When Brandon Ashford’s old flame came back into his life, I took our son and flew to America. People said I didn’t even register on their radar, that I was nothing but a worthless, spoiled wife, hiding from a fight like an ostrich with its head in the sand. But someday, I’d walk tall and watch them all eat their words beneath my feet. 0Brandon’s high school sweetheart, Claire, is back. Back in senior year, he entered the Young Innovators Award and met Claire Emerson. I’d heard she was pretty, clever, outgoing, and came from an affluent family. The two of them were young, in love, and even planned to go to the same university. But things didn’t work out that way—Brandon was accepted to Harvard, but Claire… who knows what happened with her? I figured they broke up because of the distance. But then a mutual friend dropped the real story on me. “Jazz, didn’t you know? That girl tried to blackmail Brandon by threatening to end her own life if he went to Harvard! She actually tried to trap him into staying with her.” Blackmail? Threats? Giving up Harvard? I shook my head. This story sounded like something out of a cheesy romance novel. Brandon and I, meanwhile, were childhood friends. Our families had been partners in business for generations. Years ago, when my father’s mistress showed up, taunting my mom over the phone, my mom flew back to the U.S. in the middle of the night. That led me to apply to Harvard, where Brandon and I ended up in the same program. When I saw him again, I was taken aback by how much he’d grown into his looks. But strangely, I didn’t feel any of those romantic sparks. Our connection was more like an unspoken understanding—a bond that felt familiar, like the relationship between our parents. I’d thought my mom would divorce my dad, but she didn’t. She told me, “Love and marriage aren’t the same. We’ve been married for years, and we trust each other. We’re also tied together by shared businesses and a social network that isn’t easily untangled. And if that other woman’s showing up at our door, it just proves her stupidity. If your father had any intention of being with her, she wouldn’t have had to resort to that.” “But Dad still cheated,” I whispered, looking down. “You always told me, ‘Once a cheater, always a cheater.’” My mom just smiled knowingly. “Maybe so, but remember, that woman claimed your father was with her at Lakewood Hot Springs on the day he was actually in Hong Kong with your grandparents.” I blinked. My mind was spinning. “Jazz, no matter whom you marry—business partner or not—remember this: love clouds reason. Never act on impulse.” “Then why did you storm back to the States that time?” I asked, grinning. She laughed again. “Otherwise, how would I have gotten you to give up Charleston and go to Harvard?” 0

I’d been played. All my life, I’d dreamed of the romantic charm of Charleston, of living on a sprawling estate in the middle of a sea of lavender. But as the sole heir of the Eastwood Family business, I had to put in the effort if I wanted the freedom to live as I pleased. So, when Claire asked me to meet up, I agreed. She came bursting with excitement, eager to show me her memories with Brandon and their matching tattoos. She preened like a proud peacock, and I barely contained my laughter. “It’s rare to see a mistress be this bold,” scoffed my friend Erica, my childhood friend with a firecracker temper and a sharp tongue. “Bold?” Claire arched an eyebrow. “This is love. What’s bold about that? I came here to make you face reality, stop hiding, and pretending I don’t exist. Brandon told me I’m the one he loves, the one he cares about, the one he can’t live without. You two have nothing in common, yet you cling to the title of Mrs. Ashford? Why not just let him go? I’ll make sure Brandon gives you a generous settlement. You’re still young…” “Smack!” Erica’s face went red with fury, and her hand landed across Claire’s face. Claire blinked in shock, then clutched her cheek and screeched, “How dare you hit me?” Her shouting pierced the quiet of the private room, and curious staff couldn’t help peeking in to check if we needed assistance. I was stunned—not because Erica hit her, but because Claire was screaming like a madwoman, even reaching to grab Erica’s hair. And she actually had the nerve to say I was “clinging” to the title of Mrs. Ashford? That I was just a housewife? “Tell Brandon to ask for a divorce if that’s what he wants. I’ll walk away on the spot,” I said calmly, letting the chaos simmer down. Claire looked taken aback. “All this, and you’re still holding on? I didn’t realize you were so stubborn.” She gave a smug smile. “Fine, I’ll have Brandon come to you, then. Just don’t cry and refuse when he asks for it.” I nodded, pulled Erica to her feet, and left. “Hey, you haven’t paid!” Claire called out. I glanced at the untouched tea, totaling over $400. Smiling, I replied, “The owner is a friend of mine, so it’s on my tab. If you can’t finish, feel free to take it home.” 0

In the days that followed, Brandon never mentioned a word about divorce. Everything seemed normal—except he started coming home a bit later than usual. I asked him about it, and he said an old friend wanted to start a new project and was looking for investors. He was still considering it. I asked him to send over the details. Sure enough, when I opened the file, Claire Emerson was listed as one of the founders. And after looking through the pitiful revenue and chaotic financials, I just shook my head. Here she was, trying to get investors for this disaster of a company, in an economy where everyone else was tightening their belts. She had some nerve. “What do you think?” Brandon asked. I hadn’t let on yet that Claire had already come to see me. We’d been married for years now, and we already had a son. We were even considering trying for a girl. A nice, balanced family. But here comes Claire, dropping back into our lives, just as my mother would call it—a disruption to what was really a business alliance between our families. Childhood friends, families with deeply interwoven ties—it was complicated. So complicated that a single change could pull everything apart. I just couldn’t believe Brandon would cheat, let alone get a divorce. “I think it’s best to be cautious,” I replied. “Since you’re more familiar with this field, you should handle it.” Relieved, I handed him a bowl of special soup I’d made for his stomach issues. He took it with a smile, not needing to ask what it was. The next day, I came to the office with a fully prepared proposal. I’d hardly been in the office recently, with us trying for another child, so the long-time employees looked at me with surprise, clearly curious. The newer employees didn’t even know who I was. Just as I reached Brandon’s office, I heard Claire’s familiar voice, pleading, “Brandon, please, you’ve got to help me. This is my dream!” Brandon didn’t reply. I knocked and opened the door. Claire was sitting next to him on the sofa, casually leaning close. Her low-cut dress practically invited the world to see her bra. I ignored her, calmly setting my papers on the desk. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything?” “Not at all, babe! This is Claire, the one I told you about,” Brandon replied quickly, standing up like he’d been shocked and moving to my side. I caught the flash of irritation in Claire’s eyes as she looked innocently at Brandon. “Jazz, you’re gorgeous! I’m surprised he never mentioned you.” Right. As if my existence was something she had to be “informed” about. After all, she managed to walk right in, didn’t she? Brandon looked uncomfortable, and I smirked. “Since when do people talk about their families with strangers?” I handed him a thermos. “I heard you have a drinking event tonight, so I made this for you. I’ve got plans to meet Mrs. Young for tea later.” He smiled gratefully; he didn’t even need to open it to know what was inside. But Claire didn’t let it go. “Oh, I’ll be at that dinner too! Jazz, what’s in the thermos? Could I try some?” Brandon frowned, setting the thermos aside. “This isn’t something just anyone should drink, Claire.” “Is it some kind of miracle hangover remedy?” She laughed lightly, pouting, “I thought all those housewives making home remedies was a soap opera trope, but I guess it’s real after all…” Neither of us laughed, and the room grew tense. Brandon’s grandmother, after all, was a well-known herbalist, and she’d created that particular recipe just for his stomach. Obviously, Claire had no idea. I sighed, realizing that this woman didn’t seem to have much upstairs. Nothing about her added up, and she wasn’t at all the type I’d imagine Brandon would like. With anyone else, he’d probably have already blown up at them. But for Claire, his patience seemed endless. After an uncomfortable silence, he looked at her with an unreadable expression. “Jazz knows a lot about the food industry, Claire. If you really want to go forward with this, why don’t you talk it over with her?” Huh? I was surprised. I could see why he wouldn’t want to reject her outright, but what was this about food? According to the file, her company was all about couples’ apps, nothing to do with the restaurant industry. But Claire missed my surprise and went on, oblivious. “Brandon, do you really think that someone who spends all her time having lunches and afternoon teas has industry knowledge? This is different. Plus, I’m opening a cat café targeting young professionals and students…” She looked at me with a challenging gleam in her eye. “You and I can handle the business discussions, Jazz. I wouldn’t want to interrupt your busy schedule of lunch dates.” I almost laughed. Was she serious? She couldn’t have done any real research if she thought she could look down on me like this. I, Jasmine Eastwood, eldest of the Eastwood Family and a Harvard economics PhD, “just” did lunches and teas? Did she have any idea how much a class taught by me would cost? I stared at her, amused by her smugness, even as I saw a hint of irritation in Brandon’s face. Why was he holding back? Was it because of his lingering feelings for her? He glanced at me apologetically. “I have a meeting soon, Claire. Talk to Jazz about it, as I suggested.” With that, he answered his phone and hurried out, leaving just the two of us. Claire dropped her act, sneering at me. “You really are something else, putting on this whole act to get his sympathy, showing up with soup and your pretty face. But Brandon and I are in this together. You? You can cook him soup. A housekeeper could do the same. Aside from spending his money, what else can you do?” “Talk business with you, obviously,” I said dryly, nodding toward the documents on the desk. “Brandon’s orders.” “Oh, come on,” she scoffed, her voice dripping with contempt. “He’s just being polite, letting you save face so you don’t accuse him of transferring your assets to me. You think he respects you? He’s just afraid you’ll embarrass him and drag the company down.” I stared at her, hardly believing her arrogance. The fact that she felt so comfortable speaking about “transferring assets” showed me she really didn’t know much. My silence made her bolder. “Brandon is so good to me, and not just with this. Tonight, at that big event, he’s taking me with him. Did you know I’m the first woman he’s brought along? It shows I’m the one he truly loves. You’re just sad, really. Married to him all these years and he’s never invited you. Poor thing…” She looked at me triumphantly. “It must be humiliating, huh? Go ahead, cry if you want to. Failed love, a failed marriage—it’s not the end of the world. You’re still pretty enough, and even if your family background’s not as great, Brandon would still give you a decent payout. Just let go. If you make a scene, you might not even get alimony.” I couldn’t help myself; I burst out laughing. I wasn’t just amused by her ridiculous logic but by her complete inability to understand what mattered to me. Love, feelings—those were trivial. What I cared about was control, and I had plenty of it. My career, my finances, my status—and yes, even my marriage. I had a child with Brandon, after all. And the fate of her so-called project was entirely in my hands. I looked at her blandly. “Stop dreaming. That glitch-riddled app or your cat café? Neither is getting any funding from us.” But Claire smiled, undeterred. “Jazz, don’t kid yourself. If I’m here, and if Brandon’s letting me ask in front of you, then it’s important to him. He’ll say yes.” I watched her saunter out and opened the window, letting the strong scent of her perfume blow away. With it went any uncertainty I might have felt. That night, I waited for Brandon to come home. At four in the morning, he stumbled in, reeking of alcohol and perfume—Dior J’adore, which I’d never worn. Our housekeeper, Mrs. Williams, shook her head in disapproval as she helped him into the bedroom. “I’ll make some sobering soup for him, Jazz,” she offered, seeing my expression. “Sweetheart,” he mumbled, trying to pull me into a hug. “Sit down. We need to talk,” I said, brushing him off. Claire had already confronted me, hinting at a romance and asking me to divorce him. His arm went stiff, but all he did was slur, “I love you, babe,” before passing out. I sighed. You can’t wake someone who’s faking sleep. The next morning, he’d already left for a sudden business trip to Seattle. But things took a turn when Mrs. Williams came to me, looking worried. “Jazz, I think Evan has a fever.” 0

