Olivia, once the untouchable prom queen, now kneels at my feet. Her tears flow freely as she begs for my forgiveness, pleading with me to let her off the hook. I pick up an old, yellowed fountain pen from my desk and fling it at her face. “Put this inside yourself, and I’ll let you go,” I say coldly. I open the door to find a pitiful face staring back at me. Even without makeup, Olivia’s skin glows, her delicate features framed by doe-like eyes that radiate innocence. A decade has passed, yet time has been kind to her enviable beauty. She looks exactly as I remember her, minus the arrogant expression she once wore. I recognized her instantly when she first started working here. Olivia had removed all traces of her carefully applied makeup before coming to see me. Before I can react, she squeezes through the door gap and falls to her knees at my feet with a soft thud. Her hands clutch desperately at my pant leg. Disgusted, I frown and step back. The girl who was once worshipped like a goddess at our school now crawls on the ground like a dog, clinging to my leg. “Rachel, please forgive me,” she whimpers. “I really need this job.” I stare down at her, my face devoid of emotion. “You don’t need to do this,” I say flatly. “This is strictly business. Whether you stay or not depends on your performance.” She doesn’t believe me. Biting her lip, she suddenly starts banging her head against the floor with such force it seems she might crack the tiles. When she looks up again, I see a faint bruise forming on her forehead. Seeing no reaction from me, she takes it further, slapping herself hard across the face twice. The sound echoes through my office, making my scalp tingle. Olivia’s eyes fill with tears. “I’m punishing myself. Is that enough?” She had hit herself with surprising force. In moments, her delicate cheeks begin to swell and redden noticeably. Now Olivia’s face is a mess of purple bruises. Tears pool in her eyes, making her look beautifully pitiful. “I was wrong in the past. I’ve already suffered for it,” Olivia chokes out between sobs. “Rachel, without this job, my daughter and I won’t survive—” Olivia tries to grab me again, but I’ve already retreated behind my desk. Her voice breaks as she continues. “You’re the HR manager now. I’m a married woman, I can’t possibly get ahead of you.” “Rachel, please take pity on me, won’t you?” Pity? The word sounds like mockery coming from Olivia’s mouth. I narrow my eyes and let out a derisive laugh. “I never imagined this day would come, even though I’ve dreamed of killing you for the past ten years.” I pick up the old Hero fountain pen from my desk, twirling it between my fingers. It’s not enough. How could it ever be enough? “I never intended to abuse my position for personal revenge. You’re the one who came begging me.” In the next moment, I hurl the pen at Olivia’s face. Ink splatters across her features. She freezes in shock as black liquid drips down her elegant nose onto the floor, staining her fair skin. I’m reminded of how she once crouched before me, wielding a pen with a demonic grin. My lips curl into a cold smile. “Put this inside yourself, and I’ll let you go,” I echo her words from long ago. “After all, that’s what you did to me back then.” “Minor tearing.” The young female doctor’s eyes held a questioning look. “Do you want me to take photos… as evidence?” I stared at her blankly, my legs trembling uncontrollably. I couldn’t make a sound. The next day, I stood outside the teacher’s office clutching the medical report, feeling lost and dazed. Olivia walked out, saying goodbye to the teacher in a sickeningly sweet voice before striding away in her pretty leather shoes without a backward glance. Catching the teacher’s cold stare, I felt a surge of fear and almost fled. But the doctor had told me teachers were the most noble profession under the sun. Surely the teacher would help me. “You’re just in time. Olivia said she saw you at the hospital yesterday. Did you go?” “Yes, but it was because she—” Before I could finish, she impatiently grabbed a notebook from her desk and struck me across the face, cutting off my words. “I’m tired of dealing with troublemakers like you. Don’t bother coming to me with your problems anymore!” She didn’t even want to hear my explanation. Back in the classroom, everyone laughed when they saw my torn books and reddened face. I heard boys loudly claiming I earned money through prostitution and had just had an abortion. They grabbed my bloodstained uniform jacket, dragging me to the front to show everyone the “evidence” of my “abortion.” Under the stares of the entire class, I could barely breathe. When the bell rang and the math teacher entered, shoving me so I fell to the ground, I finally snapped back to reality. Sitting at my desk, I was still gasping for air when my deskmate unscrewed my water bottle and patted my back. I glanced at her gratefully and took a sip. The taste was strange. When she asked if something was wrong, I nodded. She excitedly told the others, “Rachel noticed!” Everyone turned to look at me, including Olivia. She was toying with a Hero fountain pen, her doe-like eyes sparkling with a bright smile. My deskmate burst out laughing. “This is water from the boys’ toilet! They all say you’re always eating that stuff from boys, so you must be able to tell. I can’t believe it’s true!” I ran to the bathroom and threw up in the sink. Then I was punished for disrupting class, forced to stand for the entire morning. The medical report hidden in my clothes could never be shown now. It would only become evidence of my sleeping with men. I could already imagine the boys using the photos to humiliate me, just to make Olivia smile. They trampled me on ordinary days, turning each mundane day into hellish torment for me. I never imagined our positions would be reversed after ten years. I smile coldly. “Olivia, I remember you gave me this pen because you hated me using the same things as you.” Olivia drops the pen in horror. She looks disheveled, but it’s not even a fraction of what I endured. “Rachel, if you’re willing to forgive me, I can pay you. Just let me work here in peace.” I tilt my head, not quite understanding what she means by “work in peace.” “I told you, this is strictly business,” I say. “As long as you perform well and your team leader and coworkers give you good reviews, I’ll evaluate you fairly.” She pauses, then covers her face as she walks out, returning to her desk where she sobs quietly. I stand in the doorway, silently watching as everyone gathers around to comfort the new fragile flower, not understanding why. Even some of the usually aloof male colleagues offer her tissues. Olivia uncovers her face, revealing her ink-stained features. They look at me in shock. “It’s nothing, I just accidentally got ink on myself. It has nothing to do with the manager. Please don’t worry about me.” Her pitiful act is enough to shake the good reputation I’ve built over years of kindness. “Ms. Chen is a good person, she wouldn’t do this on purpose…” one of my closer subordinates says softly in my defense. As soon as the words leave her mouth, Olivia’s eyes redden even more. Her expression silences everyone present. I smile and shake my head, closing the door. Olivia truly wants to stay at the company. The internship lasts three months, with weekly peer reviews and monthly evaluations from team leaders. Olivia is well-liked, just like in high school. The subordinate who defended me earlier sits across from me. Through the glass conference room door, we can see Olivia typing furiously at her desk. She seems busier than those around her, appearing diligent and hardworking. “Olivia is pretty nice. She helps out with a lot of little things at work, like printing documents or getting invoices.” “Does she complete team leader assignments together with everyone too?” “…Well, she has been out of the workforce for a few years. But she’s eager to learn. She might not be great at new tasks at first, but we manage.” I check a box on her file and glance up. “Is that her daughter?” I ask, pointing to the little girl beside Olivia’s desk. Anyone could tell at a glance – the girl is Olivia’s spitting image. Delicate and pretty, she sits quietly in a chair playing with an old model phone. With her head bowed, she looks like a porcelain doll. “Yeah, she often brings her daughter to work. But the little girl is well-behaved, just doesn’t talk much.” My subordinate’s expression turns gossipy. “I heard Olivia’s husband is abusive. She desperately needs this job to support herself and her child. That’s why she fought so hard to get into the interview. Now she even does some livestreaming to earn extra money. It’s so sad.” I smile slightly. “Olivia and I were high school classmates.” “She married well. Her husband is actually one of our company’s big clients. Everyone’s met him before.” My subordinate’s eyes widen in surprise, her brow furrowing. I nod and smile, then wave her back to work. During lunch, my colleague and I run into the little girl alone. I’ve heard her name is Lily. I crouch down in front of her. “Lily, why are you here by yourself?” She clutches her skirt tightly, her eyes wary. I notice a small bruise on her wrist. I take out a box of freshly baked egg tarts from my bag, offering her one. Lily’s eyes light up, but she doesn’t dare accept. After a moment’s hesitation, she shakes her head weakly. “What child doesn’t like sweets?” I wonder aloud. “Lily!” A voice calls from behind me. I turn to see Olivia with her supposedly wealthy husband. I’ve met Mr. Thompson once before. He nods at me in greeting before turning his gaze to his daughter. His face shows little affection, but it’s not entirely cold either. At the sound of Olivia’s voice, the little girl startles. Her pupils constrict as she quickly hops off the chair and scurries over to them, softly calling out “Daddy.” Olivia holds a container of plain noodles. She glances at me discreetly. “Don’t eat things strangers give you!” Then she pulls her daughter away without looking back. I’m curious about the subtle dynamics between the couple. Mr. Thompson just smiles politely before leaving as well. My colleague looks surprised. “The Thompsons are old money. Their daughter probably wants for nothing materially, but likely isn’t the center of attention. Still, I never imagined he would hit his wife and child…” “I heard from the boss that it was a shotgun wedding. He probably doesn’t have much feeling for Olivia. They might even have a prenup that leaves her with nothing if they divorce.” “No wonder Olivia needed this job… But it’s strange her husband would come with her.” I watch thoughtfully as Olivia leads the little girl towards the break room. As they walk away, the child turns back and our eyes meet for a few seconds. She had clearly wanted the treat, but pretended not to care under her mother’s watchful eye. My colleague tries to reassure me. “You have to be careful with kids that age, especially in her situation. What mother doesn’t love her child?” At the end of the day, Olivia is the last to leave, joining me in the elevator. “Rachel, my child is innocent. If you want revenge, come after me. Leave my daughter out of this.” I smile at the girl. “The things you’ve done – if they don’t come back on you, they’ll come back on your daughter.” “I’ll destroy what you care about most.” We stand shoulder to shoulder. Olivia exits on the first floor. As the doors close, she waves a voice recorder at me, flashing that familiar sly, cunning smile I know so well. “Do whatever you want,” she says carelessly. “It won’t be me who suffers in the end anyway.” Soon after, a recording circulates through the company’s internal email. In it, a woman’s sinister voice says: “It will come back on the child.” Many recognize it as mine. During the morning meeting, I feel probing, suspicious gazes, but I don’t care. Looks can’t kill, after all.

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My dad wrote a will. Whichever of my brother or I has a child first will get his entire inheritance. So, I quietly poked holes in every condom. But what I didn’t expect was that my boyfriend had secretly replaced my vitamins with birth control pills. Yet I still ended up pregnant. It’s just…the baby isn’t his, and he doesn’t know. There’s no love lost between my brother and me. He’s ten years older than I am. Thanks to my dad’s affairs, my mom left right after she had me—took her payout and vanished. Dad passed me off to Mason, and Mason handed me over to the nanny. Even if I was bruised or hurt, he’d just act like he didn’t see a thing. As for Dad? He was hardly ever home. And after I was born, he got more careful about keeping things “fun with no consequences.” I found out later that my brother had once told him if he dared to bring home another child, he’d throw it into the river. And Mason kept his word. The older he got, the more intimidating he became. Even Dad was a little afraid of him sometimes. Recently, Dad found out he has kidney disease. Now, after a lifetime of living as he pleased, he suddenly wants a grandchild. So, he told Mason and me: “Whichever of you two has a child first will get my entire estate.” Mason’s thirty-four now, the city’s youngest, most successful CEO. And my dad? His wealth is worth at least ten times my brother’s. Mason isn’t married, but he has plenty of lovers. I only have one boyfriend.

Mason has the upper hand in this. While he can cast a wide net, I’ve only got one option. The only advantage I have is time. I feigned feeling unwell to drag my boyfriend, Adam, to the hospital, sneaking in a full checkup. Just as I thought, he’s very healthy—and his sperm count is high. He has an exhausting amount of energy. As for me, I’d been sedentary for too long, and my immune system was weak, so they prescribed me some vitamins. I had no plans to tell Adam about wanting a baby. He’d been meticulous about protection. When I casually asked if he was afraid of me getting pregnant, he weighed his answer carefully. “Lena, right now, my career is just getting off the ground. If you had a child now, I wouldn’t be able to take care of you properly.” Then he held me, kissed my forehead, and added, “I want us to be settled, married, and stable before we think about a baby.” Adam had a knack for making everything he said sound sincere. But that also made him inflexible. If he knew my real motive, he’d insist we get married first, which would trap me—if Adam didn’t work out, I’d have no other options. That inheritance would go straight to Mason without a fight. That wasn’t going to happen. No matter the odds, I had to try. Even if he worked his whole life, Adam would never make even half of what Dad’s worth. Our family’s business legacy, grown over generations, had expanded overseas. But Dad was selfish and never offered any help, not even to Mason. He knew my brother didn’t care for me, which made me think this inheritance race was really just a way for him to push Mason. No matter what wild things he might do, he’d better not think about dethroning Dad. “What’s got you so lost in thought?” Adam, fresh from his shower, hair damp and hanging over his forehead, was standing there in nothing but lightweight lounge pants. He laughed softly, cupped my face, and leaned his nose against mine. “Were you thinking about something?” I swallowed. I wasn’t particularly passionate about this, actually. But Adam, no matter how busy, insisted on at least four times a week. So how could I up the frequency without raising any suspicion? I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulled him down onto the bed, and kissed him with my eyes closed. But when I started tugging at his waistband, he nuzzled my neck and let out a quiet chuckle. “Why so eager tonight?” He looked at me. For some reason, there was no humor in his eyes. But before I could think too much about it, he reached into the drawer and pulled out a condom. He rolled me over, so I was facing away from him. Hearing the wrapper rustle, I exhaled in relief. Every time Adam looked at me with those eyes, I felt like my little schemes were laid bare.

The next morning at work, I ran through Mason’s schedule. When I finished, he looked at me with a wry grin. “You’re working pretty hard for that inheritance.” For some reason, Adam had decided to leave plenty of marks on my neck last night. Even with concealer, they were still faintly visible up close. “So are you, big brother,” I replied. Yesterday, he’d left work early to visit one of his “special friends.” Ours wasn’t some covert battle; it was an open war. But Mason was leagues ahead of me, running a major company, while I was just his assistant because Dad put me here. “Never thought of trying with someone else? You trust your boyfriend that much?” “He’s younger than you. Don’t overwork yourself,” I shot back. Mason just raised an eyebrow, still amused. “Good luck.” As I left his office, he tapped his desk. “Lena, pick up Bianca Ryder at five.” Bianca Ryder—a famous model, my brother’s favorite mistress with a killer body. “Will do, Mr. Tanner.” When I picked up Bianca, she hugged me enthusiastically. The first time we met, she thought I was Mason’s new fling. After sizing me up, she scoffed. “So he’s into the girl-next-door type now?” “Can you really keep him interested?” Just then, Mason walked up, wrapped an arm around her waist, and flashed his affectionate smile. “Stop talking nonsense. This is my sister.” Bianca wasn’t buying it. “Didn’t you say you were an only child?” “Half-sister. My dad brought her home from…elsewhere.” “He was going to dump her in the river, but she cried and clung to my leg, so I let her stay.” Mason wasn’t lying. The day he brought me home, he’d tried to throw me out. I cried until my nose ran, and he finally left me alone. After that, no matter what the nanny did to me, Mason never stepped in. Bianca was his longest-standing lover. He eventually found a sweet, innocent type, just like she’d predicted. They’d fought, but then his behavior got even worse—every trip meant another fling, just like Dad. They broke up, but recently her runway show caused a stir. He’d watched it repeatedly, then courted her until she came back. I figured she must really love him to forgive him for so much. But something felt different this time. On the drive back, she asked calmly, “So where’s Mason?” “He’s in a meeting and asked me to pick you up.” Mason had bought her a villa. Bianca just nodded, quiet until I pulled up. Then she looked at me, a small, steady smile on her face. “He wants a baby with me.” I blinked, gripping the steering wheel. “How do you feel about that?” She touched her stomach. “Do you think a baby would settle him down?” “Bianca, what if he’s saying the same thing to someone else?” I didn’t believe Mason would put all his hopes on just her. She unbuckled, patting my head. “Lena, I want to believe him this one last time.” “He told me this time I’d be the only one.”

