company’s reputation!” Two of my colleagues, with whom I had been on good terms, began gossiping. “Aaliyah, how dare you come back here after trying to seduce Mr. Caldwell? You’ve completely neglected your work. Do you even want to keep your job?” Bethany pointed at my nose, her face twisted with anger. “That’s nonsense. Damian and I are friends,” I retorted. Bethany and the other women laughed as though they’d heard the funniest joke. “You bumpkin, dreaming of marrying a rich man? It’ll never happen!” “Yeah, you’ll never marry into money in your life!” I glanced around at the mocking faces, then gave a slight smirk. “I just wanted to let you all know that due to Bethany’s poor reception, everyone in the marketing department has had their year-end bonuses canceled. “Since you’re all so happy about this, I assume you have no objections?”

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In my previous life, my wife caused a multi-car pile-up while speeding home from her childhood friend’s wedding. The accident left four dead and one injured. When the police called, I rushed to the scene. It was absolute chaos. Fire trucks were everywhere, the air thick with smoke, and people were screaming and crying. It was a total nightmare. It took a whole day to clear the wreckage. The police delivered the devastating news. They couldn’t find my wife’s body. They suspected the flames had consumed it. To mourn her, all I could do was gather some debris from the scene to place in an urn. Before I could even arrange a funeral, the victims’ families began camping outside my house, demanding justice. Overnight, I found myself responsible for four deaths and tens of millions in compensation. I threw myself into work, desperately trying to earn enough to appease the bereaved families. From the age of thirty to forty-eight, a whole eighteen years, I finally paid off all the compensation and earned the forgiveness of the families. But my body had paid the price. A stroke left me bedridden, condemned to spend the rest of my life in hospitals. On my deathbed, I saw my supposedly dead wife and her childhood friend at the hospital with their child for a checkup. They were laughing together, the picture of happiness. At that moment, I realized everything had been an elaborate deception orchestrated by my wife. The shock made me cough up blood, and I died on the spot. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day of the fatal pile-up!

The police officer’s grave voice crackled through my phone. “Is this Mr. Rylan Langley? It is Highway Patrol. Your wife, Ashley Winthrop, has been in an accident on the interstate. Please come to the scene immediately.” “Sir? Are you there?” the voice pressed when I didn’t respond. The officer repeated my name several times before I snapped back to reality. That was when the memories of my past life flashed through my mind like scenes from a movie. In my previous life, I’d rushed to the crash site in a panic, only to find the scene engulfed in flames. I’d broken down entirely and spent the rest of my life wracked with guilt because we never recovered her body. Little did I know there was nobody to find because she wasn’t dead at all. The whole thing had been an elaborate scheme to transfer my assets so she could run off with her first love! In this life, I would make sure those two backstabbers pay dearly for what they did. After a brief acknowledgment, I hung up and immediately called my lawyer. It was time to lay out every detail of their twisted plot. The key to exposing this scam was threefold. I needed to prove Ashley was alive, find evidence of her affair to protect my assets in the divorce, and finally, reveal her hit-and-run accident that left four dead and one injured. Prison would be waiting for her. Just as I gathered my thoughts and prepared to leave, the front door burst open. Kelly Winthrop, Ashley’s mother, threw herself into my arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “Rylan, did you see the news? Did the police call you too? What am I going to do? She’s my only daughter! I can’t live if something’s happened to her.” This scene was exactly like my previous life. I constantly tried to comfort Kelly after Ashley’s accident. Looking back now, it was almost laughable. What kind of mother wailed about her daughter’s terrible accident without shedding a single absolute tear? If I hadn’t been so emotionally invested, I would’ve noticed it sooner. Kelly already knew Ashley was safe, and she was well aware of the affair. This family of hypocrites made me sick to my stomach, but I had to stomach my disgust. They lived off my money, and that wasn’t enough! They had to set up this elaborate trap to steal everything I own. “Rylan, why are you so calm? Ashley was in a car accident!” “It’s interesting, Kelly. The police don’t even know the full story yet, but you’re acting like Ashley’s already dead.”

“How could your information be faster than the police?” Kelly’s face flickered with guilt after hearing my words, and she quickly explained, “I’m just worried.” Then she shifted all the blame onto me, yelling, “What are you implying, Rylan? Do you wish my daughter was dead? How could you, as her husband, let her drive back home alone!” It reminded me how I had strongly advised against Ashley’s trip home in the first place. I was tied up with a client project and couldn’t get away, though I usually drove her everywhere she needed to go. When her childhood friend was getting married, I suggested we just send a wedding gift first, then visit home together with Kelly when I had time. But no matter what I said, she would disagree and insist on going, even getting into a huge fight with me over it. In the end, she ignored my warnings and secretly took the car onto the highway. Usually, Ashley was gentle and rarely lost her temper with me. How could I have been so blind in my past life to miss these red flags? “Rylan, your silence means I’m right, doesn’t it?” “Kelly, you’ve seen how I’ve treated Ashley all these years. I cherish her more than anything! How could I ever want her dead?” I held Kelly’s hand, my face twisted with grief and sorrow. “I want this situation less than anyone. All I want is for Ashley to return to me safely. I’ve made arrangements. Let’s head to the scene now.” Kelly’s face instantly lit up at my words, seemingly forgetting that her daughter’s fate still hung in the balance. Kelly and I got into the car one after another. Before this, I had hired a private investigator to monitor every movement around my house. The moment Ashley showed up, evidence would be secured. After taking her seat, Kelly kept her hands behind her back, fingers flying across her phone screen. When I asked what she was doing, she claimed she was checking the news, worried about the accident scene. But the crash site had been cordoned off, and all vehicles cleared. Apart from the initial photos that leaked, there was nothing new online. I knew Kelly was lying to me. She was actually updating Ashley about my every move. Meanwhile, outside the villa, Ashley and her first love, Andrew Harris, were fully equipped, lying in wait. Just as she was about to sneak in to grab some valuable jewelry to exchange for cash, the man beside her stopped her. “What’s going on? Who’s that suspicious-looking guy lurking outside my house?” “I’ll check it out.” As Ashley started to move forward, Andrew quickly interjected, “No way! If you show up now, you’ll blow your cover. Everything we’ve planned will go up in smoke.” She froze, her expression darkening. “Then what should we do? All my valuables and jewelry are inside.” When I rushed home from the accident scene in my past life, the house was in complete chaos. Many pieces of jewelry were missing, but I was too overwhelmed by Ashley’s death to process it. Between dealing with the deceased’s family causing a scene, I barely had time to address the theft. The case went cold. This time, I wouldn’t let her get away with it. She was already dead, yet she thought she could steal my money to support her boy toy. Dream on! “No rush, we’ll find our chance. Besides, after you’re gone, he’ll have to support your mother. We can get her to demand higher support payments for us,” Andrew whispered. Ashley and Andrew quietly slipped away from the villa. Those two were still dreaming about living off my money, but little did they know I had deliberately arranged for two people—one operating in plain sight and another in the shadows to gather evidence against them. Even though Ashley had assumed a new identity, her face remained unchanged. Once we had photos of her, this whole scheme of hers was already half defeated!

