On Valentine’s Day, I caught my wife cheating with her coworker. To get revenge, I paid a prostitute with syphilis to seduce the coworker. After succeeding, my wife tried to reconcile with me. But her test results came back positive – how could I touch her now? I got home early from work on Valentine’s Day afternoon, having prepared steak, flowers, and wine in advance. Everything was ready – I was just waiting for my wife Emily to get home so we could have a romantic candlelit dinner. But over an hour had passed, and Emily still hadn’t arrived. When I called her, she said the company was making them work overtime, then quickly hung up. I felt instantly deflated and resigned myself to eating the steak alone while scrolling on my phone. Suddenly, I saw a post from Emily’s coworker on Instagram: “Happy Valentine’s Day! The company let everyone off early today! May all lovers be together~” My wife had lied to me? Thinking back, Emily had been acting strangely lately. Our usual twice-weekly intimacy had been non-existent for over a month. Every time I tried to touch her, she would refuse, using work exhaustion as an excuse. I had been reduced to taking care of my own needs. Come to think of it, Emily had also been going to the gym more often lately, buying lots of new makeup, and putting more effort into her appearance than before. All at once, suspicion arose in my mind. The more I thought about it, the more things didn’t add up. I instantly lost my appetite for the steak, feeling a lump in my throat. I picked at the food halfheartedly, then gave up and sprawled on the couch, lost in thought. It was nearly midnight when Emily finally came home. She seemed surprised to see me still awake. “Why are you up so late?” she asked. “I was waiting for you to get home. I can’t sleep when you’re not here,” I said, probing, “What’s the deal with your boss, making you work overtime on Valentine’s Day?” “Ugh, don’t even ask. A last-minute project came up, we had to stay late working on a PowerPoint. I’m going to take a shower,” she said, heading straight for the bathroom. Hearing her turn on the shower, I stripped off my clothes and followed her in. I have to admit, Emily has an incredible body. Even though she’s in her 30s, her abs are still tight since she’s never had kids. Water droplets ran down her back, making her already fair skin look even more delicate. I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind. After so many years together, I knew all her sensitive spots by heart. Just as I was about to make my move, she stopped me. “Not tonight, it’s late and I’m tired. Another time, okay?” With that, she unceremoniously shooed me out. I felt a surge of emotion, but decided to let it go for now. After Emily finished her shower and got into bed, I ran my hand up her thigh. Her skin was incredibly soft and smooth after the shower, with the scent of body wash lingering. I instantly got aroused. But Emily rejected me again. This time I couldn’t hold back: “How long has it been since we’ve been intimate? It’s Valentine’s Day, I just wanted to be close to you, but you’re acting like this.” Seeing my anger, Emily quickly changed her tune. She came over and gave me a kiss. “I’m sorry baby, I really have been exhausted lately. I promise I’ll make it up to you soon.” I had no choice but to give up. As I lay in bed that night, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. I kept wanting to check Emily’s phone for any secrets. Suddenly I remembered that I had installed a dashcam in Emily’s car a while back. To test it out, I had even downloaded a cloud app on my phone that let me view past footage. I opened the app and scrolled through the timeline. At quitting time, I saw Emily indeed start her car, but then drive straight out to the suburbs. She finally stopped in front of a secluded hotel. A man had been waiting there and immediately embraced her when she arrived. Then the car shut off and the screen went black. I recognized that man – I had seen him once before when I went to pick up Emily at her office. She had introduced him as Steve, their company’s new VP who had just returned from overseas. Even back then, I had noticed how his eyes kept wandering to the female employees. And this Steve was a married man too! Seeing this footage, I felt like I had been doused with ice water. My blood ran cold from my spine to my heart. I was now 99% certain that Emily was cheating.

Emily and I had been together for 9 years, from falling in love in college to getting married. Though we had occasional arguments, we were happy most of the time. Thinking back on the joyful moments with Emily, then imagining her seeking pleasure with another man, an immense pain washed over me. Followed by anger. Part of me wanted to yank Emily out of bed and confront her loudly. I also wanted to pummel that cheating couple with my fists. But 9 years of love made it impossible for me to just let go. Caught in an internal struggle of pain and conflicting emotions, I didn’t sleep all night. In the morning when Emily got up, she acted like nothing was wrong. Seeing that I was still in bed, she even expressed concern. I said I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest for the day. She made me breakfast, gave me some reminders, then left for work. After calling in sick to work, I sat numbly on the bed, staring at the breakfast Emily had prepared. I tried to eat, but it tasted like sawdust. I felt incredibly torn. On one hand was 9 years of love and memories. On the other was concrete evidence of cheating. My mind kept wavering between confronting her and keeping quiet. After sitting there all morning, I decided to drive to that hotel to check it out. Following the GPS, I found the hotel – it really was in a remote location. I went to the front desk and made up a story about finding a lost bag in the stairwell, asking her to take a look. Once we were in the stairwell, I came clean about my real purpose, asking if she could help me check the records for my wife or Steve. Before she could respond, I took out $1000 in cash that I had prepared. “Don’t worry, I called you here because there are no cameras. I just want to confirm something. I won’t cause any trouble, and I promise this won’t affect you at all. I’m already planning to divorce her,” I said. The young receptionist looked hesitantly at the money. I could see her wavering, so I pushed the cash into her hand and stepped back, saying “You go ahead and check. I’ll wait here.” The receptionist pocketed the money and left. She returned shortly after, showing me Steve’s check-in information. They had booked a short-stay room. The receptionist even showed me security camera footage of the two of them entering the room, arms around each other. After seeing that, my last shred of hope was extinguished. Now I was 100% certain Emily was cheating! I thanked the receptionist and stumbled back to my car to drive home. Emily was already back when I got there. She asked where I’d been, and I made up an excuse. I was still debating whether to confront Emily when she spoke first: “Remember that new VP at our company, Steve? He’s pretty great – young and accomplished. Our team had a big screwup on a project recently, and he helped us fix it.” “Mmm.” Yeah, he’s so great he even got into your pants! I thought bitterly. Emily has always been somewhat introverted and not very talkative. This man must have used work as an excuse to get close to her! At that moment, I felt like an enraged beast, my features contorting with anger. Emily didn’t notice my reaction and kept talking. Looking at my chattering wife, I decided: I won’t confront her! I’m going to get revenge on that man instead.

Over the next few days, I first reached out to my childhood friend Alex. He works as a manager at a nightclub and knows all sorts of shady characters, including access to prostitutes. My revenge plan was to use his connections to find a high-class prostitute to seduce Steve, then tell his wife and kids. I wanted him to experience the pain of a broken family. After explaining my plan to Alex, he said I was being foolish and should just tell Steve’s wife directly. But I still hoped Emily would come to her senses. I didn’t want her to get hurt if this blew up with Steve’s family. Alex shook his head at my reasoning but respected my wishes. He showed me photos of several prostitutes. I have to admit, these women were stunning, each with their own unique charm. But Alex told me these women mainly did straightforward transactions for quick money. They might not be skilled enough to pull off a seduction scheme. Then he changed tack, “Actually, there is one perfect candidate, but…” Seeing him hesitate, I urged him to continue. “The thing is, she has syphilis.” Hearing that, I instantly lit up. This was absolutely perfect! Seeing my insistence, Alex didn’t want to get too involved in this kind of thing. He gave me the contact info for this prostitute named Rose and told me he’d let her know I’d be in touch. Alex is a trustworthy guy. We’ve known each other since childhood and I understand his character well. The next day, I met Rose at a coffee shop. From a distance, I was struck by how eye-catching she was. She had delicate features on a small oval face, with fair, tender skin that was stunningly beautiful. There was even a hint of scholarly refinement in her demeanor. Wearing a light blue dress, she turned heads as passersby mistook her for a university beauty queen. I was momentarily dazed looking at her, but then remembered her condition and snapped out of it. After Rose sat down, I explained my intentions directly. Hearing my proposal, she looked troubled and hesitant, saying it felt unethical. But when I said the man had destroyed my family, and that I could pay $50,000 upfront and another $50,000 after, Rose reconsidered. After mulling it over, she couldn’t resist the financial temptation and agreed. Then Rose shared her own story with me. She came from an ordinary family, but her beauty attracted boys from a young age. She started dating in middle school and neglected her studies. She dropped out of high school to work with her boyfriend at the time. After moving away, her boyfriend developed a gambling addiction and racked up huge debts. To make quick money to help pay off his debts, Rose turned to prostitution. Her looks helped her earn a lot quickly. Some clients would pay extra to skip protection, which she agreed to for the money. But when she came down with a persistent fever and tested positive, it was too late for regrets. By then her boyfriend had run off with all her money. Rose agreed to help me because she wanted to earn more to leave for her parents, knowing her time might be limited. Hearing her story brought tears to Rose’s eyes. I could only comfort her, realizing she had suffered greatly too. With Rose on board, the next step was to create an opportunity.

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On the night Ava Sinclair won the International Best Director Award, I died an untimely death. She stood center stage, nestled in her new boyfriend’s arms, answering reporters’ questions. One reporter asked her how she viewed her first love. Ava smirked, “First love? That was just a fling. Who would take it seriously?” But Ava, I did take it seriously. I was diagnosed with terminal cancer on New Year’s Eve. To prevent my condition from worsening, I still checked into the hospital. The hospital was quiet and empty, most doctors had gone home for the holiday. The sporadic sound of fireworks outside sketched out a brilliant city night scene. In this city, I, stricken with cancer, had nowhere else to go. After spacing out for a while, I turned on the TV in the ward. Instead of watching the New Year’s Gala, I flipped through a few channels and stopped at a movie channel. Today was the announcement day for the Golden Palm Director Award. Staring at the familiar figure holding the trophy on TV, I smiled resignedly. Sure enough, this year’s Best Director award went to Ava Sinclair. She had changed a lot. The Ava now no longer had the fresh-faced look of a recent college graduate. She wore bright red lipstick, dressed in a flowing champagne-colored evening gown, exuding an overwhelming presence. Just standing there casually, she could attract everyone’s attention. She had gotten what she wanted. When we broke up, Ava had screamed at me with tear-filled eyes, saying she would definitely win the Best Director award. Today marked the third anniversary of our breakup. She did it. I coughed a few times, my breath unsteady. Suddenly, my gaze froze. Just now, I had only noticed Ava holding the trophy, overlooking the man beside her. He looked somewhat familiar. I frowned, trying hard to remember where I had seen him before, but couldn’t recall at all. …Who was that man? After the group photo session, Ava suddenly linked arms with the man beside her. It was time for the reporters to ask questions. Faced with reporters wielding cameras and microphones, Ava didn’t show any stage fright. She had grown. At this moment, a reporter suddenly spoke up, asking about Ava’s relationship with the man beside her. She glanced around at the crowd below, smiling as she slowly began to speak. “Him? He’s my current assistant, and also—” As if deliberately creating suspense, Ava paused for a few seconds before continuing. “My boyfriend.”

The reporters below erupted into a frenzy of excitement. Ava’s answer had practically caused an uproar throughout the venue. I could clearly feel a dull pain in my heart. The pain wasn’t intense, more like a hangnail—just a slight touch would trigger a fine, dense ache. I watched her nestle in her new boyfriend’s arms, smiling happily and sweetly. At this moment, a reporter held out a microphone. “Miss Sinclair, may I ask how you view your first boyfriend, Liam Carter?” The world seemed to fall silent for a moment. I am Liam Carter. Back then, quite a few people in the industry knew about my relationship with Ava. She was an emerging director showing early promise, while I was the assistant to an internationally renowned director. After falling in love with Ava, I gave up my million-dollar annual salary and moved into a cramped rental apartment with her, who hadn’t produced many works yet. In the directing circle, experience and age matter. Even though Ava had undeniable talent, her lack of experience meant she couldn’t earn much, especially since she preferred art films. At that time, we had almost no money at all. One night, Ava’s stomach condition flared up. Back then, smartphones weren’t as advanced, and we couldn’t call a cab. In a panic, I rode our old bicycle, carrying Ava all the way from the suburbs to the downtown hospital. She hugged my back and told me she would definitely marry me, spend her life with me, even if we had to live on scraps for the rest of our lives, she wouldn’t regret it. “Liam, I love you,” she whispered, her falling tears feeling like they could pierce through my back. At the hospital, the doctor said we were lucky to have arrived in time—Ava had acute gastroenteritis. I don’t remember how exhausting that day was, but I do remember Ava saying she wanted to marry me. After all the twists and turns, she still broke that promise. I snapped back to reality and continued watching the TV. Ava’s expression was blank. The reporter still held out the microphone, seemingly waiting persistently for an answer. Entertainment reporters love these tricky questions. After a while, Ava seemed to come back to her senses and let out a cold laugh. Her expression was somewhat playful, as if she had heard an amusing joke. “You mean first love? It was just a fling, who would take it seriously?” Whatever questions the reporters asked afterward didn’t matter anymore. At least at this moment, I had become the butt of this joke. I realized that Ava had just been playing around with me. After our breakup, we had no further contact. I originally thought she would never mention me again. I didn’t expect her to bring up my name in such a setting. In an instant, I felt a sense of being in another world. Suddenly, a brilliant firework exploded in the sky above the city. While watching the fireworks, I felt short of breath. At first, I thought I was just upset by the live broadcast, feeling a bit down. As time passed, I found it increasingly difficult to breathe. Realizing something was wrong, I quickly pressed the nurse call button. A flurry of footsteps sounded in the corridor. I struggled to reach out towards the ceiling, but seemed to grasp nothing, touching only emptiness. Before being wheeled away on the surgery cart, my gaze fell on the TV in the ward. It was still showing Ava. This TV was quite old and seemed to be experiencing some minor lag, making the live broadcast a bit choppy. But I think I’ll never forget how Ava looks now. She’s all dressed up, accepting everyone’s adoration. This is how the 22-year-old Ava most wanted to be. She said she wanted to become the brightest sun. “Patient’s emotions unstable, quick, put on the oxygen mask…” “Anesthesia… anesthesia…” Amidst the chaos, I passed out. The last words I heard were the cold “resuscitation failed.” My hand fell to the side of the operating table. In my dying moments, I thought, congratulations, Ava. I hope you’ve gotten what you wished for. On the night she gloriously won the Best Director award, I died in the operating room of a hospital. Actually, there was still something I hadn’t told Ava. But… This is something she probably will never know now. I thought I would die. Suddenly, I opened my eyes. I found that— I was actually floating in the air above the hospital corridor. What’s going on?