I hurriedly called for a driver, and we rushed Evan to the hospital with Mrs. Williams by my side. Thankfully, it wasn’t flu season, so the private hospital was fairly empty, and the admission process went smoothly. I stayed with Evan until he fell asleep, then handed him over to Mrs. Williams so I could grab a quick bite in the small waiting room. Erica, who’d shown up by then, was furious. She slapped the table in frustration. “Jazz, I’m telling you—there’s something going on with Brandon and that woman. Call him right now. I don’t care about any business deal; he needs to get back here! Let’s see if he values money more than you and his son.” “It’s hardly comparable,” I replied, trying to keep my calm. Despite my own frustration, I’d been holding back. “He can’t hide forever; we can wait a couple of days.” “But Evan is sick!” “Evan has a doctor. It’s not as if Brandon’s one himself.” “See, that’s the problem!” Erica groaned, exasperated. “You’ve let him get too comfortable, Jazz. You’re way too good to him!” “Am I?” I chuckled to myself. This wasn’t about being good to Brandon; it was about protecting my son and myself. I wasn’t about to explode without solid evidence and give Claire—or anyone else—the satisfaction of seeing me unravel. Making a scene would just leave me looking petty and hysterical. “Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure he’s alone,” Erica muttered darkly, giving me a pointed look. “I bet he’s on this trip with her.” “Maybe not,” I said, finishing my cake and motioning toward the door. “Look—speak of the devil.” “What?” Still steaming, Erica whipped open the door and saw Claire approaching. Without missing a beat, she let loose. “You must have a bloodhound’s sense of smell to sniff out an opportunity like this!” Claire didn’t flinch. If anything, she smiled pleasantly, putting down a gift-wrapped drone on the table. “I heard Evan wasn’t well, and with Brandon out of town, I thought I’d drop by to visit and bring him a little gift.” She glanced at me, eyes twinkling. “Rough night, Jazz? Looks like you didn’t get much sleep. I guess Brandon told you he’s decided to invest in my cat café?” “Excuse me?” Her words took me by surprise, but I kept my face neutral. “He didn’t mention that. But if he plans to make any decisions, he’ll need the approval of the majority shareholder.” I pushed the drone back toward her. “Take this with you. My son doesn’t need your gifts.” “Really?” She feigned shock, flashing a syrupy smile. “Funny, he seemed to like the sneakers, the overalls, and the Lego set that Brandon picked out with me. Didn’t he tell you?” Her words hit me like a punch, tearing down any patience I had left. I felt a surge of heat, and in that instant, every shred of composure shattered. All the principles of self-control and dignity flew out the window. She had no right to even look at my son, much less give him anything! I was shaking as I grabbed the box and hurled it at her.

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When Mrs. Elaine Sterling handed me a check for a million dollars to leave Maxwell Sterling, I didn’t hesitate. I had spent five years with him, giving up the best years of my life without any title, any recognition. That million felt like little compensation. Word of this reached Max quickly. Later, I heard he even skipped an important meeting to rush over to see me. Content When Max arrived at The Beacon Apartments he’d bought for me, I was packing my things. “What’s this supposed to mean?” he demanded, his face as dark as a storm cloud. Knowing him as well as I did after so many years, I could tell he was furious. “Mr. Sterling, your mother’s paying me a million to leave you. What’s so hard to understand?” I replied, giving him my best smile, trying not to appear too beaten down. The words only made him angrier. He spoke through clenched teeth, “Go if you want, but don’t regret it later.” Then he slammed the door on his way out. Over the years, Max had treated me well—at least in material ways. He had kept me like a canary in a gilded cage, surrounded by designer bags and luxury watches, never denying me anything I wanted. And had I stayed, I knew that million wouldn’t be the last he’d ever give me. But I’d grown tired. I wouldn’t have given in to this if I hadn’t heard that Genevieve Harrison was back from her studies abroad. Max’s fiancée—his mother’s ideal match for him. The woman I would never be. It took less than thirty minutes to finish packing. I had nowhere to go, so I turned to my best friend, Maya Lane. Unfortunately, her boyfriend was there, and I found myself the third wheel. Maya apologized with a sympathetic look—after all, I hadn’t called in advance—so I booked a room at The St. Laurent Hotel. It was the same hotel Max and I used to stay at when he’d had a bit too much to drink and needed a place to crash nearby. He never let himself lose control around others, but when he did, his secretary, Mr. Charles Blake, would always call me. When I checked in, the front desk clerk recognized me. She smiled, “Mr. Sterling isn’t with you tonight?” I shook my head, keeping my tone casual. “Mr. Sterling and I are no longer involved.” She looked taken aback. My relationship with Max wasn’t a secret among the social elite—everyone knew Max was a sought-after bachelor, and I was just the woman he kept on the side. With my check-in complete, I drew a hot bath, filling it with rose petals, enjoying their soft fragrance. Max was allergic to pollen, so I’d never taken a rose-petal bath around him. Yet, as I lay there in the steaming water, I felt like something was missing. I stayed at the hotel for three days until Maya came looking for me. She knew about my breakup with Max and wanted to take me on a trip to clear my head. But the day before we were supposed to leave, she got called into work for an emergency. Our girls’ trip quickly became a solo trip. So, I headed alone to Savannah, Georgia.

The moment I boarded the plane, Max called me. The phone rang for a while, and just as a flight attendant was reminding me to turn off my phone, a text came through: “I’ll say this once—if you’re done with your tantrum, come back.” I stared at the short message, and memories from four years ago surfaced. It was the first time I’d thrown a tantrum at him, shortly after I’d learned about Genevieve. I’d downed a lot of wine and stumbled back to him in a half-drunken haze, confronting him in his study, draped in a nightgown, asking if his work or I was more important. He’d been furious, taking off his glasses to glare at me. “Cassidy,” he’d said icily, “I’m working. Get out.” Ignoring him, I’d refused to leave until he’d thrown me, coat and all, out of his place. Standing in the deserted estate neighborhood, shivering in the cold, I’d felt a pang of regret but stayed stubbornly silent. Before long, Max showed up, his expression unreadable as he looked down at me, asking, “Had enough?” I’d stubbornly bitten my frozen lips, just as a sneeze escaped, making him smirk, his eyes softening slightly. He’d crouched down to offer a hand, but I’d refused it, still too proud to accept his help. His voice had turned harsh, “I’ll say it once—if you’re done, come back.” True to his word, he’d walked off without looking back. I’d shouted after him, “Give me my bag!” “Cassidy, I bought that bag for you. If you don’t plan to come back, you won’t be taking it.” That moment was a wake-up call. The designer bags, the LV, the Hermès—everything was from him. And from that moment on, I knew what I was to him. I’d spent five quiet years by his side after that. But now, sitting on the plane, I deleted his message without another glance. After two hours in the air, I landed at Savannah’s airport. And in a stroke of bad luck, my bag went missing almost as soon as I’d arrived. At the Savannah City Police Station, the local cops were practically eyeing my designer outfit, silently asking who else would someone want to rob? Unable to speak the successfully, penniless, without any identification, I had no way to prove who I was. An officer handed me a phone and told me to call someone who could help. My parents had died in an accident when I was young, and my grandmother had raised me until she passed away before she could enjoy her retirement. Max had come into my life soon after she’d gone—a burst of light in my shadowed world. Out of options, I called Max, dialing again and again, the unanswered ringing only reminding me that his light was no longer a part of my life. By late afternoon, a kind young man approached and offered to help. His name was Derek Chandler, a fellow American who happened to be at the station. Seeing me alone and distressed, he helped me communicate with the police. Once I left the station, I changed my phone number and cut all ties with Max. But sometimes, I’d still come across news of him. Photos of Max and Genevieve shopping, him smiling down at her, looking the way I’d once dreamed he’d look at me. Their elegant appearances at ribbon-cutting events, announcements of their upcoming “wedding of the century.” I remained in Savannah, where Derek and I became good friends. With his help, I found work at Global Exports Inc., a company involved in a partnership that allowed me to rebuild my career. After being Max’s “canary” for five years, I’d lost all sense of independence, but slowly, with Derek’s support, I found my way again. We kept each other company, two lonely souls leaning on one another. Yet no one had warned us that bringing together two people’s solitude didn’t make things warmer. Standing on a balcony one evening, looking over the Savannah skyline, I asked him, “Why do you stay here?” He looked back, sadness in his eyes. It was the night of the 4th of July Fireworks Festival, and the flickering lights cast shadows across his face as he told me about his past. He’d come to Savannah to keep a promise to his late fiancée, who’d always wanted to see this festival. “They say, if you make a wish to the fireworks, it’ll come true,” he told me. I knew he was thinking of her as he said it. She hadn’t made it; she’d died in his arms. Closing my eyes, I closed my hands and made a silent wish to forget Max. Time passed, and work kept me busy. But sometimes, I still had to deal with harassment from a lecherous boss who would use work as an excuse to touch me or make suggestive jokes. Derek put a stop to it, coming to the office one day and pretending to be my boyfriend. From then on, the boss left me alone, and I was free of other unwanted attention. After nearly two years in Savannah, I received an assignment to return to New York for a project. Packing up, I flew back with some of my international colleagues. As soon as we landed, a driver from the company met us at JFK, guiding us to The St. Laurent Hotel. Standing in the doorway, I felt memories flood over me, stirring emotions I’d long buried. But when I saw that the receptionist had changed, I felt my shoulders relax, tightening my grip on my suitcase as I heard, “Hello, Mr. Sterling. Hello, Ms. Harrison…”