I’ll admit it—Mason knows how to play his part. He had me clear out every lover besides Bianca, even sending them off with gifts, houses, and cars. When Bianca asked if Mason planned to marry her, I bit my lip and nodded. She paused, thoughtful. “Maybe he’ll propose if I get pregnant. I can feel his excitement.” I watched her smile, not having the heart to tell her otherwise. The baby part was true, but a marriage? I doubted it. Sure enough, within a week, he brought in two more. One was even younger than me, still fresh and a little innocent. He wasn’t hiding anything from me. I was the one who had to pick them up and drive them to his place. The excuse he gave Bianca was believable—work was busy, expansion projects and all. Sometimes he had me bring them to his office. Mason didn’t worry about me ratting him out. Because, after all, he held Adam over my head. If he wanted, he could destroy him with a snap of his fingers. One of the new girls was Grace Hayes. She was nothing like Bianca, with her shy demeanor and porcelain skin, but Mason was captivated. He piled my workload so high I barely had a moment’s rest, while he spent lunch breaks shut away with her. Hearing their sounds through the wall, my blood boiled. After work, I went straight to Adam’s office. He looked surprised to see me. “What are you doing here?” He’d been avoiding me lately, using work as an excuse. I wondered if I’d been too forward. Seeing Mason flaunt it all so openly just made me feel worse. Tears burned my eyes, and I couldn’t stop them from falling. He wrapped me in his arms. “What’s wrong? Did Mason give you a hard time again?” I buried my face in his chest. “Why haven’t you been home?” His voice softened. “Too busy.” “It’s my fault. I’ll be home every night from now on.” His eyes were full of concern. I kissed him, and he froze, taking my hand. “Lena, this is my office.” Ignoring him, I kissed his throat, hearing him let out a deep sigh. As my hands reached his shirt buttons, I murmured, “Adam, don’t you want me?” “Of course I do,” he whispered hoarsely. He closed his eyes, then opened them again, struggling to hold back. “There’s nothing here.” I ignored him, fumbling around. “I’m on the pill.” Adam’s breathing grew heavier, his kisses deepening. But he still didn’t give in, taking his time instead to care for me. I woke up later in the dark office, moonlight casting shadows. I walked barefoot to the door. Adam was by the window, his torso covered in scratches. A cigarette dangled from his fingers, muscles flexing as he inhaled. Just as I was about to approach, he muttered into his phone, “Hurry it up.” “And be careful. Lena’s health isn’t great. She shouldn’t be taking too many pills.” That night, I took my “vitamins” as usual. Adam watched, hesitant, until he finally spoke. “You’re taking those every day now?” I nodded. “Try spacing it out to every other day. Even vitamins can be harmful.” I shrugged. “They’re just vitamins.” He leaned down, kissing me softly. “Lena, just trust me.” He took the bottle from my hand and placed it on the shelf. Adam carried me to the bathroom, steam filling the mirror as he gently wiped away my tears. “Too much?” he murmured, his touch lightening. “Were you this bold in my office today?” I couldn’t answer. I didn’t know what to say. Lately, I’d been nauseated more and more often. Every time, I hoped for a positive test. Still no sign of pregnancy, but I couldn’t give up. So I took the bottle to the hospital, where the doctor gave me the results: they weren’t vitamins—they were birth control pills. Adam was working for my brother all along.

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When the zombie apocalypse broke out, I was watching my former bullies turn on each other from the comfort of my cozy, climate-controlled underground bunker. I felt a surge of satisfaction as I snapped a picture of myself enjoying a hot pot meal while my little dog happily munched on a juicy steak beside me. “Want some?” I posted in our class SnapChat group, watching their reactions evolve from threats to desperate pleas. I only replied with one sentence: “Dream on, idiots.” October 21, 2025. It was the third day of the zombie outbreak, and the fragile order at school had begun to crumble. On the first day, the school had hurriedly summoned students to a designated “safe room,” offering a brief respite from the chaos outside. They provided us with a week’s worth of food. But human nature is unpredictable. Many people, in their desperation to survive, began stealing food. As supplies dwindled and we lost contact with the outside world, fear took hold. What started as unity quickly devolved into the worst of human nature. People began fighting over who ate how much. Today was no different. “Let Aria go outside to get supplies. She’s fearless, aren’t you, Aria?” Vanessa’s voice wasn’t particularly loud, but in the eerily quiet room, it seemed to echo. All eyes turned to me. “Yeah, Aria’s dad was a psychic or something. She’s probably not scared of those things,” someone chimed in. “She’s pretty big too. She could probably carry back a lot of stuff.” The voices grew louder. They stared at me, speaking casually, but their eyes were full of threat. They seemed to have forgotten that I was just a girl. Before I could react, someone pushed me towards the door, feigning encouragement: “You can do it!” I looked at the horde of zombies outside, then back at the people inside. Their expressionless faces were more terrifying than the zombies. They shoved me out the door. I tried to resist, but the commotion attracted nearby zombies. They lurched towards me as the people inside held the door shut. I saw Vanessa’s smug smile as she watched me. I turned and walked towards the zombies…

The pain jolted me awake. I suddenly stood up. The whole class turned to look at me, accompanied by some snickering. “Aria! What are you doing?” The English teacher’s voice pierced my ears. I was still processing the vivid sensation of being torn apart by zombies. Looking at the familiar classroom, I wondered if it had all been a dream. A familiar, nauseating voice spoke up beside me: “Teacher, Aria’s dad was some kind of psychic who just died. Maybe he’s sending her messages from beyond.” The class erupted in laughter. “That’s enough! Aria, take your book and stand at the back of the class!” The English teacher slapped her desk loudly. I obediently took my book and walked to the back of the classroom. I was still thinking about that dream. If it was a dream, it felt too real. The sensation of being ripped apart by zombies still lingered on my skin. As soon as class ended, I rushed to the bathroom with my phone. There was no news of zombies in the country yet, so I searched foreign platforms for related information. Sure enough, I found something about zombies. In the video, a man staggered towards the camera. He was covered in blood, his face unrecognizable. The visible parts of his skin were mottled with black and blue veins. I was certain – he wasn’t human. He was a zombie. Exactly like the ones in my dream. I confirmed it then – I hadn’t been dreaming. I had traveled back in time. I exited the page and checked the date. September 28, 2025. One month until the zombie outbreak. I had to find a safe place within this month. Knock knock knock! Someone was pounding on the bathroom door. “Aria, hurry up and come out!” It was Vanessa. I remembered everything she had done in my previous life. It was just like her to do such things. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. It wasn’t time yet. I walked out to see her and her two sidekicks. Vanessa raised her hand and slapped me, then spoke coldly: “You’re so slow. Be quicker next time!” “Taking so long in the bathroom, maybe a ghost was pulling you down,” one of her minions sneered. “How could she be afraid? Maybe she inherited her dad’s psychic powers!” Vanessa laughed, her eyes full of mockery. They said I wasn’t afraid simply because my dad had been a psychic. My mom died when I was young, and my dad had raised me alone. I was never ashamed of his profession, but I always avoided the topic around my classmates. Then my dad died of stomach cancer, and my homeroom teacher brought Vanessa to visit me, pretending to care. When I returned to school, I became the target of everyone’s mockery. They didn’t seem to care that I had become an orphan. They just thought it was fun. Led by Vanessa, they threw balls at me during PE class. One person started it, then more joined in. They poured toilet water into my water bottle. They smeared glue on my chair and wrote disgusting things on my desk. I tried to tell the teachers, but each time it only led to worse bullying. Some people, when subjected to this kind of treatment for a long time, choose to silently endure it. I was one of them. I ignored them and walked straight out of the bathroom. Their vulgar insults grew louder behind me. I went directly to the teachers’ office to find my homeroom teacher. “Teacher, I’ve been feeling really unwell lately. I’d like to take a few days off,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. I knew very well what I was shaking about. In my previous life, my ending was a tragic death. This time, I absolutely wouldn’t let that happen again. The homeroom teacher noticed the red mark on my face, probably thinking I had been self-harming. She took out a leave request form, approved a week’s leave for me, then told me to relax for a few days before coming back. I took the form, thanked her, then turned and walked straight out of the school. I had no intention of returning to that nightmarish class.

They all knew Vanessa was bullying me, but not a single person came to help me. I’m not a saint. I just wanted to get away from these people. Their lives or deaths were none of my concern. I walked out of the school gates and took a taxi home. My dad was a psychic who had helped countless wealthy executives. These people all had one thing in common – they were very generous with money. Over the years, my dad had also saved up a considerable sum for me. I entered the house and took out the two bank cards my dad had given me before he died. He told me one card contained the money he had saved for me over the years, and the other was a large insurance policy. After his death, the insurance company would pay me a million dollar benefit. Together, they totaled 1.7 million dollars. At my dad’s funeral, all sorts of people came to pay their respects. Their careers had all benefited from my dad’s help to some degree. Seeing that I was alone, they discussed among themselves and decided to leave me an education fund. Initially, I didn’t want to accept this money, but they were very insistent, demanding that I take it. Now I had to thank them for leaving me $300,000. I looked at the modestly sized house before me. Though small, it was in the city center, so the price was certainly not cheap. I couldn’t live in a house in the city center. I had to sell it and find a new place to settle down. I quickly contacted a real estate agent and asked them to help me sell the house within three days. I didn’t mind if the price was lowered. Next was finding a place where I could safely lay low.

I took out my phone and searched for houses in the suburbs. I thought that maybe if I got away from the city center to a sparsely populated area, there would be fewer zombies. Opening a certain app, I searched for suburban houses and was surprised to see an old bunker for sale. I immediately decided to buy this bunker. The bunker was spacious, definitely cool in summer and warm in winter, and much cheaper than a small villa in the suburbs! I contacted the seller right away, saying I wanted to buy it immediately and needed to see it now. To avoid attracting attention, I lied to the seller, saying I wanted to develop it into a weekend getaway. I told him it was a secret project and asked him not to tell anyone. Seeing how decisively I bought it, the seller sincerely promised he wouldn’t let anyone else know. Soon, I signed the purchase contract with the seller. Now there were 29 days left until the zombie outbreak. I had found a safe house, and next was to fill my safe house. After two busy days, I finally started furnishing my new home. I was too afraid of anyone knowing my address, so I contacted the largest construction market in the neighboring city and told them my requirements. Replace the entrance door with the best security door, and install three layers. Build a two-story small villa inside the bunker, to be completed within 10 days, using the best materials for all the hard decorations. The renovation foreman looked at me in confusion. I lied, saying I was building a private luxury hotel here and needed to protect the guests’ privacy. I was paying a high price, which immediately silenced any further questions from the renovation foreman. He just smiled and said, “Rich people really know how to play.” In my previous life, I died early and didn’t know how long this zombie apocalypse would last. To ensure I could live comfortably, I started buying in bulk. The zombie outbreak would definitely lead to power outages, so I immediately ordered 50 solar power banks. Cooking would also be an issue, so I bought 100 bottles of propane and stoves. To avoid any accidents, I needed to buy 50 boxes of charcoal. The bunker was still being renovated, so for now I was just buying daily necessities, self-defense items, and entertainment. I sat in my room thinking about what else to buy. Toilet paper always seems to run out without notice, so I bought 2,000 packs, and 200 boxes of sanitary napkins. Since I wouldn’t be able to go out once the zombies came, I bought 5 sets of pajamas for each season – spring, summer, fall, and winter. For underwear, laundry detergent, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, shower gel, facial cleanser, and skincare products, I bought enough for three years in one go. Looking at the list in my notes, I fell asleep peacefully, planning to go to the wholesale market first thing in the morning.

On the third day after my rebirth, the first thing I did when I woke up was check the time on my phone. I was still afraid that my rebirth was just a dream I had before dying. Seeing the date on my phone, my anxious heart settled down. I quickly got up and got dressed. On the way to the wholesale market, I passed by a breakfast shop I often ate at. I went in and ordered my favorite breakfast, savoring every bite knowing these meals would soon be rare. I quickly arrived at the wholesale market and bought everything on my list from yesterday, telling the merchants to deliver in a week. Seeing how much I was ordering, the shop owner’s smile never left his face. Just as I finished buying everything, I got a call from the real estate agent. “Hello, Ms. Collins. The house you asked us to sell has a buyer,” the agent said excitedly. “Can they pay in full?” That was my main concern now. I knew a house in the city center wouldn’t be hard to sell, but what I needed now was cash. The agent’s voice became even more excited, “Yes, we found a buyer who can pay the full amount in one go.” I breathed a sigh of relief and continued, “Alright, you can handle the rest then. I’ll move out of that house within a week.” After hanging up with the agent, my phone vibrated with an incoming message. It was from an unknown number: “Aria, don’t think you can escape my grasp just because you’re on leave. I know your home address. I advise you to come back soon. Without you around, we have no one to play with.” Looking at the content of the message, I knew without thinking that it was sent by Vanessa. Perhaps due to the physiological fear I always had of her, my hand holding the phone still trembled involuntarily. She said she knew my address now, and I had nowhere to hide at the moment. Thinking of the safe room the school arranged for us in my previous life, an idea came to mind. I’d return to school in a couple of days. Two days later, having dealt with the house issues (the house had been sold and I was temporarily staying in a hotel), I returned to school with just a few belongings. Sure enough, as soon as I entered, I received Vanessa’s “welcome ceremony” – a pile of garbage fell on me from above the door. No one in the class helped me. They even thought it was funny. They mocked me, laughing at my disheveled state. I clenched my fists. Just endure a little longer, I told myself. They would soon face their retribution. I walked to my seat. Just as the bell was about to ring, I left the classroom with my backpack. I knew they would definitely tell the teacher, but I didn’t care. I went directly to the so-called safe room, which was actually just the school’s large auditorium. It was a temporary safe room set up by the fire department. After doing this, they left to rescue others. I entered the auditorium. It wasn’t very large – in my previous life, only about 80 people from the whole school survived. Many teachers, for the sake of their families, ran straight home, only to become zombies on the way. Some teachers stayed behind with the soldiers to maintain order. Scenes from my previous life kept flashing through my mind. It was here that they pushed me out. I opened my backpack and installed ten hidden cameras in different inconspicuous places. Satisfied with my work, I left the school. Just as I stepped out of the school gates, I received a call from the renovation foreman saying that everything I had requested was completed and they had already cleaned up. They were just waiting for me to come and check. Because I paid a high enough price, everyone’s work efficiency was very high. I couldn’t help but think to myself: Money really is good. I called the wholesale market owner, telling him they could deliver the goods tomorrow. The owner on the other end of the phone, hearing it was me, quickly agreed with a smile, saying they would definitely deliver tomorrow. Next was stockpiling. I first went to a furniture store and bought a lot of soft furnishings. Since the money from selling the house – $1.2 million – had been credited to my account, I could spend freely to meet my needs. I bought the best sofas, beds, and other furniture. Then I went to an electronics store and bought two laptops, three tablets, and 50 power banks. After that, I took a taxi directly to the bunker. When I stepped into the bunker, I couldn’t help but marvel – money really can make anything possible. I was very satisfied. I added another $1000 bonus for each worker. They were all quite embarrassed, saying this was just their job. Seeing their reactions, I couldn’t help but give them a word of advice. “Guys, with the pandemic flaring up again, you should stock up on supplies at home. I heard the neighboring city’s outbreak is recurring.” I glanced away, trying to sound casual as I said it. I couldn’t save everyone. In my previous life, I died at the hands of others. This time, I had to protect myself above all else. After seeing off the renovation team, the people from the wholesale market and furniture store arrived next. Seeing such a large operation, I used the same excuse to fool them. All the items I bought were now stored in this bunker. Looking at the room filled with my favorite furnishings, I suddenly felt very secure.