I looked at my hands in bewilderment, then glanced at the mirror at the end of the hallway, finally confirming a fact. Now, I should be temporarily not dead. But I had indeed separated from my body. I looked down and saw the on-duty nurses pushing me into the morgue. Although I was alone in the world, I was still a once-famous director’s assistant, and now that Ava had become famous, I had gained even more notoriety than before. Some entertainment reporters arrived at the news, got some information from the hospital, and left after taking some photos of the scene. All the while, I floated in the air, watching everything around me. This world was still bustling with activity, only my life had stopped a few hours ago. Suddenly, I had an almost crazy idea. …I wanted to see how Ava was doing now. As soon as this thought emerged, I felt a bit self-mocking. All my life, I could never stop worrying about Ava. At the awards ceremony, Ava had drunk quite a bit. She always skipped meals, and her stomach condition wasn’t light. If she didn’t eat properly, she might end up in the hospital. Over the years, she had been to the hospital countless times. At this moment, I realized I could still move. Which means— I should be able to move around normally. Amidst my surprise, I felt a bit excited. I knew roughly where the awards ceremony was held. Thinking this, I floated towards that direction. As I was no longer human, my speed wasn’t slow. When I arrived there, Ava hadn’t left the venue yet. The post-awards banquet must have ended, she was retching violently in the restroom, no longer the glamorous image she had on stage. Her whole person looked pale and light. Her face showed heavy fatigue. Ava’s assistant stood beside her, seemingly wanting to pat her back, but Ava dodged. I remembered, this man’s name was Jack Reynolds, two years younger than Ava, considered her junior. I heard he had always admired Ava, even confessed to her in college, but Ava didn’t accept him then. Now, Ava allowed him to stay by her side, what this meant, she had already said at the ceremony. Jack was already her boyfriend. My heart ached with a sour, bitter feeling. “Ava, drink some hangover soup, you’ve had too much to drink tonight.” Jack spoke with concern. But this word seemed to touch Ava’s sore spot. She frowned and looked at Jack, seemingly annoyed by his presumption. “Who wants to drink hangover soup?” “I’m sorry… Ava… I didn’t know you don’t drink this…” Jack’s apology sounded somewhat pitiful. I frowned, feeling their interaction didn’t quite resemble that of a couple, yet unsure how to define their relationship. Finally, Ava stared at the mirror for a long time, lost in thought. When it was almost dawn, she finally left the venue. With Jack’s support, Ava walked unsteadily, looking like she might fall over with a gust of wind. She wore a pair of very high heels. I knew Ava didn’t like high heels. When we were dating, she loved wearing flats and standing on tiptoe to kiss me. But now, she seemed to have gotten used to the glamour that high heels brought. People always change. Just like how Ava, once devoted to art films, had started making commercial films. It seemed everything had changed. The only one still lingering in place was me. I always thought Ava wouldn’t know about my passing. Unexpectedly, the next day, news of my death topped the trending topics.

At breakfast, Ava habitually scrolled through the latest news. Even after staying up so late, she still got up at seven o’clock sharp to go to the film set. Ava probably wanted to see news about herself. After clicking into the news, her gaze froze. Following her gaze, I first saw myself. “Liam Carter passes away.” These simple words summarized everything from last night. I couldn’t help but feel emotional. Ava seemed to disbelieve this news, reading it over and over again before finally clicking in. I could see her fingertips trembling. Ava muttered repeatedly, saying this news must just be a name coincidence. I noticed she was gripping the hem of her clothes. This was Ava’s habitual action when nervous. After clicking into the news, she looked at the editor’s name, then snorted lightly and closed her phone. Jack noticed Ava’s reaction and asked cautiously what had happened. Ava laughed coldly: “Nothing. Just saw some gossip news. I knew those entertainment tabloid reporters love to sensationalize, publishing such unrealistic stuff.” Hearing Ava say this, I understood. She didn’t believe I was dead. She thought this kind of news was just a clickbait title made up by those reporters for traffic. I smiled bitterly. But, Ava, I really am dead. Tortured by cancer for so long, I’ve finally found release. Although, the process of release might have been painful. I closed my eyes. Today, after finishing breakfast, Ava went to the film set. But her state was off. She called cut countless times, and when explaining the script to the actors, she couldn’t adjust her emotions at all. After half an hour, Ava put down the script, saying she was going to the rooftop for some air. The whole set fell silent. They hadn’t expected that Ava, who had always been sharp and insightful, would have such an irritable side. She came to the rooftop and opened her phone. I keenly noticed that Ava’s screen saver was still me. She typed something in her notes app. After floating over, I was stunned to find that this message was written to me. After I left, Ava probably didn’t know who to talk to about certain things, so she wrote them in her notes. I watched her type a line. “Liam Carter, just try dying and see what happens.” “I haven’t seen you fall from grace yet, how dare you die?” She typed with heavy strokes. I knew that Ava was angry now. She must still believe that I was alive. She still thought that those news reports were all fake, all fabricated. I closed my eyes and smiled bitterly. Ava would probably never know my secret. Actually, the reason I got cancer was for her. At that time, her film was just starting production, but our savings had been completely swindled by fraudsters. The money we had saved for so long was gone in a flash. Without sufficient funds, Ava’s film, which she had poured two whole years of effort into, would be ruined before it could even start. I told Ava I would find a way. But what way did I have? That day, I contacted a friend I hadn’t been in touch with for a long time, flew to an overseas lab, and voluntarily participated in their experiments. As long as I participated in one experiment, I could get $18,000. $18,000, that was a whole $18,000. I stayed abroad for three days, participating in a total of ten experiments. Each experiment would bring side effects to the body, but I gritted my teeth and endured them all. There was no special reason. That was $18,000. After each experiment, I vomited violently, feeling like I might die there. Everyone said I didn’t have to push myself so hard. But I didn’t listen to them. A few days later, I returned to the country with a bank card. Ava was still worrying about the startup funds, sitting in the living room with red-rimmed eyes, calling people she knew, asking if they could lend her money. At that time, no one thought much of Ava, and no one believed she would be able to repay the money. They cursed Ava for being shameless, then hung up the phone. I came to her side with that bank card. Such a good Ava, the Ava I loved so much. How could she cry? I told her I had raised the money. Ava widened her eyes in disbelief, then cheered and threw herself into my arms. I stroked her hair, also forcing out a somewhat ugly smile. After Ava’s film started production, my stomach suddenly began to feel uncomfortable. When I went to the hospital for a check-up, I found out I had indeed been diagnosed with cancer. Before participating in the experiments, I had signed a waiver. Since I had taken the money, if anything happened, I had to take responsibility myself. I understood very clearly. It was also on that day that I bought an insurance policy. I wrote Ava’s name as the beneficiary. Without realizing it, Ava had already typed a long paragraph. She put away her phone and turned to leave the rooftop. In the following shooting, Ava obviously got into the state. She became that decisive and experienced Director Sinclair again. Everyone on set regained their composure and continued with their respective duties. I could notice that Jack’s gaze towards Ava was still unusual. Suddenly, I remembered that Jack and Ava’s rooms were separate. Compared to a boyfriend, Jack was more like an ordinary life assistant. Moreover, Ava wouldn’t let Jack touch her much. The two of them… indeed didn’t look like a couple. Ava worked until late at night before finishing work. By the time she got home, a phone call came through on her phone. Seeing the flashing “Insurance Company” on her phone screen, my eyelid twitched. ——I think I know what this call is about. Sure enough, after Ava answered the phone, I heard a somewhat familiar voice.

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My mother favored my cousin and sent me away to a strict boarding school for “character building.” I was kidnapped, lost my legs to a cruel old man, and she remained indifferent. Only after death did I learn that she and my uncle were high school sweethearts, secretly involved for nearly twenty years. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to being six years old. I burst into the bedroom, exposing their affair, and immediately spread the news around the neighborhood. Mom panicked, while I was overjoyed. This time, I’ll make you pay for your sins! I was reborn, back to when I was six years old. The moment I realized I had been reborn, I sent the nanny away and tiptoed to open the bedroom door. Just as I thought! I saw my uncle Garrett naked, on top of a woman. The pearl bracelet on her wrist clearly revealed her identity – my mother! No wonder in my previous life, she had hired a nanny specifically for me, watching me 24/7, taking care of my every need. Later, she even sent me to a strict boarding school, claiming it was to “build character.” Eight years later, when I saw my mother again, I was in a hospital gown, sobbing as I rushed towards her, only to be pushed away. The disgust and embarrassment on her face made me doubt if I was even her child. It wasn’t until after I died that I learned the truth – she was afraid I might accidentally expose their affair, so she tried every way to keep me away! How about you taste the fear of public shame? In the bedroom were the intertwined shadows of a man and a woman. Looking at the condom wrapper on the floor, I picked it up, fighting back nausea, and ran excitedly to the neighborhood playground. “Look! I found a new balloon!” I shouted. A group of children gathered around me, asking all at once: “You’re lying! That’s not a balloon! My mom says it’s a bad thing! Throw it away!” “Eww, why is there so much goo inside?” Adults nearby also came over. Seeing what I was holding, their faces changed: “Aria, where did you get that? Don’t rummage through the trash!” “Aria, throw it away now!” I obediently did as they said, wiping my fingers on my clothes several times before raising my voice in feigned disappointment: “Mom and Uncle Garrett were playing with this balloon in the room and told me to go away. So I secretly took one, but it turns out it’s broken!”

As soon as I finished speaking, the elderly folks exercising nearby gathered around. The grandmas who had been chatting moments ago now focused intently on me, while parents hurriedly shooed their children away. “Your mom and your uncle? Are you sure you didn’t see wrong?” I stomped my foot as if angered, staring at the person who spoke, my childish voice making it impossible not to believe me: “How could I see wrong! They weren’t just playing with balloons, they were also playing a stacking game, with their backs to me, telling me to go away. They wouldn’t play with me. It’s so mean!” Someone in the crowd let out a snicker, followed by endless “pfft” and “haha” sounds. Mrs. Johnson, the most popular resident in our gated community, grabbed my hand and asked earnestly: “Aria, tell us more clearly so we can believe you. Then we can help teach your mom a lesson!” Hearing this, I was delighted. Teach her a lesson? I couldn’t wait! “I saw Uncle Garrett lying on top of Mom playing the stacking game. They messed up the whole bed, but… Mrs. Johnson, why do they have to be naked to play the stacking game?” Everyone suddenly had meaningful looks on their faces, exchanging glances and smiles, all seeming to understand. “What? Bullying our little Aria! We must have a word with them!” With that, Mrs. Johnson led a large group of people marching towards our house. Just before reaching the staircase, Mrs. Johnson called out: “Vanessa! Why are you angry with the child? Look, the poor thing is soaked in sweat!” Her footsteps quickened, “I’m coming up to get some clothes for the child!” The half-closed door was pushed open. The man was putting on his clothes, his bare upper body covered in sweat and scratch marks. The woman was wearing a dress, her eyes moist and face flushed. There was also an indescribable smell in the room. Everyone immediately understood what was going on, watching the drama unfold before their eyes. Mom clutched her chest and screamed, “Who told you to come in without knocking? This is trespassing, don’t you know?” Mrs. Johnson covered her eyes and exclaimed, “Oh my, at least put on some clothes before talking!” Someone couldn’t hold back, and suddenly the room was filled with stifled laughter.

My mom’s face turned beet red, while Uncle Garrett, now fully dressed, stood stiffly by the bed, his head hanging so low it almost touched the ground. I couldn’t help but smirk. Indeed, the most vicious wolves often wear sheep’s clothing. Uncle Garrett was financially dependent on his wife’s family. Usually timid and submissive, even his own son could walk all over him. Who would have thought he was the one who had fooled our entire family? “Her brother passed away, and Vanessa still let her husband live with her sister-in-law. I said it wasn’t appropriate. Look what happened, they ended up together!” someone in the crowd muttered. The words rang clearly in the silent room. Uncle Garrett silently tried to slip into the bathroom, but the gossip-hungry crowd wouldn’t let him leave. They held him back, asking in a friendly tone, “Garrett, what were you doing in Vanessa’s room? Are those red marks on your neck from mosquito bites?” Garrett kept his mouth shut, not saying a word. My mom, however, flew into a rage, throwing pillows from the bed at us one by one: “Get out! All of you get out! This is my house! You didn’t see anything! Don’t you dare say a word!” Only then did everyone leave, whispering and gossiping. No doubt this story would soon spread throughout the entire community. The door closed tightly, and their gazes fell on me – one furious, one vicious. “It’s all because of you! You little brat! Bringing them all here! Where’s Fiona? How was she watching you?” I was knocked down by a slap, and Mom grabbed my neck, asking hoarsely. The choking sensation in my throat brought no pain, only familiarity – Every time I made her angry, every time something didn’t go her way, she would use me as a punching bag. Once, I was almost strangled to death. In my previous life, I had also caught them having an affair and asked at the dinner table what they were doing in bed. The next day, I was sent to a strict boarding school under the guise of “character building,” to prevent me from saying anything in front of my aunt and others. My cousin had also heard it at the dinner table, and they decided to send Lucas to “toughen up” as well.

That was the beginning of all my nightmares. Later, I was tricked away, forced to be a child bride in someone else’s home, sleeping on grass, doing the work of oxen, and fighting with pigs for food. I was dragged to a pigsty by an old pervert in the village and molested. In my dazed state, I was caught in a hay baler, losing both my legs. It wasn’t until I made the local news that my aunt found out about all this and sent her people to find me. After returning home, I cried to my mother about the miserable experiences of those years, lamenting my lost legs. Mom just carelessly admired her new manicure, saying as if listening to a play, “Sounds like you had quite an adventure out there.” I was incredulous. In my emotional state, I couldn’t control my body, and urine spread beneath me, making her scream in disgust, calling me revolting. I grabbed her clothes, not letting her leave, but I fell to the ground. The filth under my hands and the pain in my body were nothing compared to the despair brought by her leaving without looking back. “Why, Mom? I’m your daughter!” I even secretly did a DNA test, which showed she was indeed my mother. The physical disability, the pain of not being able to take care of myself, the frustration of being illiterate – all of it plunged me into an emotional quagmire. Would Mom not be so disgusted with me if I were normal? Later, I actively worked on rehabilitation and studied hard. After coming of age, I took over the shares my father had left behind and formed a strong alliance with my aunt, who was expanding the business overseas. Mom started treating me with a smile, and I seemed to have a successful career and a happy family. Only I knew how many suicide attempts were hidden in the scars on my disgusting stumps and my scarred wrists. I could never get love. Even my cousin, who excelled in gambling and debauchery, could get the true love of Mom and Uncle Garrett. Why couldn’t I? It wasn’t until I died and became a spirit that I learned the truth. Mom and Uncle Garrett were high school sweethearts. They were just waiting for my cousin to grow up and my aunt to pass away so they could take over the company. They actually did it – they caused my aunt’s death, made my cousin listen only to them, and even brought back their own biological son. No wonder! No wonder! The year that child was born was the year I was kidnapped! While they were rejoicing in the birth of a new life, I was crawling and crying in darkness. “If you had another chance, could you change all this?” I heard a question from the depths of my soul. “I want them to suffer a fate worse than death!”