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When the Lawson family fell from grace, I was adopted by Caleb Foster. He spoiled me like a princess, envied by everyone. For eighteen years, I secretly harbored feelings for him. On the night of my coming of age, I boldly expressed my love. He said that since it was my choice, I should bear the consequences of his coldness. Later, he abandoned me while I was pregnant, all for his first love. After losing the baby alone, I chose to leave the country and get away from Caleb Foster. Caleb panicked, “Aria Lawson, you can’t leave me!” 0 “Caleb, I slipped and fell. There’s a lot of blood.” When I made this call, Caleb was attending a welcome party for his first love, Mia Morgan. “Can you come back? I’m scared.” Still young, facing pregnancy and impending motherhood, I was silently terrified. Caleb clicked his tongue impatiently, “Can’t come back. Mia’s welcome party isn’t over yet. Deal with it yourself.” He hung up abruptly before I could respond. Looking at the pool of blood beneath my dress, I forced a bitter smile through the searing pain in my belly. Of course, this was all my own doing, wasn’t it? Caleb, as the grandson of my late grandfather’s friend, had adopted me, an orphan of the Lawson family. From age fourteen when I was adopted until eighteen, Caleb spoiled me like a princess envied by all. But at eighteen, I confessed my love to Caleb. Caleb said, “You shouldn’t have such thoughts.” But in my youthful naivety, I only wanted to win over the man I liked. His kindness to me went beyond ordinary relationships. I couldn’t believe he felt nothing for me. So, taking advantage of Caleb’s drunkenness after a business dinner, I climbed into his bed. From that moment on, our relationship could never go back to what it was before. It was also at this time that Mia Morgan, Caleb’s first love from college, returned from abroad. From then on, Caleb, who was already avoiding me, came home less and less frequently. I remembered the day we confirmed our relationship, his expression indifferent, “Since it’s your choice, you’ll have to bear my coldness.” Young as I was then, I thought Caleb, being older, was just not good at expressing affection. But it wasn’t until I saw his ears turning red and his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously in Mia’s presence that I finally woke up. Thinking of how Caleb had stayed away from home for three days and nights when he learned of my pregnancy, preferring to sleep at the office, I felt a sense of resignation. Perhaps a miscarriage was what he secretly hoped for. I calmly called an ambulance. As the doctors tried their best to save the baby in my womb, I sighed under their shocked gazes, “Let it go.” Seeing a young girl come alone, the doctor asked about my family. I reflexively said, “He’s busy, he can’t come.” Realizing how ridiculous it sounded, I changed my answer: “I’m sorry, I’m widowed.” The abortion was successful. I didn’t feel much pain, just an emptiness in my heart, as if something had been carved out. On the taxi ride back home alone, I saw a familiar car heading towards the hospital. I thought Caleb was rushing to see me and instinctively wanted to message him. But then I saw a Instagram post from Caleb’s best friend: “They say Boss Foster dotes on that adopted girl, but I think she’s just a shadow of Mia.” The picture showed Caleb holding hands with Mia, who was lying in a hospital bed. That was Caleb’s childhood friend group, three guys and one girl, the inseparable four. In this tight-knit group, Caleb and Mia had been in a serious relationship since high school, aiming for marriage. If Mia hadn’t insisted on going abroad, unwilling to marry so young, I would never have had a chance with Caleb. I felt foolish for my earlier thoughts. Back home, it wasn’t until midnight that Caleb returned, reeking of alcohol. Seeing me lying in bed, he lifted my clothes. Thinking of the scent of another woman on him, I turned away. Caleb sneered drunkenly, “Aria Lawson, what are you playing at? You weren’t ashamed to climb into my bed before, and now you’re playing hard to get?” 0

Caleb’s words stung my heart. The old Caleb would never have spoken to me so harshly. “Caleb, I’m not feeling well.” “Oh right, you’re still pregnant.” With that, he fell into a deep sleep on the bed, completely forgetting that I had fallen earlier that day. In the past, if I had so much as a scratch, Caleb would have scoured the city for the best doctors to heal my scar. But now, faced with such a serious matter as a pregnant woman falling and bleeding, he was utterly indifferent, even coming home drunk in the middle of the night. The contrast between care and neglect became glaringly obvious in an instant. The next day, Caleb was gone early. Instead, there was an update on Mia’s Twitter. “A breakfast full of love, thanks to Caleb for cooking so early in the morning.” The picture showed a hearty breakfast with a heart drawn on it. I had eaten such breakfasts too. Back when I wasn’t yet Caleb’s girlfriend. Meanwhile, a note was left on the bedside table. “Aria Lawson, trying so hard to share a bed with me? How amusing.” My heart instantly twisted with unbearable pain. Caleb didn’t trust me. He thought last night’s shared bed was my elaborate scheme. But we were supposed to be lovers. Thinking of this, my heart felt like it was being stabbed. I hastily packed my things and went to class. My appearance delighted my professor. “Aria! You’re finally here! Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider the study abroad opportunity in Italy? You’re our department’s most outstanding student!” Since becoming pregnant, I had planned to take a break from school to care for the baby, nearly missing this great opportunity to study abroad. “Professor, no need to reconsider. I want to go.” “Eh? Weren’t you going to take care of your pregnancy? If your body can’t handle it, don’t force yourself. I just thought it was a shame.” “No, Professor. I had a miscarriage.” Hearing this, the professor didn’t ask further, just patted my shoulder. “If that’s the case, it must be God’s will. Cherish this opportunity to study abroad.” Just as I left the school, my phone rang. Caleb’s car was waiting at the school gate. “Get in. My mom wants us to have dinner together.” Hearing this, I habitually opened the passenger door, only to see a large bouquet of vibrant red roses on the seat. Caleb hesitated for a moment, then said, “You sit in the back.” I had thought the flowers were for Caleb’s mother, but when we arrived at the family home and saw Mia intimately linking arms with Caleb’s mother as they walked out, my heart trembled. Caleb got out of the car carrying the red roses. Seeing this, Mia’s eyes lit up with a smile. “Caleb, I just mentioned it casually. Did you really run across half the city to buy these for me?” “If you like them, of course I had to get them.” Mia hugged the roses, her smile radiant and beautiful. She excitedly kissed Caleb’s cheek, “Well, thank you then.” Caleb didn’t dodge, a hint of indulgence in his smile. Caleb’s mother, Mrs. Foster, also teased, “You rascal, gallivanting abroad for years without coming back to see me.” “Oh come on, I’m back now, aren’t I?” I watched the three of them, so harmonious, feeling increasingly awkward. Mia seemed to notice me only then, feigning surprise, “Oh my, you must be Caleb’s little girlfriend?” “Don’t mind me, Caleb and I grew up together, we’re just naturally close.” She was explaining her earlier public display of affection with Caleb, but Mia’s eyes were full of mirth. “Nonsense, nonsense. What little girlfriend? Aria is just the granddaughter of Caleb’s grandfather’s friend. Our family is taking care of her out of gratitude,” Mrs. Foster interjected. Mrs. Foster didn’t know about my relationship with Caleb. “Besides, Mia, you know Caleb. He’s refused to date anyone these past few years no matter how much I’ve pushed. I always said this stubborn boy was waiting for you.” I instinctively looked at Caleb, desperately hoping he would deny his mother’s speculation. After all, I was supposed to be his girlfriend now. “Caleb, were you really waiting for me?”

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In the third year since I passed away, my enemy got stood up at his own wedding. I was floating around, enjoying the spectacle. Then, out of the blue, he turned his head. His gaze seemed to pierce through the space where I was, and his voice cracked as he spoke: “Did it take all this for you to show up?” “Go ahead and laugh if it makes you feel better, but don’t you dare leave again.” “Olivia, I miss you more than words can say.” ChapterWhen I got Nathan Gray’s wedding invite, I was really upset. I grabbed the invitation and stopped. Holding the invitation, I was lost in thought, and before I knew it, my rival had taken me for a ride. I lost a bundle to them. A kid ghost peeked over my shoulder. “Nathan? He’s the one who sent a lot of flowers to you from the other side.” The invitation was written by Nathan. No one would burn an invitation to me on purpose. Considering Nathan’s habit of sending me flowers whenever he got the chance, I decided to forgive his audacity. The group lost interest in rolling the dice and gathered together with a mischievous air, gossiping animatedly: “He was so wealthy; I would have loved to go and check out his wedding.” I gave a wry smile: “Come on, he was quite the character. If you really got to know him, it would have broken all your romantic notions.” Chapter

I’ve known Nathan for over ten years and we’ve been at odds for most of that time. When I was young, Nathan was shy. I was bold. I grabbed a frog and shoved it into Nathan’s hand. I told him to kiss it and make it a prince. Nathan was scared and cried. My parents beat me. I was beaten up, but I didn’t care. I disliked Nathan for being timid. Nathan said I was treacherous, wanted to see the frog turn into a prince, but didn’t dare kiss it. When I started junior high, I began to pay attention to my image and learned to moderate my words and actions. I’m not reckless anymore. I even put on the little white dress that I never touched before. Nathan laughed so hard he crowed, saying I was imitating the school belle, cause she usually dressed like this. I was angry, so I put mustard in his cake. In high school, I liked the gym student in my class. I wrote a love letter and asked Nathan to give it to him. I didn’t expect that after he embellished the story, he directly handed the love letter to my mom. My mother ridiculed me. I’m still angry about that love letter. I wasn’t weak either. I cursed Nathan and couldn’t send any more love letters. The ghostbuster asked, “Will you go to the wedding?” “Yes, why not? The invitations have been sent.” Chapter

Nathan has burned me a handwritten note before. In the past three years, Nathan has sent lots of notes, as if they were text messages. “Olivia, I took ugly pictures of you, right? I won’t delete them.” “Olivia, you can’t win by hiding. Our fight is not over.” “Olivia, if you scare me, I’ll admit I’ve lost.” “Olivia, I was in a car accident and had a concussion. I remember now. I’ll never forget what you did to me. You know I’m holding a grudge. It’s too late!” I didn’t get any flowers from Nathan for half a year. He’d bring me a lot of flowers before, so that I could show off in hell forever as someone still remembered me and loved me. I locked the note in the safe, took the money and went to the biggest casino in hell. After turning into a spirit, I was very lucky. I won a lot of money at the casino. I used my winnings to help build hell. The King of Hell was happy. I was not chased by the casino boss. Nathan burned a lot of clothes and bags too. This time was different. Nathan burnt me a wedding dress. Layer upon layer of romantic tulle, intricate and delicate lace embroidery, and the perfectly placed off-the-shoulder design were my favorite elements and designer creations when I was alive. The child ghost looked surprised. “Hey, is this dress for Nathan’s wedding?” Who would wear a wedding dress to a wedding, unless they were there to steal the spotlight? I shook my head, angry. “The jerk, he must be mocking me, like I don’t even have the chance to wear a wedding dress.” The wedding dress and invitation came with the mail. There was also a note. It rambled on with a paragraph: “Olivia, I’m getting married, and I won’t be bringing you any more flowers. You must be angry. Just keep all the flowers and I’ll enjoy them with you after I die.” Chapter

You think I’m a florist? Nathan is getting married and will have a wife and kids to memorize him. He still thinks about my assets. Capitalists are all the same. I was angry. I can’t share half my property with Nathan. That would put me second on the rich list. I won’t agree to that. I’ll accept a 60-40 split: six for me, four for him. I went to the Hall of Hades and asked to go to Earth. Ghosts can’t just enter Earth. I made outstanding contributions to Hell. I still have that privilege. The King of Hell gave me the pass. He also asked if I wanted my bodyguards to come with me. ‘The earth isn’t safer than hell,’ he said. I shook my head and said no. “I’m just going to a wedding, I don’t need a bodyguard.” I’m not going to rob a wedding. Besides, as a spirit attending Nathan’s wedding with a few bodyguards, if something goes wrong, how would I handle the aftermath? As a nemesis, I would love to see Nathan’s jokes. Who asked him to always oppose me in the past? I don’t want that. I want Nathan’s wedding to be grand and successful. He should take everyone’s blessings and walk towards his life with peace and stability. Chapter I held the pass and, with the help of the King of Hell, appeared at Nathan’s house. The villa was empty. It was strange here. I thought there was a wedding today, but there’s no sign of celebration at home. It makes people feel cold. What a weirdo.