Now there were 10 days left until the zombie outbreak. I went to buy food that could be stored for a long time. As for vegetables and fruits, I’d have to wait a while before purchasing those. As I was walking down the hill, I saw two little dogs following me, wagging their tails. Looking at the two chubby puppies, I thought that maybe adopting them would be a good idea. They could add some joy to my life. I beckoned to them, and the two little guys came running over, one white and one black. They were so small that I could hold one in each hand. After settling the two puppies, I returned to the city’s largest farmers’ market. This biggest farmers’ market had everything you could think of. Anything related to food could be found here. Most importantly, no matter how much you bought here, no one would think it strange. This was exactly what I wanted. I bought 50 boxes of instant noodles, 100 boxes of cola, 10 boxes each of various canned foods, 100 bags of rice, 50 barrels of cooking oil, 10 boxes each of various dehydrated vegetables, 20 bottles each of seasonings, and lots of flour, noodles, peanuts, etc. Now it was time for my favorite snacks: 20 bags each of soy milk, black sesame paste, milk, and yogurt; 10 boxes each of chocolate, nuts, sunflower seeds, potato chips, chicken feet, jelly, pork jerky, beef jerky, and spicy strips. And for the two puppies’ food, 50 bags of 20-pound dog food, 20 cans of puppy milk, and 5 boxes each of various puppy foods. Watching the merchants load two large trucks full, I was very satisfied. I had the drivers head straight to the bunker. Fortunately, I used the same excuse, so these people didn’t say much. Seeing all these goods delivered, my heart gradually calmed down. Looking at the tightly closed door, I thought about installing some cameras outside as well, in case of any unexpected situations. Said and done, after categorizing all the items, I lay down on the bed and could finally breathe easy. Taking advantage of the current electricity and internet, I bought memberships for all video platforms and downloaded my favorite TV shows and movies I hadn’t seen onto the computers, tablets, and USB drives. Just as I was about to fall asleep, my phone suddenly rang. I looked at the caller ID – it was Vanessa’s number. I answered the phone expressionlessly. Contemptuous laughter came from the other end, as if showing off to someone: “See? I told you she wouldn’t dare not to answer.” I remained silent. The voice on the other end became more unrestrained: “Aria, did you forget the message I sent you the other day? Did you forget how much it hurt when you got beaten up?” I listened quietly, my hand tightly clenched into a fist, but my reason was still telling me that now wasn’t the time. When they were truly desperate, that would be the best moment to strike them down. Seeing that I didn’t speak, Vanessa became somewhat angry and frustrated: “Have you forgotten that I still have leverage over you? Bitch!” Hearing this, I couldn’t hold back anymore and retaliated: “Vanessa, have you forgotten that you’re already 18? If I report what you’ve done to the police, you’ll face criminal charges.” My voice was firm and strong.

Vanessa had repeated a year. She should have been a senior by now, but due to poor grades, she was forced to stay back. Also because of face issues, she took a year off, so she was still in the same freshman class as us. Hearing what I said, Vanessa stammered a bit, but to maintain her image, she still shouted back loudly: “Bitch, who do you think you’re talking to? Do you believe I’ll post your photos in the class group right now?” “Go ahead. Worst case, we’ll meet at the police station,” I said and hung up the phone. She wouldn’t dare post them. Such a person who only bullies others would be very afraid of facing any threat herself. I was confident she would be more afraid, so I was certain she wouldn’t post anything. Vanessa had photos of me. They called me to the bathroom, beat me repeatedly, then tore open my clothes and took pictures of me at my most vulnerable. At that time, I didn’t dare resist, silently enduring their torment, just because I had no family left. Now with zombies about to come, I wasn’t afraid of anything anymore. Thinking of myself back then, tears still fell. The two puppies seemed to sense something and came over to gently lick my face. Perhaps with the company of these two little ones, I quickly fell asleep. When I woke up, it was time for my final round of shopping. Still at that farmers’ market, I directly bought a whole cow, two pigs, 30 chickens, 20 ducks, and various frozen fish, shrimp, and frozen foods. After the merchants delivered everything, I looked at the two extra-large freezers now filled to capacity, feeling increasingly satisfied. The next few days were just waiting.

On the second day of holing up in the bunker, there were 5 days left until the zombie outbreak. My homeroom teacher called me. I hesitated for a moment but chose to answer the call. The homeroom teacher spoke cautiously on the other end: “Aria, are you feeling any better?” I knew she was afraid my emotions hadn’t settled down yet. I rubbed my nose and replied: “Teacher, I’m much better now. But I’d like to take another week off. I’ll study at home on my own.” Hearing that I would study at home, the teacher quickly stopped me: “No, no. Aria, what I care about is your mood, not your grades. Isn’t it better to start studying again after you’ve sorted out your emotions?” Hearing her caring words, my nose tingled. Since my dad passed away, no one had cared about my feelings like this. Relatives at home only feared I would become their burden, keeping their distance from me. With a slightly nasal voice, I said to the teacher: “Okay, teacher. I’ll adjust my emotions well.” The voice on the other end sighed in relief, gently saying: “Then you just rest well at home. If there’s anything, you can talk to me. I’ll hang up now.” “Teacher, wait!” I quickly called out. “What’s wrong?” I stammered a bit: “Teacher, the pandemic is recurring quite frequently lately. It’s best to stock up on some food at home.” The teacher chuckled lightly: “Alright, teacher understands.” After hanging up with her, I looked at the remaining cameras from last time’s installation. Even though the large door I built now was sturdy enough, I was still worried about the worst-case scenario, so I chose to install them at the entrance, to monitor the situation outside at all times. Said and done, I carried the two cameras out the door, with the two puppies trotting behind me. After installation, I checked my inventory of supplies again. Then I discovered the biggest problem – I hadn’t bought water! Heaven knows how devastated I felt at that moment. Looking at this open area, I wondered if I could dig a well. I immediately called the renovation foreman from before and asked about the situation. The foreman’s answer was that it was possible, and it would only take one day. With the zombie outbreak countdown approaching, I directly offered a high price for the foreman to come over immediately. Three hours later, the renovation foreman arrived with his tools, smiling at me and saying: “This tool works very fast, but the noise is quite loud.” I quickly told him: “It’s fine, foreman. Just do it. I’m in a hurry now, so it doesn’t matter if it’s noisy.” After hearing this, the foreman immediately got to work, and I watched from the side. I have to say, sometimes these tools are not only attractive to boys but also to girls. The two puppies, hearing the loud noise, quickly ran into the house, trembling. At 11:30 PM, water appeared in the well. I smiled happily. The foreman thoughtfully cut stones to surround it and set it up for me. I gave the foreman some extra money, but he waved his hand with a smile and left directly. After the foreman left, I began living a free and easy life in this bunker. Today I eat steak, tomorrow I eat lamb leg, feeling quite comfortable. Watching time pass bit by bit, I also gradually began to feel scared. Even though I had already experienced the zombie massacre in my previous life, I was still very afraid.

he day before the zombie outbreak, a video titled “Real-life Train to Busan” suddenly went viral. But it existed for less than a minute before being taken down. I knew this was the government’s method to stabilize public sentiment. My hand also began to shake uncontrollably, my whole body feeling cold. Seeing that something was wrong with me, the two puppies came over and kept nuzzling my hand with their heads. Feeling their warmth, I started to calm down. I opened the cameras I had placed in the safe room and checked if anyone was there now, but I saw a disgusting scene. During the evening self-study period, Vanessa and a senior boy walked into the auditorium. I knew this boy. In my previous life, he was the one who pushed me out with his own hands. I would recognize that face even if it turned to ashes. But I remembered this boy, Luke, had a girlfriend. His girlfriend even knew Vanessa. They were originally classmates in the same grade, but because Vanessa was held back, she ended up two years behind them. As soon as the two entered the auditorium, they embraced and entangled with each other. Luke pinned Vanessa against the door. This position happened to be right where I had installed one of the cameras. The two’s movements gradually quickened, and some unseemly sounds came from the screen. I nearly threw up. I always knew Vanessa was a disgusting person, but I really hadn’t imagined they would do such revolting things at school. Holding back my nausea, I made a video of them doing their dirty deeds, then listened to their conversation. Vanessa, panting, said, “Have… have you… told that… that bitch… clearly yet?” Luke, with a greedy and urgent tone, replied: “Her family has money. It’s useful to keep her around.” The two continued their sordid act, their voices rising and falling until they finally stopped. Vanessa lay in Luke’s arms, saying with lingering desire: “That’s good. I thought you had developed real feelings for her.” Luke kissed her once, looking displeased: “How is that possible? Her figure isn’t as good as yours, and she’s so prissy. It’s only because she has money, otherwise who would care about her?” Their whispered words made me feel sick to my stomach. Fighting the strong physical discomfort, I edited their video. To destroy a person, it’s not enough to just let them die. Death would be too easy for her. 12 hours until the zombie outbreak, I sat on the soft bed, watching the news outside. 10 hours until the zombie outbreak, zombies hiding in corners of the neighboring city began to emerge one by one, but there was still no movement in our city. 8 hours until the zombie outbreak, a video was sent to the phones of every student and teacher at the school, posted on each student’s phone, except for Vanessa and Luke, and their friends. 6 hours until the zombie outbreak, Vanessa arrived at school. Classmates looked at her with disgust, thinking that people had been pointing and whispering about her all the way to school. 5 hours until the zombie outbreak, Vanessa lost her temper in class, “Who the fuck filmed this!” Her phone received a text message that read: Vanessa, are you happy? 4 hours until the zombie outbreak, the dean of students burst open the classroom door. “Who is Vanessa? Come to the office with me! Bring your parents too!” 3 hours until the zombie outbreak, in the auditorium, Vanessa found Luke, her voice filled with panic: “Luke, what should we do?” Luke yelled at her, his face full of disgust: “What are you doing here? Don’t you think things are bad enough already?” Seeing Luke treat her like this, the panic on Vanessa’s face turned to ferocity, “Luke! You bastard! You enjoyed it when we were having sex, and now you’re disgusted with me?” Their argument grew louder. Luke’s girlfriend also walked over, her eyes filled with mockery, “I wondered who it could be. So it was you?” Her words weren’t strongly aggressive, but they were full of humiliation. Vanessa’s face alternated between white and red. 1 hour until the zombie outbreak, a man wearing hiking clothes appeared on the street in the city center. He walked unsteadily, slowly approaching the nearest person.

At first, no one noticed him. Until… he walked towards a girl listening to music and waiting for the bus at the bus stop, and bit into her neck. People saw his appearance. His eyes no longer had normal pupils, only whites with a slight blue tinge. The veins on his skin were prominently visible. He let out a scream among the crowd, his teeth shaped like a chainsaw. People screamed and scattered in all directions. He tore into the girl, swallowing her flesh bite by bite. Many people had already fled, but there were always some who weren’t afraid of death, taking out their phones to film. Perhaps having just received nourishment for his body, his movements began to become rapid. He ran to the person filming and directly bit into their head. The girl he had just eaten was now exposed to the bone, the flesh on her body rotting. But she actually began to move and crawl up. Time of the zombie outbreak. I sat in my safe house, watching different people’s perspectives on my phone.

Meanwhile, at the school, a scream broke the silence, also interrupting Vanessa and Luke’s argument. People who had fallen down on the playground stood up again one by one. They moved slowly but with consistent steps, walking towards the teaching building where many people were gathered. I turned on the cameras installed in the hall. The school acted quickly, already transferring some people to the safe room. Of course, among them were Vanessa and her minions, as well as Luke. I looked at the faces in the camera, the same as in my previous life, with one new face I hadn’t seen before. But I recognized that person, a classmate who had been bullied by Vanessa just like me. Goosebumps instantly covered my body. So my rebirth hadn’t changed anything. When I left, someone else took my place to suffer the same fate. Just like in my previous life, the school gave them the only food available and told them to wait for rescue in the auditorium. I couldn’t bear to watch some teachers, desperate to see their families one last time, rush out no matter what, deciding to do something more meaningful with the police. I switched the video feed to the scene outside the door. In my previous life, I had been sent to the safe room from the start, so I didn’t know what the outside scene looked like. The scene outside now looked horrifying. People on the streets had all turned into zombies, scattered here and there. Some gathered together, gnawing on a corpse, then separated, with the corpse joining the zombie group. Even though I was in a safe place, watching such scenes made my palms and back drenched in cold sweat. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if I had only thought this was a dream. Would I have suffered the same fate as in my previous life?

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On Valentine’s Day, my boyfriend gave a genuine YSL gift set to a rich girl, but ordered a fake one online for me. When I exposed him, he yelled, “You expect me to buy you stuff from the flagship store? Look at yourself, do you even deserve that?!” Little did he know, I usually wear custom Christian Louboutin shoes with real diamonds. One pair costs more than a hundred of his gift boxes. During a women’s basketball game organized by the student union, I accidentally elbowed Mandy while fighting for the ball. Collisions are common in games, so I didn’t think much of it. But she shouted, “Stop! Hannah, you broke my watch!” It’s just a watch, why make such a fuss? The game was at its climax, and our team was about to win. I didn’t want to stop. “I’m sorry, I’ll compensate you. Can we talk about this later and finish the game first?” Mandy, being unsportsmanlike, snatched the ball from my hands and threw it out of bounds. The game was forced to stop. I was quite unhappy about it. She held her head high, “Hannah, this is a Cartier.” I glanced at it. I’m not really interested in watches and rarely wear them. I only knew it was a Cartier, but didn’t know which series or how much it cost. It didn’t look like an antique watch, so probably just a few hundred thousand dollars. Repairing the watch face shouldn’t cost much. Her getting so worked up seemed unnecessary. Everyone gathered around. “Oh no, Mandy, what should we do?” “The watch face is completely shattered. God, it hurts just to look at it!” Seeing everyone’s concerned faces, I asked, “What? Is this watch very expensive?” Someone who knew about watches said, “Of course! It’s a Ballon Bleu!” Mandy thrust her wrist in front of me, “Over forty thousand!” Everyone gasped. It was quite different from the hundreds of thousands I had imagined. For this price range, repairing the watch face should cost at most ten thousand or so. She looked impatient, “I need to send this watch to the boutique, and they’ll have to send it to Switzerland for repair. It’ll take at least a month back and forth!” How troublesome. I said, “How about I buy you a new one?” I wondered if she would like a Vacheron Constantin. The watches my parents gave me all start at a hundred thousand, but I don’t like wearing watches, so they’re just stored at home. Might as well use this opportunity to give it away. “A new one?” Mandy looked at me with contempt, “This isn’t some fake! My dad brought it back from Switzerland for me!” I wasn’t planning to give her a fake one anyway. What’s wrong with this person? I had heard that her family had some money, and she would carry LV and Chanel bags every day, often treating classmates to bubble tea. But my family isn’t bad either. The new building at school was donated by my dad. I asked her, “Then what do you want to do?” My boyfriend had just gone to buy me water and came back at this moment. After understanding the situation, he looked at me reproachfully, “Why weren’t you more careful?!” How was I supposed to know someone would wear a watch while playing basketball? Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable on the wrist? Wouldn’t it affect performance? “Hannah, look at this, can you afford to compensate?!” William had never spoken to me so harshly before. He carefully cradled Mandy’s wrist as if it were the most precious thing in the world. It’s just a broken watch, for goodness sake. My elbow still hurts. “Alright Mandy, tell me how to handle this. How much compensation do you want?” She still looked distressed, “It needs to be sent to the store first before we can discuss it.” Fine. “Then show me the receipt when you get it, and I’ll transfer the money to you.” This seemed like a reasonable solution. With all this commotion, I didn’t feel like playing anymore. No one else was in the mood to continue the game either, they were all busy gossiping. “Damn, how can Hannah be so calm? This must cost at least a few thousand. It would take months of not eating or drinking to pay it back.” “She probably has no idea how much it costs to replace the watch face! She thinks it’s just putting in a piece of glass.” I keep a low profile at school and have never shown off my wealth. The clothes I wear and things I use in the dorm are modest, though expensive. They don’t have big logos, so most people can’t tell they’re luxury items. In this situation, I couldn’t exactly show them my bank balance and shout “I’m rich!” Forget it, I couldn’t be bothered to deal with them. I grabbed my things and left the basketball court.