Kelly rushed to the accident scene just as firefighters finished dousing the flames, pushing past police officers and firefighters despite their protests. Though several vehicles had been burned beyond recognition, she somehow knew precisely which charred wreck was Ashley’s car. As soon as she got close, Kelly collapsed to the ground, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. I noticed her phone on the ground. She must have dropped it in her rush. When I bent down to pick it up, a message notification popped up on the screen. It was from a contact with a gray profile picture: [We checked the villa but couldn’t get anything. Mom, see if you can squeeze more money out of Rylan.] My fingers tightened around the phone. Ashley and Andrew had played their cards well, knowing I wouldn’t abandon her only living relative. They were using my love for her to extort money from me. Years ago, after Ashley’s death, when the victims’ families were breathing down my neck, I still made sure to send her mother five thousand dollars every month for living expenses. Whenever I had extra money, I’d send even more. Now I realized all of it had been going straight into those two snakes’ pockets. “Mr. Langley, please keep your family calm. We need to focus on the rescue operation. I promise we’ll do everything we can to save your wife.” I quickly slipped the phone back to its original spot before rushing forward to help Kelly up from the ground. “Kelly, let’s not interfere with the rescue team. People might think Ashley’s already dead, seeing you crying like this.” Kelly looked up at me with bloodshot eyes, confusion mixed with anger. “Rylan, what’s your problem today? Why do you keep opposing me? Are you cursing my daughter to death?” “Of course not. I’m just worried about Ashley, too. Every second counts in a rescue operation.” She stood up uncertainly, and when I tried to help, Kelly stumbled and started falling toward the car. “Kelly!” I shouted, grabbing her quickly. “Are you alright?” Though I caught her in time, she showed no gratitude. Instead, she couldn’t even spare me a friendly look. “Don’t touch me!” Kelly shook off my hand, wiped her tears, and strode past the police line. Her anger stemmed from my interference with her plan. She had wanted to secretly plant Ashley’s phone in the car, hoping it would be discovered during the rescue operation. That phone contained countless photos of Ashley and memories that belonged just to us. When I first got the phone back, my desperate longing led me straight to a repair shop to recover all the data. During the restoration, I discovered a voice recording. It was something Ashley had left behind before her death. In my previous life, when I first heard that recording, I collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. The phone was filled with evidence of Ashley’s love for me. She knew she was leaving this world and expressed such reluctance, hoping we’d meet again in our next life. Every word she spoke felt like a knife twisting in my heart. That’s why I never doubted her love. I spent my entire life atoning for her, caring for her mother, and never married. But this time, I deliberately stopped Kelly’s attempt to plant the phone in the car, preventing her from taking advantage of the situation. The rescue operation lasted an entire day before the police approached Kelly and me with Ashley’s personal belongings, regretfully informing us they hadn’t found her body. The crash had been catastrophic. Her body was likely either blown to pieces or wholly incinerated in the blast. The officer offered his condolences, telling us to stay strong during this difficult time. The devastating news hit me like a ton of bricks. My hands trembled as I grabbed the officer’s, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. Kelly promptly fainted on the spot. I knew she was faking it, just like in my previous life, but I still took her to the hospital anyway. In my past life, after getting Kelly settled at the hospital, I’d bought an urn and collected some ashes from the crash site. This time was no different. After collecting the ashes, instead of heading straight to the cemetery like before, I went to the hospital. Just outside the hospital room, I heard Kelly’s cheerful laughter ring out. “Ashley, you were absolutely right! The moment Rylan heard you were dead, he completely lost it. What an idiot! Don’t worry. I’ll squeeze every penny I can out of him. I’ve already sent people to rile up the victims’ families to cause trouble. Rylan won’t know which fire to put out first, so you better hurry home and grab all the valuables you can.” As I listened to their conversation, my fingers twisted together in rage. After five years of marriage, I never would have imagined that even the victims’ families were puppets in their scheming! The truth hit me like a bolt of lightning, shattering everything I thought I knew. But this time, they were miscalculated. Since Ashley’s supposed to be dead anyway, I was going to make sure that became reality! The Winthrop family’s good times were about to come to an end!

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A video of my boyfriend proposing to his secretary went viral, topping the trending charts. Everyone was calling it the most romantic and touching moment they’d ever seen. The secretary even posted a heartfelt message online: “I’ve waited so long for you, and I’m so glad I never gave up. Mr. Stone, here’s to spending the rest of my life with you.” The comments section exploded with excitement: “I’m obsessed! The boss and the secretary—this is the sweetest couple ever!” I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I simply closed the page, then went to find my boyfriend for an explanation. That’s when I overheard him talking to a friend. “What else could I do? If I don’t marry her, her family will force her to settle for someone she doesn’t love.” “But what about Natalie? She’s your actual girlfriend. Aren’t you afraid she’ll be mad?” “So what if she’s mad? Natalie’s been with me for seven years. She can’t leave me now.” Fast forward to our wedding day. Yes, our wedding day. On that same day, he was tying the knot with his secretary, while I was walking down the aisle with someone else. Our wedding cars passed each other on the street. When we exchanged bouquets with the brides from the other car as part of the tradition, he caught sight of me through the window. The moment he saw me in my wedding dress, his composure completely shattered. 1

“Mom, I’ve decided to go through with the arranged marriage.” In the dimly lit living room, my voice sounded distant and numb, like it didn’t even belong to me. Hearing my sudden change of heart, my mom was stunned. “You weren’t willing before. Why the sudden change? Natalie, marriage isn’t a joke. It doesn’t matter whether it’s arranged or not—what matters is that you’re happy. You need to think this through. Don’t rush into it.” Her words made my chest tighten, and for a moment, my eyes stung with tears. “Mom, I’ve thought it through. You can start planning the wedding.” Mom must’ve sensed how I felt because she paused for a second before softly reassuring me: “You’ve been with Zachary for so long, and he still won’t go public with your relationship. He hasn’t even agreed to meet us. Your dad and I have known for a while that things wouldn’t last between you two.” Her words felt like a knife twisting in my chest. It turns out that everyone on the outside could see the truth so clearly. The only fool here was me. “The Ford boy is someone your dad and I carefully picked for you years ago. We made sure he’s a good match. Not only is he from a solid family, but he’s also a man of great character. Natalie, you deserve the best.” I took a deep breath. “Thanks, Mom. I trust you and Dad’s judgment.” Mom continued, “Do you want us to arrange a meeting with him in the next few days?” “There’s no need. Just go ahead and plan the wedding.” After I hung up the phone, I realized Zachary had appeared behind me at some point, holding a small cake. He looked confused. “A wedding? Who’s getting married?” I am. I’m the one who’s getting married. I answered him silently in my heart, but the words never left my lips. Instead, I kept my expression calm and shook my head. “No one. Just a friend.” As soon as I said that, I noticed the tension in his shoulders ease. His face relaxed noticeably, and it made my heart ache all over again. Was he nervous because he thought I was going to pressure him into marrying me? Or was it because he thought I’d found out about him and Aria, his perfect secretary, and assumed they were the ones getting married? “I brought you your favorite cake from that bakery you love. Want to eat it now?” he asked. There was a time when Zachary would bring me little treats after work—snacks and desserts he thought I’d enjoy. Even if I didn’t always like them, the thoughtfulness of it made me feel like I was floating in a sugary dream. I felt cherished, loved, remembered. But now, as I stared at the cake in his hands, all I felt was bitter irony. Not long ago, I’d stumbled across Aria’s newly public social media posts. I couldn’t bring myself to scroll far because just a few entries in, the truth hit me like a slap in the face. This cake wasn’t for me. It was Aria’s favorite. Not just this cake—those nuts, those snacks, all the little treats he used to bring me? They were all her favorites too. And the worst part? I realized that his habit of bringing me food only started after Aria joined his company. So, Zachary… when you handed me those treats, who were you really thinking of? Was it me, Natalie, or was it Aria? Swallowing the lump in my throat, I said flatly, “I don’t like sweets anymore. They’re too much. Don’t buy them for me again.” Zachary blinked, clearly surprised by my reaction. “What? That’s not true. You’ve never had a problem eating them before.” We’ve been together for years, and yet, if he really cared about me, how could he not know my preferences by now? Sometimes, you repeat yourself so many times that you grow tired. And eventually, you stop correcting them altogether. I didn’t argue. I simply shrugged and said, “My taste has changed recently.” 2