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In my third paralysed year, my husband’s female partner gave me a pair of high heels. They were a beautiful pair of high heels. I looked at my skinny legs and angrily threw the shoes at her. My husband got angry. “You think Rose was taunting you by giving you the shoes?” “She doesn’t see you as disabled at all! It’s respect!” ChapterI sat in my wheelchair and opened the door. The crowd in the living room fell silent. My husband Joel and his gymnastics team members held their glasses and turned their heads to look at me in unison. Joel was shocked, “How did you… come out?” I was disappointed. I helped make this celebration happen. The gymnastics team won an international award, and I was the key designer of the program. No one cared if I was there. The atmosphere was awkward. My husband’s partner, Rosalie Hans, smiled at me condescendingly. “Jeanne, we won’t disturb you.” “This is a gift from the gymnastics team.” She held a gift box in front of me. The high heels in the box were covered with diamonds and shone in the light. “We chose this together. Do you like it?” My heart suddenly ached. I held down my unconscious legs, and the bones under my palms reminded me that these legs had long lost the ability to stand. They knew my legs were ruined and I couldn’t stand, and they still chose such a gift. But before I could open my mouth, Joel said, “Why don’t you thank Rose? ” I took a deep breath, looked up and asked him, “You know this gift, right? You gave high heels to a paralysed person! How dare you!” “Your feet aren’t broken, can’t you wear these? We don’t treat you like a disabled person. It’s called respect.” “You know what’s in your heart!” I yelled. He got impatient and said, “Don’t blame Rose.” “She asked about your hobbies and found out you have lots of high heels. That’s why she chose this gift.” He got it wrong. Before I was paralysed, I liked buying shoes. But since I’ve been paralysed, I can only throw all my high heels into the cupboard. My heart is sore. Chapter

When I was paralysed, he hugged me and said, “I love you no matter what.” When I was scared, he said, “I’ll be your legs from now on.” He bathed and massaged me every day and sent me for acupuncture and massage. This went on for three years. One day, he said the name Rosalie Hans. We had less and less to talk about, and he came back later and later every day. He became detached and cold. He even forgot the day of my treatment. We had a qurrel one day. Rosalie came to calm us down. “Alright, Joel, I’m scared when you’re like this.” She stroked Joel’s chest, then squatted in front of my wheelchair. “Jeanne, don’t think about sad things. Let me help you try on your shoes.” She grabbed my legs without waiting for my consent. Then she lifted the hem of the dress. A withered, bony leg appeared. Joel had not accompanied me for rehab for more than two years because recovery was hopeless. He closed his eyes when he saw my legs. Joel turned away, disgusted. “You can see pressure sores all over your legs. Hurry up and put down your clothes.” “Shame on you!” She laughed, seeing me staring at her. “Don’t talk about Jeanne like that. She was a very good dancer.” With envy in her mouth, she forcefully twisted my leg outward at a strange angle. “Try on the shoes. Joel and I chose them together.” The high heel sits empty on my foot, mocking my ungainly leg bones. The taunts came and went. I clenched my fists and bit my lip. I snatched the high heels and slammed them into her face. “Get out!” “Don’t touch me!” She let out a scream and turned to rush into Joel’s arms, crying with tears streaming down her face. Joel grabbed her and kicked my wheelchair. I was pushed back towards the table with drinks. The glass broke on my head. I also fell out of the wheelchair. I reflexively reached out to Joel, hoping he could give me a hand. But he looked disgusted. “Rose gave you a shoe fitting, don’t be ungrateful!” I was angry and wanted to hit something. “Joel, you guys are too much! Bullying me for being disabled?” “You’re unbelievable. Who bullied you? Our gift is respect!” “You’re wicked.” I was shocked and speechless. That’s what he thought of me. He wouldn’t let me go to the banquet today. To stop me going to the living room. Joel even changed my cold medicine to sleeping pills. He thought I didn’t know. But for three years, over a thousand sleepless nights, I relied on this tiny pill to fall asleep. After taking too much medicine, one develops patience. I can’t sleep deeply with just one pill now. My eyes grew moist. When we first fell in love, he was able to wait for hours outside the theatre to introduce me to his best friend. I knew that hearts change, but it still hurt when it came to this day. Chapter

Three years ago, we saw a mudslide on the road. A boulder hit Joel in the back, and blood spilled out. I was only a little hurt sitting in the back. I cried and asked the system again. “Can he stand up now?” “No, his nerves are damaged.” What can we do? He’s young and his gymnastics career has just started. How can he die in this accident? I can’t bear the thought of him suffering. I asked the system, “Can I still use the points earned from previous?” “What do you want?” “I want to trade my legs to him.” “Host, are you crazy? If you give it to him, you’ll never dance again.” I nodded. “I’d rather suffer than see him suffer.” I’d rather see him healthy and happy. I cleared all my points and had the system switch my leg to him. From then on, I was paralysed in bed. Joel was lucky to be alive after being pressed under a boulder. He didn’t know I was the price he paid for everything. I was paralysed for a month. I was in pain and confused. I had no sleep and lost hair. Joel took a month off to take care of me. He supported me through my darkest time and our bond grew stronger. I got used to living in a wheelchair. Joel’s gymnastics career improved and we moved from a small house to a big villa. I taught myself program design in a wheelchair. I couldn’t dance, but I could design dance moves on the computer. Second year paralysed. I designed unique moves for their team. They did really well at the National Gymnastics Competition and are going to represent the USA at the World Championships next month. I called the system “The legs we switched back then, can we change them back?” “Yes, but there aren’t enough points left.” “How do I get the points?” “You’ll get points when you complete a random mission.” Chapter

I went to the stage at Pleasant Plaza in my wheelchair. There”s an open-air interview today. The couple are Joel and Rose, the golden pair of gymnasts. The host said the woman should touch Joel’s chest for the fans. Rose covered her face and then extended her hand. Joel looked at her with love, not backing away. He said he and Rose were only sponsoring the gymnastics team and nothing more. I kept seeing Rose’s name. “Rose did another difficult manoeuvre today!” “Rose and I work well together!” “Rose …” Some fans noticed me. “This is Joel’s wife?” “He’s got a wife.” “She’s pathetic. I heard she used to be a dancer.” “She’s still a cripple, she’s not good enough for him.” I ignored the comments. The director called the camera crew off and told the two men to continue filming after they’d solved their problems. Joel ran up, angry, and asked, “Why are you here?” I tilted my head and said, “I came to watch your interview.” “Go home! ” Joel’s disciple, Adam said loudly, “Hey, what are you doing here?” Rose came over and apologised, “Sorry, Jeanne. I was shooting and didn’t think. ” The crowd was unhappy that I didn”t accept her apology. “What’s with her face? Rose apologised and she still looks angry.” Some fans started a live broadcast, making things worse. Adam stared at me and laughed. “Why does it smell like urine? Is someone incontinent again?” “It really smells.” “It”s disgusting.” I laughed. Joel looked at me with contempt. “Joel, they’re insulting your wife.” He frowned, “Wife? We’re divorced.” He didn’t look at me. I sneered, “When did we get divorced?” There was more commotion. “You’re divorced and you’re still here, aren’t you?” “Get lost!” The crowd pushed me and I lost my balance. I fell forward and someone stepped on my leg. I thought I heard bones clicking and breaking. Adam scolded me, “You should have gone home.” Joel didn’t stop. He sneered, “I know what you want to see.” He gave Rose’s hand to me. I realised they were wearing the same couple watch. What’s not to understand? We had a watch like this. We were just starting out in our careers. We earned less and spent more. We saved money to get married. In summer, we went to the mall, sat in the air conditioning, ate ice cream. We shared it. He got a part-time job and bought two watches. This watch has been worn for several years. One day, his wrist was empty. He said he couldn’t find it. Joel is wearing a watch again. It wasn’t the original one. I said coldly, “Is that your answer?” Joel looked away. “I’ve done my best for you.” “See you at the Civil Affairs Bureau.”

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I was a childhood sweetheart with Jack, and Melanie suddenly appeared. It is said that the feelings of childhood sweethearts can’t compete with newcomers. Not long after she transferred to school, someone saw the empty stairwell after school. Jack lowered his head to review his mistakes like a docile puppy. Later, Melanie and I had a little conflict. He said lightly, “I don’t want to see Linda at school. ” My parents immediately transferred me for fear of offending the Jackson family. Since then, I didn’t dare to show my face in front of him as if I had disappeared from his world. But later on his birthday, he knocked on my door，with an embarrassed and aggrieved face: “Did you forget that today is my birthday?” ChapterIt is said that the feelings of childhood sweethearts can’t compete with newcomers. In the old days, I would have laughed at this saying. But when I saw Jack watching Melanie dance, I could see the love in his eyes. I believed it then. I also believed the rumour that Jack had gone soft on Melanie in a stairwell. I couldn’t tell him how I felt. It’ll stay hidden in my heart forever. When the song ended, I applauded the young girl on stage. Jack got up and left. I also left. Walking out of the hall, he raised his hand with a small pendant hanging on his hand. “Linda, here…” I asked him, “What’s this?” Jack was seven when he followed his sister-in-law to watch a soap opera. He remembered something called a love token. “Give it to Linda. From now on, Linda can only like me.” “ I will always protect Linda from now on too.” …… Melanie is new here this semester. She is good-looking and a dancer. She caused a stir when she arrived. The girls in the class said that Melanie was like one of those school stories where the heroine transfers, is a good girl, and is then taken in by the school bully. At that time, many people were pursuing Melanie.Jack said he was not interested in her. But now I know, I should stop and stay away from Jack. I used to go home with him, but I forgot when he started letting me go first for various reasons. In fact, he could have talked to me, I wouldn’t have stalked him. We’ve never been together. Chapter

We handed in our homework on Monday morning.I “I didn’t finish.”,Jack said. I had a good relationship with Jack, so the monitor come to me directly every time. He looks for Melanie as soon as class is over. “It’s none of my business now.” They nodded. The rumour that Jack had a girlfriend seemed true. They were even more sure. After class, I wrote my test papers. I wanted Jack to take the exam with me to North City. I’m going to work hard to get into North City University. Jack didn’t come back for the whole evening. The teacher asked where he’d gone. Everyone looked at me, but I didn’t look up. In the second lesson, Jack came back. He sat in his seat and didn’t say anything until someone told him the homeroom teacher wanted to see him in the office. He came back to his senses and paused as he passed me. I didn’t look up because I was doing math. My classmates came over and asked what was wrong with Jack and me. “Nothing.” “Really?” she said. My classmate was shocked. I told her, “I won’t care about him anymore.” “Ah.“ She was surprised and said, “Jack’s girlfriend is Melanie.“ I looked away and didn’t say anything. After the second night study session, Jack walked back to the classroom. I got a note: “You go first after school.” I put it away and wrote my test paper. The class after school was always crowded and noisy. I sat in my seat and gathered my things. The class suddenly got quiet. My desk mate covered her mouth in shock, so I followed her gaze. Melanie stood at the doorway, tilted her head and hooked her hand towards Jack before walking away. I looked at Jack, who smiled and followed her out. The class was noisy. “Oh my god!” “I thought Jack and Linda were a couple.”Linda “They grew up together.” “Childhood sweethearts can’t compete with newcomers.” … My classmates tried to comfort me, but I picked up my school bag, my heart hurt so much, but I had to smile, I couldn’t shed tears. I can’t show I’m sad or I’ll be laughed at. “I’m fine. Jack and I are just friends. I’ll leave now, see you tomorrow.” I left the noisy campus and gripped my school bag tightly. But I still cried, and my heart hurt. How did he suddenly fall for someone else? My vision blurred, but I heard the young man’s clear voice. Linda “I will protect Linda forever!” Chapter