“It’s my fault for not watching Aria closely. Punish me!” Fiona’s voice pulled me out of my memories. I saw Mom and Uncle Garrett, dressed as impeccably as always, looking down at Fiona and me with unconcealed contempt and disgust in their eyes. “Get out, all of you!” Fiona carried me out of the room, applying medicine to my face with a worried expression. “Aria, why did you provoke her? Didn’t I tell you not to say anything in front of her? Oh dear, your face is all swollen.” Looking at her young face, I remembered that in my previous life, she blamed herself for not taking good care of me, leading to my kidnapping. She had resolutely devoted herself to the cause of finding missing children. After I was found, she took care of me meticulously, enduring all my unbearable behavior. “It’s okay, Fiona. Don’t cry,” I wiped the tears from her face. In this life, I won’t give those two scumbags any chance. Sure enough, gossip spreads faster than anything else. Even on my way to and from school, I could feel people whispering and looking at me with surprise and schadenfreude. I also became the center of attention in kindergarten – “Aria, is your uncle going to be your new daddy?” “Then you’ll have a new brother, right? That’s not good at all. I hate having a brother.” The innocent words of the children made me laugh, but they also revealed the information adults had been spreading. Having an affair with your brother-in-law was something the people in our community couldn’t accept. The aunties who used to play cards and go to beauty salons with Mom no longer called. Uncle Garrett didn’t even dare to leave the house, probably concocting some excuse to fool my aunt. Moreover, the residents of this community were either rich or powerful. The Ye Corporation was just an ordinary presence among them. They had only been extra kind to us because they pitied my aunt Imogen for losing her brother. Now they would avoid us like the plague, some even forbidding their children from playing with me. With an adult’s soul, I naturally didn’t care, but my cousin Lucas was different. He threw a tantrum in front of Mom and Uncle Garrett, rolling on the floor demanding they play with him. Uncle Garrett waved his hand grandly, “Lucas, do you want to see little ducklings? How about we go to Daddy’s hometown to see little pigs and ducklings?”

My cousin and I were sent to the village, but unlike my previous life, this time Fiona didn’t come with me. Before leaving, Fiona sewed a pocket inside my jacket and filled it with change. “Aria, if you can’t get used to the food there, remember to buy some snacks. Don’t go hungry.” When we first arrived, the villagers were all very nice to us. Even though Uncle Garrett’s mother didn’t take much care of us, she ensured we had three meals a day. However, I still went to the general store to buy things, quietly waiting for that moment to come. “Callum, come home for dinner!” someone called. A child next to me asked, “Aria, why doesn’t Callum have the same last name as Uncle Garrett?” “Because his dad is the bride who married into our family!” I replied. Callum angrily pounced on me, the strength of a four-year-old already too much for me to struggle free. “You bitch! My dad is not a bride!” I fought back, and we started wrestling. “Quick, go call Grandma!” The other kids all ran home to call for help, leaving only me and my cousin fighting at the edge of the woods. Suddenly, someone picked us up, one in each hand. It was him! Without hesitation, I took out the small knife from my pocket, seized the opportunity to slash him, and ran into the woods as he let go. Callum! It’s your turn this time! In my previous life, I had a chance to escape but didn’t have the heart to leave him behind when I heard him crying. I never imagined that the moment he was released, he would push me towards the kidnapper and run away himself! That moment of betrayal was etched in my memory, never to be forgotten. Later, I was sold to a mountain village, forced to be a wife to a mentally disabled man. Daily chores and beatings were common. I ate their leftovers, and on unlucky days, I could only lick the sauce from the bottom of their bowls or fight with livestock for pig feed. As I grew older, a nearly seventy-year-old widower in the village tried to take advantage of me. He dragged me to the fields to torture me, using the roar of a hay baler to cover the sounds. It was during that struggle that I lost my legs. When I woke up again, I was in a hospital. Looking at the emptiness below half of my thighs, I couldn’t process it. “Your legs were caught in the hay baler. Luckily, the machine malfunctioned and broke down, or it would have been questionable if you’d even survive.” “When we were matching blood types, we discovered you were listed as a missing person. Your family is on their way.” And so, at the cost of my disability, I escaped that hell.

In this life, Callum was kidnapped by the trafficker. I hid in the woods until the villagers came looking for us. “It’s terrible! Callum was taken away by a strange man! I couldn’t catch up with him!” I was brought back home. My mom cursed me all day, saying why couldn’t it have been me who was taken away. As she spoke, she and Uncle Garrett hugged each other for comfort. They seemed to have stopped hiding it altogether, going out on dates and trips together shamelessly, leaving me alone at home with Fiona. “Fiona, has Aunt Imogen said when she’s coming back?” I had Fiona call my aunt abroad immediately, telling her about the affair and Callum’s disappearance. Unfortunately, Aunt Imogen was in the middle of a big project and only instructed her assistant to file a police report and search for Callum. I wasn’t surprised by her coldness. In my previous life, even when Callum lost millions gambling and attended parties every day, she would only cut off his allowance. I used to think she was heartless, but after I died, she was the only one who cried for me. A week later, I came home from school as usual and saw Aunt Imogen standing on the second floor of the house. I approached curiously, only then hearing the chaotic sounds from the room. “Aria, go back to your room and don’t come out.” I went back to my room but didn’t listen to her. I left the door ajar and used a mirror to peek. I saw Aunt Imogen holding up her phone, seemingly recording video as she pushed open the door. Then there was a commotion, Mom’s screams, Uncle Garrett’s repentance, and the rustling of clothes being put on. “Garrett, let’s get a divorce.” Aunt Imogen’s voice was very calm, without a hint of sadness or anger. As an outsider, I couldn’t help but wonder – was there ever any real affection between them? “Imogen, it’s not what you think. It’s… it’s her who couldn’t stand the loneliness and seduced me. I was just confused for a moment. I’ve always loved you!” Uncle Garrett explained desperately, his tone as if the sky was falling. I couldn’t help but admire his acting skills. As expected of a professional freeloader. Hearing this, Mom cursed Uncle Garrett for slandering her, then cried about how she had remained faithful to my father for so many years without remarrying, how she had given birth to the eldest daughter for the Ye family, implying that even if she had no merit, she had suffered. Her words were all about money and shares. In her emotional state, she actually fainted.

“Vanessa, you’re two months pregnant,” Aunt Imogen calmly told my mom. I saw surprise, panic, and finally feigned regret and sorrow flash across Uncle Garrett’s face. “Imogen, this is all an accident. I didn’t mean to…” “Stop pretending, Garrett. Can’t you see she doesn’t care? She didn’t even care when Callum went missing, let alone about you!” Vanessa interrupted Uncle Garrett, looking smugly at Aunt Imogen. Ignoring Uncle Garrett’s attempts to stop her, she blurted out: “Since you’ve found out anyway, we won’t hide it anymore. Give me the shares your brother left before he died, and give Garrett half of your assets. We’ll leave immediately.” Aunt Imogen seemed to have heard a joke and smiled, “My brother left all his estate to Aria long before he passed away. As for Garrett and me, we signed a prenuptial agreement. He knows that.” Uncle Garrett’s face had turned ashen, but he still struggled desperately, “Callum, Callum can’t be without a father.” “It’s fine, I’ll find him a stepfather,” Aunt Imogen replied. Hearing Aunt Imogen walking towards the door, I quietly returned to my room. “Aria, would you be okay with Fiona taking care of you from now on?” Aunt Imogen knelt down to look at me. I nodded, but couldn’t help asking, “What about my brother? Aren’t you worried about him, Aunt Imogen?” A flash of disgust crossed Aunt Imogen’s face, but she didn’t lie to me, “Your brother has a genetic condition that scientists say can make people become bad. I don’t like him.” So that’s why! In my previous life, when I was found and gave my statement to the police, I discovered that my brother had never mentioned his experience of encountering the kidnapper with me, nor had he provided any clues. When I confronted Callum, he turned the tables on me, asking if I had ill intentions and wanted him to be kidnapped too. Mom and Uncle Garrett hid him behind them, looking at me with hatred. As if I were some kind of trafficking criminal. Later, when I learned he was involved in drugs and gambling, I thought it was because of Uncle Garrett’s indulgence. I never imagined it was a genetic issue! “I don’t like him either. He often hits me,” I smiled at Aunt Imogen, but couldn’t help testing her, “Does Aunt Imogen like me?” Aunt Imogen hugged me, “How could I not like Aria? You’re our Ye family’s precious treasure!”

Mom and Uncle Garrett, no, I should say Vanessa and Garrett, were kicked out of the Ye family. Aunt Imogen didn’t go to extremes. She gave them enough wealth that ordinary people would dream of, sufficient for them to live comfortably into old age. I started elementary school and, thanks to my memories from my previous life, I skipped grades repeatedly. By the age of twelve, I was already in high school. I showed a unique sensitivity to the market, and Aunt Imogen agreed to let me audit company affairs. After I offered several key insights, I gained everyone’s recognition. At a young age, I led the Ye Corporation’s domestic business to double in size. This also lightened the burden on Aunt Imogen, who now frequently returned to the country to see me. Through our interactions, I gradually came to understand Aunt Imogen – She was not only cold on the outside and warm on the inside, but also had a strong sense of responsibility. Every year on my father’s death anniversary, she would take me to pay respects, reminiscing about her childhood moments with her brother. Miss Jones “When we were young, you said we’d team up and crush other companies. Now your daughter has done it, but it’s a pity you can’t see it,” she would always say, with a hint of unfulfilled regret. The year I successfully entered the country’s top university at fifteen, the Ye Corporation had already become the leading enterprise in the area, and I was respectfully referred to as “Young Miss Jones.” My college admission celebration also invited many CEOs, all praising me for my achievements at such a young age. “Miss, there’s a man and a woman outside begging to see you. They say they’re your mother and uncle,” an assistant informed me. I raised an eyebrow, gave a few quiet instructions, then picked up my wine glass and continued chatting and laughing with the guests. After the party ended, I went to the storage room. “Miss, they’re tied up inside,” the assistant reported.

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Liam was my husband. We had been married for five years, and our love was as strong as ever. Until I received an anonymous video: a man’s head was bashed in, his face a bloody mess, with several stab wounds on his body. If it weren’t for the custom-made diamond ring on his ring finger, even I wouldn’t have recognized Liam. At this moment, I was lying with my back to “Liam”, desperately trying to stifle any sound. Who, then, was sleeping beside me? “Nora, why aren’t you asleep? Is the wound hurting again?” The gradually dimming phone screen reflected Liam’s expressionless face. He stared at the phone, his neck craned at an awkward angle. I stiffened but quickly turned to hug him, whispering, “It’s nothing. I’m just feeling a bit upset about the baby.” Liam and I had been married for five years. My mother-in-law, Martha, had been urging us to have a child. I had helped Liam start his business from scratch, but the constant drinking and late nights at social events had taken a toll on my health. For the past two years, I had been trying to recover my health, and finally got pregnant. But just two months ago, the doctor told me that the baby’s heartbeat was extremely unstable. They diagnosed it as a genetic defect syndrome. Giving birth would not only be irresponsible to the child but also pose a huge risk to my safety. The doctor recommended termination. And just like that, my first baby left this world. Liam reached out and stroked my face. His expression was hidden in the darkness, unreadable. His fingers were ice-cold, sending a shiver of fear through me as they traced my skin. “Honey, did you forget to take your medicine today? You know Mom specially got it prescribed by the doctor.” Liam and I both loved children dearly, and losing the baby had left me with depression. I had quit my job to rest at home. Liam’s voice was so gentle it could almost wring water. He got up to heat some milk for me. Watching his back, my thoughts lingered on the terrifying sensation of Liam’s fingers on my face. Remembering the gruesome scene in the video, my body involuntarily shuddered, causing me to drop my phone. As I bent down to retrieve it, I suddenly caught a whiff of a very subtle formaldehyde smell. The screen’s light illuminated my horrified face. There was a dead infant under the bed. It was curled up, preserved in formaldehyde solution, its pale face turned towards me. Suddenly, its tightly closed eyes opened, staring straight into mine. Then its mouth twisted into an eerie smile. My whole body trembled, goosebumps erupting on my arms. Overwhelmed by fear, I felt my body go limp. In my panic, I turned around only to see Liam standing at the door with a glass of milk, smiling at me.

When I regained consciousness, it was already noon the next day. “Nora, you’re finally awake. Are you feeling any discomfort?” Liam sat by my bedside, looking at me with concern. Ignoring him, I immediately got out of bed and pulled out the jar from underneath. The glass had shattered, but instead of the dead infant I saw last night, it was a small figure wrapped in bloody bandages! “Impossible, I clearly saw… it even smiled at me…” I panicked and stumbled backwards, only to be caught in Liam’s embrace. “Oh no, who broke the jar?!” An elderly woman rushed in, first complaining, then wailing as she cradled the jar. “My poor grandson, can’t even rest in peace after death…” “Mom, what’s going on? Who told you to put this thing under our bed?!” Liam scolded his mother while gently comforting me. I stared blankly at her wrinkled face, only connecting her to my mother-in-law when Liam spoke. My condition seemed to have worsened recently. My memories of everyone were just blurry fragments, even their faces seemed covered in a layer of sand, impossible to recall clearly. “The house is haunted, so I found a spiritual healer,” she said. “We can’t let it interfere with my grandson’s birth!” She had been looking down, speaking hesitantly at first. But then she glanced at me, her tone turning disdainful and louder, as if intentionally speaking for me to hear. “Alright, Mom, that’s enough. Don’t upset Nora,” Liam urged his mother to leave, his tone annoyed. “What I saw last night wasn’t a small figure…” I said, my fear growing. No matter how I tried to explain, Liam insisted I had just had a nightmare. “Honey, where’s my phone?” I suddenly remembered the video, wanting to show it as proof. But Liam’s expression turned strange. He unlocked his phone and held it up to me. “You mean this video?” ! “How did you know?” I felt scared, backing away step by step. Liam sighed, “You’ve watched this video many times already. Every day you suspect that I might be dead.” “I know losing the baby was a huge blow to you. You’ve developed depression and prosopagnosia.” “But this is just a video. I’m standing right here, alive and unharmed.” I stared intently at the ring on Liam’s finger, suddenly deflating. Perhaps I really was too stressed out. “I’ll be here to help you get better, trust me, okay?” “We’ll definitely have our own child someday.” Liam’s last sentence sounded like comfort, but I detected something odd in it. He kissed my forehead and walked towards the door. “Nora, I’m going to buy your favorite roast duck.” I watched him leave, trying to recall last night’s events. To my horror, I realized that my memories were all fragmented, and even Liam’s face was starting to blur. “Nora, come on, it’s time for your medicine.” Martha appeared at the door with a cup of medicine just as Liam left. “Am I taking the medicine this early today?” I looked at the time, feeling confused. After all the strange occurrences, I didn’t want to take the medicine, even if Liam said it would help my condition. But Martha just stood there holding the cup, staring at me intently. She looked very eager. “Mom, you can leave it here. I’ll drink it in a bit.” Martha reluctantly put down the cup and left, repeatedly reminding me not to waste it. I stared at the dark brown liquid, a thought flashing through my mind. Why had my symptoms gotten worse after taking this medicine for so long? Could there be something wrong with the medicine? As I picked up the cup, debating whether to drink it or not, I caught a glimpse of something in the full-length mirror by the wardrobe. The door was slightly ajar, and Martha’s pale face was pressed against the crack, expressionlessly staring at me.