For days, Zachary had been so busy that he didn’t even remember my birthday. Not that it mattered anymore—it wasn’t like I cared. But then, as if the thought suddenly struck him, he tried to make it up to me by buying tickets to my favorite Broadway musical. It was a wildly popular show, nearly impossible to get tickets for. I hadn’t been able to snag one myself, so when Zachary said he had two tickets and invited me, I agreed. On the day of the show, I waited for him. And waited. But instead of Zachary, I saw a post from Aria on Instagram, flaunting two tickets to the very same musical. Her caption read: “Bored, so I decided to catch a show. It’s the best feeling to have someone who’s always there for you, no matter what. 💕” The photo didn’t show their faces, but I recognized the hand in the picture immediately. That scar—it was unmistakable. It was Zachary’s, from the time he got hurt saving me years ago. Suddenly, I felt like a complete fool. While I stood outside in the rain, worried something had happened to him, Zachary was inside, sitting in VIP seats with his secretary. Ice-cold raindrops pelted my face, soaking through my clothes. The chill worked its way into my bones, but my heart felt even colder than my body. My phone buzzed with a message from my mom. She told me the wedding was set for two weeks from now. If I thought it was too rushed, we could push it back. I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me, and replied, “No need. Let’s keep it as planned.” The heavy rain had brought the city to a standstill. Traffic was a mess, and I couldn’t get a cab no matter how long I waited. Finally, Zachary called me. His voice was casual, like nothing was wrong. “Why aren’t you at home?” I kept my tone calm, completely devoid of emotion. “I’m at the Broadway Theater.” There was a pause, as though he’d just remembered something. Then he said, “I’m sorry. Something came up this afternoon, and I couldn’t make it. Stay where you are—I’ll come get you.” I didn’t argue, but I knew he wouldn’t show up. And I was right. A moment later, Aria updated her Instagram again: “He didn’t want me catching a cold in the rain, so he made ginger tea just for me. A man who cooks is the most attractive. 💍 Can’t wait to marry him!” The photo showed Zachary’s back as he stood at the stove, cooking. I stared at the post for a second, then calmly exited the app. The rain left me with a fever and a nasty cold. I used it as an excuse to move out of the master bedroom, claiming I didn’t want to infect Zachary. I moved into the guest room instead. For once, he actually stayed home from work to take care of me. But I couldn’t stand it. “It’s just a cold,” I said, keeping my tone neutral. “I’m an adult. I can take care of myself. You should go back to work.” He frowned and looked at me for a long moment. “You used to want me around the most when you were sick. What’s with the sudden change?” I lowered my head, hiding all the emotions in my eyes, and forced a small smile. “I was immature back then. I’m not like that anymore.” Zachary’s brows furrowed with concern. “Natalie, are you okay?” “I’m fine. Go on, really.” He didn’t seem convinced, but after staring at me for a while, he finally sighed. “Alright. Call me if you need anything.” As soon as he left, I let out a long breath and fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up, I found another message from my mom. This time, it was the finalized wedding plans. She’d also sent me photos of over a dozen wedding dresses, asking me to pick one. I scrolled through the pictures absentmindedly, enlarging them to get a better look. I was so absorbed in the task that I didn’t even notice Zachary walk in until he snatched my phone out of my hand and tossed it aside. “What are you doing looking at wedding dresses?” he demanded, his face dark with irritation. For a moment, I thought he’d figured it out—that I was planning my own wedding. I was just about to come clean when his next words stopped me cold. “Natalie, is this your way of pressuring me to marry you? I told you I’d marry you eventually. You don’t have to resort to tricks like this—it’s pathetic.” 3

“You’ve got it all wrong, I’m not—” Before I could finish, Zachary waved me off, cutting me short. “I’m busy. I’ll be going now. A word of advice—stop pulling these stunts to wear down what’s left of my feelings for you.” The door slammed shut behind him, leaving the house in complete silence. For a long time, I stood there, unmoving, and then let out a bitter laugh. Zachary, how much of your so-called feelings for me are even left? What’s there to wear down anymore? In the past, a misunderstanding like this would have left me devastated, unable to eat or sleep. But now, I quickly pulled myself together. I went back to reviewing the wedding details my mom had sent over. Before closing my messages, I instinctively clicked on the notification dot in my social media app. That’s when I saw it—a rare update from Zachary. “When someone this amazing comes into your life, you marry them and keep them close.” The photo was a solo shot of Aria, along with an image of their wedding invitation. Within minutes, one of our mutual friends commented: “Bro, so you’ve already swapped out the bride? That was fast.” Not long after, Zachary’s post disappeared. But it reappeared almost immediately on Aria’s Instagram feed instead. Then my phone rang. If this had been the past, I would’ve immediately screenshot the post, called him up, and demanded answers. No argument would have ended without a screaming match. But this time, I let the call ring out. And then ring again. I didn’t answer, not even once. What surprised me the most was that I didn’t feel particularly upset by what I’d just seen. Maybe I’d grown numb. My first thought wasn’t anger or heartbreak—it was mild amusement at the coincidence. Their wedding was scheduled for the same day as mine. When Zachary finally came home that night, I was already in bed, pretending to sleep. He tiptoed into the room and stopped by my bedside. “Natalie? Are you awake? I tried calling you—why didn’t you answer?” I kept my back to him, my voice muffled and indifferent. “I must’ve fallen asleep. Didn’t hear it.” He sighed in relief and leaned down, reaching out to feel my forehead. “Is your fever gone?” But as he got closer, the cloying scent of women’s perfume—sweet and heavy—hit me like a punch. My stomach churned, and I had to fight the urge to gag. Without thinking, I shifted away from him, dodging his hand. He froze, his hand suspended awkwardly in mid-air. “Natalie,” he asked cautiously, “Did you see something?” I buried myself deeper into the blankets, muffling my voice. “No. I’m just not feeling well. I want to sleep.” I slept through the night and woke up feeling lighter, like a weight had been lifted. With a clear head, I started packing up my things, systematically erasing every trace of myself from this house. That’s when I realized how many little “couple’s” items I’d bought over the years. At first, Zachary would use them with me. But at some point, without me noticing, he’d stopped. Most of those things had been shoved into some corner, collecting dust. I packed them all into a box and dumped it in the trash. Then I found something else—an old scrapbook. It was filled with photos of our trips together, postcards we’d collected, train tickets from when we were long-distance, and letters he’d written to me. The entire scrapbook was a record of our years together. But after Aria came into the picture, the pages had stopped being filled. There were no more photos, no new memories to add. By the time Zachary came home, I was tossing the scrapbook into the fireplace. He rushed in like a madman, pulling the burning book out of the flames with his bare hands. Ignoring the burns on his fingers, he turned to me, furious. “Are you insane? Do you have any idea how important this scrapbook is to us? Why would you burn it!?” Zachary rarely ever raised his voice at me. This was the first time he’d spoken to me like this. His anger looked genuine, but so was the fact that he was planning to marry someone else behind my back. I didn’t want to argue with him, so I casually replied, “The scrapbook had gotten moldy and infested with bugs. Don’t worry—I’ve backed up all the photos and mementos. I’ll make a new one eventually.” Hearing this, his anger finally subsided. Later, as I applied ointment to his burn, Zachary stared at me with an intensity I couldn’t quite place. “Natalie,” he said suddenly, “You’ve seemed off lately. Is work stressing you out? I’ve booked you a personalized vacation package. Take some time off to relax.” 4