“Linda , why didn’t you wait for me? ” Jack was late this morning. After class, he came over and put a bottle of milk on my desk. I stopped writing vocabulary and looked at the milk bottle. “I’ve already had breakfast. ; I’ll come to school early.” Jack sat next to me. He looked confused. “I haven’t messed with you lately. We’ve always walked together.” “Not anymore.” I put my pen down, took a deep breath, smiled, and said, “You have a girlfriend now, so let’s stay away from each other.” He looked shocked. “I do mind.” I told him, “I don’t want to be the target when your relationship goes wrong.” Jack is bad-tempered and impatient. After talking to me so much, I guess he’s had enough. His face went cold and he got up violently. The chair hit the floor with a loud thud, followed by a sentence. “Whatever.” I hung my head and closed my eyes. Last night I sat on the balcony blowing in the wind. Should I hide my feelings for him? Was this the end of our childhood love? No girl wants her boyfriend has female friends. After that day, Jack ignored me, even when we met in the corridor. The girl who used to be by his side changed to Melanie, and he introduced Melanie to everyone. Melanie was his first love. I listened to their love story like everyone else There’s a sportsman who likes Melanie. A few days ago, he blocked her in the alley. Jack beat him up. I’m top of my grade again. My teacher said to leave Jack alone or it would affect my studies. Jack’s family is rich. School is not important to him. After school, I looked out the window at the sunset. “Linda , where do you want to go to university?” After a hot, dry evening, Jack sat next to me. He tickled my hair and spoke carelessly. I said, “North City University.” “It’s far away.” I didn’t tell him I wanted to go to North City University because it was a top school, but because I wanted to escape. My dad cheated on my mother when he got rich. My mother said he didn’t love her because I’m a girl. She would cry at night, asking why I wasn’t a boy. She later gave birth to a son. My father returned to family briefly, they only loved my brother. I wanted to get away from home. Jack said he’d protect me forever, so I’d go anywhere with him. Chapter

A rumor that Melanie interfered in other people’s feelings gradually spread in the school. Jack strangled me and couldn’t wait to kill me. “Linda, what do you want to do?” My friend hurriedly pushed Jack away: “Are you crazy? Let her go quickly. She can’t breathe.” Jack let go and I could breathe again. “Linda, you’re gross.’” “Linda, are you okay?” I sat on the ground and coughed, crying. Victoriahugged me and patted my back. I wiped my tears and tried not to cry out. Jack looked like he wanted to strangle me. The teenager was gone. A classmate gave me a phone to look at. It turned out that someone wrote an anonymous letter accusing Melanie who destroyed my relationship with Jack. Many people believe it. They are insulting Melanie. The pinch marks on my neck have turned red. I thought to myself that when I get back from school at night, I will immediately write a letter of clarification. When I got home, my parents sat on the sofa with a gloomy face. A glass was thrown at my feet and shattered. “Why did you annoy Jackat school?” Dad slapped the table, eyes wide. “Our company has always relied on Jack. Are you trying to ruin us?” I stood there, listening to my mum and dad argue. The villa was cold. I was shivering. I don’t know how the fight ended or how I was taken to apologise to Jack. I wanted to tell him I didn’t make the post, but I’d clarify. When the door opened, he looked at me coldly. I couldn’t speak. I bowed and apologised. He looked at me and said, “I don’t want to see you at school again, Linda .” Mum and Dad promised they wouldn’t let me see him again. I looked up at him, but I couldn’t see his face in the light. My self-esteem was crushed. I realised we were never in the same world. The moon doesn’t descend on itself because of people’s delusions. The moon falling down the well is only a reflection, an illusion. His kindness to me was nothing more than a teenager’s whim. I shouldn’t have fantasised about anything. It was wrong from the beginning. That night I packed my things and my parents transferred me to another school. ChapterI moved schools two weeks ago. I rented a house near the school. I was forbidden to go home. We didn’t see each other for a while. “Linda , come play basketball today.“ Ian is my classmate who has come over to see me a lot recently. They said this was Ian’s first time chasing a girl. Teenagers always fantasise about school love stories. I shook my head. “I have homework.” He looked at the exercise book on the table and raised his eyebrows. “Linda , I’ve been chasing you for two weeks.” “So?” He laughed, “Why did you reject me?”

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When I got engaged to my boyfriend, his first love returned from abroad with twins. His ex cried to me, “If you hate me, take it out on me. But Asher and I are truly in love. We already have children together. You wouldn’t want to be the other woman, would you?” I just laughed. Looking down at her with my height advantage, I said, “First, I’m only taking back what’s mine. Second, Asher and I got together after you two broke up. If anyone’s the other woman here, it’s you coming to ruin my engagement party.” When I saw Asher hugging his ex and their twins, I smiled. The way his ex looked at me seemed to say, “What are you so proud of? You’re just a supporting character.” She must think she’s the heroine of some cheesy romance drama. With her plain looks and apparent lack of brains, she wouldn’t be giving me that challenging look otherwise. After all, this was my engagement party with Asher. But I knew this engagement was over, and Asher and I would never make it to the altar. Asher solemnly told me, “Rachel, I’m sorry. The one I truly love is Zora.” The banquet hall suddenly erupted in chatter. After all, I was young, beautiful, highly educated, capable, and from a good family – far superior to Asher’s poor ex in every way. Only Asher’s friends looked at him approvingly, seemingly moved by his devotion. They even gave me pitying looks, as if mocking a jilted woman. Birds of a feather really do flock together. I had loved Asher for so many years, willingly giving him everything. But it only takes a moment to lose all respect for someone. I took off the diamond ring and tossed it at Asher, saying nonchalantly, “Fine. Then let’s settle our accounts.” Asher was stunned. “What accounts?” What a stupid question. “All those years I helped manage your company and invested in you – you think that was all for free? Do I look like some fool who works for love?” Asher seemed shocked by my decisiveness. He was speechless. His ex Zora stepped forward crying to speak for him. “Miss Song, you’re so wealthy. The money you invested in Asher is just pocket change to you. Why are you being so petty?” Asher’s friends chimed in too. “Yeah Rachel, you don’t look like you’re hurting for money.” “Are you just lashing out because you’re humiliated?” “Getting dumped at your own engagement party is pretty embarrassing.” Asher at least had some conscience and tried to stop them. “That’s enough, guys.” “Miss Song…” Zora said tearfully, “If you hate me, take it out on me. But Asher and I are truly in love. We already have children together. You wouldn’t want to be the other woman, would you?” I just laughed. This poor thing thought she had the moral high ground and was trying to paint me as the villain. What a hypocrite. Looking down at her with my height advantage, I said, “First, I’m only taking back what’s mine. Second, Asher and I got together after you two broke up. If anyone’s the other woman here, it’s you coming to ruin my engagement party.” Zora immediately put on an extremely wronged expression, tears streaming down her face. Asher looked pained, as if wanting to defend his precious ex. I spoke up before he could: “Asher, you should know my patience is limited.”

Sure enough, Asher backed down. We went to a private club where I was a member. Oh, and Zora came along with her twins too. Asher and I sat facing each other, while Zora tended to the kids nearby, occasionally glancing our way. Asher said, “Rachel, I’ll pay back everything I owe you, but I don’t have that much capital right now. Could you…” “If you don’t have the money, give me the projects you’re working on.” Since we were breaking up, might as well make a clean break. My decisiveness seemed to keep surprising Asher. He stared at me in shock. Zora was the typical stay-at-home mom type, clearly clueless about business matters. But when she heard I wanted to take Asher’s projects, she immediately spoke up. “That’s not right! Rachel, those projects are all Asher’s…” I was nauseated just hearing Zora’s voice now. She thought she was helping Asher? Wrong! I may be cool-headed, but I’m not magnanimous. Her voice was a constant reminder that my relationship ended because of this homewrecker. “Do you have any right to speak here?” Zora was immediately silenced, looking wronged and pitiful as if I was bullying her. Naturally, Asher was unhappy with how I spoke to his beloved ex. “Rachel, Zora doesn’t know anything about this. Why are you being so harsh?” He turned to Zora and said, “Those projects were all negotiated by Rachel herself. It’s only fair for her to take them.” I laughed, amused by Asher’s naivety. “Of course I’m taking the projects I negotiated myself. I’m talking about the ones you’re working on.” Asher was shocked. “What do you mean?” I sneered, “You said you don’t have capital. So use your projects to pay me back. Is that so hard to understand?” Asher’s expression darkened, as if holding back anger. “Rachel, do you have to be so ruthless? Can’t we even remain friends?” Friends? A man who abandoned me at our engagement party wants to be friends? What a joke. I’d like to demand fairness from Asher, but him dumping me at the engagement was an irrefutable fact – and a lesson learned. I told Vincent very seriously, “I have no obligation to do that.”

In the end, I forcefully took not only the projects I had negotiated myself, but also picked two of Asher’s most profitable ones. These two projects would make a huge profit, far exceeding all the money I had invested in Asher over the years. Having gotten what I wanted, I left. As I walked out, I could still hear Zora’s tearful complaints and the kids’ noisy cries. I couldn’t be bothered with them anymore. My focus now was on cashing in. … For years, I had been busy revolving around Asher, rarely returning to my own company. The project handovers went very smoothly. Besides the ones I had personally handled, one of the projects I took from Asher immediately agreed to work with me. Only one was still hesitant, saying they needed to evaluate further. Since my company’s business scope didn’t overlap much with Asher’s, they were concerned I might lack expertise. The next morning, I had an appointment to meet their person in charge, still at that same club. I didn’t expect the person who came would be Vincent. He was Asher’s uncle. In all my years dating Asher, I had only met him twice, including this time. Vincent had a very strong presence. From the first time I met him, I was a bit intimidated by him. Well, just a tiny bit. Vincent smiled at me, very gentlemanly and elegant, but also giving off an oppressive aura. “Why don’t you come in?” Vincent was like someone who believed in Buddha but acted like a demon. My instincts told me this man was dangerous. Asher was his nephew – why would he agree to work with me on this project? Could he be seeking revenge for his nephew? I walked in and sat across from Vincent, forcing myself to smile. “Hello, Mr. Shen.” Vincent seemed to be in a good mood. “You remember me?” How could I forget such an important figure? I said, “Of course. I met you last year when Asher took me home for dinner.” Vincent kept smiling. “I’m honored to have left such a deep first impression on you.” This was typical Vincent – smiling and speaking pleasantly, but I still had to be on guard. I was afraid he might stab me while smiling.