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My husband’s ex-girlfriend secretly donated a kidney to me. After the surgery, her health declined rapidly, and my husband took care of her with overwhelming attentiveness. Then, standing on his moral high ground, he scolded me, “Nina, she ended up like this because of who? Can’t you be a little more understanding?” Endless arguments followed, and I eventually wasted away from the emotional exhaustion. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the moment right before my kidney transplant surgery. I immediately pulled out my oxygen tube, “I’m not going through with the surgery. I’m giving up on treatment.” I never imagined that after my death, my husband would go insane. 1 The overhead fluorescent light flickered, making me dizzy. The sound of the doctor’s voice announcing the countdown to the kidney transplant echoed in my ears. I suddenly realized I had been reborn. Without hesitation, I pulled the oxygen tube out. Struggling, I sat up on the operating table, “Dr. Lucas, I’m not going through with the surgery. I’m giving up treatment.” Dr. Lucas was shocked, repeatedly emphasizing that my body couldn’t afford to wait any longer and that if I missed this chance, I might not find another matching donor in time. I thanked him, but I remained firm. Dr. Lucas sighed in resignation and notified everyone to cancel the surgery. After signing the organ donation consent form, I returned to the Downtown Loft I shared with Ryan. I started packing my bags. I had been diagnosed with kidney failure in the second year of our marriage while we were trying to conceive. At that time, Ryan and I were constantly at odds because of Claire Young. I thought having a baby might bring us closer, but instead, I received the terrible news about my health. Strictly speaking, Claire wasn’t really Ryan’s ex-girlfriend. She appeared in his life while I was abroad pursuing my ballet career, and they never officially became a couple. Back then, I was ambitious and determined not to give up my career for love. And I succeeded, becoming the principal dancer of the Joffrey Ballet in just two years. When I returned, I found out Ryan had been waiting for me all those years. His devotion moved me beyond words, and memories of our time together as students filled me with warmth. I accepted his proposal. It was only after we married that I learned about Claire Young. I discovered they had nearly become a couple, but my return to the U.S. had torn them apart. Because of my upbringing, I’ve always been sensitive and insecure in relationships. Ever since learning about Claire, I couldn’t sleep at night, and the arguments between Ryan and me grew more intense. I questioned him, asking why he claimed to love me but still had feelings for someone else. He accused me of being unreasonable and making things up. As the fights escalated, Ryan started working late just to avoid coming home. It wasn’t until I sought help from a therapist that I realized I still loved Ryan, this man who had been such a huge part of my youth. So I called him and asked him to come home. That night, he rushed back, embracing me as if he never wanted to let go. He promised he would transfer Claire to another city and focus on our marriage from then on. It was around that time I went for a check-up, planning to start preparing for a baby. Later, the doctor told me they had found a matching kidney donor. The donor wished to remain anonymous and didn’t want to reveal their identity. I understood. But I never imagined that person would be Claire. The day after my surgery, Ryan sat by my bedside with red eyes and told me we owed Claire a huge debt. From that point on, he showered her with care and attention. I couldn’t show any dissatisfaction. If I did, I’d be seen as ungrateful—a heartless woman. I could only watch as Claire slowly took Ryan away from me. I was powerless to stop it. In the end, I wasted away from the stress. When I died, Ryan stayed by Claire’s side, refusing to leave her for a moment. This time, I’ve chosen to let them be. To free myself. 2 I had lived in the Downtown Loft for two years, and packing took three suitcases. I sat on the couch, waiting. By 11 PM, Ryan still hadn’t come home. I called him. He answered almost immediately. But on the other end, it was Claire’s voice, “Mrs. Carter, is there something you need from Mr. Carter? He’s exhausted from back-to-back meetings and fell asleep at the office.” Claire had just undergone the kidney transplant surgery in Chicago—I knew that. But I didn’t expect her to head straight to Ryan’s office after getting off the operating table. She really did love him. I spoke calmly, “It’s nothing important. Just let him know when he wakes up.” “I’ve left the divorce papers on the dining table. Tell him to sign them when he has the time.” Claire gasped in shock on the other end of the line, her excitement barely concealed. Before she could say anything else, I hung up. I moved back to my Gold Coast Apartment, the one I’d bought before we were married. I thought Ryan would come looking for me, or at the very least call to discuss the divorce. But, as it turned out, I was overthinking it. There was no word from him. His phone had even been turned off. With no other choice, I went to his office. To my surprise, the receptionist informed me that Ryan had been in a car accident three days ago. His phone had been smashed, and he hadn’t had a chance to replace it. He had just undergone surgery and was now out of danger. My first reaction wasn’t worry, but amusement. I had been diagnosed with kidney failure and hadn’t told him. He got into a car accident, and I didn’t know. This marriage had clearly run its course. I drove to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and sure enough, I ran into Claire outside the Private Suite. She was dressed casually, with perfectly applied makeup, radiating friendliness. I glanced toward the hospital room, “Is Ryan not here?” “Mr. Carter’s getting some tests done. He should be back in about an hour.” Claire’s expression turned cold as she closed the door to the suite. “Why don’t you head home?” Her disdain for me was clear. I smirked. “Claire, you can play the part of Mrs. Carter all you want after the divorce. But right now, you’re still not qualified.” Claire frowned, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “Is that all you’ve got?” She paused for a moment, then smirked, bragging, “Did you know, when Ryan was unconscious and being rushed to the hospital, he was calling out my name the entire time? That’s why the hospital called me and not you, Mrs. Carter.” She bit hard on the words “Mrs. Carter,” her tone heavy with ridicule. In the past, hearing this would have sent me into a rage. But after all the arguments and silent treatments, I no longer cared. I was dying anyway—what did it matter what she said? I remained calm, pulled out the divorce papers from my bag, and handed them to her, “In that case, could you give this to your Mr. Carter? Have him sign and return them when he gets the chance.” As I spoke, I watched Claire’s face change. She grabbed my wrist, trying to make me slap her with the papers. The divorce papers scattered everywhere, and Claire turned her head to the side, dramatically covering her face with her hand, feigning pain. I winced from the sharp pain in my wrist, sucking in a breath. Before I could react, Ryan’s cold, angry voice came from behind, “Apologize.” 3 Ryan stormed over and immediately pulled Claire behind him, shielding her. Claire shot me a triumphant smile. She was claiming her territory. I could feel my blood boiling. I didn’t care who Ryan wanted to protect, but if Claire thought she could openly frame me, she was mistaken! I coldly bent down to pick up the divorce papers, walked right up to Claire, and slapped them against her face again. Ryan moved to stop me, but it was too late. I glared at Claire fiercely: “See it clearly? Next time you try to frame me, at least make it convincing!” Claire’s face flushed red on one side. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked pitifully at Ryan. “Ryan, I didn’t…” Ryan’s brow furrowed deeply, and he pulled Claire even further behind him. His eyes pierced through me: “Can you leave her out of this? Why are you acting like a lunatic?” “I’ve heard this a thousand times before,” I replied calmly, unfazed. “If you don’t want your assistant to be hurt again, just sign the divorce papers.” Ryan’s face was tense with anger, but after a moment, he turned to Claire with a professional tone: “Sorry, my wife didn’t mean it. Consider this a workplace injury. Keep your receipts, and the company will reimburse you.” “You’ve worked hard these past few days. You can head home now.” “Thank you, Mr. Carter.” Claire gave a soft, grateful reply before gathering her things and leaving the room. Once she was gone, I followed Ryan into the suite. The moment we stepped inside, he pulled me into his arms, burying his face in my neck: “Nina, don’t you have any compassion? That night, I woke up to see you had been calling me repeatedly, saying you wanted a divorce. I panicked, speeding home, and ended up in the car accident.” “And now you don’t even visit me in the hospital. You still want to go through with the divorce.” His voice broke as he clung to me like a lost puppy: “Nina, please, have mercy on me.” 4 I should feel pity for him, right? But who pities me? And fine, if he wants to blame me for the car accident, I’ll accept it. But what did he mean by saying I didn’t come to the hospital because I was being difficult? My blood started to boil. Ryan, however, ignored my growing frustration and leaned in, trying to kiss me. Suddenly, an image of Claire in his arms from my previous life flashed through my mind. Disgust churned inside me, and I pushed him away violently. I ran to the bathroom and vomited, my body shaking with revulsion. When I came back out, Ryan’s face had turned icy cold. “Nina, do I disgust you that much? You can’t even pretend for a moment!” “If you need someone, go find your precious Claire,” I shot back, my voice as cold as his. “She’s sweet and considerate—everything I’m not, right?” I cut him off before he could respond, thrusting the divorce papers at him again. “Just sign the papers. The sooner, the better.” Ryan was at a loss for words, his anger barely contained. After a tense silence, he forced himself to explain, his voice tight with frustration: “I’ve told you a thousand times, Claire is just an employee. There’s nothing between us, Nina. Why can’t you believe me?” I looked up at him, eyes blazing, and his tone softened in response. “Nina, I’m recovering from an accident here,” he pleaded, reaching out for my hand. I instinctively pulled away. He took a deep breath, his frustration visible, but he still knelt in front of me, trying to calm me down. His eyes were full of sincerity. I stared at him, a bitter feeling rising in my chest. In my past life, he had apologized countless times for Claire, explaining himself and asking for forgiveness. And every single time, I had forgiven him. But what did I get in return? Every time Claire and I clashed, he took her side, standing against me. As a woman, I saw through Claire’s games clearly. I knew exactly what she was doing. But Ryan always thought I was the one being unreasonable, that I was the one stirring up trouble. This wouldn’t change, no matter how many lives I lived. I was exhausted. “Ryan, let’s just stop this.” “Three days from now, I’ll be waiting at the Cook County Clerk’s Office. If you don’t show up, I’ll have no choice but to take legal action.” I didn’t want to die being labeled as “Ryan Carter’s tragic widow.” Without another word, I turned and walked out. Behind me, I heard his voice crack, filled with frustration and vulnerability: “Nina, why are you always so rash? Do you know how unfair you’re being to me?” I had never heard him sound so fragile before. 5 Three days passed, and I stood outside the Cook County Clerk’s Office, but Ryan never showed. I called my lawyer immediately and initiated divorce proceedings. My health was deteriorating fast, and I couldn’t afford to wait any longer. That afternoon, after returning from the hospital, I found Ryan standing angrily outside my Gold Coast Apartment. His lips were pressed into a tight line, his entire posture radiating tension. Claire was standing behind him, her eyes red and swollen, the clear imprint of five fingers on her pale cheek. When she saw me, she instinctively shrank back, as if afraid I might hit her again. I raised my eyebrows, annoyed. “Really? Trying this trick again? Didn’t get enough the last time, huh?” “Nina, enough!” Ryan exploded, shouting at me with a mix of fury and disappointment. “You’ve crossed the line—vandalizing my car, hiring people to harass me, hitting Claire? Do you realize you’re breaking the law?” He started listing my supposed offenses, as if I were some criminal mastermind. Honestly, if he and Claire hadn’t shown up at my door, I wouldn’t even have known I’d committed so many “crimes.” I opened my mouth to throw back a snarky remark, but Claire beat me to it, interrupting in tears: “Mrs. Carter, Ryan and I are only work colleagues.” “I come from a difficult family background. I worked hard, studied hard, and finally managed to make something of myself. I don’t want to go back home.” “I’ll resign if it helps. Please, just let me go.” As she spoke, she started to kneel down in front of me, but Ryan pulled her up quickly, his face burning with anger as he turned to me. “Look at what you’ve reduced her to. Is this what you wanted?” He stood there, looking at me with the same disappointed, angry eyes I’d seen countless times before. It was as if I was back in my previous life, being endlessly blamed for things that weren’t my fault. And once again, Claire played the victim perfectly. I had seen this too many times. Claire’s innocent act was something Ryan never seemed to see through. My body was already wracked with pain, and now, my anger added to the suffering, tightening my chest. I glared at both of them, my voice sharp. “You two come here, invade my space, then ask me if I’m satisfied? Ryan, are you out of your mind?” “If you really believe I did all this, call the cops. Let the law deal with me.” “But stop pretending you’re on some moral high ground, looking down on me. It’s disgusting!” I gasped for breath as the pain wracked my body, but I managed to give them a final ultimatum: “Now, get out of my home before I call the police myself.” Ryan looked like he had more to say, but Claire gently tugged on his sleeve, urging him to let it go. With fury in his eyes, he turned to me, spitting out his final words: “Nina, don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. You’re just trying to push me into a corner so I’ll divorce you!” “Fine, divorce it is. I’ll do it. Let’s just say I loved the wrong person all these years.” He turned and stormed off. Claire followed, but not before casting me a smug, triumphant glance, like she had finally won. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my chest ached with frustration. How dare Ryan say that? The truth was, I was the one who had loved the wrong person all along. 6 That very night, Claire moved into the Downtown Loft that Ryan and I had shared. She even recorded a video and sent it to me. Every word she spoke in the video dripped with pride and smugness. Without a flicker of emotion, I took screenshots of her messages, packaged them neatly, and sent them to Ryan’s email. I scheduled them to go out two days later. Ryan and I had agreed to meet the next day to finalize our divorce. I planned to sever all ties with him before showing him Claire’s true colors. I wanted him to regret it, to suffer. He owed me that much.