I paused mid-motion, the ointment still in my hand, and looked up at him. “Just me? You’re not coming?” Zachary sighed, his tone laced with regret. “I’m swamped with work. I really can’t get away this time. Next time, I promise, okay?” But Zachary, there won’t be a next time. I lowered my head and resumed applying the ointment. “It might be hard for me to get time off from work.” “Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it for you.” I shook my head, trying to push back, but he wouldn’t let up. “I don’t want to go,” I said firmly. His tone turned commanding, leaving no room for argument. “Be good. The tickets are already booked, and they’re non-refundable.” I didn’t respond, but a chill crept through my heart. I thought back to the night before, when, half-asleep, I overheard him on the phone: “I don’t plan on telling her. As long as I can keep it hidden, I will.” There was a pause, then the voice on the other end sighed. “And when the wedding’s over? What then? You’re just going to make her the other woman?” For a long moment, Zachary didn’t say a word. I could almost hear him exhaling smoke, slow and heavy. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” The pain in my chest was suffocating. I lay there silently, tears streaming down my face, feeling like the past seven years had been nothing but a cruel joke. Zachary, have I ever truly known you? If you didn’t love me anymore, why couldn’t you just tell me? Why resort to lies and deception? Were you so afraid I’d cling to you that you had to come up with this elaborate plan to send me away during your wedding? You didn’t need to go to such lengths. Don’t worry, Zachary. I’ll disappear from your life, just like you want. “When’s the flight?” I asked him. “Two days from now,” he replied. I smiled faintly. “Alright, I’ll go.” Relief washed over his face, and he instinctively reached out to ruffle my hair. I leaned back ever so slightly, dodging his hand without making a scene. He froze for a moment, then laughed as if nothing had happened. “Let’s have dinner together before you go, okay?” I hesitated, then nodded. Tomorrow would mark seven years since we first got together. It seemed poetic, in a way, to end it on the same date it began—to say goodbye properly and close this chapter once and for all. The next evening, I arrived early at the restaurant we’d agreed on. Zachary showed up on time—but not alone. Aria was with him. “Natalie,” she chirped, her voice sweet and artificial. “Mr. Stone and I were running errands nearby and thought we’d tag along. Hope you don’t mind!” I shook my head, but inside, I couldn’t help feeling disappointed. So much for a proper goodbye. Zachary ordered a table full of plain, mild dishes. Aria giggled as she glanced at the food. “Mr. Stone, these dishes are way too bland. They’re probably not to Natalie’s taste, are they?” Zachary didn’t even look up. “You’re on your period. You shouldn’t eat anything too spicy.” Then, as if to prove his point, he called over the waiter and had Aria’s iced drink replaced with a cup of warm ginger tea. Aria pouted, playfully complaining that he was being too controlling. Zachary reached out and knocked her lightly on the forehead, a teasing smile on his lips. “If I don’t watch out for you, you’ll end up crying about stomach cramps later.” Aria stuck out her tongue. “You’re overreacting. You just care too much about me.” The two of them flirted shamelessly, as if I wasn’t even there. I watched them with detached indifference, feeling nothing but a calm, hollow emptiness. Halfway through the meal, someone suddenly shouted, “Fire!” The restaurant erupted into chaos. People scrambled to their feet, rushing toward the exits. I stood up, but before I could react, Zachary darted past me. I turned just in time to see him grabbing Aria, shielding her with his body as he hurriedly led her toward the door. For a brief moment, time seemed to fold in on itself. The scene in front of me blurred, replaced by a memory from years ago—an 18-year-old Zachary, throwing himself in harm’s way to protect me in a similar moment of panic. But that Zachary no longer existed. By the time we reached safety, Zachary finally turned and noticed me standing a few steps away. His face was filled with guilt and disbelief. “Natalie, I—I didn’t mean to leave you. I was just—” I cut him off with a smile. “It’s fine. I understand.” Two days later, I packed my bags. I made sure there wasn’t a single trace of myself left in that house. Then, without looking back, I walked out the door. Of course, I didn’t actually board the flight Zachary had arranged. Instead, I went back to my parents’ house to prepare for my wedding. After all, my big day was just around the corner. Zachary, meanwhile, was too busy trying on tuxedos and picking out floral arrangements with Aria to notice my absence. On my wedding day, I met my fiancé, Austin, for the first time. My parents had done an excellent job—he was even more attractive in person than in the photos. Tall, fit, and classically handsome, he was every bit the perfect gentleman. The wedding procession was grand, with an impressive convoy of cars. As we made our way through the streets, our car passed another wedding convoy heading in the opposite direction. Both sides stopped briefly, as was the custom, to exchange bouquets between the brides. The car windows rolled down. And that’s when I saw him. Zachary. OuOur eyes met, and in that instant, shock and disbelief flooded his face. His voice trembled as he choked out, “Natalie… how—how is it you?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295265”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #校园School #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn

I’m the real daughter of the Cooper family, the one who was maliciously swapped at birth. She’s the fake—the girl who lived in my place for seventeen years, raised by the Coopers as their own. She’s prettier, sweeter, more charming—at least, that’s what everyone says. And because of that, my so-called family has always favored her, the imposter. Everyone’s waiting for me to lose it. They expect me to explode with jealousy, to break down in tears, to rage against the unfairness of it all. But what they don’t realize is… I don’t care. Not one bit. Because being reborn into this peaceful, prosperous time—a world without war, without suffering—is already a blessing greater than I could’ve ever asked for in my last life. The moment I woke up, I clutched my chest tightly. I remembered it vividly—an arrow piercing my heart during my final battle, the force throwing me off my horse and straight to my death beneath a towering tree. But now, everything around me was stark white. The furniture, the surroundings—none of it resembled anything from my homeland. Fragments of unhappy memories flooded my mind. They belonged to the original owner of this body. Her life had been nothing but pain, hardship, and humiliation. I didn’t have time to process it all before voices from outside the room broke through my thoughts. “She’s definitely faking it,” a sharp, mocking voice said. “Throwing herself into an icy lake in the middle of winter? What a pathetic attempt to gain sympathy. Lucas, don’t let her fool you.” A steady, composed voice replied, “You may be my sister’s fiancé, but that doesn’t give you the right to make baseless accusations about someone you’ve never even met.” The door creaked open, revealing the boy with the mocking tone. With a scoff, he said, “Fiancé or not, let me make one thing clear: only Stephanie will ever be the daughter-in-law of the Lewis family. Don’t even think about replacing her with this wild stray.” “Enough,” the other voice cut him off. Then, noticing me stir, he added, “Amanda? You’re awake?” Amanda. That’s my name now. From the fragmented memories, I pieced together a miserable story: I’d been kidnapped as a baby and sold to a remote mountain village. My so-called adoptive parents beat me mercilessly, and I grew up enduring relentless abuse. It wasn’t until the end of my previous life that my grandmother revealed the truth—I wasn’t their child. I’d been stolen. I’d fought tooth and nail to escape that village, traveling far and wide to find my real family. And I found them. My biological parents. My twin brother. But instead of a warm embrace, I was met with cold indifference. They already had a daughter—Stephanie, the girl who had taken my place for seventeen years. She was beautiful, graceful, and everything I wasn’t. To them, I was nothing more than an unpolished embarrassment. I didn’t know how to act like a proper lady. I lacked the poise and refinement of someone raised in privilege. In the six months since I’d returned to the Cooper family, they had shown nothing but disdain for me. They humiliated me, rejected me, and made it clear they wished I’d disappear altogether. What they didn’t know was that in my previous life, I’d been a warrior. I was trained from a young age in horseback riding, archery, medicine, and poisons. I had climbed out of hell itself to fight on the battlefield, slaying countless enemies. And yet, I’d been betrayed—killed by the man I loved. Now, the memories of my past life and this one were merging, becoming clearer by the second. The boy sneering at me was James, Stephanie’s fiancé. The calm man was Lucas, my twin brother. Lucas had already called for a doctor to check on me. Once the doctor confirmed it was just temporary memory loss and nothing serious, Lucas finally relaxed. “She’s not sick—she’s just stirring up trouble,” James said with a smirk. “She’s jealous of Stephanie because Stephanie’s better at everything. That’s why she lured Stephanie to the lake, hoping to push her in. But instead, she slipped and fell in herself. Ha! Talk about karma.” In the original Amanda’s memories, she had indeed felt insecure and jealous. Stephanie was her age but seemed perfect in every way. But the truth? Stephanie had been the one to invite Amanda to the lake. And Stephanie had been the one to push her in. “Stephanie is my sister, and so are you,” Lucas said firmly. “Mom and Dad will treat you both equally. They’ll arrange a good marriage for you and give you a share of the company.” Marriage? Shares? I had no interest in any of that. “Where are Mom and Dad?” I asked. “They’re at Stephanie’s dance recital, of course,” James said with a shrug. Then, glancing at his watch, he added, “I’m running late—I need to go.” He paused at the door and turned to Lucas. “Aren’t you coming?” Lucas gave me a small nod. “Get some rest. We’ll check on you once we’re finished.”