I decided not to pursue this project anymore. It wasn’t that I was scared, but I knew when to cut my losses. Before Vincent could make his move, I decisively cut off his line of attack. “Mr. Shen, I’m sure you know about my situation with Asher. I think we should call off our cooperation.” Vincent just calmly asked, “Why?” Did he really need to ask? Didn’t he know the reason? “Then why did you agree to work with me?” I countered. Wasn’t it to get revenge for his nephew? Vincent stared into my eyes. “For you.” I was suddenly dumbfounded, not just by Vincent’s words, but by the way he looked at me. That blatant possessiveness made it hard for me to breathe. I also didn’t understand what he meant by those three words. “What do you mean?” Vincent sat up straight, smiling at me. “Can’t you tell? I’m pursuing you.” His tone was light and ambiguous at the end. It gave me goosebumps. I had just broken up with his nephew, and now he was pursuing me? Who would believe that? I was even more furious now. I felt like Vincent was treating me like a fool. “Vincent, do you think I’m that easy to fool?” The way Vincent looked at me seemed appreciative, as if my anger was something very interesting to him. He said, “I’m not fooling you.” I tried to stay calm despite my anger. “We’ve only met twice.” “Who says I can’t fall for you at first sight?” Vincent asked as if it was the most natural thing, his expression unreadable. I wasn’t intimidated by him at all now. Anger made me feel invincible. I challenged him, “I was still Asher’s girlfriend then. You fell for your future niece-in-law at first sight?” “Is there a problem with that? I only started pursuing you after you broke up. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong.” He spoke casually, making perfect sense. But I just couldn’t believe it. This came too suddenly, and at such a time. I had to be cautious. “I don’t like you…” “That’s why I’m pursuing you,” Vincent interrupted me. “This project is just my way of getting close to you. If it makes you uncomfortable, you can cancel the cooperation anytime. But I’ll continue pursuing you.” He seemed very persistent, as if he really was interested in me. The project matter was temporarily set aside. I stood up. “Let’s end the discussion here. I have other matters to attend to.” I nodded at him and started walking away. Just as I reached the door, I heard Vincent call out to me. He called my name. “Rachel.” I turned to look at him. He had also stood up and was walking towards me. Vincent was even taller than Asher, definitely over 6’1″. With his strong presence, I felt a sense of pressure as soon as he approached me. I hated feeling at a disadvantage like this. I raised my chin. “What?” Vincent stopped in front of me. I caught a whiff of his faint cologne – light and ethereal, hard to pinpoint the exact scent, but very pleasant. He asked me, “Am I inferior to Asher in any way?” I can’t believe Vincent would ask such a question. So he was human after all. “To be honest, you’re better than Asher in every way.” Asher wasn’t my boyfriend anymore. I had no reason to idealize him. Vincent asked again, “Then why don’t you like me?” Vincent’s questions always made me feel like we were talking past each other. I was analyzing objective factors, while he kept subjectively challenging me. I decided to be straightforward. “Vincent, I think you’re trying to get revenge on me for Asher.” Vincent was stunned for a moment, then laughed. “I see. It’s my mistake. I shouldn’t have mixed business with personal matters. I understand why you’re so guarded.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Once things were out in the open, the rest would follow naturally. “Then let’s call off our cooperation.” “Alright,” Vincent readily agreed.

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I’ve been childhood friends with Jack for as long as I can remember, and I’ve had a secret crush on him for ten years. I always thought that if I waited long enough, he would eventually notice me. That is, until Jack’s birthday party. He showed up holding hands with my best friend, Vanessa. They kissed passionately amidst everyone’s congratulations. Then Jack said that to him, I was nothing more than a convenient helper. Jack has always been incredibly handsome, so he’s had a constant stream of admirers and girlfriends since we were young. I was the only one who stayed by his side all this time. I always thought I was special to him, carefully hiding my feelings while doing whatever he asked. Jack’s friends often teased him, saying, “Jack, you’ve got yourself a loyal little sidekick, don’t you?” Jack never denied it. This year, Jack turned twenty-four. One day, after waking up from a post-breakup drinking binge, I was in the kitchen cooking when Jack came up behind me and patted my head. “Tangerine,” he said, using my nickname, “what would I do without you? I’d probably starve to death, wouldn’t I?” “You know what? Maybe we should just get together,” he added casually. His offhand comment nearly stopped my heart. I froze, unable to speak. But Jack laughed it off first. “Just kidding. You’re not really my type.” I shooed Jack out of the kitchen and continued cooking alone. His two sentences had lifted me up, only to shatter me completely. After I finished cooking, I left. Jack lazily said goodbye, “Come back soon, Tangerine.” I didn’t answer, practically fleeing from his apartment. When I got home, my college roommate Vanessa was there, inviting me to eat some strawberries with her. Looking at Vanessa sitting on the couch in just her pajamas, her face bare of makeup yet still breathtakingly beautiful, I couldn’t help but feel dejected. If only I were that pretty, maybe Jack would like me. Of course, Jack has always been attracted to beautiful, glamorous, dazzling women. And me? I’m just ordinary, unremarkable. Like one of the countless stars in the sky – most people probably couldn’t even name me if they tried. Seeing me lost in thought, Vanessa pinched my cheek. “Why so dazed? You’ve been acting weird ever since you came back from seeing your crush today.” “Did you two have a fight?” Vanessa knew I had liked someone for a long time, so she occasionally teased me about it. I shook my head. “What crush? We’re just friends. Don’t make things up.” “Oh, come on. If you like him, just admit it. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. If you like him, confess. If he doesn’t like you back, at least you can move on. Why torture yourself like this?” She was right, but it was hard for me to do. After all, I had liked him for ten years. But this time, I silently told myself: one last chance. If it doesn’t work out this time, I’ll give up. On my birthday, I invited Jack out for dinner. But I didn’t expect him to come to my rented apartment while I was out. Jack and Vanessa met face to face. They chatted briefly, but to me, they looked like a perfect match – the handsome guy and the beautiful girl. I dug my nails into my palms, telling myself it was nothing. After Vanessa left, Jack excitedly bumped my shoulder. “Wow, Tangerine! I can’t believe you never told me you had such a gorgeous friend.” “You never asked,” I replied. It’s true. He never cared about my studies, my life, or my friends. It had always been me chasing after him. “Hey, give me her SnapChat. I’ll treat you to something nice in return.” I shook my head, forcing myself to say, “She doesn’t like guys like you.” “Oh, come on. Just give it to me, will you?” In the end, I gave it to him. But I thought that since Vanessa had known me for so long and knew I liked Jack, she surely wouldn’t accept his advances. After that, Jack occasionally came to my rented apartment. He and Vanessa didn’t talk much; they weren’t very familiar with each other. This reassured me. I was planning to confess to Jack at his birthday party a month later. If it didn’t work out, I would give up. But I was sure it would work. After all this time, he must have noticed me by now. I prepared for a long time, deciding what to wear to the birthday party and even revising my confession speech more than a dozen times. However, I failed to notice Vanessa’s increasingly frequent late nights out and the happy smile on her face. On the day of Jack’s birthday, he invited many friends. I deliberately wore a beautiful long dress. Before I left, Vanessa gave me a strange look. Her words were odd too. “Why are you dressing up so formally for his birthday? People might think it’s a proposal or something.” I detected a hint of mockery in her words, but when I turned to look at her, she was just staring at her phone. When I arrived at the private room, Jack wasn’t there yet. I knew Jack’s friends, and they sat next to me, teasing, “Tangerine, you’re dressed so beautifully today. Are you going to confess to Jack?” “Good luck! If you succeed, you have to treat us all to drinks!” “Sure,” I agreed with a smile. Jack arrived half an hour later. Everyone was pushing me, ready to shove me in front of Jack as soon as he opened the door. But to everyone’s surprise, he walked in holding Vanessa’s hand. The hands pushing me suddenly stopped. The atmosphere instantly became awkward. I stood there holding a bouquet of flowers, feeling completely out of place. Vanessa broke the silence first. “Jack, look at the flowers Tangerine bought for you. Thank her, won’t you?” Jack tightened his grip on Vanessa’s hand. “How generous of you.” Then he turned to me and said perfunctorily, “Thanks, Tangerine.” For the rest of the evening, I hid in a corner, looking down at my now ridiculous dress and feeling utterly foolish. So, the feelings that all his friends knew about – how could he not have known? So, because I wasn’t pretty enough, I was destined not to be liked by him. But Vanessa, whom he had only known for a short time, could capture his heart. The sofa beside me dipped as Vanessa sat down. There was a smile on her face that didn’t reach her eyes. She apologized, “I’m sorry, Tangerine. I didn’t tell you about us getting together.” “But you can’t control these things in relationships. You should face reality.” I looked at her, shocked. I never expected Vanessa, whom I had known for years, to be like this. She dismissed my confusion with disdain. “Don’t you understand yet? He likes beautiful women.” I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t argue. For the rest of the evening, Jack blew out the candles on his cake, then embraced Vanessa and kissed her under the lights. At that moment, I decided: I don’t want to like Jack anymore, and I don’t want to be friends with Vanessa anymore. I took Jack’s house key out of my pocket and put it in Vanessa’s bag. As I was about to leave, Vanessa grabbed me. Her beautiful features were even more captivating as she spoke with a pitiful expression, “Tangerine, I know you’re angry with me. But I’m sorry, you can’t control love. I promise I’ll treat Jack well.” For a moment, I froze in place. Not just me, but Jack’s friends were stunned too. She was doing this on purpose, humiliating me in front of everyone. I wanted to say something, but Jack beat me to it. “What are you talking about? Tangerine and I are just like siblings. I’d never like someone like her. Right, Tangerine?” Fighting back tears, I looked at Jack and Vanessa in the silent room. “Yes, I used to like Jack. But from today on, I will never like Jack again. If I do, may I drop dead.” After I said this, Jack’s expression changed dramatically. “And Vanessa, I don’t want to be friends with you anymore. You disgust me.” With that, I left. But as soon as I got out the door, Jack caught up with me. His voice was cold. “Lily, apologize to Vanessa.” I shook off his hand. “Apologize my ass. I was an idiot for ever liking you.” Seeing Jack’s shocked expression, I turned and left. This time, he didn’t follow. I walked down the street in my dress, hunched over and sobbing uncontrollably. I cried for a long time before I noticed someone behind me. Through my tears, I saw a guy in a black hoodie standing not far away, watching me. He was quite handsome. I crouched down, picked up a brick, and pointed it at him. “If you keep following me, I’ll fight you to the death.” My outburst made everyone around us stare at me and the guy. The guy frowned slightly and walked towards me. “Wipe your tears and look at who I am.” I didn’t have any tissues, and I had been sniffling back my runny nose. How could I wipe my face? The guy sighed, rummaged in his pocket for a while, but found nothing. I watched him turn to a girl nearby and say, “Excuse me, do you have any tissues? I’ll pay for them. My friend just had a breakup.” Eventually, he got a pack of tissues. He stood in front of me, opened the pack, and started wiping my face, mixing my tears and snot together. I pushed him away, but at least I could see clearly now. The guy in front of me was very handsome, even more so than Jack. He frowned, “Do you recognize me now?” I shook my head. “No, who are you?” After I said this, the guy laughed coldly. “Last time you rode my bike to the department office to get a stamp, you punctured both my tires in four places. You even said, ‘Mr. President, I will forever remember your great kindness. Your image and smile will always be in my heart.’” “Oh, and now you don’t even remember what I look like?” ! I remembered now. It was Ryan, the former student council president. But he had stepped down half a year ago. It was normal that I didn’t remember him, right? I tried to sniffle back my runny nose. “What brings you here? Are you here to ask for compensation for your bike? Can we talk about it tomorrow? Waaah…” I was about to cry again when a tissue was thrust in my face. Ryan commanded coldly, “Cry again and you’ll have to pay for the bike.” “So… what are you doing here?” “I was out for dinner and saw you walking down the street with your mouth wide open, wailing like a mobile broadcast van. I came to see what the fuss was about. No good intentions here.” “…” How mean. “Have you seen enough then?” I lowered my head, feeling dejected. Ryan sighed and took off his hoodie, putting it over my head. “Stop crying. I’ll take you home. Are you living on campus or off-campus? It’s already 10 PM, it’s not safe for you to walk alone like this.” “Oh, thank you, Mr. President. When I have money, I’ll definitely pay you back for your bike tires.” “Don’t call me President anymore. I stepped down long ago. Call me Ryan.” It would take about 20 minutes to walk to my apartment from here, and I had been walking in the opposite direction earlier. Now I had to turn back. Ryan’s face seemed to attract a lot of attention, but more people seemed to be looking at me. I blinked, and an eyelash fell out. Oh right, I had put on fake eyelashes today for my confession to Jack. They cost over ten dollars a pair. What a waste. Suddenly, I remembered that I still shared an apartment with Vanessa. I sniffled and looked at Ryan sheepishly. “I have a favor to ask.” He glanced at me, frowning without hesitation. “Then don’t ask.” “Please, I’m begging you. My best friend got together with the guy I’ve liked for ten years. Will you help me move out if I tell you the whole story?” “… At 10:30 PM? Moving? Have you even thought about where you’re going to move to?” “No! But even if I have to sleep on the streets, I have to move out!” Ryan closed his eyes helplessly, pondering for a long time before finally agreeing. “Stop crying. Fine, we’ll move. I must be crazy to get involved in this mess.” I called a moving van, and it took Ryan and me back to my rented apartment. This kind-hearted sucker started helping me move. He was really efficient at it. But we had only moved half of my stuff when Vanessa and Jack came back. They stared at the mess of things at the door and Ryan and me bustling in and out. After a moment, Vanessa shrieked, “Lily, what are you doing?” I glanced at her without answering. As Ryan passed by Jack carrying my oven, he deliberately bumped into him hard. Then he turned back to ask me, “Why does a college student living in a rented apartment need an oven?” This oven was actually bought to bake cupcakes for Jack, and Vanessa had eaten plenty of them too. In the end, she betrayed me because of Jack’s hurtful words about me. I guess those cupcakes were wasted on ungrateful dogs. I glanced at Jack and Vanessa before answering, “I bought it to bake cupcakes for these two-timing dogs.”