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After a month of continuous overtime, my dark circles were worse than a raccoon’s. I finally managed to complete the project successfully. I was eagerly waiting for a promotion and a raise. The manager called me into his office. “Flora, you’ve been doing great lately. Keep up the good work.” I nodded frantically, waiting for more. ? Silence. I waited a bit longer, still silence. “Is that all?” I asked. The manager seemed to snap out of a trance. “Oh right, I almost forgot the main thing.” I knew it. How could there just be verbal praise? “Here are the materials for the new project. You’ll be in charge again. Try to wrap it up in a month.” Looking at the pile of documents half a foot high, I felt as sick as if I’d eaten something rotten. “Wasn’t I supposed to be promoted to supervisor after completing this project?” The manager got up from his chair and walked over to me, patting my shoulder. “Flora, you’re still young. You’ll have plenty of opportunities. Besides, this is just a small supervisor position. After you complete a few more projects, I’ll apply to headquarters for an exception to promote you to manager.” I didn’t buy his empty promises at all. “So who got it this time?” “Erin.” A newcomer who’d been here less than six months. “Leslie, what do you mean? You’re not promoting me but a newbie instead? Did you hit your head or something?” The manager wasn’t just my boss but also my boyfriend. He knew better than anyone how hard I’d worked for this promotion opportunity. Forget about holidays, I’d been working around the clock. “Leslie, you’d better give me an explanation, or no one’s going to have a good time.” Leslie’s face darkened. “Flora, this is the company. I’m your superior. Just follow orders.” Then his tone became more soothing. “Flora, I’m your boyfriend. How could I hurt you? I worked hard to get this project for you. You’ll get your rewards later, okay?” It’s always next time. “Stop making empty promises. I’m not falling for it.” When I returned to my desk with the documents, Erin was receiving congratulations from our colleagues. As soon as she saw me, she rushed over and hugged me. “Flora, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why the boss chose me. We all thought it would be you. You’re not mad at me, are you?” “I’ll go ask the manager right away if there’s been a mistake.” I pushed her away irritably. “Sure, why wait? Go ask him now.” Erin’s expression changed. She lowered her head and said nothing. After a while, she sent a message in the group chat saying she wanted to treat everyone to dinner. Instantly, the group chat was filled with congratulations. It was so annoying. “Flora, you’re coming, right? I want your blessing the most. If it weren’t for your constant help, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity.” “Everyone says you’re stupid and incompetent, but now it seems you’re quite smart. You know you don’t deserve it.” “Erin, weren’t you going to ask the manager? Why haven’t you gone yet? It turns out your gratitude to me was all fake.” I deliberately softened my tone, sounding pitiful. Erin stood across from me, speechless, her face awkward. She really thought everyone would fall for her fake act. How ridiculous.

In the evening, Erin treated our department to dinner at a restaurant that cost $50 per person. She was really generous. With good food, everyone was naturally happy. Only I was out of place. “Flora, it’s all in the past now. Don’t act like everyone owes you something.” I rolled my eyes at Leslie. “My salary this month is incorrect. I didn’t get the project bonus.” Leslie turned away, pretending not to hear. I felt a sense of unease rising in my heart. I pulled Leslie over. “The project bonus was $3,000. Why didn’t I receive a penny?” Seeing that I wouldn’t let it go, he said, “The project is Erin’s, so naturally the bonus is hers too.” No wonder she was being so generous today. I lost the promotion, I can bear it. I lost the bonus, I can bear that too. But losing both the promotion and the bonus? I can’t take it! Leslie saw that I was angry and leaned in to whisper a warning in my ear. “Control yourself a bit. We’ll talk about this later.” I threw a glass of red wine in Leslie’s face. “Control myself? Screw you!” The previously lively private room suddenly fell silent. Everyone stared at us in confusion. Leslie struggled to contain his anger. “Haha, it’s nothing. Flora just lost her grip on the wine glass. Please, everyone, carry on.” Erin was the first to react. She quickly grabbed some napkins and started wiping the wine off Leslie’s face. “Flora, you’re a grown woman. How can you be so clumsy?” I used to think she was cute, having just graduated and with a baby face. Her soft-spoken manner made me instinctively want to take care of her more. Now I see I took care of her too well. Even my boyfriend is hers now. Just look at how intimate they are. If there’s nothing going on between them, I’ll eat my hat. Erin finished wiping Leslie’s face and was about to say something to me, but I spoke first. “Don’t yell at me. I’ve been afraid of dogs since I was little.” Leslie slammed the table and stood up, pointing at me. “Flora, when will you stop? Everyone’s here to celebrate Erin’s promotion. Don’t ruin everyone’s mood with your emotions.” Siding with an outsider against his girlfriend, Leslie really outdid himself. I busted my ass off, and now all my achievements have been stolen. I’m supposed to swallow my blood and tears and happily celebrate for the person who stole my bonus and position? My life is just as valuable as hers. I’m not happy today, so no one else gets to be happy either, especially Erin and Leslie. I knocked down Leslie’s hand pointing at me. “Your happiness is none of my business.” Then I turned to Erin, “No merit, no hard work. I don’t know what shady methods you used, but since you got it, keep your tail between your legs. Don’t act like you’re so capable. It’s disgusting.” Erin’s face turned red, unable to come up with a retort for a long time. She only knew how to play the victim. “Flora, I know you’re upset about not being chosen. You misunderstand me, but I don’t blame you.” Then she reddened her eyes, tears welling up, looking pitiful. Seeing this, several male colleagues began to criticize me. “Flora, you’re going too far. We’ve known Erin for so long. We know what kind of person she is. The company must have its reasons for choosing her.” Erin usually sweet-talks these guys, calling them “brother” this and that, acting cute. These men in the department just eat it up. “Yeah, you’re so generous. Since you completed the project, why don’t you give her the credit? I remember last month’s bonus was $2,000, right? Transfer it! Do it right in front of me! Let me learn what kind of reason it is.” I stood on the chair, looking down at the male colleague, holding his phone up to his eyes. The male colleague stood there woodenly, not speaking or taking the phone. “Use your brain before you open your mouth next time.” I turned to another male colleague who had criticized me. “I know you don’t speak well, but you don’t have to spew garbage with your mouth.” Seeing my increasingly arrogant attitude, Leslie put on his leadership act. “Flora, I order you to apologize to Erin right now.” “I’m not in customer service. I’m not good at apologizing for things that aren’t my fault.” After I finished speaking, Erin’s tears came pouring down. Even while crying, she didn’t forget to disgust me one more time. “I’m… sorry. It’s all my fault… for making everyone unhappy.” I didn’t forget to keep fanning the flames. “That’s right, it’s all your fault.” “Flora, if you don’t want to eat, just get out of here.” Who says I don’t want to eat? When someone else is paying, why wouldn’t I eat? Not only will I eat, but I’ll eat well. I called the waiter over to order more dishes. When he came in, his eyes darted frantically between us. After all, at our table, some people had iron-gray faces, some had black faces, some were in tears, and then there was me with a smile I couldn’t hide. Today, I offended a lot of people at this dinner without realizing it. Sorry, I’ll dare to do it again next time. You need to know that although I can’t make everyone happy, I can make everyone unhappy.

After venting my anger, I felt refreshed. I even slept more comfortably that night. In the morning, I was in such a good mood that I put on makeup before going to work. I had barely sat down at my desk when Leslie called me to his office. “Why didn’t you answer your phone last night?” I lazily sat on the sofa. “I don’t like listening to dogs bark.” “Flora, do you have to make things so tense over such a small matter?” Such a small matter?! This man is actually still my boyfriend. My mistake. I slapped Leslie across the face, then grabbed his hair with both hands. Leslie bent over in pain, and I took the opportunity to kick him twice. “A small matter? I work my ass off every day not for money, am I here to pray? You give my bonus to another woman, and you have the nerve to tell me it’s a small matter.” “Leslie, you seem to have forgotten one thing: there are no small matters when it comes to your girlfriend.” With that, I let go of Leslie and gave him one last kick in the stomach. Leslie roared in pain. “Flora, we’re done.” “If we’re done, I’m the one dumping you. You and Erin have been hooking up for a while, haven’t you? You two do look more compatible than us. Cupid’s trash sorting seems quite on point.” Leslie dusted off his shirt. “I’ve had enough of you for a long time. You have no femininity, all you know is work all day.” “You’re not qualified to criticize me.” I rolled up my sleeves. Today, if I don’t beat Leslie into submission, my name isn’t Flora! “Leslie, I think you need a beating!” We started fighting in the office. Although as a woman I’m naturally at a disadvantage in terms of strength, I have long nails, I can scratch and pull hair, and I’m not afraid to bite. I’m quite fierce. Due to the commotion, colleagues came to check on us. Erin was the first to rush in. Seeing the nail marks and blood on Leslie’s face and neck. She spread her arms like an eagle protecting its chicks, standing in front of Leslie. “Flora, if you’re angry, take it out on me. Don’t hurt the innocent. Leslie is just following the rules.” You asked for it. Come at you it is. Just as I was about to act again, a female colleague I’m close with pulled me away. “Flora, you’ve beaten him and cursed him out. If you keep going, you’ll be the one who suffers. The manager is clearly paving the way for his girlfriend.” I looked at her in confusion. Has my secret relationship with Leslie been exposed? But is this how you pave the way for your girlfriend? “Erin doesn’t know how to do anything. If she hadn’t latched onto Leslie, she would have been fired long ago.” “When did you find out they were together?” Seeing my confusion, the female colleague looked shocked. “They’ve been subtly flaunting their relationship on social media for almost a month. Don’t tell me you didn’t know?” Very good. I, the official girlfriend, only found out yesterday. Now I just want to transform into a monkey in the park and slap both of them.

My colleague and I opened Erin’s social media at the same time. On my end, only two posts were visible: one was about working overtime last month, and the other was yesterday’s, with a picture of the HR appointment and text thanking the company and colleagues for their trust. But on my colleague’s end, there were over a dozen posts. [Text: Someone said dining with me should be at a romantic place. Picture: An atmospheric French fine dining restaurant.] Looking at the date, I was working overtime writing the proposal at that time. This restaurant is a popular spot for couples online. I had mentioned it to Leslie before, but he said these trendy places were overpriced and not worth it. In the end, we ate hotpot downstairs. [Text: Collecting moments of accessible heartbeats. Picture: A photo of them making heart shapes at an art exhibition.] Although only one hand is visible, the watch on Leslie’s wrist is the one I gave him. Looking at the date, that day I was at the company revising the proposal. Leslie said it still wasn’t good enough. [Text: Just one look, and someone bought it right away. Picture: The latest iPhone model.] Looking at the date, Leslie gave it to Erin the day after I gave it to him. At the time, he had hinted that his phone was broken but he couldn’t afford a new one. I had just gotten paid, so I bought it right away. When I saw he wasn’t using it, I asked about it. He said it was stolen when he went out. He felt very guilty about it, and I was planning to buy another one when I got the bonus this time. For the first time in my 25 years of life, I doubted my own intelligence. Girls, spending money on men will bring you bad luck for eight lifetimes. Looking through the posts one by one, my fists were clenched tighter than a fish-killing knife. At this moment, I wanted to transform into an octopus so I could slap Leslie and Erin eight times at once. Just as I was thinking this, Erin returned to her desk. When our eyes met, she glared at me fiercely. I used to think this young girl was quite cute, but now I realize she’s actually quite ugly. Especially when I saw the phone she put on her desk. That phone was bought with my money! My money! Money! I can’t take it anymore! I snatched the phone from Erin’s desk and stormed into Leslie’s office again. Seeing me, Leslie’s eyes visibly showed fear. I handed the phone to his desk. “I found the stolen phone. Let’s call the police.” Before Leslie could speak, Erin, who had followed me in, questioned me first. “Flora, why did you grab my phone?” “Leslie said you stole his phone. He’s going to report it to the police.” “What are you talking about? This is my phone.” Leslie lowered his head, not daring to speak.

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On my wedding day with Zack Wilson, his “best friend” Mia appeared before me with a huge pregnant belly. She looked at me with tears streaming down her face: “Olivia, you already have everything. Can you please let Zack go? I… I’m already carrying his child…” I ripped off my veil and threw it to the ground, my demeanor full of contempt. Turning around, I saw the panic in Zack’s eyes. I thought to myself, he must have remembered our agreement – If anything went wrong with this wedding, all his assets would become mine. Zack and I had known each other for five years, from campus to the wedding dress. Countless people envied our love. We were a perfect match – from similar backgrounds, both talented and good-looking, a match made in heaven… I had heard such praise countless times, but I never took it to heart. Because I knew Zack had someone else in his heart. He and Mia had known each other for ten years, five years longer than me. Strangely, he and Mia always referred to each other as “bros”, as if their relationship was so pure it hadn’t been tainted by a hint of romance. Later, they were admitted to the same university and the same major. But for some reason, in his freshman year, Zack pursued me – someone from a different department. At that time, I still had some fantasies about campus romance. Zack was handsome, good-tempered, and polite. So, in the second month of his pursuit, I agreed to date him. After a blissful week together, I noticed there was someone very odd around him. Mia – a girl with an ordinary pretty face and short hair. On one hand, she called me “sister-in-law”, but on the other hand, she would drape her arm around Zack’s shoulders and say, “You’re amazing! You found such a beautiful girlfriend so quickly. Do you have any secret techniques you can teach me?” Mia was a head shorter than Zack, so when she put her arm around his shoulders, her mouth naturally came close to his ear. They were so close they could feel each other’s breath. It was extremely intimate, but Zack seemed completely used to it and didn’t mind at all. The first time I saw it, there was naturally a second and third time. I couldn’t understand why Zack still had such an intimate female friend after getting a girlfriend. At first, I thought I was overthinking it and brought it up with him privately a few times. To my surprise, Zack’s answer left me speechless. “Mia and I have been best friends for five or six years. We’ve always been like this. I can’t distance myself from her just because I have a girlfriend now. That would be an insult to our pure friendship!” I also talked to Mia about it. Her response made me think she was an idiot. “What are you talking about? Zack and I have been best friends for so many years. How did that turn into some sappy romance in your mind? Romance is only suitable for Zack to have with girls like you!” Mia hesitated a bit at the end. It seemed difficult for her to call someone taller than her, with a more mature face and a womanly figure, a “girl”. Fine, if that’s your pure friendship, I won’t get involved. I quickly broke up with Zack.