William caught up with me and put his arm around my shoulder, “Hannah, are you angry?” It would be a lie to say I wasn’t upset. He didn’t consider my feelings at all. “Don’t be angry. I did that for your own good. Didn’t you see me winking at you?” I really didn’t notice. “I said those things to you to shut Mandy up. Once I criticized you, she wouldn’t dare say anything more.” Is that how it works? Why do I feel something’s off? “Besides, I kept emphasizing that you couldn’t afford it. I thought Mandy would back off, but I didn’t expect you to be so stupid! You immediately agreed to compensate her without understanding my intention!” I just thought it wasn’t much money. Our housekeeper spends more than that on groceries every day. There was no need to stand there and argue about it. “Hannah, let me pay half for you.” I waved my hand, “No need.” “We’re a couple. When we get married in the future, it’ll be our shared property anyway. Half and half, that’s fair.” He held my hand, his smile very sweet. So he’s been so calculative because he’s been planning our future all along. That’s nice. I leaned on his shoulder, “Do we have any plans for tomorrow?” Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. My family doesn’t know about my relationship. And my brother said he wanted to hang out with me tomorrow, two single dogs keeping each other company. He sighed, “Hannah, I have to tutor students tomorrow.” Ah, I was originally thinking of having him meet my brother. I felt a bit disappointed. But his eyes were determined, “This is all for our future.” William has always been very hardworking. As his girlfriend, I should support him. “Okay then…”

Early on Valentine’s Day morning, William asked me to come downstairs. He was holding a bouquet of red roses and a pretty gift bag. As soon as I came down, he gave me a big hug. “Baby, Happy Valentine’s Day. Although I can’t accompany you, we must still have our ritual!” I thought I wouldn’t even see him today. I didn’t expect him to have prepared gifts for me. After chatting for a few minutes, he left. I happily went back upstairs. Only when I got back to the dorm did I open the gift. It was a YSL gift set. My roommates exclaimed, “Wow! Hannah! Your boyfriend is so good to you!” “This must have cost quite a bit. No wonder your boyfriend has been so busy lately. Turns out he was working hard to buy you a gift.” He had given me what he thought was the best. I was very satisfied. Wendy looked at the gift box but didn’t say anything. She’s a makeup blogger on a certain platform, with a keen eye. Seeing her silence, the other two roommates, afraid of saying the wrong thing, also kept quiet. I asked, “Wendy, is there a problem?” She picked up the lipstick and looked at it, seeming a bit troubled, “I can’t be sure at the moment. I’ll ask my friend to take a look.” My heart sank. I had never encountered fake goods before and hadn’t paid attention to the differences between real and fake. But since Wendy said this, it was probably fake. She was just being polite and said she’d ask a friend to look at it. My roommates comforted me, “Oh Hannah, maybe William doesn’t know about these things and was tricked.” “Yeah, how would guys know what’s real and what’s fake?” That made sense. I sent William a message, [Where did you buy this gift set?] He replied after a few minutes, [At the boutique.] He even sent me a screenshot. It was a purchase record from the boutique. Can you buy fakes from the boutique too? Or did Wendy really make a mistake? William: [What’s wrong, baby? Don’t you like it?] Me: [It’s nothing, I love it.] William: [I’m glad you like it. I have to go tutor students now, let’s talk later.] My brother took me to an amusement park, but I was distracted the whole time. Until Wendy sent me a message, [It’s fake.] She sent me several pictures showing the differences between genuine and fake products. [William most likely bought it online.] She sent me a link to a YSL gift set priced at just over a hundred dollars. The details in the buyer’s photos matched exactly with what I had. [Hannah, if he tells the truth, he might not know and thought YSL was this cheap. But if he’s lying to you, you should dump a guy like that.] I didn’t know what to say for a moment. I asked her, [Can you buy fakes from the boutique?] [Let me put it this way, this set is obviously fake at first glance. Even if boutiques sell fakes, they would only fake the quality, which is harder to detect.] But William did buy a gift set from the boutique. I sent the screenshot to Wendy. She replied, [What if the gift set from the boutique wasn’t meant for you?] She had a point. What if William bought two sets, one online and one from the boutique, giving one to me and one to someone else? That would make sense. But how could that be possible? How could William do such a despicable thing? We’ve been dating for over a year, and our relationship has always been good. He definitely wouldn’t do this to me. Just as I was thinking this, I saw a familiar figure in the crowd. It looked like William. Wasn’t he supposed to be tutoring students? Why would he be here?

I was about to go after him when my brother came back with ice cream. Seeing my hurried expression, he asked, “What’s wrong?” “I think I saw a friend.” In the blink of an eye, that figure disappeared into the crowd. I licked my ice cream and sent William a message, [Where are you?] He replied half an hour later, [Tutoring students.] As if to prove something, he sent a picture of a child writing at a desk. [What’s wrong, baby? Do you miss me? I’ll come find you after I finish teaching, okay?] Once the seed of doubt is planted, it easily takes root and grows. I suddenly wanted to video call him. But with my brother beside me, I had to give up on that idea. After rejecting the Nth girl asking for his contact information, my brother finally had time to pay attention to me, “Hannah, you don’t seem very happy.” “Mm.” “Is it because you didn’t receive a Valentine’s Day gift?” I shook my head. My brother didn’t care what I was thinking about. He snapped his fingers. Then, out of nowhere, a group of flamboyantly dressed “princes” appeared, surrounding me. “Take your pick. Which ones do you like best? Big brother will let them keep you company.” My brother always does such unreliable things. With more than ten of them, how could I handle it? “Oh, brother, I…” My brother’s jaw dropped, “What?! You want all of them?” When did I say such a thing? He waved his hand, “Fine, only kids make choices. We’ll take them all.” I was a bit speechless. “Never mind, brother. Let’s go eat.” The princes were all very handsome, but mainly, I have a boyfriend. It wouldn’t be right to do this. But soon, I didn’t think that way anymore. Not long after getting in the car, Wendy sent me another message. [Hannah, aren’t you with William today?] [He’s busy tutoring students. I’m out with my brother.] But she sent me a photo. It was William and Mandy grabbing dolls from a claw machine. The location was the amusement park where I was. This amusement park isn’t cheap. Other places charge one dollar per coin, but here it’s ten dollars. It costs twenty dollars for one try at the claw machine. Mandy was already holding several dolls. With William’s skills, he probably couldn’t get one even after ten tries. He buys me a hundred-dollar fake gift set online and tries to fool me with a boutique purchase record, but he spends hundreds or thousands at an amusement park grabbing dolls for Mandy! Wendy asked me, [Hannah, do you want to come over now? I can keep an eye on him for you.] [No need, Wendy. Go have fun with your boyfriend. I’ll handle this myself.] I couldn’t take it anymore and called William directly. One, two, three… It wasn’t until the fifth call that he picked up! “Hannah, what are you doing? I’m teaching! The parent is right here!” I took a deep breath, trying to control my emotions, “Let’s video call.” “I’m really busy here, and I’m tired from teaching all day. Can you not be unreasonable?” His tone was very impatient. This time he didn’t even bother to make up a lie. “Am I being unreasonable, or are you feeling guilty?” He angrily retorted, “Hannah, what do you mean by that? I’ve been working hard for our future, and now you doubt me?” Always saying it’s for our future! But my future doesn’t involve him sucking up to rich girls! I hung up the phone, sent him the link and photo, and left a message [Let’s break up]. Then I blocked and deleted all his contact information. When did he start being with Mandy? That genuine YSL gift set must have been for Mandy too. A rich girl like Mandy, so proud, claiming she never buys second-hand goods, hating vintage and antiques. But does someone like that also like stealing other people’s boyfriends?

After dinner, my brother drove me back to school. After walking a few steps, I received a bank notification. It was my brother transferring me five hundred thousand dollars. [Hannah, big brother sent you some pocket money. Spending money will make you happier~] The smile on my face hadn’t even formed when I heard a shout from behind, “Hannah! I never thought you were this kind of gold digger!” It was William. Seeing him made me lose my good mood. I just wanted to walk away quickly. But he wouldn’t let go, grabbing my arm, “I saw you get out of that Maybach! Who did you go out with today?!” The thief crying “Stop thief”? Fine, let’s sort this out. “You didn’t tutor students at all today!” He took a deep breath, “Yes, I went out with Mandy. I thought if I made her happy, she might not pursue the watch issue.” He could come up with such a ridiculous excuse. Why go out on Valentine’s Day of all days? Doesn’t he know what Valentine’s Day means? Does he really think I’m an idiot? He softened his voice, “Hannah, I did it for you.” I sneered, “What does it have to do with me? Did I force you to pay her back? Did I force you to go to the amusement park with her? Did I force you to grab dolls for her?” My sudden outburst left him speechless. “William, next time you want to shift blame, can you find a better excuse?” I stepped back, distancing myself from him. But he came closer again, holding my hand, looking at me affectionately. “Hannah, I do like you.” I felt a bit sick. “This was really unavoidable. You know I’m about to graduate and enter society. I just wanted to find a good internship.” “Mandy’s family owns a company, so I thought maybe she could…” I understood everything now. “Hannah, love without material foundation is like a pile of loose sand, scattered even without wind blowing. I just wanted to give you a better life.” I laughed angrily. “William, stop deceiving yourself. It’s you who wanted to take shortcuts. Using ‘giving me a better life’ as an excuse is just to cover up your guilt and despicable behavior.” “We’re done. I can’t accept the fake gift you bought me. I’ll return it to you tomorrow.” My parents have always given me the best since I was little. I can’t mistreat myself like this. That stuff would probably make my lips rot if I used it. “I sent you the purchase record! Who says it’s fake bought online? It’s your roommate, right? She’s just jealous!” He suddenly raised his voice, glaring at me, very different from his usual gentle demeanor. There’s a saying, the louder the voice, the weaker the position. He was just counting on me not knowing much about brands, thinking I’d be easy to fool. Laughable. What is there for Wendy to be jealous of over something worth just over a thousand dollars? She usually gets so many gifts from brands that her hands are full. What would she be jealous of? “You gave the boutique gift set to Mandy, right? Buying fakes and using the boutique purchase record to fool me, I can’t believe you came up with that.” One genuine gift set to please two people, how ‘economical’. William panicked, “There’s no taking back a gift once it’s given!” I didn’t care, “Oh, then I’ll throw it in the trash.” “You transfer the money to me! One hundred and thirty-eight!” What a cheapskate! How dare he say such a thing! It’s just a hundred dollars. Usually, I wouldn’t even bother arguing with someone over this amount. But I can’t swallow this anger! “I’ll have my roommate return it to you tomorrow. Don’t even think about me transferring money to you.” He pointed at my nose and yelled, his spit flying onto my face. “Hannah, you really are a gold digger! Stingy and poor!” “You still expect me to buy you things from the boutique? Look at yourself, do you even deserve it?!” So he’s not short on money, he just thinks I only deserve a gift worth one hundred and thirty-eight dollars? I looked down at myself. A custom-made bag worth over three hundred thousand, shoes worth eighty to ninety thousand… All together, probably worth about a house in a second-tier city. How do I not deserve it? “You’re not even fit to tie Mandy’s shoelaces!” My eyes started to heat up. I never imagined that in his eyes, I was just a cheap commodity, not worth half of Mandy. If I continued arguing with him, I would only end up in tears. I turned and walked away. He was still ranting behind me. “Hannah! No one will ever treat you better than me! They’re all just playing with you! Do you think anyone would truly like you?!” “Don’t expect me to beg you to get back together this time! Mandy has already agreed to be with me! You’ll regret losing me!” “So what if you rode in a Maybach? I’m just waiting for you to be abandoned!” I quickened my pace. He might not be embarrassed, but I was.

When love disappoints, I go on a shopping spree. My brother really understands women. Spending money does make you happier. After returning to the dorm, I even bought gifts for my roommates. Wendy gasped, holding Dior’s new bag lovingly, “Babe, where did you strike it rich?” I smiled without saying anything. Mainly because Wendy is too righteous. After hearing about how I was scammed by that scumbag, she recorded a video about this outrageous incident and shared it with her followers. She didn’t name names and omitted many details. But her followers know she’s a student at Yale University. So now everyone is guessing who this extreme cheapskate two-timing guy at Yale is. Some people even came to Yale’s forum to ask questions. Anyway, William will have to lay low for a while. Otherwise, his true face might be exposed at any moment. … On Friday afternoon, I went to attend the student union meeting. Before I even entered the door, I heard people gossiping inside. “…She doesn’t know how she got rich. Buying those bags to give away. I heard her ex-boyfriend William reveal that she was actually two-timing, stringing along a rich guy while not wanting to let go of her ex who was a potential stock.” Where did these trolls come from? Completely turning black into white. “There are detailed revelations in this post, everyone come and see!” “Damn, I pursued her at that time. Good thing I didn’t succeed, otherwise my head would be full of green.” “I also heard that last time when Zack dropped into their department group chat, it was Hannah who pulled him in. I was wondering how they knew each other, turns out it’s this kind of relationship.” These words really sound like something William would say. Comparing himself to a potential stock, how shameless. “Even if the rich guy sent her bags, she wouldn’t give them away so openly. I feel like they might be fakes…” “Yeah, last time on the basketball court she also said she would compensate Mandy with a new watch. My goodness, that’s a Cartier, not some ten-dollar store trinket!” I was listening intently at the wall when suddenly someone patted my shoulder. Just as I was about to cry out, that person covered my mouth. I turned my head to see it was Sean, the student union president. He signaled me not to make a sound, and after releasing me, stood by the door to eavesdrop with me. ? Isn’t this guy usually cold and aloof, meticulous in everything? How come he’s doing this kind of thing with me? Those people inside kept saying the same things over and over, and I soon found it boring. Sean leaned close to my ear, “Had enough?” I nodded. He gestured for me to move aside, then pushed open the door and strode in. The discussions abruptly stopped. I waited for a while, then followed him in. Those few people from Mandy’s department looked me up and down. I casually put down my newly bought Hermès bag, coincidentally right next to Mandy’s LV. The difference was obvious. It wasn’t about showing off, but rather to dampen Mandy’s arrogance. She soon became restless. “Hannah, can I take a look at your bag?” “Sure.” She turned the bag over and over, examining it closely, almost as if she had a magnifying glass in her hand. After looking, she asked: “Where did you buy this? The details look quite authentic.” Her words implied that my bag was fake.