I found it laughable. If this had been the old Amanda, she would’ve been desperate for their approval and affection. But not me. I didn’t know much about this world yet, but I had always been a quick learner. Reaching under the pillow, I found a device called a “phone.” Using the memories of the original Amanda, I unlocked it and searched for everything I needed to know. It turned out that thousands of years had passed since the war-torn era I once lived in. This country knew no war or bloodshed. Children here grew up happy and carefree, surrounded by peace and prosperity. Though I missed the past, I found myself liking this world much more. I stayed up late into the night, lost in thought as I absorbed everything. By the time I finally fell asleep, my mind was a whirlwind of ideas. When I woke up again, the parents and brother of this body were standing by my hospital bed. My father, Grant Cooper, frowned deeply, while my mother, Emily Cooper, spoke gently. “Are you feeling better?” I nodded, keeping my distance emotionally. I had no interest in bonding with them. “After winter break, can I move into the dorms?” That was the reason I’d asked Lucas yesterday where Mom and Dad were. Grant immediately lost his temper. “How long are you planning to keep this up? You’re constantly at odds with Stephanie, always stirring up trouble. And now you’re trying to threaten us by moving out? This is completely unreasonable!” Emily shook her head with a sigh, her tone tinged with frustration. “Just tell us—what is it that you want this time?” At that moment, a girl walked in. Stephanie. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, but she carried herself with an air of refinement. Her carefully cultivated grace and polite smiles gave her the aura of someone who had been raised in wealth and privilege. She exuded the kind of elegance that came from being the favored child of the Cooper family. “Alright, Amanda,” she said with a practiced smile. “I’ve already forgiven you for what happened yesterday. You don’t need to say things like ‘moving out’ just to be dramatic.” In the original Amanda’s memories, Stephanie had always looked down on her. But there was also a hint of fear—because Stephanie knew the truth. She was the fake. She was the one who had no blood ties to the Cooper family. Years ago, it had been Stephanie’s mother who orchestrated the switch, swapping her daughter for me. If not for that, I would’ve been the one raised in privilege. And even now, with the truth out in the open, nothing had changed. Stephanie’s mother was still perfectly fine, living her life as if nothing had happened. The Coopers had no intention of kicking Stephanie out. Why? Because Stephanie was everything they wanted in a daughter. She was graceful, composed, and well-educated—the perfect image of a Cooper family heiress. To them, I was nothing but an unpolished outsider who could never take her place. I smiled faintly. “I heard there are security cameras by the lake. Should we check the footage?” Stephanie’s composed demeanor cracked for a moment, panic flashing in her eyes. “Mom, Dad, I… I feel so dizzy.” Grant’s expression immediately shifted to one of concern. “You must be overworking yourself with all that dancing.” “She should see a doctor,” Emily said, her voice filled with worry. And just like that, the three of them—Stephanie and my supposed parents—left together, leaving me alone in the room.

After I recovered, I was brought back to the Cooper family’s estate. Maybe it was because the holidays were approaching, but everyone in the household seemed busy. Dad was tied up with company affairs. Mom spent her days at brunches, afternoon teas, and spa appointments. My brother was focused on transitioning into his role at the company. And as for Stephanie? Her daily schedule revolved entirely around shopping—mall after mall, boutique after boutique. On New Year’s Eve, the family gathered around the dining table, laughing and chatting like the picture-perfect family. I sat there, watching them with indifference, like an outsider peering into a world that didn’t belong to me. I didn’t fit in with them, and honestly, I didn’t want to. I kept my distance, and they seemed to sense it too. Conversations rarely included me, and I preferred it that way. Finally, the day I had been waiting for arrived—school started again. The original Amanda, the one whose body I now inhabited, hadn’t had many friends. When we returned to school, it was no surprise that Stephanie immediately became the center of attention. Everyone gathered around her, showering her with compliments and endless questions about her winter break. Meanwhile, I sat quietly in a corner, unnoticed and alone. The students here were all from wealthy, influential families. For most of them, college entrance exams weren’t the only path to success. Their futures had already been paved for them with spots at elite universities overseas, secured by their families’ money and connections. Even the few students who excelled academically didn’t have to stress about exams. They had unique talents that had already earned them spots in special programs at prestigious schools. I was the only one who needed to work hard—truly work hard—if I wanted to leave the Cooper family behind. Fortunately, while the original Amanda hadn’t been exceptional in her studies, she had been diligent enough to maintain decent, above-average grades. Her knowledge was imprinted in my memory, and with my own natural ability to learn quickly, I had already mastered the basics of this world’s education system. Now, all I had to do was go deeper—study harder—and aim for the best possible score on the college entrance exams. During the afternoon free period, when most of the students were outside hanging out, I stayed behind, quietly reading in the classroom. That’s when a mocking voice rang out above me. “I heard you pulled a pretty stupid stunt over winter break.” Of course. In this world, there were no secrets—especially not in this circle. Everyone knew I was the Cooper family’s “adopted” daughter. And since I had no blood ties to them, most people didn’t bother hiding their disdain for me. Looking up, I saw a boy standing in front of me. He had a close-cropped buzz cut, with a diamond stud glinting in his left ear and another in his nose. Back in my previous life, only criminals who had been punished with mutilation would wear something in their noses. But here, in this safe and free world, I couldn’t fathom why someone would willingly choose such a look. As my memories pieced themselves together, I recognized him. His name was Benjamin—one of Stephanie’s admirers. Over the past six months, he had caused trouble for me more than once, all because of his infatuation with her. And now, it seemed, he was here to stir things up again.

“Did you pick another fight with Stephanie? She’s a good girl—kind and sweet, with no ill intentions toward anyone. But you? You grew up at the bottom of society, bitter, sharp-tongued, and—” I cut him off with a smile, my voice calm but biting. “And you’re not her fiancé. What gives you the right to lecture me?” “I… I’m just—” “You’re just a classmate, at most. What authority do you have to speak to me like this?” I stood up, my voice sharp and unwavering, completely different from the self-doubting Amanda of the past. “Move. A good dog doesn’t block the way.” His face froze, and then, flushed with anger, he spat, “You’re just an adopted daughter. How dare you talk to me like that? You won’t last a day at this school if you keep this attitude!” “Only weak people bully others,” I said coldly. “And with the school cracking down on bullying, I doubt you want to be their next example, do you?” Just then, the bell rang. Forced to back down, he stomped to his seat, but not before throwing me a glare. Throughout class, he kept turning to glare at me, clearly fuming. Over the next few days, Benjamin made it his mission to make my life miserable. During gym class, he deliberately threw a ball at my head. In class, he pelted me with crumpled pieces of paper. He slipped fake bugs into my pencil case, stuffed a live mouse into my backpack, and even organized a class dinner, inviting everyone except me. The original Amanda’s emotions flared up inside me, a mix of anger and helplessness. But I worked hard to push them down, transforming all of that frustration into motivation to study harder. As for Benjamin’s childish antics? I ignored them every single time. The more I acted indifferent, the more frustrated he became, often stomping his feet in anger like a child throwing a tantrum. But I had bigger concerns than dealing with him. My focus was on figuring out how to convince the Cooper family to let me live on campus. After thinking it over, I decided to approach Stephanie.