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I listened to my best friend’s urging and planned to secretly meet my childhood friend. As I was about to leave, a book fell from the sky and hit my head. In the book, I constantly hurt my loving husband in order to be with my childhood friend. In the end, I was betrayed by my best friend and childhood friend, left alone and abandoned. I decided to play along and go to the meeting. When my childhood friend tried to hug me, I pushed him away and made it clear we had no relationship. I turned and walked to my husband who was standing in the corner. He asked suspiciously, “What game are you playing now?” “Hubby, hug me,” I said. Well, who wouldn’t want a rich husband who loves you deeply? After being hit on the head by a book that fell from the sky, a new set of memories appeared in my mind. Because of these memories, my obsession with my first love completely vanished. When I woke up, I was still a bit dazed, thinking I was cramped in a dark, damp basement, waking up every day worrying about how to make money, or else I’d be homeless the next day. I looked around the room – it was luxuriously decorated, with everything arranged according to my preferences. The extra memories were so vivid, as if heaven was deliberately reminding me. If I remained stubborn and unrepentant, I would end up in a miserable situation in the future. I pulled back the curtains and saw a large field of roses. My husband Adrian had hired professional gardeners to plant them. The entire villa’s decor, down to every flower in the garden, was designed based on my preferences. But in the past, I saw it as a beautiful cage. I opened my phone and, unsurprisingly, there were many messages from my best friend Rachel. We had originally planned to go out three days ago, but I was knocked unconscious by the falling book right before leaving, so the plan fell through. “Hazel, did Adrian lock you up at home again? He’s such a psycho. I’ll definitely help you escape. Jack is still waiting for you.” I couldn’t help but laugh. She called Adrian a psycho, but she used all sorts of tricks to seduce him after I left. And Jack, my first love who was supposedly waiting for me, had already dated countless women abroad. In the new memories, I used suicide to force Adrian to divorce me. He was left scarred and broken, but still willing to give me most of his assets. Unfortunately, that money was quickly swindled away by Jack. It was only then that I realized everything had been fake. … I hadn’t responded to Rachel for three days, and she was clearly getting anxious. She kept sending messages, trying to drive a wedge between Adrian and me, while painting Jack as deeply in love with me. “Adrian is coming back from abroad in two days. You’ll really have no chance after that.” Adrian’s whereabouts were always kept secret, yet she even knew when he was returning. It seems Rachel had quite a few spies around Adrian. I pondered for a moment, then opened my chat with Adrian. All the messages were from him, ranging from daily greetings to itinerary updates. But I had never replied. The last message was from last night. Adrian said his flight had been rescheduled and he would be back today. In the past, I would have gotten a headache seeing this message. But at this moment, I suddenly felt an overwhelming longing for my husband. “Okay, I’ll wait for you to come back. Be careful on the way.” Just after I sent the message, there was a sudden commotion downstairs. A car had stopped at the entrance of the estate. A 5-year-old boy got out of the car, wearing a kindergarten backpack and holding something in his hand. As he walked into the estate, everyone he passed stopped to greet him. Because he was Adrian’s and my child. The child who looked 80% like Adrian, so I had never liked him.

I once overheard our son talking to Adrian. The 5-year-old was innocent yet sensitive, asking Adrian if he wasn’t behaving well enough. “Why doesn’t mommy like me? Is it because I’m not obedient?” Adrian held him on his lap, gently stroking his face. “Maybe… it’s because you look too much like daddy.” When I went downstairs, our son had just walked in. Seeing me, his eyes lit up, but he only inched cautiously towards me. “Mommy…” His gaze kept scanning me until it suddenly fell on the bruise on my forehead from being hit. His eyes widened and he rushed over without hesitation. “Mommy, what happened to your head?” “I accidentally bumped my head. Have you been good at kindergarten this week?” Looking at his cautious demeanor, I couldn’t help but reach out to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Our son was visibly startled, but still nuzzled my hand obediently. “I’ve been good. I even got a gold star from the teacher.” The housekeeper watched us nervously and carefully approached. “Young master, why don’t we go play with your toys instead of bothering mommy?” Our son looked at me reluctantly, clearly not wanting to leave, but still let go of my hand. We rarely had intimate moments. In the past, I had mixed feelings of love and hate towards this child. But now I just wanted to make it up to him. “Am I not allowed to talk to my own son?” I raised an eyebrow at the housekeeper, who flinched and immediately backed away. It seems my past crazy behavior in the villa had left quite an impression, making everyone in the house wary of me. Only my son looked at me in confusion, his chubby little hands fidgeting with his clothes. After a while, I finally heard his tentative voice. “Mommy, do you want to see my gold star?” I finally noticed the gold star he was holding and nodded immediately. Seeing his face light up with a smile, he happily placed the star in my palm. “It’s beautiful. My baby is so clever.” Everyone looked at me in shock. My son was so excited he couldn’t speak. For the whole day, my son played nearby, not too close but not too far, glancing at me from time to time. Finally, I couldn’t resist patting my lap. “Do you want to sit on mommy’s lap and play?” My son stood up, looked at his toy thoughtfully for a while, then smiled brightly and ran over to me happily. He sat in my lap very obediently, looking up at my expression every so often while playing. “Mommy, do you want to play with the toys? Or read a storybook?” Behind the well-behaved child was a long-term lack of maternal love. He was always cautious, afraid of angering me. My heart melted at the sight. I pulled my son close and hugged him tightly. “It’s okay, sweetie. From now on, mommy will do whatever you want to do with you.”

I played with my son all day. By evening, I was unusually tired as soon as my head hit the pillow. In the middle of the night, I suddenly felt cold next to me. I tried to pull the blanket, but my hand was restrained by something. A body pressed down on me, so heavy I could barely breathe. I could only groggily open my eyes in my sleepy state. As soon as I opened my eyes, I met a pair of almond-shaped eyes, instantly captivated. Adrian was undeniably handsome. This was something I could never deny. He had alluring almond eyes with a beauty mark below them. The first time we met, I even wondered if fox spirits really existed in this world. How else could a man wearing a complex three-piece suit, covered from head to toe, still silently seduce you with just a glance? “Hazel.” He softened his voice, husky and magnetic, as if bewitching me. “It’s been a while. Did you miss me?” His cold fingers trailed across my face, sliding down my neck, raising goosebumps. “Let go of my hands first.” My wrists were tied with Adrian’s tie. I couldn’t move and could only quietly plead with him. Although Adrian was very tolerant of my tantrums in the villa, smashing glasses and crystal lamps, the truly sick one in our relationship was Adrian. He had an obsessive disorder, never letting go of things he was fixated on. He was sensitive, suspicious, and extremely possessive. Once, after arguing with Adrian due to Rachel’s instigation, I was directly locked up in the villa by him. “Baby, I don’t want to do this either. But once I let you go, who knows where you’ll run off to.” He caressed my face with one hand while skillfully unbuttoning my clothes with the other. Adrian’s body temperature was always low. As soon as he touched me, I felt a chill. “I really won’t run away. It’s uncomfortable being tied up like this.” Adrian ignored my words. Only after we were done did he finally release me. I was exhausted and could only lie panting in bed. He gently massaged my hands. I managed to open my eyes and saw Adrian kneeling by the bed, intently focused on my hands, his movements becoming increasingly gentle. “What do you want to say to me?” Adrian met my gaze, his eyes filled with complex emotions. “You suddenly messaged me. What did you want to discuss? Letting you leave? I’ve said before that I won’t agree…” For once, I argued with Adrian. Using my last bit of strength, I sat up and threw myself into his arms. Adrian was clearly stunned, his body stiffening. He just tightly wrapped his arms around me. I was too tired to talk to Adrian and fell fast asleep. When I woke up the next morning, I heard soft voices outside the door. “Is mommy still not awake? She said she’d have breakfast with me today.” “Mommy is very tired and needs to rest.” My son fell silent. Through the door crack, I saw him sit down on the floor. “Then I’ll wait here for mommy. This way she’ll see me when she wakes up.” Genetics truly are a mysterious thing. Not only did my son look similar to Adrian, sometimes his stubbornness was exactly the same. I softly called out “baby”, and hearing my voice, my son immediately got up and rushed towards the room. “Good morning, mommy.” Yesterday’s interactions had broken down the barriers between us. My son happily pounced in front of me, his chubby little hands holding mine. Adrian stood at the bedroom door, looking at me with a complex expression. He had tried every way to please me before, even begging me not to leave on his knees. Every time he got close, it only triggered greater disgust from me. So Adrian got used to standing at a distance, just awkwardly staring at me. Well, the best way to deal with an awkward person is to be direct. I looked at Adrian and smiled. “Good morning, hubby.” On Saturday morning, because of that one “hubby”, Adrian accidentally knocked over two water glasses. By the third time, I finally couldn’t hold back. “If you don’t like it, I won’t call you that anymore in the future.” “I do like it!” Good, this time he denied it faster than anyone. At the dining table, the housekeeper brought today’s breakfast. I met the housekeeper’s gaze. The moment our eyes met, she instinctively avoided it. “Mrs. Wood, how long have you been working in this house?” “Almost ten years. I used to work at the old mansion, but came here after the master married you.”