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My roommate claimed her boyfriend was a young master living in a luxurious coastal community. She also said, “My boyfriend’s only worry is that he can’t keep up with his parents’ pace.” Huh? We live in the same apartment complex. But why have I never seen this boyfriend she keeps talking about? Recently, the luxurious coastal community suddenly became a hot topic online. I was puzzled when I heard my roommate bragging about it in our dorm room. Although the houses there are expensive, not many people even know it exists. So… my roommate is dating a guy who lives in that community? Everyone has a bit of gossip in them. I listened eagerly from my bed as my roommate recounted how she met her boyfriend, how it was love at first sight, and how they fell head over heels for each other. Oh! How cliché! But I love it! “Lily, you said your boyfriend is from a rich family. What does he look like? Can we see a picture?” one of our roommates asked. Lily giggled shyly and pulled up a photo of her boyfriend on her phone, turning the screen towards us. I was a bit far away and couldn’t see clearly, but the outline of this person looked quite unfamiliar. I felt like I had never seen him before. My other two roommates saw the photo and couldn’t help but exclaim. “Wow! He’s so handsome!” “Does he really live in that coastal community? He’s really one of those rich and handsome young masters! Lily, you’re so lucky!” Under the adoration of our two roommates, Lily seemed to be floating on cloud nine. “I guess I got lucky. We met at a club activity last time… maybe it’s fate!” Club activity? I caught this key phrase and hesitated for a moment before asking her. “You mean… the club activity we went to together last time?” Lily finally turned to look at me, but her attitude was quite arrogant. “Yeah, what about it? Are you jealous?” Me: “?” What am I supposed to be jealous of? Jealous that her boyfriend lied to her about being from a rich family? When will this girl ever wise up? If the outline in the photo had left me uncertain before, now I could be sure. Lily’s boyfriend was a liar. At the last club activity, I went with Lily. I didn’t see any familiar faces at the event venue. Others might not know, but all the people around our age living in the coastal community know each other. We might not be very close, but we all recognize each other’s faces and greet each other when we meet. So, I couldn’t have been mistaken. Lily proudly glanced at me, and seeing me deep in thought, she became even more convinced that I was jealous of her. “My boyfriend, he doesn’t care about our class difference at all. His only worry now is that he can’t keep up with his parents’ pace.” “He also said that when he takes over the family company, he’ll make me the boss’s wife. I can spend the company’s money however I want!” I came back to my senses and heard these words. I couldn’t help but look at her. Oh, this… Does this person have any common sense? Actually, companies don’t have that much liquid cash, and every bit of movable funds is accounted for meticulously. Using company money like that… it would be considered embezzlement. I couldn’t help but suspect that Lily’s boyfriend had read too many novels and had been brainwashed.

Just as my thoughts drifted, Lily spoke up. Before speaking, she cast a disdainful glance at me. Seeing me lost in thought, it was as if she was saying, “Can’t imagine it, can you? Jealous, aren’t you?” “This weekend is my boyfriend’s birthday, and he wants to invite everyone out for dinner. Are you all free?” As Lily spoke, she brushed her hair back with her hand, revealing a shiny silver bracelet on her wrist. “Wow! Lily, your bracelet is so beautiful! When did you buy it?” one roommate exclaimed. “It must be from her boyfriend. Lily’s boyfriend is so rich, this looks expensive!” another chimed in. Lily pursed her lips and smiled shyly. “It’s not that much. My boyfriend gave it to me for Christmas. It only cost about $5,000.” Another round of exclamations followed. Only I swallowed hard. With that quality… $50 tops. I’m not looking down on anyone, but my mom loves researching these things with her friends when she’s bored. She knows all about which brand just released a new limited edition globally, which style is the same as Princess Diana’s. She can recite it all. I’ve been influenced by her. “Your boyfriend is really rich!” “And I heard that restaurant costs over $200 per person. With six people in our dorm, that’s over a thousand dollars for one night!” The roommates got more and more excited, some even canceling their dates on SnapChat just to see what this so-called rich young master looked like. Me: “…” We’re all just people, there’s really not that much difference. Although my brother is quite good-looking, from middle school to college, he’s always bragging about being chased by a bunch of girls. Last semester, he was almost scouted by a well-known entertainment company. Seeing me cough lightly, Lily immediately looked at me vigilantly. “Claire, what do you mean?” I was stunned for a moment. What do I mean? That restaurant is right next to my house. Back in high school, they delivered breakfast to us every day. Can I say I’m sick of it? Her eyes started to look a bit sarcastic. “My boyfriend is so sincere in inviting everyone. You’ll come that day, right?” I immediately nodded. Why wouldn’t I come? I want to see who from the community it is. But this girl, she actually snorted again. She probably thought I was excited to see her “young master”.

On Saturday morning, a flashy yellow Ferrari stopped at the school gate. Lily excitedly waved in that direction. Facing the wind, she turned back, tucked her hair behind her ear, and smiled shyly at us, “Sorry, he’s late.” I narrowed my eyes and looked at the license plate. Why did it look so familiar? But I didn’t think much of it. Rich people often like these kinds of lucky number sequences, more or less the same. The man in the car looked about the same age as my brother. He took off his sunglasses and greeted us. Our eyes met. He was good-looking, but indeed unfamiliar. Seeing her boyfriend’s gaze fall on me and our brief eye contact, Lily immediately blocked me. With a fake smile: “I’m sorry, Claire. His Ferrari can only seat four people. So you and Rachel will have to take a cab.” Her voice was sweet and seemingly full of apology. After speaking, she turned back and smiled tenderly at the man in the car. The man flipped his sunglasses coolly. Me: “…” “Wow, your boyfriend is so handsome!” “His clothes look so expensive!” The roommates who were close to her started praising again. Rachel and I got into the car I called. Seeing the luxurious interior, Rachel looked around in surprise: “Claire, this kind of car must be expensive, right? Send me the bill later, I’ll split it with you.” I smiled and said, “It’s okay, I happen to have a coupon. This ride is free.” I knew Rachel’s family situation was not good. She only had her 70-year-old grandmother at home. She often worked part-time jobs after class and sent money home for living expenses. Because of this, Lily and her little dorm clique often looked down on her. But I thought a hardworking and ambitious girl like her was much more admirable than some people. Rachel gave me a grateful smile. I didn’t tell her that this car actually belonged to my dad. And it was worth eight figures. And it was just one of countless cars my family owned. The gap between people can sometimes be as big as the sky. I was just born a little luckier. So, I never thought it was something to be proud of. The car stopped in front of the restaurant. Lily and the other roommates were standing outside. When they saw us get out of the Rolls-Royce, they were stunned for a moment. Then Lily smirked sarcastically: “Claire, it’s just a ride, you don’t need to try so hard.” “Putting on airs, but you’re spending your own money.” Her words were really stinging now, probably because she had been flattered too much on the way here and had lost her bearings. If it weren’t for her roommates holding her back, she might have floated up to the sky. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. She was about to speak again when her boyfriend walked out from inside. His gaze fell on me for a moment before he invited us in. Although it was very quiet, I still heard her boyfriend ask behind us. “What does your roommate’s family do? That outfit she’s wearing might cost $10,000.” “What?!” After entering, Lily’s look at me changed. But soon, she showed a look of disdain again. That look seemed to say, this must be a knockoff, how could someone like her wear such nice clothes? While ordering, Lily kept turning her head and asking her boyfriend various questions in a sweet voice. “Xavier, didn’t you say your family has a villa in France? And your sister is studying in France, right? My roommates are all curious about life in France, why don’t you tell everyone about it?” Her boyfriend, oh, called Xavier Quinn, was clearly pleased with her admiring gaze and started talking confidently. I have to say, what he described was pretty much how it is. My brother and I do go to France for vacation every summer. Because of this, I couldn’t help but wonder if he had just moved in, which was why I didn’t recognize him. Halfway through his story, Lily suddenly and inexplicably started to bring me into the conversation. “Claire, didn’t you say your cousin also graduated from a university in France?” “Why don’t you tell us about it?”

I was speechless. Please, it was my cousin who studied in France, not me. What am I supposed to say?? Lily’s expression, however, clearly showed that she wanted to embarrass me, staring at me intently, demanding that I say something. It wasn’t until her boyfriend tugged at her and tried to smooth things over by saying, “The food is here, let’s eat!” that she stopped. After saying that, he lowered his voice and whispered in Lily’s ear: “Babe, don’t provoke her casually.” “…” Is a $10,000 outfit really worth that kind of conclusion? However, I was also happy to be at ease. I had originally planned to intervene myself, but now I was off the hook. Lily looked unconvinced, but had to settle down. Rachel comforted me: “Claire, don’t mind her. She’s always like this.” I nodded and smiled at her, indicating it was fine. “Alright, everyone eat up!” “Today is my treat, don’t be shy!” I have to say, these two looked quite like a married couple. One acting generous, the other full of admiration. I glanced at the dishes on the table. They were all things I was tired of eating, so I wasn’t very interested. During the meal, Xavier asked me a few questions. Although they were all pleasantries, they seemed casual, but every sentence was trying to find out about my family situation. When I went to the restroom, I heard a conversation from inside. “Xavier, what are you doing?! Are you interested in that little bitch Claire?” Lily’s voice was full of anger. Me: “??” It took me two seconds to resist the urge to go in and slap her twice, and I continued to listen to the male voice from inside. “Baby, don’t get excited.” “I saw that bracelet on her hand, it looks like a limited edition global release, similar to the one my good friend’s sister has. I wanted to confirm if it was the same.” “Didn’t you say her surname is also Johnson?” I looked down at my bracelet. Well, well, so you’re the one who gave me away. My mom had it brought back from France for my birthday last month. I don’t know how much it cost, I just wear it as an accessory. Lily just made a dissatisfied “hmm” sound. Then added: “But how could she possibly be your friend’s sister?!” “Someone like her?!” “…” The bathroom door opened, and I stepped aside. I didn’t plan to let them see me for now. I still wanted to settle accounts when I got home. I wondered when Jack had made such a fox-like friend. Just as I was thinking, Jack’s message came. “Sis, Mom and Dad want you to come home tonight.” “Did you forget what day it is today?” I stared at the message blankly for a long time. “You really forgot!!!” Even through the screen, I could feel my brother’s roar. “Today is your brother’s—my birthday!!!” Oh. I suddenly realized and replied. “Got it.” When I returned to the table, Lily’s boyfriend was talking confidently to the table full of girls. With a not-so-authentic accent: “You don’t know, but my family actually values girls more than boys. When my sister turned 18, my dad bought her an island in France!” “When I turned 18, he just gave me the car parked outside.” “Oh, you poor thing. Does that mean you won’t inherit as much of the family fortune as your sister?” one of the roommates worried for the young master. “That won’t happen…” he waved his hand, then looked up and saw me. Xavier paused for a moment, then put on a smile: “Claire’s back.” Me: “…” Are we that close? Lily pinched him hard from the side, and he frowned and withdrew his gaze. I walked back to my seat, bent down to pick up my bag, and a fleeting thought crossed my mind that his story sounded awfully familiar. An island for the sister’s 18th birthday, a Ferrari for the brother’s 18th birthday, isn’t that just me and my brother? But I guess rich families are all similar. “Claire, are you leaving?” Xavier stood up too. I nodded, and he eagerly said: “Let me drive you!”

In the end, under Lily’s murderous glare, Xavier still insisted on driving me home. “I couldn’t pick her up earlier, so I’ll send her back now.” He smiled, running his hand through his hair that was about to take flight. “I want to go too!” Lily jumped up. Then she looked at me with curved eyes and a smile. “I want to see where Claire lives too.” “Sure,” I said. I picked up my bag and smiled calmly. After leaving the restaurant, Xavier eagerly opened the passenger door and looked at me. I walked straight to the back seat. Lily’s fingers were almost digging into her palms. When closing the door, she wanted to slam it but didn’t dare use too much force. Just a small “bang”, and her boyfriend glared at her. Seeing Lily about to cry, he softened his tone. “Okay baby, I’m sorry…” He said this, but his eyes vigilantly checked the car door several times. Only after making sure it was okay did he breathe a sigh of relief. I sat in the back seat, looking like I was watching a good show between the two of them. Go ahead and slam it. Even if you really damage half the door of this car, it would only cost a few hundred thousand to fix. Lily was clearly still angry, but she didn’t forget to turn back and act nice to me, smiling and asking: “Claire, where do you want to go?” “The Coastal Villas.” “Are you okay??” “Claire, it’s nighttime now, what daydream are you having?” Lily looked at me in shock. I was almost amused by her expression. Is living in the Coastal Villas some kind of daydream? Seeing that I didn’t respond, her boyfriend pulled her hand and turned back, smiling at me in the rearview mirror. “Okay, let’s go to the Coastal Villas.” This “young master” must really be new to the area, he even needed to use GPS. My brother could get back there with his eyes closed. After getting out of the car, I calmly took out my phone and took a picture of the license plate. Lily snorted disdainfully. She wanted to assert her ownership again, so she leaned into the driver’s seat and hugged her boyfriend’s neck to kiss him. Me: “…” Xavier was stunned for a moment and pushed her away almost imperceptibly. Lily seemed to realize something and turned her face towards the car window to look at me: “Claire, didn’t you say your home is in the Coastal Villas? Why have you been standing at the entrance for so long without going in?” As soon as she finished speaking, the gate opened. “Young miss is back?” The security guard greeted me through the window with a kind smile. Lily’s face turned black, looking multi-colored under the car’s interior lights. This is getting interesting. “Xavier, should we go in too?” Lily squirmed a bit and turned her head coyly. Xavier was stunned again, but quickly came to his senses and smiled to reassure her: “I still need to drive your other roommates back to school.” “Xavier, you’re so thoughtful.”

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I woke up in the middle of the night to find that Frederick had posted a new photo on Instagram. In it, a woman was lounging seductively against his leg. After ten years of marriage, he had finally betrayed me! And with the girl I had been supporting, no less. Strangely, I felt… excited. For ten years, I had meticulously planned this moment, orchestrating the ultimate showdown between these two psychopaths. The real show was just beginning! My period cramps were killing me, and I had a fever on top of it. My whole body ached, making it impossible to sleep. “Frederick…” I called out, my forehead burning as I reached for him, hoping he’d bring me some warm water. Then I remembered he had a business dinner tonight. There was medicine in the nightstand. Groggy, I fumbled for a painkiller and swallowed it with water that had long since gone cold. The double dose of pain left me tossing and turning. I opened my phone, trying to distract myself. Frederick had posted a new photo on Instagram. The girl in it looked young and alluring, lounging languidly on his leg. His hand rested in her thick hair, the wedding ring I had personally designed still on his finger. From the looks of it, they’d had quite a bit to drink. Dizzy, I tried to scroll past, but accidentally hit the like button. My heart started racing. Almost instantly, I unliked the post. But within seconds, my phone rang. It was Frederick’s number. It was the girl who spoke, giggling with an unhinged edge to her voice: “Sister, Frederick’s legs are so long and strong. Are you satisfied with what you see?” My throat was dry and hoarse as I managed to say, “Where’s Frederick?” “You liked the post and then unliked it. What does that mean? Not satisfied?” Frederick’s voice came on the line. His tone was dangerous, dark and menacing. I steeled myself, mustering all my focus: “I accidentally hit it. Frederick, it’s eleven o’clock now. If you’re not home by eleven-thirty, don’t bother coming back at all.” I hung up immediately. But cold sweat broke out on my back. For a moment, the tension made me forget about the pain. So the girl could use his phone to talk to me now… She really did have some skills. I wonder if my reaction today will satisfy him?

The big teddy bear by the bed stared at me with its black button eyes, constantly watching my every move. Frederick got home in less than ten minutes. He made me some ginger tea and held me in his arms. “Honey, are you angry?” he asked. I nodded. “Who was that woman?” He’d played this game too many times. I was tired of it, but I still had to play along and act jealous. “Honey, don’t you love me anymore?” I pretended to be hurt, crying in his arms. As expected, it was exactly what he wanted. He held me tighter as I trembled, kissing my forehead. “How could I not? You’re the one I love most. She was just for work…” A chill ran down my spine, and my headache felt like it was about to split my skull open. His so-called “work” was actually hunting. I seemed to see flashes of severed limbs in the basement… Those women were all his “prey,” specifically hunted to make me jealous. Every time, he would post a photo on Instagram first. The girls in the photos would be taken to the basement that same night, tortured for days before being dismembered. He’d keep the parts he liked best, disposing of the rest in various ways. Today’s girl must already be locked in the basement by now. She can’t die. She’s the version of Frederick I’ve spent ten years cultivating.

Ten years ago, shortly after I discovered Frederick wasn’t normal, I spent a long time volunteering at an orphanage. One of the girls there, Skylar, caught my attention. I watched her emotionlessly wring the neck of a fluffy yellow duckling. “Why did you kill it?” I asked. She tossed the duckling into the pool, her face expressionless. “Because someone else touched it.” “My mom used to say, if someone takes something you like, you either break their hands and take it back, or… you destroy it. That way, no one else can have it.” She looked up at me with a smile. Young as she was, there was something wicked in that smile. “I can’t break people’s hands, so I had to destroy it. If I can’t have it, no one can.” In that moment, I knew she was the one I’d been looking for! I sponsored her education, bought her lots of cute dolls and pretty clothes. More often than not, I reinforced her ideas – that it was right to think “if I can’t have it, no one can.” She repaid me with broken dolls and shredded clothes. She would often say with a look of ecstasy, “Sister, I feel so satisfied and happy when I destroy them…” “The more beautiful something is that I can’t have all to myself, the more I want to tear it apart!” I looked at her calmly, but inside I was terrified – This little demon, watered by my influence, was gradually growing into a big demon… I wanted her to obsess over Frederick, to give myself a chance to escape.

I decided to rescue Skylar. The next evening at dinner, I secretly slipped some sleeping pills into Frederick’s orange juice. He drank it without suspicion, only asking, “Honey, are you feeling better?” I nodded, saying in a hoarse voice, “The fever’s gone down. I’m much better. Honey, no more business dinners from now on.” His face lit up with joy. He smiled as he cut up the still-bloody steak for me and pushed it over. “Honey, eat up.” I fought back the nausea rising in my throat and forked a piece from the edge into my mouth. “Ugh-” Frederick quickly came over to pat my back. “Honey, are you pregnant?!” he asked, incredibly excited. I shook my head, my voice raspy. “Just a reaction from being sick.” The light in his eyes instantly dimmed. He gave me an odd look. “We’ve been married for ten years. When are we going to have a child?” But then he brightened again. “No children is better. That way no one can steal my wife’s love…” After dinner, Frederick took a shower and went to bed early. I quietly opened the safe, took out the basement key, and snuck out of the bedroom. The basement was empty and eerie. The strong smell of formaldehyde mixed with the scent of blood made my head spin even more. A row of terrifying instruments and glass jars lined the walls. The jars contained Frederick’s “collection.” I didn’t dare turn on the lights for fear Frederick would discover me, so I searched using my phone’s flashlight. “Skylar?” I called out in a very low voice. There was a tall figure ahead that looked like someone chained to a cross. I hurried over. The person had long hair hanging down, head bowed, looking lifeless. As I got closer, the smell of decay grew stronger. My heart sank. It couldn’t be… He usually played with them for several days before killing them… “Skylar?” I lightly tapped her shoulder – The head tilted and suddenly rolled to the ground! I let out a startled cry, my phone clattering to the floor. The sound echoed jarringly in the empty room. “Honey?” Frederick’s voice came from outside. Oh no! He’d discovered me! I scrambled to pick up my phone, turned off the flashlight, and dove into a nearby large box. Sweat had already beaded on my forehead. “Honey?” The lights came on. Through a crack in the box, I could see his pants and fuzzy slippers moving this way. “Huh?” He bent down, puzzled. His head came close to the box. With his figure backlit, I could only see a cold glint off his glasses through the crack. I held my breath, not daring to move. Out of nervousness, I instinctively grabbed whatever I could reach beside me. It was sticky, cold, and stiff, wrapped in a leathery texture. It felt like… a hand?! I quickly let go. Frederick stepped back and picked up the fallen head. His long, slender fingers were pale and elegant. Strangely, the wedding ring he never took off was missing. He muttered to himself, “Has it been too long? Or was it rats? How did it just fall off?” My back was already soaked with sweat, clinging to my skin. I shivered. The slippers lingered in front of the box for a while before walking away. With a click, the lights went out. I slumped back, gasping like a fish out of water… “Hee hee-” A woman’s sudden laugh rang out inside the box!

In this enclosed, cramped space, the laughter was so crisp yet so eerie. My hair stood on end in fright. The lights came on again, and the shuffling of slippers grew closer – Something pressed against my face! My teeth chattered uncontrollably, my lips already numb. It was… that sticky, cold hand. “Sister, you and I are truly kindred spirits!” A soft female voice sounded in my ear. As she finished speaking, the lid of the box was lifted. Skylar stood up, climbed out of the box, and stood beside Frederick. “Sister, the hunt has begun.” In that moment, I felt ice-cold all over. I was so stupid. I thought that if I nurtured her from childhood with the idea that “if you can’t have something, destroy it,” she would eventually target Frederick and destroy him. I never expected one misstep would ruin everything. Compared to destroying Frederick, destroying his “owner” was clearly easier. I was tied up by the two of them, face to face with the decapitated female corpse. Frederick’s technique was practiced and skilled. His silver-rimmed glasses gleamed coldly. He looked so unfamiliar now, nothing like the Frederick who had made me ginger tea and rubbed my stomach earlier. “How do you want to play?” A Swiss Army knife twirled in Skylar’s hand. Frederick glanced at me coldly, his icy fingertips gripping my chin, his thumb caressing the corner of my lips. “No rush. I’ve waited all these years. This time, I’m going to take it slow and really enjoy myself!” “Right, honey?” The slightly upturned tone of his voice held absolute confidence and condescension. “Honey, don’t you love me anymore?” I tried to buy time, making myself look pitiful with tears in my eyes. “The ring I designed for you – you said you’d never take it off, even in death.” A flicker of confusion passed almost imperceptibly through his eyes. He let out a cold snort. “Skylar, watch her.” I watched him turn and stride away. His tall, straight back, the slim waist beneath his robe, his long legs, and that pale, ascetic face – all had once been the downfall of so many women. “He really is handsome, isn’t he?” The Swiss Army knife tapped my face. “Such a handsome man – if I didn’t make him mine, I’d be letting down all these years of your teachings.” “Just wait and see how he submits to me.” Her eyes flashed with the excitement of a predator eyeing its prey, her lips curled in an evil grin. Suddenly, she thrust the knife at me with all her might! The blade barely grazed my neck, changing direction to stab at my arm. The fabric tore as the knife tip embedded in the wooden frame. “You came to save me earlier, didn’t you?” She smiled at the cut she’d made on my arm, licking her lips.

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You wake up in the middle of the night and discover your husband is not beside you. You walk out of the bedroom and search the house, but he’s nowhere to be found. As you approach the young housekeeper’s room, you hear your husband’s voice coming from inside. I woke up in the middle of the night and realized my husband wasn’t beside me. I walked out of the bedroom and searched the house, but he was nowhere to be found. As I approached the young housekeeper’s room, I heard my husband’s voice coming from inside. My name is Faye, and I’m 28 years old. My husband Charlie and I work at the same hospital. I’m the head nurse, and he’s an associate professor and chief physician. We’ve been married for over four years, and our relationship has always been good. Charlie is humble and polite, handsome, and very attentive to me. After we got married, no matter how busy work was, he would always send a bouquet of flowers to my nursing station every Valentine’s Day and anniversary. My colleagues would gather around, teasing me about how lucky I was to have married such a perfect husband. I basked in their envious gazes, feeling as if I were living in a honeypot. The only regret in our perfect marriage was that we hadn’t been able to have a child of our own. After I miscarried shortly after getting married, I hadn’t been able to get pregnant again. I knew Charlie really wanted a child too. When I was pregnant, he found all sorts of medications to prevent miscarriage and even hired a young housekeeper to take care of me. I’ve always felt very sorry about the miscarriage, but Charlie has always been by my side comforting me, saying it’s okay, while helping me find various medicines to regulate my body. However, after taking those medicines, my figure started to change, gradually swelling up like a balloon, and my body began to be covered with stretch marks. But I still completely trusted Charlie, believing that as long as we could have our child, I could endure all of this. … Five years ago, Charlie was still a master’s student under my father. My father was a professor and chief physician at the hospital, and it was during my last year of studying at the nursing school that my father arranged for me to intern at his hospital. The first time I saw Charlie, I was attracted to him. Not only was he good-looking, but his behavior and manners exuded the qualities of a gentleman. I learned from my father that Charlie’s family background wasn’t good, he came from a rural village, and he was the only college student in his entire village. This didn’t make me prejudiced against him; instead, it made me admire him even more. It made me even more impressed by his humble demeanor. In my eyes, he was like a noble plum blossom standing alone in the wind and snow. I’ve always been shy about actively asking for contact information from the opposite sex. Even though Charlie attracted me, I only dared to visit my dad’s department more often and steal a few more glances at him. But unexpectedly, Charlie later took the initiative to add me on SnapChat, and after that, he often invited me out to eat, shop, and watch movies. Our relationship grew closer with each date, and later, naturally, Charlie confessed to me. I accepted, touched, feeling like I was the happiest woman in the world. However, all of this has now come crashing down. What a load of crap about being a gentleman, it turns out it was all an act!

Charlie and I hadn’t been dating long when I got pregnant, and he naturally proposed to me. Although my father was somewhat averse to this premarital behavior, on one hand, because I was already pregnant, not getting married quickly would invite gossip once I started showing, and on the other hand, he thought Charlie was quite steady and worthy of entrusting me to, so he didn’t say much more. Our wedding, from planning to completion, took less than a month. I happily entered into marriage, ready to welcome the new life. However, during the first prenatal check-up after marriage, I was told that the fetus was unstable and there was a risk of miscarriage. I was very afraid of losing our first baby like this. At that time, I didn’t hesitate much and decided to stop working and stay at home to rest and nurture the pregnancy. Charlie was also very anxious at the time, busy finding all sorts of medications to prevent miscarriage for me to take. Feeling his desire for this life as strong as mine, my originally panicked heart gradually calmed down, and I peacefully took the medicine he found for me. Later, he even specially found a live-in housekeeper to take care of me 24 hours a day. The housekeeper’s name was Lily, a very young country girl who kept her head down shyly and didn’t dare to speak when she first came to our house. Whenever you called her name, she would raise her head bashfully, her watery eyes blinking as she looked at you, very endearing. Charlie said this young girl was from the neighboring village of his hometown, only 18 years old, had just come to the city to find work, and he saw her at the domestic service center and felt a connection, so he brought her back. I didn’t have any doubts about this, and seeing that this young girl was quite likable, I let her stay. However, even though we did so much, things still didn’t go as we wished, and I still lost the baby. After losing the child, both my emotions and physical condition deteriorated a lot, so I stayed at home to recuperate for a long time. During that time, Charlie was very busy with work and rarely at home. I spent most of my time every day with Lily. Although Lily was shy when speaking, she was very efficient in doing things and very skilled in taking care of people. Moreover, her cooking was very much to Charlie’s taste. Whenever Charlie had the chance, no matter how busy he was, he would rush home to eat. I became more and more satisfied with her, to the extent that when I later returned to work, I still chose to keep Lily. All in all, Lily has been working in my home for almost five years, and we have given her a raise every year. She has also changed from being shy and not daring to look at people when she first started, to gradually becoming cheerful and smiling now. As Lily worked longer in the city, she also became more and more adept at dressing herself up. She was no longer dressed in the simple style she had when she first came to the city. She learned to wear makeup, follow trends, go shopping, and keep up with fashion, becoming increasingly graceful and elegant. However, after my miscarriage, my body gradually changed shape. Looking at myself in the mirror, even I found myself unattractive. Every time I saw the increasingly pretty Lily, I always felt a bit uncomfortable. I don’t know if it’s because of overfamiliarity, but I’ve been feeling lately that Lily’s attitude towards me has become increasingly casual. When I talk to her, she sometimes acts as if she hasn’t heard and doesn’t respond. Moreover, whenever Charlie isn’t home for meals and it’s just me, the dishes on the table are always very plain and pitifully few. When she first came to the city, she didn’t have many clothes to wear, wearing the same one or two pieces of nearly worn-out clothes every day. At that time, after my miscarriage, my figure had changed, and I couldn’t fit into some of my previous brand-name clothes. Seeing her pitiful state, I picked out a couple of suitable pieces for her to wear. But after that, my closet would often show signs of being rummaged through, and some clothes would mysteriously disappear. What made me even more uncomfortable was that her attitude towards Charlie was completely different from her attitude towards me. Sometimes I would hint at her indirectly, telling her to have some boundaries, but she would just laugh it off as if she hadn’t understood. I had also talked to Charlie about wanting to fire Lily, saying that her thoughts had become a bit crooked, her hands weren’t clean, and she was becoming increasingly casual with me, and besides, we didn’t really need a housekeeper anymore. But Charlie said, “Aren’t you being too sensitive? I think she’s doing well in all aspects! You usually place your things carelessly, don’t wrongly accuse the poor girl when you can’t find something! Besides, if you suddenly fire her, where would a helpless young girl go in this city?” I didn’t want Charlie to think I was a petty, complaining wife, so after hearing his words, I didn’t dare to mention firing Lily in front of him again.

Recently, there has been another wave of COVID-19 outbreak in the neighboring state. The sudden outbreak caught the local government off guard, and a shortage of medical personnel and resources was inevitable. I was dispatched to provide support, while Charlie, due to having too many scheduled surgeries, couldn’t leave and stayed at the hospital. Although the work on the anti-epidemic front line was very arduous, every night when I received a FaceTime from Charlie asking about my return date and sweetly saying goodnight, I felt warmth in my heart. We’ve been married for so many years, and it seems like it’s always been Charlie preparing surprises for me. This time, I thought about telling him a later return date than planned, so I could come back early and give him a surprise. I specifically chose his day off to rush back. On my way home, my whole body was fluttering like a young girl in love. However, an hour later when I arrived home, I couldn’t help but laugh at my current foolish self. I pushed open the door, and the whole house was immersed in an eerie silence. Did Charlie suddenly have to work overtime today? Lily didn’t seem to be at home either. The curtains in the house were drawn tight, and although it was bright and sunny outside, not a ray of light penetrated inside. The air also seemed not to circulate well, permeated with a strange smell. I turned on the small light in the entrance hall and looked around. Everything seemed normal. I went upstairs to the second and third floors but didn’t find anyone. Back on the first floor, I went to open the curtains. The sudden direct sunlight made me squint uncomfortably for a moment, but I quickly adjusted. After opening the windows to let in some air, I sat down on the sofa to relieve some of the fatigue from the journey. However, as soon as I sat down, my left hand came into contact with an unknown liquid on the sofa. I frowned, and an ominous feeling quietly sprouted in my heart. Was it Lily or Charlie, or both of them? Once the seed of suspicion sprouted, it grew uncontrollably wild. I don’t know what kind of mindset I had when I cleaned this up. Then suddenly a wave of disgust surged up inside me. I rubbed my hands repeatedly, but this didn’t suppress the nausea in my heart, so I went to the bathroom and washed my body over and over again. After that, I sat on the single sofa in the living room, my gaze empty as I fell into deep thought. At this moment, for some reason, I was unprecedentedly calm. My mind kept flashing back to Lily’s casual attitude towards me, as if she had nothing to fear, and Charlie’s protection of her, which I had thought was just him simply feeling sorry for a country girl working away from home. These details, which had once made me think I was being petty, now took on a different flavor, everything connecting together at this moment seemed unusually reasonable. Sitting here for I don’t know how long, the sky outside gradually darkened, with only a dim entrance light remaining in the room. Finally, the sound of the smart door lock keypad rang out, as if to verify my guess, Charlie and Lily entered the house laughing and talking. “Lily, did you forget to turn off the entrance light when you went out?” As he said this, he turned on the big living room light, and the sudden brightness exposed all the ugliness. I looked at this pair, their smiles not yet faded, frozen stiffly on their faces when they suddenly discovered me. “Honey! Why did you suddenly come back? Didn’t you say you’d be a few days late?” Charlie reacted first, quickly composing himself. No wonder! Asking me every day on SnapChat about my return date, it was for this! I suppressed the disgust in my heart and replied to him with a forced smile. “I thought I’d come back early to give you a surprise. I just got back and you weren’t home, so I sat here to rest and wait for you!” Seeing my gaze floating back and forth between him and Lily, Charlie spoke up, seemingly casually. “I just had an emergency surgery at the hospital, went back to work overtime, and on the way back I happened to run into Lily who had finished buying groceries, so I brought her back.” In the past, I believed everything he said without question. But at this moment, I thought, wasn’t it that they went out shopping together, enjoying their time alone while I was away? But on the surface, I still maintained a normal expression and said. “Why are you explaining this to me? Oh, by the way, Lily, I just bought a roast chicken and put it in the kitchen, heat it up and prepare for dinner.” Charlie didn’t seem to intend to explain anything more, as if he was long accustomed to me being a stupid woman deeply in love and easy to fool.

Before bed, Charlie brought me the carefully prepared body-conditioning medicine as usual. I stared at the dark bowl of medicine in front of me. In the past, I would have obediently drunk it despite the bitterness. “Put it here, I’ll read for a while and drink it before going to bed.” Charlie didn’t suspect anything and said, “Okay, drink it while it’s hot. I know the medicine is bitter, but it’s all for our baby. I’ll go organize some documents first, I’ll be back later.” Saying this, he kissed my forehead. I restrained the urge to push him away and acted coy as I had in the past. In my heart, I cursed silently, to deceive a woman, a man can actually act so naturally and unaffectedly cherishing! After Charlie left the room, I got out of bed intending to put some of the medicine into a separate bottle to hide, and pour the rest into the toilet in the master bathroom and flush it away, then put the bowl back on the bedside table. After lying down, I closed my eyes pretending to be asleep. It wasn’t long before Charlie came back. As soon as he entered the room, he walked to my bedside and shook my shoulder, seemingly trying to confirm if I was asleep. I remained motionless. He then walked back to his side of the bed, turned off the small night light I habitually left on for him, covered himself with the blanket, and lay down beside me. I closed my eyes without a hint of sleepiness, instead becoming increasingly alert. Less than half an hour after the lights went out, Charlie couldn’t control himself anymore.

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My aunt showed up right after my mom’s funeral. She offered to be my mom’s replacement. My dad was so touched that he wanted to add her name to the property deed. I realized then that talking about feelings costs money, and my aunt had a clear goal. My aunt was only 38 years old, but she looked like she was in her late twenties. She was beautiful, with a radiant smile that could light up a room. She had been divorced four times, each time because she had cheated on her husband. My grandmother had worried about her for years and even consulted a fortune teller about her love life. The fortune teller said my aunt was born with a “flower fairy” fate, destined to attract romantic troubles. I never imagined that my aunt would bring her troubles into our family. Right after my mom’s funeral, she showed up at our door. She made a heartfelt confession to my dad, saying she was willing to be my mom’s replacement and take care of my dad and me. My dad agreed. This whole situation completely shattered my worldview. I had a huge fight with my dad about it. My dad sighed, suddenly looking much older. “Lily, I’m getting old. You’re away at college. I just want someone by my side.” Of course, I didn’t object to my dad finding a companion. But he was planning to marry my aunt, my mom’s sister! “Dad, after all these years, don’t you know what kind of person my aunt is?” I asked. Was he looking to get cheated on? My dad looked at me with a mix of embarrassment and pleading. “She promised she could change, Lily. She’s your aunt, after all. We’re already family.” At that moment, I knew that no matter what I said, my dad was determined to let my aunt move in. Sure enough, that evening, my aunt moved in, bringing along my cousin Emma, who had just started middle school this year. My aunt was a great cook, but I couldn’t eat a bite. At the dinner table, my aunt kept putting food on my plate. “Lily, what do you like to eat? Your aunt will cook it for you every day from now on.” I smiled coldly and stood up to go back to my room. “I’ll pack my things. I’m going back to school tomorrow.” Out of sight, out of mind! As I closed the door, I heard Emma ask, “Mom, why are we living at Lily’s house?” My aunt replied, “Emma, this is our home now. Emma, call him Dad.” Emma sweetly called my dad “Dad,” and he happily responded, calling her a good girl over and over. Look at that, they’ve already become a family of three. … After I went back to school, I only exchanged occasional messages with my dad. It seemed that he and my aunt were getting along well. During winter break, I found a part-time job and wasn’t planning to go home. But I hadn’t seen my dad for a whole semester and missed him, so I decided to go home for a couple of days first. When I got home and opened the door to my room, I saw Emma eating chips on my bed. She was surprised to see me come in. As she sat up, chips scattered all over the bed. I’m a neat freak. In the past, I never even allowed myself to eat in my bedroom. How could I possibly allow someone else to eat on my bed? I walked over and scolded her sternly, “Who let you in here? From now on, don’t come into my room without my permission.” Emma sat on the bed without moving. “Lily, this is my room.” It was then that I looked around and realized my room had been completely transformed. Huh, in just one semester, my room was gone.

I hadn’t told my dad I was coming home. I wanted to surprise him, but he ended up surprising me instead. Emma said he and my aunt had gone out to buy groceries. I sat on the couch waiting, and sure enough, they came back laughing and talking after a while. When he saw me, the smile on my dad’s face faltered for a moment. He frowned. “Lily, why are you back? Didn’t you say you had to work?” I suddenly felt a wave of disappointment, and the anger I had been holding back burst out. “What happened to my room?” I demanded. My aunt glanced at my dad without saying anything, clearly leaving it to him to deal with me. My dad’s face showed his discomfort as he tried to explain, “Lily, you don’t come home often anymore, so I let your sister have your room.” We had three bedrooms in our house: a master bedroom, a guest room, and a small attic bedroom upstairs. I pointed upstairs and looked at my aunt. “Move all of Emma’s things up there. From now on, don’t touch my room.” My aunt put on a tearful face. “Lily, Emma is your sister. How can you treat her like this?” I already didn’t like my aunt, and now she was putting on an act and playing innocent in front of me. Of course, I wasn’t going to give her any face. “How am I treating her? Did I kick her out? You’ve taken over my room, and now you’re trying to turn this around on me?” My aunt lowered her head and sobbed. My dad felt sorry for her and got angry. He yelled at me, “Lily, is that how you talk to your elders? Apologize to your aunt!” I was furious. I went straight into the room and started throwing Emma’s things out. My aunt and Emma were screaming outside. My dad came in and grabbed my wrist, pulling me out. This was the first time my dad had ever laid hands on me, and it was for these two outsiders. “Lily, this is my house. I can let whoever I want live here. Are you rebelling? Is this how I taught you?” I yanked my hand away from my dad. “This is your house and my house too. Half of it is yours, and half was Mom’s. Now that Mom’s gone, her half is mine. What right do you have to give my room to someone else?” Emma suddenly stepped forward. “Now the house belongs to my mom too!” My heart sank. I looked at my dad in disbelief. He looked away guiltily. “I’ve already added your aunt’s name to the property deed.” I turned to look at my aunt, and suddenly everything became clear. I had wondered what she saw in my dad. Now I knew. She was after our house. But so what? “That still means I own half of this house. You only have a quarter. Move your daughter’s things out!” My aunt hid behind my dad, not moving. I was completely furious now and stormed back into the room to continue throwing things out. Emma rushed in to stop me, but I pushed her away. My aunt was crying loudly outside. “What are you doing? How can you hit your sister?” Emma was a clever little thing. Hearing her mom say this, she sat on the floor and started crying. I barely touched her! My dad rushed in, grabbed me, and slapped me across the face. He actually hit me. My heart ached instantly. With tears in my eyes, I nodded. “Fine, I get it. From now on, you’re all one happy family.” With that, I went out, grabbed my suitcase, and left.

I took my suitcase to my grandparents’ house. I told my grandparents and my uncle everything that had happened, expecting them to scold my aunt. But my grandmother said, “Lily, your aunt is part of the family now with your dad. It’s normal for her to fight for her place. Besides, your aunt has had a hard life. She’s finally settled down. Don’t make trouble.” I was speechless at my grandmother’s words. My grandmother had always favored my aunt because she was her “little girl.” She was the one who spoiled my aunt into the person she is today. And now, she was still taking my aunt’s side. After saying this, my grandmother asked what I wanted to eat and offered to cook for me. I picked up my suitcase and left. With no other options, I went to my uncle’s house. After hearing about the mess at home, my uncle’s fiery temper flared up. “He’s such an idiot! I told him over and over to keep the property deed safe, and what does he do? He adds that bitch’s name to it!” My uncle was about to take me to confront my dad, but my cousin Lucas stopped him. He said, “The deed’s already got her name on it. What good will it do to make a fuss now?” Then Lucas turned to me and said, “You can stay here for now. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The family’s still here for you.” I felt a lump in my throat and started crying. My aunt came out of the kitchen. “Alright, alright, let’s eat first. Lily, you just got off the train, right? You haven’t had a chance to rest. Come on, have some hot food.” I wiped my tears and went to eat. My uncle’s family treated me better than my own dad. After dinner, my aunt told me to go rest, but I was too angry to lie down. Seeing me like this, my uncle called me over. “Lily, do you know how much money your family has?” I nodded. “I know. Mom told me everything before she passed away. She knew Dad was easily swayed and couldn’t stand up for himself, so she didn’t trust him with it.” We lived in a small county town, but it was one of the top 100 counties in the country and was developing well. When my mom was alive, she had her own store right at the entrance of our residential complex. It was bought along with our house and was only in my mom’s name. Now she had transferred it to me. Then there was the house, and a small plot of land on the outskirts of town, waiting for development. My dad worked at the county hospital with a pretty good salary of over 10,000 yuan a month. With my mom running her own store, they had saved up quite a bit over the years. All the savings were in my mom’s name, totaling over 1.3 million yuan. I now had the bankbook. After my mom passed away, I rented out the store to someone who opened a nail salon. I could collect 20,000 yuan in rent each year. My uncle listened to all this and nodded. “That’s good. If it weren’t for your mom’s foresight, knowing your dad couldn’t handle it, your aunt would have snatched up all your family’s assets. Now, what do you think about that quarter of the house?”

Why should I give our family’s belongings to someone else? So the house must be taken back. “Now that her name is on the deed, can we still get it back?” I asked. My cousin Lucas sat down beside me and patted my shoulder. “If you want it back, I’ll find you a lawyer.” Seeing Lucas’s determined look, my own resolve strengthened. I looked it up online and found that in cases where one party hasn’t contributed financially, the house might still be split 50-50. There were a lot of complications, and some sources said adding a name before marriage was ineffective. So the key now was this point. I needed to ask my dad for clarification. The next morning, I called my dad and asked him to meet me at my uncle’s house. But after waiting all day, he didn’t show up. When I called again, I found out that my aunt was sick and my dad couldn’t leave. Huh, who knows if she was really sick. I packed up and went home. When I got back, they were just sitting down to dinner. It was hotpot, with a table full of dishes. I saw my dad stand up and put some cooked food into Emma’s bowl. My dad hesitated for a moment when he saw me, then smiled and walked over. “Lily, you’re back! Come, let’s have hotpot.” I looked at my dad coldly. “Dad, this is my home. Are you treating me like a guest?” The smile on my dad’s face froze. My aunt came over too. “Come and eat, Lily. After all, we’re all family. Fighting is one thing, but why are you talking like an outsider? Who’s treating you like a guest?” My dad went to get another set of bowls and chopsticks for me and put some cooked beef in my bowl. I could see he was trying to please me. I took a bite of the beef and looked at my aunt. “Aunt, Dad said you were sick. What was wrong?” She didn’t look sick at all, eating and drinking like this. My aunt smiled. “Just a headache, an old problem. I took some medicine and felt better. Lily, eat more, have some meat.” I didn’t say anything else. After dinner, I was about to ask my dad to talk outside when my aunt suddenly brought Emma in front of me. “Emma, apologize to your sister.” Emma even bowed to me. “I’m sorry, Lily. I shouldn’t have occupied your room. I was wrong. Please forgive me.” My aunt apologized to me too. “I’m sorry, Lily. It’s just that you said you weren’t coming back, so your dad cleared out the room for Emma. It’s tiring for her to climb up to the attic every day, and she’s young. I can’t easily check on her at night if she’s in the attic. Now that you’re back, we’ll give the room back to you.” My dad nodded beside her. “Yes, your aunt just apologized to me too. She said she didn’t think it through at the time and shouldn’t have argued with you. Lily, go get your luggage from your uncle’s place later.” I was surprised. How did they change their attitude so quickly, especially that mother and daughter? “If that’s the case, then move all your things out,” I said. While my aunt and Emma were packing their things downstairs, I went up to the attic to take a look. Sure enough, all my things were there, but they hadn’t been properly arranged. They were just thrown in there, all messy. Some of my figurines were even broken.

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Savannah and I had been married for three years, a time of harmony and love. Three years in, I was diagnosed with a terminal illness—and she found someone else. I tried to hold on, but she mocked me to her friends: “Luke? That boring guy? It’s about time I got rid of him.” Heartbroken, I decided to give up on treatment. In my final days, though, she was there, crying at my bedside like a lost child. I never thought coming home could feel so heavy. When I unlocked the door, any anticipation I had crumbled into dust. “Oh, you’re back already?” Savannah’s voice held no trace of joy, just irritation and shock. She quickly stepped away from him, straightening her disheveled clothes. There was no shame in her eyes, only anger. That man—Justin Thompson—was her new conquest. To her, Justin was everything I wasn’t: younger, wealthier, able to bring her that thrill she craved. Justin had the audacity to adjust his collar with a cocky smirk, strolling past me with the kind of arrogance I’d never had. He was muscular, with a physique that was way more Savannah’s “type.” “I came back early to check in on you,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. Anger made it tremble despite myself. Savannah laughed, a bitter edge in her tone. “Check on me? Why don’t you spend that energy making more money instead? Look at Justin—he’s got it all, and he’s just getting started. And you? You trudge along on that pathetic paycheck of yours. Got the nerve to lecture me, huh?” In that moment, my heart went ice-cold. I looked at her, and for the first time, I really saw her. All the warmth, the promises, they’d evaporated. What was left? Contempt. Betrayal. “So, this is how you really see me.” My voice was low, and I turned to head upstairs. Everything felt like it was plummeting into some frozen, empty abyss. At that moment, my phone chimed. It was a text from the doctor, reminding me of my follow-up appointment tomorrow. The word “terminal” jumped out from the screen. I let out a bitter laugh. Here I was, dying from this illness, and now I’d lost her too. Suddenly, life seemed utterly void of color.