Stephanie was dressed to the nines, preparing to leave for yet another glamorous gala. She glanced at me with a smirk. “And why exactly should I help you?” “You dislike me. You’re wary of me. If I move into the dorms, you’ll remain the one and only Cooper family princess. Isn’t that reason enough to help me?” She raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “I’ll think about it.” The next morning, during breakfast, I brought up the dorm request again. Before my parents could respond, Stephanie chimed in, her tone sweet and supportive. “Mom, Dad, I think letting Amanda move into the dorms could be a good idea. It’ll help her focus on her studies. She’s not like me or Lucas—you’ve already paved the way for us. Plus, she doesn’t seem comfortable living here. She’d probably be happier on her own.” Honestly, my parents adored her. A few words from her were all it took for them to agree. And just like that, I packed my things and left the Cooper family without so much as a backward glance. The first thing I did when I got back to school? Deal with Benjamin. His little pranks didn’t bother me much, but they were a waste of my time. I decided to put an end to it once and for all—something that would make him think twice before messing with me again. Benjamin had a habit of jogging at night, and though he had a single dorm room, he rarely stayed there. The plan came together easily. Under the dark night sky, a large golden retriever suddenly emerged from the bushes and chased him across the entire campus. The next morning, the school was buzzing with whispers. Benjamin, furious and humiliated, marched straight to the teacher’s office to complain. “It was Amanda!” he insisted. “She knows I’m terrified of dogs. She must’ve found one just to scare me!” His outburst only made things worse. Now the whole school knew about his fear of dogs. I stood calmly as he pointed fingers at me. “You’re accusing me of sending a dog after you? Do you have any proof?” He froze, his confidence faltering. I suggested we check the security cameras. Sure enough, the footage didn’t show me anywhere near the scene. Instead, it captured him pulling all sorts of pranks on me: placing bugs in my pencil case, throwing paper balls at me, and sneaking mice into my backpack. The golden retriever, it turned out, was a stray I had been feeding regularly near the school’s fence. I hadn’t expected the dog to repay the favor by targeting Benjamin, but I couldn’t say I wasn’t pleased with the outcome. The next day, Benjamin fell ill. He didn’t show up to school for several days. By the time the end-of-semester exams rolled around, he was still absent. I heard his family had requested a copy of the test for him to take at home. His scores were abysmal—nearly at the bottom of the class. I didn’t pay much attention to him after that. My priorities were elsewhere. In addition to studying, I started working part-time jobs. I needed to support myself for the next six months, and I refused to rely on the Cooper family for even a cent. I was determined to save enough for college and my future. My hard work paid off during the monthly exams—I scored among the top students in my grade. The school even invited me to participate in academic competitions. I gladly accepted. Winning competitions meant scholarship money, and I needed every penny I could get. Stephanie, meanwhile, was busy with her own competitions—dance recitals, violin performances, and other artsy showcases. Immersing myself in the world of knowledge, I stumbled across something unexpected in the history books. The country I once lived in, the one torn apart by war, was nothing more than a forgotten chapter in history. I saw names I recognized, names that had once been etched into my memory. Among them, I even found my own name. As for Owen, my loyal partner and closest ally? The records said he had endured unbearable guilt after my death. After assassinating the enemy commander in a final act of defiance, he took his own life under the very tree where I had fallen. With tears in my eyes, I closed the book. A wave of grief and bittersweet gratitude washed over me. How lucky I was to have been reborn into this world. This country was prosperous and strong—so strong that no other nation dared to provoke it. I made a silent vow to myself: I would do whatever I could to contribute to its future, to ensure this country grew even stronger and more powerful. As the intense pace of studying continued, spring arrived, bringing with it the annual tradition of Memorial Day. The Cooper family insisted I return home to accompany them on a trip to their ancestral home to honor the family’s heritage. I was positioned behind Stephanie the entire time, treated more like a servant than a family member. She glanced back at me with a smirk that was impossible to miss. “See? Even though you’re Cooper family by blood, in front of our ancestors, you’re still stuck behind me.” “And why should that bother me?” I replied calmly.

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The day after dividing our assets from the divorce, I got into a car accident and lost my memory. Later, Caleb found me and said if I didn’t go crazy every day, remarriage was possible. I froze with an ice cream spoon in my mouth, and after a long while, I finally spoke: “I’d rather not! I… I… I’d be fine with just taking the money.” This introductory paragraph effectively sets up the premise of the story, introducing the main conflict and the protagonist’s attitude, which should pique readers’ interest. I woke up to find my best friend Mia Quinn looking at me with a worried expression. She told me not to be sad anymore. She said that my body was my own, and even though I was divorced, I should still take good care of myself. She mentioned that the children were with Caleb and wouldn’t suffer, so there was no need for me to go to court again, especially since I wouldn’t win anyway. I was stunned for a moment before asking, “Who’s Caleb?” Mia froze, looking confused. After a while, she came to her senses and called for a doctor. The doctor said I had amnesia as a result of the car accident. Mia hurriedly asked me how old I thought I was. I thought for a moment and replied, “Eighteen, right? Didn’t I just take the SAT yesterday?” Mia burst into laughter, crouching on the floor and holding her stomach. She was laughing so hard she started pounding the bed with her fist. “Hazel, you’re amazing. Your amnesia is perfect. Yes, you’re eighteen. Eighteen is great! No Caleb, no kids… just the two of us…” I was even more confused.

Mia took me back to her place after confirming that it would be difficult for me to regain my memories. She then gave me a brief overview of my current situation. I, Hazel Winters, fell in love during my freshman year of college with a poor boy named Caleb Parker. Caleb and I were together for ten years, from when I was eighteen until I was twenty-eight. I supported him while he started his business, lived through tough times with him, gave birth to and raised his children, and took care of his parents. Then this year, he filed for divorce. “What? Huh?” I was shocked. This sounded like some tragic romance novel plot. After a while, I asked in a trembling voice, “So, you’re saying I was basically someone’s servant for ten years, and then at twenty-eight, I was thrown out?” Mia nodded, “Yes, and you have two children. Your son is six years old, and your daughter is four. But since you were a stay-at-home mom without earning power, both children chose to stay with their father, so custody was awarded to Caleb.” “…What? I lost both children that I worked so hard to raise…” Even though I couldn’t remember experiencing any of this, it sounded terrifying. I was almost in tears from fear. Then Mia laughed and patted my shoulder, “Don’t be too upset. At least you got money.” With tears welling up in my eyes, I cautiously asked, “How much?” Mia sat up straight, “Hazel, listen carefully. You got 20% of Caleb’s assets, 10% shares in three listed companies, and two traditional courtyard houses in Beijing. It’s worth about 1.9 billion dollars.” “…” Silence, contemplation, and then I tentatively asked, “Mia, you’re not lying to me, are you?” “I swear on my life, I’m not lying.” That day, I gazed out the window at the sky in a daze. I had forgotten ten years of memories. I wasn’t sure how I had spent those ten years. But Mia said I was very wealthy, and when I was eighteen, money was what I loved most. So I thought this wasn’t too bad after all.

Mia took time off work and spent the next few days helping me transfer various assets. I didn’t see Caleb, the man Mia had mentioned. He had delegated all divorce property divisions to his lawyer. After nearly a month of busy work, Mia helped me list all the properties under my name for rent. She calculated that the monthly rental income would be around 1.2 million dollars. That day, I looked at the endless zeros in my bank account, then raised my head to see my twenty-eight-year-old self, perfectly made up, in the mirror. I scratched my head, thinking it wasn’t too bad.

I had nothing to do at home, but Mia had to work. So I spent my days playing video games at Mia’s place. Mia would order takeout for me when she got her lunch. Mia came home very late, looking exhausted. She’d collapse on the sofa, completely drained. I’d put down my game controller and massage her shoulders. Apparently, I had muscle memory for this and was quite good at it. After Mia had rested enough, she started complaining, “That bastard Caleb. You worked for him for free right after graduation, and when his mom was sick, you’d massage her after work.” “…” As Mia continued talking, she grabbed my hand and flicked my forehead, “Hazel, you’re such a pushover. When I wasn’t around, you let them bully you. Those people, they took advantage of you being an orphan.” I rubbed my forehead, feeling a bit wronged, “I don’t remember any of that! I only remember you.” Mia stopped talking, then laughed, “That’s right! You don’t remember. It’s better that you don’t. Just remember me, I won’t bully you.” I believed Mia on this because we had grown up together. We both grew up in an orphanage. From a very young age, I followed Mia around. She would fight for snacks for me and help me with laundry. As we got older, Mia would help me with my studies. She was a year older than me. During my senior year of high school, when she was a college freshman, she’d call me every day to encourage me to study hard. Back then, she wanted me to go to the same university as her, but Mia was too smart. Even though I studied like crazy, I couldn’t get into Harvard in the end. The day the results came out, I hugged Mia and cried. Mia gave me a light tap on the head, “Why are you crying? Your scores are amazing, what’s there to cry about?” She patted my head, “You’ve done really well.” Later, I went to Yale, crying all the way.