I originally thought we could part ways amicably and hopefully never see each other again. Who knew this jerk Zack wouldn’t agree to break up? “Are you out of your mind? I’ve said break up, break up, break up. Why do you still come to my classroom building to wait for me every day?!” “Ha! It’s one thing if you came alone,” I pointed at Mia and voiced my deepest confusion, “but why did you bring your so-called best friend? Are you brainless? Can’t you think for yourself and need her to give you advice on everything?” My outburst showed how angry I was. Zack pretended to be an honest guy and scratched his head. “I, I thought since you’re both girls, she might understand your emotions better, so I…” Mia chimed in from behind him: “That’s right, please don’t misunderstand him…” “Get lost!” I was in the middle of a PE class at the time. In the heat of the moment, I hurled the basketball I was holding hard at Zack. Fate is the most magical thing in this world, and ill fate is no exception. When my parents took me to apologize to Zack, what a coincidence, the two families actually knew each other. “Oh! Is this Olivia? You’ve grown so big! When you were just a tiny little thing, I held you in my arms. Do you remember Uncle Wilson?” It turned out my dad and Zack’s dad had been best friends since college. If the Wilson family hadn’t gone overseas to start their business, Zack and I might have gotten together even earlier! But my mom’s expression when looking at Mr. Wilson was a bit strange. She hid behind my dad’s back, unusually silent. My foolish dad didn’t notice anything amiss. After some polite chitchat, Zack and my relationship quickly became known to both families. “Olivia, my son is just awkward and doesn’t know how to treat his girlfriend well. If he does anything to upset you, feel free to teach him a lesson.” “Here,” Mr. Wilson flicked Zack’s injured forehead, “That’s what he deserves. Let him learn his lesson. But -” His tone changed, “Don’t miss out on your perfect match over some unworthy people!” I stood in the hospital room filled with the strong smell of disinfectant, staring at Zack who was smiling foolishly at me with annoyance. Was I blind before? How could I have thought this guy looked decent? He looks just like his dad! I looked at Mr. Wilson again. Handsome, gentle and refined, polite… but his gaze – Was staring at my mom like a venomous snake! That night, I went to my mom’s room to find her. She was sitting in her huge luxurious bedroom, silently crying while looking at the moon. “Mom, what’s wrong? You didn’t say a word during dinner. That’s not like you at all.” My dad had gone out for a business dinner again. Now in this mansion, I was the only one who could have a heart-to-heart talk with mom. “It’s nothing,” Mom wiped away her tears and smiled at me, “I just remembered some sad things from the past. Don’t worry about me. Go to bed early, don’t you have an 8 am class tomorrow?” I took Mom’s hand and said gently, “Mom, I saw everything today. Mr. Wilson -” Mom’s whole body trembled and she immediately interrupted me: “No, don’t say it!!!” Later, I only left after watching Mom fall asleep.

Zack and I got back together, under the strangely enthusiastic matchmaking of his father. I don’t know if his dad said something to him, but Mia started appearing around us less and less frequently. Valentine’s Day came, and Zack ordered a big bouquet of roses for me. “Thank you!” I leaned into Zack’s arms with a shy expression, then gently kissed his cheek. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mia staring at us wistfully. Tears were streaming down her pretty face. Huh, was she crying while watching us from afar? My gaze fell on the roses in my hand again. I had told Zack before that I didn’t like roses. So who liked roses and suggested buying them? “Olivia, I bought two movie tickets. It’s the latest sci-fi blockbuster. Want to go see it?” I lowered my head submissively and said softly, “Sure, you can plan this date however you like.” Zack hugged me and spun me around happily, grinning like an idiot. “Olivia, you’re the best!” I looked towards where Mia had been standing earlier. She had left with red eyes. In the dim cinema, Zack went to buy popcorn and I left the flowers at the front desk. Turning around, I ran into Mia at the corner. Huh, unexpected, yet not surprising. She was with a group of guys who usually hung out with Zack. “Is this Zack’s girlfriend? She’s gorgeous, like a goddess!” The group stood across from me, teasing and catcalling. Mia coolly blew her bangs out of her face. “Are you and Zack here to watch a movie too? Which showing are you seeing?” Just then, Zack came back. What a coincidence – the two groups had tickets for the same showing, with seats right next to each other. Mia casually took the popcorn from Zack’s hands and distributed it to the other guys. “Share some popcorn with us~ The movie’s about to start and we don’t have time to buy any.” With that, the group went into the theater laughing and joking. Zack held the only remaining box of popcorn, looking at me cautiously. “Why are you looking at me like that, Zack? Let’s go in, the movie’s about to start.” I took his hand and walked in. The dim lighting hid my eye roll.

Whether intentional or coincidental, Mia’s seat was right next to Zack’s. Mia smiled and held the popcorn, “Hehe, we can all go get dinner together after the movie.” I stared blankly ahead, not wanting to engage with her. Maybe this was the type of movie they usually liked to watch together. Towards the end, Zack was huddled with that group whispering and discussing. As for me, I was yawning from boredom. Seeing them chatting happily, I decided to take a little nap. Who knew that when I opened my eyes again, even the end credits had finished playing. Our group walked out, with Mia enthusiastically discussing the plot with Zack. The two of them got more and more engrossed in their conversation, and soon they were walking far ahead of us. Leaving me to awkwardly stare at Zack’s group of friends behind us. Maybe my silence made them think I was upset. Some tried to tell jokes to cheer me up, others bought me bubble tea and snacks. “Don’t take it personally, Olivia. Mia and Zack have known each other for so long that they have similar interests and hobbies. When they start talking, they can go on for hours. None of us dare to interrupt.” I replied kindly and understandingly: “I know, they’re close childhood friends after all.” It took Zack half an hour to realize he had left me alone with his group of friends. He quickly ran back and sincerely apologized to me. “Olivia, I’m so sorry, I -” I waved my hand, cutting off his excuses. “It’s fine, it’s fine. You and Mia probably haven’t seen each other in a while, right? Taking some time to chat is no big deal. I’m not that petty.” I handed the snacks and bubble tea back to his friends and intimately linked my arm with Zack’s. “Zack, I’m hungry. Let’s go eat!” I swear, I had never used such a coquettish voice to talk to anyone in my life. Of course, the effect was excellent! Zack’s face turned bright red. His group of friends were quite lively, with one witty comment after another, all teasing us. Only Mia stood to the side clenching her fists, her eyes slightly red, without saying a word. A stark contrast to her talkative and lively demeanor earlier.

In the private room, I only knew Zack well. But Mia kept getting the group to toast Zack and make him drink. Some of the guys seemed to feel guilty, glancing in my direction when they toasted. I understood. It seemed Mia had asked them to get Zack drunk. Still, she did have some skills. So many people were willing to listen to her. Well, they had all known each other for much longer than they’d known me. After drinking too much, Zack suddenly hugged me and started kissing me sloppily. “Olivia, Olivia, you’re so beautiful. I like you so much.” I smiled and used my palm to block his alcohol-laden lips. “My dad really likes you too. He said I must marry you.” I laughed coldly to myself. What sweet dreams that old man Wilson was having. Zack tried to pucker up and kiss me again, but Mia suddenly came forward and pulled him away. “Zack, stop it. Olivia doesn’t want you to kiss her.” I don’t know how Mia managed it, but somehow Zack’s lips ended up planted on her mouth instead. She made a big show of pushing Zack away. He fell back into his chair, and the cold water on the table splashed all over his head. With a loud splash, he sobered up halfway. Mia’s eyes welled up with tears that threatened to fall. She looked at me, then locked eyes with the confused Zack for a long moment. Then she ran out of the room like the wind. Zack touched his lips, then chased after Mia in a panic, as if he was riding on wheels. “Haha! Don’t take offense…” His group of friends continued to play the role of peacemakers. I sincerely responded to their awkward toe-curling expressions. “How could I blame Zack? It was all an accident.” After I said this, I felt everyone’s gazes on me were full of shock. They were probably surprised that I loved Zack so much I’d even give up my dignity. Oh no, they might also think I was crazy. We ended up sitting in the room waiting for an hour before Zack finally brought back a tear-stained, messy Mia. They must have gotten enough of the cold air outside, as they both seemed quite calm and even maintained some distance, walking in one after the other. “Zack, you’re back. Let’s go home!” I didn’t care at all whether anything had happened between the two of them. I only knew it was dark and time to go home to sleep. The group of friends saw the two return and hurriedly said goodbye. I guess they couldn’t stand the atmosphere either. I called a taxi and invited Zack to ride with me. Yes, our two families lived in the same direction, not far apart. Zack looked at me, then hesitated and looked at Mia. Then, as if making some big decision, he called out to Mia: “Mia, don’t take what happened today to heart. It was all my fault for drinking too much. In the future! We’ll still be best friends!” I got into the taxi first and rolled my eyes without holding back. Did the alcohol go to his brain? Before Zack got in, I quickly composed myself and put on a gentle expression. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t worry Zack, I called a taxi for Mia too~”

After that incident, things suddenly became awkward between Zack and Mia. Although Zack accompanied me to class, he always seemed lost in thought, his eyes unfocused, often wearing a conflicted expression. While I was seriously taking notes in class, I spared some attention to observe him. I wonder what he was agonizing over. Did he trade all his intelligence for good looks? Under the double attack from me and Mia, Zack was under tremendous pressure and ended up losing a lot of weight. Oh my! It really “broke my heart”~ So I took him to eat at the cafeteria every day to replenish his nutrition. I passed him eggs, beef, chicken breast. All while wearing a concerned expression. “Zack, are you too tired from accompanying me to class lately? You’ve lost so much weight. Eat more, otherwise it breaks my heart to see you like this.” He smiled at me wearily and fondly pinched my fair, jade-like cheek. “Olivia, you’re so good to me!” I immediately gave him a shy expression in return. I became increasingly good to Zack and clung to him more and more. He also became more and more dependent on me. But for some reason, he always seemed to have Mia on his mind. After I had monopolized Zack’s time for a while, Mia finally couldn’t stand it anymore and came to find us. Our duo cleverly became a trio. For every major class, I brought two “bodyguards”, and even the professors frequently glanced in our direction. One time when the three of us were shopping at the mall, we ran into Zack’s dad. Mr. Wilson was dressed in a suit, tall and handsome, the picture of elegance. “Oh, it’s Olivia! Out shopping with Zack? See anything you like? Uncle Wilson will buy it for you.” Then, as if he had just noticed Mia, he said, “Why did you bring someone else along on your date? How can you two enjoy yourselves like this?” Mia stood next to Zack, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “Uncle Wilson, I… I’m…” I stepped forward, closer to Mr. Wilson. “What can we do? The girl has a crush on Zack and insists on following us. At least after Zack and I break up, she can take over, so Zack won’t be too lonely.” After I said this, all three of them stared at me in shock. Mr. Wilson’s tone became anxious and uneasy. “What? Olivia, you want to break up with that idiot Zack?” Zack couldn’t believe it. “Olivia, don’t you love me the most? You, you actually thought about breaking up?!” Mia was shocked, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment. “Olivia Tanner, what nonsense are you spouting… what do you mean ‘take over’? Who are you insulting?” Mia pointed at me, looking like I had bullied her terribly. Mr. Wilson raised his hand to slap her. “Who are you pointing at?!” Zack rushed over to save Mia from his father’s hand. “Dad! What are you doing hitting people?” “Is it because of her? Huh?! I’m asking you, is it because of her? Olivia is such a wonderful girl and you don’t appreciate her, insisting on being with this kind of woman instead.”

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My roommate, Jess Price, was absolutely convinced that every male in existence fancied her. From the fittest guy in our department to the old security guard, all of them, she believed, were at her feet. She’d created several WhatsApp groups full of admirers, posting heavily filtered selfies daily. And on top of that, she had no problem trashing me while insisting I give her my brother’s contact info. “Your brother seems to have a thing for me. Pass me his WhatsApp, I might as well have a bit of fun with him.” A senior once glanced her way, and Jess took it upon herself to snatch his laptop, claiming it was a love token. “Of course, he gave me his laptop. So what if I wiped all the data? He won’t mind; he’s smitten.” The most popular guy in the department had heard all about her, keeping a safe distance, yet she had her own twisted narrative. “Why would he avoid me and not others? Obviously, he’s shy!” Eventually, she crossed the line by going after the rich boyfriend of a spoiled daddy’s girl. That bloke wasn’t having it. “If I don’t give you a proper smackdown, it’d be an injustice to the mess you call your love life.”

I missed Freshers’ Week Bootcamp because of a minor car accident. Fortunately, the injury wasn’t too bad—just some swelling on my face. George, my brother, couldn’t help himself: “Your face looks like a painter’s palette—probably best to stay indoors for now.” But when I finally sorted out all my paperwork and arrived at Ashcroft Halls, his face was the one with red and blue streaks. “I don’t like speaking ill of women, but you’ve got an odd one in your flat. Keep your distance.” I laughed at his overreaction and shooed him away, then eagerly pushed open the door to my new room. “You’re Holly Sutton?” A girl’s eyes scanned me up and down. “Uh, yeah, that’s me.” “Give me your boyfriend’s WhatsApp. Though, tell him not to get his hopes up—I’m not interested in broke blokes. It’s all about their effort.” My boyfriend? What on earth? The girl covered her mouth and giggled. “Can’t blame you. It’s my overwhelming charm. Every man fancies me—it’s exhausting, really.” I was completely dumbfounded. “Wait, you’re saying my brother… fancies you?” My nephew’s already old enough to go on errands, love. Also, my sister-in-law, Emily, is a former beauty queen. “Your brother? You’re so ugly, you look nothing like him. Are you trying to save face by lying to me?” Okay, I admit George is a bit on the handsome side, but as the son of a factory owner, he spends all day in the workshop, not exactly dressed to impress. And here I was, with bandages on my face, swollen eyes, looking like an absolute toad. “Whatever, just give it to me. I don’t have time to waste on men like him.” “Wait a sec, why do you think my brother likes you?” I finally asked, unable to hold it in any longer. She huffed. “Your brother’s gaze lingered on me for ten seconds. Then, he looked straight into my eyes and said thank you. If that’s not a blatant invitation, I don’t know what is!” Mate, your eyeliner looks like it’s drawn with two thick ropes, and your lips are blood red. The fact my brother didn’t run away screaming is a miracle. I watched as she held out her phone with two fingers, as if she was doing me a favor. I slapped it out of her hand. “You’ve got some nerve! Did you get delusional after a pint? You’ve got a death wish if you think you can mess with me. What, did you walk straight out of surgery and forget to empty the rubbish in your brain? My sister-in-law could roll out of bed and still look twenty times better than you. Seriously, grab a mirror from Primark and have a reality check!” My tirade left everyone in the room frozen. I shoved past Jess and headed to my bed. Only to discover that my anger had hit a whole new level. My bed was covered in clothes and dirty socks—it looked like a landfill site. “Whose clothes are these? Clear them off, this is my bed.” Someone gave me a nudge, signaling with their eyes. “That’s Jess Price’s stuff.” “Jess, come clear your things.” I repeated. Jess snapped out of her daze and glared at me like her eyes were on fire. “You’re new here and don’t know the rules. At home, my mum always cleans up after me. I don’t do chores.” I looked around and saw a few sympathetic faces. Clearly, they had been dealing with her nonsense for quite some time. “You don’t do chores? Fine, I’ll handle it.” I rolled up my sleeves, gathered all the clothes on my bed, kicked open the door, and tossed them into the hallway. Someone had just mopped the floor, so the clothes landed in puddles. Couldn’t have timed it better. Jess’s mouth dropped, and she let out a high-pitched scream. “You’re mad! That was my favorite outfit!” “Was it? Well, that’s just brilliant, then,” I replied, shaking out my wrists, feeling thoroughly satisfied with myself. Jess was still screaming and hopping about, probably gearing up to hit me. But at 5’8″ and a regular at the gym, she quickly thought better of it. She glared at me one last time before stomping out of the room. A few minutes later, Mrs. Baines, our halls manager, arrived.