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My ex cheated on me with my best friend. To get revenge, I seduced his uncle. I called him “daddy” over and over until his ears turned red. Then he pinned me down on the couch, his eyes half-closed: “Little girl, you’re playing with fire.” “What do you mean by playing with fire?” I soon found out. Pinned down by Ethan Song, I begged for mercy: “My legs are numb.” His dark eyes turned crimson as he said huskily, “Call me daddy.” I whimpered, “Daddy…” “Daddy, I was wrong. I’ll never play with fire again, wah wah wah…” The next day, Ethan went to work full of energy, while I lay in bed with an aching back and numb legs. My pursuit of Ethan started six months ago. After dating Ryan Song for three years, I was cheated on. When it came to light, I confronted Ryan. “It’s bad enough that you cheated on me, but why did it have to be with Emma? You know who she is.” Emma Sun was my best friend. No, to be precise, she was my former best friend. One was my boyfriend, one was my best friend – the two most important people in my life had betrayed me. I was the fool all along. Back then, she strongly encouraged us to get together, saying we were a match made in heaven. Turns out she was just angry at Ryan and pushed him to me. Great, was I just a backup plan? The irony is, I only found out about all this after we broke up. Drunk at a bar late one night, I ran into Ethan Song. I had seen him before at Ryan’s house. In my drunken haze, I stumbled towards him. “Daddy…” My legs gave way and I fell straight forward. The shiny marble floor – if I hit that, my face would be ruined! My precious face! But I didn’t fall all the way. Halfway down, someone caught me. A pair of strong hands firmly gripped my wrists. That was close! It was Ethan who steadied me. I looked up into his obsidian eyes. An evil thought popped into my mind and I acted on it immediately. As I stood up straight, I pretended to still be drunk and fell into his arms, my lips barely grazing his cheek. Who was Ethan? Ryan’s uncle. If the scumbag had no feelings, I would have no loyalty. I’d seduce his uncle and make them call me auntie. Hahaha – perhaps my evil grin was too obvious, as Ethan narrowed his eyes and stared at me. “Daddy, I like you.” “You’re drunk.” “No I’m not!” I cupped his face and kissed him decisively. There were cheers and whistles from around us. Yes, success! Although what I really wanted was to slap Ryan and Emma’s faces countless times, That kind of revenge wasn’t a good idea. I needed to put mental and psychological pressure on them, to make them suffer the torment I had endured alone. I told Ethan that from the moment I first saw him, I couldn’t help but be attracted to him. Unfortunately, I was still with Ryan at the time. Now that I had broken up with him, I wanted to bravely pursue true love. His dark eyes were unfathomable as Ethan smiled slightly. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “Daddy, give me a chance.” Of course Ethan ignored me. Who would believe the words of a drunk? But I was determined and persistent. When he went to work, I would wait outside his company. I didn’t even go into the lobby. Sure enough, after a few days Ethan invited me to his office. “Little girl, what exactly are you trying to do?” His tone conveyed helpless resignation. I handed him the breakfast I had made myself, pretending to be pitiful and innocent, blinking my big eyes. “Daddy, I made you breakfast. Daddy, I have many good qualities.” Amusement flashed in Ethan’s eyes. With his chiseled features and sharp gaze, he was several leagues above Ryan in looks. And he was the big boss of the company. I wondered silently, how could two brothers born to the same mother be so different? “Tell me, what good qualities do you have?” I counted on my fingers: “Look daddy, I’m young, pretty, cute, I can make you laugh, cook for you, and most importantly, I like you very very much.” He shook his head, the corners of his mouth curving into a handsome smile. “Little girl, you’re too young.” I didn’t understand. Wasn’t being young a good thing? The more he rejected me, the more I pursued him, almost growing more determined with each setback. Finally, I seized the opportunity when he caught a cold and had a fever. I took advantage of his weakened state, unleashing my maternal instincts to take care of him day and night. After he recovered, Ethan finally agreed to date me for a while. I was hundreds of times happier than when I got together with Ryan. I hugged his neck and gave him a big kiss: “I love you so much, daddy.” Ethan’s voice was husky as he pushed me away and turned his face. “It’s too hot.” “Then take off your clothes!” I eagerly started unbuttoning his shirt, but of course he refused again. After all this time, how could such a beautiful woman like me not move him at all? I didn’t believe it. I pushed him down on the couch, and that’s how yesterday’s scene unfolded. Wah wah wah, it turns out Ethan wasn’t incapable, he was too capable. I rubbed my sore waist and texted him. “Bad daddy, I want bubble tea.” “As much as you want.” A friend texted me: “Did you know Ryan is engaged?” How would I know? I’ve been too busy with Ethan lately. “To who?” “Who else but Emma? Those two shameless people won’t last long. Lily, don’t be angry or sad.” It would be a lie to say I wasn’t angry or sad. Ryan and I dated for three years. It was my first relationship and I had invested my whole heart into it. When I found out the truth, it felt like a chunk of flesh had been violently carved out of my heart. It hurt so much. Ryan was getting engaged, and Ethan would definitely have to make an appearance. This was the day I had been waiting for. At the entrance of the five-star hotel, there was a wedding photo of Ryan and Emma. Their faces were pressed together, smiling brilliantly. I sneered and tightened my grip on Ethan’s arm. Inside the hall, elegant piano music began to play softly. Quite a few people had come to attend the engagement party. Ryan was dressed in a suit, looking more mature. Emma stood beside him, smiling gracefully and properly. Ethan glanced down at me and patted the back of my hand. “Let’s go toast them.” By toasting, he meant they would toast us. Firstly because of Ethan’s status, and secondly because Ethan was Ryan’s uncle after all. When they saw me, Emma’s smile froze on her face. Ryan didn’t look much better. Ethan’s voice was clear and pleasant: “This is your little aunt.” What? I didn’t quite catch that. Was it uncle or aunt? Ryan forced a smile uglier than crying: “Uncle, Auntie.” “…” Let’s put the titles aside for now. I cleared my throat, straightened my back, and stared at Emma, my gaze full of mockery. Ryan nudged her, and she reluctantly said, “Uncle, Auntie.” I felt like I was floating as Ethan led me away. “Aren’t you Ryan’s older brother?” Ethan raised an eyebrow: “Ryan is an only child. I’m his uncle.” “…” I was stunned. This generational gap was a bit hard for me to handle. “Mr. Song, regarding that piece of land in the west of the city, could you please be lenient and give our Huachuan Group a chance?” “Mr. Song, this is my nephew who just returned from studying abroad. He plans to develop his career domestically. I hope you can give him some guidance.” “Last time, thanks to Mr. Song’s generous help, our company avoided bankruptcy. If there’s anything you need in the future, Mr. Song, please don’t hesitate to ask!” … As soon as Ethan appeared, he immediately became the focus of the entire venue. Guests came forward to toast him one after another, treating Ethan with utmost respect. Some people are born to be the main character, while others, even standing in the center, can never become the protagonist. On stage, Ryan and Emma expressed their gratitude to the guests, but no one below paid them any attention. Who exactly was this Ethan? I excused myself to the restroom and took out my phone to search for information about Ethan. I was shocked by what I found. It turned out Ethan was the CEO of the Song Group, with assets worth hundreds of millions. He was truly a diamond bachelor! How much is thirty-two minus twenty-four? I counted on my fingers quietly. “Eight years!” No wonder Ethan said I was too young before. Of course I was young! A whole eight years younger. Did Ethan eat some kind of preservative? How could he look so young for someone eight years older than me? On my way back to the hall, I was lost in thought and bumped right into Ryan coming from the opposite direction. I quickly stepped back. What bad luck! “Lily White, how dare you seduce my fiancé right in front of me!” Emma, standing next to Ryan, glared at me furiously. “Me seduce him?” I pointed at Ryan and sneered, “As if he’s worthy?” “You!” Ryan’s face turned red with anger at being humiliated. “You’re just jealous!” Emma stepped forward to defend Ryan. “I wonder who it was that fought with her family to be with Ryan back then.” Emma hooked her arm through Ryan’s, her face full of mockery. Ryan put his arm around Emma’s waist, the corner of his mouth curling up smugly, looking utterly punchable. Damn it! How dare she bring up my past! I have to admit, Ryan was quite skilled at deceiving girls. On the way home from school one day, I was harassed by some drunk men. Like a scene from a movie, at the critical moment, Ryan happened to appear and played out a heroic rescue. Young and naive as I was, I thought I had found true love. With Emma deliberately matchmaking us, I ignored my family’s objections and resolutely got together with Ryan. I even repeatedly talked back to my dad to defend Ryan. It wasn’t until recently that I accidentally found out the drunk men were hired by Ryan. The so-called heroic rescue was all fake. And Ryan did all this just because of a bet. “Lily White, I thought pursuing you would be difficult, but I didn’t expect to succeed in just a week. Still, I have to thank you for helping me win 500 bucks.” My first love was actually sacrificed for a 500 dollar bet. How ridiculous! How pathetic! Don’t lower your head, or your crown will fall. Did they think they could hurt me like this? What a joke! “You call me auntie, so consider that 500 dollars my red envelope gift to you.” Ryan and Emma’s faces turned from blue to purple. Seeing their dismayed expressions, I tried hard to hold back my laughter as I patted Emma’s shoulder. “No need to thank me.” It’s good to be of a higher generation! “Lily White, don’t be too smug. Uncle is just interested in you for now. I’m sure it won’t be long before he gets tired of you.” Ryan looked down at me condescendingly and continued to mock, “You’d better not dream of marrying into the Song family. Uncle will never marry you.” “Ryan, you seem to know me very well.” My savior had arrived! I smiled slyly and quickly went to greet him, intimately hooking my arm through Ethan’s. “Daddy, you’re here.” I looked at Ethan pitifully, as if I had suffered a great injustice. “Uncle.” Ryan, who had been so arrogant before, obediently came up to Ethan. Emma reluctantly followed behind. Ethan narrowed his eyes at Ryan and said coldly, “Ryan, you’re still just a junior. Don’t overestimate yourself.” The surrounding air became cold and oppressive. Ryan nervously swallowed, unable to say a word. “Uncle, Ryan just…” Emma had only said half a sentence when Ethan interrupted her sternly. “Did I ask you?” Ethan’s face was indifferent, not even bothering to give Emma a glance. “Uncle, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have presumed to guess your thoughts. I won’t dare to do it again in the future.” Ryan could only apologize. “You’d better not.” Ethan coldly dropped these words and left, pulling me along by the hand. So this is what it feels like to have someone backing you up. It feels pretty good! … Ten minutes later. “Daddy, the banquet hasn’t ended yet. Isn’t it inappropriate for us to leave suddenly?” “Don’t want to leave?” The car made a sharp turn and pulled over to the side of the road. Is Ethan angry? I secretly glanced at Ethan, my mind racing, and hurriedly explained, “I’m just worried that leaving suddenly would be impolite.” “Hmm?” Ethan narrowed his eyes at me, his lips pressed together, waiting for my answer. “Alright, I admit, I just wanted to be called auntie a few more times.” I spoke rapidly and quickly lowered my head. It would be a waste not to take advantage of the situation. Thinking of Ryan and Emma’s angry but silent expressions, their eyes bulging, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Don’t worry, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.” A gentle hand caressed my cheek. I looked up in confusion, and Ethan leaned down to kiss me. “Wait a second…” Ethan didn’t give me a chance to speak, deepening the kiss. … Late at night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Plenty of opportunities in the future? What exactly did Ethan mean by that? The bedroom door opened quietly, and Ethan, who had finished work, came to the bedside with slow, careful movements. I quickly closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. A hand came to my waist, and a familiar voice sounded in my ear. “Since you can’t sleep, why don’t we exercise a bit?” I wanted to continue pretending to be asleep, but I was too ticklish. “Daddy, can I say no?” “Better not.” Once again, I was thoroughly devoured…

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