Mia regretted letting me go, saying, “If you hadn’t gone to Yale, you wouldn’t have met Caleb. If you hadn’t met Caleb…” I jumped in to finish her sentence, “Then I wouldn’t have these 1.9 billion dollars.” Mia put her hands on her hips, “Is money more important or those ten years of your life?” I tried to guess the correct answer, “Money is more important?” Mia looked exasperated, “You are important. If you’re not happy, no amount of money matters. It’s a good thing you lost your memory. Otherwise, if you had done something stupid, what use would all that money be?” “Um… to buy me a nice grave plot…” Mia couldn’t help but laugh, “Get out of here!” “…” Mia has always been impressive, and she still is. She’s the general manager of a multinational company, with a monthly salary of around $400,000. But she’s very busy and sometimes has to go on business trips. She didn’t want to leave me alone, so she’d take me along. After a while, she figured that since she was going to bring me everywhere anyway, why spend her own money? So she hired me as her assistant at her company. I was familiar with this! I had read over a dozen novels about bosses falling in love with their assistants in the past few months. On my first day, I confidently went to work wearing a form-fitting professional outfit. I made her coffee, organized her documents, and ran around doing various tasks. I looked very hardworking, but later she found it amusing and told me to stop running around. She gave me a form Thank you for the feedback. I’ll continue with the full translation using these new names. Full translation Title: Divorced and Amnesiac: My Unexpected Second Chance Chapter 1 I woke up to find my best friend Mia Quinn looking at me with a worried expression. She told me not to be sad anymore. She said that my body was my own, and even though I was divorced, I should still take good care of myself. She mentioned that the children were with Caleb and wouldn’t suffer, so there was no need for me to go to court again, especially since I wouldn’t win anyway. I was stunned for a moment before asking, “Who’s Caleb?” Mia froze, looking confused. After a while, she came to her senses and called for a doctor. The doctor said I had amnesia due to the car accident. Mia quickly asked me how old I was. I thought for a moment and replied, “Eighteen, right? Didn’t I just take the SAT yesterday?” Mia burst into laughter, crouching on the floor and holding her stomach. She was laughing so hard she was pounding the bed with her fist. “Hazel, you’re amazing. Your amnesia is perfect. Yes, you’re eighteen. Eighteen is great! No Caleb, no kids… just the two of us…” I was even more confused. Chapter 2 Mia took me home after confirming that it would be difficult for me to regain my memories. She then gave me a brief introduction to my current situation. I, Hazel Winters, fell in love during my freshman year of college with a poor boy named Caleb Parker. Caleb and I dated for ten years, from eighteen to twenty-eight. I supported him in his business ventures, shared in his hardships, gave birth to his children, and took care of his parents. Then this year, he filed for divorce. “What? Huh?” I was shocked. This sounded like some tragic romance novel. After a while, I asked with a trembling voice, “So, you’re saying I was someone’s servant for ten years, and at twenty-eight, I was thrown out?” Mia nodded, “Yes, and you have two children. Your son is six years old, and your daughter is four. But because you were a housewife without your own income, both children chose to stay with their father, so the court awarded custody to Caleb.” “…Ah? The two children I raised are gone…” Even though I couldn’t remember experiencing any of this, it sounded terrifying. I was almost in tears from fear. Then Mia laughed and patted my shoulder, “Don’t be too upset. At least you got money.” With tears welling up in my eyes, I cautiously asked, “How much?” Mia sat up straight, “Hazel, listen carefully. You got 20% of Caleb’s assets, 10% shares in three listed companies, and two courtyard houses in Boston. It’s worth about $1.9 billion in total.” “…” Silence, contemplation, and then I tentatively asked, “Mia, you’re not lying to me, are you?” “I swear on my life, I’m not lying.” That day, I stared out the window at the sky in a daze. I had forgotten ten years of memories. I wasn’t sure how I had spent those ten years. But Mia said I was very rich, and when I was eighteen, money was what I loved most. So I thought this wasn’t too bad after all. Chapter 3 Mia took time off work and spent the next few days helping me transfer various assets. I didn’t meet the Caleb that Mia mentioned. For all the divorce property divisions, he had appointed a lawyer. After about a month of busy work, Mia helped me list all the houses under my name for rent. She calculated that the monthly rent would be about $1.2 million. That day, I looked at the countless zeros in my bank account, then raised my head to see my twenty-eight-year-old self in the mirror, with perfect makeup and hair. I scratched my head, thinking it wasn’t too bad. Chapter 4 I had nothing to do at home, but Mia had to work. So I stayed at Mia’s place playing video games every day. Mia would order takeout for me when she ordered her lunch. Mia came home very late, looking exhausted. She collapsed on the sofa, lifeless. I put down my game controller and started massaging her shoulders. It seemed I had muscle memory for this, as I was very good at it. After Mia had rested enough, she started complaining, “That bastard Caleb. You worked for him for free right after graduation. When his mother was ill, you had to massage and take care of her after work.” “…” As Mia continued talking, she grabbed my head and flicked my forehead, “Hazel, you’re such a pushover. When I wasn’t around, you let them bully you. Those people, they took advantage of you being an orphan.” I rubbed my forehead, feeling a bit wronged, “I don’t remember any of that! I only remember you.” Mia stopped talking and then laughed, “That’s right! You don’t remember. It’s better that you don’t remember. Just remember me, I won’t bully you.” I believed Mia’s words because we grew up together. We both grew up in an orphanage. From a very young age, I followed Mia around. She would fight for snacks for me and help me wash my clothes. When we got older, Mia would help me with my studies. She was a year older than me. In my senior year of high school, when she was a freshman in college, she would call me every day to encourage me to study hard. Back then, she wanted me to go to the same university as her. But Mia was too smart. Even though I studied like crazy, I still couldn’t get into Harvard. The day the results came out, I hugged Mia and cried. Mia gave me a light knock on the head, “Why are you crying? Your scores are amazing. What’s there to cry about?” She patted my head, “You’ve done really well.” Later, I went to Yale, crying all the way. Chapter 5 Mia regretted letting me go, saying, “If you hadn’t gone to Yale, you wouldn’t have met Caleb. If you hadn’t met Caleb…” I quickly answered, “Then I wouldn’t have this $1.9 billion.” Mia put her hands on her hips, “Is money more important or those ten years more important?” I tried to guess the correct answer, “Money is important?” Mia looked at me with exasperation, “You are important. If you’re not happy, no amount of money matters. It’s good that you lost your memory. Otherwise, if you did something stupid, what use would that money be?” “Um… to buy me a nice grave plot…” Mia laughed despite her frustration, “Get out of here!” “…” Mia has always been impressive, and she still is. She’s now the general manager of a multinational company, with a monthly salary of around $400,000. But she’s very busy and sometimes has to go on business trips. She worries about leaving me alone. So she takes me with her. Later, she figured that since she had to take me everywhere anyway, why spend her own money? She hired me as her assistant at her company. I was familiar with this! I had read more than a dozen books about overbearing CEOs falling in love with their little assistants in the past few months. On the first day, I went to work confidently wearing a form-fitting professional outfit. I made her coffee, organized her documents, and ran around busily. I looked very hardworking, but later she found it amusing and told me to stop running around. She gave me a form, “Let Anna guide you. Fill this out, take your time learning, no rush.” “Alright, alright.” And that’s how I officially started working.

Every day, I went to work and came home with Mia. I didn’t have much work to do, so I got off earlier. Mia couldn’t do that; she had a lot of work. I always waited for her in the break room. Later, when Mia saw me watching online courses on my phone, she suddenly remembered and seriously asked me, “Hazel, do you want to study?” “…I do.” I had lost my memory, so there was a lot I didn’t know at work. I was practically starting from scratch, and I felt quite discouraged every time I couldn’t do something well. Since I was young, Mia had always been my goal, and she still is now. I also wanted to be as capable as Mia, handling everything with ease. It was so cool. Later, Mia enrolled me in a class. After work, I would drive to attend classes. It was a systematic project management course, interspersed with various office software applications. I filled two notebooks with notes before I started to understand. So that’s how it works. After finishing that course, Mia sent me to learn financial accounting. I studied for a year and had a major revelation. So that’s how it all works. I started to get the hang of my job.