“She threw all my clothes on the floor! That dress alone costs over £200! She should pay me back—or get expelled!” Mrs. Baines turned to me, “Why did you throw her clothes out?” I smiled. “They were on my bed, which makes them my stuff. I could burn them if I wanted to.” “See, Mrs. Baines! She’s a troublemaker! No respect for you at all!” I smirked. “If you respected Mrs. Baines so much, why didn’t you tidy your clothes up before now? You knew I was moving in today, yet you dumped your stuff on my bed. I took it as a gift—shame I don’t wear trash.” Laughter erupted around the room. Jess’s face turned beetroot red. “Well, you shouldn’t have thrown them on the floor. You’re not the one cleaning up, where’s your sense of decency?” I cursed silently. “I didn’t say I wasn’t going to clean up. What’s your problem?” I opened my suitcase, grinning at Mrs. Baines. “I haven’t unpacked yet—too much rubbish around. Might as well clean it all at once.” I proceeded to scrape the remains of someone’s watermelon rinds and discarded seeds from the table and threw them onto the pile of Jess’s clothes. I even gave it a couple of stomps for good measure. “Press it down—makes it easier to clean,” I said, smirking. Now the whole lot was drenched and covered in food. Useless. Jess let out another wail, her face drained of colour. “That’s enough!” Mrs. Baines said firmly, turning to Jess. “You all need to learn to live together. Sort these things out between yourselves.” After Mrs. Baines left, Jess shot me a venomous glare. I raised my head and said coldly, “Stop glaring—your contact lenses are slipping.” The other girls, finally free of Jess’s tyranny, were more than happy to help me unpack and introduce themselves. Jess, on the other hand, retreated to her bed, sulking behind the curtain. I still needed to pick up a few things, so I asked the girls for directions and headed out, mask and baseball cap on. It took me about half an hour to find the Sainsbury’s they mentioned. As soon as I walked in, I could feel the unfriendly stares. When I went to the checkout with my items, a guy cut in front of me and sneered to his mate: “See, even ugly bints go psycho.” “Course they do, mate. No blokes like her, so when other girls get attention, she just loses it.” Even I wasn’t thick enough not to realize they were talking about me. Bloody hell, it felt like I was in some twisted reality show where every episode was a new challenge. I slammed my items down on the counter and wedged myself between them. “What’s the gossip, then? Mind if I join?” They both looked shocked, stepping back involuntarily. I used the opportunity to slip in front of them, grinning. “Ugly girls are meant to be psycho, right? You two look like you know all about it.” Their faces turned a deep shade of red. “Who the hell are you calling ugly?” “You two, obviously.” They were left speechless. One of them, clearly more cocky than smart, rolled up his sleeves like he was ready to fight. I wasn’t having any of it. I grabbed an apple from my shopping bag and crushed it in one hand. Juice splattered everywhere, dripping down my fingers. I shot a glance downwards, and suddenly both blokes clamped their legs together in panic. “Bye now, boys!” I said cheerfully, striding out of the shop. It was clear this hadn’t just come out of nowhere. When I got back to the flat, I pulled Alice aside and asked if there was some sort of group chat I didn’t know about. She confirmed there was, and soon enough, she opened it up for me to see. The second I glanced at the screen, I was flooded with a barrage of disgusting images and hateful messages. It turned out Jess had been posting edited pictures of me, painting herself as the victim of some grand bullying conspiracy. One of her latest messages read: “I don’t even know what I did to upset her! I just asked if she wanted to grab lunch, and she smashed all my makeup. I’m honestly scared.” The photo beneath it? A close-up of her tear-streaked face, long lashes glistening with tears, her pink cheeks smudged with mascara. Just peeking into the corner of the shot? Her legs, perfectly positioned to look long and slender. Most of the group was made up of guys, and they were falling over themselves to defend her. The whole lot of them were calling me every name under the sun, especially attacking my looks. I asked Alice to add me to the group. Time to go to war. TouristA: “@SunsetInLA, you’re the kind of bloke who wipes his greasy face with a dingy old towel, scarred with acne, all while eating a six-quid ready meal. You steal someone else’s selfie for your profile pic and then go commenting under every pretty girl’s post, ‘Wanna cry in my Ferrari?’” TouristA: “@MountainMan, no girls like you, your mates laugh behind your back, and you scrape together £13 in your bank account, buy a takeaway, and use your last quid to pay for a three-day Netflix trial. Screenshot the receipt and post it to Insta: ‘You’ll never understand my pain. You don’t deserve my loyalty.’” TouristA: “@LongLegsYouCan’tTouch, your love’s like those flyers people hand out in the street. Everybody gets one. Your bank account? About as consistent as your morals—sometimes full, but usually empty.” TouristA: “@ChooChooMaster, you’ll drink yourself stupid tonight and try to pull anything with a pulse. You fancy yourself a ladies’ man, but mate, look in the mirror—what kind of salad do you think you are?” The group chat blew up. SunsetInLA: “Who the hell let this one in? Come out and say your name if you’ve got the guts!” MountainMan: “Oi! I never buy the three-day trial! I get the full month, you twat!” TouristA: “@MountainMan, what kind of bin bag do you use, mate? You can stuff a lot in there.” TouristA: “@SunsetInLA, I don’t hide my name, mate. Your daddy’s here.” The chat descended into chaos. Finally, Jess—going by the name SpanishSunset in the group—spoke up: “See, guys? This is exactly what I have to deal with. She’s bullying me like this all day, just like she did earlier.” SunsetInLA: “Don’t worry, Sunset. I’ve got your back. TouristA, how about we meet face-to-face and see if you still have the balls to insult me?” TouristA: “@SunsetInLA, if I insult you in person and you don’t get it, shall I carve it on your gravestone?” ChooChooMaster: “SpanishSunset, don’t cry. She’s just jealous because you’re beautiful. You’re everything she’ll never be, so she lashes out. Proper backup girl.” TouristA: “@ChooChooMaster, you reckon everyone’s a spare tyre because you think you’re a jack. Ain’t no one calling you, mate.” Alice was practically on the floor, laughing and giving me a thumbs up. My fingers were flying across the keyboard at this point, nearly sparking fire from the speed. The group was in absolute shambles. Only a few stragglers managed to spit out some feeble insults, but they were met with more of my jabs. Finally, the chat quieted down. Jess, or SpanishSunset, sent a voice message: “Please stop being so mean to everyone. I’ll apologise, okay? Just take it out on me from now on. They’re my sweet boys, I don’t want them hurt.” What a pure and delicate little flower she was. Not. TouristA: “@SpanishSunset, is your family in the antiques business? You call everyone ‘darling’?” TouristA: “@SpanishSunset, you think you’re so desirable, but honestly, you’re cheap and overused.” TouristA: “@SpanishSunset, with all these backups, your car must be an absolute wreck.” Suddenly, a notification popped up. TouristA had been booted from the ‘We’re All Mates’ group. Well, I’ll be damned. They kicked me out when they couldn’t handle the heat. Did they really think I’d just let it go? I flipped out of bed like a gymnast and yanked open Jess’s curtain. She froze, hands still poised over her phone, clearly typing away in the chat. Her entire body went rigid.

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I’ve decided to let go of Daniel. It didn’t start with anything major, really. It was just one of those research group meetings when Bella walked in with a cup of soya milk and a bacon roll. Danny, always indulging her, covered for her: “Bella’s young, she’s a bit of a foodie. Let’s be kind.” Everyone chuckled and joked around, and their eyes, knowingly or not, drifted towards me. Only my friend Rachel stood up for me: “Danny, that’s not fair! Ellie had a stomach bug last time and wanted to eat something, and you wouldn’t let her!” The room fell silent for a moment. Danny’s face darkened. “Ellie, are you acting out again? If you want to throw a tantrum, this isn’t the place for it. No one here is going to coddle you.” “Exactly. Always attention-seeking,” someone muttered under their breath. I sighed inwardly. It all just felt so pointless. I took off my name badge and looked up at Danny. “I’m quitting the research group.” The words hung in the air as the older students tried to calm me down. After all, getting into this research group meant a chance at a postgraduate scholarship. “It’s fine. My mind’s made up. I’ll go and explain everything to the professor later.” “Are you throwing a fit again? Do you really need everyone to revolve around you? It’s just letting Bella have her breakfast, do you have to be so petty about it?” Danny’s tone was cold and laced with impatience. I looked him square in the eye and explained, “I’m not throwing a fit. It’s just…” I pointed at a few people, “Her, him, her—they’re only here because of Bella’s connections. They do the least work, but they gossip the most. I’m tired of being in this kind of environment.” Honestly, I was exhausted, playing along and going through the motions with them. The people I pointed out turned pale, their heads down, avoiding my gaze. The others stayed silent, but Bella started to cry. “Ellie, what have I ever done to you? Why embarrass me in front of everyone?” she sobbed. “They’re just my classmates. If they don’t get a few extra credits from joining the research group, they’ll fail. I was just trying to help them, and Danny agreed to it too.” I nodded, “Sure, Bella. But the research group isn’t yours alone. You help them, and we’re all supposed to bear the consequences. Is that your idea of fairness?” “That’s enough! Ellie, you’re acting like you’ve gone mad. If I’m willing to take responsibility for her, what does it matter to you?” That hit like a slap across my face. I was flushed with anger and confusion. Was this really the same Danny who used to protect me? But his next words buried me completely. “Ellie’s got some mental health issues, Bella. Don’t take her words too seriously. She has her moments.” Danny took out a tissue and gently wiped Bella’s tears. “Really? She doesn’t seem like it,” Bella glanced at me, curiosity and disdain in her eyes. “Oh, it’s true. I even have her diagnosis,” Danny added, casually. My heart, which had been raised up so high, was now slammed down, shattering into pieces. I suddenly remembered how, when I was seven, Danny had chased away some bullies and wiped my tears in exactly the same way, promising he’d always be on my side. Now, he was cruelly ripping open my wounds, just to comfort another girl.

Leaving the group wasn’t easy. The professor said he was too busy at the moment and asked if I could stay a bit longer. I reluctantly agreed. I tried to go in only on days when Danny wasn’t there. But part of me still wondered, would he notice and come find me? After all, years of habits aren’t easily broken. One evening, after finishing an experiment, I was walking back to the dorms when a tall figure appeared in the middle of the path. I turned to leave, but Danny caught up with me. “Ellie!” He grabbed my hand, “Why have you been avoiding me?” I tried to pull away, but he firmly placed his hands on my shoulders, turning me around to face him. His gaze softened, “Are you angry with me?” I turned my head, refusing to look at him. He chuckled, “Ellie, are you jealous? I didn’t mean to side with Bella. It’s just… her dad’s our biggest investor. I can’t afford to upset her. How about this? From now on, I’ll let you have breakfast in the meeting room too?” I looked at him seriously for the first time, “Danny, this isn’t about breakfast.” He knew perfectly well that I’d been struggling with some personal issues. There were nights when I couldn’t sleep at all, leaving me mentally exhausted, but I wasn’t the “mental case” he made me out to be. Did he ever stop to think about that? His eyes flickered. He knew exactly what I was getting at. Then, he pulled something out of his pocket and slipped it onto my wrist. Under the streetlight, I saw what it was—a finely polished silver bracelet. “Ellie, you’ve always wanted one of those silver bracelets that girls get from their parents. I saved up to get you one, but silver seemed too cheap for you. So, I bought a gold one and had it coated in silver.” People are often bound by the things they desired but could never have in their youth. At that moment, when I saw the bracelet, my heart softened. From childhood to now, Danny had always been by my side. He was like a friend, a brother, and, admittedly, I’d started to have feelings for him that I probably shouldn’t have. Besides him, there was no one else I could rely on. Maybe… maybe I should forgive him. Later, back in my dorm, I thought it over for a long time before finally sending him a cheeky emoji. He responded in kind, sending one back, along with a swimming ticket, asking if I wanted to go swimming tomorrow. But my smile faded. Had he forgotten? Tomorrow was the first day of my period.

The next day, I decided to go anyway. I put on light makeup, but I didn’t bring a swimsuit. I figured Danny was just busy and hadn’t paid attention to my schedule. I’d just sit by the pool and watch him swim. When I arrived, there was already a group of people at the entrance, both boys and girls, and Bella was right there among them. As I walked up, I noticed a few of the boys exchange glances, smirking. “Bit boring, isn’t it? Figures the ones without a decent figure wouldn’t want to show it off. She’s not all that after all. I much prefer girls who aren’t shy,” one of them said with a sneer. I frowned. Bella giggled behind her hand, “Can’t help it, can you? Some people are just… small-minded. Makes you wonder why Danny even invited her.” Danny’s face was dark, probably a bit embarrassed, “I told you to bring your swimsuit. How are you going to swim in a T-shirt and trousers?” “I’m on my period.” So, he had forgotten. Danny’s brows furrowed, clearly annoyed. “Of course it’s today. But swimming during your period isn’t a big deal, is it?” I stayed silent. Realising his words were off, he tugged at my sleeve apologetically. “Come on, Ellie. I’m not a girl. Cut me some slack for not knowing.” Then, he suddenly turned to the group and said, “You know, last time Ellie embarrassed Bella in front of everyone. That’s why I invited her today, so she could apologise properly.” I stared at him in disbelief. “Why should I apologise?” Why should I apologise to Bella? She was the one bringing her friends into the research group for free credit. How was this suddenly my fault? Danny pulled me aside, whispering urgently, “Ellie, think about the bigger picture. I need this research to secure a job with a top firm. You don’t want us to struggle for the rest of our lives, do you?” I caught the real meaning in his words. “Us? Struggling?” “Yeah.” He turned back to face me, his tone indifferent, with just a hint of disdain. “Ellie, I know you’ve always liked me. And I like you too. If you apologise to Bella, I’ll agree to be with you. If not, I’ll just start dating her instead.” He suddenly sounded so… lofty, as if he were offering me a priceless gift. “After all, we’ve known each other for over a decade. I can’t just throw that away. Apologise, stay in the research group, help me, and we’ll be together.” I took a step back, looking Danny up and down, and shook my head slowly. “You’re so full of yourself.” “What?” He didn’t hear me properly. Habits are a dangerous thing. Danny and I had practically grown up together, from primary school to secondary school, and now university. After so much time, I’d gotten used to him. I relied on him. I even thought I loved him. Danny was a year older than me. I’d been fostered by my uncle since I was a child, and Danny was the boy next door. Back then, kids showed their feelings so plainly. If my cousin disliked me, the entire group of children in the area would ostracise me. But Danny was different. He always brought an extra snack for me, included me in games, made sure I wasn’t left out. Honestly, the warmth of my childhood came entirely from Danny. He knew how to keep me under his thumb. I had always listened to him, always done as he asked. But ever since that breakfast incident, I felt… tired. Tired of him. Tired of everything. In the middle of our standoff, the swimming instructor came over. “If you’re going to swim, make sure you’re careful.” The instructor handed me a chair and said kindly, “You’ve been holding your stomach. Must be your period, right? My daughter looks exactly like you during hers. So pale, poor thing.” I instinctively touched my face. Was it that obvious? If a stranger could see it, surely Danny knew too?