Savannah and I had met on a spring afternoon. Sunlight streamed through fresh green leaves, casting patches of light along a winding path in Willow Brook Park. She was there at the park entrance, wearing a simple white sundress, with a touch of nervousness in her eyes. When I walked up, I saw she was searching for something. “Looking for something? Maybe I can help,” I offered. She turned to me, and in that moment, it felt like all the warmth of spring gathered in her smile. She told me she’d lost a necklace. So, I joined her, searching through flowerbeds and grassy patches until we found it tucked away in a quiet corner. That small encounter sparked something between us, a connection that grew with each conversation. I was captivated by her beauty, and my relentless pursuit won her over. Our meeting felt natural and beautiful, like flowers blossoming in spring. One evening, over a candlelit dinner, Savannah’s face glowed in the warm light. I took her hand, my voice trembling slightly but firm. “Savvy, I want to spend my life with you.” Savannah held my hand tightly and replied, “I want that too, Luke. You mean everything to me.” After we married, our life was sweet and harmonious. Every evening, we’d take walks together, and every weekend, we’d shop for groceries side-by-side. Those days, Savannah seemed so happy in the kitchen, bustling around, finding joy in the everyday. And I loved watching her sleep, calm and peaceful in the morning light. Life went on like that for a few good years, until the weight of reality and temptation slowly began to wear Savannah down.

The morning sun brought no hope, only a cold, unforgiving clarity. Savannah had been out last night, and she hadn’t come back yet. Alone in the kitchen, I shakily peeled a hard-boiled egg, every movement a reminder that my life wasn’t what it used to be. Today’s schedule was blank: no meetings, no lunch dates, just my afternoon check-up at North Ridge Medical Center. What would the doctor say this time? That the illness had worsened? Or that my days were truly numbered? Suddenly, the lock clicked, and Savannah walked in. Her makeup was smudged, but she wore a look of satisfaction. She didn’t even look my way, just headed straight for the bedroom as if I were a piece of furniture. “Morning.” I tried to break the silence, but my voice came out barely a whisper. “Oh.” Her response was cold, indifferent, as she slammed the bedroom door shut. I felt a wave of dizziness, my hand instinctively gripping the table’s edge. This was happening, and it was all too real. That afternoon, I made my way to the hospital alone. The stark white corridors and antiseptic smell weighed on me with each step. The doctor’s face was solemn, his voice full of sympathy and resignation—the disease had indeed progressed. “Mr. Hartman, it’s time to tell your family. Take care of yourself.” His voice was gentle, but his eyes pierced right through me. Family? Savannah? She probably wouldn’t even care. On the way home, I kept thinking of how to tell Savannah, hoping that maybe she’d show a bit of emotion, maybe even return to me. But when I arrived, she was packing her bags. Her eyes held no tears, only resolution. “What are you doing?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I need to live somewhere else for a while.” Her tone was calm, as if she were just going on a trip. “Is it because of him? Because of Justin?” My heart felt like it was being torn apart. She paused, looked at me with irritation, not a shred of guilt in her gaze. “Yes. I need space to think.” And in that moment, I knew I’d lost more than my health—I’d lost the woman I loved. Her words shattered my world. I watched silently as she finished packing, closed the door, and left, leaving the house in a deathly silence. 3 After Savannah left, the emptiness of the house felt unbearable. Every sound echoed off the walls, each one a cruel reminder that I’d been completely abandoned. I was desperate. I didn’t want to let Savannah go. I made excuses for her, thinking maybe she’d made a mistake, maybe I hadn’t done enough to keep her. To save our marriage, I tried everything. I sent her countless messages, saying that if she came back, I’d forgive her. Each one went unanswered. I even reached out to mutual friends, asking them to pass along my apologies. I went to therapy, hoping it would help ease the torment. I was barely holding myself together. Finally, one day, I followed her. I thought I’d casually “run into” her, but I ended up at The Blue Ivy Lounge, where Justin was too. Inside a private room, a group of people drank and laughed, with Savannah the only woman there. She was dressed provocatively, drawing stares from all the men around her. Justin was by her side, and they were downing drinks together, egged on by their audience. I froze at the door, feeling humiliation crawl up my spine. I was too scared to open it. Savannah cuddled close to Justin, taking a sip from her glass, smiling shyly in a way I’d once thought was only for me. Pain gripped my chest, making it hard to breathe. Then, I saw one man pull out a tiny vial, pouring something into her glass. My heart raced. Clenching my fists, I pushed open the door. Savannah looked at me, shock briefly crossing her face before it turned cold and scornful. She whispered something to Justin, and they both walked over to me. I stood there, feeling like I was the intruder. Justin stepped up, his smirk dripping with disdain. “Luke, fancy seeing you here. Came looking for Savannah?” I forced a smile, trying to stay calm. “Yeah, what a coincidence.” Savannah’s voice was as cold as ice. “Well, since you’re here, let’s lay it all out.” I tried to keep my voice steady. “Savannah, just come home. We can pretend none of this happened.” Justin’s eyes flashed with disdain. He grabbed my collar, shoving me against the wall. “You think you matter? Stalking us now, are you?” I struggled to break free, but his strength overpowered mine. He punched me, and I felt my lip split open. Onlookers sneered, their eyes gleaming with amusement. “Enough.” Savannah walked up, affectionately pulling Justin back. “Don’t dirty your hands.” Justin let go, sneering as he looked down at me. “Remember, Savannah’s mine now. Get lost.” They turned, and the door slammed in my face. I sat alone on the floor, surrounded by whispers and mocking stares, my dignity torn to shreds. After a while, I dragged myself up, opened the door, and shouted after her, “Savannah, don’t drink that. They’re trying to hurt you.” That angered them even more, and I was thrown out of the bar. When I got home, I sat alone in the dark, letting the shadows close in around me. The pain burned deep—part of it for her, but part for me, knowing she was heading down a path of no return. Then the phone rang, breaking the silence. It was Savannah. I picked up immediately. Our voices overlapped. “S-Savannah, you didn’t drink that, did you?” “Luke, today better be the last time you show up in my life.” Relief washed over me. She hadn’t drunk it. Her voice was sharp and cold. “I don’t want you in my life. Whether I drink or not, that’s none of your concern.” The resentment in my heart ignited. “How can you treat me like this, Savannah?” “I just don’t want you hovering around,” she said coldly. “We live in the same town. We’ll run into each other now and then.” I tried to keep my voice calm, but it trembled. “Then you could at least avoid places you know I’ll be.” Her tone was full of irritation. “Savannah, after all these years, can you really just walk away?” My voice rose, hurt and anger spilling over. She was silent for a moment. “Walk away? Luke, I don’t feel a thing for you anymore. Look after yourself.” “And that drink? It’s between me and Justin. I’m fine with it.” Her words played over in my head, mocking me, leaving me numb.

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My husband’s childhood crush was manipulated by a scoundrel who deceived her for money and love, leading her to attempt suicide multiple times. For her safety, my husband repeatedly left me to find her. On my birthday, he bought a cake. But it was Cressida “Cress” Hart snuggled up beside him, smiling sweetly: “Silas, this cake is so sweet! Thank you for being here with me.” When I fell ill with a high fever, my husband rushed to take care of the sprained Cress: “Getting sick is normal, but Cress spraining her ankle is serious!” Even on our third wedding anniversary, he had to rush back home to save Cress from jumping into the sea. And on the day I was giving birth, I had made him promise to wait for me outside the delivery room. Yet when I was in labor and needed a family member to sign off, I couldn’t find him anywhere. Oh. He was off attending to his little crush, who was threatening to take her life again. After three and a half hours of labor, exhausted, I vaguely heard the doctor say we might need to switch to a C-section. The nurse took the consent form out to find a family member to sign it. But she quickly returned, saying, “There’s no family member for the patient outside the delivery room.” A chill ran through me. Before entering the delivery room, I had clearly instructed my husband, Silas Kingsley. I told him, no matter what happened, he must not leave. Silas had promised. Yet here he was, nowhere to be found. I felt utterly weak and called for the doctor, trying to get help while dialing Silas’s number. The call rang and rang without an answer. I forced a bitter smile, ready to ask the nurse to hang up and sign myself. Just then, my phone buzzed, and the call connected. Before I could speak, Silas’s apologetic voice came through: “Zara, Cress just tried to commit suicide by cutting her wrist. I’m staying with her to keep her from doing anything else stupid.” “You’re in labor! I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!” Even though I had suspected the reason for Silas’s departure, hearing his words now left me gasping for breath. Suppressing the bitterness, I said, “Silas, do you remember what you promised me? I’m giving birth to your child right now!” Silas fell silent. Suddenly, I heard Cress’s desperate and pained voice on the other end. “Why does she get to have her baby?!” “I once had a child too! But I lost him!” “Silas, I’m in so much pain. Don’t stop me; just let me die!” Cress’s cries went on and on. Silas’s voice deepened with resolve as he said, “Zara, Cress is emotionally unstable right now. Don’t provoke her with the fact that you’re having a baby!” “Anyway, there’s nothing I can do to help you. Right now, Cress needs me more.” “Silas, the baby hasn’t been born yet. The doctor suggested switching to a C-section and needs your signature.” “Zara, don’t throw a tantrum. If you can call me, you can sign it yourself.” “Just wait. As soon as Cress is stable, I’ll be back.” Seemingly anxious to calm Cress, Silas abruptly hung up without waiting for my response. The doctors and nurses around me exchanged sympathetic glances. I could only weakly sign the consent form myself. Finally, as I lay in the delivery room, my vision blurred and everything felt chaotic. When I opened my eyes again, the doctor, frowning, delivered the news. —The baby didn’t make it. After being delivered, she was already purple and breathless. In that moment, I felt dizzy, as if the world was crumbling around me.

I stayed in the hospital alone for two days. I didn’t see Silas. Instead, his parents returned from their vacation. When they learned that the baby was gone, they were momentarily stunned. Then, suddenly, my mother-in-law began to blame me: “I told you not to get upset over every little thing! The baby is gone; it’s all your fault!” “Cress grew up with Silas. She was terribly hurt by that scoundrel, and you’re always making a fuss about it, not showing any grace!” “Silas was just checking in on her; it’s not like anything happened.” “Besides, even if something did happen, could you stop it? Women, just take it easy, and life will be better!” Exhausted, I stared blankly out the window. It seemed she was oblivious to my pain. “Silas called and told us Cress still needs some time.” I turned to her, my heart aching. I hadn’t tried to call Silas in the last couple of days. But every time I dialed, the call would get cut off almost immediately. Meanwhile, Silas would take calls from his mother but ignore mine. “He originally wanted us to help take care of you, but since the baby is gone, we won’t stay long,” she said, pulling my father-in-law to leave. Suddenly, I shouted after her— “Mom, I know you’ve never liked me.” They both halted in their tracks. My mother-in-law highly valued family. I was orphaned and married into a prestigious family like the Kingsleys, and she never regarded me as her equal. I forced a smile and said softly, “As you wish, I’ll divorce Silas.” However, she didn’t believe me. She turned back, her eyes filled with disdain, scoffing, “You cling to my son so much; who would believe you’d actually divorce him!”

Two weeks later, I was discharged from the hospital. The doctor recommended I rest for two months. But first, I went to the most beautiful beach in Maplewood Grove. After the loss of my baby, I had agreed to let the hospital handle the arrangements. I only requested to keep a portion of her ashes after cremation. Now, standing on the shore, I gently scattered her ashes into the wind and sea. My baby never had the chance to open her eyes and see this world. So now, may she ride the winds and cross the seas, exploring all corners of the Earth. … When I returned home, Silas was surprisingly there. He was slouched on the sofa, looking exhausted. Hearing the door, he turned and said lightly, “You’re back.” Then he asked, “Where’s the baby? Didn’t you bring her back with you?” Before I could respond, he continued, “Forget it, my parents love kids too; they can take care of her for a while.” I silently scoffed. A child? It seemed Silas’s parents hadn’t told him that our baby was gone. “She died,” I stated flatly. Silas stood up, furrowing his brow as he approached me. “Zara, don’t say such things! It’s bad luck!” “I know you’re still upset about me leaving the hospital that day.” “But you know Cress has been through so much with that scoundrel; she’s emotionally unstable!” “If I hadn’t gone to her in time that day, she might be dead by now.” Silas spoke with a heavy tone, still haunted by the thought. Inside, I couldn’t help but feel bitter and resentful. “Oh…” “So what’s going on with her now?” Hearing my concern for Cress, Silas’s tone softened. “Don’t worry; Cress is okay now.” “I’ve been comforting her, and she’s not planning on taking her life anymore.” “Ha…” I let out a cold laugh. Just as I suspected. A year ago, Cress had been deceived by a foreign man and lost a child. After returning from abroad, she had been extremely unstable and had attempted suicide multiple times. Silas worried she would harm herself; every time she reached out, he dropped everything for her. On my birthday, he had prepared a feast at home. But on his way to get the cake, he received a “I can’t go on” message from Cress. Silas immediately took the cake he bought for me and went to Cress’s house. That night, he called me on video. In the video, Cress was smiling, snuggled up beside him, holding a plate of sliced cake. Silas wished me a happy birthday. But how could I feel happy? I hung up the call immediately. Perhaps Silas felt guilty about it. The next day, he promptly ordered me a bigger cake to celebrate my birthday again. He held me affectionately, explaining, “Cress just got scammed; she hasn’t gotten over it yet.” “As her brother-in-law, we can’t just ignore her.” “What if something really happens? We’d regret it for the rest of our lives.” After hearing this, I felt a little soft-hearted. But I never expected. My kindness had only encouraged Cress to take advantage of me time and time again. When I fell ill with a high fever, she used the excuse of having a sprained ankle to cry about feeling worthless and wanting to end it all. Silas rushed off to care for her. Even on our wedding anniversary, we traveled abroad. Cress sent a video of herself walking toward the sea, and at the end, she said, “Silas, I can’t hold on any longer.” At that time, I was already six months pregnant. Silas instinctively booked a return flight, telling me to enjoy my time, and he would come back as soon as he saved Cress. I felt a surge of anger and absurdity. At that distance, if Cress truly wanted to take her life, Silas would likely just be coming back to collect her remains. In a fit of rage, I let slip a cruel remark. Silas looked at me in shock, his expression incredulous. “Zara, how could you say something so cruel?” I forced a smile. I had tolerated this behavior once, twice. But Cress’s frequent mentions of “suicide” were like a daily meal. And everyone always sided with her; any time I showed the slightest dissatisfaction, I was labeled petty and small-minded. Why was that fair? “Feeling sorry for her?” Silas frowned, pressing his lips together as if he wanted to say something more. But I interrupted him. “If you go back today, we’re getting a divorce.” At that moment, Silas heard me utter the word “divorce” again. Rather than panic, he smiled. “Zara, threatening me with divorce is getting really old.”

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