After I had been working for a year, Mia started letting me join Anna in project negotiations. Anna was three years younger than me and was a project manager with a very good personality. She spoke gently and took good care of me. One time, after discussing work, she went downstairs to buy herself a coffee and bought me an ice cream. I was happily eating my ice cream when Anna laughed, “Mia says you’re 29, but I never believe it. Hazel, you’re just like a kid! A hardworking and obedient child.” I thought for a moment and solemnly told her, “Actually, I already have two children.” “Stop kidding me. We’ve been working together for over a year, and I’ve never seen your husband.” “We’re divorced.” “Sister, you look like a young girl.” “Well… actually, I’m a young divorcee.” Anna was stunned. She didn’t believe me, and I laughed. Actually, I didn’t believe it either. I had just finished my college entrance exam, how could I be twenty-nine already? But I’ve been taking good care of myself these two years, so I do look younger now. Actually, right after the divorce, I wasn’t in good shape. I was quite haggard. But I guess money does nourish people. After I was discharged from the hospital, Mia took me for various skincare treatments for a while. She also said I was too weak and signed me up for a martial arts class. The eighteen-year-old me always followed Mia’s lead. If she said east, I would never go west. If she said martial arts, I would never sign up for taekwondo. We hired a housekeeper to prepare nutritious meals, and as time went by, I got better and better. Because I had lost my memory, I had no worries at all. I had money and didn’t need to work, could eat and sleep well. In those few months, even my hair became thicker. Actually, I’ve been quite happy for the past year or so, having forgotten the messy memories of the past ten years. With an eighteen-year-old’s clean slate of a mind, I’ve been learning various things without any pressure, and Mia has always been supporting and guiding me from behind. But I guess even heaven couldn’t bear to see me so comfortable. One day, I met a man at the place where Anna took me to negotiate a cooperation.

Anna’s meeting that day was quite confidential, so I couldn’t attend. She left me at the coffee shop downstairs, eating ice cream and reading a book. Halfway through my reading, I felt someone staring at me. I looked up and saw a man in a suit, his brows furrowed. He was just looking at me. I was stunned, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar, but I couldn’t remember who he was. Later, when Anna finished her meeting and came down, I picked up the coffee I had bought in advance and went to find her. As I passed by that man, I heard him say, “Pretending not to know me?” This sentence came out of nowhere. I glanced at him but didn’t pay much attention, carrying the coffee out the door. But that man followed me out, “Hazel Winters, you don’t even say hello when we meet?” I turned around, and Anna turned with me. Anna saw the man and smiled, “Mr. Parker! Long time no see.” Caleb didn’t acknowledge Anna, just staring at me. I looked at the man and quietly asked Anna, “Is he Caleb?” “Yes, the CEO of Parker Group. Do you know him?” “…Um, I think he’s my… ex-husband…” Anna was stunned. She looked at me, then at Caleb, then back at me. Caleb stared at me. I thought for a moment and extended my hand, “Hello.” Caleb didn’t shake my hand. He looked at me, his eyes contemptuous and mocking, “Hazel Winters, I underestimated you. I thought you were really a good mother! In court, you fought so hard for Zack and Ava, but after getting the money, you haven’t even come to see them once… It’s a good thing I didn’t give the children to you. Someone like you doesn’t deserve to be a mother.” A wave of inexplicable sadness welled up in my heart, but as the sadness dissipated, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember what Zack and Ava looked like. “Hazel Winters, you’d better come back this weekend. Otherwise, you’ll never see Zack and Ava again in this lifetime.” Caleb left, leaving behind a confused Anna and a pensive me.

That day when I got home, for the first time, I heard about my two children from Mia’s mouth. “Those two? They’re both quite smart, but at that time, Caleb was starting his business, and you were busy too. You went back to work right after giving birth. Both children were raised by their grandparents, so they’re not very close to you. Hazel, during the divorce, you could have gotten 50% of the marital assets, but you signed an agreement with Caleb. You only took 20% of the assets, but Caleb had to sign a document promising not to remarry and to ensure all assets would go to the two children.” She paused for a moment and then continued, “You carried both children for ten months before giving birth. You loved them to no end, but it was useless. Both children don’t like you. That day when I went to pick you up, I saw them cursing at you, saying you did nothing but took 20% of Caleb’s assets, telling you to give it back. You stood there silently, and when they got angry, they threw glass cups at you…” Mia didn’t finish. She sighed and hugged me, “Hazel, can you not remember, please? We’re so happy like this, isn’t that good?” I nodded seriously, “Okay, I don’t want to remember either.” “But if you want to see them this weekend, you can go. You can’t avoid them forever. I’ll go with you then. No one will bully you.” I looked up at Mia and nodded. Actually, it doesn’t matter if I don’t see them. I’ve really forgotten. I just felt a bit sad when they were first mentioned, but now I don’t feel much anymore. I’m just a bit curious about what they look like.

That day, Mia accompanied me. When Caleb opened the door and saw Mia, he frowned. He probably didn’t like Mia, and of course, Mia disliked him even more. Caleb let me in but tried to block Mia outside. I was startled and immediately ran out, hiding behind Mia. I was actually a bit afraid of Caleb. Caleb was too tall, and his presence was too intimidating. The key thing was, I didn’t remember him. I held onto Mia. If Mia didn’t go in, I wouldn’t go in either. Caleb’s face darkened in an instant. “Hazel Winters, if you want to see the children today, you can only come in alone.” “Then forget it, I don’t want to see them.” I shook my head vigorously, scared to death. What kind of person was this? I pulled Mia, wanting to leave. Caleb laughed angrily. “Hazel Winters, what do you mean? Am I that scary?” Of course, he was scary. He was nearly six feet tall, big and strong. If he punched me into the wall, I wouldn’t be able to peel myself off. I was very firm, “…I’ll only go with Mia.” Caleb had a gloomy face, while Mia stared back expressionlessly. In the end, Caleb stepped aside. “Come in!” The living room of the small villa was very large. In the center sat a boy about seven or eight years old. The boy looked very much like his father, and his expression wasn’t very pleasant when he met my gaze. This must be Zack. Next to him sat a little girl, who must be Ava. The little girl followed her brother’s lead, looking at me with some curiosity. “Are you Mom?” I nodded. Ava tugged at her brother’s sleeve, “Brother, Mom is… so beautiful now!” The little boy suddenly shouted, “Shut up! Don’t call her Mom. She’s not Mom anymore. She doesn’t care about you or me. What kind of mom is that? She won’t even let Dad remarry or let us have a new mom. She’s a bad person, she’s crazy.” “…” My initial expectation dissipated in an instant. I didn’t feel as sad as I had imagined. I still couldn’t remember them. They looked familiar, but in reality, I had forgotten them completely. It felt like two somewhat familiar children were cursing at me. I wasn’t angry, just felt bored.

That day, I stayed at Caleb’s house for half a day. Zack ignored me, and Ava didn’t dare to talk to me. The most impressive thing about that day was actually how delicious the dinner at Caleb’s house was. The housekeeper at Caleb’s was also quite young. She was a girl in her twenties, very pretty, efficient, pleasing to the eye, and an excellent cook. I was thinking that this housekeeper was really good, wondering if I could poach her. Until the little housekeeper swayed her hips and insisted on feeding Caleb strawberries. Mia lowered her head and whispered to me angrily, “What a show-off! She’s the third party between you and Caleb, named Iris. She was your junior in college. With such a good education, instead of working hard to improve herself, she became his mistress. Crazy.” Mia’s words were harsh. I rubbed my nose, feeling a bit guilty. Actually, I wasn’t very ambitious either back then, and was quite lovesick too. But thinking that I couldn’t poach the housekeeper anymore, I was heartbroken. Then I promptly ladled myself another bowl of soup. Halfway through dinner, Mia suddenly received a work call. She glanced at me. The call seemed urgent, and I guessed it was probably something important. I immediately reassured her, “I’m fine. I’ll go back by myself later. You go ahead!” “Hazel, it’ll just be forty minutes. I’ll be back to pick you up in forty minutes.” Mia left in a hurry. After dinner that day, Caleb looked at Iris, and Iris tactfully took the children upstairs. Only Caleb and I were left in the living room. I looked at my watch; Mia would probably be back in about ten minutes. I was thinking, if Caleb hit me, how could I escape out the door as quickly as possible? Would my martial arts classes be useful? Probably not, considering I was only 5’7″ and quite thin. Too weak. Caleb reached out his hand, and in an instant, I ran as fast as I could. Unable to run out the door, I ran to the nearest room and locked it. I hid in the room and heard Caleb getting the keys. I was even more scared, “Don’t come in! If you come in, I’ll call the police!” Through the door, I heard Caleb’s angry voice, “Hazel Winters, what are you so afraid of? We dated for ten years and were married for seven years. Are you still afraid I’ll hit you?”

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