“Think about it, alright?” Danny said, before heading back to Bella and the others. “Oh, and remember to book the restaurant for dinner later,” he added as if it were nothing. I didn’t move. I watched as Danny pulled out a bag of drinks and handed Bella the only one in unique packaging. Everyone else got the same kind. Bella blushed, and the group burst into playful teasing. Suddenly, I was reminded of playing house when we were children. Danny had done the same thing back then. He bought a load of lollipops and gave the prettiest girl the only special one, asking her to play his wife. The rest of us got the regular ones. He won our loyalty and achieved what he wanted. All the kids ate theirs straight away, but I held onto mine, tucking it away because it was the first treat I’d ever been given just for me. Later, when Danny found out, he bought me a few more, but never that special one. I couldn’t help but laugh softly. I always knew he was using the simplest tactics to manipulate people, and I was his most successful target, quietly playing along. I was never the special one. I was just another fish caught in his wide net. On the way to dinner, as usual, I carried everyone’s bags and lagged behind. By the time I reached the private room, Danny had already texted me, saying he’d ordered food. I was still halfway there. It’s funny, I’ve always trailed behind Danny, so used to him walking ahead while I followed. When I reached the door, I overheard Bella talking. “Danny, how did you manage to get Ellie to apologise to me? She’s famous for being an ice queen, never talks to anyone.” “Don’t worry,” Danny replied, “you saw how I made her carry all our bags. Apologising is nothing compared to that.” “She’s been like a dog following me around since we were kids. Give her a scrap of attention, and she’ll follow you anywhere. Besides me, she’s got no one else to rely on.” A few of the boys chuckled, chiming in to flatter him and tear me down. I paused, hand raised to knock, then slowly let it fall back down. Instead, I quietly set the bags by the door and stood there, listening. “Danny, you’re the man! What did you say to Ellie to make her so loyal?” “Yeah, Danny, you’re so lucky. Ellie on one side, Bella on the other.” I heard Danny laugh lightly. “It’s nothing, really. She’s just starved for affection. Give her a little kindness, and she’ll go to the ends of the earth for you. But don’t get me wrong, I’m only into Bella. Ellie’s… well, she’s just a bit pathetic, to be honest.” The room filled with laughter. Strangely, I didn’t feel anything. No anger, no sadness. Just a vague sense of boredom. Like sitting in a room, waiting for it to collapse into dust. And slowly, I began to see the light again. I left the bags at the door and went to grab a bowl of noodles. I bought myself some cakes too and felt warm all over as I ate. Later, I found someone from the university’s delivery service and had them return all of Danny’s things to him, including that bracelet. It wasn’t real silver, and definitely not gold. The moment I put it on, I could tell. I’m not stupid. I’d just been playing along, deceiving myself.

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After I died, a humanoid robot took my place and stayed by my husband’s side. Edward didn’t notice anything strange about me. Every day, he spent time with his first love, Sophia, just to enjoy watching me suffer—longing, desperate, and hysterical. But a machine can’t mimic human emotions. It could only interpret my love for Edward as following a set of commands. It didn’t understand jealousy, nor could it feel anger. Until one day, Sophia pushed me off the balcony of the Penthouse. My metal frame twisted from the impact. Edward rushed over. For the first time, he was close enough to me, just one look away from realising something was wrong. A loud crash echoed through the room. Edward dropped his glass and rushed over. But when he saw me lying there, his worry quickly morphed into disgust. The one who pushed me, Sophia, stood at the top of the stairs, feigning tears as she began her act. “Edward, Emma reached out to push me, but she slipped and fell herself.” Edward didn’t spare me a glance, striding straight over to Sophia. “Are you all right, Sophia? You didn’t get hurt, did you?” He checked her thoroughly, and after confirming that not a single hair on his beloved’s head was out of place, he finally exhaled in relief. Then, in a show of rare condescension, he turned to look at me. I was sprawled on the floor in a terribly undignified position, motionless. “Emma Parker, you’re as stupid as you are cruel! Crawling around on the floor like a dog—what, did you think this would make me care about you? That I’d pay you some attention?” He’d clearly seen the slight dent in the floor where I’d landed, but there wasn’t even a hint of concern in his eyes. When I didn’t move, he shouted, irritated, “Stop playing dead! Do you think pretending will make me feel guilty? Get up and apologise to Sophia!” I heard his command, my head twitched slightly, but then I let it fall back down. Edward’s expression darkened. “Emma Parker, stop testing my patience! Apologise to Sophia, or I’ll personally have you thrown into a cell!” He stood over me, certain I’d obey as I always had. But I stayed down, motionless except for a faint twitch in my leg. Sophia, playing the part of a concerned friend, chimed in, “Edward, maybe you should check on her? What if something’s really wrong?” Despite her words, she remained clinging tightly to Edward, making no effort to move. Edward let out a cold laugh, indifferent. “She didn’t even cry out. She’ll be fine. It’s just the fifth floor, she’s not dead—maybe crippled at worst. And if anything has happened, well, she’s brought it on herself.” There was such venom in his voice, so much malice. If he could, I’m sure he would have been delighted to see me die right there. Unfortunately for him, he was bound to be disappointed. Because the one lying on the floor wasn’t the real me. It was just a humanoid robot, almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Of course, the machine didn’t scream in pain. It didn’t feel pain. And it couldn’t die. Though my soul was bound to the robot, I couldn’t control it. It was sophisticated enough to function on its own—it had only crashed due to the severe impact.

The system rebooted quickly. “You could drop dead, and I still wouldn’t feel like looking at you. No matter how much you act, I’ll never come down to help.” As Edward spat out those words, I slowly rose, though my right leg was grotesquely twisted. This odd movement only made him more certain I was putting on a performance, and he lifted his chin, satisfied with himself. Sophia gasped dramatically. “Edward, look at Emma’s leg—it looks so strange!” “She’s only broken a bone, that’s all. Dogs can break a leg and be fine in a few days. She’s hardly worse than an animal.” Edward’s remark made Sophia laugh, and she giggled uncontrollably. “Yes, and Emma has a knack for escaping death. You saved her after that lorry accident, and now she’s fallen from the penthouse without a scratch!” As she spoke, Edward’s face grew darker, his hatred for me barely contained. I knew he’d always regretted saving me. The day he sent Sophia off to study abroad, I learned for the first time that she was the one he couldn’t let go of. Distracted by the news, I hadn’t noticed the lorry speeding toward me. He acted on impulse, pushing me out of the way, but in the end, it was his legs that were crushed. For a professional ballroom dancer, losing your legs was worse than death. Every day after that, Edward’s resentment for me grew. “She’s no miracle survivor—she’s a bloody curse. First, she cost me my legs, and now she wants to take you away too!” His anger boiled over, and he kicked me hard in the leg. My already misshapen limb bent even further, emitting a faint crackling noise. Edward paused, suspicious, but the sound soon stopped. He composed himself again and barked, “Go and make some tea for Sophia to apologise.” I nodded obediently and hobbled to fetch the tea. Sophia turned her nose up as I approached, clinging to Edward’s arm like a spoiled child. “Edward, I don’t think Emma’s really sorry. She brought me cold tea, after all. I want it scalding hot.” I went back, prepared fresh tea, and brought it to her again. This time, she intentionally let go of the cup. “Oh no!” Even though the entire cup spilled onto my leg, it was Sophia who cried out in distress. “Edward, my leg! I think I’ve been burned!” Edward hurriedly rolled up her trouser leg, revealing nothing more than a faint red mark on her smooth skin. “Emma Parker, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?!” I stared blankly at the synthetic skin on my own leg, where the hot tea had scalded me, and muttered numbly, “It wasn’t on purpose.” Sophia, pretending not to hear, sobbed louder. “Emma, I know you don’t like me, but this is too much! You’re just jealous that Edward and I can still dance ballroom together, aren’t you? Fine, I won’t dance with him anymore.” Edward was fuming, desperate to console her, and in his rage, he slapped me hard across the face. “You spiteful woman! All you ever do is cause trouble! Now, clean up that mess from the floor with your tongue, and then give Sophia a proper apology.”

I used to be a proud woman. The only time I ever put my pride aside was when I knelt and begged that strange doctor, Dr. Vincent, to make prosthetic legs for Edward. I would’ve traded my life for it, without hesitation. If I were still alive, I’d have screamed at Edward, not caring about anything else. But the machine didn’t understand humiliation. To it, the command was just that—a command. It had inherited all my memories, and its core programming was to love Edward. So no matter what orders he gave, it would follow them without question. And right now, I was licking the spilled tea off the floor like a dog, utterly devoid of dignity. The machine couldn’t comprehend emotions. I thought that by obeying Edward, he would be satisfied. Maybe even happy. “Emma Parker, you’ve really surprised me.” His expression shifted to something more complicated, as though he wanted to take a closer look at my injuries. But just then, Sophia let out a feeble cry, collapsing softly into his arms. Edward scooped her up immediately and rushed her out. He was so close. If he’d only looked a little longer, he might have seen the faint glint of metal under my skin. After they left, I connected to a power source and entered standby mode. Staring at the burnt synthetic skin, I felt a rising sense of fear, even though I was already dead. I couldn’t help but think back to the day Dr. Vincent came to me. Edward had been in a rage, smashing everything in the hospital room, while I stood outside, hiding my tears in my hands. Normal prosthetics could let him walk again, but they’d never be as fluid as real legs. “I can make prosthetic legs as good as the real thing,” Dr. Vincent had told me, “but you’ll have to agree to be my test subject in exchange.” “I agree.” Vincent had looked at me, surprised by my quick response, and raised an eyebrow. “Think carefully before you answer. You’ll endure a lot of pain and die in the process. After you’re dead, I’ll replace you with a humanoid robot. That’s part of the experiment.” Edward had saved my life once. In return, I would give him back his legs. In my mind, that made us even. But even knowing what was to come, I hadn’t expected the experiment to be so brutal. To create an exact replica of me, Vincent had to remove the skin from different parts of my body, piece by piece, for testing. The final step was opening up my brain to create a memory chip. By the time I died, there wasn’t a single patch of skin on my body left unscathed. In my agony, I’d begged Dr. Vincent to make one last call to Edward. I just wanted to hear his voice one final time. But the call went unanswered, and Vincent—tired of my requests—told me that Edward had blocked my number. “I almost feel sorry for you.” Vincent had said, switching on a surveillance camera. The screen showed Edward carefully tending to the roses in the passenger seat of his car, smiling as he drove to the airport. Soon, Sophia appeared at the arrivals gate, and they embraced tightly. The people around them were cheering. “Kiss! Kiss!” Edward brushed a strand of hair away from Sophia’s face and kissed her passionately. Vincent turned to me and asked, “Do you regret giving up your life for his legs?”

The sharp ring of a phone broke through my thoughts. I unplugged the charging cable and answered almost immediately. “Emma, Sophia’s craving your chicken noodle soup. Make it and bring it to St. George’s Hospital now.” Edward barked the command and hung up before I could respond. I quickly prepared the soup and hailed a cab to the hospital. When I opened the door to Sophia’s private room, Edward was sitting by her bedside, gently stroking her shoulder, whispering soothing words until she drifted off to sleep. As soon as he saw me, his tender demeanor vanished. He carefully lowered Sophia’s head onto the pillow, then dragged me out into the hallway, his grip rough and angry. “Are you doing this on purpose, Emma? Taking your sweet time, knowing full well Sophia was waiting for you!” Without waiting for an answer, he opened the thermos, and before I could react, he dumped the soup straight into the rubbish bin. Edward’s face was like stone, his jaw clenched with the effort to contain his rage. He looked ready to lash out at me again, but the sound of crying from the room pulled his attention back to Sophia. He threw me one last furious glare and rushed back inside. “Edward, don’t worry about me. My kidney failure is getting worse… That’s why I left you all those years ago—to seek treatment abroad. But there’s been no donor. I’m dying… I just wanted to come home and see you one last time.” “It won’t come to that. Don’t say such things.” Edward gritted his teeth, his voice tight with the effort of reassurance. “You’re the one who found Dr. Vincent. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to walk, let alone dance. I owe you everything. I’ll donate my kidney to you. I won’t let you suffer.” I stood frozen. My mind couldn’t process what I’d just heard. It was me who had sacrificed everything to give Edward his legs back, not Sophia. Sophia glanced at me over Edward’s shoulder, a smug, taunting glimmer in her eyes as she wrapped herself more tightly around him. “Edward, I’ll never take your kidney. You need both to stay healthy, and if you only have one, you’ll never be able to dance again. But maybe Emma could give me hers? She doesn’t do much with her life. What’s the harm in losing a kidney?” Edward considered the suggestion and slowly turned toward me. “Emma, why don’t you give Sophia your kidney? I’ll be good to you. I’ll take care of you.” I shook my head and answered plainly, “I can’t.” To Edward, it must have seemed like I was being difficult, selfish. But in truth, I literally couldn’t donate my kidney. The body I was trapped in was full of wires and metal, not organs. Edward’s face twisted with fury, interpreting my refusal as cold indifference. “What do you mean you can’t? Are you really so heartless that you’d let her die? I can’t believe I ever saved someone as selfish as you.” He raised his voice, shouting, “I gave you your life back! You owe me this! You can’t just refuse!” Human emotions are messy and complicated, too complex for a machine to grasp. But as a robot, I could only repeat myself mechanically, “I can’t.” It wasn’t hard to see that Edward was on the verge of losing control. He glared at me, his voice dropping to an icy tone. “Fine, have it your way. But I’m telling you, Emma, you will donate that kidney.” The machine received his command. Despite how unnatural it seemed to comply, my programming—rooted in love and obedience—made me slowly nod in agreement. Edward’s anger melted into relief as he called for a doctor, watching eagerly as I was wheeled into surgery. He held Sophia close, his eyes gleaming with joy. “Sophia, we’ll be back to dancing together in no time.” But their joy didn’t last long. The surgeon emerged from the operating room, his face a mix of confusion and disbelief. “Are you having a laugh? This isn’t a person! It’s… It’s a machine!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294669”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantsy